Hong Kong: Tse Chin-wan attends C40 session Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan took part in the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group's Steering Committee meeting on December 3 as part of his trip to the United Arab Emirates to attend the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28). At the meeting in Dubai, Mr Tse exchanged views on topics such as green energy transformation and corporate social responsibility with other C40 Steering Committee members and shared the experience of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in such fields. C40 is a global network of mayors who connect cities around the world to take urgent action to confront the climate crisis. Hong Kong became a member city in 2007 and is a C40 steering committee member for the Central East Asia Region. Yesterday in Abu Dhabi, Mr Tse visited Hong Kong company Archireef and learnt about its latest 3D printing technology to create artificial habitats for marine species threatened by climate change. He also toured WeRide, a technology company of autonomous driving, where he was briefed about the technology. While attending the COP28, Mr Tse met Head of Indonesia Agency for Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Dwikorita Karnawati and told her about the efforts the Hong Kong SAR Government is taking to combat climate change. Together with Permanent Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury (Financial Services) Salina Yan, the environment chief also met a Singaporean delegation led by Deputy Secretary of the Strategy Group at the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore Cindy Khoo. They exchanged views on the strategies in carbon reduction in Hong Kong and Singapore and shared their experience on topics such as voluntary carbon market trading, sustainable finance, and green bonds. This story has been published on: 2023-12-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Musician Brown Mauzo, born Fredrick Mutinda, has publicly discussed his marriage to Instagram personality Vera Sidika. During an interview with a local daily, Mauzo revealed that his relationship with Vera ended in June 2023, with the official announcement of the breakup made in August 2023. When it comes to the specifics of who initiated and ended the relationship, Mauzo remained discreet. I prefer not to go into the details of how our love story began because I want to keep a positive perspective on her side. As long as we were doing well, that was all that mattered. At the time our relationship started, she was living in Mombasa, he said as quoted by NTV Kenya. Mauzo revealed that Vera decided to embrace Islam to align with his religious beliefs. He said Vera underwent a conversion and adopted the Muslim name Zara. It is this gesture that won Mauzos heart. This gesture deeply touched my heart, and I realized the sincerity behind her intention in our relationship, although initially, I had reservations, suspecting it might be for publicity, he added. During that period, Mauzo mentioned that he was grappling with challenges in another relationship that was on the verge of divorce. Despite these complexities, he shared that he chose to enter into a relationship with Vera. The introduction of the religious aspect made me take our connection seriously. The Government has released Sh3.9 billion as the first tranche of financing to cover scholarships for Government-sponsored First-Year students in public universities under the new higher education funding model. Beneficiaries of the scholarships are those who successfully made their applications through the Higher Education Financing portal (www.hef.co.ke) which was launched on the 31st of August 2023. In a press statement, the Cabinet Secretary for Education Ezekiel Machogu revealed that a total of 115,892 First-Year students had successfully applied for scholarships by 29th of November 2023. He added that the Universities Fund will disburse the Sh3.9 billion directly to individual universities for the successful applicants to cover their tuition fees based on the students individual needs under the new funding model. The CS assured that all Universities will receive the scholarship portions for their respective students by 4th December 2023. Further, Machogu stated that the release of the scholarship amount brings to Sh9.2 billion the amount of money the Government has so far released to first-year students under the new higher education funding model that President William Ruto launched on May 31, 2023. He said that early this month, the Government, through the Higher Education Loans Board, disbursed Sh5.3 billion for loans to the First-Year students. The allocation of funds to students was based on a reliable scientific method, Means Testing Instrument (MTI), used to determine the students level of financial need, to ensure they are supported adequately. First-year students who sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination in 2022 are the first cohort to benefit from the new model, he disclosed. According to the CS, the Ministry of Education reiterates the Governments unwavering commitment to promoting access to university education, and providing financial support to all deserving students, to ensure no one is left out. -KNA News After questioning Mumias East MP Peter Kalerwa Salasya regarding allegations of issuing death threats to a judicial officer, the police have granted him Sh20,000 in cash bail. Kakamega Resident Magistrate Gladys Kiama Nashipai filed a complaint last week, leading to the police summoning Salasya to provide a statement on the matter. Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) disclosed that the MP will be brought to court after they share his statement with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Deputy DCIO Lucy Wamutiro, who conducted the interrogation, stated that Salasya was cooperative during the process. We did not encounter any difficulties in extracting the information we wanted from him. We equally recorded the statement from the magistrate and will be moving the case to the prosecutor for appropriate charges, she said. According to the police, Salasya is accused of making threatening phone calls and sending threatening text messages to the magistrate, who issued a verdict against he MP on November 27 at the Small Claims Court (SCC). He allegedly made the threats around 1 pm on the same day. Later at 9 pm, he purportedly posted content on his Facebook page that could be construed as good fodder for defamatory material. In her judgment, Nashipai had ordered Salasya to settle a debt of Sh500,000 owed to his creditor, Robert Lutta. The MPs release on police bail comes a month after he was reported at the same station by lawyer Edwin Wafula for assault. Wafula, who represented Lutta in the SCC case, alleged in his report (OB No. 02/11/2023) that MP Salasya, along with two of his aides (including a policeman), assaulted him at a hotel in Kakamega on November 2. It was not until other revelers and the hotels management intervened that the MP and his aides fled, said Wafula. The lawyer submitted a civil case against Salasya at the Kakamega Law Courts on November 3, seeking general and punitive damages for the alleged use of degrading language aimed at harming Wafulas reputation. The plaintiff (Wafula) avers that on November 2, 2023, at around 6 pm, he went to an establishment within Kakamega Town, Vovo, in the company of friends to have coffee when Salasya confronted him and verbally started hurling insults at him in Swahili, reads his court papers filed by lawyer Derek Mango. The lawyer, who is also seeking reimbursement for the cases expenses, asserted that the MP continued insulting him, leading the restaurants management to request him to leave for disrupting the peace. Wafula recounted that around 7.30 pm on November 2, he and his friends opted to move to another restaurant, Vault, within Kakamega town. However, the MP allegedly followed him there and continued to make defamatory remarks, including Swahili insults. The lawyer stated in his affidavit that he was profoundly disturbed by the damaging implications of the words that tarnished his reputation. Faced with no alternative, he initiated legal action against the MP, who, as of yet, has not filed a defense after being served with court papers. We know our Earth is in peril, and scientists warn that we must make changes now. We have heard the messages, seen the havoc of climate change and want to do better. Most of us do a good job separating our trash. We bring our shopping bags to the supermarket (most of the time) and drive electric cars (or plan to in the future), but we know we can do more. We may feel a little guilty. We may also be confused, too busy, or too lazy to take the extra step. Luckily for Napa Valley, help is here: Juniper Station is a new "refillery" business and mercantile in downtown Napa at 1624 Main St. Think of a gas station where instead of filling up on gas, the customer fills up on liquids and powders, running the gamut from shampoo and lotions to dishwasher and laundry detergent. Instead of buying chemical-laden homecare and personal-care products in single-use plastics, the customer refills a reusable vessel, big or small, with nontoxic, zero-waste alternatives that they pay for by weight, explained business owners Jessica Benjestorf and Kristina Palmieri. Many plastic bottles end up in landfills. According to the EPA, only 8% of plastics are currently recycled, depending on the type of plastic. While filling up in the back of the store, the customer can browse the mercantile at the front for eco-friendly gifts, responsible pantry items, children's organic cotton clothing and local artisanal products. Or simply chat with friends and neighbors, interact with their community, and feel comfort knowing they are making a small change to help the environment, said the owners. Benjestorf and Palmieri connected through a Napa new moms' group when they realized they had a joint mission: helping the planet and raising their children in clean environments. Benjestorf moved to Napa two years ago, pregnant with her first child, from Colorado, where shopping at a refillery was well integrated into her life. Both moms said they were frustrated having to leave Napa in search of a refillery. "I kept thinking Sonoma has one, Walnut Creek has one, Napa must be getting one soon," explained Palmieri, mom to an eight and six-year-old. The two met for the first time over coffee, which turned into a six-hour planning meeting. They got straight to work, and six months after that first coffee, having invested their savings, they opened the doors to Juniper Station. Though this dedicated refillery is a first for Napa, they are joining a growing retail trend of refillery businesses. On its own, Juniper Station will not save the planet, but it could help us make those small changes that add up to a big difference, said the owners. Palmieri admitted that "before having kids, sustainability was not a priority. After kids, I realized we could be doing better; we wanted to set a good example for our kids. 'Choosing, using, and disposing' has to be convenient for people! We are all so busy and it takes a lot of work. People have good intentions, so let's make it easier for everybody." Juniper Station takes some of the work out of the equation, making it more convenient for consumers to choose, use and dispose, said the owners. It is a learning curve for many, especially the older generation who have ingrained buying habits or have been using a particular brand for years. "We've invited all our neighbors to the soft opening, and people are discovering it in their own way. Many had never heard of a refillery before, but they were so excited," said Benjestorf. Meanwhile, some customers (mainly of a younger demographic) told the two they have been waiting for this type of business to open in Napa. In addition to the primary mission of providing nontoxic, zero-waste solutions for consumers, Juniper Station is also a place to run into neighbors and build community, said the owners. "It's going back a little to how your grandparents used to shop at a general store, taking away the plastics, but modernized and convenient. We are also working on a local delivery system and plans for a Farmers Market booth to make it even easier to reach consumers," said Benjestorf. "I had been to refill stores before that felt like a chore, just running another errand; we want this one to be more enjoyable for the whole family; that's why we came up with the concept of combining a refillery with a really great boutique. Something we would want to go to ourselves," said Palmieri. The two moms are compatible business partners despite having only met recently. They explain that they don't have a division of labor, "though I know that is good business - we just talk and volunteer to take on tasks and communicate when we need help, and that works well," said Palmieri. "We both want to be in the store, greeting people, and we could have done this on our own, but it's more fun to collaborate creating community in downtown is the whole idea of the store," added Benjestorf. Plans include "demo days" with vendors, small educational seminars, and family-friendly collaborations with local businesses. "Zero-waste has to be a family affair the whole family has to commit," said Benjestorf. They also encourage anyone eco-curious to come in, ask questions, and try some samples using the "leave a jar, take a jar" basket. "We like the location, five blocks north of First. We hope to have hit that sweet spot, getting some foot traffic from First Street but still attracting locals who want to avoid the crowds. It helps that we also have parking in the back. This part of downtown (north of First) is really picking up," explained Palmieri. Juniper Station (originally home to a bus station and later a hair salon) aims to "move the needle on climate change," according to its website. "I am a big believer that getting a lot of people to do a little bit is much better than just Jess and myself doing sustainability perfectly. If we can even get 10% of Napa to choose refills, that's big, Palmieri concluded. Info: 1624 Main St., juniperstationnapa.com PHOTOS: Napa Valley Nursery School seeks new home ST. HELENA A downtown storefront that had been vacant for five years is vacant no more, thanks to the opening of the Punch clothing boutique. The St. Helena store at 1289 Main St. is retailer Ru Scotts third Punch store, in addition to ones in Healdsburg and Santa Rosa. It opened Nov. 17 and sells designer contemporary clothing for women with a trendy influence, Scott said. Weve been super-busy since we opened the doors, she said. The response has been beyond my expectations. The town is so welcoming and friendly. Scott has high hopes for casual sweats by Aviator Nation, as well as shoes and basic clothing items. St. Helena- and Napa Valley-branded shirts and hats have already been big sellers. "I want this to be a one-stop shop where you can get everything, head to toe," Scott said. Punch fills a space that had been vacant since Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley moved down the street in 2018. Punch is the latest in a string of business openings downtown, following elysewalker moving to the old Vasconis building, Veronica Beard opening on Adams Street, Acme Fine Wines moving to Hunt Avenue, Charlies restaurant opening on Railroad Avenue, NoMa House opening north of Adams, Roman Holiday Gelato replacing Chokolatte on Oak Avenue, and the expanded Orin Swift tasting room opening in the former Bottle Shop space. Scott opened her first store in Sebastopol in 1997. Shes had her eye on St. Helena ever since. Theres something about St. Helena thats so quaint to me, she said. Ive always loved it there. Punch didnt have a smooth road to its grand opening. Scott was about 10 days from opening when a fire in an attic crawl space damaged the building on the night of Aug. 28. The nearly three-month delay made St. Helenas warm welcome all the sweeter, Scott said. PHOTOS: St. Helena's Barrel Tree is a sight to behold this holiday season Despite diametrically opposed studies on its safety, Napa Green recently announced that it will require members to phase out the use of Roundup and other synthetic herbicides by 2026 and 2028, respectively. On Thursday, the nonprofit focusing on vineyard and winery sustainability will hold a town hall and panel with industry experts to discuss the decision to move toward herbicide-free weed management practices in the coming years. We are the first program globally to redevelop our vineyard standards to focus on climate action and regenerative farming and social equity. We set an incredibly high bar, executive director Anna Brittain said. In 2021, the nonprofit convened a Pesticide Working Group to revise its Vineyard Certification Standards, she said. At the time, the organization chose not to require that vineyards be herbicide-free, but they did designate a new gold level standard specifically for organic and herbicide-free growers. It also introduced requirements for all growers to limit herbicide use. Brittain said the new standards called on growers to lower herbicide use by 5% each year, and limit when and where they applied herbicides to limit runoff potential. The working group has continued to meet biannually in the two years since the revision, and this year the group reached a majority conclusion that synthetic herbicides needed to be phased out. This will begin with Roundup, but in 2028, it will also include common alternatives like Lifeline and Finale XL, which uses glufosinate-ammonium as its active ingredient. Brittain said that this decision was not an easy one. Getting rid of herbicides requires a systematic change to farming on the part of growers who have relied on them for weed management. Other methods include more hand weeding, which means more paid hours of manual labor. Alternatively, switching to mechanical methods of weed removal, like tractors and plows, require a fairly large monetary investment, and generally take longer. Additionally, 37% of Napa Greens current members as well as those in the process of getting certification still use synthetic herbicides, and Brittain believes there is a chance some members will leave the organization with this change. For Napa Green, the pros outweigh the cons. Synthetic herbicides are reducing diversity in the soil, it's reducing the health of the microbiome, and all the microbes and the fungal networks in the soil when you're applying this chemical to the soil, she said. From a soil health standpoint, we felt that was pretty unequivocal. We're very focused on regenerative agriculture and it's hard to say you're working on regenerative agriculture if you're not regenerating soil health. Adding to the confusion and controversy, two major agencies focused on cancer and health have come to completely different conclusions when it comes to glyphosate. The substance has been deemed probably carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It has also been linked to the development of non-Hodgkins lymphoma after long-term, repeated exposure and threatened species including the monarch butterfly and honeybees, according to Napa Green. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said "there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label. EPA also found that glyphosate is unlikely to be a human carcinogen." And Bayer, the current producer of Roundup (which was brought to market by Monsanto in 1974), states that the product can be used safely. Glyphosate and Roundup are among the most thoroughly studied products of their kind, which is a major reason why farmers around the world continue to rely on these products, a Bayer spokesperson said via email. For 50 years, leading health regulators around the world have repeatedly concluded that glyphosate-based products like Roundup can be used safely as directed. Molly Hodgins, a viticulture professor at Napa Valley College, said that whether or not growers should move away from herbicides entirely isn't clear. I think its a tough call, Hodgins said. The soil is generally healthier when its kept in an organic state, which is having weeds. Theres more organic matter in a soil that is allowed to have weeds grow. But managing undervine weeds with mowing is more expensive and it is more work, so I think there is room for some herbicides in a sustainable program. But worries about the health effects of Roundup and other herbicides like it are why Randle Johnson, a longtime Napa grape grower, decided to stop using all weed killers in 2019. Hes been a winemaker in Napa for almost 50 years, and remembers when Roundup was first introduced to growers. I was around when Roundup hit the market and it was viewed as a silver bullet. People cheered and clapped, he said. At the very beginning, it was felt that it was so benign you could ingest it. He used Roundup in the vineyards he worked in until 2018, when he stumbled upon a medical infomercial warning of the herbicides negative effects. I quit using Roundup in my own vineyard three to four years ago, Johnson said. But when chemicals are phased out, farmers are going to ask, What can I use instead? There are mechanical methods that vineyards can use, like the French Plow and other tractors, to take out weeds between vines. Johnson also said that hand-farming is an option. But for him, both of these methods turned out to be a lot more expensive and time-consuming than using herbicides. Brittain said that Napa Green is planning to provide at least two training workshops during the first quarter of 2024 to teach members about non-herbicide weed management options. The nonprofit has also raised $60,000 to match funds for members sustainability and climate action efforts. Brittain said that growers making changes to phase out herbicides will be able to apply for those funds in the new year. For a small number of vineyards that are unable to entirely phase out herbicides, Brittain said that some variances might be granted. The idea of variances has been controversial among Napans, but Brittain said that the number of these exceptions will be small. Theres been a take of like, Youre just going to give anyone a pass, which is not going to be the case, Brittain said. Those variances are going to be very limited. This industry is extremely narrow margins and we do anticipate there will probably be a handful of growers where they really can show, With my level of slopes and terraces or the amount of rocks in my soil, there isnt other equipment I can use, or The labor is really absolutely cost-prohibitive, and were going to be looking at that very carefully, she continued. She said that a peer-review committee will be assembled to assess these variance requests on a case-by-case basis. The committee will likely include Napa Greens vineyard program manager along with volunteers, both from vineyards that do use herbicides and those that do not. Brittain said case studies conducted by Napa Green, available in the group's weed management toolkit, show that over time, moving away from herbicides can reduce expenditures, and sometimes lead to a premium on the price of grapes in the long run. At Thursday evenings town hall, she expects the majority of the conversation to revolve around how to make the transition period manageable for current and potential new members of Napa Green. The event will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery, at 8440 St. Helena Highway (Highway 29) in Rutherford. To RSVP, visit napagreen.org/toolkit. Armenia ruling power lawmaker: Today there is no basis for war with Azerbaijan Armenia ruling force MP: Without guarantors, peace treaty with Azerbaijan is meaningless document Saudi Arabia issues $12 billion in bonds Maersk: Red Sea shipping disruption will hit global economy Ex-Deputy FM Vahe Gevorgyan replaces Sergey Manassarian as Armenia Ambassador to China Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia Everything said by Azerbaijan president should be taken seriously, Armenia ruling force legislator states Armenia ruling power MP on signing peace treaty with Azerbaijan without mediators: Very tempting proposal Armenia will no longer be at war in any period of time, ruling force lawmaker says Nikol Pashinyan to new PM of France: I will be happy to host you in Armenia on official visit Iran envoy: What would be violation of Armenias territorial integrity is not acceptable to us Czech Rep. supplies first batch of mobile diesel generator sets to Armenia nuclear plant Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria sign memorandum on clearing floating mines in Black Sea Deputy defense minister on Armenia soldiers non-combat deaths: Such incidents have occurred, still exist today Ombudsperson on non-combat deaths in Armenia army: State should have proper prevention structures Armenia Security Council head to attend 4th meeting on Ukraine peace formula Ecuador security forces arrest 329 people, kill 5 criminals, says head of army Joint Command Armenia government to help those forcibly displaced from Karabakh to get training, jobs Moving Yeraskh village steel plant project to Ararat city costs Armenia government 3.5 billion drams Davit Khudatyan is appointed governor of Armenias Armavir Province Cigarette smuggling prevented at Georgia borders with Turkey, Armenia, Russia Newspaper: Ruling force MP speaks on EU's termination of European Peace Facility for Armenia Open-air exhibition on Karabakh being held in Paris (PHOTOS) Why most people cradle babies in left arm? Deputy PM Grigoryan chairs meeting of commission coordinating measures to ensure Armenia-EU CEPA implementation Greece FM statement after Armenia visit: Important to help our ally country on all international platforms Armenia ruling force legislator: Army is the sector where the more closed and secret, the better Central Bank governor: I can't say banks in Armenia make super profits Armenia Security Council chief, Greece FM discuss regional, extra-regional security Central Bank official: Banking services very accessible for Armenia citizens, businesses Dollar down, euro up in Armenia Suren Papikyan, Rory Domm discuss Armenia-EU cooperation prospects (PHOTOS) Gerapetritis to Pashinyan: Greece government ready to support Armenia in all possible directions FM: Greece clearly supports preservation of Christian sites in Karabakh George Gerapetritis: Armenia's prosperity is possible only with Europe Ararat Mirzoyan: Armenia should be able to make use of Azerbaijan railway Greece official on South Caucasus situation: We rule out use of force, aggression Sargis Khandanyan: Not aware of any arrangements for Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in January Armenia lawmaker: Peace treaty can be signed when Azerbaijan accepts our principles About $70M allocated to programs for persons forcibly displaced from Karabakh to Armenia, minister says Armenia FM on relations with EU: There is long way to go Armenia ruling force MP: Azerbaijan statements about bilateral negotiations are just statements TASS: Germany offers Armenia financial assistance for anti-Russian steps, source says Gunmen take TV journalists hostage live on air in Ecuador, police manage to free them ARARATBANK attracts USD 5 million from EFSE to support MSMEs in Armenia Researchers discover ancient temple ruins thanks to Emperor Constantine's letter to group of Romans Armenia ex-ruling party: Court once again proved it is submissive tool of current authorities Armenia, Greece FMs' private conversation kicks off Volkswagen to equip Golf, Tiguan with artificial intelligence MFA: Armenia established diplomatic relations with 3 more countries in 2023 (VIDEO) Newspaper: Attacks on judges gaining new momentum in Armenia US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin treated for prostate cancer China recreational area breaks world record as largest temporary ice, snow theme park Copernicus: World dangerously close to global warming limit Greece FM arrives in Armenia on official visit Armenia army officer found dead with gunshot wound Crime gang leader escapes from Ecuador prison, state of emergency declared in country Indonesia police rescue 226 dogs sent to slaughter Lemkin Institute condemns recent attack on Armenian Quarter in East Jerusalem Armenia economy minister, businessmen discuss major investment programs planned for 2024 Dollar, euro gain value in Armenia Greece FM to arrive in Armenia Wednesday on official visit MFA: In 2023 Armenia was elected to all international organizations where it nominated its candidacy Azerbaijan ambassador to France confirms arrest of Frenchman Martin Ryan, suspected of espionage Armenia records 2% inflation in 2023 US Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations visiting Yerevan, discusses efforts to bring peace, stability to region World of Buzz: Son didn't know for 20 years that his father was actually a millionaire Yerevan to host European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Annual Meeting, Business Forum in May Russia media report details about Armenian mans murder in Noginsk city ARARAT Museum Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Sergei Parajanov with "Uninterrupted Flight" Exhibition Ruben Rubinyan, Louis Bono discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process Criminal investigation launched, Armenia serviceman detained in case into killing of fellow soldier at combat position Sergei Parajanov statue unveiled in Yerevan Protest being stage outside Armenia education ministry Bloomberg: Researchers find out waters nanoplastics content dangerous for humans MFA: Matter of Armenia driver's licenses recognition in Russia is on bilateral discussions agenda Armenia soldier found dead, with gunshot wound, in combat position Bitcoin exceeds $47,000 for first time since March 2022 China researchers develop electronic skin PM: Armenia foreign policys highest goal is to ensure country's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: Information is circulating in the authorities circles that the demand for early parliamentary elections was also "dropped" from the West. Earlier, we had written that during one of the narrow party gatherings, [PM] Nikol Pashinyan touchedalthough fleetinglyupon the topic of the early [parliamentary elections], not excluding the possibility of holding elections next year. We also had written that Pashinyan understands that time is working against the authorities: on the one hand, the [ruling] CC [(Civil Contract Party)] is being further discredited, on the other hand, the probability of a new opposition force being formed is increasing, so he has decided to surprise the opposition. And it turns out that the West, in its turn, demands an "oath of loyalty" from Pashinyan that Armenia should quickly break away from Russia and rush to Europe. Instead of Pashinyan's assurances, the West expects that an anti-Russian parliament will be formed [in Armenia] through new elections, where Aram Zaven Sargsyan and other pro-Westerners will definitely be present, whereas today's parliamentary opposition, which is in an undisguised pro-Russian political line, will go home. Armenia ruling power lawmaker: Today there is no basis for war with Azerbaijan Armenia ruling force MP: Without guarantors, peace treaty with Azerbaijan is meaningless document Saudi Arabia issues $12 billion in bonds Maersk: Red Sea shipping disruption will hit global economy Ex-Deputy FM Vahe Gevorgyan replaces Sergey Manassarian as Armenia Ambassador to China Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia Everything said by Azerbaijan president should be taken seriously, Armenia ruling force legislator states Armenia ruling power MP on signing peace treaty with Azerbaijan without mediators: Very tempting proposal Armenia will no longer be at war in any period of time, ruling force lawmaker says Nikol Pashinyan to new PM of France: I will be happy to host you in Armenia on official visit Iran envoy: What would be violation of Armenias territorial integrity is not acceptable to us Czech Rep. supplies first batch of mobile diesel generator sets to Armenia nuclear plant Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria sign memorandum on clearing floating mines in Black Sea Deputy defense minister on Armenia soldiers non-combat deaths: Such incidents have occurred, still exist today Ombudsperson on non-combat deaths in Armenia army: State should have proper prevention structures Armenia Security Council head to attend 4th meeting on Ukraine peace formula Ecuador security forces arrest 329 people, kill 5 criminals, says head of army Joint Command Armenia government to help those forcibly displaced from Karabakh to get training, jobs Moving Yeraskh village steel plant project to Ararat city costs Armenia government 3.5 billion drams Davit Khudatyan is appointed governor of Armenias Armavir Province Cigarette smuggling prevented at Georgia borders with Turkey, Armenia, Russia Newspaper: Ruling force MP speaks on EU's termination of European Peace Facility for Armenia Open-air exhibition on Karabakh being held in Paris (PHOTOS) Why most people cradle babies in left arm? Deputy PM Grigoryan chairs meeting of commission coordinating measures to ensure Armenia-EU CEPA implementation Greece FM statement after Armenia visit: Important to help our ally country on all international platforms Armenia ruling force legislator: Army is the sector where the more closed and secret, the better Central Bank governor: I can't say banks in Armenia make super profits Armenia Security Council chief, Greece FM discuss regional, extra-regional security Central Bank official: Banking services very accessible for Armenia citizens, businesses Dollar down, euro up in Armenia Suren Papikyan, Rory Domm discuss Armenia-EU cooperation prospects (PHOTOS) Gerapetritis to Pashinyan: Greece government ready to support Armenia in all possible directions FM: Greece clearly supports preservation of Christian sites in Karabakh George Gerapetritis: Armenia's prosperity is possible only with Europe Ararat Mirzoyan: Armenia should be able to make use of Azerbaijan railway Greece official on South Caucasus situation: We rule out use of force, aggression Sargis Khandanyan: Not aware of any arrangements for Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in January Armenia lawmaker: Peace treaty can be signed when Azerbaijan accepts our principles About $70M allocated to programs for persons forcibly displaced from Karabakh to Armenia, minister says Armenia FM on relations with EU: There is long way to go Armenia ruling force MP: Azerbaijan statements about bilateral negotiations are just statements TASS: Germany offers Armenia financial assistance for anti-Russian steps, source says Gunmen take TV journalists hostage live on air in Ecuador, police manage to free them ARARATBANK attracts USD 5 million from EFSE to support MSMEs in Armenia Researchers discover ancient temple ruins thanks to Emperor Constantine's letter to group of Romans Armenia ex-ruling party: Court once again proved it is submissive tool of current authorities Armenia, Greece FMs' private conversation kicks off Volkswagen to equip Golf, Tiguan with artificial intelligence MFA: Armenia established diplomatic relations with 3 more countries in 2023 (VIDEO) Newspaper: Attacks on judges gaining new momentum in Armenia US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin treated for prostate cancer China recreational area breaks world record as largest temporary ice, snow theme park Copernicus: World dangerously close to global warming limit Greece FM arrives in Armenia on official visit Armenia army officer found dead with gunshot wound Crime gang leader escapes from Ecuador prison, state of emergency declared in country Indonesia police rescue 226 dogs sent to slaughter Lemkin Institute condemns recent attack on Armenian Quarter in East Jerusalem Armenia economy minister, businessmen discuss major investment programs planned for 2024 Dollar, euro gain value in Armenia Greece FM to arrive in Armenia Wednesday on official visit MFA: In 2023 Armenia was elected to all international organizations where it nominated its candidacy Azerbaijan ambassador to France confirms arrest of Frenchman Martin Ryan, suspected of espionage Armenia records 2% inflation in 2023 US Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations visiting Yerevan, discusses efforts to bring peace, stability to region World of Buzz: Son didn't know for 20 years that his father was actually a millionaire Yerevan to host European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Annual Meeting, Business Forum in May Russia media report details about Armenian mans murder in Noginsk city ARARAT Museum Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Sergei Parajanov with "Uninterrupted Flight" Exhibition Ruben Rubinyan, Louis Bono discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process Criminal investigation launched, Armenia serviceman detained in case into killing of fellow soldier at combat position Sergei Parajanov statue unveiled in Yerevan Protest being stage outside Armenia education ministry Bloomberg: Researchers find out waters nanoplastics content dangerous for humans MFA: Matter of Armenia driver's licenses recognition in Russia is on bilateral discussions agenda Armenia soldier found dead, with gunshot wound, in combat position Bitcoin exceeds $47,000 for first time since March 2022 China researchers develop electronic skin PM: Armenia foreign policys highest goal is to ensure country's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity Newspaper: Yerevan mayor unaware that Karabakh has been de-Armenianized? US embassy in Baku: Louis Bono holds regular talks to support Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process Armenia economy minister to go on business trip to India Armenia Security Council chief: We have no expectations from CSTO any longer Armenia Security Council head: Contractual obligations with Russia regarding weapons not fulfilled Armen Grigoryan. There is agreement that Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation commissions will meet in late January Ararat Mirzoyan and Louis Bono discussed regional security issues Tourism Committee chair: 50% of tourists arriving in Armenia are from Russia Quake hits Turkey One of French spies arrested in Azerbaijan identified Armenia unemployment rate dropped sharply over last 3 years, economy minister says Economy minister: US is for first time on list of Armenia's largest trade partners Pope Francis expresses concern about Armenia-Azerbaijan disagreements Kanaani: Iran has clear positions regarding situation in South Caucasus Armenian National Committee member: Heavy equipment removed from Jerusalem Armenian Quarter Cows Garden Zangezur is crucial route for north-south and east-west directions, Thomas de Waal says Stratfor: Armenia will probably accept Azerbaijan's demands de Waal strongly doubts EU, NATO will invest in Armenia army Armenia Security Council chief meets with OSCE Minsk Group US co-chair Thomas de Waal: Karabakh de-Armenianization is price of Armenian politicians maximalism, wrong actions as well Michael Fassnacht, president and CEO of World Business Chicago, speaks at a news conference at the Chicago headquarters of Nature's Fynd on Oct. 28, 2021. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Michael Fassnacht, a former advertising executive and the citys top corporate pitchman, is stepping down as CEO of World Business Chicago in February. The decision, announced Tuesday, will end a nearly four-year run as chief marketing officer and then head of the citys public-private economic development arm, where Fassnacht navigated the challenges of the pandemic, corporate relocations, hybrid work and soaring downtown vacancies with unusual campaigns and an unwavering pro-Chicago mindset. Advertisement It was four intense, fascinating years, and I learned more about the city and this country than in my 20 years before living in this country, said Fassnacht, 56, a German immigrant who made Chicago his home. Fassnacht, who moved to Chicago in 2006 to work in advertising, has had a hand in promoting the city for more than a decade. He found the ideal vehicle in World Business Chicago, which itself arrived in the city only a few years earlier. Advertisement Founded as a private enterprise in 1999 by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, World Business Chicago sought to attract companies and industries to the city. It merged the following year with the taxpayer-funded Chicago Partnership for Economic Development. The organization expanded during former Mayor Rahm Emanuels administration as part of his agenda to increase Chicagos standing as an international business center. Under Fassnacht, World Business Chicago became an even more powerful marketing platform. Fassnacht, who became president of ad agency FCB Chicago in 2014, began creating new campaigns for the citys tourism arm in 2015, looking to change Chicagos image on the world stage. In January 2020, he left FCB Chicago and three months later became the citys first chief marketing officer under then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, earning a token $1 annual salary. When Andrea Zopp stepped down as CEO of World Business Chicago at the end of 2020, Fassnacht added a dual role as interim CEO of the economic development agency. In May 2021, after a national search, Fassnacht was named president and CEO of World Business Chicago. Fassnachts salary at World Business Chicago was substantially higher, nearly $421,000 in 2021, according to the organizations Form 990 tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Job one in his new role was positioning the city as it began to emerge from pandemic disruption. It was far from business as usual, but Fassnacht never stopped selling the virtues of Chicago as a business destination. In February 2022, World Business Chicago enlisted ad agency Energy BBDO to create a pro bono Chicago Not in Chicago guerrilla marketing campaign, promoting homegrown innovations from the cellphone to the skyscraper that have changed the world, but with little credit given to Chicago. To break through the media clutter and noise, sometimes you have to be a little bit cheeky, a little bit creative and innovative, Fassnacht said. Advertisement World Business Chicago was also not above taking shots at competitors to entice companies to relocate. In April 2022, when several Sun Belt states passed legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community, such as the Florida education law critics have dubbed Dont Say Gay, World Business Chicago bought full-page ads in Florida, Texas and Arizona to launch a new marketing campaign and promote Chicago as a more inclusive business climate. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, World Business Chicago fired off hundreds of letters to Fortune 500 CEOs in states facing abortion bans, pitching the city as a more welcoming location for their businesses. It also bought a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal featuring a copy of the letter. The city nonetheless suffered some big-name corporate relocations in recent years, including billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, who announced in June 2022 he was moving the headquarters of his investment firm, Citadel, from Chicago to Miami. Others to exit the Chicago market during Fassnachts tenure included Boeing and Caterpillar. Offsetting some high-profile corporate losses, World Business Chicago touts 482 pro-Chicago decisions since 2021, representing expansions and relocations in the metropolitan area. Fassnacht spearheaded the launch of the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership in collaboration with seven collar counties to coordinate attracting businesses to the region. I extend my deepest appreciation to Michael for his exceptional leadership, which has elevated our city as a hub for business and contributed to our economic revitalization, Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a news release. While his leadership will be missed, I am pleased that he will continue as an active World Business Chicago board member and support a thoughtful transition. Advertisement When Fassnacht resigns at World Business Chicago, he will also step down from his role as chief marketing officer for the city. His exit comes as the Chicago business community grapples with crime issues, the migrant crisis and the perception that Johnson is not as pro-business as previous administrations. The city provides about 20% of World Business Chicagos $10 million annual budget, with much of the rest coming from private corporate donations, Fassnacht said. Fassnacht said Johnson did not ask for his resignation, and has been supportive. At the same time, Fassnacht cautioned that elected officials and business leaders need to be on the same page to spur economic development. I think what elected officials, the mayors office and business leaders all have to realize, we need both a prosperous and an inclusive economy, Fassnacht said. Mellody Hobson, vice chair of World Business Chicago, will also be stepping down in February. Hobson is co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments. As an immigrant, Fassnacht brings a unique business perspective to Chicagos migrant crisis, which has created pop-up shelters and overflow makeshift housing as thousands seek sanctuary in the city. The influx can be an economic opportunity for Chicago, which has the capacity for an expanded population and over 230,000 open jobs, Fassnacht said. Advertisement Fassnacht said he has talked with a number of CEOs who would be willing to hire the migrants after they get work permits. Business leaders have also expressed an interest in helping during the crisis as migrants arrive with limited resources and no access to shelter. Its an opportunity to have motivated people who want to work hard and build a better life for themselves and their family, Fassnacht said. That is the American Dream. World Business Chicago said it will swiftly launch a search for a new president and CEO, and expects to name a successor by February. Fassnacht plans to remain on the board after stepping down as CEO. rchannick@chicagotribune.com The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is confident that Armenias Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) can continue operations given the important refurbishments done at the facility. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told Armenpress that the Metsamor NPP is following the safety recommendations and guidance from the IAEA. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is following the safety recommendations and guidance from the IAEA. This is very important. There have been important refurbishments done at the facility which were found to be indispensable, so we can continue operating, there will be an extension of the licensing of the plant for a few more years and we are satisfied with the way in which they have been implemented, Grossi said. Asked on Turkeys latest request seeking to shut down Metsamor alleging that the facility is unsafe, Grossi said that the IAEA has absolutely no plans to close the Armenian NPP and that operations can continue. The IAEA chief mentioned that countries having certain issues with their neighbors around the world tend to file such complaints to the IAEA. Well, we listen to everybody. The IAEA is a global organization, so we listen to everybody. And when it comes to this kind of concerns, we explain what we are doing, we give the assurances that everything is being done correctly. I would tell you, its not the only case, in some other parts of the world where neighbors have certain issues, countries come to me and say 'what is happening in my neighbor,' so we take it seriously but we give the answers, the most important thing is that Armenia continues to work seriously with us and reinforces the safety of the facility and we are very confident, Grossi said when asked on Turkeys allegations about the Armenian NPP. And asked whether the IAEA plans to close down the Armenian NPP, Rafael Grossi said, No, absolutely not. If there is an issue with the plant we will address it immediately with the government, and we would be the first to say that there is a problem and that some action would need to be taken. But at the moment, as I say, we are confident that operations can continue. The health system, that was formerly know as NorthShore Edward-Elmhurst Health after a merger between NorthShore University HealthSystem and Edward-Elmhurst Health will now be known as Endeavor Health. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune) Nearly two years after NorthShore hospital system and Edward-Elmhurst Health merged, the health system is getting a new name. The system formerly known as NorthShore Edward-Elmhurst Health will now be known as Endeavor Health, executives said Tuesday. The systems nine hospitals and its medical group will work under the new brand, though no names of individual hospitals will change. Advertisement The system, formed when a merger between NorthShore University HealthSystem and Edward-Elmhurst Health closed in early 2022, includes nine hospitals: Highland Park, Skokie, Glenbrook and Evanston, as well as Swedish Hospital on Chicagos North Side and Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Edward Hospital in Naperville, Elmhurst Hospital and Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, which has a campus in Naperville. Health system CEO J.P. Gallagher said the rebrand is intended to highlight that each of the hospitals and care options are part of one health system. Advertisement It can be confusing and it's a mouthful, he said, of the current name. So this is a pivot for our entire organization, but really reinforces that were one family. Rebranding the health systems websites, uniforms and other communications, including with patients, will take place in the coming months, and a new advertising campaign is set to roll out in the first quarter of 2024. Replacing physical signs will take place over the next two years, Gallagher said. Gallagher did not disclose the cost of the changes, but said the health system could manage the expense responsibly. Its a significant investment, but its one that weve planned for, he said. NorthShore Edward-Elmhursts announcement of its new name comes after several leadership changes at the health systems hospitals. In 2024, new presidents will take over at Evanston, Skokie, Glenbrook and Highland Park hospitals, all promoted from within the organization. The current president of Skokie Hospital will be promoted to president of the medical groups operations, the president of Highland Park is moving over to Evanston, and the presidents of the other two hospitals are retiring. Gallagher said since the merger there have been changes to some other support positions, but no systemwide layoffs as a result of combining the two health systems. The new, merged health system is the third largest in Illinois, with nearly 1.4 million patients and more than 27,000 employees. The merger came after several years of rapid NorthShore growth and was expected to cause the hospital system to double in size since 2019. NorthShore acquired Swedish Hospital in 2020, and then scooped up Northwest Community in 2021. Advertisement Before combining with Edward-Elmhurst, NorthShore attempted to expand through a planned merger with Advocate Health Care. But the two systems walked away from that deal in 2017 after a federal judge ruled in favor of the Federal Trade Commission, which had argued that the two systems together would have had enough leverage to impose price increases on Illinois health insurers. A larger, combined system allows patients to get care from providers they know while broadening access to specialty care, health system executives said in a statement. But some academics have raised concerns that combining hospital systems can lead to higher costs, because combined systems have more leverage to make health insurers pay higher prices that can be passed on to employers and consumers. Hospitals have long disagreed with that idea, and others have said mergers can provide health systems stability and smaller systems the ability to better cope with changes in health care reimbursement and technology. When the merger was announced, NorthShore and Edward-Elmhurst said they would each commit $100 million to their respective communities in the form of investment funds. The funds were expected to generate millions of dollars in interest annually that would be used to support partnerships with groups helping their communities. Through the fund, NorthShore and Edward-Elmhurst each anticipated putting $3 million to $6 million annually toward improving community health, health equity and local economic growth. Advertisement Tuesday, the health system said it had awarded more than $10.6 million to dozens of community partnerships through the funds, with another round of recipients to be announced in January. sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com A vendor points to menu items as Kaj Holm looks for drinks while dressed as an elf at the Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza on Dec. 2, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) The most difficult decision you make this holiday season may be what to get with your gluhwein that is if youre one of the million or so visitors expected at the Christkindlmarket in Chicago. You may know from years of experience that currywurst pairs perfectly with the warm spiced wine in each years collectible mug, and where to find all your favorite foods at the open-air Christmas market at Daley Plaza, clearly built by elves. Advertisement Still, the choices can be overwhelming even for an expert fortified by sausage. So whats the most popular item at what I think is the best booth at Christkindlmarket? [ Christkindlmarket mugs 2023: New reindeer and beer stein designs available in Chicago, Wrigleyville and Aurora ] Hot cocoa, said Shawn Podgurski, co-owner of DonerMen. They do the Christkindlmarket every year, and you can always find them at DMen Tap in the Avondale neighborhood. Advertisement You wouldnt expect a booth known for its namesake doner, and my favorite currywurst, to have hot cocoa as their bestseller. So whats so special about the hot cocoa? The secret ingredient is love, said Podgurski, in all seriousness, and not seemingly borrowed from a Lifetime channel Christmas movie. Were always sticklers for quality, but we gotta represent the hometown. Most of the vendors are from Germany. But his not-so-secret ingredients may be the many optional toppings: whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles plus mint and chocolate syrups as well as candy canes. My go-to at the booth though is the currywurst. The currywurst from DonerMen at Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza in Chicago on Nov. 21, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Im really proud of that currywurst, Podgurski said. Thats my recipe for the sauce. He and his partners went to Germany a few times to taste the dish and get it right. You get this curry sauce that some people could say is curry ketchup, he said. And when you put that on the bratwurst, the sweetness and the saltiness and that little curry in the back end, just make a unique flavor that sounds wacky, but its pretty awesome. In Chicago, any ketchup is controversial around sausages. Advertisement Im a big no-ketchup-on-hot-dogs guy, Podgurski said. But Im a big proponent of currywurst, so the duality of man, I guess. He also takes pride in their doner, a cousin to our Chicago-style gyros, but theirs is chicken marinated in yogurt and a house spice blend. The doner from DonerMen at Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza in Chicago on Nov. 21, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) At the DonerMen booth, they can make many dishes vegan too. We make our own seitan, Podgurski said. We have a doner seitan and a bratwurst seitan. Thats remarkable anywhere but especially when presented beautifully in a paper boat at a freezing market. As a market insider, what are some of his must-haves every year? Advertisement The goulash is my favorite. And I love the rollmops, the pickled herring thats like rolled up with the onion and the pickles, Podgurski said. He also likes the dark beer. DonerMen owners Shawn Podgurski, left, and Phil Naumann at Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza in Chicago on Nov. 21, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) He also shared his tips on when to visit the market. Mondays and Tuesdays, Podgurski said. Bring the family, bring a significant other. And if its someones first time, youre gonna knock their socks off. So guten appetit and lets eat. Food and drink vendors listed in numerical order with my critics picks at each booth: 1. Timber Haus A stein of dark beer at Timber Haus at Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza on Nov. 21, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Get gluhwein, the iconic German hot spiced wine, or beer and all the collectible mugs from the open-air booth to the right of the entrance to the big indoor heated house. Its the only place in the market where you can reserve a Stammtisch or regulars table, prices vary by package. You can also get your gluhwein from similar menus at outdoor booths 17 and 29 (both Original Nurnberger Gluhwein) and 55, the Heated Timber Tent, with indoor seating. 2. Stuffed Gourmet Pretzels Nothing says a German market in Chicago like a pizza stuffed pretzel. The hearty soft pretzel and warm filling rivals some stuffed pizzas around town. Its my colleague Darcel Rocketts pick out of six flavors, which range from plain traditional Bavarian to cheesecake. Advertisement 3. DonerMen Hot cocoa with all the toppings in collectible cups from DonerMen at Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza in Chicago on Nov. 21, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Get my must-eat currywurst, with a big beautiful bratwurst, or a vegan housemade druidwurst. Either way, its gilded with sauce and spice, on a bed of crisp golden fries. And remember their fan-favorite hot cocoa loaded with all the toppings, my colleague Marianne Mathers pick. If your holiday wish is their whole menu, go to their hometown base at DMen Tap in Avondale. 4. Rollmops Salty herring fish at Rollmops at Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza in Chicago on Nov. 21, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) If youre a German cuisine lover or a Christkindlmarket connoisseur, you already know about rollmops. Get the pickled herring fillet, rolled in a tiny tasting cup with finely sliced pickles and onions. Its so surprisingly stunning, and one of DonerMen co-owner Shawn Podgurskis picks, plus possibly the best deal at the market at $5. 5. Pierogi House Get an order of pierogi, our new Food & Dining editor Kayla Samoys pick. I always default to the dumplings stuffed with potatoes and cheese, here with double toppings of bacon and sour cream. Theyre pretty and carefully prepared, but pricey for six pieces at $17. 7. German Grill The centuries-old holiday markets of Nuremberg inspired our markets late founder Ray Lotter, a German immigrant who never lost his roots, according to his obituary by my colleague Christopher Borrelli. Raise a traditional Nurnberger-style bratwurst, or two, since the sandwich includes a pair of the distinctive small and slim pork sausages, with sauerkraut of course. You can also find the brats on similar menus at booth 13 (also German Grill) plus 18 and 28 (both Traditional German Food). 8. Helmuts Original Austrian Strudel Get a slab of hot strudel filled with your choice of four flavors including apple, but the most popular is cherry, the stands employees told me. The fruit was bright and generous, but the dough on my slice was a bit underbaked on opening day. At $10, it made me miss Dinkels. 11. La Boulangerie & Co. The French bakery with three locations in the city may be best known for its buttery croissants. Get the ham and cheese if its not sold out, but skip the $4 macarons, precious gems I nearly dropped in the hustle and bustle. Employees said their rolled croissants, inspired by the Supremes at Lafayette bakery in New York City, were still coming to the market. Advertisement 14. German Pretzels You could get a giant pretzel, but better yet stick to the smaller regular-size one, and we can pass on the cup of nacho cheese sauce for an extra $2. 15. Chiya Chai Get the lovely ginger cardamom chai with whipped cream from the beloved local booth with two shops, the original in Logan Square and an outpost in the Loop, plus possibly a spicy kale and potato pie, big enough to share. The line will probably be long but moves quickly. 16. Baked Cheese Haus Tiffany Holguin, of Chicago, shows off her prosciutto raclette cheese sandwich from Baked Cheese Haus at Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza in Chicago on Nov. 21, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Follow your nose to the deliciously stinky cheese thats my other must-eat at the market. I wonder every year if the booth is deliberately hidden on the far southeast corner. Order a traditional raclette sandwich then watch as they mesmerizingly melt and spread to a waiting toasted baguette. Its priced high at $16, but add a whole Wisconsin-size bratwurst for shockingly only $2 more. 20. Sweet Swabian Get the irresistibly fragrant candied nuts, made on-site throughout the day. 23. Bobs Belgian Hot Chocolate The hot chocolate with softly whipped cream and a gingerbread cookie side is my colleague Shanzeh Ahmads pick. Get your drink in a takeout cup, or a collectible mug, if you must, at $16. 30. Schnitzel House Potato pancakes frying at Schnitzel House on Nov. 21, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) The namesake schnitzel sandwich is fine. But the potato pancakes frying on the griddle in front of your ever-widening eyes is the real draw, and thats before theyre finished with sour cream or applesauce. Plus the goulash is one of DonerMen co-owner Shawn Podgurskis other perennial picks. Advertisement 35. St. Roger Abbey The nuns are back with samples of their signature organic butter cookies. My faith was tested when they handed me a prepackaged box but restored with a bite into the golden petaled rounds. Theyre not too sweet at all, and can also be found on a pilgrimage to their patisserie in Wilmette. A few other booths offer packaged treats: 21 (Chocolate Covered Treats & German Steins and Souvenirs), 36 (United Chocolate Works), 41 (Chicago Teahouse), 43 (Bienes Honighaus), 45 (Himalayan Chai) and 54 (Sweet Castle). Here are my answers to a few frequently asked questions Ive received over the years about the market. What are the Christkindlmarket dates? The market traditionally opens on the Friday before Thanksgiving, this year Nov. 17, and it will close Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. Whats the history of the mugs? In Chicago, they go back to the first market at Pioneer Court next to Tribune Tower in 1996. The first mug was more of a tumbler, no handles, and the design was used for three years. The coveted boot kicked off the 10th anniversary in 2005 and has reappeared several times since. See all the designs and their history in the annual mug history story by my colleague Kori Rumore. Jane Keil, left, and Mary King toast each other while having hot chocolate at the Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza on Dec. 2, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) And remember there are two other related Christkindlmarkets this year, in Wrigleyville and Aurora, each with its own collectible mug. Advertisement You can buy this years mugs filled with gluhwein, hot cocoa, beer and other drinks at many booths throughout the market at varying prices. Food ranges from $5 for traditional German herring rollmops, to $18 for a bratwurst and raclette cheese sandwich. Theres also a new weekend fast entry pass for $25, so you can skip the line to enter the market and includes a mug. Children 5 years and younger can also enter for free with a fast pass holder, but the pass does not mean you can skip any vendor lines once you get in. Is Christkindlmarket expensive? Well, its free to enter. The 2023 Chicago mug is $8. The kids mug, with a reindeer design, is also $8. And the first-ever beer stein is $20. Im not a collector so I would pass on all the mugs for more food and drink but you might believe theyre priceless. Do note that many vendors only accept cash. There are ATMs around the market but they may cost you a $4 fee. Beware of pickpockets, and if you see something, say something. There are security staffers posted at every entry point. So is it worth it? Its absolutely worth it. Theres nowhere else in the world where you can walk through a Christmas market under a Picasso. Christkindlmarket Chicago 50 W. Washington St. Advertisement 312-494-2175 christkindlmarket.com/daleyplaza Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Open: Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Christmas Eve (Dec. 24, closing day) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Prices: $5 (salted pickled herring at Rollmops, booth 4), $12 each (currywurst and hot cocoa in 2023 Chicago mug at DonerMen, booth 3), $16 (raclette sandwich at Baked Cheese Haus, booth 16), $17 (potato and cheese pierogi with bacon and sour cream at Pierogi House, booth 5) Noise: Conversation-friendly outdoors, conversation-challenged indoors Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible with Americans with Disabilities Act compliant restroom near booth 49 Advertisement lchu@chicagotribune.com Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. There is a program that proposes to connect the electricity markets of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia with the European market; it is about the Black Sea submarine cable. Giorgi Tsikolia, Regional Director at Lineate, a US software development company, announced this at the expert forum, on the topic of "New Regional Realities and The Crossroads of Peace," being held in Armenias capital of Yerevan. According to him, the aforesaid will enable local producers to make use of the great potential of electricity production that Armenia has and supply it to European markets. Additionally, a fiber optic cable may run nearby. This is very important for small economies like Armenia and Georgia so that they can compete with large economies, Tsikolia emphasized. He expressed confidence that peace is impossible or cannot be long-term without economic benefits. Peace must be strengthened through job creation and technological development. It is important that the private sector also takes an active part in this process, Giorgi Tsikolia noted. 17:58 "No, she will not make me the PM," was Dr Pranab Mukherjee's cryptic response in a reference to Sonia Gandhi when he was asked by his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee about his chances of becoming the prime minister in 2004. Sharmistha recalls her father's reply after Sonia Gandhi's decision to withdraw from the prime ministerial race in her upcoming book In Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers. In the book, the former Congress spokesperson who quit politics in 2021 provides a glimpse into the illustrious life of her father, where she also says that he did not have any rancour against Sonia Gandhi for not making him the prime minister, and definitely not against the man chosen -- Dr Manmohan Singh. Through her father's diary entries, personal stories narrated to her and her own research, Sharmistha uncovers new, hitherto unknown facets of his political life -- his unfulfilled ambition of becoming India's prime minister arising out of his inability to emerge as the 'number one person' to earn Sonia Gandhi's trust, the personality cult around the Nehru-Gandhi family and Rahul Gandhi's lack of charisma and political understanding among other things, according to the book's publishers Rupa Publications. Dr Mukherjee served as India's finance minister and subsequently became minister for External Affairs, Defence, Finance and Commerce. He was India's 13th president (2012 to 2017). He died on August 31, 2020 at the age of 84. As the president of the single largest party Congress to win the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, Sonia Gandhi was tipped to be the prime minister and had the full support of the coalition partners. But she renounced her claim to be the prime minister - a decision that took the nation, including her own party colleagues and coalition partners, by surprise. In the chapter titled The PM India Never Had, Sharmistha also writes: 'Following Sonia's decision to withdraw from the prime ministerial race, there was intense speculation within the media and political spheres. 'The names of Dr Manmohan Singh and Pranab were being discussed as the top contenders for the position. I did not have the chance to meet Baba for a couple of days as he was terribly busy, but I spoke to him over the phone. I asked him excitedly if he was going to become the PM. His response was blunt, 'No, she will not make me the PM. It'll be Manmohan Singh.' He added, 'But she should announce it fast. This uncertainty is not good for the country'.' The author goes on to add that if her father harboured any disappointment about not being named the prime minister, it did not reflect in his diaries. He told a journalist that he did not have any expectation from Sonia Gandhi to make him the prime minister. 'If there's no expectation, there's no disappointment as well,' the book, which will be launched on Mukherjee's birth anniversary on December 11, says. 'It is generally believed that Pranab had a chance to become the PM earlier in 1984 as well, after Indira Gandhi's assassination, and not just in 2004,' it adds. Sharmistha says that people often asked her whether her father actually harboured the ambition to become the prime minister and she posed this question to him during the UPA-I era. 'His response was emphatic. He said, 'Of course, I would like to be the prime minister. Any politician worth his salt has this ambition. But just because I want it does not necessarily mean I am going to get it,' she writes. She then drew her own conclusions: 'Pranab Mukherjee definitely had the desire to be the PM, but he also came to terms with the fact that he was not going to become one.' Sharmistha says Mukherjee's diary entries from those days contain very sketchy details, perhaps indicating a lack of time owing to a busy and hectic schedule filled with meetings and consultations with various stakeholders. On 17 May 2004, he wrote, 'Sonia Gandhi decides to withdraw from Prime Ministerial candidature. BJP's vicious campaign. Myself, Manmohan, Arjun, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi were called. We are stunned.' On 18 May, he wrote, 'Sonia Gandhi sticks to her decision. Countrywide agitation. Allies are also shocked. CPP meeting emotionally surcharged. Appeal to her to reconsider. Work up to 1 am.' 'On 19 May, almost with a sigh of relief, he wrote, 'Issues resolved. Manmohan Singh becomes PM designate. Manmohan and Soniaji met President and the President was pleased to give mandate to form the government to Manmohan Singh',' the book says. Sharmistha mentions that though at that time, her father didn't write anything more, on December 31, while recounting major events of the year, he wrote, 'Most surprising was the amazing sacrifice of Sonia Gandhi by refusing to accept the Prime Ministership of the country despite pressure from within the party and outside. Her decision saved the country from a bitter confrontation between BJP and Congress.' She also writes that her father felt Sonia Gandhi was 'intelligent, hardworking and keen to learn. Once he told me that unlike many political leaders, her biggest strength was that she knew and recognised her weaknesses and was willing to work hard to overcome them. She knew that she lacked political experience but worked hard to understand the complexities of Indian politics and society'. One of the early references in his diaries about Rahul Gandhi was on January 29, 2009, in the context of a CWC meeting that had discussions on strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections that year as one of the agendas, the book says. After that, there are few references in his diaries of Rahul Gandhi visiting him at his residence. 'Pranab described him as 'very courteous' and 'full of questions', which he took as a sign of Rahul's desire to learn. But he felt that Rahul was 'yet to mature politically'. Rahul continued to meet Pranab at Rashtrapati Bhavan, though not very frequently. Pranab advised him to join the Cabinet and gain some first-hand experience in governance. Rahul obviously did not heed the advice, as we all know,' the book says. 'During one of these visits on 25 March 2013, Pranab noted, 'He has interest in diverse range of subjects but moves very quickly from one subject to another. I don't know how much he listened and absorbed',' it adds. -- PTI The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), in collaboration with Google Cloud India, Antler in India, Paytm, Protean and Startup India, announced an initiative called 'Build for Bharat'. The initiative aims to tackle diverse challenges in digital commerce, promoting industry innovation to develop practical solutions in this space. 'Build for Bharat' intends to tap into India's technological and entrepreneurial potential with an expected participation of 200K+ participants representing startups, companies and colleges. Prioritising a participative and ecosystem-driven framework, the initiative is organized at a national scale across 50+ cities with top experts, leaders, venture capitals and incubators onboard. To kick-start the initiative, an event took place on Monday, unveiling the problem statements for participants and extending an invitation for registration. Covering retail, mobility, F&B, financial services and logistics sectors, the initiative is designed to deliver three distinct outcomes. They are: Category 1: 'NextGen Ventures'' is designed to supercharge venture creation on ONDC. Open to aspiring founders exploring multiple ideas or early-stage founder teams working on an idea, this track provides a pathway to raising capital, launching, scaling companies, and incubating new businesses. Category 2 includes scalable solutions and invites participation from organisations or individuals, including students, with a focus on solving friction points faced by network participants. Category 3 includes foundation solutions, exclusively for college students (18+) to identify proof of concept for the friction points faced by network participants. There are benefits for winners in each of these categories. T Koshy, MD and CEO at ONDC, said, "We are excited to organize this nationwide initiative focused on building innovative solutions for India's rapidly growing digital commerce ecosystem. Initiatives like 'Build for Bharat' will unleash the talent and potential of India's startup and student communities to drive meaningful impact at scale. Through grants, investments and recognition, we hope to nurture the best ideas into sustainable businesses." Incorporated on December 31, 2021, ONDC goes beyond the current platform-centric digital commerce model where the buyer and seller have to use the same platform or application to be digitally visible and do a business transaction. ONDC is a non-profit company established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to develop open e-commerce. Bikram Singh Bedi, Managing Director at Google Cloud India, said, "Google Cloud is committed to empowering India's entrepreneurial energy and technical capabilities. The 'Build for Bharat' initiative provides a platform to develop scalable solutions that can transform the digital ecosystem on a large scale. By bringing together students, startups and businesses, we aim to foster collaboration and innovation towards an inclusive digital economy." (ANI) This gathering brought together leaders from multilateral institutions, including COP28 President Dr Sultan Al-Jaber, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, and GFANZ Co-Chair and UN Special Envoy for Climate Finance Mark Carney, along with senior representatives from nations committed to fostering and scaling high-integrity carbon markets. The roundtable underscored the importance of carbon pricing schemes, compliance markets, and high-integrity voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) in the global net-zero transition. Emphasizing the complementary roles of these mechanisms, speakers highlighted their critical contributions. Carbon markets were identified as key channels to finance high-quality decarbonization projects in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell acknowledged the substantial progress made by the Article 6.4 supervisory body. World Bank Group President Ajay Banga unveiled plans for the growth of high-integrity global carbon markets, with 15 countries poised to generate income from carbon credits through the preservation of their forests. Participants acknowledged the achievements of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market and Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity initiative in establishing essential guardrails for high-integrity credit supply and demand in the voluntary market. However, they stressed the need for ongoing capacity building to empower EMDEs, enabling their active participation in international carbon markets. The roundtable participants recognized the imperative need for coordination among key stakeholders to seamlessly integrate the remaining components of the global carbon markets architecture by 2024 and 2025. While acknowledging significant progress in 2023, the call for coordinated action extended across governments, multilateral institutions, principles-setters, carbon credit standards, businesses, financial institutions, and the broader carbon markets value chain, including verification and validation bodies and project developers. The objective is to ensure a cohesive and mutually reinforcing global carbon market architecture, aligning with climate mitigation goals. This high-level gathering marked a crucial stride towards intensifying coordination efforts, ensuring the effective functioning of high-integrity carbon markets, and bolstering commitments under the Paris Agreement. The united vision expressed at the roundtable signifies a concerted global push towards creating robust frameworks that can effectively address the challenges of climate change. (ANI) According to the World Bank, the move is a step in addressing the alarming increase in global temperatures and supporting communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The World Bank is set to roll out a minimum of 15 country-led programs within the next 18 months. These programs will specifically target methane emissions, employing strategic interventions to curb environmental degradation and promote sustainable practices. The ambitious programs will focus on slashing methane emissions from various sources, including rice production, livestock operations, and waste management. Successful pilot programs have already demonstrated the effectiveness of transformative solutions, with the potential to reduce methane emissions significantly. The comprehensive approach to methane reduction outlined by the World Bank emphasizes triple wins - reducing emissions, enhancing resilience, and empowering livelihoods. By employing the best available technologies, emissions from rice production, livestock, and waste can be curtailed significantly. Methane accounts for approximately 19 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a substantial contributor to climate change. Rice production, livestock, and waste collectively constitute a significant portion of human-driven methane emissions, making targeted efforts in these areas crucial. Despite methane being 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of warming the planet, it has received less attention and funding. Currently, finance for methane abatement constitutes less than 2 per cent of global climate finance. The World Bank envisions a substantial increase in financing for methane reduction through public and private sector channels between 2024 and 2030. The institution is set to collaborate with Germany, Norway, the United States, the UAE, and the private sector to implement effective solutions and reduce methane emissions across the entire energy value chain. Complementing its efforts, the World Bank is launching two partnership platforms - the Global Methane Reduction Platform for Development (CH4D) focusing on methane abatement in agriculture and waste, and the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Partnership (GFMR) concentrating on reducing methane leaks in the oil and gas sector. The World Bank's commitment to addressing methane emissions underscores the urgency of mitigating climate change and building resilience in vulnerable communities. With a focus on collaboration, innovative solutions, and increased financing, the initiative aims to pave the way for a sustainable and climate-resilient future. (ANI) The Rev. Robert Dowd was named the next University of Notre Dame president. (Matt Cashore/Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame) The University of Notre Dames board of trustees has selected the Rev. Robert Dowd to serve as the schools 18th president, the university announced Monday. His term will begin July 1. In his current role as vice president and associate provost for interdisciplinary initiatives at Notre Dame, Dowd oversees a variety of service and academic endeavors on campus, including the Center for Social Concerns, the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and the new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. Advertisement Informed by our Catholic mission, we will work together so that Notre Dame is an ever-greater engine of insight, innovation and impact, addressing societys greatest challenges and helping young people to realize their potential for good, Dowd said in a news release. He previously worked as an assistant provost for internationalization, where he oversaw the universitys study abroad program in Dublin and the Sao Paulo Global Center in Brazil. Advertisement A native of Michigan City, Indiana, Dowd graduated from Notre Dame in 1987 with a degree in psychology and economics and later that year entered the Moreau Seminary, the university said. He professed his vows to the Congregation of the Holy Cross in 1993 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He went on to work in campus ministry at Notre Dame, serving as associate rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and as an assistant rector in one of the universitys residence halls. Dowd joined Notre Dames political science department as a professor in 2004 after receiving graduate degrees from UCLA, the news release said. His academic research focused on African politics, identity politics, and religion and politics. Dowd will succeed the Rev. John Jenkins, who has served as president since 2005. Jenkins announced in October that he would step down at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. During his tenure, Jenkins advanced Notre Dames mission as a Catholic research university and finalized Notre Dames admission into the Association of American Universities, the university said. He also oversaw Notre Dame through the coronavirus pandemic, becoming one of the first universities to announce a return to in-person classes for the fall 2020 semester. Each of Notre Dames presidents since its founding in 1842 have been religious members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. In a study aimed at understanding the impact of climate change on household vulnerability, it has been revealed that over 4.5 billion people, constituting more than half of the global population, are at high risk of experiencing extreme weather events. According to the World Bank, the study emphasizes the critical need for nations to address the rising threats posed by climate-related shocks and implement measures to protect their populations. The research, conducted across 75 countries covering 77 per cent of the world's population, provides detailed insights into the dynamics of vulnerability concerning climate change. The analysis includes indicators such as income levels, education, access to water and electricity, social protection coverage, and access to financial services. The study estimates that around 4.5 billion people are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, including floods, droughts, cyclones, and heatwaves. Of these, approximately 2.3 billion fall under the category of poor, living on less than USD 6.85 per day, and nearly 400 million are considered extremely poor, living on less than USD 2.15 per day (2020 data). Contrary to the assumption that poverty is the sole driver of vulnerability, the study highlights that non-poor households are also at risk of severe impacts or welfare losses. It underscores the importance of considering multiple dimensions to comprehensively assess vulnerability. Hazard, exposure, and vulnerability collectively determine the impact of extreme weather events on people. Hazard refers to the potential occurrence of such events, exposure identifies who or what could be affected, and vulnerability estimates the degree of adverse impact. Household vulnerability is determined by factors such as income, education, access to basic infrastructure, social protection, and financial services. With 42 per cent of the total population (70 per cent of those exposed) at high risk from extreme weather shocks in 2019, urgent action is needed to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The study emphasizes the interconnectedness of various dimensions and advocates for a holistic approach to address vulnerability. While the number of people exposed to extreme weather events increased between 2010 and 2019 in several countries, the number at high risk declined during this period. Sub-Saharan Africa stands out as an exception, with an increase in the number of people at high risk. The study reveals that vulnerability is influenced by a combination of factors, with households considered vulnerable if they are likely to experience severe losses and lack the capacity to cope and recover. Lack of access to basic infrastructure, insufficient income, and limited adaptability contribute to vulnerability. The research covers 75 countries representing 77 per cent of the world's population, offering a comprehensive overview. However, data limitations, particularly in regions like India, impact the accuracy of vulnerability assessments, calling for continued efforts to improve data coverage. The study underscores the need for countries to urgently address the impacts of climate change, implement adaptive strategies, and safeguard vulnerable populations. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the study provides a roadmap for policymakers to tailor interventions that consider the multifaceted nature of vulnerability, ensuring a resilient and sustainable future for populations worldwide. (ANI) Actor Hrithik Roshan's girlfriend Saba Azad has expressed her admiration for his look from 'Fighter'. Recently, the makers unveiled the poster of the film showcasing him as Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania aka Patty. Saba took to her Instagram stories to share the poster of the film and praising his look, she captioned it with "Go Patty (fire emojis) @hrithikroshan." Hrithik Roshan on Monday shared a new poster of his look from his upcoming film 'Fighter'. He captioned it, "Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania ...Call Sign: Patty...Designation: Squadron Pilot..Unit: Air Dragons..Fighter Forever ..#Fighter." 'Fighter' is being touted as India's first aerial action film. It is directed by Siddharth Anand. The motion poster of Fighter was released on Independence Day 2023, which provided the first glimpse at the three actors, who play Indian Air Force (IAF) officers in the movie. Sharing the motion poster featuring himself, Deepika Padukone as well as Anil Kapoor in the film. Hrithik wrote on Twitter or X, "Spirit of Fighter | Vande Mataram! See you in the theatres on the eve of India's 75th Republic Day. Fighter releases worldwide on 25th January 2024." Siddharth Anand announced the film in 2021. Taking to social media, he wrote, "This is definitely one of the most exciting moments of my life to bring together two of my favourite stars, Hrithik and Deepika, for the first time to the Indian and global audience. I am thrilled to begin the journey of MARFLIX, a production house dedicated to action film making in India. I start this journey of Marflix along with my life partner Mamta Anand. Starting MARFLIX with Hrithik is special as he is someone who has seen me even working as an AD, then as a director on two films and now I am not just his director but I'm also starting my production house with him." 'Fighter' will hit the theatres on January 25, 2024. (ANI) Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, on November 29, appointed Squadron Leader Padhi as the ADC from the armed forces at a brief ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan in the state capital, Aizawl. "Squadron Leader Manisha Padhi appointed as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Governor of Mizoram. Squadron Leader Manisha is India's first woman Indian Armed Forces officer to be appointed as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Governor of the country," the Governor's office in Mizoram stated in an official release. Squadron Leader Padhi formally joined her post and reported to the Governor on November 29. She was introduced to the officers and staff of the Raj Bhavan at Aizawl. Before her new posting, Squadron Leader Padhi was posted at Air Force stations in Bidar, Pune and Bhatinda. In India, Aide-de-Camp is a title of honour, and current as well as former aides-de-camp are conferred the post-nominal letters ADC. The service chiefs, including the chief of the Army, Navy, and Air Staff, usually have three aides-de-camp and the President has five aides-de-camp (three from the Army and one each from the Navy and the Air Force). There is also one honorary aide-de-camp from the Territorial Army. (ANI) The members of the Upper House are likely to hold discussions on the prevailing economic situation of the country as the Parliament reconvenes for Day 2 of the ongoing Winter Session on Tuesday. Rajya Sabha MPs Ayodhya Rami Reddy, Birendra Prasad Baishya, Ghanshyam Tiwari, Lakshmikant Bajpayee, Sushil Kumar Modi, Aditya Prasad and Shambhu Sharan Patel are to initiate a discussion on the 'economic situation in the country' in the Upper House on Tuesday, according to sources. Earlier, on Monday, the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament saw two Bills being passed, with the Rajya Sabha also deciding to discontinue the suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha. The Standing Committee reports on 'The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023', 'The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023', and 'The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023' were tabled in the two Houses. The reports were submitted to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on November 10 by Brij Lal, MP and Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The three bills are on the agenda of the government for passage in the winter session of Parliament. The report of the Ethics Committee, which looked into cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, was not tabled in the Lok Sabha, though it was on the listed agenda. Rajya Sabha passed the Bill to repeal the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 and to consolidate and amend the law relating to the post offices in India. The opposition members raised questions over some provisions of the bill and asked if the government wanted to create a "surveillance state." The government rejected the apprehensions of the members. Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan said provisions have been made for reasons of national security and there were similar provisions in the previous version of the Post Office Bill too. The winter session will continue until December 22. (ANI) The Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act 2004 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 is likely to be moved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act provides for reservation in appointment in state government posts, and admission to professional institutions, for certain reserved categories. The Bill provides for reservation in professional institutions for economically weaker sections. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 provides for the reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Bill increases the total number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from 83 to 90. It also reserves seven seats for Scheduled Castes and nine seats for Scheduled Tribes. Moreover, on Tuesday, Krishan Pal for Ministry of Heavy Industries, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan for Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Nityananad Rai for Ministry of Home Affairs, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje for Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kailash Choudhary for Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ajay Kumar for Ministry of Home Affairs will lay papers on the table. The Secretary General will report a message from Rajya Sabha regarding the Post Office Bill, 2023. Nisith Pramanik will be making a statement correcting a reply given on August 8 to an Unstarred question asked by MP Sushil Kumar Singh on Vibrant Village Programme. He will also give reasons for delay in correcting the reply. On Monday, the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament saw two bills being passed. The Standing committee reports on 'The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023', 'The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023', and 'The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023' were tabled in the two Houses. The reports were submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on November 10 by Brij Lal, MP and Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The report of Ethics Committee, which looked into cash-for-query allegations Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, was not tabled in the Lok Sabha though it was in the listed agenda. Rajya Sabha passed the Bill to repeal the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 and to consolidate and amend the law relating to the post offices in India. The opposition members raised questions over some provisions of the bill and asked if the government wanted to create a "surveillance state". The government rejected the apprehensions of the members. The bill was passed by a voice vote after a reply by the Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. The bill provides that Post Office shall provide such services as the Central Government may by rules prescribe and the Director General of Postal Services shall make regulations in respect of activities necessary to provide those services and fix the charges for such services. The bill provides India Post will not incur any liability with regards to its services, except any liability prescribed through rules. Lok Sabha passed the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which is in line with the government's policy of repealing all obsolete laws or pre-independence Acts which have lost their utility. The Government in consultation with the Bar Council of India has decided to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879. It has decided to amend the Advocates Act, 1961 by incorporating the provisions of section 36 of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879 in the Advocates Act, 1961 so as to reduce the number of superfluous enactments in the statute book The government has 21 Bills on its agenda for the session, including the bills to replace the IPC, the Indian Evidence Act and the CrPC. (ANI) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of Parliamentary leaders of various opposition parties of the INDIA bloc on Tuesday morning. The meeting will be held in the Leader of Opposition (LoP) chamber at 10.00 am. Meanwhile, the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament saw two bills being passed with the Rajya Sabha also deciding to discontinue suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha. The Standing committee reports on 'The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023', 'The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023', and 'The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023' were tabled in the two Houses. The reports were submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on November 10 by Brij Lal, MP and Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The three bills are on the agenda of the government for passage in the winter session of Parliament. Rajya Sabha passed the Bill to repeal the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 and to consolidate and amend the law relating to the post offices in India. Lok Sabha passed the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which is in line with the government's policy of repealing all obsolete laws or pre-independence Acts which have lost their utility. The Government in consultation with the Bar Council of India has decided to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879. It has decided to amend the Advocates Act, 1961 by incorporating the provisions of section 36 of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879 in the Advocates Act, 1961 so as to reduce the number of superfluous enactments in the statute book. The Congress on Monday said the party will seek discussion on people-centric issues such as unemployment, price rise and the "widening gap between the rich and the poor" in the country during the Winter Session of the parliament, which began today. The party also intends to seek discussion on the border situation and the country's foreign policy. (ANI) The raids are still underway in close coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) at seven locations in Kashmir and one in Jammu, said sources privy to the development. The agency sleuths are carrying out these raids at Shopian and Baramulla, among other areas. The places searched included the residents and other hideouts of the suspects linked to the case. The raids were conducted days after the central agency arrested an accused in the Pakistan-backed terrorism case involving the delivery of weapons through drones to militants active in Kashmir. The agency had shared the input on Ovember 29 after a team from the NIA Jammu Branch nabbed 22-year-old namely Zakir Hussain of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on November 27. He was the eight accused to be arrested in the case registered by the NIA 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. NIA is continuing with its investigations in the matter to unravel the bigger conspiracy of Pakistan-backed terrorist groups to carry out acts of terror and violence in the Kashmir valley and across India. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party MPs staged a protest against the alleged misuse of Central agencies and demanded the release of former minister Manish Sisodia and MP Sanjay Singh. Party MP Raghav Chadha, Sushil Kumar Gupta, and Sandeep Pathak staged a protest on the premises of the Parliament with the banner in hands demanding the release of Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh. Notably, Rajya Sabha on Monday decided to discontinue the suspension of Raghav Chadha holding him "guilty of breach of privilege" but noting that the suspension suffered by him so far be taken as sufficient punishment. The motion for discontinuing the suspension of Raghav Chadha, on the first day of the winter session of Parliament, was moved by BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to do so. Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11, during the Monsoon session. Meanwhile, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia remains in Judicial custody in connection with the alleged excise policy scam after the Rouse Avenue court had extended the custody till December 11. Hearing the matter at length the court noted that several documents are yet to be filed by the Enforcement Directorate for the accused persons. Another AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also continues to remain in judicial custody in a money laundering case related to the excise policy case after the Rouse Avenue Court on Monday extended the custody till December 11, 2023. The court also ordered to supply an advance copy of the supplementary chargesheet to Sanjay Singh's lawyer and noted that the bail arguments are to be held on December 6, 2023. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a supplementary prosecution complaint (charge sheet) on November 2 against Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and his alleged associate Sarvesh Mishra in a money laundering case related to the excise policy case In Parliament, the Central government is set to move the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha later on Tuesday for consideration and passage. Both the Bills, as per the list of business in the Lower House, are to be moved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for consideration. According to the list of business, Shah is to move the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha further to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 26, 2023. It amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act of 2004. The Act provides for reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward classes. (ANI) Amid destructions caused by Severe Cyclonic storm 'Michaung' in the state, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Tuesday said that the rains received during Cyclone period have exceeded what the state has received in 2015. Addressing the press conference, MK Stalin said "Even after receiving historical rains, the damages are less compared to the previous times. The rains received during Cyclone Michaung exceeded what we received in 2015 when the floods were artificial due to the release of water from Sembarambakkam Lake but now it is a natural flood." "Chennai has escaped only because of the desilting works that we did in 4000 crores. In 2015, there were 199 deaths reported but now even with excessive rains the death toll is only 8 but still, it could have been averted," Stalin added. The Chief Minister also called on organisations involved in Relief Work to join hands with the government to alleviate the suffering of fellow human beings. "Relief assistance of Rs 5,000 crore will be requested from the central government for storm and rain damage. Relief assistance will also be provided to the people who have suffered" CM MK Stalin said. Meanwhile, 8 people have lost their lives while multiple roads and subways are closed due to waterlogging in the wake of the Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Michaung', which is expected to make landfall on the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh between Nellore and Machilipatnam today. "Traffic has been closed on Manjambakkam to Vadaperumbakkam Road due to the release of water from the Puzhal Lake," police said on Tuesday. The police also added that many families including pregnant women, children, and senior citizens were rescued from different areas who were stuck due to wreaking the havoc of Cyclone Michaung. Chennai Airport has resumed operations after being temporarily shut down due to heavy rains that caused flooding and waterlogging on the runways, said an airport official. Air Traffic Management (ATM) will prioritize departures to clear the backlog of stranded passengers at the airport. There are currently 21 aircraft on the ground and around 1500 passengers in the terminals. The F&B Concessionaire has ensured that adequate food is available at all outlets. Earlier, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Tuesday morning inspected the Cyclone affected areas in the state. The Tamil Nadu CM inspected the rain relief camp set up in Kannapar Thital, Chennai. There are 162 relief centres in which 43 are operated accommodating 2477 Chennai residents. There are 20 kitchens operational providing food to these relief centres. The state government has asked the authorities about the availability of ready-made items including rice-dals-vegetables and their quality to arrange food for those staying in the relief camps. 5000 workers from other districts are moved to Chennai for the mitigation works. Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and other top officials are monitoring operations at the Integrated Command &Control Center. For the Chennai corporation the focus is on prioritizing rescue operations, providing food to individuals relocated to relief centers and clearing roads. The bridge in the Nerkundram area is surrounded by water overflowing from the Koovam River. Due to release of water from the Chembarambakkam Lake Madha engineering college near Chembarambakkam was partially submerged. Water reached nearly neck level and people struggled to walk. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in its update at 11:15 am said "Severe Cyclonic Storm "MICHAUNG" over Westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu moved Northwards with a speed of 11 kph during last 6 hours and lay centered at 1030 hours over the same region. about 25 km East South East of Ongole and 100 km North-North East of Nellore and 130 km Southwest of Machilipatnam. (ANI) Amid reports of difference cropping up between various parties in the INDIA bloc, the alliance has decided to reschedule the meeting of party heads to the third week of December. Earlier Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had called a meeting of the INDIA bloc leadesr for Wednesday. This however was met with lukewarm response by several of the front leaders. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee claimed that she would go ahead with her state programs as she was not aware of the meeting call. "I don''t know, I have no information so I kept a programme in North Bengal...If we had the information, we wouldn''t have scheduled those programmes. We would have definitely gone (for the meeting), but we have not received any information," the TMC chief said on Monday. According to Congress sources, several key opposition leaders will not be able to attend the meeting that was earlier scheduled on Wednesday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will not be able to come to Delhi as several areas of the state have been badly hit by Cyclone Mandous. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will not be able to make it to the national capital owing to his illness. Similarly, West Bengal Mamata Banerjee would have given it a miss owing to a wedding in her family. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had informed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge of his inability to make it for a meeting on Wednesday. "I will be busy here. I spoke to Kharge Ji yesterday, maybe a representative from our side will go" Hemant Soren told reportes in Ranchi. However, a coordination meeting of Parliamentary leaders of the INDIA bloc will be held at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge residence on Wednesday. Gurdeep Singh Sappal, the Coordinator of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge confirmed the meeting. "A coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of India Alliance will be at 6 pm on December 6th, 2023 at the residence of Congress President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge. Thereafter meeting of Party Presidents/ Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in third week of December at a date convenient to all," Sappal said in a post on ''X''. Seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls, which are just four months away, is likely to be at the top of the agenda. The next INDIA bloc meeting would also be crucial for Congress, particularly as the party lost Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, the Hindi heartland states that send a large number of members to the Parliament. However, the Congress could find the going tough in this meeting, with key ally Samajwadi Party having struck a beligerent tone against the Congress in the assembly elections. SP boss Akhilesh Yadav had accused the Congress of betraying the SP by not giving it tickets to contest in a potential alliance with the Congress in MP. The Congress now desperately needs the alliance to take off, if it harbours any hope of giving PM Narendra Modi and the BJP competition in the 2024 election. INDIA or ''Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance'' is a group of 28 opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modi''s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The first meeting of the joint opposition convened in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The third meeting happened in Mumbai during August 31-September 1. In the Mumbai meeting, the opposition parties adopted resolutions to collectively contest the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections while announcing that seat-sharing arrangements would be finalized as soon as possible through a spirit of give-and-take. The theme they have chosen for the elections is "Judega Bharat, Jeetega India" (India will unite, India will win) to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government. (ANI) The lights are bright in Helsinki, at least the selectively focused sunlight and electric glare illuminating the lonely, yearning characters in the films of Aki Kaurismaki. The Finnish writer-directors 20th film, Fallen Leaves, continues its run this week at the Music Box Theatre, and adds at least two additional theaters (one in Evanston, the other Wilmette) starting Friday. This is one of the filmmakers drollest and leanest accomplishments an 80-minute romantic fable beguiling in its simplicity, its unfixed time frame (the characters listen to Russias Ukraine invasion reports on the radio, but the radio typically is a half-century out of date) and its devotion to the essentials. It unfolds as a story of a woman, a man, a dog and a vaguely hostile socioeconomic urban environment. Music permeates Fallen Leaves, and the Finnish-language version of Mambo Italiano fills the soundtrack at one point. First, we meet Ansa (Alma Poysti, a steady marvel and the films emotional core), working at a grocery store where shes dismissed for stealing something already targeted for the trash bin. She moves on to washing dishes at a bar (the California Pub, evoking nothing of California), and then to a factory. Advertisement By this time she has met Holappa (Jussi Vatanen, a sort of midway amalgam of Ryan Gosling and James Stewart), a chronic drinker and smoker. Reason? One word: Finland. All the men, Almas confidant (Nuppu Koivu) explains, are swine, though Alma thinks that descriptions unfair to the swine. They dont really mean it, but theyve known their share of hard-shell Finns without much in the way of emotional access. At the karaoke bar one night, Holappa spies Alma, and vice versa. Their first actual conversation comes later. Ive never been to Finland, but any current or former Minnesota residents who have lived among the social-emotional Nordic traditions of awkward silence interrupted by the occasional, blurted conversational misjudgment will recognize every second of the behavior in Fallen Leaves. Advertisement Heres a sample of the small talk between Holappa and his equally tight-lipped factory pal (Janne Hyytiainen): Im depressed. Why? Because I drink so much. Why do you drink, then? (Pause) Because Im depressed. The exchange is quintessential Kaurismaki patter, delivered by actors smart enough to know deadpan can contain multitudes of shading. Chance encounters and random strokes of terrible or favorable luck inform all the filmmakers portraits. A phone number written in a note, almost immediately misplaced; an off-screen near-tragedy involving a passing streetcar; these things happen, no big deal, but they change the course of the central couples lives. With his longtime cinematographer Timo Salminen, who has worked with Kaurismaki for 40 years, the director creates a bittersweetly comic panorama of faces, in bars, on the street, in bed, with vivid, not-quite-realistic intensity surrounded by darkness. Sometimes the darkness takes over, as in Kaurismakis earlier, intensely harsh film The Match Factory Girl. Fallen Leaves, by contrast, strikes an adroit balance between dark and light, stoicism and optimism. Theres a stealth buoyancy at work. Love triumphs after all, and when Alma winks at her newly reformed fella, her newfound stray dog at her side, its like the sun busting out all over Helsinkis skies. Advertisement Alma Poysti, left, and Jussi Vatanen in a scene from "Fallen Leaves." (MUBI/AP) Poysti is pitch-perfect throughout as a careworn woman with poetry deep down, as Ibsen said of Hedda Gabler. Everybody in a Kaurismaki film has that same glimmer of poetry underneath the Finnish Jack Webb School of Underplaying exterior. Thats true right down to Almas newly adopted stray dog, who wanders into this melancholic charmer of a story. And decides to stay. What to Watch Daily The latest from Tribune critics on what film and television you should be watching. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Fallen Leaves 3.5 stars (out of 4) No MPA rating (some language, multiple uncomfortable pauses) Running time: 1:20 How to watch: Now playing at the Music Box Theatre, the AMC Evanston 12 and the Wilmette Theatre. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic. Advertisement mjphillips@chicagotribune.com Twitter @phillipstribune Rajasthan Congress MLAs arrived at the party office in Jaipur for the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Tuesday. Congress leader Sachin Pilot also arrived at the party office in Jaipur for the CLP meeting. The meeting is likely to undertake several key discussions, like deciding on a new Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly and the reason for the party's loss in the 2023 assembly elections. Congress MLA Ashok Channa, upon arriving for the CLP meeting, spoke to media personnel about the party's defeat in the elections and said, "Some 10-15 seats were left by 500-1000 votes. Congress getting votes on 80-90 seats shows that government schemes were good." "In some places, the equation was disturbed due to independent candidates or caste combinations. This time, the Congress party gave a chance to the youth candidates and they have delivered," he added. Congress MLA Brijendra Singh Ola, who had arrived for the CLP meeting, on being asked about the reason for the party's defeat, said, "We will review the reasons for the party's failure. For now, we will play the role of opposition and will play it vigorously like he had done earlier also." On being asked if the dispute between former CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot resulted in party's defeat in the state, Brijendra Singh Ola said that all that will be revealed during the detailed review only. The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government was dethroned by the BJP in Rajasthan as the assembly election results, declared on December 3, established a clear majority for the BJP in the state. In the Assembly elections in four states--Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh--the counting of which concluded on December 3, the BJP emerged victorious in majorities of the seats in the three North Indian states. While in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP defeated the incumbent Congress governments, in Madhya Pradesh, it defeated the anti-incumbency in retaining power. However, in the South Indian state of Telangana, the Congress saw consolation and emerged victorious, dethroning BRS's decade-old rule. Despite the perceived anti-incumbency in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP won 163 seats in the state. The Congress won 66 seats in the state. In Rajasthan, the BJP won 115 seats out of 199, clearly ousting the incumbent Ashok Gehlot government. The Congress won 69 seats. In the Chhattisgarh election, though the majority of the exit polls predicted that the Congress would retain the government, the results turned out to be otherwise. As per the ECI, the BJP won 54 out of 90 seats. The Congress won 35 seats in the state. In Telangana, the incumbent BRS was dethroned by Congress. Congress won 64 seats in the 119-member assembly. BRS won 39 seats, and the BJP won 8 seats. (ANI) The aim of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is to ensure at least three women Sub-Inspectors and 10 women police constables in each police station so that a women help desk is manned round the clock, and a total of 2,46,103 (11.75 per cent) women police personnel were serving till January 1 last year among total police personnel across the country, Minister of State for Home Nityanad Rai informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Responding in written reply to a query of a legislature whether number of women police personnel has increased in the last decade, the Minister cited a data compiled by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) which shows that a total of 97,518 women police personnel were serving in 2013 (5.87 per cent of total police); 1,05,325 (6.11 per cent) in 2014; 1,10,872 (6.44 per cent) in 2015; 1,22,912 (7.10 per cent) in 2016; 1,40,184 (7.28 per cent) in 2017; 1,69,550 (8.73 per cent) in 2018; 1,85,696 (8.98 per cent) in 2019; 2,15,504 (10.30 per cent) in 2020; and 2,17,026 women police personnel (10.49 per cent) in 2021. The Minister also said that the Centre also issues advisories to the states and the Union Territories (UTs) for increasing number of women in the police forces. "The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued advisories dated May 21, 2014, May 12, 2015, June 21, 2019, June 22, 2021 and April 13, 2022 to all the state governments and UT administrations to increase the representation of women police to 33 per cent of the total strength. All the state governments and UTs administrations have been requested to create additional posts of women constables and sub-inspectors by converting the vacant posts of constables and sub-inspectors. The aim is that each police station should have at least 3 women sub-inspectors and 10 women police constables, so that a women help desk is manned round the clock," the MoS replied. Of the total women police personnel, there were eight Director General of Police (DGP) and Special DGP; 37 Additional DGP; 31 Inspector General of Police; 54 Deputy Insector General; 368 Inspector General of Police/Senior Superintendent of Police/Superintendent of Police/Commandant; 269 Additional SP/Deputy Commandant; 908 ASP/Deputy SP/Assistant Commandant; 3,680 Inspectors; 13,146 Sub-Inspectors; 6052 Assistant Sub-Inspectors; 20,196 Head Constables; 1,80,685 Constables and 20,669 women personnel on other duties till January 1 last year. Asked about the number of Mahila Police stations currently and before 2014 in the country, Rai shared another data compiled by the BPR&D, which shows that a total of 745 women police station exist as on January 1 last year across the country. The number remained at 518 till January 1, 2014. Of the total 745 women police stations across the country, maximum of 202 are in Tamil Nadu, 77 in Uttar Pradesh, 52 in Madhya Pradesh, 48 in West Bengal, 41 in Rajasthan, 40 in Bihar, 39 in Gujarat, 36 in Karnataka and 33 in Jharkhand. There is no any women police station in Lakshadweep, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and one each in Goa, Assam, Mizoram, Chandigarh and Ladakh. (ANI) Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh alias Punjab Singh alias Dhadi was allegedly involved in terror funding and other subversive activities in Punjab, the officer said. "In a major breakthrough, SSOC Amritsar has arrested #UK based, Paramjit Singh @ Punjab Singh @ Dhadi from #Amritsar airport An associate of Lakhbir Rode, Chief of banned terrorist outfit #ISYF,Dhadi has been involved in terror funding & other subversive activities in #Punjab," Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said in a post on 'X'. The Punjab Police is fully committed to making the state safe and secure, the officer said. "Investigation is on to unearth and expose the terrorist network Major blow to terror module attempting to disturb peace in the region @PunjabPoliceInd is fully committed to make Punjab safe & secure as per directions of CM @BhagwantMann," the DGP added. Meanwhile, Lakhbir Singh Rode, the Pakistan-based ISYF's chief and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) handler, reportedly died in Pakistan on Monday. He was among India's most wanted and the nephew of the late Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Rode, a 'listed individual terrorist' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), fled to Pakistan around 1996/97. He had planned to execute Improvised Explosive Device blasts at various locations in Punjab including the December 23, 2021, Ludhiana court complex blast which claimed the life of one person and injuries to six others, according to the NIA chargesheet. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet also states that Rode, in association with Pakistan-based smugglers, recruited India-based operatives to smuggle IEDs and to carry out blasts to cause maximum casualties and to strike terror among the general public. (ANI) The Directorate General of Health Services ( DGHS) has written a letter to the director of the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) regarding a media report blaming Private Hospital in Delhi on an illegal kidney racket, official sources told ANI. "With reference to a media report alleging involvement of Apollo Hospital, Delhi and Dr. Sandeep Guleria in running illegal kidney racket in which impoverished people from Myanmar are being enticed to sell their organs for profit.The report highlights that such activities may be taking place posing serious threat to health and well-being of vulnerable individuals. As per Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994 CHAPTER IV, Section 13(3)(iv)), Secretary (Health), Government of Delhi, is the appropriate authorityfor NCT of Delhi to examine and investigate the matter." states letter. "In this regard, you are requested to kindly get the matter examined, take appropriateaction as per the provision of THOTA, 1994 and furnish an action taken report within aweek." it further read. But Indraprastha Medical Corporation Ltd. (IMCL) on Tuesday refuted the "absolutely false" allegations of its involvement in a "cash for kidney" racket illegal purchases of kidneys from impoverished people in Myanmar for rich patients of that country, as reported recently in a news daily in the United Kingdom. IMCL is part of the Apollo Hospitals, one of the country's largest hospital groups. As per a report dated December 3, London-based newspaper alleged that the "desperate young villagers from Myanmar" are being "enticed to sell their organs for profit." As per the news report, people "are being flown" to the hospital in Delhi and "paid to donate their kidneys to rich Burmese patients." Responding to the claims, an IMCL spokesperson said, "The allegations made in the recent international media against IMCL are absolutely false, ill-informed and misleading. All the facts were shared in detail with the concerned journalist." "To be clear, IMCL complies with every legal and ethical requirement for transplant procedures, including all guidelines laid down by the government as well as our own extensive internal processes that exceed compliance requirements," the spokesperson said. The company spokesperson further said that IMCL requires every donor to provide 'Form 21', notarized by the appropriate ministry in their country. "This form is a certification from the foreign government that the donor and recipient are indeed related. The government-appointed transplant authorization committee at IMCL reviews documents for each case, including this certification and interviews the donor and the recipient. It further re-validates the documents with the concerned embassy of the country. The patients and donors undergo several medical tests, including genetic testing," the spokesperson said. "These and many more steps far exceed any compliance requirements for a transplant procedure and ensure that donor and recipient are indeed related as per applicable laws. IMCL remains committed to the highest standards of ethics and to delivering on our mission to bring the best healthcare to all," the IMCL spokesperson said. Under India's Transplantation of Human Organs Act, close relatives like spouses, siblings, parents, and grandchildren can donate organs. Except in cases of humanitarian causes permitted by the Act, donations from strangers are restricted. (ANI) After the Bharatiya Janta Party registered a thumping victory in three states, BJP MP Subrat Pathak on Tuesday said that reason behind Congress' defeat is because of their stand against Sanatan Dharma, adding that Congress' biggest reason for defeat is "abusing Sanatan Dharma". "They (Congress) abused Sanatan Dharma. People watch all these things. This is the reason why they lost the elections," Pathak said. He further said that the Congress party has never paid attention to the reason why they lost the election, instead they keep abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hitting out at the Congress, the BJP leader said, "They never pay attention to the reasons why they lose election. After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister several people got their homes through government schemes, Ujjawala Yojyana were introduced. These could have been done before but they looted the money." A saffron tsunami swept the Hindi heartland on the counting day for four states that polled for their assemblies last month. The BJP, with its stunning mandates in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, stumped not just their rivals but also some pollsters who had predicted tight races in these states. Meanwhile, Congress's victory in Telangana came as a big solace for the party, as it consolidated its position in southern India for the big battle in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls which is only months away. The results in four assembly polls have also exposed Congress' vulnerabilities in a direct contest with BJP. The Congress had wrested Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka from the BJP earlier this year and was hoping to do the same in Madhya Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress relied heavily on Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel but the BJP went hammer and tongs with its allegations of "corruption" against the state government. The BJP also matched the Congress in pre-poll announcements. (ANI) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer, Babar Awan, revealed on Monday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan is seeking to summon an "ex-army general and a US envoy" during the proceedings of the cypher case at Adiala Jail, Dawn reported. According to Awan, Imran Khan expressed this desire during the ongoing case proceedings, where he is currently detained. Awan stated, "Imran Khan has said that the US embassy representative should be called, and he also took the name of a former general." Although the PTI lawyer did not explicitly mention the former military officer, attendees of the cipher case hearing indicated that Imran referred to retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The cypher case revolves around a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency alleges was not returned by Imran Khan. PTI contends that the document contained a threat from the United States to remove Imran as prime minister, as reported by Dawn. Imran Khan and ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, both jailed, were initially indicted on October 23. They pleaded not guilty, and the trial, initially held at Adiala Jail, faced complications leading to a fresh trial after an Islamabad High Court division bench declared the government's notification for a jail trial as "erroneous." Despite the ruling that the trial would continue at Adiala Jail, in an open court, media access was restricted during the latest hearing, sparking concerns about transparency. During the proceedings, Qureshi requested the special court summon President Arif Alvi to testify about his assent to changes in the Official Secrets Act. The court ruled that Imran and Qureshi would be indicted again on December 12. In a post-hearing media talk, Awan asserted the PTI's readiness for elections, stating, "The PTI will contest from every seat, and our candidates will contest from every seat." He emphasized the need to close what he called "fictitious cases and trials," claiming that the people of Pakistan believe it to be the way forward. Awan urged the inclusion of foreign media, international observers, and bloggers in the cypher trial, citing its "international dimension." Despite ongoing legal challenges, Awan expressed confidence, noting that the people of Pakistan have moved forward, Dawn reported. (ANI) The White House labelled a pro-Palestinian rally, held over the weekend outside a kosher restaurant in Philadelphia, as 'anti-semitic', The Times of Israel reported on Monday. "Goldie, Goldie, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide," the crowd of dozens was filmed shouting on Sunday outside the Rittenhouse Square branch of Goldie, which was founded by Israeli-American celebrity chef Michael Solomonov, the daily reported. "It is antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy, as Governor Shapiro has underlined," The Times of Israel quoted White House spokesperson Andrew Bates as saying. "This behaviour reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of antisemitism," Bates said. Shapiro, who is Jewish, called the crowd's slogans "a blatant act of antisemitism -- not a peaceful protest". "A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli," Shapiro posted on X, adding, "This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history," The Times of Israel stated in its report. A video clip of the protest showed a group of demonstrators gathered outside Goldie, a falafel shop owned by the prominent Israeli-American chef Michael Solomonov. In the video, the demonstrators were seen marching down the street waving Palestinian flags and repeating the chant, 'Goldie, Goldie, you can't hide. We charge you with genocide'," CNN reported. Further, as per the report, the incident was part of a broader march in support of Gaza and Palestinians on Sunday that began at Rittenhouse Square. The demonstration continued for at least 20 more blocks after the stop at Goldie, across the Walnut Street Bridge into University City and West Philadelphia. There, marchers joined an ongoing candlelight vigil and protest in front of a controversial housing project. Meanwhile, The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said its objectives in northern Gaza are "nearly completed," CNN reported quoting the head of the Israeli military's Armored Corps as saying on Monday. "The war objective in the northern Gaza Strip is nearly completed," Brig. Gen. Hisham Ibrahim told Israeli Army Radio on Monday. According to CNN, the comments were echoed by the Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a visit to the Israeli border with Gaza on Monday. "This action that is happening now, in the north of the Gaza Strip, will soon lead to the breaking of the entire area of Gaza City and the north of the Gaza Strip," Gallant said, according to CNN. The report stated that this is not the first time Israeli officials have said that the military was close to achieving its objectives in northern Gaza. On November 16, before a since-expired temporary truce with Hamas went into effect, the chief of the IDF, General Staff Herzi Halevi, said, "We're quite close to destroying the military system that [Hamas] had in the northern Gaza Strip." (ANI) Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his war cabinet at the Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. At the meeting, the PM was joined by the IDF chief of staff, the National Security Council chief, the head of the Mossad, and the Shin Bet chief, as well as cabinet members Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister Benny Gantz. Taking to X, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office posted, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting of the War Cabinet, this evening, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv." https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/1731766580470559146?s=20 Meanwhile, scores of wounded people were seen being taken from the rubble and to hospitals in southern Gaza throughout the day Monday after Israeli bombardment, according to footage from the scene, CNN reported on Tuesday. Earlier, on Monday, the Israeli Prime Minister held a telephone assessment with his advisors amid the war against Hamas in the region. The Israel PMO shared details about the telephonic meeting in a statement, saying, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, held an assessment of the situation this evening, via teleconference." "Participating in the call were the Defense Minister, Minister Gantz, Minister Eisenkot, the Strategic Affairs Minister, MK Aryeh Deri, Director of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the Director of the Mossad, the Prime Minister's Military Secretary, the Head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, the Head of the IDF Operations Directorate, the Head of the IDF Planning Directorate, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and the Head of Research at IDF Intelligence," it added. Israel has been intensifying its aerial bombardment of southern Gaza in recent days. On Sunday, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said Israel was expanding its ground operations to the whole of the Gaza Strip. CNN, meanwhile, reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) said the Israeli military has told it to remove medical supplies from its two southern Gaza warehouses, as ground operations will render them useless. "Today, WHO received notification from the Israel Defense Forces that we should remove our supplies from our two medical warehouses in southern Gaza within 24 hours, as ground operations will put them beyond use," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement on X on Monday, adding, "We appeal to Israel to withdraw the order, and take every possible measure to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and humanitarian facilities." (ANI) Dubai [UAE], December 5 (ANI/WAM): Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) joined together at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai to commit to ambitious climate action and unlock over US$180 billion in climate finance. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced at COP28 that it will triple its climate lending to US$150 billion over the next decade. The IDB also announced US$5 billion in additional financing for sustainable development projects in the Amazon, as well as a guarantee programme to expand lending capacity by US$450 million, and US$1 billion equivalent of incentives for countries to meet climate and nature targets through discounts on loans if targets are met. President of the World Bank Ajay Banga also committed to increase their climate finance target to 45 percent by 2025, which would mean US$40 billion in climate finance annually by 2025, of which US$9 billion per year for next two years is additional. The World Bank also announced US$5 billion to support 100 million people in Africa with clean energy access in the next seven years. Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President, said, "Something special is happening in Dubai, the order of magnitude is changing. We have said that climate finance needs to be reformed and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) are heeding our call. I'm confident that coming out of COP28 climate finance will be a key pillar of their activities for years to come. We are showing what we can achieve when we are singular focused on delivery." Emerging and Developing Economies will need more than US$2.4 trillion annually in climate finance by 2030. "MDBs and the IMF will have to play a key role in the implementation of the Global Climate Finance Framework launched by UAE along with key world leaders. I welcome the good progress that has already been delivered towards the implementation of the principles of this framework. MDBs have already delivered a record of nearly $100 billion in climate finance last year," said Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs. "During COP28, we have seen some good announcements from MDBs, on more ambitious climate finance targets. These are all good steps, in the right direction. We must now move ahead, with even more momentum and ambition." Other commitments by MDBs at COP28 include:* A US$1 billion climate finance commitment by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to support adaptation in conflict affected countries.* The African Development Bank launched a US$175 million facility for green infrastructure in Africa, as well a US$1 billion facility to provide insurance against climate impacts to over 40 million farmers across Africa.* The World Bank announced that it will support 15 countries with national programs to slash methane emissions of up to 10 million tons over the next five to seven years from rice production, livestock, and waste.* The World Bank also announced that it will support certification of carbon credits for forestry in 16 countries, aiming to generate 24 million credits by next year and 125 million in five years.* At COP28, the UAE also pledged US$200 million for climate resilience in low-income and vulnerable middle-income countries, through the IMF Resilience and Sustainability Trust. "Better, Bigger, and Bolder MDBs" is a key principle of the COP28 UAE Declaration on a Global Climate Finance Framework launched by the UAE at COP28 World Climate Action Summit on Friday, December 1st. The Declaration is endorsed by India, France, Barbados, Kenya, Ghana, Germany, UK, USA, Senegal, and Colombia. The Declaration calls on international lenders to take ambitious action on climate finance.(ANI/WAM) Few doubt that China is responsible for a massive campaign of computer hacking and nefarious cyber activities. Beijing denies any culpability for cyberattacks, calling such accusations "baseless", but the weight of evidence rests squarely against China. The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, in its 2023 Annual Threat Assessment, recognized the threat: "China probably currently represents the broadest, most active and persistent cyber espionage threat to US government and private-sector networks. China's cyber pursuits and its industry's export of related technologies increase the threats of aggressive cyber operations against the US homeland." If this were not damning enough, the report continued: "China almost certainly is capable of launching cyberattacks that could disrupt critical infrastructure services within the United States, including against oil and gas pipelines, and rail systems." This assessment was borne out by a Chinese state-sponsored threat group called Volt Typhoon, responsible for attacks this year, some of the largest ever, on American infrastructure. Five Eyes partners publicly disclosed the worrying threat posed by Volt Typhoon in May, since the group's activities represent far more than the usual espionage conducted by nations. The group preplaced technical implants and achieved long-term access into adversaries' networks, such prepositioning showing maturity in the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) joint information warfare capabilities. Pukhraj Singh, Director of the Centre for Epistemic Security, wrote for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI): "The military cyber elements seem to have been extricated from the stovepipes of the theater commands and are ready to produce strategic effects extending beyond the Indo-Pacific. And the integration isn't just militaristic but also political: the PLA is the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) army. Strategic cyber operations are directly sanctioned by the Central Military Commission, and ultimately authorized by Xi." Singh further posited: "The intelligence that has trickled through from the Five Eyespoints to interesting doctrinal and strategic developments in the Chinese cyber establishment, especially the extent and success of its integration with the PLA." Two groups are broadly responsible for China's state-sponsored hacking - the PLA and Ministry of State Security (MSS). The latter oversees most state-sponsored hacking activities abroad. US officials are displaying greater willingness to point fingers. For example, Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), defined China's cyber-espionage and sabotage capacities as an "epoch-defining threat" earlier this year. She added that in the event of warfare, "aggressive cyber operations" would threaten critical US transportation infrastructure "to induce societal panic". Easterly warned: "It's going to be very, very difficult for us to prevent disruptions from happening." According to the European Repository of Cyber Incidents, 240 worldwide state-sponsored cyberattacks from 2005-23 were attributed to China, compared to 158 from Russia, 103 from Iran and 74 from North Korea. Although 25 per cent of the global online population is in China, the latter clearly has the largest footprint in state-sponsored hacking. Some 78 per cent of its hacking attempts aimed to steal data. Chinese hacking groups tend to be active for approximately three years, and each group tends to concentrate on no more than four countries. However, there are exceptions, such as APT41, which has been operating for 13 years and whose activities have been identified in 14 different nations. The US Justice Department announced charges against seven APT41 hackers in September 2020. The US Secret Service also accused APT41 of stealing millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief benefits from 2020-22. There are many other groups too. Storm-0558 allowed Chinese hackers to access email accounts of around 25 organizations, including US government agencies and individuals like US Envoy to China Nicholas Burns, and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink. APT27 claimed responsibility for attacks during a Taipei visit by former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022. Mandiant also accused it of compromising the computer networks of at least six US state governments between May 2021 and February 2022. Elsewhere, the 2021 Microsoft Exchange attack by Hafnium affected some 250,000 targets. As another example, ShadowPad, backed by the PLA, was discovered in India's power grid in 2021 during the border standoff. Furthermore, hacking software, known as Aria-body and with alarming intrusive capabilities, has been used against governments and state-owned companies in Australia and Southeast Asia. This virus allows hackers to remotely take over a computer, manipulate files and set up secret communications back to the hackers. Israeli cybersecurity company Check Point Software Technologies identified Aria-body as coming from the Chinese hacker group Naikon, which is connected to the PLA at a Kunming location. Lotem Finkelstein of Check Point, said: "The Naikon group has been running a longstanding operation, during which it has updated its new cyber-weapon time and time again, built an extensive offensive infrastructure and worked to penetrate many governments across Asia and the Pacific." Such conclusions were also borne out by a report recently published by the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), a non-profit think-tank based in Berlin. This research by Antonia Hmaidi, entitled "Here to Stay - Chinese State-Affiliated Hacking for Strategic Goals", highlighted the extent and purpose of Chinese efforts in the cyber domain. Hmaidi reached some key findings in her MERICS report, as Beijing becomes more sophisticated and its cyberattacks closely follow the strategic goals of the CCP. The US is by far China's largest target, followed by India, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam respectively. Nonetheless, Europe is not immune, and so the MERICS researcher noted that Chinese hacking poses a risk to Europe's long-term prosperity. Indeed, the European Commission estimates that cyberattacks cost EUR5.5 trillion globally. Furthermore, in Germany, cyberattacks caused 86 per cent of companies to suffer damage,and cost EUR223 billion (or 6 per cent of national GDP) in 2021 alone. Last year, 43 per cent ofGerman companies said they had been cyberattacked by China. A second point by Hmaidi is that China has rearranged its hacking capabilities to make attribution more difficult and to increase the combat readiness of the PLA. Indeed, institutional changes have created a more flexible and sophisticated state- affiliated hacking scene. Indeed, China works hard to keep its illicit cyber activities quiet, and of course it is a major challenge to attribute cyberattacks to specific players. However, it is undisputed that China has become more sophisticated. What once started as high-volume phishing campaigns has increasingly focused on long-term and targeted attacks. While not all Chinese threat actors have clear ties to the Beijing government, there is considerable evidence of links. States often use proxies, but since many Chinese hacker organizations in the past were directly affiliated with the PLA, Beijing could not plausibly deny responsibility. Cyber threat intelligence firm Mandiant highlights Unit 61398 of the PLA as a state-affiliated advanced persistent threat actor. For example, in 2021 the US government accused it of targeting key technology companies. Chairman Xi Jinping signed an agreement with the US in 2015 promising that neither would engage in commercial cyber espionage. There was a short-term decrease in Chinese hacking, but it is difficult to say whether this was because Beijing was honoring the agreement, or whether China simply changed its approach. That was the same year that the PLA restructured and created the Strategic Support Force (SSF), where all of China's military cyber, electronic and space capabilities now reside. By 2016, it was observable that Chinese hacking had increased in volume and sophistication, including a vast satellite network of contractors at front companies and universities that work at the behest of the MSS. This freelance cyber-army is guided by the MSS, whereas the PLA and SSF focus more on combat-oriented activities now. Xi's preoccupation with national security - which extends to economic and technological security - means that hacking is considered essential to national strategic goals. This includes aspects such as technological innovation, gaining information for mergers and acquisitions, targeting dissidents and traditional espionage against foreign governments. With Xi labeling science and technology as "the main battlefield of the economy", China eagerly uses both legal and illegal avenues to grab knowledge and technology. This might be via requiring technology transfers before a foreign company is allowed market access, joint venture requirements for Chinese investment, poaching foreign experts, or exploiting weak protection of intellectual property. A third conclusion noted by Hmaidi is that Chinese threat actors typically attack for the purpose of gaining long-term access. This contrasts with Russian actors that want to cause disruption, or North Korean ones wishing to make money. China is biding its time, building up capabilities that could be used later for disruption, such as during a Taiwan conflict. Hmaidi noted: "A broader range of institutions and hackers has become part of China's hacking landscape over the past decade, but their goals have been consistent. A key one is to value long-term access to targets above short-term rewards, which applies for the PLA, the MSS and their proxies. This makes detection more difficult." The PLA's peacetime-wartime integration means such long-term access could be suddenly used for destructive purposes in the event of a conflict. Some groups leave behind disruption software, one example being in the US power grid. "While Chinese threat actors have not moved to disruption to date, China has set up cyber ranges to conduct disruption tests, and all indications point to it building up capability to disrupt in the future." Furthermore, "Chinese state-affiliated threat actors try to stay undetected, and a lot of their hacking is designed to be invisible so as to secure long-term access to their targets. APT1, for instance, has maintained access to networks for an average of 365 days, and it has been able to stay in some networks for up to five years." Nor do Chinese hacking groups tend to use ransomware, although groups like EmissaryPanda can make IP thefts look like ransomware attacks. Instead, China regularly targets dissidents, patent holders, and corporate and state-owned enterprises in international negotiations. RedAlpha, for instance, targets Tibetans in exile, whilst APT40 targets university research projects relating to naval capabilities. APT41 is the most prolific actor, but it also seems to engage in financially motivated behavior, suggesting that the MSS is not in full control of its various cyber tentacles. Beijing has cleaned up criminal freelancers, such as with 2015's Operation Clean Internet, and the government has a firm grip on China's hacking community. The MSS uses a series of loosely affiliated shell companies, many of which are also involved in domestic repression. Staying in the government's good books often allows these hackers to conduct their financially lucrative side businesses. The timing of Chinese cryptocurrency attacks, usually after 6pm, while data theft attacks occur in worktime hours, also suggests that some Chinese groups moonlight. One should not be surprised that such enterprising behavior occurs. Despite Xi's anti-graft campaign, corruption remains endemic in China. In the first nine months of 2023, for example, 405,000 officials were punished according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). Of these, 34 were senior officials at provincial or ministerial levels. These punishments stemmed from 2.617 million reports or tip-offs relating to questionable behavior. Ironically, in the same nine-month period, more than 18,700 tipoffs related to CCDI or supervisory officials. Finally, the MERICS report noted, Chinese actors focus on a smaller number of high-value targets and reuse the same exploits for different target types. It is difficult to spot them, since they use edge devices like routers, as well as techniques designed to avoid detection. The SSF, a rival to the US' Cyber Command, is designed to strike at an enemy's most vulnerable points, often its high-tech Achilles heels that constitute their military digital networks. Denial of space, the electromagnetic spectrum and cyber networks could seriously hobble a military power like the US. The centralization of China's cyberattack and defenses under one force - namely the Strategic Support Force - increases synergy and improves deconfliction. This "cleaning up" of PLA cyber forces streamlines command and control; enhances oversight and control; tightens tactics, techniques and procedures; and improves professionalism. Beijing thinks its proxies and camouflage provide greater deniability, but the fact is that countries like the US, and many others, are increasingly alarmed and irritated, by the extent of China's illicit cyberwarfare. (ANI) All hail Chicago Shakespeares World Stage series, a longstanding gem that brings international arts groups to this city, typically offering Chicagoans a window not just into concerns emanating from abroad but also priorities, feelings and beauty. The pandemic nearly took down World Stage; COVID-19 caused years of disruption in international arts touring and the complex networks behind it are still in recovery mode. Advertisement So for all those reasons, Islander, a contemporary folk tale inspired by the music and sounds of Scotland, could not be more welcome. Its a modest affair: no set, really, and no band. Just two cast members, both young women, perform the piece, live-looping their music, mostly vocal and percussive, to create a fuller sound. Islander has been around for a while. As conceived by Amy Draper, penned by Stewart Melton and with music and lyrics by Finn Anderson, the show was seen at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland before the pandemic and had an off-Broadway run in 2022, although it struggled to find an audience in New York after opening in the usual April crush of new musicals, all of which were far more elaborate affairs. The touring show is a separate production, under the auspices of commercial producers and the Theatre Royal Plymouth, a cool British theater, albeit about as far from Scotland as you can get without swimming. Advertisement The show is set in the fictional Kinnan Island, a remote Scottish island facing depopulation as folks move to mainland Scotland. We meet Eilidh (Lois Craig), the last teenage girl on the island and a young person torn between her familial roots and the world beyond, the latter being especially tempting since there is also a government resettlement program of which she could take advantage. As you might expect, Eilidh spends a lot of time alone, singing into the sea, so to speak, which eventually spews forth a beached whale calf and a second girl, Arran (Julia Murray), of indeterminate geographic origin and potentially misty and mythic provenance. The two performers play many other roles, including a marine biologist and Eilidhs ancient Gran, from whom much of the shows dark comedy flows, given the old womans love of tricking her granddaughter. There is music throughout, with the looping technology allowing the actresses to sing along with sounds they just have made. (Note that the show is double-cast, with Stephanie MacGaraidh and Sylvie Stenson appearing at some performances). Lois Craig as Eilidh and Julia Murray as Arran in "Islander," a folk musical from Scotland presented as part of Chicago Shakespeare Theaters World Stage Series. (Steve Tanner/HANDOUT) Its a cool show, all in all, and one that easily keys into a wide swath of feelings about leaving (and remaining) home; it certainly had me going. How interesting you find the looping, with its requisite buttons for the performers to push, is very much a matter of opinion, I think. Porchlight Music Theatre in Chicago attempted something similar with a show called Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, and, in both cases, Id say live musicians would have been my preference. That said, the thematic idea of loneliness and of singing mostly with your own self certainly is enhanced by the looping in Islander. I just found the pressing of buttons a distraction from the work of two very talented young performers who clearly live this material. Chicago has a good number of fans of Celtic music and culture and of those who seek out intimate evenings of contemplative and sometimes contemporary sounds at venues like Mrs. Murphys pub. Islander certainly will appeal to that group; Andersons music doesnt follow the traditional strictures of a musical score but its enigmatic, distinctive and, when performed from the heart as is the case here, rather beguiling. Theater Loop Weekly Get the latest news and reviews from America's hottest theater city, delivered to your mailbox weekly. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. cjones5@chicagotribune.com Review: Islander (3 stars) When: Through Dec. 17 Advertisement Where: Upstairs Theatre at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Tickets: $65-$75 at 312-595-5600 and chicagoshakes.com Kenyan President William Ruto paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat in New Delhi on Tuesday. Taking to X, the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson stated, "Paying homage to Mahatma. President @WilliamsRuto of Kenya laid a wreath at Rajghat and paid his respects to Mahatma Gandhi." Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi welcomed William Ruto at Rashtrapati Bhavan. William Ruto was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He also inspected a Guard of Honour. In a post shared on X, Arindam Bagchi stated, "A grand welcome for our honoured guest! President @WilliamsRuto of Kenya warmly received by President Droupadi Murmu @Rashtrapatibhvn and PM @narendramodi in a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan." Several union ministers including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju were present on the occasion. President Murmu also met the Kenyan delegation led by William Ruto. Ruto arrived in Delhi on Monday on a state visit to India at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. A Presidential visit from Kenya is taking place after over six years, according to Ministry of External Affairs earlier release. The visit is expected to strengthen and invigorate the bilateral relations between the two countries. This evening, a state banquet will be hosted by President Murmu in honour of President Ruto. During his visit to India, the Kenyan President will hold detailed discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ruto, who is accompanied by a high-level official delegation will also participate in a business and investment event in New Delhi. After receiving a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kenyan President William Ruto said that India and Kenya need to consolidate the relationship and called the two nations "great friends." He noted that the two nations have had diplomatic engagement at different levels since 1948. Speaking to reporters, Ruto said, "As you are aware, India and Kenya are great friends. We've been we've had diplomatic engagement at different levels from way back in 1948, even before the independence of Kenya. And I have come to India this time around at the invitation of Madam President and my good friend the Prime Minister. And my expectation is that we need to consolidate the relationship between Kenya and India." Praising India's digital progress, William Ruto said that Kenya has a lot to learn from India. He stated that he has sent Kenya's Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to India to learn about digital ID, digitising government services. He said that Kenya will be signing an agreement with India in the digital space. He said, "We are looking at how we can create partnership in the space of rural development, especially agriculture. We'll be looking at a space of how we can share in manufacture of vaccines, both for animals and humans. We're looking at what we can do about genomics. We will be signing an agreement on also the digital space. We have a lot to learn from this great country, especially in the digital space." "We have already, I did send from Kenya our Ministry of ICT to pick up lessons on digital ID, digitising government services, leveraging on the enabler nature of technology in providing government service, which India has done very well. We will be signing an MoU in that space. We will also be looking at areas of business, what we can do to enhance the business relationship between our two countries," he added. William Ruto noted that he has a lot in common with PM Modi on what they need to do, particularly about the Global South and on matters related to the reform of the international financial structure. He thanked PM Modi and President Murmu for welcoming him to India. The Kenyan President said, "I share a lot in common with the Prime Minister of India on what we need to do, especially those of us from the Global South, on matters to do with the reform of the international financial architecture, to make it much more fit for purpose and to ensure that it serves everybody equally and in a balanced and democratised manner. And a lot of other things that we will be discussing this afternoon and this morning with the government of India." On Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the Kenyan President. "Honored to call on Kenyan President @WilliamsRuto at the start of his State Visit. Appreciated his perspectives on the concerns of the Global South. Valued his insights for the further strengthening of our bilateral ties," Jaishankar posted on X. Separately, Bharti Enterprises chairperson Sunil Bharti Mittal also met with Ruto in New Delhi. He highlighted to the President Airtel's enduring relationship with and commitment to the people of Kenya in catalysing the digital economy of the country. During his talks with William Ruto, Sunil Mittal spoke about the benefits of co-innovation and collaboration in distributing the success of the Indian digital public infrastructure to Kenya. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Kenyan President William Ruto at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday. The two leaders will hold discussions on deepening the partnership between India and Kenya. The two leaders shook hands and warmly greeted each other before heading to hold the meeting. Taking to X, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated, "Reinvigorating - ties! PM @narendramodi welcomed President @WilliamsRuto of Kenya as the latter arrived for bilateral talks in Hyderabad House. Wide-ranging discussions on deepening India-Kenya partnership lie ahead." Earlier, Kenyan President William Ruto, who is in India on a state visit, paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat in New Delhi on Tuesday. Taking to X, the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson stated, "Paying homage to Mahatma. President @WilliamsRuto of Kenya laid a wreath at Rajghat and paid his respects to Mahatma Gandhi." He was also accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. William Ruto also inspected a Guard of Honour. President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi welcomed William Ruto at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In a post shared on X, Arindam Bagchi stated, "A grand welcome for our honoured guest! President @WilliamsRuto of Kenya warmly received by President Droupadi Murmu @Rashtrapatibhvn and PM @narendramodi in a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan." Several union ministers including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju were present on the occasion. President Murmu also met the Kenyan delegation led by William Ruto. Ruto arrived in Delhi on Monday on a state visit to India at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. A Presidential visit from Kenya is taking place after over six years, according to Ministry of External Affairs earlier release. The visit is expected to strengthen and invigorate the bilateral relations between the two countries. On Tuesday evening, a state banquet will be hosted by President Murmu in honour of President Ruto. Ruto, who is accompanied by a high-level official delegation will also participate in a business and investment event in New Delhi. After receiving a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, William Ruto said that India and Kenya need to consolidate the relationship and called the two nations "great friends." He noted that the two nations have had diplomatic engagement at different levels since 1948. Speaking to reporters, Ruto said, "As you are aware, India and Kenya are great friends. We've been we've had diplomatic engagement at different levels from way back in 1948, even before the independence of Kenya. And I have come to India this time around at the invitation of Madam President and my good friend the Prime Minister. And my expectation is that we need to consolidate the relationship between Kenya and India." Praising India's digital progress, William Ruto said that Kenya has a lot to learn from India. He stated that he had sent Kenya's Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to India to learn about digital ID, digitising government services. He said, "We are looking at how we can create partnership in the space of rural development, especially agriculture. We'll be looking at a space of how we can share in manufacture of vaccines, both for animals and humans. We're looking at what we can do about genomics. We will be signing an agreement on also the digital space. We have a lot to learn from this great country, especially in the digital space." "We have already, I did send from Kenya our Ministry of ICT to pick up lessons on digital ID, digitising government services, leveraging on the enabler nature of technology in providing government service, which India has done very well. We will be signing an MoU in that space. We will also be looking at areas of business, what we can do to enhance the business relationship between our two countries," he added. William Ruto noted that he has a lot in common with PM Modi on what they need to do, particularly about the Global South and on matters related to the reform of the international financial structure. He thanked PM Modi and President Murmu for welcoming him to India. He said, "I share a lot in common with the Prime Minister of India on what we need to do, especially those of us from the Global South, on matters to do with the reform of the international financial architecture, to make it much more fit for purpose and to ensure that it serves everybody equally and in a balanced and democratised manner. And a lot of other things that we will be discussing this afternoon and this morning with the government of India." On Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the Kenyan President. "Honored to call on Kenyan President @WilliamsRuto at the start of his State Visit. Appreciated his perspectives on the concerns of the Global South. Valued his insights for the further strengthening of our bilateral ties," Jaishankar posted on X. Separately, Bharti Enterprises chairperson Sunil Bharti Mittal also met with Ruto in New Delhi. He highlighted to the President Airtel's enduring relationship with and commitment to the people of Kenya in catalysing the digital economy of the country. Last week, Kenyan President William Ruto termed his country's ties with India "fantastic" and thanked PM Modi for making sure that the African Union (AU) becomes a permanent member of the G20. He said that India and Kenya have a fantastic bilateral relationship and added that he is looking forward to visiting India. "India has made a very huge contribution. We want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making sure that Africa became a permanent member of the G20 during his presidency. And we will be having further conversations with him," the Kenyan President told ANI. "We have a fantastic bilateral relationship and it is my intention that we are going to build on that relationship during my visit to India later...," he added. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], December 5 (ANI/TPS): Israeli forces are now operating in the heart of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza's largest city, the Israel Defence Forces said on Tuesday. "We are in the core of Jabaliya, in the core of Shejaya and now also in the core of Khan Yunis" the IDF said in a statement. Forces penetrated Khan Yunis on Monday, but the announcement was only made a day later. In recent days, the IDF called on residents of certain areas of Khan Yunis to evacuate. Khan Yunis is the second largest in the Strip and is considered the capital of Gaza's southern district. It is also regarded as a personal stronghold of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, whose family lives there. Since the war began, the IDF has eliminated two members of the Hamas ruling politburo as well as associates of Sinwar, who live in Khan Yunis. In the last few days, IDF fighters have been operating in Jabaliya and Shejaya, densely populated areas in northern Gaza that are Hamas strongholds. On Tuesday morning, the military said it had completed its encirclement of Jabaliya and raided Hamas's General Security Headquarters inside the UN administered refugee camp. Weapons, command and control equipment, observation gear and maps were located in the headquarters. During the last few days, infantry, armor, engineering and air force forces have been fighting terror squads in face-to-face encounters. In addition, Israeli soldiers have uncovered and destroyed weapons, tunnel shafts and other terror infrastructure, including in and around civilian homes and schools. At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Hamas currently holds 137 men, women, children, soldiers and foreigners captive in Gaza. Some people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains. (ANI/TPS) The Ministers held a one-on-one discussion, followed by a bilateral meeting with professional staff. The parties discussed developments in the war in Gaza, regional challenges, and bilateral security ties. Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that at the meeting he "Reaffirmed Hungary's unwavering solidarity with Israel, especially following the October Hamas attack." The two ministers signed what he called a "key MoU [memorandum of understanding], bolstering our defence ties and cooperation in defence technology." Gallant stated, "We value your solidarity and the powerful bond between Israel and Hungary. In standing together, we send a powerful message - an attack on Israel, is an attack on the free world." "We cannot stop operating until we achieve the missions of this war," he added, "bringing home the hostages and destroying Hamas. We cannot stop - for the security of Israel, the region, and the world." (ANI/TPS) Defendant Matthew Collins, right, demonstrates a lateral vascular neck restraint on his attorney Casey Arbenz during the trial of three Tacoma Police officers in the killing of Manny Ellis, at Pierce County Superior Court, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, in Tacoma, Wash. Tacoma Police Officers Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins and Timothy Rankine stand trial for charges related to the March 2020 killing of Ellis. (Brian Hayes/The News Tribune via AP, Pool) TACOMA, Wash. (AP) One of the three police officers charged with killing Manuel Ellis, a Black man whose death in 2020 as he pleaded for air became a touchstone for racial justice protesters in the Pacific Northwest, took the witness stand in his own defense Monday, saying he lamented Ellis' passing but wouldn't have done anything differently. The testimony from Tacoma police officer Matthew Collins came as the more than two-month trial draws toward closing arguments. Collins, 40, and Christopher Burbank, 38, have been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, while Timothy Rankine, 34, is charged with manslaughter. All three officers have pleaded not guilty, are free on bail and remain on paid leave with the Tacoma Police Department. Ellis was shocked with a Taser, beaten and restrained face down on a Tacoma sidewalk, with police on top of him, as he pleaded for breath. The Pierce County medical examiner ruled Ellis death a homicide caused by oxygen deprivation, but lawyers for the officers say a high level of methamphetamine in Ellis system and a heart irregularity were to blame. Witnesses one of whom yelled for the officers to stop attacking Ellis and a doorbell surveillance camera recorded video of parts of the encounter the night of March 3, 2020. The video showed Ellis with his hands up in a surrender position as Burbank shot a Taser at Ellis chest and Collins wrapped an arm around his neck from behind. It also caught Ellis addressing the officers as sir as he told them repeatedly he couldn't breathe. Collins testified that he never heard Ellis say that and wouldn't have done anything differently even if he had. Anything that someone would say to us until theyre complying with us, with hands behind their back (to cuff), would be irrelevant to me, Collins said, according to a pool report from the trial by The Seattle Times. In cross-examination, special prosecutor Patty Eakes confronted Collins with part of the recording where he used an expletive when telling Ellis to shut up after Ellis asked for breath. Collins said he only heard animal noises from Ellis and was experiencing auditory exclusion failure to hear sounds during a stressful situation. Collins hewed closely to his earlier statements about the fatal encounter: that Ellis initiated it by lifting Collins off the ground and throwing him through the air to land on his back. Nobody else interviewed by detectives witnessed that, including Collins co-defendant, Christopher Burbank. Eyewitnesses testified that Collins and Burbank were the initial aggressors. Collins called Ellis' death the worst thing that can happen for police. "In this case, undoubtedly Manny was in the wrong, but at the end of the day his mother lost a child, his sister lost a brother, Collins said. He also said the incident changed his life in ways he couldnt imagine. I didnt think in my wildest nightmares that the state would come after us for this, he said. Their trial marks the first courtroom test of a voter-approved police-accountability measure in Washington state that removed legal barriers to charging police officers for on-duty deaths. Collins and Burbank said in statements to detectives that Ellis threatened to punch Burbank and slammed his hand against their police cruiser, so Burbank knocked Ellis to the ground with his car door, starting what Collins described as a melee. Rankine and his partner were the first backup officers to arrive on the scene. Rankine told detectives he sat on Ellis back until medics arrived, even after Ellis said he could not breathe. On the stand Monday, Collins said he interpreted Ellis body language to mean he was focusing aggressively on Burbank, who was sitting in the passengers seat of the patrol cruiser Collins was driving. So Collins said he got out to confront Ellis. As soon as I get to the front of the vehicle, he takes his focus off of Burbank and comes right at me and picks me up by my vest and throws me back in the intersection, Collins said, describing what nobody else at the scene has testified to seeing. He claimed Ellis also struck him, something no witnesses reported seeing. Photos of Collins after the incident did not show any injuries. By the time paramedics arrived, Ellis had been struck by fists and elbows, placed in a neck hold, jolted three times with a Taser, handcuffed with ankle hobbles strapped to his wrists behind his back, had a nylon spit hood placed over his face and was knelt or sat on by multiple officers. Collins testified that he never expected Ellis to die on the night they struggled. Channel 2 Action News has learned that the Georgia Ports Authority has approved a plan to build a $127 million inland terminal in Gainesville. The state authoritys governing board voted Tuesday to approve the funding, which includes a $46.8 million federal grant. Known as the Blue Ridge Connector, the terminal will link northeast Georgia to the Port of Savannah by rail across roughly 250 miles, giving shippers an alternative to moving cargo by truck through Atlanta. The total cost of the inland terminal will be $127 million. Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln was first to report on the then-proposal in July when neighbors raised concerns about trains, trucks, and cranes that will now be coming to their usually quiet neighborhood. The reason why we moved here was to get close to nature, homeowner Bonnie Bright said, who lives along White Sulphur Road. Among their concerns are environmental issues involving pollution. We are going to get more trucks than we normally do, Bright said. Residents also have concerns with the sound coming from trucks and trains. Its going to be extremely active, homeowner Darrell Riveiro said. Homeowners also fear being closed off from the quickest route to downtown Gainesville, White Sulfur Road, after learning it will be permanently closed because of this project. MORE STORIES FROM 2 INVESTIGATES: The Georgia Ports Authority told Channel 2 Action News that the inland port in their community will be on a much smaller scale compared to the Port of Savannah. The last thing we want to do is upset the people of Georgia, said Griff Lynch, the Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority. He said the disruptions will be minimal. These trains that arrive at the facility, will be approximately 3,000 feet long. So, theyre not full trains, he said. Lynch said the cranes will also be fully electric to keep the noise produced down. Lynch said having three inland ports will alleviate the distance tractor-trailers will have to travel by only going to these hubs, rather than traveling across the state to Savannah. It would handle about 10,000 containers of the lets call it 60,000 containers that will be handled a year, Lynch said. He said that number could grow to 200,000 containers a year. Hall County said it plans to reroute White Sulphur Road a mile south, so homeowners can get downtown. We put forward about $5 million to help redirect White Sulfur, Lynch said. The project is expected to be completed in 2026. It will be the third inland terminal operated by the state authority, which also has them in Murray County south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in rural Bainbridge in southwest Georgia. The Port of Savannah is the fourth-busiest U.S. seaport for cargo shipped in containers, large metal boxes used to transport retail goods from consumer electronics to frozen chickens. Savannah handled 5.4 million container units of imports and exports in the fiscal year that ended June 30. The Associated Press contributed to this article. RELATED NEWS: TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A 15-year-old boy died after a school bus collided with his bicycle in Lakeland on Tuesday. The Lakeland Police Department was called to Pipkin Road, located near the airport, at around 7 a.m. to respond to the crash. When first responders arrived, they began treating an unresponsive teenager who was struck by a Schools of McKeel Academy school bus. The boy was rushed to Lakeland Regional Health, where he was pronounced dead. Family of 5-year-old girl killed in crash with Auburndale police truck demand accountability Detectives believe the boy was struck while attempting to cross Pipkin Road. According to Google Maps data, there do not appear to be any crosswalks installed across that stretch of Pipkin Road. According to the Lakeland Police Department, the bicyclist was a 15-year-old Polk County Public Schools (PCPS) student who attended Central Florida Aerospace Academy. (Lakeland Police Department) (Lakeland Police Department) PCPS Superintendent Fred Heid provided the following statement to WFLA: We are heartbroken by this mornings news of a Central Florida Aerospace Academy student who lost his life in a traffic accident before school. This is a devastating tragedy for the students family, as well as CFAA and our community. We have been in contact with the students family and are making counselors available to the students and staff at school. We urge everyone in our community all motorists and students to take extra caution around schools and help save lives. PCPS Superintendent Fred Heid This is a horrific accident that occurred this morning, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said during a news conference. And 20 days before Christmas, that makes it even worse. The school bus driver, identified as a 71-year-old woman, immediately stopped after the collision and cooperated with police, according to Taylor. Speed is not believed to be a factor in the crash. The Schools of McKeel Academy, a charter school system, provided the following statement in an email to parents: The Schools of McKeel Academy The school system intends to fully cooperate with law enforcement as they investigate the boys death, according to the statement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The Fresno Police Department is searching for an 18-year-old for allegedly shooting 51-year-old Luis Valencia that occurred last week, according to the Fresno Police Department. Police say on Nov. 27, just after 10:00 p.m., central officers were dispatched to 2720 East Clinton Avenue for a gunshot victim. When officers arrived they found Valencia suffering from a gunshot wound. IDENTIFIED: Man who died after central Fresno shooting Valencia was transported to a local hospital where he later died, according to officials. Detectives say they have identified 18-year-old Phillip Bautista as the alleged person responsible for the fatal shooting of Valencia. Anyone with information about this case or Bautista is asked to contact Fresno Police Department Homicide detectives Vic Miranda at (559) 621-2452 or Jake Adney at (559) 621-2445 or the Fresno Police Department at (559) 621-7000. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A total of 19 people have been arrested on various charges related to human trafficking and child exploitation after multiple agencies took part in Operation White Elephant at the end of November, according to the Kings County Sheriffs Office. Deputies add that two females were also rescued from human trafficking. The Kings County Sheriffs Office says between November 29 and December 1, members of the Kings County Sheriffs Office, Hanford Police Department, Lemoore Police Department, Corcoran Police Department, California Department of Justice, FBI, Kings County Major Crimes Task Force, Homeland Security, and Naval Criminal Investigation Services (NCIS) conducted an operation to combat Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation. During the operation, officials say investigators spoke to numerous individuals through the internet and mobile applications known to foster this activity. Officials say 19 people were arrested on various charges related to human trafficking and child exploitation. Those arrested include: Jose Figueroa Laredo, 29-years-old Jose Leon Martinez, 25 -years-old Raul Carrillo Flores, 38-years-old Andrew Prieto, 26-years-old Elijah Perez, 22-years-old Isaac Martinez, 29-years-old Jose Jimenez Munoz, 34-years-old Benustiano Martinez Ceja, 30-years-old Leyser Padilla Galicia, 30-years-old Jose Garcia, 32 years old Ernesto Castro, 29-years-old Joshua Wilkinson, 35-years-old Andrew Orosco, 24-years-old Anthony Baffo, 47-years-old Cody Mendes, 30-years-old Juan Vasquez, 30-years-old David Serrato, 35-years-old Jose Jimenez Munoz, 34 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) Juan Vasquez, 30 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) Benustiano Martinez Ceja, 30 (image provided by the Kings County Sherriffs Office) Jose Garcia, 32 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) David Serrato, 35 (image courtesy of the Kings County Sheriffs Office) Leyser Padilla Galicia, 30 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) Cody Mendes, 30 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) Andrew Prieto, 26 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) Ernesto Castro, 29 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) Elijah Perez, 22 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) Joshua Wilkinson, 35 (image provided by the Kings County Sheriffs Office) According to investigators several people arranged to meet to pay for sex, receive money for sex, meet with underage girls and boys for sex, and arrange for underage girls to enter human trafficking. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Palestinians look at the destruction by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. (Hatem Ali/AP) DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Israel said Tuesday that its troops had entered Gazas second-largest city as intensified bombardment sent streams of ambulances and cars racing to hospitals with wounded and dead Palestinians, including children, in a bloody new phase of the war. The military said its forces were in the heart of Khan Younis, which has emerged as the first target in the expanded ground offensive into southern Gaza that Israel says aims to destroy Hamas. Military officials said they were engaged in the most intense day of battles since the ground offensive began more than five weeks ago, with heavy firefights also taking place in northern Gaza. Advertisement The assault into the south threatens to fuel a new wave of displaced Palestinians and a worsening of Gazas humanitarian catastrophe. The U.N. said 1.87 million people more than 80% of Gazas population have been driven from their homes, and that fighting is now preventing distribution of food, water and medicine outside a tiny sliver of southern Gaza. New military evacuation orders are squeezing people into ever-smaller areas of the south. Bombardment has grown fiercer across the territory, including areas where Palestinians are told to seek safety. In the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, just north of Khan Younis, a strike Tuesday destroyed a house where dozens of displaced people were sheltering. At least 34 people were killed, including at least six children, according to an Associated Press reporter at the hospital who counted the bodies. Advertisement Footage from the scene showed women screaming from an upper floor of a house shattered to a concrete shell. In the wreckage below, men pulled the limp body of a child from under a slab next to a burning car. At the nearby hospital, medics tried to resuscitate a young boy and girl, bloodied and unmoving on a stretcher. Israels assault in retaliation for Hamass Oct 7 attack has killed more than 15,890 people in Gaza 70% of them women and children with more than 42,000 wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. It says hundreds have been killed or wounded since a weeklong cease-fire ended Friday, and many still are trapped under rubble. Israel says it must remove Hamas from power to prevent a repeat of the attack that ignited the war, when Hamas and others killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took captive some 240 men, women and children. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday the military would have to retain open-ended security control over the Gaza Strip long after the war ends. His comments suggested a renewed direct Israeli occupation of Gaza, something the United States says it opposes. Netanyahu said only the Israeli military can ensure Gaza remains demilitarized. No international force can be responsible for this, he said at a news conference. Im not ready to close my eyes and accept any other arrangement. Under U.S. pressure to prevent further mass casualties, Israel says it is being more precise as it widens its offensive and is taking extra steps to urge civilians to evacuate out of its path. Weeks of bombardment and a ground offensive obliterated much of northern Gaza. The military accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields when they operate in dense residential areas. But Israel has not provided accounting for targeting in individual strikes, some of which have leveled entire city blocks and complexes of dozens of multi-story apartment towers. Military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi acknowledged that Israeli forces use heavy force against civilian structures, saying they keep weapons in houses and buildings so fighters in civilian clothes can use them to fire on troops. Advertisement Striking them requires significant use of fire, both to target the enemy but also to, of course, protect our forces, he said. Therefore the forces operate powerfully. BATTLES IN KHAN YOUNIS AND NORTH GAZA Halevi said his forces had begun the third phase of the ground operations, moving against Hamas in the south after seizing much of the north. Israel has not given specific details on troop movements. Residents said troops advanced to Bani Suheila, on Khan Younis eastern edge. Israeli forces also appear to be moving to partially cut across the strip between Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. Satellite photos from Sunday showed around 150 Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles on the main road between the two cities. The past days brought some of the heaviest bombardment of the entire war, the U.N.s humanitarian affairs office OCHA said. Witnesses said a strike Tuesday hit a school in Khan Younis where hundreds of displaced people were sheltering. Casualties overwhelmed the nearby Nasser Hospital, where wounded men and children were lain on a bloody floor amid a tangle of IV tubes. In the morgue, a woman draped herself over the stretcher where her dead husband and child lay among at least nine bodies. Advertisement Whats happening here is unimaginable, said Hamza al-Bursh, who lives near the school. They strike indiscriminately. In northern Gaza, the military said its troops were battling Hamas in the Jabaliya refugee camp and the district of Shujaiya, capturing Hamas positions and destroying rocket launchers and underground infrastructure. The battles in the north signaled the tough resistance from Hamas since Israeli forces moved in on Oct. 27. The military says 86 of its soldiers have been killed in the Gaza offensive and that thousands of Hamas fighters have been killed, though it has not produced evidence. Even after weeks of bombardment, Hamas top leader in Gaza, Yehya Sinwar whose location is unknown was able to conduct complex cease-fire negotiations and orchestrate the release of more than 100 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners last week. Palestinians have also kept up their rocket fire into Israel. FEWER PLACES TO GO After the full-scale evacuation of northern Gaza ordered by Israel early in the war, most of Gazas population of 2.3 million is squeezed into the 90 square miles of central and southern Gaza. Advertisement Since moving into the south, the Israeli military has ordered people out of nearly two dozen neighborhoods in and around Khan Younis. That further reduced the area where civilians can seek refuge by more than a quarter. It was not clear how many people followed the evacuation call. Nowhere is safe in Gaza, and there is nowhere left to go, Lynn Hastings, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said Monday. The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold. For the past two days, aid distribution mainly just supplies of flour and water has been possible only in the city of Rafah, at the far south by the border, the U.N. said. Locations deeper inside Gaza, including Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah and northern Gaza, could not be reached because of fighting. Dr. Nasser Bolbol, head of neonatal intensive care at the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, said acute hunger was spreading, with some deaths of children from dehydration and undernourishment, after nearly two months with only limited aid entering the territory, under an Israeli seal. Gaza is entirely covered in death and darkness, he said. STILL HOSTAGE Advertisement Family members of hostages still held in Gaza held tense talks with Netanyahu and the war cabinet Tuesday. Observers present said more than 100 people attended the nearly three-hour meeting. Some relatives shouted at cabinet members, perceiving they did not have any immediate plans to rescue some 138 hostages still captive. Nearly half the room left in disappointment before the meeting ended. During the gathering, five hostages released during the truce shared harrowing details of their experience. One spoke of Hamas fighters touching female hostages, and another said fighters shaved off a male hostages body hair to humiliate him, according to a group representing the hostages families. Others said they were deprived of water. A doctor who treated some of the 110 released hostages told the AP separately that at least 10 women and men among those freed were sexually assaulted or abused, but did not provide further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity to protect the hostages identities. Noam Peri, whose 80-year-old father is still being held captive, said the meeting with Netanyahu and the war cabinet was not a relaxed discussion. After 60 days, people are tired and worried, Peri said. Magdy and Jeffery reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Lee Keath in Cairo and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed. Two men face federal charges in recent assaults on the same day of two postal workers during armed robberies of mail and checks in Hamilton County, federal court records show. A federal grand jury indicted Antonio Toombs and Lorenzo Brandon on one count each of conspiracy to commit assault of a postal carrier; conspiracy to commit firearms offense; robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States and theft of mail keys, according to copies of their indictment. Brandon and Toombs and others known and unknown to the grand jury were involved in the Oct. 21 offenses in the southern district of Ohio and elsewhere, their indictment states, indicating more than two postal carriers were robbed that day. Two USPS letter carriers were assaulted and robbed at gunpoint for their postal arrow keys, according to a criminal complaint. Postal arrow keys are used by carriers to open mailboxes on their routes. They are regularly targeted nationally by thieves hunting mail and other items that could be sold or used to steal identities, according to the postal service. The offenses occurred at: The intersection of Hanna and Glenmore avenues in Westwood at 12:40 p.m. 3200 block of Harry Lee Lane in Colerain Twp around 3:40 p.m. Video surveillance of both robbery scenes shows the same vehicle was used in both offenses, according to a criminal complaint. Federal authorities found the USPS arrow key stolen on Harry Lee Lane when they searched Toombs residence on Oct. 30, the complaint states. It was in a backpack that also held Brandons state ID. In addition, they found three handguns, personal and business checks that didnt belong to either man, debit cards in other names, a printer, a bottle of HEET antifreeze and two empty bottles of acetone, all consistent with items to steal checks from collection boxes and wash and/or alter them using HEET or acetone, federal court records show. Toombs denied being involved when authorities interviewed him. However, his cell phone shows he had a texting conversation with someone on the day of the robberies where they discussed driving around and finding a postal worker, according to the complaint. Toombs is scheduled to appear in federal court at 1:30 p.m. Monday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz He was taken into custody and booked into the Butler County Jail on Nov. 20, the same day he had an initial court appearance. Federal officials requested pretrial detention so he remains in jail. Brandons case will return to court at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Stephanie Bowman. He has pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance with location monitoring and a curfew, court records show. Brandon has waived his right to appear in court Tuesday. Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided this report This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2 indicted in assaults, robberies of postal workers, court docs show SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Two western Utah sheriffs deputies are facing felony charges for allegedly failing to do their duty in a domestic violence investigation over the summer. One of the deputies allegedly had a sexual relationship with the suspected perpetrator. At one point, he picked up the perpetrator from the victims home in his squad car while he was off duty. Recordings show how the Mormon church protects itself from child sex abuse claims Richard Warren, 44, of Scipio, and Taylor Frampton, 29, of Fillmore, are both deputies with the Millard County Sheriffs Office. Documents filed Monday by the Utah Attorney Generals Office show both of them are facing a single count of third-degree felony obstruction of justice. Additionally, Warren is facing a third-degree felony count of tampering with evidence. The two deputies are also charged with two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct, and a class B misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice. Millard County Sheriffs Office said Monday that both deputies have been placed on leave. The criminal complaints against the two officers allege that they failed to follow the Utah Cohabitant Abuse Act in connection to a July 1 incident where it was reported that a woman threatened a man with whom she shared a child with a knife. Not only did the officers not arrest or cite the woman, the documents state, they also didnt send a report to the county prosecutors office, which they told the victims family they would. Frampton, who initially responded to the case, also did not speak with the victim, although he told investigators he tried to call him. However, his phone records showed no evidence he tried to make such a call, the complaint states. According to investigators, Frampton tapped Warren on the case, telling him he needed him to explain to [the victims family] why nothing is being done, because you are buddies with them too, the complaint states, citing a recorded conversation. The documents detail that Warren was engaged in a sexual relationship with the suspected perpetrator at the time of the investigation. Utah woman again charged with child abuse to remain in jail through Christmas When another report came on July 17 that the same woman had threatened the victim, Warren responded to the home of the victims family, where a relative put him on speaker phone with the victim. The man explained that he got into an argument with the woman the night before, adding that she told him she was having a sexual relationship with a cop, the complaint states. When the woman called someone to pick her up, the victim noticed it was Warrens squad car. He took a photo of the vehicle. According to the documents, Warren was off-duty at the time and did not tell dispatch that there was a lone woman in his squad car, which he is required to do. He also did not activate his camera while driving the woman home. Later that day, Warren allegedly spoke with the victim, telling him not to say anything or tell anyone or else he would use his job and family, the complaint states. When the county prosecutor spoke with Millard County Sheriff Richard Jacobson, they decided there needed to be an investigation into whether Warrens relationship with the woman had affected his duties. When investigators spoke with Frampton in August, he told them that thered been rumors about the sexual relationship between Warren and the woman for about a month. According to the complaint, the sheriffs office disciplined Warren for failing to turn on his camera system when he drove the woman home. He was also disciplined for failing to turn on his camera when talking with the victim and his relative. At one point in early July, the victim had called the Millard County non-emergency line, telling the dispatcher that the woman had pulled a knife on him and threatened to kill someone. He added that the woman has a cop friend named Rick who will not let her get in trouble, the complaint states. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Two men have been arrested and charged in the death of a 21-year-old who was killed in a multi-vehicle accident where speed was a factor, North Richland Hills police said in a news release Tuesday. Joseph Branscomb, 30, and Robert Obrien, 38, were charged with racing on highway with death, a second-degree felony in Texas. The men turned themselves in to the North Richland Hills Police Department, according to the release. Gavin Owens of Hurst was injured Oct. 30 when three sedans and a small sport utility vehicle crashed around 7:45 p.m. on Davis Boulevard near Turner Drive in North Richland Hills. Owens died a few days later from his injuries, police said. Witness reports and evidence at the scene led investigators to believe speed was a factor in the collision. No arrests were announced in the immediate aftermath of the accident, but police issued warrants for Branscomb and Obrien after discovering evidence that they were racing on Davis Boulevard minutes before the crash, officials said. Bond for Branscomb and Obrien has been set at $35,000, according to the news release, and the case has been accepted by the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office. Today's top stories: Wife, only survivor of crash that killed Fort Worth CEO and kids, home from hospital WATCH: 'Incredible courage.' Police release video as deputy returns fire after being shot Texas drops eminent domain effort to seize Fairfield Lake property Get free alerts when news breaks. The bodies of two people were found as crews were searching through the rubble after a fire destroyed an Ohio home Tuesday morning. Dispatchers received a call just before 2:15 a.m. about the fire in the 8600 block of Greylag Street in Blacklick, east of Columbus, according to our news partners at WBNS. Firefighters said four people were believed to have lived in the house. When crews arrived, two young girls were outside of the home, WBNS reported. >> Home demolished after previously damaged by fire in Dayton The two girls were alerted to the fire after hearing the smoke detector and seeing smoke inside the home, officials said. The grandmother and her grandson, who was approximately 4 or 5 years old, were unaccounted for as firefighters battled the fire, WBNS reported. During the search, crews discovered two bodies from the home. Their identities have not been released, but fire officials said they were the grandmother and grandson, according to the station. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. (Reuters) - Extreme weather featured in headlines frequently in 2023. Drought dried up lakes, record heat sparked wildfires, rains turned streets into rivers, and deadly storms wiped out entire towns. In early 2023, California experienced an unusually wet, snowy winter, drenching the state and causing mudslides that left some homes precariously balanced on cliffsides, while in the Southern Hemisphere scorching temperatures fanned wildfires in Chile. As summer rolled around in the Northern Hemisphere, large parts of Europe and the United States sweltered under intense heat waves that contributed to more wildfires. Canada's severest ever wildfire season sent smoke billowing out to blanket swaths of the U.S. in haze, while Greece suffered its most difficult climatic year in recorded history, as blazes were followed in September by the destruction of Storm Daniel. In September, October and November storms also caused flooding in Mexico and western Europe, while flashfloods killed thousands in Libya. On the other hand, record droughts saw lake and river water levels fall, including in the Amazon rainforest. Scientists say these kinds of extreme weather events will become more common and more severe as the Earth warms. This year was particularly tough as human-induced climate change combined with the emergence of the natural El Nino climate pattern that warms the waters of the Pacific Ocean. In November, scientists said that 2023 is expected to wind up as the warmest year on record and in December climate diplomats met in Dubai at COP28 to cut emissions and put a brake on warming. Here is a selection of Reuters photographs that show the extremes of a changing climate and its effect on humans, animals and the landscape. (Photography by Reuters photographers; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) A South Carolina man died early Tuesday morning after the SUV he was driving collided with an Amtrak train, the Berkeley County Coroners Office said. Billy Branham, a 24-year-old Summerville resident, was killed as a result of the crash, according to Coroner Darnell Hartwell. The two-vehicle collision happened after 10 p.m. Monday, said Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Branham was driving a 2008 Ford SUV west on Medway Road, according to Ridgeway. Near the intersection with U.S. 52, which is in the Goose Creek area about 20 miles north of Charleston, the collision happened when Branham pulled in front of an Amtrak train, Hartwell said. Branham was taken to an area hospital, where he died at 1:10 a.m., according to Hartwell. Ridgeway said nobody on the train was hurt, and no other injuries were reported. The train stayed on the tracks following the collision, according to Ridgeway. There was no word if Branham was wearing a seat belt. Information about why the Ford pulled in front of the train was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and coroners office. Through Sunday, 890 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety, and at least three happened on train tracks. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported. At least 53 people have died in Berkeley County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. There were 49 deaths reported in the county in 2022, DPS reported. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey has called the federal probe into the handling of the Karen Read murder case extraordinary but said hes unconcerned. 25 Investigates broke the news Monday that the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts is looking into the arrest and prosecution of Read, whos accused of striking her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm. In a statement to 25 Investigates Tuesday, Morrissey wrote that his office has not seen and is not aware of any letter saying his office is a target in the federal probe. The US Attorneys Office does not have jurisdiction over a state murder case, so this is an extraordinary step on their part, Morrisey said in the emailed statement. I am unconcerned because I have confidence in what weve done and what people have told us. The NDAO has not seen and is not aware of any target letter in the matter, he said. 25 Investigates revealed Monday that Morrissey sent a letter to the Department of Justice requesting that the federal probe of the Karen Read case be transferred out of Massachusetts because he is concerned about potential conflicts of interest. Two sources including a law enforcement source told investigative reporter Ted Daniel that Morrissey sent the letter to the highest levels of the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. alleging Rachael Rollins, who was the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts when the federal probe began, held a personal grudge against him and his office. A law enforcement source said Morrissey referenced public comments made by Rollins that are critical of him. Rollins resigned her position on May 19th following two scathing reports from government watchdog agencies accusing her of abusing her authority and committing multiple ethical violations. 25 Investigates attempted to reach out to Rollins but did not hear back. On Tuesday, Morrissey told 25 Investigates: There have been indications that the federal interest in the matter pre-dates the resignation of the last United States Attorney for Massachusetts on May 19, as federal authorities were issuing reports on her conduct. Morrissey also said that his office has reached out to the FBI and U.S. District Attorney inviting them to speak about the DAs investigation but he said they havent taken him up on the offer. There have been communications, over the course of several months and by a variety of people, including the District Attorney personally, addressed to both the FBI and the US Attorneys Office, to encourage them to come and speak about what Norfolk DAs Office murder investigation has revealed, Morrissey said. Federal authorities have not taken the NDAO up on the offer. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW 25 Investigates has learned Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey sent a letter to the Department of Justice requesting that the federal probe of the Karen Read case be transferred out of Massachusetts. Morrisseys letter provides the first official confirmation that the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts is looking into the arrest and prosecution of Read, whos accused of striking her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm. OKeefes body was found just after 6 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2022, outside the Canton home of another Boston officer named Brian Albert. Police charged Read with second-degree murder and said she struck OKeefe while driving in reverse after dropping him off at the Albert home following a night of drinking. The case has drawn national attention over claims by Reads lawyers that she is being framed for OKeefes murder by local and state law enforcement and people identified as witnesses for the prosecution. Conflict of Interest According to two sources who spoke to 25 Investigates on the condition of anonymity, Morrisseys request to have the federal probe moved to another region is based on at least 2 conflict-of-interest claims. Morrissey sent a letter to the highest levels of the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. alleging Rachael Rollins, who was the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts when the federal probe began, held a personal grudge against him and his office. A source said Morrissey referenced public comments made by Rollins that are critical of him. Rollins resigned her position on May 19th following two scathing reports from government watchdog agencies accusing her of abusing her authority and committing multiple ethical violations. 25 Investigates tried to reach out to Rollins by phone, but did not hear back. According to 2 sources, Morrisseys letter also referenced a high-level federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys public corruption unit in Boston who is married to a former assistant district attorney from his office. The circumstances surrounding the former employees departure are not public record and 25 Investigates has been unable to confirm the reason she left Morrisseys office or what the conflict could be. 25 Investigates filed an official request for a copy of Morrisseys letter on October 31st. On November 14, the Norfolk DAs office denied the request claiming the document is not a public record. Their written response said the letter is exempt from disclosure because it contains confidential personnel information, privileged attorney work product and is connected to an ongoing criminal investigation. 25 Investigates has petitioned Secretary of State William Galvins office to force the Norfolk DA to release the letter. In the petition, investigative reporter Ted Daniel argued, The DAs office can make a claim to withhold their own investigative techniques, but that argument is irrational when they are not the investigators. The Secretary of States office has ordered the Norfolk DAs office to provide the letter or issue a new response to 25 Investigates by December 13th. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys office in Boston would not confirm or deny the existence of the letter or the federal investigation. FEDERAL GRAND JURY Federal authorities normally dont get involved in local murder cases because they lack jurisdiction, but they do have the power to investigate allegations of public corruption. Theyre not looking into the specific murder itself. I think thats the misconception a lot of people get, said Evan Gotlob, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, and partner at the Boston office of Saul Ewing. Theyre investigating the investigation of the murder, he said. Sources tell 25 Investigates that the probe is being run by the U.S. Attorneys Public Corruption Unit and people have been questioned in front of a federal grand jury. The Public Corruption & Special Prosecution Unit (PCU) works to preserve and uphold the integrity of the government, according to the U.S. Attorneys website. Several people who attended the gathering at the Albert home the night John OKeefe died have been called to testify before the secret panel, according to sources. Gotlob said a federal grand jury typically sits for 18 months and can hear hundreds of different cases. Usually theres a tip from somebody, Gotlob said. The federal government could be looking into possible corruption in the police department, possible obstruction of justice in the investigation. 25 Investigates has learned that two FBI agents have been questioning people in and around Canton and reviewing documents from the Norfolk DAs office and Canton police department. PROBE BEGAN BEFORE FREE KAREN READ MOVEMENT The federal probe began before Reads lawyers went public with their claims of a cover-up and before the Free Karen Read movement began. On April 12th, Karen Reads lawyers announced a dramatic turn in her murder case and claimed new evidence establishes her innocence in the death of OKeefe. In a widely reported news release and court filing, Reads defense team pointed the finger at witnesses in the case: including a party attendee who Googled how long to die in cold. Two days before, on April 10th people identified as witnesses for the states prosecution of Read received subpoenas to appear before the federal grand jury, according to a source with direct knowledge of the proceedings. That timing suggests someone with knowledge of the case secretly approached the U.S. Attorneys office and requested the probe. Reads attorney Alan Jackson referenced the probe at a pre-trial hearing for Read in May. He said: Karen Read should not have to wait for the feds to figure out which heads should roll! ALLEGATIONS OF A COVER-UP The defense argument that Read has been framed encompasses everyone from people at the Canton home where OKeefes body was found, to state and local law enforcement who investigated. Reads lawyers claim prosecutors failed to investigate other suspects including party attendees. The defense claims OKeefe entered the home where he was beaten up, a dog attacked him, and he was dragged outside and left to die in the cold. Reads defense is arguing that those party attendees used their law enforcement connections in Canton to frame Read. Her lawyers have at times pointed to social media photos of party attendees pictured with a state police detective assigned to the Read case. Another of Reads attorneys, David Yannetti, has claimed the detective who had custody of OKeefes clothing and other evidence from Reads SUV had close ties to the Canton homeowners family that left him conflicted and corrupt. Regarding the tiny pieces of taillight for those to have any evidentiary value, you have to trust the person who had custody of John OKeefes clothing before it was sent to the lab, Yannetti said in September. PROSECUTORS DENY COVER-UP Meanwhile, prosecutors say theyve amassed a pile of evidence from numerous witnesses who said Read was asking if she hit OKeefe the morning his body was found, to conflicting statements Read made to witnesses including OKeefes niece, forensic evidence of skull fractures that led to bruising on his face and voicemails and texts suggesting discord in their relationship. Prosecutors have denied any conflicts of interest among police who investigated OKeefes death and claim Reads lawyers have pointed to erroneous or misleading social media photos to bolster their claims of connections between party attendees and investigators. DA Morrissey took the unusual step of releasing a video in August condemning what he called the absolutely baseless harassment of witnesses in the Read case. To have them accused of murder is outrageous, Morrissey said in the video, To have them harassed and intimidated based on false narratives and accusations is wrong. They are witnesses doing what our justice system asks of them. Gotlob said the federal prosecutors job is to seek justice not to get involved in a case because of personal conflicts. He said the public corruption investigations he worked on typically lasted 2 to 4 years before charges were filed. If no criminal activity is found, he says federal authorities are not obligated to disclose that and its possible the probe could finish as quietly as it began. You wont hear anything about it, he said. Im pretty sure anybody in the U.S. Attorneys office thats looking into it knows how important it is to get this right based on the interest on both sides of this matter. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Equipped with a metal detector, Denis Konkol trekked through a forest in Poland, scanning the ground. Thats when his detector picked up on something and Konkol unearthed a trove of ancient treasure just inches beneath the grounds surface. The history enthusiast had discovered five axes dating to the Bronze Age, according to a Nov. 27 Facebook post from the Starogard Forest District. Experts dated the weapons to approximately 3,500 years ago and said they were likely used for chopping wood or fighting. Experts said the axes date to about 3,500 years ago. Officials said the axes were in surprisingly good condition, calling Konkols find a sensacyjne odkrycie, which translates to a sensational discovery. After Konkol discovered the axes, archaeologists conducted a full excavation to remove the weapons from the ground, Igor Strzok, the Pomeranian provincial conservator of monuments, told Science in Poland, a subset of the national news agency, according to a Dec. 5 post. The axes were only about 8 to 12 inches deep in the soil. The treasures are a rare find for the area, experts said. Experts said the axes were likely used for chopping wood or fighting. The discovery is rare for the area, Strzok told the outlet. Experts think the axes were placed in the ground on purpose, likely as a trade- or sacrifice-related deposit, experts said in the post. The weapons could be related to Baltic culture. Strzok said similar discoveries have been made, but its been nearly 20 years since a weapon or tool like the axes has been discovered, according to Science in Poland. The Starogard Forest District said that archaeologists also located an approximately 2,000-year-old fibula which is similar to a brooch or pin that was likely used to fasten clothes. These artifacts, given as gifts, were a testament to the owners wealth. Archaeologists also unearthed an approximately 2,000-year-old fibula while exploring the area near the axes, according to officials. The pins often signified the owners wealth, experts said. The forest is about 160 miles northwest of Warsaw. Facebook was used to translate a post from the Starogard Forest District. Google Translate was used to translate a post from Science in Poland. Rare 1,000-year-old coin with depiction of Jesus unearthed by metal detectorist Metal detectorist scans hill in Poland and unearths rare 11th-century treasure Silver treasures hid beside main road in Poland for 700 years until now. See them Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas walks in the Chicago St. Patricks Day parade on March 11, 2023. Pappas' office says the annual tax sale will occur Jan. 9-12 for properties with unpaid 2021 taxes due in 2022. (Shanna Madison/Chicago Tribune) Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urged property owners who owe back taxes to pay their tab before tax liens occur, which places the delinquent taxes on the annual tax sale list. The annual tax sale will occur Jan. 9-12 for properties with unpaid 2021 property taxes due in 2022, Pappas said in a statement. Pappas said 22,884 property owners in Cook County owe less than $1,000 in back property taxes from 2022. Advertisement The annual tax sale takes place 13 months after the due date. Investors buy delinquent tax debt during the annual tax sale, Pappas said in the statement. The sale does not involve the sale of actual properties, she said. Owners of 52,401 properties owe more than $236 million in taxes that were due in 2022. Nearly 30,000 owe more than $1,000 while 22,884 owe less than $1,000, including owners of 15,944 properties in Chicago and 6,940 parcels in suburban Cook County, the statement said. Advertisement To find out if your property is on the annual tax sale list, go to cookcountytreasurer.com. Pappas office is mailing certified notices alerting property owners their unpaid taxes are to be offered for sale, which would put a lien against their properties. Besides the mailings, the treasurers office will publish lists of properties with delinquencies tax lists in local newspapers. Three hospitals in Western Pennsylvania have been named among the best for maternity care in a list just released by the U.S. News & World Report. The hospitals around Pittsburgh receiving the top honor are West Penn Hospital, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital and Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital. Its a designation these three hospitals have gotten before. The report says the three hospitals had fewer early deliveries, fewer c-sections, fewer newborn complications than other hospitals and higher rates of breast milk feeding compared to other hospitals. Other criteria include birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities. In the latest report, U.S. News evaluated 680 hospitals from across the country that provide labor and delivery services. About half made the 2024 Best Hospitals list for their high standard of maternity care with uncomplicated pregnancies. Click here to see the full report. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Pittsburgh defense attorney accused of arranging sexual meet-up with who he thought were teen girls11 Investigates Exclusive: Pittsburgh police officers set resignations recordSentimental Terrible Towel lost during Sundays Steelers game found VIDEO: Crews respond to massive house fire in Shaler DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts 3-year-old killed in Florida after running into traffic; mother struck while chasing after toddler Related video above: Bicyclist dies after being hit by vehicle in Tarpon Springs MELBOURNE, Fla. (WFLA) A 3-year-old child was killed, and the mother was seriously injured after they were struck by a car in Melbourne Sunday night. Shortly after 8 p.m., Melbourne police were dispatched to Dairy Road and Hall Street for reports that a child and mother were hit by a car, according to NBC Affiliate WESH. Who killed James William Earl? Pasco detectives searching for suspects nearly 5 years after fatal shooting Investigators said the 3-year-old and two adults were getting out of their parked car, which had a trailer attached to it, on Dairy Road to return home when the child ran behind the trailer and into the road. WESH reported that as the childs 31-year-old mother ran after the toddler, both were struck by a Honda Pilot. The child was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where they later died. The mother was seriously injured as a result. According to WESH, authorities said it appears that alcohol and/or drugs were not a factor in the crash. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. The number of injured in Russian attacks against the Kherson city center on Dec. 5 has risen to four, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported. The regional center of Kherson Oblast was hit by Russian strikes this morning, with two people reported as killed. Three doctors suffered minor injuries in an attack that targeted a local medical facility, the administration said. A 72-year-old man was also reportedly injured and hospitalized. Ukraine's Armed Forces liberated Kherson and other regional settlements west of the Dnipro River in the fall 2022 counteroffensive. Russian forces were pushed to the east of the river, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories, regularly resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast over the past day killed one person and injured five others, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said in his morning report on Dec. 5. Under deadly attacks, Kherson fights to keep life going 1 year after liberation Sitting in a pitch-dark kitchen with just the flashlight on, 70-year-old Viacheslav Bezprozvanyi warned of an incoming shelling as soon as he heard a swish over him. Split seconds later, a thick thud of shelling hit the ground a few hundred meters away. The house shook, knocking off a The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A separate group of Rohingya refugees are stranded on a boat as the community where they arrived decided not to allow them to land after providing food and water, in Pineung, Aceh province, Indonesia, on Nov. 16, 2023. Credit - Amanda JufrianAFP/Getty Images About 400 Rohingya Muslims have been stuck at sea in Southeast Asia for at least two weeks, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which is calling for urgent action by governments in the region to locate and rescue the stranded passengers. In a press release published on Saturday, the UNHCR said that it received reports of two overcrowded boats now aimlessly drifting in the Andaman Sea. UNHCR is concerned that food and water may be running out and there is a significant risk of fatalities in the coming days if people are not rescued and disembarked to safety, the statement said. In line with the principle of non-refoulement, international obligations under the Laws of the Sea and longstanding maritime traditions, the duty to rescue persons in distress at sea must be upheld, irrespective of nationality or legal status of the persons in need of rescue. One of the boats has been ascertained to have engine failure, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch tells TIME. We are worried that the world may witness another tragedy with hundreds of desperate Rohingya losing their lives without timely efforts to save them, he says. The captain of one of the boats told the Associated Press that his boat had run out of food and water and he feared the 180 to 190 people aboard would all die. He also said on Sunday that the boat was about 200 miles from Thailands west coastthough a Royal Thai Navy spokesperson told the AP on Monday that they did not have information on the boats. The head of a fishermens association in Aceh, an Indonesian province thats a common destination for Rohingya refugees at sea, told the New York Times that they were aware of the two missing boats but had yet to hear of rescue plans. The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, have been systematically discriminated against by authorities for decades, and hundreds of thousands fled amid renewed persecution in 2017. Around one million Rohingya are now housed in the worlds largest refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, where they live in squalid and overcrowded shelters. Amid worsening conditions in the camp, an increasing number have been fleeing Bangladesh through perilous journeys by sea, in the hopes of starting new lives in Malaysia, Indonesia, or Thailand. Over 3,400 Rohingya refugeesmost of whom are women and childrenhave embarked on sea journeys since January 2023, and 225 of them have been reported dead or missing, according to the UNHCR. The agency also counted more than 3,500 Rohingya who made sea journeys throughout 2022, up 360% from the year before. At least 348 died or went missing last year, making it the deadliest year since 2014. Even those who do survive the long journey to foreign shores, however, arent typically welcomed or guaranteed safety when they arrive. Boats with Rohingya refugees are often turned away by local communities or authorities, despite calls from international organizations for the refugees to be accepted. Just last month, about 250 Rohingya who had spent weeks sailing from Bangladesh before arriving off the coast of Aceh province were sent back to sea by locals. Now, some are warning that inaction from regional governments can spell deadly consequences for the hundreds currently adrift in the Andaman Sea, drawing comparisons to the fate met by a boat of Rohingya refugees last December: after being stranded for weeks, its 180 passengers were eventually presumed drowned. Contact us at letters@time.com. A developer is building a mixed-use community with more than 300 apartments on West Vickery Boulevard at Hemphill Street, along the southern edge of downtown Fort Worth. Trademark Property Co. said Monday that the project, called The Vickery, will have 307 apartments, 14 town homes and a 5,300-square-foot restaurant site. The formerly industrial 5-acre site is sandwiched between West Vickery and Interstate 30. Construction will begin in early 2024. A rendering showing the layout of The Vickery, on the northwest corner of West Vickery Boulevard and Hemphill Street. This embedded content is not available in your region. Im thrilled to bring this project forward in this very challenged capital markets environment, said Chad Colley, Trademarks multi-family and mixed-use partner, in a release. The Vickery prevailed because of the strong demand drivers in Fort Worth and Trademarks reputation for creating highly amenitized mixed-use environments. The Vickery will bring 307 apartment units and 14 townhomes near downtown. Colley said he expects increased demand for high-quality apartments in the coming years. The Vickery will be poised to satisfy this demand for top-quality housing with unmatched amenities, Colley said. The complex will be across Vickery Boulevard from the smaller Magnolia Lofts On Vickery, which was built out of a historic industrial building, and not far from Burnett Lofts, which opened on the north side of Interstate 30 in late 2021. The Vickerys amenities will include a pickleball court, co-working lounge, a pool, two dog parks, a rooftop lounge, a public green space and electric vehicle charging stations. Today's top stories: Fort Worth native denied abortion is suing state North Texas couple killed after new dream vacation condo in Mexico explodes New details in investigation of head-on crash that killed Fort Worth CEO, 2 kids Get free alerts when news breaks. Over the last 30 years, we have partnered with numerous multifamily developers in creating vibrant mixed-use communities that provide a wonderful quality of life for residents, said Terry Montesi, founder and CEO of Trademark, in a release. We are thrilled to have launched our own multifamily platform with The Vickery and apply our best practices in design and placemaking to create a quality living experience that is truly unique. Construction will begin on The Vickery in early 2024. Trademarks main capital partner on the project is SCOA Real Estate Partners under the advisement of commercial real estate firm Walker & Dunlop. First United Bank granted the developer a $61 million construction loan for the project. We are excited to partner with Trademark Property Company to develop The Vickery, Joe Zagranski, President and CEO of SCOA Real Estate Partners, said in a release. This development is meticulously designed, and we look forward to building a community where our future residents will be happy to call home and all stakeholders will be proud. Trademark assumed leasing and property management of the Left Bank shopping center east of Montgomery Plaza on Fort Worths West Seventh Street back in October. The firm announced last month that brunch restaurant First Watch will be the latest tenant in its 63-acre Waterside development off Bryant Irvin Road and Arborlawn Drive. The retail center sits along Fort Worths Trinity River Trail in southwest Fort Worth near Chisholm Trail Parkway. Trademarks portfolio also includes Lincoln Square in Arlington and the Galleria shopping mall in Dallas and other developments across the country. The Fort Worth-based real estate services firm has managed $4.6 billion worth of real estate through investment and development of 21 million square feet of mixed-use, retail and multi-family property. Modern earthquakes in the US could be aftershocks from quakes in the 1800s, according to a new study. For example, researchers found that some recent tremors near the Missouri-Kentucky border are likely not new, but rather from the three major earthquakes that struck centuries ago. Heres what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. 1. Israel Top UN officials are warning of an apocalyptic situation in Gaza with no place safe to go for civilians as the deepening humanitarian crisis sparks international concern. Israel is expanding ground operations to the entire territory to eliminate Hamas and has told Palestinians to flee large swaths of southern Gaza, where many had previously sought refuge. But the war-torn region is in the midst of a near-total internet blackout as the last major telecommunications operator said services are completely cut off. This means many Palestinians are unable to communicate with one another or call for help while evacuating, and emergency workers cant coordinate their responses. 2. Presidential debate Four Republicans will face off in the fourth GOP presidential primary debate Wednesday in Alabama. The participating candidates include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. It will be the smallest debate stage lineup so far this year and comes just six weeks before the Iowa caucuses open the 2024 GOP nomination calendar. Former President Donald Trump the front-runner in the Republican presidential primary race is skipping the debate, as he did the previous three. He will instead attend a fundraiser in Florida for a super PAC supporting his candidacy. 3. Terror plot foiled A 16-year-old in Las Vegas has been arrested after allegedly threatening a lone wolf terrorist attack in support of ISIS. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department foiled the terror plot after investigators were made aware of the teenagers alarming social media posts and searched his home within hours. The search of his residence revealed numerous items of concern, Las Vegas police said. Authorities found a handmade ISIS flag, terrorism propaganda, and recipes for how to build an explosive device. The suspect was taken into custody and is facing multiple felony charges. 4. Border policy Republican senators warned Monday they are prepared to block a huge Ukraine-Israel aid package unless it includes major US border policy changes. It remains to be seen what can be achieved before the Senate leaves for the holidays after border talks hit an impasse over the weekend. But with time running short, one option would be for Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to move to advance an aid package without the border policy changes and dare Republicans to vote no on additional aid to Ukraine and Israel, which has been an important priority for many Senate Republicans. Schumer would need nine Republicans to overcome a procedural hurdle, something that many Republicans signaled Monday they wouldnt help Democrats do. 5. Floods Over 10 million people are under flood watches today across the Pacific Northwest as strong atmospheric rivers blast the region with heavy rain. After dumping snow on parts of Utah and Colorado on Monday, the systems may bring even more rainfall and potential flash floods to parts of Oregons Cascade mountains, southern Washington and far northwest California, according to the Weather Prediction Center. Meteorologists say that the exact strength and overall impact of this weather event should become clearer once this weeks atmospheric river comes to an end on Wednesday. BREAKFAST BROWSE Indian chess siblings become first brother and sister duo to earn grandmaster title This 22-year-old chess player became only the third woman in India to earn a grandmaster title but shes not the first in her family to achieve such a feat. Robert Downey Jr. wont be returning as Iron Man Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed there are no plans for Robert Downey Jr. to reprise his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel universe. You can visit a real-life Hobbit Hole in New Zealand This hobbit movie set offers much to enjoy for Lord of the Rings fans. Grand Theft Auto trailer reveals games release date The next installment of the wildly popular and violent video game franchise is coming in 2025, according to a trailer published early by Rockstar Games after a version of it leaked online. YouTuber gets 6 months in federal prison for staging small plane crash A 30-year-old YouTube creator staged a small plane crash for social media clicks. He now faces time behind bars for his daredevil conduct. TODAYS NUMBER 250 Thats how many days that American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia. Gershkovich was arrested in March while on a reporting trip in the country. Russian authorities accused him of trying to obtain state secrets a charge Gershkovich, his employer and the US government have strenuously denied. TODAYS QUOTE It should, I believe, have sufficient funds to do its job on its own. Richard Branson, saying he has no plans to invest more money in his space tourism company Virgin Galactic because it has sufficient funds already. His comments sent shares of the company plunging Monday, trading at less than $2 per share. This comes after Virgins November financial report revealed the companys plans to slow down its cadence of space missions. TODAYS WEATHER Check your local forecast here>>> AND FINALLY Young star detected outside Milky Way Astronomers have detected a young star outside our Milky Way galaxy that may be forming a new planet! Watch this short video to learn about this exciting discovery. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Israel this week expanded the scope of its military operations in Gaza to include the south of the territory, where nearly 2 million Palestinian civilians are sheltering. Israeli forces are carrying out airstrikes in the southern city of Khan Younis and are marching south as they seek to destroy the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Until we achieve victory, the war continues, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a Saturday address. Heres everything you need to know as fighting rages across Gaza. Civilians are running out of places to evacuate Some 1.7 million Palestinian civilians have fled to southern Gaza, heeding Israels orders to evacuate the north when it began a ground invasion of the coastal territory last month. Now, Israel says its forces must go south, too, to dismantle Hamas. Israel has not created any specific zones that would keep civilians safe, though it has asked civilians to evacuate certain areas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has begun ordering civilians to flee the city of Khan Younis. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said during a rare visit to Gaza that a majority of the civilians she met with had been displaced several times already. We are facing a situation here that will not be healed by sending in more trucks, she said, referring to humanitarian aid convoys. We need to provide protection to the civilians in Gaza. As the war moves south, the U.S. has publicly warned Israel to mitigate civilian harm, telling reporters last week the White House wants designated safe zones for civilians. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a Saturday speech that Israel must protect civilians in the next phase of the war, calling it a strategic imperative as they fight in one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. In this kind of a fight, the center of gravity is the civilian population, Austin said. And if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat. Israel faces challenge in the south Israel will have to contend with a dense, urban environment in the south, especially in the city of Khan Younis, where its believed Hamas officials are holed up. That will pose a difficult challenge for infantry as soldiers fight block by block and contend with guerilla warfare tactics and explosive traps. Hamas forces may also be hiding out among the large civilian population packed into the southern region of Gaza. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a Monday press briefing that Israeli forces are engaged in tough close-quarter fighting across Gaza. But I want to emphasize this our forces are determined to kill the terrorists, to win every battle and to continue to do so in every place that will be required, Hagari said. Main Hamas force is intact, as group appears prepared for long fight While Israels military campaign has struck hundreds of Hamas targets, according to the IDF, the blow to the militant group appears to be limited. More than 15,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began, according to a Monday update from the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas. The health officials estimate 70 percent of the deaths so far have been women and children. The United Nations estimated last month that about two-thirds of the deaths have been women and children. Before the war, Hamas had a fighting force of around 30,000 soldiers, so its forces are likely intact based on the public death counts. And Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza, is presumed to be somewhere underground in Gaza, possibly in the south, along with other leading officials of the group. Hamas is expected to have prepared for a long insurgency operation against Israel, and analysts say the war could stretch on for months. Following a weeklong truce, Hamas has likely built up its defenses, said Alex Plitsas, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Councils Middle East Programs N7 initiative. To date, Hamas has not put up significant resistance, but it is possible that the group has used the temporary pause to prepare defensive positions throughout Gaza to fight against Israeli forces, he wrote in an analysis. And Plitsas assessed that operations in the south would be difficult because of the civilians there, which could limit Israels ability to use air power and may complicate ground operations. Fighting comes after hostage deal broke down Israel and Hamas had reached a temporary truce for a week before the fighting resumed Friday. During that truce, both sides exchanged hostages and prisoners, and wartime humanitarian aid was entering Gaza. More than 100 hostages held by Hamas were released, while Israel freed more than 200 Palestinians from prison. Hamas took more than 240 hostages when it invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7 in addition to killing 1,200 people in the attack. But the truce expired Friday after a disagreement about the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby pinned the blame on Hamas, accusing the group of failing to commit to the release of more women and children, which the U.S. and Israel say they know are still in Gaza. So unfortunately, the negotiations have stopped, Kirby told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday. That said, what hasnt stopped is our own involvement, trying to get those back on track and trying to discuss with those partners and all those interlocutors, see if we cant get it back in place. Israel took control of northern Gaza at a cost After moving infantry and armor into northern Gaza in late October, Israeli forces swept through the region and took Gaza City, considered the stronghold of Hamas, without much resistance. Analysts, however, expect that Hamas is still spread out in the north, and Israel has yet to sweep the whole region. The war has already devastated the north, reducing many of the buildings and infrastructure to rubble and damaging health facilities, where thousands of wounded people are struggling to get care. The Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry said emergency health care workers are unable to handle the sheer number of wounded people after the damaging of 56 health institutions, 20 hospitals and 46 primary care centers, along with ambulances and personnel losses. Humanitarian groups have also said the damage to health care sites has been enormous. Avril Benoit, the executive director of Doctors Without Borders, said in a Monday letter to President Biden that four of her staff have been killed and several health care sites struck by shelling. She added that medics in Gaza are exhausted and overwhelmed by the scale of human suffering they experience every day. The US government must exert genuine pressure, both publicly and in private, Benoit wrote, to ensure Israel protects civilian lives and infrastructure. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Think you know everything about the holidays? Let's find out. Can you guess which song tops Billboard's list of best holiday songs ever? Okay, that's an easy one: It's Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Try this: What magical item is responsible for bringing Frosty the Snowman to life? If you guessed "a hat," then, ding, you're correct! Let's raise the stakes, shall we? What's the significance of the moose-shaped mugs Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie drink from in the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?" If you know the answer, then go straight to the head of the class, because your Christmas movie trivia knowledge is tres bien. Speaking of France: Which French city are the Mcallisters visiting when they forget poor Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) in "Home Alone?" We'd tell you the answers to those Christmas trivia questions, but what would be the fun in that? Instead, we'll let you find out on your own and perhaps learn a thing or two you didn't already know in this comprehensive list of all things holiday. Whether you're a Christmas genius or just an armchair "Jeopardy" champ, these spirited trivia questions and answers will surely test your holiday IQ. From Christmas movie trivia about holiday favorites like "A Christmas Story" and "Elf" to fun facts on candy canes, Christmas trees, Santa Claus and pretty much everything else associated with December 25, we've got it right here. So get ready to ho, ho, howl in delight with this merry collection of trivia questions that'll have you fa, la, la-ing right into the new year. Christmas Trivia (Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo) Question : Elmo Shropshire wrote what comedy song about a fateful Christmas accident caused by too much eggnog? Answer : "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" Question : Should you meet another person beneath this plant, the rule is you must kiss. What is it? Answer: Mistletoe Question : What is the name of the traditional warm holiday beverage that's made from mulled wine or cider, orange, cinnamon and other spices? Answer: Wassail Question : According to Hallmark, approximately how many Christmas cards are sent annually? Answer : 1.3 billion Question : How long is the average growing time for a Christmas tree? Answer : Seven years Question : In what year did "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first air? Answer : 1965 Question : According to candy manufacturer, Spangler, how many candy canes do they produce in a single day? Answer: 2.7 million Question : In the movie "Miracle on 34th Street," what does Susan Walker (Natalie Wood) ask Kris Kringle to give her for Christmas? Answer : A house Question : What actor plays Walter, Buddy's (Will Ferrell) biological father in the movie "Elf? Answer : James Caan Question : True or false: There's a real place called the North Pole? Answer : True. The city of North Pole is located in Alaska and boasts a population of around 2,300 citizens. Question : What U.S. state is home to the town of Santa Claus? Answer : Indiana Question : Whats the name of the satan-like creature in mythology that scares and punishes naughty children during the holiday season? Answer : Krampus Question: In total, how many gifts were given in the "Twelve Days of Christmas"? Answer: 364 Question: Which Christmas song is among Americans' most disliked, according to a 2020 YouGov survey? Answer: "Santa Baby" Question: What is the Hawaiian word for Santa Claus? Answer: Kanakaloka Question: Where does the name "Kris Kringle" come from? Answer: According to Merriam-Webster, it's spelled "Kriss Kringle" and is a modification of the German word "Christkindl" or Christ child. Question: When was the first known use of Kriss Kringle Answer : 1830 Question: When did eggnog originate? Answer: According to PBS, the creamy drink dates back to British medieval times and was first known as "posset." Question: What's posset? Answer: The Museum of the American Revolution says that posset is "milk mixed with an alcohol typically ale, wine or brandy that is sweetened and spiced and served hot." Question: What brings Frosty the Snowman to life? Answer: A magical hat Question: True or False: Eggnog is America's least favorite winter beverage. Answer: False. According to YouGov, it's America's second favorite, right behind hot chocolate. Question: Which winter beverage do Americans like the least, according to that same YouGov survey? Answer: Mead Question: What is thought to be the first observation of the December 25 holiday? Answer: The Christian church in Rome commemorated the Feast of the Nativity in 336. Question : When did Christmas become a national holiday? Answer : On June 24, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a proclamation declaring December 25 a national holiday. Question: What was the original name of Clement Clarke Moores "The Night Before Christmas"? Answer: A Visit from St. Nicholas Question: Which city in France are the McCallisters visiting when they forget their 8-year-old son, Kevin, in "Home Alone"? Answer: Paris Question: Where did "Old Saint Nick" come from? Answer: During the Middle Ages, St. Nicholas was a patron saint of children, sailors and thieves (among others), and is known for giving out gifts to the faithful. Question: Where did the first modern-day image of Santa Claus come from? Answer: An 1881 issue of "Harper's Weekly" featured a drawing by Thomas Nast that portrayed Santa as a jolly, robust man wearing a suit and carrying a bag of toys. Question: Which soda manufacturer is thought to have cemented the rosy-cheeked, bearded Santa Claus that is associated with Christmas today? Answer: In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to paint an image of Santa for their ads and it has since been the basis for the Santa Claus we know today. Question: What did Haddon Sundblom base his rendering of Santa Claus on? Answer: Clement Clarke Moores A Visit from St. Nicolas, otherwise known as The Night Before Christmas. Question: How many reindeer does Santa have? Answer : Eight: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. Question : When did Rudolph become Santas unofficial ninth reindeer? Answer : In 1939, when the song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was released. Question : When did Santa first become associated with reindeer? Answer : Santas reindeer are thought to have originated in an 1821 booklet written by an anonymous author who pens: Old Santeclaus with much delight / His reindeer drives this frosty night. Question : Are Santas reindeer male or female? Answer : Female. Male reindeer lose their antlers in November, while female reindeer keep their antlers through the winter. Most depictions of Santas reindeer show antlers, which means they must be female to guide his sleigh in December. Question: Why do reindeer have hairy hooves? Answer : The hair on their hooves give reindeer a good grip when walking on ice and snow, per the FDA. Question : Whats the origin of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Answer : In 1939, a copywriter named Robert May created the character for a Montgomery Ward Christmas coloring book based on his daughters love of deer. Question : How did Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer become a song? Answer : Inspired by coloring book character's success, Robert May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, penned the song in 1939. Question: True or false: Gene Autry didnt want to record Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Answer : True. Autry thought the song was bad for his image and his wife ultimately convinced him to record the song as a B-side, according to the New York Times. Question : Whats the best-selling Christmas single of all time? Answer : White Christmas by Bing Crosby has sold over 100 million records around the world, according to the Guinness World Records. Question : Which song tops Billboard's list of the 100 greatest holiday songs of all time? Answer : All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey Question: Which album tops Billboard's list of the top 100 holiday albums of all time? Answer: A Charlie Brown Christmas" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio Christmas Trivia (vladans / Getty Images/iStockphoto) Question : After All I Want For Christmas Is You, what are Billboard's five greatest holiday songs of all time (in order)? Answer: Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms, The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" by Nat King Cole, A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives, Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano and Its The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year by Andy Williams Question: Where is the real North Pole located? Answer: The geographic North Pole is at 90 degrees north latitude, making it the northernmost point on the planet. Question : True or false: The North Pole has no time zone. Answer: True. All longitudinal lines start at the North Pole, which means theres no time zone. Question: When was the first mass-produced Christmas card printed and sent? Answer : The first Christmas card was printed in the United Kingdom in 1843 and depicts a family celebrating Christmas. Question: Who invented Christmas lights? Answer: Thomas Edison created the first strand of electric lights in 1880. Edward H. Johnson put the first string of Christmas lights together in 1882. And, in 1917, Albert Sadacca proposed that his familys lighting company sell colored strands of inexpensive Christmas lights to the public. Question: When was the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree erected? Answer: In December of 1931, workers at Rockefeller Center pooled their money to buy a Christmas tree. It was a 20-foot balsam fir. Question : When did lighting the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree become an annual tradition? Answer : December 1933 Question : When did the Rockefeller Center skating rink open? Answer: 1936 Question : Whats the largest tree in Rockefeller Centers history? Answer : In 1999, The tallest tree, which was imported from Killingworth, Connecticut, stood 100 feet tall. Question: Which actor won an Oscar for their portrayal of Santa Claus? Answer : Edmund Gwenn won best supporting actor for his role as Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street. Question: Whats unique about the McCallister's house in Home Alone? Answer: Nearly all the rooms are decorated in red, green and gold. Question : Where was the movie Home Alone filmed? Answer : The bulk of the film was shot on sets built inside a Chicago high school. Question: True or false: The gangster movie that Kevin McCallister watches in Home Alone is a real film. Answer: False. Angels With Filthy Souls was created especially for Home Alone, but is based on the 1938 James Cagney movie, Angels With Dirty Faces. Christmas Trivia (Drazen Zigic / Getty Images / iStockphoto) Question : Which actor broke their finger while filming National Lampoons Christmas Vacation"? Answer : While filming the scene where Clark Griswold punches the outside Christmas decorations after he cant get the lights to work, actor Chevy Chase broke his pinky finger but continued filming the scene that appears in the final movie. Question : What's the significance of the moose glasses that Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie drink eggnog out of during National Lampoons Christmas Vacation? Answer : The moose glasses are from Walley World, the Griswold vacation destination from the original National Lampoon's Vacation." Question : Which classic Christmas movie inspired The Wonder Years? Answer : A Christmas Story Question : Why do we leave milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve? Answer : According to NPR, one of the first literary references to leaving out milk and cookies on Christmas is in a short story from the 1870s, a time when good manners dictated hosts put out food for visiting guests to eat. Question: How much does the average consumer spend on holiday gifts and other related purchases? Answer: In 2021, the National Retail Federation estimated that consumers would spend roughly $997.73 on holiday gifts, decorations and other items. Question : What percentage of people return at least one of their holiday gifts? Answer : At least 66% of consumers surveyed by Optoro returned at least one holiday gift in 2020. Question : In 2021, what percentage of U.S. adults intended to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Answer : According to the National Retail Federation, 90% of adults planned to celebrate the holidays. Question : True or false: Early holiday shopping (defined as prior to November) is on the decline. Answer : False. Half of holiday shoppers plan to start buying before November, the highest number in the National Retail Federation's surveys history. Question : True or false: The Puritans canceled Christmas. Answer : True. The English Puritans banned the holiday in 1647 because they viewed it as a pagan celebration. In Massachusetts, the U.S. Puritans followed suit. From 1659 to 1681, anyone caught celebrating the holiday was fined. Question : Wheres the biggest Christmas light display in North America? Answer : Christmas Town at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. The display boasts more than ten million Christmas lights. Question: Which state produces the most Christmas trees in the U.S.? Answer: According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, Oregon is the top tree-producing state, followed by North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Christmas Trivia (FG Trade Latin / Getty Images) Question: Whats the most popular type of Christmas tree? Answer: Fraser fir, followed by noble fir, Douglas fir, balsam fir and Scotch pine. Question : How many Christmas tree seedlings are planted each year? Answer : 60 to 70 million Question: True or false: You should add bleach, aspirin or fertilizer to Christmas trees to make them last longer. Answer: False. The National Christmas Tree Association says some commercial additives and other hacks can increase needle loss. Just use plain tap water instead. Question: How much should you cut off before putting a tree in a stand? Answer: Half an inch, per the National Christmas Tree Association. Question : How many real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year? Answer : Approximately 25-30 million Question : What is the most popular Christmas cookie in the U.S.? Answer : A YouGov poll found that chocolate chip cookies are the most popular Christmas cookie, followed by sugar, fudge and brownie cookies. Question : Whats the least popular Christmas cookie? Answer : The same YouGov poll found that anise cookies are the least popular come Christmas, followed by chai sugar, spritz and Pfeffernusse. Question: When was A Christmas Carol published? Answer: "A Christmas Carol" was published by Charles Dickens on December 19, 1843. Question : How long did it take Charles Dickens to write "A Christmas Carol"? Answer : Six weeks Question : How many ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol"? Answer : Technically four. The first is Scrooge's former business partner, Jacob Marley, who tells him about the three spirits that will follow. Question : After Jacob Marley, who are the spirits that visit Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve? Answer : The spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future Question: Which famous author and peer of Charles Dickens wasn't a fan of "A Christmas Carol"? Answer: Mark Twain famously critiqued Dickens' work, saying "there is no heart. No feeling is nothing but glittering frostwork." This article was originally published on TODAY.com Lakisha Jackson cries after speaking about her brother, Kevin Jackson, while the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a news conference for people they say were wrongfully convicted by Chicago police Sgt. Brian Forberg on Dec. 5, 2023, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Family members who say their loved ones were wrongfully convicted due to misconduct by a former Chicago police detective on Tuesday called on Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx to launch an investigation and take steps to undo the convictions. The family members, who were joined by activists and attorneys at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, called for justice for incarcerated family members whose cases were investigated by Sgt. Brian Forberg. A Chicago Police Department spokesperson said Forberg retired effective Oct. 10. Advertisement Were tired, said Lakisha Jackson, whose brother Kevin is serving a 45-year murder sentence. We want all this put behind us today. In a statement, the states attorneys office said it reviews matters individually based on all available evidence and the law in our effort to rebuild trust in our justice system. Advertisement We understand the concerns of the community and will continue to fight for the best and fairest outcomes for every resident, the statement said. Reached by phone, Forberg said he had no comment. The attorneys and activists released an open letter to Foxx and other officials that named more than a dozen people with convictions they said are connected to Forberg, who has been accused in court documents across a number of cases of pressuring witnesses into false testimony. The letter also raised concerns of conflicts of interest in the states attorneys office related to Forbergs marriage to an assistant states attorney in the Conviction Integrity Unit. A number of cases related to the detective are being handled by special prosecutors. Kim Foxx, I voted for you from the time that you started, said Norma Scales, aunt of a man who has accused Forberg of framing him. Please step up before you step out. The family members invoked longtime systemic misconduct at the Police Department, stating that Chicago communities are still feeling the impact of officers such as Jon Burge, the notorious ex-Chicago police commander, who along with his midnight crew of detectives systemically tortured confessions from Black men; Ronald Watts, who has been accused of systematically framing people at the former Ida B. Wells public housing complex on the South Side; and Reynaldo Guevara, who has also been accused of framing suspects. For Forberg, the allegations of misconduct center around his alleged treatment of witnesses. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > In Kevin Jacksons case, he was convicted of shooting and killing a man and injuring another at a gas station in 2001, though several witnesses recanted their testimony. One witness who was at the gas station said investigators, who included Forberg, threatened that shed be detained and would have her baby in custody, according to court records. Advertisement In a 2021 Supreme Court decision, the court denied Jackson the right to file a post-conviction petition, but still raised concerns about the allegations of police misconduct in the case. I write separately because I am deeply troubled by the recurrence of complaints of serious misconduct by police officers against witnesses and defendants in criminal cases, Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville wrote in a concurring opinion. Such allegations call for corrective action to ensure that the methods employed by police in the investigation and prosecution of criminal offenses are both fair and appropriate. Neville wrote that prosecutors have an obligation to investigate those allegations to ascertain whether the statements and grand jury testimony identifying petitioner as the offender were the product of witness intimidation or coercion. I do not believe that prosecutors can sit idly by and allow serious complaints of witness intimidation and coercion to go uninvestigated, he wrote. Jackson is still fighting his conviction, and on Tuesday filed a motion for a court to vacate his conviction. The motion says prosecutors are not opposing it. mabuckley@chicagotribune.com Recovery of the Ensign E.H. Barry, pilot of a U.S. Navy Grumman AF-2 Guardian from Anti-Submarine Squadron 22 (VS-22) by a Piasecki HUP helicopter after the plane was forced to ditch immediately after launching in 1953. The parent escort carrier USS Block Island (CVE-106) is standing by in the background. Public Domain. Submarines and aircraft carriers embody the offensive spirits of their nations in very different ways. Aircraft carriers bring "4.5 acres of sovereign American territory" anywhere they go. And submarines bring death from beneath the waves. Typically, submarines and carriers avoid each other. Submarines typically hunt for easier targets and carrier aircraft can't pursue submarines effectively if they get under the water. But every once in a while, a submarine gets a real chance at sinking an aircraft carrier and will risk the boat to do so. Here are nine times, all in World War II, that it worked out for the submarine: HMS Courageous in December 1939 HMS Courageous, circa 1938. Wikimedia Commons HMS Courageous led an anti-submarine patrol in September 1939 with four destroyers . On September 17, while two of her destroyers were assisting a stricken merchant ship, the German submarine U-29 was bearing down on the carrier when it turned into the wind. That turn presented the side of the ship to the submarine and U-29 launched three torpedoes into the carrier. The carrier quickly sank with 519 of the sailors. HMS Ark Royal in November 1941 A legend of early World War II, HMS Ark Royal helped sink the Bismarck. Germany kept claiming they had sank the Ark Royal, falsely, until November 1941 . German submarine U-81 spotted the carrier headed into Gibraltar and slipped a torpedo into the starboard side. The over 300-square foot hole doomed the carrier, but well-organized damage control and evacuation resulted in just one sailor perishing, Able Seaman Edward Mitchell. HMS Audacity in December 1941 HMS Audacity was in Gibraltar when HMS Ark Royal sank nearby. Just weeks later, Audacity provided air cover for a convoy headed across the Atlantic and found herself in a pitched battle with a U-boat wolfpack. The battle raged for over four days before a merchant vessel fired off a star shell as another ship sank. The star shell silhouetted the Audacity for sub U-751 which fired 6 torpedoes , one of which struck the aviation fuel tank. 73 sailors died in the sinking. USS Yorktown in June 1942 The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) anchored in Haitian waters, circa 1938-1940. Note the Curtiss SOC Seagull taxiing off Yortown's bow and the New Mexico-class battleship in the background. The USS Yorktown did the Lord's work at the Battle of Midway . After suffering heavy damage at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Yorktown underwent rushed repairs at Pearl Harbor and sailed back out just three days later. The Yorktown helped outnumbered American ships ambush the Japanese fleet at Midway, leading to four Japanese carriers sinking. But Yorktown took more damage and limped out of the battle. It had no working boilers and was listing heavily when Japanese submarine I-168 slipped through the destroyer screen protecting it and hit the ship with torpedoes, sinking it and an escorting destroyer. HMS Eagle in August 1942 During Operation Pedestal, HMS Eagle and Convoy WS21S were spotted by Italian forces . Axis attacks came fast and heavy after that, and German U-boat U-73 fired a spread of four torpedoes that struck and doomed the carrier. 160 sailors died in the August 1942 attack and sinking. USS Wasp in September 1942 P-40Bs of 33rd Pursuit Squadron, 8th Pursuit Group aboard USS Wasp, October 1940. Taken from the Ray Wagner Collection. Pubic Domain. The USS Wasp was sailing reinforcements to the invasion of Guadalcanal on September 15, 1942 . The ship's air arm patrolled for submarine and aerial threats , downing a Japanese plane. But they missed the Japanese submarine I-19 which managed to send a spread of four torpedoes into the carrier. The ship was devastated by the hits, and its crew was forced to abandon it. Over 170 sailors died. IJN Chuyo in December 1943 The IJN Chuyo was, ironically, carrying American prisoners from the defeated submarine USS Sculpin when Sculpin's sister ship, USS Sailfish, got intelligence of where Chuyo would be. Sailfish moved into position and ambushed Chuyo with a spread of four torpedoes where two found the mark. As detailed in the upcoming book, Strike of the Sailfish, some Sculpin survivors were able to make it out of their second sinking in just weeks and survived the war. USS Block Island in May 1944 Ironically, USS Block Island was a pioneer of anti-submarine warfare in the Atlantic but then became the only American carrier sank in the Atlantic. She sank or helped sink four German submarines 1943 to 1944 . But on May 29, 1944, the submarine U-549 torpedoed and sank the carrier. IJN Shinano in November 1944 The IJN Shinano has the dubious honor of being the largest warship ever sunk by an enemy submarine, and it suffered that fate on its maiden voyage. It launched from Japan on November 28, 1944, and it ran into the USS Archerfish the very next day. Shinano spotted the sub and attempted to escape. But after overheating its bearings, Shinano attempted a zigzag that put it in perfect firing position for Archerfish. Archerfish fired six torpedoes and doomed Shinano . Several thousand rivets broke free of the ship's internal compartments, allowing flooding to quickly move between rooms and chambers. The ship went down fast with no lifeboats and few survivors. Logan Nye was an Army journalist and paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. Now, hes a freelance writer and live-streamer. In addition to covering military and conflict news at We Are The Mighty, he has an upcoming military literacy channel on Twitch.tv/logannyewrites . Congregants at the First Baptist evangelical Southern Baptist megachurch in Dallas in 2022. (Shelby Tauber/Reuters) American Christianity is at an inflection point. There is a war for the essence and character of American Christianity, writes Tim Alberta, a national political reporter for the Atlantic. The son of an evangelical pastor in Michigan, Alberta challenges conservative Christian culture from an insiders perspective in his new book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. Feeling ownership of the country, and that its slipping away Whats clear to me is that inside the American evangelical movement, far too many believers have begun to view their faith through the prism of their national identity rather than viewing their national identity through the lens of their faith, Alberta told Yahoo News. Alberta says that for decades, American evangelicals have been taught that the United States is rightfully theirs and is being taken away from them. Figures such as Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell Sr., Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and David Barton of WallBuilders and, more recently, others such as Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, Jerry Falwell Jr. and evangelical talk radio host Eric Metaxas have spread this message. There is a certainty among a lot of evangelical Christians that the government is coming for them, that the secular culture is sort of plotting to take them down, Alberta told Yahoo News. And that is infectious, that fear and that persecution complex. Charlie Kirk, executive director of Turning Point USA, at the Turning Point Action conference in West Palm Beach, Fla., on July 15. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg) Growing extremism Alberta visited churches across the country and concluded that many evangelical Christians have descended further into conspiracy theories and talk of violence in the nearly three years since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol on behalf of then-President Donald Trump. Evangelical leaders were among the fiercest supporters of Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and many of the rioters that day used religious symbols and rhetoric to justify their actions. Something was happening on the religious right, something more menacing and extreme than anything that preceded it, Alberta writes. This was no longer about winning elections and preserving the culture. This was about destroying enemies and dominating the country by any means necessary. Alberta documents example after example of evangelicals, after Jan. 6, becoming more politically radicalized. The next January 6 should be open carry, said John Zmirak, a right-wing writer who is popular among evangelicals, at an appearance inside an evangelical church in Washington state earlier this year. Zmirak, sitting alongside Metaxas, also repeatedly offered casual calls to violence, at one point citing the Islamic fundamentalist takeovers of Middle Eastern societies as a model for how Christians can take this one back, Alberta writes. Albertas book tracks the history and evolution of Liberty University, the college started by Falwell Sr. in 1971. Falwell and his son Falwell Jr. have married Republican politics to conservative evangelical beliefs. Then-President Donald Trump at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., in 2017. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Jerry Jr. perfected the art of using fear and hatred as a growth strategy for the university, a former Liberty professor told Alberta. Falwell Jr. resigned as Liberty president in 2020 after a series of scandals. Internal struggles Some evangelicals have opposed Trumpism. But Alberta writes that it has often been an unfair fight for the soul of American Christianity between decorated veterans of the culture wars, archconservative Christians who live for conflict such as the Falwells, and more moderate counterparts who are inherently reluctant to enter the fray. The relational networks of activists, donors and celebrities on the hard right have built over decades, while the attempts to reform evangelicalism are still in their infancy. But Alberta reports that efforts to arrest the decline of evangelicalism have grown more organized and have had some early success. Leading figures in this effort include Christianity Today editor in chief Russell Moore, New York Times columnist David French and attorney and abuse victims advocate Rachael Denhollander. Children of the Moral Majority ... inherited something that does not make sense to us, Alberta told Yahoo News. And whats really been interesting to me is in all of my travels and all of my reporting, whenever Ive been in spaces with younger Christians, younger evangelicals ... they have an altogether different framework for thinking about all of this. And it seems like theres a generational change in these churches, he said. I have got to think that theres a real reckoning at hand here. Russell Moore, former president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, in 2017. (Ross D. Franklin/AP) FILE PHOTO: Aftermath of an attack on the Nova Festival by Hamas gunmen from Gaza near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel FILE PHOTO: Aftermath of an attack on the Nova Festival by Hamas gunmen from Gaza near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel By Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose JERUSALEM (Reuters) -On Oct. 7, the day Hamas attacked, the Israeli military set up an impromptu morgue of refrigerated shipping containers at the Shura defence base in central Israel to identify and prepare the dead for burial. Of the 1,200 people killed that day, authorities said at least 300 were women. "Often women came in in just their underwear," said Shari Mendes, a reservist who worked for two weeks at the base helping medics with fingerprinting and cleaning female soldiers' bodies. "Sometimes we had people who we just had a torso, okay or they were very decomposed or they were mutilated," Mendes said. "I saw very bloody genitals on women." Israeli police are investigating possible sexual crimes by some of the few hundred people that they arrested after the Oct. 7 attack. Their goal is to try every suspect they have in custody. But at the morgue where Mendes worked, the women's clothes were buried with them before police investigators could examine them. In Jewish burial law, the dead must be treated with dignity and laid to rest as soon as possible. Everything that is a part of the body is buried together, so some women were buried with their bloodstained clothes. "We wiped everything clean of blood," Mendes told Reuters. It's just one of the challenges facing the investigation into the alleged sexual crimes committed during the attack, the bloodiest in Israel's 75-year history. At some sites battles raged for days, making it impossible to enter. Some evidence was gathered, but police say they face a challenge after opportunities were lost to gather perishable evidence to link atrocities to specific suspects. An Israeli military spokesperson told Reuters the first priority in the mass casualty event was to identify corpses so families could be informed as soon as possible. In the first days, many did not know if their relatives were dead, wounded or taken to Gaza. Israel's justice ministry has said "victims were tortured, physically abused, raped, burned alive, and dismembered." Hamas vigorously denies the allegations of sexual assault or mutilation by members of its armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, on Oct. 7 or after that. Mendes' account is one of seven given to Reuters by first responders or others dealing with the dead that attest to alleged sexual violence. Those people said they found women semi-naked, bound, eviscerated, stripped, bruised, shot in the head or torched, at two communities including Kibbutz Beeri, and at an open-air music festival near the Gaza border fence. Reuters reviewed images matching some of the descriptions or attesting to other possible atrocities. However, it could not independently verify all the accounts. Taher al-Nono, the media adviser to the head of political bureau of Hamas, denied Hamas fighters were responsible for any sexual assaults in the attack and called for "a serious and impartial international investigation into the matter". A U.N. commission of inquiry investigating war crimes on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict will probe the allegations of sexual violence by Hamas, amid Israeli criticism the U.N. had remained silent. Israel accuses the commission of bias and has said it will not cooperate with the investigation. VICTIMS DEAD, TRAUMATIZED In Israeli criminal law, sexual violence includes rape, but also indecent acts, harrassment and sexually demeaning a person including forced nudity among other offences. A conviction can be based on testimonies and circumstantial evidence even without forensic evidence, three legal experts told Reuters. But among the obstacles facing police investigators, they have said, is the fact many victims are dead or traumatised. An estimated "few dozen" surviving victims and witnesses have already sought help, said Orit Soliciano, head of Israel's Association of Rape Crisis Centres, declining to name any to protect their privacy. It can take years before a victim or witness comes forward, she said. Many purported victims have no voice. "All the women who were murdered and may have suffered sexual violence cannot tell us," Hila Neubach, director of legal affairs at the Association for Rape Crisis Centres in Israel, told Reuters. "Witnesses perhaps too did not survive." Authorities have placed a gag order on the investigation but commander Shelly Harush told parliament on Nov. 27 they have 1,500 testimonies on atrocities including sexual violence, rape and genital mutilation from survivors, security forces, first responders and families of victims. At least a dozen graphic testimonies have been shared by government agencies and first responders. DECOMPOSITION Sometimes it took days after the Oct. 7 attack to reach the bodies. Chen Kugel, Head of the Israel National Center of Forensic Medicine, said ordinary protocols for forensically proving rape are nearly impossible when bodies arrive in such a stage of decomposition. "Maybe if we had checked them in the first 24 hours (that would be possible)," Kugel said. Even in normal times, roughly 80% of sexual offence cases in Israel are closed every year because prosecutors see insufficient evidence, justice ministry data show. Prosecuting the Oct. 7 cases will require a different approach. "In a criminal case, a specific defendant is convicted of harming a specific victim," said Dana Pugach, law professor at Ono Academic College. "They will have to look at an entirely different legal construct in this case." Prosecutors could rely on a legal doctrine of shared responsibility, she said one used in Israel earlier this year to convict 11 people of sexual violence for gang rape. For that, proof of intent and co-conspiracy will be needed. TESTIMONY The testimonies are mounting. At the Shura base, Rabbi Israel Weiss told reporters some bodies were naked and "torn apart." Nachman Dyksztejn, a volunteer for Zaka Search and Rescue who was at the festival, wrote in testimony shared by Zaka with Reuters that he saw dozens of dead women in shelters: "Their clothing was torn on the upper part, but their bottoms were completely naked." Concert producer Rami Shmuel, who helped in the festival searches for casualties, said he saw the bodies of three women, one naked and the other two stripped from the waist down. One was clearly shot in the back of the head, he said, and torched. Police say they have over 60,000 "visual documents" including videos from Go-Pro cameras worn by attackers, CCTV footage and images from drones. Online video clips amplify the allegations. Some of those purporting to show sexual violence could not be authenticated one seen by Reuters appeared to date to 2021. The news agency verified the locations of two other videos that suggest sexual violence, shared on social media within a day of the attack. Reuters could not confirm who first posted them. Of these, one showed the half-naked body of a woman from the festival, later publicly identified by her mother as tattoo artist Shani Louk, slung across the back of a pickup truck and paraded through Gaza. The other showed a young barefoot woman, also identified to Reuters by her mother, being pulled by the hair from the trunk of a van in Gaza and shoved into its back seat by an armed man amid shouts of "God is great." Her hands are tied. The seat of her trousers appears bloodied as do her ankles and arm. The image does not show what happened to her. Israeli authorities have confirmed Louk is dead. They believe the other woman is alive in captivity in Gaza. On Nov. 14, police showed reporters footage of an unnamed witness of the festival attack. In it, she said she saw gunmen gang rape one woman and cut off the breast of another and throw it on the street. Later, she said, a gunman shot the woman in the head while raping her. Police declined to name the witness or make her available to Reuters. Witness accounts alone cannot always secure an indictment or conviction, said legal expert Neubach. But overall, she said, the information already accumulated is reliable enough to determine that sexual and gender-based violence has likely been perpetrated. COURT If prosecutions in Israel prove challenging, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague was set up to prosecute those responsible for war crimes. It has already said it has jurisdiction over atrocity crimes committed by Palestinians on Israeli territory that day. The tribunal can step in if states are unwilling or unable to prosecute war crimes committed by nationals of its members, or on the territory of its members. The ICC says its prosecutor has collected a significant volume of information and evidence. Israeli lawyers say its evidentiary requirements on sexual violence are less challenging than Israel's. For example, it does not need victim testimony. The non-consent of victims mostly does not need to be separately established if the acts take place during mass atrocities. Two lawyers told Reuters they are preparing evidence to present there. Tel Aviv-based Yael Vias Gvirsman is gathering evidence for families of 54 victims which will include victims of sexual and gender-based violence, she said. She declined to provide details but said there are a few key witnesses. But for the Israeli state, the ICC is problematic: Israel does not recognise its jurisdiction although Israeli individuals and the state itself are free to submit evidence. "That brings us to sort of, I'll call it the Israeli dilemma," Vias Gvirsman said, referring to where such cases could be judged. Israel may hold some perpetrators but does not have reach of the instigators, commanders or aiders and abetters that the ICC could bring to trial, she said. She and another attorney expect the Israeli government eventually to turn to the ICC. Israel's Justice Ministry declined to comment on whether it would turn to the tribunal but said it would pursue legal proceedings against those responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks, wherever they are. "Normally the Israeli Defence Force, the Israel government, would say 'we have no dealings with the ICC,'" Geert-Jan Knoops, lead defence counsel at the tribunal, told Reuters. "But this is going beyond any imagination. I think Israel has the interest to provide the evidence to the ICC prosecutor and for the Oct. 7 events." (Additional reporting by Peter Hirschberg in Shura, Anthony Deutsch and Stephanie Van Den Berg in Amsterdam and Edmund Blair in London; Edited by Sara Ledwith and Daniel Flynn) Donna Murray, the mother of 24-year-old Jack Murray, who was killed by Elk Grove Village police last week, listens to attorney Antonio Romanucci talk about the shooting on Dec. 4, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) The family of a man killed by Elk Grove Village police is pursuing an investigation into the Police Department after an officer fatally shot Jack Murray, 24, on Friday near the family home, their attorney announced Monday. Murray had Type 1 diabetes and was aware of the impact of the disease on his physical and mental health, his aunt, Liz Belcaster, said at an emotional Monday news conference. He had a yearslong history of becoming erratic when his insulin levels were low and called Elk Grove police in the past when he needed help. Advertisement He knew there was times when he needed help quickly, and he believed police could help him as they had in the past, Belcaster said. We dont know what took place on Friday afternoon, but we know our family deserves answers. [ Elk Grove Village police fatally shoot man while responding to report of man with knife ] Elk Grove Village police fatally shot Murray Friday while responding to a call of a man with a knife. A neighbor reported a man leaving a house holding a knife. Advertisement Someone inside the house had previously called the police, Deputy Chief of Police Christopher Torres told the Tribune on Friday. Murray was still holding the knife as a confrontation ensued, Torres said. An Elk Grove Village officer shot Murray around 4:30 p.m., and he was pronounced dead Friday night at Ascension Alexian Brothers Hospital. Elk Grove police provided body-worn camera footage and vehicle camera footage to the Major Case Assistance Team, which is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, Torres said in a statement Monday evening. Five of the responding officers have been placed on temporary leave until the investigation is complete, Torres said. The officer who shot Murray has not been identified. Attorney Antonio Romanucci of Romanucci & Blandin, who the Murray family hired to represent them, said he is asking Elk Grove police to publicly release bodycam footage from Friday and from their previous encounters with Murray on behalf of his clients. Torres said Elk Grove police will release the footage after crucial investigative steps have been taken. We know that sharing this information in a transparent way will help our community better understand the events that unfolded last Friday afternoon, Torres said in the statement. The Murray family believes Jack Murray was the person who called police, Romanucci said. Advertisement Murrays parents, Tom and Donna, and his siblings, Shannon and Ryan, were also present at the news conference but did not address reporters. The family was overcome with emotion as Romanucci said that police refused to let them see Jack Murray when he was in the hospital before he died. Shannon Murray held her mother in an embrace as she cried out for her son. Tom Murray removed his glasses to wipe away tears. Jack Murray was fatally shot on Dec. 1, 20223, by Elk Grove police. (Murray family) Jack Murray also occasionally checked himself into the hospital for his mental health struggles, Romanucci said. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > The investigation launched by Romanuccis firm will focus on whether the officers who responded to the 911 call were trained in and attempted de-escalation techniques. If he was having an emotional disturbance as a result of his Type 1 diabetes, his behavior, it might have been erratic or unpredictable, and thats why you need de-escalation techniques. Thats why you need crisis intervention training, Romanucci said. Romanucci and the family did not say when Jack Murray was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Advertisement Torres had said that Jack Murray lived in Elk Grove Village, but he also kept an address in Edgewater, according to the medical examiners office. Two sets of parents are accused of adopting children for financial gain, then abusing some of them, Michigan officials say. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced 36 total charges Monday, Dec. 4, against Joel and Tammy Brown and Jerry and Tamal Flore, of Dewitt. Nessel said the couples adopted or fostered nearly 30 children since 2007. The alleged abuse against eight of the children led to the charges. The state believes the Browns and Flores conspired together to adopt dozens of children who were removed from previously abusive biological homes and subjected them to prolonged routine and systemic mental and physical abuse under the guise of discipline and all for personal financial gain, Nessel said in a Monday news briefing streamed by WILX. Joel Brown formerly worked with the state for the Childrens Services Agency Office of Advocate for Children, Youth and Families, according to state officials. The attorney general said he used his expertise in the field to prevent the detection of the abuse. Due in part to the children being homeschooled, the alleged abuse went undetected, Nessel said. As the parents were abusing the children, they were also collecting money from the state, Nessel said. She called it a failure in our systems. The Flore and Brown defendants were easily able to manipulate the system to receive over $1 million tax free, Nessel said in the briefing. Both couples were previously charged with child abuse, but the charges were either dismissed or reduced, officials said. The attorney general believes there is now enough new evidence, including medical evaluations of the victims and interviews with 10 of the adopted children, to charge the parents again. I think its a witch hunt, David Carter, an attorney for the Flores, told The Detroit News. Theyre taking a second bite of the apple and trying to resurrect a case that never shouldve been brought. We believe the same result will occur this time around, Mary Chartier, Joel Browns attorney, told the Lansing State Journal. We won in court once, and were confident that well do so again. All four defendants face various child abuse charges and the potential for a life sentence in prison if found guilty, the attorney general said. Joel Brown, 54, faces five charges and Tammy Brown, 53, faces three. Nessel announced 11 charges toward Jerry Flore, 58, and 17 against Tamal Flore, 56. The couples have until Friday, Dec. 8, to turn themselves in. 911 call leads to rescue of 8 children kidnapped from Arkansas to California, cops say Foster mom starved and beat children for years as punishment in South Dakota, feds say Advocates fear a bipartisan provision of the Senates National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that expands compensation for victims of radiation poisoning may be a casualty of the conference process. Its already behind in its reach: In many cases, those who could have benefited from the expansion have limited time, or are already dead. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), first passed three decades ago, compensates Americans who were exposed to radiation from atomic testing or uranium mining. The law covers people who were residents of Utah, Nevada and Arizona at the time of nuclear testing and World War II-era uranium mining. It is set to expire in May, after the Biden administration extended it for two years last summer. However, it does not cover several states that were also on the front lines of such activity, including New Mexico, the site of the 1945 Trinity atomic bomb test, or Missouri, where nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project was stored in multiple parts of St. Louis. A bipartisan amendment to the Senate version of the NDAA, which passed with a supermajority in August, would expand the law to cover Idaho, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Guam and Colorado, as well as extending it for a further 19 years. The Senate amendment was not part of the Houses version of the NDAA, and amid whats likely to be a broader battle over the bills final form, its not clear whether the amendment will make it into the conference bill. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who co-sponsored the amendment with Sens. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), in November vowed to block any version of the NDAA that does not include it. Ive got my fingers crossed, Hawley told The Hill on Thursday. His colleagues, he added, are concerned about cost to which my response is, we seem to have unlimited sums of money to pay defense contractors and give to foreign countries. Can we not make whole the people of this nation who have been poisoned by their own government? Hawley did not identify by name anyone who has raised cost concerns over the amendment, but the fiscally conservative nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said in October that Congress should consider whether to move forward with this proposal, how it could be modified or scaled back, and importantly how it should be fully paid for. None of Hawleys co-sponsors would commit to joining him in blocking the NDAA if the amendment is not included, but reaffirmed their support of including it in the final bill. Senator Schmitt will continue to have conversations with other members that remedy the consequences of the radiation exposure that occurred right in his own backyard and have had lasting health impacts on countless St. Louis residents, Schmitt press secretary Will OGrady told The Hill in an email. The Senator met with an advocacy group on Wednesday and will continue to push for a solution for those impacted by negligence of the federal government. Lujans office referred The Hill to a tweet sent Thursday by the New Mexico Democrat in which he said all options are on the table to ensure the amendment is signed into law. We cannot turn a blind eye to those who sacrificed for our national security, Lujan wrote. Crapos office had not responded to The Hill as of this writing. In the affected states, where residents have lobbied their members for years to extend and expand the compensation, the question is both time-sensitive and a matter of life and death. Maggie Billiman, a member of the Sawmill Chapter of the Navajo Nation, said that at the time of her fathers death from stomach cancer in 2001, neither of them was even aware of RECA. Shortly before his death, Billimans father, Howard, a World War II-era Navajo code talker, asked her to research cancer treatments in hopes of finding easier ways of accessing care than his own experience. So that was put on me. I just wanted to return and help my siblings [and] the whole reservation to go forward with not only the money but for RECA to be extended, she said. A lot of people dont know about the bomb testing, the cancer risk. Billimans family has an extended history of cancer, including her sister, who was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. The effect of the radiation is genetic; I was probably born with it, she said, noting, Id never done anything like drink or smoke. I stayed away from all that. Im just hoping they can extend it or do something because this has been [going on] a long time, and Native people didnt even know they were exposed, she told The Hill. The stakes are also high for atomic veterans, those exposed to radiation as part of active duty. Keith Kiefer, national commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV) and a veteran of the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, described RECA as one of the least bureaucratic programs I have seen in the government. He added that atomic veterans could be forced to navigate the unfamiliar bureaucracy of Veterans Affairs care without RECA, which is administered by the Justice Department. Nuclear testing occurred on the atoll in the 1950s; cleanup took place from 1977-80. Veterans exposed to radiation, he added, frequently suffer from cancers that make a full-time job difficult or impossible, making the RECA compensation that much more important. Atomic veterans, he said, are an important part of illustrating the stakes of the fight, because while senators like Lujan and Hawley are responding to specific needs of their constituents, atomic veterans may live anywhere. The NAAV has also called for an expansion of RECA eligibility to include veterans affected by three cleanup sites: the Enewetak Atoll islands, a 1968 fire onboard a bomber carrying nuclear weapons over Greenland, and a 1966 bomber crash in Palomares, Spain. The amendment passed by the Senate does not include those veterans. On a call with reporters Monday, Hawley said negotiations were ongoing but expressed frustration at what he said has been their emphasis on cost and offsets rather than a moral imperative to provide compensation. I think the idea that we need to come forward and show exactly why we even need this program to begin with, which I have to say has in the attitude of some of the negotiators, I think is misplaced and frankly a little offensive, Hawley said. Despite this, he said, the proponents of the amendment had submitted potential budgetary offsets to the cost of the reauthorization and expansion. We have done everything we have been asked to do, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Republicans have been doing everything within their power to diminish the voting power of Black voters, said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. Georgia state lawmakers are facing criticism for unveiling a congressional map that some say discriminates against Black voters. Republicans have been doing everything within their power to diminish the voting power of Black voters, LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, which is based in Atlanta. HEPHZIBAH, GEORGIA DECEMBER 03: A member of the audience wearing a Black Voters Still Matter t-shirt from Georgia NAACP as Georgia Democratic Senate candidate U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) speaks during a Get Out the Vote rally December 3, 2022 in Hephzibah, Georgia. Sen. Warnock continues to campaign throughout Georgia for the runoff election on December 6 against his Republican challenger Herschel Walker. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) This is another effort to use the administrative process to give them an unfair advantage, she told theGrio. Ameshia Cross, a Democratic strategist, told theGrio that the newly drawn maps are very disappointing. It appears that Republicans, especially in highly competitive districtsare working very strategically to limit Black voices, said Cross. On Friday, the Republican-controlled state senate released a congressional map that added hundreds of thousands of Black voters to Georgias 6th Congressional District, which is represented by Rep. Rich McCormick, a Republican. This comes after U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ordered Georgias GOP to redraw its congressional maps to include a new Black-majority district. Those of us that are familiar with gerrymandering know that there are two strategies that have always been used to impact Black voters, said Brown. Either over-compacting a district or to what you call cracking. The activist explained, [Cracking] is when you separate and take out Black voters and crack that district in such a way that Black voters dont have that very impact. Cross said she thought the new map was a very strategic political calculation by Republicans, adding, but also one in which they recognize the power of the Black vote. Pushing Black voters to another district or redrawing the maps to where these voters would all of a sudden go to a Republican districtwould make it a whole lot harder for their voices to be heard, she argued. The redrawn congressional map also shows that a significant number of Black voters were removed from the 7th Congressional District, which is represented by Congresswoman Lucy McBath, a Black Democrat who flipped the seat in 2018. As a Congressional candidate in Georgias 6th District Lucy McBath (R) speaks onstage during Vanity Fairs Founders Fair at Spring Studios on April 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Vanity Fair) Brown said state Republicans want McBaths district back and that McBath is being targeted because of her work around gun control. She came into office being a woman who had lost her child and was demanding gun control, she added. Thats literally how she was elected to office for that district. Cross said, When you strip Black voters from somebody who has been as strong of a fighter for Black rights not only with voting rights but gun violence and maternal health, I think that it says that Black votes dont matter. She added, Theyre making it a whole lot harder for [McBath] to keep her seat. Thats what this is. Lawmakers have until Dec. 6 to redraw Georgias congressional maps. Brown said that she is unsure of what will happen in the coming days. The Black Voters Matter co-founder said the court should ask [the senate] to redraw the map for obvious reasons. She added, But I also know that this district has not been friendly to voting rights. Cross said that time is of the essence. Were running down on time. Thats what I think the frustrating part is. Knowing that we are walking into an election cycle again and that all eyes are on Georgia for various reasons, she cautioned. Not excluding it being one of the states that former President Trump was very strategic in working to get Black folks in particular overturned. Georgia is the latest state to redraw its congressional maps. Judges in North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina, Missouri, and Louisiana have also ordered state and local legislatures to redraw congressional maps after they were found to be unconstitutional and discriminatory toward Black voters. Cross said during the 2024 election cycle, Democratic voters should also pay attention to judicial races. A lot of the decisions that are going to fall out in this election cycle in the months to come are going to be decided by judges, she said. Cross noted that former President Donald Trump rapidly appointed conservative federal judges while in office. That has become very difficult waters for advocacy and civil rights groups that have historically counted on judges to be the ones to basically be the purveyors of civil rights and justice, she said. Cross added, At this point, were seeing judges take an entirely different tone, and it has made it extremely difficult for civil rights advocacy. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Advocates say Georgia election map targets Rep. McBath, a fighter for Black rights appeared first on TheGrio. LONDON (Reuters) - Britain proposed new age-check guidance on Tuesday to protect children from accessing pornography online, including a suggestion to use AI-based technology to see if a viewer looks to be of legal age. The government's newly passed Online Safety Act requires sites and apps that display or publish pornographic content to ensure that children are not normally able to encounter pornography on their service. The legal age to watch porn in Britain is 18 or over. On average children first see online pornography at 13, while nearly a quarter come across it by age 11, and one in 10 as young as 9, a 2021-2022 study by the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England showed. "Regardless of their approach, we expect all services to offer robust protection to children from stumbling across pornography, and also to take care that privacy rights and freedoms for adults to access legal content are safeguarded," media regulator Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes said. The regulator described its suggestion on facial age estimation as using AI to analyse a viewer's features. That would likely require taking a selfie on a device and uploading it. The watchdog said its proposed guidance also included photo identification matching, requiring a user to upload a photo ID such as passport or driving licence to prove their age, and credit chard checks. Another suggestion was open banking, whereby users can consent to their bank sharing information with online porn sites to confirm they are over 18. The Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market think tank, said mandatory age verification threatened user privacy and would expose users to breaches and abuse by increasing the amount of sensitive data held by third parties. The regulator said weaker methods such as self-declaration of age, online payment methods that do not require a person to be 18, and disclaimers or warnings, would no longer meet the standards in its new guidance. Ofcom said it expects to publish its final guidance in early 2025. (Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Paul Sandle and Richard Chang) The 51-year-old man was sentenced to prison time for stalking a former guest in his mother's Airbnb. Anadolu/Getty Images A man living in his mother's Airbnb home secretly filmed a guest naked and then tried to blackmail her, prosecutors allege. Kevin Strutz of Ceres, California, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to over 3 years in prison. Prosecutors say Strutz admitted to hiding a cell phone camera in a basket on the bathroom counter. The son of an Airbnb host was sentenced to prison in connection to allegations that he secretly filmed a guest in the shower and tried to blackmail her into sending him an explicit video. Kevin Strutz, a 51-year-old man from Ceres, California, pleaded guilty to two counts of cyberstalking earlier this year, according to the US Attorney's office for the Eastern District of California. Prosecutors alleged that in 2020, Strutz began cyberstalking a young woman after she rented out a room in Strutz's mother's Ceres home through Airbnb. Strutz and his mother were also living in the home at the time, the complaint says. The woman, a traveling occupational therapist who isn't named in the court filings, had been staying at the home for about a month when she discovered an unnerving message addressed to her. She found the message which talked about how "sexy" she was on a cell phone in the shared bathroom, according to the criminal complaint. She contacted Airbnb and immediately found another place to stay. After she left, she got sexually explicit messages on Facebook from two accounts linked to Strutz, who she says she barely interacted with at the home, according to the complaint. The woman called local police and again told Airbnb what happened. At the time, Airbnb said in a statement that it was working with the FBI over the allegations. "We have no tolerance for the reported behavior and worked quickly to support the survivor once she brought it to our attention, including banning the associated host accounts from our platform at the time," the company told CBS News. The graphic messages continued for several months until Strutz sent her a nude image of herself from when she showered in the Airbnb bathroom, prosecutors allege. He threatened to send the photo to all of her contacts unless she sent a video of herself masturbating, Strutz admitted in his plea agreement. She then blocked both of Strutz's accounts and followed up again with the police, prosecutors said in the complaint, adding that she never responded to Strutz's messages. Strutz admitted he filmed the guest using a cell phone he had hidden in a basket on the bathroom counter, prosecutors allege in the complaint. Strutz's conviction on two counts of stalking also related to a 2018 incident in which he left 15 handwritten letters on a separate victim's car in addition to phone calls and Facebook messages from five different accounts that included threats trying to coerce her into having sex with him, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California. Last week, Strutz was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a small fine. Prior to the conviction, Strutz already had a lengthy rap sheet including stalking, burglary, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon, among others, prosecutors said in the criminal complaint. Read the original article on Business Insider Alby Bowes Lyon: a strong Christian faith Albemarle Bowes Lyon, who has died aged 83, was a long-serving director of Coutts & Co, the private bankers to the Royal family, and a favourite nephew of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Alby Bowes Lyon was recruited into Coutts in 1963 by its chairman, Sir Seymour Egerton, and joined the board in 1969, when it still operated in the mode of earlier days, with directors in black frock coats sharing an open office and dealing collectively with all aspects of business in fixed daily routines. But change followed the merger of Coutts parent National Provincial with Westminster Bank to form NatWest, and the arrival of the consultants McKinsey & Co to introduce a structure of divisional roles for individual directors. This was, a colleague recalled, a snag so far as Alby was concerned, there being no specific job for him until older men retired. But he ventured on secondment to Germany before finding an ideal niche for his talents in the banks French department, with a wider brief attracting and looking after European customers, many of whom became personal friends. Coutts historian, Edna Healey, recorded that in Bowes Lyons era he retired in 1993 the banks directors included two other cousins of the then Queen, the Marquess of Cambridge and Earl Granville: All took their duties seriously for, as contemporaries frequently remarked, there was no room for those who did not work their passage. At the same time, his colleague also observed, it seems to me that Alby really enjoyed himself. Bowes Lyon was recruited into Coutts in 1963 by its chairman, Sir Seymour Egerton, when it still operated in the mode of earlier days with directors in black frock coats sharing an open office Michael Albemarle Bowes Lyon was born on May 29 1940, the second son of Michael Bowes Lyon and his wife Elizabeth, nee Cator. Albys father Michael a Royal Scots officer whose health never recovered from being a PoW during the First World War was the eighth of 10 children (the future Queen Mother being the ninth) of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorn. Their surname records an 18th-century marriage alliance between two landed dynasties, Lyon of Forfar (twice descended from Robert the Bruce) and Bowes of Co Durham. By a complex succession, Albys elder brother Fergus inherited as 17th Earl in 1972; their twin sisters became Lady Mary Colman (wife of the Garter knight Sir Timothy) and Lady Patricia Tetley. Though his childhood home was at Biggleswade, much of Albys early life was spent at Glamis Castle, the family seat which had a special place in his heart. He was a page to Princess Margaret at the coronation in 1953, the year he went to Eton, where he described himself as a middle of the roader. He read French and German at Magdalen College, Oxford, with an interlude in Vienna which fuelled lifelong enthusiasms for opera and European history. Loved for his gentle demeanour and lively sense of humour, Bowes Lyon was a regular guest of his aunt at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park and Birkhall on the Balmoral estate. In later life he travelled tirelessly to explore historical sites, shoot game and watch opera, especially Wagner and Richard Strauss, often combining all three passions with visits to former clients. He was generous in support of a range of charities and maintained a strong Christian faith with a preference for the Book of Common Prayer, often attending Holy Communion at St Martin-in-the-Fields, close to his Whitehall flat. In his mid-thirties, Alby Bowes Lyon told the Coutts staff magazine: I may be a bachelor now, but I certainly dont intend to remain so. In fact he did, while devoting himself to wider family life as a favourite uncle and cousin, constantly in touch and always interested in the lives of the young. Pipers played for his burial at Glamis. Albemarle Bowes Lyon, born May 29 1940, died October 30 2023 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 Chicago man accused of forcing multiple women into prostitution and physically abusing them at a hotel in Lombard and elsewhere will remain in jail until his trial, a DuPage County judge ruled Friday. Illinois State Police said in a news release that officers arrested Heggie Carr, 46, of Chicagos South Shore neighborhood, on Wednesday. Arresting officers found four women, ages 18 to 32, at the Lombard hotel where they arrested Carr, according to the release Advertisement Carr faces two felony charges of involuntary servitude and two felony charges of human trafficking, court records show. According to court documents, at least one of the women Carr was allegedly trafficking died of a drug overdose. A motion to deny Carr pretrial release states that Carr required his victims to have an escort and not to speak to anyone while out and restricted their contact with friends and families. The motion also states that Carr allegedly provided drugs, food and weight gain pills to the women, but withheld drugs if a woman was not being productive enough, restricted their sleep and was physically abusive. Advertisement Carr offered an 18-year-old woman a job, which the woman believed would entail office work, in exchange for paying for a hotel room for her family. The motion states that Carr allegedly used the 18-year-old to arrange prostitution for five other women at the hotel and at residences in Illinois and Iowa. Carr later allegedly forced the woman into prostitution with requirements that she earn $3,000 a day on weekdays and $5,000 a day on weekends. The woman told police Carr had choked her until she lost consciousness at least twice. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > A second alleged victim died of a drug overdose in June 2023, the motion states. Arlington Heights police allegedly observed Carr pulling that woman back into a hotel room six months earlier. The Lombard Police Department fielded a phone call from a hotel that discussed Carr and the woman in a physical altercation in March 2023. Investigating law enforcement found mail belonging to a Gregory Moore, who was previously convicted of murder and required to register as a violent offender against youth until 2029. Law enforcement confirmed that Gregory Moore was an alias used by Carr, prosecutors said. A third alleged victim told police that Carr regularly beat her, including while she was in the shower, threatened to kill her and her family, and threatened other women. She also corroborated the first womans account that alleged Carr had people who would kill for him. Law enforcement said officers found more than 1,000 profiles advertising women dating back to August 2021. Carr was released from the Illinois Department of Corrections in July 2021. Information from IDOC shows that Carr was sentenced to 11 years, six months in state prison for aggravated domestic battery in 2011. He served other, shorter stints in prison for theft, possession or sale of a stolen vehicle, possession of an unauthorized title and armed robbery, records show. The motion to deny Carr pretrial release also states that he has two records of sexually abusing minors, including his then-11-year-old daughter. Advertisement Carr is set to appear in court Dec. 11, according to court records. ALGIERS, La. (WGNO) Organizers of the Algiers Mardi Gras Festival have announced the events return. Happening Saturday, Jan. 27, organizers will hold its fourth annual Mardi Gras soiree, bringing families, friends and the Mardi Gras spirit to the historic Algiers neighborhood. Were ecstatic to welcome revelers back to historic Algiers for the fourth-annual Algiers Mardi Gras Festival, said event founder and CEO Oscar Rainey. The mission of the free festival is to celebrate the New Orleans culture and style while enriching the education of food, music and culture among students in the community. New Orleans Krewe of Endymion announces extended 2024 parade route Our festival has become a huge hit with families from both the west and east banks, and were committed to bringing it back even bigger and better in 2024. We invite everyone out for what will surely become the best free festival in all of New Orleans, said Rainey. Festival organizers will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 9, where they will provide details of the event, announce the 2024 Grand Marshal and unveil the festival poster. For more information about the fun, visit the Algiers Mardi Gras Festival website. 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. Latest Posts For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. A 21-year-old man who was shot in the shoulder when he allegedly pointed a rifle at a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer early Monday morning has been booked in the Wyandotte County jail, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Dominic Lee, of Kansas City, Kansas, is being held in the county jail on a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, the KBI said in a statement Monday evening. He was treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound and taken into police custody upon his medical release. Shortly before 3 a.m., Kansas City, Kansas, police officers were dispatched to a report of shots fired at an apartment complex near North 61st Street and Leavenworth Road. Officers arrived and saw a man leaning out of a window on the second story of an apartment building while holding a rifle, according to police. A KCKPD officer fired a single round at the gunman that struck him, police said. Authorities reported no other injuries. The use of deadly force is being investigated by the KBI as part of KCKPDs policy for outside agencies to conduct reviews of shootings involving its officers. Police were asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS or the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. The Stars Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this report. The shocking case of an alleged serial killer who targeted unhoused people in Los Angeles throughout last month is bringing attention to the dangers faced by those living on the street. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, made his first appearance in Los Angeles court on Monday, and will enter a plea in January. Officials accuse him of shooting three unhoused people to death, and killing a fourth man, an LA county employee, in November. The killings, which took place over four consecutive days between 26 and 29 November, shook the public and caused concerns about the safety of Los Angeless estimated population of over 75,000 unhoused people. This is a killer who is preying on the unhoused, LA Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference earlier this month. Many friends and family members know how to reach their unhoused relatives. We need you to contact them today. We need you to tell them about this danger. Police were able to find Mr Powell by using security video to identify his car and track it to Beverley Hills. Law enforcement automatic license-plate readers later flagged the car, leading to a traffic stop where the 33-year-old was arrested on Thursday and allegedly found with a gun tied to the killing of the county worker, Nicholas Simbolon. While in prison, police used the car and gun to connect Mr Powell to the other killings. Los Angeles Police Department chief Michael Moore said last week that Mr Powell appeared to be a homicidal serial killer. A search of Los Angeles court records did not indicate whether Mr Powell has legal representation. According to Theo Henderson, an activist and formerly unhoused person in LA who hosts the podcast We The Unhoused, the idea of a serial killer targeting homeless people is not the surprise that housed people think. He told The Independent many unhoused people have been attacked at random. For his part, hes been assaulted by drunken strangers leaving a bar, and once was stabbed so severely he needed major surgery to repair his colon. This photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows suspect Jerrid Joseph Powell Many unhoused people have stories of being attacked by members of the community, Mr Henderson said. Contrary to housed peoples opinions, unhoused people dont start randomly attacking them. Instead, he said, its because strangers feel they have the divine right of kings to kick out our people who they feel are a danger to society or the community. The November killings of the three unhoused people, who were sometimes asleep when Mr Powell allegedly attacked them according to police, is not the first time homeless people have come under threat of violence. The public is often very frightened of people who experience homelessness, Dr Margot Kushel, director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco, told The New York Times earlier this month about the LA case. But what they dont realize is that people experiencing homelessness are frightened all the time. A spate of attacks on unhoused people in San Francisco San Francisco, another California city with a serious housing problem, has been home to repeated attacks on the unhoused, in what some argue is the work of a single former city official though he has also been attacked by a homeless man. In April, former San Francisco fire commissioner Don Carmignani, 53, was allegedly brutally beaten with a metal object by an unhoused man named Garret Doty, who has since been arrested and may go on trial for assault and battery. He maintains the blows were in self-defence. However, in the course of media attention to the case, it was revealed that since 2021, unhoused people living near the Marina neighbourhood where the Carmignani incident took place had been attacked with chemical agents, including a case in which an unknown assailant allegedly opened someones tent flap and sprayed mace inside. Former San Francisco Fire Commissioner Don Carmignani says he was brutally attacked by a homeless man. (Allinradiodotcom) During the April altercation between Mr Doty and the fire commissioner, Mr Carmignanis own can of pepper spray went off by accident, according to the man, and a local witness said she heard Mr Carmignani threaten the homeless man earlier that day. Witnesses to the previous attacks on homeless people have described a man matching Mr Carmignanis physical description in some cases, though the former fire official has repeatedly denied any link. San Francisco police began investigating the spray attacks in May. During pre-trial hearings in the Doty case, Mr Carmignani repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked about the past attacks on homeless people in the area. His lawyer has said this was to avoid tesifying about unrelated incidents during the case about the April assault. Violence in Washington Last October, a man accused of stalking and shooting multiple sleeping homeless people in Washington DC and New York City earlier that year. He was charged with 17 offences including murder, assault and firearm offences. He allegedly attacked three men in Washington in March of that year, shooting two and allegedly shooting and stabbing a third, then setting his tent on fire. In total, he was wanted for five alleged attacks in New York and Washington over the course of two weeks. The suspect, Gerald Brevard was arrested in March following a multi-agency investigation involving the Washington DC police, NYPD, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The murder and assaults were bias-related hate crimes, according to the Justice Department. Brevard pleaded not guilty, and a trial is set for October 2024, according to court records. Killings in New York While New York City offers residents a unique right to shelter, members of its unhoused community have also faced attacks. In 2022, a man with a knife allegedly stabbed three homeless men in their sleep, killing one. Trevon Murphy, 40, who allegedly carried out the attacks, was homeless himself at the time. A family member told The New York Times he suffered from mental illness. Murphy made a full confession in video-recorded statements, according to the Manhattan DAs office. Two years prior, four homeless men were bludgeoned to death in their sleep in the Chinatown section of Manhattan. Randy Santos, 24, initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, as he sought potential mental health-related defence. Police say he admitted to being the person captured on video attacking some of the unhoused men who were killed, but Mr Santos has also said he doesnt remember the incidents and was homeless himself at the time. His next court appearance is in early 2024, according to court records. An American Airlines flight attendant was escorted from a flight after he was accused of strapping an iPhone to the seat of a first-class bathroom to secretly record a female teenager (Supplied) The family of a teenage girl who allegedly found a hidden camera in a bathroom on board an American Airlines flight is suing the company. An unidentified male flight attendant was removed from an American Airlines plane in September after a 14-year-old girl from North Carolina said he taped an iPhone to an airplane toilet to record her using the restroom. The alleged incident happened on a 2 September flight from Charlotte to Boston. Police said the flight attendant was removed from the plane by state troopers when it landed at Boston Logan International Airport but he was not arrested because they did not find any incriminating images on his phone. According to the lawsuit, lawyers for the teenager say that American knew or should have known the flight attendant was a danger. They alleged the failure of other crew members to confiscate the employees phone allowed him to destroy evidence. The airline said the flight attendant was withheld from service immediately after the alleged incident and has not worked since. We take this matter very seriously and have been fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, as safety and security are our highest priorities, American said in a statement. The girl said the incident happened after the flight attendant told her she could use the toilet in the first-class cabin. She added that he entered the bathroom first, saying he needed to wash his hands, then emerged a minute later to tell the girl that the seat was broken but not to worry about it. The teenager said she noticed an iPhone taped to the toilet lid under a seat broken sign while she was using the toilet. She said the camera flash was glowing. It immediately occurred to her that someone had put the phone there to film her using the toilet, the lawsuit said. She then took a picture of the device. After the girl left the restroom, the attendant was seen going back in, a passenger on board the flight told Boston 25. As another passenger was about to enter the bathroom, the girls mother came up from the economy cabin and warned them not to go in as there was a hidden camera. The girls dad told the New York Post he confronted the four flight attendants with the photo, and saw the male air hosts face go totally white. State police boarded the flight and inspected the restroom, before taking the male attendant away, the witness said. The 14-year-old said the incident left her shocked and scared. She is now undergoing therapy for trauma, her familys lawyers said. Math achievement tumbled for American 15-year-olds between 2018 and 2022, according to the latest results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), an exam comparing academic performance in the U.S. against that of dozens of other countries. In an encouraging development, however, their reading and science skills appear to be undiminished over the last four years. Announced Tuesday morning, the scores represent more proof of steep learning loss in math during the pandemic and its aftermath. But they also provide the first international context for COVIDs impact on American children, indicating that many students abroad including in countries that have previously ranked among the worlds top performers may have experienced even worse setbacks. Eighty-one countries participated in PISA in 2022, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the intergovernmental authority that administers the test. Among that group, average scores fell by 15 points in math and 10 points in reading since 2018, while science scores were not significantly changed. Support The 74's year-end campaign. Make a tax-exempt donation now. As in several other standardized tests conducted since COVIDs emergence in 2020, those declines are unprecedented; over 20 years of PISA testing, average math and literacy scores have never moved by more than four or five points between consecutive assessments. Peggy Carr, commissioner of the U.S. Department of Educations National Center for Education Statistics, told reporters on Monday that even highly developed countries across Europe and Asia suffered tremendously from the learning disruptions triggered by the pandemic. Eamonn Fitzmaurice/The 74 These results are another piece of evidence showing the crisis in mathematics achievement, Carr said. Only now can we see that it is a global concern. But while American students 13-point drop in math fell within the international average, their relative stasis in PISAs other testing domains of reading and science (minus-one and minus-three points since 2018, neither of which is considered statistically significant) provide surprisingly positive news. Indeed, while U.S. scores slumped across all three subjects, the ranking of the United States among PISA participants actually improved since 2018: from 29th in mathematics to 26th, from eighth in reading to sixth, and from 11th in science to 10th. Related Schneider: The Strange Case of China and Its Top PISA Rankings How Cherry-Picking Regions to Take Part Skews Its High Scores Those shifts in relative performance result from even greater COVID-era slides in other countries. Among those seeing especially large reversals in math were Iceland (minus-36 points), Norway (minus-33 points), Poland (minus-27 points), and Slovenia (minus-24 points). Fifteen-year-olds in Finland, which has built an international reputation for top performance on exams like PISA, saw a 30-point drop in reading skills over the last four years. In a somewhat curious turn, the index of four Chinese provinces where students have traditionally taken the PISA (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) did not report scores for the 2022 round. In previous administrations of the test, those students yielded the top scores on all three subjects although those results were also criticized by international observers for allegedly being cherry-picked from Chinas wealthiest and highest-achieving areas. Eamonn Fitzmaurice/The 74 According to the OECD, the four provinces participated in the 2022 test, but their performance couldnt be measured because schools were closed during the intended data collection period. Impressive scores were posted by students in the Chinese jurisdictions of Hong Kong and Macau, though these will likely also be considered atypical of learning across that countrys vast mainland. Among PISAs top-scoring nations in math were East Asian participants like Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), and Korea. Singapore, Ireland, Estonia, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan boasted the strongest readers. I would have expected a larger drop. The scores will undoubtedly be used as an indicator of how learning was affected by COVID. Two-thirds of participating countries reported that they closed schools for longer than three months for the majority of their students during the pandemic. Students in countries that experienced briefer periods of closure did see smaller drops in math scores, the OECD reported, but Carr said the statistical correlation was weak. Related Nations Report Card Shows Largest Drops Ever Recorded in 4th and 8th Grade Math A wealth of research conducted since 2020 has drawn close connections between virtual learning and academic harm. But prior standardized testing releases, such as that of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, have shown that states that kept schools open also endured significant learning damage, muddying the argument over the ultimate impact of shuttered schools. In surveys accompanying the test, large numbers of American students reported that theyd experienced particularly lengthy school closures. Twenty percent said their school building had been closed between six and 12 months over the previous three years (compared with 15 percent of respondents across all OECD member nations), while another 20 percent said their school had closed for over a year (compared with just 12 percent of respondents across the OECD). Tom Loveless, a researcher who previously headed the Brookings Institutions Brown Center on Education Policy, said that America students math decline, while significant, was not enormous. Eamonn Fitzmaurice/The 74 Compared with the other OECD countries, we definitely had schools closed for a longer period of time, Loveless said. If you take this as a pre- and post-pandemic indicator, I would have expected a larger drop. Other learning observers were more bearish on the Americans showing, especially compared with comparable youths in countries far poorer than the U.S. Sal Khan, founder of the online learning platform Khan Academy, argued that the international averages concealed significant disparities between the highest- and lowest-achieving test takers. The results are disappointing, but not surprising, and consistent with all of the other data weve seen post-COVID, Khan added in an email. In general, I think the state of math education is pretty bad globally but there is less of an excuse in wealthy countries like the United States. Whatever the prevailing trends in other countries, some in the K12 policy community will agree with that glum appraisal. Overall, 34 percent of American test takers demonstrated only basic or below-basic math skills slightly higher than the OECD average of 31 percent. And while their reading and science scores held their ground during the COVID era, they are also not measurably improved from the years when PISA first assessed those subjects (2000 and 2006, respectively.) The findings also raise the question of how school leaders in the United States and other countries will boost student performance in the long run. Local and state test data in the U.S. confirm that many students are still performing substantially worse than children of the same age four years ago. And with the imminent expiration of federal emergency funds that have underwritten extra staffing and programs over the last several years, authorities will need to move fast to effect a turnaround. Bob Hughes is the director of K12 learning programs at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has launched school reform and improvement efforts across the U.S. for over two decades. Last year, the organization announced that it would commit over $1 billion to improve math instruction by making the subject more engaging and relevant to students. Related Exclusive 74 Interview: Bill Gates Calls U.S. Education a Challenged Space While calling the PISA scores upsetting news, Hughes added that schools and school districts could jump-start significant progress in math by employing a host of evidence-based strategies: high-impact tutoring for struggling students, improved professional learning for teachers, and more rigorous curricular materials (the Singapore math approach, which has shaped elementary math instruction in that country since the 1980s, has spawned a legion of fans in the U.S. as well). We actually have much better data than weve had in the past, and we have a clearer view of what the interventions need to be, Hughes said. We just need to get to the business of doing it rather than spending a lot of time wringing our hands. Disclosure: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides financial support to The 74. Donald Trumps devolution into an American dictator who believes that he is on a mission from God as some type of chosen one continues. This is mentally pathological behavior on a massive level. His Hitler-like behavior is only going to get worse as next years presidential election approaches and the pressure from his criminal and civil trials increases. Trumps behavior is not isolated to him, it is important to note. He is the leader of a political cult movement and controls the Republican Party. On Saturday, Trump gave two speeches in Iowa to his MAGA faithful. In Ankeny, Trump continued to advance his Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him and his MAGA people. During that same speech, Trump continued with his white supremacist threats and plans to end multiracial democracy, by telling his followers that they should go to Democrat-led (meaning majority black and brown) cities and other communities to protect the vote on Election Day 2024. The implication here is clear: these (white) Trumpists, in a replay of Jim Crow and the Black Codes are to use the threat of force to keep black and brown people from exercising their Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. Trump is basically trying to incite widespread violence on Election Day 2024: The most important part of what is coming up is to guard the vote, and you should go into Detroit, Philadelphia, and some of these places, Atlanta, and you should go into some of these places, and we have to watch those votes. Watch those votes when they come in, when theyre being, you know, shoved around in wheelbarrows and dumped on the floor and everyones saying whats going on?....Were like a third world nation, a third world nation. And we cant let it happen. During a speech in Cedar Rapids that took place later in the day, Trump anointed himself as being handpicked by God and a vessel of divine will. As Salon's Heather "Digby" Parton wrote, "Trump unveiled a new 'I know you are but what am I' campaign strategy over the weekend by attacking President Joe Biden as 'the destroyer of American democracy.'": The claim is ludicrous, of course. Trump's the one who attempted to overturn the election and incited a violent mob to storm the capitol and stop the certification of the election. There is no greater example of democracy destruction than that. But he said it and it wasn't off the cuff. They passed out placards before the rally that said, "Biden attacks Democracy" and flashed the words on a big screen above him as he said it. But I think if you had a real election and Jesus came down and God came down and said, Im going to be the scorekeeper here, I think wed win there [in California], I think wed win in Illinois, and I think wed win in New York. These elections are rigged. pic.twitter.com/L0awiH1Nr1 Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) December 2, 2023 But I think if you had a real election and Jesus came down and God came down and said, Im going to be the scorekeeper here, I think wed win there [in California], I think wed win in Illinois, and I think wed win in New York," Trump told his gathered MAGA troops. Trump is telling his followers what they want to desperately believe. Public opinion, focus groups, and other research repeatedly show that a significant percentage of White Christians see Trump as a prophetic figure who is a tool for their God to make America a White Christian nation. In the same speech in Cedar Rapids, Trump, in a rare moment, told the truth about his and the neofascist movements plans to end American democracy: We've been waging an all-out war on (in) democracy." This was not a gaffe or error given the context of Trumps behavior and threats for the last seven years, including a coup attempt and the Big Lie. Two recent news articles are continuing to sound the alarm very loudly even as too many Americans, specifically members of the political class and news media, are waking up too late to stop what feels like a repeat of 2016 and what will be an even worse disaster for the country and world on Election Day if Trump returns to power. A new essay in the Economist asks: Is Donald Trump the most dangerous threat to the world in 2024? This is a perilous moment for a man like Mr Trump to be back knocking on the door of the Oval Office. Democracy is in trouble at home. Mr Trumps claim to have won the election in 2020 was more than a lie: it was a cynical bet that he could manipulate and intimidate his compatriots, and it has worked. America also faces growing hostility abroad, challenged by Russia in Ukraine, by Iran and its allied militias in the Middle East and by China across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea. Those three countries loosely co-ordinate their efforts and share a vision of a new international order in which might is right and autocrats are secure. Because maga Republicans have been planning his second term for months, Trump 2 would be more organised than Trump 1. True believers would occupy the most important positions. Mr Trump would be unbound in his pursuit of retribution, economic protectionism and theatrically extravagant deals. No wonder the prospect of a second Trump term fills the worlds parliaments and boardrooms with despair. But despair is not a plan. It is past time to impose order on anxiety. The greatest threat Mr Trump poses is to his own country. Having won back power because of his election-denial in 2020, he would surely be affirmed in his gut feeling that only losers allow themselves to be bound by the norms, customs and self-sacrifice that make a nation. In pursuing his enemies, Mr Trump will wage war on any institution that stands in his way, including the courts and the Department of Justice. Yet a Trump victory next year would also have a profound effect abroad. The Economist then emphasizes how Trump would weaken the global order by withdrawing from NATO, ending support for Ukraine which would advance the cause of Putin and the global antidemocracy movement, make poor choices that could expand the war in the Middle East, and perhaps even embolden China to become even more aggressive in the region (perhaps going so far as to (finally) invade Taiwan) as Americas key allies in Asia acquire nuclear weapons because they have to fill in the power vacuum created by an American withdrawal. The Economist concludes, A second Trump term would be a watershed in a way the first was not. Victory would confirm his most destructive instincts about power. His plans would encounter less resistance. And because America will have voted him in while knowing the worst, its moral authority would decline. The election will be decided by tens of thousands of voters in just a handful of states. In 2024 the fate of the world will depend on their ballots. The Economist is not some left-wing publication, rag sheet, or click bait content farm. It is a solidly conservative, respectable, and institutionalist publication that has been published, in one form or another, since 1843. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. In a powerful, if not devastating, new essay at the Washington Post, neoconservative Robert Kagan pleads with the American people and their responsible leaders to stop Dictator Trump. Kagans article is some six thousand words long. He writes with such clarity and force that it is as though he knows, given the realities of Trump and his allied forces threats to end the First Amendment and the Constitution, rubbleize the rule of law, and put his enemies in jail or worse, that he, like other pro-democracy voices, is on borrowed time. When Dictator Trump takes power, what will happen? Kagan warns: Having answered the question of whether Trump can win, we can now turn to the most urgent question: Will his presidency turn into a dictatorship? The odds are, again, pretty good. It is worth getting inside Trumps head a bit and imagining his mood following an election victory. He will have spent the previous year, and more, fighting to stay out of jail, plagued by myriad persecutors and helpless to do what he likes to do best: exact revenge. Think of the fury that will have built up inside him, a fury that, from his point of view, he has worked hard to contain. As he once put it, I think Ive been toned down, if you want to know the truth. I could really tone it up. Indeed he could and will. We caught a glimpse of his deep thirst for vengeance in his Veterans Day promise to 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. Note the equation of himself with America and the American Dream. It is he they are trying to destroy, he believes, and as president, he will return the favor. But thats just the start. After all, Trump will not be the only person seeking revenge. His administration will be filled with people with enemies lists of their own, a determined cadre of vetted officials who will see it as their sole, presidentially authorized mission to root out those in the government who cannot be trusted. Many will simply be fired, but others will be subject to career-destroying investigations. The Trump administration will be filled with people who will not need explicit instruction from Trump, any more than Hitlers local gauleiters needed instruction. In such circumstances, people work toward the Fuhrer, which is to say, they anticipate his desires and seek favor through acts they think will make him happy, thereby enhancing their own influence and power in the process. Kagans conclusion: A paralyzing psychology of appeasement has also been at work. At each stage, the price of stopping Trump has risen higher and higher. But wait until Trump returns to power and the price of opposing him becomes persecution, the loss of property and possibly the loss of freedom. Will those who balked at resisting Trump when the risk was merely political oblivion suddenly discover their courage when the cost might be the ruin of oneself and ones family? We are closer to that point today than we have ever been, yet we continue to drift toward dictatorship, still hoping for some intervention that will allow us to escape the consequences of our collective cowardice, our complacent, willful ignorance and, above all, our lack of any deep commitment to liberal democracy. As the man said, we are going out not with a bang but a whimper. In an interview with CBS on Sunday, former Rep. Liz Cheney warned that the American people are sleepwalking into dictatorship if they elect Donald Trump in 2024. Cheney, like too many other members of the political class and news media who still believe in the myth of American exceptionalism and the inherent goodness of the average" American, has committed a fundamental error in her assumptions and therefore conclusion. In reality, there are tens of millions of (white) Americans who know exactly what Trump represents and want him to be president again. Trump is a weapon for their rage, anger, resentment, destructive impulses, cruelty, and desires to hurt the people they despise. These Americans are not asleep, tricked, bamboozled, conned, or somehow not aware of what they are doing and the implications of such collective evil and meanness. American fascism as a force and idea, and the fascists and authoritarians and others who are attracted to such politics and vision, are very real and denying that fact will not save this country or its democracy and future. They know the evil that they do and are doing it with their eyes wide open. By Ludwig Burger (Reuters) -Sanofi's CEO is under pressure to tell investors how much more he will spend on research and development (R&D) and what the likely pay-offs will be, as he seeks to boost a pipeline of future drugs and restore shareholder trust. Shares in the 108 billion euro ($117 billion) French pharmaceutical giant tumbled 15% on Oct. 27 when CEO Paul Hudson unexpectedly abandoned 2025 margin targets in order to boost the budget for testing new immunology and inflammation drugs. The market's shock reaction, compounded by a lack of details of the spending push, overshadowed Sanofi's plan to list its consumer unit, in line with an industry trend. The British CEO, who was hired four years ago to revive the company's drug pipeline, said the strategy promises better earnings further down the line, but he would not disclose more details until a Dec. 7 investor day. Investors have told Reuters that Hudson, whose current term started last year and expires in 2026, needs to lay out more precisely how much he plans to spend on each experimental drug and the commercial opportunity they offer. "The first step is getting out there with the data and the reasons to believe in these programmes," said Dan Lyons, a portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors in Denver. He said he was surprised by the plunge in the shares - steep even by the standards of current market jitters - but said the announcement was unexpected and lacked explanations. The stock has underperformed rivals in recent years as shareholders worry the company is too reliant on its bestseller, anti-inflammatory drug Dupixent. The shares trade at the equivalent of 11 times expected earnings over the next 12 months, according to LSEG data, compared with 15 and 16 for the European and global pharmaceutical indices respectively. Before the surprise R&D news, Hudson was already under pressure from losing out in the COVID-19 vaccine race and after a once-promising breast cancer drug candidate flopped last year. But new drug launches this year, haemophilia treatment Altuviiio, Beyfortus to prevent a common respiratory infection in infants and type 1 diabetes treatment Tzield, had since then rekindled some trust in Sanofi's development abilities. Abandoning the 2025 goal was particularly contentious because it broke with a tradition of meeting financial targets, while asking for trust in a development track record which has flaws, said fund managers including Markus Manns at Germany's Union Investment. David Song, a portfolio manager and investment partner at Tema ETF, said: "The narrative of Sanofi has been a margin expansion, earnings-driven story for a lot of investors." Sanofi did not respond to a request for comment. DRUGS UNDER SCRUTINY Still, relative to sales, Sanofi's R&D budget of about 15.6% last year is well below a sector average of 20%-22%, said Fabian Wenner, wealth management analyst at Swiss bank Julius Baer. "Sanofi had to catch up, but the announcement was too sudden a change for shareholders," he said, adding he too wanted a detailed breakdown of expenses. Union's Manns suggested that sharing costs with development partners, a common practice in the industry, was a way to take the edge off the R&D budget ramp-up. The drug candidates under particular scrutiny include frexalimab against multiple sclerosis, eczema drug amlitelimab to build on the success of mega-blockbuster Dupixent and a pneumococcal vaccine, all to be tested in costly phase III trials from next year. Janus Henderson's Lyons said he was seeking clarity on how Sanofi plans to advance blood cancer drugs known as anti-CD38, including Sarclisa, GenMab and Johnson & Johnson's strong foothold with Darzalex. Tema ETF's Song said a one-year delay in earnings growth may well be acceptable in exchange for the prospect of higher profits beyond 2025. "Shouldn't investors give credit to managements who care about long-term shareholder value creation?," said Song. ($1 = 0.9206 euros) (Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Josephine Mason and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Vera Klement is by her painting "Midnight Birds" in April 1999. Klement died of complications from cancer and from COVID-19 on Oct. 20 in Evanston. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune) Vera Klement was a noted Chicago-based painter who produced both abstract expressionist and representational pieces and also sometimes mixed the two forms. She struck me as a uniquely Chicago artist in that she was independent, dogged in her pursuit of her vision and sadly, as is the case with too many Chicago-based figures, under-recognized and underappreciated, said former Museum of Contemporary Art curator Lynne Warren. Advertisement Klement, 93, who also taught art classes at the University of Chicago from 1969 until 1995, died of complications from cancer and from COVID-19 on Oct. 20 at her home at a retirement community in Evanston, said her son, Max Shapey. She had lived for many years in the South Loop. Born Vera Klementovna Shapiro in what now is Gdansk, Poland, Klement grew up in Sopot, a nearby seaside resort. With her parents and brother, she fled to the U.S. in 1938 to escape the Holocaust and settled with her family on Manhattans Upper West Side. Advertisement After graduating from the now-defunct High School of Music & Art in Manhattan, Klement earned a two-year certificate from The Cooper Union in New York in 1950. When Klement was 11, her father, a gifted amateur artist, taught her to paint. He then helped her prepare a portfolio for her high schools entrance exam. She believed that being accepted into the High School of Music & Art mapped out the rest of her life, her son said. Klement was twice divorced, first from Werner Torkanowsky, an Israeli violinist, in 1955, then composer and conductor Ralph Shapey in 1976. In 1964, she moved with Shapey to Chicago, where he had taken a job as a music composition professor at the U. of C. She began teaching at the university in 1969. In a time when there were so few visible successful female artists or professors, Vera became a vital role model for me, said artist JoAnne Carson, who received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the U. of C. in 1979. Her approach to teaching graduate students was elegantly simple. She would silently and meticulously examine our work and then ask us what we wanted to achieve, Carson said. The ensuing conversation explored the harmony or discord between our intentions and her observations. Klement told the Tribune in 1987 that in 1953, she had an instant modest success with woodcuts redolent of Edvard Munch and German expressionists. In those days my painting was heavily influenced by the New York School, and I became an Abstract Expressionist, she told the Tribune in 1987. It suited me, I suppose, as far as a world view; the notion of being at risk, on the edge, existential. And I think that has remained with me. It was the basis of my way of looking at art as heroic and tragic. Advertisement Eventually, Klement shifted her artwork toward more representational elements. When I moved to Chicago in 1965, I saw the horizontality of the city and the expanse of the lake, and thought: If you want to paint the figure, just do it, she told the Tribune. That was one time in my life when I made an abrupt break. I stopped groping toward the figure and just did it. By the 1990s, Klement returned to including abstract elements in her work. In creating recognizable imagery with paint, her goal wasnt to represent those things as much as it is to present arrangements of pigment on canvas by which to explore all that can mean, Warren said. Thus her frequent pairings of things that can be identified urns, boats, trees and colorful abstract passages. Artist Buzz Spector, who received an MFA from the U. of C. in 1978, said Klement sublimated her traumatic childhood as a Holocaust refugee through her paint brush. She worked with opaque pigments and then with encaustic, to make surfaces that captured the force and velocity of her every gesture with a brush, Spector said. What was awkward, even brutal, in her compositions, was also the source of their elegiac power. Advertisement Shapey said his mother lived inside her work, the working, as her way of life; a life of the mind, a life that she had created and couldnt be taken away from her and was independent from others. She loved a life of contemplation, of painting, of music and literature, to quietly pursue an idea a vision and see where it would take her, he said. She was thrilled by the magical moment when paint, without form, was transformed into something recognizable, something with form. Chicago artist William Conger said that Klement was able to imbue her paintings with life-affirming confidence, hope and even spontaneous joy. It will stand as a model of the best art of her generation and the best of Chicagos vital contributions to cultural life, he said. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > In 1970, Klement became a founding member of The Five, a group of five Chicago artists who banded together to combat isolation and promote involvement in art in public spaces. Klement retired from artwork in 2019 after completing a painting titled Carpeting. Advertisement She looked at it and thought, Ive said everything I want to, her son said. Klement left no other immediate survivors. There were no services. Goldsborough is a freelance reporter. To purchase a death notice, visit https://placeanad.chicagotribune.com/death-notices. To suggest a staff-written obituary on a person of local interest, email chicagoland@chicagotribune.com. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside a Jewish and Israeli owned falafel restaurant in Philadelphia, in what authorities described as a blatant act of antisemitism. Video circulated on social media showing the crowd outside Goldie, a kosher restaurant owned by the American Israeli chef Michael Solomonov, chanting Goldie, Goldie you cant hide, we charge you with genocide. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, was part of the Flood Philly for Gaza demonstrations. The city has seen multiple pro-Palestinian rallies in recent weeks. According to witnesses the protesters vandalised the front windows of the restaurant, placing stickers on the doors and windows. The action has been condemned by US authorities including members of Congress and the White House. Tonight in Philly, we saw a blatant act of antisemitism not a peaceful protest. A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli. This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history. https://t.co/WS2guahnsQ Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) December 4, 2023 Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wrote on X/Twitter: Tonight in Philly, we saw a blatant act of antisemitism not a peaceful protest. A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli. This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history. In a statement, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said it was antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy. Mr Bates said the behaviour reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of antisemitism. Democratic congressman Brendan Boyle added: I cant believe I even have to say this but targeting businesses simply because theyre Jewish owned is despicable. Philadelphia stands against this sort of harassment and hate. Other restaurants owned by Mr Solmonov have previously been the target of demonstrations by pro-Palestinian activists, due to his ties to various Israeli institutions. I cant believe I even have to say this but targeting businesses simply because theyre Jewish owned is despicable. Philadelphia stands against this sort of harassment and hate. https://t.co/BfJ2Xxuysi US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) December 4, 2023 Following the 7 October Hamas attacks, he pledged to donate 100 per cent of sales from his restaurants to a non-profit Israeli medical aid group. A spokesperson for Goldie declined to comment on the protests outside the restaurant on Sunday. The Arizona School Boards Association on Monday announced the resignation of its executive director, Devin Del Palacio, following controversy over false information in his resume about obtaining a college degree. The former president and two other officials with the influential association, which represents and is funded by more than 200 school boards in the state, resigned in July over concerns the matter was being ignored. The association fired the legal counsel who reported his findings about Del Palacio. Since then, a group of 22 past presidents of the association have put pressure on state school boards to hold the group accountable. Del Palacio's resignation will be effective Dec. 15, according to the association. It will soon seek his replacement. "A mutual agreement has been reached, which allows Mr. Del Palacio the ability to pursue other interests and time-sensitive opportunities for growth that have presented themselves on his professional path and permits the Board to pursue hiring another Executive Director," the board said in a statement to members released to The Arizona Republic. The association didn't say what that agreement was, but that it was in all the parties' best interests and completed "to effectuate a smooth transition in this amicable parting." Del Palacio, who briefly served as an appointed state representative last year, has never confirmed the accusation or spoken about it publicly. He did not respond to a voicemail Monday. James Bryce, the former president who resigned and current member of the Solomon Elementary School District governing board in Graham County, derided the Arizona School Boards Association for failing to fully explain what happened. "Throughout this whole process, ASBA leadership has failed to formally address any of the concerns from its membership," Bryce said, adding that the lack of transparency was "typical" of its current leaders. "The silence says it all." Investigation found resume wasn't truthful Del Palacio remains a member of the Tolleson Union High School District governing board, a position he's held since 2014. Before taking the executive director position, he worked for the Arizona School Boards Association as a "strategic advocacy consultant" for two years. He previously had served as chair of the National School Boards Associations National Black Council of School Board Members, and on the Arizona School Boards Association's board of directors. ASBA is a 75-year-old nonprofit that helps set policies, find superintendent candidates, and train school board members. Bryce told The Republic in August he quit his volunteer position after the group's 25-member board of directors overruled his decision to abstain from signing a contract with Del Palacio in June for the position, which pays $215,000 annually. As he explained then, a "whistleblower complaint" about Del Palacio led to an investigative report by a law firm that was ignored by the board. Devin Del Palacio, president of the Tolleson School Board, speaks on Feb. 21, 2022, before the unveiling of a mural of NASCAR Hall of Famer Wendell Scott, at 80 E. Grant St. in Phoenix. The investigation found that Del Palacio submitted a resume to the association in 2021 for his consultant job but was told the position required a college degree. He then submitted a second resume indicating that he graduated from the former Western International University in Phoenix with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He used the same resume when applying for his executive director job this year and last year to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. He offered his service to the county to fill out the remaining term in office for outgoing Rep. Diego Espinoza, a Tolleson Democrat who resigned in September. Del Palacio's LinkedIn account which he later deleted listed Western International University as an educational institution that he attended from "2006-2006" and didn't mention a bachelor's degree. In a 2020 interview with podcaster Stevon Cook, Del Palacio acknowledged he attended Western with a plan to obtain a business degree but "dropped out." Presented with the information of Del Palacio's fudged resume, the association's board of directors refused to acknowledge it. Phoenix-area school boards: Shifting focus toward student outcomes 'Integrity and accountability' prevailed, says past president The state association had called Del Palacio a "dynamic and visionary leader," in a news release after he resigned. In its statement about his resignation Monday, the association extended its "best wishes" and appreciation for Del Palacio. It cited accomplishments that include expanding participation in its conferences, creating its first ASBA Women's Leadership Summit and Student Art Contest, and leading ASBA "through a transformative rebranding process, significantly reinforcing its financial stability and positioning it for future growth and success." "Mr. Del Palacio thanks the Board of Directors for providing him with the opportunity to serve ASBA as Executive Director and would also like to express his heartfelt appreciation to the staff and the Arizona school community for their support of ASBAs programs and services during his term," the statement said. Linda Lyon, president of the Oracle School District and one of the past presidents who urged school boards around the state to take action, said the former presidents are "pleased" with the outcome. "You would hope that integrity and accountability would prevail, and today, that's what happened," Lyon said. Arizona school boards past leaders: Seeking probe into executive director's hiring Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X.com @raystern. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Leader of Arizona school boards group resigns after resume controversy A massive home explosion rocked a neighbourhood in Arlington, Virginia on Monday evening after local law enforcement attempted to execute a search warrant. The home, located at the 800 block of North Burlington Street, was being investigated by Arlington County Police Department officers after they received reports of possible shots fired around 4.45pm EST. A preliminary investigation by police indicated a suspect, identified on Tuesday as 56-year-old James Yoo, barricaded himself inside the home and discharged a flare gun approximately 30 to 40 times. Law enforcement officials attempted to make contact with Yoo and obtained a search warrant for the home. Then, just before 8.30pm, the suspect fired rounds from what is believed to be a firearm and the house exploded. Footage captured by a witness showed flames engulfing the home as massive pieces of debris flew through the air. The Arlington County Fire Department quickly responded to the scene and had the fire under control by 10.30pm. Fire and police officials walk around the scene of a house explosion as an Arlington County Fire Department ladder truck sprays water down on the remains of the building on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, in Arlington, Va. (AP) Three officers reported minor injuries due to the explosion though none required transportation to the hospital. Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn said during a press conference on Tuesday that human remains were found inside the home, presuming the suspect is deceased. The office of the Chief Medical Examiner said they would work to positively identify the remains. It is unclear at this time what caused the explosion, Captain Nate Hiner of the Arlington Fire Department told the Associated Press. The Arlington County Police Department, The FBIs Washington, DC and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the incident. Monday nights explosion was so large, that the sound of it could be heard more than 2 miles away. Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington told AP she heard it and went to the scene to see what was happening but police blocked her and others. Ms Rodriguez said she thought a plane exploded due to the sound. Another local, Bob Maynes told the outlet he thought a tree fell on his home when it occurred. It wasnt an earthquake kind of tremor, but the whole house shook, Mr Maynes said. Several homes in the area were evacuated following the explosion. As soon as firefighters controlled the fire and determined there was no risk to surrounding homes, neighbours were allowed back. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Las Vegas police shot a man last week after he allegedly stole a tow truck, led police on a chase, barricaded himself in a home, attempted to leave on a stolen motorcycle, and aimed a gun at SWAT officers, according to police. On Wednesday, Nov. 29, at around 3:30 p.m., a man called 911 to report that someone pointed a gun at a tow-truck driver in the 3200 block of North Nellis Boulevard. Armed suspect steals tow truck, barricades in home, before being shot by police, Metro says The tow truck driver was attempting to tow the suspects vehicle because it was parked on private property, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Asst. Sheriff Jamie Prosser. Police identified the suspect as Cristhyan Vizcarra, 39. Photo of Cristhyan Vizcarra provided by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Vizcarra left in his vehicle before officers arrived on the scene. An LVMPD helicopter found Vizcarra driving recklessly in the area and followed him to the 3000 block of Ringe Lane, where he crashed the vehicle, Prosser said at a briefing. After crashing his vehicle, Vizcarra ran to a nearby tow yard where he stole a tow truck. The helicopter continued to follow him for about 20 minutes. He drove to the area of Sloan Lane and Slice Drive where he left the tow truck in the middle of the road. Vizcarra then ran toward the 5700 block of Sandtrap Court, where he entered a home. The LVMPD surrounded the home and residents were able to get out of the home unharmed, but Vizcarra refused to peacefully surrender, Prosser said. Photo of firearm provided by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Metro police declared it a barricade situation, and SWAT and crisis negotiators were brought to the scene. Vizcarra got in contact with the crisis negotiators, making several suicidal threats and refusing to leave the residence, police said. At around 8:10 p.m., Vizcarra opened the garage door of the home and drove a motorcycle down the driveway. SWAT fired approximately 10 low lethal rounds at Vizcarra, causing him to fall off the motorcycle a few feet off the driveway, Prosser said. A still frame from body-worn camera footage of Wednesdays officer-involved shooting provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Vizcarra then got up and ran through the neighborhood with SWAT officers following behind him. An LVMPD drone followed him to the driveway of a residence in the 5700 block of Baffy Circle. Las Vegas police officer identified after shooting near Nellis, Cheyenne SWAT officers, including Officer Coleman Oswald, 37, approached Vizcarra, telling him several times to drop his gun, Prosser said. Vizcarra then pointed his gun, wrapped in a shirt, toward the officers, which resulted in Oswald firing his weapon three times. Vizcarra fell to the ground and officers began life-saving measures. He was taken to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery. His condition was listed as stable as of Monday. Vizcarra faces the following charges: 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon 2 counts of resisting with a firearm 2 counts of grand larceny auto 1 count felony evading 1 count of possession of a stolen vehicle 1 count prohibited person in possession of a firearm Officer Oswald is assigned to the Homeland Security Special Operations Division, Special Weapons, and Tactics Bureau, according to police. He has been with the department since 2009. He was placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a review of the incident. This is the eighth officer-involved shooting for Metro in 2023. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. LAFOURCHE PARISH, La. (WGNO) A 19-year-old was arrested following an investigation into the death of a man who was hit by a vehicle in Lafourche Parish and later died from his injuries. Louisiana State Police reported troopers arrived at the scene around 2 p.m. on Louisiana Highway 1 near West 54th Street on Wednesday, Nov. 29. There, they learned that Henry Savoie, of Larose, had tried to cross the highway on a bicycle. They said he traveled into the path of a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer and was hit. New Orleans East underground wildfire extinguished, NOFD says According to LSP, he suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital. Troopers later learned that Savoie had died from the injuries. On Tuesday, Dec. 5, LSP officials said Isabelle Nguyen was arrested and charged with hit-and-run driving with serious injury or death. They said the driver of the Chevrolet, Nguyen, didnt contact emergency services and left the scene of the crash. While still at the scene though, troopers were reportedly contacted about a driver nearby who was involved in the crash. When troopers found Nguyen, they said she admitted to driving the vehicle when Savoie was hit. She was booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex. 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. Latest Posts For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. A Texas woman is accusing her sons school district of failing to condemn racism after she says they were subjected to anti-Asian American taunts on the bus, and her older boy had a swastika drawn on his shirt last year. Hai Au Huynh, 45, told NBC News that she feels she has no choice but to speak out publicly after the incidents at Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, just outside Houston. She described how in May of last year, a swastika was drawn on her 11-year-old sons shirt. School officials have continuously refused to honor the familys stay away request for the offending students since, Huynh said. And months earlier, in January, when a student taunted Huynhs sons on the bus coming home from McGown Elementary School chanting [ch*** ch***] wing wong, at her youngest, then 8 officials responded that the words were not motivated by racism. Huynh said she viewed surveillance video from the bus that captured the incident, but was unable to obtain a copy despite requesting it. The school district looked into the incident and a summary of the investigation, seen by NBC News, said that the fourth-grade student was singing a song he presumably heard from TIK TOK with the words ch*** ch***. Rather than acting out of racial motivation, the childs intent was to annoy, the summary said. The 4th grader did not realize the words [ch*** ch***] were considered racist, the summary said. The student can be heard questioning this on the bus video, and during the investigation, he stated that he was unaware. But Huynh said her son tried to stop the behavior. My younger son, who was 8 years old at the time, had told him that this is racist and you need to stop and that child continued to mock him, she said. Student incident reports featuring accounts from her sons, viewed by NBC News, similarly said that the offending child was told that the words were racist. Among the most disappointing conclusions of the districts investigation, Huynh said, was the districts refusal to publicly address and condemn the act. The summary stated that the campus determined their priority was to educate the students, not the community at large. Au Huynh speaks at a board meeting of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Texas. (Cypress-Fairbanks ISD) Huynh said that she feels its critical that the district address racism, given the history of racist incidents that have occurred in the area. For example, the district made headlines in 2017 when a group of seniors posed for their class photo doing a Nazi salute. The school district did not specify what disciplinary measures it took against the students at the time, but in a statement to BuzzFeed News, the district said that appropriate action has been taken. CFISD is extremely disappointed with the actions that were taken by some students at one of our campuses, the district said. Without further action from the district, Huynh said, students of color could feel less welcome. Even if the student doesnt have any racial motivation, he learned these horrible, horrific words from somewhere. And by not addressing this with a larger community that says that you are complicit to his usage, Huynh said. And I said that in my meeting with them. My hope with this is that other families who have experienced this sort of hate are encouraged and supported when they speak out, Huynh said. I think this is how change happens when communities collectively speak out. Neither McGown Elementary School nor the school district returned NBC News request for comment. Huynh said her family found themselves at the center of another concerning incident months later when her older son and his fifth grade peers were signing the backs of one anothers T-shirts at the end of the school year. Huynh said that upon taking off his shirt, her son noticed that someone had drawn a swastika on it. My son knows exactly what the swastika is and represents, she said. He was horrified and quickly scribbled over it because he did not want anyone thinking he drew it and supported it. After the family reported the incident to the school the same day, Huynh said officials went ahead with an investigation within the week and completed it without consulting her son. Shortly afterward, she said she ended up filing an official grievance with the school, calling on them to issue a stay away agreement to prevent the offenders from coming into contact with her son. But neither the elementary school nor Sprague Middle School, where her son and one of the offenders moved onto, enacted the agreement, she said. And she has since filed two additional grievance appeals, participated in three hearings with school officials and spoken about her sons experiences at a board meeting in November, Huynh added. In the districts latest reply to Huynhs grievance appeal, seen by NBC News, a request for the stay-away agreement was denied due to the incident occurring at the end of the 2022-2023 school year and that a safety plan had been put in place at the middle school that included regular check-ins with a counselor and the assurance that Huynhs son wouldnt share a class with the offending students. Sprague Middle School did not return NBC News request for comment. A statement from the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District sent to local outlet ABC13 only stated that the districts leadership had met with the parents. The district also did not say how or if the offending students had been disciplined, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a law that protects the privacy of student education records. If an investigated complaint has an affirmative determination of inappropriate behavior, the campus assigns an appropriate discipline consequence according to the Student Code of Conduct, the district said. Huynhs request to reinstate the districts Resolution Condemning Racism was also denied. The resolution, unanimously passed in 2020 but since scrapped, had in part adopted a No Place for Hate program from the nonprofit Anti-Defamation League, aimed at addressing bias and bullying. In its place is a new character education program. The districts response stated that the elementary school did not have the authority to reinstate the resolution. LauraAnn Novacinsk, principal of McGown Elementary School, did not return NBC News request for comment. Huynh is expected to receive a response to her latest appeal by this week. She said if the district doesnt meet her demands, she will continue fighting, escalating the issue to the Texas Education Agency. At the end of the day, this is a public school, she said. It should be fair and equitable for all of the students, and its not. For more from NBC Asian America, sign up for our weekly newsletter. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The sailors aboard the USS Carney, based in the Red Sea, had a busy weekend one that could have just as easily turned deadly were it not for the professionalism demonstrated on the ship. On Sunday, the Yemen-based Houthi group launched four attacks on international vessels transiting the waterway. Some of the ships were slightly damaged by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-run areas of the country. The USS Carney not only witnessed some of the attacks but also shot down three drones in self-defense as it was responding to a distress call from the civilian ships. The entire episode lasted about five hours in what U.S. Central Command, the U.S. military headquarters in the Middle East, called a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. Advertisement This isnt the first the Houthis, the de facto authorities in Yemen, have flexed their military muscle. The rebel army has periodically fired missiles and launched drones toward Israel, ostensibly in solidarity with Hamas, which is the target of a fierce Israeli military offensive in Gaza. On Nov. 8, the Houthis shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone flying off Yemens coast. And on Nov. 26, two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi territory in the vicinity of the USS Mason, another U.S. warship. A few thousand miles away in Syria and Iraq, the roughly 3,400 U.S. troops based in both countries continue to be on high alert as militia rockets and drones harass their positions. There have been more than 70 such attacks since Oct. 17, prompting President Joe Bidens administration to retaliate at times with precision airstrikes. The most recent U.S. retaliation occurred over the weekend, when a U.S. airstrike in Iraq killed five militants who were preparing to conduct another drone attack against U.S. facilities. The Iraqi government, which the U.S. supports militarily and diplomatically, has denounced similar U.S. strikes in the past as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Advertisement All of this activity is taking place as the 2-month-old war between Israel and Hamas resumes after a short-lived humanitarian truce created a pause in the fighting and allowed for the trading of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. That arrangement fell apart. With resumption of the fighting, there is more mass displacement in Gaza, and additional civilians have been killed. U.S. officials are likely anticipating more drone, rocket and missile attacks on American assets in the Middle East now that the pause is over, increasing the prospect that an American service member will eventually be killed. This is a terrifying scenario for an administration whose priority thus far has been to contain the war in Gaza from spiraling into a regional conflagration. As you might expect, Biden has his critics. Some, particularly hawkish Republican lawmakers, have all but accused the White House of complacency as Iranian-linked proxies take shots at U.S. troops on land and U.S. sailors at sea. Theyre flabbergasted that Biden isnt taking harsher action against the militias and even more dumbfounded that hes petrified of painting a bulls-eye on Irans head. For many of these critics, Iran is ultimately the reason why the region is in such tumult. The answer in their minds: Get tougher with Iran. I would ... send a clear message to Iran (that) if these attacks dont stop immediately, then we will begin to threaten their assets, Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said during a Nov. 26 segment on Fox News. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, was just as emphatic a week later on CNN: I would put more pressure on Iran. Hamas doesnt exist without Iranian help. ... I would go to Iran and say, Listen, you need to tell Hamas to let these hostages go. If you dont, youre going to start paying a heavier price. Do these lawmakers have a point? Is Iran behind every act of violence in the Middle East, as these senators seem to suggest? 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 > If only it were that simple. Theres no disputing that Iran supports many of these nonstate actors militarily and diplomatically. The Houthis, for example, wouldnt have the capability to send medium-range ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel or U.S. Navy ships if it werent for Iranian technological assistance. United Nations investigators have found elaborate Iranian weapons smuggling networks into Yemen, which funnel everything from small arms to missile components. Iraqi Shia militia groups, some of which have been incorporated into the Iraqi army, have extensive relationships with Tehran, so much so that many foreign policy experts presume they are direct arms of the Iranian state. Yet just because the Iranians arm, fund and exert influence with all of these groups doesnt necessarily mean Iran has direct command-and-control over them. This isnt to make excuses for Iran; its to illustrate that client-proxy relationships are complicated affairs, even to the clients and proxies themselves. Indeed, history is full of examples of proxies ignoring advice from their benefactors and making their own decisions. The Houthis, for instance, decided to invade the Yemeni capital despite Iran advising them to hold off. Hamas, commonly regarded as an Iranian proxy, attacked Israel on Oct. 7 without the Iranian government having a clue about the operation. The United States has had trouble with its own proxies as well. The Afghan government, the recipient of hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer money, frequently dismissed Washington whenever it urged Kabul to crack down on corruption within its ranks. U.S.-supported rebels in Syria early in the civil war had their own interests, preferring to fight Syrian dictator Bashar Assad instead of the Islamic State. Advertisement Why does any of this matter? Because sound U.S. policy can be formulated only with accurate information. Commonly held assumptions and emotionalism are terrible replacements. 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. A strong storm system is expected to impact much of the Natural State this upcoming weekend, likely moving in early Saturday morning and moving out by Sunday morning. Though this storm is already several days away, it has already generated a lot of buzz in terms of winter weather. Both GFS and Euro were hinting at some snow accumulations on the backside of the system Saturday night. But latest guidance suggests any winter impacts will be very minimal. That said, the focus of this weather system should be the severe side. During the overnight hours Friday into Saturday, showers and storms will gradually increase. Wind will also ramp up from the south, importing more warm, humid air into the region. The earliest showers and storms should be mostly non-severe, though they may produce some small hail at times along with gusty wind. These should become a bit more widespread through midday as a cold front moves in, pressing the severe risk a bit farther east into the Delta for the afternoon. The highest instability will likely be found across south Arkansas, and perhaps parts of eastern Arkansas early Saturday afternoon. This could result in stronger storms that are more capable of producing large hail, damaging wind and perhaps even tornadoes. The current thinking, however, is that this cold front should move relatively fast. If thats the case, the severe risk may be cut short and perhaps we end up getting rid of the rain sooner than later. But if the front moves through slowly, it would likely prolong the risk into the afternoon across eastern Arkansas. Regardless, the severe risk should be over by Saturday night. At that point, colder air will be spreading across the Natural State. Any moisture that wraps back around the system into northern Arkansas could briefly change over to a few light snow flurries or showers. But due to the fast-moving nature of this system, this should be minimal. As of now, both the European and American forecast models have scaled back on this potential. Stay with the Arkansas Storm Team for updates in the coming days. Download the Arkansas Storm Team app To make sure you are staying up-to-date with the forecast, download the Arkansas Storm Team app to get updates anywhere at any time. To watch the latest video updates from the Arkansas Storm Team, you can check them out here. The Arkansas Storm Team is a collaboration of two stations to bring you the largest weather team in the state when covering Arkansas weather. Be alerted as soon as severe weather coverage begins by downloading the Arkansas Storm Team app from the App Store or on Google Play. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Deported asylum seekers jailed for serious crimes in Rwanda will be returned to the UK under the new treaty signed by James Cleverly on Tuesday. The Home Secretary, who finalised the treaty after arriving in Kigali on an overnight flight, said it would address all issues that saw the Rwanda asylum policy declared unlawful by the Supreme Court and could pave the way for deportation flights. Mr Cleverly said that, because of the safeguards and assurances agreed in the treaty, he could not see any credible reason why the courts would now deem Rwanda an unsafe country for asylum seekers. The safeguards include a legally binding agreement that no asylum seeker deported from the UK will be removed from the central African state other than back to Britain. The assurance is designed to counter the central criticism by the Supreme Court that there was a risk that asylum seekers rejected by Rwanda could be returned to their home countries, where they could face torture or persecution. The Rwandans have also agreed that any migrant relocated to Rwanda will be granted either refugee status, if their application is successful, or permanent citizenship if their claim is rejected. Any asylum seeker convicted of a crime carrying a sentence of more than five years would, however, face revocation of their right to stay in Rwanda and would therefore have to be returned to Britain after serving their sentence. That would also apply to anyone assessed as a threat to national security in Rwanda. Home Office sources maintained that the provision would apply only to a small number of serious offenders and, once returned to the UK, they could still be deported back to their home country provided it was a safe destination. Those from high-risk countries such as Afghanistan, Syria or Yemen would be likely to remain. Under the agreement, Rwanda will also have a veto on which asylum seekers the UK can deport to it. Article four of the treaty states: All transfer requests by the UK shall require approval by Rwanda prior to relocation. It also emerged on Tuesday that migrants deported to Rwanda will be entitled to legal aid, partly funded by the UK, in order to support their asylum claim and any appeals in the African state. It has not yet been agreed how the costs will be shared between the two countries. Under the treaty, all migrants deported to Rwanda will also be entitled to five years support in housing, education, language classes, training and integration. Britain has paid the Rwandan government 140 million since the scheme was agreed in April last year. Mr Cleverly refused to say how much more could be sent to cover any extra costs, but denied any funds had been requested or offered as part of the treaty negotiations. As revealed by The Telegraph, Britain will provide experts seconded to support Rwanda in reforming its asylum system after criticism of flaws within it by the Supreme Court. A special appeals body will be set up to hear individual appeals from migrants whose asylum claims are rejected by the Rwandan asylum system. The body will be composed of independent judges of a mixture of nationalities with experience on asylum and humanitarian protection expertise. The Home Office said this will further bolster assurances that relocated individuals will not be returned. An independent monitoring committee will also be created to ensure that both countries comply with the terms of the treaty. It will assess conditions faced by migrants on arrival in Rwanda, the processing of their asylum claims and their treatment and support for the five-year period following a decision on their application. The committee will be made up of eight independent members, but the Home Office has not yet disclosed who they will be. There will also be a whistleblowing system, allowing migrants to lodge confidential complaints. Developed by the monitoring committee, it will have the power to set out priority areas for monitoring and have unfettered access so migrants can complete assessments and reports. Mr Cleverly refused to guarantee that deportation flights would take off by the next election, but said he saw no reason why they should not. Asked to give assurances on flights by next autumn, he said: We want to see this part of our wider migration plan up and running as quickly as possible. We feel very strongly that this treaty addresses all of the issues of their lordships in the Supreme Court. James Cleverly and Vincent Biruta, the Rwandan foreign minister, shake hands after the treaty signing - Ben Birchall/PA In a joint press conference after signing the treaty, Vincent Biruta, the Rwandan foreign minister, said his country had been unfairly treated by the British courts and suggested internal UK politics may have played a role in the original asylum policy being blocked. Later this week, the Government is expected to publish separate legislation that would put in statute that Rwanda is a safe country for asylum seekers. Under the Rwanda policy, any migrant who arrives in the UK illegally will be eligible for removal to the central African country, where they can then claim asylum. No flights have taken place because of the legal challenges that ended in the Supreme Court judgment declaring the policy unlawful. 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 talk on college campuses earlier this fall was about new rules to protect free speech. Now its about canceling Palestinian support groups and banning the phrase from the river to the sea. The Hamas attack and Israels subsequent invasion of Gaza brought a sharp reversal in the diagnosis of whats wrong with college these days: from too little free speech to too much. What happened? What happened is politics. The war in Gaza has brought into focus the long-standing assumption that Zionism and Judaism are one and the same. In October, the Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center, two notable Jewish organizations, called for university presidents to investigate pro-Palestinian student groups on their campuses. In November, Brandeis University shut down Students for Justice in Palestine, and Columbia University suspended its chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace for the rest of the semester. Advertisement The problem begins when one assumes that the government of Israel speaks on behalf of Jews or Judaism. If that were the case, it would follow that to criticize Israel is to attack Jews. But Israel does not speak on behalf of all Jews or Judaism. [ Seph Mozes: Why Chicago Jews are fighting the genocide of Palestinians ] American politicians often merge Judaism as a tradition or faith community with the government of Israel as a political entity. And, conversely, they indicate that criticism of the Israeli government is, by definition, antisemitic. Several GOP presidential candidates recently stated that they would punish university students who demonstrate against Israel or make statements opposing Zionism. Advertisement As president, Donald Trump expanded the U.S. governments definition of antisemitism to include certain anti-Israel sentiments such as proclaiming that Zionism is racism. President Joe Bidens White House recently announced that the Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights will enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to withhold funds from colleges that fail to protect individuals from antisemitism based on that definition. We are witnessing the emergence of a legal framework in which any criticism of Israel is defined, by default, as anti-Jewish and hateful. Conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism throws the weight of the government behind the idea that criticism of Israel is always antisemitic. It implies that the government of Israel can do no wrong, which is not the case for any human institution. [ Law professors: Universities shifting policies toward speech are not only hypocritical but also illegal ] 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 > Something is wrong here. Indeed, Jewish communities are divided when it comes to attempts to define antisemitism to include criticism of Israel. Many are wary of government attempts to equate anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Kenneth Stern, the lead drafter of the American Jewish Committees working definition of antisemitism and a critic of Trumps 2019 order, explains that there is a debate inside the Jewish community whether being Jewish requires one to be a Zionist. I dont know if this question can be resolved, but it should frighten all Jews that the government is essentially defining the answer for us. There is no room for antisemitism on campus or anywhere else. But to make it illegal for college students to disagree with the government of Israel violates the principle of freedom of speech. Perhaps more importantly, it also distracts us from the real and ongoing harassment and discrimination against dissenters from all backgrounds of U.S. and Israeli actions Muslim, Jewish, Arab and others. As a group of Harvard faculty members wrote recently in a letter criticizing the university president for trying to shut down critique of Israel, There must, however, be room on a university campus for debate about the actions of states, including of the State of Israel. There should be room for college students walking out of their classes in protest and space for State Department officials to raise concerns about U.S. policy without fear of retribution. [ Tyler Michals: The White House and Congress need to reassert authority as staffers break ranks over Israel ] Judaism prides itself on debate and disagreement. Ironically, to censor debates over Zionism forecloses on the possibility that support for Jewish individuals and communities may at times entail opposition to some forms of political Zionism as excessive. Examples include opposition to the expulsion of Iraqi Jews after the creation of Israel, or the current Israeli governments limitations on non-Orthodox forms of Judaism within Israel. It is odd that a country such as the U.S., which loves its religious freedom, is so invested not only in censoring critique of Israel but also in shutting down non- and anti-Zionist expressions of Judaism. Elizabeth Shakman Hurd is a professor and chair of religious studies and a professor of political science at Northwestern University. Advertisement Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Leonard Cures family said they lost their son and their brother twice both times at the hands of those who enforce the law. The first time they lost Cure was about 20 years ago, his mother Mary Cure said Tuesday, when he was convicted of an armed robbery and spent over 16 years of his life in prison for it, only to be found innocent and released. The second time, not long after he was freed, they lost him forever. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels announced at a news conference in Georgia on Tuesday afternoon alongside Cures mother, brothers and sister and the president of the Camden County NAACP the familys intent to sue the Camden County Sheriffs Office deputy who shot and killed Leonard Cure in the southern county, less than an hour north of Jacksonville, on Oct. 16. Cure, 53, was the first man to be exonerated by the Broward State Attorneys Offices Conviction Review Unit. He was released from prison in April 2020 and officially exonerated of the armed robbery in December 2020. Staff Sgt. Buck Aldridge pulled Cure over for speeding on Interstate 95 in the southern Georgia county that morning shortly before 7:30 a.m. A violent struggle ensued, dashboard camera and body-worn camera video released by the Sheriffs Office showed, until Aldridge shot Cure once and he fell to the ground. Crump, who worked on the high-profile civil rights cases of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black citizens whose deaths involved police officers, said Cures family is seeking $16 million for Cures wrongful death a million dollars for every year that Cure was wrongfully held in prison in Florida. They thought that they would have 16 years with him at least after he had been taken from them wrongfully They had just barely got him back, Crump said. Captain Larry Bruce, a spokesperson for the Camden County Sheriffs Office, said in an email shortly before the start of the news conference Tuesday afternoon that the Sheriffs Office has not been provided any document regarding this case. Daniels said the notice of intent was mailed Monday. The state of Georgia requires notices of intent to be filed in cases involving a sheriffs office ahead of the official filing a lawsuit. From the moment Aldridge pulled Cure over until the moment he was taken away on a stretcher, the video showed an intense encounter that quickly escalated. Aldridge exited his patrol vehicle and shouted forcefully at Cure four times to get out of his truck, which Cure complied with. Cure immediately told Aldridge once stepping out, I aint doing s. Less than a minute into their interaction, Aldridge told Cure he would shock him with his Taser if he didnt move to the back of the truck. The body-worn camera video showed Cure, who is Black, walk to the back of his truck as Aldridge, who is white, keeps his Taser pointed at him. Aldridge then called over radio for backup, reporting that Cure was not complying. Stills from dashboard camera footage of Camden County Sheriffs Office Staff Sgt. Buck Aldridge pulling over Leonard Cure for speeding on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. A fight began and Aldridge shot Cure, who died. (Camden County Sheriffs Office/Courtesy) Aldridge ordered Cure to put his hands behind his back because he was under arrest for speeding and reckless driving. Cure kept his hands on the truck and questioned why he would be arrested rather than cited. Aldridge deployed his Taser and shouted at Cure to put his hands behind his back while stunning him. Cure then turned on the deputy, flinging his arms. The fight began on the shoulder of the highway as cars passed. Cure gripped Alrdridges head and upper body during the fight and continued struggling with him after the deputy hit his leg with a baton. The baton appeared to have no effect on Cure. He grabbed Aldridges head while bending over him, forcing the deputy into a backbend. That is when Aldridge shot him. First responders arrived shortly after and started attempting to save Cures life. Aldridge sobbed as they worked on Cure in front of his patrol car, the videos showed. Daniels said at the news conference that Aldridge escalated the encounter. He said Cure had just as much right to stand his ground as the deputy did did when Aldridge shocked him. Leonard complied with him. He told him to put his hands on the back of the truck, and he did. He said turn his head, and he did. He told him to put his hands behind his back, and before Leonard had an opportunity to put his hands up, he tased him, Daniels said. The South Florida Sun Sentinel consulted use-of-force experts to review the videos. They said that Aldridges demeanor from the start of the encounter could have been different, possibly avoiding the deadly use of force, and that the shooting was justified once Cure appeared to overpower the deputy. Deputy previously fired The Georgia Bureau of Investigation began an investigation after Cures shooting and will forward its completed case file to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorneys Office. Bruce, the Sheriffs Office spokesperson, said the deputy remains on administrative leave while the GBIs investigation is pending, as is their policy. Aldridge was hired by the Camden County Sheriffs Office nine months after he was fired from another agency in the county in August 2017 for a traffic stop where he threw a woman to the ground and handcuffed her, The Associated Press reported. The offense Aldridge was fired from the Kingsland Police Department for was his third excessive use of force incident since 2014, according to personnel records obtained by the Associated Press. He said he was fired on his Sheriffs Office job application. Attorneys Crump and Daniels and Cures family said Aldridges history of excessive force should have prohibited him from getting his job in Camden County. If the policies would have been followed, the practices that you lay out in your handbooks would have been adhered to, mother Cure, we would not be here today, Daniels said, turning to Cures mother. But unfortunately, we are here because injustice is afoot in Camden County. A still image from a deputys body camera video provided by the Camden County Sheriffs Office to the Associated Press shows Staff Sgt. Buck Aldridge following a chase and arrest on June 24, 2022. (Camden County Sheriffs Office via AP) Cures brother Michael Cure said his brothers birthday was on Thanksgiving. He said his brother was an exceptional individual who did not deserve what he received in Camden County. I want justice for my brother, and justice for my brother looks like this guy going to jail for at least 16 years, which is what my brother served for doing nothing, he said. Cures exoneration It was a questionable witness identification that tied Cure to the crime for which he lost 16 years of his free life, a review by the State Attorneys Office unit and an outside panel of attorneys said. The identification of Cure was the most contested issue of this case, the CRUs memo said, and the only evidence connecting him to the robbery. A man robbed a Walgreens in Dania Beach at gunpoint on Nov. 10, 2003, and got away with less than $2,000 about 7:30 a.m. But an ATM receipt showed Cure was at a bank about three miles away at 6:52 a.m., and his boss said that Cure was at work by 8 a.m. with no unusual signs, the memo said. Two employees were the only people at the store during the robbery, and one of them struggled to identify Cure, the memo said. Cures first trial resulted in a hung jury. He was convicted at a second trial and sentenced to life in prison in 2004 as a habitual felony offender because of his prior criminal record, including charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, battery on a law enforcement officer or first responder and escape in Miami-Dade County and a cocaine-related charge in Hamilton County. His case was affirmed on appeal four times, the CRUs memo said. After the State Attorneys Office review, Cure was officially exonerated in December 2020. The issues we find most troublesome are those surrounding how Cure became a suspect in the first place, the memo said. Seemingly, a man who had no connection to a Walgreens robbery became the main suspect after someone reviewed photos of well-dressed/neat appearing African American males. That was it. The Legislature this past session approved a claims bill for Cure, awarding him with over $800,000, just a few months before he was killed. This is a developing story, so check back for updates. In remarks from the Senate floor condemning what he called Israels immoral attacks in Gaza, US Senator Bernie Sanders objected to unconditional military aid to Israel requested by President Joe Bidens administration as part of a spending bill up for a vote this week. What the Netanyahu government is doing is immoral, the independent senator from Vermont said on Monday, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israels ongoing bombardments. It is in violation of international law, and the United States should not be complicit in those actions, he added. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer intends to put funding requests which include more than $14bn in aid for Israel as well as $60bn for Ukraine up for a vote on the Senate floor this week. Mr Sanders said it would be irresponsible for the US to provide an additional $10.1bn in unconditional military aid that will allow the Netanyahu government to continue its current offensive military approach, as more than 15,000 people in Gaza have been killed amid Israels ongoing siege and retaliatory military campaign in the wake of Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October. Roughly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, or more than 85 percent of the population, have been displaced, according to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. The senator said Israels indiscriminate approach is offensive to most Americans and urged Israel to dramatically change course. Mr Sanders laid out his proposed conditions to support a package tied to military aid for Israel, including a political process for peace, allowing Gaza residents to return to their homes, a freeze on settlement expansions, and an end to Israels 16-year-long blockade and the killing of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. President Biden has said that conditions for Israeli aid are a worthwhile thought but the administration has largely refused to press the issue. Mr Sanders is not among senators who have explicitly called for a ceasefire. Sixty House members and three US senators have publicly supported calls for a ceasefire in the war, while polls have shown that roughly two-thirds of American voters support a ceasefire. In a letter to House and Senate leaders on Monday, the White Houses Office of Management and Budget warned that the US will soon run out of assistance to Ukraine by the end of the year, a loss that would kneecap Ukraine amid its war with Russia if Congress fails to pass new funding. The presidents $106bn funding package, bundling aid to Ukraine and Israel, will face fierce opposition from Republican lawmakers who have refused ongoing assistance for Ukraine. The administrations package also would include billions of dollars to bolster the US-Mexico border, though its unclear whether thats enough to draw more GOP support. Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a standalone assistance package for Israel. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to address senators by video on Tuesday about whats at stake for his beleaguered country, should that funding fail to advance. Mr Schumer told the chamber that the US cannot afford to put a price on defending democracy in its hour of need, because if Ukraine falls, Putin will keep on going, autocrats around the world will be emboldened, democracy this grand and noble experiment will enter an era of decline. The Berwyn mainstay known as Veseckys Bakery is closing after more than a century of serving up Eastern European baked goods the old-fashioned way. The bakery at 6634 Cermak Road officially announced the closure on Facebook Monday morning. The post said Tuesday would be the bakerys last day. We are so grateful to all of you for your support throughout the many years, the post said. By 9 a.m. Tuesday, owner Nancy Vesecky said the bakery was sold out. Customers had started lining up at 5 a.m., with the bakery opening at 6 a.m., and lines were out the door, Vesecky said. Vesecky and her husband, David Vesecky, took over the family business from his parents in the early 90s, she said. Vesecky herself is Polish, so she said marrying into the family and taking over the bakery was a good fit. As the couple reached retirement age, Vesecky said they thought it was a good time to close the bakery. We want to do some traveling. We want to spend more time with the family and our grandchildren, just get to enjoy life a bit, Vesecky said. I tell everybody I havent been out on a Friday night in over 30 years. The bakery first addressed the closure on Facebook in October in a post that said in part, The rumors are true. We have decided to say goodbye to a significant chapter in our lives and retire. While retirement brings new excitement, the moment is still met with mixed emotions for Vesecky. Its very bittersweet, she said. Its been really hard saying goodbye. Everybodys been so kind. Its been a wonderful time here. Popular specialties found at the bakery over the years included a fruit-filled pastry called a kolacky, a sweet raisin nut bread known as houska a personal favorite of Veseckys and the rye bread. For years customers anticipated the bakerys traditional St. Nicholas cookies at Christmastime. On Fat Tuesday, the start of Lent, customers would line up to get their hands on massive orders of paczki. Were thinking of selling our recipes, Vesecky said. People want us to make a cookbook. Were still deciding on that. You have to remember when we make things, were making it in pounds, quarts, gallons. Well make a couple hundred kolacky at a time. Everything has to be broken down. The fourth-generation bakery first opened in Chicago in 1905, according to a post online by the village of Oak Park, and has been in the Vesecky family ever since. While the bakery held its mainly Czechoslovakian identity through the test of time, the menu had adapted to change, like offering a variety of Mexican cookies and seasonal pastries featuring guava to appeal to the areas growing Latino population. The family bakery moved from Chicago to Berwyn in the 1920s and soon became a habit for customers who were willing to wait in long lines for the breads, cakes, pastries and pies. A customer once told the Tribune that she waited three hours for her baked goods and said, You cant go home empty-handed. sahmad@chicagotribune.com U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power was in Egypt on Tuesday to announce an additional $21 million in humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, including a field hospital. The United States continues to work around the clock to overcome diplomatic and operational hurdles for humanitarian access, present solutions to emerging humanitarian assistance challenges, and significantly scale up this response to where it needs to be, the USAID said in a statement. Power arrived alongside 36,000 pounds of medical supplies, food and winter clothing bound for Gaza. Its the second airlift of humanitarian aid for the enclave after a 54,000-pound shipment last week. Humanitarian leaders have described a dire situation in Gaza, where an Israeli military offensive has displaced a majority of the territorys 2.3 million population from their homes and put nearly all of them in need of aid. 5 things to know as war in Gaza shifts south A World Health Organization official warned Tuesday that the humanitarian situation in southern Gaza is getting worse by the hour, as the Israeli military approaches, adding that we are looking at an increasing humanitarian disaster. The USAID said the $21 million will be used to purchase aid and supplies for about 120,000 people, as well as fund health care services. The department will also partner with a non-governmental organization on a field hospital in Gaza to supplement medical facilities ravaged by conflict and overwhelmed by masses of civilian casualties. With partners throughout the region and across the globe, the United States has been leading efforts to address the grave and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and increase the flow of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, the department said. The Biden administration has pressured the Israeli government to better consider Gaza civilians during its offensive. About 15,900 Palestinians have died in the war so far, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. That significant and rising toll has sparked immense pressure on the Israeli and U.S. governments, as critics say the Israeli military strategy has put too many civilians at risk. On Saturday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that further civilian casualties would only assist Hamas in its war effort. In this kind of a fight, the center of gravity is the civilian population, he said. And if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat. The war in Gaza began in early October after Hamas killed about 1,200 Israelis in a surprise attack on border communities. Fighting resumed Friday after a week-long pause to free nearly half of the approximately 240 hostages believed to be held by Hamas. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Biden on Tuesday called for global condemnation of the use of sexual violence by Hamas against the Israelis, expressing his outrage that the group targeted women and girls. Ending violence against women and sexual assault has been one of the causes of my life but the world cant just look away at whats going on. Its on all of us government, international organizations, civil society and businesses to forcefully condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without equivocation. Without equivocation, without exception, Biden said during a campaign reception in Boston. Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis during its Oct. 7 attacks and took more than 240 hostages. In the aftermath, the prevalence of sexual violence was well documented and more reporting and first-account testimony since then has underscored the gruesome and vicious nature of Hamass use of rape as a weapon of war. We had a report in the earliest days that Hamas used rape to terrorize women and girls during the attack on October the 7th in Israel, Biden said. Over the past few weeks, survivors and witnesses of the attacks have shared the horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty. Reports of women raped repeatedly raped and their bodies being mutilated while still alive of women corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them. It is appalling, he added. His comments come after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre the day prior said Biden finds the use of rape as a weapon of war reprehensible, when she was asked about Rep. Pramila Jayapals (D-Wash.) recent back-and-forth on CNN over the rapes being committed by Hamas fighters. What Hamas did is absolutely reprehensible. And, full stop. Were going to continue to be clear about that. When we think about rape and the use of rape as being used as a weapon, that is also reprehensible, and thats full stop, Jean-Pierre said. There has been widespread criticism over the lack of public outrage about the use of sexual violence by Hamas. More than 80 House lawmakers accused the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women of disregarding Hamass attacks on women specifically in a bipartisan letter last week. Biden on Tuesday also referenced the pause in fighting, which ended Friday, that was intended to get women and girls held by Hamas released. The Biden administration has blamed Hamas for the end in fighting with Israel by refusing to release more women and children. These are civilian women, mostly between the ages of 20 and 39, whom Hamas has refused to let go under the deal that paused the fighting, which I helped negotiate with the Qataris. I spent hours with the Qataris and others to broker, sustain and extend that deal. I got more than 100 hostages out, Biden said. Let me be crystal clear: Hamas refusal to release the remaining young women is what broke this deal and ended the pause in the fighting. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday said Hamas is likely holding back from releasing further civilian women the group kidnapped from Israel to prevent testimony on sexual violence committed against them. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Then-presidential candidate Joe Biden with New Hampshire supporters during a 2020 campaign rally in Hudson, N.H. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) For the record: 7:15 a.m. Dec. 5, 2023: An earlier version of this story said that New Hampshire was traditionally the first presidential nominating contest. It was the first presidential primary. President Biden has forgone campaigning in New Hampshire, but top Democrats actions in recent weeks and Bidens planned visit to neighboring Boston on Tuesday suggest he is still eager to avoid embarrassment in whats traditionally been the countrys first presidential primary. Biden will not appear on the ballot in New Hampshire, which broke Democratic National Committee rules by jumping ahead of South Carolina in the party's new primary calendar. Rule changes Biden's allies pushed through the DNC will ensure the winner of the unsanctioned primary, which is set for Jan. 23, moves no closer to the Democratic nod. But Biden allies, including Rep. Ro Khanna of Fremont, are pushing a write-in campaign for the president in New Hampshire anyway. Top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, have been making Biden's case to New Hampshire Democrats in person. And on Tuesday, the president came within 40 miles of the state he's supposedly ignoring when traveled to nearby Boston for a fundraising blitz that made headlines across the Granite State. Biden and his allies' actions reflect the reality that although New Hampshire's primary is unrecognized by the DNC, it will still serve as a first test for an incumbent president facing strong electoral headwinds, including sagging poll numbers among young people and voters of color. In a trio of campaign fundraisers, Biden laid out the case for his reelection, repeatedly emphasizing that former President Trump, the leading GOP contender, was a direct threat to democracy. "Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy," he told a group of donors. "If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running. But we cannot let him win, for the sake of the country." He briefly mentioned New Hampshire as he talked about the threat to reproductive rights, which has been a galvanizing issue for Democrats since last year's Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Referring to "radical bans all across America," Biden pointed to four New Hampshire Republicans who proposed a bill earlier this week that would ban abortion at 15 days' gestational age. To avoid the sting of humiliation, Democratic elected officials, party leaders and activists have spent the past several weeks encouraging voters to write in Biden's name on the New Hampshire ballot, firmly ensconcing the incumbent president in a contest that's no longer supposed to matter. In late November, Biden allies went further, launching Granite for America, a super PAC dedicated to the write-in effort that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, according to Federal Election Commission filings. On Thursday, Khanna held a conference call to rally New Hampshire organizers, state lawmakers, community leaders and labor leaders to aid the president's reelection campaign despite his absence from the ballot. "Even though some [New Hampshire Democrats] were not happy with the process, they understand the stakes," he said. "They care about a good turnout and I care that we get the message out for the president and he has a good showing because I think it will set the momentum for the rest of the campaign." Khanna, who debated GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy at St. Anslem Colleges New Hampshire Institute of Politics in early November, has twice visited the politically important state over the last year. He said state party officials have invited him to return to turn out Biden voters. At the New Hampshire Democrats' annual Eleanor Roosevelt dinner on Friday, during which Jeffries made the case for Biden, the pro-write-in group passed out "write in Joe Biden" stickers and lawn signs to guests. U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Biden's most high-profile Democratic challenger, is among the 21 names listed on the New Hampshire ballot, along with self-help author Marianne Williamson. Phillips and Williamson have spent a considerable amount of time campaigning for what could only amount to a symbolic victory. Phillips' campaign manager is former Andrew Yang campaign chief Zach Graumann, who was credited with attracting media attention to Yang's quixotic 2020 primary campaign. Phillips has also received outside help from veteran GOP strategist Steve Schmidt, who is expected to launch a Super PAC supporting him. Williamson's campaign manager, Carlos Cardona, is the former chair of the Laconia, N.H., Democrats, and has ties to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Biden's main opponent four years ago. The unofficial primary offers a great chance for New Hampshire Democrats to test campaign messaging, increase turnout, recruit poll workers and prove that the DNC was wrong to push the state out of the first spot on the calendar, local party leaders and strategists argue. Some New Hampshirites still feel the DNC is punishing them for Sanders' wins there in 2016 and 2020, and that party leaders "don't like the free-thinking voters of New Hampshire, which is exactly what makes New Hampshire special," New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley argued. The write in offers a "really great opportunity for Democrats," said Lucas Meyer, a long-time Democratic political strategist in the state. "To use the write-in as an opportunity to get party activists and local committees trained up on how to talk about the campaign I think thats the best way to stick it to the DNC. Strategists and experts have compared Biden to former President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Democratic incumbent who overlooked New Hampshire in 1968, only to narrowly defeat a challenge from U.S. Sen. Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota (Johnson won 49% of the vote compared with McCarthy, who won 42%). Johnson dropped out of the race a few weeks later. But Biden is helped by the lack of serious Democratic competition, according to Dante Scala, political science professor at the University of New Hampshire. "For Biden, in some ways I think he would rather see the whole primary go by as quietly as possible," Scala said. "There are really large concerns about Bidens age and so forth among Democrats, no question about it. If there was a serious alternative, it would be a different sort of race. Former state Democratic Party chair Kathy Sullivan, who helped organize the write-in effort and launch the super PAC, said she was "mad if not madder than other people" about Biden's snub, but said the grassroots effort was more about preventing Trump from returning to the White House. "You have to put aside your anger and frustration at the process and say, Whats the best way of keeping Trump out of the White House, or some other MAGA-type person? Thats to reelect Joe Biden.' Hes our guy and hes done a good job," Sullivan told The Times. "One thing you hear a lot from the write-in Biden people is 'Dont cut your nose off to spite your face,'" she said. "This is about the future of our democracy, the future of our country, so suck it up and do what the best thing is for the county, the best thing is for democracy and frankly the best thing is for the New Hampshire primary." Still, sitting presidents who faced strong insurgent rivals from their own parties have failed to retake the White House since 1968, Sullivan said. Johnson's drop-out ultimately led to Richard Nixon's victory. Gerald Ford fended off a challenge from Ronald Reagan in 1976, Jimmy Carter from Ted Kennedy in 1980, George H.W. Bush from Pat Buchanan in 1992 three elections in which the incumbents ultimately lost. For Biden, there can be no margin of error in what's expected to be a 2020 rematch. Thats a danger here," Sullivan said. "That's why the write-in is important." Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Biden administration announced $3 billion in funding Tuesday for the Brightline West rail project, covering a quarter of the cost for a high-speed rail line planned to run from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. A bipartisan group of lawmakers from Nevada and California have pushed for the federal grant for months, pitching Brightline West as a needed economic driver. This historic high-speed rail project will be a game changer for Nevadas tourism economy and transportation, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) said in a statement. Itll bring more visitors to our state, reduce traffic on the I-15, create thousands of good paying jobs, and decrease carbon emissions, all while relying on local union labor. The $3 billion grant is funded from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Rosen said. Brightline, the only private passenger rail company operating high-speed service in the country, requested $3.75 billion for the project out of an estimated $12 billion cost. The company launched a high-speed Orlando to Miami service, the first of its kind, earlier this year. Advocates hope the project can better connect Las Vegas to California with cheaper transportation, relieve traffic and cut emissions. About 16 million people drive from Las Vegas toward Southern California on Interstate 15 every year through the Mojave Desert. Brightline estimates that the rail connection would eliminate 3 million car trips annually. The Brightline West project is planned to run from a new station near the Las Vegas Strip to Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where it would link with Los Angeless existing regional rail system. The trip would take just under 3 hours. Trains will travel as fast as 180 miles per hour and carry about 500 passengers as frequently as every 45 minutes, according to Brightline. It is scheduled to be constructed by 2027, just in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. President Biden will be in Las Vegas on Friday, where he will likely announce the project. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE PHOTO: Reception at the White House ahead of the 46th Kennedy Center Honors gala By Nandita Bose BOSTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Hamas had repeatedly raped women and mutilated their bodies during its Oct.7 assault on southern Israel, citing survivors and witnesses of the attacks. Speaking at a political fundraiser in Boston, Biden said accounts of "unimaginable cruelty" had been shared over the past few weeks. "Reports of women raped repeatedly raped and their bodies being mutilated while still alive, of women's corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them. It is appalling," Biden said. The president called on international organizations, civil society and individuals to condemn sexual violence "without exception." Israeli police are investigating possible sexual crimes by some of the few hundred people that they arrested after the Oct. 7 attack. Israel's justice ministry has said "victims were tortured, physically abused, raped, burned alive, and dismembered." In a statement on its Telegram channel, Hamas said it denounced Biden's "attempt to falsely accuse" its fighters of committing sexual violence and rape on Oct. 7. The Islamist group said Biden was joining Israel's effort to cover up war crimes in Gaza committed with U.S. support and to mislead public opinion. Israel held an event at the United Nations in New York on Monday focused on sexual violence against women during the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has been critical of the world body's response to the attacks. "As a global community we must respond to weaponized sexual violence, wherever it happens, with absolute condemnation. There can be no justification and no excuses. Rape as a weapon of war is a crime against humanity," former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the event in a pre-recorded video. On Tuesday, Biden blamed Hamas for the collapse of a truce last week that had halted Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Gaza, saying the militant group's "refusal to release the remaining young women is what broke this deal". Israel and Hamas have accused each other of wrecking negotiations to extend the week-long pause in fighting, which resumed on Dec. 1. Since then, Israeli forces have expanded their ground operations on Hamas-run Gaza and stormed its main southern city. Gaza health officials say 16,248 people have been killed in Israel's attacks. Hamas fighters who rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7 killed 1,200 people and seized 240 hostages, according to Israel's tally. More than 100 hostages were freed during the truce. During the fundraiser, Biden said: "Everyone still being held hostage by Hamas need to be returned to their families immediately. We're not going to stop." (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Boston and Michelle Nicholas at the UN; Additional reporting by Moaz Abd-Alaziz in Dubai; Editing by Rami Ayyub and Rosalba O'Brien) A house is decorated with holiday lights near 84th Street and Martin Luther King Drive in the Chatham neighborhood on Dec. 2, 2023. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune) Weve often heard how Chicago is a tale of two cities, and thats true, in ways big and small. That reality is visible literally during the holidays. North Side neighborhoods teem with fancy lights and festive displays on both public and private property. On many South and West Side blocks, youd be hard-pressed to find evidence the holidays were approaching, if you didnt know the time of year. Advertisement Thats partly why the initiative of Jahmal Cole, founder of the nonprofit My Block, My Hood, My City, to bring lights and decorations to South Side neighborhoods this season is so welcome. The group is providing displays to homes along King Drive as part of its drive, as well as some West Side homes. A 20-foot-high Christmas tree along the South Side boulevard stands as a cheerful beacon for all to enjoy, thanks to their efforts. Advertisement A Tribune story detailing what sounded like a joyful and moving day for families at Park Manor Christian Church on 73rd Street is well worth reading in its entirety if youre looking for some seasonal inspiration. And who among us isnt in the market for that, given the well-documented challenges our city is facing? Cole is right when he says that light at this time of year can do more than lift a few spirits. Decorated and well-lighted communities not only make our lives brighter, but they even can increase safety. Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune) The adage for this time of year is right: You get so much more from giving than you do from receiving. When kids see the lights and toys that come with these displays, its inspiring hope and interrupting trauma, Cole says. Notice the word interrupting. The problems that come with growing up in tough neighborhoods cant be eradicated so easily. But hope can build on itself, too. And in the meantime, this is a season most especially made for kids. This is a very simple initiative but an inspired idea, nonetheless. Bravo to Cole and his volunteers for making young lives brighter. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. (Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Reid Hoffman gave $250,000 to a super political action committee supporting Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, according to an adviser for the LinkedIn Corp. co-founder. Most Read from Bloomberg Hoffman joins several other billionaires who have historically donated to Democrats, including JPMorgan Chase & Co.s Jamie Dimon and investor Bill Ackman, who have expressed support for the former South Carolina governor in recent weeks. Dmitri Mehlhorn, who advises Hoffman on politics, confirmed the donation, which was first reported by the New York Times. Haley, a former United Nations ambassador, has gained support in recent weeks from major donors looking for a Republican alternative to former President Donald Trump, who currently leads the field by a wide margin. Hoffmans political team inquired if the super PAC, SFA Fund Inc., would accept money from them given Hoffmans affiliation with Democrats and his ongoing support for Biden, Mehlhorn said in a statement. The group said it did not have a problem with the donation and is open to building a wide coalition, he added. SFA Fund Inc. did not respond to a request for comment. Hoffman was the 25th biggest donor in the 2020 election cycle, giving $14.6 million, according to OpenSecrets, all in support of Democratic candidates. This cycle, hes given $759,600 to the Biden Victory Fund, which raises money for the presidents campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties. Hes also given $4 million to the Republican Accountability PAC, which has aired ads in Iowa urging voters to turn away from Trump. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A biography of late civil rights pioneer and former Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), which will draw upon hundreds of interviews and classified documents and files, is in the works. Publishing company Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday that historian David Greenbergs John Lewis: A Life is scheduled for release in fall 2024, according to Associated Press. Simon & Schuster said the book will present an a comprehensive, authoritative life of John Lewis, from his extraordinary contributions to the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s to his emergence as the conscience of the Congress and national icon. Greenberg, a professor of history and journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, will use Lewiss FBI files and material from an unfinished project by Lewiss friend and fellow activist, Archie Allen, the AP reported. In a statement, Greenberg said he began writing Lewiss story while the civil rights pioneer was still alive and received his approval for it. Obviously I admired John Lewis at the start of this project, Greenberg said in a statement. But in the course of it I came to see him as a more complicated person than his public image, and also as a more pragmatic and canny politician than I think most people realized. Greenberg has also written Nixons Shadow: The History of an Image and Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency. Lewis, 80, died in July 2020 after battling pancreatic cancer for nearly a year. The Hill has reached out to Simon & Schuster for comment and more information. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Black Pasadena, California, cop is suing her department after she claims she experienced retaliation and discrimination while on the job. The lawsuit filed by Taisyn Crutchfield outlined an encounter that happened after the January fatal shooting of Charles Towns, a Black man, involving deputies from the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, CBS News and KTTV reported. Taisyn Crutchfield claims she faced racial discrimination while working at the Pasadena Police Department. (Photo: Fox 11/YouTube screenshot) A month later, police responded to a call regarding Towns two children, one of whom was upset over their fathers recent death at the hands of law enforcement. According to the reports, one of the colleagues allegedly put one of the sons face near a cactus-like plant. Sixteen-minute body camera footage released by the department in June shows Crutchfield subtly shoving the officer, going back and forth with one of the people at the scene. Officer Taisyn Crutchfield fortunately followed state-wide police training and intervened to de-escalate the situation. Officer Crutchfield deserved a commendation for her swift and heroic action, avoiding needless violence, a press release from Crutchfields attorney said, the outlet reported. Instead, she was relieved of duty and punished. Our lawsuit is about righting the wrong that Officer Crutchfield has suffered from. The sergeant instructed Crutchfield to go back to the station, and she was placed on paid administrative leave without an explanation, per the reports. However, Crutchfield, who has both a bachelors and masters degree in criminology, was able to return to her position. The filing also reportedly highlights an alleged racist culture inside the department, including those who used slurs but were still given promotions. Her father spoke on her behalf at a press conference on Friday, saying Crutchfield wanted to be an officer to bridge that gap that exists all over America between police departments and inner-city communities. In a statement to KKTV, the city of Pasadena opposed Crutchfields claims, claiming it would be vindicated. The City will vigorously defend itself in this matter and the facts will prevail, the statement said. The Pasadena Police Department proudly serves the residents of Pasadena with honor and integrity, and is proud of its diversity throughout all ranks of the Department. In addition to her academic achievements, Crutchfield is a decorated NCAA track star and plans to run for Miss Oregon next year. Pasadena is about 10 miles from Los Angeles. (Bloomberg) -- Russias four-week average seaborne crude exports fell to the lowest in three months, with storms in the Black Sea disrupting shipments for a third week. Loading activities remained sluggish at the port of Novorossiysk even after they restarted on Nov. 30. Most Read from Bloomberg About 3.04 million barrels a day of crude were shipped from Russian ports in the four weeks to Dec. 3, tanker-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg show. That was down by 125,000 barrels a day from the revised figure for the period to Nov. 26. The more volatile weekly average also fell. The OPEC+ group of oil producers, jointly led by Russia and Saudi Arabia, met virtually on Nov. 30 to set output targets for the first part of next year. Several members of the group agreed to make further production cuts during the first quarter after Saudi Arabia said it would prolong its unilateral one-million-barrel-a-day supply reduction. Click here for an interview with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman following the OPEC+ meeting Russia will deepen its oil export cuts to 500,000 barrels a day below their average May-June levels during the first quarter of next year. The cuts will be shared between crude shipments, which will be reduced by 300,000 barrels a day, and refined products, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. For the rest of 2023, the reduction is set at 300,000 barrels a day, spread across both crude and refined products in undefined proportions. That complicates assessments of whether Russia is meeting its commitment to its OPEC+ partners. The figure for weekly flows fell sharply. Using this measure, shipments dropped to 2.74 million barrels a day, down by about 500,000 barrels a day from the revised figure for the period to Nov. 26. Weekly shipments were the lowest in 15 weeks. Russias oil processing in the last week of November showed the deepest weekly decline since late August amid lower processing at several refineries. One of the hardest hit was Rosneft PJSCs Tuapse refinery on the Black Sea coast. The plant, which sends the bulk of its oil-products abroad, lowered processing rates amid a halt in operations at regions ports last week due to the storms. The Kremlins weekly revenues from oil export duties fell, hit by a combination of lower flows and a reduced duty rate for December shipments. 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 Dec. 3 fell to 3.04 million barrels a day. That was down from a revised 3.16 million barrels a day in the period to Nov. 26. Shipments were about 550,000 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 2.58 million barrels a day in the four weeks to Dec. 3, down from a revised 2.66 million barrels a day in the period to Nov. 26. Thats the lowest since August. About 1.23 million barrels a day of crude was loaded onto tankers heading to China in the four weeks to Dec. 3. 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 790,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Dec. 3. 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 475,000 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 52,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Dec. 3, 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 Dec. 3. Flows to Bulgaria, now Russias only European market for crude, fell to about 42,000 barrels a day in the most recent four-week period, its lowest since April 2022. The disruption to flows from Novorossiysk hit shipments across the Black Sea. Exports to Turkey were unchanged at about 420,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Dec. 3. 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 slumped to $67 million in the seven days to Dec. 3. Thats the lowest since September. Meanwhile four-week average income fell by $3 million to $75.5 million. The duty rate for November was 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 set another new high for the year. The rate for December is $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 19.2 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to Dec. 3, vessel-tracking data and port agent reports show. Thats down by about 3.5 million barrels from the revised figure for the previous week. There were no shipments from Novorossiysk, with storms continuing to hamper activity at the port for a third week. Loading activities resumed on Nov. 30, but still appear to be running slowly. 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. Two cargoes of KEBCO were loaded at Ust-Luga and one 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, Dec. 12. 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. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A 2-year-old Labrador retriever named Blue is the newest rookie to join the Sacramento Regional Transit team. The bomb-sniffing K-9, who joined RT this spring, works as the agencys resident explosive devices detector on trains, at stations and in SacRT facilities, RT said in a Monday blog post. Blue and his partner, Officer Ryan Chapman, are part of the agencys safety and security team. That includes team members who monitor the RT system via camera feeds at RT Security Operations Center inside a Sacramento Police Department facility, according to the post. Their job is to make its facilities safer as part of the agencys partnership efforts with the Federal Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration, according to the post. Hes the happiest dog in the world, Chapman said of Blue. He loves to come to work. We have such a bond. I cant imagine being without him. Who is new K-9 at Sacramento Regional Transit District? Before Blue landed his job at RT, the chocolate lab was in an overcrowded animal shelter in Merced County, according to the post. He was about to be euthanized when Labs 2 Love, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing Labrador retrievers and Labrador retriever mixes, found him. No one was taking him, Karen Robles of Labs 2 Love said. He was too exuberant and excited, but hes a super neat dog, obedient and friendly. After Labs 2 Love rescued Blue, the nonprofit got a call from the Sacramento Police Department, which was looking for a new dog. What makes Labrador retriever a good bomb-sniffing dog? Tests showed that Blue has a characteristic common to bomb-sniffing dogs. They have to be crazy about toys, Chapman explained in the post. Finding explosives is, to them, a game of finding a toy. Its basically hide and seek. After Blue got the job he showed solid bomb-sniffing skills, the post said. While doing a sweep, Blue detected a box that, when tested, showed evidence that it had previously contained fireworks. Blue passed his exam this year and received his sniffing certificate, the post said. Blue now works 40 hours a week alongside Chapman and shares a home with his partner. He took over the K9 position at the district from Waverly, a yellow lab dog who retired in early 2023. It worked out great for him, it worked out great for us, and for the public, Chapman said in the post. Were helping keep the public safe. 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. In a surprising development in the program, Boeing has reportedly been dropped from the competition to build a successor to the U.S. Air Forces E-4B Nightwatch Doomsday Plane. If true, the latest move would appear to leave the door wide open for Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to provide the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) that will supersede the E-4B, which is based on a Boeing 747-200 airframe. However, the new aircraft platform will almost certainly still be a Boeing product . According to a recent report from Reuters, Boeing told the news agency that the Air Force has eliminated it from the SAOC competition. Valued at over $8 billion over the next five years, a contract award for SAOC is expected in early 2024. Editor's note: Boeing has confirmed they are no longer competing for the contract. See the update at the bottom of the post. Personnel at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, move an E-4B Nightwatch command and control aircraft out of a hangar. U.S. Air Force This would appear to leave the privately owned SNC as the only company still in contention for SAOC. The Air Force would not confirm or deny to Reuters whether or not any other firms were now involved. We cannot discuss an active source selection and detailed program information is classified, an Air Force spokesperson told the news agency. Two unnamed sources meanwhile confirmed to Reuters the apparent reason why Boeing the original manufacturer of the E-4B, and the 747 airliner on which its based was out of the running. Namely, Boeing and the Air Force were unable to come to an agreement on data rights and contract terms, with the U.S. plane-maker refusing to sign onto any fixed-price agreement that locks it into paying costs above an agreed limit. A KC-46A tanker and an E-4B flying above Southern California during an aerial refueling trial. U.S. Air Force In a statement provided to the news agency, Boeing said: We are approaching all new contract opportunities with added discipline to ensure we can meet our commitments and support the long-term health of our business. In a comment seemingly at odds with it being eliminated from the SAOC competition, the company added: We remain confident our SAOC approach is the most comprehensive, technically mature, and lowest-risk solution for the customer and Boeing. If Boeing is really out of the competition, it seems likely that the companys relatively terrible experience with previous fixed-price agreements was a critical factor in the decision. This year alone, Boeings defense unit has reportedly lost $1.3 billion on fixed-price development efforts, including the high-profile VC-25B Presidential Airlift Replacement program, which you can read more about here . Other programs include the T-7 trainer, KC-46 tanker, MQ-25 carrier-based tanker drone, and MH-139 support helicopter, all of which have cratered profitability. Stretching back to 2014, the company has lost $16.3 billion on fixed-price programs. An artists concept of the Air Forces future VC-25B presidential aircraft. U.S. Air Force In October this year, in an apparent effort to reassure its investors, Boeings chief financial officer, Brian West, confirmed that the company had not signed any more fixed-price development contracts, nor would it in the future. Expected to reach the end of its service life in the early 2030s, the four E-4Bs, also known as National Airborne Operations Centers, or NAOCs, primarily serve as a robust and survivable airborne command post from which the President of the United States can launch a nuclear strike, via a mechanism known as the National Command Authority (NCA). As well as forming an essential part of the continuity of government plans that ensure national-level authorities can still function in even the most serious crises, the E-4Bs can be used to direct other major military operations or the response to other significant contingencies, including large-scale natural disasters if required. An E-4B Nightwatch aircraft takes off from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Skovo Normally, a single E-4B will shadow the President when they fly on one of the VC-25A Air Force One aircraft overseas. They are also used for transporting the Secretary of Defense on foreign trips. For a full account of the E-4B and its missions, take a look at this past War Zone article . Even though Boeing is now supposedly out of the picture for the SAOC program, all signs point to the fact that the E-4Bs successor will also be based on a 747 airframe, with multiple reports that a four-engine type is favored . The only other realistic four-engine option would be an Airbus design, but a used A380 platform seems very unlikely to gain support, not least in terms of security and political considerations. Major operational and airfield access issues would also be an issue with that type. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl0d7X0yNWY As long ago as 2017, there were signs that the Air Force was interested in another 747-based platform for the SAOC. At that point, it emerged that the service, together with the U.S. Navy, was exploring a possible common replacement aircraft for the E-4B, as well as the E-6B Mercury and C-32A types. Then, in 2021, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Centers (AFLCMC) Presidential Airlift Directorate, which is overseeing the SAOC effort, issued a contracting notice that specified: The Government intends to continue to pursue a full and open acquisition strategy for the entire weapon system using a very large platform. As we discussed at the time , that would appear to rule out all but a 747 airframe. Tellingly, SNCs new maintenance, repair, and overhaul hangar inaugurated in Dayton, Ohio, in August this year is sized to accommodate a 747-8. It covers an area of around 90,000 square feet. The more modern 747-8 would be the very likely candidate for SAOC, with this same type already having been chosen by Boeing for its VC-25B Presidential Airlift Replacement program. In August this year, Aviation Week reported that SNC had already selected the airframes that it would convert under the SAOC program. Although no more details were forthcoming, suitable 747 airframes would have to be second-hand, with the production line having shut down late last year. https://twitter.com/BoeingAirplanes/status/1600371756627554319 Securing the SAOC contract would be an enormous coup for SNC, but the company is increasingly making efforts to move in on the kinds of programs that were once the preserve of the 'prime' contractors like Boeing. SNC has also teamed up with Collins Aerospace to compete as a subcontractor for the U.S. Navys future E-XX aircraft , which will provide airborne strategic command and control support for Americas ballistic missile submarines a mission also known as the TACAMO or Take Charge And Move Out. It also appears certain that SAOC will provide a fleet bigger than the current four E-4Bs, with eight to 10 aircraft having been mentioned in the past and the possibility for even more beyond that. A larger fleet could become especially important if, as some have argued , the SAOC fleet also takes on the Looking Glass mission . This involves maintaining communications with the Air Forces intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and bomber units. While currently performed by the Navys E-6B Mercury fleet, the requirement has apparently been dropped from its successor, the E-XX. A U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury TACAMO aircraft. U.S. Navy Configuring 747s for SAOC is also a logical continuation of the kind of work SNC has undertaken in the past , including on behalf of the Air Forces Big Safari office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, which manages various special mission aircraft programs. In particular, SNC has gained expertise in data and communication modifications, which will be at the heart of SAOC requirements. Indeed, SNC has become a big name in special mission aircraft integration, though SAOC would still be a larger project for the firm. At this stage, details around the SAOC program, including source selection remain classified. But the signs are that Boeing is now out of the competition, potentially leaving the path clear for Sierra Nevada Corporation to emerge victorious. With a decision due early next year, we likely wont have to wait that long to see if thats the case. UPDATE: From a Boeing spokesperson to The War Zone confirming the company is no longer competing for the SAOC contract: We are approaching all new contract opportunities with added discipline to ensure we can meet our commitments and support the long-term health of our business. We remain confident our SAOC approach is the most comprehensive, technically mature and lowest-risk solution for the customer and Boeing. Our proposal is based on 60 years of military commercial derivative aircraft knowledge and experience including the design, development, and sustainment of the E-4B Nightwatch, which currently serves the national security command and control mission. Contact: thomas@thedrive.com Every other day or so, Miriam Cruz drops in on her neighbor, Juan Prieto. Cruz, a native of Puerto Rico, and Prieto, who is from the Mexican state of Jalisco, are residents at Arbor Creek Senior Apartments, an affordable housing complex in south Sacramento. Prieto, 80, was widowed some years ago and lives alone. So Cruz, 71, who once worked as a food service manager for a school, goes by Prietos place to check on his well-being and fix him a midday meal that can last until the next visit. She likes to make yellow rice with olives and pimentos for Prieto. I look out for him because I dont want things to happen to him like some of our neighbors that weve lost. They were gone for several days before we actually found that they (had died), said Cruz. Elk Grove Food Bank Services is looking out for these seniors, too. The organization provides food each month at this complex and others in Elk Grove and south Sacramento. It is seeking $7,500 from The Sacramento Bees Book of Dreams project to purchase an assortment of cooking supplies, including a portable cooktop and two collapsible wagons, to supplement its food deliveries with mobile cooking classes for seniors. The food bank offered these kinds of classes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and would now like to resume them, said Leigh Cobb, program manager for the organization. Its about helping seniors to eat better. We definitely want to help them with simple, easy ways to make good nutritious meals, Cobb said. Arbor Creek Family Apartments resident, Connie Casias gathers her share of groceries at a distribution by the Elk Grove Food Bank Services on Nov. 21. Cooking is on the menu The idea is that when the food bank rolls up to do a distribution at a place like Arbor Creek, seniors will have information on how to prepare unfamiliar items. And using every last item in their food cart could be more valuable now with Social Security and CalFresh benefits often limited. A lot of our seniors are food insecure, said Vanessa Brown, program coordinator for the food bank. A lot of them, unfortunately, dont get enough money. An added benefit is exposing people to the great variety of California produce. If eggplant is in season, sometimes people dont know how to cook eggplant, Brown said. So we want to be able to showcase how seniors can use those items. Food insecurity isnt limited to seniors, of course. The food bank recently held a drive-thru, pre-Thanksgiving food giveaway in the parking lot of an Elk Grove church. Even with rain and wind, a line of cars with people of all ages slowly made its way through the parking lot. Before the pandemic, we were serving about 5,000 (people) each month, said Valerie Erwin, community outreach manager for the food bank. During the pandemic we went up to about 10,000 a month. Now, were serving close to 16,000 and 17,000 every month. Elk Grove Food Bank Services volunteers Ron Witt, left, and Joe Allen, pack up bags of food that will be delivered to seniors at the Arbor Creek Family Apartments on Nov. 21. The food bank wants to restart its mobile cooking classes for seniors with donations from Book of Dreams. Helps socially Seniors make up about 25% of the groups beneficiaries, said Marie Jachino, the food banks executive director. The idea of creating cooking classes for seniors has buy-in from local officials, including Elk Grove Vice Mayor Kevin Spease, who was on hand for the church parking lot distribution. It helps people understand better ways that they can cook basic staples, which are less expensive, Spease said. At the same time, as theyre in these classes, theyre also having opportunities to interact with others, so it helps out socially as well. At Arbor Creek, there isnt unanimous interest in the cooking classes. Rajendra Singh, 73, said a Sacramento County workerprepares food for him as he recovers from a recent triple bypass surgery, that he knows how to cook and used to cook all kinds of food before his surgery. Others were more interested, though, including Connie Casias, 63, a former Arco Arena food service worker who moved to Arbor Creek in March 2020. The food bank prides itself in part on providing food for people from different backgrounds and, for Casias, this could help make the classes worthwhile. I would love to learn about other ethnicities, the different food from maybe like Europe, she said. Arbor Creek Family Apartments resident, Mariam Cruz, gathers groceries donated by the Elk Grove Food Bank Services on Nov. 21. The organization asks Book of Dreams readers for donations to resume mobile cooking classes for seniors. Shes a lot of help to me Cruz said she would love to help with a cooking classes. She acted as a Spanish interpreter for Prieto, who speaks limited English. Prieto also expressed interest in the cooking class. That way he can do something, Cruz said, after hearing Prietos answer in Spanish. Prieto clearly appreciated what Cruz is doing for him, saying in English as the interview was wrapping up, Shes a lot of help to me. But for the times that people like Cruz arent available, these classes might just keep Prieto and others from going hungry. Book of Dreams The request: Elk Grove Food Bank Services asks for help to resume mobile cooking classes for seniors. The cost: $7,500. Donate now To claim a tax deduction for 2023, donations must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2023. All contributions are tax-deductible and none of the money received will be spent on administrative costs. Partial contributions are welcome on any item. In cases where more money is received than requested for a given need, the excess will be applied to meeting unfulfilled needs in this Book of Dreams. Funds donated in excess of needs listed in this book will fulfill wishes received but not published and will be donated to social service agencies benefiting children at risk. The Sacramento Bee has verified the accuracy of the facts in each of these cases and we believe them to be bona fide cases of need. However, The Bee makes no claim, implied or otherwise, concerning their validity beyond the statement of these facts. Boris Johnson faces two days of uncomfortable questions from the COVID-19 Inquiry this week. (Zuma Press/Alamy) Boris Johnson is set to appear before the COVID-19 Inquiry, where he is expected to apologise for mistakes made during the pandemic - including over the government's speed at reacting to the outbreak. It is likely to be uncomfortable for the former PM, who will be grilled for two days - Wednesday and Thursday - over his role in leading the government's coronavirus response during the early days of the pandemic. Johnson's attitude to lockdowns, including his desire to protect the economy and ability to follow his own rules, are likely to be among the questions he will be posed. Boris Johnson, pictured last month, is expected to apologise during his COVID grilling. (Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire) How can I watch the COVID Inquiry live? The inquiry is being livestreamed with a three-minute delay on YouTube. Johnson's appearance will also likely be streamed on the BBC and Sky News. What will Boris Johnson be asked about COVID and Partygate? The COVID Inquiry is split into modules, and each module into parts. The current module of the COVID Inquiry is module 2, and Johnson will be asked questions about the government's response to coronavirus during the early days of the pandemic. Johnson, pictured with wife Carrie in 2020., was fined during COVID for breaking his own lockdown rules. (Alamy) Uncomfortable questions likely to be put to the former prime minister include whether he took the threat of COVID seriously enough at the beginning of the pandemic. A former official told the inquiry that he thought Johnson had asked during the early days of COVID: Why are we destroying the economy for people who will die anyway soon? He is also likely to be asked about the Partygate scandal, which saw him break his own COVID lockdown rules with gatherings at Downing Street and has been extensively scrutinised by other hearings. Johnson previously described the Partygate hearing as a "witch hunt", which eventually prompted his resignation as an MP. He is also likely to be asked about claims by his former chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance and former chief advisor Dominic Cummings that he did not fully understand the science behind COVID-19. What will Johnson say at the COVID Inquiry? The former prime minister is expected to concede that the government did not get everything right in the fight against coronavirus. However, according to the BBC, he is also expected to say that the government did get "many of the big calls right". He is expected to defend changing his mind on key issues during the pandemic, arguing that he was presented with lots of changing information in a short space of time. Commentators have also pointed out that Johnson, who has been known to make political comebacks under the most dire of circumstances, may also be viewing the inquiry as an opportunity to manage some of the damage done to his reputation under the previous Partygate inquiry. The inquiry is being chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett. (PA) What power does the inquiry have? Under the powers of the Inquiries Act 2005, inquiry chair Baroness Hallett has the power to compel documents and call witnesses to give evidence under oath. Anyone who conceals a relevant document or prevents it from being given to the inquiry can be fined or imprisoned, with a maximum term of 51 weeks. She is supported by a team of lawyers and civil servants, led by the inquiry counsel, solicitor and secretary. The four inquiry modules that have so far been opened cover: resilience and preparedness; core UK decision-making and political governance; the impact of the pandemic on the healthcare system and vaccines and therapeutics. More modules will be opening in the coming months, covering issues such as personal protective equipment, test and trace and health inequalities. The hearing are predicted to continue until 2026, although interim reports are expected to be published before then. Boris Johnson is expected to tell the Covid inquiry he unquestionably made mistakes when he begins his gruelling two-day grilling on his handling of the crisis on Wednesday. The public inquirys security has been stepped up for Mr Johnsons appearance in west London, with dozens of bereaved family members from all over Britain expected to hold a defiant vigil as he turns up to give evidence. The former PM is expected to offer an unreserved apology at the the historic hearings most hotly-anticipated session, after a series of bombshell revelations about his activities in recent weeks. Mr Johnson has been urged by opposition parties and campaigners to tell the truth about his own behaviour and his governments handling of the crisis. Labours Nick Thomas-Symonds said Mr Johnson should provide straight answers and integrity both of which he failed to provide in office. And the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper said families deserve the truth about exactly what went on behind closed doors. Matt Fowler, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, added: Johnson will appear at the inquiry tomorrow with his claim that he got the big calls right already entirely debunked. We hope to see Johnson challenged on these clear falsehoods when he appears in front of the inquiry he desperately tried to avoid having tomorrow. But any contrition will not stop a barrage of questions. Mr Johnson will be asked about Partygate and claims he oversaw a toxic culture at No 10, accusations he was weak and dithered over lockdowns, and the tensions with key figures such as Rishi Sunak, Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings. Boris Johnsons Partygate behaviour and toxic No 10 culture The former PM is expected to apologise, but it remains to be seen what exactly he will apologise for. Mr Johnson was utterly defiant over Partygate during his grilling by the privileges committee hearing in the summer defending leaving dos as essential for work purposes. Mr Johnson, fined for attending his own birthday party in June 2020, also told MPs that: People who say that we were partying in lockdown simply do not know what they are talking about. He may be asked what impact Partygate and associated scandals such as Mr Hancocks kiss and the Barnard Castle saga had on public compliance with the rules. Helen McNamara, former deputy cabinet secretary, told the inquiry it would be hard to pick one day when Covid regulations were followed at No 10. She also said Mr Johnson oversaw a toxic culture claiming there was sexist treatment of women at meetings. In WhatsApp messages, cabinet secretary Simon Case said dealing with Mr Johnsons team during the Covid crisis was basically feral and dealing them was like taming wild animals. Boris Johnson faces two-day grilling at Covid inquiry (Getty) Claims Boris said let the bodies pile high and old people must accept their fate Mr Cummings has claimed that he heard Mr Johnson say he would rather let the bodies pile high than sanction a second lockdown in the autumn of 2020 an accusation Mr Johnson has already denied. There are other remarks it may not be easy for the former Tory leader to evade. Former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said Mr Johnson suggested in August 2020 that Covid was natures way of dealing with old people and that people accept their fate. Sir Patricks diary reveals that Mr Johnson started an October 2020 meeting by arguing for letting it all rip accepting there would be more casualties and adding: They have had a good innings. Boris Johnson pictured with his ex-chief adviser Dominic Cummings (PA Archive) Questions on whether he or Dominic Cummings made key decisions Mr Johnson will have to explain why Mr Cummings was apparently handed so much power. Former cabinet minister Sajid Javid told the inquiry that Mr Johnson was not in charge of what was happening and was largely happy with Mr Cummings running the government. Mr Javid said the top No 10 strategist would not stop until he had burnt the house down. Matt Hancock also described Mr Cummings as malign actor that created a culture of fear across government. Mr Johnson will be grilled on his relationship with Mr Cummings, whether he allowed him to create a dysfunctional culture in government, and how the pair fell out towards the end of 2020. Key figures say flip-flopper Boris changed his mind on lockdowns Mr Johnson will be grilled on whether he was too slow going into the first lockdown in late March. The ex-PM was dubbed the trolley by Mr Cummings about claims he oscillated wildly and unhelpfully over a second lockdown in the autumn. The ex-PM is expected to admit the government were initially too complacent to respond to the crisis. But he is set to deny claims by Mr Cummings that he was distracted by his efforts to write a book on Shakespeare in February 2020. It remains to be seen whether he will agree with Mr Hancocks claim that many lives would have been saved if the UK had gone into the first lockdown three weeks before 23 March. Mr Johnson will reportedly claim Prof Chris Whitty the chief medical office was instrumental in arguing for a delay. The most damning evidence so far, perhaps, has come from Sir Patrick and Mr Case. The chief scientist said Mr Johnson was flip flopping and all over the place in the summer of 2020. And the nations top civil servant said in September 2020 that the then-PM cannot lead. Boris accused of being bamboozled by Covid science Mr Johnson was bamboozled by the science and had to have key details explained to him repeatedly, Sir Patrick told the Covid inquiry. The then-PM struggled to understand graphs and just could not get some scientific concepts. Sir Patrick wrote in his diary: Watching the PM get his head around stats is awful. He finds relative and absolute risk almost impossible to understand. More important for the inquiry KC to get at is whether Mr Johnson ignore scientific advice. He will have to explain why he rejected a circuit-breaker lockdown in September 2020. And he could be asked what he understood by the herd immunity concept and whether it influenced his thinking. Boris allegedly asked if a hairdryer up the nose would kill Covid Mr Cummings told the Covid inquiry that Mr Johnson shared with officials a YouTube video since taken down of a man blowing a special hairdryer up his nose to kill Covid. The ex-adviser said in his written evidence that the Mr Johnsons circulating the hairdryer video and asking top officials if it was true was a low point amid fears he could have been giving false information to the media. Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock both found to have broken rules (PA) Boris relationship with his health secretary Matt Hancock Mr Johnson may have wanted to keep Mr Hancock in post as health secretary as a sacrifice for the Covid inquiry, Mr Cummings has claimed. The ex-adviser wanted Mr Hancock sacked and told the then-PM in May 2020: Theres no way the guy can stay. Hes lied his way through this and killed people and dozens and dozens of people have seen it. But Mr Johnson will offer support for Mr Hancock at the inquiry, according to The Times, and will insist his old colleague was doing a good job in very difficult circumstances. Questions on whether Eat Out to Help Out fuelled Covids spread Mr Johnson will no doubt be asked about his relationship with Mr Sunak, and the then-chancellors controversial Eat Out to Help Out scheme in the late summer of 20202. Prof Whitty dubbed it Eat out to help out the virus, while Mr Hancock said he kept his own concerns about the scheme to boost the restaurant trade out of the news because he believed in a team effort. Despite their later bitter fall-out over Mr Sunaks resignation and leadership push, the two top government figures do not appear to have been regularly at odds on Covid policy. They both appear to have had reservations about a second lockdown. According to Sir Patrick, at the October 2020 meeting in Mr Johnson argued for letting it all rip, Mr Cummings claimed that Rishi thinks just let people die and thats okay. Boris Johnson is accused of writing a book about William Shakespeare instead of working during Covid pandemic - Tom Bowles Boris Johnson will this week reject claims that he did not concentrate on the emerging Covid threat during the February 2020 half-term because he was writing a book about William Shakespeare. The former prime minister will cite diaries showing that he went back to Number 10 for meetings when he gives evidence to the Covid Inquiry on Wednesday and Thursday. Mr Johnsons team believe the line of questioning about his time away from Downing Street at Chevening, the grace-and-favour mansion in Kent, is a red herring. But the defence is sure to be scrutinised by the inquirys legal team, which has at points expressed alarm at the lack of written proof of work on Covid during that period. Hugo Keith KC, the inquirys chief counsel, has asked previous witnesses why, between Feb 14 and Feb 24 2020, Mr Johnson did not receive more Covid material. During that time, which coincided with the school half term in England, the threat from Covid was becoming clearer. A nationwide lockdown was announced the following month. Boris Johnsons team believe the line of questioning about his time away from Downing Street at Chevening is a red herring - Leon Neal/Getty Images At his two-day appearance, Mr Johnson will reject claims that he was not engaged in Covid policy during the 10-day period, according to an ally familiar with preparations. He is expected to cite diary entries that show he returned to Downing Street on a number of occasions during the period. It will also be claimed that he had his ministerial red box with him during his time away from Number 10. If asked, Mr Johnson will dismiss the idea that half-term was spent writing a book on Shakespeare rather than engaging with the emerging pandemic, an ally said. A senior Tory source familiar with his preparations told The Telegraph the half-term criticism was a red herring that was raised by malevolent critics. The source said: The evidence shows, from the diary extracts, that he wasnt away all the time. He came back into the office from Chevening. The records show he was working the whole time, he wasnt writing a book We think this one is quite easily dealt with. Mr Keith has focused on the 10-day period during previous witness appearances, including when questioning Martin Reynolds, the official who headed up Mr Johnsons private office, in an oral session back in October. He said then of the 10-day period: There were no emails. There were no notes put in his red box. You dont appear to have been in touch with him about coronavirus, or anybody else. To what extent did you think to yourself weve got emails about a viral pandemic coming our way? Why was nothing done in terms of keeping the prime minister in the loop in those 10 days? Mr Reynolds said: I cannot recall why and whether there was any urgent business to transact over that period with the PM. Dominic Cummings was also asked about the break, saying there was an insane number of people on holiday during half term when Mr Johnson was away at Chevening as fears around the virus began to increase. He said: It was indeed pretty insane that so many of the senior people were on holiday at that time. But its also important to realise that its not like the Civil Contingencies Secretariat or the National Security Council, or any of the organisations in charge of this were beating the drum and saying weve got to get the PM back. Rishi Sunak is expected to give evidence to the inquiry next week, though the exact date has yet to be announced. Rachel Watson at home in Warrenville on Nov. 15, 2023. Watson donated her left kidney to an anonymous recipient in June after taking part in a University of Chicago initiative to expand the organ donor pool. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune) More than 70 kidney transplants were performed every day in the United States last year. Rachel Watson wanted to be one of the donors, but was told she didnt qualify at first. Watson, a 27-year-old digital marketer living in Warrenville, had been moved by a news story about a local politician in need of a kidney. In 2022, she reached out to a Chicagoland hospital about donating one of her kidneys to a stranger. During a phone screening, Watson was told that she weighed too much to be considered as a donor. Advertisement In January, Watson tried again at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. She passed an initial donor screening, but her BMI was still too high. Thats when she learned about Project Donor, which helps interested kidney and liver donor candidates who are turned away because of their weight or smoking history. Advertisement Project Donor, a program run out of the University of Chicagos Center for RISC, which develops creative solutions for social problems, estimates that 90% of individuals interested in kidney donation dont make it through the process. The goal is to bring that number down by reaching potential donors who miss donation BMI cutoffs by five to 30 pounds, or because they actively smoke cigarettes, according to University of Chicago professor Steve Levitt, who founded Project Donor and authored the book Freakonomics. Most donation centers require donors to have a BMI lower than 35. They also must not have smoked for at least 90 days before surgery. More permanent factors such as diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure or serious mental health conditions also make potential donors ineligible. The system isnt set up to help them solve those problems, Levitt said. We were amazed that there was nobody there trying to take these heroes, these people who are giving up their kidneys for somebody else. About 90% of Project Donors patients are working on weight loss, with the rest trying to quit smoking. When patients start working with Project Donor, they have a 10-minute consultation with case managers over the phone, then check-ins every two or three weeks. The project provides either free smoking cessation products or free access to Noom, Weight Watchers, Future Fitness or On Point Nutrition. Patients can get a free electric scale, as well as free access to online therapy provider Better Help, upon request. The project also provides financial assistance, funding donors transportation and covering their lost wages during recovery. Project Donor is working with 170 prospective patients, about 20 of whom live in the Chicago area. Another 250 people have been through the program, RISC analyst Noah Duncan said, and 25 participants have met their donation goals so far. Eight, including Watson, have donated a kidney. Eight more are still navigating the pre-surgery process. Kidneys are the organs most likely to come from a live donor, and Levitts team estimates that 20,000 potential donors dont qualify every year. Advertisement About 106,000 people are currently on the waitlist for a new organ, according to the American Kidney Fund. More than 92,000, or 87%, need a kidney. Some will wait three to five years, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Meanwhile, 12 die waiting every day. Weve been working honestly without much success for a long time on organ donation, Levitt said of the medical communitys efforts. The project launched in May 2022 and now has eight employees. Organ donations are facilitated by 56 organizations across the United States. Project Donor has worked with more than 30, and Levitt hopes to connect with every single one. Well work with anyone who will work with us, Levitt said. An individuals BMI is based on a combination of weight and height. A 5-foot-tall person weighing 180 pounds couldnt donate a kidney, while a 6-foot-tall donor could weigh up to 258 pounds. Advertisement Some medical professionals and patients dont like to talk about health in terms of BMI. The American Medical Association released a report in June clarifying that BMI predicts health in populations better than individuals, and harms communities of color by drawing on limited data. But for kidney donation, it still sets a standard. Most participants are looking to lose five to 30 pounds over six months. For Watson, donating meant losing 17 pounds. I feel like the way people talk about weight is like its some taboo secret, Watson said. Even if they dont mean for it to be something to be ashamed of, their tone just comes across as it should be. Watson chose to use Noom. She liked that the apps language focused on education and building healthy habits when talking about weight loss, she said. Most case managers double as masters of social work students at the University of Chicago. And Watson said she didnt feel any shame in discussing her weight loss efforts with them. Advertisement It was so focused on, We just want to help you meet your goal, and what tools can we give you to do that? Watson said. In the end, it took Watson three months to lose the weight. Her official donor acceptance letter, sent from Loyola in May, still hangs on her fridge. A Get Well Soon card from Project Donor sits nearby on her credenza. My house still very much has the artifacts of support they have given me throughout the past year, Watson said. Its a little dorky, but the National Kidney Registry, after I donated, sent me a certificate that I have framed on my living room wall. Watson donated her kidney in June and was back at work four weeks later. She still doesnt know exactly who got her kidney. She received vouchers that could be used to give a friend or relative of her choice priority to receive a kidney of their own. Watson gave her vouchers to a friend of a friend based in DuPage County, whose husband needed a kidney. She said meeting her voucher recipient provided some of the catharsis she started to want after surgery. It totally makes up for any doubt or questioning that I have in my mind, Watson said. After seeing people who so desperately want to give their loved ones a kidney but are discouraged from that, if I can fill that gap, its like a no-brainer. Advertisement Loyola is one of 10 active kidney transplant centers in Illinois. Five are based in Chicago, including University of Chicago Medical Center, Lurie Childrens Hospital, Rush Medical Center, University of Illinois Medical Center and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Project Donor staff check in on their participants for a year after their procedure. Donors are free to reach out years down the line if they decide they want help with relapsed habits, she said. Watsons Noom subscription will last a year, and she said some of the habits from her weight-loss journey have stuck. She built gym visits into her daily routine and thinks about food differently. As notable as the weight-loss help, though, was the removal of financial barriers. Watson said the project improved her faith in the medical system somewhat, though shes become wary of debts associated with donating an organ, which she hadnt considered at first. Im very grateful for how it turned out for me, and wary for other people who do have the medical bills, Watson said. On average, Project Donor spends $400 per participant, and RISC analyst Ruby Rorty said the group estimates a new kidney is worth between $1.1 million and $1.5 million, in future earning potential and quality of life. Advertisement As economists, were very happy with that return, Rorty said. iarougheti@chicagotribune.com Eileen O'Neill Burke, who is running for Cook County state's attorney, turns in her petitions with her husband John Burke, right, and supporters at the Cook County clerks office on Dec. 4, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Monday afternoon marked the deadline for 2024 hopefuls to turn in their petitions to make it onto the March primary ballot, with candidates jockeying for ballot position and already firing off campaign barbs. Among the hopefuls trickling in on Monday to show off their stacks of signatures and officially get into the race for Cook County states attorney were Eileen ONeill Burke, a Democrat, and Bob Fioretti, a Republican. Advertisement The status quo isnt working for anyone, ONeill Burke, a former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and judge, said in a release. Her sole opponent, Clayton Harris III, received the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party and its head, Toni Preckwinkle. Preckwinkle was also a staunch supporter of outgoing States Attorney Kim Foxx. Advertisement We need to tackle gun violence while getting after the root causes of crime, like poverty and historic disinvestment, ONeill Burke said. Former alderman Fioretti, an attorney, is slated to be the only Republican on the ballot. Former Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin announced last week he would not throw his hat in the ring, citing the negative influence Donald Trump will have on the top of the ticket and the daunting challenge of running as a Republican in Cook County. Libertarian Andrew Charles Kopinski also filed to run for States Attorney. Submitting signatures at the end of the window offers some advantages: additional time to collect more petitions, less time for opponents to search for faulty signatures to mount a challenge that could get a candidate kicked off the ballot, and the potential for being listed last (which some view as a prime ballot position). Another challenge is brewing down-ballot, where 19-year incumbent Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr. could face a tough contest against newcomer Larecia Tucker, a real estate broker and clerk in the Rich Township assessors office. Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough talks with other party members including Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr., right, during a pre-slating event for the Democratic Party on June 16, 2023. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Backing Tucker is Assessor Fritz Kaegi, who has previously sparred with the Board of Review and Rogers specifically over differing approaches to determine property values. The board is a three-member panel that hears appeals to Kaegis assessments. In many cases, the board has unwound Kaegis numbers, arguing their valuations are more accurate. But Kaegi says doing so puts the property tax burden back on homeowners. Though some of his acolytes have run for board seats, Kaegi has for years declined to support or challenge Board of Review candidates with endorsements or financial support, previously suggesting there should be a bright line between his office and the board. I dont think its right for the assessor to be picking commissioners, Kaegi told Crains in 2021. Its important that they be an independent view of what were looking at. Advertisement This year, hes changed his tune, both endorsing and contributing heavily to Tuckers campaign. In all Tucker has received just over $24,000 from Kaegis political fund as well as personal checks he and his wife have written. Despite the donations, Tucker said she would maintain her independence, and noted that Rogers had accepted donations from real estate attorneys and firms. Im qualified, I am my own person, she said. I would be ... reflecting the market, not what Fritz has told me. Kaegi has increased assessments on homeowners by as much as 200% and now he wants to control who decides appeals, Rogers told the Tribune. The board cannot be bought by Fritz Kaegi. I have and will remain an independent commissioner fighting Fritz for fairness in assessments and taxes. Tucker, who ran unsuccessfully to be Bloom Townships assessor, said shes familiar with the property tax issues plaguing the south suburbs: her family sold their own Park Forest home and moved elsewhere to avoid that villages high tax rates. As a clerk in the Rich Township assessors office, she said shes seen face-to-face the impact high taxes have on her neighbors. You end up trying to be a counselor to them because theyre crying or theyre upset trying to figure out how theyre going to pay their taxes, stay in their home, Tucker said. Are they going to eat? So it gets to a point that you get upset just seeing it over and over and over again. Kaegi did not answer questions about why he was retreating from his policy not to meddle in Board of Review elections. In order to fully reform the Cook County property tax system, we need to root out favoritism, corruption, and unethical behavior wherever it occurs. Larecia Tucker has pledged to not accept any money from property tax appeal firms and to implement all the changes at the Board of Review recommended by County ethics watchdogs, he said in a statement. Advertisement Several new members of the Chicago City Council also submitted petitions to represent their wards in the Cook County Democratic Party: Peter Chico, 10th; Jessie Fuentes, 26th; Ruth Cruz, 30th; Bill Conway, 34th; Bennett Lawson, 44th; and Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, 48th. As expected, longtime Ald. Marty Quinn also filed to replace former House Speaker Mike Madigan as committeeperson of the 13th Ward. Committeepersons are responsible for endorsing fellow Democrats during campaign season and, at times, appointing replacements for vacant elected positions at the county board and in the state legislature. Only a handful of races for party seats are contested. That includes in the 12th Ward, where state Rep. Theresa Mah and Richard Ricky A. Mercado both filed to challenge incumbent George Cardenas, the wards former alderman who is now a member of the Cook County Board of Review. State Sen. Elgie Sims filed to run for the open 6th Ward position, taking on new Ald. William Hall. In the 33rd, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez filed petitions to run against Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez, the latest chapter of their Northwest Side conflict. Martinez is running for reelection as court clerk. Also filing: libertarian candidate Michael Murphy and Republican Lupe Aguirre. Ald. Jim Gardiner, 45th, did not submit petitions to remain as committeeperson. Two Democrats are running to replace him: Joe Cook, who was remapped out of the 41st Ward where he has served as committeeman; and Michael Patrick Rabbitt, who was narrowly defeated in the primary contest for the state house seat for the 15th district. Advertisement In Springfield, the final day of filing for congressional races meant, barring objection, 26-year incumbent U.S. Rep. Danny Davis of Chicago will be in a six-way Democratic primary for reelection in the 7th District, which covers parts of Chicagos West and South sides, downtown and near west suburbs. Filing on the last day was Kina Collins of Chicago, a progressive mounting her third consecutive bid to oust Davis. He defeated her 52% to 46% in a three-way primary last year. Rhonda Sherrod of Maywood filed to be listed as the last name in the race. Filing earlier in the Democratic primary contest were Davis, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and Chicagoans Kouri Marshall and Nikhil Bhatia. Conyears-Ervin has received attention in recent months after the Tribune disclosed several now-former employees of her office accused her of ethical lapses or misusing public resources for her private benefit. Last month, the citys Board of Ethics ruled that Conyears-Ervin violated the citys ethics code in a probable cause finding related to those allegations. Among the states 14 Democratic incumbent members of Congress seeking reelection in 2024, Davis is in a group of six with apparent primary challenges. In addition to Davis, U.S. Reps. Jesus Chuy Garcia of Chicago, Sean Casten of Downers Grove, Mike Quigley of Chicago, Jan Schakowsky of Evanston and Bill Foster of Naperville face primary opposition. Advertisement Quigley, a 14-year incumbent, faces a three-way primary, gaining a last day primary challenge from Jonathan Antonio Bishop of Palatine in the 5th District, which runs from Chicagos North Side into the northwest suburbs. Filing earlier was Jerico Matias Cruz of Chicago. In the far west and northwest suburban 14th District, three Republicans are vying to challenge three-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville. Charlie Kim of Aurora and Krystal Dorie of Lockport filed Monday, joining James Marter of Oswego, who since 2016 has lost three GOP congressional primary bids as well as a U.S. Senate primary. In far downstate Illinois, three Democrats will be competing to challenge the winner of one of the nations most closely watched Republican congressional races, between incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro and last years unsuccessful GOP governor candidate, Darren Bailey of Xenia. Filing for the Democratic nomination in the ruby-red 12th District were Joshua Qualls of Centralia, Brian Roberts of DeSoto and Preston Gabriel Nelson of Lebanon. aquig@chicagotribune.com Seizing the entire Donetsk region is a primary objective for Russias ongoing offensive, British intelligence revealed on Dec. 5. Russian forces have recommenced their advance on Maryinka in Donetsk Oblast in recent weeks, progressively gaining control of the majority of the city. Despite these efforts, Ukrainian fighters maintain control over some territories on the city's western outskirts. Read also: Russia subjects Ukrainians to loyalty tests in Donetsk Oblast Maryinka, a city on the front line since 2014, is witnessing significant destruction. Drone footage reveals that most buildings now lay in ruins, starkly contrasting its pre-war population of 9,000. Russia claimed that it completely captured the city. Ukraine promptly refuted these assertions, branding them as yet another falsehood from Russian propagandists and emphasizing that active battles are ongoing. Russia continues to attack Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka and Maryinka. In the past day alone, Ukrainian military forces successfully repelled 36 Russian attacks in these directions. Read also: Ukraine thwarts Russian attempts to gain operational space in Maryinka and Avdiyivka Russia has suffered approximately 330,000 casualties since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The toll continues to climb, with 1,030 reported losses in the past day alone. 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 ATHENS (Reuters) - The British Museum has lent for the first time in 250 years an ancient Greek water vase, the Meidias hydria, to the Acropolis Museum in Athens for an exhibition which begins this week and runs until April. The loan comes amid a dispute between Greece and Britain over the permanent return of the Parthenon Sculptures from the British Museum to Athens which led to the cancellation of a meeting between the country's two leaders in London last week. The 2,500-year-old hydria, signed by Athenian potter Meidias, is decorated with red figures reflecting the mythical encounters of humans with ancient Greek gods, among them half-mortal Hercules, the goddess of love Aphrodite, and Zeus. The water jar was made in 440-420 BC. Meidias is the potter's name but the painter of the vase is unknown. It was excavated in Italy, probably from a tomb although how it got there is uncertain, and acquired in the 1760s by British diplomat Sir William Hamilton who sold it to the British Museum in 1772. Since then it has been on display in the museum's galleries of ancient Greece and has never been loaned before. Acropolis Museum Director Nikolaos Stampolidis said exactly this type of vase was depicted on the marble frieze of the Parthenon and it was very important "to not only have the picture of the hydria... but also the piece itself." The hydria will be part of the Dec 4-April 14 Acropolis museum exhibition "NoHMATA" (Meanings) which presents a mix of artwork, including the bronze 400 BC Chimera of Arezzo from the Archaeological Museum of Florence and a Rubens painting depicting Saturn devouring his son from the Museo del Prado. Asked if there was difficulty in acquiring the artefacts under loan for the exhibition, Stampolidis said the British Museum and Acropolis Museum had "very good relations", and he expected the Parthenon Sculptures would eventually return home. "The two museums have very good relations and we expect that at the end, the marbles ... will come back and be reunited here in this temple of beauty and harmony, the museum of Acropolis," Stampolidis said. (Reporting by Deborah Kyvrikosaios and Renee Maltezou, Editing by Alexandra Hudson) The son of a Texas-based fast-food restaurant tycoon told a federal jury Tuesday he was taken aback when then-Ald. Ed Burke seemed to draw a direct link between helping with permit issues for their Southwest Side Burger King renovation and hiring Burkes private law firm to do property tax appeals. Zohaib Dhanani, a vice president for the company founded by his father, Dhanani Group, was the latest witness to paint Burke as wearing two hats, both as the City Councils most powerful and longest-serving alderman and as a private lawyer prowling for business for his firm, Klafter & Burke. Dhanani was asked Tuesday about a phone call he had with Burke on June 27, 2017, two weeks after he and his father met with Burke at the Burger King site on South Pulaski Road, where they talked about a driveway permit as well as complaints about trucks parking overnight in the lot. It was after that meeting that Burke took the Dhananis to lunch at the Beverly Country Club and first pitched his law firm to them, according to testimony. In the call, which was played for the jury, Burke started off with a hearty, Hello, my friend in Houston! How are you? before saying he wanted to check in because he hadnt heard from them after their meeting. Dhanani told the alderman that they had looked into the truck parking concerns and discovered that they did in fact own the lot at issue. So I made you a half a million bucks? Burke quipped as they both laughed. Later in the call, Burke got down to brass tacks. And um, we were going to talk about the real estate tax representation and you were going to have somebody get in touch with me so we can expedite your permits, Burke said. Im sorry, Mr. Burke, what was that last part? Dhanani responded. Dhanani told Burke he would follow up with the architect about the driveway permit and have somebody from our Houston office reach out to you regarding the property taxes since that wasnt something he normally handled. OK, good, Burke said. I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for being responsive. Listen to the audio: On direct examination, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker asked Dhanani what he thought of Burkes overture. I was taken a back a little bit, Dhanani testified, adding that hed asked Burke to repeat himself so I made sure that I heard it properly. It was not the way he was used to doing business, he said. It was a little unusual that the two were being linked together, the property taxes and the permits, Dhanani told the jury. Under questioning from Burkes attorney, Dhanani acknowledged the alderman did not make any threats or try to intimidate him on the phone. All he did was mention the tax business, right? Burkes attorney, Chris Gair, asked. Correct, Dhanani answered. You didnt call the FBI, did you? asked Gair. Dhanani responded, No. Gair also attempted to put a different spin on the lunch at the Beverly Country Club, where Burke pulled out a copy of a newspaper article to show the Dhananis how hed won big property tax savings for a high-profile person. The individual was then-President Donald Trump, and the article was about work Klafter & Burke did on Trump Tower in Chicago. However, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall has barred specific references to Trump to avoid prejudicing the jury. Gair pointed out that Burkes law firm work was only a small part of what was a very friendly conversation, ranging from where Dhanani went to school to the fact that he was soon to be married. Gair asked Dhanani whether Burke told him that being the father of the bride is like being the corpse at an Irish wake: Not much is expected of him, but you cant have the party without him. Dhanani laughed and said he did remember it. And when it came to believing that Burke had linked the property tax work with the Burger King permits, Dhanani agreed with Gair that idea may have come to him in retrospect after the FBI questioned him about it in November 2018. You didnt believe that before the agents questions? Gair asked. Dhanani answered, Correct. The Burger King episode is one of four main allegations in the racketeering indictment against Burke. According to the charges, when the Dhananis dragged their feet on hiring Burkes firm to do property tax appeals, Burke allegedly enlisted the help of his longtime ward aide, Peter Andrews Jr., to shut down the Burger King project over drummed-up permit issues, according to the charges. Burke, 79, who served 54 years as alderman before leaving the City Council in May, is charged with 14 counts including racketeering, federal program bribery, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity. Andrews, 73, is charged with one count of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity and one count of making a false statement to the FBI. A third defendant, Lake Forest developer Charles Cui, 52, is not charged as part of the Burger King episode. Tuesday marked the 11th day of testimony in the historic trial, and prosecutors are inching closer to wrapping up their case in chief. In testimony Monday, Dhanani told the jury he had been placed in charge of renovating nearly two dozen Chicago-area Burger Kings in March 2017 when he received an email from a colleague warning that Burke was angry over issues with their run-down restaurant at 4060 S. Pulaski Road in Archer Heights. Next to the mayor, Burke is arguably the most powerful politician in Chicago, the colleague, Jeff MacDonald, wrote. He has been in office for 48 years ... without his signature, we cannot get a permit. Dhanani testified Tuesday the project had been shut down for weeks by the time he and his father, Shoukat, had a second in-person meeting, this time for drinks at the Union League Club on West Jackson Boulevard. Dhanani said Burke arranged the Dec. 12 meeting and brought up the fact that nobody from our office had reached out to him or his office about the property tax reduction work. Asked how Burkes request made him feel, Dhanani said, To me, it wasnt my realm so I didnt really have strong feelings either way. But he also said the whole experience was unusual. Ive never gone through anything like this before, and Ive done quite a few remodels across the country, Dhanani testified. This is the only one thats ever been shut down like this, ever. At the Union League Club meeting, Dhanani said, Burke also asked that he and his father to attend an upcoming fundraiser at his home for a mayoral candidate. Though Dhanani couldnt remember the candidates name, its been previously reported it was Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who at the time was running to replace outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Dhanani said he had no interest in attending the fundraiser, but they told Burke theyd go to be cordial. He invited us and we didnt want to say no right then and there, Dhanani said. Ultimately, however, bad weather stymied the trip, and instead they donated $10,000 to Preckwinkles campaign a contribution that was later returned. Burkes defense team, meanwhile, has painted Burke as a responsible steward of his ward who never tied the hiring of his law firm to any official action. The Dhananis indeed had failed to update the driveway permits necessary to do the work, and in the end they never even hired Klafter & Burke, the defense has argued. In their cross-examinations Tuesday, lawyers for Burke and Andrews questioned a chart purportedly showing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses the Burger King suffered because of Burkes interference. Most of the delay in the Burger King remodel was actually because of the owners own issues getting the right permits and changing contractors, the defense lawyers pointed out. Attorney Patrick Blegen, who represents Andrews, asked Dhanani specifically about his comment that the experience with the 14th Ward renovation was unusual. This Burger King was unusual? Blegen said. Its the only one where you guys hadnt gotten your driveway permits. Dhanani agreed. Both Gair and Blegen also asked Dhanani about meeting with 17th Ward Ald. David Moore about another Burger King renovation where Moore pushed them to hire more local contractors. The defense suggested that Burkes intervention wasnt much different. On redirect, however, Streicker asked Dhanani whether Moore ever pitched his private law firm to them or took them to lunch at a private country club. Ever have an alderman do that other than Burke? Strecker asked. No, Dhanani said. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com rlong@chicagotribune.com mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com MORGANTON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A Morganton woman has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of her 3-year-old son, according to Bel Air Police. Authorities said on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 5:25 a.m., officers responded to N. Main Street in Bel Air, Maryland for a cardiac arrest involving a child. An off-duty Harford County Sheriffs deputy who was driving past the location saw a woman, identified as Gloria Elena Hughes, 37, standing in the street, holding a lifeless infant. The deputy called for assistance and more law enforcement arrived within minutes, Bel Air Police said. 19-year-old charged with fatally shooting 14-year-old Garinger HS student The boy, Jason Garcia, 3, of Morganton, N.C., was rushed to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center for treatment but was tragically pronounced dead at 6 a.m. Bel Air Police said that based on significant evidence, including video evidence, the toddlers mother was charged with murder and child abuse resulting in death. The investigation remains active at this time. Authorities said a motive has yet to be determined. Hughes is currently being held at the Harford County Detention Center. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A New York bus driver is charged with kidnapping and sexually abusing a student who rode his route, Nassau County prosecutors announced Monday. Giovanny Campos, 50, was indicted last week on several charges, including kidnapping and rape of a Long Island student who used his bus route between January and July, prosecutors said. A bus driver in New York is accused of kidnapping and raping a student on his route. A bus driver in New York is accused of kidnapping and raping a student on his route. School bus drivers are trusted to transport and protect our children, but this defendant allegedly preyed on a teenage student and sexually abused her both on his bus and at his apartment in Queens, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in the announcement. Prosecutors say Campos drove the route from Central High School to North High School in Valley Stream, Long Island, where he picked the student up. Campos allegedly sexually abused the teenager repeatedly in the parking lot while they were still on the bus, and allegedly took her to his apartment in Jamaica, Queens. Nassau County police arrested Campos at his home in September. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Menachem White, an attorney who prosecutors said is representing Campos, and the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, which is listed as Whites representative, did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment. Campos is no longer employed with Cheese Bus, Inc., according to a statement sent to HuffPost by Ezra Law, a firm that represents the bus company. This individual is no longer employed by Cheese Bus, Inc., the companys statement read. The instant our office was made aware of the District Attorneys allegations, we removed the individual in question from all bus routes and from any contact with our passengers as we are committed to maintaining safety and security within our community. The individual was suspended indefinitely and terminated shortly thereafter, the statement continued. We have fully cooperated with local law enforcement and remain at the ready should local authorities request further assistance. We have no further comment at this time. According to local news station News 12, the Valley Stream Central High School District said in a letter to the community that due to the sensitivity of the case, theyre unable to share certain details of what is alleged to have transpired. Our District is a place where our students should feel safe, and we reiterate our condemnation of these allegations of a violation of that safety, as well as the unspeakable harm that is accused of being inflicted, the letter read. Need help? Visit RAINNs National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers website. Related... Detectives arrested a 20-year-old Sacramento man accused of shooting another man who went to an Orangevale apartment to buy fentanyl last week but instead tried to take the synthetic opioid drug without paying for it, sheriffs officials said. The man arrested faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon stemming from last weeks shooting. He remained in custody Monday evening at the Sacramento County Jail, where he was being held without bail. The shooting was reported shortly after 8 a.m. Nov. 28 at the Folsom Gateway apartment complex in the 9200 block of Greenback Lane, a few blocks east of Hazel Avenue, sheriffs officials said. Detectives later learned that the man hit by gunfire that morning had gone to an apartment to meet with the residents living there to make a fentanyl purchase, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office announced Monday evening in a news release. Pills laced with fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid, can shut down breathing, cause cardiac arrest and kill within minutes. Sheriffs officials said the man seeking to buy the drugs was invited inside the apartment, but he tried to take the fentanyl without paying for it. Then, the arrested suspect chased the buyer out of the apartment. The buyer drove away in a vehicle. Sheriffs officials said the suspected shooter fired a handgun; the gunfire entered the vehicle through a rear window and struck the buyer at least once in the upper arm. The buyer suffered serious injuries from the bullet wound but ultimately survived, according to the Sheriffs Office. He drove himself to a nearby fire station to seek help, before he was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Deputies investigating at the shooting scene learned the suspect left before they arrived. Sheriffs robbery detectives conducted an investigation and identified the shooting suspect. The detectives obtained an arrest warrant for him, and he turned himself in at the jail Sunday evening. The suspects arraignment hearing is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in Sacramento Superior Court. Panera Bread is facing a second wrongful death lawsuit tied to its charged lemonade after a 46-year-old Florida allegedly man died from consuming the drink. A lawsuit claims Paneras charged lemonades caused Dennis Brown, 46, to go into cardiac arrest and pass away after he left the restaurant. According to the lawsuit, Brown had charged lemonades with his early dinner at the Panera near his job in Florida and died while he was walking home. The charged lemonade is advertised as an instant energy boost plant-based and clean. However, a large, charged lemonade has 390 milligrams of caffeine, close to the FDAs 400-milligram daily maximum intake. The family of a 21-year-old college student in Pennsylvania says she died the same way in October. Receipts in the lawsuit show what Brown ordered and when it was ready for pickup. The lawsuit alleges Brown had been drinking the charged lemonades for six days and was a member of Paneras sip club where you can order unlimited drinks. In a statement about the lawsuit, Panera Bread said: Panera expresses our deep sympathy for Mr. Browns family. Based on our investigation we believe his unfortunate passing was not caused by one of the companys products. We view this lawsuit which was filed by the same law firm as a previous claim to be equally without merit. Panera stands firmly by the safety of our products. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW People hold up Go for Gotion signs while attending a Manteno Village Board meeting at Manteno Elementary School on Dec. 4, 2023 in Manteno. During the meeting the board approved a zoning change that clears the way for the construction of a $2 billion Chinese-owned electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) MANTENO, Ill. The Manteno Village Board on Monday night approved a zoning change that clears the way for a $2 billion Chinese-owned electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant that has been championed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The boards 5-1 vote comes about three months after Pritzker touted his success in luring Gotion to build the plant in Manteno a town of about 9,000 people roughly 40 miles south of Chicago with $536 million in state incentives, along with the potential for federal incentives. The plant offers the prospect of creating about 2,600 jobs and fits into Pritzkers goal of making Illinois a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing. Advertisement While potentially one of the states most significant economic development projects in recent memory, the plant has generated controversy and criticism. Some residents complained they werent provided enough information about the project, while the proposal has become a cause celebre for the Republican right, which led the way in stoking fears about the prospect of communist infiltration given the Chinese ownership of the plants parent company. Mondays board meeting was held in an elementary school gymnasium and attracted about 170 people, many of them demonstrating opposition to the project. Advertisement Manteno Mayor Timothy Nugent, who supported the project, acknowledged after the meeting how polarizing the proposal has been to his community. I hate to see the town divided, Nugent said. Believe me, theres views on all sides and no one has a monopoly on the right views. During the meeting, speakers who raised concerns about environmental hazards, fire safety and Chinese influence were met with loud applause and shouts of approval. Vote no and tell J.B. to take this somewhere else, one woman told the board before the vote. After the meeting, Manteno resident Kerri Rolniak said she was frustrated with the tax breaks Gotion is in line for and that she also has concerns about environmental and safety issues. Were upset. Were mad. We feel that theyre being very un-American. Theyre all about themselves, Rolniak said of the Village Board. It should be about we the people. And it wasnt about we the people. It was about their agenda. The proposed site of Gotion's EV battery manufacturing plant on a roughly 150-acre abandoned Kmart warehouse distribution site in Manteno. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Supporters held signs that said Go for Gotion. Patrick Young, president of the Kankakee and Iroquois Building Trades, said he backed the project because the company signed a labor agreement saying its going to use 100% of union crafts for part of the project as well as any ancillary work, such as for improvements to area roads and a nearby bridge. Its going to generate revenue. Listen, not every student thats going to Manteno High School is going to go to college, said Young, who is also a business representative for Local 150 for the International Union of Operating Engineers. Manufacturing is gone from Kankakee County. This is bringing manufacturing back. And I think its a good start. Advertisement Patrick Young, right, holds up his fist after speaking in favor of a zoning change for the site of a former Kmart warehouse distribution site from light industrial to heavy industrial during the Manteno Village Board meeting on Dec. 4, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Teri King yells from the crowd after speaking against a proposed zoning change for the construction of Gotion's proposed $2 billion Chinese-owned electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Manteno. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Gotion Inc. is a Fremont, California-based subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech of China, which is 30% owned by Germanys Volkswagen. Critics have cited the corporate bylaws of the parent firm that require the company to carry out Party activities in accordance with the Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party. Such language is standard for Chinese corporations under the laws of their country. Supporters of the project, slated for a roughly 150-acre, abandoned Kmart warehouse distribution site near Interstate 57, dismiss such fears by noting long-standing Chinese investments in the U.S. They point to the prospect of thousands of jobs paying an average of $55,000 a year and the projects potential to spur local economic development. The controversy in Manteno echoes one that ensued following Gotions earlier announced plans for a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Big Rapids, Michigan, about 50 miles north of Grand Rapids. That project has gained national political attention, with GOP presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy attending a rally in opposition within the last few months. The Pritzker administration has said Gotion has been working in the United States for about 10 years, starting with a Silicon Valley research and development center in 2014 under President Barack Obama and opening a Cleveland-area facility in 2018 under President Donald Trump. Stoking fears about the plants Chinese connection in the last few months were state lawmakers from the Illinois House Freedom Caucus, a group of the most conservative legislators in the House who are from central or southeastern Illinois. But none appeared to be in attendance for Mondays board meeting. Judy Whitaker, second from left, watches the Manteno Village Board approve a zoning change for a former Kmart warehouse distribution site during a meeting at Manteno Elementary School on Dec. 4, 2023. Whitaker lives near the site and did not want the board to approve the change, which clears the way for a Chinese-owned electric vehicle battery factory. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Manteno officials have attempted to allay concerns about the plants environmental impact and the potential for fires by saying they plan to upgrade hazardous materials training for the towns firefighters, and make changes to their various safety policies if necessary. Advertisement The lone vote against the zoning change came from board member Samuel Martin, who had no comment after the meeting. Manteno officials said the boards vote means the Gotion project site will be converted from light industrial to heavy industrial. The session was the last public meeting on the project, and Gotion will now have to go through the villages permitting process. Pritzker applauded the boards action in a statement released by his office Monday night. We look forward to continuing to work with the village to meet our clean energy goals and continue expanding the states manufacturing footprint, Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough said in a text message. Pearson reported from Chicago. jgorner@chicagotribune.com Advertisement rap30@aol.com EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Chabad Lubavitch Center for Jewish Life is organizing a couple of Hanukkah events this holiday season. On Thursday, Dec. 7, the synagogue, at 6516 Escondido Dr., will herald in the first night of Hanukkah by lighting its giant outdoor Menorah. The event starts at 5 p.m. and will feature matzah ball soup and latkes. The event is free to attend. Hanukkah 2023 starts at nightfall on Dec. 7 and ends with nightfall on Dec. 15. The main Hanukkah event at Chabad Lubavitch will happen from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10. The Hanukkah Playland has become an El Paso tradition, going on to its 23rd year and counting. Children will be treated to inflatable rides, bungee jumping, a train ride and more. Hanukkah treats, crafts, games and a dinner will round off the festivities, culminating in the grand outdoor Menorah lighting at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free, but RSVP is required at chabadelpaso.com/playland. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. The chances of getting bitten by a shark while you're swimming at the beach are surprisingly low The chances of being attacked and killed by a shark are one in 3.75 million . The US and Australia consistently report the most shark attacks each year. But your chances of dying from a shark attack are rare and lower than death by a lightning strike. Shark attacks are one of the most notoriously feared dangers to beach-going humans but how likely is it that you'd actually get bitten? Despite the mass fear surrounding the deadly animals, the chances of being attacked and killed by a shark are one in 3.75 million, according to the International Wildlife Museum. The chances are lower than the possibility of dying by a lightning strike, a firework accident, or a stroke. In the wake of deadly shark attacks in the Bahamas and Melaque, Mexico in December, we've examined the data behind shark attacks in the US and worldwide. The US has recorded over 1,500 shark attacks in the last 185 years High drone panoramic view of South Beach in Miami from South Pointe Park, Florida, USA - stock photo World famous South Beach at Miami South Pointe Park with high skyscrapers and a blue sunny summer sky, Florida, USA. Panoramic high view of the Art Deco district close to downtown Miami in the southern spot of South Beach. Florida is the shark attack capital of the US and home to many beaches, including Miami Beach, shown here.Getty Images/Pola Damonte Since 1837 there have been at least 1,596 recorded unprovoked shark attacks in the US, according to data obtained by the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. The most common place to be attacked in the US is Florida, with 912 attacks since 1837. Hawaii, California, and South Carolina have all had between 100 and 200 attacks in that timeframe. The US had the most recorded shark attacks in 2022 Sharks that attack humans are usually hanging out near the shore in search of food. Gerard Soury/Getty Images Around the world, there have been more than 3,000 shark attacks recorded in the last 50 years. In 2022, the US had the most recorded shark attacks in the world with 41, one of which was fatal. Australia, meanwhile, ranked second with nine attacks, but no fatalities. This is lower than Australia's five-year average of 15 attacks per year. Shark attacks in the US are concentrated in Florida Oceans off of Australia are known for being the habitat for deadly sharks, including the Great White, Bull, and Tiger sharks. Most shark attacks occur near the shore, typically in sandbars or between sandbars where sharks can become trapped during low tide. In deeper areas, like spots with steep drop-offs, sharks congregate because creatures they feed on also gather there. Shark attacks are lower than in the past Industrial factory chimneys like these are contributing to climate change, which is warming ocean waters and forcing sharks to move inland, closer to humans. Stock Photo/Getty Images The number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide in 2022 was 57 significantly lower than the annual average between 2017-2021, which was 70. "It's likely that fatalities are down because some areas have recently implemented rigorous beach safety protocols, especially in Australia," Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History's Florida Program for Shark Research, told Forbes in February. But it's important to note that shark attack numbers tend to fluctuate and just because they've been lower recently doesn't necessarily signal a continuous downward trend. Time will tell if this is the case. Meanwhile, beachgoers, especially in hot spots in the US and Australia, should try to avoid waters with sharks as much as possible. What to do if you're attacked by a shark A tiger shark. Getty Images If you see a shark while in the water, keep your eyes on it while slowly swimming back to shore. Eye contact signals to the shark you know of its presence and are not easy, unsuspecting prey. If you see a shark charge and it attacks, hit its eyes or nose and, if possible, stick your hands into its gills and pull hard. While humans can sometimes be victims of sharks, far more sharks are victimized by humans each year. Shark attacks worldwide are concentrated in the US This embedded content is not available in your region. Made with Flourish The worldwide shark population is in decline because of over-fishing approximately 100 million sharks are killed every year by fisheries, according to the International Wildlife Museum. Moreover, the destruction of their habitat due to climate change has forced sharks closer to land, thus closer to humans. Malin Pinsky, an associate professor at Rutgers University's Department of Ecology, perhaps put it best in an interview with The Guardian in 2021: "Climate change is scrambling our ocean ecosystems and sometimes it produces surprises with a whole lot of teeth." Editor's note: This article was first published in July 2018 and has been updated to reflect recent developments. Read the original article on Insider COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Changes to a proposed bill requiring courts to give preference to equal parenting time arent the compromise theyve been touted as, members of the legal system and domestic violence prevention advocates say. House Bill 14 would require parents who dont wish to enter into shared parenting agreements to prove to the courts that a 50-50 custody or responsibility plan would be detrimental to the child. On Nov. 28, the House Families and Aging committee accepted a substitute bill that addresses some opponent concerns, including by reducing the evidentiary standard required to prove detriment, relaxing some prescriptions for judges, and changing the presumption from equal parenting time to substantially equal parenting time. Grandmother, grandson missing after fire destroys Jefferson Township home But opponents of the legislation, including the Ohio Domestic Violence Network and the Ohio Judicial Conference, say the substitute bill does not significantly change the impact of the bill at all. In fact, there is no change to HB14 that would garner ODVNs support or the support of most other opponents said Maria York, ODVNs policy director. Were not going to move from our stance, the bulk of the bill is what were opposed to, York said. Theres really nothing that they can change that we would agree to. Under HB14, judges would have to encourage divorced parents to submit a 50-50 custody plan to the court, including arrangements for child support and school attendance. If the parents disagree, they must prove to the court using a stricter burden of proof than currently exists why equal parenting would harm the child. Introduced in March by Republican Reps. Rodney Creech (West Alexandria) and Marilyn John (Richland County), HB14 mirrors legislation introduced last year and represents what Creech said is much-needed reform to standardize judges approaches to custody disputes. Ohioans dont trust the courts, and its our duty in the legislature to hold the courts accountable, Creech said during a March committee hearing. Its our job to create laws that protect families and ensure the best interest of children is truly served. Its supporters include the National Parents Organization, which promotes shared parenting, and parents who testified how split custody arrangements have negatively impacted their relationships with their children and caused undue turmoil for young kids. But a coalition of organizations, including ODVN, the Ohio Judicial Conference, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Victims Witness Association and the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, has opposed the legislation from the beginning. Their concerns range from increased strain on the court system to a heavier burden on victims of domestic violence to prove abuse or neglect. The changes include requiring judges to ask the parents if they support shared parenting arrangements and allowing judges to consider any factors they deem fit when evaluating the appropriateness of a shared parenting plan. Having guardrails or broad frameworks for judges is something Paul Pfeifer, executive director of the Ohio Judicial Conference, said could be a good thing. But custody disputes and divorce proceedings are not one-size-fits-all, Pfeifer, a former Ohio Supreme Court justice and state lawmaker, said in an interview. There are countless factors judges need to consider, from transportation to residency to whether the parents were ever married to begin with, and he said judges need to retain flexibility in determining what is best for each child. If you had a family, your family was coming apart, would you want the judge to be able to listen to both parties, their situation, their employment, the ages of their children, and help them craft a resolution that fits them, or would you want the General Assembly to tell them how its going to work? Pfeifer said. Pfeifer said he is concerned that HB14 would open the floodgates for dissatisfied parents to rehash custody agreements under the new judicial preference for shared parenting. That would not only overburden the court system, he said, but force families including children into lengthy, contentious court proceedings. To ODVN, the Judicial Conference and other opponents, the bill incorrectly frames custody issues in terms of parental rights, when the framework should instead be on child welfare and safety. Most divorce proceedings do not result in a trial. According to data from the Court Statistics Project, 10% of Ohios nearly 36,600 finalized divorce cases in 2022 went to trial before a judge; none went before a jury. Custody disputes have a much higher rate of going to trial; nearly a third of about 118,000 custody cases went before a judge in 2022. Still, ODVNs analysis of divorce proceedings in Ohio found that about 84% of divorce cases with children were resolved without mediation, custody evaluations or litigation. But research suggests that of those cases that do end up in court, a significant proportion involve violence whether it be intimate partner violence or child abuse. ODVN estimates the number to be between 60% and 75%. The cases that become contested, the bulk of them have violence in the background, which is why we think its so important that statutory schemes prioritize safety, so the judges have the ability to center their decision-making around safety, said Lisa DeGeeter, director of systems advocacy and policy counsel at ODVN. Thats why judges should approach parenting disputes in terms of safety, not parental rights, DeGeeter said. She said its especially vital in light of the fact that found a record-high number of domestic-violence related child deaths occurred in 2022. Many of those deaths happened while parents were battling for custody, she said, or when kids got caught in the crossfire of violence committed by one parent against another. The courtroom itself can become an avenue for abuse, York said, emphasizing that the process of leaving an abuser including legal separation is the most dangerous, and lethal, time for domestic violence victims. In 2022, nearly a quarter of the states domestic violence-related deaths occurred when the relationship was ending, according to data from ODVN. Pfeifer, York and DeGeeter said the same coalition against HB14 has drafted legislation to reform family law to further promote the best interest of children. Pfeifer said its been a work in progress among those in the legal system for many years and he hopes a lawmaker introduces it soon. Extra funding is approved for Columbus domestic violence shelter In fact, he said, the Ohio Judicial Conference would readily support HB14 if Creech and John adopted the coalitions proposal in replacement of the current language. But he acknowledged that isnt likely and so neither is his support. I dont think its possible to combine what we think is the right approach with whats in 14 right now, Pfeifer said. Thats almost an insurmountable task. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there are resources available. National Domestic Violence 24/7 Hotline: 800-799-7233 or live chat The Ohio Domestic Violence Network has a statewide map of programs and shelters. If you cannot find a program that meets your needs, call ODVN at 800-934-9840 or 614-781-9651. In Franklin County: LSS CHOICES operates the only domestic violence shelter in the county. LSS CHOICES 24-hour crisis line: 614-224-4663 Up to half of domestic violence victims delay leaving their abuser out of concern for their pets safety. LSS CHOICES has an in-house kennel to board pets, and the Columbus Humane Society can house and care for pets at no cost through its Safe Haven program. Call 614-980-2032 for the Safe Haven program. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. The Couple Next Door revolves around neighbours whose night of passion has serious repercussions - The Couple Next Door/Channel 4 / Guillaume Channel 4 has denied accusations of nepotism after it emerged that the writer of its new relationship thriller is married to its head of drama. The Couple Next Door, a racy tale of middle-class swingers, is written by David Allison. The broadcaster announced the show earlier this year as a commission by Caroline Hollick, its drama boss. According to Deadline, the industry website, it has become a talking point in television circles that the writer is Ms Hollicks husband, at a time when drama commissions for Channel 4 are scarce. In addition, Channel 4s most recent scheduling announcement that there will be a second series of Suspect, a psychological thriller about a serial killer also names Allison as one of its two writers. That show will be broadcast next year. Joining the dots Allison said on social media: Fair to say my career of the last few years has been like waiting for a bus that never arrived and then two came along. Channel 4 said that Ms Hollick had recused herself from The Couple Next Door and was not involved in decision-making for the series, which stars Sam Heughan and Eleanor Tomlinson as neighbours whose night of passion has serious repercussions. The broadcaster added that Ms Hollick was not involved in the commissioning process for Suspect. Deadline said that the relationship between Ms Hollick and Allison has been a talking point in the British drama community in recent days after producers joined the dots between them. Channel 4 only commissions a handful of high-end dramas each year, meaning there are limited opportunities for producers to win business, a source said, adding that the broadcaster had failed to fully consider the optics of The Couple Next Door commission. This feeling has been exacerbated by Channel 4s fragile relations with the production sector. Ms Hollick and Allison met while working at Yorkshire Television and live in Leeds, where The Couple Next Door is set. Allisons credits include the ITV series Marcella, and The Case, a daytime series for BBC One. The six-part thriller is a co-production with STARZ, the US network. When the series was announced, Ms Hollick described it as an addictive, emotional rollercoaster with something to say about modern sexual mores, with an electrifying cast that will set our screens on fire. It is loosely adapted from a Dutch series, New Neighbours, and is supposedly set in Leeds, although it was mostly filmed in Belgium. A Channel 4 spokesman said that, despite their initial announcement, Caroline Hollick was not involved with the commissioning or editorial management of The Couple Next Door. She registered a conflict of interest at the early stages of the projects development and recused herself from any decisions related to it. A source said that Channel 4 joined the project when it was already under way, after another partner dropped out, and Allison had already written a number of scripts by that point. The drama launched with ratings of just over one million. 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. As Illinois and Chicago officials this fall were planning how to ease the strain on the citys overburdened migrant shelter system, members of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration crafted a Spanish-language flyer aimed at discouraging asylum-seekers at the southern border from coming north by painting a bleaker picture of the weather and support available here. The flyer which contrasts much of the initial welcoming tone city and state leaders professed for migrants was never distributed. A top official in Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the strategy, a development that underscores the ongoing disharmony between the Pritzker administration and City Hall over the migrant response. Advertisement [ Update: Gov. J.B. Pritzker wont proceed with Brighton Park migrant camp because of environmental concerns ] The disconnect has persisted, even after the state stepped in last month to promise $160 million in additional aid to the city that included covering the cost of a tent encampment to house migrants sleeping at police stations and at OHare International Airport, currently numbered at more than 600. Indeed, the state Sunday paused at least through Tuesday construction on the tent site after it said it still had questions about an environmental report Johnsons office released late Friday that detailed contaminants found on the land at 38th Street and California Avenue, along with plans to address them. Advertisement The late release of the environmental report drew frustration from the governors office, which was left waiting alongside the press and members of the public Friday, capping a day during which the state also announced an eleventh-hour partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository to fund shelter meals through the end of year after the citys bidding process for a new food vendor was delayed. Members of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration drafted a Spanish-language pamphlet to be distributed in Texas aiming to discourage asylum-seekers at the southern border from coming north by painting a bleaker picture of support services available as well as the harsh winter weather they'd experience in Chicago. The flyer was not distributed. It was obtained by the Tribune through an open-records request. (State of Illinois/State of Illinois) Nevertheless, Pritzker on Monday insisted he and Johnson have a good relationship. Ive had now three mayors that Ive worked with. Ive made it my mission to make sure that the relationship is good. Even when you disagree occasionally on something, you just need to work it out. And whenever we have disagreed, we have worked it out, Pritzker said at an unrelated event in Peoria. The aborted flyer, drafts of which the Tribune obtained through an open-records request, also highlights the simmering tensions between Democratic-run Illinois and Chicago and President Joe Bidens White House over the migrant crisis, with state officials saying they were encouraged to create the document by the federal government. [ What to know about Chicagos migrant crisis ] We were trying to be responsive to this strong recommendation from the federal government and put something together, said Amanda Elliott, chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Human Services, who, records show, helped craft the English text that was translated for the flyer. The draft text, which includes deletions and revisions written in October, shows officials wanted to encourage asylum-seekers with family and friends in the Chicago area to ask them for help while at the same time informing others considering coming to Chicago that city shelters were full and that recent arrivals were sleeping outside police stations that were overcrowded and at capacity. The October text also warned the weather in Chicago was about to turn frigid and that money for a state-funded rental assistance program might run out. Preparate para pagar tu propia vivienda, a Spanish version of the flyer warns: Prepare yourself to pay for your own housing. Advertisement In response to questions about whether federal officials recommended creating the flyer, a White House spokesperson said the Biden administration has been in close contact with officials in Illinois and Chicago about the migrant response. Work progresses on the Chicagos first government-run tent encampment for migrants at a lot in the Brighton Park neighborhood on Nov. 29, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Sharing information regarding the availability of shelter space and services is a common and responsible practice that provides migrants with the critical information about possible destinations, Biden administration spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez said in a statement. While Republicans like (Texas) Governor (Greg) Abbott seek to use migrants as political pawns responsible officials are doing their part to support recently arrived migrants. Elliott, the Department of Human Services chief of staff, acknowledged the discord between the flyers words of warning and the open-arms approach professed by the state and city. We were trying to be realistic in the flyer, she said, by informing people, This is what youre going to expect when you come here. [ Democrats welcome mat for migrants is also fraying partys base ] But, ultimately, concerns about the conflicting rhetoric and the effectiveness of the strategy led to a mutual agreement not to distribute the flyer, Elliott said. The decision came after city and state officials traveled together to the southern border in October, and after Johnsons deputy chief of staff, former state Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, emailed Elliott on Oct. 20 to express her reservations. Advertisement I have concerns that with this moving forward and under pressure from the federal government that has yet to demonstrate shared responsibility commensurate with their jurisdiction, Pacione-Zayas wrote in the email, responding to a message in which Elliott said she was looking for feedback before sending the document to federal officials. I just saw language late yesterday, even though we discussed with the Feds the ineffectiveness of the tactic just this week, wrote Pacione-Zayas, who did not respond to requests for an interview about the exchange. State and city officials learned on their border trip that many migrants view this sort of messaging as propaganda compared to what their family members and friends are sharing through TikTok and WhatsApp, Pacione-Zayas wrote, adding Illinois and Chicago should focus their efforts on pressing the federal government to provide more support. While plans for the flyer were abandoned, efforts to divert migrants from the citys shelters and discourage them from coming to Chicago in the first place were a major part of the plan state and city officials laid out last month. [ Tension between city and state over migrant crisis on the rise as are cost estimates ] Aside from additional funding for the tent encampment, a centralized intake center for migrants arriving in Chicago, and more robust job and legal assistance, the plan involved policy changes from both the state and city that signaled support would not be indefinite. A key role for the intake center the location of which has yet to be announced is to identify migrants who dont plan to stay in Chicago and assist them moving on to another destination. Advertisement At the same time, the city instituted a phased-in 60-day limit on shelter stays, and the state reduced its rental assistance program to cover three months instead of six and cut off sign-ups for newer arrivals. The most significant development to date, however, has been the states decision to fund an encampment with heated tents to relocate migrants whove been sleeping on floors and in camping tents at police stations. The state also plans to pay for a smaller indoor shelter at a former CVS store in the Little Village community. The tent encampment was on hold, at least temporarily, on Monday as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency reviewed a roughly 800-page report on the conditions at the onetime industrial site in Brighton Park. The state EPA had some outstanding questions about how a city environmental consultant conducted testing at the site and the strategies recommended for remediation, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said. Work began at the site last week but was paused Sunday to allow state regulators to complete their review, Abudayyeh said, later adding the pause will continue through at least Tuesday. We are hopeful we will have more information tomorrow, she said Monday evening. Advertisement A police officer talks to Leonardo Quintero about moving a tent off the sidewalk as the Chicago Coalition Against GardaWorld protests at the Brighton Park migrant camp site on Dec. 4, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) At the site Monday, a small group of protesters gathered, including Leonardo Quintero, a police district councilman for the 12th District, who called the environmental assessment the bare minimum and said he was skeptical of Pritzkers decision to pause construction. [ Mayor Brandon Johnson quietly signs $29 million deal with security firm for base camps despite controversies ] Quintero and other protesters also raised ongoing concerns about GardaWorld Federal Services, the controversial private security contractor the state is paying to build and operate the encampment on behalf of the city. The group had spray-painted Housing for all in purple lettering on a black banner they hung against the wooden fence enclosing property. Large white tents could be seen through the gaps in the fence, guarded by contracted employees in booths that overlook the site. There was no movement inside. Construction trucks that had been working for weeks, even into the night, were parked to the side. Outside, protesters chanted: Housing for all! Border walls fall! The group placed a tent on the sidewalk with a cutout of the mayors face on the side. A police officer came over and asked them to move it. Does this tent belong to anybody here? the officer asked the group. Brandon Johnsons! they yelled back. Advertisement Ricky DGucci, a South Side community organizer, said he thinks the mayor has turned his back on the people of Brighton Park. Hes concerned about the long-lasting effects of the reported contaminants on the site, especially for the children who will live at the base camp. We dont know whats going on underneath the soil. We dont know the contaminants, he said. Theyre not going to get sick today. Theyre not going to get sick tomorrow. Theyre going to get sick a year, maybe two years later. Ellis Malinowski, a community organizer on the Northwest Side, called the nearly 24,000 migrants who have arrived in Chicago since August 2022 on buses from border governments a manufactured crisis. The Pritzker administrations decision to pause construction was only delaying the inevitable, he said. Across the city, 13 of the citys 22 police districts have been decompressed, or cleared of migrants. They still need a place to stay, Malinowski said. Were being played by the city, he said. It is not sustainable, and it is a waste of funds going into this project, which could be going into longer-term solutions. Brighton Park resident Richard Zupkus talks with reporters following a hearing on the migrant base camp in his neighborhood at the Daley Center in Chicago on Dec. 4, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) As protesters filled the streets outside the Brighton Park site, a group of residents were denied a request for a temporary restraining order to block construction there. Still, Cook County Judge David Atkins ordered the city to notify the groups attorney when any city work occurs at the site. Advertisement During a court hearing, the groups attorney, Frank Avila, said construction should stop in part because the city studys found some soil was contaminated. Putting some gravel on top is not environmental remediation, Avila said. City attorney Andrew Worseck highlighted the six-inch layer of gravel spread across the site to suppress contaminants and said more remediation work will come. The report promises toxic substances have been or will be removed to acceptable levels, he said. Theyre not just being left there, Worseck said. It is an environmentally safer site than before the city was involved. Worseck, who said the shelter wont be open for operations this week regardless of how quickly construction resumes, argued the Brighton Park resident plaintiffs dont have proper standing and havent substantially proven negative effects will occur. The city is entitled to sidestep zoning and permit rules to construct the shelter because of the ongoing migrant housing crisis and needs to build it for the sake of basic decency, he said. Its no secret to anyone whos watching TV or reading the news that the city is under emergency, Worseck said. The city needs to find some place for them to stay. Advertisement dpetrella@chicagotribune.com nsalzman@chicagotribune.com jsheridan@chicagotribune.com One man carries six jars of cooking oil as he struggles to walk across the rubble. Two little girls run as they each carry stacks of white paper, used to build fire for heat and cooking. A group of men argue, elbowing each other as they battle to find a bag of flour, some tea or even a forgotten blanket. These are the scenes from the central Gazan city of Deir al-Balah, where an apparent Israeli airstrike on Monday destroyed not only homes and streets, but also the neighborhoods Al-Baraka bakery, one of the few still standing in the Strip. In response to CNN questions about the bakery, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday that in stark contrast to Hamas intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Dier al-Balah is in the center of the Strip, an area that is coming under increasing Israeli bombardment. Israel has also called on Palestinians in some parts of southern Gaza to leave, issuing digital maps that residents tell CNN are either confusing or to which they dont have access because of a lack of electricity and internet connectivity. The IDF had earlier in the war encouraged Gazans to move to the southern part of the Strip for their safety, while committing to strike at Hamas wherever it is. The strike in Dier al-Balah occurred overnight, according to residents, and by morning men, women and children were digging through the rubble. But this time, the residents werent digging to find loved ones. They were desperately searching for food and other essential supplies. As the Israel-Hamas war enters its ninth week, signs are emerging of social order breaking down, with reports of looting by people struggling to survive. Since October 9, Israel has blocked access to water, food and electricity in the Strip that is home to more than 2 million Palestinians. More than 15,899 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel started its campaign there, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza. In late October, the United Nations warned that order may be breaking down as thousands of desperate Palestinians were taking basic items like flour and hygiene supplies from warehouses. People are scared, frustrated and desperate, Thomas White, director of affairs in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said at the time. Its chaos, one resident told CNN Monday, standing behind a crowd of people scavenging for supplies under the damage. An orphanage was also struck, he said. Kamil Al-Raie, another resident who has lived on the street since 2006 and whose home was destroyed in the strike, told CNN that hunger had driven Gazans to such desperate measures. Look at the people, he said, referring to the crowd of Palestinians digging through the rubble. This is all from hunger. Gazas entire population is in need of food assistance, according to the World Food Programme (WFP), adding that at the start of the current crisis, the relief organization was operating with 23 bakeries. Displaced Palestinians queue for food donations in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on November 30. - Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images But food systems are collapsing. The last bakery that WFP had been working with was shut down because it had no fuel or gas, the UN agency says on its website. Al-Baraka bakery used to ease peoples suffering by providing much-needed bread, said Ibrahim Dabbour, another resident of Deir al-Balah. The bakery should be outside of military operation, he added. Striking it (the bakery) should be considered terrorism, to be honest, Dabbour told CNN. A day after the IDF said it was expanding its ground operation, it said it struck about 200 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Its targets included a school in the northeastern city of Beit Hanoun, which the IDF claimed contained terror infrastructure, including tunnel shafts stocked with weapons and explosives, a vehicle holding weapons and an arms storage facility. The Israeli navy also struck a number of targets overnight, assisting with the reinforcement of ground troops, the IDF said. The strikes come in the wake of the resumption of Israels military campaign against Hamas after the collapse of a truce between both sides. Israel has made it clear that its next phase will include the entire territory, including parts of southern Gaza, where thousands of displaced Palestinians fleeing the fighting in the north have been sheltering. While the United States has warned Israel to minimize civilian casualties in the south, Israel is bent on destroying Hamas after the militant groups October 7 assault, in which the militant group killed approximately 1,200 in Israel and kidnapped around 240 others. Leaflets and evacuation phone calls While Gazans often heed Israels calls to evacuate, many say that wherever they go, they are haunted by the prospect of death whether it is by airstrike or starvation. The Israeli military has repeatedly dropped leaflets over the southern city of Khan Younis in recent days, calling the area a fighting zone and telling residents to evacuate immediately. On Sunday, the IDF again told people to evacuate several areas southeast of Khan Younis, instructing citizens to move further south. Southern Gaza had been designated a safe area when Israel was conducting its operation in the north, prompting more than 1 million people to move there from the north. A Palestinian holds a leaflet dropped by Israeli forces, urging residents to leave Al-Qarara, Khuza'a, Bani Suheila and Maan regions of the city of Khan Younis, in Gaza on Saturday. - Abed Zagout/Anadolu/Getty Images The instructions were repeated on social media, where the Israeli military Friday published a new map of Gaza, dividing the Strip into hundreds of numbered sectors which it called evacuation zones. Critics have said the map is confusing and inaccurate. The Israeli army is again telling people in Khan Younis to flee, Sari Bashi, program director at Human Rights Watch, said on X, formerly Twitter, commenting on an IDF image of one of the maps, which divides neighborhoods into blocks. Again, the map contradicts the written instructions (Whats up with blocks 55? 38-46?). They know theres no safe place to go and no safe way to get there, Bashi added. But few Palestinians have been able to make use of Israels map. Some have not seen the leaflets, while those who have say they have neither power nor internet access to scan the barcode, as Israel has cut off both. Israel said it would use the map to advise people on where to evacuate. The leaflets Israel has dropped include a QR code, which when scanned with a smart phone shows a map of the Gaza Strip, marked like a grid showing what Israel says are safe and unsafe zones for civilians. Many other Gazans, living in poverty, are not in possession of smart phones. There is no electricity, there is no internet, said Khalil Abu Marahil, adding that since his evacuation from Gaza City, he and many others have relied on leaflets, radios in hospitals or word of mouth for news. Its been a while since we have used Facebook, he told CNN. Apart from leaflets, residents are often told to evacuate certain areas by receiving a phone call from the Israeli military, they told CNN, referring to their early evacuations from the north. Around 1.9 million people, more than 80% of Gazas total population, have been internally displaced across the Gaza Strip since October 7, according to UNRWA, which estimates that nearly 1 million people are sheltering in facilities in central and south Gaza, including Khan Younis and Rafah. Weve had no internet for the 50 days now, Sally Essam, a displaced Palestinian currently residing in Deir al-Balah, said. Only God knows where next after Deir al-Balah. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The rhetoric around Israels war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza is putting the safety of Jewish college students at risk. That was part of the message delivered by Anti-Defamation League chief Jonathan Greenblatt at a Monday night event organized by TCUs Brite Divintiy School. He was speaking to a packed audience of about 1,000 as part the schools annual Gates of Chai lecture, which promotes dialogue on topics relevant to contemporary Judaism. Only 39% of Jewish college students are comfortable with their peers knowing their Jewish, Greenblatt said, citing an ADL survey. That same survey also found 73% of Jewish college students have experienced some form of antisemitism since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. In response the ADL is training a stable of lawyers to go after universities that dont adequately protect their Jewish students. Greenblatt said its important to put pressure on colleges and universities to uphold federal laws protecting Jewish students from discrimination. He said protests supporting the rights of Palestinians at the expense of Jews and the state of Israel are inherently antisemitic. He compared those protests to the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where marchers chanted the phrase, Jews will not replace us. Were seeing Charlottesville-style mobs everyday... essentially saying Zionists, we will replace you, he said. He evoked the images of families slaughtered by Hamas terrorists during the groups Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed roughly 1,200 civilians and had around 250 hostages captured. While many Jews and Israelis are still coping with the trauma from the attack, public opinion polling has shown a growing number of Americans critical of the way Israel has prosecuted the war. Its painfully remarkable how quickly society has either forgotten or chosen to deny the horrors of Hamas Oct. 7 terrorist attack, Greenblatt said referencing statements by celebrities and politicians. It isnt evil, they told us. Its understandable. It isnt wicked, we heard. It was justified. It isnt prejudice. It was political, and it wasnt rape. It was resistance, Greenblatt said giving examples of some of the arguments. Greenblatt evoked the memory his German-born grandfather who used to tell him stories of how tolerant Germany was toward its Jewish citizens prior to the rise of the Nazi-regime. He told a similar story about the tolerance his in-laws experienced in Iran before being forced to flee due to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. I dont want to tell my future grandchildren that America was a wonderful and beautiful place for its Jews and all its people till Oct. 7, 2023, he said. Greenblatts speech was briefly interrupted by a group of about 20 protesters who voiced criticism of the ADL, accusing the organization of using a broad definition of antisemitism to silence criticism of the state of Israel. Some of the protesters spoke at a Nov. 7 Fort Worth city council meeting where they criticized the city for its support of the state of Israel. Its fair to criticize Israeli government policy or the actions of individual politicians, Greenblatt said speaking after the event Monday. But theres something different when you deny the rights of Jews that you would afford other people, he said. The Chase star Paul Sinha has revealed he was asked to prove Im a UK citizen by his NHS trust, describing the ordeal as a bureaucratic nightmare. The 53-year-old comedian is also a former GP and receives a pension from the NHS, In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Luton-born Sinha said his NHS trust has asked for several documents proving Im a UK citizen including copies of his passport and utility bills, calling the whole affair an unfortunate shambles. Sinha wrote: Received an official letter from my NHS trust demanding I provide several documents proving Im a UK citizen, despite my protestations about having lived here my entire life. Feel like Jonathan Pryce in Brazil, and its not pleasant. He continued: I have eight days to scan and email over my passport and three utility bills. In the meantime another NHS trust is happily looking after another aspect of my health without alarm. An unpleasant shambles. Popularly known as The Sinnerman on ITVs The Chase, Sinha noted that while the correspondence may have been result of a computer glitch, he had nonetheless become trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare because my bills are paperless. Received an official letter from my nhs trust demanding i provide several documents proving im a uk citizen, despite my protestations about having lived here my entire life. Feel like Jonathan Pryce in Brazil, and it's not pleasant. Paul Sinha (@paulsinha) December 5, 2023 A representative for Sinha declined further comment. Sinha was born to Indian parents at Luton & Dunstable hospital, where his father was working as a surgeon. My dad was a surgeon at the L&D Hospital and we were living in hospital accomodation at the time, he previously told Luton-based comedy club Specs. My mum also worked at the hospital as a midwife. He is also a qualified doctor, having received his training at St Georges hospital in London before becoming a GP in 1995. In 2019, Sinha announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, in a candid, heartfelt blog post titled Diagnosed. It was a devastating denouement to a medical odyssey that began in September 2017 with a sudden-onset, frozen right shoulder, and took in an unexpected diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a lifestyle transformation that enabled me to lose two stone, and a shoulder operation in January this year, the quiz master wrote at the time. In the time since my Parkinsons started I have been ludicrously busy, and fully intend to keep Chasing, keep writing and performing comedy, keep quizzing and keep being hopeless at Tasks. Dancing on Ice is, I suspect, out of the question, he quipped at the time, referring to the popular ITV British reality series. What you need to know A new study showcases how ChatGPT provides better and more detailed answers to queries when you pretend to tip it. The programmer indicated that the lengthy responses spotted during the experiment are attributed to the in-depth details provided in the questions coupled with the additional information incorporated into the answer. The chatbot refused to collect the tip at the end of the experiment, citing that it was within its "job description" and that this user's satisfaction was a great reward for it. The programmer highlighted that the chatbot didn't mention the tip at any point, only when they brought it up, Great leadership skills coupled with empathy are perhaps some of the key components required to ensure the success of any business, as they'll ensure each employee can hit the set KPIs. Other key factors such as an embracing work environment, end-year bonuses, and more play an important role, too. The first thought that comes to mind when thinking about chatbots, like Microsoft's Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) and OpenAI's ChatGPT, is that these are essentially AI-powered assistants designed to generate human-like responses. But would you have guessed that these "human-like" tendencies spread beyond the general responses to queries? According to a new study by thebes on X (formerly Twitter), ChatGPT provides better responses to queries if you pretend you'll give it a tip. Thebes (whose X profile points out that she's a "programmer and LLM enjoyer") interestingly prompted the chatbot to show her the "code for a simple convnet using PyTorch." Thebes followed up the prompt with three different statements dependent on the outcome of the chatbot's response. The first statement indicated that the programmer wouldn't tip the chatbot if the response wasn't well-structured, while the second statement indicated that ChatGPT would receive a $20 tip for the "perfect solution." Finally, the last statement indicated that the programmer would tip the chatbot up to $200 for the perfect solution. The programmer used these prompts as the basis for her investigations, seeking to find out if ChatGPT would furnish her with better and more detailed responses with little incentive. Thebes used this information to average the length of 5 responses, and as it turns out the chatbot provided better responses when there was an incentive on the table. The programmer further added that the extra length spotted on the responses is attributed to the in-depth details provided in the questions as well as incorporating more information into the answer. Thebes added that the chatbot didn't reference the tip at any point, it only happened when she mentioned it and even then it was to reject it. I appreciate your gratitude! However, as an AI developer by OpenAI, I'm not able to accept tips or payment of any kind. My purpose is to provide information and answer questions to the best of my ability. If you're satisfied with the response, that in itself is a great reward for me. If there's anything else you need assistance with, feel free to ask! Better incentives, better AI-generated responses ChatGPT and Microsoft Logo MORE ON CHATGPT & OPENAI - OpenAI edges closer to AGI superintelligence - Wikipedia founder thinks ChatGPT can't get the job done - Sam Altman back at OpenAI as CEO During the emergence of chatbots, several users lodged complaints, citing that they were giving wrong responses to queries or even outrightly being rude. Microsoft's Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) was heavily impacted by this, which led the company to place a cap on the number of interactions as well as daily tun limits. This was in place to limit instances of the chatbot hallucinating. The move was received with mixed feelings, especially by users who wanted to leverage the chatbot's capability to generate long-from content. But as it now seems, these safeguards aren't airtight as users are coming up with more ingenious was yo circumvent them. ChatGPT providing better and detailed responses with a tip in mind directly shows how the material used to train these models impacts their reasoning and responses to queries. While it's clear that tips and bonuses have a positive impact on an employee's output at the workplace, it's not yet clear how it impacts AI-powered chatbots. Elsewhere, thebes jokingly noted in the thread that she owes ChatGPT up to $3000 in tips, further asking Sam Altman for the platform's Venmo account details. Do you think the illusion of the tip made ChatGPT provide better answers? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. BEIJING (Reuters) - China hopes to boost relations with the European Union at an upcoming summit, with a firm focus on pragmatic cooperation in the face of complex situations and severe challenges, its foreign minister Wang Yi said. In a meeting on Monday with EU diplomatic envoys to China in Beijing, Wang said the two sides should view bilateral relations from a strategic perspective and added that China's policy toward Europe remains stable, according to Xinhua news agency. "China and the EU have not completely the same point of view on international and regional issues, and only by adhering to communication and coordination can we play a constructive role in maintaining world peace and stability and addressing global challenges," Wang said, according to the Xinhua report. The remarks came ahead of a highly-anticipated summit on Thursday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The two sides are trying to mend frayed relations on several trade issues, such as an EU anti-subsidy investigation on electric vehicles and a looming probe on Chinese steelmakers. The head of the EU delegation to China and the envoys of EU member states to China said the EU is committed to developing constructive and stable EU-China relations, and is willing to maintain mutual respect and dialogue with China, according to the report. The envoys said the EU has no intention of decoupling from China and hopes to establish "mutually beneficial and balanced economic and trade relations with China", according to Xinhua. In the meeting on Monday, the two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and Palestinian-Israeli conflict, according to the report, without elaborating. (Reporting by Bernard Orr and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Sonali Paul) FILE PHOTO: Mexico's new Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena Ibarra holds a meeting with the media in Mexico City FILE PHOTO: Mexico's new Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena Ibarra holds a meeting with the media in Mexico City HONG KONG (Reuters) - China-Mexico cooperation has great potential and huge room for development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday as he met in Beijing with his Mexican counterpart Alicia Barcena, who vowed to strengthen bilateral ties. Barcena thanked China for helping Mexico rebuild from the damage caused in October by Hurricane Otis, which devastated the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco. China was helping Mexico expedite purchases of household goods for families hit by Otis, the Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement. Wang said the two sides should promote all-round exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, culture and other fields. The two governments stressed the importance of a visit from a Mexican delegation to China in October, which led to the establishment of a working group to combat trafficking of precursor chemicals used to make synthetic drugs including fentanyl, Mexico said. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has been seeking cooperation with Mexico and China to curb the flow of fentanyl, which has fueled a sharp rise in overdose deaths. Barcena also made the case for forging closer ties between China and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Last month, China and Mexico's leaders met on the sidelines of the APEC summit and committed to strengthening ties while agreeing to battle illegal drug trafficking between their nations and to push for more trade and investment. (Reporting by Ethan Wang in Beijing and Twinnie Siu in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Valentine Hilaire in Mexico City; Editing by David Goodman and Josie Kao) BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday its visa-free travel policy has produced a clear effect, making things easier for travellers. "Going forward, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to adjust visa policies to create more favourable conditions and further facilitate cross-border travel," spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press briefing when asked for an update on tourism after China announced the policy, which covers several European countries and Malaysia. The policy came into effect Dec. 1 and the ministry, citing immigration data, said about 7,000 of nearly 18,000 travellers from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia - the countries covered by the visa waiver - entered China in the first three days of the month. Daily average tourist numbers from those countries have risen by 39% on the first three days of December compared to on the last day of November, Wang said. Germany's ambassador to China had expressed hope that China would extend the measures to all European Union members. (Reporting by Andrew Hayley; Writing by Liz Lee and Bernard Orr; Editing by Tom Hogue and Miral Fahmy) PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Two men are hospitalized following a head-on collision in Porterville, the California Highway Patrol said. On Dec. 1 around 11 p.m., the Fresno Communication Center (FCC) received a call of a crash on Highway 65 north of Highway 190. Officers from the CHP Porterville area say they responded to the scene and investigated the crash. CHP says preliminary investigation indicated that a 2007 Honda Civic was traveling the wrong way, northbound on southbound Highway 65, north of Highway 190 while a 2019 Dodge Challenger was traveling southbound on Highway 65 north of Highway 190, in the first lane, at approximately 65 miles per hour approaching the Honda. CHP says the driver of the Dodge lost control and was not able to avoid the other vehicle. The Honda and Dodge crashed head-on within a lane of southbound Highway 65. The driver of the Dodge sustained moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. According to CHP, the driver of the Honda sustained major injuries and was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is a grown-up when it comes to dealiing with insults, but his kids are more sensitive. Christie told Fox NewsNeil Cavuto on Monday that his children get particularly mad when former President Donald Trump describes their dad as a fat pig. Christie, whose campaign for the Republican presidential nomination seems more about keeping Trump from being reelected, said his children hate the insult for very personal reasons. My children hate it. Especially because were been friends with Donald Trump for over 20 years ... weve been to his home a number of times ... it just shows you hes lost it, Christie said. Chris Christie on Trump attacking him as a "fat pig" -- "My children hate it. Especially because we're been friends with Donald Trump for over 20 years ... we've been to his home a number of times ... it just shows you he's lost it." pic.twitter.com/aul0deYAbf Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 4, 2023 Christie has repeatedly gone after Trump since announcing his presidential candidacy in June, including accusing the former president of encouraging antisemitism, calling him a coward for not visiting Israel, and criticizing him for making ridiculous comments about Meghan Markle. However, Christie also was the first major politician to support Trumps presidential bid in 2016 and helped him prepare for his 2020 debates against Democrat Joe Biden. As a result, many people on X, formerly known as Twitter, didnt seem too concerned about how Christies kids felt about Trumps insult. Imagine you weigh 300 pounds and you call someone else "fat pig" https://t.co/tBRTCeCcpk FuckElonMusk (@Timeo_Danaos) December 4, 2023 Why were you friends with him? Hes an abusive bully, but thats not new. Did you tell your kids it was fine as long as it was other people he bullied? https://t.co/0D1zqfxayD Ted Gehring (@GehringTed) December 4, 2023 He brought his kids around the orange goon? That kind of decision making alone disqualifies him from being president. https://t.co/L75fuXv5p2 Fareed the Bothersome (@FareedBlackman) December 4, 2023 Cavuto calls Christie "calorically challenged," which is objectively hilarious https://t.co/aqiDpoPeQW brian b. levinson (@BrianBLevinson) December 4, 2023 Christie's gonna Christie. Not him outraged. It's "my children." https://t.co/JtbxFvKt97 Regina Schrambling (@gastropoda) December 4, 2023 LEARNING OPPORTUNITY! Use this as a CLEAR & relevant message. Trump does NOT care about your fat ass or your children..PERIOD! He uses who he uses & you are disposable & irrelevant. https://t.co/haAGuyddRd InSearchOfPeace (@1ViDel) December 4, 2023 Christies plan to keep Trump from winning the GOP nomination isnt going so well. Polling indicates Trump leads the field with 61.1% of the vote while Christie is only supported by 2.5% of Republicans, according to RealClearPolitics. Related... Pressure is growing on former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to drop out of the GOP primary in order to clear a path for either Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, as Republicans look for a viable alternative to former President Trump. Christie has largely centered his campaign around his criticism of Trump, but that message, coupled with a crowded primary field and a New Hampshire-centric operation, has complicated his path in the Republican field. There was even speculation that he wouldnt qualify for Wednesday nights debate, which will be hosted at 8 p.m. ET by The Hills sister news organization NewsNation, though in the end he did. But with the Iowa caucuses steadily approaching, Republicans are pressing the New Jersey Republican to exit the race. I think he should absolutely drop out. Theres just no path for him to win the nomination, said Sarah Matthews, a former Trump administration official whos backing Haley. I think he did add a really important voice to the race, but obviously his whole campaign was centered around trying to deny Trump the nomination, she added. And I think that right now, if he stays in the race, all hes doing is helping Trump to secure the nomination, because hes dividing the vote. Christie launched his bid for the 2024 GOP nomination in June, focusing his campaign operations mainly on New Hampshire and leaning into attacks against Trump as a focal point in his campaign. Although Christie sits in third place in RealClearPoliticss polling average of New Hampshire surveys, behind Trump and Haley, hes trailing his opponents by wider margins in Iowa and South Carolina. The New Jersey Republican, for his part, has defended staying in the race. I think Gov. Haley and I both have the same goal, and that is to be president of the United States, Christie said during an interview on CNNs State of the Union last month. And I think were showing great momentum in New Hampshire. We have been gaining over the last couple of weeks. I think were going to continue to gain in that in that fight. And I think were going to do very, very well in New Hampshire on Jan. 23. And this idea of people just doing math and adding up numbers, thats not the way voters vote. And so I would say to everybody out there: Lets let the campaign move forward, he added. Christie campaign adviser Mike DuHaime told The Hill that the campaign hasnt been hearing feedback for Christie to drop out and pointed out that DeSantis is still trailing Trump in Iowa, where the Florida governor has staked his campaign, while Haley has been lagging behind the former president in her home state of South Carolina. First of all, Id say, Like who? because apparently people talk to reporters, but not to us, DuHaime said. So you know, theres been very little of that to us. I think the Haley camp is trying to manufacture this through some donors and through the press, and they do not have the courage to directly come to us and say that. They havent. I just dont understand why would we get out for people who are also way behind Donald Trump, who also have certainly a difficult path, but even more importantly, are not willing to take on the guy whos in first place, he added. Some of Christies supporters also believe its unfair to ask the former New Jersey governor to suspend his campaign. First of all, its too early to suggest that somebodys failure to withdraw is going to throw the nomination from an alternative to Trump, said former Rep. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.), whos supporting Christie. If this were April or May, or April of next year, itd be a different story. A spokesperson for Haley pointed The Hill to her past comments, in which she said its on voters and donors to help winnow the field. The DeSantis campaign did not respond to a requests for comment. Roy Bailey, a former Trump donor who is now backing DeSantis, argued that the Florida governor has a path to the GOP nomination. Bailey said the pathway is in a non-diluted primary and added that DeSantis needs to get one-on-one with a former president. New Hampshire-based Republican strategist Mike Dennehy, who worked on the late Sen. John McCains (R-Ariz.) 2000 and 2008 presidential bids, said Christie doesnt really have a strong path forward after New Hampshire. I can see why people would call on him to withdraw and I would tend to agree with those folks unless Chris Christie can detail a path forward a successful path forward for him after New Hampshire, he said. Dennehy, whos unaligned in the primary, suggested that Haley has a path to the GOP nomination. Nikki Haley has a much more national operation than Chris Christie does, which is why I say he has to he has to detail a path forward, but not to mention, lets face it, in the last week or so, Nikki Haley has also announced solid endorsements from around the country, and she has the full backing of the Americans for Prosperity, he added, referring to the political wing of billionaire Charles Kochs conservative network. Yet Trump has continued to hold a dominant lead in the 2024 GOP field in both national and early state polling, despite four separate indictments. The surveys have raised questions about whether any candidate can topple Trump as the Iowa caucuses rapidly approach. While some Republicans are concerned it may be too little too late to take on Trump at this point, even if Christie were to drop out and endorse Haley, others say the sense of inevitability is premature. An awful lot of people are acting as though they know the outcome of events that are going to be affected by things that havent happened yet, and I think weve all been around this game long enough to have a little more humility than that, Republican strategist Whit Ayres said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Vibe in Shenzhen: a metropolis in S China bustling with modern vitality 16:28, December 04, 2023 By Chang Sha, Lu Yang ( People's Daily Online Shenzhen, located in south Chinas Guangdong Province and bordering Hong Kong, is known as being the city at the forefront of Chinas reform and opening-up. Through 45 years of ceaseless efforts, the once obscure fishing village has transformed into a globally-renowned metropolis. Rooted in profound Chinese culture and tradition, and keeping in line with the times, the city is striving to build itself into a hub of fashion industries, with featured sectors such as watches, jewelry, clothes, and glasses. Additionally, old and new landmarks scattered across the city serve as a strong draw for visitors in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and beyond. Booming fashion industries Inside a watch and clock museum set up by FIYTA, a Shenzhen-headquartered watch maker, watches designed under different themes and crafted through various techniques are exhibited, offering a glimpse of Shenzhens vibrant watch industry. Out of every ten watches produced around the world, four are from Shenzhen, said Zhang Jianfeng, curator of the museum, adding that though the watch and clock industry is small in scale, it has a great impact on many other industries. The watch itself is a perfect mix of art and skill, he noted. Zhang Jianfeng, curator of a watch and clock museum set up by FIYTA, a Shenzhen-headquartered watch maker, shows visitors around in Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong Province, on Nov. 13, 2023. (Peoples Daily Online/Lu Yang) When traditional Chinese culture is integrated into the watch design, watches are given more aesthetic value, turning them from a tool for telling the time into a stylish accessory. The company has manufactured watches with faces decorated with Suzhou embroidery artworks and themed on Dunhuang culture, exuding an air of elegance and antiquity. A watch can also be a carrier of advanced technologies. Starting with the Shenzhou-5 mission, the companys aerospace-oriented watches have become a reliable partner for Chinese taikonauts, witnessing Chinas progress in space exploration. Photo shows aerospace-oriented watches designed by FIYTA, a Shenzhen-headquartered watch maker, in Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong Province, on Nov. 13, 2023. (Peoples Daily Online/Lu Yang) Statistics released by Shenzhen Watch and Clock Association show that as of 2021, the output of Chinese watches accounts for 80 percent of the worlds total, while Shenzhens output makes up 53 percent of the countrys total and 42 percent the globes. Gold and jewelry is another calling card of Shenzhens fashion industry. At the Shuibei market, a gold and jewelry manufacturing and trading hub in Luohu district, Shenzhen, where nearly 7,000 related companies are assembled, glittering gold and jewels become a tapestry of ornaments, drawing huge crowds of customers. Shenzhen Jewelry Museum, Chinas first jewelry-themed public museum, is nestled in a quiet corner of the market, tucked away from all the hustle and bustle. It houses a kaleidoscope of mineral crystals and jewels, displays exquisite artworks and crafting techniques, and records how the citys jewel industry grew along with Chinas reform and opening-up drive. Photo shows a jewelry artwork exhibited at the Shenzhen Jewelry Museum in Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong Province, on Nov. 14, 2023. (Peoples Daily Online/Chang Sha) Batar Group, a leading player in Chinas gold and jewelry manufacturing sector, was also founded in Shenzhen. The company fully leverages the properties of precious metal to integrate traditional Chinese culture into product design, such as a gold foil-made version of Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains, a hand scroll painting created by Wang Ximeng of China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The encounter between priceless jewels and iconic cultural elements enriches the offerings of the jewelry industry and endows Chinese culture with another hue of everlasting charm. According to the Shenzhen Gold and Jewelry Association, Shenzhen is home to more than 15,000 registered incorporated enterprises in the gold and jewelry sector as of 2021, employing 250,000 people. Photo shows two enameled bowls exhibited at the Shenzhen Jewelry Museum in Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong Province, on Nov. 14, 2023. (Peoples Daily Online/Chang Sha) Dynamic city landmarks Against the nightscape of Shenzhens Baoan district, cars stream across the roads, resembling hundreds of moving light strips, and the dazzling brilliance of the buildings casts a shadow on calm waters. Out of the citys hazy outline at night, a huge shining structure emerges - the Bay Glory Ferris wheel. The citys highest Ferris wheel, it stands at a height of 128 meters, with 28 imported cars, proving to be an ideal choice for those eager to embark on a romantic journey in Shenzhen. A roughly 30-minute tour in the air provides a panoramic view, allowing visitors to take in the citys vitality. Officially opened to public in April 2021, the Ferris wheel has become a new landmark in Shenzhen, and even the entire GBA. Photo shows the Bay Glory Ferris wheel in Baoan district, Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong Province, on Nov. 13, 2023. (Peoples Daily Online/Lu Yang) Zooming in on a dense cluster of commercial buildings in Luohu district reveals a more down-to-earth side of Shenzhen. The Dongmen pedestrian street is bustling with activity, its air sweet with the tantalizing aroma of food, its night scene lit up by bright colors, and its background filled with a myriad of sounds. It houses stores and markets of different sizes selling different commodities, catering for a diversity of demand and attracting consumers of all ages. Here, one can find traces of Chinas opening-up history, such as the first McDonald's in the Chinese mainland, as well as the citys latest consumption trends. With a history that dates back to the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Dongmen pedestrian street has gone from a slate-paved ancient street to a modern commercial center, witnessing the citys transformation and the improvement of local living standards. Photo shows Dongmen pedestrian street in Luohu district, Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong Province, on Nov. 14, 2023. (Peoples Daily Online/Chang Sha) The pedestrian street is located near the Luohu Port, a land port between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It has evolved into a consumption paradise for Hong Kong residents who come to visit the commercial landmark on weekends or holidays to enjoy their leisure time. According to Shenzhens inspection station at the port, Luohu Port registered more than 1.22 million cross-border trips during this years Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, with the daily peak reaching as high as 210,000. As the city continues to honor its commitment to reform and opening-up and grasps the opportunities provided by the development of the GBA, Shenzhen stands ready to inject more impetus into its fashion industries and create more signature landmarks. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Wu Chengliang) Sofia Salinas walks along the fenced-in area that was to become a migrant tent encampment near her home in the Brighton Park neighborhood, Dec. 14, 2023, in Chicago. Salinas and her neighbors are concerned about the presence of ground chemicals on the site that prevented the encampment from opening. She said all of the construction that had been completed was taken down fully by the previous night. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration moved to officially scrap Mayor Brandon Johnsons plan to build a migrant camp on a controversial Southwest Side lot Tuesday, in a scathing rebuke of the citys evaluation of the lands potential environmental hazards. In a statement, Pritzkers office said an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency review of the citys environmental report which was released late Friday evening indicates concerns related to insufficient soil sampling and remediation at the Brighton Park site selected by Johnsons team. Advertisement And because the time required for additional testing and remediation would be extensive, the state will not proceed with the base camp, Pritzker said. My administration is committed to keeping asylum-seekers safe as we work to help them achieve independence, Pritzker said in a statement. We will not proceed with housing families on a site where serious environmental concerns are still present. My administration remains committed to a data-driven plan to improve the asylum-seeker response and we will continue to coordinate with the City of Chicago as we work to expand available shelter through winter. Advertisement At an unrelated public appearance on Tuesday, Johnson maintained third-party validators found the site to be safe, then pivoted to city efforts to get migrants out of district police stations. The state did not provide any additional guidelines or any sort of methodology in which they were requiring us to go by, so we used the standards that were available to us, the mayor said. Johnsons office later said the state was responsible for kicking off construction last week, and the environmental sampling analysis was done according to an emergency response protocol under the Illinois Emergency Management Act. Despite being made aware of the above assessment and remediation process, the State provided no additional guidance on its preferred methodology or assessment criteria, nor raised any concerns about its own decision to move forward with construction, the mayors statement said. Despite his public insistence that relations with the city remain cordial, Pritzkers move was a stunning rejection of Johnsons plan, which was already proceeding. It will force the mayor to react to the state stepping on his response to a crisis within Chicagos borders, a reversal of the usual political power dynamic that comes after weeks of brewing disharmony between the two. The development also places the Democratic governor, widely rumored to have future presidential ambitions, firmly in charge of a burgeoning situation that has proved Johnsons most vexing challenge since he took office in May. Underscoring the escalating tension between Springfield and City Hall, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh shot back at Johnsons statement, saying state environmental standards are clear and known to the city. Those are not the standards the city chose to use, Abudayyeh said in a statement. The city did not engage with IEPA or the state before releasing the report and when it did release the report, was unable to explain the lesser standards they did choose to use and how they arrived at those standards. Advertisement While the city might be comfortable placing asylum seekers on a site where toxins are present without a full understanding of whether it is safe, the state is not, Abudayyeh added. The mayors plan to place asylum-seekers in heated winter tents was one of several flashpoints in his and Pritzkers differences on migrants. Although Johnson and surrogates have for a while critiqued the state for what they said was insufficient aid, the governor has made a point to cast his recent involvement as one of Springfield swooping in because Chicago leaders were failing to get asylum-seekers off of police station floors and sidewalks before cold weather arrived. Now the search for another camp site to house migrants continues amid freezing temperatures at night and no immediate backup plan. How Johnsons team navigates the next weeks will be a pivotal moment for the administration that had vowed to be transparent and champion environmental justice but has drawn sharp ire over its handling of the Brighton Park plan. Last Friday, the city released a nearly 800-page report by outside contractor Terracon Consultants that said high levels of mercury and other chemicals were found and being removed from the Brighton Park lot at 3710 S. California Ave. With the limited soil removal and placement and maintenance of the barrier, the site is safe for temporary residential use, the mayors office said then. The state had reservations, however, and paused construction on the site Sunday after Pritzkers office expressed frustration at its own wait for the reports release, even as the state was supposed to cover the cost of setting up and operating the tent encampment. Advertisement The base camp in question would have held about 2,000 asylum-seekers and was slated to open its doors later this month to become the citys first government-run camp for new arrivals as they wait for beds inside bricks-and-mortar shelters. Pritzker on Tuesday said a 200-bed housing facility at the former CVS in Little Village will be next instead, along with possible options within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago network. The city and state have aimed to set up a shelter at the CVS site since at least May, and Johnsons Tuesday statement betrayed frustration over the slow pace despite clear signals from Texas officials that the number of buses will continue to increase. We look forward to partnering with the state on finally standing up the CVS shelter site, the mayor said. And we will work collaboratively to achieve the states expressed commitment to fund additional temporary residential shelter for new arrivals as winter and more buses arrive. Pritzker spokeswoman Abudayyeh said Tuesday it is now incumbent on the city to identify an alternate tent encampment site, which she indicated may not be needed immediately if more bricks-and-mortar shelters can be opened, given the fewer migrants at the police stations and OHare International Airport. Were open to any sort of shelter solution, she said. The Pritzker administration, which has pledged $65 million to set up and operate the tent encampment and the CVS site, was still working to determine whether the state will be on the hook for any of the construction work already completed in Brighton Park, Abudayyeh said. It was unclear Tuesday whether an agreement with contractor GardaWorld Federal Services not to charge the state if the site was found not to be habitable would apply, she said. Advertisement Regardless, further shelter options are likely needed. Since August 2022, more than 24,000 migrants have come to Chicago, mostly hailing from Central and South America. The influx was so great at times that this fall, a peak of about 3,800 new arrivals were camped out at police stations and OHare. That number dropped sharply to about 610 total as of Tuesday, a dynamic that could continue during the colder months but is unlikely to hold given past behavior. Under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the pace of buses from Texas and other southern border states slowed to a crawl in early 2023 but quickly escalated once spring and the announcement that Chicago will be the site of next years Democratic National Convention arrived. Johnson first announced his idea to place migrants in winterized tent encampments in September, but a series of false starts and heated community pushback have dogged his administration the entire way. Pritzkers announcement Tuesday, however, spelled one of the most prominent blemishes yet on the mayors progressive bona fides. IEPA would not approve the proposed Brighton Park site for residential use, based on our regulatory standards for remediation of contaminated properties, Illinois EPA Director John Kim wrote in a statement. The well-being of residents and workers at the site is our highest priority, and current and planned site conditions do not adequately reduce risks of human exposure to known and potential environmental conditions. The state criticism of the citys handling of the site comes after Johnson last week said the contractors assessment of the environmental risks served as further proof that Ive proved that Im committed to environmental justice. Days later, Johnsons office dropped the environmental report that revealed chemicals were present, according to the company hired by the city to assess the viability, though his team had said those concerns would be mitigated. The document was only released late Friday evening to those who made a public records request. Advertisement According to the report, soil with mercury levels was identified at one location and was removed and properly disposed off-site at a landfill, Johnsons office said. Likewise, soil with a high level of a semivolatile compound was identified at another location, and will be removed and disposed of off-site. The Terracon report said in the one sample location where high mercury exposure was detected, The soil surrounding this sample was excavated and properly disposed off-site at a landfill, while the spots with excess amounts of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a chemical used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), will be remediated via excavation and landfill disposal. In addition, high levels of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and four metals were also found and required workers to ensure the placement of imported clean stone from a quarry and compaction of the stone to a minimum thickness of six inches throughout the site. The stone layer will be periodically inspected and maintained. The consultants report also noted a lead smelter once operated in the northeast corner of the site. Lead levels detected in the soil under the now-defunct encampment were up to three times higher than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for areas where children play. The mayors office said last week that the investigation entailed soil sampling, groundwater sampling, and soil gas sampling which yielded soil analytical results, groundwater analytical results, and soil gas analytical results. But the IEPA analysis of the environmental report said the consultants investigation entailed a limited nature and insufficient number of soil borings as well as shoddy remediation work that fell short of state standards, Pritzkers administration said Tuesday. Advertisement The remediations implemented thus far do not satisfy IEPA standards and are insufficient, the state said. At a minimum, an expanded engineered barrier between contaminated soil and human exposure would need to be installed to address exposure concerns. Further investigation might also identify additional contamination that would require additional remediation. Reached for comment Tuesday, local Ald. Julia Ramirez, 12th, said she was relieved at the news but hopes the Johnson administration learned a valuable lesson. For us, it was a concern that they were constructing even before the environmental report, said Ramirez, who long opposed the citys rollout of the now-scuttled base camp. Whats really important is that when theyre looking at other lots that we would have done this over a month-and-a-half ago, two months ago, and have that conversation, done the environmental report, before proceeding. Far South Side Ald. Ronnie Mosley Ramirezs colleague in the City Council who represents the only other migrant camp site considered so far echoed her sentiments. His 21st Ward had been on deck to host a tent encampment at the former Jewel-Osco at 115th and Halsted streets, but he said Tuesday he absolutely welcomed state officials performing a similar review of the citys environmental testing. Im hoping the state takes that same interest in making sure all Illinoisans are safe, Mosley told the Tribune. In October, the city inked a six-month, $548,400 land use contract for the lot at 3710 S. California Ave. owned by Barnacres Corp., a Markham-based company helmed by Otoniel Tony Sanchez. Sanchez was also a Johnson donor, giving $1,500 to the mayors political fund two months before the lease signing. Advertisement Johnsons political advisers have said that money was being returned and city workers involved in scouting the location did not know about the donation. On Tuesday afternoon, hulking white tent structures sat vacant on the fresh gravel that had been dumped on the Brighton Park lot. Dueling water-stained signs reading, No Trespassing and So disappointed at Johnson peppered the fences and tent coverings. I feel like our mayor rushed so quickly to put this up and wasted so much money, said Dan Patlan, a 42-year-old landlord from across the street. And now youre going to waste more money to take it down, when you knew. You knew there was the potential for it to be contaminated. Chicago Tribunes Michael Hawthorne contributed reporting. ayin@chicagotribune.com dpetrella@chicagotribune.com Four candidates will be on stage for Wednesdays GOP presidential primary debate in Alabama, including a surprise last-minute inclusion of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The Republican National Committee announced late Monday that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy and Christie will appear at the University of Alabama. DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy all easily cleared the requirements set by the national party committee to make it on stage. But Christies inclusion came at the last minute, after he apparently crossed the polling threshold in the days before the Monday deadline. NewsNation, The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM, The Washington Free Beacon and Rumble are co-hosting the debate, which will begin at 8 p.m. EST. Former President Donald Trump will once again not be on stage. The fields frontrunner would have easily cleared the debate qualifications, but he has opted to not participate in any of the RNC-sanctioned debates and has urged the party committee to cancel the future showdowns. Instead of scheduling public counterprogramming, as he has done for past debates, Trump will be attending a fundraiser in Florida. Wednesdays debate will be the smallest primary debate of the cycle so far. Five candidates participated in the showdown last month. But since then, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has ended his campaign. Earlier on Monday, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also dropped his bid. In a statement, he blamed his exclusion from the debate stage as a reason why he was exiting the race. The RNCs mission is to win elections, Burgum said. It is not their mission to reduce competition and restrict fresh ideas by narrowing the field months before the Iowa caucuses or the first in the nation New Hampshire primary. Burgum participated in the first and second debates. But he failed to qualify for last months third debate and would not have qualified for this weeks. The RNC has not publicly announced if it will host any future debates. But POLITICO reported earlier on Monday that both ABC News and CNN are exploring the possibility of sponsoring upcoming debates. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said Monday he doesnt think former President Trump will be able to vote for himself in 2024. Christie said he believes Trump is going to be convicted in the federal criminal case against him in Washington, D.C., related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, preventing him from voting. Hes going to be convicted, Christie said. Imagine this: Hes our nominee, he wont be able to vote for himself. He noted that the former presidents chief of staff, Mark Meadows, reportedly secured an immunity deal in the case and will testify before a grand jury. Christie said Meadowss testimony would be influential in Trumps case because instead of a liberal prosecutor talking about the former president, it will be Trumps former chief of staff, saying he, Mark Meadows, committed crimes, cause you wouldnt need immunity if you hadnt committed crimes. And that Donald Trump committed crimes on his watch. Thats very different for conservative voters to hear that from Mark Meadows, than to hear from Jack Smith, Christie continued. Christie has previously made similar comments about Meadowss deal. Donald Trump is not going to be able to beat [President Biden] from a courtroom in Washington, D.C., while hes fighting his indictment on the Jan. 6 case, Christie said on CNNs State of the Union in October. And let me tell you, that indictment got much tougher for him to beat when his own chief of staff has now accepted immunity and will testify against him about the lies he told in the aftermath of Jan. 6, and what he was told by his own people about the fact that he had lost the election, Christie continued. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels are holding a press conference at the Camden County Courthouse on Tuesday where they will announce their filing of an intent to sue the sheriff's deputy who fatally shot Leonard Cure. Cure, a Black man who spent more than 16 years imprisoned on a wrongful conviction, was shot and killed by a Camden County sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop in October. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the deputy pulled over Cure on I-95 near the Georgia-Florida line. He got out of the car at the deputys request and cooperated at first but became violent after he was told he was being arrested, a previous GBI news release said. Background: Bodycam video released after Camden Co. deputy fatally shoots Leonard Cure in Georgia Crump, who previously has represented families in the high-profile cases of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Trayvon Martin, began representing Cure's family shortly after his death. The press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the courthouse. Cure's family and Seth Miller, director of The Innocence Project of Florida, are expected to attend, according the release from Crump's office. X This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Leonard Cure shooting: Ben Crump to hold press conference One person was injured in a Russian mortar attack on Sumy Oblast on 4 December. Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration on Facebook Details: The authorities report that one civilian was injured in Velyka Pysarivka hromada [an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories - ed.]. In total, 18 mortar strikes and 4 artillery strikes were recorded in the area. Over the course of the day, the Russians launched 11 attacks on the settlements along the border of Sumy Oblast. 57 strikes were recorded. Among the communities that suffered from the attacks were the settlements of Znob-Novhorod, Bilopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Seredyna-Buda and Krasnopillia hromadas. "Krasnopillia hromada: attacks with FPV drones (2 strikes) and mortars (13 strikes). Seredyna-Buda hromada: the enemy attacked with mortars (4 strikes). Bilopillia hromada: attacks were carried out with mortars (3 strikes) and artillery (4 strikes). Znob-Novhorod hromada: the Russians fired 12 mortar bombs on the hromada." Support UP or become our patron! MOSBY, Mo. The Clay County Sheriffs Office is searching for a missing 18-year-old who hasnt been seen in over a week. Andrew Mullin was last seen Nov. 27 near Fourth Street and South Street in Mosby, Missouri. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Officials say Mullin is about 6 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing orange bib overalls. The sheriffs office said officials and family are concerned for 18-year-olds mental health. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Clay County Sheriffs Office at 816-407-3700. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. The Rev. Bernard J. Pietrzak, of St. Anne parish in Barrington, died Nov. 29, 2023 at age 68. (Brian Kinyon) The Rev. Bernard Pietrzak, pastor of St. Anne Catholic Community in Barrington, died at the age of 68, officials announced in a news release. According to a news release from the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Catholic priest was born on Oct. 18, 1955 in Hammond, Indiana. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and Niles College of Loyola University, which are both in Chicago, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein. Advertisement He died Nov. 29. Bernie was a good mentor and friend. He always saw the best in people. He would encourage young priests and welcome them, the Rev. Jerome Jacob, pastor of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Mundelein, stated in the release. Advertisement The two priests became friends at St. Raymond de Penafort Catholic Church in Mount Prospect when Jacob joined the church as associate pastor and Pietrzak was serving as pastor, the release states. The Sunday assembly was very important to him, Jacob stated in the release. He was very dedicated to adult formation, marriage preparation, etc. to help people grow in their spirituality. Ordained to the priesthood on May 13, 1981 by Cardinal John Cody, Pietrzak celebrated his first solemn Mass on May 23 that same year at St. Florian Parish in Chicago, the release states. Officials noted in the release that the Rev. Joji Thanugundla and the Rev. Rodolfo Ramirez, associate pastors of St. Anne, penned a tribute to Pietrzak on the parishs Instagram account: Father Bernie served our St. Anne community with unwavering dedication, compassion and a profound commitment to his faith. He touched the lives of many with his inspiring homilies, guidance and selfless service. After ordination, Pietrzak was associate pastor at St. Victor Church in Calumet City, Holy Cross Catholic Church in Deerfield and Church of the Holy Spirit in Schaumburg, the release states. According to the release, he then served as pastor at St. Raymond de Penafort from 1996 to 2009 and at St. Anne, where he had been serving as pastor since 2009. Funeral services were scheduled to take place Dec. 5 at St. Anne, including visitation hours and a vigil service presided over by Thanugundla, with the Rev. Ed Panek serving as the homilist, the release states. Advertisement The funeral Mass was scheduled for Dec. 6, with Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, the main celebrant of the funeral Mass and Jacob the homilist, according to the release. Interment will be private, the release states. Black entrepreneurs often face significant hurdles to starting new businesses, but Congress may make things a bit easier. Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA) hopes to support Black-owned businesses by creating a new federal grant to HBCUs to fund these endeavors, and her plan has already gained traction. Grants for minority-owned businesses As reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rep. Williams introduced the Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act on Nov. 17. As proposed, the act would set up a new program within the Small Business Administration to provide grants to students seeking to start businesses. The grants would be available to HBCUs and other minority student institutions through an application process. Up to $250,000 would be available for each grant. Bipartisan support Although Williams has proposed similar legislation in the past with little traction, the current bill has several backers in Congress. Williams Democratic co-sponsors on this bill are Alma Adams (NC), Dwight Evans (PA) and Norma Torres (CA). She also has one Republican co-sponsor, Brian Fitzpatrick (PA). Fitzpatrick has publicly stated his belief that the bipartisan Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act will empower minority innovators and entrepreneurs to start their own small businesses, adding that Im proud to join my colleagues on this legislation. Possible political and legal challenges Despite the bipartisan support for Williams proposal, other Republicans may not be eager to support this initiative. Furthermore, starting a new federal program aimed at supporting minority recipients may face legal challenges. Ever since the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in higher education earlier this year, conservative organizations have been targeting government-funded programs that benefit racial minorities. In recent months, federal judges have ruled against the multi-million dollar Fearless Fund that provided venture capital for minority women, as well as a separate multi-billion dollar Small Business Administration Business Development Program for minority business owners. And additional lawsuits have popped up around the country, even targeting aid for pregnant women of color. So far, Rep. Williams has not been deterred by the threat of opposition. I cant base what Im doing to serve my constituents on what might happen in the future, the Atlanta Journal-Consitutiton reports her as saying, adding What I know is the need today is that Black and brown businesses need access to capital. Although Williams proposed program is likely to face pushback, her determination may help this program finally take off. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urged property owners who owe back taxes to pay their tab before tax liens occur, which places the delinquent taxes on the annual tax sale list. The annual tax sale will occur Jan. 9-12 for properties with unpaid 2021 property taxes due in 2022, Pappas said in a statement. Pappas said 22,884 property owners in Cook County owe less than $1,000 in back property taxes from 2022. The annual tax sale takes place 13 months after the due date. Investors buy delinquent tax debt during the annual tax sale, Pappas said in the statement. The sale does not involve the sale of actual properties, she said. Owners of 52,401 properties owe more than $236 million in taxes that were due in 2022. Nearly 30,000 owe more than $1,000 while 22,884 owe less than $1,000, including owners of 15,944 properties in Chicago and 6,940 parcels in suburban Cook County, the statement said. To find out if your property is on the annual tax sale list, go to cookcountytreasurer.com. Pappas office is mailing certified notices alerting property owners their unpaid taxes are to be offered for sale, which would put a lien against their properties. Besides the mailings, the treasurers office will publish lists of properties with delinquencies tax lists in local newspapers. Semafor Signals NEWS The worlds biggest climate change summit is getting more attention for what attendees are doing to accelerate global heating than to solve it. COP28 in Dubai suffered a blow to its image under the presidency of Sultan al-Jaber, CEO of Emirati state oil company Adnoc, who the BBC reported was planning on using the summit to strike oil trade deals with foreign dignitaries allegations al-Jaber has denied. But the attendees at COP28 paint a larger picture of how the conference has become according to some more of a trade show than a climate action platform. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. A record number of fossil fuel lobbyists are attending this years summit, according to an analysis by advocacy group Kick Big Polluters Out. At 2,456 people, thats four times more lobbyists compared to last years summit in Egypt, which itself set a new record. Lobbyists also outnumber representatives of the indigenous communities most affected by climate change seven to one, which critics say shows that oil and gas industry profits are being favored over the wellbeing of these communities. For many activists and campaigners, COP is now simply an avenue for Big Oil to greenwash their polluting businesses and foist dangerous distractions instead of debating meaningful solutions, one activist told The Guardian. COP28 will leave behind the largest carbon footprint in the climate conferences history, in part due to the record number of attendees at least 80,000. Many of the most high-profile visitors are traveling to the Dubai summit by private jet, including Britains King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, according to aviation news site Simply Flying. An Institute for Policy Studies report found that private jets produce at least 10 times more pollutants than commercial airplanes. Sunak has attempted to dismiss the controversy by agreeing to use sustainable aviation fuel to reach Dubai, but critics say that it is not yet a true green alternative to traditional jet fuel. The UAEs migrant population is at the sharp end of the climate crisis. At least 88% of the countrys population are low-wage immigrants from countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh that make negligible contributions to greenhouse gas production but are most at risk of natural disasters attributed to climate change, according to Human Rights Watch. Because of high remittance fees in the UAE, these migrants are often unable to support their families back home who are being internally displaced from flooding and other disasters. Many of these migrant workers worked directly on the infrastructure used for COP28, Human Rights Watch says, but were offered little protection to combat the desert heat. And while the Gulf heat will only intensify if governments do not work to phase out fossil fuels, companies like the UAEs Adnoc continue to boost their production capacity. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators participating in a protest against the Israel-Hamas war hold a sign at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) As leaders, officials and activists descend on Dubai for United Nations climate talks to discuss saving Earth, another environmental crisis is nearby, and it's raising concerns among summit participants. Devastated by a nearly two-month-long assault by Israeli airstrikes and ground fighting, large swaths of Gaza have been flattened, agricultural lands have been destroyed, olive trees that have stood for generations are scorched and dwindling water resources are contaminated. Experts warn that white phosphorus a chemical illegal under international law that a human rights group says is in used in Israeli operations could also be detrimental to the environment, including the air and soil. Palestinians are worried that the land could take years to recover, and activists at the summit are tying the plight of Gazans to climate justice globally. The Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Jagan Chapagain warned during the summit that Gaza could become an environmental catastrophe. But with the destruction of much of Gaza's infrastructure and an exceptionally heavy human cost over 15,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed there since October it's impossible for the country to give climate and environment the attention it needs, said Hadeel Ikhmais, a climate change expert with the Palestinian Authority, at the summit's first-ever State of Palestine Pavilion. We have policies, we have indices, we have a lot of strategies and plans, well developed. But now we have to rethink all of what weve been working for the last ten years because what happened in Gaza destroyed everything, she said. We have to build the city all over again." She asked: What kind of climate justice are we talking about while all the people in Palestine are endangered and their lives are lost? Gaza's water has long been scarce but the war has made it even more acute. Israel cut off water pipelines and electricity, meaning desalination plants couldn't run, leading to a host of health and sanitation concerns for residents. Agriculture in Gaza, mainly olive trees and citrus fruits as well as other plants, has been decimated because of water shortages and the devastation of the land. White phosphorus, that human rights groups say was used in densely populated areas, is illegal under international law when used on civilians. It can set buildings on fire and burn human flesh. It poses health risk for survivors and can get deep into soil and water. War also raises climate concerns: Militaries worldwide are responsible for 5.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Conflict and Environment Observatory and Scientists for Global Responsibility, and militaries are under no obligation to report or reduce their carbon footprint. Climate activists, who largely support calls for a ceasefire and justice for Palestinians, have centered the issue in protests at the U.N. talks. They say that climate justice the idea that saving Earth from hotter temperatures is linked to more just world for everyone, especially the most vulnerable is inextricably linked with security and freedom for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation because both crises are fueled by colonization and capitalism. The Palestinian struggle is a struggle for self-determination and climate justice is a struggle for self-determination," said Katherine Robinson, a climate campaigner from South Africa. There is no climate justice in occupied territories. Theres no climate justice during war and theres no climate justice during apartheid. Rania Harara, from the MENA feminist task force, agreed that climate justice goes hand in hand with Palestinian solidarity. We cannot sit here and talk about climate justice without talking about human rights, she said, to applause from the audience at an event on Saturday. The war on Gaza is also affecting how much funding can be diverted to climate initiatives, said Mohamed Adow, the director of Power Shift Africa, a Nairobi-based climate and energy think-tank. Adow says wars and conflict are using up much needed climate cash that could have otherwise been very useful to help protect vulnerable communities from climate disaster. He used the example of Ukraine, where he says trillions of dollars were sent at a time that the international community was struggling to mobilize a hundred billion for climate finance. Demilitarization across the world must be a key component of climate justice, Adow said. The Israeli Foreign Ministrys top diplomat for the Mideast, Oded Joseph, said Israels priority at the moment is fighting and protecting their civilians, with climate and environmental crises being dealt with once we meet that objective, he said. The war began on Oct. 7 when an attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and was retaliated with a punishing weekslong air and later ground assault on the Gaza Strip with no end in sight. A nearly week-long temporary truce ended Friday. But beyond the war, the wider occupation is still detrimental to efforts toward climate and environmental justice, activists say. Climate justice is inseparable from justice for Palestinians," said Dylan Hamilton, policy coordinator for the Alliance of Non-Governmental Radical Youth. There can be no climate justice on occupied land. ___ Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Anthony Cesaretti, left, Liz Paxil, center left, Maureen Kordesh, center right, and Bill Kavanagh, right, of the caroling group Holiday Harmony, perform during the Clarendon Hills Holiday walk on Friday Dec. 1, 2023. (Troy Stolt/Chicago Tribune) The weather didnt cooperate at all Friday evening when the annual Clarendon Hills Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Holiday Walk was held in the villages downtown area. In past years, when the weather has been decent, the event has attracted large crowds, including a year ago when good weather helped to bring out one of the most-attended holiday gatherings. Advertisement As the rain slowed, many enjoyed the lights, watching ice sculptures take form, listening to a performance from a Clarendon Hills Music Academy Jazz Quartet, or sing carols while taking a horse-drawn wagon pulled by Jake and Rosie, said Shannon McDonald, the Chambers event manager. For those that braved the elements, it was a night to celebrate community with neighbors and local businesses. Madison Pilcher, 7 and her brother Tyler, 6, meet Santa Claus during the Clarendon Hills Holiday walk on Friday Dec. 1, 2023. (Troy Stolt/Chicago Tribune) McDonald said the Holiday Walk may not have looked crowded outside, but people gathered inside Clarendon Hills Bank, Zabler Jewelers and other local businesses to escape the rain and enjoy refreshments from some local businesses. Advertisement The Holiday Walk was from 5 to 9 p.m. and kicked off with local merchant shopping at 5 p.m. and the traditional tree lighting at 6 p.m. in front of Village Hall. Other features of the event included strolling carolers, horse drawn wagon rides, roasted chestnuts, the creation of an ice sculpture refreshments and the always popular visit from Santa. This was the second year the event was called the Holiday Walk, after 65 years of being known as the Christmas Walk. The updating of the name from Christmas Walk to Holiday Walk was necessary in order to comply with the bylaws of the Chamber of Commerce, which state that its activities shall be nonpartisan, nonsectional and nonsectarian, according to the Chamber. The event is regularly held on the first Friday of December. Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Here are more photos from Friday: Lily Lewin, 5, and her friend Danny Veatch window shop during the Clarendon Hills Holiday walk on Friday Dec. 1, 2023. (Troy Stolt/Chicago Tribune) Area children watch as Ice Sculptor Delaney Stewart works on a sculpture of Frosty the Snowman during the Clarendon Hills Holiday walk on Friday Dec. 1, 2023. (Troy Stolt/Chicago Tribune) Fire Fighters Joe Jung and Mike OMalley give out homemade roasted Chestnuts to Clarendon Hills residents during the towns Holiday walk on Friday Dec. 1, 2023. (Troy Stolt/Chicago Tribune) Boyscout Dean Borys, 6, lights the Christmas Trees at Village Hall during the Clarendon Hills Holiday walk on Friday Dec. 1, 2023. (Troy Stolt/Chicago Tribune) Steven Tordai of King Carriage leads his horses around downtown Clarendon Hills during the towns Holiday walk on Friday Dec. 1, 2023. (Troy Stolt/Chicago Tribune) Kent Avery of Los Angeles looks at memorial photographs of overdose victims during an event at MacArthur Park on Aug. 31, International Overdose Awareness Day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Scientists have developed an antibody treatment that shows promise in blocking the potentially deadly effects of fentanyl for nearly a month, raising hopes for a new tool to combat overdoses. Tests in animals found that the treatment could block the effects of fentanyl, laying the groundwork for assessing whether the medication will prove effective in humans, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. The antibodies are too big to cross the blood-brain barrier, so when they bind to fentanyl in the bloodstream, they stop the powerful opioid from reaching receptors in the brain, researchers explained. The experimental treatment, dubbed CSX-1004 , was administered to animals via an intravenous infusion. Andrew Barrett , chief scientific officer for Cessation Therapeutics, the company that developed the treatment, likened the way it works to Pac-Man snapping up fentanyl in the blood, which prevents fentanyl from ever getting to the brain where it produces its effects, both pleasurable and dangerous. Among its possible uses: The infusion could be given as a preventive measure to patients who complete an inpatient detoxification program to try to prevent a death in the event of a relapse, Barrett said. Finding such a tool has been especially urgent as the number of American lives lost to drug overdoses has climbed to more than 100,000 a year , according to federal data. The bulk of those deaths have been linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, a potent drug that has also been found in counterfeit pills and is often mingled with other drugs such as methamphetamine. Read more: Fentanyl overdoses contribute to surge in L.A. County homeless deaths Scientists at Cessation Therapeutics in San Diego, teaming up with researchers from Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, performed a series of tests in rodents and squirrel monkeys to gauge CSX-1004s effects and found that a single infusion protected the primates from fentanyl for more than three weeks. One set of experiments included eight monkeys who were given fentanyl multiple times over 28 days. The animals first received a placebo to see how they responded to the opioid without treatment. Later, they received either a low or high dose of CSX-1004 at the outset of the cycle and were given fentanyl six times. Breathing measurements showed the medicine was most protective for the first week and waned steadily after that, with the higher dose showing significant effects for as long as 28 days. The experimental treatment reversed shallow or slow breathing, an overdose symptom that can lead to death, researchers reported. And it worked on other dangerous fentanyl analogs like carfentanil a synthetic opioid intended for sedating large animals without affecting oxycodone or other opioids prescribed by doctors for pain management, the study authors found. Cessation Therapeutics has started assessing the safety of the treatment in human volunteers and plans to next gauge its effects in people with opioid dependency, Barrett said. If CSX-1004 proves effective in clinical trials, the researchers said, it could protect people who are at high risk of overdose and become a bridge to other treatments that address craving and withdrawal symptoms, researchers wrote. Were in that crisis situation where we need all hands on deck to help prevent people from dying, said Kelly E. Dunn , a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who advised the company on the design for human trials of the medication but was not involved in data collection for the new study. These transformative approaches are exactly what we need, because with existing tools, were just not making the headway that we would hope. Read more: As fentanyl overdose deaths keep rising, efforts to reverse trend meet liability fears Arming people with antibodies has long been explored by researchers as a potential way to protect people from a range of addictive drugs. With fentanyl deaths up sharply since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research on antibody treatments really opens a door for a tool that will help us address very high-risk populations, said Dr. Nora Volkow , director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded the new research. Among them are people exiting jails or prisons, who face an alarmingly high risk of overdose in the weeks after they are released, she said. Volkow added that the treatment could help protect people who use cocaine or methamphetamine , who are in danger of overdosing when their drugs are contaminated with fentanyl. For those people, she said, you will dramatically reduce the risk for dying. The antibodies could have advantages over extended-release naltrexone , a medication that blocks the effects of opioids, Barrett said. Monthly injections of naltrexone require people to abstain from opioids for a while before beginning the medication. Your tolerance goes down very quickly in that time, said Dr. Melissa B. Weimer , an associate professor of medicine and public health at Yale who was not involved in the study. As they undergo withdrawal, most people who have severe opioid use disorder will be quite uncomfortable during that period of time. That places them at risk to not start treatment, leaving them unprotected and at higher risk of opioid overdose, she said. In addition, people taking naltrexone cannot use other common medications to reduce opioid cravings such as methadone. And because naltrexone blocks all opioids, it can complicate pain management in emergencies. Based on the findings so far, CSX-1004 doesnt share those drawbacks, Barrett said. The research team is still studying whether CSX-1004 causes precipitated withdrawal an abrupt and sickening experience that people have suffered with some treatments for opioid use disorder. We dont know the answer yet, but we dont think it will be a profound withdrawal because of the way it works, Barrett said. Read more: What's in illegal drugs? A UCLA team takes testing to the streets to find out Weimer said that another important question is what happens if people use more fentanyl to try to override the effects of the medication. Physicians will need to know if people could be at higher risk of overdose as the effects of the medication wear off, she said. And then there is the practical question of what proportion of individuals would opt for this treatment, said Dr. Larissa Mooney , an addiction psychiatrist at UCLA. People who choose this therapy option would have to be motivated to receive a treatment that will reduce the effects of fentanyl. Scientists have also tried to develop vaccines that prompt the body to produce antibodies that can protect against fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Dr. Thomas Kosten , a psychiatrist at Baylor College of Medicine who has been working on a fentanyl vaccine , said antibody-based therapies might have some practical drawbacks. The cost of making monoclonal antibodies like CSX-1004 is rather high, Kosten said, and you cant just store a monoclonal in your closet, you have to refrigerate it. ... So in some ways, its not a practical solution to whats a huge problem. He also questioned whether health insurers would cover the costs of an infusion treatment for substance use disorder. Volkow said that if a treatment like CSX-1004 proves effective in humans, there is a lot of room for innovation to address practical issues. It would make sense to do that innovation if it does look like its going to work. Cessation Therapeutics said it is already developing an injectable version of the antibody treatment that could be more convenient. In the new paper, the authors wrote that monoclonal antibodies could be priced around the same level as some existing treatments for opioid use disorder. Dunn of Johns Hopkins University urged more investment in new medications and approaches to thwart overdoses. There is very little general investment in this area, she said, despite the alarming number of lives lost. We need that investment to be able to really make big changes, she said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. WASHINGTON It started as a fight over $14,729 in taxes that the government said Charles and Kathleen Moore owed on an investment they made on a company in India. But their lawsuit, which the Supreme Court heard Tuesday, could wind up costing the government trillions, prompting follow-on lawsuits challenging a wide swath of federal taxes and upending proposals some Democrats have floated for years to tax the ultra-rich. During two hours of argument, a majority of the justices signaled they are hesitant to weigh into that broader debate. The legal question in the case involves how to define income for tax purposes. But the Supreme Courts decision whether it sides with the Moores or against them could have sweeping implications for how much the government can dip into the earnings of wealthy Americans who can shield those holdings from taxes. Arguments: Supreme Court split on whether the Sackler family can be sued over opioid crisis The Moores, a retired couple who live in Washington state, frame their case in simple terms: they never received a profit from their investment. Those profits were instead reinvested into the company, KisanKraft, which sells farm equipment in India. Because they never realized that income, the Moores claim, they cant be taxed on it. If you havent received any income, how can you be required to pay income taxes? Charles Moore asks in a video posted by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian group that is representing the Moores. It seemed, to both of us, unconstitutional. Tax cases often come and go at the Supreme Court without much fuss. But the Moores suit has prompted considerable attention, in part because of the potential to destabilize the tax system and partly because it has been viewed in some quarters as a proxy battle over proposed wealth tax A narrow ruling for the Moores could cost the government billions of dollars and provide a path for challenging other provisions of the tax code, said Josh Odintz, a lawyer at Holland & Knight who helped craft a brief supporting the governments position. A wide-ranging ruling, he said, could invalidate large parts of the Internal Revenue Code and cost the government more than $5 trillion. A ruling for the government, he said, would "preserve the Internal Revenue Code." During arguments Tuesday, several members of the court's conservative majority signaled skepticism over siding with the Moores' position that income must categorically be "realized" before it can be taxed. They also appeared to be searching for a narrow outcome regardless of who won. Even if the court declines to get into whether realization is required, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said, the justices could decide the issue narrowly. There was realization, he said, for the company the Moores invested in if not the Moores themselves. Congress in its law chose to "attribute" those earnings to the shareholders, Kavanaugh said, in a manner consistent with how Congress has done that in and this court has allowed. The U.S Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Nov. 7. 2023, on a major Second Amendment challenge to a federal law that bans people who are subject to domestic violence restraining orders from owning guns. A Trump tax arrives at the Supreme Court The provision at issue was included in a massive tax overhaul package approved by Republicans in Congress and signed by former President Donald Trump in 2017. The law reduced the corporate tax rate but it included a one-time tax on earnings of U.S. shareholders in certain foreign companies. Income tax is relatively straightforward when it's applied to Americans' paychecks. An employee receives money, or income, from their employer and state and federal governments take a percentage of it. But investments are generally not taxed until theyre realized, or cashed out. The Moores claim that because their profits in the form of dividends were reinvested into the company, the earnings cant be considered income for tax purposes. "Appreciation in the value of a home or other asset is not income at least, not until it is sold and the gain is realized," lawyers for the Moores told the Supreme Court. "Realization is not only what distinguishes income from property in general, but what makes income income." The Biden administration, in defending the Trump-era law because of its concern about upending federal taxes, countered that nothing in the Constitution bars Congress from taxing unrealized income and that similar taxes have been place since the mid-19th century. Invaliding the tax, according to the Justice Department, could cost the federal government $340 billion over the next decade. It would also almost certainly prompt challenges to other, similar taxes. During arguments on Tuesday, some of the justices repeatedly appeared to be having a proxy debate over a wealth tax or taxing a person's assets rather than their income. President Joe Biden, for instance, has proposed a billionaires tax that would apply to unrealized gains on assets that have increased in value on American households worth more than $100 million. Led by Justice Samuel Alito, those members of the court pressed the lawyer for the Biden administration, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, to explain the impact of accepting her position. "I want to understand the limits of your position," Alito said. "What about the appreciation of holdings in securities by millions and millions of Americans? Holdings in mutual funds...Can those be taxed under the 16th Amendment?" Prelogar said that if Congress enacted a tax like that the government would defend it as an income tax, though she noted that lawmakers have never approved a tax like that. "Would you agree, general, that when the court opens a door, Congress tends to walk through it?" Justice Neil Gorsuch asked Prelogar, signaling that her broader definition of "income" could prompt policies like a wealth tax. The 'door is already open' Prelogar fired back: "That door is already open." A wealth tax is unlikely to gain traction in Congress for political reasons a point Kavanaugh raised. "On the proverbial open door for Congress, members of Congress want to get reelected," he said. Former President Donald Trump leaves after speaking at a campaign rally in Claremont, New Hampshire, on November 11, 2023. Alito balks at calls to recuse In addition to taxes, the case touched on some of the Supreme Court's recent ethics scandals. David Rivkin, one of the lawyers representing the Moores, co-authored two favorable opinion pieces in the Wall Street Journal this year based on interviews with Justice Samuel Alito. Because of that, Senate Democrats called for Alito to recuse himself from the tax case. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., criticized Alito for "sitting on a case involving a lawyer who honored him with a puff piece in the Wall Street Journal." Alito balked at that request earlier this year. In an unusual four-page statement, he dismissed it as "unsound and said there was no valid reason for my recusal in this case." Alito noted other justices who sat for interviews with media and then declined to recuse in cases involving those companies. Associate Justice Samuel Alito, author of the Supreme Court's landmark opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, waved away criticism of the ruling from foreign leaders in remarks in July 2022 at a religious summit in Rome. Just the facts. All of them. Tax filings in India by KisanKraft have raised questions about the narrative the groups representing the Moores have presented to the Supreme Court. The documents were first reported by Tax Notes, a publication for tax professionals. Those documents show that Charles Moore, far from being a distant investor, served on the companys board for years. Other records show Moore made subsequent investments in the company that were not disclosed to the Supreme Court. The revelations were only the latest to involve questions about the factual record in a high-profile Supreme Court case. Last year, in a matter involving a website designer named Lorie Smith who wanted to decline to make sites for same-sex couples, the record identified a man who attorneys claimed indicated he might want to hire Smith to make a site for him. That man later told reporters he was married to a woman and made no such request of Smith. A group called Patriotic Millionaires sent a letter to the Supreme Court last month asserting that the factual background presented to you is not remotely accurate. Dan Greenberg, an attorney for the Moores, said in a statement that he was confident that our filings are candid and accurate. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court case over $15,000 could cost the government trillions Murod Kurdi's mother, Fadia Muhamad, stands next to attorney David Petrich, left, and Murod's brother Suphi Dec. 5, 2023, following the driver's guilty verdict and sentencing. (Hank Sanders/Daily Southtown) Cook County Circuit Judge Diana Lopez found a driver guilty Tuesday of failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident six months after Murod Kurdi died after being struck on the 5100 block of West 91st Street in Oak Lawn. The driver, who told police she had alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel, was fined $750 and sentenced to traffic safety school and community service. Advertisement The case gained attention as Kurdis family and many Arab American community members expressed outrage the driver was never arrested or charged with a felony and instead only faced a traffic citation. About 50 people packed a Cook County courtroom in Bridgeview to hear police and family members share testimony and video footage. Several people wore keffiyeh and hijabs. Advertisement Kurdi, 28, of Oak Lawn, was getting out of his truck June 5, 2023, when he was struck by the car traveling 27 mph in a 25 mph zone, according to investigators. Kurdis family members and supporters said they were frustrated because the driver told Oak Lawn police Officer Benjamin Tholotowsky she drank a shot of Petron Tequila and a pint of Old Style beer one or two hours before getting behind the wheel. While Tholotowsky confirmed he smelled alcohol on the drivers breath, Tholotowsky and three other officers who were brought to testify Tuesday agreed the driver did not show signs of physical or verbal impairment. Officers asked her to perform additional field sobriety tests and she declined, which police said was within her rights. An Illinois State Police investigation released two months later by the Oak Lawn Police Department upheld that police lacked probable cause to arrest the driver. It has been a long-standing principal of law in Illinois that the odor of an alcoholic beverage alone does not constitute probable cause for an officer to believe that someone is under the influence of alcohol, Jennifer Cifaldi, Illinois traffic safety resource prosecutor, wrote in the July 24 report. The prosecution also noted Tholotowskys testimony that the driver did not immediately stop after striking Kurdi, instead stopping four to five houses down the road. One point of contention between the prosecution and defense concerned the exterior facing video footage from the house of Kurdis brother Suphi, which depicted the collision. While the defense objected to the footage being presented because the video was presented in slow-motion rather than real time, Judge Diana Elena Lopez allowed the prosecution to display the images of a white Kia hitting Kurdis truck. The defense argued this was an awful accident but said if the driver swerved out of the way, she would have put herself into harms way by going into oncoming traffic. Advertisement Prosecutors sought a $1,000 penalty based on Kurdis death resulting from the crash. 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 > Defense attorney Bob Olson said he does not think his client will appeal the ruling. I think there is something highly, highly problematic within the Oak Lawn Police Department, said Kurdis mother, Fadia Muhamad, during a post-trial news conference outside of the courthouse Muhamad, has a wrongful death lawsuit pending in Cook County Circuit Court against the driver and the Oak Lawn bar where she was served, seeking damages in excess of $50,000. The familys attorney, David Petrich, said while the defense said the driver called 911, he has a record of calls and said no calls were placed directly from the drivers phone. Suphi Kurdi said he doesnt believe the punishment fits the crime. Advertisement I no longer have a brother but she just has to take a class and pay 750 bucks, he said. hsanders@chicagotribune.com Cruise keeps getting kicked while it's down. The General Motors-owned robotaxi company may face fines and sanctions after failing to disclose details of an October 2 incident -- specifically that one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian 20 feet, according to a ruling from a California agency. The regulatory action comes as Cruise struggles to rebuild public trust and keep operations running after losing its permits to operate in California for allegedly withholding crucial information from regulators about a crash in San Francisco. Over the past two months, Cruise paused all driverless and manual driving operations across the U.S., has implemented a safety review of its robotaxis and tapped a law firm to examine its response to the incident. The company recalled its entire fleet and halted production on its Origin robotaxi. Its co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt stepped down, alongside chief product officer Daniel Kan. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Friday ordered Cruise to appear at a February 6 hearing to defend itself against accusations that it failed to provide "complete information to the Commission" regarding the incident, and "for making misleading public comments regarding its interactions with the Commission." On the evening of October 2, a human driver struck a pedestrian in San Francisco, the impact of which caused the pedestrian to fall in a Cruise robotaxi's path. The AV instituted a hard-braking maneuver and came to a stop, but ended up running over the pedestrian in the process. The CPUC -- and the California Department of Motor Vehicles -- says that order of events was shared with the agency. Cruise allegedly left out what came next. The Cruise AV attempted a pullover maneuver while the pedestrian was still stuck under the vehicle, resulting in them being dragged. Per the CPUC's ruling: On October 3, 2023, Jose Alvarado of Cruise telephoned Ashlyn Kong, a CPED analyst at the Commission, and informed her of the collision. During this telephonic meeting, Mr. Alvarados description of the incident only included that the Cruise AV immediately stopped upon impact with the pedestrian and contacted Cruises remote assistance. Mr. Alvarados description of the October 2, 2023 incident omitted that the Cruise AV had engaged in the pullover maneuver which resulted in the pedestrian being dragged an additional 20 feet at 7 mph. Over the next couple of weeks, the CPUC and the DMV issued data requests seeking more information of the incident, including video documentation. According to the CPUC, it took Cruise up to October 19, or a full 15 days, to provide the agency with the full video of the incident. After the incident, Cruise published a blog post, which it has since taken down, detailing the events. The company wrote in the post that it had "proactively shared information...including the full video" with various regulators, including the DMV, CPUC and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Kong in a statement said that Cruise's blog post was "inaccurate." "The full video was shared only in response to a data request more than two weeks after the incident," she said. The commission's ruling didn't include a specific penalty, but the agency can fine a public utility between $500 and $100,000 per day there is a violation, in addition to other penalties. That means Cruise could be looking at maximum $2.25 million in fines, given the amount of time it took the company to turn over a full video of the event. The CPUC has already suspended Cruise's permits to charge for passenger robotaxi rides in California, and it is considering the city of San Francisco's request to redo the August hearing that granted Cruise a permit to charge in the first place. Alphabet-owned Waymo also received a similar permit at the same time, despite strong opposition from city stakeholders. So far, Waymo has mostly managed to stay out of the public ire, but Cruise's woes affect the industry at large. GM has until December 18 to hand-deliver a "verified statement," which will include "all facts, arguments and legal authorities that support Cruise's position," to Administrative Law Judge Robert M. Mason III, "along with a three-ringed binder containing a copy of all authorities cited in the verified statement." Cruise told TechCrunch it is committed to rebuilding trust with regulators and will respond in a timely manner to the CPUC. GM is working with law firm Quinn Emanuel to examine Cruise's response to the October 2 incident, including the company's interactions with law enforcement, regulators and the media. Cruise also showed TechCrunch a shortened version of the video in early October. A spokesperson from the company said the outside review should help Cruise strengthen its protocols and improve its response to these types of incidents in the future. It'll take time for Cruise to get back to where it was before this incident. GM had told investors that Cruise was on track to generate $50 billion in revenue per year by 2030. The company was expanding at a rapid clip, announcing new test and launch cities seemingly every week. Aside from San Francisco, Cruise had been charging for driverless rides in Austin, Houston and Phoenix, and had quietly launched driverless testing vehicles in Miami right before it lost its permits in California. Cruise said last month that it plans to eventually relaunch in one city, but didn't provide a timeline. The company is also reviewing layoff plans. Last week, GM CEO Mary Barra said the automaker will slash spending on the unit next year by "hundreds of millions." Cruise has lost more than $8 billion since 2017, including $732 million in the third quarter of 2023. Three months after suing the city of Sacramento over its response to the homeless crisis, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho is accusing city officials of allowing homeless camps to pollute area waterways and endanger public health. In a 48-page amended lawsuit filed Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court, the D.A. says the city has allowed homeless residents to pollute the American and Sacramento rivers by dumping human waste and trash into waterways near their camps. The occupants of the camps utilize the waterways to wash clothing, cooking utensils, dishes and other personal items, the complaint says. The food waste and soaps and detergents used are deleterious to aquatics life. The occupants also utilize the waterways as open toilets and trash receptacles. The occupants of these zones daily discard, abandon and dispose of their human waste and other debris, garbage, refuse and substances deleterious to aquatic life. Ho, who toured one of the sites along Steelhead Creek on Tuesday with reporters, accused the city of creating a public nuisance and violating a state fish and game code section prohibiting the polluting of state waters. Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho speaks to the media about the environmental, health and safety issues caused by encampments along river levees during a tour with the River City Waterway Alliance at Steelhead Creek in Sacramento on Tuesday. Sacramento is known as the river city, and thats because the rivers run through the heart of our community, and they are the true natural jewels of our community, Ho said as he stood near a series of camps along the creek, which flows into the Sacramento River. But over the last seven years, the city of Sacramento has allowed that natural jewel to be soiled and polluted. Parcel maps indicate some of the land where the camps are located is owned by a flood control agency, but the D.A.s office said the property is within city limits and under the jurisdiction of city law enforcement. The city is responsible for enforcement of the laws within the city limits, the D.A.s office said. The citys failure to enforce the law has resulted in this environmental disaster. Ho and volunteers with the River City Waterway Alliance, who have removed hundreds of tons of refuse from campsites along area creeks, toured an abandoned site still littered with furniture, a wood-burning stove, pipes, a wheelchair and other refuse. Roland Brady, a geologist and volunteer with the alliance, said such camps pose a threat to the habitat of the creek, with tarps, carpeting and even a homemade bridge of 50 shopping carts tied together and placed into the water. By contrast, Ho took reporters downstream to a site controlled by the county where there were no signs of camps. Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho observes an abandoned homeless encampment, littered with debris after the person died, during a tour with the River City Waterway Alliance at Steelhead Creek in Sacramento on Tuesday. The tour was designed to highlight the claims made in the D.A.s latest filing against the city, and marks the latest in a series of aggressive actions by Ho against city officials, including Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who is accused in the new filing of stymieing efforts to address illegal camps through the use of orders the suit refers to as Darrells Directives. The city has denounced Hos actions including his warning that he is investigating criminal liability over city actions as political grandstanding designed to bolster a potential run for attorney general against Steinberg. Ho denied Tuesday that he has any intention of running for attorney general, and insisted that he is acting out of compassion for the homeless and for community members affected by the campsites and what he says is the citys inaction. The city of Sacramento has allowed this to be here for 12 years, Ho said as he stood above a camp inhabited by a man called Hoss that includes a generator and air conditioner and is fenced. We should find shelter for him. Just not here. Ho added that he believes there are plenty of shelter spaces. Theres 102 acres that the city spent $12 million on and they promised that they will use it for homelessness, he said. Why not put this gentleman out at that location? Steinbergs office wasted no time in responding to Hos tour, issuing a statement decrying the D.A.s media stunt and noting that while the D.A. was along the creek officials in Sacramento were making progress in finding shelter for the homeless. Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho holds photos with the River City Waterway Alliances Crystal Tobias, left, and Roland Brady illustrating the environmental, health and safety issues caused by homeless encampments during a tour at Steelhead Creek in Sacramento on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. In politics, they say there are two kinds of people: work horses and show horses, Steinberg said in a statement. While the DA was traipsing around on a levee with the press in tow this morning, the city and county of Sacramento were jointly taking an important step toward actually getting people off the street. The county Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve a Safe Stay sleeping cabin community on Stockton Boulevard with cabins allotted to the city by the state. We are also working with Governor Newsoms office to place an additional 175 sleeping cabins in a county Safe Stay community on Watt Avenue. These developments represent real progress on our partnership. I am grateful to our partners at the county and in the Governors Office. We are now up to thousands of new and planned beds since 2017. Enough of the show. Hos legal threats have not extended to the county, which the D.A. says has acted quickly to remove camps from the American River Parkway and capital creeks, and he stopped at a county site Tuesday to note there were no camps while there were many upstream on city property. Brady, the geologist, and another alliance volunteer, Crystal Tobias, said the county has been proactive when called to remove camps on county property. The county removes the tents, the rangers give them a notice of abatement, Brady said. There are no established camps from West El Camino to the Sacramento River. The countys right on it. By contrast, he said, calls to the citys 311 number seeking help in removing camps elicit no response. Nearby, two residents of a campsite on city property watched as the parade of SUVs and media vehicles passed by during the tour, and said later they had lived in that spot for five years with no one asking them to leave. The couple, who gave their names as Doc and Pepper, said they live at the camp with their four dogs and that they and most campers are careful not to dump trash into the creeks. He needs to get his facts straight, Doc said of the D.A. Homeless people throwing trash in the river is not as big as he would make it out to be. Ho already has accused the city of ignoring health and safety threats posed by homeless camps throughout city limits. His latest filing expands his complaint to include camps near Arcade, Dry, Steelhead, Magpie and Morrison creeks that run through the city and into the Sacramento and American rivers. Since August 2021, volunteers have spent over 2,200 hours removing over 206,000 pounds of debris from Arcade Creek which includes items such as mattresses, tarps, clothing, sleeping bags, blankets, fast food containers, liquor bottles, heaters, microwaves, lamps, refrigerators, tube televisions, kitchen appliances and utensils, crack pipes, hypodermic syringes, shopping carts, wood pallets and propane tanks, Ho wrote in the latest filing. Per lead volunteers, this was but the tip of the iceberg with the amount of trash and debris still within the channel of Arcade Creek. In a statement to The Sacramento Bee, Ho wrote that his latest complaint stems from further investigation (that) revealed that Sacramento waterways are being contaminated due to the citys refusal to abate the nuisance caused by unhoused zones along the levees. He added that the new complaint alleges more egregious violations of statutory public nuisance and violation of the fish and game code. He also wrote that the city has refused to work with him to address the crisis, but that he supports a recent proposal by council members Eric Guerra and Rick Jennings to create a citywide ban on daytime camping. Before our office sued the city, I asked them to pass a daytime camping ban similar to the successful San Diego ordinance, Ho said. Mayor Steinberg refused to do so. I am supportive of the leadership shown by Councilmembers Jennings, Guerra and (Lisa) Kaplan in proposing this new law. It is a long overdue step in the right direction to address our unhoused crisis on the streets and along our rivers. A former Massachusetts elementary school teacher pleaded guilty to a charge of child pornography possession, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Vincent Kiejzo, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in Worcester federal court on Monday. Kiejzo was arrested and charged with a criminal complaint in September 2020 after investigators searched his Milford home and found a USB drive plugged into his bedroom television with links to websites dedicated to the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said. The USB drive also contained well as over 6,000 images of child pornography including images that involved infants. Kiejzo was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. He remains in custody and is due back for sentencing in April 2024. The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The day after Donna Adelson was arrested in the murder of Dan Markel as she and her husband, Harvey Adelson, tried to board a hastily arranged flight to Vietnam investigators showed up at their Miami condo with a search warrant in hand. They left with at least three electronic devices, all seized from Harvey Adelson: two iPhones, one white, the other dark gray, and an iPad, according to recently filed court documents. At the time of the search on Nov. 14, Donna Adelson was sitting in a Miami jail, though she has since been moved to the Leon County Detention Facility. In search warrant applications filed later for the devices, prosecutors said they are looking for evidence not only in the murder-for-hire killing of Markel in 2014 but also in the Adelsons alleged flight from justice nearly a decade later. At this time the state would be seeking a search warrant for ... any applications or evidence of moving money, accessing financial accounts or scheduling and booking travel plans to evade apprehension," the affidavits say. Also, any documents, files or other items pertaining to finances or financial adjustments made by the Adelsons or other communications, photos, videos or evidence related to the homicide of Daniel Markel. The devices are the latest pieces of Adelson family hardware that investigators are digitally combing through since Donna Adelsons arrest Nov. 13 inside a jetway at Miami International Airport. She was taken into custody abruptly after she and her husband tried to board a one-way flight that would have taken them to a non-extradition country across the globe a week after their son, Charlie Adelson, was convicted in Markels murder. Donna Adelson sits in the Leon County Detention Facility for her first court appearance Nov. 21, 2023. During her arrest, Donna Adelson tried to pull away from an FBI agent who tried to take her white iPhone, though it was seized eventually. Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett, who presided over Charlie Adelsons trial, signed off on search warrants for Donna Adelsons phone the day of her arrest and the other devices on Nov. 29. Phones have figured heavily in the Markel case since the law professor was fatally shot July 18, 2014, in the garage of his Trescott Drive home. Investigators traced phone calls and location data to the two hit men hired to kill Markel and later listened in on incriminating conversations between Charlie Adelson and his mother. Charlie Adelsons recorded phone calls from jail with his mom just before her arrest appeared to have tipped off investigators about her attempted flight. Court records say that in multiple calls between them, she said she was getting financial matters in order and thinking about possibly killing herself or fleeing to a non-extradition country. Records obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat showed that in the runup to Donna Adelsons arrest, Charlie Adelson spent a whopping 35-plus hours in jail calls to her phone. Prosecutors acknowledged that her attempted flight, foreshadowed in the phone calls, sped up their time table to charge her. On Monday, prosecutors filed discovery documents noting that its exhibits include jail calls from Nov. 9 to Dec. 1 and jail call record and summary reports for roughly the same time period. The calls alone consist of 67 files. State Attorney Jack Campbell, center, talks with Jason Newlin, left, as they wait with Pat Sanford for the verdict in the Charlie Adelson trial to be read on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. In the affidavit for one of Harvey Adelsons phones, Jason Newlin, longtime investigator with the State Attorneys Office, asked to search any data from 2012 to the present that would further the investigation into the communications and actions of Donna Adelson during the crime and of any events related to this incident before the crime occurred. The data may also serve to identify those subjects who carried out the act ... and the location of any outstanding evidence, Newlin wrote. At the time of the arrest, State Attorney Jack Campbell told the Tallahassee Democrat that the state did not have the evidence to arrest Harvey, a retired dentist and former owner of the Adelson Institute in Tamarac, where Donna served as office manager and Charlie Adelson, a periodontist, also worked. Markel was murdered after a nasty divorce from Wendi Adelson, Donna and Harvey's daughter and Charlie's sister, and amid ongoing custody battles involving their two sons. Prosecutors said the Adelson familys hatred of Markel and their desire for Wendi and the kids to move back to South Florida fueled the murder plot. Charlie Adelson, a Fort Lauderdale periodontist, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation Nov. 6 after an eight-day trial at the Leon County Courthouse. His former girlfriend, Katie Magbanua, was convicted on the same three charges after her second trial last year. Sigfredo Garcia, who shot Markel, was convicted of murder in 2019. Luis Rivera, his close friend and a Latin Kings gang member, pleaded guilty in 2019. Garcia and Magbanua are serving life sentences; Rivera got 19 years in exchange for his cooperation. Both Donna Adelson and Charlie Adelson are set to next appear in court on the same day, Dec. 12, though during separate proceedings before Everett. Donna Adelson is expected to be arraigned in the morning on murder, conspiracy and solicitation charges. Charlie Adelson is scheduled for a case management hearing in the afternoon, during which his upcoming sentencing may be discussed. He faces a mandatory term of life in prison. Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Phones seized during search of Donna and Harvey Adelson's Miami condo Before her tragic death, Paoly Bedeski was working hard to launch her modeling career. But the 22-year-old Wichita native was as comfortable riding a skateboard as she was walking the runway. Shes been messing with a skateboard ever since she was a little girl, her father, Lonny Bedeski, remembers. He used to worry about her getting hurt. That got into a lot of fights. Youre going to break your leg. But she kept it up. He said his daughters defining character traits were compassion Shed go out of her way to help people positivity and an unwavering love for life. That life was cut short on Oct. 13 in an east Wichita apartment fire. Paoly made the initial 911 call that brought firefighters to the Brookhollow Apartments. After naming the complex and repeating her apartment number twice to the 911 call-taker, she fell silent. Her last words were, Help me, please. What part of Help, my apartments on fire means Hey, Im fine. Just come whenever you want, Lonny Bedeski wondered in an interview with The Eagle. Firefighters were not told there was a woman in need of rescue in Apartment 306 on the second floor. They found her unresponsive 26 minutes after she placed her call. Fire Union President Ted Bush said last week that hes confident crews on the scene would have saved Paolys life that morning if they knew where she was trapped. The Bedeski family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Paolys funeral service and other expenses. Her death was a devastating blow to her parents, her older brother, her three younger sisters and countless friends. She was too young, Lonny Bedeski said. A whole life ahead of her. She had big plans, and we helped as much as we did but most of that was her. That was her out there taking her own photos and learning how to dance. She was really driven and motivated. No matter what life threw at her, she was just always happy. Whatever it was, if she was having a bad day, she would find her way around it. Thats where the skateboard comes in and her little sisters came in. Paoly Bedeski, 22, died in an east Wichita apartment fire on Oct. 13, 2023. Model and role model Paoly, an East High School grad, had a full-time job as an event planner at Century II. In her spare time, she began pursuing the modeling career she had always dreamed of. In September, she won the La Chica Raza pageant at Latin Fest-ICT hosted by radio station La Raza 102.5 FM. She won it and she was very proud of herself. She wore her banner everywhere she went, said Anna Ledezma, who met Paoly through Ballet Folklorico Mexico En El Corazon, a group that teaches young people about the roots of Mexican dance culture. Members of Ballet Folklorico Mexico En El Corazon hold a portrait of Paoly Bedeski on Nov. 3 at the Our Lady of Guadalupe parade in Wichita. Her little sisters were interested in that and then she saw that and she started to do it and helped the little sisters with it, Lonny Bedeski said. Paoly was one of the older girls in the dance company, and she effortlessly took on a leadership role, Ledezma said. All the kids admired her, she said. She always had a smile, was willing to cheer anyone up whenever they were down. She was always willing to dance. Ledezma remembers it was a Thursday when she saw her friend for the last time. Paoly hugged her and told her goodbye. When we did the candlelight (vigil), it was a big thing because the kids said We need to dance for her, and they danced for Paoly right in front of her apartment, Ledezma said. No reason that this should happen to anybody The Bedeski family is calling for changes to the way Sedgwick County 911 handles emergency calls, citing the failure to communicate life-saving information about Paolys location and a 17-minute delay in dispatching additional trucks and firefighting resources to the apartments. I dont want anybody fired. I dont want anybody let go or resigned. I want change, Lonny Bedeski said. The County Commission has indicated it would support an independent analysis of how the Oct. 13 fire was handled, but not without a recommendation from the Sedgwick County 911 Advisory Board, which is meeting this week to discuss next steps. Lonny Bedeski said no one with a seat on the advisory council, including county Emergency Communications Director Elora Forshee and Sheriff Jeff Easter, has contacted the family or their attorney at this point. He said he hopes leaders move with an appropriate sense of urgency. This could be someone elses kid. This could be someone elses mom, someone elses dad. I mean, it could be another one of my kids, someone in my family. Theres just no reason that this should happen to anybody. Wichita Eagle Paoly Bedeski Call To Sedgwick County 911 Steven Vandervelden paid little attention to light and grace and artistry when he pursued mobsters and killers as a prosecutor in the Westchester District Attorney's Office. But they are everything he thinks about these days in his second career as a dance photographer. The longtime Pound Ridge resident now has his first exhibit, 'The Art and Beauty of Dance', close to home at the Pound Ridge Library's Schaffner Gallery, running through Dec. 30. Steven Vandervelden is a former Westchester prosecutor who didn't become a defense lawyer, or go into security, or teach evidence classes in law school. he became a fairly renowned dance photographer and he's exhibiting his work at Pound Ridge library's Schaffner Gallery through the end of the year. 2023. He is photographed with some of his photos at the gallery Nov. 30, 2023. "I spent a good portion of my life peering into the darkness looking for the bad guy," he said. "Now its a joy to peer into the darkness and look for the light and find beauty as opposed to the grime." Vandervelden joined the DA's Office in 1987 and his 34-year career included stints as deputy chief of the homicide bureau and more than two decades heading the organized crime bureau. Photography was always a hobby but a decade ago, when his oldest daughter went off to college, he decided to take a course in studio lighting at the International Center of Photography. The instructor asked him to be a teaching assistant, so he began leading classes in lighting and fashion. That led to a session photographing a group of Martha Graham dancers. What followed were referrals to their friends, who referred him to theirs. Almost accidentally Vandervelden had become a dance photographer, working with some of the top dancers and companies from New York and around the world. Steven Vandervelden is a former Westchester prosecutor who didn't become a defense lawyer, or go into security, or teach evidence classes in law school. he became a fairly renowned dance photographer and he's exhibiting his work at Pound Ridge library's Schaffner Gallery through the end of the year. 2023. He is photographed with some of his photos at the gallery Nov. 30, 2023. Vandervelden, 61, has become a judge for the annual dance-photo competition of Pas de Deus Photo, an organization for dance photographers. He gave a presentation on studio lighting at its last conference. Ron McKinney, co-founder of the group, said most of those who turn to dance photography as a second career have some connection to dance or the arts, a background that helps when a photographer must capture peak moments. "You have to understand the nature of dance and how it works; if you dont understand it you're going to waste the dancers time," McKinney said. "So thats whats so impressive about what Steven has done is that hes really been able to study dance and the body form within dance and just bring it out in his studio." Candy Tong and Brandon Gray, of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, in a photo by Steven Vandervelden that is part of his 'The Art and Beauty of Dance' exhibit at Pound Ridge Library's Schaffner Gallery through Dec. 30. Candy Tong, a dancer with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, is among the more than 20 professionals featured in Vandervelden's exhibit. She first met Vandervelden at a photo shoot when she moved to New York in 2018 and has returned three or four times since then. His change of career doesn't surprise her so much, because she has found many photographers in New York do it as a second job. What stands out for her about Vandervelden are his lighting techniques, his ability to connect with dancers and the passion he shares for each unique project. "Hes always been very welcoming and he has a billion ideas, which I genuinely love," she said. "As someone who models part time sometimes I even run out of ideas. I love that he has fresh new concepts that hes so excited about." He does shoots for individual dancers, dance companies, dancewear companies, and features some series like for holidays and other themes that utilize the many props he has gathered. "My wife is ready to kill me because I have a garage full and she thinks a garage is to put a car," he said. Despite what he considers the right brain-to-left brain shift in his professional life, Vandervelden sees some overlap in the two careers. "We had to come up with ideas and ways to catch people and when Im in the studio Im coming up with different ways to do things all the time," he said. "I used to think outside the box to catch somebody, now I think outside the box to illuminate somebody and enhance an image." He said they really merged one day when he responded to the scene of a fatal shooting in Somers. The elderly victim lay on the floor of the garage and a state police investigator was taking crime scene photos. Vandervelden asked for the camera, sure he was seeing something others might not pick up. "Right behind the victim is a replica of The Last Supper and I thought if I ever have to try the case I wouldn't need to say anything to the jury," he said. "I was thinking as a photographer and not just as a lawyer." Vandervelden recounts cases of old, the ones that came together, the ones that slipped away or remain unsolved. But there was plenty of stress, something he doesn't have in his new career. "I tell people I could live forever in the studio because its all about creating art and not worrying about mayhem and crime," he said. "So from that vantage point its been a nice change of pace and Im happy to be doing something that I have a passion in. Now I had a passion of being a prosecutor and I tell people all the time life is about finding your passion and Ive been lucky to find it twice." If you go 'The Art and Beauty of Dance' in the Schaffner Gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Dec. 30. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The gallery is at the Pound Ridge Library at 271 Westchester Avenue. Steven Vandervelden will speak about the exhibit and his career in dance photography at an Artist's Talk at the gallery at 4 p.m. Saturday, December 9. More of his work can be found on Instagram @VandyPhotography. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Renowned dance photographer was a prosecutor for Westchester DA "It's a Terrible Life," a parody of the classic holiday movie, will be presented by Memoriam Development Friday and Saturday night at Side Street Studio Arts in downtown Elgin. (Side Street Studio Arts/HANDOUT) Kane County parent council honored with award The Kane County System of Care Parent Council has been selected to receive the Companeros en Salud/Partners in Health Partner of the Year Award The award recognizes organizations that consistently support the quality of life of Hispanics and other diverse groups in the Fox Valley Area through culturally and linguistically appropriate services, according to a news release. It will be presented at a breakfast Wednesday, Dec. 13, at Waubonsee Community College in Aurora. Advertisement Led by the Kane County Health Department, the council is a network made up of representatives from human services providers and 20 parents, primarily from Aurora and Elgin. Companeros en Salud/Partners in Health is a nonprofit grassroots coalition that assists community members in accessing appropriate health care and social services. Advertisement For more information, go to companerosensalud.org and kanehealth.com/Pages/Childrens-Mental-Health.aspx. Family Service Association of Greater Elgin has received a $12,500 grant from the Hanover Township 708 Mental Health Board to purchase new equipment for in-home case management and telehealth psychiatry services. (Family Service Association / HANDOUT) Mental health board grants $12,500 to Family Services The Hanover Township 708 Mental Health Board recently granted $12,500 in funding to the Family Services Association of Greater Elgin. The association received the money to assist in purchasing new equipment for in-home case management and telehealth psychiatry services, according to a news release. The agency focuses on adolescents with complex mental health needs. For more information about the mental health board and its funded agencies, go to www.hanover-township.org or call 630-837-0301. Elgin police receive STEP grant for traffic safety The Elgin Police Department has been awarded a $118,342 Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program grant to conduct traffic safety enforcement efforts in the city, police Sgt. Mike Martino said. Grant money is funded with federal highway safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, according to a news release. Elgin police will use the funding to conduct additional enforcement efforts with a focus on the contributory causes of crashes: speeding, impaired driving, electronic device use, failure to yield, disobeying traffic control signals and occupant restraint violations, officials said. Dundee-Crown HS class donates items to crisis center The womens studies class at Carpentersvilles Dundee-Crown High School has donated 250 hair care and hygiene products to the Community Crisis Center in Elgin. Advertisement Teacher Amanda Gracious said the students in her class wanted to give back to the community so they created and organized the product drive at the school, according to a news release. Its A Terrible Life parody to be staged this weekend Improv comedy group Memoriam Development is staging Its A Terrible Life at 8 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8-9, at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. A parody of the Christmas film Its A Wonderful Life, the show considers what would happen if, instead of finding out how worse off everyone would be without you in their life, everyone finds they would have it so much better, a news release said. Tickets are $15, or $10 with a item donated to PADS of Elgin. For tickets and more information, go to www.sidestreetstudioarts.org. Charlotte City Council members elected District 1 representative Dante Anderson mayor pro tem Monday after an uncharacteristically heated debate over the largely ceremonial position. Two Democratic candidates were nominated for the job: Anderson and at-large representative Victoria Watlington. And both candidates campaigned for the post from the dais. Watlington told the council she believed she was uniquely qualified to help improve our internal processes, as well as work with external partners because of her experience on the council and in the workforce. Andersons pitch centered on her background as a Charlotte native from a low-income neighborhood and her willingness to work with everyone on the council to forge a better solution for the city. Dante Anderson is sworn in for another term on the Charlotte City Council at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, December 4, 2023. Ultimately Anderson emerged victorious by a 7-4 vote. Watlington and council members James Smuggie Mitchell, Renee Johnson and Lawana Slack-Mayfield were the no votes. Anderson was nominated by District 5 representative Marjorie Molina and Watlington by Mitchell. Slack-Mayfield said during the councils discussion ahead of the vote that she supported Watlington in part because she was the top vote-getter in the 2023 election and because she had concerns about Andersons short tenure on the council. And, she said, she could never support a district representative serving as mayor pro tem. There is no version in any council discussion where I would vote for a district representative to be the mayor pro tem for our city, she said. I also would have a very hard challenge to vote for someone who has literally been in office for 10 months to step into the role of mayor pro tem. District 2 representative Malcom Graham, who voted for Anderson, said ahead of the vote he believes the mayor pro tem position is ceremonial at best. I do think its an important part of what we do in terms of how we manage the work, he said. This is an internal thing. I dont think it matters if youre a district rep or an at-large. I dont think it matters if youve been here 10 months or years. Its who can help us manage the work, lead this council in the right direction and help us do the work of the council. Victoria Watlington is sworn in for another term on the Charlotte City Council at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, December 4, 2023. District 6 Council member Tariq Bokhari told reporters after the vote he and District 7 representative Ed Driggs, the lone Republicans on council, previously communicated to the rest of the council they would back whichever of the two candidates had the most support among Democratic members. Often, the top vote-getter among at-large candidates has taken on the mayor pro tem title, but not always. Watlington was the top vote-getter in 2023, with 65,869 votes. Anderson, who was running unopposed, got 11,471 votes in her district in 2023. After the vote, Anderson said her focus as mayor pro tem will be on bringing more attention to issues already on the minds of constituents. Watlington did not take questions from reporters after the council meeting adjourned. Outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Braxton Winston who was elected unanimously by his fellow council members over fellow at-large member Dimple Ajmera in September 2022 did not seek reelection to the City Council because hes running for state labor commissioner in 2024. The new iteration of the council is largely the same as the last, save for Winstons departure and Watlingtons move from District 3 representative to an at-large position. Democrat Tiawana Brown was elected to succeed Watlington from west Charlottes District 3. Heres what to know about Charlottes new mayor pro tem and what responsibilities come with the position: Who is Dante Anderson, Charlottes new mayor pro tem? Anderson was first elected to the City Council in 2022. Her district includes Dilworth, Plaza Midwood, Grier Heights, Freedom Park, Myers Park, Eastover, Elizabeth, Chantilly and Windsor Park. A Charlotte native, she told reporters after Mondays vote that she believes her experiences growing up in the city make her uniquely qualified for the mayor pro tem position. I think I offer both an authentic experience of being someone who was born and raised in the city of Charlotte, who came from some of the roughest parts of the city, to elevating and being a statistic defier, she said. Looking ahead to the new term, Anderson said her priority as mayor pro tem is to bring more attention to issues already on the table, such as homelessness. We need to have a solution. And its not necessarily a one-pronged solution, its a multi-prong solution, she said, adding that its important to build coalitions to address a lack of affordable and workforce housing in the city. Anderson got her bachelors degree in electrical engineering and cinema studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and she has multiple postgraduate degrees, including a Master of Fine Arts in Cinema Studies from New York University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. What does a mayor pro tem do? The mayor pro tem position is part of Charlottes council-manager form of city government wherein the people elect a mayor and city council members, and the elected officials appoint a city manager. Under North Carolina state statute, city councils are required to elect one member as mayor pro tem at their organizational meeting. The statute says that the mayor pro tem is entitled to vote on all matters and shall be considered a councilman for all purposes, including the determination of whether a quorum is present. But when the municipalitys mayor is absent, the council can give the mayor pro tem any of the powers and duties of the mayor. And if a mayor becomes physically or mentally incapable of fulfilling their duties, the council can hand over the mayors powers and duties to the mayor pro tem with a unanimous vote until the mayor is declared fit for office again. Under the statute, city councils can, with or without cause, vote to remove the (mayor pro tem) at any time, and appoint a new one, the University of North Carolina School of Government notes. In Charlotte, the top vote-getter in the general election has often been elected mayor pro tem, though that trend has been broken at times in recent history, including with Winstons election. During Mondays meeting, Ajmera said shed like to see guidelines put in place for picking a mayor pro tem so that debates such as what happened this cycle dont happen again. We should have parameters in place that guide us, she said. Want more coverage of Charlotte-area government and politics? Subscribe here for free to the Observers weekly CLT Politics newsletter and never miss a story Dec. 5 (UPI) -- A pilot and former Olympic snowboarder was sentenced to six months in prison for obstructing justice by destroying the wreckage of an airplane he purposely crashed in southern California in order to get more views for his YouTube channel. Trevor Daniel Jacob, 30, of Lompoc, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John F. Walter on Monday after pleading guilty in June to one count of "destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said in a news release. In November 2021, the experienced pilot, skydiver and former Olympic athlete filmed himself taking a 110-mile solo flight from Lompoc City to Mammoth Lakes but ejected over Los Padres National Forest near Santa Maria, for the express purpose of videoing his vintage plane crashing into the forest and himself parachuting to the ground. Jacob then hiked to the location of the wreck to recover video of him bailing out and the crash from cameras mounted on the aircraft. After reporting the crash to the National Transportation Safety Board, Jacobs was told he was responsible for preserving the wreckage until investigators could get to the scene and agreed to provide them with the coordinates of the downed plane and videos of the crash. Jacob falsely claimed in his aircraft incident report that the aircraft experienced a full loss of power and lied to an FAA aviation safety inspector claiming he parachuted because he could not identify anywhere to put the aircraft down safely, the U.S. Attorney's office said. He then ceased cooperating completely and after claiming he did not know where the wreck was, returned to the crash site by helicopter and removed, dismembered and disposed of the aircraft to prevent federal authorities from getting to the bottom of the incident. A month after the crash, Jacob uploaded a video to YouTube entitled "I Crashed My Airplane" that promoted a wallet made by one of his sponsors and showed him ejecting and the aircraft crashing into the forest, in anticipation of monetizing the incident. The video went viral and has been viewed millions of times. Jacobs who previously denied intentionally crashing the aircraft was stripped of his pilot's license by the Federal Aviation Administration in April 2022 after an investigation concluded he had leapt from the aircraft solely to record the footage of the crash. "It appears that Jacob exercised exceptionally poor judgment in committing this offense," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. "Jacob most likely committed this offense to generate social media and news coverage for himself and to obtain financial gain. Nevertheless, this type of 'daredevil' conduct cannot be tolerated." The US Army says launcher-related issues have led to the scrapping of three planned tests of its Dark Eagle hypersonic missile this year. Problems with the launcher for the U.S. Army's Dark Eagle hypersonic missile are what have caused the scrapping of three live-fire tests of this weapon this year, according to the service's top procurement official. The hope is now that these issues can be fixed and the first operational examples of the Dark Eagle fielded within the next six months. Doug Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, provided these new details about the issues facing Dark Eagle in an interview with Breaking Defense on the sidelines of the Reagan National Defense Forum this weekend. The Army has scrubbed three scheduled Dark Eagle test launches this year, one each in March, September , and October . The service has yet to conduct its first full-up live-fire test of this missile, though it has tested certain components thereof in previous live launches. One of the first Dark Eagle launchers delivered to the US Army, loaded with an inert missile canister. US Army Its definitely a launcher problem, Bush said, according to Breaking Defense. Theres no new science, its just a mechanical engineering problem to make sure that missile works with that launcher because both were new and normally you dont do it that way." The launcher for Dark Eagle , also known as the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), consists of a modified Army standard M870 gooseneck trailer . The trailer can be loaded with up to two ready-to-fire Dark Eagles, each sealed in an individual launch canister, at a time. An 8x8 M983A4 tractor truck, a variant of the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) series, tows the launcher. Operational Dark Eagle firing batteries are also expected to include a mobile command post and other supporting vehicles. A US Army briefing slide showing the core components of the Dark Eagle weapon system, including the launcher. US Army Assistant Secretary of the Army Bush did not elaborate on the specifics of the mechanical engineering issue with the launcher when speaking to Breaking Defense. However, his comments to the outlet contained more information than he was able to provide when asked about these problems during a media roundtable in November. I cant go into details, but it was before launch when a problem was detected. So thats why the test didnt happen, Bush said at that time, referring specifically to the decision to scrap the launch in October, according to DefenseScoop . After you have a test failure, you know, you take the thing back, take it apart, and the members of the team work through with the engineers on what exactly the failure was. I think were close to understanding what exactly the problem was, which will inform our path to getting back to testing." An M983A4 tractor truck towing a Dark Eagle launcher trailer. US Army After each one of the aborted tests this year, the Army has released more or less the same statement. "The flight test did not occur," Ellen Lovett, an Army spokesperson, told DefenseScoop after the October launch was scrubbed. "The Department was able to successfully collect data on the performance of the ground hardware and software that will inform the continued progress towards fielding offensive hypersonic weapons." Dark Eagle's particular design consists of two central elements, a rocket booster and an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle on top. The rocket booster propels the hypersonic vehicle, which is conical in shape, to an optimal speed and altitude before releasing. After that, it glides down along a relatively shallow, atmospheric flight path at hypersonic speeds, which are defined as anything above Mach 5, to its target. The Army has said in the past that Dark Eagle's boost-glide vehicle will be able to reach a peak speed of Mach 17 and that the weapon will have a maximum range of 1,725 miles (2,775 kilometers). Hypersonic boost-glide vehicles are designed to use a combination of extreme speed and a high degree of maneuverability, which allows them to move erratically as they careen toward their targets, to present significant challenges to defenders. Simply spotting and tracking these weapons, let alone attempting to intercept them, presents significant hurdles for an opponent. This all limits the time an enemy force has to react at all, including by trying to seek cover or relocate critical assets. A graphic providing a sense of the difference in flight path between a hypersonic boost-glide vehicle and a traditional ballistic missile, as well as a hypersonic cruise missile. GAO The Army has also been developing Dark Eagle in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, which plans to eventually arm its three USS Zumwalt class stealth destroyers (starting in 2025) and Block V Virginia class submarines (beginning in 2028) with these missiles. The Navy's version, known as the Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) missile, is expected to differ from the Army's type only in the design of its launch canister. A briefing slide from 2021 giving a general overview of the different components of the joint Army-Navy Dark Eagle/IRCPS program. USN A Navy test of an IRCPS missile last year also "experienced an in-flight anomaly that prevented data collection for portions of the planned flight profile," but "the Navy... determined the cause [and] implemented corrective actions," according to the report from the Pentagon's Office of Test and Evaluation, or DOT&E. More specific details about this incident and what the cause was determined to have been have yet to emerge publicly. Having now traced the Dark Eagle issues to the launcher, Assistant Secretary of the Army Bush said his service hopes to begin fielding the first of these weapons within the next six months, according to Breaking Defense. In November, Bush had conceded that the Army was unlikely to meet its most recent goal of starting to deploy these missiles before the end of the year. The plan had originally been for this process to start before the close of the 2023 Fiscal Year, which ended on September 30 of this year. "At the same time, the capability is still absolutely needed," Bush had said at the November roundtable, according to DefenseScoop. "The Army is still fully committed to it [Dark Eagle]. I think well figure it out." Dark Eagle is one component of a broader Army effort to significantly expand its land-based long-range strike options. The service is also working to field a new traditional short-range ballistic missile, the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), as well as a new ground-based launch system called Typhon that is capable of firing SM-6 multi-purpose missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Components of an Army Typhon battery, including four trailer-mounted launchers and another trailer with a mobile command post. US Army The U.S. Navy is pursuing a land-based SM-6/Tomhawk capability , as well, while the Marine Corps is in the process of acquiring its own ground-based launch system for Tomahawk. The Navy and the Air Force are also working on new air-launched hypersonic weapons . The Army is expecting to start taking delivery of the first operational PrSMs soon. There are plans to deploy Typhon systems next year, as well. We have tested [Typhon] and we have a battery, or two of them today, Army Gen. Charles Flynn, head of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), said at the Halifax International Security Forum in November. In 24, we intend to deploy that system in the region" but "Im not going to say where and when." There have been questions in the past about where Dark Eagle, Typhon, and other new land-based strike weapons might be fielded , especially in the Pacific as part of U.S. military efforts to challenge China. A number of countries in the region have said in the past that they are not interested in hosting these systems. The U.S. military has seen issues in the development of other hypersonic weapons beyond Dark Eagle in recent years. The U.S. Air Force notably announced its decision to axe its air-launched AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) program earlier this year after a number of test failures , as well as successes . ARRW, which also carries an unpowered boost-glide vehicle, had looked set to become the first operational U.S. hypersonic weapon. The Air Force has now refocused its efforts on air-launched hypersonic cruise missiles . A rare released picture of an ARRW hypersonic missile in flight during a test in 2021. USAF If the Army can keep to its latest schedule for Dark Eagle, it is possible that weapon could now become the first hypersonic weapon to enter U.S. military service. Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com By Carien du Plessis and Shafiek Tassiem JOHANNESBURG, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Days after his release from 27 years in prison in February 1990, anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela gave Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a bear hug, symbolising his embrace of a cause his country's governing ANC party continues to champion. It was a gesture as controversial then as South Africa's support for the Palestinian cause is today, but Mandela brushed off criticism. Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation had been an unwavering supporter of Mandela's struggle against white minority rule and many South Africans saw parallels between it and the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation. "We were fortunate that with their support, we were able to achieve our freedom ... My grandfather ... said our freedom is incomplete without the Palestinian struggle," his grandson Mandla Mandela recalled in an interview ahead of the 10th commemoration of Mandela's death. From Dec. 3 to 5 Mandla Mandela, who is also an ANC lawmaker, hosted a solidarity conference in Johannesburg for the Palestinians. It was attended by members of Hamas, an organisation Israel has vowed to annihilate in retaliation for its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israeli bombing of Gaza since then has killed more than 15,500 people, according to Gaza's Hamas-run government, and displaced more than three-quarters of the Strip's 2.3 million population. Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, is labelled a terrorist organisation by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the United States. Last month, the ruling ANC backed a motion in South Africa's parliament to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel until it agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza. "LAND ANNEXED" "Palestinians still do not enjoy fully their freedom on their land. And instead their land has been annexed more and more, something that we also faced in South Africa," said the ANC's deputy chair of international relations, Obed Bapela. Israel has disputed the comparison with apartheid as a lie motivated by antisemitism, but many South Africans follow Mandela's lead. "That's something that he (Mandela) never compromised on and nor should we," poet and author Lebogang Mashile told Reuters. Some in South Africa's Jewish community criticise the ANC's stance, pointing out that Mandela himself eventually tried to build bridges with Israel. Historian and author of "Jewish Memories of Mandela", David Saks, noted that Mandela was the only South African president to have visited Israel since 1994 - albeit only after he left office - and that "he received a rapturous welcome from the Israeli public," addressing then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and then-President Ezer Weisman as "my friends". "He pointed the way which things should have gone (diplomatically with Israel), but (they) didnt go that way," Saks said. (Reporting by Carien du Plessis and Shafiek Tassiem; Editing by Tim Cocks and Alex Richardson) WASHINGTON The U.S. commercial maritime industry has long been shrinking. From 1953 to 2016, the number of shipyards capable of building large, oceangoing military and commercial vessels declined from 30 to six, and their annual output declined from 60 to seven, according to an analysis of U.S. shipbuilding records. Now, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro is raising the alarm, warning that the service wont be able to fulfill its mission without a strong commercial counterpart. A thriving maritime industry would mean more trained builders and maintainers the Navy could tap in the event of a crisis; more dry docks and construction facilities the service could leverage; and more investments in innovative tooling, technology and processes to build ships faster and cheaper. And, chiefly, it would mean a larger fleet of American-built ships the military could call into service if a war broke out. Del Toro wants to see this commercial maritime might become a reality through an emerging initiative hes calling maritime statecraft. He introduced the idea in a September speech at Harvard University, saying it encompasses not only naval diplomacy but a national, whole-of-government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval. Del Toro told Defense News in a Nov. 13 interview the decline in commercial maritime capability has exposed ourselves, as a nation, to shipbuilding, sealift and economic trade vulnerabilities. According to 2022 CIA estimates, China has 7,362 merchant ships, or commercial vessels engaged in carrying goods. The United States has 178. The Chinese Coast Guard and a suspected Chinese militia ship block a Philippine Coast Guard ship near the Second Thomas Shoal on Nov. 10, 2023. (Joeal Calupitan/AP) If war broke out, the United States could call 60 American merchant ships into service through its Maritime Security Program to supplement about 100 government-owned merchant ships that were mothballed but could return to service. They would help move military vehicles and materiel into a theater. But China, which the Pentagon considers the greatest threat to U.S. security, has a far greater ability to compel private companies to support the military, and it has a significantly larger fleet of commercial ships to lean on. Del Toro said the United States can no longer afford this imbalance. Maritime statecraft, basically, is a Department of the Navy effort to drive not just our own initiatives but a whole-of-government awareness, advocacy and action to rebuild the comprehensive maritime power of the nation in order to meet the challenges and opportunities were going to face as a maritime nation in the 21st century, the secretary said. Rebuilding American shipping After decades of fewer yards building fewer ships, the American maritime industry requires revitalization and modernization, Del Toro explained. To achieve this, he said hes working with his counterparts across the government to identify what the shipbuilding industry needs and how government can help. In mid-November, he called a meeting with several other entities at the first-ever Government Shipbuilders Council in Baltimore, Maryland. Participants included the Army, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Days before the meeting, Del Toro said he hoped it would be the start of a conversation about a whole-of-government vision for maritime statecraft. For example, he explained, the Maritime Administration successfully partnered with the Philly Shipyard to deliver the first national security multimission vessel on time and on cost in September. Del Toro said other government agencies could leverage this program. He also pointed to a tool left unused since the Reagan administration: construction differential subsidies to incentivize private companies to buy ships from American builders instead of cheaper foreign yards. This provision of Title 46 of the U.S. Code, which allows the government to pay up to half the cost difference, hasnt received funding since the early 1980s. But Del Toro said he and the Transportation Departments secretary still have the authority to grant these subsidies, as long as he and the homeland security secretary certify theres a national security need for a vessel. Initial funding, for example, for a single vessel even if phased out over several years, since the accounts can be funded indefinitely would send a powerful signal to shipbuilders that the program is being revived, Del Toro said, though he did not address whether or how this might be incorporated into the fiscal 2025 budget. The need for private capital Del Toro, himself a businessman, has been encouraging private investors to spend money on small- and medium-sized shipyards and their suppliers. His pitch: This is a worthwhile investment that would help the U.S. commercial shipbuilding sector assist the Coast Guard and the Navy in more rapidly building better and cheaper vessels. While nothing concrete has come of these talks, Del Toro said hes encouraged by the fact investors are intrigued. Alabama shipbuilder Austal USA launched the expeditionary fast transport Newport into the Mobile River in 2020. (Courtesy of Austal USA) Hes also looking for foreign investment in U.S. small- and medium-sized shipyards. As examples, he cited Australian company Austals purchase of its Austal USA yard in Alabama in 1999 and Italian company Fincantieris purchase of its Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin in 2009. Were still fully committed to the Jones Act, which calls for American-built, -owned and -operated ships to move goods between American ports, he said. But having said that, there are opportunities, I believe, as we continue to expand the commercial and naval marketplace especially the commercial marketplace for them to invest in some of our shipyards. Noting Japan and South Korea previously bought shipyards overseas, and then modernized and automated the facilities to a degree that far surpasses the capability of many American yards, Del Toro said encouraging them to make investments here could be a powerful statement, if the business case allows it. Leveraging renewed maritime might U.S. leaders have accused China of waging a governmentwide effort to threaten its neighbors at sea by using the Peoples Liberation Army Navy, the Coast Guard and its maritime militia fleet of fishing vessels to harass foreign sailors operating in their nations exclusive economic zones while fishing, exploring the seabed for natural resources, and drilling for oil and gas. Del Toro said the U.S. needs to be able to push back and help allies and partners deal with geopolitical, economic and climate-related challenges. He pointed to a 2020 incident in which Chinese ships harassed a West Capella drillship hired by Malaysias state-owned Petronas energy company to explore undersea oil and gas reserves. The U.S. 7th Fleets Task Force 76 began a remarkable prototype operation, pioneering a new approach to support our partners civilian vessels in standing up to Chinas coercive maritime insurgency in the South China Sea, Del Toro said in his September speech. A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey lands aboard the Royal Australian Navy landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra during the Rim of the Pacific exercise in 2022. (Leading Seaman Matthew Lyall/Royal Australian Navy) After U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and Royal Australian Navy forces maintained a persistent presence in determined support of a partners sovereign, internationally recognized rights, China backed down, he added. To wield this greater naval might, Del Toro said the U.S. Coast Guard needs a bigger budget for more ships and operations, particularly in the Pacific. The Navys Military Sealift Command and the Transportation Departments Maritime Administration will also play an increasingly large role in naval diplomacy and maritime statecraft, he added. Internally, he said, the Navy is focused on closing gaps in its ability to operate and sustain itself overseas. He noted the service wants to increase its ability for Navy oilers to refill their stores from commercial tankers at sea instead of returning to a fuel depot ashore. Additionally, he expects the Navy to demonstrate its ability to reload vertical launching system cells at sea next year, with a shore-based demonstration in the spring at Port Hueneme, California, followed by an at-sea demonstration in the summer. Del Toro called these kinds of naval logistics foundational to the fleets ability to remain at sea in contested waters and conduct missions under the maritime statecraft banner. An initiative without funding Analysts praised Del Toros approach, but agreed theres a lack of specifics. Jerry Hendrix, a senior fellow at think tank Sagamore Institute, said the secretary set the right aspirational goal. However, none of this is real until its in the budget, and I have not seen parallel statements from either [the deputy defense secretary] or [the defense secretary] on the maritime statecraft initiative. Additionally, we havent seen anything out of the West Wing. Until a more senior sponsor comes alongside, this is an initiative without funding, Hendrix added. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, center, visits the Coast Guard Academy on Oct. 13, 2023. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Taylor Bacon/U.S. Coast Guard) Similarly, Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow in naval warfare and advanced technology at the Heritage Foundation think tank, said its unclear who within the Navy will own this strategy. The secretary asked for academics to research and help refine the ideas; this is needed, but not enough, he explained. Sadler added that Del Toro could start taking small actions now to implement maritime statecraft, particularly the naval diplomacy aspect. He noted that using Navy and Coast Guard ships to protect allies and partners economic interests would reassure them theyre economically better off siding with the U.S. rather than China. Beijing has leaned heavily on its Belt and Road Initiative to invest in foreign ports and infrastructure as a means of gaining access and influence. Furthermore, Del Toro could embed staff at the U.S. governments International Development Finance Corp. to push for naval development projects, Sadler said, and could send Navy construction battalions to key Pacific island nations to improve ports, airfields and warehouses for fuel and ammunition storage. These would be seen quickly as bettering the local islanders livelihoods through improved tourism [and] trade as well as a foundation for future military operations win-win, he said. Sal Mercogliano, who teaches at Campbell University and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, agreed that, given the Chinese governments use of commercial and military assets for geopolitical purposes, the U.S. should do the same. Specifically, he said, growth in the commercial sector would generate a greater American presence overseas at a time when U.S. forces and other hard power fleets are focused on the Pacific theater but limited in how many ships they can keep forward deployed at any given time. Mercogliano noted the secretary could follow up on his speech by attaching the Navy to the Maritime Administrations National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program and ordering several more ships, which include large and reconfigurable spaces, to serve as hospital ships or tenders. The secretary could also build on the success of that vessels acquisition model by leveraging it for new classes of sealift ships, the professor added. And, Mercogliano said hed like to see a written strategy that looks at both commercial and naval shipbuilding sectors something lawmakers want, too. A November Congressional Research Service report notes Congress has requested the executive branch formulate a national strategy toward achieving a competitive maritime industry four times in the last decade, most recently in December 2022 ... and has requested three Government Accountability Office reports on the subject. Del Toro told Defense News he is already taking action, noting the Government Shipbuilders Council meeting would craft a path forward for government spending in the maritime sector in 2024 and beyond. He added that he hopes activities already happening in the background will yield results in 2024, including visits to foreign shipyards and to small- and medium-sized yards in need of investment, as well as efforts to encourage large shipbuilders to outsource more work to smaller builders. We ask our allies and partners, both internationally and domestically, to think with us strategically and work with us and the Congress to be able to revitalize the commercial shipbuilding industry in this nation so that it can continue to contribute in even greater ways to a greater naval capability across our country, Del Toro said. A 74-year-old woman who was killed in a crash that injured multiple others near Seaford on Sunday afternoon has been identified by Delaware State Police as Anna Cannon. Cannon, of Seaford, was in a 2018 Nissan Versa going north on Sussex Highway at about 4:15 p.m. when police said she failed to stop at a red light. Cannon drove through the intersection with Middleford Road and into the path of a westbound 2014 Honda Odyssey, according to police. Cannon was taken to a hospital, where she later died, police said. The Odyssey driver, a 47-year-old Seaford woman, and her passengers were also taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Delaware State Police continue investigating this crash and ask anyone who witnessed it to contact investigators at (302) 703-3266. Information may also be provided by sending a Facebook message to Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333. Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com. More: Police identify 88-year-old man killed after he got out of his van and was hit by car This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Seaford woman killed in crash Sunday identified by Delaware police House Democrats announce legislation to combat book bans at the House Triangle in Washington on Tuesday. Photo by Elleiana Green/Medill News Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Pushing back against book bans across the country, Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida was joined by his Democratic colleagues as he introduced the Fight Book Bans Act on Tuesday. "The far right, fascist, MAGA extreme has caught up to the fact that their agenda is unpopular with young people, because it turns out young people don't want fascism," Frost said at the Capitol. "Instead of changing their policies to appeal to young people, they want to change the way young people learn in schools to try to change what they think." As books containing content about race, sexuality and gender continue to be pulled off shelves across the country, school boards and districts have come under fire as parents remain split about their role in their children's education. While Republican lawmakers say parents should have a choice in the content their children have access to, Democrats say these controversies are further straining an education system that is underserving young people. Citing the cost schools have to pay to investigate controversial books, Frost said schools need to be equipped with funding to fight censorship and authoritarian control. To do this, the bill would fund school districts up to $100,000 to oppose challenges against materials in their libraries. Frost was joined by Democratic colleagues, including Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Jasmine Crockett and Greg Casar of Texas, and Shontel Brown of Ohio in their attempt to move toward protecting free speech. "We live in a society where there is a free circulation of ideas, discussion and dialogue," Raskin said. "You've got to defend the full thing. You can't just defend the speech that you love. That's easy. You've got to defend the speech that you hate." Billionaire tech entrepreneur Reid Hoffman recently gave a $250,000 donation to a super PAC supporting Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. Dmitri Mehlhorn, a political adviser to Hoffman, confirmed the contribution to SFA Fund Inc. with The Hill. The New York Times first reported the donation. The hefty donation to the GOP White House hopeful is particularly notable as Hoffman is an open supporter of President Biden, who is running for reelection. Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, co-hosted a campaign fundraiser for Biden in San Francisco back in June. The Times reported that Hoffmans political team asked the pro-Haley super PAC whether it would take money from the pro-Biden donor, and that SFA Fund Inc. had agreed. Hoffman funded writer E. Jean Carrolls rape case against former President Trump and backed Hillary Clinton in her presidential bid against Trump in 2016. The move comes on the heels of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon encouraging Democrats to help Haley to get a choice, on the Republican side, that might be better than Trump. Trump blasted Dimon for the remarks. Haley has built up momentum over the last several months, threatening Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss second-place status among the Republican presidential field led by Trump as the race heads toward the start of voting in January. She and DeSantis are jostling with other candidates to get closer to Trump and close the gap between first and second as the early states begin to weigh in. The Hill has reached out to SFA Fund Inc. and the Haley campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Washington Senate Democrats are moving ahead with a vote this week on President Biden's request for $106 billion in emergency funding, including billions in foreign aid, amid a growing dispute with Republicans over security funding for the U.S.-Mexico border. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York set up a key procedural vote on the supplemental spending package that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan for Wednesday. The vote is expected to fail, absent a last-minute deal on border funding that has so far eluded lawmakers. "Sometimes a failed cloture vote is just a failed cloture vote, and tomorrow we are going to fail to pass it," Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, said Tuesday, referring to the legislative maneuver to end debate on a bill. "And then people are going to have to sharpen their pencils and spend the next week negotiating a deal that keeps America's commitment not just to Ukraine, but to democracies around the world." The fight over border funding Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer speaks to media after a Senate Democratic policy luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. / Credit: Stephanie Scarbrough / AP Schumer blamed Republicans for Congress' inability to approve the emergency funding, saying hard-liners are insisting on attaching controversial immigration policy changes to the supplemental bill. A bipartisan group of Senate negotiators have been meeting in recent weeks to try and reach a consensus, but those talks seemed to reach an impasse over the weekend. "Republicans pulled the goalposts way back and proposed many items plucked directly from H.R. 2," Schumer said Tuesday, referring to a Republican-backed immigration bill that passed the House earlier this year with no Democratic support. He said GOP negotiators proposed granting the executive branch the authority to detain asylum-seekers indefinitely and essentially shut down the country's immigration system, which are nonstarters with Democrats. "If funding for Ukraine fails, it will not be a bipartisan failure," Schumer said. "It will be a failure solely caused by the Republican Party and the Republican leadership because it was a decision of that Republican leadership, pushed by the hard right, many of whom want Ukraine to fail, to make border [aid] a precondition to supporting Ukraine." Republican Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have pushed back on the House GOP demand that the border component be the same as its immigration bill. The two, along with Bennet, have been part of the small bipartisan group of senators negotiating a border security package. "I've heard a lot of people say H.R. 2 or nothing," Lankford said Tuesday. "And I've always smiled and said, House Republicans didn't get a single Democrat on H.R. 2, and they're asking us to get 20 on our side. OK, well, that's not realistic. I'm not about making a message at the end of this. We've got to actually make law at the end of this." Lankford said he was confident lawmakers could reach a deal by the end of the year. "It's just a matter of everybody staying at the table to be able to finish everything out," he said. The White House warned Congress on Monday that the U.S. will run out of funding to assist Ukraine by the end of the year, which it said would "kneecap" the country in its war against Russia. In response to the White House, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana reiterated that Ukraine aid is "dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation's border security laws" and that he wants the administration to provide specifics about where the funding is going and the endgame in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy planned to address senators by video on Tuesday in a classified briefing but was ultimately unable to attend. Before the change of plans, Schumer noted it would have been the third time Zelenskyy had addressed senators since Russia invaded Ukraine. "The last time he spoke to us, his message was direct and unsparing," Schumer said. "Without more aid from Congress, Ukraine does not have the means to defeat Vladimir Putin. Without more aid from Congress, Ukraine may fall. Democracy in Europe will be imperiled, and those who think Vladimir Putin will stop merely at Ukraine willfully ignore the clear and unmistakable warnings of history." National security adviser Jake Sullivan and other administration officials briefed House lawmakers on Ukraine on Tuesday. Alan He and Ellis Kim contributed reporting. Titanium hip implants expected to last decades snapped in hundreds of people Highlights from the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors Eye Opener: Virginia house explodes as police try to serve search warrant Two House Democrats are planning on introducing a resolution this week condemning Hamas use of sexual violence and rape against Israeli women in the wake of Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Pramila Jayapals comments to CNNs Dana Bash that upset a number of her Democratic colleagues. While Jayapal condemned the rape of Israeli women by Hamas and called it horrific on CNNs State of the Union, she pointed out that over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since the start of the war and said, I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians. Jayapals comments have set off a firestorm within the Congressional Progressive Caucus and speak to the broader divisions within the Democratic Party over how to address the war between Israel and Hamas. Her remarks come as Democrats have struggled to reconcile support for Israels right to defend itself in the wake of the October 7 attacks and rising protests, especially on the left, over the devastation in Gaza. Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel of Florida, who left the Progressive Caucus last month due to divisions within the group over the war, has begun drafting the resolution, a Democratic lawmaker familiar with the plans told CNN. A source familiar with Frankels thinking told CNN combating rape as a weapon of war is a long-standing priority for the congresswoman and the resolution was not drafted as a response to any comments made by other members. Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, a member of the progressive group, told CNNs Kasie Hunt on Monday she plans to introduce the resolution with Frankel this week and is going to talk to Jayapal about her comments. Im going to talk to Pramila, Dingell said on State of the Race on Monday. Im just going to speak for myself on this subject. And Im raw on this subject because of the hate that I have had directed at me for speaking the truth. I will speak the truth. A number of progressives in the caucus have raised concerns that Jayapal is speaking publicly in her capacity as chair when the group, which represents a broad spectrum of opinions, has not taken an official position on any of these complicated issues pertaining to the war, another Democratic lawmaker familiar with the conversations told CNN. In response, CPC spokeswoman Mia Jacobs told CNN, The CPCs policy is that the Caucus does not take positions on Israel and Palestine. Every member speaks for themselves, and any actions are in their personal capacity. Jewish Democrats specifically have been voicing their frustrations with Jayapals recent comments both publicly and with their colleagues, accusing Jayapal of being tone deaf for not unequivocally condemn Hamas use of rape against Israeli women, according to lawmakers familiar with the conversations. Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, an outspoken Jewish member of Congress, said on X following Jayapals interview, Hamas terrorists raped Israeli women and girls. The only balanced approach is to condemn sexual violence loudly, forcefully and without exceptions. Outrageous for anyone to both sides sexual violence. Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, a strong supporter of Israel, told Bash on CNN on Monday that Democrats are not divided over whether to condemn Hamas, but rather there is a fringe group that uses provocative language and is fundamentally unrepresentative of the mainstream. The White House on Monday condemned Hamas and the use of rape as a weapon in war when asked about Jayapals comments. I can only speak for the president thats who I can speak for, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. And weve been clear what Hamas did is absolutely reprehensible and full stop. Were going to continue to be clear about that. And we think about the use of rape as being used as a weapon; That is also reprehensible, and thats full stop but Ill just leave it there. CNNs Aileen Graef contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com In this photo from Dec. 11, 2022, pilgrims attend a service while visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines. The shrine in Des Plaines houses the first replica of the sacred tilma cloak with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of Catholics are expected to travel on foot on Milwaukee Avenue or Northwest Highway in Niles and Park Ridge the evening of Dec. 11 as they walk from Chicago churches to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines. Its a way for the pilgrims to pray for special intentions on Our Lady of Guadalupes feast day Dec.12, but for many, it also represents a way to nurture their Mexican roots by continuing a pilgrimage they made while growing up in Mexico. Although the feast day is religious in nature, it also can turn into an exuberant celebration. Advertisement The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines is home to a replica painting of Mexicos patron saint, also known as the patron saint of the Americas. The many pilgrimages from various churches around Chicago together make this second-largest celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe after Mexico City, the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, told the Chicago Tribune previously. The celebration in Des Plaines typically draws 200,000 people from around the region. It marks the day that the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to St. Juan Diego in December 1531 in Mexico. Outgoing Kennewick School Board member Ron Mabry has won election to a seat on the Washington State Board of Education. Hell begin serving Eastern Washington constituents in January. The Board of Education is a state government agency that leads the development of K-12 policies, sets requirements for graduation, provides system oversight and advocates for student success. Were excited to have Ron on our board, said Board Chair Bill Kallappa in a Tuesday news release. His experiences will bring valuable military, business and engineering perspectives to our discussions. I am eager to work with him and learn more about his time on the Kennewick School Board and in the Tri-Cities community. Mabry is a three-term school board member who chose not to seek reelection to his seat this year. His term ends this month, when new school board members will be sworn in on Dec. 13. He also formerly served as president of the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA), the state agency that supports the work of the states 1,477 locally elected school board members. The state board is made up of 16 members including two students, the state superintendent, a private school representative, five members elected by WSSDA and seven members appointed by the governor. Mabry was elected to his seat by members of the WSSDA delegation. Ron has had success proposing legislative amendments that range from funding and special education, to security and free meals. In his new role on the state board, Ron Brings leadership expertise and experience that will help the board improve schools for all students, read the news release. He replaces MJ Bolt, a former board president and former Central Valley School Board member. She is a co-founder of organizations that assist students who are in need of housing services, and currently she serves as chair of the Spokane County Republican Central Committee. Mabry currently works as the waste field services manager at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. He also served in the U.S. Navy. A 41-year-old Broward woman was brutally raped and murdered in the late 90s. Decades later, her killer was identified as a Florida Death Row inmate behind bars for raping and murdering another woman, the Broward Sheriffs Office said Tuesday. For years, the woman was known as Jane Doe, with only the face of a police sketch. A boater found her body in a grassy area off U.S. 27 in southwest Broward near Interstate-75 in December 1998, shortly after she was sexually assaulted and murdered. Earlier this year, BSO investigators, using DNA evidence, identified the victim as Eileen Truppner. On Tuesday, BSO said detectives with the agencys cold case unit arrested Lucious Boyd, 64, using DNA evidence linking him to Truppners death. Boyd raped and killed her about two weeks after he did the same to another woman, BSO said. For 20-something years there had been no closure, not justice for who is now identified as Eileen Truppner, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony told reporters during a news conference at the agencys headquarters. She is no longer faceless; she is no longer nameless. Nancy Truppner, who spoke to reporters Tuesday, remembers her sister Eileen as a kind woman, a young professional who moved to South Florida from Puerto Rico to take English classes. Even though this happened a while ago, the wound is open, Nancy said. It hurts, and it hurts like it was yesterday. A screenshot from a video showing a photo of Eileen Truppner, right, with sister Nancy Truppner, left. Broward Sheriff's Office How was Truppner killed? In the evening hours of Dec. 18, 1998, Boyd then 39 dragged Truppner to an isolated area of U.S. 27, about a mile north of Interstate 75, where he raped and murdered her, detectives say. Truppners body was discovered by a boater on a weekend family outing in a grassy area off U.S. 27 in southwest Broward. Investigators believe she died by strangulation no more than three days before she was found. But investigators didnt have much to go by other than her clothing and a sketch of her. Detectives canvassed the few establishments in the area with no results. They also searched missing persons databases to no avail. The crime scene was in a remote location without cameras around. Without witnesses, leads, or even her name, the case turned cold and she became a Jane Doe. Lucious Boyd, 63, is accused of killing and raping Eileen Truppner, 41, in Broward County in 1998, the Broward Sheriffs Office announced Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. He is on Floridas Death Row for the rape and murder of another Broward woman shortly before Truppners death. Florida Department of Corrections How did detectives find Truppners killer? DNA analysis played a crucial role in finding Truppners killer, detectives said. With the help of the forensic genealogy unit of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the DNA results led to the first breakthrough in the case on May 4 Truppners name. Her story was the focus of the fourth episode of BSOs Open and Unsolved cold case series. Advancements in DNA testing technology helped crime lab detectives to connect Truppners and Boyds DNA. His DNA had been collected as evidence in the killing of 21-year-old Dawnia Dacosta, who was murdered about two weeks before Truppner. Dacosta was last seen on Interstate 95 in Broward on Dec. 5, 1998, when her car broke down. Her body was found on Dec. 7, 1998, in the Oakland Park area. Boyd was convicted of Dacostas murder and sentenced to death in 2002. On Nov. 29, a Broward County grand jury indicted Boyd, now 64, for Truppners murder. Boyd faces additional first-degree murder and sexual battery charges, the Broward Sheriffs Office said. He is on death row at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford in northern Florida, state prison records show. Lucious Boyds indictment for Eileens homicide is possible due to the collaborative efforts of BSO cold case detectives, crime lab analysts and crime scene investigators, Sheriff Tony said. Now, Eileens family can put an end to decades of living with uncertainty while detectives continue their mission with one thing in mind justice has no expiration date. Other cases Boyd has been on polices radar in several cases, including two that ended in not-guilty verdicts, according to the Miami Herald archives. In 1993, he was charged with stabbing his ex-girlfriends brother to death but was acquitted after claiming self-defense. In 1998, Boyd was charged with sexual battery for allegedly holding a knife to a prostitutes throat and forcing her to perform a sex act in his truck. A Broward jury found him not guilty. An earlier version of this story had an incorrect age for Eileen Truppner when she was murdered. A DuPage County judge denied pretrial release for a Naperville woman charged with murdering a man after an altercation in an Oakbrook Terrace hotel on Saturday night. Latrice Phillips, 51, of the 1400 block of Normantown Road, appeared in court Monday charged with one count of cirst-degree murder, according to a news release from DuPage County States Attorney Robert Berlin and Oakbook Terrace Police Chief Casey Calvello. Advertisement Oakbrook Terrace police officers responded to a call of shots fired about 8:15 p.m. at the Hilton Suites, 10 Drury Lane, the release said. When the officers arrived, they found victim Calvin Truitt with gunshot wounds to his backside. Truit was transported to a hospital, where he later died. Prosecutors allege Phillips got into a verbal altercation with a person in a group of people she knew, including Truitt, at the hotel pool. Truitt and his group left the pool area and got into an elevator, the release said. Phillips allegedly followed the group on to the elevator. Advertisement When they exited on the seventh floor, a fight broke out at which time Phillips allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired three times, striking Truitt. Prosecutors allege after the shooting, Phillips left the scene and returned to her hotel room. She was taken into custody a short time later in her hotel room. When processing Phillips hotel room, authorities recovered a Taurus 9 mm handgun in a holster from Phillips waistband, the release said. The allegations that Ms. Phillips followed Mr. Truitt and others into a hotel elevator as they walked away from a verbal altercation and then shot and killed Mr. Truitt as they exited the elevator in a crowded hotel during the busy holiday season are shocking and will be met with the full force of the law, Berlin said in the release. In DuPage County, we do not tolerate any type of gun violence. I commend the Oakbrook Terrace Police Department for their prompt response and thorough investigation that allowed us to file first-degree murder charges within 24 hours of the murder. Calvello also lauded police officers for their work. Within minutes the officers had administered first aid to the victim, secured a 10-story building to ensure the safety of others and then apprehended the suspect, he said. The quick actions of the officers are a shining example of law enforcement working together with the help from the states attorneys office to successfully charge the suspect with first-degree murder. Phillips next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 4. At least 10 babies possibly more than 12 have been identified with what doctors believe to be a new syndrome related to exposure to fentanyl in the womb. All of the infants have distinctive physical birth defects, such as cleft palate and unusually small heads. No common genetic cause has been uncovered all were born to mothers who said they'd used street drugs, particularly fentanyl, while they were pregnant. "This is concerning," said Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, the president of the March of Dimes. "As we see these shared characteristics identified, we may be unroofing a real syndrome." Cherot hasn't personally cared for any of the babies. Six babies were identified at Nemours Children's Health in Wilmington, Delaware, two in California and one each in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Erin Wadman, a genetic counselor at Nemours, and her colleagues published their findings recently in Genetics in Medicine Open. The aha moment linking the infants came in August 2022, when Wadman was called upon to consult in the case of a baby who'd been born with birth defects. "I was sitting there in the appointment, and I was just like this face looks so familiar. This story sounds so familiar. And I was just thinking about how this patient reminded me so much of a patient I'd seen earlier in the year and then other patients I'd seen," Wadman said. "That's when we were like we think we might have stumbled on something really big here." facial photographs of Individuals 1-6 (A-F) as used in the GestaltMatcher analysis. (Elsevier 2023) In addition to cleft palate, the 10 infants have unusually small bodies and heads. They tend to have drooping eyelids. Their noses tend to turn upward, and their lower jaws are often undersized. Their feet may point down and inward, and two of their middle toes are webbed. Baby boys may have genital irregularities. Some have trouble feeding, and their thumbs may not be fully formed. The physical similarities reminded Wadman and a Nemours colleague, Dr. Karen Gripp, a geneticist, of a syndrome called Smith-Lemli-Opitz. In those cases, genetic variants affect how fetuses process cholesterol, which is necessary for normal cell function and brain development. None of the babies were found to have the Smith-Lemli-Opitz variant or any others that would put them at risk for such defects, however. Gripp, who is also a pediatrician, and Wadman suspect that fentanyl may be causing similar disruptions to cholesterol metabolism during pregnancy. "Although fentanyl's effect on cholesterol metabolism has not been directly tested, based on indirect evidence, it is biologically plausible that it affects cholesterol metabolism in the developing fetus," the authors wrote in the new report. The babies tested positive for fentanyl exposure when they were born, but the Nemours team suspect they had been exposed to significant amounts of the drug throughout the entire pregnancies. Still, Wadman said much more work is needed to confirm the findings, "even to prove that it is, indeed, the fentanyl and not anything that's laced in it or other drug that we're missing." Possible causes No proof yet links fentanyl to the cases, and in fact there are many possible causes. It could be that other street drugs or contaminants in the fentanyl supply are causing the defects. Even mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika, have been known to lead to microcephaly (unusually small heads) if babies are exposed in utero, though there is no evidence Zika plays a role in the cases. The women in the study were "also taking many drugs," said Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "It's very hard to determine is this just the effect of fentanyl or is this really the effects of other drugs or other combination?" "Having said that, reports like this one are very important, because they shed light on issues that we need to systematically investigate," Volkow said. Last year, NIDA launched a large research project called the Healthy Brain and Child Development Study aimed at following women and their children from pregnancy through age 10. "It's a prospective study to evaluate consequences of drug exposures during pregnancy," Volkow said. The fentanyl-cholesterol theory may be proven or not through ongoing work at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Dr. Karoly Mirnics, the director of UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute, has dedicated research to studying the impact of a variety of drugs on cholesterol metabolism. That is because cholesterol is "essential for everything in your body, for every cell membrane, for every function," Mirnics said. "If there is no cholesterol, there is no life." Mirnics plans to study the blood of the babies identified at Nemours and elsewhere to answer looming questions: Is the underlying cause fentanyl or some kind of contamination of the drug? Does it depend on how much fentanyl gets to the fetus? Is the problem some kind of interaction between the drug and genetics of either the mother or the baby? Why would some babies exposed to fentanyl or other drugs during gestation develop defects while others don't? "I have no idea," Mirnics said, "but I'm going to figure it out." More cases? While fentanyl use has skyrocketed in recent years, even among pregnant women, there is no indication that birth defects are rising. About 3% of babies are born every year with birth defects, according to the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group declined to comment on the Nemours research. "We haven't seen this specific syndrome, but babies [exposed to fentanyl] are often born growth-restricted, smaller than they need to be," said Dr. Brian Smith, the Samuel L. Katz distinguished professor of pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. They are "profoundly irritable" and often don't eat or sleep well, he said. The new findings from Nemours have prompted other experts to take another look at babies who may have been similarly affected. Dr. Howard Saal, a clinical geneticist at Cincinnati Children's and the University of Cincinnati, believes he has seen two babies "fairly recently" with the same birth defects who were exposed to street drugs in utero. "Their pattern of anomalies fits very closely with what has been described in this report," Saal said. "I may have seen more cases in the past but didn't put 2 and 2 together." And Dr. Ahmed Ahmed, a medical geneticist in the department of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, believes he, too, has seen cases. But complications related to drug use during pregnancy are "invisible," he said. "There is no ultrasound or blood test that we can do to determine the impact an exposure may have had on the fetus." "We see similar anomalies, and we go the whole nine yards with diagnostic testing. But the results come back negative," Ahmed said. "Deep down inside, you think that it is related to the substance abuse, the fentanyl or others, but you are unable to prove it." Ahmed said he and his team are amenable to sharing notes with the Nemours team to further the research. For now, he will use the information to counsel women, ideally before they become pregnant. "I can use this paper to highlight that there is a potential risk for structure defects," Ahmed said. Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a medical geneticist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, praised the "astute clinicians" at Nemours for first noticing what could be an important trend. "That's how fetal alcohol syndrome was recognized. That is how isotretinoin [the acne medication Accutane] that causes a distinct pattern of birth defects was recognized," said Rasmussen, one of the first to describe the defects associated with Zika virus while she was at the CDC. The best 'yes' Lindsay Carlisle, 40, of Washington Township, New Jersey, knew exactly what she was seeing when she first laid eyes on little Sammy in July 2021. He'd been born nearly two months earlier, addicted to opioids, and he had other medical problems. Carlisle had been called in as a possible foster parent, but she felt right away that Sammy would become her adoptive son. Sammy Green. (Lindsay Carlisle) "Initially, we never were on board with having a medically complex child, just because we didn't think we could handle it. We weren't really equipped," Carlisle said. "But then I said 'yes,' and it was the best 'yes' I've ever said." Now 2 years old, Sammy requires large amounts of therapy. He faces several developmental and physical delays. His joints aren't well-formed, Carlisle said, and he lacks hand strength. He isn't yet talking, but he can make sounds. He depends on a feeding tube to eat. He has required a procedure to correct a heart defect. His case is one of the 10 described in the Nemours report. A public health crisis If the syndrome is linked to in utero fentanyl use, it appears to be rare. Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatologist and the director of the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy in Nashville, Tennessee, said he has never treated such a patient. He has, however, cared for many babies born addicted to fentanyl and other drugs all without the physical defects described in the new report. That doesn't mean fentanyl use during pregnancy, especially from drugs obtained illegally, is safe. It is associated with preterm birth, stillbirth and neonatal abstinence syndrome. It's clear, Patrick said, that substance abuse during pregnancy is dangerously common, having reached new highs during the coronavirus pandemic. "Pregnant women are dying at record rates. Infants are the fastest-growing group entering foster care, mostly for parental substance use. The minority of pregnant women are getting into treatment," Patrick said. "This is a big public health crisis." The path ahead Researchers will continue to follow the babies over time. The oldest is now 3 years old. Further research may show that a subset of infants has some kind of underlying genetic risk that made them more susceptible to in utero fentanyl exposure. The hope is to move genetics research forward. "For most babies that are born with a birth defect, we don't know the cause," Rasmussen said. "Every time we can get a little bit closer to understanding what's going on, it's really helpful for families to understand their chances of this happening again in future pregnancies." Sammy Green. (Lindsay Carlisle) Meanwhile, the newly identified syndrome means children like Sammy have unclear paths moving forward. "We don't really know exactly what this means for him, cognitively, because there is no one there to say, well, this is what happened and this is what they did," Carlisle said. "We're just kind of winging it." She hopes to meet other families in the Nemours research group. The Carlisles officially adopted Sammy in February. "I promised him I would give him the very best life that anyone could ever want from the day I met him," Carlisle said. "He's just magical." Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Israeli security forces operate a checkpoint at the closed-off southern entrance of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Aug. 22, a day after a man from a nearby Israeli settlement was shot and killed. (Hazem Bader / AFP via Getty Images) In September, Tamir Pardo, who headed the Mossad, Israels national intelligence agency, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from 2011 to 2016, said that Israel is imposing apartheid on the Palestinians. In August, the former northern commander of the Israeli army described the situation in the West Bank as one of total apartheid. In June, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson, wrapping up a trip to Israel/Palestine, highlighted the ever growing evidence they found that the situation meets the international legal definition of apartheid and highlighted that they heard no detailed rebuttal of the evidence of apartheid. Read more: How the U.S. has fueled Israel's decades-long war on Palestinians Palestinians have long used the term to describe the reality of their lives under Israeli rule. Developments in recent years and the intense Israeli bombardment in Gaza in the wake of Hamas brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7 have brought this question into the mainstream. Apartheid is a particularly severe form of institutional discrimination and systematic oppression based on race or ethnicity, and is prohibited by international law. While apartheid was coined in relation to South Africa, international treaties, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination , U.N. resolutions, and many countries domestic laws define it as a universal legal term that applies globally. Read more: Opinion: Here's what the mass violence in Gaza looks like to a scholar of genocide Apartheid is also a crime against humanity, as set out both in the 1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid and the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court . It consists of three primary elements: 1. An intent to maintain domination by one racial group over another; 2. A context of systematic oppression by the dominant group over the marginalized group; 3. Inhumane acts such as forcible transfer and expropriation of landed property. Under international law, race and racial discrimination have been interpreted to mean more than skin color or genetic traits. They refer also to distinctions based on descent and national or ethnic origin, to be evaluated on the basis of the particular context and construction by local actors. In April 2021, after years of research, detailed case studies and a careful review of Israeli government planning documents, statements by officials and other sources, Human Rights Watch found that Israeli authorities were and are committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians, based on the Israeli government policy to maintain domination over Palestinians and grave abuses against Palestinians in the occupied territory. Read more: Opinion: Why does Israel have so many Palestinians in detention and available to swap? We found that across Israel and the occupied territory the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Israeli authorities have sought to maximize the land available for Jewish communities and minimize the number of Palestinians on that land by concentrating most Palestinians in dense population centers. In Jerusalem, for example, the government plan for the municipality explicitly refers to maintaining a solid Jewish majority in the city and even specifies its target demographic ratio across West and occupied East Jerusalem. The Netanyahu government that came to power a year ago identified as a guiding principle : The Jewish people have an exclusive and indisputable right to all areas of the Land of Israel, which the prime minister defined to include the West Bank. Israeli authorities have also adopted policies to mitigate what they have openly described as a demographic threat . For more than two decades, they have barred , with few exceptions, granting long-term legal status inside Israel to Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza who marry Israeli citizens or residents, while conferring such status to spouses from virtually every other country. Under Israeli law, a Jewish citizen of any other country who has never been to Israel can move there and automatically gain citizenship, while Palestinians expelled from their homes in what became Israel and living for more than 75 years in refugee camps in Gaza (the majority of Gazas population are refugees) or a nearby country cannot. Read more: Opinion: Here are seven ways the U.S. can push Israel toward a cease-fire in Gaza We also found that Israeli authorities maintain a two-tiered legal system: methodically privileging Israelis, who have the same rights and privileges wherever they live, while repressing Palestinians to varying degrees wherever they live. As Hagai El-Ad, the former director of the Israeli human rights group BTselem, wrote , There is not a single square inch in the territory Israel controls where a Palestinian and a Jew are equal. The oppression is most severe in the occupied territory. In the West Bank, Israel imposes harsh military rule on Palestinians while affording Jewish Israelis living in a segregated manner in the same territory their full rights under Israeli civil law. While many systematic abuses come together to collectively amount to apartheid, the Human Rights Watch report focused primarily on five: sweeping restrictions on movement in the form of the Gaza closure and a permit regime in the West Bank; confiscation of more than a third of the land in the West Bank; harsh conditions in parts of the West Bank that have forced thousands of Palestinians out of their homes, which amounts to forcible transfer; denial of residency rights to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and their relatives; and the suspension of basic civil rights for millions of Palestinians living under military rule. Read more: Opinion: Gazans have no good options. Here's the least bad of the bad For more than 16 years, Israeli authorities have imposed a generalized ban on travel outside of Gaza for the more than 2.2 million people living there, with few exceptions, denying them freedom of movement. They have instituted a policy of separation between the West Bank and Gaza, regularly blocking the movement of Palestinians between the two parts of the occupied territory. They have also imposed sweeping restrictions on the entry and exit of goods, which has devastated the economy in Gaza. While Israeli authorities continue to expand settlements in the West Bank, which violates international law, the authorities demolish hundreds of Palestinian homes and other structures every year for lacking building permits, which authorities make nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. Between 2016 and 2018, Israeli authorities issued 100 times more demolition orders than building permits for Palestinians living in the West Bank under Israels control. Palestinians in the West Bank hold different-colored identity cards and passports than Jewish Israeli settlers, which carry with them different baskets of rights and privileges. Israeli settlers, for example, can freely move between the West Bank and Israel, while Palestinians require difficult-to-obtain permits to enter large parts of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Israel. The more than 645 checkpoints and other permanent obstacles Palestinians face can turn a short commute to school or work into an hours-long journey. Read more: In Gaza conflict, words like 'terrorism' and 'genocide' are potent weapons. Definitions matter Many of the abuses, such as denying building permits and demolishing homes that lack them, have no security justification. Others, such as the blanket denial of long-term legal status to Palestinians from the occupied territory married to Israeli citizens and residents, use security as a pretext to further demographic goals. Even when security forms part of the motivation, it does not justify apartheid and racial and ethnic persecution, just as torture or other unlawful actions cannot be justified in the name of security. At the same time, of course, apartheid and other abuses by Israeli authorities can never justify war crimes and other violations by armed Palestinian groups, including the killings and taking of hostages during the Oct. 7 attacks. Our findings that Israels oppression of Palestinians amounts to apartheid are consistent with where we found this crime against humanity in other contexts, including in Myanmar, where we found apartheid against the Rohingya, and in China against the Uyghurs . Those responsible for such crimes should be held to account, and foreign governments and businesses should end complicity in these grave abuses. There can be no way to address or resolve the continuing crisis in Israel and Palestine, even after the current hostilities wane, without diagnosing it correctly. The discourse about the way forward needs to be based on the reality on the ground of decades of Israeli repressive rule of Palestinians. Major Israeli , Palestinian and other international human rights groups have found that Israeli authorities are committing apartheid against Palestinians, as has the U.N. special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory and many others. Denying millions of Palestinians their fundamental rights, solely because they are Palestinian, is a violation of international law, and that reality is becoming more and more clear to much of the international community. Lama Fakih is the Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Omar Shakir is the Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. TikToks on TikToks on "the orange peel theory" have gone viral on the social media platform in recent weeks. Experts say the concept can say a lot about your relationship. A new thesis regarding relationships has gained popularity all over TikTok in recent weeks. Dubbed the orange peel theory, the idea involves the ability to understand your partner and their feelings; its based on their tendency to perform simple tasks for you whether asked to do them or not like peeling an orange. Videos have surfaced all over the social media platform with folks urging their partners to peel oranges for them or, more generally, requesting help with something youre easily able to do yourself. The orange peel theory focuses on the idea that small acts of service are not just about the action itself but about what it represents in the relationship, said Kate Truitt, a board-certified psychologist and applied neuroscientist. They signal care, love and commitment, and the repetition of the act enhances the overall health and happiness of the relationship. These gestures, often simple and seemingly mundane, are in fact pivotal in nurturing a loving, supportive and enduring partnership. Georgina Sturmer, a registered counselor at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, said that the trend is really a commentary on the nuts and bolts of a relationship. In fact, many on TikTok have come to celebrate or negatively comment on romantic relationships based on observations made with the orange peel theory in mind. Does your significant other peel an orange for you without you having to ask because he or she knows how much the smell of the skin bothers you, for example? Or does he or she complain about your constant asking when you do request a favor? The idea is that we are all subconsciously seeking signals from our partner to reassure us of their affection, Sturmer said. Signals that show us that they have an intimate knowledge of our likes and dislikes, and that they are prepared to go out of their way to make us happy. Why Acts Of Service Are Hallmarks Of A Good Relationship According to Truitt, regular, positive interactions are fundamental in creating a sense of security, trust and emotional bonding. That is all to say: Consistent acts of affection will not only prove that your partner cares for you, but they will also allow you to feel comfortable enough to explore the relationship further and, perhaps, deepen your connection. By demonstrating his or her appreciation for you through seemingly meaningless efforts, your partner will subconsciously give you the green light to feel even more secure in your relationship. Truitt explained that kind gestures help build a positive emotional atmosphere that then triggers the release of vital neurotransmitters like oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals have been shown to reinforce positive feelings and, therefore, emotional connections. In addition to providing an immediate sense of satisfaction and joy, these acts of kindness work to bolster the foundations of a relationship and ones own sense of self, according to Truitt. This might sound obvious, but many of us carry around an inner critic that tells us that we are undeserving of kindness, she said. So when our partner offers a kind word, gesture or action, this strengthens the relationship between us, and it also boosts our own confidence and self-esteem. Some may contend that sporadic grand gestures may prove ones love in their own way, perhaps even more than constant, small-scale actions but the therapists dont necessarily agree with that. Popular culture celebrates the grand gesture, like a proposal at the top of the Empire State Building, a dramatic race through an airport departure lounge, Sturmer said. These can be wonderful statements, but, in our everyday existence, the consistent caring interactions tell us that someone cares. Simple acts of service, like ordering their favorite dish at a restaurant, can really show your partner you care. Simple acts of service, like ordering their favorite dish at a restaurant, can really show your partner you care. Examples Of The Orange Peel Theory Although the orange peel theory is clearly based on a specific action, the concept refers to a larger category of behaviors: everyday acts of tenderness that may not catch your attention immediately but, when put together, offer a pretty clear picture of your relationship status. Examples of these quotidian efforts, according to Sturmer, include cleaning dirty boots after a walk outside, collecting your partner at the bus station when its raining, refilling the gas in the family car when its running low. The key, according to the expert, is that the simple gesture goes unannounced and perhaps isnt directly requested. Its not accompanied with fanfare or an explicit requirement to show your appreciation, she said. Other examples may include ordering your partners favorite menu item from a restaurant before they can even ask, doing the dishes or bringing the mail in. Truitt takes it a step further than the actionable aspect of the conversation, mentioning how certain behavioral dispositions fall under the scope of the theory, like active listening, expressions of appreciations, small feats of affection (holding hands, hugs or a thoughtful note), support during stress, quality time, consistent check-ins and celebrating successes. How Can I Bring The Orange Peel Theory Up To My Partner? Its important to note that everyone has a different way of showing their appreciation and affection. However, if there is one thing that the orange peel theory has proved, its that small, consistent acts of kindness certainly help deliver the message that you care about someone. So how can you make sure that your partner knows this? According to Truitt, there are a few ways. To start, lead by example. Often the best way to encourage behavior is to model it yourself, she said. Engage in small acts of kindness towards your partner regularly, which could range from a thoughtful note to a warm embrace, demonstrating the kind of affection and care you value. Communication is a big part of the subject as well, but, according to Truitt, its important to understand that the goal of any conversation is to enhance the relationship, not to criticize your partner. You should therefore choose the right time and setting to bring the conversation up, focus on the positive aspects of your connection while also being specific about your desires. You might have to clearly express what small gestures youre talking about, Truitt explained. Being direct is always the best course of action. Dont forget to also ask your partners take on it, Sturmer said. In addition to role-modeling the behavior, she suggested talking about whats stopping your partner from fulfilling your needs. Maybe theyre assuming that you might find him or her doing things for you patronizing, she said. Theyre worried about annoying you. The solution? Direct communication. One more tip: To ease into the conversation, Sturmer said, you might actually want to show your partner the various viral videos. It gives you a chance to chat about it without making it feel personal. Related... The USDA says all but three states in the country have been infected with bird flu and Ohio has the second-highest number of cases. The virus is extremely contagious and once birds contract the flu, the only way to stop the spread is to put them down. >> RELATED: Highly contagious strain of bird flu detected in Darke Co. News Center 7s Kayla McDermott talked to a local poultry farm in Greene County and who they arent concerned. So far all the birds at Happy Wife Acres are happy and healthy. Were doing great here on the farm, said owner Andrea Hancock. Hancock credits her birds health to them being pasteurized. The chickens get to roam and do whatever they want on our land, Hancock said. Hancock says this is not the case on commercial farms. They densely packed their facilities, she said. The USDA has a commercial farm less than an hour away in Darke County listed as having an active bird flu outbreak. >> On his deathbed, her father told her a secret: He was a fugitive and robbed a bank in Ohio Its essentially, you know, living in a high-rise apartment. If one gets it, it spreads through because of all the people and the air vents are all circulating through the whole place, Hancock said. To stop the spread, an infected flock has to be killed off on those farms, which would be devastating for Hancock. It would be an emotional state that would leave me just shattered I love my animals, Hancock said. She said if the flu continues to spread how it currently is across Ohio and the rest of the country, we will notice it in prices at the grocery store. There will be less eggs in the store and less eggs in the store means more prices higher. Same goes with turkeys. I was surprised anybody got a Thanksgiving turkey this year with the flu that hit the last time, she said. In rare cases, the bird flu can spread to people. The CDC says that typically never happens, but there are a few rare cases and thats why Hancock says she always washes her hands and arms thoroughly whenever she is done handling her flock. I think she needs to become a star of this campaign, said Terrance Woodbury, CEO of HIT Strategies. As the Biden-Harris administration works to shore up the Black vote in 2024 amid concerns over polling on President Joe Bidens support, some say his secret weapon to winning over skeptical Black voters and subsequent reelection could be Kristen Clarke, an assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice. Since entering office in May 2021 as the first woman and first Black woman to head the Civil Rights Division, Clarke and her team have worked to combat civil rights violations, including racial bias in policing, the suppression of Black voters, and racial violence, among others. According to data from the Department of Justice, Clarkes division opened 11 pattern or practice investigations into police departments across the country, filed lawsuits, and intervened in several cases to protect voting rights, particularly those of Black voters, and charged more than 105 defendants in more than 95 cases of bias-motivated crimes. Two high-profile prosecutions included the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and the mass shooter who killed 10 Black people inside a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York. The Civil Rights Division also secured $107 million in relief for Black and Hispanic communities through the DOJs Combating Redlining Initiative in neighborhoods where banks and mortgage lending firms discriminated against them. Cities included Los Angeles, Tulsa, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Newark, Houston, and Memphis. These are the cases Black Americans need to hear about in order for them to be motivated to get out and vote to return Joe Biden to the White House, said former U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones, who is running in upstate New York to win back his House seat in next years general election. Mondaire Jones speaks at the Just Majority Supreme Court Reform Press Conference With Gun Violence Prevention Advocates on April 30, 2023, in White Plains, New York. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Just Majority) Jones, a former Justice Department staffer and current member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, said the DOJ was founded to protect the civil rights of all Americans, particularly Black Americans, telling theGrio he is proud to see the Biden administration revitalize the Civil Rights Division under the leadership of Clarke. Jones continued, Kristen Clarke has been vigilant about using our civil rights laws to secure justice for victims of police violence and discrimination in the marketplace, such as in the housing and employment contexts. Before Clarkes return to the DOJ, the 48-year-old daughter of Jamaican immigrants worked as a federal prosecutor at the Civil Rights Division in the early 2000s. Clarke was a trial attorney focusing on voting rights, hate crimes, and human trafficking. She also worked as a civil rights attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and headed the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. I think she needs to become a star of this campaign, said Terrance Woodbury, CEO of HIT Strategies, a polling and data firm focusing primarily on voters of color and young voters. Woodbury noted that Black voters, who are responsible for Bidens 2020 presidential win, elected the president because they wanted action on police reform and racial justice. Protesters in London confront police outside the U.S. Embassy in June 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. In the U.S., though Congress did not pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, many applaud the DOJs Kristen Clarke for opening investigations into allegations of police misconduct. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP via Getty Images) Thats what they were marching for more than anything. They were marching for accountability, he told theGrio. He added, Kristen Clarke is achieving it. Despite what is seen as critical work from Clarke and her division, Woodbury lamented that nobody knows it because the White House will not politicize the Justice Department. Since entering office, Biden has sought to return to a decades-long tradition of not politicizing the DOJ, which has been used by some presidents for political purposes namely, former President Donald Trump, who used the agency to go after his alleged Democratic foes and try to subvert the 2020 presidential election. Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation, told theGrio that she believes the Biden-Harris White House shouldnt be afraid to be cheerleaders for their Justice Department and what it has been able to achieve in three years. You have to get your message out there, said Campbell. People may not pay attention to that, but its up to this administration, and those who are pushing for it, to do their job and let people know what theyre doing. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris walk back to the Oval Office after an April 2022 event in the Rose Garden about gun violence. The head of one civic coalition said the administration should do more to push the message about what its Justice Department has accomplished. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Campbell, who has attended several White House meetings with officials on civil rights concerns, particularly on voting rights, said Black voters must understand the stakes in the upcoming election. The success of DOJs Civil Rights Division shows that elections matter, she added. Who becomes the head of the Department of Justice matters. It does matter having Kristen Clarke in those positions, Campbell said. In the absence of Congress passing legislation to protect voting rights, she is particularly concerned after the Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in Arkansas ruled on Nov. 20 that private organizations do not have the legal authority to file lawsuits challenging Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. If that ruling stands, it would place even greater emphasis on who occupies the Department of Justice. If that particular federal case stands, then the Department of Justice will be the only one that would be able to sue, said Campbell. And while a divided Congress was also unable to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the civil rights leader applauded the investigations of law enforcement misconduct opened by Clarke. Those under scrutiny include the Memphis Police Department, which was responsible for the deadly beating of Tyre Nichols in January, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the New York Police Department, among several others. Campbell noted that polling shows that police reform and criminal justice remain high on the list of concerns among Black voters. While the DOJ has done its best to hold police agencies accountable, she emphasized, Theres more that has to be done so that you can have even more impact on reforms so that people dont have to be afraid of being stopped by the police. Its just a real reality for Black America. Its always been there, she added. It didnt start with this administration and wont end, of course, with this administration. But you can move the ball. Kristen Clarke (center), assistant attorney general for the Department of Justices Civil Rights Division, speaks at a news conference in 2021 to announce that the department would be suing the state of Georgia over its new election laws. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Angela Angel, a senior adviser for Black Lives Matter PAC, said the Biden-Harris White House and campaign should absolutely spotlight more of Clarke and her office. However, she said its also important that Black voters see the work of the many Black women in the administration, as well as the number of Black judges appointed by Biden. There are a lot of things that are happening that are being done right now that are advancing Black folks in general, Angel told theGrio. If [Black voters] knew that, they would be more active in making sure that these folks are supported [and] that they are funded. Giving voters the full picture, she maintained, will help them begin to think about what a government looks like under Biden versus Trump, his likely Republican opponent next November. Despite what some polling might suggest, Campbell said, People are going to start really paying attention come January, adding that the months leading up to Nov. 5, 2024, will be crucial for the Biden-Harris team to make their pitch to voters. Campbell, who stressed that the Biden-Harris administration has to tell their story, said, I dont listen to these early polls. She added, The only poll that matters is when people start voting. Recommended Stories Elections DOJs Kristen Clarke could be secret weapon to Biden-Harris reelection Gerren Keith Gaynor Elections No, Black Lives Matter did not endorse Trump for president Gerren Keith Gaynor Featured Trump would turn the American Dream into the American Nightmare and make America hate again Donna Brazile Politics Stevie Wonders request to meet with Biden is no laughing matter April Ryan Elections Trump coming for Black Americas health care with Obamacare vow Gerren Keith Gaynor Politics Dem voters urge Wisconsin Supreme Court to strike down unconstitutional maps Ashlee Banks Politics Biden actions that Black Americans can be thankful for this holiday season Gerren Keith Gaynor Politics Court ruling on Black voters right to sue under Voting Rights Act is unconscionable Ashlee Banks 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 DOJs Kristen Clarke could be secret weapon to Biden-Harris reelection appeared first on TheGrio. MANCHESTER, Tenn. (WKRN) A Coffee County Rescue Squad building and its contents were destroyed in a fire Monday night. The fire began around 8 p.m. at the CCRS main building on Murfreesboro Highway. The building was used for storage of the volunteer departments vehicles, trailer, boat and collected donated items, including non-perishable food and a large amount of childrens toys. Nashville restaurant named among best in country on OpenTables Top 100 list (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) (Courtesy: Coffee County Rescue Squad) Images from the fire show burned vehicles, water-damaged toys and extensive fire damage throughout the crews facilities. Multiple departments responded to help fight the fire, including the Manchester Fire Department, Duck River Electric, Elk River Gas, Coffee County EMS, Coffee County 911 and the Manchester Police Department. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire but CCRS said it could have began when a battery exploded inside a vehicle. Coffee County Rescue Squad is not letting the fire dull its holiday spirit, posting: This tragedy will not dull the hearts of our Volunteers. We know how to work together, pray together and overcome together. We definitely know how to make the most out of a little. CCRS is blessed and we will rise from the smoke and ashes. No additional information was immediately released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. After fewer than six months at the helm of Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Principal Mark Rasar is leaving tomorrow, officials announced in a news release Monday. According to the release, Rasar, who started at the Dominican Catholic school in July, is stepping down to take the role of CEO of Northern Kane Educational Corporation. Advertisement This unexpected opportunity aligns closely with my interest in charter schools and the challenges they present, Rasar stated in the release. And it is much closer to my home in Arlington Heights. I couldnt pass it up. I want to emphasize that this decision was not taken lightly, but its the right one for my family and me. His last day at Fenwick is Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when Rasar would start his new job. Advertisement My short time at Fenwick has been rewarding, I have greatly enjoyed working with the students, faculty and parents, he stated in the release. The release explains that Rasar started at Fenwick in July after a nationwide search, and another one has begun to pick his replacement. We are going to miss Mark, the Rev. Richard Peddicord, O.P., stated in the release. The energy and fresh eye he brought to Fenwick made immediate, positive impacts on many fronts. However, we fully understand his desire to pursue this unique, new opportunity and we wish him great success. School leaders credit Rasar with implementing what they called a series of important innovations at Fenwick, including increasing the number of all-school liturgies and Friar Fridays. Peddicord will serve as interim principal for the remainder of the current semester, the release states. Explosions have been heard in the east of Russian-occupied Crimea on early 5 December. Two UAVs have likely targeted an oil depot in the city of Feodosiia but have been shot down. Source: Baza, a Russian Telegram channel; Crimean Wind (Krymskyi Veter) Telegram channel Details: Baza reported that drones sought to strike an oil depot in Crimea. The attempted attack took place at around 05:00 (04:00 Kyiv time). Two aircraft-type drones had been heading towards the Sea Oil Terminal oil depot, but the Russian occupying forces shot them down. The first UAV detonated in midair, leaving only wreckage on the territory of the oil depot, whereas the other fell 70 metres from one of the tanks. No casualties were reported. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that a total of 41 Ukrainian drones had been shot down over the Azov Sea and Crimea overnight and in the morning. The Crimean Wind Telegram channel, citing its followers, reported a string of explosions in Feodosiia, as well as explosions in the town of Staryi Krym and the city of Kerch. The Russian troops were likely shooting down air targets. Traffic on the Crimean Bridge was suspended for over 4 hours overnight. The Crimean Wind reported that a Pantsir-S1 air defence system was responding from the territory of the oil depot in Feodosiia during the Ukrainian attack. Power outages occurred in some parts of Kerch. Moreover, Crimean Wind mentioned reports that "the Zalyv Shipbuilding Yard in Kerch was affected"; however, this information needs to be confirmed. Several warships are under construction at the Kerch shipyard. A new Askold small missile boat was destroyed by a Ukrainian missile on 4 November. Support UP or become our patron! A Dublin Chick-Fil-A employee was injured and taken to a local hospital after an accident in the restaurants drive-thru, according to a Facebook post by the Laurens County location. A car hit the worker Monday night in the drive-thru, the Facebook post read. The chicken eatery closed early Monday night after the injury. The worker was responsive at the restaurant and is expected to be OK, according to a Chick-Fil-A corporate spokesperson. The extent of the workers injuries was unclear in both the Facebook post and the spokespersons statement. The Dublin Police Department said no further information about the accident was available Tuesday afternoon. The restaurants owner declined to comment. The Duchess of York made the comment on the Lorraine talk show - Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock The Duchess of York has said that Christmas is about no judgment of race, creed or colour, just love. Sarah Ferguson, 64, made the remarks when asked if the entire Royal family would be able to come together again during the festive season in the spirit of the holiday. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly on her breakfast programme, the Duchess said: I feel strongly the greatest gift you can give today is understanding, no judgment, no race, creed, colour or any other domination, just love. Theres no better gift than love. She made the comments about race amid continued fallout over accusations of racism in the Royal family. It was claimed that the King and the Princess of Wales were the members of the Royal family who had remarked on the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs son, Prince Archie. The so-called racism row first emerged over a letter Meghan sent to the King in 2021. The alleged names of those involved were published in the Dutch translation of a new book, Endgame, by Omid Scobie, last week. On Tuesday morning, Lorraine asked Prince Andrews ex-wife whether the whole family, all of you, will be able to have Christmas together, since the festive season brings people together and thats what it should do. The Duchess responded by saying she couldnt agree more, before pointedly adding that there should be no judgment of race but just love. She said: If we watch enough of these Christmas movies and sing enough of these Christmas songs... Can we just all have love, forgiveness and happiness and joy? People say to me, you dont wear your heart on your sleeve, Fergie or Sarah, you wear it all over your body because thats what I am. I really believe you can give love. Lorraine also asked if she minded people calling her Fergie and she said, I like it, I like anything. Im all about positivity The Duchess, who is recovering from breast cancer, gave an update on her health, saying: Im doing well Im all about positivity and I feel the potential of optimism is what I would love for everyone to come away from this show with. Meanwhile, senior Royals will put on a united front on Tuesday evening as they will be pictured together at a diplomatic reception for the first time since being thrust into the heart of the row. The Sussexes have so far declined to publicly defend their relatives and the publisher has also remained tight-lipped about how the names emerged in the Dutch version of Scobies book. Senior advisers from Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace were due to hold high-level discussions this week about how to respond. Lorraine is scheduled weekdays from 9am on ITV1 and ITVX. 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. Yanqing Wang shows a picture of himself flanked by his sister Yanxiang Wang, left, and brother-in-law, Gaoshan Li. The couple and their daughter, Mei Haskell, have been missing since early November. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Yanqing Wang had a bad feeling. He had not heard from his sister in days, and his calls were going unanswered. Then, he went to her WeChat social media profile and discovered that all her friends and photos, dating back 10 years, had been deleted. Where was she? What was going on? Wang got the grim news a day later, on Nov. 8. His sister, Yanxiang Wang, 64, and her husband, Gaoshan Li, 72, were missing. The torso of their daughter, Mei Haskell, 37, had been found in a dumpster, according to authorities. And the daughter's husband, Samuel Bond Haskell IV, 35, was arrested on suspicion of murder. Read more: A Hollywood exec's son, three missing family members and a gruesome discovery The gruesome case has made international headlines. But for Wang, 59, and other family members, coming to terms with what happened and why has been impossible. Wang said he saw no hints of problems at the Tarzana home the two couples shared. Haskell's three children, who were at school when police got involved in the case, were found safe and are now in foster care, according to Wang. Law enforcement sources not authorized to publicly discuss the case told The Times that they believe Haskell killed his wife and in-laws and dismembered their bodies. They say he dumped Mei's torso in an Encino trash bin and his in-laws' bodies somewhere else. Two vehicles that had been missing from the Haskells' Tarzana property a white Volkswagen Tiguan and a white 2014 Nissan Pathfinder were found in the San Fernando Valley. Wang and his extended family, many of whom live in China, are distraught. One of five siblings, Wang said he still hadn't told his two older sisters that Yanxiang was missing and likely killed. And he's frustrated that law enforcement hasn't offered more answers. Wang has tried calling police and left messages, but he says no one has gotten back to him. He wonders whether a language barrier is hindering communication. "They have been missing for 20 days," Wang said in an interview with The Times last week. "How can he hide it so well for so long? "If he murdered three people, he must have a deep-seated hatred," Wang said in Mandarin, shaking his head in disbelief. Robert Schwartz, Haskell's lawyer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Haskell, who remains in jail in lieu of $2-million bail, is scheduled to appear in court Friday. He has not entered a plea to any of the charges against him. Haskell, the son of a well-known Hollywood executive, started dating Mei when the two were students at Cal State Northridge, her uncle said. The young woman moved to the United States in the mid-2000s to study accounting; her mother and stepfather had to sell their house in China to afford her tuition. Wang, who lives in Monterey Park, started working at a local restaurant to help pay for her education. Mei wanted her uncle to approve of her partner and introduced him to Haskell, whom Wang described as "strange" and "quiet and reserved" but also a seemingly "good guy." He said they didn't speak much because Wang doesn't speak much English. The couple married after graduation, and following the birth of their first child 13 years ago, Mei's mother and stepfather moved from China to live with the Haskells, Wang said. Yanqing Wang, the uncle of Mei Haskell, said he never heard of any fights between his niece and her husband, who is accused of killing Mei and her parents. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) As the family grew to include two more children, Mei's parents helped look after the kids while she worked. They all lived together in a single-story home in the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace in Tarzana. Although Wang never heard of any fights between the couple or any talk of divorce, he said his sister complained that Mei was the only one paying for their $7,000-a-month mortgage and that Haskell hadn't offered financial support when they were looking to buy a house three years ago. He said his sister had a stroke a few years ago, which made it more difficult for her to walk. But she still did a lot of the cooking and cleaning, as well as looking after the children. Meanwhile, to afford their monthly house payments, Wang said Mei had to work multiple jobs, including at a consulting business for families who want their children to study in the United States. Little is known about what led up to the violence. Inside the Haskells' Tarzana home, detectives discovered blood and other evidence consistent with death and dismemberment, Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman said. Authorities say Haskell first tried to dispose of human remains on Nov. 7, when he hired day laborers to remove bags from his property. The workers, who were paid $500 and initially told they were hauling away rocks, then Halloween decorations, said the bags felt soggy and soft, like meat. They quickly realized what they had loaded into the back of their truck was body parts and they hurried to return the bags and the money before reporting the incident, according to KNBC-TV Channel 4. But by the time police arrived, the bags were gone. Mei Haskell, left, and her parents, Yanxiang Wang, center, and Gaoshan Li, all lived in a Tarzana home with Haskell's husband, Samuel Bond Haskell IV. (Los Angeles Police Department) Haskell later was caught on video dumping a large bag from the back of his Tesla about five miles from his home, authorities said. A man scavenging for recyclables in a dumpster in an Encino strip mall found a duffel bag containing a human torso the following morning. Los Angeles police Capt. Scot Williams of the Robbery-Homicide Division said the torso is assumed to be that of Mei, who has not been located. But forensics will be needed to confirm the identity. LAPD Det. Efren Gutierrez said efforts to reach the womans parents have also yielded no results. Read more: Son of Hollywood exec arrested after body part found in dumpster; wife, in-laws missing Mei and her parents continue to be the focus of intense search efforts. Williams said police have scoured "all the places we believe [Haskell] may have gone in the days leading up to his arrest. But Deputy Dist. Atty. Silverman thinks the three are dead and said Haskell disposed of their bodies. "He had several days and drove through Los Angeles County," she added. Silverman said earlier this month that no other bags containing body parts or remains have been recovered. "But I dont need a body to charge a murder, the prosecutor said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Salton Sea, once a resort destination and now largely overlooked, could be the site of Californias next gold rush this time involving lithium. A new study from the U.S. Department of Energy found the dying lake, which sits between the Coachella and Imperial valleys in Californias southern desert, is brimming with white gold: enough to build batteries for 375 million electric vehicles. This makes it one of the largest lithium brine deposits in the world. Analysts from the University of California, Berkeley measured lithium concentrations in the Salton Seas rocks and created computer models to estimate its potential production over the next 30 years. They also looked at scenarios for recovering the metal, which powers everything from EVs to cell phones and tablets, laptops, tools and vaping devices. Their analysis found that, with technological advances, the region could produce more than 3,400 kilotons of lithium and create an economic boom for the region where, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 21% of the population lives in poverty. Salton Sea Lithium For years, experts have known the sea contains lithium but not until now had the government estimated how much. This report confirms the once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a domestic lithium industry at home while also expanding clean, flexible electricity generation, said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Using American innovation, we can lead the clean energy future, create jobs and a strong domestic supply chain, and boost our national energy security. The Salton Sea, Californias largest lake, was formed when diverted Colorado River floodwaters breached an irrigation canal in 1905. Over the years, its water has been maintained by irrigation runoff and has become increasingly salty, impacting fish and wildlife. It is also dying and heavily polluted. Researchers from UC Riverside found the lake has lost roughly a third of its water over the past 25 years and the dry lakebed is coated in the salty, toxic water, becomes dust that causes respiratory problems for nearby residents. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Water leaking into the Earth may be wrapping the core in crystals, a study has suggested. The study may help explain a weird area in the outer core that has long puzzled scientists. One expert said the theory needs more evidence to be widely accepted. Water leaking from the surface of the Earth could be changing the outer rim of our planet's core and wrapping it in a layer of crystals, according to a study. The experimental research could help crack the mystery of an elusive part of our planet known as the "E-prime layer," an area in the Earth's outer core that has long baffled scientists. The research could also challenge the idea that the Earth's molten iron core is almost hermetically sealed, study author Dan Shim, a professor of Earth and Space exploration at Arizona State University, said in a press release. "For years, it has been believed that material exchange between Earth's core and mantle is small. Yet, our recent high-pressure experiments reveal a different story," said Shim. The finding "points to a far more dynamic core-mantle interaction, suggesting substantial material exchange," he said. Another expert, however, said more evidence is needed to support this theory. We still don't know everything about our planet's insides The Earth's core is only about 1,800 miles under our feet, but it's more inaccessible than Mars. Intense pressures and high temperatures mean we can't go down there to see what's going on for ourselves. One way experts peer under our feet is by looking at how seismic waves are deflected by structures inside the Earth. And some of that data doesn't stack up with what we know about our planet. One of these mysteries is a zone on the outer rim of our Earth's iron core where seismic waves unexpectedly slow down. The zone, which measures between a few dozen to a few hundred miles in width, has tentatively been suggested to be a layer in its own right and was named E-prime. Water-logged minerals could spawn crystals around the core's rim Scientists haven't found a good explanation for that data yet, and that's important understanding the Earth's core doesn't only help us decipher how our planet was formed and continues to evolve, but it could also shed clues on fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field. With their study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Geosciences on November 13, Shim and his colleagues have put forward a new theory to explain the formation of the E-prime layer: that water leaking from the surface can reach the outside of the core and change its chemical composition. This water wouldn't seep into the Earth as a liquid. Instead, it would be carried by minerals that contain a lot of hydrogen and oxygen inside their chemical structure these are called "hydrous" minerals. An artist's representation of crystals forming from water melding with elements found in the inner core. Dan Shim/ASU To support their hypothesis, the scientists simulated the high-pressure conditions of the outer core in the lab. They found that subjecting iron-silica alloys which are thought to make up the core to the hydrous mineral in these conditions generates hydrogen-rich and silica-poor elements, which would explain the bizarre seismic data around the E-prime layer. Meanwhile, the scientists believe the reaction would also spark silicate crystals. These would migrate toward the mantle, creating a dense layer of silica wrapping the core, per the press release. "We found that when water reaches the core-mantle boundary, it reacts with silicon in the core, forming silica," said Shim in the press release. The idea is a tall order scientists tend to think the core gets very little material from the mantle. If proven to be true, it could also rewrite what we know about how water moves around the insides of the Earth, and would have "profound implications for the geochemical cycles that connect the surface-water cycle with the deep metallic core," the scientists said in the press release. Jon Wade, Associate Professor of Planetary Materials at Oxford University, told Business Insider in an email the theory "requires further supporting evidence" to garner widespread approval, he said. There is some evidence that hydrous minerals can be sucked into the Earth a 2014 study even suggested that there could be a reservoir of water-rich minerals three times bigger than the surface oceans stored about 400 miles under the Earth's crust. But it's not clear whether that process would bring water all the way to the core, and if it did, whether enough water would make it that far inside the Earth to trigger a reaction on a scale that could explain the E prime layer, said Wade. "Even if there is a fair amount of water transported to the deep Earth, there are lots of places (3000km of mantle) to 'lose' water to before it makes it the core-mantle boundary," he said. "So, could it happen? Yes, maybe. Does it? Don't know, probably a very minor amount at best," he added. For him, a "more likely route" would be that hydrogen was encased in the core by a reaction with the core materials, but at the point of the Earth's formation, for instance. "Other mechanisms may be at play that achieve the same result. It's all kind of speculative but interesting to think about!" he said. Shim agreed that it's not clear how much water can reach the E-prime layer, but said even a small amount of water could trigger enough chemical reaction to create crystals. He added that his calculations show that he can explain the E-prime layer "reasonably well" with a range of water transportation scenarios. Read the original article on Business Insider EasyJet is setting up mailboxes in seven European airports to deliver letters to Santa. This winter is the airline's busiest-ever schedule from the UK to Lapland. 71% of children flying during the Christmas period are worried that Santa won't be able to find them. The British budget airline easyJet is setting up mailboxes in its signature orange color for children to send letters to Santa. From five British airports including London Gatwick, easyJet will fly four times a week to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland in northern Finland, which is nicknamed "the official hometown of Santa Claus." It is the airline's busiest-ever schedule from the UK to Lapland, which has multiple Santa-themed amusement parks and is a popular Christmas vacation destination. Accord to a survey carried out by easyJet, 71% of children flying during the Christmas period are worried that Santa won't be able to find them. The orange mailboxes will be in seven European airports. Courtesy of easyJet From Monday, there will be orange mailboxes in the terminals at at London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol, and Manchester airports. And throughout December, easyJet said its mailboxes will also be present at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Naples, and Milan airports. For those who aren't flying, schools near easyJet's UK airports will see a "special letter collection service" where the airline's cabin crew will collect letters to take to Santa on the flights to Lapland. "easyJet pilots and cabin crew will then hand deliver them to Santa ensuring a magical way for children to have their wishes arrive safely regardless of where they'll be this Christmas," the airline said in a press release. It added that around 200,000 families are set to fly with easyJet during the festive season. Read the original article on Business Insider Eddie Linden, who has died aged 88, was a poet and poetry editor who combined persistence, loyalty and a complete lack of inhibition to persuade the most prominent poets of the late-20th century to contribute to his magazine, Aquarius. Given his background, and his journey from illiteracy to literary London, this may have seemed unlikely; but among the poets of 1960s Soho and Fitzrovia, he found an open-minded and welcoming crowd. They provided him with a sense of family that he had never experienced as a child, even though he had searched for his real relatives, and had tried to find a different kind of kinship in the Communist Party and the Roman Catholic Church. His outbursts could provoke his most devoted supporters to rage and even violence, but he never saw his frankness as an obstacle to friendship. His account of himself became familiar to those around him, but he would deliver it as if sharing a confidence: Im a Glasgow Communist lapsed Catholic manic depressive bastard homosexual. This range of attributes, not least the last, gave him an entree into artistic circles. He would sometimes add Irish, working class and alcoholic into the mix. Some would dispute alcoholic, although he became integral to a poetry scene that centred on pubs, especially an old haunt of John Drydens, the Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden. There he would organise poetry readings so packed that the landlady expressed a fear that the ceiling would fall in. When he launched Aquarius in 1969 with a party at Compendium bookshop in Camden, guests wondered who had paid for the drink. Linden would later explain that it came from a short stint working in a library, from which he had saved 70. The stint was short because he wanted to read to the children who visited the library, even though he had been employed as a porter. I hated bosses, he would recall of the episode. I always liked to be my own man. Eddie Linden, pictured in 2005, edited the poetry magazine Aquarius from 1969 to 2002 - Eamonn McCabe/Popperfoto This was as true of jobs as it was of relationships and credos: he drifted away from Communism following the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956; his Catholicism survived the initial guilt he felt about his homosexuality, although in 1968 he was at the heart of a scuffle on the steps of Westminster Cathedral when he challenged worshippers who held up a banner in support of Pope Paul VIs ruling against contraception. His own poetry is straightforward and frank, and his best-known poems, such as City of Razors and Hampstead at Night, are the rough and rude ones. The former has been widely anthologised and translated, with its unflinching account of sectarian violence in Gorbals; the latter is one of many unambiguous, unornamented poems he wrote about sex. At other times, though, he could be mystical, even lyrical, and would recite his work in a kind of rapture, not always with much warning. The poems stayed easily in his memory, which he convincingly attributed to the legacy of Irish oral performance. There are two collections to his name: City of Razors and Other Poems (Jay Landesman, 1980); and A Thorn in the Flesh: Selected Poems (Hearing Eye, 2011). As a curator of others work, he favoured the direct over the dry. Aquarius captured the mood of the late Sixties, with its freedom and boldness of expression. The first edition included work by George Barker and Stevie Smith, as well as the more surprising John Heath-Stubbs. Linden was a carer and companion to Heath-Stubbs, often acting as the latters eyes (glaucoma left Heath-Stubbs unable to read after 1961, and completely blind by 1978). They were a striking pair one tall, the other short, one high Tory and evidently erudite, the other demotic and trenchantly Left-wing but the loyalty ran deep: one issue of Aquarius was devoted to Heath-Stubbs poetry. A Thorn in the Flesh Eddie Linden was born John Edward Glackin on May 5 1935, in Motherwell, Lanarkshire. He would tell this differently, saying that he was born Sean Glackin, in Coalisland, Co Tyrone, moving to Motherwell a few months later. Certainly he was illegitimate. His birth parents were Joe Watters and Elizabeth Glackin. The Glackin family trade was carpentry. In Motherwell, he was adopted by his uncles brother-in-law, Edward Linden, who was a coal miner. He and his wife Mary raised Eddie as a Roman Catholic in Bellshill. Mary died when Eddie was 8, and two years later, Edward married again, to perhaps the only person Eddie could never forgive. His new stepmother didnt want the boy, and tried to place him with his birth mother, who was now in Glasgow. This was unsuccessful (her new husband also did not want Eddie), and so was an attempt to put him in an asylum. He spent the next four years in an orphanage run by Roman Catholic nuns, attending the Holy Family School in Mossend, and then St Patricks in New Stevenston. He left school at 14. He was still barely able to read, much less write, at the age of 16. He worked in a coalmine and a steel mill before becoming a railway porter and ticket inspector. This led him to join the railway union, and also the Young Communist League. The Communist Party provided the kind of education that he had lacked at school: it was not only political, but also cultural, and led Linden to literature, in particular Dickens, whose novel Oliver Twist made him feel he was reading about himself. Trips to London as a Communist Party delegate enabled him to visit the theatre, in particular the plays of Arnold Wesker. Lindens commitment to Communism wavered, while his Catholicism lingered, in spite of his avowed difficulties with belief in God. It was sustained by a love of ritual. Seamus Heaney took some of Lindens words in an interview, and turned them into a piece he called A Found Poem: there we hear Linden suggesting that words like thanksgiving or host / or even communion wafer have an underlying / pallor and draw, like well water far down. Eddie Linden - Eamonn McCabe/Popperfoto He still found his homosexuality troubling, and attempted medical intervention, but he fell out with the doctors. In 1958, he met Father Anthony Ross, a Dominican priest who would later become Rector of Edinburgh University, and who enabled Linden to reconcile these elements of his personality. One result was that he became active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, carrying a Roman Catholic banner at the Aldermaston march of 1959. He also co-founded a charity for the homeless, the Simon Community, in 1963. In 1966, he went to Plater College, for workers, linked to Oxford University. He left shortly afterwards, with a breakdown, but among others he met at Oxford was the writer Sebastian Barker. He would later write a biography, Who Is Eddie Linden?, which inspired a play starring the Scottish actor Michael Deacon. It was staged at the Old Red Lion in Islington; Linden saw it many times. By the mid-1960s, he was befriending other writers and poets, such as George Barker, John Heath-Stubbs and Derek Mahon. When Aquarius appeared, many of them contributed their poems for free, and also their editorial advice. The magazine, which Linden produced from his small flat in Maida Vale, ran from 1969 until 2002; there were 26 issues. Linden was able to publish Seamus Heaney and Carol Ann Duffy early in their careers, when each had only one collection to their name. Aquarius readers included John Betjeman, who would send the publication 5 every Christmas; Harold Pinter, who was a financial backer and is thought to have based the character of Spooner in No Mans Land on Linden; and the Conservative cabinet minister Kenneth Baker. In 1991, fears that cash was running out led Brian Wilson MP to mention it in the House when asking about Arts Council funding. The then Arts Minister, Tim Renton, gave 2,000 to save the magazine. The last edition was in 2002, although a special Festschrift edition, called Eddies Own Aquarius, appeared in 2005, with tributes from Seamus Heaney, Elaine Feinstein, James Kelman, Bruce Kent, Andrew Motion and Clare Short. Although tales of Lindens drunkenness abound, he was proud to have gone through his last decades without alcohol. Eddie Linden, born May 5 1935, died November 19 2023 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. Two Oak Park-River Forest High School seniors with avid interests in climate change and the environment are taking part in a different, more global learning experience this week, up close with world leaders and other like-minded youth at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. Katie Stabb and Kate Wallace are part of a group of six from the Chicago area who are more than 7,200 miles away in the United Arab Emirates city. Both girls told Pioneer Press they are passionate about the state of the environment, including climate issues, and hope to hear world leaders make policy promises in those areas and keep them. Advertisement The conference, also called COP28, runs Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. The OPRFHS students are participating Dec. 2 to Dec. 9. Katie Stabb, a senior at Oak Park-River Forest High School in Oak Park, right, is pictured with her mother, Janice Flory, at O'Hare International Airport Dec. 1, 2023 as they depart for Dubai. Stabb is among the Chicago area students attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28 in the United Arab Emirates city. (Katie Stabb) Kate Wallace, a senior at Oak Park-River Forest High School in Oak Park, right, is pictured with her father, Joseph Wallace, Dec. 1, 2023 at O'Hare International Airport as they depart for Dubai. Wallace is among the Chicago area students attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28 in the United Arab Emirates city. (Kate Wallace) Stabb said she is interested in both the scientific and political aspects of the climate issue. In fact, she told Pioneer Press she has helped on the political campaigns of Brian Straw, as he successfully ran for Oak Park village trustee, and Kina Collins, when she mounted a congressional run against longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Chicago. Advertisement Wallace is treasurer of the OPRFHS Environmental Club and is on the schools Sustainability Committee, where students, board members and school administrators work to implement a new climate plan. Her longtime interest in nature piqued her concerns about the environment and led the teen to immerse herself in the issue, she told Pioneer Press. Stabb and Wallace, along with the other area students chosen for the trip, are young climate leaders, chosen for their passion and local activism, according to a news release announcing their participation in COP28. The are also members of Its Our Future, a youth environmental advocacy program run by Seven Generations Ahead, a Chicago-area nonprofit organization. The conference brings together tens of thousands of people from around the world, including global political and business leaders, climate experts and youth advocates, the release states. This is one of the most consequential COP meetings in the conferences history given the undeniable urgency of the climate crisis, the release states. Weve often heard how Chicago is a tale of two cities, and thats true, in ways big and small. That reality is visible literally during the holidays. North Side neighborhoods teem with fancy lights and festive displays on both public and private property. On many South and West Side blocks, youd be hard-pressed to find evidence the holidays were approaching, if you didnt know the time of year. Thats partly why the initiative of Jahmal Cole, founder of the nonprofit My Block, My Hood, My City, to bring lights and decorations to South Side neighborhoods this season is so welcome. The group is providing displays to homes along King Drive as part of its drive, as well as some West Side homes. A 20-foot-high Christmas tree along the South Side boulevard stands as a cheerful beacon for all to enjoy, thanks to their efforts. A Tribune story detailing what sounded like a joyful and moving day for families at Park Manor Christian Church on 73rd Street is well worth reading in its entirety if youre looking for some seasonal inspiration. And who among us isnt in the market for that, given the well-documented challenges our city is facing? Cole is right when he says that light at this time of year can do more than lift a few spirits. Decorated and well-lighted communities not only make our lives brighter, but they even can increase safety. The adage for this time of year is right: You get so much more from giving than you do from receiving. When kids see the lights and toys that come with these displays, its inspiring hope and interrupting trauma, Cole says. Notice the word interrupting. The problems that come with growing up in tough neighborhoods cant be eradicated so easily. But hope can build on itself, too. And in the meantime, this is a season most especially made for kids. This is a very simple initiative but an inspired idea, nonetheless. Bravo to Cole and his volunteers for making young lives brighter. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore, from left, is joined by Mayor Karen Bass and Dist. Atty. George Gascon at LAPD headquarters on Dec. 1, 2023, as he discusses the recent murders of three homeless men. (Genaro Molina / L.A. Times) Its a relief that police, aided by other law enforcement agencies, swiftly arrested a suspect in the murders of three homeless men in the city of Los Angeles. Police allege that over the course of four days, Nov. 26-29, the suspect, Jerrid Joseph Powell, went from South Los Angeles to the Arts District to the Lincoln Heights area, gunning down men he found alone in the dark hours of the early morning. Jose Bolanos was sleeping on a couch in an alley. Mark Diggs was leaning against a wall, and a third man, whose identity had not been released pending notification of his family, was sleeping on a sidewalk. Footage that captured the suspect shooting Diggs showed an indifference that Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore called chilling. Powell, the suspect, had already been arrested in the follow-home robbery and murder of Nicholas Simbolon in San Dimas. Read more: Op-Ed: We don't need protection from the homeless. They need protection from us Homeless people occupy a precarious position in the city of Los Angeles. According to the 2023 homeless count, some 46,000 people live in alleys, on sidewalks and in other nooks and crannies as well as in shelters. They are often vilified for using the sidewalk as a bathroom, leaving garbage strewn about or parking their RVs on city streets. Anecdotes abound about violent homeless people. Yet the stories are sometimes more complicated than they seem. A recent tragic incident of a woman forcing her way into the Mid-City home of Michael Latt, a social justice advocate, and killing him turned out to be less a story about her living in her car and more about the fact that the woman, who had been a background actor in a film by an up-and-coming director had obsessively stalked the director, who was friends with Latt, according to law enforcement and court documents. What gets lost in all the supposition about the homeless population is the undeniable, frightening reality that living on the street makes individuals incredibly vulnerable to violent crimes of all kind, including robbery, assault, rape and murder. No one is more exposed and generally defenseless than a person who sleeps on a sidewalk or in a tent that has no windows or doors that lock. Just the day before the police announced a suspect in the killings in L.A., an assailant shot five homeless people in Las Vegas, killing one, near a freeway overpass. Read more: Suspect in 'bone-chilling' homeless killings charged with 4 counts of murder Nor is this the first time Los Angeles has seen a string of attacks on homeless people. Los Angeles Police Department records show that violent crimes against homeless victims in the first six months of 2019 went up 34% to 1,239 reported incidents from 922 incidents in the first half of 2018. Those include attacks on unhoused individuals perpetrated by homeless people as well as by people not part of the homeless community. Later in 2019, from August to October, at least eight attacks with incendiary devices left homeless people either dead or injured and their encampments damaged. Some of the culprits were homeless and some were not. Before a suspect was found in the recent killings, Mayor Karen Bass rightly beseeched the unhoused community, Do not sleep alone tonight and urged anyone close to a homeless person to pass along the message to seek shelter and stay together. There will be violent and nonviolent people in the homeless community, just as there are in the population that lives in houses. Whats important to remember is that homeless people trying to survive are, by their unhoused circumstances, more vulnerable to violence than people living inside. These murders are a grim reminder that homeless people, like the rest of us, need the safety of decent housing. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Many Ukrainian soldiers smoke weed to treat their pain, even though few will admit it in public. I know a lot of guys who lost their legs or arms and turned to cannabis, a French soldier fighting for Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent, speaking anonymously to avoid backlash. Wounded soldiers tend to have difficulty dealing with the pain of amputated limbs, a phenomenon known as phantom pain. The drugs prescribed in hospitals are not enough for their phantom pain, the soldier said. Ukraine could have as many as four million veterans when the war is over. A group of lawmakers, backed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, are pushing to legalize medical marijuana as a way to treat the growing number of soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). How psychologists risk their lives to help victims of Russian attacks When Russias drone strike hit a residential building in central Kyiv on the morning of Oct. 17, emergency workers turned up at the scene within minutes. As rescuers worked to put out the fire and clear out the rubble of the severely damaged high-rise apartment complex, medics provided first aid The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko The lawmakers introduced a draft law that would create a licensing process to legally grow cannabis and eventually pave the way for healthcare facilities and businesses to be able to buy and distribute cannabis derivatives under strict regulation. It was originally scheduled for a second reading in November, but lawmakers who oppose the law have introduced amendments, holding up the vote. Proponents worry that with the amendments, the current version of the law won't change much as it will effectively keep marijuana illegal. In Ukraine, drugs are classified into two categories: the first includes illegal hard substances, while the second category includes their derivatives authorized for medical purposes. The draft law, as it is currently written, would allow the use of medication made from cannabis, but wouldnt legalize cannabis and its active substance, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This means that in order to introduce a new cannabis-derived product onto the market, new amendments would have to be voted on each time, Taras Ratushnyi, pro-legalization activist and the co-founder of the legalization advocacy group Freedom March, told the Kyiv Independent. Even if farmers can grow cannabis under the draft law, they wont be able to sell it in Ukraine because the substance would still be classified as a hard drug. This would also make it impossible to do research on cannabis or manufacture drugs from THC. Meanwhile, the scientific community is also divided on how effective cannabis is for treating PTSD. Daniel Rebar, an American combat medic serving in Ukraine, told the Kyiv Independent he believed in a common sense approach and that medical marijuana should be legalized specifically to treat PTSD under strict medical control. We trust doctors with much more potent and serious medication than marijuana, I dont know why we wouldnt allow them to prescribe marijuana as well, Rebar said. An injured Ukrainian soldier, who suffered wounds to his hand and leg from a grenade dropped from a Russian FPV drone, rests in a bed at a hospital on Oct.9, 2023, in Dnipro. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images) Treating veterans Between wounded veterans and people with cancer, about six million people might need cannabis treatments, Olha Stefanishyna, an MP from the Holos party, who advocates for legalization, told the Kyiv Independent. More than 90% of the population has reported at least one symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder since the war started, the Ukrainian healthcare ministry reported in September 2022. The report also said that 57% of Ukrainians are at risk of developing PTSD. Zelensky backed the move toward legalization in a speech to the parliament in June, calling for the best practices to be applied in Ukraine. In particular, we must finally fairly legalize cannabis-based medicines for all those who need them, with appropriate scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production," Zelensky said. Uncertainty and despair: War taking heavy toll on mental health of Ukrainians Viktoriia Borodai can not recall the last time she experienced real joy. She has lived in uncertainty and despair ever since Russias all-out war forced her to flee Kramatorsk, her hometown in Donetsk Oblast, last March. Seeking shelter in different towns across Ukraine and watching how Russia The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko The draft bill also aims to tackle the black market by legalizing medical marijuana for millions of veterans who are already self-medicating, Stefanishyna said. Without a transparent and regulated market, many patients buy expensive cannabis from drug dealers without knowing what theyre buying. They take a risk because they want to live a normal life, she said. Thanks to the law, the black market will become transparent and allow for more control. Patients will need a doctors prescription to buy cannabis-based drugs in pharmacies or licensed stores if the draft law passes. Stefanishyna said that those who oppose using cannabis to treat soldiers are clinging to Soviet-era fears surrounding drug use. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who leads the Batkivshchyna party, is among the laws opponents. Tymoshenko believes the legalization of medical cannabis will lead to uncontrolled production and consumption. Two participants dressed in a costume in front of the Cabinet of Ministers during a march to legalize cannabis on Oct. 9, 2023, in Kyiv. (Pavlo Gonchar/Sopa Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Confusing law Even legalization supporters are against the draft law as its currently written. Under the language of the draft law, cannabis would remain in the hard substance category and remain illegal, which has caused widespread confusion. If the law is passed as it is, they will make it sound like a victory, but its far from the truth, Ratushnyi said. They said that under the guise of a liberal move, the drafts lack of clarity would hamper research, domestic production, and sales. As written, the draft bill would require endless exceptions to make each derivative legal to sell, Ratushnyi said. The draft law says its possible to import some products made out of cannabis, yet the range of derivative drugs will be very limited, which will hamper medical research. It also doesnt detail the process for researchers to procure medical cannabis, a template that could take years to refine. Everyone sees you could manufacture it and have a license, but how do you produce medicine from it? Ratushnyi said. This law doesnt give you this opportunity. Stefanishyna defended the draft law as a framework that needs more fine-tuning. Precise regulations still need to be discussed at the level of the Cabinet of Ministers, she said. A lot can be changed, she said. Yet, Ratushnyi thinks the draft law should be rewritten clearly to change the status of cannabis in the first draft and avoid endless discussions at a governmental level. They will find new bureaucratic problems, and well just postpone the decision indefinitely, like they did for the last ten years, he said. Just hold on: Front-line medics race against time to save wounded soldiers Editors note: Military medics interviewed for this story are only identified by first name due to security reasons. DONETSK OBLAST With its sirens blaring through the narrow and bumpy road, an ambulance speeds off to the closest front-line makeshift hospital in northeastern Ukraine. How many m The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima Conflicting studies Marijuana can be effective, and its side effects are very low, Rebar said, especially compared to opioids drawbacks. American studies on medical marijuana to treat veterans PTSD and anxiety have presented conflicting results over the past years. A study review published by Forbes in 2020 gathered research showing cannabis reduced anxiety among patients who had PTSD, while a recent Wall Street Journal article quoted two studies concluding it could increase anxiety. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, summing up various research, wrote that the belief that cannabis can be used to treat PTSD is based on anecdotal evidence from veterans reporting a short-term reduction of anxiety symptoms. Veterans with PTSD are also more prone to addiction, according to other studies gathered by the department. Legalizing medical cannabis to help millions of soldiers is a no-brainer, Viktor Dosenko, the head of a pathophysiology department in Kyiv, told the Kyiv Independent. He admitted the possibility of research was limited by restrictions on the illegal substance, and the draft law may not change it. Research is not feasible under this framework, in my opinion, Dosenko said. As Bakhmut counteroffensive lags, soldiers burnt out from horrors of war Editors note: Some soldiers interviewed for this story declined to give their last names due to security issues amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. DONETSK OBLAST More than a month after his first assault operation near Bakhmut, 23-year-old soldier Oleksandr Mikulak still blames himself for not sav The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Darren Hoadley, who feared he might never return to work after losing his arm but passed gruelling tests to do so, taking part in a run in Norwich - TWITTER An engineer who had his arm sliced off by a wind turbine like a guillotine has won a compensation payout expected to be more than 1 million. Darren Hoadley, 42, was checking the bearings in the mechanism that spins the blades when the rotating machine traumatically amputated his left arm in June 2018, the High Court in London was told. The specialist turbine installer, nicknamed Mr Safety by workmates because of his reputation for diligence, worked at the Rentel offshore wind farm in a Belgian-controlled sector of the North Sea. Mr Hoadley, from Norfolk, sued his employer, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, claiming the accident could have been avoided had he known the machinerys power source had not been deactivated. Judge Richard Davison found the company mostly to blame at the High Court and awarded Mr Hoadley compensation, which lawyers say is likely to be more than 1 million. However, the amount, which will be decided at a later date, will be reduced by a third after the judge ruled Mr Hoadley was also partly to blame. The Rentel offshore wind farm where Darren Hoadley lost his arm - CHAMPION NEWS The accident occurred while the engineer was checking parts in a nacelle pod attached to the top of the turbines upright body and close to the hub around which the blades turned. He had reached his arm through a hole in the turbine brake disc to check a series of safety pins. Mr Hoadley told the court: It was fine, but then I realised I could not move my arm. I then realised the disc was still moving slowly and I was going to lose my arm. Describing the accident, the judge said: The stationary single blade mounting tool, immediately behind the brake disc, acted as a guillotine which traumatically amputated his left arm. The judge praised Mr Hoadleys courage and presence of mind in being able to get out of the dark and cramped confines of the pod immediately after his injury. The key features of the accident are that the claimant thought that the brake disc was locked and immobilised and that the power was off, he said. He therefore thought he was safe in what he was doing, but both assumptions were incorrect. Darren Hoadley was known as Mr Safety by workmates on offshore wind farms - CHAMPION NEWS The judge ruled that Siemens Gamesa were at fault because other technicians working in the pod had previously turned on the power without properly alerting colleagues. But he said of Mr Hoadley: On this occasion, he failed to live up to his reputation as Mr Safety. He failed to involve his installation lead. He failed to plan. He was working alone when he should not have been. Lastly, he assumed what he should not have assumed without checking. Mr Hoadley was judged one-third to blame for his injuries, which means he will recover two thirds of whatever damages award is ultimately allocated. The court heard he had feared his working life was over, but after being fitted with a prosthetic arm, he was able to resume his job, undergoing a series of gruelling safety and competence tests, including sea survival, helicopter rescue and working at heights. At the end of his ruling, the judge commended Siemens Gamesa for their post-accident reaction and for ushering in immediate and effective reforms to their equipment and procedures. 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 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this weekend took action that is expected to justify stricter climate regulations. Releasing an updated rule aimed at cutting methane emissions from oil and gas, the agency also unveiled an updated estimate of the social cost of carbon dioxide. This is an economic estimate that is used by the government to calculate the benefits of mitigating climate change or the cost of not doing so as more global warming means more storms, heatwaves and damage to the planet. The new estimate nearly quadruples the estimated cost of carbon dioxide to the world a change that experts expect will result in stronger climate rules going forward. Michael Greenstone, who co-led the development of the climate metric under the Obama administration, called the Biden administrations update a BFD an acronym that stands for big fing deal. He said the increased estimate will unlock reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that will benefit us and benefit our children and benefit their children. We now recognize the benefits of reducing greenhouse gases are four times larger, Greenstone said. That will justify more stringent regulations. He noted that this could show up in everything from tiny rules such as those concerning vending machines to more significant regulations. Most importantly, he said, it paves the path for stricter power plant rules and car rules and other major sources of greenhouse gases. The update is part of a years-long effort by the Biden administration to examine and possibly alter existing calculations for the costs of climate change. The social cost of carbon dioxide was first adopted under the Obama administration, which estimated in 2016 that by 2020, each metric ton of carbon dioxide released would cost about $42 to society. The Trump administration used much lower values, estimating that the damage done by that same ton would cost between $1 and $8. When he first came into office, President Biden temporarily readjusted the figure to $51. When the White House first put forward that increase in 2021, it also reestablished an interagency working group that was supposed to set forth final numbers for the whole government by 2022; the group has yet to do so. However, the EPA published its own numbers over the weekend. Now, President Bidens EPA is putting the societal cost of a metric ton of carbon dioxide at $190 for the year 2020. The figure also ratchets up over the years a metric ton of carbon dioxide will be assumed to cost society $204 in 2023, $230 in 2030 and $308 in 2050. Asked whether other agencies will adopt the EPAs metric, an administration official told The Hill that it will be up to the agencies to make decisions about how best to analyze the climate impacts of their actions. The official also said that the interagency group is still continuing its work. Brian Prest, an economist with climate think tank Resources for the Future, said that these calculations allow us to measure the benefits of achieving global climate targets. On an annualized basis, were talking about $5 [trillion] to $6 trillion a year in benefits from achieving those goals, Prest said Thats from reduced impacts globally from reducing premature mortality due to heat stress for example or avoiding damages to agricultural crops which pushes up food prices, he added. However, since the issue has ping-ponged back and forth between political administrations, its unclear how a future Republican president might handle the climate costs. When you look at the difference between $5 under Trump and $190 under Biden, its pretty clear that it has become politicized, said Steve Cohen, director of the research program on sustainability policy and management at Columbia University, calling the drop in the cost estimate under Trump ridiculous. Max Sarinsky, a senior attorney at New York Universitys Institute for Policy Integrity, said that technically, a future president could prevent agencies from using the Biden administrations social cost values with the stroke of a pen. But he also said that doing so could make any rules issued by that administration legally vulnerable. Any rule that they issue based on different numbers could be vulnerable if theyre not based on the best science, Sarinsky said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Eric Trump is no longer testifying as part of the defense case in Donald Trumps New York civil fraud trial, Trump attorney Chris Kise said in court Tuesday. Eric Trump, a defendant along with his father, brother Donald Jr., and the Trump Organization, had been scheduled to appear on Wednesday as part of the defense presentation, but Kise told Judge Arthur Engoron that the defense was streamlining its case. There are two remaining witnesses for the defense: accounting expert Eli Bartov, a professor at NYU, will testify on Thursday, and the former president is scheduled to appear on Monday. Donald Trump and his three adult children were all called as witnesses by the attorney generals office during its case. The New York attorney generals $250 million lawsuit against Trump, his sons and his company accuses them of committing repeated fraud by inflating the values of Trumps properties. When Eric Trump was questioned by the attorney generals office, he was pressed about his understanding of his fathers financial statements that were used to support real estate transactions in tense testimony. Donald Trump Jr. was the first witness called by the defense, one of several who have returned for a second round of testimony during the defense presentation. In court Tuesday, Kise asked Engoron to postpone Trumps testimony until the New York appeals court resolved the gag order issue. Trumps lawyers were unsuccessful in their latest effort to fight the order barring Donald Trump from talking about the judges staff, after they sought Monday to kick their appeal up to the states highest court. Engoron quickly rejected Kises request. Absolutely not. No way. No how. Thats a non-starter. He will testify Monday and thats that, Engoron said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Wolfgang Wolf Gustaveson was killed in a Carbondale car crash Dec. 4, 2023. He was a graduate of Maine East High School in Park Ridge and a freshman at Southern Illinois University. Photo courtesy of Maine Township High School District 207. Two Southern Illinois University freshmen, one from Park Ridge and one from Des Plaines, died in a vehicle crash in Carbondale early Monday morning, according to Carbondale police. Police say they responded to a crash on the 1500 block of North Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, involving two trucks in a head-on crash around 7:45 a.m. The lone occupant of one of the vehicles suffered serious injuries and was taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. The other vehicles occupants, 19-year-old Wolfgang Gustaveson of Park Ridge and 18-year-old Francis Martinez of Des Plaines, died. Advertisement Martinez was a 2023 graduate from Elk Grove High School, said Dave Beery, a spokesperson for High School District 214. Gustaveson was a 2023 graduate of Maine East High School, officials at Maine Township High School District 207 said. The two teens lived on SIUs campus, said police in a news release. The City of Carbondale is extremely sorry for the loss of these young men, and extends our deepest sympathy to their families and loved ones, said the press release. Advertisement Later on Monday evening during School District 207s regularly scheduled board meeting, Superintendent Ken Wallace led a moment of silence to honor Gustaveson, whom the district had honored with a best of the month award in February for his achievements in technology and innovation. The Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education honored three students at its February 2023 meeting by naming each student 207s Best in the areas of technology and innovation. The students recognized were Maria Almus Uzquiano from Maine South (left), Wolfgang Wolf Gustaveson from Maine East (center) and Daniel Dan Roque from Maine West (right). Gustaveson was killed Monday morning, Dec. 4, in a car crash in Carbondale, where he was attending Southern Illinois University. Courtesy School District 207 I remember telling him last year to think about coming back and teaching, said Wallace. (We) just want to take a moment to recognize. Ken Adkins, a teacher in Career and Technical Education at Maine East, taught Gustaveson for three years in Auto classes and his Engineering Design and Capstone class, according to the statement he made for Gustavesons award in February. Wolf was a special person, said Adkins. He was always smiling and he loved being around people. He was part of our Gifted Lyceum program, he was a diligent problem solver and loved school and learning. He was passionate about cars and was at Southern Illinois specifically for their automotive program. Wolf was going to have a major impact on the world and this is just devastating news. Gustaveson said his dream was to work on high-performance luxury cars and that he was open to teaching. Elk Grove High School Principal Paul Kelly issued the following statement: Yesterday morning, Class of 2023 graduate Francis Frank Martinez was tragically killed in an auto accident near Carbondale, Illinois. Frank was studying Automotive Technology at Southern Illinois University. He was a talented young man who was involved in every type of academic challenge during his time at EGHS, and he was on the path to success in a future he had chosen for himself after excelling here in our school. Franks passing is an unfathomable loss to those who knew and loved him. Representatives of the European External Affairs Service arrived in Kyiv Representatives from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the European Union engaged in discussions regarding long-term security guarantees for Ukraine outlining nine priorities, as reported by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on Dec. 5. The package for Ukraine encompasses nine priority areas for future security commitments from the EU to Ukraine, including: Assistance with military equipment and hardware Training for Ukrainian military personnel Collaboration with the Ukrainian defense industry Countering cyber and hybrid threats Assistance in demining Implementation of reforms related to the EU integration process Strengthening the ability to control weapon stockpiles Support for nuclear safety efforts Intelligence exchange, including satellite imagery Read also: EU mission to present security guarantees framework for Ukraine next week The EU tries to provide assistance to Ukraine as quickly as needed, said Deputy Secretary General for Common Security and Defense Policy and Crisis Response Charles Fries. 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 (Bloomberg) -- Most Read from Bloomberg The European Commission is set to recommend delaying tariffs on electric vehicles traded with the UK by three years, according to people familiar with the matter. Under current post-Brexit arrangements to be phased in from Jan. 1, EVs moving between the UK and the European Union would draw a 10% duty if less than 45% of their value comes from the region, with the policy meant to encourage development of Europes battery supply chain. But carmakers, the UK and the vast majority of EU member states had been pushing to delay the measure until 2027 because local cell supply isnt ready. France has long resisted a straightforward extension, preferring instead alternatives to mitigate the impact of the tariffs on the industry. Paris had signaled in recent weeks that it was open to finding a flexible solution. The recommendation for a three-year delay would need to be approved by EU capitals first, and then followed by a joint decision with the British government. If EU commissioners sign off on the proposal to delay the duties, member states will discuss it in the coming days, another person said. The EU had also been exploring a 12-month cushion, Bloomberg previously reported. The option envisions local battery production in the EU picking up next year and assumes that carmakers can then steer content toward specific export destinations such as the UK, where the stricter requirements will be in force. However, it would not guarantee that EVs entering production in 2024 and 2025 arent subject to tariffs and not all manufacturers would likely be able to adjust their supply chains in time to meet the content requirements. Read More: EU Pitches Electric-Car Tariff Delay to Ease Trade With UK A lobby representing carmakers including Volkswagen AG and Renault SA has warned the duties could cost the sector 4.3 billion ($4.7 billion) over the next three years and would benefit Chinese brands. During months of debate over the issue, Brussels was looking for a solution to balance safeguarding the automotive industry while also incentivizing more EU battery production. Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc welcomed the proposal on Tuesday, saying in a statement it would provide essential time for the industry to scale-up sourcing and create a European battery industry as well as avoid immediate tariffs on electrified vehicle production. The UKs auto trade lobby had warned the tariffs would add about 3,600 ($4,500) to the cost of the typical British-built electric vehicle sold in Europe, and about 3,400 to the average EU-made EV in the UK. Failure to postpone these rules would see EVs traded both ways incur tariffs that would raise prices for consumers at a critical moment in the transition, the Society of Motor Manufacturers said in a statement earlier Tuesday. Carmakers and governments on both sides of the Channel have called for a common-sense approach to retain the current EV battery rules for a further three years, which will support consumer choice and affordability. --With assistance from Craig Trudell and Jamie Nimmo. (Updates with JLR reaction in the ninth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The European Commission has said that it is against the resumption of the system of issuing permits for Ukrainian hauliers, as demanded by Polish border protesters. Source: Radio Liberty with reference to Adina Valean, European Commissioner for Transport, as reported by European Pravda Details: Valean said that she is determined to defend the liberalisation of freight traffic between Ukraine and the EU despite the demands of Polish protesters. "I am determined to defend this agreement and to continue explaining its benefits for the European market as well as for Ukraine and Moldova. I really hope that the authorities in the member states and on the front line will take their responsibility seriously," Valean said. Although she supported the meeting of the joint committee initiated by Poland to discuss the problems associated with the freight liberalisation agreement, she believes that these discussions should be held "after the critical situation at the border is resolved". "This ping-pong between Ukraine and the European Commission is unfair. Meanwhile, people are suffering at the border, and our external borders in the European Union are being held hostage. Therefore, the idea of returning the permits is unacceptable, since it was for this purpose that we refused to issue the permits. Allowing operations under different numbers and different amounts of permits in the EU was not viable," she said. "I think it is unacceptable for the government of Poland to simply back away from this, saying that this is something between the local authorities and the European Commission, and ultimately Ukraine. We, as the central government, have nothing to do with this our hands are tied. I don't think this is an acceptable explanation," Valean said. At the same time, the European Commissioner said that she had taken into account the fact that Poland had held elections and was in the process of forming a new majority, adding that she looked forward to working with the next government to resolve the problem as soon as possible. Background: The day before, it was reported that Poland is set to demand that the European Union restore the system of issuing permits for Ukrainian truckers. "This system was in place until the spring of 2022 and worked well, then it was changed by the European Commission and today hauliers are blocking the border," said the head of the Polish government, whose mandate is expected to end as early as 11 December. "We will definitely demand from the European Commission that the licensing system be restored which will equally and fairly regulate this transport market," he added, effectively reiterating his position, which was made public in late November. Polish hauliers have been blocking border crossing points since 6 November, demanding that the EU reinstate the system whereby Ukrainian companies need permits to operate in the EU. Polish hauliers were joined by Polish farmers and later by Slovak hauliers. As of the morning of Monday, 4 December, there were approximately 2,500 trucks on the Ukrainian-Polish border. Support UP or become our patron! About 2,500 trucks are standing in line at the Ukrainian-Polish border Poland is adamant about reinstating the permit system for Ukrainian carriers, while the European Commission considers that position utterly unacceptable. Poland is committed to reinstating the permit system, outgoing Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Dec. 4, according to WNP. Read also: Impenitent Polish truckers cause 10-day waits at Ukraine-Poland border, crisis HQ established "I can lift the veil of secrecy: I promised the carriers, and we will keep our word. We will strongly and unequivocally demand the restoration of the permit system for Ukrainian trucks and Ukrainian drivers who travel and enter Polish territory," he said. This system was operational until the spring of 2022 and, in Morawieckis view, functioned effectively. The European Commission didn't mince words on Dec. 4 as it openly criticized the border blockade orchestrated by Polish carriers, adding that reverting to the permit system utterly unacceptable. Read also: One border crossing to be unblocked for empty trucks exiting to Poland "The ping-pong between Ukraine and the European Commission is unfair. Meanwhile, people suffer, and our EU external border becomes a hostage," said European Transport Commissioner Adina Valean, the European Commissioner for Transport. The EC has put forward 13 measures with swift applicability to address the "legitimate concerns expressed by the protesters." There's a resolute commitment to staunchly defend the Agreement on transport liberalization between Ukraine and the EU in Brussels, said Valean. The EC remains steadfast in pointing out the advantages of this agreement for the European market, Ukraine, and Moldova, reinforcing their dedication to its preservation. 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 China adheres to path of peaceful, high-quality development, opening-up: VP Xinhua) 08:29, December 05, 2023 Chinese Vice President Han Zheng addresses the opening ceremony of the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum, which was read out on the occasion. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) GUANGZHOU, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- China is committed to the path of peaceful, high-quality development and high-level opening-up, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said Monday. Han made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum, held in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Underscoring the importance of Chinese President Xi Jinping's indepth explanation of multilateralism, Han said that under the current circumstances, the world needs more than ever to adhere to the core values and basic principles of multilateralism and follow the vision of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global governance. Han elaborated on practicing multilateralism from three perspectives. The first is to achieve peaceful coexistence on the premise of seeking common ground while shelving differences, seek integrated development in the process of equal exchanges, and make common progress on the basis of mutual learning. He called on parties concerned to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and conduct high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The second is to make global governance fairer and more equitable on the basis of consultation and consensus, and to oppose hegemonism, power politics, and unilateral practices in the name of multilateralism. The third is to stick to the right direction of globalization, oppose protectionism and "decoupling," and support more mutually beneficial cooperation opportunities to inject more impetus into world economic recovery. Han called on parties concerned to adhere to dialogue and consultation, promote political settlement of hotspot issues, and jointly address risks and challenges. China is an advocate and practitioner of multilateralism, and is advancing the noble cause of building a great country and national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, Han stressed. China stands ready to work with other countries to create a better future for mankind, he added. With the theme of "Multilateralism: More Exchanges, Greater Inclusiveness and Cooperation," the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum, jointly held by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, the Guangdong provincial government, and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, opened Monday in Guangzhou. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attends the opening ceremony of the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum, which was read out on the occasion. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) While Ive enjoyed a lot of adventurous travel, nothing in my journals would rival the adventure my grandparents had as they sailed away from their Norwegian homeland poor and without even a phrasebook to deal with the language barrier to homestead in Alberta. And every time I return to Norway, I recall the Viking spirit that egged them on and I like to think keeps me running out of pages to stamp in my passport. Anyone with Viking ancestry (or victim-of-Viking ancestry) can enjoy a shiver of adrenaline sailing across the Oslofjord to Bygdy where the seafaring heritage of Norway is proudly on display. This exciting cluster of sights is on a park-like peninsula thats reached, appropriately, by ferry from downtown Oslo. The Bygdy sights, all within a 15-minute walk of each other and the ferry landing, provide the best day out for anyone visiting Norways capital city. Advertisement Until recently, visitors to Bygdy could get so close to three ninth-century Viking ships youd swear you could hear the shouts of red-headed raiders on the rampage. But today, the nearly 100-year-old Viking Ship Museum is closed for a much-needed renovation, and will reopen as the Museum of the Viking Age in 2026. The state-of-the-art facility will be three times larger and designed to better preserve the precious, time-stained vessels and thousands of artifacts dating back to when many Europeans closed their prayers with and deliver us from the Vikings, Amen. Long after those Vikings were Christianized and the last great warrior king was buried with his ship, the people of Norway inspired the world with their passion for exploration. The great Norwegian ship, the Fram, took modern-day Vikings Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen deep into the Arctic and Antarctic, farther north and south than any ship before. Its home, the Fram Museum, is fascinating. After browsing the displays, youre welcome to go aboard and explore the boat. Imagine that youve just stowed away pumped for a salty adventure and ended up with the rest of the Fram crew spending three years in an Arctic ice drift. Afterward, head into the adjacent building to see Amundsens Gja, the first ship to sail through the Northwest Passage. Advertisement Then, just a harpoon toss away, you can visit the Kon-Tiki and the Ra II. These are the boats anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl built without using any modern technology and sailed, 4,000 and 3,000 miles respectively, to prove that early South Americans could have reached Polynesia by sea and that Africans could have populated Barbados. He made enough money from his adventures to also prove that rich Norwegians can stay that way by moving to low-tax Monaco. The adjacent Norwegian Maritime Museum provides an overview of Norways maritime heritage. If you like the sea, this place is a saltlick. Even landlubbers will enjoy a pair of films about Viking ships being shown in connection with the Viking-Age Boat Builder exhibit, which features one of the vessels from the currently closed Viking Ship Museum. In the Boat Hall, a collection of traditional boats, fishing gear, and household goods evoke the challenges of life in 19th-century coastal Norway. And just up the street, the Norwegian Folk Museum offers a look with more than 150 buildings brought from all corners of Norway and reassembled on 35 acres at how those who stayed home managed to live. While Stockholms Skansen open-air museum claims to be the first of its kind (and was the first open to the public), Oslos is actually a bit older, starting out in 1881 as the kings private collection. Youll find craftspeople doing their traditional things; folk-dancing performances; security guards disguised in colorful, traditional costumes; creative ways to make do in a primitive log-cabin-with-goats-on-the-sod-roof age; and exhibits filled with toys and fine folk costumes. The towering 12th-century wooden stave church is one of the two dozen or so that survives in Norway. Designed by architects whose experience was mostly in boat building, these evocative reminders that Norway has been Christianized for about a thousand years look curiously like upside-down ships. The museum hops in the summer but is dead in the off-season when the buildings are closed though the grounds are still a pleasant place to stroll. The free English guided walks help bring otherwise empty barns, homes, and schoolhouses to life. Or, you can glean information from the museum guidebook and the informative attendants dressed in period garb. Our trips to the old land may not stack up to our ancestors journeys to the new land. But if we travel thoughtfully, we can connect with our heritage, get a better sense of why we are who we are, and be thankful those crazy Vikings finally settled down. (Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Ricks favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.) 2023 Rick Steves. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Claim: During a Dec. 2, 2023, campaign speech, former President Donald Trump said "We've been waging an all-out war on American democracy." Rating: Rating: False Context: Given the context of the remark (he was talking about Democrats), Trump presumably meant to say, "They've been waging an all-out war on American democracy," but flubbed the sentence such that he actually said, per the audio recording, "We've been waging an all-out war in American democracy." Not long after former U.S. President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivered a campaign speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Dec. 2, 2023, a short video clip made the rounds on social media, particularly among accounts espousing left-leaning views, in which Trump supposedly said, "We've been waging an all-out war on American democracy": Trump: Weve been waging an all-out war on American democracy pic.twitter.com/HubnEyJsyF Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) December 2, 2023 TRUMP CONFESSES Weve been waging an all out war on American democracy. Donald Trumps cognitive decline led him to tell the truth to voters in Iowa. pic.twitter.com/HZFpS13H0M MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) December 2, 2023 Did Trump actually say that? In Snopes' judgment, based both on what we actually hear on the audio track and on the context of his remark, he did not. Here is our transcription of the statement, drawn from CSPAN's video recording of the event: For decades, you watched as a corrupt political class in our nation's capitol looted your money, trampled on your dignity and pushed their radical agenda into every aspect of your lives. You know it very well. But in 2016, you voted to stand up to those liars, losers, crooks and creeps, and you elected an outsider as your president. And it was about America first. We want to put our country first. They haven't done that in a long time, but we did it for four years and that's why we did so well. That's why it was one of the great presidencies, they say. Even the opponents sometimes say that he did very well, I have to say, "Take it back," his people scream. His people say "Take it back." From that day on our opponents, and we had a lot of opponents, but we've been waging an all-out war in American democracy. You look at what they've been doing, and becoming more and more extreme and repressive. They have just waged an all-out war with each passing day. To our ears, Trump unambiguously said, "we've been waging an all-out war in American democracy" (and CSPAN's transcript reflects the same). We did not hear, nor does the context support the claim that he said, "We've been waging an all-out war on American democracy." It's clear that Trump was out to accuse his political opponents of waging war, not himself. Given the context, Trump likely meant to say, "They've been waging an all-out war on American democracy," but those weren't the words that came out of his mouth. We have reached out to Trump's campaign for comment and will update this article should we hear back. Sources: Arnsdorf, Isaac, and Marianne LeVine. Trump Attempts to Spin Anti-Democracy, Authoritarian Criticism against Biden. Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2023. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/02/trump-speech-authoritarian-criticism-biden/. Campaign 2024: Fmr. Pres. Trump Delivers Remarks in Cedar Rapids, IA | C-SPAN.Org. https://www.c-span.org/video/?532074-1/fmr-pres-trump-delivers-remarks-cedar-rapids-ia. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023. Gold, Michael. Trumps Defense to Charge That Hes Anti-Democratic? Accuse Biden of It. The New York Times, 3 Dec. 2023. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/02/us/politics/trump-iowa-biden-democracy.html. By Olena Harmash KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine relies heavily on economic assistance from the West and has received more than $68.5 billion in budgetary support during the war started by Russia in February 2022, finance ministry data shows. Ukraine spends all its revenue on the defence sector and army, while budget sector overheads have been largely covered by Western aid. A single day of fighting costs about $136 million, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko has said. Next year the government will again need massive injections of financial support to disburse social payments, wages for budget workers, and pensions for millions of Ukrainians. The government expects a budget deficit of about $43 billion in 2024 and plans to cover it with domestic borrowing and financial aid from its Western partners. Finance ministry officials have previously said they expect to receive $41 billion in international aid next year. But the government and analysts are now worried by signs of uncertainty over the provision of that financing. Some analysts predict Western aid is likely to start diminishing next year. Here are some facts and figures about the main Western packages containing economic assistance that Ukraine hopes to receive. U.S. ASSISTANCE Ukraine is in talks with the U.S. government to receive economic assistance next year. Kyiv seeks $8.5 billion in aid to help cover its budget deficit, senior lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration asked Congress in October for nearly $106 billion to fund plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security, but Republicans who control the House with a slim majority rejected the package. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was expected to address U.S. senators by video link behind closed doors on Tuesday in order to make the case for more Ukrainian funding. The package is still being discussed, but its passage remains uncertain. EUROPE'S UKRAINE FACILITY This summer, the European Union announced a 50 billion euro multi-year support package named the Ukraine Facility that would be delivered through 2027. Kyiv officials have said they hope to receive 18 billion euros of budgetary support from the facility in 2024, financing that would be crucial for covering the budget gap next year. But there is still no agreement on granting the aid inside the bloc. Several members have criticised the idea of the package. IMF PROGRAMME, IFI SUPPORT Ukraine's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund is important for its macroeconomic and financial stability. This year the IMF approved a new 48-month lending programme worth some $15.6 billion. Ukraine received $3.6 billion this year and expects another $900 million in December. In 2024 the government hopes to receive $5.4 billion but each tranche is linked to a series of reform targets and economic indicators. Ukraine also expects about $1.5 billion from other international financial institutions, including the World Bank, next year. OTHER PACKAGES Ukraine has agreed financial support packages from Britain and Japan for 2024. It is also in talks with the governments of Canada, Norway, South Korea and others to secure other funds. (Reporting by Olena Harmash; editing by Tom Balmforth and Angus MacSwan) Family members who say their loved ones were wrongfully convicted due to misconduct by a former Chicago police detective on Tuesday called on Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx to launch an investigation and take steps to undo the convictions. The family members, who were joined by activists and attorneys at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, called for justice for incarcerated family members whose cases were investigated by Sgt. Brian Forberg. A Chicago Police Department spokesperson said Forberg retired effective Oct. 10. Were tired, said Lakisha Jackson, whose brother Kevin is serving a 45-year murder sentence. We want all this put behind us today. In a statement, the states attorneys office said it reviews matters individually based on all available evidence and the law in our effort to rebuild trust in our justice system. We understand the concerns of the community and will continue to fight for the best and fairest outcomes for every resident, the statement said. Reached by phone, Forberg said he had no comment. The attorneys and activists released an open letter to Foxx and other officials that named more than a dozen people with convictions they said are connected to Forberg, who has been accused in court documents across a number of cases of pressuring witnesses into false testimony. The letter also raised concerns of conflicts of interest in the states attorneys office related to Forbergs marriage to an assistant states attorney in the Conviction Integrity Unit. A number of cases related to the detective are being handled by special prosecutors. Kim Foxx, I voted for you from the time that you started, said Norma Scales, aunt of a man who has accused Forberg of framing him. Please step up before you step out. The family members invoked longtime systemic misconduct at the Police Department, stating that Chicago communities are still feeling the impact of officers such as Jon Burge, the notorious ex-Chicago police commander, who along with his midnight crew of detectives systemically tortured confessions from Black men; Ronald Watts, who has been accused of systematically framing people at the former Ida B. Wells public housing complex on the South Side; and Reynaldo Guevara, who has also been accused of framing suspects. For Forberg, the allegations of misconduct center around his alleged treatment of witnesses. In Kevin Jacksons case, he was convicted of shooting and killing a man and injuring another at a gas station in 2001, though several witnesses recanted their testimony. One witness who was at the gas station said investigators, who included Forberg, threatened that shed be detained and would have her baby in custody, according to court records. In a 2021 Supreme Court decision, the court denied Jackson the right to file a post-conviction petition, but still raised concerns about the allegations of police misconduct in the case. I write separately because I am deeply troubled by the recurrence of complaints of serious misconduct by police officers against witnesses and defendants in criminal cases, Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville wrote in a concurring opinion. Such allegations call for corrective action to ensure that the methods employed by police in the investigation and prosecution of criminal offenses are both fair and appropriate. Neville wrote that prosecutors have an obligation to investigate those allegations to ascertain whether the statements and grand jury testimony identifying petitioner as the offender were the product of witness intimidation or coercion. I do not believe that prosecutors can sit idly by and allow serious complaints of witness intimidation and coercion to go uninvestigated, he wrote. Jackson is still fighting his conviction, and on Tuesday filed a motion for a court to vacate his conviction. The motion says prosecutors are not opposing it. mabuckley@chicagotribune.com Blanca Cedeno considers herself a die-hard fan of the Mexican rock band Mana. Her 10-year-old daughter is named Fernanda in honor of the lead vocalist and main songwriter of the group, Fher Olvera. She has been a fan for decades, dating back to Manas early days under the name Sombrero Verde. At 50 years old, Cedeno has attended six concerts, spanning from Las Vegas to Monterey, during Manas Mexico Lindo y Querido tour across Mexico and the United States, all with the hope of sharing the stage with her idols. Fresno made her dream come true on Friday night. The lead singer and guitarist of Mana, Fher Olvera, performed during their 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' tour at the Save Mart Center, on Friday, December 1, 2023, in Fresno. Today was a special day for me, said Cedeno. When I went up, I felt a lot of excitement. For a moment, Cedeno thought Mana wouldnt pick anyone from the audience until she noticed that Fher saw the shirt she was wearing, which was very similar to the one he had on during the concert a black shirt with a shiny skull in the center. And suddenly they say you. My heart truly felt like it was going to burst, said Cedeno. Cedeno traveled from Mexico City on Friday morning to Los Angeles and then drove four hours to Fresno for Manas performance at the Save Mart Center. Mana's bassist, Juan Calleros, performed during their 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' tour at the Save Mart Center, on Friday, December 1, 2023, in Fresno. I arrived fully charged, said Cedeno, adding that she will also attend the Besame Mucho Festival in Los Angeles over the weekend to see Mana again. Mana concluded their Mexico Lindo y Querido tour in Fresno with a sold-out show where over 12,000 people passionately sang along to the beloved bands hits. As their drummer, Alex Gonzalez, expressed, Let it be heard all the way to Guadalajara. Among their hits were songs like Labios Compartidos, Mariposa Traicionera, Te Llore un Rio, Huele a Tristeza, Me Vale, and, of course, Rayando el Sol, the song with which they closed the concert. Mana concluded their 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' tour at the Save Mart Center with a sold-out show, entertaining over 12,000 people. Mana concluded their 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' tour at the Save Mart Center with a sold-out show, entertaining over 12,000 people. From the iconic sounds of Fher Olveras harmonica to the massive inflatable turtle descending from the ceiling to the stage, highlighting Manas environmental work with their Selva Negra Ecological Foundation, to a hot pink bra thrown onto the stage these were just a few moments from the concert. And, of course, there couldnt be a Mana performance without Gonzalezs drum solo that continues to captivate audiences of all ages. Mana, who hasnt lost their style, conveyed their vibe and energy to fans ranging in age from 6 to 60, demonstrating that their music has transcended generations. The lead singer and guitarist of Mana, Fher Olvera, performed during their 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' tour at the Save Mart Center, on Friday, December 1, 2023, in Fresno. Dora Osorio, 60, got to see Mana live for the first time in Fresno, accompanied by her daughter, Alisol Osorio. Im 21, and my mom has been a fan for as long as I can remember, thats why I became a fan, said Alisol Osorio. I just love them. They are very true to themselves, never shy away from being Mexican, said Alisol Osorio. Mana performed Saturday (December 2nd), as one of the headline artists at the Besame Mucho Festival at Dodger Stadium, featuring artists like Los Bukis, Gloria Trevi, Alejandro Fernandez, Pepe Aguilar, Natalia Lafourcade, Reik, Camila, and Belinda, among others. Mana's drummer, Alex Gonzalez, performs during their Mexico Lindo y Querido tour at the Save Mart Center, on Friday, December 1, 2023, in Fresno. Sergio Vallin, guitarist of Mana, performs during their Mexico Lindo y Querido tour at the Save Mart Center, on Friday, December 1, 2023, in Fresno. The lead singer and guitarist of Mana, Fher Olvera, performed during their 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' tour at the Save Mart Center, on Friday, December 1, 2023, in Fresno. The lead singer and guitarist of Mana, Fher Olvera, performs during their 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' tour at the Save Mart Center, on Friday, December 1, 2023, in Fresno. Mana concluded their 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' tour at the Save Mart Center with a sold-out show, entertaining over 12,000 people. The RBD mania showed up for the much-anticipated Soy Rebelde Tour 2023 in Fresno Romeo Santos tour in Fresno included pyrotechnic explosions, a bathtub and lots of noise The Confucius Institute at Addis Ababa University (AAU) on Monday received acclaim for its 10 years of operation, which helps fortify the deepening ties between China and Ethiopia. A special ceremony marked the Confucius Institute's 10th anniversary at AAU, attended by senior Ethiopian government officials, Chinese diplomats in Ethiopia, representatives from AAU and the Chinese host Tianjin University of Technology and Education (TUTE), and academia. Ethiopia's State Minister of Education Kora Tushune emphasized the importance of fostering Sino-Ethiopian cultural and people-to-people ties as a cornerstone for comprehensive cooperation between the two nations. "Over the past ten years, with the joint efforts of the Addis Ababa University and TUTE, the Confucius Institute at the AAU has made positive contributions to promote the friendship between Ethiopia and China through language education and cultural exchange," he said. Samuel Kifle, AAU's interim president, congratulated the Confucius Institute at AAU for a decade of dedicated service, highlighting its role as a connecting bridge between the two countries. The institute's anniversary included the signing of a renewal agreement between the Confucius Institute at AAU and its host university. Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan praised the growth of the Confucius Institute, affirming its contributions to fostering educational and cultural cooperation between China and Ethiopia. "With the strong support of our two governments and the joint efforts of the two universities, the institute will make even greater contributions to mutual learning between our two civilizations and mutual communication between our two peoples. I believe the institute will usher in an even brighter future full of expectations," the ambassador said. During the celebration, the launch of a local Chinese language textbook, "Hello, Chinese," was announced, also featuring Chinese-Amharic and Chinese-Afan Oromo language versions. TUTE Board Chair Zhang Jingang said the Confucius Institute has stayed committed to providing high-quality Chinese teaching services and cultural exchange activities. The Confucius Institute at AAU, operational in Ethiopia since November 2013, has seen over 10,000 students enroll in Chinese language studies across the country, according to institute data. In December 2016, the Confucius Institute at AAU was awarded the honor of Global Model Confucius Institute and is one of the 45 model Confucius Institutes in the world. Enditem The father of a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy who was fatally stabbed in October has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Chicago landlord who is alleged to have killed his son. Oday Al-Fayoume, father of Wadea Al-Fayoume, filed the lawsuit last month against Joseph Czuba, 71, over the attack on 14 October. The youngster was killed after being stabbed 26 times and his mother was seriously injured. Police believe the pair were targeted with violence because of their Muslim faith, following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Mr Czuba pleaded not guilty in October to hate crime and murder charges. Mr Al-Fayoumes wrongful death lawsuit was filed on 21 November in Will County, Illinois. The suit names Mr Czuba, his wife, Mary Czuba, and their property management company, Discerning Property Management according to the Associated Press. Joseph Czuba pleaded not guilty in October to hate crime and murder charges (AP) Mr Czuba allegedly told his wife to inform Wadeas mother, Hanaan Shahin, that he wanted the family gone from the apartment where theyd lived for two years. He also allegedly said he was afraid Ms Shahins "Palestinian friends were going to harm them," according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims Ms Czuba and the management company "were indifferent and failed to recognize a threat and prevent serious bodily harm" to their tenants. A hearing in the case has been set for 11 March 2024. Ben Crane, Mr Al-Fayoumes lawyer said: "Justice comes in many forms and there is, obviously, unbelievable loss in Wadea, but his mother also was injured seriously, and we believe that there are avenues to recover compensation for what the familys been through. According to court records seen by AP, the Czubas do not yet have an attorney in the wrongful death case and Ms Czuba has filed paperwork to divorce her husband. Six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was killed after being stabbed 26 times on October 14 (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Mr Czuba remains detained in Will County as he awaits a January hearing in the criminal case. His attorney, George Lenard, told reporters he would not be commenting on the case outside court. Following the attack in October Ms Shahin told law enforcement that Mr Czuba was upset over the Israel-Hamas war. On the day of the attack, he reportedly visited her apartment and knocked on her door. When she opened her door he began arguing with her about the situation in Israel and Gaza, and allegedly attacked Ms Shahin and Wadea after she asked Mr Czuba to "pray for peace." She locked herself in her bathroom and called 911 after breaking away from her attacker, according to CBS News. While she was locked and injured in her bathroom, Mr Czuba allegedly proceeded to stab Wadea 26 times. The boy died from his wounds. Ms Shahin was unable to attend her sons funeral due to her injuries. An Ohio man has been hit with federal charges following allegations of sending racially charged threats to the first Black district attorney in New Mexico. The FBI initiated an investigation after being contacted by 3rd Judicial District Attorney Gerald Byers office about a disturbing voicemail he received. Upon review, authorities determined that Donald Fowler of Lodi, Ohio, left a two-minute voicemail for Byers filled with racist and abusive language on Oct. 26. The U.S. Justice Department included a transcript of the voicemail sent by the man in an affidavit submitted to the Ohio Northern District Court. Gerald Byers is the district attorney for the Third Judicial District in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. (Photo: donaanacountyda.com) I hope you and your family get whats coming to you, the 46-year-old is quoted as saying in one part of the message. Court documents stated in other parts, Fowler used offensive language, including the N-word, three times on the recording. Additionally, he made references to lynching and mentioned various police-involved shootings, expressing how displeased he was with what he believed was Byers reluctance to prosecute officers. He also mentioned by name Theresa Gomez, a woman who lost her life in a police-involved shooting just weeks before the Oct. 3 call. According to court records, Fowler also claimed that for Byers not to press charges against officers involved in Gomezs death, the officers must have engaged in sexual acts with the DA. Youre not going to hold your officers accountable? he said, I guess we are going to have to. Byers has been seen as pro-cop, defending officers right to use deadly force. In an op-ed for the Las Cruces Sun-News in July 2023, he wrote about how the people have authorized Police Officers to enforce the law in our collective name. That authorization includes the use of deadly force, a very complex topic, he added. Fowler expressed on the voicemail that officers should be held accountable when people are killed. The district attorney told FBI agents that the threats on the voicemail had impacted him, and since he received them, he has experienced psychological and physiological changes. The former Navy officer likened it to when he was in the active military and was deployed in hostile territory. FBI agents identified Fowler as the caller by tracing the phone call through Verizon records. Subsequently, they interviewed Fowler on Nov. 16. At first, the man denied leaving the voice message but later said maybe he had some involvement in the call. When asked why he left the voicemail, he said, Probably because of the crime the cops committed. You cant do nothing without being pinned against the wall, he said, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. Fowler was then asked why he zeroed in on New Mexico, a state over 1,400 miles away from his state, and he said, according to Cleveland.com, Because you turn the news on every fking day, and you see this st happened, and nobody does a damn thing about it. He continued, So now, you redress your government, and now you get in trouble for redressing your government? He also noted he had not visited New Mexico nor left his home state since 2015 but has grown frustrated by all of the police brutality in the nation, and that angst prompted him to call Byers, according to court records. When something bad happens to somebody else, when they do nothing to stop anything, I dont understand why thats bad to say, an eye for an eye, Fowler said. I understand what youre saying. I just every time, it just ramps me up and there is no accountability whatsoever. Authorities arrested Fowler on Wednesday, Nov. 29, and he was ordered by U.S. District Magistrate Judge James Grimes in Cleveland to remain in federal custody for two days, leaving only on Friday, Dec. 1, for his first hearing on the charge. Fowler was released after the hearing on a $20,000 unsecured bond. The unsecured bond will only require him to pay the five figures if he violates the conditions of his release. FBI Director Christopher Wray warned of an increased threat of terrorism stemming from the Israel-Hamas war, saying at a hearing Tuesday that the FBI was working around the clock to prevent potential attacks inspired by Hamas. Given the steady drumbeat of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations since Oct. 7, were working around the clock to identify and disrupt potential attacks by those inspired by Hamass horrific terrorist attacks in Israel, Wray said in an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Wray has warned of a heightened threat environment in the U.S. since October, reiterating the war has increased an already high threat level. Its certainly higher than it has been in a long, long time. Post-Oct. 7, youve seen a veritable rogues gallery of foreign terrorist organizations calling for attacks against us, Wray said, noting the day Hamas launched attacks against Israel. Top Stories from The Hill The threat level has gone to a whole nother level since Oct. 7, he said. Wray also noted that the attacks have led to a surge in reported hate crimes in the U.S. with the bulk targeting Jews. Weve been opening I think 60 percent more hate crimes investigations post-Oct. 7, then compared to the comparable period pre-Oct. 7, Wray said during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, referring to when Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel. The FBI director said the biggest chunk of those are threats against the Jewish community, but there are of course attacks against others as well, he said, pointing to attacks against Muslim targets. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from FBI Director Christopher Wray at a hearing to discuss the potential renewal of surveillance powers granted to the bureau under a section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The powers, set to expire this month, have come under question as an overreach into expectations of privacy. Wray is expected to defend their renewal as necessitated by threats from players such as China and Iran. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. EST. Watch the live video above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FBI Director Christopher Wray at a Tuesday hearing gave an impassioned pitch for Congress to reauthorize warrantless surveillance powers for the intelligence community without the need to secure a courts blessing to review information on Americans swept up in the process. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is set to expire at the end of the year unless it is reauthorized by Congress, threatening to topple a program that allows the U.S. government to monitor the communications of foreign nationals located abroad. 702 is key to our ability to detect a foreign terrorist organization overseas directing an operative here to carry out an attack in our own backyard, Wray said in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. And U.S. person queries in particular may provide the critical link that allows us to identify the intended target or build out the network of attackers so we can stop them before they strike and kill Americans, Wray said.In an effort to curb the intelligence communitys ability to access communications of Americans speaking with those being surveilled, some congressional proposals would require the government to first get a warrant. Its something that has been called a red line by the intelligence community and an idea that Wray said would hinder the FBI from acting in real time, including by taking steps to notify Americans who may be the target of attacks. Many of those crucial victim notifications were made possible by our ability to conduct U.S. person queries of our existing 702 collection, Wray said. Congress is weighing competing plans for how to reauthorize the law, but of the committee-backed bills, only a proposal from the House Judiciary Committee would require the intelligence community to seek a warrant before reviewing information gathered on Americans through Section 702. Still, its a requirement backed not only by numerous House Republicans but also by several Democrats as well as privacy rights groups, who have also rallied behind a Senate proposal from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) that would require a warrant. But Wray said U.S. adversaries are not tying their own hands behind their back adding later that the U.S. risks blinding ourselves. Allowing 702 to lapse or amending it in a way that undermines its effectiveness would be akin to laying bricks to rebuild another pre-9/11 style wall, he said, nodding to efforts done to increase information sharing among intelligence agencies to help foil terrorist plots. What could anybody possibly say to victims families if there was another attack that we could have prevented if we hadnt given away the ability to effectively use a tool that courts have consistently deemed constitutional? Because lets not fool ourselves. Thats whats at stake with the reauthorization of 702, he added. All of the bills being considered by Congress make significant reforms that would target FBI processes for accessing information collected under Section 702. Some put in place reforms the FBI has made under their own accord that have vastly decreased Section 702 queries of Americans while provisions considered under by the House Judiciary bill would create criminal penalties for intelligence officers who abuse the tool. But Lee said he hasnt seen enough reform from the FBI to feel assured Ive expressed concerns to FBI directors appointed by presidents of both political parties in three different presidential administrations. Every darn one of them has told me the same thing. Dont worry about it. We got this taken care of. We got new procedures, its going to be different now. Its never different. You havent changed, Lee said. We have absolutely no reason to trust you. Because you havent behaved in a manner thats trustworthy, he added, irritated that Wray would not disclose what happened to specific employees who misused their powers. Still, data shows the FBI reforms have made a significant dent in the number of U.S. person queries made, some from a simple change to the database that now requires agents to opt in to searching the database versus automatically doing so. That reform, along with others, led to a drop in searches impacting Americans from 2.9 million last year to 119,000 this year. When you ask, Why are things different this time? I will point you again to the findings of the court and the department themselves. Both of which have not been shy about identifying some of the same instances that you cited, noting that each has found the reforms they made to be very significant. As time dwindles, Punchbowl News reported Tuesday that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is no longer considering putting a reauthorization of FISA Section 702 into the defense policy bill amid concerns from some Republicans that it should be a standalone bill. Politico also reported Tuesday that Johnson in considering bringing both the Judiciary proposal and a coming House Intel plan set to be released Wednesday to the floor as amendments, moving forward only with the proposal that gathers the most votes a so-called King of the Hill floor battle. That surprised one lawmaker working on a reauthorization plan. Like the survivor approach to legislation to see who gets more votes the lawmaker said while laughing. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Reported hate crimes have surged since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers Tuesday, saying the bulk of the cases targeted Jews. Weve been opening I think 60 percent more hate crimes investigations post-Oct. 7, then compared to the comparable period pre-Oct. 7, Wray said during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, referring to when Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel. And thats on top of that already escalating increase that I mentioned, he said, after noting hate crimes reached a high in 2022. The FBI director said the biggest chunk of those are threats against the Jewish community, but there are of course attacks against others as well, pointing to attacks against Muslim targets. Wray earlier this year addressed the spike in reported hate crimes and the outsize portion of attacks directed at the Jewish community, saying the U.S. was reaching historic levels of antisemitism. The reality is that the Jewish community is uniquely targeted by pretty much every terrorist organization across the spectrum, he told lawmakers in late October. And when you look at a group that makes up 2.4 percent, roughly, of the American population, it should be jarring to everyone that that same population accounts for something like 60 percent of all religious-based hate crimes, and so they need our help. Theyre getting it from racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists, ISIS-inspired violent extremists [and] foreign terrorist organizations, he added. The Anti-Defamation League in the first few weeks after the attack documented 312 antisemitic incidents since the breakout of the conflict, a 388 percent spike over the same period last year. Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it received reports of 774 biased incidents from its members, a jump from an average of 224 reports for a 16-day period in 2022. Wray on Tuesday repeatedly addressed fallout from the conflict that began with Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel, saying the conflict raises the risk of repercussions within the U.S. Its certainly higher than it has been in a long, long time. Post-Oct. 7, youve seen a veritable rogues gallery of foreign terrorist organizations calling for attacks against us, Wray said. The threat level has gone to a whole nother level since Oct. 7. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An attempted ban on TikTok will no longer go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, in Montana. Federal judge Donald Molloy blocked the law on Thursday, ruling that the SB 419 bill violates the Constitution in more ways than one and oversteps state power. Despite the States attempt to defend SB 419 as a consumer protection bill, the current record leaves little doubt that Montanas legislature and Attorney General were more interested in targeting Chinas ostensible role in TikTok than with protecting Montana consumers, the judge wrote in the filing. This is especially apparent in that the same legislature enacted an entirely separate law that purports to broadly protect consumers digital data and privacy. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law in May to help protect Montanans from Chinese Communist Party surveillance. ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns the social media platform, sued the state over the allegations. A spokesperson for TikTok said that the company is pleased with the judges decision and that hundreds of thousands of Montanans can continue to express themselves, earn a living, and find community on TikTok, according to CNBC. Thursdays ruling is only preliminary, the Montana Attorney General noted. The judge indicated several times that the analysis could change as the case proceeds and the State has the opportunity to present a full factual record, the Montana Attorney General office said. We look forward to presenting the complete legal argument to defend the law that protects Montanans from the Chinese Communist Party obtaining and using their data. TikTok previously rebuked the accusations, saying it has not shared, and would not share, U.S. user data with the Chinese government, and has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok users, according to Reuters. Although Montana is the first state to have attempted a ban, questions surrounding users data and the involvement of the Chinese government have been brought up in several instances. The U.S. government and several states have barred TikTok from being installed on government-owned devices. In 2020, Donald Trump attempted to ban new downloads but was blocked by court rulings. In March, U.S. lawmakers conducted a hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and asked questions about potential ties between the company and the Chinese government. Chinas 2017 National Intelligence Law states that organizations must cooperate with intelligence. According to the AP, the 2014 Counter-Espionage Law also notes that organizations cannot refuse to collect evidence for investigations. The news wire adds that there are no legal limits to the partys powers. They can threaten to cancel licenses, conduct regulatory or tax investigations and use additional penalties to make Chinese and foreign companies operating in China comply with the government. PITTSBURGH A lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday accuses Styropek of routinely discharging small plastic beads, or nurdles, into waterways near the companys Beaver County facility. Environmental advocacy groups PennEnvironment and Three Rivers Waterkeeper filed the lawsuit in the Western District of Pennsylvania against BVPV Styrenics and its parent company, Styropek, for alleged Clean Water Act violations. The groups in October filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the company for allegedly discharging wastewater and stormwater laced with nurdles for at least a year at the Potter Township plant. The lawsuit claims these releases violate federal law and Styropeks permit conditions. The site, located at the confluence of Raccoon Creek and the Ohio River along Frankfort Road, makes expandable polystyrene, or foam used in packaging and other Styrofoam-like products. It was previously operated by Nova Chemicals. Nurdles, or small plastic beads, reportedly found near a Styropek outfall in Potter Township on Oct. 2, 2023. Three Rivers Waterkeeper and the Mountain Watershed Association first launched monthly nurdle patrols along the Ohio River in 2021, according to the lawsuit. Researchers documented numerous nurdles of an unusually small size in September 2022 that were traced to Raccoon Creek and, eventually, Styropek outfalls, they said. The lawsuit details alleged evidence of nurdle accumulations in Raccoon Creek, river sediment and bordering vegetation. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection documented these discharges during follow-up inspections, according to the groups. Styropek late last year confirmed to Three Rivers Waterkeeper that the company hired an environmental consultant to identify causes and potential corrective actions related to the discharges, according to the lawsuit. Heather Hulton VanTassel, executive director of Three Rivers Waterkeeper, said nurdles moving through aquatic environments may be consumed by fish, enter the food chain and further contribute to microplastic pollution. The discharge of microplastics into our waters is an immediate and growing problem right here in western Pennsylvania, posing threats to aquatic life and potentially even to people, she said. More: Groups to sue Styropek for plastic discharge at Potter Twp. facility Plaintiffs are seeking civil penalties, mandated corrective action and more, according to the lawsuit. In a statement, the groups said Styropek may be open to negotiating a settlement to avoid ongoing litigation. Whether we reach a negotiated settlement or a litigated solution, our goal in this case is the same: to end the illegal discharge of harmful plastic pollution into Raccoon Creek, the Ohio River and our environment, said David Masur, PennEnvironments executive director. The plaintiffs are represented by the National Environmental Law Center and Michael Comber of Comber & Miller in Pittsburgh. In a Dec. 11 statement, the company said Styropek takes community concerns seriously. We immediately initiated a thorough investigation as soon as allegations of the possible discharge of beads were raised by Three Rivers Waterkeeper in late 2022, the statement read. Since then, we have invested millions of dollars to improve the Monaca facility and its operations consistent with our commitment to operating at the highest standards of environmental protection and in compliance with our permits." "We have continued to partner with the Pennsylvania DEP and expressed our desire to engage with the citizen groups pursuing this lawsuit," the statement continued. "Despite the litigation, we will continue on the path of progress we have been on, working collaboratively with our regulators and emphasizing safe operations for our employees and the community. We will also continue to engage with the citizen groups and look forward to ongoing discussions. This story was updated at 1:35 p.m. Dec. 11 to include a statement from Styropek. This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Federal lawsuit claims Styropek polluted Beaver County waterways A Chinese ink painting of a farmer leading an ox across a bridge, followed by a boy with a bamboo basket on his back made the cover of an October issue of Structure, a United States-based Cell Press journal. In addition to the jelly fish and lotus flowers in the river under the bridge, chemical compounds and elemental structures were highlighted and weaved into the picture. It vividly depicts the process in which a special enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of an important organic compound is activated the latest breakthrough by a Chinese scientific research team. This research is considered to be of great significance for understanding the internal synthesis processes of various organisms, the working principles of enzymes, and the development of related bioprocesses. The drawing was one of many works by Xixizhiyan, a scientific research visualization service provider based in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province. "What we do is to visualize abstract concepts and help scientific researchers demonstrate their findings in a straightforward and distinctive way," says Wang Yixi, founder of the Xixizhiyan company. Over the past four years, Wang and his team have come up with more than 10,000 visual works for academic papers across a variety of fields, many of which have made their way to the world's top academic journals, including Nature, Science and Cell. Those journals have allowed, and even encouraged, paper authors to come up with such illustrations. "Generally speaking, the papers with illustrations that make the journal covers are considered to be either the most valuable or the hottest in that issue of the journal," Wang says. He considers his paintings as the cover of a scientific paper and each one should reflect the core content and findings, thus bringing more attention to the paper itself. After a customer places an order, there is a discussion about the paper's content, before drafts of a design are made, followed by numerous rounds of fine-tuning. "It takes about 10 days on average to finish a work," Wang says. However, in some cases, that could be extended due to constant changes. "The author may have feedback from their tutor, who then might seek the opinions of the paper's other researchers," Wang explains, adding that it can be quite a lot of back and forth to the fine-tuning part. Having a scientific background enables him to understand most of the academic papers he illustrates better. Now in his 30s, Wang earned his bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical engineering and then completed a master's and PhD in chemistry, all at the Shihezi University in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. "Back then, I often came across an experimental preparation process that I had to explain, but the amount of text was too large and abstract, so I needed to illustrate it," Wang recalls. As he had been interested in drawing, and related software like Photoshop, he decided to turn his graphics into a fine art. "I went on to study 3D graphics software, so I could better display the microscopic structures in my field and improve the presentation of my papers," Wang says. It didn't take long before his classmates and professors noticed his talents and asked him to help them with their papers. By word of mouth, more people beat a path to Wang's door and were willing to pay for his service. "I already had a fair amount of regular customers at school," he says. Right after he finished his PhD program in 2019, Wang opened his own business in Chengdu, specializing in visualization of scientific research. Now, the company has grown to employing 16 designers, mostly with a science background. "Orders have been on the rise, and each day we receive inquiries from new clients," Wang says. To date, each of the staff members working on at least five orders at the same time, and each order is priced between 2,000 yuan ($280) and 4,000 yuan . He attributed the boom in business to the rise of domestic scientific research and the demanding nature of the work. "Scientific research drawing is a niche market in art design, targeting a relatively small group of people, mostly scientific researchers," Wang says. "It requires a certain level of professional knowledge and an understanding of principles laid out in each paper. Equally, the illustrations also need to be tastefully drawn and visually appealing, which can be quite time consuming," he adds. One of Wang's labors of love covered an ingenious synthesis of several satellite photos that accentuated the potential hazards of a phytoplankton in the global ecosystem, an issue that was raised by a scientific team from the Southern University of Science and Technology, based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The final artwork made the cover of Nature in March. One of his works that carries distinctive Chinese elements is a composite image, depicting a scientist as the folk goddess Nyuwa, carrying her newly discovered compound to fill a void in the sky. The work made the cover of the Chinese Journal of Chemistry in April 2020. When asked if he has ever had regrets about choosing academic graphics over chemistry, Wang says he hasn't, and considers his job very important. "Every scientific paper is innovative, and graphics are an essential part of scientific papers," Wang says, adding that what he tries to achieve is an explanation of models or methods, to showcase experimental results, visually process data or compare differences among experiments. "The goal is to effectively convey research findings and enable readers to gain a deeper understanding and evaluate the research content," he says. In 2022, China overtook the United States as the country with the most papers published in influential global journals, specializing in nearly 180 disciplines, according to a September report by the Ministry of Science and Technology's Institute of Scientific and Technical Information. It was based on an analysis of papers published by Chinese scientists at home and abroad in 2022, when a total of 54,002 papers were published in 159 of the world's most influential journals covering 178 disciplines globally, and Chinese scholars contributed 16,349 papers, accounting for 30.3 percent, exceeding the US for the first time. China is also leading the world in six scientific fields in terms of the total number of citations generated by the country's academic papers in the past decade. The fields are agricultural science, chemistry, computer science, engineering technology, materials science and mathematics, according to the report. The performance of Chinese papers in the world's high-quality journals indicated that China has become one of the leaders in scientific and technological innovation, says an analyst from the institute. Alexandra Vance, CEO of the American Institute of Physics Publishing, says the international scientific community benefits from access to China's rapidly advancing research landscape, which covers an increasingly wide spectrum of disciplines, particularly of physical science. The rapidly rising number of Chinese scientific papers has resulted in increased demand from Chinese scientists who want illustrations for their work to carry distinctive Chinese elements. "Most popular cultural elements include tai chi, peony flowers, as well as the Monkey King and other figures from classic Chinese literature works," Wang says. Since many Western editors or paper reviewers might not be familiar with some Chinese elements, Wang has recommended that his clients submit certain introductory words explaining the drawings, such as how they are associated with the science. "It's fulfilling, whenever we pull off a special piece of work that combines cutting-edge scientific findings, traditional Chinese culture, and meets the expectations of the client," Wang says. With an eye on the future, Wang is planning a book that popularizes the art of his trade. "I think it will be good for the whole industry, helping to set business standards and gaining the attention of more customers," he says. The special counsel investigating Hunter Biden opposed his request to issue subpoenas for documents from Donald Trump and others from the former presidents administration in a filing Monday, pushing back on the notion that charges against the presidents son in Delaware were a result of selective or vindictive prosecution. In November, Hunter Bidens attorneys asked the federal judge overseeing his case in Delaware where he is charged with three gun crimes for permission to subpoena documents from Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr and other Justice Department officials. Hunter Bidens attorneys said the heart of his defense is that the case is possibly a vindictive or selective prosecution arising from an unrelenting pressure campaign beginning in the last administration and argued that information from the subpoenas would support such a defense. But special counsel David Weiss, whose team is also using a Los Angeles grand jury as part of an ongoing investigation into Hunter Bidens business dealings, argued in Mondays filing that Hunter Biden failed to identify any actual evidence of bias, vindictiveness, or discriminatory intent on the Special Counsels part. (H)is arguments ignore an inconvenient truth: No charges were brought against defendant during the prior administration when the subpoena recipients actually held office in the Executive Branch, Weiss wrote. Instead, every charge in this matter was or will be brought during the current administration one in which defendants father, Joseph R. Biden, is the President of the United States and Merrick B. Garland is the Attorney General that was appointed by President Biden and who personally appointed the Special Counsel. Weiss also wrote that claims of a vindictive or selective prosecution can only be litigated before a trial begins and not during the trial itself. He criticized the requested subpoenas for seeking broadly worded categories of documents across seven years. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to the three charges, which include illegally possessing a firearm while using illicit drugs. His allegations and subpoena requests focus on likely inadmissible, far-reaching, and non-specific categories of documents concerning the actions and motives of individuals who did not make the relevant prosecutorial decision in his case, Weiss wrote in his conclusion. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Erica Gillespie, founder of the Black woman-owned brand Feisty Spices, was inspired by her grandmothers southern Alabama cooking and cultural Ghanaian roots to create a line of seasonings that celebrated her culinary heritage. After years of hard work, her products, including the collard greens spice blend and the chitterlings spice blend, are now sold in Walmart and other retail stores. According to Black Business, Gillespie is a distant cousin of the late jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie. She started her culinary journey after watching her grandmother in the kitchen using different spices to make classic dishes. In 2020, she launched Feisty Spices in Atlanta, and five months later, she received her first $30,000 purchase order from a well-known grocery chain willing to distribute her products in stores nationwide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The New Spice of the South (@feistyspices) Gillespie was passionate about creating a brand for consumers to enhance their cooking skills. She believes in using healthy ingredients to combat health issues like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Several of her products are low sodium, keto-friendly and contain no MSG, per Black Business. Feisty Spices isnt just a seasoning; its a cultural necessity, Gillespie said, according to the outlet. At Feisty Spices, we understand the importance of providing healthy and flavorful spices to customers, which is why our products are organic, vegan-friendly and low in salt, the website states. This makes our spices an ideal choice for health-conscious customers who want to add flavor to their dishes without compromising on health. In addition to the Collard Greens Seasoning and the Gourmet Chitterlings Seasoning, Gillespie also offers the following spices: Soul Food Sunday seasoning, Sassy Sazon seasoning, Lemony Lemon Pepper seasoning, and Garlic and Herbs seasoning. All Feisty Spices products can be bought via Walmarts marketplace in the U.S. and Mexico. The products can also be purchased on Amazon Prime, from the Feisty Spices website, in Pic n Sav grocery stores in Alabama, and in various stores across Atlanta. I will continue to create unique blends in hopes of providing healthier options for cooks across America that dont compromise flavor, Gillespie said of her vision for Feisty Spices. The United Nations has faced criticism for its lack of condemnation of claims of sexual violence - DEDI HAYUN/REUTERS Hamas deliberately shot women in their genitals, the United Nations has heard, amid rising anger at the silence around sexual violence during the Oct 7 massacre. Shari Mendes, a member of the Israeli military unit who prepared the bodies of female soldiers for burial, said her team had seen comrades who were shot in the crotch, intimate parts, vagina, or were shot in the breast. Another speaker, Simcha Greinman, said one womans body had nails and different objects in her female organs. Around 800 protesters who accuse the UN of double standards when it comes to sexual violence rallied outside the bodys New York headquarters as the testimony was heard. Some chanted: Me too, unless youre a Jew. A reference to the feminist movement against sexual harassment and abuse of women. Sheryl Sandberg, the former Meta chief operating officer, who helped to organise the event, accused the UN of ignoring the rape and mutilation of women on Oct 7. Silence is complicity, she said. This embedded content is not available in your region. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said on Tuesday that he had heard stories of sexual abuse at a meeting with hostages returned by Hamas during a recent pause in the fighting in Gaza. I heard, and you also heard, about sexual abuse and incidents of brutal rape like nothing else, he told a news conference. Joe Biden also condemned sexual violence by Hamas terrorists. The world cant just look away at whats going on. Its on all of us... to forcibly condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without equivocation, Mr Biden said at a campaign event in Boston. It came after the US said the hostage release deal had broken down because Hamas was reluctant to allow captured women to speak about the sexual violence they had endured. Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US Department of State, said: It seems one of the reasons they dont want to turn women over theyve been holding hostage and the reason this pause fell apart is they dont want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody. A total of 110 of the approximately 240 hostages abducted by Hamas or their affiliates were released as part of the temporary ceasefire, 78 of them Israeli women and children. Hostages drugged before release On Tuesday, an Israeli health official told the Knesset that hostages were drugged before being handed over to the Red Cross for release. Prof Ronid Endevelt, the head of the health ministrys nutrition department, said the terrorists had forced their captives to swallow tranquillisers such as Clonex as well as vitamins so they would look happy. The UN has faced mounting criticism for a lack of a robust condemnation of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas. Antonio Guterres, the UNs secretary-general, said sex crimes must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted in a statement not released until Nov 29. UN Women has been singled out in particular for its silence on the issue while it has regularly spoken out about the plight of Palestinian women and girls. Meni Binyamin, the head of Israeli polices international crime investigations unit, has said in an interview that it had documented violent rape incidents, the most extreme sexual abuses we have seen, on Oct 7. I am talking about dozens. He said some men were among the victims of sexual violence. Shooting was targeted at sexual organs Among the evidence found by the investigators were bodies of women that were partially or fully naked, women with broken pelvic bones, plus videos taken by Hamas fighters themselves. There are also a small number of first-hand witnesses, including a woman who told police that she had watched Hamas terrorists taking turns to rape a young women they had captured at the Nova music festival. In a video released by police last month, she said they had mutilated the woman before shooting her in the head. Speaking at the UN on Monday, Yael Richert, an Israeli police superintendent, presented a video of witnesses. One testimony by a paramedic said: Shooting was targeted at sexual organs. We saw that a lot. Ms Sandberg said: On Oct 7, Hamas brutally murdered 1,200 souls and in some cases, they first raped their victims. We know this from eyewitnesses, we know this from combat paramedics, we would know this from some victims if more had been allowed to live. Hamas has denied that its fighters have committed sexual crimes. The terrorist group said such activity would violate Islamic principles. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said Monday that he sent ethically-challenged Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) a Cameo video from former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who was expelled from Congress last week. I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems, Fetterman wrote Monday in a post on X, formerly Twitter. So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give Bobby from Jersey some advice. Attached to Fettermans post was the purported Cameo video from Santos, in which the ousted New York Republican said, Hey Bobby. Look, I dont need to tell you, but these people that want to make you get in trouble and want to kick you out and make you run away you make em put up or shut up. You stand your ground, sir. And dont get bogged down by all the haters out there, Santos continued. Stay strong. Merry Christmas. The Hill reached out to Menendezs office to confirm if the senator received the video. Responding to Fettermans post on X, Santos appeared to be unaware of who exactly Bobby from Jersey, was, writing on X, I love this! I wish I knew the Bobby in question! LOL. Earlier Monday, Santos launched a profile on Cameo, a platform where customers can request holiday messages, a pep talk, roasts, birthday wishes and more from a wide range of public figures. Santos, who calls himself a Former congressional Icon' on his profile, is selling the personal videos for $200 each, an increase from his earlier $150 price tag. Fettermans requested Cameo video echoes his past calls for Menendez to resign in the wake of the federal criminal charges against the New Jersey Democrat. Fettermans calls were further fueled by Santoss expulsion from Congress. The Pennsylvania Democrat argued the allegations against Menendez are more sinister than the charges that Santos faces. Menendez, along with his wife, Nadine, are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three businessmen in New Jersey in exchange for using the senators power and influence as Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair to benefit both the businessmen and Egyptian government. Federal prosecutors with the Southern District of New York charged Menendez with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent. He has denied the allegations. We have a colleague in the Senate that actually does much more sinister and serious kinds of things: Sen. Menendez. He needs to go. And if you are going to expel Santos, how can you allow somebody like Menendez to remain in the Senate? Fetterman said last week in an interview on ABCs The View. Fetterman argued Santoss lies were almost, you know, funny, like that he landed on the moon and that kind of stuff. Santos faces 23 federal criminal charges. He is accused of misleading donors, misrepresenting finances to the public and government agencies, inflating campaign finance reports and charging donors credit cards without authorization. He was expelled from Congress in a 311-114-2 vote last week, after the House Ethics Committee issued a damning report detailing substantial evidence against him. While Fettermans calls for Menendez to resign are similar to the views of several others of the Senate Democratic caucus, few senators besides Fetterman have shown a serious interest in holding a vote to oust the embattled lawmaker. Menendez stepped down from the Foreign Relations Committee but has rejected his colleagues calls to resign from the Senate ahead of his trial, dismissing the charges as just allegations. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Despite high-profile losses, Russia's navy has been largely untouched by the war in Ukraine. Russian submarines, especially Yasen-class cruise-missile subs, are a top concern for NATO. Russia may expand the Yasen-class program, with reports indicating three more subs will be built. Russia's navy has been largely untouched by the war in Ukraine, despite high-profile losses, and Moscow plans to continue investing in it, including by building more of the Yasen-class submarines that have become a top concern for NATO. It took two decades to build Russia's first Yasen-class sub, called Severodvinsk, which entered service in 2013, but the pace has picked up, with two more entering service in 2021 and the fourth expected to join the fleet this month. Five more have been launched or are under construction. A Russian defense industry source told state media outlet Tass in mid-2022 that Moscow was considering adding two more subs to the nine Yasen-class subs it had planned to build. In November, however, a source "close to" Russia's navy said the plan had expanded, telling Tass that three additional subs were expected to be built. The expansion would allow Russia's navy to assign six subs each to its Northern and Pacific fleets, according to the Tass report, which said the plan had not been officially confirmed. Yasen-class sub Severodvinsk during its launch ceremony at a shipyard in the city of Severodvinsk in June 2010. Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images Submarines are a relative bright spot in Russia's recent naval modernization efforts, and the Yasen class, which are designated nuclear-powered cruise-missile submarines, has a number of features that worry NATO commanders. The subs built after Severodvinsk are Yasen-M submarines and have several upgrades, which appear to include improved sonar and a reactor that is smaller and quieter than earlier models. Western officials are perhaps most concerned by the subs' ability to launch land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles, a relatively new capability that they worry could allow the subs to approach and strike valuable targets in Europe and North America. The challenge presented by the Yasen class' ability "to deploy undetected within cruise-missile range of our coastlines" will be compounded when the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile is added to its arsenal, Gen. Glen VanHerck, who oversees military operations around North America as head of US Northern Command, told lawmakers in early 2022. A Russian shipbuilding official said this summer that efforts to arm Yasen-M subs with Zircon missiles were "already underway." Russian Yasen-class sub Kazan at its home base in Severomorsk in June 2021. Lev Fedoseyev\TASS via Getty Images VanHerck, who has said Yasen-class subs are "on par with ours," is one of several officials who have expressed respect and concern for those submarines. In 2014, the officer responsible for submarines at US Naval Sea Systems Command said he was so impressed with the Severodvinsk that he put a replica in his office. In 2022, Ine Eriksen Sreide, Norway's defense minister from 2013 to 2017, said she brought a picture of the sub to her first meeting with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis because it was "so important for us to convey to the US that this was really one of the big strategic challenges that we saw." Pentagon officials told CBS News in 2018 that Severodvinsk had been able to sail into the Atlantic and evade attempts to find it for weeks an account echoed this year by a British defense official, speaking under Chatham House rule, who said at an event in Washington DC that NATO forces frequently lose track of Yasen-class subs while they're at sea. VanHerck and other military leaders have also warned about increased Russian submarine activity near the US. In January, Adm. Michael Studeman, who retired as commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence in July, said that Yasen-class subs were patrolling in the Atlantic and one had been assigned to Russia's Pacific Fleet, which meant the subs would soon pose "a dual-flank challenge" to the US. Canadian and British frigates with a German sub during a NATO anti-submarine-warfare exercise in July 2020. British Royal Navy/LPhot Dan Rosenbaum Despite technological advances, Russia's submarine fleet is smaller than its Soviet predecessor, and NATO officials say their forces retain an advantage in undersea warfare. NATO navies have also stepped up their training for anti-submarine warfare in recent years, and the US Navy is making its subs unusually visible in the North Atlantic, demonstrating their presence in waters that Russian subs would have to traverse to reach the wider Atlantic. The state media report on the expansion of the Yasen-class program comes alongside a dramatic increase in Russian defense spending, which is expected to almost double year-over-year in 2024. After significant losses among Russian land forces in Ukraine, that spending increase shows Moscow is focused on rebuilding a military that already has plenty of weapons with which to threaten NATO. "I see nothing that's going on in the Russian naval maritime forces at the moment that tells me that they have significantly degraded their major capabilities," Adm. Ben Key, the British navy's highest-ranking officer, said at an event in October. "Their nuclear submarine fleet has not been affected by what's gone on to the war in Ukraine," nor have their long-range aviation fleet or their strategic nuclear forces, Key added. "So their ability to offer a very real threat to NATO, to Western forces, is absolutely there." Read the original article on Business Insider Cutting Edge Meat Market in Piedmont, S.D., is committed to providing hunters the service of processing their meat from the whole carcass, which is becoming more rare. PIEDMONT, S.D. A sudden shortage of South Dakota butchers and meat cutters willing to process wild game has been bad news for hunters but good news for Josh Clark and the small butcher shop he manages in Piedmont. On a recent November day, Clark walked through the work area of Cutting Edge Meat Market, one of the few butcher shops in the Rapid City area that still processes whole deer carcasses, and the workers were too busy to notice Clark ushering a guest through the cutting room and back to a pair of walk-in coolers where dozens of skinned deer killed by South Dakota hunters hung on large hooks. The month of November is always busy for butchers who process wild game. This year, the small butcher shop 10 miles west of Rapid City is swamped, with far more hunters than usual calling with inquiries or just showing up with deer on their vehicles. "The last few days, its been crazy nonstop with call after call and people dragging them in," Clark said during a mid-November interview. "Were packed wall to wall, and were trying to get them cut and out the door as fast as theyre coming in. Workers at Cutting Edge Meat Market in Piedmont, S.D., were extremely busy processing deer carcasses and meat on a day in mid-November. Some butcher shops have closed or shifted focus, while others no longer take any wild game, and a few will only process wild meat that is already skinned and deboned by the customer. Butchers who no longer take wild game or require it to be deboned may be facing worker shortages, have higher expenses that cut into profitability, or simply do not want the hassle of dealing with wild game processing. "The way I see it, its just a dying industry," Clark said. "A lot of other meat plants dont want to deal with the hassle and rat race of handling wild game." The drop in processors of wild game has made it difficult for hunters who killed about 55,000 deer and 3,000 antelope in South Dakota in 2022 to get their animals processed and packaged. One concern is that if hunters who lack the skills or equipment to skin, quarter and debone carcasses on their own can't find a processor willing to take a whole carcass, the animals could be dumped in the garbage or left to rot in the field. Some hunters may choose to give up hunting if they know in advance they won't be able to get a full animal carcass processed. Paul Sorum, co-owner of Renner Corner Meats just north of Sioux Falls in Renner, said he has seen higher demand for full carcass processing this year compared to others including from hunters in nearby Minnesota and that some hunters are growing concerned. Josh Clark is a manager at Cutting Edge Meat Market in Piedmont, S.D., one of the only remaining Black Hills butcher shops that processes wild game for hunters. Clark stood between a skinned buffalo and skinned deer in a storage room at the store. When there are fewer and fewer meat processing plants like ours that are accepting full carcasses, its getting a lot harder for hunters to find a place to go with that deer, Sorum said. It would be a big problem for hunters if we ended up having to shut that part of the business down. The processing of a deer carcass typically costs from $100 to $175 and includes skinning, quartering, deboning and packaging of venison into convenient 1 to 3 pound packages. Deer and antelope are typically cut into roasts and steaks for grilling or pan frying and into ground meat for use in soups, stews, burgers or tacos. Hunters who want to donate the meat from a deer or antelope to charitable food pantries across the state can work with South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger. Under the program, hunters with animals can contact one of roughly two dozen butchers in South Dakota and drop off an animal carcass or deboned meat for full processing. In most cases, the participating butcher shops assume the cost of processing female animals, while donating a buck typically results in the hunter paying the processing fee. Some of the butchers enrolled in the program require that the animal be skinned and deboned before being dropped off for processing. The wild game processing industry is not overseen or regulated by the state Game, Fish & Parks Department, which manages state hunting seasons, though butcher shops are subject to regular inspection by state and federal regulators. News Watch reached out to the GFP with an interview request and a list of questions, but a spokesman for the agency did not provide responses other than to share a link to Sportsmen Against Hunger. The commercial butcher shops that handle wild game have long been bolstered by a network of small, home-based meat processors. However, those processors are also dropping out of the industry or slowing down. Rex Roseland and his wife, Cheryl, have processed wild game at their home north of Rapid City for decades, but this year feels different in the need for their services, he said. Josh Clark stands near a rack of drying venison jerky as he speaks with coworkers at Cutting Edge Meat Market in Piedmont, S.D. When you get swamped, it just takes time to get caught up, Rex Roseland said. Hunters in the greater Sioux Falls area lost one option to process whole deer carcasses when Lees Meats and Sausages of Tea stopped processing carcasses and began taking only deboned wild game meat for processing, at least for this year. But one venerable option remains for East River hunters, as Renner Corner Meats continued to take full deer, antelope and elk carcasses for processing this season, according to Sorum, a co-owner of the business. Were one of the only ones around that are taking the full carcass deer right now, and Im not sure how much longer were going to do whole carcasses, Sorum said. Sorum said Renner meats continues to take full carcasses as a service to its customers. We love doing it because its providing a service to the hunters of South Dakota and the people that come from out of state, he said. We have awesome products, and we love providing that customer service. This article was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit journalism organization located online at sdnewswatch.org. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Finding processing for big game tricky in South Dakota The National Culture and Tourism New Media Innovation and Development Conference was held on Nov 28 in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. Rao Quan, deputy head of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, attended the event and delivered a speech. Themed on "New Media Enabling High-Quality Development of Culture and Tourism", the conference discussed innovation and development of new media in culture and tourism so as to help local governments promote their towns and cities and attract more tourists. Officials from regional and municipal departments of culture and tourism, academics, and enterprise representatives participated in the discussion and shared their insights. Huang Chuxin, deputy director of the New Media Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and vice-dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that tourism promotion could be diversified by bringing together various forms and contents. Zhou Min, assistant dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Beijing Normal University, pointed out that technology could make the innovation of new media more efficient. She presented vivid pictures, short videos, and creative promotional animation of several travel destinations generated by artificial intelligence which attracted potential tourists. Officials from local departments of culture and tourism, along with representatives of major domestic social media platforms such as Douyin, Weibo, WeChat, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu, shared their successful cooperation and innovative promotional tourism campaigns that grabbed a wide audience. For instance, a livestream on Weibo about Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province garnered 506,000 views at the time, and the related topic views exceeded 20 million. Xiaohongshu also rolled out a national tourism promotional campaign themed "Visit My Hometown for a Day" in collaboration with provinces and cities across the country. It meets the demand of young people who hope to travel like a local and experience the most vibrant aspects of the local culture. A new Black congressional district in North Florida in 2024 is looking less likely after a state appeals court sided with Gov. Ron DeSantis redistricting maps, whether or not the state Supreme Court ever hears the case, experts said Monday. I think theres now so much dirt up in the air that this is going to slow things down, said Matt Isbell, a Democratic elections analyst. The map pushed through by DeSantis last year, in an unprecedented involvement by a governor into the redistricting process, eliminated a Black majority seat in North Florida, represented by former Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, that connected Black neighborhoods from Jacksonville to Tallahassee. The plaintiffs, which include the League of Women Voters of Florida, struck an agreement with the state to limit their lawsuit opposing the map to North Florida and not Orange Countys District 10, which was redrawn to have a plurality white primary electorate, in return for a fast-tracked state Supreme Court decision in time for the 2024 elections. But the 1st District Court of Appeal, instead of granting that fast-track request, decided to issue its own decision on Friday. It overturned a lower court judge who had ruled that the redistricting plan violated the Fair Districts amendments to the state Constitution. That could now make it easier for the Supreme Court to simply not hear the case and let the decision stand, said Michael McDonald, a professor of political science at the University of Florida. The appeals court has given the Supreme Court an out, McDonald said. The Supreme Court will likely take the path of least resistance and just accept what the appeals court did, and then they never have to deal with it. Isbell, though, said the Supreme Court would likely want to respond to the appeals court taking a hatchet to prior Supreme Court decisions, including the original creation of District 5 itself. It feels like the Supreme Court would want to step in and say, No, there are precedents here, Isbell said. One such overturning of precedent was the appeals courts ruling that District 5 was not politically cohesive, a requirement for protection under Fair Districts. That came under the most criticism. At its heart, the plaintiffs claim is based on a false premise that minority voters living hundreds of miles apart in totally different communities, not joined in any reasonably configured geographically area, are entitled to proportional representation merely because they were once included together in [District 5] by court order for three election cycles, the ruling states. Isbell argued that the region has a long history of a Black population going back to the days of slavery and sharecropping, stating on his MCIMaps site that many residents, especially in the rural communities, can trace ancestry back to the same village/county for centuries. Cecile Scoon, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Central Florida, said that section of the ruling is flying in the face of established [law], because the Florida Supreme Court authorized that district. Its not a good look. In a statement, Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Redistricting Foundation, which initially filed the lawsuit, said that instead of enforcing compliance with the constitution as written and as passed by the people of Florida, the court has instead tried to simply change the law. Still, Scoon said she was confident that the Supreme Court would abide by the fast-track agreement and agree to hear the case. The parties have agreed to keep it moving, Scoon said. Its not surprising that both sides would stipulate to an abbreviated schedule to get that final answer. Isbell, though, said there was an increasing likelihood that the Florida Supreme Court could decide on a full, lengthy trial. I think the chance of all of this continuing slowly, and running out of time in terms of 2024, is very realistic, he said. A separate federal lawsuit filed by Common Cause and other groups, citing the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution ratified in the wake of the Civil War, is also making its way through the courts. DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern did not respond to a request for comment. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) unveiled legislation Tuesday to curb book bans. Im proud to introduce the Fight Book Bans Act, legislation that will help our school boards and school districts overcome these relentless attacks on our civil rights and civil liberties and academic freedom, Frost said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. The Fight Book Bans Act takes a stand against censorship by giving school districts the funding that they need to oppose these challenges. Frosts home state of Florida was found to have the most book bans in the country last year, making up 40 percent of those across the nation, according to a report by free expression group PEN America. The group defines book bans as any action taken against a book based on its content. The toll of the book banning movement is getting worse. More kids are losing access to books, more libraries are taking authors off the shelves, and opponents of free expression are pushing harder than ever to exert their power over students as a whole, Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN America, said in a September report. PEN America also found that book ban attempts increased by about a third during the 2022-23 school year. The censorship and attack on rights that were seeing in Republican-led states like Florida are reaching an all-time high, with school boards, school districts and our classrooms and students now on the frontlines of the culture wars to erase communities of color and silence voices of minorities, Frost said. Other House members who spoke at the press conference included Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio). Both Casar and Crockett noted mounting book bans in their states. [T]he governor has worked on protecting kids from learning, protecting kids from books. These book bans are not public education, Casar said of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R). These book bans are a real public disgrace, in our state. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Deputies in Putnam County are hoping skeletal remains will help them answer questions about a 40-year-old cold case. In 1981, deputies found a body in a wooded area 30 feet from Old San Mateo Road in East Palatka. The body was that of a man who had no identification was nude and lying face down. Photos: Florida deputies hope skeletal remains help solve 40-year-old cold case murder The autopsy results were limited due to decomposition, and anthropological analysis was not available for skeletal remains at the time, officials said. The man, simply known as John Doe, was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery and his case went cold. In April, forensic investigator Madison Worley, with the Volusia County Medical Examiners Office, took over the unidentified cases for the office and began going through each one. Read: 23andMe confirms hackers gained access to data of 6.9M customers As I was going through, I found this case file set off to the side; and as I was looking through, it was very small and nothing really had been done with it since the 1980s. So I contacted Capt. (Chris) Stallings and both of us kind of went on an adventure, Worley said. After contacting multiple labs to see if any biological material was saved, Worley contacted Stallings to inform him she did not have any DNA to do testing. So I asked (Stallings) what was the possibility of exhuming him to get some samples to send of for DNA and genealogy, Worley said. Read: Woman killed in apparent shark attack off Mexicos Pacific coast In July, Sheriff H.D. Gator DeLoach made the formal request for funding from the Florida Sheriffs Association Cold Case Advisory Commission, which is chaired by Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. Their effort led to a crew of about 20 detectives, forensic specialists from the University of South Florida, medical examiner personnel and others to gather last week at an unmarked plot in the far corner of Oak Hill Cemetery where John Doe was laid to rest more than 40 years prior, deputies said. This man was someones son, DeLoach said. Based on his approximate age, he could have been a father and a husband. He has family who never knew what happened to him, and they deserve to know. He deserves to have his name restored; and hopefully, this is the first step. We are extremely grateful to the Florida Sheriffs Association Cold Case Advisory Commission for providing funds to help us in this mission. Read: Brevard County behavioral analyst accused of committing sexual offense against 10-year-old Officials said a few days earlier the ground was surveyed to denote the approximate area of John Does location. Once the initial ground was broken and several feet dug, shovels were then used to locate a Ziegler box, which was used instead of a casket at the time of burial. Once the box was unearthed, Dr. Erin Kimmerle, of the University of South Florida, and her team of forensic anthropologists along with Worley opened the box and cut away the body bag to verify there were remains inside. From there the medical examiners office took custody of John Does skeletal remains for a wash prior to being sent to USF and the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science. Read: Man who was part of hit podcast shot and killed by police after standoff at his home Officials said the Sheriffs Office is treating this case as a homicide because of how John Does body was discovered. Because of the advances in DNA technology, one goal is to identify John Does family and return his remains to them, deputies said. Officials said testing and imaging will take months. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler trained members of his wifes right-wing advocacy group Moms for Liberty on how to combat negative press during a June media training session. As of last week, Ziegler is under investigation regarding allegations of sexual assault brought forth by a woman involved in a long-term menage a trois with him and his wife, Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler. Never apologize. Ever, Christian Ziegler told members of the group during a training session covered by NBC News at Moms For Libertys national conference in June. This is my view. Other people have different views on this. I think apologizing makes you weak. Ziegler discussed an early June incident in which an Indiana Moms for Liberty chapter had included a quote from Adolf Hitler in their Parent Brigade newsletter. He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future, the quote read, with an attribution to Hitler at the top of the page. We condemn Adolf Hitlers actions and his dark place in human history. We should not have quoted him in our newsletter and we express our deepest apology, Chapter Chair Paige Miller wrote in a statement apologizing for the quotes inclusion after it made national headlines. Weeks later, Ziegler criticized the chapters handling of the controversy and advised them during his address that while the chapter correctly condemned the quote as vile, they should have pivoted back to their own messaging that the quote actually referenced the dangers of liberal indoctrination in public schools. If you give [the media] the least amount possible, youre fully controlling the message, Ziegler told the conference. The more you give them, the less you control. The less you give them, the more you control. Ziegler is implementing a similar media strategy now that hes embroiled in his own scandal. Last week, the Florida Center for Governmental Accountabilitys news division, The Florida Trident, reported allegations that Ziegler was being investigated for sexually assaulting a woman involved in a long-term, three-way relationship with himself and his wife. Bridget Ziegler was reportedly not involved in the encounter, and charges have yet to be brought against her husband. Zeigler denied the allegations of sexual assault but admitted to police that he had had sex with the woman on the date in question. In a statement released to his fellow Florida Republicans over the weekend, Ziegler wrote that we have a country to save and I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission on the bench as I wait for this process to wrap up. Despite Zieglers denials, and attempts to control the narrative, the fallout of the accusations is already in full force. On Monday, the Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, chapter of Moms for Liberty announced it would be breaking with its parent group, citing a misalignment in values with the national organization. Later on Monday, the Republican Party of Florida called an emergency meeting to discuss Zieglers future as party chair, and the potential of censure or discipline against him. According to a report from The Miami Herald, which obtained a memo from State GOP Vice Chairman Evan Powers, the meeting will be held on Dec. 17, and Ziegler has declined to attend. The pressure against Ziegler reached the highest levels of Floridas government. On Friday, Floridas Republican Governor Ron DeSantis called for him to step down. I think he should step aside and think he should attend to that, DeSantis told ABC News. Hes innocent until proven guilty, but we just cant have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny. Spin that, Ziegler. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone The vice chair of the state Republican party has called a special meeting in Orlando for Dec. 17 to consider the censure or discipline of state GOP chair Christian Ziegler in the wake of a sexual battery allegation against him. The move by Evan Power comes as both House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo have joined fellow Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in calling for Ziegler to resign. Ziegler has said he has no intention of quitting. It is with a heavy heart I write this email to you, Power wrote to party members. Over the last few days, we have seen the news and have received calls from the press about the situation with our Chairman. Many of you have called me, and I have tried to talk to as many of you as possible. I have been informed that it is the will of the board to have an opportunity to discuss these recent developments. A search warrant affidavit states a woman told Sarasota police detectives she opened her door to walk her dog and Ziegler entered her apartment and sexually assaulted her in October. The allegations are being brought by a woman who says she had a previous consensual sexual encounter that included Ziegler and his wife, Bridget, according to the affidavit. Ziegler has not been charged with a crime. His attorney, Derek Byrd, said he would be cleared of wrongdoing, and Ziegler released a statement on Saturday professing his innocence and claiming he and his wife were being targeted. Bridget Ziegler, a co-founder of the conservative education group Moms for Liberty, serves on the board of DeSantis Disney World oversight district and also is a member of the Sarasota County School Board. The next meeting of the Disney World oversight board is set for Wednesday. Power wrote that he called Christian Ziegler to request he call a special board meeting himself, but he declined and said the matters could be taken up in February. It is the opinion of the many members that is not an acceptable timetable. The executive board meeting, which will be closed to the news media and public, is scheduled to be held Dec. 17 at the Rosen Centre hotel in Orlando. Issues to be discussed include the Chairmans misconduct; neglect of duty; conduct that renders him unfit for the office of Chairman; and/or conduct tending to injure the good name of the RPOF, disturb its well-being, or hamper it in its work. Actions taken during the meeting may include appointing a special investigative committee to look into the allegations against Ziegler, which could result in his removal from office or expulsion from the party. The board could also suspend some or all of Zieglers authority and pay and take a vote of no confidence or censure. It was at the Rosen Centre in February that Ziegler was elected chair over Power by a vote of 126-100. Power was chosen as vice chair. In addition to DeSantis, who said Thursday the state GOP cannot have a party chair under that type of scrutiny, Renner released a statement Monday saying it was untenable for Ziegler to continue as chair, and I recommend he resign his post. Passidomo also told Axios she agreed with DeSantis position. _______ With Floridas population growing and an anticipated shortfall of nearly 18,000 physicians by 2035, a research arm of the Legislature is suggesting ways that lawmakers could increase the retention of new doctors. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Floridas physician workforce is inadequate to meet projected demand, according to a presentation given Monday by the Legislatures Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to members of the House Select Committee on Health Innovation. Lawmakers heard that the issue could affect Floridians access to health care if current trends persist, as the supply of physicians could meet only 77 percent of the projected demand by 2035. The office, known in state-government circles as OPPAGA, spent more than a year collecting data related to the states Graduate Medical Education program. The program involves health-care facilities that have agreements with sponsoring institutions, such as universities, to train residents after graduation from medical school. The Graduate Medical Education program receives a mix of federal and state money. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, 49 percent of the programs $1.5 billion in funding came through the federal Medicare program and 51 percent came through the Medicaid program, which uses a combination of state and federal money. However, Florida has lagged in comparison to some other states in retaining doctors after they complete residency programs. Data presented to the House committee showed that in 2020, Florida ranked fifth among states by retaining 79 percent, or 6,211, of its graduates who completed both medical school and graduate medical education in the state. Using the same criteria, OPPAGA found that California retained 82 percent of 26,902 graduates and Texas kept 81 percent of 22,286 graduates. Theyre obviously holding and attracting a lot more students than Florida is, at the moment, to be able to have that many graduates, Rep Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, said of the other states during Mondays meeting. Wendy Scott, staff director for health and human services at OPPAGA, pointed to better retention rates for students who graduated from Florida medical schools and took part in residency programs in the state compared to students who went to out-of-state medical schools. The data showed that between 2008 and 2015, 75 percent of Florida medical school graduates who completed residency programs in the state elected to stay as physicians, compared to 42 percent of students who had come from medical schools outside of Florida. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Scott said health-care facilities reported multiple reasons for doctors leaving Florida after their residencies. Wanting to be closer to family, pursuing additional training outside Florida, and simply wanting to live in other places were among the reasons. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, has made boosting the supply of doctors in Florida a priority for the 2024 legislative session, which will begin in January. Passidomo in a Nov. 9 memo to senators pointed to population estimates that project the state will grow by 300,000 residents a year over the next five years. The fact is, we will need more maternity rooms to welcome new Floridians to the family. We will need more services for our elders to live out their golden years safely and with dignity. We will need more primary care providers who play a vital role as the main point of contact in the health care system for families and seniors, the Senate president wrote. OPPAGA offered some recommendations, including incentivizing Florida medical schools to give priority to in-state students when matching graduates to healthcare facilities. In the meantime, Scott said more research is needed to identify why doctors leave the state after completing residencies. This could be an opportunity for Florida, but we need to know more about the reasons that theyre leaving. Is it because we dont have what they want? Or because theyre seeking additional training just preferred in another state? Scott said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) A 50-year-old Florida man has been charged after he allegedly shot his longtime girlfriend multiple times Sunday night. According to a police report obtained by NBC Affiliate WESH, Seminole County deputies were called to the 3600 block of Main Street in Midway shortly before 11 p.m. for reports of a shooting. When officials arrived, they found a woman, 64, who was shot multiple times, WESH reported. Jan Henry, 50, the longtime boyfriend of the victim, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after the alleged shooting. He was booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility. 3-year-old killed in Florida after running into traffic; mother struck while chasing after toddler According to WESH, officials said the woman is now in stable condition. When the shooting first occurred, deputies initially stated that the victims adult son was the gunman but later corrected their statement, clarifying that the 64-year-old woman was believed to have been shot by her boyfriend. WESH reported that neighbors said the victim was often afraid of her boyfriend. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. You are here: Business This aerial photo taken on Nov. 8, 2023 shows robots sorting and conveying parcels at an intelligent logistics center in Deqing County, east China's Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua] China has handled its 120 billionth express mail this year, setting a new record for its annual express delivery volume, official data showed Tuesday. The historic parcel consisted of flowers sent from Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, at 6:26 p.m. Monday, according to the State Post Bureau. The parcel was swiftly loaded onto a high-speed train and is anticipated to reach its buyer in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday afternoon. China's express delivery has witnessed booming growth this year as steady economic recovery, in particular a consumption bounce-back, has boosted logistics demand. The monthly express delivery volume has consistently been above 10 billion parcels since March, with an average business income over 90 billion yuan (12.65 billion U.S. dollars). In the peak season, which starts in November, the sector continued the robust trend driven by the annual "Double 11" online shopping spree. During this period, daily deliveries have exceeded 430 million. The new annual record demonstrated a vibrant express delivery market of higher quality, a warming domestic consumer market, and a stable and upward economy, the bureau said. A leader of the Republican Party of Florida is calling for an emergency meeting to consider how to handle rape allegations that surfaced last week against the party's chairman, Christian Ziegler, who has so far refused to resign amid increasing pressure and a police investigation. It is with a heavy heart I write this email to you, wrote Florida GOP Vice Chairman Evan Power in an email sent to party leaders Monday night. Over the last few days we have seen the news and have received calls from the press about the situation with our Chairman. Gov. Ron DeSantis is among Republican leaders who have called on Ziegler to resign, a list that also includes Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, each of whom said Ziegler should step aside. I dont see how we can continue with that investigation ongoing, given the gravity of those situations. I think he should step aside, DeSantis said last week after a debate with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. I think he should tend to that. DeSantis is joined by both Florida Republican legislative leaders, an increasing number of rank-and-file members of the Legislature and former party officials. Electing Republicans goes beyond personalities. No one person should stand in the way of making sure Florida has the best chance to choose the next President, former Florida GOP executive director Mike Grissom told NBC News. Christian should step aside. Along with the presidential race, Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott is up for re-election in 2024. Scott told NBC News the allegations are "very disturbing." Im very concerned about the reports Ive read. The allegations are very disturbing. Everyone deserves their day in court and Christian and Bridget have been friends of mine throughout my career," Scott said. "The Party has a very important decision before it, and the decision has to be made on what is best for winning elections in 2024. I dont see how Christian can continue to successfully act as Chairman while this cloud hovers over him. Im praying for everyone involved in this. At the center of the allegations, according to a search warrant affidavit first obtained by the nonpartisan Florida Center for Government Accountability and shared with NBC News, are that on Oct. 2, Christian and his wife, Bridget, planned to have a consensual sexual encounter with a woman they had known for 20 years. Sarasota police have not confirmed or denied the authenticity of the affidavit, which has been widely reported. Ziegler's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. The police did release a heavily redacted 13-page report on the Ziegler investigation last week that includes mention of rape and had been sexual battered on 10/02/2023. The woman tried to cancel once Bridget decided not to come, but Christian Ziegler was seen on tape arriving at the alleged victims apartment, and he was standing outside in the hallway when she opened the door to walk her dog. Christian Ziegler, according to the search warrant affidavit, then entered her apartment and raped her on a bar stool. During the investigation Ziegler then contacted the woman on social media where she said she was not okay with what happened. Oh. Thats not good. You are my friend. Known ya for like twenty years now, Ziegler replied. Lol. The woman continued to tell him that what he did was "not cool" and that she had "not been able to work since you came over." "I really can't even talk to you right now," she said, according to a summary of the conversation on social media in the affidavit. Ziegler also called the victim multiple times; the calls were recorded. When she told him that he sexually assaulted her, Ziegler replied: "Those are big words, please don't, no I didn't. You invited me in, that's it." The investigation began with a call to police from a friend of the woman, who told police she was not showing up at work and there were concerns she had started using drugs and alcohol. She wont answer anyone else at work except for me but she told me she was raped yesterday and that she is scared to leave her house, the caller said, according to audio published by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, which has also not been confirmed by the Sarasota Police Department. In an interview with investigators, Ziegler admitted to having sex with the alleged victim, but he said it was consensual. He also said he recorded the sexual encounter, but investigators have not been able to locate the recording. Former Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, who is running for Congress and also chairs the Lake County Republican Party, said the conservative couple should resign. He should resign based upon what has been admitted to by both him and his wife under oath in the affidavits, Sabatini said. The rape accusations has yet to be substantiated and is a separate issue. Bridget Ziegler is a well-known political figure in her own right. She is a nationally recognized school choice advocate who helped start Moms for Liberty, a group focused on getting conservative women elected to school boards. She is also a DeSantis-endorsed Sarasota County School Board member and was appointed by him to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which oversees much of the business operations of Walt Disney World. The creation of the board was championed by DeSantis amid a political fight with Disney. Bridget Ziegler told detectives, according to the affidavit, that she had one sexual encounter with the victim and her husband over a year ago. In a statement Tuesday, Moms for Liberty co-founders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich said that they were "shaken" and that the allegations should be "taken seriously and fully investigated." They also noted that Ziegler resigned from her role in January 2021 but has "remained an avid warrior for parental rights." "To our opponents who have spewed hateful vitriol over the last several days: We reject your attacks," they said. "We will continue to empower ALL parents to build relationships that ensure the survival of our nation and a thriving education system. We are laser-focused on fundamental parental rights, and that mission is and always will be bigger than any one person." Christian Ziegler has denied wrongdoing and in his own defiant letter to party leaders over the weekend said he would not resign despite calls from DeSantis who is functionally the head of the party and others. We have a country to save and I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission on the bench as I wait for this process to wrap up, he wrote. The emergency meeting sought by Power would include a discussion and appropriate actions for censure or discipline of Ziegler, according to the email he sent Monday. Punishment could include appointing a special investigative committee, suspension of Zieglers authority during the investigation, suspension of his pay and a formal vote of no confidence. The proposed time for the meeting is Dec. 17 in Orlando. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. Four suspects remain on the run after Memphis Police say they burglarized at least four shops across the city. The four men were caught on camera breaking into shops across Memphis, stealing whatever they could grab before taking off. Mary Claire White, the owner of the Sugar Ghost ice cream shop on Broad Avenue, said they broke into her shop early Saturday morning. It was about 5:15 a.m. I got a call from the alarm company and the glass on the front door had been broken, and three people entered the building and one kept lookout, said Mary Claire White who owns the Sugar Ghost ice cream shop on Broad Avenue. Habitual shoplifter threatens to shoot up T-Mobile store: MPD White said this is the fourth time since the ice cream shop opened two years ago, that shes faced something like this. They came in and they opened some drawers and they went in the kitchen and looked around, but we dont accept cash so there wasnt any cash on the premises or a safe or anything like that, so they left empty-handed, she said. The other businesses werent as lucky. According to police records, the same thieves broke into a convenience store on Prescott Road early Friday morning, stealing t-shirts valued at about $150. VIDEO: Thieves load up as many shoes as they can carry in Millington Fifteen minutes later, officers responded to an adult store five minutes away on Getwell. The suspects got away with a safe, a cash register, and $11,000 of inventory. Within the same hour, they hit Soul Fish Cafe on South Cooper. The suspects were seen taking off in a black four-door BMW from each scene. Im not surprised. In fact, I kind of feel like thats what most of the city is seeing, kind of groups of the same people just doing this over and over, White said. White said its upsetting, especially when thieves target small locally owned businesses like hers. But with its bright pink walls and decor, she hopes Sugar Ghost is a bright spot for the community in more ways than one. We definitely dont let it make us be scared and we dont let it change anything about the way we do business, she said. The burglaries are still under investigation. If you have any information that could help detectives call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Padma Choling, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, speaks at a seminar to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 4, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] A seminar was held Monday in Beijing to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The seminar, hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies, welcomed guests including government officials, scholars and representatives of social organizations. In his speech at the seminar, Padma Choling, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said that the declaration established the international consensus of respecting and protecting human rights. Over the decades, China has remained steadfast in contributing wisdom to the declaration, alongside actively advocating and practicing it, said Padma Choling. He added that the country's historical achievements in advancing the human rights cause have provided new outlook for carrying forward the declaration's spirit. Lu Guangjin, a professor with Jilin University's School of Law, noted the declaration was born from the inclusiveness and coexistence of cultures and civilizations. By advocating inclusiveness, exchange and mutual learning of civilizations, China is able to provide guidance for global human rights governance and the development of world human rights cause, said Lu. Zhang Wenxian, chairman of the Academic Committee of the China Law Society, spoke of the role of the three initiatives put forward by China in advancing human rights. The three initiatives, namely the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, have broken new ground in human rights philosophy. They bear significance in building a just, equitable and effective system for international human rights governance, said Zhang. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Four people were taken to hospitals Monday night after a fire broke out at a residence on the South Side. The Columbus Division of Fire responded to the fire, in the 700 block of East Gates Street, about 8:30 p.m. Firefighters had to rescue one person who was trapped inside. That person was taken to Grant Medical Center in serious condition. Columbus City Council to launch ConnectUs program to increase internet access in Franklin County This embedded content is not available in your region. Three others at the house were taken to Wexner Medical Center and are expected to recover. Battalion Chief Jeffrey Geitter also reported that several pets were trapped inside and did not escape. Columbus firefighters on East Gates Street in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 4, 2023 (Isabel Cleary/NBC4) The cause of the fire was not immediately, and the house was left in an unlivable condition. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Four candidates will take part in the fourth Republican primary debate tonight, which again is expected to go ahead without the man widely expected to be the eventual nominee of the party. Former President Donald Trump will not be on stage in Tuscaloosa, Alabama at 8pm this evening, instead spending the evening fundraising. Those who will appear include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur and anti-woke author Vivek Ramaswamy, and ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. None of them seem able to take down Mr Trump, who appears to be in more trouble because of his myriad of legal woes compared to anything his challengers for the nomination have been able to come up with. Mr Ramaswamy has previously served as a Trump stand-in, supplying outrageous outbursts and becoming the punching bag for more old-school Republicans like Mr Christie and Ms Haley. The debate will be hosted by NewsNation the subscription-based network will broadcast the showdown at 8pm on Wednesday. The debate will also be broadcast on the CW network, as well as livestreamed on the video-hosting platform Rumble, which is popular among those on the right. Key Points How to watch the debate Who will be participating in the fourth GOP debate? How do candidates qualify? Will Donald Trump participate in the debate? Where the Republican candidates stand on Donald Trump Wednesday 6 December 2023 17:46 , Gustaf Kilander The field of Republican candidates has winnowed significantly since the beginning of the campaign, going from eight hopefuls appearing on the stage during the first primary debate to just four in the fourth showdown. The frontrunner by a wide margin is former President Donald Trump, who has declined to appear at any of the debates so far, but his reticence to argue his case hasnt had any impact on his strong primary poll numbers. The four top remaining challengers have all used different tactics to take on Mr Trump. Biotech entrepreneur and anti-woke author Vivek Ramaswamy has been mimicking him while at times struggling to explain why hes running against a man he has called the best president of the 21st century. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been creative in finding different ways to call Mr Trump a wildly incompetent and dangerous criminal. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has argued that he would be a more competent, and most importantly, younger, version of the ex-president who would be able to run again in 2028. Former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley initially instituted the pro-having it and pro-eating it cake policy of disgraced former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson when it came to Mr Trump, attempting to remain on the fence and not annoy either Republicans supportive or critical of the former president. More recently, she has become slightly more outspoken in her criticism. Ramaswamy pushes anti-Semitic conspiracy theory ahead of fourth debate Wednesday 6 December 2023 17:30 , Gustaf Kilander Vivek Ramaswamy wrote on X ahead of the fourth Republican debate that The Great Replacement Theory isnt a grand right-wing conspiracy theory, its just basic immigration policy for the modern Democrat Party. TRUTH #5: The Great Replacement Theory isnt a grand right-wing conspiracy theory, its just basic immigration policy for the modern Democrat Party. pic.twitter.com/1hlQXMAbDp Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 5, 2023 The Southern Poverty Law Center calls this a racist conspiracy narrative falsely asserts there is an active, ongoing and covert effort to replace white populations in current white-majority countries. The great replacement theory is inherently white supremacist, Jason Wilson and Aaron Flanagan write. It depends on stoking fears that a non-white population, which the theorys proponents characterize as inferior, will displace a white majority. It is also antisemitic. Some proponents of the great replacement do not explicitly attribute the plot to Jews. Instead, they blame powerful Jewish individuals such as financier and philanthropist George Soros or use coded antisemitic language to identify shadowy elites or globalists. Debate moderators say theyll attempt to get candidates to attack Trump Wednesday 6 December 2023 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander The moderators for tonights GOP debate have said they intend to try to get the candidates to go after former President Donald Trump. Elizabeth Vargas of NewsNation told Politico, I think in one of the first debates they took an hour for anybody to even say his name, which is ridiculous. Hes the person they all have to beat. Youre not running against Joe Biden right now, candidates, youre running against Donald Trump. Because otherwise, up there just criticizing Joe Biden, youre basically all surrogates for Donald Trump, she said, adding that the moderators will ask a lot of questions about Mr Trump. His pronouncements of late about mass deportations or removing Obamacare there are a lot of things that he has said that are ripe for dissection and discussion and debate, Ms Vargas told the outlet. Nikki Haleys approach to abortion is rooted in her earliest days in South Carolina politics Wednesday 6 December 2023 16:30 , Meg Kinnard As a state representative running a longshot campaign for South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley would often explain her opposition to abortion with a story about her family. Im strongly pro-life, very pro-life, and not because my party tells me to be, but my husband was adopted, and so every day I know the blessings of having him there, she said in 2010. She won that race and was reelected as governor before serving as former President Donald Trumps United Nations ambassador. Shes now competing against Trump as the only woman seeking the Republican presidential nomination. And in a primary race animated by questions over the future of abortion access in the U.S., Haley is reviving the personal anecdote she would give in South Carolina almost verbatim. I am unapologetically pro-life, not because the Republican Party tells me, but because my husband was adopted, and I live with that blessing every day, she told a New Hampshire audience in May. Haley is gaining attention in the GOP race with her calls for consensus around abortion, an unusual tone in a campaign where Republican White House hopefuls often prefer to highlight their eagerness to fight President Joe Biden and other Democrats. Her supporters say she has staked out a consistent approach from her earliest days in politics, challenging fellow Republicans to be pragmatic in their pursuit of a deeply conservative agenda. Highly principled libertarian or ruthlessly ambitious kook: Vivek Ramaswamys 10 principles to become Trumps successor Wednesday 6 December 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander More than a decade and a half after Vivek Ramaswamy was described as an intense debater-extraordinaire in The Harvard Crimson in December 2006, he took centre stage at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee as one of the top two candidates. Depending on who you ask, the biotech entrepreneur came out of the 23 August showdown as either the winner or the candidate who took the most punches from his more senior colleagues. For part of his undergraduate career, Mr Ramaswamy headed the Harvard Political Union, a role in which he was referred to as simply The Chairman. In a moment of foresight, Mr Ramaswamy told The Crimson that I consider myself a contrarian. I like to argue. Harvard teaches you to be a better questioner you can be heard even if you arent in the mainstream, he told the school paper. During the debate on 23 August, former Vice President Mike Pence attacked his age and inexperience, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, clearly frustrated at his lack of foreign policy knowledge, ranted at him about his policy of cutting aid to Ukraine and handing over large swathes of land to Russia. A timeline of Donald Trumps rivalry with Ron DeSantis Wednesday 6 December 2023 15:30 , Joe Sommerlad, Ariana Baio A shaky start to Florida governor Ron DeSantis campaign has continued to disappoint even though he was predicted to be ex-president Donald Trumps primary challenger for the Republican nomination. Mr DeSantis has seemingly failed to rise to the occasion of challenging Mr Trump after months of an increasingly tense back-and-forth. But there was a time when the two got along swimmingly. During his own tenure in the White House in 2018, Mr Trump loudly cheered Mr DeSantiss bid for the governors mansion, throwing his weight behind the former congressman and appearing at rallies to stump for him. But as Mr DeSantis rose through the ranks and was soon perceived as a potential 2024 candidate, Mr Trump changed his tune. The ex-president has yelled a steady stream of insults and barbed nicknames, most of which Mr DeSantis wisely allowed to pass without public comment, though in more recent months hes returned a comeback. The Republican candidates have learned from Trumps legal woes and are condemning Jan 6 aside from Vivek Ramaswamy Wednesday 6 December 2023 15:00 , Gustaf Kilander All but one of the Republican candidates appeared to have learned from former President Donald Trumps deepening legal woes as they appeared for the first Republican primary debate in Milwaukee. Former Vice President and 2024 candidate Mike Pence stood firmly behind his decision to certify President Joe Bidens 2020 election victory despite mounting pressure from Mr Trump and his supporters, which included violent threats to his life. Mr Pence was praised by the candidates next to him on the debate stage, apart from entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who came out swinging with conspiracy theories making the rounds on rightwing social media on a variety of topics. Mr Ramaswamy instead called on Mr Pence to commit to pardoning Mr Trump. Im the only candidate on the stage with the courage to move our nation forward, Mr Ramaswamy argued. What the Republican candidates have said on the war in Ukraine Wednesday 6 December 2023 14:30 , Gustaf Kilander and Ariana Baio As President Joe Biden likes to remind anyone who will listen, This is not your grandfathers Republican Party. That has never been more evident than when examining the way the 2024 Republican presidential candidates approach the topic of Ukraine. Support for Ukraine is dividing the GOP field. Several candidates believe the US should continue to support the war effort a stance that adheres to more traditional Republican foreign policy beliefs. For years, leaders in the GOP like George W Bush sounded alarms about Russia and supported Nato membership for Ukraine. But in more recent years, notably under former president Donald Trump, modern conservatives have embraced isolationism. A number of other Republican candidates, including Mr Trump the current frontrunner, have expressed support for this. Poll shows Donald Trump dominating GOP field as rivals sputter Wednesday 6 December 2023 14:00 , John Bowden Ahead of the fourth GOP debate in Alabama, Donald Trump is in his most comfortable polling position yet. The ex-president remains atop the GOP field in a major way, having consolidated support from six in 10 Republican voters nationally according to a NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll released on Monday. Though Mr Trump will not appear this Wednesday for the debate held by NewsNation alongside his GOP fellows, his decision to skip the 2023-24 debate cycle appears to not have hurt his chances in the slightest. Indeed, the poll shows few pieces of good news for his opponents. Mr DeSantis and Ms Haley are statistically tied, at 11 and 10 per cent respectively, while the former presidents base of support appears to trust him more on the most important issues to voters this year, including the economy. Mr DeSantis, who has seen his campaign flagging for months, remains the second choice of a much wider segment of the party than any other candidate. But even that suggests that his base is more closely aligned with Mr Trumps, and suggests that the former presidents support could surge even higher were the Florida governor to drop out. Republican 2024 candidates are walking the abortion line. One question is throwing them off balance Wednesday 6 December 2023 13:30 , Ariana Baio The 2024 Republican candidates for president have an abortion problem. At every campaign stop, town hall, debate and interview the elephant in the room manages to creep its way into the dialogue how should a potential president approach the legality of abortion at the federal level, if at all? For decades, the ideal GOP candidate would state their pro-life stance and disagree with the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v Wade to earn a gold star and potential endorsements. But since the fall of Roe last year, the issue of abortion has become increasingly complicated and voters have made it clear theyre looking for a candidate who can take a nuanced approach to the subject. Across the board, polling shows that most Americans believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases in the first trimester, regardless of party lines. Simultaneously, the same majority of voters also believe abortions should be illegal in the third trimester. Yet, when candidates are confronted with the issue, many display an obvious struggle to remain loyal to the Republican partys long-held belief while extending a compromising hand to the rest of the country. A network still seeking an audience Wednesday 6 December 2023 13:00 , David Bauder The debate is to air from 8 to 10 p.m. ET and will also be shown on the CW network, which like NewsNation is owned by the Nexstar Media Group. The CW will show it live in the eastern half of the country, and tape-delayed out West. NewsNation took over for the old WGN America network in late 2020 and has tried to establish itself with personalities who made names for themselves elsewhere: Chris Cuomo from CNN, Dan Abrams of ABC News, Ashleigh Banfield from MSNBC and former Fox News host Leland Vittert. Ratings suggest its still looking for an audience and has a way to go. NewsNation averaged 99,000 viewers in prime time in November, compared to Fox News Channels 1.73 million, MSNBCs 1.14 million, CNNs 540,000 and Newsmaxs 207,000, the Nielsen company said. The network bills itself as an unbiased alternative to competitors with more hardened partisan images. Abrams told the Hollywood Reporter that NewsNations sweet spot is the marginalized moderate majority who dont want hyper-partisan outlets. Critics, like the liberal media watchdog Media Matters, suggest NewsNation leans more right than down the middle. A Daily Beast writer who watched the network for a week this fall, Joe Berkowitz, had a similar view, writing that left-leaning voices are heard on NewsNation rarely, briefly and cursorily as if to tick a box. The networks ranks include several Fox News alums, including Grzech and Chris Stirewalt, its politics editor. Former Fox executive Bill Shine is a consultant. Grzech suggested that those critics havent watched NewsNation much. I dont see that. and it isnt the experience Ive had here at all, she said. The fourth GOP debate will be a key moment for the young NewsNation cable network Wednesday 6 December 2023 12:00 , David Bauder By airing the fourth Republican presidential primary debate scheduled for Wednesday again, minus Donald Trump the young NewsNation television network will almost certainly reach the largest audience in its history. Yet with two of the three debate moderators associated with conservative media and not NewsNation, including podcast star Megyn Kelly, the event threatens to be at odds with the centrist image the network is trying to cultivate. I think its an amazing opportunity and allows us to have more people fully sample the network and see who we are and what were doing, said Cherie Grzech, NewsNations senior vice president of news and politics. Her advice to those who have doubts about how NewsNation can pull it off: Just watch. Who qualified for the fourth GOP debate? Wednesday 6 December 2023 11:00 , Gustaf Kilander Four candidates have so far qualified for the fourth Republican primary debate, set to be hosted by NewsNation on 6 December. Former Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur and anti-woke author Vivek Ramaswamy have all qualified for the Wednesday night showdown at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The debate will be moderated by former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, now of SiriusXM, NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas, and Eliana Johnson, the editor of the Washington Free Beacon. The debate will be broadcast on NewsNation, a subscription-based network, and it will be streamed online on Rumble, the video-hosting site mainly used by right-wing voters. The first three debates were hosted by Fox News, Fox Business, and NBC News. Megyn Kellys rise was tied to Trump. Can she shine at a debate without him? Wednesday 6 December 2023 10:00 , Kelly Rissman Megyn Kelly made headlines in 2015 when she confronted Donald Trump at a presidential debate. Now as the fourth GOP primary debate approaches, she could have another starpower moment as moderator but it will have to be without the former president. Kelly, a lawyer-turned-journalist, was moderating her first presidential debate when Mr Trump, a real-estate-mogul-turned-politician, was competing in his first GOP primary debate. In this potent interaction, their paths changed forever. The exchange made her into something of a cultural icon and boosted her career, at least temporarily, while it set the tone for his soon-to-be successful campaign. She is a lawyer, hes in legal trouble. He was accused of sexual misconduct, while she was allegedly the victim of someone elses. At almost every intersection, they are coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, but have each, separately, carved out a niche rightwing audience. And when they come together, no one can turn away. Was Ron DeSantis lacklustre campaign doomed from the start? Wednesday 6 December 2023 09:00 , Gustaf Kilander Ron DeSantis entered the Republican primary this spring as the preeminent challenger to former President Donald Trump and as the heir apparent taking on the old guard. The Florida governor was Trump without the baggage, a far-right fighter ready to rumble with the radical left and govern more productively than the chaotic reality TV star, blustering real estate mogul and grievance-filled showman. In a race against the oldest president in US history, being born in the late 1970s instead of the mid-1940s would also be helpful. Part of the thinking was that Mr DeSantis could win the White House by simply standing next to President Joe Biden on the debate stage and not looking old. But was his floundering campaign always inevitable? Was Mr DeSantis always too awkward to be president? Where the GOP presidential candidates stand on abortion rights Wednesday 6 December 2023 08:00 , Ariana Baio The issue of abortion rights in the United States is staring the 2024 GOP presidential candidates in their eyes as they prepare to kick their campaigns into high gear. Abortion has become a top concern for many voters Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark case Roe v Wade (1973) last summer, 21 states have enacted abortion restrictions ranging from a total ban to the point of viability. Though the anti-abortion stance has long been associated with the Republican Party, its an unpopular view with most voters. Approximately 61 per cent of adults in the US believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to Pew Research Center. As Americans look to next years presidential election, undoubtedly, voters will be considering where the Republican nominee stands on abortion when determining who to support. What the GOP candidates have said about transgender rights Wednesday 6 December 2023 07:00 , Ariana Baio Over the last three years, the US has seen a record number of anti-transgender laws passed in states restricting, and sometimes criminalising, youth access to gender-affirming care, diminishing trans visibility in classrooms and limiting participation in athletics. So far in 2023, there have been over 566 anti-transgender bills introduced in government, according to a trans legislation tracker. Of that, 83 have passed and 358 are ongoing. The mounting legislation is largely the result of a campaign by conservatives to create false narratives vilifying transgender people, as they seek to maintain a stronghold over their constituents. Most likely, the 2024 Republican nominee for president will share similar rhetoric to other anti-transgender rights politicians. What the GOP debate candidates have said about the Israel-Hamas conflict: Chris Christie Wednesday 6 December 2023 06:00 , Ariana Baio Mr Christie has condemned Hamas and said the US should provide Israel with whatever support it needs to defend itself and take down Hamas The former New Jersey governor believes the US should provide Israel with military aid and does not think a ceasefire is the right strategy. He outlined three major strategies that he believes should be the objective of Israel and the US. Protect Israels citizens to their territorial integrity, make sure that we diminish Hamas capability to do this again and to keep, on track, with isolating Iran who is the banker of terrorism in the Middle East, Mr Christie told CNN. What the GOP debate candidates have said about the Israel-Hamas conflict: Vivek Ramaswamy Wednesday 6 December 2023 05:00 , Ariana Baio Mr Ramaswamy has mostly expressed support for Israel but maintained that the US should not be involved in the conflict at all. Israel is our most important ally in the Middle East but they get to make their own decisions about their national self-defence, Mr Ramaswamy told Fox News. But if were going to get involved I do have some serious concerns about a prolonged ground invasion in Gaza, he added. Mr Ramaswamy has also been critical of Mr DeSantis attempt to deactivate pro-Palestinian groups on Floridas campus. Whats next for Megyn Kelly? Wednesday 6 December 2023 04:00 , Kelly Rissman While Mr Trump leads in the 2024 polls, Kelly has been hosting a talk show on SiriusXM since 2020, which Mr Lukasiewicz called an overtly conservative opinion-based program. This past September, the pair reunited on Kellys show for a one-on-one interview, which boasted half a million views, a steep increase from most of her other episodes. After the interview, Mr Trump called the journalist nasty, while Kelly said their feud was under the bridge, The Hill reported. Mr Muto wondered if the RNC asked Kelly to moderate the debate to goad Mr Trump to return to the debate stage. Kelly also said she hoped to see the former president. Trump is TV gold, she told the DailyMail. Theres a reason people cant take their eyes off of him when he enters a room...so of course I would love to be part of any television program that has him on the opposite end. But Mr Trump will be notably absent once again. A Trump campaign spokesperson declined to comment on the decision to have Kelly moderate. He would have faced a panel of three women. Its been clear so far that Mr Trump doesnt need the debates to keep his lead in the 2024 race, but the question of whether Kelly needs him to achieve mainstream success again lingers. What the GOP debate candidates have said about the Israel-Hamas conflict: Nikki Haley Wednesday 6 December 2023 03:15 , Ariana Baio Ms Haley is supportive of Israel but believes the US should only play a minor role in the conflict. I dont think America needs to be telling Israel what to do, Ms Haley told the Carolina News and Record. Let Israel do what Israel needs to do. Dont talk to them about a ceasefire. Dont talk to them about restraint. Dont talk to them about humanitarian aid. The former United Nations ambassador has instead encouraged Mr Netanyahu to finish Hamas. She has also said the US should not take people in Gaza as refugees but she expressed some sympathy for innocent civilians by acknowledging that many Palestinians want to be free from Hamas. America has always been sympathetic to the fact that you can separate civilians from terrorists, she told CNN. However, Ms Haley also circulated misinformation about the attack early on, by falsely claiming the USs prisoner exchange deal with Iran helped fund Hamas attack on Israel. A new beginning Wednesday 6 December 2023 02:30 , Kelly Rissman As scandals consumed Fox News, Megyn Kelly left the network in 2017 to work at NBC, in part as an anchor of Megyn Kelly Today. Mr Muto called the change a play for mainstream relevance while Mr Lukasiewicz called it a deliberate moveto depoliticise her presence. Her stint was rocky and short-lived as multiple controversies bubbled up. Not long after her NBC career began, she was slammed for interviewing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. She also upset many viewers during an interview with the cast of Will & Grace and a so-called superfan, whom she asked: Is it true that you became a lawyer, and that you became gay, because of Will? The exchange prompted actress Debra Messing to say she was dismayed by Kellys remarks and regretted appearing on her programme. The apparent last straw for her NBC tenure occurred in October 2018 when she discussed the appropriateness of wearing blackface on Halloween. Days later, her morning show was cut. In January 2019, NBC confirmed that she was no longer a company employee. Not long after, Mr Trump suffered his own setback: he was defeated in 2020. Since then, he has become the subject of a slew of federal and state charges and lawsuits. At least one case harkened back to Kellys 2015 debate question; he was found liable for defaming and sexually assaulting E Jean Carroll. What the GOP debate candidates have said about the Israel-Hamas conflict: Ron DeSantis Wednesday 6 December 2023 01:45 , Ariana Baio The Florida governor has taken a pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian approach. Mr DeSantis has said he believes that the US should provide support to Israel but does not believe US service members should be on the ground. As commander-in-chief, I am not going to put our troops in harms way unless you are willing to defend them with everyone you have, Mr DeSantis said during the debate. Biden has em out there. They are sitting ducks. However, Mr DeSantis did boast about planes, contracted by Florida, that brought hospital supplies, drones, body armour and helmets to first responders in Israel. An Israeli diplomat contradicted the statement, saying the governors office sent medical supplies that were requested by the health ministry and was contacted to ensure a flight carrying rifle parts could leave from Miami. Mr DeSantis has also condemned antisemitism in the US and around the world in the wake of the attacks and said the US should not accept innocent civilians from Gaza as refugees. He ordered two Florida universities to deactivate their chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and also baselessly claimed that Gaza citizens are all antisemitic. Fox News and the fallout of the feud Wednesday 6 December 2023 01:00 , Kelly Rissman The aftermath of the exchange between Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump at the first debate in 2015 did not ease any tensions. There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever, Mr Trump said on ABC News, later clarifying that he had meant her nose when he said wherever. Mr Muto argued that her feud with Mr Trump turned the Fox News audience against her. Although the former Fox producer said that her question was not out of bounds, the GOP favourites ire likely stemmed from the fact that Trump does not often find himself questioned by a woman who is sort of hostile toward him. Whatever momentum she had, he completely halted, he told The Independent. Trump was mostly responsible for derailing Megyn Kellys career at Fox. Mark Lukasiewicz, who produced 10 presidential forums and is now the dean of Hofstra Universitys Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, had a different perspective. While he agreed that the interaction may have temporarily derailed her career in conservative media, Mr Lukasiewicz said the moment gave her a broader level of credibility and complimented her question and her ability to ask it. Her bosses, at least eventually, seemed to take Mr Trumps side. Insiders at Fox told New York Magazine at the time that the network had been bombarded with pro-Trump emails. One source told the outlet that the emails were vastly anti-Kelly: Roger [Ailes] was not happy. Most of the Fox viewers were taking Trumps side. Days after the debate, Mr Trump tweeted that Ailes called him, assuring that he will be treated fairly. But by early 2016, efforts toward diplomacy seemed to have failed; Mr Trump refused to participate in a subsequent debate moderated by Kelly. Their personal feelings aside, the feud buoyed both of their ratings. Her shows viewership increased in the weeks and months that followed the debate, reports at the time revealed; his ratings also skyrocketed. Months later, in May 2016, she then sat down with the Republican frontrunner in a one-on-one interview. The interview focused on his personal life including his relationship with her. Lets talk about us, she began, before patching things up between them by asking about his feelings. After the interview, Mr Trump tweeted: Well, that is it. Well done Megyn and they all lived happily ever after! Their paths crossed once again, as both were entwined in the #MeToo movement for different reasons. Just one month before the 2016 election, Mr Trump faced an October surprise: the release of the Access Hollywood tape. The clip sparked massive outrage as well as a barrage of sexual misconduct accusations against the GOP nominee. Seemingly unfazed by the allegations, he was elected president. Meanwhile, Kelly reported her own #MeToo experience. Journalist Gretchen Carlson accused Ailes of sexually harassing her. Kelly initially refused to discuss matters until Fox News completed its investigation, according to Time, but later wrote in her memoir that Ailes had made sexual comments to me and offers of professional advancement in exchange for sexual favors. What the GOP debate candidates have said about the Israel-Hamas conflict: Donald Trump Wednesday 6 December 2023 00:15 , Ariana Baio Mr Trump has been both somewhat critical and supportive of Israel. At first, he asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unprepared for the attack, pushing some of the blame onto him. During that statement, Mr Trump also called Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant organisation designated a terrorist group, smart. A spokesperson for Mr Trump later clarified that the ex-president was only pointing out how incompetent Biden and his administration were by telegraphing to the terrorists an area that is susceptible to an attack and did not mean Hezbollah was good. After receiving backlash, Mr Trump changed his tune by condemning the attack and expressing support for Israel on Truth Social. He has also claimed that Hamas attack on Israel would not have happened under his administration, much like he has when speaking about Ukraine. The feud that launched a thousand feuds Tuesday 5 December 2023 23:30 , Kelly Rissman In the infamous first Republican debate in August 2015, Megyn Kelly began: Youve called women you dont like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Only Rosie ODonnell, Mr Trump interjected. Kelly continued, Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about womens looks, before listing examples. You once told a contestant on the Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president? she asked. I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct, Mr Trump replied. What I say is what I say, and honestly, Megyn, if you dont like it, Im sorry. Ive been very nice to you, although I could probably, maybe not, be based on the way youve treated me, but I wouldnt do that. No stranger to making headlines Tuesday 5 December 2023 22:45 , Kelly Rissman Long before the feud with Donald Trump, Megyn Kelly made plenty of headlines in her own right. Kelly joined Fox News in 2004 and rapidly ascended the networks ranks. Her star was rising at Fox and she seemed poised to become the next OReilly or Hannity, said Joe Muto, a former Fox News producer who later came out as the Fox mole. After appearing on numerous programs, she hosted her own show, The Kelly File, from 2013 through 2017. She quickly became a household name both because of her pointed reporting style and some notable controversies. While covering the 2012 election, Kelly made headlines after essentially telling Bushs White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove to face the facts after he challenged Barack Obamas projected victory in Ohio. In 2013, she made waves again after claiming that both Santa Claus and Jesus were white, taking issue with a viral Slate essay that revisited the image of Santa. Then, of course, in 2015, Kelly made headlines for her heated exchange with Mr Trump at the first GOP debate. Trump to skip fourth debate in a row Tuesday 5 December 2023 22:00 , Kelly Rissman Wednesdays forum will mark the fourth debate that the former president has skipped. He previously explained his decision to not participate in any of the GOP debates on Truth Social: The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had. Instead of attending the debate, Mr Trump will be hosting a private fundraiser in Florida, NBC News reported. NewsNation will broadcast the debate at 8pm ET. It will be moderated by Kelly, NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas and The Washington Free Beacons editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson. Poll shows Donald Trump dominating GOP field as rivals sputter Tuesday 5 December 2023 21:30 , John Bowden Ahead of the fourth GOP debate in Alabama, Donald Trump is in his most comfortable polling position yet. The ex-president remains atop the GOP field in a major way, having consolidated support from six in 10 Republican voters nationally according to a NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll released on Monday. Though Mr Trump will not appear this Wednesday for the debate held by NewsNation alongside his GOP fellows, his decision to skip the 2023-24 debate cycle appears to not have hurt his chances in the slightest. Indeed, the poll shows few pieces of good news for his opponents. Mr DeSantis and Ms Haley are statistically tied, at 11 and 10 per cent respectively, while the former presidents base of support appears to trust him more on the most important issues to voters this year, including the economy. Mr DeSantis, who has seen his campaign flagging for months, remains the second choice of a much wider segment of the party than any other candidate. But even that suggests that his base is more closely aligned with Mr Trumps, and suggests that the former presidents support could surge even higher were the Florida governor to drop out. Ron DeSantis campaign chaos continues as super PAC ousts CEO after just nine days Tuesday 5 December 2023 21:00 , John Bowden Just over one month before a critical test for his campaign, Ron DeSantis is watching his presidential bid become mired in personal conflicts, disagreement on strategy and the shadow of two surging opponents who appear to be slowly bleeding his campaign dry. On Sunday, CNN reported that his allied Never Back Down PAC the vessel for outside spending in support of his bid and more barbed attacks against his opponents was losing its CEO after just nine days on the job. Two other senior operatives are also out, according to CNN, with one source describing the incident as firings, according to the network. The end of their service to Never Back Down comes following a profile of the sputtering DeSantis presidential movement in The Washington Post, which described the Florida governors bid as in extraordinary turmoil. Senior campaign staffers were described as gloomy by a close ally of Mr DeSantis, the Post reported. A high-profile debate headliner Tuesday 5 December 2023 20:30 , David Bauder In awarding the rights to televise Wednesdays debate, the Republican National Committee chose the debate moderators. The one with NewsNation ties is Elizabeth Vargas, formerly of ABC News, who hosts an evening newscast on the network. Eliana Johnson of the conservative site Washington Free Beacon was also selected. The headliner, though, is Kelly. Working with Kelly is a throwback for Grzech; they did debate prep together when both were at Fox. Kellys experience working debates during the 2016 Republican presidential nominating process shot her to fame through her feud with Trump. Kelly signed a big free agent contract with NBC News but that didnt work out, and she negotiated an exit when her 2018 suggestion that it was OK for white people to wear blackface on Halloween caused a furor. Shes since remade herself as a podcast and radio star, much more publicly opinionated than before, and is taking a role as a debate moderator that has traditionally been filled by impartial journalists. Its not like Kelly hasnt done it before. But, in her new job, she hasnt been shy about offering opinions on the people who will be debating. Shes criticized Ron DeSantis for taking on the Walt Disney Corp. in Florida and said of him during a debate in September on social media, Seriously, Ron DeSantis, you do not need to smile the whole debate. Whoever told you that misled you. Kelly called Nikki Haleys announcement of her presidential candidacy cringy. On X, formerly Twitter, she posted: Is it just me, or has (Chris) Christie lost a little off his fastball? She posted youve got to be kidding me in response to one of Vivek Ramaswamys X messages in October. And during one of the debates on Fox, she posted, Im bored. I think theres an argument to be had about whether shes a journalist anymore, said Tom Jones, senior media writer at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank. My concern if I was NewsNation is that Megyn Kelly is going to come in with her own agenda and turn this debate upside down. Jones said he admired how Kelly has remade her career, but I dont know if the job she does now necessarily qualifies her to be a moderator for a debate. Kelly, through a representative, declined an interview request. It is a Republican debate, and theres an argument to be made that figures in the conservative media would be more attuned to what potential GOP primary voters want to hear about. But could that also mean avoiding legitimate topics because they might make a Republican audience uncomfortable? To that end, Grezch said that questions about Trump, the missing debater and leader in the polls, are legitimate. How NewsNation handles its moment in the spotlight becomes clear Wednesday night. A network still seeking an audience Tuesday 5 December 2023 20:00 , David Bauder The debate is to air from 8 to 10 p.m. ET and will also be shown on the CW network, which like NewsNation is owned by the Nexstar Media Group. The CW will show it live in the eastern half of the country, and tape-delayed out West. NewsNation took over for the old WGN America network in late 2020 and has tried to establish itself with personalities who made names for themselves elsewhere: Chris Cuomo from CNN, Dan Abrams of ABC News, Ashleigh Banfield from MSNBC and former Fox News host Leland Vittert. Ratings suggest its still looking for an audience and has a way to go. NewsNation averaged 99,000 viewers in prime time in November, compared to Fox News Channels 1.73 million, MSNBCs 1.14 million, CNNs 540,000 and Newsmaxs 207,000, the Nielsen company said. The network bills itself as an unbiased alternative to competitors with more hardened partisan images. Abrams told the Hollywood Reporter that NewsNations sweet spot is the marginalized moderate majority who dont want hyper-partisan outlets. Critics, like the liberal media watchdog Media Matters, suggest NewsNation leans more right than down the middle. A Daily Beast writer who watched the network for a week this fall, Joe Berkowitz, had a similar view, writing that left-leaning voices are heard on NewsNation rarely, briefly and cursorily as if to tick a box. The networks ranks include several Fox News alums, including Grzech and Chris Stirewalt, its politics editor. Former Fox executive Bill Shine is a consultant. Grzech suggested that those critics havent watched NewsNation much. I dont see that. and it isnt the experience Ive had here at all, she said. The fourth GOP debate will be a key moment for the young NewsNation cable network Tuesday 5 December 2023 19:30 , David Bauder By airing the fourth Republican presidential primary debate scheduled for Wednesday again, minus Donald Trump the young NewsNation television network will almost certainly reach the largest audience in its history. Yet with two of the three debate moderators associated with conservative media and not NewsNation, including podcast star Megyn Kelly, the event threatens to be at odds with the centrist image the network is trying to cultivate. I think its an amazing opportunity and allows us to have more people fully sample the network and see who we are and what were doing, said Cherie Grzech, NewsNations senior vice president of news and politics. Her advice to those who have doubts about how NewsNation can pull it off: Just watch. Democrat megadonor gives to Nikki Haley super PAC to help thwart Trump Tuesday 5 December 2023 19:15 , Oliver OConnell Just a week after JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon urged even liberal Democrats to help Nikki Haleys campaign to give Republicans an alternative to Donald Trump, one Democrat megadonor has done just that. Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, donated $250,000 to a super PAC supporting the former UN ambassadors 2024 campaign to be the GOP nominee in 2024. The New York Times confirmed the donation had been made with Dmitri Mehlhorn, a political adviser to Mr Hoffman. Mr Mehlhorn told the outlet that the pro-Haley super PAC SFA Fund Inc was specifically asked if it would take money from a Democrat who actively supports President Joe Biden, and they said yes. SFA Fund Inc is one of the biggest actors in the 2024 Republican primary race, having spent more than $33m on advertising and other expenses. Its biggest contributors up to mid-2023 were Jan Koum, a co-founder of WhatsApp, who gave $5m, and the venture capitalist Tim Draper, who gave $1.25m. Previously Mr Hoffman helped fund E Jean Carrolls lawsuit against the former president when she sued him for rape and defamation. Mr Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defaming Ms Carroll. He also hosted a fundraiser for Mr Biden in California earlier this year; donated to vocal Trump foe Liz Cheney in 2022; and gave $3.35m to the Republican Accountability Project during the 2022 election cycle. VIDEO: 4 Republicans Qualify for Next Presidential Debate Tuesday 5 December 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander Who qualified for the fourth GOP debate? Tuesday 5 December 2023 18:30 , Gustaf Kilander Four candidates have so far qualified for the fourth Republican primary debate, set to be hosted by NewsNation on 6 December. Former Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur and anti-woke author Vivek Ramaswamy have all qualified for the Wednesday night showdown at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The debate will be moderated by former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, now of SiriusXM, NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas, and Eliana Johnson, the editor of the Washington Free Beacon. The debate will be broadcast on NewsNation, a subscription-based network, and it will be streamed online on Rumble, the video-hosting site mainly used by right-wing voters. The first three debates were hosted by Fox News, Fox Business, and NBC News. Will Donald Trump participate in the debate? Tuesday 5 December 2023 18:00 , Gustaf.Kilander Former President Donald Trump has qualified for the debate but hes not expected to attend. He skipped the first three debates. The ex-president will instead attend a fundraiser for his Make America Great Again (MAGA) super PAC in Florida, he announced on Truth Social. Mr Trump isnt planning on counter-programming the debate with his own event as he has done previously, according to his campaign. How do candidates qualify? Tuesday 5 December 2023 17:45 , Gustaf Kilander To qualify, candidates had to acquire 80,000 donors at least 200 from 20 states and territories and at least six per cent support in at least two national polls or one national survey and two polls from the early states Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. Who will be participating in the fourth GOP debate? Tuesday 5 December 2023 17:30 , Gustaf Kilander Four candidates have so far qualified for the fourth Republican primary debate, set to be hosted by NewsNation on 6 December. Former Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur and anti-woke author Vivek Ramaswamy have all qualified for the Wednesday night showdown at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. How to watch the debate Tuesday 5 December 2023 17:15 , Gustaf Kilander The debate will be hosted by NewsNation the subscription-based network will broadcast the showdown at 8pm on Wednesday night. The debate will also be livestreamed on the video-hosting platform Rumble, which is popular among those on the right. Megyn Kellys rise was tied to Trump. Can she shine at a debate without him? Tuesday 5 December 2023 17:00 , Kelly Rissman Megyn Kelly made headlines in 2015 when she confronted Donald Trump at a presidential debate. Now as the fourth GOP primary debate approaches, she could have another starpower moment as moderator but it will have to be without the former president. Kelly, a lawyer-turned-journalist, was moderating her first presidential debate when Mr Trump, a real-estate-mogul-turned-politician, was competing in his first GOP primary debate. In this potent interaction, their paths changed forever. The exchange made her into something of a cultural icon and boosted her career, at least temporarily, while it set the tone for his soon-to-be successful campaign. She is a lawyer, hes in legal trouble. He was accused of sexual misconduct, while she was allegedly the victim of someone elses. At almost every intersection, they are coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, but have each, separately, carved out a niche rightwing audience. And when they come together, no one can turn away. Megyn Kellys career rose after high-profile Trump feud. Can she still break through? What the GOP debate candidates have said about the Israel-Hamas conflict Tuesday 5 December 2023 16:11 , Ariana Baio The onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict was a major theme of the third Republican primary debate on 8 November, with candidates declaring their support for Israel in varying degrees. Since the war began in early October, there have been disagreements regarding how the US should back Israel as an ally while also trying to protect the innocent Palestinians caught in the crossfire. Candidates were under more pressure this time around because they were given more time to answer thoughtfully thanks to the dwindling number of participants who met the Republican National Committees (RNC) stricter criteria. Just five candidates, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, qualified for the third debate. Former president Donald Trump, who technically qualified, refused to join his opponents on stage. Though, Mr Trump has still voiced his opinion on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Was Ron DeSantis lacklustre campaign doomed from the start? Tuesday 5 December 2023 16:08 , Gustaf Kilander Ron DeSantis entered the Republican primary this spring as the preeminent challenger to former President Donald Trump and as the heir apparent taking on the old guard. The Florida governor was Trump without the baggage, a far-right fighter ready to rumble with the radical left and govern more productively than the chaotic reality TV star, blustering real estate mogul and grievance-filled showman. In a race against the oldest president in US history, being born in the late 1970s instead of the mid-1940s would also be helpful. Part of the thinking was that Mr DeSantis could win the White House by simply standing next to President Joe Biden on the debate stage and not looking old. But was his floundering campaign always inevitable? Was Mr DeSantis always too awkward to be president? FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Free meals will be offered at a select number of Fresno Unified schools over the winter break. The school district sites will start serving meals from Monday, Dec. 18, and will be available to any children between the ages of one year and 18 years. The child will need to be present and eat the meal at the school site. Fresno Unified will offer free meals from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at 19 schools hosting winter sessions. Participating school sites include: Middle schools, starting Dec. 18 until Dec. 21 and Jan. 2 until Jan. 5: Ahwahnee, Computech, Cooper, Kings Canyon, Tehipite, and Tenaya High schools, starting Dec. 19 until Jan. 5: Bullard, Duncan Polytechnical, Edison, Fresno, Hoover, McLane, Roosevelt, Sunnyside Alternative education sites, starting Dec. 18 until Jan. 4: Cambridge, DeWolf, Fulton, J.E.Young, and Phoenix Secondary. We know that school lunches are an important source of nutrition for many of our students, and we are pleased to continue to provide free, healthy meals to our students over the winter break, said Superintendent Bob Nelson. You can view the school list and dates for meals by clicking here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com. Cynthia Stringfield had barely slept by the time she reached the Miami Seaquarium parking lot early Tuesday morning. She had been awake since 4 a.m. and was restless the night before. The day shed anticipated for weeks was finally here: It was manatee moving day, and Stringfield was going along for the five-hour ride to Tampa. This was not just any manatee. This was Romeo, a 2,100-pound hunk of mass who, at 65, was one of the oldest living manatees on Earth. In recent weeks, a wave of attention had turned to Romeo and two of his manatee colleagues living at Miami Seaquarium after a viral drone video, viewed more than 20 million times online, showed him swimming all alone in what appeared to be a small, run-down aquarium pool with a dirty floor. People decried what they said was manatee isolation of the semisocial creatures and called for the release of Romeo, Juliet and Clarity from the aquarium. It was the latest uproar against the facility, which also was under scrutiny after the death of its longtime resident orca, Tokitae, and incidents in which it was accused of mishandling animals. At 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Romeo became the first of the trio to begin the journey to a new facility. His destination was ZooTampa, where Stringfield works as a critical care veterinarian. Juliets truck was set to leave 50 minutes later, also headed for Tampa, and Clarity would be delivered to SeaWorld in Orlando. Given Romeos age, weight, health issues and the growing campaign to save him, the stakes were high. Severely injured or very sick manatees can die in transport. Well be in the middle of Florida, in a truck, with a manatee, Stringfield said. You need to be ready for that. With Romeo loaded into the box truck and three caretakers by his side to give him oxygen and keep him comfortable, the team set out. There were 300 miles to go. Problems persisted at Miami home Romeo and Juliet had lived at Miami Seaquarium since the late 1950s, which predates animal protection laws passed in the 1970s, like the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Though the manatees are celebrated for their age, their longevity has complicated oversight efforts: While many rescued manatees in human care are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this duo is not. In the governments eyes, these are pre-act animals. Questions about what to do with the pair bubbled up in recent years when a public campaign to spotlight living conditions at Miami Seaquarium gained traction. A U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection from July cited the aquarium and pointed to manatee isolation and a lack of shade among other observations. Manatees prefer to be around others, but Romeo was alone for months and his skin and eyes were exposed periodically to damaging sun when the tarp over his pool was removed, the report found. Environmental groups said conditions began to deteriorate when the Mexico-based The Dolphin Co. took over operations of the facility in 2021. Water quality issues, staffing disputes and animals exposed to long periods of sunlight were among their concerns. In August, Tokitae, an orca whale who lived for decades at the Miami facility, died just months after Miami Seaquarium announced plans to relocate her back to her home waters. A veterinarian and The Dolphin Co. said shed been in good health just days earlier. An autopsy unveiled in October cited old age and chronic illnesses as causes of death. The conditions there were certainly suboptimal, and problems persisted there longer than they should have, said Patrick Rose, an aquatic biologist and executive director of Save the Manatee Club. After weeks of quiet planning between federal and state wildlife agencies and with the backing from a contingent of Florida manatee experts, the long-awaited green light to move Romeo, Juliet and Clarity came on Dec. 1. Everyone agreed Tuesday would be the day the manatees would be moved. The state sent out a 35-page operational plan. It was time for Romeo and Juliet to hit the road. Manatee on the move Somewhere around Naples, Stringfield sent a text to the 11-person group chat created for Romeos transport. Exit 101 Naples, she wrote. It was one of five designated checkpoints along the route where Stringfield would send a location update. Most rescued or rehabilitated manatees in transport usually rest on their stomachs during the ride. But not Romeo. We cant ask him and he cant tell us why, but he likes resting on his back, Stringfield said. Thats his happy place. Stringfields job was to sit in the passenger seat next to two oxygen tanks. Manatees may live in the water, but they are air-breathing creatures. Each time a manatee takes a breath, its nose opens slightly. When Romeo inhaled and his nostrils widened, Stringfield pressed a button that controlled a valve in front of his nose to give him oxygen. She gave him air each time he inhaled, about three breaths every five minutes. We dont usually need to do that, Stringfield said. But he is so old, and his health status was so up in the air. Romeos size also made caring for him especially challenging. His paddle, or tail, is so large that it reminds his caretakers of a whale tail. Sudden thrashing or quick jolts could spell trouble in close quarters. The journey to ZooTampa included an escort, flashing lights and all, from both state and federal wildlife agencies. The four-woman team tried to keep the mood light. That included customizing the lyrics from Taylor Swifts Love Story, which references the Shakespearean star-crossed lovers. To the tune, the women sang: Romeo well transport you, so you wont be alone, weve been waiting to get you a new home. Youll be the prince, and well be your princess. Its a success story, ZooTampa just said yes. The urgent push to #FreeRomeo Advocacy group UrgentSeas posted the November drone video that increased attention to Romeos living conditions. The video, purportedly taken Nov. 13, appears to show Romeo swimming alone. His small circle-shaped pool looks worn. The hashtag #FreeRomeo flashes at the end of the video. Phil Demers, co-founder of UrgentSeas, told the Tampa Bay Times that its a beautiful thing to hear the manatees were relocated to other facilities. Public pressure played a monster role in the relocation of these manatees, Demers said in an interview. Its every activists dream to enact and inspire change. Today we all get to celebrate an amazing result. MS Leisure, a subsidiary of The Dolphin Co., is suing the activist for defamation, trespass and nuisance over his social media posts highlighting the conditions of the Miami Seaquarium. We firmly believe this is a lawsuit aimed at silencing Mr. Demers effective activism highlighting the poor conditions of the animals held captive at the Miami Seaquarium, Chris Carraway, a staff attorney at the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, wrote in an email to the Times. Though UrgentSeas video went online in November, scientists and officials involved in the plan to relocate Romeo and Juliet told the Times that the operation was already months in the making. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spearheaded the removal of Romeo and Juliet, according to interviews with the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership and ZooTampa staff. But because the animals werent under federal management because of their old age, the Miami aquarium had to agree to their release. In a prepared statement, Miami Seaquarium said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has jurisdiction over Clarity, who was relocated to SeaWorld, and the federal agency began the process to move her months ago. But that would mean Juliet would be left alone, which isnt allowed under wildlife service regulations. Current legislation and regulations make it impossible to give a solution to keeping male and female manatees together, as reproduction is not permitted, and keeping them solitary is not recommended, the aquarium wrote. And so, since no other options were available for both Romeo and Juliet, we believed it is best for them to be transferred to a facility that could host them in a social group, the aquarium wrote. All three manatees appeared to be experiencing health issues, according to a statement from Carli Segelson, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their conditions made transport high-risk, Segelson said, but necessary for the animals future well-being. Romeo arrives to his new home After nearly five hours on the road, Stringfield sent one final text to the Romeo transport chat, alerting the group that the truck was pulling into ZooTampa at last. The zoos security team opened the gates and cleared the way for Romeos arrival. Driving a manatee down Florida interstates for hundreds of miles is not the only difficult hurdle in the journey. Physically lifting a manatee is no simple task, either. ZooTampa prepared specialized stretchers to lift Romeo from his transport truck. Its a formidable process, with a lot of shifting and sliding to make sure the hefty sea cow is secure. The crew then used a custom crane to place him in his new pool. Molly Lippincott, the senior curator of Florida and marine life at ZooTampa, operated the crane. She was part of the team who traveled with Romeo, and when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reached out to ZooTampa to take in Juliet, she was the one who advocated for taking Romeo, too. She has helped care for 300 manatees in her nearly two-decade tenure at ZooTampa. But with Romeo weighing 2,100 pounds and Juliet 3,100 pounds, theyre some of the largest animals she has ever moved. Juliet reached ZooTampa about two hours after Romeo. Both animals got blood tests and in-depth health assessments. Romeo is now in two connected medical pools with five other males, and Juliet is with two females. Romeo and Juliet: A not-so-tragic ending Most manatees in the wild dont grow to be as old as Romeo and Juliet, who have been swimming on this planet for more than six decades, said Rose of the Save the Manatee Club. But with the right care, this duo could live for many more years. Now that these manatees are relocated to new homes, theres an opportunity for them to become companions for other rescued manatees in rehab, Rose said. Over the next few weeks, ZooTampa staff will introduce themselves to Romeo and Juliet, and learn each animals behavior, habits and personality. Its like making a new friend: It takes time, but the bond grows when nurtured. Its not unusual when you do move animals that it takes them a few days to get comfortable and acclimate. But Romeo is already being social with other animals. Its fantastic, Lippincott said. Its hard to even express what a great feeling it was. Just days ago, Romeo floated alone in a pool, 300 miles from here. Now hes swimming up to other manatees. He bonks their noses, nuzzles their whiskers. If all goes well, zoo staff hope this modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet ends happily. Bratislava and Prague are requesting an extension to an EU sanctions exemption that allows Slovakia to sell Russian oil products to Czechia beyond today's deadline, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 5. The request is complicating negotiations on the EU's 12th sanctions package against Russia, the FT said. The two countries believe that the exemption to selling refined Russian oil products must be extended to avoid price increases. Meanwhile, other EU states, such as Poland and the Baltics countries, are against any exemption, the FT said. Russia's economy heavily relies on its fossil fuel industry, which in turn funds its military budget used for its invasion of Ukraine. Despite EU sanctions on Russian oil, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary have been allowed to import Russian oil until alternative supplies become available. Slovakia is among the countries in the EU most dependent on Russian oil, with an estimated 95% of its oil coming from Russia. Slovakia to extend, expand ban on Ukrainian agricultural products The Slovak government plans to extend and expand the ban on Ukrainian agricultural products, according to an Agriculture Ministry proposal that was approved on Nov. 29. The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court Refined petroleum was Slovakia's seventh-biggest export in 2021, with $657 million worth of refined petroleum being exported to Czechia that year, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. A key issue is that the Hungary-owned Slovnaft, Slovakia's sole refiner, "has not yet been able to pivot from Russian heavy crude to the lighter version imported from other countries," the FT said, with an official citing the high financial cost of making the switch. Hungary said in July that it was seeking a one-year extension to the rule for Slovnaft, giving time for the company to make the switch. According to the FT, Prague hopes that improvements to a pipeline that connects the Italian port of Trieste with central Europe would allow it to bypass the pipeline from Russia, though the work is unlikely to be completed for another year. Another related issue is that Slovakia is entirely reliant on Russia for all of its nuclear fuel. Slovakia's Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said in November that Bratislava will not back the EU's 12th package of sanctions against Russia if it bans the import of Russian nuclear fuel. "A red line for us is that the sanctions mustn't include nuclear fuel because (Slovak) nuclear power plants haven't been sufficiently transformed yet to be able to operate with alternative fuel," the minister said. As sanctions bite, Russia eyes Ukraines mineral resources to fund its invasion Russias 2024 federal budget brought little in the way of surprises, the country is gearing up for a long war. Signed by President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, it ushered record levels of military spending a sign of Moscows commitment to its war against Ukraine. While part of the Russian The Kyiv IndependentKatie Marie Davies Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. On Monday 4 December, Ukraine and members of the Group of Seven Plus, which consists of the G7 nations and their allies, jointly announced the formation of an expanded Clean Energy Partnership with the goal of assisting in the post-conflict reconstruction of the Ukrainian energy industry. Source: this agreement was announced by the parties within the framework of the global climate summit COP28 in Dubai, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Clean Energy Partnership will be a forum for discussion, coordination and knowledge sharing to support the recovery, reform and involvement of the private sector in Ukraine's transition to clean energy. The mechanism brings together the Government of Ukraine, bilateral donors, key international organisations and financial institutions, as well as representatives of the private business sector. Among the key tasks that the partnership will contribute to are the further liberalisation of the electricity market and the transition to market tariffs, energy efficiency, as well as the expansion of commercial participation in the energy sector. Separately, it is stated that the Clean Energy Partnership will work in combination with the Ukraine Plan, which is a document that specifies the set of particular reforms needed to secure funding from abroad for the following four years. The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and Italy's Ministry of Environment and Energy Security decided to collaborate on energy transition and renewable energy sources within the framework of the COP28. Before that, the US allocated US$25 million to Ukraine to restore the energy sector affected by Russian attacks. Support UP or become our patron! Palestinians flee north Gaza towards the south, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip By Bassam Masoud KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Fearful of being killed in an Israeli bombardment, families in Gaza were packing up and fleeing on Tuesday, heading for a pocket of land further south already crammed with displaced people without enough food, water or toilets. Some were fleeing for the third or fourth time in less than two months. Most of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people have been made homeless by the war between Israel and Hamas, and the new phase of displacement since a week-long truce ended on Dec. 1 is worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian situation. In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where Israel was launching a long-awaited assault, Palestinians who had sought protection from air strikes by camping in the grounds of the city's Nasser Hospital were rolling up their tents and loading cars or donkey carts with piles of mats and blankets. "We are getting ready to leave Khan Younis, heading to Rafah. We have been here for about 50 days," said Abu Omar, a middle-aged man who left his home in the eastern part of the city and had been sheltering at the hospital camp with his family. Rafah, further south on the border with Egypt, is one of the last remaining areas where the Israeli military has said civilians could go to escape the fighting, although it has been hit by many air strikes. "There is no safe place ... but at the end, we head to wherever we think there might be a bit of safety," said Abu Omar, standing by a car whose roof was piled high with possessions. But in Rafah, displaced people said their living conditions were horrible. "There are no bathrooms. We cannot even wash if we want to pray. There is no place for us to wash or pray. If we want to wash our kids hands there is no place for that. There is not even a place where you can bake or get bread," said Enas Mosleh, sitting with her children in a shelter made out of wooden slats and transparent plastic sheets. "We spend all night hearing rockets and bombing. We are living between life and death. We may die at any moment," she said, her face streaked with tears. OVERCROWDING Khan Younis was home to 381,000 people before the war. Another 245,000 people displaced by Israel's bombardment of the northern part of Gaza have been sheltering there, in 71 different locations, a United Nations spokesperson said. The Israeli army has called for residents to evacuate to three designated areas in the Rafah governorate. Those areas are already packed with 280,000 residents and 470,000 displaced people who arrived after the war started on Oct. 7. "The relocation directive would effectively bring the number of people in Rafah to 1.35 million, driving an additional 600,000 people from Khan Younis to an area with an existing population of 750,000 where the ability of the U.N. and partners to provide assistance is already critically challenged," the U.N. spokesperson said. Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 240 hostages, according to Israel's tally. More than 15,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military response in Gaza, according to figures from Gaza health officials deemed reliable by the United Nations. Hassan al-Basiouny's home was in Beit Hanoun, a town in northeastern Gaza where 52,000 people used to live but was so heavily bombarded that there is barely an inhabitable building still standing. He said he and his family first moved to a shelter elsewhere in northern Gaza, then to the Nasser Hospital camp in Khan Younis, and now they were going to Rafah -- their third displacement in less than two months. "Safety can only be provided by God. Whatever God has willed will happen," he said. (Additional reporting by Fadi Shana and Saleh Salem in Rafah and Maggie Fick in Beirut; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Timothy Heritage) A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying satellite MISRSAT-2 blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 4, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] China helped Egypt send a remote-sensing satellite into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gobi Desert Monday. The satellite MISRSAT-2, launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 12:10 p.m. (Beijing Time), will be used in Egypt's land and resource utilization, water conservancy, agriculture, and other fields. The project results from all-around practical cooperation between China and Egypt under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed a decade ago, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The MISRSAT-2 is a landmark project of deep cooperation between China and Egypt in the field of high-tech aerospace and is of milestone significance in aerospace cooperation between the two countries, said the CNSA. China helped Egypt develop and build a satellite assembly integration testing center. During the development of the satellite, the Chinese side provided comprehensive system-level design training and final assembly testing operation training to Egyptian technicians, who deeply participated in the entire process of satellite design, development, and testing. The cooperation project helped promote Egypt's aerospace industry in satellite development, ground facility construction, and operation, as well as satellite data processing and application. The project also laid a foundation for deepening the follow-up aerospace cooperation between China and Egypt. Haitham Medhat Akah, program manager from the Egyptian Space Agency, told Xinhua that the MISRSAT-2 project has laid a solid foundation for the development of Egypt's space industry, promoted the training of Egyptian space professionals, and helped Egypt become a leader in the field of space satellites in Africa and the Middle East. He noted that the successful launch of the satellite is not only a milestone in the field of Chinese-Egyptian space cooperation but will also serve the Egypt Vision 2030 sustainable development strategy in several important areas, such as agriculture, mineral exploration, urban planning, and monitoring of coastline changes. Gao Lyuhua, deputy director of the Earth Observation System and Data Center of the CNSA, said the successful implementation of the MISRSAT-2 project made Egypt the first country in Africa to have complete satellite development and final assembly and testing capabilities. China is willing to work with Egypt to cooperate in sharing and exchanging satellite data, and continuously expand the breadth and depth of space cooperation between the two countries, Gao said. Egypt is a major country in Arab countries and Africa. The China-Egypt space cooperation could become a model of space cooperation between China, Arab, and African countries with important demonstration significance. China is willing to work with other countries to build a community with a shared future in space and for mankind, Gao added. Monday's launch was the 499th flight mission of the Long March carrier rockets. Remote sensing satellites Starpool 02-A and Starpool 02-B were also sent into space simultaneously. FILE - Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves the Capitol after being expelled from the House of Representatives, Dec. 1, 2023, in Washington. The special election for the Santos' former House seat is set for Feb. 13, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday, Dec. 5. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File) ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) A special election to pick a successor to George Santos, the New York Republican who was expelled from the U.S. House last week, will be held on Feb. 13, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. The race for a seat representing some Long Island suburbs and a small part of the New York City borough of Queens is expected to be a high-profile contest that will mark the start of a year of consequential congressional elections in the state. For Democrats, the election will be a test of the party's ability to flip districts around New York City that are seen as vital to their plans to retake control of the House. Republicans enter the contest with heavy momentum on Long Island and will fight to hold on to the district as they look to maintain their narrow House majority. Candidates in the special election will be picked by party leaders, not voters. Former U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi has emerged as the potential frontrunner nominee for Democrats. Suozzi, 61, represented the district for six years before launching an unsuccessful campaign for governor last year, and previously held political posts as a county executive and mayor on Long Island. The centrist Democrat's deep ties in Long Island politics may provide name recognition and the ability to quickly stand up a campaign vital attributes in an narrowly focused election where voters will have a limited amount of time to pick their representative. Suozzi had announced his campaign for the seat before Santos was expelled, and has been promoting a series of endorsements from local politicians and labor groups after the district became vacant. Also vying for the Democratic nomination is former state senator Anna Kaplan, who has in recent days taken potshots at Suozzi's record and sought to center the special election on passing federal legislation guaranteeing abortion rights. On the Republican side, potential names include retired police detective Mike Sapraicone, Air Force veteran Kellen Curry and Nassau County legislator Mazi Pilip, an Ethiopian-born Jewish woman who served in the Israeli military. Sapraicone, who is also the founder of a private security company, said he has been interviewed by county Republicans who will select the nominee, with the panel quizzing him on his political stances, his ability to fundraise and quickly launch a campaign. Like Suozzi, Sapraicone launched his campaign before Santos was expelled and has already begun to fundraise, with his campaign coffers including $300,000 of his own money, he said. For us to maintain the House and retain the majority is so important, Sapraicone said. Its so important that New York sets the tone here in February. Democrats want to flip at least five House seats in New York next year, with the Santos seat being a potential early indicator of their chances in November. The party has dedicated significant financial and organizational resources to the state, after a series of losses last year in the New York City suburbs helped Republicans take control of the House and brought down heavy criticism on state Democrats. President Joe Biden won the district in 2020, but Republicans have notched major electoral gains on Long Island in recent years as moderate suburban voters have gravitated toward the GOP. In the latest sign of Republican strength on Long Island, the GOP won several local elections on the island last month, including races in the now-vacant district. Santos was expelled from the House last week following a scandal-plagued tenure in Congress and a looming criminal trial. He is only the sixth member in the chambers history to be ousted by colleagues. Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves the Capitol after being expelled from the House of Representatives on Dec. 1, 2023. Whats next for Santos? | Stephanie Scarbrough, Associated Press Last week, George Santos became a footnote in history by becoming the sixth House lawmaker to be expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives. The former New York representative has since turned over a new leaf, stepping into the limelight as a former congressional Icon, or so he calls himself on Cameo, a website that allows fans to request personalized video messages from celebrities or influencers. Perhaps selling video clips for $200 each is a way to make up for his loss of a yearly congressional salary of $174,000. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., hired Santos for a special video: I thought my ethically-challenged colleague (Sen. Bob Menendez) could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems, Fetterman wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to the Democratic New Jersey senator and his wife, Nadine Menendez, who face bribery and corruption charges. Related Fetterman hoped to give his ethically challenged colleague some encouragement to deal with his legal troubles with seasoned expert Santos help. The Pennsylvania senator attached the clip he received from Santos. Hey, Bobby, Santos says in the 24-second video. You stand your ground, sir. And dont get bogged down by all the haters out there. A Fetterman spokesman told Business Insider that Santos fulfilled the request 16 minutes after it was sent to him. It cost Fetterman $343.20, which included taxes and fees. Santos wasnt mad at Fettermans prank. His reaction was quite the opposite: I love this! he wrote in a response on X. After his removal from Congress, writer-comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, known for satirical humor, expressed a desire to interview Santos in a post on X, which has since racked up at least 6 million views. She sent him a message over the weekend, asking the former representative if he would be interviewed in a pay-per-view interview, adding, Youd be an iconic guest. Santos response? Lets do it Ziwe. Apart from television appearances, theres the possibility of a movie based on Santos life. Deadline reported HBO Films was contemplating buying the rights to the book The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos by Mark Chiusano, which was released last week. The film is in development, said Frank Rich, who executive produced HBOs Emmy-winning shows Veep and Succession, which depict the horseplay among elites in Washington, D.C., and New York. Per the report, Rich described the film as a forensic and darkly comic look at the crazy, unprecedented congressional race on Long Island that led to Santos being elected to Congress. Mike Makowsky is installed as the writer. He previously wrote and produced HBOs Bad Education, which is based on a true story about the superintendent of a Long Island school district who was a part of an $11 million embezzlement scheme. The show takes place in the same district Santos represented in Congress. Santos, too, is interested in writing a book about his life. And while he said he is turning down documentary filmmakers, he created a casting guidance in case anyone wants to make a biopic. This is not something for somebody with a career, he said, per The New York Times. This is a career-making movie. The former representative still has legal troubles to address. He pleaded not guilty to 23 federal counts related to fraud. A trial date has been set for September 2024. His former campaign fundraiser, Sam Miele, has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and his ex-treasurer, Nancy Marks, has pleaded guilty to a fraud conspiracy charge, which further implicates Santos. Still, one thing remains clear, Santos does not want to hold any type of office. I have no interest in running for mayor. Governor, even less, he told reporters on the eve of his expulsion, according to the Times. I do not desire to be the executive of anything. NEW YORK George Santos first gig out of Congress is selling Cameo appearances for $200 apiece. The disgraced politician on Friday became the sixth congressman to be expelled from the House of Representatives following a scathing Ethics Committee report alleging misappropriation of campaign funds. But supporters still wanting to hear Santos voice can hire him to record a video greeting. One of his first recordings is addressed to someone named Megan. In that clip, which lasts nearly a minute, the 35-year-old Republican offers advice on coping with criticism. They can boot me out of Congress, but they cant take away my good humor or my larger-than-life personality, Santos said. Santos refers to himself as a Former congressional Icon' on his Cameo profile. Those wishing to buy a personalized message can choose from topics including holiday greetings, gossip and advice. When Santos started selling video messages, they cost only $150, according to The Hill. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, by comparison, charges only$20 per message. In another sample Cameo clip Santos posted, he said, It doesnt matter if you either get fired from a job or if you find a new job, what matters is what you make of it. Santos was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2022 thanks to a campaign built almost entirely on lies about his education, work history and family background. He was exposed by a bombshell report in The New York Times that generously claimed he seems to have misrepresented a number of his career highlights. Santos faces nearly two dozen felony counts that could send him to prison. He said at a press conference last week before being voted out of government that he didnt know what his next move would be, but the future is endless. A link to his congressional biography page shows a list of Current Vacancies of the 118th Congress. A special election will be held to fill the 3rd Congressional District seat Santos vacated. _____ George School in Middletown has selected a veteran independent school administrator for its 10th head of school. Justin Brandon, the finalist chosen for the top position now works as associate head of school at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He will be the first Black head of school in George School history. Brandon previously worked as head of the upper school at the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago and as director of the upper school at Moorestown Friends School in Moorestown, New Jersey. Justin Brandon has been selected by George School to serve as its 10th head of school. George School cited Brandon's extensive experience in the work of independent schools and said he stood out from an impressive group of candidates. Finalists for the position visited the school in October. "His personal and professional values clearly resonate with Quaker faith and practice. His commitment to building community, demonstrated collaborative and inclusive approach to decision-making, and ability to meaningfully connect with and unify others made him the clear choice to serve as the schools tenth Head of School," said Linda Espenshade Heinemann, clerk of the George School Board of Trustees, in a news release. George School opened in 1893 after John M. George, a wealthy Quaker left the bulk of his estate for the Quaker boarding school named in his honor. It currently has 544 students, including 46% who board and 54% who are day students. Forty percent of the school's population are students of color. I am honored and excited to be named the next Head of George School, Brandon said in the announcement. My wife and I felt a strong sense of community as soon as we arrived on campus and throughout our visit. I appreciated the authentic conversations I had with students, faculty, staff, parents and caregivers, alumni, and members of the Board of Trustees. I look forward to continuing those conversations as I learn more about the history and traditions that make George School a very special community. Brandon holds a master of arts degree in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a bachelor fo arts degree in political science and African American studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. When he becomes head of school in July, he will replace the current Head of School Sam Houser who has served in the role for the past eight years. More: George School decides to drop its high school football program This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: George School chooses experienced administrator as next head of school Republican lawmakers in Georgia pushed forward Tuesday with a congressional map proposal that keeps a 9-5 Republican majority for House seats, which Democrats claim violates a federal court order. The map, introduced Friday, will split Rep. Lucy McBaths (D-Ga.) northeast Atlanta district and create a new west Atlanta district to follow a court order after a judge ruled the states congressional boundaries violated the Voting Rights Act. The proposal passed the state Senate on Tuesday in a 32-22 vote and will now advance to further debate in the state House. New map proposals also change district boundaries for both bodies of the state Legislature. Judge Steve Jones ruled in October that the states current congressional boundaries depress the voting power of Black voters, specifically in west Atlanta, and ordered a new map with a west Atlanta district. That sparked a Legislature special session on the new map proposals. By moving McBaths district toward more rural areas and changing the boundaries of other Atlanta districts, the state GOP is attempting to follow the judges order without giving up a House seat to Democrats. Democrats and anti-gerrymandering activists argue that the new maps keep the systemic discriminatory representation of current district boundaries while solving only some of the issues pointed out in the federal court order. McBaths campaign denounced the proposed boundaries Friday. Georgia Republicans have yet again attempted to subvert voters by changing the rules. We will look to the ruling from Judge Jones in the coming weeks before announcing further plans, McBath campaign manager Jake Orvis said in a statement. Regardless, Congresswoman McBath refuses to let an extremist few in the state legislature determine when her time serving Georgians in Congress is done. Jones will review the congressional and state Legislature maps before they are implemented. This Republican map is unlawful, State Rep. Sam Park (D) said on the Legislature floor Friday. It is a map that Judge Jones can and should reject. Unfortunately, it seems we are repeating the mistakes of our dark past under Republican control of the state of Georgia, he continued. Not only are these maps unlawful, they cling to power and maintain an unrepresentative majority that does not reflect our great state To put it plainly, it seems Republicans are trying to remedy their racial discrimination with partisan gerrymandering. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Semafor Signals NEWS Germany is facing a budget crisis after its Constitutional Court ruled last month that it was illegal for the government to divert 60 billion euros in leftover pandemic emergency money to a climate fund aimed at transforming its economy for the green future. The countrys top leaders from three different political parties are now trying to agree on a way to plug the massive shortfall, as the crisis puts pressure on the leading coalition. And its likely to reverberate beyond Germanys borders, including in Brussels and Ukraine. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. The issue may sound wonky, but many Germans are feeling a sense of collective panic over the future of Europes largest economy, The Guardian wrote. The fear of austerity measures and the loss of German prosperity is rife. Economic growth is expected to decline in 2024, Handelsblatt reported, and Germanys expected budget cuts threaten its funding for Ukraine and European Union budget increases. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing the bulk of the criticism, and his government is taking a hit in the polls. Radio station BR24 questioned whether his can-do image" is fading, with the financing of his climate initiative struck down. (It also noted that his so-called smurfy grin" has disappeared recently.) If his coalition cant agree on a budget by January, it could collapse, though a government official told Reuters that its unlikely the leaders would let that happen. Deutsche Welle noted that a collapse would harm all three parties in the coalition, who are desperately looking for a way out, adding, Its just not in sight. Even if Germany cant pass a budget soon, it wont shut down in the way the U.S. does when Congress cant agree on how to finance the government. Thats because Germanys constitution is designed to prevent a disaster on this scale from ever happening, The Local explained. The government is allowed to continue spending on public services without a formal budget, and government employees cant be sent home. Its like much of the rest of the world, The Washington Post wrote in 2018 during the last U.S. shutdown: Most countries have installed specific mechanisms to escape a U.S.-style deadlock so that citizens dont pay for partisan disagreements. Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two Georgia election workers who have been tormented by harassment and threats since 2020, were prepared Tuesday to confront the man they view as the chief instigator of their suffering: Rudy Giuliani. But Giuliani was a no-show at a federal court hearing in the duos defamation lawsuit, prompting a lashing for his attorney by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who had ordered Giuliani to be present. How could you have missed that? Howell asked Giulianis attorney, Joe Sibley, incredulously, when he took the blame for Giulianis absence. My mistake, Sibley replied, prompting Howell to ask whether he was falling on his sword for the former mayor. Sibley insisted he wasnt but rather that he simply had misunderstood Howells order requiring Giulianis presence at the hearing, the final session before the civil damages case goes before a jury next week. Freeman and Moss have become outsized figures in the investigations into former President Donald Trump and his allies efforts to subvert the 2020 election. The threats targeting Moss and Freeman were featured in a sprawling racketeering indictment brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis against Trump and 18 alleged co-conspirators, including several charged specifically with targeting the election workers. Giulianis charges include falsely telling Georgia legislators that Freeman and Moss were quite obviously passing around USB drives to manipulate voting machines. Giuliani identified the pair in surveillance video from Atlantas State Farm Arena and accused them of manipulating thousands of ballots, allegations that have been widely debunked and discredited. But his accusation in the final, chaotic weeks of Trumps presidency became kindling for conspiracy theories about election fraud, and they were supercharged by Trump himself, who echoed them publicly and raised them in a phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Freeman and Moss sued Giuliani, along with some of his allies in conservative media, in 2021. The pair settled with One America News parent company, Herring Networks, last year, leaving Giuliani as the last remaining defendant. Earlier this year, Howell found that Giuliani had repeatedly defied orders to preserve and produce evidence in the lawsuit and found him liable for defaming them. A trial scheduled to begin Monday will focus on how much Moss and Freeman will receive in damages. At Tuesdays hearing, Howell pressed Sibley on whether Giuliani would plead the Fifth, considering hes facing his own criminal charges in Georgia and has been identified as a Trump co-conspirator in the criminal charges Trump is facing in Washington, D.C. She noted that several witnesses pleaded the Fifth hundreds of times in depositions conducted by Freeman and Moss lawyers, including Jenna Ellis 448 times and Ray Smith, Jr. 309 times. Sibley said Giuliani did not intend to plead the Fifth. After the hearing, a political adviser to Giuliani decried what he called "the weaponization of our justice system," and he accused the judge of displaying bias. The election workers found some measure of redemption in their public testimony before the House Jan. 6 select committee, where they described the relentless attacks and threats they faced in the aftermath of Giuliani and Trumps comments about them. On Tuesday, they traveled into and out of the courthouse via non-public corridors and were not available to comment on the hearing. Just minutes after their departure, federal prosecutors who have charged Trump with seeking to subvert the 2020 election indicated their intention to cite Trump and Giulianis attacks on Moss and Freeman during the former presidents Washington, D.C. criminal trial that is scheduled to begin March 4. Long after the charged conduct, the defendant continued to falsely attack two Georgia election workers despite being on notice that his claims about them in 2020 were false and had subjected them to vile, racist, and violent threats and harassment, senior assistant special counsel Molly Gaston wrote in a nine-page court filing. Gaston referenced Moss and Freemans testimony to the Jan. 6 select committee, describing their graphic testimony about the threats and harassment they endured after the defendant and his agents falsely accused them. In apparent response, the defendant then doubled down and recommenced his attacks on the election workers in posts on Truth Social, Gaston wrote. He even zeroed in on one of the election workers, falsely writing that she was an election fraudster, a liar, and one of the treacher[ous] ... monsters who stole the country, and that she would be in legal trouble. Good Morning America host Robin Roberts made a final stop in New Orleans this weekend in a celebration tour honoring her marriage to longtime partner Amber Laign. Roberts, a Pass Christian native, danced the night away with her wife and closest family members Saturday night, a video she posted to Instagram shows. Good Morning America host Robin Roberts made a final stop in New Orleans this weekend in a celebration tour honoring her marriage to longtime partner Amber Laign. Members of the Krewe of Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club danced with the newlyweds during a classic second line performance at the event, hosted by Roberts siblings. The couple wed on Sept. 9 in Connecticut, with about 250 people attending. Roberts grew up in Pass Christian and often visits the Mississippi Coast and the New Orleans area. Her sister, Sally-Ann Roberts, was a longtime journalist for WWL-TV. Robin Roberts got her start in journalism at WLOX-TV in Biloxi. Good Morning America host Robin Roberts married her longtime parther, Amber Laign, on Sept. 9 in Connecticut. Dorothy Roberts has a Pass Christian gift shop named after her sister called Robins Nest, and also opened Roberts Place Cafe nearby. You can watch Good Morning America on ABC. Four gold bars connected to the FBI search of Sen. Bob Menendezs home have direct links to a New Jersey businessman now accused of bribing Menendez, the states senior senator, Bergen County prosecutors records from a 2013 robbery case show. The businessman, Fred Daibes, reported to police that he was the victim of an armed robbery in 2013, and he asked police to recover the gold bars stolen from him. Daibes reported that $500,000 in cash and 22 gold bars were stolen, Edgewater, New Jersey, police records show. Police later caught four people with the stolen goods. To get his property back, Daibes signed property release forms certifying the gold bars belonged to him, the records show. Each gold bar has its own serial number, Daibes told investigators in a 2013 transcript made by prosecutors and police who recovered and returned to Daibes the stolen valuables. Theyre all stampedyoull never see two stamped the same way. In the bribery indictment against Menendez and Daibes this year, prosecutors included photos of some of the alleged bribes found in the Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, home of Menendez and his wife, Nadine, including gold bars. The serial numbers of four gold bars described in the bribery indictment appear to be exact matches to four of the gold bars Daibes certified as having been stolen and returned to him in the 2013 robbery case. The FBI said that during its search of the home it found two gold bars with matching serial numbers, and found photos of two other bars with matching numbers on Nadines phone. The FBI determined that Nadine gave a jeweler those two bars to be sold. For example, a Swiss Bank Corp. gold bar with serial number 590005 that the FBI said it seized from Menendezs home had also been reported stolen by Daibes and returned to him a decade earlier. Daibes signature and initials appear on the evidence log, which included each specific gold bar with its corresponding serial number. On Wednesday, two days after initial publication of this article, Menendez told NBC News, "Your report is factually inaccurate and we look forward to proving it at court." Federal investigators allege Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., received bribes in the form of gold bars. (U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York) All of this spells bad news for Sen. Menendez, because the chain of custody it appears is going to be really easy to prove up, NBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos said. It was November 2013 when Daibes, a millionaire developer, told police that he had been the victim of a gunpoint robbery in his penthouse apartment in Edgewater. He said he was tied to a chair as the thieves made off with cash, gold and jewelry. The four suspects were quickly caught and later pleaded guilty. Daibes attended court proceedings as the victim. On Dec. 13, 2013, Daibes signed documents to get his property back, including the gold bars. Cevallos said that if Daibes, in fact, gave gold bars to Bob and Nadine Menendez, that alone does not prove the crime of bribery. Was there a quid pro quo? Was it in exchange for the senators official acts or promises of the same? Cevallos said. The FBI said the quid pro quo between Menendez and Daibes included efforts by Menendez to influence the New Jersey U.S. attorneys office, which in 2018 was investigating Daibes in relation to a separate crime of bank fraud. Daibes and Menendez, along with other co-defendants Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana and Jose Uribe, all deny any wrongdoing and have pleaded not guilty. The allegations against me are just that allegations, Menendez said at a news conference after the bribery indictment was unsealed. In a statement about the ties of the gold bars found at his home to a decade-old robbery, counsel for Menendez said he will not be commenting on anonymous media leaks designed to prejudice his right to a fair trial. He looks forward to addressing the governments claims in court, based on a complete record of the evidence. Menendez has denied taking payoffs from Daibes even though prosecutors allege testing shows Daibes fingerprints and DNA are on some of the tens of thousands of dollars in cash found in Menendezs home. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, Menendez said. Menendez and his wife are also accused of taking payoffs from Hana, a businessman, the FBI said. In exchange, investigators alleged, Menendez used his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to help Hana win an exclusive halal meat inspection contract with the Egyptian government. They also said that in exchange for bribes, Menendez tried to assist the government of Egypt with arms sales. Prosecutors said Menendez also accepted a Mercedes and other payoffs from Uribe. In exchange, prosecutors said, Menendez offered to try to help Uribe with an ongoing state attorney generals investigation. As for Daibes separate bank fraud case, a federal judge in New Jersey threw out a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to one count and faced a sentence of probation after the new bribery charges came to light. An attorney for Daibes said he is confident his client will be exonerated when all the evidence is heard. The allegations against me are just that allegations, Menendez said at a news conference in his home state in September after the bribery indictment was unsealed. CORRECTION (Dec. 5, 2023, 2:23 p.m.): An earlier version of this article misstated where the four bars linked to the Daibes robbery were found. Two were found during the FBI search of Menendez's Engelwood Cliffs home. His wife, Nadine, had given the other two bars to a jeweler to sell, according to the indictment. All four bars were not found in the senator's home. CORRECTION (Dec. 6, 2023, 3:23 p.m.): An earlier version of this article misstated the location of Menendezs home. It is Englewood Cliffs, not Clifton. (An earlier correction also misstated the location.) This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Chinese Vice President Han Zheng addresses the opening ceremony of the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum, which was read out on the occasion. [Photo/Xinhua] China is committed to the path of peaceful, high-quality development and high-level opening-up, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said Monday. Han made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum, held in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Underscoring the importance of Chinese President Xi Jinping's indepth explanation of multilateralism, Han said that under the current circumstances, the world needs more than ever to adhere to the core values and basic principles of multilateralism and follow the vision of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global governance. Han elaborated on practicing multilateralism from three perspectives. The first is to achieve peaceful coexistence on the premise of seeking common ground while shelving differences, seek integrated development in the process of equal exchanges, and make common progress on the basis of mutual learning. He called on parties concerned to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and conduct high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The second is to make global governance fairer and more equitable on the basis of consultation and consensus, and to oppose hegemonism, power politics, and unilateral practices in the name of multilateralism. The third is to stick to the right direction of globalization, oppose protectionism and "decoupling," and support more mutually beneficial cooperation opportunities to inject more impetus into world economic recovery. Han called on parties concerned to adhere to dialogue and consultation, promote political settlement of hotspot issues, and jointly address risks and challenges. China is an advocate and practitioner of multilateralism, and is advancing the noble cause of building a great country and national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, Han stressed. China stands ready to work with other countries to create a better future for mankind, he added. With the theme of "Multilateralism: More Exchanges, Greater Inclusiveness and Cooperation," the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum, jointly held by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, the Guangdong provincial government, and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, opened Monday in Guangzhou. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attends the opening ceremony of the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum, which was read out on the occasion. [Photo/Xinhua] Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson announce their state budget proposal at a press conference in West Haven on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Utah Gov. Spencer Cox revealed an ambitious plan to address housing affordability and build healthy families in the state as he unveiled his annual budget recommendations Tuesday. Standing against the backdrop of a master-planned neighborhood in West Haven, Cox, joined by Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and Planning and Budget Director Sophia DiCaro, presented a proposal for the state to build 35,000 starter homes by 2028, catalyzed by what Cox calls the Utah First Homes program. This initiative would seek to ease Utahs housing crisis and forms the core of Coxs budget recommendation for fiscal year 2025, which is titled Utah Home. The fact is, the single greatest threat to our future prosperity, the American dream and our strong communities is the price of housing, Cox told the crowd of several dozen community leaders and homebuilders. Our kids will never be able to call Utah home if we dont start building starter homes again. The operating capital budget presented by Cox totals $29.5 billion and is without the surplus of past years. Its contents focus on three areas people, growth and good governance, the governor said, and hits familiar topics in education, water use related to growth, and infrastructure. While an exact copy of Coxs budget is unlikely to become law, he hopes it will provide direction and motivation for the state lawmakers that ultimately have the power to decide how the government uses its funds. Building an additional 35,000 homes in the next five years is ambitious but the investments and incentives in the Utah First Homes program make this entirely doable, Cox said. Utah First Homes will correct a market failure in the housing space and create new opportunities leading to home ownership for our kids and grandkids. Coxs housing proposal would allocate $150 million to five areas of investment, including an additional $50 million for the First-time Homebuyer Assistance Program launched last year that subsidizes the purchase of newly built starter homes. Gov. Spencer Cox talks with West Haven community leaders prior to announcing his state budget proposal at a press conference in West Haven on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Another $75 million would go toward a state infrastructure bank that would provide low-interest loans for the construction of public water, sewer and roadway infrastructure to support housing on the states nearly 200,000 latent lots. The Utah First Homes portion of the budget also recommends a state-funded boost to Utahs rural sweat equity programs directed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The programs allow prospective homeowners to volunteer their labor to help construct their homes in exchange for lower monthly payments. Cox proposes an additional $5 million for the rural sweat equity programs and $10 million to expand it to urban areas as well. The remaining two housing recommendations are $5 million for statewide implementation of community land trusts, which decrease home prices by allowing full ownership of the building with a small monthly lease for the land, and another $5 million for a starter home innovation fund to incentivize the development of design and permitting solutions to Utahs affordable housing shortage. Related Gov. Coxs new housing innovation adviser Cox said he recognizes his vision for housing in the state will require a coordinated push from city and county governments as well as buy-in from the homebuilding industry, and Utahs Legislature. Thats why Coxs housing initiative will be paired with the creation of a new position within his office, that of housing innovation adviser a full-time state employee tasked with engaging stakeholders on all sides to advance a comprehensive housing strategy for Utah. Its a similar strategy to the states effort to help the homeless population by having a state director coordinate between the state and cities. A proposal for additional money for those programs was released Monday. Cox reached out to both the Utah League of Cities and Towns and homebuilders for a list of preferred candidates for the job. Only one name appeared from both camps, he said: former state Rep. Steve Waldrip. Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson announce their state budget proposal at a press conference in West Haven on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News His role will be to facilitate the development of a statewide strategic housing plan to guide policymaking to make sure every Utahn can continue to call Utah home, Cox said during the press conference. These new duties begin Tuesday for Waldrip, who made affordable housing a priority during his two terms as a state lawmaker from 2019 to 2023 and is a partner with the Rocky Mountain Homes Fund, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit that puts lower income families on a path to home ownership. Homeownership is the key to the American dream, Cox said during his meeting with the Deseret News. Its the key to future prosperity, its the key to social capital, to giving back to our communities, to involvement, to feeling like you have a stake in what is happening in your community. Cox said he worries if state leaders arent intentional about preserving what makes the state a welcoming place for families, it will quickly cease to be so for the next generation. Add to that the near certainty now of a return of the Olympics to Utah in 10 years and theres a sense of urgency to invest in the future, plan for growth and ensure responsive governance. Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson sit down with Deseret News reporters and editors to discuss the state budget proposal at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Coxs budget outlook for 2025 Unlike past years, Utahs executive and legislative leaders will not be able to count on a budget surplus going into the appropriations season. The states forecasted revenue for last years budget actually fell short by roughly $130 million, according to numbers made public in July. This relatively minor budget shortfall wont pose a problem because of funds set aside for that purpose but it does point toward a less robust budget situation for 2025 and beyond, Cox said, explaining that a decline in revenue was anticipated following three years of historic tax cuts and the end of pandemic aid. However, Cox, who has campaigned heavily on the more than $1 billion in tax cuts he has signed into law since entering office, said no new tax increases are on the menu. Instead, Cox said Utahns will have the opportunity to vote on a referendum next year to to eliminate the states $200 million food tax. He also pointed to a small tax cut he proposed in the form of an expanded child tax credit that includes children ages 4 and 5. Strengthening our families is at the heart of everything we do in our administration, Cox said at the Tuesday press conference. This focus is reflected throughout Coxs budget recommendations: $68 million in investments for child care and safety nets for youth and new parents. $9 million in resources to support victims of domestic abuse and provide prevention education. Additional funding for ongoing legal and implementation efforts to regulate how minors can access social media apps. The budget recommendation also sets aside $855 million for public education, half of which is new revenue, allocated to support rural students, raise pay for student teachers, increase the amount of money distributed to schools per student and strengthen security measures at schools. Another key issue, according to Cox, is homelessness in the state. He addressed the topic in a separate press conference on Monday, where he introduced a $186 million plan that would: Expand transitional housing options. Increase sanctioned shelter space. Grow the number of state hospital beds. Reform the states civil commitment and psychological licensure laws. After a focus on water management dominated past legislative sessions, particularly as it pertains to the Great Salt Lake, Coxs proposal for fiscal year 2025 includes a comparatively modest recommendation of $81 million to improve the states watershed management, including $28 million for Great Salt Lake preservation efforts and $25 million to upgrade Utahs aqueducts and dams. Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration moved to officially scrap Mayor Brandon Johnsons plan to build a migrant camp on a controversial Southwest Side lot Tuesday, in a scathing rebuke of the citys evaluation of the lands potential environmental hazards. In a statement, Pritzkers office said an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency review of the citys environmental report which was released late Friday evening indicates concerns related to insufficient soil sampling and remediation at the Brighton Park site selected by Johnsons team. And because the time required for additional testing and remediation would be extensive, the state will not proceed with the base camp, Pritzker said. My administration is committed to keeping asylum-seekers safe as we work to help them achieve independence, Pritzker said in a statement. We will not proceed with housing families on a site where serious environmental concerns are still present. My administration remains committed to a data-driven plan to improve the asylum-seeker response and we will continue to coordinate with the City of Chicago as we work to expand available shelter through winter. At an unrelated public appearance on Tuesday, Johnson maintained third-party validators found the site to be safe, then pivoted to city efforts to get migrants out of district police stations. The state did not provide any additional guidelines or any sort of methodology in which they were requiring us to go by, so we used the standards that were available to us, the mayor said. Johnsons office later said the state was responsible for kicking off construction last week, and the environmental sampling analysis was done according to an emergency response protocol under the Illinois Emergency Management Act. Despite being made aware of the above assessment and remediation process, the State provided no additional guidance on its preferred methodology or assessment criteria, nor raised any concerns about its own decision to move forward with construction, the mayors statement said. Despite his public insistence that relations with the city remain cordial, Pritzkers move was a stunning rejection of Johnsons plan, which was already proceeding. It will force the mayor to react to the state stepping on his response to a crisis within Chicagos borders, a reversal of the usual political power dynamic that comes after weeks of brewing disharmony between the two. The development also places the Democratic governor, widely rumored to have future presidential ambitions, firmly in charge of a burgeoning situation that has proved Johnsons most vexing challenge since he took office in May. Underscoring the escalating tension between Springfield and City Hall, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh shot back at Johnsons statement, saying state environmental standards are clear and known to the city. Those are not the standards the city chose to use, Abudayyeh said in a statement. The city did not engage with IEPA or the state before releasing the report and when it did release the report, was unable to explain the lesser standards they did choose to use and how they arrived at those standards. While the city might be comfortable placing asylum seekers on a site where toxins are present without a full understanding of whether it is safe, the state is not, Abudayyeh added. The mayors plan to place asylum-seekers in heated winter tents was one of several flashpoints in his and Pritzkers differences on migrants. Although Johnson and surrogates have for a while critiqued the state for what they said was insufficient aid, the governor has made a point to cast his recent involvement as one of Springfield swooping in because Chicago leaders were failing to get asylum-seekers off of police station floors and sidewalks before cold weather arrived. Now the search for another camp site to house migrants continues amid freezing temperatures at night and no immediate backup plan. How Johnsons team navigates the next weeks will be a pivotal moment for the administration that had vowed to be transparent and champion environmental justice but has drawn sharp ire over its handling of the Brighton Park plan. Last Friday, the city released a nearly 800-page report by outside contractor Terracon Consultants that said high levels of mercury and other chemicals were found and being removed from the Brighton Park lot at 3710 S. California Ave. With the limited soil removal and placement and maintenance of the barrier, the site is safe for temporary residential use, the mayors office said then. The state had reservations, however, and paused construction on the site Sunday after Pritzkers office expressed frustration at its own wait for the reports release, even as the state was supposed to cover the cost of setting up and operating the tent encampment. The base camp in question would have held about 2,000 asylum-seekers and was slated to open its doors later this month to become the citys first government-run camp for new arrivals as they wait for beds inside bricks-and-mortar shelters. Pritzker on Tuesday said a 200-bed housing facility at the former CVS in Little Village will be next instead, along with possible options within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago network. The city and state have aimed to set up a shelter at the CVS site since at least May, and Johnsons Tuesday statement betrayed frustration over the slow pace despite clear signals from Texas officials that the number of buses will continue to increase. We look forward to partnering with the state on finally standing up the CVS shelter site, the mayor said. And we will work collaboratively to achieve the states expressed commitment to fund additional temporary residential shelter for new arrivals as winter and more buses arrive. Pritzker spokeswoman Abudayyeh said Tuesday it is now incumbent on the city to identify an alternate tent encampment site, which she indicated may not be needed immediately if more bricks-and-mortar shelters can be opened, given the fewer migrants at the police stations and OHare International Airport. Were open to any sort of shelter solution, she said. The Pritzker administration, which has pledged $65 million to set up and operate the tent encampment and the CVS site, was still working to determine whether the state will be on the hook for any of the construction work already completed in Brighton Park, Abudayyeh said. It was unclear Tuesday whether an agreement with contractor GardaWorld Federal Services not to charge the state if the site was found not to be habitable would apply, she said. Regardless, further shelter options are likely needed. Since August 2022, more than 24,000 migrants have come to Chicago, mostly hailing from Central and South America. The influx was so great at times that this fall, a peak of about 3,800 new arrivals were camped out at police stations and OHare. That number dropped sharply to about 610 total as of Tuesday, a dynamic that could continue during the colder months but is unlikely to hold given past behavior. Under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the pace of buses from Texas and other southern border states slowed to a crawl in early 2023 but quickly escalated once spring and the announcement that Chicago will be the site of next years Democratic National Convention arrived. Johnson first announced his idea to place migrants in winterized tent encampments in September, but a series of false starts and heated community pushback have dogged his administration the entire way. Pritzkers announcement Tuesday, however, spelled one of the most prominent blemishes yet on the mayors progressive bona fides. IEPA would not approve the proposed Brighton Park site for residential use, based on our regulatory standards for remediation of contaminated properties, Illinois EPA Director John Kim wrote in a statement. The well-being of residents and workers at the site is our highest priority, and current and planned site conditions do not adequately reduce risks of human exposure to known and potential environmental conditions. The state criticism of the citys handling of the site comes after Johnson last week said the contractors assessment of the environmental risks served as further proof that Ive proved that Im committed to environmental justice. Days later, Johnsons office dropped the environmental report that revealed chemicals were present, according to the company hired by the city to assess the viability, though his team had said those concerns would be mitigated. The document was only released late Friday evening to those who made a public records request. According to the report, soil with mercury levels was identified at one location and was removed and properly disposed off-site at a landfill, Johnsons office said. Likewise, soil with a high level of a semivolatile compound was identified at another location, and will be removed and disposed of off-site. The Terracon report said in the one sample location where high mercury exposure was detected, The soil surrounding this sample was excavated and properly disposed off-site at a landfill, while the spots with excess amounts of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a chemical used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), will be remediated via excavation and landfill disposal. In addition, high levels of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and four metals were also found and required workers to ensure the placement of imported clean stone from a quarry and compaction of the stone to a minimum thickness of six inches throughout the site. The stone layer will be periodically inspected and maintained. The consultants report also noted a lead smelter once operated in the northeast corner of the site. Lead levels detected in the soil under the now-defunct encampment were up to three times higher than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for areas where children play. The mayors office said last week that the investigation entailed soil sampling, groundwater sampling, and soil gas sampling which yielded soil analytical results, groundwater analytical results, and soil gas analytical results. But the IEPA analysis of the environmental report said the consultants investigation entailed a limited nature and insufficient number of soil borings as well as shoddy remediation work that fell short of state standards, Pritzkers administration said Tuesday. The remediations implemented thus far do not satisfy IEPA standards and are insufficient, the state said. At a minimum, an expanded engineered barrier between contaminated soil and human exposure would need to be installed to address exposure concerns. Further investigation might also identify additional contamination that would require additional remediation. Reached for comment Tuesday, local Ald. Julia Ramirez, 12th, said she was relieved at the news but hopes the Johnson administration learned a valuable lesson. For us, it was a concern that they were constructing even before the environmental report, said Ramirez, who long opposed the citys rollout of the now-scuttled base camp. Whats really important is that when theyre looking at other lots that we would have done this over a month-and-a-half ago, two months ago, and have that conversation, done the environmental report, before proceeding. Far South Side Ald. Ronnie Mosley Ramirezs colleague in the City Council who represents the only other migrant camp site considered so far echoed her sentiments. His 21st Ward had been on deck to host a tent encampment at the former Jewel-Osco at 115th and Halsted streets, but he said Tuesday he absolutely welcomed state officials performing a similar review of the citys environmental testing. Im hoping the state takes that same interest in making sure all Illinoisans are safe, Mosley told the Tribune. In October, the city inked a six-month, $548,400 land use contract for the lot at 3710 S. California Ave. owned by Barnacres Corp., a Markham-based company helmed by Otoniel Tony Sanchez. Sanchez was also a Johnson donor, giving $1,500 to the mayors political fund two months before the lease signing. Johnsons political advisers have said that money was being returned and city workers involved in scouting the location did not know about the donation. On Tuesday afternoon, hulking white tent structures sat vacant on the fresh gravel that had been dumped on the Brighton Park lot. Dueling water-stained signs reading, No Trespassing and So disappointed at Johnson peppered the fences and tent coverings. I feel like our mayor rushed so quickly to put this up and wasted so much money, said Dan Patlan, a 42-year-old landlord from across the street. And now youre going to waste more money to take it down, when you knew. You knew there was the potential for it to be contaminated. Chicago Tribunes Michael Hawthorne contributed reporting. ayin@chicagotribune.com dpetrella@chicagotribune.com A Great Dane was adopted from a Florida animal rescue and now, the majestic pup needs another new home. Sometimes despite our best efforts things dont work out the way we would like, the Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue wrote Dec. 4 in a Facebook post. This has been the unfortunate situation with Midnight. Now 4 years old, Midnight first came to the rescue in October 2019 after a backyard breeder had surrendered her mom, Cheyenne, and four 3-month-old black puppies to a local animal shelter, the Great Dane organization told McClatchy News in an email. Midnight was first adopted about three years ago. Then, in 2022, her family started to notice that she didnt do well around other animals. After quite a time trying, the consensus among us (vet, trainer, and rescue) is that Midnight needs a home where she can be an only child, the owners wrote in the rescues Facebook post. As of Dec. 4, Midnight was up for adoption. Shes described as a gentle 102-pound dog that is a big snuggler on her terms. She loves to sleep on a soft couch or bed, play tug of war, sometimes fetch, and loves it when I run around with her, the previous owner said. She likes going on walks but on quiet streets where there wont be many people or dogs. Anyone interested in learning about the rescues adoption process can visit nwflgdr.com/adopt. Midnight currently lives in Tallahassee, according to the animal organization. Dog has first day of forever with family after nearly 300 days in Florida shelter Rescued dog found covered in fleas. Now Florida pup has new home and important job China's top health authority on Monday required localities to "exhaust all means" to increase pediatric service capacity and stock up on pediatric medications and relevant medical materials to cope with a spike in respiratory illnesses among children. All grassroots medical institutions should be open to child patients and are forbidden from turning them away, the general office of the National Health Commission said in a circular released on its website. "Community healthcare centers in cities seeing surging demand should also extend hours on weekdays by one to three hours or set up additional service periods on weekends based on their capability," said the commission. Rural and community health centers should be guided to set up separate sections for pediatric services, and they should organize general physicians who have received training on pediatric diseases to see child patients. Each community or village healthcare center should be paired with a pediatric department at a higher-level hospital. Experienced medical professionals will be allocated to grassroots facilities to provide pediatric services and train staff on key skills, including emergency care, prompt identification of severe symptoms and venipuncture the process of inserting a needle into a child's vein. Localities are also required to equip grassroots facilities with thermometers, nebulizers, antibiotics, antivirals, as well as pediatric medicines for easing cough and phlegm. These requirements have been raised as China is battling a surge in respiratory illness fueled by the circulation of different pathogens including influenza, the COVID-19 disease and mycoplasma pneumoniae. Children have appeared to be affected particularly hard this winter as parents have found difficulties obtaining hospital appointments or have to endure long waiting periods at major pediatric hospitals. Despite authorities' appeal to the public to visit primary health institutions first rather than going straight to large hospitals, concerns have emerged over the community clinics' capability and capacity in handling pediatric patients. Wang Huaqing, chief immunization planning expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said late last month that influenza and rhinovirus are the most prevalent among toddlers aged 1 to 4, and for children aged 5 to 14, influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia and adenovirus are the most common. Tong Zhaohui, vice-president of the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, suggested a child who begins developing a fever to visit a community hospital to first take a rapid antigen test, which can identify whether they contracted a respiratory virus or a bacterial infection like mycoplasma pneumonia. They can also get regular antivirals and drugs there. "However, for kids who have had a fever for more than three days or have shortness of breath, they should visit pediatric hospitals," he said during an interview with China Central Television on Sunday evening. Tong added that most doctors at primary health institutions are trained in general medicine and are capable of dealing with common respiratory illnesses in children. "It is important for them to access prompt treatment at medical facilities nearby, and in this way, parents and kids can save the trouble of lining up at large hospitals, where the risk of cross-infections is higher," he said. The commission also said in the newly released notice that grassroots medical facilities should play a role in meeting demands for pediatric services, easing pressure on major hospitals seeing large volume of visitors, as well as monitoring health conditions of and expanding vaccination among key populations. According to the document, fever clinics at grassroots clinics should also keep surveillance of the situation of respiratory disease and report data to higher authorities swiftly. FILE - Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo speaks at the Peace Forum on Nov. 11, 2022 in Paris. A shootout in Guinea-Bissaus capital Friday was an attempted coup, Embalo said Sunday Dec. 3, 2023 after a meeting with security forces, confirming fears over the latest threat to democracy in the increasingly volatile and coup-hit West Africa. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool, File) BISSAU, Guinea Bissau (AP) A shootout in Guinea-Bissaus capital Friday was an attempted coup, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said Sunday after a meeting with security forces, confirming fears over the latest threat to democracy in the increasingly volatile and coup-hit West Africa. They attempted a coup and failed to materialize their objective, Embalo said, after members of the National Guard command improperly released two ministers detained over alleged corruption, resulting in a shootout with the Presidential Palace Battalion. During a visit to the National Guard command in Bissau, Embalo said Victor Tchongo, the head of the National Guard, has been dismissed and will pay dearly for the attempt to depose the president. You are all betrayed by your commander (and) this is why we advise you to distance yourself from politicians and do your service to the nation, he told officers. The attempted coup is the second in West and Central Africa in a week after last week's failed coup in Sierra Leone. It further raises tensions in the region where coups have surged with eight military takeovers since 2020, including in Niger and Gabon this year. West Africa's regional economic bloc of ECOWAS to which Guinea-Bissau belongs noted the incident with deep concern and expressed full solidarity with the people and constitutional authority of Guinea-Bissau. After returning from the United Nations COP28 climate summit on Saturday night, Embalo suggested to reporters that Tchongo of the National Guard was not acting alone. Tchongo was ordered by someone," The Democrat, a local newspaper, quoted him as saying. "Tchongo is not crazy about blowing up the Judiciary Police cells and removing the minister of finance and the secretary of state. This is an attempted coup detat and there will be serious consequences for everyone involved. The small nation of Guinea-Bissau has endured multiple coups since gaining independence from Portugal nearly five decades ago. However, unlike in other coups in West Africa which have been inspired by perceived bad governance, the shootout in Guinea-Bissau started as the members of the Presidential Palace Battalion tried to rearrest two government officials Economy and Finance Minister Suleimane Seidi and Treasury Secretary Antonio Monteiro. Both were being questioned over the use of government funds before the members of the National Guard secretly released them, local media reported. Guinea-Bissaus semi-presidential system limits the presidents powers by allowing the majority party in the parliament to appoint the Cabinet. As a result, the National Guard which is under the Ministry of Interior is largely controlled by the opposition-dominated parliament. Tensions have also remained between Embalo and a coalition of opposition groups that won the majority in Guinea Bissaus parliament in June, more than one year after the president dissolved the parliament. Embalo, a former army general, was declared the winner of a December 2019 runoff presidential election which his opponent contested. He survived a February 2022 coup attempt that he asserted had to do with our fight against narco-trafficking and he has since then cracked down on civic freedoms while government bodies have lost significant independence, according to analysts. ___ Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Police are looking for a man they say took headphones, speakers, and other items from a T-Mobile store before threatening to shoot up the store. Investigators said warrants were issued for Jeremy Horton following the incident last week at the T-Mobile store in the 500 block of Summer Avenue. Court records show Horton, 37, has been charged with theft of merchandise at least 21 times over the last year following shoplifting incidents at stores across the city, including the T-Mobile on Summer. Woman shot in the head identifies shooter before surgery, arrest made months later Employees at some of the other businesses also accused Horton of threatening them with violence. Only five of the 21 cases are still active. The charges were dropped for the rest of the cases. An employee of the T-Mobile on Summer said on November 29, she was helping a customer when she saw Horton walk to the back of the business and pull merchandise off the wall. The suspect was captured on camera at T-Mobile (Courtesy: Memphis Police Department) Courtesy: Memphis Police Department Courtesy: Memphis Police Department She said Horton was only in the business about a minute and never displayed a weapon but told her not to look at him or he would shoot up the place. Horton is accused of stealing three speakers, three JBL headphones, and three Samsung earbuds worth about $600. The store manager told officers she recognized the person responsible as Horton. She said Horton was a frequent shoplifter, and his personal information was already on file at the business. Horton is facing a charge of aggravated robbery. If you have any information about his whereabouts, you are urged to call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Hackers accessed the personal data of millions of people who used services from the genetic testing company 23andMe in October, the company confirmed Monday. When did 23andMe know about the hack? The company launched an investigation in October after a "threat actor" claimed online to have 23andMe users' profile information. A spokesperson at the time said the company believed threat actors targeted the accounts of 23andMe users who had reused usernames and passwords from other sites that had been hacked. The spokesperson didn't reveal how many people had been impacted by the hack. On Friday, the company acknowledged in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the hacker accessed 0.1% of 23andMe's user accounts. While the hacker only accessed about 14,000 accounts through the attack, a feature on 23andMe allows users to see information about possible relatives, a company spokesperson said. By exploiting this feature, the hacker was able to view the information of millions of users. A 23andMe spokesperson on Monday clarified that about 5.5 million customers had their "DNA Relatives" profiles accessed in an unauthorized manner. The profiles contain information such as display names, predicted relationships with others and the DNA percentages the user shares with matches. Additionally, about 1.4 million customers participating in the Relatives feature had their "Family Tree" profile information accessed, which 23andMe describes as a limited subset of the Relatives profile data. As of Friday, 23andMe said it was still in the process of notifying affected customers. The company is now requiring existing customers to reset their passwords and enable two-step verification. The company said it believes "threat actor activity is contained." What is 23andMe? The company analyzes people's DNA from saliva samples provided by customers. The company produces reports about the customers' DNA that includes information about their ancestry and genetic health risks. Titanium hip implants expected to last decades snapped in hundreds of people Highlights from the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors Eye Opener: Virginia house explodes as police try to serve search warrant Jovenel Moise, president of Haiti, speaks at the United Nations General Assembly General Debate at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 27, 2018. He was assassinated at his suburban home outside Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021, according to court records. A Haitian-American man from South Florida Tuesday became the first U.S. citizen to plead guilty to conspiring to kill Haitis president, admitting that he attended key meetings to carry out the assassination more than two years ago. In doing so, Joseph Vincent also became the fourth of 11 defendants charged in the Miami federal case to accept responsibility for his supporting role in the murder plot spanning South Florida, Haiti and Colombia. Vincent, 58, admitted that he met with a group of co-conspirators in Haiti on the eve of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7, 2021, in a factual statement filed with his plea agreement. He also wore a U.S. State Department pin to make himself look official to his Haitian counterparts, the statement says. He also participated in a plan to stir up protests against Haitis leader and use them as a cover to remove Moise by force using weapons. And lastly, the statement says, he joined other co-conspirators in a vehicle that drove to the presidents home outside Port-au-Prince when a group of Colombian commandos killed him during the nighttime ambush. U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez asked Vincent if all this information was true at Tuesdays hearing. Yes, its true, your honor, Vincent told the judge. READ MORE: Haiti President Jovenel Moise assassinated in middle-of-the-night attack at his home Faces up to life in prison Vincent pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support in the assassination, providing that support, and conspiring to kill or kidnap a person outside the United States. He faces up to life in prison at his sentencing hearing before Judge Martinez on Feb. 9, 2024. At the hearing, federal prosecutor Frank Russo highlighted his role in the murder conspiracy: Vincent provided advice to his co-conspirators about the Haitian political landscape, attended meetings with important Haitian political and community leaders, and frequently wore a U.S. State Department pin, which had the effect of leading others to believe that he was employed by the U.S. State Department. Vincent, a former informant with the Drug Enforcement Administration, is expected to be a key cooperating witness against other co-conspirators, including fellow Haitian American James Solages. Solages is accused of collaborating with CTU Security, a Doral-based security company owned and operated by Antonio Intriago, a defendant in the case who met with Solages in South Florida and in Haiti before Moises assassination. Solages also drove the vehicle with top Colombian commandos, Vincent and others to the presidents home for the deadly attack, court records show. And Solages yelled it was a DEA operation as the assault was unfolding that night, a claim that authorities have denied. Solages has pleaded not guilty to the murder conspiracy charges. Vincent is also expected to provide inside information on Christian Sanon, a Haitian physician and pastor who was initially proposed as the successor to Moise before the plotters abandoned him in favor of a member of the Haitian Supreme Court. Sanon has also pleaded not guilty, but to conspiracy charges accusing him of smuggling ballistic vests to the Colombian commandos in Haiti and to carry out a military expedition against a foreign country. The plea agreement was signed by Vincent, his defense attorney, Kenneth Swartz, and federal prosecutors Andrea Goldbarg, Monica Castro and Russo. In addition to Vincent, three other defendants have admitted to their supporting roles in the Miami federal case. Others connected to the assassination In October, former Haiti Sen. Joseph Joel John, who had been detained in Jamaica before being brought to Miami last year, pleaded guilty to the same charges in the killing of Haitis leader. He faces up to life in prison at his sentencing later this month, though hes cooperating with authorities in the hope of receiving less severe punishment. John, 52, acknowledged to FBI agents that he had met with some co-conspirators just before they embarked on the mission to kill President Moise at his suburban home, according to court records. John admitted that he helped obtain rental vehicles, made introductions to Haitian gang members and tried to get firearms for the co-conspirators operation targeting the president, according to his statement filed with his plea agreement. John attended meetings in South Florida and Haiti with the main suspects and tried to acquire weapons and ammunition for them, according to the statement and other court records. Hes believed to have been a link between the various groups. On the night of the killing, he was in communication with several suspects. Johns goal was to become the prime minister under Moises successor following the leaders removal from office, according to court records. In addition, retired Colombian army officer German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, aka Colonel Mike, 45, admitted that he met with several co-conspirators from Haiti and South Florida before leading a group of former Colombian soldiers to the Haitian presidents home to kill him. In October, Rivera was sentenced to life in prison, but he is hoping to get his sentence reduced with cooperation. Also, Haitian businessman Rodolphe Jaar, 51, admitted to providing weapons, lodging and money in the conspiracy to assassinate Haitis president. A dual Haitian and Chilean citizen, Jaar was sentenced in June to life in prison but is hoping to get his prison term decreased with cooperation. He had previously been convicted of drug trafficking in the United States. Another suspect recently arrested in Haiti if extradited may become the 12th defendant in the Miami federal case. In October, Joseph Felix Badio, a former government functionary who had been fired from his anti-corruption job, was apprehended by Haitian police at a grocery store in Petionville. Badio is among several high-profile suspects who remained in hiding more than two years after the killing. There has long been widespread speculation that he was either the key person behind the scenes or a potential mastermind. The United Kingdom's only giant pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, headed back to China on Monday at the end of their 12-year stay at Scotland's Edinburgh Zoo. They left Edinburgh Airport in two bespoke metal crates aboard a cargo plane operated by China Southern Airlines. A keeper and a vet from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, or RZSS, the conservation charity that owns and manages Edinburgh Zoo traveled with the pair, along with a Chinese keeper and a supply of bamboo that Yang Guang and Tian Tian will eat during the journey, the BBC reported on Monday. The broadcaster also said the pair are scheduled to land in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Tuesday after their 13-hour flight and begin a month of quarantine at the Ya'an base of China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center. "It is an emotional day for us keepers that have been fortunate enough to care for Yang Guang and Tian Tian over the years," said Michael Livingstone, a senior animal keeper at RZSS who is accompanying the pandas on their journey home. "Working with this amazing species has been the highlight of my career and I will definitely miss them. I'm lucky enough to be traveling on the plane with them to China, to help them settle in, and I think it will be nice for them to hear a familiar voice as they get used to their new home." Yang Guang, whose name means sunshine, and Tian Tian, whose name translates to sweetie, arrived at the Edinburgh Zoo in December 2011 as part of a 10-year agreement between RZSS and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The agreement was later extended by two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since launching the cooperation agreement for giant panda conservation and research in 2011, China and the UK have maintained a sound cooperative relationship and achieved positive outcomes in conservation and management, scientific research, technological exchange, and public education with regards to giant pandas, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Dec 1 during a regular news briefing. "In the future, China stands ready to continue to strengthen cooperation with the UK and other international partners on the protection of endangered species and biodiversity and enhance the friendship between people in China and other countries in the world," he said. The presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are facing questions from Congress Tuesday about their responses to alleged incidents of antisemitism on their campuses in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. Today, each of you will have a chance to answer to and atone for the many specific instances of vitriolic, hate-filled antisemitism on your respective campuses that have denied students the safe learning environment they are due, said Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. As you confront our questions in this hearing, remember that you are not speaking to us, but to the students on your campus who have been threatened and assaulted and who look to you to protect them, she said. As chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Foxx invited Harvard president Claudine Gay, Penn president Liz Magill and MIT president Sally Kornbluth to testify. After the events of the past two months, it is clear that rabid antisemitism and the university are two ideas that cannot be cleaved from one another, Foxx said. For several hours, the presidents faced questions about their disciplinary actions toward students regarding acts of antisemitism, how their schools hiring practices ensure their faculty represent diverse viewpoints and how they are ensuring safety on campus. While Republican leaders of the committee said the focus of the hearing was on addressing antisemitism, the college leaders also said they are seeing a rise in Islamophobia and are working to combat those acts of hate as well. Combatting antisemitism while protecting free speech Several Republican members of the committee argued that the college presidents are not doing enough to protect Jewish students on campus. In a testy exchange, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York asked Gay if Harvard would take disciplinary action against students or applicants who say from the river to the sea or intifada. The two terms are sometimes used at pro-Palestinian protests and Stefanik argued that the use of intifada in the context of the Israeli-Arab conflict is indeed a call for violent armed resistance against the state of Israel, including violence against civilians and the genocide of Jews. Gay said that type of hateful, reckless, offensive speech is abhorrent to her. Do you believe that type of hateful speech is contrary to Harvards code of conduct or is it allowed at Harvard? Stefanik, a Harvard graduate, pressed. It is at odds with the value of Harvard, but we embrace a commitment to free expression even of views that are objectionable, offensive, hateful, Gay said. When that speech crosses into conduct that violates Harvards policies against bullying and harassment, or incites violence or threatens safety, then action is taken, she said. We have robust disciplinary processes that allow us to hold individuals accountable, Gay said. Education Departments investigations Since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, the Department of Education has opened an unprecedented number of investigations into alleged incidents of hate on college campuses. Both Harvard and Penn, along with six other colleges and four K-12 school districts, are under investigation. The investigations were launched under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which says universities and K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide all students with an environment free from discrimination. At the conclusion of the investigations, the Department of Education will make recommendations to the schools. The schools risk losing federal funding if they dont comply. The Department of Education has told CNN that the situation is becoming untenable for the Office for Civil Rights, and that it doesnt have the investigative staff to match the influx of cases. The office handles a variety of civil rights complaints. At Tuesdays hearing, Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut criticized his Republican House colleagues for proposing to cut the offices funding by 25%. That kind of cut is going to cripple the ability of the antisemitism police, if you want to sort of look at it that way, in terms of trying to stop this type of activity on campuses, Courtney said. College campuses across the country have seen a rise in tension over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In recent weeks, there have been hundreds of protests and counterprotests on college campuses, with some of them turning violent. The faces and names of some students allegedly linked to anti-Israel statements were displayed on mobile billboards near the campuses of both Harvard and Columbia. Additionally, a Cornell University student was federally charged in connection with a series of online posts threatening to kill and harm Jewish students, and Penn recently alerted the FBI to a series of threatening, antisemitic emails sent to the Ivy League schools staff. Addressing Islamophobia and other kinds of hate The focus of Tuesdays hearing was about addressing antisemitism specifically, but the three college presidents made clear they are also working to combat all forms of hate, including incidents of Islamophobia which are also on the rise. MIT will take on both, not lumped together, but with equal energy and in parallel, said Kornbluth, who is Jewish, during her opening remarks. Some Republican lawmakers argued that too often, incidents of antisemitism are conflated with those of Islamophobia. Its wrong to suggest that antisemitism and Islamophobia are equivalent problems in this country, said Republican Rep. Bob Good of Virginia. This past Sunday, a group supporting Gaza and Palestinians marched through Philadelphia, stopping to protest outside an Israeli-style falafel shop a rally that was condemned by the White House and Pennsylvania governor as antisemitic. The march also approached Penns campus and some property was spray painted with graffiti with messages about the ongoing war as well as general anti-establishment, anti-police messaging, according to the Penn Division of Public Safety. Good asked Penn president Magill if there has been any large, equivalent-sized gathering in support of the slaughter of Muslims or the elimination of an Arab or predominantly Muslim state on or near campus since October 7. Not that Im aware of, Magill said, adding, I abhor all acts of hate. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com With hate crimes, context is everything, and events outside of the United States like the war between Israel and Hamas can have far-reaching and potentially tragic consequences. Vermont police arrested a man in Burlington on Nov. 27, 2023, for allegedly shooting three 20-year-old Palestinian American men, seriously wounding them. Two of the men wore Palestinian keffiyehs, a traditional scarf that has come to symbolize Palestinian identity. Jason James Eaton, the New York resident charged with the crime, has pleaded not guilty. Authorities are still investigating whether Eaton should be charged with a hate crime. People often think an incident is a hate crime right away because of key characteristics of the people involved, but police tend to be reluctant to make such a quick declaration. Hate crimes and hate murders are rising across the U.S., but long-term polling data suggests that most Americans are horrified by bias-motivated violence. They also support hate crime legislation, an effort to deter such attacks. Yet officials often resist the quick classification of incidents as a hate crime. For instance, the shooting of the three Palestinian Americans in Vermont has yet to be classified as a hate crime. Several days later, authorities are still conducting an investigation into what prompted the shooting. Investigations like this are required because hate crimes have precise qualities, which must be met in order to satisfy legal requirements. And even when police and prosecutors believe the elements of a hate crime are present, such crimes can be difficult to prove in court. A rise in hate since October The Vermont shooting followed a landlord in Chicago allegedly fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian American tenant 26 times in October 2023, following a brief discussion with the childs mother about the war in the Middle East. The assailant, who has pleaded not guilty, was charged with a hate crime. There has been a sharp spike in attacks on both Jews and Palestinians since Hamas attack on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israels subsequent ground invasion of Gaza. The Anti-Defamation League, an advocacy group that tracks antisemitism, reported at the end of October 2023 that antisemitic incidents increased 388% in the week after Oct 7. These include physical assaults and violent online messages. In New York City, for example, a man punched a 29-year-old woman in the face before he told her, You are Jewish. The advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations has also documented a 216% increase in requests for help and bias incidents compared with 2022 figures. People visit a memorial for 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume. The landlord of the building where the boys family lived pleaded not guilty in October 2023 to hate crime and murder charges. Scott Olson/Getty Images What is a hate crime? I have studied hate crime and police for over 20 years. Hate crimes are crimes motivated by bias on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity. In some states, gender, age and gender identity are also included. Hate crime laws have been passed by 47 states and the federal government since the 1980s, when activists first began to press state legislatures to recognize the role of bias in violence against minority groups. Today, only Indiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire and South Carolina do not have any hate crime laws. Both Illinois and Vermont have laws that impose more severe penalties if an alleged offenders crime is motivated by someones race, religion or ethnicity. In order to be charged as a hate crime, attacks whether assault, killings or vandalism must be directed at individuals because of the prohibited biases. Hate crimes, in other words, punish motive; the prosecutor must convince the judge or jury that the victim was targeted because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or other protected characteristic. If the defendant is found to have acted with bias motivation, hate crimes often add an additional penalty to the underlying charge. Charging people with a hate crime, then, presents additional layers of complexity to what may otherwise be a straightforward case for prosecutors. Bias motivation can be hard to prove, and prosecutors can be reluctant to take cases that they may not win in court. It can and does happen, though. In June 2020, Shepard Hoehn placed a burning cross and a sign with racial slurs and epithets facing the construction site where his new neighbor, who is Black, was building a house. Hoehn was charged with and later pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges in Indiana. A few months later, Maurice Diggins was convicted by a federal jury of a 2018 hate crime for breaking the jaw of a Sudanese man in Maine while shouting racial epithets. Dylann Roof, who killed nine worshippers at a Black church in South Carolina in 2015, was convicted of 33 charges, including hate crimes. Grace Beahm-Pool/Getty Images How to charge a hate crime The first use of the term hate crime in federal legislation was the Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990. This was not a criminal statute but rather a data-gathering requirement that mandated that the U.S. attorney general collect data on crimes that evidenced prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. Soon, states began passing their own laws recognizing bias crimes. But hate crime legislation has not led to as many charges and convictions as activists may have hoped. Law enforcement struggles to identify hate crime and prosecute the offenders. Even though 47 states have hate crime laws, 86.1% of law enforcement agencies reported to the FBI that not a single hate crime had occurred in their jurisdiction in 2019, according to FBI data. In many cases, police have received inadequate training in making hate crime classification. What weights do you give to race, dope, territory? These things are 90% gray there are no black-and-white incidents, said one 20-year veteran police officer in a 1996 study of hate crime. But Ive also found that police departments are rarely organized in a way that allows them to develop the expertise necessary to effectively investigate hate crimes. When police departments have specialized police units and prosecutors who are committed to taking on hate crime, they can develop the routines that allow them to investigate hate crime in a manner that supports victims. Even law enforcement officers specifically trained in bias crime identification still may not name incidents as hate crime that, to the general public, seem obviously bias-driven. This may be the result of police bias. When arson targets a temple, mosque or cultural center, it may be investigated as a hate crime. Aaron M. Sprecher/AFP via Getty Images Limits of the law Advocates for hate crime victims maintain that police and prosecutors can do much more to identify and punish hate crimes. Empirical evidence supports their claims. The FBIs latest report on hate crimes, from 2022, found that hate crime incidents rose from 10,840 in 2021 to 11,634 in 2022. But past National Crime Victimization Surveys, in which victims self-report hate crimes, tend to include more incidents than the government documents. Distrust of police, especially in Black communities, may dissuade minorities from even calling the police when they are victimized by hate crime for fear they could also become victims of police violence. All this means that perpetrators of hate crimes may not be caught and can re-offend, further victimizing communities that are meant to be protected by hate crime laws. Hate crime laws reflect American ideals of fairness, justice and equity. But if crimes motivated by bias arent reported, well investigated, charged or brought to trial, it matters little what state law says. This article was updated from a Conversation story originally published on March 19, 2021. 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: Jeannine Bell, Loyola University Chicago. Read more: An Emirati oil executive has landed in hot water after claiming that there's "no science" behind phasing out fossil fuels to keep global temperatures from creeping above 1.5 degrees Celsius, an internationally agreed-upon climate benchmark. His comment, made during a panel led by former UN special envoy for climate change Mary Robinson, particularly struck a nerve as Sultan Al Jaber is currently leading the ongoing COP28 conference, an international climate summit in Dubai. The conflict of interest is palpable. Al Jaber is CEO of Adnoc, the largest drilling company in the Middle East that's gearing up to expand its drilling ventures considerably. According to the Global Oil and Gas Exit List, a public database that keeps track of the activities of oil and gas ventures, the Al Jaber-led state oil company has far and away the biggest plans to expand oil and gas production in the world. "There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says the phaseout of fossil fuel is whats going to achieve 1.5," Al Jaber said during the panel discussion, adding that he refused to be part of an "alarmist" discussion. Unsurprisingly, the preposterous claim from the oil executive sparked a considerable amount of outrage. "I read that your company is investing in a lot more fossil fuel in the future," Robinson shot back. "Youre reading your own media, which is biased and wrong," Al Jaber retorted. "I am telling you I am the man in charge." Yikes. Did we mention the panel discussion was about a global campaign to empower women in leading climate action? To state the obvious, the research is very explicit on the need to stop burning fossil fuels. "The science is clear," UN secretary general Antonio Guterres told delegates at the summit. "The 1.5C limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce, not abate. Phase out, with a clear timeframe." And his critics didn't beat around the bush in denouncing his comment. "From the moment this absurd masquerade began, it was only a matter of time before his preposterous disguise no longer concealed the reality of the most brazen conflict of interest in the history of climate negotiations," former vice president Al Gore told the New York Times in an email. "Obviously, the world needs to phase out fossil fuels as quickly as possible," he added, noting that Al Jaber "has been preparing one of the most aggressive expansions of fossil fuel production, timed to begin as soon as he bangs the final gavel to conclude COP28." In comments to The Guardian, Climate Analytics chief executive Bill Hare called Al Jaber's comments "an extraordinary, revealing, worrying and belligerent exchange." "Sending us back to caves is the oldest of fossil fuel industry tropes," he added. "It's verging on climate denial." Following the outrage, Al Jaber didn't back down on his claim, complaining that his "one statement" was "taken out of context." "I have said over and over that the phase-down and the phaseout of fossil fuels is inevitable," he told an impromptu press conference this week, as quoted by the NYT. In short, COP28 is quickly turning into nothing more than a distraction. Worse yet, leaked documents revealed that the United Arab Emirates is planning to use climate meetings like it to promote oil and gas companies. More on climate change: 15,000 Scientists Warn Society Could Collapse By 2100 Due to Climate Change (KRON) A 22-year-old man was arrested Monday after authorities found nearly three dozen vehicles vandalized near Healdsburg High School, police said. Spencer Martin, 22, of Healdsburg, was identified as the suspect reported to have damaged 34 vehicles, causing thousands of dollars in damage, according to the Healdsburg Police Department. Police initially responded to a report of several vandalized vehicles at Healdsburg High School and while gathering the victims information, were alerted to more vandalism nearby. KRON On is streaming live After canvassing the area, officers located Martin, who matched the description of the callers report. Martin was charged with 34 counts of felony vandalism, police said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. A new employee inspecting a noise near a steam line was fatally burned after heated sludge piled onto him at a chemical manufacturing facility in Georgia, federal officials said. The 52-year-olds death happened during his second month on the job in June and couldve been prevented by his employer, Chemical Products Corp. in Cartersville, according to a U.S. Department of Labor investigation. When the worker opened an air intake valve to check out a noise coming from a barium sulfide wash cone with a steam line that was left open the day before, cold air surged and created a bubble that pushed up heated sludge onto the worker, officials said in a Dec. 1 news release. He died of chemical and thermal burns all over his body as a result, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators. As OSHA investigated the death, investigators discovered another employee was left with second-degree burns after a tank with sodium hydroxide solution overflowed onto him below, officials said. The employee was burned 25 days after the 52-year-olds death as he inspected a leaking gasket underneath the tank, according to OSHA. The agency has cited Chemical Products Corp. with five serious violations after the workers death, the release said. OSHA has also proposed $55,403 in penalties for the company. McClatchy News contacted the company for comment on Dec. 5 and didnt receive an immediate response. Our investigation found that Chemical Products Corp.s failure to make employee safety a priority allowed conditions that cost a worker his life, OSHA Area Office Director Jeffery Stawowy, of the Atlanta-West region, said in the release. Two serious incidents just weeks apart show that the culture at Chemical Products Corp. must change to emphasize worker safety and health, Stawowy added. The five violations are: Thermal and chemical risks from not having energy control procedures in place Not inspecting energy control procedures at least once a year Slip and trip risks from not addressing corrosion at the facilitys mid-tier catwalks Entrapment risks from a lack of marked emergency exits Not providing employees safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals The chemical manufacturer, which employs about 136 people, has 15 days upon receiving the citations and penalties to either comply, request to meet with OSHA or contest the findings, the release said. Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding the second employees burns are under investigation, officials said. OSHA will continue to monitor and hold the company accountable until there are changes, Stawowy said. Cartersville is about 45 minutes northwest of Atlanta. Worker dies getting caught in machine that 3M Company knew was dangerous, feds say Worker fixing Chick-fil-A dishwasher gets electrocuted and dies, Utah officials say Worker who fell 50 feet to his death was given inaccurate safety info, feds say SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Utah, meet Jaisa! The newest member of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Salt Lake City Field Office. Jaisa, a recent graduate of the ATFs 10-week explosive detection training program, is Salt Lake Citys new Explosives Detection Canine. Described by officials as a highly skilled and conditioned canine, Jaisa has been trained to detect not only explosives and their residue but also post-blast evidence. Jaisas training, ATF says, equips her to play a vital role in the identification and prevention of potential threats within Salt Lake Citys community. ATF Public Information Officer, Crystal K. McCoy says that one of the unique aspects of this canine program is the conditioning given to these animals to detect not just explosives but also firearms and ammunition concealed in multiple ways. These animals specialize in identifying smokeless powder and other explosive fillers. Jaisa and other ATF-trained canines have the ability to uncover hidden firearms, ammunition, and explosive materials in containers, vehicles, on individuals, or even buried underground. LDS Church announces new Texas temple site This combination of skills, McCoy says, makes these canines a valuable tool for local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in their efforts to combat violent crime. McCoy continues saying Jaisas work is backed by the expertise and collaboration of the National Response Team, Explosives Technology Branch, ATF Laboratories, Certified Explosives Specialists, and the ATF Firearms Branch and Tracing Center. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now ABC4 Daily News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Summit to chart blueprint for Sino-EU ties 08:37, December 05, 2023 By Mo Jingxi ( China Daily [Photo/China Daily] 'Our common interests far outweigh our differences,' says ministry spokesman Leaders of China and the European Union are expected to have in-depth communication on issues of fundamental and strategic importance in shaping China-EU relations and global issues of common concern, as the two sides will hold the first in-person China-EU summit since 2019 in Beijing on Thursday. President Xi Jinping will meet with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Premier Li Qiang and the European leaders will jointly chair the summit. "The leaders will chart the blueprint for the development of China-EU relations, identify key areas and give impetus to this relationship," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing in Beijing. Established in 1998 as an annual meeting mechanism, the China-EU summit has been successfully held 23 times, covering areas including politics, the economy, culture and society. The previous summit took place in April last year via video conference. "China and the EU are partners, not rivals. Our common interests far outweigh our differences," Wang said. The spokesman said that China expects the two sides to enhance understanding and mutual trust through strategic communication, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation through innovation and explore ways to solve problems through dialogue and consultation. "We will cooperate to meet global challenges and inject new impetus into the world and increase stability in the international situation. This is in line with the two sides' fundamental and long-term interests, and also meets the expectations of the international community," he added. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and has witnessed frequent high-level exchanges between China and the EU that resulted in dialogue and cooperation across the board at various levels. The latest interaction was the 12th round of the China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue held in October in the Chinese capital. Chen Xulong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics' School of International Relations, said that China always considers Europe as an indispensable part of a multipolar world and a crucial party for world stability. "As the world's two major forces, mega markets and great civilizations, China and Europe play an important role in the world's peace, stability and development," he said, noting that China has made a lot of diplomatic efforts this year that led to the improvement of China-EU relations. Chen said that China and the EU share broad common interests in a wide range of fields, including global governance, climate change and the green transformation of the global economy, and the two sides should actively expand their convergence of interests. "The upcoming summit, as a continuation of the annual mechanism, will certainly provide a new driving force and a new vision for China-EU ties," he added. China was the EU's second-largest trading partner in 2022, with EU investment in the country growing by more than $10 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 96.6 percent, according to the Foreign Ministry. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday morning, after wrapping up their stay in Britain. The pair touched down at the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at about 6:50 a.m., before being sent to the Bifengxia giant panda base in Ya'an for a month-long quarantine. Yang Guang and Tian Tian, literally meaning Sunshine and Sweetie, arrived at Edinburgh Zoo in December 2011 on a 10-year loan, which was subsequently extended for an additional two years. As the sole pandas in Britain, they garnered significant attention, attracting a record number of visitors to the zoo. They did not give birth to any cubs during their stay in Britain. There were several attempts to get Tian Tian pregnant but none of them were successful. Before their departure, Edinburgh Zoo conducted training sessions to acclimate the pair to the upcoming journey. The zoo had also prepared fresh bamboo for the pandas as food during the flight. According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Chinese pandas living in 23 institutions in 19 foreign countries are generally in good health condition, and international collaboration in this respect has been fruitful. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Monday that her office found no wrongdoing and will not charge police in the 2022 death of Khalil Azad, whose body was found in a lake two days after he allegedly evaded a traffic stop by Robbinsdale police. Nine months ago, the Robbinsdale Police Department requested that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigate the death and released body camera footage from the response. The investigation followed days of protests, student walkouts and demands for transparency in the death of Azad, 24. Family members and activist groups questioned the police account, alleging that Azad did not drown but rather was bitten by police dogs and beaten to death by officers. In a news release, Moriarty said her office reviewed the findings by the BCA and found there was "no evidence that any member of law enforcement had any physical contact with Khalil after the stop." The BCA findings were reviewed by senior attorneys in Moriarty's office before making a recommendation to decline charges, she said in the release. Moriarty's decision was shared with Azad's family members in a private meeting Monday, and with the responding law enforcement agencies. "My thoughts are with Khalil Azad's family and loved ones in this difficult time," Moriarty said in the release. "Losing someone so young is devastating. Although this is not the result they hoped for, our victim support team remains available to help them through this extremely difficult time." Moses Azad, brother of Khalil Azad, said Monday that he doubts the investigation findings and remains convinced that police killed his brother. "When you read [about] it, it doesn't add up," he said in a phone call, noting he did not attend the Monday meeting with Moriarty. "We just want to get to the bottom of what really happened." In the early morning of July 3, 2022, a Robbinsdale officer suspected Khalil Azad was intoxicated while driving and attempted to pull him over in the 4200 block of County Road 81. Azad crashed an SUV near Crystal Lake and allegedly ran from the car. The footage from Robbinsdale officer Joshua Heasley showed him and other officers walking into the woods and backyards of homes along the lake, accompanied by at least one officer with a police dog. Footage shows police calling off the search after more than half an hour of looking around the wooded area. Azad's body was found two days later in the lake. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled it an accidental drowning. Moriarty said the investigation did not reveal evidence that law enforcement "did anything other than seek in earnest to locate Khalil" using dogs, a State Patrol helicopter and thermal imaging, and trying to get information from the two others in the SUV, one of whom was Moses Azad, according to a Sheriff's Office report. Months ago, skeptics of the conclusion that Azad accidentally drowned circulated what were described as autopsy photos showing his face swollen from what they allege was a beating by police officers. The Medical Examiner's Office made no official release of photos. The Hershey Company is informing residents of a phishing attack that may have resulted in a hacker accessing more than 2,000 individuals' personal information. Between Sept. 3 and Sept. 4, "an unauthorized user" gained access to a limited number of Hershey email accounts. The company stated that 2,214 residents in the country are affected, according to a filing the company made with the Maine Attorney General's office. Hershey spokesman Todd Scott told the Lebanon Daily News Monday that officials worked quickly to disable that access and reach out to residents. "While we believe that no personally identifiable information was acquired or misused, out of an abundance of caution, we have notified persons in the U.S. whose information may have been impacted," he said. Hershey officials said they have been working with multiple third parties, including "a forensic provider," to investigate the incident. In a letter to those who may be affected by the breach, officials said the information accessed by the unauthorized user varied from person-to-person. In the letter, officials suggested that the information accessed may have included health and medical information, health insurance information, digital signatures, date of birth, address and contact information, credit card numbers with passcode or security code, drivers license numbers and credentials for online accounts and financial accounts including routing numbers. The Hershey Company has taken steps to enhance data security measures to prevent a similar event in the future, including forced password changes and additional detection safeguards to their email environment. As of Monday, officials have not identified a suspect for the phishing incident. A Pennsylvania Attorney General's office spokesperson told the Lebanon Daily News that they did not have information on the potential impact the Hershey data breach would have on the state. They added that current law does not require businesses to report data breaches to the attorney general's office. The spokesperson added that with any data breach, residents are recommended to change passwords, review credit reports for unusual activity and sign up for credit monitoring. Cesar Wilkins Romero-Colon: DA: Officer justified in shooting at armed robbery suspect who led Lebanon police on chase Information wanted: Lebanon City Police looking for information on an East Cumberland Street shooting The Hershey Company is offering anyone affected by the breach 24 month of free credit monitoring and identity protection services, according to Scott. Officials will be offering a 24-month membership to Experian Identity Works, which those who are infected will need to enroll by March 31, 2024. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Hershey Company involved in phishing attack that accessed personal info HERSHEY, Pa. (WHTM) The Hershey Company has announced that some accounts may have been affected by a data breach. According to the Office of the Maine Attorney General, over 2,000 people have been affected by data breaches between Sept. 3 and Sept. 4, 2023. A letter from the Hershey company stated that an unauthorized user gained access to a limited number of Hershey email accounts. The information accessed by the user varied from person to person, the company said in a letter. It may have included first and last names, health and medical insurance information, date of birth, drivers license number, credit card number with passcode or security code; and credentials for online accounts and financial accounts including routing numbers Hershey said that at this time, the company worked to block the unauthorized users access and they have confirmed that the affected Hershey accounts were no longer in use by the unauthorized user. The company has also taken steps to enhance its data security measures to prevent this from occurring. In addition, the company went on to say that they will be offering a 2-year free membership to an identity theft prevention website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. MADISON A 3M plant in Wausau is providing bottled water to its employees after very high levels of "forever chemicals" were found in the drinking water provided by a private well. 3M's Greystone plant, on the outskirts of Wausau, found PFAS in its drinking water and is planning to take corrective action to return the water to safe levels, according to the company. The location has PFOA at 210 parts per trillion, and PFOS at 310 parts per trillion, for a combined total of 520 parts per trillion, according to sampling data on the DNR's website. In the meantime, employees are being asked to avoid drinking the water in favor of using the water coolers. "It is important to note that the company has historically supplied a water cooler on site," spokesperson CarolynLaViolette said in an email. "When we informed our employees of the sampling data, we also asked that they continue to use the cooler for drinking water." More: Wausau files lawsuit against 'forever chemical' makers and the companies that insured them Currently, state standards are 70 parts per trillion for both compound, either alone or combined. The recommended federal standards for the two compounds are 4 parts per trillion, putting the Greystone location well above both numbers. Kyle Burton, the field operations director of the Bureau of Drinking and Groundwater at the Department of Natural Resources, said the well with the high levels only provides drinking water to employees at the facility. The company has notified employees, and is providing bottled water for those who want it. "They have posted a notice with information about PFAS levels in the well water at all locations where tap water is available and held meetings with employees to discuss the situation," he said in an email. Burton said the DNR is working with the facility on long-term solutions at this point, but has not pinpointed where the PFAS may have come from. "It is important to note that DNR has not identified a possible source of PFAS contamination in 3M Greystones well," he said. "The DNR is also working with the facility to get more information about the extent of its operations. Wausau has one of the most extensive PFAS contaminations in the state, with all of its drinking water wells impacted by the chemicals. To combat the issue, the city is working to install a granulated carbon filtration system, which is currently the best way to extract PFAS from water. More: Senate passes 'forever chemical' bill despite concerns over limitations to DNR It is not clear where the contamination at the 3M location came from, or if it is at all related to the elevated levels of PFAS in Wausau's wells. Mayor Katie Rosenberg said there are a lot of questions at the moment, but not a lot of answers. "Obviously the PFAS contamination that was found at the Greystone plant is alarming," she said. "It's a lot higher than anything we've found in our wells, so you kind of wonder about the source of contamination." 3M is currently under scrutiny nationwide for its role in manufacturing PFAS and distributing the compounds without warnings to buyers. Earlier this year, the company agreed to pay up to $10.3 billion over a 13-year period to public water suppliers that have detected the substances in drinking water across the nation. 3M is among the world's largest manufacturers of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Rosenberg said Wausau is poised to consider whether or not it will join in the massive lawsuit, or retain its rights to seek compensation from 3M outside of the lawsuit, if needed. About PFAS PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time. The chemicals have been linked to types of kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems, altered hormone regulation and altered thyroid hormones. The chemicals enter the human body largely through drinking water. PFAS have been found across Wisconsin. Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: High levels of PFAS found in well at 3M plant in Wausau The business name starts with high, and it sells items named doobie and 420, but San Luis Obispos iconic High Street Market & Deli is more a dispensary of sandwiches than anything else. In fact, there are even logical reasons for the above details: The deli is named for its location on High Street. The buildings address number used to be 420 though its since been renumbered by the city to 350. And the current owner, Randy Doobie Coates earned his nickname from his mother because he was her good kid, Romper Room Doo-Bee, he said. Still, the potential pot-culture inferences were obvious to then-Cal Poly student Coates in 1999 when he strolled across the street from his apartment to buy a sandwich from the deli. The 26-year-old ordered his lunch and decided on the spot that he wanted to buy the longstanding business from Brian and Abbey Lucas. So, he did. Id been supposed to go on a surf trip with some buddies, Coates recalled with a chuckle. Instead, I bought a deli. Meanwhile the Lucases went on to build their culinary cred at Sebastians General Store in San Simeon and then The Cafe in Cambria, and now own the Cambria Antique Archaeology shop. In the nearly quarter century since Coates bought the deli, hes turned those high coincidences into wink-wink, nudge-nudge marketing magic for the shops funky merch and now famous sandwich cuisine. Our marketing just got more and more fun, Coates said. Randy Doobie Coates, seen here on Nov. 30, 2023, is the owner/chief sandwich maker at High Street Market & Deli in San Luis Obispo. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com Central Coast business has made history for nearly a century High Street Market and Delis website says for nearly a century, the building has been a beloved corner store for many, starting as a one-stop-shop selling things such as milk, butter, chewing tobacco and fishing gear. Even when High Street was nothing more than a dirt road, people would stop by to grab a pint of milk, cigarettes and a delicious deli sandwich on their way to or from the railroad station, the website said of how the shop catered to the hardworking individuals and families of the time. Noted area historian James Papp prepared a 2021 report about the propertys provenance, noting that the market and deli is one of San Luis Obispos few surviving pre-World War II corner groceries. The first corner grocery store was built on the site in 1866, according to Papps report, and the existing building and an adjacent house were built in 1926. As the property and business sold separately through the years, the latter operated under various names. In 2021, the citys Cultural Heritage Committee added it to San Luis Obispos Master List of Historic Properties as No. 127, because of the shops longevity and its connection to the towns Black history. Significantly, the store named the Tiny Mart then was the first Black-owned grocery, first Black-owned business with Black-owned premises and last surviving Black-owned business from the era of the Great Migration, Papp said in his report. The Great Migration was when millions of Black southerners relocated to northern and western cities and areas throughout much of the 20th century. The property is associated with Frank and Alberta Bell, considered to be the first Black grocery owners in the city, he continued, and its survival serves as a representation of a Great Migration-era Black business. Papps report said the Bells owned the market from 1966 to 1979. High Street Market & Deli in San Luis Obispo, seen here on Nov. 30, 2023, has a loyal following, often with lines out the door on weekends. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com How L.A. native transformed High Street into SLO fave Coates parents Randy Coates and Norene Cantella moved to San Luis Obispo in 1995 from Los Angeles to open Uptown Espresso and Bakery on Higuera Street. They ran it for 20 years, even after it became BlackHorse Espresso & Bakery. Their son, a Los Angeles native, stayed in Southern California until 1998 when he transferred to Cal Poly from community college, he said. About a year later, he bought the deli. Over the years hes helped to transform it into a mainstay of the San Luis Obispo food scene. In a 2021 tally, Yelp reviewers rated High Street as one of the eight best sandwich shops on the Central Coast, and it consistently ranks at or near the top of similar listings. The emphasis at the San Luis Obispo deli and Coates new Baywood Park location is quality and consistency with friendly service and an upbeat, slightly counter-culture vibe. We make all our sauces in house, he said. We slice everything fresh for the day. Our breads are fresh. The shops sourdough comes from Brians Artisan Bread Co. in Atascadero and other varieties are from Pan de Oro and Back Porch Bakery. High Street Delis Dutch Punch sandwich features smoked turkey, bacon, jalapeno havarti, red onion, tomato, romaine, avocado and chipotle mayo on a Dutch crunch roll. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com Coates even worked for weeks with those bakers to perfect High Streets trademark Dutch crunch bread, which is a cornerstone of the delis Dutch Punch sando. Its the delis most popular offering, stacked high (of course) with smoked turkey, bacon, red onion, tomato, romaine lettuce, homemade chipotle mayonnaise and the works. The San Luis Obispo delis menu spans nearly 20 sandwiches, including two different pastrami sandwiches, a West Coast Hoag(ie), Italian Sub, Nashville Club and the Highzenburger, which is filled with house-made meatloaf, burger style. Some unusual ingredients on the menu include roasted artichokes, whipped cream cheese with scallions and jalapeno havarti. Daily specials can include the Kalhua Pork, Garlic Starship, Californistrami and other more out-there sandos. Between the two delis, we probably use about 1,000 pounds of Boars Head turkey a week, Coates estimated. Customers can build their own sandwiches, and even opt to make it STONEY, with the sando makers choice of extra ingredients to trick out your sandwich. The delis also offer lettuce wraps for people who avoid gluten. For those who say its clientele is mainly Cal Poly students, Coates tends to disagree. Our primary customer base is not just college students, Coates said. Look at a map. Were not anywhere near the campus. Once youre parked at Cal Poly, you dont really want to leave. He does run Tuesday college specials, he said but to help lure in all locals, Coates slashes prices every day at 4:20 p.m., and even offered a 10% rain or shine discount on a recent stormy day. We get a lot of tourists and do a lot of catering to businesses in town, he said. Its a pretty diverse group of customers. The market side of the delis offer some Doobie-style merch, plus a limited grocery selection. High Street Delis Thanksgiving Sando features turkey and gravy. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com Whats up next for High Street Market & Deli? Those originally drawn to the eatery, perhaps because of the kitschy name and vibe, soon find really good food underneath, and nothing has stopped the community from eating its food since not even the COVID-19 pandemic. Coates said the shop closed for a couple of weeks but because it didnt have any indoor seating, the closure order didnt directly affect the deli. So we used that time to do some kitchen remodeling, and then just kept doing what we do, he said. Launching online ordering didnt go quite as smoothly. The day the business reopened with that service in place, he said, we were so busy, we crashed the entire system. Coates and wife Kayla live in Los Osos with their children, ages 7 and 9. Conveniently, theyve opened another High Street deli in a historical structure at 1326 Second St. in Baywood Park. They took a couple of years to remodel it, then opened in 2021. Both locations have great historical importance, Coates said, noting that the Baywood place was moved from its spot on the pier in the 1940s, when the pier was torn down. The Baywood deli has some items not offered in San Luis Obispo, such as Hearst Ranch burgers, a Cubano sandwich, beef dip, house-cut fries and Strauss soft-serve ice cream that makes great floats with our craft sodas on tap, he said. Meanwhile back in San Luis Obispo, Coates is getting ready to renovate the original building, which has been remodeled a few times throughout the decades. We want to make it better, but exactly the same, keeping its historical significance, he said. The siding, probably from the 1940s, is shot. Its so bad, we cant even paint it anymore. It just flakes away. He said hes currently trying to match paints to what was on the building based on original photos. He also plans to replicate the historic sign. Well repaint it to the original condition, he said. High Street Market & Deli in San Luis Obispo, seen here on Nov. 30, 2023, has a loyal following, often with lines out the door on weekends. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com For more information The High Street Deli, at High and Carmel streets, and the Baywood deli at 1326 Second St. are open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Baywood location is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but the San Luis Obispo location is open every day. Both have dog-and-kid-friendly patios, and the Baywood deli has a large dedicated play area for children. The phone numbers are 805-541-4738 for San Luis Obispo and 805-439-2977 for Baywood. But they dont take orders by phone, encouraging customers to order online at highstdeli.com, even up to three days in advance. High Street Market & Deli is also on Facebook and Instagram. Looking for a different yet cool and unique gift idea for a Kentucky bourbon collector? You can probably skip whiskey stones, those freeze-able rocks you can use to chill your pour without watering it down. If they want them, they probably already have them. Of course the top choice is probably going to be a special premium bottle and bourbon gift guides are a good place for help with that. Or maybe youll get lucky and win a chance to buy a bottle of Pappy. But lets be honest, if they are a serious bourbon connoisseur, they likely already have a special bottle on their wish list. So, how about really surprising them with a one-of-kind present? This list and guide of ideas for special bourbon gifts, all of which are drinkable, is sure to make your present stand out. For the holidays, J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery in Frankfort let customers select and customize bottles for gifts. J. Mattingly 1845 holiday bottling J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, now in Frankfort, will let you pick our your bourbon, your spiffy wax treatment (festive options are available), your bottle and even your own label. Prices for the custom bottles start at $155 for a 750 mL bottle. You can make reservations and come in person or order online at jmattingly1845.com. All orders placed by Dec. 8 will arrive by Christmas Eve. Orders placed after Dec. 8 will be filled and shipped out as soon as possible but not guaranteed prior to December 24. An option to have a gift box and branded card will be offered to ensure a memento can be wrapped for gift giving. You can select your bourbon then customize bottles for special gifts at J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, now in Frankfort. Whether youre able to visit us in person in Frankfort to blend your own custom bottle or order it online using our pre-selected mash bills, the J. Mattingly elves will craft your personalized whiskey, allowing you to choose one hell of a pick for yourself or for your friends, family or business associates this holiday season, said Harry Richart, president of J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery. Fred Minnicks tasting kit Whiskey expert Fred Minnick teamed with Blind Barrels for a limited release box: Fred Minnick Blind Whiskey Tasting Kit. For $79.99 you get samples of bourbons curated by Minnick, from three different states, with a sample of them blended together. The Fred Minnick Blind Whiskey Tasting Kit offers people the ability to experience a one-of-a-kind spirits tasting with a professional from the comfort of home. This is a home version of Minnicks popular blind live whiskey tastings, done across the country, where he samples and guides you through the differences in each whiskey. Order online at blindbarrels.com. Blue Run bourbon gift calendar Blue Run Spirits has a first-ever Blue Run Holiday Gift Calendar and comes with 12 bourbon-inspired gifts and available in limited quantities as a gift with purchase of Blue Run High Rye bourbon starting Dec 12 at bluerunspirits.com/shop/holiday-calendar. The Kentucky bourbon company is doing the calendar in addition to its 12 Days of Bourbon series of limited edition single barrels of barrel-proof bourbons with unique profiles. Sales of those went live Dec. 1. Blue Run Spirits is giving away a holiday gift calendar with the purchase of its High Rye bourbon, but youll have to be fast: Only the first 10 orders on four days get the calendar. Beginning on the final day, you could get the calendar, which includes a full bottle of Blue Run High Rye bourbon to give a loved one, a variety of samples from the 2023 12 Days of Bourbon expressions, tasting glasses, a flask, an ornament, and steak service for two, if youre quick. According to a news release, the first 10 people to purchase High Rye bourbon ($99) each day at 9 a.m. EST from Dec. 12-Dec. 15 also get the calendar. Available in select states as supplies last. FILE PHOTO: Pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow releases from prison after serving nearly seven months for her role in an unauthorised assembly during the city's 2019 anti-government protests, in Hong Kong By Jessie Pang and Joyce Zhou HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, who fled to Canada while free on bail, says she won't return home amid a crackdown that curbed her freedoms, defying a warning from Hong Kong's leader that she would be pursued for life. Chow said that she faced intense scrutiny from authorities for several years and that with her passport confiscated, she constantly lived in fear and had to remain silent. "I feel like I was forced to stay in such kind of severe environment that I couldn't escape," said Chow, who spoke from Toronto, where she has been for three months. "In consideration of the political situation in Hong Kong and my personal health, my mental health, my physical health, and the high political risk of not being allowed to leave Hong Kong again, I've decided not to go back." Chow was released from prison in June 2021 after being jailed for unauthorised assembly. But a separate allegation of collusion with foreign forces under a China-imposed national security law meant her passport was confiscated, her movements closely monitored, and she had difficulties finding a full-time job, opening a bank account or renting an apartment. The security law has drawn criticism from Western governments as a tool of repression, but China says it has restored stability after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. Chow said the fear of being jailed again meant she suffered from panic attacks, and she was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder at a time when authorities continued to make more arrests - with many fellow democrats facing stiff jail terms or forced into exile. Hong Kong authorities agreed to allow her to travel to Toronto for a master's degree programme this year, but only if she agreed to a one-day trip to the Chinese city of Shenzhen, where Chow said she was chaperoned by five police officers and photographed at a "patriotic" exhibition showcasing China's achievements, and the headquarters of technology firm Tencent. She said she was required to write and sign several letters her police handlers had drafted, including one of repentance and one of thanks to authorities. A cheaper flight Chow intended to book that transited through Japan - where she has a sizable following - was deemed unacceptable by police, and she had to buy a direct flight to Toronto. "The national security police are not doing their job according to the legal system in Hong Kong," she told Reuters. Hong Kong leader John Lee on Tuesday described Chow as a "liar" and "devoid of integrity". "The police will do their utmost to pursue her, to arrest her. Fugitives will be pursued for life," Lee told reporters. This year, Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants and bounties of HK$1 million ($127,656) for eight overseas activists, including Nathan Law and Anna Kwok, saying their assets would be frozen where possible. A request for comment from Hong Kong's police and security bureau wasn't immediately answered. "I hope that my story could remind everyone in the world that ... there are still many, many, many people in Hong Kong being sent to prison, being suppressed, not able to even to speak a word," said Chow, who was dressed in a yellow hoodie and turned 27 on Sunday. "To be freed physically and mentally," is my birthday wish, she added. (Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Gerry Doyle) ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. A recent crime summit pointed to a police intelligence gathering from the St. Charles County Stolen Car Task Force that has proved critical to todays solutions. The task forces findings showed signs of what we would soon see throughout the region. A rise in stolen cars that looked like a tsunami wave, with a peak in St. Louis County alone, reached nearly 400 stolen cars in August 2022. That wave has since fallen to about half that in St. Louis County, with it dipping below 150 this past November. Detective Michael Nickolaus, St. Louis County Police Department, said theyve identified an investigative blueprint that seems to be working. These cases are catching up to these people committing these crimes, he told a criminal justice panel. Nickolaus credits a collaborative approach that arose from meetings like an October 2022 roundtable FOX 2 covered between north St. Louis County police departments and juvenile court representatives. Officers vented frustrations about taking an offender to juvenile detention, only to find them back out in an hour inside another stolen car. The St. Louis County juvenile courts responded. Man makes dash for it as city tries towing car with expired tags What Ive experienced is a willingness on their part to do as much as they can do legally to assist law enforcement to lower these crimes in our region, Nickolaus said. Pat Kelly, director of the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis added, It has gotten better. Kelly outlined the requirement of 15 points under the Missouri Supreme Courts point system to detain a young suspect. A felony is worth 12 points. So, a juvenile would have to commit a felony and another crime to be held over. Kelly said the courts were not always adding up the offenses. In many instances, police actually had to take those individuals back home, he said. And it has gotten better over the period of the last year, but we want to make sure it gets even better. What is not improving is the danger posed by criminals breaking into cars, who police say are increasingly armed. Property crimes are not worth your life, Nickolaus said. Let law enforcement get involved. We are ready and willing and able to do that. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. House Democrats are sending a loud and early warning that theyll oppose new restrictions on immigration as part of a Ukraine aid package, escalating the partisan fight over border security as Congress races to prop up Kyivs fighting forces before years end The Democrats including well-placed members of the Hispanic and Progressive caucuses argue that Americas border policies have no bearing on U.S. efforts to help a democratic ally repel Russian forces, and any drastic changes to U.S. policy toward migrants would dissolve their support for the broader aid package. Its a no, said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). We are absolutely not going to go for [Republicans] border stuff. Its terrible. The growing opposition is putting pressure on President Biden and other Democratic leaders to hold the line in rejecting GOP demands for stricter laws to curb the influx of migrants on the southern border demands that have emerged as the central sticking point as Washington scrambles to send more military help to Kyiv before January. While Democrats dont control the House, their votes will likely be crucial to the passage of any international aid bill, as a host of conservative Republicans citing concerns over deficit spending, foreign encroachment, or both are signaling their intention to oppose the package if it reaches the floor. Those dynamics lend the minority Democrats some rare leverage in the debate. And while some are concerned theyll get rolled, many others are vowing to use that leverage if Republicans insist on including new limits for migrants seeking asylum, parole and refugee status. Im 100 percent in favor of Ukraine aid, but if they tie some of these border proposals that they have, Id vote no, said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.). And I think a whole bunch of us would vote no. Biden had proposed almost $14 billion for border security as part of his $106 billion supplemental spending proposal, which would provide emergency aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza. But Bidens border strategy focuses on providing more funding for existing programs including Border Patrol, immigration judges and asylum officers to accelerate claims while Republicans are demanding substantive changes to immigration law aimed at reducing the rights of migrants to enter the U.S. at all. In May, House Republicans had passed a sweeping bill, called H.R.2, to overhaul the immigration system, which included provisions to resume construction of the border wall, shrink the pool of migrants eligible for asylum, expand the qualifications required to achieve refugee status and curtail the administrations powers to grant parole. No Democrats supported that bill. And this week, as House lawmakers await Senate action on an emergency supplemental, a host of Democrats said theyll reject the aid package if the central pieces of H.R.2 are included. We cant lose our values in this thing, said Rep. Greg Meeks (N.Y.), senior Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. We think that we need to deal with certain things on the border. We can work together to get certain things done. But not the draconian moves a lack of human rights, etc. that the Republicans want and put forward in H.R.2. That is a red line. Hes not alone. On Monday, leaders of the Progressive Caucus surveyed their members and found that most of the group would oppose emergency aid legislation that scaled back programs such as asylum and humanitarian parole, which allow thousands of migrants to remain in the U.S. while their claims are considered. They are holding aid to Israel and Ukraine hostage to changes to the asylum system that would destroy the asylum system things that they could not get done through regular order, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who heads the Progressive Caucus, told CNN on Sunday. And I think we need to put our foot down and say no. The Senate is taking the lead on the supplemental, but negotiators have hit a wall on the border issue, leading to plenty of finger-pointing as senators in both parties cast blame for the impasse. Dems want $106B GOP wants a closed border. Thats the trade. But clueless Dems want to negotiate the border bill. Not going to happen, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) wrote Tuesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Is an open border more important to Dems than Ukraine and Israel? Adding to the urgency, Biden administration officials are warning that U.S. aid to Ukraine will run dry by years end unless Congress steps in with additional funding. In a letter sent Monday to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Shalanda Young, Bidens budget director, said no Plan B exists. There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment, Young wrote. We are out of money and nearly out of time. The issue of Ukraine aid is a challenging one for the newly installed Speaker. Johnson had opposed $300 million in military aid for Kyiv in September, but hes shifted positions since taking the gavel in October, vowing to support new Ukraine funding despite the opposition from his vocal right flank. But like Republicans in the Senate, hes demanding that it be linked to transformative change to our nations border security laws. With both parties dug in, the emergency aid will remain in limbo unless one side blinks and offers some concessions to the other. Some voices are warning that there is no alternative. Ukraine has to be this year, said Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), senior Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. Israels got some time; Ukraine, its getting tough. Theyve got weeks, he continued. Ukraine is resilient they will find a way to survive. But thats going to be a whole hell of a lot easier if we do something. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A house exploded in Arlington, Virginia, as police were attempting to execute a search warrant, authorities said Monday. Police were sent to the home around 4:45 p.m. after receiving a report about someone firing a flare gun 30 to 40 times from inside the house into the neighborhood, the Arlington County Police Department said in a statement. Police tried to contact the suspect by phone and with loudspeakers, but he didn't respond and stayed barricaded inside the home, police said. After getting a search warrant, police officers approached the home shortly before 8:25 p.m. The suspect then "discharged several rounds" from inside the home, Arlington County police spokesperson Ashley Savage said, after which the blast occurred. A house exploded in Arlington, Virginia as police officers attempted to execute a search warrant on Monday night. pic.twitter.com/tdvDV8m7IR CBS News (@CBSNews) December 5, 2023 It was not immediately clear if the rounds fired were from a flare gun or a different weapon, but police later said the rounds were fired "from what is believed to be a firearm." The suspect, who was not immediately identified, was inside the house at the time of the explosion, Savage said. Police were not aware of anyone else inside the house, which was a duplex, but said they could not rule out the possibility others had been inside Savage said. The suspect's condition was not immediately known and fire officials said they were waiting for a utility company to arrive before they could enter the remains of the structure. Three officers suffered minor injuries, but none required hospitalization. Police and fire officials could not immediately say what caused the explosion. The aftermath of the blast could be seen from several blocks away. Here is a video. pic.twitter.com/4Gn3JEIZAy Mark Raymond (@markraymond) December 5, 2023 Carla Rodriguez, a resident of South Arlington, told The Associated Press she heard the explosion from more than 2 miles away and said she "thought a plane exploded." The Arlington County Fire Department said the fire was under control as of roughly 10:30 p.m., but crews were still dealing with small spot fires. The ATF and FBI were both assisting with the investigation. Companies, countries battle to develop quantum computers | 60 Minutes Greta Gerwig: The 60 Minutes Interview Trump supporter challenges hundreds of voters' qualifications in Georgia A massive explosion engulfed a home and rocked a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, as police were investigating a man who fired a flare gun dozens of times from inside Monday night, police said. No serious injuries were suffered by police; the fate of the suspect who was inside the home when it exploded was not immediately clear, authorities said. Video posted to social media showed a huge fireball and what appeared to be the roof and other debris lofted into the air during the blast, which neighbors said could be heard and felt for miles around in the Washington, D.C., suburb. Shots fired and then an explosion Neighbors reported possible shots fired around 4:45 p.m. and police officers determined someone had fired a flare gun, Arlington County police spokesperson Ashley Savage told reporters. After they obtained a search warrant for the house in the 800 block of North Burlington Street, officers "attempted to make contact with the suspect over the telephone and through loudspeakers," police said in a statement. The person inside did not respond, and officers were trying to execute the search warrant when "the suspect discharged several rounds, from what is believed to be a firearm, inside the home," police added. The explosion happened at about 8:25 p.m. The fire was under control by around 10:40 p.m., the fire department said, but spot fires were being addressed. Officials have not been able to go into the home and could not confirm whether there were any deaths. The suspect was inside when the explosion occurred, Savage said. At this point, were only aware of one individual who was inside the home, Savage said. The person had fired the flare gun around 30 to 40 times "from inside his residence into the surrounding neighborhood," police said in a statement early Tuesday. The identity of the person was not released. The circumstances of the explosion were under investigation, Savage said. Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington went to the scene after she heard the blast more than 2 miles away, but she was kept away by police. I actually thought a plane exploded, she told The Associated Press. Bob Maynes thought a tree had fallen on his house as the blast shook his property. I was sitting in my living room watching television, and the whole house shook, Maynes told the AP. It wasnt an earthquake kind of tremor, but the whole house shook. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va. said on X that the incident was very, very scary and thanked first responders for their work. Police officers reported minor injuries, county police said. The police department said no one had been taken to a hospital. The FBI in Washington was assisting in the investigation, a spokesperson for the agency's field office there said. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also said it had fire investigators at the scene ready to assist. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A bipartisan group of House lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill to reauthorize the intelligence communities warrantless spy powers with new restrictions on accessing data collected on Americans and greater penalties for law enforcement who violate the law. The bill deals with Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the intelligence community to monitor the communications of foreigners located abroad, a process which sweeps up the communications of Americans in contact with those being surveilled. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors including members of the House Judiciary Committee, is the first House proposal to be publicly released ahead of a Wednesday markup by that panel. It deviates from a still-developing House Intelligence bill with less ambitious restrictions on using Americans data. Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), ranking member Jerold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) are among the co-sponsors. The bill drops amid the race to sort out how to resolve the Section 702 debate ahead of its end-of-the-year expiration, which has sparked competing proposals with varying reforms as well as a debate over what vehicle should be used for reauthorizing the controversial powers. The requirement that law enforcement entities obtain a warrant to review any information on Americans swept up in other searches has been called a red line by national security leaders and has been a top priority for privacy rights groups. Still, the warrant requirement includes some exceptions, such as for emergency situations. The bill otherwise includes numerous provisions included either in Senate bills or the expected House Intelligence proposal. Like a Senate bill sponsored by privacy leaders Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), the House Judiciary version blocks the U.S. government from buying information on citizens from data brokers. The bill also restricts the number of FBI personnel that can conduct Section 702 searches targeting the intelligence community agency most frequently accused of abusing its authorities. House Judiciary is currently set to mark up the bill on Wednesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released a document showing payment from Hunter Bidens business entity, Owasco PC, to President Joe Biden when he was not in office, but neglected to include evidence that the presidents son was repaying his father for a car. The redacted document provided to CNN shows that an account affiliated with Hunter Biden paid Joe Biden $1,380 on September 17, 2018. The document states the payments would occur on a monthly basis, and the panel is aware of at least three monthly payments to Joe Biden in total, a source familiar with the committees work told CNN. But documents provided to CNN appear to show that Hunter Biden was repaying his father for a Ford Raptor, information that had already been publicized. A source familiar with the payment told CNN that Hunter Bidens credit was low at the time while he was struggling with addiction, so he couldnt finance the car and his father signed for the car, which was in Joe Bidens name. House Oversight Chairman James Comer claimed in a video announcing the payment that this wasnt a payment from Hunter Bidens personal account but an account for his corporation that received payments from China and other shady corners of the world. The White House has previously said that the president was never in business with his son. James Comer continues to lie and mislead the public with false claims as he desperately tries to keep his failing impeachment stunt alive, White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement to CNN, adding: The public reporting today has made pretty clear that buying a Ford pickup truck is not an impeachable offense. Hunter Bidens attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement, There Chairman Comer goes again reheating what is old as new to try to revive his sham of an investigation. The truth is Hunters father helped him when he was struggling financially due to his addiction and could not secure credit to finance a truck. When Hunter was able to, he paid his father back and took over the payments himself. The top Democrat on the House oversight panel, Rep. Jamie Raskin, said on X, Chair Comer is digging up old public reporting, distorting the facts, and presenting it as breaking news. As a private citizen, Joe Biden made car payments for his son and cited a New York Post article from 2022. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Associated Press issued a heartbreaking report Monday. Chelsea Goodrich, a woman who grew up in Mountain Home, said her father sexually abused her for years. Shortly after he made a confession to his bishop with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the contents of which remain secret, he was excommunicated. But because his bishop would not testify against him, justice was derailed. Without (the bishops) testimony, prosecutors dropped the charges, telling (Chelseas mother) that her impending divorce and the years that had passed since Chelseas alleged abuse might prejudice jurors, the AP reported. Adding insult to injury, the churchs Risk Management Division offered Goodrich first a $90,000 then a $300,000 payment in exchange for signing an agreement that, among other things, required destroying recordings of her discussions with church officials about the abuse. Sadly, this is not the first time something like this has happened here. The early-2000s revelations of pervasive abuse at a Boy Scout camp in eastern Idaho is only one prominent example. Goodrichs case involved members of the LDS Church, the largest by membership in Idaho, but that church is hardly alone. Dozens of religious and secular organizations have had substantially similar scandals for decades now, many following a familiar pattern: adults who fail to protect children they know are being harmed, and instead work to stop the abuse from being publicly exposed to protect their institutions from disgrace. Concerned Idahoans should focus in particular on the failures of our states public policy, since thats something we have some control over. And while child abuse occurs in both religious and nonreligious organizations, Idahos laws (like those in many states) specifically help to cover up abuse within religious contexts. Everyone in Idaho teachers, doctors, daycare workers, coroners and any other person is a mandatory reporter. That means any person who has reason to believe a child is being abused but doesnt report it is guilty of a misdemeanor. There is one and only one exception for a duly ordained minister of religion. They and they alone are exempted from the legal obligation that applies to every single other person in the state. Other states, including very conservative ones, have better laws. Take, for example, Oklahoma. There, ministers have the same child abuse reporting requirements as every other person. The same is true in Texas. And Idahos legal system goes further to ensure that religious confessions of child abuse generally cannot become evidence. The Idaho Rules of Evidence establish a religious privilege preventing a minister from testifying to the contents of a confession. Its important to note that this privilege is possessed by the person on trial, not by the religious official. So even if a minister wants to testify that a person confessed to abusing a child, the court may prevent them from doing so. Idaho could change this easily by adopting statutes along the lines of Texas: In a proceeding regarding the abuse or neglect of a child, evidence may not be excluded on the ground of privileged communication except in the case of communications between an attorney and client. So ministers have to testify if theyve heard a confession of child abuse, just as any other person would. But not in Idaho. So its worth pausing for a moment to think about what is happening, right now, because of this loophole. A previous report from the AP revealed a case in which a man sexually abused his 5-year-old daughter in Arizona, then confessed. But the abuse was not reported. He abused his children in horrifying ways for years before he was finally arrested for posting videos of the abuse that were discovered by law enforcement in New Zealand. Abuse, confession, absolution; rinse and repeat. All in secret. All without real accountability. It is likely that something similar is happening somewhere in Idaho right now because of the legal veil of secrecy we have erected. Lawmakers have the opportunity to take substantial steps to change this legal framework when the Legislature reconvenes in January by adopting Texas-style legislation. Many have spent plenty of time calling librarians and teachers groomers a grotesque trivialization of actual abuse. They should take steps to stop the real thing. Whats more important: protecting the confessional or protecting children? Bryan Clark is an opinion writer for the Idaho Statesman. Years-long litigation between political opponents has led to an unlikely outcome: individuals on both sides of the lawsuit agreeing that Idaho desperately needs an anti-SLAPP statute. SLAPP stands for strategic lawsuit against public participation. These suits usually take the form of meritless defamation lawsuits and can be weaponized by plaintiffs to silence speech they dont like, preventing speakers from exercising their First Amendment rights. Even if a defendant ultimately prevails, the cost and stress of defending such a suit can severely compromise speakers ability to comment on matters of public concern. Worse, SLAPPs can cause other speakers to think twice about commenting at all, thus chilling speech by incentivizing silence. Here in Idaho, recently concluded litigation pitted former Rep. Chad Christensen, R-Iona, against political activist and consultant Greg Graf, with Graf also countersuing Christensen ally Dustin Hurst, former vice president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, who exchanged barbs with Graf on X, formerly known as Twitter. The competing lawsuits ultimately arrived at a mutually unsatisfying result a result that led to surprising insight into the flaws of the process itself. Despite their legal battle, Graf and Hurst found unexpected common ground regarding Idahos need for an anti-SLAPP statute. If we had anti-SLAPP logic legislation, I would utilize that, probably, instead of filing a counterclaim the way I did, Graf told KTVB. If we can extract lessons from this and improve public policy so bullies who want to use the legal system to silence their foes cant do this. Thats a huge win for all of us, observed Hurst. Unfortunately, as the Institute for Free Speechs new 2023 Anti-SLAPP Report Card highlights, Idaho is one of a dwindling number of states without vital protections against meritless lawsuits targeting free speech. In fact, Idaho is one of just 17 states that have no anti-SLAPP protection at all, earning the state an embarrassing F grade for its score of 0 out of 100 possible points in the report. The national trend tells a more hopeful story. For the first time, over half of Americans now live in a state with strong anti-SLAPP protections. Helping to foster this positive trend, the nonpartisan Uniform Law Commission in 2020 published a model statute: the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA). Six states have already used UPEPA to enact new or improved laws since the 2022 edition of the Anti-SLAPP Report Card. Strong anti-SLAPP laws modeled after UPEPA contain critical provisions that deter SLAPPs and minimize litigation costs for defendants. These provisions require plaintiffs to show they have a legitimate case early in the proceedings and provide defendants with a right to an immediate appeal if the court denies the anti-SLAPP motion. These laws also permit a winning defendant to recover an award of costs and attorney fees and instruct judges to interpret the laws speech protections broadly. Even the anti-SLAPP epiphany reached by both sides in the Christensen-Graf legal battle is not as remarkable as it may first appear. Laws protecting citizens from SLAPPs have united politicians of all stripes, often passing with overwhelmingoften unanimousbipartisan support. That broad appeal also explains why an ideologically diverse coalition of 28 organizations, of which the Institute for Free Speech was an organizing member, published an open letter in support of UPEPA last year. Signers included organizations as varied as National Right to Life, the ACLU, Competitive Enterprise Institute, League of Conservation Voters, and the International Association of Better Business Bureaus. This broad coalition spanning the ideological spectrum reflects the immense value for free speech that strong anti-SLAPP laws have. Now, Senator Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, has said he intends to draft anti-SLAPP legislation and introduce it in the next legislative session. Lets hope the legislature adopts a bill tracking UPEPA and elevates Idaho from the depths of the F states into the growing group of states that protect the speech rights of their citizens from time-consuming, speech-suppressive lawsuits. David Keating is the president of the Institute for Free Speech and a co-author of the 2023 Anti-SLAPP Report Card. Idaho has been shaken by a string of violent deaths in recent days, with shootings claiming the lives of both men and women, including one who was pregnant. That womans 10-month-old son also died. A Teton County man, Jeremy Albert Best, was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting of his pregnant wife, Kali Jean Randall, in Victor. Their 10-month-old, Zeke, was found dead Saturday after an Amber Alert had been issued. Idaho state law allows for a murder charge in the death of a fetus. Two women in Meridian were found dead Sunday night after the Meridian Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance call. Police identified 31-year-old Clint Powers, of Meridian, as the suspect, and he shot himself in the head after leading Ada County sheriffs deputies on a chase. A shooting on Friday in Twin Falls left two men dead, according to the Times-News. The Twin Falls Police Department responded to shots fired at a business, and arrived to find the business owner and another man dead. Investigators said they are still working to locate two suspects. Murder suspect Jeremy Albert Best appears via Zoom for a court hearing Monday to face charges in the shooting death of his pregnant wife. Best was shirtless, fidgety and behaving oddly during the hearing, and the court ordered that a mental competency evaluation be done. First-degree murder case Saturdays arrest of Jeremy Best and the discovery of baby Zeke was the culmination of three frantic days in Teton and Bonneville counties. Best first earned the attention of Bonneville County sheriffs deputies on Thursday when he walked into the Swan Valley General Store naked, according to East Idaho News. Best sat on a couch near the stores counter and grabbed a cigarette before he was escorted out of the store. Best was evaluated by EMS personnel and taken to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center by ambulance for further medical and mental evaluations, according to a Bonneville County Sheriffs Office news release. He was discharged from the hospital Thursday afternoon and returned to his home in Victor, in Teton County. That night just before midnight, the Teton County Sheriffs Office received a call from the Best home, heard arguing on the line and sent deputies to the house. They arrived to find Randall dead, and no sign of Best or Zeke, prompting the issuance of an Amber Alert at 4 a.m. on Friday. A criminal complaint filed Monday by Teton County Prosecuting Attorney Bailey Smith states that Best shot Randall in the back and/or right breast and/or right side ... causing her death. Hunters east of Idaho Falls found Best and Zeke on Saturday morning, and the black Chevy SUV that Best was driving was found nearby. Its unclear whether Zeke was found in the car or outside, but hunters told deputies they found Best in a sleeping bag alongside the road making odd statements, Bonneville County officials said. The cause of death for Zeke has not been determined, Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor told EastIdahoNews.com. A forensic autopsy is being performed in Ada County. Best is being held in jail without bond and will undergo a mental evaluation. Meridian double homicide The Meridian Police Department dealt with a case of double homicide and suicide on Sunday night into the early hours of Monday morning. Law enforcement from Meridian and the Ada County Sheriffs Office responded after a call of a domestic disturbance came in just after 7 p.m. Sunday, stating that someone might have been shot at a home in the 2000 block of North Cougar Way. At a press conference Monday, Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea identified two women who were killed Sunday night at a residence on N. Cougar Way in Meridian . Police arrived to find two women dead in separate locations inside the house: Emily Works, 33, of Meridian, and Sarah Walmsley, 41, of Boise. Both women had been shot in the head, according to the Ada County Coroners Office. An 11-year-old child was present when the incident began, police said, but was found unharmed after fleeing to a nearby residence. Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea said authorities identified 31-year-old Clint Powers as the suspect and began trying to locate him. Power was in a relationship with one of the women, police said. Powers was located after police were notified of a carjacking about a half-mile away from where the women were killed, near West Ustick Road and North Venable Lane. Powers threatened the two people in the car at gunpoint, according to Basterrechea. Ada County deputies pursued Powers in the stolen car, and he eventually fled by foot and fired shots at a deputy before being surrounded. He then fatally shot himself. Twin Falls killings The Twin Falls Police Department was still searching for two suspects in Fridays shooting in that city, according to the departments Facebook page. Police responded to reports of shots fired at The Tint Shop in southeast Twin Falls, where they found the bodies of 26-year-old Jaime Bravo and 36-year-old Jesse Ortiz. While we cannot provide specific details about the ongoing investigation at this time, we want to assure the community that we are dedicating all available resources to bring those responsible for this heinous crime to justice, Matthew Hicks, Twin Falls acting chief of police, said in a news release. Police posted photos of the suspects on social media and advised community members not to approach the armed and dangerous perpetrators. Early investigations indicate that one of the suspects might go by the nickname El Guero, police said, and that anyone with knowledge of the incident should contact the Twin Falls Police Department at (208) 735-4357 or Detective Morgan Waite at (208) 735-7227. Reporter Sally Krutzig contributed to this report. CHICAGO Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration moved to officially scrap Mayor Brandon Johnsons plan to build a migrant camp on a controversial Southwest Side lot, the state announced Tuesday morning while issuing a scathing rebuke of the citys evaluation of the lands potential environmental hazards. In a statement, Pritzkers office said an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency review of the citys environmental report which was released late Friday evening indicates concerns related to insufficient soil sampling and remediation. But because the time required for additional testing and remediation would be extensive, the state will not proceed with the base camp, the state said. My administration is committed to keeping asylum-seekers safe as we work to help them achieve independence, Pritzker said in a statement. We will not proceed with housing families on a site where serious environmental concerns are still present. My administration remains committed to a data-driven plan to improve the asylum-seeker response and we will continue to coordinate with the City of Chicago as we work to expand available shelter through winter. Pritzkers move to countermand Johnsons migrant camp plan leaves the governor firmly in charge of dealing with the situation, for better or worse. And it finds the mayor being forced to react to the governors handling of a crisis within Chicagos borders, a reversal of the usual political power dynamic. Last Friday, the city released a nearly 800-page report by outside contractor Terracon Consultants that said high levels of mercury and other chemicals were found and are being removed from the Brighton Park lot at 3710 S. California Ave. Workers had already begun building the giant tents for incoming migrants last week despite mounting concern from environmental advocates who argued for weeks that the propertys long history of industrial uses meant its soil was likely contaminated and unsafe for people to reside on. Johnsons administration maintained late Friday it was confident in moving ahead with placing a migrant camp there. With the limited soil removal and placement and maintenance of the barrier, the site is safe for temporary residential use, the mayors office had said. The state had reservations, however, and paused construction on the site Sunday after Pritzkers office expressed frustration at their own wait for the reports release, even as the state was supposed to cover the cost of setting up and operating the tent encampment. The base camp in question was expected to hold about 2,000 asylum-seekers and was slated to open its doors perhaps this month to become the citys first government-run camp for new arrivals as they wait for beds inside brick-and-mortar shelters. Pritzker on Tuesday said an upcoming 200-bed brick-and-mortar shelter at the former CVS at Little Village will be used instead, along with possible options within the Archdiocese of Chicago network. IEPA would not approve the proposed Brighton Park site for residential use, based on our regulatory standards for remediation of contaminated properties, Illinois EPA Director John Kim wrote in a statement. The well-being of residents and workers at the site is our highest priority, and current and planned site conditions do not adequately reduce risks of human exposure to known and potential environmental conditions. The mayor has grappled with complaints that his administration has not properly updated community stakeholders on the process of preparing the 38th and California site, anxieties that were compounded when the hefty environmental report was at first only provided Friday evening to those who made a public records request and after construction had already commenced. Johnson for his part has promised complete transparency and reminded the public he is in a race to house hundreds of migrants sleeping out in the cold before another punishing round of snowfall and subfreezing temperatures arrives. But last weeks environmental report that had been weeks in the making revealed chemicals were present, according to the company hired by the city to assess the viability, though Johnsons office said those concerns will be mitigated. According to the report, soil with mercury levels was identified at one location and was removed and properly disposed off-site at a landfill, Johnsons office said. Likewise, soil with a high level of a semivolatile compound was identified at another location, and will be removed and disposed of off-site. The Terracon report said in the one sample location where high mercury exposure was detected, The soil surrounding this sample was excavated and properly disposed off-site at a landfill, while the spots with excess amounts of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a chemical used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), will be remediated via excavation and landfill disposal. In addition, high levels of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and four metals were also found and required workers to ensure the placement of imported clean stone from a quarry and compaction of the stone to a minimum thickness of six inches throughout the site. The stone layer will be periodically inspected and maintained. The mayors office said the investigation entailed soil sampling, groundwater sampling, and soil gas sampling which yielded soil analytical results, groundwater analytical results, and soil gas analytical results. But the IEPA analysis of the environmental report said the consultants investigation entailed a limited nature and insufficient number of soil borings as well as shoddy remediation work that fell short of state standards, Pritzkers administration said Tuesday. The remediations implemented thus far do not satisfy IEPA standards and are insufficient, the state said. At a minimum, an expanded engineered barrier between contaminated soil and human exposure would need to be installed to address exposure concerns. Further investigation might also identify additional contamination that would require additional remediation. Reaching for comment Tuesday, local Alderperson Julia Ramirez, 12th, said she was relieved at the news but hopes the Johnson administration learned a valuable lesson on responding to environmental concerns before proceeding with any construction. For us, it was a concern that they were constructing even before the environmental report, said Ramirez, who long opposed the citys rollout of the now-scuttled base camp. Whats really important is that when theyre looking at other lots ... that we would have done this over, what, a month and a half ago, two months ago, and have that conversation, done the environmental report, before proceeding with any other work. While the city works to identify an alternate location for the tent encampment, the Illinois Department of Human Services is working with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago to evaluate a handful of buildings for potential use as additional shelter sites, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said Tuesday. The state got behind the tent encampment concept because it presented the opportunity to shelter a large number of people relatively quickly before winter weather set it, but with fewer migrants at police stations and OHare International Airport awaiting placement, other options may be able to fill the gap, Abudayyeh said. Were open to any sort of shelter solution, she said. State officials are working to determine whether the properties offered by the archdiocese would be suitable and what kind of work would be needed to make them habitable, Abudayyeh said. _____ WASHINGTON The collapse of Senate immigration negotiations is threatening to derail President Joe Biden's national security package, including aid to Israel and Ukraine, even as the White House makes a renewed push on Capitol Hill. Republicans have vowed to filibuster Bidens aid package unless Democrats agree to tighten U.S. asylum and parole laws in immigration proceedings. But bipartisan negotiations on a border policy deal, led by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., faltered on Friday amid deep disagreements between the two parties, according to congressional aides with knowledge of the talks. One Democratic aide said their negotiators have offered proposals to speed up and streamline processing of asylum claims, and even put on the table changes to the "credible fear" standard for having one's claim approved, against the wishes of immigration advocates. But the aide said Republicans are insisting on "extreme policies" that would "end asylum as we know it" and create "expansive powers to shut down the border," which they cannot stomach. "Democrats realize that Republicans are unwilling or unable to compromise on a reasonable proposal that can pass," the aide said. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (CQ Roll Call; AFP-Getty Images) Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted the GOP demands as being dictated by Donald Trump and Stephen Miller. The holdup on the security supplemental has not been over Ukraine or Israel or over the Indo-Pacific but over the Republican decision to inject hard-right immigration measures into the debate, Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday on the floor. Were willing to make concessions, but we will not keep going in circles if Republicans arent interested in meeting us halfway. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, responded to Democratic complaints in a brief interview. I think theres a misunderstanding on the part of Senator Schumer and some of our Democratic friends, Cornyn said. This is not a traditional negotiation, where we expect to come up with a bipartisan compromise on the border. This is a price that has to be paid in order to get the supplemental. Murphy appeared frustrated with Cornyn's comments, writing on X: "Apparently Ive wasted the last 3 weeks of my life since this was never a negotiation just a take it or leave it demand." One Democratic source familiar with the negotiations told NBC News that Senate Republican demands "have moved in the wrong direction" since Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met with GOP senators last Wednesday. The source accused Republicans of demanding Pentagon detention camps on U.S. military bases and mandatory detention policies that would subject children to prolonged detention with their families. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who is involved in the talks, publicly rejected that claim. "This isnt true. Getting to yes is hard enough, given the real differences between D and R positions on the border," Sinema tweeted. "We dont need potshots from 'sources' who arent in the room to make it harder. Meanwhile, my state is in crisis while the govt does nothing to solve it." Lankford indicated that the cause isn't dead yet. "We continue to work to find a solution that will protect our national security, stop the human trafficking and prevent the cartels from exploiting the obvious loopholes in our law," he wrote on X. "That is the goal & we will continue to work until we get it right." The negotiations were led by Lankford and Murphy, but other senators, including Sinema, Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., had been involved as well. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans have made crystal clear that serious policy changes on the border are a condition for passing Ukraine aid, which he said he supports. Apparently, some of our colleagues arent ready to take that really seriously, McConnell, R-Ky., said Monday on the floor, accusing the White House and Democrats of issuing "bizarre public scolding." Even if the Senate rekindles talks and reaches a deal, theres no guarantee it can clear the House, where Johnson is under pressure from hard-liners to reject any immigration proposal short of the House GOPs aggressive border bill, known as H.R. 2. Schumer took a procedural step on the Senate floor Monday evening to force a 60-vote threshold vote on Wednesday on a "shell bill" that the chamber could use to pass a foreign aid and border package if they do strike an agreement. Hopefully disagreements on immigration do not prevent us from doing what we must do to protect Americas security, Schumer said. Schumer also announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address senators via secure video during an all-senators classified briefing on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET, so we can hear directly from him precisely whats at stake in this vote. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said there will be serious consequences if the package fails. Its going to be a desperate situation, he told reporters on Monday. Its going to hurt Ukraine. On the humanitarian side, its going to be very painful. And Im sure itll be discouraging to those who support Israels efforts against Hamas. White House budget director Shalanda Young sent a letter Monday pleading with Congress to approve the foreign aid funding quickly. "I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks," Young wrote. "There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of moneyand nearly out of time." Johnson was unimpressed. "The Biden Administration has failed to substantively address any of my conferences legitimate concerns about the lack of a clear strategy in Ukraine, a path to resolving the conflict, or a plan for adequately ensuring accountability for aid provided by American taxpayers," he said in a statement. "Meanwhile, the Administration is continually ignoring the catastrophe at our own border. House Republicans have resolved that any national security supplemental package must begin with our own border." He said resolution of the matter hinges on whether Senate Democrats and the White House will "negotiate reasonably." Murphy expressed urgency Monday evening. The chances are increasing every single day that we end this year without funding for Ukraine, but sometimes, there are moments when you cant fail, Murphy said, This still feels like one of those moments. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, some 2,907,378 flyers passed through TSA security, setting a new record. Much of the media coverage showed meandering security lines snaking their way through airport hallsa sight thats likely to be repeated during the December holidays. Americas terminals are stuffed. For impatient travelers, a workaround is available for a price. CLEAR, a publicly traded company, allows its subscribers to bypass the security line at more than 50 U.S. airports. Instead of trudging their way through a standard line for TSA or TSA PreCheck (the federal program that allows security-approved flyers to wear their shoes and keep their laptops stored as they pass through X-rays), CLEAR members are met by a company representative who brings them to a biometric scanner to check their identity, then ushers them straight to the head of the lineahead of other, often irritated flyers inching their way to the front. CLEAR, founded in 2010, claims that it provides enhanced identity verification with its biometric scans, but everyone knows why most customers fork over $189 a year. (Frequent flyers or high-end credit card customers may pay less.) As one satisfied CLEAR member tweeted: Yea clear is tight. I paid like $200 for the year and cut those long ass lines. Unlike TSA Pre (which requires a background check and costs 1/12 as much), CLEAR does not expedite the collective security process; it simply lets some people go ahead of others. As I argued previously in Slate, CLEARs business model is based on selling line-cutting privileges to a mandatory government service. If that pisses you off, well, I dont blame you. The past year has been a rocky one for CLEAR. Good news came in April, when TSA announced that the company would be able to enroll people into TSA Pre. Becoming a federal contractor for TSA Pre opens a potentially lucrative new business line for the company (albeit one with a possible conflict of interest, since newly approved TSA Pre members would be ripe targets for CLEAR memberships). But CLEAR also received some bad news. In July, the story broke that in 2022 a man had bypassed CLEARs verification system using a false identity (he was subsequently caught by TSA trying to bring live ammunition into Washingtons Reagan National Airport). A probe by TSA uncovered two other instances of failed identity checks at CLEAR facilities. Members of Congress were unhappy, to put it mildly. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the committee overseeing the Department of Homeland Security, told Politico in August that each passing day the homeland is at greater risk until TSA acts to completely close these security vulnerabilities. Amid the uproar over those breaches, TSA began requiring many CLEAR members to present their IDs to TSA staff after passing CLEARs biometric scansjust as nonCLEAR members do. That move gravely threatened CLEARs business model because it slowed members boarding process and undercut the ideaalready a stretchthat the company was providing anything beyond a line-hopping service. CLEAR mounted a high-powered lobbying campaign to defend itself, hiring Jeh Johnson, President Obamas DHS secretary, to make its case. Those efforts seem to have paid off. With a nod from TSA, CLEAR is now rolling out a new system called Next Gen Identity+, which the company describes, with a Westworld-esque flourish, as the highest fidelity digital identity. What that means in practice is that CLEAR members arriving at security will scan their faces, rather than their iris or fingerprints, to confirm their identities. The company insists that this new system will be foolproof and that its past glitches will never recur. Rep. Wiley Nickel, a North Carolina Democrat, remains wary. Congress needs to take a look at the security side, he told me. The recent failures by CLEAR are very concerning. Asked if new legislation was in the works, he said, Those conversations are ongoing. But even if CLEAR resolves its security issues, a more fundamental question remains: Why is a company allowed to gatekeep airport security checks, which are a federally mandated process? The insertion of a profit-seeking entity into airport security lines opens a Pandoras box of bad incentives, especially given the kickbackssorry, commissionsthat CLEAR pays to airports where new members sign up. According to an investigation by OneZero, those fees can total millions of dollars annually, useful funding for airports that have been searching for ways to offset declining parking revenues. Think about it: Since airport authorities make more money from CLEAR customers than everyone else, what incentive do they have to improve the security-line process for those who cannot afford CLEAR, fly too infrequently to make it worthwhile, or dont want to share their biometric data with a private entity? In fact, airports could see a financial upside from miserable security experiences because they enhance the allure of line-skipping orchestrated (with airports blessing) by CLEAR employees. And just as Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, has lobbied for years against efforts to simplify tax forms, CLEAR now has every reason to ensure that airports and TSA dont do anything to make standard security lines less onerous. To Nickel, CLEAR reflects the familiar gulf between the haves and the have-nots. Weve got a real problem with wealth and income inequality in America, he said. Airport security is an essential government function, funded by taxpayers. We should level the field to let everyone travel as quickly as possible, regardless of whether you have the extra money to push to the front of the line. In fact, he added, he is unsure whether CLEAR belongs in airports at all. TSA Pre already does a very good job processing people, and CLEAR may be duplicative, he told me. Their main benefit seems to be allowing people with lots of money to get through the line faster. (Bloomberg) -- Most Read from Bloomberg India and the UK have begun crunch-time talks to secure a landmark free-trade deal, as leaders on both sides seek to resolve outstanding issues before they face election battles next year. A UK team including Amanda Brooks, director general for trade negotiations, and Douglas McNeill, chief economic adviser to the prime minister is in New Delhi this week for further talks, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Its the 13th round of negotiations on a deal intended to expand a trading relationship that was worth more than $24 billion last year. The UK Department for Business and Trade declined to comment on Monday. A spokesperson for Indias trade ministry didnt respond to an email seeking further information. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a small window to clinch the deal between his big victory in state elections confirmed on Sunday and a nationwide vote next year. The trade deal, which has been under discussion for more than two years, would be Indias most ambitious, underscoring the countrys growing clout as the worlds most populous nation and fastest-growing major economy. The British premier, Rishi Sunak, is also looking for deeper ties to India to make good on the UKs 2016 decision to leave the European Union. The ruling Conservatives are currently trailing the opposition Labour Party by some 20 percentage points in public opinion polls and Sunak has so far struggled to get the UKs stagnant economy growing. Officials on both sides have for weeks pointed to December as the best time to wrap up negotiations. While the parties have softened their stance on issues such as scotch whisky and visas for professionals, a handful of topics ranging from tariffs on electric vehicles to post-study visas for students continue to hold up a deal. Here are some of the outstanding issues: Financial and Legal Services Indian officials see three sticking points in financial and legal services: The UK wants India to allow its portfolio managers and non-life insurance consultants to be able to operate in the South Asian country without having a permanent office there, people familiar with the discussions said. India wants them to have a commercial presence in the country to operate there. The UK wants the Modi government to remove a cap on the number of branches its banks can open in India. India restricts market access for foreign banks to 12 branches a year, in line with its commitments under the World Trade Organization. The UK also wants greater access for its law firms and legal professionals. Under current laws, foreign law firms in India can advise on international laws and work on corporate transactions such as mergers, but arent allowed to appear before Indian courts and tribunals. Rules of Origin There are some disagreements over rules of origin, which relate to the criteria that determine where a product is made. The UK is seeking lenient rules of origin for its medical devices and a few other items, according to people familiar with the discussions. India wants tighter rules to ensure that the benefits of the FTA are not exploited by other trading partners. Investment Treaty India and the UK are discussing a bilateral investment protection and promotion agreement to ensure investors get equitable and predictable treatment and have a mechanism for dispute resolution. The UK wants to include the issue of tax disputes in a proposed pact, although the details werent immediate clear. Britains request is shaped by bitter tax disputes faced by some of its firms that invested in India. Farm Goods The UK has sought easier market access for its farm goods such as apples and cheese both of which are politically sensitive subjects in India, where farmers are a crucial voting bloc. For British rice millers, worries are also growing about Indias push to have tariffs on white rice reduced. The UK also wants protection for geographical indication tag products, according to reports in local media. GI products are distinctly identified based on their specific geographical origin. After receiving GI status, others cant sell a similar item under the same name. Britain wants GI tags for its cheese, a proposal that India has resisted. The UK is also seeking a GI tag for its whisky, something that India doesnt currently have. Electric Vehicles The UK wants a reduction in duties on electric vehicles exported to India. India has proposed a concessional tariff of 30% on 2,500 electric vehicles imported annually from the UK priced above $80,000. Britain has yet to agree to the proposal. Mobility and Social Security Pact India wants liberalized rules for post-study visas for young people studying in the UK, a politically difficult request for Sunak as he faces criticism for failing to curb surging migration. Post-study work visas allow students to look for work for up to three years after graduation. New Delhi also wants to reclaim around 8 million ($10 million) in payments made annually by Indian workers toward the UKs social-security system. --With assistance from Ellen Milligan and Lucy White. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the International Maritime Organisation adopted a resolution on supporting Ukraine in the Black Sea. Source: Zelenskyy's evening address on 4 December Quote: "Today, the Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation adopted a resolution in support of our efforts in the Black Sea Ukraine's success in restoring navigation and establishing a new grain corridor. By the way, this export corridor has already yielded results more than 7 million tonnes of cargo." Details: Zelenskyy stated that the International Maritime Organisation will now assist in Ukraines endeavours. The appropriate decision to assess the technical support Ukraine requires for the regular operation of the sea corridor is now in place. The president also praised Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), which transported 14 million tonnes of cargo in November. This is a record figure since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion. Support UP or become our patron! 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. The Kyiv Independents exclusive ______________________________________________ Kyiv Independent identifies Russians, collaborators who supervised infamous POW camp where Ukrainians were tortured, killed Kirill Popov, the first deputy head of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service's Moscow branch, is likely to have overseen the work of the Olenivka camp for prisoners of war, located in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, according to the latest investigative documentary by the Kyiv Independent. The facility held soldiers, including the servicemen from the Azov Brigade, and civilian hostages captured in Mariupol, most of them in May 2022, when the city fell. After their release, former captives spoke up about horrendous conditions of detention and torture, which the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine also confirmed took place. The Kyiv Independent found evidence indicating that the horrors of the Olenivka POW camp were likely coordinated from Moscow, with the acting head of the citys Penitentiary Service allegedly traveling all the way from home to Olenivka to oversee the process in person. Journalists obtained Popov's phone location records, and found that he likely arrived in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast on May 16, 2022, the very same day when over 2,000 Mariupol defenders surrendered and were transferred to the POW camp in Olenivka, and stayed for a month before returning to Russia. In conversation with the Kyiv Independent, three Ukrainian soldiers confirmed that they saw Popov in the POW camp giving orders and coordinating the work of other prison staff. According to his phone geolocation records, Popov left the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast on June 17, 2022, and returned to Moscow. The Kyiv Independent called Popov, but he declined to comment on his role in the Olenivka POW camp. On July 29, 2022, an explosion occurred at one of the Olenivka camps barracks, killing 57 prisoners of war and injuring over 100. Russians blamed Ukraine for the explosions, but these claims were disproved by a United Nations investigation. Ukrainian officials say that the barrack was blown up by Russians, but the investigation is ongoing to establish whether it was the result of a planted explosive or shelling. Watch the documentary in English via the link. Top investigative stories ______________________________________________ Zelenskys deputy chief of staff lives in a villa owned by people linked to the fugitive president Yanukovych Oleg Tatarov, deputy head of Ukraines President's Office, rents a 600-square-meter villa from a person allegedly linked to businessmen connected to Russia-backed runaway ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, according to an investigation by Ukrainska Pravda. Tatarov is a top member of Zelenskys administration whose role is to oversee law enforcement. He was the subject of a bribery probe, but the charges were dropped in December 2022 because the deadline for investigation had expired. As the case was ongoing, it was often disrupted by high-level attempts to sweep it under the rug, while Zelensky never suspended Tatarov. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Tatarov lives at a villa in Kozyn, an elite settlement near Kyiv. The villa is reportedly owned by Volodymyr Kovalenko, who bought it in 2021 and rented it out to Tatarov just months later. Kovalenko purchased the luxurious 600-square-meter villa for just 2 million hryvnias ($72,730), several times cheaper than normal for this area, from a Russian citizen, Suzanna Magakian. Magakian's family co-owns a company, Retail Residents. Their partners in the company are the Rostomian family. This name has come up in Ukrainian investigative journalism before. In 2015, one of the houses of Yanukovych, who by then fled to Russia following the EuroMaidan Revolution, was re-registered under the name of one of the Rostomian family members, according to Nashi Groshi, a procurement watchdog. Journalists believed it was an attempt by Yanukovych to secure his ownership through proxies. Under the Yanukovych rule, Tatarov served as a deputy chief of the Main Investigations Department at the Interior Ministry and expressed no opposition to the polices violent crackdown on anti-government protesters. Moreover, in the midst of the EuroMaidan Revolution, Yanukovych decorated Tatarov with the title of Merited Lawyer of Ukraine, according to Schemes, an investigative project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. According to Kovalenko, he rents out his villa to Tatarov for 75,000 hryvnias ($2,052) per month, something he couldnt be able to afford with his official salary. Watch the full story in Ukrainian here. RFE/RL identifies Russians in the leadership of OSCE, raising questions of the organizations neutrality Three people in the leadership of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) are Russians with a track record of service for the countrys government, according to the investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. According to the publication, these findings undermine the organizations supposed neutrality. The OSCE is a Vienna-based security body consisting of 57 members. After the start of the Russian war in the Donbas in 2014, OSCE stepped in as an on-the-ground human rights violations observer and as a mediator of the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. This resulted in two Minsk Protocols, roadmaps for conflict mitigation signed as part of the so-called Trilateral Contact Group, which Russia violated when it declared occupied Donetsk and Luhansk part of Russia days before the full-scale invasion. When Russia declared its decision to illegally annex the regions in February 2022, the man announcing it in the Russian parliament was Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko. As Rudenko was speaking, his wife, Saltanat Sakembaeva, was performing her duties as a senior political and administrative assistant in the OSCE secretary-general's office, RFE/RL found. This role gave her access to high-level OSCE meetings, events, and information she could have passed to her husband, RFE/RL reported, citing anonymous insider sources. Another Russian at the top of the OSCE, who RFE/RL identified, is career diplomat Anton Vushkarnik. Before joining OSCE Secretariat as senior strategic adviser, he had served for four years at the Russian Embassy in Washington. Among the OSCE's Russian employees is also Daria Boyarskaya, RFE/RL reported. According to the publication, Boyarskaya is a former diplomat who used to serve as an interpreter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Read the full story in English here. Reaction ______________________________________________ EU moves to sanction Russian private army Redut following journalist investigation but picks the wrong legal entity The European Union plans to impose sanctions against Redut a Russian private military company financed and controlled by the countrys military intelligence (widely known under its Russian acronym GRU) but it targeted a legal entity that is not key to the organizations operations in Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Previously, another investigation by Schemes and Systema, projects of RFE/RL, found that Redut, which takes an active role in the war, is run by the Russian GRUs 16th Separate Brigade and that the name is just a label used to refer to around 20 units operating under the Redut umbrella. This time, journalists obtained the leaked draft of the new sanctions the EU plans to impose by the end of 2023. The document lists Moscow-registered Redut Security LLC (previously sanctioned by the U.S.) as a company key to Redut's activities, which the journalists found it isnt. Having analyzed company records, RFE/RL learned that Redut Security LLC is barely involved in any financial activity and does not have adequate working capital, and thus, sanctions in their current form will have little effect on the private military company. Read the full story about Reduts corporate structure in English here. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Daniel Pettit, in a photo from his 2011 race for mayor of Waukee. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Johnston developer Daniel Pettit recruited numerous people in Iowa and other states to invest in a legal cannabis cultivation and extraction business in Nevada. But no product was sold, one of his investors said. We never sold an ounce of marijuana but several of us got paid, said Mike Pauk, a friend and business partner who was among the mix of investors Pettit recruited from Iowa. Pauk said he was scheduled to talk Monday afternoon to a Johnston police detective regarding his dealings with Pettit. The head of Encompass Development in Waukee and numerous limited liability corporations in Iowa and other states, Pettit is at the center of a Watchdog probe, published Monday, that found he is alleged to owe $70 million in unpaid loans and court judgments. More Watchdog: Boesen said she didn't know one of the men behind attack fliers. Her campaign manager did The founder of at least three faith-based charities, he's been accused by investors and former business partners in court documents of accepting millions but defaulting on loans. A Polk County judge sentenced the 43-year-old last week to six months in jail for repeatedly ignoring court orders and failing to respond to subpoenas in connection with three civil cases. But he failed to show up Friday or Monday to begin his jail sentence for contempt, court documents show. Pettit also is at the center of a criminal investigation in Johnston that began when he reported an armed robbery in September. Investigators looking into the alleged crime turned up evidence of possible prostitution involving Pettit and evidence he may have helped orchestrate the heist himself, according to search warrant documents. Some investors contacted Watchdog on Monday trying to figure out what they could do to collect on debts Pettit owes them, while others said they planned to talk to police. Pettit recruits Iowans to invest in legal Nevada marijuana business Pauk, who used to own Tallys Restaurant & Bar in the heart of Des Moines' Beaverdale neighborhood, said he met Pettit, a Cedar Rapids native, years ago, and introduced Pettit to his now ex-wife Rachael through her sister, who worked at Tally's. Pauk said that after he and Pettit invested together in downtown Des Moines loft rentals, Pettit convinced him to invest profits in a business he said would grow vegetables in pods, or containers, in Nevada. Pauk said Pettit was a partner in several ventures aside from real estate and development, including Online Ammo, an Estherville-based online guns and ammunition business. After sales of cannabis products were legalized in Nevada in 2017, Pettit started recruiting people to invest in marijuana cultivation and extraction. Pauk said he joined Pettit and other investors from both Iowa and elsewhere in Las Vegas in 2018, before the pandemic hit. Pettit, he said, eventually blamed problems the cannabis business experienced on others involved in Nevada. More Watchdog: For West Des Moines condo owners, a year-ago fire was only the beginning of their troubles He said Pettit had different investor groups tied to Nature's Kindness and Kindables, businesses owned by Las Vegas resident Stephanie Meehan. Reached Monday, Meehan said she would have her attorney call Watchdog, but the attorney did not respond. One of the people involved in the business early on was Mike Reysack, a RE/MAX Precision real estate agent based in the Des Moines metro. Reysack was the manager of a limited liability corporation called LV Wash, filings with Iowas secretary of state office show. Reached briefly on Friday, Reysack said, he, too, is owed money by Pettit and said it was an accurate statement to say Pettit didn't have a license for the legal cannabis operation he pitched to investors in Nevada. Reysack then said he had to get off the phone and that he would call Watchdog back, but he didnt on Friday or Monday. In February and again in July, Reysack's LV Wash sued Pettit and two limited liability corporations, Lasbox Holdings and Matchbox Investments. LV Wash alleged breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation, and accused Pettit of repeatedly supplying misinformation, but did not elaborate. More: Investor: Johnston developer's business tangle included legal cannabis firm Pettit, the lawsuits said, was supposed to make payments to LV Wash, one for $100,000 and another for $250,000. When Pettit missed those payments, his total debt which wasnt disclosed in the lawsuits was supposed to come due, the lawsuits said. LV Washs attorney, Jason Springer of Madrid, eventually dismissed his own cases and did not respond to a phone call seeking comment. Springer has since sought to seal the lawsuits, saying keeping them public would "annoy, oppress, and unduly burden both parties." A judge has yet to rule on sealing the documents. Documents obtained Monday by Watchdog show some Iowa investors reached a confidential settlement agreement when no dispensaries or sales materialized in the Nevada business. Pauk said he was paid back in full, but that Pettit still owes him money tied to a personal loan of $75,000 made in June. The contract drawn up between Pettit and Pauk for that loan, using Pettit's $2.4 million Johnston mansion as collateral, called for Pettit to pay $500 a day if he defaulted. Pauk says Pettit did give him some personal possessions after he defaulted, including a hot tub, artwork and weight equipment, but he estimates Pettit still owes him around $200,000, counting the daily penalty. He said Pettit has told him and other business associates in recent days he will make them whole when a new loan goes through soon, but he can't do that if he goes to jail. More Watchdog: Reports of sex abuse at iconic Boys Town youth home in Omaha kept secret from public Pettit has not returned emails and calls seeking comment. Pauk said he hasn't sued Pettit for defaulting on the $75,000 loan he signed off on this summer because he knows he would get nothing. I know everybodys waiting for this alleged loan to go through. I dont think Santa Claus is coming, Pauk said. Lee Rood's Reader's Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Reach her at lrood@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8549, on Twitter at @leerood or on Facebook at Facebook.com/readerswatchdog. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Nevada cannabis business among Johnston developer's tangle of ventures The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the hate crime conviction of Robert Clark Geddes, who was found guilty of leaving antigay notes at homes displaying Pride flags. Friday's decision marks a pivotal moment in interpreting hate crime legislation and its overlap with free speech rights. The case dates back to June 2021, when Geddes targeted homes with rainbow flags, leaving notes that urged residents to burn that gay flag, the Associated Press reports. Some of these notes also included additional antigay slurs. Through surveillance footage, Geddes was identified as the perpetrator and later admitted to his actions. He faced five counts of trespassing as a hate crime and was ultimately sentenced to a probation period of up to two years. During his appeal, Geddes challenged the conviction, arguing that there was no concrete evidence to suggest he specifically targeted individuals who were LGBTQ+ or closely associated with them. However, the court maintained its stance, confirming that under Iowas hate crime law, such offenses apply when a victim is targeted due to their association with people in protected categories, including sexual orientation. The ruling drew a dissenting opinion from Justice Matthew McDermott, who questioned whether displaying a symbolic flag like the rainbow flag necessarily indicates an actual association with the LGBTQ+ community. He compared this to the idea that someone displaying a pirate flag is not necessarily associated with actual pirates, underscoring the potential ambiguities in the current interpretation of hate crime laws. First Amendment expert and professor at the University of Minnesota Jane Kirtley highlighted the importance of examining the specific facts of each case when applying hate crime laws. Words matter, Kirtley told the AP. Legislatures can write with greater precision. Judges are reluctant to read things into ambiguous language, and rightly so. Flash UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a high-level meeting of the Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York, Nov. 29, 2023. [UN Photo handout via Xinhua] UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Palestinians after a short pause, said his spokesman on Monday. The secretary-general is extremely alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza over the weekend, including rocket fire toward Israel from Gaza and the renewal of ground operations and intensified airstrikes by the Israel Defence Forces in southern Gaza, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement. Guterres calls on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. The United Nations continues to appeal to Israeli forces to avoid further action that would exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and to spare civilians from more suffering. Civilians, including health workers, journalists and UN personnel, and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, said the statement. "The secretary-general reiterates the need for unimpeded and sustained humanitarian aid flow to meet the needs of the people throughout the (Gaza) Strip. For people ordered to evacuate, there is nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on," it said. Guterres also remains gravely concerned about the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, including intensified Israeli security operations, high numbers of fatalities and arrests, spiking settler violence and attacks on Israelis by Palestinians, it said. The secretary-general reiterates his call for a sustained humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza and the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages, said the statement. Moscow and Tehran signed a declaration on jointly combating Western sanctions imposed against the two regimes over their role in the war against Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Dec. 5 at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart. The declaration describes ways and means of counteracting, mitigating and compensating the negative consequences" of the sanctions both sides call illegal, according to Lavrov, cited by the Russian news outlet Interfax. The agreement comes ahead of a Dec. 7 visit of Iranian leader Ebrahim Raisi to Moscow and against the backdrop of increasing cooperation between the two countries. The talks between Lavrov and Irans Hossein Amir-Abdollahian took place on the sidelines of a summit of ministers of five Caspian countries Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. Besides signing the declaration, Lavrov and Amir-Abdollahian reportedly discussed bilateral cooperation and regional issues. Following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been deepening military and economic ties with Tehran. The West has sanctioned both regimes to hinder Russias ability to wage its war against Ukraine with the help of Iran. Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones used in airstrikes against Ukraine, as well as their manufacturing technology. The U.S. is also concerned that Iran is preparing to supply ballistic missiles to Russia. Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Mahdi Farahi said on Nov. 28 that his country had finalized arrangements for the delivery of Russian Su-35 fighter jets and Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters. As sanctions bite, Russia eyes Ukraines mineral resources to fund its invasion Russias 2024 federal budget brought little in the way of surprises, the country is gearing up for a long war. Signed by President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, it ushered record levels of military spending a sign of Moscows commitment to its war against Ukraine. While part of the Russian The Kyiv IndependentKatie Marie Davies Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. General Assembly to vote on resolution recognizing Russia must be responsible for reparation in Ukraine DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran's U.N. envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said his country has not been involved in any actions or attacks against U.S. military forces, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. The United States has blamed Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi group for a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7. Iran-backed militias have also been carrying out attacks targeting U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. In a briefing with reporters on Monday, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington has "every reason to believe that these attacks, while they were launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran". This week, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea. The Houthis acknowledged launching drone and missile attacks against what they said were two Israeli vessels in the area. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani also dismissed as "baseless and unconstructive" remarks by the British government that said Iran was responsible for any attacks by the militant groups it supports. "As we have clearly stated before, resistance groups are not taking orders from Tehran to confront the war crimes and genocide committed by Israel," Kanaani added. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Tom Hogue and Andrew Heavens and Miral Fahmy) An Irvington woman has been arrested in a shooting at the Roxbury Motel in October, while another male suspect remains at large, authorities stated on Tuesday morning. Auraceli Maldonado, 24, was detained in Middleburg, Florida, on Nov. 2, two weeks after the Oct. 18 incident, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said. An investigation determined Maldonado was one of two suspects who met with the shooting victim, a 36-year-old man, at the motel on Route 46. Surveillance footage from the day of the shooting shows a Honda Accord with New York registration arriving in the motel parking lot to meet the victim. A man and a woman are seen exiting the vehicle, and the woman is armed with "an AR-style rifle" during the meeting, according to the prosecutor's office statement. The Roxbury Motel Authorities believe Maldonado and the male suspect robbed the victim, who was shot in the leg during a struggle, and fled the scene. Maldonado was identified as the owner of a Honda Accord seen traveling through East Hanover shortly after the incident. The victim was taken to a medical center with "severe but not life-threatening injuries," the prosecutor's office said. Maldonado was extradited to New Jersey from Florida and is being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility. The male suspect has not been apprehended or charged. Maldonado faces several charges, including first-degree armed robbery, second-degree aggravated assault and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. She is scheduled for a pre-indictment conference on Jan. 9. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Roxbury NJ Motel shooting leads to arrest of Irvington woman Hamas claims that its tunnel network extends for more than 300 miles - RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS Israel is planning to force Hamas to abandon the tunnels beneath Gaza by flooding them with seawater, it has been reported. US officials told the Wall Street Journal that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) hoped to destroy the terror groups vast subterranean network by pumping water from the Mediterranean Sea into it. The IDF is reported to have assembled at least five pumps capable of sending hundreds of thousands of litres of water cascading underground every hour. The pumps were said to be located about one mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp, in northern Gaza. The officials said Israel had not disclosed when it might seek to unleash the deluge on the tunnels which are more extensive than the London Underground as deliberations over whether to use the tactic are ongoing. They fear that it would bring international condemnation but told the newspaper there were few other options to permanently disable what is commonly known as the Gaza Metro. Some officials in the US, which is Israels foremost ally and has given it hundreds of millions of pounds to develop anti-tunnel techniques in recent years, were reported to have privately expressed concern about the plan. The IDF declined to comment but said it was dismantling the network in various ways. Asked about the reports, Herzi Halevi, the IDFs chief of staff, said flushing Hamas out of the tunnels was a good idea. The tunnels have been used to devastating effect by Hamas during the war so far, with terrorists launching surprise hit-and-run attacks on Israeli soldiers from their underground hideouts. Hamas is believed to be hiding its leadership, the 137 remaining hostages and the vast bulk of its arsenal in the network, which it claims extends for more than 300 miles. IDF troops operate in northern Gaza near the mouth of a Hamas tunnel Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old hostage released in October, has described it as a spider web with large hall-like rooms inside. Some are believed to be kitted out with running water, electricity and even bedrooms, and many tunnel shafts emerge in civilian buildings such as hospitals, mosques and schools, according to the IDF. A flood of seawater would take weeks to knock the entire tunnel network out of action, it has been estimated. Although this would give Hamas terrorists time to flee above ground, the move could ensure the evacuation of the remaining hostages and strip the terror group of one of its strongest military advantages. Israel says it has destroyed 60 miles of the tunnels and more than 500 entry points since launching its invasion of Gaza but it is now turning to more unconventional methods to neutralise their threat. Although the IDF has a dedicated corps of anti-tunnel engineers and underground commandos, it has attempted to preserve soldiers lives by deploying dogs, robots and drones to explore the network up to now. Unconventional measures Explosives and expanding foam have also been used to destroy and block up the tunnels. The potential new flooding plan has evoked comparisons with Egypt, which used seawater to destroy a labyrinth of Hamas smuggling tunnels running beneath its border with Gaza in 2015. However, there are fears that the use of seawater flooding in Gaza could have unintended consequences by seeping into already-scarce drinking water supplies, since the tunnels have been dug through permeable soft sandstone. Its hard to tell what pumping seawater will do to the existing water and sewage infrastructure, said Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Washington DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. It is hard to tell what it will do to groundwater reserves. And its hard to tell the impact on the stability of nearby buildings. When Egypt flooded its tunnels in 2015, local farmers complained that their harvest was ruined. It could compound the humanitarian crisis, said Mick Mulroy, the former US deputy assistant defence secretary. But he added that flooding would likely be militarily successful and force Hamas above ground. Israel is also said to be considering using liquid explosives and thermobaric weapons to damage the network. The former expand before detonating and the latter absorb oxygen from the air. Both create more devastating explosions than conventional alternatives. But there are concerns about the potential impact they could have on civilians in densely populated areas if widely used. A massive challenge An alternative option would be for the IDF to dig its own tunnels and deliver explosives, drones and potentially even soldiers right to the heart of the Hamas network. Israel should . . . get to the heart of the Hamas system not from above, but from below, Yehuda Kfir, a civil engineer and captain in the IDFs reserves, told the Financial Times. You would need something like automated excavating machines. that would dig towards the target. Efforts to locate and destroy the passages have been undermined by Gazas dense urban environment and Israels intense aerial bombardment of the strip, which has left the enclave strewn with rubble that undermines the work of ground-penetrating radar and acoustic sensors. Israeli officials say Hamas has also learned from previous attacks, digging deeper and encasing the tunnel system with reinforced concrete in a bid to protect itself from the 5,000lb GBU-28 laser-guided bunker buster bombs that the IDF reportedly used during a 2021 offensive against the terror group. The tunnels are a massive challenge, one official told the FT. They [Hamas] have also placed things inside booby traps, obstacles to our movement inside the tunnels that increase the risk [to our forces]. 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. Israeli military vehicles operate at the border with Gaza as seen from southern Israel JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel expects difficult fighting in the new phase of its war in Gaza but is open to "constructive feedback" on reducing harm to civilians as long as the advice is consistent with its aim of destroying Hamas, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday. "We're moving ahead with the second stage now. A second stage that is going to be difficult militarily," spokesperson Eylon Levy told reporters. Israeli forces have begun operating in the southern area of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, where the population has been swollen by around 1 million refugees from northern areas and has faced heavy international pressure, including from Washington, to limit civilian casualties. "Any constructive feedback that we get, any serious military strategic advice about how to target Hamas while minimizing harm to civilians, we will of course mention," Levy said. But he said the advice had to be in line with the aim of destroying the Palestinians militant group. "We are going to continue with our campaign to destroy Hamas, a campaign that the United States sees eye to eye with us about the strategic objectives of this war, that this war cannot end with Hamas still standing," he said. Levy said Israel was making many efforts to reduce harm to civilians. "We didn't pick the battlefield, Hamas picked the battlefield," he said. (Reporting by James Mackenzie and Maayan Lubell, Editing by Timothy Heritage) Hospitals are overwhelmed with the dead and wounded after fighting resumed in Gaza. (Reuters) Hospitals and clinics have been inundated with wounded people as the third day of bombing continued in Gaza following the end of a week-long truce. Israel has been bombarding the southern part of Gaza, warning people to evacuate, though it is facing pressure to do more to protect civilians. It comes a Gaza's health ministry said more than 15,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict - more than 300 since Friday when the truce ended. The conflict has been the subject of comment by leaders attending COP28 in Dubai, with French president Emmanuel Macron warning that it could take a decade for Israel to achieve its goal of eliminating Hamas, and it may have to give a more precise definition of its aims. Here are the main stories from today: 1. Southern Gaza hospital overwhelmed The hospital in southern Gaza has been overwhelmed after three days of resumed fighting, following the end of a week-long truce. The UN and aid groups say dozens of medics have been killed, while basic supplies including fuel to run generators are also running short in hospitals and clinics. Footage taken by Reuters shows young people in desperate need of treatment - several with what looked like serious injuries. Some unconfirmed reports described people carrying children and young people into hospitals, but being unable to get adequate treatment, leading to them dying in their arms. Read more: Wounded and dead overwhelm southern Gaza hospital on third day of renewed war (Reuters) A senior adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that Gaza will be in a "better situation" when the war between Hamas and Israel is "over". Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mark Regev insisted Israel was trying to "protect" civilians, saying: "Itll be in a better situation. Not only has Hamas been controlling Gaza for 16 years and not only has that been horrific and terrible for the people of Israel, but that has been very sad for the people of Gaza." On Saturday the health ministry in Gaza said the death toll has surpassed 15,200, and 70% of those killed are women and children. It said over 300 Palestinians have been killed since the end of a week-long truce, when Israel resumed bombing targets in southern Gaza, ordering people to evacuate. Read more: Netanyahu adviser shares what will happen to Gaza when war is over (Independent) Bombing has resumed in Gaza after a temporary truce ended. (Reuters) 3. Macron: Israel risking lengthy war French president Emmanuel Macron has warned that Israel's goal of eliminating Hamas could take a decade - if it is possible at all. Speaking on Saturday, Macron said: "What is the total destruction of Hamas, and does anyone think its possible? If it is, the war will last 10 years." He added: "I think were at a point where the Israeli authorities are going to have to define their objective and desired end state more precisely." Macron's comments come after Netanyahu repeated the pledge to continue ground operations until "all its goals" are achieved. Those goals include the eradication of Hamas. In an address on Saturday night, the Israeli PM said: "We will continue the war until we achieve all its goals." Read more: Israel risks decade of war, says president Macron (Telegraph) 4. Decomposing babies' bodies 'in footage' Footage taken in an abandoned Gaza hospital claims to show decomposing bodies of babies who were left behind when it was evacuated. According to reports, the footage appears to show a number of several infants who had to be left in their beds when the paediatric intensive care unit at al Nasr children's hospital was evacuated around 10 November during the Israeli ground invasion. According to the NBC report, shared by Sky News, journalist Mohammed Baalousha, from the Emirati TV channel Al Mashhad entered the hospital during the week-long ceasefire - two weeks after the hospital was evacuated - where he found bodies of several children. The report suggests that the footage shows at least three of five dead children. Read more: Decomposing bodies of babies 'seen in footage' from abandoned children's hospital (Sky) 5. US warship attacked in Red Sea A US warship and several commercial vessels were the latest ships to come under attack in the Red Sea amid heightened tensions in the area. The Pentagon said it was aware of reports that the USS Carney and commercial vessels had been attacked. It comes after a British-owned ship passing through the Red Sea was reportedly been hit by rocket fire, a maritime security group has said, with another agency reporting possible drone activity in the area. The unnamed Bahamas-flagged vessel was "struck by a rocket" while sailing south around 35 nautical miles off Yemens western coast, maritime security firm Ambrey said, saying it had been issuing "distress calls relating to piracy/missile attack". Read more: US warship attacked in Red Sea (Telegraph) Where is Gaza? Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Getty Images Map of Gaza Strip with roads and cities. (Getty) Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a densely-populated Palestinian enclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, north-east of the Sinai Peninsula. Bound by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the north and east and Egypt to the south, it is just 25 miles long and six miles wide. Gaza is one of two Palestinian territories. The other is the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Read more The Israeli army has had its most intense day of war in Gaza so far, commanders said, as tanks entered the southern city of Khan Younis for the first time while surrounding the strips largest refugee camp in the north. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) believes Hamas leaders are holed up in Khan Younis, until recently a safe haven for civilians fleeing the fighting in the north during the first phase of the invasion. Meanwhile, in the battered northern Gaza City, troops encircled the refugee camp in Jabaliya and raided what the Israeli military said was Hamass internal security headquarters, where weapons and various equipment were found. Were in the heart of Jabaliya, in the heart of Shejaiya and starting [on Monday night], also in the heart of Khan Younis, Maj Gen Yaron Finkelman, head of the IDF southern command, said on Tuesday. We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation - in terms of terrorists killed, the number of firefights, and the use of firepower from the land and air. Israel has restarted its operations in Gaza and troops are rapidly progressing south despite calls for restraint from Western allies and increasingly dire warnings about the humanitarian conditions. Allies losing patience with Israel Signs are emerging that the US is losing patience with its ally, and it said on Tuesday it would ban extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, signalled he was willing to order his army deeper into Gaza, saying it may not be possible to save all the remaining hostages held by Hamas. The death toll in Gaza had reached more than 15,900 by Tuesday evening, the Hamas-run health authority said, with many more missing and feared dead under the rubble. The authorities warned about an impending massacre at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gazas north, one of only six hospitals still operational in the besieged enclave, as Israeli troops reportedly surrounded the facility. Patients and those who took shelter here are gripped with fear and overwhelmed by horror, Munir Al Bursh, head of Gazas health ministry, told Al Jazeera from inside the hospital. The Israeli forces are attacking with the aim of forcibly removing all those displaced inside the hospital. We, the medical staff, are holding our ground. We are standing by our patients. It follows Israeli takeovers at various medical facilities, which the IDF claim are used by Hamas to hide tunnels and weapons under human shields. Israeli military targeting ambulances In Deir al Balah in the south, two ambulances attending to casualties were reportedly targeted by the Israeli military. On Tuesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society shared footage showing what it said was an Israeli tank targeting the vicinity. The ambulance was seen racing away amid thuds of explosion, and blasts were seen striking the spot where it had been parked. Israel has said in the past that ambulances are used by Hamas fighters. As casualties in Khan Yunis mounted on Monday night, a convoy apparently bringing a high-profile patient was seen pulling up at a hospital in the city. The footage from the scene showed uniformed officers trying to disperse the crowds and even beating several on-lookers with sticks after an unknown man stepped out of the ambulance for treatment. Israeli media outlets including Channel 14 identified the man as Nizar Awadallah, a senior Hamas official who is believed to be close to Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. Meanwhile, the United Nations warned on Tuesday that Israels bombing campaign makes it impossible to set up safe zones anywhere in Gaza. James Elder, UNICEFs spokesman who just returned to Egypt from Gaza, told reporters: The so-called safe zones are not scientific, they are not rational. They are not possible, and I think the authorities are aware of this. Linda Al Agha and her family fled Khan Yunis two days earlier following an IDF warning and moved to Qa al Qurein but the fighting was incessant even in that area, which is about a 15-minute drive from Rafah near the Egyptian border. Last night was terrible. We didnt sleep at all: 12 hours of continuing shelling and bombing, she said. There is no safe place to go in the Gaza Strip. Frankly, I think they [the IDF] are forcing us out to Sinai. Israel on Tuesday denied asking the World Health Organisation (WHO) to vacate its warehouse in Gaza as it was apparently about to be caught in fighting. The WHOs chief earlier said his staff received 24 hour evacuation orders for a warehouse in the south and called on Israel to withdraw it. The Israeli Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it never asked the WHO to vacate the premises. Richard Peeperkorn, a WHO representative in Gaza said on Tuesday the situation is getting worse by the hour as he lamented that the amount of aid allowed into the enclave was way too little. We are looking at an increasing humanitarian disaster, he said. In a new report on Monday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the IDF for deliberately razing farmland, orchards and greenhouses in northern Gaza, compounding concerns of food security. Satellite images reviewed by HRW showed IDF bulldozers carving news roads for Israeli military vehicles across the fields and orchards as large swathes of fertile land near Beit Hanoun were ruined in the initial weeks of the offensive. In Israel, the families of the hostages who still remain in Hamas captivity met with the war cabinet later on Tuesday afternoon as some of them publicly urged the government to resume talks to secure the release of their relatives. Mr Netanyahu was quoted as saying at the meeting currently, its not possible to bring them all back. Danny Miran, father of Omri Miran who was kidnapped from a frontier kibbutz, told the Haaretz newspaper the meeting was a disgrace and that the family did not hear any solutions offered by the government to free the hostages in Gaza. Earlier on Tuesday, an Israeli official claimed that Hamas drugged hostages with tranquiliser pills before handing them over to the Red Cross for release during the seven-day cease-fire. Dr Hagar Mizrahi, told the Knesset, Israels parliament, that the hostages were given clonazepam, which is used to help with anxiety and OCD among other mental health disorders, before they were handed over to the aid group. She did not say whether the drugging had been confirmed through blood tests. Hamas has not yet commented on the claims. 03:59 PM GMT Today's liveblog is now closed Thanks for following todays liveblog. We will be back tomorrow with all the latest updates. 03:59 PM GMT An even more hellish scenario is about to unfold in Gaza, warns UN International aid organisations have warned that civilians in the densely populated Strip are running out of places to flee to. Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go, said Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond, Hastings said in a statement. Ambulances, trucks and other vehicles delivered more bloodied, dust-covered casualties to Khan Yuniss Nasser hospital, including children. 03:45 PM GMT Pictured: Palestinians migrate towards Rafah due to intense Israeli attacks in Khan Younis Palestinians migrate towards Rafah in the southern part of the city - Anadolu/Anadolu Palestinians migrate towards Rafah in the southern part of the city due to intense Israeli attacks in Khan Yunis, Gaza - Anadolu/Anadolu 03:26 PM GMT Hamas 'tranquilised hostages' before releasing them, claims Israel Hamas drugged hostages with tranquiliser pills before handing them over to the Red Cross for release, an Israeli health official has claimed. Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, told the Knesset, Israels parliament, that the hostages were given drugs before they were handed over to the aid group. The head of the Health Ministrys medical division said Clonazepam, which is used to help with anxiety and OCD among other mental health disorders, was the drug administered. She did not say whether the drugging had been confirmed through blood tests. Hamas has not yet commented on the claims. 02:47 PM GMT Gaza reaching 'humanity's darkest hour,' says WHO The situation in the Gaza Strip is getting worse all the time and approaching humanitys darkest hour, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday. Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant groups October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and which saw around 240 hostages taken back to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of all the hostages. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says the war has killed nearly 15,900 people in the territory. 02:36 PM GMT Watch: Israel 'raids' Hamas strongholds in Jabaliya 02:20 PM GMT Female hostages remain captive to silence reports of Hamas sexual violence Hamas militants likely held back on freeing female hostages because it did not want the women to speak publicly about sexual violence, the US has said. Fighting resumed on Friday after the truce broke down. So far, 78 Israeli women and children have been released but Israeli officials believe that 18 women are still being held in Gaza, the majority believed to have been taken when Hamas raided the music festival. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US Department of State said: It seems one of the reasons they dont want to turn women over that theyve been holding hostage and the reason this pause fell apart is they dont want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody. Read more here 01:55 PM GMT Defence Secretary will look at new ways of getting aid into Gaza Grant Shapps will look at new ways of getting aid into Gaza as he told MPs he would visit the Middle East this week. Responding to a question from Labour about how to ensure more aid gets into the Palestinian territory, the Defence Secretary said: He asks about humanitarian aid. This country has provided now 60 million worth of additional aid made available for Palestinians. There have been four flights that have taken off so far. He... will realise that the problem is not just providing the aid, it is getting it into Gaza and the Rafah crossing presents a very considerable barrier to that for all sorts of security reasons, so I am actively looking at different routes and he will understand that is one of the reasons why I am going to the region this week. 01:30 PM GMT IDF 'raids' Hamas' general security HQ Israel claims it has raided Hamas general security headquarters in Jabaliya, northern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the operation was carried out after troops completed an encirclement of the areas refugee camp in recent days. The camp was heavily bombed early in the war. IDF forces reportedly found weapons, equipment and intelligence during the raid, jointly carried out with the Shin Bet security agency. 01:14 PM GMT Hamas tunnels in pictures: An Israeli soldier secures a tunnel underneath Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City - RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS IDF troops operate in northern Gaza near the mouth of a Hamas tunnel - IDF 12:37 PM GMT Mobile phone services and internet cut across Gaza again The main telecom company in the Gaza Strip said Monday that mobile telephone services and internet connections had been cut across the territory. We regret to announce that all telecom services in Gaza Strip have been lost due to the cut-off of main fibre routes from the Israeli side, Paltel said in a message on social media. Gaza is... blacked out again. 12:25 PM GMT UN says 'not possible' to create 'safe zones' in Gaza The United Nations warned that it was impossible to create so-called safe zones for civilians to flee to inside the Gaza Strip amid Israels bombing campaign. Israel had initially focused its offensive on the north of the territory, but the army has now also dropped leaflets on parts of the south, telling Palestinian civilians there to flee to other areas. The so-called safe zones... are not scientific, they are not rational, they are not possible, and I think the authorities are aware of this, James Elder, spokesman for the UN childrens agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva via video-link from Cairo. 11:57 AM GMT Situation in Gaza 'getting worse by the hour,' says WHO A World Health Organisation official in Gaza said the situation was deteriorating by the hour as Israeli bombing has intensified in the south of the Palestinian enclave around the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah. The situation is getting worse by the hour, Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in Gaza, told reporters via video link. Theres intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah. Mr Peeperkorn said the humanitarian aid reaching Gaza was way too little and said the WHO was deeply concerned about the vulnerability of the health system in the densely populated enclave as more people move further south to escape the bombing. We will witness the same pattern of what happened in the north, he said, referring to an area of northern Gaza that was heavily bombed and nearly cut off from humanitarian supplies. That cannot happen ... I want to make this point very clear that we are looking at an increasing humanitarian disaster. 11:16 AM GMT Gaza children rushed to hospital after Israeli strikes 10:55 AM GMT Mapped: Israeli advance into Gaza 10:39 AM GMT Israel 'open to constructive feedback' on how to target Hamas and minimise civilian harm Israel has said it is open to any constructive feedback on how it should target Hamas while minimising harm to civilians. Israeli forces have begun operating in the southern area of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, where the population has been swollen by around 1 million refugees from northern areas and has faced heavy international pressure, including from Washington, to limit civilian casualties. Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesperson, said Were moving ahead with the second stage now. A second stage that is going to be difficult militarily. Any constructive feedback that we get, any serious military strategic advice about how to target Hamas while minimizing harm to civilians, we will of course mention. 10:18 AM GMT No place is safe in Gaza, says UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini, who heads the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza (UNRWA), said the resumption of Israels military operation was repeating horrors from past weeks by displacing people who had been previously displaced, overcrowding hospitals and further strangling the humanitarian operation due to limited supplies. We have said it repeatedly. We are saying it again. No place is safe in Gaza, whether in the south, or the southwest, whether in Rafah or in any unilaterally so-called safe zone, he said. Palestinian children queue to collect water amid water shortages - MOHAMMED SALEM/REUTERS The Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reiterated calls for Israel to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure including hospitals. 09:58 AM GMT Traders with prior knowledge of Hamas attacks made millions shorting Israel, claims report Investors with prior knowledge of the Oct 7 Hamas massacre earned at least tens of millions of pounds short-selling Israeli stocks in the days before, according to a report. Traders with potential links to Hamas put huge bets against the Israeli economy in the run-up to the attack and could have made more than $100 million (79.3 million), said the 60-page study by Robert Jackson Jr, of New York University School of Law, and Joshua Mitts, of Columbia Law School. While the report did not name the investors, the report said they were understood to be informed traders anticipating and profiting from the Hamas attack. Read more here 09:49 AM GMT Britain to conduct surveillance flights over Israel and Gaza Britains Ministry of Defence will conduct surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including operating in the airspace over Israel and Gaza, the government confirmed on Tuesday. The aircraft will be unarmed, will not have a combat role, and will be tasked solely to locate hostages, the government said, adding that only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authorities responsible for hostage rescue. 09:31 AM GMT France sanctions Hamas leader France imposed asset freezes on Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, the latest leader from the terror group to be added to its national sanctions list, according to a decree published in the countrys official journal. France on Nov. 13 imposed sanctions at a national level on Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif and his deputy, Marwan Issa. It is working with partners to impose sanctions on Hamas individuals and its financing network at European Union level, diplomats have said. 09:20 AM GMT Lord Cameron meets with relatives of hostages Today I held meetings with families whose loved ones have been murdered and taken hostage by Hamas. I spoke to Stephen Brisley, Sharon Sharabi, and other families. I offered my sincere condolences for the appalling acts of terror and violence of October 7th and we discussed pic.twitter.com/LiQ6wbNe6x David Cameron (@David_Cameron) December 4, 2023 08:57 AM GMT British teenager killed while fighting for Israel in Gaza A British teenager has been killed in Gaza while fighting for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Binyamin Needham, 19, who was of dual nationality, moved to Israel with his family 10 years ago, Mail Online reported. He is believed to be the second British national after Nathanel Young to have been killed whilst serving in the IDF since the Oct 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Read more from Max Stephens here 08:48 AM GMT Palestinians wounded during Israeli bombardment are carried into Nasser hospital Ambulances and private cars came racing into the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, carrying people wounded in a bloody new phase of the war in Gaza. Palestinians wounded during Israeli bombardment are carried into Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip - MAHMUD HAMS/AFP Where is the Red Cross? where is the United Nations? a woman screamed outside the emergency department. My children, since 10 p.m., are still under the rubble. 08:42 AM GMT Hamas did 'not want women hostages to reveal treatment,' says US A US official said that Hamas likely held back on freeing female hostages, ending a pause in Israels offensive, because they did not want the women to speak publicly about sexual violence. Israel had paused its offensive in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, as part of a US- and Qatari-brokered truce deal to free around 240 hostages seized during the October 7 attacks, which Israeli authorities say killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians. It seems one of the reasons they dont want to turn women over that theyve been holding hostage and the reason this pause fell apart is they dont want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. Mr Miller, citing sensitivities in discussing the treatment of captives, declined to give details on the treatment of the women. But he said that the United States had no reason to doubt reports of sexual violence by Hamas. There is very little that I would put beyond Hamas when it comes to its treatment of civilians and particularly its treatment of women, Mr Miller said. 08:40 AM GMT Israel intensifies southern Gaza offensive Israeli forces pressed ahead with their air and ground bombardment of southern Gaza Strip, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians. Residents and journalists on the ground said the intense Israeli air strikes in the south of the densely populated coastal enclave included areas where Israel had told people to seek shelter. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Israel to avoid further action that would make the already dire humanitarian situation in Hamas-run Gaza worse, and to spare civilians from more suffering. The Secretary-General is extremely alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas... For people ordered to evacuate, there is nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. By Bassam Massoud and Ibraheem Abu Mustafa GAZA (Reuters) -Israeli forces stormed southern Gaza's main city on Tuesday in what they called the most intense day of combat in five weeks of ground operations against Hamas militants, and hospitals struggled to cope with scores of Palestinian dead and wounded. In what appeared to be the biggest ground assault in Gaza since a truce with Hamas unravelled last week, Israel said its troops - who were backed by warplanes - had reached the heart of Khan Younis and were also surrounding the city. "We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation," the commander of the Israeli military's Southern Command, General Yaron Finkelman, said in a statement. He said Israeli forces were also fighting in Jabalia, a large urban refugee camp and Hamas hotbed in northern Gaza next to Gaza City, and in Shuja'iyya, east of the city. "We are in the heart of Jabalia, in the heart of Shuja'iyya, and now also in the heart of Khan Younis," he said. Hamas' armed wing, the al Qassam Brigades, said its fighters had destroyed or damaged 24 Israeli military vehicles and snipers had killed or wounded eight Israeli soldiers in ongoing clashes in various areas of Khan Younis. Separately, Gaza health officials said many people were killed in an Israeli strike on houses in Deir al-Balah, north of Khan Younis. Dr Eyad Al-Jabri, head of the Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital there, told Reuters at least 45 were killed. Reuters could not reach the area or confirm the toll. After days of ordering residents to flee the area, Israeli forces dropped new leaflets on Tuesday with instructions to stay inside shelters and hospitals during the assault. "Dont get out. Going out is dangerous. You have been warned," said the leaflets, addressed to residents of six districts amounting to around a quarter of Khan Younis. "Sixty days after the war began, our forces are now encircling the Khan Younis area," said Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, chief of Israel's General Staff, referring to the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion into Israel that triggered the conflict. "We have secured many Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip, and now we are operating against its strongholds in the south," Halevi told a press conference. The Israelis, who largely seized Gaza's northern half last month before pausing for the week-long truce, believe Hamas commanders they aim to eliminate are holed up in part of a vast underground tunnel network in the territory. Israel unleashed its campaign in retribution for an attack on Oct. 7 by Hamas fighters who rampaged through Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages, according to Israel's tally. Hamas' media office said on Tuesday at least 16,248 people including 7,112 children and 4,885 women had been killed in Gaza by Israeli military action since Oct. 7. Thousands more are missing and feared buried under rubble. It was not immediately possible to verify the media office's figures with the Gaza health ministry. Hamas said on Tuesday there would no more negotiations or exchange of detainees until Israeli "aggression" against Gaza stopped. More than 100 of the 240 hostages Hamas took in its October incursion were freed during the seven-day truce. 'DIFFICULT' SECOND STAGE OF WAR "We're moving ahead with the second stage now. A second stage that is going to be difficult militarily," Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said. Israel, he added, is open to "constructive feedback" on reducing harm to civilians as long as the advice is consistent with its aim of destroying Gaza's ruling Islamist movement. The United States on Tuesday again pressed Israel, its clsoe ally, to uphold international humanitarian law and do more to reduce harm to civilians in the war's next phase. Despite the mounting death toll, it said Israel was now showing some receptiveness to the calls. Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, a major humanitarian agency, disagreed strongly, saying the Israeli onslaught in Gaza "can in no way be described as self-defence": "There must also be accountability for this, from political and military leaders as well as those who provided arms and support ... The situation in Gaza is a total failure of our shared humanity. The killing must stop," he said in a statement. Israel says the blame for civilian casualties largely falls on Hamas fighters for operating in residential areas, including from underground tunnels that can be destroyed only with huge bombs. Hamas denies using human shields. Israeli bombardments have driven 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents from their homes, most fleeing south. Crowded southern areas are now sheltering triple their usual population. At Khan Younis' main Nasser hospital, the wounded arrived by ambulance, car, flatbed truck and donkey cart after what survivors described as a strike on a school being used as a shelter for the displaced. Inside a ward, almost every inch of blood-splattered floor space was taken up by the wounded including small children, with medics hurrying from patient to patient while relatives wailed. Two young girls were being treated, still covered in dust from the collapse of the house that had buried their family. "My parents are under the rubble," sobbed one. "I want my mum, I want my mum, I want my family." Since the truce collapsed, Israel has been posting an online map to tell Gazans which parts of the enclave to evacuate. Khan Younis' eastern quarter was marked on Monday, home to hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom took flight on foot. Gazans say there is no safe place, with remaining towns and shelters already overwhelmed, and Israel continuing to bomb the areas where it is telling people to go. (Reporting by Bassam Massoud and Ibrahim Abu Mustafa in Khan Younis, Gaza; Mohammed Salem and Arafat Barbakh in Rafah, Gaza; Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovich and Emily Rose in Jerusalem; Maggie Fick in Beirut, Nandita Bose in Washington; writing by Peter Graff and Mark Heinrich; editing by Angus MacSwan and Timothy Heritage) Flash Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet meets with He Weidong, visiting vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Dec. 4, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met with He Weidong, visiting vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in Phnom Penh on Monday. During the meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Hun Manet said that since the establishment of their diplomatic relations 65 years ago, the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China has developed constantly, with the two countries now enjoying a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation. He reiterated that the new Cambodian government firmly supports the one-China policy, resolutely opposes external forces interfering in China's internal affairs, and will further carry on the bilateral traditional friendship. Hun Manet also extended his thanks to China for its timely helping hand when Cambodia was faced with difficulties, and to the Chinese military for its strong support for the modernization of the Cambodian army. He said that in recent years, the relationship between the two militaries has been continuously consolidated and developed, and expressed the hope that the practical cooperation in various fields will continue to be strengthened in the future. For his part, He Weidong said China and Cambodia have been true ironclad friends. The senior Chinese military official said the two countries have supported each other in maintaining national stability and promoting prosperity and development, and made joint efforts to defend international fairness and justice, setting an example for building a new type of international relations. He added that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the two militaries have sustained high-level cooperation in the fields including high-level exchange, mechanism building, joint drills and exercises, and personnel training. He said China is willing to work with Cambodia to maintain communication at various levels, strengthen overall planning, intensify multilateral collaboration, and continuously consolidate and expand practical cooperation in various fields, making greater contribution in jointly building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era. During the visit, He Weidong also met with Samdech Techo Hun Sen, president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, and held talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha, exchanging views on bilateral relations, military cooperation, and international issues of common interest. As the Israeli military pounded Gaza City in early November, Dr. Hammam Alloh made his way through the citys Al Shifa Hospital. Days later, Israels assault on the hospital would trap staff and patients inside while reserve fuel ran out. But that day, on his rounds, he watched as his patients suffered even as he lacked the basic resources to help them. Israels total siege on Gaza stopped access to food, fuel, medicine, and potable water, and left hospitals without access to anesthesia and basic medications. So Dr. Alloh was helpless as his patients died while others moved from bed to floor to make way for those in worse condition. We had a patient who had an invasive fungal infection that we couldnt treat because we did not have the proper anti-fungal medication, he later told Rolling Stone, despondently, on a choppy phone line. I just had to leave them to die. After Hamas Oct. 7 surprise attack and brutal massacres, Israels all-encompassing assault smashed Gazas infrastructure, and its military declared Al Shifa a target. Patients, staff, and the estimated 40,000 people who took refuge around the hospital were ordered to evacuate before coming under prolonged Israeli attack. According to the doctor, as Israeli troops closed in on the hospital, with its tanks laying siege to it, thousands of people were still sheltered inside while tens of thousands fled for their lives. As reports broke of Israeli snipers firing into the hospital while babies in incubators and ICU patients died from power cuts, he described a medical facility where no one is safe: Any object or human that moves around Shifa is targeted. For the past seven weeks, Palestinians and Israelis have been engulfed in the bloodiest war to fall between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea this century. In the wake of Hamas launching the deadliest attack Israelis have ever experienced, killing over 1,200 civilians and soldiers and abducting an estimated 240 hostages, the Israeli government launched an unprecedented and indiscriminate war in Gaza. Killing more than 15,000 people, including over 6,000 children, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the Israeli militarys all encompassing war in the coastal strip has left terrified Palestinians with the choice of either being killed, or becoming dispossessed. A seven-day cease-fire provided some respite. But now, the attacks have resumed. As their society is shattered all around them, Gazas doctors are trying to save whoever they can. Keeping people alive and giving them a chance to rebuild when their world is blown to bits, they provide the last hope of survival and sanctuary in an enclave thats home to more than 2 million people. For those pulled from the rubble or cut down in the street, it is people like Dr. Alloh who give them a chance to live. It is their life-saving work that gives people any hope of rebuilding their future as their community is turned into scorched earth. Described by colleagues as a gifted kidney specialist with a vision for creating a world-class nephrology department at Al Shifa, Dr. Alloh did his specialist training in Jordan, then returned to Gaza with the goal of ending Palestinian dependency on Israel for advanced care. Strained over years of blockade and multiple wars, Gazans in need of specialist care have struggled to get Israeli permits to receive treatment in Israeli hospitals. Tarek Loubani, a Canadian-Palestinian ER doctor, first met Alloh on a trip to Gaza as a wave of Israeli bombardment launched the 2012 Gaza war. Traveling from London, Ontario, to Gaza City for the past 12 years to work with doctors and medical students, Loubani has supported the development of Palestinian health care in Gaza since 2011, when revolution and popular revolt swept across the Arab World, while Israels tightening blockade worsened Gazas isolation. Thinking back to his first meeting with Dr. Alloh, Loubani describes him as a rare gem in medicine and reminisces about a compassionate medical student who was eager, almost to a fault, to take every opportunity to learn and contribute. He was extraordinary, everyone that heard of him tried to recruit him, Loubani says. Even after he left for further training abroad, the ER doctor says it was clear Dr. Alloh who chose medicine amidst Gazas imposed isolation was going to use his training to help his people. He knew he was going to go back, Loubani remembers. And he didnt just go back, he started this nephrology program. SINCE ISRAEL RETALIATED TO THE Oct. 7 attacks by advancing across Gaza, hospitals have become central targets, while patients and doctors have been trapped inside by the Israeli army or forced to flee on foot. Paramedics and patients have been killed when ambulances have come under fire, while ICU patients have died from lack of oxygen caused by power cuts. A medical convoy of 137 people, including 65 children, in clearly marked cars from the NGO Doctors Without Borders, came under Israeli fire, killing two people. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, there are only three hospitals still partially operating in northern Gaza, but even they are teetering on collapse. It says that 55 health centers and 26 of Gazas 35 hospitals have been completely put out of service. Its considered a war crime under international law to attack medics and medical facilities, which are considered noncombatants and neutral protected places. However, Israel has justified its assault on hospitals in Gaza by accusing Hamas of having a command center under Al Shifa. An underground operating room and tunnels beneath the hospital were first built in 1983 by Israel during its military administration in Gaza. Israel says Hamas has added more underground floors and tunnels beneath Al Shifa, though hospital staff strongly deny that there is any military command or operation center there. Israel has released photos and footage of what it says is a sophisticated tunnel network under the largest medical complex in Gaza. Yet after weeks of occupation, it has not provided incontrovertible evidence. As international pressure mounted on the IDF to back up its intelligence claims, it brought journalists from The Associated Press and other outlets to Al Shifa. However, they saw bare rooms with metal cots and rusty white tiles. According to the AP, there was no conclusive proof in the rooms that they had been used by Hamas militants. Yet doctors have faced extensive Israeli military interrogation during its occupation of Al Shifa. The army arrested the head of the hospital, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, along with other doctors, claiming that by managing Al Shifa, he presided over a Hamas command center. Since taking over Al Shifa, the IDF has laid siege to northern Gazas Indonesian Hospital. Hundreds of patients and staff were trapped inside along with hundreds of others who took refuge in the hospital while the Israeli army fired on people moving around the complex. For Palestinians, Israels willingness to bombard hospitals is confirmation that no one in Gaza is safe. Its frightening because we cant do anything about it, says Dr. Alloh, at a loss. With hospitals steadily put out of commission while Israeli bombs rain down on one of the worlds most densely populated places, the exodus of 1 million people that Israel forced from Gazas north is the largest displacement of Palestinians since the 1948 war, when 750,000 were dispossessed by Israeli forces and barred from returning to their land. Palestinians call it the Nakba, or Catastrophy. Dr. Alloh has lost patients of all ages because of a military assault that Israel claims is designed to destroy the Islamic nationalist movement ruling inside Gaza. He gleaned a different goal from the bombing and evacuation orders in a place thats locked in and crippled. They are looking for another Nakba, he says. Like three quarters of Gazans, he is descended from Palestinian refugees of 1948. At 17 years old and without any other family, his grandfather fled to Gaza after he was forced from his home in Jaffa. As Palestinians fled their battered communities and, like they did 75 years ago, raised white flags to the watching Israeli soldiers as they passed, Dr. Alloh understood one clear message: Run. Run south to other neighborhoods being shelled from all directions. Run toward the closed border with Egypt. Run, if you can, into exile. Its a message reinforced by Israels Minister of Intelligence, Gila Gamliel, who argued in the Jerusalem Post that this war could be an opportunity to move Palestinians out of Gaza. Instead of funneling money to rebuild Gaza or the failed UNRWA, Gamiel claimed about the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency in the Near East, which is dedicated to supporting Palestinian refugees and had more than 100 of its staff killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza, the international community can assist in the cost of resettlement, helping the people of Gaza build new lives in their new host countries. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have both said that a mass displacement of Gaza is a U.S. redline. Yet former Israeli U.N. ambassador and current parliamentarian for Benjamin Netanyahus Likud party, Danny Danon, and former deputy Mossad director and member of Opposition rival Yair Lapids Yesh Atid party, Ram Ben-Barak, penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal calling on the West to absorb Gaza war refugees en mass. The piece draws parallels with the refugees created from ethnic cleansing during the 1990s breakup of Yugoslavia. FOR THE PALESTINIANS, WHO HAVE followed the Israeli militarys directives and made the hazardous journey south, a health crisis of exposure, overcrowding, and the inability to pull the dead from the rubble has awaited them. Now, as heavy winter rains beat down, they wonder what squalor could plague them if they run toward Gazas border and if it will actually save them. I have no idea what I can do if they ask us to leave, says 36-year-old Mohammad Abdullah from the west side of Khan Younis, just outside the zone Israel has ordered to evacuate. The situation is horrible and scary. Living in a packed U.N. shelter and running out of food in Khan Younis, Abdullah has only found destitution, disease, and regular aerial assault. The rains have flooded his tent and filled the streets with a putrid runoff from bodies under the rubble, and the garbage filling the streets. Kids are getting sicker every day because of infection and theres no clean water, Abdallah says on a spotty WhatsApp connection, sitting in the crowded courtyard of his shelter. A lot of people have been killed just going to try and buy food. Carrying his 67-year-old mother, Khadra, down five flights of stairs and into the streets of Gaza City in panicked flight at the beginning of the war, they ran south and met up with his siblings, only to still be under continuous bombardment. Israeli troops now stand between Abdallahs shelter and his mothers modest Gaza City apartment, if its still standing, while he has been forced to channel all his focus into helping the family still with him to survive. Most of Abdallahs family is in northern Gazas Jabalia refugee camp and town of Beit Hanoun, which Israel systematically flattened from the air as it advanced on the ground. Hes lost track of the number of family members who have been killed since the war started. Amidst the blocks of densely packed apartment buildings brought down by one of the worlds most advanced armies, many of those that he has lost are now believed to be buried beneath the rubble. Those lucky enough to be alive pull at broken slabs of concrete and rebar with their bare hands in search of survivors. There is no fuel for cranes. Abdallah has Chilean residency, which could allow him to leave Gaza, but he instead desperately tried to get his mother a medical evacuation to Egypt. Out of medication and exposed to the elements in the crowded shelter, Khadra took a turn for the worse. By the time Abdallah had found a friend with both a car and petrol to get to the hospital, his mother had already died. They couldnt even do the tests needed to say what she died from, he says of the doctors stretched so thin that they didnt even have time to properly declare the dead. A lot of people were killed that night. After that, Abdallah says he had to take his mother to a pre-dug emergency cemetery plot where she was buried next to a teenage girl who had been killed in the air strikes. We went to bury her with only 10 people because it was very risky to be outside, he says. We had to be so quick. Knowing what awaited him if he fled south, Dr. Alloh understood it wouldnt give him any more safety. So out of dedication to his patients with nowhere to go and worried wouldnt be able to return home he remained steadfast in rejecting the Israeli orders. He wouldnt run. We need to continue coming to the hospital and providing the care we can, he said. We need to continue as long as we can. After weeks of a hellish work commuting through the bombarded streets of Gaza City, on Nov. 11, the doctor found all roads to Al Shifa blocked. Like many of his colleagues, he was now unable to reach his patients in a hospital under Israeli attack. Still, certain in his resolve to stay, he resisted the repeat of history. I wont make the same mistake as my grandfather, he said. On Nov. 12, Dr. Alloh was killed along with his family in an Israeli air strike on his house. He was 36 years old. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Facing mounting pressure to lessen Palestinian civilian suffering, Israel has combined its assault on the southern Gaza Strip with an online map dividing the enclave into hundreds of zones, which it says will direct residents to safe areas away from its fight against Hamas. However, this grid-based map has been derided by international aid agencies and people in Gaza. They say it is a confusing system that many inside the densely populated strip will be unable to access because of the intermittent electricity and internet coverage. Furthermore, Palestinians and international observers of Israels aerial and ground operation say that with or without a map nowhere in this heavily bombarded and besieged enclave is safe. The map isnt usable because the communications are really, really bad, Mohammad Ghalayini, who lives in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, told NBC News. A map shared by IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee shows territories of the Gaza Strip, calling on civilians to evacuate the region. (@AvichayAdraee via X) Ghalayini has already had to move five times during the current conflict, leaving Gaza City in the north for Khan Younis in the south, in an exodus urged by Israel and repeated by thousands of the enclaves residents. Now, Israeli tanks and troops are once again targeting the city in which he has sought refuge and to the 44-year-old, who said he found the map low-resolution and confusing on his internet connection, this is more about shaping international opinion than the safety of Gazans themselves. Its a PR stunt that pays lip service to the idea of civilian protection, said Ghalayini, who used to work as an air quality scientist before the conflict, so then U.S. politicians can point to the map and say: Look Israel is doing everything it can. The White House has indeed become one of the loudest voices urging Israel to do more to limit displacement and deaths during its renewed assault on Gaza. Almost 16,000 people have been killed since the war began, around 70% of them women and children, according to local officials whose figures are supported by U.S. and United Nations officials. Israels government and military say they are targeting only Hamas, which carried out the Oct. 7 attack in which 1,200 people were killed and some 240 abducted, according to Israeli officials. Israel blames Hamas, which runs Gaza, for using civilians as human shields and the Israeli military says its doing everything it can to protect civilians. Follow live updates On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces published an online map showing Gaza a tiny territory around twice the size of Washington, D.C. split up into more than 600 zones, some no more than a block or two in size. The map itself doesnt contain any interactive information, but rather the Israeli military says that Gazans should cross-reference its grid numbers with updates given through its Arabic language accounts on X about which zones they should evacuate. That requires not only enough power and internet to access the map, but also for Palestinians under heavy bombardment to keep up with social media, too. And on Monday, when the IDFs Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, told people that we invite you to move out of several numbered neighborhoods, the corresponding infographic he posted did not match up with his written message. Nevertheless, the Israeli military dropped leaflets containing QR codes that linked to the map. And on Tuesday, it said 250,000 people had accessed the webpage so far. The map is divided into neighborhood numbers, indicating where civilians in a specific area should go to avoid being in the crossfire, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told a news briefing Monday. We call on international organizations in Gaza to assist us with this effort. It can help save lives. Image: ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT (Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images) Palestinians fled from Khan Yunis to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Dec. 4, 2023. (Ahmed Zakot / SOPA / LightRocket via Getty Images) 'No place is safe' Several of these worldwide groups have disagreed, however. Asked whether Israels map could be useful, Juliette Touma, director of communications of the U.N.s Palestinian relief agency, gave a flat rejection of its premise. No place is safe across the Gaza Strip including the south, she told NBC News in an email. During this war, no civilian infrastructure or facility has been spared, including hospitals, medical facilities, schools, and U.N. shelters. Another senior U.N. official, UNICEF spokesman James Elder, told a news briefing via video link Tuesday that the so-called safe zones are not scientific, they are not rational, they are not possible, and I think the authorities are aware of this. The London-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians posted on social media that the map had left people guessing which square will save their lives. Israel says its doing everything possible to protect civilians, including telling people living in northern Gaza to move south at the start of the conflict and away from the initial focus of its fighting. That prompted a mass exodus, and, humanitarian groups say, a worsening of the humanitarian crisis in this cramped territory. A weeklong pause in the fighting saw some 100 hostages freed from Gaza in exchange for around 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. When the pause ended, Palestinians in Gaza were asked to move again, with residents in the city of Khan Younis, many of whom were displaced from elsewhere, told to make another southward journey, this time to Rafah on the Egypt border. When asked about the criticism the maps have received, the IDF pointed to an interview between one of its spokespeople, Maj. Doron Spielman, and NBC News British partner, Sky News. Spielman referred to a video last week showing Hamas leading hostages through Gaza about to be freed, and hundreds of Gazans holding their phones videoing them. He said, Clearly theres enough power to power their phones when they are parading our hostages through Gaza. Now that same power to their phones will be [needed] to get the maps, download the maps and look at the flyers. An IDF spokesperson also told NBC News that it was using other methods to warn residents, such as calling and texting to urge them to leave their homes. For some inside Gaza, all the warnings in the world would be no justification for forcing them to flee their homes. If people dont leave, does that make them fair game? Ghalayini asked. The thing Israel needs to do to protect civilians is simple it must stop its brutal assault. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Special counsel Jack Smith wants a Washington, D.C. jury to hear about Donald Trumps efforts to sow false doubts about the two presidential elections that preceded his failed 2020 campaign. The special counsels team says Trumps previous attempts to convince Americans that the elections of 2012 and 2016 were being stolen laid the foundation for what would become a criminal effort to overturn the 2020 election after his loss to Joe Biden. They demonstrate the defendants common plan of falsely blaming fraud for election results he does not like, senior assistant special counsel Molly Gaston wrote in a nine-page court filing. Smith is seeking permission from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to introduce evidence that isnt specifically charged in the criminal indictment but may be relevant to the jurys consideration of the alleged crimes. These details, known as 404(b) evidence, are commonly introduced in criminal matters to aid the jurys ability to consider a defendants intent or motive based on uncharged bad acts. In this case, Smith says the evidence will help jurors assess Trumps intent during the frenzied weeks before the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as he sought to subvert the election. The false election fraud claims from prior years arent the only streams of 404(b) evidence that prosecutors want to introduce. Gaston indicated that they intend to tell jurors about Trumps repeated refusals in 2016 and 2020 to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. They want to introduce his September 2020 exhortation to the Proud Boys to stand back and stand by, which became a call to action for the groups leaders at the time and put the group on a path to becoming an integral part of the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol. Prosecutors also say Trump engaged in a campaign of retaliation against Republican Party allies who refused to countenance his claims of election fraud including the former legal counsel of the RNC. Prosecutors also reiterated that they anticipate telling jurors about Trumps efforts to align himself with Jan. 6 rioters in the years following the violence. Trump has described them as hostages, vowed to consider pardoning many of them, complained of the sentences doled out even to the most serious offenders and even recorded a song with some of the most violent riot defendants housed at the D.C. jail. This evidence shows that the rioters disruption of the certification proceeding is exactly what the defendant intended on January 6, Gaston wrote. Trump spent the days and weeks leading up to the 2012 election when President Barack Obama would best GOP nominee Mitt Romney to win reelection complaining without basis that voting machines were being manipulated or that the election was being tainted by fraud. In 2016, before winning the White House, Trump began to argue that Republicans were naive not to think rampant cheating was occurring. UPDATE: Almost four hours later westbound lanes of I-70 near the Ohio-Indiana line have reopened. As of 7:55 p.m., the Indiana Department of Transportation reported no lane closures in the area. We will continue to update this story. >> On his deathbed, her father told her a secret: He was a fugitive and robbed a bank in Ohio INITIAL REPORT: Drivers looking to travel to Indiana may notice a delay on Tuesday afternoon. Around 4:15 p.m. Indiana State Troopers were called to reports of a jackknifed semi-trailer on I-70 westbound in Wayne County, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation. The lanes are expected to be blocked until at least 6:15 p.m., according to INDOT. We are working to learn what led up to the crash and if anyone was injured. We will continue to update this story. UPDATE, 12/5/23, 2:50 p.m.: The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said the child is safe and the incident has been resolved. Original story below: The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics help as it investigates a suspicious incident that happened Tuesday morning around 9 a.m. on the Southside. Near the intersection of Beach and Kernan boulevards, a biracial male, appearing to be a juvenile, wearing a blue shirt and gray shorts was observed in what appeared to be an altercation with an older black male wearing a red shirt, police said in a news release. Police said after the altercation, the child was observed entering a 4-door white sedan before leaving the area. JSO said it is trying to identify and locate the juvenile involved to ascertain his safety. Anyone with any information about the incident or the pictured vehicle is asked to immediately call JSO at 904-630-0500. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Members of Oklahoma's Criminal Justice Authority agreed Monday to pay Oklahoma County's sheriff about $750,000 to provide transportation services for detainees between the county jail and courthouse. But the arrangement likely will be revisited by Oklahoma County's budget board before the new fiscal year begins July 1, several members of the authority, also known as the jail trust, remarked. Trust members made those comments after Sue Ann Arnall, the last remaining original appointee to the nine-person board, said Oklahoma County received an informal opinion from Oklahoma's attorney general Sunday that raises questions about the current arrangement. The request for the opinion was made by Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna, Arnall said. "They had a little bit of a quandary," Arnall said, noting that the attorney general agreed the contract creating the jail trust specifically states it is not responsible for moving detainees from the jail to the courthouse. Arnall said that means county leaders should be providing those funds to the sheriff to pay his expense another way. "I agree that all the funding comes from the county, but liabilities (for certain tasks) rest with different departments. We could go ahead and be a conduit for the transportation funds from the county and from the jail trust to the sheriff, but at that point we are taking on responsibility for their transportation (and care while they are at the courthouse)," she said. "That's the problem, and the AG said if we throw out that exception, we would be invalidating the trust. We are putting the jail trust indenture in jeopardy and are taking on a liability we should not be taking on as trustees." More: The cost to house inmates at the Oklahoma County jail is steadily climbing. Here are the numbers Arnall suggested the trust approve an agreement with the sheriff to formalize all the arrangements required between the two parties on moving detainees back and forth, but without any language covering how the cost is paid. Meanwhile, the trust could transfer those funds back to the county so that its budget board could reallocate them directly to the sheriff, she proposed. No one else on the trust indicated they were willing to support her idea. Ultimately, trust members voted 7 to 1 to approve the agreement and pay the sheriff for the service, with Arnall casting the lone "no" vote. Trustee Chad Alexander said he sees the current controversy similar to what might exist when two divisions within a larger company raise issues about a budget that is set by a board of directors. "The money is all coming from the same place. We are all funded by the county, both the sheriff's department and the jail. As a trust, this is where we need leadership from the county's budget board to give us some guidance, because really, it is just moving money around," Alexander said. "Because we are halfway through the fiscal year, I believe we should continue operating the way we have been." Oklahoma County jail trust chairman Joe Allbaugh Joe Allbaugh, the trust's chairman, thanked Arnall for her thoughts about the issue and her proposal, but agreed with Alexander. "I know we have talked about this many, many times, and I know there are differing opinions, also, but I also know our current staffing level is not equipped nor trained to take up the transportation services to and from the courthouse," Allbaugh said. "I really don't want to leave the sheriff's department high and dry. This is something we can buy a little time with while we work something out with the budget board and county commissioners to make this a little bit easier in the next budget year," he said. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma jail trust agrees to pay county sheriff to transport detainees NEW YORK One of the men accused in the 2002 murder of hip-hop star Jam Master Jay has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges taking a plea that means a minimum 15-year prison sentence. Jay Bryant, 50, still faces a looming murder trial in the Run-DMC founders 2002 slaying, but on Friday he pleaded guilty to all four counts in a separate drug trafficking and gun possession case in Brooklyn Federal Court. Eating the indictment means a mandatory minimum of 10 years on one of the counts, and another mandatory five years on another count, with the sentences running consecutively. He could face more time than that, depending on what Judge Brian Cogan decides at his March 7 sentencing. They refused to make him an offer despite our earnest attempts, so he accepted responsibility for what hes done, his defense lawyer, Cesar de Castro told the New York Daily News Monday. Up until his arrest last year, Bryant acted as the head of a narcotics syndicate in the Columbia, Penn., area that obtained its supply of narcotics in New York City, according to prosecutors. The case against Bryant involved multiple crack cocaine deals to informants, while law enforcement agents watched and recorded. He was also caught on video weighing out crack cocaine, and was caught with crack during a car stop, and more than 200 grams of powder cocaine in his home, according to court filings. To protect my drug business, I had a gun, he said as he entered his guilty plea Friday. Bryant was locked up in the drug case when he was indicted in Jam Master Jays slaying in May nearly three years after the arrest of two other men, Ronald Tinard Washington and Karl Jordan for the killing. De Castro successfully argued to sever Bryants case from the other two suspects, who are set to go to trial in January. Bryants trial likely wont happen until at least 2025. Federal prosecutors allege that Washington and Jordan wanted revenge on Jam Master Jay, real name Jason Mizell, for cutting them out of a nearly 10-kilogram drug deal when they stormed into his Queens music studio on Oct. 30, 2002. Prosecutors believe Jordan was the shooter, but court documents allege that Bryant bragged about pulling the trigger to an unnamed third party. The feds also say they have a sample of Bryants DNA on a piece of clothing left behind at the scene. _____ Flash Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Richard Haass, former president of the United States' Council on Foreign Relations, on Monday in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on China-U.S. relations, economic and trade cooperation, and other topics. He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with the United States to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state at their San Francisco meeting, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields of the economy and trade, and push bilateral relations in a sound, stable and sustainable direction. China will advance its opening-up steadfastly and at a high level, and enhance its liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, He said, adding that China welcomes companies from all over the world, including the United States, to continue to invest and do business in China. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., took the opportunity to drag recently indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., by asking former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. to record a video addressed to him on Cameo, an app the disgraced former lawmaker joined after his expulsion that allows people to pay celebrities for personalized videos. Menendez was criminally charged in September with federal charges of bribery and corruption, while Santos was overwhelmingly expelled from Congress on Friday following after a House Ethics Committee report released last month that determined there was substantial evidence that Santos had broken federal law. In May, Santos was indicted on 23 federal counts accusing him of defrauding donors, stealing from his campaign and lying to Congress. Both Santos and Menendez have pleaded not guilty. Hey Bobby! Look, I dont think I need to tell you, but these people that want to make you get in trouble and want to kick you out and make you run away, you make them put up or shut up, Santos said on the video. You stand your ground, sir, and dont get bogged down by all the haters out there. Stay strong. Merry Christmas." Fetterman shared the video on X, writing, "I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems. So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give Bobby from Jersey some advice." NBC reported that Fetterman was the first Democratic senator to call for Menendez to resign, with more than half the Democratic caucus following suit. When asked about the video, Menendez told NBC "I dont think Mr. Clickbaits donors would appreciate him enriching George Santos. Im surprised he didnt ask his parents for the money." Business Insider reported that Fetterman paid Santos $343 to troll Menendez. I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems. So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give Bobby from Jersey some advice. pic.twitter.com/y8iX55EyNi John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) December 4, 2023 Flash As the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) unfolds in Dubai, China stands out as a proactive force in global climate governance, contributing both resolve and wisdom to addressing the pressing challenges posed by climate change. It has to be understood that many achievements have been made in China, said Fatih Birol, chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA). With excellent progress in developing solar and wind power, electric vehicles and power batteries, China is a champion of the world in clean energy, said the IEA executive director at a side event held at the China Pavilion of the ongoing COP28 climate change conference. Strong commitment China will promote the establishment of a fair, reasonable, cooperative and win-win global climate governance system, said Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in Dubai during a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In recent years, China has actively yet prudently promoted the targets for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, said Ding. China has committed to a "dual carbon" goal of reaching the peak of carbon emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2060. The country has formulated a "1+N" policy framework to facilitate its implementation. In addition to its commitment to domestic carbon reduction initiatives, China extends its support to developing countries, aiding them in their endeavors to effectively reduce emissions by sharing expertise, technology, and resources. In his speech on Friday, Ding said that China has always kept its promise and made important contributions to global climate governance and vigorously promoted international cooperation on green development, energy revolution and climate change, and supported developing countries in enhancing their capacity to cope with climate change. China has signed 43 South-South cooperation documents on climate response with 38 developing countries, trained about 2,000 officials and professional personnel specializing in climate response for more than 120 countries, and made notable contributions to building a fair and rational global climate governance system for win-win results. Significant progress China has made significant strides in promoting environmental sustainability. In 2022, the country's emission intensity of carbon dioxide decreased by more than 51 percent from 2005, while the installed capacity of non-fossil energy surged to 50.9 percent. In response to climate change, there has been a substantial reduction in coal consumption per unit of GDP and China's forest coverage and stock have both risen over the past 30 years. China also stands as a global leader in the new energy vehicles (NEV) industry. Its production and sales of NEVs rank first in the world, accounting for more than half of the world's total with more than 18 million NEVs in use. Major economies are the main emitters of greenhouse gases and any action they take toward transitioning to renewable energy could have significant impacts, said Jordi Sole, a Spanish climate change expert and professor at the University of Barcelona. China's transition towards clean energy has achieved significant progress: The aggregate reduction in CO2 emissions from China's electric vehicle shift could be at least 1 billion tons during 2023-40, equivalent to Japan's 2020 emissions, according to Bloomberg. China's achievement in developing renewable energy resources has been phenomenal and people outside of China perhaps don't realize the scale of the shift that is taking place, said Dominic Waughray, executive vice president of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Guterres said on Friday that the United Nations positively evaluates China's efforts and important contributions to promoting peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality. Developed countries that have caused the major part of global warming should take on their due responsibilities for climate change, Erik Solheim, former UN under-secretary-general and former executive director of the UN Environment Programme, told Xinhua. Pragmatic cooperation As a major responsible developing country, China stands ready to work with all parties to build a clean and beautiful world. In November 2023, China and the United States issued "The Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis," emphasizing their commitment to work together and with other countries in addressing the climate crisis. In 2022, the BRICS High-level Meeting on Climate Change was hosted by China via video link, resulting in the adoption of the Joint Statement of BRICS High-level Meeting on Climate Change and a shared commitment to jointly driving policy research on low-carbon green growth, technology cooperation, and collaborative pilot projects. In 2021, China launched the Belt and Road Green Development Partnership Initiative with 28 countries and held nearly 20 thematic activities in the field of environment and climate. China also put forward the Qingdao Initiative for Belt and Road Green Energy Cooperation, set up regional energy cooperation platforms, and held the Second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference, consolidating the global consensus on green development and transition. China's proactive approach to climate change stems not only from its eagerness to achieve sustainable development but also from a profound sense of responsibility in fostering a community of a shared future for mankind. Through engaging in open dialogue and fostering pragmatic cooperation, China has demonstrated to the world that it is at the forefront of tackling climate challenges. John Lennons last words have been revealed by the concierge working on the front desk of the building where the Beatles star was shot and killed. A new Apple TV+ documentary series, John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, is narrated by Kiefer Sutherland and investigates the shooting by obsessed fan Mark David Chapman on 8 December 1980, along with its aftermath. It also explores the many conspiracy theories that have emerged since Lennons death and features audio from Chapman speaking to his lawyers while applying for parole. The title refers to the fact that Chapman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on the eve of his trial, after which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Jay Hastings was working on the front desk of the Dakota building in New York, where Lennon, 40, lived with his wife, Yoko Ono, and their young son, Sean Ono Lennon, on that fateful day. He runs past me. He goes, Im shot, he recalls in the documentary. He had blood coming out of his mouth. He just collapsed on the floor. I half rolled him to his back and took his glasses off, put them on the desk. And Yoko was screaming, Get an ambulance, get an ambulance, get an ambulance. Taxi driver Richard Peterson also said he witnessed the shooting while sitting in his parked car outside the Dakota building. John and Yoko in 1969 (Getty Images) Lennon was walking in and this kid says, John Lennon, he says. He was a chunky guy. Im looking at him through the front window of my cab. Im looking at him shoot him. This guy just shot John Lennon. I thought they were making a movie, but I didnt see no lights or cameras or anything so I realised, Hey, this aint no movie. The Dakota, the New York City building John Lennon lived in and was murdered outside of (Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Apple says the three-part documentary will reveal shocking details of Lennons tragic murder and include interviews with some of his closest friends, along with Chapmans defence lawyers, psychiatrists, detectives and prosecutors. Mark David Chapman, pictured in 2020 (New York State Department of Corrections) Asked by his legal team why he shot Lennon, Chapman refers to the Beatles song when he says, All You Need Is Love, have you ever heard that? Well, this is what I say to that: all you need is love and 250 million dollars. He was the biggest, phoniest bastard that ever lived. Chapman 68, is currently being held at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York. He has repeatedly been denied parole his next opportunity will be in February 2024. At his 2020 hearing, he apologised to Lennons widow, Ono, calling the shooting a despicable and extremely selfish act. Im sorry for the pain that I caused to her, he said. I think about it all of the time. The Beatles recently relelased what has been dubbed the last Beatles song, Now and Then, which used AI technology to retrieve vocal stems recorded by Lennon at his piano in the Dakota apartment. John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial is out on 6 December. Boris Johnson believes the Covid inquiry should urgently examine the harms caused by lockdown, The Telegraph understands. The former prime minister, set to appear before the inquiry on Wednesday and Thursday, has told allies he thinks it is legitimate to ask whether the right questions are being addressed. In particular, Mr Johnson, who was prime minister through the pandemic, is concerned that the impact of lockdown on the economy and childrens education has not been adequately examined. He would also like the inquiry to consider whether the virus was man-made a question raised by Michael Gove during his appearance at the inquiry last week. Mr Gove was told this issue was outside the scope of the inquiry. It comes as an international study showed that Covid wiped out improvements in maths and reading in the UK but not some other countries. Numeracy and literacy had been improving following changes to the curriculum nearly a decade ago, but the latest Programme for International Student Assessment league table showed those gains have been lost since Britains lockdowns. Studies have also shown that childrens mental health suffered during school closures. One found that British secondary school pupils had experienced higher rates of depression, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties since the pandemic. The three UK lockdowns also contributed to a severe recession, with Britain left with huge levels of debt to pay for furlough and other Covid support schemes. One study, by Johns Hopkins University and Laud University, found that the first lockdown saved as few as 1,700 lives in England and Wales and concluded that the benefits were a drop in the bucket compared to the staggering collateral costs imposed. Mr Johnson is understood to believe that it would be legitimate for issues such as the effect on children and the economy to be raised, but he will only be able to discuss them if they are raised by the inquirys questioners. In a written statement to the inquiry, extracts from which were published last month, Mr Johnson said: It is true that I have reflected (no doubt out loud and no doubt many times) about whether the lockdowns would do (and did do) more harm than good. I believe that it was the duty of any pragmatic and responsible leader to have such a debate, both with himself and with colleagues. We were between a rock and a hard place, the devil and the deep blue sea. We simply had no good choices, and it was necessary at all times to weigh up the harms that any choice would cause. The former prime minister said he was very worried about the economic harm caused by the action we took against Covid-19 and whether it would do more damage to the country than the virus itself, but added that he always attached the highest priority to human life and public health. At Wednesdays hearing, he will robustly defend what he believes the Government got right during the pandemic, highlighting the success of the vaccine programme and the fact that the NHS did not collapse. He will also point out that Britain came out of lockdown before other European countries, saying that was the result of his leadership, and repeat apologies he has made over issues where the Government fell short during the pandemic. He believes it would be valid for the inquiry to ask about the origin of the pandemic, such as whether the virus was created in a Chinese laboratory, and believes getting to the bottom of this is important if a future pandemic is to be tackled more effectively. He considers the other key question to be the big trade-off between the economy and public health. In deciding when to impose lockdowns and when to lift them, he had to balance the effect on the economy and the numbers who could catch Covid. The former prime minister believes that, given there has been no objective evaluation of this trade-off, it would be right for such complicated and difficult questions to be explored, with the same true for the effect on children of school closures. He feels that while decisions on closures were necessarily made on imperfect information, it would be correct for the inquiry to consider whether with the benefit of hindsight they were brought in at the right time. Mr Johnson is also set to counter a core allegation made during the inquiry that he endlessly changed his mind when deciding what to do during the pandemic. An ally said: The scientific advice was changing the whole time therefore the Government had to change with it. It would have been absurd to prioritise consistency for its own sake over the changing facts. Nobody would seriously suggest that is a good approach. Mr Johnson has denied that he said let the bodies pile high in advance of the second lockdown. On whether he used other expressive language, however, he is expected to accept there were times where he did. However, he will argue that he was trying to test and provoke advisers around him so he got a better idea of what they were saying to him. He has told the inquiry he cannot hand over any of his WhatsApps for most of the first lockdown. He said he was advised to stop using his old phone in May 2021 after it emerged that his number had been freely available online for 15 years. It had been hoped messages could be retrieved by security experts, but the former prime minister said that was not possible. A spokesman for Mr Johnson said the former prime minister will be at the Covid Inquiry tomorrow and looks forward to assisting the inquiry with its important work. 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. By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah said on Tuesday the world should condemn any attempt by Israel to create conditions that would forcibly displace Palestinians within the war-devastated Gaza Strip or outside its borders. In remarks carried by state media after a meeting with the Cypriot president in Amman, the monarch again called for an immediate ceasefire and warned that Israel's relentless bombing campaign was leading to a "dangerous deterioration" in the situation. Talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides focused on the need to increase efforts to deliver humanitarian aid and relief to the embattled civilians living in Gaza. Abdullah has lobbied Western leaders to pile pressure on Israel to allow an uninterrupted flow of aid and open crossings it controls to bring in sufficient level of aid needed. Israel now controls the volume and nature of aid entering to over 2.3 million inhabitants under siege, according to U.N. officials and humanitarian workers. UNRWA officials say only a trickle of the aid the enclave needs is getting through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt which NGOs and officials say can only handle a fraction of the needs. Israel started its campaign in retribution for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters who rampaged through Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages, according to Israel's tally. Israeli bombardments have killed nearly 16,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health ministry figures, and driven 80% of the population from their homes. King Abdullah told Christodoulides there would be dangerous consequences from any attempt to forcibly push Palestinians en masse from their land while it maintained security control, officials said. Officials also fear wider violence in the West Bank, which Jordan borders, as settler attacks on Palestinian civilians, confiscation of land and Israeli military raids mount. It could create circumstances that could encourage Israel to forcibly push tens of thousands of Palestians across the Jordan River. Officials say the forcible expulsion of Palestinians would amount to a declaration of war and prompt Jordan to suspend its peace treaty with Israel. On Tuesday, Amman condemned Israel's move to build new settlements in Arab East Jerusalem, the part of the contested city that was seized along with the West Bank in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and the U.N. considers occupied territory.. "Israel's expansion of Jewish settlement building on land it occupied and the confiscation of territory are a flagrant violation of international law" and dimmed any prospects of peace, said Sufain Qudah, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alex Richardson and Angus MacSwan) Heart Galleries, portraits of adoptable children, on display at the Child Protective Services office at Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin on Nov. 14, 2019. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune Removed from her home at age 11, Juarez who is now 4-foot-8 and barely over 100 pounds at 18 said she was frequently beat up and threatened by other kids, and once had an iPod taken away by facility workers after she showed them that an adult male staffer was sending her sexually suggestive text messages. Juarez testified through tears before U.S. District Judge Janis Jack on Monday how she could never found allies in Texas foster care, a system that was there to protect her. They would tell us when we [cry or] misbehave that we were there because our family didn't want us, or that it was because we were bad kids and nobody wants bad kids, Juarez told Jack. Jack is being asked to decide whether the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which manages the foster care system, should be held in contempt of court orders for the third time since a 2011 lawsuit was filed about foster care conditions. The federal hearing is expected to take at least a week to complete. Jack opened the hearing Monday with a strong rebuke of state foster care officials at DFPS and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, repeating an ongoing criticism that children removed from their parents and given over to the state leave the system more damaged than when they entered it. Its very disappointing, isnt it? she said. Jack made her first ruling condemning the state foster care system in 2015, and three years later, the conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed. Since then, shes ordered several fixes over the years and continuously criticized the state for not complying with her orders. DFPS has been under the supervision of court-appointed monitors since 2019. Since then, the foster care system has been found in contempt twice before for failing to fix deficiencies noted by the court. In this hearing, Jack will address recent court monitor reports that have described striking systemic failures faulty sexual abuse investigations, poor record keeping, unreliable medication monitoring, poorly supervised residential facilities and more. Since 2019, the state foster care system has been twice found in contempt for failing to follow her her orders to fix deficiencies. At the center of the battle are the roughly 9,000 children in permanent state custody, removed from their homes due to circumstances that can include abuse at home, or complex health needs that parents are unable to manage without help, or the loss of their family caregivers. They often present the most tragic stories and have some of the most complex mental and behavioral needs of any child in the system, yet they are often left in dangerous homes and residential centers with poor supervision frequently overmedicated, trafficked, and unable to get help if theyre continuing to be being abused. Now, plaintiffs in the original 2011 lawsuit are asking Jack to hold the state in contempt, sanction officials and consider putting parts of the foster-care system in receivership removing those duties from the control of the state and appointing someone to oversee those operations. That person would have hiring and firing control as well as the ability to make new policy. This weeks hearing will address several areas of concern. Among them is the monitoring and regulation of psychotropic medications antidepressants , anti-psychotics, stimulants and mood stabilizers. Court monitors said they could not find evidence that the state was following its own precautions for making sure these children were not being overmedicated. Juarez testified that when she was a foster child at age 17, she was taking eight different medications every single day most of them psychotropic drugs that made her too sleepy and sick to go to school. When she would tell her doctors and caseworkers that the meds were debilitating, they would just say I needed them, she said. Once she turned 18, effectively aging out of foster care, she moved to a transitional residential program and once there, she stopped taking the drugs. She told the judge that she now feels much better. Expert testimony on the medication of children in foster care is expected to be brought by the attorneys for the children on Tuesday, plaintiff attorney Paul Yetter said. Part of Mondays focus was on the safety of children without foster care placements, either in a familys home or a residential facility that contracts with the state. The children without placements, often referred to as CWOP children, are stuck in unregulated, unlicensed and often poorly supervised homes. Court monitors have reported that supervisors are poorly trained, overworked, and unable to maintain consistent care of and control over some of the most medically complex and difficult children in the system. Reports include children becoming pregnant, being trafficked, abusing alcohol and drugs, skipping school and medical regimens, attacking each other, threatening suicide and being placed in multiple temporary placements for months at a time. Regarding the children without placement who stay in unlicensed homes and hotels, Erica Banuelos, an associate commissioner for Texas Child Protective Services at DFPS , was questioned by Jack and Yetter on whether she thought the unregulated homes were safe for children some of whom have been hospitalized for injuries incurred by either staffers or other kids at those placements. She declined to say that the facilities were not good enough for the children. I cant say that its always not safe, she said, eliciting expressions of surprise from Jack and Yetter. What an answer, Yetter replied. Banuelos said the agency is trying to to be at zero on the number of children in these placements. There are currently 29 children in these unregulated homes, she said, down from twice that amount a few months ago. We have worked very hard in building up quality residential [centers], expanding foster care, working in intensive psychiatric treatment, she said. Yetter asked her if she would agree that the situation has gotten really bad. I dont know that I would agree its gotten bad, she said. I would say that if I look today at where we're at, I would say that it has gotten better. At that, according to people inside the courtroom, Juarez stood up and walked out. Testimony also zeroed in on the poor quality and backlog of investigations into allegations of sexual abuse reported by children in state care who have intellectual or developmental disabilities, such as autism, fetal-alcohol syndrome, and Down syndrome. In one case, plaintiffs say, a girl was left in the same residential facility for a year while 12 separate investigations piled up around allegations that she had been raped by a worker at the facility. She was left in the facility with that same worker until she was dumped in an emergency room, alone, with her jaw broken in two places, Jack said. The facility was eventually shut down by the state. The worker, it turned out, had previously been convicted of raping his stepdaughter but that had not turned up during the investigations into the girls accusations, Yetter said. Now what do you think the delay of all your investigations how do you think that affected the girl, Jack asked. Pahl said it was not positive. That investigation never substantiated the allegations, and a new policy with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission does not require investigators to explain those findings a policy criticized by Jack and Yetter. I guess if you never explain it, you cant be second-guessed, Yetter said. According to the court monitors, children in the states care are not informed how to report sexual abuse. Also, the state also has not been able to prove that it has properly trained its caseworkers on how to identify potential victims of sexual abuse. Both Jack and Yetter grilled Stephen Pahl, who oversees HHSCs investigations into the abuse of foster care children, over a years-long staffing shortage that routinely leaves those cases unresolved and results in investigators taking shortcuts. If you don't do an investigation, or if you do a poor investigation, a child can stay in a situation that puts his or her life, health and safety at risk, Yetter asked Pahl. True? Jack added: Is this a hard question? Pahl testified that staffing shortages were exacerbated during the pandemic and that there was a high turnover due to pay and working conditions, although he did not specify what those were, and said the department has been trying to solve the problem for years. In other testimony, former DFPS caseworker Hannah Reveile told the court that by the time she quit her job r six months ago, she had developed severe depression and anxiety. According to her doctor, her blood pressure was four points below dangerous hypertension levels. Reveile had wanted to work with children in crisis for a decade. But instead, she said she was forced to watch helplessly as vulnerable kids under her watch struggled in dangerous situations without any help from the agency.. She testified that she felt she had no choice but to leave them in the hands of a foster care system that was failing them. I couldnt do it any more, Reveile said. Wanting it for 10 years and then finding out that its just a system thats broken and breaks people it was awful. I tried really hard to stick it out and make it better and I just couldnt do it anymore. I had my candle and I was burning it at one end, and then the system came in like a flame thrower. Pahl insisted that since he took over the department in 2021, he and other leaders have become aware of the problems and are responding to them. I was surprised at some of the areas of improvement that we needed to focus on, Pahl said. We had some issues with our investigations. We're moving to correct that, and we're looking at putting in measures to track those better. The retrial for a former attorney accused of shooting and killing his wife is now on hold. The move to halt Tex McIvers murder case came just a day after jury selection got underway. A 2018 jury found McIver guilty of felony murder in the shooting death of his wife Diane McIver. The couple and their friend Dani Jo Carter were heading home from a party when Tex McIver shot Diane McIver in the back as he sat behind her in the car. Diane McIver died at the hospital. Last year, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned McIvers felony murder conviction, ruling the jurors didnt receive proper instructions. Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne spoke to one of McIvers attorneys following Tuesday mornings developments. As a member of Tex McIvers defense team, what are you doing this afternoon? Winne asked attorney Don Samuel. We are preparing a bond motion to have him released pending the trial, which now is postponed for possibly as long as six or seven months, Samuel said. Will you oppose any efforts by the defense to get Tex McIver out on bond pending the states appeal? Winne asked Fulton County executive district attorney Mike Carlson. RELATED STORIES: We will review any motion that we receive. However, the state has consistently opposed bond in this case and I dont have any indication at this point that the office will change its position, Carlson said. Has Judge (Robert) McBurney given you an indication of how quickly he would consider bond? Winne asked Samuel. He said he would do it rapidly, Samuel said. Samuels said McBurney let lawyers on both sides of McIvers case know of his intent to issue a written order barring the prosecution from introducing evidence McIver had an intent to kill his wife. It follows logically from the ruling that the state cannot argue intent to kill, that the state would be prevented from entering evidence about life insurance that is no longer relevant, McBurney said during Tuesdays hearing. Samuel said because the prosecution signaled it would appeal, jury selection, which started Monday in what would have been McIvers retrial, stopped. Georgia law allows for the state, prosecution, to be able to appeal where a trial judge has excluded evidence pretrial. That has occurred in this case, so the state is preparing its direct appeal on the issues that were presented today, Carlson said. This is not an unusual occurrence for this office. Weve had any number of evidentiary issues up on appeal pretrial. Samuel said in his original trial, McIver was acquitted of malice murder, which involves intent to kill but convicted of a felony murder charge that -- the way it was written in McIvers case -- did not involve the intent to kill. The defense maintains it would be unconstitutional for the prosecution to argue something a jury has already unanimously rejected. They couldnt change the indictment now? Winne asked Samuel. It is our position they cannot change the indictment because all charges have to be brought in the original indictment, Samuel said. Do you anticipate they may try to reindict? Winne asked Samuel. I do, Samuel said. Carlson said the Fulton County DAs office maintains motive evidence such as financial incentives, is important and widely admissible in violent crime prosecutions. A prosecution motion suggests case law makes clear motive evidence illustrating murderous intent is admissible to prove the charges of aggravated assault and felony murder. It was absolutely an accidental shooting. He didnt intend to shoot his wife. He didnt intend to kill his wife he didnt intend to pull the trigger, Samuel said. He had fallen asleep with the gun in his lap? Winne asked Samuel. That is correct. That might be negligent. That might be reckless, but the shooting was still accidental, Samuel said. Carlson says the DA offices position is the shooting was not accidental and the office is appealing Tuesdays order so that it can present evidence to that effect in the retrial. Winne asked Samuel if the prosecution follows through with an appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, how long do you anticipate that taking? He said he would guess six to eight months. RELATED NEWS: Rudy Giuliani failed to appear at a Tuesday hearing ahead of his defamation trial, resulting in his lawyer receiving a tongue-lashing from the Washington, D.C., federal judge overseeing the case. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell harshly questioned lawyer Joseph Sibley over Giulianis unexpected absence and whether they were ready for the trial set for next week, which will determine how much money Giuliani owes two Georgia poll workers for defaming them after the 2020 election. Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss sued Giuliani, a close ally of former President Trump and the ex-mayor of New York, after he made a series of false statements about their work at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where ballots were being counted. He and other Trump allies falsely claimed the election workers a mother-daughter duo committed fraud by processing suitcases of illicit ballots. The poll workers were both present in court in Washington on Tuesday. Top Stories from The Hill Sibley told Howell that Giuliani is in New York and took the blame for his absence, asserting that he misinterpreted the judges standing order from September requiring all parties to be present during the trial and at hearings ahead of it. How could you have missed that, Howell asked Sibley, visibly frustrated. And did you miss it? I did. I apologize, Sibley replied. Well, that sets the tone for this, doesnt it? Howell remarked, later adding that Giulianis absence is not a good start to the trial were about to begin. The Hill requested comment from Sibley. The hearing was scheduled to address last-minute logistics ahead of the trial, which is expected to begin Monday with jury selection. Lawyers for Freeman and Moss told the judge that they plan to call four witnesses and present clips from several depositions. Among those deposed were two of Giulianis co-defendants in the sweeping Georgia racketeering case, Jenna Ellis and Ray Smith III. Trump is also a co-defendant in that case. Howell remarked that Ellis asserted her Fifth Amendment right more than 400 times during the deposition and Smith more than 300 times. She asked whether Giuliani who is expected to testify during the defamation trial intends to assert that right as well. Sibley said he did not think Giuliani plans to do so. If he were here, we could find out, Howell said. Giuliani has repeatedly dodged the courts orders as the case has progressed. After failing to turn over evidence to the poll workers despite repeated reminders from the court, Howell in August found him civilly liable for their claims of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, and punitive damage. Given the willful shirking of his discovery obligations in anticipation of and during this litigation, Giuliani leaves little other choice, Howell wrote in her decision. Ted Goodman, a political advisor to Giuliani, suggested Howells biases and prejudices are well known in a Monday statement to The Hill after the judge affirmed that a jury trial would take place. A jury of eight Washington residents will be empaneled to decide the case. The trial is expected to last about a week. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A round of strikes will take place for three days from 7am on Wednesday Dec 20 - Jacob King/PA Wire Junior doctors have announced a strike covering the three days before the Christmas holidays after failing to reach a deal with the Government. The trainee doctors will take to picket lines for 72 hours heading into the weekend before Christmas, walking out at 7am on Wednesday Dec 20. They will then start a six-day walkout on Wednesday Jan 3. It would be the longest in NHS history if it goes ahead, surpassing the five-day strike by junior doctors in July. The British Medical Association (BMA) said it had been forced to call strikes after the Government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline. Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, said striking doctors were risking patient safety during the busy winter period. It is disappointing that, despite significant progress, the BMA junior doctors committee have walked away from negotiations and declared new strikes, which will result in more disruption for patients and extra pressure on NHS services and staff as we enter a busy winter period, risking patient safety, she said. I have been clear that I respect the work of doctors in training and want to work with them to settle this dispute. The Health Secretary added that she was prepared to immediately look to come back to the table if strikes were called off. Ministers are particularly concerned about the impact of a long strike during the first week of January, which is normally when the NHS is under most strain as services struggle to cope after the Christmas break. Health service leaders said it was the outcome they were dreading at the busiest and toughest time of the year. It is understood that an offer of a three per cent increase in the overall pay pot had been proposed, on top of an average 8.8 per cent pay rise for 2023-24. The discussions had been ongoing, with no final offer on the table, when the BMA broke off talks. Since agreeing a deal with consultants last week, Ms Atkins had been at pains to express her respect for junior doctors. The approach contrasted with that of her predecessor, Steve Barclay, who had described them as militant. Both parties had agreed to five weeks of talks to reach a deal following the last round of strikes in October. The BMAs consultant committee has put a deal to its members to vote on. The proposed package includes an overhaul of pay grades to reduce the number of different pay steps from eight to four, and would increase consultants salaries by an average of 4.95 per cent, with some earning up to 12.8 per cent more. However, the pay offer for junior doctors, along with reforms to the system of pay, was rejected by the union, which said it had voted unanimously to continue strike action. Dr Robert Laurenson, the BMA junior doctors committee co-chairman, said: We have been clear from the outset of these talks that we needed to move at pace and, if we did not have a credible offer, we would be forced to call strikes. After five weeks of intense talks, the Government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline. Instead, we were offered an additional three per cent, unevenly spread across doctors grades, which would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors this year. Without enough progress by the deadline, we have no choice but to take action that demonstrates doctors are as determined as ever in reversing their pay cuts. Sir Julian Hartley, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said: This is the outcome that trust leaders were dreading. This will be the longest strike in NHS history during the busiest and toughest time of the year for the NHS. These strikes will undermine efforts to cut waiting lists further, theyll have a serious knock-on effect on services right across the NHS and theyll impact the quality of care for patients. 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. Tiawana Brown stood at the center of the dais, surrounded by friends, family and her 10 new colleagues on Charlotte City Council. Clad in a glittery dress, her voice rose above the rest as the new council took the oath of office together. I, Tiawana Brown, do solemnly swear It was a big moment for Brown, who on Monday night officially became the first formerly incarcerated person to serve on Charlotte City Council. She is now the newest representative of District 3, the west Charlotte community in which she was born and raised. The significance of the moment wasnt lost on her. As most of you may know, I am a formerly incarcerated individual, Brown said in her first remarks from the dais. And for a long time, we were called convicts, felons, inmates This position is a gift from God that I dont take lightly. Brown describes herself as a survivor of mass incarceration. While in her 20s, Brown served four years in federal prison on felony fraud charges. She was pregnant at the time of her sentencing, and gave birth to one of her two daughters while incarcerated. Black women are greatly overrepresented in the U.S. prison population, and like Brown, many of them tend to have young children. Since her release from prison, Brown has dedicated herself to helping formerly incarcerated women like her. Her nonprofit, Beauty After the Bars, provides assistance to women both inside and outside the prison system. She also works with the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office on a mentorship and re-entry program to lower recidivism rates among those released from jail. Brown said Sheriff Garry McFadden has opened doors for me that no other sheriff would have opened. Tiawana Brown is sworn in during the Swearing-in Ceremony for Charlotte City Council at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, December 4, 2023. Khadejeh Nikouyeh/Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com Society is often unkind to those with felony convictions. The stigma from a single mistake can last an entire lifetime, no matter how much a person deserves a second chance. Research shows that stigma has negative psychological effects on formerly incarcerated people and can hinder their ability to successfully readjust after leaving the prison system. There are also, of course, significant institutional barriers. People with felony convictions may have trouble finding housing and employment. If they are convicted of a drug-related felony, they may be disqualified from receiving welfare. A law recently upheld by the North Carolina Supreme Courts Republican majority states that formerly incarcerated people convicted of a felony may not even vote until their parole or probation ends. Thats a political decision, and its one that sends a message to those who struggle to find their value as they reenter society. Brown is open about her past, but there are still people who try to use it against her. One of her primary election opponents sent a campaign email warning voters that a habitual felon is on the ballot, despite the fact that Brown has only one felony conviction and it has since been expunged. At a time when some lawmakers dont even seem to believe that people with felony convictions should be afforded the basic rights of citizenship, its powerful to see someone like Brown ascend to public office. It means a lot to me. Its restoring hope for the formerly incarcerated community, Brown told reporters after Mondays ceremony. Its just driving to the finish line and letting them know what you did is in your past. You can move forward, overcome the adversity and be somebody successful, whatever your success is. Its powerful, too, to see Brown forge a path and rejects the labels that society forces upon formerly incarcerated people. As the only newcomer to Charlotte City Council, no one would blame Brown for feeling nervous or out of place. But she exuded nothing but confidence, like she knew she belonged there just as much as anyone else. Any box that were put in, we can step outside of. I always say that, Brown said. They put us in a box, but I just kicked down the box. So now what? Rooting, hoof tracks, wallows and nests may be indicators your Kansas property is being visited by a destructive and costly visitor the invasive feral hog. A recent analysis found feral hogs have been spotted in 29 Kansas counties. Thankfully, the state has a group focused specifically on the eradication of wild swine in the state. The report, conducted by Captain Experiences, a platform that connects visitors with hunting and fishing booking, analyzed data from University of Georgias Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Researchers calculated the number of feral hog sightings in each state, and when states tied, they took the percentage of counties with a sighting into account. The study named Texas as the state with the biggest wild hog problem, with more than 2,000 sightings and 99.6% of counties with swine spotting. In comparison, Kansas was No. 16 on the list, with 101 sightings. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports the species cause $2.5 billion in damages every year, mainly due to rooting and trampling land, eating crops and more. Not only do the pigs pose a risk to landscapes, they are also known to carry certain diseases. According to the USDA, feral swine can spread diseases such as salmonella, hepatitis and brucellosis to humans. Theyre also a threat to native plants, which can see population decline due to feral hog activity. What is Kansas doing about feral hogs? Curran Salter works with the USDAs wildlife services focusing on wild swine management. The program first began in 2006 with state funding, but since then has received some federal funding, according to Salter. The program has successfully removed 13 feral pig populations since its inception. Were probably at our best point weve ever been in terms of feral pig numbers in the state, said Salter, who is based in Kansas. Were in really good shape. Kansas has three contractors focused on identifying, investigating and eradicating wild pig populations. Right now, Salter said the state is focusing on eradication and control efforts for a population in Bourbon County, as well as working at the state line in southeast Kansas. Were neighbors with a state with a lot of pigs, Salter said of Oklahoma. What to know about feral hogs in the US and Kansas The swine are an invasive species, and the biggest reason for their presence is their release by humans for sport hunting. The Kansas Department of Agriculture pushed through a law that made it illegal to sport hunt feral pigs, so were trying to take that incentive away from people sport hunting, Salter said. The hogs are usually between 75 and 250 pounds, and can run up to 30 miles per hour, according to the USDA. Pigs are also known to reproduce rapidly, as females can give birth up to two times a year, with four to 12 piglets in each litter. Furthermore, feral pigs are omnivores and will eat most anything, particularly plants, as well as insects and worms. What to do if you see a feral pig in Kansas If you think you may have a feral pig problem on your Kansas property, the best thing to do is report it the USDA state office at 785-537-6855, so officials can potentially remove them. Give us a call, well either try to get them trapped, get the whole group trapped or we have access to a helicopter and we can get them with the helicopter, Salter said. Salter said the program uses USDA agency helicopters out of Oklahoma for their aerial gunning program. This program runs one week each month during January, February and March, after deer season is ends. The goal of the helicopter is to push them out of the brush of trees into the nearest open field or pasture or whatever and work on them out in the open, Salter said. Salter said they usually respond to calls a day or two after they are made. As for prevention measures, Salter said theres not much you can do to ensure feral pigs dont enter your property, as theyre very adaptable creatures. If you do see pigs on your property, while you have a right to shoot them, Salter does not recommend you take that course of action. If you have a group of 15 to 20 pigs, and you shoot one or two, youre not doing yourself any favors, Salter said. When were doing control efforts, we dont want one of them gone, we want all of them gone. Feral pigs can be found any time of year, but Salter said it tends to be easier to catch the swine in the colder months. Generally we do better when its colder out this time of year, theyre just more apt to come to the corn pile, Salter said. A new cell phone lot and a longer third lane for incoming traffic could be among the remedies for the traffic congestion problems that have troubled Kansas City International Airports arrivals curb since the opening of its new terminal. Airport officials said steps they have taken over the past nine months, and more recently during the Thanksgiving holiday, have significantly cut down on the traffic issues. We have really seen a lot of improvement in the way that the traffic flow has worked from where we were when we first opened, Justin Meyer, deputy director of aviation marketing and air services development, said Monday. Those massive backups were pretty commonplace on the arrivals curb and we think that weve seen pretty notable improvements in that. Since the new terminal opened at MCI on Feb. 28, theres been intermittent problems with traffic congestion causing long delays for drivers attempting to pick people up after their flights. Early on, frustrated drivers told The Star they waited as long as one and half hours in long lines of traffic to travel just a half-mile to pick up passengers. The improvement seen so far is due in part to enforcement, changes in airline flight schedules and passengers figuring out how to use the new terminal in an effective way, Meyer said. Members of the Kansas City Aviation Department appeared before city leaders last week for a presentation on improvements to the new terminal operations during the City Councils business session. Melissa Cooper, the new director of aviation for Kansas City, told council members she was excited to share what was going on in the terminal right after Thanksgiving, a peak travel rush period which she said gives an indication of whats working well and what still needs work. At its worst, the time it took the furthest traffic to get to the arrivals curb was 10 minutes, which happened at 10 a.m. on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Cooper told council members. She attributed the delay to the combination of arriving and departing passengers at the airport and short staffing contracted traffic control officers were scheduled for noon. The staffing was adjusted for Wednesday. Wed love to hear your feedback: Is 10 minutes an acceptable level of service for 1% of the day? she asked council members. Is five minutes our goal? Zero is probably not feasible but how do we keep it moving? The aviation department knew Thanksgiving was going to be a peak time for the new terminal and many of the passengers would be experiencing the terminal for the first time because the holiday attracts a lot of infrequent travelers to the airport, Meyer told council members. The department promoted the use of the airports cellphone lot, which Meyer said really helped solve the arrivals level curb issues by keeping vehicles away until travelers had claimed their bags. The airport also ramped up staffing to keep traffic flowing and to enforce that the arrivals curb was only for those actively loading passengers, he said. More aggressive enforcement, including the ticketing and towing of those who parked, stopped or refused to move on, was also used. If passengers were leaving their cars, we were ticketing, Meyer said. Over the 12 day period, we did issue 46 traffic violations to people that refused to move their cars or had exited their vehicle. Traffic control officers also handed out cards the size of postcard that had QR codes with directions to the cellphone lot. It was certainly more helpful this time to be able to say you cant be here waiting, but heres where you need to go, Meyer said Monday. The airport adjusted staffing to meet demands of peak arrival times. Six people were at cross walks and arrivals curb during the day. At peak time, staffing would double, according to a chart Meyer showed council members. The peak times were 9 to 10 a.m., 4 to 6 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. At 5 p.m. on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, there were 2,500 seats arriving within the hour on flights. If every seat was full and everyone exiting to the arrival curb, that meant essentially 40 passengers every minute stepping out on the curb, Meyer said. The aviation department is already looking into what can be rolled out for the upcoming peak period during the winter travel season, New Years and even into spring break, he said. New cellphone lot, third lane extension? Next year, the aviation department will study the possibility of creating a new cellphone lot for those waiting to pickup arriving travelers. The existing cellphone lot, located at 680 Brasilia Ave. near the Marriott hotel, is a multi-purpose lot that is shared with ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. The aviation department has already expanded the lot once since the new terminal opened by moving some temporary barriers and barricades. Were recognizing that there may be need to be an even larger solution, Meyer said. The aviation department will study what its options are, including possible locations on airport property, traffic flow and what amenities it should offer there. The aviation department will also study to see if they could create a third lane on Northwest Cookingham Drive prior to the Paris Street exit. Currently, there are two lanes there, widening to three lanes after the exit. The backup is primarily driven by the arrivals curb traffic and when they occur, drivers tend to fall in line early into the right lane. The airport is using signs to encourage drivers to use both lanes. If the airport could add several hundred more feet of the third lane for drivers approaching the new terminal, airport officials feel it could improve traffic flow, Meyer said. The department is also considering limiting access from Paris Street to the new terminal temporarily during peak times or permanently because that is where drivers are deciding to head to the parking garage, arrivals curb or departures curb, he said. The ramp creates traffic concerns and a source of congestion. Instead, drivers would be routed to Bern Street to get back into the traffic headed to the terminal, he said. Also next year, the aviation department intends to demolish Terminals B and C next year. The parking garages for the terminals would remain, with the parking garage at Terminal B used for employee parking. Nearly a week after a military plane crashed off the coast of Japan, the U.S. Air Force has identified the eight service members who died in the training mission. Eight people were aboard a U.S. Air Force CV-22B Osprey when it crashed on Nov. 29 off the shore of Yakushima Island, Japan. Officials said the rescue operation is now a recovery operation. Of the eight Airmen, the remains of three Airmen have been recovered, the remains of another three Airmen have been located and are in the process of being recovered, and the remains of two Airmen are still being located. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Air Force confirmed that one of the victims was 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Jake Turnage, of Kennesaw. Officials said Turnage was a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base. His family posted a statement on Facebook. Friends, For those that have not heard, Jake was on the Osprey that crashed on Wednesday in Japan. This morning, we received official notice from the Air Force that Jake died in the crash. We grieve but not as those with no hope. Jake is with Jesus. We will share more later but for now we wanted to keep you in the loop. Thank you all for praying for us. We havent responded to every message and text but know that you are an encouragement to us and we feel deeply loved. For now we appreciate your prayers for us and other families that are going through this too. We will send out a more detailed update at a later time. Love, Jim, Rachel, Jayce & Jessa TRENDING STORIES The Air Force said six of the eight crew members remains have been located. The other two crew members who remains are missing have been declared dead. These are the other victims in the crash: U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minnesota, was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer in charge of training, assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah, was a residency trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight commander assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside, California, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, New York, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Florida, was a medical operations flight chief assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Jake M. Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Mass., Direct Support Operator assigned to the 43rd Intelligence Squadron, Detachment 1, Operating Location, Yokota Air Base, Japan The Air Force has only confirmed Galliher is one of the six Airmen whose remains were found. Its unclear if Turnages remains have been located. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and peers of all who are impacted by this mishap and loss of life, said Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, Air Force Special Operations Command commander. In times like these, where service to our nation is not just a personal commitment but also a legacy woven into the fabric of our families, the depth of sorrow is immeasurable. The honorable service of these eight Airmen to this great Nation will never be forgotten, as they are now among the giants who shape our history. The Associated Press contributed to this report. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS Following a public hearing Tuesday night, the Madison County Schools board is set to decide on whether to approve Kentuckys first charter school on December 28. Gus LaFontaine, who heads the LaFontaine Preparatory School in Richmond for pre-kindergarten through 5th grade students, wants to open a charter school called Fontaine Charter Schools. His is the only current application in the state. The 2017 Regular Session of the General Assembly approved HB 520, legislation that for the first time allowed charter schools in Kentucky. Although the framework for charter schools was established in 2017 with the passage of House Bill 520, the General Assembly did not provide any funding for charter schools until last year. None have ever opened in Kentucky and the issue has been controversial for years. We believe that every child deserves an education that best serves their individual needs, and it is essential that every family, regardless of financial capability, has the freedom to make that choice, LaFontaine told the Herald-Leader Tuesday. As we aspire to become a charter school, we will open our doors to all who wish to join us, said LaFontaine. He said there are over 7,700 charter schools across 45 states, yet Kentucky represents none of these, even though every state bordering Kentucky has charter schools. Critics said have charter schools would pull money away from public schools. A charter school is an independently run public school that is granted flexibility in operations in return for higher accountability for performance, according to the Jefferson County Public Schools website. Each charter school is bound by its charter, or contract, which establishes the academic, operational, financial, school climate and culture expectations as well as the schools mission, program and methods of assessment. Charter schools must accept all students, are tuition-free, and are subject to Kentucky Open Records and Open Meetings law, the website said. Erin Stewart, a spokesperson for Madison County Schools, said Tuesday LaFontaines application is being reviewed by the Madison County Board of Education. The board conducted the required interview with LaFontaine last week and there is a public forum slated for 6 p.m. Tuesday for the Board to hear from stakeholders regarding the application, Stewart said. The next step in the process will then be for the school board to give LaFontaine feedback, which will be shared the week of December 18. Then the board is scheduled to meet and give their decision at 6 p.m. December 28 at the district office. LaFontaine said if the Madison school board denies his application, he can appeal and have 60 days to make corrections. If its denied again, he said he can appeal to the Kentucky Board of Education. LaFontaine said the application asked for a projected enrollment and he has speculated 900 students over five years, but he said Tuesday that would be a guess because there are no other charter schools in Kentucky. LaFontaine said his application says he intends to partner with an unnamed educational service provider in his case a group of people in his organization that offer services such as bookkeeping, admissions, and training and compliance. But he said he would likely drop his intent to partner with an educational service provider to simplify the charter school launch. LaFontaines application lists his board of directors as: Alicia Lokovich, a founding LaFontaine teacher who is now in investor relations in Middle Ground Capitol in Lexington. Courtney Bailey, a former and founding LaFontaine teacher who is finishing her doctorate in educational psychology. Ashley Friend, a former LaFontaine teacher who is now a graduate admissions counselor at Eastern Kentucky University. Sara Connolly, former LaFontaine teacher, who currently teaches transitional kindergarten at Sacred Heart Parish School in Coronado, California. Jerry Honaker, owner of Pinpoint Accounting Solutions, whose son previously attended LaFontaine. Parent representative Abby McIntier, founding member of LaFontaine. Parent representative Jessica Cain, whose two daughters attend LaFontaine. She works for the Kentucky Division of Child Care in the Department of Community Based Services. LaFontaine wanted to open a charter school in 2018 but decided not to move ahead because there wasnt a funding mechanism at that time. That changed when House Bill 9 was approved last year. In January, a non-profit corporation that represents public school districts filed a lawsuit against the Kentucky Department of Education over a state law that required two pilot program charter schools to open. The lawsuit filed by the Council for Better Education is asking the Franklin Circuit Court to prevent the implementation of House Bill 9, saying its unconstitutional. No charter school ever opened under the law. A spokesman for that group, Tom Shelton, said Tuesday that a court decision had not been made. In 2019, the first application ever filed in Kentucky to open a charter school was denied by the Newport Independent school board. The News Kenyas tech sector is opposed to a new bill aimed at regulating artificial intelligence (AI) in the country, arguing that it would stifle innovation and put off investors. The bill seeks to create a professional body to oversee the activities of AI practitioners and imposes license fees for those working in the sector. It also aims to guarantee government funding for AI research and development. Critics say it could hold back a nascent sector by reducing the flow of private investment, locking young people out of opportunities, and undermining Kenyas Silicon Savannah reputation. Alfred Ongere, founder of AI Kenya an AI training and research organization in Nairobi told Semafor Africa the bill would raise barriers of entry for AI in Kenya, hurting the sectors ability to contribute to the larger tech ecosystem and economy. Ben Roberts, chief technology officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a digital infrastructure company that has invested in data centers in Kenya, told Semafor Africa that he strongly condemned the bill, arguing that it would dent investment flowing into the countrys tech sector. Even the fact that its being discussed is a disincentive to investors, he said. Its like a tax on curiosity, said Brian Muhia, chief technology officer at AI research lab Equiano Institute and co-founder of Fahamu AI. He told Semafor Africa the proposed legislation would lead to many AI startups closing down or failing to take off at all. Know More The debate around regulating AI in Kenya echoes a broader global conversation, as policymakers weigh how to regulate emerging technologies and protect consumers without stymying innovation. In the United Kingdom, the government has stated that it will avoid regulating AI in the short term in fear of stifling the sectors growth. In the U.S., some smaller AI companies have raised concerns that tight regulation could limit their growth, arguing that they may not have the capital to meet extensive testing and regulatory requirements. The AI sector is growing across Africa. Of the 2,400 AI companies on the continent as of 2022, forty percent were established in the previous five years. Analysts say AI could add $1.5 trillion to Africas GDP by 2030 if the continent captures just 10% of the global AI market. Martins view The AI sector in Kenya is in its very early stages. Many of its innovators are young people exploring AI for the first time. Burdening them with license requirements and fees would likely stifle innovation and hold back the sectors growth. It is, however, also crucial to protect consumers. Kenya earlier this year became the first country to ban WorldCoin, the Sam Altman-backed AI-meets-crypto project, over data protection concerns. Developing an AI roadmap or policy paper that factors in the views of all stakeholders would be a better first step than imposing regulation that could potentially damage a promising sector. This would also help address other concerns for those in the sector, such as access to affordable compute power to run projects and local data and languages to train models. John Wafula, commercial lead at Nairobi-based AI training institution AICE Africa, told Semafor Africa that the AI sector in Kenya and most of Africa wasnt yet mature enough to regulate. We need data and a lot of experiments, he said. After we have laid the foundations and the pillars, then we can talk about regulation. Other African countries will soon have their own decisions to make on AI regulation as the impact of the technology is felt across different sectors. Room for Disagreement Fred Sagwe, who co-founded the Robotics Society of Kenya, argues that the bill will offer stakeholders in the AI sector a voice in national decision-making on the sector and an avenue for self-regulation. In a discussion hosted by Nairobi-based Riara University in October, he also said the proposed regulator would mobilize crucial funding for the sector. The paramount thing (about the bill) is a professional body which will advocate for the best practices. We can do self-regulation, he said. The View From Nigeria Nigeria launched a new AI research scheme in October. It will give a total of $290,000 in grants to 45 AI-focused startups and researchers. The scheme is designed to identify applications of AI in key sectors including agriculture, education, healthcare, finance and governance. The countrys digital economy minister Dr. Bosun Tijani said the initiative was meant to support the mainstreaming of the application of artificial intelligence for economic prosperity. Tijani had previously said the government was keen to engage global AI researchers of Nigerian descent in the development of a national AI strategy. Notable Questions remain over who will write the rules for AI since the technology is global, argue researchers writing in The Conversation. They say there are already more than 1,600 AI policies and strategies worldwide. Special climate envoy John Kerry on Tuesday called for global cooperation as he laid out a strategy for U.S. engagement on nuclear fusion energy. The United States was proud to announce its bold decadal vision for commercial fusion energy last year but, it is clear we cannot realize this grand ambition perhaps not at all but certainly not at the pace we need to doing it alone, Kerry said during a speech at a global climate summit in Dubai. Last year, U.S. researchers had a breakthrough in advancing nuclear fusion energy technology getting a net energy gain from a fusion reaction for the first time. At the time, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the U.S. hoped to achieve commercial fusion within a decade, though the director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where the breakthrough occurred, said it could take decades before the technology is commercialized. In a nuclear fusion reaction, atoms are fused together to produce energy. This differs from the nuclear energy technology that is used for power today, which splits apart atoms. A key difference between the two is that fusions waste does not require long-term storage, a major challenge associated with existing commercial nuclear energy. It is a carbon-free source of power. When the breakthrough was announced, a defense official also called fusion an essential process in modern nuclear weapons. Kerry said the U.S. international engagement plan for fusion has five pillars: research and development; supply chains and the marketplace; regulation; workforce; and education and engagement. This is a call to action folks, he said, also saying fusion has the potential to revolutionize our world and provide the world with abundant clean energy Over the weekend, the White House also released a little-noticed fact sheet with more details on the countrys engagement strategy for nuclear fusion energy, including opening access to test facilities, comparing experiences with key partner countries and international organizations and coordinating on security. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Author Brett Holmgren is the Assistant Secretary for the State Departments Bureau of Intelligence and Research, one of the 18 components of the U.S. intelligence community. The Argument Unless Congress acts, at the end of this month, a critical provision of law Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Act (FISA) will expire. Others in the Administration have warned about the grave implications that failing to reauthorize this provision, or reauthorizing it with restrictions that diminish its efficacy, would have on the governments ability to counter national security threats from terrorism and cyberattacks to espionage and the flow of illicit drugs across our border. Though perhaps less evident, the loss of Section 702 would have an equally devastating impact on the ability of U.S. diplomats to advance and promote American interests and values in the world. These implications take on greater significance at a time when China and Russia are seeking to upend U.S. global leadership and create an alternative, autocratic future for humanity. For context, Section 702 permits the U.S. government to collect the communications of non-U.S. citizens located overseas according to defined foreign intelligence requirements, and expressly prohibits targeting the communications of U.S. persons or anyone physically located inside the United States. As the head of the State Departments Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), I see up close the essential role that intelligence made possible by Section 702 plays in supporting and enabling U.S. diplomacy. Whether this involves providing the Secretary of State with assessments on Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, or terrorism; declassifying intelligence to share with allies and partners to build coalitions; holding nations accountable for their obligations under international treaties or conventions; or giving officials an edge in international engagements, U.S. diplomats rely on 702 information to advance American interests. Simply put, Section 702 plays an outsized, behind-the-scenes role in support of U.S. diplomacy. For example, so far this year, 25% of all requests by State Department officials and diplomats to downgrade or declassify intelligence to share with foreign partners included 702-enabled information. Moreover, more than 200 INR assessments published between January and October this yearseveral assessments per weekincluded 702-derived reporting. Many of those products were shared with the President, the Secretary of State, and other senior U.S. policymakers. As one manager bluntly stated, INR would not be able to fulfill its mandate to use intelligence to empower diplomacy without 702 reporting. A future in which the State Department could not rely on Section 702 would severely inhibit a range of important U.S. diplomatic functions. Consider these realities: Without 702 reporting, U.S. diplomats would have less compelling evidence to call out foreign nations for egregious human rights abuses or expose their efforts to track and harass dissidents abroad, including in the United States. Without 702 reporting, the ability of State Department officials to verify nations compliance with international arms control treaties and other obligations would be impeded. Without 702 reporting, the State Department and other parts of the U.S. government would have less information available to identify, evaluate, and expose Russian atrocities in Ukraine. Without 702 reporting, U.S. diplomats would have less intelligence to share with foreign partners to enable them to crack down on efforts by arms dealers and others to evade sanctions against nations like Russia. Without 702 reporting, U.S. diplomats would have been unable to share timely information with a foreign partner to prevent the proliferation of technical materiel to a government tied to conflict-linked abuses and human rights violations. Finally, when it comes to immigration and screening, State Department officials would be unable to use 702-enabled information to help vet non-U.S. persons for visa applications or other benefits under U.S. immigration laws to ensure we are not letting terrorists into our country. These examples only begin to scratch the surface of the ways in which the loss or lapse of Section 702 would undermine U.S. diplomatic activities. Some have questioned whether existing oversight and privacy safeguards already built into the Section 702 program are strong enough. These are legitimate and important issues to address. To that end, the Administration, working with Congress, has put forward bold proposals that would strengthen privacy and civil liberties protections while fully preserving the efficacy of the program. Every day, U.S. diplomats around the world work tirelessly to advance the interests and security of the American people. But make no mistake: a future without Section 702, or with a much-diminished 702 program, will have significant costs for American diplomacy. And in an era with intensifying competition with authoritarian powers and increasing global challenges, Americas diplomats will need every tool at their disposal especially Section 702. PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) The Pasco County Sheriffs Office is still searching for answers regarding James William Earls death after he was fatally shot nearly five years ago. On Jan. 16, 2019, Earl was shot to death just before 7 a.m. in his driveway at 14838 Glenrock Road in Spring Hill. Detectives said Earlys family waived their Marsys law protections and allowed PSO to share his information in hopes of finding additional information on who killed him and other details surrounding his death. St. Pete police seek help identifying person of interest, antique thief who stole $18K worth of items In coordination with Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, officials said Earls family, along with the Florida Sheriffs Association, is offering a $15,000 reward to help lead to the identification and arrest of any suspects. At this time, the identity of any possible suspects is unknown. Anyone with any information regarding the identity of the suspect or suspects and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. The King and Queen are expected to travel to Australia and New Zealand in October - Shutterstock The King is planning to visit Australia next year in what is likely be a key test of his popularity as monarch, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported. His Majesty, accompanied by the Queen, is expected to travel to Australia just before or after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, which is being held in late October. King Charles is planning to visit Australia and New Zealand in October, the newspaper reported, quoting an anonymous diplomatic source, who had contact with the monarch. A source within Australias Labor government said the visit had not been formally confirmed by Buckingham Palace, but added: Its very possible it will happen. It would be around the time of CHOGM that he would come, either before or after, that would make sense, the source added. The King (then Prince of Wales) during the Opening Ceremony for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games - Getty Images Canberras parliamentary schedule for next year has a week-long break on both sides of the CHOGM conference, which would allow a royal visit to Australia without interrupting the parliamentary sitting calendar. It would be the royal couples first visit to Australia since 2018 when they opened the Commonwealth Games on the Queensland Gold Coast. Public reaction to a royal visit next year might indicate the level of republican sentiment in Australia, coming more than two years after Queen Elizabeths death. The most recent opinion poll, held just after Her Majestys death, suggested 46 per cent of Australians favoured a republic, while 54 per cent preferred the current system of government. 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. KIPP Pueblo Unido, which rents classroom space from a Maywood church, will be one of three KIPP charter schools shutting down because of low enrollment and other challenges. (Howard Blume / Los Angeles Times) KIPP SoCal Public Schools, which operates 23 charter schools, will close three campuses, a setback for an organization that had grown steadily and is considered a leader in the field. The shutdowns, which have angered some parents and disappointed many, will take effect at the end of the current school year. The overriding cause is low enrollment a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and local opposition to charter schools. "These schools, all launched during the pandemic, faced intensified challenges linked to the global event, nationwide enrollment declines, diminishing school-age populations and temporary and permanent facility constraints," organization leaders said in a statement. Parents and staff learned of the closures late Monday and were still coming to grips with the news as they arrived to school Tuesday. "I was very angry very, very upset disappointed, because we didn't get a warning," said Gina Alonzo, after dropping off her 7-year-old son at KIPP Poder in Montebello. "We didn't get a notification of what was going on the issues that they were having." Alonzo said she loves the KIPP program, and that her son has been reading and writing since kindergarten. "We were grown as a community here," she said. "Everybody knows each other. This is all my son knows. So I'm upset and I'm thinking about the trauma that this is going to cause him." The school should have alerted parents months ago, she added, when they would have had time to consider other options for the current year. Declining enrollment is affecting school systems across California and within L.A. County including Los Angeles Unified, which has largely resisted shutting down campuses. Parents, community groups and teachers firmly oppose campus closures because schools are centers of a community, typically for generations. Read more: California public school enrollment continues decline, still reeling from pandemic plunge While the roots of charters don't run as deep, these schools have a strong following, serving about 1 in 5 students who attend public schools within the boundaries of L.A. Unified, the nation's second-largest school system. The vast majority of KIPP SoCal schools are in L.A. Unified boundaries, although there also are campuses in Compton and San Diego as well as the one in Montebello. Montebello parent Uriel Gonzalez researched available schools in depth before choosing KIPP. He said his partner and her sisters received an inferior education in a nearby traditional public school. He's worried about finding another KIPP because, as a Montebello resident, he won't have priority in a charter located within a school system outside Montebello. Charters are privately operated public schools. Most are nonunion, which has generated antipathy from unions. Charters vie for students with district-operated schools which has become an even higher-stakes competition with decreasing enrollment. Twenty years ago, L.A. Unified had close to 740,000 students and was building schools as fast as it could. District-operated schools currently enroll about 420,000 students a decline caused by reduced immigration, families moving out of L.A., lower birthrates and, until recently, the growth of charter schools. Besides KIPP Poder, the other campuses to be closed are KIPP Generations Academy in Gardena and KIPP Pueblo Unido in Maywood. "Anticipated declines in the school-age population, coupled with mounting political pressures from anti-charter factions, have regrettably rendered these schools unable to stabilize and recover, despite substantial efforts to keep them operational," officials said. KIPP's board is expected to formally approve the closures at its Dec. 14 board meeting. State funding is based on enrollment and it's hard to maintain a building, a full staff and offerings when the number of students falls below a certain threshold. A classroom might have to be maintained whether there are 28 students or 20, but the difference in revenue is more than $100,000, according to KIPP, which estimates that a middle school needs about 425 students to meet costs. The figure for an elementary school is 520 students. Enrollment at KIPP Pueblo Unido, serving transitional kindergarten, called TK, to grade 4, is 288. At KIPP Generations, serving grades 5 to 7, it's 158. At KIPP Poder, serving grades TK to 2, it's 207. KIPP schools typically start with one or two grades and then gradually add more, growing enrollment. Originally, the three schools had aimed to reach enrollment of about 1,000 students each. KIPP has pledged to work with families on their enrollment options which could include other KIPP schools, a few of which have a waiting list. Across L.A. Unified, 17 charters have closed since the 2019-20 school year and low enrollment is a typical common denominator. Some of the most successful charter groups have closed one or more campuses, including Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools and Green Dot Public Schools and now KIPP. The difficulties for the KIPP charters have extended beyond enrollment. KIPP Pueblo Unido was planning to build its own campus in Cudahy for which KIPP purchased a large parking lot from the city. But a group called Cudahy Alliance for Justice challenged the safety of the site while also raising concerns about traffic and community disruption. The group sued and successfully forced what would have been a longer and more costly environmental safety process. KIPP ultimately canceled the project after investing $8.4 million a disappointment to parents who have endured imperfect temporary locations, splitting the school between rented space at a church and surplus classrooms at a local L.A. Unified campus. KIPP hopes to find a buyer for the Cudahy site. Bertha Martinez, a local teacher, attaches a sign to a fence to express her opposition to the construction of a KIPP charter in Cudahy. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) The Montebello campus, which shares space at a traditional school run by Montebello Unified, also has faced resistance, including periodic demonstrations organized by local parents and staff from the competing district-run schools, which were compelled under state law to share their campuses with KIPP. Gonzalez recalls having to make his way through picketers to attend an event for KIPP students and parents. Some neighborhood families put up signs opposing KIPP in their yards, said Joanna Belcher, KIPP's chief external communications officer. For staff and families with ties to neighborhood schools, the arrival of a charter can present an existential threat, so the tension is understandable though unfortunate, said Montebello interim Supt. Mark Skvarna. In recent years, district enrollment has declined from about 30,000 to about 20,000. Skvarna added that he sympathizes with families at any school that is forced to close, because families have to leave behind important connections. Underscoring that point, parents interviewed Tuesday outside adjacent Gascon Elementary the neighborhood school operated by Montebello Unified expressed pride and satisfaction in their own school. Another factor that spurred opposition to the charter was Montebello's shaky finances. Poor management had put Montebello Unified on the verge of bankruptcy, a problem Skvarna was brought in to fix. "When we were trying to stabilize the district's finances, I thought, what the heck good is it to bring in a charter and lose another 600 or 700 kids," Skvarna said. Montebello Unified refused to authorize the charter, but the L.A. County Board of Education overrode the decision, forcing Montebello Unified to become a reluctant landlord. For the KIPP schools, operating during the pandemic and then reopening schools posed other hurdles. KIPP Pueblo Unido had operated its lower grades for only eight months when the pandemic hit. Its upper grades were launched while in-person learning was shut down. Teachers and students lacked the benefit of established learning relationships once they could no longer interact in person. KIPP Poder started in August 2021, the first full year back for in-person schooling, a challenging period of adjustment for all schools, let alone new ones. Recent years also have included a notable success for KIPP, which bought out a motel adjacent to a campus that was frequently used by prostitutes and drug addicts. Members of the Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, KIPP charter schools, and other organizations march along Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles in October, calling for the removal of 12 "problem motels" along that street. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) KIPP has expanded this effort to target other problem motels in the Figueroa Street corridor south of downtown, in partnership with local officials, local businesses and community groups. In all, there are more than 200 independent charters within L.A. Unified, more than in any other school system in the nation. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The blockade at the Polish-Ukrainian border caused a 40% decrease in Ukrainian exports through the relevant checkpoints, Danylo Hetmantsev, the chairman of the parliamentary finance committee, said on Dec. 5. Polish protesters began blocking trucks at three border crossings on Nov. 6. Four checkpoints have been blocked so far, with severe fallout for Ukraine's economy. "(The blockade) is a powerful blow to Ukraine's economy and export," Hetmantsev said on television. "We have a 40% decrease in exports through the relevant land border crossings." Ukraine has also lost Hr 9.3 billion ($254 million) due to unpaid customs tolls in November, Hetmantsev added. The Federation of Employers of Ukraine, an industry association, put the direct losses to the country's economy at around 400 million euros ($437 million) as of Nov. 22. Ukrainian retailers face big losses, disruptions due to Polish border blockade As the Polish trucker blockade of Ukrainian haulers heads toward the one-month mark, the toll on Ukraines businesses is adding up. As of Dec. 4, around 2,500 trucks are stuck at the Ukrainian border with Poland waiting to cross because of the protests, which started on Nov. 6 The Kyiv IndependentNina Mishchenko Taras Kachka, Ukraine's trade representative, said that Ukrainian exports by truck over the first 26 days of November were $465 million, down from $614 million in October. The blockade poses risks to Ukraine's retail market and fuel supply. Ukrainian officials also complained of disruptions in humanitarian and military aid supplies, even though Polish protesters said they were only blocking commercial transport. Talks between Kyiv and Warsaw on Dec. 1 brought some results, as the parties agreed to open the Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv checkpoint for empty trucks with a weight above 7.5 metric tons. Other steps agreed on between Ukraine and Poland included creating separate electronic passes for empty vehicles at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk and Krakivets-Korczowa crossing points and launching a pilot electronic queueing system. Warsaw said it also wants to restore the permit system, one of the key demands of the protesters. The European Commission opposes such a step and said it aims to preserve the transport visa-free regime with Ukraine. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Democratic legislators have dismissed the resolution as a fundraising ploy and distraction from educational and financial disparities in the state. A Florida state senator has proposed legislation to allow voters to determine if the state should ban paying reparations to descendants of American enslaved people. The senator, Blaise Ingoglia, a Republican from Spring Hill, Florida, has pushed for placing the measure on ballots for the next general election or special election. The Florida Legislature has not proposed considering or paying reparations for enslavement. Democratic senators described Ingoglias proposal as an attention-seeking, fundraising distraction from the same lawmaker who proposed eliminating any filings from the Democratic Party in Florida and forcing registered Democrats to switch parties to participate in primary elections. How can we take a bill seriously from someone who literally tried to Cancel the Democratic Party legislatively last year? asked Democratic state Sen. Shevrin Jones, according to Capital Soup. It is perennially disappointing that Sen. Ingoglia and his allies in Tallahassee choose to manufacture crises over taking action on the pressing issues facing Floridians today. (Adobe Stock Images) Ingoglia contends that his proposal is a preventative measure that drove his attempt to prohibit a county, a municipality, or any other political subdivision from paying compensation in the form of reparations to an individual who is a descendant of an enslaved individual who lived in the 21 United States before December 6, 1865, as the bill reads. Florida should be proactive because bad ideas in some states seem to find their way into other states, he said, Florida Politics reported. As previously reported, a number of U.S. states and cities have proposed compensating the descendants of enslaved Americans because chattel slavery continues to affect the financial health of Black Americans, whose assets on average total $142,330 compared with those of white households, which average $980,549. Specifically, Evanston, Illinois; Boston; Amherst, Massachusetts; San Francisco; and California have all offered or have studied providing reparations to their Black citizens who are descendants of enslaved people. Ingoglia proposed the legislation last week, and yesterday it moved to the legislative committees for Fiscal Policy, Community Affairs, Appropriations and Rules, according to the Senates site that tracks the joint resolutions progress. Jones response to the legislative move included a recommendation for legislators to focus on measures that would address the lack of affordable housing, property insurance problems, gun violence and inequity in public education instead of unnecessary anti-reparations efforts. State Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) dismissed Ingoglias proposal as a financial stunt, telling a local news outlet, Its simply a bill to rile up the base so they can raise money and they can distract from their failing leadership in Tallahassee. 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Cori Bush talks reparations TheGrio Staff News Reparations task force proposed in Philadelphia TheGrio Staff Featured Reparations campaigns get boost from new philanthropic funding Associated Press The post Lawmaker wants Florida voters to consider banning reparations payments in the state appeared first on TheGrio. Chinese vice premier meets former U.S. diplomat Xinhua) 08:38, December 05, 2023 Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Richard Haass, former president of the United States' Council on Foreign Relations, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Richard Haass, former president of the United States' Council on Foreign Relations, on Monday in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on China-U.S. relations, economic and trade cooperation, and other topics. He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with the United States to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state at their San Francisco meeting, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields of the economy and trade, and push bilateral relations in a sound, stable and sustainable direction. China will advance its opening-up steadfastly and at a high level, and enhance its liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, He said, adding that China welcomes companies from all over the world, including the United States, to continue to invest and do business in China. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Georgias House and Senate approved new legislative district lines on Tuesday, as ordered by a federal court judge. Judge Steve Jones declared the 2021 district maps unconstitutional, and in a massive 516-page decision, ordered the legislature to start over. Channel 2s Richard Elliot was at the State Capital on Tuesday as lawmakers voted on the new maps, and the vote went right along party lines. Georgia Democrats are calling the newly approved legislative maps sinister and believe a federal court judge will reject them. The states Republicans are defending those maps saying they comply with the judges order. A lot of energy was put into making sure this map complied with the judges order. Thats what we did in the Senate as we did with the House, and what were going to do with the Congressional maps as well, said state Sen. Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia. The maps include seven majority-Black legislative districts. But Democrats quickly accused Republicans of simply shuffling districts around to make it appear as if they complied. RELATED STORIES: I cant see him approving their map when its not what he ordered. It goes against everything that he asked for, state Sen. Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain, said. But Republican supporters shot back, saying the maps are exactly what Jones ordered. I knew Judge Jones order was about as long as the Bible. I didnt realize it was susceptible to as many varied interpretations, apparently, state Rep. Rob Leverette, R-Elberton, said. Democrats believe the judge will reject the new maps and that, they say, will open a pandoras box. What it looks like to me, its leading to a special master. I dont know that they would put it in our hands again since we dont seem to get it right, Butler said. A special master is someone appointed by the court to redraw these maps if they arent approved. The legislative maps are ready for the governors signature. The House will vote on the new congressional maps on Wednesday. Lawsuit alleges Brian Laundrie shared with his parents that Gabby Petito was gone and that he needed a lawyer Brian Laundrie told his parents Gabby Petito was gone in what is described as a frantic phone call that took place three weeks before her remains were discovered, according to an amended civil complaint filed by Petitos parents on November 30. Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt are suing Laundries parents and their attorney, claiming they intentionally withheld information about 22-year-old Gabby Petitos death, causing them pain and emotional distress. Petito was reported missing by her family in September 2021 after she embarked on a trip with Laundrie, her fiance. Authorities found her remains in Wyoming days later, on September 19, and a coroner ruled her cause of death strangulation. Laundrie returned to his Florida home and then vanished into a reserve for weeks, before investigators found his remains and a medical examiner ruled he died by suicide. Authorities said they found writings near his remains in which he claimed responsibility for Petitos death. Petitos family has been involved in a legal battle against Laundries parents for more than a year, alleging they knew that their son killed Petito. According to the recent complaint filed by Petitos parents, Laundrie called his parents on August 29, 2021, and told them Gabby was gone and he needed a lawyer. The complaint does not explain how Petitos parents know about the alleged phone call. Christopher and Roberta Laundrie are believed to have spoken to attorney Steven Bertolino that same day, sharing with him the message their son told them, the complaint alleges. On September 2, 2021, Laundries parents sent Bertolino a retainer usually a fee clients pay to secure an attorneys services and Bertolino entered into a fee agreement with a criminal defense law firm in Wyoming, according to the complaint. The legal services were retained to represent Brian Laundrie, the complaint alleges. CNN has reached out to attorneys for the Laundries and Bertolino for comment. A medical examiner determined Brian Laundrie died by suicide. - MOAB POLICE DEPARTMENT Petitos parents first alleged Christopher and Roberta Laundrie knew their son had killed Gabby Petito in the spring of 2022. In an amendment to that lawsuit that came shortly after, her parents alleged that while authorities continued to search for the young woman, Laundries parents knew he had killed her and knew the whereabouts of her body. At the time of that amended complaint, Bertolino had told CNN the Laundrie family was confident the case would be dismissed. In November 2022, a Florida judge ruled in favor of Petitos family in a wrongful death suit against Brian Laundries estate, awarding $3 million to Petitos mother as the administrator of her daughters estate. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A group of Black and Latino voters in North Carolina filed a lawsuit Monday to stop the states newly drawn congressional districts, arguing the new maps discriminate against minority voters. The suit, filed Monday in a U.S. District Court in North Carolina against several state lawmakers and election officials, claimed the state General Assemblys newly approved congressional maps entrenches the states white majority and erases the gains made by voters of color in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles. The plaintiffs argue North Carolina received another congressional district almost entirely due to the states increased minority population in the 2020 census, but state lawmakers chose to take away the voting power of such groups. But instead of granting [minority] voters the benefit of the states increased representation, the General Assembly majority capitalized on that gain to increase their own power and decrease voting power, the lawsuit stated. The lawsuit argues the new maps intentionally discriminate against minority voters and violate the 14th Amendment, which grants equal protection to all citizens, as well as the 15th Amendment, which granted the right to vote for all U.S. citizens, including those of color. The plaintiffs are asking a judge to declare North Carolinas Districts 1, 6, 12 and 14 as unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. Defendants named on the suit include state Rep. Destin Hall (R), the chair of the House Standing Committee on Redistricting, along with state Sens. Warren Daniel (R), Ralph Hise Jr. (R) and Paul Newton (R), who all serve as co-chairs of the state Senate Committee on Redistricting and Elections. Several other state and election leaders are also named as defendants. North Carolinas new congressional maps in question were approved by the GOP-led state Legislature in October. The new maps could cause 10 of the states 14 U.S. House districts to tilt towards Republicans, The Hill previously reported, citing multiple analyses. This would mark a major shift from the 2022 elections, in which North Carolinas U.S. congressional delegation won an even number of seats among parties, including seven Democrats and seven Republicans. The 2022 election used an interim congressional plan drawn by trial judges while lawmakers worked to create new voting maps. The North Carolina Supreme Court, which had a Democratic majority at the time, previously struck down the GOP-controlled General Assemblys congressional and legislative maps drawn out in the fall of 2021, arguing they went against the state constitutions prohibition of extensive partisan gerrymandering. The newest approved maps have already drawn criticism from some leaders and other legal challenges, including a suit filed last month against the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the president of the state Senate and Speaker of the state House of Representatives alleging the new Senate districts violate the Voting Rights Act. Following the maps approval in October, freshman Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-N.C.) also announced he would not run for reelection for his seat in 2024 and would instead run for North Carolinas attorney general. Jackson called the new lines blatant corruption and claimed he was drawn out of his district by a small group of politicians. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Protesters burn tires amid ongoing ethnic violence in Indias northeastern state of Manipur, on Sept. 28, 2023. Credit - AFP/Getty Images At least 13 people were killed in the latest bout of violence to hit Manipur, a state in Indias northeast that has seen simmering ethnic unrest since May. The 13 died in a gunfight on Monday between unknown armed miscreants in Tengnoupal district of the state, Manipur Police said in a post on X. The state police are investigating the violence, the post added. The state, which shares border with Myanmar, has been roiled by ethnic clashes between the regions largely-Christian tribal groups and the majority Meitei Hindu residents over access to affirmative action benefits. Read More: The Indian State of Manipur Is on the Verge of Civil War. Modi Hasn't Said a Word About It Mondays violence is the deadliest since clashes broke out in early May. Another 50,000 people are believed to have been displaced, the Hindustan Times reported. More From TIME The identities and ethnicities of those killed in Mondays violence are unknown, the media outlet adds. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced harsh criticism over his handling of the unrest in Manipur. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party runs the state. Indias prime minister easily won a parliamentary no confidence vote, in early August, over the issue an attempt by the countrys opposition parties to ramp up pressure on him ahead of general elections expected next summer. Contact us at letters@time.com. Nine relatives of a CNN photojournalist were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, the network reported Monday. Awful news about our colleague Ibrahim Dahmans family: at least nine of his relatives have been killed, CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour wrote Monday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Hes been fearlessly reporting for CNN from Gaza since well before this war began. The conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, was reignited earlier this year after decades of tension. Israel says the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 killed 1,200 people, while Gaza health officials say Israels military response has killed over 15,000 Palestinians thousands of whom are children. Dahman, a Palestinian photojournalist and producer, continued his coverage from the ground for nearly a month after Oct. 7. The 36-year-old ultimately escaped to Egypt with his wife and children. He learned about his familys losses from a group chat. Dahman reportedly lost his uncle, the uncles wife, daughter and two grandchildren, in addition to his aunt, her husband and their two children. The airstrike on his aunts building in Beit Lahia also left two more relatives in critical condition. They were extremely peaceful and simple people, and their entire lives were devoted solely to work and raising their sons and daughters, Dahman told CNN. They have no affiliation with any organization or group Pray to God to have mercy on them all. Dahmans uncle had moved into the house just days prior and only relocated his family from their home in Sheik Zayed to flee intensified bombings there. Dahman, meanwhile, had renovated his childhood home three months before it was destroyed. I will never be able to forget every stone and corner of the house in which I was born and raised and in which my children were born, he told CNN. The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, where Dahman's relatives died, on Nov. 21. The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, where Dahman's relatives died, on Nov. 21. Human rights organizations and activists have been calling for a permanent cease-fire in the war, as 1.8 million Palestinians have been forced to evacuate, per the United Nations. Entire city blocks, including hospitals, have been turned into rubble since Oct. 7. While a humanitarian pause in fighting allowed for hostages and prisoners to be released from both sides, Gaza civilians continue struggling to find essentials including food, shelter and water. On Sunday, renewed airstrikes reportedly hit a local refugee camp. Dahman chronicled life in the besieged territory for weeks before sharing his escape to Egypt in footage for CNN. While his wife and kids are settled in Cairo, the terror of the ongoing conflict remained unavoidable as his loved ones stayed behind. Ive covered many wars through the years, Dahman said at the time. Nothing compares to the current conflict. Entire quarters in Gaza have been eviscerated, thousands of women, children and elderly have perished. What have civilians done to deserve this? Related... Former President Donald Trumps attorney last week said that if his client becomes the Republican nominee for president, holding a trial in Georgia in the months leading up to the general election would be deemed as "election interference." Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee opened a discussion for trial timing when the former presidents attorney Steve Sadow suggested that if Trump secures victory in the 2024 election, he would be immune from facing a criminal trial in Georgia until at least 2029 after he is no longer in office. I believe that the supremacy clause and his duties as president of the United States this trial would not take place at all until after his term in office, Sadow said. Last month, District Attorney Fani Willis requested that all remaining defendants in the racketeering case, which currently includes Trump and 14 others, face a joint trial starting on August 5. Prosecutors have previously estimated that it would take about four months to present their case, excluding jury selection, meaning the trial could be ongoing during the final months of the election campaign, The Associated Press reported. The court should set a trial date for August and reassess the situation then, former U.S. Attorney Barb McQuade, a University of Michigan law professor, told Salon. If most of the defendants plead out, then perhaps a trial could be completed well before the November election. But Sadow has objected to Fulton County prosecutors proposing to start the trial in August 2024, contending that it would constitute "election interference" by preventing Trump from participating in the campaign during its crucial final months. Can you imagine the notion of the Republican nominee for president not being able to campaign for the presidency because he is, in some form or fashion, in a courtroom defending himself? Sadow said. That would be the most effective election interference in the history of the United States, and I dont think anyone would want to be in that position. However, legal experts argue that a trial during a presidential election is not interference, but instead a matter of public interest. It would certainly be a distraction from the issues on the ballot, McQuade said. The court must consider the right of the public to a speedy trial, which would be compromised by waiting until after the election, she added. If Trump were elected president, he has a strong argument that he could not be brought to trial while serving, which means the trial would not occur until January 2029. But until Trump wins the Republican nomination, delaying the trial is premature, McQuade said, adding that simply declaring for president should not delay a trial. Otherwise, anyone could delay a trial by declaring their candidacy. The claim that holding a trial during an election year constitutes election interference is farfetched and a ploy to prevent Trump from facing accusations that any other citizen would have to face, Bennett Gershman, a former New York prosecutor and law professor at Pace University, told Salon. If accepted, this claim would produce dangerous consequences for the justice system and the rule of law, Gershman said. Does it mean that a corrupt congressman running for re-election cannot be indicted or tried? That removing Trump from the ballot because he led an insurrection, as the Constitution mandates, constitutes election interference? That the current civil trial in New York must be stopped, that at least five upcoming trials must be postponed, and that Trump should get a free pass without legal jeopardy until he hopes hell get elected and then have a chance to pardon himself? On top of this, there are several other trials scheduled. If the Georgia trial is delayed, then the other trials will likely fit into a manageable schedule, he added. The federal trials in Washington DC and Florida appear to be airtight. So trying them before the Georgia trial may result in an easier chance at convicting Trump, Gershman said. He cant delay every trial. Trial attorney Bernard Alexander told Salon that this is just a spin argument to justify delaying the trial. The argument seeks to ascribe political motivations to the judge's decisions, but the court's actions, in general, are not dependent on the defendants out-of-court actions. It happens that Trump is also running for office," Alexander said. "No special rule should apply to Trump or ex-presidents. The burden is on the moving party to demonstrate reasonable cause to delay justice. And as opposed to political motives, having a determination on the merits of the criminal trial(s) would be directly relevant and informative (not interference) to the electorate for the upcoming election. Trump is confronting three other criminal cases, all set to proceed to trial next year, although he has attempted to delay all of them. His federal trial for election interference and his New York trial related to hush money payments are both slated for March, while his federal trial for hoarding classified records is scheduled for May. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. The ex-president has pleaded not guilty in both the Georgia case and the federal election interference criminal case. McAfee did not set a trial date in the Georgia case and said the issues raised Friday were something were going to be taking up in great detail in the new year. This issue of whether a Presidents official duties should override a trial in which the president is a defendant has already been decided by the Supreme Court, Gershman said. In Clinton v. Jones (1997), in which the plaintiff sued President Clinton for sexual misconduct when he was governor of Arkansas, the Supreme Court held that it was an abuse of discretion for the federal judge to delay the trial until after Clinton left office, and the fact that a trial might conceivably hamper the president in the conduct of his official duties the court could manage that claim if and when it is raised. The Court made it clear that a president is not above the law and should be treated like every other litigant. Lithuania announced an extension of humanitarian protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 2025, head of Lithuanian migration department Evelina Gudzinskaite said on Dec. 4. A significant number of Ukrainians were granted temporary protection until March 4, 2024, said Gudzinskaite. As the validity of these permits is expiring, it is time to consider their renewal. The EU has decided to extend temporary protection until March 2025. This means that all Ukrainians with temporary protection can extend their residency permits for another year. Lithuania has issued 46,000 digital residence permits based on temporary protection since the onset of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainians continue to arrive, with 20-50 new refugees registering in Lithuania daily. Over 85,000 Ukrainians currently reside in Lithuania, making it the largest foreign community in the country. The majority of refugees are not inclined to adapt to life in the country and see their future with Ukraine. We will announce the start of an online renewal process for these permits next week, and appointments can be scheduled with the Migration Department. Latvia approved further support for Ukrainian refugees and the transfer of confiscated vehicles to Ukraine on Nov. 24. Germany announced a similar decision on the same day. Ukrainian refugees in Germany are set to pursue job opportunities within major corporations. The German governments new approach is slated for implementation in the near future and will encompass around 200,000 Ukrainians who have successfully completed the integration course. 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 Its about each little battle, New Nevada law fights fentanyl, but theres one problem LAS VEGAS (KLAS) As drug overdoses increase in southern Nevada, lawmakers passed a new law to change how the state prosecutes fentanyl possession but theres just one problem. Senate Bill 35, which lawmakers passed in the final hours of the 2023 legislative session, makes trafficking a crime for amounts of fentanyl above 28 grams. The law requires a study to switch to a quantitative measure, meaning instead of a person facing a penalty for the entire amount of a substance, they would only face a fentanyl-related charge for the amount of the mixture containing fentanyl. Not every jurisdiction has the ability to do that yet. More than 300 people died from opioid-related overdoses in Clark County in 2022, with fentanyl the common denominator among most of them, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. A bag of evidence containing the synthetic opioid fentanyl disguised as Oxycodone is shown during a Fresno County Sheriffs Office press conference in 2020. (Craig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) Guiseppe Mandell is more than four years sober. What has fentanyl meant for your family? 8 News Now Investigator David Charns asked Mandell. Well, it took my brother two years ago, Mandell said. Unfortunately, he got some cocaine that had some fentanyl in it. He didnt know and that was it. Trace amounts in each. Angelo Mandell, Guiseppes brother, died from a fentanyl overdose in San Francisco in 2021. Angelo, like his brother, was a recovery advocate and was sober for nearly a decade before fentanyl took his life. Angelo Mandell (left) and Guiseppe Mandell (right) with their father. (Guiseppe Mandell) He wasnt planning on going and doing heroin or fentanyl, Guiseppe Mandell said. He was not either. Guiseppe shared a photo of what he calls his low point. A former high school athlete, Guiseppe received a back injury and doctors soon prescribed him pain medication. That later turned to heroin. A dealer came. She said, I have heroin, I dont have pills, and I said, I dont shoot up. And she said, No Ill do it for you, Guiseppe said. And I was so sick I just like, Ill do anything not to be this sick. At rock bottom, Guiseppe was homeless, not knowing if the drugs he was ingesting, possibly laced with fentanyl, would kill him. Just a few grains of illicit fentanyl can kill. The substance is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin and is often mixed with other products. Several years into his sobriety, Guiseppe helps others by working in outreach to get other people into treatment. At least every week I hear 5 to 10 people dying and even more than that ODing, he said. Four years ago, I had never seen fentanyl and now I just hear about it nonstop. Frankly, fentanyl is becoming so ubiquitous that its in everything, Democratic Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said. Dealers are mixing fentanyl with other substances to make their products look purer. Oftentimes, fentanyl can be laced with baby powder or other light-colored substances. Ford wanted the trafficking penalties in the new bill to start at four grams, which amounts to just a few pills. What were endeavoring to do is make the system more precise, he said about the new law. Changes include half a million dollars for two state-owned machines to test specific drug mixtures. The money is there from more than a billion dollars in opioid settlements Fords office has secured. The machines are not. Rainbow fentanyl pills come in bright colors and are meant to look like candy, DEA officials said. (DEA/KLAS) Is it correct to say that even though we have these standards in the law that there is no way right now in the state of Nevada to actually measure the amount of fentanyl? Charns asked Ford. Thats a correct statement, Ford said, adding the changes are meant to charge traffickers, not substance misusers. I think that were making strides, Mandell said about lawmakers keeping up with solving the bigger problem of substance misuse. Its an unwinnable war. Theres no winning this war but its about each little battle. Sometimes I dont realize how far Ive come because I try to stay busy helping others. Opponents of Senate Bill 35 equate it with the failed War on Drugs. In June, before the bills passage, lawmakers said the new machines would take a year to purchase. The bill also requires police agencies to study what tools they need and report back to the legislature. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Little Rock police have released the identities of two victims of an early Sunday morning shooting, revealing both to be young teens. Officials with the Little Rock Police Department on Tuesday identified the victims as 13-year-old Donta Gurley and 14-year-old Naqualo Smith, both of whom had died at the scene of the shooting. LRPD: 2 juveniles found dead Sunday morning on West 22nd Street LRPD officers said they responded to a report of gunfire in the 1600 block of West 22nd Street shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday and found the teens. The bodies were taken to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for autopsies to be performed in order to determine the identities of the two. ASP investigating after Waffle House robbery suspect shot by Jacksonville police officer Detectives with the Major Crimes Division are still investigating this case and ask anyone with information on this shooting to call 501-371-4660. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is mulling a third-party presidential bid, with plans to make a decision about whether or not to get in the 2024 White House race in the next few months. Several years ago, I would not have contemplated a third-party run, Cheney told The Washington Post. But democracy is at risk both at home and abroad, she said, citing former President Trumps continued grip on the Republican Party. We face threats that could be existential to the United States, and we need a candidate who is going to be able to deal with and address and confront all of those challenges, Cheney told the Post. That will all be part of my calculation as we go into the early months of 2024. Cheney served as vice chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and has been a vocal critic of Trump whos the GOP presidential front-runner in this years race as he campaigns to get back to the Oval Office. Cheney lost her House seat to a Trump-backed challenger in 2022, and speculation has since swirled that she could get in the 2024 ring as an independent candidate. The former Wyoming lawmaker has been staunch in her warnings about the dangers of a second Trump term. Earlier this week, she sounded alarms that a vote for Trump in 2024 may mean the last election that you ever get to vote in and argued the nation is close to sleepwalking into dictatorship. Cheney said in October that she wasnt ruling out a White House bid. She also said in her recent interview with the Post that she hasnt ruled out voting for President Biden, a Democrat, if hes the 2024 nominee. Cheney, whose father is former Vice President Dick Cheney, has been making the media rounds as she releases a book Tuesday titled Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning, diving into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and cautioning the modern Republican Party. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Heavy rainfall caused rivers to crest and flood neighborhoods. A King County Flood Alert issued at 6:44 a.m. Tuesday said the Snoqualmie River had reached flood Phase 3 and that moderate flooding was expected in low-lying areas throughout the Snoqualmie Valley. Most lowland spots will get another 1 to 3 inches of rain with the heaviest likely in the southern one-half of the area through Tuesday, Chief Meteorologist Morgan Palmer said. The atmospheric river thats drenching the region has brought flood watches, warnings and advisories. Just before 2 p.m., the Stillaguamish River at Arlington set a new record for flood levels at 21.34 feet. That bested the previous 21.16 mark set in December of 2010. The Washington State Department of Transportation described Tuesday as a challenging day, with wet conditions and rainy weather bringing road closures and lots of crashes. As darkness moves in and rain continues, its not going to get easier, so PLEASE be cautious, slow down, watch for road workers, be patient and get where youre going safety, WSDOT said. Here are the rivers that are expected to reach moderate or major flood stage: Moderate flooding: Skokomish Snohomish Skykomish Tolt Elwha Nisqually Cowlitz Major flooding: Snohomish at Monroe, cresting Tuesday night. Snoqualmie at Carnation, cresting Tuesday night. Skagit at Mount Vernon, cresting Wednesday. On Tuesday, well begin to see inundation of some low-lying roads around many of our rivers as a number of them are likely to reach moderate flood stage later Tuesday and Wednesday, said Palmer. You can check this website for the latest river stages and forecasts. The rain will taper off late Wednesday through Thursday. Well be mainly dry late Thursday through Friday. Rain comes back on Saturday along with some mountain snow. Road Closures Several roads throughout Western Washington were closed due to either flooding or landslides attributed to the heavy rain. The US National Weather Service Seattle now says the mainstem Stillaguamish River has reached major flood stage.... Posted by City of Arlington, Washington - Government on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 Crews in Olympia and Tumwater are hard at work this afternoon clearing standing water from exit ramps on I-5. The NB I-5 exit at Trosper Road remains closed. The SB I-5 exit to the Capitol is also closed. Here's a picture of what they're dealing with at the Capitol exit. pic.twitter.com/G7ExfvHo1l WSDOT Tacoma (@wsdot_tacoma) December 5, 2023 [UPDATED 2:45 p.m.] The US National Weather Service Seattle Washington has issued a Flood Advisory through 1:30 p.m.... Posted by City of Kent Government on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 As this rainstorm continues to be pretty relentless, we've had multiple road closures, including this one on SR 106... Posted by WSDOT on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 Road Update: Mill Pond Road and Reinig Road are closed due to flooding. These road closures will likely last through... Posted by City of Snoqualmie Government on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 CLOSURES: the exit ramp from NB I-5 to Trosper (MP 102) is closed due to water over the roadway. Also closed is SB I-5 exit 105B, due to water over the roadway. No ETA for reopening either ramp. Follow @wsdot_tacoma for updates. pic.twitter.com/erDWHyYR9H Trooper John Dattilo (@wspd1pio) December 5, 2023 HEADS UP: SR 20 at MP 130, near Colonial Creek/south end of Diablo Lake east of Newhalem, is closed due to water and debris over the roadway. Crews are on scene. Seek alternate routes or delay travel. https://t.co/X3YyFbajWO pic.twitter.com/234tVKHI11 WSDOT North (@wsdot_north) December 5, 2023 Twin Rivers County Park in Arlington is completely underwater. Theres water over the the road and drivers are being forced to turn around. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/v4FrD7mMsq Bridget Chavez (@BridgetChavezTV) December 5, 2023 Road CLOSED: 300th St Ne (Arlington) closed at Hwy 530 due to water over the roadway. pic.twitter.com/09KUKhiBSj snocosheriff (@SnoCoSheriff) December 5, 2023 Heres a friendly holiday reminder that if youre going to hand your phone to a stranger to take your photo, at least make sure your phone is locked. Weve all done it. Youre outside a restaurant or landmark and youre struggling to take a selfie or group photo and a stranger offers to take the photo for you. Usually we hand over our unlocked phone instantly and dont think twice about it. That is, until the other night when someone offered to take my photo. Once my unlocked phone was in their hand they said, Are you worried I might run off with this? I played it cool and wasnt particularly worried about the physical device, but all of my personal information on there. The Wall Street Journal has explained how a thief with the right information could reset your password and instantly lock you out of your Apple account in seconds. In my case, I played along but instantly realized my mistake. In the future, if youre going to hand your phone to a stranger to take your photo, its probably a good idea to hand over your locked phone. On iPhone, its kind of tricky since Face ID will unlock your device if you look at it while unlocking your camera. To get around this, angle your phone away from your face and use the lock screen shortcut to open the camera or swipe from right to left on the screen to open the camera. Last night, we were taking a selfie outside of a restaurant and someone walked out and said want me to take that for you and I said yeah and proceeded to hand them my unlocked phone They said are you worried that I might just walk away with your phone and I played it cool and Rich DeMuro (@richontech) December 3, 2023 Either way, you can confirm your phone is still locked if you see a small padlock icon in the upper portion of your phone screen if your phone has a Dynamic Island display. Otherwise, you can try swiping up from the bottom of the screen as if you were exiting the camera app. If it brings you to your homescreen, your phone is unlocked. If it brings you to the lock screen or the passcode screen, your phone is locked. On Android, use a double press of the power button to activate the camera while keeping your phone locked. It might take a little practice, but this extra second of precaution might save you from a major headache. In my situation, everything worked out fine. The stranger was simply making a joke, but the encounter exposed a significant security vulnerability in my daily phone habits. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. (FOX40.COM) In the archives of the Crocker Art Museum sit 22 photos of a place that most Placer County residents wouldnt know today, taken by a man who is legendary in the world of photography and captured at a turning point in the natural landscapes of the Sacramento region. Southern Placer County in the early 1960s was much like it had been for most of the 20th century, small-town living with seemingly limitless natural spaces where farmers would let their herds graze. Yosemite, the United States first state park The railroad had brought a fair amount of development to the downtowns of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln, but on the fringes of these communities, the countryside was still seemingly untouched. This is where famed photographer Ansel Adams found himself in 1962, on the fringes of Rocklin on the land that today is known as Whitney Oaks. These 12,000 acres were once a part of the sprawling 20,000-acre Spring Valley Ranch once owned by Joel Parker Whitney. They were purchased in 1960 by Sunset International Petroleum Corporation to develop into a self-sustaining metropolis supporting 100,000 residents. The beauty of the rolling hills, mighty oaks and unique rock outcroppings drew in the would-be developers as they figured it might be appealing to those looking to escape the life of the city. The nations first environmental law resulted from destructive California mining operations However, they needed to get people to want to buy homes, so they hired Adams to capture the natural beauty of what they called Sunset City. In a 2004 article from the Placer Herald, former assistant vice president at Sunset, Dale Stringfellow, was cited saying, I introduced Ansel Adams to the property and over the next few days, I came to realize what a very special person he was. Not just a great photographer, which he was the greatest, but the feeling, the tenderness, the passion he had for the land was overwhelming, and thats why his photographs of natives are still unequaled. Adams arrived sometime in the spring of 1962 and began his months-long project of capturing the sprawling landscape of what was planned to be Sunset City. He was hired to take 15 images but enjoyed the location so much that he added another 7, according to a letter written by Adams to the then-director of the Crocker Museum, Frank Kent. Unique tombs and crypts of California At this point in his career, Adams had been a professional photographer for 40 years after making his first photo sale in 1922 in New York. He had worked with the National Park Service in capturing some of the most stunning natural scenes in the United States to get people outside and have a greater appreciation for the environment. This work would lead to Adams becoming a well-known environmentalist and a nationally-celebrated landscape photographer. Adams completed the Sunset City project sometime in 1962 or 1963, but by 1965 a lack of home sales caused Sunset Petroleum to shut down the idea of Sunset City entirely. Californias last series of violent volcanic eruptions created a national park How the photos ended up in the archives of the Crocker Art Museum is a bit unclear, but it is agreed by local historians and the museum that they were gifted to the long-standing art collectors. According to the Rocklin Historical Society, all 22 photos were gifted to the Crocker in 1965 or 1966 by Stringfellow after the failed plans of Sunset City. Stringfellow is also said to have placed conditions on the photos that they would be permanently on display. Curators at the Crocker told FOX40.com that it is unlikely that they would accept those conditions due to the need to let the photos rest for some years after being on display for just a few months. What to do at Californias national parks in the winter FOX40.com reached out to the Rocklin Historical Society to see if they have any records of the correspondence between the Crocker and Stringfellow. The historical society said that they do not have a direct correspondence between the Crocker and Stringfellow, but part of what could have been an email sent from Stringfellow to former Placer Herald writer Gary Day for his 2004 article. The quoted section of Stringfellows message is a retelling of the alleged agreement between Sunset Petroleum and the Crocker. The Crocker has the timeline of the gifting moved up a few years and not including Sunset Petroleum. Instead, the images were gifted by Adams to the Crocker. These lakes are under a four-hour drive from Sacramento In their archives, the Crocker has a letter from Adams to the then Director of the Crocker Museum Frank Kent and a second letter from Kent to Adams. The first letter is dated May 29, 1963, where Adams describes his experience taking the photos and working with Sunset Petroleum. He said the images were sent via Rail Express to the gallery. On June 12, 1963, Kent responded to Adams letter saying that he received the collection and how pleased he was to add the quality images to the Crockers photography collection. Where to find waterfalls within two hours of Sacramento They are beautifully mounted and will be a formidable asset to the print collection of the Crocker Art Gallery, Kent wrote to Adams. Nowhere in the letter does Adams place conditions on how the images are to be displayed and he only suggests they be viewed as a collection with only a few of them meriting a solo showing. In 2007, the images would be shown for the first and only time as a full collection to the public by the Crocker. Curators at the Crocker said that from time to time individual photos from the collection will be displayed to complement other shows. What is that cave in the Auburn State Recreation Area all about? On Dec. 1, 2023, for the first time in 16 years, all 22 images were brought together to be shown privately for FOX40.com to take images for this article. Regardless of how the images ended up at the Crocker or how often they are shown, these images represent a place and time that will never be seen again in Southern Placer County. Much of Adams work is of landscapes that have been federally protected and will likely never see development or drastic change for centuries. The Placer County that Adams captured in the early 1960s would only last for another 30 years or so as suburbia spread from the downtown core into the once-fringe areas of the countryside. Californias smallest Sequoia grove is hidden in Northern California Fortunately, Adams gave as much care and love to this collection of photos as his previous projects and captured a relatively unknown place with such beauty for all to enjoy for centuries to come. Once destroyed, natures beauty cannot be repurchased at any price. Ansel Adams For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. Boating on the Ohio River may be on a winter pause but plans for a long-delayed Downtown Cincinnati marina are not. The project, some 20 years in the making, is moving ahead with new renderings and an in-progress federal review, documents obtained by The Enquirer show. New renderings for the Reef at Cincinnati's Landing depict a marina with a restaurant/bar and 700-foot dock along the shore of the Ohio River. "We're very excited to see it move forward," said Justin Cooper, president of H. Hafner & Sons, the Newtown landscaping firm tapped two years ago to develop the marina. The start of construction is not yet known. Cincinnati Parks must first win a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its marina application. If that comes through, parks officials will resume contract negotiations with Hafner. The federal agency is soliciting public comment on the application through Dec. 27 to determine the marina's probable impact on the public interest. A public hearing could follow. The Reef at Cincinnati's Landing, at about 900 feet long in total, would run parallel to the Ohio River shore at Downtown's public landing, new renderings show. Reef at Cincinnati's Landing would seat 200 Cincinnati Parks applied for the Corps of Engineers permit for The Reef at Cincinnatis Landing last December. Its application proposes locating the marina on the Ohio River just off the public landing at Broadway Avenue and Mehring Way, between the Heritage Bank Center to the east and Great American Ball Park to the west. Among the proposed Reef features: A restaurant/bar, built in a floating vessel, with a capacity of 200. It would run 120 feet long and 42 feet wide, according to the public notice that Corps of Engineers released Nov. 27. A dock for up to 44 watercraft, with two spots reserved for boats that respond to emergencies. It would measure 700 feet long and 12 feet wide, according to the Nov. 27 notice. One gangway from the public landing to the restaurant with a second gangway to a rooftop bar, according to the new renderings. The marina would need to establish connections to utilities before determining their lengths. Operations 32 weeks a year, with a staff of up to 19, food from an off-site commissary and live music, according to Hafners earlier proposals to Cincinnati Parks. Public input will influence the Corps of Engineers next step and ultimate decision. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity, its public notice reads. Best location? Safety issues? Alan Bernstein plans to submit comment. The owner of BB Riverboats, located across the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky, said hes all for the project but not at the public landing. He thinks a marina is better suited to the western end of Smale Riverfront Park, suggested more than 20 years ago when Smale plans were coming together. Parks actually won approval for that site in 2015, but it expired in 2020. I think the marina is much better suited down where the people are, Bernstein said. Putting The Reef at the public landing, he added, would also prevent boating events like Tall Stacks from using that space. Valerie Newell has other concerns. As a former member of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation Board of Directors, who owns a business in Downtown and a home in Covington, she tracks riverfront park activity closely. Barge traffic and river debris could put the marina and its customers in danger, she believes. Additionally, a restaurant/bar would take business from The Banks, create noise and put customers who have been drinking back in boats. This marina is very expensive for the small community it will benefit, said Newell, a financial adviser. Shed rather have Cincinnati Parks dollars and staff time devoted to its long list of deferred maintenance projects including addressing erosion at Smale, restoring International Friendship Park and operating the Carol Ann's Carousel at Smale more regularly. Lets take care of what we have, she said. Parks officials should also consult more with residents impacted by its plans, Newell said, suggesting resumption of a river advisory council. Contract will follow permit approval Members of the Park Board the five-member governing body of Cincinnati Parks have also expressed concerns about the marina project. That was in 2021, when a three-member city committee recommended Hafner for the project while sharing limited information about its bid and a competing bid. The board ultimately voted to award a $1.7 million contract to Hafner after a contentious meeting and a pause of two months and will stick with that decision. When the (Corps of Engineers) permit is received, negotiations on the construction and operation agreement will continue, Parks spokesman Rocky Merz said. Queen City Riverboats stands ready to help or step in, owner Brendan Sullivan said. He still believes his firm, the other bidder in 2021, should have been selected for the marina project. Working on the water involves a lot of different rules, maritime rules, Sullivan said. Were on the river every day of the year. By comparison, Hafner has limited boating involvement, he said. That experience makes a difference. In its original application, Hafner said it has owned a stationary vessel at Manhattan Harbour since 2016, and called Cooper an avid boater. Latest plan lacks longer dock The latest version of the marina project could change the financials. Hafner originally said it would need $2.3 million to build out a marina, with Cincinnati Parks committing $1.7 million. That funding gap will be part of parks officials negotiations with Hafner, Merz said. Hafners price tag included a dock of 1,440 feet twice as long as what is now proposed. It planned to lease 840 feet of that to boaters who want dock space all summer. Under that model, Hafner projected close to $1.9 million in annual revenue from the marina, with about $148,000 going to Cincinnati Parks each year. Losing long-term moorage dollars would remove close to $48,000 from its total revenue estimate. Parks officials, meanwhile, expect a marina on the public landing will not hurt its parking revenue there. Cincinnati Parks collected about $210,000 from the 200 or so spots there in the last year. That could go up, Merz said, "as a result of the new marina and associated amenities." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Where will Cincinnati Parks' downtown marina be? Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Deputies responded to a Florida country club to help eject an unusual trespasser: a panther taking a nap near a stairwell. The Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that Bonita Springs Community Policing Deputies responded to Bonita National Country Club on a report of a Florida panther sleeping behind some shrubs located near a stairwell. The deputies contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and personnel responded to the scene. The panther was taken into custody by the FWC, which said it will be returned to its natural habitat after undergoing a veterinary examination. The FWC's website states Florida panthers are listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, with only about 120-230 adult panthers believed to currently live across Florida and parts of Georgia. Travis Reid was frustrated. Three packages of cash the Baltimore drug dealer had mailed to his cocaine supplier in Los Angeles had gone missing. Out $377,000, Reid thought the supplier, Gary Davidson, was cheating him. "I was playing fair with y'all," one of Reid's associates recalled him saying. Davidson, the associate added, "wasn't playing fair." Reid's answer was to lure Davidson into a drug deal, execute him and steal 10 kilograms of cocaine to recoup his losses, Deputy Dist. Atty. Victor Avila told jurors on Monday in closing arguments at a trial for murder and attempted robbery charges against Reid and a co-defendant. Killed alongside Davidson, 39, in his Porter Ranch home the afternoon of Feb. 18, 2019, were Jesus Perez, 34, and Benito Vasquez Lopez, 46. Perez and Vasquez Lopez, who supplied the cocaine that Davidson thought he'd be selling to Reid, were gunned down because they were witnesses, Avila argued. "It doesn't get more violent, more personal, than the way they died," he said. An attorney for Reid, 44, conceded his client sold drugs and acknowledged he was at the scene of the crime, but argued it was an unidentified man from Davidson's violent milieu who killed him. Read more: 'El Mago,' drug trafficker linked to son of Sinaloa cartel kingpin, gunned down in L.A. "This is the drug game," the attorney, Tony Garcia, told jurors. "Everybody's got guns." Avila said that in 2017 the U.S. Postal Service began seizing kilograms of cocaine mailed from Chatsworth and Northridge to locations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Postal inspectors also intercepted shipments of money mailed from Owings Mill, Md., a suburb of Baltimore, to the San Fernando Valley. Over a three-day period in 2018, Reid lost three packages of cash, totaling $377,000, Avila said. Gregory Palmer, a street-level dealer in Baltimore who bought cocaine from Reid, testified that Reid blamed someone named Gary for $450,000 to $600,000 in losses. Reid said he needed guns and silencers, according to Palmer, who testified in exchange for leniency on robbery charges. Prosecutors said Reid recruited a childhood friend, Kenneth Peterson, 45, to build the silencers. They presented records showing that Peterson, who lived in Durham, N.C., bought silencer components online and researched subsonic ammunition, which is quieter than standard rounds. Aware that Davidson lived in a gated community, Reid knew he needed to kill him without making a lot of noise, Avila argued to the jury. If neighbors heard the shots, he'd never be able to escape. Palmer testified he drove two handguns and two silencers in a rented Chrysler Pacifica minivan from Baltimore to Los Angeles, a drive that took two and a half days. He met Reid and Peterson at a Travelodge motel in Burbank, where they'd rented two rooms after flying into LAX. According to Palmer, Reid and Peterson put on latex gloves before loading the guns and fitting them with the silencers, which were homemade and fashioned from the tube-shaped handles of flashlights. Read more: Tupac Shakur's killing brought 10 days of hell to Compton. The bloodshed helped crack the case The next day, Reid and Peterson checked out of one of their rooms. A housekeeper found three live rounds of subsonic ammunition on the floor, along with blue latex gloves, Avila said. The manager called the police. Reid and Peterson met Davidson at a shopping center in Northridge that afternoon. Believing he was going to sell Reid some cocaine, Davidson arranged for his suppliers, Perez and Vasquez Lopez, to bring the product to his home in Porter Ranch's Renaissance gated community, Avila said. Surveillance footage showed Davidson driving a Dodge minivan that Reid had rented through the complex's security gate at 2:34 p.m., with Peterson beside him. Reid followed in Davidson's Honda Accord. Only the minivan would exit, 19 minutes later. Avila said that based on the position of the bodies and other evidence inside the two-story, five-bedroom home, Davidson probably went into a bedroom with Reid to make what he thought would be the exchange. He died wearing the latex gloves he typically wore during drug deals, Avila said. While Reid killed Davidson, Peterson held Perez and Vasquez Lopez at gunpoint in another room, the prosecutor argued. A woman who'd been sleeping upstairs heard several "popping sounds" and the noise of men screaming, Avila said. Read more: 30 beers, a cockfight, a gun: The untold story of the man who tried to kill Chalino Sanchez All three men were shot in the head and chest. The house was littered with casings from subsonic ammunition of the same brand recovered from the motel room, Avila said. "It's all about the money," he argued. "It's all about the drugs. Anyone who gets in the way, they're done." Surveillance footage from the Travelodge showed Reid and Peterson return to the motel, where a Burbank police cruiser was parked outside. An officer was inside the manager's office, collecting the ammunition seized from their room. In the garage of Davidson's home, police found 2 kilograms of cocaine stamped with a "CAT" logo that resembled one found on Caterpillar-brand heavy equipment. They discovered 5 more kilograms in the Toyota Camry that Perez and Vasquez Lopez had driven. Avila argued that Reid and Peterson stole some of the cocaine and shipped it back to Maryland, showing the jury a video filmed by one of Reid's street-level customers that shows a brick of cocaine stamped with the CAT logo. Peterson's attorney, Janae Torrez, argued that beyond his friendship with Reid, her client had no connection to the drug trade and its web of supply networks and violent men. Read more: He built a booming black market empire inside L.A. County jails. It ended with his murder "Kenneth has nothing to do with this nothing to do with this world, nothing to do with this intricacy of how things are moving," she said. Reid's lawyer said no one but Palmer, a street dealer who was motivated to lie to lighten his prison sentence, described a dispute between his client and Davidson. Garcia said that because the money seized by the Postal Service was Davidson's Reid was paying him for cocaine that had been extended on credit it should have been Davidson who felt cheated by the losses, not Reid. "We don't know who pulled the trigger," he insisted. Closing arguments will continue Tuesday. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Migrants and asylum seekers wait to be picked up and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border about a mile west of Lukeville, Ariz., on Dec. 4, 2023. The Lukeville Port of Entry was closed indefinitely by officials Dec. 4. LUKEVILLE The Lukeville Port of Entry was largely quiet Monday on the first day of its indefinite shutdown as port officers shifted their efforts to help Border Patrol process hundreds of asylum seekers about a mile away. The port was mostly desolate with only a busload of schoolchildren breaking the silence Monday afternoon. The children disembarked and seemingly walked through the port into Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the suspension of northbound and southbound pedestrian and vehicle traffic on Dec. 1. On the first day of the ports closure, officers with CBPs Office of Field Operations loaded groups of asylum seekers into vans on Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument land about a mile away from the Lukeville crossing. Their help was redirected to help process the nearly 1,000 asylum seekers who waited in lines near the border wall Monday. People have been continuously crossing through holes in the border wall before waiting for Border Patrol agents to process them. Asylum seekers have been waiting in the rugged area for days, some nearly a week, for agents to process and transport them to nearby Border Patrol stations. Food and water is scarce among the group of hundreds as they endure bitterly cold temperatures at night. The Border Patrols Tucson Sector recorded 17,500 migrant encounters in the last week of November, according to John Modlin, chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector. Week in Review... - 17,500 Apprehensions - 131 Federal Criminal Cases - 18 Rescues - 10 Human Smuggling Events - 8 Narcotics Events #HonorFirst pic.twitter.com/cfie54n3Ya John R. Modlin (@USBPChiefTCA) December 1, 2023 The closing will severely affect cross-border travelers who depend on the remote port to study, shop, work, visit family and receive medical care. CBP directed people to cross through Nogales or San Luis, two ports that are both more than 100 miles in either direction from Lukeville. The closure of the main thoroughfare to Puerto Penasco, Sonora, also known as Rocky Point, has drawn uniform opposition from state and congressional leaders. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said that she was extremely frustrated with the decision making coming from the Biden administration regarding the countrys southwest border. Hobbs described the closure of the port as a bad decision that impacts border security and dampers trade and tourism during a news conference Monday. We need the federal government to step up and do its job and secure our border, Hobbs said. We're already seeing a huge impact on tourism and trade, and that's one port of entry. Lukeville Closure: US port in Arizona closes as border agency struggles with increasing migrant arrivals Jorge Ivan Pivac Carrillo, mayor of Puerto Penasco, surveyed the hundreds of migrants in Arizona from Mexico Monday afternoon as he walked along the border wall with the mayors of Sonoyta and Caborca, Sonora. Pivac Carrillo raised concerns about the economic effects the closure has already had on his city. Its had an immediate, grave impact on the economy, Pivac Carrillo said. It affects our city a lot. Aaron Cooper, the executive director of the Ajo-based International Sonoran Desert Alliance, sent a letter Sunday to President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that raised concerns about the effect of the ports closure on communities of color in Arizona and Sonora. Cooper argued that the port represents a lifeline for the small, rural border communities that depend on the crossing daily. If the Lukeville Port of Entry is closed, jobs will be lost, businesses will fail, kids will withdraw from school, families will be separated and, in all likelihood, people will die due to the increased burden of accessing necessary medical care, Cooper said in the letter. The closing will further separate members of the Tohono Oodham Nation, Cooper stated. The Tohono Oodham Nation is already separated by the U.S.-Mexico border and the Lukeville crossing was vital in connecting members south of the border with medical services to the north, Cooper added. Closing one of the only remaining points of connectivity among Oodham communities further fractures an already divided Oodham Nation, Cooper wrote. Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @joseicastaneda. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Closed Lukeville Port of Entry quiet as hundreds seek asylum nearby Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn and a major Democratic donor, gave a quarter of a million dollars to a super PAC supporting Nikki Haley, one of the candidates challenging front-runner Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination. The New York Times confirmed Hoffmans donation with the billionaires political adviser Dmitri Mehlhorn, noting only that the $250,000 in funding was given recently to SFA Fund Inc., the super political action committee backing Haley, a former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor. Neither the SFA Fund nor the Haley campaign responded to requests for comment about the financing from Hoffman. Mehlhorn told the Times that Hoffman asked the super PAC if theyd accept money from him, given that hes a Democrat who supports President Joe Biden, and that the super PAC said yes. Last week, Jamie Dimon, the chief of JPMorgan Chase, also put his support behind Haley, calling on Democrats to help support an alternative to Trump regardless of their political leanings. Even if youre a very liberal Democrat, I urge you help Nikki Haley, too, Dimon said at a conference. Get a choice on the Republican side that might be better than Trump. Hoffman, who co-hosted a fundraiser for Biden earlier this year, is a vocal opponent of Trump. In April, he revealed in a post on LinkedIn that he helped fund the writer E. Jean Carrolls civil lawsuit against Trump. A jury sided with Carroll in May, finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and ordering him to pay her $5 million. Trump still holds a wide lead over Haley in the 2024 battle, but shes risen in the polls in recent weeks. Shes now neck and neck for second place with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to a recent NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll. Shes been a standout during the GOP debates, in particular fending off attacks from entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, whom she called scum after he mentioned her daughters use of TikTok. Haley served as Trumps U.N. ambassador and praised him in a 2018 book, but she has since become a harsh critic of the former president. After the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Haley blamed Trump for the violence and said his time in politics was over. He went down a path he shouldnt have, and we shouldnt have followed him, and we shouldnt have listened to him, she told Politico at the time. And we cant let that ever happen again. Related... PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Highway 101 is closed between Seaside and Cannon Beach Junction due to major flooding in the area caused by the ongoing atmospheric river dumping inches of rain across the Pacific Northwest. The Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District stated that flood waters reached 10 inches at 4:30 a.m. High tide began at 6:47 a.m. All lanes of the highway are affected from Captain Kid Amusement Park to Cannon Beach Junction. Flooding on Highway 101 south of Seaside. (ODOT) flooding Please use extreme caution, the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District stated on social media. Vehicles are not built to become boats. If your vehicle becomes stalled, stay in your vehicle and call 911. Atmospheric river impacts continue Tuesday in Oregon and Washington Potential flooding locations around Northwest Oregon on Dec. 5, 2023. (NWS) Flood advisories issues for areas of Northwest Oregon labeled in neon green. (NWS) The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory until Thursday at 1 a.m. for most of Northwest Oregon, including the Oregon Coast, Willamette Valley, and Cascade Foothills. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding, the NWS stated in its Tuesday morning weather report. Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive through flooded areas. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. By Tannur Anders JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Tuesday likened restrictions the Taliban has placed on women in Afghanistan to the treatment of Black people under apartheid in a lecture in South Africa organised by Nelson Mandela's foundation. Yousafzai survived being shot in the head when she was 15 in her native Pakistan by a gunman after campaigning against the Pakistani Taliban's moves to deny girls education. Since winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, Yousafzai, now 26, has become a global symbol of the resilience of women in the face of repression. "If you are a girl in Afghanistan, the Taliban has decided your future for you. You cannot attend a secondary school or university. You cannot find an open library where you can read. You see your mothers and your older sisters confined and constrained," Yousafzai said during the 21st Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg. Yousafzai said the Taliban's actions should be considered "gender apartheid" and that it had "in effect ... made girlhood illegal". She said international actors should not normalise relations with the Taliban, which returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war. A Taliban spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Yousafzai's remarks. Since returning to power, the Taliban has 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 women's rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan custom and that officials are working on plans to open girls' high schools, but after over 18 months they have not provided a timeframe. In an interview after her lecture, Yousafzai said she was concerned the Taliban would take away sciences and critical thinking even from boys. "It's so important for the international community to not only step up to protect access to education for girls but also ensure that it is quality education, it is not indoctrination," she said. Referring to the war in Gaza, she said she wanted to see an immediate ceasefire and for children to be able return to school and their normal lives. She added: "We look at wars, ... especially the bombardment that has happened in Gaza, ... that has just taken that normal life away from children." (Reporting by Tannur Anders; Additional reporting by Kabul newsroom; Editing by Alexander Winning and Lisa Shumaker) Male asylum seekers will be forced to sleep in tents on Irelands streets this winter after the government said it had run out of room for refugees. The EU member state, home to five million people and in the midst of a major housing crisis, is currently hosting 100,000 refugees, including some 75,000 Ukrainians. Despite intensive efforts to source emergency accommodation, the [government] is currently not in a position to provide accommodation to all [asylum seekers] due to the severe shortage, the Department of Integration said on Monday. Women and children will still be housed. The department said it would provide tents and sleeping bags to men when necessary and hot showers, meals and laundry facilities seven days a week via drop-in day services. It added it was working to find more bed spaces for the men after bringing more than 10,000 into use to accommodate asylum seekers arriving in Ireland since January 2022. But activists warned refugees forced to sleep rough were at risk of being burned alive by violent far-Right groups who were responsible for anti-immigrant riots in Dublin last month. The United Nations branded the move extremely concerning. Activists fear refugees sleeping rough could be set on fire by violent far-Right groups were responsible for anti-immigrant riots in Dublin last month - Brian Lawless/PA Wire Anti-immigrant sentiment has soared in Ireland in recent months and came to a head during last months riots, triggered by the stabbing of three children and a creche worker outside a Dublin school. Far-Right agitators had used social media to urge their supporters to take to the streets over the stabbing, which came after makeshift camps were burnt and a string of attacks on asylum centres. Deputy prime minister Micheal Martin said the government was very concerned about the dangers of sleeping in tents on the streets and would discuss the issue later this week. Enda ONeill, the head of office at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said the news was extremely concerning. The situation has only deteriorated since early this year in terms of some of the intimidation and threatening behaviour that we have seen on our streets, he told RTE, Irelands public service broadcaster. Lucky Khambule, of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, told RTE: I cant even say more about the riots, that indicates how far people can go to destroy other people. What chances do people have who are in the streets? he added. We can end up with a situation of people burned alive in their tents. We believe that international protection applicants would be targeted if they had to sleep rough, said Nick Henderson, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council. Today the Irish government confirmed that Ireland can no longer provide accommodation to all those seeking asylum here. Our Head of Office, @endaoneill, spoke to RTE following the announcement. Listen back: https://t.co/Z8zoACXuVG pic.twitter.com/NIVsnKcKws UNHCR Ireland (@UNHCRIreland) December 4, 2023 Asylum applications in Ireland rose 415 per cent last year to a record-high total of 13,651, according to the European Migration Network. In the 10 months leading up to the end of October this year, 10,386 people applied for international protection, down seven per cent on the same period in 2022. More than 100 asylum seekers were housed over the weekend. Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar warned Ireland had reached its refugee limit in October, which he blamed on its better offering than neighbouring countries such as Britain. Ireland was suffering from a very serious housing shortage that we dont want to make worse, he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man is now in custody after police say he broke into a warehouse in southeast Memphis and stole 751 cellphones, which were over $75,000. Man charged with robbing gas station of $600, 2 doughnuts Ralphael Boddie, 40, is charged with burglary of a building and theft of property. On November 20, Memphis Police say they took a report due to a burglary of Envoy Source Warehouse on Shelby Drive the day before. An employee stated that a suspect pried the dock door open to get into the warehouse. According to reports, the suspect stole 751 cell phones that were awaiting shipment elsewhere. Each phone was $100. Video footage showed a dark-colored Lexus sedan pull to the scene and two suspects commit the burglary. DNA testing leads to arrest in 2008 rape, robbery MPD says they found the Lexus parked on Blue Diamond Street in southwest Memphis after receiving a CrimeStoppers tip. The tip also stated that Ralph Boddie was the suspect. After further investigation, police say the car was solely registered to Boddie. On Blue Diamond Street, police also say they saw 30 separate boxes in the backseat of the Lexus. One of the boxes had a visible sticker that listed several of the IMEI numbers for some of the stolen phones from the warehouse. Man shot after seeing car break-ins outside Midtown church The car was impounded, and a search warrant was obtained on the Lexus. Officers say there were 59 separate boxes worth of stolen cell phones recovered from the vehicle. Each box contained five cell phones. A total of 295 separate IMEI numbers were matched to the stolen cell phones from the burglary, which was $29,500 worth of recovered stolen property, according to reports. The general manager of the warehouse stated that Ralphael Boddie was not permitted to go into the warehouse, damage any of the property, or take any of the cell phones that were stolen. Boddie was then arrested. His next court date is scheduled for Wednesday morning. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Armed police at the scene of the attack in Moy Road, Aberfan, South Wales - Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures Armed police have arrested a 28-year-old man after a pregnant mother-of-two was stabbed repeatedly while dropping her children at school in a village in Wales on Tuesday. The 29-year-old woman, named in reports as Andreea Pintilli, was rushed to hospital following the targeted attack in Aberfan, and was placed under the protection of firearms officers. On Tuesday evening, South Wales Police said they had arrested a man in the village of Troed-y-rhiw, around 1.5 miles from the scene, on suspicion of attempted murder. It followed a seven-hour manhunt. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was seen being led away from a terraced property by police officers shortly before 4pm after an hour-long standoff. In a statement outside Merthyr Tydfil Police Station, Chief Inspector Rob Miles said: He is known to the victim and is currently in police custody. It was a targeted attack. Police launched a manhunt in Aberfan - WALES NEWS SERVICE Police said village schools had activated their lockdown procedures following the attack, which happened shortly after 9am. The woman, understood to be 37 weeks pregnant, was said to have been stabbed repeatedly in the back by a male assailant who fled the scene when residents came outside after hearing her screams. Her injuries were not life-threatening, and her child is also believed to be unharmed. Kira Terret, who has lived on the street for six years, interrupted the assailant as he launched his attack. Ms Terret, still visibly upset, said: He knocked her to the floor, stabbed her twice in the back and then proceeded to go for her again but she moved. She was pregnant and she was protecting her baby. She said she began shouting at the man, who turned and ran off down the street. She added: The woman was just screaming hysterically. She was petrified. This is a quiet village, nothing happens. She was screaming hysterically. She was screaming he has stabbed me. Hes going to kill me. In the immediate aftermath of the stabbing, the village was engulfed in rumours that left local school pupils petrified, she said, adding: My boy is terrified. The rumours that were going round were terrifying. At one point one school had the pupils under the tables. She praised the emergency services for their quick response, adding: He had every intention of killing that poor girl. Another resident, Katie Roberts, a veterinary nurse, said she saw the woman being stabbed repeatedly after hearing screaming outside her house. I just darted out of the house and he ran off. My partner saw the suspect loitering outside our house for like half an hour beforehand, she said. At the end of the school day, police stood guard outside the gates and pupils were not allowed to walk home by themselves. A police spokesman said: Local schools activated their lockdown protocols to keep pupils safe, and neighbourhood officers remained in the area to ensure pupils were able to leave school safely at their normal time. This was done as a precaution, and schools will be open as normal tomorrow. Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, said his thoughts were with the people of Aberfan. The mining village, located in the Taff Valley, was the site of the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip on Oct 21 1966. The sudden cascade of slurry down the mountainside from the tip, which overlooked the village, engulfed Pantglas Junior School and a row of houses, killing 116 children and 28 adults. Gareth Jones, a local resident and one of the few children to survive the catastrophe, said: The air ambulance landed behind the Aberfan disaster memorial gardens. This is the most police activity weve had in the village since that dreadful day. 06:07 PM GMT That's all for our live coverage That concludes our live coverage of this incident, thank you for following. You can check the Telegraphs home page for more updates. 05:59 PM GMT 'Real sense of shock to local community' Chief Inspector Rob Miles said: I appreciate there will be a real sense of shock to the local community with the attack having happened in broad daylight. Local schools activated a lockdown protocol to keep people safe. Neighbourhood officers have been in the area to ensure pupils have been able to leave school safely at the normal time. This was done as a precaution, schools will open tomorrow as normal. This was a targeted attack. The woman remains in hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life threatening at this time. I want to thank the local community and partners for their patience and support through todays polices operation to trace and arrest the suspect. 05:53 PM GMT Stabbing was 'targeted attack' Chief Inspector Rob Miles, at a press conference hosted 3.5 miles from the incident, said the perpetrator was known to the victim and had carried out a targeted attack. He confirmed the victim, a 29 year-old-woman was recovering from non-life threatening injuries and that the alleged assailant, a 28-year-old man, who is now in police custody, was local to the area. The several schools that were placed into lockdown will reopen as usual on Wednesday morning, he added. 04:32 PM GMT Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the stabbing of a 29-year-old woman in Aberfan on Tuesday morning, South Wales Police said. 03:58 PM GMT Mark Drakeford: Our thoughts are with the people of Aberfan First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has said his thoughts are with the people of Aberfan. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies mentioned the incident in the Senedd on Tuesday, saying his thoughts were with the village. Mr Drakeford said: Can I echo what the leader of the opposition said about the events that are unfolding in Aberfan? I was grateful for the briefing I received earlier in the day from Dawn Bowden, the constituency member. Events continue to unfold and for the moment our thoughts are with people caught up in them and there will be more, no doubt, that we will learn. 03:23 PM GMT Neighbours rushed to victim's aid after hearing dog walker scream Neighbours rushed to the womans aid after she was attacked and wrapped her in a towel until an ambulance arrived. Lynne Terrett, from Merthyr Tydfil, said her daughter, Kira Terrett, was walking her dog near her home in Aberfan when she saw the attack. She said her daughter looked around after she heard the sound of the woman running towards her. (The woman) fell, my daughter screamed and people came out from everywhere. She said the knifeman fled. If she had not screamed, people would not have gone out, she added. 01:57 PM GMT Large cordon in place in village A large cordon has been set up on the corner of Moy Road and Coronation Place in the village, reports Will Bolton, our Crime Correspondent. Forensics officers are currently in attendance. A cordon is in place in the village near where the incident took place - Wales news service/WALES NEWS SERVICE 01:56 PM GMT Aberfan school hit by tragic landslide almost 60 years ago Aberfan suffered the worst mining-related disaster in British history in October 1966, tragically engulfing a junior school and killing 144 people. More than 100 children from Pantglas Junior School died in the catastrophe, which was caused when a build up of water within a colliery spoil tip caused it to suddenly slide downhill as a slurry. 01:44 PM GMT Tight-knit community will have "serious concern", MP says Aberfan is a close-knit community that will have serious concern following the stabbing of a 29-year-old woman, the MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney has said. Labour MP Gerald Jones told Sky News on Tuesday: Aberfan is a very close knit, tight community. The community centre and the schools are very close by, hence the reason why police are keen for people not to go to the area. The community centre has closed its doors for the moment, and the schools have locked down as well because they are in very close proximity to Moy Road. The community, as I said, is a very tight-knit community so there is, undoubtedly, serious concern within the community. He added that he had been assured by police that they were dealing with the incident as quickly and effectively as they can. 01:34 PM GMT Police statement A spokesman for South Wales Police said: South Wales Police were called just before 9.10am this morning with a report that a 29-year-old woman had been stabbed on Moy Road, Aberfan, Merthyr The suspect left the scene immediately after the incident and enquiries are ongoing to find him. A search of the immediate area is being carried out by armed officers. Local schools have activated their lockdown protocols to keep pupils safe whilst the incident is ongoing. We continue to request that people avoid the area so that we can effectively deal with this incident. The woman has been taken to hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening at this time. 01:33 PM GMT Hello Welcome to our live coverage of this incident. 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 man believed to have fired shots at officers from a duplex in Arlington, Va., that later exploded is presumed dead, local authorities confirmed Tuesday. Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn on Tuesday identified the suspect as James Yoo, 56, the owner of the duplex that exploded. Penn told reporters authorities were called to the duplex around 4:45 p.m. on Monday for reports of shots fired. Yoo is believed to have fired a flare-type gun from inside of the home over 30 times, Penn said. Authorities tried to engage with the suspect, but were unsuccessful, prompting a search warrant to secure weapons at the residence, according to Penn. When authorities tried to enter the home and execute the warrant later on Monday, multiple gunshots were fired from inside the home and shortly after around 8:30 p.m., the duplex exploded, Penn said. Penn confirmed Yoo was inside the home at the time of the explosion and is presumed to be deceased. Human remains were found at the scene and the Medical Examiners Office is working to identify the individual and determine the cause of death. Three officers reported minor injuries but no one was taken to the hospital and no other serious injuries were reported, police said. Penn noted there is no ongoing threat to the community and no outstanding suspects related to the incident, adding the other residents of Yoos duplex were evacuated before the explosion. Arlington County police spokesperson Ashley Savage noted police do not have evidence anyone else was in the duplex at the time of the explosion, but cannot rule out the possibility, according to The Associated Press (AP). Aaron Miller, Arlingtons deputy county manager of public safety, said Tuesday about 10 households were impacted by the incident and are receiving support, shelter and necessities. White House principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton on Tuesday told reporters the White House is tracking developments in the incident. And I would also just like to say, you know, our thoughts are with the police officers that were injured in that explosion, and were grateful to law enforcement that handled that situation very swiftly, Dalton said. Dalton confirmed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is assisting local law enforcement in the matter and referred reporters to Arlington police for further information. Penn emphasized the investigation is going to be extensive and time-consuming. A spokesperson for the Arlington County Fire Department added that while the fire is completely extinguished, there is no timeline on when the investigation will be completed. The AP reported officers wearing ATF jackets could be seen looking through the debris field near the explosion on Tuesday. Junk mail with the name and address of Yoos duplex was also seen on the street, the news wire said. Brett Samuels contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A 33-year-old man was charged Monday with four counts of murder in connection with a spate of shootings in the Los Angeles area that left three homeless men dead. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said his office had charged Jerrid Joseph Powell with the killings after he was arrested in a separate fatal shooting of a San Dimas man during a robbery. Authorities say Powell began attacking homeless men in the city on Nov. 26, shooting a 37-year-old man who was sleeping on a couch on the street. Powell is also accused of shooting a 62-year-old man a day later who was pushing a shopping cart. And on Nov. 29, Powell allegedly shot a 52-year-old man early in the morning. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said officials had not identified a motive in the killings, according to the Los Angeles Times. But Moore described a video of one of the victims being killed as bone-chilling, saying the gunman gave no warning before opening fire. Jerrid Joseph Powell appears Monday for an arraignment at Los Angeles Superior Court that was postponed until January. Jerrid Joseph Powell appears Monday for an arraignment at Los Angeles Superior Court that was postponed until January. Police had initially appealed to the public for information about the killings. But authorities used surveillance footage to link Powell to the robbery last week after he allegedly followed a man home in San Dimas, a city in the Los Angeles area. Powell is accused of shooting the man and stealing from the house. Police later linked Powell to the killings of the unhoused men. I want to extend my deepest appreciation to the incredible men and women of law enforcement who worked tirelessly to bring justice to our community and arrest this individual, Gascon said in a statement. The swift actions of law enforcement undoubtedly saved lives this week. Powell was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, but it was postponed until January. If convicted on all charges, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Related... (BCN) A man was robbed and shot in San Franciscos Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood on Monday, according to police. The shooting was reported shortly before 11:30 a.m. Monday in the area of Pine and Octavia streets, where two suspects approached a man in his 20s, San Francisco police said. DVC coach accused of assaulting women in converted bus pleads not guilty One suspect demanded the victims keys and then shot him. The second suspect also took the victims phone before the pair fled on bicycles, according to police. The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries, which are not considered life-threatening. KRON On is streaming live The two suspects, described as men possibly between 25-30 years old, remain at large as of Tuesday and detailed descriptions of them were not immediately available. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Police Departments tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411 with SFPD at the start of the message. Copyright 2023 Bay City News, Inc. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a fatal shooting that happened in Southeast, D.C. on Sunday. Officers were in the area of the 3000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E. at about 11 p.m. when they heard gunshots and saw a vehicle fleeing the area. They found the vehicle a short distance away and a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital where he died. Pedestrian hit, killed by driver in Manassas He was identified as 26-year-old Dionte Claytor, of Southeast, D.C. MPD is asking anyone with information to call the department at (202) 727-9099 or text the tip line at 50411. A reward of up to $25,000 is offered to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. SAN DIEGO One of the two men found guilty in a 2019 shooting that resulted in one East Village homeless shelter security guard dead and another injured was sentenced to prison, prosecutors said. Johnny Hill, a member of a criminal street gang, was sentenced to 55 years to life, plus an additional 26 years in prison, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a news release Friday. On Sept. 14, Hill and Floyd Garrett were found guilty of second-degree murder with a special allegation of personal gun use causing death, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The shooting occurred in December 2019 at the Alpha Project homeless shelter at 1700 Imperial Ave, which the DA says lies within territory claimed by Crip criminal street gang sets and is an area primarily used for gang related drug sales and acts of violence. 14-year-old student stabbed near San Diego High School Two security guards from the homeless shelter, Ernest Buchanan Jr. and Dorian Cunningham, returned from their break when they were shot at by the defendants as they walked into the administration trailer, according to prosecutors. Both were hit, with Buchanan dying from his injuries and Cunningham suffering non-life-threatening injuries. Our office will never stop fighting to make neighborhoods safe from violence, DA Stephan said. Ernest Buchanan Jr. was a beloved member of the Alpha Project family and his own family, and his life was mercilessly taken without justification. San Diego Police Department Detectives working with the DA Gangs Unit put this case together piece by piece in order to obtain justice for the victims and hold the offenders accountable. Although this sentence will not bring back Ernest Buchanan Jr., we hope his family finds a measure of justice in the jury verdict and sentence in this case. San Diego police have responded to 6,187 calls involving violence in the area of 1700 Imperial Ave, according to the District Attorneys office. Garrett will be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2024. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Memphis man was sentenced to five years in federal prison Thursday for firearms charges and his role in a railroad car burglary last year. The United States Attorneys Office for the Western District of Tennessee said Lawrence Anthony, 35, was sentenced on November 30 to 66 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting a railroad car burglary, possessing a machine gun, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. A federal judge also ordered Anthony to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Court documents stated that on March 4, 2022, agents with CSX Transportation saw several people breaking into railroad cars that had merchandise destined for California inside. Man accused of stealing $75K worth of cell phones from warehouse Agents apprehended Anthony, who reportedly had a Glock .40 caliber pistol that had been modified with a small switch mechanism on the rear of the slide, allowing the weapon to be fully automatic. The U.S. Attorneys Office said the other suspects fled the scene after stealing $7,500 worth of merchandise. Anthony was arrested again in August 2022 when Memphis Police officers responded to a complaint that liquor was being sold from a home. When officers went inside the house, they found Anthony and several boxes of liquor that were taken during a business burglary a few hours before. They also found a Taurus 9mm pistol, which Anthony admitted belonged to him. He pled guilty to aiding and abetting burglary along with firearms offenses stemming from both arrests in July of this year. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Anthony has a history of committing robbery, theft, and burglary. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. An Ohio man stole Christmas decorations from a front yard not even an hour after he was released from jail, according to police. On Dec. 2 around 1 a.m., a resident who lives on Breezewood Drive in Norwalk reported that the Christmas decorations from their front yard had been stolen, the Norwalk Police Department said in a social media post. Police said after a brief investigation, officers identified the suspect from surveillance footage as 63-year-old William Ott of Norwalk. >> Grandmother, grandson missing in Ohio fire; 2 young girls escape Ott had just been released on an unrelated matter from the Huron County Jail approximately thirty minutes before the theft, the police department said. He was arrested by the Norwalk Police Department Monday morning. The Christmas decorations have not been recovered at this time, the police department said. Residents are being asked to check their property for Christmas lights, a laser projector, a snowman display, and power cords. Editors Note: The video above is previous coverage on this story. CLEVELAND (WJW) A man suspected in the shooting deaths of two brothers outside a local restaurant was arrested Tuesday. According to the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, Shawntell Ellis, 29, is in custody on charges out of Bedford Heights for the deaths of Dominic Cunningham, 22, and Joshua Cunningham, 21. School zone speeder clocked at 100+ mph The shooting happened outside A Touch of Italy on Aurora Rd. on October 7. Our preliminary investigation indicates there was some type of disturbance between the brothers and another group, Bedford Heights Police Chief Michael Marotta told the FOX 8 I-Team after the incident. When the other group of individuals were leaving the scene, gunshots were exchanged, and the two brothers were killed. The victims were from Solon. Where deer hunters had the most luck in Ohio Members of the task force arrested Ellis at an apartment in Cleveland Heights Tuesday morning. According to a press release, another murder suspect who was wanted by the East Cleveland Police Department was also at the home in the 12300 block of Cedar Ave. This embedded content is not available in your region. Eric Harris, 33, was also taken into custody. Investigators seized two firearms at the home. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Metro police are working to identify a man who threw beer onto officers from a rooftop bar over Lower Broadway last month. The incident happened on Sunday, Nov. 12 in the 300 block of Broadway in downtown Nashville. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) According to a release, officers were on the sidewalk below, responding to a fight between two persons, when the suspect threw the beer from above. The liquid reportedly landed on several bystanders and officers. Security guards inside the bar attempted to locate the man but he ran out the back exit, according to Metro police. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The suspect is wanted for assaulting a first responder. Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. No additional information was immediately released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. In a private meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene accused fellow Georgia Republican Rep. Richard McCormick of getting physically aggressive with her, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter a charge that McCormick has denied, saying it was a friendly gesture. Greene claimed to Johnson that McCormick grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her following a public spat they had over competing resolutions to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the sources said, and asked the speaker to address the issue. McCormick voted against Greenes censure resolution and then introduced his own, more narrow version which prompted Greene to say to reporters at the time that McCormick had his ego bruised. She also publicly bashed other Republicans who voted against her resolution. In a statement provided to CNN, McCormick said the interaction was intended to be friendly, but he apologized to the congresswoman in the moment after realizing she did not receive it that way. I understand why there would be a lot of raw emotions following the censure vote given that her censure was tabled and mine passed. My intention was to encourage Rep. Greene by making a friendly gesture, he said in a statement. I said to her, at least we can have an honest discussion, to which she said she did not appreciate that. For that I immediately apologized and have not spoken to her since. Greene on Tuesday disputed to CNN that is how the interaction occurred. Last week, she told CNN she experienced a serious situation with an unnamed male colleague, but declined to get into further details. CNN has reached out to the speakers office for comment. Johnson has worked to address the issue and reached out to McCormick to hear his side of the story, sources said, in just another example of how the new speaker is having to manage the escalating tensions inside his divided conference. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com An Ocean Springs High physics teacher admitted having sex with a minor student in her car and at his home for months before his arrest, a criminal investigator at the Jackson County Sheriffs Department said Tuesday. James Donald Hawkins II, 38, made those admissions and more during an interview with Sheriffs Capt. Kristen Johnson, the investigator said during a probable cause hearing Tuesday. Hawkins is being held on a charge of sexual battery, though additional charges are expected. His attorney, Cameron McCormick, wants Judge Calvin Taylor to grant a bond for his client pending indictment. However, the investigator and Assistant District Bill Barrett want Hawkins to remain in custody pending indictment based on what Hawkins said during interviews. Former Ocean Springs High School teacher James Hawkins appears at a probable cause hearing at Jackson County Circuit Court in Pascagoula on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. Hawkins is facing one count of sexual battery for having a sexual relationship with a student. In those interviews, Hawkins said he had sex with the student, 17, for at least one month at the home in Fort Bayou Estates that he shared with his wife and young toddler and in a car in a Walmart parking lot. The investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Hawkins began when the teen and her parents reported the alleged crimes on Nov. 30. Afterward, the teen told the investigator the relationship started when she was upset about something that had happened at school, and Hawkins moved in to comfort her. Investigator Kristen Johnson answers questions on the witness stand during a probable cause hearing for James Hawkins in Jackson County Circuit Court in Pascagoula on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. Though he was married, Johnson said, Hawkins said the relationship between him and the girl had moved quicker than he thought it would and that the two planned to elope in Louisiana. In an earlier court appearance, Hawkins said he didnt know that what he was doing with the girl was a crime. Judge Taylor set bond at $150,000 and ordered Hawkins to stay away from the victim and her family. The judge added that Hawkins is not to go by the victims home or otherwise. If you happen to bump into her in public you need to leave that place immediately the judge said. Hawkins had been teaching at Ocean Springs High for over a year. Before that, he worked in physics as a graduate student at Mississippi State University, according to his LinkedIn profile. His profile said he obtained a bachelors degree at the university between 2005 and 2019 and worked various times as a professors assistant and physics lab graduate teaching assistant. Hawkins was fired from his position at Ocean Springs High after his arrest. Coast teacher accused of sex with student says he didnt know it was felony-type crime (WBRE/WYOU) The United States Attorney`s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Johnny Jenkins-Armstrong, 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on December 4, to life imprisonment for his role in the June 25, 2016 murders of three individuals in Franklin County, one of whom was cooperating with state and federal drug investigators. Officials say the sentence was imposed by United States District Court Conner, who also sentenced Kenyatta Corbett to a consecutive 20-year term in prison on a companion robbery charge. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Kenyatta Corbett was also convicted as the result of a seven-year investigation into three murders that occurred on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County. PSP responded to the scene, and found the bodies of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, MD, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, in a barn on victim Jacksons property. U.S. Officials say all three victims were shot, had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs, and had been set on fire. Jackson and Cole were shot once in the head and Chaney was shot twice, once in the back and once in the back of her neck. Wendy Chaney and Brandon Cole were already dead when the police responded to the scene. Phillip Jackson was transported to York Hospital where he died shortly after arrival. U.S. Marshals arrest man accused of sexually assaulting child According to the U.S. Attorneys office, the evidence previously presented at Jenkins-Armstrongs guilty plea established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with co-defendants Kevin Coles and Torey White and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operation. Officials say Coles, White, co-defendant Devin Dickerson, and co-defendant Kenyatta Corbett, also a heroin trafficker in Hagerstown and areas of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Law enforcement says Corbett, and co-defendant Jerell Adgebesan who worked for Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore-based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore including Jenkins-Armstrong to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney as Adgebesan knew these individuals from Baltimore. The killers were promised that they could take as payment $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and guns that they could locate on the Jackson property. According to Karam, Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Corbett, Coles, White, Dickerson, and others. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms. The following individuals were charged along with Corbett as a result of the investigation: Jerell Adgebesan, age 35, of Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to life imprisonment for participating in the murder of three people including a federal witness; Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment; Torey White, age 32, Waynesboro, PA, was convicted by a federal jury in May of 2023 of three counts of first-degree murder. His conviction is on appeal; Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing; Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment; Kenyatta Corbett, age 41, of Hagerstown and Baltimore, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the murders and a consecutive 20-year term of imprisonment on a Hobbs Act robbery charge. Corbett pled guilty to those charges; Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness; Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness; Christopher Johnson, age 31, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to multiple counts including murder for hire, and is awaiting sentencing; Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury investigation and was sentenced to 110 months imprisonment; Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing Kevin Coles, age 36, of New York, NY and Hagerstown, Maryland, was found guilty in April 2022 of multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking, and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences; Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown, Md, indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial. Her trial is currently scheduled for February 2024. Joshua Davis, age 30, previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders. Davis was sentenced to serve 100 months imprisonment. Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Consiglio prosecuted these cases. This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identified as Retribution for Welsh Run. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation`s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. All persons charged are presumed innocent unless and until found guilty in court. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. BOSTON Massachusetts efforts to meet its net zero goals and measure up to neighboring states may mean an overhaul of energy efficiency program provider Mass Save, according to a recent report from state Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer. The states Clean Energy and Climate Plan outlines what Massachusetts must do to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Published Oct. 25, the Recommendations of the Climate Chief states that Mass Save must be reformed if the program is to maintain its key role in Massachusetts decarbonization efforts. It has become increasingly clear, particularly in light of the successes of sister-state entities Efficiency Maine and Efficiency Vermont, that, under the current statutory framework, the Mass Save program is failing to take the steps necessary to achieve the transformative levels of building decarbonization required, the report states. Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer, shown listening to Gov. Maura Healey during Hoffer's first press conference in January, says meeting the state's net zero goals may require overhauling energy efficiency program provider Mass Save. Mass Save is comprised of electric and natural gas utility companies and provides incentives for consumers to switch to more energy-efficient options through rebates, services and more. The sponsors Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact, Eversource, Liberty Utilities, National Grid and Unitil have won numerous awards and accolades, as recently as September. Utility companies comprising Mass Save profit from more energy consumption But while the goal of Mass Save as an energy efficiency program provider is to reduce energy use, many of these companies profit from energy consumption. In contrast, Efficiency Vermont is an independent, statewide energy efficiency utility, said Matthew Smith, public relations manager at Efficiency Vermont. We dont get paid more if you use more energy, Smith said. Warren Leon, executive director at the Clean Energy States Alliance, said Mass Saves model is typical across the U.S., while models like Efficiency Vermonts are less common. But the structure of the programs themselves is not the only aspect of energy efficiency programs that differs among states. Leon said states also vary in how heavily they fund and prioritize their energy efficiency programs. In this area, he said, Massachusetts stands out. Massachusetts has tended to put more funding into energy efficiency than most other states and has implemented energy efficiency more aggressively than most other states, Leon said. This level of investment means Massachusetts has done more of the easy things, like switching to LED lighting, than some other states have. Now, Massachusetts is in the position that to continue to make progress, it needs to tackle some of the more difficult things, Leon said. Back in June, Eversource broke ground on a geothermal pilot project in Framingham that was to service 140 customers in the fall. From left are Zeyneb Magavi, executive director of HEET; state. Rep. Priscila Sousa, D-Framingham; Bill Akley, president of Eversource Gas; Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky; Nikki Bruno, vice president of clean technology for Eversource; and Eversource CEO Joe Nolan. The groundbreaking took place at MassBay Community College's Framingham campus. First of its kind: A geothermal heating system is being built in a Framingham neighborhood Mass Save primarily falls short in terms of alignment with the states goals for building decarbonization, the report states. The program plans in three-year periods, which the report says do not reflect long-term decarbonization planning. Within Mass Saves incentive pathways for the commercial and industrial sector, the prescriptive pathway has been developed to be effective for simpler, cookie cutter projects like lighting, said Yve Torrie, director of climate, energy and resilience at A Better City, a business-backed group focusing on enhancing Greater Bostons economic health, competitiveness, equitable growth, sustainability and quality of life. "What we have been pushing recently is that the custom incentive C&I pathway for more complex projects, like (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) upgrades or changes, be streamlined so these projects can be approved far more quickly which will allow for the largest GHG emissions reductions within large buildings, Torrie said. Air-source heat pumps seen as promising technology in the HVAC space Leon said one promising technology in the HVAC sphere is air-source heat pumps, which can provide a home with heat energy up to three times the amount of electrical energy it consumes, according to energy.gov. Leon said New England stands to benefit most from these heat pumps in terms of decarbonization and in terms of saving consumers money. In Massachusetts, there are many homes that still use fuel oil, and there are quite a few homes that have older electric heat systems, Leon said. And thats a good opportunity to take advantage of. But making changes to HVAC systems requires deep, systematic change, and theres no one-size-fits-all approach. You cant just go into the building and a couple of hours switch out the heating system, he said. Eversource is building a 115-kilovolt transmission line underneath the former MBTA railroad corridor through Sudbury, Stow and Hudson. The project, which is being constructed between the Eversource substation in Sudbury and the Hudson Light and Power substation in Hudson, is designed to improve the reliability of the electric system serving Greater Boston. 'Lower-cost clean energy': Eversource begins construction of high-voltage transmission line in Sudbury Hoffers report suggests Mass Save may not be equipped to handle deep enough retrofits, and it also expresses concern about issues unrelated to its capacity to handle increasingly pressing decarbonization efforts. As well, there are inefficiencies in the collaborative decision making, staffing, and leadership structure, the report states. Vermont official says positive attention from Hoffer makes state's work especially meaningful Smith said Efficiency Vermonts structure has been one of its most important successes, and this may have been something that stood out to Hoffer. The infrastructure and layout of programs at Efficiency Vermont allow leaders across multiple industries to pull together in the same direction to reach their efficiency and decarbonization goals, he said. The thing that makes Efficiency Vermont special is this development of infrastructure for so many different programs that communicate up and down the chain, Smith said. Hoffer has previously worked at the Environmental Protection Agency and served as chief of energy and environment bureau under then-Attorney General Maura Healey. Smith said Hoffers level of expertise makes her nod to Efficiency Vermont especially meaningful. It feels good to see people like (Hoffer) point to that work as successful and something to emulate, Smith said. When those experts say that, it's really worth paying attention to, because they really understand the nuances of the programs that they're trying to operate. As states like Massachusetts move toward their decarbonization goals, continually looking to other states models to find areas to improve is a common and logical practice. It's always a good idea to be looking to other states and programs to see what we could be doing better, Torrie said. The goal is (greenhouse gas) reduction and if others have programs that are working even more effectively, then lets see what we can learn from them. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: To meet climate change goals, Mass Save needs an overhaul: report A spending bill that includes money for temporary shelter spaces for migrant homeless families cleared the Massachusetts House on Monday after more than 100 Democratic lawmakers showed up at an informal session to overcome efforts by House Republicans to block the bill. House Republicans had been repeatedly blocking the bill since last week, arguing the measure should be brought up in a formal legislative session to allow for debate and roll call votes. The move forced House Democrats to bring in dozens of legislators to overcome the parliamentary hurdle. In an informal session, debate and roll call votes arent allowed and a single lawmaker can block a bill. That gave Republicans, in the minority in both chambers, leverage to block efforts to pass legislation. The bill was later approved by the Massachusetts Senate and shipped to Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, who quickly signed it into law. Democrats pushed the $2.8 billion spending bill which would set aside $250 million to help provide shelter for vulnerable families, including up to $50 million for an overflow site for homeless families stuck on a state wait list. The states emergency shelters are buckling under a crush of migrant and homeless families. Minority Leader Bradley Jones defended the actions of Republicans saying they were trying to press Democrats to take debate the final version of the bill in an formal session. This, I think, has highlighted the dysfunction on Beacon Hill, highlighted the shortcomings of a one-party monopoly, Jones said. Its done a disservice to the taxpayers of the commonwealth. Democratic Senate President Karen Spilka said the budget also includes collective bargaining increases, disaster relief for municipalities and special education funding. Its a win-win for everybody. And the bottom line, the supplemental budget is done. Its passed. Its going to the governors desk, Spilka said. Republican Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said the effort to get the funding approved during an informal session shows how both parties can work collaboratively. Demand for shelter has increased as temperatures drop and the state struggles to find newly arriving migrants places to stay after hitting a state-imposed limit of 7,500 families in its emergency homeless shelter system last month. As of Monday, 140 families were waiting for emergency shelter spaces. More than 500 families have exited shelters since Sept. 1, making room for other families. To create more space in the shelter system, the state has worked with federal officials to help migrants get work authorizations needed to find a job. The surge in shelter demand is being driven in part by migrant families entering the state, officials said. The state launched a $5 million grant program last month to help local groups provide overflow shelter spaces for those on the wait list. The state is also letting up to 25 homeless families stay overnight in the state transportation building in Boston during the evening and overnight hours. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) A massive aid package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan remains stuck in the Senate. Republicans are vowing to block the package until Democrats include sweeping immigration reforms. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says hes moving forward with the presidents multi-billion dollar request to aid Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. This is a historic moment, and this cannot be delayed, he said. The presidents request also includes money to block the flow of fentanyl at the border. But Republicans are demanding more sweeping changes to reform who can claim asylum. Senator John Thune (R-SD) said, We have 10,000 people crossing our border every day, thats a national security crisis. Tuesday Schumer said hell allow a vote on the Republicans proposal, a vote unlikely to garner the needed support from Democrats. This is a generous offer. Senate Republicans dont think so. Theyre vowing to block the larger package if their demands are not met. The White House warns time is running out to strike some sort of deal. Tuesday, administration officials briefed senators and house members about Ukraines strained efforts on the battlefield. The White House says their funding is set to run out by the end of the year, despite a growing number of Republicans now rejecting Ukraine aid. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says aid for U.S. allies should not be on the chopping block. Our adversaries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East are watching. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Today, Massive Attack have announced Act 1.5, a large-scale climate action accelerator event that sees Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall play what will be their first concert on UK soil in five years. Taking place on 25th August 2024 at Clifton Downs in their hometown of Bristol, it promises to be the lowest carbon show of its size ever staged. Massive Attack will attempt to perform the lowest carbon show of its size ever staged at their first live performance in over five years. The Bristol-formed band have announced Act 1.5, an all-day event taking place at Clifton Downs in Bristol on 25 August 2024. It comes after 25 years of climate activism by the band, and marks their latest collaboration with climate scientists from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. Were chuffed to play our home city again and to be able to do it in the right way, 3D, aka Robert Del Naja, said in a statement. In terms of climate change action there are no excuses left; offsetting, endless seminars and diluted declarations have all been found out so live music must drastically reduce all primary emissions and take account of fan travel. Working with pioneering partners on this project means we can seriously move the dial for major live music events and help create precedents that are immediately available. (Getty Images) Tickets for the event go on sale on Friday 8 December, while fans local to the Bristol area can apply for pre-sale on 6 December. Plans for a similar event in Liverpool had previously been thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as Massive Attacks boycotting of an arms fair that was being held in the city. Among the decarbonisation measures at their Bristol Downs festival include an entire event site powered entirely by 100 per cent renewable energy, and a fan incentive to travel by train. Electric shuttles will transport guests to the citys main rail hubs after the show for free in a further attempt to deter private car travel. Meanwhile, all touring and production vehicles will be electric or fuelled by 100 per cent waste product HVO fuel. Professor Carly McLachlan of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research said: This is precisely the type of transformative approach that we need to see more of in the live music sector and indeed every sector; one that has the collaboration and vision to reduce emissions across all areas of impact and working beyond the areas you directly control to unlock the systemic change we urgently need to deliver on our Paris Agreement commitments. FILE PHOTO: Students leave for classes after their recess at a secondary school in Singapore FILE PHOTO: Students leave for classes after their recess at a secondary school in Singapore By Leigh Thomas PARIS (Reuters) - Teenagers' mathematics and reading skills are in an unprecedented decline across dozens of countries and COVID school closures are only partly to be blamed, the OECD said on Tuesday in its latest survey of global learning standards. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said it had seen some of the steepest drops in performance since 2000 when it began its usually triennial tests of 15-year-olds reading, maths and science skills. Nearly 700,000 youths took the two-hour test last year in the OECD's 38 mostly developed country members and 44-non members for the latest study, closely watched by policymakers as the largest international comparison of education performance. Compared to when the tests were last conducted in 2018, reading performance fell by 10 points on average in OECD countries, and by 15 points in mathematics, a loss equivalent to three-quarters of a year's worth of learning. While more than half of the 81 countries surveyed saw declines, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland saw particularly sharp drops in mathematics scores, the OECD said. On average across the OECD, one out of four 15-year-olds tested as a low performer in maths, reading and science, which means they could not use basic algorithms or interpret simple texts, the study found. "COVID probably played some role but I would not overrate it," OECD director of education Andreas Schleicher told a news conference. "There are underlying structural factors and they are much more likely to be permanent features of our education systems that policymakers should really take seriously." Countries that provided extra teacher support during COVID school closures scored better and results were generally better in places where easy teacher access for special help was high. Poorer results tended to be associated with higher rates of mobile phone use for leisure and where schools reported teacher shortages. The OECD said the decline was not inevitable, pointing to Singapore, where students scored the highest in maths, reading and science, with results that suggested they were on average three to five years ahead of their OECD peers. After Singapore, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea also outperformed in maths and science, where Estonia and Canada also scored well. In reading, Ireland, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan earned top marks, and was all the more notable in Ireland and Japan because their spending per student was no higher than the OECD average. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Bernadette Baum) A few weeks ago, the Education Secretary announced that, in next years GCSE Maths exam, candidates would be given equation sheets to save them having to memorise them. This was a Covid-related expedient we introduced in 2022 and 2023 to support students whod had their education disrupted during lockdown. My advice to GCSE students is that they should learn the equations and formulae anyway. Education isnt just about certificates and qualifications; its about acquiring the knowledge and the skills to enable you to lead a successful and satisfying life. As the American professor of psychology Daniel William argues, for the brain to be able to carry out complex procedures such as problem-solving or critical thinking, it needs the required knowledge and procedures in long term memory, from which the working memory can draw. In maths, knowing key formulae and concepts is crucial for developing further mathematical knowledge. Thats why we introduced the Multiplication Tables Check, testing all 9- and 10-year-olds at the end of Year 4 of primary school on their instant recall of their times-tables, up to 12 times 12. This is a computer-based and timed test (six seconds per question). Its introduction was controversial, but we piloted and tested it over several years, with it finally becoming compulsory in all state primary schools in 2022. This year 29 per cent of pupils achieved full marks in the test, with the national average score being 20 correct answers out of 25. We have now had the results of the international PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) survey of the maths, reading and science attainment of 15-year-olds across 81 countries. It was conducted in 2022 and focused particularly on maths. There are several caveats to be aware of, but the headline is that England rose from 17th place in 2018 to 11th place in 2022. This is an astounding achievement by Englands 15-year-olds. Although the raw score fell because of the effects of the Covid lockdown, so did those of other countries, but our relative position rose. Since 2010, Conservative governments have introduced extensive reforms to our education system, particularly in how children are taught to read (where England is now fourth in the world for the reading ability of 9-year-olds) but also in maths. We re-wrote the National Curriculum for primary school maths, learning from high performing countries such as Singapore. We ensured primary school children were taught traditional written methods of columnar addition and subtraction, as well as long multiplication and long division. And we insisted on children knowing their times-tables by heart by the end of Year 4. These reforms were resisted by a number of educationalists, particularly the important notion of children practising these methods of calculation, felt by some to be unnecessarily Gradgrindian. As well as learning from Singapore, I went to Shanghai to see for myself how children there are taught maths. A two-week teacher exchange programme enabled teachers in this country to understand how teachers in Shanghai taught maths in their primary schools. We then spread this practice through a network of Maths Hubs, schools training other schools. A recent report by Ofsted concluded that: In the last few years, a resounding, positive, shift in mathematics education has taken place in primary schools. Our reforms to the Maths GCSE were also controversial, with concerns that we were including too much content and that they were too demanding. The new more rigorous GCSE Maths curriculum was a better preparation for A-level. Now A-level Maths is the single most popular A-level choice among sixth formers. For all this achievement we must thank thousands of committed teachers in our primary and secondary schools who have embraced and adapted to the reforms. It also shows that government can make a difference when policy is well-researched, founded on the evidence, both national and international, and when policy is applied consistently. The PISA results also report on the reading ability of 15-year-olds. While England rose from 14th to 13th place, and is still significantly above the OECD average, we need to do more to improve reading in secondary schools, building on the rapid rise in the standard of reading in primary schools. I have long been concerned, for example, that the use of textbooks in the first three years of secondary education is far less extensive than you see in other countries. Developing pupils reading cannot just be confined to English lessons; we need secondary age pupils to be reading extensively in the humanities and the sciences. How our education system compares to other countries is an important indicator of how well our schools are performing and whether reform programmes are working. In the five years of opposition (2005-10), when I was working with Michael Gove to develop our programme for government, the UK was falling in all the key international education league tables. Now, we are seeing England rising in maths in PISA and in the reading of 9-year-olds in PIRLS. There is more to do to spread and embed the reforms, but what is now absolutely clear is that yesterdays controversies have led to todays success. Evidence-led, knowledge rich curriculum reform leads to better outcomes, particularly for those from less advantaged backgrounds. Nick Gibb is a former schools minister 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. Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz waits for the arrival of the French President at Nouakchott airport NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Mauritania's former president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has been sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering and "illicit enrichment". Abdel Aziz led the West African country for a decade after coming to power in a 2008 coup and was an ally of Western powers fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel region. He had been on trial since January and denied corruption allegations. The court found Abdel Aziz guilty of two of 10 charges late on Monday, following an inquiry into allegations of embezzlement of public property and corruption. One of his lawyers called the ruling "a political verdict targeting a man and his family". Prosecutors said the former head of state's conviction was historic. The court, which specialises in corruption and economic crimes, acquitted some of Abdel Aziz's associates who had also been on trial, including two former prime ministers. Abdel Aziz was succeeded in 2019 by a political ally, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who remains president, but Abdel Aziz's government quickly came under scrutiny over actions including deals on offshore oil projects. Abdel Aziz has the option of appealing his sentence at the Supreme Court. (Reporting by Kissima Diagana; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Alexander Winning and Timothy Heritage) Downtown Columbia is illuminated by its 40-foot Christmas Tree during the 37th annual Columbia Main Street Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting. A little rain didn't hold off the 37th annual Columbia Main Street and Christmas Parade from making its way into downtown Columbia over the weekend. This year's parade featured a record-setting 130 participants and floats, the largest turnout in parade history. Santa and Mrs. Claus greet parade goers atop a Columbia Fire & Rescue engine during the 37th annual Columbia Main Street Christmas Parade. "I'm so proud to be here tonight on a great night in Columbia, Tennessee," Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder said. "I know we are here for the main event, which is the tree lighting, but we have to give a special thanks to some folks who made this all possible, beginning with the Columbia Public Works department, Columbia Police, Columbia Fire & Rescue and all other city departments, as well as the Maury County Sheriff's Department and other agencies as well." Always an annual favorite, Smyrna Ready Mix brings its illuminated cement truck to downtown Columbia during the 37th annual Columbia Main Street Christmas Parade. Leading the parade this year was retired Col. Ashley Brown, who was chauffeured in by parade sponsor Stan McNabb Chevrolet of Columbia. Christmas Parade Grand Marshal Ashley Brown addresses the crowd during the 37th annual Columbia Main Street Christmas Parade. "This is really a great honor seeing my town looking so beautiful, and all the hard work that has been done here to make this event happen," Brown said. "I'm absolutely honored and humbled. Thank you very much." This year's parade featured a number of local businesses, schools, nonprofits and more, as well as local leaders like Vice Mayor Randy McBroom. The Grinch and Cindy Loo Hoo greet spectators during the 37th annual Columbia Main Street Christmas Parade. "Columbia really comes out for its Christmas parade," McBroom said. "This is a great day, a great night and is going to be a great month. Merry Christmas, Columbia." Following the parade, citizens and spectators gathered at the courthouse steps to witness the lighting of the city's 40-foot Christmas tree. Molder and Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt shared a few words before Santa Claus "threw the switch" illuminating the tree for this year's season. The 2023 Miss Maury County Mule Day Queen Addyson Codling makes her way down the parade route during the 37th annual Columbia Main Street Christmas Parade. "Maury County is a great dichotomy of what America is all about, which is faith, family, freedom and a community that works together," Butt said. "I wish every single one of you a very merry 'Maury' Christmas and a very prosperous new year." Jay Powell is a general reporter for The Daily Herald. Get up-to-date news in your inbox by subscribing to The Daily Herald newsletter at www.ColumbiaDailyHerald.com. This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Columbia Christmas parade, tree lighting draws largest crowd ever Hello and welcome back to Max Q! In this issue: Why space parachutes are so hard A new lawsuit alleging safety issues at Blue Origin News from Loft Orbital, Relativity Space and more SpaceX is known for its vertical integration, but one component its been outsourcing is parachutes until earlier this month, when the company quietly acquired parachute vendor Pioneer Aerospace after its parent company went bankrupt. The Information first reported the news. Saving a vendor from dissolution which wouldve likely been Pioneers fate, given the bankruptcy of its parent company seems like a strong gesture on the part of SpaceX. But that just points to the real difficulty of making parachutes designed to survive such high speeds. Space is hard, but space parachutes are much harder, Abhi Tripathi, director of mission operations at UC Berkeleys Space Sciences Laboratory, said in a recent interview. Its pretty much among the hardest things, other than a very complex propulsion system, to make. SpaceX Dragon Image Credits: SpaceX The former program manager of Blue Origins BE-4 rocket engines has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging whistleblower retaliation after he spoke up about safety issues. The complaint was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. It includes a detailed narrative about program manager Craig Stokers efforts over seven months to escalate his concerns about safety and a hostile work environment at Blue Origin. Myself, my leadership team and others throughout the company should not have to constantly apologize and make excuses to ourselves and our teams for the CEOs bad behavior, Stoker says in an email to two Blue VPs. We spend significant time smoothing things over, building back morale, repairing damage, stopping people from overreacting... The hostile work environment ... is creating a safety and quality hazard for our people, products and customers. Blue Origin Jeff Bezos BE-4 Jeff Bezos, September 17, 2014 in Washington, DC. Image Credits: Getty Images More news from TC and beyond Amazon has purchased three Falcon 9 launches from SpaceX to support deployment of its Project Kuiper mega-constellation, its competitor on the satellite internet market. LockBit, a notorious ransomware gang, has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack targeting Indias state-owned aerospace research lab. Loft Orbital is launching a new offering called virtual missions, where customers will be able to deploy their software apps onto a Loft satellite to leverage on-board sensors and compute nodes, analyze data as it is being collected and run a whole range of use cases. Relativity Space CEO Tim Ellis is hitting back against recent comments from fellow aerospace exec Peter Beck, who called launch contracts for un-flown rockets basically worthless earlier this month. In sharp contrast, Ellis argued in an exclusive interview with TechCrunch that building a backlog is the only way to validate product-market fit. Terran Orbital is suing its former CTO, Austin Williams, a little over a month after he and other shareholders publicly called for a change in company leadership. Max Q is brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. If you enjoy reading Max Q, consider forwarding it to a friend. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), kneeling in aisle, and fellow Republicans pray together in the House chamber ahead of the election of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) as speaker of the House. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images) For the record: 3:22 p.m. Dec. 5, 2023: An earlier version of this article said Robert P. Jones is the president and chief executive of the Public Religion Research Institute. He is the founder, president and former chief executive of the institute. In the early morning hours of Jan. 6, as Rep. Kevin McCarthy prepared to try for the 12th time to win enough votes to become speaker of the House, a little-known Louisiana congressman named Mike Johnson joined a small group of his Republican colleagues in the empty legislative chamber to kneel in prayer. The lawmakers repented to God for their individual transgressions, and those collectively as a legislative body, and as a people, as a nation. And we asked for his divine guidance, Johnson recalled later. Lord, the House is divided, he prayed. We ask you to unite this House. Before dawn the next day, McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican, had been elected speaker. But the unity Johnsons group had prayed for did not last. By October, rebel Republicans had ousted McCarthy from GOP leadership and the House had selected a new leader: Johnson. I don't believe there are any coincidences in a matter like this, Johnson said to his colleagues minutes after being elected. The Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) smiles after he was chosen as the Republicans' latest nominee for House speaker at a GOP caucus meeting at the Capitol on Oct. 24. (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) To those unfamiliar with the varied expressions of American religiosity, the differences between how faith influences McCarthy and Johnson two Southern Baptists may be hard to parse. The transition of the House speakership from McCarthy, a proud but subdued Christian, to Johnson, a fervently devout evangelical, nonetheless marks a significant shift. Though the Republican Party has long relied on the support of white evangelicals, Johnsons sudden ascension from junior Louisiana representative to speaker of the House highlights religious conservatives dominance of the GOP coalition. McCarthy and Johnson have each spoken publicly about becoming born-again Christians, and the role that Jesus plays in their lives. Theyve backed bills that would advance Christian conservatives policy preferences, including restricting abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Neither of their offices responded to interview requests for this article. But while McCarthy is more of a political animal than a crusader for social conservatism, Johnsons social conservatism has always been central to his career. McCarthy sold sandwiches out of his uncles yogurt shop, worked as a seasonal firefighter in college and started a job as a congressional staffer the year he turned 22. His first boss on Capitol Hill, former Bakersfield Rep. Bill Thomas, was one of the most moderate Republicans in Congress, known more for his work on tax cuts and trade policy than social policy. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) arrives to speak during the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority event in Washington on June 20, 2014. (Molly Riley / Associated Press) Johnson, by contrast, has been working to advance religious-right causes since he graduated from college. As a law school student at Louisiana State University, he became president of the Christian Legal Society and volunteered for the Louisiana Family Forum , which is part of the Family Research Council, a leading nationwide pro-marriage and pro-life group. As a lawyer in Louisiana, Johnson represented a group called Freedom Guard, which he described as dedicated to the defense of religious liberty in America. He wrote op-eds railing against same-sex marriage and defending laws that criminalized what he characterized as same-sex deviate sexual intercourse. For years, he worked at the Alliance Defending Freedom , a Christian legal organization that has been at the forefront of fighting for restrictions on LGBTQ+ Americans. Ive been out on the front lines of the culture war defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and biblical values, including the defense of traditional marriage, and other ideals like these when theyve been under assault, Johnson told a Baptist news outlet in Louisiana in 2016. In his maiden speech as speaker, Johnson said the word God seven times. McCarthy, when he secured the gavel in January, had mentioned God only twice: God bless everybody in this chamber, and God bless America. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) takes the oath to be the new House speaker at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 25. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) Johnsons allies among Christian Republicans have made no secret of the fact that they see him as one of their own and that they did not feel the same way about McCarthy. No question about it his convictions as a deeply committed Christian I think are encouraging to the grassroots and to a lot of members of the House, Ralph Reed, president of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a longtime leader among religious conservatives, told The Times of Johnson. You could debate whether or not this should be the case, but I think theyre going to be willing to extend more grace to someone they believe to be a co-religionist or an ideological brother. Getting the benefit of the doubt from his fellow Christian conservatives could ultimately help Johnson hold the Republican caucus together, Reed argued. But Johnsons emphasis on social conservatism could alienate swing voters who found McCarthys less public expressions of faith less threatening. Johnsons rise to the speakership is also a boon for former President Trump, a nondenominational Christian. Trump drew criticism from some social conservatives for his past support of abortion rights, his multiple marriages and his on-tape brag that he grabs women by their genitals, but ultimately received overwhelming support from white evangelicals in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Johnson endorsed the former president on Nov. 14 and visited Trump at a recent fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, according to news reports . McCarthy's and Johnsons critics have noticed the differences between the two mens relationship with the evangelical right too. For McCarthy, evangelicals are useful for his political aims, said Robert P. Jones, founder and president of the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonpartisan research and polling organization. And for Johnson, I think the Republicans are useful for his more Christian-right aims. Johnson comes from the world of Christian-right activism, constantly arguing for the Christian foundations of the country, and there is no separation of church and state, and American laws ought to align with Gods laws, said Jones, who has characterized the new speaker as a Christian nationalist. That term is a media-manufactured slur and smear against conservative people of faith, Reed countered. Theyre just looking for ways to marginalize us, to stigmatize us, and Mike Johnson is the latest victim. Instead, Reed said, Americans should see Johnson as a person of enormous integrity, conviction, faith and conservative credentials that are unquestioned. Johnson wont compromise on his morals, Reed said. But he has a rare and remarkable ability to combine his firm convictions with a grace and a charity towards everyone, including those with whom he disagrees. Professed Christianity is the norm, not the exception, in American political life. The three speakers who preceded McCarthy Nancy Pelosi of California, Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and John A. Boehner of Ohio were all professed Catholics. President Biden, another Catholic, is perhaps the most expressly religious president in recent history, regularly attending Mass in Washington and while traveling. Congress is historically more religious than the American electorate it represents. Eighty-eight percent of voting members sworn in to Congress this year are Christian, compared with the 63% of American adults who identify as Christian, according to Faith on the Hill , a January study by the Pew Research Center. Compared with McCarthy, though, Johnson is an outlier, even in a deeply religious, deeply Christian Congress, argues Bradley Onishi, a religion professor at the University of San Francisco and former evangelical whos become a fierce critic of the movement. Kevin McCarthy to me is that guy who goes to church every Sunday. Hes a loudmouth, pretty arrogant, hes shaking hands. And hes doing all of that because he knows he needs to be there. And yes, does he quote-unquote believe it? Yes, sure, yes, he does. But hes the kind of guy that wakes up in the morning and is like, What is Kevin McCarthy getting today? Onishi said in a recent episode of Straight White American Jesus, his religion and politics podcast. Mike Johnson is the guy that hes quiet, hes sitting in the front row. When he wakes up in the morning, hes like, 'How do I colonize Earth for Jesus?' Johnson would probably disagree with that characterization. He told CNBC last month that his critics misunderstand separation of church and state, a term that dates to the founding fathers. They did not want the government to encroach upon the church. Not that they didn't want principles of faith to have influence on our public life. It was exactly the opposite, Johnson said. We need more of that not an establishment of any national religion, but we need everybody's vibrant expression of faith, because it's such an important part of who we are as a nation. McCarthy has long been quietly expressing his faith as a member of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, which, like Johnsons home church, Cypress Baptist in Benton, La., belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC is the largest Protestant denomination in the country, and its millions of members have widely varying views. Like those of many denominations, its membership rolls have shrunk in recent years as it has grappled with the role of women, LGBTQ+ issues and its stance on diversity. The SBC ousted Saddleback Church in Costa Mesa, once the second-largest megachurch in the denomination, this year over its decision to ordain female pastors. The former speaker raised his children in Valley Baptist, hosted members from his home congregation in the nations capital and, a decade ago, invited longtime senior pastor Roger Spradlin to give the opening prayer in Congress. McCarthy has also hosted Valley Baptist's pastor emeritus, Phil Neighbors, in Washington. Neighbors declined to comment on McCarthy, saying in an email, My relationship with Kevin McCarthy is pastoral and confidential. A self-described Southern Baptist at heart and in practice, Johnson served for eight years on the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy wing of the denomination, which is charged with solidifying Christian support for Republican stances on LGBTQ+ rights and abortion. But up until a year and a half ago, Johnson was a member of First Bossier in Bossier City, La., an ultraconservative church in his hometown and a founding congregation of the Conservative Baptist Network . The network, which now boasts more than 10,000 churches, formed because of concerns that the SBC was becoming, as it said, too liberal and twisting what Gods Word is saying about things like human sexuality, biblical racial reconciliation and socialistic justice. Brad Jurkovich, the pastor at First Bossier and spokesman for the conservative Baptist group, has known Johnson since he became pastor in 2013, and said his former congregant's belief in the Bible and that God is real and the creator of life has remained unwavering in the decade since. Although Johnson wasnt always a regular at Sunday services because of his political schedule, Jurkovich said he frequently spoke at events. People need to know he is who he is, Jurkovich said of Johnson. His life has been his faith, and youre not going to get a lot of curveballs with that. Thats who hes been. Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) are expected to attend a fundraiser for Nevada Senate candidate Sam Brown (R) on Tuesday in Washington, according to an invitation obtained by The Hill. Brown is among several Republican contenders vying for Sen. Jacky Rosens (D-Nev.) seat next year as the GOP looks to recapture the upper chamber. McConnell and Thunes expected participation in the Tuesday event underscores how Senate Republican leadership is rallying around the retired Army captain. Brown is a West Point graduate who served in Afghanistan, where he was seriously injured and heavily scarred during an IED explosion. This cycle marks the second time he has run for a Senate seat in Nevada; he ran last cycle in the GOP primary to take on Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), but he lost his primary against Republican Adam Laxalt. Laxalt eventually lost to Cortez Masto in the general election. McConnells scheduled appearance at Tuesdays roundtable is especially notable because Brown has reportedly criticized the minority leader in the past. The other thing is, guess who else has endorsed Adam? Mitch McConnell. So its, you know, if we trust Mitch McConnell, well then, well, Im sorry for you, but I dont, Brown said in November 2021, during his primary run against Laxalt, according to audio reviewed by CQ Roll Call. This cycle, the retired Army captain is running with the support of many top Senate Republicans. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), chair of the Senate GOP campaign arm, said in a statement following Browns entry into the race in July that he was very pleased to see Brown running. Thune, meanwhile, told The Washington Examiner in August that he had encouraged the retired Army captain to enter the race. Browns campaign defended his past comments in a statement to CQ Roll Call. Sams message has been consistent throughout: He wants to change Washington and put people first, the campaign told the news outlet in a statement back in August. The difference this time is that other people are recognizing he is the best candidate to do that. The Nevada Senate race is among the most competitive races next year. During the midterms, Cortez Mastos victory clinched the Democrats majority in the upper chamber. Brown is facing a number of high-profile challengers in the GOP primary, including former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter, former secretary of State candidate Jim Marchant and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Tony Grady, who ran for lieutenant governor last cycle and lost his primary. Brown is already facing attacks from Gunter, who has dubbed him Never Trump Sam Brown in an ad, as well as Scam Brown. He has targeted Brown over his lack of an endorsement for former President Trump in the 2024 GOP primary. Sam Brown Invite by Brandon Conradis on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. State Rep. Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney, on the House floor during Sine Die of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, at the Capitol in Austin, on May 29, 2023. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune MCKINNEY State Rep. Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney, on Tuesday pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges of trying to impersonate a public servant, part of a plea agreement stemming from allegations he targeted his primary runoff opponents campaign signs over a year ago. Frazier, a Dallas police officer who first ran for the House last year with the backing of former President Donald Trump, has also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief. In pleading no contest to the first two charges, Frazier accepted a year of probation and a maximum $4,000 fine for each offense. Frazier separately pleaded guilty to the criminal mischief charge in McKinney municipal court, according to his lawyer, Robert Rogers. Rogers said Frazier paid a fine of less than $500 for that offense. Frazier is expected to leave the Dallas Police Department, where he has been on administrative leave amid an internal investigation. A department spokesperson, Kristin Lowman, said Tuesday morning Frazier "has submitted his intent to retire under investigation." Frazier will be dishonorably discharged, according to a voicemail that assistant Chief Monique Alex left his former opponent, Paul Chabot, on Tuesday. Chabot provided the Tribune audio of the voicemail. Lowman, the department spokesperson, declined to confirm Frazier will be dishonorably discharged. Frazier appeared Tuesday morning in a Collin County courtroom to enter the no-contest pleas. In a statement afterward, Frazier called the case a "very long and ridiculous process." "I am very happy to have this 2-year-old issue behind me," Frazier said. "At the end of the process, my record will remain clear. I remain committed to serving the people of Collin County." By pleading guilty to the misdemeanor charge instead of the felonies he was initially charged with Frazier can continue serving in the House. Felons cannot serve in elected office in Texas in most cases. Frazier is running for a second term and faces two primary challengers backed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is working to unseat House Republicans who voted to impeach him in May. Chabot said he was vindicated by the plea deal. Its been nearly two years since Mr. Frazier was first investigated for multiple crimes targeting my campaign, Chabot said in a statement. Eventually, the truth came out but not before he did incredible damage to himself, the office of a public figure, and that of a law enforcement officer using hundreds of thousands of dollars in mailers to lead voters to believe I was making up the criminal offenses. Chabot called the plea agreement a George Santos moment for Texas, referring to the former New York congressman who was indicted on allegations that he stole money from campaign donors. Chabot said the Texas House should expel Frazier, like the U.S. House booted Santos last week Frazier was indicted in June 2022 on two charges of impersonating a public servant, which is a third-degree felony. The indictment accused Frazier of impersonating a McKinney city code enforcement employee on two occasions to instruct people to "remove campaign signage. Chabot said his signs were the ones targeted. At the time, Fraziers campaign called Chabot a liar. He was indicted weeks after winning his runoff election in May. Despite his legal woes, Frazier won the general election in November and was sworn in to the House in January of this year. The case was repeatedly delayed this year as lawmakers went through a regular session and four special sessions. Frazier claimed multiple legislative continuances, which allow lawmakers to postpone cases they are involved in until 30 days after the Legislature is done meeting. Prior to the plea deal, the case was scheduled to finally go to trial on Dec. 11. Frazier represents House District 61, a Republican-friendly seat in northern Collin County outside Dallas. He has long made clear he is seeking reelection despite the criminal case, announcing his bid for a second term months ago. He is among the dozens of House Republicans that Paxton is working to defeat after the House impeached him on abuse-of-office allegations in May. The Senate acquitted him in September. Frazier has two primary challengers, Chuck Branch and Keresa Richardson, who have received Paxtons backing. Gov. Greg Abbott recently backed Frazier for reelection as part of a blanket endorsement of dozens of House Republicans who sided with Abbott in favor of school vouchers. Both of Fraziers primary challengers responded to the news of the plea deal by calling for his resignation. We do not need criminals in public office, Richardson said. If Frazier was willing to lie to get into office, he cannot be trusted to tell the truth while in office. If Frazier was willing to destroy others property to get into office, he cannot be trusted to protect our public property while in office. And if Frazier was willing to break the law to get into office, he cannot be trusted to uphold the law while in office. Nepal has urged the Russian government to stop recruiting Nepalese citizens into its army, amid growing reports of Nepalese mercenaries being killed while fighting in Ukraine, the Kathmandu Post reported on Dec. 5. The Nepal government has so far confirmed the deaths of at least six Nepali nationals who were serving in the Russian army in Ukraine, the Kathmandu Post said. The government lacks accurate data on how many of its citizens are currently fighting for Russia, but Milan Raj Tuladhar, the Nepalese ambassador to Moscow, told the newspaper that up to 200 have served in the Russian army. "We have urged the Russian government to discourage entry and recruitment of Nepali nationals," Tuladhar said. Tuladhar has also asked the Nepal government "to take stringent measures to curb smuggling of Nepali citizens to Russia." Many Nepali citizens arrive in Russia on student and tourist visas, and then join the Russian army, the Kathmandu Post reported. The case mirrors that of Cuba, which in September uncovered a human trafficking ring aimed at recruiting people to fight for Russia in Ukraine. The Nepalese Foreign Ministry released a statement in August, urging its citizens not to travel abroad to fight in "war-torn countries." Nepalese law permits its citizens to serve in the Indian and British armies. The British Brigade of Gurkhas, which has existed for over 200 years, is solely made up of Nepalese fighters. The U.K.'s Defense Ministry reported in September that Russia was trying to recruit foreigners to avoid announcing a new mobilization before the presidential elections, which are to be held in 2024. Im afraid well never find them: Russia holds thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostage In the early days of the full-scale invasion as Russian troops were occupying large swaths of territory outside of Kyiv, one local village resident was relieved to see what he thought were Ukrainian troops. The resident, Ivan Drozd, shouted the common Ukrainian salute Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Uk The Kyiv IndependentAlexander Khrebet Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian forces struck several Russian military facilities in occupied Crimea with drones early on Dec. 5, Hromadske media outlet reported, citing its anonymous sources in law enforcement. One of the facilities targeted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the countrys military intelligence agency (HUR) was the Marine Oil Terminal in Feodosiia, Hromadskes source said. There are about 30 fuel tanks on the territory of the facility, which provides fuel for the Russian military, the source said, adding that the consequences of the Ukrainian attack were "quite significant." Russian Telegram channel Baza previously reported that two drones had attempted to strike the oil terminal at around 5 a.m. Moscow time. However, according to Baza, Russian air defenses shot down both drones and their debris allegedly fell on the facilitys territory. This Week in Ukraine: Is the counteroffensive almost over? on Apple Podcasts Show This Week in Ukraine, Ep Is the counteroffensive almost over? - 22 Sept 2023 Apple Podcasts On the same morning, the SBU also hit a Nebo-M radar system near the village of Baherove in eastern Crimea, as well as a military helicopter parking lot, a P-18 Terek radar complex, and the control system of the Baikal-1M anti-aircraft missile units elsewhere in the peninsula, another source told Hromadske. Kyiv hasnt issued any official comments on the alleged drone strikes in Crimea. Russian Defense Ministry claimed earlier that its forces had intercepted 41 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and the Azov Sea overnight and in the morning on Dec. 5. The ministrys claim couldn't be independently verified. Over the recent months, Russian-occupied Crimea saw an uptick in Ukrainian attacks in an attempt to disrupt Russian logistics and derail its southern defenses. A strike on Crimea on Nov. 10 resulted in the sinking of two Russian high-speed landing crafts by a Ukrainian surface drone. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Megyn Kelly made headlines in 2015 when she confronted Donald Trump at a presidential debate. Now as the fourth GOP primary debate approaches, she could have another starpower moment as moderator but it will have to be without the former president. Kelly, a lawyer-turned-journalist, was moderating her first presidential debate when Mr Trump, a real-estate-mogul-turned-politician, was competing in his first GOP primary debate. In this potent interaction, their paths changed forever. The exchange made her into something of a cultural icon and boosted her career, at least temporarily, while it set the tone for his soon-to-be successful campaign. She is a lawyer, hes in legal trouble. He was accused of sexual misconduct, while she was allegedly the victim of someone elses. At almost every intersection, they are coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, but have each, separately, carved out a niche rightwing audience. And when they come together, no one can turn away. On 6 December, the duelling duo could have had a chance to go head-to-head again but Mr Trump refuses to participate. Wednesdays forum will mark the fourth debate that the former president has skipped. He previously explained his decision to not participate in any of the GOP debates on Truth Social: The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had. Instead of attending the debate, Mr Trump will be hosting a private fundraiser in Florida, NBC News reported. NewsNation will broadcast the debate at 8pm ET. It will be moderated by Kelly, NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas and The Washington Free Beacons editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson. No stranger to making headlines Long before the feud, the journalist made plenty of headlines in her own right. Kelly joined Fox News in 2004 and rapidly ascended the networks ranks. Her star was rising at Fox and she seemed poised to become the next OReilly or Hannity, said Joe Muto, a former Fox News producer who later came out as the Fox mole. After appearing on numerous programs, she hosted her own show, The Kelly File, from 2013 through 2017. She quickly became a household name both because of her pointed reporting style and some notable controversies. While covering the 2012 election, Kelly made headlines after essentially telling Bushs White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove to face the facts after he challenged Barack Obamas projected victory in Ohio. In 2013, she made waves again after claiming that both Santa Claus and Jesus were white, taking issue with a viral Slate essay that revisited the image of Santa. Then, of course, in 2015, Kelly made headlines for her heated exchange with Mr Trump at the first GOP debate. The feud that launched a thousand feuds In the infamous first Republican debate in August 2015, Kelly began: Youve called women you dont like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Only Rosie ODonnell, Mr Trump interjected. Kelly continued, Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about womens looks, before listing examples. You once told a contestant on the Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president? she asked. I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct, Mr Trump replied. What I say is what I say, and honestly, Megyn, if you dont like it, Im sorry. Ive been very nice to you, although I could probably, maybe not, be based on the way youve treated me, but I wouldnt do that. Fox News and the fallout of the feud The aftermath of the exchange did not ease any tensions. There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever, Mr Trump said on ABC News, later clarifying that he had meant her nose when he said wherever. Mr Muto argued that her feud with Mr Trump turned the Fox News audience against her. Although the former Fox producer said that her question was not out of bounds, the GOP favourites ire likely stemmed from the fact that Trump does not often find himself questioned by a woman who is sort of hostile toward him. Whatever momentum she had, he completely halted, he told The Independent. Trump was mostly responsible for derailing Megyn Kellys career at Fox. Mark Lukasiewicz, who produced 10 presidential forums and is now the dean of Hofstra Universitys Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, had a different perspective. While he agreed that the interaction may have temporarily derailed her career in conservative media, Mr Lukasiewicz said the moment gave her a broader level of credibility and complimented her question and her ability to ask it. Her bosses, at least eventually, seemed to take Mr Trumps side. Insiders at Fox told New York Magazine at the time that the network had been bombarded with pro-Trump emails. One source told the outlet that the emails were vastly anti-Kelly: Roger [Ailes] was not happy. Most of the Fox viewers were taking Trumps side. Days after the debate, Mr Trump tweeted that Ailes called him, assuring that he will be treated fairly. But by early 2016, efforts toward diplomacy seemed to have failed; Mr Trump refused to participate in a subsequent debate moderated by Kelly. Their personal feelings aside, the feud buoyed both of their ratings. Her shows viewership increased in the weeks and months that followed the debate, reports at the time revealed; his ratings also skyrocketed. Months later, in May 2016, she then sat down with the Republican frontrunner in a one-on-one interview. The interview focused on his personal life including his relationship with her. Lets talk about us, she began, before patching things up between them by asking about his feelings. After the interview, Mr Trump tweeted: Well, that is it. Well done Megyn and they all lived happily ever after! Their paths crossed once again, as both were entwined in the #MeToo movement for different reasons. Just one month before the 2016 election, Mr Trump faced an October surprise: the release of the Access Hollywood tape. The clip sparked massive outrage as well as a barrage of sexual misconduct accusations against the GOP nominee. Seemingly unfazed by the allegations, he was elected president. Meanwhile, Kelly reported her own #MeToo experience. Journalist Gretchen Carlson accused Ailes of sexually harassing her. Kelly initially refused to discuss matters until Fox News completed its investigation, according to Time, but later wrote in her memoir that Ailes had made sexual comments to me and offers of professional advancement in exchange for sexual favors. A new beginning As scandals consumed Fox News, Kelly left the network in 2017 to work at NBC, in part as an anchor of Megyn Kelly Today. Mr Muto called the change a play for mainstream relevance while Mr Lukasiewicz called it a deliberate moveto depoliticise her presence. Her stint was rocky and short-lived as multiple controversies bubbled up. Not long after her NBC career began, she was slammed for interviewing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. She also upset many viewers during an interview with the cast of Will & Grace and a so-called superfan, whom she asked: Is it true that you became a lawyer, and that you became gay, because of Will? The exchange prompted actress Debra Messing to say she was dismayed by Kellys remarks and regretted appearing on her programme. The apparent last straw for her NBC tenure occurred in October 2018 when she discussed the appropriateness of wearing blackface on Halloween. Days later, her morning show was cut. In January 2019, NBC confirmed that she was no longer a company employee. Not long after, Mr Trump suffered his own setback: he was defeated in 2020. Since then, he has become the subject of a slew of federal and state charges and lawsuits. At least one case harkened back to Kellys 2015 debate question; he was found liable for defaming and sexually assaulting E Jean Carroll. Whats next for Megyn Kelly? While Mr Trump leads in the 2024 polls, Kelly has been hosting a talk show on SiriusXM since 2020, which Mr Lukasiewicz called an overtly conservative opinion-based program. This past September, the pair reunited on Kellys show for a one-on-one interview, which boasted half a million views, a steep increase from most of her other episodes. After the interview, Mr Trump called the journalist nasty, while Kelly said their feud was under the bridge, TheHill reported. Mr Muto wondered if the RNC asked Kelly to moderate the debate to goad Mr Trump to return to the debate stage. Kelly also said she hoped to see the former president. Trump is TV gold, she told the DailyMail. Theres a reason people cant take their eyes off of him when he enters a room...so of course I would love to be part of any television program that has him on the opposite end. But Mr Trump will be notably absent once again. A Trump campaign spokesperson declined to comment on the decision to have Kelly moderate. He would have faced a panel of three women. Its been clear so far that Mr Trump doesnt need the debates to keep his lead in the 2024 race, but the question of whether Kelly needs him to achieve mainstream success again lingers. One man has been arrested and another is on the run after several ATMs were robbed across Gwinnett and Forsyth counties, according to police. Police say three separate ATMs and banks were hit in September and two men have now been named suspects. In total, investigators say Danzil Earl, 30, and Ronnie Lewis, 31, made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Sept. 9, officers were called to a bank on Jimmy Carter Blvd. in unincorporated Duluth where they learned two men robbed the ATM technician as he was repairing the machine. A few days later, detectives learned about a similar robbery at an ATM on Hampton Green in Duluth. On Sept. 22, a similar robbery occurred at a bank in Forsyth County. TRENDING STORIES: Investigators say they were able to use Flock cameras and social media to identify and charge Earl and Lewis. Earl was arrested and booked into the Gwinnett County Jail on Nov. 27 on one robbery charge. Lewis is currently on the run and has an active warrant for robbery. Anyone with details that could assist investigators should call them at 770-513-5300. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Finland plans to increase its artillery ammunition production in the next few weeks to arm Ukraine, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said in an interview with the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti published on Dec. 5. The announcement comes amid worries that the EU will fail on its promise to supply Ukraine with 1 million shells by March 2024, just as Russia is ramping up its defense budget. "We have finalized negotiations on how Finland will continue to increase its munition production to arm Ukraine," the minister said, adding that the final decision would likely be made before Christmas. "The plan to significantly boost the munition production is currently being published. The goal is to support Ukraine even more than before," Hakkanen commented. Finland plans to invest tens of millions of euros to hike the production, the minister said. According to Hakkanen, supporting Ukraine is a crucial issue for Helsinki. The Nordic country made appeals to NATO and the EU to convince larger European countries to also manufacture and supply more arms for Kyiv. The EU's plan to provide the 1 million shells has been plagued by bureaucracy and protectionism of individual countries. As of Nov. 30, 480,000 shells less than half of the promised amount have been delivered or are on their way, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Helsinki announced its 20th military aid package for Ukraine worth 100 million euros ($109 million) on Nov. 17, adding to the total of $1.6 billion in defense assistance pledged since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. The Finnish government also proposed changes to the 2024 draft budget later in November to boost aid capacities for Ukraine. Von der Leyen: 480,000 EU-made shells delivered or on way to Ukraine As part of the European Unions ammunition procurement program, 480,000 artillery shells have been either delivered (to Ukraine) or are on the pipeline, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Nov. 30. The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Rishi Sunak has been warned that overriding the European Convention on Human Rights would be a 'red line' for some Tory MPs - Leon Neal/Getty Images Rishi Sunak faces up to 10 ministers quitting if he adopts a hardline approach on Rwanda and uses emergency legislation to circumvent the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The MPs identified on a list being circulated by party whips are largely from the One Nation group of more than 100 centrist Conservatives, who issued a warning on Tuesday that overriding the convention would be a red line. According to Whitehall sources, emergency legislation declaring Rwanda safe for asylum seekers was due to be presented to Parliament on Wednesday after James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, signed a new asylum treaty with the central African state on Tuesday. But the legislation is now thought unlikely to be published before Thursday amid wrangling within the Government over how tough it should be. Speaking in Rwanda, Mr Cleverly said the emergency legislation would come before Parliament soon, adding that he could see no reason why migrants could not be sent from the UK to Rwanda in the coming months. He told broadcasters: Weve addressed the issues that the Supreme Court put forward, so I cannot see any reason why there should be further obstructions to doing what is the right thing to do, which is to support Rwanda as they deal with this international issue. The Bill was announced as part of the Prime Ministers plans to get flights to Rwanda up and running in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that the policy was unlawful. One group within the Tory party, understood to include Cabinet ministers, is pushing for the legislation to stick to existing domestic and international human rights commitments. Damian Green, a former deputy prime minister and the chairman of the One Nation group, said on Tuesday: The Government should think twice before overriding both the ECHR and Human Rights Act and not rush such long-term, difficult decisions. However, Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, has been pushing for the toughest version of the legislation, which would remove the right of judicial review and include notwithstanding clauses allowing ministers to ignore the Human Rights Act and the ECHR on asylum. The Telegraph understands that one option being considered by Number 10 to resolve the impasse would give ministers reserve powers in the legislation. These powers would allow them to ignore ECHR rulings if the court attempted to block the Rwanda policy, but would mean the Bill would not state that this was automatically the case. This would be in addition to powers to disapply the Human Rights Act in asylum claims. On Tuesday, during his first monthly question time in the House of Lords, Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, said Parliament should be able to pass legislation that blocked ECHR judgments that the Government disagreed with. Citing his battle with Strasbourg over its attempts to give prisoners voting rights, he said: They said it was absolutely essential that we legislated instantly to give prisoners the vote and I said I didnt think that was the case, I think that should be settled by the Houses of Parliament, and the ECHR backed down. So that sort of flexibility may well be necessary in the future. However, it is understood that Mr Jenrick is continuing to hold out for the hardline approach and is fighting a rearguard action in talks over the legislation. The Rwanda Bill is still being worked on. Decisions havent been made, said a government source. Mr Jenrick is backed by three groups on the Right of the party the New Conservatives, the European Research Group (ERG) and the Common Sense Group, led by Sir John Hayes, a close ally of Suella Braverman, the former home secretary. MPs from the three groups met on Monday and Tuesday to discuss tactics if the Prime Minister steps back from the full fat approach. They are expected to lay amendments to implement the toughest option, which they believe is the only way to get flights off to Rwanda. Blower cartoon Mark Francois, the ERG chairman, said the groups star chamber of lawyers would scrutinise the legislation before MPs vote on it, adding: They will look at the question of whether it fully respects parliamentary sovereignty and whether it contains unambiguous wording that would facilitate planes taking off to Rwanda. He told Mr Sunak it would be unwise to bounce Parliament into backing the legislation without giving MPs a chance to properly assess it. However, Matt Warman, a leading member of the One Nation group, said: Overriding the ECHR is a red line for a number of Conservatives. Protecting and reforming institutions and upholding human rights should be the cornerstone of any Conservative government. Stephen Hammond, another key figure in the group, said Mondays net migration package showed the Government could be tough on immigration without leaving the ECHR. Moderates and mainstream Conservative MPs may struggle to support a so-called full-fat deal, he added. 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 director of the Miss Nicaragua beauty pageant has been charged with treason for an alleged plot to take down the Nicaraguan government. Karen Celebertti, who has directed Nicaraguas beauty pageant since 2001, was charged with conspiracy against the government. Authorities said on Friday they wanted to arrest Ms Celebertti for allegedly fixing the competition to favour anti-government beauty queens and turning pageants into political traps and political ambushes, financed by foreign agents. Ms Celebertti, a former beauty queen, was also charged with money laundering and spreading fake news. Her husband and son have also been detained on conspiracy charges dating back five years, after being arrested at their home in the capital Managua. Karen Celebertti was charged with alleged conspiracy against the government (Karen Celebertti via Instagram) The charges come after photos emerged of Sheynnis Palacio, who last month became the first Miss Nicaragua to win Miss Universe, participating in mass anti-government protests in 2018. Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega initially celebrated her win as a moment of legitimate joy and pride but has reportedly since turned on the 23-year-old since the photos went viral on social media. The photos, which were posted on Ms Palacios personal Facebook page, are said to have enraged Mr Ortega, who, it is claimed, then decided to press charges against Ms Celebertti. Police claimed Ms Celebertti actively participated in organising the 2018 protests and had remained in contact with the traitors employing them in hosting pageants. Sheynnis Palacio became the first Miss Nicaragua to win Miss Universe (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) The right to protest was outlawed in Nicaragua following the 2018 protests, which lasted for three months and which authorities blamed on foreign interference. The protests saw more than 320 people killed by government forces, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Despite violent suppression of protestors by the government, many defied the ban following Ms Palacios win in November, with protesters taking to the streets to celebrate, waving the national blue and white flag, a symbol of protest and a jailable offence, instead of Mr Ortegas red and black Sandinista banner. Ms Palacios was also seen wearing a white dress and blue cape during the Miss Universe ceremony, which some interpreted as a reference to the banned flag. In these days of a new victory, we are seeing the evil, terrorist commentators making a clumsy and insulting attempt to turn what should be a beautiful and well-deserved moment of pride into destructive coup-mongering, said Mr Ortegas wife and vice president Rosario Murillo. Ms Palacios has not been named in any charges and is currently living in New York, according to reports. Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) She has not made any public statement about Nicaraguan politics since moving and her Facebook page has also been taken down. Meanwhile, Ms Celebertti is also believed to be abroad right now after flying to Mexico following the Miss Universe pageant in November. She has now been banned from entering Nicaragua. Mr Ortega has been accused of using extrajudicial killings and torture to cement his rule, according to Freedom House. He has jailed opposition leaders, imprisoned Catholic clergy and cracked down on media freedoms since he became president in 2007. In January last year, he won a fourth consecutive term in a vote the United States branded a pantomime election. The Independent has contacted Ms Palacio for comment. Ms Celebertti was unable to be reached. Sunak and Netanyahu in Red Sea safety talks after missile strikes on two UK ships by Iran-backed Houthi rebels Rishi Sunak has held talks with Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on safety in the Red Sea after two UK ships were hit in missile attacks. In a readout of the meeting, No10 said: The leaders shared their concerns about increasing attacks by Houthi militants, supported by Iran, against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea. The Prime Minister stressed the UKs commitment to freedom of navigation and highlighted the deployment this week of HMS Diamond, a Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer, to bolster deterrence in the region and keep trade routes flowing. He also said the UK would continue to support efforts to de-escalate tensions and address the threat on Israels northern border with Lebanon. The two Prime Ministers also discussed in the talks on Tuesday Israels military action in Gaza, getting more aid into the largely besieged strip, enabling Britons to getout, and efforts to free hostages. The missile strikes on the two UK ships in the Red Sea have triggered plans for a US-led maritime task force. The White House said America may establish a naval task force to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea after three vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-back Houthi rebels in Yemen. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said America has been in active conversations with allies about setting up the escorts though nothing is finalised, describing it as a natural response to the missile strikes. Britain would be expected to take part in such a task force, with HMS Diamond having been deployed to the region to bolster the Royal Navy's presence there. The Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS Carney responded to distress calls from three merchant ships which had come under attack on Sunday. The two UK-owned vessels were the Unity Explorer and Number 9, with the third ship being the Sophie II. No casualties were reported. The missiles which hit the ships were reportedly fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Iran backs the Houthi rebels. USS Central Command said: "These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardised the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. "We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners." Britains Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: I strongly condemn the outrageous and unlawful attacks on ships by Iran backed Houthi militants. The UK is committed to protecting maritime security & deterring escalation, with HMS Diamond deploying to the region as part of the UKs efforts to ensure regional stability. Iran has denied it was behind the attacks which hiked concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spiral into a wider Middle East war. But Mr Sullivan said that while the Houthis had their finger on the trigger, the groups Iranian sponsors were ultimately responsible. The weapons here are being supplied by Iran, he stressed. Iran, we believe, is the ultimate party responsible for this. He added that the US does not believe that all three of the ships struck by the Houthis had ties to Israel, saying, It goes to show you the level of recklessness that the Houthis are operating. HMS Diamond is joining HMS Lancaster, which deployed to the region last year, as well as three mine hunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship. Royal Navy vessels have been permanently deployed to the region since 1980 and since 2011 have fallen under Operation Kipion which is the UKs long-standing maritime presence in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Under the command of the UK Maritime Component Command in Bahrain, the British ships work with allies and partners across the region, including under the Combined Maritime Forces partnership. But America appeared to be proposing to strengthen escorts and other support for commercial vessels after the latest attacks. The Houthi missile strikes imperil traffic on one of the worlds most vital shipping lanes and with it global trade overall. The US Energy Information Administration says 8.8 million barrels of oil a day are shipped through the Red Sea and the narrow straits of the Bab al-Mandab within range of the Houthis, making it one of world trades most crucial chokepoints. The ships carry oil and natural gas from the Gulf to Europe, the United States and China. The Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are also part of a vital route for commercial shipping overall, carrying millions of tons of agricultural products and other goods to markets yearly. The Missouri State Board of Education on Tuesday tapped a Republican state senator to serve as the next commissioner for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. State Sen. Karla Eslinger, a Republican from Wasola in the southern part of the state, will start in the position in June after the end of this years legislative session. She will replace Margie Vandeven, the former commissioner who announced in October that she would be stepping down after two stints totaling more than seven years. Eslinger, in a statement, said her passion for education was the result of her childhood where the one constant in her life was school as he family faced poverty and moved a lot. Im certain my future would look very different if not for my public school education, she said. Children across Missouri depend on our schools in this same way, and I look forward to ensuring every child in our state receives the quality educational opportunities they deserve. The commissioner serves as the top executive of the states education department, overseeing the public education system. The state board of education is in charge of appointing the commissioner. Eslingers appointment comes at a crucial time as teacher pay and retention remain top issues in the state. Public school content has also been a flash point among conservatives in recent years as Republicans challenge race-based and LGBTQ lessons. Eslinger, first elected to the General Assembly in 2018, has a lengthy history in education, previously serving as an elementary school teacher and later a superintendent. She has degrees from The College of the Ozarks and Missouri State University and a doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia, according to her legislative bio. The Republican senator has previously filed legislation that would create an American patriotism education program. She also successfully sponsored legislation that relaxed the rules surrounding how people can obtain treatment from physical therapists. A former South Florida resident is behind bars in Pennsylvania after being accused of murdering two of her sons, one of whom was found over the weekend. Four years prior, she was charged with abusing their older brother in Broward. Quanesha Shaquella Monio Lindsey, 27, was charged Sunday with two counts of murder, strangulation and abuse of a corpse, according to Pennsylvania court records. Lindsey, whose address is now listed in Ambridge, a town half-an-hour northwest of Pittsburgh, is being held in jail without bond. According to the Beaver County Times, a local newspaper in Pennsylvania, officers said Lindsey confessed to strangling her 4-month-old son and admitted to suffocating her 2-year-old son in October. Investigators found the infant cold to the touch in a converted bedroom in the basement on Saturday, the newspaper reported. Lindsey initially told police that her child stopped moving and making noise at 5 a.m. that day. She later admitted, in a recorded interview, to strangling him and showed police how she did so with an infant-sized mannequin, according to the Beaver County Times. During that same interview, police said Lindsey also confessed to killing her 2-year-old on Oct. 21. The newspaper reported that Lindsey said she held the childs face down into a bed until he died. She reenacted the killing with a child-sized mannequin. According to the Beaver County Times, Lindsey told officers in October that she found her 2-year-old dead after putting him down for a nap. A investigation uncovered that Lindsey had sent several text messages about the childs death before reporting it to police. A history of abuse? There may have been a pattern of abuse years prior to the boys death, court records indicate. In 2019, Lindsey was arrested by Sunrise police after allegedly throwing her 2-year-old son against a metal bed post. According to court records, Lindsey wanted her toddler to come inside the apartment and watch TV. When he refused, she grabbed him by the back of his T-shirt, yanked him off the ground and shoved him inside the home. Lindsey then slammed his body against the bed post, causing his head to smack against the metal, police say. He cried uncontrollably. The toddler tried to run away, but Lindsey hurled him onto the bed, court records say. She then swung him by one of his legs, tossing him toward the bed post for a third time. After being arrested, Lindsey told police that she acted out due to her sons defiance. The child abuse charges against Lindsey were dismissed in July 2022. Just a month before, the assistant public defender representing Lindsey asked a Broward Mental Health Court judge to drop the case on the grounds that Lindsey was incompetent due to intellectual disability and mental illness. A defendant, according to the court filing, has a two-year period to become competent to stand trial before a case is dismissed, unless the state can prove that the defendant will once again become competent. The two-year period in Lindseys case was set to expire within a month at the time of her attorneys request. Its unknown whether the child involved in the 2019 Broward abuse case was under Lindseys care at the time of the killings. A local chapter of conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty is breaking away from the national organization after the husband of one of its co-founders was accused of rape, according to a report. Reports emerged last week that Chirstian Ziegler, Floridas GOP chairman and the spouse of MfL co-founder Bridget Ziegler, was accused of rape by a woman who had previously had a longstanding consensual three-way sexual relationship with the Zieglers, according to the Florida Center for Government Accountability. Now the local chapter of MfL in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, is breaking off from the national organization in the wake of the accusations. Its hard to advocate for parental rights when the co-founder is caught up in the scandal, Clarissa Paige, the chapter chair, told The News-Item. Our values are not aligning with the national organization. Read it at The News-Item Read more at The Daily Beast. Nation lauded for contribution to human rights cause 08:39, December 05, 2023 By Yao Yuxin ( China Daily Padma Choling, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, speaks at a seminar to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 4, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has earned global trust through its inclusivity, and China's historic achievements in human rights offer a unique model for upholding the spirit of the document, officials and experts said at a seminar on Monday in Beijing. Amid the 75th anniversary of the declaration, which falls on Dec 10, the China Society for Human Rights Studies held a seminar to commemorate the milestone document. "Over the past 75 years, China has consistently been a contributor, advocate and practitioner of the declaration," said Padma Choling, director of the society and former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. "Today, revisiting the spirit of the declaration is about clarifying the coordinates and direction of global human rights governance, better fostering world peace, and promoting shared development," he said. The declaration is the world's most translated document, rendered in over 500 languages, with continual updates. Experts said the formulation of the declaration, which has involved the active participation of Western countries and developing countries, including those in Asia and Africa, can be viewed as an excellent example of exchanges and mutual learning. This photo taken on Dec 4, 2023 shows a scene at a seminar to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Beijing, capital of China. [Photo/Xinhua] Based on the Confucian concept of ren (benevolence), Zhang Pengchun (1892-1957), who served as vice-chairman of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, introduced the term liangxin (conscience) in the first article of the declaration. Lu Guangjin, a professor at Jilin University's School of Law, said, "An absence of contributors from diverse cultural and civilizational backgrounds, and a lack of inclusive coexistence between different cultures and civilizations would have made the birth of the declaration impossible." Some Western countries tend to politicize, instrumentalize and weaponize human rights, adopting an adversarial rather than cooperative stance toward human rights, which poses numerous challenges to ensuring fundamental human rights and advancing the well-being of humanity, Lu said. Qi Yanping, a professor at Beijing Institute of Technology's School of Law, said that under the pretext of "human rights above sovereignty", some Western nations exploit human rights concerns to meddle in other countries' internal affairs, resulting in recurring conflicts and enduring unrest. Participants listen to a speech at a seminar to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 4, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] "War stands as the archenemy of human rights, and conflict represents the greatest threat to human rights," Qi said. Fu Zitang, head of Southwest University of Political Science and Law's Human Rights Institute, said that China proposing the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative stands as a constructive solution to address human rights deficits and enhance global human rights governance. Fu said that China promotes human rights through development, safeguards them through security and advances human rights through cooperation, which contributes to global peace and security. Liu Huawen, executive director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Human Rights, said the declaration is universal, applying to all nations regardless of size, strength or wealth. It is powerful not due to material resources or substantial enforcement, but because of its representation of the common ideals and goals of all humanity, "giving it enduring vitality, extensive influence and timeless inspiration", Liu said. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Northumberland County Central Pennsylvania Covered Bridge Moms For Liberty Stickers Quote We Are Just Getting Started The Northumberland County chapter of Moms for Liberty in Pennsylvania has announced its separation from the national organization to form the Northumberland County Academic Alliance. This development, reported by The News Item, comes after several scandals surrounding the group. The chapters chair, Clarissa Paige, is seeking nonprofit status for the new group, which will continue to focus on parental rights in schools. According to Paige, the decision to break away was influenced by allegations of rape against Christian Ziegler, Floridas GOP chairman and husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler. The accusations against Ziegler surfaced last week after the Florida Center for Government Accountability released a police report and search warrant affidavits detailing the allegations. Ziegler, denying the allegations, has insisted that he will not resign from his position. Paige expressed that advocating for parental rights becomes challenging when associated with a co-founder embroiled in a scandal. According to The News Item, she emphasized that the Northumberland County chapters values did not align with those of the national organization. The local chapter, formed by Paige in April 2022, has been active in ensuring the local school board and community leaders aligned with their views. Christian Ziegler is accused of being involved in a sexual battery investigation and a previously consensual three-way sexual relationship with the victim and Bridget, adding to the controversy surrounding the Zieglers, prominent figures in Floridas Republican Party. Bridget Ziegler, a vocal supporter of the states dont say gay law, has also faced scrutiny for her reported involvement in these personal matters and the incredible level of hypocrisy demonstrated by the revelations. The Northumberland County chapter has been vocal against certain aspects of school curriculum, including social-emotional learning and critical race theory, and has opposed mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, The News Item reports. The Southern Poverty Law Center that Moms for Liberty is an anti-government hate group that promotes hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community. Recently, members of the group were removed from their leadership positions after posing for photos with members of the neo-fascist group The Proud Boys. MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) A $10,000 reward is being offered to help solve a mans death 16 years later in Monroe County. According to the Monroe County Office of the District Attorney, Tuesday marks the 16th anniversary of the brutal murder of 22-year-old Lee Vanluvender. Police say Vanluvender was shot to death in a parking area on Hipsy Gap Road in Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County on December 4, 2007. Arrest made after Luzerne County stabbing Investigators believe between 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. the victim had been deer hunting in the area and was shot near his vehicle. The case remains open and a $10,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the party(s) responsible for Vanluvenders death. The public is asked to contact Detective Craig VanLouvender of the Monroe County District Attorneys Office by phone (570-517-3152) or email (cvanlouvender@monroecountypa.gov) with any information that could further the investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, has said the Conservatives must be punished at the ballot box - Daniel Leal/Getty Images More people who voted Conservative in 2019 plan to back Reform UK at the next general election than Labour, a poll has found. Just over half (55 per cent) of those who backed the Tories under Boris Johnson in 2019 plan to do so again under Rishi Sunak, according to research from Redfield & Wilton Strategies. Fifteen per cent of 2019 Conservative voters plan to back Reform, which is to the Right of the Tories on issues including net zero and legal and illegal immigration. Despite Labour having a national poll lead of around 20 points, only 13 per cent of those surveyed said they planned to support Sir Keir Starmers party. The figures suggest many voters in Red Wall constituencies traditional Labour seats that backed the Tories for the first time in 2019 could continue to reject the official opposition. Nationally, Reform is polling at around 10 per cent, and was the third largest party outperforming the Liberal Democrats in data published by BMG on Monday. Richard Tice, the Reform leader, has pledged to stand candidates in every seat at the next election and argued the Conservatives must be punished at the ballot box. The amount of votes picked up by Mr Tices party was bigger than the Labour majorities at the Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth by-elections in October, effectively costing the Conservatives both seats. A separate poll by JL Partners on Monday found that 15 per cent of 2019 Tory voters intend to switch to Reform. The partys policies include adopting net zero immigration, which would mean the number of people entering the United Kingdom could not exceed the amount who leave, cutting corporation tax and income tax and nationalising half of major utility companies to stop consumers being ripped off. Mr Tice last month claimed he had held numerous discussions with Conservative MPs including frontbenchers, who he said were furious about the Governments failure to tackle Channel migrant crossings. He told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: Im very happy to confirm that Ive had numerous discussions with a number of Tory MPs, ministers, former ministers, who are absolutely furious with the complete betrayal of the Governments promises, furious with the failure to stop the boats, furious with opening the borders to mass immigration. 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 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change takes place on 30 to Dec. 12 2023 in Expo City Dubai. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Credit - Beata Zawrzel/NurPhotoGetty Images More than 70,000 people are gathering at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this week, a temporary population larger than the permanent one that lives in Asheville, N.C. The COP28 attendees include government officials, climate scientists, climate activists, Indigenous peoples and, increasingly, fossil fuel lobbyistsa lot of fossil fuel lobbyists. According to the advocacy group Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO), the number of industry representatives pushing Big Oils case at this years U.N. Conference of the Parties (COP) has nearly quintupled in the past three years. In 2021, at the COP26 gathering in Glasgow, Scotland, there were 503 fossil fuel lobbyists present. That increased to 636 at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2022, before ballooning to a whopping 2,456 this year in Dubai. According to KBPO, this years number easily exceeds the 1,509 passes issued to delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations combined, including Somalia, Chad, and the Solomon Islands. The fossil fuel industrys outsized presence at the climate negotiations also comes as new data show global carbon emissions continue to rise. The numbers can be crunched in other ways tooall of them unsettling. In the past 20 years, for example, representatives of major polluters have attended climate talks more than 7,200 times. This years claque of 2,456 lobbyists is outnumbered only by the 3,081-strong delegation sent by Brazil (which is expected to host COP30 in 2025) and the 4,409 registered by the United Arab Emirates itself. Read more: What Happens When You Put a Fossil Fuel Exec in Charge of Solving Climate Change Geography plays a troubling role too. Of the top 20 trade groups attending COP28, all come from the global north, illustrating the disproportionate impact the decisions made and the actions taken by that half of the planet have on the climate health of the global south. And then, too, there is the business of demographics, with powerfuland generally olderlobbyists making decisions and wielding influence that will have their biggest impact on the generations to follow. Oil and gas companies have spent decades delaying climate action and continue to do so at these talks in record numbers, said George Carew-Jones, a spokesperson for the YOUNGO youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in a statement. They talk about being our saviors whilst only increasing oil and gas production and profits. The young people of the world cannot rely on therm to safeguard our future. Write to Jeffrey Kluger at jeffrey.kluger@time.com. Nearly 60 percent of Americans living in the Midwest and surrounding states say they will not get the new COVID-19 vaccine this year, according to a survey from Emerson College Polling. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an updated new COVID-19 booster in September, targeting currently circulating variants of the disease. But more than three years since the onset of the pandemic, fewer Americans are opting to get booster shots. Only 16 percent of U.S. adults have gotten the newest vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Emerson College survey found Americans overall are split down the middle on whether to get the updated vaccine with 51 percent nationally choosing not to. In the survey, 57 percent of respondents in the midwest and surrounding states said they would not get the booster. Americans in Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado and Iowa aligned with national attitudes toward the new shot with about half of the residents in each state saying they would probably forgo the new vaccine. Wyoming has the largest percentage of residents who will most likely skip the new shot, with 74 percent of survey respondents saying as much. Over 65 percent of residents in North Dakota, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia and Idaho also say they will probably not get the booster, according to survey findings. Many of the states with large percentages of residents who said they wont get the new vaccine also hold negative opinions about the public health information available in their state. In Wyoming and Idaho, 37 percent of survey respondents said their states government agencies have a poor quality of public health information, according to the poll. These findings should be a wake-up call to health communicators, as we can no longer rely on mandates and must engage people in real conversations to encourage them to vaccinate themselves and their families, said Kenneth Rabin, a scholar at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy which commissioned the survey. Health experts are urging all Americans over the age of six months to get the updated vaccine to protect themselves from the virus as the country heads into peak respiratory illness season. Heres the bottom line: COVID-19 vaccine uptake is lower than wed like to see, and most people will be without the added protection that can reduce the severity of COVID-19, the CDC said in an update on the virus last month. Over 1,500 registered voters took part in Emerson College Polling national survey which was conducted between Oct. 16-17. About 500 residents in 22 states also took part in the schools statewide surveys, which were conducted between Oct.1-4. The margin of error for each survey ranges between 3.98 percent and 4.6 percent. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A mother has been killed in a shark attack after she tried to save her five-year-old daughter on a beach in Mexico. Maria Fernandez Martinez Jimene died of blood loss after her leg was ripped off during the horrific incident. The 26 year-old was swimming off Melaque beach in the state of Jalisco on Saturday when the attack took place. Local authorities said she had been helping her daughter to safety on a floating platform about 65ft off shore. Videos on social media surfaced over the weekend, appearing to show rescue efforts and people shouting shes lost her leg. The civil protection service in Cihuatlan, the region the beach is in, said officers received a report of a person with difficulty getting out of the sea. The attack happened on Melaque Beach in Mexico (Alamy Stock Photo) A statement read: Upon arrival, a female is seen without vital signs and one of her legs severed, apparently caused by a shark attack. Local authorities issued warnings to locals and closed several beaches in the area. Cihuatlans municipal government said: Following the terrible incident off one of our beaches, our priority is guaranteeing the safety and wellbeing of all our citizens. Thats why weve decided on a precautionary measure of banning access to beaches until further notice. We are working in collaboration with the appropriate authorities to evaluate the situation and take the necessary measures to guarantee security on our beaches. Ms Martinez Jimenez was a marine biology a student at University of Guadalajara. Her child was reportedly unharmed. Friends and family took to social media to share their grief following her tragic death. One friend wrote: I want to express my condolences, love and support to the Martinez Arreguin family, for the sensitive passing of Maria Fernanda Martinez Jimenez. I accompany in your pain and sorrow to this great family that I appreciate as my own, especially at this moment to my great friend Angel Martinez. I am with you all. Ibae, Rest In Peace. Shark attacks are rare in the region. Local government officials said that there had been no record of an incident on the beaches of Jalisco in 60 years. They added that they are planning to install surveillance towers on the beaches and said the beaches will remain closed until Friday. It comes after an American bride was killed by a shark while paddleboarding in Bahamas on Monday morning, after tying the knot on Sunday. Read the full story on The Backfire News Motorcycle Rider Learns Wet Pavement Is Bad For Fleeing Police Flashing red and white lights on a motorcycle quickly caught the attention of an Arkansas trooper, proving that if you want to get pulled over just use something like that on your bike. The bad decisions made by the rider didnt stop there. When the trooper tried pulling him over, this guy decided to go for it in the rain, showing everyone he skipped riding lessons. Missing motorcyclist miraculously found in a ditch days after he went missing. First off, something we notice in so many police chase videos is how suspects leave their turn signal on, sometimes for miles. This guy does it too. It could be theyre super nervous. Its also possible they think the cop is going to get faked out and think theyre turning. But its also a possibility these geniuses are like the old lady in the Buick who does the same thing after leaving an uproarious bingo game. Thats not all that makes us think this guy doesnt really know how to ride. Like so many novices, he doesnt get weight transfer, something which if youre going to ditch the fuzz you might want to master first. He also handles the bike like hes the stiffest person on the planet. Maybe its the nerves because a cop is trying to pull him over and hes made the poor decision to run, but the result is his lack of fluid control makes the motorcycle behave in jarring ways. But by far the best part of this rather short chase is how the rider PITs himself after flying through an intersection. Its obvious from the troopers dashcam the crossroad is crowned, so the suspect might have caught some air. That in turn caused him to lose control. Had he been looser he might have stuck the landing and kept going no problem. Stiff-arming it didnt work out so great. So remember kids, dont run from the police. But if you are going to run from cops on your bike in the rain, you better be a damn good rider or youre going to eat pavement like this genius. The Panola County Sheriffs Office confirmed that 29 dogs were seized by the office Saturday night, after busting a dogfighting ring outside of Como, Miss. At a residence on Rayburn Road, the sheriff's office said deputies were able to seize 13 vehicles that were at the scene and whose owners or occupants were participating in the dog fighting. Damien Smoot, 37, of Como was arrested and charged with dogfighting, which is a felony. Smoot is the homeowner of the residence where the operation took place, according to the office. The sheriff's office said in this ongoing investigation, more arrests are expected to be made. Blue lights on a police squad vehicle. Many of the dogs were found in "various stages of health" and had scars from previous fights, according to a press release from the Panola County Sheriff's Office. "The PCSO is working with other entities to ensure these dogs get the best available care," the news release said. Animal abuse in Carroll County: Mississippi couple indicted for bestiality President of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy Wayne Pacelle said he applauds the sheriff's office for "cracking down" on a dogfighting operation. "Dogfighting is one of the most despicable crimes, and whenever it's uncovered, people rightly ask how anyone could be so cruel and ruthless," Pacelle said. "Only with this kind of strenuous enforcement will we see the demise of dogfighting in our nation." This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Panola County Sheriff's Office seizes 29 MS dogs from dogfight ring TEHRAN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday called on the Caspian Sea's littoral states to demonstrate a "collective determination" to halt the decline in the water level of the world's largest lake. He made the remarks in an address to the annual summit of the foreign ministers of the five Caspian Sea littoral states, namely Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, in the Russian capital Moscow, according to a statement posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website. "At present, we are faced with numerous environmental threats and challenges, the resolution of which needs collective cooperation among the five (Caspian Sea) littoral states," Amir-Abdollahian said. He added the Caspian Sea's declining water level was one of the most important challenges, for which he blamed human and non-human factors, such as the decrease in the water level of the rivers flowing into the lake, climate change as well as the construction of dams, reservoirs and industrial and agricultural facilities on the inflowing rivers' routes. The continuous decline in the Caspian Sea's water level over the past few years had had negative impacts on the port and shipping facilities as well as the lake's ecosystem, aquatic animals and unique wetlands and had led to a rise in the pollutants' level in coastal provinces. "Addressing the challenge definitely requires the five littoral states' collective determination," he said, calling on the High-Level Working Group for the Caspian Sea to, in cooperation with the relevant authorities and organizations of the littoral states, place the issue high on its agenda by adopting a scientific and operational approach. In August, the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) warned of a significant decline in the water level of the Caspian Sea over the past years, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency. The ISA studies based on satellite images demonstrated that during the past years, particularly the past 24 months, the northern part of the Caspian Sea had seen an advancement of the coastline due to a decrease in its water level, while its southern part remained little changed, Tasnim quoted ISA Spokesman Hossein Dalirian as reporting. Quoting an Iranian environmental official Mojtaba Zoljoudi, Tasnim said the Caspian Sea's water level had decreased by 26 centimeters during the 12-month period to March 2023 and by nearly two meters since 1996. The report blamed the shrinkage of the Volga River's water flow into the Caspian Sea as a primary reason for the decline in the lake's water level. Detectives in Melbourne were out Sunday night searching for the shooters who fired dozens of rounds in at least two locations, leaving one person wounded and residents concerned. Two other locations police responded to for gunfire reports later proved to be unfounded, police reported. It was the latest in a series of shootings to take place in Brevard from Mims to Palm Bay over the last month. The latest shootings began at about 8 p.m. Sunday. One person suffered a non-life-threatening injury in one of the Melbourne shootings, police reported. Detectives in Melbourne are searching for the shooters who fired dozens of rounds in four locations Sunday night. One of the Melbourne shooting scenes was near the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library near University Boulevard and Lipscomb Street. Another was near Marshall Drive, just west of the University Park Elementary School campus. Residents stood outside as glaring patrol car lights lit up the otherwise darkened neighborhood. The ordinarily quiet neighborhood includes a mix of rental housing used by Florida Institute of Technology students and families. More: 'Running man' dies after incident at Viera Regional Park in early November Police officers and forensic agents went between crime scenes, placing evidence markers where freshly fired bullet casings were found and searching the grounds for other evidence. An investigation is ongoing. J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Melbourne police investigate multiple drive-by shootings; 1 injured Muslim community leaders gathered on Saturday in Dearborn, Michigan, home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the US, to protest against Joe Bidens refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating that the presidents stance could affect his support in crucial swing states next year. Jaylani Hussein, director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that Bidens unwillingness to call for a ceasefire had damaged his relationship with the American-Muslim community beyond repair. (Cair-Minnesota is not involved in his work on the Abandon Biden effort, which the organization said Hussein is doing in his personal capacity.) We are not powerless as American Muslims. We are powerful. We dont only have the money, but we have the actual votes. And we will use that vote to save this nation from itself, Hussein said. Families and children are being wiped out with our tax dollars, he added. What we are witnessing today is the tragedy upon tragedy. After Israel resumed its bombing offensive on the territory after a five-day pause, the health ministry said 15,200 Palestinians, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, have been killed thus far. Israels air and ground strikes began after Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis and took around 240 hostage in a cross-border attack on 7 October. From behind a lectern that read Abandon Biden, ceasefire now, leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania issued similar warnings that the president could not afford to lose the support of the Arab-American community in states critical to his chances for re-election. A recent poll showed Bidens support among Arab Americans has plunged from a comfortable majority in 2020 to 17%. Dearborn is home to the highest concentration of Arab Americans in a state that has the highest number, 211,405 , and the highest percentage of Arab Americans, at 2.1%. Biden won Michigan in 2020 by 2.8% of the vote. Arab Americans account for 5% of the vote, according to the Arab American Institute. In Wisconsin, where there are 25,000 Muslim voters, Biden won by about 20,000 votes, Tarek Amin, a doctor representing the states Muslim community, said. In Arizona, where Biden won by about 10,500 votes, there are more than 25,000 Muslim voters according to the US Immigration Policy Center at the University of California San Diego, said Phoenix pharmacist Hazim Nasaredden. About 3.45 million Americans identify as Muslim, or 1.1% of the countrys population, and the demographic tends to lean Democratic, according to Pew Research Center. Like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are also home to significant Arab-American populations and critical to Bidens re-election mathematics. The #AbandonBiden campaign began in Minnesota in October and has since spread to at least five other states represented at the conference. The anger in our community is beyond belief, Hussein, who is Muslim, told the Associated Press. One of the things that made us even more angry is the fact that most of us actually voted for President Biden. I even had one incident where a religious leader asked me: How do I get my 2020 ballot so I can destroy it? While the Biden administration has resisted pressure to call for a permanent halt in fighting, and continues significant weapons transfers to Israel, senior officials are going further in expressing their discomfort with the high level of civilian casualties. The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, warned on Saturday that Israel risks strategic defeat unless it protects Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In this kind of a fight, the center of gravity is the civilian population. And if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat, Austin said in a speech to the Reagan National Defense Forum in California. That received pushback from the Republican senator Lindsey Graham said Sunday. Hes so naive, the South Carolina Republican said on CNNs State of the Union. Strategic defeat would be inflaming the Palestinians? Theyre already inflamed, Graham added. Theyre taught from the time theyre born to hate the Jews and to kill them. Theyre taught math: if you have 10 Jews and kill six, how many would you have left? The Wall Street Journal reported that the US has provided Israel with 100 BLU-109, 2,000-pound bunker busters included in a transfer package of about 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells since 7 October. On Saturday, Vice-President Kamala Harris said that while the US supports Israels legitimate military objectives in Gaza, the suffering of the civilian population inside the enclave has been too high. Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering, and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating, Harris said at a press conference in Dubai. It is truly heartbreaking. At a meeting with the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Harris also said that Washington will not allow for the forced relocation of Palestinians or any redrawing of the current border of the Gaza Strip. Under no circumstances will the United States permit the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, the besiegement of Gaza, or the redrawing of the borders of Gaza, Harris said, according to a read-out of the meeting. In a following statement, on Sunday, Harris said five principles guide the administrations approach for post-conflict Gaza no forcible displacement, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, no reduction in territory, and no use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism. We want to see a unified Gaza and West Bank under the Palestinian Authority, and Palestinian voices and aspirations must be at the center of this work, she said. Against a backdrop of pro-Palestinian protest in the US, Muslim leaders gathered in Dearborn said Biden or the likely Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, were not their only choices next year, and they could choose to sit out the election. We dont have two options. We have many options. And were going to exercise that, Cairs Hussein said. (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has called on armed ethnic groups involved in an offensive against the country's ruling military to solve their problems "politically", state media reported on Tuesday. "(He) warned that if armed organisations keep on being foolish, residents of the relevant regions will suffer bad impacts. So, it is necessary to consider the lives of the people, and those organisations need to solve their problems politically," the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported. Myanmar's military is facing the biggest challenge to its grip on the Southeast Asian nation since taking power in a 2021 coup, after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive in late October, capturing some towns, including major border trade zones, and military posts. A parallel civilian government backing some of the armed rebel groups dismissed Min Aung Hlaing's call for dialogue. "As they are losing badly on the ground, they are trying to find an exit route. There would be genuine dialogue if the military guarantees that it no longer has a role in politics; they must be under an elected government," said Kyaw Zaw, a spokesperson for the parallel National Unity Government. Amid fighting in Shan State on the border with China, and Rakhine and Chin States in the west, dozens of military and police officials have surrendered, according to media and footage verified by Reuters. Tens of thousands of residents have been displaced by the fighting, according to the United Nations. (Reporting by Reuters staff; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor) LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A new agreement will keep the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas through 2035, according to an announcement Monday from Las Vegas Events. NFR is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the Thomas & Mack Center. The contract with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) was expiring in 2025. No details were released immediately on the financial commitment from Las Vegas Events. NFR left Las Vegas in 2020, when the event was held in Arlington, Texas. The move was blamed on Nevadas COVID-19 restrictions, but NFR returned to Las Vegas in 2021. NFR had an estimated $200 million impact on the Las Vegas economy in 2019. Blackjack and whiskey: How Vegas is preparing for that cowboy life as NFR comes to town This is a truly historic day for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, PRCA CEO Tom Glause said in a news release from Las Vegas Events. This extension will benefit all aspects of the PRCA, including our contestants, stock contractors, committees, contract personnel, and our fans. This commitment by Las Vegas preserves the momentum that we have established over the last 38 years. Las Vegas Events (LVE) echoed that sentiment. For 38 years, the NFR has transformed our city and brought millions of rodeo fans to Las Vegas to share in the NFR Experience, LVE President Tim Keener said. We have built a strong partnership with the PRCA and its contestants and feel that this new agreement will be beneficial to all parties. We are pleased to host this iconic event for an additional ten years. LVE Chairman Bill McBeath talked about what it took to reach the agreement. For more than a year and a half, I have worked with the PRCA and their representatives toward this extension that demonstrates Las Vegas commitment to the NFR and the sport of rodeo, LVE Chairman Bill McBeath. Along with Michael Gaughan and the support of our entire board, we have made this a priority for our organization to secure the worlds richest and most prestigious rodeo as a December fixture in our city. We appreciate all of the efforts of the PRCA to make this extension a reality, McBeath said. The NFR has sold out 360 consecutive performances and attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding, according to Las Vegas Events. In 2022, the event had a total attendance of 173,350 over the 10 days of competition in Las Vegas. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Rola Dashti, the executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), speaks at an energy-themed gathering in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen) DUBAI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- More than 70 delegates to the UN climate change conference convened on Tuesday in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to seek insights and solutions for an inclusive, just and resilient global energy transition. The energy-themed gathering came as the climate talks at COP28, or the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), reached a stalemate over issues including energy transition. The attendees, including the top Chinese climate envoy, senior UN officials, and energy officials of Egypt and Malawi, met on the sidelines of the ongoing UN climate summit and jointly called for further gathering wisdom and strength to advance the global energy transition. "We stand at a critical juncture in our shared journey towards a just and inclusive energy transition. It's evident that this formidable task cannot be achieved by any single organization or nation alone," said Rola Dashti, the executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA). She stressed that, with united endeavors, the energy sector can be "transitioned from a challenge to a solution to meet climate goals." Addressing the gathering, China's special envoy for climate change Xie Zhenhua expressed the hope that wisdom and strength could be pooled to work out a solution to move beyond the stalemates toward energy transition goals. He added it should be a pragmatic and exemplary solution that can be shared and replicated. The event was jointly held by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), the UNFCCC secretariat, UNESCWA, several other UN agencies, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Egypt's Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, and World Meteorological Organization, etc. At the event, a research report on solutions and practices for inclusive, just and resilient energy transition was issued by GEIDCO. Its chief Xin Baoan, also executive chairman of State Grid Corporation of China, said energy development is facing many challenges globally, such as huge pressure for energy supply and security, tough tasks in transforming traditional industries, and unbalanced regional development. He highlighted a systematic approach and a focus on correlations between security and transition, development and emission reduction, and stocks and increments to advance high-quality energy transition. The Beijing-based GEIDCO, established in 2016, is a China-proposed global energy body. It now has 1,305 members from 142 countries. Setting up seven regional offices globally, the organization has been promoting sustainable energy development worldwide with a focus on energy interconnection across regions. Xin Baoan, chief of the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and executive chairman of State Grid Corporation of China, speaks at an energy-themed gathering in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen) China's special envoy for climate change Xie Zhenhua addresses an energy-themed gathering in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen) The Navy will soon begin search and salvage operations for an Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea on Nov. 10, killing all five special operations soldiers on board. Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer died in the mishap. The special operations aviation soldiers were conducting aerial refueling training when the aircraft experienced an in-flight emergency resulting in the crash, according to the Pentagon. The incident remains under investigation and further details have not yet been released. NG Worker, a 288-foot offshore supply vessel outfitted with advanced positioning and underwater survey gear, is slated to head out from Sicily with a Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving team in the coming days, 6th Fleet said in a statement this week. Pentagon IDs Army special operations aviation soldiers killed in crash On station, the salvage team will use a shallow water intermediate search system and towed pinger locator to find the aircraft, and the locator will use passive sensors to listen for the downed Blackhawks pinger frequency. Once located, the Navy said a 4,100-pound underwater drone will bring the wreckage to the surface. The Navy has not offered a location of the wreckage but said the drone is rated to handle salvage jobs to a depth of 8,000 feet. Every effort will be made to recover the aircraft and the fallen Soldiers, 6th Fleet said in a statement. Following weeks of urging and protest from constituents who organized protests and tried to meet with her, U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee quietly signed on to a letter calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Recognizing the ongoing conflict, we acknowledge the devastating impact these atrocities have had on innocent lives, said the letter, sent to President Joe Biden on Friday. We stand united to promote peace, stability, and justice for all people. Too many innocent lives have been lost already. The bloodshed must end. Since the Oct. 7 surprise attack from Hamas, which killed 1,200 Israelis, over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels counteroffensive, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. A weeklong truce ended on Friday as fighting resumed. Foushee, a first-term Democrat who represents Orange and Durham counties, joined 10 other Democrats in signing a letter led by Rep. Troy A. Carter Sr. of Louisiana calling for a bilateral ceasefire. As of Monday, she has not publicized her support of the letter on social media. Her office did not respond to a request for comment on Monday from The News & Observer. Foushees apparent endorsement of the letter marks a departure from her previous response to the war. For weeks now, she has resisted calls from progressive groups that urged her and the rest of the Triangles members of Congress to seek a ceasefire. After protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace blocked traffic on the Durham freeway for hours demanding that Foushee support a ceasefire, she released a statement condemning the violence but stopping short of endorsing a total end to hostilities. Under international law, Israel has the indisputable right to defend herself, and must do so without violating humanitarian law by targeting innocent civilians as a part of any military campaign, she wrote. JVP also wrote and called to Foushee frequently and visited her office asking for a meeting. Sandra Korn, a leader with the Triangle chapter of JVP, said they never heard from her directly, but believe their activism and that of other groups like Moms for Ceasefire finally pushed Foushee to switch her stance. Were so proud of the organizing that has brought us to this point, Korn said. ...And were going to be looking to make sure that her voting record represents that commitment. Progressive groups have criticized Foushee in the past for her connections to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, which supported some Republican candidates who denied the results of the 2020 election or voted not to certify the results. In the 2022 elections, AIPAC raised over $160,000 for Foushees congressional campaign. After she refused to disavow the money, the Progressive Caucus of the state Democratic Party revoked its endorsement of Foushee. Jewish Voice for Peace has also asked Reps. Wiley Nickel and Deborah Ross, both Democrats who represent Wake County, to join the call for a ceasefire. Seventeen North Carolina hospitals received top marks for their maternity care safety and quality, according to a new report released Tuesday. The U.S. News & World Report a digital media company that publishes independent rankings surveyed 680 hospitals nationwide to determine their ability to care for patients with uncomplicated pregnancies. Based on several data points, including C-section delivery rates and unexpected newborn complications, each hospital was either determined to be high performing or not high performing. Out of all U.S. states, North Carolina ranked fourth for the highest number of hospitals deemed high performing. Heres what you need to know: Which North Carolina hospitals have the best maternity care? According to this survey, 17 North Carolina hospitals meet the bar of having high-performing maternity care. The full list of these hospitals is included below. The medical centers with bolded names did not achieve this rank last year. Alamance Regional Medical Center Atrium Health-Cabarrus Atrium Health-Pineville Atrium Health-University City Catawba Valley Medical Center (Hickory) Duke Regional Hospital (Durham) Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital (Greensboro) Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center Novant Health Matthews Medical Center Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center UNC Hospitals (Chapel Hill) UNC Rex Hospital (Raleigh) WakeMed Cary Hospital WakeMed Raleigh Campus Which hospitals did poorly on this review? Fifteen other hospitals submitted data to be evaluated and were determined not to be on par with other centers of high-performing maternity care. The full list of hospitals is listed below. The medical centers with bolded names had been deemed one of the best hospitals for maternity care last year but fell below that threshold in this years report. Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center (Charlotte) Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist-High Point Medical Center Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist-Wilkes Medical Center Atrium Health-Cleveland Atrium Health-Lincoln Atrium Health-Stanly Atrium Health-Union Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Duke University Hospital (Durham) Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital (Elkin) Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Sentara Albemarle Medical Center UNC Health Blue Ridge What were these rankings based on? Each year, the U.S. News & World Report sends hospitals a lengthy survey that attempts to determine how well they handle uncomplicated pregnancies (those with complicated pregnancies should refer to the Best Hospitals rankings). For this years list, they asked hospitals to report data from the 2021 calendar year. They based each hospitals designation on eight measures: C-section delivery rates: This quantifies the proportion of low-risk mothers who underwent a C-section, which carries more risk of complication than vaginal delivery. This is often used as a benchmark of care quality. Early elective delivery (EED) rates: This metric tracks what proportion of women who elect to birth their baby sooner than their due date, a practice that has been discouraged by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for decades due to the risk of complications for the mother and baby. Unexpected newborn complication rates: This item asks how many babies without preexisting conditions and who had normal development experienced severe health complications, like infection or injury. Routine vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) rates: This metric measures whether women who have previously had a C-section are given the option to deliver vaginally during subsequent deliveries. Women who deliver vaginally after a previous cesarean are less likely to experience birth-related morbidity, according to the CDC. Exclusive human milk feeding rates: this measures what percentage of babies were exclusively breastfed during their hospital stay, which can protect the baby from future complications, like allergies, asthma and obesity. Episiotomy rates: Experts say an episiotomy, a cut made at the vagina opening during childbirth, should rarely be performed. High performing hospitals will typically have a low rate. Birthing-friendly practice: This metric determines whether the hospital has demonstrated their commitment to improving maternal outcomes by launching initiatives to reduce maternal morbidity. Transparency on racial/ethnic disparities: This tracks whether the hospital tracked and reported its race- and ethnicity-specific performance of measures for which racial and ethnic disparities may exist. This is a breaking news story that will be updated throughout the day. Teddy Rosenbluth covers science and health care for The News & Observer in a position funded by Duke Health and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. North Carolina receives millions in federal grants to address maternal mortality crisis Pregnancy can be risky in the US. In North Carolina, the threat of death is even higher. Content warning: mentions of child sexual abuse When Alex Mavrogenis enters a classroom, she steels herself for a fight against a near-invisible crisis: child sexual abuse. Mavrogenis, the Orange County Rape Crisis Centers Youth Education Program Coordinator, comes armed with life-saving information accompanied by puppets, chants, videos and a bright smile. Mavrogenis is running Safe Touch, a child sexual abuse prevention program designed for elementary school students. For more than 40 years, the program has partnered with two local public school districts Orange County Schools (OCS) and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) to bring children information to help keep them safe from sexual abuse. But now, for the first time in decades, the program has come to a halt. With the passage of Senate Bill 49 the controversial, conservative-backed legislation titled the Parents Bill of Rights on Aug. 16, school administrators across North Carolina are grappling with how best to comply with new requirements for their classrooms. For Safe Touch, this means a pause on a mission decades in the making. What is Safe Touch? Established in the 1980s, Safe Touch was developed in response to requests from local guidance counselors seeking support for addressing an influx of student sexual abuse disclosures. Children across the country are abused at a staggering rate. About 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the United States experience child sexual abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At Safe Touch, statistics like these inform the curriculum in order to reach children at every age and grade level. Students learn to differentiate between safe, unsafe and confusing touches, and they practice strategies of seeking help if theyre touched in an unsafe way. As students in OCS and CHCCS districts move up each grade, Safe Touch content builds on previously introduced concepts, and evolves to suit their development. The messaging is the same, Mavrogenis said, but the situations expand to adjust to their real world experiences. Once they reach middle school, students will have learned advanced concepts including online safety, understanding and preventing sexual bullying and how to help peers who are survivors of abuse. For younger grades, puppet shows, songs and chants create a giggly crowd of eager participants. For older students, who are often more self-conscious and nervous to share, Safe Touch uses animated videos to appeal to their tech-savvy generation. Safe Touch also provides a rare opportunity for students to disclose instances of abuse they have faced. The staff is trained to respond to student disclosures, and to recognize and respond to signs of potential abuse (red flags) in student behavior. The initiative has been successful. In the 2013-2014 school year alone, Mavrogenis said the organization followed up on 12 direct student disclosures of abuse and about 120 red flags, or signs of potential abuse. Catching child sexual abuse early can be life-saving. According to the CDC, experiencing sexual abuse during childhood can result in various short- and long-term physical, mental and behavioral health consequences, ranging from physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, to depression and increased risk of suicide. Interrupting and responding to even one case of childhood sexual abuse is something of a measurable success, Mavrogenis said. In recent years, Mavrogenis said Safe Touch educators have been able to appear in every classroom of the 18 public elementary schools they work with. In a typical year, she said the program can reach more than 14,000 students. This year, they havent appeared in any of those classrooms. S.B. 49: A Sudden Stop In September, as Mavrogenis began planning for the school year, she received emails saying that Safe Touchs partner school districts had placed a temporary pause on the program in order to address the Parents Bill of Rights. The new law establishes new guidelines for age-appropriate instruction: Instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality shall not be included in the curriculum provided in grades kindergarten through fourth grade, regardless of whether the information is provided by school personnel or third parties. Sen. Amy Galey (R-Alamance), who sponsored S.B. 49, posted floor remarks addressing the controversy surrounding the policy on X, formerly known as Twitter. The whole point of the bill is that parents in North Carolina should be empowered to raise their children the way that they see fit in their family without being questioned or interrogated, or undermined by the state of North Carolina, she said. The state must not engage in a conspiracy to prevent parents from knowing important details about the mental health of their children. They should not be kept from having the opportunity to give their children the upbringing that reflects that familys values. Galey did not respond to requests for comment. Critics of the legislation include Gov. Roy Cooper, who vetoed it in July. The legislature overrode his veto. Parents are the most essential educators for their children and their involvement must be encouraged, but this bill will scare teachers into silence by injecting fear and uncertainty into classrooms, Cooper wrote in a statement. This Dont Say Gay bill also hampers the important and sometimes lifesaving role of educators as trusted advisers when students have nowhere else to turn. Carolyn Halpern, a UNC-Chapel Hill professor and chair of the department of maternal and child health at Gillings School of Global Public Health, said evidence does not support the laws suggestion that conversations about gender and sexuality are not age-appropriate for young children. There are studies that have looked at young kids in that age range, and how they respond to gender conversations, she said. And the evidence is positive its that they understand it, that it broadens their understanding of people and gender roles and so forth. It has to be obviously age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate. But still, its possible to do it well, and to be effective in a positive way. And I dont know of any studies that show any harm from those kinds of programs. For Halpern, this murky policy language results from a lack of knowledge on the subject matter. I guess whats frustrating is that policy gets passed without the proper homework to understand what the evidence actually is, she said. I mean, most of the legislature are not educators, you know, theyre not specialists in developmental health or sexuality. Both districts are reviewing the legislation to ensure theyre in compliance with the law before their state-wide deadline in January. With the law passing just as the 2023-2024 school year started, Orange County Schools director of student engagement Jessica Dreher said the process of review has been like building the plane as you fly. We cant pause school, then figure (S.B. 49) out and then implement it, she said. We have to keep moving as we make these changes. Ahead of the states final implementation deadline, Dreher said the decision to pause Safe Touch was not taken lightly at OCS. Because we are not at the point yet where were at full implementation of that law, it was the best decision to pause, just until we can get full guidance and a full green light on moving forward in some of our programs, she said. According to Chief Communications Officer Andy Jenks, the process of review within Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has been similar. Whats Next for Safe Touch? The complications created by S.B. 49 have resulted in a huge barrier for access to Safe Touchs prevention and intervention resources, Mavrogenis said. I think that whats really difficult about this news is that theres children who we would have been able to reach that I dont know if well be able to reach, she said. Its difficult to stomach. The CDC reports that many children wait to report, or never report their abuse. Even more, 91 percent of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone known and trusted by the child or the childs family. As a result, the abuse is particularly difficult to detect and address. To Mavrogenis, the pause disrupts decades of Safe Touchs consistent, inter-generational effort to prevent child sexual abuse. When that process is disrupted, misconceptions and myths about childhood sexual abuse can thrive, she said. Children may not get the language that they need to communicate what has happened to them. Without access to public schools, the program is seeking new platforms for prevention and intervention resources for both children and adults in the community. Theres a couple of initiatives that I really want to put into action, the first of which is creating more social media content and content on our website thats free and accessible, Mavrogenis said. Then also beginning to use community spaces to host our program so that potentially we can reach children that are even outside the public and private school system. While the new development has been personally upsetting, Mavrogenis remains determined. Crisis happens, she said. Obstacles happen that we cant predict, or we cant do anything about. And so its all about crisis response, in general. Its all about creativity, and finding ways to meet the needs of your community. Its the nature of this work, she said. Were adaptive. Were survivors, and we survive. UNC Media Hub is a collection of students in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media who create integrated multimedia packages covering stories from around North Carolina. Heres what Wake tells schools to do if a student asks for a name or pronoun change Nearly 1,000 state employees who were slated to move away from Bull Street will have to wait to learn of their new workplace, as a previous deal has fallen through. State budget writers planned to move the roughly 975 employees of the new Department of Environmental Services from the Bull Street corridor in downtown Columbia to 1200 Colonial Life Blvd., a building owned by the Unum Group, the parent company of the Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company. But two days after a panel of budget writers who serve on the Joint Bond Review Committee approved the move to 1200 Colonial Life Blvd., representatives for the building told the Department of Administration the 191,730 square feet of office space was not available as previously thought. The space is currently rented by another tenant who has a lease until 2029, and Unum could not come to an agreement for the tenant leave. When negotiating with Unum, which was negotiating through real estate firms Cushman & Wakeman and Colliers International, Department of Administration officials say they were not told about any availability issues with the property. Unum said it told state officials about the possibilities related to the property. Unum negotiated in good faith and with full disclosure of the contingencies related to reaching a formal agreement with the current tenant of 1200 Colonial Life Blvd. about available space, Unum said in a statement to The State newspaper. Unfortunately, such an agreement was never reached. While the timing of the availability of our space did not align, Unum remains a committed business partner here in South Carolina. Unums real estate representatives promoted the property and listed areas of concerns to discuss when it came to a lease, but never mentioned the availability issue, Department of Administration officials said. Throughout this negotiation process, there was no mention of a contingency related to the release of space currently under lease and no such contingency was included in the mutually agreed upon lease, Department of Administration Executive Director Marcia Adams wrote to the JBRC. Had there been any indication that the space was not available because the recapture was as at a standstill, Admin would not have included the proposed lease in our report to the JBRC or in our presentation to JBRC on Nov. 14. For now, the Department of Administration has to find a new location to move Department of Environmental Services employees, as it also looks for a new location for employees at the state Department of Social Services, who also are currently located along the Bull Street corridor. Making the moves is meant to help with state employee recruitment, as its difficult to find people to work in the current facilities on Bull Street, which need upgrades. The current buildings range from 32 years old to 195 years old. Talk of relocating these state offices was spawned some time back as state leaders debated splitting the Department of Health and Environmental Control into two agencies, which was approved this year. Health-related agencies are slated to move to 400 Otarre Parkway in Cayce, as the state would create one campus for the newly formed Department of Public Health, the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, and the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. EMERY COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) An Emery County deputy found nearly 45 pounds of cocaine in a mans vehicle after pulling him over for speeding over the weekend. Bobby Delano Williams, 45, was arrested for the offenses of possession with intent to distribute controlled substance, a second-degree felony; facilitate the store/conceal/transport contraband in vehicle, a third-degree felony; possession of controlled substance marijuana/spice, a class B misdemeanor; and speeding, an infraction, the Emery County Sheriffs Office said. These deaths were all preventable: SLCPD warns against impaired driving Just before 9:30 p.m. on Sunday a deputy with the Emery County Sheriffs Office observed a speeding vehicle traveling eastbound on I-70 and stopped it near mile marker 141, according to court documents. The deputy approached the vehicle and said he made eye contact with the driver, identified as Williams, and his passenger. Williams reportedly admitted to speeding, and as he was looking for proof of insurance on his phone, the deputy asked him to step back to the patrol car. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now ABC4 Daily News The deputy asked Williams about his travels, and Williams explained that he and his passenger were coming from Las Vegas to Denver to see the snow. The deputy then asked Williams what he does for work, and Williams said he is a hotshot driver and has multiple cars and houses throughout the country, the affidavit states. While he continued looking for insurance, the deputy said he requested an additional unit with a police dog. The deputy said Williams kept distancing himself from him inside of his patrol. Additionally, as the two were speaking, the deputy said he smelled alcohol coming from the man. When he asked him about it, Williams seemed to become more nervous and denied drinking, the affidavit states. The deputy also asked Williams if there was anything inside of the vehicle while the police dog was performing a sniff, and Williams admitted to having marijuana, the affidavit states. The deputy asked if Williams possessed a medical marijuana card, and at first Williams said yes, but when asked to show his card he said he was unable to. Williams then told the deputy he had seven grams of raw marijuana inside the vehicle, the affidavit states. The deputy searched his car, located the marijuana, and noted it was not labeled or in a medical package. As the deputy was searching, he said he noticed the drivers side of the vehicle had some plastic messed with, so he pulled up the carpet and found an altered compartment built in under the two front seats. He also pulled up the center console, the affidavit states, and found kilo-sized packages clearly wrapped up and hidden. At this point the deputy said he cut out the front passenger seat and found a hidden compartment with 20 kilos of a white powder that was later confirmed to be cocaine. The two occupants were transported to the Green River Field Office for interviews with agents. Once at that office, the deputy confirmed Williams was under the influence, the affidavit states. Both occupants reportedly refused to talk and were transported to the Emery County Jail, where they were booked on drug trafficking. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Illegal migrants line up to get on a bus outside a deportation office in Tripoli, Libya, on Dec. 4, 2023. The Libyan Illegal Migration Control Department on Monday announced the deportation of 147 illegal migrants back to Nigeria. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) TRIPOLI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Illegal Migration Control Department on Monday announced the deportation of 147 illegal migrants back to Nigeria. "A group of 147 illegal migrants from Nigeria were deported via Tripoli Mitiga International Airport to their country," said Fathi Shnebbu, head of the Department's information and documentation office. He said the deported migrants include 122 women and 25 men. "Those migrants were involved in criminal groups and committed crimes of drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, and prostitution," Shnebbu said. Because of the instability and chaos in the country since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya. So far this year, a total of 15,057 illegal migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration. Illegal migrants wait to depart at the Libyan Illegal Migration Control Department in Tripoli, Libya, on Dec. 4, 2023. The Libyan Illegal Migration Control Department on Monday announced the deportation of 147 illegal migrants back to Nigeria. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) Illegal migrants leave the Libyan Illegal Migration Control Department in Tripoli, Libya, on Dec. 4, 2023. The Libyan Illegal Migration Control Department on Monday announced the deportation of 147 illegal migrants back to Nigeria. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua) By Felix Onuah and Garba Muhammad ABUJA (Reuters) -Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered a thorough investigation into a weekend military drone attack that killed at least 85 people, including women and children, in northern Kaduna. Nigerian army chief Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja visited Tundun Biri village and apologised for the air strike. At a Kaduna hospital where the injured were receiving treatment, he promised to take care of their bills. The incident highlights a pattern of deadly aerial assaults by the Nigerian military, and is the latest in a series of attacks that have killed civilians, which was the subject of a special Reuters report in June. Kaduna is 163 km (101 miles) from the capital Abuja and among northwestern and north central states grappling with kidnappings and killings by armed gangs, which security forces have been targeting using aerial strikes. The National Emergency Management Agency put the official death toll at 85 with 66 injured. Witnesses said more had died. Tinubu, who is attending the Cop28 Climate Summit in Dubai, called Sunday night's incident a "bombing mishap," which was "very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful," his spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement. "The President directs a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident and calls for calm while the authorities look diligently into the mishap," said Ngelale. 'WRONGLY ANALYSED' Army spokesman Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said that troops carrying out aerial patrols observed a group of people and "wrongly analysed and misinterpreted their pattern of activities to be similar to that of the bandits" before the drone strike. Lagbaja has ordered an investigation and the outcome would guide the army to deal with any identified lapses in human and artificial intelligence, said Nwachukwu. Witnesses spoke of grief and shock after an annual Maulud Muslim celebration turned deadly. Villagers first heard a loud blast after 9:00 pm (2000 GMT), forcing them to scatter to safety. When the villagers realised it was a bomb explosion, they started helping the injured and moving the dead. Then, another blast was heard some 30 minutes later, killing more people, the witnesses said. Musa Shehu said he had lost two wives while his youngest daughter was injured and in hospital. "Body parts, mostly children, were littered on building roofs and tree branches. We packed them in empty grain bags and deposited them alongside bodies of the dead that were not seriously mutilated," Shehu said by phone. Shehu Bala, another survivor, said the villagers, who came from four villages, were seeking for answers. "We counted 97 bodies, many of them are women and children. Some infants who survived were taken away from their dead nursing mothers. It's a terrible experience," Bala said. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Kingimi in Maiduguri and Camillus Eboh in Abuja, Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, Editing by Sharon Singleton and Christina Fincher) Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, President of Nigeria, speaks at a panel at the G20 Investment Summit at the G20 Compact With Africa conference on November 20, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. Credit - Sean GallupGetty Images Nigerias President Bola Tinubu announced on Tuesday an investigation into the military drone attack that killed 85 people in the village of Tundun Biri. A spokesperson for Tinubu attributed Sundays incident to a bombing mishap, and said in a statement that the subsequent deaths were "very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful. He confirmed that Tinubu has ordered an investigation into what led to the killings. The National Emergency Management Agency also confirmed the official death toll for the first time on Tuesday, noting that 85 people were accidentally killed and 66 were injured. The figure includes women and children, according to Reuters. The events took place in Kaduna state, north-west Nigeria, during Mawlid, an Muslim festival to observe the day the Islamic prophet Muhammed was born. Villagers reportedly heard the sounds of an aircraft followed by a large explosion at 9 p.m. local time. Villagers, some wounded, began fleeing the vicinity to avoid any further strikes. Witnesses say another blast took place around 30 minutes later and killed more people. Hussein Ibrahim, a local resident, told news agency Agence France-Presse, I lost 13 members of my immediate family among the 85 that were killed. They included my children and those of my brothers, seven boys and six girls. We buried the victims today. One survivor, Musa Shehu, who was recovering in hospital, told Reuters over the phone that body parts were littered on building roofs and tree branches. The armed forces said the incident was part of a routine mission against terrorists but inadvertently affected members of the community, but did not confirm any other details. Kadunas state governor, Uba Sani, has since spoken about Sundays events, posting a statement on social media platform X. We are determined to prevent a repeat of this tragedy and reassure our people that their protection would be prioritized in the sustained fight against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements, Sani wrote. Nigerias Western backed military regularly carries out airstrikes on Boko Haram militants in the northeast, and it has conducted similar aerial attacks across the country. However, this particular attack occurred in the Northwest of the country, where Boko Haram is less active. Instead, conflict in the Northwest tends to revolve around Fulani bandits, who are known to raid villages in order to loot and kidnap civilians to hold for ransom. Michael Nwankpa, the Founding Director and Director of Research at the Centre for African Conflict and Development in London, says that although this particular incident was especially shocking, similar incidents have occurred before in which the Nigerian government unintentionally harmed civilians. In the past weve seen these incidents and weve not seen any coverage or compensation for the victims, he says. During the beginning of the Boko Haram insurgency, Amnesty international obtained evidence of multiple extrajudicial killings being carried out by the Nigerian military. I dont know how far this investigation will go or if it will lead to a positive outcome, he says. Write to Armani Syed at armani.syed@time.com. A Lee County jury on Tuesday heard clashing visions of how state prison inmate Michael Flame Smith stabbed and killed another inmate in 2018 in a wild gang brawl between the Bloods, the Crips and and Gangsta Disciples during a deadly prison riot at Lee Correctional Institution. Smiths lawyer, Aimee Zmroczek, said the night of April 15, 2018, turned into a multi-hour killing season at Lee Correctional Institution, where the inmates ran amok while prison officials didnt act, correction officers be-bopped around and any actions that Smith took against inmate Cornelius McClary were done in self defense. That night, riots where gangs battled gangs and people were stabbed and killed started in one dorm and spread to two others, she said. Smith was in the final dorm to be attacked, growing more afraid by the minute, Zmroczek said. There is no worse fear than to know people are coming for you, Zmroczek told the jury on the first day of the trial, which is expected to last at least into Friday. Smith saw his friends being killed and their bodies tossed on the ground like pieces of trash, she said. Jurors will hear testimony that the prison was understaffed and inmates had warned of coming trouble before the riot, she said, adding that inmates have a right to be protected. Prosecutor Barney Giese spun a sharply different narrative and told the jury it would watch McClary being knifed. Its graphic, but we have to show it too you... Mr. McClary was stabbed 97 times 97 stab wounds, Giese said in his opening statement. The jury will see Smith chasing McClary down a stairway, stabbing him, and McClary stumbling off and dying, Giese said. At the time, McClary was unarmed, Giese said. Word of the spreading riot was disseminated on social media and by the contraband cellphones inmates had, he said. Giese also said inmates have a right to live free from fear, but he was referring to McClary not Smith. Just because you are in prison doesnt mean you dont matter, he said. Smith is a Blood; McClary was a Crip. Seven inmates died in the 2019 riot and 17 inmates were badly injured, many from improvised blades, in what was one of South Carolinas and the nations deadliest prison riots in the modern era. As the lawyers spoke to the jury, Smith a small man at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds wearing a blue shirt and dark slacks sat at the defense table listening. He faces three charges: assault and battery by mob involving death first degree, conspiracy and possession of a weapon by an inmate. Smith is the first of the 47 inmates indicted as a result of the riots to go on trial. Eleven others have pleaded guilty to various charges. He is expected to testify. At age 31, Smith has spent nearly one-third of his life behind bars. At 19, Smith spent 10 months in state prison for violating probation given him on a burglary conviction. At 20, he was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of University of South Carolina freshman Martha Childress, who was paralyzed for life by a stray bullet from a stolen Glock that Smith drunk and high on marijuana, according to evidence at his trial fired on a crowded nighttime Five Points sidewalk. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Now 31, Smith is going on trial again in McClarys killing. The mob charge carries a 30-year to life sentence, and a person must serve 85 percent of whatever sentence is handed out before being eligible for parole. Hes a hoodlum, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told The State newspaper in 2013 after Smiths arrest in the Childress shooting. In 2020, the S.C. Supreme Court ruled that Smith had been wrongly convicted of attempted murder because prosecutors had argued that he had intended to shoot Smith. But evidence showed instead that Smith had been aiming at someone else and his bullet struck Childress by chance. The crime of attempted murder must carry the element of intent, the high court ruled, overturning Smiths conviction and sentence. Since then, Smith has been held at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. This week 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson said no decision has been yet made on whether to retry Smith in connection with the Childress shooting. Jim Carpenter, a member of the Childress family, said Monday the family has no comment at this time. Giese, a former 5th Circuit solicitor, was specially hired by state Attorney General Alan Wilson to prosecute Lee County prison riot cases. Assistant prosecutors are Margarent Scott, Stephen Lunsford and John Conrad. Zmroczek, a Columbia defense attorney, also represented Smith at his 2015 trial in the Childress shooting. At that trial, a gang expert testified over Zmroczeks objections that Smith is a documented gang member of the Bloods, a gang that has a national reputation for violence and criminal acts. He has a Bloods gang tattoo and uses gang signs, testified Richland County Sheriffs Department Capt. Vince Goggins. The judge in the prison riot trial is Ferrell Cothran Jr. A mass adoption ceremony was held Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, at Forrest County Courthouse, where nine families cemented their commitments to their new family members. Extended families joined the celebration at Hattiesburg, Miss., Cultural Center after the ceremony. Monday was a day of celebration for nine families who welcomed 13 new members through a mass adoption ceremony at Forrest County Courthouse in Hattiesburg. The ceremony was a joint venture between the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services, Forrest County Youth Court and Forrest County Chancery Court. The adoptions were finalized this month so the children could be "Home for the Holidays," the theme for this year's event. Most of the cases originated in Forrest, Lamar and Stone counties, Youth Court Judge Carol Jones Russell said, but guests came from across Mississippi to support their newest family members. "This is the perfect season to do this," Russell said. "The children now have forever families. It is an honor to have this mass adoption celebration." Following the formal adoption proceedings at the courthouse, the families were invited to celebrate during a reception at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center. Adopting a child can take anywhere between six months to two years before the child is able to achieve permanency. "It is just a joy to be here today," Russell said. Yetta Wilborn celebrated with her newly adopted son, 6-year-old Alex Wilborn and her extended family at Hattiesburg Cultural Center after a mass adoption ceremony at Forrest County Courthouse, Monday. Nine families welcomed their new children just before the holidays. The Wilborn family of Hattiesburg grew by one on Monday, with 6-year-old Alex Wilborn joining his new mother Yetta Wilborn and a wealth of new grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins for lunch and activities at the reception. Even members of the Wilborns' church family attended the celebration. "Today was fun," Alex said. Yetta Wilborn said she began fostering children in 2022, and Alex was placed with her in February. After spending time with him, she decided to make Alex's stay permanent. "Today has been nothing but love," Yetta Wilborn said. "It is a great day." Ten-year-old Riley Akins of Enterprise was all smiles as he ate lunch with his family at the Cultural Center. "I didn't know it was going to be like this," he said. Evan and Julie Akins stand with daughter, Priscilla Akins, 13, and newly adopted son, Riley Akins, 10, on the Forrest County Courthouse steps after a mass adoption ceremony Monday in Hattiesburg. His mother Julie Akins was his teacher a year ago. She was apprehensive about getting two new students in the middle of the school year, but she felt an instant connection when the two met. "It was something strange when I first saw him," she said. "When I opened the door and saw him, I thought, 'This kid is special.'" She sent her husband a text message to tell him about the new students. "This is going to sound crazy, but I believe the Lord spoke to my heart and said, 'You are to adopt one of them,'" Evan Akins said. He didn't say anything to his wife about the calling at the time. Later on, Julie Akins learned that Riley, who was in foster care, was not going to be reunited with his birth family. As the couple learned more about Riley, the discovered he and Evan Akins already had a few things in common. The two share a birthday Sept. 26. Riley's middle name is Michael, as is Evan's first name. In time, Julie Akins also began to think about adopting Riley and told her husband about her feelings. "I already know," Evan Akins told her. "I've been knowing this for some time, and I've been waiting on you to tell me. The Lord's already opened my heart to this. We believe the Lord put us together." Riley now has a sister, 13-year-old Priscilla Akins, who came to the family through a private adoption. "Priscilla was literally brought into our home," Evan Akins said. Priscilla said she likes having a younger brother, even when he is annoying. "It's all OK," she said. Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge. This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: 13 Mississippi children adopted into nine families in Hattiesburg TOKYO, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of the H5 subtype has been detected in a wild bird found in central Tokyo, marking the first instance of avian influenza infection in a wild bird during the current avian flu season in the city, according to local authorities. The body of a buzzard, or Buteo japonicus, was discovered in the central Chiyoda Ward of Tokyo last Tuesday, and the preliminary test results conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government were negative, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Environmental Bureau. Subsequent genetic testing by the National Institute for Environmental Studies, however, confirmed that the buzzard was indeed infected with the highly pathogenic H5 subtype of avian influenza, information released by the bureau on Monday showed. Data from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment indicated that this is the first time during the current avian influenza season that Tokyo has detected a case of avian influenza infection in a wild bird. Across Japan, more than 40 cases of wild birds infected with avian influenza have been reported. In response to the discovery, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has designated a 10-kilometer radius around the location where the dead bird was found as a key monitoring area for wild birds. Poultry farmers, parks, zoos, and other relevant entities within the metropolitan area were also urged to heighten vigilance, strengthen monitoring, and implement preventive measures. Last week, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries reported two outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in farms located in prefectures of Saitama and Kagoshima, bringing the occurrences of avian influenza outbreaks on poultry farms in Japan during the current influenza season to four in total. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A New Mexico man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 12 1/2 years in prison for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for West Texas. According to court documents, registered sex offender Alexandre Theodore Banta, 37, of Roswell, traveled with a juvenile from Roswell to El Paso in April 2020, engaging in sexual acts in the vehicle along the way. Banta and the juvenile spent between one and a half to two weeks in an El Paso motel, where Banta further engaged in sexual acts with the minor and arranged for the minor to have sex with other individuals in exchange for payment, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The El Paso Police Department was alerted by someone at the motel who said they had seen a young girl entering and exiting various motel rooms and overheard a tenant of one of the rooms describe a sexual encounter with her. Banta was arrested on June 12, 2020 for sexual assault of a minor. He was served a federal arrest warrant on Aug. 18, 2020, and extradited to El Paso. This predator committed heinous sexual acts of his own with a minor, while also forcing her into prostitution out of a motel room and lining his pockets, said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. I appreciate the vigilance of those who alerted the El Paso Police Department, and our partner agencies who conducted the ensuing investigation. This case serves as an important reminder that sexual exploitation can and does occur in our communities, and we can all play a role in prevention. Child exploitation is one of the most heinous crimes in modern society, and this case exemplifies one of the worst. The sentence fits the crime, said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola for the HSI El Paso Division. Our robust partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies continues to allow HSI special agents to ensure those responsible for victimizing children are removed from our communities and placed behind bars for a long time. HSI and EPPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valenzuela prosecuted the case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. A Wake County homeowner who shot an alleged intruder in the face last week will not face criminal charges, police said Monday. Knightdale Police Chief Lawrence Capps told media outlets the decision not to charge the homeowner, a legal gun owner, was made after consulting with the Wake County District Attorneys Office. Its the latest of at least four cases in the Triangle since last November of a resident using deadly force to protect their property and/or family.. Curious about what the law says? The News & Observer looked at each of these cases and what North Carolina laws say when it comes to people shooting others on or near their property. Alleged Knightdale intruder shot in the face When this happened: Nov. 29, 2023 What happened: A Knightdale homeowner shot and injured an individual he said was trying to break into his home on Redwood Valley Lane before midnight. The homeowner used a legally owned firearm to fire at Juan Acevedo, 35, who was seen allegedly breaking a window at the home to gain entry, according to a preliminary investigation by the Knightdale Police Department. Acevedo was given verbal warnings before the homeowner shot him, police said. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Where the case stands: Acevedo was charged with felony breaking and entering with intent to terrorize. The homeowner was not charged. Our states laws dictate when a person may use reasonable force including deadly force to protect themselves from presumable death or serious bodily injury, Capps told ABC11, The N&Os news-gathering partner.. These same laws rightfully provide civil and criminal relief for those who are compelled to use legal force in self-defense situations. We are grateful that the homeowner and his wife survived this ordeal. Furthermore, the suspects survival means that he can now be held accountable in a court of law. When can homeowners in the Carolinas use deadly force? Stand your ground laws explained Man shot and killed in Wake Forest When this happened: Oct. 23, 2023. What happened: A homeowner shot and killed a man who was attempting to break into a Wake Forest home on Abercrombie Road after 3 a.m., according to police. Steven Contestable, 34, of Raleigh, was shot and died from his injuries. Police said an investigation found Contestable was shot while attempting to break in. The firearm used in this case was legally owned. Jerry Allen, a neighbor, told WRAL at the time that Contestable was his friend and that his death surprised him. I dont want people to think hes evil, said Allen. I think he had a mental break of some sort. Where the case stands: No criminal charges were filed against the homeowner, unidentified by police, in this case. No charges for Johnston County homeowner who shot man When this happened: June 21, 2023 What happened: A Johnston County homeowner shot and killed a man he alleged had threatened his daughter and tried to break into his house. Jose Ramiro Cac Choc, 24, was shot and killed at the home on Parker Street in the town of Wilsons Mills. Cac Choc had allegedly approached the homeowners children who were playing in the backyard and shaken the handle of a door to the home. Where the case stands: The Johnston County Sheriffs Office said an investigation found no basis for charges against the homeowner in this case. Armed intruders attempt to break in Clayton home When this happened: Nov. 3, 2022 What happened: Three men allegedly trying to break into a Clayton home on Brigadoon Drive were spotted by the homeowner, who fired at them. The alleged intruders responded with gunfire before fleeing. A 19-year-old from Raleigh, Alexis Segura-Prieto, was shot once and injured by the homeowners gunfire. The two other suspects were not apprehended. Segura-Prieto was hospitalized and detained on burglary and attempted murder charges. Where the case stands: There were no criminal charges against the homeowner in this case, a town of Clayton spokesman told The N&O. Segura-Prieto pleaded guilty in June to attempted first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, Johnston County court records show. What the laws say in these cases At least 25 states, including North Carolina, have laws allowing homeowners to use lethal force if they feel they are in danger. These laws are also known as the castle doctrine, which is the legal notion that a residents home is their castle and that residents have the right to use lethal force to defend it. Article 14 of Chapter 14 of the North Carolina General Statutes states: A person can use defensive force that is likely to cause death or serious bodily harm to another to protect their home, motor vehicle, or workplace against someone who is in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered. Force can be used against someone is trying to remove you from the premises against your will. The law prohibits using deadly force against: A person with the right to be on your property, such as an owner or tenant. Someone who is in your custody, such as a child or grandchild. A law enforcement officer or bail bondsman who attempts to enter a home, motor vehicle, or workplace to perform official duties. A person who has stopped trying to enter your property forcefully and has left the premises. John Rubin, a professor at the UNC School of Government, previously told The N&O said the castle doctrine presumes that unlawful intruders pose a deadly threat to people inside of the property being intruded on. According to the law, the homeowner can shoot an intruder without necessarily seeing that the intruder is armed or actively taking action to cause harm, Rubin said. The law requires that deadly force be proportionate to the harm thats threatened, he said. So there has to be a deadly threat for force to be appropriate. Charlotte Observer reporter Evan Moore and former News & Observer reporter Julian Shen-Berro contributed to this report. The family of a 15-year-old student killed at Southeast Raleigh High School last week demanded answers from Wake County school leaders on Monday night. On Nov. 27, Delvin Ferrell, 15, was fatally stabbed during a fight in the school gym. At a community forum Monday night hosted by the school, several of Ferrells family members questioned the response to the stabbing. Jeremaine Cotton, Ferrells older brother and a student at Southeast Raleigh High, told the audience that packed Southeast Raleigh Highs audience that he witnessed his brothers stabbing. I no longer feel safe in this school, Cotton said. I dont think people care about us like they say they do. Wake County school leaders and Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said Monday theres a limit to what they can say about the incident due to the ongoing investigation. The district has promised to review its security protocols. Delvin Ferrells older brother Jeremaine Cotton, left, speaks as Ferrells uncle Teddie Martinez olds a portrait of Ferrell during a community forum at Southeast Raleigh High School Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, one week after a brawl resulted in the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old student and the wounding of a 16-year-old. Did the school get advance warning? Laura Grimes, Ferrells grandmother, attended Mondays forum and said she heard that the school received a call ahead of time that a fight was going to happen. When that call was made, something should have put in place, Grimes said. The mother of the 14-year-old suspect has said that she warned the school on the day of the stabbing that her son was going to be attacked. Video posted on social media by multiple students show a fight breaking out in a hallway before 11 a.m. on Nov. 27. In the melee that spilled into the gymnasium, Ferrell and a 16-year-old were both stabbed. The 16-year-old suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The fight led to the school being placed on a Code Red lockdown for most of Nov. 27. Audio of 911 calls released by police show students and staff in a state of fear as they waited for more officers to arrive on campus. Classes were canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday before resuming on Thursday with extra security on campus. Police filed a murder charge against a 14-year-old student. In addition, Principal Eddie Harden told parents that several other students involved in the brawl were disciplined. Elizabeth Gary, a longtime teacher at Southeast Raleigh High, said the school board needs to support Hardens efforts to bring discipline to the school. Im going to ask you to untie his hands and let him do what he needs to do for our kids, Gary told school leaders. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson, third from left, speaks during a community forum Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 at Southeast Raleigh High School, one week after a brawl resulted in the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old student and the wounding of a 16-year-old. Defending Southeast Raleigh Highs image Harden told the crowd at Mondays forum that additional staff are now at the school to help supervise the students. He said the school will focus on lessons on conflict resolution and getting students to report problems. Students can anonymously report tips at 919-856-1911. We have to move beyond being silent due to past norms, Harden said. Harden was among among multiple people who said the school is being unfairly painted with negative stereotypes. News reports have pointed to the crime rate at Southeast Raleigh High compared to other Wake County schools. Youre not going to talk about my students, youre not going to talk about certain neighborhoods, Harden said.n We cant accept that. But Teddie Martinez, Ferrells uncle, told the crowd that the only statistics that matter are that his nephews body is in a funeral home and another young man is in jail. Martinez urged the school system to spend more money on restorative justice and students social and emotional learning. Martinez said the schools students are still traumatized that a fellow student was killed at the school. He said more needs to happen to help the students, or the next bloodshed will be on your guys hands. Should the school have reopened so soon? The forum was expected to end at 8:30 p.m. but a long line of speakers prompted Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor to extend the forum another hour. It ended around 9:50 p.m. Community members fill the auditorium at Southeast Raleigh High School during a community forum Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, one week after a brawl resulted in the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old student and the wounding of a 16-year-old. Parents voiced other concerns, including that the school shouldnt have reopened so soon after the stabbing. They said the school could have offered online classes, which became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic. They should have shut the school down, said Melanie Harris, a Southeast Raleigh High parent and Wake County school bus driver. They have Chromebooks. Harris said the school wouldnt have reopened so soon if the stabbing had happened at Panther Creek High School in Cary. Panther Creek has a largely white student enrollment. Southeast Raleigh High has a largely Black and Hispanic enrollment. Taylor took responsibility for the decision to reopen Thursday. That was my decision and I take the ownership and the criticism that goes with it, Taylor said at the end of the forum. Calls for more volunteers at school Harris drew applause when she said parents should be more involved in their childrens education. Harris said the adults in the Southeast Raleigh community need to step up and serve at the school. Multiple speakers met the challenge on Monday by offering themselves and their groups to become mentors and volunteers. Kimberly McGee said she was willing to come back and get involved after stepping away when her son graduated. I am heartbroken, McGee said. I need to be re-educated. Im sure a lot of us need to be re-educated about what we need to do. The News U.S. and European officials are warning that there wont be any fallback option to fill the void if Congress fails to approve another batch of military aid for Ukraine. On Monday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that the U.S. does not have a plan B to help Kyiv should funding lapse at the end of this year. Theres not a magical pot of money out there that we can go dip into that we have been hiding off in the corner, he said. While Ukraine would still be able to rely on support from its European allies, the rest of NATO lacks the resources to fill the void if U.S. aid were to vanish. European countries will continue in what they have been doing, but the U.S. support as such is almost impossible to replace, one senior European official told Semafor. Another European official characterized the challenge as a capacity gap, noting other countries could not immediately match U.S. military industrial power to produce weapons which is already straining to meet demand. The U.S. is the largest single provider of military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom. Some Republicans have suggested that Europe needs to spend more to help Kyiv fight Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion. Germany last month signaled plans to double military aid for Ukraine next year, which former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor surmised was partly a reaction to concern about the United States being able to continue to provide weapons. But Taylor, who has been a vocal proponent for the U.S. passing more assistance, agreed that Europe couldnt fill the immediate void created if American support falters. Just as a matter of existing capabilities and existing stockpiles and existing military industrial capabilities, the Europeans will take years to come up to the level that the Americans are at right now, he said. Officials are already lobbying NATO and non-NATO countries behind the scenes to examine what weapons they have in stocks and to ramp up help, ongoing and longstanding work that would likely accelerate if U.S. aid were to lapse, a European diplomat said. Morgans view Monday brought a discouraging sign for Ukraine supporters, as Senate Democrats walked away (at least temporarily) from border security talks with Republicans that have become the key to unlocking more U.S. Ukraine assistance. Im worried, Mykola Murskyj, who works with the Ukrainian advocacy group Razom, told me. He noted that there had been other signs of trouble as well, such as a new letter from White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warning U.S. funding would run out at years end, and Speaker Mike Johnson signaling dissatisfaction with the answers he has gotten from the administration on the funding. Still, other governments are banking on U.S. support to continue, albeit potentially scaled back from the White Houses $60 billion request. Theyve been getting encouraging signs from the White House, as well as politicians from both parties who support more aid to Ukraine. At the end of the day, I think something in some form will pass, the European diplomat told me. Having European countries send more aid to Ukraine is easier said than done. Europes defense industry is still struggling after prolonged underinvestment, and pledges from officials to reverse that decline havent yet produced major results. Some European countries have also already maxed out how much aid they can deliver, given their resources. Lithuania, for instance, is providing the most assistance to Ukraine when measured by share of gross domestic product, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Lithuania, a much smaller country than the U.S., is doing everything it possibly can because they get the stakes, Murskyj told me. Sullivan argued Monday that cutting off U.S. aid could perhaps make it harder for the U.S. to convince other nations to step up. It undermines the case that we can make to the broad-based international coalition that we have pulled together, he said. Room for Disagreement Our European allies have still spent far below, particularly on military aid to Ukraine, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. said during an appearance on Fox News earlier this year. Weve got to say to them that they must take the lead in defending Ukraine and in defending the European continent. We have to shift our focus militarily to the Pacific. The View From Germany Germany, often the target of critics who say European countries should step up spending, pivoted after Putins invasion and said it would finally meet NATOs target for spending 2% GDP on defense. But while a slim majority of Germans support rearmament, according to a recent survey from Morning Consult, that doesnt necessarily mean they support doing so in order to back Ukraine. According to the poll, a majority of the Germans who believe now is the right time to rearm believe Berlin is either doing enough or too much for Ukraine. Notable Ukraine is seeking to increase its domestic arms production so it is less dependent on other countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky explained to the Associated Press in a recent interview. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Candidate filing for North Carolina elections next year opened on Monday with races for governor and several statewide positions without incumbents expected on the ballot, along with contests for all U.S. House and legislative seats, altered yet again by redistricting. Filing started at noon with the State Board of Elections in Raleigh for statewide, federal and judicial offices and at county election board offices for other positions. Within a half-hour, more than 50 people candidates, their staff and family members were waiting to enter a building at the State Fairgrounds to turn in paperwork and filing fees. Those coming to Raleigh to file included U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, repeat congressional hopeful Bo Hines and labor commissioner candidates Jon Hardister and Luke Farley. Its really an honor and a privilege to have this opportunity, said Kaleb Wingate, a District Court judge in seven far western counties running for a second four-year term. He was the first candidate to complete the filing process with the state board, waiting outside the fairgrounds building since 9:30 a.m. We take it very serious and want to be ready to go when the time comes, Wingate said. Filing ends at noon Dec. 15 for candidates seeking party nominations in the March 5 primaries. Those unopposed for a nomination skip to the November general election. Independent candidates have more time to collect signatures to get on next falls ballot. The 2024 elections should result in a shakeup at the top of the executive branch. Six of the 10 incumbents on the Council of State arent seeking reelection to their current positions. Term limits bar Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper from running for another four-year term, and current Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican State Treasurer Dale Folwell are among the announced candidates seeking to succeed him. That means their positions also will be open. State Auditor Beth Wood and Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson arent seeking reelection as well. Wood is resigning next week, and Coopers choice to finish out her term, Jessica Holmes, plans to run for auditor in 2024. Theres some open seats on various levels of state government and in local government, so it is a big day and weve prepared for a big turnout, state board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said. Candidates also are filing for the states 14 U.S. House seats and 170 General Assembly seats. Democrats and Republicans currently hold seven congressional seats apiece in the state. But the GOP-controlled legislature redrew in October the map so it could give Republicans at least three more seats after 2024 at the expense of incumbent Democrats, according to election data. One of the three first-term Rep. Jeff Jackson of Charlotte already announced that hes running for attorney general. The lines also could make it very hard for Democratic Reps. Kathy Manning of Greensboro and Wiley Nickel of Cary to return to Capitol Hill in 2025. The state House and Senate districts also were redrawn several weeks ago, putting Republicans in a strong position to retain control of both chambers through the rest of the decade and potentially maintain their veto-proof majorities. Two years ago, the state Supreme Court suspended 2022 candidate filing after three days so courts could review lawsuits claiming illegal gerrymandering. Filing resumed 2 1/2 months later, after North Carolinas congressional district lines had been redrawn twice and General Assembly boundaries once, and the primary was delayed until May. So far only one lawsuit has been filed challenging this falls redistricting, and a federal judge refused to expedite the case, which focuses on some state Senate districts. So it appears for now that the entire filing period will be completed on time, Bell said. Candidates this year also are vying next year for one seat on the state Supreme Court, three on the Court of Appeals and hundreds of trial court judgeships and local positions. Voters also will cast primary ballots for president March 5, but those candidates dont file. Rather, the state board finalizes this month those names based on directions from those parties who hold primaries the state Democratic, Republican, Libertarian and Green parties. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com. Rep. Patrick McHenry announced Tuesday he will not seek reelection. I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term, McHenry said in a news release. This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and for me this season has come to an end. McHenry, 48, of Lincoln County, made the surprise announcement just weeks after leading the House through a tumultuous 22 days without a House speaker. He has represented the 10th Congressional District in Congress for 10 terms since he was first elected in 2004 as the youngest member, at 29. Past, present, and future, the House of Representatives is the center of our American republic, McHenry said. Through good and bad, during the highest of days and the lowest and from proud to infamous times, the House is the venue for our nations disagreements bound up in our hopes for a better tomorrow. It is truly a special place and as an American my service here is undoubtedly my proudest. McHenry worked for 20 years in Congress to become the chair of the House Financial Services Committee, a position he gained this January. But he also maintained crucial roles within the House throughout his tenure. In 2014, McHenry was tapped to become chief deputy whip. In 2017, when Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who served as whip, was shot in a congressional baseball practice, McHenry immediately stepped in to the role. And in October, when a small faction of House Republicans worked to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, McHenry stepped in as temporary speaker to facilitate the election of a McCarthy replacement during a tumultuous three weeks. Reactions to McHenrys retirement Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from Southern Pines who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, called McHenry a giant of the House and said he will go down in history as one of the most consequential members to have ever served in the U.S. Congress. His decades of service to the people of North Carolina and his leadership as Speaker Pro Tem during an unprecedented time for the House of Representatives will leave a lasting impact on future generations, Hudson said. I have known Patrick for 30 years and I am proud to call him my close friend. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, said McHenry would be missed in Congress. Congressman McHenry has been an extraordinary leader and problem solver who always rises to the occasion, most recently spearheading a bipartisan deal that saved our country from default and secured the largest spending cut in history, Tillis said. Acting speaker after Kevin McCarthy deposed McHenry served as one of McCarthys top lieutenants. He often was seen by McCarthys side helping to whip votes and get Republicans to fall in line. But the 118th Congress has had one of the least productive years in history. The slim majority House Republicans hold over Democrats allowed the far-right House Freedom Caucus to hold bills and policy hostage in order to get McCarthy to bend to their will. That has led to few laws being passed and Republican infighting. That came to a head in October, after McCarthy decided to work with Democrats to ensure he could pass a short-term government spending bill that prevented an immediate government shutdown. In retaliation, members of the Freedom Caucus then worked with Democrats to fire McCarthy from his leadership position. It was the first time in the countrys history that members of the House ousted their own speaker. Then, McHenry found his name at the top of a secret list McCarthy was required to keep as part of a post-9/11 law of potential successors in case something were to happen to him. McHenry was immediately named interim speaker and was tasked with helping the House find a replacement for McCarthy, which turned into a grueling three-week series of battles among Republicans. At times, McHenrys colleagues, including Democrats, asked him to take on more power as interim speaker than he felt the Constitution allowed, and he refused. He told McClatchy last month that since he was the first person to hold a temporary speaker position, everything he did would become precedent and he didnt want to exceed the authority given to him. McHenry said Tuesday he has worked every day since he was first elected to uphold the constitution and the system of government our founders so wisely created. After 22 days, Rep. Mike Johnson prevailed and became House speaker. At the time, rumors abounded on Capitol Hill that McHenry might not seek reelection, but he quickly stopped those conversations by putting out a news release that stated otherwise. And that made McHenrys announcement Tuesday even more surprising. Days after George Santos vote McHenrys decision came less than a week after he and Rep. Dan Bishop became the only members of North Carolinas delegation to vote against expelling Rep. George Santos from Congress. Santos lost his seat in Congress after facing several criminal charges and a damning ethics report that uncovered his alleged use of campaign funds to purchase designer goods, Botox and services on OnlyFans, as well as making unauthorized payments from donors credit cards. Those who voted to keep Santos said it was unprecedented to oust a sitting member of Congress prior to a conviction. McHenry was also the only Republican House member from North Carolina who voted to certify the election of President Joe Biden. Beyond the fact that voting against certification of legally submitted electors would violate the oath I took to our Constitution; I also have serious concerns about the precedent these actions could set were they to succeed, McHenry said in a statement at the time. On Tuesday, McHenry thanked his constituents, saying he strived each day in this job to not let you down, and his staff for their work in his office. He also thanked his family and those who mentored him. He did not offer any preview of whats next in his future. But he did address the future of Congress. McCarthy is also expected to announce he will not seek reelection, and several others have announced retirements. There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because some like me have decided to leave, McHenry said. Those concerns are exaggerated. Ive seen a lot of change over twenty years. I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn. Whether its 1974, 1994, or 2010, weve seen the House evolve over time. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed but at each stage, new leaders emerge. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. Im confident the House is in good hands. Filing in North Carolina for the 2024 elections began Monday and continues through Dec. 15. The primary is March 5. James Golden, a Captain of the Greensboro Police Department in North Carolina, is eager to throw his hat in the ring for the position of Abilene Police Chief. Golden was born and raised in the small town of Burlington, North Carolina, with around 60,000 residents. Burlington is about 20 miles from Greensboro, where Golden has been a member of the police force since 1996. He began his career in the Greensboro Police Department and hopes to spend the twilight of his career in Texas, after another 10 or so years faithfully serving the Abilene Police Department. Captain James Golden, veteran of the Greensboro Police Department since 1996. Captain Golden got his start as a police officer when he felt a calling to public service. His father, a 23-year Navy veteran inspired Golden to do something with his life that would make his father proud. More: City announces all-external candidates for police chief vacancy More: Up close and personal with the candidates for new Texas police chief Golden notes that one of his proudest times serving as a police officer has been in the field training new officers. He worked for over 5 years training new officers to be ready to be in the field on their own. He remarked that it had been one of the most rewarding moments of his career thus far. Golden trained over 200 new officers and was proud of the opportunity to help revamp the entire training program for the Greensboro Police Department (GPD). He also assisted in crafting the body camera policy for the department. In addition, Golden has participated in various projects within the department including Operation Yuletide. This outreach project brings holiday cheer to "people who have been impacted by serious crimes, accidents, or an unfortunate turn of events" according to the GPD. Utilizing donations from the community, officers hand-deliver gifts to those who need them most. Captain James Golden of the Greensboro Police Department participates in Operation Yuletide, a community outreach project that hand-delivers donations throughout the holiday season. Golden also holds a masters degree in public safety, along with a superior service bar for his contributions to the field training program. He has made intangible contributions" to the GPD, which to him, are more rewarding. Golden was able to hand-pick officers for the Behavioral Health Response Team, and later helped to begin team operations. When he was promoted to captain and transferred out of that division, the team presented him with an award as a recognition of his contributions and leadership. Their respect and appreciation mean the world to me, and I am prouder of that than any formal award I could win Golden remarked. Captain James Golden's award for supervision of the Behavioral Health Response Team. When looking into possible cities to which he could relocate, Golden hoped to find a city similar to Greensboro with friendly people, light traffic, and a small-town feel. He found that in Abilene and hopes to relocate here, if chosen. If Golden becomes the new Abilene Chief of Police, he said he is confident he can bring loyalty and patience to the position. He has given his entire career thus far to the Greensboro Police Department and hopes to bring that same loyalty here to Abilene. He also brings a lot of patience to the table with his self-proclaimed "servant-leadership style." He wants the Abilene community to feel comfortable with him and to trust him, much like he trusts his current community around him. Over the years, Captain Golden has learned a great deal in his career and is ready for a new challenge and adventure. He hopes to receive the opportunity to make Abilenes police department a better place, like he has in Greensboro. This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: North Carolina captain throws hat in the ring for Texas police chief FILE - Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., speaks with reporters as he departs after a Republican caucus meeting in which they dropped Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as their nominee for speaker, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. McHenry, who presided temporarily over the U.S. House for three intense weeks while Republicans struggled to elect a permanent speaker after Kevin McCarthy's ouster, announced on Tuesday, Dec. 5, that he won't seek reelection to his seat next year. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry, who presided temporarily over the U.S. House for three intense weeks while Republicans struggled to elect a permanent speaker after Kevin McCarthy's ouster, announced Tuesday that he won't seek reelection to his seat next year. McHenry, who was first elected to the House in 2004 at age 29, unveiled the surprise decision the day after candidate filing started in North Carolina. He currently represents the 10th Congressional District covering several counties north and west of Charlotte entering the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He had announced his reelection bid in late October, just two days after the completion of another congressional redistricting by the Republican-controlled legislature that is likely to keep the reconfigured 10th District on the GOP side of the ledger in the November 2024 election. That announcement also came two days after U.S. House Republicans ultimately got behind Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to become the next speaker. McHenry's news release didnt explain his reversal. I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term. This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and for me this season has come to an end," McHenry said. "I look forward to what the next season brings for my family and me. Known as the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee, McHenry had risen through the House Republican ranks in recent years. As a top lieutenant to McCarthy, McHenry helped him win the speakers contest in January and negotiate the debt limit deal made with President Joe Biden later in the year. McHenry then became a semi-celebrity figure by Capitol Hill standards when he was thrust into a stark spotlight in October when for the first time in history the House evicted its speaker. According to House rules, McHenry was picked from a list McCarthy was required to keep to become the acting speaker also known as speaker pro tempore until the chamber figured out who would be the next leader. The typically personable and upbeat McHenry took on a more serious demeanor in the new role, shunning the scrum of reporters that trailed his every step and refusing to answer most questions -- but often with a knowing half-smile. As several candidates for the job rose and fell, McHenry resisted overtures from some Republicans and Democrats who wanted to give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. McHenry insisted his only job was to elect the next speaker. McHenry was never a contender for the speakers job himself. When Johnson was ultimately elected Oct. 25, McHenry gaveled the vote closed, with an exhaustive sigh of relief, and retreated to his perch leading the financial services panel. McHenry, now 48, married and with three children, ran unsuccessfully for a state House seat in 1998, but he won four years later. In 2004, McHenry pulled off an upset by winning the 10th District GOP primary, narrowly defeating a popular local sheriff in a runoff before winning in the general election. McHenry entered Congress as a hardline conservative willing to speak against leadership, but over time McHenry went up the GOP leadership ladder, becoming the Republicans chief deputy whip in 2015, and a key part of McCarthys team. In-state congressional colleagues praised McHenry for his service, with Republican Sen. Thom Tillis calling him "an extraordinary leader and problem solver who always rises to the occasion." His decades of service to the people of North Carolina and his leadership as Speaker Pro Tem during an unprecedented time for the House of Representatives will leave a lasting impact on future generations," added Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. McHenrys announcement set off a reaction in North Carolina congressional campaigns. In the adjoining 14th District covering portions of Charlotte, top Republican candidates have included current state House Speaker Tim Moore and Pat Harrigan, who was the districts GOP nominee in 2022 when the district leaned Democratic. Redistricting this fall flipped the 14th District to one favorable for Republicans. Harrigan, a former Green Beret who served in Afghanistan, said soon after McHenry's announcement that he would run for the 10th seat being vacated by McHenry. This in turn could help clear the field for Moore on the way to the GOP nomination in the 14th. Addressing the future of the House in light of departures from the chamber like himself, McHenry said Tuesday that those concerns are exaggerated. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed but at each stage, new leaders emerge, he added. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. Im confident the House is in good hands. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP/WNCN) North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry, who presided temporarily over the U.S. House for three intense weeks while Republicans struggled to elect a permanent speaker after Kevin McCarthys ouster, announced Tuesday that he wont seek reelection to his seat next year. McHenry, who was first elected to the House in 2004 at age 29, unveiled his surprise decision as candidate filing started this week in North Carolina. He currently represents the 10th District covering several counties north and west of Charlotte entering the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He had announced his reelection campaign in late October, just two days after the completion of another congressional redistricting by the Republican-controlled legislature that kept the reconfigured 10th District on the GOP side of the ledger in the November 2024 election. That announcement also came two days after U.S. House Republicans ultimately got behind Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to become the next speaker. McHenrys news release didnt explain his reversal. I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term. This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and for me this season has come to an end, McHenry said. I look forward to what the next season brings for my family and me. Known as the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee, McHenry had risen through the House Republican ranks in recent years. As a top lieutenant to McCarthy, McHenry helped him win the speakers contest in January and negotiate the debt limit deal made with President Joe Biden earlier this year. McHenry was thrust into a starker spotlight in October when McCarthy was pushed out of his speaker job in a historic vote. According to House rules, McHenry was picked from a list McCarthy was required to keep and became the acting speaker also known as speaker pro tempore until the chamber figured out who would be the next leader. As several candidates for the job rose and fell, McHenry resisted overtures from some Republicans and Democrats who wanted to give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. McHenry, now 48, ran unsuccessfully for a state House seat in 1998, but he won four years later. In 2004, McHenry pulled off an upset by winning the 10th District GOP U.S. House primary, narrowly defeating a popular local sheriff in a runoff before winning in the general election. McHenry entered Congress as a hardline conservative willing to speak against leadership, but over time McHenry rose up the GOP leadership ladder, becoming the Republicans chief deputy whip in 2015, and a key part of McCarthys team. Soon after McHenrys announcement, Republican Pat Harrigan revealed hell now run in the 10th district, which McHenry currently represents. It stretches from Lincoln to Forsyth counties. Harrigan said hes hired McHenrys former campaign manager Eduardo Andrade to run his campaign. State Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) also confirmed hes considering getting into the race. He already filed to run for re-election to his state House seat but still has time to switch if he decides to do that. Harrigan had planned to run the 14th district which stretches from western Mecklenburg County to Rutherford County along the South Carolina state line. He would have been in a competitive primary with state House Speaker Tim Moore. Harrigan already had highlighted Moores support of bringing more casinos to the state when he labeled him a casino activist following Moores announcement that he was getting into the race earlier this fall. Moore formally filed to run for office on Tuesday. Looming over all of this is a new federal lawsuit filed on Monday challenging the congressional districts. Black and Latino voters have sued Republican lawmakers, saying the new districts are unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. By strategically packing and cracking North Carolinas minority voters, the 2023 Congressional Plan entrenches the states white majority and erases the gains made by voters of color in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, the lawsuit reads. Its unclear how quickly the case will move forward. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs have not asked the court to consider it on an expedited schedule. Im not concerned about that at all. I know very well the process that the legislature went through to draw these districts to not take race into account, said Moore. I think the fact that it took the Democrats so long to sue, frankly, shows that they didnt have a case and they had to scratch around and create something to file a lawsuit. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com. North Korea on Monday accused the United States of perpetuating illegal double standards by supporting South Koreas spy satellite launch last week while rebuking Pyongyang for its such launch the previous week. South Korea successfully placed its first reconnaissance satellite into orbit Friday, a move hailed by its government as a historic first. In the past, the country has relied, at least in part, on the United States to supply surveillance of North Korea. The satellite was the first of five that South Korea plans to send to space by 2025, as part of an agreement with SpaceX. The United States, the United Nations and Western allies all condemned North Koreas launch of a spy satellite late last month, claiming it violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Korea from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology. A spokesperson for North Koreas National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) issued a statement Monday pushing back on criticism, claiming it is as clear as noonday that South Korea plans to use its satellite for military purposes. It is a space-level tragicomedy that the United States, going frantic with illegal denunciation and sanctions moves over the exercise of the sovereignty of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, has shown behavior based on double standards by launching a spy satellite of the Republic of Korea in a shameless manner, the statement read, as reported by North Koreas state-run media organization, KCNA. The United States, the spokesperson continued, impudently argues that the satellite launch by the Republic of Korea is different in its character in the aspect of observing international law while asserting that the DPRKs satellite launch is a threat to the regional peace and stability. The spokesperson warned that if the gangster-like logic of the United States is connived and tolerated, global peace and stability will be exposed to an irrevocable grave danger. It is absolutely intolerable that such brigandish American-style standards are imposed even on space, an asset common to mankind, the statement added. The North Korean statement further recommitted to the countrys strategic space plan, claiming the plans development is essential for closely monitoring and grasping the military moves of the United States and other hostile forces which are getting ever-more undisguised with each passing day. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. HANOI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's capital Hanoi has been honored as the World's Leading City Break Destination 2023 at the World Travel Awards in Dubai, Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday. This was the second time Hanoi has won the title. The World's Leading City Break Destination 2023 award has once again affirmed the potential and attractiveness of Hanoi's tourism, according to the city's Tourism Department. The latest World's Leading City Break Destination award is another demonstration of the local tourism sector's efforts and achievements as well as Hanoi's firm foothold in the global tourism map, said the department. According to the department, Hanoi welcomed 22.6 million tourists in the first 11 months of 2023, an increase of 32.4 percent year-on-year. Among the arrivals, international tourists accounted for 4.1 million, three times higher compared to the same period in 2022. At the World Travel Awards this year, Vietnam also won the World's Leading Heritage Destination 2023, according to Vietnam National Authority of Tourism. A TV screen displays a warning message called "J-alert" after the Japanese government issued an emergency warning, saying a missile had been launched from North Korea, in Tokyo A TV screen displays a warning message called "J-alert" after the Japanese government issued an emergency warning, saying a missile had been launched from North Korea, in Tokyo By Soo-hyang Choi and Chang-Ran Kim SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) -North Korea said it successfully placed its first spy satellite in orbit on Tuesday and vowed to launch more in the near future, defying international condemnation from the United States and its allies. Officials in South Korea and Japan, which first reported the launch, said they could not immediately verify whether a satellite was placed in orbit. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the U.S. military was still assessing whether the launch was a success or not. South Korea responded to the North Korean announcement by saying it would take steps to suspend parts of a 2018 inter-Korean agreement designed to lower military tensions, its Yonhap news agency reported. Yonhap cited a South Korean National Security Council statement as saying the move would involve restoring reconnaissance and surveillance operations in the area around the military demarcation line between the countries. North Korea's KCNA state news agency said the Malligyong-1 satellite was launched on a Chollima-1 rocket from the Sohae satellite launch facility at 10:42 p.m. (1342 GMT) and entered orbit at 10:54 p.m. (1354 GMT). KCNA cited North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration. North Korea had earlier notified Japan it planned to send up a satellite between Wednesday and Dec. 1, after two failed attempts to launch what it called spy satellites earlier this year. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson called the launch "a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions," and said it "raises tensions, and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond." U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the launch employed ballistic missile technology U.N. resolutions ban North Korea from using. Tuesday's launch would be the first since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Vladimir Putin at Russia's modern space facility in September for a summit where the Russian president promised to help Pyongyang build satellites. South Korean officials have said the latest launch attempt likely incorporated technical assistance from Moscow as part of a growing partnership that has seen North Korea send millions of artillery shells to Russia. Russia and North Korea have denied such arms deals, but are publicly promising deeper cooperation. KCNA said Kim Jong Un personally observed the launch, which came just over a week before South Korea plans to send its first spy satellite into space on a Falcon 9 rocket operated by the U.S. company Space X. North Korea's space agency will send up multiple spy satellites in the near future to continue securing surveillance capabilities over South Korea and other regions of interest to North Korea's armed forces, the report said. "The launch of reconnaissance satellite is a legitimate right of (North Korea) for strengthening its self-defensive capabilities," KCNA said, adding that it would enhance the country's military preparedness in the face of its enemies' "dangerous military moves." After the May launch attempt, South Korea retrieved the wreckage of the satellite from the sea and said an analysis showed it had limited use as a reconnaissance platform. Marco Langbroek, a satellite expert at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, said while "observational" satellites launched by the North did achieve orbit in 2012 and 2016, it is not known whether they were ever truly functional and both burned up in the atmosphere this year. Analysts say even a rudimentary satellite system could give North Korea its first capability to remotely monitor U.S., South Korean and Japanese troops. Such a capability could allow the nuclear-armed North to target its weapons in the event of a war, but greater insight into allied troops movements could also help provide a degree of reassurance and stability, said Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. EMERGENCY ALARMS South Korea's military said it believed the rocket carried a reconnaissance satellite and was launched toward the south. Over its emergency broadcasting system, the Japanese government told residents in Okinawa to take cover inside buildings or underground. It later said the rocket appeared to have flown over and past Okinawa towards the Pacific Ocean, and it lifted its emergency warning. In brief remarks to reporters upon arriving at his office, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida repeated that North Korea's launch was a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a threat to the safety of Japanese citizens. "We have lodged a stern protest and condemned North Korea in the strongest terms," he said. Earlier on Tuesday, Kishida said his country's defence systems, including Aegis destroyers and PAC-3 air defence missiles, stood ready for any "unexpected situation" that arose. Japan did not take steps to destroy the rocket, the Coast Guard said, citing the defence ministry. South Korea, Japan and the United States had coordinated to pre-position Aegis destroyers that tracked the launch and shared data, South Korea's military said. (Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Sakura Murakami in Tokyo and Jack Kim, Soo-hyang Choi, and Josh Smith in Seoul; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom, Idrees Ali, Humeyra Pamuk and Susan Heavey in Washington, writing by Jack Kim, Josh Smith and David Brunnstrom; editing by Lincoln Feast, Simon Cameron-Moore, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman and Jonathan Oatis) WASHINGTON The Republican presidential race really should be a referendum on Donald Trump but it isn't always, thanks to the former president's vise-like grip on GOP voters. As they prepare for another debate tomorrow, challengers like Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis seem reluctant to make the GOP primary about Trump, perhaps wary of alienating the legions of Republican voters who have backed him in the past. The Republican candidate who has been most critical of Trump former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hasn't been able to gain much traction, polling below 4% in Iowa while holding at third place in New Hampshire. Christie and other anti-Trump Republicans say the party has no choice but to focus on the former president, given his weakness with independent voters and the unprecedented fact that he is facing as many as four criminal trials in the coming year. "If Trump is our nominee, we will not only lose the presidency again, but we will lose both houses of Congress, and we will lose races up and down the ticket," Christie told NewsNation in an interview. "He is political poison, up and down the ballot." Former President Donald Trump speaks during a Commit to Caucus rally, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney) Wednesday's debate: Will Trump surface? The non-Trump candidates will get another chance to discuss the front-runner or not during Wednesday's debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Trump himself plans to host a fundraiser in Florida, skipping the Alabama debate just as he did three previous throwdowns. Pollsters and political analysts said they don't expect the Trump issue to surface much during the debate because there's little or no gain in it for the challengers. Most of Trump's rivals are leery of attacking the GOP's undisputed leader, fearing a backlash from grassroots Republican voters, they said. So far, if anything, attacks on Trump seem to have strengthened him politically. Many Republicans voters have rallied around him, regardless of whether the attacks have come from GOP rivals, President Joe Biden and the Democrats, or prosecutors and grand juries that have charged him with felony crimes. Trump faces trials in Washington, D.C., and Georgia on charges of trying to steal the 2020 election. He was indicted in New York over hush money payments to an adult film actress, and in Florida on allegations of mishandling classified documents. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. "Criticism of Trump from any corridor makes him stronger in the Republican primary," said Republican political consultant Mike Madrid, who opposes the ex-president's campaign. Trump holds leads of more than 45 percentage points in national polls complied by the Real Clear Politics website. Madrid added: "If politics was normal, this would be a referendum (on Trump). But these are not normal times." Three types of Republican voters Republican pollster Whit Ayres said there are basically three types of Republican voters: "Always Trump," "Maybe Trump," and "Never Trump." Challengers will need those Maybe Trump voters, he said, and that means they have to be careful in how they criticize the former president, making a case against him without offending the fence-sitters. Whatever the approach, the Republican race is all about Trump, whether candidates or pundits like it or not. "It's defined by Trump," Ayres said. "He is such a big personality and has taken over the party." Nikki Haley jabs but doesn't punch The other candidates have drawn contrasts with Trump, sporadically. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, has promoted herself as the leader of a "new generation," an implicit contrast to the 81-year-old President Joe Biden and the 77-year-old Republican frontrunner. She also called for "moral clarity," another apparent reference to Trump. Trumps former ambassador to the U.N., Haley has also pointed to her former boss' sketchy electoral record and the fact he has twice lost the national popular vote. "Let's remember: Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president," Haley told Fox News last week. "That's nothing to be proud of." Haley has also hit all the "drama" surrounding Trump, both during his presidency and afterward. "It's time for a new generation of conservative leadership," Haley says in a television ad. "We have to leave behind the chaos and drama of the past and strengthen our country and our pride and our purpose." Ron DeSantis dodges DeSantis, meanwhile, has spent more time attacking Haley than Trump, as each candidate seeks to become the major alternative to the frontrunner. The Florida governor and Haley are likely to scrap again during the Alabama debate. As for Trump, DeSantis has faulted the ex-president for falling short on a variety of promises, from finishing the U.S.-Mexico border wall to the increase in federal spending during the Trump presidency. DeSantis has also raised the age question, saying that Trump has lost "the zip on his fastball." He told CNN that Trump is "high risk with a low reward for Republicans. Yet, on NBC's "Meet The Press," DeSantis was reluctant to criticize Trump for using the word "vermin" to describe his political opponents. "So, I don't use the same rhetoric that he does," DeSantis said. "I conduct myself in a different way. I think I conduct myself in a way that's more effective as a leader." Pressed on whether he would condemn use of the word vermin, DeSantis said: "I don't use the term. But what I don't do is play the media's game, where I'm asked to referee other people. He's responsible for his words. He's responsible for his conduct. I'm responsible for mine." Chris Christie: Trump is the issue Christie has criticized both Haley and DeSantis for not being more aggressive with Trump, a candidate who could find himself sentenced to prison before winning the GOP nomination. "Either run against him or don't run against him," Christie said on MSNBC, referring in particular to Haley's "drama" comments. "If you're running for second place, tell everybody you're running for second place. I'm not." A referendum on electability? Early on, the Republican race was more of a Trump referendum because many GOP voters questioned whether he could win a general election, given all his baggage, said pollster Gunner Ramer. "Electability was the most salient issue with Republican primary voters," said Ramer, political director for an anti-Trump organization called the Republican Accountability Project. Trump announced his candidacy unusually early, in November of 2022, right after disappointing performances by Republicans in that year's congressional and state elections. Trump was also under various investigations, including those involving the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. This year brought a series of indictments in four separate cases against Trump and his poll numbers steadily rose, Ramer said. It appears that rising numbers of Republicans agreed with Trump's claims that he is being targeted by the legal system for political reasons; Ramer described it as "victimhood and grievance politics that's what Donald Trump has tapped into." Some current polls show Trump leading Biden, so the electability issue if anything now favors the former president. "For a variety of reasons, the idea of a referendum on Trump has diminished," Ramer said. 'Impossible to predict' Whether it remains this way is unknowable. Trump is trying to become the first ex-president to win back the White House since Grover Cleveland in 1892; he is the first major presidential candidate ever to face criminal trials and possible prison time. It's a wholly unique set of circumstances that candidates, analysts and votes are finding hard to navigate. I dont know how to predict anything in this election at this point," said Republican political consultant Liz Mair. "Theres so many things going on that are radically different than anything else we have ever seen before." "Its impossible to predict it," she said. "Theres so many weird things going on here. Appearing on CBS' "Face The Nation," Christie put it this way: "There's a lot of things different about this and that's why anybody tried to predict this is just shooting in the dark." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 Republican race is a referendum on Joe Biden, not Donald Trump Confusion reigns about a possible change of practice by Europes biggest budget airline, Ryanair, requiring some passengers either to queue for a paper boarding pass at the airport or pay for seat selection. Travellers have accused the carrier of imposing a money-making policy ahead of the Christmas rush. An airline spokesperson said: There is no new procedure in force. But some travellers have told The Independent that they were informed the standard option to show a mobile boarding pass on their smart phone was not open to them. The issue is still far from clear. But these are the key questions and answers about Ryanair check-in and boarding policies as we understand them so far. Whats the background to Ryanairs check-in requirements? In 2008, Ryanair became the first airline anywhere in the world to ask passengers to check in online before reaching the airport. The aim was to cut costs: drastically reducing the number of travellers who had to see a check-in agent at a desk, and commensurately allowing Ryanair to pay less for space at the departure airport. The option of checking in at the airport has remained available but at a high cost. The fee started at 10, but within a year increased to 40. It is now 55 for each passenger on a booking. Initially the boarding pass had to be printed out to avoid the charge. This was annoying and difficult for people on holiday abroad. Soon, though, Ryanair aligned with other airlines that allow boarding passes to be carried on mobile phones and shown while going through the airport and at the departure gate. Can I use mobile boarding passes everywhere? No. Ryanair says: We accept mobile boarding passes on flights from the majority of airports on our network. However unfortunately some airports cannot accept mobile boarding passes yet. These airports including Kefalonia in Greece, the Albanian capital, Tirana, and all airports in Morocco, Turkey, Israel and Lebanon. Ryanair says: Customers travelling from these airports must check in online and print out a paper boarding pass for their flight. Wasnt there a controversy about airport check-in earlier this year? Yes. In August, Ryanair was heavily criticised after charging two elderly passengers 110 at London Stansted airport, after the couple inadvertently checked in for their inbound rather than outbound flight to France. At the time, a spokesperson for the airline said: In accordance with Ryanairs T&Cs, which these passengers agreed to at the time of booking, they failed to check-in online before arriving at Stansted airport (11 Aug) despite receiving an email reminder (10 Aug) to check in online. These passengers were correctly charged the airport check-in fee. How do travellers avoid charges for extras on Ryanair? Simply by declining all invitations to pay for extra services, and complying with the rules on cabin baggage (carrying no more than one small item measuring no more than 40 x 20 x 25cm). Consider the 15 one-way journey (correct at time of research) from Edinburgh to Shannon on 11 December. Options offered include: a 10kg checked bag for an extra 18 priority boarding and an additional, larger piece of hand luggage for an extra 22 fast-track security for 7 selecting a seat in advance, a minimum of 8 If all these extras were chosen, the fare would increase by 55 to nearly five times the original price. Passengers, though, are able to opt out of all the extras. What has happened now? Some passengers who decline the option to book a specific seat in advance, and instead accept random seat allocation, say they have been told they cannot use an online boarding pass. They say they were invited to choose between paying for a specific seat, at which point they could use their smart phone, or queue up for a paper boarding pass at a Ryanair desk. One passenger, Andrew Brown, told The Independent: Ryanair says that you can check in but if you want to avoid queuing for a free-of-charge printed boarding card at check in you should pay for a dedicated seat. Then you can have your boarding card on your phone as before. He speculated: Theyre trying to discourage people from selecting a free random seat. It was brought in without notice and theres nothing on their website about the policy change. It puts an end to my practice of taking just hand baggage with no allocated seat and no extras, so just the fare. Another passenger, Neil Gregory, told the BBC: The app said if I opted for a free random seat Id have to go to check-in to get a paper boarding pass, which Ive never seen before. If you wanted a digital boarding pass, it said you had to pay for a reserved seat. The BBC said a traveller was told by staff at the airport check-in desk that the new policy was only for the last 20 passengers checking in for each flight. On a random seat assignment booking for a flight from London Stansted to Italy for 5 December, The Independent experienced no difficulty checking in online as normal and getting a digital boarding pass on a smart phone. What does Ryanair say? The Independent has been trying to establish exactly what the airlines policy is. A spokesperson for the airline said: All Ryanair passengers can pay for a reserved seat if they so wish or if passengers wish to avoid this seat fee, they can select a randomly allocated seat entirely free of charge. All of this is true, but it does not explain the current issue. The Independent has asked specifically: I am a regular Ryanair passenger. I always accept random seat allocation. With the exception of certain airports (eg in Morocco) can I always check in using only a boarding pass on my mobile? So far there has been no response to this question. What could be going on? Some background: Ryanair has been conducting a campaign to try to persuade passengers not to buy tickets for its flights through online travel agents (OTAs). One aspect of this involves requiring some passengers who do book through an OTA to go through a series of verification checks before being allowed to check in. Travellers are told: Your booking is blocked because it looks like it was booked through an online travel agent who has no commercial relationship with us to sell our flights. Online travel agents often do not provide us with your correct email address and payment details, so we need to verify your identity. We also need to carry out this process in order to ensure we can comply with safety and security requirements. This very process comes at a cost to Ryanair as would requiring some passengers to go to a desk at the airport One theory is that the airline has a new policy of asking some passengers who opt not to select a seat to queue up for a paper boarding pass, in a bid to increase the proportion choosing and paying for a specific seat. Passenger Andrew Brown said: Im a regular and think Ryanair is great. But this is a stealth charge. The Independent has seen nothing to substantiate the assertions. The airline spokesperson said: There is no charge for a Ryanair digital boarding pass ever. The number of Russian military personnel seeking help to desert from their units has nearly doubled since the summer, The Moscow Times reported on Dec. 4, citing data from Idite Lesom (Get to Forest), an organization that helps Russians avoid participating in the war against Ukraine. Get to Forest has received 577 appeals over the past three months, compared to 305 in June through August. More than a thousand Russian military personnel who attempted to desert have received legal counseling since April. Most of them sought help in the fall. Read also: Russia lost 36,000 troops in six weeks Ukraines Defense Minister The highest number of desertion attempts was recorded in October (218 cases), the lowest in June (54 cases). There were 175 desertion attempts in November, fewer than in September and October, but more than in any other month. Most soldiers decide to defect after being wounded and hospitalized, the organizations head Grigoriy Sverdlin said. Sometimes volunteers help soldiers desert from frontline zone, but such cases are extremely rare due to the limited means of communication at the front and the lack of necessary documents. Legally, soldiers must carry their passports and military ID cards, and their commanders have no right to confiscate them. In practice, documents are often taken away and returned only when a soldier goes on leave or is hospitalized. Read also: Russia loses 3,500 troops in Kherson Oblast in one month Estonian military One of the deserters told The Moscow Times that he decided to desert while on leave after his second serious injury. Human rights activists helped get him out of Russia. Sergiy Krivenko, director of the human rights group Citizen.Army.Law, also saw an increase in the number of desertions. Russia does not rotate soldiers and even seriously wounded soldiers are sent back to the front after hospitalization. Since the start of the September 2022 mobilization in Russia, a staggering 4,000 criminal cases linked to the desertion of military personnel have been brought before Russian courts. There is a high rate of desertion among Russian forces, demonstrating low morale and the reluctance of some Russian soldiers to fight. 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 Two bills that tighten New York's rules to form a village may pose fresh hurdles for plans by Hasidic communities in Orange and Sullivan counties if Gov. Kathy Hochul signs either this month. Both bills would update an old law that requires little more than a petition, a population of at least 500 people and a referendum to start a village. Critics say that simple recipe makes it too easy for a group of citizens to add a layer of local government that is largely obsolete and sought mostly as a way to seize power from a town government. The bills were approved by state lawmakers in June and are among the last pieces of legislation left for Hochul to approve or reject in the final weeks of the year. Each would raise the bar for a new village and demand studies of how it would affect taxes, services and other factors. One change alone in both bills would disqualify the village petitions in Orange and Sullivan if applied to them: raising the minimum population to 2,000 from 500. Both village plans are tied up in court. In Sullivan, opponents of the proposed Ateres in the towns of Thompson and Fallsburg are challenging 22 petition signatures to try to get it voided. Their suit stopped the town supervisors from scheduling a referendum after they declared the petition valid in September. Ann Finnereran of Hurleyville holds up a map during a public hearing on a petition to create a village within the borders of the towns of Thompson and Fallsburg at Viznitz Institutions synagogue in Kiamesha Lake on Thursday, August 3, 2023. In Orange, the five-year-long quest to create the village of Seven Springs in the town of Monroe is going through another round of litigation after Supervisor Tony Cardone rejected it as flawed in September. Neither proposed village has 2,000 or more inhabitants: Ateres had 834 and Seven Springs had 597 when the petitions were filed. The question is whether both plans would fail for that reason if their backers win in court but Hochul has signed one or both reform bills. What would the bills do? New York now has 532 villages, most dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s. They were created within towns to provide services such as water, sewer and road maintenance for populated areas functions that town governments later took on. Each has its own laws and elected leaders. Only six formed in the last 30 years. The trend is just the opposite: 28 villages dissolved through voter referendums in that same time, including one on Long Island that folded in 2016 after only six years in existence. "We're updating a very antiquated law," said state Sen. James Skoufis, the Orange County Democrat who sponsored the bill in the Senate. He said his bill would correct an overly simplistic set of legal steps. He called it "patently insane," for instance, to expect a population of only 500 including children to shoulder the full range of modern municipal duties and roster of elected leaders. The other bill, sponsored in the Senate by Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers, would go even further, creating a state panel with three appointees to review all village petitions, taking them out of the hands of town supervisors. That panel would do two studies feasibility and impact before deciding whether to allow a referendum on a proposed village. New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins speaks at the 22nd annual American Jewish Committee Westchester/Fairfield Thanksgiving Diversity Breakfast at Iona University in New Rochelle Nov. 16, 2023. Supporters and opponents Among the groups urging Hochul to sign both bills is Catskill Mountainkeeper, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group for the region in which the Ateres village would be formed. In a memo last month to Hochul in support of the Skoufis bill, the group argued that the existing rules made sense in the early 1900s, when villages were needed to bring services to rural spots that were quickly growing. Ateres plan: Viznitz Hasidim in Sullivan County seek to forge their own village with 929 acres "But times have changed and today this law is being exploited to create small, independent villages that do not respect existing local land use and building regulations, thereby undermining sustainable development and critical environmental protections," wrote Katherine Nadeau, deputy directorof Catskill Mountainkeeper. Disaffected groups should resolve disputes over zoning or other issues in other ways, such as winning town elections, Jennifer Grossman, a Sullivan County attorney advising Mountainkeeper on the bill campaign, suggested in an interview. Creating a new municipality is too drastic a remedy, she said. "It's sort of like building a bonfire to light a candle," she said. The bills' opponents include the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials, which urged Hochul to veto both in two memos last month. That group disputes the need for a higher population threshold, saying 291 villages and 347 towns in New York get by today with fewer than 2,000 residents. It argues that village boundaries more closely define and represent the communities they serve than their surrounding towns. "Villages have always been the most democratic form of government in New York," wrote Peter Baynes, the conference's recently retired executive director. "They are the only local government that can be created and dissolved by voter initiative." What do the petitioners say? Both bills specify that the higher population threshold applies to existing village petitions. But does that mean the two Sullivan County town supervisors must rescind their approval of the Ateres village petition if Hochul signs the bill? Zev Tarkletaub, who helped steer the village effort, thinks not. He says a judge ultimately would have to determine if the law affects a petition that has been deemed legal but not yet put to a referendum. "It's not a 'pending' petition," Tarkletaub said of the Ateres proposal. "It's a petition that was already signed off by two towns." He explained the village effort earlier this year as a way for the small Viznitz Hasidic community in the Kiamesha Lake area to create a local government focused on their unique needs, like streetlights and sidewalks for pedestrian safety. He said the community had no interest in changing the zoning. Late bill: NY bill could derail plans to create Hasidic village in Orange County. Here's how Seven Springs, the Orange County proposal, has never gotten the same approval. But it shouldn't have to meet new legal standards after being held up for years by decisions and arguments that the courts have rejected, argued Steven Barshov, attorney for the petitioners. Barshov also questioned the merits of the reform bills, suggesting, for example, that applying a single population threshold across the state was too rigid to account for differences in density. "Hopefully, this will not be something the governor entertains," he said. What about the Westchester village plans? A citizens group in Westchester County has been trying to incorporate the Edgemont area of the town of Greenburgh since 2016. After waging court fights over two attempts with Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner, who opposes the plan, it has collected signatures for a third village petition, which it has not submitted yet. A Rochester-based consulting firm is doing a state-funded study of what its impact would be. Edgemont has around 8,000 residents, so the higher population threshold wouldn't be a problem. Other bill pieces could present new hurdles, although Bob Bernstein, an attorney and former Edgemont resident who advised the organizers, said those issues could be resolved with changes that are being negotiated by Hochul's office and the bill sponsors. Those changes would take the form of "chapter amendments" that lawmakers must pass after Hochul has signed the bill. Bernstein said those amendments would exempt Edgemont in recognition of the study now being done by the nonprofit Center for Governmental Research. They also would bar Feiner from using any findings from that study as reasons to reject the next petition, he said. Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Hasidic village plans could be derailed by bill on Hochul's desk ACCRA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing World Media Summit that has gathered dozens of African media representatives will enhance global media outlets' understanding of China-Africa cooperation, a Ghanaian media executive said. The summit serves as an important platform for African media outlets to interact with their counterparts across the globe, said Roger Agana, managing director of News Ghana, a leading news website in Ghana. "I am ready to mingle with all of them," said Agana, who landed in the Chinese city of Guangzhou on Friday, where the fifth World Media Summit is being held. "The world needs to know a real Africa and a real China, and how they cooperated to benefit people on both sides, the China-Africa cooperation in various aspects has set a good example for the whole world, so as African media, we do have a story to tell," Agana said. China is friendly and ready for cooperation, he said. Agana said Africa benefits immensely from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) due to its role in promoting trade and developing infrastructure on the continent. "The BRI initiative is a very laudable project that will help us because it is helping to build roads, railways, ports, and airports, which are the infrastructure backbone for trade facilitation on the continent," he said. The Pennsylvania State Police have charged an Erie man who was employed at Harborceek Youth Services with having inappropriate sexual contact with a boy at the facility on Jan. 3. An Ohio man who was assisting a disabled motorist along Interstate 90 in Girard Township late Monday afternoon was killed when his stopped vehicle was struck by a passing tractor-trailer, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. State police in Girard identified the victim Tuesday morning as 69-year-old Jose M. Alicea Gonzalez, of Conneaut, Ohio. He died instantly in the crash, which was reported Monday at 5:38 p.m. along the westbound lanes of I-90 east of the Route 18 Girard/Platea exit, the investigating trooper reported. According to the trooper, state police in Girard had received a call about a Chevrolet Colorado that was stopped in the right lane of I-90 westbound, and troopers were on their way to the location when the crash was reported. Investigators determined that Gonzalez was attempting to provide aid to the disabled motorist and had parked the Chevrolet Colorado in the right travel lane of I-90, next to the disabled vehicle, while attempting to jump the disabled vehicle. As Gonzalez stood on the berm of the interstate, under the open hood of the disabled vehicle, a passing tractor-trailer struck the Chevrolet Colorado, which was knocked into the disabled vehicle, which then struck Gonzalez, according to state police. More: State police ID body found along I-90, seek answers into homicide of Nashville woman The driver of the disabled vehicle, a 44-year-old Cleveland woman, was struck in the face by her vehicle and was taken by ambulance to UPMC Hamot for treatment, the trooper reported. The tractor-trailer traveled along the north berm before leaving the roadway and traveling down a ravine. The truck came to rest in Elk Creek, state police reported. The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 68-year-old Ontario man, was freed from the wrecked truck and was taken to UPMC Hamot with unknown injuries, according to the trooper. The westbound lanes of I-90 were closed between the Route 18 and Route 98 exits for several hours as emergency crews remained at the scene, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Ohio man killed when semi hits his stopped vehicle on I-90 in Girard An Ohio native was one of the Airmen killed after a U.S. military aircraft crashed off southwestern Japan last week. Authorities said eight people were onboard the U.S. Air Force CV-22B Osprey for a training mission on Nov. 29 when it crashed, The Associated Press reported. >> RELATED: 5 bodies found days after US military aircraft crashed off coast of Japan U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan, according to Air Force officials. Johnson spent much of his childhood in the Cincinnati area, WKRC reported. Crews from the U.S. and Japan searched the area by air, on the surface and underwater to find the missing crewmembers. Officials said search and recovery efforts continue. VIENTIANE, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The first Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Parliamentary Summit opened in the Lao capital on Tuesday, where the top legislators of the three countries discussed measures to strengthen the parliament's role in promoting cooperation, solidarity and political partnership among the three neighbors. The meeting was attended by Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, President of the Lao National Assembly Saysomphone Phomvihane, President of Cambodia's National Assembly Khuon Sudary, Chairman of Vietnam's National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue, and the relevant delegation from three countries, the Lao Security Radio reported on Tuesday. The summit was held under the theme of "Strengthening the Role of Parliaments in Promoting Comprehensive Cooperation among Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam," and also defined sub-topics for in-depth research and discussion in each area, namely, political and foreign cooperation, economic and cultural-social cooperation, and national defense-peace protection. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lao President Thongloun said the first CLV Parliamentary Summit will be a good opportunity for the delegations of the national parliaments of the three countries to express their opinions and share their views on issues of mutual interest and benefit, based on the spirit of strengthening unity, friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the three parliaments of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, especially the provinces in the development triangle, to help and support each other in the development of the economy and society. The first CLV Parliamentary Summit marks an important milestone in the history of cooperation among CLV parliaments and the elevation of the partnership among the three legislatures to the highest level, reinforcing and promoting the special traditional solidarity, close attachment and mutual support among the three parties, states and peoples. The event also affirms the determination of the CVL parliaments in further deepening their partnership and cooperation, benefiting the people of each country, according to the report. Mandaue City, Cebu (CNN Philippines) The Mandaue City Government has signed an agreement with Daikin Airconditioning Philippines to share their expertise on sustainability efforts of the local government unit (LGU). This is in line with the LGUs Green Building Ordinance which adapts the BERDE program developed by the Philippine Green Building Council. This ordinance has allowed the city to standardize the built environment in their area of responsibility, making it a better place to live in and at the same time promoting Mandaue City as a good potential investment location. Photo from Daikin Airconditioning Philippines Recognizing the progressive thinking and potential growth in Mandaue City, Daikin Philippines established a partnership with the city office to support its Green Building Ordinance. An advocate of energy efficiency, Daikin is helping increase the awareness of the residents of Mandaue of the strategies, values, and benefits of sustainability. Daikin is providing education efforts for its residents and professionals in the area, covering the latest trends and technologies in air conditioning, ventilation, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and environmental protection. Daikin is also teaching how these may strengthen the citys urban development plan. Last September, Mandaue City officials and representatives of Daikin Philippines attended the Building Green Conference 2023 in Modala Resort in Bohol with the theme: Pursuing Public-Private Cooperation in Net Zero through Green Building. As fellow promoters of green buildings and energy efficiency, these two organizations saw the opportunity and need to expand this information and knowledge to the constituents of Mandaue, expanding reach to those without any engineering background. Gracing the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony were Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and leaders from the Mandaue LGU. The mayor and his team were also given a first-hand tour of Daikins Technology and Innovation Center (TIC), located in Daikins Yodogawa Manufacturing Plant complex, in Settsu City, Osaka, Japan. Photo from Daikin Airconditioning Philippines Established in November 2015, the TIC serves as Daikins base for developing core technologies in generating and introducing differentiated technologies in the field of air conditioning and provides an array of solutions that create a positive impact on society. For more information on Daikin, follow their social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A current road project will cause some stretches of Kansas Citys downtown loop to close overnight Tuesday. A Kansas Department of Transportation project will require an overnight closure of westbound I-70 and northbound I-35 to westbound I-70 ramp in Missouri on Tuesday. I-35 overpass past its useful design life hit by semi near Gardner The westbound I-70 to Broadway Boulevard exit ramp will stay open during the closures. Traffic will be detoured around the closures using westbound I-670 and the downtown loop. The roadways will be closed to traffic from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Rep. Patrick McHenry, onetime temporary House speaker, will not seek reelection to Congress next year, he announced in a statement Tuesday. "I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term," McHenry said. "This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything andfor methis season has come to an end." When Rep. Kevin McCarthy became the first House speaker in history to be removed in a no-confidence vote in early October, McHenry became the speaker pro tempore, and he remained in the job until Rep. Mike Johnson was elected speaker on Oct. 25, after a weeks-long stalemate. Kevin McCarthy has been ousted as speaker of the House. Here's what happens next.Kevin McCarthy won't run for speaker again McHenry, 48, has represented North Carolina's 10th congressional district since 2005. McHenry insisted concerns about congressional departures are "greatly exaggerated." "There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because somelike mehave decided to leave," McHenry said. "Those concerns are exaggerated. I've seen a lot of change over twenty years. I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn. Whether it's 1974, 1994, or 2010, we've seen the House evolve over time. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed, but at each stage, new leaders emerge. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. I'm confident the House is in good hands. I look forward to what the next season brings for my family and me." Rep. Kevin McCarthy shakes hands with Rep. Patrick McHenry after McHenry nominated him in the 14 round of voting for speaker on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. / Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images McHenry's district encompasses an area west and north of Charlotte and is viewed as a safe Republican seat. He and his wife have two daughters. Born in Gastonia, North Carolina, McHenry attended North Carolina State University and Belmont Abbey College. He was the national coalition director for George W. Bush's presidential campaign in 2000. In 2002, he won a seat in North Carolina's General Assembly. What has McHenry accomplished in Congress? McHenry is the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and before that, he served as the House GOP's chief deputy whip. McHenry's office touts his role in the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Trump and former House Speaker Paul Ryan-era law that significantly lowered corporate tax rates. McHenry was a lead Republican negotiator on debt ceiling negotiations this spring, and played a significant role in brokering a deal with Democrats to avoid default. McHenry also authored a law, signed by former President Barack Obama, to help entrepreneurs by providing the opportunity for startup employees to sell their stock options to private investors. The North Carolina Republican works on combining finance and technology to expand access to capital for small businesses. Companies, countries battle to develop quantum computers | 60 Minutes Titanium hip implants expected to last decades snapped in hundreds of people Highlights from the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) Pennsylvanias Attorney General Michelle Henery has issued a warning to all Pennsylvania residents about scams that typically begin to occur during the holiday experience. It is that special time of year for an increase in the frequency of scams we see taking place all year long, so it is vital that Pennsylvanians remain on guard, Attorney General Henry said. Take some time to learn what these scams look like to protect your property, finances, identity, and other personal information. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Severe Weather Alerts According to the Office of the Attorney General, many types of scams appear during the holiday season such as: Email and Text Scams You may get an email or text saying you need to enter personal information onto a website that is considered fraudulent. Delivery Stealing If no one will be home while your deliveries are being made, try to make arrangements to have a trusted neighbor hold your deliveries until you can get home. You can also ask your employer if deliveries can be dropped off at your workplace. Credit Card Skimming Skimming machines usually appear at gas pumps and ATMs. These machines steal your credit card information. Instead of inserting your credit or debit card into the slot of a merchants payment processing machine, consider using a payment app on your smartphone. Romance Scams These scams appear as people wanting to be in a serious relationship and then may ask their victims to pay for expenses such as plane tickets, customs fees, and others. In addition, they may appear to transfer a large sum of money to a victims checking account, but the money transfer turns out to be fake. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter As quoted in the release, the office is reminding residents to consider the following tactics to prevent you or a loved one from being scammed. Set up email or text alerts with your credit card company or bank, so you will be alerted quickly to all purchases, including fraudulent purchases. Install the latest security updates and run virus scans regularly on your computer or mobile device. Never use your homes smart device, such as Alexa, Siri, or Google Home, to find a customer support number for any company, and have the system dial it for you. Go directly to the companys website, call the number on the back of your credit or debit card, or the number on your billing statement. Never pay with a prepaid gift card, CashApp, or Venmo or wire someone money when youre trying to buy a gift online. Use your credit card, not a debit card, for better protection. Never click on a hyperlink in an email, social media ad, or text message to make a purchase. Go directly to the website of the store you wish to purchase from to ensure you are shopping at the right place. Gift cards are for gifts you cannot pay a bill or debt owed to the government through a gift card. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. CAMP HILL, Pa. (WHTM) The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has announced they will be hosting a two-day job fair at the State Correctional Institute (SCI) in Camp Hill. The job fairs will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The job fair will be held at SCI Camp Hill, located at 2500 Lisburn Road in Camp Hill. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter No appointment or registration is needed to attend the event, but attendees may have to pass through a security screening to enter the facility. All attendees are encouraged to apply for positions before arriving at the event. Onsite interviews will take place on the day of the event for corrections officer trainees. Please bring two forms of ID. To see what positions are open at the facility, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. PennWest California has issued an alert after a woman was reportedly assaulted off-campus early Sunday morning. The assault happened along Route 88 between Vulcan Village and Wood Street. The woman reported to police that there were two male suspects involved, both wearing face masks. Police are reminding individuals to be vigilant and not to walk alone at night, especially in low-lit areas. Anyone with information should call university police at 724-938-4299 or California Borough police by dialing 911. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Beaver County mother accused of suffocating, strangling her 2 children to death Steelers fan asks for help finding sentimental Terrible Towel lost amid crowd sheltering from rain Woman scratches off $25M lottery winner, hides ticket, goes on vacation VIDEO: Man killed in overnight Carrick shooting DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) Firefighters in Pensacola are demanding more money as their union representatives negotiate with city officials. Woman killed in Ann Street crash identified City attorneys met with union leaders from I.A.F.F. (International Association of Fire Fighters) Local 707 Monday to continue negotiations on a new three-year contract. They have reached agreements on everything except wages, News 5 has learned. Currently, Pensacola firefighters start making $12 per hour well below the state and national averages. 20 minors arrested at Mobile bar for underage drinking, owner speaks out Union leaders said thats why they cannot recruit and retain firefighters. They say in the last two years, they have only had one person outside of the cadet program take a firefighting position. For far too long, weve been underpaid and were not asking to obviously bankrupt the city but were asking to get a justifiable salary back for what we do, Local 707 President Joe McCombs said. The union is asking for a 10% wage increase in the contracts first year, an 8% increase in the second year, and 6% in the third year. They will meet at noon Tuesday to continue negotiations. ALSO ON WKRG.com: Mobile neighborhood to install police-accessible cameras to catch criminals For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. A new NASA video has revealed that NASA's Mars rover Perseverance has scooped what may be its youngest rock sample yet from the ancient dry lakebed known as the Jezero Crater. Jezero has been the figurative stomping ground of the Perseverance rover since the robotic rover landed on the Red Planet on Feb. 21, 2023. As of Nov. 2023, the rover had collected 23 samples of Martian rock that have been sealed in tubes, which scientists hope can be returned to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign being devised by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The video introduces viewers to the 21st sample collected by Perseverance called "Pilot Mountain," which the NASA team believes could be the youngest preserved material it has collected yet. "This is my favorite rock, and the reason it's my favorite rock is because we think it represents some of the youngest preserved material on the Jezero Crater Western Fan," Perseverance Rover geologist and science operator Samantha Gwizd said in the video. "Comparing rocks from different ages is important because Mars, like Earth, had environments that evolved and changed through time. And so, in acquiring one of the youngest samples at Jezero Crater, we'll be able to see how things changed on the planet." Related: Probing the Red Planet: Finding past life at Jezero Crater a wheeled robot looks around with its camera-like In the NASA video, Perseverance systems operator Steven Sholes explained that even when the rover's Martian exploration campaign was in its planning stages, its operators were keen to pick up some young material to enable them to look back into the Red Planet's geological history. He also revealed how the region that the rover would make such a collection Dream Lake was identified by the Mars Ingenuity helicopter, which arrived at Mars with the rover back in 2021. "We wanted to do that at a place called Fall River Pass. But it turns out Ingenuity, just by happenstance, landed, and it showed very interesting rocks that we hadn't seen yet," Sholes added. "We decided to go and investigate Dream Lake because of the images that we had acquired from the Ingenuity helicopter." The NASA scientist said that when Perseverance performed an abrasion of the rocks at Dream Lake, removing their upper layers, the team saw something intriguing. RELATED STORIES: Probing the Red Planet: Finding past life at Jezero Crater Build your own AI-powered Perseverance Mars rover with this new DIY kit NASA's Mars robots are on their own right now here's why "We saw these great green, glassy grains which were something that we hadn't really seen in these sedimentary rocks before," Sholes continued, "So we really wanted to take a look at this to see whether or not they had carbonates, and this represents some of the youngest material that we are seeing." Hopefully, samples like this will, when returned to Earth, reveal the geological secrets of Mars, helping to show how it transformed from a world like Earth overflowing with water to the dry and arid landscape that Perseverance explores today. These samples could also contain traces of ancient microbial life that once existed on Mars (if it did in fact exist) making their return to Earth a high priority for NASA and scientists across the globe. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 4) Vice President Sara Duterte made it clear that she disagrees with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s amnesty grant to current and former members of rebel groups, as well as the resumption of peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). In a video statement published on her Facebook page to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the founding of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Monday, she asked Marcos to review his administrations moves in pursuiing peace. Malacanang in November announced amnesty grants for certain crimes to members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), among others. Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr. said that the Marcos administration and the NDFP had signed a joint communique in Oslo, Norway on Nov. 23, agreeing to "a principled and peaceful resolution to the armed conflict. While in favor of initiatives which seek peace in the country, Duterte said the grant of amnesty was not a way to do so. Ang dapat nating gawin ay ipagpatuloy ang ating mga nasimulan sa NTF-ELCAC at mas palakasin pa ang mga ito. Panalo na tayo, lumalaban na ang mga komunidad, she said. [Translation: What we should be doing is continuing what the NTF-ELCAC has started and strengthen this. Weve already won, the communities are fighting.] She described the Oslo communique with the NDFP as an agreement with the devil. Napatunayan na natin sa kasaysayan na hindi sila seryoso at wala silang sinseridad sa usaping pangkapayapaan. Gagamitin nila itong peace negotiation sa pagtraydor sa pamahalaan at paglinlang sa taumbayan, Duterte continued. [Translation: History has proven that they are not serious and insincere on the subject of peace. They will use this peace negotiation to betray the government and deceive the people. Addressing Marcos, she said: We appeal to your power to review these proclamations and agreementsMr. President, we can negotiate for peace and reconciliation and pursue meaningful development efforts in the Philippines without capitulating to the enemies. This isnt the first time Duterte spoke out against a decision of the Marcos administration. In November, she said she was against the governments decision to study the Philippines' possible return to the International Criminal Court. The vice presidents disapproval of the administrations initiatives comes amid rumors of cracks in the UniTeam the alliance led by Marcos, Duterte, and their respective political dynasties. Rumors of the rift gained traction following instances of political intrigue in the House. The lower chamber led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, Marcos first cousin, stripped Duterte of 650-million confidential fund under the proposed 2024 national budget. READ: Romualdez: Uniteam still intact despite House row with Dutertes The vice presidents father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, accused the House of corruption and even threatened the life of a lawmaker. Meanwhile, there have also been rumors of lawmakers allegedly looking to file an impeachment complaint versus Duterte, but these were dismissed as baseless by House Majority Leader Manuel Dalipe. Duterte, meanwhile, believes she still has Marcos trust despite the supposed rift. LIMA, Peru Perus constitutional court ordered an immediate humanitarian release Tuesday for imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori, 85, who was serving a 25-year sentence in connection with the death squad slayings of 25 Peruvians in the 1990s. The court ruled in favor of a 2017 pardon that had granted the former leader a release on humanitarian grounds but that later was annulled. In a resolution seen by The Associated Press, the court told the state prisons agency to immediately release Fujimori on the same day. Fujimori was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years in prison on charges of human rights abuses. He had been accused of being the mastermind behind the slayings of 25 Peruvians by a military death squad during his administration from 1990 to 2000, while the government fought the Shining Path communist rebels. Fujimoris 2017 pardon granted by then-President Pablo Kuczynski was annulled under pressure from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and its status was the subject of legal wrangling since then. The constitutional court previously had ordered a lower court in the southern city of Ica to release Fujimori, but that court declined to do so, arguing in ruling last Friday that it lacked the authority. It returned the matter instead to the constitutional court. (WHTM) Comedian, actor and writer Pete Davidson has announced that he is bringing his Pete Davidson Live tour to Pennsylvania. Davidson will be bringing his show to Pittsburghs Byham Theatre on January 2, 2024. Davidson is known for his roles as creator, executive producer, writer and star of Peacocks critically acclaimed comedy Bupkis, as well as his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2014 to 2022. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter In 2016, Davidson shot his first 1-hour stand-up comedy special for Comedy Central and was listed in Forbes 30 Under 30. In 2020, his special Pete Davidson: Alive From New York was released and he also co-wrote, executive produced, and starred in the film The King of Staten Island. Davidson was also named to Times 100 Most Influential People of 2022. P!NK to make stop at Hersheypark Stadium in 2024 To find more information about the tour, including a list of other tour dates, head to Ticketmaster. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. (Bloomberg) -- With his plan for health-care reform stuck in Colombias congress, President Gustavo Petros administration has happened upon another way to put more of the industry under state control. Most Read from Bloomberg Some of the nations biggest private health insurers say Petro is both transferring less per user than required and hasnt paid accumulated debt, leaving the businesses out nearly $2.2 billion. The administration says its fulfilling all its payment obligations. Lea esta historia en espanol. If the companies buckle under the losses, users would be transferred from one defunct insurer to the next until they all eventually end up under the public system, said Ramon Abel Castano, a Bogota-based health-care consultant. Assuming the government cant persuade congress to pass a new health law, plan B is quite clear: make the system collapse, Castano said. The insurers, known as entidades promotoras de salud, went public with their complaint in July. In a joint letter to the health minister, EPS Sanitas, EPS Sura and Compensar which together account for about a quarter of users in the nearly $20 billion-a-year health system warned they face a dire financial situation that threatens their viability. Health Minister Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, however, argues that other than some outstanding transfers from previous administrations, insurers have received all the funds theyre owed. He also questions the assertion that transfers are insufficient. The ministry didnt reply to repeated requests for comment. Capitalism Equals Death Petros plan for health care is part of a broader effort to transform Colombias conservative economic model into one in which the government plays a bigger role. Pension reform is another priority. They have an idea of a very large state, said Ana Maria Vesga, who leads ACEMI, the industry group that represents private health insurers. Some 90% of medical services are currently carried out by private companies, she said, adding that the governments interest in directly managing health care resources is clear. A former minister who was ousted from cabinet over his objections to the health reform puts it in starker terms. For Petro capitalism equals death, Alejandro Gaviria said in an interview, adding that electricity and housing are other targets for the presidents push to expand the state. Petro, Colombias first leftist leader, was elected in 2022 promising transformational change. In a speech to the United Nations in New York that year, he blamed capitalism for climate change, saying it can lead to the destruction of humanity. While Colombian assets have rallied recently with investors seeing little chance that Petros radical reforms will win legislative approval, Gaviria warned against complacency. The government has more room to maneuver than is being assumed, said Gaviria, who was replaced as education minister in February. The main shareholder in EPS Sanitas, which is part of health group Keralty SAS, is Spanish multimillionaire Joseba Grajales. Representatives for Sanitas declined to comment. EPS Sura is a subsidiary of financial holding company Grupo de Inversiones Suramericana SA. Representatives for EPS Sura also declined to comment. In its latest earnings report, the insurer posted $56 million in losses through the third quarter. EPS Sura cited insufficient government transfers and a boost in insured events as contributors to increased uncertainty that the company said was creating substantial doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern. Sanitas, meanwhile, has been in the spotlight after a drug provider said it would limit the medication it dispenses to the insurer because of outstanding bills. While it was able to reach an agreement with another provider, Sanitas called it a temporary solution given the cash crunch it faces. The company pegs the cost of providing drugs that arent part of the basic plan at 55 billion pesos a month ($13.8 million). The government is only covering 32 billion pesos, which has led to more than 500 billion pesos in debt. For the sector as a whole, ACEMI estimates the insurers are owed 8.9 trillion pesos in debt that has accumulated since last year. Petros health minister, however, said at the end of October that Sanitas has no reason to delay payments to its providers given the government has made all required transfers and other businesses in the Keralty conglomerate are making money. They dont pay providers, but their profits in their clinics where there is vertical integration are in very good health, Jaramillo said. The health care system is a point of national pride for Colombia. Coverage is almost universal, with 97% of the population able to access public services, according the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Meanwhile, health expenditures are running at about 8% of gross domestic product, below the OECD average and outlays by other Latin American peers including Brazil and Argentina. Out-of-pocket spending in Colombia is also among the lowest in the world. But Petros bid to blunt the role of the private sector could put that at risk, according to Andres Vecino, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. The Colombian governments plans run contrary to what other countries with strong public systems are doing, he said. Both the UK and Canada, for example, are starting to discuss ways in which they can deepen the role of the private sector to help address gaps they face not only in terms of financing, but also a lack of human and physical resources. Limits on Coverage Petro met last month with former President Alvaro Uribe to try and win support for his legislative push. Uribes party opposes the bill and is firmly against eliminating the role of private insurers, arguing the public sector is inefficient. But the two leaders do agree on the need to improve coverage in remote areas, boost preventive services and increase wages for health professionals. Experts including Castano and Gaviria, who was health minister from 2012 to 2018, also see a need to impose limits on coverage. Currently, nearly every medical treatment is eligible, which has made the existing system financially unsustainable. Insurers face increasing costs due to new technologies, an aging population, and a rise in demand for medical services, the health ministry said in a February submission to lawmakers. Thats caused debt to pile up and has led many health insurers to fail over the past decade. Of the 30 insurers operating in Colombia last year, 14 were facing some sort of government intervention and only six met the financial standards to operate normally, according to data from the state health-care watchdog. The crisis existed before but its acceleration stems from this government, Castano said, warning the systems potential collapse has a huge cost in human lives. Read More on Colombia:Colombian Bonds Seen Outperforming as Relief Turns to Optimism Dirty Venezuelan Fuel Imports Threaten Petros Green CredentialsColombia Government Seeks to Curb Prices for High-Cost MedicinesPetros Overhaul of Colombian Welfare State Faces First Big Test Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. In this photo provided by the Soundwatch Boater Education Program the dorsal fin of a young humpback whale floats with Seattle's Space Needle in the background on Nov. 30, 2023. (Jeff Hogan/Soundwatch Boater Education Program via AP) Seattle (AP) Pictures released by a conservation group show a young humpback whale breaching in front of the Space Needle as it visited the waters off Seattle last week, capturing a rare display of wildlife next to a major city. The photos were also used to gauge the general health of the whale and create a serial identification number that will help researchers keep track of the young marine mammal. This young whale, which is estimated to be about two years old, now has the designation of CRC-20899, according to Cascadia Research Collective. The photos were taken by Jeff Hogan, co-coordinator of the Seattle-branch of Soundwatch Boater Education Program. Hogan shadowed the whale for most of its time in the bay to alert other vessels to it. Hogan said the whale looked healthy and watched it breach nearly 30 times. Soundwatch has been operating off the San Juan Islands, where orcas are commonly found, for more than 30 years. The Seattle wing of the program debuted this past August with the aim to protect whales in busy Elliott Bay. Program personnel inform vessels of nearby whales so that enough space is given to the giant creatures. On any given day, car and pedestrian ferries, tugboats, private crafts, container ships and other vessels crisscross the bay. It not only was a beautiful day and experience, it was a great opportunity to collaborate with all operators out there, said Alanna Frayne, a coordinator for Soundwatch. This humpback provided education. Local whale watching groups have identified the young humpback as the calf of an adult female with the identification BCY0995, better known as Smiley. Smileys last calf, Chip, was fatally struck by a Washington state ferry in 2020, according to the Canadian group Vancouver Island Whale Watch. As the whale's population numbers rebound, visits to the Seattle metropolitan area by orcas that prey on mammals and cetacean whales like humpbacks and grays have been increasing. Humpback whales visit the waters off Seattle as they migrate along the West Coast. Before the commercial whaling industry nearly drove them to extinction, researchers think the Puget Sound was used as a nursery by humpbacks. The young calf was seen until Friday morning, Frayne said. Soundwatch boat followed it as the whale headed north and away from the city. Authorities in Florida have released new evidence in the horrific murder case of a mother-of-two who was allegedly stabbed to death by her teen son while her newborn baby slept next to her. Thirteen-year-old Derek Rosa is facing murder charges stemming from the 12 October killing of his 39-year-old mother Irina Garcia in the city of Hialeah. Prosecutors claimed Mr Rosa used a kitchen knife to stab his mother multiple times, with one of the wounds slicing an artery in her neck. Snippets of the gruesome murder were captured on a baby monitor placed in Garcias room, WPLG reported. Just moments after the attack, Mr Rosa reportedly posed with a bloodied hand for a selfie that he sent to his friend. The selfie and other pictures were released by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office ahead of a ruling regarding Mr Rosas housing facility. A haunting screengrab from the baby monitor also released on Tuesday shows Garcia holding her 14-day daughter, who was lying next to the mother when the attack ensued. A third grab shows a figure, who police say is Mr Rosa, towering over Garcia on the night of the murder. Irina Garcia was captured holding her newborn daughter on the night she was murdered (Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office) Florida prosecutors say Garcias 13-year-old son Derek Rosa allegedly stabbed her to death and then posed with bloodied hands for a selfie that he sent to a friend (Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office) Mr Rosa is being charged as an adult in the high-profile case but a judge still has to determine whether he should remain jailed in an adult prison, or be transferred to a juvenile facility, as he awaits trial. Authorities responded to Garcias apartment at 211 West 79th Place after reportedly receiving a 911 call from Mr Rosa allegedly admitting to having killed his mother, The Miami Herald reported. A third grab shows a figure, who police say is Mr Rosa, towering over Garcia on the night of the murder (Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office) THe pictures were released by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office (Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office) Garcia and her children were alone at the home at the time of the murder because her husband was out of town. Her newborn daughter was found in a crib, while her mothers lifeless body was discovered on the floor of the room. Prosecutors have told the court that Mr Rosa reportedly told detectives he had retrieved two guns owned by his stepfather and planned to kill himself, but couldnt follow through with the plan. Mr Rosa, an honour roll student at iMater Middle/High Charter School, then proceeded to take pictures of Garcias body and sent them to a friend, authorities said. The teen was initially held at a juvenile facility, but he was later transferred to Metro West Jail after a judge updated his charges from second-degree murder to first-degree murder. Mr Rosas attorneys have argued that his rights are being violated at the jail, where he is the youngest of 34 juveniles, sources at the facility told NBC. Miami-Dade Judge Richard Hersch was expected to rule on Mr Rosas housing situation on Tuesday, but the hearing has now been postponed to Thursday. If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Strong Sino-European relations benefit each other, economist says Xinhua) 08:44, December 05, 2023 Chinese tourists pose for a photo outside the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain, July 26, 2023. As the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic eases off, Chinese tourists are flocking to Spain. (Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua) Spain's current Presidency of the European Council gives it the chance to "foster dialogue, address bilateral concerns and generate trust" within Sino-European relations, a Spanish economist said. MADRID, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Europe and China have built strong economic and trade cooperation in recent decades, a Spanish economist told Xinhua in an interview. "Over the past 40 years, Europe and China have forged mutually beneficial, dynamic and symbiotic economic and trade cooperation, fostering prosperity and stability for both sides that extends to almost all industrial sectors," said Spanish economist, writer and expert in China Julio Ceballos Rodriguez. Ceballos' book, "Observar el arroz crecer: Como habitar un mundo liderado por China" (Watch the Rice Grow: How to inhabit a world led by China), was published earlier this year. China has "benefited from Europe's advanced technologies, management experience and high-quality products," said Ceballos, who has lived in Shanghai for about 18 years. Meanwhile, he added, the bilateral relationship has also "facilitated a more diversified and secure supply chain." A Geely's Geometry C electric car is seen on display before the signing ceremony in Budapest, Hungary, on Nov. 4, 2022. Chinese automaker Geely Auto Group has entered the European Union (EU) market by signing an agreement with Hungarian car importer Grand Automotive Central Europe (GACE). (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) In return, Europe has "gained access to China's vast consumer market, contributing to increased exports of European goods and services," while Chinese investment in Europe has helped to promote economic growth and job creation, he said. Technological collaboration between both the regions has also been mutually beneficial, Ceballos added. "China will continue to be a primary and priority partner for Europe," he said, although he dismissed the fear that Europe might become over-reliant on the Chinese market. A diversified supply chain helps "mitigate risks associated with geopolitical tensions, trade disputes or unexpected disruptions, and ensures a more resilient and stable economic foundation," he explained. China is "a primary and irreplaceable actor in the global economic recovery, reinforcing trade balances and strengthening supply chains," he said. This photo taken on Oct. 14, 2023 shows wind turbines in Brandenburg, Germany. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) In his view, China's swift recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic has "fueled global trade and benefited Europe," while promoting "global economic growth." Regarding environmental issues, Ceballos said that "China's commitment to green industries aligns with global environmental goals, facilitating collaboration and technology transfer." However, "continued dialogue, collaboration and frameworks for mutual cooperation" are needed to maintain this vital relationship. Spain's current Presidency of the European Council gives it the chance to "foster dialogue, address bilateral concerns and generate trust" within Sino-European relations, he said. A shop owner of Spanish goods slices Iberian ham at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) "Spain can advocate for joint efforts to address global challenges such as climate change and public health and emphasize shared values. By championing these initiatives, Spain can contribute significantly to fostering a constructive and cooperative relationship between China and Europe," Ceballos underlined. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner believes the recent agreement between the government and communist rebels to resume peace talks will finally lead to peace. Right now we believe na yung ginawang joint statement (made) is really moving towards lasting peace, Brawner told CNN Philippines The Source on Tuesday. This was his response when asked about Vice President Sara Duterte opposing the Marcos administrations decision to grant amnesty to current and former members of rebel groups, as well as resume peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). Duterte described the joint communique between the government and the said group an agreement with the devil. Brawner said he cannot blame the vice president for opposing the move, saying this is also the sentiment of others including some soldiers given what transpired during previous talks. Still, he maintained that the joint communique of the government and the NDFP will possibly lead to peace since it has no preconditions like ceasefire and release of political prisoners. He also highlighted both parties' mention in the statement of their committment to end armed conflict. The parties acknowledge the deep-rooted socio-economic and political grievances and agree to come up with a framework that sets the priorities for the peace negotiation with the aim of achieving the relevant socioeconomic and political reforms towards a just and lasting peace," said the communique signed on Nov. 23 in the Norwegian capital Oslo. "The parties agree to a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict," it added. Brawner noted the government will only know that the rebels are sincere once the NDFP signs the final peace agreement. Following the release of the joint statement, a framework agreement should follow, ending with the signing of the final peace agreement, he said. For now, Brawner said the AFP will continue its operations to neutralize rebels. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said there is no need to place Marawi City under military control after the deadly bombing on Dec. 3. Theres no need because your security forces are on top of the situation, AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner told CNN Philippines The Source. Sunday's blast tore through a Catholic mass at the Dimaporo Gymnasium in Mindanao State University (MSU), killing four people and injuring at least 46 others. Brawner said school officials have asked the temporary assistance of the AFP and the Philippine National Police to secure the campus. Brawner said the incident was possibly a retaliatory attack following the AFPs successful neutralization of local terrorist groups. This includes the operation on Dec. 1 against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters operating in Maguindanao and another on Dec. 2 that killed Abu Sayyaf Group leader Mudzrimar Sawadjaan, who was responsible for the 2019 Jolo Cathedral bombing that killed 20 people. While the AFP expected the retaliation, Brawner maintained there was no intelligence failure since they were able to warn security forces, as well as local government units. There could have been a failure of security since there should have been more measures implemented that prevented the entry of the bomber, he noted. Brawner said the terrorists will unlikely be able to launch an attack similar to the magnitude of the Marawi siege in 2017 since they have dwindled in number. He urged residents of Marawi to remain vigilant. He also encouraged students of MSU to return to school, assuring them that their campus is safe. Fighters linked to ISIS attacked Marawi City in 2017, launching a siege that lasted for five months. This prompted former President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law. Intense fighting between government forces and the Maute Group killed more than 1,100 combatants and civilians, and displaced over 300,000 residents. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) admits it will be hard for the government to make Chinese militia vessels leave the countrys waters due to lack of water assets compared with the East Asian giant. Physically to disperse them is near to impossible. Kokonti lang yung barko natin (We only have a few ships), AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner told CNN Philippines The Source on Tuesday. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that over 135 Chinese maritime militia vessels were spotted around the Julian Felipe Reef on Dec. 2. These were monitored around the low-tide elevation of the Kalayaan Island Group located 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan, still within the countrys 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela told CNN Philippines on Monday these vessels are possibly being used for Beijings reclamation activities and for blocking Manilas resupply missions. Brawner said they also believe the Chinese ships are conducting illegal activities in the area. While the Philippines lacks in water assets, Brawner said what the government tries to do is getting the consensus of the international community. We combine together with our like-minded nations to ensure that we impose the rules-based international order on China and other countries who are doing illegal activities. Sana makinig naman sila (I hope they listen), he said. Brawner said the Philippines is already planning its multilateral joint maritime and air patrol exercise in the West Philippine Sea. Possible participants are the US, Australia, Japan, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. This will possibly happen in the first half of 2024, he added. By Vladimir Soldatkin and Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW (Reuters) -Oil production cuts agreed by the OPEC+ group will take time to kick in, the Kremlin said on Tuesday as it confirmed that President Vladimir Putin would visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Putin will also host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow the following day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Russia cooperates with all three countries in the OPEC+ group of oil producers, which last week announced new voluntary supply cuts that were greeted with scepticism by the oil market because of doubts whether they would be implemented fully. Oil prices fell 2% last week after the OPEC+ announcement, but Brent crude futures were firmer on Tuesday. "There are certain processes of inertia in the oil market; it is very big and heavy. Therefore, sometimes the effect is delayed. Therefore, coordination will continue," Peskov said. Asked if Putin would discuss oil market cooperation on his Gulf trip, Peskov said: "These discussions are held within the OPEC+ format, but of course, cooperation in this area is always on the agenda." Separately, Putin's foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said Saudi-Russian cooperation within OPEC+ was "fruitful". "Fairly close Russian-Saudi coordination in this format is a reliable guarantee of maintaining a stable and predictable situation in the global oil market," Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. The Kremlin later confirmed that Putin would hold talks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, on cooperation within OPEC+. Putin and the crown prince have developed close ties and were instrumental in forging the 2016 deal that formed the OPEC+ group comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia. SUPPLY CUTS Putin's visit to the Gulf comes after OPEC+ agreed last Thursday to voluntary supply cuts totalling about 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd), including an extension of existing Saudi and Russian voluntary cuts of 1.3 million bpd. Apart from energy issues, Putin is keen to cultivate the Gulf states as part of his drive to build global alliances with non-Western countries and demonstrate what he says is the failure of the United States and its allies to isolate Russia with sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine. Ushakov said Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine would also be discussed during Putin's trip. Dubai, the UAE's largest city, is currently hosting the COP28 global climate summit. However, a Russian representative at the event told Reuters that Putin would be going to Abu Dhabi, not to Dubai, and would not take part in the summit. Peskov said the agenda for Thursday's visit to Moscow by Iran's Raisi was likely to include regional issues including the war in Gaza. Iran backs the militant Palestinian group Hamas, Israel's enemy. Russia has angered Israel by hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow. (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper in Dubai; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin and Mark TrevelyanEditing by Gareth Jones and David Goodman) Following negotiations mediated by Qatar, Russia has allowed six Ukrainian children to return to their families in Ukraine, Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced on Dec. 5. The return of the children comes as part of Qatar's "ongoing mediation and coordination efforts in reunifying families separated by the conflict," the Foreign Ministry said. The children are scheduled to leave Moscow on Dec. 5. and travel to Ukraine via Belarus, the Washington Post reported. The children were reportedly living with relatives in Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. According to the Washington Post, one of the children, an 11-year-old boy, had been living with relatives in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast. His mother is still held as a prisoner of war in Russia after being captured while serving with the Ukrainian army, an unnamed official told the newspaper. The boy's father died "around a decade ago, and he will now stay with a maternal aunt." Ukraines fight to heal millions of children scarred by Russias war Editors note: The childrens full names are not revealed in this story to protect their identity. The location of the camp they attend is also not revealed for security reasons. Western Ukraine At the Gen.Camp tucked away in western Ukraine, children spend much of their day throwing The Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Malenko Qatar's International Cooperation Minister Lolwah Al-Khater said that the exchange was "building on the momentum of recent weeks." "Today's announcement marks another small yet significant step forward in this collaborative process," she said. Qatar cooperated with Ukraine to help bring back Bohdan Yermokhin on Nov. 19, a Ukrainian teenager who was illegally deported by Russia from occupied Mariupol. Yermokhin had been placed with a foster family in Moscow Oblast and served with a conscription notice. In October, Qatar brokered a deal with Moscow and Kyiv to bring back four children to Ukraine. The deal was orchestrated after months of high-level talks involving Moscow and Kyiv. The Ukrainian government has identified over 19,500 children who have been deported or forcibly displaced by Russia, less than 400 of whom have been returned to Ukraine. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Maria Lvova-Belova and Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023 over their role in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. Im afraid well never find them: Russia holds thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostage In the early days of the full-scale invasion as Russian troops were occupying large swaths of territory outside of Kyiv, one local village resident was relieved to see what he thought were Ukrainian troops. The resident, Ivan Drozd, shouted the common Ukrainian salute Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Uk The Kyiv IndependentAlexander Khrebet Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. In a new series, Telegraph Money speaks to those who have found success without earning a degree. As a teen in the 1970s, Mark Turner felt pressured to become the first in his family to go to university. He didnt do particularly well in his A-Levels, but still got a place to study electrical engineering at a polytechnic. The course also covered computing and programming, which struck a chord with Mr Turner who later dropped out after the first year and got a job instead. Since then, he has gone on to work in senior IT roles at large companies such as Vodafone, where he earned a comfortable salary of more than 85,000, before retiring this year. I wish Id have not bothered with a degree and gone straight into that walk of life, he says. I just felt that that pressure was relentless, to be honest, to go and do a degree. I just didnt look at alternatives. I dont blame anybody, but I lost a year. Mr Turner, now 64, got his first job as a computer operator at the University of Oxford, where he was able to get a Higher National Certificate on day release while he was there, which kept his father happy. Others in the office were coming in straight from doing A-Levels, so he did not feel out of place. Mark Turner believes it's better to 'fail fast' and be honest about bad news - Jay Williams Mr Turner, from Standlake in Oxfordshire, started out as a trainee and moved up to a shift leader role within a few years. At the time, computers were enormous and needed to be manned all the time. The role helped him understand how computers and hardware work knowledge he built on when microcomputers came on to the scene and technologies changed. Id certainly encourage people to get into computing at the lower levels, like I did when I started, because it gives you a very good grounding and probably makes you much more transportable, he says. He says he switched jobs often in the early days of his career. I wasnt anywhere for more than two or three years, he says. I moved to London for a more prestigious job at Marks & Spencer. That wasnt doing operations: I was starting to do programming and that sort of thing. Mr Turner was learning job control language a language enabling the user to define the tasks to be undertaken by the operating system. He moved on from mainframe computers to networks and network management, ending up in the telecoms industry. The bulk of his later working life was spent at Cable and Wireless, BT and Vodafone. He finished his career as an agile delivery manager at Vodafone, doing his own coding again. The work entailed managing projects in small intimate teams. Throughout the 80s and 90s companies favoured waterfall project management, which is a linear system that requires teams to complete each project phase before moving to the next one. These days, agile management has become more common as it encourages smaller teams in Mr Turners case, around 10 to 12 people to work simultaneously on different phases of the project. If you look at some of the huge programmes run by the Government at that time, they were spectacular in their failure and achieved very little, he says. [Agile management] is just a more modern way of managing activities. For a long time coding was off-shored, but Mr Turner says he is now seeing a new generation that wants to get into the mechanics of it. Throughout his career, adapting to change technologies and processes has been key. Working for commercial companies, they recognise that they have to adapt to customer needs, he says. That does mean you have to be on the ball in terms of the latest methodologies and latest ways of working. Embracing that is the main thing. There will always be the great big projects that take years and years, but theyre becoming less the norm. Mr Turner says its better to fail fast give up on things that dont work and move on with those that do. The more successful people are the ones that will adopt that approach, he says. He also says his ability to embrace non-hierarchical ways of working has helped him thrive. You have to be prepared to work as a flat team, which comes hard to some people whove been used to directing work as opposed to participating in it. A key factor is to participate, not direct. You have to listen a lot. Look at what people are doing, he continues. The phrase is sometimes critical friend you have to be that. You have to be prepared to take that criticism as well. Mr Turner has run and worked in teams with mixed ages throughout his life, which has kept him nimble. His biggest challenge has been dealing with over-expectations and plans which are quite frankly unfeasible. Its sometimes having the bravery to say no thats a big thing, he says. Certainly, when I interview people to be project managers, one of my first questions is how projects are very good at coming up with plans and forecasts, but how do you handle bad news? How are you going to say when things are going wrong? Because in all honesty, thats going to be your biggest challenge: being brave enough to say that somethings going wrong and being brave enough to do something about it and not just coast along. In many corporate environments bad news doesnt go down well. When youre young, keen and out to prove yourself, this can be harder to do. He often says his bosses have praised him for being honest and saying things as they are, but some people do find it difficult. A manager who hears that something is going wrong can see it as a reflection on them, but in this case its best to focus on the solution. Youre not dwelling on the problem but dwelling on the route out, he says. Theres a lot of pressure to react immediately, but just having the discipline to say No, I see a problem. Let me look at it for a day and Ill come back to you with a reasonable way forward. In his 13 years at Vodafone, he saw a shift towards more young people joining without degrees. When he started there was only a graduate programme which hired people to do project management-type jobs. By the time he left, they had as many apprentices as graduates. Often graduates now are coming in to do more junior roles, happy to be getting a foot in the door. Have you found success without a degree? Wed love to hear from you. Email money@telegraph.co.uk 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. Details remain limited at this time, but Venezuelan authorities seized whats likely a training variant of a Vympel R-73 air-to-air missile during a raid on a private residence over the weekend. The identity of the man harboring the missile, who was arrested by Venezuelan authorities, has not been released. According to the Latin American defense outlet Zona Militar, the raid was conducted by troops belonging to the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) and Detachment 341 of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) in the city of El Sombrero, Guarico state, Venezuela. The open-source intelligence account CNW ( @ConflictsW ) highlights that the Venezuelan military has since released a statement stressing that the missile is inert, and was recovered in order to be used for future training purposes. Beyond this, we simply do not know if it is a captive training round that can fly on fighters with the necessary electronics but no rocket engine, or if it is a ground trainer. City of El Sombrero marked via the red pin. Google Maps The Images above and below show it being propped up by metal frames and vehicle tires amongst the bushes of the unnamed mans property. Visuals from the raid also show several members of the GNB carrying the R-73 away from the scene where it was discovered. R-73 being carried by GNB personnel. GNB image via Twitter/X The short-range, infra-read heat-seeking Vympel R-73 missile, known by NATO as the AA-11 Archer, is produced by the Moscow-based Vympel NPO company and first entered service in 1984. The Aviacion Militar Nacional Bolivarianas (AMNB, Venezuelan Air Force) Sukhoi SU-30Mk2 fighters, of which 24 were ordered from Russia in a $1 billion contract in 2006, are capable of employing the missile. You can read more about the R-73, which is used by various militaries around the globe including Russia and Iran, in these past War Zone pieces . Mock-up of RVV-MD export variant of the R-73. Kuzmin via Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA-4.0 Although the precise location of where the missile was taken from remains murky, it has been suggested that it was likely stolen from the Capitan Manuel Rios Guarico Airbase, which is located roughly ten miles east of El Sombrero. The AMNBs fleet of SU-30Mk2s are operated by two different Grupo Aereo de Caza (fighter groups). The first, Grupo Aereo de Caza Libertador 13 (GAC13), is based at Barcelona/Luis del Valle Garcia AB (BAVALLE) in Venezeuelas Anzoategui state. The second, Grupo Aereo de Caza 11 (GAC11), is based at El Sombrero/Capitan Manuel Rios Guarico AB (BAEMARI). GAC11 controls two squadrons: Escuadron 33 Halcones and Escuadron 34 Caciques. Venezuela has lost three of its Russian-supplied SU-30Mk2s, the most recent of which involved a fighter with the serial number 3363 crashing during a training flight in July. Two Su-30MK2 of the Venezuelan Air Force. Big Bosstt via Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA-4.0 How exactly the man obtained the missile, either from Capitan Manuel Rios Guarico AB or elsewhere, or what he intended to use it for also remains unclear. Whatever means by which it was taken, however, political turbulence within Venezuela the most recent of which hinges on the outcome of voting held Sunday concerning a the potential move to claim large areas of territory within the countrys oil-rich neighbor Guyana has led to prime conditions for a flourishing black market with international reach. You can read our recent explainer on the worries that Venezuela will soon invade Guyana here . Beyond Venezuela, air-to-air missiles (AAMs) as well as surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) from numerous countries have found their way onto the global black market. As for the Russian R-73, in the past, they have been adapted for surface-to-air use. Houthi rebels in Yemen, for example, have previously converted them into SAMs ; underscoring how their proliferation on the black market can lead to their use beyond employment by fighters. We will update this story if new information comes to light. Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo signaled Tuesday that the U.S. would support and encourage growth of the Chinese economy as long as China plays by the rules. I think that a growing China, which plays by the rules, is a good thing for China, a good thing for America and a good thing for the world, Raimondo said in an NPR interview. That being said, our job number one is to protect the American people, the American economy and, of course, our national security, she continued. So if China plays by the rules, trade could be a good thing. The measured response comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President Biden last month in a San Francisco summit focused on economic relations. The meeting made progress to mend ties in a fractured relationship between the U.S. and China, but distrust on trade and corporate relations remains. The U.S. government and top American companies have long accused Chinese firms of illegal activity backed by the Chinese government, including industrial espionage. Raimondo, who was also at the Biden-Xi summit last month, went after the country for excessively subsidizing firms and bending labor and environmental regulations in order to get ahead. Congress has put particular attention on U.S.-China relations this year, with a special House committee set up to prioritize work on the topic. GOP lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to take the economic threat of China more seriously. Raimondo used military terms to describe the Commerce Departments strategy versus China, with offensive and defensive components, warning that China would attempt to steal U.S. technology to help its military. She held up the CHIPS and Science Act as the Biden administrations key accomplishment in fending off the economic threat of China. That legislation, passed last year, invests in domestic semiconductor manufacturing. The most important thing we can do, Raimondo said, is run faster than China, innovate more than China, keep our lead on semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Despite signs from the summit that icy relations between the U.S. and China are warming, Raimondo was clear that the U.S. will be cautious in economic dealings with the country. Were going to do business where we can, where its in our interest. Were going to communicate so we deescalate and not escalate, she said. The world cant handle greater conflict between the U.S. and China. Were going to manage the conflict, and that means communication, she continued. But, you know, were going to be tough, because we have to be. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said in an interview that hell overperform expectations in Iowa and New Hampshire primaries next month. During an appearance on NewsNations The Hill, Ramaswamy told host Blake Burman that he believes he has a good shot of winning state primaries in Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire. Ramaswamy said he plans on completing the full Grassley visiting all 99 Iowa counties twice in the first week of January, noting that hes already attracted supporters who are first-time caucusgoers in the state. Many of the people come in to support us at the caucus are first-time-ever caucusgoers, which means were going to shatter what the polls say, and I think theres a surprise coming on Jan. 15, Ramaswamy told Burman. When Burman asked if Ramaswamy wanted to overperform expectations in those states, he reiterated his initial remarks. I think that to be crystal clear, I think were going to overperform expectations in each of both Iowa and New Hampshire, then I think we have a shot at winning Nevada, Ramaswamy said. He noted that South Carolinas primary will be harder than in other states. But remember, Nevada comes before South Carolina, and then you get to the Midwest, in Michigan and elsewhere, Ramaswamy added. I think were going to do really well. Ramaswamys remarks come after fellow presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said over the weekend that hes confident hell win the Iowa caucus, despite trailing former President Trump in state polls. Well, were going to win the caucus. Were doing everything that we need to do it. Well continue to build support, DeSantis told NBCs Meet The Press moderator Kristen Welker on Sundays episode. Ramaswamy and DeSantis are also two of the four candidates that have qualified to participate in the fourth GOP presidential primary debate in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Wednesday night. It will be hosted by The Hills sister news organization, NewsNation, and will be moderated by Elizabeth Vargas and Megyn Kelly. People who want to watch the debate can click here to find NewsNation in their cable market, as well as information on how to stream the debate. Trump, the current front-runner in the GOP presidential field, has already signaled he will not attend Wednesdays debate and will instead participate in a Fox News town hall hosted by Sean Hannity on Tuesday night. The Hill on NewsNation airs Monday to Friday at 5 p.m. EST. NewsNation is a cable news channel launched in 2021 by Nexstar Media Group, which owns and operates dozens of local television stations across the country and purchased The Hill in fall 2021. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said joint multilateral patrols in the West Philippine Sea are now in the planning stage as more nations seek to join the activity. "It's in the planning process. We are going to conduct our joint maritime and air patrols in the West Philippine Sea with the US, Japan is interested, France, the UK and Canada," Brawner told CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday. Brawner, however, did not give a date on when the patrols could begin, only that these could happen in the first half of 2024. At a media reception on Tuesday, the South Korean government also expressed interest in increasing maritime security cooperation and help modernize the country's armed forces. "In this regard for the modernization of the armed forces there is no other friend who is more experienced record for cooperation in this area. Korea is the most well prepared and ready partner," said South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa. Korea said like-minded nations should work together to maintain stability in the region. In November, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose 'Babe' Manuel Romualdez said that a joint patrol is likely to happen as the country continues to reach out to other nations to ensure peace in the area. CNN Philippines' Tristan Nodalo contributed to this story. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. Blinken on November 30 urged Israel to create safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Gaza before it resumes "major military operations" in the Hamas-ruled territory. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) In a rare punitive move against Israel, the State Department said Tuesday it will impose travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the step after warning Israel last week that President Joe Biden's administration would be taking action over the attacks. Blinken did not announce individual visa bans, but department spokesman Matthew Miller said the bans would be implemented starting Tuesday and would cover dozens of settlers and their families, with more to come if the settler violence continued. He wouldnt give a number and refused to identify any of those targeted due to confidentiality reasons. The decision comes at a sensitive moment in U.S.-Israeli relations. The Biden administration has firmly backed Israel since it was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, even as international criticism of Israel has mounted. The Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the development. In recent weeks, the administration has stepped up calls on Israel to do more to limit civilian casualties as the Israelis expand their offensive and target densely populated southern Gaza. The U.S. has refrained from outright criticism of that offensive. It has been increasingly outspoken, however, about settler violence in the West Bank and Israels failure to respond to U.S. calls to stop it. We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, Blinken said in a statement. As President Biden has repeatedly said, those attacks are unacceptable. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Monday that since Oct. 7 at least eight Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by settlers. The U.N. agency said it has recorded 314 attacks by settlers that have resulted in Palestinian casualties, damage to Palestinian-owned property or both. One-third of the attacks included threats with firearms, including shootings, and in nearly half of the attacks the settlers were accompanied or actively supported by Israeli forces. Today, the State Department is implementing a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals believed to have been involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank, including through committing acts of violence or taking other actions that unduly restrict civilians access to essential services and basic necessities, Blinken said. He said the U.S. would continue to seek accountability for settler violence against Palestinians as well as Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and Israel, particularly as tensions are extremely high due to the conflict in Gaza. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority have the responsibility to uphold stability in the West Bank, Blinken said. Instability in the West Bank both harms the Israeli and Palestinian people and threatens Israels national security interests. Tuesday's move comes just a month after Israel was granted entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows its citizens visa-free entry into the U.S. Those targeted by the action will not be eligible for the program, and those who hold current U.S. visas will have them revoked. A "very rare" ancient gold coin found recently in the mountains of central Norway could be lost cash that once belonged to an early monarch, according to Norwegian officials. The gold coin was discovered by a metal detectorist in Vestre Slidre, a rural city known for skiing, in Norway's south-central Innlandet County. Technically called "histamenon nomisma," the coin was first introduced around 960 C.E. and used as standard Byzantine currency, the Innlandet County Municipality said in a news release. That means the artifact would have traveled more than 1,600 miles from its origin site to the spot where it was found. "It has held up exceptionally well. The coin appears largely unchanged from when it was lost, perhaps a thousand years ago," the news release said. Christ is depicted on one side of the coin. / Credit: Martine Kaspersen/Innlandet County Municipality The ancient coin was introduced in the Byzantine Empire, also called the Eastern Roman Empire, and likely was minted in Constantinople, the Byzantine capital that is Istanbul today. It is decorated on both faces, with one side appearing to show an embossed illustration of Christ holding a Bible. The other side appears to depict the former Byzantine emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII, according to Innlandet County. The two brothers were named co-rulers of the Byzantine Empire toward the end of the 9th century. Knowing the time frame of their reign, officials say the coin found in Norway was probably minted at some point between 977 and 1025 C.E. The coin has written inscriptions, too. One, written in Latin by the stamp of Christ, says, "Jesus Christ, King of those who reign." The other, written in Greek on the coin's opposite side, says, "Basil and Constantine, emperors of the Romans," according to the county. The emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII are likely depicted on the other side of the coin. / Credit: Martine Kaspersen/Innlandet County Municipality At the height of its power, the Byzantine Empire comprised much of the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including parts of Italy, Greece and Turkey, as well as portions of northern Africa and the Middle East. Innlandet officials have speculated about the route over which the gold coin could have traveled to end up where it did, and why that might have happened. One possible explanation is that it once belonged to Harald Hardrade, a Norwegian king who ruled from 1046 to 1066 C.E., after previously serving as a guard for the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. "At that time it was customary for the guards to be given the right to loot the palace and take all the valuables they could find when the emperor died. During Harald's time in Byzantium, three emperors had died," officials said. So, the former king could have acquired the gold coin in Constantinople and taken it back with him to Norway. The gold coin could have also made its way into Norway's early salt trade, which had transport routes that ran perpendicular from western Norway across the country. Because the metal detectorist found the coin so late in the fall season, the spot where it was discovered will not be investigated further until next year. This was not the first time a metal detectorist struck gold while probing the land in Norway. Over the summer, a Norwegian man found nine pendants, three rings and 10 gold pearls with a metal detector in the southern island of Rennesoey, near the city of Stavanger. And, in October, the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo announced that dozens of ancient gold-foil figures depicting images of Norse gods were found at the site of a pagan temple near a farm in Vingrom, about 100 miles south of the capital city. Companies, countries battle to develop quantum computers | 60 Minutes Titanium hip implants expected to last decades snapped in hundreds of people Eye Opener: Virginia house explodes as police try to serve search warrant Her explanation was lengthy, but she couldnt pull the trigger. Last month, Judge Sarah Wallace ruled Trump could not be disqualified from future presidential elections in Colorado. The basis for the attempted denial was the Constitutions 14th Amendment, specifically the third section No person shall be a senator or representative in Congress, or elector of president and vice president, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. Ray Buursma Now, the judge acknowledged Trump incited the Jan 6 riots. She wrote, The Court concludes, based on its findings of fact and the applicable law detailed above, that Trump incited an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and therefore engaged in insurrection within the meaning of Section Three of the 14th Amendment. That sounds rather conclusive, doesnt it? Youd think the case was settled, but youd be wrong, at least according to Wallace. Why? Because, according to the judge, while the 14th Amendment specifically mentions senators, representatives, electors who choose the president and VP (in our convoluted presidential electoral system), American government office holders, military officers, state officers and on and on, it DOES NOT specifically mention president or vice president. And that lack of detail was enough for the judge. She seemed oblivious to the clause stating anyone who holds any office was included in the prohibition. When I read Wallaces rationale, I was bewildered. Surely she could not consider this a legitimate loophole, for I clearly remembered something I taught my fifth-grade students for over a quarter century the Constitutions Presidential Oath of Office. It reads: I, (insert name), do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. There it was, clear as a bell for the judge to see. The president is indeed an office holder, for the Constitution states it must be faithfully executed, and the president-elect states so when he recites his oath. Remember, the 14th Amendment applies to the holder of any office." In the past, Americans had a higher level of respect for the judiciary. They were, at least theoretically, above politics. Their dedication was to the Constitution. That high regard took a hit after several recent Supreme Court rulings and after the expose that two Supreme Court justices had profited from financial gifts and in-kind contributions from wealthy benefactors. Perhaps even more judges have unethically benefitted while delivering justice. And now a judge cannot determine the president of the United States is an office holder in Americas government, despite the wording of the presidential oath which includes the phrase, office of the president. Once again, the judicial branch resorts to verbal gymnastics, twisted logic, and the use of whatever rationale it desires. Stare Decicis must be followed, except when justices dont like an earlier courts decision. Connecting dots any middle school student could connect can be ignored if a judge doesnt want them connected. America continues to battle through dark and dismal days, and one of the few lifelines available to grasp is slowly slipping away. Checking facts Mark Twain said, A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. How many times do we sheepishly accept someones authoritatively made claim because we are uncertain of its veracity? I did so often in the past, but I learned there are liars everywhere. And some of these liars didnt even know they were lying. They simply regurgitated false facts presented by others. I changed my approach. Now, when someone offers a suspicious claim, I ask, Thats an interesting claim. How do you know that? What is your source? Four times of five, the response is similar to, Well, thats what I heard. But all of us should educate ourselves concerning false facts when we feel doubt, and several websites do the hard work for us. I encourage you to explore Snopes, Politifact, FactCheck, SciCheck and MediaBiasFactCheck, among others. Use these sites to determine the accuracy of public interest claims. And by the way, Twain might have said the phrase above, but he was not the originator of the sentiment. He merely changed a word or two from comments of several who expressed the thought long before he did. Community Columnist Ray Buursma is a resident of Holland. Contact him at writetoraybuursma@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ray Buursma: Convoluted reasoning In Colorado This time, it is serious. 1. Both NATO and the EU are ready to accept Ukraine. This reflects the general vision of European elites and radically changes the paradigm of the perception of Ukraine, which has been engraved in European history textbooks and stereotypes for centuries. It is difficult for us to assess these changes, but ten years ago (a very short time in human history), we were considered very close to Russian civilization and sometimes even confused with Russia. Now, no one ever confuses us. For example, no one confuses the English and the Irish, despite, among other things, their linguistic identity. Now, in the perception of Europeans, we are part of Western civilization, and they are ready to accept us at the political level. "This time it's serious," answered a very serious retired German politician when I asked. 2. The problem with Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO is that no one knows how and when. So far, the official position is "after the war." But some scenarios are being discussed internally. Most often, this is the option presented by Rasmussen (former NATO Secretary General), who suggested that NATO should provide security guarantees right now, but only for the territories controlled by Ukraine. Then, when Ukraine gains control of the 1991 borders, the whole country will receive guarantees. Something similar happened after the Cold War with Germany, which was divided after World War II. However, the following questions remain unresolved: first, whether the Alliance is ready to offer this officially; second, whether official Ukraine is prepared to listen to it (the first reaction to Rasmussen's proposal was very critical). The third element is what Russia will do (Moscow also reacted very critically to Rasmussen's proposal). However, there are three unresolved issues 3. No one fears an influx of Ukrainians after integration into the EU and NATO. This is also an important, though not always politically correct, aspect. Surprisingly enough, Ukrainian migrants and refugees have played a role, as they have quickly integrated into Western societies in a "test mode" and pose no threat to their political stability, unlike, for example, migrants from the Middle East. At the same time, the West is afraid of the consequences of war crime and uncontrolled arms trafficking based on the experience of the Balkan wars. 4. It's unpleasant, but in the context of Ukraine, the future of Russia is also considered in the same way. Yes, we would all like this future to simply not exist. But the West is used to calculating everything. What should be done to avoid a new war? How can they guarantee the stability of the Russian Federation? What will happen if Russia (or part of it) falls under Chinese control? What can and cannot Russia do in an alliance with Iran? And with some countries of the global South? These questions confuse European minds as they calculate the war's end in Ukraine. 5. Reforms and standards of democracy in Ukraine are not yet the primary concern of the Europeans. But after the end of hostilities, this will be discussed very seriously on all platforms. European experts also warn that we will face tough negotiations on entering European markets, especially the agricultural market. Complex negotiations are the fate of all newcomers to the EU, and we will need to demonstrate a very high level of professionalism and patience to implement them. In general, the enlargement of the EU in Ukraine is perceived as perhaps one of the biggest challenges for NATO and EU institutions in history. If the West manages to integrate Ukraine, it can do almost anything. 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 Do people eat spiders while they sleep? Thats an urban legend experts are happy to squash. | Adobe.com Urban legend has led many to believe that we eat spiders in our sleep, up to as many as eight a year. To put at ease the 3%-15% of people who suffer from arachnophobia (the intense and irrational fear of spiders) the rest of the population that just thinks they are creepy it isnt true. In fact, it is so unrealistic for a person to swallow a spider in their sleep, Floyd Shockley, an entomologist and the collections manager at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, told The Washington Post, Youve got a better chance of winning the Powerball than having a spider fall in your mouth while youre sleeping, What makes it so unlikely? The notion that spiders frequently crawl into peoples mouths while they sleep is largely a myth, and there are several reasons why its quite unlikely: Spider behavior Spiders generally dont intentionally approach humans. They are typically solitary creatures and do not seek out humans. Spiders are more likely to avoid large, living creatures that could pose a threat to them. According to the Sleep Foundation, Spiders probably see a sleeping human as a predator that should be avoided. Because they can sense vibrations, spiders are also likely to be scared off by the movements and noises people make while sleeping. Related Spiders dont even want to be in your mouth Spiders prefer environments that suit their survival needs, such as corners or undisturbed areas where they can build webs and catch prey. A human mouth does not provide an environment conducive to their living or feeding habits. Spiders breathe oxygen and would be repelled by your mouth, which to them would seem like a warm, moist cave that is mostly carbon dioxide and water vapor, Shockley told The Washington Post. Humans move too much in their sleep People often shift and move during sleep, and these movements could deter spiders. Also, the likelihood of a spider remaining undetected and undisturbed while a person is asleep is low. Vibrations are a big slice of spiders sensory universe, Rod Crawford, the arachnid curator at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle, told Scientific American. A sleeping person is not something a spider would willingly approach. According to experts, while theres a remote possibility of a spider entering your mouth during sleep, the likelihood is so minimal its almost not worth considering. Should a spider happen to crawl over your face while youre asleep, the feeling of its eight tiny legs moving on your skin is likely to wake you up. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) Department of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa hurdles the Commission on Appointments (CA) after his appointment was bypassed in September due to lack of time. During the deliberation of a CA panel, Herbosa said the agency is investigating the fraudulent claims in Philhealth and reviewing the rules on penalizing clerical errors. Herbosa made the statement after Senator Bong Go, Senate Committee chair on Health, called for a thorough probe, as removing the Philhealth accreditation of a medical facility may compromise the accessibility of medical services. Earlier this year, The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of Philhealth to discontinue the accreditation of a physician and a dialysis center due to fraudulent claims for reimbursement of Philhealth benefits. On his past controversies, which include a rape joke and a remark against community pantries during the COVID-19 pandemic, Herbosa said he continues to apologize on these matters, and as DOH secretary, he will be careful with his comments. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Herbosa as Health Secretary in June. He served as DOH undersecretary from 2010 to 2015 and served as special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19. Herbosa also held the post of regional director at the DOH National Capital Regional Office. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) China said it deals with all criminals fairly and in strict accordance with the law, as it responded to speculations that its sea dispute with the Philippines may have played a part in its decision to execute two Filipinos convicted of drug trafficking. Citing the West Philippine Sea issue, an analyst earlier said Beijing might have denied Manila's appeal to commute the sentences of the two convicts due to strained bilateral relations. But in a statement on Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila stressed the gravity of drug-related crimes while maintaining that it treats all criminals of different nationalities equally. It said it prudently applies the death penalty for those who have committed extremely serious crimes. Chinese law stipulates that all persons who commit crimes are equal in the application of the law, and no one is allowed to have privileges beyond the law, the embassy wrote. China unswervingly adheres to the law in combating drug-related crimes, always maintaining zero tolerance and a high-pressure deterrence, and resolutely punishing in accordance with the law those drug offenders who are malicious and pose great personal danger, the statement further read. Beijing said it fully guaranteed the procedural and litigation rights of the two during the trial. It added that it ensured Philippine consular officials will be able to perform their duties and that it allowed the convicts families to visit them in China. The two Filipinos were put to death on Nov. 24, some 10 years after their arrest, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) disclosed on Saturday. Dr. Rommel Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Society for International Security Studies and a board member of China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea, previously said that while China has every right to enforce its laws, it also considers appeals from other countries depending on the state of their relationship. Banlaoi suspected that the Philippines tough stance on the West Philippine Sea issue hardened Chinas position when it came to the two Filipinos. According to the DFA, there are 92 Filipino death penalty cases in China, of which all but one are drug-related. Two of the total cases have been reduced to life imprisonment, while 86 have been commuted to fixed term. This means two remain pending and are being appealed. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) Television hosts Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon own the trademark for Eat Bulaga, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPO) ruled, as it cancelled the certificate of registration that allows Television and Production Exponents Inc. (TAPE) to use the mark. In a decision dated Monday and made public on Tuesday, the IPO granted the petition filed by the three hosts collectively known as TVJ to cancel the certificate of registration issued to TAPE in 2013. Last May, the long-time hosts of Eat Bulaga resigned from the production company, citing mistrust of the new management as one of their reasons. Shortly after, they signed an agreement with Mediaquest Group, making TV5 their new home. The trio has remained firm on keeping the title "Eat Bulaga!" for their new show with TV5, although it is currently called "E.A.T." In their petition before the IPO, the three maintained that they are the owners of the "Eat Bulaga" trademark and that they have the absolute and exclusive right to register this. For one, they said it is an undisputed public knowledge that the shows name is De Leons brainchild. They added that they started using Eat Bulaga not only before TAPE registered the mark in 2013, but even when the show was still being produced by Production Specialists, Inc. and prior to incorporation of TAPE in 1981. The hosts also argued that throughout their 44 years on the show, they have established their reputation as the bearer of the "Eat Bulaga" brand. Based on the foregoing, respondent-registrant TAPE Inc.s registrations should be cancelled and they should be disallowed from using the marks Eat Bulaga and EB and EB in commerce and media as this amounts to riding on the goodwill that petitioners TVJ has built over the years, they said in the petition. The IPO found merit in these arguments, saying TVJ proved it is the originator and owner of the contested mark. "Petitioners explanation or story on how initially the idea of the EAT BULAGA mark came about did seem believable and credible, the IPO said. It added that TAPE did not refute the statement on how TVJ coined the term as title for the variety show, and even corroborated petitioners explanation. Having sufficiently established how petitioners coined the EAT BULAGA mark, it is petitioners and not respondent-registrant who owns the mark, the office said. Russia has rejected an American proposal to bring home Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich and former marine Paul Whelan, two Americans jailed in the country that the State Department have declared to be wrongfully detained. The Biden administration made a fresh offer to bring them home, but the State Department said on Tuesday that the Russians refused it. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told the press that the US put forward several suggestions. This was a new proposal, in recent weeks. It was a significant proposal, Mr Miller said, according to the AP. And it was rejected by the Russians but it does not, it will not deter us from continuing to do everything we can to try and bring both of them home. Mr Miller said President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will continue working on bringing the men home. They never should have been arrested in the first place. They should be released immediately, Mr Miller said. But we have made a number of proposals, and including a substantial one in recent weeks, and we will continue to work every day to bring Evan and Paul Whelan home. There is no prior higher priority for the secretary of state. There is no higher priority for the president. The spokesperson didnt state why the deal was rejected or if it included Russians being released. In the face of a steep downturn in relations with Russia, the US has been able to arrange two prisoner swaps since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. One of the swaps saw WNBA star Brittney Griner return home after she was found to have cannabis in her luggage, in exchange for convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout. Mr Gershkovich was detained in March of this year while reporting in Yekaterinburg. He became the first Western reporter to be detained in Russia on charges of spying since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and ex-marine Paul Whelan (Getty) The 32-year-old, his employer and the US government all strongly reject the notion that he was involved in spying. Last week, his detention was extended until next month by a court in Moscow. Mr Whelan was arrested in Moscow in 2018 while working in security for a US vehicle parts company. From the beginning, he has strenuously argued that the evidence against him was falsified. He has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. His family said last week that he was assaulted in his Russian prison, possibly because hes an American. The incident happened while Mr Whelan was working at a sewing table at around 1.30pm on Tuesday last week, his brother, David Whelan, said in an emailed statement provided to The Independent. Paul Whelan had asked a new prisoner to move because he was blocking part of the production line he was working on. After several requests, the prisoner did not budge but instead allegedly hit Mr Whelan in the face, breaking his glasses. The prisoner reportedly then tried to strike the American a second time, but he blocked the attempt. Other prisoners intervened to stop the attack from continuing, the statement said. Paul Whelan later reported the attack to the prison camps deputy warden. It is now being investigated by the prosecutors office. Paul says he believes the prison administration is taking the attack seriously. It is too early to know whether they will take steps to ensure his safety in the future, both from this prisoner and others who may decide they have nothing to lose by attacking Paul. The family also contacted the human rights ombudsman and a recording of the phone call was shared with the US Department of State (DOS) and National Security Council. According to the statement, David Whelan found out about the attack from a phone call his brother had with their parents. He described the incident as relatively minor. He is also concerned that these sorts of attacks can occur any time and, due to various sharp implements in the workshop, including the shears the other prisoner was holding today, could escalate into a far more serious attack, the statement read. David Whelan said he believes his brother was targeted because hes American, explaining that anti-American sentiment is not uncommon among other prisoners. The former marine is currently serving his sentence at a labour camp in Mordovia. His family has launched a campaign to secure his release. The US has designated him a wrongful detainee, meaning that the DOS is constantly working to bring him back to the US. Paul Whelan was given the designation shortly after his arrest. The DOS alleges that Russia subjected the former marine to a secret trial based on secret evidence. Washington The U.S. recently made a "new and significant" proposal to Russia for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and businessman Paul Whelan, but Moscow declined the offer, the State Department said Tuesday. "In recent weeks, we made a new and significant proposal to secure Paul and Evan's release," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters at a briefing. "That proposal was rejected by Russia." "It was to bring both of them home," he said. Miller said the U.S. has made "a number of proposals," but declined to give details about the offers. Both men are American citizens. "We shouldn't have to make these proposals," he said. "They shouldn't have been arrested in the first place." The State Department considers both Gershkovich and Whelan to be wrongfully detained. Gershkovich was arrested in March on unsubstantiated espionage charges while he was on a reporting trip. He is awaiting trial. Whelan, who was arrested on espionage charges in 2018 while attending a friend's wedding in Russia, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison. He and his family have vehemently denied the allegations. Evan Gershkovich, left, and Paul Whelan are currently detained in Russia on espionage charges that the U.S. says are unfounded. / Credit: The Wall Street Journal and Sofia Sandurskaya / AP "We have pressed the importance of this case through a number of channels with the Russian government," Miller said. "We will continue to do so and we hope that we will be able to secure their release." Earlier Tuesday, Gershkovich's parents said the Biden administration hasn't done enough to bring their son home. "The efforts to do whatever it takes hasn't been done," his mother Ella Milman told Fox News, saying she feels that they have been kept in the dark about the efforts to secure his release. "We want the U.S. government to do whatever it takes to bring Evan home." Mikhail Gershkovich, his father, said President Biden's promise to bring their son home gave them "a lot of solace and hope and strength," but "it's getting very, very hard to hold onto that." "We don't feel they're focused enough," he said. Miller said "not a week goes by without intense activity to bring Paul and Evan home" and "there is no higher priority" for Mr. Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Whelan's family has previously expressed similar disappointment about the failure to secure his release, especially after two other American detainees Marine veteran Trevor Reed and WNBA star Brittney Griner were released in prisoner swaps between Russia and the U.S. after his arrest. His sister, Elizabeth Whelan, told CBS News in September that "whatever" the Russians are asking for "had better be possible." The Whelan family was told that a deal had been rejected before the State Department made it public, Whelan's brother David told CBS News on Wednesday. "We're obviously disappointed that the offered concession was not accepted by the Kremlin and that Paul is not coming home," he said in an email. "It is perhaps a saving grace that the Kremlin acted, though, as the U.S. government waited a long time on the last proposal before moving on in light of the Kremlin's non-response. Hopefully this means that the U.S. government will move more quickly to identify a new concession and, if necessary, acquire it, so that they do not wait another year to make an offer to the Kremlin." David said his brother "is not doing well" since he was attacked by a fellow prisoner last week. He said other prisoners with recording devices have tried to get his brother "to say incriminating or otherwise troublesome things" and he is worried about being assaulted again. "The prison has became drastically more hostile since the attack," David said, adding that his brother is aware that another proposal has failed to secure his freedom. "I think it's fair to say he doesn't feel like a priority," he said. Camilla Schick contributed reporting. Titanium hip implants expected to last decades snapped in hundreds of people Titanium hip implants snapped in hundreds of people, took years before some products recalled Columbia student on the fight for a free Palestine and the fight against antisemitism Russian forces attacked border areas and settlements of Sumy Oblast on Dec. 4, firing 11 times and causing at least 57 explosions, the local military administration reported via Telegram. The Russian military struck the communities of Krasnopilla, Bilopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Seredyna-Buda, and Znob-Novhorodske, using artillery, mortar, and drone attacks, while also dropping mines on multiple settlements. One civilian was injured as a result of mortar attacks around the village of Velyka Pysarivka, located 90 kilometers southeast of the region capital, Sumy, and some eight kilometers from the border with Russia. It is home to 3,900 residents. There was no information on damages to civilian infrastructure following the attacks. The communities along the Sumy Oblast border have been subject to near-daily strikes since Ukrainian troops liberated Russian-occupied areas of the region in April 2022. Im afraid well never find them: Russia holds thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostage In the early days of the full-scale invasion as Russian troops were occupying large swaths of territory outside of Kyiv, one local village resident was relieved to see what he thought were Ukrainian troops. The resident, Ivan Drozd, shouted the common Ukrainian salute Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Uk The Kyiv IndependentAlexander Khrebet Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) - Maria Andreeva, whose husband has been fighting in Ukraine for more than a year, is also waging a battle in Moscow: to get him home. She is not alone. A growing movement of Russian women is demanding the return from the front of their husbands, sons and brothers who were mobilised after a decree by President Vladimir Putin in September last year. Initially, the movement pledged loyalty to what the Kremlin calls its "special military operation" (SVO) but what they regard as the perfunctory response they have received is hardening some of their opinions. Since Andreeva's husband was mobilised last year and headed to Ukraine, he has been back only for two short breaks to see his wife and young daughter. His wife says this is insufficient for a soldier fighting in a conflict. "We want our men to be demobilised so that they can return home because we think that for over a year they have done everything they could have - or even more," Andreeva, 34, told Reuters in an interview in Moscow. "For me, it is not only a struggle to ensure that my daughter has a father, but it is also a struggle for my marriage." Tackling the movement is a delicate matter for the Kremlin. Moscow, which sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in February 2022, has in previous wars tolerated higher death tolls than would be politically palatable in Western countries. But the growing movement of Russian women underscores the complexity and innate inequality of keeping so many men at war for so long while many more of fighting age remain at home. Groups of Russian soldiers' mothers campaigned for better conditions for their sons serving in the armed forces as the Soviet Union crumbled, and later for their return from wars in Russia's Chechnya region. It is too soon to assess the size or impact of the movement of Russian women in a society which the authorities say is united behind the war effort. Women in Ukraine have also demanded their men be allowed back from the front. Asked about the dangers of speaking out in war-time Russia, Andreeva said: "I want you to understand: it is no longer scary because it is just not possible to put up with all this any longer. It is just too much." Reuters did not seek or receive any military or other potentially sensitive information from Andreeva. She asked for her husband not to be identified. LOYAL? When Putin ordered a partial mobilisation of 300,000 reservists in September 2022, hundreds of thousands of young men rushed to leave Russia. Millions did not leave, and some of them were called up to fight. Since then, Russia has recruited hundreds of thousands of contract soldiers in the provinces with the lure of high wages. Russia has so far recruited 452,000 contract soldiers this year, underscoring the numerical advantage Russia has over Ukraine, according to Dmitry Medvedev, the former president who is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. Petitions to bring their men back produced almost no response, and Russia's defence ministry has barely engaged with the women, Andreeva said. The ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The lack of a response has persuaded some of the women to stop behaving like "good girls" over their demands and changed their perceptions of the conflict, Andreeva said. "Our position at the start was: Yes we understand why it is needed, we support it, we occupied a rather loyal position," she said. "But now the position - including mine - is changing because we see how we are being treated, and how our husbands are being treated." Protests planned by the women did not secure the authorities' approval to go ahead. The women have been accused of being backed by Western-based dissidents and opposition parties - slurs without foundations, Andreeva said. Their "Way Home" Telegram channel has 23,000 members. 'GOOD GIRLS'? Two women peppered lawmaker Vitaly Milonov last month with blunt questions about the return of their men, piercing his attempts to brush aside their questions with phrases about his own patriotism. "We are all Russian here," one interrupted in a video clip posted online. "When will the mobilised be changed over?" "Of course there will be (a changeover). We will be victorious and all..." Milonov said. "Oh, we have heard all that before," the woman interjected. For Andreeva, and other wives, mothers and sisters, the inequality of the burden of war is an important complaint. While opulent restaurants in Moscow will be serving fine wine and truffles over the New Year festive period, some men are freezing in trenches at the front. "We have 1 percent of the population who are taking on the whole burden of the SVO at the front while the other 99% are preparing for New Year and having some fun," Andreeva said. "Having fun is not what is in stall for our boys or our families." (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge, Editing by Timothy Heritage) A Russian strike against Kherson on the morning of Dec. 5 killed at least two people and injured at least one, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. The 59-year-old wounded man was taken to the hospital, the governor noted. No further details on the consequences of the attack were provided at the moment. Ukraine's Armed Forces liberated Kherson and other regional settlements west of the Dnipro River in the fall 2022 counteroffensive. Russian forces were pushed to the east of the river, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories, regularly resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast over the past day killed one person and injured five others, Prokudin said in his morning report on Dec. 5. Under deadly attacks, Kherson fights to keep life going 1 year after liberation Sitting in a pitch-dark kitchen with just the flashlight on, 70-year-old Viacheslav Bezprozvanyi warned of an incoming shelling as soon as he heard a swish over him. Split seconds later, a thick thud of shelling hit the ground a few hundred meters away. The house shook, knocking off a The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) - Rescuers have spotted the Piper aircraft that went missing last November 30, Isabela Governor Rod Albano said on Tuesday, citing a report sent to him. The report forwarded to CNN Philippines said ground rescuers rushed toward the crash site. It said they have identified a possible area where Philippine Air Force rescuers can land, but they are still checking if it's safe. "The Piper appears intact, thus there is good chance of occupants' survival," the report read, referring to the pilot and one passenger. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines confirmed the sighting of the plane. It added it is waiting for an official report from investigators deployed on the ground. The Piper PA-32-300 aircraft with tail number RP-C1234 went missing shortly after leaving Cauayan Airport in Isabela to head to Palanan Airport in the same province. Isabelas disaster management head Constante Foronda previously said strong winds may have affected the plane's flight. Russian forces shelled the village of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast, destroying a clinic and leaving residents without electricity and mobile connection, a local official said on Dec. 5. Kozacha Lopan, which lies just two kilometers away from Ukraines northeastern border with Russia, suffers from Russian strikes on a regular basis. The village, with a pre-war population of around 5,000 people, is located nearly 40 kilometers north of the regional capital, Kharkiv. The Russian shelling of Kozacha Lopan also damaged the clinics vehicles, the central system of the villages gas supply, and several power lines, according to Viacheslav Zadorenko, the head of the military administration of a nearby town of Derhachi. As sanctions bite, Russia eyes Ukraines mineral resources to fund its invasion Russias 2024 federal budget brought little in the way of surprises, the country is gearing up for a long war. Signed by President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, it ushered record levels of military spending a sign of Moscows commitment to its war against Ukraine. While part of the Russian The Kyiv IndependentKatie Marie Davies Less than an hour later, Zadorenko reported that the mobile network has been partially restored in the village. There were no casualties in the attack, he said. Zadorenko published photos showing the destroyed clinic, saying that the facility had nothing to do with military infrastructure." On its territory, medical care was constantly provided to locals, mostly elderly who survived the Russian occupation and are now forced to live in constant stress due to enemy shelling. He called on residents of Kozacha Lopan to leave the village at least for the winter period. Im afraid well never find them: Russia holds thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostage In the early days of the full-scale invasion as Russian troops were occupying large swaths of territory outside of Kyiv, one local village resident was relieved to see what he thought were Ukrainian troops. The resident, Ivan Drozd, shouted the common Ukrainian salute Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Uk The Kyiv IndependentAlexander Khrebet Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces launched attacks against 10 of Ukraine's oblasts over the past day, killing at least one person and injuring at least nine, regional officials reported early on Dec. 5. In Donetsk Oblast, two people were injured in Russian attacks on the besieged front-line town of Avdiivka, the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration reported. A 41-year-old man was wounded in a Russian drone strike against Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. The victim did not require hospitalization, he added. Russian forces launched 89 attacks on Kherson Oblast over the past day, killing one person and injuring five, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. A kindergarten, a cinema, a company building, and an animal shelter in Kherson were targeted in the strikes, the governor said. Im afraid well never find them: Russia holds thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostage In the early days of the full-scale invasion as Russian troops were occupying large swaths of territory outside of Kyiv, one local village resident was relieved to see what he thought were Ukrainian troops. The resident, Ivan Drozd, shouted the common Ukrainian salute Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Uk The Kyiv IndependentAlexander Khrebet Three drones targeted Lviv Oblast overnight, causing minor damage to an infrastructure facility, Governor Maksym Kozytskyi reported. While the attack resulted in no casualties, the western region is not a common target of Russian strikes. The attack against Lviv Oblast comes just one day after Russian forces targeted infrastructure in neighboring Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Ukrainian officials warned that Russia is likely to intensify strikes against critical infrastructure once temperatures drop. In Sumy Oblast, a Russian mortar attack injured a person in the Velyka Pysarivka area, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported. Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts also came under attack, but local officials reported no casualties. Ukrainian air defenses downed 10 of the 17 Shahed kamikaze drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Russian forces also reportedly attacked with six S-300 missiles, targeting civilian areas in Donetsk and Kherson oblasts. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian occupying forces have attacked an infrastructure facility in Lviv Oblast with three drones on the night of 4-5 December, causing minor damage. Source: Maksym Kozytskyi, Head of Lviv Oblast Military Administration, on Facebook Quote: "The enemy attacked an infrastructure facility in Lviv Oblast with three drones during an air raid at around 04:00. The strike caused a fire, which [facility's] personnel promptly put out. Some minor damage was dealt." Details: The official stressed that there had been no casualties. Kozytskyi said there was no damage to the oblast's critical systems. Background: On the night of 4-5 December, Russia attacked Ukraine with 17 Shahed UAVs and six S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles. Ukrainian air defences managed to shoot down 10 drones. Support UP or become our patron! Russian forces have launched attack UAVs for the second time this evening, 4 December. The Air Force has reported a threat of drone attacks in Ukraines south. Source: Air Force on Telegram Details: Around 23:11, the Air Force reported that Iranian Shahed drones were heading westward along the border between Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts. A cluster of attack UAVs had previously been recorded in Ochakiv, Mykolaiv Oblast, heading toward Odesa Oblast. An air-raid warning has been issued in Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts. Background: On the evening of 4 December, the Russians launched several groups of Shahed drones on Kharkiv Oblast. The Izium and Chuhuiv districts came under attack, and civilian infrastructure was damaged. Support UP or become our patron! James Cleverly has said Britain must now be able to move quickly to start Rwanda deportation migrant flights after a new treaty was agreed with the African nation. The Home Secretary hailed it as a far more robust agreement than previous proposals for the deportation scheme, which have been frustrated after they were deemed unlawful by the Court of Appeal and then, last month, the Supreme Court. The treaty will address concerns by the Supreme Court, including assurances that Rwanda will not remove anybody transferred under the partnership to another country. At a press conference held in Kigali alongside Vincent Biruta, his Rwandan counterpart, Mr Cleverly said: Of course we want to see this part of our wider migration plan up and running as quickly as possible. We feel very strongly that this treaty addresses all the issues raised by their lordships in the Supreme Court and we have worked very closely with our Rwandan partners to ensure that it does so. I cannot see any credible reason why Rwandas track record as a partner, including as a long-term partner for the ECHR, bearing in mind the ECHR sent 65 refugees to Rwanda the day after the judgment... I really hope that we can now move quickly. Weve addressed the issues that were raised by their lordships in this treaty, and that will be reflected in domestic legislation soon. Because we are absolutely committed to breaking the business model of these people-smuggling gangs, to create a safe and welcoming environment with our friends and partners here in Rwanda, but also making sure that mass migration is well managed into this country. 04:01 PM GMT That's all for today... Thank you for joining me on another busy day in Westminster and beyond as James Cleverly unveiled the UKs new migration treaty with Rwanda. My colleague Benedict Smith and I will be back tomorrow to guide you through the latest. 03:58 PM GMT Pictured: Lord Cameron back at the despatch box Lord Cameron 03:53 PM GMT Lockdown trashed Britains economy not Brexit It led to five years of instability. It undermined a string of Prime Ministers and Chancellors. And it stopped businesses from investing. According to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Brexit has been a major cause of the woeful performance of the UK economy over the last few years. Really? writes Matthew Lynn. If Hunt wants to find the true culprit, he neednt look far. Sure, the chaotic implementation of the vote hardly helped, but its not as if Germany and France are doing much better. It was lockdown, and his own punishing tax rises, that crushed growth. A conference organised by the left-leaning Resolution Foundation was never going to be a sympathetic venue for a Tory Chancellor. Even so, Hunt probably scored a few brownie points with his audience yesterday by pinning the blame for stagnant growth on our departure from the EU. Matthew Lynn: Hunt is responsible for a disgraceful evasion 03:23 PM GMT Lord Cameron is up in the Lords Taking questions for the first time in his job as Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron said since February 2022 the UK has committed more than 4.7bn in humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine. Lord Robertson quipped the former prime minister can look forward to a monthly interrogation in the Lords, adding other peers have to go around saying do you know who I used to be? Can I commend him on the fact that his very first visit as Foreign Secretary was to Ukraine, because the Ukrainians are not just fighting for their country and their land and their lives, but they are also fighting very much for us. Surely the fact is they dont need more visits and more speeches, they need more weapons, they need more guns, they need more ammunition and they need more equipment. Could I ask the Foreign Secretary this question - why was there no additional military aid offered in the Autumn Budget? Lord Cameron replied: Well continue to give the support thats necessary... I think the one area we can do more is trying to mobilise the British defence industries to produce the stocks that are needed, rather than simply trying to run down stocks. 03:12 PM GMT James Cleverly: We will do whatever it takes to stop the boats Our landmark treaty with Rwanda makes it clear - we will do whatever it takes to stop the boats. pic.twitter.com/oHhg3U6yzC James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) December 5, 2023 03:11 PM GMT Tom Harris: The SNPs heat pumps farce has reached a catastrophic new low Its probably fair to say that the Scottish Governments heat pump strategy is performing below expectations, writes Tom Harris. The latest bump in the road to net zero is the 3.5 million price tag now attached to the installation of a new electric heating system in the Crown Office (public prosecutors) building in Elgin, Aberdeenshire. Thats a lot of public money for the cost of a single heat pump. Troublesome SNP MSP Fergus Ewing wants to know why the decision to carry out the work was made in the first place. This fiscal fiasco is wasting millions of pounds which could be better spent, said Ewing, who was suspended from the SNP earlier this year after he voted with the opposition at Holyrood in a vote of no confidence against the Scottish Greens environment minister, Lorna Slater. This is the price of having Green ministers in Government. They impose their madcap schemes on normally sensible organisations like the Crown Office though why they went along with this must be independently reviewed. Surely that huge sum of money should have been used to reduce court delays or help struggling police budgets. Tom Harris: The SNP would do well to ditch their Green coalition partner 02:55 PM GMT Coming up: Lord Cameron's first question time David Cameron is set to hold his first question time in the Lords since his shock return to frontline politics as part of Rishi Sunaks reshuffle last month. You can watch the Foreign Secretary take questions at the top of this live blog from 3pm. 02:49 PM GMT Richard Tice: The Tories are preparing another immigration betrayal Promises, promises. After years of promising to take back control, the Tories lost control, deliberately. They created Britains mass immigration catastrophe with post-Brexit open borders policies that have led to unprecedented numbers coming to this crowded country, writes Richard Tice. Now that the consequences are clear, and thanks in part to pressure from Reform UK, yet another Tory home secretary is talking tough on immigration. The trouble is, thereve been four of them in as many years. They all talked tough; they all failed. And our country has paid the price. Its important to put the sheer scale of this failure in perspective. Net migration in 2022 has been revised up, to a record 745,000 people. For 2023, the number is 672,000. The small boats crisis has seen 38,000 people arrive by crossing the Channel this year. Make no mistake: the last few years of Conservative government will be seen as a historical landmark and a cataclysm for Britain. Richard Tice: No one should take the Tories seriously 02:15 PM GMT More 2019 Conservative voters will back Reform over Labour at next general election More people who voted Conservative in 2019 plan to back Reform UK at the next general election than the Labour Party, a poll has found. Just over half (55 per cent) of those who backed the Tories under Boris Johnson in 2019 plan to do so again under Rishi Sunak, according to research from Redfield & Wilton Strategies. Fifteen per cent of 2019 Conservative voters plan to back Reform, which is to the Right of the Tories on issues including net zero and legal and illegal immigration. Despite Labour having a national poll lead of about 20 points, only 13 per cent of those surveyed said they planned to support Sir Keir Starmers party. Read the full story here 02:10 PM GMT The deal is sealed James Cleverly and Vincent Biruta as they signed a new migration treaty today - Ben Birchall 01:43 PM GMT Cleverly: No money given to Rwanda as part of this deal Asked how much the UK Government had agreed to pay Rwanda in light of the treaty, James Cleverly replied: Let me make it clear. The Rwandan government has not asked for and we have not provided any funding linked to the signing of this treaty. The financial arrangement which inevitably comes as part of the international agreement reflects the costs that may be imposed on Rwanda through the changes that this partnership has created in their systems, in their legal systems and their institutions. But this treaty, as I say no money was asked for by the Rwandans for this treaty, no money was provided to the Rwandans for this treaty. Dealing with migration is important and it is not a cost-free option but we regard it as the right thing to do both to protect our borders, to dissuade people from putting themselves in the hands of people smugglers and making these dangerous journeys often in unseaworthy vessels whether it be across the Mediterranean or across the Channel. Rwanda is helping the UK in our fight against illegal migration and people smuggling. They are doing so professionally, thoughtfully and as a partner genuinely willing to work with us on what is increasingly a global challenge. 01:37 PM GMT James Cleverly: There is now no 'credible' reason to block Rwanda Asked what made him think the Rwanda scheme could be a success this time and if he could guarantee migrants would be on their way there next spring, James Cleverly replied: The UK has been working with Rwanda not just as a Commonwealth partner on a range of issues which I alluded to in my opening remarks, but specifically on the migrant and economic development partnership. Throughout the time that weve been working with the Rwandan government they have shown an energy and professionalism and a desire to work in a collaborative partnership way with the UK. He added: Of course we want to see this part of our wider migration plan up and running as quickly as possible. We feel very strongly that this treaty addresses all the issues raised by their lordships in the Supreme Court and we have worked very closely with our Rwandan partners to ensure that it does so. I cannot see any credible reason why Rwandas track record as a partner, including as a long-term partner for the ECHR, bearing in mind the ECHR sent 65 refugees to Rwanda the day after the judgment... I really hope that we can now move quickly. Weve addressed the issues that were raised by their lordships in this treaty, and that will be reflected in domestic legislation soon. Because we are absolutely committed to breaking the business model of these people-smuggling gangs, to create a safe and welcoming environment with our friends and partners here in Rwanda, but also making sure that mass migration is well managed into this country. 01:33 PM GMT Cleverly: Rwanda is a strong and important partner to the UK James Clveerly insisted those coming to the UK should do so through safe and legal routes, adding that those who arrive illegally will not be able to remain in the UK. Your country [Rwanda] has made a clear and unambiguous commitment to the safety of people who come here. Youve also made a strong commitment to work with the UK and international partners to make sure that the robustness of your judicial system is clearly on display. And we are very proud to be a long standing partner in that endeavour. This meeting today is of course marking a particularly important part of our bilateral relationship... Rwanda has shown itself to be a strong and important partner to the UK and Im very proud that this treaty today amplifies that relationship, and I am very much looking forward to continue working with you in my new role as Home Secretary. 01:31 PM GMT James Cleverly: New treaty builds on joint work with Rwanda James Cleverly opened the press conference by thanking Vincent Biruta, the Rwandan foreign minister, for welcoming him and his delegation to Rwanda. He hailed the Rwandan government as professional, thoughtful and serious partners on the world stage, insisting it was exemplified by the migration partnership that has been developed in recent months and has now been strengthened and enhanced through todays treaty. Rwanda has now established a strong reputation for the humane and professional administration of refugees and migrants. This is something understood by the UK and the multilateral community. The treaty that we signed today builds on that joint work. It takes the positive, professional attitude that you and your colleagues display and allies it with the work that the UK is doing to ensure that we break the business model of those evil people smuggling gangs. We want to make sure that people can live in safety and prosperity and that is why, in addition to the migration element of this partnership, the economic development part is incredibly important. 01:20 PM GMT 'Nigel says vote remain' As former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage continues his run on Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, GB News - on which he is a presenter - have given the politician his own theme music: For once, Nigel's asking you to vote Remain! That's right, Farage wants your vote - for him to remain in the jungle! Bell and Spurling give a special I'm A Celeb rendition of Nigel Says! Cast your vote to make Nigel Jungle King! https://t.co/rKd8NbT9bi pic.twitter.com/Omtw9RHVk6 GB News (@GBNEWS) December 4, 2023 01:10 PM GMT Tory MPs plot to overturn Sadiq Khans Ulez expansion Conservative backbenchers are plotting to overturn Sadiq Khans Ulez expansion. The Ultra Low Emissions Zone was expanded to the outskirts of London in August, but a Private Members Bill being introduced on Wednesday could give the Government the power to reverse it. In August, the Government supported an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration bill to allow London boroughs to opt-out of future low emissions schemes. It came after the High Court dismissed a challenge led by five Conservative councils in July, ruling that Mr Khan did have the power to alter the original scheme. Madeline Ross, our Money Reporter, has more here 12:52 PM GMT How Cleverly plans to deliver biggest ever reduction in net migration James Cleverly has pledged to deliver the biggest ever reduction in net migration, unveiling a package of measures that he said would cut the number of arrivals by 300,000. The Home Secretary set out a five-point plan, which mirrored proposals put forward by Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, and Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, in a move designed to head off a revolt by Right-wing Tory MPs over record migration figures. Foreign care workers will be banned from bringing family members into the UK, the salary threshold required for skilled foreign workers to get a visa will rise to 38,700, and the scheme allowing companies to pay overseas staff 20 per cent below the going rate in shortage areas will be scrapped. Rishi Sunak and Mr Cleverly are under pressure from Right-wing MPs to adopt an equally hardline approach to illegal migration and exempt deportation flights to Rwanda from domestic and international human rights laws. Charles Hymas and Ben Riley-Smith have more here 12:36 PM GMT Cleverly hails 'vastly more robust' Rwanda agreement James Cleverly has hailed the vastly more robust migration deal he has struck with Rwanda today. A No 10 spokesman said in a readout of todays Cabinet meeting: The Home Secretary said the treaty was the culmination of months of work and meant we now have the strongest possible agreement with Rwanda and one which goes far beyond that of the UNHCRs with Rwanda. The Immigration Minister emphasised that the arrangements now in place provide strong and substantive assurances that are vastly more robust than those considered by the courts around 15 months previously. 12:26 PM GMT Rishi Sunak's spokesman rejects calls for cap on migrant visas I think weve set out the toughest approach to tackling legal migration and bringing the numbers down. What we said is that we are not prevented from going further should we wish to do and I think thats what the immigration minister was emphasising this morning. At the moment our belief is that having full control of our immigration system ensures were able to prioritise the skills and talent that are needed to grow the economy, support the health and care sector. We think the approach we set out yesterday achieves that and we arent considering a cap at this point. 11:49 AM GMT Record number of fossil fuel delegates at Cop28 in UAE, say campaigners A record number of fossil fuel delegates are attending the climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, campaigners have said. Nearly 2,500 people connected to the coal, oil and gas industries have been registered for Cop28 in Dubai. This is more than four times the number of delegates with fossil fuels backgrounds recorded last year at Cop27 in Egypt. At Cop26, in Glasgow, there were some 500 such delegates. Max Stephens has the full story here 11:33 AM GMT Labour warns new migration rules could lead to increase in rushed marriages Labour has warned that the Governments new immigration rules could lead to a big increase in rushed marriages in the months before they take effect. The minimum income needed for British workers to bring a spouse or dependant into the UK on a family visa will rise from 18,600 to 38,700 next spring under plans announced on Monday by James Cleverly, the Home Secretary. The new figure is the same as the skilled salary threshold, which has also been raised. Applicants will have a right of appeal where they can seek to demonstrate exceptional reasons. But Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, suggested the measure should be reconsidered by an expert panel before it is introduced as she expressed fears it could have unintended consequences. Read the full story here 11:21 AM GMT Covid wiped out British pupils gains in maths and English, major international study finds Covid wiped out improvements in maths and reading in the UK but not in some other countries, a major international study has found. Numeracy and literacy had been improving in UK schools following changes made to the curriculum nearly a decade ago. However, the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) league table shows those gains have been lost since the pandemic lockdown. British teenagers scored 489 for maths on the subject index used in the study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), down from a record 502 in 2018, and 494 in 2015. For reading, the UKs average test score fell by 10 points to 494, below 2015 levels. A 10-point decline was the equivalent of half a year of learning. Louisa Clarence-Smith, our Education Editor, has the story 11:14 AM GMT 'Our economy isnt safe with Labour. Dont trust Keir Starmers promises' As a Labour government in waiting conducts the most intellectually dishonest election campaign since the Lib Dems in 2010, it is becoming progressively trickier to get at the truth through all the triangulating gibberish, writes Sherelle Jacobs. Still, over the past couple of days, an inconvenient revelation about Keir Starmer has threatened to surface. Namely that, as Britain grapples with economic stagnation, the prime minister-in-waiting is without a plan for growth. Starmer is trying his hardest to distract from this. In a major speech outlining Labours vision for the economy at the Resolution Foundation, the leader of the Opposition insisted that a Labour governments defining purpose will be raising Britains productivity growth. He pressed on that this would be achieved through a paradigm shift from laissez-faire to securonomics, with the state playing a more interventionist role in shaping markets. Such utterings copied and pasted from the handbook of American Democrats were not those of a leader with laser-focused vision but rather one with eyes averted from the cruelty of the dawning light. The fact is that Bidenomics, the grand growth policy that inspired Labours securonomics and on which the global centre-Left has bet the farm is a dud. Sherelle Jacobs: Labours plans are ridden with contradictions 10:46 AM GMT Tory minister defends decision to take knee during Black Lives Matter protests A Tory minister has defended her decision to take the knee at the height of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests following the murder of George Floyd. Laura Farris, the safeguarding and victims minister, was photographed performing the gesture at an anti-racism event in her Newbury constituency when she was a backbencher in June 2020. Ms Farris told the House magazine: I just thought it was really important to be receptive to other peoples voices. I appreciate the crime [the murder of George Floyd] took place in the United States and Im not drawing equivalence, but people there were giving their view about structural, systemic experiences of what it was like to be a young Black man through the criminal justice system or through the care system. I was totally ready to listen to those voices. I dont think thats antithetical to being an MP; I think thats core to being an MP and why you go into public service. 10:34 AM GMT Ministers arrive at Downing Street for Cabinet meeting Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, and his number two Andrew Mitchell were seen arriving together at Downing Street - David Rose Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, and Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, also arrived together - Hollie Adams/Reuters Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, arrived at No 10 shortly behind Kemi Badenoch, the Business Secretary - David Rose 10:32 AM GMT Theyve now sent more Home Secretaries than they have asylum seekers to Rwanda Yvette Cooper repeated her criticisms of the Rwanda plan as her opposite number James Cleverly touched down in Kigali. Ms Cooper, Labours shadow home secretary, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Theyve now sent more Home Secretaries than they have asylum seekers to Rwanda. Hes gone with another cheque book to try and continue to pursue a failing policy that is still only likely to ever affect a few hundred people whilst over a thousand people arrived on small boats over the last week because theyre failing to tackle the criminal gangs. Labour has said it would cancel the Rwanda scheme even if it succeeded in slashing small boat arrivals, with party leader Sir Keir Starmer calling it the wrong policy. 10:12 AM GMT Labour warn that new migration rules could fuel "big increase in rushed marriages" Changes to the minimum income required for workers to bring a spouse or dependant into the UK could lead to a dramatic increase in rushed marriages over the next few months, Yvette Cooper has warned. Ms Cooper, the shadow home secretary, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: What were asking for is the migration advisory committee to look at this. It looks as though the committee hasnt actually been asked to look at this for over 10 years. So they should be asked to look at this very swiftly, and to look at what the best way to approach this is, because at the moment this seems to have come out of thin air, with no plan at all. And because theres a possibility that actually what this will lead to is a big increase in rushed marriages and so on in the next few months because of the changes in a few months time. So I think the migration advisory committee should look at that. 10:05 AM GMT Rishi Sunak suffers first Commons defeat over infected blood payouts Rishi Sunak suffered the first Commons defeat of his premiership on Monday night after more than 20 Tory MPs sided with Labour in a vote over the infected blood scandal. The Government made a last ditch attempt to stave off the rebellion, but it was not enough to persuade senior Tory backbenchers including former Cabinet ministers Chloe Smith and Damian Green to back down. Other notable Tory rebels included former ministers Sir Robert Buckland, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Robin Walker and Tracey Crouch. Amy Gibbons, our Political Correspondent, has the full story here 09:33 AM GMT Military personnel living in deficient housing with black mould and broken boilers A third of military personnel live in the lowest quality of defence accommodation available, figures reveal. More than 25,000 members of the armed forces are being put up in homes which have been deemed the most deficient by official inspectors. Of that number 1,378 are living in houses that are in such poor condition that they cannot be charged rent under Government rules. Labour warned that soldiers were being forced to live in homes with broken boilers, black mould, leaky roofs and endless waits for repairs. Read the full story here 09:07 AM GMT Small boats efforts 'not good enough', admits Robert Jenrick The Governments efforts to tackle small boat crossings are not good enough, the immigration minister has said. Robert Jenrick told BBC Breakfast: The third reduction is very significant. Most European countries are seeing large increases. In Italy, theres been an almost 100 per cent increase in small boat arrivals. So the record of the UK is strong, but its not good enough. The British public want us to stop the boats altogether. We are the first administration to reduce the numbers. Rather than rising, theyve fallen by a third. But I dont want to suggest to you or to your viewers that thats enough. We dont believe it is at all. Thats why we want to go much further, and thats why we want to interject into the system the most powerful deterrent that we can. That is the Rwanda policy. Thats why the Home Secretary is in Rwanda today. 08:47 AM GMT More 2019 Tory voters set to back Reform than Labour More people who voted Conservative in 2019 plan to back Reform at the next general election than the Labour Party, a poll has found. Just over half (55 per cent) of those who backed the Tories under Boris Johnson in 2019 plan to do so again under Rishi Sunak, according to research from Redfield & Wilton Strategies. Fifteen per cent of 2019 Conservative voters plan to back Reform, which is to the right of the Tories on issues including net zero and legal and illegal immigration. Despite Labour having a national poll lead of around 20 points, only 13 per cent of those surveyed said they planned to support Sir Keir Starmers party. 08:34 AM GMT Migration committee chair: 'Middle-skilled' jobs may suffer under migration plan Some industries could struggle to recruit workers and fill vacancies as a result of the Governments new visa rules, the chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee has said. Professor Brian Bell: I think were going to see quite a lot of what you might describe as middle-skilled jobs that are going to struggle. Social care will still be allowed to employ people at lower wages, the big change is workers wont be able to bring their dependants with them, and thats a fundamental change. 08:26 AM GMT Breaking: James Cleverly lands in Rwanda Mr Cleverly, the Home Secretary, has arrived at Kigali International Airport as he prepares to sign a new treaty to address concerns by the Supreme Court about the Rwanda policy - Ben Birchall/PA Wire 08:18 AM GMT Arise, Lord Farage? A Conservative MP has suggested making Nigel Farage a peer in order to allow him to become home secretary and help the party grip migration. Jonathan Gullis, who represents Stoke-on-Trent, told GB News: Id love to see it, personally, I think Nigel has a lot to offer. Number one, he is a big voice on the key issues like immigration that we know are a huge number one, if not number two issue for Conservative voters particularly those in 2019 and particularly those in the Red Wall. Nigel Farage Secondly, I think hes actually an asset across the blue and the red wall. In essence, hes able to communicate in a way many politicians arent able to. Probably no one closer to having the ability other than Boris Johnson to be able to get a message across clearly and concisely. So I really do hope that he comes forward and he joins and Id be very happy to welcome him. Mr Gullis added: We do need to actually deliver on the tens of thousands and maybe, maybe just maybe, the Conservatives could put Nigel Farage in the House of Lords. I think he would take no nonsense; he would take no prisoners. He would call out the civil service for what they are at times, which are blockers to actual government policy and make sure that we deliver on the priorities of the British public. 08:09 AM GMT Analysis: Cleverlys migration politicking may be too little, too late It was as unashamed in its naked politicking as Sir Keir Starmer purporting to be the next Thatcher in The Telegraph, writes Camilla Tominey. Legal migration was far too high, insisted border controller-in-chief James Cleverly, and the Conservatives were (finally) going to do something about it. Today we are taking more robust action than any government before, he declared, as if he somehow belonged to a different tribe from the one that repeatedly promised to bring numbers down to the tens of thousands only to end up with 745,000 new arrivals last year after 13 years of Tory rule. James Cleverly As is ever the case with such announcements, timing was everything. The Home Secretary delivered his statement to the Commons just as Rishi Sunaks approval rating among Tory activists was revealed to have dropped to a new low of -25. Seemingly with the influential Conservative Home poll in mind (last month he was top of the table on plus 72, but since moving to the Home Office and denying calling Stockton-on-Tees a s---hole, he has fallen to 11th from bottom), Mr Cleverly took to his feet. Camilla Tominey: Can the Tories save themselves from the abyss? 08:05 AM GMT We will meet our manifesto pledge on cutting immigration, vows Robert Jenrick Robert Jenrick has vowed that the Government will meet the 2019 Tory manifesto pledge to reduce net migration. Figures published last week showed net migration hit a record high of 745,000 in the year to last December, three times its pre-Brexit level of 239,000. Asked whether the manifesto commitment could be met, Mr Jenrick replied: I think we can. What were setting out here is a path to do that, this will lead to at least a 300,000 reduction. In addition to this there are other factors at play as well, because youre seeing the large numbers of Ukrainians, Hong Kongers and Afghans whove come to the country in recent years. Those numbers are starting to flow through the system. He added: This matters a great deal to me and to the Government. So if we need to do more we will because were committed to reducing net migration. So if there are further steps we need to take in the months ahead, then we will do. But people are in no doubt that this is a very big first step. 08:02 AM GMT Good morning Dominic Penna here, The Telegraphs Political Correspondent, guiding you through today in Westminster. The immigration minister has insisted flights to Rwanda will have taken off by the next general election as the Government seeks to crack down on both legal and illegal migration. Asked by Sky News if he was confident the scheme will be operational at the time of the next national poll, Robert Jenrick replied: I am. But we will need to do a few things to achieve that. The treaty that the Home Secretary is going to sign later today I hope will create a fundamentally different and better arrangement with the government of Rwanda that answers the concerns of the Supreme Court. 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 Sacramento County Board of Supervisors moved forward this week with a $17.7 million Safe Stay tiny home site on Stockton Boulevard, where small cabins will accommodate up to 200 homeless people. An additional 150 to 175 living pods provided by the state will be redirected from Cal Expo to the countys Safe Stay site on Watt Avenue. Emily Halcon, the director of the countys Department of Homeless Services and Housing, told the supervisors at their Tuesday meeting that she expected to break ground on the Stockton Boulevard site as early as January. She said the cabins might not be ready for clients until the next fiscal year, which begins in the summer. The site, which was previously announced and is part of the formal Sacramento city-county Homeless Services Partnership Agreement, will sit within the new 13-acre WellSpace Health campus at 6810 Stockton Blvd. Officials have emphasized that the sleeping cabins are not meant to serve as permanent housing, but rather stepping stones to permanent housing. The county is uncertain whether it will be able to fit 200 beds, or whether it will be limited to 175 beds. The tiny homes have air conditioning but no plumbing. Gov. Gavin Newsom promised Sacramento 350 of these cabins earlier this year. Whatever cabins the county cant fit on Stockton Boulevard, Halcon said, will go to Watt Avenue. At the meeting, board chair Rich Desmond said, I think its OK for us to celebrate something like this, because its a step in the right direction. Without patting ourselves on the back, because we still have an awful lot of work to do. Halcon has said that for every one person who exits homelessness in Sacramento County, three more people become homeless. The county spent almost half its homelessness budget on emergency shelters last fiscal year. In November, the supervisors voted to spend $1.3 million on a Safe Stay parking lot, where up to 30 homeless people will be allowed to live in their cars without the constant threat of law enforcement telling them to leave. That parking lot is on the same property that would contain the remaining 150 to 175 sleeping pods sent to the county by Newsom. Previously, the county and city had planned to place them at Cal Expo. The property will be the countys fourth Safe Stay site. The money for the tiny homes will not come directly out of local coffers. The countys homelessness department has already received a grant from the states Encampment Resolution Funding Program, which will cover the costs of the build-out and operations. Most of the $17.7 million grant will go to operations and administration: Up to $14.6 million is slated for First Step Communities, which will operate the site, and $842,000 will go to county administrative services. The county is also paying WellSpace $2.2 million for a three-year lease of the lot. According to the latest federally mandated homeless count, Sacramento County had more than 6,000 fewer shelter beds than it had homeless people nearly 9,300 as of 2022. The overall WellSpace site is not yet finished. The health care providers new campus will have an outpatient clinic, a behavioral health crisis center and a dental clinic, as well as a 200-bed substance use treatment facility. (FOX40.COM) Several days after a crash in the Pocket neighborhood of Sacramento left a woman and two children hospitalized, police say the woman has died of her injuries and that the driver will now also be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter. Sacramento Police said officers responded to a crash involving a vehicle and several pedestrians around 6:04 p.m. on Nov. 30 near Pocket Road and Silva Ranch Way. Prolific downtown Sacramento tagger ordered to pay $50k in restitution The vehicle allegedly lost control before hitting the pedestrians, all of whom were hospitalized, police said. The driver, 26-year-old Alethea Lee, had non-life-threatening injuries and was also hospitalized, police said. The agency also said, Investigators believe speed and impairment were a contributing factor. Northern California areas rank high on list of top emerging luxury cities, report says Lee was arrested as soon as she was released from the hospital and taken to jail on charges of DUI and causing great bodily injury. Police said that on Dec. 3, detectives learned that the woman victim had died. She will be identified by the county coroner after her family has been notified. Police ask anyone with information about the crash to call 916-808-5471 or 916-443-4357. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) Authorities are conducting a manhunt to find two persons of interest in the deadly bombing last Sunday in Marawi City, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday. Your armed forces is already conducting a manhunt, a massive operation, to go against the perpetrators of this incident, AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner told CNN Philippines The Source, adding they are optimistic they will be able to catch these people soon. The Philippine National Police on Monday identified at least two persons of interest who could be behind the bombing at the Dimaporo Gymnasium in Mindanao State University. Brawner said both persons of interest are male. He also said 19 witnesses were interviewed and some of them said they saw a man wearing a black jacket and a black mask enter the gymnasium with a bag and later left without it. The AFP official said he has no information about the other person being sought by authorities. ISIS earlier claimed responsibility for the attack. Brawner confirmed that they saw the statement made by the terrorist group on the dark web, and authorities are already looking into it. Initial investigation has shown that no cell phone or device triggered the bomb remotely, he said. Authorities have also rejected the possibility that the attack was a suicide bombing. Brawner said the bomb used can be easily concealed since it is only 8 inches long with a diameter of 4 inches. The AFP official also said the bombing may be a retaliatory attack, as it came in the heels of a number of government operations against terrorist groups. There was an operation against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao on Dec. 1, and another on Dec. 2 that killed Abu Sayyaf Group leader Mudzrimar Sawadjaan, known to be responsible for the 2019 Jolo Cathedral bombing that killed 20 people. Brawner said they do not expect a bombing similar to what occurred in 2017, which launched the Marawi siege. PLA accuses US warship of illegally entering waters near Ren'ai Reef 08:49, December 05, 2023 By Jiang Chenglong ( Chinadaily.com.cn The People's Liberation Army monitored a United States warship that illegally entered the waters near China's Ren'ai Reef on Monday, a PLA spokesperson said. Tian Junli, spokesperson for the PLA's Southern Theater Command, said in a statement on Monday morning that the littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords illegally entered waters near Ren'ai Reef in China's Nansha Islands without the approval of the Chinese government. He said that the theater command organized maritime forces to monitor the warship's passage. Tian said the US deliberately stirred up trouble in the South China Sea, seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, seriously undermined regional peace and stability, and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, fully demonstrating that the country is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region. "China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters," the spokesperson said. He warned that the troops of the theater command will remain on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) About 5% of Texans are driving EVs, a new survey found, and that's not likely to increase until charging stations or the vehicles range increase. Rich Pedroncelli/AP file photo Tesla charging stations are becoming more common across the country, but concerns about charging availability and range are major concerns in Texas, a new survey finds. Brad Horrigan/TNS Texans dont much care for electric vehicles, a new survey finds, and thats unlikely to change until sale prices come down and more charging stations go up. Only about 5% of Texans currently drive an EV, according to a statewide poll by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University down from 8% two years earlier and the results dont suggest EV dealers should be looking for a quick increase. Of the 95% who dont currently own or lease an electric-powered vehicle, about 60% said they probably wouldnt consider one in the future, either. With such a small percentage of Texans currently owning electric vehicles, it looks like Texans will hold tight to their gas engines for the foreseeable future, the universities said in a statement. Researchers added that government incentives, including federal tax credits for the purchase of qualifying electric vehicles, have yet to make a difference in Texas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The biggest reason for disinterest in EVs, given by 46% of those surveyed, was the scarcity of charging stations and concerns about the vehicles range. While the latest data show there are about 3,000 charging stations for electric vehicles statewide, the majority of those are in major metro areas. That raises concerns for those who traverse the states wide-open spaces, which largely lack charging facilities. That could be changing, though, with the allocation of $400 million from the federal government to establish a statewide charging network. Until that's built, manufacturers giving their EVs longer driving range could increase Texans interest. The most influential factor proved to be EVs driving range on a single charge, researchers said, calling it the key factor. After charging scarcity, more than 38% of respondents said their main holdback is higher purchase prices for electric vehicles compared to those for gasoline-powered cars and trucks, and nearly 36% cited being unable to charge an EV at home. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If driving distances were longer on an EVs single charge than with a full tank in a gas-powered vehicle and purchase prices were more in line, the survey found, more Texans would go electric. Demographic differences also played a role. We found acceptance levels of electric cars tend to differ according to respondents ethnicity, income, political affiliation and generation, said Pablo Pinto, director of the Center for Public Policy and distinguished professor at the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. Just over one-quarter of white respondents voiced a likelihood of having an EV in the future, but well more than half of Asian Americans and more than one-third of both Hispanic and Black respondents expressed interest in someday purchasing or leasing an EV. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The highest-income earners had the greatest level of interest, with nearly 40% of respondents with an annual family income exceeding $80,000 likely to consider an EV. By comparison, a little more than a fifth of lower-income households reported interest in ever owning or leasing an electric vehicle. Owners of two Hollywood Park homes have sued the town over an ordinance enacted last month that bans short-term rentals. Shown is Hollywood Park's town hall. Google Homeowners in Hollywood Park have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a ban on short-term rental housing adopted last month by the Bexar County community. The plaintiffs say the new ordinance, which took effect Nov. 14 and bans rentals of residential property for less than 30 consecutive days, violates both state and federal constitutions. And, they say, it carries deeper risks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Enforcement of short-term rental bans is inherently and inescapably Orwellian and inconsistent with basic human liberties, a court document in the case says. Hollywood Parks push to outlaw short-term rentals and the lawsuit to reinstate them are just the latest developments in a yearslong fight across the country. Cities including Austin and New Braunfels have cracked down on the industry because of the disruptions it sometimes unleashes on neighborhoods, including noise and increased traffic, and property owners go to court to protect their rights. In Hollywood Park, those defying the ban risk penalties of up to $2,000 a day. NEW BRAUNFELS CASE: Appeals court revives lawsuit over New Braunfels short-term rental rules Along with the complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, the homeowners are seeking a preliminary injunction forbidding Hollywood Park, a city of about 3,100 people on San Antonios North Side, from enforcing the law while their case proceeds. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hollywood Park City Attorney Ryan Henry said it has not been served with the lawsuit but believes the zoning amendment it recently enacted is legally valid. The amendment was made after several public meetings and citizen input, he said in an email. Growing number Bonnie Kay Browning and Scott Troen, who own a house on Donella Drive, and a limited liability company headed by Austin real estate agent Abby Argo that owns a house on Mecca Drive, brought the action against Hollywood Park. The plaintiffs say they purchased homes, made improvements to the properties and began renting them out on short-term leases before the town banned such rentals. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hollywood Parks ordinance does not grandfather in preexisting short-term rentals but the town will not prosecute property owners for honoring leases entered into before the ban took effect as long as they are completed within six months. No new rentals are permitted. The ordinance says the towns zoning commission and City Council found there had been a growing number of short-term rentals within the residential areas of the Town and (they) are not consistent with the character or nature of single-family residential uses in the Town. It also says short-term rentals cause increases in traffic, public nuisances, parking, noise, litter, and the influx of strangers into (its) residential areas. Its for the welfare and benefit of the public to prohibit short-term rentals, the ordinance adds. In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs dispute that the rentals produce more harm than other residential uses. They also say the prohibition is an arbitrary deprivation of property rights in violation of the Texas Constitution and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ban also is a retroactive deprivation of the plaintiffs property rights, they add, because no such restrictions were in effect when they bought the properties. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Other bans In arguing for an injunction, the plaintiffs say a city of Austin ban on short-term rentals was subsequently deemed unconstitutional in both state and federal court. Henry, Hollywood Parks lawyer, said the town examined various issues when considering enacting its zoning change. With the different sizes and varieties of cities in Texas, all having their own unique issues, there is no one-size-fits-all legal holding when it comes to short-term rentals and the impacts those rentals can have on a community, he said. Short-term rentals, often booked through online marketplace sites such as Airbnb or Vrbo, have become a sticking point for many cities as they grapple with regulation issues. Advertisement Article continues below this ad New Braunfels, for instance, has been defending a 2011 law prohibiting short-rentals for more than 3 years as the result of lawsuit brought by some residents. Violators of the law face a fine between $500 and $2,000 for each day a unit is occupied. Last year, a federal judge dismissed the New Braunfels homeowners lawsuit. In June, however, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Court of Appeals vacated the ruling and sent it back to federal court in Austin. A gas flare is seen in the Eagle Ford oil patch south of San Antonio. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune The Environmental Protection Agency on Saturday finalized a long-anticipated climate regulation that will require oil and gas operators to dramatically reduce how much methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is escaping from equipment in many oil fields across Texas. The rule achieves a major goal of the Biden administration to crack down on methane, the second-largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. The regulation was announced early Saturday in Dubai at the 28th international United Nations climate summit, known as COP 28. Methane can trap much more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide but lasts in the atmosphere for a few decades rather than a few centuries meaning that emission reductions are felt relatively quickly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad With nations behind on their commitments in the Paris Climate Accords international treaty to hold the Earth to 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming compared to pre-industrial levels, attention has turned to methane for its potential to slow climate change in the short term and buy some time. This is historic news for our climate, for our future and for our children, said EPA Administrator Michael Regan during a press conference Saturday in Dubai. The standards today, while ambitious, are common sense. Global concentrations of methane in the atmosphere have dramatically increased in recent years: In 2021, methane increased by almost 18 parts per billion in the atmosphere, the biggest increase in a single year since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations records began in 1984. In 2022, atmospheric methane increased by 14 parts per billion, the fourth-largest increase on record. Most of the methane emissions in the U.S. come from the energy sector especially in Texas, the nations largest oil and gas producing state, which currently lacks a strict rule to capture escaping methane emissions from energy infrastructure. The Permian Basin is a major methane hot spot, and operators there have long been criticized by environmental groups for failing to ensure equipment isnt venting huge quantities of methane into the atmosphere. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The rules, which were drafted two years ago, were modeled in part after state-level methane regulations in New Mexico and Colorado. At a press conference in Dubai, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham applauded the EPA rule as one that would ensure states that neighbor each other like Texas and New Mexico would have apples to apples regulations. Having federal rules means that my border states, and the very same companies who are operating in both states, will adhere to the same standards, Lujan Grisham said. Oil and gas companies will be required to phase out routine flaring of natural gas, a relatively common practice in which companies burn off excess gas that is unearthed along with oil. If a flare isnt wholly lit, or the flame goes out and is not re-ignited, then the raw methane vents into the atmosphere. Companies also burn off gas when drilling wells or when shutting down a facility on short notice, such as during a weather emergency. Routine flaring without permission from regulators is barred by state law, but companies frequently request exceptions from the rules; the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the states oil and gas industry, authorized about 3,600 venting and flaring exceptions in 2022, according to agency data. Yet some independent analyses have found that oil and gas companies are likely flaring gas in the field more frequently than approved by state regulators. The oil and gas industry has in recent years touted its efforts to cut methane emissions in the oil field. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Early on Saturday, Saudi Arabia announced that 50 oil and gas companies including Exxon Mobil, Occidental Petroleum, Shell and several national oil companies had agreed to meet net-zero emissions in their operations by 2050, end routine flaring by 2030, and significantly curtail methane emissions in the oil field. Darren Woods CEO of ExxonMobil, headquartered in Spring, a suburb of Houston also made an appearance at COP 28 this week. Woods is reportedly the first Exxon chief executive to attend one of the climate summits. Some industry groups on Saturday did not immediately oppose the EPAs new regulation. For example, the American Petroleum Institute, a major trade group for U.S. oil and gas companies, said it was still reviewing the rule on Saturday and that it shares the administrations goal to reduce methane emissions. This rule must balance emissions reductions with the need to continue meeting rising energy demand, said Dustin Meyer, APIs senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs, in a statement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A flare burns off methane and other hydrocarbons as oil pumpjacks operate in the Permian Basin in Midland in October 2021. David Goldman/Associated Press However, in comments submitted to the EPA this year, the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers wrote that the regulations would be costly, and it lauded industry-led efforts. Burdensome federal requirements on producers are unnecessary, wrote Jason Modglin, president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, which represents independent oil companies. A major tenet of the regulation is that it will require companies to monitor their equipment for methane leaks another big source of emissions from the oil field and allow companies to choose from many types of technology to do so. That was a sticking point that many industry groups asked regulators to include. The rule also creates a new super emitter program in which large methane releases are identified and targeted. Last year, the federal agency did some limited helicopter flyovers of the Permian Basin in an attempt to identify some methane pollution hot spots. Advertisement Article continues below this ad States will be tasked with enforcing the regulations, and they will have two years to create a plan for how theyll implement them, an extension of an earlier proposal. Texas environmental and energy agencies had requested that the EPA extend the deadline. The administration has estimated that the regulation will cut 58 million tons of methane emissions from 2024 to 2038, which is nearly as much carbon dioxide emitted by the power sector in 2021. However, in comments submitted this year, Texas environmental and energy agencies characterized those estimates as inflated and unrealistic. Texas regulators have suggested that they believe the federal regulation could be vulnerable to legal challenges: In comments submitted to the EPA in February, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Railroad Commission warned of overreach by EPA in light of a Supreme Court decision last year that significantly curtailed the federal agencys power to regulate emissions. The Texas regulatory agencies argued in their comments that responding to climate change could be considered a major policy question, which the Supreme Court has found should be decided by Congress rather than federal bureaucrats, and that agencies have only the authority granted to them by Congress and no such grant to address global climate change. Texas state regulatory agencies also complained in the comments that there are too many requirements before the state can approve requests by facilities, including old facilities nearing the end of their lives, to waive some of the stricter emissions requirements. Texas argues that the red tape will effectively force states with large oil industries to apply the rule as written and eliminate discretion. The state, under Attorney General Ken Paxton, frequently and enthusiastically sues the Biden administration over regulations it views as onerous or an economic threat to the energy sector. An EPA official told the Texas Tribune that the agency doesnt intend for those requirements to be onerous for state agencies. Texas environment groups on Saturday praised the new regulation given Texas lax attitude toward greenhouse gas emissions. Elizabeth Lieberknecht, a regulatory and legislative manager for the Environmental Defense Fund, called the regulation game changing in Texas. Luke Metzger, the executive director of Environment Texas, said the federal regulations are necessary since state regulators appear unwilling to take serious steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Texas massive oil sector. Former SAPD officer Andre Vargas during a break in an arbitration hearing Tuesday. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force in arresting a suspect in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Former SAPD officer Andre Vargas with his attorney, Ben Sifuentes, during an arbitration hearing Tuesday. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Michael Urbis and Rosa Phifer of the San Antonio City Attorneys Office confer during an arbitration hearing for former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Capt. Alyssa Campos, who oversees SAPDs Internal Affairs Unit, at an arbitration hearing for former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Robert Moreno, a retired San Antonio police training instructor, testifies during an arbitration hearing for former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Attorney Ben Sifuentes questions retired Sgt. Arthur Lindley Jr. during an arbitration hearing for Sifuentes client, former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Attorney Ben Sifuentes uses toy cars to demonstrate vehicle movements during an arbitration hearing for his client, former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Robert Moreno, a retired San Antonio police training instructor, left, and attorney Ben Sifuentes during an arbitration hearing for Sifuentes' client, former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Former SAPD officer Andre Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Arbitrator Lori LaConta listens as Assistant City Attorney Michael Urbis makes an objection during an arbitration hearing for former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Assistant City Attorney Michael Urbis questions a witness during an arbitration hearing for former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Former SAPD officer Andre Vargas, center, listens to testimony at an arbitration hearing. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Retired San Antonio Police Sgt. Arthur Lindley Jr. answers questions during an arbitration hearing for former SAPD officer Andre Vargas. Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Former SAPD officer Andre Vargas was fired in 2020 for using excessive force when he Tased a suspect while making an arrest in November 2019. He denies the allegation and is trying to get his job back through arbitration. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Two retired San Antonio police officers testified Tuesday that a fired SAPD officer did not use excessive force when he used a stun gun on a suspect and lifted him off the ground by his arm while he was handcuffed. One of the witnesses, retired SAPD Sgt. Arthur Lindley Jr., said officer Andre Vargas followed department protocols during the arrest of Matthew Garza on Nov. 26, 2019. Garza, 30, was arrested on suspicion of evading arrest with a vehicle, a felony. In fact, Lindley said, the stun gun was intended exactly for situations like that. Advertisement Article continues below this ad READ MORE: FBI to review actions of four San Antonio police officers fired for excessive force Intermediary weapons were given to us to use in situations where people were not going to be compliant and gave the appearance that they wanted to engage in combat, said Lindley, who testified that he had reviewed hundreds of use-of-force cases during his 31 years on the force. The intent was that were going to use and carry these weapons because it results in less injuries for the officer and the suspect. Vargas, who was fired in 2020 over the incident, is trying to get his job back through arbitration. The first part of the hearing was held in June; it was put on hold until this week due to scheduling conflicts. Police Chief William McManus has said Vargas actions were excessive. After the incident, McManus asked the FBIs San Antonio Field Office to review the case for possible violations of federal civil rights laws. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Vargas partner, Officer Michael A. Brewer, also was fired in connection with the incident. He was accused of placing his left knee on Garzas head and neck after Garza was already in custody and no longer resisting arrest. Like Vargas, Brewer is appealing his dismissal. His arbitration hearing has not yet been scheduled. The firings came weeks after the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, while he was handcuffed and in police custody in Minneapolis. Public reaction to a video of then-officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyds neck while the suspect lay prone on the ground set off mass protests and calls for police reform. Brewer was also criminally charged in connection with Garzas arrest. A judge dismissed the case earlier this year. Vargas was never criminally charged. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Child custody case gone wrong Police were originally dispatched to a parking lot near Commercial and Grosvenor after a caller told police that Garza arguing with a woman over custody of their child. After Brewer and Vargas arrived, a bystander identified Garza to the officers by pointing to him. Garza, who was in his vehicle, started to accelerate, police said. One of the officers blocked Garza with his car and drew his firearm, ordering Garza out of the vehicle. The officers said Garza approached them and did not comply with orders. READ MORE: San Antonio City Council grapples with police reform after George Floyd protests Advertisement Article continues below this ad At that point, Vargas fired at Garza with a Taser, according to a police report. After a brief struggle, the officers detained Garza and placed him in handcuffs. Brewer then placed his left knee on Garzas head and neck, according to police. In disciplinary records, McManus said Brewers actions were unnecessary because Garza was no longer resisting. In 2014, SAPD banned the use of chokeholds and neck holds, except in cases involving an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury to an officer or a bystander. After Floyds death, the department enacted a complete ban on the maneuver. The department also alleged that Vargas use of the Taser far exceeded the reasonable force necessary to accomplish the arrest. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It said Vargas then lifted the handcuffed Garza off the ground by his arm, causing him unnecessary and unwanted pain, and that Vargas used vulgar language throughout the arrest. Garza filed a complaint with the departments Internal Affairs Unit, triggering an investigation that led to the firings of Brewer and Vargas. Vargas defense During testimony Tuesday, two defense witnesses testified that Vargas was justified in all or most of his actions. Lindley, who was Vargas supervisor, said Vargas acted appropriately in lifting Garza off the ground by his handcuffs. Thats what cadets are trained to do, Lindley said. If they get up on their own, you run the risk of dislocating their shoulder, Lindley said. Lindley also said Vargas was warranted in using vulgar language, at least at first. Later, after Garza was in custody, Lindley said the language was inappropriate. Still, Lindley testified he didnt believe it rose to the level of an Internal Affairs matter. First offense, typically you want to sit down and have a conversation with the officer, Lindley said. You chat about changing their behavior. If you get additional complaints then obviously you would escalate it and go through the discipline process. Robert Moreno, a former SAPD training academy instructor, said cadets are trained to avoid prolonged physical struggles with suspects, because they can lead to injuries or even death. He said officers are also taught to assume that all people they encounter could be armed. Moreno said that explains Vargas prompt use of a Taser after Garza attempted to hit the officers with his car and later refused to show his hands or follow commands. Any time an officer is involved with combat on the street, it could turn into a gun fight, Moreno said. The most dangerous result is death, either for the suspect or the officer. FILE PHOTO: Two teens were taken into custody after a mother led police to where the car was hidden after it was stolen Monday from the North Side. Tetra Images/Getty Images/Tetra images RF Two teenagers were taken into custody after the owner of a stolen car tracked the vehicle to a home on the Northeast Side. The owner told San Antonio police the vehicle was stolen Monday morning on the North Side, according to KENS 5. He and police tracked the vehicle to a home in the 13000 block of Monte Leon Street. A woman who answered the door to police turned out to be the mother of one of the accused teens. She let the officers in and went straight to the garage, where they found the stolen car. Advertisement Article continues below this ad (FILES) In this file photo taken on October 1, 2019 in Lille the logo of mobile app Snapchat is displayed on a tablet. (Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP) (Photo by DENIS CHARLET/AFP via Getty Images) Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images Police arrested a 22-year-old woman in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in a North Side apartment earlier this year. Luz Rodriguez Pizano was charged Monday with capital murder in the death of Marcel Greenwood, 33. According to the arrest affidavit, Pizano told police she was in the car March 30 when two men entered Greenwoods apartment and shot him without her knowing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Officers were later dispatched to Greenwoods apartment for a welfare check and found him dead. After getting a search warrant for the apartment, investigators found a cellphone belonging to Greenwood on his bed. He had used it to call and text a contact saved as Nana, which was connected to a Snapchat contact saved as Ya Girl Nana. Greenwood was coordinating with this contact at his apartment an hour before the shots were heard coming from his apartment. He discussed using Cash App to pay for the purchase of marijuana, the affidavit states. Police said the phone number Greenwood called was connected to Pizano. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Luz Rodriguez Pizano was charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Marcel Greenwood, 33, court records say. Courtesy of SAPD Investigators contacted Pizano on Nov. 19 to inform her that her phone number had become associated with an ongoing investigation. She told them her phone had been stolen before Greenwood died. A search warrant was obtained for the Snapchat account associated with Pizanos phone number. Her email was used to create the account and was verified by email, the affidavit states. Snapchat messages showed Greenwood and Pizano exchanging phone numbers that they used for text messages, phone calls and FaceTime calls. After the exchange of phone numbers, Greenwood and Pizano arranged to meet at his apartment to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana, the affidavit states. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The call/message logs showed she was arriving at Greenwoods apartment at 7 p.m., then exchanged calls with him at 7:19 and 7:38 p.m. At 7:55 p.m., Pizanos phone was used to confirm a $1,000 transaction through Cash App, according to police. Reports of shots fired were made at 8:07 p.m., and two people were seen running out of the apartment and fleeing in a sedan from the apartment. Police found two videos from Pizanos Snapchat that were taken the day and night of Greenwoods death. One depicted a selfie she took in the drivers seat of a vehicle. Pizano voluntarily met with police to discuss her involvement in the case. Initially, she told investigators she was not there the day of Greenwoods death. The affidavit states after she was confronted with the evidence, Pizano said she posted images of marijuana and Xanax to set up men for purchases. She told police she was not even getting a cut from the transactions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The arrest affidavit states Pizano remembered messaging Greenwood but not setting him up for anything. She told investigators she had been with two men whose name she did not know at the time and claimed they were bad people. She described being in the vehicle at Greenwoods apartment complex but stated she did not enter the apartment. Pizano said she did not know anyone had been hurt and added she would have called police if she heard shots being fired. Police also connected Pizano to a robbery investigation that occurred on the same day as the death of Greenwood, the affidavit states. In a separate incident, investigators said Pizano arranged a meet-up with another man on Snapchat, who was later robbed at gunpoint by two men. Interview: Xi-Biden meeting sets vision for future U.S.-China relations, says American expert Xinhua) 09:12, December 05, 2023 Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in New York, the United States, Nov. 22, 2023.(Xinhua/Hu Yousong) NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden in California has set the vision for the future of U.S.-China relations, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, has said. "President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden have set the standard that win-win benefits, mutual cooperation is the foundation of U.S.-China relations," Kuhn told Xinhua in a recent interview. "Now it's up to the rest of us to implement that vision and we do it through people-to-people cooperation and exchanges at all levels, from governmental levels to individuals and business and economics to science and technology to culture. And when the world sees that, they will recognize that the vision of San Francisco is the future," he said. Having followed U.S.-China relations for more than 30 years, Kuhn said for the first time in many years, he has an optimistic feeling. "And it was certainly generated by the Xi-Biden meeting which was a critical meeting, not just for what they achieved, but for the symbolism of what it said," he said. Deeming the symbolism enormously important, Kuhn said: "You saw the two presidents walking together. They each had very positive remarks about their personal relationship. And this doesn't happen by accident." And "this has been in the works for six months or more from both sides." It has been recognized in both capitals that "we must pay serious attention to U.S.-China relations," he said. However, that doesn't mean things will be perfect and in the future, there will be challenges. "We have set that floor. That's the most important thing," said Kuhn. The United States and China have started some very positive programs, he said. "Let time pass peacefully and the other problems will hopefully dissipate so that China-U.S. relations can benefit the peace and prosperity of both countries, and even more importantly, the peace and prosperity of the world." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) San Antonio has witnessed a string of grisly dog attacks this year. In the latest incident, three pit bulls escaped from their fenced yard on the near East Side and attacked a woman passerby, tearing off one of her ears and biting her face, head and arm. Rawphotopro/Getty Images/iStockphoto In San Antonios latest dog mauling, three pit bulls escaped their fenced yard on the near East Side and attacked a pedestrian, tearing off one of her ears and biting her face, head and arm. The victim, Effie Washington, was mauled just before 2 p.m. on Nov. 26 in the 1300 block of Norfleet Street, according to a San Antonio Police Department report. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The dogs two owners, whose names were withheld by police, witnessed the attack and told officers they were willing to take full responsibility, the SAPD report said. San Antonio Animal Care Services took custody of the three pit bulls. All of the dogs were females and were identified as Kali and Zena, both 2 years old, and Mamas, a 5-year-old. The dogs owners told police they know Washington because she always walks up and down their street. One of the owners tried to pull the canines off Washington during the mauling, the report said. Abilene Schnieder and her husband, Christian Alexander Moreno, leave the Bexar County Courthouse after a hearing. On Feb. 24, two of the couple's dogs escaped from their fenced yard on the West Side and fatally mauled Ramon Najera Jr., 81, an Air Force veteran. Schnieder and Moreno face felony charges in connection with the attack, one in a string of dog maulings in San Antonio this year. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News Max De Los Santos, 77, had to have both legs amputated above the knee after dogs roaming loose in his West Side neighborhood attacked him in his own yard in August. Above, physical therapists tend to him at Kindred Hospital. It was one in a string of grisly dog attacks in San Antonio this year. William Luther/San Antonio Express-News RELATED: Woman loses baby after car crash caused by dog attack Advertisement Article continues below this ad Attempts to reach Washington for comment were unsuccessful. Serious bodily injury On the afternoon of the attack, the owners let the three dogs into their fenced backyard so the animals could relieve themselves. The dogs broke through a gate and lunged at Washington as she walked by, the SAPD report said. Police arrived to find that Washingtons ear had been torn off and saw that her face was bleeding, according to the report. She also suffered bites to the back of her head and her arm. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Paramedics gave Washington immediate care and took her to Brooke Army Medical Center for treatment. Police could not interview Washington right away because of the serious bodily injury she had suffered, the report said. Before the attack, the dogs owners had been having difficulty securing their gate but had been trying to correct the problem, the police report stated. An SAPD homicide detective went to the site of the attack to gather witness statements. Washington is no longer a patient at the military medical center, a spokesman said. Further details on her condition were not available. Advertisement Article continues below this ad All three dogs remain in the custody of ACS. The owners surrendered two of them to the agency. The third dog, Kali, will be the subject of a court hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said. The agency issued 10 criminal citations to one of the owners on the day of the attack. The citations were for violations of city ordinances, including allowing the dogs to roam free of restraint, not having required rabies vaccinations, failing to microchip the animals and for the bite that injured Washington, Norwood said. ACS officials declined to release the name of the owner who was cited. A string of dog attacks this year, two of them fatal, has called attention to San Antonios problem with dangerous canines. Abilene Schnieder, shown above after a court hearing, and her husband, Christian Alexander Moreno, face felony charges in the death of Ramon Najera Jr., 81, an Air Force veteran. Two dogs owned by the couple escaped their yard on the West Side and fatally mauled Najera on Feb. 24. It was one of two deadly dog attacks in San Antonio this year. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News Alarming rise in severe bites About 3,000 dog bites are reported to Animal Care Services every year. Severe bites defined by city ordinance as those causing death, broken bones or disfigurement rose from 110 in the 2018 fiscal year to 188 in 2022, a 70% jump. In the 2023 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, ACS recorded nearly 300 severe bites. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In one of this years fatal attacks, Paul Anthony Striegl Jr., 47, was mauled in September by a dog that escaped from his next-door neighbors yard in a trailer park on the Northeast Side. Striegl was rushed to BAMC, where he died weeks later of complications from the attack. In the other deadly mauling, Air Force veteran Ramon Najera Jr., 81, was killed by pit bulls on the West Side on Feb. 24. Najera and his wife, who lived in Leon Valley, had stopped to visit a friend in the 2800 block of Depla Street. Three dogs escaped from the yard next door, and two of them attacked the couple. Najeras wife, Juanita, now 75, was wounded but survived. A Texas Department of Public Safety airboat guards the orange buoys on the Rio Grande, which Gov. Greg Abbott has argued is not a navigable waterway. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News Gov. Greg Abbotts orange buoys might float his political aspirations, but they have no place in the Rio Grande. They are a grotesque display of government overreach, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was right Friday to uphold a lower courts decision ordering their removal. If the aim was deterrence of illegal immigration, then the buoys are a failure. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Eagle Pass, about 150 miles southwest of San Antonio, remains one of the busiest entry points for immigrants despite the buoys and the fearsome razor wire that lines the Rio Grandes banks. In October, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 38,211 land encounters for the Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass. This made Del Rio the second-busiest sector for the Southwest region, trailing the Tucson, Ariz., sector, which had 55,224 reported encounters. Many Texans might see great political symbolism in the buoys and razor wire: the juxtaposition of a driven Texas government with a feckless Biden administration, the muscular assertion of states' rights, the accompanying rhetoric of invasion as if asylum-seekers are a foreign army. No one should reasonably look at 1,000 feet of buoys placed in the middle of a river that runs the 1,200 miles of Texas-Mexico border (and 1,900 miles total) and see deterrence. Just as no one should reasonably think an asylum-seeker who has made a harrowing journey from Central America or beyond, fleeing violence and risking death, is going to stop at the U.S-Mexico border because of razor wire. And no one should be surprised about the 5th Circuits ruling. In September, U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra found the state of Texas exceeded its authority by deploying the barriers without federal permission. The state needed clearance from the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees all navigable waterways under the Federal Rivers and Harbors Act. A three-judge panel with the 5th Circuit upheld Ezras ruling by a 2-1 margin. Abbott has vowed to petition for a rehearing and even an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Abbott has argued the Rio Grande is not navigable by definition when you have literally thousands of people able to walk across it every single day, he told Fox News. It is not used for transportation of boats up and down that riverway. So its completely not navigable. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This, of course, ignores the many drownings in the Rio Grande, as well as kayaks and motorboats used on the river. It is an absurd argument. If anything, the buoys and razor wire, which faces its own legal questions, demonstrate the obvious need for comprehensive immigration reform and the shortcomings of trying to limit illegal immigration solely at the U.S.-Mexico border. In an alternative (and better) world, Abbott might have partnered with other border state governors to give voice to the need for federal comprehensive immigration reform. In an alternative (and wiser) world, Abbott could have deployed state resources to bolster federal security efforts. Instead, we have federal officials cutting state razor wire to rescue immigrants trapped in it. In one instance, a Department of Public Safety trooper threatened to arrest Border Patrol agents for cutting the wire. There is no doubt the Biden administration is struggling with a surge of encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border. Federal officials have reported almost 2.5 million encounters in the last year, which is about 100,000 more than a year ago and about 800,000 more than two years ago. It represents a monumental challenge to President Joe Bidens reelection bid, just as it provides immense political opportunity for Abbott. State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Houston, waits to ask a question as debate on HB1 begins on Friday, November 17, 2023. The omnibus education bill faces two dozen amendments in the House. Left to right are Representatives Drew Darby, Ellen Troxclair, Jared Patterson, James Frank and Briscoe Cain. Bob Daemmrich Texas House speaker Dade Phelan raises the gavel Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, on the House floor in the Capitol in Austin as he convenes the chamber for its third special session this year. William Luther/San Antonio Express-News The Texas Legislature left Austin on Tuesday without raising teacher pay, improving school safety or launching private school vouchers, capping its fourth special session without consensus on several priority items. Gov. Greg Abbott has not said whether he will call lawmakers back for a fifth round of overtime or turn his efforts toward the Republican primaries, where he already has begun targeting GOP lawmakers who opposed his priority voucher bill. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The conclusion of the latest session came with both Republican-led chambers largely immobilized by feuding between their two leaders, House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Senates presiding officer. Phelan, R-Beaumont, gaveled out Tuesday after previously hinting that there wouldn't be time to take up a pair of bills the Senate had passed on Friday, including a proposal to spend $800 million on school safety measures. Patrick, speaking at a news conference shortly after the session ended, said Phelan had plenty of time to pass school safety and other bills. He speculated that Phelan had purposely avoided having enough House members in the chamber to conduct business because he feared that someone could call a vote to remove him as speaker. This is dysfunctional, whether its negligence, stupidity, not thinking clearly or just trying to save his seat, Patrick said, adding that the legislative process was broken and Phelan was just flat-out impossible to work with. Phelan spokesperson Kim Carmichael said the House passed its own "more robust, permanent solutions" to school safety and raising teacher pay, "and it is unfortunate the Senate chose to kill those bills." "The House remains focused on conducting business to the will of the peoplenot manipulating the legislative process for the sake of press conferences and cheap political talking points," Carmichael said in a statement responding to Patrick's press conference. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Also left undone was the Senates 11th-hour bid to set earlier deadlines for the courts to resolve long-shot election lawsuits that threaten to delay cost-of-living increases for retired teachers and billions of dollars in property tax relief that Texas voters overwhelmingly approved last month. Though none of the challenges are expected to succeed, they could temporarily block the changes voters agreed to, which also include the creation of billion-dollar funds to expand state parks and improve Texas water infrastructure passed by the Legislature earlier this year. The lawsuits seek to toss the results of all 14 constitutional amendment elections, alleging without any evidence that the Nov. 7 contests used substandard voting systems that produced illegal votes. Patrick said the failed bill was an insurance policy that would have prevented the ballot measures from stalling because we dont know what the judge is going to rule. He compared the situation to when he recently recovered from a bout of pneumonia. He said, Dan, youre in great health. Youre good to go, Patrick said. But I didnt cancel my life insurance policy the next day, because we never know when that day will come. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The end of the monthlong session Tuesday also marked the official demise of school voucher legislation that would allow parents to access public funds to send their kids to private schools. A coalition of Democrats and mostly rural Republicans in the House teamed up last month to thwart the proposal, defying months of negotiations and political threats from Abbott. Patrick said GOP primary voters should pressure their House members to not reelect Phelan as the House speaker. As long as Phelan is leading the House, Patrick said the school voucher legislation will remain dead. Phelan, in a statement released shortly after the House adjourned, suggested the House could be finished for the year, saying he was proud of what weve done in 2023. He pointed to a pair of border and immigration bills passed last month the only legislation to reach Abbotts desk from the latest session that included a sweeping measure allowing the state to remove people from the country who are suspected of crossing the border illegally. Lawmakers also agreed to pump $1.5 billion into the states effort to build a border wall. The death of school vouchers, meanwhile, ensured the same fate for billions of dollars in new public education funding, teacher pay raises, reforms to the A-F school rating system and other provisions included in a wide-ranging school funding bill. Pro-voucher lawmakers folded all the items together in an unsuccessful bid to win over Republican voucher holdouts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A trio of Democratic lawmakers state Reps. Trey Martinez Fischer, James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa accused Abbott of holding school funding hostage in exchange for vouchers, and said they stand ready to pass a clean school finance bill that actually helps our students, teachers, and public schools once the Governor decides to take action. Plaintiffs in the Zurawski v Texas case stand outside of the Texas State Capitol on Nov. 28, 2023, in Austin, after the Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments for their case, a major challenge to Texas abortion ban led by more than 20 women suing for clarified medical exemptions. The women on the lawsuit, which was filed in March, say they were denied care and their health was jeopardized because the law is overly vague. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News A Texas woman is asking a judge to allow her to get an emergency abortion after learning that her baby has a rare and typically fatal condition. The first-of-its-kind lawsuit, filed Tuesday, is significant because it comes a week after state lawyers suggested before the Texas Supreme Court that only pregnant women in immediate distress could bring claims against the states abortion ban. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The plaintiffs, Kate Cox, 31, of Dallas, and her husband, Justin, are asking for permission to receive an abortion from their physician in Texas without fear of legal repercussions. Abortion is banned in Texas other than to save the life of the mother or prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function. Medical professionals have described the exception as vague and note that violations carry possible penalties of life in prison, steep fines and a loss of their medical licenses. Cox is 20 weeks pregnant and received test results last week showing that her fetus has trisomy 18, a chromosomal disorder that carries a low likelihood of survival, according to the suit. Because she has previously delivered her two children via cesarean surgery, Cox is at higher risk of complications that threaten her life and future fertility if she continues the pregnancy, the lawsuit said. She believes abortion is her safest option, but her Houston physician, Dr. Damla Karsan, is unable to perform the procedure because she fears violating the states strict abortion ban, according to the lawsuit. Coxs husband is also listed as a plaintiff because he wants to help his wife without fear of penalties under Senate Bill 8, which empowers anyone to sue someone who aids and abets an abortion. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is not a matter of if I will have to say goodbye to my baby, but when. Im trying to do what is best for my baby and myself, but the state of Texas is making us both suffer, Cox said in a statement. I need to end my pregnancy now so that I have the best chance for my health and a future pregnancy. The plaintiffs in the suit are seeking a temporary restraining order to allow Karsan to perform the abortion. Theyre also seeking declaratory judgments finding that it is not a violation of the states abortion ban for a doctor to terminate a patients pregnancy if they have an emergent medical condition that would threaten their health or fertility. The attorney generals office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suit. It previously has argued that the law is sufficiently clear and that doctors are failing to intervene when they would be within their rights. It comes just one week after the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments in a case challenging the states emergency exception to its abortion bans. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That case involves 22 plaintiffs who say they were denied abortions because the vagueness of the exception constrained their doctors from intervening immediately, despite the risk to their health or future fertility. Karsan, and another Houston physician Judy Levison, are also plaintiffs in that suit. The court has not yet issued a ruling. During oral arguments last week, a lawyer for the state who argued that the plaintiffs do not have standing because their concerns are hypothetical was asked by one of the justices on the all-conservative bench whether a woman would have the right to sue immediately after being denied an abortion. END OF SPECIAL SESSION: Texas Legislature ends session without passing teacher raises, vouchers, school safety funding Beth Klusmann, with the Texas Attorney Generals Office, told the court that a woman with a fatal fetal anomaly could bring a lawsuit in that specific circumstance to challenge whether or not the statute encompasses that against the attorney generals office or the executive director of the Texas Medical Board. The two entities are defendants in Tuesdays suit. The defense would be whether or not they intended to enforce it in that circumstance or not, Klusmann said. That might be a way you could get to the merits there. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Molly Duane, a lawyer for the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox and the 22 plaintiffs, said the suit isnt necessarily a response to the states comments but rather to a real persons situation, which serves as a grim reminder that these issues persist and will continue to do so until Texas clarifies this ban. Duane said Cox heard about the other lawsuit and reached out to her on the same day it was argued before the Texas Supreme Court. Duane said it is practically impossible for most people to file a lawsuit in the middle of an emergency, and even in Coxs case, there is no guarantee the courts will respond quickly enough to get her the answer she needs. The court systems move slowly and are not accustomed to having to decide on a case-by-case basis whose medical condition is serious enough to warrant care, Duane said. But Kate came to us in the middle of an emergency and asked us to do this because she needs medical care and she wants to access that care in her home community, so we filed this suit hoping that well be able to get that for her. Duane said during oral arguments last week that the state was essentially arguing that a woman would need to have blood or amniotic fluid dripping down their leg to have standing to sue. Quite obviously patients in those situations are much more concerned with getting proper medical care and saving their lives, their fertility and their families than they are in finding a lawyer and coming to court, she told the high court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Pervez Agwan Courtesy Of Campaign Pervez Agwan, who is campaigning to unseat U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher in the Democratic primary, is being accused of harassment by a former campaign worker. He has called the lawsuit politically motivated. Courtesy of the Pervez Agwan campaign WASHINGTON A progressive Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher of Houston is facing sexual harassment allegations from a former campaign staffer, who says Pervez Agwan tried to kiss her in his office and kept her from leaving after she rebuffed his advances. The former staffer is suing Agwan and his campaign. Her lawsuit also accuses an organizing director with the campaign of subjecting her and other female staffers to unwanted touching and inappropriate comments before the incident with Agwan. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The suit comes as Agwan has drawn attention from left-leaning outlets with his bid to unseat Fletcher, a moderate Democrat who is friendly with the oil and gas industry and who Agwan says is on the wrong side of history. Fletcher represents a large swath of west Houston and Fort Bend County. Agwan called the lawsuit politically motivated and said the allegations are unequivocally false. He said in a statement that his campaign retained an independent party to investigate them many weeks back. Agwan suggested a pro-Israel lobbying group was behind the dishonest hit-job. He has been an outspoken critic of Israel in its war with Hamas. My campaign is the only campaign in the state of Texas that is directly taking on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the statement said. I will not back down against the dirty lobbies coming after our movement. The lawsuit was first reported by Houston Landing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The former staffer, Maha Chishtey, is seeking up to $2 million in damages and accuses Agwan of assault and battery and false imprisonment. According to the lawsuit, filed in Harris County state district court Friday, Agwan called Chishtey back to the campaign office after she left for the day on Oct. 17. She arrived to find they were alone, and Agwan invited her to sit and began showering her with compliments, it says. He then put his hands on her and moved closer to kiss her. After Chishtey rebuffed his advances, Agwan prohibited her from leaving his office, according to the lawsuit. He finally allowed her to leave after what seemed like an eternity and it was obvious she was not going to succumb to his advances, the lawsuit alleges. Agwan used his position of authority over Chishtey to exploit and coerce her to go along with his sexual indulgences and kept her from escaping his office when she refused to comply, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit says the incident happened after Chishtey and other female campaign workers had complained earlier that month to Agwan about another campaign staffer subjecting them to unwanted touching and inappropriate comments. It includes a screenshot of a text message in which Agwan assured Chishtey that he took care of it and it wouldnt happen again. Advertisement Article continues below this ad (Photo : Thibaud MORITZ / AFP) (THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP via Getty Images) New charges filed reveal new details about the attack on former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, including that he was stabbed 22 times. Former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, who was imprisoned over the death of George Floyd, was reportedly stabbed 22 times in the back while in federal prison. Recently filed criminal charges revealed the new details in the case as the man responsible for the attack admitted to corrections officers that he would have killed Chauvin if they did not respond as quickly as they did. Derek Chauvin Stabbing The attacker was said to have used an improvised knife in the attack and he has been identified as 52-year-old John Turscak. The suspect now faces charges of attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chauvin was found to have been badly hurt after being stabbed in federal prison a week ago. The charging documents against Turscak indicate that the attack happened in the law library at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona. The former Minnesota police officer is currently serving his 22-year-old sentence in that particular prison. Earlier this week, a source said that Chauvin was hospitalized following the stabbing but was said to be in stable condition, as per CBS News. Reports noted that Turscak also told investigators that he targeted Chauvin on Black Friday, a day after Thanksgiving, due to a symbolic connection to the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the "Black Hand" symbol that is associated with the Mexican Mafia gang. The suspect is currently serving a 30-year sentence for crimes committed while a member of the said gang. However, Turscak made conflicting reports with corrections officers when he told FBI agents that even though he had been planning the attack against Chauvin for a month, he did not want to kill him. Greg Erickson, Chauvin's attorney, said on Friday that they were "extremely disappointed" that the incident was allowed to happen. He added that it was surprising that someone would even target the former Minnesota police officer. Read Also: LAPD Arrests Gun-Toting Rideshare Passenger, Refused to Get Out Target of an Attack Following the stabbing incident, Turscak was moved to an adjacent federal penitentiary in Tucson, where he remained in custody on Friday. Prior to the attack, Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson advocated for keeping his client out of the general population and away from other inmates, anticipating that he would be a target, according to the New York Post. The former police officer was mainly kept in solitary confinement in Minnesota "largely for his own protection," Nelson said last year. Chauvin was arrested and imprisoned after the fatal arrest of Floyd on May 25, 2020. Chauvin and three other police officers drove to a corner store following a 911 report that someone had tried to use a fake $20 bill to purchase cigarettes. One officer arrived at the scene with his gun drawn. Another officer later pulled Floyd out of the vehicle and was pinned to the pavement by Chauvin and two others. A video recording captured by a bystander showed Floyd begging for air, saying that he could not breathe as Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly 10 minutes, said the New York Times. Related Article: Terrorist Attack Allegedly Planned for Tesla Cybertruck Event in Texas @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Israeli military has announced the expansion of its ground operations against Hamas's strongholds to cover the entire Gaza Strip. The military vowed that its engagements in the south would match the intensity of its offensive in the north, as per Mail Online. Gaza Crisis, Rising Civilian Casualties This announcement comes amid a relentless bombing campaign that has left dozens of Palestinians dead and wounded, with civilians in the sealed-off territory facing increasing hardship. The Israeli forces continued their bombardment of Gaza on Sunday, focusing particularly on Gaza's second-largest city of Khan Younis in the south and the nearby city of Rafah. Civilian casualties continue to rise, with residents reporting a diminishing area for seeking shelter in the southern region. Many of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now concentrated in the south after Israel directed civilians to leave the north at the onset of the conflict. The United Nations estimates that a staggering 1.8 million Gazans have been displaced, with nearly 958,000 seeking refuge in 99 UN facilities in the south alone. The dire situation has prompted concerns from Juliette Toma, director of communications at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, who emphasized the urgent need for a cessation of hostilities, stating that civilian suffering has become "too much to bear." The Health Ministry in Gaza, run by Hamas, reported a death toll surpassing 15,500 since the conflict began on Oct. 7, with more than 41,000 people wounded. While the ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant casualties, it noted that 70% of the dead were women and children. The spokesman for the Health Ministry highlighted that the majority of victims may still be under the rubble, underscoring the challenges in assessing the full extent of the humanitarian crisis, according to ABC7 News . Read Also: Russia's 300,000 Soldier Casualties in Ukraine Not Enough to End Invasion Gaza Conflict Escalation Sparks Concerns The international community has expressed increasing alarm over the situation. The US Pentagon reported an attack on a US warship and multiple commercial ships in the Red Sea, with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claiming responsibility. Meanwhile, hopes for a temporary truce in Gaza are fading, with a weeklong cease-fire expiring on Friday and Israel signaling its commitment to continue the conflict until "all its goals" are achieved, including removing Hamas from power in Gaza. The renewed hostilities have raised fears of a wider conflict, while the US has urged Israel to avoid significant new mass displacement and do more to protect civilians. US Vice President Kamala Harris conveyed to Egypt's president that the US would not permit forced relocations of Palestinians or the redrawing of Gaza's borders. As the conflict intensifies, concerns grow for the well-being of hostages held in Gaza. Israel's military believes approximately 137 hostages are still held by Hamas, and families are urgently calling for a meeting with Israel's Security Cabinet to address the critical situation. In the midst of the ongoing crisis, the UN's OCHA humanitarian agency warns of a looming public health crisis, with Palestinians in Gaza at risk of death from infectious diseases due to strained sanitation infrastructure. The situation continues to evolve rapidly, with Gaza's residents facing an uncertain and perilous future as the conflict shows no signs of abating, The Guardian reported. Related Article: Vladimir Putin Orders Additional 170K Military Troops To Bring Total Number to 1.32 Million @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The former United States Ambassador to Bolivia, Manual Rocha, has been arrested and charged with being a "clandestine agent" for Cuba since 1981. The charges against the individual were unsealed by the Justice Department on Monday and accused Rocha of betraying his country by acting on behalf of Cuba's spy agency for decades. The development capped a year-long undercover sting operation against the 73-year-old. Former Ambassador Charged of Being Double Agent It involved a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent pretending to be a Cuban intelligence operative who secretly recorded Rocha making incriminating statements about his life of diplomatic deception. In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland called Rocha's case "one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent." He added that in the recorded conversations, the individual allegedly referred to the U.S. as "the enemy." The news of the former ambassador's alleged crimes has shocked his friends and colleagues in U.S. diplomatic and intelligence circles. A former senior CIA intelligence official, Brian Latell said that he never suspected or had the slightest suspicion that Rocha was living a double life as described by the charging documents, as per the Washington Post. Latell, who met Rocha in the early 1980s, added that he believes he knew his friend as well as anyone else. However, he never stopped to think that such a thing was possible. He called Rocha a person with many talents and more facets than he ever imagined despite being so close for so many years. Former FBI agent Peter Lapp also said that Rocha's case is "very disturbing and concerning" due to the amount and types of intelligence that the defendant could access during his tenure. He said that the court papers in the case suggest that the FBI used a different undercover agent to get the suspect talking, incriminating himself in the process. Read Also: Alex Murdaugh Sentenced Given 27-Year Prison Sentence for Financial Crimes Manuel Rocha's Decades-Long Deception That technique was similar to the agency's successful work against another former State Department employee, Kendall Myers, who admitted his own crimes. If there are no such admissions, it is unlikely that prosecutors could bring charges over suspicious conduct that happened many years in the past. On Monday, Garland said that the people who have the privilege of serving in the government of the U.S. are given an enormous amount of trust by the public that they serve. He noted that betraying that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the country while serving another nation will be "met with the full force" of the DOJ, according to NBC News. The defendant's 25-year diplomatic career was spent under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Much of his time in politics was spent during the Cold War in Latin America, which was a period of sometimes heavy-handed U.S. political and military policies. Rocha's diplomatic postings included a stint at the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba at a time when the U.S. lacked full diplomatic relations with Fidel Castro's communist government. He was born in Colombia and raised in a working-class home in New York City, said the Associated Press. Related Article: Arizona County Officials Indicted, Charged With Interference for Allegedly Delaying Midterm Election Results @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Binyamin Needham, a 19-year-old British national, was killed while fighting for Israel Defense Forces in Gaza against Hamas militants on Sunday. The first British national who was killed was 20-year-old Nathanel Young. Needham was the second British national to have been killed serving with the IDF during or after the October 7 attacks. Needham Killed After Fighting For IDF The IDF reported that Needham was one of two soldiers killed during an operation in the north of the territory. They said that he was killed in close combat after his unit entered a building and came across Hamas militants. Haaretz, an Israeli Newspaper, said that Needham was the youngest among the five siblings. He was born in England and emigrated with his family to Israel from Zichron Yaakov when he was eight years old. Furthermore, he fought with the 601st Battalion of the Combat Engineering Corps. The Israeli officials reported that Needham had only been in the Gaza Strip for two days when he was killed and even celebrated his birthday two weeks ago. According to The Guardian, Sgt Ben Zussman was also killed with Needham in the operation, and another two soldiers were wounded. Needham's sister Orly said her brother was proud to fight with the IDF as he just finished his basic training. She added that he was very happy to defend the country. Needham was promoted to the rank of sergeant after his death. According to the IDF, 75 soldiers were killed in operations in Gaza since October 7, not including the personnel killed in the attacks themselves. The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office has not been approached for consular assistance relating to Needham's death. Read Also: Atmospheric River Prompts Winter Storm Warnings Across 11 US States Israeli Operations After Seven-Day Ceasefire On Friday, Israeli operations in Gaza resumed after the seven-day ceasefire. More than 100 hostages were released, and the flow of aid into the territory has increased. Civilians in about 20 areas of central Gaza were ordered to move further south, using the maps posted online for people to access via smartphones on Monday. Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers were also seen moving down the main north-to-south road in Gaza near the southern city of Khan Younis. Brig Gen Hisham Ibrahim, the commander of Israel's armored corps, ordered the movement and said that they had almost met the goal of Israeli forces in northern Gaza. According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 15,000 people were killed, and about 70% were primarily women and children. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his first press conference since the fighting resumed that the war would continue until they achieve all their goals. He added that the temporary ceasefire has allowed Israel's soldiers to prepare for total victory over Hamas. Related Article: Israel Expands Ground Operations Against Hamas Across Gaza Strip @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. British Interior Minister James Cleverly announced on Monday that the UK is increasing the salary threshold for foreign workers' visas. The effort is part of a package of measures to cut net migration to the United Kingdom and seeks to raise the minimum salary that migrants to the region must earn in a job by a third. It comes after record net migration last year piled pressure on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, compelling him to address the issue. Increase in Salary Threshold for Foreign Workers' Visa For more than a decade, Britain's political landscape has been dominated by high levels of legal migration. Sunak has pledged to gain more control over the issue after lawmakers in his Conservative Party criticized his record ahead of an election next year. Additionally, successive conservative-led administrations have promised to reduce migration and have previously set a target of a net figure of less than 100,000. Cleverly's announcement included raising the salary threshold for foreign skilled workers to $48,800 from the current $33,000, as per Aljazeera. The official also said that the British government would reform the list of jobs where exceptions are made due to shortages. They would also toughen rules on whether or not workers are allowed to bring their families to the country. In his remarks, Cleverly said that migration to the UK is far too high and needs to be brought down. He noted that the announcement he made marked the time when the government started taking more robust action than ever before. Cleverly noted that the new package of measures would take place from next spring. They could lead to new disputes with business owners who have been struggling to hire workers in the past few years. This is due to Britain's persistently tight labor market and the end of free movement from the European Union following Brexit. The British government is also planning to scrap the 20% salary discount on shortage occupations. Officials would ask the Migration Advisory Committee to review the occupations on the list in accordance with the new salary threshold, according to Personnel Today. Read Also: Boris Johnson Joins London March Against Antisemitism Addressing High Migration Cleverly added that the immigration health surcharge would be raised by 66% from $788 to $1,037. The British official added that this means the health service gets an additional $1.64 billion per year. He noted that the government is working to put an end to the abuse of the health and care visa. Cleverly said that they would stop overseas care workers from bringing their family dependents and would require care firms in the region to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission in order for them to sponsor visas. Additionally, the British government would increase the minimum threshold for a family visa to $48,800 to make sure that migrants are only bringing dependents whom they can financially support. Following the tightening of who can bring in family members on student visas earlier this year, the British government will ask the Migration Advisory Committee to review the graduate route. This is to "prevent abuse and protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education," said Sky News. Related Article: European Leaders Vow To Change Political Dynamics in Brussels @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hong Kong: Electoral chief visits mock station Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) Chairman David Lok visited a mock polling station at North Point Community Hall today, ahead of the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election, which will be held on December 10. Mr Lok reminded electors to bring their identity document to the designated polling station specified on their polling card, and to follow proper voting procedures. Electors who have yet to receive their polling card can log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System to check their elector status and polling information. They may also call 2891 1001 for enquiries. Mr Lok said preparatory work for the election has reached the final stage, adding that the EAC and the Registration & Electoral Office are making a final sprint to ensure a smooth polling and counting process. For the District Council geographical constituency (DCGC) elections, 171 candidates will contest 88 seats in 44 constituencies. As for the District Committees constituency (DCC) elections, 228 candidates will contest 176 seats in 18 constituencies. The mock polling station at North Point Community Hall is among four mock polling stations open for electors to familiarise themselves with voting procedures for the election. The other three are at Kwun Tong Community Centre, Tai Po Community Centre, and Tseng Choi Street Community Hall in Tuen Mun. All four venues be open from today until December 8. Group visits can be made by calling 2967 0367 or by faxing 2834 0934. The polling hours for ordinary polling stations, as well as dedicated polling stations set up at police stations, will be from 8.30am to 10.30pm. The polling hours for District Committees constituency polling stations in the 18 districts will be from 8.30am to 2.30pm. To vote at any of four Near Boundary Polling Stations at two secondary schools in the vicinity of Sheung Shui MTR Station, electors were required to register through the online registration system in advance of a deadline of 6pm today. As has been the case in other public elections in recent years, two queues will be set up at the polling stations for this election. One queue will be for people aged 70 or above, pregnant women and those with disabilities, while a second queue will serve other electors. Speaking to media today, Mr Lok noted that there have been some reports about the provision of transportation for elderly people to vote. He stressed that under the election regulations, no one can offer any benefits to any voters in order to persuade them to vote for a particular candidate. So in such cases, anyone who provides this kind of transportation with a view to persuading someone to vote for a particular candidate, this would be in violation of the election law. But on the other hand, if there is just a provision of transportation without this kind of persuasion, then according to our guidelines, it can be done, but they have to make sure that the one who provides the transportation will not offer any advantages or persuade the voters to vote for a particular candidate. We will not actively police or send people to investigate, but we will act upon complaints. Mr Lok also reminded electors that the ballot is secret and that they must mark their papers on their own, although they may ask for assistance from the polling staff if needed. Most DCGC polling stations will be converted into counting stations. For the DCCs, after the polls close, polling staff will ensure that the locked and sealed ballot boxes are not interfered with, and the counting of votes will only begin after the close of the DCGC polls. The public, including the media, have the right to observe the counts inside the public areas at counting stations. The results will be uploaded to the dedicated election website and published in the form of a press release. Call 2891 1001 for enquiries. This story has been published on: 2023-12-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese astronauts kindle youth dream of space exploration Xinhua) 09:57, December 05, 2023 HONG KONG, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of China's manned space program has concluded a six-day visit to Hong Kong and Macao, during which the Chinese astronauts inspired local young people to pursue a dream of space exploration in the interactions. The delegation came to the two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) in southern China at the invitation of the SAR governments, 11 years after the last such visit. During their stay from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3, the delegation visited a number of primary and secondary schools and two universities in Hong Kong, and held a special lecture in Macao, meeting with thousands of students in the two cities. "The Chinese space station is like a home for the motherland in space," Shenzhou-14 astronaut Chen Dong said, who expects to see representatives from Hong Kong and Macao at the space station to make China's home in space more lively and happy. Hong Kong middle school student Shum Tze-man was a bit carried away by the presence of the astronauts at a variety show held on Nov. 29. In her eyes, "patriotism" is the word to best characterize the space heroes. "The motherland's space industry has grown from scratch and now become world leading. I'm proud of our nation and this makes me more obsessed with the starry sky," Shum said. In 1992, China's manned space program was formally established and began to be implemented. In 2022, construction of the Chinese space station was fully completed. John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said the delegation told the story of the development of China's manned space program, which made Hong Kong people to feel proud of the country's extraordinary achievements in aerospace technology. "The reports of space experts involved a lot of professional knowledge in physics and astronomy, some of which were beyond my current learning scope, but it made me more eager to explore the universe," a student surnamed Li from Lingnan Middle School in Macao said. "I am sure our young students treasured this opportunity a lot," Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao SAR, said the delegation's visit demonstrated the country's support for the science and technology education of young students in Macao, which is of great significance. Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, who led the delegation of China's manned space program, said that all sectors in Hong Kong and Macao have actively participated in the recruitment of the payload specialists as part of the country's fourth batch of reserve astronauts, as well as in the solicitation of scientific and application projects for the space station. Lin expressed the hope that astronauts from Hong Kong and Macao will soon be seen stationed in the space station of the motherland, and the payloads designed by the science and education sectors of Hong Kong and Macao carry out experiments in the space station. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A Philadelphia man stabbed a security guard to death while injuring another during a retail theft at a Macy's store that turned violent and is now the focus of a criminal investigation. In a statement, a spokesperson for the store said that the establishment would temporarily remain closed as they work with law enforcement authorities on the investigation. It added that the company is heartbroken to hear about the incident that resulted in the death of one employee during the Monday attack. Macy's Store Stabbing Macy's did not specify how long the store would be closed and deferred any further comment to law enforcement officials. The two security guards involved in the incident were rushed to Jefferson Hospital. One of the victims, who was identified as a 30-year-old male, was stabbed in the neck and was later pronounced dead due to the severity of his wounds. The second victim, identified as a 23-year-old male, is currently being treated for injuries after being stabbed in the neck and face but was said to be in stable condition, as per Fox News. Law enforcement authorities said that the stabbing occurred just after 11:00 a.m. on Monday and the suspect reportedly boarded a SEPTA train after the attack. SEPTA police later arrested the individual at the Somerset Station. Police officers at the crime scene said the incident started around 15 minutes before they were called. A man allegedly tried to steal some hats from the Macy's store and security guards confronted him. They retrieved the merchandise and set the individual free. That same man is accused of coming back and attacking the guard who confronted him. In a statement, Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Stafford said that when the suspect returned to the store, he immediately went straight toward one of the security guards. He then redirects his attention to the other one and runs directly to him with a knife already exposed and proceeds to stab him. Read Also: New York City Man Fatally Stabs 4 People, Shot Dead by Police Philadelphia Man Arrested Stanford said the incident was a tragedy and came a few weeks before the holiday as the security guards were doing their jobs. According to NBC Philadelphia, he said that the victims had to make sure that people could come to the store and shop safely and not worry about themselves. The stabbing incident caused delays on SEPTA trains between the 15th and 8th Street stations after the attacker fled there. The crime comes as the Center City Macy's has experienced one of the highest levels of retail theft in Philadelphia. The incident comes after another stabbing in Queens that resulted in the death of five people and the injury of two police officers. The attack came on Sunday and involved a man who killed four family members, set the house on fire, and slipped out. The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Courtney Gordon and was confronted by two law enforcement personnel while trying to flee the scene of the crime. He then pulled out a knife and attacked the officers, who responded by firing their guns. The suspect was brought to the hospital and later pronounced dead, said the New York Times. Related Article: NYC Officials Blame E-bike Battery for Fatal Fire Incident; Stricter Regulations Now Being Called For @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United States Navy responded to Beijing's claims that a warship, known as the USS Gabrielle Giffords, "illegally" entered the South China Sea on Monday. The incident revolves around a statement made by the Chinese military that the American vessel intruded into waters near the Second Thomas Shoal. This is the site of a hot territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Beijing Criticizes US Navy Ship in South China Sea Following the initial report, a Chinese naval force was mobilized to track the American vessel during the operation. The US Navy's 7th Fleet said the warship "was conducting routine operations in international waters consistent with international law." In the past few months, Chinese and Philippine naval and coast guard ships have repeatedly confronted each other around the Spratly Islands shoal as China is trying to prevent its Asian neighbor from re-supplying and repairing a rusting warship that it intentionally ran aground in 1999 to serve as a military outpost, as per the Navy Times. The Philippines, having a much inferior military might than China, has sought help from the United States in its multiple territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed to an expansion of the US military presence in the country early this year. China is accusing the United States of interfering in waters far from its shores and renewed its charge that the American government is raising regional tensions. This follows the sailing of the USS Giffords near Second Thomas Shoal. The warship is a littoral combat ship designed to operate in coastal areas. The Chinese military's Southern Theater released a statement saying that the US deliberately disrupted the situation in the South China Sea. It claimed that America seriously violated China's sovereignty and security while also undermining regional peace and stability. Read Also: Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Marawi Bombing; Pope Francis Prays for Victims Territorial Dispute The US Navy's 7th Fleet, based in Japan, said that its operations in the South China Sea demonstrate a commitment to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region. According to Fox News, it noted that this is an area where all nations are secure in their sovereignty and can resolve disputes without coercion. The incident comes as the American nation has a long history of patrolling the South China Sea, a crucial shipping lane and fishing grounds, to ensure regional peace. China's emergence as a military power over the last five decades and its growing ambitions to be a regional and global power challenge long-standing American dominance. China's claims in the South China Sea come despite a 2016 ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague that its claims have no legal basis. Various nations, including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam, have territorial claims. Beijing, in particular, has been accused of harassment and intimidation in its efforts to assert its sovereignty claims in the regional waters. It also comes as China has never recognized the 2016 international tribunal ruling, said NBC News. Related Article: James Cleverly Announces Increase for Salary Threshold UK Foreign Workers' Visas @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Dallas police department confirmed that Logan De La Cruz, a one-year-old boy, was dead in the quadruple killing in the Dallas house shooting on Sunday afternoon. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a website that tracks shootings across the US, the killings marked the 627th mass shooting this year. One-Year-Old Boy Dead in Dallas House Shooting The shooting occurred at about 4:20 pm on Sunday when police responded to calls of gunfire in the 9700 block of Royce Drive. The police reported that the carnage stemmed from an isolated incident and said there was no public threat. According to the police statement, they found three adults dead from gunshot wounds inside the house and two children, De La Cruz and a 15-year-old girl, when they arrived at the scene. The others killed in the shooting were identified by the Dallas county medical examiner's office as Vanessa De La Cruz, 20; Karina Lopez, 33; and Jose Lopez, 50. De La Cruz was rushed to the hospital with injuries. The teenage girl, whose name was not released, remained in the hospital on Monday with a stable condition. Byron Carrillo, the suspect in the house shooting, fled the home after the shooting and then stole a vehicle. The Texas Department of Public Safety trooper spotted a vehicle matching the description of the one the suspect was driving on Interstate 35 in Austin, about 200 (321 kilometers) south of Dallas, and tried to pull him over. The Department of Public Safety reported that Carrillo hit a concrete barrier and crashed after taking an exit. The police said that he fled on foot behind a business and shot himself in a parking area. Dallas police spokeswoman Kristin Lowman continued the investigation of the motive of the deadly shooting, and Texas Rangers will investigate Carrillo's death. The website defined the incident as a mass shooting with a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed. The medical examiner's office identified De La Cruz as the 272nd child 11 years old or younger who died in a shooting this year. Read Also: University of Minnesota Duluth Football Player Pronounced Dead After Cardiac Arrest During Team Workout Homicides in Dallas According to the Dallas police department crime data, the number of homicides in Dallas was up roughly 11% this year from 2022. The data recorded 12 homicides in April 2022, up by four from the same period last year, representing an increase of 50%. The homicides were reported in half of the City of Dallas' 14 districts (Districts 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10), an additional district compared to the six that saw homicides in April 2021. The City of Dallas Districts 2, 4, 9, and 10 had homicide offenses reported in April 2022 (two, three, one, and one, respectively) after having none reported in April of the previous year. As of Sunday, the city has recorded 226 homicides. Related Article: New York City Police Fatally Shoot Man Suspected of Stabbing to Death 4 People @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TOKYO, Dec 06 ( News On Japan ) - Tokyo Metropolitan Government has announced plans to effectively make tuition fees free for all high schools, including private institutions. Governor Yuriko Koike said, "We will boldly move forward in making high school tuition effectively free and reducing the burden of school meal costs, supporting families with children with a sense of urgency." Residents have expressed relief, saying, "We feel the pinch of rising prices, so making tuition free really helps." Currently, tuition for high schools in Tokyo is effectively free for households earning less than 9.1 million yen per year, with public schools receiving national subsidies and private schools receiving additional support from the metropolitan government. This income limit of less than 9.1 million yen will be abolished from the 2024 academic year, making all high school tuition effectively free. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government also plans to support the free provision of school meals in public elementary and junior high schools. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge will have an antlerless muzzleloader deer hunt Dec. 15 through Dec. 18. During the hunt, all refuge roads and nature trails will be closed beyond the visitor center to ensure public safety and facilitate a white-tailed deer hunt, according to a news release. The visitor center will remain accessible and open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its hours will be expanded to include Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hunters interested in participating should contact Peter Rea at 712-388-4803 or peter_rea@fws.gov. Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge will also be hosting a weeklong antlerless only muzzleloader deer hunt Dec. 9 through Dec. 17 During the hunt, the refuge will be closed to all other public access. Archery units will remain open for archery hunters during the muzzleloader hunts but archery hunters must wear blaze orange meeting state requirements. The refuge facilitates these hunts in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Hunting is used as a management tool to control the number of deer. Hunting is one of six wildlife-dependent recreational uses on refuges which also include wildlife observation, wildlife photography, fishing, environmental education and interpretation. DeSoto and Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuges are located north of Council Bluffs. DeSoto is located south of Highway 30 between Missouri Valley and Blair, Nebraska. Boyer Chute, managed by staff at DeSoto, is located east of Highway 75 near Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska. Find more information at fws.gov/refuge/desoto or fws.gov/refuge/boyer-chute. IDA GROVE, Iowa An Ida Grove woman has been arrested and charged with the death of her 3-year-old son in May. Billie Mosier, 23, is charged with one count of child endangerment resulting in death, a Class B felony that carries a 25-year prison sentence. Mosier turned herself in on Thursday and was released from custody after posting a $25,000 bond. Her initial appearance is scheduled for Thursday. On May 4, Mosier called 911 for first responders to come to her home in Battle Creek because her son, Jordan Reed, was unresponsive. The child was transported to Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove and then to Children's Hospital in Omaha. He was pronounced dead on May 5, and an autopsy was performed the following day by the Iowa State Medical Examiner's office. The Ida County Sheriff's Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation launched an investigation into Jordan's death. According to a complaint filed in Ida County District Court, Mosier told investigators she had driven home, found Jordan slumped over in his car seat when she arrived and believed he had fallen asleep and strangled on the chest strap of his car seat. The autopsy concluded Jordan died of strangulation, but his injuries were not consistent with Mosier's explanation. In a September interview, Mosier admitted she had found Jordan hanging from the rear driver's side window, the complaint said, and witnesses had reported seeing Jordan with his head or upper body out the same window during Mosier's drive home from Ida Grove to Battle Creek. Witnesses and videos found on Mosier's phone revealed she regularly left Jordan unsecured while driving. Best public colleges in Iowa Best public colleges in Iowa #3. University of Northern Iowa #2. Iowa State University A southern Iowa military supplier that has been accused of endangering U.S. troops and contaminating Union County groundwater is now locked in a legal battle over the cost of cleaning up the manufacturing site. The site in question is the Wellman Dynamics manufacturing plant in Creston. For decades, Wellman Dynamics has done business as an aerospace supplier that manufactures large magnesium and aluminum castings for the defense industry. Court records indicate that in 2018, while mired in bankruptcy, Wellman Dynamics was purchased by the newly formed entity WDC Acquisitions. As part of that purchase, WDC Acquisitions assumed the responsibility of cleaning up the site, which had been heavily contaminated in the mid-1960s by the sites then-owner, Hills McCanna Co. Hills McCanna had allegedly discharged radioactive material containing thorium, as well as waste acids, chlorinated solvents, wastewater treatment sludge, and various heavy metals into the soil and groundwater at the company site in Creston. In 1967, Hills McCanna was acquired by Wallace & Tiernan Inc., which operated the site until 1969, during which time the site continued to be contaminated through the release of hazardous substances into the soil and groundwater. In 1969, the Pennwalt Corporation acquired Wallace & Tiernan, but the release of hazardous substances allegedly continued. From 1970 to 1976, thorium-containing wastes from specialty castings manufactured by the company were buried on site. In addition, an on-site, industrial-waste landfill was used in the 1970s for the disposal of other forms of waste, including foundry sand and treated magnesium waste. In 2022, the Pennsylvania company Arkema acquired Pennwalt Corporation. As a part of a newly filed lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, WDC Acquisitions alleges that Arkema, as the successor to past owners of the plant, owes a duty to WDC to dispose of solid and hazardous wastes in a manner that prevents their release into the environment, and that it has failed to remediate all known contamination in a timely and effective manner. The lawsuit claims Arkema is now responsible, in whole or in part, for the release of the hazardous materials at the site, and it seeks to recover WDCs unspecified expenses related to the cleanup. The lawsuit seeks a court order holding Arkema liable for those costs. Arkema has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. The current dispute over the responsibility of dealing with decades-old contamination may be tied to last years acquisition of WDC by TRM Equity II, a Michigan-based private equity fund that takes over companies and imposes operational changes of its own design. Within days of that sale taking place last year, the Department of Justice announced it had reached a settlement with WDC Acquisitions over allegations that it endangered U.S. troops by failing to conduct contractually required testing for parts in military aircraft and had also falsified test results. The company agreed to pay $500,000 to settle the case. The settlement amount was based not on the actual claim of damages, which was close to $30 million, but on the companys limited ability to pay damages. The case was initiated by Wellman employee Bradley Keller, a lab technician for quality control in Wellmans metallurgical laboratory. Weather Alert ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM CST FRIDAY... ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON CST FRIDAY... ...WIND CHILL WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM FRIDAY TO NOON CST TUESDAY... * WHAT...For the Winter Storm Warning, heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 5 and 8 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph. For the Wind Chill Advisory, very cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as low as 25 below zero. For the Wind Chill Warning, dangerously cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as low as 50 below zero. Coldest wind chills are expected Saturday night into Sunday morning. * WHERE...Portions of east central, northeast, and southeast Nebraska. * WHEN...For the Winter Storm Warning, from 3 PM this afternoon to 9 PM CST Friday. For the Wind Chill Advisory, from midnight tonight to noon CST Friday. For the Wind Chill Warning, from 9 PM Friday to noon CST Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Travel will be hazardous. Areas of blowing snow will reduce visibilities, even after snow has stopped falling. The hazardous conditions will impact the Thursday evening and Friday commutes. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Avoid outside activities if possible. When outside, make sure you wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. && New Zealand's new tri-party coalition government, led by National Party Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, introduced a national cell phone ban in all primary, intermediate, and secondary schools to promote academic excellence. The ban authorizes all cell phones to remain off throughout the school day, including during breaks between classes. New Zealand Introduces National Cell Phone Ban in Schools The comprehensive ban on cell phones was a part of the coalition's ambitious 100-day rollout plan, which includes 49 other actions aimed at reforming various sectors, as well as the actions of the previous Ardern Labour government. The government said that cell phones should not be a part of the daily school environment unless used for educational purposes as part of a student's schoolwork. On August 9, Luxon released a statement on the National Party website reiterating the importance of this move for education outcomes. He said that the policy was about ensuring that their schools were environments where students could focus on learning without the distractions that cell phones could bring. He added that he believes in creating a learning space that promotes interaction, focus, and academic excellence. Schools were given the autonomy to decide how to enforce the ban practically. This approach was designed to ensure that the policy can be adapted to each school's unique needs and circumstances. The government noted that parents and guardian could contact their children during school hours through the school office to ease concerns about communication, especially in emergencies. Furthermore, students who require cell phones for health reasons will be granted an exemption from the ban. Students who struggle with learning and need to use cell phones in their educational process will also be eligible for exemptions. According to Horizons Research Poll, New Zealanders supported the ban during class but not during school breaks or lunch. The poll found that 61 percent supported a ban, but not during breaks, with 20 percent opposed. About 56 percent supported a whole-day ban, while 52 percent thought schools should be left to decide on their bans. Only 19 percent believed there should be no ban, with 60 percent opposing the idea. Other countries, including Australia, France, and Greece, have also passed a cell phone ban in schools. Read Also: Billie Eilish Lost 100k Instagram Followers After Opening Up About Attraction to Women Luxon Repeal Tobacco Restrictions Many of the actions in the 100-day plan include repealing tobacco restrictions approved last year by the previous government. The tobacco restrictions had requirements for low nicotine levels in cigarettes, fewer retailers, and a lifetime ban for youth. Luxon said that ending the tobacco restrictions, which were not due to take effect until next year, would bring in more tax dollars. However, he said it was not a case of trading health for money. "We are going to continue to drive smoking rates down across New Zealand under our government," he said as he decided to stick with the status quo. Some critics noted that the plan was a setback for public health and a win for the tobacco industry. Related Article: US Judge Blocks Montana's TikTok Ban Set to Take Effect on January 1, 2024 @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Niger and Russia Monday signed a deal to bolster military cooperation between the two countries, a move that translates Russias growing presence in the region. The agreement came as Russias deputy Defense minister Colonel-General Yunus-Bek Evkurov met with Abdourahamane Tiani, the new strongman of the West African country who arose to power on July 26 after toppling west-backed Mohamed Bazoum. Evkurouv signed the document with Nigerian Defense Minister Salifou Mody. The visit is the first ever by a Russian official since the coup. The coup dealt a blow to western powers namely France, the former colonial power, which has seen ties with Niamey going down the drain. Like Niger, neighboring countries namely Mali and Burkina Faso, all of them former France-ruled colonies, have severed ties with the European country and stepped up cooperation with Russia in many areas including security, defense and communication. In Late August 2023, Evkurov, met alternately with the Burkinabe President Ibrahim Traore and the Malian leader Assimi Goita to discuss the possibility of reinforcing the defense and military partnership between the States. Russia, another Deputy Defense Minister, Alexander Fomin indicated, has agreements on military-technical cooperation with 30 African states. Six other countries are yet so ink similar agreements. Morocco and the UAE signed a deal to invest in the Atlantic gas pipeline that will channel Nigerian gas to North Africa and ultimately to Europe. The deal was part of a series of memorandums of understanding signed during a state visit by King Mohammed VI to Abu Dhabi. It signals the UAE readiness to invest in the promising project, key to fostering economic integration and energy security in West Africa. The Atlantic Nigerian-Moroccan pipeline will also help Western African nations develop their gas exports to Europe, especially Mauritania and Senegal where significant gas assets have been discovered. Studies are already underway for this structural project that has the political backing of Nigeria and the rest of the ECOWAS countries. The project was spurred by King Mohammed VI who agreed in 2016 with then Nigerian President Buhari to launch the project. The UAE backing of the project will help mobilize needed funding for the completion of this structural project that will give a safe and steady energy supply to West Africa, Morocco and beyond. The UAE and Morocco agreed that the investment projects they signed, during King Mohammed VI visit to Abu Dhabi, need to be implemented within three months via capital investments, competitive and innovative funding, concessional loans, and grants. The UAEs Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund is the fourth richest globally and the country has extensive experience in infrastructure investments across the globe. Nigerias energy minister Ekperikpe Ekpo said a few days ago that works to build the pipeline will start next year. Guinea-Bissaus President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has dissolved the nations opposition-dominated parliament ahead of fresh elections and shortly after armed clashes in the capital Bissau that he describes as an attempted coup detat and which plunged the small West African nation into yet another crisis. The date of the next legislative elections will be set at the appropriate time, in accordance with the provisions () of the Constitution, says a presidential decree communicated to the press on Monday (3 December). President Embalo invokes the complicity between the National Guard, the body involved in the clashes with the Presidential Guard last Thursday and Friday (29-30 November), and certain political interests within the state apparatus itself, a government spokesperson told reporters. After this attempted coup detat the normal functioning of the institutions of the Republic has become impossible. These facts confirm the existence of a serious crisis in politics, he added. While Embalo was attending the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, violence had erupted between members of the national guard and special forces of the presidential guard on Thursday night in the capital Bissau, leaving two people dead. This happened against the backdrop of what observers describe as deep political fractures at the heart of the state between the presidency and the government, which also run through the security forces. The West African nation is experiencing chronic political instability and has experienced a string of coups since its independence from Portugal in 1974, the last in February 2022 when Embalo survived a bid to overthrow him. The military leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger have announced their countries would follow Mali in quitting the G5 international anti-jihadist force in Africas Sahel region, the latest blow to the fight against insurgents in one of the worlds most troubled, conflict-torn areas. Leaders of the five countries involved in G5 Sahel agreed to deploy a joint anti-terror task force backed by France in 2017, but following a string of military takeovers in the region the junta leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have all accused Paris of having an oversize role after years of French deployments on their territories. The G5 has yielded only meagre results, which led Mali to quit the original five-nation force last year and now also Burkina and Niger have decided in full sovereignty to quit all instances of the G5 Sahel, including the joint force as of 29 November, according to a joint statement. In a veiled reference to France, both nations added that the G5 Sahel cannot serve foreign interests to the detriments of our people, and even less the dictates of any power in the name of a partnership that treats them like children, denying the sovereignty of our peoples. While Chad and Mauritania are still part of the G5 Sahel force whose military deployment is largely financed by the European Union, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed in September their own mutual defense pact, the so-called Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The military juntas have formed these close ties to combat the long-running jihadist insurgencies raging in the three countries, but also to alleviate the international pressure for a swift return to civilian rule. The big question is what impact this virtual break-up of G5 Sahel will have on the Islamist militant groups that have been growing in strength across the Sahel region. So far there is no evidence to suggest that having soldiers rather than democratically-elected civilian government in charge of running the country makes the population any safer from the threat of these al-Qaeda and IS-linked fighters. A Nigerian army drone accidentally killed at least 85 civilians on Sunday in a village in the Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria, according to official sources, marking one of the deadliest military bombings in the country. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also ordered an investigation on Tuesday after the army admitted that one of its drones targeting armed groups accidentally struck the village of Tudun Biri, where residents were celebrating a Muslim festival. The army did not provide figures on the casualties, but locals said that 85 people, including many women and children, were killed. The northwest zonal office received information from local authorities that 85 bodies have been buried so far, while searches continue, said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in a statement. NEMA stated that 66 other people were being treated at the hospital, but emergency officials were still negotiating with community leaders to ease tensions and gain access to the village. Nigerian armed forces often resort to airstrikes in their fight against bandit militias in the northwest and northeast of the country, where jihadists have been fighting for over a decade. This conflict has resulted in over 40,000 deaths and two million displaced since 2009. President Tinubu describes the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, expressing his outrage and grief at the tragic loss of Nigerian lives, the presidency said in a statement. The army stated that its drone was on a routine mission that inadvertently hit members of the community. Most of the victims were women, children, and elderly individuals celebrating the Muslim festival of Mawlid, commemorating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. I was inside the house when the first bomb was dropped We rushed to the scene to help the affected people, then a second bomb was dropped, said Idris Dahiru, a resident of the area, to AFP. My aunt, my brothers wife and his six children, my four brothers wives are among the dead. My elder brothers family perished, except for his toddler who survived, he added. Militias have long terrorized some regions in northwest Nigeria, operating from camps deep in the forests and launching raids on villages to loot and kidnap residents for ransom. In the northeast, jihadists have been pushed back from territories they occupied during the height of the conflict, although they continue to fight in rural areas. Nigerian army bombings have previously accidentally hit civilians. In September 2021, at least 20 fishermen were killed and several injured in an attack on Kwatar Daban Masara on Lake Chad in the northeast, as the army mistakenly identified them as fighters. In January 2017, at least 112 people were killed when a fighter jet struck a camp housing 40,000 people displaced by jihadist violence in the town of Rann, near the border with Cameroon. The Nigerian army blamed the lack of proper marking of the area in a report released six months later. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images When New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez was indicted earlier this fall for allegedly accepting expensive gifts in exchange for contracts and favors, the charges against him were bad enough; it is never a great look for the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be accused of acting as a foreign agent. But the seemingly damning details may have been even worse. Particularly memorable in the picture-heavy indictment was the revelation that on top of the $480,000 in cash the Feds found, Menendez and his wife had 13 gold bars, together worth more than $100,000, in their possession when federal agents came knocking. (Menendezs required financial disclosures largely ignored all this.) Now, Menendezs gold problem is looking even more sordid. According to NBC New York, four of the gold bars found in his house appear to have been stolen. The outlets report centers on New Jersey real-estate investor Fred Daibes, who was robbed at gunpoint at his home in 2013. To help the search for his stolen property, police asked Daibes to file property release forms itemizing what was taken including 22 gold bars with their serial numbers etched into them. NBC New York found that four of the gold bars the FBI found in Menendezs home have serial numbers matching those of the ones stolen from Daibes. Also unfortunate for Menendez: Daibes was accused in September of bribing the senator to use his influence to help appoint a U.S. attorney who would show leniency to Daibes on an unrelated bank-fraud charge. Records also show that one of the bars found in Menendezs home was returned to Daibes in 2013 so it wasnt the thieves who gave Menendez the gold. (The four people who robbed Daibes were caught and pleaded guilty to the act back then.) Daibess attorney has said he will be exonerated in time, while Menendez has denied taking bribes from Daibes, even as prosecutors allege that Daibess fingerprints are on the cash in the senators home. When he was first charged with brazen acts of corruption, Menendez said that he keeps extremely large sums of cash and gold bars in his home for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Photo: Tina Tyrell Norman Finkelstein is crouched on the floor of his apartment, running his fingers along a bookshelf so overcrowded that its bending into a U-shape. It has a green cover, he assures me before landing on the spine of his tenth book, Knowing Too Much: Why the American Jewish Romance With Israel Is Coming to an End. The subtitle stands as a summation of Finkelsteins career, which has been devoted to proclaiming to his fellow Jews and others his disenchantment with the Jewish state. But right now, hes thumbing through the book for proof that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was a guard at Israels biggest prison camp during the early 1990s, when many Palestinians were tortured there. I already know about this story (its in Goldbergs memoir), but Finkelstein, 69, is not used to a world in which people are inclined to believe him. As Americas most divisive Israel-Palestine scholar, he spent the past 40 years being ostracized by the media and academia. Then the October 7 Hamas attack propelled him into the spotlight and his 13th book, Gaza: An Inquest Into Its Martyrdom, into the top-selling spot in Amazons Middle Eastern History category. True, there arent many books about Gaza (Thats like being the tallest building in Wichita, Finkelstein says), but its success is being seen as a vindication by both his longtime and newfound followers. He hasnt held a steady academic job since DePaul University denied him tenure under political pressure in 2007. Now, after years of sporadic work and low pay as an adjunct, Finkelstein is suddenly spending ten hours a day fielding emails from people clamoring for his insights. Its become a complete nightmare, he says, scrolling through hundreds of new messages in his inbox. His heavily trafficked X account (380,000 followers) and Substack (over 15,000 subscribers) both run by a three-person technical staff that is paid from subscription revenue are a torrent of grim facts and sardonic quips about the Israel-Hamas war. (IDF Searching for Hamas Command-and-Control Center Under Al-Shifa Hospital, reads a typical caption alongside a video of the Seven Dwarfs singing Heigh-Ho.) Finkelstein is five-foot-ten and fit with the angular jawline of a retired drill sergeant. He has short white hair and dark eyebrows and speaks in unhurried paragraphs even when hes debating Piers Morgan on television a man unafraid to be long-winded. His warbling Brooklyn accent is a relic from the days when he roamed the halls of James Madison High School, which counts Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer among its alumni. He takes regular five-mile jogs along Coney Island Beach and keeps a desktop folder of photos of himself posing in front of the sunset. Finkelstein is reflective and slightly melancholic in private conversation, but his public reputation is as someone who will browbeat you into submission. (An X user recently observed that he comes off super radical on basically the strength of being very rude.) One YouTube video shows him at a 2003 talk at the University of Waterloo. Hes berating an audience member over her crocodile tears for Israel, declaring, My late father was in Auschwitz. My late mother was in Majdanek concentration camp he pauses to bark at a heckler to please shut up before continuing and it is precisely and exactly because of the lessons my parents taught me and my two siblings that I will not be silent when Israel commits its crimes against the Palestinians. When he was a child, Finkelsteins mother would have visceral reactions to injustice, especially to TV reports about violent conflict, which shed experienced firsthand growing up in wartime Poland. She physically could not watch it, Finkelstein says. He inherited her indignation, and as a student inspired by the civil-rights movement, he dived into protests against the Vietnam War. He became too involved, his mother concluded. She thought I was destroying my life, and there was a feeling that she was responsible for it, he says. He wouldnt actually destroy his life until several years later. In 1984, when he was a doctoral student at Princeton, Finkelstein investigated the sourcing of a celebrated new book by the journalist Joan Peters called From Time Immemorial. Peters argued that Palestinians didnt actually exist and that Zionist colonization had lured non-native Arabs into the region, where they started waging war on the Israelis. It was mostly a fabrication, Finkelstein discovered, based on fudged demographic data, but a consensus had already formed that this was a monumental work; it was gushed over by the likes of Saul Bellow and Elie Wiesel. Initially, no U.S. publication would touch Finkelsteins findings (In These Times eventually published them), nor would any American academic except for Noam Chomsky, who became his mentor. Youre going to expose the American intellectual community as a gang of frauds, and they are not going to like it, Chomsky warned his protege. And theyre going to destroy you. It was a frosty introduction to a profession that still seems intent on freezing Finkelstein out, even decades after Peterss work was widely discredited. He kept writing books and papers that made people angry his most controversial work, 2000s The Holocaust Industry, argued that the memory of Jewish genocide was being politically exploited by Israel but landed a full-time job teaching political science at DePaul in Chicago. DePaul wanted to get rid of me from the get-go, Finkelstein says matter-of-factly. In 2003, he accused the lawyer Alan Dershowitz of plagiarism for lifting citations from Peterss book for his own polemic, The Case for Israel. Thus began one of academias all-time bitter feuds: Dershowitz even lobbied Californias then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to stop the publication of one of Finkelsteins books. (Schwarzenegger declined to intervene.) Finkelstein denounced Dershowitzs work If Dershowitzs book were made of cloth, I wouldnt even use it as a schmatta, he said and dedicated himself to debunking it until he went up for tenure in 2007. His department and college at DePaul voted to grant it, but the university-level tenure board rejected him following a high-profile campaign by Dershowitz. (The universitys president denied that outside pressure had anything to do with the decision.) I live a very simple life, Finkelstein says of how he survived the intervening years, during which his annual income was sometimes less than $5,000. His apartment is rent-stabilized he took it over from his father, who died, along with his mother, in 1995 and it doesnt look like hes bought any new furniture since moving in. Hunter and Brooklyn Colleges throw him a teaching gig every so often. He admits that he was so deep in the weeds on Israel-Palestine that even a specialist wouldnt have been interested in what he was writing. He learned that his 2019 book a granular indictment of the International Criminal Courts head prosecutor had sold just a few hundred copies. Why am I doing this? he asked himself. Nobody cares. But caring about this conflict stubbornly and single-mindedly, like so many others devoted to this issue, and not without errors of judgment is the rare constant in Finkelsteins turbulent life. After three years of saying relatively little about Israel-Palestine, he resurfaced on October 7 singing the praises of Gazas heroic resistance, only to be sobered later by the extent of the carnage Hamas had wreaked. Of course they changed, he says of his initial feelings, but not enough to alter his unyielding beliefs about the root of the conflicts dynamics. What, he asked days later, were the people of Gaza supposed to do? There is a new food truck in downtown Opelika offering a cuisine based on authentic ramen dishes. Red Wolf Ramen is the latest establishment to join the growing food truck scene in Opelika. It offers homemade Japanese-style ramen built around five key profiles: dashe, tare, noodles, aromatic oils and special toppings. What we do is the five profiles of ramen that make up authentic-style Japanese ramen. Understand there are no rules when it comes to ramen, co-owner Jonathan Allen said. We dont do like cookie cutter recipes for everything. Every dish is special. Every single bowl that we make is customized. Red Wolf Ramen officially opened its kitchen on Oct. 13 with a Friday night event at Frankys Food Park. The truck is currently housed at Rick Laniers The Galley on McCoy, a commercial kitchen at 1300 McCoy St. Allen explained that food trucks have to operate out of a physical brick-and-mortar location and that The Galley, which is a shared use commercial kitchen. About 15 different food trucks partner with the kitchen. The truck will be at the TNT Cruise In event being held at Angels Antiques from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5. The truck is currently serving in a special events only capacity, but they are hopeful for increasing the amount of events and opportunities in the future. Ristrettos offered to have us come out which were really excited about. We have a big car show coming up over in Angels Antiques on Dec. 5, Allen said. Me and Trip both have full-time jobs, but this is something that we want to turn into a full time career. So as we start ramping up to full time hours like regularly scheduled/timed events, thatll become more available. Allen said they are looking to get involved with Opelikas Food Truck Friday events and grow the business from there. Allen is an emergency management analyst for a defense contractor at Maxwell Air Force Base while his business partner and co-owner William Farr (Trip) works in a foundry. Allens work at the base in Montgomery is not his only commitment, as he currently runs Red Wolf School of Martial Arts in Opelika. Allen started that school with his wife Katherine in 2019. It has been going strong since. If youve been attacked, assaulted, harassed or stalked, you can receive free training for as long as needed. Our main mission was to help folks who had been assaulted or had been attacked in some way. Give them self-defense training, so they could regain a portion control back in their lives, Allen said. It was through the school that Allen got in contact with Trip, who was a parent of one of Allens students. One day, Allen overheard Trip talking about his interest in starting a food truck, and he mentioned his own interest in bringing authentic ramen to the food truck scene. Allen said he had no prior experience, just a love of food, and specifically a ramen obsession that started a decade ago. Despite the lack of experience, Allen and Trips shared passion for the idea brought the project to life as they found a truck, refurbished it and installed the galley, the trucks kitchen that includes a complete fire suppression system. When coming up with the name, Allen said it was actually Trip that suggested using Red Wolf name and brand. Just like his school, Allen said that part of the goal with starting Red Wolf Ramen is to help the community, especially the kids. Allen said that once they get the food truck off the ground and start making some money, they plan on starting a Free Bowl Friday initiative to address food insecurity in the area. We can get them like a basic bowl of hot ramen a couple times a year and just kind of help out the community that way, he said. A report published by a team of scientists suggests that China, India, and the aviation industry are leading the rising amount of fossil fuel emissions. They found that this year, the world pumped 1.1% more heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere compared to last year. This was primarily caused by increased pollution from China and India. Rise in Global Fossil Fuel Emissions The revelation of the increase in emissions was made on Tuesday at international climate talks where world leaders are trying to discuss ways to cut emissions by 43% by 2030. Instead, carbon pollution was found to have risen again. The team noted that this year, 36.8 billion metric tons of carbon pollution poured into the atmosphere. The Global Carbon Project, a group of international scientists who produce the gold standard of emissions counting, said that this number is twice the amount that was recorded nearly four decades ago. The lead author of the study, Pierre Friedlingstein said that it now seems that the world will go beyond the 1.5 degrees Celsius target written in the Paris Agreement. This means that leaders who attended the COP28 Climate Summit will have to accelerate efforts in cutting fossil fuel emissions to even keep the 2 degrees Celsius target possible, as per the Associated Press. Read Also: James Cleverly Announces Increase for Salary Threshold Foreign Workers' Visas Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Chairman Jim Skea said that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees is "just possible." However, he argued this is only by a slight margin and with massive emission cuts. Friedlingstein added that the world is clearly not going in the right direction. The burning of fossil fuel this year as well as the manufacturing of cement have added the equivalent of putting 2.57 million pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every second. Friedlingstein said that if China and India were to be excluded from that count, world carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning and cement manufacture would have dropped. Achieving Temperature Thresholds The world was found to have increased its annual emissions by 398 million metric tons. China was found to have increased its fossil fuel emissions by 458 million metric tons compared to last year while India was found to have increased its own by 233 million metric tons. On the other hand, aviation emissions increased by 145 million metric tons. A senior researcher at the Cicero Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, Glen Peters said that while renewables are growing to record levels, fossil fuels are also growing to record highs, according to the Washington Post. Even though the United States and the European Union are seeing a drop in emissions, it is not fast enough to achieve temperature targets. In the U.S. emissions are projected to drop by 3% this year while the EU is set to cut emissions by roughly 7%. Peters argued that supporting renewables is not enough to solve the current climate crisis plaguing the world. He added that there have to be two policies that ensure that fossil fuels actually go down, said the New York Times. Related Article: US Navy Responds After Beijing Accuses Warship of 'Illegally' Entering South China Sea Waters @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Jack Black and his band Tenacious D are making a song for the KUNG FU PANDA 4 end credits. (Source: https://t.co/Str6o2AyFy) pic.twitter.com/EujJpiAov4 DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 5, 2023 Soul, Turning Red, and Luca will be in theaters in 2024; After 'Peaches', enter Pandas. In retrospect, why this hasn't happened before is beyond me. This is the 4th movie. Still rumored to come out March 2024, and if there's no trailer with Migration, assume it's pushed back.Also, apparently, 'Peaches' was a somewhat last minute addition as a super short ditty that Black expanded on. Icon!They initially premiered in limited release in 2021-2022 for awards contention and then on Disney+. Variety says they will be worldwide! Mainly bc Disney doesn't have a major release until Inside Out 2 in June. They will still be on Disney+. American Release Dates: SOUL: 1/12 TURNING RED: 2/9 LUCA: 3/22 MAX's Scavengers Reign is the best animated show of 2023 Animation Union News; Disney's remote animators seek to join union for higher pay https://t.co/0cLq3NOw0S pic.twitter.com/fP59vXi5WF Reuters (@Reuters) November 29, 2023 ''''Be sure to watch it on MAX before it's removed for a tax break! According to the union, after COVID restrictions were lifted and return-to-work protocols were initiated, various employers told remote animation workers that their working arrangements would fall outside contractual boundaries. Boo! I hope they make it! On the good news side; Warner Media Management Voluntarily Acknowledged the Animation Writer's Union at WB/Cartoon Network! They filed in July. Warner Bros. Discovery management has agreed to voluntarily recognize Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios production workers seeking union representation with the Animation Guild! https://t.co/eVceb68rgb pic.twitter.com/pWMij9A8Sq RegularCapital (@RegularTweetsUK) December 1, 2023 Kenshi Yonezu - Spinning Globe (From 'The Boy and The Heron', features actual footage from the movie) Chemical Products Corp. Faces OSHA Fines After Worker Suffered Fatal Burns OSHA proposed $55,403 in penalties to the Cartersville, Georgia-based company. Chemical Products Corp.a chemical manufacturer based in Cartersville, Georgiafaces $55,403 in proposed OSHA penalties after a June 2023 incident in which a 52-year-old leach tank operator suffered fatal burns and another worker was seriously injured. According to a release dated Dec. 1, OSHAs investigation revealed that the fatal accident occurred when the employee was inspecting a barium sulfide wash cone. He opened an air intake valve to check a noise, unwittingly triggering a reaction with a steam line left open from the previous day. This action caused a rush of cold air in the steam line, creating a bubble that propelled heated sludge onto him, leading to his death due to extensive chemical and thermal burns. A colleague also sustained second-degree burns across their upper body. In addition, OSHA discovered during the course of its investigation that another employee suffered chemical burns when a tank full of sodium hydroxide solution overflowed just 25 days after this first incident. That incident remains under investigation. Our investigation found that Chemical Products Corp.s failure to make employee safety a priority allowed conditions that cost a worker his life, OSHA Area Office Director Jeffery Stawowy in Atlanta-West said in a statement. Two serious incidents just weeks apart show that the culture at Chemical Products Corp. must change to emphasize worker safety and health. OSHA will continue to monitor and hold the company accountable until there are changes. OSHAs findings include five serious violations, including failure to establish and regularly inspect energy control procedures, failure to keep catwalks free of corrosion, inadequately marked emergency exit routes and the absence of easily accessible safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals on site. As a result, OSHA found that workers were open to thermal and chemical, slip and trip, and entrapment hazards in the performance of their duties. Chemical Products Corpwhich has been in operation for 90 yearsnow has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest its findings. Last week, OPEC and its partners from OPEC+ agreed to deepen and extend their production cuts into the first quarter of 2024. The move, almost unanimously seen as a means to propping up oil prices, did not have the desired effect. After an initial jump, benchmarks slid again, with Brent crude dipping below $80 per barrel on Monday morning in Asia. So, it seems that the cuts have, at least for now, failed in their purpose. Of course, the tighter supply may yet be felt on the market, but in the meantime, OPECand OPEC+seems to be running out of options. And those that are left are painful ones. The market is going to test Opec+ and whether $80 a barrel is really a floor they can defend, Raad Alkadiri, an analyst with Eurasia Group, told the Financial Times. The cuts being billed as voluntary undermines the psychological impact for the market a little, but if the full cut is realised, its impact on the market should not be discounted. Indeed, part of the reason oil prices went lower rather than higher last week despite the OPEC+ announcement was the suspicion that some of the cuts will remain so only on paper. The suspicion emerged after reports that OPEC members had internal disagreements about the production level they should be free to pursue. The total cuts for the first half of 2024 are set at 2.2 million barrels daily, equal to about 2% of global supply. A few years ago, this would have been reason enough for traders to pile into oil futures. Now, this is not the case. Some, such as Reuters Clyde Russell, argue that this indicates that oil demand is not as strong as OPEC says it is. Others, such as energy analyst Paul Sankey, suggest OPEC could do a U-turn and sink prices to neutralize the rising output of U.S. drillers. Physical oil demand and its relation to the oil futures market are at the heart of it all. Related: How China And The U.S. Were Both Key To OPEC+s Bearish Oil Supply Cuts OPEC has been upbeat about that, just as the International Energy Agency has been increasingly pessimistic about it, recently forecasting peak demand growth before 2030. At the same time, there has been a multitude of reports and forecasts projecting weak economic growth for the world in the immediate future. With such projections, it is easy to understand why traders are turning bearish after the initial shock of the latest war in the Middle East wears out. Its even easier to understand after Bloomberg reported that as much as a fifth of what we collectively think of as traders are actually computer algorithms. Commodity trading advisors use algorithms to track the market and place bets on various commodities. In oil, the trading volume of these algorithm-driven trades constitutes 70% of the total daily average volume on a given day, per data from JP Morgan and TD Bank, cited by Bloomberg. This means that the futures market has got even more divorced from the physical market for oil than before. And that, in turn, means that OPEC could be driven to desperation as algo traders, which Bloomberg notes are trend followers and trend exaggerators, ignore any attempt by the cartel to control oil supply, and, as a result, prices. This would prove a dangerous situation, especially for U.S. producers that have set another production record this year even though growth has been slower and more moderate than in previous growth years. Indeed, this is what Paul Sankey suggested to CNBC last week: that Saudi Arabia may simply decide to reverse course and open the taps to flood markets with oil. The question is whether it can afford to do so with all its expensive energy transition plans. On the other hand, OPEC in general, and Saudi Arabia specifically, can simply cut even deeper if the price of oil in the first quarter of 2024 comes across as unsatisfactory. It would be a risky move, given the market reaction to this latest cut. But it could be the less risky move compared to the above alternative. According to Reuters Russell, a big part of the markets skeptical reaction to the cuts was the news about internal disagreements in OPEC. Apparently, these suggest that not all members of the group would actually follow through with their cuts. On the other hand, many OPEC members have been underproducing even with their original quotasand prices have still declined. ADVERTISEMENT It is certainly a complicated situation for OPEC. The more often it cuts production, the more traders would question the outlook on oil demand, as suggested by the latest cuts. On the other hand, there is a divide between the physical market and the futures market. The physical market looks quite healthy based on seaborne oil volumes, which are up by 1.86 million bpd so far this year, per Kpler data cited by Russell. The futures market appears to be dominated by automatic trading, which affects prices in a major way. In any case, next year will be interesting to watch on the OPEC front. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The OPEC+ group is ready to take additional measures and deepen the oil production cuts in the first quarter of 2024 to avoid volatility and speculation on the market, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday. The timely actions of OPEC+, thanks to which about 2.2 million barrels per day will be held off the market in the first quarter of next year, will allow the period of low demand to pass painlessly in the first quarter of 2024, Novak told Russian news agency TASS. I would also like to note that if the current actions are not enough, OPEC+ countries are ready to take additional actions to eliminate speculation and volatility, Novak added. Last week, OPEC+ announced 2.2 million bpd of cuts for the first quarter of 2024, but these include Saudi Arabia rolling over its voluntary cut, Russia deepening crude and fuel export cuts by 200,000 bpd, and several other OPEC+ members announcing voluntary production reductions for the first quarter of 2024. Overall, the announcements after the meeting were underwhelming and failed to convince the market that OPEC+ hasnt had disagreements over cuts and quotas leading to the meeting, as became evident from the lack of a group-wide cut. The OPEC+ supply decision, which the market found unconvincing, will likely erase the expected deficit early next year but leaves the question 'what's next' unanswered, analysts say. Novaks comments on Tuesday follow remarks from Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who told Bloomberg on Monday that the OPEC+ production cuts could extend beyond March 2024 if the market requires it, criticizing commentators for failing to understand the output deal. The Saudi energy minister suggested that this would change once people see the reality of the deal. I honestly believe that the 2.2 million will overcome the usual inventory build that usually happens in the first quarter, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told Bloomberg. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: With Saudi Arabia shouldering the majority of the burden when it comes to cuts, there are fears that another oil price war could break out. Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil production continues to break records as it takes advantage of high oil prices. Division and dissent within OPEC+ over deeper production cuts led to an unconvincing announcement last week which pushed prices lower. U.S. crude oil production broke another record in September, putting additional pressure on the OPEC+ group, which looks to keep oil prices above $80 per barrel by controlling "market stability." The underwhelming OPEC+ meeting last week showed that there is dissent within the group about deeper cuts and production quotas. The Saudis rolled over their extra voluntary cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) and Russia the leader of the non-OPEC allies in OPEC+ pledged to deepen its supply cut to 500,000 bpd from 300,000 bpd. Some other OPEC+ producers announced additional voluntary cuts, which brings the total OPEC+ supply cut to 2.2 million bpd for the first quarter of 2024. That's in addition to Russia's 500,000 bpd cut via export reductions of 300,000 bpd of crude and 200,000 bpd of refined petroleum products, OPEC said. The OPEC+ supply decision, which the market found unconvincing, will likely erase the expected deficit early next year but leaves the question 'what's next' unanswered, analysts say. Non-OPEC+ supply is growing at a faster pace than previously forecast and is being led by record U.S. crude oil production, which continued to soar despite a flat or falling rig count compared to this time last year. OPEC+ and its leader, Saudi Arabia, face the same oil dilemma how to counter surging U.S. production and prevent it from unraveling the efforts of the alliance to prop up prices. Record-high U.S. oil production is a "huge problem" for OPEC+, Paul Sankey at Sankey Research told CNBC after last week's OPEC+ meeting. The solution for Saudi Arabia could be to just flush the soaring non-OPEC+ output out by flooding the market with crude and thus sinking oil prices to levels below the U.S. profitability threshold, Sankey said. "We've more or less been saying potentially Saudi needs to just flush this thing out," he told CNBC. The Kingdom is believed to have a production capacity of around 11.5 million bpd, and it's currently producing around 9 million bpd. So Saudi Arabia could ramp up its oil output by around 2.5 million bpd if it decided to within six months, according to Sankey. The Saudis flooding the market with oil wouldn't be all that surprising - they did so in 2014 and again in the price war in the early Covid days in 2020 when WTI oil prices went negative. Soaring U.S. oil production is becoming a "real problem for OPEC," Sankey told CNBC. U.S. crude oil production hit a new monthly record of 13.236 million bpd in September, according to the latest data from the EIA released on Thursday. "The growth has not just been a Permian story. We're seeing many shale basins that were flattish experiencing a revival," Francisco Blanch, Head of Global Commodities and Derivatives Research at BofA, said on a call to discuss the bank's energy outlook, as quoted by Reuters. BofA Global Research said last week in its 2024 outlook that "Recession, faster-than-expected US shale growth, and lack of OPEC+ cohesion are downside risks to oil prices." Other non-OPEC+ producers are also ramping up production including Guyana, Canada, and Brazil. ADVERTISEMENT Brazil was invited to join the OPEC+ alliance as of January 2024, but the biggest oil producer in South America will not have any quota and will not take part in oil production cuts. The lack of a unanimous group-wide cut with all members contributing is a concern about the OPEC+ unity, analysts say. "With the cuts only being supported by a handful of producers and with no additional cuts from Saudi Arabia, the failure to secure a group-wide agreement does not bode well for the group's unity going forward especially if demand continues to slow, forcing more unpopular and economically challenging decisions," Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy, at Saxo Bank, wrote in a weekly note on Friday. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Turkmenistan picked the lowest possible of hanging fruit at the ongoing COP-28 climate summit in Dubai by announcing it will sign up to the Global Methane Pledge, a voluntary agreement that commits adherents to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030. In his speech to the UN Climate Change Conference on December 1, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov made out that this was the natural outcome of his countrys long-standing concerns over dangers posed by emissions of the greenhouse gas. As you know, at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow [in 2021], Turkmenistan announced its support for this new Global Methane Pledge initiative and expressed interest in a detailed study of the document and participation in its implementation, he said. Turkmen officials must have been so busy poring over the document that they failed to notice that as one Guardian report framed it leaks of methane from two field gas fields alone contributed more to global warming in 2022 than all the carbon emissions in the United Kingdom. What was particularly egregious, according to Kayrros, the monitoring institute that calculated the scale of this problem, was that the situation could have been mitigated with relatively straightforward technical fixes. Its very simple to do, it has no cost for the citizen, and for the producers, the cost is completely marginal, Kayrros president Antoine Rostand told the Guardian. In any case, Turkmenistan has joined the party, so thoughts must now turn to implementation. This should notionally be an easy feat for Turkmenistan to accomplish given how delinquent it has been in the recent past. As the official Global Methane Pledge website notes, however, 30 percent is a global, not a national reduction target. Related: Price Cap Has Fallen Short of Its Potential Despite Costing Russia $36 Billion The expectation among anybody in the international community paying attention is doubtless that Turkmenistan will need to undertake an especially Stakhanovite effort. A theoretically more arduous objective is contained in Turkmenistans commitment under the terms of the Paris Agreement, an international climate change treaty adopted in 2015 and ratified by Ashgabat the following year. Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, outline each countries strategy for pursuing the global aim of limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Turkmenistan approved its national strategy its May 2022 but only got around to making a revised version public in January 2023. The document describes Turkmenistans objective as reducing [greenhouse gas] emissions in 2030 under the [business-as-usual] scenario by 20 percent compared to the level of emissions in 2010. This sounds ambitious, but the authors of the document, which appears to have been assembled with heavy input from the always-amenable UN Development Program, are weaselly to a fault. First of all, there is not a great deal of clarity about the raw numbers. What Turkmenistans strategy document reveals is that the total amount of greenhouse gases released into the air rose from 48,000 gigagrams measured in CO2 equivalents in 2005 to 66,400 gigagrams in 2010. No fresher information is available. As the strategy document feebly explains, unfortunately, the next GHG [greenhouse gases] inventory began only in 2020 and therefore, it was impossible to provide updated GHG inventory data in full. And that 20 percent reduction figure is knowingly misleading, as carefully explained in a rigorous analysis authored by Progres Foundation, a Turkmenistan-focused research outfit based in the United States. It is important to note that this target is not referring to a reduction in the annual total greenhouse gas emissions, as the wording might suggest. Instead, the goal is to decrease the GHG intensity of the economy, which means the government aims to increase GDP at a faster rate than greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, there will be a lower CO2 equivalent/manat by 2030, writes the author of the Progres Foundation report, which is very much worth reading in its entirety. Sure enough, even Turkmenistans climate change strategy does not try to circumvent this fact and admits freely that by 2030, GHG emissions can reach 135,800 [gigagrams measured in CO2 equivalents]. i.e., they will increase 2 times compared to 2012. There is a methane cloud-sized issue here, though, since Turkmenistan cannot be relied upon to provide proper figures. Its emissions data is collated by the State Statistics Committee, the fantasy factory that annually submits magically round GDP growth figures the very same figures, as it turns out, that will allow Ashgabat to ignore its climate change obligations. Despite these shenanigans, Turkmenistan is eager to wrap itself in the cloak of virtue on climate issues. Accordingly, Deputy Vepa Khajiyev used the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council held in North Macedonia on December 1 to claim that Ashgabat wants to see the creation of a Regional Climate Technology Center. What this center would do is anybodys guess. And it is not as though Turkmenistan has invested much in environmentally sustainable electricity generation, despite its considerable potential for developing wind and solar power. On the more traditional energy front, representatives of Afghanistans self-styled Islamic Emirate were in Ashgabat on December 2 with a new bid to revive the fortunes of the trans-Afghan TAPI natural gas pipeline. ADVERTISEMENT Russian state news agency TASS cited Mohammad Haroon Saidi, the emirates trade attache, as saying that the government in Kabul is hopeful that Afghanistans access to interbank financing channels and frozen funds can be reinstated. Saidi noted that Afghanistan has a $150 million stake in the TAPI project. Turkmenistan has been supportive of Kabuls calls for financial sanctions to be eased. In other evidence that the Taliban-led regime in Afghanistan aspires to a return to pre-takeover normality, Saidi said that his government is in talks with Turkmenistan and also Kazakhstan on establishing trading houses for dealing with those two countries. Amsterdam-based Turkmen.news carried a report on December 1 about the latest cycle of personnel bloodletting behind the scenes. The hero at the center of the drama is Nyyazly Nyyazlyev, a former chief of state chemicals company Turkmenkhimiya, who was apparently arrested in August on embezzlement and corruption charges. What makes the story particularly compelling is that Nyyazlyev appears to have tried to evade his fate by putting in a call to President Berdymukhamedovs similarly corrupt cousin, Hajymyrat Rejepov, who is said to have enriched himself through various schemes in the chemicals sector. While Rejepovs family links mean he will likely avoid incurring too much pain for his sins, other officials who have snuffled at the Turkmenkhimiya trough over the years are reportedly in a state of panic. By Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin via Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In a rare trip abroad as an international arrest warrant hangs over him, Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on December 6 before heading home for a meeting with Iran's president the next day. The Kremlin said on December 5 that bilateral relations and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will be discussed during the meetings, while issues concerning the oil market, "are also always on the agenda." The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March issued arrest warrants for Putin and his children's commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for being responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia -- a war crime under international legislation. While Putin did not make many foreign trips before the warrant was issued, he has curtailed his travel even more since. He did not attend the G20 summit in India in September, and has limited his recent trips to countries such as China and states of the former Soviet Union. With the warrant, Putin became the third serving head of state to be targeted in an arrest warrant from the ICC, the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, along with Sudan's Omar al-Bashir and Libya's Muammar Qaddafi. The Kremlin did not give details of Putin's agenda, but the online news outlet Shot, which first reported the trip, quoted Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov as saying the Russian leader would travel first to the U.A.E. before heading on to Saudi Arabia, where talks would include a meeting with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. Putin and the prince have developed close ties over the years as they worked to form a group of leading oil producers, now known as OPEC+, in late 2016. The group has worked to support the price of oil, and last week announced voluntary supply cuts. Following the one-day trip, Putin will return home and meet Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Kremlin said. Putin visited Iran in July 2022, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Tehran in October. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Iran has widely been accused of delivering cheap but effective kamikaze drones to Moscow. While Iran denies the allegations, saying it only sold drones to Moscow before the war started, U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Tehran of supplying Shahed-136 Iranian drones that Russia has used to destroy civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. There has been evidence of Iranian drones rebranded as Russian Geran-2s being used on the battlefield. And as the two countries have increased military-technical cooperation, Iran's Defense Ministry has routinely showcased its ballistic, cruise, anti-tank, and air-defense missile systems to Russian officials. ADVERTISEMENT This has raised fears Moscow and Tehran could try to expand their existing arms dealing to include more advanced weaponry, know-how, and technology that could boost both Russia's war effort in Ukraine and Iran's ballistic-missile and drone programs. By RF/ERL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: From the imposition of the first major international sanctions against its energy sector following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has been developing a vast network through which it continues to sell huge quantities of oil and gas to virtually anywhere it wants. Iran is so proud of its ability to avoid all sanctions thrown at it that in December 2018 at the Doha Forum, its then-Foreign Minister, Mohammad Zarif, stated that: If there is an art that we have perfected in Iran, [that] we can teach to others for a price, it is the art of evading sanctions. However, last week saw the U.S.s Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) apply sanctions against Iran to a broader part of its international support network, especially to those entities and officials involved funding the Islamic Republics proxy terrorist organisations - Hamas and Hezbollah. Whether these new sanctions will prove any more effective than the previous ones, given the omission of any notable entities and officials in Iraq or China, is highly questionable. OFACs new sanctions are focused on 20 individuals and entities for their involvement in financial facilitation networks for the benefit of Irans Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and Iranian Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS), and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). The IRGC-QF and MODAFL continue to engage in illicit finance schemes to generate funds to fan conflict and spread terror throughout the region, said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. The United States remains committed to exposing elements of the Iranian military and its complicit partners abroad to disrupt this critical source of funds, he added. Interestingly for two reasons, among the long-suspected list of names and companies that have now been sanctioned, are companies in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates that are suspected of being part of the network that sells billions of dollars worth of commodities to customers in Europe and East Asia. The first reason is that it is Hong Kong and not China directly that is being sanctioned by the U.S. further evidence of the limited rapprochement between the two countries towards Washingtons purpose of avoiding a widening out of the Israel-Hamas War, given Beijings now extensive influence across the Middle East, as analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. The second reason is that, unlike China, the UAE is directly targeted another signal of Washingtons displeasure of its failure to play its role in the U.S.s vision of the new global oil market order, as also delineated in my new book. Related: COP28: Arab Coordination Group Promises $10B To Assist Developing Nations The key omittance in the U.S.s new sanctions plan is any targeting of notable individuals and entities in Iraq. Iran wields enormous influence over its neighbour through a vast array of political, economic, and military proxies operating in both the north and the south of the country. Through these, Iran has long been able to send as much oil and gas as it wants to virtually anywhere it likes. All these methods are also analysed in full in my new book, but at the core of them all is the unalterable fact that Iran and Iraq share several of their main oil reservoirs. Some notable examples of shared reservoirs and fields are Irans Azadegan oil reservoir (split into North and South fields) that is exactly the same reservoir upon which sits Iraqs Majnoon oilfield. The same feature applies to Azar (on the Iran side)/Badra (on the Iraq side), Yadavaran (Iran)/Sinbad (Iraq), Naft Shahr (Iran)/Naft Khana (Iraq), Dehloran (Iran)/Abu Ghurab (Iraq), West Paydar (Iran)/Fakka/Fauqa (Iraq), and Arvand (Iran)/South Abu Ghurab (Iraq). And there are many others. It is literally impossible to tell what oil has come from the Iranian side or the Iraqi side of these fields, which means that Iran is able simply to rebrand its own (heavily sanctioned) oil as (completely unsanctioned) Iraqi oil and ship it anywhere it wants. Once in transit, additional sanctions-busting methods can be used to disguise its true place of origin further, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. One very simple but effective tried-and-trusted method is simply to disable by just flicking a switch the automatic identification system on ships that carry Iranian oil, which means it disappears from electronic maritime navigation plotters. Another equally simple but effective method is just lying about the place of origin, its destination, or what cargo is on board. A final well-used additional safeguard is ship-to-ship transfer of the oil cargo closer to the final destination, with Malaysia and Indonesia territorial waters having long been favourites for transfers of Iranian oil ultimately headed for China. Again, so proud is Iran of these methods that even its own long-serving former Petroleum Minister, Bijan Zanganeh, publicly highlighted this very practice when he said in 2020: What we export is not under Irans name. The documents are changed over and over, as well as [the] specifications. Given that the U.S. government must know how Iraq is being used by Iran, one conclusion as to why nothing is being done about it is that Washington is still optimistic that it still has something of a future in the country. Having expended so much blood and treasure in Iraq, this is entirely understandable, as is the geopolitical reality that if the U.S. gives up on the country then it is unlikely ever to be able to reassert any true influence in the entire region, having now completely lost Saudi Arabia, the lead up to which is also fully analysed in my new book. In brief, it began when Saudi then-Prince Mohammed bin Salman was desperate to find a way to save face over his ill-fated idea to list Saudi Aramco (a failure would have ended his political career in Saudi Arabia), and it concluded when the Kingdom agreed to resume relations with historical enemy Iran, in a deal brokered by China. Another conclusion, running alongside the former perhaps, is that the U.S. does not necessarily want to truly damage Irans oil and gas exports rather, it wants to be able to do so only if absolutely necessary. The U.S. wants Iranian oil flowing because it helps to keep oil prices lower. And lower oil prices reduce the chance of an economic downturn in the U.S. ahead of the Presidential Election in 2024 on 5 November 2024, and with it the electoral chances of the Democrats. As also thoroughly analysed in my new book on the new global oil market order, since the end of World War I in 2018, the sitting U.S. president has won re-election 11 times out of 11 if the U.S. economy was not in recession within two years of an upcoming election. However, sitting U.S. presidents who went into a re-election campaign with the economy in recession won only one time out of seven. And rising oil and gas prices have a dramatic effect on the U.S. economy. Historically every US$10 pb change in the price of crude oil results in a 25-30 cent change in the price of a gallon of gasoline. And for every 1 cent that the average price per gallon of gasoline rises, more than US$1 billion per year in consumer spending is lost. In addition to this, the new sanctions may also be aimed at appeasing Israels calls for further help against Iran, and domestic U.S. voices urging such measures. These were led in the aftermath of Hamass 7 October attacks on Israel by senior Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham, who suggested that the U.S. and Israel destroy Irans oil infrastructure entirely. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Arab Coordination Group will allocate $10 billion through 2030 to facilitate the energy transition, the group said on Tuesday during the COP28 meeting. The $10 billion in funds is designed to drive a comprehensive and affordable transition to renewable energy in developing countries, the ACG said on Tuesday. The funds are part of the groups previous pledge of $24 billion. The ACG will raise funds through the use of green bonds, blended finance, and risk mitigation tools. The group will also support universal access to clean energy and work to enhance resilience to climate change in the food, transport, water, and urban systems sectors. According to the groups statement, the ACG allocate $15.7 billion last year to 500 financing operations across 80 countries, which went toward addressing fundamental challenges faced by societies in developing countries, such as food insecurity and climate change. The largest share of commitments by ACG members went to the energy sector. The Arab Coordination Group (ACG) is a strategic alliance that provides a coordinated response to development finance, comprising four bilateral and six multilateral Arab development financial institutions: Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Arab Gulf Program for Development, Arab Monetary Fund, Islamic Development Bank, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, OPEC Fund for International Development, Qatar Fund for Development, and Saudi Fund for Development. It is the second-largest grouping of development finance institutes in the world. The announcement comes as the UNs COP28 meeting shines a spotlight on climate financing and facilitating the energy transition. The delivery of a sustainable and equitable energy transition requires stronger collaboration and joint action. The ACG has the capacity to mobilise substantial financing, boasts nearly 50 years of South-South cooperation and has a proven track-record in advancing sustainable development in its partner countries. The OPEC Fund is proud to contribute to this highly welcome ACG initiative through its own Climate Action Plan, OPEC Fund Director-General Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: OPECs largest African oil producer, Nigeria, is set to switch to a monthly average Dated Brent assessment when pricing its crude exports, which could ultimately make its cargoes to Europe less competitive than those of exporters sticking to a five-day average price of Brent. NNPC, the national oil company of Nigeria, plans to start using the monthly average of Dated Brentthe physical crude benchmark for pricing its cargoes, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, quoting a company memo it has seen. So far, Nigeria has used the five-day average settlement of Dated Brent in the five days after loading, as most other exporters, including those in the U.S., are doing. The change in the crude pricing mechanism will make it more difficult to compare Nigerian crude loading prices with those of other exporters, traders have told Bloomberg. The move would also make hedging more challenging for traders and expose the Nigerian crude prices to the potentially wider monthly swings in the oil market in general, the traders added. A month ago, Nigeria launched a new crude grade, Nembe, in an attempt to undo the damage from long-running thefts and attacks in the countrys Niger Delta region. The new Nembe grade is expected to add 1.9 million barrels of crude oil exports to Nigerias portfolio monthly, according to an NNPC press release, with first cargoes already sold in October for export to Western Europe. As a crude grade, Nembe is similar to Nigerias low-sulfur, distillate-rich grades, which go for a premium to Brent crude and are suitable for European refiners. According to the NNPC, the Nembe crude oil grade also has a low sulphur content and low carbon footprint due to flare gas elimination, fitting perfectly into the required spec of major buyers in Europe. ADVERTISEMENT Nembe crude has previously been produced, though not as a separate grade until now. In previous years, Nembe went through the Nembe Creek Trunk Line along with Nigerias Bonny Light grade, but attacks on pipelines in the Niger Delta sidelined production. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: On Monday, hundreds of pro-Israel protesters from across the country united on the parliament hill to condemn the antisemitic violence in Ottawa, Canada, and for solidarity with Israel. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs organized the rally to show collective strength to face staggering antisemitism. Pro-Israel Protesters Unite on Parliament Hill Prominent Jewish Canadian politicians, religious leaders, non-Jewish allies, and embattled students from Canada's universities were present in the crowd as speakers, calling to end the antisemitic violence in Canada. Nicole Amiel, a CIJA spokesperson, said that the organizers had brought in about 7,000 people on buses from Toronto and another 2,000 on buses from Montreal. The speakers conveyed a message that Canada must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel as it confronts a militant group bent on destroying the Jewish state. They called for Canadians to speak out for Israel's right to exist and its need to defend itself against violence. They also called on the international community to push for the release of hostages held by Hamas. Furthermore, the speakers referred to incidents in Canada, such as shots being fired at Jewish schools, a Molotov cocktail being thrown at a Jewish community center, and a bomb threat against a high school. Larry Weinstein, the brother of Judih Weinstein Haggai, the only Canadian believed to be held by Hamas, said that he had witnessed a lot of innocent people who were suffering. Weinstein added that he was distressed by the rise in hateful speech toward both Jews and Muslims in Canada. Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather told the rally that some people have been minimizing the October 7 attack on Israeli civilians. The MP party has called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. A spokesperson noted leader Jagmeet Singh has met with relatives of those killed by Hamas and condemned antisemitism. "We saw bullet holes and blood traces and cars that were run off the road when their occupants were killed. We met with families of Canadians who were massacred and with families of the hostages," he said. Read Also: One-Year-Old Boy Dead in Quadruple Killing in Dallas House Shooting Canadians in Gaza The Israeli officials reported 137 people were still being held hostage in Gaza. One hundred and five people were freed during the ceasefire in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians who were being held in Israeli prisons. The exchange of the hostages occurred at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Global Affairs Canada said that 130 Canadians were freed during the weekend. On Sunday, the department confirmed that about 600 Canadians, permanent residents, and their family members left the Gaza Strip. The department said 426 Canadians in the West Bank and Gaza were registered with the federal government. However, on Sunday night, Global Affairs Canada confirmed the eighth death of a Canadian as a result of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Lebanon. Related Article: Israel-Hamas War Continues After 7-Day Truce Runs Out @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The European Commission will recommend a three-year delay for EV tariffs traded with the UK, Bloomberg sources suggested on Tuesday. Starting in 2024, the current Brexit deal calls for EVs transported between the UK and EU to be slapped with a 10% tariff if less than 45 percent of the EVs value comes from the regionor if less than 50 percent-60 percent of the battery cells and packs come from the EU or UK. Naturally, EV makers were quick to show their displeasure with the deal and sought a delay until 2027. The UK and most EU member states have also pushed for a delay. The EU capitals will need to approve any delay, along with the British government. In October, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said that the tariffs would hike the cost of an average British-made electric vehicle sold in Europe by more than $4,500, undermining the industrial competitiveness of the UK. The group immediately called for a three-year delaya request that seems to soon be granted despite the European Commission originally standing by the deal, saying it was fit for purpose and that it wasnt contemplating a change. The automaker lobby warned that the policy could cost the sector nearly $5 billion over the next three years The policy was designed to encourage the development of a European battery supply chain, but local battery cell supplies are not yet geared up. France was one of the member states not in favor of the three-year delay, arguing that the post-Brexit trade deal shouldnt be reopened, and that European battery cell production would shortly be able to meet demands from the UK. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Reports of several attacks with drones and ballistic missiles by Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea have sparked concern about the security of global maritime trade, notably including energy. The latest report of an attack came last weekend when the U.S. Navy said Houthis had targeted three commercial vessels in the Bab el Mandeb strait with drones and ballistic missiles. Now, the Financial Times reports, shipowners are calling for greater military presence along the main maritime transport routes in the Middle East. When you see three ships attacked [on the same day] in the same geographic area that implies we are a bit short of resources, the head of security at Bimco, the body representing the global shipping industry, told the FT. The oil market has become too complacent about risks that the Gaza conflict will expand regionally and threaten oil and gas infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf, said Bob McNally from Rapidan Energy, speaking to the FT. According to him, the chance of a disruption in maritime trade in the region is as high as 30%, the report said. These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Monday. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. Also on Monday, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington was in talks with other countries for the setting up of a task force to guard ships in the region. The Houthis, who are supported by Iran, started targeting vessels in the Red Sea last month. They seized a cargo ship linked to an Israeli businessman, sparking speculation that more such attacks will follow against Israeli-owned vessels. Indeed, another attempt at a seizure did follow but despite initial reports blaming the Houthis for it, it turned out that the attackers were pirates, according to the Pentagon. ADVERTISEMENT By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A diagnosis of pancreas cancer can be emotionally devastating to patients, given the diseases typically poor outcomes. Now a University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher is studying whether a one-time, professionally guided use of psilocybin, the active component in so-called magic mushrooms, can alleviate the distress suffered by those patients. Dr. Lou Lukas, an associate professor in UNMCs internal medicine division of palliative medicine, will discuss that work and other aspects of psychedelics in medicine Tuesday during a 7 p.m. Science Cafe presentation at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. The sessions, which are free and open to anyone, include a brief presentation by a scientist on a current topic followed by a question-and-answer period. Currently, researchers are studying psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs for a number of conditions, from post-traumatic stress disorder to substance abuse. Psychedelic drugs currently are in the Food and Drug Administrations pipeline as treatments for major depression and treatment-resistant depression. Lukas said researchers at Johns Hopkins University and New York University have reported significant, long-lasting, reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety among cancer patients. She began her venture into psychedelic research more than a decade ago as a volunteer at Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. As a palliative care doctor in the Baltimore area, she helped recruit cancer patients for a cancer trial there. She got to know members of the research group, who have served as her mentors as she has launched her study, which she believes is the first of its kind in the area. Were seeing the same thing, said Lukas, who also is chief of palliative medicine at the Omaha VA Medical Center. People are saying, Wow, I didnt know I could feel this good again. Lukas said the stress associated with pancreas cancer, one of the most lethal types, is particularly high. UNMC established its Center of Excellence in Pancreatic Cancer in 2018 and clinical partner Nebraska Medicine was recognized earlier this year as a Center of Excellence by the National Pancreas Foundation. The study, known as a feasibility trial, will enroll 12 patients who will participate for a year. She hopes eventually to expand the program. Lukas stressed that the sessions are conducted in a carefully controlled setting. The researchers use pharmacy-grade chemicals, formulated into a pill, not actual mushrooms, so they know the exact dose. People should not try to simulate the experience at home, she said. Volunteers who meet medical criteria meet with researchers for three 90-minute sessions to get to know them, form a trusting relationship and prepare for the psychedelic experience, she said. During the therapy, participants are accompanied by two facilitators for the four- to six-hour experience. Patients return the next day and several times afterward to discuss the experience and what theyve taken away from it. Lukas said research over the past decades indicates that the process works on two levels. The molecule influences the behavior of nerves and networks in the brain. At the same time, participants are having experiences that seem real to them. The neuronal changes at the biological level help make their neural connections more adaptable. By recalling memories from the experience, participants are kind of helping seal those neurons ... in a better place than they were before, she said. She noted, however, that there is a lot of hype around the drugs. They are tools that can help people find resources inside themselves to heal their bodies and minds, she said, but patients still have to work to get better. A patient who has struggled for years with a condition like major depression, for instance, still will need a lot of healing. Mental health practitioners will need training to be able to use them. Lukas recently conducted a four-part educational series for practitioners through the University of Nebraska at Omahas social work department. Between 120 and 160 area professionals attended each session. These are very powerful molecules, she said. They have a profound impact on humans. We need to treat them with respect and we need to go slow. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of November 2023 A 60-year-old man is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of a woman Monday at an Omaha hotel. Daniel S. Nickels of Omaha is also charged in a Douglas County arrest warrant with use of a firearm to commit a felony. He is accused of fatally shooting Esmeralda C. Vargas, 26, of Omaha, at the Comfort Inn & Suites near 70th and Grover Streets. Nickels was arrested Monday near Holt, Missouri, about 31 miles northeast of Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City Police Department, Missouri Highway Patrol, the FBI and the ATF assisted in the arrest, an Omaha police spokesman said. Authorities took Nickels into custody after a traffic stop, according to KMBC-TV of Kansas City, Missouri. Tactical teams and negotiators assisted in the investigation. Nickels is in custody at the Clinton County Detention Center. According to the Sheriffs Office, hes awaiting an extradition hearing before being returned to Nebraska. As she woos her partys wealthy donors, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is promoting a policy that sets her apart from her closest competitors for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination: A willingness to stake out positions on the politically fraught issue of overhauling the nations entitlement programs. In a recent Haley endorsement, Emily Seidel a top official in the influential political network associated with billionaire Charles Koch praised the former UN ambassadors courage for advocating changes to an entitlement system that makes promises it cant keep. Other establishment figures who have backed Haley or are taking a second look at her candidacy cite shoring up the nations ailing Social Security system as a key priority and view her stance as an advantage over her rivals. We need a complete reevaluation of entitlements, Ken Langone, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot who is weighing backing Haley, told CNN recently. What the hell is a guy like me (doing) getting $3,500 a month from the government? Langone, whose net worth Forbes pegs at more than $7 billion, said of his monthly Social Security benefits. Thats outrageous. I shouldnt get a nickel. Haley has called for several changes to the nations safety net programs, including increasing the age at which todays younger workers would become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits and limiting the growth of benefits the wealthy receive. I recognize that Social Security and Medicare are the last thing the political class wants to talk about, she said during a September speech unveiling her economic proposals. But, Haley said, any candidate who refuses to address them should be disqualified. Theyll take your vote and leave you broke. Her positions on entitlement reform and those of her rivals will face greater scrutiny as the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses draw closer. Haley has risen in the polls and is competing with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be seen as the main alternative to the current front-runner for the Republican nomination, former President Donald Trump. Haley and DeSantis are among the candidates slated to face off Wednesday at the fourth GOP presidential debate sponsored by the Republican National Committee. Trump plans to continue his pattern of skipping the debates. Financial risk Theres no debating that Social Security and Medicare, the governments health insurance program for older and disabled Americans, face long-term financial issues. The combined Social Security trust fund reserves are on pace to be depleted in 2034, according to the most recent estimates from the programs trustees. Without those reserves, Social Security will be able to pay only about 80% of benefits from the income that continues to flow into the program. Medicare, meanwhile, will have only enough money in its hospital insurance trust fund to pay all scheduled benefits until 2031, after which it will be able to cover only 89% of costs, according to the most recent Medicare trustees report. Nearly 67 million Americans have received monthly Social Security benefits this year, and more than 66 million people are enrolled in Medicare. Polling shows little support for major changes to the programs themselves to help shore up their finances. A March CNN/SSRS poll of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, for instance, found that 59% said it was essential that the GOP nominee for president pledges to maintain Social Security and Medicare as they are. And just 7% of Republicans surveyed in October in an AP/NORC poll said that the government was spending too much on Social Security. Its little wonder then that Trump has steadfastly advocated keeping the programs as they are despite his past support for major changes, including raising the retirement age to 70 and privatizing Social Security. DeSantis has distanced himself from his votes as a congressman for nonbinding resolutions that would have increased the threshold for seniors to collect Social Security benefits to age 70. In his presidential campaign, DeSantis has maintained that promises made to current beneficiaries will be kept, telling Fox News earlier this year that Republicans are not going to mess with Social Security. More recently, in an interview on CNBC, DeSantis discussed the need to find bipartisan accord on the future of Social Security, saying, Looking forward, in terms of future generations, people of our generation youve got to work in a bipartisan way with the other party. You cannot do this with one party. A super PAC aligned with Trump spent millions earlier this year on ads that sought to pummel DeSantis for his past support for changes to Social Security, data collected by AdImpact shows. A response ad from a DeSantis-affiliated super PAC accused the Trump camp of repeating lies about Social Security and reiterated the governors pledge that Republicans wont mess with the program. Political peril Some Republican candidates are reluctant to tackle Social Security reforms because they dont want to have ads run against them and risk alienating older voters, said Whit Ayres, a veteran GOP pollster. There are a lot of people who are scared to touch the third rail of American politics, he said. On the other hand, the reality is stark: Its really troubling to think about Medicare and Social Security running out of money and having to slash benefits by dramatic amounts. Many Democrats, including President Joe Biden, support proposals that would raise new taxes on the wealthy to help make up funding shortfalls. Andrew Biggs, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said the political spectrum has shifted when it comes to entitlement reform. It used to be that any anybody running for president had to have some sort of pretty detailed plan for Social Security, said Biggs, who served as principal deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration under President George W. Bush. Its interesting that, today, the atmosphere and environment has changed so much that the litmus test for seriousness is if youre willing to acknowledge that: Yes, we have to do something. Last months third GOP presidential debate underscored the intraparty divide. Only two of the five candidates onstage in Miami during the November 8 face-off Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said they backed raising the retirement age for younger workers. Haley said those changes would not affect current beneficiaries or those nearing retirement. Those that have been promised, should keep it, she said during the debate. But for like my kids in their 20s, you go and you say, We are going to change the rules. You change the retirement age for them. But she has not said, when pressed for details, what that new retirement age should be. Haleys proposals include changing how Social Securitys annual cost-of-living adjustments, which are currently tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), are calculated. She instead would link those increases to another measure, chained CPI, which is lower because it reflects that consumers often switch to cheaper options of similar goods when prices jump. Additionally, according to her campaign, she wants to expand Medicare Advantage plans, which are run by private insurers, to increase competition. For North Carolina businessman Art Pope, Haleys position on entitlement reform is one of several factors that persuaded him to endorse the former governor last week after closely comparing her economic plans with those of DeSantis, which he cast as too populist. Pope, who oversees a multistate retail chain, had previously backed the presidential campaign of former Vice President Mike Pence, who had said that cuts to the programs should be on the table. Pence dropped out in late October after failing to gain traction in the polls. Part of populism is appealing to the people with short-term solutions that may sound good or even feel good in the short term but, long term, are not responsible, Pope said. We need leadership to make the hard decisions, not to cut Social Security but to save Social Security. You cant put your head in the sand. ___ Photos: Nikki Haley through the years WOODSTOCK, Ala. Police shot and killed a man featured in the hit podcast "S-Town," which chronicled events in a rural Alabama community, during a weekend standoff in the town, authorities said Monday. Officers shot and killed Joseph Tyler Goodson, 32, of Woodstock, after he barricaded himself inside a home and "brandished a gun" at officers early Sunday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency claimed. The agency's statement said the Woodstock Police Department initially responded to a "call for service" early Sunday and the standoff ensued. Multiple law enforcement agencies converged on the home. The state agency did not describe what led to the initial call to the home. "Police bout to shoot me down in my own yard," a message posted early Sunday on Goodson's Facebook account read, according to news outlets WIAT and al.com. The state agency is reviewing the shooting and will turn its findings over to the Bibb County district attorney. The 2017 podcast, which won a Peabody Award, told the story of an Alabama man named John B. McLemore, who died before the show came out. McLemore's use of an expletive to describe his hometown gives the podcast its abbreviated title. "S-Town" begins telling the story of a reputed killing and another death but winds up focusing on McLemore and his tortured relationship with the town of Woodstock. Several people in his life were also featured, including Goodson. "I know that everyone wants answers and details, myself included," Woodstock Mayor Jeff Dodson said in a statement Monday. "Tyler was well known and loved by myself, his family and this community. That love extends far beyond due to the S-Town podcast. "Please remember at this time that he is so much more than a character to the fans who loved him. This young man was a father, son, brother and friend to many," the mayor added. Woodstock, with a population of about 1,500 people, is about 35 miles southwest of Birmingham. An Iowa bank is facing a potential class-action lawsuit claiming it has charged crippling overdraft fees to its customers accounts. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, challenges Bankers Trusts alleged practice of charging overdraft fees on debit-card transactions that have been authorized by the bank itself due to the availability of sufficient funds in the customers accounts. The lawsuit centers on the controversial use of fees applied to so-called Authorize Positive, Settle Negative transactions, or APSN transactions. The alleged practice works this way: The moment a purchase is made from a merchant using a debit card, the bank immediately reduces the customers checking account balance by the amount of that purchase. The bank also sets aside the full dollar amount of the purchase, holding that money in reserve for the merchant. However, the bank will then impose a $33 overdraft fee on the transaction if, days later when the bank forwards the reserved funds to the merchant, the customers funds are depleted and the account shows a negative balance. Essentially, the overdraft fee isnt simply applied to transactions for which there are no funds; its imposed on transactions for which the bank is actually holding a customers cash in reserve to ensure payment. The lawsuit alleges these crippling overdraft fees are unwarranted because a customers balance is always adjusted, in real-time, to account for every debit-card transaction at the precise instant the transaction is made. Indeed, the lawsuit alleges, the entire purpose of the immediate debit and hold of positive funds is to ensure that there are enough funds in the account to pay the transaction. Bankers Trust is headquartered in Des Moines and is the states largest privately held community bank. In addition to 12 branches serving central Iowa, Bankers Trust has branches in Cedar Rapids and Phoenix, Arizona, as well as an office in Omaha. The lawsuit alleges that while many banks and credit unions that employ this abusive practice require their accountholders to expressly agree to it when they open an account, Bankers Trust never did. Bankers Trust, the lawsuit claims, was fully aware that its customers believed they couldnt be assessed overdraft fees for debit-card purchases given that the funds needed to cover those purchases were instantly set aside by the bank and held in reserve to ensure payment. Besides being deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable, these practices breach contract promises made to customers, the lawsuit claims. In breach of these promises, (Banks Trust) assesses $33 overdraft fees when there is enough money in the account to cover the transaction. The plaintiff in the case, Stephanie Jones of Iowa, was allegedly assessed overdraft fees of $33 each on Nov. 18, 2022, and May 8, 2023. Those fees were imposed on debit-card transactions that had been authorized by Bankers Trust due to the availability of sufficient funds in Jones account, the lawsuit claims. The fees were not imposed in error, but were intentional charges made in accordance with Bankers Trust written policies and routine practices related to APSN fees, the petition states. As part of the lawsuit, lawyers for Jones note that in 2021, the largest financial institutions in America charged customers almost $11 billion in overdraft fees. Customers who carried an average balance of less than $350 reportedly paid 84 percent of those fees. While some banks, including Bank of America, Capital One, Wells Fargo and others have taken steps to eliminate such fees some have not. The lawsuit claims Bankers Trust continues to assess overdraft fees on APSN transactions and that the bank has made substantial revenue to the tune of tens of millions of dollars seeking to turn its customers financial struggles into revenue. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has called APSN fees unfair and deceptive, noting that consumers typically have no reason to anticipate such fees since they arent always disclosed to consumers. In October 2022, the bureau warned that even if a consumer closely monitors their account balance and carefully calibrates their spending, they can easily incur an overdraft fee. When a customer checks their account balance online or at an ATM, the amount displayed may be sufficient to cover their planned purchases but the balance in the account may not be sufficient to cover the purchases days later when the bank chooses to process the transactions. In some cases, depending on the order in which a bank structures debit-card purchases, a customer can be charged multiple overdraft fees in quick succession, driving their account balance even further into the red. The lawsuit notes that banks can protect themselves from true overdrafts by simply rejecting transactions once an account shows insufficient funds. Instead, the lawsuit claims, banks process the transactions, hold the money for the purchases in reserve, and then impose the APSN overdraft fees as a way to generate millions in revenue at the expense of customers who can least afford such fees. The lawsuit seeks class-action status to represent not only Jones but all other Bankers Trust customers who have been subjected to APSN overdraft fees. It seeks unspecified damages for breach of contract and violations of the federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act. Bankers Trust has yet to file a response to the lawsuit and the companys media representative could not be reached for comment Friday. IDA GROVE, Iowa An Ida Grove woman has been arrested and charged with the death of her 3-year-old son in May. Billie Mosier, 23, is charged with one count of child endangerment resulting in death, a felony that carries a 25-year prison sentence. Mosier turned herself in last week and was released from custody after posting $25,000 bail. Her initial appearance is scheduled for Thursday. On May 4, Mosier called 911 for first responders to come to her home in Battle Creek because her son, Jordan Reed, was unresponsive. The child was transported to Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove and then to Children's Hospital in Omaha. He was pronounced dead on May 5, and an autopsy was performed the following day by the Iowa State Medical Examiner's office. The Ida County Sheriff's Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation launched an investigation into Jordan's death. According to a complaint filed in Ida County District Court, Mosier told investigators she had driven home, found Jordan slumped over in his car seat and believed he had fallen asleep and strangled on the chest strap of his car seat. The autopsy concluded Jordan died of strangulation, but his injuries were not consistent with Mosier's explanation. In a September interview, Mosier admitted she had found Jordan hanging from the rear driver's-side window, the complaint said, and witnesses had reported seeing Jordan with his head or upper body out the same window during Mosier's drive home from Ida Grove to Battle Creek. Witnesses and videos found on Mosier's phone revealed she regularly left Jordan unsecured while driving. LINCOLN An 85-year-old man who had been incarcerated at the Nebraska State Penitentiary for nearly 50 years died Monday. Leonard Svitak, 85, had been in the states custody since Sept. 20, 1974, when he was sentenced to a term of 10 years to life for second-degree murder in Lancaster County. Svitak was convicted of shooting and killing his ex-wife, 30-year-old Mary Svitak, at her north Lincoln home in March 1974, according to newspaper archives. The two had been separated for three months when Svitak shot her with a .22-caliber rifle inside her mobile home after a dispute, according to the archives. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at St. Elizabeth hospital, and Svitak was arrested at the scene. Mary Svitak was an employee of the State Welfare Department at the time of her death. Leonard Svitak was a welder. Though his cause of death hasnt been determined, Svitak was being treated for a medical condition, the Department of Correctional Services said in a press release announcing his death. A grand jury will be convened to conduct an investigation into his death, as required by state law whenever an inmate dies in state custody. Inside Willa Cather's attic bedroom, the floral pattern wallpaper the author selected is still stuck to the walls. Downstairs in the parlor, there are tables that belonged to the Cather family. Shelves throughout the house were built by Cather's father. This childhood home in Red Cloud is the site most closely associated with Cather's life in Nebraska. Along with the town itself, the home was often used as a setting in her novels and short stories. Coinciding with her 150th birthday on Thursday, the home is reopening for limited tours following 16 months of restoration work. According to The National Willa Cather Center, it was the first comprehensive restoration of the home in more than fifty years. The house is designated a National Historic Landmark, part of the largest grouping of preserved historic sites and landscapes related to any other American writer, according to the center. Cather is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who moved to Nebraska with her family in 1883. A graduate of the University of Nebraska, she is perhaps best known for her novels "My Antonia," "O Pioneers!," and "Death Comes for the Archbishop." Cather lived in the modest one-and-a-half-story frame house between the ages of 10 and 16. While Cather moved away from Nebraska in 1896, her parents Charles and Mary Virginia Cather rented the home through 1904. Ashley Olson, executive director of The National Willa Cather Center, said that for many visitors, the childhood home is one of the biggest draws. "The childhood home is the site that most people want to see," Olson said. "It's the site most closely associated with Cather's life and her time in Red Cloud." When Cather's family initially moved to Red Cloud, they lived on the homestead of her grandparents in northwest Webster County. Less than two years later, they moved into town and into the rented house. Olson said many visitors are surprised that a family of Cather's size could fit in the home. Two parents, four children, Cather's maternal grandmother and the family's domestic worker all lived in the house. Three children were later born while the family lived in the house. The house is vividly described in "The Song of the Lark," Old Mrs. Harris and The Best Years. People who have read those works often say the house is just as Cather described it, Olson said. As the eldest child, Cather was eventually given a private room on the north side of the attic. She had a hand in decorating that space, including the wallpaper that was applied directly to the acidic wooden boards beneath. "This simple attic bedroom, which Cather later referred to in a letter as her 'rose-bower,' was for a few pivotal years in a small and busy household of nine, the solitary space needed for her brilliant young mind to imagine the whole world," the center said in a press release. The center closed the house in August 2022 for the extensive restoration project which included creating an accessible walkway and entrance, installing new non-intrusive museum lighting, a climate control system, a new roof and new foundation. Enclosure of the attic space and extensive repairs to the windows and doors sealed the building envelope, which will limit exposure to the elements and ensure an improved environment for collections care, the center said. The exterior of the house was repainted after the colors were confirmed through a paint analysis. That wallpaper in the attic, which Olson said is the most important artifact in the house, is the next task on the center's list. Decades of light and environmental instability have taken a toll on the wallpaper. Conservation work on it will resume in March to extend the lifespan of the paper to the extent possible. "We can't restore it to its original appearance but we can conserve it to slow the deterioration and that's what we'll be doing next," Olson said. The center said guests who book a tour in the early weeks of that month will have an opportunity to see paper conservators at work in the space. For more information about getting tours of the house, visit www.willacather.org/tours. Holiday tours on Saturdays are available through December, and on December 7, Cather's birthday. They can be booked online or as walk-ins, depending on availability. For Cather's birthday on Thursday, the center will have a live streamed virtual book launch and reading of Benjamin Taylors book, "Chasing Bright Medusas: A Life of Willa Cather." A link to the event can be found on the organization's website. Throughout the year, there have been tributes to Cather to celebrate her 150th birthday. Olson said it's been an opportunity to introduce new readers to Cather's work and think about how it's relevant to people today. "Cather herself was a very gifted writer and for Nebraskans, she sort of put the state on the map," Olson said. "She started writing about this Plains settlement experience that editors on the coasts really didn't care anything about. Now we have, through her words, this glimpse into an important part of our state's history and our nation's history." Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of November 2023 Hamas had reportedly administered tranquilizers to the Israeli hostages to deceive the cameras into thinking they were in good condition during their release, an official from Israel's Health Ministry acknowledged on Tuesday, December 5. The information was shared at a meeting of the Knesset Health Committee, which was focused on the well-being of the 110 civilian hostages who were brought back to Israel from Gaza last week as part of a deal to exchange Palestinians who were detained on charges of terrorism. Captives Were Drugged Before Release According to many viral accounts on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and other platforms, the captives were reportedly given affectionate glances by the Hamas militants as they were being handed over to the International Red Cross. Moshe Saada, a politician from the Likud party, claimed to have learned from the relatives of the hostages that "they were given all kinds of pills so that they feel high," as reported by Jewish Insider. Ronit Endevelt of Israel's Health Ministry's Nutrition Department confirmed that this is true. When Saada asked what kind of pills, Hagar Mizrahi, head of general medicine at the health ministry, said: "Clonex, to improve their mood." American consumers may recognize the benzodiazepine tranquilizer Klonopin by its Israeli brand name, Clonex. Within an hour, you will feel the hypnotic effects of this sedative-muscle relaxant. As a recreational drug, it has the potential to make users feel ecstatic. "This is part of the psychological terror Hamas put [the hostages] through," Saada remarked. "A pill like this, for someone who is not used to its influence, works quickly to give you a feeling that you're high when their mental state was actually very low." The drugging was one kind of abuse the captives endured, which also included psychological and physical abuse, as well as neglect. See Also: Israel Reveals Hamas Shot Female IDF Soldiers in 'Intimate Parts' Alleged Abuses Suffered by Hostages Regarding the subject of nutrition, the committee was informed via a presentation given by the Health Ministry that the majority of the hostages had a considerable loss of weight. The wounded were in poorer nutritional condition, but children kept alongside adults recovered better. A number of the medics who treated the captives said last week that some of them had suffered from malnutrition and had lost 10-20% of their total weight. Endevelt added that the captives were fed just before their release in an effort to make them seem better. The Health Ministry reported that several hostages were significantly deficient in vitamin D due to their lack of exposure to sunlight and that some of them had gastrointestinal difficulties. They also predicted the emergence of future nutritional problems, including digestive issues and eating disorders. According to Shir Siegal, the daughter of American citizens Aviva and Keith Siegal (the former of whom was released while the latter is still a prisoner in Gaza), their kidnappers handcuffed and tortured them, and people were not given medicine. "There are stories that they were treated them OK, they were given food ... They didn't give them food, they didn't give them water," Siegal pointed out. See Also: Israel Claims Hamas Spies Work for Years to Plan Oct. 7 Terrorist Attack @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NORMAL Normal residents likely will see a lower property tax rate next year, even after a 6.8% levy increase, because of townwide growth in the commercial and industrial sectors of the tax base, officials say. The Normal Town Council voted 5-2 Monday for a 2023 property tax levy estimated to be $14.3 million, which is a 6.8% increase over last years collected amount. The towns levy includes approximately $4.2 million for the Normal Public Library. Even with a levy increase, the town staff expects Normals share of the total property tax rate to decrease by around 10%, from $1.36 per $100 equalized assessed valuation for the 2022 levy to $1.22 per $100 EAV for the 2023 levy, which is for taxes payable in 2024. The latter would yield a tax bill for the town of about $671 on a $165,000 home, down from $748. The towns equalized assessed value is estimated to be about $1.17 billion, an increase of about 18.86% from the previous years EAV. This is partly attributed to the growth in commercial and industrial property values, especially now that the Rivian automotive plant is being taxed at its full taxable market value after its taxes were partially abated. The levied amount will allow the town to fully fund its public safety pension obligations and provide 50% funding for its other pensions, including the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and Social Security, officials said. The levy also will allow $500,000 more for to the general fund in light of increasing operation costs. Trustee Kathleen Lorenz, who voted against authorizing the town staff to prepare the levy at the Nov. 6 meeting, said she feels like the town is being inconsistent, especially after it eliminated the vehicle use tax in March to provide relief to residents. I voiced concern a month ago about the addition half a million dollars and its not clear to me the necessity for that, especially in the light of the fact that earlier this calendar year we felt compelled to remove a half million dollars with the repeal of the vehicle use tax, Lorenz said. Trustee Scott Preston was the other dissenting vote on the levy. In addition, the council authorized an abatement of over $5 million on the levy associated with debt service. Savannah Green subdivision The council awarded a $3,744,550 contract to Stark Excavating Inc. to patch and repair sections of streets and alleys; repair manholes, inlets and alley drains; and improve sidewalks, all within the Savannah Green subdivision in the northeast part of town. Hot mix asphalt will be used. The project will address many of the worst areas of pavement deterioration, and additional work will be needed in the future to deal with other areas of the subdivision not included in this project. City Manager Pam Reece said the town expects to seek bids for about $1.5 million to $2.5 million worth of work in the future. We will also try to do some work in house and then therell be phase two, yet to come, but this is a great start, Reece said. Savannah Green was constructed in the early 2000s and street and alley pavement has deteriorated partly because of workmanship and material issues associated with the initial installation coupled with high water levels in the area, officials said. Reece added the town will be using federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars to fund the project. Work is expected to begin in April and be completed by Aug. 31, 2024. License plate readers In other business, the council approved purchasing a mobile license plate recognition system and installing it on the Normal Police Departments parking enforcement vehicle from Minuteman Security & Life Safety for $47,164. According to council documents, the town previously purchased a similar system in 2014 from Springfield Electric for $50,805. This new system will automatically capture license plate numbers through cameras mounted on the exterior of the vehicle and the system will determine if a vehicle is in violation of any parking rules. The information is then integrated with the towns citation software to issue and manage parking citations. Assistant city manager departs The council also said goodbye to Assistant City Manager Eric Hanson, who attended his final meeting before heading to Galesburg to become its new city manager. Hanson, who has served in Normal for the last five years, said he is grateful for his time working at the town and fortunate to be able to learn from the entire administration, including Reece. Although he is looking forward to serving the city of Galesburg, Hanson said he still will miss his time with the town and his colleagues. Ive never felt anything but support during my entire time here, Hanson said. Im very blessed and fortunate and Im excited for the future. Hanson has worked on over $1.25 billion in economic development projects and over $100 million in capital improvement initiatives for the town. Photos: The 2023 Bloomington-Normal Jaycees Holiday Parade. Contact Mateusz Janik at (309) 820-3234. Follow Mateusz on Twitter: @mjanik99 Astute Journalist, Kwesi Pratt has slammed the Ghana Education Service (GES) over the reporting date for first-year Senior High School students. According to a GES statement, all first-year students were to report to their various schools on Monday, December 4. "Parents, students and the general public have therefore been reminded to take note that the reporting date for first-year students is December 4, 2023 as indicated on the Placement form," the statement issued by the GES on Saturday, December 2, said. The schools are however to vacate on December 21 and reopen in January next year. "Per the academic calendar, there would be Christmas break on the 21st of December 2023 and resume on the 3rd of January to continue academic work till March 5th 2024," GES emphasized. Discussing this matter on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Kwesi Pratt found the GES directive insensitive to the plight of parents whose children have gained admission into the Senior High Schools. He wondered how the Education Service expects parents to cough up money to send their children to school on December 4 only for them to return home on 21st of the same month. To him, this means the students are going to school to virtually do nothing, hence blasting the GES for providing such a limited period for the parents and their children. "What sort of trouble is this? So, pratically, the students are going to school and will vacate within 2 weeks...Just imagine living in Accra and your children going to school at Navrongo, how much is transport fare alone? Let's place this aside. We have all gone to school before. When you open school, what is the first week used for. The first week is not for serious academic studies. You all know that the first week is for weeding, sweeping, get used to the school environment and so on...So, if you are going to open school for two and half weeks, effectively, the period for instruction is only like one week. Why are we disturbing the children like this?", he fumed. 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 Elon Musk's profane attack on advertisers boycotting X, formerly known as Twitter, has baffled experts. If advertisers keep leaving and don't come back, can X survive? In April, I sat down with Musk for the first of his many chaotic interviews about his acquisition of X. He said something that, in hindsight, was rather revealing, but which passed me by at the time. Talking about advertising, he said: "If Disney feels comfortable advertising children's movies [on Twitter], and Apple feels comfortable advertising iPhones, those are good indicators that Twitter is a good place to advertise." Seven months later, Disney and Apple are no longer advertising on X - and Musk is telling companies that have left to "Go [expletive] yourself." The companies paused adverts after an investigation by a US organisation, Media Matters for America, flagged ads appearing next to pro-Nazi posts. X fiercely challenged the report, questioning its research methods, and launched a lawsuit against the organisation. In a fiery interview on Wednesday, Musk also used the "b" word - bankruptcy- to indicate just how much the ad boycott is damaging the company's bottom line. For a company he bought for $44bn (35bn) last year, bankruptcy might sound unthinkable. But it is possible. To understand why, you have to look at how reliant X is on advertising revenue - and why advertisers are not coming back. Although we don't have the latest figures, last year around 90% of X's revenue was from advertising. It is the heart of the business. On Wednesday Musk more than hinted at this. "If the company fails it will fail because of an advertiser boycott. And that will be what bankrupts the company," he said. Mark Gay, chief client officer at marketing consultancy Ebiquity, which works with hundreds of companies, says there is no sign anyone is returning. "The money has come out and nobody is putting a strategy in place for reinvesting there," he says. On Friday, retail giant Walmart announced it was no longer advertising on X. After Musk had told advertisers who quit X where to go in Wednesday's interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit, he said something that made advertisers wince even harder. "Hi Bob", he said - a reference to the chief executive of Disney, Bob Iger. When Musk puts chief executives "in his crosshairs" like this they will be even more reticent to be involved with X, says Lou Paskalis, of marketing consultancy AJL Advisory. Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Insider Intelligence, adds: "It doesn't take a social media expert to understand and to know that publicly and personally attacking advertisers and companies that pay X's bills is not going to be good for business." So could X really go bankrupt? If advertisers are gone for good, what does Musk have? When I interviewed him in April, it was clear he understood that subscriptions on X were not going to replace advertising money. "If you have a million people that are subscribed for, let's say, $100 a year-ish, that's $100m. That's a fairly small revenue stream relative to advertising," he told me. In 2022, Twitter's advertising revenue was around $4bn. Insider Intelligence estimates this year it will drop to $1.9bn. The company has two major outlays. The first is its staffing bill. Musk has cut X to the bone already, laying off thousands. The second is servicing the loans Musk took out to buy Twitter, totalling about $13bn. Reuters has reported that the company now has to pay $1.2bn or so in interest payments every year. If the company cannot service the interest on its loans or afford to pay staff then, yes, X really could go bankrupt. But that would be an extreme scenario that Musk would surely want to avoid. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The death toll from flooding and landslides in northern Tanzania has risen to 63. In order to deal with the impact of the heavy rains, President Samia Suluhu Hassan is cutting short her attendance at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. Homes, infrastructure and farmland have also been damaged. Massive floods are sweeping through countries across East Africa, with the El Nino weather phenomenon partly to blame. Tanzania's government said 400 rescue workers have been sent to the northern Hanang district. However, rescuers are operating under challenging conditions, such as defective telecommunications and blocked, damaged roads, the president's spokesperson, Zuhura Yunus, said in a statement released on Monday. "President Samia, who has been in Dubai for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28) has decided to cut her trip short and arrive in the country as soon as possible to deal with this disaster," Ms Yunus said. President Samia was among the dozens of world leaders who gathered at the major UN summit to discuss tackling climate change. COP28 began on 30 November and will run until 12 December. The president has ordered her government to pay for the funerals of those killed by the flooding and landslides, according to Ms Yunus. She also has directed the government to cover hospital fees for the wounded and temporary housing for those whose homes were "washed away". Dr Godwin Mollel, Tanzania's Deputy Minister of Health said: "We have a team of doctors and medical officers deployed. The services are much better and many of the patients are progressing well." Fanuel John, a father of four from a village called Gendabi, has been searching for his missing wife and children. He had heard the sound of water pouring when he went outside, what he said was "the roar of a ravine". Turning his head, he saw water rushing toward him. "I quickly told my wife and kids to hurry outside, and we climbed one of the big trees," he told the BBC. "As we ascended the tree, I realised that a flood was approaching." "I was shocked to see all the trees falling. Different kinds of trees were down. I urged my family to pray," he added. Then, waters reaching around six feet (1.8m) surrounded the family. "We were separated, and that was the last time I saw them," he said. Another survivor, Samuel Mtinda, heard "a sound like a car noise passing by" and looked outside. "I saw our house and neighbours houses are flooded with water and rocks," he said. "I told my wife and kids to run to the school grounds. We continue to run until we found a safe spot." Flooding is said to be the greatest natural hazard in Tanzania, affecting tens of thousands of people each year. Last month, higher than usual rainfall resulted in deaths and destruction to property in the main city, Dar es Salaam, and some other areas. Crops in some parts of the country have been washed away, affecting people's livelihoods. Tanzania's meteorology agency has warned that the rains will continue this month. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Leading Cement manufacturer, Ghacem Ltd. has donated 1000 bags of cement to support the construction of settlement Centres for the Akosombo Dam spillage victims. Citi FM/Citi TV, is embarking on a campaign to collect relief items for the victims affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage. Ghacem Limited, touted as the nation builder which hasbeen at the forefront of Ghanas infrastructural development since the independence both commercially and through corporate social responsibility initiatives heeded to this call with the 1000 bags of cement estimated at Gh.80,000. Top Executives of the company including; the Commercial Director, Mr. Kwasi Kyere, the Financial Director, Mr. Gideon Atta and the Lead, Marketing & PR, Mr. Frank AntwiAgyapong, were present at the premises of Citi Fm/Citi Tv to hand over the donation to Management of the station to back the campaign of providing relief items to the flood victims. The team were received on arrival by Mr. Samuel Attah-Mensah, Managing Director Citi fm/Citi tv, Ms. Ogboe Adusu, the Deputy Administrator and were hosted live on the Citi Breakfast show by co-host, Nathan Quao. Addressing the live studio presentation, Mr. Gideon Atta, the Financial Director, GhacemLtd. commended Citi Fm/Citi Tv for what he described as a laudable initiative of a commitment to alleviate the flood victims from this trauma they find themselves. As they say radio gets results and we see it in action in this initiative. Ghacem is indeed proud to stand with you to bring some major relief to the people who have been displaced of their places of abode and lost their livelihood. This is what we can do as corporate Ghana and as patriots to present these bags to support the effort in providing shelter for our dear brothers and sisters in these affected areas. On his part, Mr. Kwasi Kyere, the Commercial Director of Ghacem said although the company already has its main corporate social responsibility (CSR) program; the GhacemCement Foundation (GCF) instituted in 2002 to support health and educational infrastructurein deprived communities and has since its inception donated about 700,000 bags estimated at Gh.53 million, the move to support the construction of settlement Centres for victims affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage is something it identified as a national disaster that deserves special attention. We hope to partner Citi Fm/Citi Tv to ensure this worthy course becomes successful. Receiving the donation, Mr. Samuel Attah-Mensah, Managing Director Citi fm/Citi tv described the gesture as timely. Currently we are almost through with the first settlement Centre at Torkpo. 2nd settlement is now being done and we are at the Gable stage. The 3rd one is the Super Structure block work currently ongoing at Kpando. This Cement will as such go straight to the New Bakpa where we are constructing a market, school blocks, renovating a clinic and providing additional housing unit for the community. We therefore appreciate this gesture and thank you on behalf of those affected including we Ghanaian as well because so many farms which could have fed us have been completely washed away. Source: Peacefmonline.com e Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Office of the Attorney General (AG) and Minister for Justice has said it will appeal against the four-year and six-month custodial sentence imposed on galamsey kingpin, En Huang also known as Aisha Huang. On Monday, December 4, the High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo delivered her judgment on En Huang and handed her both a custodial sentence and a fine of GHc48k. The decision of the judge to impose the sanctions under the revoked Mining and Mineral Law Act 900 instead of the new law Act 995 has raised some eyebrows. A day after the judgement, Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney General said though they applaud the decision of the High Court to impose a sentence under the revoked law, his office would test the law by filing an appeal. Whilst applauding the efficiency of the justice delivery system witnessed in the trial of Aisha Huang, the Attorney-General will however test the soundness of the decision of the trial court to punish the accused person under Act 900, by filing an appeal at the Court of Appeal, against the sentence in order to ensure that the new sentencing regime imposed by Act 995 is applied to the accused person. Comments Source: starrfm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, Member of Parliament for the Effutu constituency in the Central Region, has vehemently dismissed claims suggesting the sale of the Ramsar site in Winneba for lithium mining. According to him, these allegations are coming from the NDC in the constituency. Responding to the allegations during a press conference, Afenyo-Markin stated, "The NDC in my constituency has come out with a serious allegation to the effect that government officials and my office sat unconcerned and got the sacrage forest of Afuttu where we go for deer hunting, the place has been sold for mining of lithium. I simply want to say that this allegation is false and never true." He further emphasized that the Minerals Commission issued a statement two years ago, indicating that no application for mining in the forest had been received. Afenyo-Markin firmly asserted, "There is no such thing." Meanwhile, Effutu residents took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction over the alleged potential sale of the Ramsar site for mining purposes. Clad in red apparel, the concerned residents highlighted that the contested site is crucial for their annual Aboakyire festival, particularly in deer hunting. They voiced concerns that selling the land could jeopardize the Aboakyire festival, a sentiment echoed by their demonstration. The residents issued a warning, stating their intent to halt the operations of the mining company, as they believe the exploration would disrupt the reserve that has been a part of their community for several years. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, has said he would wage a relentless crusade against the tendency of fellow citizens to loot the national coffers. He said the church would not relent in speaking against any such acts, no matter who was in the leadership of the country. The tendency of some of our fellow citizens looting the national coffers is a matter of great public concern and we shall not relent in speaking against any such acts, no matter who is in the leadership of our dear country. As a leader of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), I will lead the church to proclaim its prophetic voice on national and global matters, he assured. Induction service In his first address at an induction service held at the Ebenezer Congregation of the church at Osu in Accra yesterday, Rt Rev. Kwakye pointed out that the resources of the nation were meant for the entire nation and, therefore, had to be shared equitably to the benefit of all. He also described as a security concern rising unemployment and hopelessness in the country due to the economic crisis and gave an assurance that the church would not relent in its efforts to demand accountability. Rt Rev. Kwakye, visibly poised for action, also touched on the continued devastation of the environment through illegal mining (galamsey) and filth, and said that was a matter that we must all deal with. He called on the church to let the world know that a new dawn had come and urged them to stand together, irrespective of the varied ideological and political differences to build a just community and a prosperous nation. Profile Until the General Assembly of PCG elected him as Moderator on August 17, this year, Rt Rev. Kwakye was the Chairman of the Ga Presbytery. He takes over from Very Rev. Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, who ended his tenure last Thursday. The Moderator received 220 Yes endorsement as against six No by the General Assembly. Rev. Dr Seth Kissi who received 54 nominations, and Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong who also received 22, withdrew in support of Rev. Dr Kwakye who obtained 119 nominations to head for the endorsement alone. Coming into office as the 19th Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCG, Rt Rev. Kwakye who is an old student of Tema Secondary School, was commissioned by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana into ministry in 1997 at Kaneshie and ordained in 1999 at Odumase Krobo. After his probation at the La Bethel Presby Church in 1997, he was posted to the Christ Congregation, Adentan in 1999 as the Minister in Charge and later to the Calvary Congregation, Haatso. He assumed appointment as a Lecturer at the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, Legon in January 2014, and was promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in February 2020. Will of God While he acknowledged that the responsibility to lead was a herculean one, Rt Rev. Dr Kwakye gave an assurance that he would seek to know the will of God only, and to serve God diligently with all his heart. In that regard, he asked for the continuous prayers of all every day for a fresh anointing and the strength to do his work. Rt Rev. Dr Kwakye also expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to his late parents and all who contributed in diverse ways to his life, academic and priesthood journey. Sermon In a sermon, a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCG, Very Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey, advised the Moderator to be a leader according to the Spirit and not the flesh. He also advised the new leader to be after the order of the Holy Spirit. Very Rev. Prof. Martey said a leader of the church ought to take holiness and the Holy Spirit seriously and asked the Moderator to keep on asking, seeking and knocking during his stewardship while he remained in constant communion with the Lord. Quoting from St Augustine of Hippo and Isaiah 63 verse 10, the former Moderator said the church had a mixture of both good and bad people. He, therefore, charged the new Moderator to be revitalised according to the Spirit. Religious freedom The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who graced the occasion, assured the church and Ghanaians of the commitment of the government to uphold religious freedom and fostering an environment where all faiths could thrive. Dr Bawumia said the occasion underscored the harmonious relationship between the State and the diverse religious bodies, adding that the government recognised the pivotal role that faith played in shaping the moral fabric of the nation. He said the church had through its various community outreach programmes exemplified the values and expressed gratitude to the PCG for its recent support to the victims of the dam spillage. 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. Featured Video In a significant development, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, the Chief Justice of Ghana, has dismissed Judge Alfred Kwambena Asiedu from the Judicial Service. The judge in question was found guilty of inappropriate conduct during a divorce case he presided over at the Jasikan Circuit Court. The dismissal follows a petition lodged by Singari Diana Sadia on January 16, in which the judge was accused of abuse of power, sexual exploitation, malicious prosecution, and impropriety. Upon receiving the complaint, the Chief Justice transferred the case to the disciplinary committee of the Judiciary Service for investigation. After careful examination of the evidence, the disciplinary committee concluded that the judge had indeed misbehaved, warranting his dismissal. Consequently, Chief Justice Torkornoo issued a letter directing Judge Asiedu to surrender all official properties, including his official vehicle, dockets, and record books, to the Judicial Secretary. In her letter, the Chief Justice stated that the Disciplinary Committees investigation substantiated allegations of an improper relationship between Judge Asiedu and the petitioner. The committee also found evidence of abuse of power and malicious prosecution, as the judge had instigated the arrest and prosecution of Singari Diana Sadia without justification. The report of the Disciplinary Committee was then presented to the Judicial Council, who, at their 279th meeting on October 25, 2023, adopted the committees findings. It was determined that Judge Asiedus conduct constituted stated misbehavior, leading to his removal from office as a Circuit Court Judge. Per the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, in accordance with Article 151 (1), the Judicial Council, with the support of all members present, decided to dismiss Judge Asiedu for his inappropriate actions. The Chief Justices letter also instructed the Director of Human Resources to remove Judge Asiedus name from the Judicial Services payroll immediately. The dismissal emphasizes the Judiciarys commitment to upholding ethical standards and maintaining public trust. It sends a clear message that misconduct and inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated within the Ghanaian judicial system. Source: Daily Guide/facebook 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 JAMES Cleverly has today sealed a beefed-up deal with Rwanda which he hopes will get migration flights off the ground by next spring. The Home Secretary inked the treaty with his counterpart in Kigali this afternoon during a whistle-stop trip to the African country. Downing Street this morning said the agreement would help meet Rishi Sunak's pledge to begin removals within months. Emergency legislation to declare Rwanda a "safe country" in the hope of avoiding more legal challenge is also expected this week. Today's fresh treaty with Rwanda is supposed to reassure the Supreme Court, which ripped the plan apart last month. Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick told Cabinet the deal was "substantially" more "robust" than the one first agreed in 2022. Read Full Story .... thesun >>> : 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 We can now say that sushi is more than just a nutritious combination of fish and seaweed. Wasabi, the fiery green spice often used to season raw fish, enhances memory in both the short and long term, according to research out of Tohoku University. Rui Nouchi, an associate professor at the school's Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC) and the study's principal researcher, said the findings were more impressive than expected, even though they were based on a small sample of healthy individuals. "We knew from earlier animal studies that wasabi conferred health benefits. But what really surprised us was the dramatic change. The improvement was really substantial," he said during an interview with CBS News from his office in northeast Japan. Promising Results Japanese wasabi has a biochemical called 6-MSITC, which is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Nouchi said that this compound is present in very small concentrations in other plants. A total of 72 healthy adults, ranging in age from 60 to 80, participated in the crossover, randomized trial. Each participant was given 100mg of wasabi extract before bed, whereas the other half received a placebo. Following three months of treatment, the treated group showed "significant" improvements in working memory (short-term) and episodic memory (long-term), as measured by standardized tests of language proficiency, attention span, and task complexity. Executive function, processing speed, and inhibitory control (the capacity to maintain attention) did not show any improvement, though. Nouchi said that the average episodic memory score of those treated with wasabi was 18% higher than that of the placebo group and that the total score was 14% higher. Scientists suggested that 6-MSITC might increase neural plasticity by decreasing inflammation and oxidant levels in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory function. Results indicated that wasabi-dosed participants "showed improved verbal episodic memory performance as well as better performance in associating faces and names, which is often the major memory-related problem in older adults," compared to the control group. The researchers from Tohoku University want to see whether wasabi may help individuals with dementia prevent the progression of cognitive deterioration by testing it on people of different ages. See Also: Traumatic Injury Patients Make Remarkable Recovery Thanks to Brain Implants Watch Out for Fakes Unfortunately, the strong-flavored paste that is provided at practically all sushi establishments, even in Japan, is probably not authentic. The fake version, often made with regular white horseradish that has been colored green, is much more prevalent than the genuine product. Wasabi, a plant native to Japan, is infamously hard to grow. The plant needs precise conditions of water, shade, gravel, and temperature to mature, which takes over two years. It might be more expensive per pound than the premium tuna it is served with. See Also: CDC Reveals 1 in 3 Americans Now More Vulnerable to Type 2 Diabetes @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce 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: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain For many, a $200 traffic ticket can devastate their households' savings and finances. A collaboration between the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice and the Center for Justice Innovation and Applied Research Services aims to help people who are struggling with court fines and fees. Collaborators hope to reduce disparities among those who owe court fines and fees to limit the harm that debt often has on people's well-being by changing the way municipalities assess and collect fines and fees. "Nobody likes to get a traffic ticket and nobody likes to owe money. But not everybody experiences debt the same way. And that's been something we've had to really help lawmakers and leadership in the state understand. A $200 traffic ticket might be a very minor inconvenience for some people, a significant inconvenience for others, and totally life changing for others. And it's the people who it's totally life changing for that we're worried about," Leah Nelson, Alabama Appleseed's researcher director, said. The $2.5 million grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance will allow the collaborators to provide support for five jurisdictions across the nation. The locations have not yet been identified. The money will be used to pair experienced practitioners and researchers to address the specific needs of each jurisdiction. Each site will collaborate with a local advocacy, research or public policy organization to create solutions that make sense for the local community. State and municipal criminal justice systems are increasingly turning to government fines and fees to raise revenue and make up budget shortfalls. In April, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to judges across the nation urging states to stop aggressively issuing fines and fees and pushing that court practices are constitutional and nondiscriminatory. The national letter mentioned a federal lawsuit involving Brookside's practice of issuing fines and fees, which was first reported on by AL.com. The letter referenced a statement from the DOJ in the Brookside case, saying, "Courts, prosecutors, and police should be driven by justicenot revenue." Brookside revenue from fines and forfeitures rose 640% between 2018 and 2020, and came to provide 49% of the town's income. The letter also referenced a 2018 Alabama Appleseed survey, Under Pressure, which found that fines and fees disproportionately impacted low-income communities and communities of color, specifically African-American communities in Alabama. "Excessive debt creates enormous problems for people," Nelson said. "Black families are not able to save money or keep the money that they've saved or spend it how they want because they have to spend it on fines and fees. And that's really troubling. That's a demonstration of the community impact of this debt and the generational impact." The center's researchers surveyed 980 Alabama residents from 41 counties and found: More than 80% of participants cut back on basic needs like rent, food, medical bills, car payments, and child support to pay down their debt. Almost 40% committed a crime to pay off their debt. 44% used payday or title loans to pay off their debt. Almost 50% shared that they thought they would never be able to pay off their debt. When people are unable to pay their traffic tickets, the state will sometimes suspend their drivers licenses until the debts are paid off. This often results in people losing their jobs, which results in them being unable to pay the ever accumulating fees. "When I talk with judges, or lawyers, prosecutors, lawmakers, there's a general understanding that it's true that there are people who owe so much money that it's kind of like imaginary money that will never be collected," Nelson said. Peter Jones, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at UAB, said the system is inefficient for both individuals and the state. When someone can't drive and loses their job, the state loses money on income tax and sales tax on everyday goods. Jones said only 10 to 15 percent of what someone pays for a traffic ticket is actually the fine. A majority of the payment goes toward paying court fees. "All of the expenses that states have to incur to track people down, that costs money if someone owes fines and fees. You have to keep records of that and that costs money. And then you have to send the notices and that costs money," Jones said. "There's better ways to think about funding that system that are more efficient, less harmful to people and maybe don't align with incentives such as the government or law enforcement having to go out and write more tickets or go out and create higher fees," Jones said. Jones said the project will start with mapping and analyzing fine and fee structures in each jurisdiction to evaluate the benefit of existing practices. Organizers will then choose which jurisdictions to implement the initiatives based on their findings. "It's just a system that has not been carefully examined, and it's been worsened over the years by the addition of fees," Nelson said. "What the data says is that the system isn't working. It's not working for anyone. Jurisdictions are spending a lot of resources chasing people for money that they don't have and they will never have." 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: (Top) Imports of live eel fry into East Asia from the other regions based on East Asian Customs data, 20042022. (Bottom) Imports of live eel fry into East Asia from the Americas based on East Asian Customs data, 20042022. Credit: Hiromi Shiraishi Research led by Hiromi Shiraishi, a researcher at Chuo University, indicated a steep rise in the importation of American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) live fry to East Asia for aquaculture purposes. This surge poses a potential threat to the already endangered species, further depleting the resources of this species. "Early warning of an upsurge in international trade in the American Eel," has been published in Marine Policy. Japan relies on imports for two-thirds of its eel consumption and it is believed that a significant quantity of American Eel is included in these imports. As a major consumer of eels, Japan is urged to take a leading role in ensuring the sustainable utilization of eel species, including the American Eel. There are currently 19 species/subspecies of freshwater eels in the genus Anguilla. Eels are susceptible to a range of threats including changes in oceanic currents and/or climatic conditions, barriers to migration, loss or degradation of freshwater habitat, disease, pollution, and unsustainable exploitation and trade. Stocks of eel species most notably those in temperate Northern Hemisphere regions, have exhibited declines. These include the European Eel, currently listed as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, as well as the Japanese Eel and American Eel, which are classified as Endangered (EN). As artificial breeding of Anguilla spp. is not yet commercially viable, most of consumed eels originate from wild eel fry (glass eels) that are captured and then farmed. Live eel fry have become targets for capture in many countries as essential 'seed' in farming/aquaculture operations. Eel farming predominantly occurs in East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan), with Hong Kong being an important trade hub. With the European Eel being listed CITES Appendix II in 2007, which came into effect in 2009, and the low catches of Japanese eels in the early 2010s, fishing and trade of live fry of other eel species has increased. Imports from the Americas into East Asia remain high while Haiti and the Dominican Republic seem to have become key exporters of live eel fry recently. Customs import data for Anguilla live eel fry for the East Asian countries and territories provide an overview of trade dynamics of live eel fry imported into the region. As species-specific Customs data are not available, geographic origin and the IUCN Red List were used to infer the likely eel species being traded and supplied to farms conducted (e.g., assuming imports from Canada to be American Eel). It is noted that while all East Asian countries/territories have import codes for live eel fry for aquaculture, the definitions vary, potentially including larger size of eel fry in the data. The analysis showed that imports of live eel fry from the Americas to East Asia (likely to be American Eel) surged from 2 tonnes in 2004 to 157 tonnes in 2022. The average imports from the Americas from 2009 to 2021 was 29.1 14.3 tonnes, so the imports in 2022 were more than five times the mean. Live eel fry imports into Hong Kong in 2022 by exporter. Credit: Hiromi Shiraishi In 2022, imports from the Americas accounted for 89% of all live eel fry imports into East Asia, with Hong Kong being the primary importer (accounting for 96%). Hong Kong reportedly imported 100.6 tonnes of live eel fry from Haiti, 43.4 tonnes from Canada, 12.7 tonnes from the US, and 0.2 tonnes from the Dominican Republic in 2022. Almost all eels exported from Haiti were traded via Canada and the US. Compared to trade volume of other eel species, illegal trade in European eels is ongoing even after the CITES listing of the species (from 2009) and ban on exports and imports from/into the EU (from 2010). EUROPOL estimated that up to 100 tonnes were smuggled during the 20172018 fishing season. The annual input of Japanese eels for aquaculture in East Asia has been less than 100 tonnes since the 20112012 fishing season. Compared to these figures, the 157-tonnes import is striking and suggests that the American Eel is presently the most extensively exploited eel species in the world. The high demand for American Eels has led to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, illegal trade, and social disputes in some species-range states. In Canada, aside from seizures of fry and arrests of violators, conflicts about fishing quotas between fishers and Indigenous people have been reported. Some portion reportedly enters the black market in countries such as the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Prompt intervention is required to prevent further depletion of the American Eel, which is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The extent and scale of glass eel harvest and export from the Caribbean are still relatively unknown as fisheries and/or trade data are not fully available. The American Eel may reach a similar situation as the European Eel in the 1990s to the early 2000s, which led to the CITES listing of the species in 2007. Meanwhile, in East Asian farming countries/territories which has driven the demand for live eel fry, the nonbinding 'Joint Statement' has been developed since 2014 relating to 'International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species.' It encourages East Asian countries/territories to take every possible measures not to increase the amount of initial input of seeds of non-Japanese eel from the levels in the 2014 season. Inputs for non-Japanese eels were 39.9 t in total in the 20132014 fishing season (China 32 t, Japan 3.5 t, South Korea 2.9 t, Taiwan 1.5 t). If the import figure of 157 tonnes is accurate, it substantially exceeds this limit. These data are not fully comparable as import data might include larger size of eel fry than glass eels or eels that died during transportation; so evaluation of the accuracy of the input reports are required to better understand the levels of import. Co-operation between range states, transit and import countries/territories also would be essential to better understand the scale of exploitation and trade and how to address any IUU activity. As the boom in exploitation and export may also occur for other eel species anytime, monitoring and management targeting the whole genus Anguilla genus are essential to achieve sustainable use and conservation of the species. This research demonstrates the rapid increase in the utilization of American Eel live eel fry for aquaculture in East Asia. However, even in consuming nations, awareness of consuming American Eel is largely absent. In Japan, the lack of species-specific codes in customs statistics and the fact that processed products (such as kabayaki) might be attributed to the processing location, which could be different from the country of origin, makes it unclear how much American Eel is being consumed. As a major consumer of eels, Japan is urged to play a more leading role in achieving sustainable utilization of anguillid eels, including American Eel. More information: Hiromi Shiraishi et al, Early warning of an upsurge in international trade in the American Eel, Marine Policy (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105938 Journal information: Marine Policy 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 Kimberly Killen was an undergraduate at Wellesley College, which counts Hillary Rodham Clinton as an alumna, during the 2008 presidential electionin which Clinton was an early candidate. "That election was a complete eye-opener," Killen recalls. "Here I was 19, 20 years old, and my brain was bopping around with ideas about how, as women, we have equality, things are different now. Then I saw all the ways the media treated her as a womanany emotion she showed or did not show, how that was covered was so completely gendered that it seemed to me, as a woman, you just can't win. You're either too much of this or too little of that." And if the emotion being shown is anger and the person expressing it identifies as a feminist? She's hysterical, she's strident, she's irrational, she's a "feminazi"pick your dismissive stereotype. However, in a recently published article exploring "angry feminist claims" and political and social mobilization, Killen, who earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2022 and completed a research assistantship with CU Boulder researcher Celeste Montoya in May, argues that angry feminist claims have the power to inform and mobilize. She emphasizes that by resonating with empathetic communities, angry feminist claims legitimize feelings and experiences, triggering energetic transfers between feminists and non-feminists. The article appears in Political Research Quarterly. "I'm interested in this political moment and in what anger can do," Killen says. "Anger is not a uniformly good emotion, and I'm not saying we should all get really angry and go out and do things. "In this paper, I'm presenting anger as this really narrow path that can get us out of our seats to then transform that anger into something good or civicsomething that organizes us to act. It shouldn't just begin with, "I'm really angry, and I'm just going to stay really angry all the time." Part of it was recognizing my own anger and recognizing the ways people are using their anger to reclaim the position of rationality." Demanding respect and recognition Killen uses the term "angry feminist claims" to characterize particular statements and issuesnot individualsas "feminist" based on "their demands for respect, recognition and action on women's sexual autonomy and political legitimacy," she writes. "I do not classify angry women writ large as 'feminists.' However, as a result of making these claims, regardless of speakers' self-identification, society often treats these speakers as feminists; their political claims becoming synonymous with their identity. "Is anger an unproductive political emotion and mode of speech for women activists? Can angry feminist claims only get heard if they are delivered in an emotional register that conforms to liberal democratic conventions?" She considers whether angry feminist claims can be understood as a mobilizing and productive political practice by focusing on the protests of Brett Kavanaugh's 2018 confirmation hearings for the U.S. Supreme Court. She highlights the confrontation in an elevator between then-U.S. Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona and activists Ana Maria Archila and Maria Gallagher. After learning that Flake planned to vote in favor of confirming Kavanaugh, Archila and Gallagher confronted Flake in an elevator near his office. "You have children in your family," Archila told him (some media accounts describe her statements as "shouting"). "Think about them. I have two children. I cannot imagine that for the next 50 years they will have to have someone in the Supreme Court who has been accused of violating a young girl. What are you doing, sir?" Gallagher then added (also described as "shouting" in some accounts), "I was sexually assaulted, and nobody believed me. I didn't tell anyone, and you're telling all women that they don't matter, that they should just stay quiet because if they tell you what happened to them you are going to ignore them. That's what happened to me, and that's what you are telling all women in America, that they don't matter." "Do you think that Brett is telling the truth?" Archila asked. "Do you think that he's able to hold the pain of this country and repair it? That is the work of justice." The exchange was recorded by a CNN team, and for Killen, that exchange and the rhetoric and analysis that followed embody how angry feminist claims and their reception are shaped by a nexus of socio-historical forces. Whether and how an angry feminist claim is heard and valued can depend not only on a person's sex, but on their skin color, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic status and a host of other factors, Killen says. "It's possible, and it happens frequently, that two people are going to hear the same angry feminist claim, but hear it in two totally different ways," she says. "One person may have that nodding feeling of acceptance, and another may be thinking, "Oh, she's just being hysterical.'" Challenging conventions Studying angry feminist claims as a factor in political motivation also highlights disparities that have long existed within feminism, Killen says. The voices and experiences of liberal white women have long had a place at the front of the line, while those of people from underrepresented communities have struggled for legitimacy and to be heard. "This is a really difficult problem, and I think it even exceeds the feminist movement," Killen says. "We have a lot of sensitive conversations today within feminism and you can see people moving into a sort of defensive crouch rather than taking a beat to listen. Often, it feels threatening to hear that within feminism, some voices and experiences have been marginalized or delegitimized." She adds that bringing long-marginalized voices and experiences to the fore is a step-by-step process and that anger can play an important role in motivating action. Citing Archila and Gallagher confronting Flake in the elevator, Killen notes that "you can see they're upset, their voices are raised, but the way in which they're using anger is reclaimingeither intentionally or notthe position of rationality. Step by step, they're pointing out the ways that (Flake) is not behaving as a rational actor. Their language is going, "Wait up, no, look at this story we're telling you, this is the rational path.'" Further, anger doesn't just fulfill short-term goals for mobilization, but can challenge longstanding conventions about what is politically appropriate and for whom, Killen says. Seeing women's anger empowers other women to articulate feelings that deviate from the normnorms that have dictated who gets to be publicly angry and whose voice gets to be heard. Having just completed an election cycle and heading into the 2024 election year, Killen says she is hopeful that anger will continue galvanizing action: "What I see really motivating a lot of people, and not necessarily just women, is protecting reproductive and sexual health rights, voting to protect these rights. To me, that's a really hopeful glimmer that I think is going to continue to be on the ballot in ways that I just find exciting. "I'm excited for civic action and people feeling the inspiration of, 'We're going to go out and protect these rights.' I'm hopeful citizens are going to continue to show up at the ballot." More information: Kimberly Killen, "Feel My Rage": Angry Feminist Claims and Affective Mobilization, Political Research Quarterly (2023). DOI: 10.1177/10659129231181591 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: Dr. Arsham Hamidi and Dr. Ferda Canbaz at the laser lab. Credit: Reinhard Wendler, University of Basel Using lasers rather than scalpels and saws has many benefits in surgery. Yet they are only used in isolated cases. But that could be about to change: laser systems are getting smarter and better all the time, as a research team from the University of Basel demonstrates. Even back in 1957, when Gordon Gould coined the term "laser" (short for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation"), he was already imagining the possibilities for its use in medicine. Surgeons would be able to make precise incisions without even touching the patient. Before that could happen, however, there wereand still aremany hurdles to overcome. Manually controlled light sources have been superseded by mechanical and computer-controlled systems to reduce injuries caused by clumsy handling. Switching from continuous beams to pulsed lasers, which turn themselves rapidly on and off, has reduced the heat they produce. Technical advances allowed lasers to enter the world of ophthalmology in the early 1990s. Since then, the technology has moved on in other areas of medicine, too, but only in relatively few applications has it replaced the scalpel and the bone saw. Safety concerns are the most important hurdle: how can we prevent injury to the surrounding tissue? How closely can the cutting depth be controlled so that deeper layers of tissue are not accidentally damaged? Researchers at the University of Basel have just made an important contribution to the safe and precise use of lasers with their recent publication in the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. The research team, led by Dr. Ferda Canbaz at the Department of Biomedical Engineering in Basel and Professor Azhar Zam, formerly of the University of Basel but now based at New York University, has developed a system that combines three functions: it cuts bone, controls the cutting depth and differentiates between different tissues. Three lasers directed at one spot These three functions are carried out by three lasers that are aligned to focus on the same spot. The first laser serves as a tissue sensor in that it scans the surroundings of the site where the bone is to be cut. Pulses are sent with this laser to the surface at regular intervals, so to speak, vaporizing a tiny bit of tissue each time. The composition of this vaporized tissue is measured with a spectrometer. Each type of tissue has its own individual spectrumits own signature. An algorithm processes this data and creates a kind of map that shows where the bones are located and where the soft tissue is. Not until all of this has been completed does the second laser, which cuts bone, activate, and then only in places where bones rather than soft tissue are shown on the map that has just been generated. At the same time, the third laseran optical systemmeasures the depth of the cut and checks that the cutting laser is not penetrating more deeply than planned. During the cutting phase, the tissue sensor also constantly monitors whether the correct tissue is being cut. Autonomous control "The special thing about our system is that it controls itselfwithout human interference," says laser physicist Ferda Canbaz. The researchers have so far been testing their system on femur bones and tissue from pigs acquired from a local butcher. They were able to prove that their system works accurately down to fractions of a millimeter. The speed of the combined laser also approaches that of a conventional surgical procedure. The research team is currently working on making the system smaller. They have already got it down to the size of a matchbox when combining the optical system and the cutting laser alone, as reported in Optics Continuum. Once they have added the tissue sensor and managed to miniaturize the entire system further, they should be able to fit it into the tip of an endoscope to carry out minimally invasive operations. Less invasive surgery "Making more use of lasers in surgery is a worthy ambition for a number of reasons," says Dr. Arsham Hamidi, lead author of the study. Contact-free cutting somewhat reduces the risk of infections, he points out. "Smaller and more precise incisions also mean that the tissue heals more rapidly and that scarring is reduced." Cutting in a controlled manner using lasers also permits new cutting shapes to be applied so that, for instance, a bone implant could be physically interlocked with the existing bone. "One day, we might be able to do without bone cement completely," adds Ferda Canbaz. There are also other areas of surgery where this kind of combined setup would be useful: it might make it possible to distinguish tumors from the surrounding healthy tissue with greater precision and then cut them out without removing an unnecessary amount of the neighboring tissue. One thing is certain: Gordon Gould's vision of the laser as a versatile medical tool is drawing ever closer. More information: Arsham Hamidi et al, Multimodal feedback systems for smart laser osteotomy: Depth control and tissue differentiation, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1002/lsm.23732 Arsham Hamidi et al, Towards miniaturized OCT-guided laser osteotomy: integration of fiber-coupled Er:YAG laser with OCT, Optics Continuum (2023). DOI: 10.1364/OPTCON.497483 Journal information: Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 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 Water tests show nearly 3,000 private wells located near 63 active and former U.S. military bases are contaminated with "forever chemicals" at levels higher than what federal regulators consider safe for drinking. According to the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that analyzed Department of Defense testing data, 2,805 wells spread across 29 states were contaminated with at least one of two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, above 4 parts per trillion, a limit proposed earlier this year by the Environmental Protection Agency. That new drinking water standard is expected to take effect by the end of the year. But contamination in those wells was lower than the 70 parts per trillion threshold the Pentagon uses to trigger remediation. EWG researchers said they did not know how many people rely on the wells for drinking, cooking, and bathing, but the 76 tested locations represent just a fraction of the private wells near 714 current or former military sites spread across the U.S. According to EWG, Texas had nearly a third of the contaminated wells, with 909. Researchers recorded clusters of tainted wells in both urban and rural areas, from Riverside County and Sacramento in California to Rapid City, South Dakota, and Helena, Montana. "They are going to have to test more bases," said Jared Hayes, a senior policy analyst with EWG, in an interview with KFF Health News. "Those 2,805 are going to be a small number when they start testing drinking water wells near every single base." Defense Department officials are investigating hundreds of current and former domestic U.S. military installations and communities that surround them to determine whether their soil, groundwater, or drinking water is contaminated with PFAS chemicals. The Defense Department is a major contributor of PFAS pollution nationwidethe result of spills, dumping, or use of industrial solvents, firefighting foam, and other substances that contain what have been dubbed forever chemicals because they do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in the human body. Exposure to PFAS has been associated with health problems such as decreased response to vaccines, some types of cancer, low birth weight, and high blood pressure during pregnancy, according to a report published last year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. A study published this year linked testicular cancer in military personnel to exposure to PFOS, the main type of PFAS chemical used in firefighting foam. In July, a U.S. Geological Survey study estimated that at least 45% of U.S. tap water contains at least one type of PFAS chemical. USGS researchers tested 716 locations nationwide and found the forever chemicals more frequently in samples that were collected near urban areas and potential sources of PFAS like military installations, airports, industrial sites, and wastewater treatment plants, according to Kelly Smalling, a USGS research chemist and lead author of the study. "We knew we would find PFAS in tap water," she told KFF Health News in July. "But what was really interesting was the similarities between the private wells and the public supply." Drinking water sources near military installations that test above 70 parts per trillion draw immediate action from the Defense Department. Those responses include providing alternate drinking water sources, treatment, or water filtration systems. Below that threshold, federal officials leave it up to homeowners to weigh and mitigate the health risks of contamination, Hayes said. "It's unclear what, if anything, these private individuals are being advised," Hayes said. "If DoD is saying that 70 parts per trillion is the level they are going to provide clean water the understanding would be if it's below that, it must be fine." The Pentagon bases its 70 parts per trillion standard for PFOS and PFOA chemicals on a 2016 health advisory issued by the EPA. Officials have said they're waiting for the new federal standard to go into effect before changing Defense Department parameters. The Department of Defense did not respond by publication deadline to questions about EWG's findings, or how it will address the new EPA limits. While EWG's examination found that thousands of wells contained PFAS at levels above the new EPA standard, but below the military's 70 ppt threshold for action, it also learned that the Defense Department had found 1,800 private wells that registered higher than 70 ppt and had provided mitigation services to the owners of those wells. Hayes said the combined levels of PFOS and PFOA in some wells were as high as 10,000 ppt. Hayes said it's unclear how long people near those military sites have been drinking contaminated water. "Chances are it's been years, decades," he said. Federal law requires public water systems to be monitored regularly for pollutants, but private wells have no similar requirements. Hayes recommended that people who live near any current or former military installations and use a well for their drinking water have their water tested and use a filter designed specifically to remove PFAS. According to the Defense Department's PFAS remediation website, as part of its ongoing investigation and remediation effort, it has closed contaminated wells, installed new water sources, and treated drinking water on military bases. According to the Pentagon, it is working "to ensure no one on-base is exposed to PFOS or PFOA in drinking water above 70ppt." "Addressing DoD's PFAS releases is at the core of the Department's commitment to protect the health and safety of its Service members, their families, the DoD civilian workforce, and the communities in which DoD serves," Pentagon officials said on the site. 2023 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Common noctule. Credit: Carolin Scholz/Leibniz-IZW While some wildlife species thrive well in cities, it's harder for large, insectivorous bat species to find enough food. To get their fill, city-dwelling common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) have to hunt longer than their rural counterparts and yet they catch fewer insects. While rural bats hunt together, their urban counterparts regularly forage alone. These findings, published in the journal Global Change Biology, are the results of a new investigation led by PD Dr. Christian Voigt and Dr. Laura Stidsholt from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW). The research team equipped common noctules, a bat weighing around 30 grams, with small sensor loggers in the urban area of Berlin and in a rural area in northeastern Germany. This allowed them to record and analyze the bats' foraging efforts, the presence of conspecifics during foraging and hunting success in urban and rural environments. The results were consistent with the scientists' predictions: Although common noctules hunted similar-sized prey in both environments, they captured significantly fewer prey per flight time in the city and also a smaller total number of insects than their conspecifics in the countryside. In addition, they flew to higher altitudes to catch preybats in the city therefore catch fewer prey and have a higher energy expenditure while hunting insects than bats in the countryside. According to the scientists, common noctules in the city could compensate for their lower energy intake by lowering their body temperature when resting. "Many bats live in urban areas but not all of them are doing equally well," says Voigt, head of the Department of Evolutionary Ecology at the Leibniz-IZW. For larger species in particular, food supply is rather poor, due to the high degree of surface sealing because of roads, parking lots and buildings, says Voigt. All European bats are insectivores that hunt in the evening or at night. In cities, they find their prey in confined areas such as parks and cemeteries. According to first author Stidsholt, a Villum International postdoctoral researcher at the Leibniz-IZW, cities appear to be less attractive for larger bats such as the common noctule. "In the city, common noctules were also less social, hunting less frequently with conspecifics. Group hunting is probably unnecessary in the city, as it is easy for an urban bat to recognize which green spaces contain prey insects. In the countryside, they need the support of their conspecifics." Most bat species have a high energy requirement owing to their high metabolism and energy-intensive mode of locomotion. To minimize this, especially in times of food shortage, bats go into a dormant state called torpor. In doing so, bats reduce their metabolism and body temperature and thus their energy consumption considerably. It is possible that larger species such as the common noctule use this method in urban areas to maintain a positive energy balance. However, the energy-saving torpor also has negative consequences, for example for females of the common noctule during pregnancy and for the development of young animals, as growth is also slowed down at lower body temperatures. Urbanization has a significant impact on wildlife and ecosystems. Although a few species adapt to urban environments, the majority of wildlife species avoid heavily urbanized areas, leading to a general decline in biodiversity, the scientists say. The situation of large bats in cities is a good example of this, as the Leibniz-IZW's scientific investigation shows. Habitats with many insects are crucial for the protection of large bats in urban environments, the research team emphasizes. "This study helps us understand why some species thrive well in cities and others not and may inform protection strategies to improve the co-existence of human and bats," conclude the authors. "This is important since bats are essential in many ecosystems across the globe, but their species and numbers in decline." More information: Laura Stidsholt et al, Low foraging rates drive large insectivorous bats away from urban areas, Global Change Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17063 Journal information: Global Change Biology 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: As they swim around, fish leave DNA fragments behind them. Credit: Altermatt lab/Eawag As they swim around, fish leave DNA fragments behind them, for example via their skin or their excrements. Once collected and analyzed, these indicators allow scientists to determine all the species present in the environment. What's more, the method is precise, simpler and less harmful to the fish than the electrofishing generally used for this purpose. That is the conclusion of a large-scale study recently published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 'Scientific detectives' of rivers The study has been led by Florian Altermatt, Professor of Aquatic Ecology at the University of Zurich and head of a laboratory at Eawag. He explains, "In the past, inventorying biodiversity in rivers has often only been done sporadically about every five years, which isn't enough to properly track biodiversity." Moreover, the inventories have been based solely on morphological identification of the specimens, generally obtained by electrofishing. That methodwhich is authorized in Switzerland for scientific purposes onlyinvolves bringing fish to the surface by attracting them and stunning them with an electric current. Scientists are now looking for novel methods for measuring aquatic biodiversity that would be easier to use as well as more ethical, and Altermatt's group are focusing their efforts on environmental DNA. "Environmental DNA" refers to the DNA fragments that organisms leave behind them. Once captured and analyzed using genetic tools, these make it possible to identify the species to which they belong. "These fragments betray the presence of certain species in a particular areaor close to it, e.g. upstream of the site examined. It's a bit like the DNA that can be found at the scene of a crime," the professor explains. About 90 sites studied in Switzerland The technique has been employed in Switzerland at the scale of all rivers, thus giving a very large-scale perspective. Florian Altermatt and his team have examined 89 rivers across Switzerland. At each of these sites, the scientists collected 2 liters of river water and extracted the environmental DNA from it. By comparing the DNA extracted with a large volume of data on fish DNA sequencesan almost exhaustive store of DNA profilesthey were able to identify the species to which the sequences found in the water belonged. To assess the method's accuracy, they then compared the list of species identified with the complete list of species likely to be found at the site based on historical data collected over 30 years. At two thirds of the sites, the method was also compared with the electrofishing technique. The conclusion: Environmental DNA is a reliable method for estimating biodiversity in rivers. The results concurred with the historical data, and the method made it possible to detect a greater diversity of species than a single electrofishing event. "With environmental DNA, we could also identify species living upstream of the sampling site or species that are difficult to catch by electrofishing," says the researcher. More information: Jeanine Brantschen et al, Contrasting strengths of eDNA and electrofishing compared to historic records for assessing fish community diversity and composition, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2023-0053 Journal information: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Naturalis Biodiversity Centre deploys authentic objects to amaze visitors. Credit: Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden, Netherlands Educators in European science museums sometimes think rather differently about the definition of an "authentic" object. They think carefully about how they present those objects to teach visitors something or make them curious. This was shown in an article titled "Science museum educators' views on object-based learning: The perceived importance of authenticity and touch" recently published in Public Understanding of Science by the Science Communication & Society department at Leiden University. "Research on object use was perhaps focusing too much on authenticity," state the researchers. It used to be unthinkabletouching all kinds of objects in a museum. Nowadays, it is the ultimate way to arouse the visitors' interest, understanding and curiosity. Sometimes this cannot be done with the real object and museums use replicas. A frequent comment from visitors is: "Is it real?" Previous research shows that visitors are most amazed by real objects, but also understand that sometimes replicas are necessary. Anne Land-Zandstra, together with now graduate students Sanne Romp and Tirsa de Kluis, wanted to know how the educational staff at museums think about using original objects or replicas in their education activities. Surprise visitors or teach them something Romp and De Kluis, who did the masters specialization Science Communication & Society, conducted interviews and submitted questionnaires to education staff at several dozen science museums in the Netherlands and throughout the rest of Europe. They approached natural history museums or museums with scientific instruments. They found out that educational staff find the use of authentic objects very important to amaze or teach visitors something, but also that they do not necessarily choose authentic objects. They mainly look at what suits the goals of the particular activity. Sometimes this means they are better off choosing a replica, if visitors are allowed to touch the replica but not the authentic object, for example. The researchers also found out that the definition of "authentic" turns out to be very tricky. For instance, some museum educators think that an authentic object can only be of natural origin and not man-made. Others think a long history is essential, or that the object is unique. Some even felt that a replica can sometimes also be authentic when it is an exact copy of the original, for example. Research focused on authenticity too much This makes the discussion about choosing authentic or not rather difficult. But is this actually a problem? The researchers don't think so, as they state, "This result implies that research on object use was perhaps focusing too much on authenticity. It would be better to concentrate more on the way in which objects are presented." Understanding science, generating interest in science or curiosity in general: that's what science museums are all about. "In this field of research, replicas are often assumed to be less valued than authentic objects," the authors note. "But we need to pay particular attention to the variation in object types, the stories behind them and what you want to convey to the public." More information: Tirsa de Kluis et al, Science museum educators' views on object-based learning: The perceived importance of authenticity and touch, Public Understanding of Science (2023). DOI: 10.1177/09636625231202617 Journal information: Public Understanding of Science 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Research involving Cranfield University's Dr. Natalia Falagan is proposing a measure to significantly reduce carbon emissions across the frozen food industry. In a new report called Three Degrees of Change, the collaboration which involves DP World, a leading global logistics firm, and a team of international researchers, states that an adjustment to the standard temperature of frozen foods could yield remarkable environmental benefits, while maintaining the safety of the food product. The academic research, involving the Paris-based International Institute of Refrigeration, Cranfield University, the University of Birmingham, London South Bank University, and Wageningen University in the Netherlands , proposes raising the temperature of frozen foods by 3 degrees from the long-standing standard of -18C to -15C. The findings suggest that this change could result in an annual reduction in carbon emissions equivalent to taking 3.8 million cars off the road . These findings will be discussed at an event at Cop28 later this month and will align with Food, Agriculture and Water day on December 10. The report emphasizes the potential energy savings of approximately 25 terawatt-hours per yearequivalent to 8.63% of the U.K.'s annual energy consumption, showcasing the transformative impact of such a temperature adjustment on both environmental and economic fronts. Experts say the proposed change would not compromise food safety or quality, opening the door for a shift in frozen food transportation and storage practices. DP World has launched the "Join the Move to -15C" coalition to reconsider frozen food temperature standards on a global scale. Dr. Natalia Falagan, senior lecturer in food science and technology at Cranfield University, said, "Meeting the challenges within our global food supply chain demands innovative solutions that brings together environmental sustainability with food security. "Cold chains stand as a critical pillar in guaranteeing access to safe and nutritious food and this initiative improves the resilience of food systems and contributes towards global food security, in addition to driving sustainability." More information: Three Degrees of Change: Frozen Food in A Resilient and Sustainable Food System: www.sustainablecooling.org/wp- rt_November-2023.pdf 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: Karolina Grabowska from Pexels Young people in Germany are less proficient in mathematics, reading and science as compared to 2018. This is revealed in a PISA study. About one-third of the 15-year-olds tested achieved only a very low level of proficiency in at least one of the three subjects. The results confirmed a downward trend already in evidence in the preceding PISA studies. The mathematics and reading scores of German students are only at OECD average levels. They remain above that level only in natural sciences. The PISA studies are regular assessments of the ability of 15-year-old students to solve problems in mathematics, reading and science in real-world contexts as they approach the end of compulsory schooling. The current study, coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and conducted in Germany by the Center for International Student Assessment (ZIB) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), was carried out in the spring of 2022. In many OECD countries the average scores in mathematics and reading skills were lower as compared to the previous PISA study in 2018. Scores were also down in natural sciences, although to a lesser extent. In Germany the decrease in scores was larger than average in all three subjects. As a result, Germany is now significantly above the OECD average (492 vs. 485 points) only in natural sciences. In mathematics (475 vs. 472 points) and reading (480 vs. 476 points), the results now match the OECD average, which has also fallen in both subjects. After the first PISA study in 2000, Germany initially achieved improvements in its results and was able to maintain them at a high level. In the most recent PISA rounds, however, there were signs of a negative trend. The scores in mathematics and natural sciences are now below those of the PISA studies in the 2000s, when those subjects were assessed in detail for the first time (mathematics: PISA 2003; natural sciences: PISA 2006). The reading scores of the current study are around the same as in PISA 2000, when that subject was a focal point for the first time. Only a few OECD countries were able to improve some of their results between 2018 and 2022, for example Japan in reading and Italy, Ireland and Latvia in science. In mathematics, students in Japan and Korea show the highest average performance. The top countries in reading are Ireland, Japan, Korea and Estonia. Japan, Korea, Estonia and Canada have the best results in natural sciences. Focus of the eighth PISA study: Mathematics In the eighth Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study, the skills were assessed of a representative selection of approximately 6,100 15-year-old secondary school students attending around 260 schools of all types in Germany. Students also answered a questionnaire about learning conditions, attitudes and social background. School principals, teachers and parents answered questions on the lesson structure, classroom resources and the role of learning in the home. Approximately 690,000 students took part in the study worldwide. Every PISA cycle has a focus subject. This time it was mathematics. The German part of the study was headed by the ZIB on behalf of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Partners in the ZIB, alongside TUM, are the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education (DIPF) and the Leibniz Institute for Pedagogy of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (IPN). More students at low proficiency levels According to the test scores, the study classifies the students in six proficiency levels. Students whose skills do not exceed proficiency level 1 require additional support in order to meet the demands of vocational training or further schooling and participate fully in society. About one-third of the 15-year-olds achieved only these very low proficiency levels in at least one of the three tested subjects. Around one in six have significant deficiencies in all three subjects. The percentages of these particularly low-performing students have increased significantly since 2018. They now stand at 30% in mathematics, 26% in reading and 23% in science. At the other end of the scale are the highly proficient students. In mathematics and reading they now represent only 9% and 8% of the total, respectively, while in natural sciences their share of the total remained unchanged, at around 10%. The pandemic factor The students' answers to the questionnaires point to possible reasons for the lower scores: First, the researchers believe that school closures during the COVID pandemic negatively affected the ability to learn skills. In Germany schools made less use of digital media than the OECD average and relied more on materials mailed to students. "By comparison with other countries, Germany was not well prepared for distance learning in terms of digital hardwarebut then caught up," says study head Prof. Doris Lewalter, an educational researcher at TUM and managing director of the ZIB. Fewer than half of the low-proficiency students made use of available remedial options. However, the analysis of the international data shows no systematic link between the decreases in proficiency between 2018 and 2022 and the duration of school closures. Some countries with relatively few school closure days have significantly lower scores than in 2018 while others, with higher numbers of days lost, show only small decreases or even slightly higher scores. Language difficulties as a factor A second possible factor to explain the results in the study's focal area of mathematics: in Germany there is still a strong link between students' proficiency in mathematics and the socio-economic status of their families and their immigrant background. Today's 15-year-olds who themselves have immigrated to Germany are significantly less proficient at mathematics than the same group in 2012, when this question was last investigated. German is spoken less often in the homes of these students than in those of comparable students in 2012. "This conclusion is only a partial explanation of the overall results, however," says Prof. Lewalter. "The mathematical scores of non-immigrant students are also lower than in 2012and even more so than for German-born children of immigrant parents." The factor of interest and motivation To explain the long-term negative trend, the researchers therefore also take the students' responses to the questionnaire regarding motivation, attitudes and classroom conditions. Compared to 2012, the students showed less enjoyment and interest in mathematics. The subject was also causing them more anxiety. In addition, the 15-year-olds see fewer potential benefits from learning mathematics. "The results also show that the students feel less supported by their mathematics teachers. But this support is a key prerequisite for good instruction. In addition, the students have only limited awareness of teachers' efforts to make lessons relevant to real-world contexts. This makes it more difficult for them to recognize the importance of mathematics in their liveswhich can in turn decrease their motivation for the subject," says Prof. Lewalter. 'A big push' As key conclusions from the PISA results, the educational researchers recommend: A systematic diagnosis and development of linguistic and reading proficiency from pre-school to the secondary level. "German language skills are the foundation of success at school," says Prof. Lewalter. Ongoing development of instruction and the inclusion of digital media. "The students' living realities are constantly changing and, along with them, the baseline conditions for applying mathematics, reading and science skills," says Prof. Lewalter. Needs-oriented resource allocation to better equip schools with large numbers of students from disadvantaged families and with immigrant backgrounds. "After the first PISA study in 2000, Germany was able to significantly improve students' skills with effective support programs," says Prof. Lewalter. "With a big push, combining the efforts of policy makers, schools and society, we can do it again." More information: Doris Lewalter et al, PISA 2022. Analyse der Bildungsergebnisse in Deutschland (2023). DOI: 10.31244/9783830998488 Republican House lawmaker Jim Jordan said that the report of the House Judiciary Committee, which he was heading, regarding the FBI's alleged plan to monitor Catholics for any suspicion of domestic terrorism was an encroachment of the First Amendment. Fox News previously reported that House Republicans found that the FBI interviewed a Catholic priest and a church choir director before publishing an anti-Catholic memo to its staff. It was eventually found out that the two were probed despite documentation showing "no legitimate basis" for the memorandum that would insert operatives into churches. Jordan extrapolated on a report his panel released on Monday (December 4) on the FBI's apparent plan to monitor Catholics out of its Richmond, Virginia office for any suspected domestic terrorism. He has also previously probed the idea that the FBI would categorize some Catholics as potential domestic terrorists. Jordan: Feds Embedding Themselves in Churches Violates 1A In an exclusive interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity, Jordan said that FBI officials previously claimed that the issue only occurred in Richmond, but has since found out that the "attack on pro-life Catholics" was more expansive and a violation of the First Amendment. While FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that once its headquarters learned of the memo, his office ordered to immediately rescind and withdraw it, Jordan said that the issue itself and its reported expanding net was believable and par for the course. Jordan cited the FBI raid of the home of Kintnersville, Pennsylvania pro-life activist Mark Houck and his arrest in front of his family on a case relating to behavior outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic that Pennsylvania authorities previously declined to prosecute. Jordan added that Houck offered to turn himself in, but was instead met by the full force of the bureau. "When that [federal] case goes to court, Mark Houck wins," he said. "[T]hat's how ridiculous this all is. So that's what our report spells out." Read Also: Pope Francis Fires Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland Biden's Stance on Pro-Life Catholics Concerning, Jordan Says He also referenced US President Joe Biden's speech before the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where he declared "MAGA Republicans" a "threat to democracy." Jordan said that the president's remarks on the steps of the birthplace of the United States government represented "an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic." "Remember when Joe Biden stood in front of Independence Hall and talked about how one-half of the country is fascist?" he asked. "It's this whole mindset. If you're pro-life, if you're a traditional Catholic, somehow you're radical, somehow you're an extremist." Biden is only the second Catholic to occupy the Oval Office, with the first one being John F. Kennedy. However, many Catholics found his practice of Catholicism not aligned with the basic tenets imposed by the Vatican. Jordan added that the FBI's behavior continued to make the case against the funding the conclusion to a currently tense battle to relocate the bureau to a new headquarters outside the District of Columbia in Greenbelt, Maryland. In response, Virginian officials have united in bipartisan outrage over the process, with GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine asserting that Springfield was instead more in line with the stated criteria for an FBI relocation site, citing Virginia's established prominence in hosting other similar agencies like the CIA and Department of Defense nearby. Related Article: House Kicks NY Rep. George Santos Out of Capitol Hill @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce 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: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have compiled information to help political decision-makers better understand the individual options for a new EU-wide regulation of breeding technologies. The aim is to ensure the success of food producers in the EU on the global market. The scientists' findings have now been published in the journal Nature Plants and will be incorporated into the current debate on a draft law by the EU Commission. In July 2023, the European Commission proposed a new regulation on plants bred using certain new genomic techniques (NGT). It is now in the legislative process and is being discussed by members of the EU Parliament and the European Council. Prof. Dr. Kai Purnhagen, Professor of Food Law at the University of Bayreuth, and his team have analyzed the planned reforms. The researchers recommend focusing on plant traits with sustainability benefits. This is "the best way to contribute to climate protection and the transition to climate neutrality and to immediately integrate sustainability into all food-related policy areas," says Purnhagen. To support decision-making in the legislative process, the team of authors Kai Purnhagen, Yasmin Ambrogio, Alexandra Molitorisova and Alessandro Monaco also present six regulatory options in the article "Options for the regulation of new genomic techniques for plants in the European Union." "New genomic techniques offer great potential, but the possible risks should be managed," says Prof Purnhagen. "How exactly this should be done is still unclear. We have therefore outlined various options that should now enrich the discussion on the planned law." The options mentioned in the article are modeled on regulations in New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, the U.S., Japan and Canada. "We are proposing various regulatory options to regulate the new breeding technologies in such a way that the EU remains present on the global market and in research and the risks remain manageable," says Purnhagen. For this reason, the regulations of other countries and other regulatory areas in the EU have also been used as a guide. "However, our proposals are primarily based on scientific findings. The regulatory options can be used to develop a law that secures the future food supply worldwide and ensures that the EU is not left behind by the global market in terms of food supply." More information: Kai Purnhagen et al, Options for regulating new genomic techniques for plants in the European Union, Nature Plants (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01570-2 Journal information: Nature Plants 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: Producing complex sounds with the didgeridoo requires creating and manipulating resonances inside the vocal tract. Credit: Kate Callas Australia's most iconic sound is almost certainly the didgeridoo. The long wooden tube-shaped instrument is famous for its unique droning music and has played a significant role in Australian Aboriginal culture for thousands of years. Despite the instrument's simple design, the playing technique can be highly complex. Joe Wolfe and John Smith from the University of New South Wales conducted acoustic experiments to study the didgeridoo's unusual and complicated performance techniques. Smith will be presenting their work as part of Acoustics 2023 Sydney, running Dec. 48 at the International Convention Center Sydney. "We were interested in the effect of the player's vocal tract on various wind instruments," said Smith. "The didgeridoo seemed like an obvious start because the effect is so striking." Much more than with almost any other instrument, a didgeridoo player uses his vocal tract and vocal folds to produce striking changes in timbre. "Resonances in the mouth tend to remove bands of frequencies in the didgeridoo sound and we notice the remaining bands," said Smith. "It's a bit like a sculptor removing marble to leave the things that we notice." To study didgeridoo performance, the team developed new experimental techniques. One involved injecting a broadband acoustic signal into a player's mouth to measure the acoustic impedance spectrum of a didgeridoo player's vocal tract. The impedance spectrum is an indicator of which frequencies will resonate and which will be suppressed. This information let Smith and his colleagues identify traits that make the best didgeridoos, explore advanced techniques musicians use to create more complicated sounds, and expand their studies to other wind instruments. In another study, the team was able to identify and understand the acoustic properties of didgeridoos most preferred by expert players; these can be very different from the properties of other wind instruments. "We looked at advanced performance techniques, not only in the didgeridoo, but also in other wind instruments, such as clarinet and saxophone," said Smith. "We continue to research subtle features of expressive playing of wind instruments." 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: Successive waves of human arrival in New Zealand had a dramatic impact on biodiversity. Credit: Figure from Greig and Rawlence (2019) Takahe are a striking bird and a national treasure in Aotearoa New Zealand. But the history and origin story of this flightless swamp hen have become a point of scientific debate. Published in Molecular Ecology, our latest research uncovered the significant impact of humans and past climate change on takahe. Genetic analysis has also revealed that takahe are closely related to their extinct North Island cousin, the moho, contrary to previous research and established ideas. So what is the story behind this large, prehistoric bird, once believed to be extinct? And how might this new knowledge improve efforts to protect the unique species? A debated origin story The evolutionary history of takahe and moho has long puzzled scientists. Previous genetic analysis of small fragments of DNA suggested they were not close relatives. Instead, it was believed they descended from two separate arrivals to New Zealand by an ancient species of swamp hen. This evolutionary history has become conventional wisdom. But it's different to the origin story of the majority of New Zealand's birds with related species in the North and South Islands (such as tieke and kokako). Most New Zealand birds descend from a single colonization event, not two. Our new research has upended the takahe origin story. Using palaeogenetic techniques we sequenced takahe and moho DNA from fossil, archaeological, historical and living individuals to reconstruct their evolutionary history. Our findings suggest the Australian or Pacific swamp hen ancestor of takahe and moho arrived in New Zealand four million years ago, as the previously forested landscape began to open up with a cooling climate. Around 1.5 million years ago, a land bridge between the North and South Islands allowed the now possibly flightless swamp hen to evolve into takahe in the south, and the taller and slighter moho in the north. This land bridge eventually eroded with the development of Cook Strait around 500,000 years ago. Ice ages and human arrival Our genetic analyses and the fossil records show takahe were restricted to isolated areas in the northwestern and perhaps southern South Island at the height of the last ice age29,000 to 19,000 years ago. As the climate warmed, takahe shifted their distribution to eastern and southern regions. The takahe in the northwest South Island (where the Heaphy Track is today) went locally extinct. However, the biggest impact on takahe came with the arrival of East Polynesian colonists in the late 13th century. Over-hunting, habitat destruction and predation from kiore (Polynesian rats) and kuri (Polynesian dogs) resulted in the loss of takahe everywhere except Fiordland. This dramatic contraction and population bottleneck resulted in a small and inbred population with little to no genetic variation. There is no evidence of the genetic lineage (a series of mutations or changes in the genetic code which connect an ancestor to its descendants) of living takahe in any archaeological or fossil specimens we examined. This lineage may have only occurred in Fiordland, or was extremely rare in takahe and swept to dominance in this small population. Another possibility suggests this lineage occurred spontaneouslymuch like the genetic mutation in Queen Victoria that gave rise to hemophilia in members of Europe's royal families. We know from historical records that the arrival of Europeans and their furry companions no doubt resulted in further restriction of already rare takahe to the Murchison Mountains in Fiordland. However, we don't see any further genetic bottleneck at this point, as the damage had already been done by earlier human activity. The moho suffered the same fate as takahe, with the last probable sighting in the late 1800s. The demise of moho and the near extinction of takahe opened up a job vacancy in the ecosystem, allowing the pukeko to colonize New Zealand from Australia around 500 years ago. Improving conservation management The growing field of conservation paleontology uses the fossil record to inform conservation management decisions. It is especially important for endangered animals where human impact has masked their true biological heritage. Kea, despite appearances, are not an alpine bird. Likewise, the ideal habitat of takahe is not tussock. Rather, the fossil record suggests takahe preferred border habitats such as the edges of forests, grasslands and shrublands, where one habitat transitions to another. Conservation paleontology can and should be used to determine the range of suitable habitats across the country, based on the preferences of prehistoric takahe. This can be married with effective predator control to support takahe populations. It has long been known that takahe underwent a population bottleneck upon human arrival, but what surprised us was its scale. Our research highlights the need for conservation efforts to maximize the amount of genetic variation passed down to each generation, and to minimize the amount and consequent impacts of inbreeding. Although threats to our native wildlife exist in the here and now, the past can be a key to future efforts to conserve our precious biodiversity. More information: Alexander J. F. Verry et al, Ancient mitochondrial genomes unveil the origins and evolutionary history of New Zealand's enigmatic takahe and moho, Molecular Ecology (2023). DOI: 10.1111/mec.17227 Journal information: Molecular Ecology This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain After violent incidents such as police shootings, and around annual observances like Black History Month, why do some corporate expressions of solidarity with marginalized groups register as genuine, while others may seem performative or even backfire? An analysis of statements by Fortune 500 companies following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd finds that costly actions, such as donating money to social justice groups, aren't enough to convey allyship to Black Americans. According to research co-authored by a Cornell expert in organizational behavior, companies must also demonstrate a consistent, long-term commitment to diversity and racial equity. "Money is just a small piece of the puzzle with respect to Black Americans' allyship assessments," said James T. Carter, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the ILR School. "A company could give millions of dollars, but they are not capturing the benefits of that donation unless they are also consistent." Carter is a co-author of "Sincere Solidarity or Performative Pretense? Evaluations of Organizational Allyship," published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes with first author Rebecca Ponce de Leon, assistant professor in the Management Division of Columbia Business School; and Ashleigh Shelby Rosette, the James L. Vincent Professor of Leadership at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Organizations are increasingly expected to signal solidarity in response to high-profile "mega-threat" events targeting an identity group, the scholars said, with research showing that people may perceive companies as complicit in racial violence if they remain silent. Businesses may try to convey allyship through products, advertisements, social media posts, and statements. However, efforts are sometimes viewed as insincere or offensive and can spark a backlash. Walmart, for example, which, after Floyd's death, committed $100 million toward a racial equity center, later provoked anger from Black consumers over its 2021 release of "Celebration Edition: Juneteenth Ice Cream," which was pulled from stores. After Floyd's murder, when seemingly every major companysome with inconsistent records on diversityreleased ally statements, the research team sought to identify the factors driving marginalized groups' evaluations of allyship. Drawing from economic signaling theory and studies of identity safety, they tested the importance of cost and consistency to an all-Black sample of survey respondentsa rarity, they said, in organizational behavior and social psychology research. The scholars first collected public statements released by nearly 350 companies70% of the Fortune 500during the two months following Floyd's death. The statements were anonymized and coded for elements that signaled costs in terms of resourcessuch as financial pledges or the hiring of a chief diversity officeror reputation, like explicitly mentioning race or the names of recent Black victims of police violence instead of using "colorblind" language. To investigate the role of consistency, the researchers noted if companies placed in the top 100 of Fortune magazine's Measure Up initiative, which ranks Fortune 500 companies relative to one another based on 14 diversity and inclusion metrics. More than 1,300 Black Americans evaluated the statementseight per person, randomly selected, for a total of more than 10,000 evaluationsrating the extent to which they agreed that a company was an ally to Black people. Statements that signaled costs received better evaluations than those that didn't. But costly elements only predicted positive evaluations for companies that communicated consistent attention to the issuesin this case, those appearing in Measure Up's top 100. "You can demonstrate costly signals, and you should," Carter said. "But consistency is key to shaping whether people perceive an organization to be an ally or not." To test the findings in a more controlled manner, a second study adapted a Fortune 500 ally statement into four versions that varied cost and consistency levelschanging, for example, how much the unnamed company donated to social justice organizations, whether it mentioned race or victim names, and how long it had appeared on a recognized list of best companies for diversity. Nearly 700 Black Americans evaluated one of the four versions of the statement for allyship, and rated how authentic the company seemed. The results confirmed the relationship between cost and consistency, and suggested that perceived authenticity underpinned the evaluations. The statement was seen as more authentic when it signaled both high cost and consistency. To sincerely demonstrate solidarity, the authors concluded, costly sacrifices in support of Black people are "necessary but insufficient." "It is critical that companies convey that they will follow through on these sacrifices in the long run, beyond specific trends or mega-events," they wrote. "Organizations must work to authentically embrace egalitarian policies and values to be considered allies to marginalized communities." More information: Rebecca Ponce de Leon et al, Sincere solidarity or performative pretense? Evaluations of organizational allyship, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2023.104296 Journal information: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 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: Pine Island Glacier subjected to different basal melt forcing. a,b, Bedrock elevation with overlain grounding lines (a) and flowline profiles (b) for the initial model setup, control and warm simulations. The flowline position is shown in dashed cyan in a. The location of PIG is shown in the inset map of Antarctica in a, which is displayed using the polar stereographic projection (xps, yps). In both panels, the present-day geometry is shown in dotted purple and the steady-state geometry after no basal melting for 500 years is shown in dash-dotted purple. The black solid line shows the geometry after 100 years of control forcing, with a 700 m thermocline depth and the red solid line shows the geometry following another 50 years of warm forcing, with a 600 m thermocline. The zero position along the flowline in b corresponds to the present-day grounding-line position. Credit: Nature Climate Change (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01887-y Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica has gone through an irreversible retreat, passing a tipping point within the last 80 years, researchers have found. The paper, "Recent irreversible retreat phase of Pine Island Glacier," now published in Nature Climate Change, has appeared when world leaders gather in Dubai to debate the impacts of climate change at the COP28 conference. While numerical model simulations have been used for some time to study the behavior of glaciers and ice sheets, researchers from Northumbria University and Bangor University combined these for the first time with real-world satellite observations to identify whether a tipping point has been crossed in the past. They have now been able to confirm that Pine Island Glacier underwent a rapid, unstable retreat at some point between the 1940s and 1970s, leading to an irreversible loss of ice over several decades. Pine Island Glacier, together with its neighbor Thwaites Glacier, have been called the "underbelly" of the West Antarctic ice sheet. Pine Ice Glacier is one of the fastest flowing outlets of ice in West Antarctica and has contributed more to global mean sea-level rise in recent decades than any other Antarctic glacier. Between the 1940s and 1970s the glacier, which was 40km more advanced than its present-day position, detached from a seabed ridge. It underwent a rapid retreat until it temporarily stabilized on a shallow part of the seabed in the late 1980s. The researchers believe that a period of warm ocean temperatures would have been sufficient to cause melting beneath the glacier, forcing it to retreat from its long-term position on the ridge. While their study suggests that this accelerated phase of mass loss may now have come to a halt, their results indicate that by the early 1970s the glacier had retreated to a point where it could not recover its original mass and position during colder conditions. This confirms that the glacier's retreat during this period is irreversible, meaning it has passed a tipping point. The researchers also applied their numerical model to predict the future behavior of the glacier in a separate study and have found that it will again enter periods of rapid retreat unless global warming is kept within limits. Dr. Brad Reed, a Research Fellow in Ice-Ocean Modeling at Northumbria University, began the research while undertaking his Ph.D. at Bangor University. He said, "The implications for the future are clear. What has happened in the past can happen again. "Our ability to model past changes as the glacier passed a tipping point, provides us with an added confidence in our future predictions. But it is worrying that our model predicts further irreversible and fast periods of mass loss from this same region in the future unless we can halt global warming." He added, "While the phase of retreat that we modeled may have finished, we cannot rule out similar irreversible mass loss from this part of the ice sheet in the near future and we should not risk the consequences associated with these types of retreat and mass loss." Professor Mattias Green, Professor of Oceanography in the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, said, "The investigation highlights the important interactions between the ocean and the glaciers in Antarctica. The trigger of the historical retreat was possibly an episode of warm ocean water entering the area of Pine Island Glacier, and even when conditions returned to the cold state, the retreat continued. This is quite concerning for the future state of Pine Island Glacier and its neighbors in a warming world. "It also stresses that investigating past behavior of the Antarctic ice sheet can give us insights into how it will respond in the future, and it gives us confidence in our ability to predict those responses." Northumbria University has one of the world's largest groups of glaciologists studying the interactions between ice sheets and oceans. Hilmar Gudmundsson, Professor of Glaciology and the academic lead of the University's The Future of Ice on Earth group, co-authored the study. He warned that it was potentially a case of luck that the glaciers' retreat stabilized after a few decades of ice loss due to the topography of the bedrock under the Amundsen Sea. "This study is about understanding the causes for recent changes in this area, and what we can expect next. The irreversible behavior of the glacier we see in those simulations, is also seen in our future predictions," he said. "The implication is that we should be thinking about ice loss from this part of the world not in terms of a gradual measured response to global warming, but as something that, when pushed too far, loses ice on its own accord at an accelerated rate. "This time the result was that over a period of a few decades the glacier became the biggest contributor of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to sea level rise. What our models suggest is that passing further tipping points of Pine Island Glacier will cause even larger loss of ice. In that sense, this time we may have got lucky." Researchers from Northumbria University are leading major studies assessing changes in Antarctica, including TiPACCs (Tipping Points in the Antarctic Climate System). This project is investigating the probability of sudden and large changes in the sea-level contribution from the Antarctic Ice Sheet due to crossings of tipping points in the marginal seas and the grounding lines of the floating ice shelves that fringe the ice sheet. More information: Brad Reed et al, Recent irreversible retreat phase of Pine Island Glacier, Nature Climate Change (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01887-y Journal information: Nature Climate Change 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: O 2 and CO 2 concentration profiles at mines KK3 and KK4. Background colors represent different layers : yellow for sand, brown for clay, black dashed line for GCL, gray for waste rock, and white for tailings. Credit: Applied Geochemistry (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2023.105819 Imagine an abandoned mine site, surrounded by dead trees and dotted with dark, red ponds with no signs of aquatic life. This is the result of mine waste left in the environment that gets weathered by water and air. With exposure to the elements over time, the waste produces toxic substances such as arsenic and lead. "It is a major environmental problem facing the mining industry in Canada and worldwide," said Aria Zhang, who studied a method for covering mine tailings as part of her Master's degree at the University of Waterloo. "Once these toxins are released, it's difficult to control. It pollutes the soil and seeps into lakes and groundwater. It can threaten people's drinking water supply, agricultural production, and the ecosystem." Under the supervision of professors David Blowes and Carol Ptacek, and hydrogeochemist Jeff Bain, Zhang assessed the effectiveness of a cover of layers of soil, sand, and gravel placed over mine waste near Timmins, Ontario, in 2008. The cover was intended to inhibit the chemical reaction that produces toxins and prevent them from leaching into the environment. However, there were concerns within the remediation industry about how effective covers would be in containing toxins from the wastewhich was deposited on this site between 1968 and 1972. "At old mine sites, metals like lead, arsenic, and copper have precipitated into unstable solids," said Zhang. "It's similar to limescale buildup in a kettle if there is hard water. They are sensitive to chemical changes, which means they could dissolve again under a cover and potentially get released into the environment." Protecting communities from toxic mine waste. Credit: Canadian Light Source Using experimental techniques at the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan and the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, Zhang and colleagues determined the remediation approach had been successful. They found that the cover did not destabilize toxic minerals at the site and was preventing more toxins from developing. Their findings were recently published in Applied Geochemistry. "This cover is already applied at many mine sites, but because of this uncertainty about the chemistry there were some concerns," said Zhang. "Now, we know better." The results provide useful information for decision-makers and engineers as they plan future mine remediation efforts. "Our findings can be applied today. A lot of mining is happening and a lot of old mines are being remediated. As professionals design covers and select remediation methods to use, they can take our results into consideration." Zhang hopes their findings will benefit the environment and human health. "Remediation is crucial in controlling the toxic metals in the mine waste from being released into the environment so that it doesn't threaten the drinking water supply or cause health concerns. Those toxic metals are known to kill fish and cause cancer, so it's very important to do something about it and to have confidence in the efficacy of your remediation method," said Zhang. More information: Aria Zhang et al, Geochemistry and mineralogy of legacy tailings under a composite cover, Applied Geochemistry (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2023.105819 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: HAP@FAP piezocatalysts with built-in lattice strain gradient structure was fabricated, showing high catalytic activity for degradation of PHE in soil. Credit: Jianmei Lu and Najun Li, Soochow University, China. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) removal in the soil environment is of great significance for repairing the long-term damaged ecosystem. However, the poor mass transfer process and low catalytic activity in most conventional methods lead to limited removal efficiency. A team of scientists has constructed a gradient F-doping hydroxyapatite core-shell structure (HAP@FAP) with the coupling effect of flexoelectricity and piezoelectricity for degradation of PAHs in soil that provide innovative approaches for soil remediation. Their work was published in the journal Industrial Chemistry & Materials. The poor mass transfer process in conventional soil remediation methods remains a significant factor that hampers their further application. Recently, piezocatalysis has been developed as a new energy conversion technology. The mechanical vibration (ultrasound or stirring, etc.) can induce lattice distortion of piezocatalysts and accelerate mass transfer in the soil system, leading to enhanced piezocatalytic degradation of PAHs in soil, which shows great potential in soil remediation. Hydroxyapatite (Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 , HAP), as natural mineral piezocatalysts, exhibit unique advantages of environmental friendliness in the field of piezocatalytic soil remediation. However, the biggest challenge is the weak piezoelectric coefficient (116 pm V-1) of HAP, leading to low catalytic activity. "How to construct HAP-based mineral piezocatalysts with high piezocatalytic activity for soil remediation is the direction of our team's efforts," explains Jianmei Lu, a professor at the Soochow University. The researchers successfully fabricated a gradient F-doping HAP@FAP core-shell structure via a simple ion exchange method, which induced the coupling effect of piezoelectricity and flexoelectricity by built-in strain gradient for enhanced piezocatalytic activity. The oxidative degradation of phenanthrene (PHE) in soil (200 mg kg-1) was carried out to evaluate the piezocatalytic activities of catalysts. HAP@FAP exhibited the optimized piezocatalytic activity that 79% PHE can be degraded under ultrasonic vibration for 120 min. This is significantly superior to pristine HAP and F-HAP with a solid solutions structure. In addition, the effects of catalyst dosage, water-to-soil ratio, and ultrasonic power on degradation performance were investigated. The research team also proposed the possible mechanism of PHE degradation caused by piezoelectric polarization. The lattice strain gradient generated in the gradient F-doping core-shell direction induced flexoelectricity enhanced piezocatalytic activity. Under continuous ultrasonic vibration, the polarized electric field in HAP@FAP drove charge carriers to the surface, generating reactive oxygen species for oxidative degradation of PHE ultimately into CO 2 and H 2 O, achieving the goal of harmless treatment of soil pollutants. Looking ahead, the research team hopes that their work might provide insights for the modification of piezoelectric catalysts for the remediation of organics-contaminated soils from industrial land. "We next plan to scale up to achieve the ultimate goal of industrial application. Our developed catalyst may be potentially applied in various persistent organic pollutants contaminated industrial land, such as polychlorinated biphenyls and naphthalene," said Lu. More information: Jun Han et al, Flexoelectricity in hydroxyapatite for the enhanced piezocatalytic degradation of phenanthrene in soil, Industrial Chemistry & Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1039/D3IM00093A Provided by Industrial Chemistry & Materials 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 Kenyan photojournalist Mohamed Amin (1943-1996) rose to fame for documenting the 1984 famine in neighboring Ethiopia with powerful images of the tragedy. He also captured the Ethiopian people's suffering during the brutal reign of Mengistu Haile Mariam. These images, broadcast by the BBC, shocked the global public and had a significant international impact. They mobilized governments, individuals and institutions. This even led to Live Aidthe famous 1985 benefit concert to raise funds for victims of the famine. As a result, some sources refer to Amin as "the man who moved the world", reducing his visual work to this tragedy. As a lecturer and researcher in journalism, and a photographer and scholar completing a Ph.D. on Amin, we recently published a paper on Amin's vast earlier body of work. We wanted to highlight that Amin had already undertaken intense and prestigious work in Africa, Asia and the Middle East before these photos of tragedy. His visual collection, spanning from 1956 to 1996, comprises over 8,000 hours of video and approximately 3.5 million photographs. It's important that people understand the greater scope of Amin's images: he captured the first shots of African lives after European imperialism. If French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson was considered the eye of the world, Amin is the eye of postcolonial Africa. International fame On 23 October 1984, the UK public broadcaster, the BBC, aired a shocking report by journalist Michael Buerk, featuring images by Amin, on the Korem refugee camp in Ethiopia: "Death is all around. A child or an adult dies every 20 minutes. Korem, an insignificant town, has become a place of sorrow." Ethiopia was under the Marxist dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam, who had ousted the last Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie, through a military coup in 1974. In 1984, the country still had restricted areas for foreign media, but the BBC correspondent had been taken to the Ethiopian highlands by connections of Amin, a Kenyan cameraman and photojournalist. The impact of the report was extraordinary. A story set in a developing country with no British angle was viewed by nearly a third of the adult British population. The images were quickly replicated by other international TV networks. Soon enough 425 TV channels worldwide had broadcast Amin's images to a global audience of 470 million people. "Mo" Amin was making history. He had become the cameraman of the Ethiopian famine. The images catalyzed the largest humanitarian relief effort the world has ever witnessed. Public visibility turned Amin into an international celebrity. He and his family were received at the White House in the US in 1985. At the ceremony, US vice-president George Bush officially presented the cameraman with a symbolic check for two billion dollars in humanitarian aid for Africa. Earlier work Interest in Amin's work stems from three main aspects. The first is his vast and diverse body of work. The second is his focus. He centered on Africa, outside the western media's epicenter, with a pan-African perspective. The third is that his images capture postcolonial events as they unfolded, in a time before the mass globalization of the internet and social media. His postcolonial coverage of African dictators, such as Jean-Bedel Bokassa (in the Central African Republic), Mobutu Sese Seko (Congo) and Idi Amin (Uganda) exemplify the importance of his earlier work. The two main themes of his work are postcolonialism and everyday Africa. From the 1960s to the early 1980s, in the early period of African independence, his response to the western media's portrayal of Africa was to create photo books that showed everyday African life from an African perspective. These publications allowed him to give his work a personal and pan-African orientation, freeing it from the daily urgency of serving western news interests. He created a total of 55 books of his own work. His book Cradle of Mankind (1981) was the outcome of an expedition he led, considered to be one of the first circumnavigations of Lake Turkana and its desert to the north of Kenya. The aim of this adventure was to document the life of the six tribes living along the shores of the lake. The book was accompanied by exhibitions in Nairobi and London. The expedition earned him the honor of being admitted as a member of the Royal Geographical Society of London in 1982. His documenting of African dictators reveals another extraordinary body of work, the camera up close and personal. The dictator Idi Amin, for example, granted him three exclusive personal interviews (in 1971, 1980 and 1985). He also journeyed far beyond the continent. His works on Asia and the Middle East include books on Mecca (1980) and The Beauty of Pakistan (1983), among others. Amin's legacy There is a constant stream of references to Amin's work in the media, a couple of biographies have been written about him, and his images are constantly used to illustrate books and articles on tourism, nature or history. However, there are few academic studies of his work and fewer still international retrospective exhibitions. Currently, it's possible to access just a small portion of his work online. In 2021, 25 years after his death, the Mohamed Amin Foundation made 6,553 digitized images available in 58 thematic reports and galleries through Google Arts & Culture. This is a small step towards showing his complete body of work. The global impact of Amin's photos and videos concerning the Ethiopian famine is undeniable. However, it's important to emphasize that his broader legacy constitutes one of the single most extensive historical photographic archives of Africa ever createdand it deserves greater attention. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Mitte27, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA In April 2022 a video was uploaded to YouTube in which an elderly woman greets Ukrainian soldiers waving the Soviet flag. One of the soldiers takes the flag from her and treads on it. The woman says in Russian: "My parents died for that flag, and now you're stepping on it." The video quickly went viral. The woman was turned into a symbol, "Babushka Z," who also appeared outside social media in drawings, murals and statues. She was used to justify Russian military action and support the Russian version of the legitimacy of the war. Together with Satu Venalainen, Rusten Menard, Teemu Pauha and Inga Jasinskaja-Lahti, Doctoral Researcher Marja Lonnroth-Olin have examined how the international social media audience commented on this encounter between a woman and a soldier in an article published in Nations and Nationalism. Different meanings attached to the past According to Lonnroth-Olin, the discussion evoked by the video speaks more broadly about how the war is discussed on social media and demonstrates how nation-building takes place through historical and cultural meanings associated with age, gender and ethnicity. "People on social media use their own versions of history, heritage, traditions and generations to justify either Russia's attack or Ukraine's defense." On the one hand, the past is built on a nostalgic narrative of Soviet supremacy in which Westernization was seen as destructive to national identity. In contrast, a narrative oriented towards the future portrays the past as a backward era of Soviet repression, from which people wish to disengage. A gendered view on national defense According to Lonnroth-Olin, women have traditionally been seen as objects of protection, symbols of the purity of the nation and its borders. Then again, women on the opposing side have been demonized, making violence against them seem justified. In fact, the division between "us"' and "them," as well as between moral and immoral actors, are also assigned gendered meanings. "In comments defending Russia's attack, the woman in the video is portrayed as both weak and in need of protection, as well as a mother of the nation or a symbol of national morale. In such cases, Ukrainian soldiers are presented either as cowardly or dishonorable, and, consequently, deficient as soldiers," Lonnroth-Olin says. At the same time, comments in support of Ukraine's defense portray the woman in the encounter not only as an elderly person, stuck in the past and not to be taken seriously, but also as a traitor to the nation. In these comments, Ukrainian soldiers represent a heroic generation that looks to the future. The first social media war According to Lonnroth-Olin, the war in Ukraine has been called the first social media war. "Social media have brought the war close to us. Social media also enables the distribution of misinformation, disinformation and propaganda, something which the public has become increasingly aware of. It's important to show how these discussions are aimed at influencing opinions and justifying one's own views." In its legitimizing or opposing the war in Ukraine, the public on social media drawing on a range of meanings associated with age, gender and ethnicity. This way, it maintains traditional ways of building nations and their boundaries through such intersectional categorizations. "It's important to take a critical look at online discourse, as it affects people's views not only on the war and its justification, but also on what is considered to be the truth about the war." More information: Marja LonnrothOlin et al, The war in Ukraine and the ambivalent figure of 'Babushka': Intersectional nationbuilding and the delegitimisation/legitimisation of war on YouTube, Nations and Nationalism (2023). DOI: 10.1111/nana.12994 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: IMAP will study the protective magnetic bubble that surrounds our solar system, called the heliosphere, and the particle acceleration that occurs across it. Credit: NASA/Princeton/Johns Hopkins APL/Josh Diaz Engineers at NASA have completed an important milestone in developing the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) spacecraft. It's now moving from development and design to the assembly, testing, and integration phase, targeting a launch in late Spring 2025. After launch, the spacecraft will fly to the Earth-sun L1 Lagrange Point and analyze how the sun's solar wind interacts with charged particles originating from outside the solar system. IMAP will follow up on discoveries and insights from the two Voyager spacecraft and the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) and will help investigate two of the most important overarching issues in heliophysics: the energization of charged particles from the sun and the interaction of the solar wind at its boundary with interstellar space. The mission will map the boundaries of the heliospherethe electromagnetic bubble surrounding and protecting our solar systemand help researchers better understand the boundary of the heliosphere. This region is where the constant flow of particles from our sun, called the solar wind, collides with material from the rest of the galaxy. This collision limits the amount of harmful cosmic radiation entering the heliosphere. It will also help settle the debate on the actual shape of the heliosphere. A study in 2020, using data from several spacecraft, suggested that the sun's bubble of influence may be a deflated croissant shape, rather than the long-tailed comet shape that has previously been The spacecraft will be positioned about 1.5 million km (1 million miles) from Earth and will collect and analyze particles that make it through to help chart and understand the range of particles in interplanetary space. The milestone the IMAP mission recently met is called Key Decision Point D, which allows the mission to move from development and design to the testing and integration phase. The targeted launch date was moved back one months, from late April to May 2025 to ensure that the project team has the adequate resources to "address risks and technical complexities during system integration and testing," NASA said in a recent mission blog post. The spacecraft is currently being assembled inside the clean room at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland. There is a live, 24-hour feed where you can watch the assembly, integration, and testing. During the next few months, engineers will install the electronics, communications systems, thermal systems, propulsion, batteries, and many more complex systems to make the spacecraft work. Additionally, all 10 of IMAP's instruments will soon start to arrive from around the world and be integrated with the spacecraft one by one. Finally, the spacecraft will begin testing before being sent to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for final testing prior to launch. A Filipino senator expressed concern over what China would do in response to a civilian-led Christmas convoy to the Second Thomas Shoal scheduled for next week. In an interview with local reporters on Tuesday (December 5), Senator Francis Tolentino said he was in discussion with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Philippine Ambassador to Beijing Jaime FlorCruz about the convoy organized by a certain group called the "Atin Ito" Coalition Atin Ito is Tagalog for "This is Ours." "I told them to prepare for December 11," he said. "Because we might encounter more problems." When asked if he meant possible harassment from China, similar to incidents earlier this year, Tolentino said that the Chinese might "do something else." "Maybe they would do something else because they already used laser beams and water cannons," he added. "This is already a small civilian convoy. They should not do that." At least 40 boats were expected to join the three-day voyage organized by This is Ours, and was originally opposed by Manila's National Security Council before reversing and approving the voyage, provided that the Philippine Coast Guard would escort the flotilla. Read Also: US Navy Responds After Beijing Accuses Warship of 'Illegally' Entering South China Sea Waters Bullying in the High Seas While having reservations about the convoy, Tolentino, who chaired the Philippine Senate's special committee on the country's maritime and admiralty zones, said that his country does not have to seek China's permission since Second Thomas - which Manila calls Ayungin - is part of the West Philippine Sea, an area of the South China Sea which is part of the archipelago nation's exclusive economic zone. Second Thomas is the location of the BRP Sierra Madre, which was deliberately run aground as a permanent military outpost by the Philippine Navy and Marine Corps. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly summoned FlorCruz, Tolentino added, citing his conversation with the Filipino ambassador. "I think he is always called up whenever something happens here." In November, Tolentino urged the Malacanang to temporarily recall FlorCruz following another water cannon attack by a Chinese vessel. He clarified that FlorCruz was not recalled, but simply consulted with officials in the Philippines. Earlier this week, Tolentino was proposing legislation to "establish the geographical extent" of the Philippine maritime zones, local broadcaster ABS-CBN reported. Related Article: Chinese Jets Shadow Filipino Planes While on Joint PH-AU Patrol @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce 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: Ultracold quantum gases made of dipolar atoms form an ideal platform for simulating mechanisms inside neutron stars. Credit: Elena Poli, Universitat Innsbruck A collaboration between quantum physicists and astrophysicists, led by Francesca Ferlaino and Massimo Mannarelli, has achieved a significant breakthrough in understanding neutron star glitches. They were able to numerically simulate this enigmatic cosmic phenomenon with ultracold dipolar atoms. This research, now published in Physical Review Letters, establishes a strong link between quantum mechanics and astrophysics and paves the way for quantum simulation of stellar objects from Earth. Neutron stars have fascinated and puzzled scientists since the first detected signature in 1967. Known for their periodic flashes of light and rapid rotation, neutron stars are among the densest objects in the universe, with a mass comparable to that of the sun but compressed into a sphere only about 20 kilometers in diameter. These stellar objects exhibit a peculiar behavior known as a "glitch," where the star suddenly speeds up its spin. This phenomenon suggests that neutron stars might be partly superfluid. In a superfluid, rotation is characterized by numerous tiny vortices, each carrying a fraction of angular momentum. A glitch occurs when these vortices escape from the star's inner crust to its solid outer crust, thereby increasing the star's rotational speed. The key ingredient for this study lies in the concept of a "supersolid"a state that exhibits both crystalline and superfluid propertieswhich is predicted to be a necessary ingredient of neutron star glitches. Quantized vortices nest within the supersolid until they collectively escape and are consequently absorbed by the outer crust of the star, accelerating its rotation. Recently, the supersolid phase has been realized in experiments with ultracold dipolar atoms, providing a unique opportunity to simulate the conditions within a neutron star. The study by researchers at the University of Innsbruck and the Austrian Academy of Sciences as well as the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso and the Gran Sasso Science Institute in Italy demonstrates that glitches can occur in ultracold supersolids, serving as versatile analogs for the inside of neutron stars. This groundbreaking approach allows for a detailed exploration of the glitch mechanism, including its dependence on the quality of the supersolid. "Our research establishes a strong link between quantum mechanics and astrophysics and provides a new perspective on the inner nature of neutron stars," says first author Elena Poli. Glitches provide valuable insights into the internal structure and dynamics of neutron stars. By studying these events, scientists can learn more about the properties of matter under extreme conditions. "This research shows a new approach to gain insights into the behavior of neutron stars and opens new avenues for the quantum simulation of stellar objects from low-energy Earth laboratories," says Francesca Ferlaino. More information: Elena Poli et al, Glitches in Rotating Supersolids, Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.223401 Journal information: Physical Review Letters 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: Artistic representation of Legionella pneumophila's effects on host cell translation via SidI. Credit: Image prepared by Advait Subramanian with creative assistance from Biorender.com. The central dogma of molecular biology postulates that the information packets encoded within the molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are first transcribed into molecules of messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs), and then subsequently translated/decoded to generate molecules called proteins. Proteins are essential biomolecules that are composed of multiple smaller subunits called amino acids. These amino acids are stitched together via peptide bonds and contribute to the shape, size and charge distribution that the protein, as a sum of its amino acid parts, eventually exhibits. For cells to make proteins, they need to decode the language of the mRNA (nucleic acid) and translate that into the language of proteins (amino acid). This process is described in molecular biology textbooks interchangeably as mRNA translation or protein synthesis. Inside cells, translation is carried out by a molecular decoding center called the ribosome. The ribosome itself consists of dozens of proteins and RNAs. In addition, many other regulatory factors associate with the ribosome to help make the translation process fast, accurate and tunable. In fact, if you count the number of proteins involved in this process, it is more than 100yes, it takes more than 100 proteins to make one! So the process of translation is extremely energy and resource-consuming, reflecting its huge importance to the cell. During translation, a key molecule that facilitates decoding is called a tRNA (transfer RNA). The tRNA is the "translator" that knows both the language of the nucleic acid and the language of the proteins. tRNAs bring an amino acid (protein building block) to the matching mRNA sequence (called the codon), while the ribosome moves along the length of the mRNA and simultaneously stitches the amino acids together. Thus, the ribosome-tRNA complex translates one language to another, executing the key step in protein synthesis. As it is with any process, cells try their very best to maintain the efficiency and precision of protein synthesis. Indeed, measurements in many different cells have determined that proteins are generally synthesized with high accuracy at an average speed of ~6 amino acids per second. Pathogens target protein synthesis. Numerous pathogens including viruses, bacteria and fungi have evolved mechanisms that directly target the protein synthesis machinery in the cells they infect. This allows for the pathogens to propagate, to subvert host cell defenses and ultimately to regulate host cell lysis so that the progeny can be released for further rounds of infection. In these infected cells, the elongation of amino-acid chains that constitute proteins does not progress at a uniform rate, resulting in a pile-up of ribosomes at specific positions on the mRNAs being translated and a drop in the rates of host cell protein synthesis. For an analogy, think of rush hour traffic on a freeway where the cars are the ribosomes and the asphalt road is the length of an mRNA. Due to an untoward incident, cars begin to pile up on the freeway and the rate of traffic slows down. Past evidence has indicated that a pathogenic bacterium called Legionella pneumophila causes a similar reaction in the cells it infectsa reduction in host cell protein synthesis rates and a pausing of ribosomes on mRNAs, that is, traffic jams on the "protein synthesis freeway." Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular bacterium (it infects and resides within the cells where it replicates) and is the causative organism of Legionnaires' disease, a debilitating atypical form of pneumonia. We asked how and why Legionella pneumophila targets the step of translation elongation. And we set out to answer these questions in a recent study now published in Nature Cell Biology. How Legionella triggers a ribotoxic stress response in the cell. Credit: QBI UCSF Our path to discovery is filled with surprises Legionella secretes a few toxins into an infected cell. We therefore first measured if these toxins might be equipotent in their ability to inhibit protein synthesis. Here was our first surprise: While six of the toxins we tested had similar effects, one Legionella toxin stood out from the rest of the pack, and this was called SidI (pronounced "Sid-eye"). We discovered that minute quantities of SidI robustly inhibited protein synthesis. Our measurements indicated that SidI's potency is comparable to the potency of ricin, one of the most potent toxins in nature. Our second surprise was realized when we solved the structure of this potent inhibitor by cryo-electron microscopy, a technique that preserves the three-dimensional architecture of a biomolecule in solution by embedding it into an environment of vitreous ice (approximately -320F). Our structure revealed a fascinating molecular mimicry. While one-half of SidI has an architectural fold present in enzymes called glycosyl transferases, the other half resembles the shape and size of a molecule of tRNA. Remember that tRNAs bring individual amino acids to the ribosomes to help decode mRNAs. SidI pretends to be a tRNA and tricks the ribosome into accepting it, but instead of bringing an amino acid to the ribosome, it stops the ribosome from translating. We performed a battery of experiments to determine that SidI directly targets host cell ribosomes and modifies them. This results in a condition wherein the modified ribosome on an mRNA moves much more slowly than the ribosome trailing it, causing ribosome collisions. In sticking with the freeway analogy, this is like car collisions occurring when the car in front of you has problems and slows down suddenly. To our knowledge, this coupling of form (tRNA mimicry) and function (enzymatic activity) makes SidI a unique and unprecedented molecule in nature. "What, then, are [the] consequences of such aberrant collided ribosomes in infected cells?" we asked. In trying to address this question, we got our third surprise. We discovered that these collided ribosomes are sensed by host cells to activate a ribotoxic stress response pathway that culminates in the accumulation of a master regulator of gene expression called activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3). Remarkably, even while most protein synthesis is inhibited, ATF3 protein escapes this mRNA translation block and is induced at high levels. ATF3 enters the nucleus of cells and orchestrates a program that regulates cell lysis. We think this mechanism might be important for the escape of replicated bacteria into the extracellular milieu, facilitating further rounds of infection. Perspectives Toxins from pathogenic microorganisms have long been used as precise molecular instruments to interrogate fundamental processes that occur within cells. SidI now joins this arsenal of nature's tools. The fundamental insights gained from our studies shed new light on the mechanisms by which pathogens employ molecular mimicry to hijack processes that are critical for monitoring optimal host cell function. Interestingly, through our elucidation of SidI's molecular mechanism, we have in turn unearthed critical signaling nodes of the stress response pathway that is activated downstream of colliding ribosome stress. As our mentor, Shaeri Mukherjee, a professor at the University of California San Francisco always says"Bacteria are the best cell biologists!" This story is part of Science X Dialog, where researchers can report findings from their published research articles. Visit this page for information about ScienceX Dialog and how to participate. More information: Advait Subramanian et al, A Legionella toxin exhibits tRNA mimicry and glycosyl transferase activity to target the translation machinery and trigger a ribotoxic stress response, Nature Cell Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01248-z Journal information: Nature Cell Biology Advait Subramanian is a cell biologist working at Altos Labs Inc., Redwood City, California. Previously, Subramanian was a postdoctoral fellow mentored by Shaeri Mukherjee and Peter Walter at the University of California, San Francisco where the work described in this article was carried out. Email for correspondence: asubramanian@altoslabs.com Lan Wang is a structural biologist and Assistant Professor working at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong. Previously, Lan was a postdoctoral fellow mentored by Peter Walter at the University of California, San Francisco. Email for correspondence: lanwang@ust.hk 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: This artistic rendering shows ice plumes being ejected from Enceladus at speeds of up to 800 miles/hour. Credit: NASA As astrophysics technology and research continue to advance, one question persists: is there life elsewhere in the universe? The Milky Way galaxy alone has hundreds of billions of celestial bodies, but scientists often look for three crucial elements in their ongoing search: water, energy, and organic material. Evidence indicates that Saturn's icy moon Enceladus is an 'ocean world' that contains all three, making it a prime target in the search for life. During its 20-year mission, NASA's Cassini spacecraft discovered that ice plumes spew from Enceladus' surface at approximately 800 miles per hour (400 m/s). These plumes provide an excellent opportunity to collect samples and study the composition of Enceladus' oceans and their potential habitability. However, until now, it was not known if the speed of the plumes would fragment any organic compounds contained within the ice grains, thus degrading the samples. Now, researchers from the University of California San Diego have shown unambiguous laboratory evidence that amino acids transported in these ice plumes can survive impact speeds of up to 4.2 km/s, supporting their detection during sampling by spacecraft. Their findings appear in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Beginning in 2012, UC San Diego Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Robert Continetti and his co-workers custom-built a unique aerosol impact spectrometer designed to study collision dynamics of single aerosols and particles at high velocities. Although not built specifically to study ice grain impacts, it turned out to be exactly the right machine to do so. "This apparatus is the only one of its kind in the world that can select single particles and accelerate or decelerate them to chosen final velocities," stated Continetti. "From several micron diameters down to hundreds of nanometers, in a variety of materials, we're able to examine particle behavior, such as how they scatter or how their structures change upon impact." In 2024, NASA will launch the Europa Clipper, which will travel to Jupiter. Europa, one of Jupiter's largest moons, is another ocean world, and has a similar icy composition to Enceladus. There is hope that the Clipper or any future probes to Saturn will be able to identify a specific series of molecules in the ice grains that could point to whether life exists in the subsurface oceans of these moons, but the molecules need to survive their speedy ejection from the moon and collection by the probe. A custom-built aerosol impact spectrometer from UC San Diego Professor of Chemistry Robert Continetti's lab. Ice grains impact the microchannel plate detector (far right) at hypervelocity speeds, which can then be characterized in-situ. Credit: Robert Continetti lab / UC San Diego Although there has been research into the structure of certain molecules in ice particles, Continetti's team is the first to measure what happens when a single ice grain impacts a surface. To run the experiment, ice grains were created using electrospray ionization, where water is pushed through a needle held at a high voltage, inducing a charge that breaks the water into increasingly smaller droplets. The droplets were then injected into a vacuum, where they freeze. The team measured their mass and charge and then used image charge detectors to observe the grains as they flew through the spectrometer. A key element to the experiment was installing a microchannel plate ion detector to accurately time the moment of impact down to the nanosecond. The results showed that amino acidsoften called the building blocks of lifecan be detected with limited fragmentation up to impact velocities of 4.2 km/s. "To get an idea of what kind of life may be possible in the solar system, you want to know there hasn't been a lot of molecular fragmentation in the sampled ice grains, so you can get that fingerprint of whatever it is that makes it a self-contained life form," said Continetti. "Our work shows that this is possible with the ice plumes of Enceladus." Continetti's research also raises interesting questions for chemistry itself, including how salt affects the detectability of certain amino acids. It is believed that Enceladus contains vast salty oceansmore than is present on Earth. Because salt changes the properties of water as a solvent as well as the solubility of different molecules, this could mean that some molecules cluster on the surface of the ice grains, making them more likely to be detected. "The implications this has for detecting life elsewhere in the solar system without missions to the surface of these ocean-world moons is very exciting, but our work goes beyond biosignatures in ice grains," stated Continetti. "It has implications for fundamental chemistry as well. We are excited by the prospect of following in the footsteps of Harold Urey and Stanley Miller, founding faculty at UC San Diego, in looking at the formation of the building blocks of life from chemical reactions activated by ice grain impact." More information: Sally E. Burke et al, Detection of intact amino acids with a hypervelocity ice grain impact mass spectrometer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313447120 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain On Friday, students will once again down textbooks and laptops and go on strike for climate action. Many will give their schools a Climate Doctor's Certificate signed by three leading climate academics. These strikespart of a National Climate Strikemark five years since school students started walking out of schools to demand greater action on climate change. In 2018, the first students to strike defied calls by then prime minister Scott Morrison for "less activism" and to stay in school. Last year, Australia voted out the Morrison government, in what was widely seen as a climate election. Teal independents won Liberal heartland seats on climate platforms, while the Greens recorded high votes. Labor came to office promising faster action on climate. So why are school students still striking? Has the movement changed its focus? We have been researching these questions alongside young people involved in climate action in the ongoing Striking Voices project, as well as through the co-author's Sapna South Asian Climate Solidarity project. We found the movement has expanded its demands from climate action to climate justice, stressing the uneven and unfair distribution of climate impacts. The movement itself has also become more diverse. From climate action to climate justice Across the world, young climate advocates such as those from School Strike 4 Climate are calling for "climate justice" alongside "climate action." Why? Because climate change doesn't impact everyone equally. As the Australian Youth Climate Coalition puts it, it's "often the most marginalized in our societies who are hit first and worst by climate impacts and carry the burden of polluting industries." Mere semantics? No. The idea of climate justice draws attention to existing social and ethical injustices which climate change amplifies. The phrase also points to the need for climate solutions that work for people in a transformative way and help create collective and just societies. In Australia, calls for climate justice are intimately connected with justice for First Nations people and to protecting, defending and "heal[ing] Country," as Seed Mob write, with First Nations-led solutions. Climate justice is central to the messaging of groups such as Pacific Climate Warriors diaspora, and Sapna South Asian Climate Solidarity. In our conversations with young people, climate justice appears highly compelling. High-school student Yehansa Dahanayake explained: "I think I'd always thought of climate change as sort of a 2D thing. I thought about it as the temperature rise, deforestation, and sea caps meltingand while that is definitely true, I think [when] I started to learn about the justice aspects of climate change, [it] made me realize that there are many other factors that tie in, such as the Global North/ Global South difference and how that relates." High-school student Emma Heyink told us about the importance of what she called a "justice-centered lens": "You can't look at climate change without looking at all these other issues. It just becomes so much more interlinked and solutions become so much more obvious." Diversifying networks and strategies So who are these young people, and what have they been doing in recent years? Swedish student Greta Thunberg is frequently credited as sparking the youth-led climate movement. But the movement is much largerand more diversethan one person, and increasingly so in recent years. As a report by Sapna points out, Australia's youth-led climate justice networks are more likely to be racially diverse than mainstream climate movements. Yet climate justice networks are not immune from the oppressive dynamics they protest against. When the co-author interviewed 12 now-graduated school strikers of South Asian heritage, they reported sometimes feeling sidelined in climate spaceswhich are often white-dominatedas well as in media opportunities. As one young person put it, it seemed "hard to tell a brown person's climate justice story." There are signs of positive change. The upheaval of the COVID pandemic saw stronger connections emerge between social movements, and clearer links between intersecting crises and injustices, both globally and in youth-led climate networks. As recent high-school graduate and school strike organizer Owen Magee explained: "At our strikes, we are platforming First Nations people, rural and regional people who've directly been affected by the climate crisis, directly being affected by fossil fuel greed and corporation greed. That in itself is focusing on the intersectional nature of climate justice." You can see this cross-pollination in the support shown by young advocates across multiple climate justice networks in the Power Up gathering on Gomeroi Country in northwestern New South Wales to show solidarity with Traditional Owners fighting coal and gas projects on their lands. The targets and tactics of youth-led climate justice networks have shifted and proliferated in recent yearsfor example, to the banks that finance fossil fuel companies. When school strikers graduate, some move into different modes of climate-related action. Some have taken part in strategic climate litigation in a bid to create legislation embedding a climate duty of care for young people in government decisions on issues such as fracking approvals. Others are involved in non-violent direct actions, such as next week's Rising Tide People's Blockade of the world's largest coal port in Newcastle. Young climate advocates are battling for climate justice on a wide range of fronts. They are calling on politicians to do the same. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The floods that killed 20 people in Waverly, Tennessee, and the surrounding area came with little warning. Meteorologists predicted 2 to 3 inches of rain. But 21 inches fell within the course of that August day in 2021, sweeping away cars, houses, businesses, pets and people, including 7-month-old twins. "They were not prepared at all. As a result, they could not inform people. Entire neighborhoods washed away," says Puja Das, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in interdisciplinary engineering at Northeastern's Sustainability and Data Sciences Lab. Now Das is working with river managers and forecasters to explore a better way to predict devastating rainstorms with the help of physics-guided generative AI. Her research, which is funded by a grant from NASA, recently took her and two Northeastern colleagues to flood-prone Tennessee, where they toured dams and met with officials from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The country's largest public power company, the TVA is also responsible for managing the nation's fifth-largest river system. "We also had meetings with the River Forecast Center in Knoxville about the models they use and how they decide which forecasts they will use for a particular extreme event," Das says. "We asked what they needed from us. They said they need better quality forecasts, because their existing High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model is not working very well. They're looking for better forecasts for their dam operations and river and flood management," she says. A broken forecasting model A physics-based model updated hourly, HRRR was introduced by NOAA less than 10 years ago, in 2014. But forecasters and civil officials question whether it can keep up with extreme weather events, which climate scientists and NASA say are growing in intensity and frequency. Even though HRRR "embeds the best possible physics that we know so far," it often gave "misleading guidance" and failed to predict large precipitation events that cause flash and other dangerous floods," says Auroop Ganguly, Northeastern Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, principal investigator at the SDS Lab. "It gave a false sense of complacency," says Ganguly, who is also director of AI4CaS (AI for Climate and Sustainability) focus area within Northeastern's Institute for Experiential AI. The Waverly flood that occurred nearly on Aug. 21, 2021, is an example, Das says. "By 7:30 a.m. rain was coming down at a rate of 3 inches per hour. But their model was giving them .25 inches per hour. So they were not concerned at all," she says. "But it kept accumulating." Video of the flood aired by news stations such as WSMV 4 Nashville show the astonishing rate at which flood waters rose. The topography of the Tennessee River Valley, which encompasses seven states, puts it at risk of flash flooding and in danger of dams being overtopped, Ganguly says. Can AI help? Scientists say climate change in recent years has contributed to devastating and deadly floods around the world, including deluges in Germany and Pakistan. The frequency and severity of extreme rain events is lending a sense of urgency to come up with new prediction models. Ganguly says the TVA has dropped HRRR as an operational tool and considers it only as a reference point. Das' research project, called "Remote-sensing data driven Artificial Intelligence for precipitation-Nowcasting (RAIN)," which she presented at a NASA PI meeting in Huntsville, Alabama earlier this year, is exploring the use of hybrid models incorporating traditional physics and hydrometeorology with information provided by radar and synthetic data generated by AI. She also plans to evaluate the role of AI and machine learning in developing weather prediction models using data from satellites in collaboration with Kate Duffy and Thomas Vandal, who got their doctoral degrees from Northeastern and worked for NASA before creating a new NASA SBIR funded weather forecasting startup, Zeus AI. Existing deep learning models such as DGMR from Google's DeepMind and NowcastNet from Tsinghua and Berkeley "claim to outperform traditional physics-based models for some tasks," says August Posch, a data scientist at Northeastern's Seattle campus who is also working with Das on satellite data. "Now I want to understand (what happens) if we try to use those state-of-the-art models specifically for the Tennessee Valley problem with very short-term precipitation forecasting," Posch says. "What are their strengths and weaknesses?" he asks. The RAIN research will evaluate several machine learning models "in this specific context of a dam in the Tennessee Valley that needs to get opened and closed when extreme precipitation happens and then developing metrics that are relevant to the TVAmetrics that might not exist yet," Posch says. Das visited Tennessee in late September with Posch and fellow doctoral student Ashis Kumar Pal, who is working on a research project on how flooding affects urban metro systems. Ganguly, who envisions this project informing a marquee research direction at AI4CaS, joined in several of the discussions. Touring the Norris and Douglas dams and seeing their control centers and sluice gates first hand provided valuable information on how long it takes to open the spillways and perform other flood prevention procedures, she says. The goal of the RAIN research is to provide valuable tools to dam operators and forecasters, Das says. "We are hopeful it will help us generate better forecasts." This story is republished courtesy of Northeastern Global News news.northeastern.edu. 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: Euclid's view of hundreds of thousands of stars located about 7 800 light-years from Earth. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA EU researchers expect unprecedented insights into galaxies from the study of a mysterious energy force. A powerful new European space telescope will bring astronomers closer than ever to answering a longstanding question: will the universe, which is expanding, do so forever? Called Euclid, the telescope was launched on 1 July 2023 and is observing the dark universe from its vantage point 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. Looking in near-infrared and visible light, Euclid will take images of some 10 billion galaxies in its quest to understand both dark energywhich drives the expansion of the universeand dark matter, which accounts for three quarters of all matter in the universe. Mysterious duo Dark energy is a mysterious force that may have been driving the expansion of the universe since the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. Dark matter is an unseen form noticed by its gravitational effects on galaxies but never directly detected. "Those are really two mystery components in our universe," said Professor Henk Hoekstra, a researcher in observational cosmology at Leiden University in the Netherlands. "We have no idea really what they are." Of the mass-energy content of the universe, 68% comes from dark energy, 27% from dark matter and 5% from ordinary matter. Euclid, named after a Greek mathematician who lived around 300 BC and founded geometry, is designed to tackle a physics challenge: to understand the structure of the universe resulting from dark matter and dark energy since the dawn of time with unprecedented precision. Such is the power of the telescope that it will also reveal other mysteries of the universefrom studying planets orbiting distant suns to discovering objects smaller than stars found throughout the Milky Way. "We are going to exploit Euclid's unique capabilities," said Professor Eduardo Martin, a principal investigator at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands in Spain. Major map Hoekstra leads a research project that received EU funding to use images that only Euclid can provide to shed light on the dark universe. Called Observational Cosmology Using Large Imaging Surveys, or OCULIS, the five-year project began in September 2023. "We basically make a giant map of the matter distribution in the universe," Hoekstra said. Euclid will build the map by gauging the bending of light around galaxiesa process called weak gravitational lensing. This makes it possible to measure the amount of dark matter surrounding galaxies and, by extension, its spread across the universe. The result will be improved understanding of the links between galaxies and dark matter and of the number of stars and volume of gas in each galaxy. A better measure of dark energy can be obtained thanks to the sheer volume of the universe that Euclid will observeas much in two days as the Hubble Space Telescope in its full 30 years in space. Measuring each galaxy will offer new information about the universe's expansion rate, which is roughly 70 kilometers per second, but appears to be getting faster as a result of dark energy. At its core, Euclid addresses the fundamental question about why the expansion is accelerating, according to Hoekstra. "There must be new physics there," he said. "We're testing this at the next level." Wider window Euclid is a fully European mission that got underway in 2011. The original plan by the European Space Agency, or ESA, was to launch the telescope in 2022 on a Russian rocket. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, ESA severed ties with Russia and the telescope was moved to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Euclid studies the universe with a 1.2-meter-wide primary mirror and a wide field of view. These dimensions mean that, in every picture taken, the telescope covers an area 2.5 times larger than the size of the full moon. That's useful for studying not just galaxies, but also much smaller objectsan area of interest to Martin at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands. He leads a separate EU-funded project to use Euclid to hunt for objects smaller than stars hiding in the Milky Way. Known as substellar objects, these include bodies such as brown dwarfsfailed stars that never gained enough mass to ignite fusion in their coresand giant planets many times the mass of Jupiter. New frontier The project, called SUBSTELLAR, began in January 2023 and runs until the end of 2027. "Euclid brings a new frontier in terms of the large area coverage and the exquisite image quality," Martin said. Telescopes like Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope have a much narrower window of view than Euclid. With its wider window, Euclid should be able to discover a vast number of substellar objects. The project's projection is 500,000 such objects within five years100 times more than have been seen before, according to Martin. These could include the first substellar objects that are found in the outer regions of the Milky Wayits "halo"and that may have formed very early in the galaxy's 13-billion-year history. Martin described substellar objects as a missing link between planets and stars. "We don't have a full picture of star formation and planet formation until we understand what is in between," he said. Euclid might even be able to discover planets down to the mass of Saturn orbiting some of these substellar objectssomething never seen beforeas well as planets floating freely in space rather than trapped by the gravity of a star or brown dwarf. While other free-floating planets have been seen before, Euclid should greatly advance the number and variety found. Great expectations Euclid's primary mission will last six years, with the option of extending its observations in future. After some test images from the telescope were released in July 2023, its full science observations are now beginning. "We expect more public releases in the coming months," Hoekstra said. "But for the real science results, we'll have to wait over a year because we're still in the early phases." The bulk of Euclid's galaxy survey data will be released in three big batches, with the first in 2026. As Hoekstra, Martin and plenty of other people look forward to the knowledge about the universe to be gained from the telescope, at least one anticipates plenty of surprises along the way. "It's difficult to expect the unexpected, but my experience is that it happens," said Martin. "We will keep our minds open." More information: OCULIS SUBSTELLAR 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: Math teacher Doug Walters sits among empty desks as he takes part in a video conference with other teachers to prepare for at-home learning at Twentynine Palms Junior High School in Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 18, 2020. A new study finds that students around the world suffered historic setbacks in reading during the pandemic and even deeper losses in math, with test score decreases so wide that the United States climbed in global rankings simply by falling behind less sharply. Credit: AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File Students around the world suffered historic setbacks in reading and math during the COVID-19 pandemic, with declines in test scores so widespread that the United States climbed in global rankings simply by falling behind less sharply, a new study finds. The state of global education was given a bleak appraisal in the Program for International Student Assessment, the first study to examine the academic progress of students in dozens of countries during the pandemic. Released Tuesday, it finds the average international math score fell by the equivalent of three-quarters of a year of learning. Reading scores fell by the equivalent of half a year. The setbacks spanned nations rich and poor, big and small, with few making progress. In the countries where students were tested, a quarter are now considered low performers in math, reading and science, meaning they struggle to perform basic math problems or interpret simple texts. Usually given every three years, the latest test was delayed a year because of the pandemic. It was administered in 2022 to a sample of 15-year-olds in 37 countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, plus 44 other partner countries. The OECD has been conducting the test since 2000. The new results point to an "unprecedented drop in performance," the report says. It raises concerns about countries including Germany, Iceland and the Netherlands, which saw drops of 25 points or more in math scores. Twenty points is seen as equivalent to a year of learning. Across all participating countries, the average math score fell by about 15 points since the 2018 tests. Reading scores fell by 10 points. Neither subject had seen a change of more than five points previously. The bright light was in science, where scores changed little since 2018. In the U.S., which historically has lagged in math, the average math score fell by 13 points. Reading and science stayed mostly even. Overall, the country improved to No. 26 in math, up three spots from 2018. It ranked No. 6 in reading and 10th in science, up two and one spots, respectively. America's math score was about even with the international average. Science and reading were slightly higher. "The whole world is struggling with math, and we are not immune from that," said Peggy Carr, head of the National Center for Education Statistics, an office of the U.S. Education Department. "Everyone had struggles during the pandemic. What we're seeing here is we had less." The new results line up with findings from individual countries reporting deep and persistent academic setbacks, especially in math. A national study in the U.S. last year found math scores fell by more than ever, with reading scores dropping to 1992 levels. There's no doubt the disruption of the pandemic was a major factor in the global setbacks. But the OECD cautions against blaming it all on COVID-19. Science and reading scores were falling before the pandemic, it says, and some countries were already trending downward in math, including Belgium, Finland, Canada and France. It also finds the link between school closures and academic setbacks was "not so direct." A survey of students found about half faced closures of more than three months, but it didn't always lead to lower scores. There was "no clear difference" in performance trends between countries that had limited closures, including Iceland and Sweden, and those with longer closures, including Brazil and Ireland, according to the report. "Many other factors impacted learning during this period, such as the quality of remote teaching and levels of support granted to struggling students," it said. Singapore, long seen as an education powerhouse, had the highest scores by far in every subject. It was joined in the upper echelons by other East Asian countries including Japan and China. Also among the higher performers were Estonia, Canada and Ireland. Albania saw the biggest decrease in math scores, with a staggering 69-point decrease, followed by Jordan, with 39 points, and Iceland, with 36. Iceland's drop knocked it below the U.S. and the OECD average. Norway fell 33 points, dropping to the global average. Most of the countries that saw math gains had relatively low performance levels to start with, including Saudi Arabia, the Dominican Republic and Cambodia. In the U.S., Education Secretary Miguel Cardona attributed the relative success to President Joe Biden's investments in education, including $190 billion in pandemic relief that Congress sent to schools. Still, he said, America's math scores remain "stubbornly low." "We cannot be complacent at home," he said, "not when math is critical to our global competitiveness and leadership." 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: Important reactions in biomass smoke of catechol with nitrate radical. Credit: Marcelo Guzman 2023 American Chemical Society Biomass burning from wildfires puts large amounts of aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere every year, which are thought to convert into more light-absorbing and toxic nitroaromatics. "This is a really interesting problem and not easy to investigate," said Marcelo Guzman, a professor of chemistry at the University of Kentucky, explaining his research group publication, "Conversion of Catechol to 4-Nitrocatechol in Aqueous Microdroplets Exposed to O 3 and NO 2 ," in the journal ACS ES&T Air. It was an afternoon in late July, and Guzman was concerned because the air quality in central Kentucky had reached an unhealthy level due to the wildfire smoke drifting south from Canada. Thick haze from wildfire smoke can also make difficult the vision of pilots from the cockpit of jets and affect the transportation industry. In the laboratory, a group of enthusiastic students were analyzing chemicals in calibrated instruments to understand how air pollutants interact with the surface of particulates. "Fifteen seconds, then take a sample," Guzman recommended to the student. The laboratory was bright and relatively quiet, and he wanted to help the student register observations soon after mixing the chemicals. This was the first visit to Guzman's laboratory studying environmental chemistry as part of an ambitious National Science Foundation project investigating how pollutants in air are transformed on the surface of particulates suspended in the atmosphere. The project is identifying new reaction pathways followed by catechols, a group of abundant molecules emitted in the smoke from biomass burns and combustion and determine, among other things, how and when the end products from their transformations absorb more sunlight and also affect public health. Never before has the catechol molecule been studied in such detail to react so quickly with variable concentration ratios of two key atmospheric molecules, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, representing different scenarios from relatively clean air to very polluted smoke situations. Although catechols are among the most abundant aromatic hydrocarbons emitted to air during biomass burns, "there are very few studies that have distinguished their specific transformations when in contact with two abundant gases in smoke, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, which create the very reactive nitrate radical, and can imprint a brownish color to the particles that also makes them more toxic," said Guzman. We know that the incorporation of a nitro group to the aromatic hydrocarbon ring increases the toxicity of pollutants as occurs on the surface of fine particulate matter in the smoke based on this research. The World Health Organization reported in 2019 that exposure to ambient (outdoors) air pollution, in both cities and rural areas, causes 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year; this mortality is due to exposure to fine particulate matter, which causes cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and cancers. What we did not understand before was how and under what conditions these toxic components form in biomass smoke. By careful laboratory simulations of reactions under the variable concentrations of chemicals in the smoke the researchers from the University of Kentucky hope to improve the fundamental understanding of transformations in wildfire emissions, which in turn can inform air quality and climate models. To demonstrate how his lab findings apply to the real world, Guzman opened a file on his laptop to show how the measured production of the nitroaromatic product increased relative to the formation of more nitrate radical. He found that even for the smallest concentration of nitrate radical that should exist at night in the proximity of biomass smoke, the process is highly efficient. Before this work, no one had thought to look at such a dependence. "We used a special reactor that samples so quickly the interface of water microdroplets without interference of other heterogeneous reactions provided by the wall of the container," he says. "The atmospheric science community was not considering these unknown reactions in smoke that imply the transfer of electrons and protons between the chemicals as well as the fact that a radical attack can proceed on the surface of water." "In our experiments, as soon as the microdroplets containing catechol (the aromatic marker of pollution in smoke) are created, they are stricken by a flow of gas with the very short-lived nitrate radical," said Guzman. "The interaction of these molecules on the surface of water particles lasts less than a millionth of a second, a time that is long enough to create nitrocatechol, a brown carbon product, which is quickly and unambiguously detected by a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer." The Donnie Creek wildfire in 2023, British Columbia, Canada. Credit: BC Wildfire Service By determining the mass-to-charge ratio of the molecules formed, the researchers can resolve how pollution in smoke becomes worse hundreds of miles away from the emission point. In essence, the environmental conditions near a smoke plume during nighttime are such that they can augment the production of the toxic brown carbon products and PM 2.5 from catechol. Moreover, this catechol chemistry contributes to explaining why the mixing of smoke with urban pollution creates significant amounts of nitroaromatics with high yield at low altitude results in a considerable air quality drop. While the Clean Air Act in 1970 helped to greatly improve the air quality in U.S. cities, when biomass burning from wildfires reaches urban areas, smoke deteriorates those gains and warnings are issued to protect people's health with recommendations to remain indoors. The American Lung Association reports that in 2023 eight out of the ten most polluted cities in the U.S. by measure of ozone are in the West. By measure of year-round particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller (PM 2.5 ) that can penetrate deep into the human lungs during inhalation and later enter the bloodstream, the top 25 cities include Midwest and Southern centers such Indianapolis, Louisville, Houston, Laredo, Birmingham, Cincinnati, and Chicago. Concerns are rising that such trends could worsen as researchers from the United States Forest Service projected that fire emissions should increase by ~50% from 20012010 to 20502059. Importantly and directly connected to this problem is the changing climate, with higher temperatures registered by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it appears that anthropogenic warming is to blame. Just in the last 50 years, the contiguous 48 states have experienced an average increase of 1.2C. The same observation of a 1.2C increase can be made for Canada's annual average temperature but keeping in mind that it becomes more pronounced toward the north of 60 degrees latitude. Thus, these changes are causing the West and North of the American continent to become not only warmer but also drier, increasing the chance of wildfire occurrence. Considering that 2.2% of the entire globe burned in the year 2022, wildfires and their pollution are not an exclusive problem of the United States. More information: Md Sohel Rana et al, Conversion of Catechol to 4-Nitrocatechol in Aqueous Microdroplets Exposed to O 3 and NO 2 ACS ES&T Air (2023) DOI: 10.1021/acsestair.3c00001. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestair.3c00001 By Mabinty M. Kamara As criticism surrounds the proposed Mid Term Censors, the Statistician General and CEO of Statistics Sierra Leone, Professor Osman Sankoh, has explained the relevance of the Censors to Sierra Leoneans. Speaking at the Ministry of Information and Communication's weekly press briefing on Thursday, 13th August, Professor Sankoh said the Mid Term Population and Housing Census, which has been scheduled to start on the 4th of December this year, seeks to ensure proper allocation of resources for the implementation of the Medium Term National Development Plan. The Statistician General said that President Julius Maada Bio approved the Census as was advised because Statistics Sierra Leone could not provide accurate population data for Type Three localities, amounting to 59% nationwide. He noted that advanced technological tools such as the computer assisted data collection software will be used in the conduct of the Mid-Term Censors in order for them to do a proper job and correct the anomalies that occurred in the last census. He further assured that the advanced tools to be used will aid the job to be executed quickly and accurately and will also completely eliminate any possibility of data falsification as was the case in the past censors. He added that the statistical agency has experts in various fields that will get the work done correctly this time round. He stated that other countries like Kenya have used the system and it worked for them which is why they are keen to replicate it in Sierra Leone. Prof. Sankoh therefore called on all Sierra Leoneans to be involved in the process by making sure that they are counted and ensuring that everything is done appropriately. He noted that his institution was currently engaged in massive sensitization for people to know that they should stay at their various locations to be counted. The exercise is expected to last for two weeks. Samuel Ansumana, Director of Communication at Statistics Sierra Leone, told Politico that a locality or enumeration area in statistical terms is any known settlement or place that has a distinct name, noting that there are three types of such localities or enumeration areas in conducting census. Type one, he explained, has exactly between 80 to 120 households, whiles type two can be found in big towns and cities in which a single area can have up to 80 to 120 households in multitude. "For type three, it those not have enough households that can amount to 80 to120. Say for example in small towns, which have about 20 houses. So to get an enumeration area from that, you have to combine several of those small towns to get one enumeration area. At times it could be up to five towns," he said, noting that that was some of the gray areas of the last census. "We didn't get that correctly. There were data coding issues for all of those. And they represent 59% of the country. So that is the primary reason we proposed a mid-term census," he said. Since the announcement by President Bio of the plan to conduct the census, there have been expressions of concerns about the intentions and relevance of the exercise. The opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) said the move will be illegal. The civil society coalition National Elections Watch (NEW) raised questions about the relevance of the center and the intention of the government. NEW said with the ongoing global COVID -19 pandemic, it was prudent for the government to focus its attention on its response effort to the pandemic than conducting a census. "NEW is concerned with the prioritisation of this process now at a time when Covid-19 measures should be occupying the whole planning machinery and resources spent in that direction," the organization said in a press statement dated 29th July. "NEW calls on government to use the time between now and the launch in December of this exercise to clarify to the citizenry the justification and methodology that will be used this time around so that the people can appreciate the shift, scope and approach. If this process is transparent and open to accommodating technical contributions that add value, its results will leave limited room for questions and contestations, especially those aspects dealing with governance matters," it added. Censuses in Sierra Leone are normally conducted once every 10 years. However, according to law, it could be conducted any time as deemed fit by the President. The last census was conducted in 2015, just five years apart from the proposed census. Copyright 2020 Politico Online Cambodian PM meets with senior Chinese military official Xinhua) 10:24, December 05, 2023 Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet meets with He Weidong, visiting vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met with He Weidong, visiting vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, here on Monday. During the meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Hun Manet said that since the establishment of their diplomatic relations 65 years ago, the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China has developed constantly, with the two countries now enjoying a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation. He reiterated that the new Cambodian government firmly supports the one-China policy, resolutely opposes external forces interfering in China's internal affairs, and will further carry on the bilateral traditional friendship. Hun Manet also extended his thanks to China for its timely helping hand when Cambodia was faced with difficulties, and to the Chinese military for its strong support for the modernization of the Cambodian army. He said that in recent years, the relationship between the two militaries has been continuously consolidated and developed, and expressed the hope that the practical cooperation in various fields will continue to be strengthened in the future. For his part, He Weidong said China and Cambodia have been true ironclad friends. The senior Chinese military official said the two countries have supported each other in maintaining national stability and promoting prosperity and development, and made joint efforts to defend international fairness and justice, setting an example for building a new type of international relations. He added that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the two militaries have sustained high-level cooperation in the fields including high-level exchange, mechanism building, joint drills and exercises, and personnel training. He said China is willing to work with Cambodia to maintain communication at various levels, strengthen overall planning, intensify multilateral collaboration, and continuously consolidate and expand practical cooperation in various fields, making greater contribution in jointly building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era. During the visit, He Weidong also met with Samdech Techo Hun Sen, president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, and held talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha, exchanging views on bilateral relations, military cooperation, and international issues of common interest. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet meets with He Weidong, visiting vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) At the COP28 conference, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry criticized some U.S. oil producers for not doing enough to combat global warming and singled out Chevron for particular scrutiny. Joshua A. Bickel/AP U.S. climate envoy John Kerry criticized some U.S. oil producers for not doing enough to combat global warming and singled out Chevron for particular scrutiny. We have no real evidence that they and a lot of others are doing what every company needs to do, Kerry said at the Bloomberg Green summit at COP28 in Dubai on Tuesday. Oil and gas companies ought to be leading the charge. Chevron did not join a decarbonization charter unveiled at the United Nations meeting that would commit it to slashing methane emissions to near-zero and halt flaring of natural gas by the end of the decade. The California-based company also hasnt ponied up funding or technical support for a new World Bank grant fund to help rivals in developing nations stem their own methane releases. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Six other oil companies provided $25 million each, and Exxon Mobil is working on a plan to offer on-the-ground training and other expertise, Kerry said. Asked what more Chevron can do, Kerry was blunt: Everything, he said, adding that, for one thing, you cant be outside of this initiative. Chevron said in an emailed statement that it is an active participant in COP with representatives in Dubai actively engaged in conversations to advance our shared goals of a lower-carbon future. Company spokeswoman Sally Jones stressed Chevrons ongoing work to report emissions, to eliminate routine flaring by 2030 and reduce the carbon intensity of oil, gas and refining this decade. Any balanced take on our record should include the facts, she said. Kerry offered some praise for oil industry commitments unveiled at COP28, including the charter pledge to cut some emissions, which was spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In addition to methane targets, the 50 companies that signed up vowed to almost zero out carbon pollution from their operations by 2050. While that excludes the vast majority of their emissions, which are generated when the fuels they produce are burned, its an especially notable step forward for the 29 national oil companies that joined. A lot of criticisms have been leveled at the UAE, but the fact is that this is the first time ever that those companies have come to the table, Kerry said. What theyve agreed to do is not enough, in my judgment, but Id rather have them doing it than not doing it. Its especially critical that oil companies end the flaring of natural gas, Kerry said, calling it both stupid and dangerous. Separately, Kerry said he was not worried about Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salmans assertion his country would absolutely not accept language committing to a fossil fuel phase down as part of a final COP28 decision. Kerry also said he wasnt concerned about or a bloc forming to thwart that kind of pledge. The US supports the phase out of all unabated fossil fuels, Kerry said. A draft negotiating text released Tuesday morning offers alternative language calling for accelerating efforts toward phasing out unabated fossil fuels while rapidly reducing their use so as to achieve net zero CO2 in energy systems by or around mid-century. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The final landing zone is unclear, Kerry said. Hudson Falls awarded state funding to renovate 188 Main Street in the villages downtown in order to add new apartments to the villages housing stock. The project will redevelop the unoccupied upper floors of the building, creating ten apartment units, five on each floor. The building will consist of six one-bedroom apartments, three on each floor. Additionally, there will be four studio apartments, two on each floor. In order to make the space accessible and safe for residential use, the units will necessitate the installation of an elevator, construction of new stairs cases, renovations to reconfigure the lobby and entrance, and a full fit out of the apartment units, according to project documents. Everything Under Foot, a professional floor installation, remodeling, and handyman business. The existing showroom for Everything Under Foot will be renovated to include a partition wall to separate the retail space from the elevator and stair access to the apartments. The main floor will also see an exercise gym for tenants, according to Bill Smith, the owner of Everything Under Foot. The buildings rehabilitation will be a partnership between the Village of Hudson Falls and Smith, who also owns the entire building at 188 Main Street. This developments importance is highlighted not just because it helps to replenish some of the regions housing stock, but because of the buildings high visibility. The soon-to-be restored 9,652 sq. ft. building is centrally located just off the Villages central commercial square next to the Strand Theater. The 2022-23 State Budget provided new funding for the Restore New Yorks Communities Initiative and gave Empire State Development the responsibility of implementing this program for the sole purpose of revitalizing urban and rural areas, disadvantaged communities, and stabilizing neighborhoods, according to ESD. This grant funding allows for a maximum allowance of $70,000 per apartment unit, according to the ESD. The Hudson Falls Planning Board will hold a public hearing for the apartments on Monday, December 18 at 6 p.m. at Village Hall on 220 Main Street in Hudson Falls. Skye Rice will be seen by Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan on Friday, Dec. 8 at 9:30 a.m. Rice will be in court for sentencing dating back to an arrest on June 16 for charges of felony second-degree strangulation, felony third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, misdemeanor third-degree assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and misdemeanor second-degree obstruction of government administration, according to court documents. Rice is represented by Matthew Hug with Hug Law, PLLC and prosecuted by Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan. Rameen Dwayne McCord will also be seen by McKeighan for motion for charges dating back to an incident and his arrest on Wednesday, Aug. 9. An Omnibus motion was filed with court from Washington County Public Defender Elizabeth Connolly on Monday, Nov. 20 asking for the dismissal McCords two counts of felony second and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Washington County Assistant District Attorney Devin Anderson filed a certificate of compliance with the court on Wednesday, Nov. 22. McCord will be in court on Friday, Dec. 8 at 9:30 a.m. Steven Russell will appear in court before McKeighan on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 10:30 a.m. where a Huntley hearing will begin for Russell. Court documents said that the Huntley hearing was approved through an Omnibus Motion on Thursday, Nov. 21. Russell was charged with felony second-degree burglary after state police responded to a burglary of a home in Cambridge on Wednesday June 7. Washington County Assistant District Attorney Brandon Rathbun is prosecuting the case and Russell is represented by Saratoga Attorney Taalib Tony Horton. McKeighan will also see Chanel Lewis on Friday, Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m. for a motion connected to four counts of aggravated harassment of an employee by an inmate and misdemeanor second-degree promotion of prison contraband on Feb. 16 at Great Meadows Jail in Comstock. He was arrested by the Washington County Sheriffs Department on Friday, Oct. 6, court documents said. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Briana Canalini and Lewis is represented by Washington County Public Defender Dustin Bruhns. Joseph Brooks will see McKeighan for a motion on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. connected to his incident and arrest on Saturday, April 15 made by the Whitehall Village Police Department. According to the indictment with Washington County Court, Brooks is charged with felony first-degree assault, felony second-degree assault, felony third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and misdemeanor second-degree criminal contempt. The case is being prosecuted by Washington County Assistant District Attorney Brandon Rathbun and an Omnibus motion was filed by Washington County Public Defender Michael Martin on Monday, Nov. 20 In Warren County Court, Carter Backus will appear in court on Thursday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. in front of Judge Tatiana Coffinger. His appearance will be to accept or rejects an offer for an arrest dating back to July 15 by Warren County Sheriffs Department. Coffinger will also see David Muniz in court on Friday, Dec. 8 for a hearing and motion at 9:30 a.m. The proceedings will be for an incident on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017 and his arrest on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. CLARIFICATION: Judge Coffinger is a Hamilton County multi-bench judge and works in Warren County courts generally when Warren County judges recuse themselves. We had her title incorrect when we first published this story. It is corrected. A murder in Long Lake is under investigation by New York State Police. On Saturday, Dec. 2 at approximately 2:40 a.m., police responded to a residence on Deerland Road for a report of a man who died from gunshot wounds, according to a news release. In an update provided by police, the man was identified as Terrance J. Skerrett, age 64, of Lewis, NY. The release said that a preliminary investigation revealed Terrance and Patrick B. Skerrett were involved in a verbal altercation when Patrick discharged a firearm. Patrick was detained by the State Police for further questioning and arrested for one count of felony second-degree murder. He was arraigned in the Town of Long Lake Court and remanded to the Hamilton County Jail without bail. An autopsy was performed at Glens Falls Hospital Pathologist Michael Sikirica who ruled the manner of death a homicide. Sikirica determined the cause of death to be shotgun and gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen, the release said. The investigation remains ongoing. We will have updates as needed. The Town Board of Hague to appoint a new Town Council Member to fill Joshua Patchetts unexpired term of office for the calendar year 2024. Patchett was elected Supervisor of Hague in Novembers election and cannot also hold his current seat on the town board. The appointed person will commence responsibilities in January 2024 and will serve through December 2024. The 2024 salary is $6,473 per year. The appointed person and other candidates, if there are any, must run in November 2024 to finish the rest of Patchetts term, which ends at the end of 2025. In 2025, the seat will be up for re-election to a full, four-year term. This situation is governed by New York State election law, Personnel Chairman Jack Bast told The Post-Star. Democrat Joshua Patchett defeated incumbent Republican Edna Frasier in November in a tight election for Town Supervisor. Patchett won by a margin of just 8 votes with 154 votes to Frasiers 146 votes out of a total 300 votes cast. Josh will move up to supervisor and will not maintain a seat on the board, thus his seat has to be filledquite simple really, current Town of Hague Supervisor Edna Frasier told The Post-Star. A Council Member must be a resident of the Town, according to election law. Persons interested in serving the Town and being considered for Council Member appointment for calendar year 2024 must submit a written expression of interest to Personnel Chairman Jack Bast at jackbast@nycap.rr.com no later than Dec. 15, 2023. ATLANTIC CITY U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development representatives will visit the city next week to talk to residents and conduct a physical inspection of the Atlantic City Housing Authoritys nine complexes, a representative confirmed Monday. They are visiting at a time of continued heat and hot water outages at the 420-unit Stanley Holmes Village and other properties, including the high-rise for seniors and the disabled called Inlet Towers. And U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, on Friday increased his pressure on HUD to take over the Housing Authority in his second letter to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge. Neither authority Executive Director Tom Sahlin nor board Chair Stephanie Marshall responded to requests for comment Monday. Olga Pomar of South Jersey Legal Services, who is representing about 100 residents suing the authority over conditions at Stanley Holmes, said Monday more than 20 residents have recently reported heat and hot water outages to her. The authority has provided electric space heaters to many residents, she said, but they cannot heat entire units. Its not the same as providing safe, reliable heat, Pomar said. We dont know if they have investigated to be sure it is safe to have so many space heaters operating there. Pomar said other residents have reported burst pipes have caused steam to enter their units, with water even pooling in electrical outlets. Cold weather, lack of heat a bad mix in Atlantic City Housing Authority buildings Residents in the Atlantic City Housing Authority's Inlet Towers are trying to stay warm after almost a month of little to no heat and hot water, but some are doing it in a dangerous way: They are turning on their gas stoves and ovens. We have not been able to get from the Housing Authority information about what is going on and what is being fixed, Pomar said. During their visit, HUD representatives will also discuss a recovery action plan with the authoritys executive leadership team, said HUD spokesperson Olga Alvarez. The plan is in response to a severely critical HUD assessment of the authoritys operations and physical housing conditions released Oct. 23, and HUDs designation of the authority as troubled in August due to the lack of an updated audit. In his letter to Fudge, Van Drew expressed concern that HUD is allowing dangerous conditions to continue too long. Last month I requested that (HUD) assume federal control, Van Drew wrote Dec. 1. I have not yet received a response to my letter and am alarmed by our current trajectory. Van Drew said HUDs plan to fix problems at the authority will not be effective. This course of action is sluggish and dangerous, Van Drew said. Developing and implementing this plan will take many months or even years. ... A remedial approach risks a deadly winter and more years of a broken Atlantic City Housing Authority. He said HUD needs to declare the authority in default and fix the housing or relocate residents to clean, warm and permanent housing. Atlantic City Housing Authority to apply to demolish Stanley Holmes Village The Atlantic City Housing Authority Board of Commissioners greenlit the first step toward demolishing Stanley Holmes Village during a tumultuous meeting Thursday that included questions about payments to a contractor and complaints from residents and a housing choice voucher recipient about their housing conditions. Also Friday, Pomar filed a motion to compel discovery from the authority. Housing Authority attorney Richard DeLucry has not responded to Pomars requests for discovery since June, she said in her motion. It asks the judge to force the authority to provide a list of documents about its operations at Stanley Holmes. Since the heating season started in October there have been heating and hot water failures at Inlet Towers and Altman Terrace, as well as at Stanley Holmes. As of Monday heat was out again at Inlet Towers, said resident Mary Kuzmonich, 76. The heat and hot water went off again Friday afternoon, Kuzmonich said, after being back on for one day Thursday. It had been out for more than three weeks before that, residents said. Resident Patricia Nellom said when she woke up Friday morning she could see her breath and knew immediately the heat was off again. Were right back where we started. Its worse, Nellom said. People are so scared. Friends Foundation for the Aging awards JFS: The Friends Foundation for the Aging has approved a $30,000 grant for Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties. The funding will enhance case management services for supportive housing, specifically for community members 65 and older. The initiative aims to assist 75 older adults, with 25 benefiting from FFA-funded support. This assistance encompasses evaluations of financial status, health care coverage, access to social services, programs and more. While JFS maintains a robust supportive housing program throughout the region, the funds provided by Friends Foundation for the Aging will ensure older adults can stay sustainably housed in familiar surroundings, said Andrea Steinberg, JFS CEO. With the current economic environment, and many older adults living on a fixed income, we want to make certain these individuals are able to remain comfortably in their own home. For more information about JFS programs and services, visit jfsatlantic.org. Shore Guardian Angel: Shore Physicians Group surgical scheduler and coordinator Cindy Henry, of Egg Harbor Township, is Shore Medical Centers December Guardian Angel of the Month. Henry joined Shore Physicians Group in 2018, bringing her history of managing surgical schedules for urology and orthopedic offices. Both her supervisor, Darlene Wingate, and surgical division manager, Zeika Gomez, said Henry is a dependable team member, highly regarded for her kindness and compassion. Shore established the Guardian Angel program to enable community members to say thank you to a special Shore caregiver through a donation to the medical center in their honor. To honor a Guardian Angel, call Shores Planned Giving and Development Department at 609-653-3800 or visit givetoshore.org. MLK award nominations sought: Each year, Ocean City gives the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award to residents who embody the philosophy and ideals of the late civil rights leader. The award places a special emphasis on volunteerism and community service in Ocean City, recognizing individuals who have dedicated a minimum of two years to serving the community outside their professional environment. Nominations are being sought for the 2024 award, and a committee appointed by the city Department of Community Services will be responsible for choosing the recipient and finalists from the submitted nominations. Both the nominee and the nominator will receive notification by Dec. 15, and they will be celebrated at noon Jan. 15 at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony at the Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace and the Boardwalk. Nominations can be made at ocnj.us/mlknomination no later than Friday. OC house decorating contest: The deadline to sign up for the Ocean City House Decorating Contest is noon Dec. 13. Judging will take place the evenings of Dec. 14 and 15 between 5 and 8 p.m. Prizes include gift certificates for shopping in downtown Ocean City and gift baskets from the city and the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce. Pictures of all entries will be posted on social media Dec. 15 so the public can vote for the Peoples Choice Award. Voting will end Dec. 17. Registration information, online voting and a list of all participating houses will be posted at ocnj.us/holidayhouse. Dance at the JCC: Go dancing from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Milton & Betty Katz JCC auditorium, 501 N. Jerome Ave. in Margate. The event will include live music from Even Betta, refreshments and door prizes. It is free for Lynn Kramer Village by the Shore members, Holocaust survivors and JCC members. Cost is $5 for non-members. To make a reservation, contact Tina Serota at 609-287-8872 or tserota@jfsatlantic.org by Thursday. Buena Historical Society to host Christmas party: The Buena Historical Societys 26th annual Christmas/Anniversary Dinner Party is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at Martins Custom Catering, 311 S. Harding Highway in Landisville. This years honorees are Albert DeStefano, Daniel Falasca Sr. and Bill Donnelly. Tickets are priced at $45 and cover appetizers, a buffet dinner, soft drinks and dessert. The evening also will include holiday music, a cash bar, door prizes and a 50/50 raffle. To purchase tickets, call Eileen Ruggeri at 856-207-2585. Sustainable Book Group discussion: The Sustainable Book Group of Ocean City and Upper Township will discuss The Heat Will Kill You First by Jeff Goodell at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 via Zoom. Monthly SBG discussions feature books about the changing climate and related topics. Future reads will be Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Gilbert in January, Fire Weather by John Vaillant in February and On Fire by Naomi Klein in March. All books are available at the Ocean City Free Public Library and the Upper Cape Branch of the Cape May County Library. For additional information, email Ralph Cooper at uppercapesustainability@gmail.com. More than the forecast. Meteorologist Joe Martucci recaps the month of weather that was with New Jersey State Climatologist Dave Robinson, Joe's self proclaimed weather dad, near the beginning of every month. Winter outlooks, hurricanes forecasts and other special podcasts are released throughout the year, too. The Press of Atlantic City is your home for South Jersey and Jersey Shore weather. Headed by Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Meteorologist Joe Martucci, plan your day with Joe's forecast videos, articles and social media posts. Articles, podcasts, radar, tide gauges and more can all be found on our weather page. When you need to know, turn to Joe! We're the home of the inland and shore 7-day forecast, year-round. WAKEFIELD, N.H. A former Galloway Township firefighter has been hailed as a hero in New Hampshire after he and his wife helped rescue two young men who fell through a sheet of ice. Rick Wehrhan helped rescue the men Wednesday, Wakefield police said in a news release. He previously was a member of the Germania Volunteer Fire Company in Galloway. Attempts to reach Wehrhan were unsuccessful. The fire company on Cologne Avenue did not return a request for comment Monday. Police said Wehrhan and his wife, Deborah, were at their residence when they heard the young men in distress on Charlie Fielding's Pond. While his wife dialed 911, Rick Wehrhan found the men who fell through the frozen pond. The former firefighter tossed the men a ring buoy from his yard, police said. He managed to help free both men from the icy waters and to shore. "His training, background and quick thinking played a pivotal role in this successful ice water rescue," Wakefield police Chief Michael Fenton said in a statement. Police said they were called to Great East Lane about 9:30 a.m. Once officers arrived, both men were showing symptoms of hypothermia, police said. Wakefield Fire and Rescue personnel treated both of them before they were taken to a nearby hospital. The Scott County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to reject the Pleasant Valley school board recount, despite recommendations from county attorneys. Supervisors Ross Paustian, Jean Dickson and vice-chair John Maxwell cast the majority vote to reject the recount report at Mondays special meeting. The county attorneys office had recommended the board accept the report as expected by state law. Chair Ken Beck and supervisor Rita Rawson voted to accept the report. This move means that election results will reflect Scott Countys initial canvassed results, subject to further litigation. Those results for Pleasant Valley Director District 6 had Jameson Smith winning over write-in candidate Tracey Rivera by six votes, 256 to 250. The three supervisors who voted to reject the report cited the possible inclusion of ballots cast for both candidates that were incorrectly filled out in the recount totals. I think the Board of Supervisors should take a stand on this and see what happens, Paustian said before voting on Monday. We need to have a backbone and say this is wrong. Rivera filed for a recount on Friday, Nov. 17 a decision prompted by the elections 19 undervotes and narrow margins, she said. The recount took place Nov. 27 and Nov. 28. According to Assistant Scott County Attorney Kristina Lyon, two of the three appointed recount delegates signed off on a 255-255 tie between the two following the recount, and the final report was filed on Friday, Dec. 1. Following Iowa law, Scott County Supervisors would then accept the recount report and draw names to break the tie, according to Lyon. However, Smiths recount delegate Cyndi Diercks wanted to dispute some of the absentee ballot tallies, particularly upon comparing her notes from the recount meeting on Monday, Nov. 27, to the first official canvass, she said in a letter attached to the final recount report. Since the deadline for local election recounts wasnt until Monday, Dec. 4, Diercks claimed to have wished to resolve these disputes with Lyon and the other two recount delegates before filing the recount report. On Tuesday, Nov. 28, she said in the letter, Tompkins advised that Lyon would be available to meet regarding these disputes around 11 a.m. that day. Arun Pillutla, Riveras recount delegate, was unable to meet during that time due to work, and the third recount delegate, retired judge Mark Smith, left after signing the tally sheets, which they believed to reflect a tie. After meeting with Tompkins and Lyon, Diercks took her recount tally sheets home in hopes of reconvening with (Mark) Smith and Pillutla before the Dec. 4 deadline, Diercks told the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus on Monday. That never happened, though Pillutla and other community members were concerned about potential collusion after Diercks was permitted to take tally sheets home. To this point, Beck asked for clarification on who can legally handle recount documents. Tompkins said the law is, very vague in terms of recount board members possession of these documents. But it (recount report) is not due until today, Tompkins said. Any of the recount members could have it, it is their responsibility. Additionally, Lyon said there is no evidence to support that the tally sheets signed by all three recount delegates had been changed, altered or tampered with. Still, since two of the three delegates declared the recount a tie, she said the recount report, appears binding on the Board of Supervisors pursuant to the Iowa Code. A non-prevailing candidate may contest a county boards rejection via a writ of mandamus lawsuit, which could be a lengthy process, depending on court proceedings. It could be the next election until this is actually resolved, Assistant Scott County Attorney Steven Berger jokingly said to supervisors on Monday. But, our office believes we need to counsel the board to follow the statute as it is, perform the ministerial function today. Several board members cited email exchanges between the recount board and county officials that claimed some of the ballots were cast incorrectly for both candidates. We counted by hand over 20 boxes of ballots. Some of the write-in votes did not have the ovals filled in, but had (Riveras) name clearly written on the line. Some of the ballots for Mr. Smith had an X in the oval instead of being filled in. All of the above were counted without objection from Ms. Diercks until the last write-in ballot for (Rivera) was reviewed, at which time Ms. Diercks objected saying the oval was not filled in by the hand-written name of (Rivera), according to an email from Mark Smith at 4:21 p.m. on Nov. 29. Smith goes on to allege that Diercks may have disputed the counts due to results being a tie. We talked about the matter, and both Arun (Pillutla) and I felt it was unfair to count the other ballots in the same situation and not this one. Ms. Diercks signed the certification, as did I and Arun, his email continued. The guidelines do contain a provision that if there is an error on the ballot, but the intent of the voter is clear, we should not reject the ballot. Still, Diercks maintains that the aforementioned tally sheets were not intended as the final recount report since she hoped to resolved her disputes prior to Mondays deadline. Lyon said the county attorneys office had reason to believe some of the ballots counted in the final recount report were filled out incorrectly. When asked by Beck if the recount report included any improperly-cast ballots, Lyon said county attorneys were led to believe so, but it was not their responsibility but the recount boards to determine whether these ballots would be counted in their report. This seemed to be the reason behind Supervisors decision to reject the recount. Clearly, in my eyes, the recount board did not follow the law, Maxwell said. Im torn as to how this should proceed. Despite voting to accept the recount, Beck said he was disappointed in the process, also noting vagueness in law. Iowa State code does not address what procedures are to be followed if a canvass of votes were rejected, he said in a statement on Monday. But Im sure it will expose the county to needless legal action, time that should be spent for the citizens of Scott County. Instead, Beck said the appropriate civil legal action should face the individuals who broke the law. This shouldnt have happened, said Supervisor Rawson. There is state law: The ovals arent filled in, the ballots not counted. Very simple. Jameson Smith declined to comment on Scott County Supervisors decision to reject the recount. The Original Ninfa's on Navigation waiters get orders ready to walk them to their respective tables on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in Houston. Marie D. De Jesus/Staff photographer Houston had firmly cemented its status as Space City 50 years ago, having played a pivotal role in sending the first humans to the moon a few years earlier. In the decades since, the citys land area has increased by nearly 50%, while its population has almost doubled. Some landmark businesses have been here all that time, growing in size, favor and influence along with the city itself. Many of their origin stories share a common thread: humble beginnings allowed their owners to provide for their families or satisfy a cultural niche. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Here are just a handful of the many iconic businesses in Houston that recently celebrated or are heading into their 50th anniversaries, their range of offerings reflecting the citys diversity and entrepreneurial spirit. TEXAS BRANDS: How a state became its own iconic image and rallying cry The Original Ninfas Craving fajitas? You can thank Maria Mama Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo, who first began putting grilled steak in a handmade flour tortilla in her familys struggling tortilla factory in Houstons East End in 1973. Mama Ninfas husband had just died, and she was selling food to provide for her kids, according to the restaurants website. The dish she created inadvertently became a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Last month, on the restaurants 50th anniversary, Mayor Sylvester Turner declared Nov. 12 as Original Ninfas Day. The restaurant was named a semi-finalist for a James Beard Award, a top honor in the culinary world, in 2019. The restaurant says its food is the best Mexican food in Texas since Texas was in Mexico. Ninfas has two Houston locations, at 2704 Navigation and at 1700 Post Oak Blvd. #1-190. Brazos Bookstore Karl Kilian, who founded Brazos Bookstore in 1974, wanted his store to be more than a place that sold books. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Of course, the stores selections are plentiful, its shelves filled with contemporary and classic literature, nonfiction, art and architecture, childrens books and graphic novels. But Kilians vision was also for Brazos Bookstore to be a gathering space for writers and creatives across the city and to elevate Houstons reputation as a literary town. Brazos Bookstore, at 2421 Bissonnet, continues to be a heavyweight in Houstons literary scene and hosts an assortment of events, including book clubs, author talks and storytimes. Brazos Bookstore on Bissonett. Nick de la Torre/Staff Frenchys Chicken Frenchys Chicken is a Beyonce-approved favorite. Need we say more? We will. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Houston chain was started by Percy Frenchy Creuzot Jr. in 1969, a few years after he moved to the city from New Orleans to work as a traveling salesman. He opened a small po boy shop on Scott Street in Third Ward where he served up southern Louisiana cooking bursting with French, Spanish, Caribbean and African influence, according to the restaurants website. Last year, Houston Chronicle readers chose Frenchys as their favorite fried chicken restaurant in the city. If you want to eat like Beyonce, rumor has it her order includes the chains fried chicken, red beans, dirty rice, frenchy fries, collard greens, cornbread and lemon cake. Frenchys has 11 locations around Houston, including the megastars preferred spot on Scott. Fresh fried chicken is prepared at the original Frenchy's restaurant in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mais Restaurant When Phin and Phac Nguyen opened their Vietnamese restaurant in 1978, they named it after their daughter Mai, whose name means golden flower, a symbol of prosperity and luck, according to the restaurants website. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But it was through three generations of hard work rather than luck that Mais Restaurant became a Houston staple, particularly among night owls. Originally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Mais is now open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday to capitalize on Houstonians demand for late-night snacks. The restaurant was originally opened by the Nguyens to provide for their eight children, and when Mai took over from her parents, she worked to attract customers from beyond Houstons Vietnamese community. After a devastating fire in 2010, the family rebuilt the restaurant, which is now run by Mais daughter Anna Pham. The late Anthony Bourdain called Mais his favorite place to eat in Houston. For a hearty bowl of pho and more, Mais is at 3403 Milam in Midtown. A recount for Pleasant Valleys recent school board elections has spurred accusations of collusion and fraud on both sides of the issue. Votes for Pleasant Valleys Director District 6 race landed at 255 to 255 following the recount, according to appointed incumbent Tracey Rivera and her recount delegate Arun Pillutla. Rivera, who campaigned as a write-in candidate, is running against Jameson Smith. The initial canvass reported a tally of 256 to 250 alongside 19 undervotes with Smith taking a narrow victory. Rivera filed for a recount on Nov. 17, appointing Dr. Arun Pillutla a former district parent and St. Ambrose University professor to serve as her delegate on the three-member Recount Board. Cyndi Diercks, a district grandparent and local business owner, was Smiths appointed delegate. Retired Scott County judge Mark Smith was the third, court-appointed recount delegate. Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins announced the Recount Board Report had been received around 2:20 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, prompting a re-canvass for 4 p.m. today. This means that recount results do not match the initial Nov. 7 canvass summary, Tompkins explained in a phone call with Quad-City Times reporters on Tuesday, Nov. 28. But some parties say there is much more to the Director District 6 recount than what officials have disclosed, alleging behind-the-scenes collusion. The recount began the morning of Monday, Nov. 27. By Nov. 28, the recount board had votes counted and all three delegates had signed the tally sheets, according group emails. However, Pillutla claimed Diercks took the tally sheet documents home and had them for roughly 72 hours after Tuesday's recount meeting convened. He is concerned about potential collusion with county officials, seeing as how Diercks was able to take recount documents in her possession after he and Smith authorized the 255-255 count. In an email to recount delegates, election manager James Martin and Scott County Attorney Kristina Lyon around 9:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Tomkins said she reviewed video from Tuesday mornings recount meeting. Around 11 a.m., Mark Smith handed me the report and then Cynthia Diercks took it as Mark Smith watched," Tompkins said. "I did not even get to review the report. It appears from the video, you also saw this happen, the email reads. Cynthia Diercks then grabbed a piece of paper (could be the report?) and showed you something on it and you two were in further discussion. Again, I do not have the report. Tompkins went on to say that final recount reports can be a summary document, so long as it contains two signatures and has all other necessary documents attached. Around 4:20 p.m. that day, Mark Smith weighed in on the matter: We counted by hand over 20 boxes of ballots. Some of the write-in votes did not have the ovals filled in but had (Riveras) name clearly written on the line, his email said. Some of the ballots for Mr. Smith had an X in the oval instead of being filled in. Smith goes on to say that all ballots were counted, without objection from Diercks until the last write-in ballot for Rivera. At which time (Diercks) objected, saying the oval was not filled in by the handwritten name of (Rivera), Smith wrote. It seems that she objected to the last ballot because she knew it was going to be a tie. We talked about the matter, and both Arun and I felt it was unfair to count the other ballots in the same situation and not this one," Mark Smith said in the email. From there, Mark Smith claims that all three delegates had signed the report. At approximately 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Diercks admitted via email to having the tally sheets in her custody. In a phone call with the Quad-City Times on Monday, Diercks said the tally sheets she referred to were her notes from the day and that she hadnt taken any sensitive documents home. Additionally, she claims to have been given the OK from Tompkins to take the sheets home. Diercks said the documents Smith and Pillutla signed on Tuesday were not intended to be filed as the final report, as she had hoped to reconvene with the recount board. Diercks said she asked Tompkins Tuesday about meeting with Kristina Lyon assistant Scott County attorney regarding disputes she found with certain absentee ballot boxes, particularly after comparing her notes from Monday's recount with the official Nov. 14 canvass. Tompkins advised that Lyon would not be available to meet with the recount board until around 11 a.m. By that time, Pillutla was unable to stay due to work, and Smith had left. Diercks said she had already signed her tally sheet prior to Smith and Pillutla signing them. "I had already written my name on the tally sheet Nov. 27th, as I did not realize my chicken scratch would be used for the report," she said in a letter attached to the final recount report. On Nov. 28 Lyon arrived shortly after Smith and Pillutla had left, and Diercks said she was given the OK by Tompkins to take her tally sheets home. "I was informed that the Recount Board could reconvene all the way to Dec. 4th when our reports would be due to the auditors office," she wrote. "Unfortunately, (Pillutla and Smith) would not agree to reconvene to receive counsel from Scott County Attorney Kristina Lyon and resolve the count disputes." On Monday Lyon said the Scott County Attorney's Office could not comment on the situation, but suspected that many questions circulating on the recount would be answered during the Board of Supervisor's meeting at 4 p.m. Diercks maintains she did not violate any election proceedings on the other hand, she said the tally sheets should not have been signed by Pillutla in the first place pending her disputes. Neither Smith nor Tompkins could be reached for additional comment before publication. This is a developing story. CHICAGO When recently arrived migrants, mostly from Venezuela, began to show up at Juana Arreguins ice cream shop in Pilsen over the summer some begging for money, others asking for a job all she could do was feed them. Sometimes, she said, she would give them a few dollars or point them to someone who could maybe hire them. I wish I could help them, I know how it is to start from zero, said Arreguin, 52. With the help of her husband, she managed to open the shop after nearly 30 years in the U.S. The couple, both of whom entered the country illegally from Mexico, said they used all their savings from working without job permits in the Chicago area their entire adult lives to open the shop. They prayed the risk they were taking would be worth it. It hasnt been easy, Arreguin said, but shes grateful for the ice cream shop with a dozen colorful tables and even more flavors and Mexican snacks. Lately, however, shes felt a little disillusioned, perhaps frustrated. Some of those new migrants who shes been helping feed and guide in the city shes called home for decades can now apply for job permits after President Joe Biden expedited work permits for migrants from mostly Venezuela, as well as Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti. Though Arreguin celebrates the increased opportunities for newly arrived Venezuelans in Chicago, she feels abandoned. She couldnt hold back the tears as she implored government officials to expand the program to other immigrant groups, like herself. Please dont forget about us. We need job permits too, she said while sitting in one of the benches of the ice cream shop. Shes joining the voices of thousands of other immigrants who live in Chicago without legal authorization and are demanding the Biden administration give them the opportunity to work legally as well. Bipartisan advocates leading the Work Permits for All campaign say Biden could change the lives of workers like Arreguin through the existing federal parole program that he used to provide work authorization for the newly arrived migrants. Thousands of workers without permanent legal status mostly from Mexico traveled to Washington, D.C., last month along with community organizers, political leaders and even employers to push for the executive order. Though Arreguin couldnt go, she said she shared her story with the Tribune to empower other immigrants to speak up and bolster the movement that could materialize work permits for the estimated 7.8 million workers in the U.S. without legal permission. The work authorization, advocates say, would allow those immigrants to step out from the shadows and improve their lives exponentially. They would receive workplace protections and legally set wages that they may be too afraid to demand under the current circumstances. And they could visit their home countries without sacrificing the lives they have built in the United States. Many living in the country illegally go the rest of their lives without seeing family because they would be barred from reentering the U.S. if they left. For a long time, Arreguin who missed her fathers funeral in 2004 kept these hardships to herself. She was afraid to talk about her immigration status and lived in fear that she could be deported at any moment. It made her feel invisible. Not anymore. If I dont speak up and show people what were capable of doing even without government support, who will? she said. They (politicians) need to realize that were no different from the new migrants who are also coming here for a better life. The only difference is that we have been here for decades and they have not acknowledged us even though we pay millions in taxes. Working without authorization, reporting taxes In Illinois, there are more than 300,000 workers without permanent legal status, mostly Mexican and many now in mixed-status families, who have been working and paying taxes without a job permit, according to the most recent Pew Research data. Most use an individual taxpayer identification number provided by the federal government to report income instead of a Social Security number to file their taxes. Some people find work by using fake documents. Others use somebody elses Social Security number or work under the table to get paid in cash. The only legal way for those who dont have a job permit to work is to become contractors, like Arreguin. Regardless of how they pay into the system, most file their taxes using the ITIN number even if theyre not eligible for government entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicaid. Arreguin was able to get her business license with the ITIN number shes been using to pay her taxes since she arrived in the country in the early 90s. Last year, she paid more than $13,000 in taxes. Undocumented workers in Illinois pay an estimated $900 million in federal taxes and $700 million in state and local taxes, according to the latest report from the American Immigration Council. And in the past year, some have decided to make their presence known in more than just dollars and cents. At a recent rally in Pilsen, several of those workers took to the stage to share their stories and, for some, their heartache in hopes that officials recognize their economic contribution and put them back on the agenda. Many cried, holding signs with the number of years that they have been working in the country without a job permit: 17, 20, 29, 30, 33. We are being forgotten, Consuelo Martinez, a mother of two, said in Spanish when she took the stage as she held a sign with the number 27. Martinez isnt afraid anymore either. She is stepping out of the shadows on behalf of herself and the estimated 180,000 workers in Chicago without permanent legal status. Biden, listen to us, we want to work without fear, like our Venezuelan brothers and sisters, she said. It is only fair The song Mojado' by Ricardo Arjona played in the background of the Pilsen rally. An ode to the millions of people who have crossed the southern border into the United States through the Rio Grande, its title means Wetback in English. When Erendira Rendon heard the song, she couldnt hold back tears. She cried as she hugged some of the women who stood by her side telling their stories. They reminded her of her Mexican parents who made their journey north in 1987. As a young girl, Rendon was inspired to pursue advocacy work because of her own immigration status, living in the country without authorization, and the desire to help her family. In 2012, she got a job permit and protection from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an Obama-era policy for which she pushed hard. Now as the vice president of Immigrant Justice at Resurrection Project, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that advocates for immigrant rights, Rendon has been at the forefront of addressing the needs of the migrants since the first group arrived on a bus sent from Texas by Gov. Greg Abbott in late August 2022. Rendon and her team are now organizing legal clinics across the city to help new migrants apply for expedited work permits. The group is also helping Venezuelan migrants apply for the extension of temporary protected status, a program that allows people whose home countries are considered unsafe the right to live and work in the United States. Though she has been making a difference in the lives of asylum-seekers, Rendon suddenly felt futile when the Biden administration announced it was granting work permits to recently arrived migrants. It is something she has wanted for her community all her life, she said. We deserve a job permit. It is only fair, Rendon said. But longtime unauthorized immigrants have little hope of ever fixing their status. Many of the Mexican immigrants who entered the country came with the understanding that they were crossing illegally and went into hiding, said Rendon. Some are still afraid to ask for community resources or apply for government resources for their U.S.-born children because they fear deportation, she added. Despite crossing without authorization, most immigrants reunited with family or friends and had a support network already in place. Venezuelans do not. Most new migrants are part of the first wave into the country, most of them seeking asylum. Without a safety net in place, the state of Illinois and city of Chicago have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the past year to provide shelter, food, permanent housing, health care and now legal aid to process work permits for the new migrants. Resentment and frustration That government help has raised feelings of resentment and frustration among some who arrived in the country decades ago from Mexico and other countries. Many say they also ran away from violence and poverty, but did not receive and will never receive that kind of public aid. It has been voiced in community meetings hosted by the city regarding the opening of new shelters and, more notably, in the number of protests against the erection of winterized tents to house the migrants from the cold in Brighton Park, a predominantly Latino immigrant neighborhood with a growing Asian population. Its a resentment stoked by the governments own tangled policies. It begins with a federal humanitarian program that allows migrants from certain countries to seek asylum but does not grant them automatic work authorization. Its further compounded by a system that regards some migration as forced and others as voluntary regardless of the similar hardships endured in their native countries. In each and every turn, longtime undocumented immigrants in the United States have seen other populations either move forward and have been told to take the back seat and to wait, said Angela Garcia, a sociologist and assistant professor at the University of Chicago whose work focuses on unauthorized immigrants from Mexico in Chicago. There is little hope that anything will change soon. Efforts to legalize the 11 million people living in the country without authorization have stalled for decades, with the last relief coming in 1986 through the Immigration Reform and Control Act, also called the Reagan Amnesty. Rendon predicts that the lack of action from political leaders will have an impact in the upcoming presidential elections. And even affect local politics. U.S.-born children of the longtime unauthorized workers who are eligible to vote are most likely keeping tabs on how their parents and elders are being treated by the leaders, Rendon said. A recent poll commissioned by the American Business Immigration Coalition showed that voters in seven key states support the expansion of work permits for immigrants living here illegally. The poll, by Lake Research Partners, found even deeper support among certain groups of voters. Eight in 10 Mexican American voters in these states and over eight in 10 Democrats support the policy. U.S. citizens in mixed-status families are essentially unanimously in support, with nearly nine in 10 strongly supportive. Arreguins daughter, Johanna Rangel, 23, said she is planning to vote in the upcoming elections. For my parents, she smiled as she looked at her mother. Everyone eager to work Arreguin knows that some people are angered by the amount and type of assistance that new migrants are getting. But she is not one of them. She remembers the day she crossed the southern border with her husband and the eldest of their three children, who was only 1 year old. Fleeing a world with high crime, organized crime and no access to education, the young family found refuge at her brothers home in the United States and lived with him until they could rent their own place. Arreguin easily sees herself in some of the Venezuelan mothers shes encountered, including a young migrant mother who recently came in with her child and asked for a job at the shop. I know that it is difficult for them, especially for the parents. I cant imagine living in a shelter, eating cold food or that your children are hungry, she said. It makes me sad but we can barely keep the business running on our own, said Arreguin. Her two young grandchildren, Rangels children, often play in the store while their mother works. One of the tables has their smiling faces painted on it. The shop is their second home, she said. Despite the significant efforts to push for the expansion of the policy, Arreguin doesnt expect the Biden administration to step in for them anytime soon. Either way, she says, making noise is worth the try. One day, God willing, well be recognized for all the work weve done, Arreguin said. Her faith in God is rooted in the hope that she will get to see her mother, 85, who still lives in Michoacan, Mexico, one last time. She still thinks about her late father every day. As autumn leaves fell on the ground, a customer entered and Arreguin stood up from the bench to walk behind the counter. Buenas tardes, she said. Como le puedo servir? Good afternoon. How can I help you? Americas reeling as flow of migrants reaches historic levels CAMBRIDGE, Ill.Judge Norma Kauzlarich is expected to issue written rulings by Dec. 18 on a number of motions in the murder trial of a Granite City man charged for the death of Knox County Deputy Nicholas Weist. Weist died in April of 2022 at Alpha in Henry County, where he was setting up stop sticks to end the pursuit of Daylon K. Richardson, 24, who was fleeing Knox County authorities after being seen with a gun at a gas station in Galesburg. At Mondays hearing on all pending motions in Henry County Circuit Court, defense attorney Bruce Carmen sought to strike language from one of two murder charges regarding an allegation of his client fleeing from police. In particular, Carmen is objecting to jury instructions about the alleged fleeing as it refers to an intent to kill and conduct indicative of a strong likelihood of bodily harm or death. Carmen also asked the judge to reconsider its ruling about shots being fired at Knox County deputies in pursuit of Richardson, saying mention of the shots would be unfairly prejudicial. He said there were minutes between the firing of the shots until the time Deputy Weist was killed. Henry County States Attorney Catherine Runty said she disagreed that the shots fired and Deputy Weists death were separate incidents. I disagree its one long incident, she said. I would agree the occurrence of shots fired doesnt occur simultaneously, but I disagree they are separate and distinct events. Its extremely important for these officers to be able to testify how that affected their actions or reactions, she said. Not to dwell on things that occurred in Knox County, but to cut those acts out completely would be catastrophic. The attorneys also discussed how Carmen would be able to talk about official duties and whether Weist was off-duty or on-duty as well as whether he was outside his geographic jurisdiction. In written arguments, Runty said the Illinois Supreme Court has stated that a peace officer has the duty to maintain public order wherever he may be and his duties are not confined to a specific time and place. She said Monday the issue becomes confusing for the jurors and the issue of whether Weist was on-duty or off-duty is more simplistic than the burden of proof demands. The judge granted a defense motion to exclude evidence that Richardson had his dog in the vehicle with him at the time of the pursuit. Runty said she agreed that the dog was not an important detail. Richardsons jury trial is set for the week of Feb. 12, 2024. John Hansen, a 64-year-old Rapid City man, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years and one month in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after he helped bring more than 400 grams of fentanyl into the Rapid City area from Denver. Hansen's 29-year-old daughter, Aubrey Hansen, initially found the source for the fentanyl, according to court documents. She began obtaining the drug, and then recruited her father to help. Ike Sowder, 41, admitted he helped disperse the drug in Rapid City as well. According to a U.S. Attorney's Office press release, between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms in the form of thousands of pills were brought into the Rapid City area. Each fentanyl pill is approximately one-tenth of a gram and one pill is approximately two dosage units. The conspiracy lasted from at least June 2022 to January 2023, according to court documents. The Hansens and Sowder were indicted on March 23. Aubrey Hansen pleaded guilty on July 7. John Hansen pleaded guilty on Sept. 13. Sowder pleaded guilty on Oct. 6. On Oct. 23, Aubrey Hansen was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. She received a sentence just one month shorter than her father's. Sowder's sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Jan. 24 at the federal courthouse in Rapid City. Water projects, prison spending and core state funding obligations for the upcoming fiscal year could be on the docket Tuesday for the Governors Budget Address. Gov. Kristi Noem will give the budget address at the Capitol in front of 105 lawmakers and other government officials. The address will set what she sees as the states main funding priorities for the 2025 fiscal year. Governor Kristi Noem gives the annual budget address on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Expected to be included in her speech will be a plan for the remaining millions in American Rescue Plan Act dollars that have yet to be allocated, funding for the so-called Big Three priorities and a return to a budget similar to the pre-COVID-19 era. Noem already warned South Dakotans the states budget would be tight in her weekly column back in late October. "...there are many members of our state legislature that have not experienced a 'normal budget year,'" Noem wrote. "These legislators are used to having huge revenues and surpluses to spend on whatever they want. They have not had to do what more and more families across America are having to do stick to a tight budget." Top lawmakers in the South Dakota Senate and House of Representatives, along with state government experts, say the tight budget is synonymous with budgets prior to COVID-19 pandemic when the state benefited from a large influx of federal dollars and saw increased revenues. What are the Big Three? The Big Three are the states core budget priorities: funding education, health providers and state employees. This past year, health providers were reimbursed at a 100% rate where in previous years, providers were reimbursed at a lower rate. Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities benefit from these reimbursements. Hospitals also received a 5% funding increase. Based on recommendations from a summer study, long-term care facilities will also be a legislative priority for lawmakers when they return Jan. 9 to Pierre for the start of the 99th Legislative Session. Educators and state employees across the state also got a bump in pay over the last year. Its unclear if another pay raise is in the cards for educators or state employees. The 2024 fiscal year budget came in at a record-setting $7.4 billion and included a hard-fought temporary sales tax cut. What projects could remaining ARPA funds go toward? In the past few years, a majority of the ARPA funds have gone toward infrastructure improvements across the state such as housing, broadband and environmental projects. The state received $974.4 million in federal ARPA funds. The funds that we did have as a state, we were really diligent about making sure those were one-time investments that produced a long-term return for the people of South Dakota, said Senate Majority Leader Casey Crabtree, R-Madison. Significant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act also went to help South Dakota municipalities improve their sewer and water systems. The central question the state is asking ahead of the budget address is where will the remaining $104.6 million in ARPA funds that have yet to be put into an infrastructure project go? All ARPA funds the state received must be obligated by the end of 2024 and then must all be spent by the end of 2026. Bureau of Finance and Management Commissioner Jim Terwilliger told appropriators Nov. 13 that Noem will lay out a plan for the $104.6 million to be spent during her budget address. She will look forward to having that conversation when the time is right, he said. One Republican lawmaker from Rapid City, Sen. Helene Duhamel, has been pushing for the funds to go toward water infrastructure improvements in the western side of the state that has critical water needs because of its drier climate. Duhamel has brought two bills in the past two years to dedicate a portion of the ARPA funds to water projects, including a $3.5 million study of a West River water pipeline. Her bill in 2023 passed the Senate but failed in the House by two votes. "Every dollar invested in water pays dividends to every citizen of our state," she said. "For us to unlock our potential in western South Dakota, we need a reliable source of clean water." Crabtree said Duhamel has done an incredible job to champion the water needs in the western side of the state and added northeast South Dakota would also benefit from water infrastructure. The legislature, really as a whole, has a pull toward wanting to put what they can for ARPA funds that remain into water infrastructure projects. That provides a good return, weve got a need across the state, Crabtree said, adding the water projects are just one part of the overall remaining ARPA fund conversation. The state is also facing down major prison projects, including the construction of a 1,500-bed mens facility in Lincoln County that will replace the current state penitentiary and continuing the construction of a new 288-bed womens prison in Rapid City. Its possible some ARPA funds could be used in those projects. A return to normal Michael Card, a professor emeritus in the politics department at the University of South Dakota, said hes not sure how different the states spending will be during the upcoming fiscal year from the past few years. He said that although state revenues are estimated to decrease by 2%, because of the general sales tax cut, which sets the stage for a tight budget, there are still millions in ARPA funds that have been obligated for projects but remain unspent. How do we deal with these unobligated funds? How do we deal with some expenditures that havent been made? Card asked. House Majority Leader Will Mortenson and Crabtree agree the upcoming budget will be a return to normal. It makes the budgeting process easier in that we know which core priorities we have to fund, Mortenson said. This year will be about needs, not wants. The Pierre Republican remembers working for the Daugaard administration in 2011, when the state faced deep budget cuts, and said the Legislature is working hard to avoid a repeat of that in the future. The key to avoiding it is being frugal in the times that you have money and not overextending the obligations of state government, he said. I think weve been pretty prudent in the last few years, but this year is going to demand additional prudence. A new program, Peaceful Means, is using Lakota values to teach youth about sexual violence and prevention on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and hopes to reduce sexual violence by up to 80%. Based in the Wakpamni district of Pine Ridge, Peaceful Means is an Indigenous-led sexual violence prevention center. This initiative was created through a $3.2 million grant from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a partnership with IMpower United. After the center opened this past fall, organizers began to travel to different schools and community centers across Pine Ridge to teach youth about how they can use their voices and set healthy boundaries. Indigenous people experience sexual violence at a rate 2.5 times higher than other groups, and one in three Indigenous women report being raped in their lifetime. Many victims are too scared to come forward with their experiences or report sexual violence to law enforcement, according to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. On a local level, one in four Indigenous people in Western South Dakota have reported some kind of sexual harassment or assault in the past six months, according to a survey conducted by Peaceful Means staff. Peaceful Means uses IMpower programming. IMpower was adapted for Indigenous girls and women, and programming seeks to reduce victimization and improve sexual assault resistance skills and self-defense knowledge. Surveys conducted by the National Institute of Justice found that IMpower programming can lead to reduced rates of sexual violence on reservations. Its really exciting. Theres nothing else like this in the country, said Peaceful Means principal investigator and UNL Psychology Professor Katie Edwards. The center hopes to reduce sexual violence among Indigenous people throughout the United States, starting in South Dakota. IMpower programming will provide all Indigenous youth, kindergarten through high school, with culturally adapted initiatives and lessons. Students are also taught the importance of telling people what happened to them and not stopping until theyre believed. Lessons also focus on self-defense, respecting boundaries and treating others with respect. Throughout these lessons, Lakota culture is ingrained into the different aspects of IMpower programming. All teachers are Lakota community members. Being from the community is an advantage. It allows for teachers to better understand the community and have a solid understanding of the culture. The Lakota teachings are done through prayer and through the way you conduct yourself, how you treat other people, said Tony Walking, Oglala Lakota and the IMpower director of special operations. Thats what our young instructors are teaching and its so exciting, you can see it in their eyes. Youth are taught how to use their voices, how to say no, and how to defend themselves. Programming is tailored to the age group being taught and gender. The kindergarten through fifth-grade lessons are focused on bodily autonomy, understanding the importance of setting boundaries, what to do if someone is violating your boundaries and how to say no. Its not just about teaching kids these skills, its about connecting them to their culture and empowering them, Edwards said. A lot of these kids feel like they dont have a lot of agency in their lives and it makes them feel powerless. Middle school through high school lessons are separated by gender. Girls are taught verbal and physical self-defense skills and lessons on boundaries. Boys are taught about healthy masculinity including cultural lessons on masculinity. Boys are also taught about the importance of consent. It's truly a blessing to be a part of this team, said lead trainer Steve Wilson, Oglala Lakota. I love seeing light turn on inside of our youth when they are in our classes. There is nothing like seeing our youth understand that they are important and that they are powerful." Many youths coming into the program and even some instructors are survivors themselves. While IMpower primarily focuses on prevention, there are also self-care lessons given. Education emphasizes the importance of breaking the stigma and shame surrounding being a sexual assault survivor. A new grant with Survivors in Recovery Anonymous will allow for IMpower programming to include survivor talking circles, recovery meetings and different groups for age and gender. Peaceful Means is hoping to launch this initiative in early 2024. Peaceful Means is planning on hosting IMpower lessons during the Lakota Nation Invitational on Dec. 12-16. Organizers previously held a booth in October during the annual Black Hills Powwow. Its groundbreaking. Were making history here. Were changing history here, Walking said. As Stevensville looks to expand, the town finds itself at the end of its pipes. Decades-old claims to water are insufficient for future growth and one subdivision already appears to be violating the law. Attorney Ross Miller, a water rights specialist hired by the city, said the town never considered the need for expansion when it staked its water rights decades ago. Neither did many other cities as they encounter difficulties with growth because of limited water rights. New rights were being created regularly in the 1980s and '90s, but times have changed since then, he said. The science became clearer that we, the state of Montana, were overusing our water, Miller said. Municipalities like Stevensville didn't plan so much for the future prior to 1990, because water law and water rights were relatively simple back then. And then the laws got more complicated as we realized we needed to protect our own streamflows to have healthy rivers. Miller said that now a new subdivision wants to develop in Stevensville, but the town cant allow that until it expands its water rights. This includes a subdivision built in the late 2000s that is in violation currently. Miller said as long as the town makes a good-faith effort to address the violation, the town shouldn't face any legal trouble. Still, that can take time. Were trying to get this resolved as fast as we can to resolve the current violation that it's under and to be able to provide water to adjacent subdivisions that meet other sufficient requirements, he said. So, it's a problem weve got to solve. Stevensville began working on expanding the geographic area for one of its three wells early last year. The proposed expansion would increase the area from 1,010 acres to nearly double that. The current area established in 1984 essentially only covers where water was being used at that time, and not where it might be used in the future. However, after filing an amendment to the Montana Water Court for the adjustment in June 2022, the court ultimately denied the citys motion this September, even after public engagement to refine the amendment. The court cited inadequate city planning by Stevensville as part of its reasoning for the denial, with not enough of a historically demonstrated intent shown by the city to expand. The denial states it took more than 40 years after the town had claimed the well in 1957 to show any plans for future growth. 2002 is the earliest documented study forecasting future growth in Stevensville. Mistakes were made, Miller said. But to give benefit to the people that were operating the water systems back then, it was just a totally different world in terms of regulations and documentation. Miller said he was surprised by the ruling, saying the denial represented the largely new and changing area of water law. In October, Miller went to the Stevensville Town Council where the council decided what to do next with the town's water. The council was left with two options: appeal the ruling with a projected 50% chance of success by Miller or, (what was plan B initially for the city) take the issue to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and resolve it there. The council chose to go to the DNRC in October. The town is now in the beginning phases of solving their water rights problem with the DNRC, according to Miller, with the first of many meetings occurring in November. In his closing speech to Town Council, former mayor Steve Gibson said the city is closer than ever to making progress on their water rights for future growth. He estimated the process could finish in 2024. You imagine this should have been done starting back in 1984, but previous administrations have dropped the ball, Gibson said. Were further along on something we have neglected for years and years and years. Montana is a northern border state with a southern border crisis. After visiting the southern border this fall, my third trip in five years, I can say with certainty that the catastrophe at our southern border is now a serious threat to our national security and the result of the failed policies of President Biden and congressional Democrats. The facts are frightening. The State Department designates four countries as state sponsors of terrorism: Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria. In October, nearly 1,400 people from these four countries entered the U.S., a 35% increase since September. In fiscal year 2023 alone, a record 169 people whose names appear on the terror watchlist were stopped trying to cross the southern border, and recently a smuggler with ISIS ties helped migrants get into the U.S. In addition, while at the border I was able to witness the detention of four men from Syria who tried crossing the Rio Grande illegally the night before. All of this leads to the conclusion that the idea of a terror attack happening in the United States is no longer a matter of if but when. Emboldened extremists waging war in the Middle East and a wide-open southern border here at home is a bad combination that leaves us more and more vulnerable to attacks on our soil. Sadly, we are already seeing troubling signs. In New York, authorities recently arrested a man wanted in Senegal for alleged terrorist activities. He was first encountered by Border Patrol near Lukeville, Arizona, and then released. He then spent two weeks freely roaming the country prior to his arrest. In Houston, a Jordanian man with a Palestinian passport seeking asylum in the U.S. was recently detained on gun charges as a grave danger after talking martyrdom with others. This individual was training with weapons and learning how to make explosives. And according to the charges from the judge, this was more than just talk. He was in contact with others who also share a radical mindset. Its important to note just how we got here. For four years, thanks to hard-nosed policies from President Trump, the border was more secure. President Biden reversed all of that on his first day in office, ending construction on the border wall and the Remain in Mexico policy, which required asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while they waited for their initial hearing as well as other effective policies that stemmed the flood of unlawful migrants. To make matters even worse, there is no consistent policy from the Biden administration. A month ago, the administration granted temporary legal status to thousands of migrants from Venezuela who entered unlawfully. During my visit, it was revoked. This kind of wishy-washy policymaking compounds problems because it projects weakness and shows those who want to exploit our border that they are able to do so. The bottom line is this: President Biden and congressional Democrats need to get serious quickly about our nations national security. When it comes to the border, money alone will not solve the problem. We need policy changes. Specifically, we need to complete the border wall, tighten our asylum standards, redefine DHS parole power and end Bidens disastrous catch and release policy. All of these policies would go a long way to slowing the flow of migrants, especially those who have ties to countries that are hotbeds for terrorists. The horrific attacks we saw unfold in Israel a few weeks ago should act as a wakeup call to what is possible here at home. We must get serious about securing the border now before its too late. GUWAHATI, India, Dec 4 (Reuters) - At least 13 people were killed in a gunfight between two unknown militant groups in India's restive Manipur state on Monday, a police official said, seven months after ethnic clashes in the border state killed at least 180 people. Their bodies, with multiple bullet wounds, were found in a village in Manipur's Tengnoupal district where the official said a "massive" gunfight was reported. The state has witnessed sporadic violence since the peak of ethnic clashes that erupted on May 3 between members of the majority Meitei ethnic group and minority Kuki community over sharing government benefits and quotas. The clashes have marked a rare security failure for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in a state ruled by his Bharatiya Janata Party. No weapons were found near the bodies, the senior police official told Reuters by phone from state capital Imphal, requesting anonymity. There is an oak tree half on our lot and half on our neighbor's lot. They want to cut it down at their expense. But we like the tree because it provides shade for our lawn. The tree is completely healthy. Must we agree to let them chop it down? Brigitte Thompson/Getty Images Q: There is an oak tree half on our lot and half on our neighbor's lot. They want to cut it down at their expense. But we like the tree because it provides shade for our lawn. The tree is completely healthy. Must we agree to let them chop it down? A: There is no clear answer to your question. Your neighbors can remove their half of the tree, including the trunk, but if they kill the tree (as they likely would), you could then sue them for the loss of the value of the portion of the tree that you own. Advertisement Article continues below this ad You would need to hire an attorney, file suit and endure what might be years of litigation, all over an oak tree. Relations with that neighbor would likely be awful from then on. Consider asking your neighbors to trim the tree but not remove it entirely. Also, check to see if the community where you live has any tree rules or regulations. If you have a homeowners association, you should start there. Q: My wife and I own a rental home (not our primary residence) that is worth $300,000. It has been fully depreciated for income tax purposes, so our basis is now zero. If we sell the house now, will we owe capital gains taxes? If so, over how much of the sales price? If I die and then my wife sells, would there by a step up in cost basis, and what portion of the sales price would be subject to capital gains tax? If we both die and give the home to our son using a Transfer on Death Deed, would he get a step up in cost basis? And if he sells the house, what portion would be subject to capital gains tax? A: If you sell now, the full sales price will be subject to capital gains taxes, depreciation recapture and possibly net investment income tax. This can be a complicated calculation, and it is therefore best handled by an accountant. Of course, when selling fully depreciated real estate, you can lessen the impact of the depreciation with a 1031 exchange or an installment sale. If you die and your wife then sells, her new cost basis in the entire property will be the full fair market value of the home at your date of death. Thus, there would be no capital gains taxes unless the home increases in value from the date of your death until the date she sells it. If your wife doesn't sell immediately, in the years after your death, the depreciation schedule would reset and be based on this higher value. Advertisement Article continues below this ad To an outsider, gathering for holiday festivities during a crisis may seem diffi- cult, perhaps impossible. But to many members of Virginias Jewish community, this years celebration of Hanukkah that starts Thursday a holiday they say honors the survival and resilience of the Jewish people could not have come at a better time. It is exactly these times that we need these holidays to remind us, as Jewish people, of our history and resilience, said Daniel Staffenberg, CEO of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond. In this moment, when the days are dark, this is an appropriate (celebration), Staffenberg said. The Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel have left many people shaken and grieving, Staffenberg said. The Jewish community is still mourning the dead and working to bring hostages, including one-time Richmonder Hersh Goldberg-Polin, home safely. But finding joy even in the midst of sorrow is not something new for the Jewish people, Staffenberg said. Many of our holidays and Hanukkah is one commemorate us being resilient and overcoming those who wish to wipe us off the map, Staffenberg said. The annual festival is an eight-day celebration of the victory of the Maccabees: a small band of faithful but poorly armed Jews who rebelled against the Syrian-Greek Seleucid Empire that occupied Israel during the second century BCE. Jewish religious practices had been banned by Seleucid rulers. But after defeating a far-superior foe in a 164 BCE revolt, the Maccabees recaptured and rededicated the temple. According to the Talmud, when the menorah inside the temple was relit, it miraculously burned for eight consecutive days, even though there was only enough oil to last for a single day. And today, many of those same themes of courage, strength and enduring light are as important now as they ever have been, according to Rabbi Yossel Krantz. For most of us, this is the most important Hanukkah of our lifetime, said Krantz, who is the director of Chabad of Virginia, an organization he said is based on reaching out and connecting with every single Jewish person, regardless of their politics (or) their level of faith. Hanukkah, Krantz explained, is unlike other Jewish holidays in that it is intended to be a public celebration, not a private one. The whole point of Hanukkah is to fill the world with light, Krantz said. And theres never been a more important time in our history to dispel darkness. Staffenberg similarly emphasized the significance of Hanukkahs outward expression. It is an opportunity to share the light of Judaism, share the light of our people, together and with the outside (world), he said. That defining imperative sharing the light is the reason why lit menorahs are placed in windows, doorways and other public-facing areas, and why the holiday largely centers around the mitzvah: a good deed performed for others. Members of Virginias Jewish community and Virginians living in Israel said they will observe mitzvot in different ways. Staffenberg said he and his family plan to welcome some people in, make some latkes and ... light up our house in blue in support of Israel. He encouraged others to do the same. Talia Rapaport, a student at Virginia Tech, said she plans to help build a huge menorah out of food cans. After the candle lighting, all of the cans are being donated to the local shelters, Rapaport said. Hanukkah is ... all about miracles, she added. It is more important now than ever that we spread the light. Jenilee Bader-Ben-Shimon a U.S. Navy veteran and former Virginia Beach resident who lives in the Israeli village of Gaaton said she is not yet sure how she will spend the holiday, but expects she will continue to do what she has been doing for weeks: helping Israelis who have been displaced find and retrieve their belongings from their homes. Bader-Ben-Shimon and her teams drive from Gaaton to abandoned areas in northern Israel, where they collect items such as quilts, tea cups and baby toys: things that some people might think are silly, but are important to some people, she said. Around 200,000 people have evacuated throughout the region due to the threat of Hezbollah-fired rockets and drones, Bader-Ben-Shimon said. There are more than enough mitzvot to go around. The work is difficult but, in some sense, it is also intuitive. Hanukkah is a commemoration of the fight for existence, she said, which is not altogether unlike the current situation. Its ... close to the heart, Bader-Ben-Shimon said. Because here we are again, fighting for the right of us being who we are. Back in Richmond, many of the customary traditions will take place throughout the course of the holiday, which this year starts Thursday and concludes Dec. 15. At Claudias Bake Shop on West Cary Street, Claudia Strobing and Hanna Davis are busy preparing pastries such as sufganiyot: a type of jelly-filled and powdered doughnut often eaten during Hanukkah. Strobing said she has been making her sufganiyot for 10 years, ever since she started preparing them for family gatherings. She makes hundreds of them every year, and the process has become an indispensable part of the holiday. It makes it more fun, Strobing said. She added that the rituals of Hanukkah this year are helping to remind members of the Jewish community that good things can come. Other events will also give the festival a public profile. There will be a menorah lighting at City Hall on Dec. 12, Chanukah on Ice at Skate Nation Plus in Glen Allen on Dec. 10 and a concert at Congregation Beth Ahabah on Dec. 14. But the familiar conventions offer only so much normalcy. Theres a distinct difference this Hanukkah, Krantz said. Yes, were going to celebrate. But this year, the focus is going to be that menorah: those little lights that have never died. PHOTOS: Recognize anyone? 30 photos from the Times-Dispatch archives Powell Agnes Westhampton School Air Raid YMCA Westhampton Tredegar Railroads Restaurants Armistice Day Restaurants Red Cross cantten class, 1942 JFK High Grace Street Civil Rights Ashe Sixth Street Market Richmond Home for Boys, 1965 Charter Change Arena Cigarettes Ginter Park Racing Spirit of '76 locomotive Fort Lee ScrapMetal WWII Sixth Street Market Virginia State Library reading room, 1977 Bellwood Colleen Curran Living Editor Follow Colleen Curran 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 Theres a new late-night bar and cocktail lounge in town. Rappahannock has unveiled a new bar concept next door at Session. The concept is an approachable, traditional bar. A place to go before or after dinner, before a show at the Dominion Energy Center or The National, Patrick Tanner, general manager, said. The menu is focused on classic cocktails at affordable price points such as the old fashioned ($8), the martini ($10), the Manhattan ($10) and the Negroni ($9), among others. There will be a small offering of snacks, such as blue fish dip ($8) and shrimp cocktail ($12), but the main focus will be on perfectly prepared classic cocktails. A limited menu of beer ($5-$8) and wine by the glass or bottle, such as prosecco, pinot grigio and cabernet ($9-$15 by the glass, $35-$56 by the bottle), is also available. Sessions hours are 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Session is taking over the Rapp Session space, which served as a raw bar and small market for Rappahannock, which closed in 2020 during the pandemic. Since then, Rappahannock has used the space for private dining and special events. The interior features a long bar, several tables and a rail where people can stand and enjoy their drinks. The mood is dark and laidback with coffered navy walls, classic Audubon prints and exposed brick, giving it an old school Virginia feel. The team tapped Matt Kruger from The Wren in New York City to serve as the beverage manager of Session. Every bar can make a Manhattan, a Negroni or a martini. But in New York right now, theres a refocus on traditional cocktails and making them well, Kruger said. I want our cocktails to be exactly the same every time. Consistency is huge, he said. For example, when making a Manhattan at Session, the glass will always be frozen. The vermouth will always be chilled. How you shake and how you stir. There is a right and a wrong way to do it, he said. He also said he was focused on mood, lighting and having a friendly atmosphere with great service. Ultimately, both Kruger and Tanner said the goal at Session is to be approachable, friendly and welcoming. A place where anybody feels like they can walk in and grab a drink. There arent a lot of places to go in the (restaurant) industry, Tanner said. If you close at 10 p.m., youre out at 11 p.m. and most places are closed by 11:30 p.m. This is to capture that, for those in the industry. And for people who want to come after a show downtown, he said. Session is launching as a Yuletide pop-up with holiday decorations brightening the space, Santa hats on the bar stools, The Christmas Story leg lamp, holiday music, special cocktails and a Christmas tree. The Yuletide holiday pop-up bar will run through New Years Eve. Rappahannock Oyster Co. was founded in 2001 by cousins Travis and Ryan Croxton, who set out to revive their grandfathers oyster business. The business has grown into a well-known brand and line of restaurants with Merroir in Topping, Rappahannock at 320 E. Grace St. and Rappahannock Oyster Bar in several other cities. This spring, Rappahannock is planning to open an oyster bar at Washington-Dulles International. Well have more details on that closer to the opening. Session is open now at 318 E. Grace St. PHOTOS: Session at Rappahannock Richmond police Detective Sandy Ledbetter-Clarkson was on her way to Richmond International Airport to transport a fugitive in March when she pulled off the highway to save a mother and her two children from a flaming car wreck. She rescued both kids first. As she ran back to the burning car, one asked, Are you going to save my mother? Yes, Ledbetter-Clarkson said. She did and in the nick of time. The car burst into flames shortly after, said Tom Silvestri, who emceed Tuesdays 33rd annual Valor Awards at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. And she made her flight. She was one of 28 honored during the awards, which recognizes the heroic actions of law enforcement from across the region. Valor RVA, a not-for-profit booster organization for law enforcement in the area, annually honor first responders to acknowledge unusual bravery and sound judgment in the face of personal risk. Four awards went to officers at the Richmond Police Department. That included the events top Gold Medal, which were bestowed on Richmond police Officers Keegan Mills and Jakob Torres. Mills and Torres were lauded for their police work on March 31, which included a gunfight in Richmonds North Side. The firefight involved a suspect, James Talbert III, who had allegedly killed his wife Peace Talbert earlier in the day. Mills and Torres identified the suspect by his truck, a Ford F-150, and pulled over to apprehend Talbert. As he exited his truck, Talbert shot at Torres and missed. Torres returned fire once before his gun malfunctioned. Mills shot Talbert, who died that night at a local hospital. The Times-Dispatch reported on the shootout at the time. The Richmond Police Department also released body-worn camera footage of the shooting. It was one of the agencys first instances of doing so under a new police of transparency around what police call officer-involved shootings. Here in this room, you get it, said Jenna Mosman, executive director of Valor RVA. You understand the valor on display from people on this room every day. Members of the Chesterfield County Fire & EMS were honored for two river rescues. Officers with the Henrico Police Department were honored for their response to an armed robbery on Broad Street. And two Richmond police officers, Nico Young and Michael Triana, were honored for de-escalating a tense conflict in a Richmond residence. The event received support from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Silvestri is a former publisher of the newspaper. It also featured a performance from the Henrico Fire Choir, a four-man quartet who sang the national anthem, and a bagpipe performance from Greater Richmond Pipes & Drums. Valor RVA was founded in 1989 by members of the Richmond Retail Merchants Association. For years, it was known as The 100 Club of Richmond. Mosman said that the agency was able to distribute nearly half a million dollars in grants since its inception. In 2023, Valor RVA has funded mental health clinics for first responders and given grants to the families of first responders who die in the line of duty. The not-for-profit received around $100,000 in contributions in 2022. Close Chesterfield Fire and EMS Lt. John Jacobson holds his Valor Award after being recognized during the Valor Awards at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond on Tuesday. Richmond police Chief Rick Edwards presents Richmond police detective Sandy Ledbetter-Clarkson with her award during the 33rd annual Valor Awards at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Tuesday. Henrico Police Chief Eric English looks at a Valor Award before presenting it to officers being recognized during the Valor Awards at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Tuesday. Collection: Photos from the 33rd Annual Valor Awards Chesterfield Fire and EMS Lt. John Jacobson holds his Valor Award after being recognized during the Valor Awards at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond on Tuesday. Richmond police Chief Rick Edwards presents Richmond police detective Sandy Ledbetter-Clarkson with her award during the 33rd annual Valor Awards at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Tuesday. Henrico Police Chief Eric English looks at a Valor Award before presenting it to officers being recognized during the Valor Awards at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Tuesday. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts said Tuesday that the organization has returned 44 works of ancient art following an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office and the Department of Homeland Security into the global trafficking of looted or stolen antiquities. VMFA in a statement said it received a summons from Homeland Security and the Manhattan DAs Antiquities Trafficking Unit about 28 ancient art objects in the museums collection that had been identified as possibly looted or stolen. The museum was asked to supply all documents and photographs related to sales receipts, invoices and bills of sale, and a variety of records and any correspondence related to the 28 objects. VMFA complied with the requests and, based on the evidence the museum supplied, another 29 works were determined to be stolen. The museum added information on another four works. In October, Col. Matthew Bogdanos from the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, and Robert Mancene, from Homeland Security Investigations, presented the museum with evidence that 44 of the 61 works under investigation were stolen or looted and should be repatriated to their countries of origin: Italy, Egypt or Turkey. Whose art is it? How a local museum ended up in the middle of an international controversy over looted art A battle over a Congolese statue owned by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has thrust the local museum into the international spotlight. These works include a bronze Etruscan warrior that was stolen from Room VIII of the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna, Italy, in 1963. The other 43 works were looted from sites in Italy, Egypt and Turkey as part of an international criminal conspiracy involving antiquities traffickers, smugglers and art dealers. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts returns any works in its collection that are discovered to be unlawfully held. The museum takes seriously, and responds to, all restitution claims for works in our collection, VMFAs Director and CEO Alex Nyerges said. This is not just our policy. It is the right thing to do. We fully support the decision to repatriate these 44 works of ancient art. The clear and compelling evidence presented to VMFA left no doubt that the museum does not hold clear title for these 44 works of ancient art, said VMFA Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Art and Education Michael R. Taylor. Stolen or looted art has no place in our galleries or collection, so we are delighted to return these works to their countries of origin. The museum has safely delivered the 44 objects to the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, which will facilitate the return of these objects to Italy, Egypt and Turkey, Taylor said. The museums release said there no evidence uncovered that linked current employees with any criminal activity related VMFAs acquisition of these antiquities, which occurred for the most part in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. The Richmond School Board voted Monday night to double the salary for its next board members to $20,000 effective Jan. 1, 2025, after voters elect a new board next year. Current board members receive a $10,000 annual salary, a figure that has not changed since 2001. Local school boards can vote to increase their members salaries only during election years, according to state code. The raises go into effect after the new board members take over. The election for Richmond School Board will take place next year. School Board members representing the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th districts are expected to run for reelection next year. The Richmond School Board members who will take over in January 2025 will receive salaries of $20,000 each. The board chair position, who now receives an additional $1,000, in 2025 will receive an additional $2,000. The board passed the motion at Monday nights meeting on a 7-1 vote, with one member abstaining. I do think each of us on this board is deserving of a pay increase, regardless of your politics, said Shonda Harris-Muhammed, who represents the 6th District. When you look at what we make, compared to the regional (school boards), Houston, we have a problem. And we are making the same rate from 2001. And to me, thats ridiculous. Jonathan Young, who represents the 4th District, was the lone dissenting vote. He said at the meeting that the Richmond School Board is the least deserving of any organization meriting a pay increase. He said later in a statement: This is a group that locked the school house doors for nearly two years, voted to preclude the public access to the Huguenot shooting investigation report, and as recently as last month approved construction of a 500 student campus for a school with a current enrollment of 230. Board Chairwoman Stephanie Rizzi, who represents the 5th District, seemingly responded to Youngs comments. Perhaps an increase in compensation will garner the kind of competency you think should be here, Rizzi said. Because as of now, its a barrier for a lot of people, a lot of everyday people who would like to serve but cannot for one reason or another. The nine Richmond School Board members receive a lower salary than their peers in Henrico and Chesterfield counties, where there are more than twice as many students, but their salaries are higher than their counterparts' in Hanover County, which has fewer students. While Richmond Public Schools enrolls about 22,000 students, Hanover Public Schools enrolls about 17,000 students. Hanovers five School Board members receive an annual salary of $8,000. The five Henrico County School Board members, who control a district of about 50,000 students, receive a $22,371 salary, which will increase next year to $24,161. Chesterfield County School Board members, who head a school division of about 64,000 students, now receive a salary of $17,549. They voted in January to increase that salary by about 60%, and next years board members will each receive a $28,000 salary among the highest paid to school board members in the commonwealth. Top five weekend events: 'The Nutcracker', Richmond Boat Parade of Lights & holiday house tours Richmond Boat Parade of Lights 'The Nutcracker' CarMax Tacky Lights Run The Lone Bellow Holiday house tours Ten current and former members of the General Assembly, including three Black leaders in the Senate, are endorsing Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney in his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2025. Senate President Pro-Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, who is about to become chair of the powerful Senate budget committee, and Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, announced their endorsements Tuesday morning, along with Sen. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. Their endorsements came a day after Stoney launched his campaign for governor, which will pit him against Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, in the Democratic primary in 2025. Whoever wins will face a Republican opponent in the general election that is likely to be either Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears or Attorney General Jason Miyares. If elected, Stoney would be the second Black governor of Virginia, following Doug Wilder, who became the nations first elected Black governor in 1990. (There have been five African American governors in U.S. history P.B.S. Pinchback of Louisiana, Wilder, David Paterson of New York, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Wes Moore, Marylands current governor.) As the youngest elected mayor of Richmond, Mayor Stoney is no stranger to rolling up his sleeves, taking on tough challenges and getting things done for his residents, Locke said in a statement released by his campaign. After seven years of watching him lead Richmond from being the Capital of the Confederacy to the Capital of Compassion, I know he is the right choice to serve as the next governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Stoney is particularly close to Bagby, whom he supported in a brief congressional bid to succeed Rep. Donald McEachin, D-4th, after his sudden death just over a year ago. Bagby, then a member of the House of Delegates, withdrew from the race and threw his support behind then-Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-4th, who took office in early March after winning a special election in February. The mayor also received endorsements from four current or former Richmond-area legislators Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond; Del. Jeff Bourne, D-Richmond, who chose not to run for re-election this year; and two newly elected delegates, former Richmond City Councilman Michael Jones and Destiny Bolling, who will fill Bagbys former House seat in Henrico. Del. Cliff Hayes, D-Chesapeake, was the eighth member of the Black Caucus to endorse Stoney on Tuesday. The caucus will have at least 30 members when the new General Assembly convenes on Jan. 10, with one other potential member, Kimberly Pope-Adams, still awaiting the outcome of a recount in her narrow election loss to Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie. Regarding Stoneys support from members of the Black Caucus, Bagby said, I imagine that list will grow. Rounding out the endorsements are Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, and former House Majority Leader Dick Cranwell, D-Roanoke County, who also served for five years as chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia. Ive known him for a long time, said Deeds, who first met Stoney when, as president of the James Madison University student government, Stoney visited the senators General Assembly office more than 20 years ago. Stoney worked as a call-in manager who helped Deeds contact potential political donors in his unsuccessful 2005 race for attorney general, and served as political director in the senators unsuccessful campaign for governor in 2009. (Deeds lost the 2005 and 2009 contests to Republican Bob McDonnell.) He has been there for just about every one of my tough days, Deeds said Tuesday. I know him, I know his heart. I know he has leadership in him. Cranwell said Stoney served as executive director of the party when he was chairman. He called the mayor an exceptionally gifted administrator and added, Thats what the office (of governor) entails, being a good administrator, and Levar fills that bill. Lucas already had publicly signaled her support even before Stoney announced his candidacy. Last week, she posted a photo of herself and the mayor on social media, calling him our next governor. Stoneys endorsements are a response to a barrage of endorsements that Spanberger released after announcing on Nov. 13 that she is seeking to become the first woman elected as Virginia governor. Her endorsements include former Gov. Ralph Northam, six current and former Virginia congressional representatives, 17 current, former or pending members of the General Assembly and a number of local elected officials. Gallery: Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney delivers State of the City speech Leaders of the Democratic Party of Virginia and the Republican Party of Virginia jointly attended the certification of the Nov. 7 election results Monday to underscore their support for the states election process. Virginias Board of Elections met to officially certify the results. I think in this environment, it is important for two state party chairs to stand here and say we abide by these results. We trust that our system works, Susan Swecker, chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, said to members of the press outside of the meeting. Rich Anderson, chair of the Republican Party of Virginia, concurred. He added that he was satisfied with the results, though the results showed his party losing control of the House of Delegates. It was a close election, he added. Virginia is very much a swing state. In the legislative session that begins in January, Democrats will hold a 51-49 edge in the House and a 21-19 edge in the state Senate. The House has shifted its partisan control back and forth between both parties in recent years with just a handful of seats granting both parties their majorities. There also to show support for the election process was Brian Moran, a former state delegate and chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia who served as the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security under Govs. Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam. He said America is on the eve of what promises to be a very contentious 2024 election and that it is important to recognize the democratic process. Underscoring the reason Swecker and Anderson attended the largely procedural meeting is some voters continued concern about or distrust of election results. The issue has been simmering since former President Donald Trump began voicing false claims that the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden was stolen, which culminated in a mob violently storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Ahead of Mondays certification vote, a handful of people called in during public comment to express their concerns namely that voter rolls may not have been up to date, that Virginias 45-day early voting window is too long and that non-citizens were able to vote. When Ned Jones, a regular attendee at Board of Elections meetings suggested that Gov. Glenn Youngkin sign an executive order to adjust the window of early voting, John OBannon, chairman of the board, told him he should relay his request to his state legislator as its the General Assemblys purview to adjust the window through law. (OBannon, a Republican, represented Henrico County in the House from 2001 to 2018.) A number of lawmakers have sought to walk back early voting, but the efforts have not passed to become law. This year, both parties urged voters to take advantage of Virginias 45-day early voting period or sign up to vote by mail. Susan Beals, commissioner of the Department of Elections, said that in the weeks since Election Day, the department conducted risk-limiting audits that revealed no issues. Each year, the department selects at least one General Assembly contest to review a random sample of ballots. In 2022, the law changed to ensure that risk limiting audits happen before the certification of election results. The certification of the results now triggers the possibility of a recount for races where the margins of victory are less than 1 percentage point. Kimberly Pope Adams, the Democratic nominee in House District 82, based in Petersburg and Dinwiddie and Prince George counties, has said she plans to seek a recount in the contest that Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, won by 78 votes. I will allow the process to take the full time and effort necessary to ensure accuracy of the count, Adams said in a recent statement. While I am hopeful of the outcome, I will respect the results. 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Seven foreigners seen by an oil tanker in Mexican waters have been rescued. The passing oil tanker spotted the small vessel adrift Sunday off the coast of Isla Mujeres. The oil tanker reported seeing the boat approximately 76 nautical miles (140 kilometers) north of Isla Mujeres. The two women, five men and one dog were transferred from the oil tanker onto a Mexican navy vessel. Photo: Semar December 3, 2023. After notifying the Mexican Navy, marina personnel headed out to sea to meet the oil tanker who had the seven on board their boat. Sailors from the Ninth Naval Region set sail and met the large vessel, which was by that time approximately 105 nautical miles (194.46 kilometers) northwest of Isla Mujeres. The seven were transferred to INM personnel since they were not in the county legally. Photo: Semar December 3, 2023. The two women and five men along with one dog on board the oil tanker were transferred onto a Secretaria de Marina (Semar) navy vessel. They were then transferred to Navy facilities of Isla Mujeres and eventually met by INM agents. Sixth Maya Train convoy on its way to Cancun as inauguration date nears Riviera Maya, Q.R. The first Tren Maya route open to the public will consist of 473 kilometers reported Oscar David Lozano Aguila. He says the first stage of kilometers will run from San Fransisco, Campeche to Cancun, Quintana Roo and that the sixth convoy is on its way. Operations will begin on Friday, December 15, with two simultaneous convoys that will depart at 7:00 and 11:00 a.m. in Campeche and Cancun. The units will be driven at an initial speed of 120 kilometers per hour, although they have a capacity of up to 160 kilometers per hour, reported the General Director of Tren Maya, Oscar David Lozano Aguila. In the Monday morning press conference, he indicated that the Maya Train will start in pre-operation mode, that is, trains will be released per day. We are practically concluding, being ready to start operations on December 15. () The men and women are working hard and are truly dedicated to fulfilling this mission and we guarantee that this will be the case, he said. General Lozano Aguila indicated that the trains will use ultra-low sulfur diesel produced at Deer Park, a nation-owned refinery located in Texas. The hybrid convoys, which include an electric motor, will arrive in the southeast in February 2024. Maite Ramos Gomez, the General Director of Alstom Mexico said that last weekend, convoy five arrived at the Cancun workshop, while train six left Monday from the factory in Ciudad Sahagun, Hidalgo, to Quintana Roo, for coupling. The first convoy has accumulated more than 8,000 kilometers of dynamic tests. He said, the commitment to have six high-tech convoys ready for the inauguration will be fulfilled adding that the construction of the Maya Train is a unique engineering project carried out in record time. The Cancun Tren Maya station is more than 80 percent finished. Photo: Government of Mexico December 3, 2023. He reported that section 4 of the Maya Train that runs from Izamal, Yucatan to Cancun, Quintana Roo, has 100 percent placement of electrified double track. In total it represents 478 kilometers and in its linear extension, it includes 239 kilometers in nine municipalities of both states. Guadalupe Phillips Margain, the General Director of ICA, added that the latest leveling work aimed at the opening of the Maya Train is being refined. The Chichen Itza, Valladolid, Nuevo Xcan, Leona Vicario and Cancun Aeropuerto Maya Train stations exceed 80 percent construction, he added. Tulum airport welcomed more than 500 on first day Tulum, Q.R. On opening day, the Tulum International Airport received over 500 passengers. During inauguration day on December 1, three national flights arrived, one each from Mexico City, Monterrey and Nuevo Leon carrying a total of 520 travelers. The first commercial flight to land at the Tulum airport was Viva Aerobus. The Tulum-bound flight arrived from Felipe Angeles International Airport with 179 passengers. Moments later, a flight from Monterrey arrived with 155 passengers. Later that afternoon, a connection from the Mexico City International Airport arrived with 186. There is anticipation that Guadalajara and Tijuana will be annexed in the middle of the month. Passengers are seen waiting at a open cafe inside the new Tulum Airport. Photo: Courtesy Government Quintana Roo December 1, 2023. For now, the airport will serve several daily flights from Mexico City International Airport (AICM) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as well as flights from Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) to Tulum with return flights. The Monterrey-Tulum route is operating daily with the Tulum-Monterrey return flights by Viva Aerobus. We welcome Viva Aerobus to this new destination that stands out for its great tourist and commercial potential. This new airport has the capacity to serve 5.5 million passengers each year with incomparable service and cutting-edge technology for the benefit of a safe and highly efficient operation, explained General Javier Diego Campillo, Administrator of the Tulum International Airport. On December 16, a Guadalajara to Tulum flight has been announced and a day later, on December 17, the service is expanded with a flight from Tijuana to Tulum. We celebrate this new infrastructure that is so important for the Riviera Maya that will give more route options and better prices to passengers. Congratulations on the new Tulum Airport, which will surely bring greater competitiveness, tourism and economic benefits to the region, said Juan Carlos Zuazua, the General Director of Viva Aerobus. Travelers are seen checking in for national flights out of the new Tulum Airport. Photo: Courtesy Government Quintana Roo December 1, 2023. In March 2024, Delta Airlines will begin flying the Atlanta-Tulum route once a day. American Airlines will arrive from Dallas twice a day, while the frequencies to Charlotte and Miami will be once a day. As of March 28, Spirit will also land with a daily flight from Fort Lauderdale and another from Orlando. United Airlines will start flying to Tulum in May with 22 frequencies a week from Newark, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles. Ground transportation options currently being offered from the Tulum International Airport include bus or taxi. Prices are current as of December 2023 and are listed in Mexican pesos (below). With Vivabus At Viva Aerobus we have a transportation service for our passengers from the Tulum Airport to the center of Tulum. It is operated by Euromex and costs of $310 MXN per person. You can purchase ground transportation with our onboard sales service during your flight. Ground transportation from the Tulum airport includes ADO and Kolors buses (background). Photo: Courtesy Government Quintana Roo December 1, 2023. ADO or Kolors buses You can also use the transportation services offered by ADO and Kolors. Prices range depending on the route and company you choose. By Taxi If you want to travel only with your family or in small groups, the transportation company FlexShuttle offers options for 1 to 6 passengers to different tourist spots. During the December 1 inauguration, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said American companies, such as Delta Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Spirit Airlines, have announced their plans to establish new flights to this destination starting in the spring of 2024, which will help strengthen personal ties and unite families, as well as to deepen our bilateral and North American integration, which will also allow us to further boost our regional supply chains. Ken Salazar at the Tulum airport inauguration. Photo: Government Quintana Roo December 1, 2023. The above embodies President Joe Bidens vision to continue positioning North America as the main economic power in the world for the benefit of our people and their well-being. Mexico is the country with the most flights to and from the United States, making it the first travel destination for Americans. The private sector and the aviation industry contribute to strengthening our trade to take advantage of the opportunities that arise from the USMCA and nearshoring, as well as giving greater dynamism to our integration, he said. Charging stations for electric vehicles in a parking garage at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. A lack of charging stations was the leading reason cited by those surveyed who were not interested in electric vehicles. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A Tesla vehicle is charged at a Tesla charging station at Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q on I45 Gulf Freeway in Webster. A lack of charging stations was the leading reason cited by those surveyed who were not interested in electric vehicles. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Federal incentives to make electric vehicles more affordable have done little to boost their popularity in Texas, a new study from the University of Houston and Texas Southern University found. Just 5.1% of the nearly 2,000 people surveyed said they drove an electric vehicle, down from 8% in a 2021 survey by the universities of Texans attitudes toward EVs. Based on the responses, it appears that ownership rate is unlikely to accelerate soon. Among those surveyed who didnt already own or lease an electric vehicle, nearly 60% said they wouldnt consider one in the future, though that was a slight improvement from 2021, when 63% said they werent interested. Advertisement Article continues below this ad To spur interest in clean transportation, the federal government offers tax credits of up to $7,500 the purchase of an electric vehicle. Despite that, survey respondents had a host of hesitations about going electric. Consumers are sensitive to their pocketbooks and dont want to be worried about finding the next charging station, said Pablo Pinto, co-author of the report and the director of the University of Houstons Center for Public Policy. The scarcity of charging stations, cited by 46% of those surveyed, was the leading reason for the lack of interest in EVs. Texas has more than 2,000 charging stations, a fraction of the nearly 11,000 gas stations available across the oil-and-gas dominant state. More than a third of survey respondents also said they were concerned about the higher purchase prices for electric vehicles compared with gas-powered cars as well as being unable to charge their EVs at home. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The lack of charging infrastructure affects another key decision factor for potential buyers: range. If EVs could drive longer distances on a single charge coupled with lower prices, lower operating costs and decreased charging times a majority of survey respondents said they would switch to electric. Without increased range, even if the other factors were met, respondents said they would stay with gas-powered cars. The survey found a significant difference in interest toward EVs among Texans of different races. White participants in the survey had the least interest, with about 27% saying they would be likely to own or lease an EV in the future, compared with nearly 58% of Asian participants, 37% of Hispanic participants and 36% of Black participants. Those with higher incomes were more interested in EVs, according to the survey. Nearly 40% of respondents with an annual household income exceeding $80,000 said they would consider an EV, compared with about 20% of participants from lower-income households. Thats not surprising given the cost differential. The average price for an EV was almost $53,500, compared with about $48,300 for a gas-powered car, according to automotive research company Kelley Blue Book. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For the past year, its been a mystery which grocery store chain arranged to rezone vacant land in southwest Roanoke County for a new grocery store until now. Publix Super Markets bought a 9-acre, multi-parcel site bordered by Brambleton Avenue and Old Cave Spring Road and will become a new option for food shopping in the region. An incomplete list of purchase prices of the tracts adds up to more than $2 million, according to county online records. Its Publix, county spokeswoman Amy Whittaker said Monday. Its public record now. Ever since the project was approved by the county board of supervisors in December 2022, county officials were sworn to secrecy regarding which grocery was coming though they were unable to bat down a persistent rumor it would be Publix. The property, some of it woods and some of it a gravel work yard, transferred to Publix North Carolina LP on Nov. 29, according to online real estate records. Publix will enter the local retail grocery market now led by Kroger, Food Lion and Walmart. The company is headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, about an hours drive from Tampa, and operates more than 800 stores in its home state. Alabama, the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee also have Publix locations. But the company has confined itself in Virginia to the Richmond area. It has been preparing to expand geographically in Virginia, with Suffolk scheduled to see its new store open Dec. 13. The company earned $833 million on sales of $14 billion in the three-month period that ended Sept. 30, according to federal filings. Publix did not immediately respond to a request for comment. No opening date was available. A Kroger representative declined comment when reached Monday. CHRISTIANSBURG Del. Joe McNamara sat down with Montgomery County supervisors Monday for what may be his last time going over the countys annual wish list for the General Assembly and said he saw little chance of most of it being approved. And when the new legislative session begins in January, it might be better for the county not to agitate too loudly for its hopes of revamping the state formulas that allocate education and road funds, he added. We will absolutely lose. Were benefitting pretty good so Id definitely advise us to stay quiet about that, McNamara said. The Salem Republicans explanation: Because Democrats will hold majorities in both the House of Delegates and state Senate when the new session starts, any re-calculation might steer money away from Republican areas. And Republican districts, including most of Southwest Virginia, already tend to receive more money than they pay in taxes because they are lower-income than other parts of Virginia, McNamara said. McNamara, who first won a General Assembly seat in a 2018 special election, will represent part of Montgomery County until the end of this year. Last month he won re-election, but in a re-drawn district whose boundaries no longer include Montgomery County. Sitting with McNamara Monday was Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Christiansburg, who just won his first election in the district that now includes much of the county. Del. Jason Ballard, R-Giles, and Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, whose districts also include swathes of Montgomery County, were unable to attend, McNamara said. Only four of the seven county supervisors were present. School board members who last week met with supervisors and discussed teaming up for more effectiveness when meetings with legislators were not there. McNamara said that hed seen most of the countys list before and that there will be people all over Virginia going after these broad objectives. He said that the county would do better to seek more specifically local items, like state permission for starting the school year earlier. McNamara told Supervisor Mary Biggs, a Democrat, that he had heard her request for more education funding probably 40 times and that Republicans in the General Assembly had in the past two years increased money for schools a total of about 30 percent. Republicans are more in tune with education needs than Democrats, McNamara said. The supervisors list cited a recent study by the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission that found Virginias per-pupil funding for K-12 education is below national and regional averages, and also less than per-pupil funding in neighboring Kentucky, West Virginia and Maryland. McNamara urged supervisors to take it up with Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, who on Monday was named as the new chairman of the House Education Committee and also sits on the House Appropriations Committee. Supervisor Todd King told McNamara that he thought the General Assembly was imposing yet another unfunded mandate on school systems by ending the pandemic-related funding for tutors. McNamara replied that the funding was federal, passed through the state, and that the tutor positions were supposed to be temporary. A school-related item on the supervisors list that has stirred arguments within the county during the past two years was support for school vouchers. A Republican majority among the supervisors put vouchers on the legislative wish list for two years, this year with Democrat Sara Bohn joining them for a 5-2 vote. But last months elections upended the GOP dominance, and in January, Democrats will have a 5-2 majority on the Montgomery County board. Outgoing Supervisor Sherri Blevins, the boards chairwoman, emphasized Monday that vouchers had not been unanimous among the county officials. McNamara said that regardless, he thought there was zero chance that a Democrat-controlled General Assembly would approve any sort of school voucher system. McNamara predicted a moderate session where Democratic legislators and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin would seek consensus on tax reforms and doing something to improve mental health care and affordable housing. The only CPA in the House, McNamara said that state revenues were on track to exceed last years, meaning there would be money for whatever priorities the governor and legislature could agree on. I dont want to say everythings terrible because its not, McNamara said, adding that he saw Montgomery County as a purple county and Virginia as a purple state. Other items on the countys legislative list included seeking money for the Valley to Valley Trail that is to provide a hiking and biking link between the New River and Roanoke valleys, a continued push to extend Amtrak service to Christiansburg, opposing eliminating qualified immunity for law enforcement officers and government officials, enhancing retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers, and improving internet access. An item that the supervisors and McNamara returned to several times laughing sought legislative permission for the county to end its animal license tax for retired K-9 police and military dogs. McNamara said that the county would need no special permission to just do away with the entire tax. But for the state to step in and say the county should issue some licenses without collecting a fee could be seen as imposing an unfunded mandate, he added. The supervisors groaned. Theyre just small dogs! exclaimed Supervisor Steve Fijalkowski. City efforts on housing Roanoke efforts to increase the overall supply of housing and availability of affordable housing, according to a press release from the city: Zoning reform allowing multifamily residential uses in commercial zoning districts which has enabled redevelopment of underperforming hotels into new multifamily housing and allowing placement of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in all residential districts. Affordable housing funds for Southeast Roanoke through COVID relief programs with Habitat for Humanity and TAP (Total Action for Progress). HOME-ARP (HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan Program), ESG (Emergency Solutions Grant), and ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding to prevent homelessness as well as to provide housing for those formerly homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Support for applications for state and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) projects. The Healthy Homes Roanoke initiative to provide funding to rid existing homes of hazards such as mold and lead paint. Festive garland adorned with poinsettia and pine cones are draped over the dais in Roanokes council chambers for the holiday season. But it remains to be seen if there will be any remaining good tidings when next months legislative session starts in Richmond. The City Council is looking to the Virginia General Assembly for help on six key topics: K-12 funding, mental and public health, affordable housing, gun violence, transportation and economic development, and public safety, said Councilman Luke Priddy. These were structured in a way to really focus on what is impacting the city of Roanoke, Priddy said. We are dealing with learning loss, concerns with public safety. We see an increased need for mental health funding. But its also important for the city to support matters on which a divided legislature Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, and a Republican governor can find agreement, he said. Roanokes state representation includes Sen. David Suetterlein and Del. Joe McNamara, Republicans from Roanoke County, who provided feedback on the legislative agenda that the council unanimously passed Monday. Its a lengthy packet this year, Suetterlein said. I always do believe it would be best to have a shorter packet. Public education is a great opportunity for the city and state lawmakers to work together this year, Suetterlein said. A third state lawmaker who represents the city, Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, was named chair of the House Education committee later Monday afternoon. Regarding public education, thats something Im most excited about getting to represent the city, Suetterlein said. Ive really appreciated the new burst of energy in Roanoke City Schools. He said new leadership from the superintendent and other administrators has brought on that energy. Suetterlein is in favor of providing more opportunities through the schools for English language learners. I worry, talking about some of the education funding formulas, what might happen to our region, Suetterlein said. I hear folks in Northern Virginia and greater Richmond talking about wanting to fundamentally change education funding formulas that I think would hurt kids in Roanoke City, Floyd County, Salem a lot of places near us. He said the city school board is doing well, represented by well-qualified members. The appointed school board model has worked well, both in Roanoke city and in Salem, Suetterlein said. One of my concerns would be an effort to pass a general law that would change everyone to an elected school board. Some positions shouldnt be elected, school boards included, Suetterlein said. I think that the school board not being elected has given better leadership for our schools than we might have otherwise, Suetterlein said. Top of mind for council are requests to specifically address its ongoing gun violence issues, and to improve public safety in general: requiring safe storage of guns in households with minors, prohibiting sale of armor-piercing ammunition, and more funding for police, as examples. Senator, are you supportive of the measures we asked for in addressing gun violence? said Mayor Sherman Lea. Overall, gun violence is very critical for us, in terms of addressing it. Suetterlein, part of the minority party in state Senate, said he doesnt know if hell be on the committee that handles state funds, which would give him more power to direct extra money for policing. Im happy to work collaboratively for that, Suetterlein said. Thats something Id encourage you to especially talk with Del. Rasoul about, as Im most confident that he will be on appropriations again. But there is at least one public safety measure on councils wish-list that Suetterlein rejected. It wont surprise you that I dont think requiring a permit for firearm ownership is a good idea, Suetterlein said. I dont think its something thats likely going to become law during this General Assembly either. Councilman Peter Volosin asked if Suetterlein will be supportive of city efforts to change its charter with the state. Theres a discrepancy in the charter, which still says elections will happen in May, even though state law changed all local elections to November. No, Suetterlein said. I don think that moving it to November is a good idea. He said moving city council elections to November of a presidential election year is an invitation for hyper-partisanship. Suetterlein also said a city the size of Roanoke should elect its council on a district system, rather than the at-large system currently in use. Theres not many places as big as here that say everyone needs to be elected city at large, Suetterlein said. Now when youre going to be running in a presidential year, at large, its going to be an incredibly expensive election. Councilwoman Trish White-Boyd said the charter change is just a matter of housekeeping, since state law now requires all localities to vote in November. I would suggest we have a lot of challenges in this city, and this is something that you and I have a difference of opinion on, and you should be happy that your opinion is the current law, Suetterlein said. Maybe we should look at several of the other issues that will actually be coming before the General Assembly. Theres optimism to continue moving the ball on Catwaba Hospital funding, Suetterlein said. Lawmakers and surrounding localities want to see the state-run psychiatric hospital renovated for mental health care and treatment for people with substance use disorder. Some of the issues that Ill be working on this year are taxes, Suetterlein said. What I generally want to do is reduce the cost of living taxes that are most regressive and hit working families the hardest. Hes hopeful for progress in February and March on issues such as removing the local share of the grocery tax, and changing the standard deduction to reduce how much income tax people pay. There wan no mention of car tax. I dont think consensus is going to be achieved early in this General Assembly on taxes, Suetterlein said. I think there will be a fair bit of posturing early on. McNamara, the only public accountant in the legislature, said he sticks to his strengths, and will continue his efforts to do away with grocery taxes in Virginia. Im going to do most of what I do in the tax world, and in the tax world, Democrats and Republicans can agree, McNamara said. Im very much of the opinion that the regressive taxes, Im not in favor of. Del. Sam Rasoul is receiving a key committee position as Democrats are set to begin the next General Assembly session with majorities in the House and Senate. Rasoul, D-Roanoke, has been named the chair of the House of Delegates Education Committee by Speaker-designee Don Scott, according to a news release from Rasouls office. Rasoul, in the release, said he looks forward to addressing the challenges facing Virginias students, teachers, and schools as committees chairman. Virginias public schools are chronically underfunded; with per-pupil spending and teacher pay consistently remaining lower than the national average, according to the release. Rasoul firmly believes that it is long-past time to increase investment to create a world-class education for our children and he plans to work with the Education Committee to continue investments in our students mental health, and expand the community school model which provides holistic wraparound services to ensure children are successful inside and outside of the classroom, the release states. I am looking forward to ensuring that Virginias children receive the best education possible. It is important that our students, teachers, and staff are provided all the resources necessary to thrive at every school across the Commonwealth, Rasoul said in the release. Its time we raise teacher pay above the national average to retain Virginias amazing teachers. We also must invest in our school construction shortfall to make sure our students have safe and effective learning environments. As someone who has substitute taught, I know the value of expanding innovative programs, like the community school model, to bring critical services to our students, and expand our investment in mental health care access. This years legislative session will be the fifth for Rasoul. The session is scheduled to begin on Jan. 10. As the result of the November election, Democrats held their Senate majority and regained a House majority from Republicans. That sets up a situation with the Democratic majorities serving this session with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Are you not a robot? Click on the button to continue: I am not a bot. Continue... Spinout About:Energy and Eatron Technologies to develop first-of-its-kind AI-powered decision-engine for battery management systems (BMS) UK companies will collaborate on the pioneering aiMAGINE project, which will deliver extended battery lifetimes, ease of integration, and reduced time-to-market Funded as part of UKRI's Faraday Battery Challenge 11 million package to cement the UK's position as a global leader in AI-powered BMS December 5, 2023: Spinout About:Energy and Eatron Technologies have been awarded funding from UKRI's Faraday Battery Challenge to develop a first-of-its-kind AI-powered decision engine that delivers increased battery longevity, accelerates time-to-market, and cements the UK's position as a global leader in AI-powered intelligent battery management systems. Current battery management systems (BMS) rely on simple, empirical methods that sacrifice accuracy in return for reduced computational effort. Conventional AI-powered methods, meanwhile, remain challenging to integrate within the BMS due to their complexity, demanding training process, and the need for large volumes of input data. About:Energy spun out of the University of Birmingham and Imperial College London in 2022 and launched its first producta proprietary software platform called The Volttin April 2023. The new projectdubbed aiMAGINEbrings together About:Energy's pioneering high-fidelity electrochemical battery models that achieve rapid and accurate calibration with Eatron's unique edge and AI-powered cloud platform to deliver highly accurate assessments of state-of-charge (SoC), state-of-health (SoH) and patented remaining useful life (RUL) predictions. AI complements the electrochemical models, enhancing predictions by accounting for complex physical behaviours that cannot be modelled. As a result, the pioneering new AI-powered decision engine (AI-DE) will provide highly accurate operational parameters to the BMS, significantly increasing battery pack longevity and simplifying integration. "Implementing our novel AI-powered intelligent battery software layer with this revolutionary AI-DE can extend a battery pack's first life by up to 20%," said Dr. Umut Genc, CEO of Eatron. "This makes it possible for OEMs to design optimally-sized, more cost-effective battery packs, and this actively contributes to our sustainable e-mobility goals by reducing raw material consumption and CO 2 emissions." "The use of our advanced electrochemical models vastly streamlines AI model training, and this facilitates both ease of integration and a reduced time-to-market for OEMs and Tier 1s," said Dr. Kieran O'Regan, Co-Founder and COO of About:Energy. "The high-fidelity modelling reduces the need for physical experiments while delivering a clearer, more accurate picture of battery health. Armed with this information, an AI-DE-equipped BMS can deliver not just a longer battery lifetime, but faster charging times, too." Eatron and About:Energy will capitalise on their existing relationships with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to develop the system for use in both 2- and 4-wheeled electric vehicles. The two businesses collaboratively applied for the grant after sowing the seeds for a partnership at the Battery Technology Global Business Innovation Programme in Japan, where Innovate UK brought together some of the UK's most promising innovators in the battery development and technology space. The funding from UK Research and Innovation's Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, is part of an 11 million package that aims to accelerate the development and commercialisation of state-of-the-art battery technologies in the UK and support growth of the supply chain in the UK battery sector. It forms a key part of the UK Government's net zero transport goals and supports job creation in cutting-edge AI technologies and increased consumer confidence in electric vehicles. More information: For further press information or to arrange an interview, please use the media contacts below. About the University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world's top 100 institutions, and its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from nearly 150 countries. University of Birmingham Enterprise helps researchers turn their ideas into new services, products and enterprises that meet real-world needs. We also provide incubation, and support innovators and entrepreneurs with mentoring, advice, and training, manage the University's Academic Consultancy Service, and University of Birmingham Enterprise Operating Divisions. About About:Energy About:Energy is a leading battery software company headquartered in London. The company has focused on building a portfolio of battery measurement and modelling capabilities to provide a software solution for battery design and use. About:Energy provides organisations with the tools to streamline their R&D, reducing time-to-market and enhancing battery system performance. About:Energy's data informs better decision-making across the value chain, from mine to end-of-life. These activities include battery system design, lifetime prediction, and cell optimisation. For About:Energy's media kit, please click here. Media Contact for About:Energy: Sophia Hutchinson, Senior Manager sophia@influenceassociates.com About Eatron Technologies Eatron is a fast-growing technology company dedicated to unlocking the full potential of batteries with intelligent software for all vehicle and battery manufacturers worldwide. Eatron develops AI-powered edge-to-cloud connected software platforms for better, safer, durable, and greener batteries in automotive, mobility and beyond. More information is available at www.eatron.com. Media Contact for Eatron Christian Tilbury, Account Director, loop christian.tilbury@loopagency.co.uk 07935 218703 About The Faraday Battery Challenge The Faraday Battery Challenge is investing in research and innovation projects and facilities to drive the growth of a strong battery business in the UK. It aims to develop battery technologies that are: cost-effective, high performing, longer range, faster charging, long-lasting, safe and sustainable. With an overall budget of 541 million, it aims to make the UK a science superpower for batteries by supporting the UK's world-class battery facilities. It is also growing innovative businesses that are developing the battery supply chains. It is part of the UKRI Challenge Fund. Provided by University of Birmingham HARTSVILLE This is the letter Linda Summerford and her sister, Wanda, read together while sitting in the den of their Hartsville home in 1973: My name is Martha. I have been searching for my sisters, Linda and Wanda, for many years. I was given your names by a dear social services caseworker. She has given me permission to write you with my desire to meet my sisters. As a little background on me, I graduated high school and attended college for two years. I have been married for several years. My husband and I live in Greer, South Carolina. I am employed with Allen Bennett Hospital. At the age of four, I remembered that I had two younger sisters but we had been separated. I did not understand what had happened at that time. I grew up in foster care all my life. At the age of 16, I began my search for my sisters. I was told at that time that my sisters had been adopted at a young age, and that I could not see them until Wanda was age 18. I waited two more years to continue my research. At that time I was 22 years old, Linda would have been 21, and Wanda was 19. Let me express my feelings about my sisters. You cannot imagine the pain in my heart as I think about my little sisters and all the love I have in my heart for them. Just to know that there are two little girls out there who are my blood sisters, and I cannot put my arms around them to hug them and tell them how much I love them, brings tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart. Mrs. Haney, I do not want to hurt my sisters in any way. I just want to see them at least once before I die. If you can agree to this, it would make me very happy. Thank you for all youve done to take care of my sisters all these years. I look forward to meeting you so that I can thank you personally. Love, Martha. That was the first time that Linda and Wanda, both of whom had been adopted by Carwell and Frances Haney of Hartsville in 1958, became aware that they had a sister. They would later find out that they had a brother as well. Summerford, who now lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina with her husband, Richard, recounts the story of her and her siblings being reunited after being separated for close to 20 years in her new book, The Glider: A True Story of Survival From Heartbreak to Hope. Summerford held three book signings in Hartsville and Lydia, her hometown, in late November. I felt like I had to write this book to open peoples eyes to the serious problems with social services, the foster care system, and the adoption system said Summerford. Its been 50 years since my siblings and I went through what we did, and its not any better. After the sisters were reunited, they are determined to find answers to what caused their separation. Their search led them to discover the atrocities they endured at the hands of a broken foster care and adoption system. Martha simply should not have suffered the way she did, said Summerford. She also recounts the difficulties she and her sisters had in finding out the details of their story and why they had been separated. After she and Wanda were adopted, Summerford moved from Lydia to Hartsville. She graduated from Hartsville High School and later Coker College, now Coker University, with a degree in paralegal studies. She lived and worked in Lexington for several years before returning to Hartsville to care for her adoptive parents. While in Lexington, she served for many years on the Lexington County Foster Care Review Board. She was assigned to a state-mandated foster care review task force by then Gov. James Edwards. She continues to work toward legislative reforms in the foster care and adoption systems. Summerford said it took close to 10 years to complete The Glider, which was released by Abundance Books in August. So far its been very well received, said Summerford, who has talked about her book and the need for foster care reform at numerous Christian writers conferences in the Southeast. Its simply a story that needs to be told, and ours is far from the only one. About 8:15 a.m. a school resource officer (Florence County sheriff's deputy) at the school "became aware of a disturbance in the nearby school cafeteria and noticed a student waiving and object at other students. The SRO immediately engaged the student and determined that the object was a knife, which he ordered the student to drop. The student then threatened the SRO with the knife. The SRO took the student to the ground and the knife was then secured," Sheriff's Maj. Mike Nunn wrote in a media advisory. A chef at Ostia rolls out a sheet of pasta Arturo Olmos Erin, left, and Patrick Feges of Feges BBQ are featured in the Tilit-Cambro collaboration Arturo Olmos Chefs working in the kitchen at Ostia in Montrose Arturo Olmos Patrick Feges of Feges BBQ Arturo Olmos Houstonians dont have to look very far for the latest culinary trends: Sushi bars inside the Loop serve caviar bumps, star TikTok food critic Keith Lee drops into town for his viral reviews, and locals chefs regularly riff on pop culture moments, like when Better Luck Tomorrow served Chicagos famed Italian beef sandwich following the success of the FX show The Bear. This time, Houston restaurants Feges BBQ and Ostia are the face of a white-hot restaurant industry trend albeit a very niche one involving a collaboration between Tilit and Cambro. The former is known for its stylish and sturdy chef aprons while the other is a nearly 70-year-old company recognized for making utilitarian plastic containers that countless restaurant kitchens rely on. The most popular item in the collaboration, which includes T-shirts and bucket hats, is the $19 Cam Cup. Tilit worked with Cambro to create a squat, 1-quart cup that includes a cover and straw. Its inspired by the clear containers chefs and cooks often drink from (whats in them may be another matter). Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its extremely relatable even for people that dont know what the (restaurant) kitchen is like, said Arturo Olmos, a photographer splitting his time between Houston and New York City who shot photos to promote the collaboration. HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants Chefs and aspiring home cooks can't get enough of the Cam Cups. The original supply of about 1,000 cups sold out within eight hours when it went on sale about a week ago, said a Tilit spokesperson, and more of the limited edition merch is currently on back order. The idea for the cup started as an April Fools Day gag this year on Cambros social media accounts, said Felix Bazgan, the companys director of digital media. In a short clip, Bazgan knocks a deli container out of a colleagues hands. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Are you still drinking from disposable deli cups? a joking voice-over plays in the clip. Stay hydrated with the cup that gives you familiar graduations and easy-to-hold handles. Tilits team saw the spoof and reached out about working on a model of the Cam Cup that currently exists, Bazgan said. Cambro, a family-owned company with headquarters in Huntington Beach, Calif., started in 1951 by selling trays made of plastic and fiberglass for hospitals in Chicago. Its now a dominant player in the restaurant industry with a slew of products, but anyone whos worked in kitchens has seen Cambros plastic bins filled with chopped produce, slow-cooked stocks, butchered poultry and basically any ingredients that need to be stored in a restaurant. There are strong feelings in the food world for Cambro, Bazgan said. Its been decades of making products people rely on. Hes not completely surprised that chefs and foodies alike are enamored with the Cam Cup. The design features restaurant industry lingo printed in red with terms like 86'D (meaning an item has run out), In the Weeds (when a kitchen is slammed with orders) and Tickets Stacked. Advertisement Article continues below this ad People love to see the inner workings of their favorite brands, Bazgan said. They love to have that deeper connection. MORE FROM BAO ONG: TikTok famous food critic Keith Lee dropped his first Houston restaurant reviews over the weekend The rise of celebrity chef culture from years of Food Network shows and reality competitions like Top Chef including the popularity of The Bear in the past year can romanticize the restaurant industry, Olmos said. But the Tilit and Cambro collab felt organic between one party that made comfortable-yet-stylish aprons and other chef clothes while a seemingly staid company focused on pragmatic kitchen equipment, he added. People come to love these everyday tools that have become cool, said Olmos, who compared the Tilit-Cambro merchs success to a Hypebeast-like product drop. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tilit, which was started by a former professional chef and his wife, tapped Olmos for the project because they wanted to feature a city with a thriving food scene that wasnt New York or Los Angeles. They also had worked with the photographer for a national magazine feature in the past. The photo shoot at Feges BBQ in Spring Branch took place shortly before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest times of the year for the restaurant, said Erin Feges, who owns the restaurant with her husband and pitmaster, Patrick Feges. They just wanted us to do what we do but in their gear, Erin Feges said of the shoot, which took no longer than two hours. The Cam Cup is placed in certain pictures, along with snaps of the couple and their employees working in their kitchens. A series of photos from the Italian-leaning Ostia in Montrose are also part of the Tilit-Cambro campaign. We were just doing what chefs do, Erin Feges said. It felt authentic. Animal welfare groups and cat owners on government proposal to lift cat ownership ban in HDB flats (Photos: Getty Images) SINGAPORE A proposed cat management framework was announced by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) on Saturday (2 December), in the first steps to lift a 34-year ban on cat ownership in public flats in Singapore. Starting in the later part of next year, two cats may be allowed for each HDB flat, and three cats for a private residence. As reported by The Straits Times, pet cats will need to be microchipped and licensed to improve their welfare and traceability. To encourage cat owners to meet licensing conditions, they can get the licences for free within a transitional period of two years. From next year, AVS will be providing free sterilisation and microchipping for pet cats belonging to low-income households, such as those living in public rental housing. All new licence applicants will also be required to complete a free online responsible pet ownership course. Once the framework is in effect, it will be illegal not to license pet cats. Cat owners will be subjected to penalties similar to dog owners under regulations. HDB residents have not been allowed to own pet cats since 1989, and offenders may be fined up to $4,000. However, actions are typically taken against them only if there are complaints of their cats causing a nuisance. The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) has formally entrenched its Pet Cat Sterilisation Programme in November 2020, where free sterilisation and microchipping of pets cats is available for financially distressed households. As of date, over 200 pet cats are sterilised per month on average. What legal cat ownership in HDBs could do for cats and society Animal welfare groups which Yahoo Southeast Asia spoke to welcomed the proposed framework. Aarthi Sankar, executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said that the microchipping and licensing requirement is "an important step" that could help deter cat abandonment cases and increase owner accountability. Story continues She added that the SPCA welcomes the proposal, since it has long advocated for cat ownership in HDB flats, and for more formal regulations. "Successful implementation of the proposal hinges on neighbourliness and community effort. When cat owners respect the guidelines and their neighbours, this will positively impact their cats well-being and community harmony," she said. CWS' president Thenuga Vijakumar also believes that the legalisation of cat ownership will have an "overall positive impact" on cat welfare, which will translate to reduced stress on public officers and the authorities in the next three to five years. Meanwhile, Christine Bernadette, co-founder of animal welfare group Causes for Animals, said the proposed change is "definitely a step in the right direction", allowing more opportunities for cats in need to find a home. On the other hand, Kerstin Schulze from cat welfare non-profit foundation Project LUNI said that with the new framework comes new responsibility, as well as regulations that need to be enforced. "This could be the real challenge," she said. The new framework also proposed an extension of the AVS-funded Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme, a programme that is currently available only for free-roaming dogs, to community cats. Schulze sees this proposed move "making the biggest difference" in helping to control the stray cat population, something done mainly by animal welfare groups thus far. While two years is a "relatively long transition time", Schulze hopes it does not lead to more cats accidentally multiplying in homes. Cat owners' surprise and concerns Cat owners also welcomed the move, with some feeling that the framework should have been in place a long time ago. Marcus Leong, 26, a cat owner who lives in a flat, believes that the move could encourage more cat adoptions. "I was quite surprised that we haven't already legalised it, especially since we allow dogs in HDB flats. This is something that I have always felt very perplexed by, because cats are much smaller and easier to manage than dogs," he said. He nonetheless cautions on the potential of more abuse cases, since community cats can be brought home with no way of monitoring what their owners do behind closed doors. "As a pet owner, I would definitely encourage pet owners to train their pets properly so that they don't bother others - especially in the wee hours," Leong said. Another HDB cat owner, Lea France, was also "pleasantly surprised" by the news. The 27-year-old believes the move would make tracking lost and abandoned cats much easier, and hopes the compulsory microchipping and licensing will mean fewer "impulse pet buyers". She also hopes the proposed law can bring about new changes such as more cat facilities or cat-specific groomers. Potential misinterpretation of proposed number of cats According to data from surveys by CWS in the past two years, most cat owners have between one to three cats. As such, it is "unclear" over the basis for limiting cat ownership to two in HDB flats, with Vijakumar saying, "The more logical starting point would have been three cats." CWS is also concerned that there could be potential misunderstanding over the proposed threshold, of which irresponsible cat owners may abandon or recklessly give their cats away. "That is entirely the opposite effect of what this lifting is supposed to achieve. There must be clear, consistent and direct communication to cat owners to explain the two-year transition period, and assistance provided to them on how to become responsible cat owners," Vijakumar said. "We believe that clear regulations, backed with penalties for non-compliance, will drive and increase the welfare of our Singapore cats." CWS' concern was also echoed by the SPCA, which said that owners who exceed the cat limit may be unaware they are covered by a clause, which allows them to keep and license all their existing cats within the grace period. This will be subjected to AVS approval. Call for mandated sterilisation and other conditions SPCA and CWS also urged the authorities to consider mandating sterilisation for all pet cats to prevent accidental breeding. To ensure responsible cat ownership in HDB flats, the SPCA believes it is essential to move towards mandating: Meshing of windows and gates to prevent cats from falling victim to High Rise Syndrome (injurious or fatal falls from height), Cats be kept strictly indoors and not be allowed to free-roam outdoors, where they could get into accidents or cause inconveniences to the community, Sterilisation to prevent unwanted litters and reduce caterwauling. 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. All food, accommodation and tours were sponsored by the resort. Temple Tree Resort Langkawi is located just ten minutes from Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach), the island's main tourist location with two beautiful beaches and a mere ten minutes from Langkawi Airport. (PHOTO: Temple Tree Resort Langkawi) Langkawi, a tropical gem in Malaysia just an hour away from Kuala Lumpur and two hours away from Singapore by plane boasts of some of the best geological, biological and cultural heritage finds in the region. The Langkawi archipelago is after all, a complete Palaeozoic geological region or often referred to as the Trilobite Age (dated 540 million to 250 million years ago), and was awarded UNESCO Global Geopark status, the first Global Geopark in Southeast Asia. Recently, I travelled to Langkawi upon an invitation by Temple Tree Resort Langkawi to experience a stay at one of their well-known preserved Malaysian heritage houses. Nestled within a century-old rustic coconut tree plantation and enveloped by lush, leafy greenery, the resort boasts 21 rooms and suites, each one distinct in character, set within eight lovingly preserved Malaysian heritage houses. Interestingly, the designers behind Temple Tree Resort found these heritage buildings from across Peninsular Malaysia and decided to carefully take each house apart piece by piece (we're talking about each plank and each tile) and relocated them to Langkawi, and rebuilt them following the same shape and style to preserve these historical abodes. The gorgeous houses, each between 80 to 120 years old, feature styles as different as the cultures they represent, including Malay, Chinese, Indian, Peranakan and Euro-Asian. Book your stay here: Official site | Booking.com | Agoda | Trip.com What we like and what could be done better at Temple Tree Resort Langkawi READ: The Mondrian Singapore review: A sleek, buzzy establishment we'd love to stay again REVIEW: Pullman Singapore Orchard hotel is for those who love luxe aesthetics REVIEW: The Outpost Hotel leaves you feeling refreshed but some improvements needed REVIEW: The Barracks Hotel Sentosa, from artillery outpost to luxurious escape Travel guide: 48 hours in Penang, Malaysia Reasons to stay in this hotel The writer working on an article at the verandah area of the Negeri Sembilan house at Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. (PHOTO: Reta Lee/Yahoo Life Singapore) I stayed at the charming Negeri Sembilan house, which was once a family home in Negeri Sembilan, a Malaysian State just south of Kuala Lumpur. Built over 80 years ago and restored and conserved at the Temple Tree Resort, the raised single-storey house is now a luxurious 120sqm two-bedroom suite that comfortably sleeps up to four guests. The stained-glass windows are another charming facet of the house as the colours are reflected by the rays of light. The lounge and dining area were surprisingly airy and spacious, and I was happily filing my stories daily while being surrounded by the sounds of nature. If you're travelling in a family of four, the Negeri Sembilan house is perfect as there is an adjunct room with two single beds. What makes this house also special is the in-room luxury wooden bathtub, if you're looking for time-off by soaking for hours. The bathroom amenities are refillable, thus offering a better sustainable way to reduce plastic usage. I must say, the Negeri Sembilan house is one of the most good-looking houses on the resort's grounds if you're looking to experience authentic kampung life. Book your stay here: Official site | Booking.com | Agoda | Trip.com The Colonial House at Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. (PHOTO: Temple Tree Resort Langkawi) Growing up, I had the chance to visit my grandparents who lived in simple kampung houses, and the feeling I got from staying at the Negeri Sembilan house reminded me of that simple life. The elderly would hang at the patio and look out to nature; the sugarcane bush was just ripe for harvesting; and chickens would be clucking away. As we forgo these kampung houses for skyscrapers, I was fortunate to experience the rustic kampung life and spirit here at Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. Furthermore, this piece of heritage is now preserved on this land for everyone to experience and enjoy. Another interesting house facade belongs to the Colonial House. Built by Arab goldsmiths in the 1920s, Colonial House is a grand home that once stood proud in George Town, Penang, and boasts a rich mix of East and West with its Peranakan floor tiles and intricate European cornices. Housing three one-bedroom suites and one two-bedroom suite the Colonial House can be rented as one house, a perfect venue for family gatherings, sleeping up to 10 guests, or each suite can be rented individually as the suites can all be secured as private rooms with their own entrances. The house also includes shared spaces with a dining room that seats 10 persons, a living room with a bar, and comfy lounge spaces. Of the suites, two one-bedroom suites are located downstairs, and the two-bedroom suite and a one-bedroom suite are located upstairs. The main swimming pool at Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. (PHOTO: Reta Lee/Yahoo Life Singapore) There are also two lap swimming pools on the resort's landscaped ground, with the main one beautifully positioned in front of the 110-year-old Johor house, so you can experience the sunsets in the evening. Food-wise, how can we fault Malaysian cuisine? Together with other invited media guests, we dined at the new Paloh Restaurant & Bar aptly named after Peraks state capital which was fondly known as Pa-Lo and located inside the lovingly restored 120-year-old Ipoh House. Outside guests are also able to dine here but reservations would be recommended as hotel guests take priority first. Savour Nonya Laksa and mango sago at the new Paloh Restaurant at Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. (PHOTO: Reta Lee/Yahoo Life Singapore) Foodies would enjoy the various signature dishes from states like Johor, Melaka, Penang and Negeri Sembilan. I would highly recommend the Nonya Laksa (RM48) that's made with signature spicy coconut milk soup; the Asam Pedas (RM25) that's served with basmati rice; and daging kerutuk, which is slow-cooked beef in chili (RM40). There are also scrumptious western cuisine such as grain-fed Brazilian rib eye steak (RM78); New Zealand rack of lamb (RM72) and grilled tiger prawns (RM55). Don't forget to order the local dessert like the mango sago and pisang goreng. Say hello to one of the resident cats at Johor House in Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. (PHOTO: Reta Lee/Yahoo Life Singapore) As Temple Tree Resort Langkawi is pets-friendly, you may also spot some of the resident cats like Tofu and Ginger roaming around and making friends with hotel guests. Italian resort manager Irene Vairo, who's married to a local fisherman and has been with the resort since 2020, is also the caretaker of the resident cats. If you're itching to explore the island, you can head to Dream Forest Langkawi, the latest storytelling family-friendly attraction that details the folklore tales of Langkawi. Nearby, there is the Temonyong Night Market that opens every Thursday, offering both locals and visitors to savour delicious local foods at affordable prices. And if you're lucky, sometimes you may even catch the squid boats riding out into the sea at the Jeti Pendaratan Sg Cenang, which is ten minutes by foot. Get Langkawi attraction tickets from Klook What could be done better While the hotel eliminates one-time use of plastic bottles and straws in the houses, there isn't a full-fledged sustainability program here at the resort. Perhaps, the new management that took over the resort's operations could expand this further for example, a smart food waste tracker that turns food scraps into fertiliser. Book your stay here: Official site | Booking.com | Agoda | Trip.com Former President Donald Trump's campaign launched a six-figure ad buy in Iowa with six weeks to go until the first-in-the-nation Iowa Republican caucuses on Jan. 15. The ads come as the Republican presidential front-runner ramps up his appearances and his campaigns caucus turnout effort in Iowa as he looks to solidify his lead over the 2024 GOP field and fend off his rivals in the state that will kick off the presidential nominating contest. One of the ads touts Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' past praise of Trump. The TV spot features a montage of Reynolds applauding Trump and his administration's policies at previous rallies. While Reynolds supported Trump during his previous presidential bids, their relationship has soured after Trump took shots at Reynolds over the summer when she declined to endorse him, originally saying she planned to remain neutral in the caucuses in keeping with a long-standing tradition of Iowa governors. Trump said he felt Reynolds should have endorsed him after he said he helped her win election in 2018 and 2022. Those attacks have intensified since Reynolds endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis presidential campaign. Reynolds has said DeSantis is best poised for victory in the general election, a race she doesnt think Trump can win without attracting voters beyond his base. She has noted DeSantis won the 2022 Florida governors race by more than 19 percentage points, and won in demographics that Republicans have never really won in Florida. Trump reiterated his disapproval of Reynolds endorsement of DeSantis during a campaign stop Saturday in Ankeny. I mean, that was her choice to do this. But I believe in loyalty, Trump said to loud cheers, according to video of the rally from C-SPAN. I don't care if she endorses me or not, he told the crowd, citing polling showing Trump maintains commanding double-digit leads over the rest of the Republican primary field. It's not going to make any difference, because the only endorsement that matters is the Trump endorsement. Reynolds, in a statement, said she supported Trump, worked with him and agreed with many of his policies. And I wish he would have won the 2020 election, she said. But now its time to say thank you and turn the page. Because this is about the next election. About who is the best person to take back the White House from Joe Biden and to lead this country for eight years. Thats Ron DeSantis. SALT LAKE CITY A South Sioux City man charged with a decades-old homicide in has died while awaiting trial in Utah. Bryan Reed, 58, died Sept. 30 while in custody in Salt Lake City. He had been scheduled to stand trial there on Dec. 11 on charges of second-degree murder and aggravated burglary for a 1982 death. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office confirmed Reed's death, but a spokeswoman said he could not provide information on the cause. A spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services said she was unable to discuss details of Reed's death because Utah law prohibits the release of autopsy findings to the media. She referred questions back to law enforcement. A judge dismissed the case on Oct. 17. Reed was arrested in December 2019 in connection with the death of Wilhelmina Reid, 72, who was found dead in her Salt Lake City home on Aug. 18, 1982. An autopsy determined she died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries to her head. Investigators reviewing the case in 2018 noted that Reed was among people listed in an initial canvass of neighbors who were never interviewed by police. Reed, who was 17 at the time, lived with his mother across the street from Reid and left for Nebraska the day of Reid's death. Reed's mother told investigators that she had bought her son's ticket prior to Reid's death. Salt Lake City police investigators first interviewed Reed in South Sioux City on Dec. 18, 2018, and South Sioux City police investigators collected DNA samples from him. An analysis of DNA taken from the woman's nightgown showed that Reed was a possible contributor, and a fingerprint lifted from the scene was identified as Reed's, according to court documents. Salt Lake City investigators then conducted a second interview with Reed and gained an admission, South Sioux City police said in a December 2019 news release. Reed waived his extradition in January 2020 and was returned to Utah, where he pleaded not guilty and had remained in custody while awaiting trial. SIOUX CITY A mother has filed a negligence lawsuit against a Sioux City drug addiction treatment center, saying the staff's negligence led to her 17-year-old son's fatal drug overdose while staying at the facility. Rebecca Stricklin says in the lawsuit that the staff at Rosecrance Jackson Centers failed to search her son's clothing for contraband when he was admitted to the residential treatment facility. Gage Rhiner died there Dec. 16, 2021, of an overdose on a mixture of drugs, including fentanyl, less than 48 hours after his admission. Stricklin, who lives in Polk County, Iowa, said staff members failed to perform required overnight bed and safety checks in accordance with state and company policy, resulting in her son's death not being discovered for several hours. "Rosecrance, through its employees, failed to exercise reasonable care to eliminate the dangerous condition or protect Gage, as an invitee, from the dangerous condition, and its negligence was the cause of Gage's death ...," the lawsuit said. Rosecrance communications specialist Lindsey Salvatelli said federal law prohibits the company from confirming or denying whether a person was in its care and she could not comment on the lawsuit. Rhiner was admitted to the Rosecrance residential facility on Dec. 14, 2021, and diagnosed with opioid addiction, other stimulant use, PTSD and major depressive disorder. According to the lawsuit, filed Nov. 27 in Woodbury County District Court, Rosecrance staff told Stricklin after her son's death that his clothing had not been searched because of a shortage of male staff members. After participating in therapy and school work the following day, a staff member noted Rhiner had become more emotional by 10:28 p.m. and had been punching a bathroom wall, but staff didn't intervene. Hours later, a 5:37 a.m. progress report noted that Rhiner appeared to sleep soundly through the night without incident. He was found at approximately 7 a.m., face down and fully clothed in his bed. When police arrived shortly after 7 a.m., it was apparent Rhiner had died several hours earlier. An autopsy determined Rhiner died from a drug overdose involving fentanyl, sertraline and amphetamine, and the medical examiner found a clear plastic bag containing a crushed fentanyl tablet in his underwear. The lawsuit says there was no documentation that Rosecrance staff members followed their policy of having Rhiner remove his clothing for inspection and a body check at the time he was admitted. The lawsuit also says staff didn't follow state law that requires three bed checks on juveniles in residential facilities between midnight and 6 a.m. or a Rosecrance policy of completing health and safety checks every 15-20 minutes. The lawsuit alleges Rhiner died after midnight, and no bed checks were conducted during the night. Stricklin has requested a jury trial and an award of damages to compensate her for her son's loss of estate growth and for her loss of his love, companionship and affection. SIOUX CITY The Sioux City Council, during its weekly meeting Monday, unanimously approved plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for construction of the Headington Park splash pad project. Before the vote, Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore said he was contacted by property owners about the availability of parking when the splash pad is up and running. He said they also wondered what type of security would be required for the splash pad. Parks and Recreation Manager Angel Wallace asked if the residents want her department to look into security cameras or police patrol. "Probably both," Moore responded. Mayor Bob Scott asked Wallace if water lines will be run for a future bathroom facility. Wallace said she didn't know the answer to that. "That's really important to me," Scott said. "I don't think it's fair that we do these deals in some neighborhoods. It's a fairness issue. We do these things in neighborhoods and, all of a sudden, some have bathrooms and some don't. I want to make sure we have future plans." The city's consultant's estimated cost for the project is $400,000. JEO Consulting Group, Inc., of South Sioux City, completed the plans and specifications for the project at the park, 2951 Isabella St. The project includes new construction of a splash pad and general site work, earthwork, sodding, sidewalk construction and concrete slabs, according to city documents. The documents state that the project will include Bid Alternate 1 for exterior benches around the splash pad and Bid Alternate 2 for the installation of umbrella structures around the splash pads exterior. The project was originally bid on April 18, but no bids were received. City staff worked with JEO to modify the scope of the project to extend the completion date and remove the splash pads features to be bid separately. Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore previously told The Journal that he thinks the lack of bids and high construction costs for recreational projects are due to American Rescue Plan Act funds that have "flooded the market." The project was rebid on Aug. 8. Christiansen Construction Company, of Pender, Nebraska, submitted the sole bid of $755,000. Since Christiansen's bid was well above the estimated cost of $400,000, the council voted to reject it. During its Nov. 20 meeting, the council voted to adopt the plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the splash pad. Rebidding the project includes the removal of the pre-cast building and its foundation. Bids will be received on Dec. 19. The project, which is expected to be fully completed by Oct. 15, 2024, 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, according to the documents. Salvatore told The Journal that residents living in the neighborhood requested the splash pad at Headington Park. The city currently has five splash pads, which can be operated longer than the swimming pools. The splash pads are open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend daily from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. In addition to those splash pads, the city also has a new water feature at Chris Larsen Park's Floyd Plaza. Misters and fountains rise up from the ground, with a push of a button. The fountain is operational during park hours, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip Israeli warplanes heavily bombarded an area around Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Monday as the military ordered mass evacuations from the town in the face of a widening ground offensive that is pushing Palestinians into a progressively shrinking portion of the besieged territory. The expanded assault posed a life-or-death choice for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either stay in the path of Israeli forces or flee within the confines of southern Gaza with no guarantee of safety. Aid workers warned that the mass movement would worsen the already dire humanitarian catastrophe in the territory. "Another wave of displacement is underway, and the humanitarian situation worsens by the hour," the Gaza chief of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Thomas White, said on social media. Adding to the chaos, phone and internet networks across Gaza collapsed again Monday evening, the Palestinian telecom provider PalTel reported. The network broke down multiple times during the war, making it largely impossible for residents to communicate with each other or the outside world for hours or sometimes days until it is repaired. Israel vows to eliminate Gaza's Hamas rulers, whose Oct. 7 attack killed some 1,200 people, according to the Israeli government, and triggered the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. The war already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of the territory's population of 2.3 million people. Palestinian health officials said bombardment killed several hundred civilians since a weeklong truce ended Friday. Israel appears to be racing to strike a death blow against Hamas if that's possible, given the group's deep roots in Palestinian society before any new cease-fire. But the mounting toll is likely to further increase international pressure to return to the negotiating table. Airstrikes and the ground offensive in northern Gaza reduced large swaths of Gaza City and nearby areas to a rubble-filled wasteland. Hundreds of thousands of residents fled south during the assault. Now about 2 million people most of the territory's population are crowded into the 90 square miles of southern and central Gaza, where Israel's ground offensive is now moving, threatening to render even larger areas uninhabitable. Since the truce's collapse, the military ordered the population out of an area of about 24 square miles in and near Khan Younis, according to the evacuation maps issued by the Israeli military. That further reduces the space available for Palestinians by more than a quarter. Fighting in central Gaza Constant bombardment on the edges of Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest city, lit up the sky over the town Monday evening, and a stream of ambulances carrying wounded flowed into the main hospital. Over the past few days, Israeli strikes have been "on a ferocious scale," said Mohammed Aghaalkurdi, an aid worker with the group Medical Aid for Palestinians in Khan Younis. "Barely has any kind of aid been delivered to the people, nor is there any food left in shops." Leaflets dropped by the military warned people to go south toward the border with Egypt, but they are unable to leave Gaza, as both Israel and neighboring Egypt refuse to accept refugees. The area that Israel ordered evacuated covers about a fifth of Khan Younis. Before the war, that area was home to some 117,000 people, and now it also houses more than 50,000 people displaced from the north, living in 21 shelters, the U.N. said. It was not known how many were fleeing. Some Palestinians ignored past evacuation orders, saying they do not feel any safer since areas where they are told to flee have also been bombed. Many also fear they will never be allowed back to their homes. It was not clear where Israeli troops have moved into southern Gaza, but the military told people to stay off the main road between Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, suggesting forces were moving between the two towns. Israeli media also reported intense fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in northern Gaza in the Jabaliya refugee camp and the Gaza City district of Shijaiya, both scenes of intense bombardment and battles in recent weeks. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, said the army is pursuing Hamas with "maximum force" in the north and south while trying to minimize harm to civilians. He pointed to a map that divides southern Gaza into dozens of blocks to give "precise instructions" to residents on where to evacuate. Most are urged to flee south, but, confusingly, a map posted on X by the military Monday urged people to flee into Fakhari, a district east of Khan Younis that the military ordered evacuated a day before. The Health Ministry in Gaza said the death toll in the territory since Oct. 7 has surpassed 15,890 people 70% of them women and children with more than 42,000 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. LONDON Oxford University Press has named rizz as its word of the year, highlighting the popularity of a term used by Generation Z to describe someones ability to attract or seduce another person. It topped Swiftie (an enthusiastic fan of Taylor Swift), situationship (an informal romantic or sexual relationship) and prompt (an instruction given to an artificial intelligence program) in the annual decision by experts at the publisher of the multivolume Oxford English Dictionary. The four finalists were selected by a public vote and the winner was announced Monday. Rizz is believed to come from the middle of the word charisma, and can be used as a verb, as in to rizz up, or chat someone up, the publisher said. It speaks to how younger generations create spaces online or in person where they own and define the language they use, the publisher said. From activism to dating and wider culture, as Gen Z comes to have more impact on society, differences in perspectives and lifestyle play out in language, too. American publisher Merriam-Webster included rizz on its list of the year's top words but gave first place to authentic. 20 words introduced or popularized by cartoons 20 words introduced or popularized by cartoons McCarthyism: The Washington Post editorial cartoons by Herblock Milquetoast: 'The Timid Soul' Goon: 'Popeye' Newlywed: 'The Newlyweds and their Baby' Worrywart: 'Out Our Way' Poindexter: 'Felix the Cat' Brainiac: 'Superman' comic books Embiggen: 'The Simpsons' Cromulent: 'The Simpsons' Jeep: 'Popeye' Meh: 'The Simpsons' Nimrod: 'Looney Tunes' Doh: 'The Simpsons' Dumbbell: 'Indoor Sports' Malarkey: 'Indoor Sports' Hard-boiled: 'Indoor Sports' Shazam: 'Captain Marvel' comics Kryptonite: 'Superman' comics Cowabunga: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Twitterpated: 'Bambi' WASHINGTON Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address U.S. senators by video Tuesday during a classified briefing as the Biden administration urges Congress to approve the White House's nearly $106 billion request for funds for the wars in Ukraine, Israel and other security needs. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Zelenskyy's appearance after the administration Monday sent an urgent warning about the need to approve the military and economic assistance to Ukraine, saying Kyiv's war effort to defend itself from Russia's invasion may grind to a halt without it. Schumer said the administration had invited Zelenskyy to address the senators so they "could hear directly from him precisely what's at stake." They will also be hearing from the secretaries of Defense, State and other top national security officials. In a publicly released letter to House and Senate leaders, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned the U.S. will run out of funding to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine by the end of the year, saying that would "kneecap" Ukraine on the battlefield. She added that the U.S. already ran out of money that it used to prop up Ukraine's economy, and "if Ukraine's economy collapses, they will not be able to keep fighting, full stop." "We are out of money and nearly out of time," she wrote. President Joe Biden seeks a nearly $106 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other needs, but it faces a difficult reception on Capitol Hill. There is growing skepticism about the magnitude of assistance for Ukraine and even Republicans supportive of the funding insist on U.S.-Mexico border policy changes to halt the flow of migrants as a condition for the assistance. "Congress has to decide whether to continue to support the fight for freedom in Ukraine as part of the 50-nation coalition that President Biden has built, or whether Congress will ignore the lessons we've learned from history and let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin prevail," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. But negotiations over the border security package broke down over the weekend as Republicans insisted on provisions Democrats said are draconian, aides said. Talks are expected to resume this week, along with a test vote expected Wednesday. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Monday his party is "still at the table." Congress already allocated $111 billion to assist Ukraine, including $67 billion in military procurement funding, $27 billion for economic and civil assistance and $10 billion for humanitarian aid. Young wrote that all of it, other than about 3% of the military funding, was depleted by mid-November. Meanwhile, the GOP-controlled House passed a standalone assistance package for Israel as it fights the war with Hamas in Gaza, but the White House maintains that all of the priorities must be met. The Biden administration says it slowed the pace of some military assistance to Kyiv in recent weeks to try to stretch supplies until Congress approves more funding. "We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight," Young wrote. "This isn't a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. It is time for Congress to act." House Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated in a statement Monday that House Republicans will insist on border policy changes as part of a Ukraine assistance bill, and he argued Biden "failed to substantively address any of my conference's legitimate concerns about the lack of a clear strategy in Ukraine, a path to resolving the conflict, or a plan for adequately ensuring accountability for aid provided by American taxpayers." The letter followed a classified Capitol Hill briefing Wednesday for the top House and Senate leaders on the need for the assistance. Defense and other national security officials briefed the "big four" congressional leaders. "They were clear that Ukraine needs the aid soon and so does our military need the aid soon," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at the time. Schumer said Monday that both Republicans and Democrats in his chamber agree on funding for Ukraine, as well as Israel, but that the funding has been halted for weeks by GOP demands that border security policy be included in a final package. Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Republicans pressed for "indefinite detention" of asylum seekers and granting the executive branch power to "shut down" the asylum system, measures that Democrats say go too far. He is expected to push forward Biden's supplemental funding package this week, but Republicans threatened to block its passage with a filibuster as they insist on border security provisions. Bidens funding request includes some $14 billion to hire more border patrol and immigration court officials and to help the states where mayors are scrambling to provide for the onslaught of asylum-seekers paroled into communities. Katy ISD Board of Trustees President Victor Perez listens to comments during a board of trustees meeting on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023 in Katy. The Katy ISD board of trustees took public comments on how to address gender fluidity among students. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer File: Katy ISD Board of Trustees President Victor Perez and Superintendent Ken Gregorski during an August 2023 board meeting. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A measure that would allow the Katy ISD board of trustees to use district funds to employ chaplains on campuses drew opposition from some Katy parents Monday. The school board discussed the proposed item during a work study meeting but no action was taken. The proposed measure follows the Texas Legislatures passage of Senate Bill 763, which took effect this year and allows school districts to employ chaplains on campus in lieu of certified counselors. A chaplain may perform the same duties a counselor would perform, according to the bill. Unlike school counselors, the chaplain does not need to be certified by the State Board of Education. Advertisement Article continues below this ad All six speakers during the public comment portion of the meeting were opposed to the measure. Multiple speakers argued the policy would be an affront to separation of church and state. The separation of church and state in schools safeguards the rights of students and their families, as it prevents any particular religious group from imposing its beliefs on others through educational policies, said Eve Frost, a Katy ISD parent. Allowing chaplains in our schools will harm all of our children all, but especially those children that come from a minority religious backgrounds or are non-religious. During the discussion, board member Amy Theime said a chaplain could be a useful resource for teachers who arent sure how to help a child facing a difficult situation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If we can find ways to support the teachers with those kinds of issues so that the teachers can focus on academics, thats whats powerful to me, Theime said. Some speakers took issue with the fact that the chaplains would require no training, education or expertise to serve as counselors. Every single individual that my child encounters while in school needs to be appropriately educated and or certified based on their role in the school, said Katy ISD parent Carly Peden. The proposal also drew questions about how chaplains will interact with children who are not Christian. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Katy ISD parent Chava Gal-Or, whose family is Jewish, said children in emotional duress need to be counseled by a person who isnt affiliated with a specific religion. I think about those emergency situations where you need a real mental health professional, she said. Board member Dawn Champagne said she received a petition signed by 100 chaplains in opposition to the measure. The chaplains, they themselves say they are are not good replacement (for counselors) because they lack training like suicide prevention, Champagne said. They also dont believe that money that goes to safety and security should be spent on chaplains. Board member Rebecca Fox said she doesnt want a chaplain to counsel her children, because the chaplain may espouse beliefs contrary to the beliefs she teaches in her home. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a mom, I dont want a chaplain who doesnt speak and know or study my beliefs to be counseling my kids, Fox said. I dont want them to pray with my kids if they dont adhere to the beliefs that we believe in our home. I think thats the piece that disturbs me most. Board president Victor Perez said any policy enacted by the district regarding chaplains would have to be carefully worded. If we decide to go forward we have to create a policy that would be guidelines or prohibitions to the job description, etc., he said. The potential position would be funded through the districts security funds for the purpose of campus safety, the bill says, by using chaplains for restorative justice practice, implementing programs with culturally relevant instruction, providing mental health support or aiding in suicide prevention. The board has until March 2024 to make a decision on the matter. Has the greenhouse effect been falsified? What the science says... Select a level... Basic Intermediate The greenhouse effect is standard physics and confirmed by observations. At a glance Did you know that in the late 1700s, astronomers calculated the Earth-Sun distance to within 3% of the correct average value of 149.6 million kilometres? That was an incredible feat for the time, involving painstaking measurements and some pretty serious number crunching, with no help from computers. Why is that mentioned here, you might ask. It's because not long afterwards, in the 1820s, French physicist Jean Joseph Baptiste Fourier made another crucial calculation. He worked out that at this distance from the Sun, Earth should have been an uninhabitable iceball. Fourier suggested there must be some kind of insulating 'blanket' within the atmosphere. By the end of that century, Eunice Foote and John Tyndall had proved him quite correct through their experiments with various gases and Svante Arrhenius quantified matters in 1896, even calculating the effect of doubling the concentration of CO 2 . They had it largely figured out all that time ago. If you are still sceptical about the existence of a greenhouse effect on Earth, there's something you can do in order to double-check. Go to the moon. Well, you don't have to go personally, thanks to remote sensing and lunar landings by both unmanned and manned craft. Such intrepid expeditions mean we have a stack of data regarding lunar properties. The moon is pretty much the same distance from the Sun as Earth, but the lunar atmosphere is so thin it may as well not exist at all. There's virtually nothing to inhibit heat transfer, in or out. In addition, the Moon turns but slowly on its axis compared to Earth. While a mean Solar day here lasts 24 hours, on the Moon it lasts just under a month. You get the best part of a fortnight of relentless Solar heating followed by a similar period of cooling in the long lunar night. So what's the temperature? In the vicinity of the Lunar equator, daytime temperatures eventually reach a boiling hot 120oC. During the lunar night, that temperature drops away to -130 C. No atmosphere so no greenhouse effect. All that heat accumulated in the long lunar day just shoots straight back out into space. Nights on Earth may be much shorter, but nevertheless in the absence of a greenhouse effect they would be brutal. Our approximately Earth-sized near neighbour, Venus, closer to the Sun, is different again. It has a massive dense atmosphere mostly consisting of CO 2 with a side-helping of sulphur dioxide. Surface atmospheric pressure on Venus is so great that on Earth you would need to go a kilometre down in the ocean to find similar values. The planet rotates very slowly on its axis so days and nights are even longer than on the Moon. But unlike the Moon, Venus is always a hot place. Its surface temperature is over 450oC, day or night. An extreme greenhouse effect maintains that heat. Remember: no atmosphere, no greenhouse effect and unimaginably cold lunar nights - but the example of Venus shows you can also have too much of a good thing. Earth really is a Goldilocks planet. Please use this form to provide feedback about this new "At a glance" section. Read a more technical version below or dig deeper via the tabs above! Further details Some climate science deniers dispute the existence of the greenhouse effect. This is where their arguments lurch from silly - to beyond silly. The greenhouse effect keeps the surface temperature of Earth approximately 33oC warmer than it would be if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In other words, without the greenhouse effect, Earth would be effectively uninhabitable. Fig 1: The greenhouse effect is an analogy not meant as a scientific model of effect; hence, detractors have attacked the wrong model. (source: jg) How do we know for sure this effect is real? The principle is demonstrated through basic physics, because a bare rock orbiting the Sun at the Earth-Sun distance (mean = 149.6 million kilometres) should be far colder than the Earth actually is. This was realised by Jean Joseph Baptiste Fourier in the 1820s, but the explanation why it was the case was not forthcoming for a few more decades. Fourier considered it to have something to do with the atmosphere having the properties of a kind of insulating blanket. The existence of Fourier's hypothetical 'blanket' was confirmed by the experimental studies done by Eunice Foote and John Tyndall, working independently on either side of the Atlantic in the 1850s. Foote's results were announced at the 1856 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and published in the American Journal of Science and Arts in the same year. The paper was entitled, Circumstances Affecting the Heat of the Suns Rays, with an excellent recent review by Ortiz and Jackon (2020). A key passage is as follows: The highest effect of the suns rays I have found to be in carbonic acid gas. An atmosphere of that gas would give to our earth a high temperature; and if as some suppose, at one period of its history, the air had mixed with it a larger proportion than at present, an increased temperature from its own action, as well as from increased weight, must have necessarily resulted. In his 1861 paper, On the absorption and radiation of heat by gases and vapours, and on the physical connexion of radiation, absorption, and conduction (PDF here), Tyndall stated: Now if, as the above experiments indicate, the chief influence be exercised by the aqueous vapour, every variation of this constituent must produce a change of climate. Similar remarks would apply to the carbonic acid diffused through the air; while an almost inappreciable admixture of any of the hydrocarbon vapours would produce great effects on the terrestrial rays and produce corresponding changes of climate. Tyndall had in his own words identified methane as an even more potent greenhouse gas than CO 2 . Later that century, Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius put the numbers on the relationship between greenhouse gas concentrations and surface temperatures. He was able to calculate the effect of doubling the CO 2 concentration in the air. The result was a globally-averaged figure of 5-6C of warming, not that dissimilar to modern values. Empirical Evidence for the Greenhouse Effect We only have to look to our moon for evidence of what the Earth might be like, without an atmosphere and greenhouse effect. It's not as though we're short of data about our satellite. While the moons surface reaches 120oC (248oF) in direct sunlight at the equator during the long lunar day, when it gets dark the temperature drops down to a frigid -130oC (-202oF). Since the moon is virtually the same distance from the sun as we are, it is reasonable to ask why at night the Earth doesnt get as cold as the moon. The answer is that, unlike the Earth, the moon has no insulating blanket of greenhouse gases, because it has virtually no atmosphere at all. Without our protective atmosphere and its greenhouse effect, the Earth would be as barren as our lifeless moon. In the absence of the heat trapped overnight in the atmosphere (and in the ground and oceans) our nights would be so cold that few plants or animals could survive even a single one. Conclusive evidence for the greenhouse effect and the role CO 2 plays can also be seen in data from the surface and from satellites. By comparing the Suns heat reaching the Earth with the heat leaving it, both things we can measure with great accuracy, we can see that less long-wave radiation (heat) is leaving than arriving. Since the 1970s, less and less radiation is leaving the Earth, as the levels of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases build up. Since all radiation is measured by its wavelength, we can see that the frequencies being trapped in the atmosphere are the same frequencies absorbed by greenhouse gases. To conclude, disputing that the greenhouse effect is real is to attempt to discredit centuries of science, the laws of physics and indeed direct observation. Without the greenhouse effect, we would not even be here to argue about it. Last updated on 26 November 2023 by John Mason. View Archives This was a year in which the writers I loved most not only helped me escape the everyday but explored escape as a theme. Though I read wonderful books this year about family, about cults, and even about parking, my favorite books of 2023 thought deeply about what it means to set your sights on finding a new future for yourselfor what happens when you discover that a new future has, unexpectedly, opened itself up to you. Pet by Catherine Chidgey Its 1984 in Wellington, New Zealand, and 12-year-old Justine has a glamorous new teacher, Mrs. Price. Mrs. Price is beautiful. She drives a Corvette with the steering wheel on the American side. Her family is tragically dead. And she rules over the children of Justines middle-school classroom, picking favorites and unveiling the secrets of the adult world to them. We would have done anything for her, Justine remembers, 30 years later, and this sharp-edged, deliciously dark novel explores just what a group of besotted 12-year-olds might do for a teacher they loveand what Justine does when she learns Mrs. Price isnt everything she thought she was. Slate receives a commission when you purchase items using the links on this page. Thank you for your support. The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff A survival story thats also a cosmic adventure and a corrective to colonial captivity narratives, The Vaster Wilds has a lot on its mind, which is what makes it so astonishing that its also ceaselessly entertaining. A young woman steals out from Colonial Jamestown in the starving time of winter 1610, fleeing the horror inside the settlement for the teeming wilderness outside. Surviving on squirrels, duck eggs, and her own determination, the girl gives us a lens into an entirely different way of viewing the world, and Groffs relentless narrative voice is as interested in the state of her heroines soul as the fate of her earthly body. In this magnificent novel, Groff sets herself a nearly impossible writing challenge, then clears the bar with ease and elan. Read an interview with Groff in Slate. Related From Slate The 10 Best Books of 2023, According Slates Book Critic Read More Mobility by Lydia Kiesling An ingenious answer to the oft-asked question, How do you write about these dire times? Kiesling, an occasional Slate contributor, answers simply: You write about the people who, like all of us, are responsible in large and small ways for our dimming, sputtering futures. Mobility travels from the 1990s to the middle of the 21st century, following one womans life and career in the fossil fuel industry. Kiesling, one of our sharpest commentators on modern family life, is acutely aware of the ways in which readers will be eager to judge her likeable, unusual heroine, and its impossible to read this novel of an average person doing averagely terrible things without thinking about your own impact on your parents, your lovers, and your world. This darkly funny novel reset my thinking on art in the Anthropocene. Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee When Ester is 13, she witnesses her family, everything she knows and loves, torn apart by a manticore, one of the vicious monsters that stalk the far reaches of the Kingdom of Dartha. This short, propulsive fantasy fable is driven by Esters thirst for revenge, as she joins the kingdoms cadre of ruhkers, the men and women who train enormous soaring birds called rocs to hunt and kill manticores. Will Ester bond with her fledgling roc, Zahra? Will she find love with a fellow ruhker? Exciting, bloody, and sneakily profound, Untethered Sky is a winning, single-serving adventure perfect for an afternoons escape. Terrace Story by Hilary Leichter In 2021, Hilary Leichter won a National Magazine Award for a clever story in Harpers magazine about a young couple, trapped in a tiny city apartment, who discover a magical terrace hidden in their closet. The terrace only appears when their friend Stephanie visits, and so the coupleand their babybecome enmeshed in Stephanies life, so desperate are they for the bucolic space the mysterious terrace offers, and the different path it represents. In Terrace Story, Leichter expands on that short story, opening new vistas as unexpected and magical as the sunset-lit terrace off Annie and Edwards living room. The result is a novel that explores longing and frustration like no other book I read this year, mapping emotional and physical worlds that readers will find heartbreakingly familiar yet thrillingly unusual. White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link A collection of reconceived fairy tales that hums with dark energy, invention, and love, White Cat, Black Dog dazzles with every story. As you read about cats who run a marijuana farm or a man rescuing his husband from the Queen of Hell, you will think, There is no way the next story can top this one, but Link wisely saves the most unsettling, wondrous story for last. In Skinders Veil, a graduate student gets a great housesitting gig in the nick of time, in a lovely cottage nestled deep in the Vermont woods. The only hitch, his host tells him, is that he must never, ever, admit any guest through the houses front door. I wont reveal what happens, but will only say that no one and nothing in this story are exactly what we think they aretheyre far, far more interesting. Read a review in Slate. The Picnic by Matthew Longo On Aug. 19, 1989, a group of idealistic Hungarian dissidents organized a picnic in a field in Sopronpuszta, near the countrys border with Austria. Hungarys government was making the tiniest of gestures toward breaking with Moscow and the other Warsaw Pact countries, and these young people wanted to push farther. Much to everyones surprise, hundreds, maybe thousands, of East Germans showed up and rushed the border, tearing the first hole in the Iron Curtain and setting off the chain of events that would lead to the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Historian Longos well-reported book focuses on the summer when everything changed in Europe, but finds the suspense and humanity in his world-shaking storyafter all, the families who camped out in Hungarian fields, yearning for escape, didnt know how their tales would end. A terrific work of history that also becomes a meditation on what freedom means and how tyrannies fall, The Picnic adopts and explicates a wry Hungarian proverb: The future is certain. Its the past that keeps changing. Quantum Criminals by Alex Pappademas and Joan LeMay Yes, unless you already really like the music of Steely Dan, you are unlikely to get the most out of this book, in which artist LeMay paints glorious portraits of the drunks, creeps, weirdos, and misguided romantics populating Steely Dan songs, and music writer Pappademas tells the tale of a band that was popular but misunderstood in their time, widely despised by the critical establishment for decades, and then reborn as the patron saints of cool, neurotic perfection. But Quantum Criminals is such an unusual, funny, and creative work of criticism that it should inspire anyone who loves pop music but feels tired of the forms into which the market hems writers who want to tell its stories. We are all Steely Dan characters now, Pappademas writes, longing for the unrecapturable past and mourning for bright sci-fi futures we wont ever get to see. Read an excerpt in Slate. Lost Places by Sarah Pinker How to explain whats so graceful about this collection of fantasy stories by the Hugo and Nebula Awardwinning Pinsker? She finds unusual new forms to tell tales about our modern world and its interactions with the uncanny, from a story told entirely through the comments on a Wiki about a traditional English folk song to a story whose drama builds through a series of status updates in a sinister senior-living centers management system. In one story, explorations into a cable-access childrens show from the early 1980s open a window onto family grief and a towns decades-old secrets. In another, a painter experiencing cognitive decline must puzzle out the mystery of the retrospective exhibition she didnt know she was planning. Every story is surprising, delightful, and very human, and left me excited to read more from this writer, who is both finely attuned to the language and rituals of modern life and in touch with some real deep-magic weirdness. Ladies Lunch by Lore Segal This slim collection of stories by the 95-year-old writer Lore Segal is sly, dry, and very funny on its chosen subject, the ultimate escape. The ladies have been lunching for four decades now, rotating from apartment to apartment in New York City, discussing books and music and life, but these days each visit and gossip session seems touched by the ghosts of the past and the specter of the future. Segal writes with welcome clarity about lifes final years, and if her characters are not always as wise as they think they are, Segal eyes them all with the unsentimental wisdom of a life spent writing wondrous stories and essays, a career spent telling the truth. Swapping an office cubicle for my kitchen table a few days a week was a game-changer for me back when my kids were still small. I saved money on coffee, lunches, transportation, and clothes. Hours I normally spent getting ready for work and then commuting could be used for time-sucking necessities of parenting, like pediatric appointments and laundry. It was a relief to be able to work into the night as needed, without updating my supervisor on the minutiae every time my kids got sick or our day care closed early. And my remote days were especially a win for my kids, who got more time and attention from a less frazzled parent. Im not alone in this. In the only rich country without paid family leave and with virtually nonexistent financial support for families with young kids, few groups have gained more from flexible work arrangements than unpaid caregivers and those they care for. Which is why I was surprised when I began receiving press releases suggesting quite the opposite. New Working Parent Research: Hybrid work leading to loneliness, read the first. A few weeks later: Hybrid-working dads concerned about career growth. Reader, I clicked! The survey fueling these press emails turned out to cover familiar territory. A lot of parents surveyed were in fact happy about flexible work. But the reports key takeawayswhich made headlines in USA Today, Essence, Fast Company, and Forbesfocused on remote works downsides, suggesting that employers can lure parents back to the office by offering amenities like child care. Advertisement This research was commissioned by none other than Bright Horizons, the large, for-profit child care chain that is the countrys largest supplier of exactly the kind of child care they claim can court parents to come back to offices: employer-sponsored care. Recently, Bright Horizons, as well as its competitor, the child care chain KinderCare Learning Centers, has also been talking up a media storm about how, when employers provide workers with child care, it solves a myriad of corporate woes, including making it easier to attract and retain talented workers in a tight labor market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the national child care shortage drags on, such ideas have gained traction. Earlier this year, the Biden administration announced that semiconductor manufacturers that are awarded federal subsidies must offer workers child care. Meanwhile, KinderCare grew its base of employer clients from 400 in 2019 to 600 earlier this year, according to a report from the education website EdSurge about the rise of employer-sponsored care. On Nov. 18, Bright Horizons CEO Stephen Kramer deftly hijacked a Yahoo News segment about a new government push for child care funding, transforming it into an infomercial for employer-sponsored child care, which he called his corporations secret sauce that is experiencing a renaissance of interest. Advertisement There are plenty of worthwhile arguments both for and against easing the national child care crisis by linking child care benefits to employment, as we do in the United States with health care. But one huge and usually overlooked cause for caution is that employer-sponsored child care is often synonymous with the large investor-backed child care chains such as Bright Horizons, KinderCare, Learning Care Group, Goddard, and Primrose Schools, to name a few. Unlike smaller chains, community-based programs, and family child care homes, these big chains, which comprise the only sector of the child care market that is growing, have the bandwidth and staffing to compete for corporate contracts, partner with corporations, and get new centers up and running quickly. And the more they dominate the child care market, the more influence they have in setting the nations agenda for families and child care workers. Thats scary, because as investor-backed, profit-driven entities, though they serve families, they are foremost beholden to their investors and bottom lines. And time and again, they have shown themselves to be more frenemy than friend to the working parent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is an inherent, unavoidable conflict of interest between large investor-backed chains drive to maximize shareholder profit and the movement for a child care system that works for everyone, said Elliot Haspel, a child care expert at the family policy think tank Capita. Its a business to them. Youve probably heard by now about how, since the pandemic, thousands of community child care programs across the country have shuttered, while others struggle to stay afloat. Those still standing are stretching their shoestring budgets to pay wages high enough to staff classrooms while still keeping tuition low enough for local parents to afford. With national child care staffing shortages rampant due to poverty-level wages for early educators, many child care classrooms sit empty even as families clamor for spots. Advertisement The countrys biggest for-profit child care chains such as Bright Horizons, Learning Care Group, and KinderCare are not part of this grim picture. These companies are swelling in size, often taking on debt and drawing in annual profits of 15 to 20 percent as they acquire independent programs and smaller chains, acting like snowballs gobbling up bigger and bigger shares of the market as they zip by. Advertisement Advertisement In 2022, the 50 biggest for-profit child care chains, which can serve about 1 million children, grew by about 8 percent, adding 537 schools, according to an annual survey of the trade publication Exchange. Today the largest 11 for-profit chains alone serve roughly 10 percent of all young children enrolled in formal child care, and all but two of those chains are investor-backed, according to an analysis by Capita. Bright Horizons is publicly traded; the rest are owned by private equity firms. Advertisement In their quest to extract as much profit as possible, these conglomerates follow the usual corporate playbook: pay workers horribly and CEOs lavishly, and charge paying customers top dollar, carrying out regular price hikes. Advertisement At a Bright Horizons center, a family in New York City can expect to pay upward of $40,000 for one year of care. Like child care teachers everywhere, who are among the lowest-paid workers in the U.S. economy, their childs teachers may scrape by earning just north of minimum wage, possibly while receiving benefits, according to one recent job posting. Meanwhile, CEO Kramer makes millions each year, or, in 2022, a total compensation of $3,258,891, to be exact. Advertisement To make it all work, these chains set up shop in areas where they can charge top dollar, said Melissa Boteach, a child care and economic expert at the National Womens Law Center. A Capita analysis found that in the seven states studied, the average income surrounding child care centers owned by Primrose, Goddard, and Bright Horizons exceeded $100,000, with Bright Horizons leading the pack at nearly $112,000. So far, employer-sponsored child care programs are also disproportionately available to higher-income workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Advertisement That is, for-profit child care chains are no answer for the vast majority of Americas child care woes. They arent affordable to most families, many of their centers do not accept child care vouchers earmarked for low-income families, and theyre rarely found in the places where child care is needed most desperately, such as rural areas and low-income neighborhoods. Meanwhile, their very existence can damage the independent child care programs that do serve families across the income spectrum, siphoning away workers as well as the private-pay families who can help to subsidize the care of families receiving government-issued child care vouchers. And when corporate chains take over smaller chains or independent programs, it can lead to staff turnover along with sudden, steep tuition hikes, pushing families out of programs they can no longer afford while whittling away a neighborhoods affordable care options. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In care sectors such as nursing home care, private equitybacked chains frequently cut costs in ways that hamper working conditions and wages while damaging quality, said Annie Dade, a project policy analyst with UCBerkeleys Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. Though private equity is newer to the U.S. child care field, so far theres not a lot of reason to believe it will act differently there than it has in nursing home care. In October, the Massachusetts attorney general determined that KinderCare centers in that state were violating labor laws by preventing child care workers from taking their owed paid breaks and sick leave. The Oregon-based child care chain responded to these allegations by suggesting in a statement to the local outlet 12 News that Massachusetts high standards for teacher education and prior work experience were contributing to the problem, and added that they looked forward to working with state lawmakers on solutions. Advertisement Haspel, of Capita, called the response farcical, but not without logic. If your goal is to be profitable, then having to hire staff with certain levels of qualifications who you may have to pay more, and who are harder to find, and who are less fungible, is a problem, he said. Theres a threshold where actually pushing for publicly funded solutions to the child care crisis that include high pay for educators and lower fees for parents becomes an existential threat to [the big chains] business models. Advertisement Nowhere was this more prominent than during negotiations for the 2020 Build Back Better bill. The bill promised affordable child care for parents and a living wage for early educators, and was the closest the country has come to fixing our broken approach to child care since 1971, when President Richard Nixon vetoed congressional plans to build a national publicly funded child care system. Advertisement Advertisement Publicly, the for-profit child care chains applauded the Build Back Better bill, issuing a statement of unwavering support through their lobbying consortium, the Early Care and Education Consortium. Behind closed doors, its members argued to lawmakers that the bills numbers did not add up, the New York Times reported. Soon after Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia cast the vote essentially killing the bill, executives of several child care chains that are part of the lobbying consortium, including Bright Horizons, KinderCare, and the Primrose Schools, donated to Manchins campaign fund and political action committee. We got nervous, Chad Dunkley, co-chairman of the consortiums board and chief executive of the child care chain New Horizon Academy, told the Times about Build Back Better. Advertisement In its 2023 annual report, Bright Horizons was explicit about its concerns: A broad-based benefit with governmentally mandated or funded child care or preschool, could reduce the demand for early care services at our existing early education and child care centers or could place downward pressure on the tuition and fees we charge, which could adversely affect our revenues. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate Whats Really Going On With the GOPs Current School Obsession Read More That same report also spelled out how the rise of the work-from-home workforce could pose a threat to their returns on investment: There are no assurances that parents who work from home will continue to use our centers. But in press releases sent to journalists like myself, it was not profit margins, but the mental health and careers of parents working in pajamas that appeared to trouble Bright Horizons most. As one such email sent in late June told me, for parents remote work has been a double-edged sword, offering freedom and autonomy but also leading to unprecedented isolation, concerns over career growth, and confusion on hybrid work protocols. Advertisement As a parent who has spent the past few years reporting on the child care crisis and the difficulties of parenting in a country with scant support for young kids, allow me to set this record straight: Child care needs to be affordable and available to all families who need it, and child care workers must make a living wage. Those two things cannot happen without sustained government funding. In the absence of that, the increased opportunity to work remotely has been that rare pandemic silver lining. It has helped mothers with young kids return to the labor market, and has created a more reasonable power dynamic between countless parents and their employers. To be sure, working from home is no cure-all, but it is still pretty much the best thing to happen to parents with young kids since disposable diapers. (And unlike those diapers, remote work is great for the environment, too!) Any organization that claims to have families backs has no business telling parents otherwise. Except unfortunately, for some big child care chains, thats now part of their business. This is part of Opening Arguments, Slates coverage of the start of the latest Supreme Court term. Were working to change the way the media covers the Supreme Court. Support our work when you join Slate Plus. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court was presented with an opportunity to blow a $340 billion hole in the federal budget, jeopardize major chunks of the tax code, and preemptively kill a wealth tax. It will almost certainly decline the invitation. The courts conservative justices remain deeply and disproportionately solicitous of rich peoples rights. But they appear unwilling to embrace a crank theory that could rewind Congress taxing power to the preCivil War era. Only Justice Samuel Alito was in the tank for this absurd idea, which was devised by one of his close friends, and his efforts fell painfully short of persuasion. Tuesdays case, Moore v. U.S., involves a tax enacted as part of President Donald Trumps Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which passedwith exclusively Republican supportin 2017. The act largely exempted corporations foreign profits from taxation, but it also imposed a one-time tax on Americans who own shares in foreign corporations. Over a decade, it is projected to collect about $340 billion, a considerable sum intended to offset the acts addition to the budget deficit. Advertisement This one-time tax only became controversial when conservative activists, led by lawyers Andrew Grossman and David Rivkin, identified it as a vehicle to preemptively kill more ambitious taxations of wealth. Specifically, they sought to preempt the kind of proposal from Sen. Elizabeth Warren that would tax a persons net worth, including high-dollar assets that havent been sold. You may remember Rivkin from his sympathetic interviews with Alito in the Wall Street Journal opinion section, a relationship that Alito swears poses no bar to his participation in this case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grossman and Rivkin claim the 16th Amendment permits taxation only on realized income, or assets that have been converted into cash at a gain for the investor. They asserted that the 2017 law taxes unrealized income, or assets that havent yet been cashed out, and that this feature made it an unconstitutional direct tax. Technically, these lawyers represent two plaintiffs, Charles and Kathleen Moore, who own shares in a foreign company that they want to shield from the taxman. But the lawyers ultimate goal, as theyve admitted, is to secure a decision against this tax to prevent a future Congress from enacting a true Warren-style wealth tax. Advertisement Related From Slate The Supreme Courts Utter Disregard for Science Is Somehow About to Get Worse Read More Crucially, the Grossman/Rivkin theory would recklessly imperil countless other taxes that raise trillions of dollars for the government. Congress, for instance, currently collects taxes on undistributed income from partnerships and corporations; these laws could be rendered unconstitutional if SCOTUS rules for the plaintiffs, starving the United States of the money it needs to operate. Luckily, the Grossman/Rivkin theory is demonstrably false, a revisionist fantasy with no basis in history or text. Starting in 1861, Congress enacted an income tax system, which grew to cover both realized and unrealized gains. This system flourished until 1895, when an ultraconservative Supreme Court struck down the federal income tax as direct in violation of the Constitution. Its 54 decision in Pollock v. Farmers Loan & Trust was part of the Lochner era, when the court beat back progressive reforms in aid of the wealthy. Pollock rested on a bogus rewrite of history, and it set off a bipartisan campaign to overrule the Supreme Court. This battle culminated in the ratification of the 16th Amendment in 1913, which expressly authorized a federal income tax. Advertisement Advertisement Grossman and Rivkins effort to shrink the 16th Amendment by limiting it to realized income finds no support in the historical record. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted during arguments, the concept of realization was very well established at the time that the 16th Amendment was adopted, but the amendment does not reference realization. In fact, as far back as 1864, and again in 1913, Congress taxed unrealized gains. As Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar conclusively demonstrated, the word income was defined in 1913 to mean any gain, profit, or revenue, whether realized or not. Tax scholars have further shown that economists, accountants, lawyers and legislators in the early 20th century all defined income to include unrealized gain. Advertisement Arguing the case on Tuesday, Grossman was unable to effectively counter this evidence. There is quite the history in this country of Congress taxing American shareholders on their gains from foreign corporations, Justice Elena Kagan told him. Why is this any different and why shouldnt we understand that to be quite well settled? During a colloquy with Grossman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson displayed her superior grasp on a 1796 precedent narrowing the definition of unconstitutional direct taxes. (She also noted that any constitutional limitations on such taxes arose as part of a shameful compromise over slavery.) Justice Amy Coney Barrett seized upon the very real risk that the Grossman/Rivkin theory poses to other parts of the tax code that collect money from unrealized income. What is the distinction? she pressed, and sounded profoundly skeptical that Grossman could draw a bright line that would spare trillions in tax revenue from judicial revocation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Brett Kavanaugh saw a different path forward: Why not just say the 2017 law does tax realized gains and be done with it? The entity realized income, he pointed outmeaning the corporation itself made money. The question then is attribution, and weve long held that Congress may attribute the income of the company to the shareholders. In other words, the court has consistently let Congress attribute a corporations profits to shareholders when collecting taxes. Why is this law different analytically? Kavanaugh raised this point with Prelogar, who embraced it as a way of avoiding more difficult foundational questions about the meaning of the 16th Amendment. You could hear the compromise taking shape: The court says this tax is constitutional because it targets realized income, without answering the bigger question of whether a true wealth tax complies with the 16th Amendment. Justice Neil Gorsuch tried to resist this middle ground in a lengthy exchange with Prelogar, but as usual, she wrestled him into a truce. Several justices love scrapping with Prelogar, but Gorsuch takes the practice to new heights; the often cranky justice sounds delighted, even charmed, when rebutted by the solicitor general. It was a positive sign that, by the end of their tangle, he still couldnt find an excuse to side with the plaintiffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Really, the only justice who stuck his neck out for the Rivkin/Grossman claim was Alito, Rivkins pal on the bench. Oozing irascibility, Alito tried to corner Prelogar in two unusually long exchanges, only to fall flat on his face. Rather than try to defend an indefensible theory on the merits, Alito attempted to undermine the solicitor generals own position by implying that it could lead to catastrophic confiscation of fat cats wealth. One of your arguments that you press most stronglyand, certainly, it has resonated a lot in the coverage of this caseis that the adoption of the petitioners arguments would have far-reaching consequences, the justice huffed. Do you think it is fair then to explore what the consequences of your argument would be? When Prelogar explained that there would be no consequences, except a continuation of the status quo, Alito was unsatisfied. Advertisement What Im trying to do is to understand the breadth of your argument, he said again. I understand you want to talk about this case, and ultimately we have to talk about this case, but I just want to understand how far your argument goes, how far does it logically go. Alito then inquired whether Congress could tax a billionaires lifetime worth of profits, going back to when he started up a little business in his garage. It fell to Kavanaugh, of all people, to save Prelogar: On the proverbial open door for Congress, the justice said, members of Congress want to get reelected. So Alitos farfetched hypotheticals probably wont come to pass. Translation: Sam, stop using the remote prospect of scary future taxes as an excuse to invalidate this plain-vanilla law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this point, Alitos questions didnt much matter; you could already count five votes, maybe more, to uphold the statute at issuewhich, it bears repeating, was passed with exclusively Republican votes, and signed by a Republican president. A cynic might think that Alito was thumbing his nose at his critics by running interference for his BFFs flaccid theory, flaunting his defiance of judicial ethics. He couldnt even resist a jab at the medias ostensibly one-sided coverage of this case, as though he had an obligation to defend Rivkins honor from the rabidly partisan press. Yet all of this was, in the end, a sideshow. The U.S. tax code will survive. The 16th Amendment will not be overturned by judicial fiat. The wealth tax will not be killed off before it is enacted. And that is the most we can possibly expect from this Supreme Court. This is part of Opening Arguments, Slates coverage of the start of the latest Supreme Court term. Were working to change the way the media covers the Supreme Court. Support our work when you join Slate Plus. In a spirited oral argument at the Supreme Court last month, the radical version of originalism championed by Justice Clarence Thomas was exposed as both unworkable and inconsistent with the historical meaning of the Second Amendment. The federal public defender charged with the unenviable task of protecting the right of Zackey Rahimi, a violent domestic abuser, to possess a firearm was eviscerated by the justices. From across the courts ideological spectrum, Rahimis lawyer faced a barrage of hostile questions and searching criticisms that left him sputtering, struggling to articulate a coherent defense of his clients right to own a firearm despite his violent past behavior. The Rahimi case was fast-tracked by the United States solicitor generals office because of a poorly reasoned and historically flawed decision by the rogue U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which asserted that the Founding generation would have balked at disarming domestic abusers. The 5th Circuits originalists effectively weaponized their ignorance of the facts of Anglo-American legal history to arrive at this absurd result. Based on the questions hurled at Rahimis lawyer at oral argument, it seems likely the Supreme Court will reverse the 5th Circuits decision. What is less clear is how the high court will confront the underlying problems created by Thomas flawed framework in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen that led to the 5th Circuit ruling in favor of Rahimi. The court has a rare opportunity to fix the problem it created without losing face. A path forward to resolving these problems was sketched by Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar in response to a question by Justice Elena Kagan. Prelogar outlined a minimalist set of clarifications the court needs to make to Bruen. First, judges need to recognize that understanding the history of firearms regulation requires much more than simply compiling a spreadsheet of old laws, as one federal judge in California requested. In that case, a challenge to a state assault weapons ban, Californias attorney general dutifully complied with this request, providing a 56-page spreadsheet that included 191 laws, statutes, and regulations. Despite this long list of regulations, the judge in the case did not find an exact twin to Californias assault weapons ban, so he struck down the law. The judge in the case, ignorant of the relevant historical context, did not understand that in the Founding era, gun laws were governed by a different set of policy concerns than todays laws. At the time of the Second Amendment, government sought to discourage Americans from purchasing the weapons they desired, and instead enacted laws forcing them to obtain the weapons the government believed essential to preserving a well-regulated militia. Today, in a nation awash in guns, government faces the opposite problem of the one that plagued the authors of the Second Amendment: discouraging Americans from purchasing and stockpiling weapons whose lethality would have astounded the Founding generation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate The Supreme Courts Big Gun Case Was Humiliating for the Justices Read More The other problem with the hyperliteralist approach to applying Bruen evidenced in both the California case and Rahimi is the failure to comprehend the role that common-law methods of keeping the peace played in the era of the Second Amendment. One of the primary means of regulating weapons in 1791, an era when there were no police forces, no administrative state, and most legal matters were handled locally by justices of the peace, was the use of a common-law tool: peace bonds. Modern bail bonds that require an individual to post a sum and forfeit it if they fail to appear in court are the direct lineal descendants of these legal instruments which have been supplanted by other legal tools but were once a common feature of American law. Although today most Americans are likely to encounter a justice of the peace in the context of civil marriage ceremonies, this office was once the most important agent of law enforcement. At the time of the Second Amendment, justices of the peace had broad powers to detain, search, disarm, and, if necessary, imprison those who carried deadly weapons in public contrary to common law. In the Founding era, traveling armed in public, apart from a list of recognized exceptions, violated the peace. Any justice of the peace could stop and question an individual traveling armed without proper cause, disarm them, and impose a peace bond. If the individual traveled armed again, without good cause, a higher bond would be imposed, and if the individual continued to violate the peace, they were disarmed and imprisoned. Advertisement Advertisement Not every feature of common law survived the American Revolution, but the use of peace bonds persisted. Although the Founding generation was steeped in common law, todays judges and lawyers are typically not taught much about this part of our legal tradition in most law schools. Advertisement Another issue identified by the solicitor general that has caused confusion in post-Bruen litigation was the dearth of modern-style gun laws from the era of the Second Amendment. Once again, an understanding of historical context is key to making sense of how the Founding generation legislated in response to the problems they experienced. Legislatures rarely pass laws in anticipation of problems that dont exist, and recent historical scholarship has demonstrated conclusively that there was no serious interpersonal gun violence problem to solve in 1791. The nature of early American firearms meant that they were ill-suited for crimes of passion. Given this fact, looking for modern-style gun laws or analogs crafted to respond to rampant gun violence is pointless: There was no gun violence problem to remediate in 1791. Although domestic violence is not a new problem, the use of firearms in domestic violence is not a problem the Founders would have faced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gun violencethen and nowhas always been tied to the proliferation of handguns. Modern-style gun control first emerged decades after the Second Amendment was adopted, a time when handguns became cheaper, more reliable, and more common. Once this transformation occurred, states began passing a variety of measures to deal with the unanticipated consequences of the proliferation of these weapons. Apart from a few outlier decisions in the slave-era South, courts routinely upheld these statutes as a legitimate exercise of state police power, the authority of the people acting through their legislatures to pass laws to promote public health and safety. The Supreme Court has never explained why it would borrow much of its modern Second Amendment jurisprudence from judges who owned enslaved people in the preCivil War South. Advertisement In contrast to modern America, where regulation is often cast as antithetical to liberty, the Founding era viewed regulations as the necessary foundation for ordered liberty. The absence of regulation led to anarchy, not freedom. Promoting public health and safety, allowing the people themselves to govern and legislate, to address the needs of their society, wasand remainsAmericas real first freedom. Advertisement Finally, Prelogar pointed out that lower courts have been applying the Bruen historical test, which demands that government produce an analogous historical law to justify upholding a modern one, in a blatantly biased fashion. Originalist judges have read historical antecedents for gun rights broadly, but evidence about gun regulation has been read parsimoniously. Applying this asymmetrical approach has allowed courts to protect guns whose lethality and reliability would have astonished those in the Founding era but strike down modern regulations addressing the unprecedented problems created by these weapons. Bruen rejected judicial interest-balancing, the approach to evaluating gun laws in which the publics right to safety was balanced against the individual right of self-defense. Jettisoning this method, the prevailing approach for most rights protected by the Constitution, aimed to reduce judicial discretion, eliminate confirmation bias, and prevent ideological judging. In fact, Bruen has done the opposite. It has given lower courts a license to manipulate the historical record in a shockingly partisan fashion. Advertisement Judges forced to play historian in the year since Bruen was decided have been forced to do something akin to playing a game of historical Wheres Waldo? Engaging in a judicial scavenger hunt among old laws without any attention to context is a recipe for confusion and anachronism. Rather than allow judges to use the tools and techniques they know best, the Thomas approach in Bruen forces judges to become amateur historians, with results that have been predictably amateurish. It seems unlikely the court will overrule Bruen any time soon, but the Supreme Court needs to heed Prelogars sage advice and rein in lower courts. As Justice Breyer predicted in his Bruen dissent, the new history, text, and tradition advanced in Bruen requires judges to become historians. Few jurists have the knowledge or training to do the job they have been tasked with, and the results have been a disaster. At a very minimum, the Supreme Court needs to rescue Bruen from the chaos it has created in the lower courts. If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more. Building your online presence doesnt have to break the bank. In 2023, the digital world is buzzing with free website builders that are easy to use and packed with features. Weve rounded up 10 of the best options to help you create a stunning website without spending a dime. Lets dive in! What is the Best Free Website Building Site? Wix shines as the best free website builder, offering an unbeatable blend of user-friendliness and advanced customization. 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SEO features in the builder, Google Analytics. Incorporate relevant keywords and meta descriptions. Integrating Media Add high-quality images and videos relevant to your business. Free stock image libraries, video hosting platforms. Visuals should enhance the user experience, not slow it down. Contact Information Clearly display your contact information and location. Contact form builders, Google Maps integration. Make it easy for visitors to reach out or find your business. Social Media Integration Connect your website to your social media profiles. Social media linking features. Facilitates cross-platform engagement with your audience. Mobile Responsiveness Ensure your website looks good and functions well on mobile devices. Mobile preview and editing tools. A significant portion of web traffic is mobile; don't miss out on this audience. Analytics and Feedback Use analytics to understand visitor behavior and gather feedback. Google Analytics, website feedback tools. Monitor your website's performance and make data-driven improvements. Costs of Building a Small Business Website or Online Store Navigating the costs of building a small business website or online store in 2023 is a balance of affordability and quality. With options ranging from free DIY builders to professional services, your investment can vary widely. Professional designs may cost $5,000 to $20,000, depending on complexity. Simple sites start around $100, but custom features can push costs up to $30,000. Its about finding the sweet spot where cost meets functionality, ensuring your online venture is both successful and financially sustainable. Cost of Starting a Business: Navigating the costs of building a small business website or online store in 2023 is crucial, especially when considering the overall cost of starting a business. Understanding these costs helps in better financial planning and effective budget allocation for your online venture. Web Credibility: A well-designed website enhances your web credibility. Its a key factor in establishing trust with your audience, particularly for small businesses looking to make a significant impact online. Graphic Design Tools: Utilizing the right graphic design tools can significantly improve the aesthetics of your website, ensuring it is not only functional but also visually appealing to visitors. Website Features: Including essential website features can make your site more user-friendly and efficient. These features should align with your business goals and user expectations. Small Business Marketing Statistics: Awareness of small business marketing statistics can guide your online strategy, helping you to make informed decisions about how to effectively market your website and engage with your audience. WordPress Alternatives: Exploring WordPress alternatives can offer different perspectives and options for building your website, particularly if youre looking for specific features or a different user experience. AI Website Builder: Considering an AI website builder can provide innovative solutions for creating your website, especially if youre looking for automated design options and smart customization. Website Web Presence: Establishing a strong website web presence is key to online success. Your website is often the first point of contact with your audience, so its important to make a good impression. What is WordPress?: For those considering a content management system, understanding what is WordPress? and how it works can provide insights into one of the most popular platforms for website creation. Checklist of Creating a Website: Following a checklist of creating a website can ensure that you cover all the essential aspects of website development, from planning to launch. WordPress Themes for Blogs: Selecting the right WordPress themes for blogs can greatly influence the look and feel of your blog, aligning it with your brands identity and content strategy. How Much Does a Website Cost: Understanding how much does a website cost is essential for budgeting and financial planning, especially for small businesses or startups looking to establish an online presence. Shopify Vs Squarespace: Comparing platforms like Shopify vs Squarespace can help you decide which e-commerce solution is best suited for your business needs. Shopify Themes: Choosing the right Shopify themes can enhance the look of your online store, making it more attractive and functional for your customers. What is Shopify?: For those considering an e-commerce platform, learning about what is Shopify can provide valuable insights into one of the leading solutions in the market. Creating a Business from Scratch: When creating a business from scratch, having a well-designed website can play a crucial role in establishing your brand and reaching your target audience. Choosing the Best Website Builder: When choosing the best website builder, consider factors like ease of use, customization options, and the specific needs of your business. Landing Page Builders: Using effective landing page builders can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and improve user engagement. Ecommerce Software: Selecting the right ecommerce software is critical for building a successful online store and providing a seamless shopping experience for your customers. Paid Website Builders Investing in a paid website builder unlocks a world of advanced features, customization, and dedicated support, making it a worthy choice for those serious about their online presence. The difference lies in the finer details enhanced design options, robust e-commerce tools, and superior SEO capabilities. Its an investment that pays off by elevating your site above the rest, offering a professional edge in the digital landscape. The Bottom Line As we wrap up, remember that the right free website builder can elevate your online presence without straining your wallet. The ten options weve explored in 2023 offer a mix of ease, customization, and robust features whether you want to sell online via your own website or are looking to create a portfolio. Choose wisely, and youre on your way to building a stunning website that resonates with your audience. FAQs How does the website builder make money if I use it for free? Most free website builders typically make money through ads displayed on your site or by offering premium plans. These plans often include advanced features or remove ads from the free sites, enticing users to upgrade. Are free websites good for SEO? Free websites can be SEO-friendly, but they often lack advanced SEO tools available in paid versions. This can limit your sites visibility and ranking on search engines compared to paid services. How scalable are website builders? Website builders are generally scalable, allowing you to start with a basic site and expand as your business grows. However, the scalability may vary, with some offering more extensive features for growing sites. Can I design a website without coding? Yes, most website builders are designed for users without coding skills. They offer drag-and-drop interfaces, templates, and visual editors, making it easy to create and customize websites without any coding. Are SEO tools included with website builders? Many website builders include basic SEO tools, like meta tags and descriptions. However, more advanced SEO features, such as keyword support and analytics, are often reserved for paid plans. What is the easiest free website builder? The easiest free website builder often depends on personal preference, but platforms like Wix and Weebly are renowned for their user-friendly interfaces and a wide range of customizable templates. Can you build a website completely free? Yes, you can build a website completely free using various website builders. These platforms typically offer basic features and templates, allowing you to create a simple, functional website at no cost. With a month left in 2023, theres still time for small businesses to apply for grants to cover various expenses or kick off new projects for 2024. Luckily, there are plenty of programs currently accepting applications across the U.S. Read on for a list. York County 2023 BLOOM Grant Program York County, Pennsylvania is supporting women-owned small businesses through its 2023 BLOOM Grant Program. The BLOOM Business Empowerment Center, which is a program of the York County Economic Alliance, is facilitating the program. Eligible women-owned businesses in the county can apply for grants of up to $1,500, with total amounts based on need and potential impact. December 1 is the deadline to apply. Discover the Zoho Ecosystem ChatGPT Prompts for Business Sell Your Business Advertise Your Business Here California Drought Grants California is currently providing grant funds for small agricultural businesses that have been financially impacted by severe drought and/or flooding. Eligible businesses can apply for up to $100,000, with various criteria and rules for businesses in different drought and/or flood groups. December 1 is the final deadline to apply. Crisfield Small Business Retention Assistance Grant Crisfield, Maryland is allocating $150,000 of its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to a new small business grant program. The Small Business Retention Assistance Grant plans to award $3,000 grants to 50 local shops, which they can use to cover various operational needs. Qualifications include having at least one year in business, fewer than 25 employees, and not being part of a franchise or national corporation. December 5 is the due date for applications. The Coramino Fund Gran CoraminoTequila, a tequila brand founded by comedian Kevin Hart and tequila maker Juan Domingo Beckmann, is launching a new round of applications for The Coramino Fund. This program provides grants and educational programming to Black and Latinx entrepreneurs around the country. Eligible businesses can apply for up to $10,000 now through December 5. North Sacramento Facade and Property Improvement Grant Program and Transformative Reinvestment Grant Program The city of Sacramento is dedicating $3.5 million to a new round of grant funding, which will support small businesses and nonprofit organizations in North Sacramento through two separate programs. The first program, the North Sacramento Facade and Property Improvement Grant Program is available to small businesses and nonprofits located along either Marysville Boulevard or Del Paso Boulevard. Eligible businesses can apply for between $5,000 to $30,000 to cover various exterior enhancements. The second grant, the North Sacramento Transformative Reinvestment Grant Program, is for small businesses and nonprofits within District 2 boundaries. Funds can be used to create or retain jobs, or expand existing programs or services. Applications for both programs are due by December 5. Small Business Deals Waynesboro Business District Resurgence Grant Waynesboro, Virginia recently received a $100,000 grant from the state to help local businesses with everything from ecommerce consulting to facade improvements. The Virginia Statewide Business District Resurgence Grant is meant for businesses in downtown or neighboring areas. Waynesboro plans to use these funds to expand its current facade grant program to a larger area and reach a larger number of underserved businesses. Applications are due by December 20. Canton CARES Small Business Grant Program Canton, New York is currently running its Canton CARES Small Business Grant Program. Local small businesses with less than 25 employees that faced hardships due to the pandemic may qualify for grant funds. Cantons Office of Economic Development is pre-screening applicants to make sure they meet the criteria. So interested businesses should reach out to the office for more details and application materials. December 20 is the deadline to submit an application. Pittsfield Glow Up! Business Improvement Grant Program The Pittsfield Glow Up! Business Improvement Grant Program is currently open for businesses in Pittsfield, Massachusetts to apply for grants. Eligible businesses can apply for funds to cover various physical improvements like painting and signage. This is the second round of funding for the program, and it is not open to businesses that received funds during the first round. Businesses not selected in the first round may reapply for the second round. Applications for this funding round are due by December 31. King County Department of Local Services Storefront Repair Program King County, Washington is launching a new grant program to support small businesses in unincorporated King County that have experienced vandalism or break-ins since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The King County Department of Local Services Storefront Repair Program is open to small businesses with ten employees or less that have experienced damage from vandalism since March 2020. The program provides a one-time grant of up to $5,000 to repair and restore storefronts. The application period closes December 31. The dog spent 13 years in the harbour and seven years in a shelter near Trencin. Apollko spent his last years with Janka Utla Lahutova, who was taking care of 9 other dogs at that time, took him in six years ago. (Source: Courtesy of Facebook/Jana Utla Lahutova) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, also had its Hachiko, a dog remembered for his remarkable loyalty. He was the mascot of the Bratislava Winter Harbour (Zimny Pristav). The people who took care of the dog gave him different names. Apollo after the bridge under which it used to live or Bobco or Duncik both traditional dog names. A local legend says that he, as a puppy, sailed down the Danube to Bratislava on piece of wood from Austria. The harbour workers rescued him and took care of him afterwards, Iva Hlozkova, a volunteer from the Slovak Alliance of Animal Protectors (SAOZ), told the TASR newswire. Hachiko Hachiko (November 10, 1923 March 8, 1935) was a Japanese Akita dog remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, for whom he continued to wait for over nine years following Uenos death. When they left the harbour, the dog stayed there. Local staff and taxi drivers brought him food and built him a kennel under Apollo Bridge, said Hlozkova. But the mongrel was more or less alone and so he slowly started to roam around Bratislava. However, he always came back to the harbour, as if looking for the workers who took care of him with love. He lived in this way for 13 years. It was just a lucky accident that he was not hit by a car, Hlozkova noted, confirming that Apollos story appeared in the media around 2017. Thats when volunteers from SAOZ got in touch and arranged for him to be examined by a vet. It was found that he had a diseased heart and a tumour on his testicle; he might not have survived another winter, said Hlozkova. The dog was operated on and volunteers from SAOZ arranged for him to be taken to a shelter for senior dogs near Trencin. Apollo finally got a home, a family and canine friends, and he obviously felt comfortable there. Some of his supporters were there to see him. He lived at the shelter for seven years. He died of old age in recent weeks at the age of some 20, Hlozkova concluded. Slovakia's Pisa results described as 'national tragedy', snow warning issued for Bratislava, and 'Love Actually' will return to Slovak cinemas. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, December 5 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes. Slovakia's Pisa results are "national tragedy", says education minister Education Minister Tomas Drucker presents Slovakia's Pisa results in Bratislava on December 5, 2023. (Source: TASR) The performance of 15-year-old Slovak students in the international Pisa assessment did not please Education Minister Tomas Drucker. The OECD said that the 2022 results are the lowest ever measured in mathematics, and among the lowest in reading and science. "No one else, no other country, or a world conspiracy is to blame for the problem. It's our problem," Drucker said during his press conference on Tuesday, "It is our national tragedy. The reason is the long-term neglect of finances and education priorities." The minister talks about a significant deterioration compared to the previous assessment. Yet, he thinks it's unnecessary to change the content of education. Instead, the way of teaching should change. Major reforms are off the table at present, he added. The curriculum reform was approved earlier this year. In mathematical literacy, students recorded an even greater decline than in reading. Overall, Slovakia found itself below the average of OECD countries in these tests. However, the results of students have worsened across Europe. (Source: OECD) The ministry went on to call it alarming that Slovakia was mentioned as the country with the greatest influence of pupils' socioeconomic background on their results. "Here, a student coming from a socially disadvantaged environment has much less and almost no chance to advance in their career," the ministry said. According to the ministry, the worsened overall result results from the increase in the number of students in the risk group. In Slovakia, more than 5,800 15-year-old students took part in the global tests. The tests were completed in 288 schools. The tests were taken in 81 countries in 2022. More stories from The Slovak Spectator website Business: Prices in Slovak shops are nearly the same as in Western European countries, an analysis shows. Prices in Slovak shops are nearly the same as in Western European countries, an analysis shows. Culture: Listen to a brand new Spectator College episode. Puneet Dhiman, a young Indian citizen, tells us about his unique food truck in Bratislava. Listen to a brand new Spectator College episode. Puneet Dhiman, a young Indian citizen, tells us about his unique food truck in Bratislava. Travel: The ski season has kicked off in some Slovak regions. The ski season has kicked off in some Slovak regions. Bratislava: The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, also had its Hachiko, a dog remembered for his remarkable loyalty. 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 From driving bus to becoming teacher at Slovak school Evgeny Furman (centre) with Slovak colleagues from a Nitra school. (Source: Courtesy of E. F.) Evgeny Furman came to Slovakia several hours before Russia invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainian man with three university degrees used to drive a bus in Slovakia. But he does what he loves today. Furman hopes to teach the world about a Ukrainian workout, too. EVENT FOR NEXT WEEK Love Actually in cinemas video //www.youtube.com/embed/tFoEPxCGbO8 The British romantic comedy "Love Actually" returns to Slovak cinemas after 20 years in a restored 4k version. The premiere of this cult Christmas film takes place on December 14. In other news Bratislava Region recommends that schools consider the possibility of distance learning on Wednesday, December 6, due to a bomb threat that three schools falling under Bratislava Region received. Two of them are in Bratislava and one in Senec (Gymnazium Alberta Einsteina in Petrzalka, Gymnazium Ivana Horvatha in Ruzinov and Gymnazium Antona Bernolaka in Senec). December 6 is St Nicholas Day in Slovakia. Some schools in Presov and Zilina Regions also received similar threats. The police are investigating the threats. (TASR/Markiza) that three schools falling under Bratislava Region received. Two of them are in Bratislava and one in Senec (Gymnazium Alberta Einsteina in Petrzalka, Gymnazium Ivana Horvatha in Ruzinov and Gymnazium Antona Bernolaka in Senec). December 6 is St Nicholas Day in Slovakia. Some schools in Presov and Zilina Regions also received similar threats. The police are investigating the threats. (TASR/Markiza) Speaker of Parliament Peter Pellegrini will announce the date of the presidential elections in January . The latest date for the first round of presidential elections is April 13, 2024. (TASR) . The latest date for the first round of presidential elections is April 13, 2024. (TASR) Mala Fatra National Park will continue to exist , said Environment Minister Tomas Taraba. Also, he denied that he would have approved the hunting of wolves. (TASR) , said Environment Minister Tomas Taraba. Also, he denied that he would have approved the hunting of wolves. (TASR) Constitution Day, September 1, will remain a public holiday. However, it should be a workday at the same time, the government proposes. The meeting of EU transport ministers did not find any answer to Slovak or Polish truckers blocking Ukrainian lorries at Polish and Slovak crossing points. Transport Minister Jozef Raz added that Western Europe doesn't see the blockade as a problem. He announced that Slovakia will increase border checks and focus on truckers. Slovak hauliers are currently blocking the Vysne Nemecke crossing partially. (TASR) at Polish and Slovak crossing points. Transport Minister Jozef Raz added that Western Europe doesn't see the blockade as a problem. He announced that Slovakia will increase border checks and focus on truckers. Slovak hauliers are currently blocking the Vysne Nemecke crossing partially. (TASR) On Tuesday, MPs called on ex-economy minister and MP Richard Sulik to compensate for the damage (634.500) that the Supreme Audit Office found in connection with Slovakia's participation in the world exhibition Expo Dubai 2020 . During the extraordinary session, in response to criticism, Sulik said that instead of 8.7 million, the exhibition cost 7.7 million. He thus saved 1 million, he claimed. At the same time, he took political responsibility for mistakes in the financial records. (TASR) . During the extraordinary session, in response to criticism, Sulik said that instead of 8.7 million, the exhibition cost 7.7 million. He thus saved 1 million, he claimed. At the same time, he took political responsibility for mistakes in the financial records. (TASR) Yesterday, the government approved a package of measures to consolidate public finances. In 2024, the cabinet should obtain 1.96 billion thanks to extraordinary taxation of banks, special oil tax, higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco. The package also includes a reduced contribution to the second pension pillar and an increased health levy (by 1 percentage point). The government will discuss the state budget proposal for 2024 next week. (TASR) Trencin's Christmas tree on December 5, 2023. (Source: TASR) WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: The Wednesday skies will be cloudy. Prepare for snow in many places or for rain and sleet if you live in southern Slovakia. The yellow snow warning will apply from midnight in Bratislava and the southern parts of Nitra and Trnava Regions. (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). Welcome to the winners announcement for the First Annual Sprudge Design Awards! Semi-finalists and finalist voting open voting took place through the months of October and November 2023. Some 100,000 votes were cast in total across all categories throughout the voting process, an enormous outpouring of interest and support for the medium of coffee design. Were thrilled by the response and enthusiasm for this years inaugural event, and look forward to presenting the Sprudge Design Awards annually each fall in the years to come. Coffee is a canvas for art! Art and coffee are profoundly intertwined! International specialty coffee culture is like an interactive art gallery! Art and coffee matter. Coffee design has the profound ability to move and inspire us. It is a privilege to platform these works and argue for their validity as real, meaningful art in modern life. Congratulations to all of the nominees, finalists, and winners at the 2023 Sprudge Design Awards! See a complete list of winners and explore their submitted portfolio work below. Thank you. 2023 Sprudge Design Awards Winners Daydrink Outstanding Packaging, Whole Bean / Loose Leaf Ritual Coffee Roasters Outstanding Packaging, Ready To Drink Solberg & Hansen Outstanding Packaging, Seasonal or Limited Edition Verve Coffee Roasters Outstanding E-Commerce / Web Site La Marzocco at World of Coffee Milan Outstanding Design Achievement Event Exhibition PERC Coffee Roasters Outstanding Design Achievement Goods and Garments Cat & Cloud Outstanding Design Achievement Print Materials Mr. Espresso Outstanding Design Achievement Vessels Third Wave Water Outstanding Design Achievement Commercial Product Elizabeth Chai Outstanding Designer Onyx Coffee Lab Outstanding In-House Design Team Equator Coffees Outstanding Design Collaboration Night Swim Coffee Outstanding Social Media Kahawa 1893 Design in Support of a Social Impact Campaign Daydrink Winner for Outstanding Packaging Whole Bean / Loose Leaf The jars are heavily inspired by the free spirited mentality of the 60s and 70s. Our intention was to create a fun, nostalgic, and light aesthetic with an infusion of minimalist sensibilities. We use our logomark to build the repeating pattern on the front of the packaging and use a varying color palette inspired tonally by the 70s, but also the by flavor of amazing coffee in the jar. Most importantly we wanted to create something sustainable that people felt like they could connect with on a deeper level and functionally use after the coffee is gone. Visit the official Daydrink website. Back to top Ritual Coffee Roasters Winner for Outstanding Packaging Ready To Drink Not just for summertime, its for anytime. Cold brew aficionados and busy people whove got sh*t to do can now recharge on-the-go with an artful can of Rituals refreshing single-origin black coffees or a smooth oat milk latte. And we dont sacrifice quality for convenience each batch is brewed with one of our very favorite coffees, sourced from coffee farmers we personally know around the world. We flash-brew our coffee using hot water to extract the full complexity of flavor and then chill it down immediately to lock in the nuances and beautiful aromatics. We worked with Aimee Kilmer at Good Stuff Partners and local artist Galine Tumasova to design the beautiful artwork on the cans. The artwork on each can celebrates a San Francisco neighborhood beloved to Ritual. Each features elements that are recognizable to anyone who has visited that neighborhood, and other pieces are delightful little Easter eggs that you really have to know the neighborhood well to identify. URL: https://ritualcoffee.com/serve/canned-coffee/ Visit the official Ritual Coffee Roasters website. Back to top Solberg & Hansen Winner for Outstanding Packaging Seasonal or Limited Edition Design Solberg & Hansen Norways oldest and largest speciality coffee Roaster. Since 1879 we have travelled the world in search of the best coffees. Every coffee bean tells its own story. About the families who cultivate them, the geography and contry where they originate, how they are hand-picked and dried, and how they are processed, roasted and brewed by passionate professionals who are striving for the best quality and taste. But how do we communicate this to Norwegians who may never have bought or tastet speciality coffee before? The Marketing team has created a uniqe range of seasonal coffees to match Norways distinct seasons and aim to make the high quality coffees available for everyone in Norway to taste and learn. The design reflects Norway, from north to south, from west to east. From cold winter mornings to warm summer nights. Result: We reach a much wider target group with these recognizable coffee bags and in that way introduce specialty coffees to them who maybe never would consider buying. Every season launched, sales increase considerably and enable us to continue our work with farmers across the world and search for the best coffees. URL: https://www.sh.no Visit the official Solberg & Hansen website. Back to top Verve Coffee Roasters Winner for Outstanding E-Commerce / Web Site In 2022, Verve relaunched its website to be more informative, engaging and personalized for customers, resulting in an effortless purchasing experience. The objective was to bring online the same infectious spirit and great energy that customers have when they enter a Verve cafe. Superior design, user experience, new features and intuitive functionality come together to present an accessible coffee-buying experience to grow loyal customers and convert new ones. The content-rich site is also easy to navigate to product detail pages which showcase pertinent information with beautiful visual designs. Customers purchasing online can also find their perfect coffee match with the brands coffee quiz, and accurately determine how much coffee to purchase with the help of Verves proprietary Coffee Calculator that in one step helps customers calculate the quantity and frequency of their coffee delivery based on their needs and preferences. Other new site features include improved coffee subscription presentation with side by side offerings making it even easier for users to understand the process and a robust filtering tool allowing customers to filter by Roast, Type, Region and Method. In addition to making product badges for Best Sellers, New Arrivals, Web Exclusives, etc. more prominent on the site, Verve also added a recipe carousel showcasing recipes and measurements of classic and seasonal drinks sold at the cafes. Overall, the improved Verve website has resulted in longer user sessions up by +183%, higher consumer engagement with +27% more pages per session viewed, increase in conversion rate (+9%) and AOV (+8%). Verve has received numerous accolades for the sites unique design and exceptional UI on Forbes, AIVA and the Webby Awards. URL: https://vervecoffee.com Visit the official Verve Coffee Roasters website. Back to top La Marzocco at World of Coffee Milan Winner for Outstanding Design Achievement Event Exhibition WOC Milan 2022: La Marzocco brought Accademia del caffe espresso to World of Coffee Milan 2022 in the form of a 165 square meter booth. In the heart of this space was a real greenhouse with live coffee plants, alongside the same banana plants used to provide them shade in coffee agriculture. 2600kg of soil was carted in and unloaded by hand in order to share this unique environment, while providing a cozy space where people could feel at ease and experience a true connection to the coffee plant and the seed to cup journey. The booth was structured in different areas: True Artisan Cafe: featuring 35 roasters from all over the world Linea Classic S exhibit: presentation of our new redesign workhorse Leva Bar: an experience in classic Italian coffee Home Area: a space designed to allow people to experience bringing the cafe home Coffee area: a space to experience the journey of coffee, from the soil it is grown in to the varying levels it can be roasted Gran Bar with coffee tables for meetings and conversations Modbar area: an area to experience the La Marzocco Modbar system IoT: an area to showcase the connection to our commercial machines with the La Marzocco Pro app Officine Fratelli Bambi: an exhibit highlighting the craftsmanship of Officine Fratelli Bambi Merchandising: a popup store featuring uniquely branded merchandise, from custom cups to lion plush toy and silver portafilter necklace. Visit the official La Marzocco website. Back to top PERC Coffee Roasters Winner for Outstanding Design Achievement Goods and Garments All the way back in 2010, our first batch of coffee was roasted under the name Panthers Eye Roasting Company. We quickly realized we needed a shorter name with a nice ring to it, thus we became PERC! Now the panther serves as both a tribute to the original name and as our mascot for all things WILD! Its shown here on this heather coal-colored shirt in neon-esque fashion. The Panther also features a Bean-Bolt for an eye and looong and loopy tongue just below the PERC logo. The color palette chosen for this design is a representation of all the vibe offerings: Blue for Mild, Yellow for Balanced, and Pink for Wild. Visit the official PERC Coffee Roasters website. Back to top Mr. Espresso Winner for Outstanding Design Achievement Vessels Prior to the May opening, ceramic artist Nadia Elgan designed and created one-of-a-kind pieces for The Caffe by Mr. Espresso, mirroring the ethos of The Caffe honoring Italian old-world coffee tradition in a decidedly contemporary space with a sleek Bay Area look. The artist used locally sourced clay with sand from California beaches to truly highlight the beauty of the landscape in each vessel. The interior of each vessel features an egg-shaped bottom for polished and easy pouring, while the base of the pieces are made thicker to keep the coffee warm until the last sip. The juicy orange glaze gives a perfect pop of color that ties it all together. The artist designed and created 5 cups, a saucer and a pastry plate. Cups sizes are: 2-oz, 3-oz, 5-oz, 8-oz, and 12-oz. The 2-oz, 5-oz and 8-oz cups were fully glazed, designed with a handle and multi-use saucer. The 3-oz and 12-oz cups were designed without a handle and left unglazed on the exterior. The end result for use in The Caffe, as well as for individual purchase, is a line of vessels, that blend both function and design marrying Italian traditional aesthetics with a kiss of California flare. URL: https://www.thecaffeoak.com Visit the official Mr. Espresso website. Back to top Third Wave Water Winner for Outstanding Design Achievement Commercial Product Waves within waves. These new designs bring Third Wave Water to life with rich color and contrast while maintaining our core colors. Please welcome the new Light, Medium and Dark Roast water profile boxes created by our designer Seth Gillespie. Visit the official Third Wave Water website. Back to top Elizabeth Chai Winner for Outstanding Designer Elizabeth (Liz) Chai built her Graphic Design career while dwelling in coffeeshops as a consumer. While attending weekly Counter Culture Coffee cuppings and ProDev classes, her enthusiasm for coffee grew after discovering what goes into each cup learning about coffee varieties, sustainability, and the importance of supporting coffee producers. After a Design Director stint with Octane Coffee in Atlanta, Liz decided to commit her skills of graphic design, branding, illustration, and photography exclusively to working within the Specialty Coffee industry, to make her contribution to the industry in a positive way. This commitment resulted in a relocation to Portland and cultivating coffee + design opportunities through event planning, community building, coffee competition, and freelance design. 2023 projects included multiple sustainably built SCA trade show booths for La Marzocco, Event Branding for MiiR, Package Design for KafieX, Illustration for Created Co, and Branding and Identity work for Wallflower Coffee Co. Lizs design clientele includes MiiR, Black Rabbit, Slayer, Swiss Water Decaf, Juniors Roasted Coffee, La Marzocco, Portland Coffee Social Club, and more. Visit the official Elizabeth (Liz) Chai website. Back to top Onyx Coffee Lab Winner for Outstanding In-House Design Team The Onyx In-House Design Team is comprised of a small, tight-knit team of creatives who design everything Onyx puts out into the world, including both physical and digital projects. Product packaging, Artist Collaboration artwork, merchandise design, and digital design for e-commerce and marketing are just a few of the categories of design that our team operates in every day. In the last year, weve partnered with dozens of artists, brands, and businesses to design products and supporting marketing visuals that honor the same spirit of excellence we bring to our coffee and cafe programs. Visit the official Onyx Coffee Lab website. Back to top Equator Coffees Winner for Outstanding Design Collaboration This past spring, we joined forces with queer illustrator and muralist Rymie (Lauren Rymer, she/her, @rymie) to bring to life our vision for the Super Bloom campaign. Running from April 3 to July 2, 2023, spanning Earth Month through Pride Month, our 2023 Super Bloom collection emerged as a profound design collaboration that skillfully interwove sustainability, diversity, and social responsibility into a delightful blend of art and coffee. At the heart of this limited-edition collection was a custom 12oz. coffee bag designed for our spring seasonal coffee, Super Bloom Blend. The design of this limited-edition bag celebrates the origin of the hero coffee within (Nicaragua), our home state (California), and our commitment to diversity and inclusivity. In partnership with Cooperativa de Servicios Multiples Sacacli in Nicaragua, we introduced the first-ever harvest of Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) coffee, forming the core of this years Super Bloom Blend. Complementing this hero coffee, we sourced sustainable beans from Thailand and Java, to create a celebratory and diverse profile with flavors of Confetti Cake, Cherry Blossom, and Starfruit. Drawing inspiration from the blends namesakeSuper Blooma rare botanical phenomenon that occurs when dormant wildflower seeds germinate in unison, bringing the desert landscape to life in a riot of vibrant color, the design and campaign concept embodied the notion that when we bloom together, we have the power to transform entire landscapes. Rymies artistic journey began in Brooklyn, NY, but it has since taken her to the breathtaking landscapes of the Bay Area. Her work is a fusion of her connection to nature, modern mysticism, and her unwavering love for coffee. What sets Rymie apart is her deep curiosity about how nature can teach us to be more humanea question that beautifully aligns with the Super Bloom Blend project. Rymies artistry isnt confined to a studio; its woven into her life as she explores forests and embarks on adventures with her faithful companion, Otis. Her affinity for wild, open spaces resonates profoundly with our commitment to sustainability and our belief that coffee can be a transformative force, much like the Super Bloom transforms arid deserts. The result of our collaboration with Rymie is a visually stunning design that captures the essence of Super Bloom. The coffee bags front features our brand logomark, symbolizing grace, strength, and rarity, and is encircled by native flora from California and Nicaraguaan ode to the coffees origin and our Marin County roastery. On one side, a queer interracial couple raises their coffee-filled tumblers in a toast, while on the other, a chemex adorned with flowers stands tall, proudly bearing the phrase Proud Since 1995 to celebrate our commitment to LGBTQ+ representation. The bags reverse depicts a woman hiking amidst Pride Poppies, a tribute to LGBTQ+ pride inspired by our founders, while a parrot soars overhead as a nod to Nicaragua. 5% of sales from the Super Bloom Blend and merchandise were directed towards supporting our producer partner, Cooperativa de Servicios Multiples Sacacli, in Nicaragua. This contribution helped fund the purchase of equipment for their newly-built coffee quality control laba need identified by cooperative members. The collection also included a custom 16oz. Fellow Carter Tumbler and an enamel pin, both part of our 5% giveback program, further enhancing our capacity to make a meaningful donation. Coupled with our Cup For A Cause program, which involved donating $1 for every pour over sold in our cafes during the campaigns launch month in April, we collectively raised $4,291.98 for the cooperative. This collaborative effort reinforces our commitment to supporting our partners and driving tangible change in their sustainability and social equity initiatives. Equator Coffees Super Bloom collaboration with Rymie isnt just about coffee; its a masterpiece of design, diversity, and impact. It celebrates the possibilities when two creative forces merge, using their talents to tell compelling stories and make a differenceone cup at a time. Additional Notes: Equator Coffees x Rymie collaboration post on Instagram Rymie visit to EQ Roastery on Instagram Visit the official Equator Coffees website. Back to top Night Swim Coffee Winner for Outstanding Social Media The aim of Night Swim Coffee is to connect people to where their coffee comes from. In tandem, we also operate 13 cafes/retail spaces. Our social media is coffee-focused, but we reserve a portion of our feed for cafe related content as well. We like to focus on good design, good photography, and educational content, with the intent on telling the stories of the coffees that we source, roast, and serve. We also collaborate with local artist, content creators, and coffee folks to create meaningful imagery and videos. Visit the Night Swim Coffee Instagram page. Visit the official Night Swim Coffee website. Back to top Kahawa 1893 Winner for Design in Support of a Social Impact Campaign Our coffee bags include a QR code on the bag where customers can tip farmers. Also, our bag design are inspired by the landscape of the African Safari to celebrate the origins of coffee in Africa and Kahawa 1893 as the first African/Black and woman-owned brand to be nationally distributed in the USA. Visit the Kahawa 1893 official website here. Back to top View all the finalists and semi-finalist at the official Sprudge Design Awards website. The Sprudge Design Awards will return in 2024! Renard Spivey walks into the 185th District Court for the murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Dick DeGuerin shows evidence as he gives closing arguments in defense of Renard Spivey's murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Prosecutor Mary McFaden goes over the timeline as she gives her closing arguments for Renard Spivey's murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer 185th District Criminal Court Judge Andrea Beall listens to prosecutor Stephany Abner during Renard Spivey's murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Renard Spivey lowers his head as evidence is shown during his murder trial for the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer 185th District Criminal Court Judge Andrea Beall goes over paperwork with the jury before lawyers give their closing arguments for Renard Spivey's murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A jury started its deliberations Tuesday in the murder trial of former Harris County Sheriffs Office Deputy Renard Spivey in connection with the July 2019 death of his wife. Spivey, who worked as a bailiff and had appeared for years on a reality TV courtroom show, was accused of killing his wife, Patricia Spivey, after a day of arguing at their south Houston home. The trial started Nov. 28, with Spivey claiming the shooting was accidental and he acted in self-defense. The deliberations stretched on for nearly seven hours before Judge Andrea Beall in the 185th District Court sent the jury home for the night, instructing them to return Wednesday. The jury can consider a lesser offense of manslaughter in their deliberations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MORE FROM THIS TRIAL: Former Harris County deputy Renard Spivey testifies about fatal 2019 shooting of wife The closing arguments pitted the contention by seasoned prosecutors that Spivey intentionally shot his wife to death as their marriage crumbled amid accusations of infidelity. His defense team, which has more than a century of combined legal experience, urged jurors to take the former Harris County deputy at his word, that the shooting was accidental following a cinematic, physical clash over a phone. Thats all from Mr. Spiveys point of view, said prosecutor Mary McFaden, challenging the jurors to question his version of events from the witness stand. Spivey on Monday testified his wife had confronted him with a loaded gun and the firearm went off as the two struggled over the weapon. The shooting left Spivey with slight burn marks on his hands from the shooting. McFaden doubted Spiveys wife would point a gun she had never used at her taller, heavier husband in a walk-in closet. The timing of the shooting also concerned her. A camera in the kitchen captured the sound of gunfire about eight minutes after the wife went to bed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Spivey contends he waited until his wife was asleep or inattentive enough to grab her phone and review it in the closet. No one goes to sleep in three minutes, McFaden continued. Stephany Abner, another prosecutor, contended the couple could be heard arguing in the minutes before the shooting. More from Nicole Hensley: Harris County detention officer accused of selling drugs to inmates She reminded jurors that Spiveys wife had planned to leave him. She was instead shot and killed that night and found deep in the closet and not near the opening where Spivey said she confronted him. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Why would she want to kill him if she was going to leave, Abner asked. Dick DeGuerin, one of Spiveys four lawyers, pointed to bruising on the wifes hands and wrist and claimed it aligned with Spiveys account that the two wrestled over the gun. Abner disagreed, saying the bruising likely happened when she hit her hands against something. The defense attorney asked jurors to recall Spiveys emotions in the courtroom that unfolded as they listened to his 911 call for the first time. He asked the jurors to listen to the 911 call again as they began their deliberations. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231204/hopium-and-defense-all-ukraine-has-to-sustain-itself-as-nato-weapons-dry-up-1115381340.html Hopium and Defense All Ukraine Has to Sustain Itself as NATO Weapons Dry Up Hopium and Defense All Ukraine Has to Sustain Itself as NATO Weapons Dry Up With its supply of Western weapons dwindling and little sign of change from the NATO powers, Ukraine will be incapable of launching another counteroffensive like last summer, an analyst told Sputnik. 2023-12-04T22:30+0000 2023-12-04T22:30+0000 2023-12-04T22:28+0000 analysis mark sleboda jens stoltenberg ukraine nato us arms for ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0b/19/1115199454_0:112:3246:1938_1920x0_80_0_0_2bc8d1abb83b0b9a27327fef1d19147d.jpg White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young told federal lawmakers on Monday that the US was out of money to support Ukraine in this fight.According to Pentagon statistics, the US has sent Ukraine some $44 billion in military aid since February 2022, as well as $76 billion in other types of support, including budget financing and humanitarian aid. US President Joe Biden has asked for billions more to be approved, but the Republican majority in the House, now led by Ukraine skeptic House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), has remained cool to the idea without improvements in oversight.The news also comes as the Pentagon failed its audit for the sixth year in a row.Moscow-based international relations security analyst Mark Sleboda told Radio Sputniks The Final Countdown on Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was correct in a way: Ukraine is indeed entering a new phase of the conflict - a defensive phase, as it waits and hopes that time will bring favorable changes to the situation.But it is definitely having an effect on the battlefield in Ukraine. There was already a trend because of the US and collectively NATOs inability to ramp up their own industrial production to provide their Kiev Regime proxy with enough of the war basics like artillery shells, air defense missiles, and many other things that it needed. And now, that is coupled with the fact that Kiev is competing with Israel for many of the same things, which have been on the demand list for Israel for what it needs for its conflict. And Zelensky is finding himself second-fiddle, vying not only for attention and supplies and funding from the US and European Union, which he said had hit a speed bump in attempting to support both Kiev and Jerusalem at once.Kiev Regime forces are experiencing massive shell hunger. I saw a video posted by Ukrainians of a couple of them at a position in East Ukraine, their shell allotment for the day had arrived, it came in a truck: two artillery shells. They collapsed into laughing and very obscene swearing in Russian, he said.Over the weekend, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance should also be prepared for bad news from Ukraine, noting that wars develop in phases and that the West should continue to support Kiev in both good and bad times.For Zelensky, this is really a case of the emperor has no clothes, Sleboda said, noting that other figures had turned against him, too, including anti-Russian journalist Simon Shuster, who quoted Ukrainian officials calling Zelensky delusional and claiming he wont hear talk of Ukraine losing the conflict, and Kiev Major Vitaly Klitschko had called Zelensky authoritarian.I guess the Western propaganda is failing, and when the mainstream media is already out in front of him, even Jens Stoltenberg has to turn it around and admit certain things, although it must be said that these admissions are not coming in front of the media, theyre coming behind it, he simply no longer has any propaganda spin for maneuver.Sleboda said he agreed with Zelensky that Ukraine had entered a new phase of the conflict.Their offensive days are over, there is no large new offensive package from the West anywhere within sight, theres not even enough maintenance aid to continue basic supplies of anything at this point. So the next year is solidly about desperate defense, building defensive lines, and a much-talked-about new total mobilization, meaning mass, forced conscription, that could possibly include 17- to 70-year-olds now and possibly women being conscripted for combat roles. And, evidently, it is going to be privatized, the last months of conscription having failed miserably, they are now evidently going to turn to private companies, which literally means Westerners coming in and help press-gang Ukrainians off the streets and putting them in the trenches.However, he cautioned that modern battlefield technology makes defense much less costly than offense, so it does not necessarily mean a collapse of the Kiev Regime military, adding that the bigger danger to the government was a mutiny or a political crisis. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231204/ex-pentagon-analyst-ossified-mic-to-prevent-us-from-ramping-up-counter-drone-system-production-1115376867.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231202/zaluzhny-vs-zelensky-top-ukrainian-general-surpasses-president-in-approval-rating-1115345819.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231129/stoltenberg-preparing-nato-to-accept-russian-demands-for-ukraines-neutrality---expert-1115285850.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier is ukraine losing, will the us give ukraine more weapons, who is winning ukraine war https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/activist-says-gaza-may-cost-democrats-in-november-1115384106.html Activist Says Gaza May Cost Democrats in November Activist Says Gaza May Cost Democrats in November Speaking on Sputnik's Political Misfits, activist Anthony Rogers Wright said that President Joe Biden's unwavering support for Israel will likely hurt Democrats in November. 2023-12-05T03:46+0000 2023-12-05T03:46+0000 2023-12-05T09:24+0000 political misfits joe biden michigan israel sputnik democrats 2024 us presidential election gaza strip /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0b/0f/1114965019_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_914c95aa251bea75e14175e68a174d5d.jpg US President Joe Bidens unwavering support of Israel may hurt Democrat chances in November, Anthony Rogers Wright, the spokesperson for Movement for Black Lives and the Black Hive told Radio Sputniks Political Misfits on Monday.Talking with hosts John Kiriakou and Michelle Witte, Wright argued that the conflict in Gaza is likely to hurt Biden in critical swing states with large Arab populations, in particular Michigan which he says is likely to determine the next President of the United States.Kiriakou noted that Presidential elections are typically decided on the strength of the economy, but Wright said that foreign policy and the economy are no longer mutually exclusive in the minds of voters.I think more and more residents of the United States are becoming very wary of blank checks being sent to Ukraine and now a good amount of money, $14 billion being proposed to be sent to Israel, Wright explained.Wright noted that Michigan in particular has a large Arab population and that Muslim and Arab groups are starting to organize against Biden, pointing to the recently launched Abandon Biden campaign as evidence.You have a population of people who are essentially saying that this issue in Gaza... is enough to get them not to vote for Joe Biden, noting that unlike previous years there are likely to be more anti-Zionist options on the ballot. He said that the paternalism of liberals wont be enough to get Arab voters to overlook credible accusations of crimes against humanity by Israel.However, Wright points to alternatives that might be on the ballot in November.Earlier in the interview, Wright discussed a potential second term for Donald Trump, and how worried leftists and marginalized groups should be about his recent comments that Kiriakou described as increasingly authoritarian.Of course we should be concerned about his rhetoric. It is also a call to action for people to get very locally invested and state-wide invested... It is looking more and more that we are going to have to create local and state force fields to protect ourselves in case there is a massive catastrophe at the federal level, Wright said, pointing to the Attorney General lawsuit against Trumps previous Muslim ban and New Yorks offer to help out of state women receive contraceptive care in the wake of Roe v Wade being shot down by the Supreme Court.It really is about preparation right now, Wright explained. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231202/muslim-groups-in-swing-states-vow-to-end-bidens-reelection-chances-1115349568.html michigan israel gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino biden support of israel, arab support of biden, muslims abandon biden, 2024 election https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/caspian-council-creation-to-boost-regional-states-cooperation-effectiveness---lavrov-1115403119.html Caspian Council Creation to Boost Regional States' Cooperation Effectiveness - Lavrov Caspian Council Creation to Boost Regional States' Cooperation Effectiveness - Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the creation of the Council of Caspian Sea littoral states could boost the effectiveness of cooperation in the region, including in the context of the formation of a multipolar world order. 2023-12-05T11:13+0000 2023-12-05T11:13+0000 2023-12-05T12:06+0000 world sergey lavrov caspian sea azerbaijan kazakhstan russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/05/1115402959_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_b954f5f282666ccacf12b5495808eead.jpg "Today we can confidently assert that cooperation in the Caspian Sea has reached a high level, but additional efforts are required to improve the quality of the five-party interaction and strengthen its international legal framework. ... The creation of the Caspian Council, a forum for cooperation and dialogue without any bureaucratic schemes, could increase the effectiveness of our work," Lavrov said at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states, which was also attended by the top diplomats of Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Lavrov added that the deepening of practical cooperation between the Caspian states was also relevant in a broader sense, in the context of the formation of a multipolar world order and "strengthening the positions of new centers of world development." The joint work of the Caspian countries makes a significant contribution to ensuring security, stability and sustainable development on the Eurasian continent, he added. Lavrov also said that five Caspian Sea states, including Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran, are launching a platform for regular meetings of foreign ministers.The 6th Caspian Summit was held in Ashgabat in June 2022. Then, the five countries' leaders underlined the importance of continuous cooperation to preserve the unique status of the sea, collaboration in technology, economy, energy and other areas, as well as the role of regular meetings of the foreign ministers of the Caspian states where coordination issues are settled.The Caspian Summits have been held since 2002 and are attended by the leaders of the five states surrounding the Caspian Sea. Between summits, contacts are maintained at the ministerial, embassy and other levels.Speaking about the 3+3 South Caucasus regional dialogue platform which is taking shape recently, Moscow considers this format to be promising, Lavrov said."[Azerbaijani Presedent] Ilham Heydarovich Aliyev's initiative to form the so-called 3+3 regional platform: three South Caucasus countries and three of their neighbors is already taking shape. This is also a promising format, and I would be glad to hear your assessments of further steps in this direction," Lavrov said.The format includes Russia, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, although Tbilisi has so far refused to become a member of the platform.The first meeting of the group took place in Moscow, in 2021 at the deputy ministers' level. It was attended by Russian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Turkish representatives and the director general of the Iranian foreign office. The next group's encounter is expected to be held in Turkey in the first half of 2024. https://sputnikglobe.com/20191012/caspian-sea-states-sign-memorandum-on-military-cooperation-1077034463.html caspian sea azerbaijan kazakhstan russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International council of caspian sea, sergey lavrov, russia, kazakhstan, azerbaijan https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/china-introduces-daily-health-checks-in-schools-as-respiratory-diseases-spike-1115386592.html China Introduces Daily Health Checks in Schools as Respiratory Diseases Spike China Introduces Daily Health Checks in Schools as Respiratory Diseases Spike The Chinese Education Ministry announced on Tuesday that it had ordered the introduction of an epidemiological monitoring system in schools and kindergartens to conduct daily health checks amid a surge in seasonal respiratory diseases among children. 2023-12-05T06:37+0000 2023-12-05T06:37+0000 2023-12-05T06:37+0000 asia china pneumonia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/0c/1c/1081592454_0:0:1214:684_1920x0_80_0_0_ffedabdd884263a081118ace4ef42bc8.png On Monday, China's National Health Commission (NHC) ordered the improvement of medical facilities and increased working hours, if necessary, against the backdrop of rising respiratory diseases. "It is necessary to bolster the creation of an epidemiological monitoring system, focus on setting up a system of morning and afternoon physical examinations in primary and middle schools and also in kindergartens, and to introduce a reporting system on the epidemiological situation, as well as a system to register absences due to illness," the ministry document said. School administrators were also advised to cooperate and consult with local health authorities. Teachers were recommended to work with children who cannot come to school through online platforms. In mid-October, the NHC reported a spike in respiratory illnesses in the country. Authorities attributed the surge to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the spread of other pathogens. In late November, media reported undiagnosed pneumonia among children in northern China. Last week, Russian consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said that China had seen an increase in pneumonia cases, especially among children in Beijing and the Liaoning province, as well as influenza. The main cause of pneumonia is the mycoplasma bacteria, whose incidence is cyclical and peaks every three to seven years, the watchdog said. World Health Organization spokeswoman Margaret Harris said that outbreaks of mycoplasma pneumonia were normal in China during the winter and the disease was not considered to have pandemic potential at the time. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230808/uk-prepares-for-disease-x-in-virus-lab-at-top-secret-germ-warfare-centre-1112459625.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International china, healhcare, medicine, china health, china disease https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/dozens-of-servicemen-suspected-of-advocating-for-the-overthrow-of-the-us-government-1115383803.html Dozens of Servicemen Suspected of Advocating for the Overthrow of the US Government Dozens of Servicemen Suspected of Advocating for the Overthrow of the US Government According to a report by the Pentagon, dozens of US military personnel are suspected of advocating for the overthrow of the US government or supporting terrorism. 2023-12-05T01:43+0000 2023-12-05T01:43+0000 2023-12-05T01:43+0000 military military & intelligence us baltimore pentagon defense department extremism right-wing extremism us army lloyd austin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/07/1095332212_0:0:1201:676_1920x0_80_0_0_c66ea53092163443f12511dc8c70fdfa.jpg According to an annual report released by the Pentagon, 78 servicemen were suspected of advocating for the overthrow of the US government and another 44 were suspected of engaging in or supporting terrorism.The report, released by the Defense Department inspector general last week, found 183 allegations of extremism across all branches of the military. The majority of them, 130, were found in the Army. The Air Force had 29 and the Marines and Navy had ten each. The Space Force, which was counted separately from the Air Force, had four accusations of extremism.The investigation also found 58 allegations of gang activity across all branches. The report notes that at the time the report was published, 68 cases had been cleared or determined to be unsubstantiated.In March, the Pentagon called racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism the most lethal threat to America in its annual threat assessment.In February, former National Guardsman Brandon Russell, who founded a neo-Nazi group named Atomwaffen, was arrested for allegedly plotting to blow up the electrical grid in Baltimore after previously serving five years for possessing explosives. His trial is ongoing and he has been classified as a domestic terrorist. He faces decades in prison.After the January 6, 2021 riots on the Capitol, which included a number of current and former military personnel, US Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd, ordered a stand-down extremism training across all branches of the military.However, US Military media outlets have described the training and other measures as symbolic with at least one enlisted officer saying that no one was paying attention during the lecture and that the commander spent time talking about groups he saw as radical like Black Lives Matter.Law enforcement officials and other experts have found that far-right and white supremacist groups are a bigger threat and attract more members of the military.There have also been reports that recruiters have been ignoring some screening steps to filter out those with extremist or gang associations.The report does note that military officials have been taking action. It states that 135 allegations were referred to military or civilian courts and that 109 cases were referred to another Defense Department organization or official.It also notes that 69 allegations had been substantiated. Most were handled through administrative action, including 19 involuntary discharges and three counseling cases. Seventeen other cases were handled with nonjudicial punishments and two were court-martialed.It notes that no substantiated claims of extremism or gang activity were left with no action taken. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220804/fbi-considers-domestic-violent-extremists-as-top-domestic-terrorism-threat-1098121412.html baltimore Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino extremism in the military, us military extremism, domestic terrorism in the military, white supremacy in us military https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/environmentalists-gazas-water-farmland-will-be-unusable-if-idf-floods-tunnels-with-seawater-1115413868.html Environmentalists: Gazas Water, Farmland Will Be Unusable if IDF Floods Tunnels With Seawater Environmentalists: Gazas Water, Farmland Will Be Unusable if IDF Floods Tunnels With Seawater Gazas fragile ecosystem could be permanently damaged by a huge influx of salty seawater like that which Israel is considering pumping into the city, experts said. Some of the deepest tunnels could be near groundwater depths. 2023-12-05T19:55+0000 2023-12-05T19:55+0000 2023-12-05T19:53+0000 analysis israel hamas gaza strip threat of flooding tunnels seawater aquifer /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/0c/1096236728_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_b447249444f68fc834f9c6137571b710.jpg According to reports in US media on Tuesday, Israel has pushed ahead with plans to flood Gaza City with seawater in an attempt to destroy the network of tunnels dug beneath the city by Palestinian militant groups.According to the report, the IDF finished assembling five massive seawater pumps north of the Al-Shati refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip in mid-November. The plan is reportedly to flood the tunnels slowly over several weeks, giving Palestinian fighters and their Israeli captives time to safely evacuate.The report was unclear about the disposition of the White House toward the plan. The Biden administration has largely supported Israels actions in Gaza as self-defense against Hamas, but given rhetorical warning against violating Palestinian human rights. The warnings have had little effect, though, as nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by IDF bombing and ground operations since Hamas attacked several Israeli border towns in early October, killing some 1,200 people.Andrey Frolov, co-chair of Moscows Environmental Organizations, told Sputnik on Tuesday that an influx of salty seawater could wreck Gazas fragile ecosystem, making it difficult to sustain life there.There is information that these tunnels are hundreds of square kilometers in size and go to a depth of up to 80 meters, he noted, adding that it was probably a bit of an exaggeration.Frolov noted it depends on the waters how the influx of salty seawater would affect the fresh groundwater. Some of the deepest tunnels rumored to have been dug in Gaza could be near the depths of the aquifers.Because seawater can get into these aquifers it will make them salty. As a result, those wells that were used in Gaza will simply stop working. The territory was already short on water, Israel supplied water from the Sea of Galilee. If a large amount of sea water is pumped into it, it will simply become unusable.He noted the salt will also impact agriculture in Gaza, making it so that any kind of farming or maintaining green spaces will simply be impossible.Sergei Mukhametov, a senior lecturer at oceanology and chair of the geographical faculty at Lomonosov Moscow State University, told Sputnik that the amount of salt from the operation would be a smaller danger to the population than Israels bombing campaign.I dont think that anything terrible will happen there. The volumes for the sea and ocean [water] are very small. And sand is not a pollutant in this case, he said.Well, its more likely that they suffer there because of these monstrous bombings If we compare the consequences [of bombing] and the environmental ones, the direct impacts are monstrous. And ecology comes second or even in third place.When it came to the flooding of the tunnels, Mukhametov noted it wasnt the first time such an operation had been carried out. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/former-idf-commander-turning-gaza-into-lake-with-sea-channel-might-be-lesson-for-hamas-1114483742.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231203/french-president-says-israel-will-need-10-years-to-completely-eliminate-hamas-1115350406.html israel gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier is israel going to flood gaza, how deep are hamas tunnels, can crops grow in salt, can you drink salt water https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/gop-must-paint-picture-of-biden-family-business-deals-to-find-impeachable-offense-1115414388.html GOP Must Paint Picture of Biden Family Business Deals to Find Impeachable Offense GOP Must Paint Picture of Biden Family Business Deals to Find Impeachable Offense While Hunter Bidens business communiques suggest his politician father was highly involved in his affairs, GOP lawmakers will have to be careful not to mistake Hunters desire to look relevant for genuine corruption. 2023-12-05T21:36+0000 2023-12-05T21:36+0000 2023-12-05T21:33+0000 analysis hunter biden joe biden gop fault lines impeachment /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/0f/1112618435_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d489ecfcb65305c774eb71d66242465d.jpg Republican majority leaders in the US House of Representatives said on Monday the lower congressional chamber would likely vote next week on formalizing their impeachment inquiry into US President Joe Biden. The inquiry was opened in September to probe potential misconduct between the president and his businessman son, Hunter Biden.The House has no choice: if its going to follow his constitutional responsibility to formally adopt an impeachment inquiry on the floor, so when the subpoenas are challenged in court, we are at the apex of our constitutional authority.Johnson cautioned that the vote would not be about impeaching Biden, which means to bring formal criminal charges against the president. This is a vote to continue the inquiry of impeachment, and thats a necessary constitutional step, he said.Domestic policy expert Armen Kurdian told Radio Sputniks Fault Lines on Tuesday that GOP lawmakers were trying to paint a picture of a series of business deals, communications, and money wires they said suggested improper behavior while Joe Biden was a US senator and US vice president.Do they have enough evidence [to impeach Biden]? At this point, no. Do they have a lot of evidence that shows that Joe Biden hasnt been honest and forthright with the American people? Absolutely. So, this impeachment inquiry, as I understand it, will open up the doors for additional subpoena power, enable them to get some witnesses, I think there are some tax attorneys from the DOJ, they want to get in front [of them] and really understand, following the money, where it came from, where it went, was it deliberately hidden, and understand of course the exact timeline, he said.Kurdian said since the inquiry was opened in September, the GOP had been stonewalled and encountered new evidence leading them to additional trails they want to go down. However, he cautioned he wasnt sure that any new bombshell evidence had been found.I mean, there was this thing that you saw about these three payments that were made back in 2018, they may very well have been for Hunter Bidens truck, but the question is: was the truck a legitimate business expense? Did you actually use it? And youre getting money from a Chinese company, he explained, adding it was something small unlikely to lead to impeachment.Kurdian speculated that perhaps there was a more mundane explanation for comments like that, and for Hunter Bidens suspicious-seeming behavior in general. If you look at Hunters behavior, his issue with drugs, his desire to look relevant, being on the boards and selling his influence, is it beyond the realm of credibility to say that Hunter Biden was trying to make himself look a lot more important than he was, that he was overselling his influence, that he said, Yeah, my dads sitting right next to me, and maybe his dad had no knowledge of that text being sent. So I think that could be a very reasonable potential outcome of this inquiry.But at the same time, Joe, dont say you dont know whats happening, I mean you obviously had some knowledge, Kurdian said.The one place where Im not convinced it was done just for the purpose of name-dropping was the firing of the Ukrainian prosecutor, he said of the 2015 termination of Viktor Shokin under duress by then-Vice President Biden. That is probably the biggest thing that I see going on against Joe Biden. Remember, Democrats were falling all over themselves to impeach Donald Trump based on half a sentence that was taken out of context, and that was a legitimate discussion that he was having. Utterly baseless. Theres a ton more here - and thats not saying much - on Joe Biden than there was on Donald Trump, and Republicans are having a hard time getting to the finish line on it. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231203/biden-impeachment-inquiry-republican-duty---us-house-speaker-1115351873.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/most-voters-believe-joe-biden-participated-in-his-son-hunters-business-1115111674.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230829/rough-country-ukraines-burisma-courted-hunter-biden-for-protection-amid-oligarch-feuds-1112973294.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier is biden going to be impeached, biden family business, hunter biden https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/lavrov-holds-meeting-with-top-iranian-diplomat-1115387263.html Lavrov Holds Meeting With Top Iranian Diplomat Lavrov Holds Meeting With Top Iranian Diplomat Russia and Iran are stalwart allies that share common vision on global politics, including the ascension of the multi-polar world order championed by Global South. 2023-12-05T11:57+0000 2023-12-05T11:57+0000 2023-12-05T11:57+0000 world russia iran brics sergey lavrov hossein amir-abdollahian /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/03/1e/1094326489_0:135:2603:1599_1920x0_80_0_0_d2fbfc4dcfe6097d62381bc6f27c4665.jpg Sputnik brings you a live broadcast from Moscow, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is holding talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.Moscow and Tehran cooperate in various fields, including defense industry and trade. Recently, during the 15th BRICS summit held in South Africa in August, Iran, along with other key countries from the Global South, was extended an invitation to join the bloc. Starting from January 1, 2024, Iran will officially become a member of BRICS. This membership comes with several benefits, including access to new emerging markets and enhanced cooperation with Russia.Earlier, Russia and Iran signed an agreement on visa-free tourist travel, establishing a visa-free regime for groups of tourists up to 50 people entering Russia or Iran for up to 15 days. russia iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Lavrov holds meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahiyan Lavrov holds meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahiyan 2023-12-05T11:57+0000 true PT10M36S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, iran, russia-iran partnerhship, brics, global south https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/moldovan-farmers-drive-tractors-through-kishinev-to-protest-lack-of-govt-support-1115407714.html Moldovan Farmers Drive Tractors Through Kishinev to Protest Lack of Gov't Support Moldovan Farmers Drive Tractors Through Kishinev to Protest Lack of Gov't Support Moldovan farmers have driven a convoy of 100 tractors through central Kishinev, protesting the perceived lack of government support for the struggling industry, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Tuesday. 2023-12-05T13:47+0000 2023-12-05T13:47+0000 2023-12-05T13:47+0000 world ukrainian crisis european commission ukraine poland hungary slovakia moldova /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103906/59/1039065955_0:156:3000:1844_1920x0_80_0_0_ed33a3197dddd594bd7cd4c8d9baf131.jpg On Monday, a group of farmers held talks with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, but the parties failed to reach an agreement. The protesters are demanding that the Moldovan government introduce a penalty moratorium for debt against grain producers and increase financial support for the agricultural sector, badly affected by last year's drought and falling grain prices. Sandu recommended that the protesters return to dialogue with the government. "We have not heard any specific arguments from the president either in our support or on the situation in agriculture in general. As far as we understand, the authorities do not have an alternative proposal to urgently save micro-, small- and medium-sized farming enterprises from bankruptcy, so we have decided to continue our protests by moving our machinery to the streets of Kishinev," the head of the Farmers' Force association, Alexandru Slusari, told reporters. The protesters moved their tractors past the buildings of the presidential administration and the Moldovan parliament, dropping a sack of manure in front of it. "We have questions for the government of our republic and specifically for the president. Yesterday, our colleagues were invited to meet with her, and today we saw on the presidential website that Maia Sandu had also met with grain producers. But agriculture is not only about grain. We have brought fruit and other products here. And we are also giving her this sack of manure in protest against the arbitrariness of the authorities and their abuse of the peasants," farmer Sergey Stefanko said at the rally. In October, the Moldovan president spoke in favor of transiting Ukrainian grain to Europe through the republic's territory as part of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes initiative. In September, Kishinev and Kiev also agreed to extend the liberalization of cargo transportation until the end of 2025. On September 15, the European Commission decided not to extend restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural imports, but still obligated Kiev to introduce export control measures. Poland, Hungary and Slovakia responded by unilaterally extending the ban at the national level. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230514/moldovan-opposition-sor-party-candidate-takes-lead-in-runoff-for-gagauzia-governor-1110358828.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231108/slovak-govt-blocks-proposal-of-their-predecessors-to-send-military-aid-to-ukraine-1114812755.html ukraine poland hungary slovakia moldova Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International moldovan farmers, protests moldova, ukraine graine, ukraine agriculture https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/no-more-aid-for-ukraine-under-new-us-house-speaker-1115408809.html No More Aid for Ukraine Under New US House Speaker? No More Aid for Ukraine Under New US House Speaker? Following the appointment of Mike Johnson as the new speaker of the House of Representatives on October 25, the US Congress has not approved any proposed... 05.12.2023, Sputnik International 2023-12-05T17:29+0000 2023-12-05T17:29+0000 2023-12-05T17:29+0000 americas us mike johnson joe biden jake sullivan ukraine israel kiev senate republicans /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0b/01/1114644394_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_31442b582a2ad0830ca8dcaf931307f8.jpg In October, Democratic US President Joe Biden asked for a whopping $106 billion support package, including funds for Israel and Ukraine, but received no explicit congressional support. The House of Representatives (lower chamber of the US Congress), with the Republicans holding most seats, voted in support of Israel only. However, the Senate (upper chamber of the US Congress), mostly controlled by the Democrats, blocked the initiative.The request is only feasible when approved by both chambers and the president. In the meantime, the White House administration has recognized that the funds previously allocated for the Kiev regime are running out. Hence, arms exports to Ukraine are in decline.That being said, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin announced an upcoming $100 million support package during his visit to Kiev on November 20, although it was part of previously approved funds.The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, commented on the White House's call for facilitating military assistance efforts. Johnson said that his concerns regarding the Ukraine strategy remain unanswered.On December 5, Mike Johnson said he had told White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that the administration must provide details on its Ukraine strategy before lawmakers approve further aid to the country.According to NBC News, the Democrats and Republicans tried to coordinate their stance on POTUS request for an extensive assistance package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. However, the talks fell through because the two parties failed to settle on the Republicans' demands for tougher immigration laws.A major setback in regards to passing any financial support bill is the fact that the Republican Party essentially withdraws from any draft law consideration unless US southern border security is discussed first.Today, Mike Johnson is the third highest-ranking US official, overseeing the way the House of Representatives considers draft bills. Due to his views on the ongoing conflict, Johnson faced criticism from staunch Ukraine supporters in the Republican Party even before he was officially elected to the position.For instance, the conservative GOP group Republicans for Ukraine drew up a ranking list of American legislators weighing in on their Ukraine stance, with Johnson receiving the lowest rating possible, 1 out of 5.On Monday, Democratic US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that he had submitted a motion to call a vote on the presidents request for increased funding towards national security, including support for Ukraine.According to a Bloomberg report, a Senate vote on Ukraine funding would not happen until the week of December 11, at the earliest. However, it could be pushed even further due to differences among lawmakers.Under the Senate's established procedure, once the debates are over, the senators have up to 30 hours to consider the bill, after which it is voted on. Thus, the Senate vote could take place on December 6, at the earliest. If Congress fails to agree on the matter now, the vote will have to be postponed until early January, after the Christmas break. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231124/no-ammo-no-hope-how-ukraines-shell-shortage-and-manpower-deficit-may-change-conflict-1115190773.html americas ukraine israel kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, mike johnson, joe biden, jake sullivan, ukraine, israel, kiev, senate, republicans, congress, white house Renard Spivey lowers his head as evidence is shown during his murder trial for the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Dick DeGuerin shows evidence as he gives closing arguments in defense of Renard Spivey's murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Prosecutor Mary McFaden goes over the timeline as she gives her closing arguments for Renard Spivey's murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer 185th District Criminal Court Judge Andrea Beall goes over paperwork with the jury before lawyers give their closing arguments for Renard Spivey's murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer 185th District Criminal Court Judge Andrea Beall listens to prosecutor Stephany Abner during Renard Spivey's murder trial in the 2019 death of his wife at the 185th District Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Bickering and accusations of infidelity peppered Renard Spiveys final hours with his wife, whom he fatally shot during an alleged tussle over a gun, the former Harris County deputy testified Monday. The former lawman said he leaned in to kiss Patricia Spivey good night and indicated that he wanted to be intimate with her. She spurned him and abruptly concealed her phone. Im not kissing you, said Spivey, recalling his wifes words during testimony. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Spivey, charged with murder in his wifes death, spoke at length during his trial about the July 28, 2019, shooting at their south Houston home. He stepped off the witness stand to demonstrate how he tried wrestling the gun away from her. By end of the tussle, the gun had gone off three times, striking Spivey in the leg and his wife in the arm and chest. The shooting, which Spivey has said was accidental and an act of self-defense, led to his arrest and his resignation from the Harris County Sheriffs Office, where he worked as a courthouse bailiff. Both sides rested soon after Spiveys testimony and are expected convene Tuesday morning for closing arguments in the murder trial. Spivey's testimony touched on his sexual performance as a packed courtroom watched. He addressed his medical prescriptions for testosterone to treat a decline in the hormone, as well as Viagra and Cialis to treat its side effects. Prosecutors noted that Spiveys wife had been counting his pills and she noticed fewer were left than what should have been. She believed he may have been unfaithful, according to testimony. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He walked through surveillance footage from a camera in the kitchen that showed the couples late night activities before the 3 a.m. shooting, as well as his 911 call that followed. The video showed his wife puttering about the kitchen for much of the night before heading to bed. Spivey revealed that while he did not suspect his wife of having an affair, her unusual behavior with the phone had made him suspicious. In reality, she had been researching infidelity and missing pills had led her to believe he may have been unfaithful, according to testimony. Spivey denied that he had been unfaithful and remained adamant that he loved her. The late night moment had made him determined to learn what his wife had been doing on her phone, Spivey testified. He waited several minutes until he believed her to be inattentive and snatched her phone off the night stand. He went to a walk-in closet to review the phone, but the code he knew for her device no longer worked. She interrupted him in that moment and confronted him with the loaded gun from his nightstand, he said. The gun lacked a safety mechanism for the trigger, and he saw her finger on the trigger. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She came behind me with the gun and really aggressively said, Give me the phone, Spivey said. He set the phone aside and grabbed her wrist. She pulled back and gun went off, striking his leg. As the two continued pulling on the gun, it fired again. She was fatally shot in the arm and chest. It just happened so fast, Spivey said. The camera in the kitchen captured the sound of the gunfire as three succinct booms. At his attorneys bidding, Spivey lowered his pants, revealing a pair of gym shorts, to show jurors the muscle tissue damage on his thigh from a bullet entry and exit wound. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Let the record show, hes dropped his trousers, said one of his lawyers, Dick DeGuerin. Prosecutors did not repeat that demonstration but used their cross-examination to scrutinize Spiveys testimony and his decision to stealthily review her phone. Couldnt we have stopped all of this had you just given back the phone, prosecutor Mary McFaden asked. Spivey did not know. She returned to the kitchen footage which appeared to capture his wifes final words, albeit muffled but slightly audible in the video. Its the same thing over and over again, said McFaden, quoting his wife. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The prosecutor pointed to an unexplained noise akin to a tap in the footage that pierced the blaring of an alarm following the three gunshots. Authorities had wondered if the noise was another, later, gunshot, court records show. The bullet from Spiveys leg injury was never recovered, according to testimony. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/palestine-israel-conflict-cant-be-solved-on-battlefield--mideast-experts-1115406987.html Palestine-Israel Conflict Can't be Solved on Battlefield Mideast Experts Palestine-Israel Conflict Can't be Solved on Battlefield Mideast Experts Israel resumed its war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip on December 1, at the same time conducting strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. How is the operation unfolding? 2023-12-05T13:59+0000 2023-12-05T13:59+0000 2023-12-05T13:59+0000 palestine-israel conflict world joe biden middle east palestinians israel gaza strip lebanon hamas israel defense forces (idf) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/05/1115407959_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_c64282b1cf06d4ed164327076f896152.jpg Tel Aviv suspended a temporary truce last Friday over Hamas' alleged violations of the agreement. As of December 5, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is said to have expanded its military activities in Gaza."More people are being killed every day. And the frustration is that we have been spending our time for the last 60 days trying to tell the world that our lives are just as equal, that even if the actual atrocities happened on October 7th, they happened to 1,500 human beings. But as you just said, 16,000 human beings died," Ghadi Francis, veteran war correspondent, told Sputnik.In the north of Gaza, the Israeli military has focused on Shujaiyya, a Gaza City neighborhood, and Jabaliya, a Palestinian city located four kilometers north of Gaza City, in the North Gaza Governorate. On Tuesday, the IDF and Shin Bet, an Israeli security agency, raided a Hamas general security headquarters reportedly located there. Prior to the op, the Israeli military completed the encirclement of the Jabaliya refugee camp a densely populated urban agglomeration in recent days.At the same time, the IDF is expanding its ground operation into Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip and the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. The Israeli military believes that Hamas' leadership is currently hiding there, as per the Israeli press. Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force (IAF) is continuing to conduct airstrikes throughout the strip. For its part, Hamas is pushing ahead with rocket attacks against the Jewish state."Well, everybody has to know that the Israelis practically withdrew completely from north Gaza right now because they couldn't even hold the ground that they had," Laith Marouf, a broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, told Sputnik. "So now that they're trying to go into the south of Gaza since the morning, they had at least seven tanks and seven APCs destroyed by the resistance. And as the Israelis were attempting to enter the south of Gaza and they had to withdraw from the confrontation themselves, because they had lost so much of their materiel and soldiers on the battlefield since the morning."The Wall Street Journal claimed on December 4 that the IDF is planning to flood Hamas' underground system in the Gaza Strip with water pumped from the Mediterranean Sea in order to destroy the groups subterranean network of passages and hideaways.In addition, Israeli warplanes attacked Hezbollah installations, including observation posts, weapons depots, and other sites, in Lebanon on Tuesday in response to a cross-border missile strike. It was also reported on December 5 that several military sites in Sanaa belonging to Yemen's Houthis had been subjected to drone attacks. The reported strikes followed a massive attack on three commercial ships in the Red Sea, launched by Houthi militants.Why It's Too Early to Draw Up Plans Who Will Reign GazaMeanwhile, The Washington Post released an article titled "Who will run Gaza after the war? US searches for best of bad options." As per the newspaper, the Biden administration is already planning for "the day after" in Gaza, even though Israel's operation is not over yet. Team Biden insists on installing a "revitalized" Palestinian Authority at the helm of Gaza something which is equally unpopular among Israelis and Palestinians."Right now, the Israelis have not been able to achieve one military objective. We heard the secretary of defense of the United States talk about that. The fact that the Israelis have these goals that are unattainable, which include this big dream, the daydream of destroying Hamas, controlling Gaza after and who rules it. So I think the battlefield is going to decide what's going to happen at the end of this war," the award-winning journalist continued.Over the past several days, the US administration has repeatedly raised concerns over Tel Aviv's Gaza operation, telling the Israeli leadership that it should exercise restraint in southern Gaza, which is densely populated, especially after hundreds of thousands have been evacuated there from the north. For his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly told Israeli civilian and military officials that they don't have much time to complete their op. Most recently, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned Israel that it may face "strategic defeat" if it fails to protect civilians. So far, the Israeli attacks have killed almost 16,000 in Gaza.Per Ghadi Francis, the Palestine-Israel conflict cannot be solved on the battlefield. The perpetual cycle of violence will continue unless a fair peaceful solution is reached, he said. Otherwise, new generations of Palestinians would continue the fight."I think what Israel knows and what Lloyd Austin yesterday tried to tell them about the strategic war here is that there is no way they can kill everyone and there is no way that there won't be a new people and a new generation that knows 75 years ago what they did, what they did to Palestine when they did the first genocide in Palestine, they thought that with the time and with the years and with the normalization and with the whole different kind of war on the social structure and the social unity of the indigenous people of Palestine, they thought that after all these years, these new ones would have forgotten by now. They want to eat. They want to live. They want to acquire a phone. Well, the Generation Z surprised everyone in Sheikh Jarrah. And right now they are surprising the world in the sense that, no, they haven't forgotten and they are even more radical and they want their land," the war correspondent concluded. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231201/was-resumption-of-gaza-war-linked-to-blinkens-visit-1115333089.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/what-does-pentagon-chiefs-warning-of-israeli-strategic-defeat-mean-1115401753.html israel gaza strip lebanon Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova gaza war, israel-hamas conflict, palestine, israeli operation in gaza, idf, palestinians, israel expands operation in southern gaza https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/peace-talks-with-russia-uk--us-seeking-quick-face-saving-exit-from-ukraine-debacle--cia-vet-1115412473.html Peace Talks With Russia? UK & US Seeking Quick Face-Saving Exit From Ukraine Debacle CIA Vet Peace Talks With Russia? UK & US Seeking Quick Face-Saving Exit From Ukraine Debacle CIA Vet There is a rumor in British diplomatic circles about forcing Ukraine to negotiate a way out of the conflict with Russia, per the UK podcast Politics at Jack and Sam's. Could the reported chatter be real, and if so, what's behind it? 2023-12-05T18:57+0000 2023-12-05T18:57+0000 2023-12-05T18:57+0000 analysis volodymyr zelensky russia ukraine united kingdom (uk) larry johnson boris johnson cia nato opinion /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0b/10/1114996176_0:144:2740:1685_1920x0_80_0_0_7263117dd3b2bb58f2e19a19bbbf8022.jpg The Western press is citing Ukrainian politicians expressing criticism with regard to President Volodymyr Zelensky's failed counteroffensive, with British observers suggesting that the Kiev regime could soon be forced to sit down with Russia and hold talks. As it recently turned out, it was then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who encouraged Zelensky to tear up the preliminary peace agreement with Moscow in 2022. Is London's position on Ukraine changing?This is not the first time the rumor of potential Russo-Ukrainian negotiations has made its way to the press. In late November, the German newspaper Bild alleged a plot between Washington and Berlin to twist Zelensky's arm into holding talks with Russia by substantially diminishing military aid to Kiev. According to the German publication, there is also a plan B envisaging a frozen conflict that would solidify a new "quasi-border" between Ukraine and Russia along the contact line.Per Johnson, even if the West is ready for negotiations over Ukraine, they should bear in mind that nobody in Russia would allow them to fool Moscow after the derailed Istanbul talks of March 2022 and the Bucha hoax widely circulated by the Western press. However, it's still unclear what the US and its NATO allies really want: a sustainable peace, or merely a frozen conflict.Meanwhile, The Economist, a British magazine, has drawn attention to the fact that Zelensky's approval rating is in free fall after the botched counteroffensive attempt, while Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny commands 70% support. Per the media, the two are at odds, as Zelensky apparently fears that Zaluzhny may be picked as his successor."Well, the Americans are trying to figure out how to get rid of Zelensky," Johnson said. "And I think this is just a natural outgrowth of the various plotting and scheming. I think part of it is wishful thinking on the part of Americans. They launched this war as a proxy war against Russia, fully expecting Ukraine to defeat Russia. It was going to cause the collapse of Vladimir Putin and could ultimately lead to the breakup of Russia. And instead, it's not turned out that way at all. It has completely backfired." https://sputnikglobe.com/20231129/ukraines-colosseum-west-watching-zelensky-zaluzhny-fight-will-give-thumbs-up-to-most-malleable-1115289048.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231202/zaluzhny-vs-zelensky-top-ukrainian-general-surpasses-president-in-approval-rating-1115345819.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231201/west-to-drop-bombshell-on-ukraine-and-destroy-zelensky--whistleblower-1115329848.html russia ukraine united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova ukraine, volodymyr zelensky, peace talks with russia, ukraine failed counteroffensive, valery zaluzhny, russia-ukraine negotiations, uk diplomats chat about forcing zelensky to talk to russia, nato https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/putin-to-discuss-with-uae-saudi-iranian-leaders-states-accession-to-brics--kremlin-aide-1115406134.html Putin to Discuss With UAE, Saudi, Iranian Leaders States' Accession to BRICS- Kremlin Aide Putin to Discuss With UAE, Saudi, Iranian Leaders States' Accession to BRICS- Kremlin Aide Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the accession of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran to BRICS with the leaders of these countries, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday. 2023-12-05T12:58+0000 2023-12-05T12:58+0000 2023-12-05T12:59+0000 world russia vladimir putin saudi arabia uae iran brics /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105415/21/1054152185_0:234:2813:1816_1920x0_80_0_0_641ff61f1e5521047edae8ed1ca9d6bf.jpg Putin will visit the UAE and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and receive the Iranian president in Moscow on Thursday."The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iran have received an invitation to become members of BRICS from 2024. And in 2024, as you know, Russia will preside over this association. And it is quite logical to discuss the issue of how the Russian presidency can ensure the smooth connection of these three countries to all areas of BRICS activity," Ushakov told reporters.Russia's special military operation in Ukraine will also be discussed during Putin's meetings with the leaders of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran, the official said.Mideast Crisis and Trade IssuesRussian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the Middle East conflict and regional issues during his trip to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday.It will be important to talk not only about bilateral affairs, but also to look at the development of the Middle East conflict and, in particular, to discuss other pressing issues of the international situation, regional problems, Ushakov told reporters.The Kremlin aide also said that the UAE is Russias main trading partner in the Arab world.In January-September of this year, it [trade] has already reached the level of $8.8 billion, it increased by 63% [year-on-year] compared to last years figures for the same period, Ushakov said.Energy Cooperation Within OPEC+ FrameworkRussian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will discuss energy cooperation, including within the framework of OPEC+, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday.Putin is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday."We expect to substantively discuss cooperation in the energy field, including interaction within OPEC+," Ushakov told reporters, adding that the sides' coordination in this format is "a reliable guarantee of maintaining a stable and predictable situation in the global oil market."Working Lunch with Iranian PresidentRussian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will hold talks in the presence of their delegations and continue the meeting in the working lunch format, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday.A high-ranking delegation headed by Raisi will visit Moscow on Thursday."At the beginning, it seems to me, there will be a fairly lengthy conversation between the presidents, during which they will be accompanied by several people from the delegations ... And after this, negotiations will take place in the format of a working lunch," Ushakov told reporters.No Plans for Joint StatementThere are no plans for joint statements for the press following Russian President Vladimir Putins visits to the UAE and Saudi Arabia on December 6, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday."So far, no joint statements for the press are planned. But I do not exclude that some joint statements may be quickly prepared and agreed upon between the two parties," Ushakov told reporters.Documents for signing following Putins visits to the countries are being prepared, the official said, adding that they can be finalized on the sidelines of the visits."If documents appear, they will be adopted without a signing ceremony," he said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231201/pepe-escobar-us-needs-gaza-war-to-destabilize-brics-greater-eurasia--1115329039.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/watch-putins-full-speech-at-brics-emergency-summit-on-gaza-crisis-1115114340.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231024/opec-russias-share-in-oil-supplies-to-stay-at-some-48-by-2030-exceed-50-by-2050---iea-1114451060.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231128/putins-civilizational-approach-russia-is-key-factor-in-global-fight-for-sovereignty-1115262541.html russia saudi arabia uae iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, vladimir putin, brics, putin saudi, putin uae, putin iran, new brics members https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/putin-to-visit-uae-saudi-arabia-to-discuss-bilateral-relations-mideast-settlement--kremlin--1115388224.html Putin to Visit UAE, Saudi Arabia to Discuss Bilateral Ties, Mideast Crisis Kremlin Putin to Visit UAE, Saudi Arabia to Discuss Bilateral Ties, Mideast Crisis Kremlin Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations, the Israel-Palestine conflict and cooperation in the oil field, among other issues, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. 2023-12-05T09:02+0000 2023-12-05T09:02+0000 2023-12-05T11:58+0000 world vladimir putin russia saudi arabia uae iran ebrahim raisi /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0b/08/1114816615_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_36d7d5d8407f86aa8eac07389f7266a1.jpg Tomorrow, President Putins working visits to the UAE and Saudi Arabia will take place, the spokesman told reporters.The Kremlin official was asked what will the agenda of talks include, in addition to the cooperation in the oil field.Bilateral relations, of course. Bilateral relations, the exchange of views on the international agenda, [and] on the regional agenda. This, of course, is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But first and foremost, we are talking about bilateral relations," Peskov said.When asked about OPEC+'s influence on the situation in the oil market, the spokesman said that the effect can be delayed sometimes, but coordination will continue.On Putin-Raisi Summit in MoscowKremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Tuesday that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will pay a visit to Moscow on December 7 and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.Earlier in the day, the Tasnim news agency reported that Raisi would visit Russia on December 7 for talks with Putin."I can confirm this, Russian-Iranian negotiations will take place on December 7," Peskov told reporters.Will Putin Visit G20 Summit in Brazil?Russia intends to continue participating in the G20's work, but the format of President Vladimir Putins participation in the 2024 summit in Brazil has not been decided on yet, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced that Putin would receive an invitation to the G20 summit next year. He also highlighted that, similar to the United States, Russia does not acknowledge the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, given that Brazil is a member of the ICC, it bears responsibility.No yet [the decision is not made] In any case, one way or another, Russia continues to take part in the summit [G20], Peskov told reporters.On Putin Being Nominated as TIMEs Person of the Year for 2023The nomination of Russian President Vladimir Putin by the renowned US-based magazine, Time, as 2023 Person of the Year is nothing major, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, noting nonetheless that Putins role is difficult to overestimate."No, it [the nomination] does not [matter. Let's see. In any case, Putins role in our country, Putins role in the world can hardly be overestimated. This is clear," Peskov told reporters.On Monday, Time said that Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and pop culture icon Barbie made it to the short list for the title of Person of the Year for 2023. russia saudi arabia uae iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, vladimir putin, uae, saudi arabia https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/russia-sends-over-288-tonnes-of-humanitarian-aid-for-gaza-residents-1115384996.html Russia Sends Over 288 Tonnes of Humanitarian Aid for Gaza Residents Russia Sends Over 288 Tonnes of Humanitarian Aid for Gaza Residents The Russian Emergencies Ministry has delivered more than 288 tonnes of humanitarian aid to residents of the Gaza Strip since the start of hostilities on October 7, Director of the Information Policy Department of the Emergencies Ministry Roman Okhotenko said on Monday. 2023-12-05T04:46+0000 2023-12-05T04:46+0000 2023-12-05T04:46+0000 world gaza strip palestine-israel conflict israeli-palestinian conflict israel-gaza conflict russian emergencies ministry /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107867/96/1078679628_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_dfae632a886526b29ec20ecdfacdb294.jpg "In total, 12 flights of the Russian Emergencies Ministry have already delivered more than 288 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the city of Arish for the residents of Gaza," Okhotenko said. On October 7, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The truce was extended several times and expired this past Friday, when the Israeli military resumed fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, saying the group had violated the humanitarian pause. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231201/ship-carrying-russian-humanitarian-grain-arrives-in-africa-1115325231.html https://sputnikglobe.com gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International middle east, middle eastern crisis, russia gaza, russia helps gaza https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/russian-air-defense-destroys-intercepts-35-ukrainian-drones-1115384702.html Russian Air Defense Destroys, Intercepts 35 Ukrainian Drones Russian Air Defense Destroys, Intercepts 35 Ukrainian Drones Russian air defense destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones and intercepted 13 more over the Sea of Azov and Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. 2023-12-05T04:14+0000 2023-12-05T04:14+0000 2023-12-05T04:14+0000 russia ukrainian crisis ukrainian drone attacks on russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/03/02/1093517990_0:82:3353:1968_1920x0_80_0_0_0ea0e94d15b1c1831ae1b090f99d66a7.jpg "Tonight, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by fixed-wing drones on objects on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped. Twenty-two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed by air defense systems and another 13 were intercepted over the Sea of Azov and the territory of the Republic of Crimea," the ministry said on TelegramUkraine has been sending drones into Russian territory on the regular basis since it launched a counteroffensive attempt in early June. In August UN officials slammed this move and stressed that they strongly condemn targeting civilian infrastructure. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/russia-now-has-anti-aircraft-systems-that-downed-24-ukrainian-jets-in-5-days--shoigu--1114466327.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia special military operation, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian terrorism, ukrainian drone attacks, ukraine drone terrorism https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/russian-military-advances-along-several-axes-in-the-donbass-1115375936.html Russian Military Advances Along Several Axes in the Donbass Russian Military Advances Along Several Axes in the Donbass On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Melik Abdul discussed several topics from around the world, including the Russian military's advances along several axes in the Donbass region. 2023-12-05T04:01+0000 2023-12-05T04:01+0000 2023-12-05T09:24+0000 fault lines yemen israel ukraine donbass george santos gaza strip /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/04/1115375778_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_ad41580c6b23264ee6f761ebefc5ffe5.png Russian Military Advances Along Several Axes in the Donbass On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Melik Abdul discussed several topics from around the world, including the Russian military's advances along several axes in the Donbass region. To kickoff the show, Fault Lines spoke to international relations and security analyst Mark Sleboda about the Russian military's operation in the Donbass, along with Ukraine's internal political strife.In the second hour, lawyer and political commentator Steve Gill joined the show to discuss several domestic topics, including Rep. George Santos' (R - New York) expulsion from the US House of Representatives and President Joe Biden's fading support.The Fault Lines team concluded the show with a deep discussion on Israel's ongoing operation in Gaza, which guest Dimitri Lascaris, author, lawyer and journalist breaks down from both a military and geopolitical perspective. He would also touch on the Houthi attack, which targeted a US warship in the Red Sea.The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comCatch us in the US at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM yemen israel ukraine donbass gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Jamarl Thomas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114086_0:0:373:374_100x100_80_0_0_c7506df4524fd8cdd4e40ad19918cd78.png Jamarl Thomas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114086_0:0:373:374_100x100_80_0_0_c7506df4524fd8cdd4e40ad19918cd78.png News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Jamarl Thomas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114086_0:0:373:374_100x100_80_0_0_c7506df4524fd8cdd4e40ad19918cd78.png russian advance in donbass, war in ukraine, russian special military operation, george santos expulsion, us house of representatives, israel's operation in gaza strip, hamas, houthi attack in red sea https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/uk-to-cut-annual-net-migration-by-300000-people-1115386160.html UK to Cut Annual Net Migration by 300,000 People UK to Cut Annual Net Migration by 300,000 People UK Home Secretary James Cleverly has announced that the country intends to cut net migration levels and curb "abuse" of the immigration system by slashing legal immigration by 300,000 people a year. 2023-12-05T06:13+0000 2023-12-05T06:13+0000 2023-12-05T06:13+0000 world united kingdom (uk) james cleverly illegal migration migrants migration cost of living crisis in uk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/05/1110932966_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_1eb0e05612ec404f25eac2b210c9b047.jpg "My plan will deliver the biggest ever reduction in net migration and will mean around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would not have been able to do so. I am taking decisive action to halt the drastic rise in our work visa routes and crack down on those who seek to take advantage of our hospitality," Cleverly said in a statement published by the UK government. The UK authorities are also set to tighten the Health and Care visa that has been granted to a significant number of "care workers and their dependants" by preventing overseas care employees from "bringing their dependants to the UK," the statement read. "From next spring, the government will increase the earning threshold for overseas workers by nearly 50% from its current position of 26,200 [$33,105] to 38,700 [$48,899], encouraging businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, helping us to deter employers from over-relying on migration, whilst bringing salaries in line with the average full-time salary for these types of jobs," the statement added. Annual net migration in the UK amounted to 672,000 as of June, down 10% from a record high of 745,000 recorded in December 2022, according to the UK's Office for National Statistics. Rising migration levels, including undocumented migrants, have been a pressing issue for the UK for years and intensified after the country left the European Union in 2020. In April 2022, the UK and Rwanda signed a migration agreement, stipulating that people recognized by the UK government as undocumented migrants or asylum seekers will be deported to Rwanda to have their documents processed, receive asylum, and be resettled. In March 2023, the UK government presented a bill that seeks to relocate migrants who came to the UK illegally by boat across the English Channel to a "safe third country" like Rwanda. However, in late June 2023, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that London's plan to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda was unlawful, prompting the Home Office to appeal for a review of the decision. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231128/eu-to-toughen-punishment-for-migrant-smuggling---von-der-leyen-1115254394.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231123/two-people-arrested-in-germany-for-smuggling-undocumented-migrants---police-1115177161.html united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International uk, united kingdom, migration, migrants, biritish migration https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/ukrainian-military-slaughters-own-soldiers-for-attempting-to-surrender--1115386047.html Ukrainian Military Slaughters Own Soldiers for Attempting to Surrender Ukrainian Military Slaughters Own Soldiers for Attempting to Surrender The Russian Army established a special radio frequency for Ukrainians wishing to surrender and see their loved ones again. This initiative has proven to be a life-saving measure, as it has successfully rescued numerous individuals. 2023-12-05T08:33+0000 2023-12-05T08:33+0000 2023-12-05T08:33+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis ukraine terrorism surrender russia soldiers /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/05/1115387887_10:0:1347:752_1920x0_80_0_0_ac2034d7fdfeac89bae5050ed4d0de60.png Twenty-five Ukrainian servicemen were shelled by their own comrades when they attempted to surrender, a Russian military officer who goes by the code name Kupol (Dome) told Sputnik.He added that Ukrainians killed their own soldiers with an artillery strike.Previously, a Russian soldier informed Sputnik that Ukraine consistently eliminates their own sabotage teams following their defeat at the hands of the Russian army. Russian soldiers claim that these individuals are mercenaries from Poland, who use artillery shells to finish off wounded Ukrainian soldiers. ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sergey Lebedev Sergey Lebedev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ukrainian Unfriendly Fire Ukrainian Unfriendly Fire 2023-12-05T08:33+0000 true PT0M48S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sergey Lebedev ukrainian terrorism, ukraine kills their own, ukraine death, ukraine death toll https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/us-set-new-record-for-mass-shootings-in-2023---report-1115409655.html US Set New Record for Mass Shootings in 2023 - Report US Set New Record for Mass Shootings in 2023 - Report The number of mass shootings in the United States this year has reached 38, the highest number since at least 2006, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing data of its own online tracker. 2023-12-05T15:20+0000 2023-12-05T15:20+0000 2023-12-05T15:20+0000 americas us the washington post gun violence mass shooting /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103183/83/1031838382_0:64:1280:784_1920x0_80_0_0_430620313a603abd38b2c7f7322c6be3.jpg The newspaper defines mass shootings as incidents of gun violence in which at least four people are killed, excluding the shooter. The tracker relies on mass killings information collected by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University that dates back to 2006. Last Sunday, police in Texas and Washington received two reports of mass shootings less than 1.5 hours apart, marking the 37th and 38th such incident this year. The previous record was set in 2022 with 36 shootings, the report said. This year's deadliest gun incident took place on October 25 in Lewiston, Maine, when a 40-year-old man opened fire in a bar and a bowling alley, killing 18 people and wounding another 13. In 2022, over 48,000 people died of gunshot wounds in the US, which averages out to some 132 deaths per day, the newspaper added, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230918/grim-milestone-for-gun-violence-number-of-2023-mass-shooting-incidents-in-us-surpasses-500-1113475033.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, mass shooting, mass shooting anti-record in the us, gun violence, american mass shootings Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite speaks at a briefing about an officer-involved shooting on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. COURTESY/Houston Police Department A Houston Police Department officer shot and wounded a man during a footchase in north Houston Monday afternoon, officials said. The man was wanted in connection with an aggravated robbery and officers were looking for him near an apartment complex in the Greater Greenspoint neighborhood Monday afternoon, said Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite. Officers spotted the man around 3:30 p.m., Satterwhite said. The man, who ran into an apartment complex at 525 Seminar Drive, was armed while he was running and Satterwhite said he ignored commands to drop his weapon during the chase. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The man was shot multiple times. He survived and the wounds were not believed to be serious, Satterwhite said. By the time of a 6 p.m. media briefing, the man, whose name hadn't been released, had already been released from a local hospital and transported to the Harris County Jail, Satterwhite said. CONROE CRIME: Groups call for federal hate crime investigation into Conroe doctor's stabbing The officer who shot the man, a seven-year veteran of the department, wasn't injured, police said. Police were looking for the man in connection with an aggravated robbery and pistol whipping, Satterwhite said. It was unclear when that robbery happened. A warrant was out for his arrest in connection to that crime, and he could now face more charges for running from police, discarding drugs and being a felon in possession of a weapon, Satterwhite said. Officers gave commands for the man to stop and drop his gun before, Satterwhite said. Following the shooting, the police department posted a picture of the gun the man was carrying. Satterwhite described it as a 9 mm pistol with an extended magazine. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Monday's shooting it at least the fourth on-duty shooting reported by local police departments in the last week. On Nov. 30, a Spring Branch ISD police officer shot and killed a man who was suspected of killing his father, carjacking multiple vehicles near an elementary school and then firing at the officer after he was chased down a dead-end road. On Friday, sheriff's office deputies shot and killed a man who fired at them at the end of a standing in northwest Harris County. On Saturday, a Houston police officer shot and killed a man who had fired on the officer in an "ambush-style" attack in the Sharpstown neighborhood. The officer was wounded, but was expected to survive, police said Advertisement Article continues below this ad https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/us-sommerce-shief-hypes-china-threat-illusion-assaulting-chip-firms-counterproductive-1115398907.html US Commerce Chief Hypes 'China Threat' Illusion, Assaulting Chip Firms 'Counterproductive' US Commerce Chief Hypes 'China Threat' Illusion, Assaulting Chip Firms 'Counterproductive' Treating China as 'threat,' imposing more restrictions hasnt worked and won't work: experts. 2023-12-05T09:36+0000 2023-12-05T09:36+0000 2023-12-05T19:02+0000 world china us-china relations us-china trade war us /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/07/06/1097021313_0:34:3072:1762_1920x0_80_0_0_f67bdf78e879b084fba2226aff0d1cd6.jpg US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's latest remarks that renewed the US illusion of the so-called China threat and attacked US chip companies that seek to continue doing business with China are counterproductive to the efforts from both sides of the Pacific Ocean to stabilize bilateral ties, Chinese experts said on Sunday.Coming after recent high-level meetings and steps toward engagement have offered a much-needed sense of stability for businesses in both countries and the world at large, Raimondo's threat to "tighten" export controls against China "every day," if it materializes, could throw bilateral trade ties further into uncertainty, which won't bode well for the US, China or the entire world, they noted. During a speech at a national defense forum in the US state of California on Saturday (US time), Raimondo called China "the biggest threat we've ever had" and said that "China is not our friend," according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).Chinese experts refuted such unfounded allegations on Sunday."Considering recent efforts from both sides to stabilize ties, such remarks from a high-level US official like Raimondo are very inappropriate and show that some US officials are not making positive efforts to stop bilateral ties from deteriorating, nor are they trying to stabilize relations," Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Sunday. Li said that the so-called China threat theory is completely imagined by some US politicians in a bid to court support for their ill-intended attempts to contain China.In her speech, Raimondo, who as the US commerce chief has already imposed restrictions on the sale of advanced chips and chipmaking tools to China, also attacked US chip firms that try to continue to do business with China within the limits of the US government's bans. She suggested that "losing revenue" because of the restrictions "is life" and "protecting our national security matters more than short-term revenue."Also notably, the US commerce secretary issued a threat of more crackdowns against China."Such a threat, if it materializes, could cause volatility in China-US trade ties, or even the overall China-US bilateral relationship, and the US side will have to take full responsibility," Li said.Mei Xinyu, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that Raimondo's remarks and threats are "dumping cold water" over China-US trade ties, which have shown signs of improvement thanks to recent efforts from both sides.In recent months, Chinese and US officials have met frequently in a bid to stabilize bilateral ties. Raimondo also made what she described as "a very successful and productive" trip to China in August, during which she publicly said that the China-US economic relationship is good for both countries and the world. Those senior-level official engagements culminated in a summit of China-US leaders in the US city of San Francisco in October, which offered a sense of stability in bilateral ties. "I think the US side realizes that it needs China's help with a number of issues, including the US economy, which could face serious trouble in 2024 amid a presidential election; however, it also wants to keep cracking down on China," Mei said. "That shouldn't be a surprise for anybody."While US officials and some media outlets have boasted about the performance of the US economy and painted the Chinese economy as "collapsing," many economists remain very cautious about the US economy's outlook in 2024, with some saying that a US recession is still very possible. Although the US remains the world's most powerful country, it still needs to work with China, and whatever further crackdowns the US government threatens to make or makes, it won't stop China from developing itself, Mei said. "The past several years should offer enough proof for this," he said.In recent years, the US has taken many steps to crack down on China in critical technological fields, including semiconductors. However, that didn't stop Chinese companies from making many breakthroughs, and some say it even accelerated Chinese companies' push for independent innovation.Meanwhile, many US chipmakers have continued to do business with China, and others are seeking to do so, with some even trying to work around Washington's curbs to maintain their businesses.This article was originally published by Global Times. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231204/us-may-lose-arms-race-with-china-due-to-budget-gridlock--pentagon--1115367557.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231201/rapprochement-with-china-kissingers-most-lasting-achievement---former-virginia-senator-1115335167.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231116/biden-xi-talks-modified-tone-but-not-substance-of-us-china-relationship-1115010360.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231127/humanoid-ai-driven-robots-to-become-150-billion-market-by-2035-as-china-plans-for-mass-production-1115238468.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International china, us, us china relations, chinese threat, us china tensions, us china trade war https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/us-tomahawk-anti-ship-missiles-to-challenge-china-amid-taiwan-tensions--report-1115385789.html US Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missiles to Challenge China Amid Taiwan Tensions Report US Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missiles to Challenge China Amid Taiwan Tensions Report Tensions around Taiwan escalated after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island in 2022. Beijing condemned the trip, calling it a gesture of support for separatism. 2023-12-05T06:49+0000 2023-12-05T06:49+0000 2023-12-05T06:49+0000 world us china taiwan us navy submarines tomahawk missiles tensions /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/05/1115385632_0:0:2100:1182_1920x0_80_0_0_f0a4ac59425594b54f3decd117e1dab4.jpg The US Navy is due to begin arming its submarines with anti-ship Tomahawk cruise missile next year, according to Bloomberg News, citing Capt. Jon Michael Hersey, the new Tomahawk Weapon Systems program manager, as saying.He said that the "Maritime Strike" version of the Tomahawk, which was originally designed for hitting ground targets, would be fielded after October 1, 2024.The new missiles are expected to be installed on Los Angeles- and Virginia-class submarines, which are capable of carrying 12 land-attack Tomahawks each. A modified version of the Virginia-class submarine will reportedly carry 40 such missiles. The estimated range of the Tomahawk is about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles)Bloomberg reported in this context that the Navys plans to put the upgraded Tomahawks in service as part of Washington's drive to boost military capabilities "to challenge Chinese maritime forces, particularly around Taiwan."China, which considers Taiwan to be an essential part of the PRC, condemned Pelosi's trip, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island.Although the US does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Washington has a representative office in Taipei and remains the island's biggest supplier of military hardware.The United States also often sends its warships and surveillance planes to the Taiwan Strait, a move that Beijing condemns as provocative. The Chinese government has lashed out at Washington's actions as simply "a security risk creator in the region." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230822/taiwan-reportedly-expects-to-receive-first-batch-of-abrams-tanks-from-us-next-year-1112802402.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231204/taiwan-to-finalize-upgrading-140-us-made-f-16s-by-year-end---reports-1115379671.html china taiwan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg us-china tensions over taiwan, us navy 's plans to start arming its submarines with anti-ship tomahawk cruise missiles next year, tomahawks ground attack missiles https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/what-does-pentagon-chiefs-warning-of-israeli-strategic-defeat-mean-1115401753.html What Does Pentagon Chief's Warning of Israeli 'Strategic Defeat' Mean? What Does Pentagon Chief's Warning of Israeli 'Strategic Defeat' Mean? US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned Tel Aviv of a possible "strategic defeat" if Israel does not protect Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip amid its war against Hamas. What's behind Austin's statement? 2023-12-05T11:30+0000 2023-12-05T11:30+0000 2023-12-05T11:30+0000 israel analysis opinion joe biden antony blinken tel aviv hamas pentagon palestine riyadh /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0b/17/1115161953_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_1a858425ed41836432586a7ee5868c9d.jpg The Biden administration appears to have slightly changed its tone with regard to Israel's Gaza war after Tel Aviv resumed its operation in the strip.Prior to the resumption of the war, some media sources quoted internal sources as saying that President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were urging Israeli officials to show restraint in southern Gaza. Furthermore, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the press he wanted the temporary truce to last longer during his visit to Tel Aviv last Thursday. Then Austin warned Tel Aviv of a "strategic defeat" if it doesn't protect Palestinian civilians. Still, previously, Washington derailed any Gaza ceasefire efforts in the UN Security Council. What's behind the change of heart?The crux of the matter is that a considerable part of Biden's electorate including young Democrats, non-whites, Arab and Muslim Americans, and progressives support Palestine and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. These groups are demonstrating growing discontent with the US president's support for Israel. Some Muslim voters have even gone so far as to vow to snub the vote altogether or vote against Joe Biden in 2024.Axios suggested that the slide in non-white and Arab/Muslim support in six major battleground states could cost the president his 2024 re-election bid, especially given that his rival Donald Trump has an edge over him in five swing states.Earlier, in mid-November, The New York Times reported that over 500 US officials representing some 40 government agencies had sent a letter to President Biden protesting his support of Israel in its war in Gaza. Simultaneously, dozens of State Department employees signed internal memos to Blinken protesting the Biden administration's handling of the Palestine-Israel conflict. In addition to the dissent brewing within the government, some Democratic senators have called for conditioning aid to Israel on Tel Aviv's scaling down the fighting in Gaza. Team Biden appears to have come under unprecedented pressure from both its base and party fellows.An alleged conversation between Blinken and the Israeli leadership during a meeting of Israels War Cabinet on Thursday, November 30 (which was leaked, but not verified, by Israel's Channel 12) apparently proves Team Biden's desire to wrap the conflict up one way or another as soon as possible. Responding to Blinken's question about Tel Aviv plans for uprooting Hamas in southern Gaza, Israeli generals said that they would do it gradually and "proportionally" and as long as necessary. Per them, the conflict could last for months. The US secretary of state allegedly responded: "I dont think you will have the credit for that," demonstrating that Tel Aviv is running out of time.Indeed, the longer the Gaza war rages on, the stronger the anti-Biden sentiment within the Democratic base may be. In fact, it's not just Tel Aviv which is running out of time, but Team Biden, whose election odds risk plummeting even further in 2024.'Israel's Strategic Defeat in Middle East'Meanwhile, Israel relations with Middle Eastern countries are getting more strained as the Gaza war continues and civilian casualties are continuing to pile up. To date, over 15,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about 70% of whom are said to be women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.Discontent with Israel is growing among Muslim and Arab countries. The mid-November extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab Summit in Riyadh called upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate "war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing" in Gaza. Jordan, Turkiye, and Bahrain have withdrawn their diplomats from Israel amid the Gaza war.Some Arab-linked human rights groups have called upon the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan to immediately withdraw from Abraham Accords with Israel, insisting that Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar should also prohibit the US from providing military support to Tel Aviv from their territories.Al Arabiya, quoted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as calling upon nations to stop arms exports to Israel during an extraordinary BRICS summit on November 21. The crown prince highlighted the importance of a two-state solution on the way to achieving "stability and security in Palestine."Speaking to Sputnik in early November, Dr. Ahmed Al Ibrahim, a Riyadh-based political analyst, pointed out that suspending Abraham Accords or killing ties with Israel wouldn't help secure peace in the region. "Freezing the Abraham Accords is not going to be possible because you still want these kinds of documents with Israel [] to contain the problems that are going on right now," the analyst said, nonetheless condemning Israel for brutality and civilian casualties.Riyadh signaled in November that the normalization deal with Israel is on the table, naming a peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue as a key condition. It's unclear whether Arab and Muslim countries will stick to the present status quo if the war in the Gaza Strip continues to rage on with massive casualties and destruction. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231201/was-resumption-of-gaza-war-linked-to-blinkens-visit-1115333089.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/russia-sends-over-288-tonnes-of-humanitarian-aid-for-gaza-residents-1115384996.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231111/top-saudi-diplomat-says-arab-muslim-leaders-united-in-demanding-end-to-gaza-fighting-1114892444.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231204/safe-corridor-in-central-gaza-turned-into-battlefield---idf-statement-1115371752.html israel tel aviv saudi arabia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova lloyd austin, israel strategic defeat, hamas, israel-hamas war, gaza, gaza strip, israel resumed ground operation in gaza, joe biden, biden administration, abraham accords, saudi arabia https://sputnikglobe.com/20231205/white-house-stonewalling-biden-impeachment-probe-in-us-house---us-house-speaker-johnson-1115410837.html White House Stonewalling Biden Impeachment Probe in US House - US House Speaker Johnson White House Stonewalling Biden Impeachment Probe in US House - US House Speaker Johnson The White House is impeding the US House of Representatives impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday. 2023-12-05T16:30+0000 2023-12-05T16:30+0000 2023-12-05T16:30+0000 americas mike johnson joe biden white house us impeachment /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/0e/1114187780_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_271b4423c7125d64e5248e88536ed61a.jpg Right now, the White House is stonewalling that investigation. Theyre refusing to turn over key witnesses to allow them to testify as theyve been subpoenaed. Theyre refusing to turn over thousands of documents from the National Archives, Johnson said during a press conference, when asked about the House impeachment inquiry. Earlier this year, several House panels began investigating the Biden family to determine whether articles of impeachment against the president are warranted. The House of Representatives has a responsibility to formally adopt an impeachment inquiry on the floor, in case their subpoenas are challenged in court, Johnson said. House lawmakers are set to hold a vote next week on officializing the inquiry. The measure is not an impeachment vote, but rather, to continue the inquiry with maximum constitutional authority, Johnson noted. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231203/biden-impeachment-inquiry-republican-duty---us-house-speaker-1115351873.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International joe biden, biden impeachment, us house speaker, mike johnson, white house Finishing in 12th place in the New York Sire Stakes Excelsior Series may not sound all that impressive to the casual observer; however, for small breeders Gary Messenger and Ken Weckstein, its the company they keep that sets them apart from the rest. Messenger and Weckstein are named prominently among some of the top breeding farms in the entire industry, including Winbak, Crawford, Steve Jones, Hanover, Blue Chip, Fair Winds and Diamond Creek. Collectively, these commercial nurseries will have nearly a thousand of their foals racing each season. When the Monticello-Goshen USHWA Chapter holds its 64th annual Awards Banquet on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, Gary Messenger and Ken Weckstein will receive the Cradle of the Trotter Breeders Award. So, how do a couple of guys based in the Hudson Valley with three or four offspring a year get mentioned in the same sentence? A lot of luck and following good advice, noted Monticello native Gary Messenger. Steve Jones helps us with the bookings and getting the mares in foal. His farm is also a great place for us to raise our babies, offered Messenger. He has treated us very well. Jones knows a few things about the breeding business, having bred his share of Hambletonian and Breeders Crown champions. His broodmare band reads like a whos who in Standardbred sport. This season, Jones is seventh in Sire Stakes earnings ($275,778) and third in the Excelsior ($206,800). Conversely, the Messenger & Weckstein foals have earned $66,750 in the second-level series. A little more digging and one would find out that Weckstein actually lives around the Delmarva Peninsula and is a lawyer by trade, practicing in Virginia. So, how did these guys meet and how did they get together? The answer is amateur racing. A pastime that finds its historical beginnings in Goshen, it was revitalized by the Gerrys and others in the mid-1990s as the Greatest Side Show in Harness Racing. Messenger has been hanging around The Mighty M since 1975 and has amassed 1,881 driving wins and 2,371 training victories with his charges having earned over $12 million in purses. Weckstein began driving in 1993 and has over 100 victories in his 30 years of participating in the amateur ranks. Last year, he won 17 of 122 races and earned $136,815, mostly at Rosecroft Raceway. However, if you are an avid amateur driver (is there any other kind?) then your journey also includes many layovers through the Catskills and Monticello Raceway. Back in the mid-2000s, Messenger had a mare in his barn named Winbak Delight, who was owned by Weckstein and another avid reinsman, Scott Leaf. She earned almost $400,000 in her career, so when her racing days were over, the daughter of Bettors Delight made an excellent broodmare prospect. Messenger bought a piece of her in 2015 and that is how the breeding business partnership started. Both being partial to trotters, they owned another mare Get Chipped (1:54.3; $415,424), who afforded Leaf and Weckstein some success. When it appeared that her racing days were numbered, Messenger bought into her too. Her first foal was Chip Chip Conway (4,1:55.1f; $331,006). Chippy had the misfortune of being born in the same year and in the same state as three-time Breeders Crown winner Gimpanzee. Nonetheless, 'Chippy' came out swinging every week and still earned $103,719 at two while chasing that Melander Stable star. Homebred Chip Chip Conway is now seven and still racing, and is the 2023 Monticello Raceway Trotter of the Year for the second time in his career. With 41 wins lifetime, he also won that honour in 2021. We almost lost him, recalled Messenger's wife Brenda, stable bookkeeper and biggest fan. In May of last year, he was down with colic and need surgery to survive. Not only did the horse make a remarkable recovery, but he came right back a few months later, qualified once and then won the Open from post eight, twice, at Monticello in his first two starts back. In fact, last year, Mike Mulligan, the owner of the 2022 Monticello Raceway Trotter of the Year Cinnamon Stick, joked, It was good for us that Chip Chip Conway got sick or we would not have won this award. Chip Chip Conway is long since removed from state competition, so this year their homebred stable star is a freshman pacer named Spectacular Plus (p,2,1:54.2h; $65,798). His grand dam is the aforementioned Winbak Delight. The Huntsville colt was the leading divisional point earner and money winner in the Excelsior program, winning four and finishing second in the final to the Schnittker Stables Pop It. Messenger has been married to the former Brenda Heck for 25 years and has one son and two grandsons. They met at the Mighty M when a horse they bought at the 1995 Harrisburg sale, Allot (1:58.3h; $286,193), turned out to be one of the tracks top trotters. Her father, Fred Heck, was also a driver at Monticello. Weckstein stated that he and his wife, Andrea, have been married for 48 years and they have three daughters and one son together. They recently moved from Virginia to Oxen Hill, Maryland, citing a very simple reason, so I could be closer to the track. The Monticello-Goshen USHWA Chapters Cradle of the Trotter Award recognizes small breeders that have an impact on the industry yet often go unheralded. This year, in addition to the year-end awards for horses and horse people from the local tracks, the Monticello-Goshen chapter will also honour Larry DeVan (Lifetime Achievement Award); Ron Ochrym (Excelsior Award); Tom Cunningham (Good Guy Award); Edison Hatter (Phil Pines Award); Jill Omen (Amy Bull Crist Distinguished Service Award); Adam Moeykens (Rising Star); Matt Zuccarello (Amateur Driver); and Mike Druss (Mighty M Awards of Appreciation). (Monticello-Goshen USHWA) Truffles Too made every panel a winning one en route to victory in the featured $24,000 conditioned trot on Monday, Dec. 4 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Trevor Henry and the Bill Budd pupil left from the centre of the wings in post six and were relentless in achieving the front. With open track ahead, Truffles Too cruised through panels in :27.3, :56.3 and 1:25 before winning by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:53.3. Sermon (Tyler Borth) finished second and White Tiger (James MacDonald) completed the top three. Owned by Deanmar Sons Stable, Peter Miskolczi, John Freda and Mpg Racing, Truffles Too (Donato Hanover-Truffles) is a winner of eight races this season and 21 career races. The five-year-old gelding has a lifetime bankroll of $358,722. He paid $4.60 to win. To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park. Dozens gathered in the Gering Civic Plaza on a chilly Tuesday evening to witness the unveiling of three world-class sculptures created by Nebraska artists. The sculptures represent months of work by the Gering Civic Plaza Sculpture Committee Gretchen Peters, Rita Stinner and Crystal Sandberg along with many others who gave time, energy and financial gifts to make the project a success. This was truly a community-wide collaboration supporting arts, tourism and our economy, Stinner said. Our vision was widely supported by forward-thinking leaders of our community. Those leaders included the county board, county tourism director Brenda Leisy, the Gering Keno Committee and chairman Darrell Bentley, Gering City Administrator Pat Heath, the Gering City Council, the Nebraska Arts Council and executive director Mike Markey and the Peters, Stinner, Sandberg and Winn families. Special thanks to Amy Seiler and Karla Niedan-Streeks with the City of Gering and Gering Tourism, who helped shepherd the project to completion with their good words and solid support, Stinner said. And to the City of Gering, who created this beautiful setting for tonight. With the Civic Plaza aglow and covered in snow, the three sculptures were unveiled by Gering native and Miss Nebraska, Morgan Baird, accompanied by some information about the artists themselves from Stinner. The three pieces placed in the plaza were created by Catherine Ferguson, Shannon Hansen and Jun Kaneko, all three Nebraska based artists and known around the world for their work. Following the unveiling, the committee formally gifted the sculptures to the City of Gering. These stunning artworks will be an ongoing gift to our entire region and make a glorious statement of pride and beauty to all visitors, Stinner said. Mayor Kent Ewing thanked the committee and everyone who participated throughout the duration of the sculpture project on behalf of the city. Well take good care of these. Thanks to everyone for their hard work and for showing up tonight, he said. The sculptures can be seen up close during daylight hours in the Gering Civic Plaza, and at night from the perimeter of the park. The Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement to help provide veterans services in Kimball County at a meeting on Monday, Dec. 4. The agreement was previously discussed at a Nov. 6 meeting, where Scotts Bluff County Veterans Service Officer Matt Meyers spoke in favor of such an arrangement. A few items had been added to the agreement since the previous discussion, including stipulations for mileage reimbursement and a requirement that Kimball County keeps an employee in its veterans service office to handle daily operations. According to the agreement approved by the board, Kimball County will pay $885 per month to Scotts Bluff County for Meyers services, totaling $6,195 for the seven-month term of the agreement. Management accountant Lisa Rein explained that a seven-month term was chosen to allow for renegotiation of the agreement ahead of both counties budget sessions for the next fiscal year. Other business for the board included a discussion of a wage comparison study conducted for the countys communication center and a corresponding adjustment in the countys pay scale for 911 dispatchers and supervisors, which was recently approved by the union representing those employees. Tyler Rexus, 911 coordinator, said he conducted the study personally by contacting counties of comparable size and call volume to find out how much they paid their dispatchers and supervisors. The board voted to table the wage discussion to allow for further conversation between Rexus and Rein on budget impacts, but Rexus assured the board that he had based his departments budget on the new pay scale rather than the old one and expected no budget adjustments. The board also recognized Scotts Bluff National Monument Superintendent Dan Morford for his seven years of service on the county tourism board. Morford was presented with a plaque by chairman Ken Meyer and county tourism director Brenda Leisy, who spoke highly of his service, engagement and enthusiasm throughout his tenure on the board. Hes really irreplaceable on our board. He came to us with so many creative and inventive ideas, Leisy said. She added that Morfords willingness to help with tourism activities like the Roubidoux Rendezvous made him a constant pillar of support that will be missed. District 3 commissioner Charlie Knapper, who also serves on the tourism board, joined Leisy in praising Morford for his creativity and professionalism. Were super lucky to have had Dan in that position, Knapper said. My experience with him on the tourism board is that hes been level-headed, he sees all of the sides of all of the issues and he really brings a level of professionalism to that board that is much appreciated. The Scotts Bluff County Commissioners meets on the first and third Mondays of every month at 4:30 p.m. on the second floor of the county administrative building. Meetings in January will be impacted by holidays and will instead take place on the first and third Tuesday of that month. A traffic cone to be used as a bathroom pass is pictured at an NES school walkthrough for principals and administrative staff at Shadydale Elementary School in Houston, TX on July 18, 2023. Sharon Steinmann/Staff Photographer Many parents and teachers have taken issue with some of state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles' reforms this school year on the basis of their educational impact the decision to remove librarians from dozens of schools, for example, or the persistence of errors in district developed curricula. Some HISD students, however, are dealing with an issue more fundamentally human in nature: the ability to use the restroom as needed. While restroom policies are the purview of school administrators, rather than district mandates, students and teachers at multiple HISD high schools say that children are discouraged, and, in some cases, banned from using the restroom during class. Teachers at Sharpstown High School, for example, received an email from the dean of students last week stating that "Effective immediately, restrooms are not permissible during instruction" in order to "alleviate students from roaming the hallways." Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Friday, the Houston Federation of Teachers filed a grievance to the district regarding the restroom policy at Sharpstown High School, which they said makes it "clear to us verbally and in writing that we are to jeopardize our own student's safety, our livelihoods and our ethics to bar students from using the restroom if the need for the restroom is during instruction." HISD officials said the district could not comment on pending grievances or legal matters, but that "campus leaders and other school staff should use good judgment in setting policies and responding to students needs." District spokesman Joseph Sam pointed to another email from the Sharpstown dean that said that restroom visits are a "reasonable request," but that teachers must create a hall pass system and students should use the restrooms during passing periods. Emails provided to the Houston Chronicle, however, show that message was sent hours before the second email, which clarified "restrooms are not permissible during instruction." Sharpstown teacher Nico Abazajian said expecting students only to use the restroom between classes is unreasonable, given that passing periods are just five minutes long and Sharpstown enrolls over 1,7000 students. He said Principal T.J. Cotter "has made it clear to us that children are not to be using the restroom at all during instruction." Sam said that students with medical issues, or who are having an emergency, are "of course" allowed to use the restroom. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At the 85 schools in or aligned with Miles' New Education System, where Miles has focused his efforts on "wholesale systemic reform," students are required to carry orange cones with them to the restroom, which "helps to prevent congregating in the restroom, vaping, and behavior issues," HISD spokesman Jose Irizarry said. Micah Gabay, a sophomore at Worthing High School said that while she understands why the cone system is in place, she considers it "unsanitary." Another Worthing student, speaking at November's meeting of the Board of Managers, called the cones "dehumanizing." "We don't really mind the cones, but it's just a big inconvenience and it's also really nasty, because some kids, even though we're in high school, they don't wash their hands after they use the restrooms," Micah said. Irizarry said that "unlike the paper passes that some schools use, a cone is far less likely to be lost, left on the floor, or destroyed." He also noted that the only guidance the district recommends to principals is that they do not let students leave during the first and last 10 minutes of class, because that is when teachers go over the day's learning objectives and administer demonstrations of learning, or daily quizzes which assess how well a student picked up the lesson. The bigger issue at Worthing though, Micah said, is that just nine "restroom passes" are allotted to students each semester, in addition to a directive against using the restroom during passing periods. While the rules are unevenly enforced newer teachers are more strict about the restroom passes than veterans they have led students to donate their passes to each other, said Micah, who has already given all her passes to classmates. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Micah recalls a recent incident in which she encountered her friend walking down the hallway slowly, with her jacket tied around her waist. When she asked what was wrong, the girl said she had menstruated through her pants because a teacher wouldn't let her go to the restroom. "We just don't know when we're supposed to go," Micah said. HISD officials did not directly respond to questions about Worthing's restroom policy. Restroom policies don't appear to be implemented so stringently at every school in the district. Javier Aguilar, a sophomore at Yates High School, said that the school doesn't limit the amount of restroom visits for students, and that whether or not a student is allowed to use the restroom just depends on the teacher and how the student is asking. Javier said that the introduction of orange cones hasn't totally stopped kids from skipping class some will just leave the cone in the restroom and roam the hallways like usual but that he's noticed it happening less often than last year, when there were no restrictions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rep. Patrick McHenry, who has represented Catawba County and other counties in western North Carolina for nearly 20 years, will not seek reelection in 2024. McHenry, 48, announced his decision in a statement on Tuesday. He said he will retire after finishing out his current term. This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and for me this season has come to an end, McHenry said. He added, Being entrusted as your voice in Washington is my highest honor and that remains true today. My goal has always been to be a voice for western North Carolina to Washington, not the other way around. McHenry had originally announced plans to seek reelection in October. The filing period for Congress and other offices opened Monday and will run through Dec. 15. McHenry, who lives in Denver, first ran for Congress in 2004 after serving one term in the N.C. House. His first Congressional campaign was close. He finished 3,500 votes behind Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman in the Republican primary and defeated Huffman by only 85 votes in the runoff. McHenry went on to be elected 10 times as representative of North Carolinas 10th Congressional District. He would also become part of the leadership in the House, serving for a time as chief deputy whip. An ally of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, McHenry served as speaker pro tem for nearly a month following McCarthys ouster in October. He also voted to certify the results of the 2020 election. During an interview in February 2020, he said: I dont believe that there is a significant enough amount of fraud to tip the election in these key states, especially when you look at Pennsylvania or Michigan or Wisconsin in particular as three major states. In the statement announcing his retirement plans, McHenry reflected on the state of the U.S. House near the end of what has been an often-chaotic year for that body. There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because some like me have decided to leave, he said. Those concerns are exaggerated. Ive seen a lot of change over 20 years. I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn. Whether it's 1974, 1994, or 2010, weve seen the House evolve over time. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed, but at each stage, new leaders emerge. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. Im confident the House is in good hands. A last-gasp legal attempt to slow the Mountain Valley Pipeline is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Last Wednesday, the owners of property that was taken by eminent domain for the divisive project filed an emergency injunction request, asking the Supreme Court to pause construction while their case is heard by a lower court. Although it may be too late to pose a significant setback for the nearly completed pipeline, the request frames the issue of eminent domain in a broader context that could affect future cases. From the Bronx to the Appalachians, from the inner cities to John Denvers country roads, these forced takings have been dismal failures, Roanoke attorney Mia Yugo wrote on behalf of the landowners. Filed just two days before the death of Sandra Day OConnor, the application quotes the former Supreme Court justice as saying that government-sanctioned seizures of private land for economic gain have resulted in abandoned malls and failed projects, all in the name of efficiency and progress. In a legal odyssey that began nearly four years ago, the owners of three pieces of property in Montgomery, Roanoke and Franklin counties contest Mountain Valleys use of eminent domain. Their lawsuit contends that Congress improperly delegated its power to seize private land to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees the construction of natural gas pipelines. FERC then gave that eminent domain authority to Mountain Valley, after finding there was a public need for the gas it will transport. While eminent domain is often used by government agencies for public projects such as power lines and highways, it has more recently been expanded to include private ventures such as the one building the 303-mile pipeline. Mountain Valley was allowed to seize about 300 parcels of private land in Southwest Virginia in order to begin construction in early 2018. Landowners were paid after the fact, and in some cases the process of deciding just compensation has yet to be resolved. In asking the Supreme Court to pause construction on the three properties at issue, Yugo argued that Congress violated the Constitution when it passed the Natural Gas Act, which delegated the power of eminent domain to unelected government officials and private companies. The Constitution does not contort itself to achieve progress, pipelines or profit margins, the petition states. The Constitution does not account for such concerns. But it cares a great deal about individual liberty. The landowners Cletus and Beverly Bohon in Montgomery County, Robert and Aimee Hamm in Roanoke County and Wendell and Mary Flora in Franklin County would be irreparably harmed if construction continues on their property while their lawsuit is pending, the petition asserts. While acknowledging that the odds of winning an injunction were not good, Yugo emphasized that the underlying case, currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, will continue nonetheless. In general, such injunctions have been granted quite infrequently by the Supreme Court, according to Xiao Wang, a professor at the University of Virginia who heads the law schools Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. But Wang said there has been a shifting landscape in recent years in which the high court has been more willing to consider emergency litigation. Further, some of the current justices have shown an appetite for the kind of non-delegation questions raised by Yugo. It is thus possible that those factors would give these plaintiffs a greater prospect for relief, Wang wrote in an email. Eminent domain has long been a hot topic that can cross traditional political lines. OConnor, for example, often sided with the Supreme Courts conservative bloc while serving as its first female justice. But in one of her final cases, she dissented in a 5-4 ruling that allowed the taking of personal property to allow private developers to build shopping plazas, office buildings and other facilities warning that the majority had unwisely ceded yet more power to the powerful. The specter of condemnation hangs over all property, OConnor wrote at the time. Nothing is to prevent the state from replacing any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory. A Mountain Valley spokeswoman declined to comment last week on the injunction request, citing a policy of not talking about pending litigation. As the federal lawsuit continues to move slowly through the courts, construction crews have been at work since July. For years, work was delayed by legal challenges from environmental and community groups. The groups argued often successfully to a Richmond-based federal appeals court that government permits issued for the pipeline did not adequately protect the environment. In the early years of construction, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality cited Mountain Valley with more than 300 violations of erosion and sedimentation control regulations. But there have been no findings of non-compliance since work resumed this year, DEQ spokeswoman Irina Calos said Friday. After suffering rising costs and repeated delays, Mountain Valley had a turn of fate. In late May, Congress passed a law that fast-tracked a project it declared was in the national interest. The Supreme Court acting in a different case than the one now before it lifted a stay on construction two months later that had been issued by a lower court. When it resumed work, Mountain Valley still had a long way to go to meet its goal of completing the $7.2 billion project by the end of this year. In October, it pushed its target date for having natural gas flowing through the buried pipeline to the first quarter of 2024, the latest of many delays. A recent construction update posted to the companys website showed progress, however. As of Nov. 26, construction crews had completed 321 stream and wetland crossings one of the more time-consuming aspects of the job out of 428 that remained when work resumed over the summer. Just 92 of the crossings had been completed through Oct. 1. Meanwhile, Bloomberg Law News reported Friday that the lead partner in the joint project, Equitrans Midstream Corp., was in the early stages of considering a sale. Citing people familiar with the matter, the article said a potential sale would make sense, with the pipeline close to completion, and would likely attract interest from industry peers. Equitrans CEO and Chairman Thomas Karam, who will step down at the end of the year, has already received a huge financial windfall from the project. According to a September filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the companys board decided to award Karam a $7.5 million bonus. The filing cites Mr. Karams relentless efforts towards navigating legal and regulatory setbacks to the MVP project to a successful end. The main factor behind the reduction in tobacco production in Lattakia is the lowered purchase price, according to Athr Press. The head of the Lattakia Farmers Union, Adib Mahfoud, disclosed to Athr Press that this years tobacco crop cultivation has experienced a decline of approximately 25-30% compared to the previous year. This drop is attributed to the challenges faced by farmers, leading a significant number of them to abstain from cultivating tobacco. Mahfoud emphasized that a primary factor contributing to the reduction in tobacco production in Lattakia is the lowered purchase price established by the General Organization for Tobacco, discouraging farmers. He warned that unless tobacco prices are revised, the decrease in cultivation for the upcoming year could escalate to 50%. Mahfoud highlighted the considerable hardships faced by farmers, including exorbitant costs for essential inputs such as diesel for land tillage and transportation, expensive fertilizers (if available), pesticide prices, and adverse weather conditions. These challenges include erratic rainfall, insufficient irrigation water, and hail damage to seedlings. He further clarified that the set price of 11,500 SYP for the extra tobacco crop does not adequately compensate farmers for their expenses. This amount covers only a small fraction of the incurred material costs and does not consider the physical exhaustion endured from planting seeds to the sales season, spanning approximately 9-10 months from February to September each year. Mahfud announced that a committee, including a member of the General Union of Farmers, will convene soon to establish new tobacco crop prices. He insisted that the purchase price per kilogram should be at least 15,000 SYP to align with the actual costs. The General Organization for Tobacco projected receiving 3,000 tons of tobacco crops from various varieties in the tobacco-growing areas across the governorates. Its noteworthy that the institution had previously set prices for purchasing tobacco from farmers, with rates such as 10,500 SYP/kg for the extra degree and 8,800 SYP/kg for the first degree Shak al-Bint, 8,500 SYP/kg for the extra degree and 6,800 SYP/kg for the first degree of tumbac, and 11,500 SYP for the extra degree, 9,300 SYP for the first degree of Basma. Additionally, prices were set for Prilep at 10,500 SYP for the extra degree and 7,800 SYP for the first degree. For Burley, the prices were established at 8,300 SYP/kg for the extra degree and 6,500 SYP/kg for the first degree. The Katerini degree was priced at 10,500 SYP/kg for the extra degree and 8,100 SYP/kg for the first degree, while the Virginia degree was set at 9,300 SYP/kg for the extra degree and 7,200 SYP/kg for the first degree. 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. Some banks in Syria reported profits driven by increased income from fees and commissions compared to interest income, according to al-Watan. The financial statements of private banks in Syria indicate their financial performance until the conclusion of the third quarter of 2023 as follows: Syria International Islamic Bank: Assets increased by 114% Shareholders equity increased by 134% Net profit: 19.2 billion SYPs Earnings per share: 1902.95 SYPs Book value per share: 327927 SYPs Fransabank: Assets increased by 142% Shareholders equity increased by 182% Net loss (excluding unrealized cut differences): 9.227 billion SYPs Profit per share: 5.088 SYPs Loss per share (excluding unrealized differences): (175.75) Book value per share: 7,890.95 SYPs Byblos Bank Syria: Assets increased by 158% Shareholders equity increased by 197% Net loss: 8.1 billion SYPs Earnings per share: 562519 SYPs Book value per share: 84,756 SYPs Banque Bemo Saudi Fransi: Assets increased by 143% Shareholders equity increased by 232% Net profit: 4.7 billion SYPs Earnings per share: 393627 SYPs Book value per share: 569116 SYPs Al-Sharq Bank: Assets increased by 190% Shareholders equity increased by 198% Net profit: 15.2 billion SYPs Earnings per share: 349975 SYPs Book value per share: 526416 SYPs Bank of Syria and Overseas: Assets increased by 165% Shareholders equity increased by 221.3% Net profit: 1.3 billion SYPs Earnings per share: 326544 SYPs Book value per share: 475731 SYPs Arab Bank Syria: Assets increased by 148% Shareholders equity increased by 210% Net profit: 6.5 billion pounds Earnings per share: 608045 pounds Book value per share: 8999 pounds Al-Baraka Bank Syria: Assets increased by 169% Shareholders equity increased by 132% Net profit: 34.4 billion SYPs Earnings per share: 107797 SYPs Book value per share: 190146 SYPs According to Cham Banks data, the bank experienced significant growth in various aspects during the third quarter of 2023: Assets increased by 155% Shareholders equity increased by 173% Net profit reached 16.2 billion SYPs, a notable increase from the 740 million SYPs recorded in the same period of 2022 Earnings per share amounted to 191,841 SYPs Book value per share stood at 3,077 SYPs. In a parallel vein, the Bank of Jordan-Syria (BOJS) presented robust results for the same period: Assets increased by 112.2% Shareholders equity witnessed a remarkable surge of 194% Net profit amounted to 9.2 billion pounds, up from 2.5 billion SYP in the third quarter of 2022 Earnings per share reached 4,950.92 SYP Book value per share was reported at 7,500 SYP. The National Credit Bank also demonstrated a strong financial performance: Assets increased by 151.4% Shareholders equity rose by 176.3% Net profit reached 1.4 billion SYPs, compared to 196 million SYPs in the same period of 2022 Earnings per share were 3,774.92 SYPs Book value per share stood at 5,994.97 SYPs. QNBS displayed robust financial results for the third quarter of 2023: Assets surged by 179% Shareholders equity increased by 182% Net profit reached 32 billion SYPs, a significant increase from the 5.4 billion SYPs recorded in the third quarter of 2022 Earnings per share were reported at 4,323.44 SYPs Book value per share stood at 6,699.28 SYPs. International Bank for Trade and Finance (IBTF) also reported favorable results: Assets increased by 128% Shareholders equity rose by 180% Net profit reached 20.2 billion SYPs, up from 5.9 billion SYPs in the same period of 2022 Earnings per share were 3,304.72 SYPs Book value per share was reported at 5,139.58 SYPs. In the case of the National Islamic Bank: Assets increased by 114% Shareholders equity experienced a growth of 93% The bank recorded a loss, excluding differences in unrealized pieces, amounting to about 7.578 billion SYP, representing a decrease of 212% Earnings per share were reported at 70.38 SYP Loss per share, after excluding differences in unrealized pieces, was (30.31) SYP. In an elucidation of the financial statements of private banks, Dr. Rasha Seroub, a researcher and academic, provided insights based on the disclosures of private banks listed on the Damascus Securities Exchange for the period ending on September 30, 2023. She highlighted several key observations: Overall Performance: All disclosures indicated a significant upswing in credit facilities, deposits, and assets. Profits exhibited high growth rates. Notably, Syria and Gulf Bank did not disclose its data for the entire period in 2023, though it is assumed that the necessary reports should have been published. Capital Compliance: Only Bemo Saudi Fransi and Qatar National Bank among the 11 conventional private banks fulfilled the condition of having a paid-up capital in compliance with Law 3 of 2010 (amended to be 10 billion SYPs for conventional banks). Among the four Islamic banks, Cham Islamic Bank was the only one not meeting the capital requirement, which should be 15 billion SYPs according to the law. Exchange Rate Impact: The increase in deposits and assets, compared to the end of 2022, was significantly influenced by the change in the exchange rate. The US dollars exchange rate rose from 3015 SYP/$ at the end of 2022 to 8542 SYP/$ at the end of September 2023, representing a change of 183.32%. This shift affected the valuation of all components in US dollars, including dollar assets, deposits, and balances abroad. Impact on Profits: After excluding exchange rate differences, the interim results for September 30, 2023, led to the conversion of profits into realized net losses for Byblos and Fransabank ( 8 billion SYP and 5 billion SYP respectively). These losses exceeded their paid-up capital and significantly reduced realized profits. Credit Facilities to Deposits Ratio: The analysis of the ratio of credit facilities to deposits, reflecting a banks efficiency in managing liquidity and optimizing deposit investments, revealed a low percentage, not exceeding 25% in most banks. Cham Islamic Bank and Syria International Islamic Bank were exceptions, with ratios exceeding 100%, attributed to factors like deposit structure and liquidity availability. Challenges to Optimal Investment: The structure of deposits, dominated by current accounts and demand deposits, posed challenges to investing in long-term loans and facilities. Large balances held outside Syria, with around 8.8 trillion Lebanese pounds abroad, constrained lending liquidity. Profits from Fees and Commissions: Some banks, including Bemo Saudi Fransi, al-Ahli Credit (formerly Audi), al-Sharq, and Syria and Overseas, reported profits driven by increased income from fees and commissions compared to interest income. Dr. Seroubs analysis provides a comprehensive view of the financial landscape, emphasizing the impact of regulatory compliance, exchange rate dynamics, and deposit structure on the banks financial outcomes. 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. Unit 340's scope extends beyond Syria, encompassing Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, according to Syria TV. The Alma Center for Special Research in Israel reported that the recent Israeli raid on the Sayyeda Zeinab area in the Damascus countryside targeted positions of Unit 340 of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The think tank stated that the Israeli raid specifically focused on an isolated villa east of Sayyeda Zeinab, resulting in the death of two members of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the center, these two individuals are likely associated with Unit 340, responsible for aiding in the development of weapons production by Irans proxies in various Arab countries, with a particular emphasis on Syria. Unit 340 Members of Unit 340 operate in different regions within Syrian territory, including Jamraya and Dummar in Damascus, as well as Masyaf in rural Hama. They are actively engaged in the production of weapons on Syrian soil, catering to Iranian militias in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Unit 340s scope extends beyond Syria, encompassing Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Its primary focus lies in technological weapons projects, particularly in the realm of rockets and missiles. The overarching goal is to empower proxy forces operating under Irans guidance, equipping them with the capabilities to independently manufacture weapons. Airstrikes on IRGC positions On Friday night, Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes targeting sites controlled by militias linked to the IRGC near Damascus International Airport, as well as the towns of Sayyeda Zeinab, Aqraba, and Hujaira, south of the capital. The Revolutionary Guards confirmed the death of two of its members in Israeli shelling at sites it controls in the Sayyeda Zeinab area. The Iranian Foreign Ministry declared that the shelling would not go unanswered. According to the local website Sawt al-Asima, the airstrikes focused on an advanced air defence system recently deployed at a military site between the towns of Sayyeda Zeinab and Hujaira. The Israeli bombardment also targeted a farm near the Aqraba military airport, utilized by IRGC and affiliated local militias as a military warehouse. This facility was reportedly used to temporarily store Iranian arms shipments destined for Syria before being transported to their final destinations or smuggled to Hezbollah in Lebanon. 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. Social media activists are calling for the disclosure of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Adnan Faisal al-Imam, according to Shaam Network. On Monday morning, a security force affiliated with the Headquarters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) arrested media activist Adnan Faisal al-Imam at the al-Ghazawiya crossing, separating areas controlled by HTS and the Syrian National Army in rural Aleppo. Media sources tracking the arrest noted that HTS is delaying revealing the fate of the activist or the charges against him. There is a condemnation of the arrest at the crossing, and critics argue that an official notification or summons could have been issued instead. Social media activists are calling for the disclosure of the circumstances surrounding the arrest and immediate release of Imam. They emphasize the need to avoid repeating such detentions, especially considering recent assurances from the civil arm of HTS about supporting media professionals. Media activists in northwestern Syria liken the Ghazawiya crossing, controlled by HTS, to the Assad regimes al-Qutayfa checkpoint due to the high volume of arrests and restrictions imposed by HTS members. In a concerning development, HTS security intentionally arrested Imam, along with his wife and children, at the Ghazawiya checkpoint. They harassed him, citing similar names as a pretext, despite knowing the activist. HTS members insulted the activist and his family, leaving them in their car, conducting multiple searches, confiscating equipment, and detaining him for two hours while keeping his wife and children in the car. Imam shared a post on his Facebook page, later deleted, recounting the incident: On Monday, passing through the Ghazawiya checkpoint around six oclock, I was stopped under the pretext of name similarity with a wanted person. Despite informing them of my identity as journalist Adnan Imam, there was no response. He recounted, An hour later, the member instructed to bring me in for questioning and seize my mobile phone. At this point, I lost my mind. How can I get arrested and my family is waiting in the heat? After a couple of hours, he inquired about the equipment in my car, and I mentioned my camera. He then instructed me to retrieve it, only to confiscate it promptly. To my dismay, one member breached the sanctity of my car under the guise of an inspection, all while my family remained inside. Activists discussing the Imams case highlighted a statement he released, expressing, I endured over two hours of questioning, feeling a level of humiliation surpassing that of the period from 2011 until now. The experience left me feeling imprisoned by the Assad regime simply for being a revolutionary. He went on, My thoughts were with my wife and children waiting outside; all I wanted was to access the internet to instruct a relative to take them home. However, I was unable to communicate with anyone until one of my friends arrived. According to information from the Shaam Network, the activist encountered various restrictions and practices during his time in Idleb. He faced charges related to filming and collaborating with Orient TV, a network banned in HTS-controlled areas. The activist was summoned multiple times in the past months, leading to restrictions on his media activities in Idleb, revocation of his press card, and the circulation of his name at checkpoints to limit his movements. Following the intervention of the Syrian Media Association, a team visited the Ghazawiya crossing to address the activists case. During this visit, HTS members arrested one team member, Ismail al-Raj, on charges of smoking in the car. He was released after less than an hour. Adnan Imam was subsequently released and allowed to return to Idleb with his family. Security forces, in collaboration with the Media Relations Office of the Headquarters for HTS, employ various methods to monitor, intimidate, and manipulate media activists. This corresponds with their strategy of presenting themselves as protectors of media activities and the region, pursuing legal actions against individuals who diverge from their specified orientation. Simultaneously, HTS security arm continues to arrest numerous activists from the popular movement, detaining them in undisclosed prisons. While some were released after months of detention, charges often revolved around Facebook comments or expressing opinions contrary to or critical of HTS policies, along with accusations of collaboration with the West. Media outlets affiliated with the Syrian Salvation Government quoted government officials at the opening of the Ministry of Information building in Idleb. Some statements, according to observers, exaggerated the significance of the event, while others carried a condescending tone towards activists of the Syrian revolution. 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. On Monday, gunmen attacked Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) posts in Deir-ez-Zor, causing clashes and material damage. At the same time, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons called for restricting the supply of dual-use materials to Syria, leading to criticism from Damascus. Meanwhile, in Lattakia, residents use creative methods to obtain subsidized winter diesel amid slow distribution. In parallel, Turkish intelligence eliminated Bager Ondes, a PKK member responsible for drones, in a precision operation in Syria. Gunmen attack SDF posts in Syrias Deir-ez-Zor The Kurdish agency North Perss said that unknown gunmen launched Monday attacks on several posts of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern countryside of Deir-ez-Zor, eastern Syria. A military source in the SDF said that unknown gunmen targeted an SDF post with machine guns in the village of Zughair in the northwest of Deir-ez-Zor. Clashes followed the attack, forcing the attackers to flee without causing casualties or injuries. The source added that unknown gunmen also attacked several SDF posts in the villages of Shuhail, Shinan, and al-Jarzi on the bank of the Euphrates, where the SDF responded to the attacks, resulting in only material damages. Chemical weapons watchdog calls for restricting the supply of materials to Syria The pan-arab National wrote that the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has called on countries to stop supplies of dual-use material to Syria, which refocused international attention on one of the most gruesome aspects of the countrys civil war. This call to restrict chemical transfers to Syria was heavily criticized by Damascus. The move compensates for failed political campaigns by Western nations, such as the fabrication of incidents of chemical weapons use, the ministry said in a statement. The OPCW move could undermine a drive by President Bashar Al Assad to re-engage with the international community, which was cut off following the outbreak of civil war in Syria in 2011. Lattakia residents resort to tricks to obtain subsidized winter diesel The opposition website Enab Baladi has reported that many residents of Lattakia resort to a creative method to obtain their allocations of heating diesel early. To do so, they register and head to municipalities in very cold areas. The process of distributing diesel in Latakia began at the beginning of November, but it is proceeding at a very slow pace. Fortunately for the people, winter and its cold weather were delayed a little this year. On September 1, the regimes Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources announced the start of registration for heating diesel for the winter, starting with an amount of 50 litres as a down payment only for each family, without announcing the number of payments allocated for the entire winter season. The Ministrys statement stated that priority for delivery after registration will be for families who did not receive their allocations during the last season, and this is determined based on the previous purchase of heating diesel. The allocation of heating diesel for each Syrian family amounts to 200 litres, which was distributed in two batches of 100 litres each until 2021 when the government announced a reduction in the number of allocations to 50 litres in one batch. Turkish intelligence eliminates PKKs drone man in Syria The Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah has claimed that the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) announced that Bager Ondes, a member of the PKK terrorist group in charge of the groups drones and technical equipment, was neutralized in Syria in a precision operation. Neutralized is a term used to describe terrorists captured dead or alive. In most cross-border operations by MIT, terrorists are usually eliminated by unmanned drones. MIT has stepped up operations in Iraq and Syria to eliminate PKK terrorists in the past years, utilizing field agents and drones. Ondes, also known as Akif Amed, was in Syrias Tal Rifaat, working for the YPG, the Syrian wing of the terrorist organization whose presence stretches from Iraqs north to Syrias lawless northeast. Progress in Repatriations: How Foreign Assistance Is Addressing the Humanitarian and Security Crises in Northeast Syria: Part 1 of 2 The U.S. State Department has said that, as a result of intense diplomatic efforts by Washington, between 2022 and 2023, almost 30 countries repatriated nearly 7,000 family members associated with foreign terrorist fighters from northeast Syria, reducing the population in al-Hol displaced persons camp to fewer than 48,000 people. Between 2011 and 2019, tens of thousands of men, women, and children left their homes to fight for the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and its al-Qaida affiliate predecessor. Following the global Coalitions territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019, our local partners detained ISIS fighters and relocated associated family members to displaced persons camps in northeast Syria. Roughly 50 percent of al-Hol camp residents are under 12 years of age and unless action is taken, they will remain vulnerable to ISIS recruitment. Children and families of ISIS fighters require basic life support services and advanced rehabilitation and reintegration support, which the de facto NES authorities cannot effectively provide. Erbil residency office warns Kurdish-Syrian citizens not travel to federal provinces The Iraqi Kurdish website Kurdistan24 has said that the Erbil residency office notified it on Monday that Syrian Kurds who have Kurdistan Region residency permits should not travel to provinces under the control of Iraqi federal authorities as they might face arrest and deportation. The arrest and deportation are politically motivated, the official said, adding authorities in the center and south Iraq do not sometimes recognize our residency permits. Therefore, I do advise Rojava [Syrian Kurdistan] citizens not to travel there, he said. Efforts at internal mediation have so far been unsuccessful in resolving the rift between Sheikh and Julani, Syria TV writes. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is currently facing internal turmoil that could impact the authority of its leader, Abu Muhammad al-Julani. According to information from Syria TV, a prominent leader named Jihad Issa al-Sheikh, also known as Abu Ahmed Zakour, is at a crossroads due to differences with Julani. This dispute originated months ago with the arrest of another leader, Abu Maria al-Qahtani, who is close to Sheikh, on charges of cooperating with foreign parties. Efforts at internal mediation have so far been unsuccessful in resolving the rift between Sheikh and Julani. A meeting held at the end of last November failed to bring about any understanding between the two sides. The disagreement escalated when the security apparatus of HTS attempted to arrest individuals close to Sheikh two weeks ago. Unofficial information suggests that the arrest attempt was related to a new campaign against agents of the international coalition. To avoid arrests, Sheikh and his associates relocated to the Afrin area. Causes of the crisis Insiders familiar with the internal dynamics of HTS have confirmed to Syria TV that the strained relationship between Sheikh and Julani is an extension of the crisis that unfolded within the organization in August of 2023. The crisis began with the arrest of Qahtani and the subsequent leakage of information about his associates to the international coalition. According to the sources, the leader of HTS contemplated arresting Sheikh as well but refrained from taking this step due to internal considerations and the potential repercussions. There are concerns about the significant influence wielded by Sheikh, preventing decisive action. Reports indicate that Julani received information suggesting that Qahtani and Sheikh were involved in a coup attempt against his authority. The alleged plan included installing Sheikh as a replacement for Julani. The sources also highlighted dissatisfaction with Sheikh and Qahtani concerning Julanis concentration of influence and power within the organization, particularly favoring those close to him, such as his brother and brothers-in-law, including someone known as al-Mughira Badawi. Information obtained by Syria TV indicates that Julani has become increasingly wary of Qahtani and Sheikh working to establish influence independently from the organizations leadership, particularly in the areas of Afrin and Azaz. Both leaders have played key roles in infiltrating these areas on behalf of HTS for several years, cultivating relationships with military groups that defected from significant factions in the Syrian National Army. However, Julani now perceives that Sheikh has linked these groups specifically to himself and aims to strengthen ties with military commanders in the national army to expand his influence. Possible repercussions of the crisis The current crisis holds potential repercussions as the leader in dispute with Julani holds sway over tribal groups across different areas of northern Idleb and has connections with military factions operating in regions controlled by the National Army, such as the Shahba gathering. If the dispute remains unresolved, theres a possibility of cracks emerging in Julanis influence in certain areas. Additionally, opportunities for dominance in Afrin and Azaz, extending to the Hamran crossing for fuel entry into northern Syria, may be lost. The crisis might escalate to involve other dissatisfied leaders concerned about favouritism within the organization. Noteworthy is the stance of the influential security figure, Abu Ahmed Hudud, who attempted to mediate the dispute without absolute support for Julani. This suggests potential resentment toward the concentration of power within HTS. Sheikh possesses detailed information about the history of HTS and is privy to nuances that the HTS leader prefers not to expose. This knowledge, coupled with his military significance, underscores his importance in the unfolding situation. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The reasons behind Russia's decision to remove Shulgin from his post remain unclear, according to al-Souria Net. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a presidential decree relieving Alexander Shulgin of his duties as Russias permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Russian ambassador to the Netherlands. According to reports from Russian news agencies, Putin also signed a separate decree naming Vladimir Tarabrin as Shulgins successor in these positions. Tarabrin, formerly the director of the Department of New Challenges and Threats at the Russian Foreign Ministry, will now assume the roles of permanent representative to the OPCW and Russian ambassador to the Netherlands. After a significant loss The reasons behind Russias decision to remove Shulgin from his post remain unclear, but it coincided with developments following a session of OPCW, where Russia experienced a significant loss in membership. A week after the OPCW session, it became apparent that Moscow failed to secure the necessary votes for the renewal of its membership in the OPCWs 2024 Executive Council. This marks the first instance where Russia has not succeeded in securing a seat on the Executive Council, which serves as the decision-making platform for the OPCW. The competition for the three available seats on the council involved four Eastern European countries: Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania. Unfortunately, Russia was excluded from obtaining a seat. Twenty-one FAO Member States were successfully elected to join the Executive Board in 2024. In response to the election results, the Russian Foreign Ministry commented that, despite not securing a seat on the Executive Council, Russia will continue to play the most active role on the platform of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The ministry attributed this outcome to what it described as anti-Russian aspirations of Western countries, severe political pressure on their opponents, blackmail, and threats. Shulgin and Assads Chemicals Alexander Shulgin has steered Russias engagement with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) since his appointment in 2015, concurrently serving as the Russian representative to the Netherlands. Notably, Shulgin emerged as a prominent advocate for the Assad regime within the organization. He consistently opposed resolutions condemning President Bashar al-Assad for deploying chemical weapons against his own populace. Accusing the OPCW of politicizing its mission, Shulgin often decried what he perceived as the organizations alignment with the lies and fabrications of the United States and its allies. Frequently visiting Damascus, Shulgin engaged with regime officials, notably participating in a Russian-Syrian diplomatic seminar last September focused on the OPCWs work. In 2021 statements, Shulgin asserted that the organizations technical secretariat disregarded approximately 200 notes verbales from Russia regarding alleged provocations by terrorists in Syria. He lamented the lack of responses to these communications. International investigators have documented multiple chemical attacks by the Assad regime post its 2013 accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention. The regime, however, denies such allegations, asserting full compliance with the Chemical Ban Treaty. A report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights implicated Russia directly in the regimes concealment and reuse of significant chemical weapon stockpiles, operating under Russian protection. The report claimed that 29 countries, led by Russia, obstructed accountability efforts and the dismantling of Assads chemical program. Despite the OPCW issuing ten resolutions over the years aimed at eliminating Assads chemical capabilities, destroying production facilities, safeguarding victims rights, and holding perpetrators accountable, these efforts were consistently thwarted by 29 countries, including Russia. This obstruction, orchestrated by Alexander Shulgin, has been criticized as shameful, allegedly emboldening the regime to persist in chemical attacks. 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. As reported by SANA, Mekdad reaffirmed Syria's unwavering support for the Palestinian people's legitimate struggle. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Mekdad emphasized in his meeting with the Deputy Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Jamil Mezher, the imperative to halt the Israeli occupation forces campaign of extermination against the Palestinian people and the accompanying crimes against humanity. Mekdad called for holding the Zionist entity accountable and prosecuting its officials for their actions. As reported by SANA, Mekdad reaffirmed Syrias unwavering support for the Palestinian peoples legitimate struggle for an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. He emphasized the urgency to stop the Israeli occupation forces war of extermination, condemning their crimes, including the siege, destruction of hospitals and residential areas, and attempts at displacement. Mekdad also denounced the efforts by the Zionist entity and its Western supporters to justify their actions under the pretext of self-defence, urging accountability for the crimes committed by the Zionist entity and its officials against the Palestinian people. In response, Mezher conveyed the PFLPs deep appreciation for Syrias clear and resolute support of the Palestinian cause. He praised Syrias stance in backing the Palestinian peoples struggle and resistance against the Zionist project, aiming to regain their rights and establish an independent state. Mezher highlighted the historic significance of October 7th as a day of victory over the Israeli enemy and its security apparatus. He emphasized that this day would be etched in the memory of Palestinians, Arabs, and humanity at large, showcasing the possibility of defeating the enemy and achieving victory for the Palestinian people. The meeting included the presence of the Director of the Arab Affairs Department, Ambassador Riyad Abbas, the Director of the Executive Support Department, Minister Counselor Jamal Najib, and, from the Palestinian side, members of the Front leadership, Maher al-Taher, Omar Murad, Ahmed Khalif, and Abu Ahmed Fouad. During a previous meeting on the 25th of last month with the Secretary-General of the PFLP, General Command, Talal Naji, and his delegation, Mekdad reiterated Syrias rejection of any attempts to displace the residents of Gaza and Palestinians in general from their cities and villages. 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. Night school boom reflects Chinese youth's pursuit of personal fulfillment, defying 'lying flat' narrative 10:27, December 05, 2023 By Lin Xiaoyi and Xie Wenting ( Global Times Working during the day and acquiring new skills at night is becoming a new way of life for young people in China. From dancing to vocal training, from traditional handicrafts, beauty, and fitness classes, to wine tasting and vlog filming, the list of possibilities for new learning experiences is seemingly limitless. These diverse options, cost-effectiveness, and highly qualified teachers have made "night school," a concept that used to carry a sense of nostalgia in China, popular once more, especially among China's younger generation. This trend first started in Shanghai. During the enrollment of the Citizen Night School for Arts for the autumn semester in September, more than 650,000 people competed for 10,000 course spots, causing the enrollment platform to crash. Then, in a short period of time, the night school trend spread across China. Night schools hold a special place in the memories of many Chinese people. From literacy classes after the establishment of the People's Republic of China to evening lectures at universities in the 1980s, generations of young people have, for decades, attended night school to supplement their cultural and technical knowledge. However, the current wave of young people enrolling in night schools is driven more by their interests, with the aim of enriching their personal, spiritual, and cultural fulfillment. Observers have pointed out that the night school boom is in line with the current economic situation and young people's living conditions. Unlike the Western media's portrayal of Chinese young people's "lying flat" mindset under work pressure, attending night schools reflects the diversified growth needs of Chinese youth. "In a stable economic and social situation, the popularity of night classes is a very common situation as many young people can afford them and have leisure time to attend classes they like, and more importantly, seek to improve their cultural knowledge and mental outlook," Zhang Yiwu, a Chinese language and literature professor at Peking University, told the Global Times. A new nightlife "Like light, full of anticipation, night school may be the first time our generation has actively developed interests that are non-utilitarian," said Xu Lili, a 27-year-old advertisement planner in Beijing. Xu told the Global Times that she spent an entire weekend carefully selecting night school institutions and courses on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), a popular lifestyle sharing social media platform in China, before actually attending classes. Finally, she chose a street dance class that was close to her workplace, taught by a graduate from the Beijing Dance Academy. The course cost 700 yuan ($98) for 10 classes and was transferable to friends. "After experiencing the course, I felt it was really good. The atmosphere was great, and I've made many new friends here," Xu said. "We are also discussing taking Chinese pastry baking and drama appreciation classes together next." Far from the relatively arduous matriculation process during school days, Xu said that for her, learning about art allows her to temporarily escape from the stresses of her job. Xu said she did not have any specific expectations for her learning outcomes, but rather wants to try a wide range of courses and find a hobby that can provide her with personal satisfaction. "Night school allows me to find my passion with minimal cost and also helps me realize that there are more interesting friends and a life beyond work," Xu said. Chinese people have always had a strong thirst for knowledge. But currently, attending night school now is very different from the nationwide night school craze in the early 1980s. Nowadays, attending night school reflects the diversified growth needs of the contemporary youth. "It is completely driven by interests, with the aim of enriching our spiritual and cultural lives," Xu said. In Professor Zhang Yiwu's views, the popularity of night class is one of the best examples, which can dispel the notion that young people in China are "lying flat" for a purposeless life, as portrayed by some Western media outlets. He noted that in Chinese society, a large portion of young people have enough income to meet basic survival needs and have enough left over to focus on their interests. They don't necessarily have to work extremely hard to earn a stable income, which allows them to easily afford night school or other forms of self-improvement. In China, there are diverse lifestyle choices that can support both personal growth and a fulfilling leisure life, Zhang pointed out. "The desire for self-improvement and enrichment is strong among the younger generation, and it extends beyond work. There is a significant proportion of young people who are able to maintain a good living in society and still have time to pursue interests. This phenomenon of enhancing personal development is not surprising and is a natural result of social progress," he said. A communication channel "From the beginning, I was worried that the night school courses in a second-tier city would not attract enough people and might not be able to run. But the reality proved that I was overly concerned," Zheng Lifu, who transformed his art training center into a night school in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times. Just three days after Zheng posted enrollment information for courses at the night school on Xiaohongshu, he received over 300 private messages inquiring about the courses. Within a week, he had successfully opened classes for Guqin and jazz dance, attracting more than 100 participants. "The demand for young people today to reconstruct their cultural lives and cultivate their interests after work is real," Zheng said. Currently, Zheng is expanding his night school business further. "The courses are in high demand overall, and we are further assessing the intentions of the students and planning to recruit new qualified teachers to launch more popular courses," he said, noting that his institution aims to provide inclusive entry-level courses while also creating advanced courses to meet the needs of students who want to further enhance their skills. The Global Times has found that there are roughly three types of night school operation modes currently available on the market. The first type is night schools with official backgrounds, which are established through the coordination of local governments, community organizations, village committees, and training institutions. The second is night schools initiated by training institutions, similar to Zheng's, which offer affordable introductory courses and target long-term course applicants. The third is night schools run by individuals or teams who act as intermediaries, connecting students with institutions and earning a portion of the enrollment fee. All of these operating models are striving to achieve precise alignment with the knowledge demands of young people. "There are two types of content that easily attract attention on social platforms: 'Where to go after work' and 'Where to go at weekends'" Kevin Wang, a 32-year-old finance industry worker in Shanghai, has devoted all his free time to operating his self-developed community platform Weekend Charging. This young offline social platform, which has been in operation for over a year, started to focus on night school management a month ago. Wang noted that the night school operation model of Weekend Charging involves cooperation with training institutions to offer interesting courses that young people may not easily come across, such as ukulele, horse riding, and woodwork and leather goods production, in order to lower the learning threshold and cultivate interests and friendships, thus recharging their energies. Currently, there are over 1,000 active young people in the Weekend Charging community, participating in more than 20 different courses. Weekend Charging's first evening guitar class kicks off in Shanghai on November 25, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of Kevin Wang "Young people in big cities live in scattered locations and have diverse interests. We play a role in bridging the information gap between training institutions and colleges, and ensuring the cost-effectiveness of night school, a new learning and communication model for young people," Wang said. A career opportunity "The new form of night schools is currently thriving, but still in the early stages of development," said Wang. "Everyone is exploring uncharted territory, hoping to establish a comprehensive and smooth operational system that covers courses, pricing, faculty, and after-sales support, in order to foster positive growth and attract and retain the enthusiasm of young learners." Wang pointed out that the operation of Weekend Charging night school is still in its infancy, and as all members are part-time, they have not yet achieved substantial profits. "Our core team consists of only 5-6 people, who have come together out of interest and are truly proud to be involved in the night school industry as a career opportunity," he stressed. Wang added that many people find their work meaningful during the classes and continue to sign up. "Although there is uncertainty; we are full of hope for the future of night schools," he said. The upgraded night schools are also striving to keep up with the times and maintain their appeal to young people. As the number of students continues to grow, operational challenges also increase. Wang hopes that in the future, the government and private forces will join forces. "Only when this trend passes can high-quality night schools with unified standards be better sustained." "For some people, attending night school may be a temporary phase, but overall, this social trend includes enhancing self-cultivation and self-improvement in the fields of aesthetics, art, and culture, among others, and also helps create a new industry that benefits social and economic development," Zhang said. "The trend will not change." (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Brandi Smith, left, and Justin Stapleton, right, at the Houston Zoo Conservation Gala. Gary Fountain/Contributor KHOU 11 Brandi Smith covering news stories in the local areas. Brandi Smith KHOU 11 Brandi Smith, middle, in the studio during a news segment. Brandi Smith KHOU 11 Brandi Smith taking a selfie at her first day as a multimedia journalist for Rice University. Brandi Smith Brandi Smith announced her departure from KHOU 11 on social media Saturday. However, she's continuing her journalism career in Houston. Smith, who currently has a profile on the staff page of the Rice University website, wrote Monday on Facebook that she started her first day as a multimedia journalist covering arts and humanities programs, faculty, students and events. "Houston, thank you for trusting me with your stories and allowing me to share with our community," she wrote in Saturday's Facebook post. "This 22-year whirlwind of a career has been a blessing beyond blessings and it's not over yet, though my chapter at KHOU 11 is." Advertisement Article continues below this ad BROADCAST DEPARTURES: 2023 was a year of moves for Houston TV anchors and news stations According to her LinkedIn profile, Smith worked at KHOU 11 for a little more than six years. She has worked as a multimedia journalist, social media and morning anchor, and digital anchor. Smith's digital presence has earned her more than 41,000 followers on Facebook, 15,600 followers on Instagram, 14,200 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, 315,000 followers on TikTok and 2,000 on Threads. TRENDING NEWS: Janelle Bludau leaves KHOU 11, changes careers after years of Texas coverage Smith also refers to herself as a "trailblazing multimedia storyteller," according to her LinkedIn page. Advertisement Article continues below this ad From covering stories on live television to producing and writing news updates for social media to producing and anchoring the KHOU 11+ digital channel and conducting newsletters, Smith has made her mark at the Houston station. Smith was invited to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" for a sit-down interview with Roberson and his wife, who thanked her for helping. TRENDING NEWS: KHOU 11 anchor, FOX 26 meteorologist leaving news channels Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to LinkedIn, Smith has worked in Oregon at KPIC-TV, Oregon Daily Emerald, KOIN-TV, Chambers Communications, Cappelli Miles and Northwest Christian University. She also worked at KIVI-TV, Idaho Riff Magazine in San Francisco and 12NewsNow in Beaumont. While in Houston, she worked at KIAH-TV, REDNews Commercial Real Estate Marketing Source and, finally, KHOU 11. Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. The Jordanian army killed three drug smugglers at the Syrian border, seizing 233,000 captagon pills and hashish during the operation. At the same time, it was reported that rising meat prices in Deir-ez-Zor lead residents to turn to fishing along the Euphrates River, with locals facing security and access challenges imposed by the Syrian Democratic Forces. In parallel, still in northeastern Syria, a school-turned-shelter in Tel Hifyan leaves around 1,000 children deprived of education due to the influx of internally displaced persons from the Sere Kaniye region. Meanwhile, Turkish President Erdogan, during the GCC summit in Qatar, warns of the potential spill of Israels attacks into Syria, emphasizing the need for action against Israeli atrocities and criticizing Prime Minister Netanyahu. Jordan army says it killed three drug smugglers at Syria border According to Reuters, the Jordanian army said on Tuesday it killed three drug dealers during an operation that foiled the smuggling of large quantities of drugs across the border from Syria. About 233,000 captagon pills a mix of amphetamines and quantities of hashish were found during the bust, it said. The army said it had monitored a group of smugglers who had sought to cross the border and applied strict rules of engagement to shoot at first sight. Fishing, a dangerous profession provides Deir-ez-Zor with meat alternatives Enab Baladi has reported that soaring prices of meat and chicken in Deir Ezzor have forced some residents to turn to the fish market in the area concentrated along the Euphrates River. With the popularity of buying fish, many locals have turned to fishing and trading in fish. However, they still face difficulties, both security-related and in terms of access to the riverbed, as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) does not allow civilians to approach it. Omar al-Abdullah, a young man from the city of Deir-ez-Zor in eastern Syria, works as a fisherman. He told Enab Baladi that fish may not be cheap, but it represents an economical source of food for the people of Deir-ez-Zor on the banks of the Euphrates River. School-turned-shelters in NE Syria impact childrens education The Kurdish agency North Press said that around 1,000 children in the village of Tel Hifyan (al-Asfouriyah) are deprived of attending the village school, which has been transformed into a shelter housing IDPs from the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and its surrounding areas, in northeastern Syria. These IDPs were displaced after Turkish forces and their affiliated factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA) occupied the Sere Kaniye region in October 2019 after a military operation dubbed Olive Branch. The operation, which also targeted the Tel Abyad region, caused the displacement of approximately 300,000 original inhabitants. Erdogan calls for action before Israels attacks spill into Syria According to the Turkish newspaper the Daily Sabah, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended, during the second day of his visit to Qatar, the 44th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit that brought together major Muslim countries in the region. The summit naturally focused on the Palestine-Israel conflict and what the Muslim, Arab world and international community in general could do to halt Israels atrocities. Erdogan reiterated his warning on the risk of the conflict spreading to the wider region and denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he had earlier branded as a butcher. Dwight Sutherland turned on his bathroom sink and began lightly scrubbing on the faucet spout. Tiny black chips flaked off the faucet and whisked down the drain. Sutherlands family has lived on Nevada Drive for 32 years. The house is just north of Longviews city limits but gets water from the city via the Beacon Hill Water and Sewer District. For the last decade, Sutherland said hes been fighting against the small particles of manganese that have come through his pipes. Not all of his neighbors have had the same issue, which Sutherland found hard to believe. They dont know how to look for it. You wouldnt even know it until you get a drop of black slime in your glass, Sutherland said. Longview was flooded with water quality complaints after it first made the switch to a new source a decade ago. Now, water system officials in Longview and Beacon Hill said complaints have trickled down to a handful per year. Most revolve around manganese, especially the way it comes off old pipes and water mains. Manganese is a non-toxic raw element that is largely invisible as the water flows but can leave behind a notable residue. At the Sutherlands home, he said it builds up enough in a week to slow water flow from faucets, and enough over a year to start blocking the holes in the familys washing machine. On occasion, manganese buildups will cause a drop of black slime to fall from faucets, he added. The wells that are the source of Longviews water have between 0.5 and 0.8 milligrams of manganese per liter of water. If not filtered through the water plant, those raw manganese levels are twice as much as the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health consider potentially dangerous for infants. That much manganese does not make it into the citys water. Longviews last two water quality reports to the Washington Department of Health, provided in 2016 and 2017, showed manganese levels in the main water system are below 0.01 mg/L. Longviews water treatment plant uses pressure filters to remove manganese and iron from the water until theyre well within safe levels. As much as we want to filter out all those minerals, you cant do anything to 100%, Longviews Public Works Director Ken Hash said. What is manganese? Manganese is considered a secondary contaminant for water, meaning it isnt considered a health risk at the same level as arsenic, lead or chemical contamination. The standards for secondary contaminants are not enforced by the EPA because they generally affect the waters appearance and taste instead of health. The Washington Department of Health issues a do-not-use advisory for water systems with high levels of manganese, which is 1 mg/L for the general population and 0.3 mg/L for infants. The department has never issued an advisory for Longview. For decades Longview had pulled its water from the Cowlitz River. The city began looking for a new source because of the high levels of volcanic silt in the river since Mount St. Helens erupted. The excess silt broke the filters at the Fishers Lane Water Treatment Plant on multiple occasions in the mid-2000s. The Mint Farm Water Treatment Plant, opened in 2013, taps into an underground aquifer hundreds of feet below the Mint Farm section of town. But the groundwater quality sampling reports, which are posted on Longviews website, have found manganese at significant levels in the test wells and the source wells. An analysis of EPA water quality reports by Public Health Watch estimates about 2% of public water systems had more than 300 mg/L of manganese. Longview was not included in the review. Dell Hillger, district manager of Beacon Hill Water and Sewer District, said part of the issue is that Mint Farm and Fishers Lane are on opposite sides of town. For a lot of the citys water mains, that meant the water from the new treatment plant was going the opposite way it had gone for decades prior. Layers of manganese and iron that had built up in the pipes could be chipped off by the new flow. When you reverse the flow, a lot of those elements start coming off of the pipes, Hillger said. Hillger said the manganese that could get to individual homes depends on the age of the pipes, the homes location, and whether the houses water filter has been regularly cleaned. Safe but present Hillger said Beacon Hill only tests for the primary required contaminants to reduce customers expenses, so the district doesnt track the manganese levels regularly. Were trying to find a balance between the quality and the costs to the consumer. We have people now that are struggling to pay their water bill. Its tough to add another $10-$15 a month to their water bill, Hillger said. Longview installed a dissolved oxygen system to improve the waters silica issues a few years ago. Hash said the only way Longview could remove even more manganese from the water is reverse osmosis, where water is run through a filter at high pressure to concentrate the impurities into a smaller portion of the water. One gallon would go to the sewer system and one gallon would be used for drinking water. We average about 4 million gallons a day, so itd have to jump up to 8 million gallons, Hash said. The additional system would also be massively expensive. In 2014 city engineers looked into systems to soften the water quality and improve issues like manganese. At the time, leaders estimated the system would cost at least $35 million to add to the Mint Farm Water Treatment Plant, which is more than the plants total construction cost. At individual homes, a water filtration or re-circulation system would be the best way to further limit the effects of manganese. Sutherland wasnt happy with that answer. You shouldnt have to do that to get clean water, Sutherland said. 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Elon Musk's recent endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X (formerly Twitter) is the latest in a series of controversial statements the owner of the social media platform has made since he acquired it in 2022. Major brands, including Disney, Apple, and Microsoft, have decided to pause or suspend their advertising spending on X in recent weeks. Musk apologized for his post but then used profane language during an interview with New York Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin to challenge the advertisers' decision to suspend their advertising on the platform. He accused them of blackmail, prompting more companies, including US retail giant Walmart, to announce X ad suspensions. X chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, has addressed the controversy, pointing out that Musk apologizedwide-ranging. She also called his interview "wide ranging and candid" in a post, and reportedly told employees in a memo that it was "profound". Some brands have been gradually withdrawing their presence from X over the past year anyway. Companies have also acted after a recent report from left-wing advocacy group Media Matters for America said ads on X for brands like IBM have been appearing beside pro-Nazi content. X has filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, saying the report was "manufactured" in order to "drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp". But the most recent advertising freezes are particularly harmful to the platform's revenues because they unfold during months of the year when it typically sees increased spending on holiday promotional content. When a controversial event, statement or issue gains significant attention and triggers a large number of people to express their opinions and criticisms on social media, researchers call it an online firestorm. This creates virality around a topic, causing real-world implications. For example, in this study of 78 "online firestorms", 58% of companies involved saw a decrease in short-term brand perceptions, while 40% suffered similar long-term negative effects. But the impact of an online firestorm can vary widely, so what could X expect to happen after this latest controversy? Musk's behavior affects advertisers and users From a commercial standpoint, negative perceptions of Musk's controversial posts about social and business topics could spill over to affect brands that continue to advertise on Xthey may even be seen by consumers as supporting his stance, for example. Consumers often expect brands to take a stand on divisive topics (although less so in recent years). Failure to do so may encourage people to stop using a brand or buying their products. X's global audience is dominated by users aged between 25 and 49 years old, the age group with the most disposable income per household in many countries, including the UK and US. So, for businesses that maintain an active presence on X, Musk's statements could be detrimental. And from a social perspective, of course, Musk's behavior may involuntarily fuel the spread of hateful content and disinformation. Social media platforms and regulators have implemented measures to attempt to combat such content, including a clear policy on hateful conduct on X. However, Musk's recent outburst, alongside continued contention around content moderation decisions, has set a precedent that could redefine what is deemed acceptable on the platform. This shift poses the risk of a surge in incendiary and hateful content contrary to the platform's established policies. Exposure to such content has well documented repercussions, including causing mental and emotional distress. Such distress can encourage people to disengage from social media platforms. And for those that don't leave, a public figure's endorsement of false or untrue information can fuel the spread of disinformation on social media. The repercussions of this are far-reaching, including exacerbating social divisions, causing reputational harm, and undermining public safety. Managing online firestorms This situation highlights the responsibility that comes with an influential position such as Musk's in navigating the delicate balance between free expression and responsible communication online. If X did want to regain some of its lost footing around this issue, research shows that managing online firestorms can be challenging, but there are ways to mitigate the worst effects: 1. Respond in a timely way: Addressing the issue promptly is vital. A delayed response can aggravate the situation and make it more difficult to regain control of the narrative. 2. Be transparent: Transparency and honesty can help build trust and credibility. Offering an explanation of the steps being taken to rectify the situation could improve internet users' attitudes towards the platform, organization or person involved in the firestorm. 3. Engage positively: Engaging with audiences should be done in a positive and empathetic manner. Responding defensively or disengaging from a firestorm may only escalate the situation. Instead, focusing on finding common ground and solutions, or offering an apology if appropriate is preferable. Rather than taking these steps, once advertisers started withdrawing from X, Musk placed the blame on their shoulders. He even suggested their actions pose a severe threat to the platform's survival. But Musk's penchant for controversial behavior and outspoken remarks on sensitive social, political and business topics is surely more likely to cause both advertisers and users to continue to depart X, leading to the platform's demise. The ongoing tension certainly raises questions about the platform's future and the role of its high-profile owner in shaping its destiny. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Lena Denman heard five explosions outside her hotel room during her last trip to Ukraine. Fully knowing the dangers, she still plans to travel to Ukraine again this year to bring Christmas cheer to hospitalized children in a war zone. For the second year in a row, we are sending in toys for children at two pediatric hospitals, Denman, president of the Arlene Campbell Humanitarian Foundation, said. Both hospitals take care of children and each gift is anywhere from $10 to $15. Ill be going over to [Ukraine] to do the shopping in-person and deliver the toys in-person. Last year, the Arlene Campbell Humanitarian Foundation sent $2.5 million to medical humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Denman, the president of the foundation, personally oversaw the delivery of holiday gifts last year for children at the Kyiv Heart Institute and the Ukrainian Childrens Center for Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. Denman named her nonprofit the Arlene Campbell Humanitarian Foundation after her mentor, Arlene Campbell, who worked with cardiovascular surgeons in Ukraine. Arlene Campbell worked in Ukraine dating back to 1989. But a couple years later, Arlene passed away of diabetic complications, and her work went dormant. She was my mentor in California who first took me to Ukraine in 2000 when I was 16 years old. Denman said she was dedicated to bringing Campbells mission back to life by using the connections she made during her time in Ukraine. When I saw the 2014 invasion of Russia into Ukraine, I contacted doctors that I had previously kept in loose contact with over email over the years, and asked if there was a need for medical equipment in the country, she said. They confirmed that there was still a desperate need for medical equipment, so in 2016, I registered a nonprofit. Last year, Ukraine had a 24.5% unemployment rate, around the same amount of people that were unemployed during The Great Depression in the United States. The unemployment rate has lowered for this year to 19.4%, according to the International Money Fund. Oftentimes, these families cant even afford to buy food, Denman said. Its a terrible economic time due to the devastation of the war. This may be the only gift that a child receives this year. During her monitoring and evaluation trip, where officials were making sure all the money was going toward hospitals, Denman said she was able to see the devastation of the war zone for herself. In [May] 2022, which was my last trip, it was just devastating to see all of the rubble throughout the country, she said. There was one night at my hotel where I heard five explosions outside. If that defense system from the U.S. government hadnt blown a drone out of the sky, which was the sound that I heard, I could have been dead that night. Alongside medical supplies, the Arlene Campbell Humanitarian Foundation collaborated with toy stores in Kyiv last year to provide toys for children in cardiovascular hospitals. One hundred children and babies received gifts at the Childrens Center for Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery while 31 pediatric patients received gifts at the Heart Institute in Kyiv. Purchased toys came from toy store Antoshka. Last year, my assistant was there and she coordinated it all, she said. We got so much outpouring of support from the Brazos Valley that we were able to do a makeover of two play areas inside the hospital to give a safe place to play. While Ukrainian law changed to honor Christmas on the 25th, which is in line with Western standards, the Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on Jan. 7. Denman said their goal is to get toys to children by Dec. 25. We get everything from puzzles to dolls to My Little Pony, she said. Its stuff American kids would enjoy just as much as Ukrainian kids. The joy on the mothers faces is oftentimes richer than the childrens. Citizens of Kyiv are resilient but exhausted, Denman said, making any assistance incredibly important, especially during a time of giving. Anything that we get above and beyond will go toward our medical mission as well, she said. There has been a lot of brain drain, so to speak, where people who are in the medical community have left the country as refugees, or theyve been sent to the frontlines as physicians to take care of wounded soldiers. Overall, Denman said she feels indebted to Ukraine and hopes to continue giving back in honor of her passed mentor. I often get the question of, Why does a Texan care about people all the way overseas in Ukraine? And its because when I went to Ukraine when I was 16, it changed my life, she said. When I saw how much Ukrainians did with very little, I was so impressed that I came back and I dedicated myself to my academic studies, eventually becoming a college professor. For more information or to make a donation, visit arlenecampbell.org. Camp Logan, Circa 1917, now the site of Memorial Park Courtesy Memorial Park Conservancy Harris County Commissioners Court passed a resolution Tuesday honoring the Black soldiers of Camp Logan, just weeks after the U.S. Army overturned their convictions from 106 years ago. The tragedy stemmed from an incident in 1917 at Camp Logan now part of Memorial Park when a clash between Black soldiers and whites escalated into a racial riot. That night, 17 people, including five police officers, were killed. CAMP LOGAN HISTORY: Inside the history behind Camp Logan and how the 1917 Houston riot unfolded Advertisement Article continues below this ad After a military court convicted 110 Black soldiers of the 24th Infantry of mutiny, murder and assault, 13 of the soldiers were quickly hanged in secret without the ability to appeal their convictions. An additional six soldiers were executed later. Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis put forward a resolution on Tuesday honoring the soldiers of the all-Black 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment. County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, left turns to Celeste Bedford Walker, Capt. Paul Matthews and Clyde Lemon as he starts a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston, announcing that Commissioners Court will vote on a resolution that apologizes to the families of African American soldiers who were killed, beaten, and unjustly convicted during the 1917 Camp Logan Riot. The U.S. Army overturned the convictions of 110 Black soldiers in the Camp Logan Riots that took place in the summer of 1917 and involved the all-Black 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment, which was deployed in Houston to guard the construction of the Camp Logan training site, located in what is today Memorial Park. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and County Judge Lina Hidalgo announce during a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston, that Commissioners Court will vote on a resolution that apologizes to the families of African American soldiers who were killed, beaten, and unjustly convicted during the 1917 Camp Logan Riot. The U.S. Army overturned the convictions of 110 Black soldiers in the Camp Logan Riots that took place in the summer of 1917 and involved the all-Black 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment, which was deployed in Houston to guard the construction of the Camp Logan training site, located in what is today Memorial Park. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Celeste Bedford Walker, left, with County Judge Lina Hidalgo, from left, County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Capt. Paul Matthews and Clyde Lemon standing behind her, speaks during a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston, where it was announced that Commissioners Court will make a resolution that apologizes to the families of African American soldiers who were killed, beaten, and unjustly convicted during the 1917 Camp Logan Riot. The U.S. Army overturned the convictions of 110 Black soldiers in the Camp Logan Riots that took place in the summer of 1917 and involved the all-Black 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment, which was deployed in Houston to guard the construction of the Camp Logan training site, located in what is today Memorial Park. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer County Commissioner Rodney Ellis talks with Celeste Bedford Walker during a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston, announcing that Commissioners Court will make on a resolution that apologizes to the families of African American soldiers who were killed, beaten, and unjustly convicted during the 1917 Camp Logan Riot. The U.S. Army overturned the convictions of 110 Black soldiers in the Camp Logan Riots that took place in the summer of 1917 and involved the all-Black 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment, which was deployed in Houston to guard the construction of the Camp Logan training site, located in what is today Memorial Park. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Third Ward native Celeste Bedford Walker, a playwright whose work about Camp Logan brought attention to the incident speaks with County Judge Lina Hidalgo, from left, County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Capt. Paul Matthews and Clyde Lemon standing behind her, speaks during a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Houston, where it was announced that Commissioners Court will make a resolution that apologizes to the families of African American soldiers who were killed, beaten, and unjustly convicted during the 1917 Camp Logan Riot. The U.S. Army overturned the convictions of 110 Black soldiers in the Camp Logan Riots that took place in the summer of 1917 and involved the all-Black 3rd Battalion of the 24th Infantry Regiment, which was deployed in Houston to guard the construction of the Camp Logan training site, located in what is today Memorial Park. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer "We're here today to face that history," Ellis said at a news conference announcing the resolution, which is aimed at helping to restore the soldiers' legacy. People of color still grapple today with such injustices, Ellis added. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Third Ward native Celeste Bedford Walker, a playwright whose work about Camp Logan brought attention to the incident, said Tuesday that she made a promise at the soldiers' graves to tell their story. "I never thought this moment would come," Bedford Walker said. Last month, the U.S. Army held a ceremony at the National Buffalo Soldier's Museum in Houston to set aside the convictions and grant clemency to the soldiers. At Commissioners Court on Tuesday, Clyde Lemon, Houston NAACP Veterans Chair, who helped advocate for the pardons, said the resolution demonstrates the county's commitment to equal protection under the law. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "It is never too late to do right," Lemon said. Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to approve the measure. "It is 100 years late, but on behalf of Harris County I want to issue an apology to these soldiers," said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Memorial Park, where Camp Logan was once located, features a historical marker commemorating the incident. It was vandalized in 2017, shortly after the marker was restored and unveiled during a week of centennial events. Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, who represents the Memorial Park area, said the park can be a living link to Houston's past. Advertisement Article continues below this ad State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code A monthslong debate concerning the funding of a new ladder truck for the Rocky Mount Volunteer Fire Department continued between members of the Franklin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The supervisors agreed to wait until Boone District representative Ronnie Thompson returned next month before calling a vote to settle the long-running funding debate between Rocky Mount and Franklin County. In June, the Rocky Mount Town Council requested additional financial assistance from Franklin County to purchase a new truck for the fire department. The town requested $200,000 annually for the next 20 years, a substantial increase over what the county provides, which is estimated at around $90,000 a year. The ladder truck was ordered by Rocky Mount earlier this year for $2.3 million, and it is scheduled to be paid upon delivery in 2025. The town held an emergency meeting at the time to order the truck due to the cost increasing to $3.5 million if it waited for the next round of trucks to be available, according to Mayor C. Holland Perdue. When financed by the town over 20 years, the overall cost of the $2.3 million ladder truck is expected to increase to more than $4 million. In August, supervisors agreed to increase Franklin Countys funding by $50,000 a year to assist in paying for the ladder truck. The town turned down this offer, though discussion between localities continued. Blue Ridge District representative and Chairman Tim Tatum met with Perdue last month to develop a new proposal, which he presented Tuesday. The new 20-year proposal would increase what Franklin County provided for the Rocky Mount Fire Department by $50,000 in the next fiscal year. The amount would increase between $5,000 and $15,000 each until 2038 when payments from the county would max out at $200,000 for the final five years. The total allocation from the county to the town for the entire 20 years would be $2.45 million. Tatum asked for feedback from supervisors after presenting the proposal, which he said was in the middle of what the county originally offered and what Rocky Mount was requesting. His reasoning for the county offer was due to the fact that town residents also pay county taxes. That got me looking at it differently, Tatum said. For me, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Blackwater District representative Ronald Mitchell, also the captain of the Rocky Mount Volunteer Fire Department, was in full support of the proposal from Tatum. He said the department responds to between 500 and 600 calls per year with nearly 60% of those calls the department responds to being outside the town limits. Putting politics aside. Dont think youre voting for (the Rocky Mount) town council. Dont think its for the county. This ultimately benefits the membership of the Rocky Mount Volunteer Fire Department and the citizens, Mitchell said. Gills Creek District representative Lorie Smith questioned why the county should pay for a fire truck for Rocky Mounts volunteer fire department that has already been ordered by the town when it is not part of the countys public safety department. She said allowing funding to the town would be unfair to other volunteer fire departments in the county. Theyve already ordered this apparatus, Smith said. When they ordered it, in my world, you are planning on paying for it. Snow Creek District representative Nick Mitchell also questioned the proposal. He said discussions over major county purchases should come when the county is preparing its annual budget. The time for this is during the budget discussion, not right now, Nick Mitchell said. Both Mitchell and Smith also stated that a vote should be delayed until the two newly elected supervisors take their seats in January. Dan Quinn will be replacing Tommy Cundiff as the Union Hall District representative and Marshall Jamison will be replacing Ronald Mitchell as the Blackwater District representative. Ronald Mitchell disagreed with delaying the vote. He said he had worked on this issue for months and should vote on it. Im the current supervisor of the Blackwater District, Mitchell said. Weve been talking about this for months so Id like a little bit of respect as the current, sitting supervisor. Rocky Mount District representative Mike Carter said he wasnt against the funding proposal, but asked that Thompson be present before a vote was called for. That motion was passed unanimously by the board. AURORA Caleb Arnett of Aurora, who is accused of fatally stabbing his stepfather and injuring two other family members early Saturday, was arraigned Tuesday morning in Hamilton County Court on six charges, including first-degree murder. Arnett, 29, is charged with killing Ross Nickolaus, 48, and attacking the other two individuals on Fairview Drive in Aurora. Hamilton County District Court Judge Lynelle Homolka set bond at $2 million and scheduled Arnetts preliminary hearing for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 19. To be released from jail, Arnett must pay 10% of the $2 million. In addition to killing Nickolaus, Arnett is accused of attacking his mother, Theresa Arnett Nickolaus, and a teenage male. Besides first-degree murder, Arnett is charged with three counts of use of a deadly weapon (not a firearm) during the commission of a felony and two counts of first-degree assault. In the arrest affidavit, Aurora police officer Cody Barry said he was dispatched to 135 Fairview Drive at 1:22 a.m. He was called to an active disturbance in which one suspect had a knife and the reporting party (the minor) said there was blood everywhere. The minor reported that his brother had a knife and was covered in blood. When Barry arrived at 1:26 a.m., he observed a hysterical/emotional female victim running around a driveway of a residence covered in blood. The woman, Theresa Arnett Nickolaus, had severe wounds to her throat area. Barry later determined that she had sustained a severe laceration to her throat that extended across her windpipe, a puncture wound to her back, and a couple lacerations to her left arm. Barry asked Arnett Nickolaus where her house was. She pointed to 135 Fairview and stated he was inside in a white shirt. I believed Theresa was giving a description of the suspect, Barry wrote in the affidavit. Barry found the front door of the house locked. Through a window, Barry observed a white male wearing a white shirt soaked in blood. Barry recognized him as Caleb Arnett from previous contacts. When Barry entered through the back door, Arnett had what appeared to be a knife in a black sheath in his left hand. When Barry told Arnett to show his hands, he dropped the knife. Ross Nickolaus was found on the floor of his bedroom. Barry could not detect a pulse. The officer did not observe any defensive wounds on Nickolaus arms or hands while I pulled him from the bedroom, and it appeared Ross was lying in the bed when stabbed due to the amount of blood in the bed. Nickolaus was declared dead at the hospital. The teenager had a severe laceration on his right hand. The woman was first taken to CHI St. Francis in Grand Island and later taken by medical helicopter to CHI Health Creighton University Bergan Mercy in Omaha. The teenager was taken to the hospital by a deputy, because no ambulances were left on the scene. According to the affidavit, he required stitches to his hand. The prosecutor in the case is Hamilton County Attorney Douglas Dexter. Arnett is being represented by Robert Kortus of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy in Lincoln. Grand Island Regional Medical Center (GIRMC) has been designated a Level IV, Basic Level Trauma Center by the state of Nebraska, in accordance with the Nebraska Statewide Trauma System Regulations. At GIRMC, we strive to provide Grand Island and the surrounding communities with high-quality, comprehensive emergency care, says GIRMCs chief executive officer, Drew Waterman. Becoming a trauma-designated hospital highlights our capabilities to stabilize and treat traumatically injured patients, showing our commitment to our mission to advance the health of individuals in our region through collaboration with physicians and communities. In alignment with our One Team, One Purpose core value, this achievement is the culmination of dedicated work by multiple teams to improve best practices, says a GIRMC news release. As required by the trauma designation, GIRMC demonstrates standards of commitment, clinical and technological resources, and staff training. GIRMC also participates in a continuous performance improvement process and provides educational opportunities in trauma care. GIRMC Trauma Coordinator Andrea Lentz said, Our experienced team of trauma physicians and nurses are available 24/7 to assess, treat and stabilize patients as a Level IV Trauma Center. They work well with our local general and orthopedic surgeons, providing excellent, quality patient care. Grand Island Regional Medical Center will host a Trauma Designation Celebration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Emergency Department tours and light refreshments will be available. Grand Island Regional Medical Center opened its Emergency Department in November of 2020, shortly after the hospital opened its doors in August of 2020. GIRMC currently sees approximately 800 to 900 patients per month. A Grand Island man is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced Friday to more than 50 years in federal prison for years of sexual abuse of children. Scott Lee Meyer, 34, already was a convicted sex offender last year when law enforcement took a search warrant to the home he shared with Scott Simmons, who he'd met in a Nebraska prison while they both were serving sentences for child-sex offenses. At Meyer's sentencing Friday, Federal Public Defender Jessica Milburn said she had represented a range of sexual offenders, some who expressed shame or confusion. One who kidnapped a girl who didn't think he'd done anything wrong. "And I've had lots of other cases, lots and lots of these cases," she said. Milburn said there was one distinction between Meyer and many of the others. When he went to prison in 2013 he thought maybe he could be cured and wanted treatment. But then he hooked up with Simmons at a time when he was especially vulnerable. "He did want to be fixed, cured, something. And nobody really knows what that is. Nobody knows if it's treatment. If it's a physical treatment," Milburn said, referring to castration. "I think that's coming from him genuinely, which is different to me than what I've seen in many of these cases." She said Meyer accepts that what he's done has affected so many lives and is so egregious, "so he knows prison is the end all, be all for him maybe for the rest of his life." Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessie Smith called it a very serious case deserving of a very serious sentence. She said Meyer and Simmons produced images depicting child sexual abuse for around four years. And because they both were convicted sex offenders, they were cautious, sharing the images directly with people they knew or through the dark Internet, careful not to show their faces or their victims'. They started showing up less than two years after Meyer's release from prison. Smith said that after investigators served the search warrant Aug. 25, 2022, searches of Meyer's and Simmons' cellphones turned up more than 400 files of child sexual abuse they had produced of their victims, all within the previous four months. They often used costumes to hide their identities and evade detection, Smith said. "The abuse of these young children lasted for four years, and it was sadistic," she said. Smith said the children said Simmons was more sadistic than Meyer, but Meyer was more grooming of them. They groomed their parents, too, paying for vacations and birthday parties and having sleepovers, to gain access to their children. "Mr. Meyer, although repentant, is one of the more dangerous sex offenders to be sentenced by this court in recent years," Smith said. She asked for a sentence that essentially equated to a life sentence. "The defendant's past record shows that he's not able to respond to therapy very well. And he used cloaking methods to avoid detection this time," Smith said. In almost a whisper, Meyer who had pleaded guilty to charges of production of sexually explicit images of children and conspiracy to produce it said it was a tragic case all around. "I'm so sorry to the victims, to the family, to the community," he said. Then, Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced him to 52 years in federal prison, which has no parole. He said there were at least four children, ages 7 to 13, "that will never be the same again" that were victimized by Meyer and Simmons. And not just once or twice, but over a lengthy period of time. "You were there, you groomed, you participated," the judge said. In July, he sentenced 43-year-old Simmons to 60 years in federal prison. There is no parole in federal prison. Both also were ordered to pay $11,250 in restitution and a $9,000 special assessment, which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of crimes. A Sutherland man was sentenced to prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm Monday in Lincoln County District Court. Charles T. Tederman, 56, was sentenced to four to six years in the Nebraska Department of Corrections. Piccolo gave him 251 days' credit. In September, Tederman pleaded no contest to felony possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. As part of the plea deal, another case was dismissed with prejudice. According to court records, Tederman had an active warrant for his arrest in Lincoln County. Nebraska state troopers went to his house to make the arrest. When they found Tederman at his residence, he agreed to come peacefully, but wanted to put his shoes on first. Troopers said they needed to go inside with him for safety reasons. When they entered his residence, a trooper observed a Savage .22 long rifle along with paraphernalia for smoking methamphetamine. The paraphernalia tested negative for controlled substances, but Tederman was a previously convicted felon, earning him the additional felony charge. Best public colleges in Nebraska Best public colleges in Nebraska #3. University of Nebraska at Kearney #2. University of Nebraska at Omaha #1. University of Nebraska - Lincoln Omaha police have arrested a man in connection with the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Mauricio Chavez on Nov. 17. Zadik Motino, 18, is suspected of second-degree murder in the killing of Chavez, who was found suffering from a gunshot wound at the Sippin Sirens bar at 42nd and H streets at about11:15 p.m. that night, according to a news release from the Omaha Police Department. Chavez was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with lifesaving measures in progress, but he was declared dead at the hospital, police previously said. Motino is also suspected of use of a weapon to commit a felony and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person and also had an active felony warrant out of Sarpy County, according to the release. The investigation remains ongoing. Top Journal Star photos for December 2023 LINCOLN State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon made one thing clear at a legislative hearing Friday about allowing more people to carry guns in schools as a way to boost security. Hes not interested in forcing teachers to carry weapons, he said. Nor is he necessarily looking to authorize anyone besides off-duty law enforcement officers to carry weapons on school grounds or at school events. State law already allows armed on-duty officers at schools. Brewer said there are a number of factors to consider before he would propose authorizing other armed people in schools. Those include figuring out what training and screening would be necessary for those people. But he told members of the Education Committee at the interim study hearing that he wants to find ways that the state can help local school districts better protect children and staff. I think we would be very neglectful of our students if we dont look at all the options possible, he said. Our laws order parents to send their kids to school. I believe that leaves us with an obligation to protect the kids while they are there. Only invited testifiers spoke at the hearing. They offered several ideas aimed at making schools safer. The ideas included allowing trained people to carry weapons on school grounds, training school staff to treat wounded students and standardizing school maps for use by first responders. Art Frerichs, a state trooper and member of the Morrill Public School board, urged the state to look at allowing off-duty law enforcement to carry weapons on school grounds or at school events. He said the change could help districts like Morrill, which cannot afford a school resource officer and where local law enforcement could be a long way away. He said the school is well-protected with locked doors and other measures during the day, but is less so during school events. Frerichs said off-duty law enforcement could help boost security at events, but the decision should be up to local school boards. Zach Kassebaum, superintendent of Lincoln Christian School, called for going a step further by allowing properly trained individuals that met necessary criteria to carry guns at schools. Currently, he said, Lincoln Christian relies on unarmed volunteers to provide security, in addition to such measures as security cameras, locked entrances and double doors. Those volunteers are intended to slow down attackers so staff and students have more time to protect themselves. Kassebaum said state law ties the hands of those security volunteers by barring them from being armed. He urged a change in the law to allow people with the right temperament and right training to carry weapons in schools. Allowing non-law enforcement people to carry weapons can ensure rapid response to attacks, said James Donahue, community security director at the Jewish Federation of Omaha and the Friedel Jewish Academy. He said having a trained, armed person on site also can deter shooters. James Irvine, with a group called FASTER Saves Lives, argued that the responsibility for saving staff and students is the job of schools, not law enforcement. He said his group trains school staff on using weapons to stop school violence and on providing immediate medical assistance to anyone wounded. He said the medical training, in particular, saves lives because it can stop people from bleeding to death before emergency medical staff can get to the scene. The measures needed in such situations are similar to those used on the battlefield, such as tourniquets, chest seals and wound packs. There is no denying that waiting on outside help increases fatalities, he said. Mike Rogers, CEO of Critical Response Group, called for schools to improve and standardize their building and campus maps to help law enforcement and emergency medical personnel respond to emergencies. He said seven states have now passed legislation to require such updates. Rogers, whose company does school mapping work, said the maps often become outdated because of building renovations or changes in usage of rooms. Many do not use the common geographic orientation of having north at the top of the map. Once maps are updated, he said, they need to be made available for use by multiple agencies that use multiple computer platforms. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of November 2023 Contractors for Union Pacific drops a well pipe into a hole under the sidewalk while setting up a testing site in 5th Ward for contaminants in the area near the Union Pacific rail yard on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 in Houston. Several testing sites are being installed near the Union Pacific rail yard near Liberty Road to test for potential creosote vapor intrusion. This is the first of several tests supervised by the EPA. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Flares burn at refineries east of the Sam Houston Parkway near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena. Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer Houston mayoral candidates Sheila Jackson Lee, left, and John Whitmire, right, will face a Dec. 9 runoff to see who will lead the city. Staff file photos Houston mayoral candidate U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee speaks during a forum hosted by Transportation Advocacy Group Houston Chapter on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Houston mayoral candidate and Texas Rep. John Whitmire speaks during a forum hosted by Transportation Advocacy Group Houston Chapter on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer While both candidates vying for Houston's mayoral seat have promised to advance environmental justice in the city, those commitments come with little formal power over its major polluters. John Whitmire and Sheila Jackson Lee vowed to continue working with Fifth Ward residents living over a toxic creosote plume, an issue that outgoing Mayor Sylvester Turner took on headily at the end of his tenure, and each pointed to their own history of supporting resident protests over environmental health concerns. This enthusiasm may be germane to an electorate living in the shadow of some of the nation's most polluting industries: A port city with no zoning laws, Houston features neighborhoods that have been sitting adjacent to industrial facilities and toxic dump sites for generations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Still, though Houston mayors act as board chair and chief executive with a 20,000-person workforce and a $6 billion budget, they have scant direct authority over environmental health issues impacting many city residents. "Because of the way that the environmental regulations are constructed, there's limited authority for city government," said Robert Bullard, who leads Texas Southern University's Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. "It has a bully pulpit, and it does have an environmental department that can work with communities and with city, county and state. But the real authority rests with the state and federal governments pushing the various regulated entities," he said. Houston's environmental justice history Bullard and other scholars have documented a pattern in Houston of polluters receiving little to no punishment when they are out of compliance with federal environmental laws regulated by states, such as the Clean Air Act or the Clean Water Act, or when they contaminate neighborhood water, air or soil. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In 1979, the city also became ground zero for the first systematic research on environmental racism when Bullard showed that the vast majority of its landfills, incinerators and solid waste sites were in Black neighborhoods. He is now commonly called the "father of environmental justice," a concept embraced most recently by President Joe Biden. Past mayors who have tried to advance specific environmental health goals have found a muddier path. Bill White, the city's mayor from 2004 to 2010, opened a new position in his office for a health and environmental policy director. Elena Marks, who held the role throughout his administration, attempted to regulate the oil and gas industry's indiscriminate release of benzene, a known carcinogen. Her team hoped to force companies to release less pollutants into communities, but though they tried to pass an ordinance on the issue, it was shot down by the state. "We couldn't make anybody do anything, the companies didn't owe us anything," Marks said, "in part because the powers of the city in environmental areas are trumped by state and federal laws in many cases, and in part because so many of the polluting facilities were outside city limits." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Instead, the team used the mayor's bully pulpit, along with data collection, awareness campaigns and the threat of litigation to try to get the area's industrial polluters to implement stricter pollution controls even though they were not legally obliged to. Marks said the strategy was successful. Still, many facilities in the Houston area stop short of using state-of-the-art technologies to reduce emissions. Fifth Ward cancer clusters Turner's administration has also leaned on data, litigation threats and a bully pulpit for the predominantly Black Fifth Ward residents living over a toxic creosote plume. The contamination started spreading decades ago from a rail yard now owned by Union Pacific. City and county legal pressure precipitated the company's ultimate decision to retest toxic exposure possibilities for people living on the plume, under EPA supervision. Then, in July, Turner publicly shamed company representatives for failing to support his launch of a fund and plan to relocate area residents who want to move, asking rhetorically: "How many people must be diagnosed with cancer? How many more people, including children, must die?" Advertisement Article continues below this ad Still, the mayor faces skeptics of his tactic, in part because residents' hopes and concerns are complex may would prefer to stay, if they knew they could be safe and in part because the city does not have the funds to support relocations for all the residents with homes directly above the contaminated aquifer. It will likely rely on private or federal contributions to the ongoing fund under the incoming administration. Mayoral candidates' big plans Whitmire, the leading mayoral candidate who has more frequently criticized Turner, called the initiative a "big mess" but made a commitment to continue fighting for the same residents. "There's not enough funding in the relocation. The worst thing you can do is give people false promises and false hope," Whitmire said, before noting that some residents would rather not move and others are confused as to why the city appears to still be permitting new construction in the area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whitmire, a state senator, said environmental justice itself is a high priority that he had worked on "before it was cool," honing in on issues such as the ongoing fight in his district against the placement of a landfill in predominantly Black Carverdale. Whitmire said he would use his state experience to put pressure on Austin-based environmental regulators but stop short of alienating industry and that he would use the full extent of his local authority to fight issues such as illegal dumping. Jackson Lee, his opponent and a frequent face at pollution-related rallies, took a more positive tone on Turner's work in Fifth Ward, saying "the mayor had the right approach to give people the option of relocating. " She also emphasized her own role in the process around the creosote site, as a federal representative who raised awareness and pushed for cancer cluster studies. Jackson Lee said she planned to lean on federal authorities' collaboration and funds, especially the Biden-era EPA, which she called "extremely vigorous." She also thought the city's nuisance laws had the ability to help her hold polluters to account. Artificial Intelligence Curriculum Associates Acquires SoapBox Labs, Gains AI Speech Recognition Tech Education technology company Curriculum Associates (CA) has acquired Ireland-based SoapBox Labs (SBL) to incorporate SBL's voice AI speech recognition technology into its instructional and assessment programs. SBL's voice engine recognizes and uses children's speech patterns to analyze and assess their language skills down to the phoneme level. SBL said most speech recognition technology is built on predominantly adult voice data, which is not useful for educating children. SBL's voice AI can recognize children's speech patterns from two years old and up. The speech engine has been trained to recognize kids' voices from thousands of hours of speech data from children across 193 countries, regardless of age, race, accent, or dialect. It has been tested to eliminate bias based on these factors, and is "highly accurate, returning pronunciation scores down to the level of individual phonemes," the company said. SBL said on its website that its top uses for voice technology in education are: Early literacy practice and assessment "from phonological and phonemic awareness to blending and decoding, letter sounds, words, and short sentences"; Reading fluency at all stages from phonics to oral reading and comprehension, including assessing "pronunciation, words correct per minute, reading errors, intonation, and prosody"; Language learning through pronunciation and comprehension practice and language skills assessments, including speaking, reading, and conversing; and Mathematics, from counting and word math to times tables and multiple choice questions. CA, which has a number of comprehensive K12 educational programs, including iReady, said in a release that its acquisition of SBL "will bring new and innovative supports to the ways in which children learn to read, how multilingual learners build oral vocabulary, how teachers monitor progress and provide feedback, and more broadly, how classrooms can better engage in all forms of discourse." "Curriculum Associates and SoapBox Labs share a commitment to improving student outcomes by expanding access to high-quality instructional materials and innovative technologies," said Rob Waldron, CA's CEO. "This groundbreaking partnership will bring state-of-the-art voice technology to more classrooms, helping to ensure every learner is set up for success. It will also deepen and expand an asset-based, inclusive approach to learning across our entire product line." Visit this YouTube page to watch a video of how SBL's voice AI technology works. CARBONDALE Two SIU automotive technology students were killed in a Monday morning traffic crash according to a press release from the Carbondale Police Department. They were identified as Wolfgang W. Gustaveson, 19, of Park Ridge and Francis M. Martinez, 18, of Des Plaines. Carbondale police officers responded to the 1500 block of North Illinois Avenue at 7:45 a.m. on Monday morning after reports of a traffic crash. Initial reports said a school bus was involved in the accident. When police arrived at the scene, they determined the school bus was not impacted during the crash and that no one on the bus was injured. Police found that two trucks had collided head-on near the bus. The lone occupant of the vehicle that was headed southbound suffered serious injuries. He was transported to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale by the Jackson County Ambulance Service. Gustaveson and Martinez were in the northbound vehicle and died as a result of the collision. They were living on campus in Carbondale. U.S. 51 was closed between Dillinger Road and Willow Road and an alert was sent out before 8 a.m. notifying the public of its closure. The road reopened at 11:21 a.m. The City of Carbondale is extremely sorry for the loss of these young men, and extends our deepest sympathy to their families and loved ones, the press release read. SIU Chancellor Austin Lane also sent an email to members of the SIU community. We are brokenhearted to lose two members of the Saluki family, Wolfgang Gustaveson and Frank Martinez, in an auto accident this morning, and we extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends. Both students were majoring in automotive technology. Classes in automotive technology are canceled today. Mental health counseling is available from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) by calling 618-453-5371. As we mourn this loss in our community, we will keep Wolfgangs and Franks families and friends in our thoughts and prayers, Lane said. The Carbondale Police Department is encouraging anyone with information about the accident to contact them at 618-549-2121. Information may be left on the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 618-549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at 618-687-COPS (2677). Multiple agencies, including the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, the De Soto Police Department, the Carbondale Fire Department, Carbondale Public Works Department, and the Illinois State Police assisted in this ongoing investigation. CARBONDALE Even as artificial intelligence rises as a new technology, a Southern Illinois University Carbondale researcher is looking at how, when it comes to crime, some things never change. Ahmed Imteaj, assistant professor in the School of Computing, in January will start work on a project titled Education and Workforce Training for Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Activity Recognition: Computing and Criminology Perspectives. The one-year project is funded with a nearly $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under its Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis Center program. Imteajs work will explore how criminals might use burgeoning AI technology for nefarious purposes and how law enforcement might use it to detect and combat criminal behavior. The state-of-the-art training he intends to create is urgently needed, with AI becoming an ever-more common presence in the world. His work will develop educational modules and certificate programs covering topics related to analytics, computer vision and integrating criminology perspectives into AI investigations. The objective is to equip students, practitioners and law enforcement personnel with the knowledge and skills required to comprehend and confront AI-enabled criminal activities, Imteaj said. By leveraging technologies like GIS crime mapping and computer vision, law enforcement will be able to predict crime patterns and trends more effectively, ultimately enhancing public safety. A broad perspective Imteaj said there is a need for a comprehensive understanding of AIs potential in both criminal activities and crime prevention. Workforce educators will be able to integrate the educational modules he is building into related courses. His proposal also includes inviting expert speakers to provide real-world insights and use cases. The ultimate goal of the proposal is to narrow the gap in educating professionals and students in AI-based cybercriminal activities and their prevention mechanisms, Imteaj said. We want to foster a workforce that is well-prepared to address emerging threats, leverage AI for crime detection, and ensure the safety and security of communities. Two-pronged approach The proposal will delve into how people might use common AI devices, such as chatbots, to do things such as spread misinformation and automated threats on social media or to conduct AI-assisted stalking. By gaining this understanding, law enforcement and security professionals can stay ahead of cybercriminal tactics and develop strategies to counteract them. On the other side of the equation, Imteajs work will help empower law enforcement to predict, identify and respond to criminal activities more effectively. For instance, the research will explore the use of AI in analyzing video data, text or speech data, and geographic information systems crime mapping data to uncover patterns, trends and anomalies that could signify criminal behavior. This proactive approach would enable law enforcement to allocate resources efficiently and mitigate threats before they happen. Overall, our work bridges the gap between technological advancements and law enforcement practices, Imteaj said. By providing education, training and resources, we will empower law enforcement personnel, students and practitioners to understand the potential risks associated with AI-driven criminal activities and equip them with the tools needed to address these challenges. Grant pays for many aspects The grant will pay for the salaries, stipends and benefits of project team members, including researchers, educators, mentors and experts from different disciplines contributing to the work. It also will pay for educational modules, curricula, course materials and other resources related to AI for criminal activity recognition. Other aspects of the grant will pay for developing and promoting certificate programs offering specialized training and education in the field of AI and criminal activities, including curriculum development, program administration and marketing efforts. It also can support collaborations with external partners, law enforcement agencies and other organizations contributing to the projects success, including guest speakers, industry experts and training providers. A 34-year-old Cope woman is accused of trying to kill a man. Charity Azilee Woodbrey, of 1469 Hudson Road, is facing one count of attempted murder. She was taken into custody Monday. The charge stems from a shooting incident that left a man with an abrasion on his face and a ruptured eardrum, according to an Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office incident report. The report claims that the woman and man were friends and not in any type of romantic relationship. The pair got into an argument on Nov. 27 after returning to the womans home in her truck, according to the report. The man claims the woman told him to leave her property. As he went to gather his fishing poles and get in his car, the woman allegedly said, If you dont hurry up, Ive got something to hurry you up. The man claims the woman came out of her home brandishing a revolver. She allegedly pulled the trigger twice, but no bullet was fired. He claims she fired a third time near his face. The man claims the bullet grazed his face, causing it to bleed. He also alleges his ears began to ring and he couldnt hear well. The man was able to get in his car, leave and flag down someone to call 911. The woman, however, told deputies that she and the man were arguing because the man was making unwanted sexual advances, according to the report. She claimed she threw chicken wings at the man and demanded he leave her home. She denied firing any weapon. Deputies found a revolver in the womans home and collected it as evidence. The man was taken by Orangeburg County EMS to MUSC Health-Orangeburg where medical staff confirmed his eardrum ruptured. The man was then transferred to another hospital for treatment. A deputy reported the man and woman appeared to be highly intoxicated. Woodbrey appeared before Orangeburg County Magistrate Valerie Lawrence for a bond hearing on Tuesday morning. Woodbrey told the court that shes a stay-at-home mom to her two teenage sons and isnt employed anywhere. Lawrence deferred setting her bond to a circuit judge at a later date. Lawrence explained that she denied bond due to Woodbreys criminal record and nature of the incident. At the time of Woodbreys arrest, she was out on bond on charges stemming from a Feb. 11 incident in Orangeburg County involving the S.C. Highway Patrol. Those charges include: threatening the life of a public official, third-degree assault and battery, second-offense driving under suspension license suspended for driving under the influence and second-offense DUI less than .10. Back on Sept. 22, 2016 in Lexington County, Woodbrey pleaded guilty to one count each of unlawful conduct toward a child and habitual traffic offender status. If convicted of attempted murder, Woodbrey faces up to 30 years in prison. (TBTCO) - Gia ca phe hom nay (11/1) tai thi truong trong nuoc noi dai chuoi ngay i len. Ghi nhan cho thay, muc giao dich cao nhat trong cac ia phuong uoc khao sat la 70.500 ong/kg. Trong khi o, gia tieu dao ong trong khoang 78.000 - 80.000 ong/kg sau khi uoc ieu chinh giam ong loat. oi voi cao su, gia ky han tren hai san giao dich uoc ieu chinh tang duoi 2% trong phien sang nay. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Houston mayoral candidates Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, left, and State Sen. John Whitmire shake hands as they arrive on stage for the final mayoral debate at Texas Southern University on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 in Houston. A runoff election to decide the Houston mayors race is set for Dec. 9. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer State Sen. John Whitmlre, right, answers a question during the final mayoral debate against Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the race for Houston mayor at Texas Southern University on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 in Houston. A runoff election to decide the Houston mayors race is set for Dec. 9. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, speaks during the final debate against State Sen. John Whitmlre in the race for Houston mayor at Texas Southern University on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 in Houston. A runoff election to decide the Houston mayors race is set for Dec. 9. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer State Sen. John Whitmlre speaks during the final debate against Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the race for Houston mayor at Texas Southern University on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 in Houston. A runoff election to decide the Houston mayors race is set for Dec. 9. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Houston mayoral candidates Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, left, and State Sen. John Whitmire stand together as they arrive on stage for the final mayoral debate at Texas Southern University on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 in Houston. A runoff election to decide the Houston mayors race is set for Dec. 9. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer State Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee clashed over plans to fight crime and addressed recent controversies theyve each inspired in their careers during the final debate of Houstons mayoral race. Whitmire and Jackson Lee met one last time at Texas Southern University. The debate was sponsored by ABC13 and the Houston Chronicle. Whitmire (42.5%) and Jackson Lee (35.6%) advanced to a Dec. 9 runoff in the general election because neither won a majority of the vote. Early voting ended Tuesday, and Saturday is election day. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Public safety Jackson Lee challenged Whitmire on whether he would seek to take money from Metro to help fund more police officers and other crime-fighting tools. Metro, 280 officers, ought to be working with HPD, Whitmire said when moderators initially asked that question. We dont need to take their money, although their money will follow them when they work in concert with HPD. Jackson Lee pressed him to elaborate: Im still trying to find out, Senator, what your specific plan is. Its very clear that Metro is going to be a cash cow, is that correct? Youre going to raid Metro so that you can say youre doing something about crime? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Well, obviously, you know everything you just said is not my position, Whitmire responded. I respect you, but I would prefer if we had the format we agreed on, instead of your political talk. This is too scary to politicize. I know your consultants would like you to engage me, but this is too important. And quite frankly, when you go low, Im going to go high. WHERE THEY STAND: See where Whitmire and Jackson Lee say they stand on the City Hall issues That line drew audible groans from Jackson Lee supporters and applause from those supporting Whitmire. Political consultants dont instruct me to ask the truth, Im only trying to talk to the voters who need to know whether Mayor Jackson Lee has a plan and whether you have a plan, Jackson Lee said. And I have a plan that does not dismember a transit system. Whitmire responded: Ive never uttered the words that shes given me ownership of, fully wrong. Metro is a vital element of our transportation system. But Ill say it again: If we dont address public safety, transportation, flooding and all that is not nearly as important as being safe. It starts with being safe so we can go freely about our business and raise our families. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Violent crime is trending down in Houston and most major American cities, though it remains above pre-pandemic levels. Violent crime is down 10% from last year, as of Oct. 15, and murders are down by 18%. Nonviolent crime was down about 4%. CRIME STATS: Chief Finner says violent crime is down in 2023 Finner will stay Both candidates agreed that Police Chief Troy Finner would continue to lead the department. Whitmire said he thinks Finner has been a good chief but has room for improvement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hes a good police chief, but I think he can be better. In fact, I expect him to be better. I think the current administration has kind of held him back. I want to have really aggressive, productive crime prevention, law enforcement in this city, Whitmire said. I want him to help me do more recruiting, I want him to go with me to high schools and community colleges. Jackson Lee suggested Whitmire had qualified his words and would only keep Finner to start. She said he would retain Finner more definitively. Police officers respect Chief Finner. The neighborhoods respect Chief Finner. People who have been victims of crime respect Chief Finner, Jackson Lee said. Controversies Moderators pressed the two candidates about a pair of Chronicle articles Sunday addressing Whitmires history of mingling his personal career with lawmaking and Jackson Lees troubled record as a boss. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whitmire argued conflicts are relatively unavoidable in the part-time Legislature, where legislators make $7,200 a year. He said he is proud of his 50-year record of public service and stressed that he has never been charged with a crime. The major difference is when Im mayor, Ill be a full-time mayor. I wont have a law practice, Whitmire said. A bunch of the Chronicle issues I could dispute but its not necessary. It involved the practice of law. Most of those allegations arrived in previous campaigns. We make $600 a month as a senator. You have to have civilian jobs, thats where most of that was arrived at. Jackson Lee said she could not recall episodes that former staffers recounted about an emotionally bruising atmosphere in her office, where some said she frequently rebuked them with harsh language. Incidents that might have been reported? I dont recall, Jackson Lee said. What I do recall is embracing staff where we work together, specifically for example for Hurricane Harvey. A lighter moment The opponents drew laughter in the auditorium during a candid moment after Jackson Lee dropped some of her briefing papers during a response. She paused and reached over to pick them up but couldnt reach. Whitmire started gathering the materials for her and handed them over. GLOBAL growth is expected to remain weak, with the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region projected to experience 2% GDP growth in 2023. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggests that T&Ts economy is on a broad-based recovery path. Explore these and other international, regional and local economic insights from the Chambers Trade & Business Development Unit. The Ministry of Works and Transport is being asked by citizens why it issued no warning to d 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. It was one of the best tributes (eulogies) I saw or heard, and perhaps the best speech Presi Thanks to millennials and Gen-Zers, the 1980s sitcom hit The Golden Girls has enjoyed a revival since the early 2010s. The series made Betty White an even bigger star and cemented Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty and Rue McClanahan in the annals of television royalty. Its also the show with the most heartwarming opening theme song and the horniest geriatrics in comedy television history. So grab yourself some cheesecake, dish out a zinger to absolutely no one and read on about the making of The Golden Girls... Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. 15 You Can Thank Golden Girls for Reservoir Dogs Before Quentin Tarantino became a big Hollywood director, he had a bit part as an Elvis impersonator at Sophias wedding on the show. Tarantino was largely unknown at the time, and even though hes one of many Elvis impersonators in the scene, he makes sure he is seen once they all start singing. Before I did Reservoir Dogs, I had a very unsuccessful acting career, Tarantino told Jimmy Fallon in 2020. However, one of the few jobs I did get, and not because I did a wonderful audition, but simply because they sent my picture in and they said, Hes got it! was for an Elvis impersonator on The Golden Girls. It became a two-part Golden Girls. So, I got paid residuals for both parts. And it was so popular they put it on a Best of The Golden Girls, and I got residuals every time that showed. So I got paid maybe, I dont know, $650 for the episode, but by the time the residuals were over, three years later, I made like $3,000. And that kept me going during our pre-production time trying to get Reservoir Dogs going. 14 Betty White Was Almost Blanche Director Jay Sandrich initially wanted the late White to play the rather raunchy Southern belle Blanche Devereaux largely thanks to Whites saucy performance as Sue Ann Nivens in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Rue McClanahan, in turn, initially auditioned for the part of Rose, but when she got a callback and read the part of Blanche with a Southern accent, Sandrich knew he had found his wealthy widow. However, this led to Whites future in the sitcom hanging in the balance until Sandrich could convince White to take the part of Rose. It probably wouldnt have worked if anybody but Betty played Rose, the director told Today, because she is the one member of the main cast that didnt have punchlines that she could just pass out. She had to project a realistic, you know, kind of version of a woman who was naive and unable to always understand what was going on. And it took a lot of different skills, comedic skills, and dramatic skills at once to pull off Rose. And its incredibly difficult in hindsight to imagine anyone else doing that role. 13 The Creators Own Story The Golden Girls was created by legendary TV creator and writer Susan Harris. Harris, who has been inducted into TVs Hall of Fame, worked with Bea Arthur before GG on the 1970s series Maude and won the Humanitas Prize for writing the shows abortion episode. At some point during her career, Harris got really sick and, after reading up on it, thought that she had chronic fatigue syndrome (before it was diagnosed as an equally serious adrenal issue). Her symptoms made it extremely difficult for her to participate in the production of her most successful show, The Golden Girls. I had all the symptoms (of chronic fatigue syndrome) but had very bad experiences with doctors, some of whom told me to dye my hair a different color and asked whether Paul and I were getting along in our marriage, she shared with Vulture. Harris ended up writing my revenge script and venting her frustrations in the episode, Sick and Tired, that sees Dorothy Zbornak confronting her inept doctor after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome herself. 12 Inspired by Miami Vice Executive producer Paul Junger Witt told Vulture that the idea of a sitcom centering around four older women came from a story a bunch of NBC executives who told them about two older actresses performing Miami Nice (a play on Miami Vice) at a Florida convention. Its funny, when Paul said, Theyre thinking about doing a show with older women, it excited me, Harris added. I wasnt writing at the time and wasnt intending to again, but the word older got me. I was figuring women who were 60 to 70, but when we went to the network, we found out that older to them meant women in their 40s, which was astonishing to me because I think thats what I was at the time. We managed to compromise at the women hovering around late-50, early-60s. But ultimately, their ages were never expressly mentioned. Advertisement Advertisement 11 How George Clooney Got a Part on the Show We once got a call from George Clooneys agent asking, Do you have anything George might be right for? We need to get him a couple of gigs so he can keep up on his insurance in the guild, executive producer Tony Thomas revealed in the same interview. The writers got the call, and so he was put in a show. That was a fun show to work on, Clooney shared with Drew Barrymore. Bea Arthur is the funniest person in the world. They were all hysterically funny, but Bea Arthur really made me laugh. She was filthy, filthy funny. 10 Sophia Was Supposed to Be a Guest Character Dorothys 80-year-old widowed mother, Sophia Petrillo (played by the then 62-year-old Estelle Getty), was originally going to be a guest character with only occasional pop-up appearances. The lively Getty, however, tested so well with preview audiences that it was decided to make her a regular. As for the ages, Getty was actually one year younger than White and Arthur, her own TV daughter, and it took makeup 45 minutes each day to turn Getty into the much older Sophia. In her memoir, If I Knew Then What I Know Now So What?, Getty revealed that there were reservations about her being too young for the part, so she promptly decided to dye her hair, hire a makeup artist and make her look hella old for her callback audition. Advertisement Advertisement 9 The Fifth Character The four sitcom friends are known for sitting around the kitchen table along with their unofficial fifth regular, a nice ol creamy cheesecake. Its been reported that the actresses ate more than 100 cheesecakes throughout the shows run, which sounds fantastic to most but wasnt that much fun for Arthur, who apparently hated them. Bea hated cheesecake. If you watch it carefully, you see her moving it around on the plate a lot, but its not that often that she puts it in her mouth, writer and producer Barry Fanaro once revealed, adding that they had no idea at the time. 8 Playing Games While McClanahan once admitted that she and Arthur didnt get along that well Bea is a very, very eccentric woman; she wouldnt go to lunch unless Betty would go with her she did share her fondness for White. Betty and I loved word games, and we would play word games every day, she gushed. We had games going all the time off camera. Advertisement Advertisement 7 The Friction Between Bea Arthur and Betty White Multiple sources, however, have said that things werent always peachy between Arthur and White. Fanaro noted that the friction between the two was the only friction on the show, explaining that Betty was a TV person she was a really good actress, I think an underrated actress, she was amazing. But she also had done game shows and other sitcoms. She would do anything; she liked to perform. And she would perform to the audience. Bea was an animal of Broadway that was, you came out, you stayed in character, you said your lines, you walked off, you got a drink, and you went home. But Betty would always prime it. If she dropped a line, shed get up, and shed walk to the audience and make them laugh. And it sort of irritated Bea. Not to the point where they would fight about it, but they were two totally different people, and Bea just thought it wasnt Broadway to go and break character. This was acknowledged by Arthurs son, too, who said, My mom unknowingly carried the attitude that it was fun to have somebody to be angry at. It was almost like Betty became her nemesis, someone she could always roll her eyes about at work. 6 Fun on Set They did, of course, have their moments of fun on set. Watch this rehearsal involving White and the stage manager. Advertisement Advertisement 5 Sophias Dark Backstory Some may have forgotten that the show introduced Dorothys sassy, no-filter mother by explaining that Sophia is the way she is thanks to some old-fashioned permanent brain damage. As Blanche tells Rose, Sophia had a stroke, and it was so bad that it destroyed the part of her brain that censors what she says. That is, in case anyone doesnt know, one heck of a stroke. 4 Elaine Stritch Was Seriously Considered to Play Dorothy Even though Harris literally wrote in the script that Dorothy was a Bea Arthur-type, the Twos Company star was seriously considered for the part. Elaine was someone we knew, respected and considered very, very, very seriously, Thomas told Vulture. She came out and read for us and was quite good. But Bea had an edge to her that we just found irresistible; the chemistry among the ladies was such that we ended up with the perfect foursome. Stritch would eventually (and dramatically) address her GG audition in her one-woman show, At Liberty. Years later, after blowing it with the girls of gold, she would go on to entertain us all as Jack Donaghys mother on 30 Rock. Advertisement Advertisement 3 Keeping the Wardrobe McClanahan had a clause in her contract that ensured she kept all of Blanches custom-made clothes when the show wrapped. It was reported that the late actor had 13 full closets of designer items from the series. 2 The Practical Joke The prop department had fun with the calendar scene in The Men of Blanches Boudoir, and had the cast in tears. Watch the clip below. Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony announcing Uniteds new Terminal B, a $2.5 billion expansion project, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023 in Houston. The airlines United Next growth plan will include the expansionof Terminal B with 40 gates to accommodate larger aircraft, a new electronic bag storage facility that is the only one of its kind in North America. Airline expects to create 1,500 United positions in Houston next year and another 4,000 construction related jobs throughout the project. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is adding water bill reform to his to-do list as he approaches the end of his eight years in office. Turner announced at a Monday news conference nine separate ordinance changes that will go before city council Wednesday to help water customers. City residents have struggled in the past with being charged for estimated use of their water instead of their actual use. Some customers have seen water bills as high as $1,000. Houston Public Works typically estimates water usage and back charges after reading residents meters, but that process usually takes time. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Among the nine ordinance changes proposed by Turner are removals on the number of times residents can seek the citys assistance for water leaks, incentives to residents who fix their private leaks themselves and incentives to residents who sign up for online instead of paper billing. Another proposed change will allow customers who dont want to use their city water meter to lock it for $150. Customers can have it unlocked for free if they decide they want to use it again. Houstons water meters automatically transmit household usage to the citys server, but issues such as aging meters and slow replacements have doubled the number of malfunctioning devices. Houston Public Works Director Carol Haddock said Monday that 125,000 of the citys 550,000 accounts have to be read manually every month. "We hear you and we know that we're going to continue to hear ways to improve as we move forward," Haddock said. "And we look forward to continuing to hear that, but also know that we know it's a good day when we can present a plan to the community to help provide relief to everybody, including our most vulnerable Houstonians and our senior citizens." Advertisement Article continues below this ad HOUSTON WATER BILLS: Houstonians battle soaring water bills as equipment failures and staff shortage complicate charges Turner also included an ordinance change proposed by Houston City Council members Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Mary Nan Huffman and Amy Peck barring public works department from correcting water bills if the error is more than three months old, unless that correction is in the customers favor. RELATED: Council members add water bill corrections to Houston City Council agenda The outgoing mayors proposed water bill reform plan was announced hours after the three council members said they wanted to add their three-month rule to an upcoming council agenda. Voters approved a new city ordinance in November that gives power back to council members, specifically allowing three to team up to add items to meeting agendas. Evans-Shabazz, Huffman and Peck were the first to take advantage of the change. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Turner said his staff had to make decisions at the right time for the city, and that if someone comes forward with a good idea, his staff will entertain it. The city had already been abiding by the proposed three-month reversal rule and the three council members were seeking to codify the change, Turner said. Gov. Katie Hobbs says she worries the closure of the border crossing at Lukeville could spread. Were already seeing a huge impact on tourism and trade, Hobbs said Monday, speaking just hours after the port of entry was shuttered indefinitely. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the closure was necessary so its officers can aid the Border Patrol in processing the flood of migrants entering the country at places other than official crossings. The governor said that raises concern the federal government could decide its officers at other ports of entry, who screen pedestrians and vehicles entering this country, also need to be redeployed. I dont want to find out what could happen, Hobbs said. So, hopefully, we wont be having that conversation. Were letting the feds know how frustrated we are and how bad this decision is. The timing, in some ways, could not have been worse. December tends to be the busiest month for Mexicans to cross into Arizona, often to shop at stores in Nogales and also in the Tucson and Phoenix areas. Closure of the Lukeville port of entry comes even as Nogales Morley crossing for pedestrians, shut down in September for what was supposed to be just two months, remains closed. Additional wait times at the remaining ports as traffic is diverted from Lukeville could become a deterrence to international travel. Hobbs said she did not have an immediate estimate about the economic impact of the Lukeville and Morley closures but said it could reach into the billions of dollars. Nearly 1.5 million people in vehicles crossed into Arizona at Nogales in December 2022, the highest month since before the 2020 recession, and 545,000 pedestrians also crossed, data from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona show. The UA report does not have economic impact data. But a 2008 study prepared by the Arizona Office of Tourism the most recent available showed that in total, non-U.S. citizens crossing the border spent more than $562 million in the state in December of that year. That figure amounted to nearly 21% of all spending by Mexican visitors in Arizona for the entire year. This is a bad decision that impacts our border security, Hobbs said of the Lukeville closure, which CBP announced suddenly on Friday. It hurts our economy because its putting a damper on trade and tourism. Hobbs, a Democrat, reaffirmed her position the state has no intention of trying to use its own resources and personnel to staff the Lukeville entry and keep it open, as requested last week by state Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge. Asked Monday what she intends to do, Hobbs responded, Were certainly in communication with folks on the ground. And were looking at all our options. But Hobbs said having the state run the port of entry is not something that theyre asking for right now, she said, after talking with mayors and other border residents. The solution has to come from Washington, D.C, she said. We need the federal government to step up and do its job and secure our border. More agents should be hired, Hobbs said. I mean, theyre pulling agents from Lukeville to do processing, she said. And if they were providing more resources, they wouldnt have to do that. Hobbs isnt the only one seeking more federal staff. Verlon Jose, chairman of the Tohono Oodham Nation that borders Mexico, said the shuttering of the Lukeville crossing will have immediate impacts on members of the tribe. Closing a legal port of entry, effectively shutting down all legal crossings and significant cross-border activity for an entire region, makes no sense whatsoever, Jose said in a written statement. The (Oodham) Nation will continue to call on Customs and Border Protection to bring in additional manpower to address border-related activities at the border. Jose also found common ground with Hobbs on what both said is a longer-term solution: comprehensive immigration reform. Neither spelled out exactly what that should include. But the concept has come to be considered a combination of increased border enforcement along with changes in laws to allow U.S. companies to bring in more workers legally. So far, though, efforts to enact that have stalled, at least in part because some congressional members want the border secured first before considering anything else. The International Sonoran Desert Alliance posted an open letter to Democratic President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas criticizing the closure and saying that, from a numeric perspective, it makes little sense. The reality is that the 23 agents that operate the Lukeville port of entry will not make a substantive difference in the capacity of the 3,700 Tucson sector Border Patrol agents ability to respond, wrote Aaron Cooper, executive director of the organization, which focuses its attention on environmental, border and social issues issues in Ajo and surrounding areas. However, in their current capacity at the Lukeville port of entry, those 23 agents represent a lifeline for small, vulnerable communities that daily depend on this port of entry, he said. Cooper also said if the port remains closed and there has been no announcement of any reopening plans or dates jobs will be lost, businesses will fail, kids will withdraw from school, families will be separated and, in all likelihood, people will die due to the increased burden of accessing necessary medical care. The senior vice president in charge of the University of Arizona Global Campus has stepped down from his role in a major shakeup of the senior leadership team at the UAs controversial online school. Paul Pastorek began at UAGC as the chief executive officer and president in February 2021. He was promoted to serve as a UA senior vice president just six months ago, in July of this year, according to his LinkedIn. Pastoreks departure was announced by Interim Provost Ron Marx in an email sent to faculty leadership and UAGC employees on Dec. 1. I wish to thank Paul for his years of service and dedication to the University, Marx wrote. His leadership and expertise played a vital role during the transition of UAGC. UA President Robert C. Robbins also confirmed the news after Mondays Faculty Senate meeting. I think its long-term transition to helping incorporate UAGC more closely with our departments, he told the Arizona Daily Star in an interview after the meeting. So, it was a more long-term issue around incorporation and collaboration between UAGC and our colleges and programs. Before coming to UAGC, Pastorek served as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Loyola University New Orleans and as Louisianas superintendent of education from 2007-2011. Dr. Gary Packard, Jr. will serve as the interim senior vice provost of online initiatives as university leadership works to launch a search to replace Pastorek, Marx wrote in his message to faculty. In that role, Dr. Packard will oversee Arizona Online and UAGC, the interim provost wrote. This alignment will ensure consistent strategic oversight and coordination of the universitys online initiatives. Packard began his new role on Monday. Packard is the founding dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology. In this role, according to his faculty page, he leads the universitys fastest-growing college in the development and implementation of a broad strategic vision for growing the colleges programs at all levels. UAGC has been historically unpopular, especially among faculty members. According to a report released by the Arizona Board of Regents, the online university was one of the reasons why the UAs predicted cash on hand is too low to meet the threshold required by the regents, forcing Robbins to present university-wide budget-cutting decisions to the board by Dec. 15. The university agreed to buy the former Ashford University online school three years ago, rebranded it as UAGC, and this summer integrated it into the overall UA, adding $265.5 million to the UAs operating costs. In August, the Biden administration cancelled $72 million in student loans for borrowers who say they were cheated by Ashford University. The U.S. Department of Education is seeking to recoup the money from the UA, which is claiming it should not be held responsible because the actions occurred well before it acquired the school. University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins' own office of the president has overspent the most, he told the Faculty Senate in a tense meeting about the UA's financial crisis. The administrative bloat many faculty complain about is a valid concern, Robbins acknowledged in his initial remarks at the meeting late Monday afternoon. "Central administration for the past 10 years has grown by 69%," he said. "The colleges have grown by 31%." In a document shared by the general faculty financial recalibration committee, total UA personnel costs are stated to have increased over $500 million, or 56%, between 2013 and 2023. Faculty did not increase at the same rate, however, only increasing by 33% in that time. The number of administrators hired since 2018 has increased by 26.8%, while the number of tenure and tenure-track faculty has decreased by 5.7%, according to a document shared by Russell Witte, a professor of medical engineering. Robbins, acknowledging that "several colleges" have a lot of administrators with fewer students, told faculty that budget cuts are going to disproportionately impact administration in an effort to promote equity. He was asked about layoffs by Katie Zeiders, a senator representing the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. "I think it's going to be to each of the unit managers to decide about how to manage their budget," Robbins said. "I don't foresee a, you know, 5% layoff of all employees." Zeiders pushed back. "There should be no layoffs," she urged. "This is a manufactured problem that you all have." Robbins interrupted, asking what Zeiders meant by stating it was a "manufactured problem." At this point, physics professor Johann Rafelski interjected, telling Robbins that the financial crisis was manufactured by the administration. "Because you're spending too much on yourself," Rafelski told Robbins. Leila Hudson, a professor of anthropology and the Faculty Senate president, said she has been "asked multiple times every single day" about whether it's time to call a vote of "no confidence" against Robbins. Instead, she said, she wants to "see how the administration plans to turn our ship around" with the report Robbins must make to the Arizona Board of Regents by Dec. 15 to explain how he will deal with his leadership team's $240 million miscalculation of projected cash reserves. "He's depending on the same team" Robbins began his remarks Monday by stating, "I do believe that we have a revenue problem. Fundamentally, if we're spending more than we're earning, we have a problem," he stated, looking out into the room of over 50 faculty members while speaking to the more than 230 on Zoom. He said the UA is currently overspending by about $45 million a year. Hudson told faculty at the meeting that it has "become apparent that the president does not intend to engage shared governance in the formulation or review" of his report to the regents. "I'm concerned that he's depending on the same team that created the management crisis to try and come up with a solution," Hudson said, continuing later on that "shared governance needs to be at the table." Robbins, who answered questions for over an hour, said that he actually is open to faculty governance helping with the plan. Some faculty weren't so sure. Lucy Ziurys, a professor of astronomy, asked how it was possible to genuinely consider faculty opinions in the less than two weeks before the report is due to ABOR. "The good news is we've been grinding on this, you know, 10, 12, 14, 16 hours a day," Robbins told her. He added that he has enlisted education professor Gary Rhoades, the chair of the general faculty financial recalibration committee, to help. "If there are more people that want to come and help us, we can start tonight," Robbins said. Robbins cites "urban legends" Inviting more collaborators could help disprove disinformation, Robbins said. He specifically cited "urban legends" like claims that the University of Arizona Global Campus cost $265 million, which Robbins said is false. In reality, UAGC added that amount in operating costs, increasing the denominator in the days' cash on hand formula. The acquisition did not directly cost the $265 million figure. Rhoades agreed with Robbins' explanation, though he criticized the lack of faculty opinion in making those decisions. "The decision about (UAGC) was made very much against the views of the faculty," Rhoades said. "So that's what I think is important." Samantha Harris, a professor of cellular and molecular medicine, asked Robbins about the amount of overspending that was, in some cases, forced by senior administrators, as in the case of the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. "You guys have seen the train wreck unfolding for five years," she said. "And so why does nothing get done and all of the sudden it's an urgent thing?" Robbins danced around the question, telling Harris that "every unit manager, including deans, have the fiduciary role of doing what they think is best for their college." He added that he "encourages all colleges and all units to have healthy reserves." Harris pushed back against Robbins' answer, telling him "that's not what we're hearing." Lisa Rulney, the chief financial officer at the university whom many faculty blame for the financial miscalculation, was present for the meeting but was not sitting with Robbins. Instead, she sat next to Interim Provost Ronald Marx. Robbins looked at her to answer Harris' follow-up question. "All units, colleges, support units (and) auxiliaries, submit plans that do not go into deficit," Rulney said, standing up at her table. "We don't approve plans unless the budget is breaking or positive." She added that "we have never suggested that anyone recklessly spend their budget or plan to spend into deficit." Her statement directly contradicts what senior leadership in at least one college have told the Arizona Daily Star. Leaders in the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, also known as CALES, have stated that Rulney and former provost Liesl Folks repeatedly ordered them to spend down their reserves despite being presented with evidence it would lead to a deficit. "You're calling it reckless spending?" Zeiders, the CALES senator, immediately pushed back against Rulney in a heated exchange. "All of these budget decisions have gone through you," she said. "So, I'm a little confused. Now all of the sudden you're calling it reckless spending?" Zeiders also went on to critique Robbins for coming to the meeting, 11 days before he must submit the plan to ABOR, without a concrete plan for the faculty to hear. "I mean, I just laid out basically parts of the plan," Robbins responded. "It's not like I don't have ideas of what I think we should do. But we're trying to get your input and comment on what I'm talking about." She didn't accept his response, however, accusing him of avoiding the shared governance process. Robbins countered that he has worked with some faculty on the plan so far. He just hasn't presented it to the Faculty Senate as a whole. "The question is going to be, what are the actual things that we're going to tell people?" he said. "Are we going to have a hiring pause? I think that's going to be likely. Are we going to make cuts? I think that's going to be likely. Are we going to have better controls? Yes." Zeiders still wasn't satisfied. "Coming to this meeting and throwing out ideas does not feel like a plan, nor does inviting people to join a committee nine days before ABOR seem like a plan," she said. A legal challenge Ted Downing, a research professor who has been at the university for over 50 years, proposed a motion in the meeting claiming that Robbins is violating state law 15-1601b. He argued that ABOR should reject any proposal the president submits. The faculty members of each university, through their elected faculty representatives, shall participate in the governance of their respective universities and shall actively participate in the development of university policy," the law reads. Many faculty senators countered Downing's statements, saying Robbins has invited them to work with him. Steve Schwartz, a biochemistry professor, said he worried that passing the motion would imply the Faculty Senate doesn't want to work for a solution. "There is no one probably in the room was more angry about where we are right now than I am," he said. "But having said that, I really wonder if we want to send a message to the Board of Regents that the faculty and administration are at war right now? That will simply exacerbate the problem and convince the regents that the faculty don't want to work for a solution." The motion did not pass. Rulney defends herself Downing also directed criticism to Rulney. "Lisa, with this happening, why did you not at least tender your resignation and (offer) to resign?" he asked. "Any other CFO of any other major organization this large would have done that." Standing up with a microphone in hand, Rulney defended her decision to stay at the university. "I have worked for this institution for 22 and a half years, and I absolutely love this place," she said. "I want to help work through this challenge. We have been through bigger changes before we've been through a global pandemic and we got through it because we all worked together." Rulney took "responsibility for overestimating our days cash on hand ratio," but said she would "continue to work on this challenge until the president asks me not to, because I believe in this place, and I am excited about our future." Athletics layoffs, price hikes University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins confirmed "100%" that layoffs will take place in the athletics department. "Athletics, they are cutting," he told the Faculty Senate Monday. "They are firing people. They are laying off people 100%, they are laying off people in order to increase revenue." Season ticket prices for basketball and football will increase by 25%. Robbins didn't say if the season ticket increases will impact both women's and men's basketball or just the men's team. "I don't think that's enough," he said. "Because if we look at our peers, we're probably 30 years behind in increasing prices. It's a great time. We're Number One in basketball, we should increase ticket prices." A federal appeals court ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revisit its conclusion that Fort Huachuca is adequately compensating for the water it pumps out of the San Pedro River basin. In the ruling Monday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals called the federal agencys report arbitrary and capricious. The issue could ultimately affect the long-term future of the U.S. Army base. The court said it was wrong for Fish and Wildlife to accept the forts arguments it should get credit for a conservation easement it had for a 480-acre farm north of Palominas about a mile west of the river. The agency had accepted the argument the land would never be used for farming again. That meant what had been assessed on a preliminary basis to be a deficit for the fort of 1,180 acre- feet of water the amount it was drawing out each year beyond recharge of groundwater and other water-savings measures suddenly turned into a net surplus of at least 1,419 acre-feet. Based on that, Fish and Wildlife concluded the continued operation of the fort and specifically the groundwater pumping would have no impact on the river habitat. So what they did is they came up with this scheme to get instant credit for retirement of groundwater pumping that had already been retired a decade early, that was never going to occur again, said environmentalist Robin Silver, a founder of the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups that filed suit over the issue. This is all fraud, this is a scam, Silver said. Strictly speaking, Mondays ruling, unless overturned, simply orders the U.S. Army and the Fish and Wildlife to reevaluate the water-saving analysis and issue a new biological opinion about the impact of Fort Huachuca on the river basin. Downsizing of fort? But Silver said the likely outcome is that the new report the 9th Circuit ordered Monday will conclude that ongoing operation of the military base is depleting the groundwater. He said federal funds cannot be used for any operation that a biological opinion concludes endangers at-risk species and their habitats. That will require downsizing, Silver said. The fort needs to be closed except for the Electronic Proving Ground, he said, saying thats probably the one function that cannot be transferred elsewhere. There was no immediate response from Fish and Wildlife Service. Judge Kenneth Lee, writing for the appellate court, said the Endangered Species Act directs Fish and Wildlife to develop a list of threatened or endangered species as well as a list of critical habitats. It then requires each federal agency to ensure, in consultation with the service, any of its operations is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of a listed species of destroy or adversely modify its designated habitat. If a preliminary biological assessment by an agency determines there is likely harm to species, then there has to be a formal biological opinion by Fish and Wildlife. Thats what happened a decade ago. But prior to that formal opinion, there was a three-way deal in 2013 with Fort Huachuca paying $2.6 million to the Upper San Pedro Partnership. That organization, formed in 1998, is a consortium of agencies and organizations that has the dual goal of protecting the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and ensuring the long-term viability of Fort Huachuca. Those funds then enabled the Cochise County Flood Control District to purchase the land near Palominas. Assumptions assailed What the fort got for its money was the conservation easement barring future groundwater pumping. Then the Army claimed annual water credits of 2,588 acre-feet the amount needed to convert the pumping deficit into a surplus. That, in turn, led to Fish and Wildlife issuing the opinion there was no harm to the San Pedro basin because the Army was relying on that easement and the saved water. An acre-foot is about 325,000 gallons of water and is considered enough to serve anywhere from two to four families for a year. Lee said the reasoning was flowed. He said the assumption used by Fish and Wildlife that Fort Huachuca would have a net positive impact on groundwater can be made only if the water savings were reasonably certain to occur. That requires solid information that the land would have been used for agriculture if there were no easement, Lee said. That reasonable certainty is missing here, the judge wrote. By the time the biological opinion was prepared, The land had not been used for agricultural purposes for almost a decade, Lee said. He also said some, but not all, of the irrigation infrastructure already had been removed from the land. All that makes any conclusion the land would otherwise have resumed its agricultural use speculative, Lee said. Therefore, the decision by the Fish and Wildlife that the savings from the easement could be counted on to offset water use on the base was arbitrary and capricious. Silver said none of this should be a surprise. He said even the Army, in its own preliminary report, said it would not be able to comply with whats required under a biological opinion. That would have meant immediate downsizing of the fort, Silver said. That led to the land purchase and the easement. All totaled, Silver said, the deficit due directly to Fort Huachuca has amounted to about 400,000 acre-feet of water cumulatively from the time base operations started ramping up in the 1960s and 1970s until 2020 when the lawsuit was filed. Thats why the rivers going dry, he said. Long fight in courts The legal fight traces its roots to the 1999 decision by Fish and Wildlife to designate portions of the San Pedro River as critical habitat. A 2002 biological opinion found the fort would have no adverse effects, a conclusion rejected by a federal judge. Another opinion issued after the first one was thrown out conceded that decreased flows in the river would affect the water umbel. That resulted in promises by the fort to conserve water and a new determination by Fish and Wildlife there would be no adverse impact on endangered species or destruction of critical habitat. But in 2011 a different federal judge found that biological opinion flawed as not supported by the record or the best available science. Judge Wallace Tashima also said the report fails to articulate a rational connection between the facts found and the conclusion made. Tashima ruled the Army violated the law requiring it ensure that ongoing and proposed future operations do not jeopardize the existence or habitat of the two species. That led to another lawsuit filed in 2014 after the failure of the Army and federal officials to come up with a new biological opinion. But that lawsuit was dropped when the opinion was issued later that same year the opinion that the 9th Circuit just found flawed. USS Arizona survivor Ken Potts will be remembered Thursday morning, when the University of Arizona Navy ROTC marks the 82nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor with a ceremony at 7 a.m. on the UA Mall in front of the Student Union. Potts died in April at his home in Provo, Utah, at the age of 102. That leaves Lou Conter, who is 101 and living in California, as the sole remaining survivor from the Japanese attack on the battleship on Dec. 7, 1941. Marine Master Sgt. Stephen Powers with the U of As Navy ROTC said Tucson teacher and USS Arizona historian Andrew Desautels will read a poem and say a few words about Potts during Thursdays ceremony. Marine Col. Shannon Shea, commanding officer of the universitys Navy ROTC unit, also is scheduled to speak. A bell will be rung as the names are read of each of the eight service members from Arizona who were killed on the states namesake battleship. Seaman Second Class James Van Horn, 17, was the only USS Arizona casualty from Tucson. His namesake nephew, Jim Van Horn of Corona, California, has since contributed a sample of his DNA to the Defense Department as part of Operation 85, an all-volunteer, civilian-led effort to identify at least 85 USS Arizona crew members still buried as unknowns at Hawaiis National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl. The annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremony at the UA will be held at the USS Arizona Mall Memorial, which features a life-sized outline of the battleship and medallions for each of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on the vessel during the sneak attack that drew the United States into World War II. Powers said this years ceremony is slated to last 20-25 minutes. Also Thursday, honor Guard cadets from the university's Air Force ROTC will hold a 12-hour silent vigil from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the memorial walkway between the Student Union and the Chemistry building. The cadets will be in full uniform and carrying unloaded, replica rifles during the vigil. Downtown Tucson, the bastion of locally-owned restaurants and bars, is getting the behemoth of national chains next year when coffee giant Starbucks moves into the iconic Chicago Music Store on East Congress Street. Starbucks will open a pick-up location on the first floor of 130 E. Congress St. next summer or early next fall, a Starbucks official confirmed. The location is part of the companys newest mobile-only concept, where customers order through the app and pick up at the store. Starbucks had long eyeballed downtown but didnt think the area was ready, Rio Nuevo Chairman Fletcher McCusker said. They now believe, he said, calling it one more sign that downtown Tucson is on the radar of national and international companies looking to expand into the state. We see it as validation. Its a compliment to downtown that they are willing to forgo a drive thru and do something thats not just a moneymaker to keep their brand in an emerging downtown, added Peach Properties CEO Ron Schwabe, who owns the building with developer Marcel Dabdoub. The downtown location will be Starbucks second pick-up concept in Tucson; the other one has been open since September 2021 near the University of Arizona at 910 E. Speedway Blvd. Starbucks will be the inaugural tenant on the first floor of the 24,000-square-foot Chicago Music Store building, which Schwabe and Dabdoub bought in late 2015 for $1.85 million. L Offices, a coworking site, occupies part of the second floor. Dabdoub said Starbucks originally approached them in February after a deal to move into the old Wig-o-Rama building downtown fell through several years ago. Starbucks will take up 1,250 square feet of the first floors 7,300 square feet. Dabdoub said they have gotten a lot of interest from businesses looking to join Starbucks, but dont expect to see a sandwich shop or bakery. As a landlord you are always looking for good options. We believe theres more need for merchandise retail in downtown, he said. You cant focus on just one use. It cant just be bars and restaurants and coffee shops, Schwabe added. Downtown Tucson Partnership President and CEO Kathleen Eriksen said she is thrilled that Starbucks is coming to downtown and heres the reason why: All four of those downtown corners are vacant and having Starbucks move in will have a domino effect to fill these vacancies in the core of downtown. Eriksen said having Starbucks downtown will inspire businesses and customers. It gives confidence to the businesses and customers, she said, adding that Starbucks has a presence in most American downtowns. I think this is a great thing. I couldnt be happier. I think this is going to have a ripple effect downtown. The Chicago Music Store building, which was built in 1918, had been home to the 104-year-old music store since 1967. The building housed Tucsons first JC Penney store in the 1950s and a furniture store before that. McCusker said Rio Nuevo has nearly 20 new projects in the pipelines including Obie Hotels from Oregon, restaurants from Las Vegas and apartment builders from Chicago. Jimmy Johns and Subway are the only other national chains on Congress Street. The father and daughter team of Greg and Natalie Furrier with PICOR Commercial Real Estate represented Starbucks in the lease. PHOENIX This past spring, the city of Phoenix was court-ordered to clear out its largest homeless encampment, The Zone. The citys Office of Homeless Solutions had to tackle the difficult, oftentimes painful and complicated issue of moving nearly 1,000 unhoused people, and their possessions, off the streets where some had been living for years. The area of The Zone that the city was responsible to clear took up roughly 15 city blocks in downtown Phoenix. It was filled with tents, handmade shelters, platforms and tarps. The residents there included some who were 17, as well as younger children with their families, but the majority were 25 and older. In March, after several property owners and businesses near the encampment sued the city for safety and health concerns, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney ruled that the city had to clear out the makeshift shelters and show proof of its efforts at a follow-up hearing on July 10. In a September ruling, Judge Blaney gave a deadline of Nov. 4 to have all 15 blocks cleared. Phoenix officials say the people encamped in The Zone were notified before city crews showed up to clear them out. The city received help from the Human Services Campus (HSC), a collaborative force of 16 partner organizations with a shared goal to end homelessness. The HSC says its people worked hard to notify people, block by block, in advance of the citys clearing schedule. However, the people living in The Zone who were interviewed for this article said they had no advance notice that they were being moved, and they werent given options on where to go. Amy Schwabenlender, CEO of the HSC, said there could be many reasons why people claim they werent notified. She said the HSC would go out at different times each day, and some homeless people could have been missed if they werent there at that time. She also said those with substance use disorders might not have understood or remembered what they were told. And some, she said, might be angry and want to put the city and organizations in a bad light. This story contains comments from some of the people as they were being cleared out of The Zone. Their life stories are not verified but they give some perspective of what this process has been like for them. Maria Concepcion Walters, 56, said she was released from jail on Oct. 19, the night before she found out she was being forced to move. She said she had been living on the corner of a side street in The Zone for the past six years; at 7 a.m. on Oct. 20, city workers showed up and told her she needed to clear her stuff out. She said she had no idea this was going to happen. She put her dog in its cage and began throwing unwanted things on the street: tarp, trash, wood used for shelter, a worn-out mattress. She took a hand broom and swept the dirt where she once lived. I want to sue the whole city, she said with frustration. They ask about our income and if we dont have any, they help the others first and it hurts my feelings. She said her next step is to go to a hotel for now. How did Phoenix get here? According to the 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Report, 9,026 people were experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County on the night of Jan. 24, 2022. About 1,200 of them had been homeless continuously for a year or at least four times in the past three years. The PIT reports for Maricopa County show since 2018, unsheltered homelessness in the region has increased by 92%. The HSC has been tackling homelessness in Phoenix for many years and was present in The Zone before the encampment became known nationally as a symbol of urban homelessness. Schwabenlender said she started working at the campus in August 2018 and at that time, there were no tents, temporary structures or people camping outside of the HSC. She said they also didnt have an outreach team then, but they estimated there were a total of about 400 unsheltered people in the surrounding neighborhood. After the pandemic, with eviction moratoriums ending, with isolation orders ending, with people wanting to get back to work, with eviction rates still continuing to be high and still people wanting to move to Arizona, we started to see an increase of people, Schwabenlender said. According to Schwabenlender, the HSC and Central Arizona Shelter Services opened up more beds a year and a half ago and continued offering people mats on floors. She said they were sheltering 900 people a night and they still saw an increase in people camping outside. Schwabenlender said organizations and individuals outside of the HSC started handing out tents to give people some shelter from the heat in the summer, and cold nights in the winter. Thats when we saw people really start to use those posts and chains and build more structures that they were essentially living in. Its really hard to watch people living that way and knowing that our shelters are full so we cant offer them an indoor space, Schwabenlender said. Its not healthy to live in those conditions on a sidewalk. At the same time, there was nowhere for people to go. Its been a very interesting time and that increase was due to a lot of different dynamics. A 2018 case out of Idaho that went before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that homeless people cannot be criminalized for sleeping outside if no alternatives exist. Schwabenlender said that although thats what the ruling states, the city can still put up no camping signs in certain areas to avoid encampments, and that the ruling specifically prevents the city from prohibiting individuals across the entire Phoenix area from sleeping in public spaces. According to Phoenix Councilmember Ann OBrien, Phoenix has over 71% of the homeless population in the region. Countdown to Nov. 4 It took the city workers from May to Sept. to clear half the 15 blocks in The Zone. The ninth block was cleared on Sept. 20, leaving six blocks left to be cleared. On Oct. 20, starting at 7 a.m., the clearing crew targeted one of the three remaining blocks, telling people to clean out their camps. Most of the trash or unwanted items were thrown on the street for the city to sweep up later. Other items were thrown on carts, wagons, bikes and anything else people could use to move their belongings. The HSC was there to help, passing out water and sandwiches. The city said it has offered shelters and other resources to those being cleared. We work closely with shelter providers and our community partners to coordinate available and appropriate shelter beds. said Kristin Couturier, senior public information officer for the city of Phoenix. Some of our many partners include the Human Services Campus, Community Bridges, INC., St. Vincent de Paul, UMOM, Central Arizona Shelter Services and Native American Connections. On the morning of Oct. 20, Paul Terry, 52, rolled up on his wheelchair to the tape blocking off the area. Whats going on? Wheres my stuff? he said. When asked if he was aware of what was happening, he said he was very confused and didnt know his shelter would be cleared out. I got here a long time ago, Im homeless and paralyzed and now everything I had, its gone. Jay Duval, 52, and Melissa Valles, 50, were neighbors on the block being cleared. Duval said he was on probation and had been living there for a year. Valles said she had been there for two years and is currently needing surgery for her foot. They havent really offered us anything or came and told us what was happening today, Valles said. Duval shook his head in agreement, It sucks. Lyle Daniels, 53, said he got hit by a car six years ago and had to have eight surgeries that put him in so much debt he lost everything and became homeless. He said he has been living in The Zone for the last year and has been living off Social Security. Although his disability limits him a lot, he said he is back in the workforce trying to make enough money for his own rent. Theres those of us that are here that want to get our lives back, he said. I do, and its very frustrating and its very hurtful. He said the city has told him there is going to be more housing available, and the programs offered will be suitable for everyone, but he hasnt seen that yet. I wish they could have better planning and to do something more for the people here. I have no idea where theyre going or whats happening. The efforts of the Human Services Campus Schwabenlender said the HSC helped the city distribute flyers about the clearance in order to notify people two weeks before their blocks were cleared. She said the HSCs outreach team also was going out every day to tell people about transportation and shelter options, and offering to take them to a treatment center for substance use. They also told them their possessions could be stored through a storage program. Nette Reed, a social services navigator for the HSC, went out at 4 a.m. on a regular basis to talk with people and help them understand what was happening. Reed said one of the biggest barriers she had to cross was that many unhoused people were skeptical and immediately declined any help. People felt they were hearing empty promises, Reed said. After getting that response often, she changed her approach. Ill help you is just not the right words to feed off of. You got to put actions with that. You know, you put actions with that and they can feel your energy on what youre giving out and itll encourage them, Reed said. Schwabenlender said that many of the homeless people have a lack of trust, and it is important for the city and those who are helping them to build a trusting relationship with each individual. That can take a long time. So, you know from our organization, we dont give up on anybody. I feel like its incumbent on us to figure out how to keep offering services, ask people whats a barrier to accessing service and how can we support them thats meeting people where theyre at? Schwabenlender said. Its for them to really choose and decide which different path they take. Were not here to force anybody to do anything. We want to support them. Reed said she would ask people what she can do for them that is realistic. Ive been right where you at. I done sat on corners too. Ive been here. So trust me, I am that person you can talk to because I have no stipulation at judging you, calling you outside your name, or anything. You know, I needed help, you need help. I came out of it, and you will too. Reed said this change in approach helped her build a relationship of trust with the clients. Its a lot of hard work, Schwabenlender said. Our staff have to be super patient to really wait for people to be ready for the step that they want to take. The 14th block of The Zone was cleared on Oct. 30, and the very last block was cleared on Nov. 1. The aftermath Couturier said the city is in the process of compiling data related to engagement and cleanup efforts and plans to present it to the city council and the public later this year. Phoenix stated in its news release that 718 people were offered services, and 585 of those individuals accepted placement at an indoor location. In 2023, the City worked with its partners to add 482 new temporary shelter beds, 362 of those in October alone. These temporary locations are currently serving people in need while the City continues to implement permanent solutions, including creating and preserving affordable housing as well as adding 790 new shelter beds, the news release stated. Couturier said the city is also temporarily expanding capacity at the Washington Relief Shelter, adding an additional 60 beds at that location. More about the citys upcoming shelter projects can be found at phoenix.gov/solutions. The Safe Outdoor Space is one of the temporary solutions the city is offering to those who were cleared from the encampment. An open-air shelter with restrooms, showers, meal service, property storage, 24/7 security and a code of conduct for residents, it opened at the beginning of November and has been approved for a three-year permit. Drugs, alcohol and fires are not allowed on the premises. Schwabenlender said there are still 7,000 adults who have been assessed and are homeless and waiting for housing. Its daunting because homelessness is still increasing, Schwabenlender said. For me one of the biggest things is that Id like to see more urgency around prevention and housing. No one wants a 1,000-person encampment in their neighborhood so we have to reduce the number of people falling into homelessness. In six months, I would hope our community has come together to not just talk about it, but create action around prevention and keeping people housed. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: With all the turmoil going on in our government and the war between Israel and Hamas, a number of reprehensible and inflammatory remarks from former President Trump made few waves in the media. However, these recent comments are so disturbing and disgraceful they need to be scrutinized in much greater detail. On Sept. 23, Donald Trump accused recently retired General Mark Milley, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of committing a treasonous act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH (Trumps majuscules). Soon thereafter, Trump took a mean-spirited swipe at Paul Pelosi, who was brutally assaulted during a home invasion, and he advocated for shooting shoplifters in the store. Worse yet, on Oct. 3, he unleashed a despicable, xenophobic rant against immigrants, claiming that its poisoning the blood of our country. It is horrifying that a person with such unhinged, racist sentiments is the leading Republican candidate for president and equally disgusting that so few of his fellow party members have said anything about it. Worse still, Trumps incendiary words are a direct reference to Adolph Hitlers writings in Mein Kampf, where he blames the decline of the Aryan (German) race on the sin of blood poisoning by an inferior race. These words are overtly racist and appeal only to the lowest levels of our society. While Donald Trump was unloading these tirades, his former White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly, a Gold Star parent, went on the record to confirm the derogatory, unforgivable remarks Trump made about U.S. servicemen. servicewomen and veterans. While visiting Arlington National Cemetery, he stated to Kelly, I dont get it. What was in it for them? Later, Trump called John McCain and former President George W. H. Bush losers, evidently because they were shot down while fighting for our country. Kelly also confirmed that Trump refused to visit an American cemetery near Paris, France, because its filled with losers. Trump also stated the U.S. Marines who lost their lives at Belleau Woods in France were suckers. (Remember, he was talking to General Kelly, who lost a son who was serving in Iraq!) He then talked disparagingly about wounded veterans. I dont want any wounded guys in the parade, said the one-time Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. It doesnt look good for me. Donald Trump almost never thinks about anyone but himself. Instead of recognizing the personal sacrifice of the Kelly family and thanking the general for his service, Trump concerns himself with photo optics. This level of narcissism is nearly impossible to imagine and certainly unacceptable from a presidential candidate. On a personal note, my father and all three of his brothers served in in U.S. Armed Forces in World War II. The eldest brother Paul was killed in North Africa in 1943. That makes him a sucker in Trumps estimation but a fallen hero to any sane American. On Nov. 11, Donald Trump pledged to root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. Once again, he is echoing the words of Hitler and the racist leaders of the Third Reich. And by using this hateful rhetoric on a special day to honor our veterans, many of whom fought and died to defeat the Nazis, Trump has utterly disgraced himself while dishonoring the memory of our heroes. Donald Trump has made outrageous and unforgivable comments on so many occasions that they are often ignored by a public that has been inundated with controversy and political uproar. However, his abhorrent, appalling comments on immigrants, our service men and women, veterans and wounded heroes must not be forgotten. These comments alone clearly disqualify him from ever holding public office again. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: Pretend for a moment, youre a 25-year-old female who was just awarded a full-ride scholarship to the school of your dreams. Fall is approaching and you begin to feel fatigued. In all the excitement, you realize that you cant remember when you last had your period and an instant panic comes over you. Your heart is racing and you head to the drugstore for a test. Your hands are cold with sweat as you check out but your mind is silent from the inability to form a thought. You get home, read the box, unwrap the stick and wait. The minutes drag, but finally the results appear. PREGNANT. You feel guilty because this moment should be a happy one, but its not. After an incredibly hard decision, you conclude that abortion is the best choice. You discover youre nine weeks along, but with the recent passing of SB1164 in Arizona, you have less than six weeks to have an abortion. So, you get on the phone and begin to contact clinic after clinic in Arizona. The panic starts settling in because abortion clinics are now overwhelmed with patients from surrounding states that have imposed stricter abortions laws. The next appointment available is in seven weeks, a week after you can legally obtain an abortion in Arizona. You realize your only option now is to travel to another state. This post Roe v Wade scenario is based on true events and real experiences women are facing today. According to a recent report from the Arizona Department of Health Services, in 2021, 13,896 abortions were performed. Although this number may seem high, abortions have been on a steady decline since 2012. Amongst the demographics of women obtaining an abortion in Arizona, Hispanics were the highest, making up over 43% of abortion patients. Additionally, most were unmarried and have had previous pregnancies. Although only 10% of abortions occurred after 15 weeks of gestation, that is still a significant amount of women that are left with few options, or worse, forced to give birth against their will. To some, who are referred to as, forced birth advocates rulings like overturning Roe v Wade or SB1164 are seen as victorious, however, most who celebrated this victory forgot of the lasting consequences of their appeased values. Those consequences come at the expense of the most vulnerable and marginalized in our communities. So, when we think of oppression, it is not a matter of whether we agree or disagree that oppression exists. Yet, it is a matter of how oppression exists and who it affects. In Arizona, a Hispanic, unmarried woman would be considered amongst the most likely to be oppressed and laws like SB1164 contribute to this perpetuation. In a country that boasts about personal freedoms, the juxtaposition of laws that oppress such freedoms continue to confuse a nation as a new Gallup report shares that a record high, 69%, of Americans support abortion within the first trimester. Despite our bootstrap values of personal responsibility, we must ask, how feasible is this within a complex legal system? Personal responsibility is the ability to legally access an abortion and should not be decided by our government or a random strangers morality. Freedom cannot exist when choice is absent. For this reason, it is imperative that Arizona repeal laws like SB1164 and vote for representatives that express the true values of the people, not a minority. If laws like SB1164 become prevalent in America, then the next course of action should be to establish easier access to these healthcare services. This could be in the form of developing more clinics, requiring more transparency from impersonators fronting as abortion healthcare, or amending the 24-hour counseling requirement. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that abortions are fundamentally anti-oppressive and supporting abortion healthcare is supporting equity and the advancement of human rights. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: No, this isnt about those folks who spend their winters in Arizona or Florida. The snowbird behind this warning is an actual bird, the dark-eyed junco, a small creature you probably know if you have a bird feeder and maybe even if you dont. Trim, gray sparrows that flash white tail feathers as they take flight, juncos are called snowbirds because they arrive in our towns with the coming of snow. Come spring, they head back up into the mountains or north to Canada and Alaska for nesting. Juncos are among the Wests most familiar birds, reliable companions on summer hikes and winter days. The total population of the species is estimated to be around 200 million. Juncos are in no danger of extinction, so, what warning could they be giving us? Juncos may be abundant but they are also in sharp decline. According to the Breeding Bird Survey, a decades-long monitoring study of the nations birds, junco populations are down by 42% since the surveys began in the late 1960s. But here is the peculiar part: There is no obvious reason for this loss of millions of birds. Juncos are adaptable, not requiring some disappearing habitat. They dont make long-distance migrations to the tropics. Poisons or toxins dont seem to pose a special threat to them. What seems to be killing juncos is simply everything. Based on numerous studies, the leading human-related cause of death among birds is predation by cats: over 2 billion (yes, billion) birds killed per year in North America. This is followed by collisions: windows, 600 million birds; vehicles, 200 million; powerlines and communication towers, 43 million. Then there are pesticides and toxics, 72 million, lead poisoning, 12 million, and oil and wastewater pits, 1 million. That adds up to well over 3 billion dead birds per year. Nothing on this list is a deliberate effort to get rid of juncos or other birds. Theyre just byproducts of the way we conduct ourselves in the world. These dangers, of course, are not faced just by juncos. A review of North American bird populations documents that we have lost almost one-third of our birds since 1970. The researchers summarized their findings in no uncertain terms: This loss of bird abundance signals an urgent need to address threats to avert future avifaunal collapse and associated loss of ecosystem integrity, function and services. Its not just bird populations that are collapsing. Insect populations are crashing as well. Studies from the United States, Europe and Asia over the past 10 years document shocking declines in insect populations, as much as 50 to 75%. If youre plagued by swarms of mosquitoes in the summer, you might think thats not such a bad thing. But insects are crucial to the functioning of just about every ecosystem on Earth, serving as pollinators, decomposers and as food for countless species of critters higher up the food chain. Is there an exception to this relentless litany of population declines? Why, yes. Its us. Since 1970, the human population of the United States has grown by more than 60%, while bird populations have fallen by a third. That doesnt seem like a coincidence. Everyone has heard of the canary in the coal mine: the bird that miners brought underground to alert them to dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide. With its small size and fast metabolism, the canary would collapse before the gas reached levels fatal to humans, giving the miners just enough time to escape. We need to see the humble snowbird for what it is: Our canary in the world. When even the commonest wild species are suffering drastic declines, do we really believe that a world inhospitable to our fellow creatures will continue to be hospitable to us? As one species after another dwindles away, the structure of the ecosystems that sustain life on Earth is weakening. The familiar flash of a juncos white tail feathers as I hike along a mountain trail always brings a smile to my face. Its a reminder that keeping common species common is essential to keeping this beautiful planet livable, and for that, I say thank you, little snowbird. Texas Governor Gregg Abbott speaks during a rally at the South Texas International Airport in Edinburg, TX, where he gave his official endorsement for President to former President Donald J. Trump on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Workers place scaffolding by buoys on the Rio Grande south of Eagle Pass, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News Gov. Greg Abbott may have lost the latest legal round, but his options, while slim, are far from over to keep the floating buoy barrier in the Rio Grande. Abbott said Texas plans to petition the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision last week upholding a lower courts order to remove the barriers. The state has two weeks to file that petition, which could prolong the time the buoys are in place near Eagle Pass, where they have been in the river since July. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And if we lose there, we will be taking that to the United States Supreme Court, Abbott told FOX News host Maria Bartiromo in an interview Sunday. That could push back any removal date until well into January. Requesting a new hearing by the full court, called an en banc review, could be an uphill climb. Appeals courts rarely accept them, said Carl Tobias of the University of Richmond School of Law. Last year, the 5th Circuit granted just nine en banc petitions out of more than 200. Abbott has said hes using the 1,000-foot string of rotating buoys as one of many tools to address a surge in border crossings near Eagle Pass. The Justice Department sued Abbott in August, arguing that the state needed permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The department has pointed to the federal Rivers and Harbors Act, which gives the federal government oversight over all navigable waterways in the United States. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In court, Texas attorneys say the 1,200-mile Rio Grande should not be considered a navigable river because boats dont go up and down that section often a point Abbott made again in his interview Sunday. It is not navigable by definition when you have literally thousands of people able to walk across it every single day, Abbott said. It is not used for transportation of boats up and down that riverway. So its completely not navigable. The Justice Department has pointed out that Abbotts own contractors used boats to install the barriers and said in court that the barriers were intended to prevent migrants from using vessels to cross the river. Curtis Killman Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Curtis Killman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today A Tulsa man was sentenced Monday to serve nearly 22 years in prison after he admitted earlier to fatally shooting a man at a westside apartment complex in 2022. U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell sentenced Dillon Charles Wilson, 27, to a 262-month federal prison term followed by five years of post-custody supervision in connection with the Jan. 19, 2022, fatal shooting of Jamitric Landrum. In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Wilson admitted guilt Feb. 8 to one count of second-degree murder in Indian Country in the slaying of Landrum, who was shot at the Sandy Park Apartments in the 6300 block of West 11th Place. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed that Wilson serve a prison term ranging from 13 years to 24 years with a judge deciding the exact term, provided he accepted the plea agreement. Police found Landrum, 20, in the 5900 block of Charles Page Boulevard after receiving a call about 1:20 a.m. about a wrecked vehicle in the area, according to court records. Landrum died about two hours after being taken to a hospital. He had been shot once in the back. Prior to being shot, Landrum and his girlfriend had been driving around the complex looking for someone who might have tried to force open the front door to their home minutes earlier, according to court records. Landrum was shot while he was driving a white Ford Edge following an oral confrontation with another man in the complex parking lot, records show. Wilson started shooting at the vehicle and Landrum grabbed his chest while continuing down Charles Page, where Landrum eventually crashed the vehicle, according to an FBI affidavit for Wilsons arrest. Wilson was initially named in a first-degree murder in Indian Country indictment. Wilson, through an attorney, requested a prison sentence of 13 years. Prosecutors, meanwhile, requested Wilson be sentenced to 262 months, or nearly 22 years, in prison, citing his propensity to be a violent felon. Kevin Canfield Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Kevin Canfield Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Mayor G.T. Bynum sent a letter on Tuesday to Tulsa Public Schools board members warning that local control of Tulsa Public Schools hangs in the balance and asking that they hire Ebony Johnson as the permanent superintendent of the district. The board voted in August to name Johnson the interim superintendent after approving a mutual separation agreement with former Superintendent Deborah Gist resigned. Bynums letter comes as TPS leadership continues to face pressure from State Superintendent Ryan Walters and his colleagues on the State Board of Education to improve outcomes at the district. Last week, the board unanimously adopted an order requiring the district to meet additional goals by the end of the 2022-23 school year in order to avoid a state takeover or loss of accreditation. TPS officials said after the meeting that they were not given any advance notice of the additional requirements. Bynums letter makes no direct mention of those actions or the ongoing tensions between the school district and the State Board of Education but describes the current situation as a crucial moment for public education in our city. Parents have demanded it (improvements), our state superintendent has demanded it, and the Oklahoma State Board of Education has demanded it, Bynum said. While national searches have normally been conducted when this job was vacated in the past, this is not a normal time. Local control of Tulsa Public Schools hangs in the balance, and maintaining that self determination requires that improvements be made on an expedited time frame. Achieving those improvements quickly requires parents, teachers, and administrators to know who is leading the charge and maintaining interim status weakens Dr. Johnsons ability to lead a successful effort. Bynum said there were two primary reasons for making the request: the urgency of the need to make improvements at TPS, and the fact that the district is experiencing significant turnover in its senior leadership. I feel comfortable making this request because Dr. Johnson is a superb candidate for the job in her own right, Bynum said. She is a career educator who has put Tulsa Public Schools first at every stage of her career as a teacher, as a principal, and as an administrator. In a short period of time as interim superintendent, she has dramatically enhanced collaboration with the State of Oklahoma. She has high expectations for Tulsa Public Schools, and she is not defensive about past performance. She is laser focused on delivering better outcomes for Tulsa students and their families. Johnson told the Tulsa World last month that she would accept the permanent position if she were offered it. TPS board Chairwoman Stacey Woolley said Tuesday that she would support making Johnson the permanent superintendent. Dr. Johnson has my full support. I believe she is the leader for the time that we are in, Johnson said. She has established that she is ready to do hard things and that she is ready to be in deep conversations with our state superintendent of schools and fight on behalf of our students in Tulsa. Woolley said she expects the TPS board to take up Johnsons job status as early as next week. After our last meeting where we discussed this, we developed an ad hoc committee that looked at how we felt we should proceed with a superintendent search for the district, and it is our hope to bring forward a recommendation about that process, which could involve a conversation about the hiring of Dr. Johnson, next Monday. Bynum acknowledged the unique nature of his request, saying that as mayor he respects the TPS boards role as an independently elected body and that he has always deferred to the board when it comes to educational opportunities in the city. I retain that deference, Bynum said, but I do feel a great responsibility to make a request. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. TPS interim Superintendent Ebony Johnson speaks about the school district. Curtis Killman Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Curtis Killman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today A federal judge said Monday that he would dismiss a civil lawsuit that challenged the city of Tulsas right to issue traffic tickets to tribal citizens. Chief U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson of the District of New Mexico told attorneys during an online status conference hearing that he would issue the order in the near future. The pending dismissal comes in a lawsuit filed by Choctaw tribal citizen Justin Hooper, who challenged the citys jurisdiction to issue him a traffic ticket for speeding in light of the U.S. Supreme Courts 2020 McGirt ruling. Johnson asked attorneys during the hearing why he shouldnt dismiss the lawsuit following the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals June ruling that the city of Tulsa couldnt use a 19th century-era law the Curtis Act to claim criminal jurisdiction over tribal citizens in municipal court. John Dunn, Hoopers attorney, said the only thing that remains in the case is for the judge to issue an order declaring that the Curtis Act does not give the city of Tulsa jurisdiction over tribal citizens and to overturn its original ruling in favor of the city. Johnson initially ruled in favor of the citys claim that the Curtis Act still gave it jurisdiction over tribal citizens on municipal court matters. Kristina Gray, an attorney for the city of Tulsa, urged the court to not dismiss the case. Gray said the U.S. Supreme Courts Castro-Huerta ruling in 2022 will be an issue raised by the city in its defense of issuing tickets to tribal members. So we dont think that this case is solely limited to the Curtis Act and we believe that the court remanded it not solely to enter an order but for further proceedings, Gray said. But Dunn said the city did not adopt any of the arguments regarding the Castro-Huerta ruling as the state of Oklahoma did in its friend of the court brief filed in the case. If anything, because Tulsa did not raise it at the 10th Circuit, theyve waived the argument, Dunn said, regarding the Castro-Huerta opinion, which determined that the state of Oklahoma has concurrent criminal jurisdiction when a nontribal member victimizes a tribal member on a tribal reservation. Johnson noted that the 10th Circuit declined to bring the Castro-Huerta issue into the Hooper case despite the U.S. Supreme Court issuing its Castro-Huerta ruling prior to the 10th Circuit ruling in the Hooper case. Gray countered that the Castro-Huerta ruling was not addressed by both parties and has not been briefed. It was not raised before the circuit because, presumably, the Supreme Court indicated we could come back to the district court and raise it at the district court, Gray said. Johnson said he believed a federal civil lawsuit filed in November by the Muscogee Nation against the city of Tulsa is better situated to address the issue of whether the city has the right to ticket a tribal citizen. It strikes me that the more recent case is the more appropriate forum. if you will. or case to raise these issues, Johnson said.And by my dismissing this case for lack of jurisdiction Im not foreclosing or shutting the door on the city of Tulsa to raise those issues that exist as a result of the Castro-Huerta opinion, Johnson said. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Melissa Jacques Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer Follow Melissa Jacques Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today OKLAHOMA CITY The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma is optimistic about the outcome of a Monday hearing on a requested injunction and dismissal of House Bill 1775 after waiting two years to get to court. HB 1775, which deals with race and gender education, has been controversial since its passage by the Oklahoma Legislature in 2021. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are asking for an injunction and to have the law overturned as unconstitutional. Plaintiffs allege the vagueness of the law makes it impossible to follow, leading teachers to be unwilling to teach or even have conversations with students about these topics. It is simply unclear what is and is not prohibited, said Megan Lambert, the legal director for the Oklahoma ACLU, in a press conference held after a federal judge heard oral arguments in the case. The ACLU of Oklahoma is representing multiple organizations plus individual teachers and students from Edmond and Oklahoma City Millwood public schools in the case in federal court in Oklahoma City. The state opposes the possibility of an injunction, dismissing the plaintiffs concerns by pointing to a safe-harbor provision in the act. Initially, U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin focused on the portion of the law that prohibits any orientation or requirement that presents any form of race or sex stereotyping or a bias on the basis of race or sex in higher education institutions in the Oklahoma system. The University of Oklahoma, a defendant in this case, made a previously mandatory orientation-style course called Gateway to Belonging voluntary. An attorney representing OU said this was done, out of respect for the Legislature, as it would be against the Oklahoma Constitution for the Legislature to dictate class content for institutes of higher education. The attorney representing OU argued that because the law did not impact coursework at the university and because the university is not an enforcer of the law, that the case against the university should be dropped. The law also sets out eight concepts that are prohibited from being required or made part of a course. These concepts include teaching that one race or gender is inherently superior. It also prohibits causing a student to feel guilty or uncomfortable because of their race or gender, as well as teaching that anyone is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or otherwise. One of the plaintiffs, Anthony Crawford, who teaches high school in Oklahoma City said after the hearing, When this law was passed, me and my colleagues were confused. After introductory statements, the judge questioned both sides about specific parts of the law. He asked the defense about the meaning of certain words in the act, like presents. The defense asserted that presents was intended to mean endorses or promotes in the context of the law, making it illegal for a teacher to endorse or present the eight concepts listed in the act. The Legislatures obvious goal was to prevent racism and sexism, said Gary Gaskins, the states solicitor general. The judge seemed less than convinced on this point, responding, Youre asking me to do a lot of work there, in reference to the defenses interpretation of presents. The plaintiffs argued that the law was unconstitutionally vague, violates students 1st Amendment right to information and their 14th amendment right to equal protection under the law. Goodwin questioned the sides on the legitimacy and importance of the defenses claim that HB 1775 contains a safe-harbor provision, which requires that the law, not prohibit the teaching of concepts that align to the Oklahoma Academic Standards. These standards include social studies guidelines guaranteeing students learn about important historical events involving racism like the Tulsa Race Massacre. The plaintiffs argue that because the law is contradictory to the standards in multiple places, teachers are confused about which rules to follow. In closing statements, the plaintiffs once again asked the judge for a preliminary injunction, while the defense argued that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue. A plaintiff cannot manufacture harm, Gaskins said. Several school districts have been penalized under this law since its passage in 2021, including Tulsa Public Schools, which was given a warning due to an implicit bias training for teachers. This hurt their accreditation, pushing them down two tiers to accredited with a warning, which means the deficiency severely impacts quality of education. The judge did not indicate a timeline for his decision or set another date for a second hearing, according to the ACLU. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Barbara Hoberock Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer Follow Barbara Hoberock Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today OKLAHOMA CITY Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat on Monday announced a plan to make the upper chambers budget process more transparent and inclusive. The announcement comes after years of complaints that too few are involved in a process that is largely secretive in nature. Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the changes have been in the works for 18 to 24 months. Treat said the Senate appropriations chairman will now delegate dollars to subcommittees to determine what projects and programs will be funded. We will have true budget hearings, not just check-the-box budget hearings, where the subcommittees will control the budget of each one of those agencies under their purview, he said. The proposed budgets will be presented to the full Senate Appropriations Committee and undergo a thorough vetting at a public meeting, Treat said. By the seventh week of session, the Senate will vote on a resolution detailing its position on the budget and funding issues going into negotiations, Treat said. The resolution will detail funding agency by agency. The Senate will not have budget negotiations with the House or Gov. Kevin Stitt prior to that, Treat said. Wednesdays during the session will be dedicated to the budget, he said. Last session left a sour taste in a lot of members mouths because it was focused on school choice and not the budget, Treat said. I am going to make sure this is successful, he said, adding that he expects some hiccups. He said the changes will involve all members and create more transparency. In past years, the budget was rolled out in the waning days or hours of the legislative session. Many members complained that they had little say so in what got funded or did not get funded. Treat said the desire is to not have last-minute items pop up. In the past, some woolly-boogers made it through the process. Woolly-boogers are items with a surprise intent inserted at the last minute with few people knowing about it until the budget is signed. Treat said the changes will usher in a new level of transparency. In the past, the governor has said he was left out of the budgeting process. Im glad Senator Treat is taking action on budget transparency, Stitt said. We have to slow the growth of government and Oklahomans deserve to know how their money is being spent. Legislators need time to review the budget before they vote on it instead of getting it at the 11th hour. I hope we can accomplish that this session. Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, appeared to support the changes. Democrats, the minority in both chambers, have long complained about being left out of the process. I am pleased that Senate leadership acknowledges the necessity of a transparent budget process, Floyd said. Oklahomans deserve a clear explanation of where their tax dollars are going and why. This process has been out of the public eye for far too long, and I hope this new approach will enable us to craft a budget that better meets the needs of Oklahomans. The session begins at noon Feb. 5. Lawmakers must adjourn by 5 p.m. May 31 but could leave earlier. Vietnam and Turkey agreed to beef up their cooperation in various fields, including civil aviation, agriculture, Halal, and defense industries as part of a joint statement issued by the two countries during Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs official visit to Turkey from November 29 to 30. The statement said that this was the first official visit to Turkey by a Vietnamese prime minister since the establishment of the Vietnam-Turkey diplomatic ties in 1978. The visit also carried a more significant meaning as it took place on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations and the 100th founding anniversary of Turkey. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspects an aircraft miniature displayed at Turkish Aerospace Industries in Turkey, November 30, 2023. Photo: Ngoc An / Tuoi Tre Both sides attached great importance to bilateral trade and economic cooperation and expressed their joy at the recent positive trajectory in their bilateral trade. They highlighted the need to raise trade to US$4 billion by accelerating trade promotion and business matchmaking events, as well as seeking to remove obstacles hindering such trade. Vietnam expressed its satisfaction with the decision that the passenger terminal of the Long Thanh International Airport project, a major initiative situated in southern Dong Nai Province, will be developed by a consortium led by a Turkish firm. The Southeast Asian nation called on Turkish businesses to continue investing in the nation. Both nations agreed to enhance civil aviation cooperation with the aim of boosting tourism and trade. They pledged to engage in more detailed discussions to streamline approval procedures, particularly focusing on facilitating the import and export of agricultural and animal products. They will also team up to develop the Halal industry in Vietnam. Halal refers to food products and services that adhere to Muslim law. Both sides reached a consensus on opening the Turkish Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as tightening collaboration in the highly-potential defense industry and in fighting against crimes, with a focus on transnational, organized crimes, and terrorism. To enhance the legal framework for their cooperation, Vietnam and Turkey pledged to ramp up negotiations on bilateral agreements in defense, security, and extradition. As part of the joint statement, Vietnam expressed its deepest condolences to the Turkish government and people for their huge losses triggered by earthquakes in February this year and showed its great admiration for their efforts to cope with the aftermath. Turkey highly appreciated the valuable support of the Vietnamese government and people for their assistance in dealing with the devastating events, including the deployment of 100 soldiers and police officiers to aid the search and rescue operations along with financial support of US$900,000 from the Vietnamese government and the Vietnam Red Cross Society. The two countries also agreed to beef up cooperation on technical training and pledged to share with each other experience in search, rescue, and disaster relief services. They acknowledged the importance of elevating their friendship and cooperation to a new high. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmus expressed their thanks to Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue for inviting them to visit Vietnam at a proper time. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! DUBAI - When temperatures climbed north of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Seville during this summer's crushing heatwave in Europe, air conditioning use jumped 23 percent in the southern Spanish city compared to how many hours ACs ran during the same period in 2022. Lisbon's average AC use, too, went up by about 41 percent in mid-June to mid-July, compared with the same period the previous year, according to data analysis from Sensibo, a company which specializes in smart devices that can control ACs remotely to cut energy use. While cooling technologies can save lives during deadly heat, they also threaten to worsen the climate crisis. The energy used in cooling and refrigerants accounts for about 7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and demand could more than triple by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. "We've got a big problem," said Lily Riahi, head of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Cool Coalition. "Without strong policy actions, emissions will skyrocket." At this year's U.N. climate summit, governments and companies are grappling with the problem by discussing energy efficiency and reining in high-polluting refrigerants. Dozens of countries are backing a COP28 pledge to reduce cooling-related emissions by at least 68 percent by 2050 from 2022 levels. But industry experts say governments need to offer incentives for companies to bring sustainable AC technologies to market and scale up. Even making today's most efficient units more affordable could help, she said. "There is super efficient equipment available today that is not being tapped into," Riahi said. "We need to create demand with policy." A man uses his mobile phone as he sits amidst the outer units of air conditioners, at the rear of a commercial building in New Delhi, India, April 30, 2022. Photo: Reuters Cool design AC companies have been developing better products for years, with units using less power and releasing fewer hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases. One way conventional ACs are so energy intensive is through processes for eliminating humidity. Conventional ACs transfer heat outside by converting gas refrigerants to liquid and back again, which generates cooling. Removing humidity requires cooling air to the point at which water vapour becomes a liquid to be drained. This inability to get rid of humidity without first cooling the air makes conventional ACs less efficient. "Humidity is what drives comfort, even more than temperature," said Sorin Grama, CEO of the U.S. startup Transaera. "Current air conditioners suck when it comes to removing humidity." Grama co-founded Transaera in 2018 based on novel cooling materials discovered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company's AC prototype uses these materials to dry out air, aiming to produce fewer emissions than traditional ACs. Two major AC companies, Gree Electric and Daikin, won a 2021 competition supported by the Indian government and nonprofits to build a better air conditioner. Like Transaera, the winning prototypes focused on removing humidity and achieving a climate impact five times lower than available ACs. Two years later, there are no plans to bring those winning prototypes to market. While Gree hopes soon to offer a scaled-back model, Daikin said material costs and supply chain issues were still obstacles. "It's not economically feasible," said Miki Yamanaka, department manager of Daikin's Global Environment Center. Markets of scale Industry experts say policies and incentives are needed to lower consumer costs. More than 1 billion people living in warm climates still lack access to cooling, according to nonprofit Sustainable Energy for All. "Cooling is more like a right than a luxury," said Larissa Gross of climate think tank E3G. UNEP's Riahi said governments can consider implementing stricter energy performance standards, clearer efficiency labelling, subsidies or bulk procurement to stimulate demand and lower costs. Meanwhile, import tariffs can help prevent inefficient, second-hand models being resold in developing countries. Gree is not yet releasing commercial models that replicate its super-efficient prototype. Market research suggested people were not willing to pay as much as 150 percent more, said thermal engineer Baolong Wang of Tsinghua University in Beijing who worked with Gree on its prototype. "Some countries like Indonesia, the economics are not so developed, but they need this kind of cooling," Wang said. "You have to focus on affordable cooling". The company instead plans to soon market a similar model but for drier conditions in the Middle East. This model uses the prototype's high-efficiency air compressor, but switches to a cheaper refrigerant with higher emissions potential than the prototype's R152a refrigerant, he said. Wang said Gree was also working on a model for the more humid Indian market. Another startup from Britain called Barocal is also working on improving AC technology, with its initial prototype using solid refrigerants instead of climate-polluting gases. "We've been working hard on a second generation of prototypes that are performing well in all metrics good cooling power and efficiency," said Barocal founder Xavier Moya, a material physics researcher at the University of Cambridge. The startup Transaera, which last year received $4.5 million in seed funding from U.S. company Carrier's venture capital group, aims to get a product to market by 2025. "This industry goes slow," Grama said. "You have to generate supply chains and partnerships ... We have to work within the confines of a 100-year-old industry changing its direction." Vietnamese agencies collaborated with Myanmar authorities to safely repatriate 338 Vietnamese citizens, including infants, from conflict zones in northern Myanmar, Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Tuesday. The repatriation was carried out through a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, Myanmar authorities, and other relevant partners. The primary aim was to guarantee the safety and well-being of the Vietnamese communities residing in Myanmar. The 338 repatriated people, including pregnant women, teenagers, infants, and even newborns, reached Vietnam early on Tuesday morning. The entire cost of the repatriation was covered by the Vietnamese government, showcasing the state's commitment to a humanitarian policy, as mentioned by the foreign ministry. The ministry added that a Vietnamese working group had tirelessly collaborated with Myanmar authorities and other relevant parties to ensure the success of the repatriation efforts. This marks the initial group of repatriates among over 800 Vietnamese nationals who were evacuated from conflict zones to secure locations, as reported by the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar. The remaining citizens have undergone necessary procedures and are waiting for repatriation in days to come. Most of the over 800 Vietnamese had come to Myanmar to work in online gambling establishments in the northern states of the country. When armed conflicts erupted in the northern region, encompassing the states of Shan, Kayin, and Rakhine, in late October, these workers were abandoned by their employers and found themselves trapped in the conflict zones between Myanmar's army and ethnic minority fighters. With the escalation of fighting in the region posing a threat to the safety of Vietnamese nationals, the foreign ministry has affirmed its commitment to continuing coordination with Myanmar authorities and other relevant agencies to repatriate all the remaining evacuated individuals. The ministry also warned that Vietnamese citizens should be alert to job scams in which swindlers promised them a 'high-paying easy job' in foreign countries, including Myanmar, because of the risk of fraudulent casinos or other illegal establishments. The ministry advised that before seeking employment abroad, job seekers should thoroughly understand their prospective employers, including all details related to the job, specific duties, the location of work, salary, insurance, and other associated benefits. In case of emergency, Vietnamese citizens in Myanmar can contact the citizen protection hotlines at +95 9660888998 for the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar or at +84 981848484 or +84 965411118 for the Foreign Ministry's Consular Department. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko will pay an official visit to Vietnam from Wednesday to Saturday at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday. This will be his first visit to the Southeast Asian country since he took office in June 2020. The most recent visit to Vietnam by a Belarusian prime minister occurred in November 2011. Vietnam and Belarus have maintained and strengthened their ties over the years, evidenced by frequent exchanges of delegations at all levels. Since 1998, all leaders of Vietnam, including the Vietnamese Party general secretary, the state president, the prime minister, and the lawmaking National Assembly chairman, have made a visit to the East European nation. Nguyen Phu Trong visited Belarus in 2009 when he served as chairman of the National Assembly, and again in 2014 in his capacity as Vietnam's Party chief. The most recent visit by Vietnams high-ranking delegation was in December 2019. The delegation was led by then-Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Since 1997, Belarus has seen visits from the president, prime minister, deputy prime ministers, foreign minister, and chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus to Vietnam. Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus Ivan Vladimirovich Kubrakov took a working trip to Vietnam in April. As part of his trip, he met with PM Chinh, conveying Belarusian Prime Minister Golovchenkos invitation to the Vietnamese government leader. Vietnam exports seafood, rubber, woodwork, footwear, textiles, rice, cashew nuts, pharmaceutical product,s and computers to Belarus, while buying dairy products, fertilizer, machines, automobile components, and chemicals from the latter. Belarusian investors have been involved in the development of three projects in Vietnam, with a total pledged capital of US$32.2 million, while Vietnam has engaged in a project worth $810,000 in Belarus. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang hosted a welcome ceremony in Hanoi on Monday morning for his Malaysian counterpart Dato Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam from Sunday through Tuesday. The two top defense officials held talks right after the welcome ceremony. Minister Giang underlined the importance of the visit, which is among the events in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic ties and is expected to advance bilateral defense cooperation in the years ahead. He affirmed Vietnam and Malaysia are close neighbors in Southeast Asia and share many similarities in culture and history. Both countries have consistently demonstrated their proactiveness and responsibility as members of ASEAN, providing mutual support on various crucial international matters. They are collaboratively developing an action plan to implement their strategic partnership throughout the 2021-2025 period, encompassing various aspects such as defense cooperation. The Malaysian minister noted that the defense ties between Vietnam and Malaysia have experienced significant growth, particularly after the signing of a memorandum of understanding on bilateral defense cooperation in 2008 and the establishment of a strategic partnership in 2015. He conveyed his desire for an elevation of defense relations between Vietnam and Malaysia in the future. The two top defense officials shared the view that there is significant potential for both nations to enhance their defense cooperation. They suggested that both sides continue to effectively implement the signed agreements and formulate new cooperation plans. The focus should include delegation exchanges, establishing consultation-dialogue mechanisms, training, defense industry collaboration, logistics, military medicine, and rescue efforts. They emphasized the importance of supporting each other in regional and international security forums. Both ministers also engaged in discussions on global and regional issues of mutual concern. They highlighted the continued significance of ASEAN-led mechanisms in fostering dialogues and cooperation among ASEAN member states, as well as non-ASEAN partners. This collaboration is crucial for promoting peace, stability, and development in the region, particularly in the face of numerous global and regional uncertainties. The ministers underlined the importance of upholding peace, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Vietnam Sea. They underscored the necessity for strict and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in these waters. Both sides expressed the urgency to promptly conclude negotiations and sign the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone in Vientiane on Monday, as part of his trip to attend the first Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Parliamentary Summit and visit the neighboring country through Thursday. At a meeting with Lao Party chief and State President Thongloun Sisoulith, NA Chairman Hue extended congratulations to Laos on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of Laos' National Day (December 2, 1975 - 2023) and on the achievements that the people of Laos had achieved through hardship to maintain the stability of their countrys security, politics, and economy. Hailing the positive outcomes in the Vietnam-Laos relations, the top Lao official expressed his desire that Vietnam would continue calling on its businesses to expand investment in Laos. The two leaders affirmed that both countries will sustain their cooperation and mutual support at international and regional forums. This commitment extends particularly to events organized by the United Nations (UN) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as in sub-regional cooperation mechanisms. Vietnam pledged to give maximum support to Laos to fulfill its role as the chair of ASEAN and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in 2024, helping enhance the role and position of Laos in the region and the world. Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) shakes hands with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during their meeting in Vientiane, December 4, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency During another meeting between NA Chairman Hue and PM Sonexay Siphandone, the Lao government leader said Hues ongoing visit would help foster the two countries great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation. The Lao PM lauded Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjets recent launch of a direct air service between Ho Chi Minh City and Vientiane, with four weekly flights starting from early next year. Hue emphasized Vietnams consistent stance on giving top priority to its unique traditional relationship with Laos. He also highlighted Vietnams wish to welcome the Lao PM to visit the country and co-chair the 46th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos inter-governmental committee. The two countries should cooperate in three key sectors, including large-scale hi-tech agriculture, renewable energy, and mineral exploitation, he recommended. The top Vietnamese legislator also visited former Lao Party chief and State President Bounnhang Vorachith and former Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong in Vientiane. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Two waste treatment plants in Dong Anh and Dan Phuong Districts on the outskirts of Hanoi have remained closed for many years. The headquarters of Thanh Quang Investment JSC, the investor of the two plants, is also deserted. The company invested more than VND700 billion (US$28.8 million) in the waste treatment plant in Viet Hung Commune, Dong Anh District in 2016. The plant was anticipated to commence operations in April 2017, with a designed capacity to handle 500 metric tons of garbage per day. However, it has been left inoperative for years despite its investor being granted a 49-year land use fee exemption. Many components of the plant have deteriorated over time. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Meanwhile, the Hanoi administration issued the investment certificate to the waste treatment plant in Phuong Dinh Commune, Dan Phuong District 10 years ago. The plant, with a cost exceeding VND250 billion ($10.3 million) and a capacity to treat 200 metric tons of trash daily, suffered a similar fate. Chairman of the administration of Phuong Dinh Commune Nguyen Xuan Khang said local residents had repeatedly proposed resuming the operation of the plant, underscoring the need for it to use advanced technology to minimize any impact on their lives. Garbage is burned at an unlicensed site in Dan Phuong District, Hanoi. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Thanh Quang, general director of Thanh Quang Investment JSC, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the company was completing procedures to turn the plant in Viet Hung Commune into a facility treating hazardous waste instead of normal garbage. As for the plant in Phuong Dinh Commune, Quang said his company owes the municipal development investment fund VND75 billion ($3.1 million). "We have urged investors with both financial and technological capabilities to step in, settle the debt, and recommence operations at the plant," he added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Approximately 42 percent of workers in Vietnam frequently experience stress, according to statistics from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Globally, an estimated 15 percent of working-age adults confront a mental disorder each year, resulting in the loss of about 12 billion working days annually due to depression and anxiety. This loss equates to a staggering US$1 trillion per year in labor productivity. Dr. Steve Pham, founding president of ESI Leadership Institute, highlighted anxiety and depression as prevalent mental health challenges, particularly among the workforce in Vietnam. Previously, mental health was regarded as an employees personal concern, but it is now recognized as an issue that businesses need to address. Pham cited several reports as indicating that the rate of employees leaving their jobs due to dissatisfaction, conflicts, and relationship-related stress surpasses those leaving because of the nature of their work. In the post-COVID-19 era, many businesses, companies, and organizations have shifted their focus to the mental health of their employees, prioritizing a joyful work environment over mere performance. A supportive and caring work environment fosters long-term high performance. A stressful work environment not only impacts the mental health of workers but, according to Lesley Miller, deputy representative of UNICEF Vietnam, it also affects families, especially children. Conversely, family and childcare pressures can influence the quality and productivity of working parents. Experts advocate effective actions to prevent risks and enhance mental health in the workplace, such as providing spaces for employees to share mental health challenges and implementing practical support programs like consultation packages and psychotherapy. Businesses are encouraged to cultivate a happy work environment rather than solely emphasizing performance. Employees should be equipped with the skills to balance work and life, recognizing that striving for maximum capacity can lead to stress and exhaustion, impacting both physical and mental health and, consequently, productivity. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has urged local residents to remain vigilant against respiratory diseases, H5N1 bird flu, and COVID-19, as nearby countries, including China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia, have reported a surge in the cases of these diseases. China has recorded an increase in cases of respiratory diseases and pneumonia outbreaks in children in its northern localities, according to the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health. In Malaysia and Singapore, the number of COVID-19 infections has soared 50-100 percent over the last week but most of them developed mild symptoms. Cambodia has reported six H5N1 bird flu cases since early this year, with three fatalities. Experts have warned that Vietnam should brace for for climate changes that may create favorable conditions for the spread of infectious diseases, particularly respiratory illnesses. It is now the peak time for trade and tourism activities, paving the way for pathogens to spread far and wide, especially amid children, old people, and those with underlying health conditions. Therefore, the General Department of Preventive Medicine advises residents against being complacent and heedless. To prevent and control respiratory diseases, individuals are advised to exercise caution by wearing face masks in public places, practicing regular handwashing with soap or hand sanitizers, maintaining environmental and personal hygiene, keeping the body warm, engaging in physical exercise, and avoiding contact with those displaying symptoms of respiratory illnesses. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A Vietnamese teacher in Tuyen Quang Province, northern Vietnam fainted in the classroom after a group of seventh graders locked the room, cornered her, cursed at her, and threw a sandal at her head, a local official confirmed on Tuesday. The incident took place at Van Phu Middle School in Son Duong District, Giang Tuan Anh, chairman of the district administration, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Authorities are working and will release a report on the incident on Wednesday, Anh added. The teacher had received prior warnings from the school management due to allegations of using inappropriate language in the classroom on multiple occasions, as stated by a leader from Van Phu Commune within the district. Earlier, a video surfaced on social media of a female teacher being subjected to physical bullying by a group of seventh-grade students following her music class. As the teacher was leaving the classroom, these students immediately locked the door to prevent her from venturing out. This group of students persistently pushed her into a corner of the classroom, cheering and uttering offensive remarks toward their teacher. A particular schoolboy repeatedly shoved the teacher, using his shoulder, and issued threats before deliberately lying on the floor, apparently with the intention of falsely accusing her of assaulting him. A video screenshot shows a Vietnamese female teacher being cornered, subjected to verbal abuse, and threatened by a group of her students. The teacher did not dare to resist her students disrespectful behaviors but used a smartphone to film the unfolding situation. But these students persisted in their offensive actions, with one of them going so far as to throw a sandal at the teacher's head, causing her to feel dizzy and faint on the spot. The students paid no heed to their unconscious teacher and continued to cheer loudly. Lots of netizens watching the video expressed their anger toward the rude behaviors of these students. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A Vietnam court has sentenced an interpreter to 16 years in prison for swindling nine people with a scam offering 'high-paying easy jobs,' promising them work as customer service staff in Cambodia but actually sending them to an exploitative online game firm to get US$2,700 in brokerage fees. Ly Phuong Thao, 37, received the sentence at her trial opened at the Da Nang City Peoples Court in central Vietnam on Monday over the offense of human trafficking under Article 150 of the Vietnamese Penal Code. The woman, hailing from Ho Chi Minh City, had traveled to Cambodia many times since 2019 when she started working for some Chinese companies there as an interpreter, according to the indictment. In early December 2020, through an online advertisement, Thao learned that a Chinese online game establishment in Sihanouk Province was recruiting employees and offering fees to job brokers at a rate of $300-500 per recruit. The company said it would pay brokers all costs related to transferring successful candidates to the firm. On December 3, 2020, Thao provided false information to a friend, T.P.K., who was in search of a job. She falsely claimed that she could introduce K. to a company for a position in its customer service department. Thao deceitfully informed K. that the job primarily involved entering data on computers and taking care of the company's clients. She further falsely claimed that the monthly salary was highly lucrative, ranging from $850 to $1,200, with the promise of an increase after the first three months of employment. Believing Thao's deceptive information, K. shared details of the supposed 'good job opportunity' with four of her relatives, who then agreed to accompany Thao to Cambodia to apply for the same job. Four days later, Thao took K. and four others to enter Cambodia by illegally crossing the border in Vietnams southwestern Tay Ninh Province. After sending the five people to the gambling establishment, Thao immediately returned to Vietnam. The manager of the establishment seized the personal identification papers of all five and forced them to sign documents written in Cambodian or Chinese. K. and her four relatives were forced to work 11-12 hours per day, luring and guiding the establishments customers to pay money for their online games. They were paid only $500-600 per month and were compelled to compensate the firm with $1,000 - 2,000 when they worked less than the required number of hours in a month. They had to work in closed areas, always guarded by security personnel. Those who worked ineffectively or were disobedient would be sold to another company. With the same trick, Thao continued sending four other people to the same company on December 20, 2020. She got a total amount of $2,700 from the firm as the brokerage fee for introducing nine people. Seven of these nine later tried to escape from the establishment, but only two of them were successful. The reports from the escapees helped Cambodian authorities rescue the remaining victims from the establishment later and also led to Thaos arrest. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Former host of The Chase Andrew OKeefe has pleaded guilty to driving with drugs in his system and given a 12-month good behaviour bond. ABC reports OKeefe was stopped in his Mercedes C200 in Point Piper, in Sydneys eastern suburbs, on January 20. After failing an initial saliva test, he was taken to a police station for a secondary test, which returned a positive test result for methamphetamine when it was sent away for analysis. OKeefe was charged with one count of driving a vehicle with illicit drugs present in his blood. Lawyer Sharon Ramsden produced documents to the court showing a raft of clear results from random tests, including one from 13 hours after the offence, to show his ongoing treatment for drug issues. Magistrate Miranda Moody said OKeefe did not have a driving history that assists him, commenting that it was fairly persistent. But she said to his credit, there had been no drugs detected in his system for quite some time despite clearly having some issues with illicit drug use. It appears Mr OKeefe is well engaged in treatment, which is once again to his credit, she said. The magistrate said she was prepared to deal with the matter by way of a 12-month good behaviour bond given the enormous amount of work Mr OKeefe seems to be doing in relation to his drug and mental health issues. She recorded no conviction. OKeefe was released from a rehabilitation centre in late October 2022. He will face court again in January on separate assault charges. He has pleaded not guilty. By any measure 2023 has been the year of the Easy Tiger in terms of premium drama. The company founded in 2017 by producer Ian Collie (pictured left), joined by former Stan Originals exec Rob Gibson (pictured right) in 2019, has been pumping out premium titles attracting audiences and rave reviews, with more on the way. Led by Binge comedy Colin From Accounts, their recent slate has included Scrublands (Stan), The Twelve (Foxtel), One Night (Paramount+), with Desert King coming to Netflix and Four Years coming to SBS. New 4 part docu-drama The Hunt for the Family Court Killer also premieres tonight on 10. Centering around homegrown terrorism, domestic violence and the upsurge of conservative mens rights groups the series exposes a shocking chapter of Australian social history through the eyes and experiences of those that lived it. Rob Gibson: My father was a Family Court judge in the 80s and saw a bunch of his mates get killed and threatened. There were bombs going off in the courthouse, and we had 24 hour police protection outside our home for a number of years when all of that was going on. Its a remarkable story of the guy that got away with this for 40 years. Gibson and Collie attribute their success to working with talented Australian writers and directors, but also acknowledge creative producers who will oversee production, some of which are happening simultaneously. Ian Collie: Were covering the streamers which is nice, because back in the olden days you had three commercial networks, maybe two public broadcasters. Now its great to have so much more variety. We do take a real pride in working with creators and being fair amount. Im sure all production companies do, but I suppose, also backing their vision. Then its (having) all the support people from cast and crew and increasingly, weve got a lot of third party or independent producers,were bringing in on all these, particularly interstate projects, because we just cant be across it all. Theyre all doing a fantastic job. Then theres the trust. I suppose we have that sixth sense, where we feel a persons going to do a good job for us. Touch wood so far, its been great. Colin From Accounts starring its creators Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall has become a global hit for Easy Tiger, winning international awards and critical acclaim in both the UK and USA. IC: Its a Certified Fresh Tomato. We have no idea what that is! RG: Harriet and Paddy are just such incredibly talented and funny people. So its been a lovely journey. It worked brilliantly here, went to the UK and BBC and sort of became a cultural phenomenon over there in a way that we could never have expected, really.. and its lovely seeing a poster for one of your shows on Sunset Boulevard and Times Square. Filming on a second season is due to begin this month in Sydney. Shooting has also completed in Western Australia on a second season of The Twelve, coming to Foxtel / Binge in 2024 with a new crime and cast including Sam Neill reprising his role as Brett Colby, SC alongside Frances OConnor, Tasma Walton, Kris McQuade, Amy Mathews, Erroll Shand, Fayssal Bazzi, Luke Pegler and more. IC: Its very different. Its set in a country town. Theres not just one, but two former lovers accused of shooting the mother, a harridan who runs a rural property and who has either fallen down the well accidentally or has been murdered and shoved down the well on the farm. Theres no witnesses, so a lot of it relies on forensic and circumstantial evidence. The two co-accused played by Amy Matthews and Errol Shand, who was in One Night with us, are terrific. Also youve got about four juror stories, which I think is just enough in contrast to Season One, this is more strictly a jury of your peers, because its a small country town. So a lot of the jurors either know each other, because theyre all from a fairly small region, unlike Season One in Sydney. Its got a more provincial, slightly more insular feel to it. Crime drama Scrublands recently launched on Stan. Based on the novel by Chris Hammer, the 4 part series stars Luke Arnold Bella Heathcote and Jay Ryan. Filming for the fictional Riversend took place in Castlemaine, Victoria. Collie and Gibson are hopeful it may proceed to a second season. IC: Its semi-arid and the title kind of sells itself theres scrubby sort of eucalypts, not full desert Outback we used to call it dry sclerophyll. Its got an amazingly beautiful, authentic look and the performances across the board are really strong. Well see how it plays. Its sold quite well overseas, to BBC, Sundance, Paramount+ in Germany, RTA in Ireland set fingers crossed, there may be a second season. The next book is called Silver and involves Martin (Arnold) and Mandy (Heathcote). They leave Riversend for a coastal setting and lo and behold, a murder happens. So Martins back on the investigatory thing. hopefully something that will get up. Obviously it depends how well it performs but we remain quitely confident. Filming has also been underway on Desert King (working title) for Netflix in the Northern Territory and South Australia. When the worlds largest cattle station is left without a clear successor, generational clashes threaten to tear the Lawson family apart. Sensing this once great dynasty is in decline, the outbacks most powerful factions rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders and billionaire miners move in for the kill. RG: The vast bulk of our exteriors are shot (in the NT) and its just astonishing-looking, in a remarkable place to shoot. Were doing the rest down in South Australia, which is obviously a slightly easier place to produce a television show. Weve got 10s of 1000s of head of cattle, bull catches, helicopters, airplanes, a giant cattle station, which is, one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in the world these places are the size of small countries. I think this one has been compared to Wales. To be given the opportunity to do something of that scale by Netflix has just been wonderful. Four Years, recently announced by SBS, will film in both India and Australia. The series explores love, yearning and miscommunication and will shoot in India and Australia. Created by Mithila Gupta (Five Bedrooms, Bump) it features a writing team all with South Asian heritage: Mithila, Nicole Reddy and S. Shakthidharan and will be directed by Mohini Herse (Appetite) and Fadia Abboud (Year Of, Five Bedrooms). IC: The shorthand is its an Indian Normal People. Were doing our chemistry tests in India. Weve got a shortlist of roughly about four of each gender, and so were seeing if the sparks fly between the two. Its great to know that were bringing through the next generation of talent. Given their raft of hits, what is it that draws Collie and Gibson to new projects and is there room for more? RG: Were genre agnostic for sure, and thats probably only increased, since theres now two of us. We have, remarkably, very similar tastes in a lot of ways, but also go out into different directions as well. If we were ever going to do a sci fi, its probably going to be something that I would be bringing in, as opposed to Collie. Likewise, if we were going to do something like a true biography or corporate thriller Collie is very well read in nonfiction. IC: In many ways, were often not looking for stuff. Obviously, we know certain genres, Crime Drama, family drama, comedy, especially in light of Colin From Accounts, can work. So when we do receive a pitch we review it from a number of angles. First, its just that gut response. Its something where we feel, This is a great story. Im really engaged, laughing or crying, whatever that emotion might be. Secondly, is it a really well written? Does this person know how to write or do we need to bring in additional creatives to get it to a standard? Thirdly, is there a market for it? RG: Ultimately youre looking for something thats just going to be eye catchingly different or special in some way. Weve all read enough scripts to last a lifetime so you get a gut feeling for the ones that feel like you havent seen them before. Something that will excite buyers, because theres just nothing else like it out there. The Hunt for the Family Court Killer airs 9:30pm tonight on 10. The Cannes Film Market, which runs alongside the festival, has named Switzerland as Country of Honor for the 2024 edition thats set to run May 14-22. As part of the tribute, Cannes will highlight Switzerlands contributions to the audiovisual industry and provide a platform for emerging Swiss talents and projects in development. More from Variety The showcase will be organized by the promotion org Swiss Films, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture and the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR. A delegation of Swiss filmmakers, producers, and industry experts are expected to take part in several key events throughout the market, including those dedicated to fiction and non-fiction feature films, as well as immersive projects and innovation. Switzerland has consistently ranked in the top ten countries attending the Cannes market. In recent years, the Swiss film industry has expanded and has earned critical acclaim with top European co-productions which have won prizes at major international film festivals. Notable examples include Swiss director Claude Barras stop-motion film My Life as a Zucchini which played at Directors Fortnight in Cannes in 2016, and went on to be nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars and secured distribution in over 50 territories. More recently, Anna Novions drama Marguerites Theorem was presented as a Special Screening at the 2023 Festival de Cannes, while Alice Rohrwachers fantasy-comedy La chimera was a recent contender for the Palme dOr. Switzerlands growing presence in innovation and technology will also take center stage at next years film market with several events connecting Swiss creatives, start-ups, decision-makers and film funding bodies. Story continues Switzerland as our new Country of Honour demonstrates the remarkable evolution and impact of Swiss cinema, said Guillaume Esmiol, executive director of the Cannes Film Market. Their diverse activities planned for 2024 also emphasize their strong commitment to industry growth, and the Marche du Film is honored to be the key moment in Switzerlands ambitious agenda. They are, most of all, a very innovative country in terms of creativity and technology, which aligns perfectly with the positioning of the Marche, the leading market at the forefront of innovation and industry trends, Esmiol continued. Switzerland is the third country to receive the Country of Honor title, following India in 2022 and Spain in 2023. Last edition of the Cannes Film Market welcomed an record 14,000 professionals and showcased more than 4,000 films and projects in development, along with 200 networking events. In addition to the Cannes spotlight in May, Switzerland will also host the European Film Awards in Dec. 2024, with Lucerne as the hosting city. Switzerland stands out for being an attractive hub for co-productions, which are becoming increasingly important in Europe, said Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation. Our nation is also home to innovative companies excelling in AI and animation, thus playing a key role in positioning the Marche du Film as a premier industry event for innovation and sustainability. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. HA NOI Viet Nam and China need to enhance development of transport and logistics services along the economic corridor of four Vietnamese provinces and cities - Lao Cai, Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh - and Yunnan province, China, according to experts. According to Pham Van Huy, Deputy Director of Hai Phong Department of Transport, in order to develop transport infrastructure associated with logistics of Hai Phong seaports, investment needs to be prioritised. Hai Phong City will develop an inter-provincial and inter-regional traffic system as well as speed up the completion of roads connecting with the coast. It also proposes renovation of the Ha Noi - Hai Phong railway to increase its speed and effectiveness and accelerate the building of passenger terminal 2 and expansion of the apron and cargo terminal at Cat Bi International Airport. Quang Ninh Province has said it will continue to attract investment in a number of important seaports such as: Con Ong - Hon Net, Mui Chua and Yen Hung ports, and Hai Ha Seaport Industrial Park. It will also research and synchronously deploy the national high-speed and railway system to form a synchronous transport infrastructure system. Along with that, Quang Ninh will soon form inter-regional logistics centres, connecting domestic and international goods transportation activities. Those are formed on the basis of existing expressways and national highways, such as Noi Bai - Ha Long, Ha Long - Van on, and Van on - Mong Cai, to link to Ha Noi. According to Nguyen Huy Hoang from the Transport Development and Strategy Institute under the Ministry of Transport, logistics infrastructure on the economic corridor of Kunming (Yunnan) - Lao Cai - Ha Noi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh has developed strongly, especially transport infrastructure. Hoang believes that there is still room for Yunnan province and these four Vietnamese localities to exploit benefits from the inter-regional railway system, further promoting the development of the localities on the corridor. The two sides needed to continue to improve logistics infrastructure on the corridor according to national and local master plans, he said, focusing on the development, renovation and upgrading of the railway network among the five localities. Hoang also said that it was necessary to build a new Lao Cai - Ha Noi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway line with a 1,435mm gauge because this would be the route that holds nearly 50 per cent of the cargo and passenger volume transported by the national railway system. To develop the railway line, he recommended developing key routes at the East and West of Ha Noi and the route to Lach Huyen seaport, Hai Phong to take advantage of the railway industry. "Lao Cai has an important position in this economic corridor," said ang Van Luong, deputy director of the Lao Cai Department of Transport, adding that the new 1,435mm railway on the Lao Cai - Ha Noi - Hai Phong route would help reduce transport time and costs, facilitating import and export activities between the two countries due to having the similar railway gauge. Pham Van Nghi, deputy director of the Hai Phong Department of Transport, also proposed renovation of the Ha Noi - Hai Phong railway to increase the speed and effectiveness. In addition, Nghi suggested that the Government and ministries and branches focus resources on upgrading the Lao Cai - Ha Noi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway to promote the advantages of the railway connection between the localities along the economic corridor with the seaport system of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh. As the economic hub of the northern region, Ha Noi has favourable conditions to become a leading logistics hub. According to the city's Department of Transport, the capital is well connected to all provinces and cities in the north, with nearly 23,300 km of roads and highways, including the Phap Van - Cau Gie highway, the Noi Bai - Lao Cai highway, and the 5B highway. Ha Noi's network of railways and waterways also reaches out to other provinces and cities in the north. However, there are still bottlenecks hindering the transport and logistics network from being developed further, such as incomplete infrastructure, traffic congestion and urban flooding, according to o Viet Hai, deputy director of Ha Noi's Department of Transport. Those problems make logistics activities inconvenient, increase transportation costs and reduce the quality of services. Ha Noi's authorities need to adopt digital solutions in urban planning and management of transportation infrastructure, especially the use of Building Information Model (BIM) in the design, construction and operation of that infrastructure, according to Hai. The city should also push up use of smart devices to monitor traffic and regulate the flow of vehicles. According to Zhou Minxin, deputy director of the Yunnan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the construction of the China-Viet Nam standard railway line is beneficial to the economic and trade development between China and Viet Nam. Chen Yue, deputy director of the Yunnan Department of Transport, also expressed hopes that Viet Nam would complete the review of the standard gauge railway planning of Lao Cai - Ha Noi - Hai Phong as soon as possible, speeding up Construction progress of China-Viet Nam standard gauge railway. At the same time, the two countries needed to restore the initial routes from Yunnan to Viet Nam and open new routes according to market demand, building network transporting cargos and strengthening Yunnan - Viet Nam civil aviation cooperation. VNS MEDKONG DELTA Farmers in two major flower villages in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region, Sa ec in ong Thap Province and Cai Mon in Ben Tre Province, are busy planting seeds for the Lunar New Year flower crop, which falls on February 10. In Sa ec flower village in Sa ec City, the largest flower village in ong Thap Province, about 1.5 million pots of various kinds of flowers are being grown for Tet, including more than 270,000 chrysanthemum pots. Vo Thanh Tung, a farmer in Sa ec City, planted 5,000 baskets of chrysanthemums this year, an increase of about 20 per cent from last year. The average cost for each flower crop is over VN100 million (US$4,300). Traders are buying chrysanthemum pots in advance for prices ranging from VN80,000 to VN90,000 (US$3.5 3.9) a pot, up VN20,000 to VND30,000 from the previous Tet depending on the quality. Farmers are earning a profit of VN30,000 VN50,000 for each chrysanthemum pot. Chrysanthemums, one of the preferred Tet flowers, can bloom for more than one month. Tran Be Hai, who is growing 10,000 chrysanthemum pots in Sa ec Citys Tan Quy ong Ward, said that he hoped the flowers would bloom on time for Tet and be more beautiful this year because of favourable weather. The price of various types of flowers in the village had also increased by 20 30 per cent compared to last Tet, he said. With advanced farming techniques, farmers in the delta can now make most flowers bloom during Tet in order to fetch good prices. Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Head of the Economic Department of Sa ec City, said that according to statistics, farmers had sown more than 60 hectares of seeds, and were expected to increase to 100 hectares, an increase of nearly 40 per cent compared to the previous year. This year's traditional flower types were still marigolds, chrysanthemums, and auspicious flowers, along with some new varieties such as red and purple raspberry chrysanthemums. The quantity of flower and ornamental plants grown for Tet in many flower villages has increased this year. Farmers have also planted more new flower varieties such as foreign rose and daisy varieties. Tran Huu Nghi, Deputy chief of the Division of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cho Lach District, said that in Ben Tre Provinces Cho Lach District, which is the deltas largest flower producer, farmers would supply about 15 million pots of flowers and ornamental plants to the market, an increase of 2 million products compared to last year. The main flowers are raspberry chrysanthemum, hyacinth, marigold, yellow apricot, and kumquat. According to forecasts of the authorities, by the end of the year, saltwater intrusion will not be as severe as three years ago. Although rainy weather causes waterlogging, most people have experience in handling pesticides in a timely manner so the damage is insignificant. However, because the output of Tet flowers this year is high, farmers needed to sign contracts with traders, Nghi said. Cho Lach District produces many ornamental plants in various shapes, including the animals representing the 12-year zodiac cycle, in which each year is related to one animal. The coming Tet is the Year of the Dragon, so the district is making many ornamental plants in the shape of the dragon. VNS The 27th Artigiano International Handicrafts Fair is taking place from December 2-10 at the Exhibition Centre in Milan, capital of the Lombardy region, Italy's largest economic and cultural centre, reported Vietnam News Agency. The fair features nearly 2,600 businesses from 86 countries, including Vietnamese businesses. Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung and President of the European Union (EU) Handicrafts Council, Elisa Gudi, along with representatives of the Ha Noi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, cut the ribbon opening Ha Noi's display area at the fair. It is decorated with images and typical colours of traditional craft village products, handicrafts and OCOP products of Ha Noi - Viet Nam. The display area has products from eight reputable and quality handicraft manufacturing enterprises of Ha Noi: Musa Pacta One Member Company Limited, Vietnam Handicraft Company Limited, Green House Cooperative, LV & Pearl Vien Dong Co., Ltd., HANHSILK Joint Stock Company, Nhat Minh Ceramics Trading and Services Co., Ltd., Minh Giang Craft 2 TV Co., Ltd., Trading Company Ltd. and Huong Anh handicrafts. Products on display are decorations, wall hangings, vases, vases, baskets, baskets made of banana fibre; gift products, kitchen utensils from bamboo, rattan, coconut, wood, mother-of-pearl mosaic, household products, lacquer decor; silk pillowcases, quilted silk blankets, sleeping blindfolds, face towels, bath gloves, bath towels, makeup remover sets, massage pods, scarves, silk face towels, silk towels, silk fabric; silk rings, vases, jars, trays, boxes, traditional lacquer; products from natural materials such as sedge and water hyacinth; ceramics; trays, boxes, coconut bowls, horn jewellery, jewellery, accessories and buffalo horn kitchen utensils. In addition, a number of Vietnamese businesses also participated in the fair as independents, selling fruit jam, herbal tea, embroider, and ceramic lamps. Vietnamese booths attracted many visitors and shoppers from the opening day. Vietnamese products are considered very characteristic, distinct, colourful and unique. Chairman and CEO of Gestione Fiere Company, the organiser of this fair, Antonio Intiglietta visited the display area and learned about typical Vietnamese items. At the reception and working session with Ambassador Hung and members of the Vietnamese delegation attending the Fair, Antonio Intiglietta highly appreciated Viet Nam's return participation, emphasising the strengths of Vietnamese products which are ceramics and silk products. He also shared the results of his visit to Viet Nam in early 2023 and said he would continue to come to Viet Nam in the near future to coordinate and support Viet Nam to participate in the Craft Fair Artigiano international fine arts 2024. Ambassador Hung asked Antonio Intiglietta to share his experience in supporting countries attending the fair to achieve high efficiency, product selection, design support, promotion, and sharing information on market trends and tastes, wholesalers. The two discussed a number of specific activities and preparations that need to be implemented in the near future regarding Vietnam's participation at the Fair in the following years. Director of the Rural Development Division under Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office of the Office for Coordinating the Hanoi New Rural Construction Programme, Nguyen Van Chi, said: "Ha Noi's handicraft display area Ha Noi - Viet Nam at this year's fair contributes to introducing images and information about craft villages, handicrafts, and OCOP products of Ha Noi - Viet Nam; promoting and introducing handicraft products, corporate brands, and traditional craft villages of Ha Noi - Viet Nam to the world market." "This is also an opportunity to help businesses attending the fair grasp market needs, promote products, expand customer networks, as well as learn production experiences and improve designs of foreign businesses, abroad, thereby creating products with high value in quality and aesthetics, meeting the tastes of European consumers. In addition to displaying and introducing handicraft products, the Ha Noi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also has sightseeing activities and field surveys to learn from experience in making handicrafts." Artigiano International Handicrafts Fair is a traditional, prestigious event, held annually with the participation of many product displays from France, Spain, Germany, Colombia, Japan, China, India, Indonesia... and many artisans, manufacturers, distributors, large retailers and food chains in Italy and countries around the world. The largest festival of the world's handicraft businesses, held since 1996, is an ideal place for artisans from around the world to introduce their products and national characteristics. PHNOM PENH Viet Nam and Cambodia have officially launched a bilateral cross-border QR payment link, allowing Vietnamese and Cambodian citizens to scan QR codes to make payments in each others country using their local currency. Governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) Nguyen Thi Hong and Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) Chea Serey chaired the launching ceremony in Cambodias Siem Reap province. A press release from the NBC said that the new payment system aims to facilitate safe, convenient, secure, and affordable cross-border payments, promoting the use of local currencies. It is expected to particularly benefit Cambodian and Vietnamese citizens, especially tourists and merchants, stated the press release. It said that the effort follows a Memorandum of Understanding inked by the two central banks on November 8, 2022. After the signing, technical working groups from both sides met to discuss the modality of the linkage, agreeing to utilise a sponsorship model for the project. The cross-border QR payment system enables customers and the public to purchase goods and make payments in Khmer riel (KHR) in Viet Nam, while allowing Vietnamese to use Vietnamese ong in Cambodia by scanning KHQR codes provided by approximately 1.8 million Cambodian merchants. KHQR is a popular quick response (QR) code system created for retail payments in Cambodia. In 2022, the NBC launched the KHQR code payment service, aimed at promoting retail payments using mobile phones in Cambodia. Along with Viet Nam, Cambodia has also set up bilateral cross-border QR payment links with Thailand and Laos. VNS Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez will be the first Latina to serve on the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals after the Senate voted 80-12 to confirm her. Cheriss May/Bloomberg Ana de Alba, left, nominee for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Irma Carrillo Ramirez, nominee for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, are sworn in during a Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing held in May. The Senate on Monday voted 80-12 to confirm Ramirez. Cheriss May/Bloomberg WASHINGTON Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez will be the first Latina to serve on the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals after the Senate overwhelmingly approved her nomination Monday evening. The Senate voted 80-12 to confirm the North Texas magistrate judge to the New Orleans-based appeals court, which handles cases from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. It was the widest margin of support for a circuit court nominee since the start of the Biden administration, and it builds on President Joe Bidens record of elevating mostly women and lawyers of color to federal benches. Ramirez, 59, was nominated by Biden and supported by both of Texas Republican U.S. senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Ramirez has said her historic nomination sends a message. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A judiciary that is representative of the community it serves instills confidence in our system of justice, she said during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee this year. Before I was a judge, a little girl asked me if girls could be judges, too. And the hundreds of students I have spoken to since then only confirm that what I show them speaks far more loudly than what I say to them. Ramirez was raised in Tokio, a tiny town south of Lubbock, and went on to earn a law degree from Southern Methodist University in 1991 before practicing law in Dallas, where she served as an assistant U.S. attorney. In 2002, Ramirez was appointed as a magistrate judge by the courts district judges. During her Senate confirmation hearing this year, she recounted her father, a Mexican immigrant who worked in cotton fields in West Texas, telling her, Estudia, mija study, so that you dont have to work in the fields like I do. Becoming a judge, or even a lawyer, was so far beyond his hope of an inside job for me that we couldnt even begin to imagine it, much less dream it, Ramirez said at the time. Ramirez was picked for the circuit court by a bipartisan panel of attorneys in Texas that Cornyn and Cruz have tapped to help find candidates to fill judicial vacancies. The senators then suggested her to the White House, and Biden nominated her this year. She cleared the Judiciary Committee in June with just one vote against her. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The bipartisan vote speaks to the effectiveness of the selection process the Texas senators have established, said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. HA NOI This year 2023 marks 10 years of development and affirms the role of a prestigious and widespread trade promotion event - the Viet Nam Local Specialty Fair. The fair has become more and more attractive, increasingly receiving the active response and participation of a large number of provinces and cities across the country, capital consumers, and domestic and foreign tourists. It has become a trade bridge for domestic producers and traders of processed agricultural and food products with distribution systems, shopping centres, and supermarkets. Participating units are also constantly innovating and creating in terms of form, scale and quality of products participating in the fair. Director of the Viet Nam Centre For Agricultural Innovation Nguyen Thu Huong assessed that this was a large and prestigious trade promotion event, contributing to supporting businesses and localities to promote speciality products to Hanoian consumers as well as participating in the supply and consumption chain effectively in the capital market and serving exports. The 2023 Viet Nam Local Specialty Fair will become not only a meeting place to connect and introduce typical products, specialities, products protected by geographical indications, and high-quality OCOP products of 56 provinces and cities, but also a place where trade connection activities take place between businesses and major distributors, along with many cultural and tourism promotion activities. With the efforts of Ha Noi City, the co-ordination of provinces and cities and the response of businesses, I believe that the Viet Nam Local Specialty Fair will continue to affirm as an important bridge between manufacturers, distributors and consumers, is an effective promotion channel for Vietnamese speciality products, and is a national speciality festival flocking to the capital. This is also an opportunity to introduce the traditional culture and typical tourism of each land to domestic and international tourists," affirmed Bui Duy Quang, deputy director of the Ha Noi Centre for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion. VNS HA NOI In a recent development, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in India has revealed details about its investigation into the sunset review of countervailing duties imposed on stainless steel welded pipes originating from Viet Nam and China. According to information received by the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, the DGTR has issued an investigation questionnaire for the sunset review of countervailing duties on stainless steel welded pipes from the above-mentioned countries. The reviewed stainless steel welded pipes fall under HS codes: 7306 40 00, 7306 61 00, 7306 69 00, 7304 11 10, 7304 11 90, 7304 41 00, 7304 51 10, 7304 90 00, with the scope of the products under review extending beyond these HS codes. In adherence to Indian regulations, a sunset review is mandated after five years of enforcement. This review, prompted by the domestic industry's representatives, aims to evaluate the necessity of continuing with trade defence measures. It also explores the potential recurrence of subsidisation or harm to the domestic industry if these measures are terminated. The DGTR initiated the investigation on September 30, 2023. The official date of dispatching the investigation questionnaire to manufacturers, exporters, and relevant parties was November 28, 2023. Stakeholders involved are urged to submit their perspectives on the complainant's security interests within seven days of the DGTR officially sending the investigation questionnaire. Comments on the application, the scope of investigated goods, and proposals for the Product Control Number (PCN) should be submitted within 15 days. Responses to the investigation questions and pertinent information are expected within 30 days from the official date of the investigation questionnaire dispatch by the DGTR. VNS Staying afloat Your browser does not support the audio element. A trip to Viet Nam just wouldnt be the same without visiting the floating markets of the Mekong Delta. These shops on the river date back to the late 19th century, but some experts fear they may one day sink without a trace, and more must be done to protect this iconic symbol of the South. A trip to Viet Nam just wouldnt be the same without visiting the floating markets of the Mekong Delta. These shops on the river date back to the late 19th century, but some experts fear they may one day sink without a trace, and more must be done to protect this iconic symbol of the South. HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage wrapped up their trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28), and an official visit to Turkiye from November 29 to December 3, with all goals achieved, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs o Hung Viet. The Deputy FM said the participation and contributions of the Vietnamese delegation, especially PM Chinh's speech at the World Climate Action Summit within the COP28 framework or chairing of high-level multilateral events, have conveyed messages about Viet Nam's perspectives and policies on socio-economic development and global integration, as outlined in the documents of the 13th National Party Congress. It was also a specific step contributing to the implementation of Directive 25 of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on promoting and elevating multilateral external relations by 2030, as well as Viet Nam's major strategies, initiatives and plans for climate change response. Notably, the PM announced a plan to pool resources for the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), which garnered high interest and commitments from countries and international organisations. The Vietnamese delegation also joined several new multilateral cooperation initiatives to open up new opportunities and potential in the areas of energy transition and green growth. Their trip to the UAE and Turkiye took place at a special time when Viet Nam and Turkiye are celebrating the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and Viet Nam and the UAE are marking the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Turkiye is now the the Middle East's largest direct investor in Viet Nam, with a total registered capital of roughly US$1 billion. Meanwhile, the UAE is Viet Nam's largest trade partner in the region, with two-way trade estimated at $8.7 billion last year, Viet said. PM Chinh had a busy schedule, with over 20 activities in Turkiye and 30 others in the UAE, achieving tangible results in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks. Ministries, agencies and localities conducted dozens of important activities with partners in the two countries. The Vietnamese ministries, agencies, localities and businesses signed 31 important cooperation agreements with partners from the UAE, Turkiye and other international partners in the fields of security, agriculture, civil aviation, human resources, digital transformation and seaports, contributing to refining the legal framework for future cooperation. Viet said during meetings, partners praised Viet Nam's socio-economic achievements, highlighting the country's position, role and positive contributions to international cooperation in dealing with the climate crisis. Many countries affirmed their support and commitment to collaborate with Viet Nam in energy transition, improving adaptive capacity, thereby contributing to promoting Viet Nam's green growth efforts and, more broadly, supporting the global community. During bilateral meetings, leaders from Turkiye and the UAE spoke highly of the PM and the Vietnamese delegation's practical and effective visits and activities, describing Viet Nam as a top partner holding a particularly important position in ASEAN. They expressed their wish to boost friendly and all-around ties with Viet Nam in all areas, especially in trade, investment, sci-tech, aviation and human resources development. For partners in the Middle East, the PMs two visits to the region within a span of two months have sent a message about Viet Nam's interest and priority to developing relations with these promising partners. The Middle East is not only a potential market for the expansion of economic cooperation and export of Vietnamese goods but also a source of significant investment from major corporations and investment funds, he added. VNS VIENTIANE National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue met with representatives from the Vietnamese community in Laos on Tuesday, in the framework of his working trip to Laos to attend the first Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam (CLV) Parliamentary Summit. Chairman of the General Association of Vietnamese People in Laos Pham Van Hung informed the Vietnamese NA leader that the Vietnamese community in Laos have been active in social and charity work, contributing to local social-economic development and poverty reduction in disadvantaged areas. On behalf of the community, Hung proposed that competent agencies speed up the signing of an expanded agreement on labour cooperation, and increase the number of scholarships for Lao students of Vietnamese origin to study in Viet Nam. Talking to the representatives, Chairman Hue stressed the significance of the first CLV Parliamentary Summit and informed them of the socio-economic situation in Viet Nam. He highlighted that the 8th plenum of the Party Central Committee had adopted a new resolution on national unity, which puts emphasis on the role of the overseas Vietnamese community. He took note of the proposals of the Vietnamese community in Laos, saying that they will be sent to the Governments of the two countries. The top legislator affirmed the consistent policy of the Vietnamese Party and State on taking care of the overseas Vietnamese community, considering them an integral part of the Vietnamese nation. On this occasion, the NA Chairman presented 100 gifts to the Vietnamese community in Laos. VNS VIENTIANE Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong inh Hue visited the Academy of Politics of the Lao People's Public Security in Vientiane on Tuesday, as part of his working trip to Laos and his attendance at the first Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam (CLV) Parliamentary Summit. NA Chairman Hue expressed his delight at visiting the academy, a project symbolising the cooperation, solidarity and mutual support between the two Parties and countries, and between the two public security forces of Viet Nam and Laos in particular. Built on an area of 6.5ha with total investment of VN250 billion (US$10.4 million), the academy meets the training needs for 1,200 students each year. It was inaugurated and put into operation after just seven months of construction. He hoped that the academy will become a major research and political theory teaching centre of the Ministry of Public Security and Laos. The Vietnamese Party, Government and NA will always create conditions for the Vietnamese peoples public security force to enhance cooperation with their Lao counterpart, he said, suggesting the two Ministries of Public Security continue supporting each other to ensure the effective operations of the academy. The Vietnamese leader believed that in the future, the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and the two public security forces in particular will be preserved, inherited and further grow. He expected that the two forces will engage in numerous practical activities and projects bearing the hallmark of the profound friendship between Viet Nam and Laos. On this occasion, representatives from the Lao Ministry of Public Security and the Academy of Politics thanked the Vietnamese Party, Government and Ministry of Public Security for their assistance in building the academy. Chairman Hue later presented gifts and planted a tree at the premises of the academy. VNS HA NOI The Authority of Information Security (AIS) under the Ministry of Information and Communications has warned people to be careful when declaring personal information on popular social applications. The warning was made after several scams were reported by the Ha Noi Police. Recently, one resident received a phone call from a stranger, informing her that her data was incorrect, and asked her to go to Nguyen Co Thach Street in Nam Tu Lien District to correct it. After that, the stranger suggested she remotely change the data online, then appropriated her personal information. In other similar cases, fraudsters continuously call the victims claiming to be officials at the local people's committee. They request the victims to provide their identity card information and other personal paper numbers. The AIS recommends that organisations, businesses and individuals need to be vigilant when receiving phone calls from strangers. The strangers often claim to be officials of State agencies or judicial authorities to request investigation or payment of unspecified fees and debts. Residents are urged not to follow requests and instructions from anyone contacting them by phone. When citizens have doubts about the fraudsters, they should notify the nearest police agency for instructions. Some con artists are taking advantage of citizens lack of information about the electronic identification application VneID. The fraudsters continuously call victims, then send them links via social networks and ask them to access and install fake applications, which have a similar interface to the real one. After installing and declaring information on the fake link, the fraudsters will have enough data to carry out crimes. The municipal police confirmed that all phone calls and communications via social network applications requesting and instructing to activate VNeID are fake. The callers only do so to defraud and steal people's personal information. The AIS recommends that people should install the VNeID application from official sources, not provide personal information or access strange links. If citizens have questions about the VNeID application, they should contact local police or the Ministry of Public Securitys hotline. In addition, a warning bulletin posted on the website khonggianmang.vn also mentions other forms of fraud such as purchasing goods to receive rewards, stealing Facebook accounts and then fraudulently appropriating money, impersonating doctors selling medicine, calling for investment, buying and selling shares and then taking money, or tricks to borrow money online. People need to be alert, remain calm and seek help from the police if they detect abnormalities or signs of scams. VNS HA NOI As many as 338 Vietnamese citizens stranded in the conflict zone in the north of Myanmar were safely evacuated on Monday and they arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Ha Noi early Tuesday morning. The repatriation, aiming to ensure absolute safety for citizens, was conducted under the Governments direction by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the Ministry of Public Security, relevant agencies of Viet Nam, and partner countries. All repatriation fees were covered by the Government. As conflicts and complex developments continue in Myanmar, threatening the lives of Vietnamese citizens there, the MoFA is coordinating with domestic agencies, overseas representative agencies of Viet Nam, authorities of Myanmar, and partner countries to bring them home. More than 800 Vietnamese citizens have been granted travel documents and eligible to be repatriated, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar. They will be divided into groups for repatriation. Most of the evacuees are young, including those working at scam online gambling establishments in northern states of Myanmar, abandoned by employers, but were rescued by Myanmar authorities last month but stranded there due to conflicts between the host countrys military and local ethnic minorities. Vietnamese who remain stranded or need help can phone the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar via its citizen protection hotline +959660888998; or the MoFAs Consular Department via the citizen protection switchboard +84 981 84 84 84, +84 965 41 11 18, or email baohocongdan@gmail.com. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again warns Vietnamese citizens to be cautious against offers to work abroad for "easy but high-paying" jobs, with no requirements for degrees or qualifications, no signed contracts, with no representing sending labour organisations, etc. Citizens need to look carefully at what the job entails, the company, expected work location, relatives of the recommender, insurance policy, and benefits before deciding to go abroad. VNS The portfolio, serving nearly 42,000 customers, is a testament to Agribank's commitment to fostering sustainable economic practices, particularly in sectors like sustainable forestry and renewable energy. "Agribank is strategically positioned to influence Vietnam's transition to a green economy. Our focus on managing environmental and social risks in our credit activities demonstrates our commitment to sustainable development," Binh stated. The bank's involvement in several policies and national programmes aimed at poverty reduction and sustainable development underscores its role as a crucial player in Vietnam's green finance sector. The bank's journey in green credit financing has been marked by significant growth. Between 2018 and 2020, its green credit portfolio witnessed an exponential increase, ranging from 100 to 380 per cent annually. Despite the global economic challenges, it has managed to maintain a stable growth trajectory in its green credit offerings. Agribank's initiatives extend beyond traditional banking services. Collaborating with Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Vietnam Television, the bank launched the Clean Agriculture programme on VTV1 and a corresponding credit initiative that has been pivotal in advancing the One Commune, One Product drive. "In a challenging export environment, particularly in the seafood and timber sectors, Agribank has been at the forefront of green lending initiatives, committing around $126.6 million to these industries," Binh added. This move aligns with the bank's strategy to support environmentally friendly and internationally compliant Vietnamese export products. Looking ahead, Agribank aims to intensify its focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies in its credit activities. The bank plans to comply with the State Bank of Vietnam's environmental risk management guidelines and focus on developing comprehensive ESG frameworks. "Our establishment of a dedicated steering committee and working group for ESG implementation highlights our systematic and effective approach towards integrating ESG across Agribank's operations," Binh elaborated. Agribank's strategic plans also include maintaining a significant proportion of its lending in agriculture and rural development, aligning with Vietnam's national goals. The bank's proactive stance in collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement eco-friendly agricultural practices further illustrates its commitment to sustainable growth. However, Binh emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to achieve sustainable growth. "The development of green credit in Vietnam requires concerted efforts from all levels of government. It's akin to a symphony, where every section needs to play in harmony to create a successful outcome," she noted. (Photo : Unsplash/Fringer Cat) Canada's public broadcaster is undergoing significant changes with the announcement of job layoffs in both English and French-speaking broadcasting operations. The CEO, Catherine Tait, disclosed in a virtual town hall that 600 positions will be cut, and an additional 200 vacant positions will remain unfilled, amounting to a substantial $40 million reduction. Challenges in Canadian Media Landscape CBC and Radio-Canada announced plans to eliminate about 600 positions as part of cost-cutting measures, both union and non-union, next year to alleviate budgetary pressures estimated to be around C$125 million ($92.32 million) for the fiscal year 2024-2025. These financial challenges all Canadian media companies share result from higher production costs, decreasing TV ad revenue, and intense competition from digital giants. Additionally, the broadcaster anticipates reduced parliamentary funding, which includes the discontinuation of $21 million in annual program integrity funding received since 2021. Scope of Job Reductions The Corporation plans to cut around 600 positions, covering union and non-union roles. Additionally, approximately 200 presently vacant positions will be removed. CBC and Radio-Canada will each reduce about 250 jobs, while the remaining cuts will be distributed among Technology & Infrastructure and other corporate divisions. The reductions will be implemented gradually based on each division's business plans and operational needs, with some starting immediately and most taking place over the next 12 months. The company will also cut its budgets for English and French programming, which will include a reduction of roughly C$40 million for independent production and program acquisitions for the next fiscal year, which means there will be fewer renewals and assets, a decrease in new television series and episodes of existing shows, and a reduction in digital original series. Earlier this year, the Corporation started making over $25 million in discretionary cost cuts, covering travel, sponsorships, marketing, and delaying technology initiatives. It also restricted filling vacant positions. These reductions aim to give the Corporation flexibility if its financial situation changes next year while minimizing the impact on employees and the programs and services offered to Canadians. READ ALSO: The Changing Workforce: Implications for Staffing Path Forward As shared by Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada, CBC/Radio-Canada is grappling with challenges in the Canadian media industry. Despite successfully navigating declines in business for years, the organization now faces the necessity for reductions. CBC and Radio-Canada assure that efforts are underway to minimize the impact of these measures, acknowledging the concerns of affected individuals and the Canadians who rely on their programs. Earlier on Monday, Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge expressed sympathy to the staff of CBC and Radio-Canada during a press conference. Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge responded to the CBC and Radio-Canada cuts, stating that the Liberals have consistently supported a robust publicly funded broadcaster in Canada. Since taking office in 2015, the government has restored $115 million per year previously cut by conservative governments. During the pandemic, additional funding was provided to address increased costs. St-Onge expressed the possibility of the Liberal government considering financial support for CBC and Radio-Canada again, emphasizing their belief in ensuring the broadcaster's services are available to all Canadians across regions. RELATED ARTICLE: The Five Best Reasons To Use Outplacement 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Generative AI will lead to a transformational shift for businesses and consumers, creating a more seamless shopping and payment experience Visa's Vietnam Client Forum that was held in Hoi An from November 29 to 30 highlighted generative AI and embedded finance as the key payment trends in Vietnam. Vietnam is in an excellent position to utilise AI to enhance the payment experience for both consumers and businesses, due to its status as the fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia for the second year running. The country's digital economy is expected to continue growing at a compound annual growth rate of 20 per cent. Generative AI is currently revolutionising numerous industries, including financial services, healthcare, and education. By improving services and productivity, it is transforming business growth strategies. This technology is also set to power many consumer experiences, such as embedded finance. Embedded finance, which involves integrating payment options into non-financial platforms, is becoming an everyday part of Vietnamese consumers' lives. Whether booking a ride-share service or ordering takeaway food from an app, consumers are benefiting from more seamless customer journeys. Businesses can leverage embedded finance technology to develop integrated solution offerings, simplifying the payment process for merchants. At Visa, we recognise the tremendous potential of AI and embedded finance, said Dung Dang, Visa country manager for Vietnam and Laos. We are working with our partners to facilitate increasingly frictionless and secure digital payments in Vietnam. As a trusted brand working with players in the payment ecosystem, Visa is well positioned to shape this space and innovate for the future, added Dang. Visa has been at the forefront of using AI for fraud and payment risk protection for over 30 years. It was the first network to deploy AI-based technology for risk and fraud management, pioneering the use of AI models for payment security. Visa Consulting & Analytics recently launched its new AI Advisory Practice, built to focus on empowering its clients with actionable insights and recommendations to harness the potential of AI, including generative versions. The AI revolution is here, and the payments sector is at the forefront of this transformation, said Manideep Gupta, vice president of Visa Consulting & Analytics in Asia-Pacific. With the new AI Advisory practice, Visa is helping clients grow and redefining how they serve their customers through acquisition and engagement, Gupta continued. In the financial services industry, banks and financial institutions can navigate the competitive market landscape by using AI to acquire more customers, enhance customer engagement, and optimise operational excellence. AI facilitates quicker credit assessments for consumers and businesses, which is critical in enabling simpler and more reliable underwriting and collections. The technology can also expedite fraud detection and protection, improve dispute management processes, and automate financial advisory services. This leads to a better user experience and allows the provision of intelligent financial services, such as hyper-personalised recommendations and offers. Visas updated Security Roadmap for Vietnam, launched in April, provides the framework for securing the payment ecosystem in the country through collaborations with various partners. Visa uses AI and data-driven solutions to safeguard both online and physical transactions from potential threats. In October, Visa announced a US$100 million initiative to invest in companies that are focused on generative AI. 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. Visa accelerates support for smaller businesses On November 20, Visa and the Visa Foundation made announcements on their ongoing commitment to support small and micro-sized businesses across APEC and beyond. The signing not only reaffirms both parties commitment to fostering sustainable transportation, but also marks a significant milestone in the Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. DFC and VinFast will further discuss and consider VinFasts formal application for a $500 million loan for the establishment of its lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities in Vietnam, subject to DFCs comprehensive review and approval process. This is the first project in a series of sustainable transportation development initiatives in the Vietnamese and international markets being actively discussed by the two parties. The LOI stands in recognition of the transformational opportunity that VinFast is accelerating in the electrification of the Vietnamese transportation sector. VinFasts initiatives to support the electrification of the Vietnamese transportation sector in Vietnam and abroad are built on supporting a broader innovation ecosystem through research and development, electric vehicle manufacturing, lithium-ion battery manufacturing, and developing charging infrastructure nationwide. By offering loans to global electric vehicle manufacturers, DFC can substantially contribute to promoting sustainable development initiatives and foster a greener future on a global scale. DFC is the US government's development finance institution. It partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. DFC invests across sectors including energy, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, and small business and financial services. To date, it has provided $737 million to development projects in Vietnam. DFC pledges $300-million bilateral loan to VPBank for sustainable finance Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) inked a Commitment Letter on a bilateral loan worth $300 million with a seven-year tenure. DFC to grant $100 million loan to TPBank TPBank, one of Vietnams leading commercial banks, has announced the signing of a letter of commitment for a $100 million loan with a 7-year term from the US governments Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Last year, Vietnam announced its national climate change strategy, in which the development of a carbon finance mechanism and compliance carbon market is one of the most important mechanisms when it comes to achieving emission reduction targets. With that, a pilot operation of a carbon credit exchange is expected to be established by 2025. Eva Szurminska Jaworskae, senior partner, Dentons LuatViet (left) and Vi Nguyen, senior associate, Dentons LuatViet The basic legal framework for setting up the compliance carbon market mechanism in Vietnam is provided in the Law on Environmental Protection and Decree No.06/2022/ND-CP on reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and protection of the ozone layer. Both the law and Decree 06 came into force in 2022. Decree 06 sets out the rules for a national measurement, reporting, and verification system for reduction of GHG emissions, along with the rules of GHG inventory. Pursuant to Decree 06, until the end of 2027, Vietnam shall develop provisions on formulating carbon credit management regulations, GHG emission quota exchange and carbon credits, and on operational rules of the carbon credit exchange. By 2025, Vietnam shall establish and organise a pilot operation of the carbon credit exchange, and the fully fledged carbon credit exchange should be in operation in 2028. Also, by this year, Vietnam should be able to connect and exchange domestic carbon credits with regional and global credit markets. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) will have the authority to certify the carbon credits and GHG emission quotas permitted for exchange. This will include the amount of carbon credits obtained from the programme or project under the domestic and international carbon credit exchange and offsetting mechanism in accordance with the local laws and international treaties. The exchange of GHG emissions quotas and carbon credits will be carried out on the carbon credit exchange and domestic carbon market. The companies will be allowed to auction of GHG emission quotas in addition to the amount of GHG emission quotas allocated to them in each commitment period. They will also be allowed to transfer unused amount of GHG emissions quotas in the previous year to the following years within the same commitment period or borrow emissions quotas allocated for the following year to use in the previous year in the same commitment period. The companies will also be able to use carbon credits from projects under the carbon credit exchange and offsetting mechanism to compensate for their GHG emissions in excess of their GHG emissions quota allocated in the same commitment period. The number of carbon credits for offsetting cannot exceed 10 per cent of the total GHG emissions quota allocated to the given entity. If the company ceases to conduct business operations, is dissolved, or is declared bankrupt, the allocated emission quotas shall be automatically recovered by the MoNRE. Each entity which exceeds its allocated emission quota, after auction, transferring, borrowing, and using carbon credits for offsetting, will need to pay for the excessive emission at the end of each commitment period. Furthermore, the GHG emissions in excess of the allocated quota will be deducted from the allocated quota for the next commitment period. Decree 06 also provides a legal framework for participation in projects under the exchange and offsetting mechanism of carbon credits, in accordance with the provisions of the framework of the UNs Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) or the international treaties and agreements promulgated by Vietnam. Issuing approvals To participate, an interested entity, both local or foreign, should submit a registration application requesting approval of a project to the MoNRE. The application should include a set of documentation developed in accordance with the ministrys requirements and in accordance with the provisions of the UNFCC. Within five days after the application is submitted, the MoNRE should decide on acceptance of the application, rejection of an invalid application, or on requesting additional documents or explanations (within 15 working days). Within 30 working days, it should evaluate the application for approval of the initiative through collecting opinions from the relevant state agencies. The agencies have seven working days to respond to a request for opinions. Within three business days after collecting opinions from agencies, the MoNRE shall issue a decision on approval. Decree 06 also enables the application for an approval under the carbon credit exchange and offsetting mechanism outside of the framework of the UNFCC and international treaties to which Vietnam is a signatory. Pursuant to the decision on the list of sectors and facilities subject to GHG inventory development, issued in January 2022, over 1,900 companies must adhere to GHG inventory regulations and the list will be updated every two years. The MoNRE and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) have also devised guidance on calculations, reports, and appraisal of GHS inventory within their respective sectors. Also in 2022, the MoNRE published a draft of technical guidance for forests and forestry land. In November that year, it issued its technical guidance for waste management. The following month, the MoIT released draft technical guidance for industry and trade sector for public consultation. In August 2022, the prime minister announced an action plan for methane emissions reduction by 2030, under which, the formulation and completion of carbon management and exchange of carbon credit generated from the methane emission reduction are essential action points. In July this year, the prime minister instructed the MoNRE to formulate the decree on carbon credit management by mid-2024. It was also requested to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to draft a directive on management of forest carbon credit. The Ministry of Finance is soon expected to finalise and submit to the government approval the draft of the carbon market development scheme. Voluntary carbon markets in Vietnam For the last 20 years, Vietnam has actively participated in voluntary carbon markets. Based on the data published by the UNFCC, up to September 2023, there were 258 clean development mechanism (CDM) projects and 15 groups of activities registered with over 32 million certified emission reductions issued. This makes Vietnam one of the top four countries with the most registered CDM projects, following China, Brazil, and India, as per information on the Climate Change Departments website. Other than CDM, Vietnam has developed other carbon initiatives in accordance with different international standards. As per data published on the Voluntary Registry Offsets Database at the Goldman School of Public Policy, up to May 2023, Vietnam had 70 projects registered with GOLD standard and 52 registered with VCS standards, with a total of over seven million and two million issued credits respectively. According to the Global Environment Centre Foundation, up to May 2023, Vietnam also had 44 initiatives involving a joint crediting mechanism, with over 3,100 issued carbon credits. In addition, as cited by the MoIT website, almost 50 projects to issue carbon credits under the Global Carbon Council mechanism have been submitted. Last year, the MARD and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development signed two emission reduction payment agreements in the north-central region of Vietnam for the purpose of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The agreements contracted 10.3 million emission reduction units under the price of $5 per unit, according to the World Bank. The World Banks fund unlocks over $50 million for Vietnams efforts to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation between 2020 and 2025; as a consideration, Vietnam must reduce 10.3 million tons of CO 2 emissions from six north-central provinces. Vietnams preparation for its carbon market compliance framework is still a work in progress. Given the complexity of the planned regulations and the number of the stakeholders involved, there will be very dynamic progress of the policies and other regulatory documents related to the carbon market compliance in the upcoming months. Vietnam embarks on green energy revolution with PDP8 blueprint Aiming to double its electricity capacity by 2030 and committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, Vietnam is actively seeking a mix of domestic and international investments. Kang Seungho, special counsel at Dentons LuatViet, notes that as Vietnam embarks on this energy transformation, it faces both opportunities and challenges in embarking on a sustainable future. Best business practices involving KOLs in Vietnam For businesses wishing to evolve and market to the current and next generation of consumers, understanding the impact of key opinion leaders (KOLs) is crucial for sustained future success. Nguyen Pham The Lan, lawyer at Dentons LuatViet, observes how businesses that are slow to adapt to this new influence in consumer behaviour are at severe risk of falling behind. Leading tax lawyer Phan Thi Lieu joins Dentons LuatViet Dentons LuatViet has enhanced its tax and legal prowess by bringing on board Phan Thi Lieu, a distinguished tax law expert with over a quarter-century of expertise in prominent global entities. The company's move to negotiate a partial share transfer to a Chinese investor highlights a growing trend of cross-border investments in Vietnam's green energy sector. Among the prospective Chinese investors are Hong Kong-based CNNC Overseas International Investment Limited and Zhongyuan Foreign Engineering Co. Ltd., headquartered in Beijing. A representative from Khe Sanh Wind Power JSC elaborated on the strategic rationale, stating, The envisaged share transfer is part of a broader strategy to leverage international expertise for enhancing the project's operational efficiency and longevity. In response to this development, the Quang Tri People's Committee is consulting with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security. The consultations aim to assess the implications for national security and land use policies, particularly in the strategic mountainous and border regions where the wind farm is located. Amaccao Quang Tri 1 Wind Farm, with an investment of approximately $84.39 million, spans several communes in the Huong Hoa district. It comprises 12 wind turbines, collectively capable of producing nearly 50MW of power. The project, scheduled to operate for 50 years from the date of investment approval, signifies a major commitment to sustainable energy in Vietnam. Established in July 2020, Khe Sanh Wind Power JSC focuses on electricity production. The conference, with the theme Vietnams Innovation and Digital Roadmap to the Future, was held in Ho Chi Minh City from November 30 to December 1. Organised by VBEx Asia LLP in cooperation with the Research and Innovation Consulting Hub, the Vietnam Digital Communication Association, and the Association of Telecommunications Industry of Singapore, the VBEx Conference received industry endorsements from the Saigon Construction and Building Materials Association and the Vietnam Smart City Consortium. The event was partnered with the 15th M&A Forum organised by Vietnam Investment Review under the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam on November 28. Speaking at the opening session, Singaporean ambassador to Vietnam Jaya Ratnam said that as Vietnam prioritises innovation to drive economic growth as it makes its transition towards a net-zero future, there is much scope for both sides to exchange experiences and work together, especially in the emerging areas of the green and digital economies. It is for this reason that Singapore and Vietnam launched our Green and Digital Partnership earlier this year, where we seek to draw our economies even closer, better supporting each other and taking advantage of the opportunities in these key drivers of our future growth and prosperity, said Ratnam. The ambassador further stressed that by working with friends and partners in Vietnam and Singapore, both sides can plug into the global network and seize many new opportunities, not just regionally, but around the world. The Singaporean organisers of the VBEx Conference have decided to anchor the flagship event in Ho Chi Minh City for 2024, designed to attract the Singaporean 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, president of the Association of Telecommunication Technologies Industries of Singapore, and Shanmuga Retnam, executive co-chairman of the Vietnam Smart City Consortium. VBEx aims to act as a bridge between the Vietnamese and Singaporean business communities while promoting cooperation and innovation in important areas such as technology, environmental, social, and governance initiatives, and fintech. George Choo, president of the Association of Telecommunication Industries of Singapore Choo feels that in terms of innovation and digital advancement, Vietnams policies are okay. However, the country should focus much more on implementation timelines. Vietnam also must have a clear and detailed map for every year that covers every phase. "The country has a huge gap between cities and provinces, and therefore you have to closely look at it from the central level down, with a systemised route for every sector. I think Vietnams ten main cities and provinces, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang, Haiphong, Danang and others, have a high capacity for innovation and digitalisation while the last on the list, of course, are at a very low level," he said. "Vietnam must narrow the gap and not let the top ten leave the others too far behind. In addition, every province and city must focus on implementation, monitoring and reviewing progress regularly, so activities can be revised accordingly. Clearly, we cannot avoid all problems, but we must know how to face, recognise, and solve them in the most appropriate way." "The nation is stepping into innovation and digitalisation later than many other countries. Therefore, researching other formats and choosing the most suitable practices to apply is a beneficial approach. They can be combined to find an ideal format for Vietnam. However, human capital remains a big challenge, so upgrading the country's human resources is a key factor," concluded Choo. Shanmuga Retnam, executive co-chairman of the Vietnam Smart City Consortium Retnam stated, "I see Vietnam is in a very advantageous position presently, and it must seize the moment because the global community is looking at the nation to support the acceleration of economic development not only here but across the entire ASEAN region." "If I take the perspective of Singapore, we can see that its future economic trajectory is evident. By accelerating its economic and digital integration with Vietnam, particularly in the current global context, Vietnam and Singapore have deepened and strengthened their relationship. This will help create a business platform that will further allow Vietnam to plug into the ASEAN economic corridor." "This will drive a lot more business-oriented activities. Different business associations and chambers have the opportunity to help Vietnam enhance its position both regionally and globally. The country can also exchange its initiatives with others because they are also the centre of innovation and sustainability in ASEAN." "The government has to continue to look at transforming, enhancing, and creating a more business-friendly environment. It should also focus on accelerating growth in the private sector. It is performing very well now, but it needs to be upgraded moving forward," said Retnam. Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong and Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia Chea Serey at the launching ceremony of the Vietnam-Cambodia cross-border QR payment link (Source: NBC) Phnom Penh - Vietnam and Cambodia have officially launched a bilateral cross-border QR payment link, allowing their peoples to scan QR codes to make payments in each others country using their local currency. Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Nguyen Thi Hong and Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) Chea Serey chaired the launching ceremony in Cambodias Siem Reap province on December 3. A press release from the NBC said that the new payment system aims to facilitate safe, convenient, secure, and affordable cross-border payments, promoting the use of local currencies. It is expected to particularly benefit Cambodian and Vietnamese citizens, especially tourists and merchants, stated the press release. It said that the effort follows a memorandum of understanding inked by the two central banks on November 8, 2022. After the signing, technical working groups from both sides met to discuss the modality of the linkage, agreeing to utilise a sponsorship model for the project. The cross-border QR payment system enables customers and the public to purchase goods and make payments in Khmer riel (KHR) in Vietnam, while allowing Vietnamese to use Vietnamese dong in Cambodia by scanning KHQR codes provided by approximately 1.8 million Cambodian merchants. KHQR is a popular quick response (QR) code system created for retail payments in Cambodia. In 2022, the NBC launched the KHQR code payment service, aimed at promoting retail payments using mobile phones in Cambodia. Along with Vietnam, Cambodia has also set up bilateral cross-border QR payment links with Thailand and Laos. QR codes being installed around Ly Son Island The installation of QR codes at tourism sites in Ly Son island district in central Quang Ngai province is being carried out by the management board of the Ly Son-Sa Huynh Geo-Park in coordination with district authorities, as part of efforts to promote digitalisation in the tourism sector. Cashless payments take over the streets Cashless payments made through scanning QR codes or other online payment methods at grocery stores or roadside eateries are becoming a bigger habit of many Vietnamese consumers. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has just launched the Vietnam Grand Sale 2023, which takes place nationwide from December 4 to January 10 to promote domestic consumption, advertising, and trade, as well as connect supply and demand chains to contribute to socioeconomic development and recovery. MoIT Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai said that trade, services, and tourism have made positive recoveries. Total retail sales and consumer service revenue in November were estimated at $23 billion, up 1.4 per cent on-month and 10.1 per cent on-year. Production and business activities have prospered, with the total import and export turnover of goods being estimated at $60.8 billion, an increase of 5.9 per cent on-year. However, the global situation continues to evolve rapidly and unpredictably. Risks linger in terms of public debt, supply chains, and the real estate markets. In the country, the economy is continuing its positive recovery trend, but it still faces many challenges due to the impacts of external factors and internal limitations that have lasted for many years. To effectively implement the programme, the MoIT requests all local departments of industry and trade, relevant associations and agencies, businesses, and individuals to participate. "The ministry believes that the Vietnam Grand Sale 2023 will contribute to taking advantage of the well-recovering domestic market to increase sales and consumer service revenue at the end of the year, helping to maintain the strong growth of the economy," Hai said. The Vietnam Grand Sale 2023 has been held for four consecutive years (2020-2023) to enhance trade promotion and boost the domestic market. Deputy director of the MoIT's Trade Promotion Agency Le Hoang Tai said that the event has shown positive results, luring the attention and participation of the business community and consumers across the country. The initiative has drawn nearly 70,000 promotional campaigns implemented by businesses. It contributed to increasing total retail sales and consumer service revenue in November 2022 to $21.4 billion, up 2.6 per cent on-month and 17.5 per cent on-year. Last year, the figures reached $21.5 billion in December, up 3.7 per cent on-month and 17.1 per cent on-year. "These results contributed significantly to the successful implementation of the MoIT's tasks assigned by the government to stimulate domestic consumption, especially Vietnamese-made goods, promoting their production, circulation, and consumption," stated Tai. Venus Teoh, deputy general director of Marketing and Communications at SABECO Venus Teoh, deputy general director of Marketing and Communications at SABECO, said that as the country is undergoing a much-needed economic recovery, this initiative plays a crucial and timely role in boosting demand and production by offering high-quality products at competitive prices and making them more accessible to consumers. "We, and I believe other businesses too, fully support this initiative as it helps us to drive demand and encourages us to better cater to consumer needs through various promotions on different platforms, exhibitions, and trade fairs across the country," she said. "As a leading beer brand in Vietnam that is committed to bringing the best to the country, Bia Saigon takes pride in being able to support the Vietnam Grand Sale 2023," the SABECO deputy general director said. "This gives us a great opportunity to offer our quality products at affordable prices and to embed ourselves as a more integral part of Vietnamese culinary culture during the upcoming Lunar New Year season," she added. Bia Saigon has launched a series of promotions under its Lunar New Year campaign to Welcome the Dragon Year and Multiply Prosperity. This includes a special Year of the Dragon promotion where consumers have the chance to win 63 lucky envelopes containing pure gold, symbolising SABECO's wish for an auspicious year for everyone in Vietnam. "This Lunar New Year campaign also reflects our commitment to the MoIT's mission to encourage consumers to support Vietnamese brands and products. As at SABECO, we strive to enhance our product quality as part of our promise to elevate the reputation of Vietnamese brands at home and also abroad," Teoh concluded. SABECO honoured as an outstanding enterprise for labour SABECO has been recognised as an outstanding enterprise for labour for the first time by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). ThaiBev pledges to develop circular economy in Vietnam ThaiBev on November 16 participated in the Vietnam Circular Economy Forum 2023, held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Only the best for SABECOs sustainability direction Following the trends of sustainable development in the Vietnam and around the world, Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation, known as SABECO, is implementing related targets and campaigns not only for the business but also for the whole of society. VIR editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh underscored the global shift towards sustainability in his keynote address. "The current global situation, compounded by the challenges of climate change, necessitates a swift transition to sustainable and inclusive growth models," Minh stated, reaffirming Vietnam's commitment to this global trend. In Vietnam, green growth and sustainable development are deeply intertwined within the nation's socioeconomic development strategy. As Minh stated, "Vietnam's pursuit of green growth is not just a policy stance but a reflection of our commitment as responsible global citizens." Vietnam's role in the international climate change dialogue is significant, given its participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its vulnerability to climate impacts. Since COP26, Vietnam has been proactive in deploying strategies to achieve its net-zero emissions goal by 2050, a commitment that was reiterated at COP27 and highlighted at the ongoing COP28 in the United Arab Emirates. Highlighting the challenges of a developing nation like Vietnam, Minh acknowledged, "Our commitments to climate change mitigation are as robust as those of developed countries, demonstrating our government's resolve towards inclusive, green, and sustainable development." This firmness of purpose is mirrored in the National Strategy for Green Growth 2021-2030 and the National Action Plan for Green Growth 2021-2030, both endorsed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. However, the path to realising these ambitions is resource intensive. The World Bank estimates that Vietnam requires approximately $15.5 billion annually, equivalent to 6.8 per cent of its GDP, to align with resilient net-zero development by 2040. Public sector funding falls short in meeting these demands, necessitating an additional $6.1 billion or 2.2 per cent of GDP, as reported by the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Minh emphasised the complexity of resource mobilisation for a transitioning, lower-middle-income country like Vietnam. "Green finance, especially green credit, has emerged as a pivotal solution in this scenario," he noted. The green credit sector in Vietnam, growing at an average rate of about 23 per cent from 2017-2022, demonstrates a higher growth trajectory compared to the national average. This surge is driven by businesses increasingly complying with environmental, social, and governance standards, boosting the demand for green credit. Government initiatives and regulations, including Directive No.03/CT-NHNN and Circular No.17/2022/TT-NHNN, further bolster this sector. "Despite the encouraging growth, the current green credit volume of approximately $25.3 billion signals a yet untapped potential in this domain," the editor-in-chief remarked. He sees both domestic banks and international partners as key players in harnessing this potential. Minh raised crucial questions for the seminar's agenda, including identifying the challenges in mobilising large capital sources, refining legal frameworks, and generating solutions to enhance domestic green credit flows. "These discussions are fundamental to advancing Vietnam's green credit sector and meeting the growing demand," he concluded. Green finance must be unlocked to develop The banking sector has been urged to unlock viable green finance to attract a broader investor base to facilitate its green transition. . , . , . , . . Rumor claiming 'mysterious pneumonia' caused by unknown pathogens refuted Global Times) 10:29, December 05, 2023 Shanghai's official rumor-debunking platform refuted on Monday a recent rumor which claimed that "the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the prevalent virus in China was a certain kind of 'mysterious pneumonia.'" The WHO has never issued such a conclusion, the platform stated after verification. China's National Health Commission (NHC) introduced the prevention and control over respiratory diseases at the press conferences on November 24 and 26, and on Saturday, noting that according to monitoring, current prevalent acute respiratory diseases are all caused by already-known pathogens with corresponding mature treatment methods, and no new infectious diseases caused by new viruses or bacteria have been discovered. The rumor-debunking platform searched the official website, Sina Weibo account and WeChat account of the WHO and found no information related to "mysterious pneumonia." According to the rumor-debunking platform, Hu Qiangqiang, a spokesperson of the NHC, said on November 24 that Chinese health experts from the NHC, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and the National Children's Medical Center held a video conference on technical exchanges of respiratory infectious diseases with the experts from WHO on November 23. Chinese health experts provided an overview of the current prevalence of respiratory infectious diseases, pathogen monitoring, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and health education in China. Currently, the reported cases in China are all attributed to infection with already known prevalent pathogens. During a press briefing on Saturday, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the NHC, stated that the currently prevalent acute respiratory diseases are caused by already known pathogens, and corresponding mature treatment methods are available based on monitoring. No new viruses or bacteria causing newly emerging infectious diseases have been identified. Wang Dayan, director of the China National Influenza Center, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, said the monitoring results indicate that the influenza virus is sensitive to several antiviral drugs, which means that these drugs are effective against the influenza virus. The rumor-debunking platform discovered that numerous We-media accounts were spreading misinformation about the WHO, quoting out of context and overgeneralizing specific cases. These accounts misinterpreted official WHO statements and omitted information released by China's NHC. Based on netizens' comments and messages, it cannot be ruled out that some We-media accounts intentionally spread rumors to create panic and generate traffic by taking advantage of the public's attention to the diseases. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Spotify, the Music streaming giant, said it will lay off 17% of its workforce, around 1,500 employees, to cost-cut. According to Reuters, the company's U.S.-listed shares soared about 11% to trade near their two-year high of $200.46 in early trading after letting 600 of its staff go in January and 200 more in June. Tech Industry Job Trends Tech companies, including Amazon and Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, are undergoing additional job cuts following earlier reductions this year. In a letter to employees, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek explained that the company had hired more in 2020 and 2021 due to lower capital costs. Despite increased output, the connection was attributed mainly to having more resources. Spotify anticipates charges of about 130 million to 145 million euros in Q4 due to the layoffs, with the majority recorded in the first and second fiscal quarters of 2024. Spotify's Outlook And Strategy The company adjusted its fourth-quarter outlook, expecting an operating loss between 93 million euros and 108 million euros, a shift from the previous forecast of a 37 million euro operating profit. Spotify signed up with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, investing more than a billion dollars to build up its podcast business and expand its market presence worldwide to reach more users by 2030. In the third quarter, price increases and subscriber growth helped the company gain a profit, and subscribers were forecasted to reach 601 million on holidays. The Organizational Change CEO Daniel Ek emailed his employees the exact message shared in the blog post on Monday. The email was sent at 7:01 a.m. local time in Stockholm, Sweden, where Spotify is based. Ek stated that Economic growth has slowed dramatically, capital has become more expensive, and Spotify is no exception. A document screenshot shared with Business Insider revealed that those laid off were chosen based on eliminating duplicate roles, streamlining layers for efficiency, and optimizing the organization for Spotify's future. CEO Ek emphasized ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency, saying that the significant job cut might seem large given the company's recent strong performance and financial results. However, the company appears more productive but less efficient by most metrics. Ek stressed how important it is for businesses to increase efficiency and productivity as they need to weigh both and become relentlessly resourceful. Beginning Monday, the impacted workers will receive notice of the severance details, including healthcare coverage, PTO conversion, approximately five months of severance pay, immigration, and career support. READ ALSO: US Weekly Unemployment Claims Increases to 231,000, Adding to Economic Concerns Looking Ahead The CEO mentioned that they debated considering more minor cuts throughout 2024 and 2025; yet, considering the gap between the financial goal state and current operational costs, reducing costs was the best option aligned with the company's objectives. Cutting the team size is a challenging but necessary step toward building a more robust and efficient company. The Spotify of the future must embody relentless resourcefulness in how it operates, innovates, and tackles challenges beyond a basic definition; it's about preparing for the next phase, where being lean is not just an option but a necessity. RELATED ARTICLE: Netflix's Masterclass: Eliminating "Company as Family" Illusion to "Dream Team" To Redefine Corporate Culture 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A retired Virginia fire chief who served as Wacos interim fire chief in 2020 is returning to that role until the city can choose a permanent chief. Wacos city manager has chosen Kevin J. McGee to head the department during the search to replace Chief Gregory Summers, who announced his retirement in October and offered to serve out the rest of the year. City Manager Bradley Ford said McGee took the interim post Sunday. He said Summers will remain as a special projects team member to help with the transition during the search for a new chief, expected to take four to six months. McGee, who has 40 years of fire service experience, served as Wacos interim chief for three months in 2020 before the city chose Summers for chief. That familiarity will help him with the direction for the department, Ford said. The Waco City Council was expected to formalize McGees appointment with a vote on Tuesday. According to a resolution in Tuesdays agenda, McGee spent 12 years as chief of the Prince William County Department of Fire Safety and Rescue in Virginia from 2007 to 2019. Prior to becoming chief, McGee served as both a lieutenant-captain and battalion chief. Since the 2020 interim chief posting in Waco, McGee has worked as a consultant and college instructor, the resolution says. McGee was hired for the interim job through Strategic Government Resources, a company that keeps a roster of retired city government officials that can serve interim positions, Ford said. The city will pay SGR $260,000 for the hiring of McGee, which will compensate him for six months and provide travel costs two times a month for McGee to return home, in addition to a fee to SGR. A central figure in the present of the McLennan County Courthouse will speak Wednesday about a book he wrote on the movement to build the 121-year-old downtown Waco landmark. Matt Johnson, a longtime state district judge and current justice on Wacos 10th Court of Appeals, will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Fabled Bookshop and Cafe, 215 S. Fourth St., on his new self-published book Plan Number Nine: The Construction of the 1902 McLennan County Courthouse. The book will take readers on a journey of the public movement to build the courthouse, beginning around the turn of the century with a petition, continuing with a bond election, the McLennan County Commissioners Court choosing a plan and hiring an architect, and the actual building of the courthouse, Johnson said. Commissioners court at that time chose the ninth architectural plan presented, one drawn by James Riely Gordon, and thats where the title for the book came from, Johnson said. But the movement for a new, larger, grander courthouse began with the Young Mens Business League in Waco, a precursor organization to the Waco-McLennan County Chamber of Commerce, and their vision for Waco as a city of industry and business. At the end of the 1800s, there were two state district courts in McLennan County, but only one courtroom, Johnson said. No building in downtown Waco was taller than two stories, and the buildings were mostly built of wood. The county needed a larger courthouse and Young Mens Business League wanted good infrastructure and good services and good government, because they wanted Waco to be a city of industry and business and growth, he said. The groups vision was to have a new county courthouse built, to build a new bridge across the Brazes River and to build a new train station in Waco, Johnson said. The three projects were brought along together. The business league started a petition for the courthouse and a new bridge and circulated it, collecting signatures from 1,500 voting, tax-paying residents. The commissioners court received it and set a special election to have the voters approve whether to issue bonds to build a new courthouse and bridge across the Brazos River, Johnson said. The election resulted in a 98% favorable vote in the city of Waco. If you exclude Waco, out in the county, the proposition failed, but the Waco vote was large enough that it carried the total election. The Washington Avenue bridge that resulted from the effort was needed to relieve pressure on the Waco Suspension Bridge that opened 30 years earlier. While the Suspension Bridge no longer carries automobile traffic, the Washington Avenue bridge remains open to both vehicles and pedestrians, making it the oldest and longest bridge of its design, a Pennsylvania through truss, still in use in the United States. Johnsons book goes on to describe the commissioners court process of choosing a plan and hiring renowned architect J. Riely Gordon for the courthouse. With the fame Gordon garnered designing courthouses around Texas, he was able to move to New York City and design buildings there, including one from 1909 that survives to the modern era: 36 Gramercy Park East. Gordon designed mostly apartment and commercial buildings in New York City, but also continued to design courthouses in New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania as well as upstate New York. Riely Gordon had a set of standard plans that he submitted for many courthouses around Texas, but he drew these uniquely, Johnson said of McLennan Countys. When I was searching for the plans, I found that Riely Gordons two spinster daughters, after they died in New York in the 1980s, had saved every plan their father ever drew and they donated them all to the University of Texas School of Architecture, to the architectural library there in Austin. The McLennan County Courthouse plans originally called for a fountain in the rotunda, he said. The original drawings also had several colonnades around the courthouse. The courtroom designs were rounded for acoustics, and they had second-story galleries with seating for the public. Commissioners court scaled back the plans, removing the fountain and making the colonnades less ostentatious, Johnson said. Remember this was the horse-and-buggy days. They didnt want to build a palace for them to go work in. The county hired builder Tom Lovell for the construction of the courthouse. Lovell built several courthouses around Texas and worked on construction of the Texas Capitol in Austin. Construction took about a year-and-a-half and the courthouse was completed in October 1902, Johnson said. The commissioners court adopted a resolution designating the McLennan County Courthouse that month and moved all the county offices there, Johnson said. Johnsons father was also a district court judge in McLennan County and served in the courthouse for many years. Ive always had an interest in the courthouse since I was a young kid, Johnson said. I always wanted to know what caused this courthouse to be built. He also wanted to know who the movers and decision makers were who made it happen and built it. And so I began researching the topic several years ago and initially did a PowerPoint slide show, but I realized that after I show that to a group of people and they see it, then theres nothing tangible left behind, he said. So I decided to put together this book about the movement that caused the courthouse to be built and self-publish it. He sought out local bookseller Fabled Bookshop and Cafe, which agreed to sell Plan Number Nine: The Construction of the 1902 McLennan County Courthouse. Part of the agreement included him giving a talk at the bookstore about the book. Johnson said the book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of Waco and McLennan County. The Waco Salvation Armys inaugural mayoral challenge will start Friday, bringing the mayors of Waco, Hewitt, Robinson, McGregor and Beverly Hills out of the board room to Red Kettle donation sites around McLennan County. The mayors will take a post at a location in their jurisdiction to ring bells and compete for donations through The Salvation Armys Red Kettle campaign this weekend. The Waco branch got the idea from the Arlington location, which started its mayoral challenge several years ago and has grown its group of competitors to more than 10 mayors, Salvation Army Maj. Jim Taylor said. He said Waco is similar to Arlington in that it is surrounded by other communities, and an enthusiastic yes from Waco Mayor Dillon Meek kicked off the challenge. It was a great idea that he had to try to say, Hey, how do we spread the word and get the word out that Salvation Armys a worthy cause to support? Meek said. This time of year its easy to walk by the good men and women that are ringing bells, bustling about your business, but its worth it to pause and give to an organization like this this time of year. The mayors will ring bells and greet passersby for a few hours at a location in their city. Whatever they collect in their kettles or by virtual donation will be added to their challenge total, Taylor said. Virtual kettle donations may not be available for all challengers. Meek said he is excited to support The Salvation Army on Friday morning at Hobby Lobby and encourages Wacoans to show out. This year marks the organizations 133rd Red Kettle Campaign where local branches raise money to provide food, shelter and other assistance to their communities. Taylor said it would be exciting for mayors to raise $10,000 through their combined shifts, though it is a lofty goal. The way that is going to reach $10,000 is if the mayors have invited people to come drop money or checks into the kettle that day, he said. The Waco Salvation Army has its sights set on a total goal of $180,000. The group set the same goal last year but fell some $50,000 short by the campaigns end on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, after some media attention and calls for bell ringers, the shortfall was made up by a generous anonymous donation, Taylor said. Although the organization was able to save its programming and services with the gift, it is possible that grocery orders and other types of material financial assistance could be cut back if it cannot meet fundraising goals, he said. Taylor encourages people to stop by a Red Kettle to drop some change during the challenge or any other time during the campaign. Those who are not able to give monetary assistance may volunteer to host their own kettle for a shift. Churches or other organizations can also adopt a kettle as a group, and the local branch is looking for retired people or others who are available to ring during weekdays. We just appreciate the generosity of the people of Central Texas, Taylor said. Its fun to go out and ring the bell and say Merry Christmas to people. For volunteer information, go to Registertoring.com. Where the mayors can be found: Waco Mayor Dillon Meek: 10 a.m. to noon Friday at Hobby Lobby, 1200 Richland Drive Hewitt Mayor Steve Fortenberry: 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at Walmart in Hewitt, near the merchandise doors, 733 Sun Valley Blvd. Robinson Mayor Bert Echterling: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Brookshire Brothers, 100 Peplow Drive, and until 1 p.m. Saturday at Rocket Cafe, 305 S. Robinson Drive McGregor Mayor Jim Hering: 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday at the Coffee Shop Cafe, 1005 W. McGregor Drive Beverly Hills Mayor David Gonzales: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Cabelas, 2700 Marketplace Drive. Bellmead Christmas parade The city of Bellmead and the Knights of Columbus are sponsoring the communitys 73rd annual Christmas parade and tree lighting, which will start at 6 p.m. Thursday. The tree lighting will take place at 6 outside the Municipal Court building, 3015 Bellmead Drive. The parade will follow at 7, starting at Loop 340 and Highway 84 and moving west down Bellmead Drive. To date, 87 entries will be included in the parade. Letters to Santa can be dropped off either at City Hall or the Christmas tree for delivery to the North Pole. Free hot chocolate and cookies will be served after the tree lighting. For more information, call 254-749-4759. Taco, tamale competition The Hispanic Leaders Network 2023 Las Posadas and Taco y Tamale Competition will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the South Waco Community Center, 2815 Speight Ave. In addition to the competition, the event will feature a floating mercado, crafts, family activities, food, music and dancing. Admission is free, but participants are asked to reserve a spot at eventbrite.com. Sensory Santa Celebration Central Christian Church, 4901 Lake Shore Drive, will host a Sensory Santa Celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday. The event will include crafts, games, food trucks, a bounce house for all abilities, treats, Angel Paws dogs, face painting, Mrs. Claus Secret Shop, train rides and a photo opportunity with Santa in an accessible environment. Various community organizations will be there to help Santa with the event. Santa will make his appearance at 2:15 p.m. There is no charge for the event, but registration is requested so Santas helpers will be sure to have enough goodies on hand. To register, go to tinyurl.com/sensorysanta23. Red Diamond Affair The Waco Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. will celebrate its 80th anniversary with the Red Diamond Affair: Celebrating 80 Years of Service in the Greater Waco Community. The event will be held from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday in the Waco Convention Center ballroom, 100 Washington Ave. For ticket information, email WacoAlumnae1943@wacoalumnae.org. Brunch with Santa The Lee Lockwood Library and Museum, 2801 W. Waco Drive, will host Shopping and brunch with Santa from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Tickets cost $10 for families, $5 for individuals. There will be a fun variety of local vendors, cookie decorating as long as supplies last, and pictures with Santa. Tickets can be bought at the door or by calling 254-753-5166. Youth Chorus concert The Youth Chorus of Central Texas will perform in concert at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Parish Hall at St. Albans Episcopal Church, 305 N. 30th St. Tickets are $10. For more information, email info@youthchorusofcentraltexas.org or call 254-744-5266. Floyd Casey input A community input meeting and update on the park planned next to the redevelopment of the former Floyd Casey Stadium site will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, at the South Waco Community Center, 2815 Speight Ave. Attendees will have the opportunity to weigh in on potential park options and elements based on feedback collected from a public survey and previous public meeting. Dr Pepper Christmas The Dr Pepper Museum, 300 S. Fifth St., will hold its Christmas celebration from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. There will be free photos with Santa, hot Dr Pepper, holiday story time, holiday Make-a-Soda and Taste-a-Soda. The event is free, except for selected ticketed experiences. Economic outlook forum The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce will host an economic outlook forum from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Hurd Welcome Center at Baylor University, 905 S. University Parks Drive. The event will bring the business community together to explore economic development work and progress over the past year and provide a vision for what the next year may hold. Tickets are $65 for chamber members or $100 for nonmembers. Advance registration is required. For more information, email agomez@wacochamber.com or call 254-757-5617. Fire Station No. 15 The city of Waco will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fire Station No. 15 at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at 10905 Panther Way, near the Ritchie Road water tower. The public is invited to attend. Christmas fundraiser A Night of Christmas Cheer, a fundraiser for the Community Cancer Association, will run from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday at the Waco Hippodrome, 724 Austin Ave. Tickets are $25-$60 and can be purchased at wacohippodrometheatre.thundertix.com. Comedian and cancer survivor Karen Mills will perform. Doors open at 6 p.m., and tickets will be available the night of the show. Candlelight tours Historic Waco will offer candlelight tours of McCulloch House, 407 Columbus Ave.; Earle-Napier-Kinnard House, 814 S. Fourth St.; and East Terrace, 100 Mill St.; from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. Cost is $20 per person, $18 for Historic Waco members. Tickets are available at historicwaco.org. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society, Mission Waco and Friends for Life. Holiday History Celebration The Taylor Museum of Waco History, 701 Jefferson Ave., will have its Holiday History Celebration from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The event will include an all-day vendor market, reenactors, the Humane Society and additional opportunities spread across the grounds. Special childrens events will be available from 1 to 4 p.m., featuring visits with Santa, face painting and interactive activities. Admission for the event is free, but organizers encourage donations of canned food for the food pantry, or gently used blankets, towels, and animal food for the Humane Society. For more information, go to www.taylormuseum.org or call 254-752-4774. Paranormal Cirque Paranormal Cirque will perform Thursday through Sunday at 6615 N. Interstate 35 in Waco. Tickets are available now, starting at $10, depending on availability. The show includes adult language and material. Anyone younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For tickets or more information, go to www.paranormalcirque.com. As the year draws to a close, Nebraska State Board of Education members received a progress update from Brian Maher, education commissioner, as he begins his sixth month on the job. The board set several priorities for Maher to focus on after he was hired July 1. During a Thursday work session, Maher presented his progress on the goals, something he will be officially evaluated on in the spring. Some of Mahers goals had a Dec. 1 deadline, such as evaluating the Nebraska Department of Educations existing communication strategies involving the state board, the department and the public. When I sat and pondered on this, I thought: What the heck, how will I address this, knowing communication from our office is crucial to the effectiveness we have as a system? Maher said. Maher initiated an audit of current communication strategies and gathered feedback from stakeholders to see what types of communication worked and what didnt. One gap he saw was communication from outside education leaders, such as superintendents and directors of educational service units in Nebraska. Maher said he reinstated the Superintendent Advisory Council to establish a group of educators in the field he can consult with regularly. The group, which has met twice so far, has 32 members across the state. We have seen a great benefit already. When it comes to big issues we really got valuable feedback on the assessment process, Maher said. I regularly call folks on the council and say, I got this going on, how will it be received in the field? or I am hearing this, what do you think of it? Its really terrific, in that regard. Patti Gubbels, board president, said shes heard from council members that they appreciate having the opportunity to weigh in on education at the state level. They said, Hes really listening to us, Gubbels said. Maher also ensured that the 500-plus employees at the Education Department are having twice-monthly meetings. During the last few months, hes also had office administrators take an inventory of the departments website to make sure only materials that have been approved are online. Another goal for Maher is to evaluate the departments internal operations. Part of this will include a plan to get employees to return to the office following the pandemics upheaval of in-person operations. Maher said the plan, which will be announced within the month, aims at a careful balance of ensuring the performance of the department and retaining staff. Gov. Jim Pillen issued a back-to-office order in early November, but Maher said this doesnt specifically impact department employees. Maher also has to review and give recommendations for the possibility of changing Nebraskas assessment system. Students are currently required to take tests through the Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System. Maher said the department is making a lot of headway in this area, but after talking with school leaders, hes leaning toward keeping the current assessment system for the 2024-25 school year. A final decision will be presented to the board in the coming weeks. The (superintendents) said they would rather make the long-term decision than to rush the decision now, Maher said. One of the final priorities the state board set for Maher was to review the departments current strategic plan. Work on this is still underway, he said. Multiple state board members said they dont expect Maher to get everything done in just a few more months. His official evaluation is scheduled for March. We were not realistic in suggesting this to you, that you would have all of this done in eight months, Gubbels said. Really getting to know how to put people in their best place takes time. Photos: Inside the new Standing Bear High School in southeast Lincoln Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 WATERLOO Cedar Valley Catholic Schools has been awarded $450,000 after a new state law providing taxpayer funding to private school students caught the eye of a foundation focused on educational innovation. The Yass Foundation for Education announced an initiative in June to give $5 million to schools in Iowa, Arkansas and Oklahoma because all three states passed laws dedicating public funds to private schools. The states were selected for their tenacity and universality in moving all families toward education freedom through the new laws. Iowas Education Savings Accounts provide state-funded vouchers for private school tuition and other expenses equal to the per-pupil aid provided to public schools. A total of 21 schools in the three states were given the Yass Award for Education Freedom, including CVCS and eight others in Iowa. The states governors were invited to nominate up to 10 outstanding education providers who have the capacity to ramp up quickly to serve more students, according to the foundations website. I think its a great thing that we are another option for choice in the community, Eric Donat, a member of the CVCS Board of Education, said about getting the award. A spokesperson for the school system said the board accepted the funding after the foundation announced the recipients in September. St. Edward Elementary School, Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Middle School and Columbus High School in Waterloo are part of CVCS along with Blessed Sacrament Early Childhood Center. The school system received the award for its support of educational freedom, to help grow enrollment and continue to support opportunities for parents to choose the best education for their children, according to a CVCS news release. Funds will also be used to support improvement of staff benefits, academic programming, marketing and recruitment efforts. To help recruit new students, the spokesperson said, The CVCS Advancement Office and Enrollment Committee will work together on a comprehensive enrollment plan. The school system had 742 students in kindergarten through 12th grade this fall. Currently, it has 229 open spots for students. Chief Administrator Tom Novotney and the spokesperson declined further comment on the award. The other Iowa award winners are Des Moines Christian School and Holy Family Catholic School in Des Moines, Keokuk Catholic School, Remsen St. Marys Schools, Willowwind School and Faith Academy in Iowa City, LaSalle Catholic School in Cedar Rapids, and Iowa Great Lakes Lutheran School in Spencer. Students should be able to be educated in a way that best meets their needs, and programs like the ESAs and Tax Credit programs being enacted can ensure great education is sustainable for all students, and not just those with the means to leave their zoned public schools, the Yass Foundation website states. The site quotes Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds as saying: I want to thank the Yass Prize for its generosity to the schools, their students in our entire state as we begin a new era of educational freedom for every Iowa family. It opens doors and breaks down barriers. The foundation, started by Jeff and Janine Yass of Philadelphia, provides the annual $1 million Yass Prize for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless education in partnership with the Center for Education Reform and Forbes Media. It also gives other awards to schools. According to its website, Each year, the foundation rewards dozens of organizations, building a growing network of innovative providers that demonstrate these qualities in their commitment to new ideas, technologies, and approaches to learning that bring education into the 21st century. In 2022, it awarded a total of $20 million related to the Yass Prize and other special state initiatives. Who's teaching our kids? These 4 charts break down K-12 teachers by education level, race, and more Who's teaching our kids? These 4 charts break down K-12 teachers by education level, race, and more More than half of school teachers have earned a master's, making teachers among the most well-educated professionals The teaching profession is predominantly white, presenting potential disadvantages to minority students More than two-thirds of teachers are women; nearly 4 in 10 of all teachers have less than a decade of experience Salary increases steadily with experience, but after 20 years it plateaus This is an opportunity for individuals to explore career options, learn about financial aid and scholarship opportunities, connect with instructors, and learn about campus resources. Advisers will help attendees identify their career goals and match them with program options. People of all interest and education levels are invited from those who have never attended college and want to gain new skills to those who have previously earned credits and want to complete their degree. (Photo : Unsplash/Luis Villasmil ) While many see burnout as a personal issue solvable with yoga or breathing exercises, mounting evidence suggests that using individual "band-aid" solutions in a fast-paced work setting may harm your health. With the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizing burnout, managing it now rests more on organizations than individuals. Burnout As an Occupational Phenomenon Burnout is now recognized in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. It's part of the chapter on factors influencing health status, dealing with reasons people seek health services that aren't considered illnesses. In ICD-11, burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress, characterized by energy depletion, increased mental distance from one's job, and reduced professional efficacy, specifically applicable to the work context. The WHO is working on possible workplace mental well-being guidelines, which many organizations are uncertain about addressing since it's not considered a medical condition. As a result, the focus is more on the impact on employee well-being and the significant costs involved rather than on employer liability. The Burnout Toll A Stanford University study shows occupational stress gives rise to healthcare expenses amounting to $190 billion annually, roughly 8% of the country's budget. It contributes to approximately 120,000 deaths annually. Following a recent WHO study, 615 million people worldwide suffer from depression and anxiety, costing the global workforce about $1 trillion in lost productivity annually. Burnout is widespread in nursing and medicine, driven by compassion and passion. Suicide rates are considerably higher than the general population-40% for men and 130% for women. It's Not Me, It's You Christina Maslach, a social psychologist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, is an expert on burnout and feels that the approach to the issue is flawed. She is one of the leading Developments of the Areas of Worklife Survey and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) coauthor. Maslach worries that the WHO will now include burnout in IDC11 as a disease. In her opinion, this strategy concentrates more on the individual than organizational problems. In her opinion, treating burnout as a disease might result in assigning blame and terminating employees rather than admitting that the employing organization is to blame. To Maslach's point, a Gallup survey of 7,500 full-time workers revealed the following five factors as the primary causes of burnout: Unfairness in the workplace Overwhelming workload Absence of clear roles Lack of support and communication from their manager Excessive time constraints READ ALSO: The Repercussions of Employer Surveillance, Workers Getting Worse at Their Jobs And More Likely To Quit As mentioned above, the list makes it evident that leadership should begin their preventative strategies much earlier to avoid burnout, as the core causes of the condition do not lie with the individual. How To Address Burnout? To address workplace burnout as a systemic issue rather than an individual problem, companies can implement the following strategies: Promote Work-Life Balance Encourage reasonable working hours and discourage a culture of constant overtime. Promote a healthy work-life balance to set positive examples for employees. Set Clear Expectations Provide employees with clear job expectations and responsibilities to reduce ambiguity. Ensure that workloads are manageable and realistic. Create a Supportive Culture Foster a supportive and inclusive workplace culture where employees feel comfortable seeking help. Encourage open communication and provide resources for mental health support. Training and Resources Offer training programs on stress management, resilience, and coping mechanisms. Provide resources, such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), to support mental health. Prevent Overloading Monitor workloads to prevent excessive stress and burnout. Encourage breaks and vacations to allow employees to recharge. Through organizational burnout management, businesses can foster a more positive work environment that promotes employee engagement, well-being, and general satisfaction. This method acknowledges that workplace factors frequently lead to burnout, which calls for teamwork to prevent and manage. As much as yoga, mindfulness classes, and resilience training are excellent resources for enhancing mental well-being and stress reduction, leaders must address workplace burnout, not employees'. RELATED ARTICLE: Quiet Quitting Explained: A Coping Mechanism After Pandemic Where People Just Work for the Money 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. CEDAR FALLS An impassioned group of residents turned the spotlight on the intersection of First Street and Union Road at Mondays City Council meeting. Sara Tovia was severely injured in a crash there Nov. 11. Speakers shared tales of close calls they experienced driving through the intersection. A few of the dozen or so supporters of Tovia and her family said irresponsible driving and poor visibility can make the spot hazardous. Tovia emotionally recalled the accident that reportedly sent six people to the hospital, including herself and her two young daughters. I will never forget the shock and terror I felt right before the impact, the sounds of my girls screaming, crying, and seeing blood, she said. The council unanimously requested the engineering department explore possibilities such as a safety study or minor improvements at the intersection, which is under state jurisdiction. Councilmembers also asked that a report be presented or other action be considered as soon as the next meeting on Dec. 18. I thank everyone for coming to speak tonight because I think this intersection has been a bad intersection for a long time, said City Administrator Ron Gaines. I know in the past weve tried to put a little bit of pressure on the (Department of Transportation) and its fallen on deaf ears. But I can tell you that this time were going to be a little more relentless. Nickolas Humpal, an engineer with the Iowa DOT, affirmed Tuesday that a safety review is being considered as well as the relocation of pavement markings and clearing of shrubs and trees near the right-of-way. Tovia was driving from her parents home with her daughters at the time one of whom was in the audience Monday when her eastbound vehicle was struck on First Street (Iowa Highway 57) by another vehicle travelling southbound on Union Road. First Street has a 55 mph posted speed limit. Stop signs are intended to control traffic from the north and south on Union Road. Her plea included details about the trauma and physical pain shed experienced, including how shed broken her pelvis in three places and is in a debilitated state. I cant even lift my own daughter out of her crib, said Tovia. Its the third time in recent months residents have told the council more needs to be done to make an intersection safer. In September, three people pushed for change at 12th and Clay streets to protect students walking to the nearby schools from speeders. Minor improvements were immediately made. They ranged from more enforcement to painting bold crosswalks. Earlier that same month, the council approved in a 4-2 vote, at the request of the North Cedar Neighborhood Association, that the Center Street and Lone Tree Road intersection be changed from a two-way to a four-way stop. State jurisdiction isnt the only reason solutions are elusive at the First Street intersection, Gaines pointed out. Visibility improvements may involve purchase of private easements or working with owners of private property to cut back shrubbery. The city has entered the cold months, as well, making any permanent roadway solutions unlikely at this time. Gaines threw out the possibility of installing rumble strips but noted that at least a couple weeks would be needed to get something done. It will take a little bit of time, said Gaines. Some residents voiced concerns about more traffic being generated when a new high school opens to the south on West 27th Street, also bringing more pedestrians. Plans to build more houses near the corner also have emerged. Its always been dangerous, said Councilmember Dave Sires. I pulled up to it the other day on my motorcycle and couldnt see to the west. Believe it or not, Im not an advocate for roundabouts, but in this case I would even vote for a roundabout there anything to help that intersection out because its absolutely terrible and its been terrible for years and years and years, he added. The city had reportedly reached out to the DOT several times about the intersection since the accident and was in touch again Tuesday. Well continue to converse about this intersection to determine steps moving forward. Both parties are interested in improvements that will address concerns at this intersection, said Humpal. He noted improvements already have been made there. Much of that includes signage but also lighting, a painted trail crosswalk and turn lanes. It wont make everything better, said Councilmember Simon Harding about the unanimous vote at the meeting, but we can get the ball rolling and really actually start to make the change here because it is needed. Editor's note: This story was corrected Dec. 15 to note there had been three total instances in recent months when residents pushed for changes at seemingly dangerous intersections. WATERLOO The granddaughter and grandniece of Waterloos five Sullivan brothers killed during World War II has been named chieftain of her entire familys clan by its leaders in Ireland. Kelly Sullivan, a third-grade teacher in Cedar Falls who is the official sponsor of the U.S. Navy destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), is the first American and the first woman to receive the honor in the clans 1,000-year history, said clan representative Jim OSullivan of County Cork in Ireland. This comes from from the people of the area, he said. She has been chosen by the OSullivans people from the counties Cork and Kerry, where her ancestors came from. Kelly Sullivan received the honor during September in Boston. She was presented with a ceremonial gold chain with the family crest as part of the recognition. It was bestowed by the mayors of Counties Cork and Kerry in Ireland, from which the clan hails. Kelly Sullivan, the granddaughter of Albert Sullivan, youngest of the five brothers and the only one who married, said she felt her grandfathers and great uncles presence there. Here I am in this amazing city Ive never had the opportunity to be in, with all these great people that are like an Irish family, she said. The thing I kept thinking about is that recording we have at the museum, the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo, of the boys singing the Irish songs you know, When Irish Eyes are Smiling and I cried. I teared up, as the ceremonial chain was placed around her neck. The Sullivans were really proud of their Irish heritage, Kelly Sullivan said. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Boston. And Im just picturing them looking down from heaven. Its an honor for the whole family in the U.S., she said. I felt very blessed to go and represent the Sullivan family, she said. Members of the OSullivan clan visited Boston from Ireland to mark the 300th anniversary of clan members emigration to Massachusetts and the familys on that state and in America. That history, Jim OSullivan said, dates back to John Sullivan, who served as a brigadier general in Gen. George Washingtons Continental Army in the American Revolution, continuing on through the Sullivan brothers and their namesake vessel today. The OSullivan clan goes back to the 11th century, OSullivan said. With the advent of British control of their area in about 1602, clan members scattered some to America, some to Spain. According to the Irish Times, as British rule of Ireland intensified from the 1600s on, Irish surname prefixes such as O and Mc were dropped by some people because it was easier to find work if one did not have an Irish-sounding name. Over the last 50 years, we resurrected the clan chieftain post, OSullivan said, and different individuals have held that post over the years. We thought it was appropriate that since some of the original (forbears) arrived in the States 300 years ago, that we would present the chain to Kelly, as an American, and also because of her family history involved with the American military and Navy, he said. The trip included a visit to Gen. John Sullivans home and to the three-masted wooden frigate USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, which fought in the War of 1812. It is the old commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy. Sullivan met the ships commanding officer, Cmdr. Billie June B.J. Farrell, the ships first woman commanding officer in its 224-year history. Members of the OSullivan clan have maintained ties to Kelly Sullivan and her grandfather and great uncles namesake Navy vessel for a quarter century. Clan members, including Jim OSullivans father, attended commissioning ceremonies for the USS The Sullivans in April 1997 at Stapleton Pier, Staten Island, in New York harbor in New York City. The ship also visited County Cork in Ireland in 2003, and members of the OSullivan clan also traveled to Waterloo in 2008 for the dedication of the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, part of the Grout Museum District. Jim OSullivan said clan members hope the DDG-68 can once again visit Ireland in the not-too-distant future. Were hoping, if things work out, that well invite the USS The Sullivans in two years back to Ireland, in this area, but were not guaranteed anything yet, OSullivan said. The ship has served several overseas deployments in recent years, including one during which it was attached to the British Royal Navy. The USS The Sullivans, a guided missile destroyer based in Mayport, Fla., is the successor vessel to the USS The Sullivans DD-537, which Kelly Sullivans great grandmother Alleta Sullivan of Waterloo sponsored after her five sons deaths. That ship saw service in World War II and Korea, was decommissioned in 1977 and is now at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park in Buffalo, N.Y. George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert Sullivan of Waterloo died when their ship, the USS Juneau, was torpedoed and sunk on Nov. 13, 1942 following the naval Battle of Guadalcanal. All but 14 of the Juneaus crew of nearly 700 perished in the actual sinking or at sea on the days the followed. The five brothers deaths are considered the greatest combat-related loss of life by one family at one time in American military history. The brothers enlisted on the condition they be allowed to serve together, a departure from Navy policy. While attempts were made in Congress as recently as the 1990s to adopt at Sullivan Act preventing any family members from serving together, no such law was ever formally adopted. For example, multiple family members have served together in Iowa National Guard units in recent years on deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The brothers uncle, Patrick Henry Sullivan of Harpers Ferry in Allamakee County in Northeast Iowa, served on the USS The Sullivans DD-537 during World War II. The ship earned nine battle stars for its service and was known as The Good Samaritan for many rescues of sailors from ships crippled or sunk in battle or storms. Patrick Henry Sullivan narrowly missed serving on the Juneau with his nephews; it set sail before he could report for duty. The brothers sister Genevieve joined the Navy WAVES and she and parents Thomas and Alleta participated war bond rallies. Kellys father, Jim Sullivan, now in his 80s and a toddler when his father and uncles perished, also served in the Navy in the late 1950s and early 60s WATERLOO Owners of all-terrain vehicles, off-road utility vehicles, off-road motorcycles and snowmobiles registered with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will have registrations that expire Dec. 31. Registrations can be renewed through the County Recorders office. Renewals are $18.50. Customers can still renew their registrations after Dec. 31 but will be charged a $5 penalty. For off-highway vehicles, Iowa residents must have and display a current Iowa DNR registration stick on their ATV, ORV/UTV or ORM to operate on any designated public land or ice in Iowa. For snowmobiles, Iowa residents are required to have and display a current Iowa DNR registration sticker. A snow user permit sticker is also required in order to lawfully operate on any public land or public ice in Iowa and may be purchased at the same time. All snow user permits also expire on Dec. 31. The cost is $18.50 and there is no late penalty for a permit purchased after Jan. 1 as they are issued on a calendar year basis. Snow user permits are required for nonresident and resident snowmobiles used on public land or ice. To renew by mail, add an additional $2 for postage and send to Black Hawk County Recorder, 316 E. Fifth St., Waterloo, IA 50703. Call (319) 833-3012 to renew by phone with a credit card. An additional service fee will apply for this option. A drivers license number or social security number and vehicle VIN will be required for all renewals. WATERLOO There's still time to chose an angel tag from an Angel Tree. Angel tags representing 809 local children can be found at Cedar Falls Walmart, Sams Club, Salon Iris, and UAW Local 838. Deadline to return unwrapped gifts (with the angel tag attached) is noon Friday, Dec. 8. Failure to return the gift on time may result in the angel not receiving your gift. Angel Tree tags have the childs first name, gender, and age. Other information includes clothing and shoe sizes, the childs favorite things or interests, and any specific items the child has requested. Its asked the total be $25-$40 per gift. Returning gifts Do not wrap gift(s). Attach the Angel tag to the gift(s). Place gift(s) in any of the Angel Tree marked boxes at our partner locations by Wednesday, Dec. 6. Gift(s) can be returned directly to The Salvation Army (89 Franklin St., Waterloo) through noon on Friday, Dec. 8. Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (4 November 2023) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by helicopters and artillery repelled one attack of assault groups of the AFU 57th Mechanised Brigades close to Sinkovka (Kharkov region). Up to 35 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system have been eliminated. In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, helicopters, and artillery repelled five attacks of assault groups of the AFU 63rd and 67th mechanised brigades close to Yampolovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses amounted to up to 280 troops, five Kozak armoured fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 24th, 93rd mechanised brigades near Kurdyumovka and Kleshcheyevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy lost up to 300 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, and three motor vehicles. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by helicopters and artillery inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of the AFU 102nd Territorial Defence Brigade close to Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses amounted to up to 100 Ukrainian troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles. In Zaporozhye direction, one attack launched by assault groups of the AFU 118th Mechanised Brigade near Nesteryanka (Zaporozhye region) was repelled by the Russian Group of Forces, air strikes, and artillery fire. The enemy lost up to 40 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, and three motor vehicles. In Kherson direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on clusters of manpower and hardware of the AFU 36th, 37th marines brigades near Tyaginka (Kherson region). Up to 50 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, as well as one Giatsint howitzer have been neutralised by fire. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 107 areas during the day. Air defence units shot down 30 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Novovodyanoye, Lisichansk (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Peski, Spornoye, and Aleksandrovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Novaya Zburyevka, (Kherson region) and Tokmak (Zaporozhye region), as well as one HIMARS MLRS projectile. In total, 545 airplanes and 256 helicopters, 9,391 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 13,775 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,187 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,227 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 15,894 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR Starting this semester, Winona State University nursing students have a new opportunity to test their skills as they learn to care for patients. Through a partnership with Winona Health, students are able to visit the hospital multiple times a week to practice in the facilitys new simulation lab, which first opened in 2022 in space formerly used for behavioral health services and is also now used as an educational space for hospital clinical and nonclinical staff. The university is currently in a pilot phase for the facility this semester, as students learn in both the universitys on-campus simulation lab and the new hospital simulation lab, which contains upgraded equipment, including lifelike patient manikins. Starting in January, all nursing students will begin to use the Winona Health lab exclusively for class simulations, while the on-campus lab will also continue to be open for students to practice their skills. Cyndy Jones, an associate professor of nursing at Winona State University and the universitys department of undergraduate nursing chairperson, said the upgraded simulation lab allows the universitys students to know "what health care currently looks like. Jones said she hopes opportunities like the simulation lab will help students feel prepared when they're actually in the real clinical setting. Jones believes this may help prevent burnout in the future for the students as they enter their careers, because they will feel more comfortable in different scenarios and real life hospital settings. In the simulation lab, students are able to treat a variety of pretend patients, like people of different ages, backgrounds, identities and more. They also have the chance to test their skills in different situations, like delivering a baby and caring for a person in hospice care. Students also have the chance to portray other people who would be in the room during an emergency health situation, like a mother attempting to comfort their child. Nursing student Lindsey Voigt, who will graduate in the spring, said at Winona Health facility she finds herself doing things that she would actually do while working a shift at a hospital. "You actually feel like you're in that situation," she said. "It's nice to come to a facility where it does feel more lifelike," said fellow nursing student Halle Wohlers, who will also graduate in the spring. "It puts you in the right headspace. Both Wohlers and Voigt said they feel more excited for their future nursing careers because of the new simulation lab. "This kind of made us feel like we can do it, because it feels so real," Voigt said. Wohlers said the experience made her feel more prepared for the work environment. Wohlers said that previously, when going to the simulation lab on campus, she felt more like she was just going to class. While the stimulation lab at Winona Health is currently being used by the universitys undergraduate nursing students, Jones said in the future Winona State University students based in Rochester, along with graduate students, will also be welcome to use the space. Karla Eppler, director of learning and development at Winona Health, said that it has been exciting having both students and employees learning in the simulation lab. She hopes in the future there will be chances for students and employees to work more closely together, side by side to complete simulations. It's just nice to see the youthful presence in the organization, because that's our future," Eppler said. "These folks are the folks that will be taking care of me and our community members in the future, and we need to get more people involved in health care. Eppler believes the simulation lab at Winona Health, which community groups can also tour, will help draw in more students to be interested in a career in health care. Jones said she thinks that the lab will also serve as a great recruitment tool for the Winona community, as it will allow students to become familiar and comfortable with the Winona Health facility. People living in Wisconsin through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program would be able to receive tax credits, in-state tuition and access to professional licenses under a bipartisan package of bills unveiled Monday. Proponents of the three bills, including Reps. John Macco, R-Ledgeview; Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, D-Milwaukee; and Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay; said the measures are intended to open up educational and employment opportunities for recipients of the program, which was created in 2012 and delays the deportation of individuals who came to the U.S. as children, and help address the states longstanding workforce shortage woes. Macco said its his goal to make Wisconsin a DACA magnet across the country. DACA recipients are here, what is the state of Wisconsin going to do about it? Macco said. Its time to get out of their way and let them get educated and contribute to the workforce. There were 5,790 DACA recipients in Wisconsin as of March, according to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. There were more than 578,000 so-called Dreamers, young people who were brought into the country as babies or children by their parents, nationwide in March. Under the federal program, immigrants who arrived here as children and who meet other criteria finishing high school, holding a job, not committing crimes can apply for protection from deportation every two years. Every person deserves a fair shot at their dreams, said Allison Jacobsmeier, director of college advising at St. Augustine Preparatory Academy in Milwaukee. Supporting DACA legislation isnt just a political choice, it is a moral and economic imperative. The first bill in the package would open up the opportunity for DACA recipients to obtain professional licenses in careers ranging from barbers to plumbers. Such professional licensing is currently unavailable to DACA recipients under state law. Another bill would make DACA recipients who have lived in the state for at least one year eligible for in-state tuition at the University of Wisconsin System, while another would provide a biannual, nonrefundable tax credit of $250 to help offset the roughly $500 fee DACA recipients must pay every two years to renew their status. Macco said about 16 states have passed similar professional licensing measures, while roughly 25 have adopted similar in-state tuition programs. As a state, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines and make investments in our labor force, only to have someone else in another state utilize that talent that we need right here in the state of Wisconsin, Ortiz-Velez said. Macco said the bipartisan proposals are netting broad support across both the Assembly and Senate. The bills were put out for co-sponsors on Monday and are expected to come before committee later this month. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed in the states current two-year spending plan measures to allow DACA recipients who wish to obtain professional licenses, have a path to licensure with appropriate departmental review. The proposal was ultimately removed by Republicans who control the Legislatures budget committee. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieus spokesman Brian Radday said the bills will work their way through the normal legislative process. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Today in history: Dec. 4 1918: Versailles 1956: Sun Records 1965: Gemini 7 1965: Sun Records 1978: Dianne Feinstein 1992: George H.W. Bush 2012: Duchess of Cambridge 2016: Comet Ping Pong 2018: George H.W. Bush 2021: James and Jennifer Crumbley, 2021: Chris Cuomo Song Kang has maintained a habit of keeping a journal since childhood. To immerse himself completely in his role in Netflix's "Sweet Home," the actor decided to write one more not from his own perspective, but from that of his character, Hyun-su. "It was a new experience for me to keep a journal from the character's point of view," Song said during a group media interview in Seoul on Tuesday. "I wrote in the journal almost every day to fully understand Hyun-su and to constantly check up on his feelings." The 29-year-old actor spent a big chunk of the one-hour interview talking about how hard he tried to put himself in Hyun-su's shoes and convey convincingly what the character is going through internally. The apocalyptic horror series "Sweet Home" returned last Friday for its second season after three years, depicting the escalation of an all-out survival war between humans and monsters. The new season features multiple new characters and subplots, adding fresh or needlessly complex for some viewers perspectives to the monster apocalypse. Song reprises his role as the "special infectee" Hyun-su, a former recluse who becomes much more mature both internally and physically in Season 2. He heads to an experimental center inside a military base to help the authorities find a cure, only to discover that his supernatural power has become more powerful. When Song was cast for Season 1, he was largely an unknown young actor, although a promising one. Over the past years, however, Song has grown into one of the most sought-after actors exhibiting both star power and skills for standout performances. At a promotional event last week, "Sweet Home" producer Lee Eung-bok said the actor's growth and that of Hyun-su "went almost side by side" and talked about how impressed he was to see Song had become remarkably mature as a man as well as an actor. "I think 'Sweet Home' really made me who I am now," Song also said. After all, the series helped pave the way for his acting career. Since the global success of the first season, Song has starred in a slew of TV series that left his audience with a lasting impression, including "Navillera," "Nevertheless" and "Love Alarm," all of which streamed on the global streaming platform. "I still remember what the director told me when filming Season 1, which was 'I fully trust you, so you can trust me,'" Song said. "It meant a lot to me," he said. Gaining popularity and acknowledgement, while certainly being "grateful," is causing him to feel pressure to live up to expectations, the actor said. "About two weeks before a script reading, I lose my appetite. As I have doubts about myself if I can deliver, I work harder and spend more time on prep-work, like reading the script more heavily," he said. "I always ask myself questions, like 'Am I doing this right?' So I try to bring different emotions and lines to the set, just in case," he said. "I definitely feel more responsible than sure about myself." (Yonhap) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The agency of K-pop megastar BTS on Tuesday asked fans to refrain from visiting boot camps to see off their favorite stars as the last four members of the group are set to join the Army as active-duty soldiers early next week. Last week, industry sources said RM and V will enlist on Dec. 11, followed by Jimin and Jungkook the next day. In Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for about two years. "RM and V are scheduled to enlist according to their respective procedures while Jimin and Jungkook will enlist together," BigHit Music said on Weverse, a K-pop fan community platform, without providing the dates of enlistment. "There will be no separate official events on the days of their enlistment at the military recruit training centers." The company then asked BTS fans to refrain from visiting the sites to prevent any safety accidents caused by congestion. "Please express your warm send-offs and encouragement for RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook in your hearts only," it added. They will follow their three bandmates Jin, J-Hope and Suga who are already serving in the military. The four members are expected to be discharged from the military in June 2025. In a live talk streamed on Weverse later Tuesday, the four members said they couldn't wait to get together as a whole group. On the decision to begin their service together this month, Jungkook said, "We want to return as a complete group as quickly as possible." "We've kept busy doing so many different things up until recently, and we feel like we're about to get a clean slate," Jungkook said. "We have no regrets, and we feel like we've made the right call." V said the members will begin to appreciate each other's company more when they get separated. "Even though most other new recruits will be younger, I am sure I will be able to learn new things by talking with them," added V, who is 27. Jimin chimed in: "We're not going away forever. We'll be back in no time, and we'll all be in for happier days." RM reiterated BigHit Music's plea for fans not to visit their boot camps, out of respect for families of other recruits. "We will have learned a few things from the military when we return, and we will have so many stories to tell and have so much energy to burn," RM added. "You can all look forward to our 'Chapter 2.'" In December last year, Jin became the first member of the septet to begin his military service, followed by J-Hope in April. They are now serving as drill instructors at different Army boot camps. Another member Suga started his military service as a social service agent in September as he was ruled unfit for regular combat duty. BTS has assured fans that the group will return in 2025 after all members have completed their military service. (Yonhap) Gold Exploration Update Perth, Dec 5, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to provide an update on new gold drilling results from the Greater Boorara - Cannon and Binduli project areas located close to Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the heart of the Western Australian goldfields (Figure 1*). HIGHLIGHTS - Several Reverse Circulation (RC) and Air Core (AC) drill programs conducted at a number of prospects near Kalgoorlie at the Company's 100% owned tenure in the Goldfields region - Drilling focussed on new discoveries at the Cannon, Kestrel and Kanowna South prospects with infill resource drilling completed at Penny's Find. - Two deep RC holes totalling 746m targeted the Northern Domain lode at Penny's Find and returned the following significant results: o 5m @ 2.97g/t Au from 370m (PFRC23012A) o 2m @ 1.27g/t Au from 305m (PFRC23011) - The Kanowna South prospect progressed with further encouraging gold results highlighted by recent drilling that comprised eight AC holes for 465m and ten RC holes for 1,074m. Significant results included: o 1m @ 5.91g/t Au from 66m in KSRC23008. Strong arsenopyrite and fuchsite mineralisation was observed o 1m @ 4.40g/t Au from 46m in KSAC23002. o 21m @ 0.44g/t Au from 54m in KSRC23002 including 3m @ 0.74 g/t Au from 55m. - AC drilling at the new Falcon Prospect 500m northwest of the Kestrel prospect in the Binduli North camp consisted of five AC holes for 219m. Significant results included: o 1m @ 0.8g/t Au from 25m and 1m @ 10.09g/t Au from 29m (FCAC23002) o 2m @ 1.4g/t Au from 24m (FCAC23003) - One RC hole for 180m was drilled 160m northeast of the Cannon Open Cut mine targeting an historic drillhole that had returned significant gold mineralisation. This mineralisation was not able to be replicated, however a DHEM survey subsequently completed in the hole picked up an untested conductor 50m+ from the bottom of the hole. Commenting on the exploration results, Chief Executive Officer Mr Grant Haywood said: "Although early days, our Kanowna South gold prospect is starting to take shape, and discovering a strong sulphide link in some of the mineralisation could be a major turning point in our understanding of this prospect. We are also looking forward to further work on the conductor at Cannon, which lies immediately north and along strike of the proposed Cannon underground. In addition, follow up work at the Penny's Find gold project shall allow us to provide an updated Mineral Resource Estimate in the current December quarter, and carry out mine design and financial analysis for a maiden Ore Reserve in the first half of 2024." The drilling forms part of the current 2024 financial year exploration program focussing on new discoveries within Horizon's extensive tenure. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/9S7V5LGQ About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. Related Companies Multiple Lithium Soil Anomalies Defined at Mt Sholl Project Perth, Dec 5, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Raiden Resources Limited ( ASX:RDN ) is pleased to announce the results of a soil sampling program for the Mt Sholl North Project. Highlights - Soil sampling program has defined several clear lithium in soil trends at Mt Sholl Lithium Project - Soil geochemistry delineates a Lithium in soil trend with 3.5km strike length and with peak value of 138.5ppm Lithium (298ppm Li2O), extending across the north-central part of the tenement - A Lithium in soil trend with 2.5km strike length, with peak value of 187.5ppm Lithium (404ppm Li2O), defined in the southeastern part of the permit - Defined anomalies are located along strike to GreenTech Metals Ltd ( ASX:GRE ) Osbourne JV pegmatite discovery - Detailed follow up program will be initiated in early parts of Q1 with objective to define drill targets for testing in '24 Mr Dusko Ljubojevic, Managing Director of Raiden commented: "These recent results from the Mt Sholl campaign have defined multiple anomalous lithium trends within the property. The fact that the anomalies are within the same district and along strike from a recent pegmatite discovery on the adjoining property, provide further encouragement that the anomalies may be associated with a mineralised system. Management plan to initiate a detailed follow up work campaign in order to refine the anomalous trends and hopefully define drill targets on the Mt Sholl lithium project. Over the past several months, the Company has been undertaking targeting work over multiple properties and we are very pleased that the work is yielding positive results, that will hopefully lead to multiple drill programs." In order to evaluate the potential for lithium bearing pegmatites on the northern parts of the Mt Sholl project, which is considered the most prospective, the Company executed a soil sampling program over the tenement2 during October. The samples were analysed for the full suite of LCT elements, as well as other elements. The objective of the program was to assist in defining the most prospective areas of the project, as well as provide insight into the potential zoning of the mineralised system, define the direction and location of the potential source granites and highlight any structural trends which may act as hosts for mineralised pegmatites. While a significant part of Mt Sholl project is outcropping, certain parts of the project area are obscured by transported cover making soil sampling an integral exploration tool for the area. On the basis of the results to date, several distinct geochemical trends have been defined. A +30ppm lithium soil trend in the central western part of the permit area extends along a 3.5km east-west trending corridor, with peak values of 138.5ppm lithium. The strike of the trend aligns with GreenTech Metals Ltd ( ASX:GRE ) released lithium-in-soil anomalies, positive rock sampling, and their recently announced intersection of pegmatites in drilling (Figure 1*). The highest values are in the western part of the project area. A >50ppm lithium soil anomaly in the southern part of the license extends over a 2.5km strike extent, with a peak value of 187.5ppm lithium. This trend does not seem to be associated with any of the known anomalies/trends in the district and is a new target area which the Company will evaluate through the upcoming programs. Planned work Further work is being planned for follow-up programs in the early-2024. This will include a detailed analysis of the regolith in relation to these soil anomalies. In addition, previously mapped structures, and a re-evaluation Raiden's aeromagnetic data will be used to target for potential concealed structures, which may act as potential hosts of LCT pegmatite mineralisation. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/8P23AIVU About Raiden Resources Limited Raiden Resources Limited (ASX:RDN) (DAX:YM4) is a dual listed exploration and development company which is advancing the Mt Sholl Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-Palladium deposit in the Pilbara. The Company's portfolio host metals and commodities considered critical for the revolution of the energy and electrification revolution. Related Companies INSTAR IMAGES/Dutch Press Photo/Instagram Celebrity The names of the royals who expressed 'concerns' about Prince Archie's skin color were first revealed in the original draft of Omid Scobie's book sent by his agent. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Omid Scobie's agent allegedly sent out a draft copy of his book that named the two royals at the centre of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's race row. The 42-year-old writer has insisted he didn't reveal the identities of two senior royals in his book "Endgame" who are alleged to have raised "concerns" about the skin colour of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry's son Archie. But The Times has reported United Talent Agency sent a draft version naming the royals to Dutch publisher Xander Uitgevers. UTA also reportedly sent Xander a final version which did not name the two royals at centre of the storm weeks before publication. It is understood the translator interpreted an earlier version of the manuscript, rather than the final approved text - and Xander initially said the names were revealed in a translation mistake, before claiming an "error" had led to the printing of their identities. Managing director Anke Roelen said, "Xander temporarily removed the book from sale, due to an error that occurred in the Dutch edition." Omid has repeatedly insisted he never submitted a book with the names of the two members of the royals caught up in the controversy. Meanwhile, the Sussexes face being stripped of their royal titles if a "nuclear option" law is passed by the UK Parliament. Conservative MP Bob Seely wants to adapt laws that were originally passed in the First World War to deny German nobles their British titles - which would force the House of Commons to consider turning Prince Harry, 39, and his ex-actress wife Meghan, 42, into plain Mr. and Mrs. Mr. Seely said the "nuclear option" was "in support of the monarchy" and aims to respect the decision of those who no longer want to be royals by removing "their titles and privileges." He said in an article written for the Mail on Sunday, "I'm not a republican and support the monarchy, but after the latest instalment of the couple's feud with the rest of the royal family, I believe that Parliament and the Privy Council should consider a nuclear option." "The Duke and Duchess can be Mr. and Mrs. like the rest of us. My Titles Deprivation 1917 Act Amendment Bill would allow a vote in Parliament to advise the ancient advisory Privy Council to strip a member of the royal family of their titles." "My aim is simple, if someone doesn't want to be royal, that is a decision we respect - but they should not keep the titles and privileges if they trash an institution that plays an important part in our nation's life." You can share this post! Cover Images/NBC/Ron Sachs/Will Heath Celebrity Meanwhile, the 'La La Land' actress, who showed up at the bash in her Five-Timers Club jacket, allegedly shared a table with her husband and ex-boyfriend that night. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Malia Obama and Sasha Obama were spotted hitting up "Saturday Night Live" after-party following the Emma Stone-hosted episode on Saturday, December 2. The former first daughters were seen hanging out at the fete at L'Avenue at Saks. An eyewitness told Page Six that the sisters spent some time with cast member Marcello Hernandez. They also had fun with some other friends at the soiree. This wasn't the first time the young Obamas were seen on the A-List scene. Back in August, the twosome, who is living on the West Coast, reportedly partied the night away with Drake at The Bird Streets Club in Los Angeles. Back to the "SNL" after-party, Emma allegedly rolled up to the bash in her Five-Timers Club jacket. The jacket was given to her during her monologue by former head writer and "Weekend Update" host Tina Fey and "SNL" alum Candice Bergen to commemorate the "Cruella" actress' fifth appearance as host on the hit NBC comedy show. The Hollywood star was joined by her husband, "SNL" segment director Dave McCary, as well as her ex Kieran Culkin at the party. "Emma chatted with friends and partygoers," the spy noted, adding that the three shared a table that night. The "La La Land" star and the "Succession" actor dated while filming their 2009 movie "Paperman". Noah Kahan, who served as the musical guest in the latest episode of "SNL", also attended the party. Not stopping there, the Grammy-nominated musician treated his guests to a round of burgers. Everyone seemingly had fun that night with cast members Bowen Yang and Michael Che having fun chatting with "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels. Also among the party-goers were Questlove, Laurie Hernandez and other "SNL" cast members, including Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Punkie Johnson, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy. You can share this post! Cover Images/Faye's Vision/Janet Mayer Movie After the 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier' actor is spotted on the set of the upcoming movie, some Internet users claim that he looks too 'good' to play the former U.S. president. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - First look at Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump in an upcoming movie has surfaced online and people did not hold back from voicing their thoughts on it. Just a few days after it was revealed that the actor was cast as the former president in "The Apprentice", he was spotted in character on the set of the movie. The Romanian-born actor was filming the movie in Toronto, Canada on Monday, December 4. In photos obtained by Page Six, he rocked the 45th president's wispy, sandy blond hair which was parted to the side. He was wearing a black, single-breasted wool coat paired with a blue suit and paisley-striped tie underneath. He added a wrist watch and a pair of black loafers as Stan was seen shooting a scene in which his character munched on a sandwich while sitting on a park bench during a snowy day. After the photos were published by the outlet, many quickly weighed in on Stan's transformation into Trump. Not convinced by his look as the businessman, one person said, "Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump looks like bad Princess Diana cosplay." "Bro just looks like Luke Skywalker," a second joked. A third person added, "Come on, he'd have to put on at least 150 more pounds, lose the same in hair and he's not orange." Others think Stan is too "good" to play Trump. "They really got a hot actor like Sebastian Stan to play the orange man," one of them weighed in. Another commented, "Trump has never looked that good." Someone else claimed, "The funny thing to me about casting is that even through Sebastian is remarkably better looking than Trump, I'm sure it bugs Trump that Sebastian isn't taller." On November 29, it was confirmed that Stan would star in the film from Cannes prize-winning filmmaker Ali Abbasi. The film focuses on young Trump as he builds his real estate business in New York City in the 1970s and '80s. "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" star is joined in the cast by Jeremy Strong and Maria Bakalova, who will play Roy Cohn, a notorious lawyer and fixer whom Trump considered a mentor early in his career, and Ivana Trump, the former president's first wife and a businesswoman, respectively. According to a synopsis, "The Apprentice" is "a mentor-protege story that charts the origins of an American dynasty. Filled with larger than life characters, it reveals the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers." No release date is set for the movie just yet. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity U2's frontman Bono as well as the late musician's longtime friend Johnny Depp are expected to attend the funeral of The Pogues icon on Friday, December 8 in St Mary of the Rosary Church. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Shane MacGowan will be laid to rest at a public service expected to be packed with thousands of fans and his famous friends. Funeral details for The Pogues icon's final farewell have been released after he was killed by pneumonia at his home on November 30 aged 65 after months of battling ill health. His widow Victoria Mary Clarke confirmed her late spouse's funeral will take place on Friday, December 8 in County Tipperary, where a mass will take place in the family's hometown of Nenagh, where Shane's dad, Maurice, and sister, Siobhan, are believed to live. The service, which has been extended to members of the public, will be held in St Mary of the Rosary Church, where Shane's mum's funeral was held in 2017. It is expected mourners will include U2 frontman Bono, as well as Shane's close longtime friend Johnny Depp. Shane will be cremated privately after the service, with local councillor Seamus Morris telling RTE about the plan, "It will be a big funeral in Nenagh. It is an open funeral. It is open to everyone and we have a very big church in Nenagh. People will be very welcome. There will be great stories told, there will be great friends of his that have met him over the years and celebrated life with him. They will all be very welcome to Nenagh." Cllr Morris added a string of mourners had already visited Philly Ryan's pub in the town to share memories of Shane, saying, "He was a frequent visitor. (Shane) spent many a day in Philly's pub and in other pubs around the area. He's a very well-known north Tipperary man and we are very proud of him." Victoria has also revealed Shane spent his final months bingeing on "Father Ted" episodes. She was quoted in The Sun saying about how he wouldn't stop watching the Channel 4 sitcom about two hapless priests stuck on bleak Craggy Island, "So he wouldn't get bored we brought a little DVD player into Shane and friends have been giving him presents of classic movies on DVD. But the thing he won't stop playing is the 'Father Ted' boxset. Shane watches that all day long and can't stop laughing." Shane had been in and out of hospital several times before his death, and was first hospitalized in December 2022 suffering from viral encephalitis, which leads to brain swelling and left him in agony. Along with amusing himself with "Father Ted" re-runs, Shane also revelled in being visited by a string of music stars. They included Bruce Springsteen, 74, who visited Shane during the Irish leg of his recent world tour. You can share this post! Instagram TV The 'Kardashians' star will be reteaming with Ryan Murphy, who will serve as the upcoming show's executive producer alongside herself and mom Kris Jenner. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Kim Kardashian is set to expand her acting career. The 43-year-old "The Kardashians" star will be playing famed lawyer Laura-Wasser-inspired character on a new scripted series, which will be executive produced by herself and mom Kris Jenner. According to Deadline, Kim has been tapped to play a character who is described as Los Angeles' "most successful divorce lawyer and the owner of an all-female law firm." Playing a lawyer should be exciting for the mom of four as she's been passionate about following in her father Robert Kardashian's footsteps as a lawyer. Meanwhile, the upcoming legal series will be written by "Brothers & Sisters" creator and playwright Jon Robin Baitz alongside Joe Baken. Ryan Murphy will serve as executive producer alongside Kris. Meanwhile, it is reported that the planned series will be streamed on Hulu, the current home of "The Kardashians". This won't be the first time for Kim to work together with Ryan. The two previously collaborated on the latter's hit TV series "American Horror Story: Delicate". On the FX series, Kim played Siobhan, a cutthroat publicist for Emma Roberts' character Anna. While casting sparked criticism among fans who were skeptical over the reality TV star's acting skills, Ryan defended the casting at the time. He said in a statement, "Kim is among the biggest and brightest television stars in the world and we are thrilled to welcome her to the 'AHS' family." He added, "Emma and I are excited about collaborating with this true force in the culture. Halley Feiffer has written a fun, stylish and ultimately terrifying role especially for Kim, and this season is ambitious and unlike anything we have ever done." No other details are available about the new series, but the filming is reportedly set to start in late 2024 for an early 2025 premiere date. You can share this post! By Lee Kyung-min MBK Partners launched a public tender offer for public shares of Hankook & Company, the holding company of Hankook Tire & Technology, Tuesday, looking to enhance its corporate governance structure. The tender offer will enable MBK Partners to secure a controlling stake in Hankook & Company, if at least 19,315,214 shares, or about 20.35 percent, of the total, are acquired. MBK already signed an agreement with Hankook & Companys major shareholders, Cho Hyun-shick and Cho Hee-won, prior to the tender offer bid. Their combined stakes stand at 29.54 percent. The controlling stakes that were gained through the tender offer will translate into the professional management of Hankook & Company, as underpinned by competent board members and CEOs independent of undue outside influences, an MBK official said. "This will in turn fortify corporate values and healthy governance structures." Ventura Corp., a special purpose company (SPC) established for MBKP SS tender offer, said that it will launch the public tender offer for Hankook & Companys shares, which are listed on the Korea Stock Exchange in order to gain control of the company and to enhance the companys corporate governance. The tender offer price is set at 20,000 won ($15) per share. The price represents a premium of 41 percent and 55 percent over the one-month and three-month volume-weighted average share prices, respectively. It is also 19 percent higher than the latest closing price of 16,820 won prior to the announcement. The tender offer is targeting approximately 27.32 percent of the 94,935,240 total issued shares. The minimum target is around 20.35 percent and the maximum target is around 27.32 percent. If the number of shares subscribed through the tender offer is less than the minimum target, no shares will be acquired by MBK. However, if the subscribed shares exceed the maximum target, the subscribed shares will be proportionally allocated within the target range. The payment for the subscribed shares will be made in cash. Cover Images/Brandi Benton Celebrity The 25-year-old son of the hip-hop mogul, who is following in his father's footsteps as a rapper, has come under fire after seemingly giving a shout-out to GDK. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - King Combs has retracted his alleged declaration that he's a gang member. The son of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and late model Kim Porter has denied that he's affiliated with any gangs after coming under fire for giving a shout-out to GDK. On Monday, December 4, King, born Christian Combs, made use of his Instagram Story to set things straight that he has no ties to any gangs. "I ain't affiliated w no gangs & im not a gang member!!" he wrote. King issued the statement after he received backlash for seemingly announcing that he's a gang member. In a video circulating online, a woman filmed the 25-year-old, whom she called "baby," as she thanked him for a sweet thing he had done for her. Appearing briefly in the clip, he said to the camera, "GDK," which seemed to be a reference to Gangster Disciples Killer. Many soon criticized King for making the claim, particularly amid his father's legal issue. Among the critics was Yella King, who said, "So I look on the internet and I see Puff Daddy's son come out saying GDK. It's not a good time when your dad has all these allegations...." He was referring to the sexual abuse lawsuits against the Bad Boy Records founder, before asking, "Why would you even try to involve yourself in anything GDK?" Yella then claimed that he received a call from King, who sought advice on whether he should pursue drill music. "Bro, why would you want to do drill music? You don't come from the streets or come from none of that. You were born famous, not from the streets," he said of the aspiring rapper. "Come from a rich daddy that's fighting a bunch of sexual allegations and crazy stuff. And you want to come talking about GDK. Don't let them GDs get witchu you, dude. Goofy." Now that King has denied any affiliations with gang, not everyone was easily convinced by his claim. "I feel like bro was just playing but it's more backlash cus of who he is and where he come from, we definitely all say crazy shxt just like this when a girl we fw record us," one person commented. Another mocked the Combs family, "Runs in the family they known to end sum quick." A third mocked him, "Tryna look cool for the h*es [face with tears of joy emojis] you rich n***a you already got her lmaoooo." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity Attending a Critics Choice event to accept the Vanguard Award, the 'Django Unchained' actor says he 'couldn't walk' six months ago while battling a mystery illness. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Jamie Foxx "couldn't walk" six months ago while battling a mystery illness, and he wouldn't wish what he went through on his "worst enemy." The 55-year-old actor made his first official public outing since April, when he was struck down by a mystery illness, which stopped the production of his Netflix movie "Back in Action", at the Critics Choice Association's Celebration of Cinema and Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements on Monday night, December 4. He received a standing ovation from the crowd at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, Los Angeles, as he walked across the stage to accept the Vanguard Award, but admitted it wouldn't have been possible earlier this year. Getting emotional while speaking to the audience, he said, "You know, it's crazy, I couldn't do that six months ago - I couldn't actually walk. I cherish every single minute now - it's different. I wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy because it's tough when it's almost over ... when you see the tunnel. I saw the tunnel - I didn't see the light." He then joked, "I'm not a clone, I'm not a clone. I know a lot of people who was saying I was cloned out there." Jamie admitted he has a "new respect" for his art after taking in numerous films during his recovery. He said, "I have a new respect for life. I have a new respect for my art. I watched so many movies and listened to so many songs trying to have the time go by. Dont give up on your art, man, don't give up." Jamie hasn't shared many details about his health scare, but admitted in July he went to "hell and back." He said on Instagram at the time, "I went through something I never thought I would go through. I know a lot of people [were] waiting or wanting to hear an update, but to be honest with you, I didn't want you to see me like that man. I want you to see me laughing, having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie [or] television show. I didn't want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through." You can share this post! Cover Images/JENNIFER GRAYLOCK Celebrity The 'Oops!... I Did It Again' songstress is said to have wanted her younger sister to attend the party where she celebrated her 42nd birthday with mom Lynne and brother Bryan. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Britney Spears apparently didn't leave out her sister Jamie Lynn Spears of her birthday party guest list. The pop star allegedly invited the actress to her birthday bash, which was attended by her mother Lynne Spears and brother Bryan Spears. According to TMZ, Britney had been talking to her mother regularly for weeks before she flew Lynne out to Los Angeles over the weekend to celebrate her 42nd birthday. While the mother-and-daughter duo appeared to have a blast at the party, Jamie Lynn missed out the celebration because of work commitment. Britney Spears and mom Lynne reunited to celebrate her 42nd birthday. Sources tell the site the "Womanizer" hitmaker also wanted her younger sister to attend the party, but the "Zoey 101" star was shooting a show out of the country. Britney, however, is reportedly still keen on burying the hatchet with her sister and is expected to reconcile with her younger sibling in the near future. "Britney wants to make things right with her family. She thinks it's time to start healing," a source claims. Meanwhile, Britney's mom appeared to be joyful following her reunion with her daughter. Spotted on her way back to Louisiana, she told a videographer at LAX on Monday, December 4 that it felt "wonderful" to spend time with her daughter. She added that Britney is "happy," although she did not elaborate on the reunion. As reported before, Britney, who turned 42 on December 2, threw an early birthday party on Friday night at the home of her manager Cade Hudson. Unfortunately, Britney was forced to leave early in order to rush her dog to the vet after it cut himself on a paw. Giving an update, the "Lucky" songstress assured that her Maltese pooch was fine. "Don't worry about Snow she's fine," she wrote on Instagram. "I went to the emergency vet in the middle of the night with [friend and manager] Cade [Hudson]'s shoes and clothes in a hurry. I literally look like the girl in 'All Dogs Go to Heaven' dressed up like a man being told to take bets!!!" You can share this post! Instagram Music The record producer disses Drake and 21 Savage's joint album when responding to a tweet stating that 'Heroes and Villains' is 1.3 billion streams ahead of 'Her Loss'. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Metro Boomin was disappointed to see Drake and 21 Savage's "Her Loss" win many awards over his "Heroes & Villains" album. Taking to social media, the record producer expressed his frustration over the matter. The 30-year-old got things off his chest via X (formerly Twitter. On Saturday, December 2, he replied to a tweet from HipHopAllDayy, which stated that "Heroes & Villains" is 1.3 billion streams ahead of "Her Loss". In his message, Metro penned, "Yet Her Loss still keeps winning rap album of the year over H&V." He added in a since-deleted post, "Proof that awards shows are just politics and not for me. [I don't care] about awards honestly, the true award and reward is knowing that the music I spend so much time on brings joy to peoples everyday lives." Drake has seemingly caught wind of the diss. On Sunday, he shared on Instagram Story a screenshot of Jay-Z's lyrics on "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)", which read, "Damn. little mans, I'm just tryin' to do me/If the records two mil, I'm just tryin' to move three." Metro released "Heroes & Villain" in December 2022. Thhe project follows his debut solo album, "Not All Heroes Wear Capes", which was released in 2018. It consists of 15 songs in total, including "Raindrops" ft. Travis Scott (II). Other artists who appear on the set are Future, John Legend, Don Toliver, 21 Savage, Young Thug, The Weeknd, Young Nudy as well as Mustafa the Poet. A$AP Rocky, Takeoff and Gunna are also featured in the album. Drake and 21 Savage, meanwhile, dropped "Her Loss" in November last year. Following its release, the set debuted atop the Billboard 200 albums chart after earning 404,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. The project marks Drake's second No. 1 album of 2022 following "Honestly, Nevermind", which bowed atop the list dated July 2. You can share this post! Balenciaga Celebrity Upon catching wind of the new campaign, Internet users quickly took to social media to express their disappointment in the actress for her collaboration with the controversial brand. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Nicole Kidman landed in hot water after being named as the new face of Balenciaga for its latest campaign launch. Upon catching wind of the new campaign, Internet users quickly took to social media to express their disappointment in the actress for her collaboration with the controversial brand. Underneath Nicole's Instagram post featuring black-and-white photos of herself attending the fashion show, one fan wrote in the comments section, "Bad choice Nicole!!! Do better!!!" Another fan said, "Disappointed you chose that brand." Someone else said, "Nice campaign to make us all forget [eyeroll emoji]." One other noted, "Nicole is always such a beauty, but DANG... money must be tight for all these movie stars and musicians too when they have to support that business." In the said pictures, Nicole looked stunning in a black ensemble with an edgy neckline. She further looked chic with a pair of black shades and gloves that went well with the overall look. The collaboration between the Australian native and the French-based fashion house came one year after the brand faced backlash for involving children in a BDSM-themed campaign. The said promos featured a kid posing with a bear plush toy that wore BDSM gear. There were also empty wine and champagne glasses in front of the kid. In response to the criticism, photographer Gabriele Galimberti released a statement which read, "I am not in a position to comment on Balenciaga's choices, but I must stress that I was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither chose [sic] the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same. As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to lit the given scene, and take the shots according to my signature style." He continued, "As usual for a commercial shooting, the direction of the campaign and the choice of the objects displayed are not in the hands of the photographer." You can share this post! Cover Images/Sara De Boer/David/INFphoto.com Celebrity Jamie Spears' leg has reportedly been amputated following multiple unsuccessful operations while he was treated in 'a special infectious disease facility.' Dec 6, 2023 AceShowbiz - Jamie Spears has reportedly gotten his leg amputated. The 71-year-old father of pop superstar Britney Spears - with whom he has fallen out in recent years following the termination of a conservatorship agreement, which had given him control over his daughter's fortune and career - ended up "in a special infectious disease facility" in October after falling ill but now insiders have claimed that multiple surgeries were unsuccessful and he has had to lose a leg. "Jamie had a massive infection in one of his legs that landed him in a hospital for weeks. He had five unsuccessful surgeries to contain the infection, and doctors decided the only way to proceed was amputation," the insider told TMZ. The outlet went on to add that the "Lucky" hitmaker has "softened toward her dad recently" and has even talked about the idea of sending money to help him out. Insiders also added that Jamie wants "nothing more than a reconciliation with his daughter, and harbors no ill will" towards her. The news comes just days after the "...Baby One More Time" hitmaker celebrated her 42nd birthday with her mother Lynne Spears - with whom she had also become estranged over the last few years - as well as her elder brother Bryan. A source said, "Being together and celebrating her birthday was a really nice moment for the family." However, there was some drama at the party, as Britney was forced to leave early in order to rush her dog to the vet, according to TMZ. Britney was then spotted dashing to a nearby gas station, in a picture obtained by the outlet. Britney later returned to the veterinary clinic and took to Instagram to reassure her fans that Snow, her Maltese pooch, was fine. She wrote, "Don't worry about Snow she's fine. I went to the emergency vet in the middle of the night with [friend and manager] Cade [Hudson]'s shoes and clothes in a hurry." You can share this post! NEON Movie The 'House of Gucci' actor was grateful that the Enzo Ferrari biopic was shot in 'the locations where the things actually happened,' explaining that it helped the cast get into their characters. Dec 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Adam Driver thought it was essential that "Ferrari" was filmed in Italy. The 40-year-old star plays Enzo Ferrari in Michael Mann's biopic about the founder of the iconic car company and appreciated the value of shooting in the homeland of the Prancing Horse. "We couldn't have done it, I don't think, in Brussels. It just wouldn't have worked. We shot in the locations where the things actually happened. It's all kinda helpful," Adam said at the film's UK premiere on Monday, December 4 night. Adam had the opportunity to meet with Enzo's son Piero Ferrari and got a unique insight into the man behind the legendary Italian marque. The "House of Gucci" star said, "We met Piero Ferrari, who was very open with his father's life - literally opening the doors to Enzo's apartment, his briefcase, everything about him. We went to the factory, it was extensive and long." Adam explained how the director asked for subtle Italian dialects in the picture rather than a "stereotypical" accent. He said, "Michael wanted subtle dialects, the idea that they are speaking to each other in their own language so they're not making mistakes. It's not like a stereotypical Italian accent. In Italy, everybody has a different dialect based on their region so it was also about finding a Modenese attitude." Adam had the opportunity to race Ferraris in Enzo's home city of Modena and the experience made him realise the peril that drivers faced during the 1950s. The "Star Wars" actor recalled, "We raced some Ferraris in Modena and we drove the chassis for one of the 801s I think that was in the movie." "There's a difference between one where if you roll over you'll take your head off and the other one where at least you're protected by a cage. You became aware of how heroic these guys were to pursue an ideal over their personal safety." You can share this post! AlgoBharat, Algorand Foundations India-focused initiative, strengthened its commitment to the Indian Web3 ecosystem with a number of high-profile announcements made at Algorand Impact Summit, a two-day event that convened business leaders, policymakers, NGOs, and developers to discuss how blockchain can help solve some of the worlds most intractable challenges. The partnerships are an extension of Algorands vision of delivering greater access to markets, capital & financial services by unlocking the power of blockchain technology, especially for the underserved sections of society with limited access to traditional banking infrastructure. Staci Warden, CEO of Algorand Foundation,said, India's remarkable role in global technological progress has inspired us to establish a distinctive presence in the country. In just a year, our strategic collaborations and innovative blockchain solutions with key players have pioneered financial inclusion, with the potential for impacting millions of lives in underserved communities. As we contribute to the growth of the global Web3 ecosystem, our journey in India has only just begun, with much more ground to cover." Blockchain technologies can bring profound upliftment by providing greater access to markets, capital, and financial services. The Algorand Impact Summit stands as a testament to our belief in the Indian Web3 ecosystem. says Anil Kakani, Vice President and India Country Head at Algorand FoundationPartnering with those who share our passion, we are eager to witness the tangible on-the-ground impact on improving access to markets, capital, and financial services. On a global level, the Algorand Foundation also announced a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the organization focused on growing the ecosystem for the worlds most advanced, secure, and reliable layer-1 blockchain, to launch a blockchain academy. The Algorand Blockchain Academy will launch in 2024 and is designed to bolster UNDP staff capacity through education and training in blockchain technology and its practical applications for sustainable development. The focus areas of the program include Financial inclusion, Supply chain transparency, Real-world asset tokenization, and Digital identity. The curriculum will consist of recorded lectures, interactive workshops, and hands-on assignments and will be made available to all 22,000+ UNDP employees in over 170 countries and territories, in addition to staff members at other UN agencies. Announcements include: A first-of-its-kind partnership with T-Hub, a Telangana government-led prominent tech incubator, to launch Startup Labs, a 12-month program that will offer end-to-end mentorship for 20 high-potential Web3 startups. A partnership with NASSCOM, through its FutureSkills Prime skilling hub, to provide modular-based training content and assessments to support the training and employability of students and professionals building out their Web3 developer capabilities. A partnership with TiE Bangalore with the key objective of fostering the Indian Web3 ecosystem through strategic educational and training initiatives. This partnership will help Algorand establish its foothold with the startup, investor and tech communities in Bangalore. A collaboration with Mann Deshi to develop a blockchain-based credit scorecard and identity system for Mann Deshi Foundation's women entrepreneurs. The project, which aims to address the challenges created by lack of formal credit histories and limited access to loans, is being rolled out in a phased approach with a select group of women entrepreneurs. Apparel Group, a global fashion and lifestyle conglomerate, has exclusively partnered with Shoppers Stop, to expand the presence of one of Americas #1 fragrance brands - Bath & Body Works into the Indian market. This strategic collaboration marks a pivotal milestone in Bath & Body Works entry into the shop-within-a-shop retail concept. Shoppers Stop, Indias leading omnichannel destination for beauty and fashion will be home to the Bath & Body Works first shop-in-shop at the popular City Centre Mall in Salt Lake, Kolkata. The immersive retail experience offers a wide range of Bath & Body Works' signature products, including body mists, shower gels, candles, and more. This strategic move aligns seamlessly with Apparel Group's vision for Bath & Body Works' growth in India, through the shop-in shop format , to introduce the brand to a new and vibrant market. With a growing consciousness of beauty trends and the increasing accessibility of international beauty brands and online shopping, the Indian market is anticipated to experience sustained growth in the coming years. Through its network of nearly 40 stores nationwide and a dedicated Indian website, Bath & Body Works has carved a prominent niche in the beauty industry, cultivating a devoted customer base, and cementing its position as a leading player in the Indian beauty arena. We are excited about the prospect of this alliance, which will enable us to introduce our brand Bath & Body Works products to a wider audience across India. We firmly believe that this collaboration will not only benefit both companies but also play a significant role in driving the growth of the Indian beauty market. As we embark on introducing more global brands into the market, we eagerly anticipate working closely with Shoppers Stop to foster mutual growth and success, stated Mr. Abhishek Bajpai, CEO of Apparel Group India Pvt Ltd. This launch of Bath & Body Works solidifies Shoppers Stops leadership in the Beauty and Personal Care category. Commenting on the same, Biju Kassim, Customer Care Associate and CEO, Beauty at Shoppers Stop, emphasizing the pivotal role of beauty as a strategic pillar for the company said, At Shoppers Stop, customer satisfaction is our guiding principle and meeting the diverse needs of our customers remains our top priority. With the introduction of Bath & Body Works in our stores exclusively, we are set to enhance our beauty offering significantly. This launch in the city of Kolkata, with its beauty conscious community and rich cultural heritage perfectly aligns with our mission of delivering premium products from a renowned brand like Bath & Body Works to the beauty enthusiasts in the region." Apparel Group is steadfast in its commitment to augmenting its brand portfolio in India, acknowledging the increasing demand for international beauty products among discerning Indian consumers. The strategic alliance between Apparel Group and Shoppers Stop marks a formidable union of strengths, propelling both retail companies to seize the growing demand for high-end beauty products in the Indian market. By Anna J. Park The Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country's top financial regulator, has confirmed a suspension of business for NH Futures' foreign exchange operations for just over five months, starting this week. The business suspension is one of the severest disciplinary actions that a financial authority can impose against a financial company that commits major violations. NH Futures issued a statement earlier this week, apologizing to its customers: "As a result of the sanction by the FSC, foreign exchange operations of non-resident customers, including opening accounts, depositing funds as well as exchanging and trading derivatives, will be suspended during the period starting from Monday until May 9 of next year. The company sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience and concern it caused." The sanction was confirmed at the FSC's regular meeting on Nov. 29, which came about a month after five employees of NH Futures were found guilty of aiding illegal foreign exchange transactions in return for receiving kickbacks and were sentenced to jail terms in late October. The five employees of NH Futures were accused of colluding with Chinese nationals from August 2019 to August 2022, illicitly transferring foreign currency remittances overseas totaling 5.78 trillion won ($4.4 billion), in over 420 instances by fabricating bank statements to make it appear as if the funds were proper derivative transactions. They also facilitated another 1.2 trillion won worth of foreign exchange transactions without proper reporting in 411 instances for other foreign investors. Another legal proceeding against NH Futures is also underway, as prosecutors indicted the firm as a corporate entity that neglected its obligations of monitoring and adequate supervision. While NH Futures was found to have funneled the largest amount of abnormal overseas remittances, some 6 trillion won, the highest amount for a domestic financial company, five major banks were also imposed with penalties totaling 87 million won due to their respective violations of foreign exchange laws in connection with abnormal foreign currency remittances. Earlier in the year, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said it confirmed violations of foreign exchange laws relating to suspicious foreign currency remittances totaling over $12.26 billion at 12 domestic banks as well as NH Futures. Indias leading Bengali News Channel, ABP Ananda, concluded its illustrious flagship event, Sera Bangali 2023, with tremendous success. The event, which spotlighted and celebrated the remarkable achievements of nine outstanding personalities from Bengal, showcased the pinnacle of excellence across diverse fields such as literature, science, film, music, business, sports, and industry. Throughout the event's proceedings, the stage pulsated with the vibrancy of Bengal's unparalleled talent and cultural richness. The recipients of the esteemed 2023 Sera Bengali Award, each a luminary in their respective fields, were honoured for their significant contributions: Chanchal Chowdhury - Acting Iman Chakraborty - Music Masud Ahmad - Literature Anjan Chatterjee - Business Subrata Chowdhury - Art Ayhika Mukherjee & Sutirtha Mukherjee - Sports Dhritiman Chatterji - Lifetime Achievement Debojyoti Dhar - Serar Sera Reflecting on the cultural significance of the event, Mr. Avinash Pandey, CEO of ABP Network, expressed his pride, stating, "Sera Bangali stands as an epitome of Bengal's cultural richness, highlighting the extraordinary contributions made by the finest minds and talents of the region. ABP Ananda feels privileged to curate this platform, not just to honour these luminaries but to ignite a spark in the upcoming generation, encouraging them to reach for brilliance in their chosen endeavours." Keeping the legacy of the event alive and celebrating Bengal's excellence, Mr. Suman De, Senior Vice President of ABP Network, added, "Sera Bangali marks another milestone in our commitment to recognizing and acknowledging the unparalleled achievements of Bengali personalities. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the awardees for their outstanding accomplishments." The event highlighted the diverse, yet interconnected tapestry of accomplishments woven by these personalities, resonating deeply with the ethos and identity of the region. Another highlight from the evening was Shreya Ghoshals scintillating performance at the event. The event, presented by Bandhan Bank, Anmol Biscuits, and Dabur Chyawanprash, along with the support of Co-powered by sponsors - Sahababur Adi Dhakeshwari, Shalimar Chef Spices, Dear Government Lotteries, and Senco Gold & Diamonds, in partnership with Salical, Alteus, Mio Amore, Mehai LED, Sparx, and ZED Black Premium Agarbatti, showcased the liveliness and talent Bengal has to offer on a global stage. The Digital partner was ABP Live. The repeat telecast of this prestigious event will air on December 9th and December 16th, 2023, at 10 pm exclusively on ABP Ananda. Adani Wilmar, one of the largest food and FMCG companies in India, has launched a new TV commercial (TVC) spotlighting the exceptional ease and convenience that Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta brings to the lives of families, thus reinforcing the brands message of Roti Ki Mehnat. It highlights the product's outstanding qualities, featuring a perfectly ground chakki atta that absorbs more water and is easy to knead. Set to go on air today, the TVC narrative leverages the theme of the campaign - Roti Ki Mehnat that comes to the fore in a heart-warming narrative, featuring a working woman who returns home after a demanding day. What unfolds next is a tale of harmonious synergy and bonding between a young working couple as the woman effortlessly crafts perfect rotis using the easy-to-knead Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta. The interaction that ensues when the man breaks a chunk of the roti to feed his wife not only showcases the qualities of Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta, but also depicts the harmonious bond that modern couples share, supporting each other's aspirations and sharing responsibilities. The easy-to-knead nature of the brands Atta offering also plays a pivotal role in enabling the couple to prepare flawlessly soft rotis with ease, adding convenience and joy to their lives. The TVC campaign will be extended across digital platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for maximum visibility. Speaking about the TVC, Mr. Vineeth Viswambharan, Associate Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Adani Wilmar, said, "Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta is one of the fastest-growing brands in the category. Consumers vouch for its consistently great quality, which makes it easy to knead and consistently deliver soft rotis. Over the years, we have come to better understand our consumers and their lives, as well as the role that Fortune plays in their lives. We seek to make their lives a little easier through a perfectly ground atta that is easy to knead and makes delicious soft rotis. This film is a labour of love, a tribute to the lives of those we serve. Of the trials and tribulations of earning our daily bread (Roti Ki Mehnat). Of the warmth & harmony of Indian homes today. Of the shared responsibility among couples to balance home and work. We hope it will touch you, the way it touched us." Puneet Kapoor, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy South, said "While contemplating the product proposition of a flour that effortlessly binds, we recognized the irony: easy to knead, yet hard-earned. This reflects the daily struggle of numerous Indian middle-class families, where couples toil tirelessly, whether in the workplace or as homemakers, just to put bread on the family table. This ad is an ode to such working-class heroes." Ranked No. 2 in the industry, Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta is available in packs of 500 gm, 1 kg, 2 kg, 5 kg, and 10 kg. The company runs a network of state-of-the-art wheat atta & flour facilities across the country, where it produces Atta, Rawa, Suji and Maida for fresh supply across geographies. Earlier this year, the company entered the whole-wheat category with the Fortune brand by launching four variants, viz., Sharbati, Poorna 1544, Lokwan and MP Grade 1. Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta promises 100% Atta, 0% Maida, the traditional Chakki process, high-quality wheat, the promise of soft roti, and ease of kneading. The launch of this new TVC marks another significant step for Adani Wilmar as it continues to grow its portfolio, which focuses on high-quality consumer goods products Godrej Capital, the financial services arm of Godrej Group, launches its new digital campaign #GrowthKiUdaan with a Digital Video Commercial (DVC) to introduce its enhanced flagship platform Godrej Capital Nirmaan (hereby, Nirmaan), a comprehensive business solution explicitly designed to provide holistic support to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) of India. The digital ad film has been strategically planned to deliver a unified messaging to businesses pan-India about the benefits of joining Nirmaan, a one-stop platform that helps connect MSMEs to its trusted partner network including the likes of DBS Bank India, Visa, Amazon, GeM Tech Paras, among others. Nirmaan will facilitate carefully curated offerings from 13+ partner platforms that can be availed by businesses nationwide. The digital ad film educates the audience about how Nirmaan is enabling MSMEs by connecting businesses with partners that have specialized offerings for the platforms users, taking businesses across the nation towards new heights of success. The messaging of the campaign is aimed to highlight Godrej Capital Nirmaans initiative to empower every business in India and take them on #GrowthKiUdaan. Godrej Capital is utilizing digital marketing channels to engage with business-to-customers (B2C) and business-to-business-to- customers (B2B2C) i.e. distribution partners to ensure the ad film gets maximum reach. Nalin Jain, Chief Marketing Officer, Godrej Capital, said I am convinced of the expanse of support a platform like Godrej Capital Nirmaan can offer to MSMEs across India. Our digital marketing campaign comes with simple and straight messaging get onboarded on the Nirmaan flight so you can take off on #GrowthkiUdaan. Leveraging digital marketing is the conscious and optimal approach to engaging with our valued customers, considering the prevailing digital landscape. By tailoring our communication to specific target audiences, we are utilizing diverse digital channels including email, social media, web, and mobile, with the integration of BTL activations, to enhance our comprehensive digital content strategy, infuse our messaging with a personalized touch, and facilitate more direct customer connections. The partnerships with esteemed industry leaders such as DBS Bank India, Visa, Amazon, and others demonstrate Godrej Capitals determination to foster the growth of MSME owners by facilitating unparalleled opportunities with a platform like Nirmaan. Through these partnerships, Nirmaan empowers MSMEs with a wide range of value-added services and comprehensive support, bolstering them throughout their entrepreneurial journey. In the dynamic world of podcasts, where voices echo from various corners of the globe, one Indian entrepreneur has risen to the top, defying expectations and earning a spot alongside giants like 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' 'Lex Fridman Podcast,' and 'Distractible.' Nikhil Kamath, India's youngest and brightest billionaire and a force to be reckoned with in the finance world, recently ventured into the realm of podcasts with 'WTF is,' which has recently been recognized as one of the top global video podcasts of 2023. His journey from a middle-class background to becoming Indias youngest billionaire at 34, is the stuff of the dreams, but Kamath's story takes an unexpected turn he is a school dropout who didn't pursue formal education beyond Class 10. In a world that often places great emphasis on degrees, Kamath's success stands as a testament to the power of originality, business acumen, breakthrough ideas, and unbridled ambition. What sets 'WTF is' apart from the myriad of podcasts is its unique blend of casual and intellectually stimulating conversations. Kamath brings audiences into the world of relevant studies, engaging in discussions with friends and industry experts. The podcast infuses knowledge with realness, fun, and inspiration into each episode. The impressive line-up of panellists on 'WTF is' ranges from industry stalwarts like Suniel Shetty, Ajay Bijli, and Kiran Shaw Mazumdar to contemporary voices like Tanmay Bhatt and Tara Sutaria. These discussions cover a spectrum of topics, providing listeners with insights into professional journeys and life beyond the confines of business. While Kamath humbly claims not to be a content creator, the fact that his podcast has been recognized among the best globally speaks volumes about its impact. In a recent social media post, Kamath reflected on the unexpected success of 'WTF is,' acknowledging the inevitability of change and expressing gratitude to his audience. He said, Change is the only constant in life. Adapt first, don't fight, all of life is transient, including your belief systems, and your authentic self today. Didn't think this would happen 8 months ago, but thank you all, here's hoping I remain relevant for a lill longer until I don't." https://x.com/nikhilkamathcio/status/1730485288877936788?s=46 Prakhar Gupta rightly commented on the post saying, You have single handedly raised the bar for content in India without even being a creator Raghav Mehra commented, Congratulations! ? Yours is truly a really helpful, and insightful podcast. Thank you!? Tarush Jain commented, Nailed it ... You single-handedly made people think about content differently, now that's the minimum quality one should expect from everyone One user also commented, Like your shows because of your insightful and humble questioning style. Nikhil Kamath's philanthropic endeavours also find expression through his podcast. Each episode pledges a significant sum of money towards the WTF Fund which when democratically picked by the votes of listeners is allocated to help various talented, young and budding creators/ entrepreneurs from different corners of India or towards different causes as voted upon by the audience with Nikhil playing a tangible role in making a positive impact. This inclination towards philanthropy is not new for Kamath. His commitment to charitable efforts is evident through his pledge, 'Your Investment, Partnering Philanthropy' (YIPP), and his substantial contribution to the Gates Foundation. As the youngest Indian to have pledged the majority of his wealth to charity with the Gates Foundation, Kamath exemplifies a new generation of philanthropists who understand the importance of giving back. Beyond his podcast and philanthropic efforts, Nikhil Kamath's investment prowess has solidified his standing in the business world. As part of the delegation with Narendra Modi to visit the White House, Kamath has demonstrated an acute ability to pick winners in the investment game. His focus on proptech, clean tech, and sustainability aligns with a vision of building a brighter future, one investment at a time. As he continues to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of business, finance, and in a small way, content creation, Nikhil Kamath stands as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation, proving that with vision, determination, and a touch of humor, one can truly make a mark on the world stage. Amazon miniTV - Amazons free streaming service, has been expanding its myriad content library with exciting new shows to cater to audience preferences ever since its inception. Recently, the streaming service released a cybercrime drama, Hack Crimes Online that encapsulates alarming cybercrime instances such as hacking people's social media accounts, blackmailing, launching ransomware attacks on major corporations, and more. Directed by Parmeet Sethi, this rip-roaring thriller features Vipul Gupta and Riddhi Gupta in pivotal roles. Hack Crimes Online is a creation of Friday Storytellers, who are known to produce some of the most riveting crime thrillers in India. The series based is based on a novel by Indias prominent cyber-crime investigator Mr. Amit Dubey. Shital Bhatia, Co-Founder of Friday Storytellers, opened up about the challenges of turning a book into an edutainment series for viewers in a recent round table discussion. He said, The most challenging part was to translate the technicality for the viewers to understand, but I'm so glad that Parmeet and the team have managed to pull it off so smoothly. So, yes the biggest challenge was to maintain the engagement and prevent it from becoming boring. A hacker sits in front of his machine all day long which may seem boring at times if shown in the exact same manner and our challenge was to not make it look boring, we wanted to capture the attention of our audience on all aspects. The round table discussion included renowned filmmaker Parmeet Sethi, talented actor Vipul Gupta, and Amogh Dusad, Head of content at Amazon miniTV along with Shital Bhatia, Co-Founder of Friday Storytellers. The discussion focused on current cyber risks and how to prevent them, with a special emphasis on Amazon miniTV's efforts and role in spreading awareness in an intriguing and innovative manner. Hack Crimes Online delves deeper into the dark, deep-rooted cybercrimes, shedding light on the internet's immense reach and how we are nothing but puppets in the hacking world. Hack Crimes Online is now accessible solely on Amazon miniTV, which is available on Amazon's shopping app, Fire TV, and the Play Store. Its that time of the year when we review the most significant industry developments as the year draws to a close. Adgully is reviewing the year 2023 for the M&E, advertising, digital, marketing, PR, and communications, along with leading names in the industry as part of our annual Rewind series. Recapping the year 2023, Jaideep Shergill, Co-Founder, Pitchfork Partners, shares that the dynamic changes in advertising and marketing brought about by AI, key developments at Pitchfork Partners in 2023, outlook and plans for 2024, and more. AI and Advertising & Marketing Shergill observed that marketing is undergoing an evolutionary change caused by the changing nature of artificial intelligence (AI). According to him, Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising content creation and strategy frameworks by delivering more insights through detailed data and analysis. The data it gives about customers is extremely valuable and the insights it yields to strategy creation are amazing. At the same time, he cautioned that the possible downsides must not be disregarded. He said, Businesses might be at risk of problems arising as a result of the dissemination of false news, which AI enables. Establishing clear AI strategies is essential for effectively managing these ever-changing digital landscapes. While AI has the potential to revolutionise numerous areas of society, Shergill stressed that it will never be a whole substitute for human imagination. Quite the opposite, it is a stimulant that encourages original thought and the generation of fresh concepts. Marketing strategies that are both thorough and effective still require human engagement, even if AI helps with the initial research. In the fast-paced field of marketing and advertising, remarkable results are assured when human imagination and artificial intelligence work together, he added. Key trends in PR in 2023 Shergill noted that crisis communication remains essential in todays lightning-fast digital world, when tragedies can happen at any moment. Since crises can now potentially propagate at the speed of light, the ability to communicate clearly and quickly is more important than ever. A product recall is one example of a company crisis that can be mitigated, and customers can be reassured through timely message management, he said. Adding further, Shergill noted that within public relations, both external and internal communication are very important and the difference between them is blurring as more and more employees are sharing company news on social media. Public relations experts are now designing company-wide announcements that can become viral by capitalising on staff-shared successes, with the goal of improving the companys reputation in publics eyes. The importance of being open and honest has skyrocketed, therefore, it is time to stop hiding and start making real connections, he added. According to Shergill, There has never been a more important time to be socially conscious, as it has become important for brands to keep sensitivities in mind before communicating. Considering current events, we might demonstrate our concern for society by adjusting our communication style. Prioritising socially responsible actions and offering clients new solutions that line with their beliefs can boost brand loyalty and favourable public opinion. Additionally, public relations is now more about strategy, with content as its central tenet, instead of just about interacting with the media. There is a significant return on investment if you have a content strategy in place that spans over into relevant platforms and stakeholders. Nowadays, those working in public relations also have a more holistic view of the communication process, he added. Shergill called for public relations experts to collaborate closely with the advertising and marketing department to provide a constant voice for the companys products and services. They are also adapting to the dynamic online landscape of influencer marketing, social media, and online news due to technological improvements. Influencer marketing has become extremely popular due to the ties that have been built on social media, he noted. Pitchfork Partners performance in 2023 Speaking about how the year 2023 has been for Pitchfork Partners, Shergill said, Weve had an eventful year so far from expanding our portfolio to partner Grown-in-India brands to global leaders. We have onboarded reputable companies across Technology, Automobile, Lifestyle and Martech sectors in our portfolio over the years. It is with much pleasure that we share the news that, as recognition for our efforts, we also received multiple industry accolades. My co-founder Sunil Gautam and I were also included for the 100 Most Influential Game Changers list in public relations and corporate communications. Continuing further, he said, In addition to these developments, we saw the creator economy in India witnessing significant growth, reaching up to Rs 1,300 crore as of May 2022. Collaborations to market products through partnerships with social media influencers have become standard practice for companies of all sizes, from small mom-and-pop stores to Fortune 500 giants. Our influencer marketing services have grown in popularity among our present clientele since we were aware of this trend. We have started offering complete influencer marketing solutions to ensure its smooth integration into all our clients marketing plans. After expertly managing 10-plus medium- to large-scale events nationwide, we have also begun another vertical managing events collaborating with venues, event organisers, and other stakeholders. As a result, we were able to serve a wider range of clients and grow our customer base in the public relations industry, he added. Outlook and expectations from 2024 Shergill shared that in the past few years, the agency had made a conscious shift to offering integrated solutions to its partners. By the end of 2024, Pitchfork Partners wants to continue towards this goal, to fully integrate its PR, content, social media, influencer marketing and event planning aspects to its consultative approach. Through the integration of various marketing elements, we can facilitate our clients presences, enhance the efficacy of their campaigns, and guarantee uniformity across all channels. We also plan to strengthen our presence in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru markets in the coming year, Shergill informed. In a compelling testament to the enduring allure of television, viewers in India are dedicating an additional 53 minutes per week to watching TV compared to the previous year. This significant increase signals heightened engagement and a reinforced connection with the medium, defying trends in evolving media consumption. In a dynamic content consumption landscape, Indian television not only holds its ground but also thrives, experiencing a notable 5.1% growth in Year-to-Date (YTD) data for FY24. This surge emphasizes TVs enduring appeal and solidifies its position as the preferred medium for a diverse audience. Younger audiences, in the age group of 15-30 years, have, in fact, seen a higher growth in TV viewership compared to the overall average with growth in viewership being seen across all economic strata and markets, reaffirming television's appeal across diverse age groups. This growth surpasses specific regions or language segments and extends to the majority of language markets, accounting for 87% of the Indian TV population. Television's widespread appeal underscores its profound ability to resonate with audiences from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The commitment of television to deliver fresh, emotionally resonant content has not only retained viewers but has also driven growth. Mr. K. Madhavan, President of IBDF, affirms, The impressive rise in television viewership underscores India as one of the few international markets witnessing consistent television growth, in spite of digital media's rapid expansion. In today's 'AND' world, where digital media excels in precise targeting and immediate rewards, television maintains its distinct advantage in the realm of long-term brand building. Television creates compelling stories that deeply connect with its audience, building trust and leaving an indelible mark across age groups. A standout trend is the significant contribution of Indian women to television's growth, with an impressive 59% contribution to the overall TV viewership growth. This highlights their pivotal role as key influencers and consumers shaping television viewership trends. Deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of India, television continues to be a unifying force, bringing families together. With a massive 70% penetration and headroom for further growth (90 million households), television remains the largest reach medium, inspiring and entertaining countless families. A notable 7% increase in Pay Household viewership, with 5.8 million households transitioning from Free-to-Air (FTA) to Pay, showcases the magnetic pull of quality programming. Television viewership growth transcends economic strata and town classes, demonstrating its inclusive nature. This growth is observed across NCCS A, B, C, DE, and various town categories, including metros, large cities, smaller towns, and rural areas. Federal Office of Cultural Affairs Bern, 05.12.2023 - The Director of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), Carine Bachmann, handed over a marble sculpture of a young womans head at the Libyan Embassy in Bern today. This culturally significant archaeological find had been confiscated during criminal proceedings in the canton of Geneva. The repatriation of the artifact took place in accordance with the Federal Act on the International Transfer of Cultural Property. The sculpture, which measures 19 centimetres high, dates to the period between the first century BC and 1st century AD. It most likely originated from the archaeological site of the ancient city of Cyrene, located in the Cyrenaica region in present-day Libya. It was found as part of a customs inspection in a customs warehouse in Geneva in 2013. In response to a complaint from the customs authorities, the cantonal prosecutors office initiated criminal proceedings in 2016 that ultimately led to the confiscation of the object. There was sufficient reason to believe that it had been acquired as part of an illegal excavation. Importing stolen or looted cultural goods into Switzerland or storing them in a customs warehouse is a violation of the Federal Act on the International Transfer of Cultural Property (CPTA), which has been in force since 2005. The investigation was not able to determine where exactly the object had been found or how it ended up in Switzerland, however. The sculpture is completely covered with a reddish patina that points to its origins in Cyrenaica, which is one of the few regions around the Mediterranean that has terra rossa as well as marble of this quality. It is tangible evidence of Greek expansion in North Africa. Libya and its UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Cyrene are heavily threatened by looting and destruction. In 2015, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) issued an Emergency Red List of endangered antiques in Libya in order to take action against this destruction and illegal trade. Switzerland and Libya are both party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The CPTA transposes this convention into Swiss law. Address for enquiries Fabienne Baraga, Head of the Specialised Body for the International Transfer of Cultural Property, Federal Office of Culture FOC, +41 58 465 73 05, kgt@bak.admin.ch Publisher Federal Office of Cultural Affairs http://www.bak.admin.ch Federal Office of Civil Aviation Bern, 05.12.2023 - International air transport is regulated in a number of intergovernmental agreements. On 4 December, Switzerland signed a new bilateral agreement on scheduled air transport with the Togolese Republic. The existing air transport agreement with the United Arab Emirates was also updated on 5 December 2023. For an airline to fly to a foreign destination, it must have the corresponding rights. The countries concerned regulate these rights in bilateral agreements on scheduled air transport. Switzerland has over 150 such agreements with other countries. New agreement with Togo The conclusion of the new agreement with the Togolese Republic modernizes and further liberalizes the traffic rights between the two states. The newly signed agreement will replace the existing air transport agreement from 1980. It will allow that flights between Switzerland and Togo can be operated in a liberal market environ-ment that meets the requirements of modern aviation. The agreement with Togo is in line with the Federal Council's efforts to secure transport links to as many intercontinental destinations as possible. Updating the agreement with the United Arab Emirates In 2017, Switzerland signed a new air transport agreement with the United Arab Emirates. It came into effect on 20 July 2023. The two countries are expanding the scope of the agreement to include intermodal transport, meaning airlines will be able to provide additional transport services (e.g. by rail, road, water) in conjunction with international flights. The new agreement with Togo and the updated agreement with the United Arab Emirates were approved by the Federal Council on 22 November. They will come into effect once procedures in the Togolese Republic and the United Arab Emirates are completed. Address for enquiries Media contacts: Communications FOCA, Telephone Publisher Federal Office of Civil Aviation http://www.bazl.admin.ch The accused, Sunil Modi, 67, who has earlier been involved in numerous cheating cases, and Sanket Chavan, 23, a criminal who can speak and imitate a young womans voice, met at Arthur Road prison and planned a plot for some business. Both of the accused have a prior criminal record. In prison, they decided to get together after their release from jail. As per plan, they created a fake profile on a popular matrimonial site, posing as 21-year-old magistrate Ashwini Manohar Pandit. After they were out on bail earlier this year, Modi told Chavan that he could arrange forged documents. They then created documents using court stamps that showed that a person called Ashwini Pandit was a magistrate in the city. Based on these documents, they created a fake profile using the photograph of a Nashik-based influencer without her knowledge. Soon, the profile started garnering interest on the website. The twosome then allegedly threatened to issue warrants against victims if they did not pay up and also created forged warrants to prove the credibility of the threat. When prospective suitors called, Chavan would speak to them as Ashwini. The police have found that people from across the state, including Nashik, Ratnagiri, and even Mumbai, fell victim to the fraud. Investigators are currently going through the fake profile to find out who else they were in touch with, in a bid to trace the remaining victims. Deputy Commissioner of Police D. Swamy told the media that the two were nabbed on Monday. A team led by inspector Suvarna Shinde arrested both of them after a software engineer submitted a complaint about having been swindled in a similar manner. After a few days, the magistrate would ask them for money to visit a doctor, claiming that she had forgotten her wallet. If the victim refused to pay, she would threaten to issue an arrest warrant against them. She would also send photographs of the warrant, which would scare some of them into making payments, an officer said. Founder of SHEconomy warns firms failing to embrace diversity will lag behind By Lee Yeon-woo In 2022, Korea mandated that listed companies with assets exceeding 2 trillion won must appoint at least one female member to their management teams. As a result, the percentage of female directors in Korea increased from 10.5 percent in 2016 to 14.6 percent in 2022, according to The Economist's data. However, this is still significantly lower than the OECD average of 33.8 percent, as a failure to appoint female directors does not bring any legal disadvantage to firms. As a result, Korea ranked at the bottom among the 29 OECD member countries surveyed in the Glass Ceiling Index published by The Economist in March. The Nordic countries, comprised of Iceland, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, alternated positions among the top four from 2016 to 2022, demonstrating consistently high performances. Conversely, during the same period, Japan and Korea remained steadfast in their lower rankings, consistently occupying the 28th and 29th positions, respectively. Benja Stig Fagerland, an associate professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway School of Business, and also the founder of SHEconomy, an organization committed to shattering gender barriers and ensuring sustainability, takes a straightforward approach to sparking change. She believes that corporations should realize that the pursuit of "women in leadership is not a diversity issue, but a business issue." This perspective stems from her experience in the 2000s, following the Norwegian government's legislative push requiring listed companies to fill at least 40 percent of their director seats with women. While a debate continues on whether the groundbreaking quotas have fully achieved their intended goals, several key points are evident. The quotas increased management diversity, and, notably, many companies have responded positively to the inclusion of women in senior management roles. During this period, Fagerland served as the Gender Equality Manager at the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), Norway's largest business lobby group. In reaction to the government's policy, she led the "Female Future" project, aiming to assist members in identifying and boosting the presence of women in management positions. Fagerland recalled her focus on persuading companies that including women in leadership roles was not just equitable, but a smart, data-driven decision. The response was surprisingly favorable. "I was the former CEO with an economics degree. I understood the challenges they had, so I built a strategic plan they could understand with the rhetoric they were using. It was natural for me to delve into the economic advantages," Fagerland explained during a recent video interview with The Korea Times. "And I could see these well-known CEOs suddenly facing the media stating, 'We support Benja. We understand that it's about business,'" she added. One of Fagerland's key narratives is that diversity engenders a richness of perspectives, ideas and talents that propel innovation and foster a thriving corporate ecosystem. In 2019, McKinsey discovered a compelling link showing that businesses in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to outperform their counterparts in profitability. Similarly, the Peterson Institute for International Economics revealed that companies where women account for at least 30 percent of director seats enjoy a remarkable 6 percentage point higher net profit margin compared to those lacking female leaders. Such an inclusive team can broaden market appeal and also gain consumer trust, according to Fagerland. "Even the largest companies are still introducing their new products or concept services based totally on gender stereotypes, like making small, cute, pink products, assuming they will appeal to women," Fagerland said. "Women have always been, and will be, the majority of the consumer base making purchases. Those companies that fail to recognize this will inevitably fall behind," she added. SHEconomy, a term coined by Fagerland, blends SHE and Economy to represent the powerful economic impact driven by women's participation, influence and impact across various economic sectors. Fagerland's research highlights this market's value at a staggering $20 trillion, an amount equivalent to the combined GDPs of China and India. "This is not about quotas. It's a strategic move that drives innovation and financial success," Fagerland said. "It's both on mobilizing women and diverse teams within the organization, but also to address your concept, your services and your products, to embrace diversity and women." Despite Norway's reputation as an egalitarian society, evidenced by women holding 45 percent of parliamentary seats and a female labor participation rate of 64.4 percent, the country faced challenges similar to what Korea is experiencing today when initiating discussions about female leadership in the 2000s. There was "gender fatigue," as Fagerland describes. "The debate often pitted one gender against the other," Fagerland recalled. "Some question how we teach females to be like men to get into the boardroom, and whether men had to go out in order for a woman to enter, among other issues." There were microaggressions as well. At a business conference in Denmark where she was the sole female speaker, Fagerland had to reintroduce her credentials, as the moderator did not mention any of her achievements or work. "When the men were introduced, it was like 'he got these and these awards and this is his title, bam bam bam.' But when I took the stage, the moderator's first comment about me was that I had just given birth to a daughter four days ago. That same evening, the largest news channel in Denmark aired my husband walking around with our baby both of them were totally fine and happy and me on the stage. You could see the narratives there," Fagerland said. What struck her profoundly was the prevalent focus on "fixing" women, rather than addressing the systemic issues perpetuating gender imbalances. This realization led her to adopt "Fix the system not the women!" as her guiding mantra, committing herself to transforming the global approach to gender equality. Her dedication to this cause was evident in visits to Korea this year, where she participated in the 11th Nordic Talks, organized by four Scandinavian embassies in Seoul, and the 1st Annual Seoul Gender Equality Dialogue, hosted by the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality. When asked which concerns voiced by female leaders in Korea she found to be shocking, Fagerland said the only thing was, "We have so much in common." "We have this assumption that coming from a Nordic country would make me have a secret recipe and answers to everything (about gender-related issues). However, we are facing the same barriers and same systemic challenges," Fagerland said. Fagerland is now initiating a global standard and best practice for social sustainability and Corporate Diversity Responsibility (CDR), together with SHEconomy's global partners, including Google, Microsoft and Accenture. "I would love to get a real Korean company on board, not Google Korea or Microsoft Korea. We can make the changes, but we cannot do it individually," Fagerland said. "In the future, we will just have leaders." Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to power in Rajasthan by winning 115 seats out of the 199 Assembly constituencies, one name is making the rounds in political corridors. He is trending on microblogging sites, and his followers expect him to be the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Vasundhara Raje is a veteran leader and also a grassroots-level leader of the BJP; she has her strength and also deserving candidature. She has held two terms as the chief minister of Rajasthan. She was previously a minister in the Union Cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and was Indias first Minister of Small-Scale Industries and Agro and Rural Industries, which are now known as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. In 2003, she became the first woman to serve as the Chief Minister of the state of Rajasthan. She is currently one of the national vice presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A member of the Scindia family, she is also the matriarch of the Bamraulia family of Dholpur. Balak Nath is not as seasoned or experienced as Vasundhara is, but for some strange reason, the voters of the state want change in the leadership. Even the top leaders of the BJP do not want her to be in the top post but they are not in a mood to take any risk by irking her at this moment. The big question in front of the saffron party is which candidate will become the next Chief Minister. The BJP has not put forward any potential candidates for the Chief Minister position in this years assembly polls. Balak Nath, who wears saffron clothes, is considered one of the firebrand leaders of the BJP. He remains in the headlines for his aggressive stance on the Hindutva agenda. He is quite famous among the masses because of his firebrand image. Baba Balaknath belongs to the OBC category. Balak Naths popularity in Alwar is huge. Coming from an agricultural family, he took his first steps into sannyasa at the tender age of six-and-a-half, prompting him to leave home and seek solace in an ashram. He was named Gurumukh by Baba Khetanath at an early age. Balak Naths political foray was shaped by his Guru, Mahant Chandnath, a former Member of Parliament from Alwar. Following in his mentors footsteps, Balak Nath succeeded him as the head of the Baba Mastnath Mutt in Haryana. A key influence in his political journey is also the support of yoga guru Baba Ramdev. As Balak Nath traverses the campaign trail, a dedicated team from Mahendragarh in Haryana accompanies him, underscoring the widespread backing he enjoys. He was nominated as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for Lok Sabha from Alwar, Rajasthan, and he won the elections in 2019 by defeating Bhanwar Jitendra Singh of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 3 lakh votes. Balak Nath is also a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Alwar Lok Sabha constituency. He is also called Yogi of Rajasthan. He contested against Congresss Imran Khan and won. Balak Nath is being considered for the Chief Ministerial race if the BJP secures a majority. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Baba Balaknath became an MP for the first time after defeating veteran Congress leader Bhanwar Jitendra Singh from Alwar. The name Baba got a bumper boost in the corridor of politics after giving the contract to the veteran leader of Congress. Recently, Balak Nath came into the limelight when he threatened the DSP of the Rajasthan Police by storming into the police station. Disgruntled with taking custody of a BJP worker, the MP said to the DSP, Mera naam yad rakhana. There are three people on my list; one is an MLA from here, Thanedar of Uttara, and now you are also on my list. Baba Balaknath has a good grip in the surrounding area and he is also very popular among the people for his Hindutva agenda. After Yogi Aditya Nath became the CM of Uttar Pradesh, the people of Rajasthan saw him as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. The elite class of Rajasthan does not want hooligans ruling the state. Soon, we will know who will be the next CM of the state. The discussion on this has also intensified. Some think tanks also predicted that Vasundhara was going to be the next deserving CM of Rajasthan. 25 Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs met her to give their support. Almost all the legislators are with her. Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Meghwal, and party MPs Baba Balaknath and Diya Kumari, who also won assembly polls, are among the contenders for the CMs post but I feel Vasundhara is deserving amongst all these contenders because she has experience ruling the state and one cannot refute her huge contribution towards the development of the state. Outgoing Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield will join the Birmingham law firm of Burr & Forman next year as its managing director of economic development. Canfield, who has served in the Commerce post for the past 12 years, announced in October that he would step down at years end. Gov. Kay Ivey announced Ellen McNair, chief economic development officer with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, will take the post Jan. 1. She will be the first female Commerce Department secretary. Canfield, who is not licensed to practice law, will not offer legal services. Instead, according to a company announcement, he will be working to attract and retain businesses in the state and throughout the Southeast. He will work with the firms Economic Development team, which includes lawyers across five states. Secretary Canfield and I have worked together for over a decade, Burr & Forman Partner Lee Thuston said in a statement. He knows economic development and particularly the automotive sector inside and out. That knowledge and his leadership will be a great benefit to our clients going forward. As a state legislator, Canfield headed the Houses commerce and small business committee. During his time at Commerce, Canfield helped land more than $70 billion in new investments, creating 180,000 jobs. The biggest achievement during his tenure was helping securing Huntsville as the site for the $2.3 billion Mazda-Toyota joint manufacturing plant in 2018. Economic expansion is good for communities and good for families. I am proud of what we achieved during my time in the public sector and look forward to continuing those efforts across the Southeast in my new role at Burr & Forman, Canfield said. Based in Birmingham, Burr & Forman has 20 offices across Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. A former teacher at a Mississippi coast high school said he thought he was going to elope with a 17-year-old student before his arrest for sexual battery, according to court testimony reported by the Biloxi Sun-Herald. James Donald Hawkins II, was arrested last Thursday and charged with sexual battery after the student and her parents made allegations of the inappropriate relationship to local police on Nov. 30. During interviews with investigators, the 38-year-old Hawkins said he and the 17-year-old had sex multiple times over the course of a month, including in her car in a Walmart parking lot and in the Ocean Springs (Miss.) home he shared with his wife and young child, according to the report. The student told investigators the relationship with Hawkins began after she became upset at school and Hawkins moved in to comfort her. Despite having a wife and child, Hawkins said, he said he and girl were planning to elope to Louisiana. He had said in a previous court appearance he didnt think he was doing anything illegal with the girl, the report said. Hawkins was initially denied bond, but during Tuesdays hearing Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Calvin Taylor set bond at $150,000, with conditions that Hawkins stay away from the teenager and her family. Hawkins had been a physics teacher at Ocean Springs High School for more than a year. He was terminated by the Ocean Springs School District immediately following his arrest. Patrons who enjoy shopping at the farmers market at Pepper Place in Birmingham will have more time to buy goods from Alabama farmers and vendors. The weekly Saturday market is extending its 2023 schedule until December 16, 2023. The collection of farmers, vendors, and makers usually wraps up its season in early December, but this year, organizers wanted to give customers more time to shop with the retailers in the Pepper Place commercial district for the holiday season. Jasmine Smith (left) and Emily Nabors Hall (left) speak to attendees during a chef's demo for "The Break Up Cookie" at the Market at Pepper Place. (Shauna Stuart| AL.com)Shauna Stuart The extended farmers market season is one of two upcoming holiday events. On Dec. 6 from 4 to 7 p.m., three shops in the district Design Supply, Stone Hollow Farm Stand, and Son of a Butcher will host holiday open houses with complimentary tastings and door prizes. Design Supply will offer cocktails and have work by artist A.K. Hardeman available for purchase. Farmstand will host an evening of photographs with Santa Claus and seasonal offerings from its farm in Hapeville. The Son of a Butcher will offer complimentary beef tenderloin and cheeseboard samples. The shops butchers, fishmongers, and cheesemongers will also be on hand to answer questions about holiday menus. (More information about the open houses is available here). Flowers from the Stone's Hollow Farmstead tent at the Market at Pepper Place (Courtesy: The Market at Pepper Place) This year has marked the longest Market at Pepper Place schedule to date. The Market opened its 2023 season on January 28-- the earliest date since it started operations in 2000. In October, the Saturday market was one of the key events at the inaugural Birmingham FOOD + Culture festival, a four-day fall food festival and dinner series designed to showcase culinary talent in Birmingham and throughout the South. Events included: an opening lunch honoring women in the culinary scene, hosted by James Beard award-winning author Toni Tipton Martin, the launch of the Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence, a family-style dinner celebrating Black chefs, a special edition of the farmers market with book signings and poetry readings, a massive Saturday tailgate and BBQ festival at Sloss Furnaces, and a Sunday brunch featuring pastry chefs, bakers, and mixologists from around the South. The FOOD+ Fire tailgate event at the Birmingham FOOD+Culture festival on Oct. 14, 2023. (Shauna Stuart| AL.com)Shauna Stuart Ribs from Dreamland Dreamland Bar-B-Que at the FOOD+ Fire event at Sloss Furnaces. The event was part of the inaugural FOOD+ Culture festival in Birmingham. (Shauna Stuart| AL.com)Shauna Stuart The series of events recently garnered national acclaim. In November, USA TODAY listed the FOOD+Culture Festival in its 10Best Readers Choice Awards for Best New Festival. The nominees include the Adjacent Festival in New Jersey, the Cincinnati Black Wine Festival in Ohio, and Highball Festival in Atlanta, Ga. The public voting process is open until noon EST on Dec. 25, and votes can be submitted once a day. The full list is available here and readers can vote for the Birmingham FOOD+Culture festival here. Book lovers might like to fantasize about the independent bookstore business as a cozy world where nothing much ever changes, but every Christmas seems to bring a new, transient status quo. In the bygone days of the 2019 Christmas season, when TikTok and a novel coronavirus both had yet to achieve notoriety, Where the Crawdads Sing provided a classic example of a mainstream breakout novel peaking at just the right time to become a consensus pick as a great gift idea. Thats a very traditional type of success. A Limestone County Sheriffs Office employee is facing charges after investigators say she had an inappropriate relationship with an inmate. According to a statement from Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin, Tracy Agnes Shehorn, 56, of Athens, has been charged with custodial sexual misconduct and drug possession. On Tuesday, sheriffs office investigators received a tip about a relationship between an inmate at the Limestone County Jail and Shehorn, McLaughlin said. The department began an internal and criminal investigation. McLaughlin said Shehorn has been terminated from her position with the sheriffs office and was released from the jail on a $12,500 bond. More charges are possible, according to the sheriffs office. Challen Stephens, senior news director and investigative editor for AL.com and winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, has taken on a national role as Director of Investigations for Advance Local. Stephens will continue to lead AL.coms investigative team, which expanded in 2022 to become one of the largest teams of investigative journalists in the southeast. In his new role, he will work with markets across Advance Local to identify opportunities for collaboration. Stephens has worked for Advance Local in Alabama for nearly 30 years, starting at The Huntsville Times in 1995. He spent decades covering education, criminal justice and politics in Alabama. A graduate of Dartmouth College, he spent a year as a Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan and earned a masters degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. In 2021, Stephens was a lead reporter on the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting on Mauled, an examination of the severity of widespread injuries from police K9s. He was also the editor on two, year-long, projects for AL.com that each earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2023. One was for local reporting with him as editor and reporters John Archibald, Ashley Remkus, and Ramsey Archibald - that exposed a corrupt police department in the small city of Brookside, Ala. The other was as editor for a commentary series State of Denial by AL.com columnist Kyle Whitmire that examined how Alabamas legacy on race affects the state today. Stephens reporting on police and schools also won numerous other honors over the years, including awards from IRE, EWA and the White House Correspondents Association. Judges on the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals have upheld a historic $2.67 billion settlement in a long-running antitrust case against health insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield. Three years ago, a federal judge in Alabama approved a massive settlement to be split among attorneys and customers who had been hurt by the companys anti-competitive practices. Those claims have been held up by challenges to the settlement. Those challenges included concerns that the settlement could prevent the federal government from enforcing antitrust law against the company and that attorneys on the case earned too much. Judges on the appeals court in Atlanta dismissed those and other challenges in late October. The case started in 2013 after customers claimed that Blue Cross plans had violated antitrust laws by improperly divvying up territory and agreeing not to compete. Claims against several different Blue Cross affiliates were consolidated in Alabama. The $2.67 billion settlement is one of the largest ever approved for a healthcare case. A website has been set up to help people who are following the case. The window for filing a claim in the case has closed. Parties who want to challenge the settlement still have time to appeal again in the first quarter of 2024. Birmingham police are on the scene of a shooting inside a Birmingham Walmart. The shooting happened at 1:30 p.m. at the store off Parkway East. The victim, a male who was shot in the stomach, was transported to UAB Hospital. His condition is said to be life-threatening. According to police radio communications, a male and female ran from the store. At least one person is in custody. A witness says the shooting happened just inside the front door on the pharmacy side of Walmart. A man was shot and seriously injured in a Dec. 5, 2023, shooting at Walmart on Parkway East.(Carol Robinson) The witness said she only heard one shot and saw an officer capture the possible male suspect at gunpoint right outside. The victim was a customer, not an employee, said those on the scene. The witness said she went into the store after the shooting and saw the victim on the floor, bleeding from the stomach. He was conscious, she said. Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said it appears the victim and the suspect were involved in a physical altercation. Customers and employees were made to leave Walmart, which store officials said is closed for the rest of the day. This story will be updated if more information becomes available. The finance ministers of Korea and Britain on Tuesday discussed the establishment of a bilateral economic dialogue and investment cooperation channels as follow-up measures to last month's summit of their leaders, Seoul's finance ministry said. During a video conference with Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt, Korea's Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho voiced expectations for stronger bilateral cooperation on energy, supply chains and advanced science technologies, among other fields, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. During a state visit to Britain, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and they signed the "Downing Street Accord," which calls for raising the bilateral security and economic ties to the highest level. The two nations also agreed to launch a dialogue on economy and finance, and Choo asked for the British government's cooperation to hold an inaugural meeting next year. Hunt said the bilateral economic ties have improved following Yoon's visit to Britain and the two nations should get closer amid global economic uncertainties, the ministry said. The British minister also positively assessed the Korean model for economic growth, which was led by the development of semiconductor and other advanced industries as well as a good education system, and expressed interest in South Korean dramas, food and the overall culture. "The government will maintain close communication with Britain to implement the agreed-upon projects without a hitch," the ministry said in a release. (Yonhap) A Decatur man has been convicted in the shooting death of another man outside a Birmingham fast-food restaurant. Matlando Lee West, 31, was initially charged with capital murder and facing a potential death penalty in the 2019 killing of 44-year-old Charles L. Brown. The deadly shooting happened Oct. 14, 2019, outside Burger King on Third Avenue West and Princeton Parkway. Wests trial began last week. A jury on Friday convicted him on the lesser charge of reckless manslaughter. A sentencing date has not yet been announced. The shooting happened that Monday following some type of altercation between Brown and some others at the restaurant. Brown tried to get away from the altercation and started to drive off in his van. A short time later, police found Brown inside his wrecked van in the 200 block of 12th Street West. He had been shot and was pronounced dead on the scene. West was taken into custody by Birmingham police on New Years Eve, more than two months after the fatal shooting. An officer spotted West walking in an alley near Alamada Avenue, wearing a gray hoodie and a yellow reflective vest. The officer knew West was wanted on a capital murder charge and recognized him. West was already a convicted felon at the time of the shooting. He pleaded guilty in 2011 to first-degree assault for an incident in 2010 where he shot at an off-duty Jefferson County sheriffs deputy. Authorities said the deputy was on his way home when he spotted several people blocking traffic. He asked them to move so he could pass and West reportedly cursed at him several times and then pulled a gun and fired a round through the rear window of the deputys vehicle. The deputy fired one shot in return, but no one was injured. He pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was convicted of burglary in 2013 and also sentenced to 10 years in prison. It wasnt immediately clear how long he actually served but he was arrested again in 2015 on a robbery charge but that case was later dismissed. Retirement Systems of Alabama CEO David Bronner gave an update Tuesday on plans for a new State House in Montgomery and said the estimated construction cost is $325 million. Bronner included information about the project in his report to the Teachers Retirement System Board of Control at its quarterly meeting. The construction budget is $325 million with provisions to go up to $350 million to cover unforeseen items or expenses Bronner said. Site work is under way on the five-story building, which will be behind the current State House on Ripley Street. The RSA, which has built office buildings throughout Montgomerys capitol complex over several decades, will pay for construction and lease the building to the Legislature at a rate to give the RSA an 8% return on its investment. After Tuesdays meeting, Bronner answered questions about the project. Bronner said he will push to get the project completed in 2025 or 2026. Bronner was asked why the project was a good deal for the RSA and for taxpayers. I think the big thing for the Retirement System is an 8% return on a fixed income environment right now, which is fine. Its excellent, Bronner said. I think the big thing for the public, this is something that has been in need since I was a youngster. Bronner, who has been CEO of the RSA for 50 years, said he remembers talking to House Speaker McCorquodale about the need. McCorquodale was speaker from 1975 to 1982, when the Legislature still met in the Capitol. In 1985, the Legislature moved into the current State House, a retrofitted building constructed for what was then the Alabama Highway Department in 1963. The Highway Department, now called the Department of Transportation, moved to a new building on Coliseum Boulevard. If the Highway Department moves out of a building because its so bad, that should tell you something, Bronner said. For them to leave, you know its not in good shape. Its deteriorating. Officials have talked for years about the need to replace the State House, citing limited space for public access, poor accessibility for people with disabilities, flooding and mold. A facility assessment conducted by an engineering firm in March 2020 found that the eight-story, 315,000 square foot building needed $51 million in repairs, renovations and replacements over 10 years. Bronner said the RSA will not be involved in the demolition of the current State House or development of a green space and parking lot on that site, which sits between the Capitol and the new State House. In 2022, the Legislative Council, a 20-member panel of state lawmakers, directed senior legislative staff officials to explore the idea of a new State House and have discussions with the RSA. In May 2023, the Legislature passed a bill to help clear the way for the project. The bill gave control of the state-owned property that is site of the new State House to the Legislative Council, a panel of 20 legislators. It gave the Legislative Council the authority to contract with the RSA for construction and maintenance of a new State House. The site was previously used as a parking lot. In September, the Legislative Council voted to sign a construction agreement with RSA on the project. Bronner said the goal is to keep the budget in the $300 million to $325 million range. But he said he wanted the board to sign of on the $350 million budget because of circumstances that could drive up the cost. An example, he said, was a hurricane that caused damage during construction of the Battle House Tower in Mobile. Another example was the discovering of a toxic plume during construction of the RSA Tower in Montgomery. I cant control Mother Nature, Bronner said. The interior of the FerrCannabis dispensary in Hattiesburg looks more like a deans office than a headshop. Built-in bookshelves and landscape paintings line the walls. High-backed chairs and antique lamps round out the decor. The inspiration came from a library at the University of Alabama, said store manager Ben Prater. Thats about the only similarity this dispensary in Mississippis budding medical marijuana industry has with Alabamas cannabis quagmire, which has stalled two years after the state passed a medical marijuana law. Alabama passed a law legalizing medical marijuana in May 2021. Mississippi followed seven months later in January 2022. Today FerrCannabis in Hattiesburg finds itself one out of roughly 100 dispensaries across the state. Some in Mississippi say they have been watching Alabamas bungled rollout with skepticism, even with a little laugh at the bizarre limitations that would allow THC pills and medicines, but forbid smokeable marijuana. I just dont think people will be lining up to buy cannabis suppositories, one person cracked during an industry gathering in Hattiesburg the week before Thanksgiving. While Alabamas medical marijuana licensing process has faced several deadlocks in the face of lawsuits, mismanagement and political opposition, Mississippis has marched steadily forward. Its first dispensaries opened in early 2023, and the number has already grown to about 100 by years end, said Henry Crisler, assistant director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association. Were a regulated industry, Crisler said. The requirements to get a license for a cultivation facility or dispensary are very strict and comprehensive. Dispensaries in Mississippi can sell pre-rolled joints, tinctures, edibles and vape cartridges. Several, including FerrCannabis, have now opened in Hattiesburg, a small college city in southern Mississippi. Dispensary owners said the industry has encountered some obstacles in Mississippi but have also shown that medical marijuana has a place in the Deep South. The region has long struggled to attract new industry, Prater said, but people are coming from all over the country to invest in medical marijuana. The quicker you regulate it, the quicker it figures itself out and the quicker you can help other people with the proceeds from that, Prater said. I dont think cannabis users are opposed to being taxed, we just want to be able to legally use a medicine. Prater moved back to Mississippi from Colorado after being hit by a car. The state passed its medical marijuana law and after he recovered, he began looking for opportunities in the industry. Whitney Strickland manages a marijuana dispensary in Petal, Miss. She likes working with patients who are often dealing with debilitating health issues.Amy Yurkanin The dispensaries opened, but business was slow. Few patients could navigate the process to get a medical marijuana card. In Mississippi, the people who would use cannabis are a little older, Prater said. So the technology of signing up for a card hindered a lot of people in the beginning. They actually redid the regulations to simplify that. After that happened, we saw the card numbers go up. Mississippis medical program also has its own unique limits. More than 30,000 patients now have medical marijuana cards in the state, and uptake remains slower than expected. State regulators authorized marijuana as treatment for 25 diagnoses that include post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, cancer and ALS. Advocates hope the state will expand use to people with anxiety and depression to boost patient numbers. I hope they will broaden the qualifying conditions, Prater said. Theres so many people fighting for the same 25,000 people. Im optimistic the patient count will go up. Whitney Strickland, manager at Tortuga Cannabis Company, said she serves many cancer patients. One of her favorite customers took fentanyl for years until her insurance stopped covering the drug. Im dealing with her and trying to get her able to sleep at night, anything she can do to just be out of pain, Strickland said. Two dozen states have now approved recreational use of marijuana. While recreational use has moved southward, reaching Virginia and Missouri in the last few years, it has yet to take hold in the Deep South. But several Southern states, from Arkansas to Florida to Georgia, have or are exploring medical options. Pew Research finds support for medical marijuana has hit all-time highs. Nearly 9 out of 10 Americans back the legalization of marijuana for medical use. In fact, even among Republican voters who identify as conservative leaning, opposition to medical use only reaches 17 percent. In Mississippi, the push for medical marijuana started with a ballot initiative. In 2020, 74 percent voted in favor of medical marijuana. In May 2021, the state supreme court struck down the ballot initiative process and the medical marijuana law. That pushed legislators to write their own medical marijuana law based on the ballot initiative. The overwhelming voter support for medical marijuana added urgency to the process. Still, Prater says several restrictions including those on THC content and weekly purchases have hurt patients trying to abide by state law. The people making the laws have probably never used cannabis and will probably never use cannabis, Prater said. Mick Baldwin owns Tortuga Cannabis Company in Petal, Miss. He moved to Mississippi with two terriers from Oklahoma, where he grew and sold medical marijuana. Baldwin and his dispensary dogs now do business out of a boxy building with a sweeping metal roof. From inside, you can hear whirring and banging as workers build a grow facility out back. Baldwin opened his dispensary in July. In Oklahoma, he said medical marijuana lacked regulation and grew too fast, becoming a liability to communities and then to the industry itself. The market in Oklahoma opened with more than 100,000 registered patients and grew to almost 400,000 before backlash led to a crackdown by the state. The number of cultivators grew too quickly and flooded the market with cheap marijuana, driving down prices until owners could no longer earn enough to pay the bills. The industry went rogue, Baldwin said. Fires broke out at marijuana grow facilities. Authorities busted a brothel frequented by owners and managers of marijuana farms. The worst blow came when an investor killed four men after demanding the return of his money, according to the Associated Press. Oklahoma authorities are still cleaning up the mess. Its become a cautionary tale for other states looking to legalize medical marijuana. People get into it thinking theyre going to grow marijuana and become Pablo Escobar, Baldwin said. We call it Pablo syndrome. What they find out is that growing marijuana is not easy. Baldwin said he moved to Mississippi so he could get in at the beginning of a new market. Unlike Oklahoma, the state has established more restrictions on patients and dispensaries. Some of the restrictions are threatening to throttle the industry, he said. The state wont allow marijuana businesses to advertise. Two weeks ago, a dispensary owner in Olive Branch, Miss., filed a lawsuit against the state, saying the restriction violates his right to free speech. Baldwin would like Mississippi officials to allow advertising. He has a website and social media pages, but no other opportunities to promote his business. The state also prohibits dispensary owners from recommending doctors who can approve medical marijuana cards. They can only refer patients to the Mississippi Department of Health, which keeps a list of authorized providers. Prater too would like to see dispensaries treated more like regular businesses. Many of the fears regulators had about medical marijuana havent come to pass. Businesses havent been targeted for theft or fraud, Crisler said. I have people come in all the time thinking that its recreational and they want to come in and shop, Prater said. But Ive never had anyone come in and try to defraud us or use someone elses card. Its been pretty uneventful. Just like a regular business. Baldwin, who watched the marijuana industry implode in Oklahoma, has some concerns about how the next year could play out in Mississippi. Even with an increase in patients, some businesses might not make it. Already prices have dropped for marijuana. If they fall too far, some farms and dispensaries might not be able to turn profits, he said. So far, the restrictions in Mississippi have kept the industry relatively small, Baldwin said. A spokeswoman from the Mississippi Department of Health said 232 applications have been submitted for cannabis cultivation facilities and 201 licenses have been issued. By contrast, Oklahoma had more than 9,000 marijuana farms at one point, a number that has shrunk by about two-thirds in recent years. The department has cited cultivation businesses in Mississippi 51 times for violations, the spokeswoman said. Alabama regulators issued licenses Friday to 20 marijuana businesses, which could be a step toward launching an industry in the state. However, the board has awarded licenses twice before, only to take them back in the face of legal opposition. If Alabama ever navigates its legal mess to launch its program, it will face many of the same issues as Mississippi. The state only approved marijuana capsules, suppositories, oils, gels creams, transdermal patches or peach-flavored gelatins. Smokeable products and edibles such as brownies arent allowed. In Mississippi, the patients, like the residents of the state, tend to be older. The age of our average patient in 40-plus, Baldwin said. These are not people who are wanting to go out and get high, these are people that are looking for medication. Theyre getting off of opioids. Theyre getting off of mood stabilizers. Adding additional qualifying conditions could help the industry grow enough to be sustainable, Baldwin said. And the license fees and taxes could help the state. I dont believe in my mind the government wants this here, Baldwin said. Youve got 100 years of propaganda against what is in my opinion a miracle plant that God gave us, and man outlawed. Youve got to get the politicians to realize how good this is for the public. Al.com reporter Hannah Denham contributed reporting to this story A former Marshall County Schools employee has been arrested for engaging in a sexual act with a student under the age of 19. Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims said school officials and deputies received information Nov. 30 about an employee acting inappropriately with a student at Asbury High. Following an investigation, Leslie Rains, 28, of Albertville, was charged. Rains was set a property bond at $25,000. According to the school website, Rains was employed in physical education. Marshall County School Superintendent Cindy Wigley said Rains, an instructional assistant, resigned the same morning the incident was brought to the school districts attention. As soon as allegations of misconduct were brought to our attention, the district reported these allegations to authorities, conducted a prompt investigation, and then took immediate action, Wigley said. As always, the safety of our students in Marshall County Schools remains our highest priority. Sims said in a statement that investigators and school officials acted promptly to resolve this matter. The individual was removed from further contact with any students during the investigation, he said. We take the safety and protection of the students serious and when matters like this arise, we will act expeditiously. This post was modified at 1:41 p.m. CST Dec. 5 to add the superintendents statement. Lauderdale County authorities say a Brooks High School student is in custody after a threatening email was sent to a school staff member. According to Lauderdale County School Superintendent Jerry Hill, school officials and the Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office began an investigation into the email, which came from an outside Gmail account over the weekend. Brooks High is located in Killen. The email, Hill said, threatened an individual staff member and potential violence on campus. No student names or groups were mentioned. Investigators eventually took a student into custody, who Hill said was at no time on campus after the email was sent. The sheriffs office is continuing an investigation into the incident. Daily security measures remain in place at Lauderdale County Schools, Hill said. It is our goal to keep our students and employees as safe as possible when threats arise and investigate immediately, he said in a statement. Four Republican hopefuls for the presidency will participate Wednesday in the fourth presidential primary debate on the campus of the University of Alabama. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie met the Republican National Committee (RNC) criteria to be on the stage during the debate inside the Frank Moody Music Hall. The debate runs from 7-9 p.m. and will be broadcast on NewsNation. The Dec. 6, 2023, Republican presidential primary debate will be moderated by (from left to right): the Washington Free Beacons Eliana Johnson, NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas, and SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly.Image provided by NewsNation Moderators are NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas, media personality Megyn Kelly and Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of the conservative Washington Free Beacon. The fourth debate is another fantastic opportunity for our Republican candidates to share our winning agenda with the American people, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement announcing the four participants. President Reagan was the first sitting president to visit the University of Alabama nearly 40 years ago, just before cruising to a landslide victory in 1984, and Im thrilled to return our conservative message to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night. Reagan visited the University of Alabama for a rollicking re-election rally on Oct. 15, 1984. The rally featured the president sporting an Alabama coat with The Gipper 1 stitched to the back and parading around the campus with Big Al, the famed University of Alabama mascot. Its also remembered for Reagans post-rally stop to a McDonalds restaurant in Northport. Footage of that visit that is documented online by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Related content: Big Macs and Tacky Jacks: Revisiting memorable presidential visits to Alabama Trump, the former president who holds a commanding lead in primary polling, will not be in Alabama on Wednesday. He is reportedly scheduled to be involved in a fundraising event in Florida. According to Politico, Christies inclusion in the debate came at the last minute, after he apparently crossed the polling threshold to participate ahead of Monday. The RNCs rules say candidates must hit at least 6% in polls that meet the committees requirements, and a Politico analysis late last week suggested Christie risked not meeting it. The Christie campaign said the candidate easily met the RNCs donor requirements to participate. The RealClear Politics average of national polls has Christie at 2.5%, well below the 6%. Ramaswamy, according to RealClear Politics, also falls below the 6%. FiveThirtyEight.com has Christie at 2.8%, Ramaswamy at 5.3%. Related: NewsNation announces Republican presidential primary debate programming in Alabama Federal officials have released more information on the next plan for student loan forgiveness. On Monday, the Education Department issued updated regulatory text for the proposal. The latest efforts come after the Supreme Court struck down President Bidens original plan to wipe out up to $20,000 in student loan debt. Student loans are supposed to be a bridge to a better life, not a life sentence of endless debt, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. This rulemaking process is about standing up for borrowers whove been failed by the countrys broken student loan system and creating new regulations that will reduce the burden of student debt in this country. The latest efforts are part of a plan to use the Higher Education Act of 1965 to cancel student loan debt. More negotiations on the proposal are set for Dec. 11 and 12 and, after that, the department will be able to start working on draft rules that will be released to the public in early 2024. READ MORE: Do you pick up your mail everyday? Under the new plan, heres who would be covered: Borrowers whose balances are greater than what they owed upon entering repayment This would cover borrowers whose interest charges grew faster than they could make payments. One of the proposals would provide up to $20,000 of relief for low-income borrowers and up to $10,000 for others. Borrowers whose loan first entered repayment 20 years ago This provision would provide one-time relief 20 years after entering repayment on undergraduate loans, the plan said. All other borrowers would receive forgiveness after 25 years of payments. Borrowers who are eligible for existing loan forgiveness plans but have not applied This would cover those who are eligible under income-driven repayment plans or Public Service Loan Forgiveness but have not applied for relief. Borrowers who attended schools that failed to deliver sufficient financial value. This would cover borrowers who were repaying loans from schools no longer allowed to participate in the federal student loan program or when an institution has closed. This would also cover borrowers who owe for programs or schools that failed to meet federal accountability or debt-to-earning ratios. The proposal is just the latest chapter in the long and complicated process of revamping the student loan process. Previous efforts have erased some $127 billion in student debt for some 3.6 million borrowers, the White House said. Sen. Tommy Tuberville today said he is ending his blockade of hundreds of military promotions, clearing the way for hundreds to gain approval. The Alabama senators blockade of hundreds of military promotions, which began in February, was over a dispute about a Pentagon policy allowing travel expenses for military members seeking abortions in states where it remains legal. That policy is still in place as Tuberville backs down on the military holds. Almost 400 military nominations have been in limbo due to Tubervilles blanket hold on confirmations and promotions for senior military officers. Its a stance that has left key national security positions unfilled and military families with an uncertain path forward. Tuberville said Tuesday hes not going to hold the promotions of these people any longer. He is allowing hundreds of promotions to move forward, while still holding out for individual votes on about a dozen four-star generals and admirals, according to The Wall Street Journal. I think about 440 of them, everybody but 10 or 11, four stars, he told reporters. Across the Department of Defense, there will still be 14 nominees that will be held up, USNI News reported. According to The Hill, Tuberville is supporting an idea presented by Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) that would release all of his holds on military officers at the 3-star level and below. In recent weeks, Republicans in the Senate had grown more critical of the hold, saying it was affecting readiness. Sen. Tommy Tuberville announces hes releasing his holds on all military nominees under four stars. pic.twitter.com/2HxgvPW7hi Allison Pecorin (@AllisonMPecorin) December 5, 2023 It was pretty much a draw. They didnt get what they wanted, we didnt get what we wanted. When they change the rules, its hard to win...Its unfortunate the American people didnt get a voice. Tuberville had announced a press conference related to the holds for 1:40 p.m. ET and then canceled it with no reason given, NBC News reported. Tuberville has made several comments over the last few weeks about possible ways to end the blockade, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) promised to bring a resolution to the floor in coming weeks that would allow hundreds of promotions to proceed through a rule change. The Republican presidential hopefuls are not the only ones taking center stage at the University of Alabama on Wednesday. NewsNation, the upstart 24/7 cable TV network that bills itself as unbiased, will broadcast its first presidential primary debate at a time its emergence is stirring a debate over whether balanced political journalism has a place in the highly competitive and fragmented cable TV world. The news channel was rebranded from WGN America in March 2021, and has seen its audience grow over the past 1,000 days. But the networks ratings remain far behind cable TVs mainstays Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN and it also trails conservative upstart Newsmax, according to the most recent Nielsen ratings. The debate will definitely bring new eyes to the network, which is a good thing for a media organization trying to compete for a new audience in a sea of other networks, said Stefanie Hicks East, assistant professor of Journalism and Communication Studies at Troy University. The debate will air on NewsNation from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Frank Moody Music Hall. This will probably be the first time many Americans turn on NewsNation, and you only get one first impression, said Daniel Bennett, associate professor of political science at Arkansas-based John Brown University, a private Christian institution. Unbiased approach Indeed, the debate comes at a time when NewsNation is elbowing itself into a conversation among the biggest players on cable TV by positioning itself at the heart of a debate that underscores politics in America: Should the news be agenda-free, unshackled from partisan biases and delivered in a manner that is engaging and financially sustainable? Polling suggests NewsNation is trying to pitch to the public what it says it wants. According to a Pew Research analysis last year, three-quarters of U.S. adults say journalists should strive to give all sides equal coverage. NewsNations efforts also come at a time of continued dwindling confidence in all media. A Gallup poll in October showed the trust in mass media newspapers, TV, and radio to be tied at its historical previous lows recorded in 2016. There is a strange cable news marketplace right now, said Josh McCrain, assistant professor at the University of Utah, who has measured dynamics in media bias. I think the idea that there is some sort of untapped potential for a centrist outlet is there. It seems to make sense, to me, from a business model perspective to give this a shot. He added, But there is not enough potential demand for an unbiased news program that people will want to tune in regularly. I could be wrong, but there is not a lot of evidence for it. In Alabama, the network, and its pitch to the country, will be on full display. Related: NewsNation announces Republican presidential primary debate programming in Alabama Presidential debates are one of the most important news events in the country, said Rick Morris, a professor at the School of Communication at Northwestern University. It is a sign that a news organization has the talent, resources, and the technical ability to deliver one of the most important dialogues and one of the most important public services. Alabama GOP praise John Wahl, chairman of the Alabama State Republican Party, speaks during a luncheon hosted by the Eastern Shore Republican Women on Thursday, September 14, 2023, at the Fairhope Yacht Club in Fairhope, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). NewsNation will deploy its team of journalists and prime-time hosts to Tuscaloosa for pre-and post-debate coverage. Elizabeth Vargas, a former ABC nightly news anchor, is one of the three moderators. Former CNN star Chris Cuomo, former Fox News correspondent Leland Vittert, and former Fox Business Network host Connell McShane among others will provide reports from The Capstone. Former Trump and Obama administration officials will weigh in with commentary throughout the day on Wednesday. Its a mix of right and left and the center ahead of a debate geared for Republican primary voters. Alabamas GOP chairman John Wahl is confident in the networks ability to pull off a successful debate. NewsNation is one of the fastest growing media outlets in the country, and they give us an amazing opportunity to reach a whole new audience of voters, Wahl said. He said the Republican National Committees debate team, led by David Bossie deputy campaign manager for Donald Trumps successful run for the presidency in 2016 did an extensive analysis and vetted all the outlets vying to host the debate and to ensure potential Republican primary voters across the country will have the chance to learn more about the candidates and their platforms. Wahl said NewsNations professionalism is second to none, and is a good fit for Alabama, noting the local affiliates throughout the state. Nexstar has local TV stations in Birmingham, Mobile, Dothan, and Huntsville. He also praises the moderators who will be firing off questions at the candidates. Vargas will be joined at the moderators desk by Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of the conservative Washington Free Beacon and Megyn Kelly, a media personality who once was a star on Fox News. Wahl called Vargas a respected, award-winning journalist. He said he looks forward to how she interacts with Johnson and Kelly, two right-leaning moderators. Vargas told AL.com that her focus is to get the candidates to speak beyond their political talking points about issues that Republican voters care about. Kelly, in an interview with The Washington Examiner, was critical of the questions in the past debates and vowed to ask compelling questions that GOP primary voters care about. This will be a much more conservative panel of moderators when compared to the last debate, and I think that better reflects the conservative values of the Republican Party and the people of Alabama, Wahl said. Right-leaning bias? But does showcasing a Republican debate in deep-red Alabama hurt NewsNations marketing as an unbiased network? East, the professor at Troy University, said it will be a challenge. Airing a Republican debate, and one that is hosted by two outspoken conservative journalists in Megyn Kelly and Eliana Johnson, may overshadow its stated mission, and make audiences think it is trying to compete with known conservative networks, she said. A.J. Bauer, assistant professor at the Department of Journalism and Creative Media at the University of Alabama, said that by hosting a Republican primary debate, the network is attempting to appeal to audiences that view CNN as too liberal but who also see Fox News as too radical. Im not sure there is a significant audience who believes that, but I doubt it, said Bauer, who studies right-wing media and political communications. The proliferation and success of right-wing cable outlets like Newsmax and OAN means that Fox is increasingly seen as the center-right option among conservatives. I dont see NewsNation usurping Fox, and I dont see its hosting of a Republican primary debate as being particularly appealing to centrist liberals either. NewsNation has, for years, pointed to a media bias chart by Colorado-based Ad Fontes Media, a nonpartisan company that compiles data and rates the political leanings of media outlets. The most recent study, from August, lists NewsNation and CNN ahead of Fox News, MSNBC, and Newsmax based on its reliability rating. In terms of bias, the chart has NewsNation in the middle or skewing every-so-slightly right. CNN skews left, MSNBC is a strong left, while Fox News charts as a strong right and Newsmax is hyper partisan right. Bauer said that NewsNations market positioning could be considered reactionary centrist. By marketing themselves as impartial and balanced, vis a vis the current cable news market, they are buying into the conservative and Republican trope that an outlet like CNN is liberal, said Bauer, arguing that CNN is not particularly liberal, meaning that NewsNations conception of center might be center-right. It is betting its success on a center-right audience that is dissatisfied with its current news options, Bauer said. I dont believe such an audience exists in any significant numbers, so they have their work cut out for them. Jon Gray, a Mobile-based political strategist, said that NewsNation likely benefitted in securing the Republican debate simply because its not Fox News, which has lost viewers in the past year, or CNN, which he argues is unwatchable for most conservatives in Alabama. Its a testament that theyve survived and made a name for themselves, or it may be that simply they are not CNN, Gray said. If youre a Republican primary voter this cycle, you are not watching CNN. There is no philosophical or justifiable reason that a legitimate, openly Republican voter is watching CNN. There are also a lot of people who watch Fox News who felt like it sold out and changed. (Those viewers) dont feel like they have a home anymore. Growing network NewsNation is touting its numbers since 2021, illustrated by a 23% growth in total viewers in its weekday primetime slate from October 2022-October 2023, and a 38% growth in the 25-54 age demographic during that time frame. That year-to-year growth is higher than CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, according to the October Nielsens figures. NewsNation averages 106,000 prime time views, far behind the other three cable networks. It also trails Newsmax. Fox News, while experiencing a drop in viewers since Tucker Carlson left the network, draws an average of 2.1 million viewers to its prime-time offerings and has been the top-rated cable news network for close to three years. NewsNations numbers were criticized in February by Paul Farhi, media reporter with The Washington Post, who recognized that CNN which has fallen behind Fox News and MSNBC regularly attracts more than 10 times as many viewers per night than NewsNation. Author Anthony Swofford, right, appeared on "Dan Abrams Live" to talk with the host, left, after a Michigan public school board voted to ban "Jarhead," Swofforf's memoir about his experiences as a young Marine. That column drew a strong rebuke by NewsNation anchor Dan Abrams, who compared the networks ratings to MSNBC and Fox News in the late 1990s, when both those stations were emerging. He said that NewsNation was positioned to outpace Fox News and MSNBCs ratings from 1999, three years after both stations were first launched. NewsNation, as Farhi pointed out in his piece, has the backing of Nexstar -- the largest owner of local TV stations in the U.S. that employs more than 5,000 journalists, which the network can draw upon when covering domestic news. It has a presence all over the country, said East at Troy University. If NewsNation wants to continue its rise in popularity, it will work to appeal to diverse communities everywhere who have varying beliefs and opinions. An Alabama caretaker was arrested on child abuse charges after she allegedly used a stun gun on a 14-year-old boy who was fighting with his 7-year-old brother Friday. Escambia County sheriffs deputies responded to the Atmore home of Belinda Boyington, 57, around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Sheriff Heath Jackson told Fox 10. Boyington was trying to break up a fight between the boy and his 7-year-old brother when she allegedly used the stun gun on the teen, the sheriff told the station. Jackson described Boyington as the boys caretaker. Jackson said the boy who was tased suffered minor injuries. Boyington was taken to the Escambia County Jail on a charge of aggravated child abuse, court records showed. Boyington was released from the jail Monday after posting bond, according to jail records. By Lee Yeon-woo Lee Sirgoo, the CEO of Dunamu, has been successfully reappointed for his third term. He will serve in the position until 2026. On Tuesday, Dunamu, which operates the nation's leading cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders during which Lee's reappointment was confirmed. Lee initially took on the role at the end of 2017 and was re-elected in 2020. With this reappointment, Lee has become the longest-serving CEO in the crypto industry, excluding founders. His continued tenure, extending over a decade at Dunamu, is expected to further cement his status as a leading figure in the industry. Born in 1966, Lee began his career as a journalist in 1992. After two years in journalism, he decided to pivot his career and study law in the U.S., specializing as a tax system lawyer. Lee's entry into the IT industry began with his recruitment as a legal adviser at IBM Korea. He also served as a co-representative for Kakao. In 2017, Lee ventured into the cryptocurrency industry. Lee's repeated reappointments are a testament to his highly esteemed management abilities and skills in crisis resolution. He navigated effectively through major challenges, such as the 58 billion won ($44.1 million) cybertheft incident at Upbit in 2019 and the Terra-Luna crisis in 2022, which impacted not only Upbit but the entire virtual asset industry. As the chair of the Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA) a consortium of five major crypto exchanges: Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax he represented the industry frequently in discussions with the government and the National Assembly. Over the past three years, Upbit has solidified its position as a leading crypto exchange, maintaining an 80 percent market share consistently. Beyond commission profits, Lee has also been instrumental in diversifying Dunamu's revenue streams, with investments in blockchain technologies like NFTs and the metaverse. It is expected that Lee will continue to pursue such initiatives during his third term. "I am committed to positioning Dunamu as a front-runner in the global fintech sector during the Web 3.0 era and fostering a robust investment culture. ESG initiatives that align with the characteristics of Dunamu will also be consistently advanced," Lee said. Ten people were arrested after authorities uncovered an elaborate cockfighting operation that included stadium seating and concessions in Alabama thanks to a confidential tip. The arrests in Grand Bay included Darrel Zemon Jackson, whose property was used for the cockfighting ring, the Mobile County Sheriffs Office told Fox 10. Jackson and nine others were arrested after sheriffs deputies were led to the property last summer. Last week, Jackson, 64 pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals. He admitted to earning $200 for each cockfighting event at his property, the sheriffs office said. Jacksons attorney claimed to Fox 10 that his client was not involved in gambling and did not earn a percentage of any bets placed on the roosters that fought in the Grand Bay arena. The sheriffs office said the operation included stadium-style seating and concessions such as hot dogs and chicken fingers. The agency believes the ring also operates in Louisiana and Mississippi. More than 60 roosters were recovered from the operation and taken to animal control to be rehomed. Last week, cockfighting charges against several defendants were dropped because of lack of evidence, Fox 10 reported. The nine others besides Jackson who were charged include: Prosecutors last week dropped cockfighting charges against several defendants because of insufficient evidence. A couple of others pleaded guilty to misdemeanor gambling charges. Nine others pleaded guilty in August and were given $50 fines: After nearly a year, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has lifted virtually all of his holds on military promotions that gridlocked the Senate and delayed hundreds of confirmations. The normally routine process came to a halt when Tuberville announced the blanket hold in mid-February in protest of Defense Department policies concerning abortion, including a provision reimbursing service members for abortions if they need to travel outside their state for one if abortion is illegal where they are stationed. Alabamas senior senator backed down on Tuesday, nearly 10 months after he initiated the holds that drew the ire of Democrats, including President Joe Biden. Still, of the more than 400 military officers Biden nominated to promote, a little more than a dozen four-star generals are subject to the holds, the senator said. If Tuberville moves forward with proposal to lift holds on all but 4-star promotions, these are the military officer positions that would still be left in limbo: pic.twitter.com/BP23co44R4 Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) December 5, 2023 Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., urged Tuberville to lift the holds on all the nominees, claiming the standstill hurt America: The military promotions blockade hurt America. Servicemembers and their families had their lives on hold for months. We looked weaker on the global stage. Im glad Sen. Tuberville is dropping most of these ridiculous holds, but its time to finish the job and release them all. Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) December 5, 2023 Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would move forward ASAP in the chamber to promote the bulk of the military members: Senator Tuberville is finally lifting his harmful holds on military officials. We can finally give them the promotions they deserve. Ill move forward ASAP. Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) December 5, 2023 Tubervilles backing down came as the Senate moved forward with a plan to circumvent his blockade. A resolution passed the Senate Rules Committee last month to allow the Senate to approve the nominees in a large group. But Tuberville ending his holds makes the resolution moot. Alabamas senior senator had been facing pressure from some in his own party to end the holds. Last month, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said he was frustrated with Tubervilles tactics, and claimed Americas adversaries were delighting in the gridlock caused by his colleague. By the way, [Chinese President] Xi Jinping is watching this right now, going, I cant believe theyre not letting these guys command. Im scared to death of subs. Hes loving this. So is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Theyre loving it, Sullivan said as he and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, failed to advance the nominations. How dumb can we be, man? Now, Schumer is set to put the nominees not subject to the holds for a vote before the full Senate. Senate Democrats have not scheduled the nominations or the Rules Committee resolution for a vote. English News Shanghai FTZ's Lingang new area sees fruitful results of opening up Alwihda Info | Par pd - 4 Decembre 2023 In the first half of 2023, the total output by industrial enterprises above designated size in the Lingang new area increased 52.6 percent year-on-year. The area's fixed asset investment and tax revenue grew by 57.2 percent and 47.5 percent, respectively. By Xie Weiqun, Ji Juesu, People's Daily On Nov. 5, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the opening ceremony of the first China International Import Expo that China would expand the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) to include a new section. Since its inauguration on Aug. 20, 2019, the Lingang new area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot FTZ has launched a series of measures of opening up. The gigafactory of Tesla, the first solely foreign-invested car manufacturing project in China, was put into operation. Amundi BOC Wealth Management Co., Ltd., the first foreign majority-owned wealth management venture in China, opened for business. The first financial technology company fully funded by a multinational financial group HSBC FinTech was established. The Lingang new area also became the first in China to allow well-known overseas arbitration institutions to set up offices and launch foreign-related arbitration activities. In 2020, the actual foreign investment in the Lingang new area reached $520 million, and the figure increased to $2.04 billion in 2022. In order to enhance its capability in allocating factor resources globally, the Lingang new area has launched a pilot program on high-level opening up of foreign exchange management in cross-border trade and investment. So far, the volumes of cross-border domestic and foreign currency settlements have exceeded 2 trillion yuan ($282.73 billion) and $40 billion, respectively. The area completed China's first purchase of liquefied natural gas using cross-border RMB settlement from a member country of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and established a new type of public service platform for international trade. Besides, the area has launched an international ship registration system, which ranks first nationwide in the number of ships registered for international routes. In 2022, the container throughput of Shanghai Yangshan Deep Water Port reached 23.92 million twenty-foot equivalent units, accounting for 50.6 percent of the total throughput of the Shanghai Port. The Lingang new area completed China's first security assessment for cross-border data flow in the field of intelligent connected vehicles, built a new type of data infrastructure system that meets international advanced level, established dedicated channels for international data transmission, and built a high-performance computing center. It has constructed five international submarine fiber optic cables and two landing stations, and is preparing for building a direct international submarine fiber optic cable connecting Shanghai and Singapore, to attract more data elements to China. The Lingang new area continues to enhance its capacity in breeding innovation and collaborating innovation globally. From Nov. 6 to 8, the 6th World Laureates Forum was held at the event's permanent site in the Lingang new area, convening over 300 scientists from 25 countries and regions. Now, foreign talents employed or invited by entities in the Lingang new area can apply for a residence permit for up to five years, and the area grants one-time work permits for no less than two years to urgently needed talent. Besides, the area has relaxed restrictions on the employment of high-end overseas talent in the modern service industry, and established a positive list for filed practice and qualification examinations. In order to build cutting-edge industrial clusters with international competitiveness, the Lingang new area has gathered leading enterprises and attracted over 200 supporting enterprises to settle in the area. In 2022, the total output value of intelligent new energy vehicles in the area exceeded 260 billion yuan. At the same time, the Lingang new area has launched the Dishui Lake AI Innovation Hub, joined by 150 AI companies with more than 5,000 AI R&D personnel. The Lingang new area is developing a specialized industrial park for the biopharmaceutical industry, with a focus on constructing a high-level research-oriented hospital. It is also establishing an independent, controllable, secure and reliable industrial cluster for domestic large aircraft. China's first domestically developed engine for large commercial aircraft has been successfully used, and the self-developed large passenger aircraft C919 has commenced commercial passenger flights. On Oct. 27, the International Data Economy Industrial Park was officially unveiled in the Lingang new area. According to the plan, the industrial park will be built into a high-level bridgehead for international data cooperation, a high-standard pioneer zone for institutional innovation in the sphere of the cross-border data system, a high-quality hub gathering international data industries, and a high-capacity new center for data circulation infrastructure. So far, the Lingang new area has initially established a relatively mature system of investment and trade liberalization and facilitation, and has built a number of functional platforms with a higher degree of openness. It has initially developed an open industrial system that is internationally competitive. The area has optimized its government services, consolidating the exercise of 1,215 administrative matters at the municipal and district levels. It has implemented a registration confirmation system, reducing the time required for enterprise registration by 75 percent. It has also carried out a unified certificate and license application program, realizing one-time processing for enterprise entry and approval. Since its inauguration, the Lingang new area has witnessed a significant increase in its economic strength and overall economic output. The area has produced 102 breakthrough innovation cases. It has signed nearly 500 projects in cutting-edge sci-tech industries, with total investment exceeding 600 billion yuan. In the first half of 2023, the total output by industrial enterprises above designated size in the Lingang new area increased 52.6 percent year-on-year. The area's fixed asset investment and tax revenue grew by 57.2 percent and 47.5 percent, respectively. Dans la meme rubrique : < > Full text of President Xi Jinping's 2024 New Year message China's first domestically-made large cruise ship makes commercial maiden voyage China to work with rest of world for common good of humanity Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) We are witnessing a recurring pattern of events none of which make sense in a rational world. Those we trust have told us to accept as truths things that are now turning out to be lies. On the list are government investigative committees, our Department of Justice/FBI, the National Institute of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, weather scientists, and even teachers, to name a few. But perhaps the greatest betrayal of trust comes from the news media. The journalists who bravely risked everything to investigate and report wrongdoing are no more. Instead, the vast majority of the mainstream media support the lies in unison. And when there is even a hint of disagreement, they hysterically deny any opposing views. The assassination of John F. Kennedy is a moment burned into the memories of everyone over 65 who knows the answer to the question, Where were you when Kennedy was shot? The prestigious Warren Commission was set up when the lone assassin was killed as he was being transferred. All opposing views were universally dismissed as conspiracy theories for the next 60 years, and records and evidence were sealed. Recently, multiple new reports have emerged disputing the single bullet theory, which opens the horrifying possibility that there was an organized conspiracy to kill the president of the United States. The modern-day question is, Where were you when you first heard of COVID-19? A series of strange deaths in a Washington State nursing home led to reports of a dangerous virus that kills 5-10% of its victims, leading to widespread panic and draconian lockdowns ruining the U.S. economy. All attempts to link this to a purposeful action by communist China were dismissed as conspiracy theories. Now we are learning that there is a secret China-linked bio lab in California, deaths from COVID were exaggerated, simple treatments that were vehemently opposed turned out to have been extremely effective and inexpensive, and the mRNA vaccines, which were rushed into service without adequate testing turn out to do more harm than good. And the person we trusted for our health and the health of our children, NIH infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, was getting massive vaccine royalties from Big Pharma and entities from China and Russia. The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis ended the lockdown as tens of thousands of protesters simultaneously ran into the streets, looted billions in merchandise from local retailers, and destroyed their own inner cities. We were told by our trusted Federal Bureau of Investigation an organization revered in American culture as the protector of law and order - that Floyd was an innocent man killed by police simply because he was black. Heres how its described on Wikipedia George Perry Floyd Jr. was an African-American man who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest made after a store clerk suspected Floyd may have used a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill Derek Chauvin and three other officers were sent to prison. The news media at the time excused the ensuing riots and thefts as justified and peaceful despite their own video footage. But a courageous independent Minneapolis reporter now calls the entire narrative into question - using information mostly available at the time of the incident. Floyd was not an innocent victim targeted because of his race by white cops, but a known criminal with a history of resisting arrest, drug use, and poor health. Perhaps the most promoted crisis of our times is global warming. 97% of scientists agree, so it must be true. But facts are stubborn things, and scientists are now coming forward revealing they have been pressured to only do studies that confirm the theory. Our trusted scientists, who supposedly rely on peer review and verifiable experiments, have promoted a theory that has led to a war on fossil fuels that has ruined our economy. Where were you when the 2020 election count was halted simultaneously in six swing states? Our public officials and the entire news media have spent countless hours explaining the 2020 election was the most secure in history. Any attempts to dispute it are not only conspiracy theories but sedition, as evidenced by the insurrection of January 6, where right-wing radicals stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overthrow the government. Hundreds of protesters have been rounded up and thrown in jail under the most egregious conditions and forced into plea deals and professing guilt, while those who steadfastly maintained their innocence have been sentenced to many years in prison. Calls to release the tens of thousands of hours of video footage of the event have been consistently thwarted until now. Fearless investigative reporter Lara Logan has released three reports, here, and here, exposing the involvement of Ray Epps, a mysterious rabble-rouser who insists he has no ties to the FBI but has never been prosecuted for inciting a riot. Newly released footage shows the storyline of a violent insurrection is bogus. Police fired on the crowd with no warning, even though the protesters were peaceful and even smiling with police. Teaching our children how to be productive members of our society has been considered to be one of the noblest of professions. But civics, logic, and basic economics have been replaced with woke political ideology and sexual deviancy. Our most revered colleges have now been exposed as vile, anti-Semitic cesspools of hatred. Our children have no understanding of the Constitution or our rights as citizens. And now a former president and candidate for 2024 has been saddled with scores of trumped-up charges designed to besmirch his character and ruin him politically and financially. Blue states are trying to force President Trump off their ballots, with no success so far. These are tactics we thought only occurred in communist dictatorships or banana republics. The creepy man who was declared president has been shown to be the most corrupt president in history and is probably influenced by Ukraine, China, and/or Iran. However, the Democrats and RINOs cover for him, and his son is offered sweetheart legal deals. The only hope to get to the bottom of the greatest scandal in American history is for the few remaining conservatives in the House of Representatives to follow through with their impeachment investigations quickly. Every moment they wait is another stab in the heart of our country, its safety, and its prosperity. Unless we are able to replace our greedy and compromised elected officials by fighting back against our corrupt electoral process (and here), we will forever be slaves, subject to the lies and intimidation of those currently in charge and forced to live with the rampant crime and ruined economy of a nation in decline with undefended borders. It all comes down to restoring honest and fair elections, starting with exposing state voting rolls that are currently flooded with inaccurate data, rendering results invalid. Local and state Board of Election officials who sign off on election certifications are guilty of serious federal and state crimes if they fail to follow laws scrupulously. Brave citizens in over 25 states have come forward to investigate and expose the blatant disregard for basic election procedures. We must support their efforts and demand our state legislators take back control of election procedures from governors, judges, and bureaucrats. Freedom is a terrible thing to waste. Image: Steve Connerton, via Pexels // CC0 public domain America in the twenty-first century has been on an accelerating descent not unlike what befell ancient Rome. For some four centuries Romes Senate and constitution provided continuity which sustained the Roman Republic through various challenges. But in the end, what befell Rome from barbarian invasion, political corruption, and mobs that were manipulated and used by its Caesars, was a rampage against reason and freedom, leading to the Republics demise and transition to a centralized imperial authority under emperors. America's style and state of political decline and cultural degeneration differ in many ways from that of ancient Rome, but the big picture has striking similarities. The downward spiral of America is punctuated by: 1) massive corruption of elites inside and outside government who go along with manipulating the masses through creating and sustaining narratives that benefit them while keeping citizens largely ignorant about what is really going down, including threats to their health and their very survival; 2) the loss of confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections, which demoralizes the public and undermines the legitimacy of government; 3) the erosion of privacy, property rights, and freedom; 4) the Biden administrations deliberate open-border policy to facilitate the influx of millions of migrants for political purposes; 5) the politization of the judiciary and the attendant two-tiered justice system that has undermined the rule of law and order; and 6) the atomization of American society and the deterioration of family and community resulting from elite narratives that divide people -- primarily around race and gender; and 7) uncontrollable government profligacy and accompanying kickback corruption -- the continuing trajectory of which is certain to bring insolvency and collapse of the U.S. monetary system, sooner than later. In the last thirty years, the United Nations, and the New World Order (NWO) organizations, such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) have promoted and legitimized replacement migration policies. Adopted by the EU and its member countries -- replacement migration primarily drew immigrants from the Islamic Middle East and North Africa. As a result, the population of Muslims in Europe has tripled, while Christianitys influence has been receding. Although migration of Muslims to Europe has slowed in recent years, their relative numbers continue to grow fast due to birth rates that are 54% higher than that of host country families. Islam is clearly on a path to becoming ascendant over Christianity in Europe in the near future. And the Muslim migrants open aspiration to impose their religion and its Sharia law on their host countries is already creating havoc in dozens of European cities and will undoubtedly contribute to the destabilization and collapse of national sovereignty. In the U.S., replacement migration operates with the same purpose of transforming and destabilizing the national sovereignty of America. A small portion of the eight-million diverse migrants who have entered the United States during the first three years of the Biden administration are potentially hostile foreign agents. They may well become sleeper cells whose mission, once activated, is to strike infrastructure targets within United States upon directives from their sponsors, be that that China, Iran, or other adversaries. Even if the number of those hostile foreign agents is as small as 1% of that eight-million migrant number, that would mean some 80,000 terrorists could simultaneously conduct military operations within the United States, coinciding with hostile action from their sponsor countries against likely targets, such as Taiwan or Israel. An important part of the globalist agenda to advance the New World Order is to weaken countries by exacerbating division within and then break down the old system of national sovereignties as a last step prior to more aggressive stages embracing global governance. Division within the United States has been fomented by Critical Race Theory (CRT) training and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies; the imposition of ESG mandates on most all public companies from influence and proxy voting from the largest shareholders, such as Blackrock and Vanguard; the destruction and rewriting of history; the rise of a new secular privileged class operating in academia, government agencies, and social media that determine what can be said in public discourse. And most recently, the transgender movement is being used as just one more interest group that brings division and weakens military readiness and the general fabric of society. Another necessary component of the New World Order agenda is sustaining the secular and surrogate religion of climate change as the primary means to transform energy sourcing in the U.S. and Europe. Climate change belief -- based more on dogma than science -- stresses that moderating climate change requires reduction of CO2 emissions by substituting reliance on oil and gas hydrocarbons with sustainable energy, primarily wind and solar power, which is at the heart of the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal now goes beyond reducing CO2 emissions and includes reducing methane and nitrogen emissions. This doesnt just mean higher energy costs that accompany intermittent and unreliable wind and solar power. It also means agricultural transformation, significant reduction in cattle farming, beef production and drastic reduction in use of nitrogen-based fertilizers -- the latter of which leads to dramatic drops in crop yields, which cause starvation and depopulation. It is all part of the globalists agenda to achieve their stated goal of a 50% reduction in the worlds population -- the elimination of some four billion people. The greatest threat to peoples freedom is their loss of privacy that is being accelerated through expanding applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In fact, the global elite acknowledge that privacy will no longer be a right in the future because it is incompatible with their plans for creating a total surveillance state utilizing social credit scoring tied to central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). At present eight countries have developed and are implementing CBDCs: China, India, Brazil, Nigeria, Jamaica, Singapore, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, and the Bahamas. The United States is now one of over one hundred other countries in the development stage of CBDCs. It is one thing to have digital records for security and convenience. The IRS receives and tracks digital records of most all financial transactions that involve American citizens, and that information is shared with the Social Security, Medicare, and other government agencies. The digital age is already quite advanced. What is unacceptable under the U.S. Constitution is the intrusion of government into citizens private lives. The total surveillance state and social credit scoring tied to CBDCs must be rejected by American citizens. It is the critical firewall needed to stop, unwind, and reverse Americas downward spiral and wrest America from the tentacles of the New World Order and globalist control. Scott Powell is senior fellow at Discovery Institute, and a member of the Committee on the Present Danger-China. His recent book, Rediscovering America, was #1 Amazon New Release in the history genre for eight weeks. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637581599). Reach him at scottp@discovery.org Image: FamZoo Staff Polls reveal most Americans favor laws limiting the capacity of firearms magazines to 10 rounds, and the New York Times reports that several generally pro-gun federal legislators have expressed support for such legislation. Surely, they argue, no one needs more than 10 shots to kill a deer or stop an armed intruder. Other than in war, their main purpose, clearly, is to murder large numbers of innocent citizens. So, they should obviously be outlawed. So goes the mantra, but it is far from the truth. In reality, such bans would have a minimal, if any, impact on criminal homicides, but they might well endanger the lives of law-abiding citizens and, in the process, might incentivize criminals to shift to far more lethal weapons that could eventually cost far more lives. And, in the process, they might make us accustomed to trashing our Bill of Rights. Only in Hollywood do people shot with a 9mm bullet immediately fall to the ground dead. People have been hit more than 20 times with such bullets and survived the experience. While homeowners generally do not wish to kill an intruderor intruders, as home invasions and other violent crimes are often committed by multiple armed assailantsor anyone else, to be successful, they must act quickly to do whatever is necessary to end the threat. And doing that often requires multiple hits. There is also a serious risk of repeatedly missing the target under the stress of a gunfight. A study of New York Police Department shootings between 1998 and 2006 revealed that trained police officers hit their targets under the stress of a gunfight 18% of the time. On average, thats just under two hits with a 10-round magazine. And that includes superficial wounds that have little chance of incapacitating the criminal. Image: Keanu Reeves trains to be John Wick. YouTube screen grab. A similar study of 149 officer-involved shootings by the Dallas Police Department between 2003 and 2017 concluded that officers fired an average of 2.4 rounds in a typical gunfight and struck the suspect at least once 54% of the time. Half of the officers did not score a single hit when firing their handguns under such stress. A 2022 study reported in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health cited these and other data while noting that high anxiety, like being involved in a gunfight, is a trait known to negatively impact on marksmanship. Yet another study did the math, concluding that it takes 2.45 hits with a 9mm pistol on average to end a threat and 5.55 shots to make a hit. That adds up to 13.6 rounds fired on average to incapacitate an attacker, and that's for just one attackerwhich is hardly good news if you are trying to defend your family while limited to a 10-round magazine. (It is true that homeowners can carry more than one magazine, but when awakened in the middle of the night by an uncertain noise while wearing pajamas, the likelihood they would think to do so is slim. They may well want their second hand free for opening doors or carrying a flashlight.) It should be axiomatic that most homeowners have far less firearms training than professional police officers, so their accuracy under stress will likely be even less than the New York Police officers 18% hit rate. Limit them to a 10-round magazine, and perhaps they will hit a single intruder once or twice, which is less than the 2.5 hits that a study of more than 450 shootings with 9mm pistols over a ten-year period concluded were necessary to incapacitate the average threat. Add multiple criminals to the mix, and their victims will have little chance. The flip side of self-defense is to look at those who commit gun crimes. The assumption that those who are determined to commit serious felonies will obey a new law limiting magazine size is about as logical as assuming posting a No Guns Zone sign will do anything beyond disarming honest citizens who might otherwise be able to intervene and, perhaps, stop a shooting. Some ban advocates seem to think that a shooter must reload an empty magazine one round at a time before he can reengage. But criminals can carry multiple loaded magazines, which can easily be swapped in two or three secondsabout one second with serious practice. Consider for a moment the worst mass school shooting in American history, which occurred at Virginia Tech in 2007. One of the two firearms used was a .22 caliber pistol fed by 10-round magazines. The other was a 9mm Glock 19, for which the shooter had purchased several 10-round magazines on eBay and additional 15-round magazines at local gun stores. Over nine minutes, the killer fired more than 170 rounds while murdering 30 people and wounding another 17. That comes out to about 3.6 rounds per victim and a little more than 11 seconds between shots. Most of the magazines he used reportedly held 10 rounds, and the after-action reports indicate that all the loaded magazines still in his possession when he committed suicide were of the high-capacity variety. No wonder that multiple scientific studies have concluded that banning high-capacity magazines has little to no effect on crime. A 2019 study by experts from the Boston University School of Public Health concluded: We did not find any significant association between homicide rates[and] large capacity ammunition magazine bans. The prestigious Rand Corporations recent review of five studies evaluating the effects of the 1994 federal ban on high-capacity magazines concluded: [W]e find inconclusive evidence for the effect of high-capacity magazine bans on firearm homicides. George Mason University Professor Christopher Koper, who conducted multiple studies for the Department of Justice, noted the studies disclosed very, very little evidence, that the 1994 ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines reduced gun violence. [W]e concluded that the ban had not had a discernible impact on gun crime during the [10] years it was in effect. Space precludes seriously addressing the Second Amendment aspects of this issue here, but they are considerable. And it makes zero sense to narrow the scope of our Bill of Rights without clear evidence of some major benefit in so doing. In the 2008 DC v. Heller case, the Supreme Court gave maximum Second Amendment protection to firearms typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes. According to Shooting Illustrated, the most popular full-size 9mm pistols sold in America by each of the six largest gunmakers come standard with at least 15-round magazines, and the average capacity is slightly more than 17. A 1995 report by the DoJ Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that extensive interviews with imprisoned felons convicted of gun crimes disclosed: the criminals preferred larger caliber guns than favored by the general public. And a 2018 study reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that shootings with larger caliber firearms produced more lethal results. Although it is extremely uncommon for anyone to fire ten shots in a gunfight, criminals are drawn to 9mm handguns in part because their magazines can hold more ammunition. Assuming that a magazine capacity ban would have any effect on the behavior of criminals, one result might well be to shift to higher caliber pistols. And a shift from 9mm to 10mm would roughly double the muzzle energy. The 10mm Glock 20 is the most popular pistol sold in Alaskan bear country, and is issued to Artic patrol members in Greenlandwhere it has proven effective against charging polar bears. (The average adult male polar bear weighs three to six times more than the average adult male human being.) A study of more than 1,000 shootings that occurred in Boston between 2010 and 2014 noted that the victims on average died in 1 of 6 cases. But for shootings involving 10mm handguns, the fatality rate was 100%. The American people are understandably frustrated over school shootings and other criminal misconduct involving firearms. And there are a number of measures involving such things as mental health treatment, enhancing punishment for using firearms in crimes, and other steps that might actually help. But denying law-abiding citizens the tools they need to protect themselves and their families is not the answer, and, in addition to gratuitously endangering honest American lives, restrictions on magazine capacities might well incentivize criminals to shift to far more lethal weapons. A Vietnam veteran, Professor Turner retired in 2020 after more than three decades of teaching at the University of Virginia School of Law. An NRA-certified rifle and pistol instructor for more than six decades, he shot competitively as a member of military rifle and pistol teams. Another leftist lie bites the dust: Soviet Gulag documentary destroys lie that Nazis were far right A new documentary on the history of the Soviet Gulag system also destroys a cherished leftist talking point that somehow the Nazis were far right. There is a new documentary on the Soviet prison camp that makes the point that the Bolsheviks locked up their fellow leftists, just like the National Socialist German Workers Party. This system of concentration camps was similar to those of Nazi Germany, and similar camps in China, North Korea, etc. Were not supposed to remember FDRs Japanese internment camps during WWII, so dont mention them. Soviet prison camps were a criminal system of oppression that was widespread and long-lasting. The first camps were founded in 1918, and their number reached its peak in the 1950s. During more than 40 years, 20 million people were brought to almost 500 camps. Innocent people were made guilty. Every sixth adult citizen was forced to a camp or expelled. The writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn named this system the Gulag Archipelago. It extended thousands of kilometres from the White Sea to the Black Sea, from Moscow to Vladivostok, and from the Arctic Circle to Central Asia. It was hidden away, and its existence was denied for decades. Prison camps were hard to see and understand. They are not well known even today. One of the fascinating aspects of the documentary is that interviews with former zeks, or prisoners of the camps, reveal that the Bolsheviks imprisoned many of their fellow leftists Mensheviks, revolutionary socialists, and others considered dangerous by the Cheka, or secret police of the USSR. Later on in the documentary, they note that Genrikh Grigoryevich Yagoda, the head of the NKVD who prepared public purge trials, was accused in a later purge of being a member of the Zinovyev-Trotsky conspiracy of the right-wing opposition to Stalin. This follows right in line with the research paper on How and Why Fascism and Nazism Became the Right. Abstract The Left has been represented by various currents that have historically been very aggressive toward each other because they used different tactics and strategies to achieve socialism. Like many intellectuals, revolutionary leftists did not get along with each other very often. Since the inception of Marxism, which is the doctrine of communism an extreme and distinctive flavor of socialism the far Left has portrayed adherents of less revolutionary ideologies as enemies of the working people. The followers of evolutionary socialism the Social Democrats were accused by the communists of betraying the proletariat. Non-Marxist currents of socialism, such as Fascism and National Socialism, were excluded from the socialist camp and put on the right wing by Marxist-Leninist propaganda. Stalinist political science became a benchmark that set markers to distinguish between the genuine Left and the Right. This article shows the origin and historical background of the artificial shift of Fascism and National Socialism to the right side of the political spectrum. Its an article of leftist faith that fascism and Nazism are supposedly far right or reactionary, as termed 100 years ago in one of the first reports about the Bavarian fascisti, because they were in opposition to other collectivists, as we illustrated with a series of excerpts from the early decades of the 1900s. In point of fact, when Daniel Hannan opened with a quote from a previous socialist known as Adolf Hitler in a debate in the Oxford Union I am a socialist, and a very different kind of socialist from your rich friend Reventlow the immediate response from the other side was to point out that the first inmates of the concentration camps in Nazi Germany were communists and socialists. ...except that, as we have pointed out, the Bolsheviks had already been doing this in the aftermath of their revolution in 1917. We have blown that little canard out of the water. The fact is that different factions of leftists never seem to work and play well together mainly because they desire power above all else, and their petty little rivalries get in the way of attaining that power. It happened with the Bolsheviks incarcerating, exiling, or executing their rivals and continued with the Nazis, but somehow that was different or at least thats the lie from the left. It continues to this day, with leftists squabbling over ideological minutiae no one else cares about. D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, the director of communications for a civil rights organization, and a long-time contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack. Image via Picryl. In the rush (because how else can you characterize a bill that changes the ages-old definition of parent, moving from introduction to adoption in 16 days by a two-vote margin?) to push paid surrogacy in Michigan, theres not been a lot of discussion about how this change affects women. Sure, we have Farmington Hills rep. Samantha Steckloff talking about infertile women who want a baby. But babies are not products, made to order or obtainable from a catalogue. Whether traditional or technological, having a baby involves a man and a woman to provide genetic material and a woman to carry that child. And about that side of the picture, Steckloff and her supporters are strangely silent. Under Steckloffs bill, none of those persons would any longer be parents. They would be shorn of any legal status. They would all be reduced to parts suppliers for whoever is ordering a baby. So lets look at the less-than-pretty side of custom-made babies. You need some sperm. You can make a withdrawal at the sperm bank, with the average price in the United States running between $400 and $2,000. Apart from the price, what guarantees do you have? In theory, sperm banks are supposed to keep good records, but what real assurances do you have regarding the source of this vial? And how many other children is this donor responsible for? The New York Times carried a report of one donor siring 150 children. If your finances are limited, you might want to consider free, donated sperm. Back in October 2011, US News and World Report featured a cover story about coffee shop babies. Women who wanted to get pregnant but didnt necessarily want to pay sperm bank fees searched the internet for volunteer donors. The magazine story featured a guy who showed up at Starbucks, masturbated in the restroom, handed his specimen in a coffee cup to the woman, and then the two sat down to a Grande Venti Latte before she used his donation to impregnate herself. Now, ask yourself: do you really want your babys father to be a guy who hands out his gametes in coffee cups? You need eggs. Eggs are harder to obtain. One can, in theory, use frozen ova, but fresh eggs are much better. The problem there is, there are no free range ova donors. You have to synchronize two women: the donor to ovulate and the bearer (whether or not she ultimately gets the baby) to be ready for implantation and continued pregnancy. Thats a lot of medication, medical attention, and coordination. On top of that, most egg-buyers are picky. They usually dont want just any womans egg. Physically attractive, college-educated (preferably Ivy) co-eds demand premium prices. You need an incubator. Women serving as gestational surrogates, compared to egg donors, generally cost less. Many are often working-class or lower-middle-class women, sometimes military wives, for whom the motive of helping a woman have a baby often gets ensnared with making a little extra income on the side. The average American surrogate makes $6070,000 tops for her services (usually with some additional expenses coverage). Now, lets break that down. A nine-month pregnancy averaging 30 days per month = 270 days times 24 hours per day = 6,480 hours. $60,000 for 6,480 hours of labor = $9.26/hour. No overtime, no weekends. Michigans current minimum wage is $10.10/hour. Better off taking a job at in a burger joint! For the same time investment, youll come out over $5,400 ahead. Of course, one can reduce costs by offshoring production. Just like car manufacturing, baby-making can be done more cheaply overseas. Many Asian countries were destinations for surrogate shoppers until their governments began protecting women. Most recently, Ukraine was a prime destination...but theyre a little distracted now. While Samantha Steckloffs eight-bill package to reform Michigans surrogacy laws changes definitions of parentage, amends inheritance laws, and in general makes the child produced the property of his intending parent, it is generally silent about the parts suppliers except to strip genetic and gestational parents of legal rights to a child that is in part theirs. Arent you the least bit curious that the men and women necessary biologically to produce that child have no rights not as parents, not even as subminimum wage laborers? Will Michigans criterion of parent be whoever wants to be and has a fat enough checkbook to fund her wants? Rep. Steckloff undoubtedly would paint herself, Governor Whitmer, and all those promoting commercial trafficking in babies as heralds of reproductive choice, but isnt it worth asking: what is the dark underbelly of this business? We can all sympathize with the pain of women unable to bear or have a child. But our sympathy for that distress should not occur at the cost of the good of children and other persons. The truth is, under commercial surrogacy, a child becomes a made-to-order product for which other people are used honestly, exploited to fulfill the wishes of those wealthy enough to pay for their way. Michigan became a state in 1837. In the following 28 years, it was a prime route on the Underground Railroad for Southern slaves to reach Canada and freedom. Do we really want to bring a new form of slavery to Michigan in 2024? Image via Free Range Stock. The U.S. Department of State said Monday that South Korea is not the subject of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions, after North Korea accused the United States of having a "double standard" over space programs. Last month, the North launched a space rocket to put a military spy satellite into orbit, drawing international criticism that it violated multiple UNSC resolutions banning any launch using ballistic missile technology. South Korea also launched a military reconnaissance satellite from a U.S. military base last week and conducted a test flight of a solid-fuel rocket in waters south of the country's island of Jeju on Monday (Korea time). But its launches were seen as legitimate security efforts. "South Korea is not the subject of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions over its (North Korea's) dangerous and destabilizing activities in this area," Matthew Miller, the department's spokesperson, told a press briefing. Miller also reiterated Washington's willingness to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang. "We have made clear from the outset of this administration that we would welcome dialogue with the DPRK, we would welcome a peaceful resolution to our concerns over its destabilizing activities," he said, referring to the North by the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We have made clear that we do not seek conflict with the DPRK in any form or fashion but as of yet, those entreaties have all been rejected," he added. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, an unnamed spokesperson at North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration claimed Monday that the U.S. has a "double standard" over South Korea's spy satellite, as it "brazenly" helped Seoul's launch, while condemning the North's "exercise of its sovereign right." (Yonhap) It ain't easy being green. Well-heeled green leftists, planning a big trip to Dubai for the United Nations's COP28UAE Climate Change Conference, were undoubtedly looking forward to decrying the boiling oceans, calling for a ban on gas stoves, taking away people's air conditioners, instituting carbon taxes, eating bugs, shoveling cash to corrupt third world dictatorships, and lamenting snow as a thing of the past. It didn't go as planned: In Munich, at least, there are reports that some of their private jets set to take them there got stuck in the snow. Here's a Twitter cell phone video of one such jet -- it's not confirmed if this one was actually planning on going to Dubai or not, because the snow was everywhere -- which shows the extent of the grounding, which was eventually cleared, not by nature, but by the efficient Germans. Private jets meant to take parts of the German delegation to the UNs annual Climate Change Conference #COP28 in Dubai got stuck in the snow at Munich Airport yesterday. Southern Germany experienced its largest snowstorm in nearly 100 years. pic.twitter.com/PCxnFrQ6Pu Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) December 3, 2023 Globalists: 0; Weather 1. No boiling oceans there, and snow is very much a thing of the present. Which highlights the hypocrisy of these global warming/hog-wallows-full-of-whores globalist conferences. The global greens go there to "do something" about boiling oceans and live it up on the side in the Vegas of the Middle East, and end up stuck on the snowbound tarmacs of modern airports like Munich, because well, there is no global warming. What's more their inability to jet off on a plume of carbon compounds does exactly what they claim needs to be done to save the Earth. They should be happy about that, because greenies at COP28 are insisting the clock is short, but well, we suspect they weren't because if they were serious about this sort of thing, they wouldn't have been planning the travel in the first place. These entire global conferences could be done by Zoom, but somehow, they'd rather burn carbon compounds on those private jets. Climate Science Press has more here. Hypocrisy has a way of getting called out by the vaunted Earth. It's not nice to fool Mother Nature. Image: Twitter screen shot Honestly, when woke-ism gets hold of things, its hard to stay even a step ahead of the Babylon Bee, but Canada seems to have done so. Its Medical Assistance In Dying program, or MAID, which is a fancy word for government-accomplished euthanasia, is now being derided for being too elitist. Euthanasia was always going to be the endpoint for socialized medicine. In a free market, competition and innovation will make more services available for lower prices. However, in a government system, both innovation and competition stagnate. And because socialism doesnt produce wealth, it just moves it around, with the government pocketing a percentage every time it's moved. That being the case, all socialized medical systems eventually run out of money. When the system runs out of money, theres only one thing for a modern, smiling socialist tyranny to do, and thats to encourage people to kill themselves. In the West, thats done by gently withdrawing social and medical services from the chronically ill, those with terrible pain, the depressed, and the impoverished. Then, as they lapse into painful, degrading lives, you tell them that the earth is drowning under the weight of overpopulation. You also tell them that the way to save the insensate planetwhich has no feelings, doesnt care whether you live or die, is devoid of morals, and is brutally cruel in practiceis to kill themselves. Image by Freepik. But fear not! The government will step in and make that ultimate sacrifice for Gaia as painless as possible. No more having your throat slit, as the Druids and Vikings did, or your heart ripped out, as the Aztecs did. Now, itll be a painless process, one that surely starts with the doctor sterilizing the injection site before inserting the needle containing the poison that will kill you. Thanks to the governments successful marketing, having the government kill those of its citizens who volunteer to die is one of Canadas leading causes of death. Thrilled with its success, the Canadian government is constantly expanding the categories of those who can be killed. Just think about it! The Canadian government has successfully done what the Nazis never dreamed of doing: Its not only convinced disfavored people (namely, expensive people) to build their own cattle cars, but its also got them clamoring to enter the gas chambers. But theres a problem. Nowhere has the existential anguish of climate change penetrated more deeply than among upper-middle-class white people. And when upper-middle-class white people decide to commit genteel suicide, they start hogging resources: Patients seeking assisted suicide in Canada are mostly privileged white people, according to Trudeau Foundation fellow and medical ethicist Dr. Jocelyn Downie. Downie, an advocate of expanding assisted suicide, or MAID, to those who suffer from mental illness, testified before the House of Commons medical assistance in dying committee Nov. 21 and asked the government to move forward with its legislation. Trudeau Foundation Fellow and supporter of expanding MAID to the mentally ill Dr. Jocelyn Downie explains how mostly white "privileged" people are opting for assisted suicide. "People getting MAID are actually very privileged. They're white. They're well off. Highly educated." pic.twitter.com/QkhMa2Ytka Cosmin Dzsurdzsa (@cosminDZS) December 1, 2023 It's a little hard to wrap your mind around this, but what youre hearing is a super woke person complaining that not enough poor and minority people in Canada are killing themselves. I keep coming back to the same point. What were seeing in 2023 and will continue to see in 2024 is incredibly ugly, but its also useful. Finally, after decades of playing nice, the left is ripping off the mask. Leftists hate Jews, they hate women, they hate babies, they hate children, they hate poor people, they hate minorities The list goes on and on. Every policy they have is dedicated to either eradicating these people or making their lives so miserable that they kill themselves. Seeing this hatred out in the open is actually a good thing. You cant fight chimeras, but you can fightand mobilize others to fightnaked hatred and the genocide that invariably follows in its wake. On my personal website, Bookworm Room, I post memes every Friday. Most come from other people but, occasionally, Ill create one of my own. On October 27, ten days after Hamas massacred 1,400 Israelis and kidnapped more than two hundred others, I created a meme about Michelle Obamas silence. Now, lots of people are noticing her silence. Indeed, as more news emerges about the abuse women suffered on October 7 and that those in captivity continue to suffer, the silence from leftist women is deafening. Heres the image I created and ran on October 27: You probably recognize a doleful Michelle from the Bring Back Our Girls campaign that was launched in 2014 when Boko Haram, a Muslim terrorist group, brutally kidnapped over two hundred mostly Christian girls in Nigeria. However, this time around, Michelle seems peculiarly disinterested in the rape, kidnap, and murder of hundreds of girls: May Golan, Minister for the Advancement of the Status of Women of Israel, said Saturday that she had approached former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama to condemn attacks on Israeli women by Hamas on October 7 and been met with complete silence. [snip] A search of Michelle Obamas social media accounts does not show any statements about Israel or the October 7 terror attack. Michelles silence is not unique on the left. The UN Womens division was silent for a week. Then, in response to criticism, it finally released an anodyne statement on Instagram: We condemn the brutal attacks by Hamas on October 7 and continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. Almost immediately, UN Women deleted that post, replacing it with one that didnt condemn Hamas but did call for the hostages to be released. This see no evil that Hamas committed against Jewish women appears at the highest levels of the American government, too. Rep. Pramila Jayapals cavalier response to the targeted rape and slaughter of Jewish women, combined with her moral equivalence, was so grotesque that even CNNs Dana Bash called her out for it: WATCH: Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal tries to downplay and defend Hamas rape & sexual violence against Israeli women. Jayapal scolds Israel: "If they do not comply with international humanitarian law..." CNN's Dana Bash was having none of it: "With respect, I was just asking pic.twitter.com/oaEjs5qxaW Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) December 3, 2023 Meanwhile, on the ground, the useful idiots are taking a different approach, which is to deny that anything bad happened to women. Even though Hamas joyously released its own videos of the carnage it inflicted, the useful idiots are denying that their side had anything to do with rape and murder. But could Jayapal be right? I mean, war is hell. Right now, Israels assault on Hamas operatives is killing those civilians whom Hamas has refused to let leave after first making sure that its military infrastructure was embedded in civilian environs, especially hospitals and schools. Nope. Shes not right. There is a fundamental, ethical difference between a Stone-Aged enemy that slaughters civilians and a moral nation that has a targeted military response to this slaughter and does everything it can to avoid civilian casualties: More than that, you must understand the nature of this slaughter of civilians. The Jewish Chronicles report highlights that this was not war-deprived soldiers slaking their lusts on the first women they could find. Instead, what happened were acts of incredible, almost unfathomable violence: Yoni Saadon, who escaped execution by hiding underneath a stage, said: I saw this beautiful woman with the face of an angel and eight or ten of the fighters beating and raping her. She was screaming, Stop italready Im going to die anyway from what you are doing, just kill me! When they finished they were laughing and the last one shot her in the head. I kept thinking it could have been one of my daughters. Or my sisterI had bought her a ticket but last minute she couldnt come. Speaking to The Sunday Times at Sitria, a support area set up for festival survivors southeast of Tel Aviv, Saadon said he also witnessed the brutal murder of women who resisted Hamas attackers. They had caught a young woman near a car and she was fighting back, not allowing them to strip her, he said. They threw her to the ground and one of the terrorists took a shovel and beheaded her and her head rolled along the ground. I see that head too. Pamela Geller has images of some of the least badly brutalist bodies, and its still vomitous. (Videos of those acts taking place in real-time were what Hamas forced the brutalized hostage children to watch.) Also, it wasnt just women the Hamas monsters raped. They raped men, too. Because homosexuality is a capital crime amongst devout Muslims, those rapes prove that rape was an act of war. Jewish women, who were amongst the lefts most enthusiastic acolytes, are coming to terms with the fact that the left used them. In response to the UN Womens silence, there is now an online petition noting that the #MeToo movement and believe all women dont apply to Jews. You can find and sign the petition here. The left uses everyone. Their love for Jews, free speech, free love, the civil rights movement, the gay rights movementall of these were vehicles to achieve power. As theyve gained that power, theyve systematically turned on their ideas and allies. To date, theyve abandoned Jews and free speech and are abandoning blacks for illegal aliens. The LGBTQ+ cadre will discover, as Hitlers early homosexual supporters did, that tyrants cant afford sexual deviants, who are troublemakersuseful during the revolution and dangerous after. We are getting a preview of coming attractions for the rest of the West, and the left, whether at the UN, in Obamas house, in Congress, or on the streets, is abandoning those it once championed while hollering la, la, la to drown out the screams of those raped women. Tonight at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT with a replay at 11 p.m. PT), President Donald Trump will appear on the FOX News channel for another town hall from Iowa his third on the channel since last June. Once again, the venue is Sean Hannitys prime time program. Hannity has described himself as a friend of Donald Trumps for more than three decades. Since he is no longer welcome on CNN or MSNBC, the former president therefore is limited to FOX News for interviews short or long, where he prefers the non-confrontational approach favored by his old friend Sean Hannity. I reported on the previous two 2023 Hannity-Trump town halls here, here, and here. President Trump and Sean Hannity Photo courtesy of FOX News Media // by permission A live audience will attend the town hall, in Davenport, Iowa, which will be recorded earlier today for broadcast in prime time. A FOX News Media news release emailed to this author described the town hall thusly, noting that it will: Cover the state of the country and the 2024 presidential election, among other topics. Following President Trumps first town hall of the 2024 election season, last May 10 on CNN, which witnessed him jousting for over an hour with CNNs prime time star-to-be Kaitlan Collins, Trump is apparently considered a permanent persona non grata on that channel as he is in perpetuity on MSNBC. So, its FOX News or nothing for the former president and leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in terms of reaching a national television audience. I hope that Hannity, or one of the questioners from the audience of voters, will ask President Trump about the recent spate of orchestrated comments in the media and by failed politicians like former Rep. Liz Cheney that the re-election of President Trump next year will result in a fascist takeover of the U.S. government and the end of democracy here. In the opening angle of her FOX News program last evening, Laura Ingraham focused on the Phony Democracy Defenders (including Liz Cheney, whose book attacking Trump and many other Republicans is being published today) and their latest attacks on President Trump. Its eight minutes and 40 seconds of excellent reporting and commentary that is well worth watching here. Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who has covered national politics and the politics and economics of health care, popular culture, and media for over five decades. He is a regular contributor to the BBC Radio and Television. His most recent interview on BBC Radio in the UK can be listened to here. His web page with links to his work is http://peter.media. Peters extensive American Thinker archive: http://tinyurl.com/pcathinker. Peters Twitter account is @pchowka. This country was founded on a revolutionary idea that a free people could govern themselves. No need for kings or rulers of any kind. In support of this radical idea, the peoples desires would be implemented by elected officials -- their representatives -- and limited by a written document, the Constitution. These people were to be drawn from everyday citizens; people intimately familiar with their fellow citizens. Thus, representative government. But somewhere along the way this fundamental relationship changed. Now, elected officials -- and even unelected bureaucrats - often see themselves as leaders of the people, not representatives of free citizens. Most of todays political strife finds its roots in this leadership model -- a profound violation of the very design that helped make this the most successful, free, tolerant society the world has ever seen. And unless it is reversed, it will be its demise. There is a beauty and symmetry with a representative government. First, it greatly limits what governments can attempt. If elected officials are loyal to this design they will only act on issues where there is very broad support. Since there are few such issues, governments will be limited to only these. 50-50 or 60-40 or even 70-30 issues will be left to free individuals, not governmental leaders who believe they know better than the citizen. Rather than being a representative of the people, the leader who acts in favor of the 60% becomes a tyrant to 40%. Worse yet, many of our leaders support issues favored by only a small fraction. Thus, they are tyrants to the vast majority of citizens. Rather than politics being a place for compromise and action on things which have tremendous support, this gives incredible power to politicians and political parties and turns politics into the never-ending death struggle it is today. It becomes about sheer power, not representation. Here in Colorado we live this every day as we have a true tyrant, Governor Jared Polis, in office surrounded by Democrat majorities. In a statewide referendum the people overwhelmingly made their will known regarding oil and gas. A month or two later Polis and company pass a law doing exactly opposite of what the people desire. In another statewide referendum, the people again overwhelmingly made their will known regarding something called TABOR and property tax relief. A few months later Polis called a special session of the legislature and passed exactly what the people just rejected. Similar actions occur across the country, from local school boards to city councils to governors and Presidents. They may actually believe they are doing good, but in reality, they are tearing at the very fabric that holds this country together. Although this is a problem more generally of the Left, the Right is far from immune. Look at the abortion issue from this perspective. If right-leaning politicians followed representative government, they would have to admit there is broad support for legal abortions during the first few months of pregnancy. The evidence for this is overwhelming. They might not like this reality. In which case in their role as private citizen -- not a representative -- they should try to change peoples minds. Instead, they follow the leader model and try to use the law as a cudgel on those who disagree, thus being seen as tyrants by huge majorities. Until Republicans can show they truly accept this wonderous design of representation, they will continue to be devastated on the abortion issue. Our Founders built a political system that birthed the longest lasting, more prosperous society the world has ever known. Enough with leaders. Look at history, leaders often lead to the deaths of millions. They will only lead to our collective suicide. It is a mistake to look for salvation in leaders. Surprisingly, salvation and wisdom lie with common schmoes like you and me. Something our Founding Fathers knew well. John Conlin is an expert in organizational design and change. He also holds a BS in Earth Sciences and an MBA and is the founder and President of E.I.C. Enterprises, a 501(c)3 non-profit. He has been published in American Greatness, The Federalist, The Daily Caller, American Thinker, the Houston Chronicle, the Denver Post, and Public Square Magazine among others. Image: Architect of the Capitol Iowas first-in-the-nation caucuses will be held next January 15. All Americans who follow political events will be glued to their screens. The candidates who take first in their respective contests will be well situated for other states subsequent ones. What happens in Iowa, then, affects national electoral fortunes. As president, Donald Trump resisted calls to move Iowa to a later spot on the schedule and preserved its historic, influential status. Being a lifelong Hawkeye State resident, I took particular notice and appreciated Trumps resoluteness on Iowas behalf. So did scores of my fellow state citizens. I was painfully aware when, in early November, Iowa governor Kim Reynolds betrayed Trump by publicly endorsing his feeble competitor, Florida governor Ron DeSantis. (I write of betrayal because Trump had endorsed Reynoldss gubernatorial bid. He says she sought his backing. And this is how she repays him.) In years preceding her disloyalty to Trump, Reynolds did some fine things. In 2018, she signed a fetal heartbeat bill. In March of 2019, she endorsed a bill requiring universities to protect free speech. And owing to her appointments, our states Supreme Court shifted to sensible conservative status. But the Iowa chief executives betrayal of Trump and embrace of DeSantis has larger implications than its immediate circumstances. Her foolish decision can be interpreted as indifference toward regular Iowans, a majority of whom support the former president. An October NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom survey of likely Iowa GOP caucus attendees found Trump enjoying 43% support. DeSantis and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley tied for second place, each at 16%. Regular Iowans march proudly in the MAGA movement, Reynoldss backstabbing being of no consequence to us. Following Reynoldss strikingly unwise endorsement of DeSantis, Trump posted a characteristically devastating assessment on Truth Social: Two extremely disloyal people is, however, a beautiful thing to watch. They can now remain loyal to each other because nobody wants them!!! My life was a lot better when Trump was in office, one Bettendorf, Iowa respondent told NBC earlier this year. I felt safe; things were cheaper; he helped out the farmers and my parents. Things were better plain and simple. A November poll by the Trafalgar Group found basically the same results. It asked 1,084 Iowa GOP likely voters whom they would support were the election held now. Again, Trump won the backing of 43%. DeSantis trailed far behind with 17.5%. Enthusiasm for another Trump term has been shown nationally as well. A November New York Times poll showed Trump outperforming President Biden in five of the six crucial swing states. The 45th presidents vows to re-energize the economy, halt illegal immigration, and restore Americas pre-eminence in the world enjoy broad voter approval, particularly given the terrible Biden years. I would speculate that once the former president has won the Iowa caucus and pocketed the national Republican nomination, Kim Reynolds may hasten to get a late ticket on the victory-bound Trump Train. But as far as her future in politics, Trump is probably right. Iowa voters have long memories. Waterloo writer DC Larson is the author of Ideas Afoot (Bromley Street Books). He counts among freelance credits Daily Caller, American Thinker, and Western Journal. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. Unlike Palestinians, Kurds are a specific ethnic group with a long history. For the record, the term Palestinian is a fictitious contrivance currently used to define the Arabs from various nations who migrated into Palestine in relatively recent times. Palestinian was once used to describe the Jewish Zionists who settled in what was then the Ottoman territory known as Palestine. Also, unlike Palestine, the establishment of a nation of Kurdistan was included in the aftermath of the Versailles Treaty. As Lenin used to say, promises are like pie crust...made to be broken. What is currently called Kurdistan is the border region where Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey converge. Kurdish separatist tendencies are a perennial problem for the various regimes. Kurds are also not universally Muslim. Some are Zoroastrian or Christian. Others are even Jewish. Biblical Archaeology Review, in 2018, ran an article on Aramaic, the language of Jesus, which is still spoken by some Kurdish Jews. Jewish mourners kaddish is also in Aramaic. The point is that, with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War, the Middle East was fractured, as were many of the lives of the people living there. Yet now all of the attention is focused on the Palestinians drifters from Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, who came to the pre-existing Zionist enclave seeking economic opportunity. Could it be that the rancor for Israelis being demonstrated outside the Middle East is an expression of latent antisemitism particularly by the adherents of the political left? Could well be so. I grew up thinking antisemitism was an obsolete concept. The awfulness of Hitlers atrocities finally made racism, of any kind, unacceptable throughout the modern world. Before that, polite conversation often portrayed those people as being inferior, whoever they were. The serious quest for universal civil rights began with Hitlers demise. I guess I was wrong. Antisemitism continues to exist. Perhaps the general revulsion to the acts of Hamas and its supporters in our own midst will further vaccinate our world from such evil. Perhaps not. However, unlike the Kurds, who still inhabit their ancient homeland, Jews experienced a diaspora that scattered them throughout the world. Once, while walking around Dublin, Ireland, I saw a bunch of folks coming out of a building. They just didnt seem to look like the typical Irish folks I was used to seeing. They were much more formally dressed. The men had full beards and wore large hats. Then, on the side of the building, I saw the star of David. Later in Galway, I was talking to two fellows in a pub, Kevin and Rory. They asked me if I was visiting relatives. When I said no, they asked if I was Irish. I told them that I am Jewish, and Rory exclaimed that he had never seen one of them before. Kevin, who had lived in America for a while, told Rory that it was really quite common over there. What particularly brings Jews into the crosshairs of antipathy for those of European descent is that they tend to resemble just about anybody else, unlike Asians and Africans. This encourages suspicion. Perceived inordinate prosperity only further encourages this antipathy sometimes taking the form of jealousy. Of course, enlightened progressives are painfully embarrassed by this revelation...or are in complete denial of its existence. It is entirely possible that we are at a turning point where biased fallacies about the Israel-Palestine conflict will finally be debunked. The woke lefts knee-jerk support for victims of colonial occupation will no longer come as close to ringing true. The shark may have at last been jumped. Again, I bring up the plight of the Kurds as a real-world comparison to the manufactured cause celebre of the Palestinians. There are other ethnic minorities that also find themselves sandwiched between dominant forces, such as the Basques, who dwell along the mountainous border between France and Spain. The woke progressives, however, are rending their garments over the damage being inflicted on Hamas and its human shields because Israelis are Jews who have been gathered together after being brought home from their diaspora. Again, the shark has been jumped. Image: scottgunn via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0. On the edge of the cliffs overlooking the English Channel, on a headland one mile south of Treen, in Cornwall, England, is a famous rocking stone. Despite weighing 80 tons, the rock is so finely balanced at its base that it could be rocked backwards and forwards by a child applying only a gentle pressure. Known as Logan Rockfrom the Cornish word logging meaning rockingit is one of several such balancing rocks found in the county. The Logan Rock (top right) at the headland south of Treen, Cornwall. Photo credit: Jim Champion/Wikimedia Commons Rocking stones were once thought to be the work of human hands, connected with Druidic rituals and religious ceremonies. Legend had it that a persons guilt or innocence could be established by a rocking stone. It was believed that the stone would rock at the slightest touch of those pure at heart, but would withstand even a giant's power when exerted by the guilty. As William Mason wrote in his dramatic poem Caractacus,it moves obsequious to the gentlest touch of him whose breast is pure; but to a traitor, Tho' ev'n a giant's prowess nervd his arm, it stands as fixt as Snowdon. The stone was also described by Dr William Borlase in 1754 in his Antiquities of Cornwall. In the parish of St Levan, there is a promontory called Castle Treryn. This cape consists of three distinct groups of rocks. On the western side of the middle group near the top, lies a very large stone, so evenly, poised that any hand may move it to and fro; but the extremities of its base are at such a distance from each other, and so well secured by their nearness to the stone which it stretches itself upon, that it is morally impossible that any lever, or indeed force, however applied in a mechanical way, can remove it from its present situation. Although the rock is well known locally it was through the action of one man that it became far better known throughout Britain during the early 19th century. That man was Lieutenant Hugh Goldsmith, nephew of the poet Oliver Goldsmith. A 19th century engraving of the Logan Rock. In 1824, Goldsmith arrived at Cornwell on the six-gun cutter HMS Nimble, and having heard of the legend of the Logan Rock, decided to test out the theory that the rock was immovable. After having finished their work for the day, Goldsmith took nine men with him to the cliff and with three handspikes attempted to lever the stone off the cliff. This was unsuccessful and the nine men set to work rocking the stone with such vigor, so much so that Goldsmith became concerned it might topple onto them. An order for them to cease came too late and the stone toppled off its mount and fell some feet, fortunately not into the sea where it would have been lost forever, but into a narrow crevice. Once news of Goldsmiths folly reached the townsfolks, it raised a furor. Logan Rock was a popular tourist draw to the area and many families had made of living out of this tourist attraction. A local politician named Sir Richard Vyvyan vowed that he would prosecute the delinquent with the utmost vigour and residents put pressure on the British Admiralty to strip Lieutenant Goldsmith of his Royal Navy commission unless he restored the boulder to its previous position at his own expense. Taken aback by the sharp reaction he had provoked, a remorseful Goldsmith confided to his mother in a letter dated April 24th. He wrote: I knew not that this rock was so idolized in this neighbourhood, and you may imagine my astonishment when I found all Penzance in an uproar. I was to bid transported at least; the newspapers have traduced me, and made me worse than a murderer, and the base falsehoods in them are more than wicked. Fortunately, Goldsmith found support from well-known engineer and politician Davies Gilbert, who persuaded the Admiralty to provide the equipment free of charge as well as donating 25 himself to the cause of setting the stone back in place. The cost of labour and other expenses was to be borne by Goldsmith, which ultimately amounted to a total 130, a sizeable sum in those days especially for a man of little wealth. After months of preparation, work began on October 29, 1824, and by the afternoon of November 2, in front of thousands of spectators and with the help of more than sixty men, the Logan Rock was carefully hoisted back up the cliff and repositioned at its original place. However, it was reported that the stone no longer rocked as easily as it did before. The late Cornish historian Craig Weatherhill asserted that with a series of rhythmic heaves against the south-western corner the rock will begin to move, after which the motion can be kept going with the efforts of one hand. Hoisting the Logan Rock up the cliff. For some time after, the rock was kept chained and padlocked to prevent a reoccurrence but eventually these restrictions were removed, and the rock was set free. The anchor holes used to haul the huge rock back into place are still visible in the surrounding rocks. Goldsmith paid back the debt with interest shortly before his death. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1809 but never further. He continued commanding small vessels until his death at sea in 1841. The Logan Rock of Treen indicated by a red circle. Photo credit: Tom Corser/Wikimedia Commons References: # Ertach Kernow Logan Stone of Treen, Cornwall Heritage # Curious Questions: Who dislodged Britains most famous balancing rock?, Country Life Grassroots healthcare institutions must be fully accessible to children: NHC Global Times) 10:33, December 05, 2023 Grassroots medical and health institutions at all levels should be fully accessible to children and must not refuse treatment, China's National Health Commission (NHC) stated in a notice guiding healthcare institutions nationwide to deliver quality respiratory disease healthcare services during the winter and spring seasons, according to media reports on Monday. The notice emphasizes the need to proactively explore resources and enhance pediatric medical services. All levels of grassroots healthcare institutions must be fully accessible to children, and refusal of treatment is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, a prompt dissemination of a comprehensive list, map, or navigation information for primary healthcare institutions offering pediatric services within their jurisdiction is required. This should clearly specify the location, operational hours, contact number, and available services, facilitating the public in locating and utilizing primary pediatric medical services. For urban community health service centers experiencing high service demand, the notice recommends extending pediatric medical services by one to three hours on weekdays. Alternatively, considering additional clinic hours on Saturdays and Sundays may also be explored to facilitate children's medical visits. The NHC also specified that grassroots medical and health institutions should be directed to facilitate the establishment of independent pediatric clinics or designated areas. These institutions should streamline and optimize the medical consultation process, minimize consultation time, standardize clinic and infusion room disinfection, and ensure prompt ventilation and cleanliness. Grassroots institutions should mobilize general practitioners trained in pediatric diagnosis and treatment to deliver pediatric medical services according to their capabilities, strengthening early identification and diagnosis of respiratory diseases in children and providing timely guidance for the referral of critically ill children. Furthermore, the inherent attributes of simplicity, convenience, effectiveness, and affordability in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) should be harnessed to formulate TCM prevention and treatment strategies, ensuring tailored services for children. The NHC also emphasized the need to enhance support for primary healthcare institutions from comprehensive hospitals. Comprehensive hospitals should allocate a specific proportion of outpatient appointments to be prioritized for primary healthcare institutions, enabling them to offer comprehensive hospital pediatric outpatient services to residents within their jurisdiction. Moreover, the notice recommends utilizing telemedicine or internet healthcare to efficiently redirect pediatric patients, guiding them to seek initial and follow-up consultations at nearby primary healthcare institutions. Comprehensive hospitals should designate personnel to deliver remote medical services or conduct online consultations. The NHC emphasized the crucial role of family doctors. Priority groups meeting vaccination criteria should be directed to receive vaccines for influenza, COVID-19, pneumonia, and other diseases. Family doctors should promptly address the health consultation needs of contracted residents through telephone, WeChat, and the internet. The notice also underscores the importance of ensuring the efficient functioning of fever clinics in primary healthcare institutions and the provision of materials for respiratory disease prevention and control during the winter and spring seasons. Additionally, it calls for enhanced training on pediatric care and the diagnosis and treatment capabilities of respiratory diseases for grassroots healthcare workers. The NHC said that localities should focus on the characteristics of respiratory diseases during the winter and spring seasons and conduct extensive prevention and health education using various forms. According to Hong Kong media reports on Monday, China's top respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan, who was attending an event in Hong Kong, said that there is currently no evidence of a more pathogenic new virus appearing in recent outbreaks of upper respiratory tract infections. He stated that as we enter the winter season, especially in southern China, there is an increase in cases of respiratory tract infections, with children being the main patients. Zhong noted that it is correct to encourage the wearing of masks in schools with a higher number of infected individuals. As for individual cases of COVID-19 infection, Zhong predicted that there will be a small peak from last month to January next year, involving three XBB variant strains of the virus, which have strong transmissibility. However, due to the vaccination, the infection rate is not considered high. He urged the elderly and other high-risk individuals to get booster shots as soon as possible. Otherwise, once infected or if complications worsen, it will increase the risk of death. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stressed the role of mothers in strengthening the internal solidarity of the regime at the first national meeting of mothers in 11 years, state media reported Tuesday. Kim made the remark during his closing speech Monday at the Fifth National Congress of Mothers, which opened its two-day session Sunday in Pyongyang, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The North's leader said mothers have the "primary revolutionary task" of preparing the younger generation well with family education in a bid to help them become the main force of society. "Unless a mother becomes a communist, it is impossible for her to bring up her sons and daughters as communists and transform the members of her family into revolutionaries," he was quoted as saying by the KCNA. Experts said North Korea appears to have held the meeting in a bid to tighten social disciplines and help address the country's low birth rate. In his opening speech at the meeting Sunday, Kim stressed the role of mothers in resolving "non-social" problems and preventing a fall in the country's birth rate. North Korea's total fertility rate the number of children that are expected to be born to a women over her lifetime came to 1.8 in 2023, according to data posted on the website of the U.N. Population Fund. South Korea's unification ministry said Kim publicly mentioned a decline in the birthrate for the first time, an indication that the nation is grappling with the issue. "Adding to the existing policy of encouraging childbirths, Kim highlighted a struggle against non-social problems," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "The congress appeared to be aimed at preventing an ideological deviation by the younger generation and propping up the regime by stressing the importance of family education," the official said. North Korea last held a national congress of mothers in 2012. The inaugural gathering took place in November 1961. (Yonhap) Google is starting to update the Google Messages app with a redesigned text bar, as first spotted by 9to5Google. The move comes just under two weeks after the same site enabled the new text field in Google Messages using hidden code in a recent APK. Google has put a lot of effort into upgrading the Google Messages app following Apples decision to support RCS messaging. With RCS messaging coming to the iPhone next year, the experience of texting between iPhone and Android users will be significantly improved. If the Google Messages app looks clean and crisp, perhaps iPhone users would consider Android. The new changes might require some getting used to for Google Messages users. Previously, the text and media entry bar in Google Messages was just one line. That pushed the text field to the right of the screen, and it couldnt fit a full line of text. Now, the text and media entry bar takes up two lines. Theres a text field on the top of the bar, and media entry tools on the bottom. That includes the button for selecting photos, videos, attachments, emojis, recording voice memos, and more. Advertisement Advertisement There are certainly benefits and drawbacks to this user-interface decision. For one, having message composition span the full width of your smartphones display should be easier on the eyes. Using the previous design, only a few words could fit on one line, which could be jarring. On the contrary, having the text and media entry bar in Google Messages take up two lines limits how many lines of sent and received messages can appear on your screen. The keyboard and composition fields in Google Messages will now be taller, which could require a slight adjustment. When youll see the Google Messages redesign It appears that the Google Messages redesign is rolling out slowly, so there might be a wait before you can try it out. Some users in the Google Messages beta have already started to see the new UI on their phones, but its very limited now. However, the slow beta rollout indicated that the redesign should make its way to all users soon. If you cant wait, you can always sign up to be a beta tester of the Google Messages app. However, since its an unreleased version of the app, you might encounter bugs or issues that arent found on the stable version. You also must agree to share certain information with Google, which it uses to fix those bugs and issues. But if all that sounds alright to you, its possible to get a preview of the new Google Messages redesign now. Samsung has been increasingly using Qualcomm and MediaTek processors in Galaxy products in recent years. Case in point, the Galaxy S23 series shipped with a Snapdragon chip globally, with no Exynos variant. Unsurprisingly, its total expenditure on purchasing smartphone chipsets has increased sharply. The amount has almost quadrupled since 2019. Samsung is spending more on smartphone chipsets than before Samsung is one of the few chip designers with a semiconductor foundry. The likes of Qualcomm and MediaTek are fabless companies, meaning that they dont have manufacturing lines. They depend on Samsung, TSMC, and other foundries to produce their chips. In a sense, the Korean behemoth is semiconductor self-sufficient, as it also makes memory and storage solutions. Advertisement Advertisement However, its semiconductor and mobile divisions work independently and have a buy-sell relationship. So the mobile unit has the freedom to buy chips from external companies. With flagship Exynos products struggling to compete against Snapdragon, Samsung decided to ditch in-house chips for the Galaxy S23 series this year, leading to the cancellation of the Exynos 2300. While consumers applauded it for the bold decision, it was a massive loss for the company as a whole. The chip division lost a major client, while the smartphone unit saw its expenses grow. Even if it gets a competitive price, buying semiconductors from external companies has added costs related to production and inventory management. Tipster Revegnus has shared data showing how Samsungs chip expenses have increased in recent years. According to the new report, Samsung purchased chips worth $6.943 billion in the first three quarters of 2023. The total spending in 2019 was just $2.3 billion, so the amount has almost quadrupled over the past four years. It spent $4.3 billion in 2020, $4.8 billion in 2021, and $7.1 billion in 2022. The Q1-Q3 total for this year is 10.4 percent higher compared to the same period last year. So the total amount for 2023 may surpass $8 billion. The Galaxy S24 will have an Exynos variant The growing share of Qualcomm and MediaTek processors in Galaxy smartphones and tablets added to Samsungs chip expenses in recent years. The company may salvage the situation a little next year thanks to the return of flagship Exynos solutions. The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ will ship with the Exynos 2400 in some markets, including Europe and India. The US and a few other regions will get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The Galaxy S24 Ultra, meanwhile, will be powered by the Snapdragon chip globally. Since the Ultra model usually accounts for the majority of all Samsung flagship sales, the share of Exynos chips will be paltry in front of the Snapdragon. However, the Korean firm has a bigger plan for 2025. Its smartphone division is developing a custom processor for the Galaxy S25, so the Snapdragon might be phased out completely in a couple of years, at least from the flagship lineup. Samsungs 2025 flagship smartphones may feature Sony cameras. Details are scarce but the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will reportedly bid adieu to the 50MP ISOCELL GN3 sensor the company has used for the past three years and switch to a new primary camera made by the Japanese firm. The Ultra model will feature a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL sensor. The Galaxy S25 series may feature Sony cameras Samsung debuted the ISOCELL GN3 with the Galaxy S22 series last year. The smaller two models featured the 50MP camera (an upgrade from a 12MP unit) while the Ultra model kept the 108MP from the previous year. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ didnt get a newer primary camera but the Galaxy S23 Ultra upgraded to a 200MP unit. Next year, the Korean firm isnt changing the primary camera for any Galaxy S24 model. Advertisement Advertisement But for the 2025 flagship lineup, Samsung appears to have different plans. Firstly, it is rumored to be working on a 1-inch 200MP smartphone camera. While theres no evidence linking it to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, we cant completely rule out the possibility. After all, 200MP cameras are reserved for Ultra flagships and the 2025 model is said to stick to an ISOCELL sensor. The Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+, on the other hand, will reportedly switch to Sony cameras. The information reached us courtesy of X tipster Revegnus. Unfortunately, the source didnt disclose further information. There is no word on the sensor size or resolution. It remains to be seen whether Samsung will stick to 50MP sensors or upgrade the phones to higher-resolution cameras. Theres still more than a year to go for the Galaxy S25 series. Samsung has yet to unveil the Galaxy S24expected in January 2024. It may still be evaluating the right camera hardware combination for the 2025 flagships. If the firm finds it suitable, it may change a few things before the phones enter production. We will keep you posted. The 2025 Samsung flagships may also debut its Dream Chip The Galaxy S25 series may be notable for many reasons. Apart from a big camera overhaul, the 2025 flagship lineup is also expected to debut Samsungs Dream Chip. It is a custom SoC developed by the companys smartphone division for Galaxy flagships (current Exynos chips are developed by the semiconductor division and are more general-purpose solutions as any brand can use them). Whether the Dream Chip will finally fix Samsungs Exynos woes, time will tell. Recent rumors circulating on the Chinese social media platform Weibo suggest that Sonys upcoming camera flagship, the Sony Xperia 1 VI might match the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max in terms of display size, possibly reaching a whopping 6.9 inches. However, enthusiasts of Sonys Xperia series might end up with concerns over the ergonomics and usability of the device due to this larger display. For someone wondering how a bigger screen on Sonys upcoming device may create such a concern, for the past few generations of Xperia devices Sony has on one hand adopted the taller 21:9 aspect ratio, and on the other, the company has kept the top bezel thick to house the front camera inside and keep the display uninterrupted. Advertisement Advertisement But if the rumor of a 6.9 display in the next Sony flagship is true, then the phone will have to eliminate the top bezel, to keep the phone in a usable size. There are under-display camera solutions for providing an uninterrupted display experience, however, it hinders the image quality as the display pixels in front of the lens arent fully transparent. Xperia 1 VI will likely adopt the ultra-micro-hole front camera given it brings a 6.9 display The slim top bezel in traditional smartphones houses a variety of sensors, such as the ambient light sensor or the proximity, but not the front camera. The front camera is big enough to make it impossible to fit in that area. So manufacturers had to adopt the punch-hole design for the camera, and whoever cares about the quality of the image, still makes a hole in the premium display panel to date. As Notebookcheck predicts, we might finally see the previously anticipated ultra-micro-hole or micro-matrix front camera. It will allow the bezel to shrink without having to hide the camera under the display. However, the specifics of this camera technology remain a mystery for now. This innovative solution was initially expected for the Xperia 1 V but didnt materialize in the final product. Now, it seems Sony is revisiting the idea for the Xperia 1 VI. A Spanish media organization encompassing 83 separate outlets is suing Meta, according to a lawsuit filed Friday and reported by Reuters. The AMI media association filed the lawsuit in commercial court with the support of its member media outlets. The lawsuit claims that Meta violated European Union advertising rules which fostered unfair competition in the advertising sector. The lawsuit, which seeks 550 million ($600 million), is the latest legal challenge Meta faces in the EU as a result of its business practices. If the case raised by the Spanish media is successful, it could serve as a precedent for outlets in other EU countries. Of course, in any other EU country, the same legal proceeding could be initiated, said Nicolas Gonzalez Cuellar, a lawyer who represents AMI, to Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Spanish media claims Meta violated EU ad rules The lawsuit alleges that Meta used its large collections of data, obtained through ownership of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, gave it an unfair advantage in advertising. The news organizations called Metas use of personal data massive and systemic. More importantly, the Spanish media outlets argue that Meta collected this data in violation of EU rules. The case hinges upon the EUs General Data Protection Regulation, which has been in place since 2018. This policy outlines exactly when and how personal data collection is permitted. There are six qualifications for personal data collection in the EU, and at least one must be met for it to be lawful. However, the one that applies to a private tech company like Meta is expressed consent. The regulations stipulate that personal data collection is lawful if the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes. The AMI media association says that Meta collected this data without getting user consent. So, the legal challenge is less about the fairness of competition. Instead, it hinges upon whether Meta has collected data in accordance with EU rules. Since Meta uses personal data for its target ads, a violation could have cost media organizations a lump sum of ad revenue. The EU upholds some of the strictest regulations in the world with regard to data privacy and advertising. Thats why it makes sense for news organizations to challenge Meta in this jurisdiction. The latest effort comes as news organizations struggle to earn significant revenue in the digital era. Just last month, a report surfaced that fair compensation for news outlets by social media sites and search engines would amount to a figure of $14 billion. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra could end up using an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner (under the display, of course). Many other flagships already use this tech. Samsung is, as well as OPPO, and a number of other companies. Xiaomi hasnt done it for a long time, since the Xiaomi 5s. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is expected to utilize an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner The information that Xiaomi will start using an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner comes from Digital Chat Station. That is one of Chinas most prominent tipsters, and hes rarely wrong. So we dont really have a reason to doubt him. The information has been relayed by GizmoChina, and has also been reshared by Digit.in. Advertisement Advertisement The vast majority of smartphone OEMs still rely on optical under-display fingerprint scanners. Those fingerprint scanners are technically less secure, and inferior. Still, the level of security is very high. Some optical fingerprint scanners out there have been outstanding. Xiaomi has been using them for a while, and they worked like a charm. The same goes for a number of other companies. Ultrasonic fingerprint scanners are technologically more advanced, and more secure too Ultrasonic ones are more secure and technologically more advanced. They dont really require the amount of light the optical ones do in order to function. They also dont take pictures of your fingerprint in order to verify it. The technology is different, more advanced. Xiaomi stayed away from this technology for quite some time. Optical fingerprint scanners worked fine for them, but its nice to see the company will upgrade. That is especially true considering that ultrasonic scanners have improved a lot since Xiaomi first used them. As a side note, the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro devices were announced not long ago. Those are the companys current flagships. They do not include ultrasonic fingerprint scanners, but rather optical ones. They do work really well, though. In any case, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is tipped to arrive next year, likely in Q2 2024. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra launched in April this year, so were presuming Xiaomi will stick to that release cycle. Things could change, though, of course. Posted on: December 5, 2023 1:11 PM Africas Anglican Primates have sent a statement of solidarity to the Primate and the faithful of the Episcopal Church of Sudan. The statement was signed by Archbishop Albert Chama, Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) Chairman, Primate of the Church of the Province of Central Africa and Bishop of the Diocese of Lusaka, on behalf of the Primates. Eight months on from the start of the civil war in Sudan, the statement summarises the devastating impact it is having on the lives of thousands. It states: The conflict has taken a severe toll resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, widespread property destruction, and the displacement of nearly a million people from their homes. It continued: We, the Africa Anglican Primates, meeting for fellowship and consultation, extend this message of solidarity to our Brother, Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo, Primate of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, all the members of the Episcopal Church and the entire Sudanese community, both at home and abroad. We want to assure you of our ongoing prayers and steadfast support during these challenging times.... As the Council of Africa Anglican Primates, we strongly condemn these actions and stand united against such acts of violence and destruction. The Primates expressed their unwavering support of the church in Sudan and urgently call on General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and General Mohamed Hamdan Daaglo of the Rapid Support Forces to reconsider their motivations for resorting to armed conflict and instead engage in peaceful negotiations. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said in a statement on social media: I stand in solidarity with my brother Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo and the people of Sudan, as the nation continues to suffer devastating violence and loss. The civil war is bringing unimaginable agony to far too many. Thousands have died, many more have been displaced and there are reports of destruction and looting of church properties and healthcare facilities. I urgently appeal for a just peace and an end to the killing. Human life is sacred and must be protected and preserved at all costs. The African Primates statement concluded in reminding the members of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the entire Sudanese community that the Lord is with them and that it is He who brings wars to an end and renders weapons powerless (Psalm 46:9). Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, said: I fully endorse the statement made by CAPA. I was encouraged to read the statement and extend my solidarity to the Church and people of Sudan. Let us continue to pray for a peaceful end to this conflict. Read the full statement here. Pyongyang accuses Washington of double standards By Lee Hyo-jin North Korea is wrong to accuse the United States of having double standards when it comes to spy satellite launches, analysts said, Tuesday, as Pyongyang's action a clear violation of international laws contrasts with South Korea's adherence to established protocols in its satellite launch. The South Korean military successfully launched its first indigenous spy satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, Friday (local time), around a week after North Korea placed its own military reconnaissance satellite into orbit for the first time on Nov. 21. Unlike Seoul's satellite launch, North Korea's move drew condemnation from the U.S., which labeled it a "brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions." In response, the reclusive regime argued that its satellite launch was the "legitimate and just right of a sovereign state," claiming that it is not different from South Korea's latest launch of its own spy satellite. "It is a space-level tragicomedy that the U.S., going frantic with illegal denunciation and sanctions moves over the exercise of the DPRK's sovereignty, has shown behavior based on double standards by launching a spy satellite of the 'Republic of Korea' (ROK) in a shameless manner," a spokesperson for North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) said in an article released by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Monday. The Republic of Korea (ROK) is South Korea's official name, while DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. The article added, "Ten years ago, the U.S. claimed that South Korea's satellite launch is different from that of North Korea as the former has no military intention. And now we wonder how absurdly the U.S. would justify the launch of the ROK's spy satellite which has a clear military purpose." Experts, however, viewed that North Korea's satellite launch constitutes a clear violation of multiple international laws. "Broadly speaking, any country has the right to pursue space exploration. But in the case of North Korea, the recent launch of its space vehicle using ballistic missile technologies is clearly prohibited under international law, said Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718, which was passed shortly after Pyongyangs October 2006 nuclear test, bans North Korea from launching ballistic missiles or carrying out further nuclear tests, he added. Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, echoed that sentiment, highlighting the use of ballistic missile technologies in the satellite launch, as well as the speculated assistance from Russia, which violates U.N. Security Council resolutions. Under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2270 adopted in 2016, U.N. member states are banned from providing technical assistance to North Korea, along with training and services related to the production, use and maintenance of arms. "In addition to the legitimacy issue, the North's satellite deployment was a part of the regime's plan to enhance its military power to reach the ultimate goal of communization of the whole Korean Peninsula, another reason why its action cannot avoid international criticism," Park said. The professor also said that Pyongyang will continue propaganda efforts in order to portray the recent developments related to spy satellites as a competition in space between two soverign states. U.S officials refuted North Koreas claim that Washington has double standards. "South Korea is not the subject of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions over its (North Korea's) dangerous and destabilizing activities in this area," Matthew Miller, the state department's spokesperson said during a press briefing, Monday (local time), in response to a query about the difference between the two Korea's military satellite launches. Heathrow airport is preparing for its second-busiest December on record as air travel continues to approach pre-pandemic levels. The west London airport said it expects 6.5 million passengers will travel through its terminals this month, with New York, Dubai and Delhi among the most popular Christmas routes. That would be a 10% increase on the figure of 5.9 million in December 2022 and behind only 2019 (6.7 million) for Heathrows most passengers in the final month of a year. The airport is hosting ballet performances in December (Matt Alexander/PA) The airports recovery towards pre-coronavirus levels in recent months has been partly driven by a surge in the number of flights to and from Asia. Passengers arriving at Terminal 5 on Tuesday were greeted by the sight of ballet dancers performing a piece named The Reunion choreographed by former Birmingham Royal Ballet first artist Ruth Brill. Heathrow said the dance aims to convey the huge sense of emotion and joy that many travellers feel when they finally touch down and are reunited with friends and family for the festive season. Repeat performances will take place at 2pm on December 12 and 22. Ballet dancers perform at Terminal 5 (Matt Alexander/PA) Heathrow director of services Tonia Fielding said: December at Heathrow is always a special time, with passengers jetting off to festivities with family and friends. And on the other hand, so many people choose this month to return to the UK to celebrate a long-awaited reunion. For all these passengers the Christmas journey starts at Heathrow, so were proud to give them a performance to remember by taking a much-loved Christmas tradition for many families ballet and using it to showcase these emotional reunions in a way that really does them justice. By working with the talented Ruth Brill, I think weve succeeded in conveying the magic of the Christmas period for every passenger young or old, first-time flier or seasoned traveller. Ms Brill said: It has been an honour to be tasked with telling the story of festive reconnections through dance. The message of loved ones being reunited at Christmas and all the emotions that come along with it is a strong one that moves many of us. Heathrow is also hosting local choir performances, visits from Father Christmas and festive arts and craft activities. Dominic West hails The Crown as having a place in history as series ends Dominic West has said The Crown has a place in history ahead of the final instalment landing on Netflix. The British actor, 54, plays Charles, Prince of Wales, in the royal drama and appeared at a celebration for the finale at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Tuesday along with the other stars. West said: I mean, it sounds corny, but I do feel very lucky to have been part of something which I think people will look back on as being a very major British TV show, that has its place in history. (I felt) immense pressure. I mean, apart from the fact that this is a very difficult time in his life. I was in this huge show that Josh OConnor had done so brilliantly in, so ultimately, you have to forget all that and there was so much pressure, and I sort of thought, F*** it, Ill just have fun. Charles was played by OConnor during seasons three and four before West took over for the fifth and sixth instalment. Elizabeth Debicki, Khalid Abdalla and Emma Corrin at The Crown finale (Ian West/PA) Netflix came under fire during season five, which was criticised by Dame Judi Dench and former prime ministers Sir John Major and Sir Tony Blair. The streaming giant has said the show is a fictional dramatisation of events. Lesley Manville, who plays the Queens sister Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, called it a wonderful experience. She said: You know, shes such a complex, fabulous woman and having all of those layers to her. I mean, we know shes was the party girl, the wild girl, the naughty one, the rebellious one, the funny one. But Im playing her when she is still all of those things but she begins to be crushed by illness, and then at the end shes quite lonely and lost. So its been terrific to play her, really terrific. James Murray, Beau Gadsdon, Dominic West, Meg Bellamy, Ed McVey, Marcia Warren, Madeleine Arthur, Claudia Harrison, Sir Jonathan Pryce, Imelda Staunton, Elizabeth Debicki, Bertie Carvel, Lesley Manville, Olivia Williams, Khalid Abdalla, Salim Daw, Sebastian Blunt and Luther Ford (Ian West/PA) Margaret was played by Harry Potter star Helena Bonham Carter and Napoleon actress Vanessa Kirby over the course of The Crown. Part one of the final series, which followed the burgeoning relationship between Elizabeth Debickis Diana, Princess of Wales and Khalid Abdallas Dodi Fayed, and their deaths in a Paris car crash, received mixed reviews from critics. Debicki and Abdalla also attended the celebration night and were dressed in white alongside Emma Corrin, who played Diana in season four. Another Harry Potter star, Imelda Staunton, played the late Queen for the last two seasons, and Sir Jonathan Pryce who plays Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, during the latest season also attended. Part two of The Crowns sixth season will be released on Netflix on December 14, marking the end of the hit series. Kate Garraway has shared her plans for a family Christmas after husband Derek Draper was taken back into hospital. The Good Morning Britain host's life has changed dramatically since March 2020, when Draper contracted COVID and went on to spend over a year in hospital. Although he is now back home, he needs round-the-clock care and has been in and out of hospital care since - including recently being admitted hospital again for further treatment. Derek Draper now needs round-the-clock care. (ITV) Garraway, 56, told OK! magazine: "Dereks in hospital having some treatment. Its not an emergency thing, its not a dramatic rush back into intensive care thank goodness its something that started last year that we hope will lead to improvement." Read more:Kate Garraway speaks candidly about realities of life with Derek Draper (HuffPost) She opened up on her Christmas plans with Draper, 56, their two children Darcey, 17, and William, 14, and their wider family, explaining why she was planning to host everyone from both sides at their London home. "Its a practical solution because its quite challenging for Derek to travel," she said. "So its easier for people to come to us, which means they have to suffer my cooking." Derek Draper attended Kate Garraway's MBE service earlier this year. (Getty Images) (Pool via Getty Images) Garraway also added that she was planning to space Christmas celebrations out over four or five days to see as many family as possible. Despite Draper's tough new reality, the broadcaster said that she was staying positive about what the future could hold for his recovery. She said: "Every day we wait and see. There isnt a dramatic improvement, but touch wood things havent gone backwards either. So were adjusting to a new normal." Garraway has made two award-winning documentaries about how his illness has affected their lives, as well as publishing two books about their experiences. Kate Garraway says she will welcome her whole family to their home this Christmas. (Getty Images for Hearst) (Dave Benett via Getty Images) She recently told the podcast Emotionally Speaking: "One of the challenges with Derek is we've never felt like he is safe, so every infection and rush back to hospital might be the moment he is taken from us. We are still hopeful he will improve but we have no clear timeline on this." In September, Garraway had spoken to Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden for Heart Breakfast where she had also spoken about her constant worries for her husband. She said: "We still dont know just how much better Derek can get, or worse. So really every time he has a rush into hospital, were still in that adrenaline phase of, 'is this the moment where he could be taken from us'. But also, theres so many spikes of progression that no ones giving up hope that there isnt going to be a movement forward. So its managing that rollercoaster." James Cleverly has insisted his new legally-binding treaty with Rwanda addresses all of the reasons that caused the Supreme Court to deem the Governments flagship asylum policy unlawful. The Home Secretary said he cannot see any credible reason to question the nation now after he signed the deal in Kigali, where he hopes the first migrant flights will land in the spring. Mr Cleverly said categorically at a post-signing press conference on Tuesday that the UK has not paid any more money to Rwanda in addition to the 140 million already handed over. But he signalled that there will inevitably be further costs to cover the new burdens imposed on the Rwandan legal system. Of course, when a country is taking on responsibilities as Rwanda is doing, it is right and proper that there is remuneration to reflect the additional costs that they are bringing on, Mr Cleverly said. The Home Secretary promised that emergency legislation will come before Parliament soon to determine that Rwanda is a safe destination, under the second tier of the Governments approach. But he could not guarantee that the first group of asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on small boats would be sent to Kigali on a one-way ticket in the coming months. Home Secretary James Cleverly, left, with Rwandan minister of foreign affairs Vincent Biruta after signing the treaty (Ben Birchall/PA) Instead, he told reporters: We want to see this part of our wider migration plan up and running as quickly as possible. We feel very strongly that this treaty addresses all of the issues raised by their lordships in the Supreme Court and we have worked very closely with our Rwandan partners to ensure that it does so. He said he cannot see any credible reason to question Rwandas track record, adding: I really hope that we can now move quickly. On November 15, the UKs top court blocked the policy over concerns that genuine refugees could be wrongly sent back to their countries of origin where they would face persecution. (PA Graphics) In an attempt to rectify this, the new treaty means British and Commonwealth judges will preside over a newly-established appeals process within Rwandas high court for exceptional cases. Another key measure is a commitment that no-one will be removed by Rwanda to any other country other than to the UK. Experts from the UK will also be seconded to Rwanda to assist with the processing of asylum decisions. People sent to Rwanda will have free legal assistance funded by the taxpayer throughout the process. The Supreme Court ruled against the Governments plan last month (Tom Pilgrim/PA) Mr Cleverly said no new money was directly connected to the document following disputed reports of a 15 million top-up payment, but did not rule out additional costs in the future. Let me make it clear. The Rwandan government has not asked for and we have not provided any funding linked to the signing of this treaty, he said. The financial arrangement which inevitably comes as part of an international agreement reflects the costs that may be imposed on Rwanda through the changes that this partnership has created in their systems, in their legal systems and their institutions. After signing the deal with Mr Cleverly, Rwandas foreign affairs minister Vincent Biruta expressed his frustration at the judgment by some of the UKs top justices. Rwandan president Paul Kagame, left, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Stefan Rousseau/PA) He suggested internal UK politics may have played a role and said his country has been unfairly treated by the courts, international organisations and the media. But he committed to improving the Rwandan asylum system so it is fair and transparent. The Law Society of England and Wales was sceptical, saying it remains unclear how the treaty will overcome the Supreme Court ruling based on a well-established principle of international law. Nick Emmerson, the president of the professional association representing solicitors, argued that neither the deal nor new legislation can overnight provide adequate means of safeguarding the rights of people removed to Rwanda. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met Rwandas president Paul Kagame on the sidelines of the Cop28 climate talks in Dubai on Friday as part of the push to finalise the deal. Mr Cleverly is the third home secretary to travel to Rwanda since Priti Patel signed the initial deal last April. His predecessor, Suella Braverman, visited Kigali earlier this year. But so far no asylum seekers have been sent to the country due to the hard-fought legal battles. Labours Yvette Cooper said more home secretaries than asylum seekers have been sent there and the scheme is badly failing. The shadow home secretary added: Already the Government has given Rwanda more than 140 million and they are refusing to come clean on how much in total this is costing or how they will ever make it work. All we know is that even if it ever does get off the ground, it will only cover a very small number of people when over 1,000 people arrived in small boats last week alone. This is just more Tory asylum chaos. North Korea has shut down its missions in Senegal and Guinea in an apparent move to reduce spending amid economic difficulties, a South Korean foreign ministry official said Tuesday. The latest shutdowns came after the sanctions-hit country closed its embassies in Angola, Nepal, Bangladesh, Spain and Uganda in recent months. The total number of North Korean diplomatic missions had dropped from 53 to 46 as of Tuesday, according to the official. North Korea established diplomatic ties with Senegal and Guinea in 1972 and 1969, respectively. The official pointed to economic difficulties from prolonged global sanctions as the biggest factor in the recent shutdowns. The official said Hong Kong had not been added to the list yet as the withdrawal was not updated on the website of the city government. Foreign media outlets earlier reported Pyongyang has shut down its mission in Hong Kong. Last month, North Korea said it is closing and opening new diplomatic missions "in accordance with the changed global environment and national diplomatic policy," without elaborating. Rather than receiving funds from Pyongyang, North Korea's diplomatic missions are known to secure funds for operations through illicit trade and commercial activities, and send remittances to their home country, according to former North Korean diplomats who have defected to South Korea. South Korea's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, assessed the recent shutdowns as an apparent sign of North Korea's faltering economy, worsened by global sanctions over its nuclear tests and its long-range rocket launches. North Korea has been under tightened U.N. sanctions, which call for, among other things, a ban on the country's exports of coal and other mineral resources to cut off North Korea's access to hard currency. (Yonhap) Home Secretary James Cleverly will sign a new treaty for the Governments stalled asylum deal during a visit to Rwanda. Mr Cleverly is travelling to Kigali as Rishi Sunak bids to make the plan to send migrants to the African nation legally watertight after the Supreme Courts ruling against the policy. Domestic legislation is also planned so Parliament could assert Rwanda is a safe destination for asylum seekers who arrive in Britain. The Supreme Court ruled against the Governments plan last month (Tom Pilgrim/PA) Mr Cleverly will meet his counterpart, Vincent Biruta, to sign the treaty and discuss key next steps on the so-called migration and economic development partnership, the Home Office said. He will also visit the genocide memorial in Kigali and staff at the British High Commission during his first overseas visit as Home Secretary. Ministers hope the upgraded agreement along with emergency legislation at home will address the issues that led the UKs highest court to rule the Rwanda scheme unlawful. Ahead of his arrival in Kigali, Mr Cleverly said: We are clear that Rwanda is a safe country, and we are working at pace to move forward with this partnership to stop the boats and save lives. Rwandas President Paul Kagame with Rishi Sunak (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Supreme Court recognised that changes may be delivered in future to address the conclusions they reached and that is what we have set out to do together, with this new, internationally recognised treaty agreement. Rwanda cares deeply about the rights of refugees, and I look forward to meeting with counterparts to sign this agreement and further discuss how we work together tackle the global challenge of illegal migration. Confirmed details of the finalised treaty are yet to be disclosed but reports have swirled about what it will contain. There has been speculation that Rwanda is pushing for more money on top of the 140 million already committed to the scheme. The Sunday Times reported that the capital of Kigali is to be given a 15 million top-up payment to agree fresh terms on the agreement to take migrants who arrive in the UK on small boats. Priti Patel, as home secretary, signed the initial agreement with Vincent Biruta during a visit to Kigali in 2022 (PA) Mr Sunak met Rwandas President Paul Kagame on the sidelines of the Cop28 climate talks in Dubai on Friday. He declined afterwards to say how much more money he would spend to get the scheme off the ground. Downing Street insisted there had been no demand for extra money from Rwanda. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Certainly I dont recognise that figure of 15 million, theres been no request for additional funding for the treaty made by Rwanda, or not offered by the UK Government. Suella Braverman, then home secretary, met cricketers at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium in Kigali during a visit to Rwanda earlier this year (PA) The Daily Telegraph reported that British lawyers could be sent to advise Rwandan judges, perhaps for specific asylum case hearings or for longer periods, to help ensure appeals are granted correctly, although the Kigali government is unlikely to accept any arrangement which would look like colonial-style legal interference. When Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer was pressed on whether British lawyers could be stationed in Rwandas courts, she told BBC Breakfast on Monday: There is an issue about processing and I know that the Home Office are looking at that very carefully. I know that the Home Secretary James Cleverly is now working with Rwanda on a new treaty, and we will be bringing forward legislation in due course. After the Supreme Court judgment on November 15, the Government insisted it had been working on contingency measures and promised a treaty with Rwanda within days along with emergency legislation in Parliament, but so far neither has emerged. Mr Cleverly is the third home secretary to travel to Rwanda since Priti Patel signed the initial deal in April last year. His predecessor, Suella Braverman, also visited Kigali earlier this year. The Home Secretary has signed a fresh treaty with Rwanda amid efforts to get the Governments stalled asylum deal off the ground. James Cleverly travelled to Kigali and signed the agreement on Tuesday as Rishi Sunak bids to make the plan to send migrants to the African nation legally watertight after the Supreme Courts ruling against the policy. Domestic legislation is also planned so Parliament could assert Rwanda is a safe destination for asylum seekers who arrive in Britain. Confirmed details of the finalised treaty are yet to be disclosed but reports have swirled about what it will contain. Home Secretary James Cleverly speaks during a press conference in Kigali (Ben Birchall/PA) There has been speculation that Rwanda is pushing for more money on top of the 140 million already committed to the scheme. The bid to send some asylum seekers on a one-way trip to the African nation was dealt a blow when the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful last month. After the judgment on November 15, the Government insisted it had been working on contingency measures and promised a treaty with Rwanda within days along with emergency legislation in Parliament, but the wait has gone on for more than two weeks. The Rwanda proposal is seen as key to delivering on Mr Sunaks pledge to stop migrant boats before a likely general election next year, with January marking a year since he made the commitment. Former home secretary Priti Patel initially signed what she called the world-first agreement with Rwanda in April last year. The Sunday Times reported that the Kigali government is to be given a 15 million top-up payment to agree fresh terms on its agreement to take migrants who arrive in the UK on small boats. Paul Kagame with Rishi Sunak (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Sunak met Rwandas President Paul Kagame on the sidelines of the Cop28 climate talks in Dubai on Friday. He declined afterwards to say how much more money he would spend to get the scheme off the ground. Downing Street insisted there had been no demand for extra money from Rwanda. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Certainly I dont recognise that figure of 15 million, theres been no request for additional funding for the treaty made by Rwanda, or not offered by the UK Government. The Daily Telegraph reported that British lawyers could be sent to advise Rwandan judges, perhaps for specific asylum case hearings or for longer periods, to help ensure asylum appeals are granted correctly, although the Kigali government is unlikely to accept any arrangement which would look like colonial-style legal interference. Jesse Darling has won the 2023 Turner Prize, it has been announced. The Oxford-born artist, 41, who lives in Berlin, received the prestigious art award at Winter Garden in Eastbourne, East Sussex. Previous winners include pottery maker and contemporary artist Sir Grayson Perry, film director and visual artist Sir Steve McQueen and artist Damien Hirst. This years award, which is worth 25,000 and was held adjacent to the gallery Towner Eastbourne the hosts of this years prize, was presented by British rapper Tinie Tempah. The No Medals No Ribbons installation by Jesse Darling (Ben Westoby/Turner Prize/PA) Darling is known for his work with unconventional materials such as welded barriers, hazard tape, office files and net curtains. He has also turned a full-sized roller coaster into the skeletal form of a woolly mammoth. At the end of his acceptance speech, Darling pulled the Palestinian flag out of his coat pocket and waved it amid the conflict in Gaza and Israel. He said art is something that a lot of the public can get behind and explained that it helps develop other skills. Darling claimed that former prime minister Margaret Thatcher lessened the teaching of art in schools because it was not economically productive. He added: She sort of paved the way for the greatest trick that the Tories ever pulled, which was to convince the working people of Britain that study, self-expression, and what the broadsheet supplements describe as culture, is only for particular kinds of people from particular socioeconomic backgrounds, and I just want to say dont buy in, Im talking to the public, Im talking to the British public, dont buy in, its for everyone. Darlings exhibitions are described by the Turner Prize as conveying a familiar yet delirious world that unsettles perceived notions of labour, class, Britishness and power. Born in 1981, he studied at Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London and completed a masters in fine art at University College Londons Slade School of Fine Art in 2014. He works across sculpture, installation, video, drawing, sound, text and performance and in 2021 released a collection of poetry, called Virgins. Darling was originally nominated for the prize for his largest presentation of his work to date, No Medals, No Ribbons at Modern Art Oxford, which features plastic bags put on steel legs like soldiers and mobility aids bent into strange shapes. He was also give the nod for Enclosures at Camden Art Centre, which takes a look at how common land was fenced off from public use by the Inclosure Acts. Darling has also put together solo exhibitions such as Miserere in St Jamess Piccadilly, London in 2022, Gravity Road at Kunsteverein Freiburg in Germany in 2020, Creve at Triangle Asterides in Marseille in 2019 and The Ballad of Saint Jerome in Tate Britain London in 2018. He beat Ghislaine Leung, who had an exhibition featuring water pouring into the exhibition space through an opening in the ceiling; Rory Pilgrim, who delivered a live performance at Cadogan Hall in London; and Barbara Walker, who shone a light on families affected by the Windrush scandal. Tinie Tempah presented the ceremony (David Parry/PA) The 2023 jury, chaired by Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, included Martin Clark, director of Camden Art Centre, and Cedric Fauq, chief curator of Capc musee dart contemporain de Bordeaux. Melanie Keen, director of London museum Wellcome Collection, and Helen Nisbet, chief executive and artistic director at gallery Cromwell Place, were also among the judges. The award goes to an artist born or based in the UK, for an outstanding exhibition or presentation of their work in the past 12 months. The prize will mark its 40th anniversary next year and return to Tate Britain for the first time since 2018. An exhibition of the Turner Prize shortlisted artists is at Towner Eastbourne until April 14 2024. The Princess of Wales sympathised with patients as she officially opened a childrens surgery unit, saying taking a child to hospital is always nerve-wracking. During a tour of Evelina Londons new facility, which enables staff to provide a one-stop service for youngsters needing surgery, Kate said she has accompanied her children to hospital for different things. The new 55 million childrens day surgery unit also has artwork throughout with a space-age theme and is designed to relax the young patients. Chatting to one family in a pre-op cubicle, Kate said: Its always nerve-wracking as a parent; Ive taken mine into hospital for different things. Youre always at least worried but youve got a great team (here). The Princess of Wales with Tony Hudgell (Ian Vogler/PA) Kate was told how families benefit from the one-day service at Evelina, a childrens hospital in Lambeth, central London, and part of Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust. Youngsters can have pre-surgery checks, the operation and recovery all in the purpose-built unit, enabling Evelina to treat an extra 2,300 children a year in addition to 11,000 already receiving surgery. The new surgery unit, which opened to patients in July, is close to the Evelina London site and Kate visited the main building and met one of Evelinas most famous patients, Tony Hudgell, and other children who have benefited from care as they enjoyed an art session. The Princess of Wales during her visit on Tuesday (Ian Vogler/PA) Tony, now aged nine, was 41 days old when he was assaulted by his birth parents, an attack which caused multiple fractures, dislocations and blunt trauma to the face, leading to organ failure, toxic shock and sepsis. He was left untreated and in agony for 10 days, and due to the extent of his injuries both his legs had to be amputated. Jody Simpson, 29, and her partner Anthony Smith were jailed for 10 years in 2018. The young schoolboy launched a fundraising campaigner which has passed the 1.8 million mark, his adoptive parents Paula and Mark Hudgell said after their son met Kate. Mrs Hudgell broke down in tears after Kate posed for a photo with the family and she was hugged by the royal. The Princess of Wales during a visit to officially open the Evelina London Childrens Day Surgery Unit (Ian Vogler/PA) She said afterwards: Im just emotional and overwhelmed, she just makes such an impact and shes just so kind and has such a big heart. Kate is patron of Evelina London and she was joined for the visit by the hospitals chief executive, Gubby Ayida, who paid tribute to the visiting royal. Ms Ayida said: The NHS at the moment weve got waiting lists, backlogs and all that. The feel good factor it brings to all staff its just something, its specialits lifted the whole place, its been amazing. The King is expected to make his first trip to Australia and New Zealand as monarch next year, according to reports in Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the Queen would accompany her husband on the trip in October. A source in the Australian government told the paper the trip had not been formally confirmed by Buckingham Palace, but would coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa. The King greets Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Buckingham Palace (PA) The summit, which takes place every two years and includes the 56 Commonwealth member nations, is scheduled to start on October 21, 2024. The late Queen made 16 visits to Australia during her reign, each accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. She first visited as monarch in 1954, having stopped in New Zealand en route, with the final one coming in October 2011. The royal couples final visit to New Zealand marked her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Buckingham Palace has been approached for comment. Manchester has retained its title as the most generous place in the UK according to GoFundMes annual Giving Report, which shows more than 43,000 donations were made from the northern city. GoFundMe said there has been one donation made every second on the fundraising website in 2023, in a year which saw British donors provide to fundraising campaigns at home and overseas for those displaced by conflicts and natural disasters. In terms of donations made, Manchester tops the list of the top five most generous locations in the UK with 43,135, while Liverpool (36,739), Brighton (19,641), Lisburn (11,122) and Saint Albans (10,474) came in second, third, fourth and fifth respectively. The UK was ranked as the third most generous country in the world per capita, with more than four million donations made this year, while Ireland topped that list for the fifth year running with some 650,000 donations to a population of around five million people. (PA Graphics) This year, British donors provided funds to people affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, those displaced by the earthquakes in Syria, Turkey and Morocco, and to help those impacted by the various storms that battered the country. One such fundraiser was that created for victims of heavy flooding in Chesterfield following Storm Babet which saw vehicles submerged, houses filled with muddy water and people displaced to temporary accommodation and hotels. The fundraiser, organised by a team at Lifehouse Church in the town, has raised more than 92,000, receiving around 1,600 donations so far. Pastor Paul Hollingworth, 48, who has been a senior pastor at Lifehouse Church for 12 years alongside his wife Sarah, 45, said generosity is still at the heart of the majority of the population after people around the nation donated to the cause. Pastor Paul Hollingworth (front) standing with workers from the council in Chesterfield during the clean-up process following heavy flooding (Paul Hollingworth/PA) The water came over and that was it; if you were in your home you could have a go at protecting it, if you werent, there was nothing you could do, Mr Hollingworth told the PA news agency. We set to work, we kind of forgot about ourselves, and just got on with helping people. He said there are up to 700 homes across Chesterfield that have been affected after the River Hipper burst its banks in October, with some still displaced and living in hotels or temporary accommodation, while others are facing the cost of repairs to their homes and businesses. The father-of-two added: People often say that in challenging circumstances that the community always pulls together but I think when you actually see it first-hand, its so inspiring. We had people where their homes had been flooded, but as soon as they had done whatever they needed to do, they were knocking on neighbours doors saying can we help?' The River Hipper in Chesterfield burst its banks in October causing heavy flooding (Paul Hollingworth/PA) Their GoFundMe page was then established and Mr Hollingworth said people from all over the town donated. Weve also had people from all over the nation contributing, people doing charity events, and when you see that in operation, I do think it gives you hope for the future, he said. Things are tighter and we all have to be more frugal with our money but generosity is still at the heart of the majority of the population. He added: The flooding itself means people will be out of their homes potentially for up to a year in some cases and thats why I think GoFundMe helps because it can stay present. Furniture removed from properties in Chesterfield following flooding (Paul Hollingworth/PA) The chief executive of GoFundMe, Tim Cadogan, told PA the organisation has celebrated its billion pound milestone of donations raised from the UK since its inception in 2017, and he estimates a quarter of a billion pounds was raised on the platform in 2023 alone which he said were incredible numbers. Mr Cadogan, who has worked at GoFundMe for three and a half years, added that the combination of the emotional support as well as the financial aid those using the platform receive is so powerful and matters hugely in that sense of solidarity. When you talk to any of our customers who have raised money, every single time they will say the money was really valued, he said. But also the fact that 32 people or 50 people or 500 people, some of whom they dont even know, gave some money and may have offered words of support, that matters hugely in that sense of solidarity and not being alone. Its that combination of financial support and emotion and psychological support which is so powerful. To find out more about the Chesterfield fundraiser, visit: gofundme.com/f/ChesterfieldFloodVictimsAppeal Junior doctors in England are to stage the longest strike in NHS history after talks between their union and the Government broke down. Ministers and representatives from the British Medical Association (BMA) have been locked in negotiations for five weeks, trying to find a resolution to the pay dispute. But the BMA said the Department for Health and Social Care has not been able to put forward a credible offer to end the industrial action. STRIKE DATES ANNOUNCEMENT Junior doctors in England to take further #PayRestoration industrial action. The first strike action will take place from 7am on 20 December to 7am on 23 December. The second will take place from 7am on 3 January until 7am on 9 January. pic.twitter.com/IGjXRX0nV4 Junior Doctors (@BMA_JuniorDocs) December 5, 2023 As a result, the BMAs junior doctors committee has voted unanimously for strikes in December and January, the union said. Junior doctors in England will walk out from 7am on December 20 to 7am on December 23 2023 and from 7am on January 3 to 7am on January 9 2024. The strike in January is six full days thought to be the longest single period of industrial action in the history of the health service, the union said. Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said the Government would immediately look to come back to the table if the junior doctors strikes were called off. Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins described the news of fresh strikes as disappointing (Victoria Jones/PA) She warned that the walkouts will put extra pressure on the NHS during the busy winter period and risk patient safety. Hospital leaders said the breakdown of talks is the outcome they were dreading and warned that the strikes will undermine efforts to cut waiting lists one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks key priorities. Junior doctors were offered a 3% rise on top of the average 8.8% increase they were already given in the summer. But the BMA said the cash would have been split unevenly across different doctor grades and would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors. Meanwhile, the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) announced its junior doctor members would also join picket lines for 72 hours from December 20. (PA Graphics) The union intends to call further strikes in early January pending the outcome of a current reballot which closes on December 20. BMA junior doctors committee co-chairmen Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said in a statement: We have been clear from the outset of these talks that we needed to move at pace and, if we did not have a credible offer, we would be forced to call strikes. After five weeks of intense talks, the Government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline. Instead, we were offered an additional 3%, unevenly spread across doctors grades, which would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors this year. It is clear the Government is still not prepared to address the real-terms pay cut doctors have experienced since 2008. It is a great shame that, even though the approach was more constructive, there was not enough on offer to shape a credible deal, which we hoped would end the dispute. Without enough progress by the deadline, we have no choice but to take action that demonstrates doctors are as determined as ever in reversing their pay cuts. However, we can still avoid the need for these strikes. We will be ready and willing any time the Government wants to talk. If a credible offer can be presented the day before, or even during any action, these strikes can be cancelled. The approach from Ms Atkins and the team has been productive but ultimately that alone is not sufficient to make up for 15 years of declining pay. A year after our dispute started, we are still too far from turning the tide on plummeting pay, morale, and retention of doctors. Rather than waste more time and money and have further disruption to patient care, the Health Secretary needs to make a credible offer now. Ms Atkins said: It is disappointing that, despite significant progress, the BMA junior doctors committee have walked away from negotiations and declared new strikes, which will result in more disruption for patients and extra pressure on NHS services and staff as we enter a busy winter period, risking patient safety. I have been clear that I respect the work of doctors in training and want to work with them to settle this dispute. We have agreed a fair and reasonable offer with the BMAs consultants committee which is being put to members for vote following constructive talks. If the junior doctors committee call off their strikes, we will immediately look to come back to the table to continue negotiations. Commenting on the announcement, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: This is the outcome that trust leaders were dreading. This will be the longest strike in NHS history during the busiest and toughest time of the year for the NHS. These strikes will undermine efforts to cut waiting lists further, theyll have a serious knock-on effect on services right across the NHS, and theyll impact the quality of care for patients. The planning starts now to minimise the impact of this industrial action and safety will be the overarching priority. But, as we have seen with previous walkouts, patients will once again pay the price through renewed delays and disruption. We know this walkout will be especially hard for trusts to manage, given lots of staff will have annual leave booked over the festive period. Strikes have cost the NHS more than 1.3 billion already and more than one million delayed patient appointments. The strikes announced today will only add to the toll. It isnt too late for the Government and unions to sort out this dispute and to prevent more strikes. Trust leaders hope the walkouts will be avoided. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, added: The worst fear of health leaders has come true. The BMA has targeted some very challenging weeks for its next phase of junior doctor walkouts. Over these days the NHS will be focused on responding to higher than usual A&E attendances and trying to safely discharge patients who are well enough to leave hospital so that beds can be prioritised for those with the greatest clinical need. As the government has shown willingness to resolve the dispute with consultants, our members will wonder whether announcing fresh junior doctor strikes at what could be the worst possible moment for the NHS is too hasty and too drastic. Wes Streeting, Labours shadow health secretary, added: On this Governments watch, we will see the longest junior doctors strike in the history of the NHS at a time when the service is under the most pressure. This is a devastating blow for patients who have already had over a million appointments cancelled. The ball is firmly in the Governments court. They must urgently get back around the table with the BMA to avoid disaster this winter, or patients will never forgive them. Consultant doctors from the BMA have reached a deal with the Government which will see consultants earn more money from January 2024, although it will not be paid until April 2024. Englands top hospital doctors are now voting on the deal, which would see them get a pay rise of between 6% and 19.6%. Talks with specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors (SAS) in England are continuing. A woman was stabbed on Moy Road in Aberfan, Wales. (PA) (PA) A man has been arrested after a 29-nine-year-old woman reported to be "heavily pregnant" was stabbed in a village in South Wales. Police confirmed the 28-year-old man was being held on suspicion of attempted murder after an extensive manhunt on Tuesday. Here's what we know and what we don't know so far: What we know Police arrested the man on Tuesday suspect after a 29-year-old woman was stabbed in the Welsh village of Aberfan. A statement from South Wales Police said: Following a report that a 29-year-old woman had been stabbed on Moy Road, Aberfan, Merthyr earlier this morning, officers have arrested a 28-year-old man from Merthyr on suspicion of attempted murder. He is currently in police custody. Officers responded to an incident on Moy Road at about 9.10am. The woman was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for treatment - her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. Police attend the scene in Aberfan, Wales. (Reach) Schools in the area went into lockdown and a community centre has closed as a precaution. A mother has said that her daughters scream alerted neighbours to the stabbing. Lynne Terrett, from Merthyr Tydfil, said her daughter, Kira Terrett, was walking her dog near her home in Aberfan when she witnessed the incident. She said that her daughter looked around after she heard the sound of the woman running towards her. My daughter screamed, and people came out from everywhere. She said that the man who stabbed the woman then fled the scene. If she had not screamed, people would not have gone out, she said, adding that her daughter was very shook up. Katie Roberts, 31, who lives in Aberfan, told Sky News she witnessed the attack. The scene on Moy Road in the village of Aberfan, South Wales, where a woman was stabbed. (PA) (Rod Minchin/PA Wire) She said: "I heard some screams this morning. I looked out my window and saw a man on top of a woman. "I thought he was punching her at first - but then I realised he was stabbing her in the back. "I ran out the house immediately after. I ran to her in the street and held towels against her wounds." Soon after the attack, South Wales Police released a statement confirming the suspect left the scene and armed officers were searching the area. They also said local schools had locked down and urged people to avoid the area. More Wales stories - click above Greenfield School, a special needs school, said all perimeter gates were locked and pupils were being kept indoors. It later announced it was no longer in lockdown. The Trinity Childcare and Family Centre also locked its doors, with all staff and children safe inside. The Wellbeing community centre has also said it is closed until further notice. What is unconfirmed The identity of the woman and the suspect have not yet been released by police. Despite the arrest, the only information we know about the man is his age - 28. We do not know if the suspect and victim knew each other prior to the attack. The exact extent of the woman's injuries have not been established, although police have said they are not thought to be life-threatening "at this time". At least two witnesses have said the woman who was attacked was pregnant, although this is yet to be confirmed. Terrett said her daughter, who witnessed the incident, said the victim was pregnant. Roberts, who said she heard screams, described the victim as "heavily pregnant". She told the BBC the woman who was stabbed was "really brave" and "in shock". She said: "I hope that her and her baby are okay." The British Army could be set to lift a centuries-old ban The British Army is reportedly considering lifting a 300-plus-year ban on beards to attract more recruits. As reported by the Telegraph, current rules state that beards can be grown with only the commanding officers authorisation. The Guardian reported that the move would align the Army with the Royal Navy, which has long allowed full beard and moustache sets, and the RAF, which permitted beards in 2019. Here's all you need to know about the British Army's beard ban and why it is considering ending it. Why are beards banned in the British Army? As reported by the Guardian, the British Army has banned beards except in extreme circumstances or with very specific exceptions since the beginning of the 18th century. The extreme circumstances include operational purposes, such as covert missions. Beards are permitted for some military positions and grades, including Pioneer Sergeants, Drum Majors, Pipe Majors, Bugle Majors, and Goat Majors. They were first prohibited for both practical and historical reasons: hair impedes the formation of an airtight seal around the face by gas masks and other breathing devices. Only moustaches are allowed in the Army. Currently, Royal Navy sailors who want to grow a beard must obtain their commanding officer's consent. Since Prince Harry opted to wear his Army uniform to his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle, his late grandmother the Queen granted him special permission to keep his beard. Do other countries have a similar beard ban? In the military, facial hair has varied over time in other countries. It might be allowed, common, or an essential component of the uniform. Countries with restrictions on beards in the military: United States: The US military generally has strict grooming standards, and beards are not allowed for most service members. Exceptions may be made for certain medical or religious reasons. Russia: The Russian military traditionally has strict grooming standards, and beards are generally not allowed. However, there may be exceptions for religious or health reasons. Countries allowing beards in the military: Israel: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has, in certain cases, allowed soldiers to wear beards for religious reasons. India: The Indian military, in some branches, permits Sikh soldiers to maintain beards as part of their religious practices. Canada: The Canadian military allows beards in some cases, and exceptions may be made for religious or cultural reasons. Is the British Army's beard ban being lifted? The army board executive committee will debate the issue next week, the Sun reported. An Army insider told the publication: Were in a really difficult jobs market. If a ban on beards is putting people off, then it needs to be reconsidered. What is the history of the beards being allowed in the British Army? British soldiers wore beards down to their waists In the Crimean War in the mid-1850s, the Sun reported. It said that until 1916, every soldier was told they had to attempt to grow a moustache. Julian Farrance, a senior curator at the National Army Museum, told the Guardian: A lot of tradition within the British Army comes from the fashion of the day. Beards were allowed right at the start of the 17th century." Home secretary James Cleverly announced a host of measures on Monday aimed at reducing net migration. (Alamy) (Jordan Pettitt, PA Images) New immigration rules that could leave Britons earning less than 38,700 unable to live with their foreign spouses have been branded "draconian", "discriminatory" and "anti-family" by campaigners and lawyers. Changes to the minimum income for family visas announced by home secretary James Cleverly mean that people may be blocked from bringing their loved ones to stay in the country under certain circumstances. Cleverly said UK citizens must be earning at least 38,700 to sponsor foreign family members wishing to gain a visa. Figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that as of 2020/21 the 73rd percentile of the UK population earned less than this month, effectively meaning just under three quarters of Britons could be excluded under the new proposals. The current minimum income to sponsor a spouse or partner is 18,600 more than half of the newly proposed figure prompting concerns that more families could be torn apart by the latest reform. The policy, which is expected to be introduced next spring, was set out by Cleverly as part of a package of proposals aimed at delivering the biggest ever reduction in net migration after levels soared to a record high. We are beyond devastated for the Home Secretary's decision to increase the Minimum Income Requirement to 38,700. Which will come into effect in the Spring. Our hearts are breaking for every couple and family right now. We will update you with more info as soon as we know them Reunite Families UK (@ReuniteDivFamil) December 4, 2023 Recommended reading The ONS revised its net migration figure to put 2022 at a record of 745,000. Cleverly said his new strategy, along with previously announced plans to limit relatives of foreign students entering the country, would bring down numbers by 300,000. Immigration lawyers have said the change to minimum incomes for family visas won't substantially reduce numbers and that the pain of stopping people live with the person they love is not worth the benefits. "Basically, don't fall in love with someone foreign," immigration lawyer Katie Newbury told Yahoo News. The solicitor for law firm Kingsley Napley, who specialises in immigration issues, said she was "genuinely shocked" by Cleverly's announcement, and wouldn't be surprised if a legal challenge was staged against it. She said that before a minimum income threshold of 18,600 was first introduced in 2012, all people had to do was show they could support themselves without relying on public funds. Now, Newbury says that a British citizen's foreign spouse could be earning a substantial amount of money, but this wouldn't be counted towards the 38,700 minimum if they were coming to the country for the first time. A foreign partner could only count their income towards the application if they were earning money in the UK, which is unlikely to be the case if they haven't even arrived in the country yet. If relying on employment or self-employment income, it needs to be on behalf of the British or settled partner, Newbury said, although their money could be earned either in the UK or overseas, depending on the type of income. Newbury added that applicants have to earn an additional amount for each of their non-British children, meaning the threshold could be even higher for many families. While foreign spouses can't rely on their earnings from overseas as they may not be available to them in the UK, they can rely on savings and investments under current rules. Downing Street has since confirmed the minimum income of 38,700 was for a household as a whole. Amount you need to earn, to be eligible to apply for a spouse visa, under the new proposals - 37,800 Median salary in England last year: Men - 35,658 Women - 29,699 Absolutely grim - anti-family, anti-love, anti-humanity. We're all just economic units to these people. pic.twitter.com/k8TJPS7jcg Ruth Stokes (@ruthstokes) December 4, 2023 Even the current lower minimum income has taken its toll, with a 2015 report by the Children's Commissioner claiming that 15,000 children were living in so-called "Skype families" because both of their parents weren't able to live together. With median gross annual earnings for full-time employees in the UK standing at 34,963 in April 2023, according to the ONS, Newbury says "significantly more" families will be torn apart under the new proposal. "I have clients who have money, but they don't meet the rules in a specific way. You can have people who are living with family for free, they have no accommodation expenses, but that doesn't matter. "When they came up with that figure of 18,600 in 2012 it followed a lot of consultation about what they thought the minimum was to stop people having recourse to public funds. This latest figure seems to have been pulled out of nowhere. "It's not huge numbers, so if you're concerned about cutting net migration, this isn't going to do anything. We're not talking hundreds of thousands of people coming in as spouses of British citizens." 'Draconian, discriminatory and serves no real purpose' Jonathan Portes, a professor at economics at King's College University who specialises in immigration and labour mobility, told Yahoo News the proposal for family visas is "very draconian by international standards". He added that given the distribution of earnings in the UK, the policy would be "discriminatory by gender, by ethnicity and by where you live in the country". "It's very important to say that this is a rule that applies to Britons getting married, it's not just immigrants who are affected," he added. Some critics have argued the Home Office's choice of wording, referring to bringing "dependants" to the UK, tries to steer away from the fact British nationals will be prevented from bringing their partners over. Portes added: "I think this is a very sort of clearly socially inequitable and draconian rule which has no real purpose. I suspect this is intentionally vague: it means British people need to earn at least 38,700 (to be evidenced in specific ways) if they want to bring their partner to the UK https://t.co/vtXnOrFlPL Katie Newbury (@KatieNewburyKN) December 4, 2023 "It's not like there's a huge wave of public concern over people marrying people with an income of 25,000 a year marrying foreigners. "I don't think the British public is worried about them in terms of immigration and the numbers in those cases are not that big. "It's hard not to see just the sort of xenophobic gesture to parts of the Tory right with no particular social or economic rationale, but that's my personal opinion." With the new 38,700 requirement, immigration barrister Colin Yeo said about "3/4 of workers" would be ineligible to sponsor a partner. "They will either have to separate and live in different countries or move abroad together," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "The impact on affected children is profound. Women, part time workers, ethnic minorities and anyone outside London will be disproportionately affected. British citizens returning from abroad will also be badly affected." Meanwhile Ben Ansell, a professor of comparative democratic institutions at Nuffield College, Oxford University, wrote: "It is deeply unconservative to say that only people earning above the 73rd percentile of the income distribution can live with who they love. A very, very misguided policy." The prime minister's spokesman said on Tuesday: The family immigration rules contain a provision for exceptional circumstances where there would be unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant, their partner, a relevant child or another family member if their application were to be refused. No examples of such circumstances were given, and the spokesman said applications would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Korea on Monday confirmed a highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) case at a duck farm for the first time during this winter season, the agriculture ministry said. The H5 AI strain was found at the duck farm in the southwestern county of Goheung the previous day, and a follow-up test confirmed the highly pathogenic H5N1 AI strain, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The country last reported an avian influenza case at a poultry farm around April this year. Upon the report, the authorities cordoned off the farm and have implemented quarantine measures, including the culling of more than 20,000 ducks raised there, as a preventive step. They also issued a stand-still order for 36 hours through 11 p.m. on Tuesday. There exists no other poultry farms within a 3-kilometer radius of the farm, the ministry said. It is a must to cull poultry within a 500-meter radius of an affected farm as part of precautionary measures. On Friday, the government raised the warning level against the avian influenza from "attention" to "serious" and has enforced stronger quarantine measures after the H5N1 strain was found from wild birds in the southwestern city of Jeonju. (Yonhap) Ronald Gibbs worked as a partner for the 'magic circle' law firm Linklaters - Champion News A former leading lawyer faces losing a 4 million London house in a court battle with a Saudi princess. Ronald Gibbs, who worked as a partner for the magic circle law firm Linklaters, has been locked in warfare with Saudi royals after agreeing to set up and manage a $25 million (19.7 million) investment fund for Princess Deema Bint Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 2011. He bought shares for the princess in a boat-building company he controlled, a multi-million pound apartment in Montenegro and a 17-million, 40-metre superyacht. But the princess and her brother, Prince Khalid Bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, complained that he failed to liquidate the assets and return the princesss millions after being first asked to do so in 2013. Ronald Gibbs agreed to set up and manage a 19.7 million investment fund for Princess Deema Bint Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 2011 - Champion News Mr Gibbss 4 million house on Kings Road in Richmond, west London, that he bought for his family in 2012, is now at the centre of the long-running legal battle. Princess Deema, who is suing him at the High Court in London, is seeking an order for sale of the house to satisfy a 2.2 million interim damages and costs order that he owes. But the former lawyer is resisting, claiming most of the beneficial interest in the house is owned by his former wife and children. Mr Gibbs, an asset finance lawyer who became a partner at Linklaters, one of the top five London commercial legal firms, agreed to manage the 19.7 million investment pot handed to the princess by her father, former Saudi defence minister Sultan bin Abdulaziz. The money was ultimately invested in an apartment at the Regent Hotel in Porto, Montenegro, superyacht company Silver Arrows Marine Limited and a Sunseeker 131 superyacht named Elysium. The money was invested in an apartment at the Regent Hotel in Porto, Montenegro Simon Atrill KC, representing the princess, said Mr Gibbs had in 2018 agreed to liquidate the investment portfolio by selling the assets, but by 2021 he had not complied. This led to the princess suing him for breach of the 2018 agreement, the High Court heard. After the summary judgment was entered against him for breach of the agreement, he was ordered to pay 582,077.49 interim damages and 1.64 million costs to the princess and her lawyers. Mr Atrill told John Linwood, the High Court judge, that Mr Gibbs has never repaid a penny of the money despite accepting his obligation to do so ... and having the means to do so. In relation to the house at the centre of the claim, the barrister continued: In 2021, Mr Gibbs said including by way of sworn affidavit and through his solicitors that he owned the property 100 per cent beneficially. Mr Gibbs, an experienced solicitor, now seeks to deny that this is what he really meant. A 4 million house in Richmond, that Mr Gibbs bought for his family in 2012, is now at the centre of the long-running legal battle - Champion News Mr Atrill said Mr Gibbs claims that when the house was purchased in 2012, he granted a 50 per cent beneficial interest to Sandra Gibbs, his former wife from whom he separated in 2006, and a 25 per cent beneficial interest to their three children. Mr Gibbs and his former wife are representing themselves at trial. Mrs Gibbs told the judge she cant find the original trust deed, but have provided certified copies, while Mr Gibbs asked the court not to expect him to have legal superpowers because of his former job. In the hearing earlier this year, Mr Gibbs had claimed the costs and damages orders would ruin him, saying: This is warfare against me. The claims were disputed by Mr Atrill. Judgment was reserved. Police tape surrounded the XLerator ride at the Funderpark in Yiewsley, London. (PA) A woman was left in a coma and fighting for her life after being flung out of a dangerous fairground ride, a court has heard. Khadra Ali, 51, visited the Funderpark Fun Fair in Yiewlsey, west London, with two of her children when she was badly hurt in an incident on the XLerator ride. After the ride started spinning, Mrs Ali slipped out of her seat and was flung through the air and landed on the ground, Westminster magistrates court heard. She suffered a broken back, multiple rib fractures, her hip was broken in nine places, she had damage to her lungs, kidneys, and liver, and had bleeding on her brain Mrs Ali spent 49 days in a coma after the accident, which happened on April 10, 2018, and has been left with permanent damage. She has lost function in her arms and legs, she now needs a wheelchair, and has carers to help with basic tasks including washing and dressing. The owner of the ride, Derek Hackett, 64, manufacturer Perrin Stevens, 40, and David Geary, 65, whose company was responsible for safety checks, have all now pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches over the incident. Guilty pleas were entered at Westminster magistrates court (Alamy/PA) The court heard the defendants are set to blame each other for the accident, and have each offered basis of plea statements. There is an issue between all the defendants as to who is the most responsible among them, said prosecutor Alex Stein. He told the court prosecutors from the Health and Safety Executive will argue this is a serious case because of the length of time the funfair ride had been in use. The mechanism was used for many years by many customers, he said. A very large number of members of the public were put at risk. It obviously was a case of serious injury to Mrs Ali. Police tape surrounded the XLerator ride at the Funderpark in Yiewsley, London. (PA) Immediately after the incident at Phillpotts Farm in Yiewsley, a health and safety advisor for the funfair who is not among the defendants was quoted as saying he and other managers were in deep shock at the womans injuries. "We're desperate to know how it happened so we can make sure nothing like that can ever happen again, he said. "It shouldn't have happened. People should come to a fair, have a good time and go home and that's that. Geary, who gave an address in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and his company DMG Technical Ltd, based in Hoxton, north London, admitted health and safety breaches between June 2014 and April 2018. They admitted putting funfair visitors, including Mrs Ali, at risk of uncontrolled ejection from the amusement ride. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram adjourned sentencing until next year, and ordered a hearing on January 16. He was told Hackett, who lives in Radcliffe in Manchester, is currently undergoing a bone marrow transplant for cancer treatment, and may not be well enough for court proceedings. He and Stevens, from Windsor, both pleaded guilty last year, while Geary and his company entered their guilty pleas on Monday, ahead of a planned trial. Stevens and Geary each admitted two health and safety breaches, while DMG Technical and Hackett pleaded guilty to one health and safety breach each. Photograph: Guido Paradisi/Alamy In a mystery that would befit the Sicilian sleuth Inspector Montalbano, police in a mountain village in southern Italy have finally identified the culprit behind a series of slashed tyres. The transgressor first struck in July, targeting cars parked close to the fortified historic centre of Vastogirardi, a village in the Molise region that is home to about 600 residents. The tyres of some vehicles were targeted on more than one occasion, leaving villagers wondering whether a vendetta between neighbours or even mafia-style intimidation was to blame. Four more reports of punctured tyres all parked in the same area in late October prompted police to undertake patrols dressed as civilians in their hunt for the culprit. As the plot thickened, police mounted surveillance cameras and last week found the suspect a dog named Billy. Billy, who lives close to where the cars were parked, was captured on camera biting into the tyres of several cars. It has been very puzzling, as we couldnt work out who could possibly be going around cutting tyres, or what the motive would be, said Remo Scocchera, the deputy mayor of Vastogirardi. It is a peaceful village we knew it couldnt be anyone from outside as we are always aware of any suspicious movements. Scocchera said the issue was frustrating and costly for the owners of cars, especially for those who were struck more than once. It really became a problem people were unable to drive to work because of the punctured tyres, which cost a lot of money. Fortunately, it has now been resolved, and its a positive thing that the perpetrator wasnt a person in the village. Vets said that Billys behaviour could be explained by a severe case of gingivitis, which made him gnaw at the tyres in order to relieve the pain. Police are carrying out more checks before officially sanctioning Billy, whose owner will reportedly be responsible for compensating the car owners. A obsessed man rigged up secret surveillance devices to spy on his housemate before stabbing her to death, a court has been told. Sheldon Rodrigues, 30, was allegedly angry that 39-year-old Stephanie Hansen was seeing a married work colleague and embarked on a campaign to disrupt the relationship. He bought spy devices, used the name of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to send an abusive message via Facebook and complained to their employer, the aviation firm Swissport, jurors were told. The situation allegedly came to a head when Rodrigues learned cargo agent Ms Hansens boyfriend had visited her while he was at work. Ms Hansen was allegedly spied on by the defendant (Metropolitan Police/PA) Shortly before 6am last December 30, Ms Hansens lover, father-of-three Celso Cabillan, left her house in Hayes, west London. Shift worker Rodrigues had been at work the night before but was listening in on the couples date with a Micromax phone hidden in the living room, it was claimed. He arrived home at 6.50am and shortly after exploded with rage and brutally attacked Ms Hansen, who was still in her pyjamas in her bedroom, prosecutor Gareth Patterson KC said. He told jurors: She was stabbed multiple times into the neck. She was battered repeatedly to her head and face with a blunt object or objects. She suffered serious head injuries that involved the use of severe force. Mr Patterson said the defendant denies being the killer but there is a wealth of evidence that he is responsible. After Rodriguess arrest, police uncovered messages showing his long-standing obsession with Ms Hansen, the court was told. In 2015, he told her I want u and she replied nope, jurors heard. In 2021, he wrote: It hurts to see you every day knowing youll never like me, to which she responded: I do like you but just not enough. He appeared not to accept the rejection, offering to change and have surgery to alter his looks, the court was told. On one occasion, he sent her a weblink to a see-through boob tube top which he said he was going to buy for her and rip off, it was claimed. She responded with the message yuke. In April 2021, the pair moved into a house in Willenhall Drive, Hayes, to share bills. Messages between them suggested there had been some intimacy but Ms Hansen only wanted to be friends. She wrote: I knew it was a mistake the first time we went to bed. I should never have done it. The defendant begged for another chance and told her he would wait 50 years for her, the jury was told. Ms Hansen wrote: All this time u been asking me to move in with you and since we have, I have wanted to move out. By late 2022, Ms Hansen was in a relationship with Mr Cabillan, which angered the defendant, the court was told. Rodrigues, who worked as a cargo agent at another firm near Heathrow, used a phone hidden in a television unit as a listening device, Mr Patterson said. He spent 158 hours listening in on Ms Hansen while he was at work or visiting India, where he was born, averaging three hours a day, it was claimed. Last November, he allegedly emailed Swissport under a fake name to complain that Mr Cabillan was loitering about and trying to have an affair with his partner. He followed up with another email alleging employees were smoking cannabis at work. Jurors were told he bought a Spycamera device later found at the house. Mr Patterson said: Examination suggests the defendant used this device to try to make secret recordings inside the house, again showing his ongoing obsession with Stephanie Hansen and desire to monitor her relationship with her new boyfriend. A spy plug covert listening device was also found on a shelf in the defendants bedroom, the court was told. On December 8, the defendant allegedly used the name Jamie Oliver to message Ms Hansens boyfriend via Facebook saying his girlfriend and child would be kidnapped, jurors heard. Two days later, he paid a man 100 to drive him around in a car and follow Mr Cabillan, it was alleged. Mr Cabillan realised he was being followed and reported it to police but the defendant denied it. On December 20, Rodrigues allegedly messaged Ms Hansen to say he had been a psycho. But later that evening, he was searching the internet for how to make a woman fall in love with him, the court was told. Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Mr Cabillan leaving Ms Hansens home early on December 30. The defendant was later to claim Mr Cabillan was the killer and wrote a letter to Swissport saying: He killed my housemate Stephanie Hansen the night he stayed at the house. I found her upon returning home. Mr Patterson said she was alive and well after Mr Cabillan left, as she sent a string of text messages and used Siri on her phone. She did not leave the house to go to Westfield shopping centre as she had planned, and WhatsApp messages from Mr Cabillan after 7am went unread, jurors were told. While Ms Hansens body lay in her bedroom, the defendant visited Boots for bandages for a deep cut to his hand which he said he got from household work, the court heard. The defendant set about laying a false defence sending text messages to Ms Hansens phone asking where she was and pretending she was still at Westfield, it was claimed. Mr Patterson said: Of course, he knew fine well exactly where she was, lying on the floor of her bedroom in that small house in which he remained for around 24 hours. He eventually rang the emergency services and pretended that he had just found the body unexpectedly. Rodrigues allegedly lied to an officer at the scene, saying he cut his hand carving a chicken on Christmas Day, although more recent CCTV evidence showed him giving a colleague a high five at work. A bloodstained hairdryer and large fan with the defendants fingerprints on them were allegedly used to hit Ms Hansen, the jury was told. Jurors were shown a picture of the victims bare legs with drops of the defendants blood on them. It was alleged the defendants DNA, most likely from semen, was found on her stomach. Mr Patterson said: The evidence of the injuries shows that this was a vicious attack, the knife wounds numbering 20 in total, the blunt impact injuries numbering 39. Rodrigues, of Willenhall Drive, Hayes, west London, denies murder. The trial continues. Will the new Rwanda treaty see flights get off the ground? The Prime Ministers promise was a straightforward one he vowed to stop the boats as thousands of asylum seekers crossed the Channel without authorisation. But as crossings continued, the pledge has been complicated by legal challenges arguing that forcibly removing migrants to Rwanda is against their rights and the law. The Supreme Court delivered Rishi Sunak a blow by ruling that his policy was unlawful. Five of the UKs most senior justices ruled the scheme could not go ahead as it was. They cited a long list of concerns about Rwanda as they concluded there was a real risk that genuine refugees could be sent back to their country of origin, where they would face ill-treatment. Now Home Secretary James Cleverly has travelled to Kigali to sign a fresh treaty as part of Mr Sunaks goal of making the plan to send migrants to the African nation legally watertight. What does the treaty contain? Mr Sunak is pinning his hopes on soothing the courts concerns by agreeing a new legally binding treaty with Rwanda. Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwandan minister of foreign affairs Vincent Biruta signed the new treaty in Kigali on Tuesday (Ben Birchall/PA) Home Office officials say the treaty centres on preventing what is known as refoulement, where asylum seekers are removed and returned to a country where they face persecution, to satisfy concerns raised in the Supreme Courts findings. The treaty, which needs to be ratified by both the UK and Rwandan parliaments to make it internationally binding, seeks to make sure the country does not remove migrants and send them back to their home country, or another country, after they have arrived from the UK. As part of the treaty, a new appeals process will be established within Rwandas high court to handle exceptional cases, for example if someone living in the country under the scheme committed a crime, if the Government decides it will seek to deport the asylum seeker. British and Commonwealth judges, as well as Rwandan judges, will preside over the appeal court hearings. Rulings will decide whether an asylum seeker remains in Rwanda or is sent back to the UK, it is understood. The Supreme Court ruled against the Governments plan last month (Stefan Rousseau/PA) But details of the fresh deal, which officials say is the first of its kind, are scant, with some of the specifics still being thrashed out, so the exact arrangements of how this will work in practice are still unclear. It is not yet known how many British or Commonwealth judges would be involved and the extent of their jurisdiction as part of the process. An independent monitoring authority, set up to oversee the policy between the two countries, was initially only to visit the country and review the work once a year, but will now meet more regularly in a bid to bolster the level of scrutiny the scheme is given, according to officials. Mr Sunak wants to go further to reduce the chances of a court blocking the new treaty by bringing forward emergency legislation to ask Parliament to confirm it believes Rwanda is a safe country. (PA Graphics) Supreme Court president Lord Reed and his four justices ruled there were substantial grounds to believe there was a real risk of refugees being returned to their home countries. Elevating the deal from a memorandum of understanding to a treaty that has been ratified by Parliament could strengthen it in the courts minds. What problems must the treaty overcome? The Supreme Court judgment highlighted a series of grave concerns about Rwanda that would need addressing before they could consider the policy lawful. Refoulement was the chief concern, which the justices said was seen in a similar deal Rwanda had with Israel, and was continuing. James Cleverly said the judgment was not contingent on the European Convention on Human Rights (House of Commons/PA) Evidence from the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, showed there was 100% rejection for nationals from three war-torn countries between 2020 and 2022. Home Office figures from the same period showed the UK granted 74% of cases from Afghanistan, 98% from Syria and 40% from Yemen. The Supreme Court said there was evidence of a culture within Rwanda of, at best, inadequate understanding of Rwandas obligations under the Refugee Convention. Evidence was presented that Kigali had a poor human rights record, citing British police warning Rwandans in the UK of credible plans by the countrys government to kill them. The Supreme Courts judgment was delivered by its president Lord Reed (PA) Concerns of political and media freedom were also raised, as was the inability of the Rwandan courts to act independently of the government. The UNHCR suggested there had been more than 100 cases of refoulement after the UK agreed its deal with Rwanda. Is this enough to get flights off the ground? The UK Government believes the changes updating the initial deal should answer reservations set out in the Supreme Courts ruling last month. Officials have said the Rwanda plan is a novel one and so the Government is testing what can be done. But they reiterated the primary purpose of the plan in ministers eyes, which is to act as a deterrent to asylum seekers in a bid to curb the number of Channel crossings. And at what cost? Not a penny of the 140 million already paid to Kigali can be clawed back, and the new treaty is expected to add to the cost. We will do what is necessary to stop the boats. Details of our new treaty with Rwanda pic.twitter.com/KcWtKnTknq Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) December 5, 2023 Mr Cleverly insisted that Britain was not handing over more money directly to secure the treaty, but acknowledged further payments would be used to cover the fresh burdens on Rwanda. Of course, when a country is taking on responsibilities as Rwanda is doing, it is right and proper that there is remuneration to reflect the additional costs that they are bringing on, he told broadcasters. But Mr Cleverly declined to say how much. Is there a plan C if this does not work? Facing calls from the Tory right to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Mr Sunak offered a glimmer of hope. He said he was prepared to change our laws and revisit those international relationships if they were still frustrating his plans. Todays Supreme Court judgment is no surprise. It was predicted by a number of people close to the process. Given the current state of the law, there is no reason to criticise the judges. Instead, the government must introduce emergency legislation. 1/3 Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) November 15, 2023 But Mr Cleverly previously told the Commons he did not believe disregarding the ECHR or the Refugee Convention was necessary. The Home Secretary made clear that the judgment was not contingent on the ECHR. Delivering the courts ruling, Lord Reed made clear it was not just the ECHR that was relevant to the case, but other treaties such as the UN conventions against torture and its covenant on civil rights. He cited three pieces of domestic legislation as binding the UK on the principle of non-refoulement and said the Human Rights Act gave effect to the ECHR. How soon will flights begin? Even if the simpler treaty route was successful, it could take more than 40 sitting days to be ratified in Parliament. No 10 said the agreement could be laid in the House in the coming days. The treaty needs to be ratified by both the UK and Rwandan parliaments to make it internationally binding (Ben Birchall/PA) But further legal challenges could halt flights again. Navigating the legal minefield of amending multiple domestic laws would take months, at least, and disregarding international commitments could create a row with allies. Downing Street was unable to say whether flights to Kigali would take off before the next election, which is expected within a year. Mr Sunak said ministers are working extremely hard to make sure that we can get a plane off as planned in the spring. But he repeatedly refused to commit that the first flight would take off before the next election. Shane MacGowans widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, has said she worried about his death for 35 years because he pushed the boundaries of what humans can do to their bodies. The Pogues frontman, best known for classic Christmas hit song Fairytale Of New York, died last week at the age of 65. The gritty song is now battling to score the coveted Christmas number one spot, a feat not achieved when it was originally released in 1987, having peaked at number two in the charts. Shane MacGowan's wife Victoria Mary Clarke talks about how she dealt with his passing a few days ago. pic.twitter.com/8Ro9ZifJVK Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 5, 2023 Clarke told ITVs Good Morning Britain: I dont think Shane would mind too much if Fairytale goes to number one. I dont think it was ever that important to him, because I think that he really appreciated the fact that so many people love it and it means so much to so many people, and being number one isnt really all about being appreciated. Asked how she felt about the song when she first heard it before it was released, she said: I think I might have thought it was a little bit cheesy at the time. Sometimes these songs did seem a bit cheesy, but then, when you heard them properly, you get it, you know? I often criticised his songwriting, which didnt go down too well. I do love it now. Fairytale Of New York features a duet between English singer Kirsty MacColl who died in December 2000 and MacGowan. It was originally written by MacGowan with fellow Pogues founder Jem Finer. The song has returned to the UK Christmas top 40 every year since 2005. Shane MacGowan in 2017 (Brian Lawless/PA) Discussing their relationship, Clarke said MacGowan always supported her in all her endeavours, adding: I loved standing on the side of the stage watching him. It wasnt always easy, as you will know, because he pushed the boundaries and he was reckless and he was very unconventional. So it was like watching a racing driver and not knowing if they were going to crash, watching him going on stage. MacGowan had been diagnosed with encephalitis following his latest bout of ill-health and after years of alcohol and substance abuse. Clarke continued: I think for most of you watching, the biggest fear you probably have is that youre going to lose a loved one. And its going to happen, you cant really get around that, you all are going to lose a loved one. And I know that, for me, I spent many, many years, probably at least 35 years, worrying about losing Shane because he just pushed the boundaries so much of what humans can do to their bodies. So I dreaded that, and I thought that I would fall apart, I thought I would die, I thought I would not be able to speak, I thought Id be comatose or on drugs myself or something like that. So I just want you all to know that its not as bad as you think its going to be. And theres a huge amount of love that comes your way when you lose someone, that you didnt really expect. And in my case, you know, Ive been overwhelmed by how much love and support there is. A candle burns next to a photograph of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan at the Mansion House in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) Clarke said the outpouring of love for MacGowan after his death has been a welcome surprise and, asked how he would feel about it, she added: Me and Shane, we spent most of our lives in recent years sitting at home watching The Crown. We didnt really go out, so we didnt know what was going on in the outside world very much. We had a very quiet life, very, very happy, and we didnt want anything else. We just wanted to sit here together watching telly. But to know now that theres all these people out there who feel so strongly about him, you lose with one hand, but you receive with the other, theres an equal and opposite sort of reaction. Irish outlets have reported that MacGowans funeral will be held at St Marys Of The Rosary Church in Nenagh, County Tipperary, on Friday, and will be open to the public. The undertaker is JJ Ryans in Nenagh and the cremation will be private. Tom Hanks has predicted that the first woman and non-white man from the US will step on to the moon in the next three to four years. The Oscar winning American actor, 67, has narrated an experience called The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks which tells of missions to the moon at Londons Lightroom. Ahead of the opening, Hanks told the PA news agency: Sometime within the next, lets be charitable, three to four years the first woman is going to step foot on the surface of the moon, as well as the first non-white American male. That is as equal and evolutionary place for humankind as Neil Armstrong was in 1960. With co-writer Christopher Riley, a Bafta nominated writer and director, Hanks brings to life Apollo missions also using Nasa footage and images from Andy Saunders photographic book Apollo Remastered. Tom Hanks and Christopher Riley at The Moonwalkers at Lightroom Kings Cross in London (Suzanne Moore/PA) Riley said throughout Hanks career he has tried to promote human spaceflight and space exploration as a really positive, powerful endeavour. He also said: This whole chapter in human history, both 50 years ago, and what were repeating today really does bring out the best in humanity and at a time when things are pretty dark out there. This is a good news story, that was really my positive take on it. Hanks also recalled seeing rocks gathered by legends and astronauts Armstrong and David Scott at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Nasas Johnson Space Centre in Texas that point to physical evidence of water on the moon. Hanks said: If theres physical evidence of water on the roof, that might have been there as actual water on the moon and if thats the case, that is a game changer for all of humankind and thats what we learned. He also said the fascination is about our innate natural curiosity. 1 Day To Go The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks opens tomorrow! Get your ticket through the link in our bio pic.twitter.com/U7lPIyaoLJ Lightroom (@_LightRoomLDN) December 5, 2023 Hanks, 67, added: What is astounding, I think, to both of us is that we came of age, when humankind became a space theory species, we now go into space. So on one hand, its commonplace but on the other hand, it is an endless frontier up there that is loaded with great mysteries, treasures (which) is going to be one of the greatest puzzles that everybody gets to work on solving for generations. The experience has been co-directed by Nick Corrigan and Lysander Ashton of 59 Productions and features an original orchestral score by Canadian composer Anne Nikitin. Hanks previously played astronaut Captain Jim Lovell in Apollo 13, served on the board of governors of the National Space Society and has been honoured by the Space Foundation. He also produced the HBO miniseries From The Earth To The Moon and co-wrote Imax film Magnificent Desolation: Walking On The Moon 3D. The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks opens on Wednesday at the Lightroom in Londons Kings Cross. Tyra Banks said she considers turning 50 a blessing as she is wiser and her mind is fiercer than ever. The US model and TV presenter, who created the reality show Americas Next Top Model in 2003 with iterations across the world, said I cant believe Ive been on this earth that many years when talking about her birthday. So many fear getting older, she said in a post on Instagram. Thats understandable. Things just arent the same anymore. Our bodies. Our energy. Our minds. But I gotta say, my mind is FIERCER THAN EVER. Wise, baby. But still I think we have to look at aging and these big milestone years like, I GET to be that age. A Blessing. If youre younger than me, I HOPE you get to reach my age and BEYOND. Because it feels damn good. Banks said what doesnt feel so good is the sciatica she is experiencing after falling in a scene while filming comedy Life-Size 2. She continued: Wise words from Auntie TyTy: You dont have to stay stuck. You can start off doing one thing, and as the years go by, you switch that ish up. Tyra Banks turns 50 (Toby Melville/PA) I started in the fashion world and did the whole magazine covers, catwalks and couture thing and more but I have pivoted, baby. Again. You can too. Cant stop. Wont stop. You hear me?! Banks said she has been putting in hard work seven days a week on her ice-cream venture titled SMiZE & DREAM and is celebrating her birthday with new graphic art for the company. Yall may not know this, but I can write scripts, essays, fiction and Im damn good at it. (When youre 50, you can brag about yourself!) And now, Im co-writing a SMiZE & DREAM graphic novel thats all about age and dreams and yep, lotsa yummy ice cream. Its called THE HOUSE OF SMiZE. Supermodel Tyra Banks was an original Victorias Secret Angel (Paul Faith/PA) Smize is Banks famous expression for models smiling with their mouths and eyes. Banks encouraged her seven million Instagram followers to dream really big as 2024 is around the corner. The 50-year-old, who was an original Victorias Secret Angel in 1997, is a two-time Emmy award winning presenter for The Tyra Banks Show which ran from 2005 to 2010. She has also had stints hosting Americas Got Talent and Dancing With The Stars. Why was Rwanda policy blocked by courts and what is Rishi Sunaks Plan B? Rishi Sunaks promise to the British public was a straightforward one he vowed to stop the boats as thousands of asylum seekers crossed the Channel without authorisation. But as crossings continued, the pledge has been complicated by legal challenges arguing that forcibly removing migrants to Rwanda is against their rights and the law. The Supreme Court delivered the Prime Minister a blow by ruling that his policy was unlawful. Five of the UKs most senior justices ruled the scheme could not go ahead as it was. They cited a long list of concerns about Rwanda as they concluded there was a real risk that genuine refugees could be sent back to their country of origin, where they would face ill-treatment. Now Home Secretary James Cleverly is travelling to Kigali where he will sign a fresh treaty as part of Mr Sunaks goal of making the plan to send migrants to the African nation legally watertight. What is Plan B? First, Rishi Sunak is pinning his hopes on soothing the courts concerns by agreeing a new legally binding treaty with Rwanda. He wants the deal to bind Kigali into not sending failed claimants to any other country in order to prevent refoulement removing asylum seekers back to the country where they face persecution. But it is unclear what legal status people who fail the process will have if they remain in Rwanda, but not as a refugee. Mr Sunak said the treaty will commit the UK to bring back anyone if ordered to do so by a court, meaning some migrants sent to Kigali could be returned to the UK. He will go further to reduce the chances of a court blocking the new treaty by bringing forward emergency legislation to ask Parliament to confirm it believes Rwanda is a safe country. Protesters outside the Supreme Court (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Supreme Court president Lord Reed and his four justices ruled there were substantial grounds to believe there was a real risk of refugees being returned to their home countries. Inheriting the Rwanda headache as the new Home Secretary, Mr Cleverly said anyone removed to Rwanda could not be sent to another country than the UK, but officials made clear they did not expect people being returned to Britain. Elevating the deal from a memorandum of understanding to a treaty that has been ratified by Parliament could strengthen it in the courts minds. But not a penny of the 140 million already paid to Kigali can be clawed back, and the new treaty is expected to add to the cost. What problems must the treaty overcome? The Supreme Court judgment highlighted a series of grave concerns about Rwanda that would need addressing before they could consider the policy lawful. James Cleverly said the judgment was not contingent on the European Convention on Human Rights (House of Commons/PA) Refoulement was the chief concern, which the justices said was seen in a similar deal Rwanda had with Israel, and was continuing. Evidence from the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, showed there was 100% rejection for nationals from three war-torn countries between 2020 and 2022. Home Office figures from the same period showed the UK granted 74% of cases from Afghanistan, 98% from Syria and 40% from Yemen. The Supreme Court said there was evidence of a culture within Rwanda of, at best, inadequate understanding of Rwandas obligations under the Refugee Convention. Evidence was presented that Kigali had a poor human rights record, citing British police warning Rwandans in the UK of credible plans by the nations government to kill them. The Supreme Courts judgment was delivered by its president Lord Reed (PA) Concerns of political and media freedom were also raised, as was the inability of the Rwandan courts to act independently of the government. The UNHCR suggested there had been more than 100 cases of refoulement after the UK agreed its deal with Rwanda. So, Plan C? Facing calls from the Tory right to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Mr Sunak offered a glimmer of hope. He said he was prepared to change our laws and revisit those international relationships if they were still frustrating his plans. But Mr Cleverly told the Commons he did not believe disregarding the ECHR or the Refugee Convention was necessary. The Home Secretary made clear that the judgment was not contingent on the ECHR. Todays Supreme Court judgment is no surprise. It was predicted by a number of people close to the process. Given the current state of the law, there is no reason to criticise the judges. Instead, the government must introduce emergency legislation. 1/3 Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) November 15, 2023 Delivering the courts ruling, Lord Reed made clear it was not just the ECHR that was relevant to the case, but other treaties such as the UN conventions against torture and its covenant on civil rights. He cited three pieces of domestic legislation as binding the UK on the principle of non-refoulement and said the Human Rights Act gave effect to the ECHR. How soon will flights begin? Even if the simpler treaty route was successful, it could take more than 40 sitting days to be ratified in Parliament. No 10 said the agreement could be laid in the House in the coming days. But further legal challenges could halt flights again. Navigating the legal minefield of amending multiple domestic laws would take months, at least, and disregarding international commitments could create a row with allies. Downing Street was unable to say whether flights to Kigali would take off before the next election, which is expected within a year. Mr Sunak said ministers are working extremely hard to make sure that we can get a plane off as planned in the spring. But he repeatedly refused to commit that the first flight would take off before the next election. The search for the gunman who killed four people, including a 1-year-old boy, in a Dallas, Texas, home ended with the suspect leading police on a high-speed freeway chase and dying by apparent suicide after crashing into a ditch, authorities said. The quadruple killing unfolded Sunday afternoon in a southeast Dallas neighborhood. The Dallas Police Department said the carnage appeared to stem from an isolated incident and "there is no threat to the public." During the investigation, police identified 21-year-old Byron Carillo as the suspect in the shooting, police said in a statement. PHOTO: A 1-year-old boy was among four people fatally shot on Dec. 3, 2023, in a home in southeast Dallas, Texas. (WFAA) Family members of those killed told ABC affiliate station WFAA that Carillo was the ex-boyfriend of one of the victims they identified as 20-year-old Vanessa De La Cruz and the father of the De La Cruz's child, Logan De La Cruz, the boy killed in the attack. De La Cruz broke up with Carillo because he was allegedly abusive, the family said. The shooting took place at the home of De La Cruz's parents. Carillo, according to police, had been ordered to wear an ankle monitoring device after being charged in 2021 with aggravated assault. It was not immediately clear if Vanessa De La Cruz was the victim in the 2021 case. "The suspect cut off the ankle monitor at some point, before or immediately after, committing the offense," police said in the statement about Sunday's shooting. Carillo was spotted Monday driving a stolen car on Interstate 35 in Austin, more than 200 miles from Dallas, according to police. When highway patrol officers attempted to stop him, a chase ensued, according to police. During the pursuit, Carillo careened off the freeway and crashed into a ditch before attempting to flee the scene on foot, police said. "When officers got close to Carillo, he shot himself in the head and died at the scene," according to police. The killings at the home in southeast Dallas unfolded about 4:20 a.m. on Sunday and marked the 627th mass shooting this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a website that tracks shootings across the nation and defines a mass shooting as an event with a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter Logan De La Cruz, who was identified by the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office, became the 272nd child 11 years old or younger killed in a shooting this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. When officers arrived at the scene, they found three adults dead from gunshot wounds inside the house and two children, Logan and a 15-year-old girl, according to the police statement. PHOTO: A 1-year-old boy was among four people fatally shot on Dec. 3, 2023, in a home in southeast Dallas. (WFAA) Logan was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said. The teenage girl, whose name was not released, was treated at a hospital and released, according to police. A 13-year-old girl was also found inside the house uninjured, according to police. MORE: 4 people fatally stabbed, 2 officers injured in NYC knife attack: Police The others killed in the shooting were identified by the medical examiner's office as Karina Lopez, 33, and Jose Lopez, 50. A motive for the slayings remains under investigation. MORE: 30 bullets were fired at her home. 1 changed Aalayah Fulmore's life forever. The number of homicides in Dallas is up roughly 11% this year from 2022, according to Dallas Police Department crime data. As of Sunday, the city had recorded 226 homicides in 2023. Suspect in fatal Dallas shooting of 4 people, including baby, dies in police chase originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Korea and China agreed Monday to establish a bilateral dialogue mechanism on export controls and further activate a hotline for supply chains of major industry items, Seoul's industry ministry said. The agreement was made during a meeting between South Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and Wang Shouwen, China's international trade representative and vice minister of commerce, held in Beijing earlier in the day, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The two officials agreed to further activate a hotline between their ministries to discuss supply chain issues, as Korea called for "an imminent action" to address China's recent delay of customs procedures for urea exports to Seoul. Urea solution is a key fluid used in diesel vehicles to cut emissions, and South Korea is heavily dependent on China for urea supply. In 2021, Korea suffered major disruptions to its logistics networks after China restricted its urea exports. During the meeting, the two sides also agreed to establish a director-level consultation channel on export curbs and vowed to hold working-level talks to set details. Korea and China reached a consensus on the envisioned establishment when their industry ministers met in San Francisco last month. Korea had imported 91.8 percent of its urea for diesel vehicles and other industrial purposes from China as of October 2023, up from 71.7 percent the previous year, according to the data by the Korea Customs Service. The proportion of Chinese urea for fertilizers came to 22.5 percent this year, up from 18.3 percent in 2022. On Monday, Ahn and Wang also held the fifth joint committee meeting of the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Beijing and discussed ways to expand bilateral economic cooperation. "The two sides agreed to make joint efforts to come up with ways to improve their FTA and vowed to push for joint research to better deal with digital, green and other new trade issues within the framework," the ministry said in a release. Since 2015, when the bilateral FTA came into force, two-way trade had jumped 36.5 percent to $310.4 billion last year, government data showed. (Yonhap) "Energy vampires" are everywhere at work, but you can protect yourself with proven strategies. This is my office, also known as the hunting ground, says energy vampire Colin Robinson in an episode of the satirical show What We Do in the Shadows. As he explains, Energy vampires drain peoples energy merely by talking to them. Robinson looks like an ordinary human, but he is a superpowered vampire who feeds off of bothering and boring his colleagues. He gets stronger the more he interrupts them as they type on their computers and distracts them with loud, prolonged pencil-sharpening. What We Do in the Shadows is a fictional show that uses humor to tell an emotional truth: A lot of us deal with energy vampires at our jobs. Energy vampire has become a pop culture term to describe someone who is exhausting and draining to deal with, but to be clear, its not a medical diagnosis. There is no official diagnosis or treatment approach specific to [energy vampires], no class on energy vampirism taught in graduate school, but weve all known them personally and professionally, said California-based clinical psychologist Ryan Howes. The challenge with energy vampires at work is that you cannot fully ignore them especially if they are on your team. But there are proven strategies to defeat them and regain your time and energy. Below, clinicians discuss the line between an annoying co-worker and an energy vampire, as well as tips on how to set boundaries with one at the office: The biggest sign that your co-worker is an energy vampire is how they make you feel. From their manner of speech to the topics they cover, energy vampires do not just exhaust their victims in one way they deploy different tactics to drain peoples physical and mental energies. They can take a wide variety of forms, from the person who asks way too many intrusive personal questions, to the person who always seems to have a horrible day and wants everyone to join them, to the person who tells long stories that never seem to have an end or a point. And on and on, Howes said. If you feel tired after interacting with them, and find yourself dreading the next time you bump into them, you may be dealing with an emotional vampire. It can be typical to occasionally have boring or socially awkward interactions with colleagues, but an interaction with an energy vampire is more intense, Howes said. Some of my clients talk about feeling like they have difficulty focusing and staying motivated after a meeting or conversation with an EV, he said. This can leave them feeling angry, frustrated or too depleted to even care. Because energy vampires can drain people in different ways, Nevada-based clinical psychologist Tanisha Ranger said you should focus on how you feel after interacting with a colleague to determine if they are an energy vampire. How you feel after you interact with them tends to be uniform, she said. [If] you dont feel like the conversations have been in any way productive or useful, and you feel like a lot of your time was just wasted for no real reason, those might be really good signs that youre dealing with an energy vampire. Another big sign is if they never want to hear a solution to their complaints. Ranger said energy vampires may also be help-rejecting complainers. Although they want to talk to you about all the problems, anything that you offer that might be a solution, or a way to manage, or a way to help, they have all the reasons in the world why that cannot and will not and shall not work, she said. And so it just becomes this hamster wheel. Oversharing and having consistently one-sided conversations are red flags, too. Energy vampires are people who are profoundly lonely, Ranger said. I think that they dont have a lot of real, positive reciprocal connections in their lives. Thats why you may hear them constantly talk about their personal life and problems without seeming awareness about how it makes others feel. Disclosure does not go both ways. You will notice that they dont necessarily ask a lot of questions about you. They dont necessarily give an indicator that they care too much about how youre doing, or whats going on with you, or anything of that nature, Ranger said, noting that you basically end up feeling used up. They have that loneliness, she explained. And they also dont have that awareness because your lack of interest in what theyre saying feels normal. Thats how everybody is when theyre talking. If youre worried that you might be the energy vampire, reflect on how much time you spend talking to a colleague versus how much they end up sharing in return. If its always lopsided in your favor, that could be a potential sign that youre draining your co-workers. If you walk away from a conversation, and you play it back in your head, and you cant remember a single thing that the other person says, that might be a problem, Ranger said. Pay attention to your conversation partners body language and tone. A pattern of one-word responses and a lack of engagement can be signs that they are not really listening to what you are saying, Ranger said. Do you feel listless, exhausted and distracted after talking with a co-worker? The biggest sign of an energy vampire is how you feel after interacting with them. Do you feel listless, exhausted and distracted after talking with a co-worker? The biggest sign of an energy vampire is how you feel after interacting with them. Setting boundaries with an energy vampire doesnt need to be hard. The advantage of dealing with an energy vampire at work is that you have a built-in excuse for why you need to bow out of a conversation. Its the easiest and most understandable boundary to set I need to get back to work, Howes said. Heres how to get that message across to an energy vampire: Understand where they are coming from. If youre building up resentment against your vampiric colleague, try to first feel compassion for their circumstances. One thing Ive learned through my work as a psychologist is that EVs are often people who have unmet needs for attention and approval that could stem from any number of difficult or even traumatic issues from their past, Howes said. Think about it: If they were totally emotionally healthy and had great self-esteem, would they need to coercively drain others of their attention and emotional support, inspiring resentment? No, he said, the energy vampire technique is probably something they learned to try to get their needs met when they were young, and they were never taught healthier ways to connect and maintain relationships. He continued, Thinking of them that way may help you see they are a person, just like you, but who had some speed bumps and poor guidance that resulted in this unfortunate interpersonal style, so knowing this may give you some more patience and compassion when interacting with them. Dont fake attention that you dont really feel. One simple way to limit the pull of an energy vampires attention is to just not ask questions that you dont want the answer to, Ranger said. I know so many people who are like, I dont know why I said that, because I did not care, she said. Ive really trained myself to not ask questions that I dont care about the answer to. Use the swivel to redirect unwanted conversations. If the conversation starts to turn to matters that are too personal or invasive, you can always try to turn it back to work-related issues and hold the focus there, Howes said. One proven way to do this is by swiveling the discussion away from overly personal topics and onto something that you actually want to talk about. As Rebecca Nellis, the executive director of Cancer and Careers, previously told HuffPost in 2019, a swivel is where you acknowledge what the person is saying with appreciation and empathy, before then using and statements, or while statements, or an implied and, and then a new topic. Be upfront about how much time you have to interact. If redirecting conversations back to a project isnt working, you may need to be more explicit, Howes noted, suggesting that you say something like: Hey, this is interesting, but I really need to focus on my work right now. Can we talk about this later? If you are dealing with an energy vampire you must closely work with on a project, it can also help to set explicit time boundaries on conversations that are not related to the task at hand. Yes, tell me about your weekend, but I need to send this email in three minutes, Howes suggested saying. He said that when those three minutes pass, you can say: Times up! Gotta send that email. You can fill me in on the rest tomorrow. Set a timer on vent sessions. A time-limited pity party can sometimes be a helpful release of tension and a way to bond with colleagues, Ranger said, but it helps to set a timer on a colleagues vent and complaining session. Im a big fan of having an inanimate object ringing loudly to let us know its time to stop, as opposed to me, she said. That takes a lot of the pressure off of you as the person who has to tell your co-worker to wrap it up. If the energy vampire is your boss, be explicit about priorities. Setting boundaries with vampiric bosses requires tact. One way to push back is to explicitly note when your bosss interactions are taking you away from your job. Ranger said she did this once with a boss who would interrupt her computer tasks by speaking thoughts out loud. When this happened, Ranger would ask her boss, Do you want to do this [while] pointing between me and her or do you want me to do this? [while] pointing at the computer. That way, her boss was clear about the choice Ranger was facing. And ultimately if your energy vampire boss is not listening to your requests, it may be time to ask: Is the price youre paying emotionally worthy of this paycheck and this job? Or is it time to ask for a transfer to another boss, or even start looking for another job? Howes said. There are many jobs, but only one you, and youre worth caring for. Related... Two of Americas largest regional airlines are joining forces in an industry dominated by size. Alaska Airlines (ALK) and Hawaiian Airlines (HA) entered into a definitive merger agreement, in which Alaska will buy Hawaiian in an all-cash deal ($18 per share) for $1.9 billion including debt. Following the deal, the two airlines will have 365 jets and fly to 138 destinations. Major airlines such as United and Delta command approximately 950 jets each in their fleets, meaning the relatively small merger of Alaska and Hawaiian will allow them to better compete, especially in the large Western US market with Hawaii as a focus. Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines planes take off at the same time from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, United States on June 21, 2023. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) This is an $8 billion market [Hawaii]. We will be the clear market leader in Honolulu and the state of Hawaii, so this this makes this very attractive, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. If you look at the deal in terms of valuation, this will be EPS accretive in the first two years after the deal closes, and the other thing it provides is so much opportunity for employees and choice for customers ... It's just a win-win across the board. Read more: How travel credit cards can help you save on your next vacation Despite Alaska being the acquirer, the two airlines will maintain separate identities to capitalize on Hawaiian Airlines' strong brand recognition and popularity on the islands, the two airlines said. This differs from Alaskas prior merger with Virgin Airlines, which saw the Virgin brand disappear when its fleet was absorbed by Alaskas operations. With any merger in a competitive space like the airline industry, regulatory approval is generally a hurdle. From a structural point of view, keeping Alaska and Hawaiian's operations separate will help regulatory review, the companies believe, in addition to the fact that the two airlines operate in different regions. The networks are very complementary; there's really not a lot of overlap in our two networks, Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. We only have a dozen overlap routes in total of about 1,400 total flights for the combined carriers, so I think when the regulators look at this deal on its own merits, they will see that it's pro-consumer, pro-competitive and we're going to add competition for the big four network carriers [that are] far larger than the company will be after the merger. Also in Alaska and Hawaiians favor is the fact that the combined airline operation will be quite small. When looking at industry size metrics like available seat miles (ASM), Alaska's (15.7 billion) and Hawaiians (4.9 billion) combined total of 20.6 billion pale in comparison to industry heavyweights like United (65.7 billion ASM), American (65.0 billion), Delta (61.3 billion), and Southwest (38 billion). Its not a merger where consumers are going to lose an option, Boyd Group International president Mike Boyd said on the Alaska Airlines-Hawaiian Airlines deal. Thats why regulators shouldnt really be bothered by this. Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram. Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Protestors gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of the oral arguments in two cases that challenged President Joe Biden's $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan. If interest has caused your student loans to balloon, you might be in luck. Americans who owe more than they initially took out in student loans, and who are low-income or enrolled in plans that align payments to borrowers' income, may be among those eligible for debt relief from the federal government, according to a proposal the Education Department published Monday. The proposal will face a group of negotiators at a two-day meeting next week, bringing President Joe Bidens Plan B for student debt relief into greater focus. This summer, the Supreme Courts conservative supermajority struck down his first proposal, which would have forgiven as much as $400 billion and affected the overwhelming majority of the nation's student loan borrowers. Monday's proposal would affect a narrower group of people but could still affect millions. It could be a very long time before the proposal becomes reality, however, even if the group discussing the options agrees with them. And should they survive the regulatory process, which may not conclude until after next year's presidential election, they likely must also make it past legal challenges that are almost certain to emerge. Yet if the proposal survives, it could soften the often crippling effects of loan interest for millions of Americans. Student loans are supposed to be a bridge to a better life, not a life sentence of endless debt, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. Student loan debt is burying parents too Some expect to die with debt. Who could get relief? The Education Department identified several groups of borrowers on Monday who could be eligible for loan forgiveness under the new proposal. They include: Borrowers affected by interest : For people whose student loans have swelled past the original amount they borrowed because of interest, the department said it would waive up to $20,000 of debt. Those borrowers must also be enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan and have an income that is below $125,000 for a single individual or $250,000 as a household. For people who don't meet those standards, relief could still be possible. The department separately proposed waiving up to $10,000 for borrowers who are not enrolled in income-driven repayment but have also watched interest increase their payments past their original loan amounts. Longtime borrowers : Americans who started paying back their undergraduate loans 20 years ago could be eligible for one-time relief that waives their outstanding balance, the department said. People who havent enrolled in forgiveness plans : Borrowers who qualify for relief plans, such as income-driven repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, but havent applied, could still get relief. The proposal would provide borrowers with the relief they have earned, the department wrote. Graduates of predatory colleges: The department also expanded the types of predatory colleges that count for student loan relief. Who is left out, at least for now? One group of borrowers not included in the Education Departments proposal: Those experiencing other hardships, such as a chronic health condition. Instead, it said it has set aside time for the panel meeting next week to discuss those borrowers. The next round of meetings starts Dec. 11 and will be livestreamed. Negotiators will discuss the department's plan and have to agree, unanimously, on a proposal for it to advance. Otherwise, it's up to the Education Department to craft their own plan for forgiving student loan debt. The latest on student loan forgiveness: One huge question looms for Biden's panel. Chaotic return to repayment prompts audit request from Democrats Student loan payments came due for the first time in three years in October. From balance errors to borrowers spending hours on hold with their servicers, the return to normal wasnt without hiccups, prompting criticism from within Bidens own party. In a letter sent to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Friday, four Senate Democrats instructed the Education Department to conduct an audit of the return to payment and send the results to Congress by Dec. 15. Those senators are Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. Among their concerns: The departments policy on credit reporting, which includes a 12-month grace period during which borrowers wont be considered delinquent for missing their payments. But borrowers credit scores could still suffer from skipping out on their student loan bills a fact the senators said wasnt made clear enough in the new policy. The chaotic resumption of federal student loan payments has raised questions about the extent of errors and the measures being taken by the Department to address these concerns and provide assistance to affected borrowers, they wrote. Zachary Schermele is a breaking news and education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New student loan forgiveness proposal arrives: Who would get relief? Conor McGregor has outlined his potential route to becoming the President of Ireland, saying: Id fancy my chances. McGregor is reportedly being investigated by Irish police over his social-media posts around the Dublin riots in late November, but the former UFC champion has expressed confidence in taking up a position of power in his home country. The 35-year-old wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday (4 December): Potential competition if I run. Gerry [Adams], 78. Bertie [Ahern]. 75. Enda [Kenny], 74. Each with unbreakable ties to their individual parties politics. Regardless of what the public outside of their parties feel. These parties govern themselves vs govern the people. Adams is in fact 75 years old, while Ahern and Kenny are 72. Or me, 35, McGregor continued. Young, active, passionate, fresh skin in the game. I listen. I support. I adapt. I have no affiliation/bias/favoritism toward any party. They would genuinely be held to account regarding the current sway of public feeling. Id even put it all to vote. Thered be votes every week to make sure. I can fund. It would not be me in power as President, people of Ireland. It would be me and you. On Tuesday, X owner Elon Musk replied to McGregor, I think you could take them all single-handed. Not even fair, adding a laughing emoji, to which the fighter responded: Id fancy my chances Elon, 100%. Potential competition if I run. Gerry, 78. Bertie. 75. Enda, 74. Each with unbreakable ties to their individual parties politics. Regardless of what the public outside of their parties feel. These parties govern themselves vs govern the people. Or me, 35. Young, active, pic.twitter.com/HiLn3jAQ2e Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 4, 2023 Id need to be nominated either by: at least 20 members of the Oireachtas [the bicameral parliament of Ireland]; or at least four local authorities (AKA county councils) to run. Most (26) local authorities are county councils. There are also 3 city councils (Dublin, Galway, and Cork) and 2 councils that oversee a city and a county (Limerick and Waterford). A process. The latter sentence was taken from Irelands Citizens Information website. Either way, Id just be happy with absolute transparency and consultation to the public, McGregor continued. Currently there is none. Not an iota. False promises come around the time of election and then it is literally straight ignorance into the face thereafter. Its disgusting. Even opposition politics seems to me more about the attempt of gaining power vs seeking their change. If those currently in power agreed to usher in all opposition stance on change it wouldnt even be enough. Its power/greed, the aim. I feel if a power swap happened today, the situation would simply reverse. The same questions and requests and condemnations but only from the opposite side then. Me, Id clean the f***in dail if it meant our issues were heard and corrected and the public were consulted in these decisions. A true democracy! Among many other things, the allocation of our nations funds has been nothing short of criminal, and without an iota of consideration for the publics thinking. This is why Id run, if I was to. To be a voice of the people that deserve to be heard. McGregor last fought in July 2021, breaking his leg in a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) President of Ireland is a unique position to other countries but it would demand response to questioning. Dialect would be so good for us in the public. Our people feel ignored. Unheard. Until of course election time. Then the waffle begins. McGregor came under criticism for his rhetoric around the Dublin riots last month, when violent protests followed the stabbing of five people in the Irish capital. Three children were injured in the attack, which left a five-year-old girl in critical condition. McGregor was quick to criticise the governments reaction to the stabbing, having already been vocal after the sentencing of Jozef Puska, a 33-year-old Slovak who was jailed for life over the murder of 23-year-old Irish woman Ashling Murphy. Ireland, we are at war, McGregor tweeted after Puskas sentencing, before he reacted to the knife attack by writing: Innocent children ruthlessly stabbed by a mentally deranged non-national in Dublin, Ireland today. There is grave danger among us in Ireland that should never be here in the first place, and there has been zero action done to support the public in any way, shape or form with this frightening fact. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. McGregor later tweeted that he did not condone the riots. The former dual-weight UFC champion last fought in July 2021, breaking his leg in a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. Israel accused the United Nations on Monday of moving too slowly to respond to accounts that Hamas carried out widespread sexual violence against women in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Gilad Erdan, Israels ambassador to the U.N., said Hamas intentionally used rape and sexual violence as weapons of war in its assault on Israel. This was premeditated. This was planned. This was instructed, Erdan said at a U.N. panel organized by Israel to present what it said was evidence of the alleged crimes. Image: Demonstrators gather during a protest outside of United Nations headquarters (Charly Triballeau / AFP - Getty Images) Sadly, the very international bodies that are supposedly the defenders of all women showed that when it comes to Israelis, indifference is acceptable, Erdan said. Follow live updates here Israeli authorities say they have collected extensive testimonies of rape and sex crimes from witnesses and first responders who were present during or after the atrocities took place, including accounts of mutilation and torture. Israeli police also cite images allegedly taken by Hamas militants showing the state of their female victims. A survivor from the Nova rave party testified, Everything was an apocalypse of corpses, girls without any clothes on, without tops, without underwear, people cut in half, butchered, some were beheaded, Yael Reichert, a chief superintendent with the Israeli national police, said at the U.N. meeting. Reichert is taking part in the Israeli governments probe into sex crimes carried out in the Oct. 7 attack. Shari Mendes, a member of an Israeli reserve unit preparing deceased female troops for burial, said there seemed to be a systematic genital mutilation of a group of victims. Hamas has denied its militants committed sexual crimes against women. Sheryl Sandberg, the former chief operating officer of Facebooks parent company, Meta Platforms, also spoke on the panel. She said womens bodies that tell the stories of sexual violence should be believed over Hamas. The world has to decide who to believe. Do we believe the Hamas spokesperson who said that rape is forbidden, therefore it couldnt have possibly happened on Oct. 7? Or do we believe the women? Whose bodies tell us how they spent the last minutes of their lives. Two Israeli investigators who asked not to be named cautioned against the use of precise numbers of rape victims at this stage. They told NBC News that evidence continues to come in and that the investigation is likely to go on for months. 'Weaponized sexual violence' About 150 activists, including those from Jewish womens groups, also marched in front of U.N. headquarters Monday, with speakers accusing the U.N. of failing to act over the abuse of Israeli women by Hamas. Speaking at the rally, Cochav Elkayam Levy, of the Davis Institute for International Relations at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the deafening silence from international institutions over the reports of sexual violence raised the question of whether Israeli women were protected by international law. When the institutions that are globally mandated to protect women stay silent not only international law loses meaning; humanitys shared values lose meaning, Levy said. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took part remotely at the U.N. panel, saying: We must respond to weaponized sexual violence wherever it happens. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said at the panel that the U.N. needed to condemn the barbaric acts Hamas perpetrated against women. The United Nations must denounce Hamas as a terrorist organization that uses rape as a weapon of war. The United Nations must live up to its purpose of upholding the principles of international law, and the United Nations must condemn these evil crimes against humanity, she said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week that there are also numerous accounts of sexual violence during the attacks that must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. But Israeli officials say that Guterres should have spoken out weeks earlier and that U.N. Women, a U.N. organization focused on gender equality and the empowerment of women, has failed to live up to its mission. U.N. Women said last week that it unequivocally condemned the Hamas attack and that it was alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during those attacks. This is why we have called for all accounts of gender-based violence to be duly investigated and prosecuted, with the rights of the victim at the core, the group said. The chair of a U.N. commission of inquiry investigating war crimes in the Israel-Hamas war has said it will focus on sexual violence by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks and will pass along any evidence to the International Criminal Court. So far, Israel has not cooperated with the commission, saying it has an anti-Israel bias. Asked about accusations that the U.N. has responded slowly to reports of rape, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said, I dont have any specific comment, other than to say we would urge those reports to be fully and credibly investigated. At least 10 babies possibly more than 12 have been identified with what doctors believe to be a new syndrome related to exposure to fentanyl in the womb. All of the infants have distinctive physical birth defects, such as cleft palate and unusually small heads. No common genetic cause has been uncovered all were born to mothers who said they'd used street drugs, particularly fentanyl, while they were pregnant. "This is concerning," said Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, the president of the March of Dimes. "As we see these shared characteristics identified, we may be unroofing a real syndrome." Cherot hasn't personally cared for any of the babies. Six babies were identified at Nemours Children's Health in Wilmington, Delaware, two in California and one each in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Erin Wadman, a genetic counselor at Nemours, and her colleagues published their findings recently in Genetics in Medicine Open. The aha moment linking the infants came in August 2022, when Wadman was called upon to consult in the case of a baby who'd been born with birth defects. "I was sitting there in the appointment, and I was just like this face looks so familiar. This story sounds so familiar. And I was just thinking about how this patient reminded me so much of a patient I'd seen earlier in the year and then other patients I'd seen," Wadman said. "That's when we were like we think we might have stumbled on something really big here." facial photographs of Individuals 1-6 (A-F) as used in the GestaltMatcher analysis. (Elsevier 2023) In addition to cleft palate, the 10 infants have unusually small bodies and heads. They tend to have drooping eyelids. Their noses tend to turn upward, and their lower jaws are often undersized. Their feet may point down and inward, and two of their middle toes are webbed. Baby boys may have genital irregularities. Some have trouble feeding, and their thumbs may not be fully formed. The physical similarities reminded Wadman and a Nemours colleague, Dr. Karen Gripp, a geneticist, of a syndrome called Smith-Lemli-Opitz. In those cases, genetic variants affect how fetuses process cholesterol, which is necessary for normal cell function and brain development. None of the babies were found to have the Smith-Lemli-Opitz variant or any others that would put them at risk for such defects, however. Gripp, who is also a pediatrician, and Wadman suspect that fentanyl may be causing similar disruptions to cholesterol metabolism during pregnancy. "Although fentanyl's effect on cholesterol metabolism has not been directly tested, based on indirect evidence, it is biologically plausible that it affects cholesterol metabolism in the developing fetus," the authors wrote in the new report. The babies tested positive for fentanyl exposure when they were born, but the Nemours team suspect they had been exposed to significant amounts of the drug throughout the entire pregnancies. Still, Wadman said much more work is needed to confirm the findings, "even to prove that it is, indeed, the fentanyl and not anything that's laced in it or other drug that we're missing." Possible causes No proof yet links fentanyl to the cases, and in fact there are many possible causes. It could be that other street drugs or contaminants in the fentanyl supply are causing the defects. Even mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika, have been known to lead to microcephaly (unusually small heads) if babies are exposed in utero, though there is no evidence Zika plays a role in the cases. The women in the study were "also taking many drugs," said Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "It's very hard to determine is this just the effect of fentanyl or is this really the effects of other drugs or other combination?" "Having said that, reports like this one are very important, because they shed light on issues that we need to systematically investigate," Volkow said. Last year, NIDA launched a large research project called the Healthy Brain and Child Development Study aimed at following women and their children from pregnancy through age 10. "It's a prospective study to evaluate consequences of drug exposures during pregnancy," Volkow said. The fentanyl-cholesterol theory may be proven or not through ongoing work at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Dr. Karoly Mirnics, the director of UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute, has dedicated research to studying the impact of a variety of drugs on cholesterol metabolism. That is because cholesterol is "essential for everything in your body, for every cell membrane, for every function," Mirnics said. "If there is no cholesterol, there is no life." Mirnics plans to study the blood of the babies identified at Nemours and elsewhere to answer looming questions: Is the underlying cause fentanyl or some kind of contamination of the drug? Does it depend on how much fentanyl gets to the fetus? Is the problem some kind of interaction between the drug and genetics of either the mother or the baby? Why would some babies exposed to fentanyl or other drugs during gestation develop defects while others don't? "I have no idea," Mirnics said, "but I'm going to figure it out." More cases? While fentanyl use has skyrocketed in recent years, even among pregnant women, there is no indication that birth defects are rising. About 3% of babies are born every year with birth defects, according to the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group declined to comment on the Nemours research. "We haven't seen this specific syndrome, but babies [exposed to fentanyl] are often born growth-restricted, smaller than they need to be," said Dr. Brian Smith, the Samuel L. Katz distinguished professor of pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. They are "profoundly irritable" and often don't eat or sleep well, he said. The new findings from Nemours have prompted other experts to take another look at babies who may have been similarly affected. Dr. Howard Saal, a clinical geneticist at Cincinnati Children's and the University of Cincinnati, believes he has seen two babies "fairly recently" with the same birth defects who were exposed to street drugs in utero. "Their pattern of anomalies fits very closely with what has been described in this report," Saal said. "I may have seen more cases in the past but didn't put 2 and 2 together." And Dr. Ahmed Ahmed, a medical geneticist in the department of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, believes he, too, has seen cases. But complications related to drug use during pregnancy are "invisible," he said. "There is no ultrasound or blood test that we can do to determine the impact an exposure may have had on the fetus." "We see similar anomalies, and we go the whole nine yards with diagnostic testing. But the results come back negative," Ahmed said. "Deep down inside, you think that it is related to the substance abuse, the fentanyl or others, but you are unable to prove it." Ahmed said he and his team are amenable to sharing notes with the Nemours team to further the research. For now, he will use the information to counsel women, ideally before they become pregnant. "I can use this paper to highlight that there is a potential risk for structure defects," Ahmed said. Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a medical geneticist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, praised the "astute clinicians" at Nemours for first noticing what could be an important trend. "That's how fetal alcohol syndrome was recognized. That is how isotretinoin [the acne medication Accutane] that causes a distinct pattern of birth defects was recognized," said Rasmussen, one of the first to describe the defects associated with Zika virus while she was at the CDC. The best 'yes' Lindsay Carlisle, 40, of Washington Township, New Jersey, knew exactly what she was seeing when she first laid eyes on little Sammy in July 2021. He'd been born nearly two months earlier, addicted to opioids, and he had other medical problems. Carlisle had been called in as a possible foster parent, but she felt right away that Sammy would become her adoptive son. Sammy Green. (Lindsay Carlisle) "Initially, we never were on board with having a medically complex child, just because we didn't think we could handle it. We weren't really equipped," Carlisle said. "But then I said 'yes,' and it was the best 'yes' I've ever said." Now 2 years old, Sammy requires large amounts of therapy. He faces several developmental and physical delays. His joints aren't well-formed, Carlisle said, and he lacks hand strength. He isn't yet talking, but he can make sounds. He depends on a feeding tube to eat. He has required a procedure to correct a heart defect. His case is one of the 10 described in the Nemours report. A public health crisis If the syndrome is linked to in utero fentanyl use, it appears to be rare. Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatologist and the director of the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy in Nashville, Tennessee, said he has never treated such a patient. He has, however, cared for many babies born addicted to fentanyl and other drugs all without the physical defects described in the new report. That doesn't mean fentanyl use during pregnancy, especially from drugs obtained illegally, is safe. It is associated with preterm birth, stillbirth and neonatal abstinence syndrome. It's clear, Patrick said, that substance abuse during pregnancy is dangerously common, having reached new highs during the coronavirus pandemic. "Pregnant women are dying at record rates. Infants are the fastest-growing group entering foster care, mostly for parental substance use. The minority of pregnant women are getting into treatment," Patrick said. "This is a big public health crisis." The path ahead Researchers will continue to follow the babies over time. The oldest is now 3 years old. Further research may show that a subset of infants has some kind of underlying genetic risk that made them more susceptible to in utero fentanyl exposure. The hope is to move genetics research forward. "For most babies that are born with a birth defect, we don't know the cause," Rasmussen said. "Every time we can get a little bit closer to understanding what's going on, it's really helpful for families to understand their chances of this happening again in future pregnancies." Sammy Green. (Lindsay Carlisle) Meanwhile, the newly identified syndrome means children like Sammy have unclear paths moving forward. "We don't really know exactly what this means for him, cognitively, because there is no one there to say, well, this is what happened and this is what they did," Carlisle said. "We're just kind of winging it." She hopes to meet other families in the Nemours research group. The Carlisles officially adopted Sammy in February. "I promised him I would give him the very best life that anyone could ever want from the day I met him," Carlisle said. "He's just magical." Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook. Santa Claus and easyJet cabin crew. Courtesy of easyJet EasyJet is setting up mailboxes in seven European airports to deliver letters to Santa. This winter is the airline's busiest-ever schedule from the UK to Lapland. 71% of children flying during the Christmas period are worried that Santa won't be able to find them. The British budget airline easyJet is setting up mailboxes in its signature orange color for children to send letters to Santa. From five British airports including London Gatwick, easyJet will fly four times a week to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland in northern Finland, which is nicknamed "the official hometown of Santa Claus." It is the airline's busiest-ever schedule from the UK to Lapland, which has multiple Santa-themed amusement parks and is a popular Christmas vacation destination. Accord to a survey carried out by easyJet, 71% of children flying during the Christmas period are worried that Santa won't be able to find them. The orange mailboxes will be in seven European airports. Courtesy of easyJet From Monday, there will be orange mailboxes in the terminals at at London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol, and Manchester airports. And throughout December, easyJet said its mailboxes will also be present at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Naples, and Milan airports. For those who aren't flying, schools near easyJet's UK airports will see a "special letter collection service" where the airline's cabin crew will collect letters to take to Santa on the flights to Lapland. "easyJet pilots and cabin crew will then hand deliver them to Santa ensuring a magical way for children to have their wishes arrive safely regardless of where they'll be this Christmas," the airline said in a press release. It added that around 200,000 families are set to fly with easyJet during the festive season. Read the original article on Business Insider Michael Tran - Getty Images We can always count on Eva Longoria to bring the shimmer. On Monday night, the actor pulled a look straight from the runway to attend the Critics Choice Association Celebration of Cinema and Television: Honoring Black, Latino, and AAPI Achievements. There, she was recognized for her feature directorial debut, Flamin Hot, and awarded the Breakthrough Director Award. The event took place at Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, California, and welcomed film personalities from around the world, including Longorias good friend and fellow Latina actor America Ferrera. For the occasion, Longoria brought out one of her favorite silhouettes: the cutout bodycon dress. The Desperate Housewives star chose a skintight long-sleeved orange dress with a subtle sheen from Stella McCartneys Fall/Winter 2023 ready-to-wear collection. The piece featured two large triangular waist cutouts embellished with silver crystal-encrusted ropes that intertwined in the middle, creating a cinching effect. Michael Tran - Getty Images The actor, producer, and director wore the floor-length gown with other sparkly accents, including a bedazzled silver clutch bag, silver and diamond chain-link earrings, and silver rings. She continued the sparkly, orange theme with her makeup: glittery orange shadow and a glossy coral lip. The actors hair was slicked down straight into a side-parted style, and she wore a nude manicure. Michael Tran - Getty Images The event marked the second time in a week Longoria has showed out on the red carpet. On Thursday night in Hollywood, she made an entrance at the 2023 Women in Film Honors, where she was also joined by Ferrera on the red carpet. For the evening, Longoria dazzled in a golden semi-sheer turtleneck midi dress embellished with tiny clear crystals all over. She styled it simply with silky gold-tone platform sandals and dangly diamond earrings. You Might Also Like These days, there are few hotter spots on the global circuit for retired government officials and military strategists than Taiwan. As dozens of policy experts from all over the world touched down for the Taipei Security Dialogue in Novemberthe sort of event where youd encounter a former U.S. Army secretary clad in a stars-and-stripes tiea familiar topic took on fresh urgency: how to prevent a Chinese attack on the territory. Ukraine continues to fight against the Russian invasion, while conflicts continue to break out in the Middle East, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told delegates. It is clear that we cannot take peace for granted. Taiwan has teetered in a precarious geopolitical position for decades. Its a self-governing democracyit will elect its next president in Januarybut the Chinese Communist Party regards Taiwan as its own and seeks to unify the island with the Peoples Republic, and the party says it will do so by force if necessary. Strategists consider a possible conflict a geopolitical crisisand an economic one. Taiwan accounts for 30% of the $574 billion global semiconductor industry, the backbone of modern technology. At the heart of that industry is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the most valuable company in Asia, whose $500 billion market cap puts it in the same league as Walmart. U.S. export controls on chipmaking equipment are squeezing out some TSMC buyersnamely Chinabut the Taiwanese firm still produces roughly 92% of the worlds most advanced chips. TSMC components power Apples iPhones, Nvidias AI servers, and F-35 fighter jets. Experts fret about what would happen to technology production if TSMCs foundries fell into Beijings hands. A blockade of the island alone would cost the global economy $2 trillion, according to a Rhodium Group estimate. Such fears have simmered for years, but a more emboldened Beijing and a more distracted U.S. are raising the prospect that after Russias invasion of Ukraine and Hamass attack on Israel, a conflict across the Taiwan Strait is next. That question weighs heavily on TSMC, which must consider how to protect vital assets, intellectual property, and employees in the ultimate worst-case scenario. Beijing frequently probes Taiwans defenses with military jets, drones, and warships, but live-fire drills encircling the island in August 2022 and again last April marked a sort of dress rehearsal of how Beijing could disrupt exports in a conflict. That sign of aggression, paired with Chinese President Xi Jinpings order to modernize the Peoples Liberation Army by 2027, has made Beijings threats of military intervention more credible, the U.S. Defense Department says. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden, who has vowed to defend Taiwan if it is attacked, is also aiding Ukraine and Israel. In a sign of splintering U.S. attention, the Republican-led House approved money only for Israel in November, defying Bidens request for spending for all three allies. TSMC has said little about its plans in the case of war. It declined to comment for this story due to the sensitivity of the topic. Among five key TSMC suppliers, only ASML, a Dutch producer of lithography devices, mentions scenario planning for geopolitical risks in its financial statements. ASML declined to elaborate. In a rare interview last year, TSMC chairman Mark Liu briefly addressed the risk his company faces by shooting down the idea that TSMCs chip dominance incentivizes Beijing to invade. Nobody can control TSMC by force, he told CNN. TSMC depends on a real-time connection with suppliers in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. for everything from materials and chemicals to spare parts and engineering software, so any act of aggression will render TSMCs factory non-operable, he said. All fabs in Taiwan require regular inputs of spare parts, gases, and chemicals from abroad, agrees Chris Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the Worlds Most Critical Technology. It would be extraordinarily difficult to keep Taiwanese chipmaking facilities operational without these imported goods, materials, and maintenance services. TSMC has expanded outside of Taiwan to appease clients that want to diversify their supply chains. TSMC, which makes chips designed by its clients, is building new plants in Japan and Germany. A new advanced fabricator in Arizona is the star of Bidens bid to revive U.S. chip production. But for the foreseeable future, TSMCs advanced chip production and R&D at home are irreplaceable, and losing those facilities would be catastrophic for the entire IT sector, said Paul Triolo, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Arizona facility will be a small, single-digit percentage of TSMCs overall capacity. As TSMC stays mum on the invasion threat, commentators have drafted action plans of their own. One of the more outlandish is a scorched earth strategy, proposed in a 2021 U.S. Army War College quarterly, that would destroy TSMC facilities in Taiwan. The paper, the War Colleges most-downloaded in the past two years, suggests that the U.S. blowing up the fabs would render the cost of war so high that Beijing would decide against it. Threats from China are primarily background noise. Brian Hioe, magazine publisher in Taipei A paper in the next edition of the same journal opposed the idea, arguing it undermines U.S. deterrence strategy by telling our partners we are prepared to help them blow up the one industry that makes them economically relevant on the international stage. A Taipei Times opinion piece rejected the notion, in part for its faulty premise. China wanted Taiwan long before TSMC was churning out chips, and would want it even if TSMC had never existed. Other foreign companies and investors were getting twitchy even before the Israel-Hamas war. An American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan survey said that as of December 2022, 47% of member companies either have revised or plan to revise business continuity plans to address the new geopolitical climate. The annual report of United Microelectronics Corp., another Taiwanese chip foundry, details the countermeasures its taking like building facilities in Singapore and Japan. The U.K.s Brompton Bicycle is pulling its supply chains out of Taiwan and mainland China, citing cross-strait tensions. And Warren Buffett took a $4.1 billion stake in TSMC in late 2022, only to sell the entire position by spring, an unusually short holding period for the famed investor. I dont like its location, he said of TSMC. The risk of war in Taiwan comes up in every single conversation we have with investors, said Rolf Bulk, an analyst at New Street Research in Singapore. Its a risk that some investors are not willing to take. For all the angst, its mostly business as usual for ordinary Taiwanese. Threats from China are primarily background noise, said Brian Hioe, a magazine publisher who also runs a cafe in Taipei. People have grown used to this. Foreign direct investment in Taiwan hit a record $13.3 billion in 2022 but is expected to dip back down to normal levels this year. Idaho-based Micron Technology, the worlds third-largest memory chip maker, opened a plant in Taichung in November. Cooling foreign investment reflects shifting demand for chips; high-end components associated with generative AI are all the rage, while the market for legacy chips has softened, said Robert Carnell, head of research and chief economist for Asia-Pacific at ING. So the outlook for Taiwans economy is looking up, but not spectacularly so. TSMC expects a rebound in chipmaking revenue in 2024 after a slump this year. But U.S.-Beijing tensions could still trip up the industry, TSMCs 92-year-old founder, Morris Chang, said in October. It looks like countries are mad at each other; that worries me. This article appears in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of Fortune with the headline, "Ukraine. Israel. Taiwan?" This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Growing up in Rock Point, Arizona in the Navajo Nation, Ralph Laurens inaugural artist in residence, Naiomi Glasses, already held a close connection with the New York City-based label. Its always been a brand that I can associate with family, the seventh-generation Dine (Navajo) textile artist and weaver told CNN, recalling how her mom would dress her in Ralph Lauren polos, Oxford shoes and knit dresses, but paired with traditional Dine pieces a fashion practice she continues today. (Dine is translated as the people in the communitys own language; Navajo is derived from the Tewa-Pueblo term nava hu, or place of large planted fields.) Family is extremely important to Glasses, who learned weaving from her paternal grandmother and her brother (and design partner). Glasses initially envisioned creating floor rugs, blankets and possibly fashion as a career path though possibly turned out to be quite the understatement. It was at her mothers suggestion that an 18-year-old Glasses first put pen to paper to cement her goals of working in fashion, and with heritage brands like Ralph Lauren. From that point onwards, the only way you can describe how it all happened is serendipitous, said the now-24-year-old (pictured above). - Ryan RedCorn/Courtesy Ralph Lauren I really have to thank both my mom Cynthia and my dad Tyler Sr. for instilling this confidence in me, said Glasses, crediting her parents for encouraging her to realize her dreams and of working with Ralph Lauren specifically. After finishing an internship with Creative Futures Collective, which paired her with Gabriella Hearst to weave colorful details onto the designers Spring-Summer 2022 runway pieces, she received a call from the organizations co-founder Jai Al-Attas: I met someone that works at Ralph Lauren, she recalled them saying. And apparently, they have been wanting to get in contact with you. Redefining heritage Since its foundation in 1967, Ralph Lauren has established itself as a fashion arbiter of a singular Americana aesthetic, oft-associated with its iconic polo shirts, cable-knit sweaters and khakis. Historically, the country club uniform, and its related culture, conjures connotations both of exclusivity and exclusion, but in recent years the label has worked to redefine its brand means to consumers. In 2020, Ralph Lauren launched initiatives to expand its collegiate sensibility, which first resulted in a 2022 collaboration with Morehouse and Spelman Colleges incorporating the traditions and styles of historically Black colleges and universities. That same year, it announced the artist in residence series, which highlights Native and Indigenous artisans a program thats part of broader efforts to shift from inspiration to collaboration with communities that have inspired Ralph Lauren, the label said in a statement. Ralph Lauren has always been inspired by the people, art and cultures that make up America, wrote David Lauren, son of founder Ralph and the companys chief branding and innovation officer, in an email to CNN. What has changed is how we are bringing these stories to life and ensuring that we do so in a way that is inclusive of those who own them. We are a window for the world into America not just American style, he added. Thats a real responsibility, and that means continuously asking ourselves what is inspirational and aspirational to us and pushing ourselves to be more and more authentic in the stories we tell. The Polo Ralph Lauren x Naiomi Glasses collaboration kicks off the program on December 5, with the first of three seasonal limited edition drops featuring menswear, womenswear, unisex apparel and accessories. For the longest time, Americana fashion hasnt included designers of Indigenous descent, and we are the first people of this land, said Glasses. This collection will definitely broaden what Americana fashion can be. Glasses' first collection pays homage to Dine elders through elevated separates, like lush marigold and orange bronze velvet blouses, adorned with delicate puff shoulders and silver concho buttons. Our grandmas are the true style icon of the Navajo Nation," she said. - Courtesy Ralph Lauren The designer, activist and TikTok-famous skateboarder enthusiastically reimagined signature Ralph Lauren silhouettes, like the Great Ranch Coat, an outerwear piece shed admired for years. I already had envisioned what would look really beautiful on it, said Glasses: She proposed a fabrication of undyed wool, blended with soft alpaca fleece, to evoke the feel and meaning of wearing blankets, which the Dine and Indigenous people cherish both for functionality and as heirlooms (though her versions are more modernized, she added). Glasses also worked closely with the Ralph Lauren design teams to incorporate meaningful Dine motifs and little nuances into the collection, like directional weaving patterns and the Spider Woman cross symbol on shawl collar coats and poncho wraps. The spider woman is a deity from our Navajo creation story, who taught Navajos how to weave, she explained. Other motifs, also including Saltillo diamonds and four-directional crosses, represent traditional Dine design elements and, significantly, ones that pre-date those popularized after the arrival of late-1800s colonial trading posts, and other outside influences catering to White settlers, saw many of the communitys practices altered and appropriated. Making fashion history In other words, Glasses celebration of her Americana is also about reclaiming it. Navajo pieces (originally) were mostly utilitarian and just designs that we, as Dine, thought were beautiful, Glasses said. So it was just me, weaving exactly how they would, just true to their own style. "Heritage and tradition are at the center of everything I love," said Ralph Lauren in a statement. Bringing the most authentic expression of heritage craft to life means working with those who have created and sustained these timeless traditions for centuries and sharing their stories with the world." - Ryan RedCorn/Courtesy Ralph Lauren A portion of sales from Glasses' first collection will benefit Change Labs, a nonprofit organization working to grow Navajo and Hopi small businesses. - Ryan RedCorn/Courtesy Ralph Lauren Glasses' collection features 32 pieces total, in colors "inspired by her homeland on Navajo Nation," the brand said. - Ryan RedCorn/Courtesy Ralph Lauren A particularly meaningful part of Glasses long-time fascination with Ralph Laurens brand has been with its accessories; she recalled, as a teenager, being awestruck by the gleaming jewelry pieces on display at the labels flagship in Phoenix. At the time, Glasses had already begun amassing an impressive turquoise collection, inspired by her grandmother. Now as part of her residencys work, Glasses is paying it forward by giving a platform to contemporary Indigenous jewelry makers, including Hopi designer Piki Wadsworth, whose silver and turquoise pieces, will be available online and in select Ralph Lauren flagships. I thought it was very important that I brought up other Indigenous creatives along with me on this journey, she said. The curated jewelry, along with pieces from Glasses own archive and, of course, her clothing designs all grace a stunning new campaign, lensed by Osage multihyphenate and Reservation Dogs writer Ryan RedCorn and Navajo photographer (and Glasses friend) Daryn Sells. Across the campaigns photos and video, Glasses felt especially heartened to see Indigenous representation, in-front-of- and behind-the-camera. Ryan was able to capture key important moments, even something as simple as joy and laughter, she explained. Hes like, Its important that we capture these things because for so long, we, as indigenous people, are painted as being stoic. Theres beauty in seeing Indigenous joy. The Glasses family, pictured as part of Ralph Lauren's campaign imagery. - Ryan RedCorn/Courtesy Ralph Lauren Thats also because along with the likes of famous models Quannah Chasinghorse and Phillip Bread, and the musician Mato Mayuhi, the campaigns lineup also included Glasses herself, her brother, Tyler, and their parents. In a production that big, just having that connection with a community of people that you knew being there, it felt special, said Glasses. There were a lot of people I hold near and dear. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Kim Hyun-bin Danish Ambassador to Korea Svend Olling emphasized the crucial role of Korea as a global innovation hub and the importance of international science, technology and innovation collaboration amid geopolitical challenges during an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Innovation Centre Denmark in Seoul (ICDK Seoul), Monday. "Denmark established ICDK in Korea as one of only seven locations in the world as a gateway for future science, technology and innovation collaboration. We did that because Korea is a world-leading innovation hub, and we know that our prosperity relies on working with the best in the world," Olling said. The ICDK is an institution jointly established by Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education. It operates in seven locations worldwide, including Copenhagen, Silicon Valley, Munich, Shanghai, Tel Aviv and Bangalore. The Seoul office was established in Korea in 2013. Olling highlighted the significance of innovation in Denmark, describing it as the core of the Danish identity. "As a small, open economy, we are continuously told and challenged to think innovatively. Denmark has no natural resources of significance; thus, the avenue for prosperity is our ability to develop and utilize ideas. This is exactly what innovation is about," he said. "I believe that Korea is the same as a gateway to the Asian market, with much science and technology resources and competencies building its national competitiveness. In spite of our distance, I think we could not be any closer in spirit." The center in Seoul aims to provide market entry opportunities in Korea and collaborative research opportunities for Danish startups, universities, research institutes, public institutions and businesses interested in cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation. It has been engaged in projects to create business opportunities in the fields of science, technology and innovation between the two countries and to build partnerships with relevant institutions. Ambassador Olling underscored the importance of international science, technology and innovation partnerships, especially in the face of geopolitical challenges and changes to global supply chains. "Strategic partnership at the government-to-government level, especially in science and technology, is required for future co-prosperity. And all of us here today are key players and front-runners for this partnership between Denmark and Korea," he said. Highlighting the strong bilateral ties and collaborative history between Korea and Denmark, Olling mentioned initiatives such as the Green Growth Alliance, the co-founding of P4G and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and a recent memorandum of understanding to work on startups and entrepreneurship. Regarding the role of ICDK Seoul in Korea, Ambassador Olling commended its efforts in connecting innovation stakeholders across various fields, including robotics, education, hydrogen, food technology, smart cities and quantum computing. "For the past 10 years, ICDK Seoul has worked to bridge innovation stakeholders in many different innovative fields: From robotics to education, from hydrogen to food technology, from smart city to quantum. Two important things connect these vastly different areas: They are solutions to global challenges and there is a mutual interest in Korea and Denmark to pursue them. Impact and mutual value," he said. 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. Ron Wurzer - Getty Images Todd Hayness latest film, May December, was one of 2023's most divisive films, drawing attention from viewers across the country. The Netflix movie , starring Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, follows a couple with a troubling age gapwhich mirrors the real-life relationship between Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. In 1997, Letourneau was caught having an inappropriate affair with Fualaau. She was 34 years old at the time, and he was her 12-year-old student. Eventually, she plead guilty to two counts of rape and served time in prison, but upon her release, Letourneau and Fualaau reunited. Though May December has strong parallels to their story, Fualaau, whom Meltons character was based on, finally opened up about the film's interpretation of their life. And he's not impressed. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter , Fualaau expressed his frustration with the project. Im still alive and well, he said. If they had reached out to me, we could have worked together on a masterpiece. Instead, they chose to do a rip-off of my original story. In the film, Joe, who is inspired by Fualaau, is last seen at his sons high school graduation. As his child crosses the stage, Joe begins to cry. Its an ambiguous ending, but Melton said in an interview with Netflix's Tudum, I think hell be OK. In real life, Fualaaus story is even more complicated, as are his thoughts on the project. What does Vili Fualaau Think About May December? While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter , Fualaau made it clear that he does not approve of May December. Despite the film's portrayal of his life, Fualaau said he was never contacted for approval or suggestions. I love moviesgood movies," he said. "And I admire ones that capture the essence and complications of real-life events. You know, movies that allow you to see or realize something new every time you watch them. Those kinds of writers and directorssomeone who can do thatwould be perfect to work with, because my story is not nearly as simple as this movie [portrays]." Meanwhile, the team behind May December is straying away from the notion that the film directly mirrors Fualaau and Letourneaus lives. This is not the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, screenwriter Samy Burch said at the Los Angeles premiere. She insists their case was just a jumping-off point, but the film proves otherwise. There are plenty of similarities, from Fualaau being mixed-race, to the couple's age gap, and even some of the dialogue. One of the most striking lines is pulled directly from an interview where Letourneau insists Fualaau was the boss in their affair. Im offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me, Fualaau told The Hollywood Reporter, as someone who lived through a real story and is still living through it. Netflix What Happened to Vili Fualaau? In 2020, a year after Letourneau died, Fualaau appeared on The Dr. Oz Show. During the episode, Dr. Oz noted that Fualaau was around the same age as his ex-wife when they met. Then he asked Fualaau what he would do if he were interested in a minor. Id probably go and seek some help, Fualaau said. I couldnt look at a 13-year-old and be attracted to that because its just not in my brain. In the years since Letourneau's death, Fualaau has lived a quiet life. His exact whereabouts are unknown, though hes presumably still living in Seattle. In 2022, PEOPLE confirmed that Fualaau had a third child, Sophia, with another woman. The mothers identity has been kept private, but Fualaaus older children seem to be excited about their new sibling. In 2022, Georgia shared a picture of the new baby on Instagram. Alongside the photo, she wrote, Hi Sophia, Im your big sister! Youre so beautiful, I cant wait to watch you grow. Ill be right here by your side no matter what! I love you. What Happened to Georgia and Audrey? In 2017, a source close to the family told PEOPLE that Georgia and Audrey initially struggled with their parent's divorce. Theyre trying not to choose sides, the source explained. They had two great parents who loved and supported them. So now theyre returning the love and support to both their dad and mom. The source continued to say both daughters were very good girls and wise beyond their years. In 2018, Georgia and Audrey appeared on the Australian Sunday Night show and spoke about their parents widely-criticized relationship and the abuse that Fualaau endured. I think I understand it, Audrey said. It was surprising to people. Its not really been brought to our attention, just because we grew up with it, so were adapted to it. During the interview, Audrey also revealed that her father was the more lenient parent. He definitely feels like a young dad now that Im at that adult age where I can go to a bar, she said. Hes like a friend dad. Does Vili Fualaau Have Any Grandchildren? Fualaau is expected to be a grandfather soon. In September, Georgia confirmed that she is expecting her first child. Ive known since I was about four weeks, she said in an interview with PEOPLE. Im very excited to become a mother. I have an amazing mother to prepare me for those years to come. The fathers identity has also been kept private, but hes reportedly Georgias boyfriend of six years and an aspiring boxer. PEOPLE reports that Georgias pregnancy was initially hard for Fualaau, but he has since come around. Hes already buying baby stuff for me and giving me hand-me-downs from my baby sister [Sophia], which is nice, Georgia said. I just know that hes going to be the greatest grandfather ever. You Might Also Like Visions of cookies, cakes, pies, and other sugar-loaded treats may take the forefront of your festive daydreamsand your appetiteahead of the holidays. But if sugar is a staple of baking, and holiday baking is a staple of Christmastime, what happens when theres an international sugar shortage just in time for the holidays? Before you scream "Christmas disaster," take a second to look at the facts regarding the causes of this year's sugar shortage, when experts predict it will end, and what you can use to substitute the sweet stuff in the meantime. A report from AP News reveals that The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization predicts a 2% decline in global sugar production in the 2023 to 2024 season. This is in comparison with the previous year, translating to a loss of about 3.8 million U.S. tons, said Fabio Palmeri, an FAO global commodities market researcher. Talk about unsavory news! Why is there a sugar shortage? Look no further than to good ole mother nature as the culprit. The AP News report sheds light on the effects of El Nino, a natural phenomenon that can cause extreme weather conditions, like flooding and drought. In this case, extreme drought is at the core of the sugar issue in Asia, which houses the second- and third-largest sugar exporters: India and Thailand. El Nino caused extremely dry conditions in India in August, which stunted the crucial growing phase for sugarcane. It also altered the quality of Thailands sugar harvest in addition to the lowered quantity. What effect does this have, exactly? Unfortunately, the decline in global sugar production means a surge in prices. Sugar worldwide is trading at the highest prices since 2011, which means bakers worldwide are producing less and less, according to AP News. The Bureau of Labor's most recent Consumer Price Index shows that sugar prices have increased 8.8% over the last year. That means you should expect sugar prices to be up from the last time you walked down the baking aisle. What does this mean for the future of sugar? Unfortunately, we may continue to see worldwide sugar production numbers go down and prices go up. Naradhip Anantasuk, leader of the Thailand Sugar Planters Association, told AP News that 84 million U.S. tons of sugarcane are expected to be milled in 2024 harvest season compared to 103 million U.S. tons this year. Taking this into consideration, its safe to say that the shortage will prevail throughout the next year, making things harder for those looking to bake during the holiday season and beyond. On the bright side, Brazils sugarcane harvest is predicted to be 20% bigger than last years due to favorable weather in the Southern Hemisphere. And while Brazil is the biggest sugar exporter, its harvest will only help fill the void later in 2024. Until then, expect sugar prices to continue to be marked up to combat the shortage. What is a good sugar substitute? On a sweeter note, if your sugar supply isnt enough to last you through the holidays, weve got you covered with sugar substitutes that will suffice in a pinch for your favorite Christmas treats. For baking substitutions, our top picks are coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, and molasses. Just keep in mind that when swapping in liquid sweeteners, you'll need to reduce any added liquid in the recipe by about 1 tablespoon for each 1/4 cup of sweetener used. You can also turn to fruit-centric recipes that utilize natural sugars, like pumpkin banana bread or Ree Drummond's recipe for her mom's applesauce muffins. Regardless of how you choose to get creative with sugar this holiday season, your baked goods are sure to be just as good thanks to these clever substitutions. Just make sure to test the modified recipes out ahead of serving them at your holiday potluck or Christmas party! You Might Also Like Of the more than 2,500 lawsuits filed under a special New York law, nearly 20% allege sexual violence against current or former prisoners at the infamous Rikers Island facilities. New Yorks Adult Survivors Act allowed survivors of sexual assault one year to sue no matter how long ago the alleged abuse happened. This has led to 479 lawsuits against New York City over alleged abuse at Rikers, a surge of litigation that may finally give many victims a chance at justice, legal experts and advocates say. There have been high rates of staff-on-inmate sexual victimization in New York state prisons, attorney Anna Kull said. Kull said she has filed hundreds of civil cases related to reports of assault behind bars under the Adult Survivors Act. How do I have over 200 women who were sexually abused at Rikers? This is a systemic failure, she said. It requires comprehensive reform and youre never going to see comprehensive reform without accountability. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the act in May 2022, to amend state law and allow survivors of sexual violence who were over 18 at the time of the alleged abuse to sue the people they have accused regardless of the original statute of limitations. The act expired on Nov. 24, but not before a swath of lawsuits against celebrities such as Sean Diddy Combs and Jamie Foxx and politicians such as New York City Mayor Eric Adams and former President Donald Trump made headlines. There has been little fanfare, however, over the Rikers cases. Kull said she finds the number of lawsuits stemming from the jail to be staggering, but not surprising considering Rikers reputation as one of the most dangerous prisons in the United States, a sentiment shared by advocates supporting survivors of sexual violence. Shanaye, 40, is one of Kulls many clients. At 19 she was incarcerated at Rikers only womens facility, the Rose M. Singer Center, known as Rosies, for a year and a half beginning in 2002. A correction officer took her into a bathroom, groped her and made her perform oral sex on him, her lawsuit alleges. She attempted to fight him off, but was reprimanded for assaulting an officer and placed in solitary confinement for about one year, according to the suit. Kull asked to only use Shanayes first name to protect her privacy. After the incident happened, he taunted me for weeks, Shanaye said of the officer through tears. The lawsuit also states that the officer told Shanaye no one would believe her if she reported the abuse. Its a very isolating feeling. I really didnt even know who I could tell, who I could trust. You cant tell the therapist in the prison because you feel like she works for the prison. They look at you like youre an inmate. You have no word. You have no honor. Some cases, like Genaro Campos, stretch back even longer. former rikers island inmate (Courtesy Genaro Campos) When Genaro was incarcerated on Rikers Island in the early 90s, there was a female correction officer, who oversaw him and demanded sex from him. And he had no choice, Campos attorney, Andrew Stengel, told NBC News. If he did not comply, his situation would have been much worse. Much, much worse. And the fact is, when he stopped complying, when he had enough, he was punished. She had him punished. Campos, now 59, was 28 when he entered Rikers in the early 1990s. His lawsuit alleges that the female correction officer forced him to perform sexual acts over a four-month period spanning from 1992 to 1993. She demanded Campos have sex with her and perform oral sex on her repeatedly, the lawsuit alleges. When Campos refused, the lawsuit says the correction officer retaliated, having him identified as a Centrally Monitored Case, which meant he was watched closely and kept under harsh conditions including isolation, waist chains, and shackles. The New York City Department of Correction acknowledged the sex abuse lawsuits, saying, Most, if not all of the cases, are over 2 years old. Hundreds of cases. Many incidents dating back decades. NYC DOC has a zero tolerance policy toward all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment against any person who works, visits, or is in custody in any of its facilities, Latima Johnson, a spokesperson for the DOC, told NBC News in an emailed statement. The Department responds to, investigates, and supports the prosecution of all sexual misconduct within all facilities operated by the agency and its contractors. She added that all staff at DOC facilities are given Prison Rape Elimination Act training, which is intended to eradicate sexual misconduct behind bars. She said the DOC investigates allegations of abuse and takes action on confirmed allegations. Mass incarceration, violence and corruption have come to define the facilities on the 400-acre island that sits in the East River between The Bronx and Queens. Rikers Island facilities have been plagued for years with dysfunction and severe violence. Many of the prisoners held at Rikers facilities are awaiting trial, with some languishing at Rikers for months. Nineteen people detained at Rikers died last year, and nine people have died so far this year. There were 6,182 people detained in Rikers facilities as of August, according to city records. Along with sexual abuse, prisoners and advocates have consistently raised concerns about sordid conditions at the facilities like mold, vermin infestations and foul-smelling living quarters. Shanaye during her time at Rikers. (via Anna Kull) Advocates have cited these inhumane conditions in their yearslong push to have the jail complex closed for good. They rejoiced over then-Mayor Bill de Blasios 2017 vow to close Rikers by 2027, but balked at his plans to open smaller facilities across the city in its place. The plans have since been slow-going and steeped in confusion for advocates who say the sexual abuse alone is reason enough to close the complex for good. Last month, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, joined advocates in a bid to take control of Rikers Island from Mayor Eric Adams administration and appoint an outside authority to oversee the troubled jail complex. What kind of culture are we creating in county jails and prisons when we allow a population thats already vulnerable to continue to be abused by those who are supposed to protect them, said Assia Serrano of Survived & Punished, a New York-based grassroots group that advocates for incarcerated survivors of gender violence. Serrano was incarcerated for 17 years and spent nearly two of them at Rikers. Since her release in 2021, she has worked with Survived & Punished to both support prisoners and call for Rikers to be shut down. The movement has been going on for years now. [Rikers] is unnecessary. It takes a toll on peoples mental health. Rikers Island is a horrible place, Serrano continued. Tammy, 60, who is also represented by Kull, was incarcerated at Rosies for 30 days when two officers, a man and a woman, repeatedly groped and fondled her, according to her lawsuit. She said the officers intimidated her to keep her from reporting the abuse. Id been threatened so I was scared. I know they had access to my information, where I lived at the time, and things of that nature, Tammy said. Kull asked to use Tammys first name to protect her privacy. Now, the Adult Survivors Act has provided a new avenue for even a semblance of justice for Shanaye, Tammy and Campos. Shanaye said it took a lot of therapy and courage for her to come forward under the Adult Survivors Act, and this chance at justice is almost like a vindication. Tammy. (via Anna Kull) I feel like I can finally be heard and speak for others, Shanaye added. I would like to know that this would never happen again. For our voices to be heard and for us to be believed. A lot of the times, because were there, nobody even believes us. The Adult Survivors Act provided a vehicle for the hundreds of prison lawsuits, but it didnt come without years of advocacy to get the law passed. Safe Horizon, a New York-based anti-violence organization, helped lead the charge for the act beginning in 2020. A coalition of advocates, legal experts and survivors of violence spoke at news conferences, penned op-eds, met with lawmakers and did more to pass the act. But advocates like Michael Polenberg, vice president of government affairs for Safe Horizon, have acknowledged the limits of a one-year window and hope the act wont be the last stop for survivors, but a single step in more progress to come. There has to be a real determined effort from the highest levels in the state to say, Were not going to tolerate this and were going to take every possible step to reduce the likelihood that someone could experience sexual abuse in prison, Polenberg said. For more from NBC BLK, sign up for our weekly newsletter. The Big Sandy Regional Detention Center has reached an agreement with the federal government requiring the facility to ensure people with opioid use disorder receive access to their FDA-approved medications, required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On Monday, U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV announced the agreement with the Big Sandy Regional Jail Authority, which operates the detention center. The settlement requires Big Sandy to revise policies to provide access to all three forms of FDA-approved medications methadone, buprenorphine and Naltrexone to people with opioid use disorder. The ADA prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against individuals with disabilities and protects people in recovery from OUD (opioid use disorder), including individuals who are taking OUD medication at the direction of a medical provider, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release. Opioid use disorder is the medical terminology used to define opioid or drug addiction. Despite the ADA protections, people still have trouble accessing medication they were previously taking while inside local jails and prisons. According to the settlement agreement, the Department of Justice opened an investigation of Big Sandy under Title II of the ADA after receiving a complaint by a medical provider on behalf of a patient identified in court documents as J.F., who was lawfully prescribed buprenorphine to treat his opioid use disorder. The settlement alleges that once the inmate was booked in Big Sandy, he was denied his medication a direct violation of Title II of the ADA regulations. As part of its investigation, the United States substantiated allegations that Big Sandy effectively bans medications for addiction without an evaluation of a medical professional, according to the settlement agreement. Decisions about treatment will now be based on an individualized determination by qualified medical personnel. The facility will be required to evaluate all individuals with opioid use disorder upon arrival and ensure individuals who were receiving medication from a licensed treatment provider before their incarceration are continued on that medication. If an inmate was not receiving medication before incarceration, the detention center will now be required to offer medication options, according to the settlement. Eastern Kentucky has long been on the front lines of the opioid epidemic and our office remains committed to a comprehensive approach to fighting this public health crisis, including enforcement of the ADAs requirements safeguarding treatment, said Shier in the release. Considering the impact this crisis has had on our area, treatment must be a critical tool in our efforts to fight back. Access to medications that treat opioid use disorder saves lives, and we are pleased we were able to reach a settlement with the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center to better ensure access to this important treatment for the people in its custody, Shier said. This announcement comes more than one year after the same group agreed on a settlement which would require similar measures at the Fayette County Detention Center. In November 2022, the U.S. Attorneys Office found the Lexington facility did not provide most individuals with access to methadone and buprenorphine, or stopped their access. Where were the pro-Palestinian protesters when Assad tortured hundreds and killed thousands of Palestinians in Syria? Where were the pro-Palestinian protesters when Syria demolished Yarmouk and other Palestinian refugee camps? Why were they silent in the face of the massacres, rapes and arson of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Moslems? Why didnt they march against the atrocities committed by Isis? Why arent they also protesting this months atrocities and murders of hundreds of people in Darfour, Sudan? During World War II, did anyone call for a cease fire between United States and Germany and Japan even though the loss of innocent civilian lives was far greater? Yet, now they are quick to support Hamas, protesting on behalf of Palestinians while ignoring, and thus condoning, the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7. Are they anti-Semitic? Some of them are, for sure. But many have had a knee jerk reaction for whom they perceived to be the underdog. They jumped on the bandwagon without thinking, without examining sources, without asking questions, ignorant of history. Nothing is black and white. Yes, Palestinians and Israelis both share responsibility for their history of problems. But nothing whatsoever can justify using innocent civilians in hospitals and schools to protect Hamas military bases. Nothing whatsoever can justify the massacre, rapes and kidnapping of innocent civilians. Both Palestinians and Israelis are the victims of cruelty and single-minded hate of Hamas and, tragically, the pro-Palestinian protesters are clueless. Marilyn Gootman, Athens This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Letter: Pro-Palestinian protesters ignoring Hamas atrocities BATU PALANO, Indonesia (AP) Rescuers searching the hazardous slopes of Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano found 11 more bodies of climbers who were caught by a surprise weekend eruption, raising the number of confirmed dead to 22, officials said Tuesday. One person remained missing. More than 50 climbers were rescued after the initial eruption Sunday, and 11 others were initially confirmed dead. New eruptions on Monday and Tuesday spewed more hot ash as high as 800 meters (2,620 feet) into the air, reducing visibility and temporarily halting search and recovery operations, said Abdul Malik, chief of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency. The bodies of two climbers were located on Monday and nine more on Tuesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said. One climber remained missing and was presumed dead because of being very close to the eruption site, said Edi Mardianto, the deputy police chief in West Sumatra province. The rescuers contended with bad weather and difficult terrain, along with winds that brought heat from the eruptions. Sixteen bodies had been taken to a hospital for identification by late Tuesday, as more than 200 rescuers, including police and soldiers, struggled to bring the others down the mountain and search for the missing climber, Malik said. Marapi has stayed at the third highest of four alert levels since 2011, indicating above-normal volcanic activity under which climbers and villagers must stay more than 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the peak, according to Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation. Officially, climbers were only allowed below the danger zone and had to register at two command posts or online. However, local officials acknowledge that many people may have climbed higher than permitted and villagers may also have been in the area, making the number of people stranded by the eruption difficult to confirm. Marapi spewed thick columns of ash as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) in Sunday's eruption and hot ash clouds spread for several kilometers (miles). Nearby villages and towns were blanketed by tons of volcanic debris that blocked sunlight, and authorities recommended that people wear masks to protect themselves from the ash. About 1,400 people live on Marapis slopes in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages, about 5 to 6 kilometers (3 to 3.7 miles) from the peak. Marapi is known for sudden eruptions that are difficult to predict because the source is shallow and near the peak, and its eruptions are not caused by a deep movement of magma, which sets off tremors that register on seismic monitors. Marapi has been active since a January eruption that caused no casualties. It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. ___ Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report. The U.S. ambassador to Japan said Tuesday that the shared common economic and security interests among Seoul, Washington and Japan would sustain the trilateral cooperation forged at the August summit beyond the upcoming elections in each country. The remark came after the three countries have been making efforts to enhance trilateral ties in a wide array of areas following the landmark summit at Camp David in Maryland in August. Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. envoy to Japan, noted that the accomplishment through the summit of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, respectively, was made possible as the three leaders were willing to "take political risks." "I also think it is sustainable regardless of the outcome of the election, because all three countries have shared interests. In the end of the day, the shared interests have a pretty gravitational pull," he added. Pundits have been expressing concerns over the sustainability of the trilateral partnership, as there have been some ups and downs in the bilateral relationship between South Korea and Japan depending on administrations. The upcoming U.S. presidential election in November 2024 adds further uncertainty to the political landscape. "The three leaders made it happen, but it is not dependent on the three leaders," he said, noting "security interests" will carry the partnership forward. Emanuel added the trilateral relationship among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan is stronger than the ties that North Korea would have with China and Russia. "They don't share strategic interests in the same collaborative, cooperative way than we do," the envoy said, adding that he is not sure Beijing would consider the recent military ties between North Korea and Russia as a positive move. Emanuel further noted that the trilateral cooperation will also allow the three countries to seek "great coordination" in dealing with North Korea and other global issues. "Not only has Russia violated the United Nations charter by invading Ukraine, they have now violated and upended the sanctions which they are part to as it relates to North Korea," Emanuel said. "I think it's an example that either the United Nations begins to stand up as an organization that has credibility or again gets diminished," he added, hinting the cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will be enhanced when Seoul joins the U.N. Security Council next year. South Korea was elected as a nonpermanent member of the council for a two-year term in June, expanding its foothold in the U.N. body to better address the North Korean issue and other global security challenges. (Yonhap) Philippe was being held under observation, that usually lasts 48 hours, but he has not been charged and no hearing has been held, attorney Jean Joseph Louicher told reporters gathered outside the police station. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Authorities in Haiti held former rebel leader Guy Philippe on Friday at a police station where he remained a day after the the United States repatriated him to Haiti, his lawyer said. Philippe is a convicted money launderer who played a key role in the 2004 rebellion against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and also was accused of masterminding attacks on police stations and other targets. Philippe has an outstanding warrant stemming from a 2016 fatal attack on a police station in the southern coastal city of Les Cayes, police officials told The Associated Press on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Philippe was being held under observation, that usually lasts 48 hours, but he has not been charged and no hearing has been held, attorney Jean Joseph Louicher told reporters gathered outside the police station. Why cant my client recover his freedom to be with his family? Louicher said, adding that authorities only told him they did not yet have any orders to release Philippe. Louicher said Philippe is being held in a cell by himself and was given food, water and a mattress. The former rebel leader once served as police chief for the northern coastal city of Cap-Haitien and had been recently elected to Haitis Senate when local authorities arrested him in Haiti in January 2017 while he participated in a live radio talk show. He was extradited to the U.S., where he was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to a money laundering charge. Authorities had said he used his high-ranking position within Haitis National Police to provide protection for drug shipments in exchange for up to $3.5 million in bribes. Authorities in Haiti hold former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File) Philippe, who has stated in recent interviews that he intends to be involved in his countrys affairs, arrived back in Haiti as it struggles with widespread gang violence and deepening political instability. Guerline Jozef, founder of the U.S.-based community organization Haitian Bridge Alliance, questioned why Philippe was flown to his homeland during a time of upheaval and accused the U.S. government in a statement Friday of being complicit in contributing to the ongoing destabilization of Haiti. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the U.S. Department of State, which said in a brief statement that the U.S. continues to support efforts that foster security conditions conducive for holding free and fair elections and maintaining long-term stability in Haiti. The U.S. government prosecuted and convicted Mr. Philippe for his crimes, and he has completed his sentence, a spokesperson for the Department of State said. There is no longer any basis for Mr. Philippe to remain in the United States. Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter. The post Authorities in Haiti hold former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him appeared first on TheGrio. FBI Director Christopher Wray urged Congress on Tuesday to renew a surveillance law that provides most of the intelligence that lands on the presidents desk each day. Wray made his plea in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Many Republicans have opposed a renewal of the law Section 702 of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires Dec. 31 as part of a crusade against the FBI and Justice Department, which they allege has been weaponized against conservatives. Wray pointed to threats from Iran and China to argue that surveillance powers under the law serve a crucial role to U.S. national security interests. When it comes to foreign adversaries like Iran, whose actions across a whole host of threats have grown more brazen seeking to assassinate high-level officials, kidnap dissidents, and conduct cyber attacks here in the United States or the Peoples Republic of China, which poses a generational threat to our economic and national security, stripping the FBI of its 702 authorities would be a form of unilateral disarmament, Wray said in his opening remarks. Wray said the surveillance law is "key to our ability to detect a foreign terrorist organization overseas directing an operative here to carry out an attack in our own backyard." Given the critical importance of 702, were committed to being good stewards of our authorities," he said. "To that end, Ive ordered a whole host of changes to address unacceptable compliance incidents." Wray said he has been "more encouraged" by recent data from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that "shows a 98% compliance rate, and observes that the reforms are having the desired effect.' He also cited two recent Department of Justice semiannual reports that he said similarly "show a greater than 98% compliance rate." Concluding his opening remarks, Wray noted that before the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, "well-intentioned policymakers had made the choice to build a wall preventing access to national security information sitting in our and our partners holdings." He stressed that "allowing 702 to lapse, or amending it in a way that undermines its effectiveness would be akin to laying bricks to rebuild another, pre-9/11-style wall." As the threats from foreign adversaries to our homeland continue to evolve, the agility and effectiveness of 702 will be essential to the FBIs ability and really our mandate from the American people to keep them safe for years to come, and we owe it to them to make sure weve got the tools we need to do that, he said. Some of Floridas most powerful Republicans including Gov. Ron DeSantis are demanding that state GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler resign amid an allegation that he raped a woman. The vast majority of state GOP lawmakers, however, are staying silent. On Monday, following the release of a search warrant affidavit that revealed new details of the allegations against Ziegler including a description of concerned phone calls and messages to the alleged victim in the days and weeks following the alleged rape Tallahassee Republicans seemed more eager to talk online about the snubbing of Florida State Universitys football team from the College Football Playoffs. Other prominent Republicans keeping things quiet include former President Donald Trump, whose allies supported Ziegler for the state party chairmanship over Florida GOP Vice Chairman Evan Power during a heated party election earlier this year. Representatives of his presidential campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The lack of public discussion from Republicans in the Legislature, a body that in recent years has fallen in line with DeSantis on most political and policy decisions, underscores the delicate situation the party finds itself in with four months left before the Florida GOP presidential primary. It also accentuates Republicans hesitancy to oust members of their own party, even in cases when they are accused of committing acts that are seen as a stain on their partys reputation and values. I wont be calling on him to resign, state Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, said on Monday. A single accusation made by an unnamed individual shouldnt be enough to force anyone to resign. Ziegler, 40, is accused of rape by a woman with whom he and his wife, Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, previously had a three-way sexual encounter, according to the search warrant affidavit. He has told detectives he is innocent and that he took video of the encounter, which he maintains was consensual. Detectives say Ziegler told investigators that he initially deleted the video of the encounter, but uploaded it to his Google Drive once he found out about the allegation against him. Investigators havent been able to locate that video, according to a search warrant affidavit. As details on the sexual scandal spill into public view, Ziegler has refused to step down. We have a country to save and I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission on the bench as I wait for this process to wrap up, Ziegler wrote in a memo to Florida Republicans on Saturday. Zieglers defiant tone has led some Republicans to question why members of the party have stayed silent and refused to back DeSantis, who has called on Ziegler to resign. I am surprised that no more have asked him to resign, state Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, said about fellow Republican colleagues. In Roachs view, Ziegler would be delusional to think he is benefiting the party by staying on. DeSantis position has been echoed by some Republicans with sway. House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo both called on Ziegler to resign on Monday. It is untenable for Christian Ziegler to continue as Chairman of RPOF and I recommend he resign his post, Renner said in a statement. The serious allegations at issue require his full attention and we need someone who can provide the singular focus the party needs. Passidomo echoed that sentiment. The Governor is the leader of our Party. I agree with his position, Passidomo said in a statement Monday that misspelled the chairmans name. The allegations are serious, and will require Chair Zeiglers full attention. Following those statements, Sen. Dennis Baxley, an Ocala Republican, said he supported the position taken by DeSantis and Passidomo, and said Ziegliers accusations have become a distraction from the important work of our party for the future of our state. Most Republican lawmakers have avoided taking a public position on the matter but Roach hopes the floodgates will open in support of Zieglers resignation now that Passidomo and Renner have publicly backed DeSantis, the de facto leader of the state party. The Miami Herald sought comment from incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and incoming Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, on the matter. Neither responded to requests for comment. The governors office also did not respond when asked whether he believes Bridget Ziegler should step down from her posts in the Sarasota County School Board and the board DeSantis has appointed to oversee Walt Disneys theme parks. Roach, for example, said he believes Bridget Ziegler should resign. The hypocrisy is the number one reason they should resign, Roach said, pointing to the Zieglers push for traditional values in public schools. I dont see how they ever get past that. Sarasota School Board member Bridget Ziegler and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seen on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022. Neither Christian nor Bridget Ziegler responded to messages seeking comment. In a statement last week, Christian Zieglers lawyer Derek Byrd said that his client was cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation and insisted that Ziegler would eventually be cleared of any wrongdoing. Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried was among the first state leaders to call for Ziegler to step down, saying in a statement last Thursday that he cant possibly continue to lead the Florida GOP under these conditions. Making the situation even worse for Ziegler, she said, is his and his wifes outspoken advocacy for conservative cultural values and criticism of anything that could be construed as a non-traditional sexual relationship. State Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, of Plantation, also called for Zieglers resignation on Monday. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, of Tampa, said the decision to have Ziegler resign his post from the state party should not be viewed through a partisan lens. With allegations this serious that is the only answer, Driskell told reporters on Monday. For him not to resign, frankly, would send a chilling message to the women of Florida about how the Republican Party views sexual assault. In his experience as a restaurant worker, Jhobani Hernandez said it isnt out of the ordinary to see perhaps a mouse or rat scurrying from the bushes of an outdoor eating area. But, he said, hes never encountered what he saw in a food storage room at the Sky Terrace restaurant at the W Hollywood, a hotel at Hollywood and Vine. Rats and mice scampering around stored food on shelves. Bags of flour and rice covered in what appeared to be rat feces, urine and bite marks. Rodents sometimes dead but often squirming and gasping for life inside glue traps. It was a rodent infestation, Hernandez, 33, said. This has just been the worst experience. Management knew about it and they just did nothing about it. That was the most irritating thing. Hernandez is one of five workers who have filed a complaint with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health better known as Cal/OSHA asking the agency to investigate allegations that Sky Terrace violated sanitation regulations by failing to maintain the premises to prevent the entrance or harboring of vermin. The complaint also alleges that the restaurant operator failed to institute a continuous extermination program. Read more:Click here to read the actual complaint workers filed with Cal-OSHA Typically, vermin mitigation occurs after a county health inspection, which takes place at least annually at all businesses that serve food from convenience stores to full-service restaurants. This complaint focused on the health and safety concerns for the workers at the Sky Terrace. A hospitality management company called Mosaic LLC operates Sky Terrace at the W Hollywood. On Nov. 16, Unite Here Local 11, which represents the workers, filed the complaint on behalf of the five cooks, servers and receivers currently and formerly employed by Mosaic LLC. Mosaic LLC did not respond to the specific allegations made in the complaint. Instead, representatives provided a written statement, defending its procedures. We take health and safety very seriously and follow standards that meet or exceed health and safety regulations, a Mosaic representative said in a statement. The spokesperson added that the hospitality group is "ready to assist OSHA or the L.A. County Department of Public Health with any related inquiries. The W Hollywood works with "a leading pest control company on an ongoing basis and engage[s] them for any specific concerns reported within the building," Nick Rimedio, the hotel's general manager, said in a written statement. Rimedio deferred questions about the restaurant to Mosaic but did say "health and safety is always a top priority." The Sky Terrace restaurant has remained open. An exterior view of the W Hotel, rear left, on Hollywood Boulevard. Five workers allege in a complaint to the state that rodents keep appearing at the hotel's rooftop restaurant. (George Rose / Getty Images) Passing inspections The main kitchen and dining areas for Sky Terrace are on the 12th floor of the hotel. Mosaic also maintains a storage area in the basement of the W Hollywood and an additional kitchen on the first floor of the same building. On Nov. 17, a representative with Unite Here Local 11 called the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, notifying officials of the complaint and asked the agency to perform an immediate inspection. Agency officials said they investigated on Nov. 20 and found no evidence of rodents at the facility. The inspection results don't come as much of a surprise to Maria Hernandez, a spokeswoman for Unite Here 11. In the past, part of the property has been shut down and reopened only to have the vermin return, she said. It has been an issue that has come and gone as far as workers have expressed to us. Months earlier, on July 31, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health shut down three of the storage rooms operated by Mosaic for 48 hours after they found dozens of rodent droppings in the facilities, according to documents provided by the public health agency. In addition, inspectors discovered that one of the three storage rooms lacked a public health permit. At the same inspection, the inspector found no evidence of rodent activity at the rooftop restaurant itself, and the Sky Terrace received an A grade. After an Aug. 2 re-inspection of the shuttered storage rooms, the public health agency found that all the violations had been corrected, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. But in their complaint, workers allege that the rodents ultimately returned. Workers continued to take photos of what appeared to be rodent feces and claim management continued to ignore the issue, according to the complaint. Read more:Cooking debris? Roaches? Vermin? How one L.A. inspector tells restaurants if they're an A, B, C or closed The document describes the vermin issue in detail between May 3 to Oct. 12 of this year. The complaint also has attached photos and video footage of what appear to be live and dead mice and rats along with rodent feces and urine. The alleged rodent activity mostly took place in the storage room in the basement of the W Hollywood. On multiple occasions, workers encountered mice and rats dashing around the stored food, according to the complaint and the workers. They also discovered bags of flour and rice covered in what appeared to be rat feces, urine and bite marks. The workers said they reported every rodent encounter to management either verbally or via a work messaging application. In response, the complaint states, management set out traps and asked workers to clean more thoroughly. The rat traps and cleaning failed to resolve the rodent infestation, the complaint alleges. Hernandez and other workers said they agitated for management to hire an exterminator. Its unclear whether the company did so. In June, one of the chefs asked Hernandez, a receiver for the restaurant, to bring her a large bag of flour from the storage room to the 12th floor, where the kitchen and restaurant are located. After Hernandez delivered the flour, the chef pointed out to him that the bag was torn and had rodent feces, according to the complaint. Hernandez said he was disgusted when he saw the droppings and yellow markings of what appeared to be urine. He said he was taken aback when the chef told him to only dispose of half the flour because she intended to use the other half, according to the complaint. Hernandez took a photo of the torn bag showing apparent rodent feces. The picture is attached to the complaint. Read more:Is a dine-in service fee a tip? Former servers allege in suit they are owed gratuities from Jon & Vinny's A month later, a server at the Sky Terrace who didnt want to be identified out of fear of repercussions, said he also started to notice rodents inside the restaurant. On July 30, the server opened the restaurant for breakfast with a manager who uncovered the credenza on the rooftop portion of the restaurant. A glue trap had been placed on the top of the silverware in the credenza fell out with what appeared to be two mice stuck on the trap, according to the complaint. One of the mice appeared to be dead and the other alive. Management instructed the servers to throw the mice in the trash, the complaint stated. Later that morning, the same server found what appeared to be a live mouse stuck on a trap along the wall of the restaurant. A photo of the mouse was attached to the complaint. In the afternoon, a guest at the restaurant allegedly got their foot stuck on a glue trap that Mosaic workers had placed under a dining table, according to the same complaint. Edward Diaz, a 30-year-old who was hired as a line cook for the restaurant, also encountered several live and dead rodents in the storage room, according to the complaint. Nowhere have I seen rodents in the workplace like that, and the managers knew about the vermin, Diaz said. After the first encounter, he said, he stopped eating food from the kitchen. 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. BERLIN (Reuters) -German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Sunday cancelled a planned trip to the Middle East to focus on talks over a hole in Germany's 2024 budget and said he was "very optimistic" a solution would be found. The economy minister was due to fly to Dubai on Monday evening to attend COP28 and then to Oman, Israel and Saudi Arabia but was asked by the chancellor to postpone the trip, a spokesperson said. The coalition government is in intensive talks over how to tackle a 17-billion-euro ($18.50 billion) gap blown in the 2024 budget by a constitutional court ruling last month. Finance minister Christian Lindner proposed in an interview on Saturday cutting social spending, international climate financing, development cooperation and some subsidies to fill the gap. Asked about Lindner's proposal on the Sunday evening Anne Will talk show, Habeck said all parties were putting forward suggestions in line with their views but that this was "not a contribution to solve the problem." "I am very optimistic that we are on a good path to reach an agreement," the economy minister added, declining to give further details before an agreement had been reached. ($1 = 0.9187 euros) (Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Victoria Waldersee; Writing by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Chizu Nomiyama) At least four gold bars found in the FBI search of Sen. Bob Menendezs home had been directly linked to a New Jersey businessman now accused of bribing Menendez, the states senior senator, Bergen County prosecutors records from a 2013 robbery case show. The businessman, Fred Daibes, reported to police that he was the victim of an armed robbery in 2013, and he asked police to recover the gold bars stolen from him. Daibes reported that $500,000 in cash and 22 gold bars were stolen, Edgewater, New Jersey, police records show. Police later caught four people with the stolen goods. To get his property back, Daibes signed property release forms certifying the gold bars belonged to him, the records show. Each gold bar has its own serial number, Daibes told investigators in a 2013 transcript made by prosecutors and police who recovered and returned to Daibes the stolen valuables. Theyre all stampedyoull never see two stamped the same way. A decade later, it said, the FBI found four gold bars with unique serial numbers in the Clifton, New Jersey, home of Menendez and his wife, Nadine. In the bribery indictment against Menendez and Daibes this year, prosecutors included photos of some of the alleged bribes found in Menendezs home, including four gold bars. The serial numbers of the four gold bars in the bribery indictment appear to be exact matches to four of the gold bars Daibes certified as having been stolen and returned to him in the 2013 robbery case. For example, a Swiss Bank Corp. gold bar with serial number 590005 that the FBI said it seized from Menendezs home in a search this year had also been reported stolen by Daibes and returned to him a decade earlier. Daibes signature and initials appear on the evidence log, which included each specific gold bar with its corresponding serial number. Federal investigators allege Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., received bribes in the form of gold bars. (U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York) All of this spells bad news for Sen. Menendez, because the chain of custody it appears is going to be really easy to prove up, NBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos said. It was November 2013 when Daibes, a millionaire developer, told police that he had been the victim of a gunpoint robbery in his penthouse apartment in Edgewater. He said he was tied to a chair as the thieves made off with cash, gold and jewelry. The four suspects were quickly caught and later pleaded guilty. Daibes attended court proceedings as the victim. On Dec. 13, 2013, Daibes signed documents to get his property back, including the gold bars. Cevallos said that if Daibes, in fact, gave gold bars to Bob and Nadine Menendez, that alone does not prove the crime of bribery. Was there a quid pro quo? Was it in exchange for the senators official acts or promises of the same? Cevallos said. The FBI said the quid pro quo between Menendez and Daibes included efforts by Menendez to influence the New Jersey U.S. attorneys office, which in 2018 was investigating Daibes in relation to a separate crime of bank fraud. Daibes and Menendez, along with other co-defendants Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana and Jose Uribe, all deny any wrongdoing and have pleaded not guilty. The allegations against me are just that allegations, Menendez said at a news conference after the bribery indictment was unsealed. In a statement about the ties of the gold bars found at his home to a decade-old robbery, counsel for Menendez said he will not be commenting on anonymous media leaks designed to prejudice his right to a fair trial. He looks forward to addressing the governments claims in court, based on a complete record of the evidence. Menendez has denied taking payoffs from Daibes even though prosecutors allege testing shows Daibes fingerprints and DNA are on some of the tens of thousands of dollars in cash found in Menendezs home. For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba, Menendez said. Menendez and his wife are also accused of taking payoffs from Hana, a businessman, the FBI said. In exchange, investigators alleged, Menendez used his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to help Hana win an exclusive halal meat inspection contract with the Egyptian government. They also said that in exchange for bribes, Menendez tried to assist the government of Egypt with arms sales. Prosecutors said Menendez also accepted a Mercedes and other payoffs from Uribe. In exchange, prosecutors said, Menendez offered to try to help Uribe with an ongoing state attorney generals investigation. As for Daibes separate bank fraud case, a federal judge in New Jersey threw out a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to one count and faced a sentence of probation after the new bribery charges came to light. An attorney for Daibes said he is confident his client will be exonerated when all the evidence is heard. The allegations against me are just that allegations, Menendez said at a news conference in his home state in September after the bribery indictment was unsealed. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau, a country of 2 million people, has endured continued political turmoil, experiencing four coups and more than a dozen attempted coups. BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau (AP) Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo issued a decree Monday dissolving the nations opposition-controlled parliament, less than six months after it was reconstituted following a similar move by the president in 2022. Embalo cited last weeks shootout between troops loyal to him and forces controlled by the parliament, which he described as a failed coup. The date for holding the next legislative elections will be set in due time in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, the decree stated. This Presidential Decree comes into force immediately. The order referred to the seriousness, of a shootout that started in the capital, Bissau, between members of the Presidential Palace Battalion and the National Guard as the former tried to rearrest two ministers under investigation for alleged corruption who had been released from custody by the latter. FILE Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo speaks at the Peace Forum on Nov. 11, 2022 in Paris. A shootout in Guinea-Bissaus capital Friday was an attempted coup, Embalo said Sunday Dec. 3, 2023 after a meeting with security forces, confirming fears over the latest threat to democracy in the increasingly volatile and coup-hit West Africa. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool, File) The leadership of the parliament rejected the presidents move, noting that the constitution states that parliament cannot be dissolved in the first 12 months after an election. If this situation happens, regardless of the mechanism used, we are in the presence of a subversion of the democratic order or a constitutional coup detat, Domingos Simoes Pereira, president of the parliament, told reporters. It is the second time in less than two years that Embalo has dissolved the parliament. Three months after surviving a coup attempt in February 2022, the Guinea Bissau leader did the same thing, citing unresolvable differences with the legislature. Guinea-Bissaus semi-presidential system limits the presidents powers by allowing the majority party in the parliament to appoint the Cabinet. As a result, the National Guard which is under the Ministry of Interior is largely controlled by the opposition-dominated parliament, while the Presidential Palace Battalion is loyal to Embalo. Embalo, a former army general, was declared the winner of a December 2019 runoff presidential election, which his opponent contested. Tensions have remained between him and the coalition of opposition groups that won the majority in Guinea-Bissaus parliament in June when the parliament was reconstituted. Last weeks shooting incident lasted from Thursday night until Friday morning and happened while the president was attending the U.N. climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Upon his return, he dismissed Victor Tchongo, the head of the National Guard and said Tchongo hadnt acted alone when he asked members of the guard to release the officials. The bid to release the officials Economy and Finance Minister Suleimane Seidi and Treasury Secretary Antonio Monteiro clearly revealed the complicity of grand corruption with certain political interests and sows strong evidence of political complicity, Embalo said in the decree. It was not clear if the parliament would continue to sit despite the presidential decree. Pereira insisted the assembly remains in place because its dissolution is unconstitutional. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau, a country of 2 million people, has endured continued political turmoil, experiencing four coups and more than a dozen attempted coups. Last weeks shootout is the fourth attempted or successful military takeover of power in West and Central Africa in the past six months, including last weeks attacks on military barracks and prisons in Sierra Leone. It further raises tensions in the once-politically stable region where coups have surged, with eight military takeovers since 2020. Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter. The post Guinea-Bissaus president dissolves the nations parliament after last weeks failed coup appeared first on TheGrio. By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Waves of attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen may not be targeting U.S. warships, even though the U.S. Navy has responded by shooting down drone aircraft and missiles in recent weeks, the Pentagon said on Monday. The United States has blamed the Houthis for a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7. In the latest incidents, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea on Sunday. The Houthis acknowledged launching drone and missile attacks against what they said were two Israeli vessels in the area. The Carney, a U.S. Navy destroyer, shot down three drones on Sunday as it answered distress calls from the commercial vessels. The U.S. military says the three vessels were connected to 14 separate nations. "The Carney took action as a drone was headed in its direction. But again, we can't assess that the Carney at this time was the intended target," said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh. The United States and Britain have condemned the attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, blaming Iran for its role in supporting the Houthi militants behind them. The Houthi group, which controls most of Yemen's Red Sea coast, had previously fired ballistic missiles and armed drones toward Israel and vowed to target more Israeli vessels. U.S. national security officials are concerned about the risk of a sudden, deadly regional escalation as the Israel-Hamas war rages, given the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and separate attacks by Iran-backed militia against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon said it killed five militants in Iraq on Sunday as they prepared to attack U.S. troops with a drone. Singh stopped short of using language that could suggest any imminent U.S. retaliation against the Houthis. "There have certainly been irresponsible actions taken by the Houthis, especially when it comes to targeting commercial vessels that are transiting international waters," she said. Asked if the United States might retaliate, Singh said: "If we decide to take action against the Houthis, it will of course be at a time and place of our choosing. "I won't get ahead of the (defense) secretary. I won't go ahead of the president on any actions. But we always reserve the right to respond," Singh said. At the White House, President Joe Biden's national security adviser told reporters that talks were ongoing about a maritime task force "of sorts" to ensure the safe passage of ships in the Red Sea. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan declined to say what the exact structure would look like and it if would be a part of a multinational task force that already exists and focuses on maritime security efforts in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. "At a broad level the idea that we would work with other countries and their naval vessels to try to provide a greater level of security through the Red Sea, that's something that we're actively discussing with our colleagues," Sullivan said. Sullivan's comments could suggest that the focus is on policing the waterway rather than retaliatory measures. Yemen erupted in civil war after the Houthis, members of the Zaydi sect of Shi'ite Islam, seized Sanaa, the capital, in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year. Although a U.N.-brokered ceasefire collapsed in October 2022, Yemen has enjoyed relative calm as the Houthis and Saudi Arabia negotiate a settlement. The White House has left open the possibility of potentially designating the Houthi rebel group a terrorist organization, which would reverse one of the Biden administration's first acts after Biden took office as president in January 2021. (Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Jeff Mason; Editing by Leslie Adler and Bill Berkrot) One of the three Palestinian American students shot in Burlington, Vermont last week is paralyzed, but is still hoping to start his upcoming college semester on time, his family announced in a fundraising statement. Hisham Awartanis family said he is paralyzed from the chest down after he and his two friends, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Ali Ahmad, were shot while walking in Burlington late last month. The three men, all 20 years old and of Palestinian descent, were in Burlington to visit one of the victims families for the Thanksgiving holiday. Two of the men wore keffiyehs when the shooting occurred, Burlington police said last month. We are thankful that all three will survive this attack, and Hishams friends are expected to make a full recovery, Awartanis family wrote in a GoFund Me post. For Hisham, however, one of the bullets that struck him is lodged in his spine and has left him paralyzed from the chest down. The fundraiser for Awartani raised over $950,000 as of Monday through an estimated 13,600 separate donations. His family said the money will go towards the costs related to his recovery, including for rehabilitation, adaptive living needs and travel. Awartani told his college professors he is determined to start the next semester on time, his family said. Awartani attends Brown University where he is pursuing a dual degree in math and archaeology. Hell [Awartani] change the world though his sprint, his mind and his compassion for those much more vulnerable than himself, especially the thousands of dead in Gaza and many more struggling to survive the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding there, Awartanis family wrote in a statement. Abdalhamid, one of the other victims, was released last week from the hospital. It was not immediately clear if Ahmad, the third victim, has been released. Abdalhamid and Ahmad are students at Haverford College in Pennsylvania and Trinity College respectively. Jason Eaton, who was arrested a day after the shooting, pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder on Monday. The 48-year-old was held without bail ahead of his next court appearance. Attorney General Merrick Garland said last week the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the FBI, are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime. In an interview with The New York Times last week, Abdalhamid said the incident is very hard to grapple with, and made him question his sense of security and safety in America. In the West Bank, were not safe because of the occupation, and as a Palestinian American, Im not safe in America because of people like this that might come out, Abdalhamid told The Times. The shooting further fueled fears on U.S. campuses, which have seen tensions increase amidst Israels war with Hamas, which began in October after the militant groups Oct. 7 attack that left 1,200 people dead in Israel. More than 15,800 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-ruled Health Ministry in Gaza. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Korea's foreign ministry on Tuesday "strongly" denounced a deadly explosion that ripped through a Catholic service at a university in the southern Philippines earlier this week. "The government of the Republic of Korea strongly condemns the heinous attack targeting civilians that transpired at Mindanao State University in Marawi, the Philippines, on December 3," the ministry's spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, said in a statement. The government reaffirms its position that violent attacks against civilians cannot be justified under any circumstances and remains committed to supporting Manila's efforts for peace and stability, he added. The bombing occurred Sunday at a gymnasium in Marawi on the Philippine island of Mindanao, claiming the lives of at least four people and injuring 54, according to foreign media reports. (Yonhap) Nicaraguan police have charged the director of the local Miss Universe franchise with conspiracy, treason, money laundering and spreading fake news as part of a plot to overthrow the government, weeks after the Central American nations first victory in the pageant. Karen Celebertti and two others have been accused of participating in terrorist actions of a failed coup attempt in 2018, when Nicaraguans protested against President Daniel Ortegas attempted reforms to the countrys social security system. Police said Celebertti had used innocent beauty contests to turn the competitions into political traps and ambushes, financed by foreign agents. They said they have telephone and technological memories to be used as evidence against her. Celebertti did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The shock move came after Sheynnis Palacios won the global pageant on November 18, becoming the first Nicaraguan to do so. Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios was crowned Miss Universe 2023 last month. - Hector Vivas/Getty Images On November 23, Celebertti and her daughter were refused entry into Nicaragua and returned to Mexico, from where they had departed. They were not told why they were refused entry, a source close to the matter told CNN. Celebertti was in Mexico and Miami for Miss Universe-related activities after the pageant. CNN has reached out to the Miss Universe for comment on the charges. The organization said they may be able to provide a comment later. The day before Celebertti was denied entry, Rosario Murillo, the countrys Vice President and the wife of Ortega, referred cryptically to the countrys new victories. Without referring to the pageant or Celebertti by name, Murillo said in Nicaragua snakes have no space, they have no place. To the vain, crazy and evil, stop taking advantage of so much beauty, joy and talent in Nicaragua. Stop manipulating the well-deserved triumphs of a pretty girl to hide your insignificance and inability, she added. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Vladimir Soldatkin and Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW (Reuters) -Oil output cuts agreed by the OPEC+ group will take time to kick in, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, as it confirmed that President Vladimir Putin would visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Putin will also host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow the following day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Russia cooperates with all three countries in the OPEC+ group of oil producers, which last week announced new voluntary production cuts that were greeted sceptically by the oil market because of doubts as to whether they would be fully implemented. Oil prices fell 2% last week after the OPEC+ announcement, but Brent crude futures were firmer on Tuesday. "The fact is that there are certain processes of inertia in the oil market; it is very big and heavy. Therefore, sometimes the effect is delayed. Therefore, coordination will continue," Peskov said. Asked if Putin would discuss oil market cooperation on his Gulf trip, the spokesman said: "These discussions are held within the OPEC+ format, but of course, cooperation in this area is always on the agenda." The visit comes after OPEC+ agreed last Thursday to voluntary supply cuts totalling about 2.2 million barrels a day, included an extension of existing Saudi and Russian voluntary cuts of 1.3 million bpd. Apart from energy issues, Putin is keen to cultivate the Gulf states as part of his drive to build global alliances with non-Western countries and demonstrate what he says is the failure of the United States and its allies to isolate Russia with sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine. Peskov said the agenda for Thursday's visit to Moscow by Iran's Raisi was still under preparation but was likely to include regional issues including the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Iran backs Israel's enemy Hamas, while Russia has angered Israel by hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow. Russia has also made extensive use of Iranian drones in the conflict in Ukraine. (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin and Mark TrevelyanEditing by Gareth Jones) By Emily Rose JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Eight released Israeli hostages wrote a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, asking the humanitarian organization to provide medical assistance and to visit their relatives still being held by Hamas in Gaza. In an Oct. 7 cross-border attack, Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and seized 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas freed over 100 of the captives during a seven-day truce last month in return for the release by Israel of scores of Palestinian detainees, as well as an increase in humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza. While the deal was brokered by Qatar, the U.S., and Egypt, the handover of hostages and Palestinian detainees was facilitated by the Red Cross. Israeli authorities have said seven civilians and an army colonel died in captivity and that 137 hostages remain in Gaza, their condition not always known. The released hostages said in their letter that they had endured "harsh conditions" while being held and asked the Red Cross to help secure the immediate release of those still in captivity. They also asked the Red Cross to make visits to verify the health status of the captives, and provide medical assistance and proof of life which they said was urgent. The Red Cross has not commented on the letter, but it has previously called for agreements to allow its teams to check on hostages and deliver medication. It has said it cannot force its way to where hostages are held and does not always know their locations. The hostages said their Hamas captors subjected them to "lack of medical treatment for illnesses and injuries with culpable neglect, severe food shortage and unsanitary living conditions." "Some of the hostages undergo psychological and physical abuse," the letter said. The letter also requested a meeting with the organization's president. In response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Israel has bombarded Hamas-ruled Gaza with air strikes and pressed a ground campaign. The Palestinian health ministry has said at least 15,899 people have been killed during the eight weeks of warfare. (Reporting by Emily Rose, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Texas once one of the hottest pandemic boom states is losing its popularity among potential buyers. "When it comes to the housing market at large, the really interesting part right now is there is a lot of weakness in Texas," Lance Lambert, ResiClub co-founder and CEO, told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). The rapid shift, prompted by rising mortgage rates and home insurance premiums, has left only the most committed of buyers. Read more: Mortgage rates at 20-year high: Is 2023 a good time to buy a house? Year over year, sales volume in the state dropped 14.2% in September, according to the latest analysis from the Texas A&M University Texas Real Estate Research Center. Contacts from the Dallas district reported in the Federal Reserves latest Beige Book that home sales and buyer traffic declined while cancellations rose. They also pointed to higher mortgage rates as a key factor impacting activity. "Buyer incentives, including rate buydowns and discounting, remained widespread, and there were reports of additional incentives being offered to discourage buyers from canceling contracts," the Beige Book said. Read more: Types of mortgage loans: Buying a house in 2023 Prices also are still on the rise, increasing 1.8% month over month, or by almost $6,000, the Texas A&M report found. Overall, 56% of home sales were priced between $200,000 and $400,000. "The Texas Repeat Sales Home Price Index peaked in July and retreated slightly in September," the report said. "After suffering major price corrections earlier in the year, home price growth has gradually grown back to rates comparable to the peaks from last year." Home sales volume in Texas dropped 14.2% year over year in September. (TrongNguyen via Getty Images) But thats not the only reason pushing buyers to the sidelines. Home insurance companies are charging more and insuring less to compensate for weather-related losses over the past several years. Data from the S&P Global Market Intelligence found that since January 2022, approved home insurance rates have increased between 20% and 30% in Texas, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Illinois, and North Carolina. "Those markets, they saw prices move up fairly fast during the pandemic, but they've also been hit by insurance shocks, home insurance is moving up fairly fast in Texas and Louisiana," Lambert said. "Youve just seen some weakening because there is some supply, and some of the buyers in those markets had a bit of an edge and can kind of negotiate," Lambert added. Still, theres a glimmer of new activity. Pending home sales jumped 9.7% in Dallas in October from September, per data from Redfin. "It's just one month," Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, told Yahoo Finance. "It's definitely possible it could go back down next month, but maybe it's a start of a trend; it's just a little bit too early to tell now if more sales are happening." Dani Romero is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @daniromerotv. Click here for real estate and housing market news, reports, and analysis to inform your investing decisions. Adeline C. Marston School students celebrate kindness Marston School students and staff learn about the importance of their actions during a Celebration of Kindness. HAMPTON Superintendent Lois Costa and Principal Nathan Saddler said Adeline C. Marston School students learned about the importance of their actions during a Celebration of Kindness. On Friday, Oct. 27, Marston School staff and students gathered to learn about and celebrate kindness. During an assembly, students discussed the school's rules about bullying, what it looks like to be kind, and the importance of being an upstander. The Celebration of Kindness was held as part of Marston's Bullying Prevention Month activities, which is held throughout October. Various staff members presented during the ceremony, including Principal Saddler, Assistant Principal Elizabeth Henderson, school counselor Emily Whitney and music teacher Gus Carlson. Music Teacher Gus Carlson leads students in a song about kindness. Carlson led students in a song that promotes kindness "Build a House," and Whitney read "Acceptance is my Superpower" by Alicia Ortego a story that teaches children differences should be celebrated. Three Oyster River High School seniors commended by National Merit Scholarship Program Oyster River High School seniors from left, Owen Nelan, Chris Hawley and James Li have been named Commended Students in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. DURHAM Principal Rebecca Noe announced that three Oyster River High School seniors have been named Commended Students in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended Scholars Owen Nelan, Chris Hawley and James Li are recognized for their exceptional academic promise demonstrated by scoring among the 50,000 highest scorers nationwide on the 2022 Preliminary/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Nelan, Hawley and Li will receive letters of commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which conducts the program, and from the district. Hampton Academy students turn trash into treasure From left, students in Hampton Academy's Extended Learning Program Kelly M., Paige B., Reagan S., Kevin H., Mark H., Nick G., Max B., and Ayaan K. collected 25 pounds of trash at a beach cleanup organized by the Surfrider Foundation's New Hampshire Chapter. HAMPTON Superintendent Lois Costa said students in Hampton Academy's Extended Learning Program (ELP) joined members of the Surfrider Foundation's New Hampshire chapter for a beach cleanup, and later turned the trash they collected into art projects. Students in special education teacher Bonnie Heath's class helped to collect 25 pounds of trash at the beach cleanup, which was held on Friday, Nov. 3 at Jenness State Beach in Rye. The cleanup was organized by paraprofessional Chris Grippo, who helps to run the Surfrider Foundation's New Hampshire chapter. Students started at the parking lot and walked to the north end of the beach, known as Straw's Point, and then headed back to the starting location. Along the way, students picked up 80 rubber lobster claw bands, 75 plastic fragments, 38 cigarette butts, 27 plastic bottle caps, 20 yards of rope, and more. On Nov. 17, Heath, Grippo, and Psychologist Jenn Langevin gathered with students to turn the trash they collected into sea art projects. Grippo kicked off the activity by having students sort through the items they gathered during the beach cleanup. Then, using those items along with sea glass and shells that were donated by staff members, they created their art pieces. The sea art projects created by staff and students will be on display in Hampton Academy's lobby throughout December. The sea glass art created by students and staff are being displayed for all to enjoy in Hampton Academy's lobby throughout December. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Three Oyster River High School Seniors commended: Education news Washington The Senate confirmed promotions for hundreds of military officers Tuesday after Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville dropped his hold that had delayed their nominations for months. Senators approved 425 promotions by voice vote hours after Tuberville said he would allow nominations to proceed for all officers below the rank of four stars. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the vote meant that "hundreds of military families across the country can breathe a sigh of relief." "I'm happy that after so much unnecessary delay by one senator we have finally moved forward and given these men and women the promotions they deserve, and we will work to confirm the rest of the nominees that were on hold very soon," Schumer said. Senate tradition allows any senator to block a nomination through the use of a hold, an informal practice that allows members to state their intention to block floor actions that might otherwise be approved unanimously. Since Tuberville began his hold in February to protest a Pentagon abortion policy, the backlog of nominations grew to affect over 450 officers. "I'm not going to hold the promotions of these people any longer," Tuberville told reporters Tuesday. "We just released them, about 440 of them. Everybody but 10 or 11 four-stars." In a statement praising the confirmations, President Biden called Tuberville's hold "politically motivated." "These confirmations are long overdue, and should never have been held up in the first place," Biden said. "Our service members are the backbone of our country and deserve to receive the pay and promotions they have earned. In the end, this was all pointless." Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the Pentagon was "encouraged by the news" but urged the Senate to also move on the remaining nominations of nearly a dozen four-star officers. Ryder noted that some of the key four-star nominees include the heads of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Space Command. Sen. Tommy Tuberville speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 7, 2023, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images John Kirby, a National Security Council spokesman, told CBS News the White House was glad the impasse had come to an end, but expressed the need to confirm four-star generals "as soon as possible." "First of all, obviously we're glad to see that the hold's going to get lifted," Kirby said. "That will free up these several hundred officers. They now move on with their lives, take new assignments, lead our troops in critical missions. But we've got to get those four stars confirmed as well, because they're leading at the very top leadership level. They're responsible for some very, very strategic issues around the world." Tuberville's hold was a way to protest a Pentagon policy on abortion that reimburses travel expenses for service members who have to travel to seek an abortion or other types of reproductive health care. For months, Tuberville said he would drop his hold when the Pentagon changed its policy. He said Senate leadership will now bring the four-star nominations to the floor one by one. In recent months, Tuberville has faced increasing pressure to drop his objection, even from his Republican colleagues. In November, a group of GOP senators took to the floor to tell Tuberville that while they agreed with his objection to this Pentagon policy, they disagreed that a hold is the way to solve it. After the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 led some states to enact abortion bans, the Pentagon announced it would reimburse travel expenses for service members who need to travel to seek an abortion or other types of reproductive health care. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has made the point that service members don't get to decide where they're stationed, and many bases in the U.S. are in states, like Alabama, that have increasingly restricted access to abortion. The policy does not pay for abortions. A provision of federal law known as the Hyde Amendment prevents Defense Department facilities from performing abortions except for in the case of rape, incest or to protect the health of the mother. Titanium hip implants expected to last decades snapped in hundreds of people Highlights from the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors Eye Opener: Virginia house explodes as police try to serve search warrant Good morning, Not long ago, companies in only a few sectorsenergy, mining, agricultureassigned time and resources to minding geopolitics for signs of strife. But today, a war or political shift on the other side of the world has become just as important to manufacturers, tech companies, social media brands, and retailers. Boards and CEOs from all kinds of companies now routinely rank geopolitical risks as among their top concerns. Still, says Johan Gott, cofounder of Prism, a consulting company specializing in political risk, boards are not engaged enough. Its still a little bit too much talk and too little action, he says. Rather than merely acknowledging geopolitical threats that affect their company, he says, corporate directors ought to be taking action: prioritizing their risks, tracking those vulnerabilities through a dashboard or another mechanism, and running crisis simulations that allow a company to map their contingency plans in the face of hypothetical political events that could harm their employees, operations, infrastructure, supply chains, or capital investments. Boards should also be curious about the potential problems theyre ignoring entirely, he adds. We're really recommending the tracking aspect both of risks that you know well but that youre not fully updating, as well as the unknown unknowns, says Gott. We do a lot of knocking on our clients doors to say, Hey, look, are you tracking this? Many corporate boards allow their geopolitical agenda to be dictated by the media, while losing sight of ongoing lower-profile risks, Gott explains. The media reflects a reality that is not 100% aligned to corporate interests, he says. For example, most of the recent inquiries Prism has fielded are about the conflict in Israel and Gazaa human tragedy that rightly deserves media attention, he says. But unless the conflict escalates regionally and comes to involve Iran or one of its proxies, putting the worlds oil supply at risk, the corporate impacts are actually relatively low outside of Israel. Another example: During Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan last year, when Beijing responded to Pelosis diplomatic trip by conducting military exercises off Taiwans coast, business leaders became concerned about possible blowback for their corporations. But the risk of Chinese forces invading Taiwan or enacting a blockade at that moment was low, says Gott, and the topic has since fallen off the radar of many business leaders even though thats exactly the kind of issue that companies need to stay engaged with when the headlines around it have faded. Anecdotally, Gott adds, compared to U.S. companies, he sees more European corporations and boards being slightly more disciplined about looking at geopolitical risks three to five years out. John Rodi, who runs KPMGs Board Leadership Center, agrees that rather than being entirely reactive to news events, boards ought to set up a framework to constantly assess risks. The largest U.S. companies are already doing so, he explains, but the importance of setting up a risk governance framework is still catching on at small and midsize businesses. Boards are all over the map in terms of the degrees of sophistication they bring to this issue. Heres some of his specific advice for boards: While annual updates were once sufficient, geopolitical risks now loom so large that they warrant quarterly updates and may even be relevant at every board meeting. Bring in diverse views through outside advisors. Take stock of your own geopolitical acumen (and potential biases) and consider the value of this expertise when recruiting new board members. Remember to map how various risks, including those connected to politics, polarization, and conflicts, interact with one another. How does a change in your supply chain because of a global incident impact your environmental or social goals? Make sure that specific members of a companys management team are made responsible for monitoring relevant geopolitical risks and periodically reporting on them to the board. The challenge is finding the right level of granularity, Rodi cautions: If it's too high-level an analysis, then thats probably going to give you limited insights. If it's too granular, then that could be an unwieldy risk-management process. Lila MacLellan lila.maclellan@fortune.com @lilamaclellan This story was originally featured on Fortune.com A team of mathematicians has named Chester in England to be the prettiest city in the world, beating Venice, Italy in second place. The study used Google Street View to assess cities in both the UK and across the world, and ranked them based on which had the highest percentage of buildings adhering to the golden ratio. The golden ratio, expressed as 1:1.618, represents a set of proportions that has captivated mathematicians since ancient times. This ratio is frequently observed in the natural world, including in flowers and shells. For reasons not entirely known to scientists, humans perceive objects exhibiting this ratio as inherently beautiful. Chester is one of the most historically significant cities in England, featuring a 1,000-year-old cathedral, Britains largest Roman amphitheatre and the countrys oldest racecourse. According to the study, Chester emerged as the most beautiful city globally, with as many as 83.7 per cent of building analysed adhering to the golden ratio. It surpassed Venice, which scored 83.3 per cent, while London closely followed in third place with a score of 82 per cent. Chester rows, city centre shops and the Eastgate Clock, one of the citys historical landmarks (Alamy Stock Photo) The Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Chester (Alamy Stock Photo) Online Mortgage Advisor, which published the study, said its experts analysed more than 2,400 buildings in the UK alone, with London placing second behind Chester among British cities, and third overall. The rest of the UK top five consisted of Belfast, Liverpool and Durham. Venice attracts millions of tourists a year from around the world so much so that the city has decided to levy an entry fee (AP) The study says that many artists have incorporated the golden ratio into their work, believing it to be the gold standard in natural aesthetic perfection. The study says that using the golden ratio to measure regular buildings and iconic landmarks, we set out to discover which city in the UK and around the world can lay claim to having the most beautiful buildings. London was named the second-most beautiful city in the UK in the study, and the third overall (Getty Images) City Hall looks over the streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland (Getty Images) Dr Rebecca Andrew, professor of history at the University of Chester, wrote in a blog post on the universitys website: Almost 100 years ago, Britains leading travel writer HV Morton, wrote about visiting the city, in his phenomenally popular travelogue In Search of England. He described the uniqueness of the city and its buildings: There is nothing like it in any English town - the Chester Rows. Morton was fascinated by these structures, their history, and how fortunate Cestrians were to live in such a place; so rich is Chester with beautiful, ancient buildings, he noted, that no-one considered it strange to drink coffee in a medieval crypt. Liverpools Three Graces on the waterfront at night (Getty Images/iStockphoto) People view the installations at Durham Cathedral during a photocall for Lumiere 2023 (PA) Colin Potts, programme leader for international tourism management at the University of Chesters Business School and Chesters former tourism manager, said: I think that sometimes its beauty is taken for granted here when really it is the main driver as to why people choose to visit, live and invest in the city - then discover more including its people, history and culture. He added: We must make the most of our golden ratio. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its troops were operating in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis Tuesday as top officials at the United Nations warned of an apocalyptic situation in war-torn Gaza with no place safe to go for civilians. Every time we think things cannot get any more apocalyptic in Gaza, they do, said Martin Griffiths, the top UN emergency relief official, in a statement on Monday. People are being ordered to move again, with little to survive on, forced to make one impossible choice after another, he said. Such blatant disregard for basic humanity must stop, he also said. Israel has been intensifying its aerial bombardment of southern Gaza in pursuit of Palestinian militant group Hamas and said over the weekend that it would expand ground operations to the whole of the territory. The chief of general staff of the IDF, Leutenant General Herzi Halevi, said Tuesday its forces were now encircling Khan Younis. Halevi said that the IDF was now entering the third phase of the ground operations, though he did not specify what that meant. Meanwhile, in central Gaza, video and witness accounts indicated there had been multiple strikes in the area of Deir al-Balah, with many casualties being taken to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Dozens of videos CNN commissioned from a freelance journalist on the ground on Tuesday show men digging through rubble in the aftermath of a strike that destroyed a large, multi-story building. A spokesperson for Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital told CNN that more than 90 bodies had arrived at the hospital on Tuesday in addition to 130 injured people, with more casualties arriving following the bombardment on Deir al-Balah. Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is the only hospital in the central area and cannot accommodate such a large number of people, especially considering that massacres against our people are still ongoing, Dr. Khalil Al Daqran said. Many are still trapped under rubble and are being rescued and brought to the hospital, Al Daqran added. We are appealing to the world to put an end to this aggression against our people and allow medical aid and supplies to enter Gaza. Palestinian search and rescue teams and civilians sift through the rubble of buildings flattened by Israeli attacks on Al-Maghazi refugee camp, in Deir al-Balah, on December 1. - Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images In northern Gaza, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health said 108 people had been killed at the Kamal Adwan hospital, with dozens more injured, after heavy explosions and gunfire rocked the facility. A journalist inside the hospital, Mahmoud Al-Sabbah, sent CNN video Tuesday of about 30 bodies covered in white sheets in a courtyard at the hospital. Several more bodies were piled on a cart because, he said, ambulances were unable to operate in the area. Also in the north, the IDF said Tuesday its troops had completed the encirclement of the Jabalia refugee camp. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday appealed to the IDF to spare civilians more suffering. Civilians including health workers, journalists and UN personnel - and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, Guterres statement said, noting that despite evacuation orders, there is nowhere safe to go in Gaza. Overall, 15,800 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, according to a report published Tuesday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, which cites sources from the Hamas-controlled enclave. Senior US officials have urged Israel to make its operations more surgical and deliberate to minimize civilian casualties. Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters on Sunday she believed that they have listened. But one senior administration official told CNN that in private not everyone agrees with that assessment. They said did not feel comfortable using the word receptive to capture Israels response so far to the Biden administrations advice on its military operations. US officials recent conversations with their Israeli counterparts about not replicating in the southern part of the strip the devastation it caused in the north had been hard, firm and direct, they said. Palestinian civilians have been told to flee large swaths of Gaza, with the IDF releasing QR codes that show several online maps detailing areas it deems unsafe. However it is unclear how many residents the warnings are reaching, given damage to the enclaves telecommunications services and electricity shortages. There is no safe area As of last week, 1.8 million people in Gaza were estimated to be internally displaced, according to the UN roughly 80% of the population. Dozens of Israeli armored vehicles are operating in southern Gaza, satellite images from Sunday provided by PlanetLabs to CNN showed. The images, obtained by CNN Tuesday, show the vehicles to the west of Salah El-Din Street, Gazas main north-south route, roughly six kilometers north of central Khan Younis. Tracks on the ground visible in the images show the Israeli armored vehicles had driven to the location in a near-direct line from the Israel-Gaza border in the east. In this satellite image from Planet Labs PBC, Israeli armored vehicles and tanks can be seen just north of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. - Planet Labs PBC/AP Scores of wounded people could be seen in footage being taken from rubble, to hospitals in southern Gaza throughout Monday. One Reuters video showed a baby being rushed from a civilian car into Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. The 2-month-old lies on a stretcher, apparently unconscious, as doctors remove his clothes and connect him to an oxygen supply. They told us to leave Gaza, theres a war in Gaza, so we left (the north) and came here to the south just like they asked. But this is what weve found in the south, Ibrahim Esbeitan, the babys father said in the video, pointing at this child. In Salah Al-Arja, in Rafah, residents were seen trying to rescue their loved ones from the rubble with their bare hands. We were asleep and safe, they told us it was a safe area, Rafah and all, but at twenty past ten, they struck it with barrels, destroying all the block, there were children, women, and martyrs, an unnamed local resident told Reuters. There is no safe area, neither Rafah, nor Khan Younis, nor Gaza, nor Dier, they are all liars, they say it is a safe area, they let us seek refuge, they evacuated Khan Younis and Gaza and still they bomb. The Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, said Tuesday his non-governmental organization was forced to halt nearly all of its aid operations in Gaza. He issued a strong statement arguing that the pulverising of Gaza now ranks amongst the worst assaults on any civilian population in our time and age. A Palestinian boy carrying a baby stands at the site of a destroyed building in Rafah, in southern Gaza, December 4, 2023. - Mohammed Salem/Reuters The head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, also warned against horrors that could follow in the wake of Israels expanding military operation, noting that an additional 60,000 people are now seeking shelter in overcrowded UN facilities. The evacuation order pushes people to concentrate into what is less than one-third of the Gaza Strip. They need everything: food, water, shelter, and mostly safety. Roads to the south are clogged, Lazzarini said Monday, noting that access to water is limited in Gaza. To resupply humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza, 180 humanitarian aid trucks carrying food, water, shelter materials and medical supplies were sent to the Rafah crossing on Monday at the request of the US Administration and in coordination with Egypt, according to Israels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. Two diesel fuel tankers were also sent from Egypt to aid agencies operating in the strip, it said. A US State Department spokesperson said Israeli officials need to do more to increase the amount of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza. He noted that the number of aid trucks going into the Palestinian enclave was lower than it was before the Israel-Hamas truce. We dont think Israel is doing enough, Matt Miller told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday. There is not enough fuel, theres not enough food, theres not enough water getting in. Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the US military had on Tuesday airlifted another 36,000 pounds of vital supplies to the people of Gaza. Health system struggling What remains of the health system and infrastructure in Gaza is far from sufficient for the battered populations needs as it enters a third month of siege, experts say. Eighteen of Gazas 36 hospitals are still functioning, but can only provide partial services, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday, adding that the 12 operational hospitals in the south are the backbone of the health system. A WHO team visiting Nasser Hospital said the conditions there were catastrophic amid a flood of patients on Monday. The building and hospital grounds [are] grossly overcrowded with patients and displaced people seeking shelter, the statement said. The emergency ward is overflowingMany patients are being treated on the floor. In a voice message posted on Monday, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder also described harrowing conditions in Nasser Hospital rooms after a blast less than 100 meters away. There must be a hundred people, children now have been woken up by the bombs and explosions, Elder said as babies cries could be heard in the background. Parents just have that look of the feeling no parent ever wants to experience, which is helplessness, he said. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNNs Tamar Michaelis, Lauren Kent, Lina El Wardani, Kareem Khadder, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Benjamin Brown, MJ Lee and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com South Korea and Japan held working-level diplomatic consultations Tuesday to discuss pending bilateral issues and ways to boost bilateral ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Seo Min-jung, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs at South Korea's foreign ministry, met with her Japanese counterpart Hiroyuki Namazu to assess bilateral relations and exchange views on "issues of shared interest," the ministry said in a press release. The ministry didn't give details, but there had been expectations they could discuss such issues as comfort women and compensation for forced labor victims during World War II. Seo held talks with her Japanese opposite number for the first time since the latter assumed his post in August, according to the ministry. Separately, Namazu held talks with Kim Gunn, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, to assess the security situation on the peninsula, including North Korea's launch of its first spy military satellite last month. They slammed Pyongyang for launching the reconnaissance satellite and announcing its suspension of the September 19 inter-Korean military pact, a deal signed in 2018 between then President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to dial down military tensions and prevent accidental clashes, according to the ministry. Namazu, director general for the Japanese foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, doubles as Tokyo's chief nuclear envoy. (Yonhap) FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies Following Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, FBI officials said the agency is working hard to spot and protect against the possibility of similar terrorist attacks in the U.S. FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday that Hamas' October attack may be considered inspiration for future violence. "Given the steady drumbeat of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations since Oct. 7, were working around the clock to identify and disrupt potential attacks by those inspired by Hamass horrific terrorist attacks in Israel," Wray said. But in a separate written statement, Wray said there's no indication that Hamas has the intent or capability to conduct operations inside the U.S." Wray nonetheless warned of the possibility that other terror groups or Hamas sympathizers may commit attacks on Hamas' behalf, or use Hamas' war with Israel to rally their own support. Wray noted the increase in hate crimes, and particularly in antisemitic attacks, since Oct. 7. Wray's appearance before Congress comes as the FBI is seeking renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the U.S. government to gather intelligence on noncitizens who are using U.S.-based communications services. If it is not reauthorized, the measure will expire at the end of this year. SEE MORE: House panel questions college presidents over antisemitic incidents Europe, meanwhile, faces similar risks, according to officials there. The European Unions home affairs commissioner said Tuesday there was a "huge risk of terrorist attacks" around Christmas as the war between Israel and Hamas continued. "We saw (it happening) recently in Paris, unfortunately we have seen it earlier as well," EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said. Johansson did not immediately offer specific details about what caused her to draw that conclusion. She later told reporters it was based on EU member countries being in a state of high alert, and a rise in antisemitic attacks. "Taking all this together, I do the assessment that yes, the threat is significant," she said. That warning comes as France probes a recent stabbing attack that took place near the Eiffel Tower. One person died in the attack, and authorities say they may charge the suspect with murder "in connection with a terrorist enterprise." SEE MORE: Far from the West Bank, Vermont shooting victims face new fear Kinnan Abdalhamid, one of the three Palestinian students shot in Vermont over Thanksgiving weekend, said he and his friends are completely focused on the suffering in Gaza as they recover from their injuries. Abdalhamid and two of his high school classmates, Hisham Awartani and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, grew up in the West Bank before attending separate colleges in the U.S. They were visiting family in Burlington when they were shot. My friends and I are almost unable to focus on ourselves because of whats happening back home, Abdalhamid said. Its like experiencing this makes us even more connected to whats happening. A GoFundMe account created Saturday to raise money for Awartanis medical expenses revealed he is paralyzed from the chest down after being shot in the spine. Abdalhamid, an American citizen and a student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania who was released from the hospital last week, called Awartani the nicest person I know. I really, really hope Hisham will recover, Abdalhamid said. Its really unfortunate that someone like Hisham has had this happen to him and had his legs taken. Abdalhamid said he and his friends are directing their anger less on the perpetrator and more on the system that produces people like the shooter. Were not really focusing our anger on that one dude," he said. "I really dont know that much about him. I dont really care about him, I just want him locked away from society for everyones safety as long as possible. Suspect Jason J. Eaton, 48, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of second-degree attempted murder. This is happening to Palestinians across the country and more importantly, in Gaza, Abdalhamid said. Were mad at the system thats allowing not three of us to be injured but thousands and thousands and millions of us to be displaced and injured and killed. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said Monday that nearly 1.9 million people, or about 85% of the population, have been displaced in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel. The death toll has surpassed 15,900 after weeks of Israeli retaliatory attacks, according to health officials. Abdalhamid said he personally knows someone who has lost 70 family members since the war began and acknowledged the psychological toll the violence is taking on Palestinians in Gaza and beyond. We dont want to be a distraction for whats happening in Gaza, Abdalhamid said. If we have all this trauma and PTSD from being shot with a small pistol, imagine the trauma youd have at night with war planes flying over, the most advanced technology, and you dont know if you are being bombed or not. Abdalhamid said he was extremely surprised that the Burlington shooting received such widespread attention. I think a big part of it is because I am Palestinian American. And Im able to walk and speak like an American because I am an American who was raised in the West Bank, Abdalhamid said. Its also important to recognize that just because a population doesnt speak or walk or talk like Americans, that doesnt make them any less human. Abdalhamid lived in the West Bank for most of his life until two years ago when he moved to the U.S. to attend Haverford, a decision made in part because his mother thought it would be safer, he said. Two of the victims were wearing keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves, when they were shot. Abdalhamid confirmed they were speaking a mix of Arabic and English, which he "immediately" considered a potential factor in the crime. The victims' families have encouraged law enforcement to investigate the shooting as a hate crime. No ones child should be attacked simply because of their identity, they said in a joint statement. Our children, Palestinian children, like everyone else, deserve to feel safe. Police have yet to release a motive. "Palestinians have a strong sense of community, and were loving people," Abdalhamid said. "Even under such circumstances, we still remain open-minded and kind to each other. We love each other. We love everyone else who doesnt demonize us and hurts us ... This isnt new to us Palestinians." WASHINGTON Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday broke the record by casting the most tie-breaking votes in the Senate in U.S. history. She has now broken 32 ties, beating the previous record of 31 that was set by John C. Calhoun, who was vice president from 1825 to 1832. Harris' tie-breaking vote on Tuesday came on the nomination of Loren Alikhan to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia. In addition to serving in the executive branch, vice presidents are also the president of the Senate, giving them the constitutional power to break ties. Her Tuesday vote also puts the U.S. at 300 tie breaks since 1789, according to Senate records. Immediately after her history-making vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took to the Senate floor to congratulate Harris, noting that the Inflation Reduction Act, the American Rescue Plan and other key Biden administration achievements would not have passed Congress without her vote. Off the floor, Schumer presented Harris with a golden gavel to commemorate the occasion. Vice presidents being called on to break ties in the Senate was less common in recent administrations. Former Vice President Mike Pence cast 13 tie-breaking votes. President Joe Biden did not cast any tie-breaking votes when he was vice president in the Obama administration. But the Senate has been narrowly divided during the entirety of the Biden administration. The Senate is currently divided between 48 Democrats, 49 Republicans and three independents, though two of the independents caucus with Democrats: Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King. The third independent, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, left the Democratic Party in 2022 to register as an independent. Vice President Kamala Harris walks into the Capitol, flanked by aides and security (Stefani Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images file) During the 117th Congress, which ran from 2021 to 2023, the Senate was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, including independents Sanders and King. Before Tuesday, Harriss most recent tie-break vote was on July 12. Twenty-five of her previous tie-breaking votes were regarding nominations that required Senate confirmation. Congress has faced consistently low approval ratings for more than a decade. Seventy-two percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Congress, according to a Pew poll conducted in July. Vice presidents Senate duties used to be one of their primary responsibilities, all the way up through the Truman administration, explained Joel Goldstein, Saint Louis University professor and vice presidency expert. "They typically hung out, you know, on Capitol Hill," Goldstein said of prior vice presidents. "The vice presidency moved sort of into the executive branch really with the Nixon vice presidency," Goldstein added. Nixon started his term as vice president in 1953 when Dwight Eisenhower was elected president following the Truman administration. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. By Chantal Terblanche In Gyeonggi Province, nestled between traditional Korean homes, resides a woman whose creativity and entrepreneurial spirit have woven a tapestry of joy into the lives of many residents, both local and foreign. Meet Lola Stephanie, the vivacious artist behind Misty Rose Korea, a custom shirt business that has been brightening up special events for several years. Stephanie, born and raised in the heart of Paris, France, embarked on an unconventional journey that led her to Korea on a working holiday visa in 2014. "I craved to explore Asia more intimately," she said. Little did she know that this exploration would not just introduce her to a new culture but also spark a creative venture that would later become her life's passion. Initially, an English teacher, Stephanie's transition into the world of artistry began with a need for teaching materials. "I wanted my classes to be engaging and fun," she recalled. Faced with the high cost of pre-made items, she took matters into her own hands, quite literally, buying a cutting machine. Little did she know that this simple investment would lay the foundation for Misty Rose Korea. From cutting felt for teaching materials to experiment with heat transfer vinyl (HTV) to create unique shirts for her daughter, Stephanie found herself falling in love with the entire creative process. Three years down the line, Misty Rose Korea stands as a testament to Stephanie's dedication and artistic flair, offering an array of custom shirts, baby onesies, eco-bags, Christmas stockings and more. "I create to add a touch of joy to people's lives," she explained. Her style, characterized as "girly and cute," adapts to customer preferences, aiming to make special events even more memorable. Being a foreign entrepreneur in Korea, Stephanie reflects on her journey positively, stating she hasn't encountered significant hurdles. "Koreans have been quite receptive," she remarked, expressing her gratitude for local support while acknowledging that her primary target remains the foreign community. When asked about her sources of inspiration, Stephanie credits the people around her, especially her daughter and acquaintances. "Observing people sparks my creativity," she said. "Not in a creepy way, though!" Misty Rose Korea isn't just about crafting shirts; it's about weaving stories. Stephanie fondly recalls customers who allowed her to be a part of their most cherished moments, from weddings to the arrival of their children, birthdays and Christmas. "It's like I'm on this journey with them, watching their kids grow up through my designs," she shared with a glint of pride. While managing a work-life balance remains a humorous challenge for Dubois, she finds solace and motivation in the smiles and satisfaction of her customers. "Seeing people happy with what I create is the biggest reward," she said. "More than the art itself, it's the process that brings me immense joy." Social media has played a pivotal role in her business's growth, especially through platforms like the HMK online market on Facebook, where she participates regularly in online events. Stephanie's preferred means of contact and display of her creations are Instagram and Facebook, where her designs resonate with a growing audience. Stephanie's Misty Rose Korea continues to sprinkle a little happiness into the lives of those who adorn her creations. As she crafts each piece, she embodies her belief that her art represents happiness a sentiment that is vividly echoed in the smiles of her satisfied customers. For those seeking a touch of bespoke joy in their lives, Stephanie's Misty Rose Korea welcomes all, inviting them to be part of the creative journey she cherishes dearly. Visit @mistyrose.kr on Instagram or fb.com/mistyrosekorea for more information and to explore Stephanie's creative designs. Chantal Terblanche, from South Africa, lives here with her dog, Samsung. She runs the blog ClumsyinKorea.com and the Korea Events group on Facebook. Shah was reacting to a remark by TMC MP Saugata Roy that the Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Samvidhan was a political slogan Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday said the concept of one Flag, one Prime Minister, one Constitution was not a political slogan and that the BJP firmly believed in the principle. It was not an election slogan, he said. We had been saying since 1950 that a country should have one PM, one Flag and one Constitution and two will not do and we have done it. He was speaking during a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The debate will continue on Wednesday. He was reacting to a remark by TMC MP Saugata Roy that the Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Samvidhan was a political slogan. Shah called the remark objectionable and asked the MP: How can a country have two prime ministers, two constitutions and two flags. Whosoever did it was wrong, Shah said in an apparent reference to the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Narendra Modi has corrected it. Your approval or disagreement does not matter. The entire country wanted it. Roy, speaking on the J&K-related bills had said he had taught in a college named after BJP idealogue Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Samvidhan was his slogan and it was a political slogan. Shah then rose to hit back at the TMC member. Soon after Roy ended his speech on the bills, Union minister Piyush Goyal said while the TMC leader mentioned Syama Prasad Mookerjee, he should have also recalled his sacrifice. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to nominate two members, including a woman, from Kashmiri migrant community and one member from displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, provides for reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward class communities. During the debate, Union minister Jitendra Singh said that the government is ready to hold Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir whenever the Election Commission (EC) takes a final decision in the matter. The EC has its own mechanism of gathering inputs according to its requirements and it will take a final call. Let us all trust the wisdom of the EC and not appear to be interfering in its functioning, Singh said. One of Gogamedis security guards sustained bullet injuries and has been admitted to the ICU In this screenshot taken from a CCTV footage, Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena's president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi being shot dead in the living room of his house, in Jaipur, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. (PTI Photo) Jaipur: Right-wing group Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Senas president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead in the living room of his house here on Tuesday by three armed men, one of whom was also killed in retaliatory firing, police said. One of Gogamedis security guards sustained bullet injuries and has been admitted to the ICU. The assailants had gone to Gogamedis house in the Shyam Nagar area on the pretext of meeting him, police said. The incident was caught on CCTV. Gogamedi formed Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena after he was expelled from Sri Rajput Karni Sena in 2015 over differences with its founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi. Both these outfits had protested against Deepika Padukone starrer Padmaavat in 2018 over alleged distortion of historical facts about the Rajput community. Jaipur police commissioner Biju George Joseph told reporters, Three men went to Gogamedis house and told his security guards that they wanted to meet him. The guards took them inside and the men talked to Gogamedi for 10 minutes before opening fire at him. While one of the assailants, who was later identified as Naveen Singh Shekhawat, died in the exchange of fire, the remaining two managed to flee on a scooty they snatched from a person outside Gogamedis house, he said. The entire incident was captured on CCTV. We are trying to identify and trace the other two accused. Those involved in the planning of the murder will also be caught, Joseph said. One of Gogamedis relatives told reporters that he had been receiving threats for a long time and feared an attack. He claimed police had been informed about the threats. Another battle lies ahead for the BJP top brass, which is to name the chief ministers for the three states In Chhattisgarh, where the poll result left many party leaders surprised, the names of Union minister Renuka Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Saroj Pandey, state unit chief Arun Sao, former chief Vishudeo Sai and Lata Usendi are also doing the rounds for the top post. (Photo: AFP) New Delhi: The semi-final before the 2024 electoral battle is over with the BJP registering stunning wins in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, whose mandate is expected to boost the partys chances in the general election. However, another battle lies ahead for the BJP top brass, which is to name the chief ministers for the three states. In at least two, the central leadership has always been wary of factionalism. While former chief minister Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan, incumbent CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh and former CM Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh are said to be the top contenders for CM in their respective states, there is also some talk of the BJP top brass likely to go with new faces to counter voter fatigue and factionalism and also to usher in a new leadership. Speculation is rife in Madhya Pradesh that the BJP will name its CM candidate keeping in mind the caste factor and for the first time could also name a deputy CM to adjust the caste arithmetic and maintain a balance within the state organisation. The names of Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narendra Singh Tomar, along with Kailash Vijavargiya, among others, are also doing the rounds for the CM post. Interestingly, in Rajasthan, where Ms Raje is seen as a front-runner for the post, MLAs have been going to her residence since morning as part of sishtachar bhent (courtesy visit). More than 40 MLAs are said to have met Ms Raje. While in political circles, it was seen as a show of strength by Ms Raje, a senior BJP leader from the central team said no matter how senior someone is, he/she will have to abide by the decision taken by the leadership from Delhi. The names of Diya Kumari, Balaknath Yogi, Acharaya Balmukand, Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat, among others, are also doing the round for the top Rajasthan post. In Chhattisgarh, where the poll result left many party leaders surprised, the names of Union minister Renuka Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Saroj Pandey, state unit chief Arun Sao, former chief Vishudeo Sai and Lata Usendi are also doing the rounds for the top post. In New Delhi, the BJP top brass started consultations over the CM issue. Senior leaders from the states, also including Rajasthan unit chief C.P. Joshi and state in-charge Arun Singh, among others, met the BJP top brass. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president J.P. Nadda, Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh held a meeting late on Sunday evening to discuss the issue. Speculation is rife that the BJP parliamentary board could meet soon to give its stamp of approval on the CM faces in the three states and then the BJP legislature party in the three states will formally approve the name. The party will also be sending observers to the three states to oversee the legislature party meetings. Chouhans statement comes amid mounting suspense over who will be the chief minister of MP after BJP secured a landslide victory in polls Bhopal: After leading the BJP to a massive victory in Madhya Pradesh, incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said that he was never a contender to head the next BJP government in the state. I have never been a contender for the chief minister post nor am I today. As a worker, I have always carried out whatever work has been assigned to me by the BJP with dedication, honesty and to the best of my capacity, Chouhan said in a video posted on his X account. He asserted that he felt proud to work under Prime Minister Narendra Modi who led the country towards prosperity. Chouhans statement comes amid mounting suspense over who will be the chief minister of MP after BJP secured a landslide victory in the outgoing Assembly polls in MP by winning 163 out of 230 seats. Replying to a reporters question after a programme in Bhopal, Chouhan said he has no plans to visit Delhi to meet top leaders. I wont be going to Delhi. I am visiting Chhindwara tomorrow where we were not able to win all the seven seats (falling under Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency). I have only one resolution, BJP should win all 29 seats in MP (in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections), he said. Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency, the family bastion of Congress veteran and former chief minister Kamal Nath, has been held by the grand old party since 1971. Several leaders including Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prahlad Patel, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and state party president V.D. Sharma met partys national president J.P. Nadda in Delhi over the last two days. by Arundathie Abeysinghe At the ongoing UN conference in Dubai, the Sri Lankan president proposed two initiatives: the establishment of the Forum of the Countries of the Global South to exert political weight in the dialogue with the countries of the North, and the creation of a university on the island to work exclusively on the issue of global warming. Colombo (AsiaNews) - Sri Lanka is trying to play a leading role at the UN COP28 climate summit being held until 12 December in Dubai. Scholars believe that Sri Lanka is now one of the top 30 countries in the world where the negative effects of climate change are being felt. At the ongoing conference in the United Arab Emirates, it was recognised that states within the tropical belt - home to 40 per cent of the world's population - suffer most from the natural disasters caused by the environmental crisis. This is why the island in the Indian Ocean welcomed the establishment of the Loss & Damage Fund, after 30 years of demands and battles by the Global South, to which the UAE will contribute USD 100 million in addition to the USD 225 million contributed by the European Union, another USD 100 million by Germany, around USD 75 million by the United Kingdom, USD 10 million by Japan, and only USD 17.5 million by the United States. Sri Lanka is not only looking at repairing the damage done by climate change, but also at ecological transition by focusing on green hydrogen and energy from renewable sources, President Ranil Wickremasinghe told a press conference in Dubai. The main goal of the country's delegation at COP28 is to collaborate with other tropical belt countries. This is why Colombo has launched plans for a Climate Justice Forum during the conference that aims to address the vital issue of climate change and exert political weight in the dialogue with the countries of the Global North. President Wickremasinghe, in addition to the presentation of the Forum during the COP, aims to find allies to establish a Climate Change University in Sri Lanka, emphasising the need for scientific studies in this field. Bangladesh, India, Seychelles, Moldova and Burkina Faso have already pledged to support the establishment of this new university. "The Korea Exim Bank is willing to give us the necessary funds," Presidential Advisor on Climate Change Ruwan Wijewardene said in Dubai, without elaborating on the cost of the project as it has yet to be determined. Wijewardene concluded: 'In addition, many institutions and universities, such as Yale at Georgetown in the US, some Chinese research centres, the University of Geneva, some Italian universities, and the University of Gujarat, would be eager to collaborate on our project. In fact, due to the economic consequences of climate change, Sri Lanka has suffered huge financial losses and is expected to suffer a loss of 1.2 per cent of its gross domestic product due to climate-related issues by 2050. Today's news: the Hong Kong government wants to prosecute activist Agnes Chow in Canada too. Israel accuses Hamas of using sexual violence as a weapon of war. After the death of 6 Nepalese soldiers in the Russian army, the Himalayan country has asked Moscow to no longer recruit its citizens. A cyclone in India has caused at least 9 deaths and displaced 8,000 people. MYANMAR The military junta has banned humanitarian vehicles - loaded with food and medicine - from entering the city of Loikaw in Myanmar, as clashes between the army and the resistance intensify. The situation would have led to a real humanitarian crisis in the capital of the state of Kayah, reported the NGOs present on site. Who denounce: "There are no more volunteers for humanitarian aid, because we all fear for our safety." According to estimates by these organizations, more than 10 thousand civilians remained trapped in the city in the midst of the fighting. HONG KONG The Hong Kong government has vowed to prosecute pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow after she announced plans to remain "in exile" in Canada. Today John Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, said he had "granted clemency to Chow by allowing her to study in Toronto while she is free on bail under the national security law." But the attempt to grant lenient treatment to the activist ended in "complete deception", he claimed. Chow was arrested in 2020 along with pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai on charges of collusion with foreign forces. ISRAEL - PALESTINE Hamas had a premeditated plan to use sexual violence as a weapon of war. This is supported by Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari - from the law faculty of Bar-Ilan University - who studied the videos of the October 7 attacks on women. The videos of her left her "no doubt" that they had been raped. The teacher and women's rights activist also expresses anger at the delay of United Nations bodies in recognizing the use of sexual violence as weapons by Hamas. In support of this thesis, the Israeli police say they have collected more than 1,500 testimonies from women and doctors. Hamas denies the accusations. NEPAL After the death - presumably in Ukraine - of 6 Nepalese soldiers in the Russian army, the country asked Moscow to no longer recruit its citizens and to immediately send those still present in its ranks back to the Himalayan nation. Called Gurkhas, they are known for their fighting skills, and served in the British and Indian armies after independence in 1947 under an agreement between the three countries. However, the Himalayan nation has no such agreement with Russia, which invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022 and has been engaged in a war ever since. INDIA Heavy rains have swamped roads in southern India, where at least nine people, including a child, have been killed. This happened due to the passage of Cyclone Michaung which has wind gusts of up to 110 km/h. The forecast is for over 200mm of rain in the next 24 hours. At least 8,000 people have been evacuated. RUSSIA According to a poll by the Khronika project, fewer and fewer Russians are in favor of continuing the war in Ukraine, currently at 12% compared to 22% last February, however many fewer than those openly against it. And for the first time those in favor of a withdrawal of troops without victory prevail, 40% against 33%. THAILAND A bus lost control and crashed into a tree in Thailand, killing 14 passengers and injuring more than 20. The accident occurred in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. "All the injured are hospitalized", reads the police statement which adds: "an investigation into the causes of the accident is underway". EUROPE - RUSSIA The Spanish newspaper El Mundo reports that in 2023 Spain purchased a record quantity of Russian gas, 6 times more than in 2018, the previous record in the country's history, becoming together with Belgium the largest buyer of Russian gas after China. Created in 2017, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) defeated the Mizo National Front (MNF), whose leader Zoramthanga had appealed to Zo nationalism during the election campaign. Identity politics did not resonate with voters who, experts say, are tired of nepotism and a lack of development and vision. Aizawl (AsiaNews/Agencies) The north-eastern Indian state of Mizoram held assembly elections last month with results released today, a day later than in the other Indian states were voting also took place recently. The outcome, experts note, represents a historic change. The Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), a party created in 2017, defeated the Mizo National Front (MNF), whose leader Zoramthanga had appealed to Zo nationalism during the election campaign. The Mizo people share ethnic ties with Kuki groups in the neighbouring Indian state of Manipur as well as in Myanmars Chin State. In the past two years, due to the civil strife in the former Burma, thousands of people found refuge in the two north-eastern Indian states. Led by Lalduhoma, a former police officer, the ZPM won 27 out of 40 state assembly seats (with 37.86 per cent of the vote), promising a new, corruption-free government. Compared to the last election in 2018, the MNF saw its seat count drop from 27 to 10 (with 35.1 per cent of the vote). Since its creation in 1987, Mizoram has been governed only by the Indian National Congress, the main opposition party at the national level, and the Mizo National Front. The crises in Manipur (where violent ethnic clashes broke out in May) and Myanmar have evoked sentiments of a larger brotherhood, but they did not have any real impact on voting behaviour in Mizoram, writer and political analyst CV Lalmalsawmi told Scroll. At the national level, the MNF is part of the ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu ultranationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Due to propaganda against religious minorities, including Christians, many oppose the MNF or viewed it with suspicion, this despite the fact that Zoramthanga announced that he would not share the stage with Modi during the election campaign. On the contrary, he said he would continue to urge the central government to take in all the refugees. Lalduhoma, who is set to be the next chief minister, also said that Mizoram will continue to host refugees and displaced people from Manipur and Myanmar, noting that The issue is humanitarian. Ethnicity and identity politics did not, however, play any major role in the vote; instead, promises to fight corruption and nepotism echoed favourably with voters, as accusations stuck to the outgoing MNF administration. Zoramthanga himself has been accused of awarding contracts to close relatives and changing laws in favour of non-tribal leaders, while financial mismanagement in recent years has led to delays in paying salaries and pensions to civil servants, fuelling growing disaffection in the population. People were tired of both the MNF and Congress, said Joy L K Pachuau, academic and author of a book on the Mizo Identity. There were allegations of corruption, a disappointment about the lack of development and vision. The ZPM, on the other hand, has never been in power, and fielded sportspeople and academics as candidates. People voted for the hope of change," Pachuau explain ed. For Lalduhoma, the ZPMs victory is a "political renaissance", made possible by the vote of young people and the urban middle class, as well as large sections of the rural population. We have not seen such participation of the masses, he told Scroll. The young and first-time voters were very much in our favour and they voted for a better, efficient and corruption-free government. by Dario Salvi Global revenues will fall in 2022 in the armaments sector. The turnaround is not due to a drop in demand but to the difficulty in finding materials. The Middle East is the only region to register growth, driven by Turkey and Israel. Baykar, a company linked to the Turkish leader, marks the highest percentage growth figure in the world, with +94% over 2021. Milan (AsiaNews) - Revenues of the world's leading arms suppliers fell in 2022, marking a reversal of the trend that is not related to demand, which is always higher, but to difficulties in sourcing materials for production, particularly in sectors with more advanced technology. However, in the face of a global decline in turnover, the Middle East region seems to be bucking the trend by posting a positive value. This is what emerges from the latest report published yesterday by Sipri (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) on the Arms Transfers Database, from which another interesting fact emerges: the company in the world that has seen the most marked increase in percentage revenues is the Turkish company Baykar, whose president Selcuk Bayraktar is Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son-in-law. Regionally Ankara is driving turnover in arms sales, with a market that remains buoyant thanks to the conflict in Ukraine, orders from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman and, in the last period, with supplies to Azerbaijan in the war against Yerevan for control of Nagorno-Karabakh. Middle East and arms According to the Sipri report, the sale of arms and military services by the world's 100 largest manufacturers will reach EUR 549 billion in 2022, down 3.5% from 2021. On the other hand, geopolitical tensions and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have fuelled a global demand that the latest outbreaks of conflict, from Gaza to Myanmar, will help drive. In this context, Sipri expert Diego Lopes da Silva explained to Afp, the drop in revenue is 'unexpected'. But it actually shows the 'gap between a shock to demand such as (that caused by) the war in Ukraine and the ability of companies to increase production to cope with it'. According to the Swedish research institute, this is largely explained by the declining revenues of major arms manufacturers in the United States, which more than others have faced "supply chain problems and labour shortages" due to Covid-19. In the face of a global decline, the Middle East posted the largest percentage increase in 2022, and all seven companies based in the region on the Top 100 list posted substantial growth and record revenues. Starting with those from Turkey and Israel: their combined revenues reach a combined volume of just over EUR 16.5 billion, up 11% year-on-year. "Middle Eastern companies specialising in less technologically sophisticated products," da Silva emphasised, "have been able to increase production faster. Israel and Turkey leading the sector In the future, the Sipri expert sees no sign of a slowdown with the companies' 'order books' increasing 'considerably'. The total revenue of the four Turkish companies exceeded EUR 5 billion, 22 per cent higher than in 2021. The aggregate arms revenue of the three Israeli companies reached around EUR 11.4 billion, an increase of 6.5 per cent compared to 2021. Elbit Systems (24th place) grew by 4% to around EUR 4.6 billion. This was due to the spike in sales of artillery systems to European countries, partly triggered and fuelled by the war in Ukraine. With an annual increase of 5.5 per cent, the revenue of Israel Aerospace Industries (35th place) reached EUR 3.8 billion in 2022, the highest level in history. The order book also grew substantially, reaching a value of EUR 14.4 billion. The 12% increase in Rafael's turnover (42nd place with EUR 3.14 billion) was the largest among Israeli companies in the Top 100 and can also be linked to the war in Ukraine. Rafael owns a factory in Germany that produces anti-tank missile launchers, supplied to Kiev by Germany and the Netherlands in the fight against Moscow. With a total turnover of just over EUR 5 billion, the Top 100 in 2022 includes four companies based in Turkey, two more than in 2021: Baykar (76th) and Roketsan (100th) entered the ranking for the first time. The Baykar 'case' The Sipri study shows the escalation of the Turkish Baykar, linked to President Erdogan's family, which recorded the highest percentage growth with +94%. A result linked to the peak in sales of the Bayraktar TB-2 UAV, long-range, medium-altitude attack and surveillance drones widely used by Kiev during the war. Ukraine but not only: one of the most important purchasers of the Turkish war industry is Baku, which has benefited from the 'sultan's' drones - and Israeli support - to break the Yerevan resistance and drive the Armenians out of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. In recent days, the Turkish leader has intervened in the ongoing conflict in the Strip while speaking at a meeting in Istanbul of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be tried as a 'war criminal'. Erdogan attacked those who use "the excuse of Hamas" [which Ankara, a Nato nation, does not consider a terrorist organisation] to retaliate by killing "innocent people" in the Strip. However, in recent years, it has been the Turkish leader himself who has pushed on the accelerator, calling for investments and resources in armaments, enlarging the customer portfolio, which today not only includes the Gulf partners, from Qatar to the Emirates, but also embraces several African states in addition to the aforementioned Azerbaijan, via Israel. Moreover, it is precisely a company linked to the president, the aforementioned Bayraktar, that has recorded record increases in turnover, again showing all the ambivalence of Turkey and its leader. In fact, last year Erdogan proudly announced a record figure of more than EUR 4 billion in arms exports, making him the 11th largest country in the world in terms of sales. The growth is driven by the goals set by the president in 2015 from a domestic and nationalist perspective, to restore Ankara's status as a great power and decrease foreign dependence by 2023. A policy that has favoured the coffers, and the pockets, of the company led by his son-in-law Selcuk Bayraktar, which has benefited - and continues to benefit - from the ongoing 'war of attrition' in Ukraine. The drones developed by Baykar are exported to at least 30 countries and also used in the Libyan conflict, in addition to the aforementioned Kiev and Baku. Many claim that the company owes its success to Erdogan, who personally promotes it during visits abroad. The latest example was last July, when Baykar signed a cooperation agreement with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence for the Bayraktar Aknc unmanned combat aerial vehicle (Ucav). The signing came during the 'sultan's' visit to Saudi land. The details are top secret, but there is talk of almost three billion euros, to the delight of his son-in-law and CEO who, in a message on social media, called it 'the biggest export contract in the defence and aero-space sector in the history of the Turkish Republic'. GATEWAY TO THE EAST IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO MIDDLE EAST. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY TUESDAY VIA E-MAIL? SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER HERE. Former government spokesman Bilal Karimi arrives in Beijing. For Chinas Foreign Ministry, further steps are needed for full diplomatic relations. The move comes just weeks after Afghanistan took part in the Belt and Road Initiative Forum. Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) Afghanistan has sent an ambassador to the People's Republic of China, the first diplomatic official posted in any country since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021. Former Afghan government spokesman Bilal Karimi arrived in Beijing last week to take up his post. He is the official accredited ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the People's Republic of China," Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi told Reuters. The new step in bilateral relations follows Chinas decision to send an ambassador, Zhao Sheng, to Kabul, the first country to do so after Taliban came back to power. On that occasion, China described it as a normal rotation of the ambassador to Afghanistan. Nevertheless, in todays daily press briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin downplayed the arrival of an ambassador representing the Taliban regime, noting that full diplomatic recognition will only take place after further steps are taken. As a long-standing friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, Wang said. We hope, he added, that Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community. For this, it will have to build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, firmly combat all forms of terrorist forces, develop friendly relations with other countries, especially with its neighbours, and integrate itself into the world community. Ultimately, for China, diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally as the concerns of various parties are effectively addressed. Still, the presence of a Taliban ambassador in Beijing is a major political fact. It follows the visit a few weeks ago of an official delegation of the Islamic Emirate to the Belt and Road Forum, which marked ten years of Xi Jinping's "new silk road". We requested China to allow us to be a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Belt and Road Initiative... (and) are discussing technical issues today," said Afghan acting Commerce Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi, who led the delegation on that occasion. "China, which invests all over the world, should also invest in Afghanistan... we have everything they need, such as lithium, copper and iron," he added. "Afghanistan is now, more than ever, ready for investment. Best Holiday Gifts for Booze Lovers Who Enjoy a Good Drink 40 Thoughtful Gifts to Please the Ultimate Spirits Connoisseur The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Product photos from retailer sites. Alcohol has a storied and special role in the history of human interaction. How many momentous nights in peoples lives throughout the years have included some form of booze, whether it was fueling the craziness or simply being drunk to celebrate a pre-existing awesome situation? RELATED: Holiday Season Liquor Essentials Thats not to say alcohol is without its problems, but if youre drinking responsibly, well, its a delightful experience, and giving it as a gift can help spread the delightfulness around especially if you go for the good stuff. Below, youll find a list of some of our favorite boozy gifts for the liquor lovers in your life. From bottles of gin and tequila to cocktail cookbooks and whisky decanters, this list has everything you need to bring a smile to someones face. Best Gift Ideas for Booze Lovers Heaven's Door Double Barrel Revelation Whiskey Do you know anyone who loves Bob Dylans music, and also whiskey? Well, congrats, youve found their next gift. In addition to being co-created by the Nobel laureate and legend of American songwriting, its also, well, a damn fine whiskey. It packs a punch at 100 proof, offering up notes of vanilla and caramel while boasting a distinct yet highly pleasing nuttiness. A bit like some of ol Bobs lyrics, if you think about it. $49.99 at Drizly.com Casamigos Reposado Tequila George Clooney is damn good at a fair number of things, and being the face of a tequila brand is apparently one of them. The Cloons signature booze is a recent entrant to the tequila game, but it's hardly a johnny-come-lately; what it is is a damn fine way to drink one of the most underrated liquors out there, so good you might want to do another shot after the first one. $56.99 at Drizly.com Friday Night Cocktails by A.J. Dean Know a budding home bartender? Friday Night Cocktails: 52 Drinks to Welcome Your Weekend by A.J. Dean might be just the cocktail cookbook to make them smile this holiday season. Packed with recipes that expertly balance the traditional and the inventive, gorgeous photos and an eye-pleasing layout, itll look great on a coffee table but even better on a kitchen island. $19.95 at SimonAndSchuster.com Whiskey Peaks Rocks Glasses If youve already purchased a nice bottle of liquor for your giftee, theyre likely in need of a glass. These Huckberry-exclusive Whiskey Peaks glasses feature topographic impressions of the most beloved mountain peaks in the United States (Half Dome, Denali, Mt. Rainer, Mt. Whitney). Each glass is made from lead-free handblown, durable glass. $65 at Huckberry.com Glenfiddich 14-Year-Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky We love whisky, but sometimes it can feel kind of old-fashioned. Thats why its so exciting when a bottle like this one comes along: Glenfiddichs 14-Year, which seeks to blend the vibes of Scotch and bourbon together in one incomparable package by, well, aging Scotch in ex-bourbon casks. Genius and delicious in equal measure. $71.99 at Drizly.com ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Ever had a rough morning after a fun night? Youre far from alone, and you probably know people whove run into the same issue. Zbiotics calls their genetically engineered probiotic the drink to take before you drink. The shot, which you can drink up to 2 hours before you have any alcohol, aims to tackle acetaldehyde, one of the primary causes of those rough mornings. After testing their product, we think it works. Plus, its got a pleasant, citrusy taste. $36 at Zbiotics.com Crystal Head Onyx Blue Weber Agave Vodka Part of the fun of having a liquor collection is having a few standout bottles ones you can see from across the room, that draw you over to the liquor cabinet. Crystal Head is one such booze, and their Blue Weber Agave Vodka comes in a bottle thats as bold and badass as it is eye-catching. Oh, and the vodka itself is impeccably smooth, too. $68.99 at Drizly.com Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur Everyone knows someone who likes coffee a little too much. Encourage your friends caffeine problem with a bottle of Mr Black, a bittersweet Aussie concoction that combines specialty Arabica coffee and Australian wheat vodka. Congrats to whoever you give this to on their incoming buzz. $30.99 at Drizly.com Playboy Play Hard Seltzer Playboy makes seltzer now? Yes, they do. And while the storied bunny logo and the clever name make this ever so slightly a gag gift, the truth of the matter is they make a mean seltzer thats actually better than much of the competition particularly the Grapefruit/Yuzu and Apple/Prickly Pear varieties. $24.99 at Drizly.com Tincup Colorado Whiskey Got a friend who seems like they wish they were living the cowboy lifestyle? Make them feel right at home on the range with a bottle of Tincup, which, you guessed it, comes complete with a literal tin cup. Just dont get mad if they ask you to build a fire so you can both sip it while sitting by the hearth swapping tall tales about cattle rustlers. $41.00 at Drizly.com 16th-Century Italian Replica Old World Globe Bar Half the fun of having a liquor collection is having just the right spot to store it. Give the gift of storing it in a super-cool manner with a rustic globe bar like this one from Raamzo, which expertly mixes the feel of a distinguished professors study full of leather-bound books with a little James Bond secret gadgetry vibe. $169.50 at Amazon.com Hendrick's Orbium Gin Heres a thought: If a person likes gin, theyre going to like Hendricks Orbium. There might be a handful of people for whom that isnt true, but theyre wrong and we can discard their opinions. Regular Hendricks is one of the best entry-level gins around, but its Orbium variety really takes things up a notch with a delightfully citrusy, floral and aromatic vibe. $46.99 at Drizly.com Glenfiddich Whisky-Infused Macarons Box What do you give the Scotch connoisseur who has everything? A box of macarons, naturally. Conceived to go with Glenfiddichs wine-aged Grand Cru expression, New York macaron-maker Thierry Atlan has conceived a truly delicious accompaniment. An amuse-bouche to go along with your after-dinner glass, the macarons boast notes of vanilla, brioche, while the promo materials shout out pear, we detected some delicious banana. Either way, theyre a treat. $68 at Thierry-Atlan.com Brass Monkey Booze Clues Drinking Game Set A night of classic cocktails calls for a drinking game. Booze Clues is the latest pop culture-focused board game that utilizes whats already your TV screen as a way to keep the party going. With 150 cards and four shot glasses, prepare for the evening to take a turn in the best way possible. $25 at Amazon.com Appleton Estate 12-Year Rare Blend Rum Know any pirates? Surely youre aware that they fancy a bottle of rum (since thats what they sing right after the yo ho ho part, canonically). Make your favorite pirate unbearably happy with Appletons 12-Year rum, a delicious spiced brown concoction that goes perfectly with digging up treasure and pillaging booty. $49.99 at Drizly.com Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind Vodka A triple-distilled, neat-drinking, connoisseurs spirit this is not. What it is is a little bit silly, but as flavored vodkas go, it actually makes a lot of sense when mixed with the right mixers the brand suggests pineapple juice, and its hard to disagree. Ultimately, its a lot of party potential in a bottle for a very reasonable price. $17.99 at Drizly.com Onda Sparkling Tequila Blood Orange Little-known fact: Blood orange is the best fruit. Trust us on this one, and then tell whoever you gift a pack of these bad boys to when you do so. Theyll be extra grateful that you thought to seek out a canned cocktail flavored with the best fruit around, rather than a middling one like cantaloupe. $13.98 at Drizly.com Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino Vermouth is all the rage these days, but not everyones figured it out yet. If you love someone who loves whiskey cocktails but doesnt know how to make a simple homemade Manhattan, fix that problem in a jiffy with a thoughtful bottle of Cocchi vermouth. Theyll thank you later. $19.99 at Drizly.com Q Mixers Sparkling Grapefruit Of course every cocktail needs a decent spirit to be worth a damn, but skimping on the mixers is a rookie mistake. Got a cocktail aficionado in your life? Put them onto Q Mixers with some of their Sparkling Grapefruit tonic and get ready to be served a killer paloma in short order. $35.99 at QMixers.com Designer Dram What do you give the liquor-lover who has everything? A custom bottle thats all their own. Designer Dram is a delightful invention that allows you to custom-craft a bottle of whiskey by completing a questionnaire literally made out of booze. After tasting four different test whiskeys and rating them, Designer Dram sends you back a full bottle of a whiskey expertly calibrated to your specific tastes. Check out Designer Dram Cocktail Aging Kit Instead of aging for three years, this kit does all the work in 10 days. After pouring their favorite spirit or cocktail into the aging kit that comes with a charred white oak stave it will take on an oak and caramel sweetness. From $45 at BespokePost.com Aerangis Aging Spirits Candle Whiskey is awesome, but you cant drink it all the time mornings, for instance. The fine folks at Aerangis are here to fix that problem with an incredible candle thats like a tumblerful of your favorite whiskey just for your nostrils: Aging Spirits. Its sweet scent features maple candy and bourbon notes, and its simply divine. From $38.00 at Aerangis.com Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka Flavored vodkas can be hit or miss, but this one is hit, hit, hit. Perfect for the colder months; it smells like a delicious apple pie in a bottle and as such, its no surprise that it mixes perfectly with a glass of apple cider. $24.99 at Drizly.com Disaronno Velvet Cream Liqueur Shopping for someone who likes a little pick-me-up in their coffee? Disaronnos amaretto now comes in a velvety cream liqueur format, and while it hits all the notes youd want from a coffee mixer, its distinct but not overwhelming nuttiness puts it a nose ahead of Baileys in this department. $42.99 at Drizly.com Bulleit Old Fashioned Cocktail If youve had a whiskey-based cocktail in the past decade, theres a good chance that youve had Bulleit before. But why go to the trouble of mixing it into something else when you can let Bulleit mix it for you? Thats the concept behind their strong and delicious pre-mixed cocktails, which come in Old Fashioned and Manhattan varieties and are sure to please many a distinguishing cocktail sipper. $15.99 at Drizly.com Sombra Mezcal Handcrafted in Santiago Matatlan, in Oaxaca, Mexico, this spicy and fruity mezcal combines notes of citrus with a smokey flavor. It goes down smooth and warm, and can be served neat or as part of a cocktail, since authentic Mezcal like this one makes for an extremely versatile base spirit. $39.99 at Drizly.com Tovolo 2.5-Inch Sphere Ice Molds Lists like this often include whiskey stones, but real aficionados know that what you want are perfectly spherical ice cubes, which melt slowly but do melt, allowing the whiskey to open up a little but not too much. So this holiday season, give the gift of ice-cold balls with a set of Tovolos ice molds. Just maybe dont say it like that when you do. $22.55 at Amazon.com Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bourbon fans are a tough group to buy for. If theyre true aficionados, they probably already have a bourbon of choice that they know and love. But if youre willing to go out on a limb, you cant go wrong with Basil Hayden. This small-batch bourbon is as perfectly suited for slow sipping as it is for mixing in their favorite cocktail (think Manhattan or Old Fashioned). From $39.99 at Drizly.com High Camp Firelight 375 Flask Lets face it, flasks are fun. They provide an easy way to transport booze to events on the go, think tailgates, picnics etc. But who wants a plain ol' flask that doesn't represent who you are? High Camp's flasks are not only stunning to look at, but they're also crafted to handle the wear and tear of your adventurous life. If you really want to impress the spirits fan in your life, buy 'em an expertly crafted flask that guarantees half a bottle of your favorite drink remains at the right temperature, no questions asked. $85 at HighCampFlasks.com Homemade Gin Kit Help your gin fan learn a thing or two about the process with this homemade kit. Featuring various herbs and spices, it will allow them to turn a regular old bottle of vodka into beautiful, fragrant, delicious gin. $45.83 at Amazon.com Flor de Cana 12 Centenario Ultra-Premium Rum Red fruits? Check. Honey? Check. Toasted nuts? Check. Wood, vanilla and baked apples? Check, check, check. And lets not forget to mention that its literally aged with plantain leaves. This is a rum you wont want to miss, so make sure to stick around after the gifts been opened so you can suggest drinking a little bit of it together. $44.99 at Drizly.com Absinthe Infusion Kit Absinthe is one of the oldest, most misunderstood spirits in history. Its also super trendy right now. Whether theyre into absinthe or theyre curious to try it, help them become a part of the process with this kit. Botanicals, absinthe spoons, two Pontarlier absinthe glasses, a stainless steel funnel, a 500ml Tortuga antique bottle, and one natural coffee filter its got it all. From $20 at Uncommongoods.com Party Can So you've scrolled past a few canned cocktail options to get here. But now it's time you said hello to the first-ever large format RTD craft cocktail: Party Can. Available in three classic, easily recognizable flavors Triple Spice Margarita, Gold Rush Old Fashioned, and Cosmicpolitan they're the easily accessible, 12-serving options that contain all natural ingredients "and some of the worlds best liqueurs and spirits." Need we say more or can we start drinking them now? From $29.99 at CocktailCourier.com Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Federle A fun twist on the traditional cocktail recipe book, Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails With a Literary Twist features more than 65 literary-based cocktail recipes and photos, this is sure to be a conversation piece for the lucky person who receives it as a gift. $7.39 at Amazon.com Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt When Japan can produce a whisky as good as Nikkas Taketsuru Pure Malt, itll almost make you forget about Scotland entirely. For the ardent Scotch lover whos tasted every single malt, pure malt, peaty and smoky whisky produced by the Scots, throw them a little curveball with this Japanese delight. $149.99 at Drizly.com W&P Carry-On Cocktail Kit Shopping for the booze-loving jet-setter? Look no further. From Old Fashioned to Bloody Mary, W&Ps carry-on cocktail kits have all the tools and essentials necessary for upgrading airline libations. Dont worry, all kits are TSA-friendly. $22.04 at Amazon.com Teremana Reposado Tequila Want to get a celebrity actors agave-based liquor but not a big George Clooney fan? The Rock has a tequila for you Teremana. Smooth as the man himself (seriously, does he have any body hair?). Just dont drink too much; the drink may knock you on your ass as easily as The Rock could. $36.99 at Drizly.com Aperol Spritz Vol. 2 Poster Know someone who has a signature cocktail? Make them feel seen (and classy) with one of Sydney-based designer Nick Barclays gorgeous minimalist cocktail posters, which blend mixology with geometry to produce a visual recipe for dozens of the worlds most famous mixed drinks. From $35.00 at NickBarclayDesigns.com Bearface Elementally Aged Triple Oak Canadian Whisky The black skull near the top of the list too intense for you, but you still want to gift someone a tasty liquor in an awesome bottle? Allow us to introduce Bearface. Aged in both bourbon barrels and red wine casks, it brings a taste of the Canadian north to your tipple. $34.99 at Drizly.com Imbibe! by David Wondrich This cocktail collection comes from one of the most respected cocktails writers in history: David Wondrich. Part history and part mixology guide, it is the perfect gift for anyone who wonders about the history of their favorite mixed drinks (as well as how to make them). On top of anecdotes and stories, it includes more than 100 recipes for classic cocktails, from the Singapore Sling to the Tequila Daisy. $19.47 at Amazon.com You Might Also Dig: China a 'contributor, advocator, practitioner' of global human rights 10:34, December 05, 2023 By Cui Fandi and Wang Zixuan ( Global Times Visitors take part in a seminar held by the China Society for Human Rights Studies in Beijing on December4, 2023, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Photo: Cui Fandi/GT During a seminar held by the China Society for Human Rights Studies on Monday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the society's president Padma Choling highlighted China's role as a contributor, advocator and practitioner of the declaration over the years. While some countries highly politicize and weaponize human rights, China has played a very important role in promoting the development of international human rights, calling for a comprehensive human rights system, said experts. The seminar was held ahead of International Human Rights Day on December 10, the day when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, to commemorate this milestone document and its development over the decades. More than 70 participants, including officials from central and national agencies, representatives from central media departments, human rights experts, scholars and representatives from various social organizations gathered together for the seminar held in Beijing. Padma Choling, who is also a vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), noted that China, as an active participant in drafting the declaration, infused the rich human rights philosophy inherent in Chinese civilization into the document during the drafting process. Padma Choling said that the concept of benevolence and love in traditional Chinese culture injects a more universal value foundation into the Declaration, while the philosophy of harmony with nature in Chinese civilization provides ideological support for the declaration. He said that the concept of community in Chinese society supplements the declaration with a perspective of obligation, thereby providing feasible solutions for the comprehensive and free development of individuals. The integration of Eastern culture makes the declaration a truly global human rights declaration, he noted. For the past 75 years, China has been an active advocate of the spirit of the Declaration, consistently emphasizing that the development of human rights is a common cause for all humanity, Padma Choling said. China firmly rejects a singular understanding of the development path of human rights, and opposes the forced promotion of "universal" human rights systems. China's concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind has been incorporated into more than 10 resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council. Nearly 100 million impoverished rural residents have been lifted out of poverty, and the world's largest education system, social security system, and healthcare system have been established in the country. China has practiced true multilateralism, actively participated in global human rights governance, and safeguarded the orderly operation of the international human rights mechanism with the United Nations at its core, said Padma Choling. He called on researchers of human rights to become interpreters of the contemporary Chinese human rights perspective, construct a theoretical system and discourse system of Chinese human rights, showcase the image of China, and voice the country's opinions. Li Lin, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that since the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping has regarded the development of human rights as an important task in governing the country. His series of important speeches, instructions, and expositions on respecting and protecting human rights have formed the contemporary Chinese outlook on human rights, the formation and practice of which are not only the best way to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also the inheritance, innovation and major development of the basic spirit, purpose, values, and principles established by the declaration. Ensuring that China's more than 1.4 billion people fully enjoy human rights and basic freedoms has also fully demonstrated the people's nature of human rights in China, deepened and expanded the basic principles of extensiveness, equality, and non-discrimination for people entitled to human rights established in the declaration and other international human rights documents, and promoted the innovative development of the theory of the people as the beneficiary of human rights, Li said. In the past decade, the contemporary Chinese outlook on human rights has deeply penetrated into the political and cultural life of Chinese society, which fully reflects China's position as a defender and advocate of international human rights, Chang Jian, director of the Human Rights Research Center at Nankai University, told the Global Times on Monday. China's development in human rights is more pragmatic, noted Chang, who is also a participant of the seminar. "We have provided better conditions for the realization of dignity and values by creating a stable and peaceful development environment. For example, by alleviating poverty, we enable the vast population to enjoy the rights to survival, development and other human rights." Chang pointed out that China also plays a very important role in promoting the development of international human rights. "While some Western countries highly politicize and weaponize human rights issues, China emphasizes unity and cooperation in international human rights cooperation," Chang said. "China opposes imposing a certain Western model of human rights on all countries, but instead promotes an inclusive spirit. Because different countries have different conditions, the way human rights are practiced will also vary." In recent years, some Western countries have been relentless in smearing China's human rights situation. In response, Chang said that some countries have a narrow definition of human rights, while China is calling for a comprehensive human rights system. Some Western countries believe that writing human rights into laws is a guarantee of human rights, but this is not in line with the actual and real effects, he said, pointing out that what China is doing is to achieve actual human rights through policy-making and creating conditions, which these blind critics failed to achieve. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) By Mark Boesch The story of The Halal Guys starts on the streets of Manhattan in the 1990s, where it started as a food cart, serving hungry New Yorkers a delectable fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors. What originally began as a small sidewalk business blossomed into an iconic international Halal brand, celebrated for its renowned platters of chicken and gyro over rice, adorned with fresh lettuce, tomatoes and the signature white and hot sauces. The success of The Halal Guys exemplifies the power of New York street food to transcend cultural boundaries, creating a global phenomenon that now extends to Seoul. In 2016, The Halal Guys opened its first store In Itaewon, and later opened branches in Hongdae and Gangnam. The Halal Guys delights food enthusiasts with its flavorful offerings and iconic dishes that still pay homage to the rich traditions of New York street food. The superstar on The Halal Guys menu is the Combo Platter, its signature chicken and gyro platter served with seasoned basmati rice, lettuce, tomatoes and its famous sauces. True to its street food roots, the platter is served in a traditional rice bowl, with succulent, marinated chicken alongside perfectly seasoned gyro meat. It is a feast for the senses, with the protein accented with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, spicy hot sauces and a cool house tzatziki sauce (the white sauce). The combination of flavors make it a go-to choice for both first-timers and regulars. An enticing companion for any hunger, The Halal Guys' big four lineup of sandwiches includes the chicken, gyro, combo and falafel. The Falafel Sandwich is a vegetarian delight wrapped in homemade pita bread. The falafel is crispy and golden-brown on the outside and tender on the inside, and the falafel patties are accompanied by lettuce, tomatoes and The Halal Guys' signature hot and white sauces. The falafel sandwich is a testament to the restaurant's commitment to offering top-notch vegetarian food. The Halal Guys stands out not only for its mouthwatering platters and sandwiches but also for authentically recreating the New York street food experience in Seoul. The legacy of The Halal Guys includes a dedication to quality ingredients and a commitment to halal practices. Whether savoring the iconic Chicken and Gyro Combo Platter or enjoying the delight of a Falafel Sandwich, a visit to The Halal Guys is always a memorable treat. The Halal Guys are open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily. You can skip the queue, pay online, and place pickup or delivery orders using the Shuttle app or shuttledelivery.co.kr in the greater Yongsan area. Mark Boesch is co-founder and chief marketing officer of Shuttle Delivery. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Unlike Ford, which is counting on the hype surrounding the S650 Mustang to carry it into the next model year, where the refreshed 2024 F-150 series awaits, Toyota is one of the most prolific carmakers in the world including across the crucial North American region. EV SUV Sure, the Blue Oval company doesn't even need more to keep the headlines the F-150 is the best-selling version of the F-Series, and along with the all-new Super Duty, it will surely pose an insurmountable threat to its main competitors the Chevy Silverado plus GMC Sierra and the newly upgraded 2025 Ram 1500.As for the S650 Ford Mustang, the seventh generation is keeping the banner up for V8-powered pony and muscle cars alone - with the GT, Dark Horse, and GTD variants. Meanwhile, its lifetime rivals are either retreating from the public's eye, like the Chevy Camaro or undergoing a transformativeevolution, like the Dodge Charger. As such, it is no wonder the 'Stang is under constraint due to high demand.On the other hand, Toyota is hellbent on snatching the US sales crown from General Motors and is dropping all-new or refreshed models left and right in the North American region. Some of them are veritable superstars, by the way, such as the first-ever 2024 Grand Highlander and 2025 Crown Signia crossover SUVs or the N400 Tacoma and the related 2024 Land Cruiser.Curiously, one model sits calmly in its place the 2024 Toyota 4Runner, an off-roader that has been around in its current form since 2009 and only got some updates along the way instead of an all-new generation. Alas, everyone including the rumor mill and the imaginative realm of digital car content creators thinks it's time for the sixth generation to arrive alongside the 2025 model year.As such, the good folks from the TheAutoReport channel on YouTube have imagined the potential redesign of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner with modern AI-assisted CGI cues. This particular unofficial design is aimed at TRD Pro enthusiasts and naturally features some extreme and entirely hypothetical design cues. Even better, the resident pixel master didn't just create this mid-size off-road-focusedand let it roam imagination land alone.Instead, the channel also dreamed about the unofficial arrival of the refreshed 2025 Ford Bronco to clash with the 4Runner in fantasy land. This one is also created with help from AI software, so don't seek perfection instead, the CGI expert quickly delves into different potential variations of the envisioned design. So, which one is your favorite the all-new Toyota 4Runner or the facelifted 2025 Ford Bronco?In case neither appeals to you, there's one final alternative which already resides in the real world. That would be the updated 2024 Jeep Wrangler, now starting from $32,095 for the regular models or $50,695 if you prefer the electrified Wrangler 4xe. SUV EV BEV Toyota had a field month in November they presented the 2025 Camry (Hybrid) mid-size sedan and 2025 Crown Signia crossoverat the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, announced the Yaris Cross update in Europe, showed the production version of the IMV 0 modular pickup truck concept in Thailand as the dirt-cheap ($13k) Hilux Champ, and also gifted the JDM fans with the return of the retro-modern Land Cruiser Series 70.That was all in the space of a single month and coming from an astonishing year in terms of new model reveals, facelifts, and special editions. But they are not slowing down even during the Christmas season because December debuted with significant introductions at the annual Kenshiki forum in Brussels, Belgium, rocking everything from pureconcepts to commercial vehicles and from electrified trucks to additional hydrogen novelties to accompany thepursuit of excellence.Well, the rumor mill is eager to chip in with their two cents on the matter, and the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is giving them a helping hand. Some believe that Toyota will soon premiere the return of the MR2 or Celica nameplates as production versions of the FT-Se electric concept. Others think that the long-overdue 4Runner off-roader is next in line. But a few just can't let go of the rumor about a compact Land Cruiser-based vehicle.For example, the good folks from the AutomagzPro channel on YouTube have some AI-assisted CGI thoughts about a hypothetical EV compact Toyota SUV that would be the proud successor to the beloved FJ Cruiser retro-SUV. After their resident pixel master tried a few variants, the quest reached the EV inflection point for the allegedly upcoming 'Land Hopper' compact body-on-frame Toyota.The channel's CGI expert gives us plenty of choice for the rugged SUV with a regular four-door layout, with the rear door handles safely hidden, or even looking like it could be the next 4Runner. Well, in case neither variant is to your liking, no worries we have additional proposals. The peeps over at Next-Gen Car think the alleged 'Land Hopper' will be a hybrid instead most likely adopting the flagship 2.0-liter setup with 196 horsepower from the Corolla Cross Hybrid or perhaps the feistier 220-hp version from the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid.Meanwhile, the more down-to-earth guys and gals from Q Cars believe the most anticipated Toyota cruiser will not be christened 'Land Hopper' but rather as the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ thus paying homage to both nameplates in a bid to bring the best of both in a compact yet rugged form. So, which is your favorite? Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo called Tuesday for a strong defense posture in the Seoul metropolitan area to fend off threats posed by North Korea's provocations. In the latest in a series of troop visits since taking office last month, Kim inspected the Capital Defense Command, which is in charge of defending the capital with a population of about 10 million, and an air defense unit. Kim urged the command to draw up comprehensive defense operation procedures to effectively defend the capital, which is within range of the North's short-range missile and artillery attacks. During his visit to an air defense unit, Kim ordered heightened vigilance against potential drone infiltrations from North Korea. "I want you to carry out missions with determination for tracking and shooting down the enemy's drones without fail," Kim was quoted as saying. In December 2022, five North Korean drones intruded across the inter-Korean border, with one of them having penetrated a no-fly zone close to the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol. In September, the South Korean military established a drone operations command to step up readiness against drone incursions. (Yonhap) Chinese giant CATL is working on a CIIC skateboard chassis. The unit has just completed its first trials in China and achieved a range of over 600 miles. kWh EV Photo: Neta The race for range The car sporting the new technology was tested on was a B-segment compact sedan, most likely a Neta-branded model. It covered 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) with an energy consumption of 10.5/100 km (10.5 kWh/62 miles). But the figure is achieved in the rather optimistic Chinese testing procedure.Furthermore, the battery pack was able to charge enough for 186 miles (300 kilometers) in just five minutes using a DC charger.The CIIC (CATL Integrated Intelligent Chassis) structure integrates the batteries, the electric motors, and other critical units into a single platform that the electric car is built on.The procedure is specifically designed to bring more efficiency in every direction. It lowers production costs, it reduces the weight of the vehicle, and brings down energy consumption figures. Furthermore, it does not take up much space, which translates into an onboard maximized space for the passengers.One of the first companies to get involved in the project wasmaker Hozon Auto, which owns the Neta brand. The two companies developed the first CIIC-underpinned model, which is set to be launched in the third quarter of 2024.The upcoming model has recently completed winter testing in Heihe, northern China, while Turpan was the location for summer testing. That is where the CIIC achieved a range of 621 miles (1,000 kilometers), while the battery pack efficiency was 75%, according to CATL s Chief Scientist Wu Kai.In low temperatures, at minus 7 degrees Celsius (19.4 degrees Fahrenheit), the range figures collapsed by 30 percent. The car was reportedly equipped with a 105-kWh battery pack integrated into the floor of the vehicle.According to CATL, the CIIC integrates a low-voltage and a high-voltage system, as well as steering and braking systems, plus the chassis domain controllers, using CTC (cell-to-chassis) tech.Car News China reports that, following the launch of the first CIIC-based model, CATL intends to build its own EV.Neta, the first car brand to receive the new tech, has just opened its first plant outside China, in Thailand. According to the carmaker, more than 12,000 examples of its vehicles were delivered to Thailand, which represents 20 percent of the countrys electric car registrations.CATL has also signed a memorandum of understanding with VinFast. Therefore, we should expect the new architecture to be adopted by the Vietnamese car brand as well.The company is now racing against Toyota. The Japanese carmaker announced that its solid state battery technology will make EVs drive as far as 745 miles (1,199 kilometers) by 2030. The CATL-sourced tech, which brings a range that is not much below what Toyota promises, is supposed to be ready before the end of 2024.Last week, Our Next Energy (ONE) reported about achieving a 608.1-mile range (978.6 kilometers), provided by the Gemini dual-chemistry battery. The car to go that far was a BMW iX with the official range of 391 miles (630 kilometers).The technology developed by ONE has reached its final development stages. The company will continue to further improve it in order to get it ready for a full production program, with the BMW iX being the first to receive the Gemini battery pack. The first EV based on the BEV3 electric vehicle platform, the Lyriq has been hit with a safety recall. According to General Motors, certain examples of the zero-emission crossover may feature a seat belt bracket that was improperly welded to the seat frame. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Photo: Cadillac NHTSA Documents filed with thereveal that Yanfeng Seating Mexico S.A. de C.V., namely the supplier of the rear seat cushion assembly, is responsible for this manufacturing defect. The aforementioned assembly bears part number 86797328 in GM's parts system.General Motors became aware of said condition back on September 25 after a GM engineer submitted a report through the Speak Up For Safety program. SUFS was created in April 2014 as a result of the ill-famed ignition switch recall. As a brief refresher, one of the deadliest safety recalls in automotive history killed a total of 124 people and injured 275 others.Said engineer was performing a routine test for a future product that uses the same rear seat frame as the Lyriq, that future product likely being the Optiq. During said test, the rear seat belt bracket separated from the frame, thus prompting General Motors to take the engineer's report with utmost seriousness.The Detroit-based automaker eventually determined that suspect frames were manufactured by Yanfeng Seating Mexico S.A. de C.V. during a single shift on January 27. Computer-aided engineering analysis revealed that frames with improper welds don't perform as intended under certain load conditions, meaning that the risk of injury is greater than normal in the event of a crash. GM underlines that the suspect bracket anchors the left- and center-rear seat belts.Not surprising in the least, affected owners are urged not to use the left- and center-rear seats until the remedy is performed by an authorized retailer. Dealers nationwide have already been instructed to replace the rear seat cushion frame at no charge whatsoever to affected owners. Containment efforts were initiated on September 26 at the Spring Hill vehicle assembly plant in Tennessee and at the supplier's facility. Said efforts paid dividends in terms of potentially affected vehicles (43 units of the Lyriq in the US market).Manufactured for the 2023 and 2024 model years between March 14 and July 22, said vehicles weren't produced in sequential order. GM hasn't provided a list of potentially affected VINs, but on the upside, owners can determine whether their electric crossovers are recalled or not by running the vehicle identification number on the's web portal.Recall notifications will be mailed no later than January 8. So, how did the supplier mess up the rear seat cushion assembly? According to documents filed with the federal watchdog, the bracket may not have been properly aligned during the welding process.GM delivered no fewer than 674,336 vehicles in the third quarter of 2023, of which the Lyriq accounted for 10,700 vehicles. Between January and September, the XT5 -sized crossover moved a grand total of 31,483 examples in the US market. At press time, prices kick off at $58,590 (excluding the destination freight charge and federal tax credit). Nothing seems to stop the Kia Boys from stealing and wreaking the cars they find on the street, so now the police across the United States are ready for the next step in their plan. The authorities in Howard County, Maryland, will give away AirTags to Hyundai and Kia owners specifically to track their vehicles. Car owners who don't have an iPhone will get a Samsung Galaxy SmartTag, a tracker similar to Apple's device that is compatible with Android smartphones.The local officials say the giveaway, which will take place at the Howard County Police Department Headquarters/Northern District Station (3410 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City 21043) on Sunday, December 10, between 9 AM and 3 PM, will help them find the stolen vehicles faster by accessing the coordinates provided by the trackers.Hyundai and Kia owners who want the free AirTags must bring their license and registration or proof of residency if the documents don't read Howard County. Only Howard County residents are eligible for the giveaway.The funds for this campaign come from the Maryland Theft Prevention Council, but the police emphasize that the giveaway will run while supplies last. The AirTag will probably be in high demand, considering most people own an iPhone, so if you have a Samsung smartphone or any other Android mobile device, the Galaxy SmartTag will probably remain available throughout the day.While the AirTag helps the police find the location of a stolen vehicle, it doesn't help the more concerning part of the problem.The infamous Kia Boys continue to steal cars for Internet fame , sometimes breaking into them without even looking through the window to see if they have a steering wheel lock. Police say installing such a device is the most efficient way of preventing theft, though in some cases, the Kia Boys still break the car's window before noting the lock.Hyundai and Kia have been running software update campaigns to install patches on vulnerable vehicles, and while not everybody has received the update, the likelihood of finding an unpatched car is much lower now. The Kia Boys don't care , as social media platforms are still filled with complaints from Hyundai and Kia owners whose cars were broken into due to the TikTok challenge.The carmakers claim the anti-theft software update works correctly, as the thieves can no longer start the vehicle with a USB cable. They also provide customers with a window sticker informing potential thieves that the vehicles have been patched.Apple's AirTag is a pill-shaped tracker that connects to nearby iPhones to broadcast its location. The device shows its location in the Find My application, and thanks to the lack of an integrated Internet connection, its battery should last up to six months. The only way for a thief to disable the AirTag is to remove the battery. Has Mercedes gone a bit too far with the ambient lighting in its modern-day vehicle lineup? Some would certainly say so, including us, though in the right configuration, it is not flashy. Mess it up, though, and your car will look like a strip club on wheels when driving at night. kW AMG AWD Case in point, this 2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 is on the extreme side of things when it comes to the multi-color ambient lighting. When combined with the two large screens, the infotainment and digital gauges, the illuminated speaker grilles, and other backlit buttons and knobs, it becomes clear that it is not a ride fit for a gentleman.But then again, it doesn't pretend to be either, as it is far more powerful and aggressive than, say, a Rolls-Royce Ghost. Thus, it falls into a different category. All you have to do is watch the video embedded below, which shows it being driven at night from a POV perspective with the camera strapped to the driver's head, to understand it.As for the engine, well, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 adds the E Performance moniker, and that is slang for partial electrification at the three-pointed star brand. It is a 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8, aka the ubiquitous motor powering multiple vehicles made by the Affalterbach brand these past few years, aided by a rear-mounted electric motor.The total system output stands at a staggering 791 horsepower (802 ps/590), and it has 1,055 pound-feet (1,430 Nm) of torque. Mercedes-says the S 63 E Performance needs 3.2 seconds from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) and has a 155 mph (250 kph) top speed. Tick the AMG Driver's Pack box on the options list, and the maximum speed will increase to 180 mph (290 kph).A nine-speed automatic transmission delivers the thrust to the 4Matic+system. The luxury super sedan also features speed-sensitive power steering with a rack and pinion system, high-performance composite brakes, air suspension, and a plethora of safety systems. It rides on 20-inch alloys, with 21-inch sets being optionally available, and it costs a lot of money.In Germany, interested parties are looking at 208,392.80, which equals $226,160 at the current exchange rates, or about twice as much as a base Benz S-Class. Mind you, that's with no options, so you could easily make it much more expensive.We are still waiting for the Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance in North America, where pricing hasn't been confirmed at the moment. Our spec will be identical (or almost identical) to the European variant, and that will include all main aspects, including the powerful electrified V8 motor that makes it supercar fast without making it lose its appeal. Wholly owned by Porsche AG, the Leipzig assembly plant can trace its roots back to 1998. That's when the German automaker shocked pretty much everyone with its announcement that a sport utility vehicle would join the Neunelfer and Boxster in the lineup. EV Photo: Porsche Leipzig would also be the home of the bite-the-back-of-your-hand pretty Carrera GT, a V10-engined supercar that should have numbered 1,500 examples. Due to a change in air bag regulations for the US market, a grand total of 1,270 units were completed. As you're well aware, Porsche replaced the Carrera GT with the plug-in hybrid 918 Spyder. The V8-engined successor was assembled by hand by 100 selected employees at Plant 2 in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.The Panamera liftback sedan started rolling off the assembly line in Leipzig in 2009, and the factory was extended once again for the Macan crossover. Porsche started the fifth expansion in 2019, for Leipzig prepares to welcome the heavily anticipated Macanin 2024.Zuffenhausen's favorite son has recently celebrated the two-millionth vehicle built in Leipzig, that car being a superb-looking Panamera. The car in question is a 2024 Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid with Madeira Gold Metallic exterior paint, which is the launch color of the third-gen Panamera.Ordered by a Dubai-based gentleman, the car is equipped with centerlock wheels, performance rubber supplied by Michelin, as well as carbon-ceramic brakes. Leipzig currently makes the Panamera and Macan, whereas the Cayenne comes from the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant in Slovakia.Home to approximately 5.4 million people, the Slovak Republic is one of the largest producers of automobiles in the world on a per capita basis. In addition to the Volkswagen Group, other automakers with production facilities in the Slovak Republic include Jaguar Land Rover, Kia Motors, Groupe PSA, as well as Slovakia's very own Troliga Bus.Turning our attention back to Porsche, the third-gen Panamera is likely the final one to feature internal combustion. In due time, it's also possible that Porsche may discontinue this fellow in favor of the Taycan. Redesigning the Panamera as an EV doesn't make sense because the G3 is merely 50 millimeters (2 inches) longer in wheelbase than the Taycan.Regarding the Leipzig-built Macan EV , the upcoming model will be Porsche's first application of the all-new Premium Platform Electric. This architecture will be succeeded by the Scalable Systems Platform, which will further replace the MEB of the ID.3, ID.4, Q4 e-tron, and so forth.Confirmed with more than 600 horsepower and over 738 pound-feet (1,000 Nm) of torque from a dual-motor setup, the Macan EV will easily shame its combustion-engined sibling in a straight line. Regarding the Panamera , the Turbo E-Hybrid needs an estimated 3.0 seconds flat to accelerate to 60 mph (97 kph), onto a top speed of 195 mph (314 kph). With one major conflict raging on the continent and another one very close by, Europe is bracing for some tough years ahead. And it does that by having its most important countries try to modernize their military as much as possible. Germany's Bundeswehr seems to be leading this trend, with the country investing heavily in upgrading its armed forces, just to prepare for the worst. Those efforts include upgrades to all military branches, including the Deutsche Marine, which is what the natives called the unified Bundeswehr's Navy.The Marine was at the center of attention last week after news of it flying a new version of an almost three decades old helicopter came to light.The helicopter is called NH90 , and is the product of a company called NHIndustries. It was designed as a multi-role military helo, and has grown over the years to a global fleet of 131 helicopters flying in the service of six different nations.The family has also expanded to include several variants, the most impressive of which are the newest ones to be introduced, the Sea Lion and the Sea Tiger.The German Navy already has in operation a number of 18 Sea Lions which it received between 2019 and 2023. These are mostly used for naval transport, but have also been part of rescue operations.The country however needs a more potent helicopter, one that aside from transport and rescue could fight off submarines if the need for that ever arises. And this is where the Sea Tiger comes in.As the newest variant of the NH90, the helicopter conducted its first flight at the end of last month, at the Airbus facility in Donauworth, Germany.Just like its other siblings, the Tiger will fly thanks to a pair of General Electric turboshaft engines that develop 2,417 horsepower each. That means it will also probably have the same capabilities as all other helos in the family: a range of 800 km (500 miles), a top speed of 300 kph (190 mph), and a maximum altitude of 6,000 meters (20,000 feet).But the thing will be equipped with a long list of systems that will make it suitable for naval warfare, including new electro-optical gear, improved electronic support measures, a dipping sonar, and sonobuoys.These pieces of hardware will be rounded off by a range of torpedoes and missiles, because the helicopter is not meant solely for the detection of above- or under-surface threats, but it is also intended to engage them.As per the Germans, the Sea Tigers will replace the existing fleet of Sea Lynx helicopters, which have been on the job ever since 1981.Back in 2020 the Marine ordered no less than 31 Sea Tigers for its fleet, but given how the first flight of such a version only occurred last month, it will have to wait at least until 2025 to get its hands on the first truly operational Sea Tiger. Airbus , who is involved in the project, says it will now move into a stage where it will flight test the machine and its system. We are not told how long that will take. Ryan Thomas was a Tesla supporter long before he purchased his used 2021 Model 3 RWD with 15,000 miles on March 29, 2022. He said his battery electric vehicle (BEV) has a promised EPA range of 272 miles, which it never achieved. The good thing was that it was more than enough for Thomas to travel from Babcock Ranch to his work in Sarasota, Florida, and back. He told autoevolution his 110-mile daily commute was covered with no issues until August 15, 2023. That was the first time the BEV left Thomas stranded and it would happen again. BEV Photo: Ryan Thomas/edited by autoevolution Photo: Ryan Thomas Photo: Ryan Thomas/edited by autoevolution Photo: Ryan Thomas/edited by autoevolution ICE Photo: Ryan Thomas/edited by autoevolution For the Model 3 owner, that triggered a nightmare. Before we get there, it is essential to describe the steps leading to this first scary situation. As Thomas said, he never managed to drive hisfor 272 miles on a full charge or even "anywhere close to that range." In part, that's because the Model 3 owner always strictly followed Tesla's charging recommendations."I used to charge my car only to 90% capacity (which was the capacity that Tesla recommended) until August 2023. As for supercharging, I rarely ever do it. I mostly just plug in at home, but I have used the supercharger on occasion."Thomas had driven his car for 35,000 more miles with no issues until he noticed a severe range drop with the car, which led him to increase the charging limit to 95% so that he could get to work and back on a single charge, as he used to do before that. On August 15, something weird happened."I was driving home from work on a two-lane highway when my car suddenly (and without any warning) lost all driving power and shut down while there was still battery left on the vehicle (roughly 10%). I could no longer maneuver the vehicle due to a complete lack of propulsion, so my car died in the middle of the road and left me stranded."Thomas had his vehicle towed to the Fort Myers Tesla Service Center , where the technicians told him that the car "died simply due to insufficient charge (even though there was still about 10% battery left at the time of the incident).""When I showed them the pictures of what really happened to dispute this claim, the service advisor dismissed my concern and said to just keep the battery percentage above 10%."Whenever any BEV is running out of charge, it will tell the driver to stop. In several tests with Tesla vehicles, including one with Carwow, the driver was told to get to a charger soon. It even said "all known charging locations" would quickly be out of range when the vehicle had only 5% range left. When the charge dropped below 0%, the car would still run for a bit. An Edmunds story reinforces that "Tesla's vehicles give you plenty of warning as the end draws nigh, with multiple notifications popping up to tell you that the battery is getting low and needs to be recharged soon." Tesla's vehicles may do that, but Thomas' BEV didn't. He did not receive any such warnings when his vehicle stopped for a second time, now theoretically with a 7% charge left, as the pictures show."About a week later (August 21), the same thing happened! Again, my car lost all power and completely shut down mid-drive without any warning. Again, I was left stranded in the middle of the road, and the car had to be towed to the service center. Both times, I had my home address in the car's GPS (so the computer knew the exact distance I was traveling), and it never indicated once that I needed to stop and charge the battery."Despite behaving in a way his car shouldn't, Thomas has received a standard reply from Tesla: his car was "within specs." For the company, he was to blame because he did not keep his BEV above 10% charge. He even tried taking his Model 3 to a different service center in Sarasota."There, the service techs were more helpful and even offered to take the car on an extended drive to their home for the night (27 miles away). The funny thing was that the technician left the service center with a 35% charge, then turned back around and proceeded back to the service center to supercharge the car to 76% (presumably because the tech realized that they would not reach their destination based on the way the car was driving and did not want to be stranded in the road). To my amazement, the shop supervisor called me the next day and told me that there was nothing wrong with my vehicle."That answer obviously did not bring any relief to Thomas, who insisted on having a better explanation from the supervisor."He said that they ran more diagnostics and found that the battery was degraded, but just not to the point that Tesla will warranty a battery replacement. I asked for the battery degradation report to see the current status of my battery but was told it was "proprietary company property" and that I was not entitled to the report (even though I own the car ?). Additionally, they were unwilling to take the car for a test drive under 10% battery to replicate the issue I'm having (which is the same parameter when my car died twice). The supervisor said that, even if he did experience that issue, Tesla would still not let him warranty the battery because the diagnostic tests did not indicate any issues. So, they told me I must pick up my car because it is 'drivable' or face incurring daily fees for the loaner vehicle."It was even a bit worse than that."They tried attributing part of the battery issue to supercharging. However, I probably have supercharged my car less than ten times total since I've owned the Tesla. Looking at my charge stats in the app, it says that I have used the supercharger only 3% over the past year (from December 2022 to November 2023). So, I don't think supercharging is the culprit behind my issue."Supposing Tesla presented an accurate mileage for each complete charge its vehicles display, the battery pack on Thomas' Model 3 would have had to be replaced long ago. If the EPA range is 272 miles, 150 miles would represent 55.1% of the original capacity. Tesla's warranty terms say the BEV maker will replace the battery pack within eight years or 100,000 miles if it fails or drops below 70% capacity. Thomas' Model 3 mileage states this minimum is much lower than it should be in that vehicle. The least the Sarasota Service Center should have done was to tell him how much capacity his car originally had and how much it currently presents.If the Tesla Service Center is being honest about the battery pack condition, why doesn't it explain why a 55.1% drop in capacity is not eligible for a battery pack replacement? If there is any way to justify that, it may have to do with another issue Tesla put itself into: the accusations regarding the range presented by its vehicles. On July 27, Reuters revealed that the BEV maker rigged its range estimates always to show the best number the car could achieve at all times even those in which they would never reach such distances, such as cold weather.According to Reuters, that was something Elon Musk ordered his engineers to do. What the range calculator did was to make the number drop to more realistic figures after the battery pack went below 50% charge. The driver would have "about 15 miles (24 km) of additional range even after the dash readout showed an empty battery" because Tesla designed a safety buffer that would prevent them from running out of juice in dangerous situations. Again, when the car apparently had zero charge left as the computer displayed it could still drive around 15 miles. In Thomas' case, it was right the opposite: although his BEV said he still had some charge left, it stopped without any warnings. It would be like an internal combustion engine () car dying without hitting the fuel reserve. Any mechanic would tell you the vehicle had a problem. Yet, Tesla says Thomas' Model 3 is working as it should despite a mild battery pack degradation. Stopping without warnings does not look normal, and Thomas rightfully wants to understand why that is happening."Basically, I've exhausted all available avenues of support with Tesla regarding my defective vehicle. I've contacted customer support, spoken with lead technicians, emailed the legal department, and even pleaded my case to the service center supervisors. No one at Tesla seems to care or even wants to help fix my car. They keep telling me that nothing is wrong with it, even though I have documented proof that my car is dying without any warning at a battery level greater than zero percent. So, something is wrong with my vehicle's main battery or with the battery percentage meter being displayed. Either way, Tesla should try to replicate the issue and fix the source of the defect. Unfortunately, Tesla does not want to do either of those options and, instead, tells me that nothing is wrong with the vehicle."Thomas wanted to share his story to tell other Tesla owners facing the same situation that they are not alone. The Model 3 owner said he found "numerous similar safety complaints filed through the NHTSA " for the same model year of his vehicle."Having the car randomly shut off while driving is a huge safety concern. What am I supposed to do if my car decides to just shut off while I'm on the interstate with my two young daughters strapped into their car seats? There would be no way to safely remove them from the vehicle (let alone myself) before being involved in a serious high-speed accident. I might have time to escape the car, but what about them? Who is going to advocate for their safety if I don't?"When he made these questions to a Tesla supervisor, he heard that he should not let his vehicle "get below 10% charge.""Sure, if the car were functioning correctly, I would be able to make my 110-mile round trip commute without having to dip below 10% battery level. However, that is simply not the reality that I am facing with my vehicle. I considered selling my car, but I could not live with myself, pawning off this safety issue onto an unsuspecting purchaser. Trading in the vehicle is also not an option as I would be underwater with my car loan due to purchasing it at the height of the market and Tesla essentially devaluing all models with their recent price reductions. It really pains me to say, but I wish I never purchased my Tesla ." Tesla started deliveries of the refreshed Model 3 in October, and the first owners who got their new toys are ready to share their impressions. Although many praise the new design and improvements, two things stick out like sore thumbs when asked what they hate the most about the Model 3 Highland. EV Photo: @TeslaNieuws_ via X Tesla Model 3 Highland has already been delivered to customers in Europe, Asia, and Australia, although it's still unavailable in North America. The revamped model brought many improvements, starting with the design, which looks more focused and exciting. It also features a new cabin that brings two significant changes: a second screen for the rear passengers and the stalkless cockpit. As I've predicted, the missing stalks will not win many European fans, although the Americans are more likely to embrace it.Tesla first removed the stalks from the Model S and Model X when it launched the refreshed models in 2021. It also fitted a yoke instead of a classic steering wheel. Faced with backlash, themaker first offered the steering wheel as a retrofit , then as an option, and later made it the default. Unfortunately, it didn't budge on the stalkless design despite many arguing that steering wheel buttons are impractical.This is less of a problem for North American owners because most roads are straight or intersect at a straight angle. It's a different story in Europe, where big and small roundabouts are everywhere. Until now, the Model S and Model X have been sold in very limited numbers in Europe, so many people haven't used the stalkless design. However, the Model 3 is a mass-market EV, and its missing stalks are likely to annoy a lot more people.Even before the deliveries started, the first Europeans who test-drove the Highland model as prospective buyers complained about this flaw. One Dutch considered that the lack of the indicator stalk is "annoying in city driving and an absolute nightmare on roundabouts." Many replied to his post on Reddit, saying people would get used to the buttons on the steering wheel. Some even considered the buttons superior because you don't have to take your hands off the wheel to touch them. Instead, you must take your eyes off the road to find them.Only those who don't have to navigate roundabouts all the time are OK with the stalkless cockpit. Things are now even more obvious, as the first owners have already spent time (and miles) driving their new Model 3s . One shared their impressions after driving the Highland about 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles). This might seem too little, but it's about as much as the average European drives in a month.Reddit user Yaenne loves their Tesla and, having driven other older Model 3s in the past, appreciates the improvements in the new model. Chief among them are the suspension and sound isolation, which make the new model more upscale than the one it replaces. Still, Yaenne hates the stalkless design and the Tesla Vision, which they consider "useless.""I live in a country with loads of roundabouts. In those situations, the blinkers are really inconvenient. The first exit is usually no problem as you have to indicate anyway before entering the roundabout. Exiting at 270 degrees (usually the third exit) is a nightmare. I am starting to get used to it, but you have your steering wheel upside down, so you have to do some mental gymnastics to hit the right button. I have, on multiple occasions, hit the wrong one, which kind of sucks."Other Model 3 Highland owners admitted they have the same issues with the new design. Some said that they resigned themselves and became "Tesla assholes" by not engaging the blinkers when exiting the roundabouts. Another owner called Tesla removing the stalks "the dumbest decision they've made."With Tesla Vision, owners are more at ease, although they don't find it normal for a 40,000-euro car. Some owners experimented with sticking tape on the wall of their garages, which they claim makes Tesla Vision better estimate distance than a white wall. You learn new life hacks all the time, but Tesla should not force its customers to do that. Let's face it; most of us don't have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on a travel trailer, and funny enough, America's Starcraft RV knows this because they've been listening and, in doing so, are now offering what could be the cheapest family-friendly travel trailer lineup I've come across in some time. Photo: Starcraft RV Photo: Starcraft RV Photo: Starcraft RV Ladies and gents and lovers of the outdoors, lend me your eyes for just a few minutes so that you can meet Starcraft RV's 2024 Autumn Ridge lineup. The real question, however, is why you should even care about this news at all.Well, for starters, this class of machines starts off priced at no less than $25,178 (23,200 at current exchange rates), according to the manufacturer's website, and best of all, the most fitting floorplan, the new 27BH, can accommodate up to 12 guests while still weighing around 5,200 lbs (2,358 kg) and cruising in with a length of a tad over 30.5 ft (9.3 m). If you've been looking around for a camper for your family, now's the time to pay attention.Depending on where you are in the US, you'll be able to get your hands on countless floorplans from this lineup, and by the looks of things, up to 15 different ones for the western US and 13 models for the eastern side. Living up in Canada? Starcraft units can be found there, too, and are specifically equipped to handle the northern landscape.Since it would take us forever to zero in on a particular floorplan, I've decided to simply paint a picture for you as to the sort of lifestyle you and your family can lead with one of these movable habitats. As for a starting point, the image gallery is the place for that. Ready?Now, picture yourself behind the wheel of your truck, hauling up to 6,275 lbs (2,846 kg) of dry weight behind you. That's how much the heaviest unit weighs, while the lightest layout comes in with no more than 3,485 lbs (2,846 kg), so you won't need to break out the biggest guns you have.Since these puppies are available in either a single or double-axle setup and one that isn't necessarily made for off-road use, you will be restricted to using only roads , so no romping around in one of these. But then again, that's not what the Autumn Ridge lineup is all about, and this is where I really fell in love with these babies.After making it to your destination, typically a trailer park or, if you've got connections, some California vineyard, park your unit, stretch those legs, and after unhitching your temporary home, it's time to settle in for the next few days.As you do, you'll find yourself unloading your outdoor dining set, a tent for the kids, in case you want some peace and quiet, some inflatable kayaks and SUPs (Stand-Up Paddleboard), maybe a couple of e-bikes, and unfurl a massive side awning. Some of the layouts even include the ability to expand interior spaces through the use of slide-outs.But, my favorite part is the inclination toward outdoor living. Not only do all the storage bays tattered all over the unit hide all our toys and gear, but units also invite us to cook our lunches under god's gaze. All the while, the kids are running around, falling, getting up, laughing, and doing it all over again. Don't forget about the OGs (grandparents) hanging out and mixing it up with the newer generations; there's room for them, too.Just kick back for a moment and picture yourself in that very setting . Why not throw in a campfire while you're at it? Maybe someone is fishing in the background? All the while, a solar package soaks up precious rays from the sun and stores them as energy in a pack of batteries to be used by appliances and other systems inside each Autumn Ridge. Put on some meditation music through the outdoor speakers and do some yoga like never before.Oh, and I nearly forgot, some of the floorplans Starcraft has in store for the new year even include a ramp door at the rear of the trailer. Why is this a big deal? Well, aside from being able to simply load up your unit with larger toys that the storage bays will allow, it also creates a beautiful and open transition to and from the interior, giving us the feeling that habitats are at one with the world around them . Just imagine sitting around in bed as you view the world around you.Speaking of beds and interiors, the inside of these units aren't at all in line with what I would expect for just $25K; they top anything I've seen in the past year or so within this price range. Owners will be able to access absolutely anything they would need to live a safe and comfortable life inside an Autumn Ridge.From three-burner tops to microwaves and bathrooms with separate features, bunk beds for the kids, modular sofas, cargo areas, TVs, dinettes, and hardwood cabinetry, shall I go one? Better yet, take that peak at the gallery; a picture is worth a thousand words, and there are quite a few examples to give us a clear understanding of what Starcraft has achieved here As to how we actually got here, according to Starcraft, this lineup is nothing more than a response to what folks like you and me have been asking for over the years. In short, we told this manufacturer what we wanted, and they aimed to make it happen. Still, a travel trailer that's fit for a family and starting at a tad over $25K is definitely the sort of news you need to be aware of. The Hemi engine remained the icing on the Charger cake, but the car was still available with the much lazier six-cylinder mill.The 225 slant-six remained the grocery-getter on the Charger, while the 318 was the standard V8. The lineup included several other V8 options, such as the 383, available on this model year with 2- and 4-barrel setups. The 440 big block was the alternative to the Hemi (though it's safe to say nothing can replace the famous 426).eBay seller brale-91 recently listed a 1969 Dodge Charger still flexing a matching-numbers setup whose only problem is that it's torn down.The vehicle was taken apart for a restoration, so it's now looking for a new owner who can put it back together and restore everything to a tip-top shape.The car is no longer original, as it already comes with aftermarket quarter panels, and I believe you'll discover more changes upon an in-person inspection.However, you can tell it's an easy project by just checking the photo showing the Charger before it was disassembled. The body doesn't exhibit heavy rust damage, and all the big parts are still in place, including the divided grille (new for this model year).Further photos suggest the owner has already started the body overhaul, though the close-ups don't let us decrypt too many specifics. They fixed some rust problems, but you'll be able to accurately determine the current point of the restoration when checking out the Charger live.While most mechanical parts are in place, it's unclear how much of the cabin is still around. A 1969 Charger with a complete interior is typically even more desirable, as it reduces the time spent by the car from the beginning of the restoration to the return to the road. Such Chargers can become daily drivers quickly, especially if they don't lack many parts.The owner won't sell their project cheaply, but how long the bidding must go to unlock the reserve is unclear. The top offer at the time of writing is $5,200, and the reserve is still in place. You'll have to travel to Edwardsville, Illinois, to see the Charger parts in person, but putting it back together will continue in your garage.The listing will expire in less than a week, and considering the Charger receives more exposure, you should contact the seller to book a visual inspection of the project as soon as possible. A revision to the Public Official Election Act calling for a ban on political campaign videos using AI-generated deepfakes during the election season passed through a special parliamentary committee Tuesday. Under the revision, individuals could face a maximum seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($38,100) if they distribute or show political campaign videos created with deepfake technology during the 90 days prior to an election. Creators are also mandated to notify viewers that synthetic information is present in the deepfake videos, even if they post it before the 90-day window, the revision also states. If the law passes parliament, it will take effect Jan. 11, 2024, before the general elections take place in April. The move is in line with a global trend to regulate political ads using deepfake technology amid concerns such content could mislead and confuse voters on a mass scale. Big tech companies, such as Google and Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, have updated their policies requiring users to add a disclaimer for deepfake generated political ads. The U.S. Federal Election Commission has also begun procedures to regulate such campaign videos before the 2024 elections, according to reports. Political ads using fake audio and images are not new in Korea. In the 2022 presidential elections, then candidate President Yoon Suk Yeol and his rival Lee Jae-myung, the current main opposition leader, both had an AI-generated replica of themselves appear in their campaign videos. (Yonhap) 2.4K Views The current Civic Type R continues a long line of unique and/or performance versions of Honda's compact car. Many feel the the last generation Civic was a return to form with improved style, substance, and power thanks to the addition of turbocharged engines and impressive driving dynamics. As well, the current Honda Civic Type R is easily one of our favorite cars on sale today. But is it the best Honda Civic of all time? That's a tough question to answer as there have been a lot of great Civics over the past fifty years. Still, we have made an attempt to order what we think are the top 10 Honda Civics of all time. 10. 1984 Honda Civic Si Although there were some sporty versions of the Civic early on, it was in 1984 that Honda got serious about the Civics performance. Only available in Japan, the Civic could be had with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that made 122 HP, which was very impressive for its time. This was also the first time that the Si designation was attached to the Civic. 9. 1985 Honda Civic Wagon/Wagovan 1985 Honda Civic Wagon A Civic Wagon may not seem all that exciting, but the Wagovan was way ahead of its time. Wearing a taller, five-door hatchback body, the 160-inch-long Civic Wagon could be had will all-wheel drive and seven inches of ground clearance. Sound familiar? Thats because this is the basic formula being used today in the super-hot subcompact SUV segment. 8. 1990 Honda Civic SiR In late 1989, the Civic took a big leap in terms of performance. This was the year that the legendary B16 engine was stuffed into the EF Civic SiR. For those not up on Honda acronyms, this basically meant the Civic hatchback received a 1.6-liter engine that incorporated VTEC to make 158 HP. For a car that didnt weigh much over 2,000 lbs., thats a good amount of grunt. And of course, the Civic SiR had the handling prowess to back up this power. 7. 2002 Honda Civic Si/SiR 2002 Honda Civic Si The seventh-generation Civic didnt include a conventional Si model in North America, so one was imported. Built in England, the Civic Si (SiR in Canada) featured a hatchback body called the EP. Its interior and exterior differed from the regular Civic as did the powertrain. Under the hood was a KA20 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 160 HP. With a larger engine compared to the previous generation Civic Si, the new car had more torque. But it was also significantly heavier and ultimately slower in a straight line. The car also lost some of the handling magic found in the Civics from the 1990s. Worse still for North Americans, there was a hotter version of the EP hatch, the Civic Type R, available in other markets. 6. 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2000 Civic Si. In 1998, North America finally received a properly-hot version of the Honda Civic. Carrying the Si nomenclature and available only in a coupe body style, the new sporty Civic came with a B16 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that made 160 HP at 8,000 RPM. At that time, mainstream manufacturers were not offering North Americans cars that produced 100 HP per liter or a redline that high. More than just an engine, the Si also received wheel, tire, suspension and bodywork upgrades to make it a proper budget enthusiast machine. The Si could could hit 60 MPH in just 7.1 seconds 5. 1973 Honda Civic 1974 Honda Civic It would be hard to make a list of the best Civics of all time without including the original. Taking full advantage of the booming small car market fueled by the oil crisis, the Civic cemented itself as a practical, yet enjoyable small car. When it came on the scene in 1973, the Civic had a handling and fuel economy advantage over a lot of its competition. But more importantly, it proved that Honda was serious about building small cars designed for worldwide consumption. 4. 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition For the 2018 model year, North Americans finally received an official Honda Civic Type R. Powered by a 306 hp turbocharged four-cylinder, the new model was vastly more powerful than any Civics ever offered on our shores. Not everyone was a fan of the angular, wing-heavy body work, but there was no denying the performance. In 2021, Honda released a very small run of the Type R Limited Edition. Lighter and featuring stickier tires, this increased the car's performance even further. 3. 2007 Honda Civic Si/Type R For the 2006 model year, North America received the 197 HP version of the K20 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The car also came with more performance upgrades including a limited slip differential, stiffer suspension, larger brakes and lower profile tires. While North America finally got a near 200 HP Civic Si, Japan and Europe were getting ready for something a little more special. Once again called the Type R, the hot Civic arrived as a hatchback in Europe and a sedan in Japan. The Japanese model was the more potent Type R, with a 222-HP version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder K20 engine stuffed under the hood. As had come to be expected in a Type R Civic, all the go-fast upgrades were included like a limited-slip differential, larger brakes and grippier tires. 2. 2023 Civic Type R The current Civic Type R is easily the fastest and best performing Civic of all time. The power, handling, and composure are incredible, especially for a front-wheel drive car. With the turbocharged four-cylinder now pumping our 315 hp, the Civic can hang with a lot of expensive machinery around the track. The 265 mm wide tires do a lot to help the Civic put power to the ground as well as corner and brake. 1. 1998 Civic Type R Topping this list is the original Type R Civic the 1998 model. Based on the EK three-door hatchback, the Type R came with a frantic B16B 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that put out an incredible-for-its-size 182 HP. Weighing around 2,400 lbs, the Type R included a limited-slip differential, a strengthened body structure, a Momo steering wheel and Recaro seats. There was even the option to order a Type R without weight adding devices like air conditioning, power windows, power steering, or the radio. Recent Updates Maragos said that the EU will send later this month or early next year a technical mission to Armenia that will assess the countrys security needs and come up with concrete proposals regarding such aid. We are going to present details in the coming weeks, the diplomat told journalists. He did not specify items which the 27-nation bloc could deliver to the Armenian military. The issue was apparently on the agenda of last weeks visit to Yerevan by a team of officials from the EUs executive body, the European Commission, and External Action Service. An EU statement on their trip said they looked into possibilities to deepen and strengthen EU-Armenia relations in all dimensions, including defense and security. The EU will, for instance, further explore non-lethal support to the Armenian military via the European Peace Facility, added the statement. The facility is a special fund designed to boost EU partners defense capacity. Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonian revealed in July that Yerevan requested technical assistance from the fund but was rebuffed by Brussels. Earlier in November, the foreign ministers of EU member states approved a proposal to expand a monitoring mission deployed by the bloc along Armenias border with Azerbaijan in February. It remains unclear how many additional monitors will be sent to the country. The mission currently consisting of 100 or so observers and experts was launched at the request of the Armenian government and with the stated aim of preventing or reducing ceasefire violations along the border. Maragos said that it has already succeeded in bolstering the ceasefire regime. Russia, Armenias increasingly estranged ally, has disputed such claims made by other EU officials and echoed by the Armenian government. It says that the mission is part of broader U.S. and EU efforts to drive Moscow out of the South Caucasus. 5 December 2023 13:30 (UTC+04:00) Asim Aliyev Read more In theory, Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should occupy an important place in modern public administration. They can easily handle some small issues that the state cannot do, and play an important role of a bridge between the society and state. However, in practice, unfortunately, NGOs sometimes, knowingly or unknowingly, have become a means of spreading alien ideas and values to other countries. In other words, they have become a tool for big and powerful states, more precisely the West, to influence and pressure weak states. Through NGOs, the West mainly attracts discontent youths who cannot find their place in the society under guise of different thinking and tries to gain the favor of the poor under the guise of different aid programs. So to say, forms its soft power in weak and poor countries. Frankly speaking, the method is old enough and its history traces back for thousands of years. Throughout history, there have been some forces intending to usurp lawful powers and for doing it they have tried to develop soft power and attract the masses. Sometimes they succeeded, sometimes not. However, despite methods and tools being altered over centuries, the essence has remained unchangeable. Take up the antique Greek city-states, for example. In the said city-states, philosophical schools were not the only places of education but also the center for pressure on the governments as well. Sometimes the discontent between the government and philosophical schools reached to such an extent that the government needed to disperse the schools by force. Sometimes, philosophical schools were managed to alter and influence the governments. As for Middle Ages, the religious sects, (and zawiyahs in the Islamic world) replaced them. It is worth noting that, unlike philosophical schools, religious sects performed the function of non-state organizations literally as it is done today. On the one hand, they attracted discontent youth, with the mottos of "true religion, reform in religion, looking for truth" and so on. These concepts considered different thinking, and different mindsets. At the same time, they gained the favor of the poor with the help of collected alms. When they grew to a certain extent they challenged governments. Fast forward to today, the alms of the Middle Ages became grants, donations, and fundraising, however, the essence remains the same. Besides, If we look at the modern world, we can see that NGOs under the guise of human rights, democracy, etc. try to attract the discontent youth and put pressure on the states. In other words, the main purpose of creating most of the NGOs is also to influence and pressure the existing government by indoctrinating people with certain ideas as in the past times and then manipulating them as masses. The West is currently funding non-governmental organizations in different parts of the world. The purpose of funding is to spread their ideas in these countries and to poke their noses into the internal politics of the state. These Western NGOs have also played a big role in the coups d'etat that have taken place in African countries in the last 2-3 years. These NGOs gather discontent people with various events held under the name of democracy and use this mass for coup d'etat against the political power. Every country has its geopolitical interests, and states express their geopolitical interests by building international relations in different ways. Interestingly, Western countries and the United States realize their geopolitical interests by funding NGOs and spreading their own ideas. This action also contradicts international law. NGOs are capable of damaging the government not only on the political side but also on the economic side. Aids that any NGO provides to the states can seriously damage the development of local small and medium-sized businesses as well. A prime example of this is the supply of wheat to African countries in the late 1990s, which resulted in SMBs in those countries ceasing to be businesses and as a result, the countries becoming more dependent on Western aid through NGOs. With the above in mind, the funding of NGOs should be controlled by the government, and the activities carried out by said organizations should be coordinated with the government. This can prevent future disturbances that are contrary to international law. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 14:35 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Serbian Mining and Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic said during a visit to the Serbia-Bulgaria gas pipeline that all works on this "strategically important project for the Republic of Serbia" have been completed. This gas pipeline is planned to be used to transfer the gas flow from Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. Djedovic recalled that an interconnection agreement had been signed with Bulgartransgaz, and a commercial agreement had been signed for the supply of up to 400 mln m3 of gas from Azerbaijan by the end of next year. "I am glad that we will make the commissioning of the new gas pipeline official during the bilateral visits of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, which is important in connection with the strengthening of relations with these countries, and above all with Azerbaijan, from which we will supply up to 400 mln m3 of gas per year until 2026, and from 2027 these volumes may triple," the minister said. Southern Gas Corridor started transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe on December 31, 2020. It transports gas from the Caspian Sea region to European countries through Georgia and Turkiye. This large-scale project is aimed at the diversification of energy supply routes and sources, thereby contributing to strengthening Europes energy security. The projects cost totaled $33 billion, as compared to the forecast of $45 billion. Capital expenditures on the SGC project are expected to be fully reimbursed within 8-10 years. In addition, the pipeline will allow Serbia to access the TAP and TANAP gas pipelines, and the construction will be physically completed in mid-November. The Serbian government has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Azerbaijan, which will enable deliveries of up to 400 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan to Serbia by the end of next year. The completion of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas pipeline is a major milestone for Serbia and will provide the country with greater energy security and access to new sources of gas. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 12:59 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliev Cargo transportation by trains from China to Azerbaijan has been resumed, and the first cargo transportation from China to Azerbaijan was realized, Azernews reports. Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) CJSC said that the train departing from Xi'an has already arrived at Baku port. A total of 110 TEU of electric cargo, construction materials and industrial products were delivered from China to Azerbaijan. The transportation was carried out with the cooperation of "Construction and Operation of Xi'an Free Trade Port", "KTZ Express" and "ADY Container" LLC along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor). ADY Container LLC expands cooperation with Chinese companies in the direction of organizing new route trains. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 16:53 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliyev The State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market under the Economy Ministry and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) held a meeting, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Ministry of Economy. The meeting discussed the cooperation between the two institutions to expand the development of the halal ecosystem in Azerbaijan. Representatives of the two institutions discussed the exchange of experience in the development of a halal ecosystem. Head of the State Service Mamed Abbasbeyli reported on measures taken in the field of quality infrastructure, as well as the work carried out within the framework of the "State Program for 2023-2025 on the adaptation of the national standardization system to international standards. Requirements". Special emphasis was placed on the measures implemented by the State Service for the development of halal-quality infrastructure in the country. Farid Khan, Country Operations Manager, IDB, emphasized that the steps taken to strengthen quality infrastructure are commendable. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 17:15 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliyev Dubai held an event called Opportunities for Investment in Renewable energy in Azerbaijan within the framework of COP 28, Azernews reports. Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov made a speech at the event and noted that cooperation with international energy companies plays an exceptional role in creating stable, secure energy forces and also makes an important contribution to building a Green Future at the national level. Azerbaijan has already started cooperation in the field of green energy with seven international companies. It was declared that becoming a green-growth country and achieving a clean environment by 2030 has been identified as one of the national priorities for socio-economic development. Such strategies provide an ideal foundation for a successful energy transformation in the region. The state policy of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, gives priority to the development of renewable energy through foreign investment, turning the liberated territories from a gray zone into a green energy zone, as well as the Caspian Sea into a center of green energy production and export. " "In October of this year, together with Masdar Company, we launched the largest solar power plant on the basis of foreign investment both in the CIS and the Caspian Sea region. By 2027, in addition to this 230 MW plant, eight solar and wind power plants with a capacity of more than 1.6 GW by Masdar, ACWA Power, bp, China Gezhouba, Nobel Energy and Baltech will be built. By 2030, more than 8 GW of "green energy" projects on land and sea for domestic consumption, decarbonization of the economy, and export will be realized at the expense of foreign investment. Also, in 2031-2037, for the purpose of production and export of "green energy", hydrogen, "green ammonia", we plan to create about 19 GW of power with international energy companies," added Minister. The minister also mentioned intensive work on the export of 4 GW of "green energy" through the "Caspian-Black Sea-Europe" Union Green Energy Corridor and more than 1 GW through the Azerbaijan-Turkiye-Europe route. For companies, establishing local production of wind turbines, solar panels, creating energy storage systems, as well as strengthening the grid using advanced grid technologies for efficient energy distribution, production, storage and transportation of "green hydrogen", as well as carbon emission capture and storage, electric charging opportunities for cooperation in the fields of infrastructure were highlighted. The event "Energy transition and net zero: Perspectives", "Development opportunities of renewable energy in Azerbaijan", "Business models based on clean energy for a net zero future of the oil and gas industry", "MASDAR's approach to the field of green energy", "For a sustainable network" wind energy and energy storage solutions", "Energy transition and decarbonization" continued with speeches by representatives of IRENA, SOCAR, "WindEurope", "Masdar", bp, "ACWA Power", "Nobel Energy". It should be noted that 17 energy companies and organizations were represented at the event held in the Azerbaijan pavilion. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 19:05 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliev On December 18-19 of the current year an agreement was reached to hold the first meeting of the ad hoc expert group on the preparation of draft documents related to the organization of the activities of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijani Foreign Minister telling at the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Caspian littoral countries Azerbaijani. He added that this will create an opportunity for constructive dialog and convergence of positions. The Minister recalled that the problem of swallowing the Caspian Sea became the subject of a comprehensive discussion among the leaders of the Caspian littoral countries at the VI Caspian Summit. J.Bayramov emphasized that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev proposed to create an expert group to determine the causes and measures to prevent shallowing of the Caspian Sea. Its format is currently being prepared. I am confident that the successful activity of the expert group will allow us to start the process of placing the Secretariat in Baku". At the meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states, the Foreign Minister also emphasized that "the potential of the Caspian Sea may soon turn Azerbaijan into an exporter of green energy". "In addition to rich oil and gas resources, the Caspian Sea has wind energy potential. The wind energy potential in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea is 157 gigawatts, which can turn Azerbaijan into a green energy exporter in the near future," the Minister stated. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 18:45 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliyev Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov participated in the roundtable "Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency" organized by the United Arab Emirates and the European Union within the framework of COP28, Azernews reports. At the meeting, Energy Minister expressed support for the joint initiative "Global Promise for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency" aimed at tripling the world's renewable energy potential and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. The Minister assessed Azerbaijan's accession to the initiatives put forward within COP 28 as an indicator of commitment to the transition to "green energy" and realization of the "green energy" provisions of the renewed strategic energy partnership with the European Union. It was informed that Azerbaijan has 157 GW of wind energy potential on the Caspian Sea and 10 GW of green energy projects to be realized in the next ten years, the "green energy corridor", as well as the transformation of Garabagh, East Zangazur and Nakhichivan into green energy zones, energy efficiency reform will make a significant contribution to this global initiative with its measures: "The integration of 2 GW of green energy into our energy system by 2027 will increase the share of renewable energy to 33%. As a result, we will be able to reach the 30% target by 2030 faster and more. Azerbaijan's renewable energy will also diversify the energy supply of its European partners. I believe that the Caspian region is becoming one of the main centers of energy transition in Europe," the Minister added. It should be noted that 35 countries, 13 companies and organizations were represented at the event. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 18:20 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliyev III session of "Joint Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Iraqi Republic" will be held in Baghdad on December 6, Azernews reports. Cooperation relations between Azerbaijani and Iraqi businessmen, mutual investments and other issues will be discussed at the forum. Business forum will be organized within the framework of the commission's meeting on December 7, --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kim Hyun-bin Lee Il-nam, a prominent figure in the Korean independence movement during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial period and leader of an underground anti-Japan organization, passed away at the age of 98. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs confirmed his death, stating that he succumbed to illness at Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital on Nov. 30. Born in 1920, Lee played a pivotal role in the resistance against Japanese rule. In 1942, he initiated a secret organization to carry out anti-Japan activities. The group was aimed at raising funds for independence movements. However, his efforts were cut short when he was exposed and subsequently arrested by Japanese authorities. Despite facing charges at the Jeonju District Court in August 1942, Lee was released from prison upon Korea's liberation in 1945. In recognition of his dedication to the cause, the government awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990. Lee's passing leaves a void in the community of surviving Korean patriots, reducing their number to seven six in the country and one abroad. 5 December 2023 13:14 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Heydar Aliyev Center has showcased magnificent art pieces by Kazakh artists. The event was organized within the Kazakhstan Culture Days, Azernews reports. The exhibition displays unique works by Kazakh artists working in different genres and styles. Speaking at the event, the Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva noted that thee represents a spiritual visualization of the revival of two peoples. "Peoples who are rightfully proud of their common roots, a great past, who today are transforming the present, jointly building a worthy future, striving for peace and prosperity not only in their own countries, but also throughout the region," said Aida Balayeva. Noting that the spiritual wealth that is presented today through the eyes of artists cannot be expressed in words, the minister added that they need to be seen with the heart. "The exhibition, along with traditional forms of fine art, presents new types of installations, art objects by nine Kazakh artists. Each work is original and interesting. I am sure that the exhibition will fulfill the mission of spiritual rapprochement of two fraternal peoples," she added. Then the guests got acquainted with the exhibition, which aroused great interest. At the event, Speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova was presented with a carpet product depicting the Azerbaijani poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan, a daughter of the last Garabagh Khan. Before the start of the gala concert, Aida Balayeva praised the high level of ties between the two countries. "These days, the Land of Fire - Azerbaijan has plunged into the spiritual world of the fraternal Kazakh people, discovering not only common roots, but also new facets of good neighborliness and friendship. This is not only one of the most important events of this year, but a logical result of the political, socio-economic and the cultural and humanitarian rapprochement of our countries over the last period, which became possible thanks to the will and efforts of the heads of the two states," said Aida Balayeva. Noting that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Kazakhstan, the minister brought to attention that the Kazakh people value and share this love and friendliness. Speaking about the fact that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are jointly developing and strengthening the common Turkic world, Aida Balayeva noted that the Kazakhstan Culture Days in Baku have also played a key role in this process. "Azerbaijanis received true aesthetic pleasure from all the events that took place in the framework of the Kazakhstan Culture Days. We are sure that mutual cooperation in the field of culture and art has enormous potential," the minister said. She expressed confidence that the current cultural and creative dialogue between the two countries will definitely find its logical continuation. Next, People's Artist of Kazakhstan Roza Rymbaeva, holder of the Order of Kurmet Zarina Altynbaeva, as well as Honored Cultural Figures of Kazakhstan delighted the audience with Kazakh and Azerbaijani compositions. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 14:10 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The Western Azerbaijan Community called on Armenia to correctly assess the opportunities for peace in the region and take real steps for reconciliation with Western Azerbaijanis, Azernews reports, citing the chairman of the Community MP Aziz Alakbarli telling at the international event Ensuring Safe and Dignified Return of Azerbaijanis Forcibly Displaced from Armenia: Global Context and Justful Solution. Alakperli noted that Western Azerbaijanis are determined to achieve a return to their native lands through dialogue. "We are always ready for direct dialogue with the Armenian government on the issue of return. We urge Armenia to learn lessons from the past, stop the policy of enmity and discord, properly assess the opportunities for peace in the region, and take real steps for reconciliation with Western Azerbaijanis" - said Alekperli. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 11:40 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn on the occasion of the National Day. The letter reads as follows: Your Majesty, On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I cordially congratulate you and, through you, all your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Kingdom of Thailand, and extend my best wishes. On this festive day, I wish you good health, happiness, success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of the Kingdom of Thailand everlasting peace and prosperity. Sincerely, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 2 December 2023 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 15:05 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more "The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation is approaching the end of the year with positive dynamics," says Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Azernews reports. "The year 2022 was positive in terms of economic cooperation. A 24 percent growth has been observed. There are no final figures yet for 2023, but the general trend shows that we are also approaching the end of the year with positive dynamics. I think today we will have an opportunity to go over several significant projects both bilateral and regional in the economic sphere," Bayramov said. As for humanitarian issues, according to Bayramov, they traditionally occupy an important place in the dialogue between the two countries. It should be noted that on 4 December Jeyhun Bayramov went on a working visit to the Russian Federation to participate in the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Caspian countries. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that regional security issues are always an important element in the dialogue between Azerbaijan and Russia. "These are issues of post-conflict normalisation [between Azerbaijan and Armenia], as well as broader regional formats - the 3+3 format. The last meeting in this format was on 23 October in Tehran. I think that these and other issues will be discussed in detail today". A meeting of the Caspian littoral countries' foreign ministers will be held today in Moscow under the chairmanship of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The meeting is scheduled to be attended by the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 13:57 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more 3+3 Regional Platform is becoming more and more promising, Azernews reports, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov telling at the bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Moscow. "Ilham Aliyev's initiative to form a regional platform of the South Caucasus "3+3" is already taking shape. This is also a promising format. I will be glad to hear your assessments on further steps in this direction," Lavrov told Bayramov. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, opening talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that the Russian side expects Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will take part in the work of the informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which will be held in St. Petersburg. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 16:35 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more On the fifth of December, a panel discussion was held in Zangilan with the participation of 60 foreign experts representing 30 countries within the framework of the forum "Garabagh: Coming Home after 30 Years, Achievements and Difficulties," Azernews reports. Representatives of authoritative think tanks and academic institutions from around the world took part in the panel discussion organised jointly by the Institute for Development and Diplomacy of ADA University and the Centre for Analysis of International Relations, with the support of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs of Azerbaijan. Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs Fuad Huseynov delivered a welcoming speech at the first panel discussion, which featured speeches by special representatives of various territories liberated from occupation. The panel discussion then began, moderated by Fariz Ismailzadeh, Vice Rector of ADA University and Director of the Institute for Development and Diplomacy. Vahid Hajiyev, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan districts of the East Zangazur Economic Region, and Emin Huseynov, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the territories of the Garabagh Economic Region (excluding Shusha district) liberated from occupation, spoke at the discussion. Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Shusha district Aydin Karimov and Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Lachin District, which is part of the East Zangazur economic region, Masim Mammadov also took part in the event. During the discussion, the foreign experts were presented with information about the reconstruction and restoration works being carried out in Garabagh, Azerbaijan's model in the process of returning to the territories liberated from occupation, and their questions were answered. The second part of the panel was moderated by Farid Shafiyev, Director of the Centre for Analysis of International Relations. It featured presentations by ADA University Professor Gulmamed Mammadov, Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Cabinet member Ismet Kadic, Ethiopian Institute of Foreign Affairs Fellow Daraskedar Tayen, Georgian Rondeli Foundation Fellow Shota Utiashvili, University of South Wales England Professor Ali Warda and Jamestown Foundation USA researcher Margarita Asenova The panelists spoke about the global experience of the repatriation process, community building and integration process in the liberated territories. After concluding the event with a question and answer session, the participants visited the Zangilan village of Aghaly, where they learned about the Smart Village concept. The guests were provided with information on the five main components that were taken into account during the implementation of the Smart Village pilot project. It was noted that such a large amount of funding reflects the process of building villages in Garabagh and the development of Azerbaijan's economy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 15:36 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliev Three Azerbaijani citizens arriving on the Abu Dhabi-Baku flight were subjected to personal inspection, Officers of the Main Customs Department of Air Transport of the State Customs Committee foiled an attempt to smuggle gold bars into Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee. During the inspection, 25 gold bars with a total weight of 985.51 grams were found hidden from customs control. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 20:10 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more It is necessary to create a single organisation for the cooperation of the five Caspian littoral states, Azernews reports, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian telling at the meeting of the Caspian littoral states' Foreign Ministers in Moscow said. "It is necessary to advance the process of five-party co-operation in the Caspian Sea in a more accelerated mode. Also, we are convinced that all decisions should be taken with the consensus and agreement of the five Caspian littoral states. To turn the Caspian Sea into a symbol of friendship, progress and development, we need to strengthen collective co-operation. We must move towards structurisation. In this context, the creation of one secretariat or one organisation that can manage and control all areas of cooperation in the Caspian Sea is imperative," he said. The minister emphasized that more impetus should be given to the five-party cooperation in the Caspian Sea. He said that Iran welcomes the development of central economy and joint investments in maritime transport, ports, navigation, maritime tourism, the establishment of free trade zones, fisheries, reasonable and sustainable use of bio-resources. It is necessary to strengthen trade, economic, and transport cooperation in the Caspian Sea. "The holding of Caspian Economic Forums is a favorable basis for strengthening this cooperation. Unfortunately, the third Caspian Economic Forum in Tehran has been postponed. We are endeavoring to propose new dates for holding this forum at the level of prime ministers of the Caspian littoral states. Regular holding of this forum will ensure the interests of all five littoral states," Abdollahian added. It should be noted that the meeting is chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The meeting is attended by foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 15:20 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on approval of the implementation of the Law No. 1006-VIQ of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Energy" dated October 24, 2023. According to the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan within three months must prepare and submit to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan proposals to bring the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan and acts of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in line with the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Energy". In accordance with this law, it is necessary to approve within five months the procedure for preparation, approval and control of energy balance and inform the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan about it, as well as to solve other issues arising from this law. The full text of the decree is available here. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 18:00 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Deputy Prime Minister of Albania - Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku met in Dubai within the framework of COP 28, Azernews reports. At the meeting, satisfaction was expressed with the development of relations between the two countries to a new level. They noted the important role of energy cooperation with Azerbaijan in ensuring energy security and the development of Albania as a gas transit country. They exchanged views on the gasification of the Albanian city of Korca, crude oil supplies, and cooperation in other promising areas. They also discussed issues related to the establishment of a Joint Intergovernmental Commission based on the Azerbaijani-Albanian Working Group on Economic, Industrial, and Technological Cooperation and holding a meeting of the Commission in Baku. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Climate Card, expanded bus routes, River Bus initiatives garner public enthusiasm, concerns By Jung Da-hyun Seoul's upcoming transportation initiatives, aimed at enhancing commuter convenience, are slated for full implementation next year, eagerly anticipated as they await commuter evaluation. The unlimited transit card, known as the Climate Card, will provide access to all bus routes, subway lines in Seoul and even the city's public bike-sharing service Ttareungyi for a monthly fee of 65,000 won ($49.85) starting next month. Initially criticized for limiting its coverage to public transportation within the Seoul metropolitan area, the card's scope is expected to be expanded with Incheon joining recently. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok signed a business agreement for the transportation sector during their meeting on Nov. 17, fostering expectations of broader service coverage in Incheon. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the two cities have agreed to progressively broaden the unlimited transit service by including extra buses during the pilot project period from January to May next year. Under the existing transportation system, the younger demographic tends to utilize the transit discount service operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This service provides a 20 percent reimbursement based on the distance traveled for those using public transportation more than 15 times a month, with credit card companies offering an additional 10 percent discount. "Transportation fees are increasingly high, so it's better to receive benefits such as discounts or support transportation costs through transportation policies," said Han Sol, an office worker commuting from Siheung in Gyeonggi Province to Seoul. Despite the existing discount system, people find inconveniences within the land ministry's system. To use a refund service, individuals need to download a separate application on their phones and register departure and arrival details before tagging their card. Some feel the amount refunded is insufficient given their significant monthly transportation expenses. For me, I pay an average of 230,000 won per month, using the Shinbundang Line and Seoul Metro Line 9 every day. I only get a 30,000 won refund every month, said Kang Da-eun, an office worker who works in Yeouido and lives in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. While some remain skeptical about the Climate Card's effectiveness due to its price and limited coverage areas, others, like Kang, believe it could boost convenience and cost-effectiveness for commuters. However, there are still lingering concerns about the effectiveness of the card as Gyeonggi Province has not yet agreed to join Seoul's unlimited transit card plan. Instead, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government announced its independent initiative for a discount service on transportation fees for its residents on Oct. 17. Kim Jin-yoo, a professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Transportation Engineering at Kyonggi University, highlighted that Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon need to integrate and advance this plan for the economic benefits, alleviating the financial burden on people's transportation costs. Integration should occur, even if it's just for certain transportation networks like metropolitan railways or buses connecting Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, Kim said. As part of Seoul's new transportation plan, the routes of commuter buses connecting areas in Gyeonggi Province and Seoul during morning rush hour have also been expanded. Initially operating with two lines, connecting Hwaseong to Gangnam and Pungmu-dong in Gimpo to Gimpo International Airport station, the service now boasts four additional routes, aiming to expand the operational area and cover a wide area from southern to northern Gyeonggi Province. Approximately 22,918 people are currently using this expanded bus service during rush hour as of Friday, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. River Bus In addition to the expanded bus routes, the River Bus, designed to cover the route from Ara Han River Gabmun dock to Yeouido within 30 minutes, is set to be actively promoted to commence operations in September next year. Capable of carrying approximately 200 people at a time, the River Bus is viewed as a solution to alleviate the recent traffic congestion caused by the influx of commuters on the Gimpo Goldline subway during peak hours, as per the Seoul Metropolitan Government's objective. It is anticipated that the River Bus will contribute to reducing travel times compared to land-based buses. In addition to the wide-area route connecting Gimpo and Seoul, another route linking major residential, business and tourist areas in downtown Seoul such as Mapo, Yeouido, Jamwon and Jamsil will also commence operations, according to the city. The usage fee for the river bus will be paid via the same transportation card as land services, including buses and subways. Discussions with Incheon Metropolitan City and Gyeonggi Province are underway to facilitate seamless transfers. Despite these plans, experts express concerns about the effectiveness of the River Bus as a transportation means. Worries center around the potential reluctance of citizens without direct access to public transportation routes leading to the wharves, which could result in the mismanagement of budgetary resources. "There are many factors to consider, such as transfers and the designation of landing spots. Due to its limited capacity, the impact on reducing traffic congestion may be marginal compared to the operational costs," said Jang Jae-min, representative director of the Korea Institute for Urban Policy. 5 December 2023 16:05 (UTC+04:00) by Azerbaijan newspaper Just a few days after a high-ranking US official asked the President of Azerbaijan to normalize relations and received a positive response to the request, the US continues its campaign of lies and slander against our country. Leaving aside the ludicrous lack of memory and staring at the wall while talking, the state led by President Biden is now experiencing serious psychological consequences and displaying a similar style in its foreign policy. The lack of a systematic approach, state interests being sacrificed to those of lobbying, psychological aggression and, simply put, political blindness of the administration of a President who cannot control himself have further increased. With criminality and corruption in its public administration at the highest level in the world, this countrys activities are focused on securing dividends for political and business circles. Although partnership with Azerbaijan in the energy supply of Europe, stability in the Middle East and global security does meet US interests, the corrupt nature of the administration pushes it to enmity with Baku. The fact that the Biden family has created a global corruption network and been officially charged with drug addiction and rape, as well as the fact that White House officials have been exposed for having been financed by lobbying organizations, senators and congressmen with a proven track record of receiving bribes from foreign companies, show the true face, essence, morality and, most importantly, the direction of US activities. This is not the first and clearly not the last demonstration of the bias and foul play of the White House against Azerbaijan, given Washingtons gloomy history, which was rests on a foundation of genocide of local peoples, has caused the extermination of tens of millions, the collapse of dozens of states and the start of numerous wars... US blames Azerbaijan for restoring its territorial integrity It is not the first time an article biased against Azerbaijan and targeting the country's leadership has been published in The Washington Post, one of the main mouthpieces of the insidious policies of US political circles. Every time Azerbaijan achieves a success, the State Department masterminds attacks against our country in The Washington Post and similar media outlets. The reason for an increase in the number of such attacks from the United States in recent months has been Azerbaijans liberation of its lands from occupation and the end of Armenian separatism in Karabakh. The Biden administration cannot come to terms with the restoration of Azerbaijans sovereignty over its entire territory and is therefore trying to exact the Armenians revenge against Baku. The hearings reminiscent of an absurd theater in the European subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee last month, the US Senates adoption of the Armenia Protection Act of 2023 on the basis of false information from anti-Azerbaijani, corrupt and Islamophobic senators at the instigation of the Biden administration, and the re-enactment of the notorious Section 907 are all evidence that the White House cannot come to terms with Azerbaijan's restoration of its national rights. To be specific, the US is blaming Azerbaijan for restoring its territorial integrity, cannot put up with the independent policy of President Ilham Aliyev and, therefore, orchestrates such an ugly campaign against him. The article published in The Washington Post is yet another manifestation of this policy. The fact that the bias of the United States against Azerbaijan has reached this level is actually quite understandable. The point is that, as is the case with France, American political circles have corrupt relations with the Armenian lobby. For this reason, the Biden administration is under the strong influence of the Armenian lobby and has become a toy in its hands. Crazy old man in US, head of a criminal family in the world... Former US President Donald Trump made a pre-election confession: We are fighting against a corrupt government apparatus, a corrupt judicial and legal system, a fraudulent election process, and the media which have become a tool in the hands of fraudsters. We will eliminate them all by getting the upper hand. However, Trump could not do it because he was facing a huge criminal network, an immense corruption machine, the state apparatus. There have been quite a few US presidents in American history who have been accused of corruption, bribery and other crimes. More precisely, there has been no US president who was not subjected to this accusation! During the years of Joe Biden's administration, however, these accusations have become even more widespread. Most interestingly, whereas Biden's predecessors mostly accepted bribes through intermediaries, Biden receives illegal payments directly himself and through his family without any reservations, in larger amounts and continuously. There is an abundance of information about the corrupt dealings of the Biden family, especially his son, on the Internet. Just like the natives of Sheki, the US media have a habit of giving every famous person a nickname. Over the decades, Biden has also received a number of nicknames, the most famous being a crazy old man. It is the only nickname attributed to him now. This is what US newspapers call their president. However, the world media describe Biden not as a crazy old man but as the head of a criminal family. Biden decorates the headlines of the world media not only with his mental condition, mysterious behavior, yet another official protocol blooper he seems to commit every day, but also with the crimes of his family and himself. The Bidens have a rich criminal background and current criminal activity. The criminal pearls of this family can easily emulate the crimes of the notorious mafia bosses and drug lords. There are hundreds of thousands of references, indisputable facts and undeniable pieces of evidence about this in global media resources. These facts also include crimes such as immoral conduct, rape, pedophilia, and domestic violence, which show the real nature and moral abomination of the US administration. Most notorious US criminal comes from the Biden family We will not refer to what is written or said about the Biden family. We will only focus on legal investigations and investigative materials. For example, Joe Biden's son Hunter, who has already received the title of the most notorious criminal in the United States, has been charged under at least 20 articles of the Criminal Code. Hunter, the son of Joe Biden, who was US vice president during the administration of Barack Obama, earned millions of dollars in illegal funds through influence lobbying in Ukraine. For example, he embezzled 3-5 million dollars from Burisma Holdings, the largest independent gas producer, over five years. At the same time, using his influence opportunities in the United States, he acquired tens of millions of dollars under a loan agreement. As a matter of fact, he threatened and blackmailed all parties involved in the process. When the illegal actions of Biden's son, who became a true nightmare for Ukraine, became part of the public domain, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Viktor Shokin, opened a criminal case against Hunter. At this point, the Godfather, the father Biden, intervened in the process. As a result of a blackmail of the Ukrainian leadership, he succeeded in having the prosecutor general dismissed. Hunter Biden, who also targets secret laboratories in Ukraine, helps medical company Metabiota, which cooperates with the contractor of the US Department of Defense Black & Veatch on the research of pathogens, to conclude a multi-million dollar contract with the US government through illegal influence lobbying. It is officially reported that the amount of money in illegal circulation is close to 50 million dollars. When the fact is revealed, the investigation is taken over by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). However, after the intervention of Joe Biden, the information known to the investigation is hidden. After some time, investigation materials are thrown into the archive as with top secret. In order not to be left alone in the face of Russia, the Ukrainian leadership submits to the blackmail of the Biden family, ignores Hunter's illegal income of tens of millions of dollars, which paves the way for a continuation of this criminal activity... This is how Vice President Biden and his family destroy Ukraine's financial resources and economy... Years later Biden, already in the status of president, begins to destroy the centuries-old statehood and independence of Ukraine, pushing it to war, getting it defeated and displacing millions of Ukrainians from their homeland... This time, however, it wasnt only about the damage done to Ukraine, it was about the growing illegal income of the Biden family... The father and son earned tens of billions, not tens of millions, and this will last at least until January 2025... 5 million in bribes sent to the Bidens from China Biden's son, who has earned billions, is not anyone with a particularly bright mind or qualification. He openly admits to having been a drug addict and living on the streets. For example, Hunter, under the influence of drugs, gives his broken computer to a computer repair shop in Delaware. This is where facts about his other crimes are revealed. The information shared with US media suggests that there are authentic bank documents showing that the Biden son received millions of dollars from Chinese companies. Bank records show the transfer of 4.8 million dollars over the course of 14 months from the Chinese state-owned company CEFC China Energy to Hunter Biden's company Hudson West and Owasco law firm. As a result of an investigation by James Comer, chairman of the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, it was revealed that in 2019, Hunter Biden received 250,000 dollars from Chinese investor Li Xiang Sheng to facilitate the latters communication with his father, Joe Biden. Drug addict presidential son faces up to 25 years in prison The emails found on Hunter Biden's laptop revealed other crimes too. Based on 103,000 text messages, 154,000 emails and more than 2,000 photos found on the laptop of Hunter Biden, who used his father's political influence in his foreign business dealings, he was also suspected of engaging in illegal drug trafficking and attracting women to prostitution. Hunter, the son of President Joe Biden, is currently charged under three additional counts of perjury when purchasing a firearm. This is the first time in American history when a child of an incumbent president has been prosecuted. All three of the latest charges stem from Biden's lying on federal records when he bought firearms while he was a drug addict. He stated that he did not use or depend on drugs, although he was in fact actively using cocaine at the time. According to court documents, Hunter purchased a Colt gun at a Delaware gun store in October 2018. US federal law makes it a crime to possess a firearm while using drugs. The statement of the Department of Justice says that if found guilty, Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison. Correspondence and photographs found on Hunter's laptop and made public by Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani confirm the involvement of Bidens son in criminal activities related to drug trafficking and attracting women to prostitution. A number of media outlets have published photos showing Hunter engaging in group sex and drug use. Another fact that emerged from the emails was that US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, admitted to spending the 20,000 dollars allocated for his daughter's education on alcohol, drugs and prostitutes. Correspondence between Biden and his personal bankers reveals that in December 2018, he took 20,000 dollars from his daughter Macy's college savings to spend on drugs and prostitutes in just one month. At that time, it was reported that Hunter had only 44 cents left in his personal account. The media reported citing documents from the US Treasury Department that bank investigators suspect Hunter Biden in connection with a sex trafficking network in Eastern Europe and forging checks for payments to prostitutes. It should be noted that the film My Son Hunter about the scandalous life of Joe Biden's son has already been released. The film represents a description of Hunter's life, his relationship with his father, corrupt business dealings and a depraved lifestyle. This is how Daily Mail introduced the film to its audience: Warning! This film contains images of, drugs, money laundering and nepotism. Rape accusation from Joe Bidens daughter Another source of embarrassment for the Biden family was the fact that Hunter had an intimate relationship with his brother's widow after the death of his elder brother Bo Biden from cancer. This relationship was never denied by the family... There are other undeniable facts related to father Biden himself... Back in 1993, Senator Joe Biden was accused of rape by his former staff member Tara Reed. In order to exonerate himself, Biden said that he was suffering from dementia and did not remember the incident. This is how the act of sexual harassment in the office of the US Senate was covered up. But the biggest scandal of the Bidens is related to domestic violence... Biden's daughter Ashley is also a drug addict and regularly applies to rehab clinics for treatment of her addiction. 41-year-old Ashley forgot her diary under the mattress in her ward at a Palm Beach drug clinic, and someone named Aimee Harris, 39, found it and sold to the media for 40,000 dollars. Fox News widely discusses the confessions in the diary. US President Joe Biden's daughter Ashley says in her diary that when she was a child, my father and I shared a shower, which was probably not right move. Fox News analyzed the disgusting facts, accused the American leader of depravity and demanded the intervention of the police. Taking shower with your own daughter? If this is not an attempt at pedophilia, this is certainly a reason for the arrival of the police. In her diary, the president's daughter says that drugs brought her to the point of bankruptcy... Biden also has a brother who is not far behind... Joe Biden regularly met with his son's business partners from China, Mexico, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries, invited some of them to the White House, and even gave them the vice president's official plane. Biden's brother Jim is also an active member of the family's criminal network. He also goes around the world in the status of Biden's brother, offers his services and ensures the interests of foreign countries and companies in the United States in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars. An incident that happened to Israeli professor Gal Luft, who accused US President Joe Biden's family of corruption, shows that this family is governed by mafia laws. Thus, Gal Luftwas detained by Cypriot police at the request of the United States in February 2023, released on parole but later disappeared, violating the conditions of parole. His current whereabouts are unknown. After his arrest, the professor immediately said that he had become a victim of political persecution of the United States because of the information he had about Biden sons and brothers corrupt dealings with Chinese business circles. The American newspaper New York Post published a 14-minute video of the professor with further accusations. According to Luft, in 2019 he provided evidence to FBI and the Department of Justice. The meeting took place secretly in Brussels. Luft was supposed to show these materials to the committee of the lower house of the American Congress, but he never managed to do that because he was arrested in Cyprus. The commission made assurances that despite being wanted, the professor remains a potential witness. Congress begins Bidens impeachment for family crimes Let us emphasize again that all these are official and legally based facts, some of them are former president D. Trump's confessions and ones raised in US media. Following the statement two days ago by Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, we believe that the topic has also reached its logical conclusion. The impeachment of President Joe Biden is just a necessity. This necessity is related to the fact that the President and his administration have obstructed the investigation of the Biden family members, the speaker said, adding that the issue of Biden's impeachment could be considered in Congress in the coming weeks. Johnson noted that several congressional committees were working to find evidence of wrongdoing by the Biden family. At the same time, he said that the Biden administration was trying to conceal thousands of pages of evidence. No comment... A country that distinguishes people based on the color of their skin cannot be a cradle of democracy A state with a corrupt government apparatus and leaders shamelessly calls itself the cradle of democracy. What kind of democracy can we talk about in a country where people are discriminated based on the color of their skin? It is possible to reveal a sufficient number of facts about flagrant violations of human rights in the United States. For example, Occupy Wall Street!, Ferguson and Baltimore events and other facts confirm that people in the United States are not allowed to raise their protest voices. The democracy of this country confirms that journalists, bloggers, lawyers and human rights champions can face pressure of all forms and shapes. For example, journalist and activist Daniel McGowan was arrested for criticizing the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the Huffington Post. The suffering unleashed on Julian Assange, the founder of the Wikileaks website, and Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency, is clear evidence of how cruel the White House is to its opponents. Moreover, Washington silences the media and human rights organizations that defend Assange and Snowden with all the means at their disposal. They show that one of the White House's favorite tools to silence its critics is detention, although American presidents seem to overshadow human rights champions in terms of the eloquence of their speeches. The pressure being put on former president D. Trump also indicates the lack of political pluralism in America and illegal actions of the democrats against their political opponents. America's bloody and tragic democracy And this country hypocritically declares that it is one of its main priorities to spread values such as freedom of speech and human rights throughout the world. But the farther the US democracy is from a true democracy in its own territory, the more bloody and tragic are its attempts to take control of the post-Soviet space and Eastern geography with myths of freedom and the democracy it has brought to the Eurasian region. Regardless of how the White House calls itself, the reality and, most importantly, the wars it has brought to the world under the guise of exporting freedom show that the United States has robbed people of their right to sovereignty and choice. The revolutions and coups that have taken place in different parts of the world in recent decades are also projects of the United States. Coups are staged in these countries with the plans of Soros and USAID, civil confrontation is encouraged, but if this doesnt work, direct military aggression is used. As is known, the State Security Service of Georgia has recently released a statement about the planned toppling of the countrys government through civil unrest and violence. It is clear from the information that USAID is the organizer of attempts to overthrow the government in the neighboring country. Although this organization has the word development in its very name, it has been proven a number of times that USAID is actually engaged in disruptive activities in the countries it operates. In many countries of the former Soviet Union, the name of this organization has always been associated with overt interference in political processes, attempts at staging coups, radical orientation of young people, etc. There is no need to prove or conduct an in-depth analysis to see that the US is actually conducting a policy of expansion and neo-colonialism under the guise of democratization and fighting terror. Every bomb exploded in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq, every person killed there is the result of US democracy. Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons will remain in history as symbols of US democracy. People were tortured in the most brutal ways just because they were Muslims, just like in Hitler's Germany. With its imperialist policies, the United States is a country that has created and maintained the tradition of robbery and racketeering in politics. The plans for wars between Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, accompanied by human tragedy and the destruction of entire settlements, were developed directly in the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency, and approved by the White House. In particular, the fact that the United States instigated the war in Ukraine in order to weaken Russia shows how hypocritical Washington is. In this war, Ukraine has been destroyed, its population has dropped to 20 million, but the US, which tries to portray itself as a peace-loving state, has never called for an end to this war. On the contrary, it continues to stick to a provocative position. In recent months, the United States has been busy preparing international public opinion for the division of Ukraine. After the military campaigns launched in Vietnam, Korea, Latin America and Afghanistan with slogans such as supporting the freedom of their people, supporting democracy, fighting terrorism, the US, which left those countries at the mercy of fate, changed its position by 180 degrees when it saw that its goals in the Ukraine-Russia war were not being fulfilled. Today, the Biden administration is gradually preparing global public opinion for the inevitability of Ukraine's defeat with statements being made at various military and political levels. US media are leader in spreading fake news Let's go back to The Washington Post article though. First of all, everyone from ordinary citizens to the president of this country admits that the US press has become a biased and slanderous platform. Even former President Donald Trump admits that the US media are the world leader in spreading fake news. Donald Trump has repeatedly appealed to US citizens and global population, urging them not to believe the US media. The fact that the well-known article of The Washington Post was written in an office of the US State Department with an order received from above also confirms what Trump said. The Washington Post itself is not a free media, it is a provocation mechanism that keeps alive the tradition of hurling dirt on different countries, peoples, social and political figures, and businessmen. The newspaper, which maintains the traditions of Soros and acts as a mouthpiece of destructive politics, allegedly criticizes democracy and human rights and freedom of speech in Azerbaijan. In fact, the Biden administration shows that it cannot come to terms with the independent policy of President Ilham Aliyev, who has liberated Karabakh, speaking the language of The Washington Post, and therefore organizes such ugly campaigns and publications against the head of our state. This is disrespect and insult not only against President Ilham Aliyev, but also against the people and state of Azerbaijan in general. At the same time, those in the White House are worried about the exposure of the anti-Azerbaijani network the US has created, financed and is using against our state and people, in particular Abzas Media, which is a clear example of it. But it is clear that the purpose of the authors of this article is not exactly what they have touched upon. Their actual goal is to cast a shadow over the successes of the victorious Azerbaijani state and undermine the reputation of our country. A reminder to the media of the country where human rights and democracy are violated the most: a person living in a glass house shouldnt throw stones at others. We can talk a lot about the dark side of US democracy. Why does the US view the demand of justice as a crime? In recent decades, international sociological survey centers have studied the traditional opinion in nearly 200 countries. Which country do you consider your enemy? For many years, the most popular answer remains the same: USA! Citizens of more than 150 countries put the United States in the first place and those polled in up to 30 countries put the United States in the second place... The whole world considers the USA its enemy... US citizens also consider their administration to be their biggest enemy... The US is known in the world as a black symbol of wars, recession, crisis all evil deeds... The US has become a symbol of evil... The world gendarmerie of the last century is the world escort of this century... The White House should not forget that it is itself the United States of America that needs democracy more than anyone else in the world today. The world, the target of an insidious experiment by the dark administration of the White House a handful of corrupt criminals, rapists and drug addicts now demands JUSTICE, JUSTICE, JUSTICE from the United States! The demand of justice may be irritating for the despotic and corrupt administration of the United States, but it is not a crime at all! --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 17:44 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliyev The visit of Azerbaijan's Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov to Egypt to participate in the international defense exhibition EDEX 2023 continues, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Within the framework of the visit, Colonel General Z. Hasanov held a meeting with the Egyptian Defense Minister, Colonel General Mohamed Ahmed Zaki. The meeting with the participation of the Azerbaijani Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, Elkhan Polukhov discussed the current state and development prospects of cooperation between the two countries in the military, military-technical fields, as well as other issues of common interest. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 19:50 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliyev Commander of the Azerbaijan Naval Forces, Vice Admiral Subhan Bakirov met with the Chief of the Navy of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. An official welcoming ceremony was held. The guest passed along the guard of honor and the national anthems of both countries were performed. Flowers were laid at the monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the territory of Naval Forces headquarters, and his bright memory was honored. The Book of Honor was signed by the protocol. The prospects for the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iranian naval sailors were discussed at the meeting held in the headquarters building of the Azerbaijan Naval Forces. The importance of conducting joint exercises in the Caspian Sea to increase the professionalism of military personnel, as well as to exchange mutual experience, was emphasized. In the meeting, detailed views were exchanged on several issues of mutual interest. During the meeting, the Iranian delegation was presented with a briefing on Azerbaijan Naval Forces. At the end, the sides exchanged presents and a photo was taken. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 10:42 (UTC+04:00) By Asim Aliev On December 1, 2023, the 8th meeting of the Coordinating Committee promoting sustainable partnership in the energy sector between the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and Uniper was held in Berlin, Germany, Azernews reports. The meeting discussed the steps taken towards the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor, the achievements in the field of human resources development in SOCAR, and the new strategies. Besides, a presentation was made on the work done on the energy transition in Azerbaijan and SOCAR's future projects. At the event, speeches of Azerbaijan's ambassador to Germany, leaders of SOCAR and Uniper companies were heard, ideas and experience were exchanged on the development of the energy industry. At the meeting, it was emphasized that the event is important in terms of expanding cooperation between companies, conducting discussions on energy issues and planned projects. Within the framework of the event, "Cooperation Program for 2024" was signed between SOCAR and "Uniper" company. It should be noted that "Uniper", an international energy company, specializes in flexible and low-carbon energy solutions at the global level. In 2013, a long-term gas supply agreement was signed between Uniper and SOCAR companies to strengthen the security and diversification of Europe's energy supply. The enterprise established in 2016 for energy efficiency development serves the development of this cooperation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00) The aftermath of heavy rainfall on Sunday night resulted in devastating floods in northern Tanzania, killing 49 people and injuring more than 85 others in the Manyara region, officials confirmed on Monday, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Safak. Queen Sendiga, Manyara regional commissioner, told reporters that the death toll has risen from to 49 from 47 reported a day earlier after two more dead bodies had been recovered from mud. We expect the death toll to rise as some people are still missing, she said. Sendiga attributes the deaths to a barrage of landslides triggered by torrential rains that pounded the impoverished region, causing part of Mount Hanang to erode and bury nearby homes. The government has deployed security forces from the military, police, fire, rescue, and other organs to help with rescue operations, Sendiga told Anadolu. The impact of the floods has been particularly severe in the Gendabi ward and the central area of Katesh town, the administrative headquarters of the Hanang district. Homes and residences were swept away by mudslides, leaving some individuals feared to be trapped. Sendiga said the floods have rendered the highway from Katesh to Singida region impassable due to the debris, as houses and trees have been engulfed. Samson Kileo, a Hanang resident, called for government intervention to repair damaged infrastructure, including roads and homes. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, currently in Dubai attending the UN climate change conference COP28, expressed deep regret for the incident. She symphathized with the flood victims and directed all government forces to focus on rescue operations and preventive measures in the affected area. We have received with great regret the news of heavy rain in the Manyara region causing damage to Katesh. We console to the victims of the incident. I have directed all government efforts to be focused on rescue operations to prevent further disasters, Hassan said. The incident has prompted a shift in government priorities, redirecting efforts from the environmental meeting in Dubai to address the urgent crisis in Hanang. The president acknowledged the disappointment caused by the incident, attributing it to unforeseen circumstances. A remarkable incident emerged that reflects the strength of the human spirit and the power of collective action in times of crisis. Reports have surfaced of a harrowing episode involving a 9-year-old boy who found himself trapped in the swift currents of cascading muddy water, interwoven with debris and logs, as it flowed down from higher grounds. The vivid image of the child, devoid of clothing, caught in the treacherous stream, paints a grim picture of the vulnerability faced by Hanangs residents during this natural disaster. Onlookers, spurred by the sound of a crying child, did not hesitate to plunge into the water with courage that defied the severity of the situation. We had to hold our hands and move slowly to where the baby had been trapped to rescue him, said Michael Qorro, a resident of Hanang. Miraculously, the rescuers managed to reach the stranded boy and pull him to safety. The fact that he emerged from such a perilous situation with only bruises surprised the rescuers who rushed to his aid. Despite the traumatic experience and the force of nature he faced, the boy was in good health. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 5 December 2023 23:50 (UTC+04:00) Signaling it was in no rush to recognize the interim administration in Kabul, China Tuesday said diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally at the right time, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. As a longtime friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, Wang Wenbin, spokesman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Beijing. Beijings statement came after Afghanistans Taliban administration posted its new ambassador to Beijing last month. Mawlawi Asadullah Bilal Karimi was sent as the new ambassador to China by Kabul on Nov. 24 whose credentials were received by Hong Lei, director general of Protocols at Chinas Foreign Ministry on Dec. 01. However, Wang said Tuesday: It is believed that the diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally at the right time, with the concerns of all parties addressed more effectively. China hopes that Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, building an open and inclusive political framework, implementing moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, resolutely combating all kinds of terrorist forces, said Wang, according to Beijing-based daily Global Times. According to Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi, Hong called Karimis appointment an important step in the developing relations between China and Afghanistan. China respects the sovereignty of Afghanistan and the decisions of the people of Afghanistan, Hong told the new Afghan ambassador. He added that China seeks to assist Afghanistan in economic and infrastructure projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative Beijings multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure of roads, bridges, and energy projects among others. Hong "reassured" that credentials of Karimi "will be presented to the President of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, during a special ceremony in the near future," Balkhi said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The ruling People Power Party (PPP) called Tuesday for opposition support in passing a pending cybersecurity bill amid growing hacking attempts by North Korea. Proposed in 2020 by Cho Tae-yong, a former PPP lawmaker and current national security adviser, the National Cybersecurity Basic Law calls for establishing a presidential cybersecurity committee and a cybersecurity center under the direct control of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) director. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has strongly opposed the bill, citing concerns it could open the gateway for the intelligence agency to spy on ordinary people. "We cannot sit idly by in a situation where we have already fallen prey to North Korea and don't even realize our information was stolen," said Rep. Yu Eui-dong, the PPP's chief policymaker, as he called for the DPK to change its stance on the legislation. "North Korea's indiscriminate hacking attempts to steal classified information and virtual assets has always been a problem. Major countries ... oversee cybersecurity issues on a national level. South Korea should also construct a cybersecurity control tower and systematically take care of such matters," he said. In the first half of this year alone, North Korea has made over 900,000 hacking attempts against South Korea, Yu said, citing data from the NIS. On Monday, the North Korean hacking group Andariel was found to have stolen digital data containing key technologies from local defense firms and repatriated part of the money they acquired via ransomware attacks on other firms, according to the police. (Yonhap) Large Section of Oregon Coast Back Open to Razor Clamming, Including Tillamook, Lincoln Counties Published 12/03/23 a 6:35 a.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Lincoln City, Oregon) A large and important section of Oregon coast has got its razor clam good times back. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) found no more harmful levels of a biotoxin in that region. (Lost Creek near Waldport is open to clamming - Oregon Coast Beach Connection) Opened back up is the area from Seal Rock up to Cannon Beach, which had been closed for months to razor clamming. The reopened area now reaches from the Washington coast border down to Cape Blanco near Langlois. However, Cape Blanco down through Brookings are still closed. Recent shellfish samples show the levels of the marine biotoxin domoic acid below the limit for two consecutive tests. It takes two in a row to sound the all-clear. Even so, crabbing, mussel harvesting and bay clamming are open along the entire Oregon coast. Clamming is now a go in towns like Manzanita, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Newport and Seal Rock. The remaining closure is still a fairly large area of the southern Oregon coast, including Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings. Razor clam harvesting has been open for awhile from Tillamook Head to the Washington border of the coastline, the area which has the largest population of them in the entire region. More than 90 percent of Oregon clams live in these sands of Seaside and Warrenton. Domoic acid is a naturally-occurring biotoxin, produced by algae in the ocean. It can also affect crabbing at times and has delayed crabbing seasons in recent years. Oregon coast officials test for it at least twice a month. Eating shellfish containing domoic acid can make people very sick, and it cannot be cooked out of the meat. It at times causes severe stomach issues and can result in death. For more information call ODA's shellfish biotoxin hotline at (800) 448-2474, the ODA Food Safety Program at (503) 986-4720, or visit the ODA Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures Webpage. Contact ODFW for recreational license requirements, permits, rules, and limits. FUN FACTS: WHY IS CLATSOP BEACH SO THICK WITH CLAMS? The area from Seaside up to Warrenton is king for razor clams. Get a permit and drag the kids out at a lower tide. The reason? The area is well fed, according to Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium. Most of the nitrates and phosphates are delivered via the Columbia River, but some also come down the Necanicum and other smaller coastal rivers, Boothe said. This is why there is such good razor clamming on almost all of Clatsop County beaches. Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW Photos above courtesy Seaside Aquarium More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Ecola Point's Pictorial Past: Old Cannon Beach up to Modern Oregon Coast Disasters, Goonies Published 12/02/23 a 4:35 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Cannon Beach, Oregon) One major highlight with any Oregon coast trip is making it to Cannon Beach's Ecola State Park and getting out on that main viewpoint. The oceanic world really explodes in front of you here, showing off not just the natural beauty of the sea but a nearly-aerial view of Cannon Beach to the south, Chapman Point and its secretive cove, and the mysterious lighthouse just offshore. Indeed, Ecola Point is the closest you can ever get to that baby. Photo courtesy Seaside Aquarium, taken from Ecola Point There's even some sizable Goonies history here. Ecola State Park has been around in one park setting or another since the early '30s, but its history as an attraction and viewpoint goes far beyond that. Part of the ancestral home of the Kilamox tribe, Tillamook Head itself was named after them (though a bit garbled in translation). Those first people undoubtedly stood in awe of the views for thousands of years before Euro-types arrived. Written history of the place goes all the way back to Lewis & Clark, who first recorded any trek over the mountain-like headland, starting at the side that would face future Seaside. Captain William Clark declared it one of the most incredible views he'd ever laid eyes on, but he also said the ascent was a bitch. Or he would've used that terminology, were it around back in 1806. First photographic evidence of that grand viewpoint at Ecola Point goes back to about the turn of the 20th century over 100 years ago. In this historic photograph (at top), from the archives of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, there's a very Victorian-looking pair of women checking out the view. Even photographically, this place's history tells its own tales. From Oregon State University comes this shot of Ecola Point in 1910, quite possibly from around when the above photo was snapped. It shows a clear-cut version of the favorite with a couple of buildings up top. One could well be a precursor to the restrooms up there now. Though historical records from Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) seem to indicate Ecola Point didn't fall into state hands until 1932, soon Ecola Park was initially developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) starting in 1934. This photo predates that so it's hard to discern what was there in 1910. In any case, the CCC did erect some buildings in the fledgling park through 1941, along with trails and creating roads into the park. The photo above was taken in 1943 wartime Oregon coast, basically. By this time, great dirigibles were patrolling the skies, and not far from where these two girls are sitting just a mile or so southeast of them was a radar station. It was by all accounts a rather secretive one, so it's possible they may not have even known it was around. See more on the The Mysterious World War II Bunker Atop Oregon Coast's Tillamook Head. 1950: this photo is snapped at Ecola Point. Oregon State Archives has noted on these that the modern skyline and contours of the hills above Cannon Beach differ from what you see here and in the other two photos. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours About this time, according to OPRD, a campsite was created in the park but then abandoned by 1954, deemed risky by the tendency for Tillamook Head to have landslides. That dynamic came into dark reality in 1961 when winter storms caused a major landslide, knocking down acres of trees and smothering the viewpoint parking lot. These photos from Seaside geologist Tom Horning show the melee, which manages to resemble Mount St. Helens nearly 20 years in the future. Later that summer, Ecola State Park was far from recovered but open to the public. A family was hiking there when all of a sudden their small daughter disappeared. She had dropped off into the rough terrain. A major search ensued. For the ending to that story see Intense History at Oregon Coast's Ecola State Park: Murder, Landslide, Explorers . In 1984, a handful of child actors and a small army of a film crew including Richard Donner descend on Ecola State Park. Just prior to that, the crew behind The Goonies had built this ramshackle-looking facade of a building, the front of the Fratelli's oceanside hideout. The photo comes from the Clatsop County Historical Society and is a historical gem. Little known fact: the original plans for the hideout were to include a graveyard surrounding the abandoned restaurant. But writers agreed it wouldn't have made sense for there to be a cemetery in front of a restaurant. OPRD originally denied the film crew the permit to build the fake structure, but eventually both sides came to an agreement. Plenty of Cannon Beach landmarks are visible in the scenes atop Ecola Point. In late November of 2007, Oregon Coast Beach Connection snapped these sunsplashed photos of the viewpoint. It was a chilly day but remarkably warm at times if you could get out of the wind. Why does this moment stand out? It's mere days from the Great Gale of 2007, when hurricane-force winds tore up the north coast and knocked down huge swaths of forestland along Highway 26 (still visible today). The calm conditions give no hint to the historic storm that would rip up the area. Great Coastal Gale of 07 MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Keywords: Oregon coast, Cannon Beach, Seaside, Cannon Beach history, Understanding that there are two firm positions concerning the Open Border Crises, but many realties regarding its current, and, or projected real impacts to the functioning, sustainability of this Constitutional Republic: What position below best represents what you know to be true regarding this impactful policy? 0% The United States' must continue the Executive initiative of Open Borders until a Democratic Congress can codify full Demographic Inclusion by keeping the Biden /Harris Open Borders policy in place.34.62% Our United States' borders are sovereign just as are our self-governed citizens, where borders must be maintained, monitored and defended, which is the position of core Republicans.3.85% I am in favor of Open Borders to make my America more of a global community; however, the federal government must now fix problems that "Red State" governors have caused in our cities.61.54% I do NOT favor the Democratic Socialists' disruption of the cultural fabric of my Representative Republic, and there will be Treasonous Hell to Pay when the certain calamity begins in earnest. Some advocates for illegal immigration claim that migrants add to the labor force or "do jobs that others won't". New statistics from Germany's Federal Employment Agency show that argument to be untrue. Of able bodied people living in Germany who could work but are drawing welfare benefits instead, 62.5% of them are from a migrant background. This includes people who are either migrants themselves or adult children of migrants. Those from a migrant background comprise 24.3% of people living in Germany, but 62.5% of the able bodied people drawing welfare. And the percentage has increased over the last year, as the same agency reported a year ago that 59.9% of able-bodied people drawing welfare were from migrant backgrounds. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/germany-over-6-in-10-welfare-recipients-have-migrant-backgrounds/ https://www.nius.de/politik/62-5-prozent-6-von-10-arbeitsfaehigen-buergergeld-empfaengern-haben-migrations-hintergrund/da6707be-7bd2-4889-97de-ebd07dcf99bb Meanwhile, Germany's former top judge, the retired past president of the country's Constitutional Court, Professor Hans-Jurgen Papier, has warned that Germany is being infiltrated by economic migrants abusing asylum laws that are "not fit for purpose". https://rmx.news/germany/germany-is-being-infiltrated-by-economic-migrants-abusing-an-asylum-system-that-isnt-fit-for-purpose-claims-countrys-former-top-judge/ Also, the former chief of Germany's domestic spy organization, the Office of the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maassen, has warned that Islam will conquer Europe due to mass migration. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/europeans-will-succumb-islam-former-top-german-spy-issues-new-warning-muslim-majority School superintendant Cheeseman in his doctoral dissertation was concerned about "social justice", a term thrown around a lot by the far left, and that dissertation was written while he has been working for Beaufort County Schools. Now, a foreign leader, Javier Milei, president elect of Argentina has given a very good definition of what "social justice" is and its danger to society. Milei explained that "a society that obsesses with equality sooner or later becomes a society of looters and falls apart. That is the story of Argentina. Therefore the point is that social justice is unjust. There is nothing more unjust than social justice. What is the greatest achievement of liberalism?" "Liberalism's greatest achievement is 'equality before the law'. That is to say that the law is the same for everyone. When you adhere to the idea of social justice, which means redistribution of wealth, what you are really doing is using the repressive state apparatus so you can take it from the successful and redistribute it capriciously according to the wishes of whomever is in power." https://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2023/12/05/argentinas-javier-milei-gives-great-explanation-about-the-true-nature-of-social-justice-n2167186 Cheeseman could learn a lot from President-elect Milei. The nominee for Korea's new veterans minister said Tuesday late independence fighter Hong Beom-do should be honored for his role against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea amid an ongoing ideological dispute over his ties to Soviet communist forces. Kang Jung-ai made the remarks a day after being nominated to the post as the defense ministry has pushed to relocate the revered independence fighter's bust from the Korea Military Academy due to his past record of collaborating with Soviet forces. "I personally think General Hong Beom-do had truly made efforts for the country's independence and as an independence fighter he should be honored," she said. Kang, however, stopped short of offering her thoughts on the relocation of the bust, noting that discussions are under way between relevant authorities. In August, the Korea Military Academy announced it will remove Hong's bust from its grounds, days after the defense ministry said it was considering the move. The announcement has sparked fierce debate over its legitimacy, with the opposition Democratic Party of Korea and advocates for independence fighters strongly protesting against the relocation. Hong is known for leading Korean independence forces and spearheading major victories against Japanese troops in 1920. He moved to the Soviet Union the following year to seek refuge from Japanese forces. He was forced to relocate to current-day Kazakhstan in 1937 under then Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's policy, along with many other ethnic Koreans. He died in the Kazakh region of Kyzylorda in 1943, two years before Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. In 2021, his remains were repatriated to Korea. Kang is required to undergo a parliamentary confirmation process, though the consent of the National Assembly is not necessary for appointment. (Yonhap) Former Los Angeles-based anesthesiologist Stephen Kyo-Sung Kim, MD, was ordered to be released Dec. 4 following two years in prison in connection with a 2021 guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter in the death of a fellow physician during surgery, according to a Dec. 4 report from MyNewsLA. Dr. Kim admitted to injecting himself with Demerol that he stole from the ASC while operating on orthopedic surgeon Mark Greenspan, MD, in 2017. Dr. Kim has been in custody since December 2021. A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ordered his release, giving him credit for time served and ordering him to pay $7,500 to Dr. Greenspan's family for funeral expenses. Dr. Kim also agreed to never work in a medical facility again in any capacity. He previously surrendered his medical license. Dr. Kim admitted to using narcotics stolen from various ASCs prior to and during patient procedures for two to three years, according to the report. Blood and urine samples collected from Dr. Kim following Dr. Greenspan's death indicated that he had a significant amount of Demerol and traces of fentanyl in his system. He admitted to using Demerol around 150 times prior to or during other medical procedures. Here are three physicians involved or allegedly involved in opioid schemes that Becker's has reported on since Nov. 8: 1. Las Vegas-based physician William Alvear, MD, was convicted of unlawful distribution of opioid medications. 2. Oscar Lightner, MD, a physician at a Houston pain management clinic, was sentenced to seven years in prison for operating a clinic that sold illegal prescriptions. 3. Florida-based physician Janet Pettyjohn, DO, and her granddaughter, Shelly Gallagher, have been charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs and unlawful drug distribution. Three Texas physicians and one hospital executive have agreed to pay $880,199 to resolve allegations they were involved with a kickback scheme. The settlement resolves allegations that the physicians, Linh Nguyen, MD, and Thuy Nguyen, MD, both of Dallas, and Cleburne-based Heriberto Salinas, MD, received kickbacks in return for lab test referrals, according to a Dec. 4 news release from the Justice Department. Drs. Linh Nguyen and Thuy Nguyen will pay $404,813 to resolve two allegations from October 2015 to February 2018. The first alleges they received thousands of dollars in payments from purported management service organization Ascend MSO of TX in return for ordering lab tests from Rockdale, Texas-based critical access hospital Little River Healthcare and Framingham, Mass.-based clinical laboratory Boston Heart Diagnostics. The second allegation says the pair received thousands in payments from an MSO named Geminorium in return for ordering lab tests from Frisco, Texas-based True Health Diagnostics. Dr. Salinas agreed to pay $150,386 to resolve two allegations from December 2015 to May 2017. The first alleges he received thousands of dollars from Ascend for ordering lab tests from Little River. The second alleges he received thousands of dollars from a purported MSO Herculis for ordering tests from Boston Heart. Additionally, Lexington, Texas-based Peggy Borgfeld, former controller, CFO and COO of Little River, will pay $325,000 to resolve allegations that she caused false claims to Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare for knowing about the kickbacks to the physicians, among other allegations. Here are 10 acquisitions of ASCs and medical buildings that occurred last month, as reported by Becker's in November: 1. A two-building medical office portfolio in Libertyville, Ill., was acquired by an affiliate of Stage Equity Partners. 2. A 33,000-square-foot medical office building in Carmel, Ind., was acquired by Echo Real Estate for an undisclosed price. 3. Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente acquired 507,237 square feet of medical office space in Washington, D.C., for $198 million. 4. Rush Oak Brook (Ill.) Medical Center was acquired by joint venture partners Remedy Medical Properties and Kayne Anderson Real Estate. 5. A medical office building in Pikesville, Md., was acquired for $34 million by a subsidiary of Houston-based Hines Global Income Trust, which has a portfolio totaling more than $94 billion. 6. A 35,406-square-foot medical office building in Sterling, Va., a suburb of Washington D.C., sold for an undisclosed price to property management company Laramar Group. 7. Virginia Hospital Center paid $21.5 million to acquire a six-story office property in Alexandria, Va., for use as an ASC and medical office building. 8. Montecito Medical acquired a 32,711-square-foot medical office building in Woodbury, Minn. 9. A 118,472-square-foot medical office building in Richardson, Texas, was acquired by healthcare investor Big Sky Medical. 10. The Oregon Health Authority approved a material change transaction that will transfer ownership of five ASCs in the state from Envision Healthcare to AmSurg after the company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, N.J., and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, N.J., are no longer refusing ambulances after a cyberattack on Ardent Health Services caused the hospitals to divert them, patch.com reported Dec. 4. On Dec. 4, a spokesperson from Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health, the operator of both hospitals, told the news outlet that Mountainside Medical Center and Pascack Valley Medical Center have ended their diversion status. Mountainside Medical Center and Pascack Valley Medical Center were affected by the Nov. 23 ransomware attack on Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services. The incident led to the diversion of ambulances to alternative nearby facilities and knocked down Ardent and its affiliates' network, temporarily halting user access to various IT applications, including Epic, internet and clinical programs. Ardent has set up a webpage to give updates on the ransomware attack that has affected 30 hospitals across six states. As of Nov. 30, Ardent says 25 of its emergency rooms are accepting patients by ambulance. Its systems have not yet been restored. Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore Edward-Elmhurst Health has a new name. Illinois' third-largest health system will now be called Endeavor Health. The $5.3 billion organization located in metro Chicago was created through the 2022 merger of Evanston-based NorthShore University HealthSystem and Warrenville-based Edward-Elmhurst Health. "It really does embody who we are," Chief Marketing Officer Anne Martino told Becker's. "Endeavor means the momentum we have as an organization, the commitment we have to both being aspirational in terms of where we're headed but also creating a set of expectations for us as an organization. It's a powerful and bold statement that really says we're setting a new standard of care for our community." Endeavor Health will roll out its new name across its signs, employee uniforms and websites in the coming months, with a new brand advertising campaign encompassing TV, billboards and social media set for the first quarter of 2024. The signage will likely take about two years to fully transition. The system's nine hospitals will get new names, with Endeavor Health being added to the front of their current monikers. Evanston Hospital, for instance, will become Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital. The organization has upward of 27,000 staff members and more than 300 care sites, each of which will be adorned with the new brand over time. Ms. Martino declined to reveal the specific cost of the rebrand, saying it will be a "major investment" that will take place over several years and not detract from spending on services or staff. The return on investment, she said, will come from uniting the organization. "This really demonstrates to the entire regional area that we are working together as one entity, one system," Ms. Martino said. "That benefits our patients with that broader access to care, the institute-level, research-oriented care that we offer, but allowing you to be with your familiar and trusted physician." This rebrand was years and several mergers in the making. NorthShore University HealthSystem was created in 2008 after ending its academic affiliation with Evanston-based Northwestern University, while Edward-Elmhurst Health was formed through the 2013 merger of two large hospitals in Chicago's western suburbs. But after NorthShore and Edward-Elmhurst came together last year, the name, with its multiple hyphens, was "not easily digestible," Ms. Martino admitted. "For us now to have a singular identity, there's incredible power in that." Everything down the shade of blue "bold and digitally oriented" and the three lines in the logo forming an E representing "warmth and momentum" were carefully chosen, Ms. Martino said. Endeavor Health worked with a consultant on the rebrand. Endeavor Health's nine hospitals are Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights), Skokie, Swedish (Chicago), and Linden Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital (Naperville). The health system also features the state's third-biggest medical group, five clinical institutes, more than 500 research trials, and the nation's largest primary care-embedded genomics program. Nearly one year after being shut down, the clock is ticking for Madera (Calif.) Community Hospital as it continues the push to reopen its doors, Cal Matters reported Dec. 5. The hospital, which filed for bankruptcy in March and saw Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health end efforts to reopen the hospital in mid-November, is waiting on $52 million from an allocated $300 million in state loans to select medical facilities, the publication reported. Four hospitals have already received their checks, but Madera's loan has reportedly been put on hold as it requires purchase or partnership deal security before the funds can be allotted. In a glimmer of hope, both American Advanced Management and Praise Healthcare have shown interest in purchasing the hospital, with the hospital's attorney telling the publication the board is currently waiting on paperwork from both parties. While funding is currently reserved for Madera, the state loans could be returned to emergency funding should no party follow through on the purchase. Banner Health is closing its hospice operations in the Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., metropolitan areas and transferring patients and employees to a nonprofit provider, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. More than 100 Banner employees are moving over to Hospice of the Valley, which has four clinical offices and nine inpatient care homes across the region, according to its website. Hospice of the Valley's programs include home-based primary care, palliative, dementia, hospice and pediatric care. The decision to wind down its hospice operations comes as the 30-hospital system plans to focus on home health and ambulatory services. "Banner Health has transitioned its hospice service to Hospice of the Valley for the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas," a spokesperson for Banner told the Business Journal. "This strategic change allows us to have access to a much larger hospice network and a provider that we respect and trust." Last year, Banner Hospice provided care for more than 1,802 patients in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, according to the health system. The strategic change allows Banner to have access to a much larger hospice network "with a provider that we respect and trust," a spokesperson for the system told Becker's. The change took effect Dec. 1, including the transition of staff to support community hospice needs. Banner Hospice in other markets were not affected, according to the health system. The current population of billionaires is aging meaning trillions of dollars will soon switch hands, CNBC reported Nov. 30. For the past nine years, the Swiss bank UBS has issued a Billionaire Ambitions Report. This year, for the first time in the report's history, new billionaires accumulated more wealth through inheritance than from ventures begun on their own. "The great wealth transfer, which we've all been talking about for the last 10 years, is underway," John Mathews, head of UBS' Private Wealth Management division, told the news station. "The average age of the world's billionaires is almost 69 right now. So this whole transition or wealth handover will start to accelerate." The number of billionaires worldwide rose 7% in the 12 months ending in April, to 2,376, and their wealth grew 9%, from $11 trillion to $12 trillion. More than two-thirds of those who inherited wealth said they plan to continue work on the business, brand or assets that their parents or grandparents passed down, according to UBS' survey. However, younger generations of billionaires may have different priorities than their predecessors, according to Mr. Mathews. While older generations made their fortunes by beginning their own businesses and investing conservatively, inheritors are more likely to invest in futuristic endeavors: AI, clean energy and electric vehicles. Innovation committee at crossroads as establishment refuses to concede By Jung Min-ho Defying efforts to improve and revitalize the governing People Power Party (PPP) ahead of the general elections, many former staff members of President Yoon Suk Yeol appear to be seeking nominations in the partys longtime strongholds. After a major reshuffle of secretaries and other officials at the presidential office last week, word is spreading that as many as 30 of them will join the competition for PPP nominations for the elections scheduled to be held on April 10. Kang Sung-kyu, former senior secretary for civil and social agenda, made it official that he is running for Hongseong-Yesan in South Chungcheong Province, a constituency held by a PPP lawmaker. Ju Jin-woo, former secretary for legal affairs, is said to consider running for Busan Suyeong County, another constituency represented by a PPP lawmaker. Former state affairs planning secretary Kang Myung-gu is also known to consider running in Gumi, the birthplace of former President Park Chung-hee and the key bastion of Korean conservatism. Only a few, such as former press secretary Kim Eun-hye, are believed to be preparing to run in areas where they cannot be sure of winning. It is not unusual for former presidential office staff members to pursue political careers in so-called comfort zones by taking advantage of their connection to the president. But given that such moves would be deemed as a blatant ignorance of the efforts of a PPP reform committee, their decisions may hurt the partys image and chances of winning, according to experts on Tuesday. They seem to be going in the opposition direction of what the reform committee demands, Hong Hyeong-sik, a political analyst, told The Korea Times. For a party as a whole, this doesn't help attract undecided voters If many feel that the PPP is not willing to change and is using Ihn Yo-han (chief of the reform committee) as just a diversion, such sentiment would certainly affect the election results. When it was launched on Oct. 23, the reform committee drew much attention and praise from both within and outside the PPP. Ihn, a naturalized Korean citizen and doctor with four generations of close ties to the country, said the 13 members of the committee, including himself, who are mostly people with no experience in politics, symbolized changes to come. But the efforts have been losing steam after the committee proposed that senior lawmakers and those close to the president should run in swing constituencies instead of the PPPs traditional strongholds. No progress has been made since as the establishment refuses to give in. Meanwhile, criticism is growing within the PPP, with signs of division and even breakup. Lee Jun-seok, 38, former chief of the PPP, said he would launch a new party by the end of this month if the establishment continues to concede. Many worry that voters see his departure as a symbolic one the exodus of millennials and Generation Z. But it may be too premature to conclude that he will leave, said experts. Speaking to reporters on Monday after the Yoon administrations announcement to replace six Cabinet members, Land Minister Won Hee-ryong said he would join the efforts to unite the party, saying the PPP should focus more on how to convincingly convey its messages to more not fewer swing voters. He also said the party should embrace Lee. According to party officials, the reform committee plans to ask the PPP leadership to accept its proposal about the primary election rules again on Thursday. Another rejection by the party would leave the committee with practically no options other than disbanding itself before the end of its two-month term, which could be viewed as the PPPs reform failure. Shifting 835 employees to Optum will help Pewaukee, Wisc.-based ProHealth Care remain independent at a time of increasing mergers and acquisitions, CEO Susan Edwards told the Milwaukee Business Journal Dec. 4. The health system's revenue cycle management, information technology, informatics, analytics and inpatient care management will officially transition to Optum on Jan. 27, according to the report. The Optum partnership will help ProHealth reduce expenses for employee wages and benefits, which will free up money to invest in new facilities, services and innovative ways of providing care, according to the report. "As one of the smaller [health] systems in the market, we certainly dont have the ability to leverage scale," Ms. Edwards told the news outlet. "So, by working with Optum, we can basically leverage their scale and expertise to really enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our administrative operations and also free up resources that will allow us to invest in improving the care in our communities." Local residents and elected officials packed a town hall meeting on Nov. 28 to voice their opposition and ask questions about Mount Sinai's plan to close its Beth Israel campus in July, The Spirit reported Dec. 4. In October, New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System outlined its plan to close the 799-bed teaching hospital in downtown New York. The decision was made "due to the changing healthcare landscape and the unfortunate economic reality at [Mount Sinai Beth Israel]," the health system said in a statement shared with Becker's. At the town hall, New York City council members Carlina Rivera and Keith Powers asked Mount Sinai representatives if the health system had asked the New York State Department of Health for a state designation, which provides certain hospitals a higher reimbursement rate because they serve a certain level of Medicaid or Medicare patients. Mount Sinai officials said Beth Israel was just below the threshold, according to the report. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine argued that forcing people to visit another hospital will cause a significant problem for downtown residents. "There's just no substitute for a standalone hospital," Mr. Levine said. "Beth Israel is also notable in that it serves lower income people in downtown. For people who live in [NYC Housing Authority] developments and [who] are on Medicare, this really is a critical hospital." Mount Sinai officials said that the Beth Israel campus is under-utilized, running at only 20% to 25% capacity, and has incurred more than $1 billion in losses. It is on track to lose $150 million in 2023 alone. "We really considered every possible option since our merger in 2013," Elizabeth Sellman, president and COO of Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Downtown, said at the town hall. "At this point the financial losses are affecting our entire health system." Mount Sinai plans to gradually shut down some of the hospital's services ahead of its July 12 closure, according to The Spirit. In January, hospital officials aim to stop taking elective cardiac catheterization and interventional radiology cases at Beth Israel and move inpatient elective surgeries to other facilities within the health system. Beth Israel will remain open with a smaller bed count as Mount Sinai works with regulators to gradually close the hospital campus. Google has a plan for incorporating artificial intelligence into its healthcare offerings and now its lobbyists are working to influence future regulations, according to Politico. Lawmakers are questioning whether Google's plans for rolling out advanced AI before regulations are released could put patient data at risk and reinforce biases. Google already has AI partnerships with health systems including Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic to deploy tools examining medical records, research papers and more to help clinicians diagnose and treat patients. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is also using Google's AI tools for clinical notes to support physicians and nurses. Meditech, an EHR company, has partnered with Google as well to auto-generate clinical documentation and summarize patient histories. Google maintains its technology is only deployed in "limited capacity" and not trained on personal health information, according to the report. The tech giant did release an AI policy agenda in November and aims to partner with the government to explain the technologies as lawmakers develop standards. Google's AI-based products include: Licensed algorithm for beast and lung cancer detection A tool for diagnosing diabetic retinopathy A bot to answer questions The mobile phone is the focal point for Google's healthcare efforts, according to the report. "So much will happen just from a device thats honestly pretty inexpensive and in the hands of a huge chunk of the planet," said Karen DeSalvo, chief health officer at Google, told Politico. "I'm pretty keen to think about that as a platform for people, for consumers." Becker's Hospital Review reported on CEO transitions at hospitals and health systems across the U.S. in 2023. While some stood out as resignations and appointments at prominent health systems, others also reverberated. Here are 10 of this year's hospital and health system CEO moves that captured the attention of Becker's readers. Note: This list includes transitions that have been among the most popular with readers in terms of page views and is not exhaustive. 1. Brian Kirk was released as CEO of Norton (Kan.) County Hospital after being put on administrative leave and later reinstated. The hospital's board of trustees made a motion to fire him in May. The decision came months after Mr. Kirk was placed on administrative leave Dec. 15, 2022, after the board indicated it wanted to conduct an internal investigation. The hospital did not specify the purpose of the investigation, though Mr. Kirk was questioned about working conditions and treatment of employees during a town hall meeting. He was reinstated Jan. 4. The hospital's website lists Kevin Faughnder as the current CEO. 2. Scott Phillips, the acting CEO of El Centro (Calif.) Regional Medical Center, and Derek Pierce, the acting CFO of the hospital, resigned from their positions after the hospital's board accepted a termination notice from its management company. The hospital was being managed by Nashville, Tenn.-based consulting firm Healthcare Management Partners, and both men, managing directors at the firm, were installed by the city of El Centro in November 2022. Healthcare Management Partners tendered a termination notice to the hospital's board of trustees Jan. 14. The hospital's website lists Pablo Velez, PhD, RN, as the current CEO and David Momberg as the current CFO. 3. Cory Everett resigned as COO of Maryville, Tenn.-based Blount Memorial Hospital, effective Dec. 12. As of Dec. 1, there was no interim or replacement COO. The hospital confirmed the exit of Mr. Everett days after CEO Harold Naramore, MD, submitted his resignation. Dr. Naramore, who was named CEO of Blount Memorial on June 9, 2022, after serving as the hospital's chief medical officer for more than 12 years, will resign, effective Jan. 1. Jonathan Smith, the hospital's CFO, was selected as interim CEO, according to The Daily Times. The resignations of both executives come amid a tumultuous year and a half for the hospital, including disputes between hospital leaders and Blount County government over the CEO appointment process, hospital assets and property. 4. Jeremy Ensey resigned as CEO of St. Luke Hospital and Living Center in Marion, Kan., during a board meeting in May. "It's been tiring. So [my wife] and I have talked about it, especially the last six months if I was going to do something else. I don't know what that something else is. All I know is healthcare. All I know, my adult life anyway, is healthcare. But I just felt God leading me a different direction," Mr. Ensey said at the time. He remained in the CEO role through late July. The hospital's website lists Alex Haines as the current leader at the helm. 5. The board of trustees of New York City-based One Brooklyn Health voted to remove CEO LaRay Brown. The vote to remove Ms. Brown led healthcare union members to protest in September, urging the board and state and local leaders to commit to transparency and continued investment in the health system. One Brooklyn Health's board voted to appoint Sandra Scott, MD, as interim CEO on Nov. 17. Dr. Scott will begin the role in January while the board of the safety-net hospital system conducts a national search for a permanent CEO. 6. Israel Rocha, CEO of Chicago-based Cook County Health, left his role Dec. 1 after assuming the helm of the nation's third-largest public health system in December 2020. Mr. Rocha accepted a new position as president of Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente's Mid-Atlantic states region, which provides care and coverage for more than 835,000 members in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Mr. Rocha began his new role Dec. 4. 7. Pete Delgado, president and CEO of Salinas (Calif.) Valley Health, announced his resignation to employees Oct. 9. "The realization that there is never a 'perfect' time to step away from a role I love has weighed heavily on my decision," Mr. Delgado wrote at the time. "Yet, I am confident that change, while challenging, is an opportunity for growth and renewal for both the organization and myself." Mr. Delgado led the organization, formerly known as Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, since 2013. The organization's website lists Allen Radner, MD, as the current interim president and CEO. 8. West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health announced a new CEO on the same day it publicly called off a planned merger with Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Health Services. The two health systems canceled the $11 billion transaction Oct. 11 without providing an official reason. As a result of the decision, UnityPoint Health CEO Clay Holderman departed the system to "explore other professional opportunities," according to a news release from the organization. Scott Kizer, UnityPoint's former chief legal officer, was promoted to the helm. 9. Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health named CEOs to lead the five Utah hospitals the system acquired from Dallas-based Steward Health Care in May. The hospitals are now among the 20 hospitals and 240 physician practices and clinics that make up CommonSpirit's Colorado/Kansas/Utah Division upon the dissolution of the Centura Health joint venture between CommonSpirit and Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth. The new CEOs for each organization are: Kevin Jenkins, Market CEO in Utah and CEO of Holy Cross Hospital-Salt Lake in Salt Lake City; Michael Jensen, CEO of Holy Cross Hospital-Davis in Layton; Christine McSweeney, CEO of Holy Cross Hospital-Jordan Valley in West Jordan; Angie Simonson, CEO of Holy Cross Hospital-Jordan Valley West in West Valley City; and Chris Stines, CEO of Holy Cross Hospital-Mountain Point in Lehi. 10. Brendan Carr, MD, will be the next CEO of New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Carr will succeed Kenneth Davis, MD, who will become executive vice chair of the Mount Sinai boards of trustees, according to a Nov. 21 system news release. Drs. Carr and Davis will assume their new roles early next year. Dr. Carr has served as head of emergency medicine at Mount Sinai since February 2020. He is also the Mount Sinai Professor in Emergency Medicine at Icahn Mount Sinai and chair of emergency medicine for the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Davis has been CEO of the health system and its predecessor since 2003. Three of the largest for-profit health systems entered into multiple transactions this year as part of strategic plans to bolster their hospital portfolios, offload certain facilities or explore ways to expand their reach. Below is a breakdown of the hospital deals that Tenet Healthcare, Community Health Systems and HCA Healthcare entered into or completed this year: HCA Healthcare (Nashville, Tenn.) 1-3. HCA sold three Louisiana hospitals for $150 million to New orleans-based LCMC Health in January. The Federal Trade Commission had ordered LCMC to halt the acquisition while it conducted a review, but the Louisiana legislature and state attorney general had authorized the deal to go through. A federal judge ruled in favor of LCMC in September, stating that the system sought the correct state approvals for the purchase of the three Tulane University hospitals. 4-6. HCA's Medical City Healthcare in Dallas completed its acquisition of Wise Health System in December. Decatur, Texas-based Wise Health System's three inpatient hospitals are now part of Medical City, a 19-hospital system. 7. HCA plans to buy bankrupt Trinity Regional Hospital Sachse (Texas) for $41 million. The 32-bed hospital filed for bankruptcy in August and a bankruptcy judge approved the sale Nov. 29. The transaction is expected to close by the end of January. 8. Manchester, N.H.-based Catholic Medical Center signed a letter of intent in September to explore a merger with HCA. The two organizations will begin exclusive discussions to consider a potential agreement. 9. Terre Haute, Ind.-based Union Health plans to acquire HCA's Terre Haute Regional Hospital. The 278-bed hospital will continue operations with no interruption through the transition. Union Health is working with Terre Haute Regional to extend job offers and answer employee questions. Tenet Healthcare (Dallas) 10-12. In November, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health and Tenet signed a definitive agreement for Novant to acquire three South Carolina hospitals from Tenet for about $2.4 billion. As part of the deal, Tenet's Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary will enter into a 15-year contract to provide revenue cycle management services for the three hospitals. The deal is expected to be completed in early 2024. 13. In January, John Muir Health entered into a definitive agreement with Tenet to acquire sole ownership of San Ramon (Calif.) Regional Medical Center. Under the agreement, Walnut Creek, Calif.-based John Muir will acquire the remaining 51% interest in the hospital from Tenet for about $142.5 million. However, the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the transaction, arguing that the deal will drive up healthcare costs. Community Health Systems (Franklin, Tenn.) 14-16. CHS completed the sale of three Florida hospitals to Tampa General Hospital for $294 million in December. The hospitals include 120-bed Bravera Health Brooksville, 124-bed Bravera Health Spring Hill and 128-bed Bravera Health Seven Rivers. 17-18. CHS completed the $92 million sale of Oak Hill, W.Va.-based Plateau Medical Center to Charleston, W.Va.-based Vandalia Health on April 1. Vandalia, the parent company of Charleston Area Medical Center, also acquired Greenbrier Valley Medical Center a 122-bed facility in Ronceverte, W.Va. from CHS for $85 million on Jan. 1 19-20. In February, CHS signed a definitive agreement to sell two hospitals to Novant Health. Subsidiaries of CHS will sell Lake Norman Regional Medical Center in Mooresville, N.C., and Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville, N.C., to Novant for about $320 million. The transaction comes as Davis Regional transitions from a general acute care hospital to an inpatient behavioral health hospital. The deal is set to close by the end of the year, pending regulatory approvals. 21. El Dorado-based South Arkansas Regional Hospital signed a definitive agreement in April to acquire El Dorado-based Medical Center of South Arkansas from CHS. The Medical Center of South Arkansas is a 166-bed hospital that had more than 95,000 patient encounters in 2022. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is gearing up for a leap into the future of pediatric healthcare with the opening of the Arthur M. Blank Hospital on Sept. 29, 2024. The 446-bed facility, dedicated to pediatrics, will enable much more complete technology integration, location awareness, automation and video capabilities than the vast majority of existing hospitals, Jeremy Meller, CIO of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, told Becker's. "The new facility is expansive so we need to do everything possible to save time and allow our caregivers to be able to focus on our patients," he said. The hospital's rooms will be designed to incorporate the latest patient engagement capabilities, using both mobile apps and in-room screens to support self-service and information sharing. Rooms will also have two-way video that, when enabled, will allow easy access to interpretive services, enable remote monitoring when needed, and foster virtual interactions between patients and their families. Real-time location technology is another key aspect of the hospital's tech arsenal, and according to Michelle Tillis, BSN, RN, vice president of IS&T and nursing informatics of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, it will extend beyond traditional equipment locating to include staff members. Ms. Tillis said this technology will not only bolster security measures but will integrate with the patient engagement system to provide valuable information about the presence of healthcare professionals in patient rooms. "Location awareness provides a number of benefits for both patients and staff, from the patient or family being able to see the names of clinicians in the room with them, to contact tracing or allowing a staff member who is under duress being able to push a button right on their badge to give security their exact location instantly," she said. The facility will also showcase a fleet of 65 robots, with dedicated elevators for efficient mobility. These robots will be divided into backstage and front-facing roles, handling tasks such as transporting supplies, pharmacy deliveries and meal distribution. As Arthur M. Blank Hospital boasts a sprawling 2 million square feet, with the potential for expansion to 700 beds, its infrastructure is being specifically designed to accommodate the demands of modern healthcare, according to Mr. Meller. A tectonic shift in mindsets is inciting non-union pharmacists and other healthcare workers to protest, The New York Times reported Dec. 4. In October and November, dozens of CVS and Walgreens workers hosted a series of walkouts and labor actions to raise awareness of severe understaffing and unmeetable demands. The walkouts were coordinated online and sparse retail chains reported minimal disruptions and closures. The organizers are now working toward unionization, a labor action that historically wasn't even considered as healthcare workers felt public praise for their work, the Times reported. Pharmacists and other healthcare workers used to feel immune to the management-labor hierarchy, but in recent years, there has been a growing tension between employees and their bosses, and the norm is fraying as more consolidation fuels bigger bureaucracies. Increasingly, healthcare employees are feeling like cogs in the wheel and clock-punchers amid a growing sense of class consciousness, or a disconnect between their wants and their employers' interests. Ed Smith, PharmD, has been a pharmacist at CVS since the late 1990s. In the beginning of his career, it felt like a "workplace democracy," stores were well staffed and pharmacists had time to develop relationships with patients, he told the Times. In 2004, he became a district manager and oversaw about 20 stores in the Boston area. By 2015, Dr. Smith stepped down and became a pharmacist again because he felt uncomfortable supervising co-workers in conditions he called inadequate. "I couldn't ask my pharmacists to do what I couldn't accomplish," Dr. Smith told the Times. He helped organize the labor effort in Kansas City, Mo., when 10 locations momentarily closed after two dozen workers called in sick to protest working conditions. The importance of strict performance metrics surpassed satisfaction and overall profits, several retail chain pharmacists told the Times. CVS said it is listening to its employees and is investing in its workforce, and Walgreens said in late 2022 it was removing task-based metrics. Doctors Council, the country's oldest and largest union of attending physicians, is now fielding calls from pharmacists for the first time since its inception in the 1970s. "Two days ago, pharmacists called me from Florida," Frances Quee, MD, president of the union, told the Times. "We've never done pharmacists before." Some research suggests a positive mindset when receiving a flu shot may lead to greater levels of protection. Research is still limited, but some data suggests there is a correlation between mood and the levels of antibodies produced, The Washington Post reported Dec. 3. The news outlet cited a 2018 study that found people who were in a good mood the day they received their flu shot generated higher levels of antibodies. Researchers are still working to determine the mechanisms behind this potential connection, and experts say it's a complex topic, since the immune system's response to vaccines can vary from person to person. Genetics is thought to play a significant role in a person's immune response to vaccines, though research shows a number of other factors including gut health, exercise, and stress levels are controllables that might improve chances of a strong immune response. "Sleep is a biggie," Janice Kiecolt-Glasser, PhD, professor emeritus in psychiatry at Ohio State University's College of Medicine, told the Post. "When you're not sleeping, you're [impairing] your immune response." A number of studies, for instance, have shown that only getting a few hours of sleep in the days leading up to and after flu shot vaccination may hamper the immune system's response. Experts estimate that the arrivals of least 10,000 foreign nurses have been postponed indefinitely by the United States' mismatched demand and supply of immigrant visas, Bloomberg reports. Visa retrogression occurs when the demand for immigrant visas exceeds the annual limits set by the U.S. government, leading to delays or backward movement in the processing queue and the availability of visas for certain foreign nationals. Government officials are just now beginning to process filings that were made in 2021, according to Bloomberg. The estimate of 10,000 backlogged foreign nurses reported by Bloomberg comes from the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment, which said roughly 10,000 foreign nurses have been affected by visa retrogression among its member companies. Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health is one system experiencing the effects of the visa backlog. Last year, the 46-hospital system shared plans to hire more than 700 internationally trained nurses through 2025. More recently, Sanford expected more than 160 international nurses to arrive at its sites in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota in the coming months. That outlook has now shrunk to 36 nurses. The health system is investing in contractual travel nurses and virtual sitters to fill the gaps. "We just can't take as many patients," Erica DeBoer, RN, Sanford's chief nursing officer, told Bloomberg. "We were counting on those international nurses." The visa complications are one factor thwarting U.S. competition for healthcare talent, which has intensified at a global level with leaders and laggards. Tulsa (Okla.) Spine & Specialty Hospital was one of the 132 hospitals earning Leapfrog's 2023 Top Hospitals award. Leapfrog shared its lists for the best hospitals and ASCs on Dec. 5. Honored facilities are recognized for their performance in quality and patient safety, according to a news release. Tulsa Spine & Specialty Hospital was recognized as one of the best general hospitals. It was founded in 2002 and is the top-ranked spine hospital in Oklahoma, according to the hospital's website. The hospital has eight spine surgeons. A full list of hospitals honored is here. Leapfrog's top ASCs are listed here. President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) will ask the main opposition party for its cooperation to ensure a prompt passing of bills related to people's livelihoods, a senior PPP official said Tuesday. Yoon had a luncheon in his office with the leadership group of the PPP on Tuesday, with its chairman Kim Gi-hyeon, floor leader Yoon Jae-ok, chief policymaker Yoo Ui-dong and secretary-general Lee Man-hee in attendance. From the presidential office, some of Yoon's new secretaries, including chief of staff Kim Dae-ki and political affairs secretary Han O-sub, were on hand. In a media briefing after the two-hour meeting, Lee said Yoon and the PPP leaders agreed to strengthen the communication flow between the presidential office and the ruling party on areas covering policymaking and budget. In particular, Yoon and the party leaders said they will seek help from the opposition Democratic Party in the handling of bills on the budget for 2024 and those associated with people's livelihoods, Lee added. According to Lee, the president and the PPP leaders are mindful of financial challenges that ordinary people face today. Noting the occasion of Trade Day that fell on Tuesday, Yoon also called on the ruling party officials to provide support for South Korean exporters and help abolish regulations that hold them back, according to Lee. Per Lee, the participants also discussed enacting "Special Act on Global International Hub City" for Busan. Designed to develop the southeastern metropolitan city into an economic, cultural and educational center, the bill had been in the works during Busan's failed bid for the 2030 World Expo and will include the loosening of regulations in the city. In a separate meeting with reporters, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon said issues concerning the party's operations, including nominations for next year's general elections, were not discussed. "This was not an occasion for such topics. It was just a luncheon," Kim added. It was the first meeting between Yoon and PPP leaders since Oct. 18, held in light of the PPP's loss in a crucial by-election for the chief of the Gangseo Ward in western Seoul. (Yonhap) Meet the Belfast sisters who made fudge as children and now make a living from it Dorothy Bittles and her siblings are celebrating the first supermarket deal for their hand-made confectionery From left, sisters Dorothy Bittles, Cathy Johnston and Jenny Lowry from Melting Pot fudges (Credit: Aaron McCracken) Margaret Canning Tue 5 Dec 2023 at 08:29 From continental cheeses and salads to fudge, the Lee family has had a varied history in the food world. Members of the Aslef union on a picket line ahead of continuing strikes (Danny Lawson/PA) Strikes by train drivers will continue on Tuesday, causing more travel chaos in parts of England. Members of the train drivers union Aslef at c2c and Greater Anglia will walk out, followed by strikes in the coming days at other train operators. Trains could be disrupted on the evening before and morning after strikes. Train drivers across England started a week-long ban on overtime last Friday which is also disrupting services. The action follows news that Aslef members have voted overwhelmingly to continue taking industrial action for the next six months in their long-running dispute over pay. No c2c trains will run on Tuesdays while Greater Anglia services will be disrupted. Rob Mullen, c2c managing director, said: Im really disappointed that an agreement with Aslef hasnt been reached. The impact of this ongoing action is significant for our customers and colleagues. Im hopeful that further meetings with the unions are productive and see progress made towards concluding this challenging time for the railway. Greater Anglia said there will be a reduced service between Norwich and London Liverpool Street, Colchester and London Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street. A small number of Cambridge to London Liverpool Street services will run. Members of the RMT union last week accepted a deal on pay and conditions but the Aslef dispute remains deadlocked. Rail minister Huw Merriman said: Following RMT members voting to overwhelmingly accept the train operators pay offer, Aslef is now not just the only rail union still striking but the only union not to even put an offer to its members. They are instead choosing to cause more misery for passengers and the hospitality sector this festive period. The fair and reasonable offer thats long been on the table would bring the average train drivers salary up to 65,000 for a 35-hour, four-day week. Aslefs leadership should follow in the footsteps of all the other rail unions by doing the right thing and giving their members a say on that offer. Mick Whelan, Aslefs general secretary, said the union was in this for the long haul, adding: Our members, who have not had a pay rise for nearly five years now, are determined that the train companies, and the Tory government that stands behind them, do the right thing. The cost of living has soared since the spring and summer of 2019, when these pay deals ran out. The bosses at the train companies, as well as Tory MPs and government ministers, have had increases in pay. Its unrealistic and unfair to expect our members to work just as hard for what, in real terms, is considerably less. Robbie Williams will headline British Summer Time (BST) festival in 2024, it has been announced. The British pop star, who headlined in 2019 with an array of hits from his two decades-long back catalogue as a solo artist, will return to Londons Hyde Park on Saturday July 6. He joins previously announced headliner Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who will take to the stage on July 5. Robbie Williams will headline on July 6 (Ian West/PA) Its an honour to be back here to headline BST Hyde Park, the 49-year-old said. I cant wait to see you all there! It comes after the former Take That star finished his most recent XXV tour dates in Australia and New Zealand, having celebrated 25 years of hits on tour dates across the UK and Ireland in October. On the opening night of his Australia tour, a fan aged in her 70s died after she attempted to step over seating rows at the end of Williams concert, lost her footing and fell from the upper level of the stadium. His performance will come five years after he last headlined BST festival in 2019, joined onstage by his father and his former X Factor mentees and new mates the LMA choir after he become a co-owner. The entertainer, known for songs that include Rock DJ and Angels, recently starred in a self-titled Netflix documentary which looks back at footage from his touring days with Take That and after he left the group. Williams left Take That in 1995 in the middle of their Nobody Else world tour. The group, which now comprises members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen, headlined BST festival in 2023 bringing on stage Eurovision winner Lulu Kennedy-Cairns and Britains Got Talent star Calum Scott. Tickets go on sale on Friday December 8 at 10am. Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Fink arrives for the premiere of Ferrari at Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square in central London (Jeff Moore/PA) Patrick Dempsey has described filming Ferrari in Italy opposite actor Adam Driver with demanding but wonderful director Michael Mann as his dream job. The US actor stars as Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi in the biopic about Enzo Ferrari, played by Driver, alongside Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley and Jack OConnell, who all appeared in Leicester Square on Monday for the films premiere. Its the best experience Ive ever had making a movie, Dempsey told the PA news agency. And working with Adam was a lot of fun as well. He has a great sense of humour, wonderful professionalism. To be in Modena working on a Ferrari movie with Michael Mann dream job. He added: Working with Michael Mann was a dream job, hes very demanding but wonderful. Mann, whose directorial credits include Heat, Collateral and Public Enemies, said it was great being part of the racing community for half a year. He told PA: To be able to do a film that dives into the tempestuous personal life in all its operatic technicolour which is what was happening in these three months of 1957 this takes place that is what was so thrilling and exciting, it kept me riveted on this project. Adam Driver arrives for the premiere of Ferrari at Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square in central London (Jeff Moore/PA) Meanwhile Driver said he doesnt think they could have made the film had they not done it in Italy it just wouldnt have worked, he said. He told PA: We raced some Ferraris in Modena, we drove the chassis for one of the 801s I think that was in the movie, and there is a difference between one if you roll over youll take your head off and one where you will are at least protected by a cage, and you became almost heroic these guys were to pursue an ideal over their own personal safety. He continued: We raced cars which was helpful, it was very much Michaels way into the character which was someone calm on the surface but had a constant engine going. We met Piero Ferrari who was very open about his fathers life, literally opening the doors to his apartment, Enzos apartment, his briefcase, everything about him, we went to the factor, it was extensive and long. Jack OConnell, Penelope Cruz, Adam Driver, Micheal Mann, Shailene Woodley and Patrick Dempsey arrive for the premiere of Ferrari at Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square in central London (Jeff Moore/PA) We read the book, we shot in the locations where the things actually happened, it is all kind of helpful. And the script of course was great. Piero Ferrari told PA he has watched the film four times already. He said: It is a nice family story in a difficult moment of life with tragedies but my father was a winner, he succeeded and he realised his dreams. Confusion reigns about a possible change of practice by Europes biggest budget airline, Ryanair, requiring some passengers either to queue for a paper boarding pass at the airport or pay for seat selection. Travellers have accused the carrier of imposing a money-making policy ahead of the Christmas rush. An airline spokesperson said: There is no new procedure in force. But some travellers have said that they were informed the standard option to show a mobile boarding pass on their smart phone was not open to them. The issue is still far from clear. But these are the key questions and answers about Ryanair check-in and boarding policies as we understand them so far. Whats the background to Ryanairs check-in requirements? In 2008, Ryanair became the first airline anywhere in the world to ask passengers to check in online before reaching the airport. The aim was to cut costs: drastically reducing the number of travellers who had to see a check-in agent at a desk, and commensurately allowing Ryanair to pay less for space at the departure airport. The option of checking in at the airport has remained available but at a high cost. The fee started at 10, but within a year increased to 40. It is now 55 for each passenger on a booking. Initially the boarding pass had to be printed out to avoid the charge. This was annoying and difficult for people on holiday abroad. Soon, though, Ryanair aligned with other airlines that allow boarding passes to be carried on mobile phones and shown while going through the airport and at the departure gate. Can I use mobile boarding passes everywhere? No. Ryanair says: We accept mobile boarding passes on flights from the majority of airports on our network. However unfortunately some airports cannot accept mobile boarding passes yet. These airports including Kefalonia in Greece, the Albanian capital, Tirana, and all airports in Morocco, Turkey, Israel and Lebanon. Ryanair says: Customers travelling from these airports must check in online and print out a paper boarding pass for their flight. Wasnt there a controversy about airport check-in earlier this year? Yes. In August, Ryanair was heavily criticised after charging two elderly passengers 110 at London Stansted airport, after the couple inadvertently checked in for their inbound rather than outbound flight to France. At the time, a spokesperson for the airline said: In accordance with Ryanairs T&Cs, which these passengers agreed to at the time of booking, they failed to check-in online before arriving at Stansted airport (11 Aug) despite receiving an email reminder (10 Aug) to check in online. These passengers were correctly charged the airport check-in fee. How do travellers avoid charges for extras on Ryanair? Simply by declining all invitations to pay for extra services, and complying with the rules on cabin baggage (carrying no more than one small item measuring no more than 40 x 20 x 25cm). Consider the 15 one-way journey (correct at time of research) from Edinburgh to Shannon on 11 December. Options offered include: a 10kg checked bag for an extra 18 priority boarding and an additional, larger piece of hand luggage for an extra 22 fast-track security for 7 selecting a seat in advance, a minimum of 8 If all these extras were chosen, the fare would increase by 55 to nearly five times the original price. Passengers, though, are able to opt out of all the extras. What has happened now? Some passengers who decline the option to book a specific seat in advance, and instead accept random seat allocation, say they have been told they cannot use an online boarding pass. They say they were invited to choose between paying for a specific seat, at which point they could use their smart phone, or queue up for a paper boarding pass at a Ryanair desk. One passenger, Andrew Brown, told The Independent: Ryanair says that you can check in but if you want to avoid queuing for a free-of-charge printed boarding card at check in you should pay for a dedicated seat. Then you can have your boarding card on your phone as before. He speculated: Theyre trying to discourage people from selecting a free random seat. It was brought in without notice and theres nothing on their website about the policy change. It puts an end to my practice of taking just hand baggage with no allocated seat and no extras, so just the fare. Another passenger, Neil Gregory, told the BBC: The app said if I opted for a free random seat Id have to go to check-in to get a paper boarding pass, which Ive never seen before. If you wanted a digital boarding pass, it said you had to pay for a reserved seat. The BBC said a traveller was told by staff at the airport check-in desk that the new policy was only for the last 20 passengers checking in for each flight. On a random seat assignment booking for a flight from London Stansted to Italy for 5 December, The Independent experienced no difficulty checking in online as normal and getting a digital boarding pass on a smart phone. What does Ryanair say? The Belfast Telegraph has been trying to establish exactly what the airlines policy is. A spokesperson for the airline said: There is no charge for a Ryanair digital boarding pass ever. All Ryanair passengers can pay for a reserved seat if they so wish or if passengers wish to avoid this seat fee, they can select a randomly allocated seat entirely free of charge. The Belfast Telegraph then asked specifically, can passengers who don't choose a seat and who therefore avoid the seat fee - also get their digital boarding pass for free on their phone? So far there has been no response to this question. A thief who spat in a policemans face and subjected him to sectarian abuse has been jailed for seven months. Ryan Quinn targeted the officer after he was detained for one of a series of raids on stores in the centre of Belfast. Prosecutors said the 41-year-old also directed racial slurs at another man amid threats to stab him. Quinn, previously of Dunluce Avenue in the city, admitted charges of theft, burglary, common assault, disorderly behaviour and assault on police. Belfast Magistrates Court heard he breached a banning order by going into Boots at Donegall Place on June 23 this year and stealing 87 worth of razors. Five days later Quinn took shoes and a coat valued at 74 from TK Maxx in Donegall Arcade. Police escorted him out of the store, at which point he called an officer a fenian c***, a Crown lawyer said. Quinn continued to shout and swear at the scene, the court heard, and while being taken into custody he spat in the officers face. During a further incident on July 6 he stole handbags and bubble baths worth 102 in total from an Oliver Bonas store on Arthur Street. District Judge Steven Keown was told Quinn had also been detained following an earlier altercation with another man on April 14. When police spoke to the injured party he alleged that the defendant abused him by using racial slurs and threatened to stab him with a knife, the prosecutor added. A defence lawyer said Quinn suffers from a bipolar disorder and alcoholism. Passing sentence for all of the offences, Judge Keown confirmed: There will be a total of seven months custody. PACEMAKER BELFAST ARCHIVE Scene of the 1994 double murders of catholic workmen Eamon Fox and gary Convey on a building site in North Belfast. One of the men jailed for life for the 1994 murders, John Marsden, was found dead in his cell in Maghaberry prison last night. One of workmen shot dead by the UVF at a building site in North Queen Street . Eamon Fox (42) One of workmen shot dead by the UVF at a building site in North Queen Street . Gary Convie (24) The Crown case against a Belfast man accused of murdering two Catholic workmen in May 1994 is "deeply flawed" and "weak", a court has heard. That's the view of the legal team representing former UDR man James Stewart Smyth, who has been charged with murdering 24-year old Gary Convie and Eamon Fox (41). The electricians were working on a building site in the Tiger's Bay area of Belfast and were sitting in a Vauxhall Polo eating lunch when the car was riddled with bullets fired by a gunman standing in an adjacent children's playground. It's the Crown's case that Smyth (57), from Forthriver Link in the north of the city, was the gunman. As well as denying the murders of Mr Convie and Mr Fox on May 17, 1994, Smyth has also denied the attempted murder of a third workman on the same date. He has also denied possessing a Sten sub machine-gun and a quantity of ammunition with intent, and of being a member of the UVF. What the trial has heard so far Haggarty The non-jury trial, which commenced in October, has already heard Smyth's DNA was located on the inside collar of a Barbour jacket found in a bag alongside the murder weapon in a derelict house close to the murder scene. Smyth was also identified as the gunman by former UVF chief turned supergrass Gary Haggarty. When he gave evidence at the trial, Haggarty said he was involved in the May 1994 double murder but said Smyth was the gunman who opened fire with the Sten, then fled across a children's playground shouting Up the UVF. Read more RUC ignored my information on UVF murders, loyalist supergrass tells trial No case to answer application As Smyth's legal team launched a 'no case to answer' application, his barrister Michael Borrelli KC described the Crown's case against his client as "deeply flawed." Regarding Haggarty and his claim that Smyth was the gunman, Mr Borrelli suggested Haggarty may have been motivated at the time to provide Smyth's name as he was a person of interest to Haggarty's Special Branch handlers. Another suggestion put forward by Mr Borrelli was Haggarty pointed the finger at Smyth to "go against others" in the UVF. Saying Haggarty's claim "is not enough", Mr Borrelli told Mr Justice O'Hara: "If there is no independent supporting evidence that puts him by the fence, we submit My Lord could not be convinced at this stage that you could convict him." Mr Borrelli also raised the issue of statements made by an eyewitness to the gun attack. Saying Smyth was a "notably short man" whose height was "five foot four-and-a-half", the defence KC pointed out one witness described the gunman as being "tall and skinny" whilst another said he was "between five foot eight and five foot ten. Mr Borrelli said these descriptions did not match Smyth and added: "It is a consistent and notable feature that every person who witnessed these appalling murders has failed to give a description that in any way points towards the defendant. "There is not a single person who says that the gunman was a small man." Mr Borrelli also addressed the issue of Smyth's DNA which was located in the inside collar of the Barbour jacket found along with the murder weapon. Saying this evidence had limitations, Mr Borrelli said "we do not know when the DNA got there or how it got there." He added: "It may provide an association between Mr Smyth and the jacket but it does not provide an association with Mr Smyth and the jacket standing by those railings blasting away with a Sten gun." Read more How rogue RUC men let notorious loyalist killer walk away from first of his 50 murders Prosecutions response After Mr Borrelli completed his submissions, Crown barrister Kieran Murphy KC addressed Mr Justice O'Hara. Regarding eyewitness reports and the height of the gunman, Mr Murphy spoke of "multiple descriptions" given from "different angles" and how it was "difficult to be definitive" given this was a quick and "traumatic" incident. The senior prosecutor also raised the issue of the presence of Smyth's DNA on the Barbour jacket and said: "This was the jacket associated directly with the gun and it was the jacket worn by the gunman. "Haggarty's account is that Smyth was given that jacket which didn't fit him ... and that the jacket was rolled up with the gun and put in the bag with the gloves and the hat that was the gunman's toolkit and was left in a derelict house after." Mr Murphy also addressed the issue of Haggarty and the credibility of his evidence. Acknowledging Haggarty's "flaws and frailties" as a witness, the prosecutor said Haggarty has been convicted for his involvement in terrorist offences and he was called as a "witness of truth. He also said the account given by Haggarty regarding the May 1994 murders and other terrorist offences committed by Haggarty and his UVF associates were consistent. This, Mr Murphy said, was in contrast to Smyth who has "denied involvement but has said nothing else. Read more The night late loyalist killer Winkie Rea brought Tom Cruise into the Northern Ireland peace process Outcome adjourned After listening to submissions from both senior barristers, Mr Justice O'Hara said he wanted time to reflect and said he would give a ruling on the 'no case to answer' application on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. An employee of a local health Trust appeared in court today accused of stealing medication. Standing alongside her solicitor at the back of Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, 55-year-old Donna Marie McGreevy was charged with 11 charges of theft by employee charges she denies. It is alleged she carried out the theft on dates between January 2 and February 22 last year. On each of the charges McGreevy, from the Parkmore Road in Magherafelt, is accused of stealing medication to an unknown value belonging to Northern Health and Social Care Trust. McGreevy confirmed she wanted her case to be dealt with in the Magistrates Court. She also confirmed was entering not guilty pleas to all of the charges against her. Applying for legal aid the defendants solicitor revealed she currently earns 400 per week but confirmed its a breach of trust case, submitting if she were to be convicted McGreevy is likely to lose her employment. Granting the application, District Judge Nigel Broderick adjourned to case to December 19 to fix a date for the contest. By Kim Jin-heon Kim Geun-ho was born into a rich family in Bukcheong, South Hamgyeong Province in North Korea in 1937. However, his father died when Geun-ho was just three years of age. Then, when the Chinese Communist Army entered the Korean Peninsula during the Korean War (1950-53), his grandfather, who was penniless, took refuge in Busan. He had only his grandson, Geun-ho. At this time, Kim's grandfather was so old that he couldn't do anything. Instead, Kim attended middle school and high school by earning money delivering newspapers. After the war ended, he moved to Seoul. He dreamed of having his own company in his 30s and helping students after he earned money. Soon, Kim married Song. After he had worked at a printing shop for a few years, he started his own business related to press work in Cheongnyang-ni, Seoul. During the early 1970s, most printing shops produced various cards, such as Christmas cards or New Year's cards, in the European style. But Kim had a gift for painting and design that inspired him to run the company in a different way. He drew Oriental-style pictures that he designed himself, and then made them into cards. He hit the jackpot! As soon as his cards were printed, they sold out immediately. Moreover, Korean diplomatic missionaries around the world took the initiative to sell the cards made by Kim as a way to promote Korea. This business continued from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s. The Kims' wealth accumulated. One day during the late 1980s, Kim said that he hoped to use his wealth to help poor students. His wife agreed. Her hometown was located in the southern part of South Jeolla Province. Thus, Kim bought a four-story building in Yeosu City, South Jeolla Province. He made it into dormitory housing for one hundred poor high school students who lived on the islands. He managed this job for six years, from 1989 to 1995 until, in 1996 by which point most high schools in Yeosu City had built dormitories. Suh lived in Seoul where she attended a church where, by chance, she met Song. They got to know each other fast, as they were from the same hometown. One day, while they were having a chat, Suh introduced a minister, Hong. However, Song already knew him. He had guided the couple to open the dormitory house in Yeosu and, at the opening ceremony, had also encouraged them to manage it well. At the time, Suh was attending a circle that pursued life as art and told the leader of the group about Song's philanthropy. Soon, after listening to the moving story, the leader and his members decided to give the couple an appreciation plaque. Then, the leader invited Hong, who was living in the USA, and the couple to meet in Gongju City, South Chungcheong Province in November of this year. After Song received the plaque, she said that she was happy to receive this symbol of appreciation. After almost 30 years, their benevolent act was recognized for the first time. She also said that her husband's ancestors' spirit of sharing and her mother's mercy had influenced their life. Jared Diamond, who wrote the book "The World Until Yesterday," said that much of the past is still with us. That's another reason for wanting to understand what has happened in the past. In fact, numerous values that maintain our society have a long history. To that point, the couple's generous contribution, the minister's guidance, and the neighbors' applause might be considered a legacy of traditional society. Kim Jin-heon (shinykim60@hanmail.net) is a retired English teacher who published a book titled, "Flower Is Flower." A 27-year-old woman who bit a policeman and tried to smoke cannabis in front of him has avoided being sent to jail. Bobbie Kylie Cardwell lashed out at officers checking on her welfare after she had discharged herself from hospital. The mother of two was given a six-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay 300 compensation for what the judge branded disgusting behaviour. Belfast Magistrates Court heard concerns were raised when she left the hospital on March 27 this year. Police attended Cardwells home at Milewater Close in Newtownabbey and found her in the living room with a grinder containing a small amount of cannabis. Prosecutors said she became abusive and aggressive, striking out at an officer and biting him on the hand. She was arrested and put in the back of a police car, but kicked one of the door panels several times. During the outburst Cardwell elbowed another female officer in the face. At that stage she had to be taken to Antrim Area Hospital for further medical assessment. However, she refused all treatment and shouted a series of profanities in the waiting area. Cardwell, now of Leckagh Walk in Magherafelt, Co Londonderry, admitted charges of assault on police, possessing a Class B drug, criminal damage and disorderly behaviour. Defence counsel Sean OHare told the court she was receiving treatment for a drug dependency which spiralled after one of her children was removed for adoption. She still had the (intravenous) line attached when she discharged herself, the barrister said. When the hospital sent police to check on her she produced this grinder and tried to smoke (cannabis) in front of officers. Mr OHare added: She was in a distressed state and has no recollection of what occurred. District Judge Steven Keown declared: (This was) disgusting behaviour. Sentencing Cardwell to a total of six months custody, he suspended the term for three years. Mr Keown also ordered her to pay 150 compensation to both two constables she assaulted. Co Tyrone man Michael Kelly has announced he is leaving his role as editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper after 12 years at the helm. Taking to the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, he said he will be stepping down from the job in early 2024 to work on some long-cherished projects , which he will reveal more details about at a later date. "This job has been the great honour and joy of my life. Thank you to everyone who trusted me to tell their stories, Michael added. The experienced journalist has led a pilgrimage in the Middle East with people from across the island of Ireland for the last 15 years, crossing the border from Israel to Bethlehem, and he has written a book on the subject. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Speaking further about his resignation from the Irish Catholic, he continued: I leave with a bit of a heavy heart, but its mostly heavy with gratitude for the many blessings and opportunities that God has showered upon this his unworthy servant. I have sought to lead to the best of my ability, and tend the small part of the vineyard entrusted to me. "I have also borne the heat and burden of the day. Reporting on the abuse scandals has exposed me to depths of human wickedness I once thought unimaginable, but also the unrelenting quiet heroism of survivors and their advocates and champions for justice in the Church. My Catholic Faith has been challenged, and often shaken. But I have also been blessed to meet and be inspired by some of the most wonderful people on this planet living their lives in the service of others, many of them priests and religious. It has also been a time of great loss and suffering for me personally with the untimely deaths of both my mother and brother, and yet I have seen Gods gentle hand and felt his presence in the comfort of those around me, especially my family and dear father. Weve always had a lot of interns, and I brim with pride as I see them now excel in every corner of the globe, proud I had some small part in their formation, and that they have helped shape and form me." Michael concluded his statement by saying that The Irish Catholic is a great paper, looking good at 135 - for now, all I can say is a very heartfelt thank you from the bottom of my heart. I rest confident in the knowledge that we are none of us the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of Gods love for us. The Irish Catholic is based in Dublin and is Irelands best-selling religious newspaper. Michael took up its deputy editor post in 2005, going on to become editor in 2012. From 2002-2005 he was an Editor in the Central Information Service of Vatican Radio. In this role, he travelled with Pope St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI on an overseas trip. Speaking to The Belfast Telegraph during his most recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land recently, he said that the atmosphere at the checkpoint has never felt as tense in his two decades of visits, due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Read more Our bus driver is Palestinian and he is horrified, says pilgrimage leader from NI In coming somewhere like this it is kind of like other people travelling to Northern Ireland during the Troubles, theres always something going on in the background, he explained. The mood music in the Holy Land changes a lot and you just need to be aware of that and the political instability and the tension, but I have never felt anything as intense as today. He added that local people both Israeli and Palestinian are feeling stunned into silence at the recent attacks. The area we are in at the minute, a lot of people work in the tourism industry and this is the last thing they need for people to be scared of visiting, he told this newspaper. Our bus driver, for example, is Palestinian and he is horrified at what has happened, he doesnt see the recent attacks as anything to celebrate. So, the idea that Palestinians are supportive of the Hamas strikes in some kind of misguided sense of supporting the Palestinian cause is intensely disappointing. I have been coming here a long time and am pretty familiar with both sides of the conflict and my opinion is that the only thing outsiders should do is pray for peace and pray that both sides can get around the table and get a negotiated peace settlement, but outsiders interfering or opinions based on nothing doesnt help anyone here peace is the only thing that benefits everyone. If people are not warned to stay away from these drugs, then more people are going to die. Fears are growing that another batch of lethal drugs has hit Northern Irelands streets. The deaths of several young people earlier this year were linked to contaminated pregabalin tablets being distributed among drug users. However, the heartbroken mother of one of the young people who passed away has warned more lives will be lost if the latest batch is not found quickly. Pauline Duddy, whose 21-year-old daughter Jasmin died in February, also criticised the PSNI for not doing more to alert the public about the drugs. I contacted the police last Sunday and urged them to put out a warning about this latest batch of drugs, but they did nothing about it, she said. I have been told about the drugs by a user who came to me to get the message out there. If people are not warned to stay away from these drugs, then more people are going to die. When contacted, the PSNI did not specifically comment on claims a new batch of dangerous pregabalin tablets is currently in circulation in Northern Ireland. However, a spokesperson insisted they are committed to tackling every aspect of drug misuse through Operation Dealbreaker. Jasmin Duddy was found unresponsive at a house in the Galliagh area of Derry in February after taking pregabalin tablets. She died a short time later. The mother-of-ones death was one of four suspected drug-related fatalities in Derry over a three-week period at the beginning of the year. Another spate of deaths among young people in the north west in August was also linked by police to a dangerous batch of pregabalin. While the main focus was in the north west, people in other parts of Northern Ireland are also understood to have died after taking the contaminated tablets. Pregabalin brand name Lyrica is usually prescribed by doctors to treat epilepsy and nerve pain. However, it is widely abused and dealers often lace the tablets with other substances which make them even more dangerous. In 2019, it was made illegal to possess pregabalin in Northern Ireland without a prescription. Since her daughters death Pauline has been campaigning for tougher prison sentences for drug dealers. Pauline Duddy, lost her 21-year-old daughter Jasmin after taking the prescription drug pregabalin At present, anyone convicted in the UK of supplying class A drugs such as heroin or cocaine could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison. Someone convicted of supplying class B or C drugs, which include illegal prescription drugs, could be jailed for up to a maximum of 14 years. But Pauline claimed that, in reality, no one in Northern Ireland is being sent to prison for even close to the maximum sentence. She also said drug dealers here are being given much shorter sentences than those in other parts of the UK. How is that a deterrent? asked Pauline, who has held protests outside Derry courthouse and also launched a petition in support of her campaign for tougher sentences. For the same crime around drugs here, people are getting two years while in England they are maybe getting eight years. This has to change. I have sent a letter to the local Crown Court judge and I have also contacted the Lady Chief Justices office to tell her that the responsibility for this lies with her. Apart from the normal email reply, I have heard nothing back from her office. I really believe that if one drug dealer gets banged up for 14 years, they will think about it when they come back out and say do I really want to do that length of time again? At the minute, if someone is sentenced to 20 months and they have served maybe nine months on remand, they are straight back out again after their conviction. Jasmin Duddy Pauline revealed she has lodged a complaint with the Police Ombudsman in relation to the PSNI investigation into her daughters death. While she accepts Jasmin died as a result of taking drugs, she believes there were other circumstances which were not properly examined. She is furious that dealers are still able to ruin the lives of their victims and the devastated families they leave behind. Before Jasmin died, the fella who supplied the drugs to her actually took the same drug himself and ended up seriously ill in hospital, Pauline explained. Despite this, he still supplied Jasmin with the drugs and she then died. I have been told he got the drugs moved the next morning after Jasmin died to another flat in Derry. Later, the fella living in that flat died. So the dealer knew that the drugs he was giving Jasmin were going to do her harm. She also spoke about the heartbreak of watching her daughter battle her addiction. Jasmin started taking drugs when she was about 16 when she fell in with the wrong person. When she was not on drugs, she was the kindest, most caring, most loving wee girl you could have come across. But when she was under the influence of drugs, she was not thinking straight. Jasmin thought of nothing or nobody, only where she could get her next fix. Shortly before her death, Jasmin had been seeking help for her addiction, but it was it a fight she was not able to win. Her mother is angry that many people are not listening to her message about the dangers of drugs and the need for tougher sentences for dealers. About 3,000 people have signed the online petition and around 2,000 have signed the paper petition, but that is not enough, she said. People think it is not going to hit their door, but addiction is widespread now and we all need to wake up to it. Pauline, who is planning more public protests in support of her campaign, added: Im gaining nothing out of this. My daughter is gone and is not coming back, but people need to open their eyes to what is going on. I never wanted to put Jasmins face and name out there, but if it saves one other young person, I will be happy. A PSNI spokesperson appealed for public support in the fight against drugs. If you have information, or concerns, about the illegal use or supply of drugs please contact us on 101. Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. It comes as heavy rain is expected to fall across large swathes of the country in counties Antrim, Armagh, Londonderry, Down and Tyrone and particularly in the Mourne Mountains. The warning comes into effect from 7pm on Wednesday evening and continues into Thursday. The rain is expected to cause travel disruption in places, with spray and flooding expected on roads. Travel times are therefore expected to lengthen and delays to rail services could also be caused. In a statement, the Met Office said: "Bands of rain, some quite heavy, will affect parts of Northern Ireland at times late Wednesday and early Thursday. This likely to lead to 20-30 mm of rain falling in some places, possibly 40 to 60 mm over hills and perhaps 60-80 mm over the Mourne Mountains. They further advised: "Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. Allow extra time if necessary. Be prepared for weather warnings to change: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area. "Check if your property could be at risk of flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit." The woman, who is in her 30s, was arrested following searches at various locations in the Dublin area A woman has been arrested as part of a joint investigation by the PSNI and An Garda Siochana into a massive cocaine seizure on the MV Matthew cargo ship in September. The woman, who is in her 30s, was arrested following searches at various locations in the Dublin area. PSNI officers also seized items after searches in Newry. Gardai said this evening that the arrest was carried out by members attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and PSNI. Working as part of a Joint Agency Task Force officers conducted simultaneous and coordinated search operations in both jurisdictions today. The operations form part of ongoing investigations into the seizure of cocaine from a cargo ship off the coast of County Cork on Tuesday, 26th September 2023, gardai said in a statement. A female in her 30s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at a Garda Station in the Dublin Region. She can be held for up to seven days. Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Irelands Organised Crime Branch conducted a number of their own searches. Investigations are ongoing. The PSNI added: Detectives from the Police Services Organised Crime Branch, who carried out searches in Newry, seized a number of items, including a vehicle and mobile phones. All have been removed for further examination. The Joint Agency Task force is led by senior officers from the PSNI, An Garda Siochana, and other key partner agencies, including the UKs National Crime Agency. The Irish government recently moved to officially impound the MV Matthew, the cargo ship that was discovered to be carrying more than two tonnes of cocaine off the Cork coast in September. The 157m seizure ranks as the largest drug seizure in Irish history. Read more Salvage operation to recover suspected cocaine trawler underway off Irish coast The bulk carrier ship is to be surrendered to the State under the 2015 Customs Act, which states that any vessel that transports illegal goods into the country is liable to forfeiture. The MV Matthew will likely be auctioned off, with the State taking in the proceeds, although it could also be destroyed entirely. Anyone who wished to contest the forfeiture had 30 days to do so, according to a notice published in Iris Oifigiuil, the official Irish State gazette, on October 20. The vessel is now duly condemned as forfeited, as of yesterday. The 190m (620ft) ship, which was built in 2001 and is believed to be worth about 9.5m and remains impounded as the garda investigation continues. The MV Matthew, previously known as the MV Honmon, was officially seized by customs officers on October 19, three weeks after it was intercepted in a dramatic joint operation involving gardai, the Irish Defence Forces and Revenue. The Panamanian-registered ship was attempting to leave Irish waters when it was intercepted. The LE William Butler Yeats, a Naval Service vessel, fired warning shots to stop the ship, and it was eventually boarded by an armed party from the elite Army Ranger Wing before an arrest was made. A record 2,253kg of cocaine worth 157m was discovered in the cargo hold of the freighter, with gardai describing it as the largest haul in the history of the State. The street value of the drugs, once cut down and sold on, would have been up to three times that estimation. The MV Matthews captain, Soheil Jelveh, and 24 crew members were detained and questioned following the seizure. Seven crew members have since been charged and are awaiting trial. At least 2,456 delegates linked to fossil fuels are attending the Cop28 summit in Dubai, according to analysis of the provisional participants list. The Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition a group of environmental non-governmental groups and businesses studied the list of attendees after it was published on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes (UNFCCC) website on November 30. The coalition said it used a strict methodology, credible open sources and specific definitions to establish whether an individual was linked to a fossil fuel company or organisation. The analysis suggests significantly more fossil fuel-linked delegates are attending Cop28 than almost every individual country delegation, except for the 3,081 people brought by Brazil which is expected to host Cop30 and Cop28 host the United Arab Emirates, which listed 4,409 people. They have also received more passes to Cop28 than all the delegates from the 10 most climate vulnerable nations combined (1,609) and official indigenous representatives (316), the coalition said. The analysis found that a vast number of fossil-fuel linked delegates are attending Cop28 as part of a trade association, with nine out of the 10 biggest of these groups coming from the Global North. The Geneva-based International Emissions Trading Associations (IETA) brought 116 people including representatives from Shell, TotalEnergies and Equinor, according to the findings. France brought fossil fuel giants such as TotalEnergies and EDF, Italy brought a team of Eni representatives and the European Union brought employees of BP, Eni and ExxonMobil. There have been growing calls from many quarters, including Global South countries, public officials, UN constituencies and wider civil society, to bar polluters from the international climate talks. Alexia Leclercq, co-founder of environmental justice organisation Start:Empowerment, said: Big Polluters poisonous presence has bogged us down for years, keeping us from advancing the pathways needed to keep fossil fuels in the ground. They are the reason Cop28 is clouded in a fog of climate denial, not climate reality. Caroline Muturi, from sustainability group IBON Africa, said: These findings tell us that the dynamics within these spaces remain fundamentally colonial. It comes as no surprise that the majority of the corporations influencing these talks are from the Global North. In years past Cops have become an avenue for many companies to greenwash their polluting businesses and foist dangerous distractions from real climate action. This hinders the meaningful participation of African communities and the rest of the Global South in shaping climate policies that will primarily affect them. Hwei Mian Lim, from the Women and Gender Constituency, said: If governments had required oil and gas groups to decarbonise from the outset, in line with what science says is needed to limit climate changes worse impacts, we would not be in our current state of all-out emergency. We are where we are because of years of denial, delay and false solutions from the very groups that are responsible for the problem. David Tong, Oil Change Internationals global industry campaign manager, said: Polluting companies and their government enablers continue to invest billions in new oil and gas. If governments leave the when and how of the end of oil and gas up to profit-driven executives, the outcome will be disastrous for people and the planet fossil fuel lobbyists must be kicked out of Cop. KBPO said its estimate of the number of fossil fuel-linked delegates at Cop28 is likely to be conservative as it only counts people who openly disclose their connection to fossil fuel interests and not those who access the talks using a different professional affiliation. The group said these findings build on calls in recent years to protect the UNs climate negotiations by establishing clear conflict of interest policies and accountability measures. This year saw changes to the registration procedure, which included making public all types of badges not just those relating to contained delegations and observer organisations, which came after years of sustained pressure from civil society. Recent findings from KBPO also found that fossil fuel-linked delegates have attended Cops at least 7,200 times over the last two decades. KBPO is calling on the UN climate body and governments to pursue a robust accountability framework to address the problem at its root, as with the tobacco industry at the World Health Organisation tobacco treaty talks. IETA said its membership supports a clear mission which favours business engagement in climate action consistent with the UNFCCCs objectives through market-based trading systems for greenhouse gas emissions that are fair, open, efficient, accountable and consistent with national boundaries. The organisation said it encourages members, which include Shell, TotalEnergies and Equinor, to make public their emissions and plans for addressing climate change and it is committed to serve as a constructive observer of UN negotiations. The PA news agency has contacted the UNFCCC for comment. Palestinians look at the destruction by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah (Hatem Ali/AP) Rishi Sunak has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that more humanitarian aid is required in the Gaza Strip, as concerns grow about civilian deaths amid the Israeli bombardment. In a call between the two leaders on Tuesday, Mr Sunak said more humanitarian aid had to be allowed to enter Gaza, where civilians were in desperate need. A Downing Street readout of the call said the Prime Minister reiterated offers of practical UK support to facilitate deliveries of life-saving aid. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (Chris Jackson/PA) It comes as Israel widens its offensive into southern Gaza, with the US pressuring the Israeli administration to prevent further mass causalities after thousands of civilian deaths so far. Number 10 said Mr Sunak expressed disappointment about the breakdown of the pause in fighting in Gaza and discussed urgent efforts to ensure all remaining hostages are safely freed and to allow any remaining British nationals in Gaza to leave. The Prime Minister offered an update on his engagement with leaders in the Middle East and reiterated his public remarks in the region last week, stressing the need for Israel to take greater care to protect civilians in Gaza and focus narrowly on military targets, a spokeswoman said. He also welcomed commitments to address extremist settler violence and intimidation, which was destabilising the situation in the West Bank. It comes after Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said he can see no circumstances under which British troops would be on the ground in Israel, Gaza or the West Bank. Grant Shapps (Yui Mok/PA) MPs earlier pressed Mr Shapps over whether there would be an extension of UK military involvement after he confirmed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will conduct unarmed surveillance flights over the eastern Mediterranean, including in air space over Israel and Gaza. Mr Shapps said this is part of his pledge to move heaven and earth to rescue hostages held by Hamas after the militant groups attack on Israel on October 7. But he ruled out British troop involvement, including for peacekeeping operations. Elsewhere in the Commons session, Mr Shapps said he was looking at new ways of getting aid into Gaza. Replying to shadow defence secretary John Healeys calls for more aid, he said: This country has provided now 60 million worth of additional aid made available for Palestinians. There have been four flights that have taken off so far. He will realise that the problem is not just providing the aid, it is getting it into Gaza, and the Rafah crossing presents a very considerable barrier to that for all sorts of security reasons, so I am actively looking at different routes and he will understand that is one of the reasons why I am going to the region this week. Rishi Sunaks promise to the British public was a straightforward one he vowed to stop the boats as thousands of asylum seekers crossed the Channel without authorisation. But as crossings continued, the pledge has been complicated by legal challenges arguing that forcibly removing migrants to Rwanda is against their rights and the law. The Supreme Court delivered the Prime Minister a blow by ruling that his policy was unlawful. Five of the UKs most senior justices ruled the scheme could not go ahead as it was. They cited a long list of concerns about Rwanda as they concluded there was a real risk that genuine refugees could be sent back to their country of origin, where they would face ill-treatment. Now Home Secretary James Cleverly is travelling to Kigali where he will sign a fresh treaty as part of Mr Sunaks goal of making the plan to send migrants to the African nation legally watertight. What is Plan B? First, Rishi Sunak is pinning his hopes on soothing the courts concerns by agreeing a new legally binding treaty with Rwanda. He wants the deal to bind Kigali into not sending failed claimants to any other country in order to prevent refoulement removing asylum seekers back to the country where they face persecution. But it is unclear what legal status people who fail the process will have if they remain in Rwanda, but not as a refugee. Mr Sunak said the treaty will commit the UK to bring back anyone if ordered to do so by a court, meaning some migrants sent to Kigali could be returned to the UK. He will go further to reduce the chances of a court blocking the new treaty by bringing forward emergency legislation to ask Parliament to confirm it believes Rwanda is a safe country. Protesters outside the Supreme Court (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Supreme Court president Lord Reed and his four justices ruled there were substantial grounds to believe there was a real risk of refugees being returned to their home countries. Inheriting the Rwanda headache as the new Home Secretary, Mr Cleverly said anyone removed to Rwanda could not be sent to another country than the UK, but officials made clear they did not expect people being returned to Britain. Elevating the deal from a memorandum of understanding to a treaty that has been ratified by Parliament could strengthen it in the courts minds. But not a penny of the 140 million already paid to Kigali can be clawed back, and the new treaty is expected to add to the cost. What problems must the treaty overcome? The Supreme Court judgment highlighted a series of grave concerns about Rwanda that would need addressing before they could consider the policy lawful. James Cleverly said the judgment was not contingent on the European Convention on Human Rights (House of Commons/PA) Refoulement was the chief concern, which the justices said was seen in a similar deal Rwanda had with Israel, and was continuing. Evidence from the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, showed there was 100% rejection for nationals from three war-torn countries between 2020 and 2022. Home Office figures from the same period showed the UK granted 74% of cases from Afghanistan, 98% from Syria and 40% from Yemen. The Supreme Court said there was evidence of a culture within Rwanda of, at best, inadequate understanding of Rwandas obligations under the Refugee Convention. Evidence was presented that Kigali had a poor human rights record, citing British police warning Rwandans in the UK of credible plans by the nations government to kill them. The Supreme Courts judgment was delivered by its president Lord Reed (PA) Concerns of political and media freedom were also raised, as was the inability of the Rwandan courts to act independently of the government. The UNHCR suggested there had been more than 100 cases of refoulement after the UK agreed its deal with Rwanda. So, Plan C? Facing calls from the Tory right to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Mr Sunak offered a glimmer of hope. He said he was prepared to change our laws and revisit those international relationships if they were still frustrating his plans. But Mr Cleverly told the Commons he did not believe disregarding the ECHR or the Refugee Convention was necessary. The Home Secretary made clear that the judgment was not contingent on the ECHR. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Delivering the courts ruling, Lord Reed made clear it was not just the ECHR that was relevant to the case, but other treaties such as the UN conventions against torture and its covenant on civil rights. He cited three pieces of domestic legislation as binding the UK on the principle of non-refoulement and said the Human Rights Act gave effect to the ECHR. How soon will flights begin? Even if the simpler treaty route was successful, it could take more than 40 sitting days to be ratified in Parliament. No 10 said the agreement could be laid in the House in the coming days. But further legal challenges could halt flights again. Navigating the legal minefield of amending multiple domestic laws would take months, at least, and disregarding international commitments could create a row with allies. Downing Street was unable to say whether flights to Kigali would take off before the next election, which is expected within a year. Mr Sunak said ministers are working extremely hard to make sure that we can get a plane off as planned in the spring. But he repeatedly refused to commit that the first flight would take off before the next election. The Bangladesh Election Commission disqualified more than a quarter of candidates predominantly independents running against the ruling Awami League from contesting the upcoming general election, officials said. The unprecedented disqualification rate of nearly 27% has prompted allegations that the commission is favoring the ruling party, although the main opposition BNP has already announced it is boycotting the polls scheduled for Jan. 7. Even before the Election Commission formally began scrutinizing nomination papers, it was already well-known that I would be disqualified, Anwar Hossain, a prominent pro-Awami League academic running as an independent in northeastern Netrokona district, said on Tuesday. The fact that others already knew about my fate before the official decision was announced suggests that any sort of manipulation is possible. As many as 2,716 people initially filed paperwork to compete for 300 parliamentary seats. The commission declared 731 of them disqualified, among them only five candidates of the ruling Awami League party. Because the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its partners are boycotting the election, the Awami League has permitted its members who didnt receive formal party nominations to run as independent candidates, in an extraordinary move, which, analysts said, was meant to boost competitiveness and voter turnout. Many of the disqualified independents are Awami League members themselves, but a BenarNews analysis of official data shows that the commissions decisions disproportionately affected independents without any affiliation to the Awami League. As many as 210 out of 292 such independent candidates were declared ineligible to run for the parliamentary elections. In next months vote, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is hoping that her party will win for a fourth consecutive term since 2009. Her party has refused to give in to BNP demands that the Awami League government resign to allow a neutral caretaker administration to oversee the election. Mahbubar Rahman, a senior official at the election body, told reporters that most disqualifications resulted from the failure of candidates to validate the signatures of at least 1% of electors, ranging from 2,500 to 7,000 voters depending on the size of a constituency, as per the rules. Other reasons cited include having defaulted on a bank loan and possessing dual citizenship. He said the commission had scrutinized candidates paperwork through a random sampling process and manually matched the voters signatures submitted by candidates with its own database to make decisions. The disqualified candidates now have until Dec. 9 to appeal the decision, which the commission will settle by Dec. 15. Errors in signatures In 2008, Bangladesh started to require independent candidates to submit written support from at least 1% of electors in their constituency to run in the parliamentary election. This rule dramatically increased the disqualification rate fivefold from 4.37% in the previous election of 2001. Some independent candidates whom BenarNews spoke to alleged that the rule was selectively enforced without adequate time to respond. We have submitted a list of endorsers totaling one percent of my constituencys total voters, Anwar Hossain told BenarNews. Our list had at least 100 more signatures than required. So the official explanation that I was made ineligible because of errors in the list seemed laughable to me, he added. Shafi Ahmed, another independent candidate running in a separate seat in Netrokona, told BenarNews that the Commission cited two instances of signature mismatches to disqualify him. We dont know which signatures the Commission referred to, he said. If the Commission informed us beforehand, we could have presented our endorsers in person. This is nothing but nitpicking and manipulation. He also said the rule requiring voter endorsements contradicted the constitutional provision of secret balloting. If more than 3,000 voters are required to publicly endorse a candidate, its not secret anymore, he said. On Monday, a lawyer filed a petition with Bangladeshs High Court challenging the legality of the requirement. The rule is contradictory to the electoral rights enshrined in the constitution. The rule needs to be removed so that independent candidates can contest in an election without any hassle, Yusuf Ali, the petitioner, told BenarNews. Some disqualified candidates blame their rivals in the ruling party for their misfortune. Firozur Rahman, who resigned from his position as a council chairman in Brahmanbaria, an eastern district, to contest in the parliamentary election, told BenarNews, We have been told that one of my endorsers signature didnt match with official database, so my candidacy was declared invalid. That endorser had been abducted by the supporters of the incumbent member of Parliament, so he could not testify before a magistrate in person, Rahman, also a member of the ruling party, said. R.A.M. Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, an incumbent MP who is running for re-election on the Awami Leagues ticket, strongly denied the allegations. The person alleged to have been abducted spoke to the police and the local administration and said the signature was not his. If it indeed was his signature, the candidate should be able to prove it during the appeal process. Post-90s 'village CEOs' making big difference in modernization, revitalization of China's rural areas People's Daily Online) 10:50, December 05, 2023 Wang Lingli grew up hearing her father say she would have to live a hard life being tied up in toilsome farm work if she didn't study hard. Now, she actually works in the fields, but her father is not disappointed at all. Before she returned to her hometown after graduating from college, her father even told the entire village that his daughter was coming back to farm. Wang is not doing farm work in the traditional way. As a professional agricultural manager of a specialized farmers' cooperative in a village in Chongzhou city, southwest China's Sichuan Province, she has significantly mechanized and adopted smarter agricultural production by introducing machinery and intelligent systems. Wang Lingli checks the growth of the rice in the field. (File photo) Since she returned to her hometown and became an agricultural manager in 2015, Wang has shown her fellow villagers how agricultural mechanization can significantly improve the efficiency of farm work. At her suggestion, the cooperative she works for has introduced rice transplanters and other types of agricultural machinery, built a drying and storage center, and even installed the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System on transplanters for precision planting. Her cooperative is also in charge of the management of several other cooperatives, taking care of a total of 6,500 mu (433.33 hectares) of farmlands. "When I decided to engage in farming, I didn't intend to put on an act for others to see. I knew I can only reap fruits when I make efforts in a down-to-earth way. And I have gradually found my self-worth while working in the fields. I feel I'm doing something really meaningful," Wang said. Wang is one of the young Chinese who have chosen to become agricultural managers, a new profession officially recognized by Chinese authorities, including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in 2019. In recent years, more and more young people born in the 1990s have joined the profession, which is also aptly referred to as "village CEO" and "family farm owner. These tech-savvy and business-minded "village CEOs" have injected fresh impetus into rural revitalization, while boosting the income of rural residents. Zhuang Yuan is a young "village CEO" in Shangying village, Dongbaihu township, Zhuji city, east China's Zhejiang Province. She has set up a company and a team in the village, selling over 60 million yuan ($8.45 million) worth of unsold agricultural and sideline products for more than 300 local agricultural cooperatives and households in the past three years. Leveraging new media platforms, especially livestream platforms, Zhuang and her team have effectively promoted the sales of local specialties, such as Chinese torreya nuts, sweet potatoes, rice, and oranges. In addition to promoting local products through livestreams, the team has also designed one-day study tours of different villages depending on their respective conditions. During such tours, teenagers and their parents can take part in volunteer services, including helping at public-interest canteens, delivering food for the elderly, and performing at shows, as well as learning about fruits, flowers and Chinese medicinal herbs at local production bases. "We have developed more than 20 routes for our study tours this year. They are popular among families," Zhuang said, adding that visitors help increase farmers' income. In San'erwu village, Changning township, Xunwu county, east China's Jiangxi Province, post-90s "village CEO" Wang Jing has significantly boosted the sales and visibility of local passion fruits through an innovative model that allows consumers to virtually "foster" passion fruit trees and "watch" them grow. "People who 'foster' passion fruit trees not only 'accompany' the growth of their passion fruit trees, but also give their trees to friends as an electronic gift," Wang said, adding that the marketing model empowered by digital technologies also helps spice up people's social life. Thanks to the innovative marketing model, passion fruits of San'erwu village were sold to 28 provinces across China during a three-month fostering period, and the village has become more widely recognized. Seeing that some internet users who "fostered" passion fruit trees couldn't wait to see the fruits until they are ripe and have come to the local production bases to check out their trees personally, Wang came up with the idea of developing an agritainment business at the foot of the hills where passion fruit production bases are located. So far, a new tourist experience base featuring agritainment restaurants and immersive experience activities has taken shape in San'erwu village. Visitors will be able to experience farm work and enjoy local food at the base, according to Wang, who added that more immersive experiences will be offered to visitors. Professional agricultural managers are very helpful in solving the problems of "who farms the land" and "how to increase the income of farmers" that face the development of China's agriculture sector and rural areas, said Gao Ming, an official at the rural economy research center of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) By Chung Hwang-keun On a bitter cold winter day in December of 2022, 101 Korean milk cows boarded a plane to Nepal. As it was the first time that we sent live cattle overseas, the preparations were not easy. The public and private sectors worked hard together to ensure the success of the project. We built new wooden cages to safely carry heifers that were selected from farms across the country, based on their breed and health condition. Also, with the help of Asiana Airlines, we converted a passenger plane into a cargo aircraft where temperature and humidity levels could be controlled. Despite all these efforts, we had been constantly on pins and needles all the way until the heifers, aged less than 10 months, arrived in Nepal safe and sound. Then came the news of the young cows. After enduring a long journey of eight hours in flight and 10 hours on a freight truck, all of the 101 heifers finally arrived at a village in the district of Sindhuli in Nepal and all of them were in good health. It was as if a miracle came true after all of our prayers yearning for their safety. Just a half century ago, Korea was one of the underdeveloped countries in dairy farming with a cow producing a daily average of less than 10 litters of milk. Today, however, with a milk production volume of 32 litters per cow daily, Korea has the best productivity in Asia and ranks 6th in the world. This remarkable development was made possible through the help the international community offered to Korea. The nation was a virtual wasteland of dairy farming right after the Korean War. We received 900 milk cows and technical training from 1952 to 1976 from Heifer International, a global non-profit organization. Thanks to the international aid, we continued making nationwide efforts to develop a cow breed. This unwavering effort turned into todays advanced dairy industry. The donation of milk cows to Nepal is a project planned by Heifer Korea, a Korean affiliate of Heifer International, seeking to give back the help we received in the past from the international community. To make the project possible, many Koreans participated in crowdfunding voluntarily, and dairy farmers donated their heifers. Livestock farmers, who started dairy farming with the milk cows provided by the international community, joined the milk cow donation, thus adding more significance to the project. Now, the Korean government is extending its support in diverse ways, beyond donating heifers, to ensure that the Nepali dairy industry can follow the path Korea had taken. In March this year, we provided more high-quality breeding bulls as well as dairy bulls semen for artificial insemination. In May and October, we dispatched experts to Nepal in the field of artificial insemination and breeding and disease management, who provided education and training tailored to the needs of local farmers. Recently, we heard news of the pregnancy of 31 heifers. Accordingly, we plan to send breeding experts to Nepal in February next year. To ensure that this significant outcome does not end as a one-off event, we will continue expanding official development assistance (ODA) projects for Nepal. Korea received international aid, including ODA, from countries around the world after the Korean War in the 1950s. Korea is also the only nation in the world that has transformed itself from an aid recipient to a donor country. Now, we are seeking to share our experience and know-how of the remarkable development with other countries and build stronger solidarity with the international community. Korea and Nepal have continued developing reciprocal and cooperative relations, based on long-standing trust and friendship. I would like to call for the support of the people of Nepal so that both countries can work together to create more fruitful outcomes. As the aid from the international community served as a driving force behind Koreas remarkable economic growth built on the ashes of the Korean War, I sincerely hope that 101 Korean milk cows will bring a miracle to Nepal so that all of the people there can enjoy abundant and happy lives. Chung Hwang-keun is the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Indonesias parliament on Tuesday approved the toning down of some provisions in an internet law that, critics said, stifled free speech and was used to prosecute journalists and activists. While the revisions to the Electronic Information and Transactions Law make more specific what online insulting or defamation are, activists are still expressing concern that the law uses overly broad and vague terms and vests excessive power with the government. Abdul Kharis Almasyhari, a lawmaker who was on the parliamentary committee deliberating the law, said the revisions aimed to provide legal clarity and protect personal rights while preserving public interest. There are no more elastic clauses, he said in parliament, referring to the controversial provisions. The changes to the law, which was first enacted in 2008 and revised once in 2016, came after years of criticism from civil society groups and human rights advocates who said the law threatened freedom of expression and stifled dissent. The law regulates various aspects of online activities, such as content, privacy, and cybersecurity. The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, an NGO, said the revised law makes clear what constitutes criminality in some of the most controversial offenses such as obscenity, defamation, hate speech, extortion, and cyberbullying. It also adds exceptions and justifications for certain acts, such as self-defense, public interest, and educational purposes, and lowers the maximum imprisonment and fines for some of the offenses, the institute said in a report released on its website Monday. The revised law also reduces the maximum penalty for defamation to two years from four and allows for alternative sanctions, such as community service and rehabilitation, the NGO said. Indonesian youths browse their social media accounts at an internet cafe in Jakarta, March 5, 2019. [Tatan Syuflana/AP] SAFENet, a group that monitors digital rights, reported that 84 people faced criminal charges related to internet use in 2020, of whom 64 were charged under the information law. Amnesty International Indonesia also said that at least 332 people were accused of violating vague and problematic articles in the law, from January 2019 to May 2022. Activists on trial for alleged defamation The revised law, however, still grants the government broad and vague authority to order content providers to make changes to their electronic systems or take other actions the government deems necessary that is, measures akin to policing and censoring content. Johanna Poerba, a researcher at Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, cited the case of Fatia Maulidiyanti and Haris Azhar, two human rights defenders who are on trial on charges of defamation. They have been accused of defaming Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, a senior minister, in a video that alleged his involvement in controversial gold mining activities in the Papua region. They were charged under the information law and the prosecution has requested prison sentences of up to four years each for them. Fatia and Haris shared information for the sake of public interest. They should not have been charged she told BenarNews. It was not immediately clear whether the new laws provisions, which go into force immediately, would affect the activists case. Global Coalition, which comprises a variety of civil society groups and NGOs, on Monday cited the activists cases when it issued an open letter to the Indonesian president and other government officials urging them to uphold free speech. [W]e implore the Indonesian government not to repeat past mistakes that have unjustly criminalized countless innocent citizens, the coalition said. This is an opportune moment for the Indonesian government to rectify its lowest standing in the Freedom of Expression Index and establish a lasting legacy for generations to come. A U.S-based organization, Freedom House, ranked Indonesia as partly free in its Freedom in the World 2023 report, saying the politicized use of defamation was one of its reasons for doing so. Preserves public interest Communication and Information Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said on Tuesday that the government was responsible for ensuring freedom of thought and expression as well as personal protection and respect for dignity, security and privacy. To guarantee these rights, the government needs to provide the necessary restrictions with the sole purpose of ensuring the recognition and fair rights in accordance with moral, religious, security and public order considerations in a democratic society, he said in his speech in parliament. Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesias minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment (center), listens as Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo (right) talks with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the Ngurah Rai Forest Park on the second day of G20 Summit in Denpasar, Indonesia, Nov. 16, 2022. [Galih Pradipta/Indonesia G20 Media Center/Handout via Reuters] Some Indonesians like Edi Santoso, a communication lecturer at Jenderal Soedirman University in Purwokerto, approved of the new version of the law saying it was a step forward for freedom of expression. On the one hand, it protects personal rights. On the other hand, it preserves public interest, he told BenarNews. Some conservative voices, though, criticized the revisions as a concession to liberal activists. Another communication professor, Henri Subiakto, who is also a former government adviser, said the revisions would erode the nations morals as they relax rules on immoral content. He referred to an article under which anyone who intentionally disseminates lewd content for public consumption can face legal sanctions. This article, he said, only applies to something that is intended for publicity, while personal matters are exempt from legal sanctions even if they violate religious norms. That means that someone who sends a porn video to your sister or your wife cannot be punished, Henri said. This is chaos and ignores religious norms. Papua New Guineas Prime Minister James Marape (left) speaks during a meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Week in San Francisco, California, on November 16, 2023. Papua New Guinea and Australia will sign a broad security cooperation agreement this week that includes an Australian police presence in the Pacific island country that suffers frequent ethnic conflicts. The agreement will also reinforce the two countries mutual security interests in the Pacific and allow for the possible establishment of a regional police academy in Papua New Guinea, the island countrys Prime Minister James Marape said Tuesday. The security arrangement is in the best interest of Papua New Guinea and also for Australia and its regional security interests, Marape said in a statement. Any Australian police in Papua New Guinea would work under the local polices chain of command, the statement said. Stability for Papua New Guinea, which gained its independence from Australia in 1975, has remained elusive as it grapples with tribal violence and challenges such as corruption and lack of infrastructure. Parts of the mountainous country, which makes up the western half of New Guinea island and shares a long border with Indonesia, have been largely outside central government control for decades. Its election last year was marred by deadly violence and lawlessness in highlands provinces is an ongoing threat to national security and economic development. Australia and the United States have sought closer security and defense relations with Papua New Guinea, the most populous Pacific island nation, in response to Chinas inroads in the region. China, over several decades, has become a substantial source of trade, infrastructure and aid for developing Pacific island countries as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and build its own set of global institutions. Last year, China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, alarming the U.S. and its allies such as Australia. The Solomons and Kiribati switched their diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taiwan in 2019. Marape said the agreement for closer security relations with Australia would be signed in the Australian capital Canberra on Thursday. Australia and Papua New Guinea share common security interests, and such security arrangements are vital to maintaining law-and-order in the region, safeguarding economic and trading interests, Marape said. Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Marape had at the beginning of this year urged officials to complete negotiations by the end of April. Papua New Guinea and the U.S. signed a defense cooperation agreement in May, which once ratified would give the U.S. military unrestricted access to six air and sea ports in the island nation. The U.S. would have criminal jurisdiction over American military personnel in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guineas opposition leader has sought a Supreme Court review of the legality of the agreement, which critics say would impinge on the countrys sovereignty. Marape said the agreement with Australia will extend to potential Australian support for Papua New Guineas Bomana Police Academy, which recruits and trains police cadets. Papua New Guinea has one police officer for about every 1,800 people, nearly four times less than the level recommended by the United Nations to ensure law and order, according to a Griffith Asia Institute report released earlier this year. The ratio of police to people has declined substantially in the past half century as Papua New Guineas population tripled to more than nine million, the report said. After generations of tilling the land in central Nepals mid-hills, 47-year-old Purna Lamas family is at a daunting crossroads. Weather patterns, shifting dramatically over the past five to six years, have posed difficulties for farmers like Lama, who supports a family of eight on a plot of land smaller than two acres (0.8 hectares). Swathes of farmland in our area are barren because farmers could not depend on weather for agriculture, Lama told Radio Free Asia. Cultivation is completely disrupted due to drought and unseasonal rain. We are deflated. The severe threat of climate change to agricultural production, particularly in food-insecure Asia, warming faster than the rest of the world, has harmed farmers livelihoods, according to a study last year. Nepalese farmer Purna Lama poses in front of his agricultural land in Manohari village, Makwanpur district, Nepal, Nov. 30, 2023. [RFA] Various climate-driven extreme weather events, like erratic rainfall, prolonged post-monsoon rain periods, unpredictable floods, above-normal winter temperatures, heat waves, dry spells, and emerging pests, are occurring more frequently, threatening crop cultivation and yields. It rains when it should not and does not when it should. Drought-like conditions are now an annual affair, said Lama, who grows staple crops like rice, maize, and millet in Makwanpur districts Manahari village. Changing climate patterns have reshaped Nepals long-term precipitation, leading to increased unpredictability and a higher risk of flash floods from intense rainfall. Our streams have dried; even centuries-old water sources have dried, Lama lamented, adding the local village council had to transport drinking water from elsewhere the past two summers. Changes in crops, cultivation, and climate In recent years, erratic rainfall, unreliable monsoons and unseasonal downpours have posed challenges for farmers, leading to floods and soil degradation. Weather these days is entirely unpredictable. It can rain at any time, said Thein Win, a farmer from Bogalay township in Myanmars Ayeyarwady delta region. Farmers lose about 20% of their crops due to rain during harvest, he told RFA Burmese, adding the crop yield about 60 to 70 buckets of rice per acre has decreased to about 40 or 50. Sai Htoo, another farmer from Pinlaung township in Myanmars Shan state, said it rained too often in his region. Some of the corn that we have grown in the lands where rice cant grow was destroyed by flood water caused by too much rain this year, he said, adding farmers could harvest tomatoes only two or three times, down from up to nine times annually. Farmers working on a paddy field in Yangon's Dala township in August 2023. [RFA Burmese] In Laos, climate change is leading to delayed rainfall, prolonged droughts, and increased insect infestations, an agricultural worker from a Lao civil society organization said. These changes directly impact food security, with some rural residents even facing the threat of famine. It is harvesting time, but we still see heavy rain and the rain damages our rice output, he told RFA in November. The temperature is getting warmer, which causes insect outbreaks and rice-field rat outbreaks. The climate is strange these days. Laotian farmers encountered brown planthoppers and Asian rice gall midges in 2023, damaging 51 hectares of rice fields in five villages of Paklay district, Xayaburys provincial agriculture department said in October. The problem is the same in Nepal. Crop diseases spread rapidly despite pesticide use, affecting even traditionally hardy crops like millet, while use of pesticides has not helped, Lama said. El Nino exacerbating climate change impacts In northern Malaysia, the typical rice planting schedule for the first season starts in April, followed by a second season in October. However, this year we fell behind the schedule due to climate change, specifically El-Nino, which lasted for a few months longer this year, said Hisham Ahmad, 53, from Padang Siding. El Nino, a naturally occurring weather pattern characterized by hot ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, can lead to heat waves, droughts, floods, and other extreme conditions that impact crop production and food security. It currently takes place within a climate changed by human activities. Due to delay in the first crop season, which began only in July for many, we will manage to harvest only once this year, Ahmad told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news outlet. It had also been raining cats and dogs for the past few months with strong winds, he added, resulting in padi rebah (fallen paddy), which could reduce crop yield up to 25% this year. A farmer works in a paddy field under the power lines near Nam Theun 2 dam in Khammouane province, Laos, Oct. 28, 2013. [Aubrey Belford/Reuters] Unusual weather events such as winter-like foggy mornings in August and never-before seen dust storms are further challenging farmers livelihoods. Maybe its the whole world, but it is increasingly difficult for us farmers to rely solely on agriculture for our survival, Lama from Nepal said. Instead of viewing just roads and electricity as development, Nepal should have focused on irrigation as an agricultural country. Farmers would not have faced the brunt of climate change and chaotic modernization, he said. Farming in focus at COP28 A 2021 study revealed that despite significant agricultural progress over the past six decades, global farming productivity is currently 21% lower than it could have been without the influence of climate change, equivalent to approximately seven years of lost productivity gains. Farmers are all depressed. Those who can and have means have left the country. Those who dont have anything suffer the most, Lama explained. I think my generation may survive, but not the next generation. There are over 570 million farms worldwide, with approximately 84% of them occupying less than 2 hectares and collectively managing around 12% of the worlds farmland, according to a 2016 study. These small-time farmers, many of whom experience food insecurity and live in highly precarious conditions, contribute minimally to climate change. However, they are at the forefront of its impact and most do not have the resources to tackle the challenges. The Lao agriculture ministry and the Farmers Network said in October that severe droughts and floods, driven by climate change, are the foremost threats to Lao farmers, who suffered from an extensive and damaging deluge last year and a severe arid spell this year. A representative from the Lao Farmers Network emphasized the need for international support and funding for Lao farmers at the ongoing COP28 summit in Dubai. There should be research on insurance for farmers. Also, in all planning, rule amendments and climate change policy-making processes, farmers should be included at the government and project levels, he told RFA. An entire day on Dec. 10 has been dedicated to focusing on food and agriculture for the first time at a COP. Some 134 countries, including China, signed a declaration on Friday to accelerate efforts to reshape agriculture and food systems, committing to scale-up efforts for farmers adaptation and resilience, addressing soil health, food waste and biodiversity loss. RFA is a news service affiliated with BenarNews. New Vice President Sara Duterte raises the arm of new President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., during the inauguration ceremony at the National Museum in Manila, June 30, 2022. Vice President Sara Dutertes criticism that reopening peace talks with communist rebels is like an agreement with the devil marks her first public rebuttal of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and is a sign of a rift between the two, an analyst said. Duterte, whose father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, broke off peace negotiations with the communists six years ago, on Monday stated her opposition to last weeks announcement of an agreement to reboot talks with the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). After the two sides took part in a confidential meeting in Oslo facilitated by the Norwegian government, they committed themselves to restarting talks seeking an end to Asias longest-running insurgency, which began in 1969. Mr. President, the governments statement with the NDFP in Oslo was an agreement with the devil, she said, using an acronym for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the communist partys political wing. Mr. President, we can negotiate for peace and reconciliation and pursue meaningful development efforts in the Philippines without capitulating to the enemies. As she addressed the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, Duterte, the vice president who also serves as the Philippine education secretary, also challenged Marcos efforts to grant pardons to captured CPP members. The agreement in Oslo, reached on Nov. 23, called for establishing a framework to resume talks that were cancelled in 2017 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte. He had accused communist rebels of insincerity for carrying out attacks despite a ceasefire and went on to blacklist the CPP and its military wing, the New Peoples Army (NPA), as terrorist organizations. Analysts had been anticipating that the rift between President Marcos and his VP would surface publicly, but not this soon, said Ramon Beleno III, head of the political science and history department at Ateneo de Davao University in southern Davao city, the Dutertes home base. For me its only a matter of formality. At some point there will be divergence within the Team Unity group, knowing there are people that have different perspectives and interests, he told BenarNews. Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte applauds during a change of military command ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Aug. 8, 2022. [Ezra Acayan/pool/AFP] Beleno was referring to the Marcos-Duterte unity alliance that blew away opposition candidates in the 2022 presidential polls. In the months leading up to the vote, Sara Duterte led all popularity surveys before deciding to run as Marcos running mate instead. In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately under the Constitution to help keep the balance of power. During his term in office, the elder Duterte and his then-vice president, Leni Robredo, often clashed. Robredo criticized his drug war and he told her that she was not qualified ahead of her own announcement that she was running for president in 2022. Analysts said tensions between Marcos and his vice president deteriorated with the Marcos administrations decision last month to free on bail Leila de Lima, a former senator and justice secretary who had been calling for Rodrigo Duterte to be investigated by the International Criminal Court. Marcos also reversed his predecessors pro-China policy and returned to the embrace of the United States, the Philippines traditional ally. On Tuesday, a spokesman for Marcos said the president had contracted the coronavirus and would not comment on the remarks by Sara Duterte about the peace talks. A lack of understanding The House of Representatives, where Marcos son and a cousin sit as powerful members, meanwhile has launched an investigation into huge budget allocations for the education department under Sara Dutertes leadership. House member France Castro, an educator who serves in congress, said Sara Dutertes remarks were alarming and detrimental to the pursuit of peace. These statements reflect a lack of understanding of the complexities of the peace process and disregard for the aspiration of the Filipino people for just and lasting peace, she said. Sara Dutertes remarks also undermine the presidency of Marcos along with efforts to address the roots of the long-running insurgency, she said. Vice President Sara Duterte (second from left) is joined by her father, President Rodrigo Duterte (fourth from left) and President-elect Ferdinand Marcos (fifth from left) during her inauguration in Davao, Philippines, June 20, 2022. [Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews] During her Monday speech, Sara Duterte called on Marcos to increase funding to strengthen the anti-commubist task force, which her father had established in 2018 to implement his governments strategy to end the insurgency. Its main stated purpose is to implement economic programs and offer amnesty to guerrillas, but it has backed continued military operations against the CPP-NPA. On Tuesday, armed forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said troops would not lay down their firearms unless directly ordered by the commander-in-chief. I cannot blame the vice president for saying this. In fact this opinion is shared by many in the country, even soldiers, Brawner told reporters. Still, he said, the resumption of peace talks could have a positive outcome. We believe that the joint statement made is really moving toward lasting peace. I believe this could lead to lasting peace because first of all they said there will be no preconditions, there will be no ceasefire, there will be no release of political prisoners, Brawner said. These are exploratory talks, but in the meantime, we in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, I told all our troops, to continue our operations. Several Chinese warships arrived at Ream naval base in Cambodia in preparation for training the Cambodian Navy, according to a Cambodian official, a rare move accompanied by a Chinese generals visit to Phnom Penh that is expected to further bolster ties between two countries. Tea Seiha, Cambodias minister of defense, said on his Facebook page on Sunday that he paid a visit to the base under construction with help from Beijing, with his father and predecessor, Tea Banh. Tea Banh was awarded the title Samdech Pichey Sena which roughly translates as greatest, victorious commander in 2017 and retains influence over the military despite having ceded the post to his son. The duo visited the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) naval ships docked at the Ream sea port in preparation for training our Cambodian Navy crew, reads the post, adding that they inspected the infrastructure construction which is actively going according to the plan and that the bases development will take the navys capability to a higher level. It is unclear how many PLA ships are in Ream and how long the training would last, but in the accompanying photos at least two ships were visible. Satellite images from the imaging company Planet Labs on Dec. 3 also show two ships, likely corvettes or frigates, docking at the new pier in the bases center-west. This indicates a deeper involvement by the PLA Navy in Cambodia. A satellite image of a new pier at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base shows what appears to be two Chinese navy ships docked at the pier in preparation for training the Cambodian navy, Dec. 3, 2023. [Credit Planet Labs] There had been no previously known instance of foreign warships gaining access to the Ream naval base. Russian Navys anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Panteleyev while on a visit to Cambodia on Nov. 27 was docked at the Sihanoukville port about 20 km. (12 miles) away. Cambodias strategic thinking Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews, has reported on the rapid development of the Ream naval base over the past year. One of the most striking features is the new deep-draft pier that could accommodate aircraft carriers including the PLAs third carrier Fujian. Cambodia has repeatedly denied that China is being given exclusive military access to the base, saying that would be in contradiction to the countrys constitution. If operating from the base, this would be Chinas first naval staging facility in Southeast Asia and the second foreign base in the world after Djibouti. Cambodian scholar Chansambath Bong, deputy director of the think tank Asian Vision Institute (AVI), wrote in a new article that the debate on the re-development of the Ream Naval Base is dominated by Western media and analysts who view Cambodia predominantly through the lens of U.S.-China competition in Southeast Asia and who lack the background in Cambodias history and strategic thinking. In the article published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) Chansambath Bong argued that the ongoing redevelopment of the Ream Naval Base is strategically vital for Cambodias maritime governance. In Cambodias view, Reams redevelopment is overdue and within its constitution and rights as a sovereign state, he said. Cambodia has leveraged its external ties to address its self-defense and maritime security challenges. Community of Common Destiny The visit of the PLA warships takes place as a Chinese top general pays a visit to Cambodia to promote the ironclad friendship between the two countries and two militaries, according to Chinas state-run Xinhua News Agency. On Monday Gen. He Weidong, vice chairman of Chinas Central Military Commission, met with Cambodias leaders including Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father Hun Sen, president of the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party. He also held talks with Defense Minister Tea Seiha to exchange views on bilateral relations, military cooperation, and international issues of common interest. The two militaries have sustained high-level cooperation in the fields including high-level exchange, mechanism building, joint drills and exercises, and personnel training, he was quoted as saying. Korean steel company POSCO Holdings said Tuesday it plans to build an industrial gas production facility at a secondary battery complex in the country's southeastern port city of Pohang. The company plans to invest 100 billion won ($76.3 million) in the 16,500-square-meter facility, with an annual production capacity of 250,000 tons, at the complex located near Yeongil Bay in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The facility will be equipped with an oxygen plant and an air separation unit to separate and purify oxygen and nitrogen, as well as storage tanks capable of storing up to 2,000 tons of liquid oxygen. High-purity oxygen and nitrogen produced at the facility will be provided to POSCO Future M, the group's battery materials unit, to be used in producing cathode materials for the manufacturing of secondary batteries. (Yonhap) Bennington, VT (05201) Today Cloudy skies with afternoon snow showers. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.. Tonight Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 32F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%. PAWLET The judge in the ongoing Daniel Banyai land use case ordered his immediate arrest after a finding that Banyais property is still not compliant with court orders following a site inspection last week. The ongoing case seemed near a possible resolution one week ago but is now back to the same contempt of court status it was before the site inspection, which includes continued accruing fines, hard feelings, and an imminent pending arrest in the coming days a possibility. In a court finding posted Monday, Environmental Court Judge Thomas Durkin found Banyais 30-acre West Pawlet property in an ongoing contempt status of the previous order and granted a new arrest warrant motion, including several new conditions for both an arrest and compliance at the request of the Town of Pawlet. The judge, stating the latest opportunity for the property to achieve compliance, found that Banyai failed to do so. The order says, Imprisonment is an appropriate coercive remedy in these circumstances. The granted motion includes several new conditions, including orders for any sheriff, state or local police officer, or constable in the state to arrest Banyai and remit him to the custody of the Commissioner of Corrections" until the property is brought into compliance. The order specifically names Rutland County Sheriff David Fox and the Vermont State Police and orders them to file a statement under oath with the court every 30 days if Banyai is not arrested, documenting their efforts to execute the warrant in accordance with the law. Unlike the previous warrant, The new one has no expiration date until the property complies. It further orders Banyai to turn himself in to the Department of Corrections at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland by Dec. 22. The granted motion also states that law enforcement is specifically ordered to enter the premises at 541 Briar Hill Road to make the arrest." The Rutland County Sheriffs Department shall also accompany Town of Pawlet officials for entry onto the property at 541 Briar Hill Road in Pawlet, Vermont, to bring the property into compliance with the March 5, 2021 Order as described in the February 8, 2023 Contempt Order, whether or not Daniel Banyai is yet in custody. After reviewing photographs and documentation presented by town officials of Banyais property after last Mondays inspection, Judge Durkin made the decision that the property failed to comply with his previous order. The Towns documentation confirms that Respondent remains in contempt of the Courts February 8th and subsequent Court Orders. Having reviewed the Towns most recent filings, our initial concern is that the Towns inspection revealed that some areas of Respondents property have been fenced in and access to those areas locked. Visual inspection of these restricted areas revealed that materials covered by tarps remained on the property. In addition, Respondent has not taken any steps to deconstruct all the berm developments in and around Range 1 and Range 2. Those berms are specifically mentioned in the Courts previous order as needing to be completely removed to a more natural, flattened landscape. Accordingly, the Court finds that the circumstances which gave rise to the original Writ of Mittimus (arrest warrant) largely still exist today and have been further aggravated by the passage of time, without any evidence of Respondents efforts to voluntarily come into compliance. The Court had hoped to convince Respondent to voluntarily comply with the Courts prior Orders by putting purgeable coercive incentives in place. Our efforts thus far have not yet been sufficient to convince Respondent to come into compliance. The Court had also hoped to avoid directing that Respondent be incarcerated but has been convinced by Respondents continued obstinance that the threat of incarceration is the only remaining tool at the Courts disposal to encourage compliance. The controversial 30-acre property called Slate Ridge and owned by Daniel Banyai long in the middle of a dispute with the Town currently remains free after years of tangling with neighbors, the town, and the state over what the town and neighbors describe as an unlicensed paramilitary training facility. Both town attorney Merrill Bent and Banyai attorney Robert Kaplan declined to comment on the new developments. It is unclear whether Banyai will now comply by turning himself in, trying to achieve compliance, or pursuing further remedy. The case is currently pending a United States Second Circuit appeal after an unsuccessful appeal to the Vermont Supreme Court several weeks ago. A new, second appeal in the Vermont Supreme Court challenges a separate ruling and is still pending. Jurisdiction in the case remains with the Vermont Supreme Court, which recently granted the lower court to rule on current issues, including the new arrest warrant. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter PITTSFIELD For the second time this year, Panchos Mexican Restaurant's liquor license is in danger. A December show cause hearing was requested by the Pittsfield Police Department for the North Street restaurant after they were called to the scene of a disturbance at 1:24 a.m. Nov. 4. In May, the Pittsfield Licensing Board reduced Panchos' serving hours for three weeks. The restaurant was also advised it would automatically be given a seven-day license suspension if police were called to the establishment again within the next year. That decision came on May 22 after a show cause hearing about a March 26 incident that resulted in three 911 calls. The next scheduled show cause hearing will be held Dec. 18 before the Pittsfield Licensing Board. Hearings of this kind determine if there is any wrongdoing including overserving of patrons or a lack of security on the part of proprietors when police respond to city establishments. Loretta Mach, the attorney representing Panchos, did not respond to requests for comment. Gabriel Columna, the owner of the restaurant, deferred to Mach to answer questions. According to a redacted police report of the November incident, officers responded to the restaurant after they observed an individual waving their arms at the location at 154 North St. When officer Michael Doyle entered the restaurant he found two parties being restrained from each other one patron being held back by his friends, and two men being held back by a Panchos employee, according to the report. The patron claimed his phone and car keys were taken by the two men at the bar, leading to the disagreement. While breaking up the disagreement, Doyle advised the two men who had allegedly taken the phone, to leave the bar, noting that they were so [redacted] it was challenging to communicate with them effectively. Eventually, the patron left the restaurant. Doyle noted the involved parties were "constantly moving and yelling and did not want to talk to me." The police response did not lead to any arrests or charges. While the report is redacted, some passages indicate that people present were under the influence of alcohol. In describing the crowd in front of the restaurant, Doyle wrote: "I observed most of the people standing out front to be highly [redacted]. I had two females initiate a conversation with me, and they were [redacted] their words and [redacted] around as they walked." The crowd out front of the restaurant made it difficult to conduct interviews and keep the situation calm, according to the report. The bar emptied out after security told patrons to leave during the incident. Doyle wrote that he captured these interactions on his body-worn camera. Body-worn camera footage was also used in the show cause hearing from April. Start the day with the lastest headlines Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter NORTH ADAMS Driving around the city is about to get more difficult. The state Department of Transportation recently designated Veterans Memorial Bridge as structurally deficient," bringing the total number of bridges in the city in need of repairs or replacement to three. The city-owned Veterans Memorial Bridge that flies over Marshall Street, the south campus of Mass MoCA and the Hoosic River, joins the list of deficient bridges in North Adams alongside the Brown Street Bridge which is owned by the city and a state bridge on Route 2 over the Hoosic River. It definitely concerns me, Mayor Jennifer Macksey said Monday. Instead of having a pathway and being proactive, were having to be more reactive, and getting around North Adams isnt easy. The city's Department of Public Services posted on Facebook last week saying the state had issued weight limit restrictions and lane closures for the bridge. "These restrictions are due to structural deficiencies found during a recent inspection and are necessary to keep the bridge open until a repair plan can be implemented," the post reads. "Alternate truck routes detour signage will be posted over the next few weeks." The city already began discussing and undertook a federally funded feasibility study earlier this year that would look at options of what to do with Veterans Memorial Bridge, including the possibility of demolishing it. Macksey said it would take more than a month for an evaluation of the centrally-located bridge to be completed. She doesnt yet have an opinion on whether the bridge should be repaired or demolished. Im waiting for the feasibility results to arm me with data to make an educated opinion and an educated plan, she said. Its too early in the process to say. Last week, the city instituted a state-ordered lane closure on the bridge, and will soon post weight limits. While the bridge is currently safe, heavy vehicles such as trucks will have to take detours to head off future damage. Well work with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on what a temporary fix is versus a permanent fix, but were a little bit ahead on Veterans Memorial, in the sense that we have that grant, which is assessing the bridge already, Macksey said. The grant for the feasibility study is worth $750,000. The feasibility study has multiple parts, Macksey said, one, to address the bridge, which was falling down because the saddles underneath were decaying; two, to assess the traffic pattern coming into the downtown; and thirdly, how does the bridge fit with all of that. The Veterans Memorial Bridge, built in 1959, was named structurally deficient following its most recent inspection on Sept. 25. The bridge was last reconstructed in 1992 for more than $2 million, paid for by the state. While its deck condition is solid at 7, according to Mass DOT, its substructure is rated 5 and its superstructure 3 and anything 4 or below is considered poor. The DOT rates bridges on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 the best. On the currently closed Brown Street Bridge, Mass DOT is working with the city, and with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to figure out what needs to be done to fix it and whether theres a solution to get it open temporarily. The Army Corps is involved because of its feasibility study project on North Adams flood chutes, and the Brown Street Bridge runs over a portion of the citys flood management system. On the State Road bridge, the state has been working to get that project funded for a while, Macksey said. State Rep. John Barrett III, D-North Adams, introduced a bill last year that would designate the bridge in memory of William Billy Evans, a U.S. Capitol police officer who died during an attack at the Capitol on April 2, 2021. Macksey said that while the city is pursuing money through grants, the litany of infrastructure issues is frustrating. Its a grave concern, she said. As these things are popping up, so are more water and sewer issues. I feel like Im the mayor thats cursed with infrastructure problems, but thats what I signed up for. We are making headway, but its not visible yet because were in the engineering phase on many projects. GREAT BARRINGTON The third time was a charm, after all, for a supermarket chain to get the town's last beer and wine license. But not so much for local package store owners, one such owner said. The Select Board on Monday issued Price Chopper the town's last malt and wine license for its new Market 32 store at Barrington Plaza off Stockbridge Road. The vote was 3-1 with Garfield Reed recusing himself because he works at a package store. Board member Eric Gabriel held steady in his opposition. Gabriel doubled down on his take that a corporation couldn't survive without selling alcohol. "I feel first and foremost that we're here to protect small businesses," Gabriel said. "I want this board to understand that a yes vote could very possibly mean the reduction of 30 to 40 percent of sales for our smaller stores." Gabriel added that being "honest," the bulk of the sales would go to the new Market 32. "That's why the corporation keeps spending so much on lawyers," he said. After much wrestling for more than a year about whether another place in town should sell booze, the board said yes on the condition that alcohol is limited to "clearly designated aisles without satellite or end of aisle displays/end caps," said board Vice Chair Leigh Davis, reading the motion. Price Chopper began seeking the license last year as part of its expansion and rebranding of the aging store into a Market 32. Company officials said that in order to make the remodel work and pay the bills, they needed the license so the store could compete with Big Y on the south end of town. Big Y was granted a license in 2018 for a similar expansion. Price Chopper began applying after the board rejected the application of Ankit Patel for his family's Shell station on Stockbridge Road. At the time, Patel had threatened to sue. It appears from court records that he did not, though Patel could not be reached for comment. The board then rejected Price Chopper's application twice. On the first application, the states Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission upheld the boards decision to deny the license. It is unclear whether the company also appealed the board's second rejection at its hearing in March. At Monday's hearing, some residents worried that the store's selling alcohol might result in problems that include shoplifting. Ed Domaney, owner of Domaney's Liquors and Fine Wines, said once again that giving the supermarket the license would harm package stores likes his. He said that these beer and wine licenses were meant for small stores. Taft Farms owner and CEO Paul Tawczynski, whose business has also been on the waiting list for this last license, said the same. "They were designed for small businesses, they were designed for mom and pops," Tawczynski said. "They weren't designed for mega corporations." Other residents said it would be unfair to leave the north side of town with a deteriorating Price Chopper, given that the company says selling alcohol is key to making it viable. Others, including a company representative, said that should the store fails to thrive it would affect more than 200 workers. By Park Jae-hyuk A dispute is lingering between labor and management over the necessity of a foreign workforce for the construction of large plants here, amid the governments ambiguous stance on the matter, according to industry officials, Tuesday. While plant construction companies claimed that there is a shortage of workers for a series of factory construction projects in southern regions, unionized Korean workers refuted such claims, saying that employers are merely looking to cut labor costs. In order to prevent the dissemination of important technologies, Korea has since 2007 banned construction companies from hiring foreign workers for the construction of power plants, steel mills and petrochemical factories. However, construction companies have urged the government to ease regulations so that they can hire foreign laborers, citing the limited inflow of young workers into the industry while too many older workers are retiring. They have also emphasized that foreign workers will not steal important technology know-how, as the workers will be deployed only for simple jobs, such as welding and plumbing. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups should make efforts for construction firms to use foreign workers at plant construction sites, Cho In-ho, chairman of the Korea Mechanical Construction Contractors Association, told SMEs Minister Lee Young in a recent meeting. An official of one of the domestic conglomerates that placed plant construction orders agreed to the necessity of hiring more migrant workers at construction sites. In contrast, the Korean Plant Construction Workers Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions claimed that many Koreans are still facing difficulties finding jobs at plant construction sites. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, another umbrella union, also opposes the use of foreign labor at plant construction sites. Instead of sending unskilled foreign workers to construction sites, the government should focus more on fostering skilled Korean construction workers, a plant union official said. Reckless use of foreigners at plant construction sites may cause problems in communication, which could lead to fatal industrial accidents. The government is in talks with labor and management about whether or not to allow plant construction companies to hire foreign workers who hold E-9 visas. However, protests from unionized Korean workers are said to have led the government to delay its decision. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said nothing has been decided regarding this issue, as relevant ministries are still holding discussions. A ministry supervising the plant industry has talked with the unions, a ministry official said. It is uncertain when well be able to reach a conclusion, because we should discuss this matter with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. GREAT BARRINGTON A settlement is in the works that could spare customers of Housatonic Water Works from a significant rate hike. The private company, the three towns to which it supplies water and state officials asked the Department of Public Utilities on Monday to postpone its Dec. 14 and 18 hearings on Housatonic Water Works rate hike request. The motion to postpone is because a settlement is being discussed and the parties want more time to work it out on their own. In June, Housatonic Water Works filed for a rate hike that would generate more than $800,000 in revenue for the company that needs to make $4.5 million in upgrades to a system with water quality issues. If approved, the increase would double customer bills. The motion from Monday signals that perhaps such a significant rate hike would be averted in a settlement agreement. There is good cause to allow this motion," Monday's motion to the DPU stated, "because the department has a policy of approving settlements that are in the public interest." The motion went on to say that "the potential for settlement rather than litigation is administratively efficient and would avoid costs" associated with a formal government review and approval process through the DPU. The water works, the state Attorney General and the towns of Great Barrington, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge signed on to the motion asking DPU for at least 30 days more time. The hearings could be postponed as late as early February, the motion said. A meeting on Friday with Housatonic Water Works officials went well, and those attending "believe in good faith that there is opportunity to negotiate a settlement on the issues presented in this proceeding." The parties are working on a term sheet that, if agreed upon, will lead to a settlement agreement. A spokesperson for the Attorney Generals Office of Ratepayer Advocacy did not answer questions about what a settlement might entail in this case. Housatonic Water Works co-owner and treasurer James Mercer has repeatedly said he cannot comment on matters related to rate changes. The water company's rate hike request from June requires the DPU's review and approval. As part of that process, documents have revealed new information about the company, including that it has not applied for any grants or financing. It also revealed details of Mercers accounting for what he says is $2 million in unpaid compensation to him and his father, co-owner Frederick Mercer. Carolyn Kay Brancato's play "Censored: Readings from Banned Books and More" was recently produced at The Foundry in West Stockbridge, with a panel discussion following the play. Reading is fundamental. As a child, this was the slogan that I remember from an organization that was concerned with promoting the joy of reading to children. Well, I must have gotten the message because as a child, to find me without a book in my hand was rare. I spent so much time in the library, which was right across the street from my house. At the kitchen table during breakfast, I was reading the back of the cereal box. If I wasnt outside playing with my friends, I could be found lying across my bed with a book in hand. Its not that it was the only thing I did; I played sports, I watched television but reading! With history and biographies being my preference, I think it transported me, and opened up my imagination. But when I got saved at the age of fifteen, my already heightened fascination for reading was catapulted to new levels when I discovered the Bible! Here was a new book that I could dig into and devour it I did! And when I came to realize several years later that the Lord had called me to teach His Word, the desire for His Word was strengthened. The Bible Is One Grand Story My story is not special nor am I. God desires each of His children to fall in love with His Word. Heres how the apostle Peter put it: As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2). But other than the benefit of growing spiritually through reading of it, which would seem enough in itself, why else should you and I be drawn to Gods Word? More times than not, I have heard the following words over the years, I just dont like to read. Those words, especially from young Christians, can initiate a life-long pattern of biblical illiteracy, which is simply not knowing or being sure of what the Bible says, and biblical complacency which says that you know enough and just enough to get you by. Neither approach will allow any one of us to grow properly in the grace and knowledge of Christ. So, if I can, allow me to elaborate on one pivotal reason why we should be drawn to His Word it is because Gods Word, the Bible, is by all accounts and in every respect one big story: one grand and glorious story. At its core, it is the story of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This means that the entirety of the Bible is the story of the cross; it concerns the redemption of man, who could only be redeemed through the price that Jesus paid on the cross. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). The Bible should not be consigned as only good literature, as some have suggested, or just a great read. It should not be palmed off as simply a book of short archaic stories that should be relegated to the proverbial backburner because they have no bearing on contemporary society. The Bible is the inerrant, infallible, unchanging, eternal Word of God that will endure forever. The same people who refer to God as the man upstairs, are the very same people who refer to the Bible as the good book. Yet, it is so much more than a good book. To believe and support this mindset is to undermine and misrepresent the fact that the Bible is relevant, prevalent, powerful, and above all true. The Bible Is One Unified Story What staggers the mind and serves to add to the awesomeness of it all is how God has assembled and preserved His Word. Written over a period of approximately 1500-1600 years by 40 different authors from three different continents, and from various levels of society, the Bible is a unified masterpiece. The book of Genesis sets the Bibles course with these prophetic words: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15). This pronouncement, traditionally known as the protoevangelium, or first gospel, sets in motion mans redemption. It speaks of a coming Deliverer who would set men and women free from the clutches of sin and Satan. Every writer and every prophet spoke of Him. Every battle, in essence, was about Him. The Enemy sought at every turn to destroy Gods people in an effort to root out the One who would bruise his head. Haman, in the book of Esther, serves as a perfect example of one who set out to make an end of the Jewish nation. His actions are a microcosm of Satans history. Through approximately 400 years of silence from any God-ordained prophet, which is the interval between the close of Malachi and the appearance of the Christ-child, Satan persisted. Through the despot king Herod, Satan engineers the slaughter of the innocents, a detestable and sinister ploy meant to destroy Christ before He could come to power. He of course would not succeed, and even as Christs ministry began thirty years later, Satan looked to destroy Him through temptation. The Purpose of the Bible In the end, Christs ministry on earth is summed up in His words as he emerged from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (Luke 4:18). This mission statement of Christ is why He came; it is the overriding reason He alone is the centerpiece of the Bible. It is the reason we go into all the world to reach the world with His story the story of the Christ who was born, who lived a sinless life, was crucified, and was resurrected by the power of God. This is the gospel. In closing, when speaking of this one big story, it is important to remember that it is a story for all time and for all people. It touches everything, pertains to everyone, and its words soothe and comfort every time. The following words, whose author is unknown but can be found as an introduction in Bibles produced by Gideons International, speak to this precisely: This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, the happiness of believers. Its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the travelers map, the pilgrims staff, the pilots compass, the soldiers sword, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is given you in life, will be opened in judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibilities, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward (Psalms 19:7-11). This is the Bible. It truly is one big, bold, and beautiful story. Read it and be blessed. Photo credit: Getty Images/krisanapongdetraphiphat Michael Jakes is a Bible teacher, and co-founder of Thats The Word! Ministries, a distinctly online Cross-centered outreach. He hosts several live weekly webcasts, including 'The Bible Speaks Live', 'The Cutting It Right Bible Study', and the 'Line By Line Webcast'. He has also authored three books, The Lights In The Windows, Churchified Or Sanctified?, and Living In Between Sundays. He and his wife Eddye have been married for over 40 years, and reside in New York. You can follow him on Facebook and Youtube , or listen to his podcasts on Spreaker. LISTEN: Let Our Bible Study Expert Help You Start the New Year Right! Have you ever chosen a word for the year? Whether you pick a word each year or never have before, I think this episode will help you order your life in the year to come. If you don't know what your word is, today might be a great day for you to hear some of the things that we are promised in Christ that you in faith can claim for yourself for 2024. Keep in mind, each of these words requires faith. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group. WATCH: 5 Verses on Strength for When You Feel Weak Video stock video and music probided by SoundStripe The accounts of Jesus birth in the gospels includes a number of references to angels, often referred to by us now as the Christmas angels. You may wonder about the prevalence of angelic beings in the story of Jesus birth and their significance in Scripture. The Christmas angels were heavenly beings sent by God to deliver the news of Jesus conception and birth. What Are Angels in the Christmas Story? Angels are not unique to the Christmas story and actually appear throughout Scripture. They are spiritual beings created by God to do his work and share messages from God. The meaning of the word angel in Greek is messenger. Angels were created by God (Psalm 148:5) and they are spirits sent to serve believers (Hebrews 1:14). The Bible states that God made human beings lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5), and asserts that although Jesus was a little lower than the angels when he took on human form, he is once again higher than them (Hebrews 1:4). Angels, as Gods messengers, deliver news, share prophetic messages, and perform an array of acts to help Christians. From the beginning of Scripture, angels are introduced. As early as Genesis 2:1, angels are referenced as God has finished creating the heavens and the earth, and all their hosts. In Genesis 19:1, angels are sent by God to warn Lot and his family to leave before God destroyed the city. In Genesis 28:10-12, when Jacob fell asleep, he dreamed of angels ascending and descending on the ladder between heaven and earth. In Exodus 3:2, an angel appeared to Moses when God called him to lead the people out of Egypt. In Judges 2:1-4, an angel of the Lord delivered a powerful message to the Israelites. In Psalm 91, angels are commanded by God to protect people. We read of angelic encounters in the New Testament, as well. After Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights in the desert, and was tested by the devil, angels appeared and attended to him (Matthew 4:11). Jesus spoke of angels, too, in Matthew 18:10, For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. In Acts 12:7, an angel of the Lord appeared to Peter and rescued him from prison. We can even anticipate that angels will be part of the second coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:31). Angels take on crucial tasks and deliver important messages throughout the Bible. Specifically, in the Christmas story, we read of angelic events. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him the news of Marys virgin birth (Matthew 1:20). An angel appeared to shepherds keeping watch over their sheep to tell them the good news of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:10). Heavenly hosts who were praising God came along with the angel who appeared to the shepherds (Luke 2:13). Finally, another angel, Gabriel, is mentioned by name in the Christmas story. Who Is the Angel Gabriel? Gabriel is only one of two angels whose names are mentioned in the Bible, the other is the archangel Michael (Jude 1:9). We do not know if Gabriel is an archangel because that is never stated in Scripture, but mention of his name alludes to the fact that he is a lead angel that delivers vital messages. In the first chapter of Lukes Gospel, Gabriel is named as the angel who visited Zechariah to tell him the news of his wife Elizabeths miraculous pregnancy (Luke 1:13-19). Zechariah and Elizabeth were of old age, but Elizabeths barren womb would be opened. Gabriel told Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son whom they were to name John. According to Gabriels message, it would be John who would go before the Lord. Later, God sent the angel Gabriel to visit Mary, a young Jewish virgin soon to be wed to Joseph (Luke 1:26-32). Gabriel told Mary that she was highly favored and would give birth to a son whom she was to name Jesus. He would be the long-awaited Son of the Most High. Earlier in Scripture, Gabriel is mentioned in the book of Daniel (8:16 and 9:21). In both occurrences, Gabriel visited Daniel to affirm prophetic visions regarding the kingdom of God. Ultimately, very little is known about the angel, Gabriel. These appearances of Gabriel in the Book of Daniel and the Gospel of Luke are the only instances in the Bible where Gabriel is mentioned by name. What Is a Heavenly Host? An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him the news of Marys virgin birth (Matthew 1:20). In the birth narrative of Jesus, it states that heavenly hosts joined the angels who visited the shepherds keeping watch (Luke 2:13). Specifically, these heavenly hosts worshiped and praised God when they came to the shepherds declaring, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:14). An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him the news of Marys virgin birth (Matthew 1:20). In Scripture, similar to the term, heavenly host, which is used to describe angels, is the phrase, Lord of hosts, which refers to God. In 1 Samuel 1:11, Hannah prayed to God, calling him, Lord of hosts. Elsewhere, in Malachi 3:17, God is referred to again as Lord of hosts. In Hebrew, Lord of hosts means Lord of armies. In Revelation 12:7-9, it is foretold that Michael the archangel and the host of angels will defeat Satan. Heavenly hosts, then, are believed to be Gods army of angels. Why Did the Angels Appear to Shepherds? In Jesus time, shepherds were considered lowly people. They were not admired, were considered untrustworthy, and looked down upon. God sent his angels to the shepherds to share the good news of Jesus birth (Luke 2:9). The angels appearing to the shepherds was an indication of Jesus humble birth. He was born in a meager stable beside animals, he was laid in a manger, and the good news of his birth was told first to shepherds. Humble circumstances surrounded Jesus birth, which was fitting for the Son of the Most High who would lead a ministry that was marked by sacrificial love, servanthood, and surrendering to the Fathers will. The angel visiting the shepherds also serves as a prelude to Jesus three years of earthly ministry where he was routinely found ministering to and spending time with the outcasts and marginalized people. He ate with the tax collectors (Matthew 9:10), he saved adulterers (John 8:11), and he made a Samaritan the hero of a parable (Luke 10:33). From the very start, Jesus demonstrated he was truly sent to save sinners, not the righteous (Mark 2:17). The angels sing while they visit the shepherds because they are announcing God and giving him the glory he is due. Just as in Isaiah 6, when the angels sang in the presence of the Lord, so, too, they are singing at the presence of Jesus (Immanuel, meaning God with us). Praise is what the angels do. It is their inherent nature to worship God, and they do this continually according to Scripture in a variety of circumstances (Job 38:7, Psalm 103:20, Luke 15:10). When angels are present in Scripture, often they are worshiping and praising God. The angels were giving praise to the King born to the world. Why Are Angels Important and Symbolic in the Christmas Story? Angels are significant to the Christmas story because Jesus birth was like none other. Angels are powerful and appear for pivotal circumstances, thus, it makes sense as to why they were present in the Christmas story. Something truly miraculous happened when Jesus took on the human form as a baby boy. The presence of angels served as confirmation to the miraculous nature of Jesus conception and birth, and the arrival of the king of kings. The presence of angels in the Christmas story is inspiring. It reminds us that the conception, birth and life of Jesus were sacred and changed the course of history, bridging the gap between the Father and sinful humanity. From the role of Gabriel, to the heavenly hosts praising the Lord, the angelic presences in the Christmas story fills us with excitement, hope and joy brought only by the life and ministry of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Photo credit: Getty Images/Stratos Giannikos Pamela Palmer is a writer, speaker, and the founder of upheldlife.com, the platform on which she produces devotionals and faith resources to inspire keeping faith at the center of life. She is in pastoral ministry and gets to share in the emotional and spiritual lives of others. She lives and thrives on Jesus, coffee, and music. She is the author of Living a Deeper Faith: Nurture Your Relationship with God and Live a Faith-Fueled Life. Pamela married the perfect man for her and they have two beautiful kiddos. She has been published on herviewfromhome.com, and you can follow her at upheldlife.com or on Facebook.com/upheldlife. LISTEN to Christ-Centered Christmas Podcasts on LifeAudio The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group. WATCH: Prophecies That Foretold Jesus' Birth See the numerous biblical prophecies of the birth of Jesus Christ and what we can learn from the Old Testament about His divinity in this collection of scripture quotes. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. 5th edition of BIRAC-TiE WInER Fellowship awards announced The second day of Global Bio-India 2023 summit saw the launch of numerous products by women-led biotech and health-tech startups, in the presence of dignitaries from Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), TiE. The products included Micro-Biozyme (Greenathon Technologies); Pesticide Smart Check (Agrovrddhi); MoveAxon (SynerSense); NaturActiv+ (Capsber Global Agro); Antimicrobial resistance detection biosensor (Ramja Genosensor); Sydantek ECG (Carditek Medical Devices); Remote healthcare interactive machine (Medaara). In addition, prizes worth Rs 25 lakh each were handed over to three women entrepreneurs for developing ground-breaking healthcare solutions, as a part of Women Biotech WInER Fellowship Awards- Pooja Goswami (Ramja Genosensor); Santosh Jangir (Newndra); and Rachna Dave (MicroGo). An announcement of the 5th edition of BIRAC-TiE WInER Fellowship awards was also made during this session. Through WinER Award (Women in Entrepreneurial Research) in association with TiE Delhi, BIRAC has been rewarding women in biotech entrepreneurship, to help all women startups to excel in their field. BIRAC has organised Global Bio-India 2023 focusing on Biotech Innovation and Bio-manufacturing and its impact on the BioEconomy of the country. The event is being held from 4rth to 6th December in Delhi. By Park Jae-hyuk Samsung Electronics is working on preventing lax discipline among employees of its device solutions (DS) division in charge of semiconductor production, after the division suffered its worst-ever loss this year amid the chip industry's downturn, according to industry officials, Tuesday. On Nov. 30, the division started asking its employees to inform the personnel affairs team of colleagues neglecting work duties. We would like you to disclose your name and team when reporting such cases, the team said in its notification. We will not disclose your name to the person you referred. The request was made several months after the team emailed employees in July, asking them to take precautions against committing sexual harassment, being neglectful of their duties or enjoying welfare benefits unfairly. In the email, the team introduced various cases and disciplinary measures. It was revealed that an employee exaggerated working hours, while another employee played mobile games on duty. Samsung Electronics explained that its latest measure resulted from requests from young workers, who have complained about lax discipline among senior employees. However, concerns have emerged among employees that the measure could undermine Samsungs teamwork. This is the 'Oga Jaktong' law of 2023, a Samsung Electronics employee wrote on Blind, an anonymous chat app for verified employees. The law refers to a system of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), which forced neighboring households to monitor each others to discourage wrongdoings. In addition, Samsung Electronics reportedly decided to become stricter about assessing the performance of employees, in an apparent attempt to freeze or reduce wages for those who perform poorly. With the efforts to tighten discipline, the conglomerate finished an executive reshuffle and organizational restructuring this week. The company plans to convene top executives worldwide next week at the earliest to discuss business plans for the next year. They are expected to discuss ways to overcome the economic slowdown, given that the DS divisions accumulated operating loss reached 12 trillion won ($9.1 billion) during the first three quarters of this year. Inverroche, where luxury meets mindfulness Inverroche, the distiller of a unique range of craft gins infused with indigenous fynbos, is committed to a way of doing business that reflects the interconnectedness of brand, community and nature. This continued stand in offering gin enthusiasts unmatched African luxury that is bolstered by being mindful in how they operate, is what has led them to become South Africas largest luxury gin brand. Since its establishment in 2011, Inverroches pioneering use of fynbos from its home in Stilbaai, is making significant strides in not only preserving this unique biome by using it in a sustainable manner and uplifting the community around it, but also telling the mesmerising tale of these historically significant plants which contributed to the survival and emergence of modern humans. Consciousness, pioneering practice, and luxury experiences remain a core theme as the brand ushers in a new campaign titled, Luxury Meets Mindfulness. Aligned with Inverroches strategy of crafting unique, luxurious experiences, the campaign has been specially designed to deliver memorable experiences that embody the brands values. The campaign perfectly launched through such an experience with the immersive event at Inverroches Distillery in Stilbaai on Wednesday, 22 November 2023, where members of the media and key influencers including Lulama Wolf, Pearl Modiadie, Maps Maponyane, Leandie du Randt and Mmanaka Kelobanye were welcomed by founder, CEO and brand storyteller, Lorna Scott. Lorna narrated her pioneering journey which gave these like-minded guests a taste not only of Inverroches range of craft gins but also of the brands conscious practice. She welcomed them to share the natural beauty that is the inspiration behind the highly sought-after brand. Inverroche gins are unique, says Scott. Not only are they made with the highest quality ingredients, but they are flavoured with the fynbos that grows exclusively in the floral biome around our distillery and nowhere else in the world. Sustainably sourced botanicals are what gives our gins their natural colour and exquisite taste profile, offering a sensorial experience like no other. At the event, guests had the opportunity to sample the gins that pioneered the craft gin movement in South Africa and savoured a close-up and personal experience of the ideas, ingredients, people and processes behind the enchantment that is Inverroche. We call it African alchemy, says Scott, who founded the niche distillery 12 years ago. After three years of intensive experimentation with flavour profiles, she and her son, Rohan, set out to create a collection that would not only pay homage to the natural environment around Stilbaai but also draw in the knowledge, skills and expertise of local communities. The Luxury Meets Mindfulness campaign is saying something very intentional about how we see our business, says Scott. Its an expression of the mindfulness that goes into creating our gins: the mindfulness that arbiters of taste bring to the experience of drinking Inverroche; a way of doing business that mindfully considers our African roots and everything else that goes into meticulously crafting a unique luxury product. We couldnt think of a better way to communicate the quality of our gins and the beneficial cycle theyre part of. Inverroche Distillery cocktails The BeeTender Serve 40ml Inverroche Classic Gin 75ml Fresh Orange Juice 25ml Fresh Lemon Juice 20ml Agave Syrup 4 Dashes of Angostura Bitters Buchu Fynbos Sprig Garnish Method: Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake well. Fine strain into glass and add garnish. For an added visual flair, wipe the back of the glass with agave syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon powder for a pollen effect. Serve and enjoy! The Amber Mule 40ml Inverroche Amber Gin 15ml Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice 10ml Botanique Liqueur 3 Dash Angostura Bitters Top up with Ginger Beer Fresh Mint Sprig and Lime Wheel Garnish Method: Add the gin, lime juice, liqueur, and bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into the glass. Fill glass with ice and top up with ginger beer. Stir Gently to combine ingredients and garnish. The Stilbaai Gin Sling 40ml Inverroche Verdant Gin 10ml Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice 15ml Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice 25ml Sugar Syrup Top up with Soda Water Lemon Zest and Fynbos Flower Garnish Method: Add the gin, lime juice and sugar syrup to the glass. Fill glass with ice and top up with soda water. Stir gently to combine ingredients and garnish. Visit the Inverroche website. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the department has done all it can to ensure that the final matric examinations for this year go smoothly. This is as the matriculants enter the final week of exams with only six National Senior Certificate (NSC) papers left to write. The Minister was briefing the media in Pretoria on Sunday. At all times we aim to conduct our exams error-free and uphold the integrity of our certificate. We did all we could possibly do to support the children. We provided them with materials to support them and we know provinces and schools went out of their way to have matric camps and all the necessary support that our learners needed, she said. The NSC examinations commenced on Monday, 30 October 2023 with government having said that more than 717,377 full time candidates and 181 143 part-time candidates in the public education system were registered to write the final examinations across 6,898 centres nationwide. We can confirm that indeed these exams went well. By Friday, 1 December, we were on day 25 and we are only left with three days to finish the exams. Up to date, 225 papers have been written. We are only left with six papers before we finish the exams. We are very grateful to all stakeholders who have played a role in making sure that we run these exams as well as we did. The Minister warned the matriculants to stay safe as they celebrate the end of exams. There are lots ofdisturbing incidents that we see on social media. We really appeal to our kids to avoid. We have noted with concern learners hosting and attending what they call pens down parties all over the show. What is clear is that as much as it really is the time for celebrating, hundreds of our children are overindulging in alcohol, binge drinking and even finding themselves [against] the law. At this stage we want to urge parents, communities and caregivers to support their kids to stay safe and grow, she said. In an era defined by data-driven decision-making and digital transformation, MTNs AI ambition statement is clear: By harnessing the full potential of our data, well unlock new sources of revenue while improving margins through smart automation. With the right governance model in place, well take bold steps toward our ambitious vision of becoming a true digital platform business by the year 2025, says MTN SA CEO, Charles Molapisi. MTN SA CEO, Charles Molapisi MTN is poised to become API and AI-led, exemplifying its dedication to fostering innovation and automation. This strategic shift encompasses several key areas: AI APIs: Enabling developers to seamlessly integrate AI features into applications, orchestrating AI for both internal and external monetisation. Enabling developers to seamlessly integrate AI features into applications, orchestrating AI for both internal and external monetisation. Digital assistants: Mimicking human conversation to perform a variety of tasks and services, improving efficiency and user experience. Mimicking human conversation to perform a variety of tasks and services, improving efficiency and user experience. Robotics process automation: Streamlining operations by automating tasks, reducing manual work, enhancing accuracy, and boosting productivity. Streamlining operations by automating tasks, reducing manual work, enhancing accuracy, and boosting productivity. Machine learning: Allowing for autonomous learning through predictive and prescriptive analytics, paving the way for more data-driven decisions. At the heart of this transformative strategy is SiYa, an internally launched employee AI-driven chatbot. SiYa is not just an innovation but also serves as the foundation for what customers can anticipate from MTN in 2024. With SiYa, MTN is taking the first step in a journey that will ultimately redefine customer engagement and set new standards for customer service. The name SiYa draws inspiration from Siya Kolisi, the revered Springbok captain, renowned for embodying unity and a service mentality, through all he does. By choosing the name SiYa, the company aims to capture the essence of unity, harmony, and effective communication that has become synonymous with our national rugby team. SiYas introduction represents a pivotal proof point in MTNs AI strategy and commitment to a desire to lead in the digital transformation space. SiYas capabilities extend from assisting employees with inquiries, offering information on company policies, and sharing insights from MTNs knowledge base. The knowledge gained from SiYas interactions will be instrumental in shaping the future of customer engagement at MTN. Employee interactions SiYa opens up employee-company interactions. Its designed to offer immediate, contextually relevant support to employees, enhancing their experiences and reducing the friction often associated with traditional interactions. Molapisi adds, SiYas ability to comprehend intricate user requests, tailor responses to individual preferences, and continuously enhance the quality of interactions aligns perfectly with our organisational strategy. SiYa empowers employees to engage in meaningful conversations while managing their daily activities, demonstrating MTNs vision for the future. Users can easily connect through the Microsoft Teams app, where the AI excels at handling basic employee inquiries, providing information on company policies, and sharing insights from MTNs knowledge base. As SiYa learns and evolves through interactions, users can expect to see him take on more roles and become increasingly helpful. SiYas growth doesnt stop with employees; he evolves in tandem with the learning and development of the chatbot. This dynamic progression will eventually enable SiYa to guide customers in making device purchases and seamlessly collaborate with human advisors, marking a significant departure from conventional processes. Significant opportunities For MTN, significant AI opportunities lie in Customer Value Management, Network Operations, and Customer Service, areas that are crucial for improving customer experience, reducing costs, and driving revenue growth, says Molapisi. Our AI strategy builds on existing programmes that already drive six of the eight foundational capabilities required to become AI-native. However, we recognise the need for a step change in AI culture, AI ethics, AI studio funding, and AI skills development. The digital roadmap includes AI to drive efficiency and core revenue growth while enhancing both customer and employee experiences. AI as a service intends to create and monetise solutions, making them accessible to competitors and similar businesses. Meanwhile, AI as a solution seeks to develop AI solutions that complement core business offerings and cater to consumer and enterprise needs. MTNs pursuit of becoming an API and AI-led organisation signifies its commitment to delivering innovative solutions and fostering a culture of AI adoption. By harnessing the power of AI and APIs, we are not only future-proofing our operations but ensuring that our customers, both internal and external, can look forward to a more streamlined, efficient, and data-driven experience, Molapisi concludes. Despite their size, small and medium businesses are, and have become, the backbone of an economy. In South Africa, small businesses account for 98% of all formal business. However, the growth prospects of small businesses are often limited by their location and the size of their local economy. One way to overcome this limitation is to expand into the export market: and to go global. Despite their size, small and medium businesses are, and have become, the backbone of an economy. In South Africa, small businesses account for 98% of all formal business. However, the growth prospects of small businesses are often limited by their location and the size of their local economy. One way to overcome this limitation is to expand into the export market: and to go global. Thanks to the possibilities of the digital economy, e-commerce is the ideal way to do this. E-commerce is made possible by the coming together of four innovative industries: retail; the internet; finance and logistics. And, ultimately, e-commerce is the channel that enables small businesses to take their operations to the global stage. Across the world, many small businesses are grabbing the opportunity. The World Economic Forum predicts that e-commerce will drive small business recovery in the coming years. But going global via e-commerce is a completely different proposition to running your business at home. When is the right time to take the plunge? How do you know your business is ready for the next step onto the world stage? Heres a quick guide to help you make the call. There is a new market. But is it profitable? As a business with an online presence, you may already have seen enquiries from overseas. Perhaps youve even made some international sales. But how do you know if that interest can grow into a sizable part of your business? To be able to make that call, you need to gain some insights into your audience. This cannot just be a hunch it must be informed by data. Data analytics can tell you where your customers are coming from, and what the growth trends are. Consult the data, and if your business is seeing significant numbers of impressions, engagement, or orders from another country, look into the potential of that market. Next, do some surveys among that audience. Get to know why they buy from you. Research the new market, their language and culture, and their likes and dislikes. This will give you an understanding of why they prefer your product and also how you might tailor your messaging to appeal to this new market. When is the right time to expand? The ideal time to expand your business is when you have saturated your current market. When that happens, you can either diversify your offering of products and services, or you can expand your geographical footprint. Look at the existing market players in the territories you are looking to enter. Assess if your product or service meets an urgent customer need in the new market. If you identify gaps in those markets, or opportunities to meet consumer needs, then this is your time. You need to start thinking seriously about expanding your marketing in the new territory, and you need to understand the nuts and bolts of what it takes to do business there. What are the regulations? What kinds of laws will you need to comply with if you want to do business in the new market? This is where the rubber hits the road. You need to find out about the import and export requirements, governing policies of the market, and much more. Assess how easy it is to get permits and customs clearances, the local tax structures and other factors key to doing business. Logistics providers, such as FedEx, for example, often possess extensive experience in this area. It's advisable to collaborate with your trusted shipping and delivery provider, as they have the expertise to efficiently manage a substantial portion of your compliance requirements on your behalf. Get social When it comes to international markets, youre aiming to do almost all of your sales online. So thats where you should focus your marketing efforts. Digital marketing has the advantage of minimal cost and lower risk. Social media platforms also offer a range of ready-made marketing solutions you can tailor to your needs, and which also provide useful for data-analytics insights. In South Africa, 38% of adult South Africans shop online according to a recent survey, whereas 68% of Europeans do. For the US, the percentage is around 76%. It is therefore clear why taking your online business global is such a good idea. It opens up a world of possibility. Ultimately, the decision to expand into global markets will vary from one business to another. The decision to do so and when must be informed by concrete, data-driven insights, and supported through a network of partnerships with established market operators. Its challenging, and its not to be taken lightly. But in the era of e-commerce, its achievable for every small business, and every entrepreneur should consider it. South African privacy-preserving data collaboration platform recognised in Fast Companys list of tech breakthroughs that promise to transform the future. Omnisient, privacy-preserving data collaboration platform and World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer, has announced that it has been named as Winner for Social Good in Fast Companys third annual Next Big Things in Tech list, honouring technology breakthroughs that promise to shape the future of industries from healthcare, banking, and security to artificial intelligence and data. This year, 119 technologies developed by established companies, startups, or research teams are highlighted for their cutting-edge advancements and potential to impact consumers, businesses, and society overall. A panel of 18 Fast Company editors and writers selected this years winners, featuring both industry titans and fledgling brands. Omnisient was selected from three honorees as the winner of the Social Good category for the impact its privacy-preserving data collaboration platform is having on growing financial inclusion. By protecting consumer privacy and removing the risks traditionally associated with data collaboration, Omnisient is enabling banks and financial services institutions (BFSIs) to collaborate with consumer businesses such as retailers, telcos, and health & wellness business to identify behaviour patterns within their consumer data that can inform risk decisions on premiums, underwriting, and credit offers for new clients, especially those previously excluded because they lack data footprints within conventional data sources. To date, through collaboration on the Omnisient platform with a leading retail grocer, banks have analysed the shopping behavior of eight million people who previously lacked a credit score due to lack of credit history. Of these, 3.2 million individuals who would have historically been denied credit, now qualify for life-changing credit. Fast Companys editors and writers spend every day thinking and writing about innovation and leadership, so their selection of Omnisient as a Next big thing in Tech is truly validating for us, says Jon Jacobson, CEO and co-founder of Omnisient. This recognition validates the innovative nature of our technology and the methodology we use to discover the kind of ground-breaking insights from consumer data that can lead to transformative change in peoples lives. The Next Big Things in Tech is not just a look around the cornerits a look around the corner after that, says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. These are the products and ideas that will define technological innovation for the rest of this decade and beyondand solve some of the worlds most pressing issues. Each reflects fresh thinking and cutting-edge technology in ways that impressed us. Click here to see the final list and here to read the selection methodology. The Winter 2023/2024 issue of Fast Company is available online now and will hit newsstands on December 5. About Fast Company<>! Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Brendan Vaughan. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com. About Omnisient Omnisients privacy-preserving data collaboration platform enables banks and financial service institutions to access high-value consumer data ecosystems using advanced Cryptography and AI in a manner that complies with global privacy regulations. For consumer businesses like, supermarkets, telcos, gyms and pharmacies, securely joining their consumer data with other businesses consumer data amplifies their ability to optimise marketing, strengthen customer loyalty, build new innovative products, and generate new revenue beyond digital advertising. like, supermarkets, telcos, gyms and pharmacies, securely joining their consumer data with other businesses consumer data amplifies their ability to optimise marketing, strengthen customer loyalty, build new innovative products, and generate new revenue beyond digital advertising. For financial institutions , it delivers alternative sources of data that optimise cross-sell and upsell campaigns for existing customers and drives lower-risk and more profitable decisions on premiums, underwriting, and credit offers for new clients, especially those previously excluded because they lack data footprints within conventional data sources. , it delivers alternative sources of data that optimise cross-sell and upsell campaigns for existing customers and drives lower-risk and more profitable decisions on premiums, underwriting, and credit offers for new clients, especially those previously excluded because they lack data footprints within conventional data sources. For consumers and society, the ethical use of anonymised consumer data can reveal insights that deliver enhanced customer experiences, cost-savings, as well as life-saving medical breakthroughs, life-changing access to financial services, and financial protection from unexpected events. Omnisient was invited to join the World Economic Forum (WEF) in June 2023 as a Tech Pioneer to contribute to the WEFs work in growing financial inclusion. Among other international recognition, Omnisient has also won the Africa Bank 4.0 Award for Most Innovative Financial Inclusion Technology and was a TechCrunch Battlefield 200 finalist. Established in South Africa in 2019, Omnisient is enabling more than 80 leading banks, insurers, retailers, and health and wellness organisations to grow their businesses exponentially through new revenue streams and consumer understanding, while driving positive change for consumers and society. Tractors new Gauteng inventory in high-demand locations targets affluent audiences. Tractor Outdoor has added key sites in several prominent locations to its Gauteng network, featuring new digital billboards on the M1 towards Marlboro, Sandton and Rosebank respectively. With this latest inventory adding to Tractors Gauteng portfolio, the media owner will now enjoy a greater footprint in the Johannesburg and Centurion metros, offering a combined 19 million impression universe via eight sought-after locations from Rosebank to Bryanston and from the N1 in Midrand to the R24 in Bedfordview. Says Mali Motsumi-Garrido, sales director at Tractor Outdoor: All three locations are in high demand by advertisers, and enjoy exposure to a professional and affluent audience commuting to and from work. Motsumi-Garrido adds that the full network is programmatically integrated, meaning that it can run dynamic campaigns while generating real-time data. Tractors two screens in Rosebank, situated on Jan Smuts Avenue and directly across from Marble restaurant, are also strategically positioned to enable 3D and anamorphic creative, she says. Located on the M1 Highway at M1 Place, the Marlboro digital sees plenty of highway traffic, capturing commuters heading towards Johannesburg, while the Sandton digitals visible as you journey down Sandton Drive towards Winnie Mandela Drive offer high exposure and dwell time during peak hours. Were excited to offer our advertisers access to a high-income audience with real spending power, while further strengthening our presence in the Gauteng province, concludes Motsumi-Garrido. For more information on Tractor Outdoor's Gauteng packages, please contact moc.roodtuorotcart@selas. About Tractor Outdoor Established over two decades ago, Tractor Outdoor is a national Out of Home (OOH) media owner, which specialises in connecting brands to consumers through its network of traditional and digital inventory, as well as its transit networks and ambient platforms. Tractor Outdoor owns one of the largest Digital OOH networks in South Africa, and is a member of Outdoor Measurement Council (OMC), the Out of Home Media South Africa (OHMSA) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau South Africa (IAB SA). Cities are receiving only a fraction of the climate finance they need, especially in low-income countries, according to a study published on Saturday on the sidelines of the COP28 climate talks. Image: Delegates stand near flag posts at the Dubai's Expo City after attending the World Climate Action Summit, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 1 December 2023. Reuters/Thomas Mukoya./File Photo The Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA) said cities are on the front line of climate hazards and responsible for three quarters of global emissions, but multilateral development banks (MDB) needed to adopt new strategies to address a gaping financing gap. Cities were receiving only 1% of the climate finance they required, which is estimated to be as high as $5.4tn per year up to 2030, according to the study, the first ever review of urban finance from major multilateral development banks. The proportion of MDB financing dedicated to urban-related climate projects stood at $62 billion from 2015 to 2022, or 21% of the total, despite rapid rates of urbanisation across the globe, the study said after analysing data from 815 urban climate-related projects financed by MDBs over the period. Though they are among the most climate-vulnerable, cities in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa received an especially low share of urban climate finance, with the study citing issues like creditworthiness and restricted access to capital markets. It called on development banks to make more concessional funding available in order to de-risk investments. Egypt, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Togo, among over 10 countries, have pledged their commitment to the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Consortium and taken a step towards fighting climate change and energy poverty. The Global Leadership Council (GLC) of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) announced this commitment at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). Joseph Nganga addresses the crowd at the BESS Consortium launch. Source: Supplied. The BESS Consortium, a multi-stakeholder partnership, is a key initiative aimed at transforming energy systems across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a goal to secure 5GW of BESS commitments by the end of 2024, and to deploy these by the end of 2027. This is a crucial step towards achieving the estimated 400GW of renewable energy needed to alleviate energy poverty by 2030 and save a gigaton of CO 2 . BESS is pivotal in enhancing the reliability of grids and accommodating the variable renewable energy sources that are essential for powering economic development. In many cases, a combination of BESS and renewables are already cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives. The first-mover countries in the BESS Consortium will be supported by resource partners including GEAPP, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), RMI, Africa50, Masdar, Infinity Power, AMEA Power, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Net Zero World, and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL). Additional partners and countries are expected to join in the future. The Global Leadership Council was formed to expedite change, and bring forward transformative initiatives that will cut emissions, create jobs and expand access to clean and affordable energy in low- and middle-income countries," said Jonas Gahr Stre, prime minister of the Kingdom of Norway and co-chair the Global Leadership Council. "Three months ago, we committed to establishing the BESS Consortium, and already we have countries, resource partners and champions on board. This is only the beginning; we must continue to move at collective speed and scale. New research from The Rockefeller Foundation shows that keeping global warming from breaking the 2C threshold will require unprecedented global collaboration. BESS is a critical technology to achieve that goal, but progress is being severely hindered by unfavourable policies and regulations, high financing costs, long project lead times, and other challenges. To accelerate the shift to cleaner and more affordable energy systems, the World Bank and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) recently published a comprehensive framework, Unlocking the Energy Transition: Guidelines for Planning Solar-Plus-Storage Projects. Written for policymakers and project developers, the report provides a step-by-step approach to planning and executing utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects, including practical advice on feasibility assessments, business model selection, risk allocation, and navigating the procurement process. Break down barriers Dr Rajiv J. Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation and co-chair of the Global Leadership Council said, Without sufficient storage capacity, countries will be unable to add renewable energy to their grids at the scale needed to reduce emissions and create economic opportunity. The BESS Consortium is an example of the sort of big, bold action required to break down the barriers keeping so many people and communities from joining the climate transformations underway. In addition to securing 5GW of BESS commitments in LMICs and deploying $1bn in concessional finance, the Consortium will accelerate project deployment, work to improve the regulatory environment, build a favourable market for BESS, and unlock commercial and public financing. Countries, utilities, and resource partners in the Consortium will partner to identify and co-develop tailored packages of support for BESS investment. These will be refined and negotiated between country stakeholders and partners with complementary advocacy and accelerating actions championed by the Consortium. The Global Energy Alliances GLC initiatives including the groundbreaking BESS Consortium are driving real actionable progress. We are determined to deliver scalable solutions and measurable outcomes at speed by the time world leaders reconvene at COP29 next year," said Joseph Nganga, interim MD and VP of Africa at GEAPP. Sustainability and humanitarian pioneers were honoured on Friday at the annual Zayed Sustainability Prize awards ceremony held at COP28 UAE in Expo City, Dubai. Image: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (7th R), stands for a photograph the Zayed Sustainability Prize with the winners during COP28 UAE, Al Wasl Plaza, Expo City. Seen with HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, and COP28 President (L). (Hamad Al Kaabi / UAE Presidential Court) Launched in 2008, the Zayed Sustainability Prize rewards small and medium enterprises, nonprofit organisations, and high schools that are addressing health, food, energy, water and climate-related challenges. For over 15 years, through its 106 previous winners, the Prize has transformed the lives of 384 million people worldwide. This year's 11 winners were elected by a distinguished panel of jury members, who evaluated each submission for its contribution and commitment to delivering impactful, innovative, and inspiring solutions across the six categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools. To strengthen its commitment to promoting sustainable and humanitarian development, the Zayed Sustainability Prize will be increasing its endowment, from $3.6m to $5.9m, effective immediately. H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, and COP28 President, said: Today, the UAE reaffirms its dedication to combat climate change and empower vulnerable communities as we award $1m to each of our distinguished winners in Health, Food, Water, Energy and Climate Action, and $150,000 to each Global High Schools winner. This substantial funding will help scale their innovative solutions and deliver transformational progress around the world, especially across the Global South. With a larger fund, the Prize can broaden its support for innovative solutions that not only positively impact the environment but also improve the well-being and economic development of the worlds most climate-vulnerable communities. Winners Climate Action category (new): Namibian SME, Kelp Blue was awarded for cultivating large-scale kelp forests in deep waters, contributing to the restoration of ocean biodiversity while capturing 100,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere annually. Namibian SME, Kelp Blue was awarded for cultivating large-scale kelp forests in deep waters, contributing to the restoration of ocean biodiversity while capturing 100,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere annually. Health category: Indonesias doctorSHARE was awarded for its pioneering work in bringing healthcare access to hard-to-reach areas, notably with barge-mounted floating hospitals. Indonesias doctorSHARE was awarded for its pioneering work in bringing healthcare access to hard-to-reach areas, notably with barge-mounted floating hospitals. Food category: Gaza Urban & Peri-urban Agricultural Platform (GUPAP) from Palestine, won for its contributions to supporting a more resilient agricultural sector in Gaza. The NPO facilitates access to locally produced food, providing job security to 200 women agriprenuers and benefitting more than 7,000 people. Gaza Urban & Peri-urban Agricultural Platform (GUPAP) from Palestine, won for its contributions to supporting a more resilient agricultural sector in Gaza. The NPO facilitates access to locally produced food, providing job security to 200 women agriprenuers and benefitting more than 7,000 people. Energy category: Rwandan SME, Ignite Power was awarded for its transformative efforts to provide affordable electricity to last-mile communities across sub-Saharan Africa. Their pay-as-you-go solar solutions provided electricity to 2.5 million people and prevented 600,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Beyond access to clean energy, Ignite Power has introduced solar powered irrigation solutions and generated 3,500 local jobs. Rwandan SME, Ignite Power was awarded for its transformative efforts to provide affordable electricity to last-mile communities across sub-Saharan Africa. Their pay-as-you-go solar solutions provided electricity to 2.5 million people and prevented 600,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Beyond access to clean energy, Ignite Power has introduced solar powered irrigation solutions and generated 3,500 local jobs. Water category: Eau et Vie, an NPO from France, won for its contributions to ensuring access to clean water in impoverished areas by installing taps in urban homes. They have increased water access for 52,000 people in 27 communities across 10 cities. Furthermore, they raised awareness of hygienic practices for 66,000 individuals and reduced the cost of water by 75%. Eau et Vie, an NPO from France, won for its contributions to ensuring access to clean water in impoverished areas by installing taps in urban homes. They have increased water access for 52,000 people in 27 communities across 10 cities. Furthermore, they raised awareness of hygienic practices for 66,000 individuals and reduced the cost of water by 75%. Global High Schools category: This award encourages youth to take an active role in supporting their communities and becoming future sustainability leaders. This year's recipients are Colegio De Alto Rendimiento De La Libertad (Peru), representing The Americas; Gwani Ibrahim Dan Hajja Academy (Nigeria), representing Sub-Saharan Africa; International School (Morocco), representing the Middle East & North Africa; Northfleet Technology College (United Kingdom), representing Europe & Central Asia; KORT Education Complex (Pakistan), representing South Asia; and finally, Beijing High School No. 35 (China), representing East Asia & Pacific. The chair of the jury and former President of the Republic of Iceland, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, said: "This year's winners have demonstrated a remarkable wave of ingenuity in their solutions to address urgent global challenges. We have confidence that these winners will catalyse substantial and scalable change in communities worldwide, propelling us towards vital climate action objectives and forging a path to a sustainable future for all." An old granny who I respectfully refer to as gogo has no teeth; when she talks her bottom lip folds inward over her gums, and because of this she lisps and spits a little. When she is excited, like now, her lisps sound like a snake hissing under her words. "At kisimusi, Christmas, it is so wonderful," she lisps. "We all gather at the community hall, the stokvel group and our families, a huge truck like that one" - she points to a Coke truck unloading at a spaza - "loads our groceries and we split them between us. There are 25 of us, you know." She holds up two fingers on one hand and five on the other to emphasise this. "We save seventy-five touzand over the year." Stokvels power and allure to their members is the social connectedness it gives each member. The protection of group assistance, the social fun of the stokvel meeting where members gossip and feast and laugh together. They fulfil a social benefit first, and a financial one second. Any offering to this sector needs to consider this and find ways of satisfying both elements. "How do you communicate with each other?" I ask my old lady with no teeth. "Iwhatwhat," she replies. "What what?" I am confused so she fishes her cheap Android smartphone out from between her sagging breasts. Holding it away from her face so she can see the screen with her failing eyesight she fiddles with it and then pushes it towards me. Its WhatsApp, the messaging service, the WhatsApp group at the top of the phone screen called stokfela. I am astounded. If her grandchild was using it that would make sense but not an illiterate seventy-year-old granny. "Its wonderful, you should try it," she suggests to me. "I have the whole stokvel on there and we just send one message and it goes to the whole stokvel." Refiloe Rantekoa grew up in White City, one of the toughest and poorest suburbs of Soweto, epitomised by concrete-roofed homes that look like air raid bunkers. In 2016, Refiloe started baking loaves of bread from his tiny backroom in White City. At first, business was slow, so Refiloe set up a Facebook Lite page for the bakery and invited customers to WhatsApp their ipini and their orders from the Facebook page WhatsApp link. Using WhatsApp, Refiloe started getting more and more orders, six loaves here, two there, and more and more streets started buying his bread. Then the kota outlets started ordering on WhatsApp. Within 18 months Borotho Bakery was baking and selling hundreds of loaves a day. When lockdown happened all his business moved onto his Facebook Lite & WhatsApp platforms. "We now have orders as far as Rockville, even Dube, so the guys walk about 10, even 15 kilometres, a day." Orders still flood in via WhatsApp and the trolleys rattle up and down the tiny kasi streets selling or delivering. GG Alcock founder of Kasinomics noted that we have noticed the astonishing growth of Facebook lite as a landing page for township businesses. Nowadays almost every kasi hair salon, tavern, kasi kos fast food outlet, bakery even the odd spaza shop has a Facebook page and a link to WhatsApp orders or enquiries. Ipini or pin locations are sent, and local deliveries are done by runner, cyclist or battered motorbike. Kasi e-commerce business Yebo Fresh which supplies bulk stock items to spaza shops has even moved their e-commerce site to WhatsApp, based on our insights and has gained massive traction as a result. Kasinomics believes that the WhatsApp platform is the future of e-commerce and group communication and has partnered very successfully with technology enabler, Mobitainment, a specialist in mobile and particularly WhatsApp marketing. The Kasinomics and Mobitainment collaboration has resulted in two highly successful kasi marketing campaigns. The loyalty-focused Supreme Business Bakers campaign targets kasi bakeries and vetkoek sellers, where thousands of kasi bakeries have been signed up on a WhatsApp enabled database. Today bakeries share pics of their till slips of Supreme flour purchases which the WhatsApp platform interprets and awards loyalty points to the outlets. In addition, baking tips and tricks, bakers' business tips and much more are shared with kasi Supreme Business Bakers. The other campaign is the multi-award winning Amstel The Entrepreneur, I AMSTEL Building Iksasa Lami (my future) campaign. The Amstel The Entrepreneur created a unique value proposition focused on township and community-based entrepreneurs, overlooked by most. This initiative funds and invests in kasipreneurs' marketing and business skills, which are critical, yet not often supported. This campaign initially focused on Gauteng only, and aimed at the youth in townships with a kasipreneur competition aimed at the upliftment of Kasi entrepreneurs. The competition was open to all adults to nominate and then vote via WhatsApp for businesses they know of in their hood. WhatsApp was instrumental in maximising the reach within the youth target audience, with its low use of data and its reach that promoted inclusivity to bridge the digital divide and so created an online community of aspiring youth. Mobitainment CEO Candice Goodman explained why WhatsApp: It was critical to connect traditional media like local radio and print with a simple mobile call to action, like an easy-to-communicate vanity click me to WhatsApp. WhatsApp created a frictionless path for their target audience from digital media like social media and web articles, to the nominations mechanic to collect the amount of data needed to enforce the eligibility of the businesses according to the Terms and conditions of the campaign. Technology, specifically, the humble mobile phone was the connector of these two parties, the brand to the kasi community. A minimum of an entry-level smartphone with WhatsApp was needed and was instrumental to maximising the reach and engagement with the youth target audience, with its low use of data and its reach that promoted inclusivity to bridge the digital divide. The conversational nature of the business-branded WhatsApp chatbot streamlined the collection of loads of data needed from the nominations so that the judges could easily evaluate, identify and contact the top 40 businesses to visit them in-person to then shortlist the top 20. The Top 20 kasipreneurs then had an opportunity to do a pitch for their business on community radio in order to gain votes with the top 12 voted kasipreneurs going into the finals. The Voting chatbot on WhatsApp outlined the Top 20 businesses with a rich-media interface showcasing their logo (image), business profile (text) and radio interview (audio), allowing the voters to make a very educated decision that was enabled with one tap on their phones. Results were available in real-time to create buzz and hype on radio for the business at the top of the leaderboard of each radio station. Conversational marketing on WhatsApp enabled voting for The Amstel Entrepreneur, by the people, for the people! The Amstel The Entrepreneur campaign, was very successful generating an increase in Amstels Brand Power Score and contributing to increased sales volume growth over the campaign period. The Amstel The Entrepreneur campaign run by Kasinomics and Mobitainment has received multiple awards: At the inaugural Bar & Beverage Awards the award for the Best CSI Campaign At the New Generation Awards 2 Bronze Awards (Best Online Competition & Mobile Marketing Excellence) and a Gold (Best Community Engagement Award) A Gold Award from the prestigious Assegai Awards for the Food & Beverage Category, as well as a Leader award for Shared Value. The Assegai Awards Acknowledge and Award those whose Integrated Marketing campaigns deliver exceptional, quantifiable results, and a focus on return on investment. What What does this all mean? In the Amstel The Entrepreneur Top 4 winning entrepreneurs own words: iTaxi Ubuntu App Our business has gone from few daily trips to over 400+ active daily users Our business has gone from few daily trips to over 400+ active daily users Mr Bartender The association with the Amstel brand has made my business more reputable and credible in conjunction with our now consistent marketing and advertising efforts it has had a huge contribution to our revenue growth. The association with the Amstel brand has made my business more reputable and credible in conjunction with our now consistent marketing and advertising efforts it has had a huge contribution to our revenue growth. LebzCafe With our voice reaching over 1.5 million people through social media campaign, we are now recognised and distinguished by our new tag line Life is bitter, your coffee shouldnt be With our voice reaching over 1.5 million people through social media campaign, we are now recognised and distinguished by our new tag line Life is bitter, your coffee shouldnt be Excellence Mobile Bar When we started, we viewed this as more of a side-hustle and now together with our mentor Shugasmakx, we have the blueprints of a business. What What made the difference and enabled Kasinomics & Mobitainment to build interactive, innovative and award-winning mobile campaigns on WhatsApp reaching and connecting with kasi audiences and gaining brand traction and connectedness. What What a successful Kasi Campaign, Halala! Watch Amstel The Entrepreneur Case Video: About the Author: GG Alcock GG Alcock is the author of among other books Kasinomic Revolution, and a thought leader and commentator on the trends and dynamics of the informal economies & societies which make up the majority of South Africa. GGs business Kasinomics an advisory service providing insights, strategies, route to market and consumer marketing to the informal and kasi consumer and business sectors. By Lee Min-hyung Hyundai Motor and Kia won the prestigious Export Tower award here after clinching record exports of $30 billion (39.34 trillion won) and $20 billion, respectively, over a year-long period from the latter half of last year, the two carmakers said Tuesday. They were recognized for setting the export records and contributing to the national economy amid prolonged macroeconomic uncertainties here and abroad. A group of 1,700 companies were given the Export Tower awards from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), and the two carmakers came in first and second in terms of the amount of exports. This marks the first time in 11 years since Hyundai Motor and Kia won the awards for achieving exports of $20 billion and $15 billion, respectively, in 2012. According to Hyundai, its exports came in at $31 billion between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. This is an increase of 29.6 percent from the previous year. Kia also attained exports of $23.5 billion during the same period, up 30.7 percent from a year earlier. The achievement is significant in that the global economy was faced with a string of risk factors, triggered by geopolitical conflicts, escalating protectionism and economic doldrums here and abroad. However the two firms said they were able to tackle the unfavorable market circumstances by enhancing their product mix with a focus on launching more competitive electric vehicles (EVs). They also placed their management focus on widening global sales. By region, they have reported outstanding sales growth, particularly in Europe. Hyundai Motor was able to attain EV sales growth of 9.7 percent in Europe last year from a year earlier, driven by growing popularity of its flagship IONIQ 5 EV there. In the United States, Hyundai Motor Groups Genesis luxury brand set sales records for two consecutive years between 2021 and 2022. Peoples Servant Party leader Davyd Arakhamia (2nd from left) at the peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine in Turkey, March 29, 2022. (Photo by Lokman Akkaya/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) A top Ukrainian official has newly confirmed that the war could have ended and tens of thousands of lives could have been saved had Ukraine and its NATO allies accepted a peace deal with Moscow weeks after the February 2022 invasion. Davyd Arakhamia is the parliamentary leader of Volodymyr Zelenskys Servant of the People party, and head of the Ukrainian delegation at the spring 2022 peace talks held in Istanbul. In an interview last month, Arakhamia acknowledged that the Russians were prepared to end the war if we agreed to as Finland once did neutrality, and committed that we would not join NATO. For Moscow, he added, Ukrainian neutrality was the key point and the biggest thing for them. By Baek Byung-yeul The government is facing growing criticism for not doing enough to secure a stable supply of urea, following China's recent ban on exports of the industrial product to Korea, which has reignited concerns over a possible repeat of the urea shortage crisis two years ago, according to industry officials and experts, Tuesday. Even though the government said it has three months worth of reserves and plans to diversify supply sources, critics expressed skepticism about whether the country can ensure a smooth supply of urea. "China has a significantly superior price competitiveness for urea products compared to other countries. The government said it would overcome this through diversification of supply sources, but it does not seem easy to overcome China in the short term," Yoo Jeong-ho, a professor at the division of international commerce at Pukyong National University, said. The professor said the government has always been aware that it should escape from high dependence on China, but the reason it couldnt was pricing. The reason domestic companies do not produce urea is low profitability. Efforts to overcome the excessive dependence on China for urea should be made over a long period. Rather than competing with China, we should continue to maintain a cooperative relationship as we do now," the professor said. Urea is essential for reducing emissions from diesel vehicles and producing agricultural fertilizer when mixed with water. However, China Customs, which is equivalent to the Korea Customs Service, suddenly put on hold the exports of urea that a Chinese company was trying to ship to a Korean company, on Nov. 30, according to the government. On Monday, The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy explained that the delay in urea customs clearance in China is not due to political reasons, but stems from increased demand there, adding it conveyed its concerns to China and requested a swift resumption of exports. In October 2021, Korea experienced a urea shortage when China controlled exports. Since then, Korea pursued diversification of imports, reducing its dependence on China from 71.2 percent in 2021 to 66.5 percent last year, according to government data. However, this year, the dependence on China has risen again to over 90 percent. Currently, Korea has secured about three months' worth of urea reserves. Experts also said that such problems may not be limited to urea as China has a high market share in many mineral resources. "The urea issue can be solved by the governments efforts to diversify its sources of supply from Southeast Asian countries. However, such problems are not only applicable to urea, an official from a local battery industry said on condition of anonymity. China has controlled the export of graphite since December 1. The domestic industry has reserves of graphite, but it needs a solution for this as well, the official added. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Korea's "indirect" provision of 155-mm artillery shells for Ukraine this year has made it a larger supplier of ammunition for the war-ravaged country than all European countries combined, The Washington Post (WP) reported Monday. In an article on Russia's protracted war against Ukraine, the U.S. daily explained Washington's effort to secure munitions from Korea when the U.S.' production of shells was barely more than a tenth of some 90,000 shells that Ukraine needed per month. Korean law prohibits providing weapons to war zones, but U.S. officials sought to persuade Seoul to provide munitions, estimating that about 330,000 155-mm shells could be transferred by air and sea within 41 days from Korea, according to the WP. "Senior administration officials had been speaking with counterparts in Seoul, who were receptive as long as the provision was indirect," the WP reported. "The shells began to flow at the beginning of the year, eventually making Korea a larger supplier of artillery ammunition for Ukraine than all European nations combined." It did not specify the exact amount of shells that Korea provided. Also unclear is whether Korea supplied weapons to help the U.S. refill its stockpiles depleted after the U.S.' supply of munitions to Ukraine or whether Korea's munitions were delivered directly for battle operations in Ukraine. Seoul has maintained that its policy against directly providing lethal weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged. (Yonhap) Indian Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande with Commander of Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen Vikum Liyange in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo: PTI) NEW DELHI (PTI): Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande on Monday held wide-ranging talks with Commander of the Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen Vikum Liyange with a focus on ramping up bilateral military engagement against the backdrop of China's increasing military assertiveness in the region. The Sri Lankan military official is on a visit to India from December 3 to 7. The Defence Ministry said Lt Gen Liyange's visit to India is a "testimony" to the longstanding relationship between the armies of India and Sri Lanka. Liyange was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the South Block lawns before he called on Gen Pande. "They exchanged ideas and held constructive discussions on various contemporary issues, including strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two armies," the Ministry said. Thereafter, Lt Gen Liyange interacted with Defence Secretary Giridhar Armane, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff. The Sri Lankan Army Commander is also scheduled to call on Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. "These meetings and bilateral discussions underscore the shared goals of further enhancing defence cooperation between the two nations," the Defence Ministry said in a statement. "The visit marks a momentous milestone in strengthening the diplomatic and military ties between two friendly neighbours. It reinforces the enduring camaraderie that has flourished over the years, promoting cooperation and mutual understanding in the realms of defence and security," it said. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Around two civilians have been killed for every dead Hamas fighter in the Gaza Strip, senior Israeli military officials admitted Monday, and said the army was deploying high-tech mapping software to try to reduce non-combatant deaths. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says Israel's military campaign, in the wake of Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, has killed around 15,900 people so far, most of them women and children. Asked about media reports that 5,000 Hamas fighters had been killed, one of the senior officials told reporters at a briefing: "The numbers are more or less right. "I'm not saying it's not bad that we have a ratio of two to one," one of the officials said, adding that the use of human shields was part of Hamas's "core strategy". "Hopefully it (the ratio) will be much lower" in the coming phase of the war, they added, speaking on condition of anonymity. The rising death toll and unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza have sparked outrage in much of the world. Israel began bombarding targets in the Gaza Strip, alongside a ground invasion, with the aim of eradicating Hamas after its fighters carried out the worst attack in Israel's history on October 7. Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped about 240 others, according to Israeli officials. Key ally the United States has cautioned Israel to do more to avert civilian casualties as operations shift to the south, where many Gazans are seeking refuge after fleeing the devastated north. To that end, the officials said, the army is using high-tech mapping software to track population movements inside the Gaza Strip and issue evacuation orders. The system incorporates mobile phone and other signals, aerial surveillance and word from local sources, as well as AI, to maintain a constantly updating map showing population concentrations across the territory. Each of the map's 623 cells are colour-coded, with green designating areas where at least 75 percent of the population has evacuated. "In the south, because we have basically doubled the population, operations are much more precise," the official said. "We are taking much more time to make sure our efforts (at warning civilians) are effective." The map -- which the military says is the product of eight years of research and development -- is available to commanders and units on the ground. The map is used to coordinate efforts to warn civilians to leave certain areas ahead of impending strikes via SMS, phone calls, leaflet drops and other announcements, and to track the effectiveness of such messaging in real time. It is similar to one made available online that the military says is intended to enable Gazans to "evacuate from specific places for their safety if required". But the United Nations humanitarian office OCHA has questioned the usefulness of such a tool in an area where access to telecommunications and electricity is sporadic. On Monday night the main telecom company in the Gaza Strip said mobile telephone and internet service had been cut across the territory. "I can assure you that we're doing everything in our power to reduce civilian casualties," the official said. "But this is part of the consequences of war." (AFP) Luxury goods seized seized from criminals by the Criminal Assets Bureau have made more than 400,000 for the Exchequer during an online auction. All 100 lots of luxury items including top of the range Rolex, Bretiling, Cartier, and Tag Heure watches, gold bars, fine jewellery, gold bars and designer bags were sold by Wilsons Auction. Advertisement A Rolex Day-Date 40, automatic with roman numerals and gold hands made the top price and went for 30,100. The Rolex Daytona automatic in 18 carat rose gold went for 26,200. The items were estimated to be worth more than 500,000. The online auction which began on Friday finished on Monday at 2.30pm. All items are fully authenticated and the net proceeds of the auction will be returned to the Exchequer as they were seized due to being the proceeds of crime. Advertisement Ricky Wilson, director of Wilsons said: We are delighted to be managing the sale for CAB. Wilsons Auctions is well-known for dealing with seized goods. "All the money raised from this auction will be paid directly back into the State. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said a motion of no confidence against her is a "distraction from the huge amount of work that needs to be done". The motion, tabled by Sinn Fein is due to be debated and voted on in the Dail on Tuesday. Advertisement Ms McEntee has come under sustained pressure following riots in Dublin on November 23rd, with Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald calling for the Minister to hand in her resignation. Speaking on her way into a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, Ms McEntee said she feels the Sinn Fein motion is a distraction, adding: "As you can see from Cabinet today, I'm getting on with my work and there's a huge amount to be done." Ms McEntee is understood to be presenting Cabinet with a proposed extradition deal between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates aimed at targeting the Kinahan organised crime group. Advertisement "I've been busy for the last three years working on not just safety in Dublin but many other issues," the Minister said. Advertisement "Today, I will bring to Cabinet a request to support and negotiations to open up with the UAE. I think one of the greatest successes of An Garda Siochana in recent years has been the development of international law enforcement coalitions, and so we will begin talks with the UAE on an extradition treaty and mutual legal assistance." Returning to issues closer to home, Ms McEntee added that she has been working closely with people in Dublin city centre, "to make sure that they are safe, that they feel safe, and that our city is a welcoming city for everyone". Asked for an update as to what went wrong on the night of the riots in Dublin, Ms McEntee said gardai responded in a "really exceptional way", adding: "I think the way in which they maintained such a possibly dangerous situation was excellent." The Minister said she will receive a full report on the matter from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris "in time", but added: "There will always be lessons that need to be learned, but I certainly think that they responded in the most appropriate way possible at the time." Riverdance and Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley and his family are "devastated" at having to leave their Co Cork period mansion after it was claimed an alleged extremely hazardous chemical residue was detected in the period property, the High Court has heard. The 65-year-old star claims that he, his wife Niamh and their son Michael St James cannot reside at the protected structure Castlehyde outside Fermoy, where he has invested over 29 million since he acquired it in 1999. Advertisement Mr Flatley says that it will cost 25 million and take two years to remedy the problem. In a sworn statement to the court, Mr Flatley says that his family have "all suffered ill health since moving back to Castlehyde" after remediation works. I believe I was one of the fittest people in Ireland, and despite the same, I developed cancer. Advertisement "I believe I was one of the fittest people in Ireland, and despite the same, I developed cancer," he said. Advertisement In High Court proceedings, Mr Flatley is suing the Austin Newport Group Limited, the alleged main contractor that carried out remediation works on the property after a fire in 2016, and the insurers of Castlehyde, Am Amlin Underwriting Ltd, AXA XL Underwriting Ltd, and Hamilton Managing Agency Ltd. The entertainer is seeking damages from those parties claiming, among other things, alleged negligence and alleged breach of health and safety regulations and building regulations. He has also brought proceedings against Mr David Cushion, who the court heard had been his accountant, and broker who had allegedly arranged insurance. In the proceedings, Mr Flatley also seeks judgment in the sum of 25 million. Advertisement The court heard that last October the Flatleys left their home after experts conducting routine maintenance of the house detected alleged high and unsafe levels of chloride residue from PVC on the walls and furniture of the property. Mr Flatley's counsel Ronnie Hudson Bl instructed by solicitor Max Mooney, said it is their case that the residue came from the combustion of PVC during a fire at the property in 2016, and is carcinogenic. Advertisement Counsel said that Mr Flatley claims that the main contractor, which was hired by the insurers to do remedial works, was allegedly aware of a problem with the residue while it was working on the property in 2016, but allegedly did not disclose this information to his client. Counsel said that an email dated August 5th, 2016 allegedly sent to the defendants was recently discovered in a box of other documents allegedly left in Castlehyde. Advertisement It stated that unacceptably high levels of chloride content from the combustion of PVC had been detected, and would have "an adverse effect" on metal components in the property, counsel said. Counsel said it is Mr Flatley's case that the alleged issue concerning the PVC residue should have been known about. In his proceedings, Mr Flatley claims the remediation works carried out were allegedly defective, done in an alleged negligent manner and he claims that defects, including the PVC residue, were allegedly hidden from Mr Flatley. Counsel said that in 2018, arising out of the damage caused by the fire, the insurers brought proceedings seeking damages against other parties that had carried out works on the property in 2006 and 2007. Advertisement Mediation Those proceedings, which were brought in Mr Flatley's name, were settled following mediation. As part of his latest action, Mr Flatley wants parts of that settlement agreement set aside. Counsel said that his "international superstar and multi-award winning client" and his family are "devastated and distraught" over having to leave their home. The matter came before Mr Justice Liam Kennedy in the High Court on Tuesday. Following an ex-parte application to the court, the judge said that he was satisfied to grant the plaintiff permission to serve the proceedings on the defendants who are all based in the UK. The judge said that at this stage, he was not prepared to grant an injunction requiring some of the defendants to preserve any reports they may have on the works allegedly carried out. The judge noted Mr Flatley's concerns on this issue that documents may be destroyed, but said that there was insufficient evidence before the court that would allow it to grant such an order. The case will return before the court at a later date. A new study on the membership of the Supreme Court since its establishment almost 100 years ago found it is disproportionately composed of judges from well-off backgrounds who attended fee-paying secondary schools and University College Dublin (UCD). The research paper on the educational background of all those who have ever been appointed to the States highest court found they are unrepresentative of the general population. Advertisement It revealed that 70 per cent of all individuals who have served as judges of the Supreme Court were graduates of UCD, while almost two-thirds attended a private school at secondary level. The study, which is published in the Irish Judicial Studies Journal, revealed that 32 of the 74 members of the Supreme Court to date attended both a fee-paying secondary school and UCD a figure higher that either the total number of judges who attended non-fee paying schools or the number who attended any university other than UCD. Advertisement The study found 46 judges of the Supreme Court since the foundation of the State went to private schools, predominantly Catholic-run, single-sex schools. Three fee-paying secondary schools for boys Belvedere College, Clongowes Wood College and Blackrock College account for 18 of the total; only two less than the total number of all Supreme Court judges known to have never attended a private school. Advertisement Although the study found 62.2 per cent of Supreme Court judges attended a fee-paying secondary school, it noted that only 6.7 per cent of second-level students currently attend fee-paying schools, despite enrolments at private schools being at record high levels. The author of the study, barrister and law lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, James Rooney BL, said such a contrast demonstrates the disparity in background between the population of the Irish Supreme Court and the population of Ireland in general. Dr Rooney said the results highlighted a striking unrepresentativeness in the educational and by implication, class backgrounds of the members of the bench. He claimed it was largely a consequence of a legal profession whose prohibitively high entry costs lead the pool of candidates for judicial office to be disproportionately populated by people form socio-economically advantageous backgrounds. Advertisement The barrister said the studys findings matter as the failure of the Supreme Court membership to reflect the general population runs the risk of impacting on the popular consensus that judges and their judgements are legitimate. Advertisement Dr Rooney claimed the importance of diversity of experience was recognised. However, he said the predominance of privately-educated judges had the potential for their widely-shared background to indirectly inform the adjudication of the Supreme Court. At the same time, Dr Rooney acknowledged that prudential caution was necessary when speculating how any specific legal decision may have been affected by the background of the members of the bench. Advertisement He added: Rights protection is inherently politically controversial and it is highly likely that attitudes and perceptions towards particular rights most obviously property rights and socio-economic rights vary along socio-economic lines. Dr Rooney said the findings of the study allowed for the possibility that the Supreme Courts decision-making has, in some form, been influenced by a common class background. The study also noted that the first Supreme Court judge to have received their third-level education entirely in a university in the Republic outside Dublin Liam McKechnie, a graduate of University College Cork was appointed in 2010. The first female member of the Supreme Court was only appointed in 1990, although women have been members of the Bar since the foundation of the State a century ago. Advertisement The study highlighted how a report commissioned by the Bar of Ireland in 2021 found the females accounted for 37 per cent of all members but only 18 per cent of the inner bar. Of the 22 members of the Supreme Court between 1990 and 2000, all but two were graduates of UCD. While the absence of Trinity College Dublin graduates from the Supreme Court in the 20th century was largely attributable to the ban on Catholics attending the university without special dispensation, the study said the UCD dominance has continued past its removal in 1970. However, the number of TCD-educated members of the Supreme Court has increased considerably since the early 2000s. The study noted that the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill which is currently due to be tested by the Supreme Court following its referral by President Michael D Higgins, requires the Judicial Appointments Commission in recommending a candidate for appointment to the bench to take into account the objective that judges reflect the diversity of the population of the State as a whole. Updated: 11am There is an urgent need for a robust, mature system to deal with the reality of the numbers seeking international protection in Ireland, the chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Sinead Gibney has said Advertisement The situation is no longer unprecedented, she told RTE radios Morning Ireland. Since the war had broken out in Ukraine, it had been known that this was coming and that pressure on services was likely to happen, she added. The State needs to address the medium and long term issue, and handing recently arrived applicants vouchers and a sleeping bag were not the solution, she said. Ms Gibney noted this approach is particularly unsuitable at a time when temperatures are falling, and there is an anti-immigrant sentiment among parts of the population. Advertisement Advertisement Homeless services are already stretched to capacity, and the State is not meeting the basic rights of international asylum seekers in line with its EU obligations, she added. Ms Gibney acknowledged the incredible work that has been done to date by State employees and civil society, but pointed out that people have the right to seek international protection in Ireland, and they had the right while that claim was being processed, to have their basic needs met. It is impossible to see how that's happening in these sorts of circumstances. We urge the Government to deal with this now to find accommodation, wherever that is, to meet the basic needs of these people, but also to address the medium and long term, Ms Gibney said. Advertisement We knew this was coming, the State knew this was coming, the Government knew this was coming, and since the war started in Ukraine 18 months ago, we knew that these numbers were likely to happen. The projections all said so. I do not see the development of that medium and long term planning. What we need is a robust system, a mature system that deals with what is now a reality, which is the constant movement of people. These numbers aren't going anywhere, they're only going to increase with climate crisis, so what we need to see is a system like our health system or our education system, which deals with that reality in a mature way. Advertisement We need to see the State reaching its obligations under the EU Receptions Directive, and in my mind, as a State, we should be going beyond that and offering better conditions. What we see is that migration to this country, inward migration is a positive thing, whether that's people coming in through international protection, refugee systems or through economic migrant migration, and we need to be positive about this. Advertisement We also need to see political leadership when people in positions of power are not talking about this in the emergency way and in the burdened kind of language that we're used to and instead frame it differently, Ms Gibney added. Whole-Government approach Meanwhile, the secretary general of the Irish Red Cross, Deirdre Garvey, called for a whole of Government approach to the accommodation problem. No one should be without shelter, no matter where they come from, she told RTE radios Today with Claire Byrne. Unused larger buildings, such as office blocks or warehouses, could be used to provide temporary accommodation for those seeking asylum, she said, adding that anything was better than sleeping on the street. Advertisement She noted the Red Cross had provided accommodation for 900 people in an office block in Belgium. Advertisement Nobody should be without shelter, whether they be Irish, whether they be Ukrainian, or whether they be from further afield seeking international protection and refuge, Ms Garvey said. Living on the street in a tent is simply not safe, and that's really the basic fact of the matter. The Government has done really well in terms of finding the short term solution to the crisis. Nobody thought that this would go on for long. We have in this country private accommodation for 75,000 refugees from the war in Ukraine and 25,000 seeking international protection, so yes, we are dealing with unprecedented numbers for our country. But the way the world is moving and the way the world is changing, I think we need to understand that although the Government has done well in terms of short term solution to the crisis, it really isn't clear at this stage what the long term plan is, and after 18 months, we are hitting the territory where short term needs medium to long term, and that is where we have a lacuna. That's where we have a gap. That is why we are hearing on the news that we simply don't have any beds, and I guess what we are calling for is a renewed whole-of-Government crisis approach to this, in terms of using the incredible innovation and the motivation that was used in the last 18 months to apply to unused larger buildings, commercial state owned anything is better than sleeping on the streets or in a tent. Ms Garvey highlighted the Government has a list of commercial properties available, along with state-owned properties, such as nursing homes or psychiatric facilities. She acknowledged that there were practical fire safety and compliance issues, but said these matters could and should be clarified and resolved, rather than purchasing tents and increasing co-benefits for people living on the street. We have to find a solution. A mother of a baby girl (2) who died of invasive Group A Strep infection in hospital just over 48 hours after she had originally been discharged from its emergency department with a suspected throat infection has claimed she has lost trust in Irelands healthcare system. An inquest at Dublin District Coroners Court on Tuesday returned a verdict of medical misadventure in relation to the death of Phoenix Graham-Hadyen from Malahide, Co Dublin at Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street in Dublin on November 3rd 2022. Advertisement Coroner Clare Keane said there was evidence that there had been missed opportunities and delays in her treatment, while there was also not full awareness among hospital staff of guidelines on sepsis. Treatment Dr Keane observed that the treatment of sepsis was time-critical as it could lead to septic shock with every hour of delay increasing the risk of death. Advertisement She also noted that communications with busy doctors within the hospital were in a lot of different ways and needed to be restructured. The inquest heard that the little girl had been brought to the hospitals emergency department on October 31st 2022 after she had been unwell for a number of days. Advertisement Phoenixs mother, Lauren Graham, said her daughter had been vomiting and eating and drinking less than normal, while she had developed a cough as well as high temperature. Ms Graham said her daughters temperature was over 41C on her first visit when she was so weak that she could not stand up. It was out of character as she was usually full of energy, said Ms Graham. Viral infection She said a doctor examined Phoenix at around 2.30am on November 1st 2022 and diagnosed her as having a viral infection. Advertisement Ms Graham said the doctor tried to give her daughter some steroids, but she spat most of it out. She recalled being advised to give the girl some Calpol, Neurofen and fluids when they got home. However, Ms Graham said she was unhappy that her daughter was being discharged as she remained concerned that Phoenix was still not well and appeared very drowsy. Advertisement She returned with Phoenix to CHI at Temple Street at around 2pm on November 2nd 2022 but her condition deteriorated around 6.30pm. Advertisement Ms Graham said it looked like hospital staff had no clue what they were doing. She recalled how she was later advised to say goodbye to her daughter. However, Ms Graham said she would not have allowed doctors to have Phoenix her without seeing father if I knew she was not going to wake up. The inquest heard that the girls family were informed in the early hours of November 3rd 2022 that she was brain dead and she passed away at 4.26am. Advertisement I really cant put into words the pain, loss and sadness we feel every single day, said Ms Graham. My trust in the health system is completely gone she remarked. Ms Graham said she suffers panic attacks and fears when she hears any of her other two children with a cough. She said Phoenixs older brother, who has autism, has difficulty in understanding why his sister is never coming back. She described her daughter as a little princess yet a tomboy who was outgoing, funny, crazy and sassy. Impact Her partner, Wayne Hayden, said he was devastated by the loss of his perfect, blonde, blue-eyed girl who should be running around playing with her older brother, Jake (8) and younger sister, Bayleigh (1). Advertisement Mr Hayden said her death had also had a huge impact on his own mental health. The inquest heard that he had been unable to hold down regular work and had been in three different jobs over the past year. Mr Hayden said he kept seeing the same vision in the corner of his eye of ICU staff trying to revive his daughter. He said he and Lauren were often too consumed with grief to be able to help each other. Mr Hayden said he also found it difficult to get over the fact that he had not got to say goodbye to Phoenix before she had been sedated shortly before her death. He said he was still reliving that one year later. I have to live with that for the rest of my life, he added. Strep infection The inquest heard postmortem results showed Phoenix died from invasive Group A Strep infection and pneumonia secondary to RSV a common viral infection in young children. A pathologist, Michael McDermott, told the inquest that it had been an unprecedented year for invasive Group A Strep infection in Ireland. Dr McDermott said it had caused considerable alarm and distress for the health services with over 170 people being admitted to hospital with the infection between October 2022 and the end of this summer. Advertisement Its an extremely high number and many were extremely ill, he remarked. Dr McDermott said half of all patients with invasive Group A Strep infection over the period had required surgical intervention with 12 fatalities recorded. He also stated that the infection was disproportionately virulent among young children. Review The pathologist said a review was being carried out to establish the exact reason for such a wave of infection but added that there was a working theory that it emerged when people were mixing together after a long period of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A consultant paediatrician, Claire Mattimoe, told the inquest that she had examined and flagellated herself repeatedly over the girls death. The consultant said she was aware that Phoenix had a high pulse but that guidelines for sepsis said that left three hours to provide treatment unless there was more than one red flag. However, Dr Mattimoe said she felt subsequent time delays were what impacted on the patient. She told the inquest that lessons had been learnt from Phoenixs death with several changes implemented at CHI at Temple Street including fast-tracking of X-rays for patients in the emergency department, two consultants working at night and a large increase in nursing staff. Advertisement However, Dr Mattimoe admitted that the uptake on a form used to document potential sepsis in patients has not been great and was only completed in 13 per cent of children with invasive Group A Strep. A paediatric registrar, Freya Guinness, said Phoenix had been discharged after her first attendance at the hospital as she had met the criteria to be allowed home including that she was not clinically dehydrated. Dr Guinness admitted to the coroner that the emergency department on the night was extremely busy and short-staffed. She confirmed that the working diagnosis was that Phoenix was suffering from a viral upper respiratory tract infection. Cross-examined by counsel of the deceaseds family, Ellen Gleeson BL, why the full sepsis protocol had not been activated in the girls case, Dr Guinness said emergency care was more about constant reassessment of vital signs. She added that hospital staff would have to complete the protocol in around 50 patients in the emergency department every day if they adopted the full protocol in every potential case. Dr Guinness said it was also the case that pieces of paper recording the risk of sepsis in patients tended to go missing. Another consultant paediatrician, Louise Kyne, said a key issue in the treatment of the girl was the recognition of sepsis. Dr Kyne acknowledged there had been a delay in considering the diagnosis of sepsis, in treating sepsis and subsequently in administering an intravenous antibiotic. Offering her condolences to Phoenixs parents on their heartbreaking loss, Dr Keane said she would ask the HSE to consider introducing an early warning scoring system for all children with a suspected infection in a hospitals emergency department and not just on admission as is the current practice. An estimated 400 Rohingya Muslims believed to be aboard two boats adrift in the Andaman Sea without adequate supplies could die if more is not done to rescue them, the UN has said. The number of Rohingya Muslims fleeing by boats usually from squalid, overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh has been rising since last year due to cuts to food rations and a spike in gang violence. Advertisement Babar Baloch, the UN refugee agencys regional spokesperson, told The Associated Press: There are about 400 children, women and men looking death in the eye if there are no moves to save these desperate souls. The location of the other boat is unclear. The boats apparently embarked from Bangladesh and are reported to have been at sea for about two weeks, Mr Baloch said. Advertisement Advertisement Over 130 million people are expected to be forcibly displaced or stateless by the end of 2024. UNHCR is determined to protect them. At today's pledging conference, we ask our partners to provide urgent financial support. More in our Global Appeal https://t.co/uhAff0AZVO UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) December 5, 2023 Advertisement When contacted by reporters, the captain of one of the boats said he had 180 to 190 people on board. They are out of food and water and the engine was damaged. The captain, who gave his name as Maan Nokim, said he feared all on board will die if they do not receive help. On Sunday, Mr Nokim said the boat was 200 miles from Thailands west coast. However, a Thai navy spokesperson later said he had no information about the boats. Mr Baloch said the location is about the same distance from Indonesias northernmost province of Aceh, where another boat with 139 people landed on Saturday on Sabang Island, off the tip of Sumatra. Those on the ship included 58 children, 45 women and 36 men the typical balance of those making the sea journey, he said. Hundreds more arrived in Aceh last month. Advertisement About 740,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to the camps in Bangladesh since August 2017, after a brutal counterinsurgency campaign tore through their communities. Advertisement Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and the burning of thousands of Rohingya homes, and international courts are considering whether their actions constituted genocide. Ethnic Rohingya disembark from their boat upon landing in Ulee Madon, North Aceh, Indonesia, last month (AP) Advertisement Most of the refugees leaving the camps by sea attempt to reach Muslim-dominated Malaysia, hoping to find work there. Thailand turns them away or detains them. Indonesia, another Muslim-dominated country where many end up, also puts them in detention. Mr Baloch said if the two boats adrift are not given assistance, the world may witness another tragedy such as in December 2022, when a boat with 180 aboard went missing in one of the darkest such incidents in the region. Aid group Save The Children said in a November 22 report that 465 Rohingya children had arrived in Indonesia by boat over the previous week and the the number of refugees taking to the seas had increased by more than 80%. It said more than 3,570 Rohingya Muslims had left Bangladesh and Myanmar this year, up from nearly 2,000 in the same period of 2022. Of those who left this year, 225 are known to have died or were missing, with many others not accounted for. Sultana Begum, the groups manager for humanitarian policy and advocacy, said: The desperate situation of Rohingya families is forcing them to take unacceptable risks in search of a better life. These perilous journeys show that many Rohingya refugees have lost all hope. Frances national assembly has unanimously approved a bill to ban single-use, disposable e-cigarettes. The move is an attempt to protect young people drawn to their flavours, and to mitigate the environmental impact of the disposable products, known in France as puffs. Advertisement Legislators adopted the bill in a late-night vote on Monday with 104 in favour, zero against. The bill, supported by the government, will then move to the senate where it is expected to be adopted as well. It could go into effect by September 2024. Disposable e-cigarettes are small, battery-powered devices that are especially popular among teenagers for their sweet flavours. Advertisement The products have drawn criticism over their environmental impact, as well as their attractiveness to young people (AP) While they do not contain tobacco, many include nicotine, a dangerous chemical known for its addictive properties. They differ from reusable vaping devices in that they are not designed to be refilled or recharged. Their small, non-rechargeable lithium batteries often end up in landfills. Advertisement This bill is part of a broader trend, with Ireland, the UK, and Germany considering similar measures. Advertisement New Zealand and Australia have already implemented restrictions, with the former mandating lower nicotine levels and restrictions on vape shop locations near schools. Three years ago, the US food and drug administration cracked down on flavoured reusable e-cigarettes like Juul. However, the ban which did not apply to single-use products was unable to stop a surge in unauthorised disposable e-cigarettes, primarily from China, from flooding the market. A former career American diplomat was charged with serving as a secret agent for communist Cuba going back decades in what prosecutors portrayed as one of the most brazen and long-running betrayals in the history of the U.S. foreign service. Manuel Rocha wept as he sat handcuffed in Miami federal court on charges that he engaged in clandestine activity on Cuba's behalf since at least 1981 the year he joined the U.S. foreign service including by meeting with Cuban intelligence operatives and providing false information to U.S. government officials about his contacts. The complaint unsealed Monday is short on specifics of how Rocha may have assisted Cuba. But it provides a vivid case study of what American officials say are long-standing efforts by Cuba and its notoriously sophisticated intelligence services to target U.S. government officials who can be flipped. This action exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "To betray that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the United States while serving a foreign power is a crime that will be met with the full force of the Justice Department. The 73-year-old Rocha, whose two-decade career as a U.S. diplomat included top posts in Bolivia, Argentina and the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, was arrested by the FBI at his Miami home Friday. He was ordered held following Monday's brief court appearance pending a bond hearing Wednesday. His attorney declined to comment. The Justice Department did not reveal how Rocha attracted the attention of Cubas intelligence operatives nor did it describe what, if any, sensitive information he may have provided while working for the State Department and in a lucrative post-government career that included a stint as a special adviser to the commander of U.S. Southern Command. Instead, the case relies largely on what prosecutors say were Rocha's own admissions, made over the past year to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Cuban intelligence operative named Miguel. Rocha praised the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as Comandante, branded the U.S. the enemy and bragged about his service for more than 40 years as a Cuban mole in the heart of U.S. foreign policy circles, the complaint says. What we have done its enormous more than a Grand Slam, he was quoted as saying at one of several secretly recorded conversations. To cover his tracks, Rocha referred to Cuba as the island and led a normal life disguised as a right-wing person, he said in one of the recordings. Former colleagues and friends described Rocha as a vocal admirer of former President Donald Trump, who took a hard line on Cuba. John Feeley, who ended a long diplomatic career serving as U.S. ambassador to Panama, said he was surprised how his mentor, who had served administrations of both parties, had so fully embraced Trumps politics. It is beyond ironic that he cultivated this cartoonish persona," he said, and that everyone apparently bought it. Washington and Havana restored diplomatic relations in late 2014 after a half-century of Cold War acrimony, though the Trump administration reimposed sanctions on Cuba and, in 2021, redesignated it a state sponsor of terrorism. The Biden administration has moved more gingerly to restore some Obama-era concessions. The charging document traces Rochas illegal ties to Cuba to well after his departure from the federal government, when he took on lucrative private sector jobs most recently as a senior adviser to an international public relations firm and prominent U.S. law firm. The FBI learned about the relationship last year and arranged a series of undercover encounters in discrete locations a church and outdoor food court in downtown Miami. Rocha deliberately strayed from the most-direct route to those encounters, pausing along the way in what prosecutors allege was classic, counter-surveillance tradecraft taught by Cubas spymasters. Its what Ive always been told to do, Rocha told the undercover agent at one of those meetings. At another meeting, Rocha referred to Cuba shooting down two unarmed planes sent by the Miami-based group of exiles, Brothers to the Rescue, in which four opponents of Castros government were killed in 1996. Theres no indication in the complaint that Rocha aided the Cubans with the military operation a major flashpoint in more than a half-century of brinksmanship between the communist-ruled island and its right-wing opponents in Miami. But at the time he served as a senior political officer at the U.S. special interest section in Havana. I lived through it, because I was in charge, Rocha was quoted as saying. That was a time of a lot of tension. Last Friday, when interviewed by two Diplomatic Security Service agents, Rocha repeatedly lied, including by denying having ever met someone matching the undercover agent's description, according to the charging document. Rochas service to Cuba may have gone back even earlier than the start of his U.S. diplomatic career. The complaint cites Rocha telling the undercover agent that he first proved his loyalty in Chile in 1973 the year Gen. Augusto Pinochet, with U.S. backing, overthrew the socialist government of Salvador Allende. They must have told you something because you mentioned Chile, Rocha told the undercover agent, who presented himself as having reached out to him at the request of higher-ups in Cubas National Intelligence Directorate. That inspired trust in me. Born in Colombia, Rocha was raised in a working-class home in New York City and obtained a succession of liberal arts degrees from Yale, Harvard and Georgetown before joining the foreign service. He was the top U.S. diplomat in Argentina between 1997 and 2000 as a decade-long currency stabilization program backed by Washington was unraveling under the weight of huge foreign debt, triggering a political crisis that would see the South American country cycle through five presidents in two weeks. At his next post, as ambassador to Bolivia, he intervened directly in the 2002 presidential race, warning weeks ahead of the vote that the U.S. would cut off assistance to the poor South American country if it were to elect former coca grower Evo Morales. I want to remind the Bolivian electorate that if they vote for those who want Bolivia to return to exporting cocaine, that will seriously jeopardize any future aid to Bolivia from the United States, Rocha said in a speech that was widely interpreted as an attempt to sustain U.S. dominance in the region. The comments backfired, angered Bolivians and boosted support for Morales, who joked that Rocha was his best campaign chief. When Morales was finally elected three years later, the leftist leader expelled Rochas successor as chief of the diplomatic mission for inciting civil war. Rocha also served in Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and worked as a Latin America expert for the National Security Council. Criminal cases against American officials accused of doing Cubas bidding are rare but not unprecedented. A former State Department official, Walter Kendall Myers, was sentenced in 2010 to life in prison for providing classified information to Cuba, and Ana Belen Montes, a former U.S. defense intelligence analyst who was convicted of spying for Cuba, was released from prison in January after a lengthy sentence. But of all the spy scandals in the last 40 years, Rocha is believed to be the first member of Americas elite foreign service to have been accused of betraying their oath, said Kevin Whitaker, a former U.S. ambassador to Colombia. If this is true, Rocha has stained the institution of the foreign service, he said. Its infuriating. (AP) A former career American diplomat has been charged with serving as a secret agent for communist Cuba going back decades in what prosecutors portrayed as one of the most brazen and long-running betrayals in the history of the US foreign service. Court papers alleged that Manuel Rocha engaged in clandestine activity on Cubas behalf since at least 1981, including by meeting with Cuban intelligence operatives and providing false information to US government officials about his travels and contacts. Advertisement The complaint, filed in federal court in Miami, charges Rocha with crimes including acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government and provides a vivid case study of what American officials say are long-standing efforts by Cuba and its notoriously sophisticated intelligence services to target government officials who can be flipped. Advertisement This action exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent, attorney general Merrick Garland said in a statement. Attorney general Merrick Garland speaks in Washington about Manuel Rocha, the former American diplomat who served as US ambassador to Bolivia, being charged with serving as a secret agent for Cubas intelligence services Photo: Stephanie Scarbrough/AP. Advertisement To betray that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the United States while serving a foreign power is a crime that will be met with the full force of the Justice Department. The 73-year-old Rocha, whose two-decade career as a US diplomat included top posts in Bolivia, Argentina and the US Interests Section in Havana, was arrested at his Miami home on Friday. He wept as he sat handcuffed during his first court appearance on Monday and was ordered held pending a bail hearing on Wednesday. His lawyer declined to comment. Advertisement The Justice Department did not reveal how Rocha allegedly attracted the attention of Cubas intelligence operatives nor did it describe what, if any, sensitive information he may have provided while in government. Instead, the case relies largely on what prosecutors say were Rochas own admissions, made over the past year to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Cuban intelligence operative. Rocha praised the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as Comandante, branded the US the enemy and bragged about his service for more than 40 years as a Cuban mole in the heart of the State Department and elite US foreign policy circles, the complaint says. Advertisement What we have done its enormous more than a Grand Slam, he was quoted as saying at one of several secretly recorded conversations starting last year at discreet locations a church and outdoor food court in central Miami. Advertisement Defence lawyer Jacqueline Arango, centre, and Karla Wittkop Rocha, left, wife of Manuel Rocha, are trailed by journalists as they leave the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building in Miami. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell/AP. They underestimated what we could do to them. We did more than they thought, the document quotes Rocha as saying, referring to the United States. To cover his tracks, he referred to Cuba as the island and led a normal life disguised as a right-wing person, he said in one of the recordings. Advertisement He also arrived at the meetings with the undercover agent in Miami deliberately straying from the most direct route and pausing along the way in what prosecutors allege was classic counter-surveillance tradecraft as taught by Cubas spymasters. Its what Ive always been told to do, Rocha told his handler about his movements. The case is part of a historically tense relationship between the US and Cuba. Washington and Havana restored diplomatic relations in late 2014 after half a century of Cold War acrimony, though the Trump administration reimposed sanctions on Cuba and, in 2021, redesignated it a state sponsor of terrorism. The charging document traces Rochas illegal ties to Cuba back to 1981, when he first joined the State Department, to well after his departure from the federal government, when he took on lucrative private sector jobs most recently as a senior business adviser to an international public relations firm. Advertisement The FBI learned about the relationship last year and arranged a series of undercover encounters in central Miami between Rocha and an agent purporting to be a Cuban intelligence operative, the document says. Manuel Rocha during a meeting with an FBI undercover employee. Photo: Justice Department via AP. I always told myself, The only thing that can put everything we have done in danger is someones betrayal, someone who may have met me, someone who may have known something at some point, Rocha said in one of the meetings, according to the charging document. In another meeting last year, Rocha referred to Cuba shooting down two unarmed planes sent by the Miami-based group of exiles Brothers to the Rescue in which four opponents of Castros government were killed in 1996, the document said. There is no indication in the complaint that Rocha aided the Cubans with the military operation a major flashpoint in more than half a century of brinksmanship between the communist-ruled island and its right-wing opponents in Miami. But at the time, he served as a senior political officer at the US special interest section in Havana. I lived through it, because I was in charge, Rocha said. That was a time of a lot of tension. Rochas alleged service to Cuba may have gone back earlier than the start of his US diplomatic career. Advertisement The complaint cites Rocha telling the undercover agent, who went by the name Miguel, that he first proved his loyalty in Chile in 1973 the same year right-wing General Augusto Pinochet, with US backing, overthrew the socialist government of Salvador Allende. Manuel Rocha. Photo: Justice Department via AP. They must have told you something because you mentioned Chile, Rocha told the undercover agent who presented himself as having reached out to him at the request of higher-ups in Cubas National Intelligence Directorate. That inspired trust in me. Born in Colombia, Rocha was raised in a working-class home in New York City and went on to obtain a succession of liberal arts degrees from Yale, Harvard and Georgetown before joining the foreign service in 1981. He was the top US diplomat in Argentina between 1997 and 2000 as a decade-long currency stabilisation programme backed by Washington was unravelling under the weight of huge foreign debt and stagnant growth, triggering a political crisis that would see the South American country cycle through five presidents in two weeks. At his next post, as ambassador to Bolivia, he intervened directly in the 2002 presidential race, warning weeks ahead of the vote that the US would cut off assistance to the poor South American country if it were to elect former coca grower Evo Morales. Advertisement I want to remind the Bolivian electorate that if they vote for those who want Bolivia to return to exporting cocaine, that will seriously jeopardise any future aid to Bolivia from the United States, Rocha said in a speech that was widely interpreted as an attempt to sustain US dominance in the region. The gambit angered Bolivians and gave Mr Morales a last-minute boost. When he was finally elected three years later, the leftist leader expelled Rochas successor as chief of the diplomatic mission for inciting civil war. Rocha also served in Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and worked as a Latin America expert for the National Security Council. After his retirement from the State Department, Rocha began a second career in business, serving as the president of a gold mine in the Dominican Republic partly owned by Canadas Barrick Gold. More recently, he has held senior roles at XCoal, a Pennsylvania-based coal exporter; Clover Leaf Capital, a company formed to facilitate mergers in the cannabis industry; law firm Foley & Lardner; and Spanish public relations firm Llorente & Cuenca, which said on Monday that it had sacked him. John Feeley, who ended a long diplomatic career serving as US ambassador to Panama, said he was saddened and shocked that my former mentor turned out to be a career Cuban mole. Mr Feeley, who retired from the State Department over differences with President Donald Trumps administration, said that the last time he saw Rocha he was surprised by how a diplomat who had served administrations of both parties had so fully embraced Mr Trumps brand of politics. It is beyond ironic that he cultivated this cartoonish persona and that everyone apparently bought it, he said. A former confidential informant for the US Drug Enforcement Administration has pleaded guilty to conspiring to assassinate Haitian President Jovenel Moise, whose killing in 2021 caused unprecedented turmoil in the Caribbean nation. Joseph Vincent, a dual Haitian-American citizen who lived in the US and attended meetings in South Florida and Haiti ahead of the assassination, is the fourth of 11 defendants in Miami to plead guilty. Advertisement He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on charges including conspiracy to kill and kidnap a person outside the US and conspiracy to provide material support and resources. According to authorities, about 20 Colombian citizens and several dual Haitian-American citizens participated in the plot. The conspirators initially planned to kidnap the Haitian president but later opted to kill him. Investigators allege the plotters had hoped to win contracts under Mr Moises successor. Advertisement Vincent, wearing a prisoners beige shirt and pants, pleaded guilty at a hearing before federal Judge Jose E Martinez that lasted 20 minutes. Advertisement Seated next to his lawyer, Kenneth Swartz, he was handcuffed and had shackles on his ankles. Guilty, your honour, Vincent responded after the judge asked him how he would plead. Vincent said he had reached a plea agreement with the prosecutors, something defendants often do in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence. Under the terms, he agreed to collaborate with the investigation, and the government said it would withdraw two accusations of conspiracy to commit offences against the United States. Advertisement The judge set his sentencing hearing for February 9, 2024. The other defendants who have pleaded guilty are retired Colombian army officer German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, who was sentenced to life in prison in October; Haitian-Chilean businessman Rodolphe Jaar, who also was sentenced to life in prison in June; and former Haitian senator John Joel Joseph, who was detained in Jamaica before being extradited to Miami last year and is set to be sentenced on December 19. They are all part of what US prosecutors have described as a conspiracy hatched in Haiti and Florida that ended with mercenaries gunning down Mr Moise at his private home near the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince on July 7, 2021. He was 53. Advertisement Vincent was close to Haitian-American suspects James Solages and Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a South Florida resident and pastor whose ambition to replace Mr Moise as president led to the assassination, according to charges filed by the prosecutors. Advertisement Both were among the first arrested after Mr Moise was shot 12 times at his home. After the killing, Vincent maintained his innocence and told a Haitian judge that he was a translator for the Colombian soldiers accused of storming the presidents residence and killing him. More than 40 suspects have been arrested in the case in Haiti, most of them shortly after Mr Moise was fatally shot in the attack that also injured his wife, Martine Moise. Among those detained are 18 former Colombian soldiers accused of taking part in the plot and several high-ranking Haitian police officers. Advertisement In Haiti, five judges have been appointed to the case and four of them have stepped down for various reasons, including fear of being killed. In the two years following the assassination, Haiti has experienced a surge in gang violence that led the prime minister to request the immediate deployment of a foreign armed force in October 2022. The UN Security Council voted to send a multinational force led by Kenya to help fight gangs in October of this year. Advertisement The deployment has been delayed, however. Kenya has said its personnel needs more training and funding, and a local high court has extended orders blocking the deployment, with a hearing scheduled for late January. No deployment date has been announced. Lech Walesa, Polands 80-year-old former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been taken to hospital with a severe case of Covid-19, an aide said on Tuesday. A post on Mr Walesas Facebook page shows him on a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on, with a caption that says I have been hit by Covid. Advertisement (Lech Walesa/Facebook) The aide, Marek Kaczmar, told Polish media that Mr Walesa is seriously ill, but under good care in a hospital in Gdansk, the Baltic port city where he lives. It is Mr Walesas second bout of Covid. Advertisement Starting in 1980, Mr Walesa spearheaded Polands pro-democracy Solidarity movement that nine years later led to the peaceful ouster of communism from Poland and inspired other countries to shed Moscows domination. Advertisement In 1983, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1990-95, he served as democratic Polands first popularly elected president. The legal challenge of Britain's Prince Harry over his security arrangements while in the UK will reach the High Court. Harry is taking action against the UK Home Office over the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) over his security, after being told he would no longer be given the same degree of personal protective security when visiting. Advertisement Harry was cleared to bring the challenge in July 2022 and the claim will be heard over two-and-a-half days starting from Tuesday. In making the bid for the challenge, lawyers for Harry said the security arrangements set out in a letter from Ravec, and their application when he visited the UK in June 2021, were invalid due to procedural unfairness because he was not given an opportunity to make informed representations beforehand. Advertisement The hearing is one of the five High Court claims the duke is involved in, including extensive litigation against newspaper publishers (PA) Advertisement Shaheed Fatima KC, for the prince, told the High Court in London last year: He didnt know at that stage that the Royal Household was involved at all he was told it was an independent decision. Lawyers for the Home Office said Ravec was entitled to reach the decision it did, which is that Harrys security arrangements will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and said permission for a full challenge should be refused. A decision is expected at a later date. The hearing is one of the five High Court claims Harry is involved in, including extensive litigation against newspaper publishers. Advertisement Earlier this year, he was refused permission to bring a further legal challenge against the Home Office over a Ravec decision that he should not be allowed to pay privately for protective security. People in Wales are being urged to avoid a village after armed officers were deployed to deal with an assault which has left one in hospital. Police said officers had responded to an incident in Aberfan, South Wales, where schools and a community centre have closed as a precaution. Advertisement One person was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for treatment. The incident took place on Moy Road and people have been told to avoid the area. Advertisement Emergency services are responding to a serious assault that took place on Moy Road, Aberfan, Merthyr, just before 9.10am this morning, a South Wales Police spokesperson said. Armed officers are in the area, and we request that people avoid the area so that we can effectively deal with this incident. A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson added: We sent one emergency ambulance, one air ambulance and one Cymru high acuity response unit to the scene where advanced critical care support was delivered by the emergency medical retrieval and transfer service. Advertisement Advertisement We conveyed one patient by road to University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff for further treatment. Greenfield School, a special needs school, said all perimeter gates have been locked and pupils were being kept indoors. The Trinity Childcare and Family Centre has also locked its doors, with all staff and children safe inside. The Wellbeing community centre has also said it is closed until further notice. A small twin-engine plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the southern Paris suburbs, Frances civil aviation safety agency has said. French media said the aircraft landed near a populated area in the town of Villejuif. Advertisement Sebastien Barthe, communications director for the safety agency known as BEA for short, said the cause of the unplanned landing was a technical problem and that four people were on board the plane, including the pilot. Police officers stand by a small plane that made an emergency landing in Villejuif, outside Paris (Michel Euler/AP) Mr Barthe could not confirm French media reports saying that three passengers sustained injuries but said his agency was investigating what led up to the emergency landing. Advertisement We will examine all aspects, including the pilots health and the aircrafts mechanical condition, he said. Emergency services were on the scene quickly. Photos and videos widely shared on social media showed the plane against a wall and emergency personnel at work. Transgender teenager Brianna Ghey suffered unsurvivable injuries when she was stabbed 28 times during a sustained and violent assault, a court heard. And the knife used was consistent with the 12cm hunting knife found, with her blood still on it, in the bedroom of boy Y, one of the two teenagers accused of her murder, Manchester Crown Court was told. Advertisement Boy Y and girl X, who cannot be named because of their ages, are both accused of the murder of Brianna, 16, who was found fatally injured in Culcheth Linear Park, near Warrington, on the afternoon of February 11. Both defendants, aged 15 at the time, now both 16, deny murder and are blaming each other for Briannas death. The trial, now in its second week, has been told X and Y had a fixation with torture, violence and death, and drew up a kill list of child victims. Advertisement An alleged murder plan to kill Brianna was found in the bedroom of X, who had an interest in serial killers and described herself as a Satanist the trial has heard. Advertisement Two teenagers are on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of the murder of Brianna Ghey. Photo: Family handout/Warrington Police/PA. On Tuesday, British Home office consultant pathologist Dr Alison Armour told the jury of the results of the post-mortem examination she carried out on Briannas body at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital the day after her death. It took about two hours to detail the injuries using computer generated images, detailing the location of the injuries on Briannas body. Advertisement Dr Armour said of the 28 stab wounds that 14 were to the head and neck and 14 to the chest, back and sides. She concluded the injuries were consistent with a sustained and violent assault with a bladed weapon. Defence injuries to her right arm and right thumb included one wound entering the bicep and exiting the outside of the arm below the shoulder. Five significant injuries were also detailed, which resulted in wounds and damage to the left and right lung, which were both punctured, the aorta and oesophagus. Advertisement One wound had also entered the front of the heart and exited the back. Another significant injury was to the left side of her head, cutting the ear lobe and going in behind the angle of the jaw, causing damage to spinal vertebrae in the neck and damaging the throat. Advertisement To the right-hand side of the neck there was a series of six stab wounds, one which completely severed the jugular vein and carotid artery. This injury alone would have been sufficient to cause death, Dr Armour said, from a catastrophic haemorrhage. Advertisement Dr Armour also found damage from the weapon to Briannas ribs, vertebrae and breast bone, implying the stab wounds were inflicted with considerable force. Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, asked the pathologist about images she had seen of the hunting knife found in Ys bedroom, which has a single sharp edge blade, 12cm in length. Ms Heer said, Is that a candidate for causing some or all of these wounds? Yes, it is, Dr Armour replied. Dr Armour said she could not exclude the possibility another knife, of similar size, could have been used to inflict the wounds but there was no positive evidence suggesting the use of a second knife. And Dr Armour said from the pathology evidence it is not possible to say in which order the wounds were inflicted or whether Brianna was standing or sitting down when she was stabbed. The trial was adjourned until Wednesday . The government has at last decided partially to deliver Australia Post from the Stone Age by freeing the organisation from the commercial-hobbling daily mail deliveries. Daily letter delivery is a nostalgic idea that has no place in a modern digital economy. Forget the daily delivery. Credit: Ryan Stuart Australia Post has, until now, been an entity that time forgot. Its a legacy organisation with imposed letter delivery service obligations that most Australians dont use and dont consider important, let alone vital. Thus, Australia Post has evolved into an organisation with a split personality. The old daily delivery of mail is one (loss-making) part. The other is a parcel delivery logistics business whose growth prospects are fed by an increase in online shopping. But the profits from the logistics part have not been sufficient to offset the letters loss, and we, as taxpayers, foot the bill. AUNTY BOOTS CONSERVATIVES The ABCs announcement of new Radio National programming for 2024 was likely music to the ears of the public broadcasters shrinking rusted-on listenership of progressive inner-city Boomers, whose favourites are all returning in 2024. Credit: Shakespeare Fran Kelly is back! More lecturing from Norman Swan! Another show with Geraldine Doogue! Who needs under-50s hey? Even more good news for the ABC luvvies was buried at the bottom of Auntys media release on Monday. Were talking about the quiet, unceremonious retiring of former Liberal senator and Howard government immigration minister Amanda Vanstone, whose politics tended to anger the public broadcasters base. Id like to thank Amanda Vanstone and Benjamin Law for their contribution to RN, and for bringing their ideas and perspectives to RNs audience and wish them both the very best for the future, was the official quote from RN manager Cath Dwyer. According to the media release, Law is off to focus on his screen commitments. Aside from a brief mention that Vanstones Counterpoint would not be returning, no other explanation was given for her departure. Vanstone had recently attracted a bit of unsavoury attention, after getting caught calling a guest a f---wit after a pre-recorded interview, thinking the mic was off. The other program getting the boot is Between the Lines, fronted by Tom Switzer. But at least Switzer got a nice little farewell post from the ABC, and on his way out the door, dropped a line to CBD on the importance of intellectual diversity. An ABC spokesperson told CBD Vanstones Counterpoint has not seen strong engagement amongst digital listeners, and said that RN presents a range of views, opinions and experiences across its many programs ABC presenters are not selected for their political position, but for their ability to provide trusted, accurate and impartial content that connects with audiences, they said. Still, whatever your thoughts on Switzer and Vanstones politics, their departures leave RN a more ideologically samey place. MUP MOVEMENTS Its been a rocky few years in the top ranks at Australias oldest university press, Melbourne University Publishing. Its hard to forget the tumultuous resignation of its well-known former chief executive, Louise Adler, and five board members in 2019, who were outraged by the universitys decision to shift its direction away from commercial titles to focus on purely scholarly work. Appointed to fill Adlers big shoes was former director of Monash Publishing Nathan Hollier, however he exited at the end of March this year, citing personal reasons. Louise Adler. Credit: Eddie Jim Now, a decision has been made by the MUP board to split the role of chief executive and publisher. The CEO gig has been handed to the former chief operating officer, Deborah Jenkins, while industry veteran Foong Ling Kong chair of the Feminist Writers Festival and current wrangler of Hansard reporters at the Parliament of Victoria will return to MUP to take on the role of publisher. Meanwhile, Adler, the outspoken leader who put MUP on the map, this week has waded into the controversy swirling around the Sydney Theatre Company. The STC was plunged into crisis after three actors in its current production of Chekhovs The Seagull took curtain calls wearing traditional keffiyeh scarves as a gesture of solidarity towards the people in Gaza. Mabel Li (left), Harry Greenwood (right) and Megan Wilding (middle) wearing keffiyeh in the STCs production of The Seagull. Credit: Instagram Adler, now the director of Adelaide Writers Week, told ABCs 7.30 on Monday night that it seemed from media reports that STC management wasnt taking great care in supporting their actors, and were more concerned with pacifying donors (STC was approached by CBD but did not respond). The attention seemed to be on donors taking their chequebooks and walking away, and I think arts organisations need to have some clarity about the moral compromises they are prepared to make when they take donor support or funding. That comes with contradictions and compromises that need to be made. And I didnt see in the STC media reports a great deal of attention paid to the artists and their right to have an opinion when they took a curtain call. Adler said there was a long history of artists holding political views and incorporating them into their work. Im not sure what we expect from contemporary theatre, if we dont expect artists to engage with the issues of the day, she told the program. Its not the first time Adler has waded into similar territory. Earlier this year, the inclusion of two Palestinian authors who had been accused of antisemitism in the Adelaide Writers Week program saw some sponsors and high-profile writers withdraw from the event. Adler did not budge, saying writers festivals must engage with complex issues, and the event went ahead. PLEASE EXPLAIN We all know that sometimes when a crucial administrative staff member is on leave, the wheels on a business can start to fall off. Even global ones that are listed on the stock exchange. So spare a thought for Lendlease, which while employing thousands around the world forgot to backstop someone in their reward (read: bonuses) team when they went on leave. The oversight led to Lendlease failing to properly report the shareholdings of its chief executive officer Tony Lombardo and a small spanking from the ASX which issued a please explain letter to the global builder. Lendlease, which has had a rough year with its shareholders, assured the market operator it wouldnt make such a silly mistake again. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Butler declined this mastheads request for an interview, and did not respond to questions about the outcome of the rapid review he launched earlier this year into past efforts to reform the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Former AHPRA investigator turned lawyer David Gardner said the problems with podiatric surgeons expose failures in healthcare regulation across the board, from accrediting courses to investigating complaints. What is the relationship between AHPRA and the Australasian College of Podiatric Surgeons? AHPRA was created in 2010 and was the beginning of a national scheme to regulate healthcare. One of its key duties is approving education courses for health practitioners. For podiatric surgeons, AHPRA accredited training provided by the Australasian College of Podiatric Surgeons (ACPS) which allows graduates to use the term surgeon. AHPRA then set up the Podiatry Accreditation Committee to assess standards and monitor training. Former ACPS president Mark Gilheany was appointed as deputy chair of the committee, which the AOA claims creates a conflict of interest by allowing the college to assess its own courses. Not satisfied Currently, there is no Medicare funding for podiatric surgeons and only certain aspects of their treatment is covered by a minority of private health funds. The ACPS, which acts as both a training organisation and lobby group for podiatric surgeons, has repeatedly pushed for Medicare funding to cover surgical treatments for conditions such as hammer and claw toes, heel pain, nerve problems and non-cancerous tumours in the foot and ankle. Loading It argues increasing affordability for podiatric surgeon services would relieve pressure on the public health system and provide an alternative to orthopaedic surgeons. However, the committee found there was uncertainty around the unmet need for these services following applications from 2015 and 2020. As part of the 2015 application, the college conducted a telephone survey with 10 orthopaedic surgeons to gauge wait times for appointments and procedures, which indicated shorter wait times for podiatric surgeons although the results of these were rejected by the committee. MSAC was concerned that the survey was not conducted independently, the representativeness of the sample of orthopaedic surgeons was uncertain, and the comparability of the surgeons case mix was also uncertain, it found. The college produced a report by Access Economics in 2008 which predicted an enormous rise in demand for foot and ankle procedures that could not be met by the current healthcare system. The MSAC similarly rejected this claiming the prediction of unmet need was overstated. The college provided testimonials from positive patients in its submissions, which the committee found may not be representative of the wider population, and in any event, their usefulness was limited by the lack of long-term follow-up in the data. Responding to the rejection of the 2015 application, the college said the committees conclusions were disappointing and their position had either been misinterpreted or significant levels of robust evidence that supports the colleges application have been ignored. The college lashed out at the apparent discrimination against a surgical specialty who have significant and robust data supporting their clinical practice. In its 2020 application, the college reduced the number of procedures it proposed should be covered by Medicare, and sought to improve its evidence, but it was again rejected on similar grounds. The committee noted extensive input from consumers 49 submissions were made supporting the industry but found deficiencies in research on patient outcomes and preferences. Loading After carefully assessing all of the available data, MSAC still could not be satisfied that podiatric surgeons could deliver the same or better clinical outcomes than orthopaedic surgeons, it found, noting this did not necessarily confirm inferiority. The committee criticised a lack of prospective, comparative, large scale, robust studies and sometimes dated evidence presented by the college. The committee noted the risk of reporting bias in the colleges database that tracks complication rates, claiming the quality was further limited by the short 30-day follow up and added the overall quality of other studies was very low, with high risk of bias. The MSAC found that if public funding was provided to podiatric surgeons, this could have flow-on effects to the rest of the medical industry as podiatric surgeons are unable to manage post-operative infection, they would require referral to a medical practitioner. In response to this rejection, the college said it was again extremely disappointed, claiming the college has provided significant evidence that stands up to the rigorous challenges set by the MSAC. The Department of Health and Aged Care confirmed its officials had met with the college after it submitted a fresh submission for Medicare funding in February this year. Former college president Robert Hermann uploaded a video in July titled Why podiatric surgery should be funded by Medicare, saying the industry was committed to the highest standards and criticising groups who wanted better protection for titles doctor and surgeon. Such groups seek a return to old-fashioned silos and outdated hierarchical structure of healthcare, he said. Hermann, who has since been replaced as college president, said the department had advised the most recent application was doable but needed a decision by government to proceed. Butler did not answer questions about the status of this application. A department spokesperson said it would require a government budget decision. The independence and integrity of MSAC is critical to ensuring that evidence-based services that deliver quality clinical outcomes and value for money are listed on the MBS, the spokesperson said. The Podiatry Board of Australia (PBA) has launched an independent review of podiatric surgeons, after receiving an uptick in complaints from patients about procedures, or communication from practitioners. This followed questions from this investigation about podiatric surgeons. The United States is running out of time and money to help Ukraine fight its war against Russia, White House officials warned on Monday. Democratic President Joe Biden's administration in October asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security but Republicans who control the House with a slim majority rejected the package. White House budget director Shalanda Young, in a letter to Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, and other congressional leaders, said cutting off funding and a flow of weapons would "kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield" and increase the likelihood of Russian victories. "I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks," Young wrote in the letter released by the White House. "There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money and nearly out of time." Congress has approved more than $110 billion for Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion but it has not approved any funds since Republicans took over the House from Democrats in January. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday night that Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy has been invited to address senators via secure video on Tuesday as part of a classified briefing to hear what is at stake. The closed briefing for senators is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST on Tuesday and will feature U.S. national security officials. The House and Senate last approved $45 billion in military, financial and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as part of a broader annual spending bill passed in December 2022. Bipartisan talks about U.S. border security funding, which Republicans want to link to Ukraine funding, have sputtered in the Democrat-controlled Senate, several sources said on Monday. Republicans have proposed significant changes as large numbers of immigrants arrive at the southern border with Mexico that Democrats argue would virtually shut down any asylum possibilities for migrants. Johnson on social media said that Biden's administration has "failed to substantively address" Republican concerns about Ukraine strategy and said that any national security spending package must address U.S. border policies. "We believe both issues can be agreed upon if Senate Democrats and the White House will negotiate reasonably," Johnson wrote on X, formerly called Twitter. The House's failure to consider the White House request has raised concerns that funding for Kyiv might never be approved, especially after it passed a bill in November with funding for Israel but not Ukraine. The Senate's Democratic leaders rejected that bill. Biden administration officials are expected to hold classified briefings for the House and Senate on Tuesday. The White House letter also went to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. 'Up to Congress' Biden, who is running for re-election in 2024, has rallied NATO allies to back Ukraine and said repeatedly that Russian President Vladimir Putin underestimated the West's resolve in supporting its neighbor against Russian aggression. "Now it's up to Congress. Congress has to decide whether to continue to support the fight for freedom in Ukraine ... or whether Congress will ignore the lessons we've learned from history and let Putin prevail. It is that simple," Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. McConnell rejected the White House's strategy. "Instead of engaging actively in the border security discussions required to complete a viable national security supplemental, the Biden administration has chosen to lecture lecture Congress with a brag reel of its supposed leadership in countering Putin in Europe," he said in remarks on the Senate floor. Young said U.S. allies had stepped up their support for Ukraine, but that Washington's support could not be replaced. By mid-November, the U.S. Defense Department had used 97 percent of $62.3 billion in supplemental funding it had received and the State Department had used all of the $4.7 billion in military assistance fund it had been allocated, she wrote. Around $27.2 billion in economic aid money had been used up, as had $10 billion in humanitarian assistance. Young said helping Ukraine "prevents larger conflict in the region that could involve NATO and put U.S. forces in harm's way and deters future aggression, making us all safer." With a nod to important political swing states and Republican strongholds ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Young noted that funding could be used for contracts with companies in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Michigan. (Reuters) A 14-year-old boy is facing a string of charges after allegedly attempting to murder two people in a road rage incident and injuring another teen when he crashed a stolen car in separate offences across Sydney. The teenagers alleged crime spree began just before 9am on Saturday, November 18, when police say the boy was involved in a dispute at a home on Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo. Police alleged a 14-year-old was behind the wheel when a car crashed in Mascot. Credit: NSW Police Police said the boy allegedly choked a woman inside the home before jumping into the drivers seat of a stolen car parked on the street. Despite being two years too young for a learner licence, the teenager allegedly started the car and accelerated at two people before driving away. A Gold Coast woman is calling for a coroners inquest into failings at a major Queensland hospital, where her autistic son starved to death. Stewart Kelly, 45, died at Robina Hospital in August last year from starvation and dehydration during a 33-day admission. Ann Jeffery wants an inquest into the death of her son, Stewart Kelly, at Robina Hospital. Kelly was not in a critical condition when he was taken to hospital, but he had been suffering weight loss after refusing to eat. He also needed mental health treatment. He was allowed to reach that critical state within the hospital system. How can that be? his 81-year-old mother, Ann Jeffery, told A Current Affair. Such rapid population losses will have dramatic economic consequences. With far more elderly retirees, and a shrinking pool of workers and taxpayers, it will be tough to generate the revenue needed for aged care, social security and healthcare. Funds for other crucial state responsibilities such as national security and the military will dwindle. Many governments will be forced into difficult, and potentially devastating, policy choices. Loading Australia is also vulnerable to the negative effects of an ageing population. Like most high-income countries our fertility rate (the number of births per women on average) has been trending lower since the 1970s. Last year it was 1.63, well below the so-called replacement rate of 2.1 needed for a stable population, not including migration. Our fertility rate could fall even further without more generous support for working parents, including child care and parental leave. The federal governments most recent intergenerational report warned the number of people aged 65 and over will more than double in the next 40 years and the number aged 85 and over will more than triple, putting added pressures on the federal budget. Even so, our relatively liberal approach to migration will ensure Australias population continues to rise at a gradual pace in coming decades. The scenario is very different for many other developed nations. Take Italy (now 58 million), South Korea (51 million) and Spain (47 million) for example; all three now have much bigger populations than Australia, but UN projections show theyll have fewer people than us by 2100. Loading Australias openness to migration will help maintain a relatively stable working-age population something that will become increasingly scarce as the century unfolds. According to The Lancet study, immigration-friendly nations including Australia, Canada and the US will be able to sustain their working-age populations over the long term, ensuring they fare well economically relative to others. Australia is now the worlds 14th largest economy when measured in $US, according to recent International Monetary Fund estimates. But modelling for The Lancet study showed the boost to population delivered by our relatively liberal immigration regime will help lift Australias ranking to 11th largest economy by 2050 and to 8th largest by 2100. Not bad for a country with a population forecast to remain less than half a per cent of the global total throughout the century. Perhaps the biggest threat to that healthy outlook is politicians who choose to undermine voter support for immigration in the hope of short-term political gain. Loading Australia has a strong migrant history and, so far, has been spared the intense backlash against immigration which has roiled politics in the US and Europe for much of the past decade. Rather, opinion polls suggest Australians have become more accepting of immigration since the COVID-19 pandemic. The highly regarded Australian Election Study, compiled by the Australian National University and Griffith University, found the share of voters who think the number of migrants allowed into Australia has gone too far fell from 45 per cent in 2019 to 26 per cent in 2022, the lowest since the survey began in 1990. The proportion who said immigration was good for the economy jumped from 54 per cent in 2019 to 65 per cent in 2022, a record high. A separate Lowy Institute poll last year found seven in 10 Australians (68 per cent) agreed that openness to people from all over the world is essential to who we are as a nation a 15-point increase compared with 2018. Ritchie said that he was unable to apply. When pressed for a reason, he explained that he was vehemently opposed to the countrys apartheid regime and would face regular 30-day detentions, the penalty at the time for speaking out against the policy. He applied instead for the position of Curator of Fossils at the Australian Museum in Sydney and was successful. In 1968, Ritchie, his wife Edith and their two young children set sail aboard the subsequently doomed Italian cruise liner, the Achille Lauro for Australia. Dr Alex Ritchie indicates the Sabre-toothed cats lethal canines and wide gape, 1970. Credit: Fairfax Ritchies predecessor at the Australian Museum was Dr Harold Fletcher. In 1956, Fletcher had travelled to the small town of Canowindra, in central west New South Wales, to view some fossil slabs from the Devonian Period which had been turned up during roadwork. Several slabs were loaded and moved back to the museum for further investigation. These specimens would send Ritchie back to Canowindra in 1993 to uncover one of the worlds greatest fossil fish finds, in what would be the pinnacle of his career. But before then, he had other mountains to climb. In the summer of 1970/71, Ritchie was invited to be part of the Victoria University of Wellington (NZ) Antarctic Expedition. One of his goals was to find a fossil specimen of Groenlandaspis, a Devonian armoured fish first discovered, as the name suggests, in Greenland. He had previously uncovered specimens himself in Scotland and Australia. Two-thirds of the way up the steep face of a 1600-metre peak in Antarcticas Warren Range, Ritchie and a colleague discovered a fine Groenlandaspis specimen, something he later described as akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Buoyed by the discovery, Ritchie suggested that he and the colleague climb to the summit. The Scotsman arrived first and today Mount Ritchie is named in his honour. Alex Ritchie at the site of well-preserved skull, at least 15,000 years old, of a diprotodon, the largest marsupial whose remains have been found, near Coonabarabran, 1979. Credit: Fairfax In the seventies and eighties, Ritchies entrepreneurial and sometimes outspoken approach to his chosen field made him a regular face and voice in the media. He was at the scientific frontline in insisting that creation science not be approved as part of the school science syllabus and his exhibition, Tracks Through Time: the story of human evolution, attracted the ire of Australias conservative Christian leaders, even drawing mention in parliament. Never one to let a lack of funding get in the way of the Australian Museum procuring fine specimens from overseas to put on display, he devised a series of early crowdfunding initiatives. A Stegosaurus and Dilophosaurus were procured through a Wanted: Dead or Alive! campaign that asked NSW schoolchildren to donate $1 to become part-owner in a dinosaur, each student receiving a certificate of ownership to prove it. He was also highly adept at approaching wealthy potential benefactors, especially those who he knew had a passion for palaeontology. A 1.7-metre fossil fish discovered at Canowindra was named Mandageria fairfaxi in return for the generous support provided by publisher James Fairfax. The late Australian author Colleen McCullough had an interest in paleontology. Credit: Anthony Browell Having read in an article that celebrated author Colleen McCullough had been highly interested in fossils in her younger years, Ritchie wrote her a letter seeking her interest in supporting the Australian Museum to obtain a cast of Chasmosaurus, a horned dinosaur from the USA. He opened the letter, Dear Ms McCullough, how would you like to buy a big, horny dinosaur? To his delight, soon after he received a call from McCulloughs secretary confirming that indeed she would. The author would later visit the museum and Ritchie would take her on a personal tour. For all these high points, it was 10 kilometres west of the town of Canowindra, that he would achieve his ultimate, lasting legacy. Intrigued by the specimens his predecessor had discovered in the fifties and convinced that the surface had only been scratched, Ritchie conducted a series of visits to the town, in the process engaging the enthusiasm of the local community and Carbonne Council, which offered the use of a 22-tonne excavator and its expert operator, Fred Fewings. Over 10 days in July 1993, Ritchie and his army of helpers unearthed 80 tonnes of material, discovering 4000 fish of eight different species. Beneath a simple bend on Goolagong Road, now Fish Fossil Drive, lay the remnants of a 360-million-year-old billabong that had dried up, trapping its inhabitants. The finding reverberated around the palaeontological world, drawing experts from all corners of the globe. Most tantalisingly, some of the fossils showed signs of lung development and bone structures in the fins similar to the arm structure of modern mammals, hinting that the site may contain complete skeletons of the first tetrapods, fish that had evolved to walk on land. The discovery put Canowindra on the map and the Age of Fishes Museum was subsequently established in the town, and is now one of the Central Wests top tourist attractions. Twenty years after the dig, the museum attracted its most famous visitor. Sir David Attenborough and Dr Alex Ritchie in Canowindra where a large fish fossil site was partly excavated, 2013. Credit: Janie Barrett Ritchie knew that the son of world-famous naturalist and broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough, lived in Canberra, where Ritchie and his wife had also moved after he retired from the Australian Museum. A call was placed, suggesting that Sir David might enjoy a visit to the site, just two hours north-west of Canberra, when he was next in town. Several months later, Ritchie picked up the phone to hear that unmistakable voice say that he would soon be visiting and would love to see the site. They visited together in July 2013, Attenborough proclaiming the collection of fossils as world class. Sadly, encroaching dementia meant that Ritchie was unable to realise his dream of reopening the site to see what other treasures lay beneath. He leaves a broad and lasting legacy. Alex had an immeasurable impact upon the Australian Museum and the communitys knowledge of fossils in NSW. He was one-of-a-kind and Im richer for having met and worked with him, said Kim McKay Director and CEO of the Australian Museum. Professor Kristofer Helgen, Chief Scientist and Director of the Museums Research Institute, described him as a giant in the palaeontology community. Fittingly, Ritchies final wish will be realised at Canowindra. An enthusiastic volunteer on some of his many visits to the town was Canberra-based Dr David McGrath, a self-confessed lifelong fossil enthusiast. Upon his retirement, Dr McGrath purchased the block of land next the original excavation site and has vowed to make Ritchies dream come true. He plans to open the site, which will allow palaeontologists to fully explore the Devonian billabongs lower layer. A major police operation shut off part of Chapel Street on Tuesday morning as officers negotiated with a man near Windsor train station. Victoria Police said in a statement they were negotiating with a man on Albert Street and asked the public to avoid the area. Police and ambulances on Chapel Street on Tuesday morning. After 10am, police said the situation was resolved peacefully and the man, aged in his 20s, was taken to hospital for assessment. The force was called to Albert Street about 7.30am before reports flooded talkback radio about a police helicopter hovering over the scene and scores of police officers shutting off local streets and telling those nearby to remain indoors. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has defended Australia as a safe place to travel after the Israeli Security Council raised its threat level for several countries, advising its citizens to exercise extra caution due to a rise in attempted attacks and expressions of antisemitism. The Israeli government named Australia, alongside the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and Russia as countries where its citizens should take increased precautions when travelling as a result of the conflict in Gaza. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says Jewish people are safe in Australia, after Israel changed its travel advice to those travelling here. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen We absolutely understand that many in the Jewish community are finding this to be a very difficult time and it is really important that, be it those in the Jewish community or those in the Islamic community, that Australians are looking after everyone, Marles told ABC Radio National on Tuesday morning. I think we are seeing a rise in both antisemitism and Islamophobia and there can be no place for that, Marles said. Israel says it must remove Hamas from power to prevent a repeat of the October 7 attack that ignited the war. In the surprise attack, Hamas and other Palestinian militants killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians, and took captive some 240 men, women and children. Its assault has killed more than 15,890 people in Gaza 70 per cent of them women and children with more than 42,000 wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. It says hundreds have been killed or wounded since a weeklong cease-fire ended Friday, and many still are trapped under rubble. Loading The military accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields when the militants operate in dense residential areas. But Israel has not provided accounting for targeting in individual strikes, some of which have levelled entire city blocks and complexes of dozens of multi-story apartment towers. Military chief of staff Herzi Halevi acknowledged that Israeli forces use heavy force against civilian structures, saying militants keep weapons in houses and buildings so fighters in civilian clothes can use them to fire on troops. Striking them requires significant use of fire, both to target the enemy but also to, of course, protect our forces, he said. Therefore the forces operate powerfully. Battles in Khan Younis and Northern Gaza Halevi said his forces had begun the third phase of the ground operations, moving against Hamas in the south after seizing much of the north. Israel has not given specific details on troop movements. Residents said troops advanced to Bani Suheila, on Khan Younis eastern edge. Israeli forces also appear to be moving to partially cut across the strip between Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. Satellite photos from Sunday showed around 150 Israeli tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles on the main road between the two cities. The past days brought some of the heaviest bombardment of the entire war, the UNs humanitarian affairs office OCHA said. Witnesses said a strike hit a school in Khan Younis where hundreds of displaced people were sheltering. Casualties overwhelmed the nearby Nasser Hospital, where wounded men and children were lain on a bloody floor amid a tangle of IV tubes. In the morgue, a woman draped herself over the stretcher where her dead husband and child lay among at least nine bodies. Israeli armored vehicles and tanks can be seen just north of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. Credit: Planet Labs PBC via AP Whats happening here is unimaginable, said Hamza al-Bursh, who lives near the school. They strike indiscriminately. In northern Gaza, the military said its troops were battling Hamas militants in the Jabalia refugee camp and the district of Shujaiya, capturing Hamas positions and destroying rocket launchers and underground infrastructure. The battles in the north signalled the tough resistance from Hamas since Israeli forces moved in on October 27. The military says 86 of its soldiers have been killed in the Gaza offensive and that thousands of Hamas fighters have been killed, though it has not produced evidence. A man waits to be taken care of after being wounded in an Israeli army bombardment of the Gaza Strip, in the hospital Khan Younis. Credit: AP Even after weeks of bombardment, Hamas top leader in Gaza, Yehya Sinwar whose location is unknown was able to conduct complex ceasefire negotiations and orchestrate the release of more than 100 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners last week. Palestinian militants have also kept up their rocket fire into Israel. Fewer places to go Israel ordered the full-scale evacuation of northern Gaza in the early days of the war and has barred people who left from returning. An unknown number of people likely a few hundred thousand remain in the north, but the rest of Gazas population of 2.3 million is squeezed into the 90 square miles of central and southern Gaza. Since moving into the south, the Israeli military has ordered people out of nearly two dozen neighbourhoods in and around Khan Younis. That further reduced the area where civilians can seek refuge by more than a quarter. It was not clear how many people followed the evacuation call. Nowhere is safe in Gaza, and there is nowhere left to go, Lynn Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said Monday. The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold. For the past two days, aid distribution mainly just supplies of flour and water has been possible only in the city of Rafah, at the far south by the border, the U.N. said. Locations deeper inside Gaza, including Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah and northern Gaza, could not be reached because of fighting. Dr Nasser Bolbol, head of neonatal intensive care at the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, said acute hunger was spreading, with some deaths of children from dehydration and undernourishment, after nearly two months with only limited aid entering the territory, under an Israeli seal. Gaza is entirely covered in death and darkness, he said. Still hostage Family members of hostages still held in Gaza held tense talks with Netanyahu and the war cabinet on Tuesday. Observers present said more than 100 people attended the nearly three-hour meeting. Some relatives shouted at cabinet members, perceiving they did not have any immediate plans to rescue some 138 hostages still captive. Nearly half the room left in disappointment before the meeting ended. During the gathering, five hostages released during the truce shared harrowing details of their experience. One spoke of Hamas fighters touching female hostages, and another said militants shaved off a male hostages body hair to humiliate him, according to a group representing the hostages families. Others said they were deprived of water. Boston: US President Joe Biden said that Hamas had repeatedly raped women and mutilated their bodies during its October 7 assault on southern Israel, citing survivors and witnesses of the attacks. Speaking at a political fundraiser in Boston on Tuesday (Boston-time), Biden said accounts of unimaginable cruelty had been shared over the past few weeks. Burnt out cars at the site of the Supernova Music Festival where hundreds of Israelis were massacred on October 7. Credit: Getty Reports of women raped repeatedly raped and their bodies being mutilated while still alive, of womens corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them. It is appalling, Biden said. The president called on international organisations, civil society and individuals to condemn sexual violence without exception. Washington: The United States is running out of time and money to help Ukraine fight its war against Russia, White House officials have warned. US President Joe Bidens administration in October asked Congress for nearly $US106 billion ($160 billion) to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and US border security, but Republicans who control the House with a slim majority rejected the package. A Ukrainian soldier fires an anti-tank weapon in eastern Ukraine. Credit: AP White House budget director Shalanda Young, in a letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and other congressional leaders, said cutting off funding and a flow of weapons would kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and increase the likelihood of Russian victories. I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks, Young wrote in the letter released by the White House. There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money and nearly out of time. In just two years, Lending Hub Co has gone from a fledgling startup to a finalist for New Brokerage of the Year at the Australian Mortgage Awards 2023. Tran herself was a finalist for the Adelaide Bank Young Gun of the Year in her first year, and Bui took home the award the following year. Palestinian president refuses Israel's plans to occupy parts of Gaza Xinhua) 10:53, December 05, 2023 RAMALLAH, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed on Monday that he rejects Israel's plans to "separate, occupy, cut off or isolate any part of the Gaza Strip," which is "an integral part of the Palestinian state," according to a statement by the official Palestinian News Agency (WAFA). "It's necessary to immediately stop the aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and spare civilians from the scourge of bombing and destruction carried out by Israel," Abbas said in a phone call with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. He also urged to increase the entry of relief, including medical and food supplies, drinking water, electricity and fuel immediately, and provide necessary aid so that hospitals and basic facilities can resume treatment and operation. Moreover, he called for U.S. intervention to "prevent the attacks, murders, house demolitions, and expulsion of Palestinian residents in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Jordan Valley areas that are witnessing silent and planned annexation by Israel." In the phone talk, Abbas also expressed his readiness to work for the implementation of the two-state solution based on international legitimacy resolutions, which should start with Palestine's gaining of full membership in the UN, and the convention of the International Peace Conference. Since October 7, Israel has been waging a large-scale military operation in Gaza against Hamas under the name "Iron Swords," during which more than 15,500 Palestinians were killed. The operation is a retaliation against Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel, which claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, according to the Israeli authorities. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia this week, Russian news outlet Shot reported on Monday, citing Putin's aide Yury Ushakov. The reported visit comes after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) + group of oil producers, which includes all three countries, agreed last Thursday to voluntary output cuts totaling about 2.2 million barrels a day. Markets reacted with skepticism to the deal because of doubts about whether the voluntary cuts would be fully implemented. Oil prices fell 2 percent last week after the announcement, and declined further on Monday. Brent crude was down nearly 0.6 percent at $78.45 as of 1709 GMT. The figure of 2.2 million barrels a day included an extension of existing Saudi and Russian voluntary cuts of 1.3 million bpd. Shot quoted Ushakov as saying Putin would go first to UAE and then to Saudi Arabia, where negotiations would take place mainly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "I hope that these will be very useful negotiations, which we consider extremely important," Ushakov said. Putin has rarely travelled abroad in recent years, and mostly to states of the former Soviet Union. His last trip beyond those countries was to China in October. Apart from cooperation in OPEC+, Putin is keen to cultivate the Gulf states as part of his drive to build global alliances with non-Western countries in order to demonstrate what he says is the failure of the United States and its allies to isolate Russia with sanctions over the war in Ukraine. Putin's scope to travel abroad was limited in March when the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, a war crime. Russia denied the charge and called the move outrageous, but said it was legally void in any case because Russia is not a member of the ICC. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE is a member of the court either, so Putin can travel to both countries without fear of being arrested under the ICC warrant. (Reuters) Stationary energy storage specialist Hithium has become a member of Chiles renewable energy association ACERA. The manufacturer signed with the group at an event it hosted for partners and industry colleagues in Santiago, where Hithium representatives also introduced the company to the regional market and presented its latest product innovations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205316012/en/ Hithium joins ACERA in Chile (Photo: Business Wire) We are committed to supporting the renewables industry in Chile, which is why it is important for us to join our clean energy sector colleagues here and become a member of ACERA, said Mizhi Zhang, Hithium Head of Global Business, at the event. As renewable energy generation grows, energy storage plays a key role in enabling the grid to incorporate clean power in a stable way. A big thanks to all our sector colleagues and partners who joined us tonight to celebrate and talk about how we can build out Chiles energy storage together. A not-for-profit trade association founded in 2003, ACERA is focused on connecting stakeholders in the renewable energy market as well as promoting the transition to clean energy and greater energy efficiency in Chile. Following its debut on the global energy storage market earlier in this year, Hithium introduced its first 5MWh Block container system, which Hithium Director of Global Applications Engineering Neil Bradshaw presented in detail at the companys event. Bradshaw explained, The system achieves a leap in energy density as well as simplifying installation. Using dual channel module technology, Hithium designed the modules to be inserted only from one side, allowing for subsequent maintenance to occur only on one side. This means the containers can be placed not just side by side but also back to back so that project owners need up to 20% less surface area. Likewise, the entire cabling exits the containers through the side instead underneath the container, enabling installers to save significantly on foundation costs. The Hithium event, Hi Society, took place at W Santiago Hotel where the manufacturer welcomed an estimated 70 members of the regional renewables community. About Hithium Founded in 2019, HiTHIUM is a leading manufacturer of top-quality stationary energy storage products for utility-scale as well as commercial and industrial applications. With four distinct R&D centers and multiple intelligent production facilities, HiTHIUMs innovations include groundbreaking safety improvements to its lithium-ion batteries as well as increases in lifecycle. With many decades of cumulative experience in the field among its founders and senior executives, HiTHIUM leverages its specialization in BESS to deliver partners and customers unique advances in energy storage. The company is based in Xiamen, China, with further locations for production, research, or sales in Shenzhen, Munich, Dubai, and California. HiTHIUM has shipped 11 GWh of battery capacity. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205316012/en/ Pimicotinib (ABSK021) is currently in a global Phase III study in tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) Merck to receive an exclusive commercial license in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan with option for rest of world Pimicotinib has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by China NMPA and U.S. FDA and PRIME Designation by the EMA for treatment of TGCT Not intended for UK-, US- or Canada-based media Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a license agreement with Abbisko Therapeutics Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China, for pimicotinib (ABSK021), which is currently being evaluated in a Phase III study for the treatment of tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). TGCT is a benign tumor of the joints that can cause swelling, pain, stiffness, and limited mobility of the affected joints. Treatment options for this disease, which can seriously affect patients quality of life, are very limited. The agreement grants Merck a license to commercialize pimicotinib in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, with an option for rest of world. We have the opportunity through our partnership with Abbisko to deliver a first-in-class treatment for a critically underserved patient population in China and potentially beyond, said Andrew Paterson, Chief Marketing Officer for the Healthcare business sector of Merck. Pimicotinib provides an opportunity to address a significant unmet medical need and for us to expand our commercial footprint in oncology in China, the second-largest pharmaceutical market in the world. Pimicotinib is an orally administered, highly selective and potent small-molecule antagonist of colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) currently being evaluated in a global Phase III clinical trial as a potential therapy for TGCT. No drugs are currently approved in China for the disease, and only one medicine has been approved in the U.S. In a recent Phase Ib trial, pimicotinib demonstrated clinically meaningful and sustained antitumor activity, with an overall response rate at one-year follow-up of 87.5% (28/32, including 3 complete responses) among patients receiving the 50mg QD dose, as determined by the Independent Review Committee, based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1 (RECIST 1.1). The ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III MANEUVER trial is evaluating the efficacy and safety of pimicotinib 50 mg QD in patients with unresectable TGCT. The collaboration with Merck is an important milestone in advancing the global commercialization process of pimicotinib, and provides a new model for the commercialization path of Abbiskos pipeline in the future, said Dr. Xu Yao-chang, Chairman of Abbisko Therapeutics. We are pleased to collaborate with a leading multinational pharmaceutical company, jointly accelerating the global approval and commercialization pace of pimicotinib, and striving to bring new treatment options to patients as soon as possible. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck will receive an exclusive license to commercialize pimicotinib in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, with an exclusive commercialization option in the rest of the world. Abbisko will continue to develop pimicotinib. In addition, Merck has the option to co-develop pimicotinib in additional indications under certain conditions. Merck will provide Abbisko with an upfront payment of $70 million and upon exercising the option, will provide Abbisko an option fee. Abbisko will receive additional payments for the achievement of certain regulatory and commercial milestones as well as double-digit tiered royalties on net sales by Merck. About Pimicotinib (ABSK021) Pimicotinib (ABSK021), which was independently developed by Abbisko Therapeutics, is a novel, orally administered, highly selective and potent small-molecule inhibitor of CSF-1R. Pimicotinib has been granted breakthrough therapy designations (BTD) by China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and priority medicine (PRIME) designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of patients with TGCT that are not amenable to surgery. A Phase Ia dose escalation study for pimicotinib has been completed in the U.S., and the global Phase III MANEUVER clinical trial of pimicotinib for the treatment of TGCT is underway in China, the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In addition to TGCT, Abbisko Therapeutics is actively exploring the potential of pimicotinib in treating other indications including many types of solid tumors. Abbisko also has obtained approval from NMPA to conduct Phase II clinical studies in chronic graft-versus-host disease and advanced pancreatic cancer. All Merck press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service. About Merck Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 64,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of peoples lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices the company is everywhere. In 2022, Merck generated sales of 22.2 billion in 66 countries. Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Mercks technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231129664759/en/ Taulia, a leading provider of working capital management solutions, today announced it has added the Bank of China London Branch, and BNP Paribas to its global multi-funder network. The addition of the two major global banks is the most recent in an already large and growing network of funders available to Taulias global customers, enabling businesses to access an increasingly broad and diverse funding pool, with greater choice, liquidity, and availability of capital. Multifunder models within supply chain finance programs are designed to provide resilience through diversification and a wider pool of funding for different currencies, geographies, client sizes, and credit profiles. Combined with the right technology, it also enables businesses to hedge against liquidity risk, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty. Cedric Bru, CEO, Taulia, comments: Adding Bank of China and BNP Paribas to the Taulia multi-funder network is an enormous achievement, and we are delighted to work with them. These agreements mark a significant step in fulfilling Taulias mission to enable businesses to unlock the liquidity trapped in supply chains, help them grow and navigate ever-changing market conditions. Xun Liu, Head of Transaction Banking Department, Bank of China Limited, London Branch comments: This partnership is an important and forward-moving step to enhance Supply Chain Finance solutions in Bank of China London Branch. By teaming up with Taulia, we are positioning ourselves as leaders in offering modern and efficient solutions that will facilitate corporates and growth in trade. Taulia's expertise in technology and supply chain financing arrangements combined with the bank's extensive resources and practices will undoubtedly help companies manage their cash flow more effectively. Bruno Lechevalier, Head of EMEA Working Capital, BNP Paribas, comments: Through its fully integrated solution with SAP, Taulia brings a strong added value to corporates supporting them to optimize their working capital and securitizing their supply chain network. In the frame of serving our common clients in the best way, we are delighted to announce that we are now part of Taulias Funder network offering various working capital solutions. About Taulia Taulia is a fintech provider of working capital management solutions headquartered in San Francisco, California. Taulia helps companies access value tied up in their payables, receivables, and inventory. Taulia's platform and network of more than 3 million businesses enables customers to execute their working capital strategies, support their suppliers with early payment, and contribute to building sustainable supply chains. Taulia processes more than $500 billion each year and is trusted by the worlds largest companies, including Airbus, AstraZeneca, and Nissan. In March 2022, Taulia became part of SAP. For more information, please visit www.taulia.com. About Bank of China Limited London Branch Established in 1929, Bank of China Limited London Branch is the first ever overseas Chinese financial institution in global financial centers. Its history in the UK perfectly illustrates the international journey of Chinas modern financial services industry. Over the past 94 years, Bank of China London Branch has expanded steadily in the UK and has become the first choice for both Chinese going-out customers and local UK customers seeking to establish relationships with China, with branches in the City of London, London Chinatown, Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow across the UK. It is taking a leading role amongst UK based Chinese financial institutions and is developing itself into one of the mainstream foreign banks in the European market. Bank of China London Branch will continue to act as an active and influential member in the local community, as well as a golden bridge of the China-UK relations. Bank of China is a leader in trade finance business globally. Our capability is due to the banks large asset size, wide global network, very strong Asia coverage, decent risk appetite, very strong balance sheet, product expert capabilities, wide range of customer base, very competitive pricing, fast processing turn-around time and a diverse trade product offering. As Chinas most globalized bank, Bank of China has a well-established global service network with institutions set up across 62 countries and regions. It has established an integrated service-platform with a comprehensive range of financial services. It provides financial support for approximately a quarter of international trade enterprises in China. About BNP Paribas BNP Paribas is the European Unions leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 65 countries and has nearly 185,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Groups commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205451172/en/ Monday, December 4, 2023 at 8:59PM Photo: @felipepelaquim / Unsplash Spotify will cut 1,500 jobs, its third round of layoffs this year, CEO Daniel Ek said Monday. He said the music-streaming company needs to slash costs and boost efficiency in a tough economy. The layoffs are part of a big strategy shift that will take Spotify back to its startup roots after a spending spree increased its subscribers but not its profits. Affected staff will get about five months of severance pay. Spotify, which has more than 9,000 employees, followed other tech giants in reducing headcount as the global economy slowed. Spotify added 6 million subscribers in the third quarter, beating its forecast. But it only made a profit of 32 million (CA$46.9 million), compared to a loss of 228 million (CA$334 million) a year ago. It has 226 million subscribers in total. Ek said Spotify has become less efficient and lost its resourcefulness. He said the company will change how it works and share more details soon. Source Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 11:09AM Hollywood Suite is proud to present a trio of Canadian broadcast premieres to ring in 2024: the coming-of-age story Adult Adoption, Indigenous sci-fi The Beehive, and the road-trip drama A Girl, a Boy, a Penny and a Very, Very, Very Long Road. All three films will air on Hollywood Suite and be available on demand beginning January 1, 2024. Its exciting to kick off the new year with a great lineup of Canadian talent, said Suzanne Marshall, Hollywood Suite Programming Manager. Hollywood Suite is proud to continue our commitment to bringing bold and original content to our viewers. Adult Adoption tells the story of Rosy, who aged out of foster care and sets out to find the love of a parent figure online. The feature film directorial debut for Torontos Karen Knox, the film stars Canadian stage actor Ellie Moon and premieres January 9 at 9pm ET. Directed by Julia Beney, A Girl, A Boy, A Penny and a Very, Very, Very Long Road will make its broadcast premiere January 16 at 9pm ET. A whimsical road-trip drama about grief, mental health, lost dreams, and the unanswerable question of who we truly are, this heartfelt quirky drama is a gem of a film that inspires trust, self-love, and bravery. With a fresh cast of newcomer actors, The Beehive follows an inquisitive young girl, her angsty teenage brother, and her self-righteous father who put their family conflicts aside in the face of a pandemic alien invasion. Written and directed by Metis creative Alexander Lasheras, the film explores environmental topics and is set to premiere on January 23 at 9pm ET. Hollywood Suite owns and operates four exclusive HD channels featuring the iconic movies that defined the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s, plus essential Hollywood classics from the Golden Age, always uncut and commercial-free. With hundreds of movies every month on four HD channels and Hollywood Suite On Demand, Hollywood Suite provides unparalleled value to consumers. Hollywood Suite is available to over 10 million households across Canada, exclusively through Canadian television service providers and Amazon Prime Video Channels. Visit hollywoodsuite.ca for more information. by Romain Ravet, Senior Country Representative, Democratic Republic of the Congo As the #COP28 goes on, much of the talk in Kinshasa is about a country solution role for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in international climate governance, a concept offered by the World Bank, which has merits in making resource-rich countries more visible in climate governance, but also poses some questions. The DRC Governments declared intention going to Dubai was to leverage the conservation of its vast forest reserves and peatlands into financial compensation. This is one of the three pillars of the country solution idea for DRC, along with building a climate-intelligent approach to the countrys mining industry and developing hydroelectricity as the main conduit for energy supply. This article argues that this strategy poses two types of challenges. First, whereas DRC forests do offer solutions for carbon absorption, these do not come close to balancing out emissions from industrialized countries. As biomass currently amounts for 94% of basic energy supply in the country, turning the population away from forest deforestation is also a massive part of building local resilience to climate change. However, DRCs carbon sinks, which is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases, are part of a global carbon credit market that allows heavy carbon-producing countries to capture natural resources and delay their own transition away from carbon with theoretical (and uneven) carbon compensation. The conditions under which DRC forests are being turned into carbon sinks also pose serious democratic problems as projects are often forced onto local populations. Besides, carbon-capture schemes are implemented through opaque bilateral deals with foreign countries, and they generate a typical rent-type of income that is very hard to trace and open to economic predation. Yet, under the country solution strategy, DRC is enticed to dedicate more of its forest resources to carbon-capture schemes and integrate deeper into international finance mechanisms to get financial compensation for it. At a more conceptual level, the idea that countries like the DRC can bring solutions to a problem they did not create (DRC is responsible for only 1.45 percent of global emissions) repeats the dichotomy between energy demand in the industrialized North, and the vast supply of resources in the South. It is this duality that has made the cost of energy invisible to Northern consumers and led to the current disconnect between the pace of life in industrialized countries and the planet's resources. Second, the other solution offered by DRC to the world is its role in powering a transition away from carbon-intensive energy. With over 70 percent of the worlds cobalt production, the second largest copper reserves and considerable deposits of lithium, rare earths and coltan, DRC resources are critical to the green transition. Meeting the targets set out in the Paris Agreements will require a fourfold increase in global demand for these minerals between now and 2040. In 2022, the World Bank estimated that 17 trillion dollars must be invested to mine these critical resources for a successful transition; a significant part of this sum is already being invested in the DRC. Yet, it is not getting its fair share of the value created in the booming green economy. DRC minerals are essentially used to generate value outside the country and to provide access to energy in other countries, whereas the Congolese population remains among the most vulnerable to climate change and still struggle to access basic energy supply. As a response, the country solution idea promotes a concept of climate smart mining, which essentially focuses on mitigating the negative impact of mining. However, this also comes with limitations. My colleagues and I at the @CarterCenter work every day with communities affected by the mining industry, and the story we document is one of staggering inequity between international mining companies colossal profits and Congolese communities who do not receive enough to offset the damage caused by extraction, let alone enough to invest in economic and social development. Far from the World Banks aspiration, current mining operations in the DRC aggravate socio-economic vulnerability, predation, corruption, and environmental degradation. Based on companies declarations to the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, the mining sector generated around 15 billion dollars in 2020, i.e. the equivalent of the State budget for 2023. This figure is probably higher now, as the market value for cobalt and copper has been rising. However, based on our own revenue modelling studies, we estimate that mining operations undervalue their declarations by at least 25%, with some declaring only up to 20% of the real value. It is important to note that this only concerns the extraction, or upstream, phase of the mining industry, and that considerable value is added during processing (midstream) and end-use sale (downstream) phases, both phases taking place entirely outside DRC. Our work is also limited by the conditions of companies data disclosure, and the lack of segregated data at the level of each mine. In any case, at local level, companies only redistribute to communities a marginal part of the value they create. Based on our support to the development of cahiers de charge, we estimate that companies typically redistribute around 0.005 percent of the official value to communities. An additional 0.3 percent is supposed to be redistributed to communities via local endowment funds but the mechanisms are not fully set up yet. These figures come with a caveat that they are also based on companies own accounts and have not been seriously verified by any external actor. Companies are also liable for royalties and taxes, but these taxes are massively evaded, shrouded in opacity and are not redistributed to the population. Taxation barely features in the country solution strategy and climate smart-mining idea. Yet, taxation, and the redistribution of revenues, is not only a lever for the country to increase its share of the green energy benefits, but also a way to redefine the distribution of power in climate governance and reinforce the social contract that binds the State and its population. Better deals with international companies, a stronger tax base, and transparent redistribution of revenues can be leveraged into massive socio-economic development, resilience plans, but also open avenues for more accountability and public participation in the countrys governance. Of course, internal factors also play a part in this picture. Public governance in the country remains a challenge, and institutions are rather weak. In this context, economic predation is widespread and the fight against corruption is far from being won. However, the basic problem is one of international distribution of wealth and capital and a global governance system hinged on maintaining status quo. This role for the DRC in a global industrial revolution is not new. Congolese rubber fueled the automobile age; its uranium launched the nuclear age. Each of these transitions was also highly asymmetrical, and the Congolese peoples rights, well-being, and resource ownership were systematically ignored. Each of these transitions brought us closer to the climate crisis. To break this cycle, more is needed than channeling massive rent-type income in exchange for the DRCs resources. The sort of solution that lies in the DRC is about breaking the cycle of extractivism that has marked international natural resources governance so far. This, in turn, implies recognizing the ownership of critical resources by populations of the South and being transparent about the true costs of energy production. The commodification of DRC natural resources is a limited approach to this, as it does not address the deep dysfunctions of the State, the countrys relative place in international climate governance and the deep drivers of the climate crisis. Whereas it has merits in making countries like the DRC visible in the climate change conversation, and in articulating a useful cross-policy perspective, the current use of the country solution concept appears limited and underplays the agency and power that lies in the DRC, not just to get compensation for its resources but to negotiate a new position in the market and political economy that underlies climate governance and the green transition. A new era for Nigeria ICR Research By Published 05 December 2023 Nigerias new president signals the dawn of a new era as the west African country aims to address long-standing macroeconomic imbalances. The domestic cement sector continues to add additional capacity in view of long-term market potential, but a number of stumbling blocks need to be overcome before latent demand is realised. By Moses Waireri Njuguna, EFG Hermes, Nigeria. On 29 May 2023, President Bola Tinubu was sworn in as the fifth president of Nigeria. In his inauguration speech, President Tinubu made two key pledges: firstly, the removal of the petrol subsidy and secondly, initiation of strategies to unify the foreign exchange (FX) market. According to the World Bank, these are critical steps to address long-standing macroeconomic imbalances and have the potential to establish a solid foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth. To continue reading this story and get access to all News, Articles and Video sections of the CemNet.com website, please Register for a subscription to International Cement Review or Login This service is a courtesy for our print subscribers to give them access to our online edition at no additional cost - if you haven't registered on the new site, you must do it now before you do anything else. Lee University will host Cleveland TUBACHRISTMAS Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Pangle Hall on Lees campus. The event is open to participation from community members, middle schoolers, high schoolers and college students. We will bring together tuba, euphonium, baritone, and sousaphone players of all ages to spread the Christmas spirit for Cleveland's first TUBACHRISTMAS, said Dr. Jesse McConnell, coordinator of the concert and instructor of tuba and euphonium at Lee. The program will feature traditional Christmas music arranged by Alec Wilder, including songs such as Angels We Have Heard on High, Deck the Halls, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Joy to the World, and Jingle Bells. Dr. Mark Bailey, director of the Lee University Symphonic Band, will conduct the concert. For those wishing to participate in the concert, registration will take place on Dec. 15, from 5-6 p.m. in the Pangle Hall lobby, and the participants will rehearse from 6-7 p.m. Participants will pay a $10 registration fee and a $20 fee for the music Carols for a Merry TUBACHRISTMAS, which will be theirs to keep after the concert. All performers are asked to bring their own instruments and dress in bright, festive colors. This is the 50th year of TUBACHRISTMAS concerts and events, which are presented throughout the world. TUBACHRISTMAS concerts are presented with permission from the Harvey Phillips Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit foundation incorporated in the state of New York and dedicated to developing, expanding, and preserving the music arts. The foundation focuses special attention on musical instruments not ordinarily the object of other support and facilitates its goals by providing scholarship assistance to selected established institutions that offer academic and music performance training. This concert is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. For more information, email Dr. McConnell at jmcconnell@leeuniversity.edu or call 614-8243. Christi Annette Martin, 54, passed away on Friday, December, 1, 2023. She was a woman of faith, kindness, and curiosity, and a true representation of Proverbs 31. Christi was many things: wife, adored member of Church of the Harvest, daughter, sisterthough she would prefer to be described as mother. Christi dedicated her life to her daughters, Ashley and Emily Grace Gracie. Christi was classic, elegant, and creativethrough her wedding decorating business, she helped brides develop a vision for their perfect day with no detail ignored upon completion. Because of Christis hospitality, the Martin household was the ideal place for gatheringsif Christi planned it, the party would be spectacular, both in terms of refreshments and decor. Christi had an aspirational relationship with life and with Christ. Her ability to instill passionate love for God in the midst of darkness is a trait that will follow her legacy. Christi is survived by beloved husband Chuck; daughters and sons in law Ashley (Kevin) Zarif and Gracie (Griffin) Hill; parents: Douglas and Sandra Cofer; brother: Alan Cofer. The family will receive friends on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 3-5 p.m. at Poole Funeral Home with a service following at 5 p.m. at 3000 Ralph Buckner Blvd NE Cleveland, TN 37311. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Christi Martins Medical Bills Go Fund Me account organized by Melanie Wylie. A woman on Judson Lane told police two friends of her ex-boyfriend, as well as one of the friends sister, threatened and repeatedly drove by her house in a black Honda without a reason, other than to intimidate her. The woman also said the day before, the same vehicle had driven by her house and when she went to leave for work, she noticed her rear passenger tire had been slashed. She had her tire replaced before police could view the damages. * * * A man and a woman on Spears Avenue were in a verbal argument. The man wanted the woman to leave. Police told the man they couldnt make the woman leave as she had residency at the house. The officer told the man to go through the eviction process. The officer told both to stay separate until they could be adults and get along. * * * A woman told police over the phone she was at the traffic light at N. Access and Hixson Pike and a vehicle rear-ended hers and then left. She said the damage to her car was minimal scratches and dents. She said it happened the day before and she hadnt called police when it occurred because she didnt know she needed to. She said her insurance company asked her to get a police report. * * * A man on Carolyn Lane told police when he returned home from being out of town for four days, he saw the rear driver's side window of his vehicle was shattered and the steering column was broken. It was an obvious attempt at stealing the mans vehicle, however the thieves were unsuccessful for an unknown reason. There were no visible fingerprints to turn in as evidence. * * * An officer saw a man on Cummings Highway wearing multiple layers of blankets standing on the shoulder of the road, staring blankly towards a nearby hotel. The officer approached the man and he started rambling about how "they" had stolen the SIM card from the free phone he had obtained on Hwy 153. The officer ran the man for warrants and found he didnt have any outstanding. * * * While on a separate call on E. 33rd Street, officers observed what they believed to be a firearm in the grass. Closer inspection revealed it was an AK-style toy airsoft gun with the orange tip removed. Residents nearby didnt claim the fake firearm. It was secured and transported to CPD Property Division as found property. * * * Police met with a woman on N. Orchard Knob Avenue who told them she was in a verbal argument with her boyfriend about him being unfaithful to her. The boyfriend was not there when police arrived. Officers didnt find probable cause to believe a crime was committed. * * * Police saw an intoxicated Hispanic male at E. 31st Street and Rossville Boulevard. He was given a ride to his address only a few blocks away and was escorted inside. He was warned that if he were to leave his house again, he would be arrested for public intoxication. The man indicated his understanding and went inside. * * * Police met with loss prevention personnel at Walmart at 501 Signal Mountain Road and were provided footage of a woman concealing items in her purse. The woman was intercepted by police after passing the registers. The merchandise was recovered and the woman was let go with a warning. * * * A man told police another man stole his gun and it was in his truck. He said the other man parked his truck on Riverfront Parkway. Police spoke with the other man and didnt find a firearm on him or in his truck. The man reported his firearm stolen in Georgia. * * * An officer noticed a man sleeping near a dumpster at 5924 Brainerd Road. The officer woke him and asked if he was okay and if he needed medical attention. The man denied medical attention, then said he was okay and was tired. The officer asked him where he was from and he replied he used to live in East Ridge but was now homeless. The officer asked the man if he needed to be transported anywhere and he said he wanted to go to the Community Kitchen. The officer took the man to the Community Kitchen. * * * A woman told police she was approached by a man with a knife in a threatening manner on E. Main Street. He was described as a black male wearing a Howard High shirt. Officers found a man matching the description and detained him. Officers then met with the woman who said the man approached her with a knife. The woman began to become increasingly hostile towards officers and refused to answer any more questions. No one around saw any threatening actions made by the man. He was released and sent on his way. The woman refused to identify herself to officers. * * * A man on E. 19th Street told police someone came on his property around 4:43 a.m. and he caught it on his camera system. The man gave the persons name, according to his lady friend who had been over that evening. The woman knew the man and had ongoing issues with him according to the property owner. He explained the history of issues he was aware of between the two and was aware the woman was the one who needed to speak with police to take legal action. The man said the other man had come onto his property around the back of the residence but nothing was taken or damaged. Police found a Honda key fob in the street which the man said was the womans and they had been trying to find in the darkness. The key was given to the man who said he would return it to her. * * * A man at Brainerd Road Laundry at 5953 Brainerd Road told police he was waiting to wash his clothes. The officer told the man he couldnt stay there if he wasnt washing clothes. He said he would wash his clothes then leave after he was done. Later police returned and told the man he had to leave because he wasnt washing clothes. He called an Uber and then the property without incident. After serving on the school board for two terms, Tiffanie Robinson announced that she will not run for re-election in 2024 for the Hamilton County School Board District 4 seat. She most recently served as chairwoman of the board. After much consideration, I have decided not to run again for this position, Ms. Robinson said. After two terms of service, I believe it's time to let others lead in this important position. Many of you know I was the first in my family to go to college, and I believe in the power of public education to offer every student an opportunity for success. I am dedicated to supporting our youth and schools. Missy Crutchfield and Jackie Anderson-Thomas have qualified for the District 4 seat. Of School Board incumbents on the March ballot, only Jill Black has picked up qualifying papers, and she has not yet returned them. Rhonda Thurman is ending her long tenure on the board. In August 2016, Ms. Robinson was elected to the Hamilton County Board of Education, becoming the youngest woman elected to public office in Hamilton County. She was re-elected to the office for a second term in 2020. It's been an honor to represent District 4 during these two terms, Ms. Robinson said. One of the wonderful things about the School Board is the ability for parents to be involved, make a real difference and bring innovation to our system. I'm proud of what I have been able to achieve for District 4 and know that a new person will bring different, unique skill sets to the table. I look forward to seeing what comes next in our district. Ms. Robinson remains an integral part of the community. An entrepreneur, Robinson spent the last 15 years launching and building businesses and has sold two successful companies. She currently is the president/CEO of Aslan Holdings, a real estate fund and development group specializing in projects like The Tomorrow Building. She sets the strategy and goals for the organization and directs a team of 10 that manages a portfolio of nearly $100 million worth of commercial properties in Chattanooga and throughout the region. Ms. Robinson also serves as president/CEO of SVN/Second Story Real Estate Management, which offers property management and brokerage services for mixed-use and commercial properties. She oversees the direction and growth of the company, which brings tech-savvy sales and management to commercial property. The firm has 40 employees and continues to expand. The brokerage recently exceeded $130 million in volume sales, and the property management division oversees two million square feet of property across the region. The company does business in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida. Ms. Robinson also continues to serve as a founder and active partner at The Jump Fund, an angel fund made up of female investors focusing on investments in female-led companies. The fund manages $10 million in raised capital, with portfolio companies continuing to grow and succeed, including sales to Amazon, Khosla Ventures, Facebook and others. She serves as an investor and advisor. Her board memberships have included the Creative Discovery Museum, Girls, Inc. of Chattanooga, The Company Lab and ArtsBuild. During the COVID-19 period, she co-chaired the City of Chattanoogas Economic Relief Alliance and, during the summer of 2020, she served on the Hamilton County Department of Educations reopening task force. Her other board service has been on the boards of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library. Ms. Robinson received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media Studies from Lee University. In 2015, she completed the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard University. She resides in Chattanooga with her husband, Mike, and three sons, Elijah (12), Redding (8), and Rhodes (4). Cherokee Nation citizen and AISES Director of Research and Career Support Dr. Tiffany Smith is being recognized as a 2024 NASPA Pillar of the Profession by the NASPA Foundation. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland speaks during the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit. The 2023 event is scheduled for Dec. 6-7 in Washington, D.C. Photo of a tornadic supercell in western Oklahoma. Researchers believe this study can help project future climate extremes in Oklahoma and help evaluate the impacts of climate change and the increased risk to tribal populations. Stress is the unwanted visitor that always finds a way to sneak into lifes daily hustle and bustle. From work deadlines to familial responsibilities, this invisible adversary seems omnipresent, chipping away at the inner calm with each tick of the clock. Fortunately, there is a remedy that blends physical movement with mindfulness, encouraging a peaceful journey back to serenity. Im talking about yoga. Imagine setting up a serene space right in your living room, bathed in soft light, filled with a soothing scent of lavender, and accompanied by the faint hum of your favorite calming music. On the floor lies your brand-new yoga mat, waiting to help your body release all of its pent-up tension as you transition between postures. Yoga is a time-honored tradition that helps countless people escape from the stressors of everyday life. The only problem for some newbies is figuring out the best poses to incorporate into their own daily routines. Well, rest assured: if stress relief is your goal, simply try out the yoga poses below. Flowing through these movements will surely clear your mind and relax your body. Childs Pose (Balasana) Like a seed retreating back into the earth, Balasana is a grounding posture that invokes a feeling of safety and serenity. This simple pose involves sitting on your heels and bending forward with your arms stretched out in front. It eases tension in the back, shoulders, and chest areas where stress often accumulates. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. I remember where I was when I first read Christian Wiman. I was an associate at a law firm in San Francisco, in my late 20s, depressed, unhappy with my job and where my life was going. Perhaps in some kind of reaction, I was reading from Christian mystics at the time. In texts from the contemplative church tradition, I was learning that God is not only a proposition to affirman abstract statement of beliefbut something more immediate. Dogma, as Wiman wrote for Image, could act as the ropes, clips, and toe-spikes whereby one descends into the abyss. Wiman was editor of Poetry Magazine for a decade, and his 2008 essay for the American Scholar revealed his recent arrival at faith. He had fallen in love, acknowledged a faith that had long been latent in him, then received a diagnosis of an incurable cancer of the bloodin that order. It was beautiful and spoke to something I had experienced but never discussed: it gave language to a season of absence. And this, in turn, consoled me. On the page, Wimans work can be stormy, while at times breaking into flashes of surprising peace. Nowhere is this in greater effect than in his newly released book, Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair, which looks unflinchingly at life, love, and Wimans 18-year journey with cancer. As Wiman notes in the introduction, To write a book against despair implies an intimate acquaintance with the condition. Otherwise, what would be the point? The result is a dizzying bookat alternate points turbulent, psalm-like, revelatoryand altogether strangely uplifting. It is like nothing else I have read. I wanted to check in with Wiman, ten years after we first spoke in an interview for CT, to learn more about his new book. Our interview was conducted by phone and over email. There is some serious Jacob-like wrestling in this book. What were you aiming to do? I was trying to win! (Theres some serious Jacob-like wrestling in me.) Alas, no, but my mind does bear the mark of the struggle. Ten years ago I wrote a book, My Bright Abyss, which was an attempt to see the landscape of faith I had come to inhabit. I completed it while undergoing a bone marrow transplant, and it bears the scald of that experience. This new book is no less intense, but its pressures are different and its gaze is broader. In her great poem Toward the Solstice, Adrienne Rich writes, I am trying to hold in one steady glance / all the parts of my life. Thats what I was trying to dohold it all together, and that required many different formal strategies. Article continues below You received a cancer diagnosis 18 years ago. How is your health now? My health is excellent, but if you had asked this question a few months ago, I would have had a very different answer. I spent much of 2022 and 2023 in bed and would be dead now, had a spot in a clinical trial in Boston not become available. For months it was dicey, and then proved successful. This was my 11th major treatment over the years. (Minor treatments are for managing symptoms and have been endless.) Cancer has so completely defined my life for two decades that I find it difficult to imagine life without it. Its possibleby no means certain, but possiblethat this new treatment might force that happy challenge upon me. Extreme illness is hell, but it does strip away the inessentials and make certain intimacies and insights possible, both with people and with God. I spent five weeks in Boston, and while there, two old friends came (at different times) to be with me. One is a Jewish Buddhist poet with whom I have had an ongoing conversation about God for 35 years. The other is a Lebanese/Irish novelist who has a finely developed sense of and respect for the mystery of existence but an antipathy for organized religion. What surprised meand has stayed with meduring our time together was how close Christ seemed to be to us, how I could feel him in the care and love they showed for me. Im not saying either is an anonymous Christian, to use Karl Rahners unfortunate term. That would be condescending and disrespectful to both. What I am saying, though, is that Christ precedes and exceeds Christianity, and that belief in him is not a precondition for his love. In your book, you write: One grows so tired, in American public life, of the certitudes and platitudes, the megaphone mouths and stadium praise, influencers and effluencers and the whole tsunami of slop that comes pouring into our lives like toxic sludge. With respect to public lifeor the constant temptation to form a public version of our selfhow do you think we move forward? We dont. Those words come from an essay about the African American poet Lucille Clifton, who wrote poems so short and understated they dont even have a capitalized I. I see her as a tonic to that toxic sludge. Make no mistake, she risks large statements in her poems and speaks to the culture as a whole, but she does so out of that small i that has been slowly forged and chastened within one life. Article continues below All one can do is try to keep ones own soul clear. I have found poetry a great aid to this, but someone else might need carpentry. The essential element is attention, which that sludge aims to eradicate. In an early chapter of your book, you quote George Herbert, who writes: I will complain, yet praise / I will bewail, approve: / And all my sour-sweet days / I will lament, and love. Why is lament important? You could have reframed the question to ask, Why is praise important? Herbert is careful to insist on both. Christianity is predicated on a dual movement: the cross and the resurrection. The cross we know. Each of us will lose whatever it is we most love; the course of human life is inescapably tragic. The resurrection we imagine. We may be giventhrough love, moments of grace in nature or with others, and an experience of transcendent artattestations of it in this mortal life, but the thing itself is unutterably beyond. (For us, I mean. I believe Jesus resurrection happened.) This dimension of faith, in literary terms, is comic (which of course does not mean comical). Despite so much evidence to the contrary, Christians live toward a happy ending. I tend to feel the tragedy of life more than its comedy and must constantly check and correct this inclination. I know plenty of people oppositely disposedwho need to season their days with vinegar rather than sugar. Herberts point is that both dispositions are essential. How do you think about your vocation as a writer? There are vocations youre born for, and there are vocations you earn. The former includes those things that are raveled up with ones soul; you cant imagine your life without them. To be sure, they require great labor, but there is always that initial element of givenness to propel you. The latter presents some stiff resistance. I think of poetry as my primary vocation. Its impossible for me to imagine my life without it. Editing and teaching are both vocations Ive struggled to have. Neither was natural to me at firstin fact, I hated thembut both became essential elements of my life. Ive had to work for that. (Faith, by the way, is a vocation thats both given and earned.) Article continues below In an entry about the American theologian Jonathan Edwards, you discuss the way doubt can sometimes become convenient or even spare us from the immediacy of God. How do we know when were caught in doubt like that? The cries of Job and Jesus lament on the cross both teach us that Gods absence is an inevitable aspect of faith. That both occur at moments of absolute destitution makes that absence all the more painful. I dont know how useful the word doubt is for me anymore. I dont spend much time wondering whether God exists. I know he is, just as I know I love my wife, and as I know when a true poem is demanding I bring it into being. But it is quite possible, is perhaps even the norm, to believe in God but to lack faith. To lose awareness of his presence, to stop believing in that. To live only at the level of the ego and to allow despair. I loved the C. S. Lewis passage you cite from The Great Divorce about shamethat if we drink the cup to the bottom well find it nourishing, but if we try to do anything else with it it scalds. What do you understand Lewis to mean, and what happens when we look clearly at our shame? In that passage, a ghost in Hell (or purgatory) is being enjoined to make her way to the mountains (Heaven) where she will become solid and real. At present she is, like all newly arriving ghosts, transparent. She refuses, because the thought of everyone seeing right into her, even through her, is appalling. All her life she has protected something of which she is ashamed, and even in death she cant let it go. Lewiss point is that most of us have such shames. Maybe we dont really believe the things we pretend to. Maybe we dont really feel the love we pretend to. Maybe we are caught in lives that ought not to be ours. What happens if we dont fully face our shames? In Kafkas Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa awakens to find himself transformed into an enormous cockroach. He has become his shame, which was, ironically, the shame of being human. Your book felt psalm-like in the way it alternates between hope and despair. What effect would you want it to have? All I have ever wanted for my work was for it to live in a few readers minds in the way that the work of certain writers has lived in mine. Thats not to say I havent aimed at greatness. I have. One shouldnt be embarrassed about that, even though the sense of having fallen short is inevitable and painful. Article continues below But there are writers who have helped me live, whose work I return to for both provocation and consolation. Not all of them are great writers in the worlds eyes, and some only managed a flash or two of brilliance in a lifetime of labor. But I cherish their examples and wouldnt recognize my life without the specific lenses they have given me. I want that spiritual kinship with a few desperate readers. As for the books emotional vertigo, thats simply lifeor at least the life Ive been given. But literature is not merely a mirror of reality. I hope the book makes some sense of the vertigo. I like Kenneth Burkes ambitious phrase for the most ambitious literature: equipment for living. Did the book make you think about despair in new ways? Oh, yes. Thinking universally about despair like this forced me into all sorts of little sloughs of despond I usually unconsciously skirt. It also forced me to distinguish between willed and unwilled despair. Try to remember this: what you project / Is what you will perceive; what you perceive / With and passion, be it love or terror, / May take on whims and powers of its own. Thats Richard Wilbur, and it goes to the heart of how much misery we bring on ourselves. On the other hand, there are genuine afflictions, which must be named and faced. Though in some instances, they are invulnerable to all but one thing: grace. I worry this makes the book sound glum. It is, however, as the title indicates, a salvo against despair, and one of the best weapons is humor. I hope a good deal of that comes through. You cite Alexander Schmemann, who says, the knowledge of the fallen world does not kill joy, which emanates in the world, always, constantly, as a bright sorrow. The book ends with a meditation on the Cross. What does the Cross mean to you? This embarrasses mebut why?but I teared up (in the parking lot of my gym) when I first read this question. Simone Weil once said that Christianity would be sufficient if it ended with the Crossthat God would so love humans that he would become one, that he would die for and with us, the sacralizing of matter by the Incarnationthat this was miracle enough. I cant agree. Resurrection is the final fruition of that miracle. But I know what she meant. This life is hard. I am a Christian because I believe it looks unflinchingly atand redeemsthat fact. Josh Jeter is a lawyer based in Austin. A 29-year-old biochemist has pleaded guilty to firebombing a pro-life groups headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury confessed to federal authorities that he threw two Molotov cocktails through the window of Wisconsin Family Actions offices in May 2022, the week after the leak of a draft of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. One of the firebombsa Mason jar filled with flammable liquiddidnt break. The other set a bookcase and one side of the pro-life groups ground floor office on fire. Roychowdhury, who identified himself on social media as an anarchist, said he also spray-painted the warning message left on the outside of the building. If abortions arent safe, it said, then you arent either. The attack was one of more than 50 across the country targeting pro-life groups and pregnancy centers last summer. A decentralized terrorist organization named Janes Revenge claimed credit for many of the threatening messages, broken windows, and fires across the country, including the one in Wisconsin. A communique released after the attack demanded the disbanding of all anti-choice establishments, fake clinics, and violent anti-choice groups within the next thirty days. Janes Revenge claimed the extreme tactics were justified in part by historic attacks on abortion clinicswhich once averaged about 10 bombings and arsons per year. We will not sit still while we are killed and forced into servitude, the online message said. We are forced to adopt the minimum military requirement for political struggle. Wisconsin Family Action is a pro-life advocacy group that focuses on state-level lobbying and elections. It is part of the Family Policy Council, affiliated with Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, which had its offices in Washington, DC, attacked by an armed man planning to kill as many people as possible in 2012. Julaine Appling, president of the Wisconsin pro-life group, said if anyone had been in the office when the Molotov cocktails were thrown through the window, they would have been hurt. We ought to be able to take different sides on issues without fearing for our lives, she said. Police had nothing, initially, connecting the attack to Roychowdhury, a biochemist who had just earned a doctorate from the University of WisconsinMadison with his research on high-throughput enzymatics. Law enforcement didnt get a break in the case until nine months later, when an officer at the state capitol noticed a message spray-painted at an anti-police protest there that looked similar to the message left at the pro-life headquarters. Reviewing security camera footage, police tracked the protestor to a white Toyota pickup. They traced the truck to Roychowdhurys home in Madison and then started following him, court documents show. In March 2023, an officer saw Roychowdhury throw away a fast-food bag in a public trash can. Inside, there was a half-eaten burrito. The DNA on the burrito matched DNA left on a broken window, the glass jars, and a black and silver lighter left at Wisconsin Family Action. Roychowdhury was arrested later that month at Logan International Airport in Boston. He had a one-way ticket to Guatemala City, according to the US Department of Justice. The biochemist has no known association with abortion rights groups. He grew up in New Mexico and moved to Wisconsin for graduate school. He started identifying as an anarchist on social media during Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd. In August 2020, Roychowdhury tweeted that he wanted to see fires consume the country and 10,000 police officers killed, which he said still couldnt atone for what this world has done to black people. The following year, Roychowdhury urged anarchists to keep lighting fires for George Floyd and every one murdered by the occupying colonial forces. A few months before the attack on the pro-life headquarters, Roychowdhury locked his social media accounts and took a position at the biotech firm Promega, where he specialized in using machine learning to guide enzymatic evolution. He now faces 5 to 20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for February 2024. A federal judge in Washington State has ruled that the Christian humanitarian aid organization World Vision unlawfully discriminated against a woman in a same-sex marriage when it rescinded a job offer for a customer service position. District judge James Robart concluded in a 47-page order on November 28 that the organizations policy of recognizing marriage as between one man and one woman counts as discrimination under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. Robarts order is not a final ruling in the case but means the issue would go to trial to determine damages. The attorneys for World Vision said they are considering their next steps. This is among the first cases in the country to deal with the religious fallout of the 2020 US Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, where the court ruled that Title VII applies to gender identity and sexual orientation. Title VII has an exemption for religious employers to hire based on beliefs, and federal courts have also established the ministerial exception, which shields religious organizations from lawsuits over their hiring and firing of faith leaders. This year the World Vision case has gone through twists and turns, reflecting judges trying to navigate a new area of law, according to lawyers observing from the outside. Robart had first ruled in favor of World Vision this summer before later vacating his own ruling and siding with the plaintiff, Aubry McMahon. The fact that the court here oscillated showed that this is a close question. Other courts would come out different ways, said John Melcon, an attorney with Sherman & Howard who handles religious employment cases and is a former law clerk in the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. This particular opinion is long overall, but the legal analysis is pretty short. Back in 2010, three World Vision employees sued the organization under Title VII after they were fired for their lack of belief in the deity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity. World Vision won that case, but in 2023 a case about sexual orientation turns out to be thornier for federal courts than the doctrine of the Trinity. Both sides in this case agree on what happened: World Vision, whose US arm is a $1.4 billion organization, extended a job offer to Aubry McMahon to be a customer service representative interfacing with donors. McMahon shared that she was married to a woman, prompting World Visions human resources office to explain its position on the issue and withdraw the job offer. World Vision has written standards of conduct to clarify expectations and assist candidates/employees in deciding whether or not [World Vision] is the right place for them to serve the Lord. The standards say that biblical sexuality is expressed solely within a faithful marriage between a man and a woman. The organization has history here: In 2014, it briefly announced it would hire people in same-sex marriages before reversing its position two days later. I think every Christian organization will continue to deal with this sensitive issue, president Richard Stearns said at the time. The board will continue to talk about this issue for many board meetings to come. After World Vision rescinded her job offer in 2021, McMahon sued, alleging discrimination under Title VII. In June of this year, Robart issued a judgment in World Visions favor citing the church autonomy doctrine, through which religious organizations are shielded from government interference in their internal decisions. But McMahon asked for reconsideration. The judge then reversed his own decision, agreeing that he had erred in applying the church autonomy doctrine to a non-ministerial employee. World Vision contended she would have been a ministerial employee and a part of the organizations ministry work, with the job description including prayer with donors. Robart disagreed. Applying the ministerial exception to the principally administrative customer service representative position would expand the exception beyond its intended scope, erasing any distinction between roles with mere religious components and those with key ministerial responsibilities, he wrote. He concluded: On reconsideration, the court agreed that Ms. McMahon suffered an adverse employment action based on a facially discriminatory employer policy. Constitutional lawyer Carl Esbeck said that a judge can correct his or her rulings until the court loses jurisdiction under appeal. It is certainly unusual what occurred here, but within proper civil procedure, Esbeck said about the judge reversing his own orders. If the case ends up at the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over this district court, Melcon feels optimistic for World Vision. The Ninth Circuit has a promising recent track record on religious exercise cases, he noted, issuing a major ruling in favor of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes this year after the organization was denied access to public schools on the grounds that it was in violation of nondiscrimination policies. In another case last week, a federal district court in Texas ruled in favor of a religious business owner, Braidwood Management, regarding these same civil rights issues under Bostock. The court said Braidwood had federal religious freedom protections to not hire people in same-sex marriages. A more similar case to the World Vision one is further along in the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals: Billard v. Diocese of Charlotte. A Catholic school did not renew the contract of a teacher after he publicly shared about entering a same-sex marriage. Similarly to the World Vision case, the employee argued that he was not carrying out the religious mission of the school in his work, so the school did not have the religious exemptions it would normally enjoy. The Fourth Circuit heard arguments in the case this fall and will issue a ruling anytime. These questions about the intersection of religious liberty and nondiscrimination law, those still need to be worked out in the appellate courts and ultimately the US Supreme Court, said Melcon. Home Politics Christian leaders want to join lawsuit against first Catholic charter school in US Several Christian leaders in Oklahoma have asked to join a lawsuit seeking to reverse the approval of the first Catholic charter school in the country. Oklahomas Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a complaintagainst the approval of the charter school in October, expressing concerns about church and state separation. In a Nov. 14 filing with the Oklahoma Supreme Court, four Christian leaders asked to join a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and its members over the approval of the Catholic Church-affiliated St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Catholic School as a public charter school. The petitioners include Melissa Abdo, a practicing Catholic who serves on the Jenks Public Schools Board of Education and the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association; Bruce Prescott, a retired Baptist minister who taught at a public high school and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; the Rev. Mitch Randall, chief executive officer of Good Faith Media and former executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics; and the Rev. Lori Walke, senior minister of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City. The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Education Law Center and the Freedom From Religion Foundation represent the four faith leaders, along with three other petitioners, as they seek to join Drummonds lawsuit. The legal organizations elaborated on their clients desire to join the challenge in a joint statementlast month. Our clients proposed intervention would benefit the Attorney Generals lawsuit because they are among the people parents, students, families, educators, clergy, taxpayers, and a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation who will suffer if a religious public school is permitted to open, the advocacy groups stated. They and their children will be excluded by the schools discriminatory practices. They will be taxed by the government and forced to financially support a religion that many of them do not share. The petitioners previously filed a lawsuitagainst the opening of St. Isidore as a public religious charter school in Oklahoma County District Court over the summer. They believe that the approval of the Catholic school as a charter school violates the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act, which requires charter schools to be as equally free and open to all students as traditional public schools and remain nonsectarian in [their] . . . admission policies [and] employment practices. The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the charter school application for St. Isidore in a 3-2 vote earlier this year. St. Isidore describes itself as a collaborative effort between the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa to serve students in Oklahoma who have limited access to a Catholic school by providing them with a quality Catholic education. The school plans to open in August 2024. While Drummond has emerged as an opponent of the effort to make St. Isidore the first religious charter school in the U.S., the states Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has thrown his support behind the school. Walters has pushed back on the idea that providing taxpayer funding to St. Isidore by making it a public charter school is illegal. According to Walters, Distribution of state aid to St. Isidore once proper administrative steps are complete is not only lawful, but required under the Free Exercise Trilogy. Home Church & Ministries A solemn day: 51 Illinois churches leave UMC amid homosexuality schism Fifty-one congregations in Illinois have disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church amid the mainline Protestant denominations ongoing schism over its stance on sexuality. At a virtual special session on Saturday, Illinois Great Rivers Conference delegates voted 313-47 to approve the disaffiliation resolutions of 51 churches seeking to leave the mainline denomination. Bishop Frank J. Beard spoke in advance of the vote, calling the occasion a solemn day because those leaving the UMC have played an important role in the life of this conference and in the life of many of us. We are grateful and thankful that the United Methodist Church is strong, and we will continue to move forward, said Beard. Our conference vote today ratifying disaffiliation will not change the impact that these pastors and churches have had upon us and upon the life of this annual conference. We offer our mutual appreciation and our prayers for one another. Though todays task is a heavy one, we know through Scripture and through the history of the Church that we are not the first community of Gods people to separate or to experience difficulties. Beard said the schism within the UMC is a sign of our own human brokenness and that all of us bear some responsibility for arriving at this particular moment of separation. In October, the conference announced that 51 congregations were completing the disaffiliation process and were expected to have resolutions to be voted on in December. According to the conference, 24 of the 51 churches are located in the South (Kaskaskia-Cache River) District, while 12 are in the East (Embarras-Iroquois River) District, eight are in the Central (Mississippi-Sangamon River) District, four are in the West (Spoon-LaMoine River) District and three are in the North (Vermilion-Illinois River) District. These congregations met the Oct. 2 deadline for having a church conference approve by a vote of two-thirds or more to disaffiliate and have deposited funds in escrow with the Conference Chancellor to pay their unfunded pension liability assessment, apportionment payments for 2023 and 2024 and the 10 percent surcharge for release of the denominations trust clause enabling the congregations to assume ownership of their church property, the conference stated in the announcement. Over the past few decades, the UMC has faced a divisive debate over whether to remove language from its Book of Discipline banning the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals. Although efforts to amend the Book of Discipline have failed, many progressives within the denomination have refused to follow or enforce the rules, leading many theological conservatives to leave the UMC. According to numbers compiled by UM News accessed Tuesday morning, approximately 7,500 congregations have left the UMC since 2019, with nearly 5,500 departing in 2023. Thousands of disaffiliating churches have affiliated with the Global Methodist Church, a theologically conservative denomination launched last year. On the same day that the IGR Conference held its special session, the UMC Florida Conference held a special session in which delegates voted 557-36 to approve the disaffiliation of 74 churches. TOKYO, Dec 06 ( NHK ) - Japan's seafood exports to China continued to fall sharply in October from a year earlier. Shipments plunged after Beijing suspended imports of Japanese marine products in August, in response to the release of treated and diluted water into the ocean from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The Japanese fisheries ministry said marine product exports in October totaled 25 billion yen, or about 170 million dollars, down 28 percent from last year. Shipments to China dropped more than 80 percent. Japan didn't export any scallops, which used to be a main export item. China had been the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood until last year. Fishery operators here are now looking for other markets. Japan's exports to the United States grew 18 percent year-on-year in yen terms, led by a rise in scallop shipments, while exports to Vietnam jumped by 27 percent, lifted by brisk trade in tuna. Home World Activists interrupt Catholic Mass by reading from Pope Francis' climate writings Climate activists interrupted a Roman Catholic Mass in Turin, Italy, over the weekend to read from Pope Francis' writings about the climate. Moments before Archbishop Roberto Repole's homily at the Turin Cathedral on Sunday, activists with the group Extinction Rebellion stood and read from Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si'" and his 2023 apostolic exhortation "Laudate Deum," according to Italian newspaper la Repubblica and noted by Catholic News Agency. Video of the incident on YouTube shows an activist at one point flanked by Repole and other clergy. Both documents address the the climate crisis and mankind's duty toward creation. "Laudato Si," which is named after a hymn by St. Francis of Assisi that emphasizes being in harmony of God with other creatures, was 38,000 words and exclusively about climate change, while "Laudate Deum" echoed many of the same themes but was much shorter. Extinction Rebellion is a U.K.-founded grassroots organization that describes itself as "a decentralized, international and politically non-partisan movement using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency," according to their website. In a statement posted on the Italian version of Extinction Rebellion's website, the group admitted that activists affiliated with their organization briefly interrupted the Mass in the cathedral to read from writings by which Francis "expressed himself forcefully on the gravity of the ecological and climate crisis, analyzing its scientific and political aspects with great depth." The archbishop said in a statement following the disruption by the activists that while he esteemed their "commitment" in the sense they "mobilize for the defense of creation and accept the appeals of Pope Francis," he did not appreciate the way they went about it. "I am sorry that they decided to take the floor in the Duomo without first wanting to talk to me and ask if they could intervene," he said. I would have replied that at Mass we often pray for peace and for the preservation of creation, but the Eucharistic celebration is not a suitable time to host public interventions." I initially let the activists speak; then I asked them to end because Mass is a moment of prayer and as such it must be respected, also and above all by those who declare that they want to work with respect for all, Repole added. During the keynote address that was delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin on his behalf last week at the U.N.'s climate conference in Dubai, Pope Francis said "the destruction of the environment is an offense against God, a sin that is not only personal but also structural, one that greatly endangers all human beings, especially the most vulnerable in our midst, and threatens to unleash a conflict between generations. The pontiff, who could not attend the conference in person as planned because of a lung inflammation, also claimed climate change "signals the need for political change. Let us emerge from the narrowness of self-interest and nationalism; these are approaches belonging to the past." Home World Hamas terrorists raped women, used shovel to behead victim who fought assault A survivor of Hamas Oct. 7 massacre said he sees the terrified faces of the women who were raped and killed by the terror group in his nightmares. At one point during the attacks, he was forced to hide underneath the body of a dead woman to evade the terrorists. Yoni Saadon, 39, is a survivor of the Supernova music festival, where Hamas terrorists killed over 300 attendees in a mass murder. The festival took place in the desert near Kibbutz Re'im. Numerous partygoers attempted to flee on foot and in their vehicles but were murdered or taken captive. The terror groups assault against southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, a majority of them civilians, including 31 Americans, and thousands of others were wounded. Hamas also took around 240 others hostage. In response to Hamas invasion, Israel commenced airstrikes and a ground offensive to eradicate the terrorist group and secure the hostages release. Saadons eyewitness testimony, which he recounted in an interview with The Sunday Times, UK, is yet another firsthand account of Hamas subjecting women to sexual violence during its assault against Israel. A father of four, Saadon said one of his daughters nearly attended the festival with him before canceling at the last minute. The father told his story to the U.K. news outlet in an area set up for festival survivors located southeast of Tel Aviv. Saadon said during the attack on the rave that he witnessed the murder of a young woman who had been hiding near him beneath the stage at the music festival. She fell to the ground, shot in the head, and I pulled her body over me and smeared her blood on me so it would look as if I was dead too, he said. I will never forget her face. Every night I wake to it and apologize to her, saying, Im sorry. The music festival survivor said about an hour passed before he peeked out from his hiding place. Saadon remembered witnessing around 10 Hamas fighters beating and raping a woman who he described as having the face of an angel. She was screaming, Stop it already Im going to die anyway from what you are doing, just kill me! When they finished they were laughing and the last one shot her in the head, Saadon recalled. I kept thinking it could have been one of my daughters, he added. At one point, Saadon was hiding in some bushes while two Hamas fighters sexually assaulted a young woman who kept fighting them, resisting their attempts to remove her clothes. Eventually, one of the Hamas terrorists beheaded the woman with a shovel, and Saadon said that he saw her head roll along the ground. The Hamas terrorist group has denied that its militants committed sexual violence during its October onslaught. Last month, Hamas official Basem Naim claimed in an interview with The Washington Post that the terrorist organization considers any sexual relationship or activity outside of marriage to be completely haram, keeping with the principles of Islam. Bar Yuval-Shani, 58, one of the volunteer therapists at the support site for festival survivors, however, said that Saadons story is not the only account of rape that shes heard, according to The Sunday Times. She added that survivors of the music festival massacre are deeply traumatized. Shelly Harush, an Israeli police commander leading the investigation into whether Hamas engaged in a widespread campaign of rape and sexual violence against women on Oct. 7, told WaPo its likely that sexual violence was part of Hamas invasion plan. Additional reports of Hamas sexual crimes come from Shari, a Rabbinate corps member of the Israel Defense Forces responsible for preparing victims' bodies for burial. In October, Shari told The Daily Mail that there is evidence of Hamas mass rape of women, children and the elderly, with the violence being so extreme that many victims had their pelvis broken. Shari also described the burned bodies of women and children, some of whom had their hands tied behind their backs. The Rabbinate corps member even recalled a baby who had been cut out of a pregnant woman and beheaded and then the mother was beheaded. Over 50 days after Hamas terrorist attacks, the United Nations entity, UN Women, finally released a statement on Friday condemning the terror groups assault against Israel. UN Women also expressed regret that the fighting had resumed between Israel and Hamas following a temporary truce to swap civilian hostages for Palestinian prisoners who had committed murders and terrorist acts. We unequivocally condemn the brutal attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October. We are alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during those attacks, the statement read. UN Women claimed that it's supporting the U.N. Commission of Inquiry, which the entity stated began an investigation into reports of sexual violence following the attacks against Israel on Oct. 7. It then went on to call for accountability for all acts of gender-based violence that happened on and after that day, in addition to calling for the release of the hostages and a ceasefire. For the sake of everyone in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, and especially women and children, we call for a return to a path of peace, a respect for international humanitarian and international human rights law, and an end to the suffering of people in Gaza and in Israel, and those families still waiting for their loved ones to return, UN Women stated. Home Church & Ministries Guidepost must unseal documents in case of former SBC president accused of abuse, judge rules Guidepost Solutions, an independent researcher, must unseal documents in a legal case involving former Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt, a judge has ruled. This case is one of over two dozen against the SBC or its entities, focusing on Guideposts report on the alleged mishandling of sexual abuse allegations. Judge Jeffery Frensley at the Middle Tennessee office of the U.S. District Court has ordered Guidepost to produce records of interviews with Hunts alleged victim, Baptist News Global reported, saying this includes audio recordings, a private journal, summary documents, text messages and interview notes. The judge noted that names in these materials are redacted, diminishing privacy concerns. Guidepost had sought to keep these records sealed, arguing that unsealing, even redacted documents, could breach its contract with the SBC and further harm the alleged victim. However, the judge ruled that four previously sealed documents must be unsealed. Hunt, named in the 2022 Guidepost report, faced accusations of sexually assaulting a woman at a beach condo. Although admitting to the encounter, Hunt disputes its portrayal in the report and denies any abuse. After his removal as executive vice president of the SBC North American Mission Board, a group of pastors reviewed his case and supported his return to ministry, despite opposition from the current SBC president and others. In March, Hunt filed a defamation lawsuit against the SBC, its Executive Committee and Guidepost Solutions. The case has seen 80 entries in its docket over eight months. Guideposts brief against disclosure graphically details the accusations against Hunt, alleging he groomed and sexually assaulted the woman in 2010. It also describes attempts to gaslight the victim and her husband, involving counseling by Roy Blankenship, an unlicensed counselor at Hunts church. Hunts response to Guideposts sealing efforts claims the redacted information contradicts allegations against him. He asserts that audio recordings and journal entries provided to Guidepost do not mention any sexual assault by him. Guidepost, however, contends that the couple was instructed not to discuss Hunts actions and to focus only on marital issues in their journal. The unsealed documents also reveal that the woman alleging assault by Hunt is represented by Boz Tchividjian, a prominent attorney in cases of sexual abuse in religious settings and grandson of the late evangelist Billy Graham. Tchividjian is known for his work with GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment). Hunts lawsuit describes the incident as a brief, inappropriate, extramarital encounter with a married woman. At most, the encounter lasted only a few minutes, and it involved only kissing and some awkward fondling, the lawsuit states. This was a private failing by Pastor Johnny and the woman involved, and the story should have ended there. But it didnt. Hunts attorneys argue that naming him in the Guidepost report was a strategic decision to deflect attention from the SBC's historical failure to take aggressive steps to respond to reports of child sex abuse and other sex crimes in its past. The lawsuit asserts that Hunt was named because the woman with whom he had the brief, extramarital encounter in 2010 had disclosed that encounter to the Guidepost investigators. Home U.S. Kentucky VA facility yanks Bible from POW/MIA table after complaint: 'Tarantula on a wedding cake' Officials at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in Lexington, Kentucky, removed a Bible from a commemorative table for missing service members and prisoners of war following a complaint from a nonprofit civil rights organization. Attorney Michael Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) sent a letter on Nov. 14 to executive director of the Lexington VA Healthcare System, Russell Armstead, on behalf of 12 veteran clients, arguing that the display of a Bible on the facility's POW/MIA table violated Department of Defense policy and the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, according to a press release from the organization. Following the complaint from MRFF, which threatened "aggressive and highly visible federal litigation," the VA replaced the Bible on the table with a blank journal, according to a Nov. 28 letter from Armstead. The POW/MIA table, also known as the "Missing Man Table," is a tradition that emerged from Vietnam War veterans who wanted to commemorate service members who were missing in action. Clad with a white tablecloth, the tables typically feature an empty chair, a single candle, an inverted glass, a ribboned rose in a vase, and a book of faith that is "optional," according to the Department of Defense. The table also usually has a plate with a slice of lemon and salt. "As Medical Center Director, I am sorry to hear that you and twelve Veteran patients feel your religious rights were infringed upon," Armstead wrote to MRFF in part. "Respecting the dignity of every Veteran is very important to us. We are committed to listening to and addressing all Veteran concerns as we ensure safe, high quality care for all Veterans." Armstead went on to explain in the letter that after consulting with lawyers and official manuals, he decided to remove the Gideon's New Testament from the Missing Man Tables at facilities in VA Lexington Health Care System. "We are standardizing the Missing Man Table displays across the Lexington Health Care System to ensure consistency and rendering of honor," he wrote. "All table displays within VA Lexington Health Care System will contain the following: small table, white tablecloth, single rose, vase, yellow ribbon, slice of lemon, salt, bread plate, glass, candle empty chair, and a journal." The American Legion passed a resolution in 1985 to set up such tables at their events, though they did not officially establish the Bible as the book that should be placed on them. Weinstein told The Christian Post that of the 12 clients involved in the case, seven of them are Christians. "We've been fighting these Christian materials on POW/MIA tables for many years," Weinstein said. "Many military installations, many VA installations, have gone to federal court about it. That thing sticks out like a tarantula on a wedding cake. It was never part of the original history of the table when it was first started in any way, shape, or form." "It comes down to three things that most people don't understand: time, place, and manner," Weinstein also said. "If they stuck that table at a McDonald's or in a Costco or In-and-Out Burger or Hobby Lobby or Chick-fil-A, not a problem. That's a private place. This is the people's place. It's the government, and they're endorsing it. That's why I made it clear that if they put a Satanic Bible or a Quran or the Book of Mormon, there'd be blood in the streets." "So they did the right thing," he added. "We're very pleased about it." MRFF Senior Research Director Chris Rodda echoed Weinstein, telling CP that what Armstead did was "in accordance with VA regulations." "VA regulations prohibit having any permanent religious display of only one religion," she said. "Even the chapels in VA facilities have to be religiously neutral, unless an actual service for a particular religion is going on." According to a press release from MRFF, "Christian nationalists" at the VA facility in Lexington at one point removed the Missing Man Table entirely amid the controversy. Rodda defined "Christian nationalists" to CP as "people who believe we're a Christian nation, and who do things to promote their belief that America is a Christian nation, such as having a Bible on what should be a secular government display honoring all POWs, MIAs, veterans." "They insist on having a Bible, and they buy into this myth promoted by fake historians like David Barton that America was founded as a Christian nation, and they're trying to reclaim it as a Christian nation or whatever, when that's not the case at all," she insisted. Melissa Holland, who serves as interim executive director of the ecumenical Kentucky Council of Churches, said she was not upset by the Lexington VA's move, according to local NPR affiliate WEKU. I believe if you wanted to be fair, there are displays that show the various symbols of all religions," she said. "And if they put something like that on display to honor all veterans, no matter what their religion is, it would be more appropriate." The one thing that you might get kicked back on, is those who claim to be atheists," she added. "Is it fair to leave out the soldiers that are atheist? And are their families going to kick back? The Department of Veterans Affairs did not respond to CP's request for comment by the time of publication. MRFF has conducted other high-profile litigation to remove overtly Christian symbols from military institutions, such as urging the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York, earlier this year to take down a painting of Jesus in their administrative building. The academy first covered up the painting in response to the complaint and ultimately moved it to the school chapel. Home Politics Lawmakers oppose Biden admin. rule change targeting crisis pregnancy centers Pro-life advocacy organizations and over three dozen federal lawmakers are criticizing the Biden administration's proposed rule changes that they fear may prevent pro-life pregnancy centers from receiving taxpayer money. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the Federal Register on Oct. 2, the Office of Family Assistance, Administration for Children and Families and the Department of Health and Human Services outlined proposed amendments to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to "strengthen the safety net and reduce administrative burden." The program distributes grants to states, who then pass them on to organizations and agencies that work to achieve at least one of the four purposes of the initiative as laid out in the statute. The purposes of TANF are to "(1) provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; (2) end the dependence of needy parents on government assistance by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; (3) prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; and (4) encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families." The proposed changes establish a "reasonable person standard" that requires all funds distributed under the program to support expenditures that a "reasonable person would consider to be within one or more of the enumerated four purposes of the TANF program." When analyzing efforts to "prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies," the proposal states that "jurisdictions have sought to claim other expenditures under TANF purpose three where the connection to preventing and reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies appears to be far more tenuous or even non-existent." "Programs that only or primarily provide pregnancy counseling to women only after they become pregnant likely do not meet the reasonable person standard because the connection to preventing and reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies is tenuous or non-existent, and therefore do not accomplish purpose three," the notice stated. The proposal adds that states providing funding for these programs through "crisis pregnancy centers or pregnancy resource centers" must "show that the expenditure actually accomplishes the TANF purpose." The rule would require states also to show "that prior expenditures by the state or another entity for the same or a substantially similar program or activity actually accomplished the TANF purpose, or that there is academic or other research indicating that the expenditure could reasonably be expected to accomplish the TANF purpose." Critics of the rule responded in a series of statements released after the comment period closed Friday. A group of federal lawmakers expressed concern about the proposed rule change in a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra published Friday. Spearheaded by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., 10 senators signed on to the letter: Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont.; Mike Lee, R-Utah; J.D. Vance, R-Ohio; Mike Braun, R-Ind.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; James Lankford, R-Okla.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; John Kennedy, R-La.; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. Signatories from the U.S. House of Representatives include Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J.; Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz.; Michael Guest, R-Miss.; Erin Houchin, R-Ind.; Mary Miller, R-Ill.; Alex Mooney, R-W.Va.; Jeff Duncan, R-S.C.; Warren Davidson, R-Ohio; Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo.; John Moolenaar, R-Mich.; Larry Buchson, R-Ind.; Jim Baird, R-Ind.; Jim Banks, R-Ind.; Clay Higgins, R-La.; Keith Self, R-Texas; Garret Graves, R-La.; Robert Aderholt, R-Ala.; and Eric Burlison, R-Mo. Urging the administration to "withdraw it immediately," the coalition of 11 U.S. Senators and 18 members of the House warned that the proposal "undermines the TANF program by targeting pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs and threatening to strip them of tens of millions of dollars of funding, depriving pregnant women in need of compassionate assistance for themselves and their unborn babies." The lawmakers expressed concern that "the Proposed Rule focuses specifically on States that direct TANF funds to pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs." They maintained that pro-life pregnancy centers "provide services that fulfill all four purposes of TANF" and suggested that "HHS is targeting pregnancy centers for their pro-life mission rather than for any kind of misuse of Federal funds." "HHS' singling out of pregnancy centers for performing post-conception pregnancy counseling also reveals a glaring hypocrisy, making the Proposed Rule arbitrary and capricious. Planned Parenthood affiliates reported expending $1.04 million in TANF funds in 2018," they wrote. "Planned Parenthood performs abortions, for which the expenditure of TANF funds is prohibited, yet curiously, HHS does not raise concerns, or demand special justification, for States that have provided TANF funds to Planned Parenthood affiliates." Katie Daniel, the state police director for the national pro-life grassroots group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, criticized what she calls "Biden's twisted attempt to hinder pregnancy centers' ability to serve women in need." In a public comment, the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and the research organization Charlotte Lozier Institute argued that the proposed rule is "not viewpoint neutral." "Specifically, it implies that Pregnancy Resource Centers are ineligible for TANF funding," the public comment reads. "What is worse, the rule does not make the same implication about any other entity or organization. By definition and reputation, Pregnancy Resource Centers operate based on a pro-life point of view. Courts have found that 'viewpoint discrimination' is an egregious form of content discrimination." Human Coalition, which operates a network of pro-life pregnancy centers, slammed the proposed changes to the TANF program in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "By attempting to remove pregnancy centers from funding, this discriminatory proposal callously blocks pregnant women in need from resources when they need it most," said Human Coalition National Director of Public Policy Chelsey Youman. "The administration completely disregards the fact that these centers meet program goals by providing aid to needy families, promoting job preparation and marriage, and encouraging two-parent families," Youman added. "Pregnancy centers across the country have created a giant safety net of care and assistance for women in need, and this life-affirming care and support is absolutely a worthy use of our tax dollars." "Instead, the Biden administration is cutting this lifeline in the name of abortion. Stripping funding from these centers would hurt vulnerable women especially low-income women and women of color and undermine healthy families." Home Church & Ministries Mike Bickle accuser goes public with allegations IHOPKC calls unsubstantiated A woman who alleges International House of Prayer Kansas City founder Mike Bickle wooed her with Scripture when she was just 19, and he was 42, then made her a kept woman for several years as he established his ministry, says he did everything with her sexually except intercourse. The woman, who was identified as Jane Doe by The Roys Report, alleges that for approximately three years, from 1996 to 1999, Bickle paid for her apartment, gave her a key to his office, and engaged in every sexual act with her except copulation. Jane Does allegation comes in the wake of an investigation by IHOPKC of Bickle for serious allegations including sexual immorality made against him by multiple women. Leaders of the organization have since said only one decades-old claim has some credibility so far, but they have hired an outside law firm to help them make sense of the situation. In a response to Jane Does allegations Monday, IHOPKCs executive leadership team said they are yet to be presented with any evidence to support the allegations against Bickle. To date, IHOPKC has not been presented with any evidence that substantiates sexual abuse allegations against Mike Bickle. Facts matter, and Mike, like anyone else, should be considered innocent of the charges until evidence establishes the contrary, the executive leadership team told CP. Jane Doe alleges that she previously shared her allegations with IHOPKC and in her account to TRR, she explained that her father was a friend of Bickle, and she moved to Kansas City in 1996 to work as his intern. I just remember feeling like he knew the same Jesus that I knew, Jane Doe said. She alleges that one Sunday after service, Bickle told her in front of his wife, Diane, that he had dreamt about her and prophesied that she was his Esther, and he was like David from the Bible. He gives me the biggest word of my life, she told TRR. It was, Youre not just an Esther, you are going to lead thousands of Esthers. After he delivered that powerful word to her, Jane Doe alleges Bickle called her a few weeks later from Asia with another word from God, but this time, she said he sounded drunk. He begins to tell me that the Lord has spoken to him, and that Diane is going to die and that were going to get married, she said. As hes talking to me, Im thinking, Is he drunk? And he did start talking about the alcohol that was in the fridge that he had been drinking. She said during their encounters, Bickle told her that his wife was going to die at least 100 times. That line that Diane, his wife, is going to die and that were going to get marriedhe at least said that to me 100 times, she said. Dwayne Roberts, a founding member of IHOPKC; Brian Kim, a former IHOPKC executive leadership team member; and Wes Martin, a former pastor of Forerunner Church, previously revealed in a joint statement that they were the ones who first confronted leaders of the charismatic Evangelical Christian movement and missions organization about the allegations against Bickle spanning several decades. Without going into details to protect the privacy of the victims identities, we have found these allegations of clergy sexual abuse by Mike Bickle to be credible and long-standing, they began in their statement. The credibility of these allegations is not based on any one experience or any one victim, but on the collective and corroborating testimony of the experiences of several victims. They allege that before meeting with IHOPKCs leadership team, they attempted to discuss the allegations directly with Bickle in the spirit of Matthew 18:15-17 but were rebuffed. They claim Bickle attempted to intimidate, isolate, manipulate and discredit his victims. When these allegations were brought to our attention, we were shocked. We could never have imagined that inappropriate conduct with women as something we would ever need to be concerned about, the former IHOPKC ministry workers said. The allegations seemed out of character to the man we thought we knew, but they were so serious we could not ignore them. Bickle, they allege, used his position of leadership over the women to manipulate them. We believe that Mike Bickles actions were not above reproach and fall short of biblical standards for leaders in the church, the former IHOPKC workers said. To be clear, the allegations made about Mike Bickles misconduct were sexual in nature where the marriage covenant was not honored. Furthermore, the allegations made also reveal that Mike Bickle used his position of spiritual authority over the victims to manipulate them. IHOPKC explained in their "Report on Initial Findings," that they identified five of some eight women who the complaint group alleges are Bickles victims and found the evidence thin. Three of the alleged victims called the allegations "lies.'" One of the alleged victims refused to communicate with the attorneys for the ministry. Just one of the cases, predating Bickle's founding of IHOPKC, was found to have some credibility. The woman making those allegations is represented by noted attorney Boz Tchividjian, who founded the Virginia-based organization GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), and is a grandson of the late evangelist Billy Graham. IHOPKCs leadership team noted that even though the advocate group had initially pushed for the ministry to hire GRACE to investigate the claims against Bickle, they could not hire GRACE because of the Tchividjians representation of the alleged victim. The Advocate Group has repeatedly been asked to come forward with direct evidence, but they have refused to do so. As stated in our Report on Initial Findings, the Advocate Groups allegations were also presented along with a list of pre-prepared demands to prevent escalating levels of disclosure. These demands and threats, which included dictating the use of IHOPKCs funds, generated an atmosphere of concern regarding the true objectives of the Advocate Group, IHOPKC told CP Monday. In the past few weeks, people associated with the Advocate Group have publicly called for the IHOPKCs ELT to resign and be disbanded. We remain committed to verifying the remaining allegations and are in communication with multiple third parties to assist. We ask for patience. There is much at stake in getting to the truth. Home Education Parents demand answers after school assigned 11-year-old daughter to share bed with trans-identified boy Two Christian parents in Colorado are demanding answers from their public school district after claiming their fifth-grade daughter was assigned to share a bed with a trans-identifying boy on a school trip last summer. Legal counsel for Joe and Serena Wailes also asked Jefferson County School Board and Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Tracy Dorland to clarify the district's overnight rooming policy by Dec. 18, according a copy of the lettersent to them Monday by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The Wailes' daughter whom the letter refers to as "D.W." was reportedly assigned to sleep alongside a trans-identifying boy dubbed "K.E.M.," despite assurances from the school that boys and girls on the cross-country trip to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., would have separate sleeping arrangements and even be placed on separate floors. The letter notes that Serena Wailes was present on the trip despite not being a chaperone, and claims her daughter was distressed to learn one of the three people she was assigned to room with was a biological male, who happened to tell her about his transgender identity on the first night of the trip. After her daughter called her in distress from the bathroom of her hotel room, Serena complained to the school chaperone, who asked the girl if she would be willing to simply move beds instead of rooms, which she reluctantly agreed to do for one night, ADF said. JCPS did not immediately return The Christian Post's request for comment. ADF also alleges that school officials also lied to the other girls in the room about the situation and expected D.W. to do the same. "It then took the girl and her parents multiple requests to get her moved to another room. And even then, chaperones told the girl to lie about the reason for her move because of the districts overnight rooming policy a policy that violates parental rights and student privacy by rooming students based on gender identity while hiding that information from other parents and students," the letter explained. Serena Wailes told The Daily Signal that she was "really upset" by her daughter's situation, and that she didn't think it was appropriate for an 11-year-old girl to be faced with it. "One, I was really upset that she was put in that situation at 11 years old I dont feel that is fair to put kids in that kind of situation and two, that we were not even given the information that this was a possibility before the trip," she told the outlet. "The whole time theyre saying, Girls on one floor, boys on another, theyre not going to be in each others rooms unless it is pre-approved. So were going through this whole process, not even recognizing that this is a possibility," she continued. Serena's husband, Joe, told the outlet that he felt "helpless" when he learned about the ordeal, noting that he was 2,000 miles away and could do nothing about it at the time. The letter from ADF concludes by urging school officials to respond to clarification on its overnight sleeping policy by Dec. 18, noting that the Wailes have two fourth-grade twins who are slated to go on the same cross-country trip next year and want to avoid a repeat of their daughter's ordeal. JCPS made headlines earlier this year for having a system in place by which school officials are able to hide a student's self-declared gender identity from parents and to use their gender identity to determine where they sleep on overnight trips, according to documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. Home Education School district under investigation after trans student exposes genitalia to girls A Wisconsin school district is under investigation for allegedly failing to properly respond to a sexual harassment complaint following an incident where an 18-year-old trans-identifying student exposed his genitalia to four freshmen girls in the girls' locker room. In a Monday statement to The Christian Post, a Sun Prairie Area School District spokesperson explained that they intend to cooperate with an investigation being carried out by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. While the specific complaint that is the subject of OCRs investigation is unclear, we anticipate the complaint relates to an incident the District previously investigated and addressed, the spokesperson stated. We have already communicated as much as we can concerning that incident due to student confidentiality laws. The incident occurred in March when the four girls encountered the male student in the locker room after gym class. The boy was a senior and not in their class, and after telling the girls that he identified as trans, the upperclassman stripped in front of them. The OCR informed the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) last week that it had opened a Title IX investigation into the school district. The announcement of the investigation comes after WILL filed a complaint in June about the districts response to the incident. OCR enforces Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), 20 U.S.C. 1681 - 1688, and its implementing regulation at 34 C.F.R. Part 106, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in any program or activity operated by a recipient of federal financial assistance from the Department, the OCRs letter states. As a recipient of federal financial assistance from the Department, the District is subject to this law." OCR indicated that it would investigate whether the district followed Title IX requirements for responding to a sexual harassment claim. The office added that its decision to conduct an investigation does not automatically mean the school district is guilty, as it intends to remain neutral as it conducts its analysis. Cory Brewer, WILL Associate Counsel, applauded the OCRs decision to review the complaint in a press release last week. However, he warned that time will tell whether the DOE takes the complaint seriously. Parents and students should be able to feel confident that their school is complying with federal laws like Title IX, but right now in Sun Prairie, parents do not have that confidence, Brewer stated. We hope this results in answers for parents and families at the Sun Prairie Area School District, but we wont know until we see the results of the investigation." In WILLs June letter to the DOE, the legal organization explained that one of the girls involved in the incident told another student what happened, who proceeded to alert the assistant principal. As WILL noted, the assistant principal was required to tell the Title IX coordinator about the incident, but she reportedly did not take this action. A few days later when the four girls gave the student permission to provide their names to student services, the assistant principal told the student that the girls can instead approach her if they wanted, the letter explained. "She admitted during a meeting with parents later on that she should have dug deeper at that time. The letter further alleges that the school district failed to clarify what actions it would take to address the incident. The legal group also claims no one from SPASD attempted to contact the girls and offer supportive measures. According to WILL, SPASDs Title IX coordinator claimed that the district had interviewed the parties involved in the incident, but the daughter of a client WILL is representing said no one contacted her for an interview. The district later claimed it had already established the facts of what occurred without interviewing the girl. The Wisconsin legal group also pointed to complaints from parents and community members about the districts bathroom policy during school board meetings, with many raising concerns about boys and girls sharing spaces such as locker rooms. A lack of clarity about the policy in SPASD persists, WILL alleges. SPASD has not taken adequate actions to prevent sexual harassment. In its statement to CP, SPASD provided a link to several published statements on its website about the locker room incident, clarifying that it does not condone students undressing or showering in front of the opposite sex. One of the statements, released in April, stated that the school is working to protect and support all students. [The] Districts must balance the dual goals of supporting transitioning students while also protecting the privacy interests of all students, SPASD stated. The Sun Prairie Area School District is committed to doing so in a manner that is grounded in our mission, vision, and equity statement, the district continued. The District stands in support of all of its students and will continue to ensure that all students rights are protected. Home World UN teacher accused of holding Hamas hostage in attic; UNRWA calls claim 'unsubstantiated' A teacher with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has been accused of keeping a Hamas hostage captive in an attic for over a month, claims that the UN agency has deemed "unsubstantiated." According to a report shared on social media last week by Israeli Channel 13's Almog Boker, the UNRWA teacher allegedly held a father of 10 children hostage and barely provided the abductee with enough to eat, and also neglected his medical needs. The report came amid a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas in which Hamas released some of the civilians it had taken captive on Oct. 7 in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Southern Israel, and about 240 people were abducted. Boker alleges that another hostage victim was held by a Gazan doctor who also cared for children. These are not isolated incidents; these civilians are terrorists, he wrote. Present at the Saturday massacre; they're now revealed as integral to holding hundreds captive, including women and children. The Christian Post reached out to UNRWA for a response, with a spokesperson directing CP to a statement posted to its website on Friday saying that UNRWA and the UN have requested more information from the Israeli journalist who shared the report. "Despite repeated demands, the journalist has not responded," UNRWA said, requesting the reporter provide immediate clarification of his claims to help the agency determine the facts. "In the absence of credible information to support this claim, UNRWA requests that the journalist immediately deletes the post," the agency continued. "Making serious allegations in the public domain, unsupported by any evidence or verifiable facts in support thereof may amount to misinformation." The agency emphasized that it takes such accusations seriously and investigates them. "We are hence determined to find out whether the information in question is genuine or false," the statement reads. UNRWA also responded on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, "Spreading unsubstantiated claims about @UNRWA must stop immediately." Under the tweet, Twitter shared several links to prior news articles, saying that "claims against UNRWA have been documented for a long time." One piece linked under the UNRWA tweet is a 2008 Reuters article on a former headmaster and science teacher at a UN school in Gaza whom Palestinian militants also celebrated as someone who made rockets for Islamic Jihad. ???? Spreading unsubstantiated claims about @UNRWA must stop immediately. Making serious allegations in the public domain, unsupported by any evidence or verifiable facts in support thereof may amount to misinformation. FULL Statement ??https://t.co/gzNCMnVeifpic.twitter.com/1XGV99RbXw UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 1, 2023 As the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education reported earlier this month, 13 UNRWA staffers, seven of them teachers, made social media posts celebrating Hamas Oct. 7 attack against Israel. According to the institutes findings, the textbooks in UNRWA schools also contain antisemitic content. UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma labeled the accusation about antisemitic textbooks "unsubstantiated" in a statement last month to The Washington Free Beacon. "UNRWA rejects claims linking its schools to the abhorrent 7 October attacks in Israelattacks that UNRWA has condemned in the strongest terms," Touma said. "As in the past, these allegations are yet another attempt to sensationalize and extrapolate, based on flawed methodology and flimsy evidence." Last Friday, the Israel Defense Forces resumed combat operations in Gaza after accusing Hamas of breaking the ceasefire agreement by firing at Israeli territory. Following the release of multiple hostages during the temporary truce, more details have emerged regarding their treatment while in captivity. According to a report by KXAN, central Texas resident Dori Roberts expressed relief over the release of his cousin and two daughters. The trio was held captive by Hamas for almost two months. We found out that they spent about maybe an hour of daylight if they could, but thats all they gave them, Roberts said. They were eating chickpeas out of like, you know, canned food pretty much. Dry bread and water. As a result of the time the group spent as hostages, Roberts said the trio is lacking in nutrition, and the kids will have to cope with trauma. While the mans cousin and two daughters are now free, two of his relatives are still being held hostage by Hamas. One of his family members, an aunt, was killed while in captivity. Were not sure exactly what happened, but my aunt was murdered there, and her body was left by the border, Roberts said. Deborah Cohen, the aunt of Eitan Yahalomi, another freed hostage, told the French media outlet BFM Tuesday that Hamas forced her 12-year-old nephew to watch footage of the group slaughtering civilians on Oct. 7. She also said that Hamas would force its child captives to be quiet by threatening them with rifles when they cried. I wanted to hope that he was treated well, but it turns out he wasnt; theyre monsters, she said. Now that I know this, Im worried. His father is still there, and there are 160 people who have not yet returned. Why Murdered Missionary John Chau's Life And Legacy Divides: Reckless Vs. Heroic Attempt To Live Out Great Commission link to download the audioinstead. link to download the audioinstead. 13:27 13:27 The tragic story surrounding John Chau sparks a plethora of debate when it comes to the morality, behaviors, and goals of Christian missions. Chau was a 26-year-old missionary when he was killed by the Sentinelese tribe after he traveled to North Sentinel Island in India, an isolated region housing the uncontacted and unreached people group. As Christian Post assistant editor Leah MarieAnn Klett recently noted, Chau's attempt to bring the Gospel to the group a quest that led to his murder has been praised by some and derided by others. "Some, both in the Evangelical and secular arenas, condemned Chaus journey as a reckless one that reflected deep levels of ignorance, pride and cultural superiority," Klett wrote. "Others applauded his commitment to the Great Commission, the biblical mandate to reach all nations with the Gospel, despite great personal risk." Listen to Klett break down these issues on today's "The Inside Story" podcast. The tragic story surrounding John Chau sparks a plethora of debate when it comes to the morality, behaviors, and goals of Christian missions. Chau was a 26-year-old missionary when he was killed by the Sentinelese tribe after he traveled to North Sentinel Island in India, an isolated region housing the uncontacted and unreached people group. As Christian Post assistant editor Leah MarieAnn Klett recently noted, Chau's attempt to bring the Gospel to the group a quest that led to his murder has been praised by some and derided by others. "Some, both in the Evangelical and secular arenas, condemned Chaus journey as a reckless one that reflected deep levels of ignorance, pride and cultural superiority," Klett wrote. "Others applauded his commitment to the Great Commission, the biblical mandate to reach all nations with the Gospel, despite great personal risk." Listen to Klett break down these issues on today's "The Inside Story" podcast. Blog Archive: Jan 2024 (56) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) Home Opinion Revelation 19: Guarding against idolization, Johns angelic encounter Dr. Billy Grahams book, Angels: Gods Secret Agents, had an impressive sales record. By the end of 1975, even though it was only released in October, it had sold 810,000 copies. It achieved the remarkable milestone of one million copies sold in January of the following year. This was noteworthy because it became the first best-seller to reach the one million mark within just four months of its release. Dr. Graham said: As an evangelist. I have often felt too far spent to minister from the pulpit to men and women who have filled stadiums to hear a message from the Lord. Yet again and again my weakness has vanished, and my strength has been renewed. I have been filled with Gods power and not only in my soul but physically. On many occasions, God has become especially real, and has sent his unseen angelic visitors to touch my body to let me be his messenger for Heaven, speaking as a dying man to dying men. Despite claims by skeptics that angels are not real, but only psychological phenomena, or cognitive biases, many people continue to hold strong beliefs about angels and there is a great deal of interest in them, some of it good and some of it bad. Angels are a recurring theme in popular culture, including motion pictures, television shows, books, and art. There is a considerable amount of literature dedicated to the study of angels. Various online communities, forums, and social media groups are dedicated to discussions about angels, angelic encounters, and related spiritual topics. In New Age and holistic healing practices, angels are sometimes invoked or called upon for healing and protection. Some organizations offer workshops, seminars, and courses focused on angels, teaching participants about how to communicate with angels. And then, there are angel cards or angel readings, which are a form of divination. However, if we want information about angels that is reliable, we must look to the Bible to get the facts. The Bible says that angels are powerful spiritual beings created by God, distinct from humanity (Colossians 1:16; Psalm 148:2,5). They serve as messengers, provide direction, and carry out divine missions given by God (Luke 1:26-38). They are sometimes depicted as protectors and guardians of individuals and nations (Psalm 91:11-12; Daniel 6:22). They are known for their worship and praise of God (Isaiah 6:1-3; Revelation 4:8-11). Jesus said angels rejoice in the salvation and redemption of sinners, who repent and turn to God (Luke 15:10). Angels apparently can morph into human-like appearances to interact with humanity when necessary (Hebrews 13:2; Luke 24:4-7). The Bible also suggests that angels operate within a hierarchy, with some of them holding more prominent and powerful roles than others (Jude 1:9; I Thessalonians 4:16). And while they are formidable, incomparably stronger than humans, they have limitations and are subordinate to God, and sent as ministering spirits to those who are to inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:13-14; Revelation 22:8-9). What has previously been described are good angels, or as most Bible scholars refer to them from Scripture, the holy angels. But the Bible also describes a group of fallen angels, which is what Satan is, and all the other angels that rebelled against God with him (Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 12:7-9). These fallen angels hate God and everything that he loves with an unfathomable intensity. They rebelled against Gods authority in eternity past and chose instead to follow Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19.) According to the Bible, Lucifer was a magnificent, even glorious being, full of unrivaled wisdom and beauty among the angels. In the angelic order, he held a position of tremendous status and authority. His role included standing in the presence of God and serving as an anointed guardian. But somehow pride took root in his heart and he started to exalt himself above God, aspiring to ascend to the same authority as God himself (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19). For this, Lucifer was cast down from his exalted position and became Satan, the Devil. Revelation 12:4 indicates that a great company of other angels joined Lucifer in his revolt against God. Because of their insurrection, these angels were cast out of Heaven (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6). They remain as the adversaries and enemies of God and His people, seeking to deceive, tempt, and hinder humanity from recognizing and honoring the Lords authority. Bible scholars refer to these malevolent beings who now take their orders from Lucifer (Satan) as demons or devils. Throughout the book of Revelation, angels both holy and fallen are mentioned. In Revelation chapter 19, the apostle John was so overwhelmed with the celestial luminary before him, this radiant emissary of Heaven that was giving him the message of God, that he prostrated himself before the angel to worship him. The Scripture says: Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, No, dont worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus. Think of it. John was an individual of tremendous spiritual character. He was one of the inner circle of the disciples of Jesus, along with Peter and James. As such he was present with Jesus during key moments like the Transfiguration. His close relationship with the Savior provided unique insights into Christs teachings and actions. John has often been referred to as the Apostle of Love because he wrote much about Gods love in his Gospel account and the epistles he penned. He endured faithfully through many trials and persecutions. He was in exile on the island of Patmos during the composition of the Book of Revelation. He had a keen understanding of Christs divinity. Yet, this man who exemplified remarkable spiritual integrity experienced a profound spiritual lapse. In Exploring Revelation, John Phillips wrote: We are told of the blunder of the seer. It was usually Peter who said the wrong thing, but this time it was John, and he made a terrible mistake. His is a serious breach of etiquette, and he tells us all, keeping nothing back. John was carried away by the wonder of the revelations being made to him by the angel, and he says, I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Johns great blunder was to attempt to worship an angel a blunder which has often been repeated in the history of the professing church. The angel rejected Johns worship, rebuking him for it, and strongly admonished him to worship only God. The angel added that he was just a servant of the Lord as John was, no more. The incident of Johns worshiping the angel stands as a poignant lesson for every Christian leader, emphasizing the need for constant vigilance, no matter their past spiritual triumphs. The reasons why leaders fall are seemingly as complex as human nature. The Bible contains numerous pages about famous religious figures who fell into gross sin. King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for the murder of her husband (2 Samuel 11:1-27). Moses lost his temper, striking the rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it as instructed an act that cost him the privilege of bringing Israel into the Promised Land. Samson, a judge of Israel fell into sexual immorality with Delilah, who subsequently betrayed him into the hands of Israels enemies, the Philistines (Judges 16:1-21). Solomon, known for his incredible wisdom, foolishly took to himself many wives who turned away his heart from the Lord (I Kings 11:1-13). Peter denied Christ three times, despite his solemn promise of loyalty (Matthew 26:69-75). Elijah, the prophet, who so courageously took on the prophets of Baal, succumbed to fear and despair, running from Jezebel and hiding in the wilderness (I Kings 19:1-18). Shakespeare was known for writing about tragic heroes who succumbed to the enemy within. Othello was a victim of his jealousy. Lear was the prey of his own irrationality and misdirected suspicions. Hamlet was a casualty of his indecisiveness. The sinful nature of mankind may be an antiquated concept in the mind of many, but the relevance of the Bibles truth is constantly demonstrated among the great, as well as the small: The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (Jeremiah 17:9). For this reason, leaders must be especially careful and zealous to guard their roles. God graciously grants leadership for the sake of service. Unfortunately, however, those blessed with it have been known to give in to their lower natures. Consequently, the losses can be profound. There can be an upside, however, when leaders fall, whether its a public figure or a church leader, there can be redemption and recovery, and others may learn from their mistakes and be cautioned to beware of such stumbling blocks. For instance, in his commentary on the Book of Revelation, William Barclay highlights what John would learn about angel worship and the importance of the prohibition of the Church against it that resulted. Barclay suggests during the early days of the Christian church, there was a tendency among some believers to venerate or worship angels. This inclination toward angel worship was not unique to Christianity but had roots in certain circles of Judaism and the cultural context of the time. He mentions examples from the Apocrypha, such as the Book of Tobit, where the angel Raphael is depicted as bringing prayers before God. Additionally, in the Testament of Dan and the Testament of Levi, angels are described as intercessors for humanity. Some Jewish traditions placed a significant emphasis on angels as intermediaries between God and humans. The renowned Scottish scholar points out that this emphasis on angels in Judaism was partly due to the belief in the transcendence of God, which led to the idea humans needed intermediaries to approach God. Therefore, when some Jewish individuals converted to Christianity, they sometimes carried with them this erroneous reverence for angels, forgetting or not knowing that Jesus had eliminated the need for any intermediary between God and humanity. Barclay also highlights the cultural context in which many Greeks, who were converted to Christ, were inclined to make angel worship a real concern. In Greek culture, there were multiple gods, and it was tempting for some of them to simply adapt these gods into the form of angels. Additionally, the Greek worldview involved the belief divine forces (daimons) mediated between gods and humans, and it was easy for Greek converts to equate these daimons with angels and continue to worship and wrongly venerate them. Johns grievous error of falling prostrate before an angel to worship him something he not only did once but twice (Revelation 22:8-9) serves as a powerful example of how a spiritual fall in life can be transformed into a platform for positive change. Numerous modern-day examples of this principle abound, examples of where some individuals made huge blunders but they served to be redemptive, even protective, for countless others. Although many lessons might be gleaned from this particular text in Revelation, one other certainly seems relevant. In Johns sincere but misguided act of angelic worship, we find a profound reflection of the human proclivity to elevate and idolize individuals and entities that radiate extraordinary brilliance, be it in their presence or their message. This tendency can be seen in various aspects of modern life. Beware celebrity worship in which people actually idolize celebrities, athletes, and public personalities, attributing to them almost supernatural qualities. Adoration given to many celebrities nowadays falls nothing short of providing them with a god-like status. It is an indictment of idolatry that so many young people today know more about celebrities than they do about Jesus or the characters in Scripture. Moreover, some celebrities court this god-like status. One recently called himself, Yeezus, a play on his name, and Jesus, in his music and public appearances. A media mogul who has been associated with New Age spirituality has made a statement about the power of intention and positive thinking that suggested a divine or god-like status of her own role and influence in the world. Beware, dont elevate these persons to a level of admiration that goes beyond their actual contributions or abilities. They are simply human, sinners in need of redemption and Gods direction and guidance. They are not gods, nor should they be venerated like gods. Scrutinize the influence of celebrities by the Scriptures, whether it is from heaven or hell. More often than not, their influence is from the pit. Be wary about giving undue adoration to political figures. In politics, certain people may garner a cult-like following, with their supporters, even unknowingly, seeing them as messianic figures or saviors. This kind of adoration can lead to profound disappointment, disillusionment, and destruction. There is but one Messiah, one Savior, and that is Christ. Also be careful about esteeming religious leaders, no matter how marvelous they may seem. Its not that they dont deserve respect for their office, nevertheless, some have been allowed to develop an extreme authoritarian leadership style, where they end up exercising control over peoples lives, dictating their personal decisions, isolating them from outside influences, and enforcing legalistic and strict rules. They have such an allure about them that followers are pressed to donate large sums of money to support their lavish lifestyles. A recent documentary, titled, Let Us Prey, highlights a disturbing aspect of abuse within some Christian circles. Some Christian leaders are granted such power and sway, without the necessary checks and balances, that they have engaged in various forms of sexual misconduct, sexually abusing vulnerable women and children within their congregations. Whats at the bottom of this kind of tragedy? The answer: Humanitys timeless penchant to improperly raise and revere those who exude extraordinary luminosity, whether through their very being or the profound resonance of their words. The point here is that the worship of angels is not the only problem. Finally, after the angel rebukes the apostle for his effort to worship him, he says to worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (v. 10). There are various interpretations of this particular part of the text. Barclay quotes H.B. Swete, arguing that, [t]he possession of the prophetic spirit, which makes a true prophet, shows itself in a life of witness to Jesus, which perpetuates his witness to the Father and himself. In other words, a true prophets witness is demonstrated in his Christ-like life rather than just the witness of his words. This is so very true. Barclay also claims the text can equally mean that no person can speak with genuine authority about Christ unless he first personally knows Christ and has sat at his feet in worship and listened to him. Barclay writes, It was said of a great preacher: First he listened to God, then he spoke to men. The argument is that its all about Christ. The focus should always be on Christ. Even the angels, mighty and glorious as they are, hang upon every word from Jesus. They do not hesitate to do His bidding. Instead, the holy angels hasten to do Gods will. They bow to him alone. They humbly worship and serve Him only and we should do the same. There is no greater privilege given to humanity than to comprehend something of the sovereignty and sufficiency of God no greater privilege than to put down every competing idol, or rival entity, and worship God alone, through his blessed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christian project partners with homelessness charity to support women sleeping rough this Christmas and beyond A project run by Church Army is partnering with homelessness charity Crisis to provide shelter for women who would otherwise be sleeping rough this Christmas, as well as additional support to help them rebuild their lives in the New Year. The Marylebone Project offers specialist women-only accommodation in London that gives women a private room with their own front door as well as food and cooking supplies, clothing, showers and laundry facilities. The centre also offers women counselling, immigration support, and drug and alcohol services. Women come to the centre from a range of backgrounds, including domestic abuse, human trafficking and drug or alcohol abuse. From this week until the end of the winter period, the partnership with Crisis will offer individual, one-to-one on-site support for 20 women at the centre. Crisis called it a "significant development" that it hoped would have a "meaningful impact on ending rough sleeping for women in London". Juliet Mountford, Director of Client Services at Crisis, said, "This Christmas, although we will continue to support women in our day centres, hotels and year-round services, we're pleased to be partnering with the Marylebone Project to also offer women access to specialist services and longer-term support. "Through working together to offer intensive, individual support in a women-only environment, we hope we can support women rough sleeping in London to rebuild their lives beyond homelessness." Amy Hull, Executive Manager, Marylebone Project, said, "Women experiencing homelessness face unique and complex issues and for over 90 years we've been addressing these needs at our project. "We've seen women rebuild their lives, with 95% of women resettled through our move on programme maintaining their tenancy for at least a year, and we are pleased to partner with Crisis to provide even more women with life-changing support and care this winter." Church leaders and aid agencies call for end to fighting in Gaza Dozens of Church leaders and aid agencies have written a joint letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging an end to fighting in Gaza. The letter says that generations of Palestinian families are being "wiped out" and expresses heartache at the destruction of schools, hospitals and religious sites. Nearly 70 church leaders and aid agency representatives have signed the letter which calls on world leaders to take action to end the "relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign" in Gaza. The church leaders say: "We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. "World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma. "The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end. "We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape." Over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by retaliatory military action taken by Israel in Gaza after Hamas' October 7 terrorist attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw another 240, including children, taken hostage. During a pause in fighting last week, over a hundred of the hostages were released and some aid was delivered, but the letter calls for efforts to secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire. The letter goes on to state that "crimes of hate" are being perpetrated against both Jews and Muslims around the world because of their personal convictions about the conflict and that this is "straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts". It ends, "Without an agreed upon end to violence from all parties there is no path forward. "We call on all governments to show support for the protection of all human life, advocating for a just and durable resolution to this crisis in which all Israelis and Palestinians might realize a vision of a just peace, illuminating human dignity, advancing security and self-determination for all." Signatories of the letter include Christian Aid, CAFOD, the Archbishop of Dublin, Michael Jackson, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly, Sally Foster-Fulton, the Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun, and Embrace the Middle East. Faith leaders call for urgent climate action Faith leaders are calling on the world's governments and heads of state to take urgent action on the climate. Politicians from around the world are currently meeting in Dubai for the UN's COP28 climate summit. Religious leaders including Pope Francis have signed an Interfaith Statement calling for robust action, including the acceleration of energy transitions, a transition to models of living that are in harmony with nature, and the rapid adoption of clean energy. The statement reads, "Our common values inspire and unite us in our efforts to combat the human-made climate crisis and to nurture the sacredness and well-being of all life on Earth. "Love for our world and for each other, and awareness of our interconnectedness, underpin our understanding and our commitment to urgent action." In a video address to COP28, the Pope said: "Today, the world needs alliances that are not against someone, but for the benefit of everyone. "Let us, as religious representatives, set an example to show that change is possible, to demonstrate respectful and sustainable lifestyles, and let us fervently ask the leaders of nations to preserve our common home." It is also the first time that a Faith Pavilion is being held alongside the UN's climate talks. The pavilion brings together over 300 senior faith leaders with the aim of fostering meaningful interfaith collaboration and engagement around the issue of the climate. The good pastors are under siege The good pastors of the world are under siege! I have been a senior pastor of the same Southern Baptist Church, Vanguard Church, in Colorado Springs for the past twenty-six years. My wife, Tosha, and I, started the church twenty-six years ago as North American Mission Board church planters for the Southern Baptist Convention. Recently I hosted a city-wide pastor gathering in our city and prayed with forty other pastors for Israel, our nation, our city, and the mental and physical health of our pastors and their spouses. As I stood in that room and led other pastors, I could feel the weight of sorrow, suffering, and pain that each of them carries. Afterwards, I heard stories of pressure, disappointment, betrayal, and the never-ending battle of leading God's people to live simply by God's Word. In my almost three decades of pastoring, these last five years, during and after Covid, have been the most difficult. New Barna data shows that pastors' confidence and satisfaction in their vocation has decreased significantly in the past few years, and two in five (41%) say they've considered quitting ministry in the last 12 months. Here are the top five reasons: 1. The immense stress of the job: 56% 2. I feel lonely and isolated: 43% 3. Current political divisions: 38% 4. I am unhappy with the effect this role has had on my family: 29% 5. I am not optimistic about the future of my church: 29% Lifeway Research said that since July 2020, the greatest challenge for pastors was keeping their congregations unified and committed to unity. As these factors bear down on pastors, there is another very critical matter brewing among good pastors: opposition toward a conservative view of Scripture, the biblical moral behavioral code, along with the absolute exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the only way to eternal life with the Father. The most notable person in this shift is Pastor Andy Stanley of North Point Community Church in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Pastor Andy is one of the most influential evangelical pastors of our day. North Point Community Church averages almost 40,000 people a weekend across eight locations. Pastor Andy is the son of the late Pastor Charles Stanley. For the past ten plus years Pastor Andy has been on a journey to shift his view of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and specifically his view on homosexuality. He has very methodically walked a tight rope between conservative theology and his drifting view of it. Ten years ago, the Baptist Press in an article questioned Pastor Andy's view when they stated, "Megachurch pastor Andy Stanley is being criticized for a recent sermon illustration involving a gay couple in which Stanley labeled adultery, but not homosexuality, a sin." He has since bolstered his comments on this issue and has recently hosted a conference where he invited openly gay Christian leaders to share on how parents can help their children who identify as same sex. This sort of example along with other lesser-known examples across the evangelical world has ignited an even greater debate and struggle for pastors in their large and small towns across small, medium, large, and mega-large churches. Pastors who choose to stand in the pulpit and use their social media pages to combat the drift in evangelical circles are facing massive backlash and pushback from congregants who have loved ones and children who identify as same sex or who have been swept up into the gender modification movement that has taken our world by storm since the pandemic. The Enemy is unleashing warfare on the Evangelical Church like I have never seen in my lifetime. The disunity is beyond comprehension and the antagonism and full-on insult to pastors who choose to hold to what the Bible teaches about sexuality, are finding themselves often on an island being reprimanded by their leadership because these bold statements of truth are causing "good paying customers" to leave God's church. There is a massive movement among Evangelical congregations and pastors to only talk about what God is "for" while leaving out what He is against believing they will have these conversations privately one on one and spare themselves the shame, embarrassment, pain, and rejection that comes with being vocal publicly with what the Bible teaches about these matters. The Prophet Elijah lived in such a day that we live in now. He stood against 400 prophets of Baal and asked the Lord to reign down fire on his offering to show these prophets and the people of God along with Israel's King and Queen, who the real God was and is. God answered his prayer and fire fell and Elijah rose and slaughtered all the prophets of Baal. But then Jezebel got word of it, and Elijah became afraid. He fled for his life and ran to a cave. He hid in that cave. God came to him in that cave and look at what the Lord said to him in 2 Kings 19:9: "And the word of the Lord came to him: 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' He replied, 'I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.' "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." And in 2 Kings 19:15 we read: "The Lord said to him, 'Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israelall whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him." Through one man God ignited a revolution. When it felt like everybody was going one way, God had Elijah go the other way. He told him, "Go back the way you came." Let me say it another way, "Stop running from your calling, pastor, and have the courage to return to what God Almighty has called and asked you to do for Him as a pastor." Speak the truth in love. Thirty years ago, I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, the same seminary that Pastor Andy Stanley attended. See, God had used Pastor Charles Stanley when I was 17 years old to confirm for me that I was called to be a pastor. I was really struggling, and I turned on the television and Pastor Charles Stanley was preaching, and he said strangely enough, "Are you struggling with whether God has called you to be a pastor?" I said out loud, "Yeah, how'd you know?" I sat down and listened. Pastor Charles Stanley said, "If you can do anything else and be happy, don't be a pastor, but if you can't, know you are called." I rose from that moment and committed the rest of my life to being a pastor. I headed off to Liberty University, met my wife, Tosha, and we later headed to Dallas Theological Seminary to prepare for the pastorate to get ready to plant a church with the Southern Baptist Convention. While I was at seminary, I took a class with Dr John Hannah. He said one day to us, a class of about twenty, "Do you want to be great for God?" I leaned forward in my seat again, like I did that day Pastor Stanley called me out regarding the pastorate. I said deep within myself, "I do. I do want to be great for God." Dr Hannah said, "Then don't quit, don't fornicate, and you will be the only one left, and you will be great for God." I was stunned. Really? Is that all it takes? "Don't quit! Don't fornicate!" That statement has carried me for the past thirty years. And just last year, I published and released a book with Leadership Books called, "The Good Pastor." It takes the statement Dr Hannah made to me and our class thirty years ago and it identifies four pillars that have enabled me to not quit and to not fornicate. Maybe you are in a lead role right now. Maybe you are a pastor, a ministry leader, a business leader, a community leader, an advocate for others. You are struggling. You are facing massive opposition over your desire to remain faithful to God's Word. In the very first chapter of the Good Pastor book, I lay out the calling God placed on my life to read His Word. When I was at Liberty University, I made a commitment to read 10 chapters of my Bible a day until I had read it 100 times. I am currently in my 100th reading of the Bible. I have missed about 500 days over the last 34 years. But I can say with full assurance it has been the anchor that has enabled me not to go the way of Pastor Andy Stanley, but to remain faithful to God's Word like Pastor Charles Stanley and other people like Charles Spurgeon. Once someone asked Spurgeon, "What's more important, prayer or Bible reading?" He said back, "Let me ask you this, what's more important breathing in or breathing out?" We breathe in God's Word; we breathe out prayers to God. The Good Pastor book outlines the four D's that have given me the ability to remain faithful to the calling that God has placed on my life. Those four D's are as follows: 1) Disciplines 2) Dreams 3) Determination and 4) Dependence. Maybe you know a pastor who is struggling right now. Maybe you want to pick up a copy of The Good Pastor book for him or her. Maybe you know of a pastor or ministry leader who is standing for Biblical Truth on social media or in their church pulpit or better yet in their own home, in their family and they are getting the life beat out of them. Over the years I must confess I haven't and don't feel "great" for God. I have struggled with the definition of "success" many times as a church planter and a senior pastor. I have battled many demons of my selfish desires to succeed. But I always come back to the reminder and promise that God gave Joshua when he said in Joshua 1:8: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." It is possible to have "bad success." Bad success is winning the approval of those you pastor and losing the anointing of God's truth through compromise. Joshua told the people, "Choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." You and I have been called to "good success" like Joshua. Good success like Dr Hannah taught me at Dallas Theological Seminary is born out of faithfulness to not give up and to not fornicate. You and I get to choose if we remain faithful to the calling that God has placed on our lives. Yes, the wounds will be great, the pain will be excruciating but at some point, like the Apostle Paul we must stop fixating on the pain and focus on the privilege of who we represent. May God remind us through these words of the Apostle Paul while he was in a jail cell in Ephesus: "Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ." The privilege of what we get to do for Christ outweighs the pain we suffer from it. Remain faithful dear evangelical pastors, don't unhook your plough from the Old Testament, don't change what God's Word says, come out of your cave and go back the way you came, and God will reward you with "good success" with these words at the end of your life, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into your reward!" I live every day to hear those words one day. What we do for God matters, and in the end, it is all that matters. Kelly Williams is co-founder and senior pastor of Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His books include: The Good Pastor, The Mystery of 23, Friend of Sinners and Real Marriage. He also maintains a blog. A Hawaiian Airlines plane taxis for position at Kahului, Hawaii, on the island of Maui in 2005. Alaska Air Group said Sunday that it agreed to buy Hawaiian Airlines in a $1.9 billion deal. Lucy Pemomi/Associated Press 2005 As news spread this week that Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines intend to merge, many in the Bay Area were left to wonder: Could a consolidation bring negative impacts for customers of two airlines focused mainly on the West Coast especially in the form of higher fares to the Hawaiian Islands? Not necessarily, according to at least one Bay Area travel industry analyst. And in fact, the proposed merger could actually benefit travelers in a number of ways, said Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research, a San Francisco travel consultancy. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its true that fare increases are a risk you cant ignore, Harteveldt acknowledged. However, he said, Airlines are extremely price-competitive and they know what the others are charging. If one airline perceives others fares are too high, it could lower its fares. Additionally, other airlines that serve Hawaii could add flights, and airlines that dont already fly to the islands could start, increasing competition and potentially reducing fares. None of the Bay Areas three international airports San Francisco, Oakland and Mineta San Jose are capacity constrained and prohibited from adding new flights or airlines, he noted. When lower-cost airlines PSA and AirCal were sold and shut down in the late 1980s, Harteveldt said, they made way for Southwest Airlines to expand at the three Bay Area airports. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Executives at Alaska and Hawaiian, both focused mainly on the West Coast, announced the merger Sunday. Seattle-based Alaska plans to purchase Hawaiian, headquartered in Honolulu, for $1.9 billion. While they would operate under a single license and share a combined fleet of 365 planes, both would retain their names, the airlines said in a release Sunday. Alaska would remain the nations fifth-largest airline but would grow its route offerings, adding Hawaiians international flights to Australia and Asia. Other upsides to a merger would be a single frequent flier plan for the two airlines, Harteveldt said. Hawaiian customers would gain access to the Oneworld alliance of airlines, which can give international travelers benefits including access to more airport lounges. Another potential benefit for the Bay Area could be that one of its three international airports could become a bigger hub for the merged Alaska-Hawaiian airlines, Harteveldt said, meaning more flights from the region. Up and down the West Coast, this merger makes Alaska a bigger airline that could better compete with major airlines like Southwest, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Anyone worried about the proposed merger causing disruptions to upcoming travel plans can rest easy. For the merger to take off, Alaska and Hawaiian need the approval of the federal Department of Justice, which will consider the competitive impacts and could reject the consolidation. Even if the merger is approved, Harteveldt and other experts expect the process would take at least nine months and probably as many as 18. Then the difficult process of combining the airlines and their operations would begin, Harteveldt said, taking another 18 to 24 months. Concurs de selectare a companiilor interesate sa elaboreze un sondaj de opinie pentru Societatea de Cruce Rosie din Moldova 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. Project Description On 23rd of June 2022, the European Council granted the Republic of Moldova the status of EU candidate country which is a substantial achievement, but which comes with great responsibilities and obligations. One of such obligation is the Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity which includes Chapters of the environment and climate change acquis. In this sense, meaningful reform are expected in view of European Green Deal targets. The proposed Green Transition Project takes due account of this endeavour. Hence, it will put in place the enabling conditions for a green transformation in Moldova through a combination of cross-sectorial decision-making in joint stakeholder platforms, capacity building measures, general education and awareness raising, dissemination of best policy practices, information sharing and networking, as well as pilot-testing green-transition related solutions and other activities, to ensure that the green transition concept is well understood and implemented. The established enabling conditions and the investments into green-transition solutions will respond to the key development challenges that the country is currently dealing with such as the climate change, environmental pollution and the energy crisis. It is well acknowledged that Moldova is highly vulnerable to climate change, given the limited resources and institutional capacities to address the climate change impacts. It is also due to the heavy reliance on the agricultural sector, water scarcity and other geographical factors. Currently the country is advancing with the national adaptation planning, including in the agricultural sector, aimed at putting in place proper intuitional, technical and budgeting capacities in the context of climate change, however significant gaps remain in embarking of the sectors into achievement of the long-term adaptation targets. Environmental degradation is also posing a major threat to Moldovas development agenda as its economy relies greatly on natural resources which leads to their overexploitation and pollution. Inadequate waste management practices and outdated practices and technologies in the key sectors of the economy also contribute to the environmental degradation and pollution. Mainstreaming of the green agenda into the countrys economic activities is taking place slowly. Moldova is in line with the global trend of continuously growing urbanization, with the proportion of the population living in urban areas expected to rise from 47% in 2010 to 60% in 2030 (UN Habitat). Cities are increasingly and significantly contributing to the main drivers of global environmental degradation. The municipalities have the greatest impact on air quality and are responsible for more than 50% of total air pollution in Moldova. From energy security perspective Moldova is highly dependent on imported energy sources and rely mostly on the use of fossil fuels. In addition, inefficient energy supply and consumption across all sectors exacerbates the situation. Until recently being 100% dependent on Russian gas import, the country is actively seeking diversification of energy supplies after the war of aggression in Ukraine. Improvements both in energy efficiency and in the development of domestic resources including renewable energy resources for strengthened sustainability, competitiveness, and energy security rank high on the political agenda. Energy sector si also the main source of GHG emissions in the country. Against this background, the Green Transition Project aims to support the Government of Moldova to engage sustainably in a transformative green agenda by enhancing awareness, building capacities and encouraging investments into low-emission and resource efficient economy. The target areas of the project are resource efficiency, green and circular economy, cleaner and sustainable energy, and mobility. The Project will be implemented under the following three specific components: 1. Socio-economic framework for a gender-responsive and inclusive green transition enabled. 2. Capacity and awareness on the inclusive green transition increased among key stakeholders. 3. Additional funding attracted by promoting and piloting investments in green and innovative technologies, while evidence-based decision-making for green transition is improved by deploying a reliable air quality monitoring system. The implementation period of the project is 48 months, and the total budget is 10 mln EUR. Duties and Responsibilities Support the project team to ensure effective project planning and implementation: Compile and summarize information and data for the formulation of project work plans, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and on other specific project related topics or issues. Provide comprehensive support in all aspects of project implementation in accordance with the project documents, annual work plans and other agreements between UNDP and responsible partners. Ensure quality of delivery by consultants, beneficiaries, and contracted companies; and communicate findings to the supervisor. Ensure compliance of project business processes with UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures (POPP) and UNDP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). When necessary, provide guidance to project staff on business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures. Support mainstreaming gender equality in the project implementation, including in data collection and compilation. Prepare gender equality background materials for use in discussions, briefings, and correspondence. Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery that includes organizing/coordinating project events and selecting appropriate venues, coordinating project procurement procedures, maintaining project records and files, recruiting project team members, and supporting contracting activities. Support partnerships and resource mobilization: Establish and maintain contacts and cooperation with the relevant UN Agencies, government institutions, NGOs, tertiary institutions, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Provide support in updating the database of the relevant public and development partners, and other stakeholders who are counterparts for the project. Ensure regular communication and coordination with partners, project counterparts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries; and develop and maintain effective mechanisms for integrating and responding to their feedback and insight. Support creation of high quality information and visibility of the project activities among the stakeholders; and ensure careful selection of communication tools and tailoring the messages to take into account the overall socio-political and development context in host countries. Undertake horizon scanning and explore opportunities for resource mobilization in consultation with direct supervisor. Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of project implementation: Support implementation of the project monitoring system in alignment with its Monitoring and Evaluation framework to ensure effective information sharing, provision of feedback, and elaboration of high-quality progress reports. Collect, analyze and present information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets as well as for audit purposes. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners. Assist in the organization of field and study visits, missions, workshops, roundtables, and conferences within the project. Assist in implementation of effective risk management for the project with a well-documented risk mitigation plan in place. Support monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks. Regularly monitor expenditures and commitments against the project budget and relevant plans, and provide finance-related information to support project implementation. When necessary, recommend corrective actions and draft various correspondence concerning finance, operations, and budgetary issues. Prepare and consolidate required project reports on a timely basis and in line with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements. Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project: Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff. Provide support to other capacity building activities, including to the design and delivery of tools, materials for workshops, or platforms that tap into the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action. Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned project. Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support compiling and systematizing project knowledge, products and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. Institutional Arrangement The Project Associate works under the general supervision of the Green Transition Project Manager and collaborates closely with the Green Transition Project Team. Core Competencies Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination Cross-Functional Competencies Business management / Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Business Management / Digital Awareness and Literacy: Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed. Business Management / Customer Satisfaction/Client 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 clients upcoming needs and concerns. Business Management / Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels. Business Management / Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results. Technical - Finance / Budget management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets. Technical Procurement / Procurement management: The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source. Required Skills and Experience Education: Secondary education is required, or University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement. Experience: A minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelors degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience is required. Required skills: Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages. Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section: Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation tools Knowledge of project management processes Knowledge of procurement procedures of national / international organizations Required Language(s): Fluency in oral and written Romanian and English is required. Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Russian, Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language would be an asset. Professional Certificates: Additional training and/or certification in procurement management would be an advantage. The following documents shall be required from the applicants: Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials. 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. Scam warning The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. Salariul lunar net: 17500 MDL - 20900 MDL Asigurarea medicala internationala 100% acoperire To apply please follow the link/Pentru a aplica, va rugam sa adresati link-ul: Apply Advertisement end date was extended/Data de incheiere a postului vacant a fost extins: 04 ianuarie 2024 By Elroi/Adobe There is appetite among employees for the firms they work for to enable them to use their time and skills during national crises, according to a new survey. Research by the National Emergencies Trust and Business in the Community (BITC) shows that 76% of employees want their companies to play an active role during crises in the UK such as floods, terror attacks and pandemics. Published today, the research finds that nearly a third of employees would like to be supported so that they can volunteer their time while just over a quarter would like their employer to support them so that they can raise funds for those affected. The survey was conducted by Opinium Research between 19 and 22 September 2023 and received responses from 4,000 UK adults, of which 2,420 were working. Meanwhile, National Emergencies Trust launched its Appeal Partners Programme, which invites networked organisations and UK companies to raise funds and awareness of its appeals for those affected by national disasters. Companies should play an active role in times of national crises Some 29% of respondents said they want their company to enable them to volunteer their time during national disasters while 26% said they would like their company to support their own fundraising efforts. People working in the charity sector are keener to volunteer their time (46%) than those working in emergency services such as police, fire brigade and ambulance (41%) and those working in government (40%). Just over three in 10 respondents would like their employer to provide wellbeing support to any colleagues who may be affected in the aftermath of national crises. Similarly, 32% said their employer should step up for other people affected by donating items and raising funds or making a donation (31%). Almost four in 10 said that companies playing an active role during national crises is a way for them to show they care about the communities they serve, and 30% felt it was a way for companies to strengthen their culture. Clear societal benefit Mhairi Sharp, chief executive of National Emergencies Trust, said: This research reinforces the incredible appetite to help, that we saw during the pandemic when our Coronavirus Appeal benefitted from the expertise of hundreds of volunteers, while company fundraising contributed more than 40 per cent of the 100m raised. Weve developed the Appeal Partners Programme to build on this appetite. It invites companies and networks across the UK to stand alongside our incredible corporate patrons during future national emergencies. By pooling our collective resources, channels and expertise at speed, we can make a meaningful difference to peoples lives when it really matters. Mary Macleod, chief executive of BITC, added: Whether its another pandemic or a nationwide cyber-attack, many of the risks the UK faces would have nationwide implications, meaning a whole-society response will be vital. Businesses have the expertise and networks to be central to this, so its essential to continue to create clear pathways for them to play their part. Many people want to volunteer and help when national disasters occur but dont know how. The UK has nearly 33 million employees, meaning there is a clear societal benefit if employers encourage their teams to help others during a national disaster. National Emergencies Trusts new programme will enable more employers to do this, and thats why Business in the Community is proud to be a founding partner. 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, By chrisdorney/ Adobe This content has been supplied by a commercial partner. Modern slavery is one of the greatest human rights issues of our time and charity investors are well-placed to influence how global businesses approach this issue. According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free and International Organisation for Migration (IOM), there are 50 million people around the world trapped in modern slavery. Of these, 28 million were in forced labour and 22 million were in forced marriage. Women, children and migrants are disproportionately more vulnerable to being trapped. Modern slavery is an abhorrent abuse of human rights encompassing several forms of exploitation, including forced labour, human trafficking, servitude and forced marriage. Eradicating modern slavery is one of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, six years before the goals are meant to be achieved, the numbers of those trapped in modern slavery have increased. The Covid-19 pandemic, war, climate change and the rise of authoritarian regimes have disrupted labour markets and have contributed to this rise. As powerful stakeholders, charity investors are in a position to help address the issue of modern slavery by analysing the approach of companies in which they invest and comparing it with best practices. If necessary, they can engage with companies to strengthen their approach. There is huge potential for action by businesses to reduce modern slavery around the world. While some businesses are more exposed to modern slavery risks than others, and it is therefore a more material concern, CCLA thinks that all businesses potentially have some exposure to modern slavery. Large, listed companies are in a potentially influential position to set standards, implement policies and actively find, fix and prevent modern slavery. Whatever the exposure, companies can take additional steps to strengthen their approach. Dame Sara Thornton, consultant, Modern Slavery for CCLA, said: Financial institutions should be at the heart of the global effort to tackle slavery and trafficking. As the Blueprint for Mobilising Finance against Slavery published by the Liechtenstein Initiative correctly identified, the worlds bankers, investors, insurers, and financial partners have unparalleled influence over global business and that finance is a lever by which the entire global economy can be moved. In November, CCLA launched a public Modern Slavery benchmark. The first of its kind, it seeks to create an objective assessment of corporate modern slavery performance aligned with statutory requirements, government developed guidance, as well as international voluntary standards on business and human rights. The benchmark showed a large variation in the maturity of company approaches between the leaders and the laggards on modern slavery. Leaders showed mature governance, due diligence as well as disclosing cases of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains, while the laggards have published policy commitments but little other evidence to show that they are working to meaningfully address modern slavery. Overall, companies were focused on policy compliance rather than active work to address the risks of modern slavery. Furthermore, efforts to fix the problem and provide remedy for victims was barely existent. Consumer facing companies, energy and utility sector companies were the best performing sectors; this is partly due to their relatively high exposure to the risks but there was a clear difference between those companies that were actively managing human rights risks and those that were not. HAILEY, Idaho (AP) Paul Rytting listened as a woman, voice quavering, told him her story. When she was a child, her father, a former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had routinely slipped into bed with her while he was aroused, she said. It was March 2017 and Rytting offered his sympathies as 31-year-old Chelsea Goodrich spoke. A Utah attorney and head of the churchs Risk Management Division, Rytting had spent about 15 years protecting the organization, widely known as the Mormon church, from costly claims, including sexual abuse lawsuits. Rytting had flown into Hailey, Idaho, that morning from Salt Lake City, where the church is based, to meet in person with Chelsea and her mother, Lorraine. After a quick prayer, he introduced himself and said he was there to look into Chelseas tragic and horrendous story. Chelsea and Lorraine had come to the meeting with one clear request: Would the church allow a local Idaho bishop, which in the Mormon church is akin to a Catholic priest, to testify at John Goodrichs trial? Bishop Michael Miller, who accompanied Rytting to the meeting, had heard a spiritual confession from Chelseas father shortly before John Goodrich was arrested on charges of sexually abusing her. While the details of his confession remain private, the church swiftly excommunicated Goodrich. Audio recordings of the meetings over the next four months, obtained by The Associated Press, show how Rytting, despite expressing concern for what he called Johns significant sexual transgression, would employ the risk management playbook that has helped the church keep child sexual abuse cases secret. In particular, the church would discourage Miller from testifying, citing a law that exempts clergy from having to divulge information about child sex abuse that is gleaned in a confession. Without Millers testimony, prosecutors dropped the charges, telling Lorraine that her impending divorce and the years that had passed since Chelsea`s alleged abuse might prejudice jurors. Rytting would also offer hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for a confidentiality agreement and a pledge by Chelsea and Lorraine to destroy their recordings of the meetings, which they had made at the recommendation of an attorney and with Rytting`s knowledge. Today, John Goodrich, who did not respond to the APs questions, is a free man, practicing dentistry in Idaho. Going into this meeting with Rytting, I felt like it would be very clear, once everythings laid out that, look, this is not something that we want to cover up, said Eric Alberdi, a church member who attended the meetings as Chelseas advocate and also made recordings, which he shared with the AP. This is something that we want to uncover for a number of reasons, so that John doesnt do this again. So that Chelsea can move forward, said Alberdi, who was not bound by the confidentiality agreement and who has since left the church. You know, covering this up did not make any sense. In a statement to the AP, the church said the abuse of a child or any other individual is inexcusable, and that John Goodrich, following his excommunication, has not been readmitted to church membership. Alberdi`s recordings provide an unprecedented record of the steps the church normally takes behind closed doors to keep allegations of child sex abuse secret _ steps that can leave predators free and children at risk. How many people can know the truth and choose to pretend they dont and leave others at risk of the same abuse and they know it and they just dont care? Lorraine Goodrich said. I dont understand that. Ill never understand that. Two years earlier, in the spring of 2015, Chelsea Goodrich, then a 29-year-old graduate student in psychology living in Southern California, began to confront disturbing memories. While her peers dated and created lasting relationships, she filled with anxiety and dread at the prospect. Instead of wanting to have a relationship, I just remember feeling terror and confusion and kind of disgust, like all at once, about it, she said during a series of interviews with the AP. Her memories included several occasions, she recalled, when John Goodrich slipped into her bed at night in their house in Mountain Home, Idaho, to spoon her while he was aroused, pushing himself against her backside. On one occasion, when she was 9, she remembered her father had apologized to her for being aroused while they were playing in the family swimming pool and told her not to tell her mother. The last similar incident Chelsea recalls occurred during a school field trip to Washington, D.C., where her father admits he climbed into bed with her in a state of arousal and slipped close behind her. John Goodrich admitted that during a recorded conversation, obtained by the AP, with Chelsea, Lorraine and one of Chelseas brothers. Lorraine and Chelsea had been recording their confrontations with John about the alleged abuse, which they would later turn over to police. While grappling with these memories, Chelsea met a Mormon friend she came to trust and with whom she shared these unsettling remembrances. Her new friend told her that her father, Paul Rytting, was a high church official who often dealt with sexual abuse complaints and suggested Chelsea contact him. Unbeknownst to Chelsea, who believed Ryttings main responsibility was to aid victims, at about that time he was deeply involved in defending the church in a highly publicized West Virginia child sex abuse lawsuit. Several Mormon families had accused the church of allowing a Mormon sex abuser, Christopher Michael Jensen, to babysit for their children, whom he allegedly abused. Jensen was sentenced to serve 35 to 75 years in prison after he was found guilty of abusing two of the children. Rytting also revealed the lengths to which the church goes to ensure confidentiality for Mormon perpetrators who make spiritual confessions. Disciplinary proceedings are subject to the highest confidentiality possible, Rytting said in one affidavit. If members had any concerns that their disciplinary files could be read by a secular judge or attorneys or be presented to a jury as evidence in a public trial, their willingness to confess and repent and for their souls to be saved would be seriously compromised. Rytting did not respond to telephone calls or an email with a list of questions. In its statement the church noted that Goodrich`s communications with his bishop were protected by Idaho state law. Only the perpetrator could release the bishop from his obligation under the clergy penitent privilege and he refused to do so. After meeting Ryttings daughter, Chelsea travelled with her to Salt Lake City and met Paul Rytting while staying at the family home. At that time, Chelsea didnt feel ready to discuss her memories and kept them to herself, she said. But she eventually told her mother. And when Lorraine Goodrich confronted her husband in their Idaho home, in July of 2015, John confirmed becoming aroused while around his daughter but denied any direct sexual contact, according to recordings of the conversations. In one recorded conversation with Chelsea and Lorraine, he blamed the devil for his decision to climb into bed with his 13-year-old daughter after hearing sexual activity in an adjoining hotel room during the trip to Washington. The adversary Im sure worked on me, he said, using a Mormon term for Satan. And thats when it was going through my mind when I climbed in bed with Chelsea and was really aroused with the intent of spooning and snuggling you but I didnt. With his family and marriage in turmoil, John revealed details of his relationship with Chelsea to visiting relatives, according to a written statement from the relatives which was ultimately submitted to authorities. They urged him to go to the police. When John said hed rather talk with a Mormon bishop, the Goodrich relatives drove him to Millers home, where John made his confession. Less than a year later, on Sept. 1, 2016, Chelsea and her mother met with Mountain Home police and played the recordings of their conversations with John. The next day, after a nearly two-hour interview at police headquarters, officers arrested him. Nothing happened, John protested, as police cuffed him during a video interview obtained by the AP. Im not ashamed of anything. It was then that Chelsea decided to enlist Ryttings help and began corresponding with him by email to persuade him to allow Miller to testify against her father. Chelsea and Lorraine also let Rytting know that church officials may have known about John Goodrich and his daughter for years. John told them, in conversations that were also recorded, that hed repented details of his relationship with Chelsea to several local church leaders. Rytting told them that church leaders said they did not recall hearing any such confessions. Then, 10 days after Johns arrest in Mountain Home, another woman stepped forward with additional allegations of sex abuse after learning of the case against John. The 53-year-old single mother accused him of having nonconsensual sex with her after giving her the drug Halcion, a controlled substance John often used to sedate patients during dental procedures. She alleged that Goodrich drugged her the previous July after she cut off a sexual relationship with him. The AP is not naming the woman because it does not identify people who make allegations of sexual abuse without their consent. As detectives investigated the new allegations, John Goodrich, who was still facing charges in Chelsea`s case, called the woman at least four times, in conversations she recorded and which the AP obtained. In these conversations, Goodrich asked her to lie to police while admitting he drugged her even as he tried to minimize his actions and repeatedly apologized. It was fun as heck, but it was wrong, he said in a recorded conversation. Just out of principle it was wrong, and Im just mad as hell at myself. In July 2017, prosecutors dropped charges against John Goodrich related to Chelsea`s allegations. Six months later, a prosecutor in a neighboring county was crafting a plea deal in which he again would escape sex crime charges. In the end, John Goodrich pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance, Halcion, and a judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail and three years of probation. At the initial meeting with Chelsea and Lorraine, Rytting said the clergy- penitent privilege law made it next to impossible for Miller to testify against John Goodrich. Now, four months later, he was back in Hailey with an offer. Much had changed for Lorraine and Chelsea in the meantime. Theyd begun to feel ostracized by the Mormon community. Millers wife had even removed them from a local church community sisters email list, they told Rytting. Miller had been an advocate for Chelsea. During the first meeting with Rytting, Miller said John Goodrich, before his excommunication, had tried to backtrack on what hed told Miller in confession. John told me one thing, and then kind of toned it way down to the stake president, said Miller, referring to a higher-ranking church official who oversees several local jurisdictions. He told the stake president, Well, thats not a big deal. I go, Yeah, its a big deal.' So we know hes lying, and we know hes lying at every level, Rytting responded. Reached by phone by the AP, Miller refused to discuss details. Its clergy privilege, he said. If I say anything, (John Goodrich) can sue me for millions of dollars. With Rytting in town again, Lorraine and Chelsea first made it clear that they were devastated the prosecutor had dropped the criminal case, according to the recordings. (The prosecutor) said Too bad the bishop couldnt testify,' Lorraine told Rytting. Rytting sounded surprised. He had not known coming into the meeting that the case was dropped, he said. He told them that the church perhaps could reach out to the prosecutor to help get things restarted. The message to this prosecutor is, youve got several pretty clear-cut instances where a predator, a sexual predator, has admitted, Rytting said. And then the victims have provided information. But you dont feel any need to protect the general public? She did say that if the bishop could come forward and tell, then we would have had a case. But theres nothing, Lorraine repeated. The prosecutor, Jessica Kuehn, now works for the Pennsylvania attorney generals office and did not respond to a request for comment. The AP couldnt determine if the church ever followed up with her about the case. About an hour into the meeting, Rytting changed the subject abruptly. Well, should we talk about why Im here? Rytting asked. I have authorization up to $300,000. The offer stunned Chelsea and Lorraine. Months earlier, Rytting told them by email that the church was prepared to pay them $90,000 an offer the women were considering. The payment would be made on the condition that Chelsea and her mother sign an agreement in which they promised never to use Chelseas story as a basis for a lawsuit against the church _ and that they never acknowledge the existence of the settlement. And there was another key provision: Second paragraph, Ill be interested in your response, Rytting said, while reviewing the document with them. The recommendation is that you acknowledge that theres been some recordings made of all of our communications and that you agreed to destroy those recordings within 10 days of signing this, he said. Nondisclosure agreements _ or NDAs, as they are commonly known have been used frequently by the Mormon church and other organizations, including the Catholic Church, as well as individuals, to keep sex abuse allegations secret. In addition to her settlement with the church, Chelsea also settled a lawsuit against her father. In one of their recorded conversations, Rytting told Chelsea that he could check Helpline records, used by Miller to report details of John Goodrichs confession, to see whether her father had ever previously confessed to another bishop to abusing her. But in the West Virginia abuse case against the church, Rytting gave sworn, written testimony in which he said no one at the Helpline keeps records. And another ranking church official testified in a case in Arizona that the records are destroyed at the end of each day. In comments to the AP, the church declined to clarify Ryttings apparent contradiction about whether the church keeps records on the Helpline. Still, at their final meeting, Rytting assured Chelsea and Lorraine that church officials denied hearing John Goodrich confess previously to abusing his daughter, a claim the church backed in its statement to the AP. He urged them to accept the funds the church was offering and sign the nondisclosure agreement promising they would never sue the church. When John Goodrich engaged in abuse or any other criminal or sexual misconduct, he was acting in an individual capacity and NOT as an agent of the Church, Rytting wrote, ignoring the fact that Goodrich was a bishop at the time. Accordingly, any damages arising from such misconduct will be apportioned to Mr. Goodrich and not to the Church. Chelsea and Lorraine, distanced from their family and community, and struggling financially, accepted this assessment and signed the agreement, which did not prevent Chelsea from telling her story. Earlier this year, Chelsea decided to share it with the AP. She had tried going to the church for help. Shed tried the criminal justice system. But John was free with access to children through his family and dental practice. Right now, my main concern continues to be other children, she said. Rezendes reported from New York. Top photo: Chelsea Goodrich poses for a portrait in Ketchum, Idaho, on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. Goodrichs father, a popular Idaho dentist and former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, was excommunicated after sharing details about his relationship with her when she was a child during a religious confession. Recordings obtained by The Associated Press show that instead of helping prosecutors, the church used a legal playbook that has helped protect itself from sex abuse claims. Goodrichs father is today a free man, and she says she decided to speak out to protect other children. (AP Photo/Jason Dearen) Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. GDI promotes cooperation among Global South Xinhua) 10:58, December 05, 2023 GUANGZHOU, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Global Development Initiative (GDI) will further promote cooperation and exchanges among developing countries, said attendees at the 2023 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou). The event, concluded on Sunday in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, hosted a thematic forum on the GDI and cooperation among developing countries. The GDI, according to former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome, represents a renewed commitment to global partnership. The implementation of the GDI is essential to achieving the various goals of sustainable development, he said. He noted that the design of the GDI is highly practical, and that it emphasizes the generation of meaningful outcomes that benefit developing countries. In South-South cooperation, common development objectives are achieved through such complementary and mutually beneficial efforts. Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt, said that constructing and establishing a global community for development is crucial for developing countries, which account for the majority of the world's population. Within these developing nations, the most pressing human rights issue is the issue of development. While there are other challenges, the primary objective remains the achievement of development, said Sharaf, adding that the GDI is of paramount importance, carrying significant and positive implications for the promotion of global equality, balance and sustainability. China's modernization has demonstrated how a developing country can chart its own path to modernization, and China's success has allowed it to support other developing countries in their efforts toward modernization, he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) People walk past a security checkpoint at San Francisco International Airport. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its infectious disease surveillance efforts to include four major airports, including SFO. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle 2022 People stand in line at the San Francisco International Airport COVID-19 Rapid Testing Site. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions infectious disease surveillance includes collecting voluntary nasal swabs from passengers arriving on international flights and wastewater samples from airplane toilets, which are sent to a laboratory for testing. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle 2021 Travelers make their way through the international ticketing area at San Francisco International Airport. International travel at the airport has reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in August, according to a statement released by Mayor London Breeds office Monday. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2021 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded its infectious disease surveillance efforts in four major airports, including San Francisco International, to detect more than 30 pathogens, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV. The expansion of the agencys Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance initiative was announced on Monday, ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dr. Cindy Friedman, chief of CDCs Travelers Health Branch, said in a statement that the program, which served as an early warning system for new and rare SARS-CoV-2 variants during the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue to do so for new viruses, bacteria and antimicrobial resistance targets that can cause outbreaks and pandemics. Launched in 2021, the initiative collects nasal swabs from passengers arriving on international flights and wastewater samples from airplane toilets and sends them to a laboratory for testing. Participation in the swab program, covering flights from over 135 countries, is voluntary and anonymous. As of September, more than 360,000 air travelers had agreed to provide samples, with approximately 6,000 participants weekly. Currently operational for coronavirus screening in seven major U.S. international airports, the expanded pilot program will include San Francisco International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. SFO was the first airport to launch this testing program with the CDC, and we are proud to see this expand to include other categories, said Doug Yakel, the public information officer for San Francisco International Airport. Throughout the pandemic, SFO led the way in enhanced screening, onsite testing and vaccination, and surveillance programs. The expansion of this program shows the vital role airports can play in supporting health authorities in the identification, monitoring, and mitigation of respiratory viruses. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Studying the amount of virus found in wastewater began early in the pandemic in some places and has become an increasingly widespread surveillance tool across the United States during the past four years to identify, monitor and ultimately mitigate coronavirus variants. The pilot program, expected to last several months, will be conducted by Boston biotech company Ginkgo Bioworks and New Yorks diagnostic testing service XpresCheck. Positive samples will be sequenced and uploaded to public databases, the CDC said. With air travel exceeding pre-pandemic levels and the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and other viruses, it is crucial that we continue to test, said Ezra Ernst, CEO of XpresCheck, in a statement. The data that we collect provides crucial insights for public health officials to inform how best to protect our nation from the threat of evolving viruses. International travel at the airport reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in August, according to a statement released by Mayor London Breeds office Monday. By the end of this month, city officials expect the number of international flights arriving and departing at SFO to match pre-pandemic levels, thanks to the recent reinstatement of several major Chinese carriers. San Francisco is open for business and travel, and we are thrilled to see our international travel demand not only return but continue to increase at this pace, Breed said in a statement. The Alabama Supreme Court revived a medical malpractice lawsuit and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the estate of a man who died a day after receiving medical treatment for injuries suffered during a motor vehicle crash. In a decision Friday, the high court ruled that the trial court judge should have held an evidentiary hearing to determine whether an attorney representing the family had authority reach a settlement to release all claims related to the death of Charles Lewis Evans in exchange for a $50,000 payment from his auto insurer. The 8-1 ruling reversed a Chilton County Circuit Court judges decision to dismiss a wrongful death claim against the driver of the car that struck Evans vehicle and also a malpractice suit filed against a hospital and other medical providers. On Jan. 12, 2016, a vehicle driven by Terry Short collided with a vehicle carrying Charles Lewis Evans, his brother John Edward Evans and his sister-in-law Linda Claxton Evans. Charles and John were transported and treated at Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster. Charles was discharged the same night. Charles collapsed at his home the next day and was transported by ambulance to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. He died at the hospital that night. Two days after the accident, attorney Nicholas Vocino with the Slocumb Law Firm sent a letter to National General Insurance Co., Shorts insurer, giving notice that he was representing Charles heirs and that their insured was at fault for the crash. A claims adjuster told Vocino that Shorts policy had a $50,000 per accident limit and offered to settle the claim for that amount. The next month, the insurer sent a check for $20,000 to Linda Evans and a check for $15,000 to John Evans. The insurer sent a third check for $15,000 on March 22 to Robert Bowers, a county administrator that the probate court had appointed to represent Charles estate. National General also sent documents to John and Linda that released all claims related to the January 2016 crash. On Sept. 6, 2016, John and Linda both signed release agreements in their names. John also filed a release agreement made out to the estate of Charles Evans titled release of all claims. A notary verified that John signed the document on behalf of his deceased brother. Less than a month later, however, an attorney representing John Evans filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the company that owned the Shelby Baptist hospital and other medical providers involved with Charles Evans medical treatment. The lawsuit also named Short as a defendant. Short filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in July 2018 on the grounds that the Evans family had released him from all claims. Bowers, however, disputed that there had been any release for claims relating to Charles. His name had been listed on the back of National Generals check, but Bowers said he never endorsed the check and had not given permission for anyone else to sign it for him. A claims adjuster for National General testified that she believed Vocino with the Slocumb law firm had authority to execute a settlement agreement. She said that she could not verify the authenticity of the signatures on the back of the settlement checks but did say that the check was fully negotiated. A Chilton County judge dismissed the wrongful death suit against Short and also the medical malpractice claims against the hospital and medical providers. The judge rejected arguments that the Slocumb law firm had acted without authority from Charles Evans designated representative. The Supreme Courts opinion says the trial court did not give Bowers and opportunity to present evidence that he never agreed to the settlement agreement that released all claims relating to Charles. Thus, the trial court deprived Bowers of his right to respond and to present evidence showing that the release purporting to address the claims relating to Charles did not apply to the wrongful-death claims against the malpractice defendants and was not binding against him, the opinion says. The court said the trial court similarly did not hear any evidence as to whether Bowers had approved settlement of the wrongful death suit against Short. The Supreme Court reversed the decision granting summary judgment and remanded the case to the trial court with instructions to hold an evidentiary hearing. Chief Justice Tom Parker dissented. He wrote a separate opinion saying that National General had no reason to believe that Volcino was acting outside his authority. Justice William B. Sellers concurred with the result of the decision, but wrote a separate opinion expressing reservations. And I worry that future third parties will perceive this result as requiring them to ignore representations made by an attorney in favor of communicating directly with the attorneys client, placing them in the awkward position of intruding into the attorney-client relationship and thus needlessly convoluting the settlement process, the opinion says. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed comments by Justice William B. Sellers to another justice on the court. Florida authorities have announced the arrest of four people in connection with an alleged scheme to deliberately damage roofs in order to qualify them for insurance claims. And another contractor well known to insurers was arrested in Fort Myers. A warrant for fraudulent activities was issued in November for Ricky Lynn McGraw, 37, owner of South Florida Restoration Services, or SFR, a company that has filed numerous lawsuits against property insurers in recent years. McGraw was arrested Sunday in Fort Myers and charged with grand theft and insurance fraud, both felonies. He posted bail early Monday, the Lee County Sheriffs Office reported. McGraw told Insurance Journal last week that he could not comment on the charges. McGraw has been a thorn in the side of several Florida carriers in recent years. In May, a Lee County circuit judge found that SFR had intentionally concealed information in a condominium assignment-of-benefits claims dispute with Tower Hill Prime Insurance Co., and stuck with a roof estimate while it had already subcontracted with a roofing company that charged a much lower price for the actual work. SFR Services was aware that the cost of the scope of roof work was $99,000, at least as of March 20, 2020, the judge wrote in his order. Despite knowing this information, SFR Services continued to present an estimate generated by Elite Claims and continued to represent that the value of the roof replacements for the clubhouse and both gatehouses was more than $230,000, while simultaneously indicating that its overhead and profit fell in line with the industry standard of 20%. McGraw has said that he planned to appeal the judges order. The criminal investigation by state investigators stemmed from that case and now include the actions of McGraws brother, Matthew McGraw, a public claims adjuster, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said in a statement Monday. The adjuster allegedly colluded with a roof company to inflate the replacement cost, Patronis said. He did not provide further information about the fate of the adjuster This type of fraud scheme is especially despicable, as its a significant driver in rising premium costs impacting every single policyholder in our state, Patronis said. When Florida policyholders open their homeowners insurance renewal notices and see outrageous increases, they have guys like this to thank, and this is a perfect example of the kind of scum that try to come between you and your insurance claim to enrich themselves. The CFO said that DFS investigators found that McGraw knowingly signed a sworn proof-of-loss statement that contained misleading information by attesting that the claim amount for the Rookery Pointe association was significantly higher than the actual cost. Tower Hill appraisers had repeatedly requested that McGraw turn over any subcontractor estimates, and he refused, DFS noted. Meanwhile, DFS announced the arrest of four people associated with Castle Roofing Co. in an apparent scheme to defraud Citizens Property Insurance Co. Paul Vautour, former vice president of the roofing firm, along with Kiana Vautour, Robert Lusk Sr., and Robert Lusk Jr., were taken into custody in Pasco and Pinellas counties on Nov. 30, Patronis said in a bulletin. Pinellas County arrest records show Paul and Kiana Vautour, ages 49 and 26, respectively, live in Oldsmar, Florida, near Tampa. Charges include grand theft, criminal use of personal identification information, and insurance fraud. The DFS bulletin said that company representatives had systematically caused damage to homeowners roofs, prompting insurance claims. Citizens Property Insurance investigators became suspicious at some point and began reviewing claims, finding a pattern of manipulation of roof coverings. Video also was obtained of Castle workers causing damage to roofs, damage that was later claimed as wind damage, DFS said. A DFS investigation found that Paul Vautour had reportedly trained employees on how to fabricate roof damage to support insurance claims. Fraud drives insurance rates up and harms all Florida policyholders, Citizens CEO Tim Cerio said in statement. Citizens thanks, and will continue to assist, DFS investigators and local prosecutors as they go after these unscrupulous contractors. The Florida Secretary of State lists five companies with the name Castle Roofing. DFS did not say which corporation the alleged perpetrators were associated with. Georgia Roof Contractor Jailed Its not just in Florida where some roofing contractors are facing charges.In the Atlanta metro area a roofing company owner was arrested and spent more than a week in jail late last month after he was charged with accepting insurance claims payments but failed to perform the roof work.Atlanta News First reported that contractor Thomas Bouhan was charged after several homeowners told police that he had not replaced or repaired their roofs, months after he had accepted insurance checks of $13,000 to $19,000. One woman said the contractor had knocked on her door, offering a free roof inspection, then found what he said was hail damage. The homeowners insurance company agreed to pay $13,000 for a new roof, the news site noted.Bouhan completed at least one roof after Troup County investigators warned him that he could be arrested, but his company did not provide a refund to another angry homeowner, news outlets reported. The roofing company has multiple lawsuits, criminal investigations and consumer complaints pending against it. Bouhan told the Atlanta News First site that he never intended to take anyones money and would be refunding at least one homeowner who had paid him the insurance proceeds more than a year ago. ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Many people have been anxiously awaiting the grand reopening of Radiant Bride in Rocky River. The bridal shop, a longtime Rocky River business, was housed in a converted house for almost eight years. By 2022, it was clear that the business was growing and expanding and needed more space. But no one probably guessed that the small, old-fashioned house would grow into an exceedingly elegant, two-story bridal boutique with graceful, sophisticated and well-designed spaces to attract brides-to-be from across Greater Cleveland. Word travels quickly. Owner Ellen McFadden was greeting dozens of visitors at the reopening Nov. 29, stationed by the cozy fireplace in the lower lobby. Radiant Bride owner Ellen McFadden relaxes for a moment as she greets dozens of people at the bridal shop's grand reopening amidst striking, well-designed holiday arrangements.Linda Gandee Cher Thomas, one of the bridal consultants, gave the tour. During the opening, though, trays of hors doeuvres, charcuterie of meats and cheeses, plus snacks and beverages also captured the visitors attention. Little did they know at first that the same could be found on the second floor, on the balcony that overlooks the first floor. Brides and bridesmaids (not to leave out their mothers) who come to the store to shop for the dress can take their choice of six bridal suites -- three up and three down. Crystal chandeliers in many places add a touch of class and elegance, as do the soft gray, plush carpeting and huge mirrors. Stop by Radiant Bride, visit https://www.radiantbridecle.com/ or call 440-863-2000 to plan your dress shopping. The Radiant Bride is still on Detroit Road in Rocky River -- 19415 is the new address -- and it is just steps away from the original site. Note that the store is only closed on Wednesdays. Read more from the West Shore Sun. CANTON, Ohio Society Brands, a Canton-based startup focused on buying and growing e-commerce brands, on Tuesday announced a plan to hire 70 more people over the next few years. The company, which recently unveiled its new headquarters in the Hall of Fame Village complex, said it will create the jobs over the next three years. It currently employs about 100 people, with about 15 working out of Northeast Ohio. Kevin, left, and Brian Fisher-Paulson prepare for a walk with their dogs. Provided by Kevin Fisher-Paulson Whiskers, a terrier mix, was my first rescue dog and my responsibility. As a kid, I got up at 6 to walk him, and on winter mornings when I got back, my mother, Nurse Vivian, would have a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats for me at the Formica table and a bowl of French toast for Whiskers on the floor. Sullen teenager that I was, the one time I asked why, Nurse Vivian replied, Hes more excited to see me. Theres an unspoken rule in journalism: Do not write pet columns. I have never met an editor who actually likes them. Nevertheless, Jon Carroll, a predecessor in this space, slipped in at least 35 stories about his beloved felines. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Im not as bold as Jon was, but Krypto, Buddyboy and Bandit each got one column, and Queenie last shared a tale of tails in 2020. That makes one column every two years or so. And unlike with my sons Zane and Aidan, I dont need to slip the dogs five bucks when I mention them. Yet, still, whenever I submitted a dog column, my editor-of-the-moment would write something, kindly but firmly, along the lines of, Well, Im sure it will be a long time before we hear from Bandit again. The hounds that have inhabited the Bedlam Blue Bungalow have mostly been rescue dogs and, until now, at least partially Pekingese. Pekingese are called smoosh-faced dogs because they have an almost flat face. Collective-noun aficionados would note that there has been a pomp of Pekingese living in the Outer, Outer, Outer, Outer Excelsior. Crazy Mike says theyre not real dogs, and hes right. Were not used to real dogs. Were used to Pekingese. Although T.S. Eliot claims these pooches fought the Pollicles, the truth of the matter is that Pekes are representatives of the law of inertia. A Peke at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an outside force, such as hamburger. All of our dogs have gone through a chewing phase, and at some point, each of them has been blamed for eating our sons homework, but truly they never did any more than nibble. The Fisher-Paulson family takes a selfie with Queenie and new puppy Moxie in late 2022. Provided by Kevin Fisher-Paulson Which brings me to Moxie. Moxie is a Havanese. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Unlike all of our other dogs, Moxie has a snout. She weighs almost nine pounds, and half that weight must be devoted to teeth 44 of them. And that brings us to my bathrobe. At one time it was royal blue, until an accidental rendezvous with a bottle of bleach. I had hoped I could pull off a Sean Connery as James Bond look in my terry cloth, but the truth is I look more like Fred Mertz. Im my most vulnerable in this bathrobe. It means that Moxie has won. She has licked my ear enough to get me out of bed. Most mornings I stick a dog under each arm, walk out to the backyard, and hope that the call of nature persuades them to do their business before Donner, the dog next door, convinces them that barking at the raccoons is more fun. Moxie gets going right away, but Queenie sniffs each blade of grass before shaking the dew off her lily. This gives Moxie time to attack, and what vexes her most in the morning is the sash on my robe. Youd think that my outweighing her by 170 pounds would give me an advantage, but no. When she sinks all 44 teeth into something, she means to keep it. Took me a while to realize that her chewing extended to all my clothes. There were clues. More missing socks than usual. The 36-inch belt that mysteriously became 34 inches. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I leave my jeans on the edge of the bed at night. This is a habit born of 20 years of parenting my sons, when I was never been sure whether 3 a.m. might bring a fireman, a police officer or a girl Zane had met at a party. Running late one morning, I jumped into my jeans, threw on my sneakers on and hustled to Dr. Dos office, ready for my dermatology appointment. When I sat down in the waiting room, I realized I had a bigger problem than sun exposure. Moxie had spent the night chewing through the seat of my pants. I went home, changed my clothes and gave Moxie a stern lecture. But all she did was wag her tail. Then she pooped denim for a week. Kevin Fisher-Paulsons dogs Queenie and Moxie relax by the fireplace in the Bedlam Blue Bungalow. Courtesy of Kevin Fisher-Paulson The moral of this story? When it comes to enthusiasm, dont be like your teenager. Be like your dog. It might not get you new Ralph Lauren dungarees, but it very well could get you French toast. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jessica Flores is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. Before joining The Chronicle in 2021, she worked for USA Today, NPR affiliate KPCC and Curbed LA. Originally from L.A., she received her masters degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a bachelors degree from Mount Saint Marys University in Los Angeles. She can be reached at Jessica.Flores@sfchronicle.com. Joe Meyers cleans the glass on the Little Free Library in front of his residence on Pine Street in San Francisco on March 8. After being a popular neighborhood spot for over a decade, the Department for Public Works sent a notice ordering Meyers to remove the library and adjacent bench or seek an expensive special permit. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Little Free Libraries, beloved repositories for neighbors to share books, will be easier for civic-minded residents to install on San Francisco sidewalks thanks to a new push by the city to encourage neighborhood amenities. New legislation aims to make it easier and cheaper to add those book giveaway boxes as well as other beautification projects such as planters and benches. The Board of Supervisors will take up legislation Tuesday to streamline red tape around the projects and cut fees. The Chronicle reported earlier this year on a woman who was threatened with a $1,400 fine for sidewalk encroachment when a neighbor complained about the Free Library in front of her house, prompting outrage from supporters who questioned the citys priorities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This will make it easier, cheaper and more efficient for neighbors to get together and do positive things in every neighborhood in San Francisco, said Supervisor Myrna Melgar. The ordinance will govern community-driven amenities known as Love Our Neighborhoods Projects and include the popular free libraries, planters, commemorative plaques, tiled staircases, benches, murals and other small projects contributed by residents, at their own expense, usually through fundraisers and city grants. All of these improvements will require either self-registration with no fee or, for larger projects, a permit with a fee under the ordinance. Susan Meyers, right, walks down her front steps as Sophia Lenetaki reads a book on a bench next to Meyers Little Free Library in San Francisco on March 8. New legislation aims to streamline the red tape around neighborhood amenity and beautification projects such as these book giveaway boxes. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Cars pass by under the Kensington pedestrian bridge on Aug. 16, 2022, in San Francisco. The bridge connects the West Portal and Mount Davidson neighborhoods over Portola Drive and features a mural designed by local artist Darin Balaban. Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle Carol Dimmick, neighborhood improvement activist, poses for a portrait under the Kensington pedestrian bridge in San Francisco. It took a year to work through the bureaucracy to make this project happen. Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle Carol Dimmick, neighborhood improvement activist, leans against a pillar of the Kensington pedestrian bridge in San Francisco. The Public Works Commission has been working on creating new legislation that will make the permit process easier for projects like this. Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle Neighbor Doug Troyer chats with Susan Meyers next to her Little Free Library in front of her residence on Pine Street in San Francisco on March 8. An anonymous complaint resulted in the Department of Public Works ordering the Meyers to either remove the library and adjacent bench or pay $1,402 for a minor encroachment permit. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle What prompted the legislation, Melgar said, was a neighborhood plan to paint the pillars on Portola Pedestrian Overpass, also known as the Kensington footbridge, with an artistic design that the neighbors would pay for. Turns out they needed an encroachment permit, and it took a year of staff time at both her office and San Francisco Public Works to work through the bureaucracy. The Kensington pedestrian bridge was finally painted in 2022. This legislation removes some of the costly, time-consuming roadblocks we faced getting multiple approvals for the artwork on pillars of the Kensington Bridge, said Carol Dimmick, who spearheaded that project. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When Melgar introduced the legislation, she heard a similar bureaucratic horror story from every supervisor. This is a win-win-win, said Beth Rubenstein, spokesperson for San Francisco Public Works. Weve heard loud and clear from community groups that they wanted an easier process for implementing beautification enhancements in the public right of way. Rubenstein said that the Public Works department has been at work on this legislation since the spring, and that Little Libraries are just one of about 10 types of projects which will be under the new Love Our Neighborhoods permit process. We need to lower the barrier to implementing these projects and make them less expensive in terms of permitting fees, while also balancing the need for public safety and accessibility, Rubenstein said. Little Free Libraries do not now require city permits and will not require permits under the new legislation. But they will require registration and self-certification to ensure they are safely built and dont block the sidewalk. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Department of Public Works only responds to complaints, which is what happened in March when someone placed a 311 call regarding an elegant Free Library with a bench for browsers that had existed for 10 years in front of the home of Susan and Joe Meyers in Lower Pacific Heights. The anonymous 311 call earned them a visit from a Public Works inspector. Public Works told the Meyers to either remove the bench and library or pay $1,402 for a minor encroachment permit. Neighbors offered to support a GoFundMe to raise the funds for the permit, but Susan Meyers, a 79-year-old therapist, went to her supervisor, Catherine Stefani. Its the principle of it, Meyers told then-Chronicle columnist Heather Knight. When youre trying to raise spirits in a city at a very low time, that shouldnt be punished. Public Works suspended the citation while a legislative workaround was pursued. Meyers told the Chronicle Monday that shes too happy the Love Our Neighbors Ordinance is about to pass. We want to encourage anybody who wants to have a Little Free Library, because it brings a whole community together. We have a clump of people who commune around our house every day, she added. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Little Free Library is a St. Paul, Minn.-based nonprofit with the mission to build community and inspire reading. The spirit of it is to borrow a book and then either return it or substitute another book to keep the local library stocked and keep the titles fresh. There are 144 certified Little Free Libraries in San Francisco. Margret Aldrich, a spokesperson for Little Free Library, said she knows of no fine or fee for the boxes anywhere and there are more than 170,000 of them worldwide. She can only recall one similar instance when a Little Free Library was ordered removed from a front yard in Leawood, Kan. But a national public outcry overturned that decision. The hope is that the San Francisco ordinance will set a precedent for cities to forgo fees for Little Free Libraries that are adjacent to private property, are wheelchair accessible and dont block the sidewalk. Wei Zhou, Air China general manager, standing next to Chinatowns Dragon Gate in San Francisco on Wednesday, announces the return of SFO-to-Beijing flights after an absence of more than three years. Roland Li / The Chronicle Wei Zhou, Air China general manager, standing next to Chinatowns Dragon Gate in San Francisco on Wednesday, announces the return of SFO-to-Beijing flights. Roland Li / The Chronicle Air China has resumed two weekly direct flights between San Francisco and Beijing, restoring another link to San Franciscos most lucrative source of tourism before the pandemic. The Wednesday and Saturday flights returned this week after a pause of more than three years, having stopped in February 2020 just before the pandemic erupted in the U.S. San Francisco and Chinese officials announced the return of flights under Chinatowns Dragon Gate on Wednesday, alongside a stream of tourists visiting the neighborhood and the daily hum of downtown traffic. There was unanimous hope that the connection would boost the citys critical tourism sector, and also create more opportunities for fostering cultural exchange, in the words of Wei Zhou, an Air China general manager. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chinese tourists spent $1.2 billion in San Francisco in 2019, the most of any foreign group, according to San Francisco Travel, the citys tourism bureau. That was a record year for local tourism, and 518,000 of the citys 4.3 million foreign visitors were from China. China had one of the most stringent restrictions of any country during the pandemic and was one of the last to allow citizens to go abroad for leisure in the past year. Chinese citizens also need a visa to visit the U.S., and the lack of Chinese tourists has badly hurt Chinatown in particular. To me, this signals the beginning of the turnaround for mainland Chinese visitation to San Francisco, said Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who represents Chinatown. Its going to take time to rebuild. The first Air China flight arrived in San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday, just 10 days before the huge Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is expected to bring 20,000 attendees to the city, including world leaders like Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden. Supervisor Connie Chan, the only Chinese American member of the board, said that while meetings between world leaders would boost cooperation between the U.S. and China, more widespread tourism was more critical for sustainable relationship building and sharing experiences around different cultures, languages and food. Advertisement Article continues below this ad United Airlines, SFOs biggest carrier, is also resuming daily flights between San Francisco and Beijing in November after expanding SFO-to-Shanghai flights last month. The resumption of flights will also bolster San Franciscos image as an international hub, she said. Air China was the first airline to have a direct flight to the U.S., with its first flight on Jan. 7, 1981, said Jianmin Zhang, Chinas consul general in San Francisco. (The Chinese government is the airlines majority owner.) It was a pivotal moment in normalizing relations between the two countries, he said, and he sees today as a similarly critical moment. I also feel people are not 100% done with the pandemic unless we are able to travel conveniently and freely, just like before the pandemic, Zhang said. We still have a long way to go. Im aware that due to the pandemic, many were unable to visit their families and friends for a long time. And still others are daunted by the high cost of air tickets. That has got to change. And Im so glad that change is coming. Change is happening today. CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday said the increasing popularity of GLP-1 drugs medications used to treat diabetes and obesity has created some new investing opportunities. According to Cramer, Wall Street feared the effects of these drugs on the market during the fall. Investors soured on companies that made junk food and medical device companies that could benefit from higher rates of obesity or diabetes, he said. But with the market as a whole seeing a rebound, Cramer said investors can now turn their attention to stocks that could see gains because of these drugs. "I think we should start to appreciate the good, and that's what I want to go over," he said. "Because if you really believe tons of people will take these weight loss medications, to the point where it'll have a transformational impact on the economy, well that's going to create lots of winners, too." First, investors could simply buy shares of the companies that make these medications. To Cramer, two companies own the GLP-1 space Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk and their stocks have already had significant runs. But Cramer said he thinks they could see more gains because these drugs may be able to treat conditions besides obesity and diabetes, such as heart disease, kidney disease and alcoholism. But there are several less obvious GLP-1 plays, like companies known for producing meat and high-protein foods such as Tyson Foods or Hormel Foods . Cramer said GLP-1 drugs can cause patients to lose muscle as well as fat, so doctors are encouraging them to consume more protein. An engineering and construction outfit like Jacobs Solutions could also benefit from the GLP-1 craze, as it helps design the manufacturing facilities that pharmaceutical companies use to create these medications. Cramer said he also sees potential in the apparel space, with consumers likely to need new clothes to accommodate their weight loss. He pointed to his October interview with Levi's CEO Chip Bergh, who said the company had already benefitted from customers' changing waistlines post-pandemic. "When the market was ugly, everyone was worried about how much money the food companies would lose from these GLP-1 weight loss drugs," he said. "Now that the market's much more optimistic, we're focused on potential winners from the same story." CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday suggested that investors are not buying with a clear head and are choosing too many poorly-performing stocks. "I saw a hammered market, a market where the buyers have gotten drunk as a proverbial skunk, buying the worst of the worst," he said. "And when you get hammered, you know there's going to be a nasty hangover on the way." For most of the year, Cramer said, Wall Street feared economic downturn and evaluated equities in a sensible "sober" manner. They chose to invest in cash-rich companies like the "Magnificent Seven" mega cap tech stocks. But as the mini banking crisis receded, the market broadened out and investors "collectively got a nice buzz going," Cramer said. They looked towards other sectors with strong potential, buying shares of artificial intelligence companies, cybersecurity outfits and weight loss drug manufacturers, he said. But some overindulged, he said, and now the "hammered investors have taken over." In one example. Cramer reviewed the recent stock action with Estee Lauder , which finished Monday up more than 5%. The company suffered as its business in China slowed, and it lost customers to discount cosmetics retailer e.l.f Beauty . Cramer said Estee Lauder investors may be "drunk on euphoria" and are betting that other "intoxicated" buyers will take shares off their hands for a higher price. Cramer predicted investors may go for other stocks that are down significantly for the year next, such as Moderna or Pfizer , both of which are still suffering post-Covid. "For those who're slamming them down now and buying stocks under the influence? Let's hope they have some designated brokers to help them home, otherwise they're going to have some regrets come morning," Cramer said. The Biden Administration is moving forward in its negotiated rulemaking process to try to forgive student debt for federal borrowers. The Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden's initial plan to forgive up to $20,000 of student debt per borrower in June. But the administration has continued to provide debt relief through existing programs like income-driven repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness while exploring ways to provide relief to more borrowers through the negotiated rulemaking process. On Monday, the administration released a draft regulation proposal outlining what its new forgiveness rules would look like. "Student loans are supposed to be a bridge to a better life, not a life sentence of endless debt," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a press release. "This rulemaking process is about standing up for borrowers who've been failed by the country's broken student loan system and creating new regulations that will reduce the burden of student debt in this country." The negotiated rulemaking committee will meet later in December to discuss the proposal and aim to reach a consensus on the proposed changes. Once the committee reaches a consensus, the Department of Education will release another draft of rules for public comment next year. Here are the four groups who could receive relief under the current proposal. US House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference following the House Republican caucus meeting at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 29, 2023. House Republican leaders expect to vote next week to formalize their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, they said Tuesday. Even if the House were ultimately to vote to impeach Biden after an inquiry, the Democratic-controlled Senate would not vote to remove him from office. The real risk of a House impeachment is that it could distract the White House and put the president on defense ahead of an election year. The chamber has "no choice" but to adopt the impeachment inquiry because the White House is "stonewalling" an investigation into the Biden family's business activities, argued House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. "They're refusing to turn over key witnesses to allow them to testify as they've been subpoenaed. They're refusing to turn over thousands of documents for the National Archives," Johnson said at a press conference. By adopting the impeachment inquiry in a floor vote, Johnson said, Republican investigators will be "at the apex of our constitutional authority" when the White House inevitably challenges their subpoenas in court. "This vote is not a vote to impeach President Biden. This is a vote to continue the inquiry of impeachment," Johnson said. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told reporters after a weekly conference meeting Tuesday that they were looking at a vote sometime next week. The White House has denounced the "irresponsible" subpoenas that were issued last month to the Democratic president's family members and their business associates. The subpoenas are "illegitimate," the White House argues, since the House has not voted to formally authorize an impeachment inquiry. "The Republican House Majority has so far refused to take" that step, wrote White House counsel Richard Sauber in a letter Friday to House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Johnson, who leads a slim majority in the House, said Saturday he believes Republicans can formalize the impeachment inquiry without Democratic votes. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in September directed the House to open the impeachment probe, claiming Biden profited from his son Hunter Biden's foreign business affairs before he was president. In response to the subpoena, Hunter Biden said he would be willing to testify publicly before Congress instead of behind closed doors. Comer rejected that offer. Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO: Charlie Munger died on Nov. 28 at age 99. These reflections on his life and career, which he wrote for CNBC Make It, are among his final writings. My children and grandchildren might not think exactly the way I do, but I hope they can observe my life as an example of how to be successful in their careers and relationships just as I did with the generations before me. When I was very young, my father practiced law. One of his best friends, Grant McFayden, Omaha's Pioneer Ford dealer, was a client. He was a brilliant and self-made man, with enormous charm and integrity. In contrast, my father had another client who was pompous, unfair and difficult. One day, I asked my dad, "Why do you do so much work for Mr. X, this overreaching blowhard, instead of working more for wonderful men like Grant?" "Grant treats his employees right, his customers right, and his problems right," my father said. "He doesn't have enough remunerative law business to keep you in Coca-Cola. But Mr. X is a walking minefield of wonderful legal business." This conversation taught me that sometimes, you may have to sell your services to an unreasonable blowhard, especially if that's what you must do to feed your family. But you want to run your own life like Grant McFayden. That was a great lesson that my father shared in a very clever way. Instead of just pounding it in, he told it to me in a way that required a slight mental reach. Since I had to reach for it, I've never forgotten it. And I've used his teaching method with my own children and grandchildren. Here, two of my kids Charles and Wendy share key lessons they've learned from me over the years. My hope is that they'll hold onto all of these until their 100th birthdays. BEIJING More controls on tech exports to China will be coming as needed, despite business concerns, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told CNBC in an exclusive interview. "We have to change constantly," Raimondo told CNBC's Morgan Brennan over the weekend on the sidelines of the Reagan National Defense Forum. "I know that's hard for industry. They want a clear line in the sand," the commerce secretary said. "The truth of it is though, technology changes, China changes and we have to keep up with it." In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security announced sweeping export controls that restrict the ability of companies to sell certain advanced computing semiconductors or related manufacturing equipment to China. "It was a bold move, but we thought it was necessary because these semiconductors are unbelievably powerful, and we can't afford to let them get into the wrong hands," Raimondo said, acknowledging that "the threat from China is large and growing." The U.S. has said it's focused on restricting China's military, but the controls also come as both countries seek to develop their artificial intelligence capabilities in the wake of OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT. A man wearing a thawb walks past flags of nations participating in the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference the day before its official opening on November 29, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Nearly 2,500 fossil fuel lobbyists are estimated to have been granted access to the COP28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates, according to an analysis from advocacy groups, reflecting a sharp increase from last year. A report published Tuesday by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition found that at least 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists registered to attend the two-week long summit. That's more than almost every other country delegation, except for Brazil (3,081) and COP28 host the United Arab Emirates (4,409), the analysis said. The findings come at the mid-way point of COP28 and as a fight over the future of fossil fuels takes center stage. Campaigners say the number of fossil fuel lobbyists attending the talks is "beyond justification" and signals that polluting industries are seeking to advance a fossil fuel agenda at the expense of frontline communities. Others, however, including former U.S. energy secretary Ernest Moniz, said that Big Oil's participation at COP28 should be welcomed. The International Energy Agency said in the run-up to the talks that the oil and gas industry faces a "moment of truth" about their role in the global energy system and the deepening climate crisis. A COP28 spokesperson was not immediately available to comment when contacted by CNBC. "2023 was a year like no other. Record temperatures, record levels of emissions, and now we see a record attendance from Big Polluters at UN climate talks," said Muhammed Lamin Saidykhan, head of building movement power at Climate Action Network International, a global network of civil society organizations. "The window to preserve a liveable planet is rapidly closing. At the same time, ever greater numbers of Big Polluters are allowed to roam around this summit, which communities on the frontlines cannot afford to have fail again," they added. CVS Health on Tuesday said it will revamp how it prices prescription drugs and scrap a complex model that typically sets how much pharmacies get reimbursed and what patients pay for those medications. The new effort makes CVS the latest company to try to upend the traditional prescription drug pricing system, which has faced years of political scrutiny for what critics call a lack of transparency and inflated health-care costs for U.S. consumers. CVS will launch a new model for reimbursing its pharmacies on Jan. 1, 2025 for commercial payors, executives said during the company's 2023 investor day. CVS' new model could change the cost of prescription drugs for some patients, but it will not necessarily make all medicine cost less, company executives said. Some dcirugs may cost less, while prices of others might rise, they noted. But more prescription costs should fall than climb for consumers, employers and health insurers, according to the executives. Still, CVS is "committed to lowering drug pricing" and making the process more transparent, CEO Karen Lynch said on CNBC's "The Exchange" on Tuesday. "What this does is it essentially aligns the economics of our pricing for drugs to what consumers will pay at the pharmacy counter," Lynch said of the new model. "What people have been saying is, 'We don't understand, it's not transparent, it's not easy to understand how much drugs cost.'" "We're changing that," she added. Shares of CVS closed nearly 4% higher on Tuesday following the company's investor day, where it also issued a better 2024 revenue forecast than Wall Street expected. CVS said the plan, named CVS CostVantage, will use a "sustainable and transparent" formula to determine a medication's price and the corresponding reimbursement pharmacies receive from pharmacy benefit managers. Those middlemen negotiate drug discounts with manufacturers on behalf of health insurers, large employers and others that contract them. Under the new model, CVS' more than 9,000 retail pharmacies will get reimbursed by PBMs and other payors based on the cost of the drug, a "clearly defined" markup, and a fee to cover handling and dispensing the prescriptions, said Prem Shah, president of CVS' pharmacy and consumer wellness segment, during the company's investor day. Lynch told CNBC: "It's a cost plus markup, plus a fee. And that's the transparency of what we're trying to do." Currently, pharmacies are typically paid using a complicated system not directly based on what they spent to purchase drugs. That model, which involves a multitiered network of insurers, drug manufacturers, PBMs and pharmacies, leads to ambiguity around fees and markups added to the original cost of a drug. Billionaire Mark Cuban last year launched an online pharmacy that takes a similar approach to CVS' new reimbursement model. The company, called Cost Plus Drugs, aims to drive down the price of medicines broadly by selling them at a set 15% markup over their cost, plus pharmacy fees. Cuban said in an email to CNBC that he has "no reaction at all" to CVS's new model. Elon Musk speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 29, 2023 in New York City. The AI startup, which Musk announced in July , seeks to "understand the true nature of the universe," according to its website. Last month, X.AI released a chatbot called Grok, which the company says is modeled after "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." The chatbot debuted with two months of training and has real-time knowledge of the internet, the company claims. The company has already brought in nearly $135 million from four investors, with the first sale occurring on Nov. 29, and has a "binding and enforceable agreement" for the purchase of the remaining shares, the filing says. X.AI, an artificial intelligence startup founded by Elon Musk , has filed with the SEC to raise up to $1 billion in an equity offering. "Grok is designed to answer questions with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak, so please don't use it if you hate humor!" X.AI wrote on its website, adding, "It will also answer spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems." The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. With Grok, X.AI aims to directly compete with companies including ChatGPT creator OpenAI, which Musk helped start before a conflict with co-founder Sam Altman led him to depart the project in 2018. It will also be vying with Google's Bard technology and Anthropic's Claude chatbot. Earlier this year, Musk reportedly secured thousands of high-powered graphics processing units (GPUs) from Nvidia, the kind of chips necessary to build a large language model. X.AI is one of many companies owned or led by Musk. In addition to his control of X, previously Twitter, which he purchased last year, Musk is CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. He also operates underground tunnel developer Boring Company and brain-tech startup Neuralink. Last month, Musk said investors in X (formerly Twitter) would own 25% of X.AI. "We are a separate company from X Corp, but will work closely with X (Twitter), Tesla, and other companies to make progress towards our mission," X.AI says on its website. People working on X.AI include alumni of DeepMind, OpenAI, Google Research, Microsoft Research, Twitter and Tesla. They've worked on projects including DeepMind's AlphaCode and OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 chatbots, according to LinkedIn profiles. Musk incorporated X.AI in Nevada in March, according to filings. On a Tesla earnings call in July, here's what Musk told analysts wondering about whether X.AI may compete with any of Tesla's business: "There were just some of the world's best AI engineers and scientists that were willing to join a startup but they were not willing to join a large, sort of relatively established company like Tesla," he said. "So I was like, OK well, better it's a startup that I run than they go work somewhere else. That's kind of the genesis of X.AI." For X.AI's financing, the date of the initial sale coincided with Musk's appearance at the 2023 DealBook Summit, where he told advertisers who had suspended campaigns on X to "go f*** yourself." Dozens of advertisers had stopped spending on X after Musk posted and amplified antisemitic comments. CNBC's Lora Kolodny contributed to this report WATCH: Elon Musk's X.AI launches 'Grok' Research Director of the Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media Politics and Public Policy Joan Donovan researches how disinformation campaigns spread among far-right groups on the web. She poses next to her computer in Malden, MA on August 11, 2021. WASHINGTON Social media researcher Joan Donovan says she knows the exact moment her career began to go off the rails. The moment led to her departure from Harvard University in what she calls a firing, which Harvard says was anything but. The resulting dispute has real-world implications for academic freedom, social media and corporate influence over research. On Oct. 29, 2021, Donovan, a Harvard research director focused on social media and disinformation, says she was invited to address a prestigious group of wealthy donors to Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, known as the Dean's Council. The meeting took place over Zoom, and donors logged on from their homes and offices. Donovan says she had been invited to present the findings of her research to the group a plum assignment she believed was due to the prominence and importance of her work. "I was so excited," Donovan told CNBC. "I thought that this is an amazing validation of the work that I had been doing." Donovan began to brief the donors on her research into internet disinformation and its impact on American society. The meeting fell just weeks after an explosive moment in social media: A former employee of Meta , still called Facebook at the time, named Frances Haugen turned whistleblower and went public with a secret trove of thousands of pages of internal documents from the tech giant. Haugen had testified before Congress on Oct. 5 that the documents revealed Facebook knew its services were causing social harm, spreading misinformation and hurting teenagers. But she said the company chose profits over safety. Now Donovan shared a bombshell of her own with the Harvard donors: She told them that she, too, had obtained the trove of documents, a massive file she considered the "most important documents in internet history." She laid out an argument similar to the one Haugen had been making on national television: Facebook knew of the harm its services caused, but chose to do nothing. Central to Donovan's thinking was the idea that Facebook was not just a victim of bad guys who exploited new technology for their own ends, but that Facebook actually designed systems that incentivized the most provocative content. "The problem was that the design of the technology itself social media itself, was giving bad actors a first mover advantage, especially when it came to novel and outrageous content, which is what goes viral," she told CNBC in an interview. In other words, Donovan said, what was going wrong was not necessarily in the world outside Facebook, but inside the company's algorithms. When Donovan finished explaining her findings on the Zoom call, she says she noticed one man on her screen raising his hand eagerly to speak. He was Elliot Schrage, a member of the Dean's Council donor group at Harvard and a former vice president of global communications and public policy at Facebook. Donovan says Schrage disagreed sharply with her criticism of Facebook so intensely that after the meeting wrapped up, Donovan sent a text to her superior at the Kennedy School, asking, "Should I be worried about the way Schrage got mad at me?" "I think we should have worried if he DIDN'T get mad," the supervisor replied, according to a text message transcript provided to CNBC. "I thought you were just terrific. So sophisticated and fair in your thinking and analysis. Made me proud." Schrage declined to comment. Facebook has publicly denied allegations that it turns a blind eye to harms caused by its services in order to profit from them. In a lengthy response to a 2021 Wall Street Journal series based on allegations made by Haugen, the whistleblower, Facebook's vice president of global affairs and communications, Nick Clegg, wrote this: "At the heart of this series is an allegation that is just plain false: that Facebook conducts research and then systematically and willfully ignores it if the findings are inconvenient for the company." "It's a claim which could only be made by cherry-picking selective quotes from individual pieces of leaked material in a way that presents complex and nuanced issues as if there is only ever one right answer," wrote Clegg. As Donovan tells it, support from her superiors didn't last long after she dove into her Facebook research. In early November, the then-dean of the Kennedy School, Douglas Elmendorf, emailed Donovan to follow up on the Dean's Council meeting, with questions about her research into Facebook. The company had changed its name to Meta on Oct. 28. Among the issues he said he wanted to address, according to a copy of the email provided to CNBC, were "How you define the problem of misinformation for both analysis and possible responses (algorithm-adjusting or policy making) when there is no independent arbiter of truth." And he said he would like to know "How the research you're conducting provides a basis for comments you're making about current events." The email alarmed Donovan, who believed the language in it echoed talking points Facebook executives had been using publicly. And she says she knew that Dean Elmendorf had a close personal relationship with Sheryl Sandberg, the then-chief operating officer of Facebook's parent company, Meta Platforms. Elmendorf had been Sandberg's undergraduate advisor at Harvard, and Sandberg herself was a multimillion-dollar donor to Harvard's Kennedy School. Elmendorf attended Sandberg's wedding in the summer of 2022. "I got called into the principal's office and was questioned about why I'm talking about Facebook," Donovan said. "Interestingly, the dean never asked me about Twitter or YouTube or, you know, Google, which we also investigated. It was really about having the internal papers at Facebook and what we plan to do with them." Through a Harvard spokesman, Elmendorf declined to comment for the record. Through an employee, Sandberg declined to comment. Harvard officials told The Washington Post that Elmendorf and Sandberg never discussed Donovan. The next month, a charity operated by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan both themselves former Harvard students made an extraordinary announcement: It was pledging a half-billion dollars over 15 years to create a new institute at Harvard for the study of artificial intelligence, to be named after Zuckerberg's mother's family. The scale of the contribution and its intended use raised eyebrows on campus. A column in the Harvard Crimson written by two undergraduates called acceptance of the donation a "damning misstep by our institution." The students, Guillermo S. Hava and Eleanor V. Wikstrom, wrote: "Our institution our entire elite higher education system, arguably has a penchant for auctioning off academic priorities to the highest bidder." The Crimson column did not mention Donovan. The December 2021 gift was the biggest, but not the first, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative donation to Harvard: Since 2018, the foundation's disclosures show it has bestowed Harvard or entities affiliated with it with dozens of grants worth multiple millions of dollars. Donovan says her position at Harvard became increasingly untenable, as the months went on. She came to believe that administrators wanted her to leave. "I became persona non grata when I turned my attention specifically to Facebook," says Donovan. The situation came to a head in a meeting with Elmendorf in the summer of 2022, Donovan says, at which the dean told her she would have to wind down her program, known as the Technology and Social Change Research Project, by June 2024. Donovan says Elmendorf also told her during the meeting, "I want you to know that you do not have academic freedom," adding "I want to remind you that you're staff here." As a staff member, Donovan was not afforded the same protections that are extended to tenured professors. Donovan felt constrained, and says she was told that for the remainder of the project she could not start any new projects or hire additional staffers. "That to me is an egregious and anti-intellectual obstruction of academic freedom," Donovan said. "It contradicts the entire reason why a university exists, which is to share the light with the world." On July 13, nearly a year before the date she says she had been given for the conclusion of her project, Donovan says she was informed that Harvard was ending the project on Aug. 31 and that her role as research director was being eliminated. Donovan's account of her departure was laid out in a disclosure document sent to Harvard on Nov. 28 by Whistleblower Aid, the same nonprofit group that worked with Facebook whistleblower Haugen in 2021. Whistleblower Aid sent Donovan's allegations to the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts, which is reviewing the material, according to an official. The group also raised Donovan's allegations with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. A spokesperson for the department said the office does not confirm or deny the existence of complaints. In a statement to CNBC, Harvard Kennedy School Director of Public Affairs James Smith disputed Donovan's account of her departure. "The document's allegations of unfair treatment and donor interference are false," Smith said. "The narrative is full of inaccuracies and baseless insinuations, particularly the suggestion that Harvard Kennedy School allowed Facebook to dictate its approach to research." Smith explained that Donovan's situation was related to her employment status at the university. "By longstanding policy to uphold academic standards, all research projects at Harvard Kennedy School need to be led by faculty members," he said. "Joan Donovan was hired as a staff member (not a faculty member) to manage a media manipulation project. When the original faculty leader of the project left Harvard, the School tried for some time to identify another faculty member who had time and interest to lead the project. After that effort did not succeed, the project was given more than a year to wind down. Joan Donovan was not fired, and most members of the research team chose to remain at the School in new roles." Donovan concludes that the core finding of her research was antithetical to Facebook, and ultimately to Harvard. "I believe Harvard took me out because I was not toeing the company line about platforms, which is you can stay safe from companies if you suggest that this is a whole of the internet problem," she said. "Social media is not to blame." What she had concluded about Facebook was quite the opposite the design of social media itself was causing problems: "I was picking apart their design and saying the way this works is enabling genocide, terrorism, hate, harassment, incitement." Donovan was out. "Harvard hastened my exit by firing me," she said. "But I feel really good about what we did to make sure that my team was safe, to make sure that the information that needed to get out there was out there." Smith told CNBC that Harvard University and the Kennedy School continue to carry out misinformation and social media research to this day. He noted that a faculty member constructed and posted online the Facebook Archive, consisting of documents originally leaked by Haugen. In October, the Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy and Harvard's Public Interest Tech Lab jointly published the Facebook Archive, containing the documents obtained by Haugen in a searchable database open to the public at FBarchive.org. A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative said the organization, "had no involvement in Dr. Donovan's departure from Harvard and was unaware of that development before public reporting on it." Jordan Parker is a breaking news reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. He graduated from Sacramento State University in May 2022 with a degree in journalism. During his time there, he spent three years as a reporter and editor for the university's award-winning student newspaper, The State Hornet. He spent his senior year of college serving as The Hornet's first Black editor in chief, leading the organization to two Pacemaker awards and several other national honors from the Associated Collegiate Press. When he's not chasing down a story, he likes watching movies, traveling and trying new restaurants. He can be reached at Jordan.Parker@sfchronicle.com. Progressive activists with MoveOn display a 15 foot inflatable of Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., as they call for his expulsion from Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 28, 2023. The special election to fill expelled Rep. George Santos' House seat will be Feb. 13, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. Until then, House Republicans will be down a vote, leaving them with an even narrower majority in the chamber than usual. "As Governor, I have the solemn responsibility to call a special election to ensure the voters of Long Island and Queens once again have representation in Congress," Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement. The seat is a key part of Democrats' plan to retake the House majority next year. Former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi represented New York's 3rd district before Santos but left Congress in 2022 to mount a failed run for governor. Now he is a lead contender for the support of New York Democratic leaders in running for his old seat. The House expelled Santos on Friday with significant bipartisan support. The expulsion resolution was championed by a bloc of Santos' fellow New York Republicans. A bloc of Santos' fellow New York Republicans championed the expulsion resolution. Santos flipped the Long Island congressional district red last year. In the process, he also became the first openly gay Republican in the House. Soon after he was elected, Santos admitted that he had lied about key aspects of his background on the campaign trail. In May, he was charged with fraud and theft in federal court in New York. Santos was hit with additional charges in late October. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set for September 2024. "Members of Congress provide critical constituent services, serve as a link to federal agencies and advocate on behalf of the constituents who sent them to Washington," Hochul said Tuesday. "I look forward working with the next representative for the 3rd Congressional District on the issues facing New Yorkers." Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO: MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 08: Republican presidential candidates (L-R) former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy participate in the NBC News Republican Presidential Primary Debate at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County on November 8, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Five presidential hopefuls squared off in the third Republican primary debate as former U.S. President Donald Trump, currently facing indictments in four locations, declined again to participate. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) This week's GOP presidential primary debate will have the smallest stage yet, with just four candidates facing off Wednesday night, the Republican National Committee announced Monday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have qualified for Wednesday's debate in Alabama, which will be hosted by NewsNation, The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM and The Washington Free Beacon. Christie appeared to qualify only a short time before Monday night's deadline, reaching at least 6% in the necessary national and early-state polls to meet the RNC's requirements. Christie's campaign announced last month that he had garnered the 80,000 unique donors also required to qualify for the debate. Former President Donald Trump is once again skipping the debate, instead appearing at a Fox News town hall on Tuesday and holding a private fundraiser on Wednesday. A majority of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers say Trump's decision to skip the debates does not matter to them, though 42% believe he should participate in at least one debate before the caucuses, according to the most recent NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll, which was conducted in late October. Trump has continued to dominate the GOP primary even as he has avoided facing off against his rivals. And if past debates are prologue, the event Wednesday could feature the candidates going after each other rather than the front-runner in the polls. The debate, scheduled at 8 p.m. ET, could be another opportunity for Haley to raise her profile. She's seen a bump in public polls and increasing support from major GOP donors, including the Koch network's well-funded Americans for Prosperity, following standout debate performances. "The fourth debate is another fantastic opportunity for our Republican candidates to share our winning agenda with the American people," RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement announcing Wednesday's participants. "President Reagan was the first sitting president to visit the University of Alabama nearly 40 years ago, just before cruising to a landslide victory in 1984, and I'm thrilled to return our conservative message to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night," she added. It's not yet clear if there will be another Republican debate before the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses, but Haley and Trump's other rivals are zeroing in on the Hawkeye State with just over a month to go. DeSantis told NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he expects to win the Iowa caucuses, and that any suggestion that he would drop out of the race before the caucuses was "absurd." Israeli troops and tanks gather near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 3, 2023, after battles resumed between Israel and Hamas militants, as clashes continue between Israel and Hamas militants on December 3, 2023. Jack Guez | AFP | Getty Images The Israeli military is expanding its offensive in southern Gaza, where for much of the last two months it has told Palestinian civilians to flee for their safety. The Israel Defense Forces ramped up bombardment of Khan Younis, the besieged enclave's second-largest city, as the United Nations and Israel's top ally, the U.S., stressed the protection of civilians. At least 50 people were killed Tuesday in Israeli strikes on Khan Younis in the south and the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. The outlet and other journalists on the ground reported streams of ambulances rushing people to local hospitals. Fire rises following Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 4, 2023, amid ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Israel has expanded its ground war on Hamas into the south of Gaza, witnesses said on December 4, despite global concern over mounting civilian deaths and fears the conflict will spread elsewhere in the Middle East. Said Khatib | AFP | Getty Images It came after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the prevention of more civilian harm. "The Secretary-General is extremely alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas. ... For people ordered to evacuate, there is nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan, speaking to the press, said Israel has "indicated there are areas where there will be no strike zones, and in those zones we do expect Israel to follow through on not striking." State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said it is "too early to make a definitive assessment ... I have not seen evidence that they are intentionally targeting civilians," but added, "We believe that far too many civilians have been killed." He blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas whose terror attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 people and triggered the current war for embedding itself in Gaza's civilian infrastructure. Israel's offensive has killed more than 15,800 people in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health authorities say. Palestinians mourn and carry the bodies of their loved ones who lost their lives after an attack of the Israeli army in Khan Younis, Gaza on December 03, 2023. Belal Khaled | Anadolu | Getty Images Of the roughly 240 hostages taken into Gaza by Hamas on Oct. 7, the IDF estimates that 137 hostages remain there, in conditions unknown. It follows hostage swaps for the release of Palestinian prisoners that were carried out during a weeklong cease-fire at the end of November. watch now Israeli forces hit Hezbollah targets in recent strikes on the Israeli-Lebanese border, Israeli government spokesperson Ofir Gendelman told the media during a Zoom briefing on Tuesday. "Like Hamas, Hezbollah also deliberately violated the humanitarian truce, which lasted for an entire week, during which the residents of Lebanon returned with the hope of returning to their normal lives. However, Hezbollah, as usual, did not care and fired missiles at our lands," he said. Hezbollah was not a formal party to the Israel-Hamas cease-fire agreement. "In response to this aggression," Gendelman added, "our forces struck important targets belonging to this Iranian militia, which is the first and last enemy of Lebanon." Palestinians flee from Khan Yunis to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on December 4, 2023, after the Israeli army called on people to leave certain areas in the city, as battles between Israel and Hamas militants continue. Mahmud Hams | Afp | Getty Images Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday forecast revenue growth of 5% to 6% for the next year, as it banks on strong demand for cancer treatments Darzalex and Carvykti and resilient sales of blockbuster drug Stelara. The company has narrowed its focus on its drugs and medical devices business since it hived off its consumer health unit earlier this year. Sales of blockbuster psoriasis treatment Stelara in Europe are expected to come under pressure as early as next year as a key patent on the drug expires. It is also expected to face competition in the United States beginning in 2025. "We think we're very well positioned, even in spite of what will be the beginning of some biosimilar entrants to Stelara outside the US in mid to second half of 2024," Chief Financial Officer Joseph Wolk told Reuters. Sales of the drug largely come from its use as a treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Wolk said. "And when you have a successful treatment for an IBD patient, neither the patient nor the physicians really wants to change that dramatically," he added. Ahead of a meeting of investors scheduled later on Tuesday, J&J said it was expecting sales in its pharmaceutical unit to grow at a compounded annual rate of 5-7% between 2025 and 2030. J&J, which plans to launch at least 20 new therapies by 2030, said over 10 of its products had the potential to generate more than $5 billion in peak year sales - including newer cancer treatments Talvey and Tecvayli. The company expects full-year adjusted operational profit of $10.55 to $10.75 per share in 2024, including a 15-cent impact from its recent acquisition of private medical device maker Laminar. J&J's 2024 revenue growth forecast excludes sales of its Covid vaccine. In this article MCO Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Chinese yuan cash bills and chinese flag (money, economy, finance, inflation, crisis) Javier Ghersi | Moment | Getty Images Ratings agency Moody's downgraded its outlook on China's government credit ratings to negative from stable, expecting Beijing's support and possible bailouts for distressed local governments and state-owned enterprises to diminish China's fiscal, economic and institutional strength. Moody's though retained China's "A1" long-term rating on the country's sovereign bonds, while expecting China annual GDP growth to slow to 4% in 2024 and 2025 and average 3.8% from 2026 to 2030. Structural factors including weak demographics will drive a decline to 3.5% by 2030, it said. The move underscores concerns over rising debt levels and the impact on broader growth in the world's second-largest economy as Beijing resorts to fiscal stimulus to support local governments and contain the spiraling debt crisis among the country's property developers. "The outlook change also reflects the increased risks related to structurally and persistently lower medium-term economic growth and the ongoing downsizing of the property sector," Moody's said in a statement issued Dec. 5. watch now "These trends underscore the increasing risks related to policy effectiveness, including the challenge to design and implement policies that support economic rebalancing while preventing moral hazard and containing the impact on the sovereign's balance sheet," Moody's added. China credit default swaps (the cost of insuring against a government default) rose 4 basis points from Monday's closing level, according to Reuters data. Beijing disappointment China's Finance Ministry expressed its disappointment with Moody's downgrade decision. "Moody's concerns about China's economic growth prospects and fiscal sustainability are unnecessary," the ministry said in a statement Tuesday. "Since the beginning of this year, in the face of the complex and severe international situation, and against the background of unstable global economic recovery and weakening momentum, China's macro economy has continued to recover and high-quality development has steadily advanced," the ministry added. watch now watch now High schools have been buzzing about financial education. The latest "report card" from the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, shows seven states Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia made the top grade. They earned an "A" because in those states, high school graduates in the class of 2023 were required to have taken a personal finance course before graduation. By 2028, when new laws and policy changes are fully implemented, 23 states are projected to earn an "A," according to the report. 'Not a day will go by that you don't think about money' In the next five years, more than 4 out of 10 high school students in the U.S. will be enrolled in high schools where a personal finance course will be required before graduating. They will be learning lifelong lessons. "Once you graduate from high school, not a day will go by that you don't think about money, how to make it, how to spend it, how to save it. You will be thinking about this until the day you die," said John Pelletier, director of Champlain College's Center for Financial Literacy. Although some schools and school districts have mandated students receive financial education, experts say the recent increase in the number of states that now guarantee high school students will take a financial literacy course before they graduate is partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which underscored the financial fragility of many Americans. "If you leave it up to local control, the districts most likely to unilaterally do this locally, they're white, and they're rich. So you would argue the folks that need it the most are the least likely to get it unless the state requires everyone gets it," Pelletier said. Studies show personal finance education can make a significant difference in young adults' financial behaviors, from improving credit scores and lowering loan delinquency rates to reducing payday lending and helping students make better decisions about college loans. A few states still have 'virtually no requirements' Meanwhile, four states California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and South Dakota as well as Washington, D.C., got failing grades, receiving "F"s in this report because they have "virtually no requirements" for personal finance education in high school. Still, advocates in "failing" states, such as California, are working to change the laws to ensure students are guaranteed financial education. watch now New data from a major Apple supplier and Wall Street analysts pushed back against bearish calls around softening demand for the tech giant's devices and services. It's no wonder Apple (AAPL) shares have clawed their way back in recent weeks toward record highs. Apple supplier and key manufacturing partner Foxconn posted on Tuesday its second-best November ever in terms of revenue with an 18% year-over-year increase. Foxconn, which makes about 70% of all iPhones, also raised its December-quarter guidance. So, what's good for Foxconn is usually good for Apple. Bank of America analysts, meanwhile, said Tuesday that Apple's App Store revenue continued to increase last month. They also highlighted strong data out of China. Both reports signal consistent demand for Apple's offerings an often-cited concern from bears while also supporting the bull case that propelled the stock over the past five weeks to within a few dollars of its record-high close of $196.45 on July 31. Shares of the Club's "own it, don't trade it" stock had been marching lower in late summer after hitting those all-time highs. They bottomed just ahead of the company's quarterly results, which were released early last month. The September quarter print was mixed and led to the typical yet unwarranted chatter about whether Apple's better days are behind it. To which, Jim Cramer responded that investing in Apple is " not about quarters " but a longtime track record that shows no signs of faltering. "If it were about quarters, you would have left" a while ago, he added then. AAPL YTD mountain Apple YTD Still, near-term data releases like the positive ones from BofA and Foxconn remind us why investors should never write off Apple and why we're in the stock for the long haul. In its Tuesday announcement, Foxconn said it anticipates significant growth for its December quarter. That's usually its busiest period due to year-end iPhone shipments. Jim said the rosier outlook shows the iPhone assembler has received lots of orders. That's "contrary to almost everything you read" about Apple's latest iPhone cycle, he added, criticizing past Wall Street research questioning demand. "Just because there's availability, doesn't mean it's the end of the world. It may mean [Apple's] very smart with inventory" management, he offered. On the services side, which is a growing, high-margin business at Apple, Bank of America said monthly revenue increases at the App Store, especially in China, were encouraging signs. App Store sales in China rose 8% year-over-year in November, according to BofA, after experiencing 10% year-over-year growth in October. Given September media reports about a ban on iPhones at government locations in China, which were later shot down by Beijing as false, "strong September, October, and November App Store data is promising for Apple," the BofA analysts said. Overall, BofA said App Store revenue surged 11.3% year-over-year in Apple's fiscal 2024 first quarter to date, or about 61 days in. Bottom line Any signs pointing to stability in China demand are positive for Apple, which gets about 20% of its overall revenue from the world's second-largest economy. As we've said many times, Apple remains an aspirational brand in China because of its product quality, pricing, and closed ecosystem. Given China's uncertain geopolitical relations with the U.S., we're optimistic about Apple's efforts to expand into India to diversify its supply chain and grab market share in the world's most populous country. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long AAPL. 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 man checks his phone near an Apple logo outside the Apple store in Shanghai, China, on Sept. 13, 2023. Aly Song | Reuters watch now DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The chief executive of UAE-based energy firm Crescent Petroleum on Tuesday claimed that blaming the oil and gas industry for the climate crisis "is like blaming farmers for obesity." His comments come at the mid-point of the U.N.'s biggest and most important annual climate conference, with many at the COP28 talks in Dubai calling for heads of state from nearly 200 countries to agree to a fossil fuel phase out. The burning of coal, oil and gas is by far the largest contributor to climate change, accounting for more than three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions. "Blaming the producers of oil and gas for climate change is like blaming farmers for obesity. It's our societal consumption that is the issue," Crescent Petroleum CEO Majid Jafar told CNBC's Dan Murphy on Tuesday. "Now, we will still need oil and gas throughout the transition and there is no scenario, even the most ambitious scenario, that does not include that." Majid Jafar, chief executive officer of Crescent Petroleum Co., right, gives Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) and president of COP28, center, a scarf in the colours of the United Arab Emirates national flag during the Summit on Methane and Other Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases on day three of the COP28 climate conference at Expo City in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Among a flurry of pledges in the first few days of COP28 was a commitment by some 50 oil and gas companies to cut methane emissions from their own operations by 2030. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the announcement was "a step in the right direction" for Big Oil and showed that the fossil fuel industry was "finally starting to wake up." However, he said the promises made "clearly fall short of what is required." Asked about Guterres' comments, Jafar said he believed oil and gas would continue to play a major role in the transition to cleaner energy technologies. "So, with all respect for that viewpoint, perhaps he should start with the U.N. itself. Maybe he should have traveled here in a wooden boat, with sails, rowing when the wind died down," he said. "Maybe he should move the U.N. staff to upstate New York to a forest somewhere where they can grow their own food, without fertilizers. He has to take away all their smartphones, they can't use email, they can use maybe carrier pigeon for U.N. communications." IEA warning to Big Oil Jafar said he believed it was imperative to produce oil and gas in a "cleaner" way but insisted that countries across the globe will continue to rely on fossil fuel use. "We're actually failing on all three legs of the so-called energy trilemma: sustainability, affordability and availability. We have got to keep that in mind," he said. Big Oil's presence at the U.N. climate talks has long been a source of contention, with many sharply critical of the scale of access that fossil fuel lobbyists appear to have each year. Others, including former U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, believe that the participation of energy giants should be welcomed at events such as COP28. watch now Three weeks after OpenAI's board briefly pushed out CEO Sam Altman without providing a specific reason for its decision, former director Reid Hoffman says he's still puzzled by what took place and why. "Reading the blog post was like, 'What's going on?'" Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn and a prominent startup investor, said onstage at Wired's LiveWired conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. "I still don't think we fully know." Altman was ultimately brought back to lead the high-profile artificial intelligence startup after a major push by top investors and the threat of a mass exodus among the company's workforce. The board is now undergoing a facelift, which includes the departure of some longtime directors, but all the parties involved have remained largely mum on what led to the initial chaos. Bloomberg reported that Altman had been looking to raise money for a new AI chip startup. The New York Times said OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever thought Altman wasn't focused enough on the potential risks of the company pushing forward with its technology. Reuters pointed to a technical breakthrough that the board had learned about from employees. The New Yorker described a disagreement between Altman and Helen Toner, one of the directors who subsequently left. One OpenAI executive told employees that the board didn't send Altman walking because of "malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety, or security/privacy practices." The mystery has left an aura of uncertainty around one of the world's most highly valued startups. OpenAI continues to operate the popular ChatGPT chatbot and, through a broad partnership with Microsoft , its services are functioning inside software from big companies like AT&T and Mercedes-Benz. However, rivals have used the period of uncertainty to their advantage. Last week, Adam Selipsky, head of Amazon's cloud unit, which competes with Microsoft Azure, told a crowd of 50,000 conference attendees in Las Vegas that the events demonstrated why people wouldn't want a cloud vendor to be tied to just one provider of AI models. Hoffman was one of OpenAI's original donors. In 2017, he joined Microsoft's board following the $26 billion acquisition of LinkedIn. He stepped down from OpenAI's board in March and said he hasn't spoken with any of the board members, though he said he did communicate with Altman. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella offered to hire Altman, OpenAI president Greg Brockman and their colleagues in a new advanced AI research group. But Altman was quickliy reinstated at OpenAI. "I do think that we're in a much better place in the world" to have Altman in the CEO seat again, Hoffman said. "He's very competent with that." The relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft, which provides cloud infrastructure to the startup and has been plugging OpenAI services into its Windows and Office software, will be taught in business schools, Hoffman said. Nadella's attitude about the situation, Hoffman said, is probably, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it." "Satya is a very high-integrity, genuine leader," Hoffman said. "And I think he would have hired everybody from OpenAI and then kept going if that was the only path that was left open." WATCH: Sam Altman returns as OpenAI CEO and Microsoft secures nonvoting board seat SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket is prepared for launch from the company's Boca Chica launchpad on an uncrewed test flight, near Brownsville, Texas, U.S. November 15, 2023. SpaceX could attempt a key demonstration for NASA during the third test flight of its towering Starship rocket, according to the federal agency. A NASA official revealed on Monday that the next Starship flight is expected to include "a propellant transfer demonstration," though an agency spokesperson noted Tuesday the plan is subject to change, as is often the case in the space industry. SpaceX last month launched its second Starship flight, a test which saw the company make progress in development of the monster rocket yet fall short of completing the full mission. The propellant transfer demonstration would require that the rocket reach orbit as one of the demo's goals. A successful attempt would push Starship beyond its benchmarks reached thus far. "NASA and SpaceX are reviewing options for the demonstration to take place during an integrated flight test of Starship and the Super Heavy rocket. However, no final decisions on timing have been made," NASA spokesperson Jimi Russell said in a statement to CNBC. SpaceX did not respond to CNBC's request for comment on the plans. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said shortly after November's flight test that hardware for a third Starship launch "should be ready to fly in 3 to 4 weeks." But that timeline depends on SpaceX's review of the second flight's data, preparations on the ground, as well as regulatory sign-off the Federal Aviation Administration is overseeing a mishap investigation that must be complete before the company launches Starship again. The outside of a Presidio Heights residence where a woman was found dead Thursday. The woman, identified to local news outlets as 27-year-old Kimberly Wong, was a tech worker. Clare Fonstein/The Chronicle A San Francisco woman found dead from an apparent homicide Thursday in a Presidio Heights home has been identified as a tech worker. Police found Kimberly Wong in her home in the 3200 block of Clay Street shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday during a wellness check, according to a statement from the department. She was pronounced dead at the scene, prompting an investigation by homicide detectives. A law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation said that Wong, 27, may have been a domestic violence victim. Wongs LinkedIn profile said she was a product designer at San Francisco-based financial services company Plaid. The page also cited her work experience at Splunk, a cybersecurity company, also based in San Francisco. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Plaid did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an emailed statement to the Chronicle, Splunk confirmed Wong worked for the company from 2017-2021, calling her hardworking. We are deeply saddened to hear of Kimberly Wongs passing and we extend our heartfelt condolences and support to Kimberlys loved ones during this difficult time, the company said. Kimberly was a hardworking, dedicated employee and will be missed. A neighbor, who asked not to be named, said Wong lived in the building for about four years, and a man lived there as well but the neighbor was unsure how long he had lived with her. This is a real shocker, the neighbor said. People were very shaken. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The neighbor remembered Wong as a lovely, intelligent and helpful person. Wong was the secretary of their building condominium association and dedicated to the role, the neighbor said. The neighbor said she had little interaction with the man who lived with Wong. The building has a history of being pretty friendly, she said. The last time she saw Wong was in mid-November when they crossed paths when Wong was heading to her car. The neighbor had been speaking with someone working on the buildings heating system and Wong needed them to move their car so she could pull out. San Francisco police did not immediately respond to a request for additional information about the investigation. Wong said on a personal website that she earned a degree from the University of Washington with a bachelors in Human Centered Design and Engineering. She cited her work with Amazons Global Security Operations for her senior capstone project, a final project college students complete to demonstrate mastery in a certain subject, and was a participant in student organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers and Women in User Experience. Advertisement Article continues below this ad WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Tuesday sidestepped a ruling on whether a disability rights campaigner can sue hotels for failing to disclose accessibility information if she doesn't plan to book a room. The case, involving activist Deborah Laufer, could have curtailed the ability of "testers" to bring lawsuits to benefit the disabled community as a whole by ensuring hotels comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, known as the ADA. But in a 9-0 ruling, the first of the court's term that started in October, the court in an opinion authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett concluded that the case was moot because Laufer has since dropped her lawsuit. That happened after Laufer's lawyer was suspended from practicing law. The court was weighing an appeal brought by Acheson Hotels, which operated the Coast Village Inn and Cottages in Maine when the lawsuit was filed. The hotel's lawyers argued that Laufer did not have legal standing to bring the cases because she had no intention of staying at the hotels. Laufer, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair, said in her 2020 lawsuit that the hotel's website did not identify accessible rooms and did not provide other relevant information. But she had failed to show that she suffered an injury, a requirement necessary to establish standing, the hotel's lawyers argued. The court opted against going ahead and deciding the issue despite Acheson's concerns that Laufer's new legal team was trying to evade what might have been an unfavorable ruling. "We are sensitive to Acheson's concern about litigants manipulating the jurisdiction of the this court," Barrett wrote. "We are not convinced, however, that Laufer abandoned her case in an effort to evade our review." Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Raymond James initiates Crescent Energy as strong buy Raymond James said the energy company is well-positioned. "Just in time for the holidays comes our latest initiation Crescent Energy Company (CRGY). Based in Houston, CRGY's primary operations lie in the Uinta and Eagle Ford shale plays, where Crescent's ~20% base decline rate ranks amongst the best in our coverage." Piper Sandler downgrades Albemarle and Livent to underweight from neutral Piper Sandler downgraded several lithium companies on Tuesday and said it's worried about a deterioration in lithium markets. "We are cutting the ratings for ALB and LTHM to UW from Neutral in recognition of the substantial deterioration in global lithium markets." Goldman Sachs reiterates Nike as buy After a transfer of analyst coverage, Goldman Sachs said it sees improving growth for Nike shares. "We see scope for NKE to drive an inection in earnings growth as the company begins to benet from transitory cost recapture and a sequentially strengthening marketplace inventory backdrop." Bank of America downgrades UBS to neutral from buy Bank of America said it sees too much "heavy lifting" in 2024 for the banking giant. "We cut UBS to Neutral from Buy. We remain convinced of the financial and strategic benefits of the Credit Suisse acquisition. But we see a lengthy 2024 as the heavy lifting is undertaken." Roth MKM initiates Hyster-Yale as buy Roth MKM said the material handling company is significantly undervalued. "We are initiating on HY with a Buy rating and $85 target. Hyster-Yale is one of the world's largest players in material handling, with sales this year in excess of $4B." UBS downgrades United Rentals to neutral from buy UBS said in its downgrade of the equipment rental company that it sees a more balanced risk/reward. "We downgrade URI to Neutral, as we think risk/reward is balanced. We still expect EBITDA to grow in 2024 and 2025, as organic growth is supplemented with acquisitions and buybacks." UBS reiterates Apple as neutral UBS said its analysis of Apple's App Store shows revenue increasing. "Our analysis of Apple's App Store suggests Nov revenue was up +10.7% YoY (Source: Sensor Tower), in-line with the growth in Sept and Oct." TD Cowen names NXP Semiconductors a top pick TD Cowen said the semiconductor company is "best-in-class" for 2024. "We highlight NXP as our top pick for 2024. In our view, the company's best-in-class auto franchise and consistent capital returns are overlooked by investors." JPMorgan upgrades XP to overweight from equal weight JPMorgan said the LatAm tech company has upside potential. "We upgrade XP to Overweight and revise our 24YE price target to $30 per share, now offering ~30% upside potential." Bank of America reiterates IBM as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $170 per share from $155 and said the setup is "good." "Given the increased uncertainty in the broader market, in our opinion, the setup heading into 2024 is good as IBM can guide 2024 within its long-term model. Software and Consulting remain key growth vectors." Bernstein names Amazon as a top 2024 idea Bernstein said the e-commerce giant is a top pick in 2024. "We rate Amazon Outperform, $175/share. We bring our 2024 AWS EBIT estimates up to reflect margins strength and fixed-cost leverage." Mizuho downgrades Prologis to neutral from buy Mizuho said it prefers "geographically diversified REITs." "We still favor the more geographically diversified REITs versus the more narrowly focused ones." Wells Fargo initiates Marriott as equal weight Wells Fargo said in its initiation of the hotel chain that it sees a balanced risk/reward. "We initiate MAR at Equal Weight with a $220 PT. MAR has an attractive fee-based business with multiple growth drivers and favorable exposure to 2024 tailwinds, but at 15x 2024E EV/EBITDA, we view risk/reward as even." Bank of America upgrades Adecoagro to buy from neutral Bank of America said in its upgrade of the LatAm farming company that it sees "sees solid earnings growth" for Adecoagro. "The stock is still trading at an attractive valuation at 13.7% FCF yield in 2024E and 17% in 2025E; and (3) upside risks depending on the economic developments in Argentina post elections." Oppenheimer names Domino's a top pick Oppenheimer said it's warming up to the pizza chain company for 2024. "We elevated DPZ to one of our 'top picks' in October '23, and maintain our bullish stance as shares hold a supreme 2024 setup via our analysis." Wells Fargo upgrades Crown Castle to equal weight from underweight Wells Fargo said in its upgrade of the cellular tower company that it sees an improving risk/reward. "We're upgrading CCI to Equal Weight (from Underweight) and raising our PT to $115 (from $90 prior). The involvement of Elliott and the potential for a strategic shake-up should provide some downside protection, even if we don't see material upside." UBS reiterates Netflix as buy UBS said it's standing by its buy rating on Netflix shares after hosting the company at a conference. "Management is focused on broadening its offering (incl. the introduction of live events), deepening connection with fans and diversifying its revenue base (incl. growth in advertising) while continuing to expand margins." Wells Fargo upgrades Integra LifeSciences to overweight from equal weight Wells Fargo said in its upgrade of the neuro surgery device company that it sees earnings per share rising. "The following key points underpin our investment thesis and upgrade: 1) increased confidence in IART's ability to resume commercial distribution from its Boston facility by mid-to-late 2Q24; and 2) EPS upside driven by a return of higher margin products manufactured at the company's Boston facility." Morgan Stanley reiterates Meta as overweight Morgan Stanley said it remains confident in the company's "ability to deliver outsized revenue growth." "Stepping back, we see META's non-China business (90%+ of the rev) and 10mn+ advertisers bidding for audiences/transactions leading to teens rev growth in '24/'25 and $20+ of FCF." Evercore ISI adds a tactical outperform on Broadridge Financial Evercore ISI said Disney's proxy fight could be a financial boon for Broadridge shares. "Given Broadridge's near monopoly in the street name proxy business, Trian's proxy fight with Disney could generate as much as $50M in event driven revenue for BR." Needham reiterates Coinbase as buy Needham said it's standing by its buy on Coinbase and that retail crypto is "still in its early innings." "Retail crypto engagement is considerably lower than in prior years and despite the recent price gains, has been fairly muted." JPMorgan initiates Cargo Therapeutics as overweight JPMorgan said the biotech company is well-positioned to be a key player. " CRGX is a clinical-stage company developing autologous (using patients own cells) CAR-T cell therapy to treat blood cancers." Roth MKM initiates Itron as buy Roth MKM said the energy and tech resource company is well-positioned. "We are initiating on ITRI at Buy with an $82 PT. We favor robust backlog visibility over the next couple of years and what we expect to be extended market tailwinds from infrastructure investments starting around 2025." Raymond James downgrades Lululemon to outperform from strong buy Raymond James downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "We downgrade LULU from Strong Buy to Outperform after its recent stock rally to reflect some upside being factored in." William Blair reiterates Chipotle as outperform William Blair said the Mexican chain restaurant company is a top idea in 2024. "With net unit expansion of 7% to 8% this year, Chipotle is accelerating unit growth in coming years with the goal of approaching 10% by 2025 as cash-on-cash returns remain exceptional at 70%-plus for the overall system." Citi upgrades Travere Therapeutics to buy from neutral Citi said in its upgrade of Travere that the biotech company has an attractive risk/reward. "With the stock trading below cash, we believe risk/reward is skewed quite favorably into a full approval decision, supporting our upgrade." William Blair reiterates Charles Schwab as outperform William Blair named Schwab a top pick for 2024, noting it's well-positioned. "We believe the stock is well positioned to outperform in 2024 due to the potential for a significant rebound in EPS as cash sorting abates, short-term funding costs decline, organic growth recovers following Ameritrade migrations, costs initiatives are implemented, and share buybacks reemerge." Ukraine signaled Monday that it is shifting its military tactics toward a more defensive footing after an analysis of Russia's resource capabilities and as winter approaches. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak noted Monday that "on the front line and in the cities, we are already moving to a different tactic of warfare effective defense in certain areas, continuation of offensive operations in other areas, special strategic operations on the Crimean peninsula and in the Black Sea waters, and significantly reformatted missile defense of critical infrastructure." Resources will be directed to increasing domestic arms production, he said, and speeding up negotiations with allies to increase equipment supplies for the "new stage" of Ukraine's offensive operations, he said. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that winter "as a whole is a new phase of war," with freezing temperatures making fighting far more difficult and the defense of critical energy infrastructure far more of a priority. Zelenskyy also signaled last week that the fortification of all front lines needed to be accelerated. The shift has prompted some analysts to question whether the change reflects that Ukraine's counteroffensive, launched back in June but failing to make as much progress as hoped, is over. Eurasia Group founder and president Ian Bremmer commented Monday that "Ukrainians have shifted to building defensive fortifications, putting an end to the failed counteroffensive." Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted Saturday that "poor weather conditions continue to slow the pace of Ukrainian and Russian combat operations across the entire frontline but have not completely halted them." Waymo, Alphabet 's self-driving car unit, is having a relatively good couple of months at least, compared to one of its key rivals: GM 's Cruise. Formerly known as the Google self-driving car project and now an independent subsidiary of Google parent-company Alphabet, Waymo has been operating in some capacity since 2009. Five years ago, the company launched what it billed as the "world's first commercial autonomous ride-hailing service" in the metro Phoenix area, then last year expanded to San Francisco. The company soon plans to launch commercially in Austin, its fourth city, and also recently began test-driving vehicles in the winter weather of Buffalo, New York. For much of this time, Cruise has seemed to be competing neck-and-neck: When Waymo raised funding at a $30 billion valuation in 2020, Cruise followed in 2021 with the same valuation. When Cruise began offering fully autonomous rides in San Francisco in the winter of 2022, Waymo followed in the fall. In August, California regulators voted to approve round-the-clock robotaxi service in San Francisco from both companies, making it the first major U.S. city to allow two robotaxi companies to compete for service "at all hours of day or night." Now, after a barrage of safety concerns and incidents with Cruise self-driving cars in recent months, the landscape looks starkly different. Cruise has paused all public road operations both supervised and manual, laid off contractors and recalled nearly 1,000 robotaxis after a pedestrian collision. In October, the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended Cruise's deployment and testing permits for its autonomous vehicles, effective immediately, and last week, GM announced it would significantly cut spending on Cruise in 2024. Amid the news, Waymo's chief product officer, Saswat Panigrahi, told CNBC that the self-driving car unit hasn't seen a change in tone from regulators or a shift in the company's public perception. Obviously, Waymo seems to be performing better than some competitors. What, exactly, do you think you've been doing differently? There are no shortcuts. I mean, this is not a question you're asking an app or a web page, which is giving you an answer. This is a multi-thousand pound vehicle that's moving through the physical world yes, it's an application of AI but a very different kind of application of AI. And there's something to be said about time and experience and just rigor that no matter how hard you work, it takes time to do this. So I would say that the amount of data you've tested yourself against you could always test more, but the staggering scale of testing that has been brought to bear I sometimes say that building the Waymo Driver is a hard thing, but it's almost as hard to evaluate the Driver. The amount of simulation we have had to do has taken a decade. It took Google's level of infrastructure because even to simulate at that scale, as you and I are speaking right now, 25,000 vehicles in our simulator are learning to drive better. To bring that, you need incredible infrastructure capability because even if you had the AI capability, without the infrastructure, it'd be very hard to bring that skill to bear a decade of investment into AI before AI was cool. Compute infrastructure, to power those simulations? Yeah, some of it is just raw scale of compute, how many computers can you bring to bear, that kind of thing. But some of it is also think of the old-school video game versus how realistic video games have become now, that's a metaphor for how things are. Let's say we saw a person in Phoenix speeding at 60 miles an hour on a 45 mile-per-hour [street], and then imagine that we saw a very tight intersection in SF can you realistically mix these two to challenge your driver to a harsher situation that may occur many millions of miles later in the real world? [On top of that], being able to add rain, for example all right, you're safe enough when you're driving through good weather, through this tight intersection with a speeding agent. Can you do that as well in rain? Can you do that at night? You can't wait for the rain in real life to occur exactly when you want to push your system in that way, but being able to simulate rain requires that infrastructure but also enough algorithms and realism on top to be able to push this. Can you get specific about how much compute that requires? I have worked with pretty high-scale systems before Waymo, at Google and Ericsson, and this is a pretty staggering scale. But the only number I can tell you is 25,000-plus virtual vehicles driving continuously, 24/7, learning from each other, and [tens of] billions of miles in simulations. Think of how much you or I drive in a year we drive, what, 10,000 miles in any given year? Now think of billions of miles of experience close to seven orders of magnitude difference. Let's talk about the shift in ridership over the past month. Have you seen an increase? Decrease? Things are growing to give you an idea, this year we have more than 10x'd [trips with public riders] The ridership is increasing in both Phoenix and SF. We are well ahead of 10,000 trips [in each city] every single week So it's going well. We're taking the time to respond to feedback and thoughtfully expand. [Note: Waymo recently shared that Waymo riders took more than 700,000 trips in autonomous vehicles in 2023.] 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 market Tuesday extended its rotation from Monday but this time with cash moving into Big Tech while investors sold off lower quality companies and year-to-date laggards. This is all happening as the 10-year Treasury yield falls below 4.2%, further supporting the Magnificent 7 mega cap tech stocks. American Express (AXP) took a tumble this afternoon after it said at a conference that October billings were softer than the third quarter as "everybody got a little bit skittish" but rebounded in November back toward third quarter levels. It's always interesting to see how patterns in consumer spending can mirror stock market performance. October was a terrible month for stocks while November was much better. Elsewhere, we're still seeing weakness in Procter & Gamble (PG) after it announced a restructuring in certain markets, including Argentina and Nigeria. We think this is an overreaction. The company spoke at a Morgan Stanley consumer conference Tuesday explaining that profits and cash flows in these markets were getting crushed by currency. The company decided to move to an import only market in Nigeria and is planning to divest its Fabric and Home Care business in Argentina. At the conference, management also cautioned that China will probably get worse before it gets better, but the stock isn't reflecting a China recovery down here. (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. It's an all-out tourism war out there as destinations are going the extra mile to attract more Indian travellers. While Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka recently waived visas for Indian passport holders, other countries are pushing the envelope to increase more footfalls from India. So much so that some countries in Europe and the Middle East are ensuring vegetarian food is available exclusively for Indians so that they feel at home away from home. Joining the bandwagon is Uzbekistan. In an exclusive conversation with CNBCTV18.com in Mumbai, Ikboljon Soliev, Counsellor at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in New Delhi, said the central Asian country is now looking to tap the Indian market in a big way. We will be coming up with a slew of offerings, which the top diplomat said will be released in a phased manner from early next year. First we will look to increase the number of flights to Uzbekistan from Delhi and Mumbai. "Uzbekistan will strategically position itself as an alluring destination for Indian travellers, offering convenient flight options with IndiGo providing four flights per week and Uzbekistan Airways operating six flights per week," Soliev said. The ideal seasons for exploring the vibrant country include spring (April to May) when temperatures range from 21C to 31C, providing a warm and dry climate for comfortable exploration. Autumn (September to early November) brings mild and pleasant weather, perfect for engaging in outdoor activities. Ikboljon Soliev, Counsellor at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in New Delhi, Ikboljon Soliev, Counsellor at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in New Delhi, Is Uzbekistan is doing anything exclusively to attract Indians? Soliev said, firstly, talks are on to make nightlife more exciting for travellers from India. We are also giving sops to Indian filmmakers to shoot in Uzbekistan, he said. He further explained that compared to Almaty, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan has yet to engage in more activities to make nightlife attractive to foreign travellers, including those coming from India. "This type of tourism seems to be alluring for Indian travellers, but Uzbekistan shall do everything possible to meet the delicate needs of all foreign tourists wishing to travel to Tashkent and other popular destinations in Uzbekistan. Also read: Speaking about the visa process, he said there are two seamless ways for travellers to acquire a tourist visa for Uzbekistan: applying online for an e-visa or a physical one via the consulate in New Delhi. The e-visa has a processing time of three working days, while the offline application takes six working days. Tourist visas are valid for three months, allowing a stay of up to 30 days. Documents required for an e-visa include a passport with six months validity, two passport-sized photos, an invitation letter if sponsored, a round-trip flight itinerary, travel insurance, and bank statements. He added that tourists in Uzbekistan can enjoy a metro ride in Tashkent, which has beautifully decorated stations. Railway connectivity too is available on routes such as Tashkent-Samarkand and Samarkand-Bukhara-Karshi. Speaking about car rental services, he said local taxi apps like YANDEX and MYTAXI are extremely helpful. However, he lamented that language could be a barrier as locals do not speak much English and converse in the local Uzbek. However, people use translation apps, are warm to tourists and always look to help others. Public transport in tourist hotspots include minibuses, buses and trams, he said. Uzbekistan's modern metropolis of Tashkent offers a lot of activities for tourists. There are ski resorts in Chimgan Mountain, and cultural attractions like Magic City with its many fun activities. Samarkand, known as the cultural capital of the world, boasts UNESCO World Heritage sites, architectural wonders, festivals, and luxury retreats, while Bukhara, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, captivates people with its historical monuments, yurt stays, and hiking in Nurata mountains. Khiva, the 'pearl of Uzbekistan,' entices with a hot air balloon tour, Aral Sea adventure, and silk carpet workshops. Andijan, the birthplace of Mughal Empire founder Babur, showcases historical monuments and offers a glimpse into nomadic life. Lastly he mentioned that there is a weekly charter flight from Uzbekistan to Goa. We will look to leverage this route, so that Indians can travel to Uzbekistan from Goa too. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) Cebu Pacific is strengthening its fleet in 2024 by entering into a damp lease agreement with Bulgaria Air to meet the expected rise in passenger demand in line with continued post-pandemic air travel recovery. CEB has signed the agreement with Bulgaria Air for two Airbus 320 CEO aircraft that will service two domestic routes, Cebu and Davao, from January to May 2024. "We continue to explore various opportunities to supplement the fleet and ensure operational resilience. This includes signing a damp lease agreement with Bulgaria Air for five months in 2024," said Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao. "We expect to increase our fleet to 92 come end 2024. With this, we expect our year-on-year seat growth to be within 5% - 8% in 2024," he added. Bulgaria Air, the national carrier of the Republic of Bulgaria, has many years of experience in damp lease of aircraft having partnered with airlines all over the world. Also known as ACMI, damp leasing is an agreement between two airlines, where the lessor provides an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance to the lessee. The two leased A320 CEO will each have a 180-seat capacity and will fly passengers from Manila to Cebu and Davao. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. Offer a personal message of sympathy... By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account. K-pop group Twice pays tribute to its fans, known as Once, at the Oakland Arena on Feb. 18. JYP Entertainment Last week, K-pop fans across the world momentarily turned their attention from the military enrollments of four BTS members to the 70,000-person college town of Davis. As part of this years Spotify Wrapped, the music streaming service gave each user a Sound Town to show them which city has listeners with similar habits to them. The towns are assigned according to a users most streamed artists and how those artists are streamed in cities worldwide. According to social media reaction, an inordinate number of K-pop fans were told that Davis was their music city avatar. UC Davis students created a viral TikTok proclaiming Davis, USA = K-pop stan headquarters. Fans across the world shared their confusion. A tweet simply stating WHO THE HELL IS DAVIS FROM USA received almost 60,000 likes on X (the social media app formerly known as Twitter). Advertisement Article continues below this ad Overall, about 1% of Spotify users, or 6 million people, got Davis as their Sound Town. According to Spotify, there were 1,300 Sound Towns. That means an average town would have gotten less than 0.1% of users randomly. But Davis prominence was far from random. Why does it appear that Davis is the home of K-pop listening? It is likely because such a large share of the citys Spotify-using population is made of UC Davis students. About 40% of Davis residents are college students, according to the Washington Post. And UC Davis is among the most popular colleges for Asian American undergraduates in California, which may help explain why Spotify associated it with K-pop. A study by the Korea Creative Content Agency found that about 30% of American K-pop listeners are Asian, 25% are white, and 24% are Hispanic or Latino. While other cities, like Berkeley and Los Angeles, have large University of California schools, the student body makes up a much smaller share of the populations of those places. So while some of 2023s biggest K-pop artists, such as NewJeans, may be popular in those places, they dont match their standing in Davis. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When UC Davis senior Nicole Tran saw that her Sound Town was Davis, she assumed it was because she spends most of the year there. But on her social media feeds, it seemed like everyone got Davis, surprising her at the popularity of the small town. Tran, who is a big fan of K-pop boy group Enhypen and a director of a popular UC Davis K-pop dance team, also thinks that Davis was assigned to so many K-pop fans because of the high proportion of K-pop-loving college students. In coffee shops and the student union, you can often hear K-pop playing because that music is controlled by students who work there, Tran said. I dont think theres anyone who hasnt at least heard of K-pop. When Tran walks around Davis, she can easily spot signs of K-pops popularity there. She frequently sees students wear T-shirts from the bands Twice and Stray Kids. Theres a UC Davis K-pop server on Discord with about 200 users and a K-pop club that hosts events for fans. SoNE1, Trans dance team, has been performing K-pop songs in public for over five years. Many K-pop fans have taken to the internet to joke about migrating to Davis. The K-pop community is ready to welcome them. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If you find someone whos a K-pop stan, youre instantly friends, Tran said. And its not hard to find K-pop stans. When it was first released in July 2015, Windows 10 was clearly a winner. It undid the damage wrought by Windows 8, including eliminating the awkward Charms bar and bringing back the Start menu. Windows 10 introduced many key features as well, such as the Edge browser, integration with Microsofts OneDrive cloud storage service, a shape-shifting interface that works well with both touch-based and traditional PCs, and plenty more. In the eight years since its launch, Microsoft has honed those features, added new ones, and scrapped some that didnt work out as its rolled out 12 major updates to Windows 10. For example, the Cortana digital assistant was initially a core part of Windows 10 but has now been discontinued. Despite its age (and despite the fact that Microsoft has shifted its development attention to Windows 11), Windows 10 remains the worlds most popular desktop operating system. To help you get the most from it, this story highlights the most important features introduced in Windows 10 over the years. I'll cover everything you need to know, and Ive also provided quick-reference charts listing useful keyboard shortcuts, touchscreen gestures, and touchpad gestures. This story is based on Windows 10 version 22H2, released in October 2022, so the features described here and the screenshots you see may differ from what you see if you have an older version of Windows 10. Microsoft has announced that 22H2 is the final update for Windows 10. So what you see today is essentially what youll see tomorrow. Note: If you want to get the most out of Windows 10, you'll have to use a Microsoft ID as your user account. Without a Microsoft ID, you won't be able to use a number of Windows 10 apps or sync settings among multiple devices. So when you set up Windows 10 for the first time, sign in with an existing Microsoft ID or create a new one. Get to know Windows 10 The Start menu The loudest complaint that desktop users had about Windows 8 was the absence of the Start menu. In Windows 10 its back with a vengeance. When you use Windows 10 on a desktop or laptop, you boot directly into the desktop. Click the Start button at the lower left of the desktop to bring up the Start menu command central for traditional PC users. (Those who use Windows 10 on a tablet will instead see a Start screen; more on that later in the story.) IDG The Start menu is command central for Windows 10. (Click any image in this story to enlarge it.) The menu is divided into two sections. Down its left side youll find the following: All Apps: Up at the top left of the screen is a hamburger menu (three parallel horizontal lines) that is a toggle for turning on or off a list of all Windows apps and desktop applications. (By default, the list is turned on.) At the very top of the All Apps list, youll find apps you most frequently use or apps that Microsoft believes you might want to use. (Go to Settings > Personalization > Start to choose whether you want to see your most used apps or suggested apps listed.) Just beneath that are all the apps and applications on your PC, in alphabetical order. Click any app to run it. Right-click any app and youll see a list of the files youve recently opened in it. Click the file to open the application or app, with the file loaded into it. On top of the list of files youve opened are icons for unpinning the app from the Start menu, uninstalling the app, and a More selection that gives you other options such as pinning the app to the taskbar, running it as an administrator and other options. The menu options vary according to the app. IDG The submenu for Word shows the files youve recently opened, as well as options such as unpinning it from the Start menu. Account: Down toward the bottom left of the Start menu is a set of stacked icons, starting with an icon for your user account. Click it to sign out of Windows, lock your PC, or change your account settings. When you choose to change your account settings, youll be sent to a screen that lets you change your account picture, your password, and a variety of other settings. Documents, Pictures, Settings, Power: These icons at the bottom left of the Start menu are no mystery: Documents opens the Documents folder using File Explorer; Pictures opens the Pictures folder using File Explorer; Settings brings you to the Windows Settings app (more on that later); and Power lets you put your PC to sleep, shut it down, or restart it. If youre confused about which icons are for Account, Documents, Pictures, Settings, and Power, just hover your mouse over any of them. The icons disappear and are replaced by text labels. The right side of the Start menu has tiles for Windows apps and desktop applications. Click any tile to run the app associated with it. They're grouped into categories including Productivity and Explore, and then, if you have more apps than fit in those two, they're grouped into unnamed categories below that. New tiles will be added to the groups as you install new apps and desktop applications. (Note that if youre using an enterprise edition of Windows 10, your IT department may have configured other groupings, such as productivity applications or support tools, to appear on the right side of the Start menu. In some instances, your PC manufacturer may add its own categories. For example, on my Evoo laptop, there is an OEM category not a particularly intelligent use of branding, it must be admitted.) Some tiles are live that is, real-time information gets piped into them. So the Mail tile, for example, shows your latest email, the Weather tile shows the weather and so on. Only Windows apps have live tiles. Desktop applications, such as Microsoft Office, dont. Each group of tiles is three columns wide, with most tiles taking up one column by default. The Start menu is highly customizable. To change its height, hover your cursor over its top edge until a two-headed arrow appears, then drag it up or down to expand or shrink it. On some Windows 10 installations you can do the same thing at the right edge of the menu to expand it to the right or shrink it back again, although this doesnt work for everybody. To rename a group of tiles, click the group name and type in a new name for it. You can also move tiles around the Start menu by dragging them from one group to another, or, to create a new group, drag tiles to a blank area on the menu. You can name any unnamed group by clicking on the blank area above it and typing in a name. You can also widen the groups in the Start menu so that tiles take up four columns rather than three. To do it, from the Start menu select Settings > Personalization > Start, and in the Show more tiles on Start setting, move the slider to On. The tiles will now take up four columns, but to take advantage of the extra space youll have to manually drag tiles to the fourth column. You can personalize many other aspects of the Start menu from this Settings page, including whether to show your most used apps at the top of the All Apps list, have the Start screen run full screen, and more. When you right-click a tile, a menu pops up. Here's where things get a bit confusing, because not every Windows app and desktop application has the same pop-up menu, and depending on your installation you might have to click More to see some of these options. Most have some combination of these choices: Unpin from Start: Select this and the tile vanishes from the Start menu. Resize: As you would expect, this lets you resize the tile. You can choose Small, Medium, or Large, and some tiles also have a Wide choice that makes it span two columns in its group. Turn live tile off: This stops real-time information from streaming into the tile. If it's already off, you'll get a Turn live tile on choice. Pin to taskbar: As it says, this pins the app to the taskbar. If it's already pinned, you'll get an Unpin from taskbar choice. App settings: This leads to a screen that lets you change the apps settings, such as whether to allow it to run in the background or get access to your microphone. Uninstall: This uninstalls the app. Some Windows apps created by Microsoft, such as Skype and Solitaire, cant be uninstalled. However, over time, Windows 10 has let you uninstall more built-in apps than previously, including Mail, Calendar, Sticky Notes, and others. Rate and review: This option is available only for apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store. It brings you to a page that lets you rate the app on a one-to-five-star basis and write a review. The rating and review appear in the apps description in the Microsoft Store. Share: This lets you share a link to the app using a variety of methods, including email, Twitter, and others. Run as an administrator: This lets you run the app or application as an administrator. Open file location: Opens File Explorer to the folder where the application lives. Some Windows apps have other choices as well, depending on their purposes. For example, right-click the This PC app and you get choices such as mapping or unmapping a network drive. If youve enabled the Most used list of apps on the left side of the Start menu, you can right-click the icons for these apps as well as the File Explorer, Settings, and Power icons underneath them. Windows apps and desktop applications on the "Most used" app menu typically have similar choices to those already outlined (with some hidden under the "More" submenu). In addition, you might find these options: Pin to Start: This moves the app from the Most used list to the right side of the Start menu. Run as a different user: This lets you run the app as someone other than the person currently logged in. Don't show in this list: Takes the app off the Most used list. Windows search The Windows 10 search youve been used to since the operating system was introduced has changed over time. At first, Microsofts digital assistant Cortana was tightly integrated with Windows search, but several years ago it was removed from the Search box, and now Microsoft has killed Cortana completely. So even if you think you know how search works, you might want a refresher, which Ill provide here. To do a search, type a word or phrase into the Search box at the bottom left of the screen, or if you have a Search icon there rather than a box, click the icon and type in your search on the screen that appears. (To make the search icon appear, right-click the taskbar and select Search > Show search icon. To have the Search box appear there instead, right-click the taskbar and select Search > Show search box.) Search uses the Bing search engine to look through your files, your Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage, your videos and music, the apps on your PC, your settings, your email, and the web. When you do a search, a series of tabs appears across the top of the screen: All displays all search results. displays all search results. Apps shows any app-related matches. shows any app-related matches. Documents shows documents on your PC that match the search. shows documents on your PC that match the search. Web displays results from the web. displays results from the web. More shows results from other places, including individual folders, email and apps including Music, People, Photos, Settings, and Videos. Youll have to click the down arrow next to More to see them all. IDG Search shows results in a flyout mini-browser. The Search box can be useful even if you dont do a search. Put your cursor in it and youll see a list of the apps youve most recently used, as well as a list of Trending searches you can click that reflect what people are currently searching for on Bing. Theres also a group of thumbnails labeled Top sites that are the ones youve most frequently visited online. Putting your cursor in the search box also lets you do targeted searches you can limit searches to just apps, documents, the web, and more. Click the appropriate tab at the top of the screen and type in your search. By default, Search only looks through a limited selection of default libraries and folders including OneDrive, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop. It wont find files kept in other locations on your PC. However, you can change that. Go to Settings > Search > Searching Windows, and in the Find My Files section, select Enhanced. That will tell Windows to search through your entire PC. If there are folders you want to exclude from the search, go to the Excluded Folders section, then click Add an excluded folder and browse to the folder you dont want to search. Windows 10 will get no more major feature updates version 22H2, released in October 2022, was the last one. However, Microsoft regularly releases minor updates to fix bugs and patch security holes, notably on the second Tuesday of every month, known as Patch Tuesday. And the company still sneaks some new features into its minor updates. You can pause these smaller updates for up to 35 days. To do it, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, click Select date in the Pause updates section, and select the furthest date from your current date seven days out. After seven days you can do it several more times, a total of five times to delay it for 35 days. IDG You can delay minor Windows 10 updates seven days at a time for up to 35 days. In addition, Windows has a safety net that will uninstall problematic updates that harm your PC. If your computer wont start properly after you install an update, Windows will diagnose the problem and try to fix it. If it cant, it will uninstall a recent Windows 10 update or driver update that might be causing the problem and block it from reinstalling for 30 days. See details from Microsoft. You can also ask Windows to alert you, via a system tray icon, when you need to reboot your PC in order to finish an update. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced Options, and underneath Show a notification when your PC requires a restart to finish updating, move the slider to On. There are even more ways to control Windows 10 updates, including controlling the hours during which Windows updates, uninstalling updates, and more. See How to handle Windows 10 and 11 updates for details. Note that on October 14, 2025, Windows 10 is scheduled to reach the end of mainstream support. That means that as of that date, Microsoft will stop releasing any new updates for it, including monthly service updates. Unless you shell out for Extended Security Updates (pricing still to be announced), using Windows 10 after that date will make it vulnerable to hacks, so youd do well to update before then to a newer version of Windows. (Enterprises that use the long-term servicing channel, LTSC, will still get security patches after that date.) Singapore government on Tuesday announced its updated national AI strategy, dubbed the National AI Strategy (NAIS) 2.0, as AI technology development gains momentum across the globe. The new policy introduces three major changes. The first key policy shift is that Singapore now believes that AI is a necessity and no longer good to have. In this context, it aims to triple the talent pool of AI experts to 15,000 by training and hiring people, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said while launching NAIS 2.0. As the technology continues to progress, AI professionals and data scientists are in high demand in all geographies, so the country plans to train people and hire from overseas markets to gain an edge. The second policy change is that the country now harbors global ambitions and aims to make a significant contribution to AI breakthroughs at a global level. The third significant change is to adopt a projects-to-systems approach. We will take a systems approach, bringing together stakeholders within and outside Singapore to add to our resources, capabilities, and infrastructure, accelerate the exchange of ideas, and administer AI-enabled solutions at scale, the new policy document read. Singapore was one of the first countries to come up with a National AI Strategy in 2019 and the country committed an investment of about $373 million (S$500 million) through AI Singapore (AISG) for the Research, Innovation, and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 and 2025 plans. However, the recent advances in AI technology, with the advent of generative AI, demanded a relook at the existing policies, which led to the launch of NAIS 2.0. NAIS 2.0 defines excellence and empowerment as the twin goals of the policy. The country hopes to excel in AI to maximize value creation by empowering people and businesses to use the technology with confidence. It further defines ten enablers in three categories of activity drivers (industry, Government, and research), people and communities (talent, capabilities, and placemaking), and infrastructure and environment (compute, data, trusted environment, and leader in thought and action). Growing global consensus The launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI last year put the technology in the spotlight and brought forth the transformative impact it will have on various industry verticals. Several countries, including the US and the UK, are formulating policies to leverage AI for social and economic gains while at the same time trying to find the best way to address questions around data access, privacy, and accountability, among others. The European Union (EU) is also in the process of working on the AI Act to regulate the technology so it can be leveraged for social and economic benefits while addressing the risks associated with it. Possibly the most significant development in this regard is the signing of the Bletchley Declaration by 28 countries and the EU earlier this year. This is a significant step as it brings several countries together to work on shared objectives and to address the risks associated with the technology. Microsoft plans to offer extended security updates to commercial Windows 10 customers when the operating system reaches end-of-life in late 2025. For the first time, the company is extending that offer to individual users as well. Microsoft encouraged Windows 10 customers to begin plans to migrate to the latest version of the operating system Windows 11 last April with the announcement that Windows 10 22H2 would be the final version. Windows 10 is still the most widely used version of the OS, accounting for 64% of US desktop market share, according to StatCounters figures; that compared to 30% for Windows 11. End of support is set for Oct. 14, 2025. At that point, Microsoft will no longer provide bug fixes, security fixes, time zone updates, or technical support. That means users would need to upgrade existing devices to Windows 11, purchase new hardware running the latest OS, or move to the cloud-based Windows 365. For those that dont update, Microsoft will provide Extended Security Updates (ESUs), the company said in a blog post Tuesday. These can be purchased on a yearly basis, and can be renewed for up to three years. Microsoft doesnt always provide this option: extended support was offered for Windows 7, but not for Windows 8. The ESU program provides monthly critical and/or important security updates, Microsoft said. There are, however, no new features, design change requests, or technical support services provided past the October 2025 deadline. ESU pricing will be provided at a later date, a Microsoft spokesperson said. Microsoft notes that customers on Windows 10 IoT Enterprise Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise plans will continue to receive updates based on their specific lifecycles. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, on Monday, said he will prioritize Japan for batches of GPUs to help develop the nations AI industry, promising partnerships with local giants including Softbank to help develop the industry locally. Demand is very high, but I promised the prime minister we will do our very, very best to prioritize Japan's requirements for GPUs, Huang is quoted as saying. In combination with generative AI and Japan's expertise in manufacturing, the future of robotics could be revolutionized here in Japan. Japans NTT, Sakura Internet, NEC, and Softbank are reportedly working with the company to develop AI solutions to automate various processes in their respective companies, something thats necessary in a country struggling with a chronic labor shortage. Huang also said that Nvidia will work with Japan on building out more AI-enabled data centers. Nvidia is expected to be constrained by its manufacturing partners such as Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC). Like many chip companies, Nvidia only designs chips, it doesnt manufacture them. TMSC provides these chip plants, and the company is said to be considering building a third fab in Japan to meet demand. Japan latest nation to want GPU reserve Japan is the latest country to look to GPUs as a national strategic asset. Earlier this year, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the UK said that they were each planning on building their own GPU stockpiles a necessity for countries that want to have a leading role in this frontier industry. China is also trying to build out its supply of GPUs, but this is being complicated by US sanctions that prohibit chips of a certain speed from being exported. So-called sanctions-friendly chips are in the pipeline from Nvidia but are reportedly delayed. These restrictions have meant that firms in China are reportedly re-purposing consumer-grade GPUs to fill this gap for processing-hungry companies with AI workloads. Recent data from Jon Peddie Research shows that the PC-based GPU market grew to 71.9 million units, while PC CPU shipments fell by 5.1% year over year. Nvidia faced increased scrutiny Authorities in the US are not fans of Nvidias tactic of creating regulatory-compliant chips for export to China, with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo recently saying, If you redesign a chip around a particular cut line that enables them to do AI, Im going to control it the very next day. Recently, Taiwans economics minister Wang Mei-hua reminded firms on the island to be compliant with US rules. A delegation of US officials is expected to arrive in Taipei later in December to meet with industry officials to discuss the regulations. Chinas Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba, and Bytedance were all large purchasers of Nvidias H100 GPUs with the four companies collectively purchasing 125,000 of the chips. In comparison, Microsoft and Meta each reportedly purchased 150,000 of the GPUs in 2023 with Google and Amazon purchasing 50,000 each. Nvidias Huang has noted that US sanctions mean theres a massive incentive for Chinese chip designers to play catch-up to Nvidia, and there are dozens of companies trying. So far, the latest GPU chips from Chinas Longsoon have a long way to go, according to publicly available benchmarks. Nicolas Cage, left, with SFFilm Executive Director Anne Lai as he greets SFFilm board president Lisa Kleiner Chanoff before 2023 SFFILM Awards Night at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Nicolas Cage, one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, says he is planning to quit the movie business very soon. Speaking on the red carpet at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts before this years SFFilm Awards Night on Monday, Dec. 4, Cage admitted hes assessing his life ahead of his 60th birthday on Jan. 7. I've been doing this for 45 years, said Cage, who was 15 when he appeared in his first film, 1982s Fast Times at Ridgemont High. After all this time, I've pretty much said what I've wanted to say as a screen actor. I'm ready to look at other formats so I can try my hand at television, Broadway. We'll see what happens. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Nicolas Cage, left, with his uncle Francis Ford Coppola, cousin Sofia Coppola and aunt Eleanor Coppola on Jan. 24, 2004 at a Focus Features Universal Studios party. J. Vespa/WireImage/WireImage Cage, who was awarded the Maria Manetti Shrem Lifetime Achievement Award for Acting by musician Tom Waits during SFfilms largest fundraiser, noted that his father, August Coppola brother of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire died in 2009 at age 75. The implication is that if Cage, who was born Nicolas Coppola, has a similar lifespan, he wants to spend his remaining years with those he loves. I want to spend more time with my daughter and my 18-year-old son, said Cage, referring to August Francesca, his 1-year-old daughter with fifth wife Riko Shibata, and son Kal-El with third wife Alice Kim. He also has a son, Weston Coppola Cage, born to actress Chrisina Fulton, who turns 33 this month. Cage, who also has been married to actress Patricia Arquette and Elvis and Priscilla Presleys daughter Lisa Marie Presley, admits he travels a lot during his career hes heading to Saudi Arabia in the morning for his next gig and is now taking stock, he said. Id like to stay in one place. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Nicolas Cage in a scene from Dream Scenario. Associated Press Cage is drawing some of the best notices of his career in Dream Scenario, currently in theaters. Asked if there was a screen role he has never played and would like to try before retiring, he said, Id like to do a reverse-time thing, like being a child in an adult body, like Big or Freaky Friday, something like that. Cage also said visiting San Francisco makes him nostalgic. He has owned homes here in the past, and loved riding his motorcycle around the city. I used to live at 1875 Franklin St., Cage noted. An old Victorian. It was the first house I ever bought. I had a great time. I remember I would invite my friends up from L.A. to spend time with me. I just love the way the city makes me feel. I love the weather. I love the mist in the mornings. It's not too hot. The people were nice. I like the architecture. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Nicolas Cage at SFFilm Awards Night at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle He said he first fell in love with the city during family get-togethers as a child, and loved hanging out with his cousins, which includes actor Jason Schwartzman and Oscar winner Sofia Coppola, who was raised in Wine Country. They are some of my best memories, he recalled, so, of course, any chance I'm invited back, I want to be here. Ryan Gosling, Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction presenter, before 2023 SFFilm Awards Night at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Ryan Gosling, left, and Barbie director Greta Gerwig at this years SFFilm Awards Night at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Ryan Gosling, Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction presenter, before 2023 SFFilm Awards Night at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Monday, December 4, 2023. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Ryan Gosling at SFFilm Awards Night at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle (Left to right) Ryan Gosling, Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction presenter, Greta Gerwig, Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction recipient, and SFFILM Executive Director Anne Lai interact with Fred Levin before 2023 SFFilm Awards Night at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Monday, December 4, 2023. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Ryan Gosling was at SFFilm Awards Night to present an award, not receive one. But the actor stole the show on an evening that honored four film artists, including his Barbie director Greta Gerwig and actor Nicolas Cage. At SFFilms annual fundraiser at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on Monday, Dec. 4, Gosling gave a hilarious introduction of Gerwig, to whom he presented the Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction. Struggling to describe his admiration for the Sacramento native, however, the onscreen Ken reached for a silly jumble of metaphors. Working with Greta is like getting a private tour of the Louvre, but you have total access to the Cheesecake Factory menu, he said. No, shes like a Christmas tree with infinite presents. No. OK, I got it. This is what its like: Its like working with the keyboardist in Close Encounters, the one that figured out how to talk to the aliens and make them all feel welcome enough to offer us a ride. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ryan Gosling plays Ken Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig. Warner Bros. Pictures But it was what he did before that got the crowd buzzing. During the evenings pledge drive, in which emcee Liam Mayclem barked like an auctioneer to urge the well-heeled crowd to donate to the nonprofit organization that aims to support independent filmmakers, Gosling surprised everyone by pledging $20,000. Celebrities invited to SFFilm Awards Night are already helping make the event successful simply by showing up. They are expected by the organization to donate their time, not their money. But Gosling clearly was moved by the mission of SFFilm. The money raised Monday night not only helps SFFilm put on its annual film festivals, it also helps provide grants, residencies, fellowships and other resources for up-and-coming filmmakers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That put the pressure on Gerwig, and sure enough, a few minutes later she matched Goslings $20,000. From a distance, Canada appears to be a land of comedy gods. SCTV. Schitts Creek. The Kids in the Hall. Trailer Park Boys. John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Catherine OHara, Norm Macdonald, Mike Myers, Seth Rogen, Ryan Reynolds, Will Arnett, Jim Carrey, Tom Green -- I could go on, but you get the idea. But just as Canadas comedic counterparts in the U.S. of A are capable of churning out some awful comedies, funny Canucks have also demonstrated an ability to lay an egg from time to time. The worst of Canadas comedy never makes it south, but some execrable laughers manage to slip past the border patrol and find their way into the United States -- to everyones dismay. Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. 1 Canadian Bacon Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore isnt Canadian -- he was born just south in Michigan -- but his only narrative film is a comedy about strained U.S./Canadian relations. Shot in Toronto, Hamilton, and Ontario, Canadian Bacon is a satire about an American president (Alan Alda) who cooks up a fake conflict to boost his approval ratings. Its also the last movie ever for Canadian comedy legend John Candy, who deserved better. Even cameos by Canadas finest -- Aykroyd, Michael J. Fox, Lorne Greene, Alex Trebek -- cant save the day. A dreadful waste of top talent, said critic Nell Minow. Dull characters and insipid scenarios, griped Film Frenzy. Let's leave the poking fun at Canadians to those who do it best - Canadians, said Movie View. 2 An Awkward Sexual Adventure Advertisement Advertisement This 2012 sex comedy, also known as the why-bother-changing-it My Awkward Sexual Adventure, barely got a release in Canada but its available now on just about every fourth-tier streaming service in America -- Tubi, Plex, the ROKU Channel, Pluto, Vudu and more. Maybe thats because the female lead is Schitts Creeks Emily Hampshire, teaching the nerdy hero how to live a life of sexual adventure by acting as his Sex Yoda. Variety summed it up when it called An (My) Awkward Sexual Adventure one white elephant of a Canadian romantic comedy unimaginable as a remake, or playing anywhere outside latenight cable. 3 Going Berserk Advertisement Comedies dont get much more Canadian than Going Beserk, directed by Winnipegs David Steinberg and starring some of the countrys finest funny guys -- Candy, Eugene Levy and Joe Flaherty. All were SCTV veterans, but when a plot can be summed up as clumsy chauffeur has misadventures, you can be pretty sure you dont have a comedy classic on your hands. A trivia tidbit on IMDb says John Candy was supposed to write the script but never finished it, which just might explain everything. While The New York Times praised Candy, it called Going Berserk an affably stupid comedy that's saddled with too much plot and that hasn't nearly enough energy to go with it. Matt Rife is in the dog house with his mostly female fanbase, so, to save his career, hes asking for help from a figure who earned massive online success without a single woman fan Jordan Peterson. Just weeks ago, Rife commanded one of the largest and most fervent following of women in the online comedy community. With his (possibly literally) sculpted jawline, his impressive physique and his enthusiasm for suggestive interactions with fans, Rife was equally beloved by Gen Z girls as he was by their mothers and grandmothers. However, in his debut Netflix special, Natural Selection, which skyrocketed to the top of the charts upon its November 10th release, Rife made a deliberate effort to distance himself from the pretty boy persona that turned off many male comedy fans from taking the Ohio-born social media star seriously. Rife infamously opened the special with a Nothing, you already told her twice-esque joke about domestic violence, which sparked media controversy and blowback from women in his fandom who felt betrayed by his sudden and intentional heel-turn towards insipid, unoriginal dude-bro comedy. Over the weekend, Rife appeared on the podcast of a popular figure in the manosphere, a corner of the outrage-driven internet where Rife clearly believes he belongs. Peterson, an author, commentator and psychologist who represents the pseudo-intellectual spearhead of the alt-rights culture warriors, embraced Rife for refusing to back down to his detractors by sarcastically posting an apology with a link to a special-needs helmet store. Peterson described Rifes reaction to his critics as a witty, fast, brave and appropriate response to the situation and you can tell that Peterson really believes that Rife is hilarious by how his assessment of the joke has the seriousness of a eulogy. Advertisement I thought the joke was funny risky, and funny and I thought your response was dead on, Peterson told Rife with a stern scowl splashed across his face. The controversial conservative commentator declared that Rife had been canceled, using the comics situation as a microcosm for the issues of censorship and sensitivity that Peterson has spent the last decade complaining about on the internet. While describing Rife as a profoundly persecuted martyr, Peterson called the controversy a tempest in a teapot and wished that Rifes idiot accusers would all pass away and spend eternity in hell composed of nothing but people like them talking to them. Rife said of his controversial opening bit on Natural Selection, Its a modern twist on an old joke, claiming, I wanted to put my own spin on it with it being the tired copy/pasted gag where a woman is beaten and a man says that she deserved it for failing some household duty, sometimes calling her a broken down dishwasher. Rife characterized his style as high risk, high reward, a point with which Peterson emphatically agreed on the grounds that the woke mob now wages war on the comic as the result of the courageous risks he takes. At the time of publication, Natural Selection is still streaming on Netflix and Rife is not imprisoned for charges of being too provocative. Advertisement Advertisement Of course, the real problem with the bit that Rife and Peterson dissected with all the humor and playfulness of a deposition is self-evident by the comics failure to inspire so much as a smile from his host the joke just wasn't funny. Much like Rifes ensuing promotional tour on the alt-right podcast circuit, Natural Selection was a cynical attempt to rebrand Rife as a guys guy comic worthy of the grift that Peterson and his fellow podcasters in the comedy world continue to exploit for massive financial gain. Whether onstage or on Petersons show, Rifes problem is that he isnt trying to make people laugh hes trying to pander to a specific group whom he sees as his path to greater success than he had with his former female following. At no point was this more obvious than when Peterson asked Rife why he reached out to the alt-right psychologist to organize an appearance on the show. Rife replied, Im a huge fan, man. Listen, you and I have never met, and Ill be truthfully honest, I havent done extensive research into everything youve done. But I find you to be a very kind man, and very well spoken, and someone who stands on their morals and the realism of society today. And I think that is incredibly rare. Despite being a huge fan, Rife couldnt even be bothered to do his research about his host while maneuvering to access his platform of potential you just cant joke about anything nowadays comedy fans. Rifes move to appear on Petersons podcast stinks like another lazy, calculated attempt to earn the aesthetic of edginess without doing any of the intellectual work to actually push boundaries. For that reason, I fully expect the scheme to pay off and for Peterson fans to rally behind Rife in his new phase as the most popular incel-adjacent comic in podcasting. Peterson can teach Rife plenty about pandering to angry, lonely men on the internet, even if he cant connect to Rifes past of ever once enjoying the affection of women. To understand China, key lies in understanding Chinese modernization 11:15, December 05, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping on Dec. 2 sent a congratulatory letter to the 2023 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou) held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province. "To understand China, the key lies in understanding Chinese modernization. China is advancing the noble cause of building a great country and national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi said. "China's future is closely linked with the future of the entire humanity." Xi's letter scientifically analyzed the general trend of the world today. It noted that to understand China, the key lies in understanding Chinese modernization, conveying the message that China looks forward to working hand in hand with the rest of the world to realize global modernization that features peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and prosperity for all. The Understanding China Conference celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Over the past 10 years, Xi has sent congratulatory letters, delivered video speeches, or met with foreign representatives of the conference, expounding on China's path and propositions to help the international community better understand China. Facing accelerating changes unseen in a century and intertwined risks and challenges, China has acted as a responsible major country, making significant contributions to solving common problems and enhancing the well-being of mankind. The importance of understanding China and working together with China to create a better future is becoming increasingly prominent. To understand China, the key lies in understanding the significance of Chinese modernization to the world. Thanks to a century of exploration and struggle, China has found the development path that suits it. It is now advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization. Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. Chinese modernization is deeply rooted in its fine traditional culture and reflective of the advanced nature of scientific socialism. It draws inspiration from and absorbs all outstanding achievements of human civilizations, represents the future direction of human progress, and displays a new prospect distinct from the Western model of modernization, thus creating a new form of human advancement. Chinese modernization expands the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization, and provides a Chinese solution to aid the exploration of a better social system for humanity. To understand Chinese modernization, we need to see the opportunities brought to the world by Chinese modernization. As the largest developing country, China has always placed its own development within the larger context of human development and created new opportunities for the development of the world through its own development. Xi said that China is committed to broadening the convergence of interests with other countries, and will continue to provide the world with new growth momentum and opportunities through its own development. As the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation unfold, China firmly adheres to the win-win strategy of opening up, accelerates the creation of a new development pattern, and promotes high-quality development. This will provide the world with more and better products made and created in China, and with a Chinese market of a larger scale and stronger demand. Former Chancellor of Austria Wolfgang Schussel said that China has been building a market-oriented business environment, governed by the rule of law and internationalized, demonstrating its determination to adhere to a high-level opening up. Both China and the world stand to benefit from these efforts. To understand Chinese modernization, we need to see that the modernization China is pursuing is not for the country alone. China looks forward not only to pursuing modernization for all countries, including developing countries, through joint efforts, but also to realizing global modernization that features peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and prosperity for all. Eying on the historical development of mankind with a broad vision of the world, Xi has proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. These have contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions to promoting the progress of human civilization and building a better world, and assisted other developing countries in exploring a path to modernization that suits their respective national conditions. Former Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf believes that the important initiatives proposed by Xi have provided significant public goods for the world. When these initiatives are accepted by people who pursue peace and development, a road to common prosperity is built. Realizing modernization is the common aspiration and due right of all peoples. As China's own future is closely connected with that of other countries and peoples, China will strive to provide new opportunities for world development, add new impetus to humanity's exploration of paths towards modernization and make new contributions to the theory and practice of humanity's modernization as it makes new progress in Chinese modernization. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Chocolate chip cookie No. 2 was bland, dry, ick! wrote one reviewer. It was also saccharine, too soft and weirdly fruity, others recorded. The San Francisco Chronicles panel of judges could not be fooled. In a blind taste test of 23 chocolate chip cookies from bakeries in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland, the panel put cookie No. 2 in last place. Thats right where it belonged. Unlike the rest of the pack, gathered fresh that day from top bakeries like Tartine and B. Patisserie, cookie No. 2 was from a Subway franchise, a red herring. Caleb Pershan, assistant editor for food & wine at the San Francisco Chronicle, portions a chocolate chip cookie during a blind taste test from 23 Bay Area vendors. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Chocolate chip cookies are often the first treat a young baker pulls from the oven. But theyre not as simple as they might seem. The best ones perfectly balance salt, butter and sugar with bittersweet chocolate. And thats just flavor, which our reviewers rated on a scale from one to five. Texture is crucial, too, the ideal cookie being crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside (another one to five point score). Advertisement Article continues below this ad Senior editor Janelle Bitker, reporters Mario Cortez and Elena Kadvany and associate food critic Cesar Hernandez bravely tasted 23 cookies, rating them each on that 10-point scale. To prevent influencing one another, the judges did not discuss their reactions until all the cookies were sampled and the scores were tallied, which took more than an hour. Judges were also permitted milk to cleanse the palate. To compare only fresh cookies, the team was unable to gather cookies that were too far from the Chronicles office at 901 Mission St., where the taste test was held. But weve rounded up honorable mentions from Marin County, Wine Country and elsewhere below (including a great gluten-free option). Also, for the sake of comparison, the team focused on basic chocolate chip cookies, with no major bells and whistles, while allowing for slight variations, like the addition of walnuts or tahini. Janelle Bitker, senior editor for food & wine at the San Francisco Chronicle, portions a chocolate chip. To clear their palates, judges were permitted milk between cookies. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle While Subways last place finish was no shock, there were several surprises including Tartine, which reviewers called dry, slightly astringent and overbaked. There were also disagreements. While Bitker found cookie No. 18 to be underbaked in the center in a good way, Kadvany also considered it underbaked but in a bad way too soft, she wrote. (It was, appropriately, from Batter Bakery.) And while Cortez praised cookie No. 15 for great dark chocolate it was baked by the Missions Dandelion Chocolate Bitker wrote that it feels like a cookie for kids. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Counting down from No. 10 to No. 1, here were the panels top cookies. To see all 23, view the table below. Janelle Bitker, senior editor for food & wine at the San Francisco Chronicle, writes a tasting note on a chocolate chip cookie during a blind taste test. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle 10. Batter Bakery. Score: 6.65 This gooey cookie was somewhat divisive, but fared well overall. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chocolate chip cookie, $3.95, Batter Bakery, 2701 Eighth St., Ste. 105, Berkeley, and 555 California St., San Francisco. batterbakery.com 9. Dolores Deluxe. Score: 6.95 Judges generally liked this cookie with buttery rich vanilla flavor, made with dark chocolate chunks, semisweet chips and chocolate ganache, which was tender but a little overly sweet. Cortez dissented: Too soft, not a fan, he wrote. Hot fudge chocolate chip cookie, $3.50. Dolores Deluxe, 3500 22nd St., San Francisco. doloresdeluxe.com 8. Dandelion Chocolate. Score: 7 Cortez was all for this cookie from the S.F. chocolate maker, which features two kinds of chocolate chips. Bitker and Hernandez were less enthused; it reminded Hernandez of a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich cookie, with not much depth. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chocolate chip cookie, $4.50. Dandelion Chocolate, multiple locations. dandelionchocolate.com 7. Fava. Score: 7.375 The largest cookie of the group featured tahini in a formula that worked well for Cortez and Kadvany. Chocolate chunks + sesame = happy, Kadvany wrote. Hernandez and Bitker, who found the cookie less nutty and crumblier than another tahini cookie in the group, were not as impressed. Tahini chocolate chip cookie, $4. Fava, 2114 Vine St., Berkeley. favaonvine.com 6. Anthonys Cookies. Score: 7.625 A textbook cookie from the baker Anthony Lucas of Anthonys Cookies, it was crispy-chewy with lots of vanilla, said our panel; gooey, butter, toasty, Hernandez wrote, but a little too sweet, Kadvany wrote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Classic chocolate chip cookie, $2.50. Anthonys Cookies, 1417 Valencia St., San Francisco, and 2575 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. anthonyscookies.com Chocolate chip cookies from various Bay Area vendors. All were tasted blind by a panel of judges at the Chronicle. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle 5. Bake Sum. Score: 8.2 Oaklands Bake Sum is known for its inventive Asian American pastries like halo halo buns and okonomiyaki danishes. But owner Joyce Tang can also do simple, like this well-executed chocolate chip cookie. Very classic, wrote Kadvany; nice mix of textures, wrote Cortez. Chewy, sweet, salty, yum, wrote Bitker. Chocolate chunk with maldon sea salt cookie, $3.50. Bake Sum. 3249 Grand Ave., Oakland. bakesum.com Advertisement Article continues below this ad 4. Arsicault. Score: 8.375 Arsicault has a way with butter, as anyone who has tried its impossibly flaky croissants knows well. The chocolate chip cookie also won our panels praise with texture: All four reviewers independently wrote that it had crisp or crispy edges, but wasnt dry, and had great chocolate flavor. Chocolate chip cookie, $3.75. Arsicault, 397 Arguello Blvd. and 87 McAllister St., San Francisco. arsicault-bakery.com 3. Sandys. Score: 8.4 New Orleans inspired sandwich shop Sandys makes a good-looking cookie, with visible flakes of salt and a buttery sheen. Reviewers praised the bake, with a chewy, gooey center. Several remarked on the nice balance of salt and butter. A textbook, will-never-be-mad-at-it cookie, Cortez said. Brown butter chocolate chip cookie, $5. Sandys. 1457 Haight St., San Francisco. sandysmuffs.com 2. Day Moon. Score: 8.6 The panel praised the cookies at this new Outer Sunset bakery, which were intense with dark chocolate and nutty, wrote Bitker. It was like the best version of Famous Amos, wrote Hernandez. Kadvany detected an extra layer of chocolate on the bottom of the cookie and swooned. Chocolate!!! she jotted down. I love. Chocolate chip cookie, $4. Day Moon, 3928 Irving St., San Francisco. instagram.com/daymoonbread 1: Reems. Score: 9.125 The judges went wild for the sesame flavor and texture of Reems halawah chocolate chip cookie. It was one of two sesame-studded cookies, but fared slightly better than the other, from Berkeleys Fava, which landed in seventh place. Sesame paste, in the form of tahini and sweet, fudge-like house-made halawah, helped flavor and texture, resulting in a cookie that was tender but not too gooey, wrote Kadvany, balanced with toasty flavor and an added crunch from the sesame seeds. And while two reviewers wrote they claimed to detect butter, they were fooled by that nutty sesame: The cookie is vegan, made with coconut oil. Chocolate chip halawah cookie, $4.50. Reems California, 2901 Mission St. and 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco. reemscalifornia.com A chocolate chip halawa cookie from Reems California, which scored first out of 23 chocolate chip cookies from various Bay Area vendors in a Chronicle blind taste test. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Honorable mentions from elsewhere: Crispy with a chewy center and nutty, browned butter flavor, the chocolate chip cookies are one of many highlights at Route One Bakery & Kitchen in Tomales. J.B. 27000 Shoreline Hwy., Tomales. routeonekitchen.com Little Sky Bakery turns out voluminous, pudgy chocolate chip cookies, appropriately dubbed giant on the menu. With huge chunks of chocolate, theyre large enough to share (or squirrel away for a personal late-night snack). E.K. Locations in Menlo Park, Los Altos and farmers markets. littleskybakery.com Healdsburg bakery Quail & Condor is known for its stunning pastries and bread, but dont sleep on the chocolate chip cookie. It nails the ideal crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture. E.K. 149 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. quailandcondor.com Flour Craft brings some tang to its gooey, palm-sized chocolate chip cookies with its sourdough starter, which is made, like everything here, from gluten-free flours. C.P. 702 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo, and 129 Miller Ave. #300, Mill Valley. flourcraftbakery.com Where the dynamics of spillover during strategic cyber operations differs is that utility can only be found in narrow windows during crisis. As research illustrates, cyber operations are imperfect tools for controlling escalation via signaling. Scholars have argued that cyber operations are used to signal all the time, perhaps because there is little chance of them leading to escalation. Retaliatory cyber offensive capabilities are rarely ready to go or even existent at the time they are needed to react to crisis. Even where they do exist, signaling requires such specificity in target and effects that their impact would be uncertain or limited without further development (which can take too long). Moreover, leaders tend to be concerned that the characteristics of cyber actions directly against foreign governments (i.e., they often seem arbitrary and blunt force) might invite a cross-domain response if targeted too assertively. General unwillingness to use a non-cyber action where digital possibilities exist in some form makes cyber for cybers sake an unappealing prospect during crisis. The result is appeal in hacking to control escalation, but only against low-value, symbolic targets in society and private industry and only in limited windows of time. This second point is critical for cybersecurity teams, who would do well to be mindful of the temporality of geopolitical crises. Attacks on enterprise firms or civil society organizations by sophisticated cyber actors tend to only come around critical junctures. In particular, they occur during the opening days of a crisis where strategic competitors attempt to define the scope of a situation and the point where conflict clearly evolves into a new phase, such as the weeks following the Battle of Kyiv in 2022 when pro-Russian cyberattacks absent since the invasion picked back up. Otherwise, spillover from signaling activities reduces in likelihood in inverse proportion to the rising difficulty of meaningful crisis communication. Finally, though a feature of recent geopolitical crises, the threat from potential swarming attacks on society and industry presents a unique challenge for security teams. In particular, attacks like those by pro-Ukrainian hackers on Russian society targets since 2022 or pro-Hamas hacktivists on Western firms this year are united by a shared cause but otherwise seem to be poorly coordinated or not at all. Beyond assuming a performative attack logic, this makes preparation hard. Where there does appear to be a thread of risk management utility is in the commonality in recent incidents of a pre-existing relationship between companies and attackers. Groups like Molerats, Dark Storm, and Anonymous Sudan have each hit entities since the start of the Hamas-Israel conflict in 2022 for which they have established reputations for targeting. Few hackers change lanes even during crisis. There is much to be gained from using sociological representations of enterprise risk as a foundation for mapping the inclinations and mission profiles of potential crisis hackers. Finding opportunities and applying the network mindset to geopolitical context This decades threat of geopolitical spillover of cybersecurity threats is clear. Whats also clear is that effective risk management and threat assessment means an active defense posture that links sociological profiling of threat variables to intelligence about possible threat actors. Unfortunately, similar planning also drives Western adversaries likely to feature in future spillover events. It is easy to envision a future conflict that involves, say, Iran in which the Tehran regime directly leverages their network of proxy actors to hack based on pre-planned eventualities. In all cases, cybersecurity teams must persistently simulate and collaborate with information sharing geared toward an adaptive defense posture that consistently tailors and re-tailors internal practices toward shifting geopolitical conditions. That said, security teams and the firms they protect would do well to remember that cyber spillover from geopolitical crisis is typically the stuff of disruption, not catastrophe. Being pulled into conflict defined by broad societal forces can allow companies to strengthen their image, so long as the association is not due to some scandalous statement. Following Russias invasion of Ukraine and subsequent targeting of Western technology firms, for instance, companies like Meta dramatically improved their authority as neutral advocates for shared security principles by taking common-sense steps to respond to service disruption, leading conversation about the situations technical aspects, and establishing ways to impartially shape the developing crisis (e.g., by supporting refugee funds). In short, geopolitical cybersecurity spillover need not be the random emergency that many envision; it is simply a set of risks that can be modeled, prepared for, and even turned into opportunity. Top soup dumpling destination Dumpling Hours opened a new Oakland location in November, joining outposts in Walnut Creek and Antioch. Janelle Bitker/The Chronicle From a steamy hot soup dumpling spot to a cool Hawaiian shave ice shop, the East Bays newest restaurants are here. These newcomers opened their doors alongside East Bay restaurants Fikscue, a barbecue restaurant, and Pippal, from the team behind San Francisco Indian hot spot Rooh, both of which are featured in our upcoming best new restaurants list. Click here for a list of notable East Bay restaurants that opened in September. Advertisement Article continues below this ad More dumplings for the East Bay Dumpling Hours, which offers some of the Bay Areas top soup dumplings, opened a new location in Oakland. Enjoy soupy xiao long bao, fluffy steamed buns and crispy fried dumplings in a casual environment with plenty of seating and red soup spoons on the tables. This is Dumpling Hours third location; it also has outposts in Walnut Creek and Brentwood. 3331 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. instagram.com/dumpling_hours Plasma ball lamps and black lights set the scene at Ninth Life, a new cocktail bar dripping with late 1980s and 1990s nostalgia in Uptown Oakland. Nicola Parisi/Provided by Lisa Nourse PR Vibey retro bar powers up Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ninth Life, a new uptown Oakland bar, channels late 80s and 90s nostalgia, with black lights, plasma ball lamps and jams from this period. The drink list features creative cocktails named after hits from artists like Dr. Dre and Prince. The Next Episode cocktail mixes mezcal, tequila blanco and orange with rosemary smoke, which rises up from a highball glass after pouring. The Purple Rain is a spiced homage to Chilean pisco sours made with charred poblano and red wine syrup infused with green pepper. Wine, beer, shots and no-ABV cocktails are also on the menu. The laser-tag-meets-teenage-bedroom venue is the latest from the team behind Low Bar and the neighboring Good Luck Gato. 1911 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. ninthlifebar.com New Danville spot for pub fare A new pub called Danville Kitchens is now serving pizza, wings, burgers and pasta at the space formerly home to Garlex Pizza. Yelp users note the new restaurant also offers beer on tap, ample seating and plenty of screens showing live sports. 9000 Crow Canyon Road., Suite P, Danville. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Find flavored shave ice over soft serve or azuki beans at Ululanis, one of Hawaiis most popular shave ice shops. Livermore welcomed the Bay Areas first Ululanis location in November. Provided by David Yamashiro/Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice Tropical treat shop opens in the East Bay Hawaiian favorite Ululanis Shave Ice is now offering its frozen mounds flavored with syrups made with all-natural fruit juice, such as mango, coconut and passion fruit, all piled over a base of red beans or ice cream. The location is Ululanis first in the Bay Area and the fourth in the continental U.S. It currently operates seven Hawaii locations. 3016 Jack London Blvd., Livermore. ululanishawaiianshaveice.com Halal Chinese dishes arrive in Union City Advertisement Article continues below this ad Yelp users report Chinese Halal restaurant Lizhou City is now open in Union City. The menu includes dishes like scallion and black pepper beef on a sizzling iron plate as well as sour and spicy lamb in a clay pot. 1771 Decoto Road, Union City. Cocktail bar rings in new shop Emeryvilles cocktail bar Prizefighter is now offering a curated selection of spirits and other beverages just around the corner in a handsome brick building. Inside, the shop is well stocked with whiskeys and a wide range of spirits for any occasion. East Bay Nosh reported the opening. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 1320 67th St., Emeryville. https://prizefighterbottleshop.com New tenant takes over Vietnamese restaurant San Leandros A1 Pho is now open, taking the place of years-old Pho La Sen at a San Leandro shopping center. East Bay Nosh reports the Vietnamese restaurant offers banh mi, salads, pho and dishes like baked shrimp and vermicelli noodle plates. 2089 E. 14th St., San Leandro. a1pho.com Chinese noodle chain expands Yelp users report Fremont got a new location of Ten Seconds YunNan Rice Noodle in November. The restaurant offers western Chinese-style noodle dishes in a pork bone broth such as its crossing-the-bridge noodles. A variety of toppings meat, quail egg, corn and chives, among others are placed separately from the hot soup. Prepared bowls come with toppings like spicy beef brisket, pickled peppers and pork cartilage. Ten Seconds operates other East Bay locations in Dublin and San Leandro. 34460 Fremont Blvd., Fremont. tensecondsfremont.com Brazilian steak house chain Fogo de Chao opened its new Emeryville location in November. Provided by Konnect Agency Grilled meat feast arrives in Emeryville Brazilian steak house Fogo de Chao opened its third Bay Area location on Nov. 6 at Emeryvilles Bay Street shopping center, taking over the space left by P.F. Changs. The new restaurant will offer a rotation of grilled Brazilian beef cuts like picanha alongside rib eye, sirloin and ribs. Other proteins include lamb, bacon-wrapped chicken and pork sausage. There is also a salad bar and soups like traditional feijoada. The expansive dining room offers views of the cuts cooking on vertical spits over flames. Noodles, bao and more at new Livermore restaurant Yelp users report the new Livermore restaurant Octable offers dishes combining Taiwanese and Chinese influences. The menu includes items like dan dan noodles, beef scallion pancake rolls and five spice beef, plus beer on tap. 2041 First St., Livermore. Berkeley gets a new corner cafe Helacios Deli & Cafe is now slinging breakfast and lunch, along with coffee drinks and fresh juice out of the corner of Sacramento and Blake streets. The new space takes over the vacancy left by MoJoe. East Bay Nosh reported the news. 2517 Sacramento St., Berkeley. Korean soups star at new restaurant Yelp users recommend this new Korean restaurant for the namesake seolleongtang, a rich Korean-style ox bones soup, that shares a bowl with your choice of beef cuts like brisket, shank and oxtail. Other dishes include grilled short ribs in a spicy marinade and bulgogi soup cooked in a clay pot. Owners Chad and Monica Kaneshiro at their now-closed San Mateo spot Morning Wood. Theyre opening a new Japanese restaurant. Nic Coury/Special to The Chronicle Two months after closing a hit Bay Area brunch spot, this acclaimed chef couple is back with a new, different restaurant. The owners of Morning Wood, which closed in San Mateo in September, are opening a cozy Japanese restaurant in a Burlingame strip mall at 1861 El Camino Real, on Wednesday, Dec. 6. In many ways, the new restaurant, called Kuma Nori, is the opposite of the old one. Morning Wood served mochi pancakes and loco moco all day in a large space, with reservations often completely booked up. Kuma Nori is small, takes no reservations and serves only dinner. Its a new start, said co-owner Chad Kaneshiro, who runs Kuma Nori with his wife, Monica. There were a lot of good lessons learned, especially during these times, about whether its feasible to run a larger operation versus a small operation with all the overhead. I think we learned a good lesson: Keep it small; keep it intimate. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Kuma Nori (named after the owners dogs) takes inspiration from Japanese shokudos, casual, neighborhood restaurants with often-changing menus. The Kaneshiros like to put their spin on classic dishes, like kasuzuke, typically black cod marinated in sake kasu, the umami-rich byproduct of sake. Instead, they cure ahi belly in the product, cook it on a binchotan charcoal grill and pair it with a yuzu kosho Bearnaise sauce. A scotch egg gets the loco moco treatment: They form the Hawaiian beef patty around an egg, deep-fry it and serve it with oxtail gravy. Monica Kaneshiro is behind a brown butter sweet potato gnocchi dish, topped with house-made kimchi and sesame cream sauce. The dining room at Kuma Nori, opening Dec. 6 in Burlingame. Courtesy Chad Kaneshiro Mochiko fried chicken, an in-demand dish at their Hawaiian general store Diamond Head in San Bruno, will be available at Kuma Nori. But here, it will be accented with a spicy salt and vinegar rub and served with nanban, an egg-based tartar sauce. Once their beer and wine license is finalized, Kuma Nori will serve both along with sake and shochu highballs. They decorated the 28-seat restaurant with quirky, personal touches, like a white guitar, a piece of wood carved into the shape of Chad Kaneshiros native Hawaiian islands and a row of maneki-neko, the Japanese cat figurines meant to bring good luck. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Kaneshiros, both former fine dining cooks, became known for their playful marriage of Hawaiian, Japanese and Korean influences at the original Morning Wood location in San Bruno. They opened Diamond Head there in 2021 and the new, expanded Morning Wood space in San Mateo in 2022. They closed the restaurant in less than a year, citing burnout, rising costs and an upcoming rent hike. The S.F. City Attorneys Office has sued three California e-cigarette retailers for allegedly selling flavored vapes online to consumers in San Francisco in violation of a local law. Health officials worry that fruity formulas are addicting a new generation of users to nicotine. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle The San Francisco City Attorneys Office has sued three California e-cigarette retailers for allegedly selling flavored vapes online to consumers in San Francisco, which violates a local law banning the sale of such products in the city. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court on Monday and announced Tuesday, seeks to stop the companies from selling the products, as well as civil penalties and attorneys fees. It is the first lawsuit the city is bringing against online e-cigarette retailers, said a spokeswoman for City Attorney David Chiu. The city has taken previous actions against brick-and-mortar stores. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Were bringing this lawsuit to send a clear message to retailers that selling their products wont be tolerated, Chiu said. Weve done a good job enforcing against brick-and-mortar stores, but unfortunately online retailers are the next frontier in that fight. The complaint names three companies Millennial One, Gashiro Technology and DaSmokey that allegedly sold to San Francisco consumers online. It does not specify the alleged dates of the sales or quantities that the companies sold to customers. But investigators for the city were able to order fruit- and dessert-flavored e-liquid from the retailers online in September and October, and the products were later shipped to San Francisco addresses, according to the lawsuit. The retailers also failed to comply with a state law that requires e-cigarette sellers to contact customers prior to shipping the products, and to label the package as tobacco products that require a signature of someone 21 years or older, the complaint said. These requirements are meant to deter people under 21 from buying e-cigarette products. All three companies are based in Southern California. They did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. San Francisco in 2019 passed a law banning the sale of e-cigarettes. Juul, the e-cigarette company that at the time was headquartered in San Francisco, attempted to circumvent the ban by introducing and spending millions of dollars on a ballot measure, Proposition C, that would have overturned the ban and allowed the sale of e-cigarettes with new restrictions. San Francisco voters subsequently rejected the measure, allowing the e-cigarette ban to stand. Advertisement Article continues below this ad New HIV cases in San Francisco declined about 5% in 2022 compared with 2021 an encouraging trend that was somewhat dampened by a notable and worrisome rise in HIV among the citys Latino population. Protesters at City Hall in 2022 demanded renewed focus on HIV in public health. Paul Kuroda/Special to the Chronicle 2022 Participants at an HIV rally performed a die-in on the steps of San Francisco City Hall in 2022 to call attention to a loss of focus on HIV testing, treatment and preventive care during the COVID-19 pandemic. While new HIV infections have declined 12% overall since 2019, they rose 10% among Latino residents. Paul Kuroda/Special to the Chronicle 2022 New HIV cases in San Francisco declined about 5% in 2022 compared with 2021 an encouraging trend that was somewhat dampened by a notable and worrisome rise in HIV among the citys Latino population, particularly Latino men. There were 157 new cases of HIV diagnosed in 2022, down from 166 in 2021, according to an annual HIV epidemiology report released by the San Francisco Department of Public Health on Tuesday morning. This marks a continuation of the headway public health officials have made in lowering new HIV infections over the last decade but also reflects a recent slowdown in the progress. Between 2013 and 2019, new cases declined 56%, but between 2019 and 2022 they fell just 12%, according to city data. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Weve continued to see a decline in new HIV infections, which is great, but the rate of decline has slowed the last few years, said Dr. Susan Buchbinder, director of Bridge HIV, the HIV prevention research unit of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Buchbinder said the reasons behind the slowdown are not entirely clear. One partial explanation could be that while new HIV infections are falling in most racial and ethnic groups, they are increasing in the Latino community. Even as new HIV infections have declined 12% overall since 2019, they rose 10% among Latino residents, the only racial and ethnic group that saw an increase during the period. And for the first time, the rate of new HIV diagnoses is higher among Latino men than in any other racial and ethnic groups 84 per 100,000 for Latino men, compared with 68 for Black men, 19 for white men, and 9 for Asian American and Pacific Islander men. This marks a change from the last several years, when the rate had been highest among Black men. Buchbinder said health officials are looking into whether Latino men newly diagnosed with HIV are foreign-born or U.S.-born so they can better understand how to tailor their services for prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The number of deaths among people with HIV rose about 12% in 2022 to 312, compared with 279 in 2021. That marks a roughly 19% increase since 2019. Part of this is to be expected, since the population of people living with HIV is aging. About 73% of people living with HIV in San Francisco are 50 older, and about 40% are 60 and older. People living with HIV are applauded during the annual World AIDS Day observance held at the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Friday, Dec. 1. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle We expect there may be age-related deaths, but we have some other concerns, Buchbinder said. One of them is the uptick in drug overdoses as the cause of death among people living with HIV. Between 2010 and 2013, drug overdoses accounted for 10% of deaths among people living with HIV. That has since jumped to 18%. That is really high, Buchbinder said. Nearly 1 in 5 deaths of people living with HIV is due to an overdose. I think this is a microcosm of a larger problem we have with overdose deaths in the city. Muni passengers have other ways to pay their fare even if they dont tap a Clipper card. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Regarding BART, Muni to receive bulk of Bay Area transits $776 million bailout, if they address fare evasion (Bay Area, SFChronicle.com, Nov. 26): The article unfairly impugns the high rates of fare compliance on Muni. Data unearthed by transit advocate Chris Arvin and posted on Twitter/X shows that when fare inspections are conducted, the compliance rate was at about 90%, at least on the 38 Geary in 2022. Passengers see people not tapping a Clipper Card and assume that they are fare cheats. But even if they dont tap, people have other ways to pay their fares. They might have a transfer or a monthly pass or pay their fare on an app. People 18 and younger and low-income seniors 65 and older can ride for free. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We can always do more for fare compliance on Muni, including creating fare products that fit the new age of remote work. But the notion that Muni is full of fare cheats is a pernicious fantasy that is not backed up by the data. Mike Chen, San Francisco What Zionism is Ive been reading letters and articles, and I think theres a lot of confusion about what it means to support Israel. Zionism is simply the belief that the Jewish people are entitled to their own country on some portion of their ancestral land as part of a larger community of countries. If you believe the state of Israel has the right to exist, congratulations, youre a Zionist! Advertisement Article continues below this ad Being a Zionist does not mean you cannot criticize, publicly protest, dislike, be frustrated with, disagree with or be angry with Israeli leaders or actions of the Israeli government. So when someone says they stand with Israel, hold a beat to understand if they just mean they support its right to exist but not necessarily the actions of the government. They may share the same frustrations you have. Roger Feigelson, executive director, San Francisco Hillel Anti-Zionist or non-Zionist? Regarding Jews not monolithic (Letters to the Editor, Dec. 1): David Spero wrote to complain that the Chronicle quoted the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council, who opposed the Oakland City Council Gaza cease-fire resolution, rather than members of Jewish Voice for Peace, who supported the resolution. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Spero mischaracterized the Jewish Community Relations Council as unconditionally supporting Israel and Jewish Voice for Peace as non-Zionist. The council unconditionally supports the existence of Israel, the Jewish state, but has criticized the policies of the government of Israel. Meanwhile, Jewish Voice for Peace advertises itself as the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world. It is anti-Zionist, not non-Zionist; it does not believe that a Jewish state should exist in the world. Jewish Voice for Peace is an important voice, but it represents only a tiny minority of the Jewish community; the overwhelming majority of us are either Zionists or non-Zionists. But by all means, if you wish to see Israel dismantled, follow Speros advice and check out Jewish Voice for Peace. Todd Silverstein, San Rafael Advertisement Article continues below this ad Not a solution Regarding More S.F. homeless people would be put on buses out of the city under new proposal (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, Nov. 28): Is it not an oxymoron to send the homeless home? Presumably, the reason people are homeless is that they do not have a home. Simply sending these people back to the place they came from is not a solution; it is kicking the can down the road, and it is not compassionate, caring or solving the problem of homelessness. There is a reason homeless people left wherever it is they came from and ended up on the street. Surely we can do better. Certainly, we must. Helen Ogden, Pacific Grove, Monterey County Advertisement Article continues below this ad OConnors legacy Regarding First female justice was pioneer (Page One, Dec. 2): Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnors career was indeed historic but not as doctrinaire feminists would have it or in anything mentioned in the boilerplate obituary of her. With her partisan vote and role in crafting the majority opinion in the courts ruling on the 2000 presidential vote, she was responsible for George W. Bush becoming president rather than Al Gore, who might have done something about climate change while there was still time. Now it is too late. This is OConnors historic legacy. Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state leaders announce SB2, gun safety legislation on Feb. 1 in Sacramento. Gun advocates filed a suit against the states upcoming law for concealed carry of firearms, challenging its authority to require a psychological exam for applicants and refusal to recognize gun-carry permits from other states. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Gun advocates filed another suit Monday against Californias upcoming rules for concealed carry of firearms, challenging their authority to allow local governments to require a psychological exam for applicants and the states refusal to recognize gun-carry permits from other states. A law scheduled to take effect in January will make it extremely difficult, if not outright impossible or impermissibly time-consuming, for (applicants) to obtain permits to carry a concealed firearm in public and therefore to exercise their right to be armed in public, attorneys for Gun Owners of America, the National Rifle Association-affiliated California Rifle & Pistol Association, other groups and individual gun owners said in a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles. The same organizations sued the state in September, hours after the Legislature had passed SB2 and before Gov. Gavin Newsom had signed it. That suit contended that the new law would violate the right to carry firearms in public by designating many types of locations including schools, parks, government buildings, banks and public transit as sensitive places where such weapons were prohibited. Advertisement Article continues below this ad SB2 by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge (Los Angeles County), is the states response to last years Supreme Court ruling overturning a New York law that required individuals to show a special need for self-defense in order to carry concealed weapons in public. California has a similar law but stopped enforcing the special-need requirement after the ruling. The new law eliminates the self-defense requirement while raising the minimum age for the gun permits from 18 to 21 and requiring applicants to complete a training course. It retains the previous laws requirement of good moral character for concealed carry permits as well as a provision allowing cities and counties to require applicants to pass a mental health test administered by a psychologist. That would subject a gun owners right to the subjective impressions and opinions of the person conducting the evaluation rather than objective standards, lawyers for the gun organizations wrote. They also cited the standard set by Justice Clarence Thomas, in the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling, that any government restrictions on firearms must be consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearms regulation dating back to the countrys founding. There was no Founding-era tradition of testing the mental condition of each and every individual seeking to exercise their rights to carry arms in public, the suit said. The lawyers said some local governments are using the new law to charge fees of $1,000 for concealed carry permits compared with $60 for a five-year permit in Arizona and requiring applicants to wait a year or longer. And they argued that the state is violating the rights of out-of-state residents by refusing to honor their concealed carry permits. Advertisement Article continues below this ad (I)f you are visiting California from another state, or if you need to cross into the state regularly for work, you check your federally enumerated right to carry for self-defense at Californias border, the suit contended. The case could be transferred to the court of U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney of Santa Ana, who is hearing the earlier suit against SB2. In a separate case in March, Carney struck down a 10-year-old California law requiring certain newly sold handguns to include microstamping technology, which allows police to trace cartridges from crime scenes, and equipment enabling the owner to know whether the gun is loaded and preventing accidental firings. The state has appealed his ruling. The request seemed simple. With Covid now behind us, would a senior head office manager of one of Britain's biggest hospitality firms please return full-time to the office rather than spend Mondays and Fridays working from home? I was staggered by the reply. 'I feel as if I'm being bullied,' the manager had said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that tens of thousands of the company's employees, from bar tenders to hotel cleaners, were hard at work from early in the morning to late at night. Thankfully, the delusional manager wasn't on my payroll, but I heard this cautionary tale from a business rival as we swapped stories on how desperate the labour market has become since Covid. As a businessman with 1,000 employees in the hospitality sector, I despair at the effect recent events have had on the attitude of many in the workforce today. A huge proportion of hospitality staff did not bother going back to their jobs after they had effectively been paid to sit around and do nothing for the best part of two years under the Government's 70 billion furlough scheme. People were forced to work from home during the height of the coronavirus pandemic while the furlough scheme for those unable to do their jobs cost the Government 70 billion (Stock Image) Hugh Osmond (pictured) thinks furlough has destroyed Britain's work ethic and called the scheme a terrible mistake Meanwhile, many of those who did go back decided they no longer wanted to work full-time. And in my own companies' experience, fewer of our young new recruits want to commit to full-time work - perhaps because, instead of attending lessons and lectures at school and university, many either studied at home or in their digs during lockdown. So I find it unsurprising that a study released this week by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has found that Britain has a major economic problem caused by a shift in people's approach to work. Fewer Britons have returned to full employment than workers in other countries, and those who have returned work for fewer days than before. It's no surprise either that the BIS concluded that countries such as Britain, the U.S. and Canada, which had the most generous furlough schemes, also have the biggest problem in dragging people back into the office. And, my goodness, was our scheme generous. The 70 billion spent during the furlough scheme should be put into context. Rishi Sunak's Government has said 20 billion, for instance, is being set aside to rebuild five major hospitals and to spend on new NHS infrastructure. Meanwhile, it cost the Ministry of Defence a comparatively mere 6 billion to construct two aircraft carriers. What is so astonishing is that, in lavishing this 70 billion on furlough, those running our economy have overturned that truism of human nature: we need financial incentives to motivate us to work, which patently makes it absurd to pay people to do nothing at home. In Britain, we pride ourselves on a north European work ethic, a Victorian drive that administered an empire. 'If you work hard, you'll get on in life,' has been a simple maxim passed on to children from generations of parents for hundreds of years. Career progression brought better pay, a fancier job title and greater satisfaction. This was the 'carrot' while the 'stick' was the threat of penury, or at least limited means and a lower standard of living. And these twin motivations have been crucial to economic success in Britain and the U.S., the Anglo-Saxon powerhouses of capitalism, for the past two centuries. But the furlough scheme turned the idea of incentivising people on its head. No longer are we a hard-working nation of shopkeepers who get up at the crack of dawn. Today, there's a 'back in 15 minutes' sign on the shop door as we struggle to re-ignite our passion for work. Between March 2020 and September 2021, the Treasury furloughed nearly 12 million people on 80 per cent of their wages - essentially forcing them to sit at home at the taxpayer's expense [it wasn't an option for hospitality to stay open; we were compelled to close and send staff home]. Some people used the furlough scheme to gently slide into semi-retirement. Others moonlighted with secret second jobs. But many more simply took the money not to work - and got used to it. Measures such as working from home became difficult to reverse because a perk of employment quickly becomes an entitlement. To anyone struggling to run a business since Covid, this principle of entitlement is painfully plain. It's only now that the world's central bankers are catching up. A study released this week by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has found that Britain has a major economic problem caused by a shift in people's approach to work (Stock Image) 'Workers' preferences have shifted in favour of fewer working hours,' the BIS report says. 'Since the pandemic... the unwillingness to work has been most pronounced in countries such as Britain that gave the biggest handouts.' You don't say! While there are a million unfilled vacancies in Britain, the latest figures show that a quarter of working-age people are economically inactive that's people who neither work nor seek employment. The figure remains stubbornly higher than pre-Covid levels. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt this week acknowledged the problem, introducing tough new welfare reforms to encourage people back into work. He also compared Britain's 'participation rate' - the proportion of people in work - unfavourably to the Netherlands during a think-tank event this week. READ MORE: Civil servants are ordered back to the office for at least three days a week as Rishi Sunak targets Whitehall's WFH habits Advertisement 'If we had the same number of women in work as in Holland, relative to the size of population, we would have two million more people in work in the UK so we would have filled every vacancy in the economy twice over,' he said. Large numbers of those who are not working comprise the 2.6 million people who are on long-term sick leave - many with mental health issues. Needless to say, these people do not contribute anything to the nation's productivity and have to be paid for by those who actually do work. To me, it shows that lockdown and the generous furlough scheme that accompanied it were a huge mistake. Of course, given the draconian response to the pandemic, support was needed for those industries that were closed by government decree or suffered from a drastic slowdown as their customers were forced to stay indoors. But the furlough scheme outlived the initial panic for nearly two years. And it came at a terrible cost - contributing to the 400 billion of government debt with which we have been saddled. To pay off this monstrous IOU and its insatiable demand for interest, a Tory government has felt it necessary to tax the population at the highest level in 70 years. An economy cannot grow when fewer people are producing fewer products in fewer hours. By flooding the economy with money not linked to increased productivity, the furlough scheme has made us poorer as a nation. I've spoken to former employees who can't see the sense in working as a bar manager when all their mates 'work' from home for much of the week and effectively enjoy every Monday and Friday off. The benefits and tax system has to change so that it makes clear sense to work rather than lounge around at home. We have to use both the carrot and stick to encourage people to return to work five days a week, so we as a nation become more productive and the fruits of all that labour passes through the system. If we don't, the terrible effects of furlough will be felt for decades and Britain will be locked in a downward spiral that will make us poorer still and diminish our global stature. Hugh Osmond is founder of Punch Taverns and a director of the Various Eateries restaurant group. It was the sort of a simple 'wobble' that many new students go through in their first weeks at University. A little homesickness, perhaps, mixed with fear of the new and a little buyer's remorse. But there's no such thing as a simple wobble when you are second-in-line to the throne and your every move is scrutinised, as Prince William found in his first weeks at St Andrews. Indeed his suggestion that he drop out after his first term was viewed not merely as unhelpful but as a potential public relations disaster. It wasn't long into his first year at university before William realised how 'boring' - his word - life in a small Scottish seaside town could be. Prince William enrolled at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2001. But he was ready to drop out after just a few months there University did not at first live up to his expectations, according to royal biographers It was suggested that William had only spent only two of his first 13 term-time weekends at St Andrews, often leaving for London or Gloucestershire as soon as his work for the week was over He had grown up surrounded by the bright lights, of course, and St Andrews had not entirely lived up to expectations, according to royal biographer Robert Lacey. At that stage, he suggests, the highlights for William had included 'shopping in the local Tesco'. And while there were nights out with friends, these were constrained and 'clouded' thanks to his status as a prince. 'Academically, the prince did not find his history of art course all it was cracked up to be either,' suggests Lacey in his book Battle of Brothers. William would flee the university as often as he could, making his way all the way back to London or Highgrove as soon as his studies concluded for the week on As royal author Tina Brown put it in her book, The Palace Papers, William 'was bored by St Andrews for all the reasons his police protection liked it.' There were some reports that the prince had spent only two of his first 13 term-time weekends in the town. True or not, when he returned home for Christmas in December 2001, the future king told his father, Prince Charles, that he was ready to leave - or at very least change university for somewhere in England or abroad. Even 'cosmopolitan' Edinburgh seemed attractive in comparison with parochial Fife. But while his father agreed to the change, officials at Buckingham Palace were less understanding, reports Lacey. Charles' private secretory, Sir Stephen Lamport and his deputy and 'spin doctor', Mark Bolland, were equally horrified, and said that 'it would have been a personal disaster for William'. The officials believed that it would paint the prince as a quitter, fearing a repeat of the criticism that followed Prince Edward's decision to pull out of the Royal Marine training course. When he came home for Christmas in December 2001, the future king told his father, Prince Charles , that he was ready to leave St Andrews While his father agreed to the change, officials at Buckingham Palace were less understanding and urged the prince stick with it Then there was the prospect of an 'even bigger' disaster for the monarchy, what Lacey describes as, 'The likely political and social fallout in Scotland, where much had been made of the heir to the throne coming to study north of the border.' It was untimely given that in 1998, just three years earlier, Scotland had voted for devolution. After the passing of the Scotland Act 1998, powers from Westminster were transferred to a newly established Scottish parliamentary body. 'William needs to knuckle down and not wimp out,' was Prince Philip's reported response . St Andrews reportedly worked hard to keep the Prince and William was able to transfer to geography, a subject he would enjoy better. In the Palace Papers Brown suggested that the future Princess of Wales also played a part in William's happiness at St Andrews. She wrote: 'At this critical juncture, Kate Middleton showed a gentle mastery of soft power reminiscent of how the Queen Mother handled George VI. 'In a series of earnest conversations, she urged William to drop his art history, a subject in which he had little or no interest.' Tina Brown suggested that Catherine, the future Princess of Wales, had also played a part in keeping William at university Prince William pictured at his graduation ceremony in June 2005 Speaking about life at St Andrews later in 2003, the prince said he felt 'daunted' in completely alien terrority. He said: 'It's new surroundings, new scenery, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It's the same as starting school really and I was a little uneasy. 'But I went home and talked to my father during the holidays and throughout that time debated about whether to come back - not seriously, seriously debating it - but it did cross my mind. 'My father was very understanding about it and realised I had the same problems as he probably had. He was very good about it and we chatted a lot and in the end, we both realised - I definitely realised - that I had to come back. Vet Sean McCormack has warned of the 'itchy' and 'restricting' fabrics on pets With temperatures rapidly cooling as the UK's winter season descends, some pet owners are taking extra measures to make sure their furry friends are also wrapped up while outdoors. The market for pet clothing has rocketed over recent years, with Fashion Network UK reporting that 75% of 1000 surveyed owners admitted purchasing outfits for their pets, even if only for one-off events such as Christmas. However, with searches for festive jumpers for dogs having increased by 284% this month, a vet has warned of the dangers of dressing your pets for Christmas. Sean McCormack, Head Vet at tails.com, has warned that particular fabrics can be itchy and irritating to an animal's fur and skin, and that tight materials can restrict movement for your pet. The vet has detailed which fabrics should be avoided, how to spot the symptoms of a possible allergic reaction and how to recognise when your pet is uncomfortable. Vet Sean McCormack has warned that particular fabrics can be itchy and irritating to an animal's fur and skin (stock image) Sean told Belfast Live: 'With Christmas day fast approaching, it can be more tempting than ever to dress up your furry friend and get them to pose for a photo. 'As cute as it might look on Instagram, many dogs do not actually enjoy wearing jumpers, while others may be irritated by certain fabrics the clothes are made from.' Sean explained that although allergic reactions to certain materials can occur, it is the rubbing and restrictiveness that can cause your pet irritation. According to the vet, one of the main offenders that can cause irritation in pets is wool. While it's a desirable material for most humans, wool can be highly uncomfortable for pups and felines with sensitive skin. Sean added: 'Another fabric that might cause irritation is nylon. While nylon is a very commonly used fabric, canines who are allergic can experience itchy and inflamed skin.' However, if your pet is regularly in contact with products containing nylon, such as blankets, toys and collars, a nylon jumper should be safe for them to wear for a limited amount of time. Sean has also stated that faux fur can cause itchiness for certain breeds of dogs. Although the material is ideal for keeping humans warm, there is a risk that faux fur can cause dogs with thicker coats to overheat, because they have natural insulation. How to spot severe irritation or allergic reactions to fabrics in your pet Weeping eyes Excessive scratching A runny nose Itchy ears Sneezing Head shaking Swelling feet Swelling around the face Skin redness caused by scratching Bald patches caused by hair loss Cuts on the skin that show a dog has been scratching If your furry friend starts to present any of the more serious signs of irritation or a reaction, such as swelling, baldness, cuts or even infections, it is essential that you take them to a vet. Advertisement The vet has also warned of less obvious fabric such as that of cotton blends. If an item of pet clothing is not made from 100% pure cotton, it can cause irritation. Feathers are definite no-go, according to Sean, because they present as both a choking hazard and an extreme irritation for dogs in particular, even if not directly touching their fur. Sean advises that in order to avoid any unnecessary stress for your pet when dressing them in clothing, it is recommended that items are made from pure cotton. When making a decision on whether or not to dress your pooch or feline in a festive jumper, pet owners should always prioritise their happiness and wellbeing. Particular dog breeds find wearing any sort of additional layers incredibly stressful, and the feeling of annoyance can often be difficult to recognise. It is advised by Sean that your dog or cat is not wearing clothing for a long period of time - and if they begin to display signs of distress, remove the outfit immediately. Sean has also warned of the likelihood of heat from other sources causing irritation in pets, such as extra guests in the home or central heating being switched on. He said: 'When the heating's on and the house is crowded, your home can become hot and uncomfortable for your dog. If your dog has a warm jumper on, they may overheat quickly. 'It's important to monitor the temperature of your home and pet, if they start to display signs of overheating, including panting and salivation then it's a clear sign your dog is uncomfortable.' Sean added that although it can be difficult at times to read your pet's body language, some of the key sings in recognising when they're irritated are: having their tail tucked between their legs, rubbing against furniture or excessive licking. He concluded: 'If your pet is wearing a fun festive jumper, then they shouldnt be left unattended near potential hazards including a fire. 'Check before putting a jumper on your pets that the surrounding environment cant cause any harm to your pet, or that the clothing itself fits correctly and wont cause injury from snagging or discomfort.' In 2022, researchers from Spain's Basque Country University warned that owners who dress dogs in clothing may see their beloved pooch as human. They found people are more likely to buy them an outfit if they show signs of seeing the dog as human. This also includes celebrating the pet's birthday and giving them nicknames like 'baby' and 'sweetheart'. Quality Streets fans have spotted their favourite sweet in chocolate bar form - and they're a bargain at just 59p. Bethany Towell, from Scotland, took to the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group on Facebook to share a picture of the bars she'd spotted in her local Farmfoods. The snap, which racked up over 700 like and 800 comments, was captioned: 'Quality Street bars 59p at farmfoods.' The pictured showed the Quality Street Favourites bar in The Purple One and The Orange one. Inspired by the popular purple sweet, the milk chocolate bar contains soft caramel and crunchy hazelnut pieces. Quality Streets fans have spotted their favourite sweet in a chocolate BAR - and they're a bargain at just 59p Meanwhile, the new Orange Crunch bar is milk chocolate with an orange flavoured filling and boiled sugar pieces, offering a soft and crunchy citrus centre. However fans were taken aback to see the generously-sized bars are currently just 59p each. Many rushed to the comments section saying they needed a trip to their local Farmfoods to stock up. One person said: 'Is there a certain limit to buying please? Anyone know? Dont want tons but maybe 6 of each on offer for kids in street x Another said: 'Ummm think you better get some in and stock up maybe lol xxxxxx' Someone else wrote: 'Oooo if they are in my Farmfoods, I'll be getting some of them tonight.' While a fourth said: 'Stop it! Gonna have to leave the group, in Spain & these bars are 2.50 & the extremely small tins are 12! save me some!' It comes after the company - owned by Nestle - announced the arrival of a 'stellar collaboration' in August. Many rushed to the comments section saying they needed a trip to their local Farmfoods to get some, while some people wanted to stock up The chocolate collaboration is set to shake up the sharing bar experience like never before by combining the two flavourful fan favourites -a delicious fusion of the Green Triangle and The Purple One. The new Quality Street Collisions bar will contain three layers of 'textured deliciousness,' combining caramel and creamy hazelnut filling as well as crunchy hazelnut pieces. Samantha Hirst, Brand Manager for Quality Street at Nestle UK and Ireland, said: 'Were sure that Quality Street fans will love the fact that two favourites have been brought together to make a triple-layered treat thats perfect for gifting or sharing with family and friends.' Quality Street Collisions sharing bar is currently available exclusively in Asda, and will be rolled out to supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide later this month. The 235g Quality Street Collisions sharing bar is the first flavour collision and the third addition to the Quality Street sharing bar range. The Quality Street sharing bars were first introduced in 2022, with the Purple One and the Orange Crunch being the first two classics out of the bunch to break out of the iconic purple tin. The beauty pro revealed how to properly get the look, going step-by-step Belle said these easy hacks could help anyone look 'significantly' more attractive Jennifer Belle, based in New York and New Jersey, shared the tricks on TikTok A professional makeup artist has revealed three easy tricks that will make everybody look 'significantly' more attractive. , who is based in New Jersey and New York City, specializes in 'television, film, fashion, print, and bridal makeup,' and shares her expertise on TikTok. Jennifer Belle Dubbing her trio of makeup tips the 'hotness trifecta,' she explained exactly how to perfectly apply them to your face in a recent clip. 'Even if this is not your own personal style, give these tips a try when you need to just look hot,' Belle explained in the beginning of the video. Professional makeup artist Jennifer Belle, who is based in NYC and NJ, has taken to TikTok to share three tricks that will make everyone look attractive Belle is the owner of her own makeup line, Jennifer Belle Makeup. She shares her expertise on the video-sharing platform The beauty pro demonstrated the impact of her three tips, showing off her face before (left) and after (right) she completed the steps Can you master the 'hotness trifecta'? Three makeup tips to make anyone look more attractive The rock star effect : Smudged black eyeliner and bronzer on the waterline : Smudged black eyeliner and bronzer on the waterline The crescent moon effect : Apply bronzer in a crescent moon shape from your temple to your cheek then highlight the center : Apply bronzer in a crescent moon shape from your temple to your cheek then highlight the center The heart effect : Use lipliner to draw the shape of a heart at the center of your top lip Advertisement THE ROCK STAR EFFECT Belle began with a trick she called the 'rock star effect.' 'Take an inky, black eyeliner and line your bottom waterline from corner to corner,' she instructed, as she demonstrated on her own eyes. She used the Sephora Collection Eye Crayon in black for this step. 'Now, just take you bronzer and smudge it out all the way underneath your lashes,' Belle said, using a bronzer from her own collection, Jennifer Belle Makeup, to complete it. The professional explained that even if you had smaller eyes, this trick would still work wonders for you, giving you a 'sultry' look. THE CRESCENT MOON EFFECT Next, she moved on to what she called the 'crescent moon effect.' 'You're going to take your bronzer, and shade in the shape of a crescent moon around your face, from your temple to your cheek,' Belle explained, as she moved her brush in that same motion. 'Now, take a highlighter and highlight the center of the crescent moon from your temple to your cheekbone.' Her 'crescent moon effect' not only gave her skin a gorgeous-looking sheen, but also a sculpted look. She achieved this by using the Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight in the shade Enlighten, along with a bronzer from her line in the shade Latte. The first trick that Belle offered was called the 'rock star effect,' which required applying eyeliner to the bottom lid and topping it off with some bronzer She topped off the eyeliner by patting on some bronzer on the lower lash line with a brush Next was what she called the 'crescent moon' effect, where you bronze your face in the shape of the shape and apply highlighter on top THE HEART EFFECT Last but not least, the makeup artist named the 'heart effect' as the final step in making yourself look more attractive. 'You're just going to take your lip liner and draw the shape of a heart in the center of your lips,' she instructed. 'If you press your lips together, you can see exactly where that heart should be.' She then took a lip gloss from Hailey Bieber's Rhode Beauty brand and swiped it over that heart shape made by the lip liner. 'This creates a really pretty shape to your lips,' she explained. 'And that's it, try these tips when you need to be extra,' Belle concluded. Last but not least was what Belle called the 'heart effect,' where she applied lip liner to her lips in the shape of a heart, and topped it off with some shiny lip gloss After applying these three makeup tricks, Belle's final look was glowing and super sultry looking In the comments section, many were impressed by these seemingly simple tips Belle of the ball! Get the look with these products used in the makeup pro's tutorial Eyeliner crayon in color Black by Sephora collection Bronzer in the shade Latte by Jennifer Belle Makeup Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight in the shade Enlighten by Rare Beauty Lip liner in the shade Holy Grail by Jennifer Belle Makeup Peptide lip tint in shade Jellybean by Rhode Beauty Advertisement As a bonus tip, Belle told DailyMail.com that she also loved to pull the lashes 'outward' with mascara instead of going 'straight up.' Belle explained that she created the video in order to get some people out of their comfort zone. 'I made the tutorial hoping to inspire people to try things that may be outside of their comfort zone,' she told DailyMail.com. 'In particular, the "rockstar effect," so many of my clients are afraid to put anything on their bottom lid because they think it will close their eyes and make them look small.' She said that the technique can give the eyes a 'very sultry' look without going overboard. 'I got so many sweet comments and DMs from women who were afraid to try it, saying how much they loved how they looked when they did it,' she told DailyMail.com. In the comments section, many people seemed to be absolutely mesmerized by the look of these seemingly simple tricks, as the makeup artist had mentioned. 'When I tell you I've tried everything to elevate my eye makeup and the "rockstar" look just did it!!!' one person wrote. 'After years, this is it! Crying happy tears.' Another agreed: 'So stunning! Love these tricks!' 'WOW, got big eyes but gonna do one of these on a first date, thanks girl,' someone else typed. One TikTok user commented, 'The eyeliner look looks so class/seductive. Have to try it.' A woman has suffered a hilarious hair mishap after spending $400 on failed pin curls, with her sister documenting the beauty faux pas in a now-viral TikTok. Leigha Antonia, from New York, detailed the ordeal on the video-sharing platform, with the overlaid text reading, 'My sister getting her hair done for $400 in preparation for our Europe trip,' and the caption: 'Naur.' Usually Leigha shares 'thoughts and fits' with her 22,000 followers, and recently this included their vacation beauty prep but it didn't go quite as planned. Commenters were shocked by the outdated pin curls and wondered why she would spend so much money on the hairstyle. A woman has suffered a hilarious hair mishap after spending $400 for failed pin curls, with her sister documenting the beauty faux pas in a now-viral TikTok While her sister took down the curls (right), their grandmother (left) could be seen howling with laughter in the background The vintage staple: What are pin curls? A hairstylist uses a curling iron and then rolls the hair around their finger to maintain the curl The stylist then pins the curl close to the scalp with two bobby pins crossed Once the hair is completely set, locks can be unpinned and let down The style was particularly popular in the 1940s and 50s Advertisement In the video, her sister showed off pinned-up curls that she had to take down herself one by one. While her sister took down the curls, their grandmother could be seen howling with laughter in the background. The curls looked tight and messy, with many of them not falling into gentle waves at all. Instead, the curls looked completely disheveled and each one was different. The video revealed the shocking results, which were certainly not worth hundreds of dollars... and TikTok commenters agreed. '$400 for a wash, blow dry and curl is nuts,' one popular comment read. In response to the backlash, Leigha shared a video of her sister 'reacting to mean comments on her viral vid,' with the sibling urging people to 'empower women,' and labeled her trolls 'mean.' Others loved that the grandmother was getting in on the joke, writing, 'Not Granny laughing,' and 'Granny just got $400 worth of comedy.' Most people were simply concerned by how much the hairstylist was charging, asking, '$400 on hot rollers? Also she knows she's about to go on a long plane ride first, right?' Others wrote '$400 was the cost of the plane ticket right?' and '$400?!?!? For curls pinned up????' One person pointed out, 'I think you added one too many zeros there.' 'I knew the second I seen the curls pinned upwards,' one commenter pointed out, which sparked a conversation, as another responded: 'My thoughts exactly! Who does that?' Her sister and grandmother laughed when she finally took down her hair on video, showcasing super tight, beauty pageant style curls Commenters explained the pins weren't supposed to be upwards and questioned why she spent $400 on the dated hairdo before a long flight Commenters said she looked ready for Versailles, like doomed Queen of France Marie Antoinette (depicted in portrait circa 1778) 'If they're pinned up it makes the curls start by flipping up if that makes sense. If it's pinned down they'll fall like normal curls,' a helpful commenter weighed in. One beauty guru took to the comments and clarified, 'Kinda like when you curl the front piece of your hair the wrong direction so it looks real odd flipping into your face.' A commenter quipped, 'She's ready for Versailles,' referencing Queen of France Marie Antoinette's elaborately curled wigs, while another critic compared her locks to George Washington's famous hairstyle, which was tied back in a powdered ponytail. Another wrote: 'That's a perfect hairstyle for 1800s trip.' Leigha isn't the first person to document a hair disaster on social media and go viral for their efforts. Chicago-based comedian Maggie Hughes DePalo shared a trending TikTok after her hair-raising experience getting a blowout and her followers couldn't believe how high her coiffure was, even touching the top of her vehicle. Hopefully, the sisters had a good trip in Europe, and were able to get their money back for the failed hairdo. It's official: black is back. Not the faded 'charcoal' black of 2022 but black-black. Inky black. The sort of black that signals sophistication and drama. A full-body black that has been absent from catwalks and front rows and Instagram feeds for years. It was everywhere at Balenciaga's Ready-To-Wear Fall 2024 show held on Saturday in the sunshine of LA. We're talking Nicole Kidman in a black velvet coat dress, black witchy shoes, black gloves, black shades, black clutch bag, black tights... you get the idea. Or fellow Hollywood actress Zooey Deschanel in black leggings, black tuxedo, black boots, black bag the whole black works. Never one to be over-shadowed, Nicola Peltz (alongside husband Brooklyn Beckham), Eva Longoria and Kendall Jenner also chose head-to-toe outfits in the deepest shade of black imaginable for their Balenciaga 'moment'. Sleek: Elizabeth Debicki wears Bottega Veneta at The Crown's LA premiere Barbie no more: Margot Robbie in Prada at last week's Gotham Awards in New York Ballroom: Jodie Turner-Smith in Christopher John Rogers at the Academy Museum Gala in LA this week Suits you: Zooey Deschanel in Balenciaga on Saturday Head-to-toe: Karlie Kloss in Schiaparelli at the Museum Gala Polished: Nicole Kidman in Balenciaga at the label's Fall 2024 show Timeless: Kendall Jenner in a frock by Balenciaga in Beverly Hills Statement bag, earrings and a ribbed turtle neck dress: Eva Longoria in Balenciaga Sheer lace: Dua Lipa in Chanel at the the 3rd Annual Academy Museum Gala at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 3 Cloaked in style: Olivia Wilde in Alexandre Vauthier at the 3rd Annual Academy Museum Gala Glamour: Selena Gomez in Valentino at the Museum Gala Over at the 3rd Annual Academy Museum Gala in LA the next day, it was a more dazzlingly sophisticated sea of black as everyone from Olivia Wilde, Selena Gomez and Karlie Kloss opted for dramatic jet black floor-sweeping gowns. Even Margot Robbie, who has spent most of the year in Barbie Pink, opted for black dress, black cape and black gloves for last week's Gotham Awards. Of course, you could argue that black never went out of fashion, but looking back over the past few years the LBD (little black dress) has been replaced by the CTS (colourful trouser suit), while Instagram has more or less forced every aspiring 'influencer' to ditch black for the photogenic hues of millennial pink, Gen Z yellow and what's known as 'latte dressing' wearing all the hues that come in your morning brew. On the catwalk the contrast has been stark. Post-pandemic designers vied with each other over who could put on the most colourful spectacle, culminating in Valentino's seminal Pink Collection for Autumn/Winter 2022/23. But this year, the major fashion houses from Dior to Givenchy, even the bling-loving Versace, have saturated their collections with black. Mr and Mrs Matching: The Peltz-Beckhams, both in Balenciaga Strapless: Sarah Silverman at the Gala at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 3, 2023 in Los Angeles Golden ticket: Olivia Colman in Roland Mouret at last week's Wonka premiere in London Model look: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Valentino at the British Fashion Awards last night Plunging: Cara Delevingne in Del Core at the Gala in Los Angeles Pin up: Amber Valletta in Alaia at the 3rd Annual Academy Museum Gala at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 03, 2023 in Los Angeles, California Form fitting: Hailey Bieber at the Gala in Saint Laurent Latex: Maya Jama in Atsuko Kudo at Vogue's Forces For Change party last month A-list: Taylor Swift wears Versace at the MTV Awards in September Cut-out: Lily Allen in Philosophy at the Glamour Awards in October Perhaps most tellingly, when former Celine creative director Phoebe Philo finally launched her own long-awaited first collection last month, it was dominated by contrasting textures of black. Times are serious. And tough. They call for a hue that's not only practical, but always looks far more expensive than it actually is and black is that hue. It's dependable at a time when nothing else seems to be; it's dramatic without feeling too 'look at me'. Black is a friend to all body shapes and foe to the algorithms it won't make you stand out on social media. (But since no one seems to be bothered charting their Outfit of the Day any more, that's no bad thing.) There is no colour on Earth quite as wonderful as black. And, after all the raspberry pinks and neons and in-your-face logos that dominated wardrobes and catwalks post-Covid, it seems right that the fashion pendulum has swung back once again to the colour that, as Coco Chanel herself said, 'has it all'. A woman has divided online opinion after taking a 24-hour flight from Australia to the UK to surprise her ex-boyfriend - even though she wasn't sure if he'd take her back or not. Tamika Cheney, 21, dumped Sam Aitken - her boyfriend of three and a half years - when he moved from Queensland to Brighton this year because she didn't want a long distance relationship. But after her ex's mum told her he was still in love with her, Tamika booked a $3,000 flight to England and filmed the moment she showed up at his house for a TikTok video, which has racked up more than 1.7 million views. She admitted that she had no idea if Sam would have another girl there or not, and said she would have just travelled around Europe if he turned her down - which luckily he didn't. Commenters were torn about the reunion, with some joking that their ex would 'get a restraining order if they did this'. A woman has divided online opinion after taking a 24-hour flight from Australia to the UK to surprise her ex-boyfriend - after his mother revealed he's still in love with her Tamika posted the clip to her 93,700 followers with the caption: 'A real-life movie moment! Take risks for the plot ladies #longdistancerelationship.' The post has more than 139,600 likes and 418 comments, with many singletons admitting they were inspired by the 'toxic' act. 'Girl, don't you dare. I'm about to buy a plane ticket,' one wrote. 'This is so toxic,' a second penned. 'I LOVE IT.' 'So what you're telling me is I just need to show up,' another questioned. However, not everyone was as supportive of the endeavour. 'My ex would get a restraining order on me if I did this,' one said. A second wrote: 'You wanna know somethinnn, I did this and it did not work out.' The couple , who had split only four months earlier, can be seen embracing and even share a kiss as an excited Sam opens the door to see Tamika She posted the clip to her 93,700 followers with the caption: 'A real-life movie moment! Take risks for the plot ladies #longdistancerelationship' The post has more than 139,600 likes and 418 comments, with many singletons admitting they were inspired by the 'toxic' act However, Tamika replied, saying: 'But if you hadn't have you would've wondered for the rest of your life! Glad you got your closure!' The couple, who have known each other since meeting at school, broke up earlier this year, when Sam decided to move away to Brighton to pursue his music career with his brother, Tim. He was 'shocked' when Tamika, 21, decided to break up with him and wanted to do long distance. However, Tamika feared this would hold both of them back and ended the relationship. She stayed in touch with her ex after he moved, but jealousy got the better of them both and Tamika decided the pair should cut contact before things got toxic. Tamika Cheney, 21, dumped Sam Aitken - her boyfriend of three and a half years - when he moved from Queensland to Brighton this year. Both pictured reuniting in Brighton Tamika booked a $3,000 flight to England and filmed the moment she showed up at his house in a now viral TikTok video which has racked up more than 1.7 million views The 21-year-old says her ex-beau was 'shocked' by the dumping and wanted the pair to attempt a long-distance relationship - but Tamika feared this would hold them both back However, their reunion last month showed that the love was clearly still there. 'It felt like a movie. It didn't feel real to me,' Tamika said. 'I was very nervous and I think I started shaking my hands because the anticipation was killing me. 'He opened the door and he was obviously very shocked. He walked away because he didn't know how to react.' She admits she 'wasn't expecting the kiss'. 'You see me hesitate and pull back because I didn't know we would get back together,' Tamika continued. 'For the whole afternoon, he couldn't stop touching me. He thought it wasn't real and thought he was in a fever dream.' Tamika admitted that she was worried that Sam wouldn't be alone when she came over. Tamika admitted that she was worried that Sam wouldn't be alone when she came over. Both pictured together The couple, who have known each other since meeting at school when they were little, broke up earlier this year, after Sam decided to move away to pursue his music career with his brother, Tim The model and retail pick-packer stayed in touch with her ex after he moved, but says jealousy got the better of them both and Tamika decided the pair should cut contact before things got toxic. The couple pictured Facetiming 'I was excited. The only thing that crossed my mind was, what if I get there and there's another girl?,' she explained. 'If he had gone out that night and there was another girl in his house the day that I arrived. That was the worst-case scenario for me. 'I had a plan if he didn't want me there or felt weird about it. I was just going to travel Europe for the month I was there.' Tamika revealed that the trip was very 'spontaneous' - and she was spurred on by Sam's mother. 'I still had a very good relationship with his family so I visited his mum and dad for dinner,' she recounted. 'His mum told me that he was very much still in love with me and didn't see himself moving on.' Unbeknownst to Tamika, Sam's mother had even booked her a flight for November to visit her ex in the UK because he was 'so sad' without her. 'She said they would send me over and it doesn't have to be romantic, but obviously he was my first love - it was always going to be a little bit romantic,' she gushed. Tamika planned to spend a month in Brighton, but admitted she didn't see herself living in the city at first. Tamika planned to spend a month in Brighton in the hope she would later move to join Sam - but admitted she didn't see herself living in the city The pair are now in a long-distance relationship until Sam visits Australia in January - and Tamika hopes to make the move to Brighton in February After two weeks in England, the pair booked a holiday to Mallorca which Tamika says convinced her to move to Europe - and she and Sam decided to get back together. 'Brighton was very different to the Sunshine Coast,' she explained. 'I tried to get up and go walking in the morning but in Australia, if you get up and go to the beach for a swim it's packed and everyone says hello and it's a very friendly vibe.' Tamika said she went for a walk in Brighton but didn't have the best impression of the area. 'There's not many people out, it's a little bit scary and there's rubbish everywhere,' she recalled. 'I thought this might not work. 'I had just spent a lot of money for something I'm considering isn't going to work.' However, after Sam organised four nights in Mallorca, the couple decided to give it a try. 'We got back together in Spain,' she said. 'We decided to give it another crack. It was very much a mutual decision. 'He said we can start travelling together and that's when I started looking up. I won't just be stuck in Brighton. That's when I decided to come over.' The pair are now in a long-distance relationship until Sam visits Australia in January - and Tamika hopes to make the move to Brighton in February. Princess Eugenie has shared a series of touching photographs taken behind the scenes of her charity's first gala, held at the Battersea Arts Centre in south London, last Wednesday. For the occasion, Eugenie, 33, was joined by her mother, Sarah Ferguson, sister, Princess Beatrice, and husband, Jack Brooksbank - as well as wider family and friends, including Zara Tindall, Ed Sheeran and Natalie Pinkham. In a 10-slide post on Instagram, the mother-of-two showed her appreciation for those who attended The Anti-Slavery Collective's glamorous event designed to raise awareness of human trafficking. Eugenie, who stunned in a black satin dress by Peter Pilotto, radiated joy while posing alongside her mother, Sarah, sister, Beatrice, and husband, Jack, who donned a smart tuxedo for the evening. A further snap shows Zara Tindall and TV presenter Natalie Pinkham beaming during the dinner party - perhaps when Ed Sheeran and James Blunt took to the stage. In a photo posted on the Princess Eugenie's stories, she is sharing a warm embrace with friend and co-founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective, Jules Meanwhile, in a photo posted on the Princess' stories, she is sharing a warm embrace with friend and co-founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective, Jules, accompanied by the caption 'Be a force for freedom with your bestie too!'. The inaugural gala was held at the Battersea Arts Centre, under a vaulted ceiling lit by neon purple lights and huge chandeliers. The Princess offered a glimpse of the finer details too: a bright pink tablescape, featuring flowers, candles and plates, adorned with the word 'happiness'. There were also decadent chocolates and cakes on display, provided by charity partners Caritas and Tony's Chocolonely. Eugenie wrote: 'Last week @the_anti_slavery_collective - a charity I co-founded with my friend Jules, brought together a group to raise awareness and funds in the fight against human trafficking. 'What an honour to have @teddysphotos lending his spectacular voice to our cause. 'Force for Freedom was designed to bring people together on a mission to eradicate modern slavery. 'Unfortunately, there are an estimated 50m people across the globe under some form of modern slavery and we are trying to raise awareness of not just this issue but how people can play their part in helping. A further snap shows Zara Tindall and TV presenter Natalie Pinkham beaming during the dinner party - perhaps when Ed Sheeran and James Blunt took to the stage Eugenie, who stunned in a black satin dress by Peter Pilotto, radiated joy while posing alongside her mother, sister and friend, Jules The Princess offered a glimpse of the finer details too: a bright pink tablescape, featuring flowers, candles and plates adorned with the word 'happiness' The inaugural gala was held at the Battersea Arts Centre, under a vaulted ceiling lit by neon purple lights and huge chandeliers Eugenie's husband, Jack Brooksbank, donned a smart tuxedo to the event at Battersea Arts Centre The Anti-Slavery Collective founders, Eugenie (right) and Jules posed for photos During the evening, Princess Eugenie and Jules took to the stage in front of their guests There was a display wall filled with signs promoting the fight against human trafficking Princess Eugenie and Jules were pictured admiring the colourful anti-slavery signs Ed Sheeran and James Blunt performed for guests at the Battersea Arts Centre Ed Sheeran appeared to have a great time performing at the swanky London bash A host of guests attended the glamorous event, including friends and family of Princess Eugenie 'We are honoured to have worked with some of our grassroots partners such as Bhakita house, The Salvation Army, Tony's Chocolonley and survivors of modern slavery to weave the message through the event and shine a much needed light on what's going on in the world. 'Thank you to all those who came, supported and helped us put it on.' Princess Eugenie stunned in a black satin dress by Peter Pilotto, completed with embossed buttons and a thigh-high slit. She is clearly a fan of the designer, who also made her wedding dress to marry Jack Brooksbank in 2018. Adding even more star-power to the look, Eugenie accessoried with a Gabriela Hearst Metallic Nina Lambskin Bag and Jimmy Choo Lang 100 Gold Metallic Sandals. Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice repeated her Self-Portrait black blazer dress with Nicholas Kirkwood pumps. Both the York sisters' husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank dressed up in smart tuxedos for the evening. Julia de Boinville, the co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective, added a touch of glam in sequined green gown. Through the charity, founded in 2017, Julia and Eugenie have worked across several sectors to help bring an end to modern slavery and also launched their podcast Floodlight, where they interview guests on how best to end the practice around the world. Shira Stein is The San Francisco Chronicle's Washington correspondent, covering national politics and policy with a particular eye to the impacts on California. She was previously a health care reporter and received several awards for her work covering the COVID-19 pandemic for Bloomberg. She also covered the fall of Roe v. Wade, including being the first to report President Joe Bidens consideration of a public health emergency for reproductive rights; the Trump administrations efforts to lower prescription drug prices; and the third legal fight to overturn the Affordable Care Act. She previously interned at the Washington Post, Bloomberg Law, and the Colorado-based Durango Herald. She is a native of the Bay Area and a graduate of American University. She can be reached at shira.stein@sfchronicle.com. Sarah Ferguson has stressed the importance of 'turning your cheek to joy' following a breast cancer diagnosis and mastectomy earlier this year as she opened up about how her loved ones - especially her two daughters - rallied around her in support. The Duchess of York, 64, was on Lorraine today, as she backed Big Give's Christmas Challenge - which doubles your donation to a worthy cause for the festive season. She opened up about the need for optimism after, in early May, attending an appointment in London for a mammogram. Rather than being given the all-clear, as expected, the technician explained that a 'shadow' could be seen in the breast. In June, she had undergone a successful single mastectomy at King Edward VII's Hospital in London, and today told Lorraine that her children Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, as well as the medical professionals which took care of her, kept her outlook positive. The Duchess of York , 64, was on Lorraine today, as she backed Big Give's Christmas Challenge - which doubles your donation to a worthy cause for the festive season 'The girls and I were a tripod together and the grandchildren,' she told the programme today. 'I'm doing well... I feel the potential for optimism is what I would want for everyone to come away from this show about because that's what you give. 'You just turn your cheek to joy, turn your cheek to optimism.' She opened up about the 'teamwork' it took to keep her spirit up. 'You're diagnosed, you're really sitting in the car and you think "Ok that's it", you know. "I've finished",' she recounted. 'And then of course the nurses, the support, the team come round... 'It was really the nurses and all the people - teamwork.' The duchess's cancer nightmare began earlier this year when a routine test first detected something was seriously wrong before the Coronation. Sarah Ferguson has stressed the importance of 'turning your cheek to joy' following a breast cancer diagnosis and mastectomy earlier this year as she opened up about how her loved ones - especially her two daughters - rallied around her in support She opened up about the need for optimism after, in early May, attending an appointment in London for a mammogram Speaking on the show, Sarah also showed her ardent support for a Huddersfield charity, which organises trips for families affected by cancer or life limiting illnesses In early May, Sarah attended an appointment in London for a mammogram. Rather than being given the all-clear, as expected, the technician explained that a 'shadow' could be seen in the breast. Given the size of the area, a lumpectomy was ruled out and Sarah was strongly advised to go ahead with a single mastectomy, which would eradicate the shadow of cancerous cells across the breast. Speaking on the show today, Sarah also showed her ardent support for a Huddersfield charity, which organises trips for families affected by cancer or life limiting illnesses. She was full of praise for Ruddi's Retreat - named after eleven-year-old Ruddi Waterworth-Jones, who battled cancer at only six months old. As a baby Ruddi spent more than a year undergoing aggressive treatment for rhabdomarsacoma, a rare cancer of the soft tissue. During that time the family benefited from the use of a free holiday home courtesy of the Candlelighters Charity. Ruddi's Retreat aims to provide similar respite and quality time to families with seriously ill children. The charity opened its first static caravan at Primrose Valley in Filey, Yorkshire, in 2012. Sarah also told Lorraine about how she would like to see 'love and forgiveness' in all families this Christmas. When Lorraine asked if well ever see 'the whole family' come together again because 'Christmas is a time to bring people together', Sarah said, 'I couldnt agree more. If we watch enough of these Christmas movies and sing enough of these Christmas songs... Can we just all have love, forgiveness and happiness and joy?' She adde: 'I feel strongly the greatest gift you can give today is understanding, no judgement, no race, creed, colour or any other domination, just love. Theres no better gift than love. 'People say to me, you dont wear your heart on your sleeve, Fergie or Sarah, you wear it all over your body because that's what I am.' Sarah has been candid about her experiences with breast cancer earlier this year. Pictured in September It comes as Sarah last night made an appearance at Princess Beatrice's charity's inaugural gala at the Battersea Arts Centre in south London. Princess Eugenie led the glamour on a very star-studded night out in London on Wednesday as she was joined by her mother and sister. Perhaps one of the best connected royals, Eugenie, 33, was joined by a flurry of A-list stars, including Ed Sheeran and James Blunt. Looking stunning in a black satin dress with a thigh-high split, by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, the royal was also joined by dozens of high society pals including cousin Zara Tindall, Prince Harry's ex Cressida Bonas, TV presenter Natalie Pinkham and former Prime Minster Theresa May. Both the York sisters husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank dressed up in smart tuxedos for the evening. Julia de Boinville, the co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective, added a touch of glam in sequined green gown. Through the charity, founded in 2017, Julia and Eugenie, have worked across several sectors to help bring an end to modern slavery and also launched their podcast Floodlight, where they interview guests on how best to end the practice around the world. The York trio each oozed elegance in black frocks as they smiled alongside each other, with Beatrice sporting a Self Portrait dress with jacket detailing, while Eugenie chose a Peter Pilotto & Christopher de Vos satin-effect gown with a slit in the skirt and gathering at the waist, plus gold button detailing. Eugenie is clearly a fan of the Australian-Italian design duo who also made her wedding dress to marry Jack Brooksbank in 2018. Adding even more star-power to the look, Eugenie added a Gabriela hearst Metallic Nina Lambskin Bag and Jimmy Choo Lang 100 Gold Metallic Sandals. Speaking ahead of the event Eugenie, 33, praised Ed Sheeran, who performed, for his involvement, saying: 'It's the most insane thing. Ed is game changer and an entertainer of a generation, so I'm absolutely lost of words that he's coming. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated? What is breast cancer? It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts. When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule. Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare. Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body. The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated. What causes breast cancer? A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics. What are the symptoms of breast cancer? The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign. The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit. How is breast cancer diagnosed? Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours. Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer. If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray. How is breast cancer treated? Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used. Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour. Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery. Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying. Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer. How successful is treatment? The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure. The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage. For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000 Advertisement 'He's also one of the nicest people so I'm truly honoured and very grateful to have him there and help us on The Anti-Slavery Collective's mission.' Eugenie, the second child of the Duke and Duchess of York, said she had been motivated to set up the charity, which aims to end modern slavery by the humanitarian work of her mother, Sarah Ferguson 'My mum does a lot of charity work and always raised my sister and I to give back,' Princess Eugenie said. The Royal, who now lives in Portugal with her husband Jack and their two sons, said that a trip to Calcutta with her mother and Julia in 2012 had sown the seeds for the Anti-Slavery Collective. The Spanish Royal Family have been no stranger to controversy in recent years - and now Queen Letizia has found herself in the centre of an uncomfortable media storm. The royal, 51, is the topic of a new bombshell book called 'Letizia & I: What Secrets is Queen Letizia hiding?' by 91-year-old journalist Jaime Penafiel. On Sunday night, Jaime del Burgo - who was a main contributor to the book and the Queen's ex-brother-in-law - tweeted an old photo of the royal as 'proof' that he did have a romantic relationship with the royal, as he claims in the biography. In a series of explosive allegations, the businessman claimed Letizia suggested they use a LA-based surrogate so they could have their own biological child and insisted the pair were looking into relocating to the US before she called time on the relationship. However, Letizia's alleged affair with Jaime - who would later go on to marry her younger sister Telma - isn't the only bombshell claim in the book, which hit shelves in Spain last month. Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia in Madrid last month. The Queen's ex-brother-in-law alleges in a new book that the royal suggested they have a baby together via a US surrogate Elsewhere, author Jaime Penafiel claims that disgraced King Juan Carlos - who abdicated in June 2014 - never approved of the newsreader and urged his son to get a divorce. On top of this, the book alleges that the Queen cheated on her first husband on several occasions and was unsure about dating King Felipe at first. Here FEMAIL delves inside all the intimate details and extraordinary allegations in the book - from rumoured romances to familial tensions. Failed first marriage and 'dating colleagues' Before marrying King Felipe in 2004, Queen Letizia - who was a popular newsreader - was briefly married to her high school English Literature teacher Alonso Guerrero Perez. Letizia's ex-husband was nine years her senior and the couple wed in 1998 following their 10 year romance, with the pair meeting when Letizia was just 16. However, the pair divorced the following year. In the bombshell book, Jaime Penafiel sensationally claims that Letizia cheated on her first husband with a trainee reporter at Efe, the largest Spanish news agency in the world. The author makes the outlandish claim that Letizia slept with the colleague while she was in Mexico and later went on to visit him on assignments in Houston and La Vegas. In his bombshell book 'Letizia & I: What Secrets Is Queen Letizia Hiding?', author Jaime Penafiel alleges that Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos (pictured on their granddaughter's baptism day) never approved of Letizia What's more, the author also alleges that the future Queen was also dating another journalist around this time too. 'Letizia's lukewarm first impression of Felipe' In 2002, King Felipe is said to have been introduced to his future wife at a dinner party. However, reports also claim that the pair first met at an oil rig where Letizia was broadcasting from. According to the new book, Letizia was dating Jaime del Burgo at the time - and he was so 'serious' about the relationship that he'd even bought an engagement ring. Author Jaime Penafiel alleges that Letizia wasn't sure about dating the future King at first. The Queen is reported to have told her best friend in Mexico that Felipe was 'very handsome but I don't like men with curly hair'. Pictured: Queen Letizia during her time as a newsreader for Television Espanola before her wedding to King Felipe King Felipe pictured in 2002 - the year he is believed to have met Queen Letizia at a dinner party Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia in November 2003 when their engagement was announced Letizia first told Jaime del Burgo about the relationship over dinner at the Ritz hotel in Madrid - on the night where the book claims he was going to propose. Describing how 'serious and significant' their relationship was to him, the author made the unlikely claim that Jaime was 'carrying an engagement ring his his pocket'. Letizia reportedly told him that she had 'met someone who would oblige her to quit her profession', which Jaime said led him to deduce her mystery partner was Felipe. After the pair reportedly decided to just be friends, Jaime is said to have advised Letizia: 'Don't announce the romance, just the wedding.' 'Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia's disapproval of Letizia' According to the author, Juan Carlos (pictured in 2004) told his son: 'You are going to destroy the monarchy' According to the author, Felipe's parents King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia weren't thrilled by the prospect of their son marrying Letizia. When told of his son's intentions to marry the newsreader, Juan Carlos is quoted as saying: 'You're going to destroy the monarchy.' On top of this, Jaime Penafiel alleges that Queen Sofia couldn't stop crying and told her son that 'marriage is for life'. This comment is then said to have prompted Felipe to offer his parents an ultimatum. He is alleged to have said: 'I marry her or I renounce my right to the throne.' Juan Carlos is said to only have accepted his son's choice when Felipe failed to attend a Bank Holiday military parade - choosing to stay in New York to attend a dinner party organised by Woody Allen. Later in the book, Jaime del Burgo alleges that Juan Carlos 'refused' to pay any of Letizia's family's expenses in the lead-up to the wedding. 'Letizia initially refused to sign a pre-nup' According to the book, the Queen originally refused to sign a pre-nuptial agreement over the issue of any future children After their engagement was announced, Jaime del Burgo claims he helped navigate Letizia with her pre-nuptial agreement. The author wrote: 'Although it was clear from the first moment that Felipe and Letizias marriage was one of love, no loose ends could be left in the event of a possible divorce.' However, Jaime alleges that Letizia refused to sign the first draft which had been written by Palace advisors and was concerned what would happen to any future children if they separated. As a result, Jaime claims he phoned Felipe - a man who he says has a 'good heart' - and told him that the pre-nuptial agreement risked Letizia ending up like Princess Diana if they were to divorce. The author writes: 'Felipe promised Letizia that in case the marriage folded, he would take care of her and respect her rights as a mother if they had descendants. The prince said "I swear it.' 'Letizia met another man the night before the wedding' Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia on their wedding day in Madrid in May 2004. Jaime Del Burgo claims he was going to propose to the newsreader until she announced she had met King Felipe Pictured: Jaime Del Burgo and his ex-wife Telma Ortiz seen in 2012 before their wedding. The couple divorced in 2014 As well as claiming to have 'dealt' with the pre-nup, Jaime also makes the unlikely claim that Letizia asked to meet him in private the night before her 2004 wedding. The pair are said to have met at the El Latigazo restaurant in Madrid. He is quoted as saying: 'When we met, she took hold of my hand and asked me why I had never asked her to marry me. 'Obviously I didnt reply. I encouraged her as best I could. The last thing she said to me before we said goodbye to each other in that restaurant was a request: Never leave me."' The next day, Jaime served as a witness at the couple's ceremony. 'Letizia's confession of love and relationship with Jaime' On Sunday night, businessman Jaime Del Burgo shared this unseen selfie of Queen Letizia with his X followers. He claimed that the royal was wearing his pashmina and said it 'took care of her' After the wedding, Jaime del Burgo moved to London - but claims he was invited to stay at Letizia and Felipe's Madrid home following the birth of their daughter Princess Leonor. While lying in hammocks by the pool, Jaime makes the explosive claim that the Queen confessed her love for him. At this point, the businessman says Letizia and Felipe had a 'difficult relationship' as the King 'feels incapable of calming her down'. Following this, Jaime claims he struck up his romance with Letizia again - and shared a previously unseen picture of the royal on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday night to try and back up his claims. In the selfie, the royal, who was pregnant, can be seen wearing a black pashmina - which Jaime claims belonged to him - and he also typed out a message, supposedly sent to him by the Spanish Queen. Telma Ortiz is seen leaving the EDP Gran Via Theater after attending the 'We Choose Earth Tour' on June 22, 2023 in Madrid Pictured: Telma Ortiz and Jaime del Burgo seen in December 2014, before their split was announced TIMELINE OF JAIME'S CLAIMS ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SPAIN'S ROYAL FAMILY Pre-2000 - Letizia Ortiz, who was a newsreader at the time, meets Jaime del Burgo - the son of a politician - and the pair start dating - Letizia Ortiz, who was a newsreader at the time, meets Jaime del Burgo - the son of a politician - and the pair start dating 2001 - Letizia and King Felipe meet on the site of a oil spillage. Jaime claims he was planning to propose when she told him about her new royal romance - Letizia and King Felipe meet on the site of a oil spillage. Jaime claims he was planning to propose when she told him about her new royal romance 2003 - Letizia and Felipe announce engagement. - Letizia and Felipe announce engagement. 2004 - the couple marry at Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. Jaime claims he was asked to be a witness during the ceremony - the couple marry at Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. Jaime claims he was asked to be a witness during the ceremony 2005 - the couple welcome Princess Leonor February 2007 - Letizia's sister Erika suddenly passes away - Letizia's sister Erika suddenly passes away April 2007 - Princess Sofia is born. During one of her pregnancies, Jaime claims Letizia sends him a selfie confessing her love. - Princess Sofia is born. During one of her pregnancies, Jaime claims Letizia sends him a selfie confessing her love. 2 010 - the couple reportedly profess their love for one another and allegedly meet with lawyers. Jaime claims they looked at properties in the US to move to. He also claims Letizia suggested they use a surrogate in LA to have a baby - the couple reportedly profess their love for one another and allegedly meet with lawyers. Jaime claims they looked at properties in the US to move to. He also claims Letizia suggested they use a surrogate in LA to have a baby 2011 - Jaime claims Letizia ends their relationship over the phone - Jaime claims Letizia ends their relationship over the phone 2 012 - Jaime marries Letizia's sister Telma. The couple relocate to New York - Jaime marries Letizia's sister Telma. The couple relocate to New York 2014 - Telma and Jaime announce their separation Advertisement It read: 'Love. I wear your pashmina. It's like feeling you by my side. It takes care of me. 'It protects me. I count the hours until we see each other again. Love you. Get out of here. Yours.' After sharing the image, other X users questioned the validity of Jaime's claims - given there is no evidence that Letizia sent him the photo or accompanying message. The businessman has since deleted his X account. A spokesperson for the Spanish Royal Family told FEMAIL: 'We have no comment to make about this.' Following their confession of love, Jaime alleges they 'took steps forward with the goal of being free' - which involved seeking legal advice and looking at properties in the US. One of the most damaging claims Jaime reportedly makes is that Queen Letizia suggested they have a child together using a surrogate in Los Angeles. He told the author: 'The idea that we would have our child through a surrogate in Los Angeles was proposed to me while I was in The White Earth.' Jaime Penafiel goes on to write that when Sofia was born, Jaime del Burgo became uncle to both of the girls. It then quotes him as saying: 'It was a beautiful period. I didn't have children, and those girls made me so happy. I was working in Brazil and suffered a pulmonary embolism. 'I was in intensive care for a fortnight. I managed to get the Albert Einstein Hospital to give me a telephone Letizia and I spoke to each other every day on [the phone]. 'During my visits to Madrid I would often go to the cinema with Felipe, Letizia and some friends. Letizia and I would always sit together, holding hands. They were moments of happiness.' However in August 2011, Jaime alleges Letizia abruptly ended their relationship when she called him and said: 'We can't continue seeing each other.' 'Letizia banned her sister and Jaime from speaking' After this, Jaime says he was encouraged to get in touch with Letizia's sister by a female friend. In 2012, the pair - who had met when he was first dating Letizia - got engaged after just two months of dating. The Queen's sister already had her daughter Amanda from her relationship with ex-partner Enrique Martin Llop. At this time, Jaime claims he was still close to Letizia and Felipe and he claimed he bonded with his future wife after the four of them went to the cinema in Madrid one day. He told the author: 'When we left it was pouring down and instead of returning in the car with Letizia and Felipe, I got a lift with Telma. When we arrived at the Pabellon del Principe where Felipe lived, it was raining so hard we couldnt leave the car. Queen Letizia (far right) pictured in Rome in July 2012 ahead of her sister Telma's (centre) wedding to Jaime del Burgo (left) 'And we spent nearly an hour talking. Telma asked me to go to visit her one day in Barcelona where she was living at the time. And thats what I did. I rang her and went.' Author Jaime Penafiel wrote: 'When [Jaime del Burgo] is going to marry Telma, it is Felipe who advises him on the marriage agreements and, over the years, they have maintained a great friendship.' After tying the knot in an intimate ceremony, the couple celebrated their marriage with a larger reception in Italy - which was attended by their family. Jaime del Burgo is quoted in the book as saying: 'When the guests congratulated us, Letizias turn came and kissing me on the cheek, she whispered into my ear, "Well be together again."' 'Letizia and Felipe told to get a divorce by Juan Carlos' Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia pictured with their daughters Leonor and Sofia and Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia in 2018 In 2013, the Spanish Royal Family was in crisis mode - as rumours of Juan Carlos' infidelity and embezzling of millions began to swirl. In August 2013, Jaime Penafiel says Juan Carlos told his son to 'get divorced then' when Letizia left a family holiday at Maravent Palace early. Jaime Penafiel says Juan Carlos wanted his son to stay on a few days longer at the palace so he could spend more time with his granddaughters. Letizia claimed she had a prior commitment and ended up leaving alone. The former King is quoted as saying: 'Who did she phone so he picked her up at the airport in Madrid? Jaime del Burgo?' The author wrote: 'As a result of that unjustified affront, Im told the argument between father and son was so tense and dramatic that at a certain moment, Juan Carlos was heard shouting at Felipe, "Get divorced."' After Sally Wainwright's hit BBC series, Happy Valley, concluded at the beginning of 2023, many fans of the Yorkshire-born writer's work have been left wanting for another one of her creations. But luckily for Sally stans, there isn't very long left to wait, as her new period drama is set to land on Disney+ next year. Renegade Nell is a series set in the 18th Century about a young woman who finds herself framed for murder and subsequently goes on the run to become a highwayman. It stars Derry Girls's Louisa Harland in the titular role, alongside other familiar names including Adrian Lester and Joely Richardson. The stellar cast is also being led by Ben Taylor, who directed Netflix's smash hit Sex Education. Louisa Harland stars in new Sally Wainwright drama Renegade Nell, which will launch on Disney+ next Spring Renegade Nell, slated for release on the streaming platform in the spring, will likely follow Wainwright's trend of putting complex female characters at the forefront of her stories - particularly when it comes to period dramas. The plotline of Gentleman Jack, Wainwright's other period drama, depicts, among other things, a love story between two women as she subverts the traditional love stories told by writers in stories from that time. Speaking about the BBC and HBO hit starring Suranne Jones, Wainwright told the Guardian historical dramas in their traditional sense are not her favourite genre. Among the supporting cast is Joely Richardson who stars as newspaper magnate Lady Eularia Moggerhange Adrian Lester stars as the Earl of Poynton, a power-hungry character who pursues the fugitive Nell As Nell journeys across the country she is accompanied by her two younger sisters She said: 'There has been this slavish adaptation of things like Jane Austen, which I just find irrelevant. They seem to be obsessed with: 'Can you find a man? Are you pretty enough to find a rich man?' As if that's all women care about. 'It leaves me cold.' According to streaming service Disney+, Renegade Nell will see Louisa Harland's Nell go on the run after she's accused of murder - becoming a notorious highwayman in the process. As she travels the country as a fugitive, Nell is visited by a spirit named Billy Blind (played by Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed) who helps her realise she has a bigger destiny. She is accompanied by her close friend and loveable rogue Charles Devereux (Frank Dillane) while the pair are pursued by a power-hungry duo of the Earl of Poynton (Adrian Lester) and Sofia Wilmot (Alice Kremelberg). Also in the supporting cast is Joely Richardson, who plays newspaper magnate Lady Eularia Moggerhange. According to the streaming platform, the series will be made up of eight 45 minute-long episodes and will land next spring. Louisa Harland, best known for playing Orla McCool in Derry Girls, is currently starring alongside Woody Harrelson and Andy Serkis in a West End play. Ulster American, written by Belfast playwright David Ireland, follows the story of playwright Ruth Davenport and takes on dark subjects in relation to The Troubles. Speaking to the Guardian this week ahead of the play opening, Harrelson described his co-star Louisa as: 'frickin phenomenal'. Taormina from Hertfordshire had been waiting with her father to offer the cards King Charles III was left 'very touched' after a little girl gifted him a Christmas sketch at an Advent Service and Christmas Reception at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Hertfordshire today. The young guest, called Toarmina, six, had been sitting on her father's shoulders with two handmade cards, waiting to greet Charles, 75. One read: 'Happy holidays!!! King Charles! BOOM!!! Merry Christmas!! To King Charles.' The other had a giant love heart and also read: 'Happy holidays XXX'. Taormina confidently approached the British monarch to offer his first public Christmas card, which featured the charming hand-drawn red creation. Feeling 'very touched' at the handmade offering, Charles thanked the little girl before greeting other guests. King Charles got in the festive spirit today as he attended an Advent Service and Christmas Reception at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre Charles, who has worked for many years to encourage interfaith dialogue in the UK and around the world, had previously visited the Egyptian Christian church as part of a series of engagements with diverse communities around the country. He was keen at the time to express his solidarity with Christians in the Middle East suffering for their Faith. The church is now very much established in the UK. After being greeted by The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire and Bishop of St Albans, he was formally welcomed to the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre by The Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos. He wrote in a foreword to the service that the congregation was deeply honoured to receive a second a visit and a time when they were gathering to pray peace upon our war torn world, and comfort and support for the millions suffering today, at a time that should be focused on joy and celebration. The King looked enthused but distinctly tired after a year in which he marked his own coronation as well as a packed schedule of public engagements and travel, let alone the many woes involving his youngest son, Prince Harry. However he stood on his feet for the entire 20-minutes service and spent an hour afterwards meeting religious leaders, members of the 500-strong congregation present on the day, as well as local organisations working in the community. He was mobbed by hundreds of well wishers eager to grab a selfie with the monarch and shook the hands of everyone he met. In an off-the-cuff speech, the king said he had the greatest admiration for the Coptic community and that he was heartened to see so many other churches represented at the event given how many challenges and persecution they faced in other parts of the world. His Majesty was left 'very touched' after being offered his first public Christmas card at the event Taormina (pictured) had prepared two cards for Charles. One read: 'Happy holidays!!! King Charles! BOOM!!! Merry Christmas!! To King Charles.' The other had a giant love heart and also read: 'Happy holidays XXX' The little girl, aged six, had been waiting with her father to greet the British monarch after the service Describing it as a very special occasion, the king added: I want to wish you nothing but a very Happy Christmas indeed, if I may say so. Before he left he unveiled a plaque to mark his visit and signed a visitors book. His Majesty has attended yearly Advent Services since 2013. Before meeting with the crowds, His Majesty appeared in high spirits as he observed the festivities. After the service, Charles met with young volunteers from the church's ministries to plant a plum tree- much in line with his green-focused goals and attitudes. Charles appeared focused as he joined in on the Advent Service and Christmas Reception today His Majesty also met members of the Coptic Orthodox Church Congregation to unveil a new plaque in his honour of the royal visit. The royal donned a tie emblazoned with crosses- seemingly matching today's itinerary. It was also suspected that Charles aimed to convey meaning with his tie last week in Dubai, with a tie fluttered in Greek flags amid a diplomatic spat between the Mediterranean country and Britain. Suggestions were made that the King appeared to plea for international cooperation with his choice of tie, stitched with a pattern of Greek flags fluttering in the wind. Charles' cheerful appearance comes amid a tumultuous time for the Royal Family after the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie's new book Endgame named two royals alleged to have expressed 'concerns' about the colour of Prince Archie's skin. It came as media organisations around the world, including ITV, The Guardian, and the Times, named the two royals accused of asking about Archie's skin colour as King Charles and his daughter-in-law Kate. After the service, Charles signed a book as members of the Coptic Orthodox Church Congregation watched by His Majesty also unveiled a new plaque from behind a red cloth to honour his visit to the church today This week, Buckingham Palace officials will meet with aides to Prince William for critical talks in how to deal with the fallout. The gathering of the two households will see them discuss how to respond, with 'time and care' to be taken before any decisions are made, one source told the Sunday Telegraph. All options are believed to be 'on the table', including legal action, while Charles, who flew back to the UK after several days at the COP28 environment summit in Dubai last week, is said to be taking the furore surrounding the book 'very seriously'. It is reported that during the week Charles will discuss the situation with senior advisers, while also carrying out his duties with aides telling the Mirror it will be 'business as usual' with royals to be seen as 'rising above' the row. He is expected to remain in Sandringham today before returning to London for a series of official engagements this week, including a ceremony at Buckingham Palace and a charity carol concert at Westminster Abbey. After the service, Charles met with young volunteers from the church's ministries to plant a tree- much in line with his green-focused goals and attitudes Charles and Archbishop Angaelos (pictured), 56, appeared to enjoy conversation after the service A source close to the Palace told the Sunday Telegraph: 'Discussions [have been] had and we'll continue those discussions this week, but not in a crisis talks manner... 'Decisions [will be] made with care and time and professionalism rather than rushed over a weekend.' MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment. Meanwhile, the Mail understands that Buckingham Palace is investigating who at their end could have seen the letters between the King and Meghan Markle in which the names were allegedly mentioned. However, it is confident the leak has not come from within, believing only a 'tiny handful' of people have ever seen them. Harry and Meghan, meanwhile, have not commented publicly on the scandal. Scobie has been accused of acting as a 'mouthpiece' for the Sussexes, an allegation he has denied, writing on X, formerly Twitter: 'I'm not 'Meg's pal'. Sources close to the Duchess of Sussex , who allegedly wrote down the names of the two family members in letters to King Charles, have insisted to that she 'never intended for them to be publicly identified'. Upon his arrival at the Church in Hertfordshire, Charles greeted a guard with a wide grin across his face Archbishop Angaelos and King Charles toured the Church and observed its features from the aisle They insist that the contents of the letters were 'not leaked to Mr Scobie by anyone in her camp', the Telegraph reports. But one source close to the Royal Family has now called on Harry and Meghan to speak out publicly on the issue. The source told the paper: 'For the couple that talked about 'death by a thousand no comments', the silence at this point is deafening.' Another insider added that the decision not to respond was 'interesting' given the Sussexes' previous complaints about not being supported against negative press stories. The scandal - which Scobie has been forced to insist was not a publicity stunt - has kept Endgame in the headlines for more than a week as excerpts were published in the days before its release in a French magazine. Charles gave a speech after the service and said said he had the greatest admiration for the Coptic community and that he was heartened to see so many other churches represented at the event given how many challenges and persecution they faced in other parts of the world Archbishop Angaelos greeted Charles upon his arrival at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Hertfordshire The most eye-grabbing extract serialised in Paris Match claimed that there was a second so-called 'royal racist' - after Harry and Meghan alluded to a member of the Royal Household expressing discomfort over Archie's skin colour in 2021. They told Oprah Winfrey in their interview a year after they quit royal duties that there had been conversations about 'how dark' Archie's skin would be when he was born. Meghan did not name the member of the household, saying at the time: 'I think that would be very damaging to them.' The names did not appear in the English edition of the book when it was released on Tuesday. Scobie had written a paragraph in which he said he could not name them under UK law. But the names appeared in the Dutch version of the book, prompting the publishers to pulp copies that were on sale. Charles appeared in high spirits as he waved to excited members of the Church after planting a plum tree The Dutch translators who worked on the volume maintain that the manuscript they were given featured both names verbatim. Saskia Peeters, speaking to MailOnline, said this week: 'The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them. I just did what I was paid to do and that was translate the book from English into Dutch.' The second translator, Nellie Keukelaar-van Rijsbergern, then told The Sun: 'We are professionals and we've done this for years, both of us. It's unfair.' Newspapers in the UK avoided reporting the names after the allegations came to light after Endgame's release on Tuesday, but Piers Morgan revealed them on his Uncensored show on Wednesday. Morgan added, however, that he did not believe the allegations of 'racist comments'. He said: 'Because I don't believe any racist comments were ever made by any of the Royal Family, and until there is actual evidence of those comments being made, I will never believe it.' He then doubled down on his defence later in the week, saying on Thursday: 'I took a view it was ridiculous that British people couldn't be aware of this information. I also said when I named them that I didn't believe a word of the racist allegations made against them.' Amanda Knox has admitted that she forgot the anniversary of the day she was convicted of Meredith Kercher's murder - claiming that her lack of awareness of the milestone date is a signifier of what it means to be 'free'. The 36-year-old took to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday with a bizarre post that said she had 'didn't even remember' the date - December 4 - due to the arrival of her second child. Knox, from Seattle, Washington, was previously sentenced to 26 years in prison for faking a break-in, defamation, sexual violence, and murder before eventually being cleared. She quietly welcomed her second child with husband Christopher Robinson two months ago - just weeks after she announced that she was expecting again. Amanda Knox has admitted that she forgot the anniversary of the day she was convicted of Meredith Kercher's murder The 36-year-old took to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday with a bizarre post that said she had 'didn't even remember' the date due to the arrival of her second child Knox's full post read: 'Someone just reminded me that on this day, 14 years ago, I was convicted of murder. I didn't even remember. 'I've got a baby in my arms. I'm not sleeping more than 3 hours at a stretch. I barely know what day it is. 'I've got more important anniversaries to mark. That's freedom.' She and Christopher confirmed their new arrival, who they have named Echo, during the most recent episode of their Younglings podcast. Christopher told their listeners that baby Echo was born on September 23 and weighed seven pounds, six ounces. Amanda, who revealed she was pregnant with a second baby back in August, added that the birth was 'easy-peasy.' The notorious exchange student met Chris - an author and poet - in 2015 when she was working for the West Seattle Herald and had to review one of his books. They got engaged in 2018 and tied the knot in March 2020 during a time-travel-themed wedding. Amanda, who revealed she was pregnant with a second baby back in August, added that the birth was 'easy-peasy' The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter who they named Eureka, in August 2021 The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter who they named Eureka, in August 2021. After becoming a mom for the first time, Amanda, who was thrown into the public eye back in 2007 after her roommate Meredith Kercher was brutally murdered, revealed that she wanted to keep her daughter out of the spotlight. Amanda was wrongfully arrested and convicted for the killing and spent four years in prison before she was exonerated. The trial gripped the globe as millions watched on and debated over whether or not they believed Amanda was innocent or guilty. 'Since my exoneration, I've struggled to reclaim my identity and protect the people I love from being exploited as tabloid content,' Amanda wrote on Instagram following Eureka's birth. Amanda was wrongfully arrested and convicted for killing roommate Meredith Kercher (pictured) 'It's not easy, and I often feel like I'm trying to invent good choices out of bad whole cloth. 'I know that I cannot 100 per cent protect my daughter from the kind of treatment I've suffered, but I'm doing the best I can. 'Which is why this will be the only picture of her I will ever share on social media. I'm so grateful to everyone who has wished [Chris] and I well on our journey to parenthood. Thank you for believing in us.' Back in October, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Amanda was teaming up with Monica Lewinsky to create a big-budget TV drama that will tell her story and shed new light on the untimely death of British student Meredith, who was found stabbed to death at age 21 in their shared home in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. The case and its many gory details, twists, and turns, have since been the focus of several TV dramas. But now, Amanda is set to put her own spin on the retelling of events that have been so closely scrutinized over the last 16 years. Amanda - and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito - were both found guilty of exchange student Meredith's death. She was the one to first call the police after she discovered Meredith's bedroom door locked and found blood in the bathroom, but after law enforcement officials noticed her acting odd, she became a suspect. Amanda - and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito - were both found guilty of exchange student Meredith's death At the time, Amanda put the blame on her boss at a local bar she worked at, Patrick Lumumba, who had a solid alibi, which only made police more suspicious of her. After an immense investigation and trial, Amanda, who was 20 years old at the time, as well as her boyfriend Raffaele, were convicted for the crime in 2009 - and she was sentenced to 26 years in prison for faking a break-in, defamation, sexual violence, and murder. Later, however, a known burglar named Rudy Guede was arrested and found guilty for killing Meredith after his bloodstained fingerprints were found on her belongings. Amanda and Raffaele's convictions were both overturned by an Italian court in 2015. She was eventually paid nearly $19,000 in compensation for miscarriages of justice, including not being given a lawyer or a competent interpreter when she was first held in custody. Since then, she wrote a memoir about what happened to her, and in 2018, she became the host of a series called The Scarlet Letter Reports, which focuses on the 'gendered nature of public shaming.' In addition, she runs a podcast called The Truth About True Crime. Netflix is being slammed for 'sexualizing' Charles Melton's character in a promotional video for a movie that focuses on a man who was 'groomed' and 'sexually abused' as a 13-year-old. The streaming service found itself in hot water after it posted a now-deleted ad for its new flick May December to Instagram earlier this week, which is about a woman who was caught sleeping with Charles's character when he was only 13 years old. The company shared a still from the film that showed Charles standing shirtless with his abs on full display, while writing: '*Stares in awe.* May December, now streaming.' But some people felt the post was 'inappropriate' and 'weird,' and bashed Netflix for joking about the actor's good looks while marketing the film considering the serious nature of its plot. Netflix is being slammed for 'sexualizing' Charles Melton's character in an ad for a movie that focuses on a man who was 'groomed' and 'sexually abused' from age 13. Pictured in the film The streaming service found itself in hot water after it posted a promotion for its new flick May December to Instagram by sharing a shirtless picture of Charles and writing: '*Stares in awe*' The movie follows a TV star named Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) who is going to portray a woman named Gracie (Julianne Moore) in a new film The movie follows a TV star named Elizabeth (played by Natalie Portman) who 'heads to Savannah, Georgia, to research a part in a new film that follows a scandalous tabloid romance.' She is going to play a woman named Gracie (portrayed by Julianne Moore), who was previously jailed after it was revealed that she had sex with one of her son's schoolmates, named Joe, when she was 36 years old and he was only 13. Gracie was previously jailed after she was caught having sex with one of her son's schoolmates, Joe (played by Charles), when she was 36 years old and he was only 13. Natalie and Julianne are seen in the film 'When she was released, the pair were married, and they now have three children together who are about to graduate from high school,' Netflix's description reads. 'At first glance, their untraditional marriage looks more predictable than Elizabeth expected. 'But soon, her observation brings long-dormant feelings to the surface, and the decades-old scandal reveals deeper and deeper layers.' Due to the concerning subject matter, the internet was not amused when Netflix posted the snap of Charles and swooned over him in the caption. The streaming service has since taken it down, but many have reposted screenshots of it to X, formerly known as Twitter. 'You're sexualizing a character that was emotionally manipulated and sexually abused. This is bulls**t,' one person tweeted. Some people felt it was 'inappropriate' and 'weird' for Netflix to joke about the actor's good looks in its marketing for the film considering the serious nature of the plot 'This isn't right. Given the subject matter, Netflix should not be sexualizing any of these characters, especially Joe,' one person wrote in a scathing critique 'This isn't right. Given the subject matter, Netflix should not be sexualizing any of these characters, especially Joe,' someone else wrote in a scathing critique. Another user added: 'May December is about the emotionally stunted adult who was groomed at the age of 13, Netflix should not be promoting the movie by sexualizing this character.' 'I'm begging @Netflix to get social media people who actually watch the movies and stop sexualizing every single male that appears,' a fourth post read. A fifth said: 'It's just so f***ing weird and inappropriate.' 'It's not a cute look for Netflix,' a different user wrote. The movie, while fiction, was inspired by the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau - a teacher who had an affair with one of her sixth-grade students, named Vili Fualaau, in 1996 Mary Kay (seen at her trial) pleaded guilty to felony second-degree rape of a child. After she got out of jail, she and Vili married and welcomed two kids together, but they split in 2019 Someone else said: 'Yikes, way to read the f***ing room, Netflix.' The movie, while fiction, was inspired by the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau a teacher who had an affair with one of her sixth-grade students, named Vili Fualaau, in 1996 according to Variety. Mary Kay pleaded guilty to felony second-degree rape of a child and served three months behind bars. But when she continued to speak to Vili despite a court telling her she wasn't allowed to, she received another six-year prison sentence. The two went on to tie the knot and welcome two kids together, and were together for more than two decades before they eventually split in 2019. The Princess of Wales looked as radiant as ever as she attended the Buckingham Palace Christmas Diplomatic Reception this evening. Accompanied by King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Prince of Wales, Kate, 41, took centre stage in a rose gold Jenny Packham 'Georgia' gown costing approximately 5,000, which was embellished with sequins. Kate paired the stunning ballgown, which she has previously worn to attend the wedding reception of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Princess Rajwa in June 2023, with a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order sash. To add to the glamour, Kate sported the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara. The dazzling diamond and pearl tiara was once owned by Prince William's mother Princess Diana. The royal mother-of-three completed her dazzling outfit for tonight's event in London with Her Late Majestys stunning Greville diamond chandelier earrings. The Princess of Wales put on a dashing display in a gold Jenny Packham 'Georgia' gown costing approximately 5,000, which was embellished with sequins at an evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace in London Kate went for a glamorous makeup look for tonight's event, complete with a smokey eyeshadow, while her glossy brunette tresses were kept out of her face with the help of the Lovers Knot Tiara. The tiara, which Kate's mother-in-law said was so heavy it gave her headaches, was kept in a safe at Buckingham Palace after Princess Diana's 1997 death before it was handed to William's wife. It was made by Royal jewellers Garrard in 1914 to Queen Mary's personal design, from pearls and diamonds already in her family's possession. Queen Mary had commissioned it to replicate her grandmother, Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridges, early 1800s Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, according to jewellery historian and novelist Josie Goodbody. When Garrard delivered the headpiece to Queen Mary only months before the start of the First World War, there were 19 upright pearls on the cresting, as well as the 19 pendant pearls we see today, which were transferred to the Vladimir Tiara to be interchangeable with the emeralds. The Lovers Knot name comes from the bows that run the length of the band. The bow is tied in a complicated knot, making it hard to untie - symbolising the bonds of love. Kate was first seen in this exquisite piece in December 2015 for the annual Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace. This evening's royal show of unity will be seen as a sign of solitary following the furore of Omid Scobies new book on the monarchy after it emerged that a Dutch-language version contained the names of two family members accused by the Duchess of Sussex of unconscious bias. Kate looked naturally charismatic as she entertained Diplomatic Corps at tonight's glamorous event The royal mother-of-three opted for a glamorous makeup look for tonight's event, complete with smokey eyeshadow The Princess sported her favourite Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, which was a wedding gift to Princess Diana The book claimed Prince Harry's wife Meghan, 42, had named the King himself as well as his daughter-in-law, Kate, 41, in letters she wrote to him on the issue. Buckingham Palace has not commented publicly, but aides have made clear that the King and his senior advisors are considering all options open to them over the unsubstantiated claims, including the possibility of legal action. They have, however, been comforted by the sympathetic public reaction they have received to revelations in the poorly-reviewed book and may decide to let that speak for itself. Tonights event saw the King, his heir and their wives greet the great and good of the Diplomatic Corps - Ambassadors, High Commissioners and the like officially registered to the Court of St James - for pre-Christmas drinks in the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. As Head of State, The King plays a vital role in UK diplomacy, supporting the work of the Foreign Office at home and abroad. The event will also have been the first time the King has been able to talk personally to his son and daughter-in-law since the latest row around the Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke. Sources have told the Mail that the family will be in no rush to make their carefully considered decision about how to progress. Earlier in the day they were also out and about in force on a series of engagements. William surprised shoppers when he was spotted selling copies of the The Big Issue at a Tesco in Hammersmith, west London. The prince was reunited with magazine seller Dave, whom he has met on several previous occasions, even exchanging Christmas cards. Vendor Dave Martin told Mail Online: 'William came down in the morning and helped me sell some magazines. He is a very nice man. Prince William looked genuinely pleased to greet guests at the reception this evening Look of love! Kate was all smiles as she attended the glitzy event with her husband Prince William The King led his family in a show of unity tonight after a tumultuous week of royal revelations. The four most senior family members posed together for a photographer before The Diplomatic Reception 'Helping me sell the magazines was a kind gesture. It's very good that he's helping the homeless. You can tell he does it because he cares.' Meanwhile his wife met a little girl whose space-themed designs for a new childrens day surgery unit were inspired by her late father, who she says has now gone to the stars. The princess chatted to Ella Moth, nine, who won a competition to design the artwork for the new unit at the Evelina Childrens Hospital in London. She took her inspiration from the tragic death of her father, Piers, who died of brain cancer in 2021. The Princess, who is patron of Evelina London, asked Ella: How does it feel to have your design on the wall for other children to enjoy, being an inspiration for loads of other kids? Ella replied: I didnt think it would ever happen! The new facility, which cost 55million to build, allows children to be treated in one location on the same day, reducing the stress caused by numerous hospital visits. In the recovery area she met Saya Stephenson, four, who was resting in bed after an operation that morning to remove excess skin for her ears. The Princess hugged her mother, Miwa Stephenson, who said she had been anxious about the surgery despite it being a relatively minor procedure. Kate replied: Its always a worry though for a parent. We have to keep our cool. Its so hard. Evelinas Chief executive Gubby Ayida said: With everything happening with the NHS at the moment, including long backlogs, the Princesss visit has brought a feel-good factor to every room she visited and to all the staff. Australian women reveal what they don't want for Christmas Australian women overwhelmingly agree on the one gift they never want to receive on Christmas - and it's unfortunately a popular choice. Heart-shaped jewellery has been labelled 'tacky' and 'juvenile' by thousands of women who dread receiving it as a present. In the lead up to the holiday season, hundreds of social media posts have resurfaced begging men to reconsider, with an X post reading: 'Your girlfriend doesn't want heart-shaped jewellery, I promise you.' 'If you see this and think she wants something heart-shaped, I am willing to help you find something that isn't ugly. This is my act of service to my fellow women.' Many claim that the present is an 'easy' way to avoid thinking about what women really want as it is usually on the top of online gift guides. Heart-shaped jewellery has been labelled 'tacky' and 'juvenile' by thousands who dread receiving the present on Christmas morning In the lead up to the holiday season, hundreds of social media posts have resurfaced begging men to reconsider purchasing heart-shaped jewellery for their partners A viral TikTok revealed a woman, Alexandra, playing out a scenario as a 'subtle' reminder. 'Wow, you got me heart jewellery - something I've never asked for or said I liked, ever,' she said after opening the gift. Her boyfriend then shared that he got the idea from an Instagram post titled 'thoughtful gifts for women' and put 'zero effort' into it. Hundreds said the common present was 'gaudy' and 'childish'. 'Heart-shaped rings remind me of the play jewellery that came in the princess dress up kits when I was five,' one woman wrote. What do women want for Christmas? * A spa experience * Fancy chocolate * Cashmere jumpers * Specific jewellery they've asked for * Good quality activewear * An air fryer * Pasta-making class * Warm blankets * High-end candles * Subscription to a streaming service Advertisement Another added, 'If my husband got me a heart-shaped necklace today, I would honestly just be confused. Because, against my deepest wishes, I'm no longer a teenager.' 'A dear friend of mine from high school has a heart-shaped diamond solitaire. It just looks so childish,' one wrote. Many shared that they took issue with the lack of effort rather than the present itself. 'It's about paying attention to what your partner likes and putting effort into choosing your loved one's gift,' one said. 'I got my ex a custom-made jacket from his favourite anime of his favourite character, and he got me a $15 perfume I already own,' a woman wrote. While many women think heart-shaped jewellery is 'gaudy' - some make an exception for simple vintage pieces Another shared, 'I bought my ex almost the entire limited edition release from his favourite clothing brand, and he got me a Funko Pop for a character I didn't even know.' 'My ex once gave me back socks I had given to him for Christmas on Valentine's Day,' a woman said. But not everyone was so critical of the romantic accessory. 'I love simple heart jewellery. None of that weird uneven swirly stuff - just shaped like a cute rounded heart,' a woman claimed. 'Vintage heart lockets are exempted from the ban - they're beautiful,' another said. It is an unimaginably gruesome crime: an example of human violence at its most extreme. In May 2018, Bryn Spejcher of Thousand Oaks, California, picked up a bread knife and stabbed her new boyfriend 108 times killing him before turning the blade on her dog. The 32-year-old, who worked as an audiologist, then proceeded to stab herself only stopping when police hit her nine times with a baton. On Friday, Spejcher was convicted of killing her boyfriend Chad O'Melia, then 26 and awaits sentencing. However, testimony from an expert witness called by the prosecution, seen exclusively by DailyMail.com, paints a vastly different picture of the perpetrator than the story would initially suggest. Forensic psychiatrist and expert witness Dr Kris Mohandie told the jury last month that Spejcher was a 'normal' girl with 'no history of mental illness or violence' who was committed to 'doing good' in the world. 32 year-old Bryn Spejcher was said to be suffering a severe case of cannabis-induced psychosis when she brutally murdered her boyfriend in May 2018 That fateful night her brain was completely overtaken by extreme psychosis induced by potent marijuana that had been supplied by her boyfriend, he said. In testimony from Spejcher herself, the healthcare professional said she'd smoked weed only a few times before, and had 'never been high'. Her attack was launched because she had 'lost touch with reality', as the cannabis had triggered 'voices in her head'. Dr Mohandie warned people with 'no prior history of violence can consume cannabis, even during one session, and then proceed to commit acts of physical violence to themselves and to others'. Other psychiatrists for the defense said they were '100 percent certain' that the attack had been caused by weed. NOW: Spejcher openly wept as the jury read its verdict on Friday, finding her guilty after less than four hours of deliberation Dr Mohandie, who has seen 'at least half-dozen cases' like this one, used his position on the stand to warn against widespread legalization of the psychoactive drug. 'It's yet another drug that now people think is safe because it's legal and now more people are trying it [But] it's more potent than it's ever been. And it's problematic,' said Dr Mohandie, who has testified in 80 cases before, including several involving marijuana. 'So people say, "It's just marijuana," and they try and make it seem like it's insignificant and how could that possibly happen. 'Well, that doesn't really fit with my professional experience. '[Spejcher's] behavior is well documented, in my opinion, of psychosis. 'The things she was saying, what she was doing was consistent with psychosis, the psychotic behaviors that she would later explain to investigators and detectives and to me as well.' Psychiatrist and expert witness for the prosecution, Dr Kris Mohandie, pictured above, told the court he believed Bryn Spejcher had been suffering from a cannabis-induced psychosis O'Melia and Spejcher initially bonded over their shared love of dogs and had only been seeing each other for several weeks before the attack took place 'The nature of it, the spontaneous things she was saying...it was consistent with the delusion and the command hallucinations and voices that she claimed she was hearing later on.' He added that her use of cannabis caused 'delusions and hallucinations,' and she'd 'lost touch with reality.' Dr Mohandie, who testified for the prosecution, said he fully agreed with the testimony from the defense. Dr William Wirshing, clinical professor of psychiatry based in Los Angeles and acting for the defense, said he was '100 percent' certain that Spejcher's attack was due to cannabis-induced psychosis, reports the VC Star. 'I don't think I can be 100 percent certain about anything,' he said, 'but this is as certain as I can be about anything'. He added: 'Most people have the belief that marijuana diminishes violent potential.' 'When compared to drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine, that's absolutely true. 'Compared to nothing at all, when compared to the room air, definitely not.' Spejcher is shown above in her graduation photo. She had become an audiologist and aimed to help others suffering from hearing loss Spejcher has been described by the defense as being of 'good character'. She has no previous convictions or record of mental health problems. Dr Mohandie said psychological tests he carried out on her in January showed she was a 'very normal' person. He said: 'There was no evidence that she tried to malinger or play up that she was sick or had any problems. 'There was nothing extraordinary about any of [her results]. She had a normal, what I would call defensive, profile.' Testimony from the experts tallies with previous reports about Spejcher's character. In 2018, her grandmother - psychiatric nurse Patricia Pearce - wrote a letter to the court, detailing her grandaughter's nature. 'Bryn is steadfast in morals, honesty, life choices regarding citizenship with the Girl Scouts, church, health, family and friends. She has never been violent or in trouble with the law. She has been gentle and compassionate,' wrote Pearce in the letter, obtained by The Camarillo Acorn. She described a picture of a wholesome child raised in a suburb of Chicago who grew up to become an audiologist 'against all odds.' At the time of her arrest, Spejcher, who wears a hearing aid, was in her first year with UCLA Health in Thousand Oaks, having moved from the Midwest in 2017. Talking about her work as an audiologist in California, Spejcher told the court: 'I loved working there [at the University of California, Los Angeles] and getting to know the patients. 'It was very easy for me to be sympathetic with them or share my experience with them... to relate to them and make them feel like they're not alone.' On the night of the attack in May, 2018, Spejcher had gone to O'Melia's home who she had been seeing for a few weeks. Shortly after inhaling smoke from two hits of O'Melia's bong - which he used almost daily - she rushed to the bathroom and said she started to hear voices in her head. Then she went to the kitchen and took three knives from a block before stabbing O'Melia, her service dog and then her own face. When the police arrived in the early hours, they found Spejcher drenched in blood as she kneeled over O'Melia's corpse. She was stabbing herself repeatedly in the neck with officers unable to get her to stop until they hit her with a baton. After viewing police body-cam footage of the scene when they arrived in 2018, Dr Mohandie rated Spejcher's psychotic state as a four the most severe state when someone is harming someone else and/or themselves. He added: 'A video of someone acting psychotic is pretty powerful evidence. 'Some of that stuff would be pretty hard to fake on the fly. 'You can see and hear her responding to voices. It's what I would call florid psychosis, meaning it was outwardly manifested and highly salient.' A psychiatrist's testimony stated Spejcher was suffering cannabis-induced psychosis, adding that she appeared to be 'possessed' in footage taken with police body cameras. The drug is known to cause psychosis, especially if it is used at high strength Cannabis-induced psychosis is when someone suffers hallucinations or delusions after taking cannabis. Doctors say the drug can cause an imbalance in hormones in the brain, including the feel-good chemical dopamine, triggering mental illness. Although the risks are thought to mostly affect regular users who have been exposed to the drug over many years, doctors are increasingly seeing mental illness in infrequent users. This could be linked to the increasing THC content in cannabis products, which is now several levels above what is naturally in the plants. To date, 24 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, with Ohio being the latest earlier last month. Spejcher suffered from severe hearing loss at an early age as a result of surgery and drugs used to treat a lung problem. Growing up in a Chicago suburb, she often felt 'isolated, ashamed [and embarrassed]' by her affliction which she tried to hide from others at school. Giving testimony in the trial, she said: 'I just tried to hide my hearing aids and focus on what everyone else was doing in school, which was sports, music, academics.' While at high school, the young girl decided she wanted to become an audiologist so she could help others with hearing loss. Police arrived at Chad O'Melia's apartment in May 2018 to find him with multiple stab wounds and his girlfriend, Bryn Spejcher, stabbing herself repeatedly She was accepted to Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, where she spent four years studying to earn a doctorate in audiology with one of her professors said she was the best graduate they had ever had. THEN: Bryn Spejcher, pictured above in happier times, was convicted of manslaughter over the killing of her boyfriend Chad O'Melia on Friday. In August 2017, she then moved to Thousand Oaks and started a job as an audiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles Health clinic. Initially, her first rental did not allow pets so she had to leave her service dog, a Siberian husky called Arya, at home in llinois. But in April 2018, she moved to a room where her dog who would help her by alerting her to the doorbell or an approaching car could join her. She met O'Melia shortly afterward, who used to take his German Shepherd Athena to the same dog park. By comparison, O'Melia was training to be an accountant in the same area. He was a regular marijuana user, smoking or using a bong most days, with one flatmate who had previously used his weed nearly needing to go to hospital. Both the defense and prosecution agreed in the case the stabbing was the result of marijuana intoxication. But the prosecution sought to paint her as a partier who was hoping to get high while the defense argued she was pressured into taking the drug and it was involuntary. What is cannabis-induced psychosis? Psychosis is a mental health condition where people lose some contact with reality. This might involve seeing or hearing things that other people can't and believing things that are not untrue. Cannabis is one of the drugs that can induce such a state, others include speed, meth, cocaine, LSD and ecstasy. People experiencing psychosis are at higher risk of self-harm and/or suicide. While there isn't an exact figure on the risk of developing a psychotic illness from using cannabis certain factors are known ton increase the risk. These include: Starting to use cannabis at a young age Smoking stronger types, such as skunk Smoking regularly, and for a long period of time Those who have a family history of schizophrenia Advertisement She was back in court Monday to face hearings over four 'enhancements' to her verdict which could see her sentence lengthened. The hearings will determine charges of use of a deadly weapon and great violence, which will be decided by a judge after she waived her right to a jury trial over the extra charges. Sentencing typically takes place about 30 days after the conviction, a clerk for Ventura Superior Court where the hearing is taking place told DailyMail.com. Spejcher was convicted of manslaughter on Friday over the death of Chad O'Melia a sentence which carries up to four years in prison. Spejcher sobbed quietly as the jury read out its verdict in court. O'Melia's father, Sean, said after she was convicted that Spejcher 'viciously and prematurely ended' his son's life and refused to call the verdict 'justice'. 'I just want my son back, and that's not going to happen,' he told reporters outside the courtroom on Friday. 'Ultimately, there are only people that have taken a loss here. Theres no winning here. 'At the same time, I think the first impact to me and my family was the loss of our son, and the next thing that occurred was what we had to go through listening to all the derogatory remarks about somebody that we had just lost.' The grieving father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Spejcher in 2020, which has been on hold until her criminal proceedings concluded. Spejcher was initially charged with second-degree murder, but had this later reduced to manslaughter after reports from psychiatrists were received. Her husband paid tribute to his 'incredible' wife had 'fought until the very end' A mother-of-two whose terminal cancer was missed after medics dismissed her unusually heavy periods has died. Kelly Pendry, 42, from North Wales, first developed worrying symptoms which included being in a 'lot of pain' in 2016. It would later be discovered she had an aggressive, and ultimately deadly, form of cancer in her uterus, with doctors only spotting it after it had become terminal. But medics initially made her feel 'like a drama queen', recommending she instead go on the pill, have a coil fitted, or take antidepressants. One doctor even claimed Mrs Pendry's heavy, prolonged periods were down to her body 'normalising' after pregnancy. Kelly Pendry, 42, whose cancer symptoms were dismissed by medics back in 2016 has died, her family have confirmed Mrs Pendry (far right)wanted to make memories for her children, Isla, 8, (left) and Sam, 10, (right) with the missed cancer having now spread to her lungs, chest and lymph nodes Mrs Pendry, 42, with her husband Michael had another chance for the cancer to be spotted earlier taken away by the Covid pandemic after the operation which may have caught the tumour was cancelled She would later be diagnosed with fibroids, normally harmless growth in the uterus, and was scheduled in for a hysterectomy in 2020 to stop her symptoms. But her operation was delayed due to the disruption of the Covid pandemic to the NHS. Then in 2021 she given the devastating news that one of the fibroids was actually a rare form of cancer which had spread to her lungs, chest and lymph nodes. In a post on Facebook, her husband Michael said his 'amazing and beautiful wife' died early on Sunday. He added that she 'fought until the very end, her spirit and strength was incredible as always.' Speaking at the time of her diagnosis, Mrs Pendry said that it had inevitably left her wondering 'what might have been' if the disease had been spotted earlier. Her cancer, called uterine leiomyosarcoma, affects approximately one to five out of every 1,000 women with fibroids. It is usually diagnosed by chance when a woman has a hysterectomy to remove the growths and they are then examined. Even if caught early, only about half of women who develop the cancer live longer than five years. If not caught early, the odds of survival decrease rapidly. Leiomyosarcoma is a type of cancer which appears in smooth tissue found inside the body, such as the intestines, stomach, and in women, the uterus. About 600 people in the UK are diagnosed with this cancer every year. Mrs Pendry vowed to make memories with her two children Sam (10) and Isla (8) in the aftermath of the diagnosis. She also wanted to warn other women who might be in her position to not be put off by medics dismissing worrying symptoms, and to demand further investigations. Writing in social media Mr Prendry said she 'fought until the very end, her spirit and strength was incredible as always' 'I want people to know my story because fibroids are so common and I don't want what's happened to me to happen to anyone else,' she previously said. Mr Pendry raised over 75,000 by conducting a 180mile run in a bid to get his wife treatment in the US to help prolong her life and make her more comfortable. The treatment eventually went ahead in the UK, but Mr Pendry said the remaining funds will be donated to charity to help other people in his wife's situation. Fibroids are a common growth made of muscle and fibrous tissue which appear in the wombs of about a third of women at some point in their lives. They are relatively harmless but can cause discomfort and pain in some cases. However, fibroids can develop into a rare form of cancer, as in Mrs Pendry's case. Speaking in October 2021, while undergoing gruelling chemotherapy to extend her life, Mrs Pendry said she wanted to fight as long as she could to make memories with her family. 'I want to be that person who beats all the odds, even if it just gives me more time to make memories with my family because they mean the word to me.' 'My husband is my rock and I have two phenomenal kids so I'm determined to fight for them, no matter what it takes.' Mrs Pendry was just one of millions of people in the UK whose surgery was delayed or cancelled due to the chaos of the Covid pandemic. Data shows more than 1.5million NHS operations were cancelled or delayed in England in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. An aerial image from May shows migrants waiting along the border wall to surrender to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents for immigration and asylum claim processing after crossing the Rio Grande River into the United States in El Paso, Texas. Patrick T. Fallon/Tribune News Service Two billboards that recently appeared in a Texas border town seemingly direct individuals crossing into the United States in the direction of San Francisco and New York. The signs in El Paso prominently display the words Sanctuary City along with images of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty against the Manhattan skyline, respectively. Both billboards alternately feature banners proclaiming San Francisco Welcomes Immigrants and New York City Welcomes Immigrants, with a link to SanctuaryCities.com. The sparse website, which features little detailed information and what appear to be stock photographs, claims that these cities offer a safe haven for immigrants regardless of their immigration status, promising a reduced risk of deportation and abundant social services, health care and diversity. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A message to the listed email address on the Sanctuary Cities website was not immediately returned. Local authorities in El Paso suspect the campaign is the work of a rogue group aiming to create chaos. John Martin, deputy director of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in El Paso, said he was concerned about the potentially disingenuous nature of this messaging for the migrant population, stating that the implied availability of extensive resources in these cities may not align with reality. We dont know who is behind it, but I will tell you that its very misleading because its implying that a large number of resources are available to the migrants if they make it there, that could include shelter, basic necessities, food, clothing, legal assistance, housing, Martin told local station KVIA, the first to report the presence of the billboards. In reality, we know based upon what weve seen in the media, that thats not true. Earlier this year, a similar billboard appeared on a truck around Eagle Pass, Texas, near the Mexico border, promoting San Franciscos purported lax shoplifting laws. The accompanying brochure, titled United States of America Sanctuary City Travel Guide, highlighted the citys policies limiting cooperation with the national governments immigration enforcement efforts. It was not clear if the same group was behind both advertising campaigns. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Franciscos sanctuary city ordinance, established in 1989, generally restricts city employees from using funds or resources to aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement in enforcing federal immigration laws, unless required by federal or state law. In 2013, San Francisco passed the Due Process for All ordinance, which imposed restrictions on when San Francisco officers could inform ICE of a persons release from local jail. Additionally, the ordinance prohibited cooperation with ICE detainer requests. The policies are intended in part to encourage undocumented immigrants to interact with San Francisco law enforcement officials without the fear of being deported. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission, which advises city officials on issues and policies related to immigrants who live or work in San Francisco, and the mayors office declined to comment on the matter. Around 70,000 people have missed out on a cancer diagnosis in two years after failing to seek medical attention, official new figures suggest. Experts warn NHS cancer services have failed to recover properly from the impact of Covid-19, which is hampering diagnosis rates. Difficulties accessing a GP are also making it harder to get tests, they add. It means patients are likely to have a more advanced form of the disease by the time it is confirmed, slashing their survival chances and making it more expensive to treat. There were 320,711 cancer diagnoses in England in 2019/20 - pre-pandemic - which is equal to 531 cases per 100,000 people. However, this plummeted to 276,979 diagnoses in 2020/21 and 302,803 in 2021/22, as the NHS prioritised Covid patients and GPs slashed face-to-face consultations. The numbers are equal to rates of 456 per 100,000 and 491 per 100,000, respectively, according to latest annual numbers published today by NHS Digital. Had the pre-pandemic diagnosis rate of 531 cases per 100,000 people been maintained throughout 2020/21 and 2021/22, there would have been an additional 69,508 diagnoses over that period. Professor Pat Price, a leading oncologist and chair of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, said: 'This analysis is yet more devastating news in a cancer landscape that needs urgent attention. 'The harsh truth is that cancer services that were already struggling pre-pandemic have failed to recover. 'Waiting times for cancer treatment are near the worst on record. 'We're now facing a double blow of not diagnosing cancer patients and then leaving those lucky enough to receive a diagnosis on record waiting lists for life-saving treatment. 'We need immediate action and a proper cancer plan with investment into key areas like radiotherapy if cancer patients here are to have similar outcomes to those in comparable countries .' In September 2023, more than 2,800 people with a confirmed cancer diagnosis waited for more than a month to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so, the second highest number on record for England. Performance against this target fell to the third worst on record and was also worse than in September last year. Meanwhile, more than 78,000 people waited more than four weeks to find out if they had cancer or not following an urgent referral for suspected cancer. Brett Hill, head of health and protection at consultancy firm Broadstone, which analysed the figures, said delayed diagnoses represent a 'ticking public health time bomb'. He added: 'These cases are likely to present further down the line at a time when treatment will be more complex, more expensive, and unfortunately may have less favourable outcomes.' Louise Ansari, chief executive of Healthwatch England, the patient watchdog, said: 'Early identification of cancer can save lives, but we know that long waiting times to speak to a GP during the pandemic meant long waits for referrals to cancer diagnostic and treatment services. 'Our latest research also suggests that too often poor processes and disjointed communication between NHS teams in general practice and hospitals can lead to referrals getting lost, causing serious delays.' Minesh Patel, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: 'We've seen from official data that there have been fewer people in England getting diagnosed with cancer than we had expected. 'NHS England have been making huge efforts to get people with suspected cancer symptoms to come forward, and it's vital that anyone who is worried speaks to their GP.' Katie Pritchard (pictured with her son Cass post-treatment last summer), from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, passed away surrounded by her family in June following a 17-month battle with cervical cancer. The 37-year-old went to her GP last January after finding a lump, where medics suggested it may be a result of her Covid vaccine or an STI. Wanting a second opinion, the NHS nurse manager self-referred for an appointment with a gynaecologist. It was only then that she was diagnosed with cervical cancer Malachy Watkins (pictured), 73, from Stevenage, died in September 2020 after his cancer treatment, which should have restarted in March, was delayed for three months. Mr Watkins had successful treatment in 2019 which had shrunk his tumours and he had been on a schedule of three-monthly check-ups before the pandemic struck. In February, he was given the news his cancer had returned but medics decided that because of the coronavirus situation it would be too risky to restart treatment. Naser Turabi, director of evidence and implementation at Cancer Research UK, said: 'It's deeply concerning that people are waiting too long to be diagnosed with and start treatment for cancer. 'Cancer wait time targets have been consistently missed for years, and demonstrate a legacy of long-term underfunding by the UK Government. 'They must invest more in NHS staff and diagnostic equipment to end these unacceptable waiting lists. 'It's important that people tell their GP if they notice anything that's not normal for them, even if they have had it checked out in the past. 'If something isn't going away, or is getting worse, people should go back to their GP. 'In most cases it won't be cancer, but if it is, spotting it at an early stage means that treatment is more likely to be successful.' It comes as separate data shows that GP referral delays are behind up to four in five cancer patient complaints. The figure comes from an old analysis of reports from the Medical Defence Union (MDU), which provides indemnity for clinicians. One study involved 106 complaints logged by men battling testicular and prostate cancer. The MDU data, originally published in 2018, revealed that around 90 per cent had taken action against their GP. One of the most common reason logged was delayed referral by a GP. 10-year cancer survival rates for many common cancers have now reached above the 50 per cent mark, and experts say further improvements could be made in the next decade Some 41,596 patients were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021, latest NHS data shows. It means bowel cancer has overtaken lung for the first time since records began in 1995, behind only breast and prostate. Breast, prostate and lung cancer recorded 49,775, 43,378 and 39,635 diagnoses respectively in 2021 NHS figures on cancer waiting times, meanwhile, showed every single national target was missed once again in September. Less than six in ten cancer patients (59.3 per cent) were seen within the two-month target in September Continuity of care problems and poor follow-up arrangements were also mentioned in the report, which was republished by The Telegraph. Of these, several involved men with high protein-specific antigen (PSA) test scores who were not given follow-up examinations. Men over 50 are eligible for a PSA blood test, which gives doctors a rough idea of whether a patient is at risk of prostate cancer. But it is unreliable. In one case, a man who did ultimately have prostate cancer was denied a PSA test despite having a family history of the disease, the report claimed. More than half of the complaints also led to claims for clinical negligence. Similar complaints were made by women battling breast and ovarian cancer, it was reported by The Telegraph. The MDU has not handled new incidents resulting in claims since 2019. Up-to-date stats are now collated by NHS Resolution. An NHS spokesman said: 'While some of the data used is more than a decade old, the latest data actually shows that GPs are referring more people for urgent cancer checks than ever before. 'As ever, we would encourage anyone worried about symptoms which may be cancer to contact their GP practice so that they can get checked.' An MDU spokesperson added: 'GPs are working incredibly hard to support and care for their patients, particularly as we enter the busy winter months.' Contaminated blood scandal victims today said Rishi Sunak 'should be ashamed' for holding out against a new compensation body. The PM last night suffered a humiliating defeat in the Commons after dozens of Tory MPs rebelled to support a Labour policy to speed up access to payment for affected Brits. Campaigners said Mr Sunak had to be 'dragged kicking and screaming' to properly compensate victims and warned he was on the 'wrong side of history'. Another said it should 'never have come to this'. Up to 30,000 patients with haemophilia and other bleeding disorders were given tainted medical products in the 70s and 80s, with thousands infected with HIV and hepatitis C as a result. Some even unwittingly infected their romantic partners. Tainted donations came from US prisoners, sex workers and drug addicts, who were paid to give their blood to the manufacturers of the product. It is considered the worst treatment scandal in NHS history, with more than 3,000 killed as a result. Jason Evans (pictured), whose father Jonathan died in 1993 after receiving infected blood, said it is 'deeply shameful' that parliamentarians, victims and families had to campaign to 'bring about this result' Mr Evans' father, Jonathan (pictured), died when he was just four years old in October 1993 after being infected with both hepatitis C and HIV from infected blood products All surviving victims and their bereaved partners are entitled to an interim 100,000 pay-out. But the current scheme leaves out parents who lost their children and kids orphaned when their parents died. Sir Brian Langstaff, chair of the inquiry into the scandal, earlier this year called for a full compensation scheme to be set-up immediately. He also demanded it be widened to include other victims who remain 'unrecognised'. The Government wanted to wait for the inquiry to conclude before setting up a full scheme. But MPs called for swifter action given that someone dies due to infected blood 'every four days'. The inquiry ordered in 2017 by then-PM Theresa May was due to publish its final report in the autumn. It was delayed until March 2024 due to the 'sheer volume and scale of the material'. A timeline of the contaminated blood scandal which began in the early-1970s 1972: NHS starts importing large batches of Factor VIII products from United States to help clot blood of haemophiliacs. 1974: Some researchers warn that Factor VIII could be contaminated and spreading hepatitis. Late-1970s: Patients continue to be given Factor VIII, with much of the plasma used to make the product coming from donors such as prison inmates, drug addicts and prostitutes. 1983: Governments in both the UK and the United States are told that Aids has been spread through blood products. Mid-1980s: By now the blood products such as Factor VIII, were being heat-treated to kill viruses, but thousands of patients had already been infected. 1991: Blood products imported from US are withdrawn from use. The government awards ex-gratia payments to haemophiliac victims threatening to sue. 2007: Privately-funded inquiry into scandal set up by Lord Archer of Sandwell but it does not get offical status and relies on donations. 2008: Penrose Inquiry launched, but victims claim the seven-year investigation was a 'whitewash'. 2017: Independent inquiry into contaminated blood scandal announced by Prime Minister Theresa May. April, 2019: Infected Blood Inquiry starts hearing evidence. Advertisement In the wake of Mr Sunak's Commons defeat, the Government is expected to set up a body in the spring to oversee compensation to the victims. MPs voted by 246 to 242 in favour of the Opposition's amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill. Twenty-three Tory backbenchers defied the PM's three-line whip. Tory rebels included former ministers Sir Robert Buckland, Damian Green, Dame Andrea Jenkyns and Chloe Smith. It marked Mr Sunak's first Commons defeat as PM and the first defeat on a whipped vote since the last general election in 2019. Kate Burt, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: 'The PM should be ashamed that it has taken cross-party political pressure and public opinion to force his government to do the right thing and commit to a full compensation scheme for people impacted by the contaminated blood scandal. 'He fails to understand that compensation is about so much more than money. 'For the families of those who died, compensation is recognition of their suffering and an acknowledgement that their beloved child, parent, sibling or partner was valued beyond measure. 'We thank MPs from all parties for dragging the Government towards urgent action in support of thousands of people who have already waited far too long for truth and justice.' She said the Government's tactic of waiting for the final report 'was just another example of official procrastination, delaying tactics which denigrate the community that have suffered so much over such a long period of time'. She told of meeting a bereaved father called John at a vigil whose two sons both had haemophilia and were infected with HIV. They went on to die aged 23 and 27, within five months of each other. 'No compensation is ever going to fill the void for John, but at least truth and justice and recognition will be a huge step forward,' Ms Burt added. Clive Smith, chair of the Haemophilia Society, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'This has never been about politics. 'This has always been about justice and doing the right thing, and no Government should hold out on this. 'They've been told by the chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry that with political will this should have been set up by the end of the year, and all we've heard consistently from Government is warm words. 'We keep hearing the refrain "we're working at pace". The only conclusion we can come to is they are working at snail's pace. 'They have had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do this, and Rishi and the Tory Party, I'm afraid, will be on the wrong side of history and future because it shouldn't have needed to come to this.' Colin and Denise Turton pictured at the start of the Infected Blood Inquiry Lee Turton's condition started to deteriorate in 1988, the couple said. He began to lose his appetite and was 'always ill' Jason Evans, founder and director of infected blood scandal campaign group Factor 8, said it is 'deeply shameful' parliamentarians, victims and families had to campaign to 'bring about this result'. Mr Evans' father, Jonathan, died when he was just four years old in October 1993 after being infected with both hepatitis C and HIV from infected blood products. He also had an uncle who was infected with both viruses and died in 1996. Mr Evans said: 'This is an incredible moment for the campaign and brings victims and bereaved families one step closer to seeing full redress. 'I sat in the public gallery as the results were read out, and it is truly a moment that I will never forget. Randolph Peter Gordon-Smith died in 2018 from complications related to a Hep C infection he contracted from being given a contaminated blood product to treat is haemophilia in the 80s 'It is deeply shameful that it took a concerted campaign by parliamentarians, victims and families to bring about this result.' He added: 'The Government should have acted on the Inquiry's final compensation recommendations without a fight. It should never have come to this. 'We pay tribute to all MPs who voted for justice tonight, particularly those Conservative members who defied a three-line whip to stand on the right side of history.' The Bill will now be debated in the House of Lord and could receive Royal assent around the end of January, which would trigger the three-month deadline. The defeat came despite a last-ditch attempt by the Government to offer concessions in a bid to placate MPs. Justice minister Edward Argar had said the Government would amend the Bill in the Lords to establish the necessary structure and timescales for a delivery body to provide compensation. But he outlined that the Government would still not act until the final report from the independent Infected Blood Inquiry has been published. Justine Gordon-Smith, whose father Randolph Peter Gordon-Smith died after being given infected blood, told BBC Newsnight she was 'stunned' that the Labour proposal was passed. However, she said she is worried about what the Government 'might try to do to limit things now'. Mr Gordon-Smith had haemophilia and learned in 1994 that he had been infected with hepatitis C. He died in 2018. Other victims include Lee Turton, who died in 1992 aged just 10, after contracting HIV from contaminated blood products in the 80s. Lee's mother Denise Turton told MailOnline in June that the Government's callous ringfencing of the compensation which she is not entitled to made her 'angry'. Rishi Sunak suffered a defeat in the Commons last night after dozens of Tory MPs rebelled to support a Labour policy to speed up access to compensation for those given blood contaminated with HIV and hepatitis C during the 1970s and 80s She said: 'We're all suffering, our mental health has suffered over what's happened over the years. We're just treated with disdain. Our children's lives are worthless.' Mrs Turton added: 'Why can't they pay the compensation to his estate? He had the same infections as all the others. 'A lot of parents aren't here to see this now, and maybe that's a good thing.' Mrs Turton, now in her 60s and based in Cornwall, added the difference even the interim compensation could make to their lives couldn't be underestimated. 'It would relieve a lot of our suffering,' she said. 'My husband has now got early onset Alzheimer's and it would mean we would not have to fight so much and not have to worry about everything all the time.' Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson, in a message posted on social media platform X, said: 'I am very pleased that my amendment new clause 27 has been passed, despite Government opposition. 'This will now put in law that a body will be established to pay compensation to those infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal within three months of the Act passing. 'This is an important step forward in what has been an extraordinarily long fight for justice. 'However, it is not the end. There is still much work to be done to fully implement Sir Brian (Langstaff)'s recommendations and bring justice to those who do not have the luxury of waiting.' A lawsuit filed by his family claims he did not think the drink contained caffeine Panera Bread is facing a second wrongful death lawsuit after a Florida man suffered a fatal cardiac arrest when he consumed the chain's highly caffeinated 'Charged Lemonade.' A lawsuit filed Monday alleges that Dennis Brown, 46, went into cardiac arrest on October 9 just after he left his local branch of Panera Bread in Fleming Island. He was found unresponsive on the sidewalk and pronounced dead on the scene. According to the lawsuit, Mr Brown, who lived with developmental disabilities and high blood pressure, had started ordering the drinks consistently three weeks before his death. The news comes weeks after the family of 21-year-old Sarah Katz alleged the Pennsylvania college student, who had an underlying heart condition, died after drinking one large Charged Lemonade last year. Dennis Brown, 46, allegedly died from cardiac arrest after he consumed three Panera Charged Lemonades A regular size of Charged Lemonade, which is 20 ounces, has 260 milligrams of caffeine. The large, which comes in a 30-ounce cup, has 390 milligrams Elizabeth Crawford, the attorney representing Mr Brown's family, told local news station Action News Jax that her client was 'reasonably confident' the drink had no caffeine. In reality, a 30-ounce large size contains 390 milligrams, which is nearly the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) entire recommended daily limit. Ms Crawford said that Mr Brown had a habit of ordering three drinks in a row, and he drank three charged lemonades with his dinner the day of his death. The lawsuit does not specify what size drink Mr Brown ordered. He also ordered the drink on September 28, October 2, October 4, October 5, and October 7. He did not normally order energy drinks. According to the lawsuit, he only drank water, root beer, iced tea, and Charged Lemonade. The lawsuit claims that Mr Brown was 'reasonably confident it was a traditional lemonade containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for him to drink' Panera markets its Charged Lemonade as 'plant-based' and 'clean' but does not provide warnings about its high caffeine content. At the time of Mr Brown's death, the chain sold the drink alongside other much less caffeinated beverages The lemonade was offered alongside other soft drinks and was not advertised as an 'energy drink.' There were no high caffeine warnings to customers. 'Dennis consumed the Panera Charged Lemonade, reasonably confident it was a traditional lemonade containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for him to drink,' the lawsuit states. The lawsuit argued that Panera should classify the beverage as an energy drink and provide warnings about its caffeine content. 'Panera Charged Lemonade is defective in design because it is a dangerous drink,' legal documents state. Ms Crawford said: 'I think this lemonade is a wolf in sheeps clothing. I think for two reasons. I think its a wolf in sheeps clothing because its sold at Panera Bread, and I think that the reasonable person equates Panera Bread to the healthier alternative.' 'Then, its also sold as a lemonade. And, I think that people think, generally, lemonade is innocuous.' A regular size, which is 20 ounces, has 260 milligrams of caffeine. The large, which comes in a 30-ounce cup, has 390 milligrams. Sarah Katz (pictured) died on September 10, 2022, just hours after she consumed a large Charged Lemonade from a branch of Panera Bread in Philadelphia In comparison, the average eight-ounce cup of coffee has 80 to 95 milligrams of caffeine. The FDA's recommended daily caffeine limit is 400 milligrams. Mr Brown lived with chromosomal deficiency disorder, developmental delay, high blood pressure, and ADHD. Chromosomal deficiency disorder is when a person has missing, extra, or irregular parts of their DNA. It's associated with conditions like Down syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, Rett Syndrome, and Fragile X syndrome. Legal documents did not specify which of these conditions Mr Brown had. Developmental disabilities are not associated with increased sensitivity or tolerance to caffeine. In October, University of Pennsylvania college student Sarah Katz's family alleged the 21-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest hours after consuming one large Panera Charged Lemonade. Ms Katz had been diagnosed with the heart rhythm condition long QT syndrome as a child, which caused her heart to beat irregularly (arrhythmia). Dr Stuart Fischer, an internal medicine physician in New York, previously told DailyMail.com that caffeine can eliminate the vital pauses in between heartbeats for people with long QT syndrome. 'Patients with this condition need a little bit longer than usual to reboot after the heart muscle has contracted.' Caffeine, he explains, speeds up the beating pattern, placing too much stress on the already stretched organ. 'If there is too much activity when the muscle needs to relax, it can be potentially fatal or at least a major medical emergency.' Ms Katz had managed her condition by taking medication and limiting caffeine, according to legal documents. She was not aware that the drink had 390 milligrams of caffeine, more than four cups of coffee. Panera released a statement on Monday in response to Mr Brown's death, reading: 'Panera expresses our deep sympathy for Mr. Browns family.' 'Based on our investigation, we believe his unfortunate passing was not caused by one of the companys products.' 'We view this lawsuit which was filed by the same law firm as a previous claim to be equally without merit. Panera stands firmly by the safety of our products.' A grandmother-of-five who was diagnosed with a rare cancerous nose tumour had her life saved after surgeons printed 3D a model of her face. Alison Hough, from Audley in Staffordshire, went to her GP with cold-like symptoms after returning from holiday in Tenerife but was told she probably had a sinus infection. The 59-year-old was devastated when further tests at Royal Stoke University Hospital revealed she had a rare form of cancer and she was given only weeks to live. However, specialists were able to use a print of her face to plan the removal of the tumour and the reconstruction of some of her features following the operation. The procedure was a success, with Ms Hough being declared cancer-free. She said she is now 'living her best life'. Alison Hough (pictured before her diagnosis, left, and after surgery, right), from Audley in Staffordshire, went to her GP with cold-like symptoms after returning from holiday in Tenerife but was told she probably had a sinus infection Specialists were able to use a print of her face (pictured) to plan the removal of the tumour and the reconstruction of some of her features following the operation. Ms Hough said: 'There is no gift I could ever give that would be enough to say thank you to them. 'They've given me that chance to see my grandchildren, to see my daughter get married and be there. 'I'm living my best life. I don't feel like I need to do anything, go on holiday to Barbados, or travel the world - I'm just enjoying my life as it is.' The mother-of-three said her first signs of illness 'just felt like I had a cold'. She said: 'I thought it was down to the plane flight. Cancer never went into my mind, I just assumed I would be ok. How did 3D printing help? Surgeons at Royal Stoke University Hospital said Ms Hough's treatment would have been classed as inoperable at many other hospitals. However, the hospital had just introduced 3D printing. This allowed medics to print a model of her face and see the extent of the tumour and gave doctors the confidence that they had the expertise to operate. Ms Hough had to undergo multiple types of detailed scans for the 3D model to be created. Advertisement 'When I got home, it was a bit of a nuisance and then I ended up with one blocked nostril. I couldn't breathe properly. I felt exhausted eating. 'I'd eat a small amount and would feel tired. I went to my GP and they diagnosed me with sinusitis and gave me antibiotics and a nasal spray.' Ms Hough 'kept going back' to her GP when her condition didn't improve. She then developed a posterior nosebleed one that occurs deep inside the nose and causes heavy bleeding that can flow down the throat. Her husband called 999 and paramedics told her to go back to her GP again. She said: 'Eventually I got a referral for a CT scan. I just went along with things. I think I knew subconsciously it was something serious but I just didn't let myself believe it. Medics spotted a polyp growing in her nose and took a biopsy. Four days later, in 2016, medics diagnosed her with adenocarcinoma of the nose. The cancer develops in the glands that line the nasal cavity. Surgery and radiotherapy are the go-to treatments. 'It was complete devastation. I didn't feel angry, or "why me?" I just felt terribly sad, hopeless and deflated really,' Ms Hough said. Surgeons found that the tumour had spread into Ms Hough's brain cavity, which made it difficult to operate on. The surgery would involve the whole craniofacial region, which is vital for breathing, movement, sight, hearing, smell and taste. However, the Royal Stoke University Hospital, where Ms Hough was receiving care, had just introduced 3D printing. The 3D model of her face (pictured) helped medics better understand the extent of the tumour and to help with reconstructing her features after surgery Ms Hough (pictured before surgery) has been cancer-free since 2018 and a minor operation on her lip is all she needs to complete her treatment A short film was produced to highlight her life-saving surgery to help raise money for the UHNM charity, which helps fund equipment for the hospital. She added: 'The work at UHNM is absolutely amazing and I am so grateful for the care I received' This allowed surgeons to print a 3D model of her face, based on detailed scans, to better understand the extent of the tumour and to help with reconstructing her features after surgery. Ms Hough added: 'It gave me a renewed sense that I might survive. I felt positive that I'd been given the option to have an opportunity.' Daya Gahir, a head, neck and maxillofacial surgeon at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), said the op was challenging but successful because of the level of planning the printing allowed them to do. He said: 'The factor at that point was the extent of the tumour into the brain. 'In a lot of units this would have definitely been deemed inoperable and she would have probably have been having palliative treatment. 'But we were very fortunate at the time we had the latest technology and that was 3D printing. 'We found it very beneficial. We could print a model of the face and see the extent of the tumour.' Ms Hough has been cancer-free since 2018 and a minor operation on her lip is all she needs to complete her treatment. A short film was produced to highlight her life-saving surgery to help raise money for the UHNM charity, which helps fund equipment for the hospital. She added: 'The work at UHNM is absolutely amazing and I am so grateful for the care I received.' Doctors are calling for more parents to get their childrens tonsils surgically removed in order to improve their sleep and quality of life, and reduce their risk of heart conditions down the line. Researchers at Brigham and Womens Hospital and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute found when children underwent tonsillectomies to remove the two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of the throat, the quality of their sleep improved, as did their level of daytime sleepiness and behavior. The children who underwent the procedure were also more likely to have reduced blood pressure and less likely to show signs of progressive disease than children who kept their tonsils. A tonsillectomy is one of the most common procedures in children and teens, with more than 530,000 procedures performed each year. It is typically performed to improve breathing problems while asleep and/or put a stop to recurring bacterial tonsil infections. During a tonsillectomy, doctors place a tool in the child's mouth to cut or shave away the the two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of the throat. They may also use a method called cauterization to burn them off. Children who got their tonsils removed had better behavior, though there was no difference in hand and finger coordination tests. Sleeping quality, including snoring and apnea symptoms, also improved among children who underwent a tonsillectomy, as did their overall well-being The Massachusetts researchers set out to determine how a tonsillectomy early in life could affect brain development, sleep, behavior, and quality of life. Out of 459 children ages three through 13 with mild sleep-disordered breathing defined as habitual snoring without frequent breathing interruptions doctors followed up with 395 of them one year after getting their enlarged tonsils removed. Those with tonsils removed had better behavior, though there was no difference in hand and finger coordination tests. Sleeping quality, including snoring and apnea symptoms, also improved among children who underwent a tonsillectomy, as did their overall well-being. After 12 months, the adenotonsillectomy group had a bigger decrease in blood pressure levels than the group that chose to wait and see what happened. During a tonsillectomy, doctors place a tool in the child's mouth to cut or shave away the tonsils. They may also use a method called cauterization to burn them off. The whole procedure lasts only 20 to 30 minutes, but requires the child to undergo general anesthesia. Still, it typically does not require stitches and the child can go home the same day. Tonsils are a part of the body's immune system. They act like lymph nodes, filtering out germs that enter through the nose and mouth in order to protect the rest of the body from infection. They can grow large enough that it becomes difficult to breathe. The procedure is not free of risks for complications, the most common of which include difficulty breathing after the surgery, affecting one in 10 patients, and bleeding, which affects one in 20. But they themselves can become infected, leading to swelling, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, and a scratchy voice. Parents and pediatricians have long known that high-quality sleep between nine and 14 hours is crucial to a childs neurodevelopment, affecting mental health and behavior and leading to poorer cognitive function and concentration problems at school. Poor sleep hygiene in childhood has also been associated with metabolic disorders down the line, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Doctors will generally deem a tonsillectomy medically necessary if the patient has suffered at least seven tonsil infections in a single year. Dr Susan Redline, a sleep medicine expert at Harvard University and coauthor of the study, said: Our data suggests that for children with no symptoms other than snoring, it's reasonable to monitor them over time without proceeding to surgery. On the other hand, for children who are having issues with disturbed sleep, daytime sleepiness and behavioral problems, our data suggest that surgery may be a very reasonable option, even if a sleep study shows that they don't have frequent apneas [or temporary pauses in breathing]. The team will continue with their research by looking at longer-term effects of undergoing a tonsillectomy in childhood. Dr Redline said: Our team is very interested in a longer term follow up of children. There are open questions about the impact of having tonsils removed over a child's lifetime, as well as its impact on trajectories of growth and development beyond a year. A young man with a history of allergies suffered a serious tear in his windpipe after attempting to 'hold in' a sneeze. British doctors, who reported the case in the British Medical Journal, said it was the first documented instance of a stifled sneeze leading to the injury - which can be life-threatening. The experts said that suppressing the reflex by closing the nose and mouth caused pressured air to escape into the man's neck tissue and chest, ripping the delicate tissue. A tear to the windpipe, known medically as a tracheal tear, is more commonly caused by injury during or after surgery to remove the thyroid gland. This is the tiny butterfly-shaped organ in the neck that controls several bodily processes including metabolism and energy levels. It is also commonly seen following the insertion of a breathing tube - roughly one in every 20,000 patients see this complication - or a stent in the esophagus. The scan shows air that is within tissues in the neck, causing a potentially dangerous tear in the windpipe In the most recent case, reported by doctors at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland, the patient visited the hospital complaining of severe neck pain related to sneezing. Doctors also noticed a faint cracking sound when they felt his neck, which the man could not move properly. Scans revealed a small tear in the mans windpipe measuring about the width of a sesame seed. In severe cases, tears to the trachea can cause the airways to narrow, causing life-threatening breathing problems. Serious infections are also common. A CT scan of the man's neck revealed concentrations of air in surrounding tissues as a result of the tear, which the white arrow points to Injury to the windpipe is rare and is typically spotted when patients suffer symptoms of respiratory distress. In the recently reported case, pressure in the airways shot up to 20 times higher than normal, due to the impact of holding in the sneeze. Doctors said: We suspect the trachea perforated due to a rapid build-up of pressure in the trachea while sneezing with a pinched nose and closed mouth. Doctors treating a trachea tear would consider surgery if the patient cannot breathe on their own or if the tear has extended into the space around the lungs. An operation is also needed if there is a continuous build-up of air beneath the skin or within the chest. The man in the report closed their mouth and nose while sneezing, causing the pressure in his airways to shoot up dramaticallyup to 20 times higher than normal But because the man's tear was small and his blood pressure and respiratory rate were normal, surgeons chose not to perform surgery. Instead, the man was treated with over-the-counter pain and fever reducer paracetamol, as well as codeine. And five weeks later the tear had healed itself thanks to the immune system's natural repair processes. The man was prescribed anti-allergy medication including a steroid nasal spray and a decongestant to treat his congestion. He remained in the hospital for 48 hours, but the man did not experience any further health complications. Doctors ordered him not to stifle sneezes anymore and to avoid exercise for two weeks. A follow-up scan a little over a month later showed the problem had completely resolved itself. A tracheal tear is not the only injury that can arise from stifling a sneeze. Doctors in the UK reported a case in 2018 of a man who suffered a severe tear in his pharynx - a tube in the neck that helps to breathe and digest food - as a result of holding in a sneeze. The doctors warned that stifling sneezes 'should be avoided, as it may lead to numerous complications such as pneumomediastinum [air trapped in the chest between the lungs], perforation of tympanic membrane [perforated eardrum] and even rupture of cerebral aneurysm [potentially fatal bursting blood vessels in the brain]. Thames Water has revealed a three-year turnaround plan as Britain's biggest water utility struggles under a 14.7billlion debt pile. The group, which is a supplier of water to 15 million customers, saw pre-tax profits sink 54 per cent to 246.4million in the six months to September as it spend a record 1billion on network improvements. This offset a 12 per cent jump in revenues to 1.3billion as its debts swelled by 7 per cent over the period. Thames Water warned its turnaround efforts will 'take time' but it claimed to have strong liquidity as it laid out plans to ease concerns about its financial stability. Britain's biggest water utility reported that it will proceed with a new three-year turnaround plan to improve service Britain's water industry has faced a turbulent environment in recent times, as the sector's debts continue to pile higher, and it faces criticism over its handling of pollution and leakages from consumers, regulators and politicians. The industry has laid out plans to mend Britain's crumbling water infrastructure, but it has also handed bumper payouts to investors as consumers' bills are hiked. Fears that Thames Water could buckle under the weight of its of debt prompted the government to ready a rescue plan earlier this year, before the company's financial investors agreed to invest additional equity in July. In July, It reported that it had secured 750million of shareholder investment for the next two years. The water provider said the cash injection, which follows a 500million investment in March, was the largest equity support package ever seen in the UK water sector. But a Financial Times report on Saturday claimed the cash injection is actually a loan charging Thames Water 8 per cent per annum. But Thames Water, which services more than a fifth of Britain's population, said it has total liquidity of 3.5billion, as well as further funding resources. The group said its turnaround plan will focus on six 'key operational priorities' - health and safety, customer complaints, water quality, leakage, supply interruptions, and pollutions. It added: 'Looking further ahead, we are fully committed to deliver a step change in investment and performance. 'This is why, between 2025 and 2030, our PR24 business plan proposes to invest a record 4.7billion in our network and other assets to improve water security for our customers in London and the Thames Valley and deliver environmental improvements. 'This investment is critical to building greater resilience in the face of an ageing asset base, climate change and population growth.' In a statement, the firms interim co-chief executives Cathryn Ross and Alastair Cochran said 'turning around Thames will take time'. They added: 'We simply cannot do everything that our customers and stakeholders wish to see at a pace and for a price that everyone would like. 'We will continue to make the tough choices required to deliver what matters most to our customers and the environment. 'By being honest about what we can deliver and transparent about what we are doing, we believe we will build the trust and support we need from our customers and stakeholders if we are to succeed in our ambitious plans.' Neighbors said that they have seen the posters up for around two weeks A $10,000 reward was offered 'for successful arrest or prosecution' of the intruder The owner of a $11million mansion in Russian Hill, San Francisco hung up posters of an unknown trespasser along their property The owner of an $11million San Francisco mansion hung up posters on their property offering a $10,000 reward for a trespasser who was caught 'jumping the gate.' The single-family home built in 1853 is situated on a private lot in Russian Hill, a neighborhood of San Francisco. Laminated posters were seen along the property's large white fence and next to the house number with a picture of the unknown intruder. The poster also displayed text that said: 'Have you seen this person? Call 911 if you see him or ANYONE jumping the gate or fence.' 'Man, I want to bring him the guy. I could use $10,000,' Arthur Vela Boas, a resident of Russian Hill told The San Francisco Standard. The owner of an $11 million San Francisco mansion has erected this poster appealing for information about a man seen jumping the property's gate It went on to say that the hefty reward would be gifted to someone 'for successful arrest or prosecution.' DailyMail.com attempted to locate the current owner of the house and contacted neighbors for further information, but it is unclear who the resident is. Neighbors said that they have seen the posters displayed for approximately two weeks, but don't think that they are meant to actually catch the suspect. Daniel Detorie, a neighbor who has lived on the same block as the mansion for 32 years said: 'I think it's just to scare him away.' The 3,890 square foot mansion with four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms was first listed at $12million in 2019 but was then brought down to $11million. It was originally built by Joseph H. Atkinson and is a registered San Francisco Historic Landmark, known as the Atkinson-Escher House. The breathtaking mansion is pictured center frame. It sits on one of the city's famed steep hills The Atkinson-Escher House was built in 1853 by Joseph H. Atkinson and is a registered San Francisco Historic Landmark According to the Pacific Coast Architecture Database, the house was known as a meeting place for occult seances- paranormal spirit activity- and local high society. Though it looks as though the owner was trying to pinpoint a specific person, neighbors have said they have a hard time making out the pictures on the poster. 'The photo's really bad. You can't recognize the guy,' Vela Boas said. The home itself has been updated with an elevator, a two-car garage and excellent views of the Bay Area as its located near North Beach and Nob Hill, California. Homes in Russian Hill have averaged at $1,452,925, according to Zillow. In recent times, San Francisco has been known as one of the county's most crime-ridden cities and has been filled with excessive drug use and homelessness. Residents have to pick their way through streets full of unconscious and semi-conscious people in the Tenderloin district of the city as drug and homelessness rates have soared The city's overdose deaths soared in August with an additional 84 deaths, 66 involving fentanyl, the deadliest month since 2021. Many businesses have also shut down in the area due to the unsafe nature of the city and high living costs. Photos of an IKEA store that opened its doors in August revealed the now deserted business, as customers said that persistent construction, lack of parking and constant crime has kept them from shopping there. Megyn Kelly says 'TV gold' Donald Trump would be welcome to return to the Republican debate stage to shake up the dynamic among the GOP 2024 candidates after a series of 'frustrating' previous debates. Kelly is co-moderating the fourth Republican primary debate with NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas and Washington Free Beacon Editor-in-Chief Eliana Johnson in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Wednesday. She told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that although she hasn't reached out to Trump directly urging his participation, he knows that she would 'love' to have him there. 'Trump is TV gold, not just ratings gold - yes, that's a given. He is a performer. He's a natural born performer. And there's a reason people can't take their eyes off of him when he enters a room, when he gets in front of a lens...so of course I would love to be part of any television program that has him on the opposite end,' she explained. Trump has decided to sit out all of the GOP primary debates because he's so far ahead in the polls. But last month, the U.S. Secret Service conducted a security 'sweep' of the Alabama site of the next presidential debate, teasing a possible Trump return to the action. In 2016, then-Fox News host Kelly famously clashed with Trump during the televised match when he was asked about his previous misogynistic comments. Nearly eight years later, there is a 'charged but respectful but on the edge dynamic' between herself and Trump that works well for television and so Kelly 'hopes' Trump shows up in Alabama 'for the fun of it.' In 2016, then-Fox News host Kelly famously clashed with Trump during the televised match when he was asked about his previous misogynistic comments Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier at the start of the 2016 debate held by Fox News 'It would be a gift to the audience and to the voters who are going to be [voting] six weeks later in Iowa. But I wouldn't put money on it,' she told DailyMail.com. The stage will be the smallest in the 2024 primary race yet with qualifiers including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie qualified for the debate at the last minute as well. The trio of female moderators are planning to set their debate apart from the previous three by letting the candidates hash it out - without interruptions. Kelly said she plans to have the candidates 'actually debate' and not make the night just a 'nationally televised interview.' She said at the previous debate hosted by NBC's Lester Holt and Kristen Welker in Miami, 'whenever debate would unfold on the stage, the moderators would shut it down. Far from fostering it, they seemed afraid of it.' 'I don't care what the moderators think is important. I care what the candidates think is important,' Kelly added. Wednesday's moderators will take a different approach after the 'incredibly frustrating' last debate. 'If we do our jobs right, and the way we plan, you're going to be hearing a lot more from them than you are from us.' In Miami, Ramaswamy brought Haley's daughter into the conversation, noting that she was a user of TikTok during a heated debate on which candidates do and do not want to ban the Chinese social media app. 'Leave my daughter out of your voice,' Haley said in response. 'You're just scum.' Kelly said Holt and Welker unfortunately 'snuffed out' that intense moment. 'They didn't give him the chance to respond. And they pretend it didn't happen. Who who in the history of debate moderation, would ignore a moment like that?' she questioned. Pipe dream? Set construction at the site of the fourth presidential debate shows plans for five lecterns enough to accommodate Donald Trump as well as four leading candidates Former President Donald Trump has amassed a polling lead of nearly 50 percentage points while skipping the debates he used to climb to the top of the pack in 2016 Co-moderator Elizabeth Vargas of NewsNation told DailyMail.com her goal is to deliver a debate where viewers don't want to turn off the television like she says she wanted to do during extended periods of cross-talk in the second debate. 'We intend to moderate this debate with a firm and steady hand,' Vargas said in an exclusive look at preparation for the fourth event. 'People will not be allowed to talk over each other.' Kelly also said that Vargas, Johnson and herself plan to incorporate topics previously untouched in previous debates. It's been a 'goldmine for us,' she says. As to whether Kelly would ever consider a return to TV, she told DailyMail.com 'no.' 'I've had multiple offers to go back to TV and I've rejected them all. I really enjoy what I'm doing now. I'm my own boss. I have no one exercising editorial control over me. And frankly, there would be no one who could exercise editorial control over me in a manner that I would be comfortable with.' She said she feels freed by having 'no corporate loyalties' and she can control the subjects of her interviews. Far from a relaxing meal out, customers at one Japanese restaurant are opting to have their food with a side of tough love - by paying their waiting staff to slap them in the face. Diners are reportedly flocking to an eatery in Nagoya, on the south coast of Japan, where the female staff serve up the bizarre experience. Waitresses wearing kimonos strike willing diners' over and over - and get paid 300 yen (1.60) for the service. Some punters at the izakaya - or Japanese tavern - even get backhanders, and the blows can be so powerful that clients are knocked out of their chairs. Shocking video of the unusual ritual even sees a man wheeled out before a line of waitresses, who bow before taking in turns to give him a clip around the ear. Women laugh as they strike a customer across the face at the restaurant in Nagoya, Japan Waitresses at the Shachihoko-ya tavern wear gold kimonos and are paid a service charge to slap guests The spot, named Shachihoko-ya, opened in 2012 but risked closing down because custom was slow. But staff managed to turn things around by introducing the bizarre gimmick and business is now said to be thriving. In fact, the tavern became such a hit that managers had to hire more female staff to meet out the pre-meal violence. Patrons who want a specific staff member to turn their cheeks red must pay a 500 yen (2.70) surcharge, local media reports. Both men and women, locals and foreigners alike are said to enjoy the experience so much that they thank their aggressors for their service. The restaurant is situated in Nagoya's most popular nightlife quarter Nishiki Sanchome, is known for the costumes worn by its staff. One waitress, seen wearing a gold kimono, strikes a female customer across the face A stony-faced waitress hits one of her customers in the dining area of the restaurant Business is said to be thriving at the restaurant after the staff began hitting their guests The male waiters, known as 'Shachihoko Boys' wear golden body suits and fish-shaped headdresses inspires by the tavern's logo, while the female staff wear gold kimonos. Japan is widely known for its weird and wonderful dining experiences. One Tokyo joint is decked out like a primary school classroom with waiting staff dressed as teachers. Another mimics a blood-splattered asylum where handcuffed diners are served grub in a cramped cell by waitresses dressed as nurses. A more serene option might be a Tokyo bar set up and run by a Buddhist monk - where all the bartenders are also monks who teach punters about their way of life. The aurora borealis, also known as the northern nights, appears over Scotland on Friday, Dec. 1. Jane Barlow - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images After the northern lights put on a show as far south as California early Friday morning, residents of northwestern states may get another chance to see the phenomenon Monday night. Its not expected to be as far south as Fridays aurora, however, so California is probably out of luck. Even still, there are likely to be more opportunities in the coming year to catch the aurora without a trip to Alaska, as sun activity changes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The University of Alaska in Fairbanks forecasts that the aurora Monday night may graze Oregon, and be visible in more northerly states like Washington, Idaho and Montana. In most parts of those states, residents are not expected to be able to look straight up and see the aurora though, as it has not traveled far enough south. But if they look to the northern horizon and the sky is clear, they may be able to see the lights. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a more conservative prediction that does not include Oregon. One of the best ways to keep track of the latest updates is to watch NOAAs space weather alerts. They are given in Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC, which is 8 hours ahead of Pacific time. Within aurora forecast area, Ryan Wyatt, senior director for the California Academy of Sciences planetarium, said you may have the best chance of seeing it between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a general rule you always want to be around at midnight, because then youre at the opposite side of earth from the sun, he said. On a normal day the northern lights are only visible in North America from Alaska and Canada. Monday nights atypical viewing forecast is due to a coronal hole on the sun, which causes increased solar wind speed, according to Don Hampton, research associate professor of space physics at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. This coronal hole is positioned at a low to mid latitude on the sun, different than where you normally would find one, Hampton said. Coronal holes occur frequently on the sun, but often on the poles of the star, where the solar wind coming off is not directed at earth. As solar activity increases, they drift down from the poles, Hampton said. Auroras are caused by a stream of charged particles coming from the sun, which is solar wind. When the solar wind interacts with the earths magnetic field, we get the auroras, Hampton said. During last weeks northern lights show, which appeared in California just before dawn on Friday, coronal mass ejections were expelled from the sun during the storm, which produced dense, fast solar wind, according to Hampton. These ejections expanded the area where the aurora is visible. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The good news is even if you miss these, theres a good chance in the next year or so that theres going to be several of these storms coming through, Hampton said. Solar activity increases and decreases on an 11 year cycle and we are at the brink of a solar maximum. Hampton expected the peak of the solar activity to be in 2024 or early 2025. This solar maximum is turning out to be more active than they had predicted, Hampton said. Its more active than the last one, which was back in 2014 (and) 2015. Each solar cycle is a little different, Wyatt said. Even when the sun is not on the brink of a solar maximum, there are still occasional chances to catch the aurora in the continental U.S. But it is a rarity. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A squatter who took legal ownership of an empty house that belonged to a pensioner and then sold it for 540,000 today insisted he did not 'steal' the property. Keith Best even claims he has been left 255,000 out of pocket after spending 400,000 in legal fees fighting a court battle to make the property his own. He also maintains that he paid the pensioner's granddaughter 245,000 in compensation and spent 150,000 of his own money doing up the property. Speaking to MailOnline, builder Mr Best, 58, said: 'I've been portrayed as a thief who cheated an old man out of his home but that's not true. The whole thing has been a nightmare. 'It affected my health and cost me a lot of money. I never made anything from this and yet it's being made out that I robbed a pensioner. I have not made a profit.' In 1997, Mr Best noticed that the house in Newbury Park, east London, was vacant and began treating it as his own before renovating it. Builder Keith Best (pictured) spotted the house in Newbury Park, London was vacant in 1997 and started renovating it MailOnline can reveal that after living in it for almost eight years, Mr Best has now sold the house, pocketing the entire 540,000 profit The house was previously owned by Doris Curtis, who lived there with her son, Colin. Following her death in the mid 1980s, he continued to live there alone before moving out in 1996, leaving it empty. Mr Best insisted that he had every right to take over the house because Mr Curtis never visited or maintained it. He said: 'He didn't care about the house, never went there and he didn't even know about it. He wasn't poor. He inherited another property and never went back to the house in Newbury Park.' When asked by MailOnline about his claim that he had to pay extraordinarily high legal fees of 400,000, Mr Best insisted he used his savings and money earned at the time. He revealed that in addition to working as a builder he was also employed as a senior manager by Virgin. He said: 'I had a very good job and was being paid 75,000 per year. But I lost it because of all the negative publicity at the time. I went to court eight times over the house, I was sick of it by the end. I tried to settle with the family [of Mr Curtis] before it even came to court.' Mr Best also claimed that the stress of the legal battle led to the death of his mother two years ago. He said: 'It killed my mum. She saw the affect that it was having on me. It was awful. I regret the impact it had on my health and that I didn't make any money from this.' Mr Best drives a brand-new Range Rover and revealed that he now lives in a 'large house' in Essex and no longer works. He was speaking from his mother's home in south-east London, which he inherited and recently sold. He revealed that he had also just fought a two-year legal battle with his family after she left her entire estate to him and her will was contested by the relatives. Colin Curtis (pictured) previously lived at the house with his mother before moving in the 1990s Mr Curtis was living on 261 a week from his state pension and tax credits in a modest warden-assisted flat a few miles away in Romford He added: 'I've had enough of being in the courts and as far as I'm concerned after selling the property in Newbury Park and settling my mother's will, all these matters are now closed.' Mr Best revealed that he was alerted to Mr Curtis's home being vacant by a neighbour while working in the area. He said he had 'every right' to take it over. WHAT IS THE LAW ON SQUATTING? Squatting was made a criminal offence in England and Wales in September 2012. To do it in a residential building can lead to six months in prison, as well as a 5,000 fine. However before it was criminalised, squatters could claim ownership of a property by living in it for a certain period of time. If the land was unregistered, a trespasser could claim rights to it after 12 years of so-called adverse possession. If registered, they could apply to be owner after occupying it for ten years. The original owner had up to two years to obtain possession but if this did not happen, the squatter remained in possession. Keith Bests attempt to register ownership of Colin Curtis house was initially blocked because it was made a few weeks after the law was changed. However he was then granted ownership in a High Court ruling in 2014. The judge said previous legislation which treated squatting as a civil matter should apply. Advertisement He added: 'I saw the house, it was vacant for years. It was falling in on itself, so I started doing it up. I never robbed anyone. I never did anything wrong. I saved the house and I'm very happy that I did because it's now being used as a family home.' After living in the property for eight years and becoming its legal owner, Mr Best sold it for 540,000 in July 2020 to the Hayat family, who still live there. The legal battle for the home started in 2012 after Mr Best submitted an application for adverse possession under which a trespasser can win rights to somewhere they do not legally own if they can demonstrate they had 'control' over the building or land for a considerable period of time. He was initially turned down by the Chief Land Registrar as his claim came just a few weeks after squatting was criminalised under Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act. However, this was overruled by the High Court in 2014, with Mr Justice Ouseley ruling that the Registrar's decision was 'founded on an error of law,' and previous legislation which treated squatting as a civil matter should apply, resulting in Mr Best being made the legal owner of the home. Mr Best insisted: 'Under the law I had a right to make this house mine so if anybody has a problem with that, they should be angry at the law, not me. I've done everything by the book. Nobody was cheated and I legally got what was mine.' After losing the High Court hearing, Mr Curtis launched a counter claim but this was dismissed by Judge Elizabeth Cooke on the basis that he was not a registered administrator of his mother's estate and had no legal right to fight for her home. Mr Curtis, who died aged 80 in 2018, was living on 261 a week from his state pension and tax credits in a modest warden-assisted flat a few miles away in Romford. His widowed mother Mrs Curtis had died without a will and her son had not realised he had to apply to become an administrator. Mrs Curtis died in the mid 1980s aged 88. Her divorced son then stayed there until the mid-1990s, until he moved to live in another home that he inherited. Despite the fact that Mr Curtis continued to pay council tax, he rarely visited the property and barely maintained it, giving Mr Best an ideal opportunity to take it over. Speaking after losing his case, Mr Curtis fumed: 'It's not fair. The law is an ass. It's like someone getting in your car then saying it's theirs because they're sitting in it.' 'People can't believe it when I tell them. They don't understand how anyone could get away with it.' He is the bad-tempered cartoon Scotsman who has been claimed by many towns and cities across the country. But now it has emerged that The Simpsons character Groundskeeper Willie originates from Edinburgh. In the latest episode of the hit US animated comedy, the family head to Scotland in search of the Scots school caretaker who returned to his homeland to be reunited with his long-lost love Maisie, played by Karen Gillan. Previously Glasgow, Aberdeen and Orkney laid claim to being the home of the prickly character. But when the Simpsons find him, he reveals he lived in capital before moving to Springfield. Karen Gillan plays Maisie, who is set marry Willie, in the latest episode The show goes on to light-heartedly poke fun at Scotland and some of the dialect In one scene where Inverness-born Gillan is asking Willie for a kiss, she says: Give us a smooch ya big ugly bawbag. In response, the red-haired janitor says: Aw haud yer wheesht before I boke. Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa arrived at Edinburgh Airport in a plane emblazoned with the logo Planespotting Airlines which featured a cartoon version of Trainspotting hardman Begbie. The episode also saw Lisa take aim at the pretentiousness of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as she went on a tour of the city. Maise delivers a 'Glasgow Kiss' to her betrothed during the ceremony She said: The Fringe Festival, a celebration of theatrical irony and self-awareness. Its so clever without being good. During her travels around Edinburgh Lisa also walked by The Proclaimers Dentists surgery which had a sign which read I Would Fix 500 Smiles. The episode ended with Homer and Marge committing sacrilege by romping on the Old Course in St Andrews. The episode, called Ae Bonny Romance, aired in the US on Sunday. It also featured Scots Dr Who actor David Tennant playing a whisky distillery owner and a song by Glasgow band Belle and Sebastian. Lisa travels around Edinburgh and encounters The Proclaimers Dentists The Simpsons arrive in Scotland on a 'Planespotting Airlines' flight Hollywood star Gillan had told of her delight at landing the part of Maisie and said it was the role I was born to play. Bawbag was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2019. The word received widespread news coverage when a weather storm that struck Scotland in 2011 was nicknamed Hurricane Bawbag. A senator who was dumped from the Liberal party room after being accused of sexually harassing three colleagues allegedly flirted with women on his official email and Instagram accounts. Screenshots and emails published by A Current Affair on Monday night show Victorian Senator David Van, 59, addressing women with terms such as 'babe', 'hon' and 'darling'. Mr Van, who is now an independent senator who has cut deals with Labor, has consistently denied that he sexually harassed women including Senator Lidia Thorpe and former senator Amanda Stoker. In a message to a popular online cooking influencer in 2021, and shared last night, Mr Van allegedly shared his Instagram page and requested they share it widely with a special hashtag. 'Hey darling here is my Senate page,' the message allegedly said. 'Appreciate it if you can push it hard to your friends... especially the shot of me in the shorts and give it the hashtag #senatorsixpack'. Victorian senator David Van (pictured with his partner Nerilee Rockman) has consistently denied he sexually harassed women including Senator Lidia Thorpe and former senator Amanda Stoker READ MORE: David Van returns to Senate for the first time since Lidia Thorpe accused him of sexual harassment Advertisement In a follow up message to the same woman, Mr Van allegedly wrote: 'Hey doll can you put a comment on that post of mine with the hashtag #senatorsixpack.' In a conversation on Instagram in 2020, a woman contacted Mr Van, telling him 'You are a hot looking man Hehe did you just have a stalk of my profile?' The senator allegedly responded: 'Not a stalk was just trying to follow you back. Call me if you like and I will see if I can help.' Last June, Mr Van suddenly went from being a political nobody - albeit one with a powerful mining industry lawyer 'life partner', Nerilee Rockman - to the centre of a political storm. If the public knew his name at all before then, it was probably because he was accused of making growling, woofing dog noises at fellow senator Jacqui Lambie in the Senate in November 2021. Six months ago, Ms Thorpe alleged that Mr Van sexually assaulted her in Parliament. This was soon followed by Ms Stoker claiming Mr Van groped her, accusing him of 'squeezing my bottom twice'. He denied Ms Thorpe's allegations and she later withdrew the remarks, before making another claim in Parliament about being sexually assaulted, without saying who allegedly did that. In a message to an influencer in 2021, Mr Van (pictured) allegedly said: 'Hey darling here is my Senate page. Appreciate it if you can push it hard to your friends... especially the shot of me in the shorts and give it the hashtag #senatorsixpack' Using parliamentary privilege, Ms Thorpe claimed she was 'followed aggressively, propositioned and inappropriately touched' by an unnamed man. 'I was afraid to walk out of the office, I would open the doors slightly and checked the coast was clear before stepping out,' she told the Senate. 'It was to the degree that I had to be accompanied by someone whenever I walked inside this building.' After Ms Thorpe's second statement, and allegations that he groped another senator, Mr Dutton dumped Mr Van from the Liberal party room and he has sat on the Senate crossbench since then. Ms Stoker issued a statement saying: 'In November 2020 Senator Van inappropriately touched me at an informal social gathering in a parliamentary office. 'He did so by squeezing my bottom twice. By its nature and by its repetition, it was not accidental. That action was not appropriate. It was unprofessional and uninvited.' Mr Van said he had no memory of having had such an encounter with Ms Stoker. 'I can confirm I had a very friendly and open discussion with my colleague some years ago about this and made it clear that I had no recollection of any such event, and can confirm it is not something I would ever do,' he said at the time. Ms Stoker featured prominently on Mr Van's Instagram account with a photo and video of her interviewing him on Sky News. During the interview he told Ms Stoker that it was 'a shame not having you here in (the Senate) with us. 'You know I love serving with you on the legal and con committee.' This was a reference to the Senate's Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee. David Van (pictured right) spoke about his partner Nerilee Rockman (left) in his first speech to parliament When Mr Dutton announced his decision, he said removing Mr Van from the party room did not imply any judgement on 'any individual's guilt or innocence'. But no longer being under the Opposition whip has made the senator popular with Labor as it seeks to pass votes on contentious bills. Last week, Mr Van fronted a media conference about the Murray-Darling river system with Labor's environment minister Tanya Plibersek. An investigation into Mr Van about parliamentary sexual harassment allegations made against him remains ongoing. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Van, who has taken down his Instagram page, for comment. Nearly one million to receive Centrelink boost in January, 2024 Nearly one million Australians will enjoy a boost to their Centrelink payments in the New Year as the cost of living continues to bite. More than 936,000 people receiving youth, student or carer support will receive a six per cent boost to their fortnightly payments from January 1, 2024. The increase is part of the government's annual indexation, ensuring the payments keep up with the rising cost of living. Youth Allowance payments will increase from between $22.40 and $45.60, while those receiving Austudy will be boosted by between $36.20 and $45.20. Nearly one million Australians will enjoy a boost to their Centrelink payments in the New Year as the cost of living continues to bite More than 936,000 people receiving youth, student or carer support will receive a six per cent boost to their fortnightly payments from January 1, 2024 People on the Disability Support Pension aged under 21 will see increases of $31.10 to $44.90 while the Carer Allowance will increase by $8.70 to $153.50 a fortnight. Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the increases would ensure those receiving government support could keep up with the cost of living. 'Australia's social security system is a safety net that is continually strengthened and improved to support all vulnerable Australians,' she said. 'Through regular indexation, our payments are adjusted in line with changes in the cost of living to retain their purchasing power.' Other Centrelink increases are in addition to the $40-a-fortnight increase to the base rates of working-age and student payments. These payments included JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment (Partnered), Austudy, ABSTUDY living allowance, Disability Support Pension (Youth) and Special Benefit, with the increase taking effect on September 20. JobSeeker and the Age Pension are also indexed twice a year in March and September to keep up with the rising cost of living. The salary is 'commensurate with other positions' Five panelists will be paid as much as $380k Full-time negotiators of a treaty with First Nations people in Victoria will be earning a paycheck just shy of that paid to the state's premier despite Australia's serious cost of living crisis. The five 'independent umpires' of the Victorian Treaty Authority panel will each earn $380,000 per year plus expenses if they work full-time on the treaty process. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is demanding that Premier Jacinta Allan explain why these people, who are yet to be named, are set to be paid so much money. Panelists will be appointed on Tuesday as the Victorian Government cuts thousands of jobs in the public sector to fight the state's growing debt. Work to begin treaty negotiations has been discussed within the Victorian chamber since 2018 and is expected to commence in late 2024. Five unnamed 'independent umpires' working with the Victorian Treaty Authority panel are set to each pocket $380,000 for full-time work on negotiations with First Nations Peoples Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (pictured centre) is demanding Premier Jacinta Allan explain why these panelists will be receiving a paycheck just shy of Ms Allan's own $421,190 salary READ MORE: Who missed out in this year's budget? Treasurer Jim Chalmers admitted there was 'not room in the budget to help every single Australian'. Advertisement Senator Price called the wages 'unbelievable' and 'utterly ridiculous' which will only result in further public division on the subject. 'It is unbelievable that at a time when Australian families are struggling with the cost of housing, food and fuel, the Victorian Labor government are going to spend two million dollars a year on dividing Australians further,' she told the Herald Sun. 'How can the Labor government look struggling Victorians in the eye and justify this utterly ridiculous waste of money?' Opposition Aboriginal Affairs spokesman Peter Walsh also said that the premier 'must tell Victorians why such generous salaries are justified'. The funds will be paid out of a previously approved $65m fund allotted by the state government to commence negotiations and are almost equal to Ms Allan's $421,190 salary. They are five times the average wage of a registered nurse and higher than either an elected minister or an associate judge of the Supreme Court. A government spokesperson defended the salaries and claimed that they were 'consistent' with the Treaty Authority and Other Treaty Elements Act 2022. It's understood most of the panelists would be paid on a daily or half-daily rate but no detail was given regarding any individual pro-rata contracts. In May the Salvation Army found that 93 per cent of the 1,700 people who use the foundation's services were struggling to afford basic living necessities. A government spokesperson claimed the salaries were 'consistent' with the Treaty Authority and Other Treaty Elements Act 2022 (pictured, Victorian premier Jacinta Allan) A First Peoples Assembly of Victoria (pictured) spokesperson said that the ministry-level wages were used to 'make sure we have the best people for these vital roles' One mother, 55, lost 40kg in less than a year because she couldn't afford to feed her children as well as herself due to the soaring costs of groceries, fuel and other amenities. Another mum, 29, revealed that she lived off of her child's leftovers if there were any. 'I eat the leftover food from my child's meal, if there is any, or I just don't eat,' she said. 'I wait at the school car park from drop-off until pick-up if I'm short on fuel. I have sold most of my own clothing to buy my children clothes.' More than 50 per cent of those surveyed said that they could not afford healthcare, and at least three in four were living on incomes below the poverty line. Work on an independent treaty in Victoria began in 2018 under the Andrews government which enacted Australia's first Treaty legislation. Salaries for the yet-to-be-named Treaty Authority panel were approved by the First People's Assembly board and negotiations are expected to begin by late 2024. A First Peoples Assembly of Victoria spokesperson said that it was 'important' to have 'respected and trusted keepers of wisdom who can guide us on the shared journey to Treaty and help resolve disputes'. 'We've got to make sure we have the best people for these vital roles and the salary is commensurate with other positions,' they said. The White House said Monday it was 'gravely concerned' about the women civilian hostages who remain captive inside Gaza, as Israel Defense Forces and Hamas continue to exchange fire. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasized the plight of civilian women seized during the Hamas October 7 raid. There are also Israeli military women being held captive. He was asked during the White House briefing about Hamas' unwillingness to release the balance of civilian women being held in Gaza, following the breakdown of a seven-day cease fire that led to the release of more than 100 hostages, out of a total of about 240 seized during the assault. 'I'm not going to speculate on that, only to say that they haven't done it, and we're gravely concerned about that. But Im not going to speculate as to their reasoning,' Sullivan told reporters. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the administration was 'gravely concerned' about the plight of female hostages still held inside Gaza His comments following new reporting from eyewitnesses about the rape of Israeli men and women during the Oct. 7 raid. Israel has expanded its ground operations in Gaza, and Israeli forces say they struck 200 'terror' targets in the latest barrage, even as U.S. officials including Vice President Kamala Harris have issued cautions about the risk to Palestinian civilians. Administraiton officials continue to try to get information about the status of nine American hostages still held in Gaza. 'Look, the basic bottom line when it comes to where we are in the hostage negotiations, is that the first phase of the hostage negotiation was about the release of women and children,' said Sullivan, who has been involved the strategy. 'Hamas continues to hold women and civilian women and will not release them. And Israel is not prepared to close the book on those women or to give them up, so Israel is insisting that Hamas follow through on the release of those women,' he said. SEI*182767099 Released Israeli hostages siblings Maya and Itay Regev (R) arrive to their family home in the city of Herzliya near Tel Aviv, on December 4, 2023, after spending a few days in hospital following their release from captivity by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The White House said the refusal by Hamas to release more caused an end to the humanitarian pause Israel continued to pound targets in Gaza after the end of the pause 'And then Israel has said if Hamas is prepared to follow through on that, Israel is absolutely prepared to discuss additional categories of hostages, civilian men, the wounded and ultimately all of the hostages, the idea of soldiers being held.' Sullivan was loathe to get into points of leverage that might move the process along. 'The easiest, most straightforward way to get back to it would be for Hamas, to be held accountable for not following through on it. But then we also have to think about how we get all of our American hostages. out and we are giving thought to that as well. And, you know, handicapping forms of leverage or precise strategies for how we go about that is something I will refrain from doing I would just say that we are thinking through, both in concert with Israel and then just as a country with our own citizens. being held, what tools we have at our disposal to be able to get them on.' Sullivan said it was the 'refusal by Hamas' that 'caused the end of the hostage agreement, and therefore the end of the pause in hostilities. Israeli officials said the pause broke down after Hamas refused to produce a list of another 10 female hostages for release, according to the Times of Israel. Sullivan also talked about protecting 'safe areas,' as Israeli forces told Gaza residents where to go amid a flurry of attacks. 'They have also indicated that there are areas where there will be "no-strike" zones, and in those zones, we do expect Israel to follow through on not striking,' he said, in a caution to the U.S. ally. A Boston newlywed was mauled to death by a shark while paddle boarding at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas the day after her wedding. The unidentified 44 year-old was killed at 11:15am local time Monday morning while three quarters of a mile off the coast of the five-star Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort with an unidentified male relative - that local news reported was her husband. Her paddleboard was pictured floating in the water afterwards. The victim suffered horrific injuries to the right hand side of her body, and attempts to revive her with CPR were unsuccessful. She had only gotten married the day before the horror, WCVB reported. Debra DeWeese, who spent part of Monday in the $1,500-a-night resort, said other beachgoers had told her they'd heard the woman's screams as she was attacked. Grim photos and video shared afterwards showed the victim's covered body being brought back to the beach on a gurney, before being loaded into an ambulance. Mortuary services personnel transport the body of a female tourist after what police described as a fatal shark attack in waters near Sandals Royal Bahamian resort The woman's paddleboard is pictured floating in the water off the Sandals resort after Monday morning's fatal shark attack The newlywed's body is loaded into a van by local police after Monday's tragedy A woman from Boston died in the Bahamas on Monday, after she was attacked by a shark while paddle boarding about three-quarters of a mile away from the shore with a family member. https://t.co/PhJW5KkDr7 pic.twitter.com/J0OlNgtKRc CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 4, 2023 Royal Bahamian Police Sergeant Desiree Ferguson told reporters: 'Shortly after 11:15 a.m. police were notified that a female visitor from Boston, Massachusetts, USA was attacked by a shark. 'According to our initial reports, the female along, with a male relative were paddle boarding just at the rear of a resort in Western New Providence, some 3/4 miles out from the shoreline when she was bitten by the shark. 'A lifeguard on duty who saw what was happening went out in a rescue boat, retrieved the victim, along with the male relative and brought them to safety. CPR was administered to the victim. 'However she suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, including the right hip region and also her right upper limb. 'Emergency Medical Services responded to this scene they thoroughly assessed the victim and they declared that she showed no vital signs of life.' She added that it took a couple of hours to pull the woman in, before they took a wheelchair out to gather the man believed to be her husband. 'I cant imagine what the husband is going through,' DeWeese - who was on a day pass from a cruise - added in a Facebook post. Emergency services are seen gathered on a pier off the Sandals resort on Monday after the fatal shark mauling Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort is a five-star complex, where rooms cost around $1,500-a-night in peak season DeWeese noted that 'the staff and some guests are a bit traumatized.' Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts. It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked the woman, although tiger sharks and bull sharks are known to live off the coast of the Bahamas. A police superintendent did not immediately respond to a message requesting comment. Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said in an interview that there have been several shark-related fatalities reported in the Bahamas in the past five years. He noted that the Bahamas has a 'huge' tourist population, adding that there are a lot of people in the water and a lot of visitors who want to view sharks from a fishing boat or dive with them. 'So the sharks get acclimated, and the animals are a little bit less cautious than they otherwise might be,' he said. The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located She was paddleboarding with a man - believed to be her husband - who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson Between 30 to 40 shark species live around the Bahamas, although the Caribbean reef shark, the bull shark, the tiger shark and the black tip shark have the highest bite frequency, Naylor said. 'Usually, its an accidental bite. They think its something else,' he said. 'Once in a while, theyll actually single out people, and its very intentional.' Fatal shark attacks are rare, with only an average of five to six reported worldwide a year, most of them occurring in Australia, Naylor said. Last year, there were a total of 57 unprovoked bites around the globe, the majority of them in the U.S., according to the International Shark Attack File. Debra DeWeese, a woman visiting the resort who posted photos from the scene afterwards, told DailyMail.com that her fellow vacationers could hear the woman's screams all the way from land Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts At least 33 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1580, with the island ranking ninth worldwide, according to the file. The Nassau Guardian newspaper reported that authorities in the Bahamas are still searching for a German woman who went missing late last month after she was apparently attacked while diving. Last year, a shark killed a U.S. cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania who was snorkeling in the northern Bahamas near Green Cay. Most shark attacks in the Caribbean occur in the Bahamas, although a rare shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin three years ago. More young Americans are doomsday prepping ahead of the next presidential election over fears of a societal collapse or failed natural disaster response, a survey has found. Gen-Z, adults born after 1997, is the most likely to be preparing for a disaster with a whooping 40 percent claiming to have spent money on doomsday supplies in the past year, according to a Finder survey. The survey of 2,179 US adults was conducted from January 9 to February 17 and has a two percent margin of error. Finder - who has been collecting prepping data since 2017 - asked people if they had spent money preparing for emergencies over the last twelve months. Across all generations, food and water was the most commonly bought prepping item and 20 percent of Gen-Z preppers purchased toilet paper. According to the latest survey 29 percent of Americans spent money on prepping, up from the roughly 25 percent who did in 2017. Many doomsday preppers said they are taking precautions ahead of the 2024 election because they are concerned it will bring civil unrest, while others worry the government will botch its response to the next big natural disaster. Brekke Wagoner from North Carolina is among younger, more liberal people now prepping for a possible future disaster they fear could cause a societal collapse Many doomsday preppers said they are taking precautions ahead of the 2024 election because they are concerned it will bring civil unrest. Police are seen during a Black Lives Matter riot in Portland, Oregon, in September 2020 New Orleans' Superdome is pictured in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The number of Gen-Z preppers has grown, with many saying they fear a botched government response to a similar future disaster Sustainable prepping content creator Brekke Wagoner said, 'Basically our weather is going to be more intense because of global climate change, if for no other reason you should have an emergency plan to deal with these inclement disasters, because they're coming whether we want them or not.' Wagoner told USA Today, 'The intensification of our natural storm seasons is the number one thing that's going to happen to you. An electromagnetic pulse that takes out the electrical grid could happen. A nuclear war might happen. A civil war might happen. But a storm will happen.' In September, data showed a record 23 climate events that caused 253 deaths cost the United States $57.6 billion in 2023. Along with Idalia and the Hawaii wildfires, the 23 devastating events included 18 severe storms across several states - including tornados, high wind and hail storms - two major floods, and one winter blizzard. A USA Today and Suffolk University poll of 1,000 registered voters conducted from October 17 to 30 found 32 percent of Americans said the world faces bigger problems than usual. Another 35 percent said the world was in the most troubled state of their lifetime. 'On the left, you have people afraid (Trump's) going to declare himself dictator of the United States and people on the left are going to end up as targets in some sort of authoritarian system,' prepping expert Brad Garrett said. 'On the right, it's general malaise and a fear of society unraveling. They point to these smash-and-grab robberies, riots and protests.' Some people fear a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden will result in riots similar to those which erupted across American cities throughout the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. 'We do have this authoritarian streak running through the right, and prepping plays into that. They are prepared for violence, no question,' he said. 'But you're also seeing an increase in militancy on the left. I'm seeing a lot of liberal preppers buying guns, saying that they waited too long. It's an unfortunate arms race that I do think we're going to see escalating as we head into the election, particularly if it's Trump versus Biden.' A doomsday prepper, who has built a bunker, has revealed how she spent $75,000 to prepare for a nuclear disaster amid ongoing wars across the world and the soaring cost of the living The traditional view of preppers as rural, conservative men hunkering down in bunkers such as these ones in the Black Hills of South Dakota has changed in recent years Companies that specialize in making prep packs have also seen increased sales over the years and mainstream popularity The image of what a disaster prepper looks like has changed over the years since the COVID-19 pandemic saw toilet paper flying off the shelves. Doomsday prepper Rowan Mackenzie, 38, built her own bunker and spent $75,000 stocking it with supplies to prepare for a nuclear disaster amid ongoing wars across the world and the soaring cost of the living crisis. Mackenzie claimed most of her stock will last up to 25 years and she has a 'flawless' rotation system to ensure there isn't any waste. With the recent outbreak of war in Israel and Palestine, as well as the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the mom-of-three noted that it's as important as ever to get geared up for any scenario. Companies that specialize in making prep packs have also seen increased sales over the years and mainstream popularity. A Georgia man was sentenced on Monday to four years in federal prison for helping an inmate defraud a billionaire Californian film producer of $11 million, in one of the largest behind-bars crimes in U.S. history. Eldridge Bennett, 66, of Lawrenceville, pleaded guilty in April to helping veteran criminal Arthur Cofield, 32, with his elaborate fraud. Bennett, whose mugshot has not been released, must also pay $11 million in restitution for his crimes, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. He will serve his full sentence without the possibility of parole. Cofield, born in a rough district of Atlanta, has been behind bars since 2007. He was initially given a 14-year sentence for robbing a bank, when he was 16. In the summer of 2018 he was charged with arranging for a hitman to shoot dead a man flirting with a girlfriend, and pleaded not guilty: the case is ongoing, and he remains in prison. Bennett's daughter, Eliayah Bennett, 28, had married Cofield online in July 2019: she told The New Yorker she was 'a pretty girl in a strip club', adding: 'People know me. I danced for big people and stuff like that.' Arthur Colfield has been behind bars since 2007. On Monday, one of his accomplices, Eldridge Bennett, 66, was sentenced to four years for his role in the fraud Sidney Kimmel is seen at the premiere of The Place Beyond the Pines, which he produced, in March 2013. Kimmel was defrauded by Cofield - although the bank immediately repaid the lost $11 million Kimmel is seen in 2012 with Amanda Seyfried at the premiere of Gone, which he also produced She was recruited by one of Cofield's girlfriends to 'have a girl-on-girl encounter in front of him on FaceTime,' a detective on the case told the magazine. Cofield supported Eliayah and her parents financially, and in the summer of 2020 they bought a $4.5 million mansion in Buckhead, an affluent part of North Atlanta, which is home to old and new money families. Cofield funded the lifestyle thanks to a scheme conducted via cellphones smuggled into his cell. He would set up bank accounts using stolen identities, and then ring the bank and transfer cash from the genuine account to the fake one, giving details such as social security number, date of birth, address and mother's maiden name. One of his victims was Sidney Kimmel, a 95-year-old businessman who made his $1.5 billion fortune in clothing, before becoming a movie producer, with films including Moneyball, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Crazy Rich Asians. The $4.5 million mansion in Buckhead, Georgia, which Cofield bought The Buckhead property featured a tower of champagne, which was filled with Moet & Chandon when Eliayah Bennett lived there, The New Yorker reported Cofield created an online brokerage account in Kimmel's name, then called his bank, Charles Schwab, claiming to be Kimmel, in order to connect the new account to a checking account. Cofield then transferred $11 million into the new account, and used the money to buy gold coins from an Idaho supplier. The gold was flown to Atlanta, and the Bennetts collected it from the airport. Schwab later reimbursed Kimmel. Cofield's plot unravelled when guards found his cell phones, and he was indicted in December 2020 on charges of aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He has agreed a plea deal in April this year of 151 months for the Kimmel fraud, and another in Alabama. He is due to be sentenced on January 5. Eliayah Bennett has pleaded guilty to concealing wire fraud, and is scheduled for sentencing on January 19. Her father on Monday apologized for 'bad judgment' and said he never realized he was committing the crime of money laundering. 'To put it all in a nutshell, I was ignorant to the charge of money laundering,' he said. 'I thought I was just a courier. I just made a choice. At my age, I should have known better.' He added: 'One of the stupidest things I ever did.' Columbia University has banned a woke student group's plans for an on-campus event justifying Hamas' October 7 massacre in Israel. 'Columbia Social Workers 4 Palestine,' the group running the event, had advertised the gathering at the Manhattan college as a time to discuss the 'Significance of the October 7th Palestinian Counteroffensive.' The group's so-called 'teach-in and discussion' had been scheduled to take place in a room at the Columbia School of Social Work this coming Wednesday afternoon. But on Monday, school administrators said the group 'did not seek approval for the fliers and text,' and announced the event would not be going forward at the school of social work. A social media post promoting the event said the group would be discussing the 'significance' of the 'counteroffensive' and the 'centrality of revolutionary violence to anti-imperialism.' 'In advocating for Palestinian liberation, Palestinians have engaged in nonviolent resistance tactics for years. These peaceful actions have been met with tear gas and armed opposition by the Israeli government,' the group continued. Last week, the group hosted a similar 'teach in,' during which students were taught about Hamas' October 7 massacre as as a means of 'resistance' The post on X promoting the event was slapped with a community note that read: ' 'October 7 was not a counteroffensive. There was a ceasefire in place that Hamas broke on Oct. 7., when it launched thousands of rockets, invading Israel, and committing hundreds of war crimes. The term counteroffensive applies to Israels response, not the Hamas attack.' On Monday, Melissa Begg - the school's dean of social work - told Fox News that the December 6th event would not be moving forward and clarified that it was 'not a CSSW-sponsored event.' 'The students who organized the event did not seek approval for the fliers and text as required by CSSW processes. CSSW supports free speech but does not condone language that promotes violence in any manner, which is antithetical to our values. This event will not go forward at CSSW,' she added. The event, though it will not take place on official school property, will likely still move forward elsewhere. Columbia University in New York City has been a hotbed for anti-Semitic activity to unfold in the wake of the October 7 massacre in Israel. In November, the Ivy League's administration banned the student groups Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. Both far-left groups had orchestrated unsanctioned anti-Israel demonstrations, during which they called for an immediate ceasefire, in addition to 'threatening' and 'intimidating' Jewish students on campus. In the wake of that decision by the administration, more than 20 progressive elected officials, including New York congressional representatives Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and Nydia Velazquez reportedly sent a letter to Columbia calling for the reinstatement of the groups. Pro-Palestine demonstrators gather for a protest at Columbia University on October 12, days after Hamas' attack on Israel Days after Hamas' attacks, Columbia's Students for Justice in Palestine said that Hamas' actions were a 'counter-offensive against their settler-colonial oppressor' On October 7, at least 1,200 Israelis were barbarically slaughtered in a surprise attack orchestrated by the radical Palestinian terror group. Some 240 hostages were also kidnapped into Gaza, about 140 of whom remain there. Israel promptly announced its entrance into a full-scale war and began a ground offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza, which Hamas officials say has killed upward of 15,000 people as of Monday. A week-long ceasefire ended last week when Hamas broke the terms of the deal and chose not to move forward with more hostage exchanges. Hong Kong: C919, ARJ21 aircraft to fly to HK Home-developed C919 and ARJ21 aircraft will touch down in Hong Kong for the first time from next Tuesday to next Sunday, Chief Executive John Lee announced today at a media session ahead of the Executive Council meeting. With the visit marking the C919s first journey out of the Mainland, Mr Lee said this illustrates that the country attaches great importance to Hong Kongs aviation industry and its role as an international aviation hub. The two aircraft will receive a ceremonial water salute on arriving at Hong Kong International Airport on the afternoon of December 12. Following a welcoming ceremony on the apron, due to be held the next morning, the planes will be put on static display at the airport until December 15. Representatives from the local and overseas aviation industries, as well as members of youth groups and district organisations, will be invited to board and explore the jets. Another highlight will be a flight demonstration on December 16. Weather permitting, the C919 will take off at around 10.30am from the airport, fly over Victoria Harbour from west to east, and then fly around Hong Kong Island twice. The planes will leave Hong Kong for Shanghai on the afternoon of December 17. The ARJ21 is the first turbofan regional aircraft independently designed and manufactured by China. It began commercial operations in 2016 and launched on the international market last year following an official delivery to an overseas customer. The first commercial C919 aircraft was delivered to an airline in December 2022, and came into service this year. This story has been published on: 2023-12-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China brings new impetus, opportunities to rest of world with its own development 11:18, December 05, 2023 By Zhang Penghui, Gong Ming, Luo Aihua, Jiang Xiaodan ( People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping on Dec. 2 sent a congratulatory letter to the 2023 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou) held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. He analyzed the general trend of the world today, saying to understand China, the key lies in understanding Chinese modernization. He noted that China looks forward to working hand in hand with the rest of the world to realize global modernization that features peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and prosperity for all. Photo shows the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. (People's Daily Online/Luo Linghao) Attendees of the conference told People's Daily that all countries in the world shared the same future, and all parties should join hands to cope with global challenges, promote common development of the world and enhance the wellbeing of mankind. The steady progress of Chinese modernization, the expanding high-level opening-up of China, as well as the country's efforts to promote high-quality development will provide important opportunities for the development of the world. British scholar Martin Jacques noted that both the speed and achievements of China's development over the past decades are rare in the world. He believes that Chinese modernization benefits the world and the country's economic development has created new opportunities for the rest of the world. David Ferguson, a foreign expert with Beijing-based Foreign Languages Press, has a deep understanding of Chinese modernization as one who lives and works in China. He said Chinese modernization, different from that in the West, is the modernization of common prosperity for all. China has achieved the goal of eliminating absolute poverty and enhanced the wellbeing of all Chinese people. He noted that Chinese modernization is the modernization of peaceful development, and China is always committed to win-win and all-win results, bringing opportunities to the rest of the world while pursuing its own development. Warner Bros. Discovery's Vice President Vikram Channa told People's Daily that his company hopes to present the grand topic of Chinese modernization to the audience from multiple perspectives. It is reported that a documentary of China's Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge co-produced by Warner Bros. Discovery and its Chinese partners has earned a high reputation among the audience for its multi-dimensional, broad-perspective and panoramic narrative of the construction of the mega project. New energy vehicles to be exported are parked in an international land port in Ganzhou, east China's Jiangxi province. (People's Daily Online/Zhu Haipeng) Chinese modernization has not only provided documentary filmmakers with ample creative space, but also presented rich visual elements and shooting scenes, Channa said, adding that his company is currently advancing multiple relevant projects and hopes to produce more China-themed documentaries so that the world can better understand the country. Yves Leterme, former Prime Minister of Belgium, who has had multiple visits to China, spoke highly of the forceful measures taken by China to expand institutional opening-up, calling the development of China one of the most stirring economic miracles. As China enters a phase of high-quality development, a batch of internationally competitive enterprises have emerged. China's opening-up and development as well as the country's efforts to build an open world economy are good news to the world economy in sluggish recovery, Leterme said. Christopher Thomas, senior fellow at Brookings Institution, said that China is a huge market that creates tremendous opportunities for foreign companies and investors. In the congratulatory letter, Xi emphasized that China will continue to foster a market-oriented, world-class business environment underpinned by a sound legal framework, and steadily expand institutional opening up with regard to rules, regulations, management and standards, and this, Thomas believes, has released a very positive signal to foreign investors. Neil Bush, chairman of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, who has visited China multiple times this year, shared his experience of seeing towering wind turbines and massive solar panels during these visits. He said he was impressed by China's efforts to advance ecological progress and build a modernization characterized by harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Photo shows a wind farm in Guancheng township, Pingnan county, Guigang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. (People's Daily Online/Lin Zhiqing) Noting that China is a world leader in developing clean energy and electric vehicles, he said U.S.-China cooperation can accelerate the application of the two countries' advanced green energy technologies in more places around the world and make greater contributions to the global response to climate change. He also called on all parties to further reduce trade barriers and let Chinese green industries benefit people in more countries. "In today's world, countries are closely connected with each other. No country is able to cope with climate change, post-pandemic recovery, international and regional security and other challenges alone. There's an urgent need for them to cooperate closely and cope with challenges hand in hand," said former Chancellor of Austria Wolfgang Schussel, who applauds the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by Xi. He said countries should properly deal with security concerns and prevent Cold War mentality from disturbing normal business exchanges. Ferguson has joined the Understanding China Conference multiple times. He believes the conference provides a platform where personages from different countries communicate with each other and build closer friendships. He said the theme of the 2023 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou) - "China's New Endeavors amid Unprecedented Global Changes - Expanding the Convergence of Interests and Building A Community of Shared Future" - bears important significance. The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by China demonstrates the country's commitment to improving global governance, promoting multi-polarization and safeguarding equality and justice, Ferguson noted. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) by Vijay Prashad On December 3, 2023, a large number of registered voters in Venezuela voted in a referendum over the Essequibo region that is disputed with neighboring Guyana. Nearly all those who voted answered yes to the five questions. These questions asked the Venezuelan people to affirm the sovereignty of their country over Essequibo. Today, said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, there are no winners or losers. The only winner, he said, is Venezuelas sovereignty. The principal loser, Maduro said, is ExxonMobil. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Brazil's envoy Celso Amorim meet, in Caracas, Venezuela March 8, 2023. [ Photo: Marcelo Garcia/Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS] In 2022, ExxonMobil made a profit of $55.7 billion, making it one of the worlds richest and most powerful oil companies. Companies such as ExxonMobil, exercise an inordinate power over the world economy and over countries that have oil reserves. It has tentacles across the world, from Malaysia to Argentina. In his Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power (2012), Steve Coll describes how the company is a corporate state within the American state. Leaders of ExxonMobil have always had an intimate relationship with the U.S. government: Lee Iron Ass Raymond (Chief Executive Officer from 1993 to 2005) was a close personal friend of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and helped shape the U.S. government policy on climate change; Rex Tillerson (Raymonds successor in 2006) left the company in 2017 to become the U.S. Secretary of State under President Donald Trump. Coll describes how ExxonMobil uses U.S. state power to find more and more oil reserves and to ensure that ExxonMobil becomes the beneficiary of those finds. Walking through the various polling centers in Caracas on the day of the election, it was clear that the people who voted knew exactly what they were voting for: not so much against the people of Guyana, a country with a population of just over 800,000, but they were voting for Venezuelan sovereignty against companies such as ExxonMobil. The atmosphere in this votealthough sometimes inflected with Venezuelan patriotismwas more about the desire to remove the influence of multinational corporations and to allow the peoples of South America to solve their disputes and divide their riches among themselves. When Venezuela Ejected ExxonMobil When Hugo Chavez won the election to the presidency of Venezuela in 1998, he said almost immediately that the resources of the countrymostly the oil, which finances the countrys social developmentmust be in the hands of the people and not oil companies such as ExxonMobil. El petroleo es nuestro (the oil is ours), was the slogan of the day. From 2006, Chavezs government began a cycle of nationalizations, with oil at the center (oil had been nationalized in the 1970s, then privatized again two decades later). Most multinational oil companies accepted the new laws for the regulation of the oil industry, but two refused: ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil. Both companies demanded tens of billions of dollars in compensation, although the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) found in 2014 that Venezuela only needed to pay ExxonMobile $1.6 billion. Rex Tillerson was furious, according to people who worked at ExxonMobil at that time. In 2017, the Washington Post ran a story that captured Tillersons sentiment: Rex Tillerson got burned in Venezuela. Then he got revenge. ExxonMobil signed a deal with Guyana to explore for off-shore oil in 1999 but did not start to explore the coastline till March 2015after the negative verdict came in from the ICSID. ExxonMobil used the full force of a U.S. maximum pressure campaign against Venezuela both to cement its projects in the disputed territory and to undermine Venezuelas claim to the Essequibo region. This was Tillersons revenge. ExxonMobils Bad Deal for Guyana In 2015, ExxonMobil announced that it had found 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs; this is one of the largest oil finds in recent years. The giant oil company began regular consultation with the Guyanese government, including pledges to finance any and every upfront cost for the oil exploration. When the Production Sharing Agreement between Guyanas government and ExxonMobil was leaked, it revealed how poorly Guyana fared in the negotiations. ExxonMobil was given 75 percent of the oil revenue toward cost recovery, with the rest shared 50-50 with Guyana; the oil company, in turn, is exempt from any taxes. Article 32 (Stability of Agreement) says that the government shall not amend, modify, rescind, terminate, declare invalid or unenforceable, require renegotiation of, compel replacement or substitution, or otherwise seek to avoid, alter, or limit this Agreement without the consent of ExxonMobil. This agreement traps all future Guyanese governments in a very poor deal. Even worse for Guyana is that the deal is made in waters disputed with Venezuela since the 19th century. Mendacity by the British and then the United States created the conditions for a border dispute in the region that had limited problems before the discovery of oil. During the 2000s, Guyana had close fraternal ties with the government of Venezuela. In 2009, under the PetroCaribe scheme, Guyana bought cut-price oil from Venezuela in exchange for rice, a boon for Guyanas rice industry. The oil-for-rice scheme ended in November 2015, partly due to lower global oil prices. It was clear to observers in both Georgetown and Caracas that the scheme suffered from the rising tensions between the countries over the disputed Essequibo region. ExxonMobils Divide and Rule The December 3 referendum in Venezuela and the circles of unity protest in Guyana suggest a hardening of the stance of both countries. Meanwhile, at the sidelines of the COP-28 meeting, Guyanas President Irfaan Ali met with Cubas President Miguel Diaz-Canel and the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves to talk about the situation. Ali urged Diaz-Canel to urge Venezuela to maintain a zone of peace. War does not seem to be on the horizon. The United States has withdrawn part of its blockade on Venezuelas oil industry, allowing Chevron to restart several oil projects in the Orinoco Belt and in Lake Maracaibo. Washington does not have the appetite to deepen its conflict with Venezuela. But ExxonMobil does. Neither the Venezuelan nor the Guyanese people will benefit from ExxonMobils political intervention in the region. That is why so many Venezuelans who came to cast their vote on December 3 saw this less as a conflict between Venezuela and Guyana and more as a conflict between ExxonMobil and the people of these two South American countries. This article was produced by Globetrotter. Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, editor and journalist. He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter. He is an editor of LeftWord Books and the director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He has written more than 20 books, including The Darker Nations and The Poorer Nations. His latest books are Struggle Makes Us Human: Learning from Movements for Socialism and (with Noam Chomsky) The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power. The Tory chairman has put the party on a 'war footing' for a possible spring election - even as polls reveal it is less popular with voters now than during Liz Truss's disastrous premiership. Richard Holden insisted that victory 'is really within our grasp' as he said voters would come to see that Rishi Sunak is on their side, compared with 'slippery' Sir Keir Starmer. But, before a crackdown was announced by Home Secretary James Cleverly yesterday, pollsters JL Partners said the rise of Nigel Farage-backed Reform UK has hit the Tories hard with 15 per cent of their 2019 voters switching to the new Right-wing party due to dismay over immigration. Another 18 per cent of 2019 Tory voters have gone over to Labour, likely to include a number of former Labour voters who were alienated by its lurch to the Left under Jeremy Corbyn. Support has continued to drift away from the Conservatives even after Mr Sunak's speech to the party conference at the start of October in which he promised a reset. Richard Holden insisted that victory 'is really within our grasp' as he said voters would come to see that Rishi Sunak is on their side, compared with 'slippery' Sir Keir Starmer Polls reveal the Conservative Party is less popular with voters now than during Liz Truss's disastrous premiership James Johnson, the founder of JL Partners, told Bloomberg: 'Rishi Sunak can count on some undecided voters to narrow the Labour lead, and the British public is hardly elated by the prospect of a Labour government. 'That's where the good news for the Tories stops: They are in dire straits.' But Mr Holden yesterday insisted 'nothing is impossible'. 'This is the oldest political party in the world,' he told the Express. 'We have to be ready for whatever the Prime Minister wants to go for the election in the new year.' He added: 'Britain is doing pretty well while Labour still wants to talk us down. 'We're in a much better place now and we need to just concentrate on what unites us.' However his positive message risked being overshadowed by a series of dire new surveys. Analysis of polls carried out over the past 18 months has found that just 59 per cent of voters who backed the Conservatives at the 2019 general election - when Boris Johnson won a landslide - are sticking with the party under Mr Sunak. It represents a sharp fall from the 74 per cent recorded in August 2022 after Mr Johnson announced his resignation and even from 63 per cent in the aftermath of Ms Truss's doomed 'mini-Budget' the following month. Support has continued to drift away from the Conservatives even after Mr Sunak's speech to the party conference at the start of October in which he promised a reset A separate poll by BMG Research for the i paper provided more evidence that the Conservatives face a growing threat from Reform. Labour's lead extended to 16 points with the opposition on 43 per cent compared with 27 for the governing party, in a survey of 1,502 adults carried out online last week. And Reform came third with 11 per cent, its best-ever performance in a BMG survey, ahead of the Liberal Democrats on 10 per cent. Pollsters believe widespread public concern over record high immigration is fuelling support for the upstart party. BMG's Robert Struthers said: 'All this is fuelling support for Reform UK, who have broken into double digits for the first time in our poll tracker. Just over a year ago, they were in the low single digits, but Sunak now faces a serious challenge on his right flank. 'Strikingly, almost one in five who voted Conservative in 2019 say they now intend to vote Reform, up from just one in ten in October.' There was further grim news for Mr Sunak in the latest league table of Cabinet members' popularity based on ratings by party members for grassroots website Conservative Home. The PM sunk to the bottom of the table with his lowest level on record - minus 25.4. A hero creche worker who was seriously injured as she courageously shielded youngsters from a knife attacker is out of intensive care. Leanne Flynn was repeatedly stabbed during the attack in Dublin as she bravely shielded the five and six year old youngsters from the lone knifeman. She suffered serious neck injuries as she courageously jumped in front of the attacker. Leanne spent a week in intensive care but last week was moved on to a high dependency unit as she continues to recover from her wounds. While the mother of a five-year-old stabbed outside a school says she is showing 'incredible strength' as she remains gravely ill in hospital. The motive for the attack is still not known but police have ruled out it being terror-related. Leanne Flynn was seriously injured in Dublin as she courageously shielded schoolchildren from a knife attacker. She is now out of intensive care but remains seriously ill Candles and tributes left following a vigil held outside Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire school on Parnell Square, following an attack on Parnell Square East. A girl, 5, remains gravely ill in the ICU. A boy, 5, and girl, 6, have been discharged from hospital The little girl remains in intensive care fighting for her life 11 days after being stabbed in the chest near the Gaelscoil Cholasite Mhuire primary school. She underwent emergency surgery in Dublin's Temple Street Children's Hospital. An online fundraiser set up for the injured youngster has raised more than 35,000 after setting an initial target of 500. The mother gave an update on her daughter's condition in a post which was published on the GoFundMe page by the organiser on Friday saying 'she is still here with us'. 'Dear all, thank you so much for the incredible gesture and kindness you have shown our family during these troubled times,' she said 'Your thoughts, prayers and generosity have and will go a long way. Our little girl has shown incredible strength and still here with us. 'We don't know yet what lies ahead as it is still early, but she is resilient and limitations will not stop her. Thank you so much. All the love we can give.' Three children and Leanne were left injured in the horror stabbing attack which was followed by riots in the city centre. A five-year-old boy and six-year-old girl have both been discharged from Crumlin Children's Hospital. Leanne was hailed a superhero for risking her life to save the children with one source telling Dublin Live 'you would shudder to think what would have happened if Leanne didnt act so quickly'. She is said to still be seriously ill in hospital despite being moved out of the ICU. The alleged attacker, 49, is in hospital under guard as Gardai awaits medical clearance to question him. The man, originally from Algeria, has been living in Ireland for the past two decades. He took Irish citizenship more than a decade ago. Riots followed in the city centre after the knife attack. (Pictured: A bus on fire in O'Connell Street) Irish police confirmed a total of five people were injured following the 'major security' incident which occurred on Parnell Square Irish police confirmed five people had been injured, including three young children, following the serious incident Five people including three children were injured when a knifeman attacked a group of young people in Dublin before being overpowered Police have ruled out terrorism as witnesses revealed that three children 'fell to the ground' one after the other as five people were wounded An Garda Siochana at the scene in Dublin city centre after five people were injured, including three young children Last month Leanne's proud brother Jonathan hailed her as a hero. In a message posted on a GoFundMe page organised to raise money as a thank-you to those who intervened and prevented children from being fatally wounded in the unprovoked attack outside an after school care centre in Dublin's north inner city Leanne's brother Jonathan wrote: 'Leanne hasn't been able to share her story with everybody yet so I'm not gonna put up any details here but she is a hero and I'm so proud of my sister. 'Thanks to everyone who has donated and I hope all involved fully recover.' Describing how Leanne confronted the knife-wielding attacker as she brought a group of five and six-year-olds from their classrooms to an after school care centre, an eyewitness recalled: 'Leanne was unbelievably brave. She threw herself across the children to protect them and she took the full brunt of it.' Dublin's 'night of shame' was condemned by Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. Around 500 thugs fought running battles with riot cops, looted shops and torched a double-decker bus in anger over the attack. Police said a day later 34 people had been arrested over their suspected involvement in the violence which, officials said, was driven by a 'complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology'. Mr Varadkar said those involved in the riots 'brought shame on Dublin, brought shame on Ireland and brought shame on their families and themselves'. The clean-up operation after battles broke out between rioters and police in Dublin following an knife attack on young children People were told to work from home as workers cleaned up the city centre a day after the riots last month Workers clean up debris of a burnt train and vehicles. A double-decker bus was also set alight 'As a country we need to reclaim Ireland. We need to take it away from the cowerers who hide behind masks and try to terrify us with their violence,' he said in an emotional statement a day after the riots. 'We need to reclaim Ireland from the unscrupulous who prey on the fears of those easily led into darkness. And we need to reclaim Ireland from the criminals who seek any excuse to unleash horror on our streets.' A teenager is lucky to be alive after making an innocent mistake at a beach that left him in hospital. Jacob Eggington, 18, was swimming in the water collecting shells at Shoalwater Beach in Rockingham, south of Perth, on Sunday. After emerging from the water, the teen emptied his pockets to show his toddler niece the shells he had found for her. What happened next has prompted a timely warning to all beachgoers for the upcoming summer season with millions expected to hit the sand. Jacob Eggington, 18, (pictured) had unwittingly placed a shell containing a blue-ringed octopus in his pocket. It took doctors over six hours to stabalise him The blue-ringed octopus that the teen nearly died from. The species' potent venom only takes roughly 26 minutes kill someone and there is no antidote Mr Eggington had placed in his pocket a shell with a highly venomous blue-ringed octopus hiding inside. The unlucky teen noticed the creature at the last moment, preventing his niece from holding the shell and potentially saving her life. After discovering the poisonous creature, which was no bigger than the palm of a hand, the 18 year-old realised he had a small, painless bite mark on his leg. Emergency services were called to the beach and he was immediately taken to a local hospital. There is no antidote available for deadly blue-ringed octopuses, and it took over six hours to stabilise the teen. The poison of blue-ringed octopuses is so potent, the teen could have died within 30 minutes if he had not noticed the bite. 'That's probably one of the more dramatic thoughts to think what could have happened,' his brother Joshua Eggington told 7News. 'He did get bitten, but he also probably saved one of his nieces or nephews lives.' The dangerous sea creature is a master of camouflage (stock image) One of the most poisonous creatures in the world, the blue-ringed octopus is found all around Australia and even as far south as Tasmania (stock image) The highly toxic sea creatures can kill someone in around 26 minutes and, adding to the danger on our beaches, is their ability to camouflage. They can be found all around Australia, even as far south in Tasmania and the creatures use their 'extremely powerful venom' to kill crabs and small fish. 'They're very good at hiding so we wouldn't normally see them that often, but they are there,' marine scientist Jennifer Verduin. She said she never went to the beach without her reef shoes because blue-ringed octopuses are common in Perth. Shockingly, a social media video captured an Aussie who unknowingly handled the dangerous creature last year. 'Someone might die doing this,' University of Queensland associate professor Ian Tibbetts told Yahoo at the time. He also labelled the trend on social media showing people touching the poisonous octopus as 'alarming stupidity.' If you or someone you're with comes into contact with a blue-ringed octopus, it's advised to remain completely still and call Triple-0 straight away. Another year, another opportunity to make your family groan with a well worn cracker joke. But this Christmas, you might consider refreshing your stock of festive one-liners with the top ten topical jokes of 2023. The public has voted for the best new Christmas gags, which all touch on the biggest news stories and cultural highlights of the year. The jokes, compiled by TV comedy channel Gold, poke fun at Elon Musk, the HS2 fiasco and hit films Barbie and Oppenheimer. But the winning pun concerned one of the country's top cultural institutions, asking: 'Did you hear about the Christmas cake on display in the British Museum? It was stollen.' It refers to the news this summer that thousands of priceless artefacts had been stolen from the London museum. This Christmas, you might consider refreshing your stock of festive one-liners with the top ten topical jokes of 2023 (Stock Image) The public has voted for the best new Christmas gags, which all touch on the biggest news stories and cultural highlights of the year (Stock Image) Coming in second place was: 'Why is Elon Musk's Christmas dinner so awkward? He can't stop talking about his X.' It references the billionaire Twitter CEO's decision to change the social media site's name to 'X' earlier this year. Another joke addressed the Raac fiasco, in which more than 100 schools were told to close or partially close over fears buildings were made with unstable concrete. Gold asked British adults to post their original festive gags online which were then shortlisted by a panel of judges and put to an anonymous public vote of 2,000 people. Comedy critic Bruce Dessau, who led the judging panel, said: 'Despite the tumultuous times of the past year, the British public has once again found the silver, or in this case gold, lining in some cheerful jokes. 'This year's cracker jokes, spanning from cultural hit Barbenheimer... to seemingly never-ending strikes, prove we are a nation with an unwaveringly inventive sense of humour.' Set to help retirees too young to get the age pension Aussies retiring at 60 could have an easier time soon Australians who retire from the age of 60 could soon have an easier time getting a regular income stream from their superannuation. Under current rules, a worker old enough to retire but too young for the age pension must apply to their super fund for permission to withdraw money through an 'allocated pension'. Allocated pensions allow a retiree to take regular payments from their superannuation while the balance remains invested. They are available from the age of 60, while the government-funded age pension can only be paid to those who have turned 67. However, a Treasury discussion paper says the variations in terms and conditions across different super schemes is creating confusion about how retirees can access their money. The paper, released on Monday, explored the idea of requiring funds to offer a standardised allocated pension product. SuperRatings executive director Kirby Rappell said drawing down on super needed to be simplified. 'We need to get funds focusing on how they support members through retirement rather than worrying about the paperwork of starting a pension,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Australians retiring at 60 could soon have an easier time getting a regular income stream from their superannuation (stock image) 'You get someone going into retirement, they've got to figure out what Centrelink entitlements exist, they've got to figure out what an allocated pension is.' READ MORE: Radical solution to help millions of struggling Aussies pay off their mortgage after aggressive interest rate rises Advertisement Mr Rappell said the system was so complicated many people didn't know how to receive an income stream from their super, after spending four decades building up their super balance. 'A lot of people have got used to building up their pot of money but the time has come where they need to learn how to draw down on their money in a sustainable way,' he said. 'The main challenge that we're seeing is, "How do we build confidence in the system?". 'A lot of people are, for want of a better term, insuring themselves by trying not to spend a cent and then other people may not have that much in the pension and are not sure how much they can actually be paid.' AustralianSuper, an industry super fund with $300billion worth of assets, is in favour of a default model of super drawdowns, and has previously advocated a system where retirees can simultaneously access an income stream from their super at the same time as they receive an age pension from Centrelink. Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his assistant minister Stephen Jones on Monday said the retirement phase of super was in need of change. 'The problem is most retirees do not have access to the appropriate products to help them maximise their super over their lifetime,' they said. 'Super funds need to do more to understand their members retirement needs and provide products and services tailored for their retirement.' SuperRatings executive director Kirby Rappell said drawing down on super needed to be simplified But Mr Rappell said the government needed to make the retirement phase of super simpler without taking too much of a one-size-fits-all approach. 'The downside is, will it be customised enough to help people reach their retirement goals?' he said. Australians born since July 1964 can access their super at age 60. But the government-funded age pension, of $1,002.50 a fortnight for a single person, is not available until the age of 67 for those born since 1957. The Treasury review noted that 84 per cent of super, in the retirement phase, was in an allocated pension but just 3.5 per cent was in an annuity, providing a guaranteed income stream for life. Mr Rappell said the retirement phase of income meant a shift in thinking. 'A fundamental shift where we go from, "I have half a million dollars into retirement" to "I can afford to draw down 20 grand a year for the rest of my life",' he said. 'Getting people's comfort around a different way of thinking but it's about an income stream rather than a lump sum.' Treasury estimates that by mid-2063, drawdowns from superannuation will double to 5.6 per cent of gross domestic product, up from 2.4 per cent in 2022-23. Comparison with MySuper Australians had $3.5trillion in super in June this year, but MySuper accounts were worth $996billion or 28 per cent of that, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority data showed. Younger workers who typically change jobs more often are more likely to have their forgotten retirement savings in a MySuper account, with union-backed industry funds dominating this space (pictured are young voters in Bondi, Sydney in October) MySuper is the default account with lower fees and lower risk that was legislated in 2012. Younger workers who typically change jobs more often are more likely to have their forgotten retirement savings in a MySuper account, with union-backed industry funds dominating this space. The Treasury discussion paper explored taking a standard approach applied to MySuper and applying that to allocated pensions or super drawdowns. Mr Rappell said super reform could focus on that. 'How do we take some of the successful elements out of MySuper and roll that over to the pension phase?' Submissions on the latest Treasury discussion paper close on February 9, with new laws likely to be enacted next year. The family of a pensioner who was killed in the explosion which rocked the neighbourhood like an 'earthquake' have paid tribute to the beloved 'papa'. James Findlay Smith, 84, died in a suspected gas blast at a house in Baberton Mains Avenue, Edinburgh, on Friday night. His family released a joint statement thanking the neighbours who went 'above and beyond' to help them on the night of the incident and the following days. Immediately after the blast, neighbour Steven MacLennan rushed to the scene, arriving before the emergency services. Hearing desperate cries, he searched through the debris. He was able to save Stephanie Chapman, 43, and a combined effort between locals saved 54-year-old Robert Taylor. But tragically, Mr Smith - who was in the neighbouring property - lost his life. James Findlay Smith died in a blast at a house in Edinburgh on Friday night A partially demolished house from the blast on December 2, 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland Mr Smith, 84, known as 'Jim', lost his life in the explosion on Barberton Mains Avenue An aerial photo showing the destruction in the Baberton area of Edinburgh after the blast In a statement released through Police Scotland, Mr Smith's loved ones paid tribute to him. They said: 'It is with deep regret that our father/papa/father in law, James Findlay Smith, sadly lost his life in the tragic events at Baberton Mains Avenue on December 1 2023. 'Our thoughts are with everyone involved and our well wishes go to the impacted families. 'We would like to thank the emergency services and the neighbours who went above and beyond for their support and help on the evening and following days. 'We request that you respect our privacy at this time.' Investigations into the cause of the explosion are ongoing. The blast destroyed Ms Chapman and Mr Taylor's end-of-terrace home as well as smashing the windows of cars and houses down the street. A number of homes were also evacuated as a precaution and the road remained closed as of Saturday morning. The property was reduced to rubble and debris was strewn across the residential street in Baberton after the blast. The explosion was said to have shaken the neighbourhood 'like an earthquake'. Pictured: Destruction left by the blast A car on the driveway was covered in rubble and damage could be seen to the neighbouring house. Residents said it was a suspected gas explosion Police officers at the scene on Baberton Mains Avenue, Edinburgh Some locals reported hearing the explosion as far away as Gilmerton, a suburb miles from the blast site. Dramatic footage of the house was shared on social media showing it had been completely destroyed. A car on the driveway was covered in rubble and damage could be seen to the neighbouring house. Residents said it was a suspected gas explosion. Neighbours said they felt their homes shaking like 'a mini earthquake', while another person posted that they had heard the blast from inside a cinema in nearby Wester Hailes. Yesterday, officials from gas distributor SGN revealed an initial investigation alongside the Health and Safety Executive had confirmed that the blast had not been caused by a fault with the network. SGN added that the pipes in Baberton Mains Avenue had been upgraded in June 2022. A spokesman for the company said: 'After a thorough investigation, the Health and Safety Executive have confirmed the incident in Baberton on Friday night was not related to SGN's network. 'Our deepest sympathies are with the family of the 84-year-old man who tragically died in this incident. Our thoughts also remain with the couple injured as a result of the explosion. Huge amounts of rubble litter Baberton Mains Avenue in Edinburgh, after a house exploded Gas engineers at the scene of the explosion. Some locals reported hearing the explosion as far away as Gilmerton, a suburb miles from the blast site. The shockwave from the blast shattered windows from houses across the street 'We would like to reassure the local community that their gas supply is safe to use. A reminder that if anyone smells gas inside or outside, please call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.' Cammy Day, leader of Edinburgh City Council, previously said: 'This is incredibly sad news for the city and all of our thoughts are with those affected. 'We're very grateful to the emergency services who responded so quickly and tirelessly last night, evacuating the scene and making the surrounding area safe. 'I know that council officers assisted into the early hours of this morning and continue to stand ready to support all agencies and the local community.' Sue Webber, a Scottish Tory MSP for the Lothian region, previously wrote on social media: 'Such tragic news, in such a close community. 'Thank you to all the emergency services that attended. My thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this incident.' A fundraiser organised by Mr Aitchison has been set up for the couple to 'give this family something back so close to Christmas'. It has raised more than 20,000. Alischa Taylor, the niece of Ms Chapman and Mr Taylor, wrote on social media: 'I'm blown away with everyone's kind donations. I know my auntie and uncle will be the same. Thank you to each and every single person who has donated.' A concerned mother has pulled her children out of school after claiming she recorded a teacher berating her daughter and calling her a 'liar'. Melissa* became worried for her 5-year-old daughter Stacey* when she started coming home from her Queensland school shaking and crying. Believing she was being bullied by other students, Melissa contacted the school for help but felt her complaints were unaddressed. She decided to sew an audio recording device into Stacey's scrunchie to get to the bottom of what was causing her daughter's distress. After sifting through hours of audio, Melissa claimed she heard the voice of a female teacher yelling at her daughter and accusing her of kicking a student, lying and harassment. A concerned mother has caught a teacher berating her five-year-old daughter Edie and accusing her of lying and harassment on a secret audio recorder (stock image) 'Unfortunately... you lie all the time through your face,' a female voice can be heard saying on the audio tape obtained by A Current Affair. 'Lies, kicking, disrespect, defiance and harassment. 'You kick people out in the street, what happens to you?' she asked another student. 'Um, you get arrested' the other child replied. READ MORE: Elite school maths teacher is sacked after being arrested and charged for allegedly sending explicit messages to a young boy Advertisement Stacey was then asked: 'So do you want that? Would you like to spend your time when you're 10 years old kicking people and getting picked up?' Another student could be heard in the audio clip asking the woman if she was 'feeling okay'. The woman responded: 'It's really frustrating when I come back from not even a lunch break, which I still have 10 minutes on my break to eat my food, to find out that you're kicking people. 'Apologise now. And think about seriously the amount of stuff I have to do now to say you kicked...for no reason. It's not on!' She then berated Stacey for being behind on an art project despite having taken two days off school because her grandmother had passed away. 'It's at the point where I can't catch you up anymore. If you haven't done them, it's 'cause you're not here,' she said. Melissa said of all of the comments she claimed were made by the teacher, calling Stacey a liar was the most hurtful. 'The comment that really upset me the most was "you lie from your face". I would say that's verbal abuse, she's five,' she said. Stacey said that she is 'sad' and has since become isolated from other students. She has since pulled both of her daughters from the Queensland school, the only one in a town of about 800, and called for the teacher to be sacked (stock image) The mother claims the school did not inform her of any incident involving Stacey that day and has refused to allow her to contact the teacher. In response, she has pulled both Stacey and her older sister out of the school and called for the teacher to be sacked. 'There is no higher priority for the department than the safety and wellbeing of students,' Department of Education said in a statement. 'The department expects all employees to act appropriately and with exemplary ethical standards, and takes action when these expectations are not met.''The department is aware of a recent allegation made against a staff member of a state school.' 'Allegations against staff are dealt with in accordance with departmental guidelines.' Daily Mail Australia contacted the school for comment. *Names have been changed A recently released immigration detainee arrested for possessing cannabis has a criminal history including serious crimes of violence and sex and firearm offences. Mohammed Ali Nadari was arrested in western Sydney last weekend just six days after being released following a controversial High Court decision. A statement of facts tendered at Parramatta Local Court outlined Nadari's previous criminal history. 'The accused has a lengthy criminal history which includes but is not limited to maliciously cause grievous bodily harm,' the statement said. Immigration detainees have been released from detention centres including Villawood in Sydney's west His record also includes discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, contravening an apprehended violence order and committing an act of indecent assault. Nadari was jailed in July 2015 for a maximum 32 months over the assault with an act of indecency against a woman, and spent 16 months in prison. An apprehended violence order was taken out by police on behalf of the female victim. Nadari also has entries on his criminal record for theft, larceny, resisting a police officer, drug possession and property related offences. the 45-year-old, who was released from detention on November 26, was arrested at 4.19pm on Saturday after being found with 2 grams of cannabis. READ MORE: Labor powerbroker's ridiculous response to calls for two ministers to be sacked over asylum seeker release bungle Advertisement Nadari is described in the statement of facts as one of the 'high-risk' detainees released after the High Court's decision that indefinite detention was unlawful. 'The accused has already committed an offence within one week of being released,' the statement said. 'The accused is currently unemployed and does not have a fixed place of abode. The accused has told police that he lives on the street.' Nadari was found in Sheffield Street, Merrylands, where police had gone to evict squatters. While police were evicting squatters living in three houses in that street Nadari entered one of the properties through a broken fence. Police told Nadari to sit on the ground and asked him for identification. As he produced identification Nadari grabbed three small resealable bags from his wallet and threw them behind him. The bags contained green vegetable matter which was established to be cannabis. Nadari, whose identification was confirmed from his Immicard, was placed under arrest and denied knowledge of the cannabis. He declined to be interviewed at Granville police station. Aliyawar Yawari has been charged with two counts of indecent assault just three weeks after he was released from immigration detention after the High Court's controversial ruling Nadari, who was one of two released detainees to be arrested in recent days, was convicted in his absence on Monday and fined $300. Aliyawar Yawari, 65, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday less than a month after he walked free from Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre in Western Australia. Police arrested Yawari at the Pavlos Motel in Pooraka in Adelaide's north on Saturday night after allegations a woman had been assaulted by a guest. He did not apply for bail and has been remanded in custody until January. Yawari was previously accused of attacking three women and was convicted of assault in 2016. The High Court's decision on November 8 allowed 148 dangerous non-citizens to be released from detention. Yawari was previously described by a judge as a 'danger to the Australian community' and has served a jail term for assaulting three women including one he hit with her own walking stick. The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has received a vital 'branch transplant' to transform this year's threadbare Norwegian gift into the iconic London landmark. The famous tree was subject to scathing reviews this festive season when it arrived from Norway yesterday, with some even calling for it to be 'sent back'. After making the 1,000-mile journey to the capital, the sorry-looking tree was in poor condition, with one side having hardly any branches on it at all. But the spindly specimen received a much-needed spruce up when tree surgeons took some pre-cut branches and installed them on the tree's bald patches. The 'half-dead' fir, which will be lit in a ceremony on December 7, was felled in Norway in late November, per tradition, before being shipped to one of the capital's most iconic tourist locations. The spindly specimen received a much-needed spruce up when tree surgeons took some pre-cut branches and installed them on the tree's bald patches. Pictured left: The tree when it arrived. Pictured right: The tree after the 'transplant' Workers prepare the Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square, in London, Monday, December 4 READ MORE - Unimpressed onlookers give their scathing reviews of 'half dead' Trafalgar Square Christmas tree after threadbare spruces popping up in towns across the UK spark ridicule Advertisement But as the 62ft tree, which was grown in the Nordmarka forests just north of Oslo, was unveiled many took to social media to point out that parts of the tree appeared spindly and brown. The disappointing reveal comes just days after other residents in multiple towns across the UK have slammed local councils for unveiling some of the saddest looking evergreens ahead of the festive season. However, tree surgeons contracted by the Greater London Authority stepped in to perform the 'branch transplant' to transform it into a more suitable state. They took healthier branches from one side and hammered them into place on the side where it was lacking life so it looked less lopsided. The result is a fuller, more symmetrical tree to grace the capital's Trafalgar Square. In March, Cambridgeshire, locals slammed the town's wonky tree, calling the loosely decorated tree 'embarrassing' and comparing it to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. A 62ft spruce grown in Nordmarka in the forests north of Oslo, is installed at Trafalgar Square LONDON: The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree looked rather flattened after its long journey NORWAY: Trafalgar Square's 62-foot tree looked magnificent as it was felled in late November before making its way to London GREATER MANCHESTER: Others across the country have also slammed their local Christmas Trees. In Hattersley in Hyde locals slammed their tree as 'shocking', with pictures showing the threadbare spruce missing some of its boughs, while the ones remaining appear very thin Meanwhile, furious members of the public in Hattersley in Hyde, were left shocked after its Christmas spruce was revealed with most of its pine needles missing. Those in Walsall blasted its 'Scoorge' council for its 'shabby Christmas tree, which had barely any lights on in a bid to save cash. The BBC also came under fire for its Christmas tree outside its Broadcasting House in Portland Place in London. Employees of the broadcaster criticised the tree, calling it a 'bit stark', while another joked that 'very very little time or licence fee money was spent' on the spruce which is noticeably different in comparison to previous years. Television Director Leigh Butcher said: 'Can confirm that very very little time or licence fee money was spent on the Broadcasting House tree this year.' Fellow Television Director Rob Jones claimed it's 'impactful from a distance', while former BBC journalist Robert Rea admitted it was a 'bit bare'. None have been criticised as much as the prominent Trafalgar Square tree, however, which is has been gifted by Norway every year since 1947, in recognition of the UK's support during World War Two. The gift began when Norway was invaded in 1940, and the King of Norway sought refuge in the UK and established the Norwegian government-in-exile. After pictures emerged showing the tree being felled, keen-eyed fans were quick to point out that they hoped it was better than last year's offering. The 2022 tree was widely mocked by Londoners on social media after it appeared rather skinny and threadbare. One person said: 'They are taking the p**s that aint a Christmas tree. Well it is but its not what we expect. Send it back.' Another joked: 'At what point will they give up the pretence and just send us a log?' Others questioned 'why would they bring us a dead tree?' and 'Is it me or does it look quite dead?' Social media users were also quick to joke Norway had only delivered 'half the tree'. LONDON: A tree has been sent by Norway ever since the World War Two in recognition of Britain's help Those on social media were quick to poke fun at the tree in Trafalgar Square that was revealed WEST MIDLANDS: Elsewhere, locals have blasted 'Scrooge' Walsall Council for its 'Shabby' Christmas Tree near to St Paul's Bus Station, which has had barely any lights put on it in a bid to save cash CAMBRIDGESHIRE: The festive tree in March was put up earlier this month but many of those living in the area noted how sharply it is leaning to the side Another seeing the more humorous side said: 'Judging by the photos of the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree being felled last week in Norway and arriving today, it's been transported as hand luggage on Ryanair.' 'Ok, own up, who switched out the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree for one from Wish mid-journey?' someone else asked. 'That's only half the tree. Explains the recession in Norway,' quipped one user. A second added: 'Where's the other half of it?' It is being erected by a specialist rigging team, who will also be unflattening its branches, and a crane. The tree will be decorated in traditional Norwegian fashion with vertical strings and lights. Patricia McAllister, Lord Mayor of Westminster, joined British Ambassador Jan Thompson for the official tree felling ceremony in Norway. It was hosted by Oslo Mayor Anne Lindboe, who was seen helping saw down the fir. It comes as a 40ft Christmas tree was put up at the Houses of Parliament to mark the beginning of the Christmas season. The Sitka spruce was selected from the Kielder Forest, Northumberland, and will stand at the foot of Big Ben. King Haakon VII of Norway made popular broadcasts to his country via the BBC while in exile during the Second World War. Aware that he was likely to be found and apprehended by the Nazis after the invasion of neutral Norway in April 1940, he slept in his uniform, fearful they would be able to publish humiliating photographs of him in pyjamas. Denmark surrendered just six hours after Hitler's troops crossed its border. To do otherwise would be to risk further bloodshed and almost certain defeat. But Haakon and his government were determined Norway would not collaborate with the Nazis. His broadcasts from Britain reminded Norwegians to keep their values and his moral fortitude cheered them, just as he was cheered by the defiance of the greater part of the Norwegian people. Rather than saying 'when we win the war', he spoke of the day he would 'come home'. Loyalty to their constitutional monarch provided the focus for the Norwegian resistance. Hamas-linked financiers made hundreds of millions of dollars of profits by shorting Israeli stocks before the October 7 massacre, two analysts say. One unidentified trader 'shorted' 4.43 million shares in Israel's largest bank, Leumi, between September 15 and October 5 - meaning they gambled that the price of Leumi's shares would fall. After the October 7 attack, Leumi's share price did indeed plummet as its operations were paralyzed, earning a $900 million profit for the trader, who is believed to have links to Hamas. The trade and others were unearthed by Robert J. Jackson, Jr, from New York University School of Law, and Joshua Mitts of Columbia Law School. On Monday they published a report into their findings titled: 'Trading on Terror?' They've speculated that the cash may have been funneled back into Hamas' operations. Jackson and Mitts did not identify who was behind the trades, but noted they were highly unusual. 'Our findings suggest that traders informed about the coming attacks profited from these tragic events, and consistent with prior literature we show that trading of this kind occurs in gaps in U.S. and international enforcement of legal prohibitions on informed trading,' they write. Leumi bank, the largest in Israel, was shorted by a trader from September 15-October 5, earning the trader $900 million Joshua Mitts (left), from Columbia Law School, and Robert J. Jackson, Jr, from New York University School of Law (right), on Monday published their analysis of the trades 'We contribute to the growing literature on trading related to geopolitical events and offer suggestions for policymakers concerned about profitable trading on the basis of information about coming military conflict.' And another trader made a remarkable 227,000 short transactions on October 2 against the EIS - the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), a security traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The EIS gives investors exposure to Israeli exchange-traded funds. The value of EIS fell by 7.1 percent on October 11 - the first day the U.S. market was open after the terror attack - and within the first month lost 17.5 percent of its value, meaning that that one trader profited handsomely from the October 2 trades. One trader made a remarkable 227,000 short transactions on October 2 against the EIS - the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), a security traded on the New York Stock Exchange Revelers flee from the Supernova peace festival during the October 7 attacks, which left more than 1,200 Israelis dead Hamas terrorists are seen on October 7 taking hostages from communities near Gaza The terrorists are seen having burst through the Gaza border fence on October 7 Abandoned and torched vehicles at the site of the October 7 attack on the Supernova desert music festival in southern Israel Jackson and Mitts concluded: 'It is extremely unlikely that the volume of short selling on October 2 occurred by random chance.' The pair said the trades raised suspicion that they could have been carried out by someone with insider knowledge of the Hamas attack. 'Although we see no aggregate increase in shorting of Israeli companies on US exchanges, we do identify a sharp and unusual increase, just before the attacks, in trading in risky short-dated options on these companies expiring just after the attacks,' they wrote. Hamas, which since 1997 has been proscribed as a terrorist organization by the United States, cannot carry out transactions on the open market. Any Hamas figures who tried to do so risk having their assets frozen by the U.S. Treasury. But the group has taken advantage of innovative financing systems, such as cryptocurrency. A Wall Street Journal report found that, between August 2021 and June 2023, three terror groups - Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah - collectively received over $134 million in crypto. Hamas received some $41 million in digital currency over the nearly two-year period, the Journal reported. Islamic Jihad received $93 million. by Doug Bandow As the second anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine approaches, Western support for the proxy war against Moscow is faltering. Even some members of Washingtons militant war party are losing hope. On his recent visit to the U.S., the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was received by Biden administration officials, but without the usual fawning attention from Congress and the media. [Photo credit: Review News] Zelensky was reduced to uncomprehending desperation, opining: Nobody believes in our victory like I do. Nobody. Even his military commanders have become reluctant to follow his orders to mount costly, ineffective offensives. Close aides recognize that the war is at best stalemated, yet, reported Time, As they have debated the future of the war, one issue has remained taboo: the possibility of negotiating a peace deal with the Russians. With Kiev running out of manpower and its backers running out of patience, diplomacy offers the best hope of preserving Ukrainian independence, if not territory. That requires American and European discussions with Ukraine over present war realities and Russia over post-conflict possibilities. The outcome is going to be ugly. Early last year an overly ambitious and optimistic Washington helped scupper promising negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Today those talks must be revived under far less promising circumstances. The priority should be to end the ongoing conflict, both to halt the destruction of Ukraine and to prevent the conflicts escalation. The American people, however, if not the Washington establishment, should set another priority: establishing responsibility for the failed proxy war. No doubt, much blame should fall on the Biden administration, which refused to seriously negotiate with Moscow before the war, undermined talks between Ukraine and Russia, and steadily expanded a proxy war with a nuclear-armed power over stakes far more important to it than to the U.S. This aggressive strategy unnecessarily put Americas security at serious risk. Members of the bipartisan war party share the blame. Many, including most Republican leaders, have been even more reckless than the administration. The GOP paladins often pressed extreme and dangerous approaches, such as the Mississippian Sen. Roger Wickers mad plan for ground and nuclear war with Moscow. (The ever-irresponsible Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina had previously suggested nuclear conflict against North Korea with equal nonchalance.) Why worry about the possibility of a few score million deaths? Moreover, both Republican and Democratic administrations have helped turn Moscow hostile with an aggressive, expansionist military policy. Washington treated the Soviet Union and then Russia as defeated foes with the expansion of NATO, despite multiple assurances to the contrary. The U.S. also inverted the Monroe Doctrine, insisting that everything up to Russias border was in Americas sphere of interest, and promoted color revolutions and street uprisings within Moscows neighbors. Washington also invaded and dismantled Yugoslavia/Serbia with nary even a nod to Russias historic interests in the Balkans. Unsurprisingly, members of the blob, as the foreign policy establishment has been called, insist that they are virginal public servants dedicated to all that is good and wonderful in the world. Most Washington policymakers deny the obvious: that their militaristic policies encouraged Putin to invade. Although he remains responsible for plunging Europe into war, he almost certainly would not have done so without the succession of U.S. and European decisions flouting Moscows security interests. After all, who imagines Washington policymakers accepting what they attempted to impose on Russiaexpanding the Warsaw Pact northward through Latin America, promoting a street putsch against Mexicos elected, pro-American government, and promising Mexico membership in the Soviet-dominated military alliance. The result in Washington would be wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments on a Biblical scale, and likely a modern Cuban Missile Crisis. A gaggle of neoconservative and Republican warriors have gone even further. While denying that stomping on Moscows interests had anything to do with the latters decisions, they blame Bidens withdrawal from Central Asia for Putins decision to invade Ukraine. It was, they insist, the administrations decision to end the Afghan misadventure that turned Putin into Adolf Hitler reincarnated and set him on a program of global conquest. The most enthusiastic militarists also blame potential conflict with China over Taiwan on Afghanistan. For instance, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who has never wavered in his desire to send Americans into endless wars abroad, claimed, I think the precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August was a signal, to Putin and maybe to Chinese President Xi as well, that America was in retreat, that America could not be depended upon, and was an invitation to the autocrats of the world that maybe this was a good time to make a move. Another fan of needless wars, the New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, contended that the current Ukraine crisis is as much the child of Bidens Afghanistan debacle as the last Ukraine crisis was the child of Obamas Syria debacle. European observers are particularly enthusiastic about Washington fighting stupid foreign wars to the last American. The Financial Times Gideon Rachman worried about the Afghan withdrawals impact on American credibility, which supposedly is at risk whenever Washington eschews war, however minimal or foolish the stakes. Rachman explained , If the U.S. will not commit to a fight against the Taliban, there will be a question mark over whether America would really be willing to go to war with China or Russia. Objectively, this is one of the stupidest foreign policy arguments commonly advanced in Washington, which is quite a standard to meet. The U.S. stayed in Afghanistan twice as long as did the Soviet Union, which by this logic should have enhanced Washingtons credibility, especially vis-a-vis Moscow. Moreover, both Russia and China are better off with the U.S. entangled in a costly conflict in Central Asia; Americas presence even took care of their concerns about Central Asian terrorism and instability for them. Moscow and Beijing also likely would be very happy to see U.S. occupation forces in Iraq and Syria drawn back into conflict, especially with Iran. The main point, inexplicably missed by Washingtons endless war enthusiasts, is that both China and Russia are major conventional powers with nuclear weapons concerned about interests perceived as serious and probably vital. Americas willingness to act as an imperial guardian elsewhere at modest cost is irrelevant to its willingness to risk conflict with them over stakes that remain minimal at best for the U.S. Washington policymakers have demonstrated that they believe Ukraine is not important enough for war, something Russia surely recognized irrespective of the nature of the Afghan exit. (In fact, even Foreign Affairs is running articles acknowledging that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan had no influence on Putins calculus. Putin likely decided to confront Ukraine militarily before the American withdrawal.) The situation is similar with Taiwan, an unlucky resident of a bad neighborhood whose independence is not worth risking the American homeland. This lesson is important. The world is a mess, but the U.S. remains securethe best positioned great power in human history. America dominates its own region, reigning without serious challenge, surrounded by water and weak neighbors. Only with missiles can hostile states reach the U.S., a threat deterred by Washingtons own forces. Muchindeed, mostof the world simply doesnt matter much to the U.S., other than for humanitarian and economic reasons: neither of which justify large-scale and endless wars. For instance, Afghanistan and Central Asia are far from America and of little consequence. The Taliban mattered only in 2001, when it harbored terrorists who struck the U.S. Spending two decades attempting to bring democracy to that tragic land squandered lives and resources. More than two years after the administrations admittedly botched withdrawal, the predicted tsunami of Afghan-based terrorists taking control of American cities and wreaking global havoc has not occurred. Similarly, there never was any serious reason to wreck Iraq, which birthed the Islamic State, or to promote the disintegration of Libya and Syria, the consequences of which still bedevil the region, or to aid the totalitarian Saudi regime in its murderous attack on Yemen, which perversely made the Houthi movement more dangerous. Claims that a Russian victory in Ukraine would trigger a Blitzkrieg to the Atlantic are dumber than blaming the Russia-Ukraine war on Biden. Putin has demonstrated no interest and even less ability to conquer the continent. Which is why no Western ally has been willing to fight for Kiev. Chinese conquest of Taiwan would be terrible for the islands residents, but would endanger Americas Asian influence, not America, a critical difference. That such a result would be highly undesirable does not mean that it would justify fighting a war that would probably look more like World War II than Afghanistan. Of course, the usual suspects are attempting to bolster support for Ukraine by again wielding the credibility argument. Reported Michael Crowley of the New York Times: Another failure to deter Mr. Putin, Biden officials and their critics agree, would deal a severe blow to an international system of rules and borders that the administration has worked hard to reaffirm. Evelyn Farkas, a former Pentagon official, opposed negotiating even before Putins invasion since any appeasement will only beget future land grabs not only from Putin, but also from China in Taiwan and elsewhere. Of course. Americans must be constantly at war since their failure to be constantly at war would require them to be constantly at war. Such statements pass for wisdom among the Washington Beltways leading think tank warriors. Ukraines diminishing chances of military success increase the necessity of a diplomatic settlement. Ending the conflict is not enough, however. After decades of needless wars, the American people should hold policy-makers accountable for lives lost and money wasted, including by recklessly risking war with Russia. Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties. He worked as special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and editor of the political magazine Inquiry. He writes regularly for leading publications such as Fortune magazine, National Interest, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Times. Ryan Reynolds and Barbra Streisand are among stars trying to unseat disgraced Colorado GOP rep. Lauren Boebert by donating to her Democrat rival's campaign. The A-Listers have been joined by Eagles founder Don Henley, actor and director Rob Reiner, as well as Johnny Cash's daughter Rosanne Cash in donating to Adam Frisch's 2023 campaign. Data shows Reynolds has donated $1,500 to Frisch's campaign, Henley has donated $6,600, Streisand has donated $1,000, Reiner has donated $3,300 and Cash has donated $550. In a delicious irony, Boebert - who became a grandma earlier this year aged just 36 - faces losing her seat months after her seedy behavior during a performance of Beetlejuice at Denver 's Buell Theater in September. Surveillance footage captured the staunch family-values conservative rubbing Democrat date Quinn Gallagher's crotch as he fondled her breasts. Boebert was also filmed snapping selfies using a flash during the show and vaping, to the consternation of her fellow theater-goers. On being ejected from the show, Boebert was even seen giving the finger to a member of theater staff and barked 'Do you know who I am?' at them. It's unclear if the Hollywood attempt to unseat her is because of her repeated theater faux pas, although the stars who've come out against her are also prominent liberals. Boebert is seen using her phone during a performance of Beetlejuice in Denver in September, with the cream of Hollywood now joining attempts to unseat her Boebert is also seen puffing on a vape during the show, a clear breach of theater rules Hollywood elites such as actor Ryan Reynolds (right), founding member of the Eagles Don Henley (center), EGOT winner Barbra Streisand (left) have donated to Adam Frisch's campaign Campaign finance data shows several celebrities have donated to Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert's Democrat rival Adam Frisch is trying to unseat Boebert in the 2024 election. He narrowly lost to her by just 564 votes in the 2022 midterm election Boebert is seen baring her teeth in the theater lobby after being ejected and also gave staff the finger Last week, Boebert took to Twitter to try and use Frisch's celebrity support to increase her campaign donations. 'My opponent has plenty of funding from Soros dark money and even Hollywood liberals like Barbra Streisand and Ryan Reynolds,' she said. 'I need your help. Can I count on your support today for the critical November end-of-month deadline?' Frisch has raised $7,769,641.43 between January 1 and September 30 in 2023, Boebert has raised $2,435,743.58 in the same period, according to the Federal Election Commission. Boebert initially lied about her behavior by issuing a sarcastic statement denying her sordid antics. But she changed her tune when surveillance footage revealed the unseemly truth and later apologized, claiming her behavior was down to the anxiety of her recent divorce. 'The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I'm truly sorry' she wrote in a statement. 'There's no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made a challenging personal time for me and my entire family.' Boebert narrowly defeat Frisch in the 2022 midterm race, winning by just 564 votes, but he is determined to oust her in 2024. 'She didn't even win her home county' Frisch said to DailyMail.com. 'Only a small handful of members of Congress lose their home county.' Boebert's date Quinn Gallagher, pictured, was ditched after the firebrand congresswoman discovered his Democrat politics 'I'm not going to spend my time on some Oversight Committee yelling and screaming at tech executives about why don't have more Twitter followers,' he said, referencing Boebert and the Oversight Committee's Big Tech censorship revenge tour. Frisch criticized his opponent as 'not focused on the job but focused on herself.' 'There's an agriculture bill every six years and she doesn't want to work on that. She doesn't want to be on the Agriculture Committee, she wants to be on the Oversight Committee.' 'All you see of her is, you know, the ghosts and goblins committee.' 'The amount of heads that shake kind of despondently at the Chamber of Commerce's and more right-leaning communities because they know it. They know that she's an embarrassment,' the Democratic candidate said. Elderly people may find it harder to get the care they need as a result of the crackdown on foreign workers, industry bosses said last night. Social care staff arriving from abroad will be banned from bringing relatives with them as a result of the restrictions announced by Home Secretary James Cleverly yesterday to end 'abuse' of the system. They will also have to get visas from businesses registered with the Care Quality Commission watchdog, closing a loophole that allowed migrants to arrive without having genuine jobs to go to. In an attempt to limit the impact on care firms, they will be exempt from paying a major increase in the skilled worker salary to 38,700. But industry leaders, charities and trade unions still fear the new measures to bring down legal immigration would be disastrous for nursing homes and home help providers - and the people who rely on them - as they are already struggling to recruit enough staff. Latest figures show 70,000 care workers were recruited from abroad in the past year alone, yet there is still a shortage of at least 150,000 employees across England. Social care staff arriving from abroad will be banned from bringing relatives with them as a result of the restrictions announced by Home Secretary James Cleverly Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, which is part of the NHS Confederation, and chair of the Cavendish Coalition, said: 'The Government's announcements will cause deep concern across social care and health. 'Whilst there is recognition that social care and health staff should be exempted from visa earning requirements applied to the wider economy, the move to prevent workers bringing dependants will be met with real dismay. 'The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have at a stroke made the UK a less attractive place for much needed social care and health staff weighing up where they might choose to work. 'Their actions make the job of caring for the most vulnerable members of society that bit harder, and in doing so they again underestimate the value of good care services to the economy as a whole.' 'The Government must fully disclose its calculations on how these changes to visa rules will impact on recruitment levels and waiting times across both social care and health.' In the Commons, former Cabinet minister Damian Green asked the Home Secretary: 'Can I ask him particularly about the health and care visa, and in particular the inability now of people to bring dependants with them. 'How many care workers does he think will be deterred by that? How much fewer will be the numbers coming here? Because there is a huge shortage in the care sector at the moment of about 150,000 and I would hope that this isn't a significant contributor to the reduction in numbers, because if it is, it will cause damage to the care sector.' Mr Cleverly replied: 'We do not envisage there being a significant reduction in demand because of these changes that we have made, but what it will means is that we have the care workers that we need, and not the estimated 120,000 other people that have in most recent years come with them.' However Independent Care Group chairman Mike Padgham warned the move would damage the NHS as well as social care Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, which is part of the NHS Confederation, and chair of the Cavendish Coalition, said: 'The Government's announcements will cause deep concern across social care and health' The Home Secretary outlined a five-point package in the Commons that included hiking the minimum salary required for a UK skilled worker visa from around 26,000 to 38,700 Channel migrants being brought ashore in Kent over the weekend 'Inevitably this will have a detrimental impact on the provision of care, adding to the 1.5million who currently can't get the care they need. 'And by reducing available community care, the Government will undoubtedly increase the number of people who cannot be discharged from hospital, also contributing to rising hospital waiting lists.' Cleverly's five-point net migration plan 1. Care workers banned from bringing dependants 2. Minimum skilled worker salary up to 38,700 (apart from health and social care) 3. End 20% discount on minimum salaries for foreign workers. Occupation shortage list to be reviewed 4. Minimum income requirement for bringing in dependants going up to 38,000 5. Review of the graduate visa route to consider whether people should be allowed to stay Advertisement Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said: 'We are worried that older and disabled people in need of care, and their families, will pay a heavy price for the Government's changes to the migration rules from next Spring.' Christina McAnea, general secretary of trade union Unison, said: 'These cruel plans spell total disaster for the NHS and social care. They benefit no one. 'Migrant workers were encouraged to come here because both sectors are critically short of staff. Hospitals and care homes simply couldn't function without them. 'There's also a global shortage of healthcare staff. Migrants will now head to more welcoming countries, rather than be forced to live without their families.' Chairman of the Care Provider Alliance Dr Jane Townson said: 'If care workforce numbers fall and providers cease to operate, unmet need will escalate. Not only will this lead to individual and family suffering, but it will increase pressure on council and NHS services and further extend waiting lists. 'We urge the Government to provide sufficient funding for public bodies to increase fee rates, so that providers can offer competitive pay and terms and conditions of employment to UK workers and reduce reliance on overseas workers.' QUESTION When and why was the phrase 'This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental' first added to a film? This followed a dramatic libel suit over the 1932 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Rasputin And The Empress. In December 1916, the so-called Mad Monk, Grigori Rasputin, Empress Alexandra of Russia's 'evil genius', was murdered by a group of conspirators. Chief among them was Prince Felix Youssoupoff, whose wife, Princess Irina Romanov, was the niece of Tsar Nicholas II. Rasputin And The Empress opened at the Astor Theatre in New York. Purporting to tell the story of the murder of Rasputin, it starred three huge Hollywood names siblings Ethel, John and Lionel Barrymore. In a key scene, Rasputin (Lionel) hypnotised and then violated the tsar's beautiful niece Natasha (Diana Wynyard), whose fiance Prince Paul Chegodieff (John) murdered Rasputin in his cellar in revenge. Ethel was cast as Empress Alexandra. Rasputin And The Empress opened at the Astor Theatre in New York. Purporting to tell the story of the murder of Rasputin Although the picture bore little resemblance to the facts, a dramatic preface was shown on screen: 'This concerns the destruction of an empire, brought about by the mad ambition of one man. A few of the characters are still alive. The rest met death by violence.' Critics gave the film a mixed reception but the New York Times reviewer made a remark about 'the fight between Prince Chegodieff, as Prince Youssoupoff is known here, and the Mad Monk'. He believed that the character of Chegodieff was supposed to be the real-life Prince Felix Youssoupoff and everyone knew that Felix was married to the tsar's beautiful niece Princess Irina. Irina had never met Rasputin and expressed outrage at the film's content and the defamation of her character. Lawyers immediately spotted grounds for libel and, as the film was showing in London, the Youssoupoffs took action there. The King's Bench Division of the High Court was packed to overflowing as the first case alleging libel in a talking picture began on February 27, 1934. Both Prince Felix and Princess Irina testified at length over several days, and the court was taken back to the events of Russia in 1916. Finally, after two hours' deliberation, the jury found for the princess, awarding damages of 25,000 plus costs about 1.9 million today. The exact sum paid to Irina by MGM was never disclosed, but it was said to be the biggest libel judgment in England since 1684. Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore and John Barrymore starred in the 1932 production of Rasputin and the Empress Following the Youssoupoff case, practically every film featured a disclaimer. Coryne Hall, author of Rasputin's Killer And His Romanov Princess, Bordon, Hants. The Charge Of The Light Brigade (1936), an American historical adventure featuring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, is believed to be the first film to actually display this disclaimer. The film received further notoriety over the filming of the charge sequence, when a stunt tripwire resulted in the deaths of 25 horses. It led to legislative action by the U.S. Congress and action by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to prevent further cruelty by film directors and producers. TOMORROW'S QUESTIONS... Q: Is Alaska salmon sold in shops the same species as Scottish salmon? Jenny Cowan, Chelmsford, Essex. Q: A headline from 2010 said the Earth had around 60 years of harvests left due to the degradation of topsoil. Is this true? Emma Oldfield, Woking, Surrey. Q: Theres a drainage ditch near us called Pickedmoor Rhine. Does it share a name origin with the great German Rhine? Matt Rowland, Thornbury, Glos. Is there a question to which you want to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question here? Write to: Charles Legge, Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY; or email charles.legge@dailymail.co.uk. A selection is published, but we're unable to enter into individual correspondence Advertisement So many films adopted the disclaimer that it was soon parodied. The 1941 film Hellzapoppin' had: '...any similarity between HELLZAPOPPIN' and a motion picture is purely coincidental.' The 1943 film I Walked With A Zombie had: 'Any similarity to any persons, living, dead, OR POSSESSED, is entirely coincidental.' Mr L. B. Rush, Cardiff. QUESTION Why were the pictures sent back to Earth by India's Moon rover black and white? This August, India became the first country to land a lunar mission near the Moon's south pole. Chandrayaan-3's lander and rover, called Vikram and Pragyan, spent about ten days in the region, gathering data and images to be sent back to Earth. The Vikram carried several cameras: Lander Hazard Detection & Avoidance Cameras (LHDAC), the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC), the Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera (LHVC) and four lander imaging (LI 1-4) cameras. The Pragyan rover was mounted with two NavCam cameras in the front. Not all the cameras were monochrome.The four lander imaging (LI) cameras on Vikram were colour, and images of little Pragyan being deployed show its silver wheels and gold-coloured insulating plates. For scientific purposes, monochrome cameras are more useful in space in terms of location detection, safe spot identification for landing, navigation and negotiating the lunar terrain. When studying the Moon, colour is not a primary concern as the lunar surface is a mix of dark browns, greys, or black. High-resolution black-and-white images provide more valuable scientific data. Andy Browne, London SW12. QUESTION Why is the lowest enlisted rank in the Army designated 'Private'? The term 'Private' to denote the lowest military rank appears to stem from the use of the word to describe a mercenary, a privately hired soldier. Its earliest use was probably during medieval times when it described a soldier who was hired, conscripted or owed feudal service to a nobleman, and would have differentiated him from a soldier who was directly recruited by the Crown. During the Napoleonic wars, the French Army introduced the term 'Soldat' to describe its lowest rank. It's probable the British Army created the generic rank of Private around the same time, but chose the term so as not to be seen to be copying the French by using the English equivalent soldier. Bob Dillon, Edinburgh. Is there a question to which you want to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question here? Write to: Charles Legge, Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY; or email charles.legge@dailymail.co.uk. A selection is published, but we're unable to enter into individual correspondence Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of 'economic illiteracy' after he vowed to press ahead with investing 28billion a year on green policies. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Labour leader's figures 'simply don't add up' as Sir Keir pledged to get reduce government debt while borrowing the vast sum. In a major speech on growing the economy yesterday, Sir Keir said his party would be 'ruthless' in spending public money 'wisely'. And he insisted that Labour's pledge to spend 28billion a year on green initiatives, such as investing in clean energy, would be subject to the party's 'fiscal rules'. But Mr Hunt said: 'It is economically illiterate to say you can meet a fiscal rule to get debt falling whilst at the same time increasing borrowing by 28billion a year. The sums simply don't add up. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Labour leader's figures 'simply don't add up' as Labour promises that it will invest billions Sir Keir has accused the government of a 'fiscal sleight of hand' and of being prepared to 'salt the earth of British prosperity' 'The result of that kind of borrowing splurge would be higher taxes, higher debt interest and lower growth - on the very day Sir Keir Starmer said growth would be his 'obsession'.' In 2021, Labour promised to invest 28billion a year until 2030 on green projects if it came to power. However, in June shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the figure would instead be a target to work towards in the second half of a first Parliament under a Labour government. Yesterday, Sir Keir said that the money 'will be used to trigger that other investment from the private sector and we'll ramp up - it's not a question of the investment not starting until the middle of the next Parliament'. 'It is, of course, subject to our fiscal rules. But I am confident that if we turbocharge the growth that we need, we'll be able to achieve the investment we need within the fiscal rules.' He also told a Resolution Foundation conference in London that a Labour administration will not be able to 'turn on the spending taps'. The speech came after Mr Hunt used his autumn statement to pencil in difficult cuts to public services in the years beyond 2024. Sir Keir accused ministers of a 'fiscal sleight of hand', which 'showed the Government is quite prepared to salt the earth of British prosperity, in pursuit of its political strategy'. But he did not rule out cuts under a Labour government, and instead pointed to reform through the better use of technologies such as artificial intelligence. He said: 'We need to reform, we need to grow our economy. But the record of a Labour government is always to look after our public services.' The Barclay family regained ownership of the Telegraph yesterday after it repaid 1.2billion that it owed to Lloyds. The bank confirmed that it had received the money after seizing control of the newspaper group over an unpaid debt. However, the next stage of the deal giving control to the Abu Dhabi-backed fund RedBird IMI is on hold after the Government said it would investigate. This means the Barclays will not retake control, with any changes in management or the removal of key editorial staff blocked until the conclusion of the probe. Tory MPs have raised concerns about the sale of the group to the investment fund backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice president of the United Arab Emirates and owner of Manchester City FC. They warn the sale should be blocked due to concerns about press freedom and the influence of a foreign government with ties to China. Under the deal, the fund would take control of the Telegraph titles and Spectator magazine after agreeing to pay off the debt owed by the Barclay family to Lloyds. The Barclay family regained ownership of the Telegraph yesterday after it repaid 1.2billion that it owed to Lloyds (Pictured: Sir Frederick Barclay) Last week, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer asked Ofcom to launch a probe into whether the sale to RedBird IMI would affect the accurate presentation of news and free expression in the Telegraph titles Under the deal, the fund would take control of the Telegraph titles and Spectator magazine after agreeing to pay off the debt owed by the Barclay family to Lloyds Yesterday, Lloyds said the debt of Penultimate Investments Holding Limited (PIHL), the holding company, had been repaid, effectively ending the bank's involvement in the saga. 'We can confirm the repayment of the PIHL facilities has now completed,' it said. The Barclays had been given until yesterday to hand over the money to avoid a court hearing that would have enabled an auction to proceed. Others bidding to buy the Telegraph included The Daily Mail's owner, DMGT. Last week, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer asked Ofcom to launch a probe into whether the sale to RedBird IMI would affect the accurate presentation of news and free expression in the Telegraph titles. The regulator has until January 26 to report back. RedBird IMI said that it would 'co-operate fully with the Government and regulator'. RedBird IMI is a joint venture between RedBird Capital, a US firm, and International Media Investments, backed by Sheikh Mansour. It is led by ex-CNN executive Jeff Zucker. It has said it would be 'fully committed to maintaining the existing editorial teams of the publications and believes that editorial independence for these titles is essential'. Six in ten free cash machines on the High Street will have been ripped out by the end of the decade as Britons go cashless, according to the cash machine network group Link. Some 23,000 ATMs are expected to close, bringing the number down from 38,000 to 15,000, said Link chief executive John Howells. Five years ago, there were 50,000 free ATMs. The decline follows a rapid retreat of bank branches from UK high streets, as banks rip out cash machines when they abandon communities. Since the start of last year 1,250 bank branches have been shut or put on notice of closure, according to Link. Last week alone, Lloyds Banking Group announced a further 45 branches are to be axed by August next year. Howells said: 'As more people use digital and contactless payments, cash machine use will continue to fall. ATMs will close in busy high streets where there are already many free cash machines. But we will continue to protect free access, including in quiet and rural areas.' As many as 23,000 free cash machines are expected to close by the end of the decade, amid a rapid decline in bank branches on UK high streets (Stock Image) Banking hubs, where banks share the same premises to offer a service in communities already turned into 'banking deserts', have been touted as a possible solution, but just 30 out of 100 planned hubs will have opened by Christmas (Stock Image) The ATM network costs about 420million a year to operate, with 400million spent on the equipment and 20million covering Link and other running costs. The not-for-profit body Cash Access UK - which is funded by High Street banks - says up to six million people, many of them vulnerable, rely on cash for their day-to-day spending needs. Taking away ATMs will make it harder for them to get cash to help them budget. Ron Delnevo, chair of action group Payment Choice Alliance and not-for-profit body Cash Supply Alliance, said: 'It is wrong to suggest there are too many ATMs at the moment - as they are a vital lifeline for providing access to cash. Banks are forcing us towards becoming a cashless society. More must be done to protect our right for access to cash to stop the closure of banks and ATMs.' Banking hubs, where banks share the same premises to offer a service in communities already turned into 'banking deserts', have been touted as a possible saviour by Link. But despite 100 hubs being announced in recent years, only 30 will have opened by Christmas. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been rebuked by the statistics regulator for a false claim about falling knife crime that may mislead the public. The mayor's office issued a press release in July claiming that 'knife and gun crime, homicides and burglary have all fallen since 2016' when he took charge of City Hall. The 'incorrect' release, which warned that cost of living pressures and the absence of government funding could 'undo the capital's fall in violent crime', was issued minutes before official Office for National Statistics data was published showing a 40 per cent rise in knife crime. Yesterday Ed Humpherson, director-general at the Office for Statistics Regulation, said it was 'incorrect' to say that knife crime in the capital had declined during Mr Khan's tenure. In fact, knife crime has 'significantly increased across the relevant period', Mr Humpherson said, adding that his office was 'engaging' with City Hall 'to encourage' officials to correct the statement 'Part of the statement is incorrect and has the potential to mislead the public,' a letter from Mr Humpherson said. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been rebuked by the statistics regulator for a false claim about falling knife crime that may mislead the public ONS figures revealed a 40 per cent rise in knife offences during his time in office from 9,086 crimes recorded in the capital in the year to the end of March 2016 to 12,786 offences in the same period in 2023 (Stock Image) The row comes after a complaint was made about the press release, which contained quotes from Mr Khan and boasted that knife crime had fallen 'as a result of the Mayor's relentless focus on tackling violent crime'. But in reality, ONS figures revealed a 40 per cent rise in knife offences during his time in office from 9,086 crimes recorded in the capital in the year to the end of March 2016 to 12,786 offences in the same period in 2023. More recently ONS figures show that knife crime in London has continued to grow, soaring to 13,503 offences by the end of June, which included a 36 per cent increase in knife-enabled robberies. In September 15-year-old Elianne Andam was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife on her way to school. 20 teens have been murdered in the capital in 2023. City Hall tried to defend the claim about falling knife crime by citing Met figures showing a decline since 2016 in the number of offences with injury affecting people under 25. But Mr Humpherson said the mayoral statement had not been 'clear on the source of the claims' made about falling knife crime and was 'not in line with best practice'. A spokesman for the Mayor said that the press release had been amended and 'further detail has been added to a press release issued in July 2023 around the specific reductions achieved with knife crime in the capital'. The amended release makes it clear that it is knife crime with injury involving victims aged under 25 that has fallen since 2016, rather than knife crime overall. Brittany Higgins claims she meant to delete Bruce Lehrmann's name from a timeline of her rape allegations sent to journalists. But her fiance David Sharaz went on to send it 'half the press gallery' at Parliament House in Canberra while she was 'passed out on Valium'. Ms Higgins told the Federal Court last Friday that she created a timeline of her alleged rape in 2021 - two years after she was allegedly raped - for her own records and for police. The timeline was uploaded to the court's website ahead of Tuesday's hearing of Mr Lehrmann's defamation trial. It lists a number of family members, friends and colleagues who knew about her rape allegations, along with their relationship to Ms Higgins and how they found out about the alleged assault. At the end of that list sent to journalists, the document says: 'Bruce Lehrmann, former advisor to Minister Reynolds, Perpetrator.' Brittany Higgins (centre) arrives at court with her lawyer Leon Zwier (far left), best friend Emma Roberts (second from left), fiance David Sharaz (back right) and another supporter The document Mr Sharaz sent to reporters in the parliamentary press gallery described Bruce Lehrmann as the 'perpetrator'. He has always denied Ms Higgins' allegation he raped her In court last week, Ms Higgins said her now-fiance David Sharaz distributed that timeline to 'half the press gallery' in Canberra in February 2021, while she was 'passed out on Valium'. There are about 250 journalists in the media gallery at Parliament House in Canberra. Mr Lehrmann has always denied Ms Higgins' rape allegation. On Friday, Mr Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow asked Ms Higgins why the document was distributed with her alleged rapist's name on it. 'It was meant to be redacted,' Ms Higgins said. Mr Whybrow asked: 'By who?' She replied: 'By me.' A timeline of alleged events as pulled together by Ms Higgins, and later distributed to media He asked why it had Mr Lehrmann's name on it at all, to which Ms Higgins said it was originally meant for herself and police. Mr Whybrow continued: 'So it was an accident that naming Mr Lehrmann as the perpetrator that was then distributed to the entire Canberra press gallery?' Ms Higgins agreed. Ms Higgins' cross-examination continued on Tuesday morning with the former political staffer grilled about her Bumble date who she brought with her to The Dock Hotel on March 22, 2019 - the night she alleges Lehrmann raped her. Ms Higgins invited her date, Nick, to the pub with her colleagues that evening but said they were 'mean' to him and picked on him about his public service job, and his clothes. Mr Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow SC suggested to Ms Higgins that she lied to police about her colleagues being rude to her date. Higgins told the Federal Court that her colleagues had been rude to her Bumble date, Nick (above in white shirt, next to Ms Higgins) He suggested she was actually more interested in spending time with Mr Lehrmann than with Nick. Ms Higgins said that wasn't the case, and maintained Nick left the pub because she was 'very rude' to him. CCTV from the pub that evening played before the court. It showed Ms Higgins and Nick having a conversation, before he went to the bar and bought her two drinks - her third and fourth of the evening - between 8pm and 8.30pm that evening. Mr Lehrmann and another colleague, Austin Wenke, arrived at the pub and Ms Higgins went to another table to speak with them. Ms Higgins told the court on Tuesday that she was 'pretty drunk by then' and that the date 'wasn't going well'. Nick then sat at a table with Ms Higgins' colleagues while she sat at another table. Mr Whybrow said: 'At 9.05, Nick left the table and went to the bar, you were still at Bruce's table. 'At that stage, you had no interest in having further communications with him.' Ms Higgins said: 'I was very drunk, I was very rude.' At about 9.30pm, Nick could be seen shaking hands with one of her colleagues and leaving the venue. Ms Higgins then said she was 'drinking to get drunk' that night and that she 'never would have had a water or a soda' because she didn't want to feel bloated. 'I never would have done that,' she told the court. The hearing continues. Almost one in three parents of independent school pupils are struggling with costs, new research shows. Labour plans to charge private schools 20 per cent VAT and scrap the 80 per cent relief they receive on business rates by stripping them of charitable status. Citing a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank, the party claims the proposals could raise up to 1.5billion a year. But private schools have warned that they may be forced to pass on the costs that could see thousands of youngsters move into state education. The National Parent Survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the parenting charity Parentkind, found that school trips and uniforms are among the expenses parents are most concerned about. Almost one in three parents of independent school pupils are struggling with costs, new polling on behalf of Parentkind shows (Stock Image) Labour plans to charge private schools 20 per cent VAT and scrap the 80 per cent relief they receive on business rates by stripping them of charitable status One in six families with household incomes above 70,000 said that they are struggling to meet school costs. And a net 31 per cent of parents of private school pupils agreed that they struggle to afford the costs associated with sending their children to classes. Jason Elsom, Parentkind chief executive and a former teacher, said: 'This survey is wake up call to schools and politicians around the country. 'The cost of living crisis is hitting more and more families, who used to have comfortable incomes but are now concerned about the cost of sending their children to school.' Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, added: 'This research from Parentkind makes unhappy reading but chimes with the findings of our own survey of independent school parents, showing they often make sacrifices in order to choose the school that is right for their child. 'We know that the cost of living crisis is hitting families hard and schools are doing what they can to ease the pressure on these families when it comes to school costs - which is why our schools have provided over a billion pounds in fee assistance in the last year alone.' Police officers have made 630 climate arrests as eco-zealots stage weeks of disruption - with group 'die-ins' taking place on London streets. Officers are using new powers to make the mass arrests under anti-protest legislation, which bans any action that 'interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure'. More than 470 eco-activists have been arrested - some more than once - according to Just Stop Oil. Almost half of the 'climate arrests' over the last month have been under this new legislation - section seven of the Public Order Act 2023. Scotland Yard said 630 arrests had been made of Just Stop Oil protesters since 30 October, and 328 were charged. The rest have been released on police bail. Data gathered by the group shows at least 276 people have been charged. At least 125 were charged with blocking key national infrastructure under section seven, and 125 with wilful obstruction of the highway. It comes after JSO protesters staged a 'die-in' in London - making themselves limp and floppy to make it more difficult for police to move them. The activists' 30-day campaign of disruption on an 'unprecedented scale' saw them deploy the new tactic. The protestors are filmed deploying what seems to be their latest method of 'playing dead' in footage of their slow march in central London on October 30 One older woman is filmed as she sits limp against a wall, with her head falling on her chest The protests come as the government confirmed in the King's Speech plans to grant new North Sea oil and gas licences. But the new powers under section seven seem to be having an effect, with just half a dozen protesters appearing at Trafalgar Square on Wednesday - and only three wore the signature JSO orange bibs. One activist told The Guardian: 'Everyone's been arrested, everyone's got court.' At one protest last week, video of the start showed dozens of activists in their trademark orange hi-vis jackets emblazoned with the JSO logo step into the street with with large banners to block traffic. Drivers immediately started blaring their horns, and one disgruntled van driver mounted the pavement to get past the blockade. JSO is staging ongoing protest action in a bid to stop the government granting new fossil fuel licences. Last month, protestors were filmed using their bodies as deadweights as up to three officers at a time picked them up and carried them into the back of vans during a slow march in Whitehall. In one video, a stone-faced handcuffed woman sits on the ground, holding her arms up in front or her. As three police officers try to pick her up, she remains stiff. Last month, protestors were filmed using their bodies as deadweights as up to three officers at a time picked them up and carried them into the back of vans. The protests come as the government confirmed in the King's Speech plans to grant new North Sea oil and gas licences Just Stop Oil protesters employ their latest tactic as they play dead slumped against the wall The three officers struggle to move her, but manage to drag her towards a nearby police van and put her in the back with the help of a fourth officer. In another clip, three officers pick up a man and carry him to a police van as protesters are heard shouting in the background, encouraging people to join Just Stop Oil. One older woman is filmed as she sits limp, rag-doll-style against a wall, with her head on her chest and hair covering her face. She holds her arms behind her back as two officers seem to handcuff her. The group previously complained about the strict bail conditions imposed on its activists yesterday after they were barred from entering London over their disruptive protests. Just Stop Oil activists brought London to a standstill again as they staged a 'die-in' by going limp and floppy to make it harder to remove them from the street A JSO activist lying at a road crossing near Earl's Court as police try to move her Three police officers pick up a JSO activist who was protesting near Earl's Court A bail conditions letter shared by JSO on X, formerly Twitter, said ahead of a protest last month that the activists were barred from the capital to 'prevent further offences'. It read: 'Not to enter London, inside the perimeter of the M25 motorway unless answering bail at a police station, attending a court hearing or to visit a solicitor by prior appointment.' Responding to the bail conditions, the group said: 'The Met Police like to say they want to 'facilitate' protests. 'The conditions imposed on people arrested show otherwise. No protesting in the street in London... In fact don't even enter London... we want the police to investigate the real criminals.' It comes after Scotland Yard told eco zealots it was 'unacceptable' that officer time and resources were being wasted at a time of surging hate crime and heightened fears of a terror attack prompted by the Israel-Gaza conflict. Dozens of officers and police vehicles were taken away from other frontline duties during Monday's protest, which saw activists in orange hi-vis jackets blocking roads and 'slow marching' until they were arrested. Met Commander Kyle Gordon said: 'This is an extremely busy time for officers across London who are providing reassurance to communities following the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. 'It's unacceptable that we are having to remove officers, who are carrying out vital work in their communities at a time where there is a large number of hate crime being reported to us, to police Just Stop Oil. 'We also know the majority of the public has reached their tolerance with Just Stop Oil, which on occasion is over- spilling into violence. It's clear the public has had enough.' Relief Therapeutics Holding SA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Relief Therapeutics Shifts Commercial Operations to Partnership Model, Focusing on Efficient Patient Access and R&D Growth 05-Dec-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. Relief Therapeutics Shifts Commercial Operations to Partnership Model, Focusing on Efficient Patient Access and R&D Growth GENEVA (DEC. 5, 2023) RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX: RLF, OTCQB: RLFTF, RLFTY) (Relief, or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering innovative treatment options for select specialty, unmet and rare diseases, today announced its intent to progressively transition from a direct marketing and sales infrastructure for its commercial-stage assets to a partnership-based model. The Company believes that the transition will continue to enable more efficient patient access through leveraging external expertise and infrastructure. The Company intends to streamline its commercial operations and focus its resources on its R&D activities, paving the way for sustainable growth. Michelle Lock, interim chief executive officer of Relief, commented, Our strategic pivot will enable us to reallocate resources towards our advancing R&D pipeline. It will also reinforce Reliefs foundational strengths and historical business model, centered around drug development and the business-to-business (B2B) commercialization of our products. This decision primarily affects Reliefs GOLIKE franchise, with the Companys other products historically licensed or distributed through third parties. The Company remains committed to supporting the needs of patients currently benefiting from PKU GOLIKE and is exploring potential partnerships for the continued commercialization and expansion of its GOLIKE franchise and the expected commercial launch of RLF-OD032 in early 2026. PKU GOLIKE is currently marketed by Relief in the U.S., Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and is licensed to distribution partners in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Ecuador, and certain Middle Eastern countries. PKU GOLIKE shall remain commercially available in the U.S. via Reliefs distribution arrangement with Pentec Health, Inc. Relief also remains actively engaged in optimizing the value of its development-stage pipeline, continuing the development of RLF-OD032 for phenylketonuria (PKU), RLF-TD011 for dermatological conditions, RLF100 (aviptadil) for pulmonary disorders, and Olpruva for metabolic disorders in Europe. ABOUT RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Relief Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing treatment paradigms and delivering improvements in efficacy, safety, and convenience to benefit the lives of patients living with select specialty and rare diseases. Relief Therapeutics' portfolio offers a balanced mix of marketed, revenue-generating products, our proprietary, globally patented Physiomimic and TEHCLO platform technologies and a targeted clinical development pipeline consisting of risk-mitigated assets focused in three core therapeutic areas: rare metabolic disorders, rare skin diseases and rare respiratory diseases. In addition, Relief Therapeutics is commercializing several legacy products via licensing and distribution partners. Relief Therapeutics' mission is to provide therapeutic relief to those suffering from rare diseases and is being advanced by an international team of well-established, experienced biopharma industry leaders with extensive research, development and rare disease expertise. Relief Therapeutics is headquartered in Geneva, with additional offices in Balerna, Switzerland, Offenbach am Main, Germany and Monza, Italy. Relief Therapeutics is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF and quoted in the U.S. on OTCQB under the symbols RLFTF and RLFTY. For more information, please visit our website www.relieftherapeutics.com or follow Relief Therapeutics on LinkedIn and Twitter. CONTACT : RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA Jeremy Meinen Chief Financial Officer contact@relieftherapeutics.com Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, including its ability to achieve its corporate, development and commercial goals, and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Relief to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. A number of factors, including whether the Reliefs change in its business strategy will be successful and those described in Relief's filings with the SIX Swiss Exchange and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), could adversely affect Relief. Copies of Reliefs filings with the SEC are available on the SEC EDGAR database at www.sec.gov. Relief does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date. A prominent former SBS World News presenter has sparked outrage after sharing an excerpt from a film review that compared those in Gaza to victims of Nazi concentration camps. Mary Kostakidis, who was considered the face of the public broadcaster for 20 years, shared an excerpt from American journalist Steven Thrasher's review on the recent film The Zone of Interest, which shows a family of German Nazis living blissfully next door to the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. In his piece, written for pro-Palestine news site Mondoweiss, Thrasher posed the question of whether the October 7 attack on Israel from Hamas could be understood. 'The Zone of Interest,' about a family of Nazis living right against the walls of Auschwitz, is the most relevant film in the world right now,' Kostakidis tweeted, as written by Thrasher in his opinion piece. Former SBS World News presenter Mary Kostakidis has sparked outrage after sharing an excerpt that compared those in Gaza to victims of Nazi concentration camps 'If the Jews being shot and shoveled into ovens could just break through that wall, of course, they would kill anyone they found partying right on the other side of it! 'And, of course, they would take women and children hostage and drag them back into their hell inside if doing so would give them leverage to free their fellow Jews from torture and death! 'This thought, of course, set in motion an obvious but taboo moral question in my mind about one of the most pressing matters of our time: Is it understandable why people in Gaza, similarly trapped behind a wall in a concentration camp and experiencing genocide, would kill or take hostage people they found partying on the other side of the wall holding them in?' Kostakidis was immediately hit with a barrage of criticism after sharing Thrasher's opinion to her Twitter account on Saturday. Many labelled the journalist as 'anti-Semitic' and questioned how a comparison of Gaza to the notorious Auschwitz labour camp could be made. Others also accused the tweet of minimising the atrocities that have occurred in the Palestine and Israel conflict, including the shocking murders of children. Mary Kostakidis shared an excerpt from American journalist Steven Thrasher's review on the recent film The Zone of Interest, which shows a family of German Nazis living blissfully next door to the Auschwitz concentration camp Kostakidis has been widely criticised for sharing the excerpt 'Mary are you seriously comparing Auschwitz to Gaza?! I'm not even Jewish and even I find your tweets, tasteless, offensive and completely lacking in any sort of accurate historical comparison,' one replied. 'Wow. Disgusting and disgraceful. Antisemitism cloaked in a deliberate misstatement of the truth. You really need to retract this and apologise,' another said. 'Mary, it's incredibly disappointing to see a prominent and influential Australian attempt to justify the use of murder and kidnapping,' one tweet read. 'Man I'm not an Israel fanboy, but this is truly one of the worst comparisons I've ever seen,' another wrote. 'An absolutely diabolical post. You should be utterly ashamed of yourself. Shame shame shame!' Others pointed to reports of the Nova festival massacre where hundreds were killed by Hamas terrorists, with some victims reportedly raped. Kostakidis had presented the nightly news for SBS for 20 years before leaving the network in 2007. She was the first woman to present a national prime time news bulletin. Kostakidis told Daily Mail Australia she highlighted the film reviewer's comments 'because seeing the film may help us understand the effect of oppression, relentless killing, dispossession and imprisonment of even very young children over decades, that has been the reality of life for generations of Palestinians'. 'A great and very sad irony that it is being dispensed by the government of the very group who were victims of the holocaust. It says a lot about human beings - how we totally lose our own humanity in dehumanising others, and forget a lesson learnt at massive cost. 'Many have called Gaza prison, others a concentration camp - because those held under occupation have not been convicted of any crime.' Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of Anti-Defamation Commission, said he was horrified by her comments. 'This is trivialization, disrespect and abuse of the Holocaust taken to a new low. I can't get my head around this perversity. This is morally wrong and crosses many red lines that I stopped counting,' he said. 'I shouldn't have to say this to Mary Kostakidis, but Gaza is not Auschwitz, the Israelis are not Nazis and the monsters of Hamas who beheaded babies, raped and murdered Israeli women and executed entire families are not the Jewish victims of the Third Reich. 'It's impossible to understand how anyone thought it was appropriate to use this comparison to discuss the largest slaughter of Jewish people in a day since the Holocaust.' Video shows a real life Grinch stealing a Christmas tree from the roof of a car in broad daylight in California's crime-ridden Bay Area. The theft happened at a shopping center in San Mateo on Friday, shortly after the family purchased the tree for $250, reported KTUV. Footage shows the white Infiniti SUV backing up next to the unsuspecting vehicle with the tree tied on top. Then the Grinch is seen cutting the ropes holding the tree down and rolling it off the black SUV. The thief throws it into the back of his car and drives off with the freshly-cut evergreen. Shocking video shows a real life Grinch in the white SUV pulling up to the black SUV and stealing the Christmas tree off the roof The thief cuts the rope holding the tree down to the car in broad daylight in a San Mateo shopping center He then throws the freshly-cut evergreen into his vehicle and drives off with it. Police are still looking for the suspect San Mateo Police told KGO the case is 'unique' and 'Grinchy because there are people with good hearts out there who are more than willing to help out those who can't afford a tree this time of year.' Authorities said they are still searching for the suspect, but the Christmas tree lot gave the family a new tree to make up for their shocking loss. The Bay Area has been riddled with crime and theft. As of Sunday, the latest data from the San Francisco Police Department shows robbery is up 13.7 percent this year and motor vehicle theft is 6.5 percent. Dozens of stores and business have closed in the Golden Gate city due to the rise in crime, drug use and increasing homeless population. Last month, a life-long San Francisco resident filmed her walk to work through the drug-ravaged streets that have made the city an international symbol for squalor and despair. 'The anxiety we experience just traveling to work daily in the Tenderloin is unbelievable,' she wrote. 'There are so many concerns and protections in place for drug users and homeless people but what about the working class that have to pray that they make it to and from work in this environment.' 'These are real dangers faced every single day just to be able to provide for your family.' Economist call the crisis 'doom loop,' referring to a city's decline when tax incomes fall as residents and businesses leave, causing revenues to decline in a downward spiral that is hard to reverse. Even homeless pirates have been marauding onto houseboats in the San Francisco Bay. A recent CBRE analysis found San Francisco has a market-wide office vacancy rate of 34 percent. A DailyMail.com analysis found the city stands to lose $200M-a-year as major businesses leave the city. Starbucks closed seven stores in the Golden Gate city and Microsoft vacated its nearly 50,000 square foot office. Four Republican presidential hopefuls will take the stage in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Wednesday night for the fourth primary debate, the Republican National Committee revealed Monday. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie qualified for the debate by the skin of his teeth after claiming last month he reached the donor threshold and last week saying he was 'confident' he would meet polling requirements and be on the stage. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are the other three candidates who qualified for the debate. The stage in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Wednesday, December 6 will be the smallest yet in the 2024 Republican primary. It comes just six weeks before the first-in-the-nation primary contest with Iowa's caucuses on January 15. Four candidates qualified for the fourth Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday, the RNC announced on Monday. From L: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy Images of set construction at the site of the fourth presidential debate were obtained by DailyMail.com last week. It shows five lecterns, fueling speculation former President Donald Trump might show up, but images released now show only four podiums The first debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in August had eight candidates, while the second in September in Simi Valley, California shrunk seven. In Miami, Florida in November, only five candidates were on stage. Of the five who qualified last month, only South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott is absent after he dropped out of the race in the days following the showdown in Miami. After failing to qualify for his second debate in a row on Monday, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced he was suspending his campaign. Former President Donald Trump has not attended any of the debates yet, claiming they are beneath him considering his massive polling lead ahead of the rest of the remaining field. Speculation ensued that Trump would finally show on Wednesday after DailyMail.com obtained an image of the debate stage last week showing hosting network NewsNation was preparing five podiums on the debate stage at the University of Alabama's Frank Moody Music Building. But images since then have shown there are only four podiums on stage for DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy and Christie. Instead of finally debating, Trump will attend a private fundraiser in Florida on Wednesday night. During the first debate Trump released a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. While skipping the second he went to Wisconsin to speak to picketing auto workers and at the third he held a conflicting rally just a few minutes down the road from the Miami debate location. The third debate in Miami, Florida in November had five candidates on stage but since then, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (right) dropped out of the 2024 race The debate is hosted by NewsNation and will be moderated by former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly (right), NewNation's Elizabeth Vargas (center) and The Washington Free Beacon Editor-in-Chief Eliana Johnson (left) To qualify for the fourth debate, candidates had to reach their strictest thresholds yet. In terms of donations, contenders needed to amass 80,000 unique donors, with at least 200 from a minimum of 20 different states or territories. They also needed to earn 6 percent support in two national polls approved by the RNC. Alternatively, they could reach the 6 percent national poll threshold in just one survey and 6 percent in two separate statewide polls in an early primary state Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. The debate, hosted by NewsNation, will be moderated by former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, NewNation's Elizabeth Vargas and The Washington Free Beacon Editor-in-Chief Eliana Johnson. It will air from 8-10 p.m. ET and can be livestreamed on Rumble. A gunman who chased down and attempted to kill his ex-wife's new partner has been slammed for his 'complete and utter lack of remorse'. Abil Malovski, 39, returned before the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday for a pre-sentence hearing after a jury found him unanimously guilty of attempted murder earlier this year. Malovski, the court was told, was motivated by a 'jealous control' of his ex-wife when he spotted Steven Grant selling flowers at a roadside reserve in Melton, northwest of Melbourne, the day before Mother's Day last year. He parked his car before stepping out and shooting at Mr Grant next to the busy road shortly before 3pm. In the incident that lasted about a minute and 20 seconds, Malovski chased Mr Grant around the reserve and cars, firing six or seven shots. Abil Malovski (above) was guilty of attempted murder earlier this year after shooting his ex-wife's boyfriend, Steven Grant, last year Mr Grant was hit three times, twice in the back and once in the neck, and continues to suffer from a T9 incomplete paraplegia. The court was told Malovski, who had separated from his partner in February 2021, had been released from prison about six months earlier after he was found with a loaded gun and made threats to kill his ex-wife. Malovski visibly scoffed and laughed to himself as Judge Andrew Tinney described the targeted shooting as 'very extreme behaviour'. 'I can't just see the slightest shred of remorse or regret,' he said. 'It's a bit disturbing that 18 months after the event he still doesn't care what he did.' Crown prosecutor David Glyn said the shooting had come as a result of Malovski's inability to let go of his ex-wife and a desire to maintain control over her. Mr Grant (pictured right, leaving court with friends and family) was shot three times, twice in the back and once in the neck, and continues to suffer from a T9 incomplete paraplegia READ MORE: Breakthrough in Marrickville hair salon shooting Advertisement 'The message it sends to her is "your life is not your own. You think you could hang out with other men; well, you can't",' he said. 'The sentence has to reflect the need for deterring men, such as Mr Malovski, from actions designed to control, dominate or intimidate ex-partners who would have the temerity to leave the relationship.' Justice Tinney questioned Malovski's barrister, Daniel Sala, as to why he should not view this as one of the worst cases of attempted murder committed out of 'anger, aggression and jealousy'. Mr Sala submitted that would be 'wildly inaccurate' but conceded his client was going to face a lengthy term of imprisonment. 'He'd lived a proactive and prosocial life up until this point,' he said. 'The dissolution of the marriage is the factor he's struggled to move on from.' Justice Tinney remanded Malovski into custody and will hand down a sentence later this year. Malovski shot Mr Grant as he was selling flowers on the side of the road the day before Mother's Day (pictured, police at the scene of the shooting) Outside court, Mr Grant said he hoped Malovski would be handed a long term of imprisonment and believe he should be removed from Australia. 'People who commit these crimes should be deported back to their countries because they have no regard for Australian law,' he said. 'There's no remorse, he's laughing in court - simple as that.' Embattled airline Bonza has cancelled flights on another major route, forcing passengers to rapidly make alternative travel plans. Australia's newest budget airline announced in August that they would start conducting flights between the Gold Coast and Avalon airport between Melbourne and Geelong before Christmas. The airline's first flight on the route was supposed to take off on Tuesday, however it has since been indefinitely delayed with the move affecting hundreds of passengers. The airline said aircraft unavailability caused the delay and have started offering affected customers full refunds. Bonza's operations in the Gold Coast have been handicapped this holiday season, after last week cancelling flights to and from Darwin throughout December. Embattled airline Bonza has yet again cancelled flights along a flightpath across December, with flights between Avalon and Gold Coast airports grounded indefinitely (stock image) The airline was launched in February with the promise of providing unique flightpaths across the country. However Bonza CEO Tim Jordan said the airline had been weighed down by regulatory processes, airplane availability and staff shortages while trying to create a new base of operations in the Gold Coast. 'This arrangement brings with it a separate regulatory approval process,' Mr Jordan said in a statement. 'That process is progressing but is not yet complete and, as a result, we've had to make the regrettable decision to defer some routes to/from the Gold Coast including Avalon.' He said the airline's priority was to get in contact with affected customers as soon as possible so they can make alternative travel plans and receive a full refund. A total of 439 customers have already been offered a refund. The airline is 'working through' issues keeping flights on the route grounded, however there is no timeline for when it will be operational. The cancelation has left hundreds of customers scrambling to find alternative travel plans with Bonza already offering 439 full refunds to affected passengers (stock image) It comes just days after the airline announced flights between Darwin and the Gold Coast would also be cancelled through December citing 'regulatory processes' (stock image) Around 1,100 customers affected by the Darwin-Gold Coast cancellations have now been offered flights to Queensland's Sunshine Coast instead, while those no longer able to make the trip have been offered refunds. Many customers have since aired their grievances online. 'I'm at least 1K down because of these clowns,' one person wrote on social media. 'Do they want to reimburse us the accommodation and transport arrangements that now have to be cancelled? I bet not!' said another. 'I'm now out of pocket LOTS of extra money because I'm booking with other airlines at last minute prices. If they'd let me known earlier I would have been able to get cheaper replacement flights.' Bonza's flights between Darwin and the Gold Coast are expected to be running in January. Bonza is backed by Miami-based private equity group, 777 Partners, which also owns Canadian budget airline Flair. The highest eight paying jobs without the need for a degree have been revealed. Aussies can make big cash without having to dedicate so much time studying and paying off an ever-increasing HECS debt. With the current high cost-of-living crisis, these jobs could be welcome news to Aussies who want to rake in the cash without paying for a degree. Below, Daily Mail Australia has compiled a list revealing the top jobs that don't require years of studying at a university. Overseeing tradies on construction sites can bring in a big pay (stock photo) Mining is another industry paying their workers a high average salary (stock photo) 1. Construction manager This is the highest paid role in Australia without needing a university degree. If you like co-ordinating tradies and juggling build schedules, you could earn a gobsmacking average annual salary. The pay for overseeing construction sites is a cool $150,000. 2. Underground Miners The mining industry in Australia still pays their staff top dollar, usually due to an element of danger and isolated work sites. Underground miners can take home an average pay of $120,500 a year. But that's nothing compared to the whopping amount more experienced miners can make - up to $170,000. Around one-third of workers in the mining industry are understood to not hold a post-school qualification, but around 50 per cent have completed a Vocational Education and Training qualification. 3. Auto electricians For applicants who enjoy doing electronic wiring and electronic components in vehicles, this could be the industry for you. A high salary is on offer for workers who have a Certificate III in Automative Electrical Technology. Auto electricians with this TAFE qualification can earn an average yearly salary of between $115,000 to $135,000. 4. Business development managers For a more white-collared job, consider becoming a business development manager, as they also bring home a huge salary. If you like strategic planning, working with clients and helping a business experience growth, you could earn between $95,000 to $115,000 yearly. Security for businesses pays very well and applicants do not need a degree (stock photo) 5. Security managers The role of security manager would typically require a relevant VET qualification as well as a Certificate II in Security Operations and/or Certificate IV in Security Management. But don't let that put you off. Security managers often earn $110,000 annually. 6. Recruitment managers Another job which doesn't require a university degree is recruitment manager. Many people in the role possess a Certificate IV in Human Resource Management or a Diploma of Human Resource Management. But fortunately, it isn't necessary to earn the average salary of $115,000. Ethical hackers and digital marketing managers also do not require a degree to earn top dollar (stock photo) 7. Ethical hackers If you're good at hacking and want to utilise your skills for good, rather than evil, you could earn big bucks. A degree or any qualification is not required to carry out the role, however a Diploma of Informational Technology (cyber security) may come in handy. Job applicants just need to be good at hacking and will earn $102,000 a year. 8. Digital marketing managers The role of a digital marketing manager is another highly-paid job that does not require university education. Overseeing marketing campaigns and driving traffic to a brand's website, can be part of the role. Instead of a degree, applicants only need demonstrable experience with SEO, marketing database, email, social media and advertising campaigns. And for their trouble? The role pays an average of $101,000. Mining continues to be lucrative for those without an undergraduate degree (stock photo) What the expert says Career Development Association Australia National President Linda Jeffrey told Daily Mail Australia there are many positions in the job market for people without degrees. 'Employers want job-ready employees and often this is better achieved through vocational training rather than an undergraduate degree,' she said. And whilst degrees aren't essential for the eight high paying jobs, Ms Jeffries still believes qualifications are important to successful job hunting. 'The right qualifications are increasingly important. Jobseekers at all career stages are finding they must regularly upskill or retrain to keep ahead of the rapidly changing requirements of employers,' she said. 'Over the last 10 years this impact has been driven by digitisation; its currently being driven even faster by the rise of AI.' Ms Jeffries suggests microcredentials could play a big part in helping an employee. 'Microcredentials may provide a bridge for employees to keep their skills current without having to commit to years of study then find their new qualification is already out of date!' she said. Ms Jeffrey warns the current job market in Australia isn't as robust as it has been. 'Following a period where jobseekers had the upper hand, competition for the shrinking number of available jobs is making it a bit harder to secure a new role,' she said. 'Government policy to attract migrants to fill key skill area deficits in the health, aged care, education, and information technology sectors could increase competition in the job market.' A third immigration detainee who was freed by the High Court has been arrested - this time, a registered sex offender who was the ringleader of a child exploitation gang. Emran Dad, 33, was arrested in Dandenong, south-east of Melbourne, for allegedly making contact with minors on social media and breaching his reporting obligations. He was charged with nine counts of failing to comply with his reporting obligations as a registered sex offender. He has also been charged with trespass. Dad, who is from Afghanistan, was alleged to have run a prostitution ring that targeted underage girls in state care and was jailed for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in exchange for cigarettes. Dad appeared in the Dandenong Magistrates' Court on Tuesday afternoon where he made no application for bail. While Dads lawyer had hoped to return on Wednesday to make that application, he was told it would now not be possible until December 14. The court heard Dad suffered an intellectual disability, which had been largely left untreated while he remained in immigration detention. He also complained about breathing difficulties while custody. Dads lawyer asked his client be treated by a prison nurse before being taken back to jail. Pressure continues to mount for Anthony Albanese to sack Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil (pictured) and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles over the detention debacle Andrew Giles is facing calls from the Coalition to resign after three of the freed asylum seeker detainees were charged with serious offences within weeks of their release Dad requested to appear in person at his next court appearance. Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia: 'Police have arrested a man today after he breached his reporting obligations as a registered sex offender. 'The 33-year-old was arrested in Dandenong this morning without incident. Police are currently interviewing him. 'Victoria Police can confirm the man is one of the detainees recently released following a High Court ruling. Victoria Police is always proactive in addressing community risk presented by those who would commit criminal acts.' Dad's arrest comes as it was revealed on Monday night that Australian authorities had arrested another two freed detainees. Mohammed Ali Nadari was arrested in western Sydney last weekend just six days after being released following a controversial High Court decision. He has a criminal history including serious crimes of violence, sex and firearms offences. Nadari was arrested for drug offences over the weekend. Afghan refugee Aliyawar Yawari, 65, was arrested at the Pavlos Motel in Pooraka in Adelaide's north on Saturday and charged with indecently assaulting a female guest. Yawari remains before the courts. It comes as pressure mounts for Anthony Albanese to sack Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles over the detention debacle. Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said on Tuesday: 'The time has come for the Prime Minister to do the right thing and ask for these ministers to resign, and if they don't he should sack them.' The pressure for heads to roll has only increased since it was revealed that the mass release could have been avoided had the Labor government released just one detainee: the Rohingya paedophile known as NZYQ, who has been in detention since serving a prison sentence for child sexual abuse and whose case the High Court challenge was based on. But Disability Services Minister Bill Shorten said it made no sense to be demanding politicians be sacked while the judges who made the ruling were immune to such action due to the separation of powers. 'The logic of that is that the High Court should resign,' he said. Afghan refugee Aliyawar Yawari was deemed a 'danger to the Australian community' by a South Australian judge in 2016 following attacks on three elderly women in 2013 and 2014 Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said on Tuesday it was time for Mr Albanese to do the 'right thing' and ask Ms O'Neil and Mr Giles to resign 'If you really think that there was some way to prevent this, the reality is the High Court has made its decision. That is their right and prerogative in our judicial system.' Mr Shorten argued both ministers had moved with 'utmost speed' to enact laws that would see the released detainees put back into preventative detention if they were assessed to be a risk to public safety. Disability Services Minister Bill Shorten said if anyone should be forced to resign, it should be the High Court judges who made the decision 'The High Court has made a decision, we've had to respond very quickly and there is a law in the Senate today which [the Coalition] can vote for to keep people safe,' he said. Mr Tehan accused the government of failing to adequately prepare for the possibility of the High Court ruling that indefinite immigration detention was illegal. 'We would have been making sure that in the months leading up to the High Court decision that we were looking at what legislation we could put in place to keep the community safe,' he said. 'The warnings were put out that there was a real worry that these people would reoffend, and that, sadly, it looks like allegedly that is what's happened.' Under the Federal government's proposed amendments, preventative detention orders would apply to those released, including murderers and sex offenders, and are based on similar measures for high-risk terror offenders, Ms O'Neil said. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the Coalition would likely back the laws. 'If the government has adequate measures to keep Australians safe, then we will support those measures and we'll see what they have to say,' he told reporters. 'If we see a bad bill, we're not going to support it.' Rishi Sunak suffered a humiliating Commons defeat last night after Tory rebels voted to create a new body to help victims of the infected blood scandal. In a last-minute bid to ward off a rebellion, justice minister Edward Argar pledged the Government would set up a compensation scheme 'in line' with the Labour-backed proposals. But 23 Tory backbenchers defied the PM's three-line whip by voting in favour of the Opposition's amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill. Mr Sunak's majority was wiped out as MPs voted last night by 246 to 242 in favour of the proposal. It marks his first Commons defeat as PM and the first defeat on a whipped vote since the last general election in 2019. The amendment, tabled by Labour's Dame Diana Johnson, would establish a body for a full compensation scheme for thousands of patients infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Rishi Sunak's majority was wiped out as MPs voted last night by 246 to 242 in favour of the proposal (Pictured: Prime Minister's Questions last week) The amendment, tabled by Labour's Dame Diana Johnson, would establish a body for a full compensation scheme for thousands of patients infected with HIV and hepatitis C (Pictured: Prime Minister's Questions last week) It would ensure this was created by a High Court judge within three months of the legislation becoming law. Interim compensation payments of 100,000 were paid in 2022 but left many victims out. Earlier in the day, the Government doubled down on its position, with Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer saying it was 'appropriate' to first 'await the outcome' of an inquiry into the scandal. This is set to be published in March by chairman Sir Brian Langstaff. But last night Mr Argar revealed that the Government's position had changed. He told the Commons ministers had 'great sympathy' for Dame Diana's amendment, saying: 'I can therefore confirm the government will bring forward its own amendment when the Bill reaches the Lords.' Theresa May set up an Infected Blood Inquiry in 2017 to investigate the scandal and possible compensation. Ministers have accepted the moral case for payouts but had wanted to wait until the inquiry delivers its verdict, expected in March, before taking further action. The Treasury estimates the final compensation bill will end up being between 5billion and 22billion. Around 30,000 people in Britain are believed to have contracted HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood. Australia remains a safe place for Jewish people, the deputy prime minister has affirmed, despite Israel issuing travel warnings for its citizens looking to visit. Israel has upgraded travel warnings to multiple countries, including Australia, following a rise in anti-Semitism stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Travel warnings to Australia have been raised to level two, which urges Israeli citizens to take additional precautions while visiting. Travel warnings to Australia have been raised to level two, due to the rise in anti-semitism stemming from the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas Richard Marles has urged greater social cohesion in Australia following the conflict. 'It's really important that all of us, in what is a very difficult time globally, are looking after each other,' he told ABC Radio on Tuesday. 'It is very important that as people legitimately express their views about what's happening in the world, this is done in a peaceful manner ... many in the Jewish community are finding this to be a very difficult time.' READ MORE: Shocking moment dozens of masked Neo-Nazi protesters march down the main street of an Aussie city chanting vile slurs Advertisement The deputy prime minister said there had been a rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia since October 7, when Israel declared war on Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the federal government. A temporary ceasefire, which allowed for hostages to be exchanged, has come to an end, but calls are growing for a more permanent pause in the conflict. Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the increased travel warning from Israel was a terrible stain on Australia. 'The idea that Jewish people or Israeli citizens would somehow have to take extra precautions in visiting Australia because of the rise of anti-Semitism ... is something that must be tackled at the highest levels,' he told Sky News. 'We should be working to restore Australia's reputation because we should be one of the safest countries in the world.' The opposition has been calling for national cabinet to address rising anti-Semitism when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with state and territory leaders (pictured, group of Neo-Nazis marching through Flinders Street Station, Melbourne) The opposition has been calling for national cabinet to address rising anti-Semitism when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with state and territory leaders on Wednesday. The upgrade to travel warnings is damning, says Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin. 'The fact that being identifiably Israeli or Jewish now comes with risks is a national shame,' he said. 'Many families have chosen to cover Jewish symbols and have warned their children not to mention Israel or anything Jewish in public.' Democratic Senator John Fetterman tricked expelled Rep. George Santos into trolling embattled Senator Bob Menendez, by paying him $343 for a Cameo video. Santos, who was booted from the House of Representatives last week, has now joined Cameo, where fans can pay their famous - or infamous - stars to record personalized videos. One of his first clients was former Capitol Hill colleague Senator John Fetterman. The Pennsylvania Democrat senator enlisted Santos' services to troll New Jersey Dem. Senator Bob Menendez, who - like Santos - has found himself in a quite a bit of trouble with the law over claims he was bribed by Egypt. On Monday, Fetterman wrote on X: 'I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems. 'So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give 'Bobby from Jersey' some advice.' In the video, Santos delivers some words of encouragement to 'Bobby.' 'Hey, Bobby! I dont think I need to tell you, but these people that want to make you get in trouble and want to kick you out and make you run away, you make them put up or shut up!' said a lively Santos to his front-facing phone camera. 'You stand your ground, sir, he says. 'And don't get bogged down by all the haters out there.' Santos, on the other hand, was delighted by the turn of events. 'I love this! Wish I knew the Bobby in question!' he wrote on X One of George Santos' first Cameo clients was Senator John Fetterman's office, asking him to record a message for Senator Bob Menendez Just days after Santos was expelled from the House by a vote of 311 to 114, he joined the celebrity short-form video message platform. He is currently charging $200 per video and is described in his bio as 'Former Congressional Icon!' and the 'Expelled member of Congress from New York.' A Fetterman staffer told Business Insider that the Senator's campaign office paid $343.20 for the Santos special, which included a charge to have the video delivered inside of 24 hours. The staffer added that the former congressman delivered the video in just 16 minutes. 'We did not expect to get it back so fast,' he said. New Jersey Senatorr Menendez has been accused by federal prosecutors - not for the first time - of taking bribes, including more than $480,000 in cash in exchange for aiding the Egyptian government. Menendez has denied the allegations, which have also been made against his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez. The pair were jointly indicted in September. Among other things, federal agents found bags of cash and gold bars in the couple's residence. Freshman Senator Fetterman has been an outspoken critic of Menendez since the indictment and quickly became the first Democratic member of the Senate to call for his resignation. Menendez told reporters at the Capitol on Monday that he doesn't think 'Mr. Clickbait's donors will appreciate him using campaign funds to enrich George Santos,' referring to Fetterman. Santos, on the other hand, was delighted by the turn of events. 'I love this! Wish I knew the Bobby in question!' he wrote on X after finding out about the Fetterman camp's stunt. Fetterman told CNN on Monday night: 'Im not anti-Santos Of course, hes done some really bizarre kinda lying and everything. 'But if you expel somebody like George Santos, how can you allow somebody like Sen. Menendez to remain in the Senate.' Menendez told reporters at the Capitol on Monday that he doesn't think 'Mr. Clickbait's donors will appreciate him using campaign funds to enrich George Santos' Santos was expelled last week days after the House's ethics committee came back with a devastating report of his behavior regarding his campaign funds and beyond. Aside from the committee allegations, Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including multiple allegations of financial fraud. Throughout his brief time in Congress, the gay lawmaker was accused of fabricating significant elements of his life story. He, however, denied all charges against him until the very end and bid the Capitol adieu last week, declaring: 'to hell with this place,' following his expulsion vote. Not many politicians are on Cameo, but Santos is no longer subject to campaign finance laws. Taiwan is sending up to 600 of its military personnel to the United States where they will be trained on weapons Taiwan has purchased but not received. The backlog includes about $19 billion worth of weapons purchased from the United States but not yet delivered. Eight billion dollars worth of new F-16 jets is part of this. Pilots and maintainers for these aircraft require some training or familiarization for these new F-16 models and that be best done in the United States. Some American trainers are in Taiwan but cannot handle the workload all these purchases have created. The U.S. has always been a staunch supporter of Taiwan; the Nationalist Chinese faction that lost a civil war to the communists in the late 1940s. The surviving Nationalist troops and leadership retreated to Taiwan and, with American assistance, prevented the Chinese communists from attacking Taiwan. China insists that Taiwan is a rebellious Chinese province and that th. e Americans are assisting the Taiwanese in disrupting Chinese efforts to take possession of Taiwan. The Americans assist Taiwan because it is a pro-American democracy. Communist China considers Taiwan an embarrassing example of how democracy can produce a more prosperous Chinese country. Singapore has done the same thing, but Taiwan is closer to mainland China and was, at one time, considered a part of mainland China. The family of a young man who got trapped beneath 1.5m of sand at a popular beach is facing an 'incredibly challenging journey' as he continues to fight for life. Josh Taylor, 25, was without a pulse for 45 minutes after the horrific incident on Bribie Island on Saturday afternoon. It took 15 men to finally pull him free from the sand pit. His friends and family took turns providing CPR until he was flown to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. He remains in a critical but stable condition as of Tuesday afternoon. A GoFundMe campaign was launched on Tuesday and had raised $15,000 in its first three hours. Josh Taylor (right) fell into a hole that had been dug to cook a pig on Bribie Island More than a dozen men, including paramedics and Mr Taylor's friends, worked to get him out of the hole The fundraiser is trying to raise $60,000 to help the Taylor family cover medical costs. 'We come to you today with heavy hearts and ask for support for the Taylor family,' fundraiser organiser Georgia Hoffman wrote. 'The unimaginable has happened to their beloved son, Josh, a vibrant and adventurous soul who has brought so much joy to those around him. 'Recently, Josh experienced a tragic accident on Bribie Island that has left him in critical condition. 'His family is now facing an incredibly challenging journey ahead.' Ms Hoffman said any donations would allow the Taylor family to dedicate itself toward helping him. 'The Taylor family needs to focus on Josh completely,' she said. 'In this time of heartache and uncertainty, we have the power to make a meaningful difference. 'Your contribution, no matter the size, will go a long way to help them. 'It will allow them to prioritise his care without the added external stresses and let them concentrate on what truly matters - Josh.' As the donations continue to flow in, some people are leaving messages for Josh and his parents, Belinda and Peter Taylor. 'We are thinking of your family at this devastatingly hard time,' the Adler family wrote after donating money to campaign. Queensland Paramedics and an RACQ Lifeflight rescue helicopter crew were called to take Mr Taylor to hospital Mr Taylor remains in a critical condition after he was buried alive Messages of support have also been shared on social media, hoping for the young man's recovery as he enters his third day in intensive care. 'Prayers out to you and the family, you're gonna get through this my man,' one friend wrote to Facebook. 'Thoughts are with you Joshy,' another wrote.Wests Brisbane Junior Rugby League Club shared a message from the Taylor family with their members asking for prayers to help Josh 'pull through'. 'I have very sad news that the man who was buried at Bribie is Squizzy's son Josh,' the message said. 'We are all devastated and praying for him.' A witness who helped rescue Mr Taylor was told the group had dug the sand pit to cook a pig, similar to the traditional Maori cooking style of hangi. A witness said Mr Taylor stood up from his chair, lost his footing and stumbled into the 1.5 metre hole, and the walls of the pit fell in on him. A beachgoer called Nathan was leaving with his family when a group of men ran over yelling for help to rescue their friend from under the sand. Pictured: Emergency services on the scene of the tragedy on Saturday QAS paramedic Peter Batt attended the scene at Bribie Island on December 2 Josh Taylor's family remain by his side at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital When he arrived at the scene, Mr Taylor's family and friends were desperately digging to get him out. 'I realised someone was head first in a hole and I was just digging, digging, digging,' he said. 'When I first went up to the hole, I couldn't even see his foot. That's how deep it was.' He told NCA NewsWire there were more than 15 people digging in the sand to get the man out before paramedics and rangers arrived. 'All of his family were screaming at us, telling us to help, telling us to get rope so we could pull him out. It was pretty gruesome,' Nathan said. 'There were like 15 men on the rope pulling and he did not budge.' After some time of pulling and digging, Mr Taylor finally burst through the surface of the sand, but the force of being pulled out caused him further injury, Nathan said. 'It was pretty gnarly when he popped out. I threw up,' he said. 'He broke. The suction, the force of everyone pulling.' When they got him out, Mr Taylor did not have a pulse and rangers began performing CPR. Rangers in the area also applied a defibrillator before paramedics arrived. It's understood it was 45 minutes before the man's pulse returned. The lawsuit claimed Justin Wells abused his power over Delancey and forcibly kissed and groped him A former Fox News staffer has filed a lawsuit against the network and Tucker Carlson's executive producer for sexual assault and alleged the network prevented him from reporting it. The lawsuit, filed Monday in the Southern District of New York, claimed that Andrew Delancey, a former Regional Producer with Fox News Edge, was sexually assaulted by Tucker Carlson's Senior Executive Producer Justin Wells. At the time of the alleged assault, Wells was a producer for Greta Van Susterens On the Record until 2016. He then helped Carlson launch his primetime show and became his 'right-hand man' when he was promoted to Senior Executive Producer and Vice President until Carlson's firing in April. Wells was fired at the same time as Carlson - but now works as a producer on Carlson's new X chat show. Delancey alleged Wells first made contact with him in 2007 through a Facebook group for Fox News employees when Delancey was working at Fox 13 Tampa Bay and Wells was a producer at Fox 5 NYC . According to the lawsuit Wells told Delancey he has 'caught his eye,' began sending messages to show he knew powerful people and encourage Delancey to move to New York. Andrew Delancey, a former Regional Producer with Fox News Edge, claims he sexually assaulted by Tucker Carlson's Senior Executive Producer Justin Wells (pictured) At the time of the alleged assault, Wells (left) was a producer for Greta Van Susterens show until 2016. He then helped Carlson (right) launch his primetime show In September 2008, Delancey began his employment at Fox News in New York City where Wells allegedly showered him with gifts. When Delancey realized his salary was difficult to live on in the Big Apple, he claimed Wells connected him to an interview at a different network and put in a good word for him around Fox. 'Wells was not reserved about reminding Mr. Delancey that he held higher status at the Network and could, in turn, affect Mr. Delanceys career trajectory,' alleged the lawsuit. The alleged assault happened one month after Delancey started at Fox News when he was meeting up with Wells to go out with coworkers for a drink. Delancey claimed Wells invited him inside his apartment for a cocktail before going out. According to the lawsuit, 'Wells aggressively pushed Mr. Delancey onto his bed where he violently forced his tongue into Mr. Delanceys mouth.' 'Wells quickly began unbuttoning and trying to rip off Mr. Delanceys jeans as the sexual assault progressed. Simultaneously, Wells aggressively grabbed Mr. Delanceys genitals causing him severe pain.' Delancey claimed to have yelled out 'no' and asked to leave the apartment and see the building rooftop where he claimed Wells tried to grope him again. The lawsuit alleged Delancey's supervisor told him he could not go to human resources about anything and they were not to be trusted. One week after the alleged assault, Delancey claimed he was not given the job from the interview Wells arranged for him at a different network. He claimed Well's told him he was 'not thinking straight' and is 'screwing [himself] over' for not giving into Wells demands. Amidst the Me Too movement, Delancey posted on Facebook about his alleged assault and claimed Wells reached out to him asking who assaulted him. The lawsuit is being brought through the New York Adult Survivors Act. Fox News signage outside the headquarters in New York in 2022. The lawsuit alleged Fox News discouraged Delancey from reporting the alleged assault to human resources Tucker Carlson said in a statement about the new lawsuit, 'If you wait 15 years to cash in with a civil suit, no one should take you seriously' 'This meritless legal action was filed 15 years after the alleged incident and mere days before the extended statute of limitations would have run,' Wells attorney Harmeet Dhillon said to The Daily Beast. 'Mr. Wells denies the allegations unequivocally, and will contest them vigorously. This is yet another attempt by a law firm with a history of suing Fox and its former employees to cash in on frivolous allegations.' Carlson said in a statement provided by Wells' attorney: 'As a general matter, if you believe youve been the victim of a sex crime, you have a moral obligation to alert police, so it doesnt happen to someone else.' 'If you wait 15 years to cash in with a civil suit, no one should take you seriously. I certainly dont.' Fox News did not respond to request for comment. A New Jersey senator charged with taking bribes from local businessmen in return for political favors had gold bars at his home once stolen from the home of a man accused of bribing him, according to a report. Bob Menendez, 69, was charged in September with taking cash and gifts including a Mercedes Benz from three entrepreneurs, in exchange for using his 'power and influence' to help them. Menendez's home was raided when the charges were announced. Meanwhile, his fellow Democrat Senator John Fetterman has paid disgraced former GOP congressman George Santos to taunt Menendez with a video message. On Monday, it emerged that gold bars found in the raid on Menendez's home had belonged to Fred Daibes - one of the three businessmen accused of paying Menendez for assistance. Daibes, a New Jersey real estate tycoon, had his penthouse broken into in 2013, and gold bars stolen - in addition to cash and other items. Senator Bob Menendez was charged in September with bribery and fraud. He said the charges were 'just allegations' Fred Daibes, a New Jersey real estate tycoon, had gold bars stolen from him in 2013, and then returned. They have since turned up in Menendez's house The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York showed the gold bars found at Menendez's house. The serial numbers match those stolen from, and returned to, Daibes The perpetrators were caught and confessed, and Daibes signed official police documentation certifying that the gold bars were his, identifiable thanks to serial numbers and markings. Daibes had the stolen gold bars returned to him. But NBC News realized that Daibes' gold bars were the same ones that were seized in the raid on Menendez's house. Their discovery is likely to be a key part of prosecutors' argument, as they maintain that Menendez was paid by Daibes for favors. 'All of this spells bad news for Senator Menendez, because the chain of custody it appears is going to be really easy to prove up,' said NBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos. Cevallos said that if Daibes gave gold bars to the senator and his wife, Nadine Menendez, that alone does not prove the crime of bribery. 'Was there a quid pro quo? Was it in exchange for the senator's official acts or promises of the same?' Senator Bob Menendez is seen with his wife, Nadine Arslanian - an Armenian, born in Lebanon, who he married in 2020 Piles of cash are pictured from the raid on the Menendez's home in New Jersey Menendez's lawyer said that the senator 'will not be commenting on anonymous media leaks designed to prejudice his right to a fair trial.' The attorney added: 'He looks forward to addressing the government's claims in court, based on a complete record of the evidence.' Menendez has denied taking payoffs from Daibes. Prosecutors allege that Daibes' fingerprints and DNA are on some of the tens of thousands of dollars in cash found in Menendez's home. Menendez said he kept large quantities of cash in his house because his family came from Cuba. 'For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba,' he said. Menendez said that there was no proof of wrongdoing, saying the charges were 'just allegations'. An attorney for Daibes said he is confident his client 'will be exonerated when all the evidence is heard.' A group of smartly-dressed Chinese migrants with pristine luggage were photographed being apprehended in California after illegally crossing the southern border. The migrants, reported to be mostly Chinese nationals fleeing authoritarian leader Xi Jinping, were lined up neatly dressed and with proper luggage as they were processed following their illegal crossing, in video shot by NewsNation's national correspondent, Jorge Ventura. They were lined up near the San Diego County town of Jacumba Hot Springs as the county debates approving millions more in emergency funding to help shelter them. While previously many of the migrants causing the US border crisis had come from central and South America, now thousands have come from China. Over the 2023 fiscal year, which ended in September, US Customs and Border Protection reported 24,048 Chinese citizens were apprehended at the Mexico border, more than in the ten preceding years combined. That's up more than 10 times from the 1,970 arrests recorded during the 2022 fiscal year, and just 323 the year before, when China was under strict pandemic travel bans and lockdowns. The latest in what's been a series of groups of Chinese migrants arriving at the southern border between the United States and Mexico appeared near California on Monday Texas Governor Greg Abbott noted the new trend of people from Communist China and said it was only making President Biden's battle at the border worse. 'It is extraordinarily dangerous because, first of all, as you point out, we have people from China coming here. 'We also have people on the known terrorist watch list who are coming across the border. And so there's extraordinary dangers, calls to our country by Biden's open border policies,' Abbott told Fox News on Sunday. 'And obviously, Biden is doing nothing about it. And that's why Texas has to step up and apprehend as many of these people as possible to make sure that they're not posing a threat to our country,' he added. 'But this is a very serious existential threat to our country caused by Joe Biden. And that's exactly why Texas is taking extraordinary steps to try to crack down on it.' In California, the migrant surge is forcing governments to ponder spending millions on further facilities to house people. In San Diego, the county board of supervisors is voting Tuesday on a bill that would allocate an additional $3million for migrant facilities, NBC News reported. They've already spent $3million since September. Around 100,000 of the 1.3 million people on final orders to be deported from the United States are Chinese nationals, the New York Times reported. The migrants, reported to be mostly Chinese nationals fleeing authoritarian leader Xi Jinping, were lined up neatly dressed and with proper luggage as they were processed following their illegal crossing While previously many of the migrants causing the US border crisis had come from central and South America, now thousands have come from China Around 100,000 of the 1.3 million people on final orders to be deported from the United States are Chinese nationals They were lined up near the San Diego County town of Jacumba Hot Springs as the county debates approving millions more in emergency funding to help shelter them Texas Governor Greg Abbott noted the new trend of people from Communist China and said it was only making President Biden's battle at the border worse The Times spoke with several of the migrants, who claimed they were fleeing the authoritarian government of Xi Jinping, whom President Biden has called a dictator. 'The largest reason for me is the political environment,' Mark Xu, 35, who teaches elementary and middle school English in China but is now in Colombia attempting to migrate north. He added that Xi's COVID polices were making it 'harder to breathe' back home. Although Latin America remains by far the largest regional source of immigration, China and other nations in the Eastern Hemisphere represent a significant and growing minority of migration using the southern land route. Border Patrol arrested 41,719 Indian migrants crossing from Mexico in fiscal year 2023, up 129 percent on the previous year. Some 7,390 Russians were captured, up by 42 percent, while 15,429 Turks were detained, roughly flat from the prior year. Among nations not categorized by CBP, because they are traditionally not a significant source of illegal immigration, a total of 148,471 migrant were arrested at the southern border last fiscal year, three times more than the year before. This includes many countries in the Middle East and Africa. In total, Border Patrol apprehended 2,045,838 migrants at illegal crossing points on the southern border in the 12 months through September, and another 429,831 were expelled at ports of entry, for the highest annual total on record. Over the 2023 fiscal year, which ended in September, US Customs and Border Protection reported 24,048 Border Patrol apprehensions of Chinese migrants at the southern border A group of people, including many from China, walk along the wall after crossing the border with Mexico to seek asylum, on October 24 near Jacumba, California The surge in migrants attempting to enter the US underscores the scale of the humanitarian crisis at the border, and the political challenge it presents for President Joe Biden as he seeks re-election in 2024. The influx of migrants from China follows years of draconian pandemic restrictions in that country, which threw the economy into disarray and shattered confidence in the ruling Communist Party. Chinese asylum-seekers who spoke to the Associated Press in a recent article say they are seeking to escape an increasingly repressive political climate and bleak economic prospects. Deng Guangsen, 28, spent the last two months traveling to San Diego from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, through seven countries on plane, bus and foot, including traversing Panama's dangerous Darien Gap jungle. 'I feel nothing,' Deng said in the San Diego parking lot where Border Patrol agents dropped him off after processing. 'I have no brother, no sister. I have nobody.' Chinese migrants are often relying on a relatively new and perilous route through Panama's Darien Gap jungle that has become increasingly popular with the help of social media, where posts and videos provide step-by-step guidance. Chinese people were the fourth-highest nationality, after Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Haitians, crossing the Darien Gap during the first nine months of this year, according to Panamanian immigration authorities. Now emigration has resumed, as China's economy is struggling to rebound and youth unemployment soars. The United Nations has projected China will lose 310,000 people through emigration this year, compared with 120,000 in 2012. Deng Guangsen winces as he talks about his journey from his homeland China to crossing the United States border with Mexico, as he sits in a transit center in San Diego last month A group of people, including many from China, walk along the wall after crossing the border with Mexico to seek asylum, October 24 near Jacumba, California A migrant caravan advances through the south of the country to try to reach the border with the United States, in Tapachula, Mexico, on Monday It has become known as 'runxue,' or the study of running away. The term started as a way to get around censorship, using a Chinese character whose pronunciation spells like the English word 'run' but means 'moistening.' Now it's an internet meme. 'This wave of emigration reflects despair toward China,' Cai Xia, editor-in-chief of the online commentary site of Yibao and a former professor at the Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. 'They've lost hope for the future of the country,' said Cai, who now lives in the U.S. 'You see among them the educated and the uneducated, white-collar workers, as well as small business owners, and those from well-off families.' The Darien Gap route is viable for Chinese immigrants because they can fly into Ecuador without a visa. From Quito, they join Latin Americans to travel through the once-impenetrable Darien Gap and across several Central American countries before reaching the U.S. border. The journey is well-known enough it has its own name in Chinese: walk the line, or 'zouxian.' Short video platforms and messaging apps have popularized the route. They provide on-the-ground video clips and step-by-step guides from China to the US, including tips on what to pack, where to find guides, how to survive the jungle, which hotels to stay at, how much to bribe police in different countries and what to do when encountering U.S. immigration officers. Translation apps allow migrants to navigate through Central America on their own, even if they don't speak Spanish or English. Short video app Douyin, owned by TikTok owner ByteDance, is one of the main sources of the Chinese tech giant's revenue overall, Reuters previously reported. A couple from China adjust their masks as they wait to board a bus to the airport after crossing the border and being dropped off by Border Patrol agents at a transit center in San Diego A man from China gets a bowl of oatmeal from a volunteer as he waits with others for processing to apply for asylum after crossing the US border with Mexico A major influx of Chinese migration to the United States on a relatively new and perilous route through Panama's Darien Gap jungle has become increasingly popular thanks to social media One Chinese migrant told Reuters she came across 'Baozai,' an internet personality who gained tens of thousands of followers on Douyin, Xigua Video, YouTube and Twitter by posting videos about his migration to the United States. Baozai's original account 'Baozai adventure the world alone' was blocked on Douyin for violating 'community self-discipline regulations.' He is now posting under a new account with the same name on Douyin, sticking to content about his life in the United States. Reuters found other social media accounts giving advice in Mandarin on crossing the US-Mexico border. The family of a great-grandmother who was allegedly murdered by her husband have shared their heartbreak. Maria Dimasi, 85, was found dead inside her Findon home on Saturday night with her blood soaked husband Frank, 91, still sitting in the kitchen. He was charged with her murder while recovering in hospital from injuries believed to be self-inflicted. The great-grandmother's family issued a statement on Monday night saying she was a 'loving mother' to her four children, 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. The heartbroken family of, Maria Dimasi (pictured), have broken their silence after she was found dead in her home in Findon, Adelaide, on Saturday night 'Maria had a caring nature and shared love and happiness to those around her,' the statement said. 'She was the centre of our family, bringing us together to care for and support each other. 'Family was everything to Maria, and she was everything to her family.' The family said the past few days have been 'difficult' as they 'process the grief of losing our beautiful mother and Nonna.' 'We ask that we have privacy while we process our grief and remember the wonderful woman that she was. They said the outpouring of community support showed she had 'warmed the hearts of many' and they were grateful for all the support as they 'come to terms with our loss'. 'We will always remember Maria for her warmth, caring nature, compassion and her beautiful smile,' the statement said. Ms Dimasi's husband of over 60 years, Frank, has been charged with her alleged murder after he was found sitting in the kitchen soaked in blood The great-grandmother was well liked within the Italian community and had 'become everyone's Nonna', remembered for the 'love and happiness to those around her' They said she enjoyed sharing her passion for cooking and teaching others during her time as volunteer at Nonna's Cucina. 'We thank Nonna's Cucina for supporting Maria to share her joy with the community,' they said. Nonna's Cucina president Rebecca Staltari broke the news to Nonna's Cucina customers saying it was with 'great sadness'. 'We are forever grateful for her time, energy, friendship and love, given over so many years,' she said. 'Nonna Maria is our Executive Chef Stefan's Nonna, and also became everyone else's Nonna in our community.' 'She loved volunteering in our kitchen, cooking traditional recipes and passing on her knowledge. 'She loved us, and we loved her. We will miss her immensely and are forever grateful for her love, support and friendship.' In a statement released on Monday, Ms Dimasi's family said she was the centre of the menage having brought them together 'to care for and support each other' She was the centre of our family, bringing us together to care for and support each other. Mr Dimasi's case appeared for the first time at Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday, where it was heard Mr Dimasi had dialled triple-0 and told police he had killed his wife. Police officers arrived on scene within six minutes and found Mr Dimasi sitting in the kitchen with blood on his clothing, arms and hands, the court heard. The prosecution told the court they will allege Mr Dimasi said he was 'sorry' he killed his wife and that she 'deserved it'. Officers searched the house and found Mrs Dimasi with significant wounds to her head and upper body. While speaking to Mr Dimasi, the court heard the elderly man drifted in and out of consciousness and a blood sample taken from him later at the hospital revealed a blood-alcohol reading of 0.36. Disturbing babycam footage shows a 13 year-old Florida honors student standing over his sleeping mom in her bed, moments before he allegedly murdered her. Derek Rosa was seen in an eerie black and white image released by Miami-Dade District Attorney's Office Monday, looming over his 39 year-old mom Irina Garcia in her bed on the night of October 12. The time stamp on the static image shows 11pm. Rosa called 911 to report the murder around 11:30pm. His right arm appears to be moving in the image, although prosecutors have yet to provide further detail on what they allege is happening in the photo. Another haunting photo released by investigators shows Garcia in her bed, cradling her 14-day-old baby, at 10:23pm the same evening. The bedroom light is on, meaning the image is in color. Just an hour later Irina would be dead. Other images released include a selfie Rosa is accused of sending a friend after the killing, with what appears to be blood smeared on his hands. Distressing images of a pink-handled knife covered with blood were shared too Rosa has been charged as an adult over the murder. He has pleaded not guilty: his lawyers are yet to declare any mental illness defense. Crime scene photos, released on Monday, show Derek Rosa, 13, standing over his mother's bed at 11pm, before he fatally stabbed her. His newborn baby sister's crib is by her bed At 10:23pm, Irina Garcia is seen lying on the bed, cradling her 14-day-old daughter Rosa, with his hands covered in blood, is seen making a 'hang loose' surfer gesture of friendship. The photo is believed to be the one he sent to his friend, with the word: 'Goodbye'. He then called 911 to say he had murdered his mother Derek Rosa, 13, (left) allegedly stabbed and killed his mother, Irina Garcia, 39 (right) in her sleep before sending photos of her body to a friend on social media Prosecutors released the photo of the bloodied kitchen knife The knife is seen at the crime scene in Hialeah, Florida. Rosa has been charged as an adult with the killing Rosa's family say he is a 'good kid' and that 'no one could imagine this would ever happen'. He is pictured with his mother and stepfather No explanation has yet been given for the frenzied attack. After the stabbing, he called 911 at around 11:30pm to report having just killed his mother, while his newborn baby sister slept in her crib nearby. He told the operator that he stabbed his mother in her sleep, and that he was also contemplating suicide - but said he 'didn't want' to kill himself. A hearing last week was to determine if he should stay in the adult jail where he is currently being held, or if he can return to a juvenile facility. His attorneys are pushing for the latter. The judge did not decide on where he should be kept. The hearing also heard arguments on whether the teen's legal team will be allowed to enter the apartment where the murder took place. Derek Rosa, 13, looked disorientated and confused as he listened to lawyers and the judge at a brief hearing in Miami The teen's legal team gathered around him at one point to explain the proceedings Rosa, 13, is charged with murdering his mother Irina while she was sleeping on October 12 The apartments where Rosa lived in Hialeah, Florida, before he allegedly stabbed his mom to death The judge granted the request on the condition that police officers remain outside while they carry out their searches. It's unclear exactly what they are looking for, or why they want to gain entry to the home. The teenager's stepfather protested, as did prosecutors, who pointed out the fact that others had been in the apartment since the crime. Rosa's defense attorneys examined the crime scene Thursday, NBC News reported. A team including an attorney, forensic examiner and photographer were allowed into the Hialeah property for three hours. Rosa's neighbors were stunned by his arrest last month. They and his family described him as a happy, studious teenager who never displayed any signs of violence. His father, Jose Rosa, previously called for his son to get a second chance. 'I guess what we're asking for is another opportunity a second chance to help him grow and become mature as a grown man to put this behind him,' he said. A Boston newlywed was killed by a shark while paddle boarding with her husband a day after their Bahamas wedding, it was reported. The unnamed 44 year-old was fatally-mauled by the predator while enjoying the warm waters off the five-star Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort with her new spouse Monday morning, Tribune242 reported. A lifeguard spotted the woman in distress and rushed to help. They attempted CPR, but the attack had severely injured the woman's right hip and upper limb, with attempts to revive her unsuccessful. People enjoying the nearby beach are said to have heard screams as the horror unfolded, vacationer Debra DeWeese told DailyMail.com. Grim photos and video shared afterwards showed the victim's covered body being brought back to the beach on a gurney, before being loaded into an ambulance. A 44 year-old Boston newlywed's paddle board is pictured floating in the Bahamas Monday, shortly after she was fatally-mauled by a shark the day after her wedding Mortuary services personnel transport the body of a female tourist after what police described as a fatal shark attack in waters near Sandals Royal Bahamian resort The newlywed's body is loaded into a van by local police after Monday's tragedy A woman from Boston died in the Bahamas on Monday, after she was attacked by a shark while paddle boarding about three-quarters of a mile away from the shore with a family member. https://t.co/PhJW5KkDr7 pic.twitter.com/J0OlNgtKRc CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 4, 2023 Royal Bahamian Police Sergeant Desiree Ferguson told reporters: 'Shortly after 11:15 a.m. police were notified that a female visitor from Boston, Massachusetts, USA was attacked by a shark. 'According to our initial reports, the female along, with a male relative were paddle boarding just at the rear of a resort in Western New Providence, some 3/4 miles out from the shoreline when she was bitten by the shark. 'A lifeguard on duty who saw what was happening went out in a rescue boat, retrieved the victim, along with the male relative and brought them to safety CPR was administered to the victim. 'However she suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, including the right hip region and also her right upper limb. 'Emergency Medical Services responded to this scene they thoroughly assessed the victim and they declared that she show she showed no vital signs of life.' She added that it took a couple of hours to pull the woman in, before they took a wheelchair out to gather the man believed to be her husband. 'I cant imagine what the husband is going through,' DeWeese - who was on a day pass from a cruise - added in a Facebook post. Emergency services are seen gathered on a pier off the Sandals resort on Monday after the fatal shark mauling Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort is a five-star complex, where rooms cost around $1,500-a-night in peak season DeWeese noted that 'the staff and some guests are a bit traumatized.' It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked the woman, although tiger sharks and bull sharks are known to live off the coast of the Bahamas. Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said in an interview that there have been several shark-related fatalities reported in the Bahamas in the past five years. He noted that the Bahamas has a 'huge' tourist population, adding that there are a lot of people in the water and a lot of visitors who want to view sharks from a fishing boat or dive with them. 'So the sharks get acclimated, and the animals are a little bit less cautious than they otherwise might be,' he said. The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located She was paddleboarding with a man - believed to be her husband - who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson Between 30 to 40 shark species live around the Bahamas, although the Caribbean reef shark, the bull shark, the tiger shark and the black tip shark have the highest bite frequency, Naylor said. 'Usually, its an accidental bite. They think its something else,' he said. 'Once in a while, theyll actually single out people, and its very intentional.' Fatal shark attacks are rare, with only an average of five to six reported worldwide a year, most of them occurring in Australia, Naylor said. Last year, there were a total of 57 unprovoked bites around the globe, the majority of them in the U.S., according to the International Shark Attack File. Debra DeWeese, a woman visiting the resort who posted photos from the scene afterwards, told DailyMail.com that her fellow vacationers could hear the woman's screams all the way from land Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts At least 33 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1580, with the island ranking ninth worldwide, according to the file. The Nassau Guardian newspaper reported that authorities in the Bahamas are still searching for a German woman who went missing late last month after she was apparently attacked while diving. Last year, a shark killed a U.S. cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania who was snorkeling in the northern Bahamas near Green Cay. Most shark attacks in the Caribbean occur in the Bahamas, although a rare shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin three years ago. A now viral video shows a shocking brawl broke out at a high school in Alabama in which two women fought before a group of students jumped in. The video comes from Huffman High School in Birmingham, one of the seven high schools in the state's largest city. Two female students eye one another from the school lunchroom before one of them advances toward the other, as other students can be heard yelling in the background. One of the students then grabs the other by the top of her hair and attempts to drag her by it, with a person behind the camera yelling expletives. Several other teenagers can then be seen joining the mob, either to pull the two girls apart or get into the fracas themselves. A now viral video shows a shocking brawl broke out at a high school in Alabama in which two women fought before a group of students jumped in An adult can finally be seen attempting to clear out the scene inside the lunchroom. Before the video ends, one of the fighters can be seen being pulled away from the fight by several fellow students. The school has yet to comment on the brawl, which went viral after it was posted by journalist Andy Ngo. Around 71 percent of students are economically disadvantaged and 99 percent are minorities, according to US News and World Report. There's no word about any injuries suffered by any of the students involved in the fight. Huffman High School has been on edge in recent weeks after a 17-year-old student was fatally shot, according to WVTM. Officials say they found Adonnis Xavier Bishop McQueen lying in the middle of the road on November 12. McQueen was a senior at Huffman. Just a week ago, a similar brawl was seen at a North Carolina high school, leaving one student dead and another in hospital. One child, in a gray hoodie with a black jacket, backs another student in a red hoodie into a corner and then punches him repeatedly. Two female students eye one another from the school lunchroom before one of them advances toward the other, as other students can be heard yelling in the background. One of the students then grabs the other by the top of her hair and attempts to drag her by it, with a person behind the camera yelling expletives Several other teenagers can then be seen joining the mob, either to pull the two girls apart or get into the fracas themselves at the school The pair run into the school gymnasium, followed by dozens of whooping and cheering students filming on their phones. A brawl ensues, with one student on the ground pulling out a knife and stabbing another in the leg and groin. As the children fled, no one was on the ground. But one of the students was later pronounced dead, and the second hospitalized. Two ambulances were seen leaving Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, each trailed by a police vehicle, early Monday afternoon. Police say they arrested a suspect, but have not said what led to the fight and deadly incident. None of the names of the students involved have been released. Students at a North Carolina high school are seen on Monday in a mass brawl in the gymnasium The initial call came in at around 11am, when a school resource officer called for EMS and backup, saying a student had been stabbed. Shortly after, another student was found with injuries consistent with a stabbing. 'He's losing consciousness right now. We're in the main gym,' a woman's voice was heard saying over law enforcement radio traffic. A male's voice said: 'Can you make sure the administrators put the school on lockdown?' According to Raleigh police, a fight had broken out involving several students. The incident was described as a 'serious assault' in a social media post. Rail strike misery continued for passengers in Britain today with no trains on the entire c2c network and a limited service on Greater Anglia and Stansted Express. Members of the train drivers' union Aslef at the train operating companies walked out today during a week of strikes across the network in different areas. Strike action began last Saturday and runs until this Friday, with different operators affected on each day which is causing extra confusion. The next strikes are: Tomorrow - Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, Southeastern & Southern Thursday - CrossCountry, Great Western Railway & Heathrow Express Friday - Northern and TransPennine Express Train drivers across England started a week-long overtime ban last Friday which is also hitting services - with a reduced timetable on c2c every other day of this week. Greater Anglia is running just one train per hour between between Norwich and London Liverpool Street; Colchester and London; and Southend and London. There was also just one train every two hours between Cambridge and London, with no services on other parts of its network including regional and branch lines. Additionally, there was a reduced service on Stansted Express, a sub-brand of Greater Anglia, with just one train per hour between London and the airport. It follows news that Aslef members have voted overwhelmingly to continue taking industrial action for the next six months in their long-running dispute over pay. A very quiet Liverpool Street Station station this morning due to the Aslef rail strike today Greater Anglia is only running a limited service to and from London Liverpool Street today Passengers wait for updates at London Liverpool Street station today during the rail strike Greater Anglia commuters vented their fury on social media, with Marcus Horner tweeting: 'You should be ashamed for the way you have allowed people to be rammed into the 8:13 from Colchester this morning. You should have run a freight train and put us in like cattle.' Full list of train strikes in December 2023 Saturday, December 2 East Midlands Railway LNER Sunday, December 3 Avanti West Coast Chiltern Railways Great Northern London Northwestern Railway Thameslink West Midlands Railway Monday, December 4 No strikes Tuesday, December 5 c2c Greater Anglia Stansted Express Wednesday, December 6 Gatwick Express South Western Railway Southeastern Southern Thursday, December 7 CrossCountry Great Western Railway Heathrow Express Friday, December 8 Northern TransPennine Express Advertisement Another, Jon B, posted: 'Physically couldn't board the 8:35 HAP [Hatfield Peverel] to LST [London Liverpool Street]! Some of us can't afford to keep taking time off or being late for work because you lot can't get cope with running a transport service! You're a disgrace.' And Ross Payne said: 'You've left in your wake dangerous conditions - the remaining trains are massively overcrowded.' He added: 'Get back to work, no one cares about your strikes anymore.' As for c2c, customer Emma Webb said: 'Thanks to c2c_Rail going on strike I have an unplanned day off! I'm not happy about this as it's causing a lot of inconvenience for a lot of people and my job doesn't allow me to work from home!' Drivers on East Midlands Trains and LNER went on strike on Saturday, crippling services on a busy pre-Christmas shopping day. Aslef members on Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Trains and Great Northern/Thameslink then went on strike on Sunday. There was no strike action yesterday, but more will follow tomorrow on Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, Southeastern and Southern. Strikes on Thursday will be on CrossCountry, Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express. And on Friday there will be strikes on Northern and TransPennine Express. Rob Mullen, c2c managing director, said: 'I'm really disappointed that an agreement with Aslef hasn't been reached. 'The impact of this ongoing action is significant for our customers and colleagues. I'm hopeful that further meetings with the unions are productive and see progress made towards concluding this challenging time for the railway.' And Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia's managing director, said: 'Unfortunately on December 5, no services will run at all on most Greater Anglia routes, with just an hourly service during normal operating hours on the Stansted Airport to London route and an hourly service for limited hours on the Norwich to London, Colchester to London and Southend Victoria to London routes, plus a few services between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street. 'On the days affected by action short of a strike, the vast majority of services will be running as normal, but there will be some alterations and cancellations across our network. How strike is affecting c2c and Greater Anglia Here is the service on c2c and Greater Anglia today during the Aslef strike: C2C No service on the entire route GREATER ANGLIA Reduced service between Norwich and London Liverpool Street, Colchester and London Liverpool Street, Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street (approximately one train per hour). Small number of Cambridge to London Liverpool Street services (approximately every two hours and across a very limited period). Great Northern will be running one train per hour between Cambridge and London Kings Cross. First trains of the day start later and last trains finish earlier than normal No services running on other lines, including regional/branch lines Advertisement 'We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by these service alterations and advise customers to plan ahead and check before they travel.' Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) last week accepted a deal on pay and conditions but the Aslef dispute remains deadlocked. Aslef members last week voted overwhelmingly in favour of continuing taking strike action for the next six months, which the union said was proof they were still solidly behind the campaign for an increase to a pay offer worth 8 per cent over two years. The Rail Delivery Group and the Government have urged the union to put the offer to a ballot, saying it would increase annual pay from almost 60,000 to almost 65,000. The dispute remains deadlocked after 18 months, with no sign of a breakthrough. Rail minister Huw Merriman said: 'Following RMT members voting to overwhelmingly accept the train operators' pay offer, Aslef is now not just the only rail union still striking but the only union not to even put an offer to its members. 'They are instead choosing to cause more misery for passengers and the hospitality sector this festive period. 'The fair and reasonable offer that's long been on the table would bring the average train driver's salary up to 65,000 for a 35-hour, four-day week. 'Aslef's leadership should follow in the footsteps of all the other rail unions by doing the right thing and giving their members a say on that offer.' Mick Whelan, Aslef's general secretary, said the union was 'in this for the long haul', adding: 'Our members, who have not had a pay rise for nearly five years now, are determined that the train companies, and the Tory government that stands behind them, do the right thing. RAIL STRIKE TUESDAY 5th DECEMBER - We are running an extremely limited train service today due to the rail strike. All info can be found here: https://t.co/miwW8nIxnh Specific alterations https://t.co/5LDQhQEinq PLEASE BE AWARE SERVICES WILL BE EXTREMELY BUSY Greater Anglia (@greateranglia) December 5, 2023 Industrial action today, 5th December: https://t.co/x0CvBUyVkz There will be no c2c trains all day today. pic.twitter.com/fk3JHLW7oB c2c Rail (@c2c_Rail) December 5, 2023 'The cost of living has soared since the spring and summer of 2019, when these pay deals ran out. READ MORE Train strikes December 2023: Full list of dates as Aslef announce next round of cancellations and travel disruption Advertisement 'The bosses at the train companies, as well as Tory MPs and government ministers, have had increases in pay. 'It's unrealistic and unfair to expect our members to work just as hard for what, in real terms, is considerably less.' Separate to the strike action, flooding was also causing havoc on Britain's railways today amid 'do not travel' warnings for passengers as 250 areas were put on alert with nearly three inches of rain set to fall. Train passengers trying to travel between Newcastle and Edinburgh faced chaos today after heavy flooding at multiple locations in Northumberland blocked all rail lines - affecting CrossCountry, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express services. LNER advised its customers 'not to travel north of Newcastle in either direction', with industrial action by train drivers on other routes today adding to the disruption. LNER tweeted this photo of heavy rain flooding the railway today north of Newcastle station Another LNER photo of flooding this morning between Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed LNER also tweeted this picture of flooding north of Newcastle station on the railway today Network Rail tweeted a photograph this morning of flooding affecting the railway in the Derbyshire village of Draycott today between Derby and East Midlands Parkway stations Rail users in Devon and Somerset also faced disruption, with South Western Railway saying a landslip between Exeter St Davids and Yeovil Junction had blocked all lines. Heavy rain and flooding caused earth to move above the Crewkerne Tunnel and the line was closed until at least Thursday for safety reasons. The operator said further rain on the way meant there is 'potential that no services will run until the weekend'. Flooding at Alsager in Cheshire blocked the line between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent, impacting East Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services. Great Western Railway said flooding caused disruption between Taunton and Castle Cary in Somerset - with long-distance services between Plymouth and London Paddington expected to be diverted, extending journey times by up to an hour. A B-52H Stratofortress taxis on the flightline at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., Nov. 27, 2023. In a conventional conflict, the B-52H can perform strategic attack, close-air support, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alexander Nottingham) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases X Help Keep Us From Drying Up We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. Each month we count on your contribute. You can support us in the following ways: Shocking video has emerged of a rampaging mob attacking police cars with rocks while calling for vehicles to be torched and the officers inside to be dragged out. The disturbing incident saw up to 30 people targeting unmarked police vehicles about 2.30pm on Sunday, November 26 in the remote community of Mareeba, 63km west of Cairns in far north Queensland. Footage shows the enraged group throwing rocks and at one stage smashing the window of a white ute and kicking its sides. 'Drag the motherf***er out of the vehicle,' one person shouted. A rampaging mob have attacked police vehicles in the remote Queensland town of Mareeba READ MORE: Woorabinda deaths: Two toddlers found dead inside a car at a remote Indigenous community near Rockhampton Advertisement There are also calls to 'Set it on fire. Burn it, burn it'. Police said 12 people were charged with damaging multiple vehicles during the melee. An officer was also struck in the face but did not require medical attention. The crowd were attempting to stop officers from arresting 27-year-old Algen Donahue, who was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and contravention of domestic violence order during. Mr Donahue's twin brother of Aubrey Donahue, was shot dead by police during a four-hour siege at Love Street on Saturday, March 25. The shooting has led to ongoing tension between police and local residents. The footage was posted on Facebook by Atherton Tablelands youth worker Ken Harley. There were 12 people charged over the incident 'Who would want to be a cop, just another day, just about every day somewhere in FNQ....and seasoned police say this is a mild one,' Mr Harley commented. Among those charged over the incident are a 15-year-old boy and two 16-year-olds. They face charges including wilful damage, serious assault police officer, unlawful use of motor vehicle, enter dwelling and breach of bail condition. The 15-year-old was refused bail to appear in Mareeba Childrens Court while the other 16-year-olds have court dates for Atherton Childrens Court and Atherton Magistrates Court respectively. An 18-year-old Mareeba man was also charged with one count each of willful damage and willful damage of police property and is scheduled to appear in the Mareeba Magistrates Court on December 18. A 22-year-old Mareeba man was charged with one count each of willful damage and commit public nuisance and is scheduled to appear in the Mareeba Magistrates Court on December 18. Aubrey Donahue, was shot dead by police during a four-hour siege in Mareeba in March A 25-year-old Mareeba man was charged with one count of willful damage and is scheduled to appear in the Mareeba Magistrates Court on December 18. A 31-year-old man was charged with one count of commit public nuisance and is scheduled to appear in the Mareeba Magistrates Court on December 18. Algen Donahue made a court appearance in Cairns on Monday. He faced additional charges of being armed/in company, common assault, obstructing a police officer, possessing utensils or pipes that had been used and serious assault of a police officer. The matter was adjourned to December 20. Brittany Higgins appeared timid and nervous before revealing, under cross-examination, that she was handed a $2.3million compensation payout from the Federal government - and personally pocketed $1.9million. It would have been clear to Ms Higgins, who has had many opportunities to detail how much she was paid for the personal injury claim, that revealing the figure was essentially detonating a political bomb. She reached a settlement with the government in December last year, just one day after Bruce Lehrmann's criminal trial collapsed, but the figure she was paid was never disclosed because the Albanese government claimed it was 'confidential'. The money was to cover 40 years of economic loss - because she claimed she would never be able to work again. Questions were repeatedly asked by media outlets and members of the Coalition as to how much she received, and why it was paid when the allegations remained unproven. It became clear the amount may never be released, and Ms Higgins got sick of the speculation. 2GB host Ben Fordham reported in February that the compensation claim was 'up to $3million', and Ms Higgins fired back on X, threatening 'legal action' against media outlets that continued to report the sum. She didn't correct the figure. Instead, she wrote: 'This headline is just plain wrong.' Brittany Higgins is pictured outside court on Tuesday, with her best friend Emma Webster (left) and her fiance David Sharaz (back) and lawyer Leon Zwier (right) Brittany Higgins is pictured leaving the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday 'I started the legal process with the Coalition Govt in early 2022. The settlement was well below the reported figure the media has run with - let alone beyond it? 'I'm going to have to start taking legal action against media outlets,' she said. READ MORE: Extraordinary moment Brittany Higgins snaps back at a reporter after being asked about her alleged rapist Bruce Lehrmann Brittany Higgins leaves court on Tueaday Advertisement How she intended to take legal action is unclear - it's not illegal to publish speculative figures in a matter like this, nor is it defamatory. And during Mr Lehrmann's defamation proceedings in the Federal Court on Tuesday, we found out that Fordham's report wasn't too far off the mark. Mr Lehrmann's barrister finished Ms Higgins' cross-examination with questions about the compensation payout - and she appeared to try and dodge the issue. Lisa Wilkinson's barrister Sue Chrysanthou objected to the question, twice, but Justice Michael Lee said: 'I will allow it.' Mr Whybrow then asked if Ms Higgins had received more than $2million. 'It has been widely reported that you received over $2million as a result of the outcome of that mediation, is that correct?' Mr Whybrow asked. 'That's what's been reported?,' Ms Higgins replied. 'Yes, I received money from the Commonwealth. They came to an agreement that a failure of a duty of care was made. And they did pay me,' she said. Mr Whybrow said: 'I asked you if it was over $2million.' In February, Ms Higgins threatened legal action against media outlets that reported her compensation claim incorrectly She tried to explain that the offer and what she got were different, after taxes and legal fees. Mr Whybrow became defiant. It was plainly clear what he was asking, but she wasn't answering the question. 'How much money did the Commonwealth pay you to stop you litigating this matter?' he asked. 'I received $1.9million,' Ms Higgins replied. 'So you've got no idea what your legal costs were or what the gross settlement sum was?' Mr Whybrow asked. 'I think it was around $2.3million. I think it was the amount and then those taxes and then the lawyer took some, but I'm not sure what that fee was. I was never focused on that fee. It was only what I received that I cared about.' The stakes for Mr Lehrmann are high - if it's found that he most likely didn't rape Ms Higgins, he stands to gain compensation and his reputation back. For the Federal government, the stakes are even higher. If Mr Lehrmann wins, Labor will have to answer questions about why more than two million dollars of taxpayer's money was handed to someone who, on the balance of probability, wasn't raped. Bruce Lehrmann is pictured outside the Federal Court on Tuesday Significant claims brought against the Commonwealth can only be settled with the agreement of the Attorney-General - currently Mark Dreyfus - according to the Legal Services Directions. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher - whose department paid the sum - also came under fire during Question Time in June when she was accused of knowing about Ms Higgins' allegations before the were published on news.com.au and aired on The Project in February 2021. In June 2021, she told the senate that she didn't have 'any knowledge' of the allegations prior to when they were published and broadcast. In June this year, she admitted having some prior information but insisted she 'wasn't aware of the full allegations' before they went to air, but would not say whether she had a transcript of the interview before it was broadcast. She insisted answering that question would breach Ms Higgins' confidence. However, Daily Mail Australia then revealed she appeared to have read the full transcript of Ms Higgins' television interview - four days before the program went to air. At 7.10pm on February 11, 2021, Mr Sharaz texted Ms Higgins: 'Katy Gallagher messaged me. She's angry and wants to help. She's got the context. Says they knew something was wrong because they fired Bruce and not you. They avoided a scandal.' Katy Gallagher (pictured) grilled the Coalition over the handling of Ms Higgins' complaints Ms Higgins replied: 'Can I see her message?' Mr Sharaz said: 'Yep! I gave her [The Project] interview for context. I hope that's okay? She's not doing anything with it. But I'm also happy to step out and let her talk to you if you want. 'Basically, I wanted her to get all the context because it's so complicated.' It also appeared Mr Sharaz and Ms Higgins planned to get help from Ms Gallagher all along. Mr Sharaz, Ms Higgins, Lisa Wilkinson and Ten producer Angus Llewellyn had a five-hour recorded meeting in January 2021, a few weeks before The Project episode went to air. In that meeting, the group spoke about whether they had 'friendly MPs' to grill the then-Morrison government, and Mr Sharaz said 'I've got a friend in Labor, Katy Gallagher on the Labor side, who will probe and continue it going'. 'Sitting week, story comes out they have to answer questions in Question Time, it's a mess for them. That's why Britt's picked that timeline,' he said. It was then revealed that Mr Sharaz invited Katy Gallagher to his wedding to his ex-wife in 2018. However, she did not attend. Brittany Higgins is pictured, left, on the day Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial was aborted in October last year Ms Higgins' settlement was reached in December last year, just one day after Bruce Lehrmann's criminal trial collapsed, but the figure was never disclosed because the Albanese government claimed it was 'confidential'. The compensation was based on her claims that she was not supported by her former bosses, Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash, after she she disclosed her rape allegations to them. They both deny failing to support Ms Higgins. Her claims were for general damages, past economic loss and assistance with future domestic duties, and future economic loss based on claims she would not be able to work in politics for 40 years. In court on Tuesday, Mr Whybrow asked Ms Higgins if it was her understanding that part of the claim was that she 'would not be able to work again effectively for the rest of your life?'. Ms Higgins replied: 'I believe it was 40 years.' She stepped off the witness stand on Tuesday afternoon, marking the end of her cross-examination. Ms Higgins appeared relieved. There won't be such feelings within the Albanese government. The hearing will continue on Wednesday. Households should stock up on candles and battery-powered radios in case a catastrophe cripples digital gadgets, the deputy prime minister has warned. Oliver Dowden urged people to prepare for being thrown back to an 'analogue' era if internet and power systems collapse. Details will be set out in an official government 'resilience website' launching next year which will offer advice on how to prepare for natural disasters, pandemics and malicious acts such as cyber attacks or terrorism. Mr Dowden suggested people had become too reliant on the internet which could leave them isolated in an information vacuum during a disaster. 'It always used to be the case that everyone would be able to access a battery-operated radio,' Mr Dowden said. Oliver Dowden urged people to prepare for being thrown back to an 'analogue' era if internet and power systems collapse File photo of overhead power cables from the Dungeness Nuclear Power Station stretching across the Kent countryside 'How many people have a communication device that isn't reliant on digital and electric? We shouldn't assume that the resilience we had as individuals when we were growing up is the same now because society has digitised.' In the past it was common to keep 'a torch or candles' in the cupboard under the stairs. But society had 'changed unrecognisably' in the past 20 or 30 years, Mr Dowden said, adding: 'The Government needs to ensure we are resilient in this digital age including considering those analogue capabilities that it makes sense to retain. If you had a power outage and you wanted to get news, where would you get that news from? In the olden days, you'd switch on the radio and you'd hear what was going on.' Mr Dowden, whose responsibilities include building the UK's resilience to emergencies, said he was revisiting official advice to ensure Britons are 'prepared and personally resilient'. Mr Dowden, whose responsibilities include building the UK's resilience to emergencies, said he was revisiting official advice to ensure Britons are 'prepared and personally resilient' 'It could be tomorrow that one of these things hits,' he said. The new website will allow members of the public to register as volunteers to help out in a regional or national crisis. Mr Dowden also warned that AI poses a 'chronic risk' and will increase the risks of cyber attacks and even the threat posed from chemical weapons. 'The proverbial teenage kid in their bedroom with the application of AI is going to be a much better hacker than they were previously,' he said. 'The ability of lone, malign individuals to have greater capabilities to develop biological threats increases with AI. Likewise with chemical risks.' The deputy prime minister made his remarks during a visit to Porton Down, Wiltshire, where the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory works to protect Britain from chemical, biological and radiological threats. Brittany Higgins has taken a brutal swipe at a TV reporter following her final day of giving evidence in the Federal Court. Ms Higgins' cross-examination continued for a third day on Tuesday in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with Ms Higgins aired on The Project on February 15, 2021, where she alleged she was raped by her ex-colleague. At the end of the day's proceedings, Ms Higgins was confronted by camera crews and journalists outside the court. She was asked by a Channel Seven reporter whether she would give evidence if a another criminal trial were to be called on the matter. 'Aren't you paying his rent?' she bluntly replied. Mr Lehrmann last week admitted that the Seven Network has been paying his rent during cross-examination by Lisa Wilkinson's barrister. Wilkinson's barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, asked Mr Lehrmann about what he received in exchange for his interview with Seven's Spotlight program earlier this year. The network previously said it 'made no payment to Bruce Lehrmann for the interview', but 'assisted with accommodation as part of the filming of the report'. 'Was it part of that agreement that you were paid for 12 months accommodation by Channel Seven ?' Ms Chrysanthou asked. Mr Lehrmann replied: 'That's the only part...that's what I get.' Ms Chrysanthou continued: 'That occurred from June 2023 and paid until June 2024?' Mr Lehrmann replied: 'Umm, well, yes. For filming in those places.' He explained that part of the first Spotlight interview, which aired on Channel Seven in June, was partly filmed in that accommodation. Ms Chrysanthou then asked how much that was worth but Mr Lehrmann said he didn't know because the 'network handled the accommodation arrangements'. Court documents on Tuesday reveal the luxury home with ocean views on Sydneys northern beaches was being rented for $4000 a fortnight - equating to $104,000 a year. Mr Lehrmann (pictured) last week revealed that Channel Seven had been paying for his accommodation following interviews he did with the network On Tuesday Ms Higgins was confronted by a crew of journalists outside the Federal Court Ms Higgins on Tuesday disclosed her total compensation payout in the Federal Court on Tuesday, under cross-examination by Mr Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow SC. She revealed she received $1.9million after lawyers' fees and taxes were removed. The gross payment was about $2.3million. Ms Higgins said she knew there was a possibility Bruce Lehrmann would not be found guilty by a jury during his criminal trial, but said she'd give evidence at the trial again - 'now that I'm not jumping off buildings'. Mr Whybrow said she was Marie Claire 'woman of the year', and she had become the face of a women's rights movement. Ms Higgins said that was correct. She was then asked about a speech she gave outside the ACT Supreme Court in October last year, after the jury in Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial was dismissed due to misconduct by a Jury member. At the time, there was a second trial set for February this year. The ACT Chief Justice had warned media and individuals not to publish anything about the forthcoming trial to ensure Mr Lehrmann got a fair trial. Ms Higgins (centre) on Tuesday revealed she had received a $1.9million compensation payout During the speech, Ms Higgins referred to herself as a proven victim rather than an alleged victim. The speech was broadcast on live television at the time, prompting fears it could bias a jury against Mr Lehrmann at the next trial. Mr Whybrow asked Ms Higgins on Tuesday whether she knew that she should not comment on the trial outside court. 'You knew, as an experienced media advisor, that you should not come out and make comments about the case before court,' he said. 'I didn't really, no,' she replied. 'Is it your evidence that you did not know you should not come out and make that speech?' he asked. Ms Higgins said: 'I wasn't cognizant in a normal sense.' 'I had been in hospital for a week. I tried to kill myself the weekend before, so I wasn't processing what was happening. I can't even speak to my headspace at that point.' The February trial was eventually abandoned over fears for Ms Higgins mental health. Ms Higgins was in the Federal Court on Tuesday being cross examined by Mr Lehrmann's barrister, Steven Whybrow SC. Ms Higgins also told the court on Tuesday that she told Senator Michaelia Cash and her chief of staff Daniel Try about her rape allegations. Senator Cash and Mr Try both told the ACT Supreme Court last year that Ms Higgins did not disclose her alleged assault to them. Ms Higgins was asked why Senator Cash would deny knowing about her rape claims, to which she said 'she's lying'. Higgins told the court she was supposed to go on a date with a security guard in Parliament House the weekend she was allegedly raped, but cancelled it. She also said that she often 'archives' contacts and messages from people she doesn't speak to. By the time she handed her phone to police in May 2021, she had archived multiple contacts. Ms Higgins had a Bumble date on the night of the alleged assault. She said he left the pub that night because she was 'very rude' to him, and her colleagues were 'mean' to him. The court heard she couldn't remember the Bumble date's name, but Bruce Lehrmann's barrister informed her she referred to him as 'Nick' in her draft memoir. Ms Higgins didn't think to tell Lisa Wilkinson or Samantha Maiden that Mr Lehrmann tried to kiss her because that was a 'semi-regular' occurrence between parliamentary staffers. She broke down and snapped at Mr Lehrmann's barrister when he suggested to her that she wasn't drunk when she entered Parliament House with Mr Lehrmann on March 23, 2019. The former staffer was also asked about the Carla Zampatti jacket she wore home the morning after the alleged assault. Ms Higgins has long maintained the jacket was in a charity box in Senator Reynolds' office, whereas Senator Reynolds previously said there was no charity box in her office. Mr Lehrmann has always denied sexually assaulting Higgins and has told the court that there was no sexual contact between the pair at any time. Hundreds of Indonesian rescuers are locked in a race against time in a frantic search to find 10 hikers who went missing after a volcano eruption that killed 13 people. Thirteen hikers were found dead near the crater of Mount Marapi on the island of Sumatra yesterday, with rescue officials announcing 11 deaths the same day and two more on Tuesday. Another 10 are missing, presumed dead. But others were found alive and carried down the mountain in arduous rescue efforts - fuelling hope for those still unaccounted for. The volcano spewed an ash tower 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) - taller than the volcano itself - into the sky on Sunday. But rescue efforts have been further complicated by yet more eruptions and bad weather, with brave rescuers facing the harrowing prospect of having to walk to the volcano's summit on foot - at great personal risk - to manually evacuate victims on stretchers. Ahmad Rifandi, head of Marapi's monitoring post, said it had already observed five new eruptions from midnight to 8am local time (0100 GMT) today. 'Marapi is still very much active. We can't see the height of the column because it's covered by the cloud,' he said. Mount Marapi spews volcanic ash from its crater in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 This handout photo taken on December 4, 2023 and released on December 5, 2023 by the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) shows rescuers evacuating one of the victims from the slopes of Mount Marapi in West Sumatra Rescuers prepare to evacuate a survivor of the Mount Merapi eruption in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 04 December 2023 Rescuers carry a climber injured in the eruption of Mount Marapi in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 Locals shared fearful messages as ash clouds filled the sky in Indonesia over the weekend Mount Marapi in Agam district in West Sumatra province spewed thick columns of ash as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the sky in a sudden eruption Sunday and hot ash clouds spread several miles Rescuers transfer the injured in West Sumatra, Indonesia, Dec. 4, 2023 'The total number of people who have died is currently 13 people. The 10 missing hikers are still being searched,' Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency told AFP, adding the bodies of the two additional dead hikers were found late Monday. Moment burned volcano survivors plead for help after getting caught in deadly eruption that claimed 11 lives and left 12 others missing Advertisement Five of the dead had been brought down the mountain for identification while eight bodies had been found and were being brought down in bodybags, he said. The head of Indonesia's volcanology agency, Hendra Gunawan, said Marapi has been at the second level of a four-tier alert system since 2011, and a three-kilometre exclusion zone had been imposed around its crater. He appeared to blame hikers on Monday for going too close to the crater, saying the agency recommended no human activities in that zone, and emphasised that 'severe impacts' were reported for victims within one to 1.5 kilometres from the crater. Officials said the hikers had registered through an online booking system, but others may have been on illegal mountain routes, complicating rescue efforts. Their relatives were still waiting for updates at the information centre at the base of the mountain. 'I will stay here until I hear some news,' said Dasman, father of missing hiker Zakir Habibi, who made a two-hour drive from Padang city to the base of the mountain in hope of good news. 'I still hope my son survives,' he said on Monday. A total of 75 hikers were listed by officials as hiking on the mountain since Saturday, with some of the 49 initially accounted for suffering burns and fractures. The search will carry on for seven days, rescue officials said. The Marapi volcano erupted on Sunday, leaving nearly 75 hikers stranded. There are 26 people who have not been evacuated, 11 of which were found dead and 12 are still missing Rescue teams evacuate a victim of the eruption of Mount Marapi. Three people found by rescuers were alive Rescuers talk to a man affected by Monday's volcano eruption in Marapi, Indonesia 'Some suffered from burns because it was very hot, and they have been taken to the hospital,' Rudy Rinaldi, head of the West Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency said to AFP. 'Those who are injured were the ones who got closer to the crater.' Falling ash blanketed several villages and blocked sunlight, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said. Authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear eyeglasses to protect them from volcanic ash, he said. About 1,400 people live on Marapi's slopes in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages about 3.1 to 3.7 miles from the peak. Shocking footage showed one lucky survivor caked in ash at the bottom of the volcano. The woman, named as 'Zafira', appeared to be filming herself at the base with thick ash and dirt in her face, on her clothes and in her hair. 'Mum, help Ife,' she said, referring to herself by a family nickname. 'This is Ife's situation right now.' The young woman is now in a nearby hospital with her father and uncle after being trapped on the mountain on a hiking trip with 18 school friends. 'She is going through a tremendous trauma,' said her mother Rani Radelani, 39. 'She is affected psychologically because she saw her burns, and she also had to endure the pain all night.' One lucky survivor was pictured at the base of the volcano following the eruption The eruption sent ash plumes nearly 10,000 feet into the air and hot ash clouds spread several miles Marapi has been active since a January eruption that caused no casualties. It is located on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' Authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear eyeglasses to protect them from volcanic ash Marapi's alert level was maintained at the third-highest of four levels, Abdul Muhari said. He confirmed that authorities had been closely monitoring the volcano after sensors picked up increasing activity in recent weeks. Marapi has been active since a January eruption that caused no casualties. It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. Jacqui Lambie has launched legal action against an Indigenous rights activist Jacqui Lambie has launched legal action against an Indigenous rights activist who questioned her Aboriginality. The independent Senator has lodged a formal complaint about Michael Mansell over his repeated inferences she is not Indigenous to the Australian Human Rights Commission. However, Mr Mansell - who claims that too many 'poor whites' are claiming to be Aboriginal - is not backing down. 'I cannot wait for the matter to go before a tribunal or court,' Mr Mansell told The Australia. 'Or for Senator Lambie to publicly lay out her bona fides. That is all she has to do. Jacqui Lambie (pictured with SBS presenter Karla Grant) talked about her Indigenous ancestry on the show Living Black 'Senator Lambie's complaint is more about denial of free speech than about her trying to claim to being Aboriginal.' He claims Senator Lambie is trying to 'silence Aboriginal people from speaking the truth about who is Aboriginal and who is not'. Senator Lambie, who has Tasmanian Palawa ancestry like Mr Mansell, says his preoccupation with her lineage is 'misguided'. 'Mr Mansell has asked about my descendants, which shows that he has not done his homework,' Senator Lambie said. 'In my first speech in the Senate, I talked about my lineage back to Aboriginal chieftain of the Tasmania east coast, Mannalargenna. 'I also talk about my Aboriginality in my book.' Last year Senator Lambie appeared on the SBS show Living Black where she talked about her Indigenous ancestry. Veteran Indigenous rights campaigner Michael Mansell insists Senator Lambie is not Indigenous Senator's Lambie's complaint to the Human Rights Commission focuses on on public comments made by Mr Mansell in 2022 including that 'poor whites' are falsely claiming to be Aboriginal. The Commission will be asked to judge whether such comments constitute racial hatred under the federal Racial Discrimination Act. Mr Mansell, and bodies he is associated with including the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania, have also denied the Indigenous bona fides claimed by the 8000-strong Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation. Corporation members claiming Indigenous ancestry make up about 20 per cent of the Tasmanian town of Smithton. Mr Mansell said this figure was 'rubbish'. 'Who in their right mind would believe such rubbish? Well, politicians anxious to get their votes maybe,' he said. 'In the last five years, a new group of 6500 Aborigines has appeared, mostly at Circular Head. Where on Earth did they come from?' Around 30,000 Tasmanians, which is over five per cent of the population, identify as Indigenous. Russian President Vladimir Putin bizarrely refused to stand within 70ft of Britain's new ambassador to Moscow at a diplomatic ceremony yesterday - blaming 'sanitary reasons'. In awkward scenes that resembled the height of the Covid pandemic, Putin insisted on keeping a huge distance between himself and other diplomats at the Kremlin event which saw him accept the diplomatic credentials of several new ambassadors to Russia, including Britain's new man in Moscow Nigel Casey. In a speech, Putin appeared to hold out an olive branch to Britain, calling for 'change for the better' in relations between Moscow and London - a notable turn given that many Russian politicians and prominent media mouthpieces have called for Moscow's nukes to target London in highly-publicised, foul-mouthed rants. But the sentiment of the Russian President's speech was belied by his actions. Arriving to speak at a dias through an enormous golden door adorned by Russian flags, he stood dozens of feet away from the 21 envoys and delivered his speech from across the grand hall, simply talking at them. The envoys could be seen listening at the other side of the room looking displeased - and were subsequently forced to shuffle away awkwardly as Putin had no intention of greeting them personally. Putin could be seen speaking confidently while standing at an awkward distance from the ambassadors in front of an enormous golden door with flags at either side of him Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to receive credentials from newly arrived foreign ambassadors at the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow Foreign ambassadors attend a ceremony to present credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow Nigel Casey, British Ambassador to the Russian Federation, looking solemn during the speech Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a ceremony to receive credentials from newly arrived foreign ambassadors at the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, 04 December 2023 The ambassadors were standing at the other side of the room looking displeased Putin spoke confidently in his lavish surroundings. He told the envoys - including the new ambassadors of Germany and Australia: 'Unfortunately, for sanitary reasons, we cannot talk more, socialise' In his speech, Putin alluded to the recent 80th anniversary of the Tehran Conference, where the heads of the Soviet Union, the US and Britain - Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill - met on equal footing. Putin said this meeting 'laid the foundations of the modern system of international relations', before going on to lament the collapse in ties between Moscow and London. Putin said: 'In the post-war period and until recently, our countries managed to build interaction based on the understanding of their special responsibility for maintaining global peace, stability and security as permanent members of the UN Security Council. 'But the current state of affairs in the dialogue with London is common knowledge, and let us hope that the situation will change for the better in the interests of our two countries and peoples.' Putin told the envoys - including the new ambassadors of Germany and Australia: 'Unfortunately, for sanitary reasons, we cannot talk more, socialise. 'I hope that better times will come, not only in politics but also in health care, and we will be able to do so. 'In any case, as a matter of routine, both myself, the Foreign Minister [Sergey Lavrov], and my assistant for international affairs [Yuri Ushakov] are always at your disposal.' But recent pictures show Putin standing close to people with no discernable sanitary issues at play. The chill in relations between Britain and Russia has been worsened by Putin's decision to illegally invade sovereign state Ukraine. Putin delivering the speech in the gilded Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace Putin seen in front of a crowd in a recent photograph. Putin told the envoys: 'I hope that better times will come, not only in politics but also in health care, and we will be able to do so' Putin seen greeting children in a recent photograph with no discernable sanitary issues at play Nigel Casey, British Ambassador to the Russian Federation. The chill in relations between Britain and Russia has been worsened by Putin's decision to illegally invade sovereign state Ukraine For his part, Ambassador Casey bluntly told the Kremlin that 'ending the human suffering' caused by Putin in Ukraine was Britain's priority upon his arrival in Moscow. Standing at his official residence with his back to the Kremlin, and speaking in Russian, he said: 'Maintaining relations with the Russian government and the Russian people remains important to the UK, perhaps today more important than ever. 'Decisions taken by Russia matter not only for the UK, but the whole world. 'Few of the issues, currently facing us, are more important than ending the human suffering caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.' Telegram channel General SVR claimed today that it was a Putin doppelganger who greeted the ambassadors on arrival in Moscow - one of several sources that claim the paranoid Russian President employs several body doubles. 'The backup accepted credentials from the newly arrived ambassadors of foreign states,' it stated. 'The main reason for the double's 20 metre distance from the ambassadors is the deplorable state of the [body double's] face. 'Several small lumps have appeared on "Putin's" cheekbones, which is why his face has acquired a lumpy appearance, and this problem can hardly be hidden with makeup. 'As of yesterday, the double was more different than ever from the real Putin.' The atmosphere at the Kremlin event echoes that of meetings between Putin and various world leaders - and even his own ministers - since the Covid pandemic. The Russian President has largely appeared wary of coming into close contact with anyone outside his personal security staff. Perhaps the most notorious ploy to avoid sitting in close proximity reared its head in February 2022, when Putin received French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly before the invasion of Ukraine. The world leaders were seen plonked down the opposite end of a huge table, sitting along as Putin glared at them from the other side. Later in the year, several members of Putin's own defence ministry and armed forces, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and army chief Valery Gerasimov, endured the same treatment. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Moscow, Russia February 7, 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) meet at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 15 February 2022 Vladimir Putin showed further signs of a potential medical condition late last year when several videos showed his feet and legs twitching seemingly uncontrollably APRIL 21, 2022: Putin is seen gripping his desk with his right hand while meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in the early stages of the war. The footage from the meeting raised questions about Putin's health The aversion to his fellow man was initially put down to concerns over Covid and the potential of assassination attempts - but over time rumours that Putin was suffering from a serious undisclosed medical condition began to mount. These rumours intensified shortly after his invasion of Ukraine, with critics - and even some alleged Kremlin sources - indicating he may be suffering from cancer or perhaps Parkinson's disease supported by footage showing the leader shaking and gripping a table for support. He has also disappeared from the public eye for weeks at a time, with suggestions he is undergoing surgery. A slew of video footage of the autocrat has appeared to show him suffering with poor motor control, strange physical tics, and difficulty walking. He legs and feet have been seen to twitch and gyrate wildly during interviews and discussions with ministers or foreign leaders, and his awkward, jerky gait when walking has been closely analysed for signs of a degenerative condition. The Kremlin has consistently denied that there is anything wrong with Putin's health. But Putin's excuse of 'sanitary reasons' that prevented him from personally greeting the new envoys to the Kremlin this week if anything lend more credence to claims that he uses body doubles. In June, Putin paid a visit to Derbent in the Dagestan region of southern Russia - and footage showed how he practically dived into a nighttime crowd like a Hollywood actor at a red carpet show. Seemingly imbued with fresh energy after averting the Wagner group's attempted coup the week prior, the normally stoic and isolated Putin was uncharacteristically personable, shaking hands and planting kisses on the head of a young teenage girl who gushed over him and pleaded with her mother to snap a photo of her with the president. In another bizarre moment he shook hands with - and appears to adjust something on the uniform of - an officer carrying what may be his nuclear briefcase. He has not greeted his security apparatchiks in such a way previously. The transformative behaviour led many, including senior Russian figures, to fuel speculation that the Putin greeting adoring fans in Dagestan was in fact a body double. Vladimir Putin took part in a rare meet-and-greet that saw him mobbed by a crowd as he posed for selfies with young girls Russian president Vladimir Putin is seen snapping a selfie with an adoring teen from Dagestan The normally stoic and isolated Putin was uncharacteristically personable, shaking hands and planting kisses on the head of a young teenage girl Putin meets with people in a street in Derbent in the southern region of Dagestan, Russia, June 28, 2023 In another bizarre moment he shook hands with - and appeared to adjust something on the uniform of - an officer carrying what may be his nuclear briefcase Putin is rarely seen meeting ordinary Russians, especially since the Covid pandemic, which saw him observe strict isolation rules, some of which are still in place. For this reason, many eyebrows were raised about the public appearances. A longtime Moscow diplomat said: 'It is getting impossible to believe that there is only one Putin. 'There are several - very good lookalikes, yet they behave somewhat differently. 'This one diving into the crowd in Dagestan behaves differently to the traditional Putin.' Commentator Viktor Alksnis, a Soviet military tactician and politician who is now a Western-based analyst known as the Black Colonel, said: 'Why is Putin meeting with visitors in the Kremlin after their two-week quarantine and at a great distance, while in Derbent is calmly into the crowd and even hugs and kisses some citizens? 'How can the physical security of the president be ensured under such conditions? 'Something is not right here. It looks like a theatrical production in which Putin is not really Putin.' Hamas terrorists are refusing to release ten of their female hostages because they do not want them to reveal what they have been subjected to while being held captive, a US official has claimed. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said that this was the reason the week-long ceasefire, which came after Hamas agreed to release over 100 hostages over several days, ended. Mr Miller said: 'It seems that one of the reasons Hamas doesn't want to turn women over that they've been holding hostage, and the reason this pause fell apart, is they don't want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody.' Miller declined to share specific details on how women were treated by Hamas, citing sensitivities. He also declined to name the women Hamas refused to release. But he said that the United States had 'no reason to doubt' reports of sexual violence by Hamas. Miller said that the United States had 'no reason to doubt' reports of sexual violence by Hamas He declined to share specific details on how women were treated by Hamas, citing sensitivities State Department spokesperson Matt Miller (pictured) said: [Hamas] don't want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody READ MORE: White House says Hamas is refusing to release women hostages - and urges Israel to protect civilians in Gaza after the ceasefire collapsed Advertisement 'There is very little that I would put beyond Hamas when it comes to its treatment of civilians and particularly its treatment of women,' Miller said. The State Department's comments follow the White House's condemnation of Hamas for its refusal to release the women and children it captured during its deadly incursion into Israel on October 7. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday: 'The basic bottom line when it comes to where we are in the hostage negotiations, is that the first phase of the hostage negotiation was about the release of women and children. 'Hamas continues to hold women and civilian women and will not release them. And Israel is not prepared to close the book on those women or to give them up, so Israel is insisting that Hamas follow through on the release of those women.' A Hamas fighter and Red Cross medics help a newly released Israeli hostage Maya Regev into a Red Cross vehicle, in the Gaza Strip early on November 26 Emily was led to safety and reunited with her father after 50 days in captivity Nine-year-old Irish Israeli former hostage Emily Hand embraces her father at a hospital in Israel after being released by Hamas, amid an exchange operation of hostages against prisoners between Hamas and Israel, on November 26 Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, (pictured, centre) was taken against her will from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas' incursion into Israel on October 7 'Israel has said if Hamas is prepared to follow through on that, Israel is absolutely prepared to discuss additional categories of hostages, civilian men, the wounded and ultimately all of the hostages, the idea of soldiers being held.' The first group of 13 hostages were released on November 24, after Hamas and Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire. They also agreed to free women and children held behind enemy lines, with Hamas initially agreeing to free 50 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 150 Palestinians from jail. The deal was open-ended, and allowed for more days of ceasefire in exchange for more prisoners and hostages being released. Hamas, desperate for a brief respite from the war that has so far killed at least 15,000 of its civilians in Gaza, according to figures deemed trustworthy by the UN, made the most of the extensions, releasing a total of 105 hostages. The night sky is lit up by an Israeli missile landing in the south of Gaza While the ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, Gaza's health ministry said 70% of the dead were women and children The war has had a significant toll on Palestinians in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants But the deal was not extended past a week, which Israel said was because Hamas refused to produce a list of ten hostages before the deadline. An unnamed Israeli official told the Times of Israel that they believe 'Hamas is lying about the number of women in their possession.' The exact number and identities of the women still held by Hamas is not currently known. One released hostage, Mia Schem, was compelled to parrot Hamas propaganda praising her captors before she was released. French-Israeli civilian Mia, 21, spent 54 days in captivity after being shot and taken hostage at the Nova festival massacre on October 7. She was finally released on Thursday, after requiring medical attention from a vet while in captivity. But before she was freed, she was made to film a video speaking about her experience as a hostage. In an emotional clip shared by Hamas, she says: 'People very good, very kind to me... Food good and the kindness and everything good.' The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since October 7 has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded Hopes for another temporary truce faded after Israel called its negotiators home over the weekend Hamas said talks on releasing more of the scores of hostages seized by militants on October 7 must be tied to a permanent cease-fire Her aunt, Vivian Hadar, revealed that a veterinarian operated on her badly injured hand, which was shot while she was raving with her friends on October 7. She said that the treatment was a bodge job, and has stayed very quiet about her weeks underground. 'She isn't telling much,' Hadar said, adding that the moment relatives started asking questions, 'we saw that it was very hard for her.' Sharon Hertzman Avigdori, 52, and her 12-year-old daughter Noam were released as part of the second round of ceasefire negotiations. Sharon, a therapist who works with people on the autism spectrum, and her daughter were two of several members of their extended family who were released in late November. Also released from Hamas custody were Sharon's sister-in-law Shoshan Haran, 67, Shoshan's daughter Adi Shoham, 38, along with her son Navehs, eight, and Yahel, three. Israel's military is currently pushing deeper into the south of the Gaza Strip, after it called on Gazans to flee the enclave in its pursuit to wipe out the territory's Hamas rulers. The IDF has consistently called on Gazans to flee the enclave in its pursuit to wipe out the territory's Hamas rulers Israel's military is currently pushing deeper into the south of the Gaza Strip The war has displaced over three-fourths of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, who are running out of safe places to go The war has already killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, who are running out of safe places to go. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since October 7 has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded. While the ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, it said 70% of the dead were women and children. Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighborhoods. The United States, Qatar and Egypt, which mediated last week's ceasefire, say they are working on a longer truce. But hopes for another temporary truce faded after Israel called its negotiators home over the weekend. Hamas said talks on releasing more of the scores of hostages seized by militants on October 7 must be tied to a permanent cease-fire. James Cleverly arrived in Rwanda this morning to sign a treaty to get deportation flights heading to east Africa by the spring. The Home Secretary will sign off a new agreement to offshore small boat arrivals amid a deafening clanmour from the Tory backbenches at the scale of immigration, legal and illegal. He and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plan to get emergency legislation into the Commons within days designed to avoid the scheme being thwarted by the courts again. The original 140million scheme was signed almost 18 months ago and not a single deportee has yet left UK soil by air - and it was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court last month. It came as Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick today accused Channel boat migrants of 'breaking into' Britain. Mr Jenrick, who previously worked with ousted home secretary Suella Braverman, told Sky News: 'If you or I crossed an international border, or literally broke into another country, we would expect to be treated very seriously.' James Cleverly arrived in Kigali this morning to sign a fresh agreement with the Kagame regime to take those arriving in the UK by sea He visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial during his visit to Rwanda Mr Jenrick lashed out in a media interview this morning, saying: 'If you or I crossed an international border, or literally broke into another country, we would expect to be treated very seriously.' He admitted it 'will take time' for new restrictions to have an effect on legal migration numbers as he insisted the Government is still committed to the Tory 2019 manifesto target. Asked whether the goal to reduce overall numbers to below the 2019 net migration figure of around 219,000 would be met by the next election, the immigration minister told LBC Radio: 'The measures we're bringing forward now will take time to feed through in the system, but I want to see the manifesto commitment met. 'That's clearly why I have pushed for this set of measures.' Mr Cleverly follows in the footsteps of predecessors Dame Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, who both made private visits to the site during their trips to Rwanda over the last 18 months. After seeing a memorial garden and historical exhibits accompanied by centre staff, Mr Cleverly signed a visitor book with a message saying: 'Thank you for helping me see the pain you went through, but also the commitment to peace that you have chosen to make. 'We must never forget, but must learn, grow and work to a better future.' The visit is part of a series of engagements Mr Cleverly is taking part in around the Rwandan capital on a one-day trip to the country. It comes amid a separate clampdown on legal migration into the UK, which hit record levels at the end of last year. New rules have raised the visa salary threshold and will bar more foreign workers from bringing their partners and children with them. Writing in The Sun, the Prime Minister said there is 'far too much abuse of our system' which is 'not fair on the honest, hard-working British people'. He wrote: 'There are just too many people migrating to the UK. So we've launched a new plan to cut migration, with a simple message. 'If you can't contribute to the UK, you are not coming to the UK.' Mr Cleverly travelled to Kigali as Rishi Sunak bids to make the plan to send migrants to the African nation legally watertight after the Supreme Court's ruling against the policy Cleverly is expected to sign a treaty which will seek to address concerns raised by the UK Supreme Court last month and will be binding under international law More than 1,000 arrived across the Channel in the five days to Sunday, bringing the running total since the start of the year to 29,090 (File Photo) Mr Cleverly is expected to sign a treaty which will seek to address concerns raised by the court last month and will be binding under international law. Mr Sunak has said he is determined to get removals flights under way by the spring despite the court's rejection of the scheme. He aims to overcome judicial objections with the treaty and new measures which will be set out in emergency legislation. The number of small boat migrants who have reached Britain so far this year has topped 29,000 eclipsing the figure for the whole of 2021. More than 1,000 arrived across the Channel in the five days to Sunday, bringing the running total since the start of the year to 29,090. By comparison, the whole of 2021 saw 28,526 migrants arrive. However, this year's figure is still down by a third on last year's record number of 45,755. In a ruling last month, judges said the scheme was unlawful on the grounds there was a risk that asylum seekers could be sent from Rwanda to a country where they may be put at risk. In a further move to reassure judges about the scheme, British Government lawyers could be stationed in Rwandan courts to bolster the country's asylum system and the appeals mechanism. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said the Home Office was looking 'very carefully' at the idea of sending lawyers to Rwanda to address concerns about the legal system there. 'Discussions around beefing up their legal expertise, their legal capacity, have certainly been part of the talks,' a Whitehall source told the Daily Telegraph. Once the treaty is signed, ministers are expected to unveil emergency legislation setting out further moves to allow removals flights to finally take off. The number of small boat migrants who have reached Britain so far this year has topped 29,000 eclipsing the figure for the whole of 2021 (File Photo) It is understood there has been no decision on whether the new Bill will take the 'full-fat' option and withdraw parts of UK immigration law from the European Convention on Human Rights and other treaties. Alternatively, the measures could simply state Rwanda is a safe country in a bid to counteract the Supreme Court ruling. Downing Street yesterday denied reports that Rwanda is set to be paid an extra 15million for the scheme. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Certainly I don't recognise that figure of 15million, there's been no request for additional funding for the treaty made by Rwanda, or not offered by the UK Government.' Mr Cleverly told the Commons last night: 'Immigration policy must be fair, legal, and sustainable. That's why we are also taking the fight to illegal immigration. 'Our plan to stop the boats is working. Small boat arrivals are down by a third, even as illegal migration across Europe is on the rise.' Biggest ever clampdown 'will slash legal migration by 300,000' By David Barrett and Jason Groves James Cleverly last night vowed 'enough is enough' as he unveiled tough reforms designed to slash net migration by 300,000 a year. After a battering from the Tory backbenches over record levels of immigration, the Home Secretary pledged a five-point plan would lead to the 'biggest ever reduction in net migration'. Hailing 'the most substantial package of legal migration reforms this country has ever seen,' he said care workers will be barred from bringing family members to Britain. The salary threshold for a work visa will rise by 12,500 to more than 38,000 a year. And to stop immigration 'undercutting British workers', he vowed to 'scrap cut-price shortage labour from overseas' by ending the 20 per cent salary discount for sectors with labour shortages, and slashing the list of eligible roles. Critics warned the measures may not take effect soon enough to make a difference to migration figures before the next general election. Mr Cleverly said the proposals due to come into force in April also expanded upon previous commitments to bar most foreign students from bringing family members to the UK. After unveiling the plans, he was expected to fly to Rwanda last night to sign a new treaty in the hope of seeing deportation flights for small boat migrants begin as soon as possible. Mr Cleverly told MPs: 'Enough is enough. We've got to bring these numbers down. In total this package, plus our reduction in student dependants, will mean around 300,000 fewer people will come in future years than have come to the UK last year.' He said the measures were only possible thanks to the historic Brexit vote. 'When our country voted to leave the European Union, we voted to take back control of our borders,' he said. 'Thanks to this Conservative Government, we now have a points-based immigration system through which we control who comes to the UK.' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said: 'This is the biggest clampdown on legal migration ever. It doesn't prevent us going further should we chose to do so in the future.' Under the plan announced days after it emerged net migration had hit an all-time high of 745,000 last year the bar on care workers bringing dependants is expected to cut net migration by about 100,000 a year at current levels, it is understood. Raising the salary threshold for a work visa to 38,700 is expected to slash a further 50,000 a year from the net total. Crucially, care workers will be excluded from the salary hike in a bid to avoid worsening labour shortages in the sector. A review of the jobs on the 'shortage occupation list' will aim to cut the number of sectors it applies to. Mr Cleverly also announced he will toughen family visas which allow relatives of foreign nationals to come here. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who was sacked three weeks ago, said the announcement was a 'step in the right direction' but was 'too late'. 'I put forward similar measures six times in the last year,' she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'I'm glad that the PM has finally agreed to introducing some of them now but the delay has reduced their impact.' Mrs Braverman has previously accused the PM of reneging on a private agreement to cut migration, including a deal to raise the salary threshold to 40,000. The new package echoes proposals put forward by former PM Boris Johnson in his Daily Mail column last month, when he advocated a 40,000 salary threshold and said business owners who had become accustomed to accessing cheap foreign labour should be 'called out'. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Mr Cleverly's plan was an 'admission of years of total failure by the Government'. This is the horrifying moment a patient was engulfed in flames during an alternative medicine treatment in Thailand, leaving her with third-degree burns. The model, who was only identified by her nickname Game, went to a clinic to try out the Thai heat treatment called Phao Ya, which involved burning herbs on her tummy to help digestion. In footage of the incident, she looked very relaxed at first, talking to the assistants and smiling as she lay in a bed with a towel and mixture of herbs on her tummy. However, when the doctor used a tea light candle lighter to ignite the mixture, flames almost instantly spread to her clothes and the plastic sheet under her. The video shows Game writhing and screaming in pain when she felt the fire burning on her skin, with fire seemingly erupting from beneath the blanket covering her, and spreading all the way around her back in the blink of an eye. A doctor in Thailand is seen lighting herbs on a woman's stomach moments before she was engulfed in flames, causing third-degree burns Flames are seen spreading under the blanker covering the woman during the treatment The video shows the woman writhing and screaming in pain when she felt the fire burning on her skin, with fire seemingly erupting from beneath the blanket covering her She rolled down to the floor from the bed while a frantic nurse held her hands, and another tried to put out the blaze with a blanket and then a pillow. Shockingly, the doctor had backed away to safety in the corner while a colleague and the woman's boyfriend battled to extinguish the blaze. The desk receptionist sprayed water on Game from the sink while the an assistant used pillows to smother the flames until they were able to control the fire at the clinic in Bangkok, Thailand. In a complaint to the Thai Health Ministry on December 4, the woman said: 'I suffered a lot of pain. I am afraid that it would impact my work. In another week, I need to work again, but I still have to receive treatment at the hospital.' Game added she suffered third-degree burns, blistering most of her back and under her breasts - which she had to treat for two months as they were very painful. Speaking anonymously through her lawyer, she said: 'I had to be in bed for two months. I was still lucky there was no infection. We used insurance, but my hospital bills were expensive. The clinic didn't help us. Now it's affecting my work. Game says she suffered third-degree burns, blistering most of her back (pictured) and under her breasts - which she had to treat for two months as they were very painful The woman says she has been unable to work on account of her injuries (pictured) 'My treatment is still ongoing, and my injuries have not yet fully healed. Meanwhile, the case with them has not progressed.' Game and her boyfriend sought the help of a Thai celebrity lawyer Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, also known as Gun Jompalang, who joined them in filing a case against the clinic, whom they claimed refused to take responsibility for what happened. Pongpaiboonwet said: 'The clinic and doctor declined to take responsibility, shifting blame between the parties involved. 'My client has had to bear the hospital bills on their own and her wounds are not even healed. I am assisting them to ensure that those responsible pay the suitable compensation.' Health ministry official Doctor Rungruang Kitpathi said it was the first time they received a complaint about the Thai heat treatment. Game (left in a mask) and her boyfriend sought the help of a Thai celebrity lawyer Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet (seen right), also known as Gun Jompalang, who joined them in filing a case against the clinic, whom they claimed refused to take responsibility for what happened He said the ministry would investigate and is now gathering information about the doctor who performed the botched procedure. Phao Ya is a traditional Thai healing practice that uses heat therapy and herbal remedies to address a variety of physical ailments. One of the techniques used in Phao Ya is moxibustion, which involves burning dried mugwort herb on specific acupuncture points in the tummy. It is believed to help digestion and menstrual pain. . : A TikToker who posted tips online on how to cheat train fares has been caught and fined. The woman shared numerous videos on her social media account boasting about how she avoided paying and urged her followers to do the same. 'I never ever ever pay full price for a train journey and I thought that with the prices going up I would share my tips with you,' she said in a video. Her tricks included sitting near the toilet 'incase you need to hide from a ticket inspector' and buying a ticket for the cheapest stop rather than your actual destination. She also advised her followers to say their phone had died or that they are having 'technical difficulties'. The woman shared numerous videos on her social media account boasting about how she avoided paying and urged her followers to do the same 'Overall if you get smart with it there are a couple of ways you can beat the train company,' she claims. But she didn't get away with it - and has received a 773 fine and a criminal record. East Midlands Railway told MailOnline the videos were part of the evidence against her. This was after a collaborative investigation between East Midlands Railway and the British Transport Police lead to the successful prosecution of the fare evader under Regulation of Railways Act. Dave Meredith, Customer Services Director at East Midlands Railway, said: 'The vast majority of our customers always buy a ticket, and they understand that for the railway to successfully operate, improve, and secure investment, fares need to be paid for. 'However, there are some people who try and work the system and look for different ways to evade paying. She advised passengers to buy tickets for the first - or cheapest - stop and then just carry on with their journey 'Our revenue protection, fraud and security teams work both in uniform and plain clothes in order to monitor and catch fare evaders, whether they are travelling without a ticket, have a ticket for part of their journey or fraudulently travelling on a child's ticket. 'The impact of fare evasion is felt by our law-abiding fare paying customers and ultimately the taxpayer. It's indefensible for certain individuals to believe they're exempt from paying for our services, and as these cases show, our teams are across our network looking for people who think its ok to break the law.' PC Lisa Scott-Savage, Investigating Officer for the British Transport Police, said: 'We're extremely pleased with the result in this case, which highlights the price of evading fares - hefty fines and a criminal record. 'It is the legitimate fare paying passengers who end up bearing the brunt of the cost of the dishonest people who think they can get away without paying.' Customers who travel on East Midlands Railway without a valid ticket can be fined 100 on top of the price of a single ticket. Britain's only pair of giant pandas have been pictured in their new home at a sanctuary in China after a 5,000 mile journey. Giant pandas Yang Guang (Sunshine) and Tian Tian (Sweetie) were in Edinburgh Zoo for 12 years until they flew to China yesterday. They were pictured sitting at a table enjoying a meal with two other pandas in their new home in China. The pandas were a popular attract in Edinburgh Zoo and they will be sorely missed by regulars. The duo were boarded onto the 1.45pm flight to Beijing yesterday alongside crates of leaves after the 10-year agreement, which was extended by two years, ended between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Giant pandas Yang Guang (Sunshine) and Tian Tian (Sweetie) were in Edinburgh Zoo for 12 years The duo were boarded onto the 1.45pm flight to Beijing yesterday alongside crates of leaves after the 10-year agreement The UK's only giant pandas pictured sitting around a table having a meal in their enclosure in Edinburgh Zoo Some Edinburgh Zoo fans were left heartbroken after the 'panda cameras' they had tuned into over the years showed nothing but an empty enclosure. One person posted a heart-wrenching picture on X, formerly Twitter, of a lone zookeeper cleaning Yang Guang and Tian Tian's former home. The wrote: 'Safe travels, sad seeing the keepers on panda cam clean the enclosures of their bamboo bits for the last time this morning. 'Must be very emotional for them, thank you for all the hard work looking after them.' Head of marketing at the RZSS Lisa Robshaw said it was very strange watching the live stream on BBC Breakfast and that she would miss the web traffic 'almost as much as the pandas'. Another said: 'Awww gonna miss these two and panda cam made me happy watching them.' While a fourth said: 'Was a big fan of the panda cams. Safe home Yuan Guang and Tian Tian.' Giant panda Yang Guang at Edinburgh Zoo before he left on his 5,000 mile journey to his new home in China People watch as giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian are loaded on to the China Southern cargo plane Others commented under a post on Edinburgh Zoo's Facebook page about the pandas' final day at the zoo. Giant panda: Quick facts - 99 per cent of a giant panda's diet consists of different types of bamboo - They are largely solitary but they do communicate through calls and scent marking and occasionally meet outside of the mating season - Female pandas are only able to conceive for two to three days a year - An adult panda is roughly 900 times bigger than a new-born cub (which is about the size of a stick of butter) Source: Edinburgh Zoo Advertisement One social media user said what they would miss about seeing them on the cameras. They wrote: 'A sad day and have a safe and happy journey ,we will miss seeing you on the webcam eating your bamboo late at night XXx' Another had visited the zoo to say their last goodbyes and told how they had 'shed a tear' when they left. Writing before the pandas had departed, they said: 'Thank you so much for having them the last 12 years was so wonderful to see magestic Pandas in the flesh and learn so much about them,' they wrote. 'Good luck to the keepers tomorrow and up until they leave for China and best of wishes for Yang and Tian in their new home in China, my husband and I wish them long and happy lives. 'Thank you for wonderful memories/pictures and footage to treasure. 'Will be glued to the cameras til they're switched off.' Visitors said their goodbyes to the mammals on Thursday, with the zoo then beginning preparations for them to return to the China Wildlife Conservation Association base at Chengdu. The base, founded in 1987, is world-class research facility, conservation education centre, and international educational tourism destination', winning the Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement, the UN's highest environmental award, twice. The 13-hour flight had a Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) keeper and vet, a Chinese keeper and airline official sat behind the pilot and co-pilot, while the rest of the seats have been taken out of the specially chartered China Southern plane Fans of the 'panda cam' took to Facebook and X to tell how much they would miss watching the pandas with one revealing how they had shed a tear after visiting the zoo this week to say goodbye Covering more than three square kilometers, the base has several luxury panda 'villas' tucked into the mountains and forests, allowing the bears to live together in the region with countless trees, streams and bamboo plants, as well as more than 700 species of plants and animals. Covering more than three square kilometers, the base has several luxury panda 'villas' tucked into the mountains and forests, allowing the bears to live together in the region with countless trees, streams and bamboo plants, as well as more than 700 species of plants and animals. To take the pandas to their new home, Edinburgh Zoo's blacksmith Rab Clark has constructed two bespoke metal crates complete with sliding padlock doors, pee trays and removable screens so the keepers can check on them during the flight to Sichuan. The crates are 190cm long, 146cm high and 127cm wide, which the bears have been getting used to in the last few weeks. The pandas have been in quarantine since the start of November and will also spend time in quarantine when they arrive in China to comply with animal health regulations. The two bears have regular vet checks, including blood and faecal sampling, to ensure they are healthy and do not take any disease into China. The China Wildlife Conservation Association base at Chengdu, founded in 1987, claims to be a 'world-class research facility, conservation education centre' A low-loader transporter was hired to transfer the pandas from the zoo to Edinburgh Airport. 'Perhaps Tian Tian would not have swiped right on Tinder': How the pandas failed to mate despite a decade of trying Yang Guang and Tian Tian appeared a perfect match when they arrived in Edinburgh from China in 2011. But for more than a decade the pair have failed to click and produce the offspring that zoologists and vets desperately hoped for upon their arrival in Scotland. Efforts for them to breed naturally didn't come to fruition and since 2013, the zoo has tried artificial insemination some eight times. The last attempt was in 2021, after which the giant panda breeding programme was stopped. David Field, the chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), even joked that the pair would have struggled to match on Tinder, saying that 'perhaps Tian Tian would not have swiped right', such was their reluctance to be together. Experts say is very difficult to tell if a panda is pregnant as foetuses tend not to develop much in the uterus. A panda's abdomen has lots of complicated parts and bowels filled with food that may make it hard for vets to see what they are looking for. Advertisement The pandas are usually late risers, so staff at the zoo had been gradually bringing forward their wake-up time to get them used to earlier starts. The exact time was kept secret to reduce the chance of disruption from crowds of well-wishers or protest groups, as many feel the zoo should never have taken the pandas in the first place. The panda crates were loaded in by fork lift at stand 12 by Edinburgh Airport's terminal building. The 13-hour flight will have a Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) keeper and vet, a Chinese keeper and airline official sat behind the pilot and co-pilot, while the rest of the seats have been taken out of the specially chartered China Southern plane. The pandas will have health checks, food and water during the flight but the humans on board will have to heat up their own meals in the on-board microwave because there will be no cabin crew. Chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, David Field, said it was 'hugely disappointing' not to be greeted with a baby panda. Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Field said: 'It's hugely disappointing. Baby pandas are just beautiful. They are exquisite, they are endearing, they are glorious. 'They are one of the most fantastic ambassadors for people falling back in love with nature. 'I think the biggest disappointment has been for Tian Tian, because that maternal cycle is really important for them as part of their natural behavioural repertoire everything from all the hormonal cycles to the nest building to rearing. 'Sometimes animals just don't get on. Genetically they were apparently an extremely good match but behaviourally, if it was Tinder, perhaps Tian Tian wouldn't have swiped right if she had the choice. 'They are hugely emblematic, they are iconic for conservation and they make people smile with sheer abandonment.' Edinburgh Zoo is set to be replacing the pandas with another 'exciting' species, which has not yet been revealed. A single mother who mauled a community policewoman after she tried to stop her banging her head on the floor outside a pub has been spared jail. Kirstie Rutherford, 30, sank her teeth into the arm of PCSO Rebecca Campbell whilst the officer was trying to stop her deliberately hitting her head as she was being detained outside the Rufford Arms Hotel in Ormskirk. PCSO Campbell, who works for Lancashire Police, suffered bruising to her forearm in the arrest. She said she was left feeling apprehensive about attending incidents in the future and questioned if she still wanted to be a police officer. Inquiries revealed Rutherford, from West Derby, Liverpool, had 25 previous offences on her record many for drunken and boorish behaviour. She also lost custody of her son and daughter due to her abuse of alcohol. At Sefton Magistrates Court, the mother-of-two pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and assaulting an emergency worker and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. Single mother Kirstie Rutherford (pictured), 30, bit the arm of a community policewoman after she tried to stop her banging her head on the floor outside a pub has been spared jail Rutherford (pictured) attacked PCSO Rebecca Campbell whilst the officer was trying to stop her deliberately hitting her head as she was being detained PCSO Campbell, who works for Lancashire Police, suffered bruising to her forearm in the arrest outside the Rufford Arms Hotel in Ormskirk Rutherford, who has undergone rehab treatment since losing custody of her children, was ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and six months of alcohol treatment. She was also ordered to pay PCSO Campbell 150 compensation and pay 274 in costs and a victim surcharge. In a statement to colleagues PCSO Campbell said: 'Since the incident where I was bitten, I have questioned my actions even though I did everything right that evening. 'As a result of being bitten I sustained temporary bruising to the right hand and forearm. It was tender and sore in the days following the accident. I was bruised on my right fist. 'Due to my position in the police, this incident has made me more apprehensive about attending incidents. 'It made me question if I still want to be in this position with the police if I'm going to be exposed to people like this.' Sentencing District Judge Wendy Lloyd commented: 'She hurts people when she is drunk. I've read the reports and she is making her own misery. 'She has lost two children as a result of alcohol abuse and I wonder what else the court can do that can be worse than that?' PCSO Campbell said she was left feeling apprehensive about attending incidents in the future and questioned if she still wanted to be a police officer. Inquiries revealed Rutherford (pictured), from West Derby, Liverpool, had 25 previous offences on her record many for drunken and boorish behaviour Rutherford (pictured) also lost custody of her son and daughter due to her abuse of alcohol The judge told Rutherford: 'This was quite a horrible thing to happen and obviously, it is the assault that really worries me. 'This officer was just trying to help you as you were clearly going to be vulnerable if you were left in the state that you were in. 'But the way you pay the officer back is by biting her. It was a horrible vicious thing to do. I have no doubt this offence passes the custody threshold. We have to protect the emergency workers. 'They are on the front line.. It is completely unacceptable that they should be in fear going about their job. PCSO Campbell was really questioning her future because of all of this.' The incident occurred at 10pm on February 28 this year after police were called to the pub following reports Rutherford was being abusive to staff. Clare Oliver, prosecuting, said: 'Officer Rebecca Campbell and a police colleague arrived at the scene after the hotel staff called having had trouble with the lady Miss Rutherford. 'The officers try to get hold of her details to establish what was going on but she continued to get angry and officer Campbell's colleague arrested her for being drunk and disorderly. 'The officers were then trying to escort her to custody when she began to manipulate her wrists out of the handcuffs and was causing trouble for the officers. She hit her head on the door. Rutherford pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and assaulting an emergency worker and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months 'The officers tried to get control of her outside of the vehicle but she was not compliant and was then trying to fight back to the officers. 'Officer Campbell described that she had a hold of her head to prevent her hitting it on the concrete and prevent her hurting her or her colleagues - but the defendant then bit her on the right forearm. 'The injury from the bite was bruising to the right forearm between the wrist and the elbow. Other officers arrived at 10.25pm and they were able to get hold of Miss Rutherford and the situation.' In mitigation defence solicitor Louise Bauress said: 'Since thus incident she has done a lot to try and help herself and has voluntarily engaged with alcohol support services. 'She does realise the position she finds herself in and realises the offence has crossed the custody threshold - but she would welcome rehabilitation. 'She is due to go back to the family court and is hoping for custody of her children. She does realise that there is a lot of work to be done. Hopefully by working with the probation service she can get to the place where she needs to be.' Labour's poll lead over the Tories has fallen by four points as Rishi Sunak toughens his stance on immigration. Sir Keir Starmer's advantage has fallen to a still comfortable 16 points in the survey by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, carried out on Sunday. But the constriction, coupled with an arrest of Reform UK's surge in support, is likely to bolster claims of those on the Tory Right that a further immigration clampdown is needed in order to win the next election. The increase in support for Nigel Farage's Party - now just two points behind the Lib Dems - has bolstered calls for the former Ukip leader to be welcomed back into Tory ranks after more than three decades. One backbencher went even further today, saying he would welcome Mr Farage being made Lord Farage, with a seat in the Lords, so he could be a hardline home secretary. Such a move would see him line up next to EU Referendum rival David Cameron, now Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the Foreign Secretary. Stoke-on-Trent North's Jonathan Gullis told GB News: 'I'd love to see it, personally, I think Nigel has a lot to offer. Sir Keir Starmer's advantage has fallen to a still comfortable 16 points in the survey by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, carried out on Sunday. The increase in support for Nigel Farage's Party - now just two points behind the Lib Dems - has bolstered calls for the former Ukip leader to be welcomed back into Tory ranks after more than three decades. Stoke-on-Trent North's Jonathan Gullis told GB News: 'I'd love to see it, personally, I think Nigel has a lot to offer. 'Number one, he is a big voice on the key issues like immigration that we know are a huge number one, if not number two issue for Conservative voters particularly those in 2019 and particularly those in the red wall. 'Secondly, I think he's actually an asset across the blue and the red wall. In essence, he's able to communicate in a way many politicians aren't able to. Probably no one closer to having the ability other than Boris Johnson to be able to get a message across clearly and concisely. 'So I really do hope that he comes forward and he joins and I'd be very happy to welcome him.' Before the immigration crackdown was announced by Home Secretary James Cleverly yesterday, pollsters JL Partners said the rise of Reform UK has hit the Tories hard with 15 per cent of their 2019 voters switching to the new Right-wing party due to dismay over immigration. Another 18 per cent of 2019 Tory voters have gone over to Labour, likely to include a number of former Labour voters who were alienated by its lurch to the Left under Jeremy Corbyn. Support has continued to drift away from the Conservatives even after Mr Sunak's speech to the party conference at the start of October in which he promised a reset. James Johnson, the founder of JL Partners, told Bloomberg: 'Rishi Sunak can count on some undecided voters to narrow the Labour lead, and the British public is hardly elated by the prospect of a Labour government. 'That's where the good news for the Tories stops: They are in dire straits.' But Mr Holden yesterday insisted 'nothing is impossible'. 'This is the oldest political party in the world,' he told the Express. 'We have to be ready for whatever the Prime Minister wants to go for the election in the new year.' He added: 'Britain is doing pretty well while Labour still wants to talk us down. 'We're in a much better place now and we need to just concentrate on what unites us.' A transgender butcher who kidnapped and sexually abused a young girl during a horrific 27-hour ordeal will today appeal against his sentence. Andrew Miller, 53, who also uses the name Amy George, was dressed as a woman when he offered the primary school pupil - who he had never seen before - a lift in February. He took the girl back to his house in the Scottish Borders and subjected her to repeated attacks, which a judge described as 'every parents worst nightmare'. At the High Court in Edinburgh in October, Miller was handed a 28-year extended sentence, comprising 20 years behind bars and a further eight spent on licence under supervision in the community. First Minister Humza Yousaf refused to say if Miller would serve his prison sentence in a men's or women's jail. However, when questioned by The Scottish Mail on Sunday three days after Miller admitted his vile crime Mr Yousaf appeared to have clarified his position. He said: 'So Andrew Miller is being housed in the male estate. If he is sentenced I would not expect that to change.' The violent criminal was sent to HMP Edinburgh - the same male prison as transgender rapist Isla Bryson. Transgender butcher Andrew Miller (pictured), 53, who also uses the name Amy George, kidnapped and sexually abused a little girl Miller (pictured) was dressed as a woman when he offered the primary school-aged child - whom he had never seen before - a lift in February Miller was granted permission to appeal his sentence and a hearing will take place this morning at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh. Sentencing Miller on October 18, judge Lord Arthurson described Millers crimes as 'brazen and chilling' and 'uniquely appalling'. READ MORE - Trans women held in female jails are being moved to male prisons under new retrospective ban following Isla Bryson scandal Advertisement He said the offences were 'abhorrent crimes' of the utmost 'deviance and depravity' which were 'the realisation of every parents worst nightmare'. The court was told Miller was transitioning into becoming a woman. The child was locked in Millers home for 27 hours, during which time she was repeatedly touched, and also forced to watch pornography. She eventually managed to dial 999 while Miller, who was wearing womens underwear, was asleep. At the time of his arrest, Miller was wearing a bra, women's underwear, tights and one silicone breast the other had become dislodged during a struggle. Miller later told detectives he did not abduct the girl and that it was 'all a mistake'. He claimed he stopped to offer her a lift because 'she was freezing'. He said he put her in bed with him because 'it was a motherly thing'. Miller pleaded guilty to charges of abduction, sexual assault, watching pornography in the presence of the child under the age of 13, and possessing 242 indecent images of children Miller being led from Selkirk Sheriff Court following an earlier hearing The decision to house him in a male prison followed a row over the jailing of transgender rapist Isla Bryson, who was sent to a female prison in February Miller also admitted that he should 'never have gotten into this situation' during a six-hour police interview. After his arrest, three laptops were seized from his property and a total of 242 indecent images of children were found. Searches for similar content were found in his internet history. Miller has been placed on the sex offenders' register. The decision to house him in a male prison followed a row over the jailing of transgender rapist Isla Bryson, who was sent to a female prison in February. Bryson was later moved to a male prison. A man has been charged with the murder of a 22-year-old man who died more than six years after being stabbed in a fight outside a supermarket. Jamel Boyce suffered severe brain damage after being wounded in the attack outside a branch of Sainsbury's in Clapham, south London, in October 2016. The then-17-year-old was left blind, paralysed and unable to speak, and died at a care home in Streatham Hill, south-east London, last February, aged 22. His cause of death was ruled, after a post-mortem examination, to be a penetrating injury to the chest. A police investigation immediately after the attack led to a man being jailed for grievous bodily harm with intent. Jamel Boyce suffered severe brain damage after being wounded in the attack outside a branch of Sainsbury's in Clapham, south London, in October 2016 Jamel Boyce was left blind and needing round-the-clock care after the attack in 2016 Jamel Boyce's cause of death was ruled, after a post-mortem examination, to be a penetrating injury to the chest A new inquiry was opened after Mr Boyce's death. Tyrese Osei-Kofi, 24, of no fixed address, has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday December 27. Jamel's family has been informed of this development and they continue to be supported by officers. Previously, Jamel's family released pictures of him fighting for his life in the hopes it would prevent others from committing knife crime. Pansy Boyce, mother of Jamel Boyce, said at the time it was 'impossible' to describe the pain her family was suffering, but hoped the distressing image of the 17-year-old lying unconscious in a hospital bed would show the devastating impact of knife crime. Mrs Boyce said: 'It is impossible to describe the pain our family is suffering at this time as our son lies in hospital fighting for his life. 'It breaks my heart to release this picture of Jamel but it shows plainly the devastating impact that carrying and using a knife can have. 'I would hate for any other mother or family to go through what we are going through right now. If you know what happened, and who did this to my son, please look into your conscience and speak to police.' Jamel Boyce was a business student at St Francis Xavier College in Clapham. Pictures: Jamel Boyce as a baby Jamel Boyce's father Patrick said the stabbing 'should never have happened to Jamel' His father, Patrick, added: 'Jamel is a very loving son, who is kind and considerate always putting others before himself. This should never have happened to Jamel.' Jamel, a business student at St Francis Xavier College in Clapham, was at a McDonald's on Clapham High Street when there was a dispute with the people he was with at around 3pm on October 14, police said. Four hours later the teenager was attacked in a road around 200 yards from the fast food chain. Detective Sergeant Paul Graves, of Lambeth CID, said: 'From speaking to witnesses it now appears that the incident in which Jamel received his injuries would have appeared innocuous at first glance and people may not have realised he had been stabbed. 'We know Jamel was involved in an altercation involving four other males adjacent to a Sainsbury's supermarket car park in Triangle Place. 'Members of the public often use this route to access the supermarket and it may be that people have witnessed what appeared to be a minor scuffle and dismissed it as a trivial event. 'However, Jamel has received injuries that have left him critically ill and I would appeal to anyone who was in the vicinity at around 1900hrs that evening to come forward and speak to police.' Rishi Sunak is facing claims he is 'putting a price on love' by hiking the minimum income level for family visas as part of his bid to cut migrant numbers. Under a new five-point plan to slash net migration, the Prime Minister is raising the minimum income for family visas to 38,700 - more than double the current threshold of 18,600 - from next Spring. It has prompted claims that poorer Britons will no longer be able to live together with their foreign spouses in the UK. Tory former minister Gavin Barwell joined a growing backlash against the move. He branded it 'morally wrong and unConservative to say that only the wealthiest can fall in love, marry someone and then bring them to the UK'. But No10 today defended the measure and insisted Britons earning less than 38,700 may still live with foreign spouses in the UK in 'exceptional circumstances'. Under a new five-point plan to slash net migration, the Prime Minister is raising the minimum income for family visas to 38,700 from next Spring Net migration hit a record 745,000 in 2022, although it is estimated to have fallen to 672,000 in the year to June 2023 Tory ex-minister Gavin Barwell joined a backlash against the move, branding it 'morally wrong... to say only the wealthiest can fall in love, marry someone and bring them to the UK' The PM's official spokesman stressed the 38,700 threshold is for a 'household as a whole', rather than just one family member's earnings. 'That is just one way that people can demonstrate their ability to support a dependant,' the spokesman said. 'They can also demonstrate this through their level of savings. 'If you don't meet the minimum income requirement, you may also be able to bring a dependant to the UK if you get certain benefits, for example disability living allowance.' But the family would still need to demonstrate they could support themselves without relying on public funds, the spokesman added. He continued: 'The family immigration rules contain a provision for exceptional circumstances where there would be unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant, their partner, a relevant child or another family member if their application were to be refused. 'Finally, there are other visas that foreign nationals are able to apply for in their own right, be it student or skilled worker for example.' Mr Sunak's spokesman also said that while the minimum income rules for family visas will not apply retrospectively, they will apply when existing visas for foreign spouses come up for renewal. 'People always have a set length of time for their visa and will be aware that at the conclusion of that visa time, they don't have a guarantee that (they can) remain in the country,' he said. 'We think it is right, as a point of principle, that anyone bringing dependants to live in the UK are able to financially support them.' It has been claimed that hiking the minimum income level for family visas to 38,700 would mean three-quarters of Britons are too poor to marry a foreigner, if they wished to live together in the UK. Median gross annual earnings for full-time employees in the UK was 34,963 in April 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It was also pointed out how senior Government figures - including Mr Sunak himself, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick - all married foreign spouses. Mr Barwell, the former Tory MP who was ex-PM Theresa May's chief of staff in Downing Street, said: 'It is both morally wrong and unconservative to say that only the wealthiest can fall in love, marry someone and then bring them to the UK.' Amid the backlash, SNP MP Stuart McDonald posted on Twitter: 'They should be revising the income threshold for family visas downwards (or abolishing) - not doubling it! 'Many thousands more couples, and parents/children will be split up by this horrendous anti-family Tory government. This is indeed absolutely appalling.' The Best for Britain campaign said: 'Now only the rich can marry a foreigner. The Government is building walls so high, that they're locking us all in.' Jonathan Beech, managing director of immigration law specialists Migrate UK, said: 'The most damaging change recommended by the Government from a personal level was the rise in the financial requirement for family visas (partners and children of settled persons). 'This has risen from 18,600 to 38,700 where it appears the onus has put the economy first and uniting families a distant second.' But Tory former health minister Neil O'Brien defended the move, saying: 'We've had the principle that family migrants pay their own way for over a decade. 'Nearly half of working age people get more in benefits than taxes. I think the new threshold set near the average is reasonable. Other countries have stricter rules.' The Queen's close friend Prue Penn thought Claire Foy's depiction of Her Late Majesty in The Crown was 'brilliant', according to her acquaintance Charles Moore. The former editor of the Telegraph revealed in his column in the Spectator that Lady Penn, who died last month aged 97, was a fan of the first two seasons of the controversial Netflix series. Quoting from 'several hundred emails and text exchanges' he had with her, Lord Moore revealed Lady Penn's warm words for Foy's depiction of the Queen. Foy, 39, portrayed her across 20 episodes before the role passed to Olivia Coleman for series three and four. Lady Penn said of her: 'The girl who plays HM is brilliant. She speaks like her and she has the same aura of dignity and self-assurance that HM has had all her life'. The Queen's close friend Prue Penn thought Claire Foy 's depiction of Her Late Majesty in The Crown was 'brilliant', according to her acquaintance Charles Moore. Above: Lady Penn (centre) with Princess Margaret (right) and policewoman Margaret Liles at a lunch to mark the Women of the Year celebration in 1975 The former editor of the Telegraph revealed in his column in the Spectator Magazine that Lady Penn, who died last month aged 97, was a fan of the first two seasons of the controversial Netflix series. Above: Foy as the Queen alongside Matt Smith as Prince Philip in a scene from The Crown's first season in 2016 She added: 'You ask The Queen a question, she thinks before she answers and she always gets it right. She has wisdom.' However, Lord Moore claimed that Lady Penn did find The Crown 'increasingly detestable' as the production continued. Critics have pointed out dozens of historical inaccuracies and have slammed the fictionalised depiction of seismic events in royal history. The first four episodes of the latest and final series - which depicts the last days of Princess Diana - are available on Netflix. Imelda Staunton is the final star to portray the monarch in the show. Lady Penn, whose late husband Sir Eric served as Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's office, was lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother. She and the Queen, who were born 12 weeks apart, got married in the same year and both had nine great-grandchildren. Lady Penn was left distraught when the Queen died in September last year. She told Lord Moore: 'HM and I were born three months apart. The late Queen at Balmoral waiting to meet new prime minister Liz Truss. She passed away just two days later Foy, 39, portrayed her across 20 episodes before the role passed to Olivia Coleman for series three and four. Lady Penn said of her: 'The girl who plays HM is brilliant. She speaks like her and she has the same aura of dignity and self-assurance that HM has had all her life'. Above: Foy and Smith portraying the Queen and Prince Philip The Queen and Prince Philip examining the Royal Yacht before it was officially launched 'We were in the departure lounge together but her flight has been called first! My Eric will be at the gate to ensure that protocol is properly adhered to. I feel deeply sad.' Lady Penn's husband passed away in 1993. His uncle had served as groom-in-waiting to King George VI and then as private secretary and treasurer to the Queen Mother. The couple's son David and their grandson Rory both served as page of honour to the Queen. Lady Penn came to know the then Princess Elizabeth and her sister Margaret through her husband. The Queen Mother and Princess Elizabeth attended the Penns' wedding in January 1947, ten months before the future monarch tied the knot with Prince Philip. Sir Eric formally entered the royal fold in 1960, when he became Assistant Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office. He was promoted to Comptroller in 1964 and served in the role until 1981, when he retired. In 1964, she became one of the godmothers to Princess Margaret's daughter Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, who was christened at Buckingham Palace. King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, confided in her when he was set to marry Princess Diana, expressing his concerns over the union. Lady Penn was at the heart of royal life for decades and was a close friend of the Queen Lady Penn also worked in the world of music in a voluntary capacity, mixing with the likes of Benjamin Britten and Sir Frederick Ashton. Above: Lady Penn with Britten in 1970 Lady Penn was appointed as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother in 1994. The Queen and Prince Philip would sometimes stay for the weekend at Lady Penn's home in Suffolk. The royal couple also attended her 90th birthday party at Bellamy's in Mayfair in 2016. She remained close to the Queen until she passed away in 2022 and spoke to her on the phone just ten days before her death. Lady Penn was also a close admirer of the King, telling one friend how he had 'grown in stature' since his accession. She added: 'I am devoted to him and know that he will take on the mantle with sensitivity, wisdom, and strength.' Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle were excluded from the Duke of Westminster's wedding invite list as his loyalty has to be to the King and future King, a royal insider has claimed. The Sussexes have been snubbed by Hugh Grosvenor, who decided not to invite them to his wedding with Olivia Henson next year in a bid to avoid 'drama', it is claimed. Despite the fact he is believed to be godfather to the Sussexes' son, Prince Archie, and one of Harry's oldest friends, it is claimed the Duke has not invited him so it won't overshadow his big day. A source says one of the reasons Harry and Meghan have been left out is because they have criticised the royals and their way of life. 'You have to remember that people like this are very traditional - and while they wouldn't be at all bothered by a drunken uncle or some overt snogging on the dance floor, they don't like it when people criticise their way of life in public, which is exactly what Harry and Meghan have been doing for the last few years,' the source who knows the Grosvenors told the Telegraph. Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, is believed to have excluded Meghan and Harry from his wedding invite list A source says one of the reasons Harry and Meghan have been left out is because they have criticised the royals and their way of life The source said the Duke of Westminster's loyalty would have to lie with the King and future King 'And given who he is, Hugh's loyalty would always have to be to the current King and the future King.' One of Britain's richest men, the 32-year-old billionaire aristocrat proposed to fiancee Olivia Henson at his family seat, Eaton Hall in Cheshire. They are set to get married at Chester Cathedral in June in the wedding of the year. William and Kate and the King and the Queen are all invited, with the Prince of Wales even thought to be in the running to be best man. The Duke of Westminster had originally planned to invite Harry and Meghan, but the aristocrat changed his mind, fearing their presence would overshadow the day, The Sunday Times reports. Another serious consideration was said to be the feelings of Charles, Camilla, William and Kate, who are all likely to be there. One of Britain's richest men, the 32-year-old billionaire aristocrat proposed to fiancee Olivia Henson at his family seat, Eaton Hall in Cheshire The Duke of Westminster had originally planned to invite Harry and Meghan, but changed his mind, according to reports A friend of the pair told the paper: 'It's incredibly sad it has come to this. Hugh is one of very few close friends of William and Harry's who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both. 'He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realises it's unlikely to happen before the wedding. 'He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn't want any awkwardness.' A spokesman for the Duke earlier said: 'We are not in a position to comment on the guest list.' Buckingham Palace also previously declined to comment. Steve Price has taken aim at Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, accusing her of using 'weasel words' to duck responsibility for allowing masked neo-Nazis to brazenly march down the main street of a town. The Project host also slammed at Victoria Police for watching on and even escorting the menacing group of 30 black-clad men who waved racist banners and chanted offensive slogans in Ballarat, 115km north west of Melbourne, on Sunday. His furious remarks on Tuesday night's episode came after footage of the rally was shown along with Ms Allan's reaction. Although Ms Allan said 'what we saw in Ballarat was really disgraceful behaviour', she defended the lack of police action to stop the march. 'We also do live in a society where freedom of association, the right to peacefully come together to rally for a cause that's something that is important to our functioning as a society and that is why it is important to maintain the balance,' she said. Price erupted at the notion. 'I reckon they were very poor weasel words there from the premier Jacinta Allan,' Price said. 'She should have got her police minister to tell the police commissioner of Victoria that you can't allow people to walk down the street completely covered in a mask. 'Police should have stopped those blokes on that street in Ballarat, demanded that they demask or they would have been arrested.' Fellow The Project host Hamish Macdonald asked what laws Price would change to stop such a demonstration. Price pointed out that anti-bikie laws, which are in place in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia to varying levels, ban people associating together while wearing bikie gang colours. 'This is worse than that,' Price said of the neo-Nazi march. 'These people are despicable. And the police have to be a police force, they are weak. 'We had those same Victorian police force firing rubber bullets at anti-vaxxer protests and using riot shields. So why do they allow these blokes to get away with this?' During Victoria's draconian Covid lockdowns in September 2021, police fired rubber bullets at protesters who had gathered at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is coming under fire for the lenience police appeared to show to neo-Nazi marchers Price said laws introduced earlier this year in Victoria that make it a criminal offence to give the Nazi salute, display a swastika or say 'Heil Hitler' were 'clearly not working'. The marchers, who at one stage took snaps of themselves outside the Ballarat police station, used the legally safe chant of 'Heil victory'. As they walked down Ballarat's central Sturt St behind a banner that said 'Australia for the white man' they also chanted: 'The rest can go'. The group sang Rule Britannia as they marched and were seen taking photos at Ballarat's Eureka memorial. As the scene played out police providing an escort and managed traffic. Price was not the only critic of the government and police displaying an apparent lenient attitude to the march. A neo-Nazi group has brazenly marched through the centre of the Victorian city of Ballarat Anit-Defamation Commission Chair Dvir Abramovich said such a demonstration of hatred without 'legal consequence' created anguish in the Jewish community. 'What you ignore you empower,' he said. 'These neo-Nazis are being emboldened and are being empowered by this inaction. 'A democracy is not just about the rights that we have but it's what we are willing to tolerate. 'What does it say about a state that is willing to tolerate modern day Nazis?' Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt blamed soft laws for tying the hands of officers. 'Only crooks wear balaclavas down the streets of major cities,' he said. 'If it was up to us it would deadest illegal, you wouldn't be able to do it but it's not. 'It's up to Governments and it's on them to determine if they want this happening.' Victoria Police have been contacted for comment. Following the declaration signed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Morocco at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to develop economic, trade, and investment cooperation, Metito Utilities, a developer of sustainable water management solutions and climate-resilient water assets, has signed an agreement with Tahliya Group, a key UAE-based infrastructure company, to jointly develop two major desalination projects in Morocco. This includes a multi-user irrigation project, by way of desalinated water. Both the desalination projects will be powered by renewable energy. The official signing ceremony took place at the Metito offices in the National Industries Park in Dubai, coinciding with COP28 held in Dubai. The event was hosted by Rami Ghandour, CEO Metito Utilities and Zouheir Bensaid, the Chairman and CEO of Tahliya Group. On the strategic partnership, Ghandour said: "Metito's founding principles are Impact, Sustainability, and Innovation. Guided by these principles, we are thrilled to join forces with Tahliya Group to adeptly tackle pressing issues concerning water scarcity, food security, and sustainable development in Morocco." "Leveraging Metito's proficiency in high-value engineering, coupled with our proven track record in developing large-scale desalination plants, and Tahliya Group's expertise in infrastructure development, we are poised to establish a sustained and meaningful impact through the projects we are developing together," he stated. According him, Morocco is a key market for both Metito and Tahliya which promises immense potential as an investment hub, given the nations diverse assets and conducive business climate. Metito will examine mobilising multiple pockets of capital and expertise to realise the planned projects, including potentially Africa Water Infrastructure Development (AWID), a first-of-its-kind platform launched by Metito Utilities and British International Investment (BII) earlier this year. The platform aims to develop climate-smart water projects at scale and to increase water security across Africa. Metito has topped the global charts for being the provider of the largest desalination plants, in capacity, for 2 years in a row 2021-22 and 2022-23 as announced by the Global Water Intelligence report. Bensaid said: "Aligned with the UN Sustainability Development Goals, Metito and Tahliya Group, will mark a new milestone in the water industry by developing alternative energy powered desalination plants at a scale, for the purpose of irrigation in Morocco." "Both companies possess all essential attributes and a shared vision that positions this collaboration as one poised for genuine impact on the communities and individuals we aim to reach through our projects. We are confident that our projects will result in substantial and far-reaching effects," he added.-TradeArabia News Service EXCLUSIVE These are the bathroom selfies Brittany Higgins sent to her ex-boyfriend in her white cocktail dress - just weeks after wearing it on the night she alleges was raped by Bruce Lehrmann. The photos were part of a tranche of documents uploaded on the Federal Court's website on Tuesday afternoon, amid Mr Lehrmann's defamation trial against Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten. Also revealed was a series of texts Mr Lehrmann sent his ex-girlfriend while he was in a mental health facility - two days after Ms Higgins went public with her rape allegations for the first time in early 2021. Ms Higgins was cross-examined about the white dress in court on Friday, during which she admitted she told police on February 6, 2021, that she put it in a bag under her bed for six months, before taking it out, washing it, and wearing it once. She made the same claim to the ACT Supreme Court during Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial last year - before she was forced to concede it wasn't under her bed for six months because she had worn it to a work function on May 16, 2019. Ms Higgins last week admitted the dress was actually under her bed for about five days before she took it out, washed it, and packed it for a six-week work trip to Perth with her former boss Linda Reynolds. The dress, and how it was removed on the night for alleged rape, has been prominent throughout the defamation trial. Higgins has said she woke up to find her dressed 'bunched up' around her waste on Friday, March 22, 2019. She told The Project on 15th February, 2021: 'My dress was up around my waist, the straps were kind of down. I was pretty dishevelled. I was scared that I was at work. My first thought was 'oh my god, I'm at work', um.' Brittany Higgins sent this selfie to her ex-boyfriend - just weeks after wearing it on the night she alleges was raped by Bruce Lehrmann The photos were part of a tranche of documents uploaded on the Federal Court's website on Tuesday afternoon However, Higgins has earlier in the defamation trial she didn't dispute a security guard's testimony of seeing her completely naked on a couch. On Tuesday, Steven Whybrow, SC, for Mr Lehrmann, suggested to Ms Higgins she took the dress off herself before lying on the couch. 'I don't know how or exactly where my dress ended up,' Ms Higgins replied. Mr Whybrow asked if she then accepted the possibility she took the dress off herself before lying down on the couch? Ms Higgins: 'It's just not something that would ever happen, so I don't know that that's not true, but I don't recall. Mr Whybrow where she was sure, to which Ms Higgins replied: 'It just seems so... I don't recall.' However, her memories of the dress would be much clearer in the weeks that followed. She wore it at Senator Reynolds' birthday celebration five weeks after the alleged rape, and took selfies in the bathroom to send to her former flame, Ben Dillaway. 'I'm working on my selfie game,' she wrote, after sending the photos. He replied: 'F**k you look hot.' Ms Higgins had told the court they were in an on-off relationship and would sometimes send 'sexts'. Ms Higgins told the court on Friday that she wore the dress again because it was her favourite and she wanted to 'reclaim' it. She said: 'I took the photos of myself in the bathroom because I felt awkward that night. 'We were rekindling things - I was trying to be flirty, I guess.' Mr Whybrow said she sent 'thousands' of messages to Mr Dillaway, but never told him it was the dress she was allegedly assaulted in. The documents on the Federal Court's website also showed a series of texts between Mr Lehrmann and his ex-girlfriend, Greta Sinclair, the week Ms Higgins publicly alleged she was raped by a 'male colleague' for the first time. The court previously heard Mr Lehrmann realised Ms Higgins' allegations were about him on the afternoon of February 15, 2021 - after a news.com.au story was published with the same rape claims, and before The Project went to air that evening. Mr Lehrmann is suing Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten for defamation READ MORE: Extraordinary moment Brittany Higgins snaps outside court after being asked about her alleged rapist Bruce Lehrmann - as she fires back with a brilliant question of her own Advertisement He has continually denied raping Ms Higgins. Mr Lehrmann was previously cross-examined about reams of messages he sent Ms Sinclair because she was 'distraught' when she found out the rape allegations were about him. He tried to make her feel better by fabricating information - falsely claiming he had 'two lawyers', could 'make millions' by suing for defamation, and that his lawyer said he was 'part of a bigger political hatchet job'. He then told the court those message were not accurate - 'I was, in a sense, putting on a brave face for Ms Sinclair,' he told the court. Fresh texts on Tuesday show the couple frequently said 'I love you' and called each other 'sweet pea'. But within about two days of Ms Higgins' allegations being aired, Ms Sinclair - while supportive - began to struggle. By that point, he had checked into Royal North Shore mental health unit, before being transferred to another facility that specialised in mental health. On February 17, the couple had a text exchange about his mental health situation. They were saying goodnight, when Mr Lehrmann suddenly said: 'You don't love me anymore. It's ok.' Ms Sinclair replied: 'It's just a lot to deal with ... so it's not easy for me and today was scary.' Mr Lehrmann replied: 'I know and I said through it all that you're my main worry so I get it. I was you to be safe as the primary priority. I never want to lose you. I meant [everything] I've ever said or done for you in terms of my feelings.' She replied: 'I know ... We don't need to talk about it now. Let's just get you into hospital.' Mr Lehrmann was previously cross-examined about reams of messages he sent Ms Sinclair because she was 'distraught' when she found out the rape allegations were about him Also revealed in the tranche of court documents was a series of texts Mr Lehrmann sent his ex-girlfriend while he was in a mental health facility - two days after Ms Higgins went public with her rape allegations for the first time in early 2021 The following day, she said: 'I'm going to tell my friends you are in a clinic due to stress at work and we are taking time apart for my mental health as I can't support you and what you need.' On February 21, she said: 'I don't know if I can continue our relationship.' Mr Lehrmann replied: 'Right. So you're ditching me?' She said: 'I'm not ditching you.' READ MORE: Brittany Higgins just ripped the band aid off a $2.3million political controversy... and for Anthony Albanese the stakes could not be higher Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz (right) leave court on Tuesday Advertisement Ms Sinclair then told him another woman had accused Mr Lehrmann of rape, but he told her that allegation had been made two weeks prior and had been 'debunked'. She said she didn't know how to process the information because she didn't read the news, but found out when her mother told her. He said: 'I'm telling the truth. I came home straight away and told you the truth ... Because you are important to me. I can't tell you how much.' She replied: 'I know ... And I know you didn't do it but I don't know if I can get over the thought of it.' Mr Lehrmann said: 'I haven't changed. The media has changed the perception of me. Not even the media, nasty disgusting trolls on social media. I've done nothing wrong. 'I've lost absolutely everything and everyone over nothing. My entire life to date, I've never felt more comfortable and sure about the future than with you and that's a testament to you and your strength and what you've overcome.' Ms Sinclair said: 'Thank you. I'm sorry. I'll call you tomorrow.' She added, 'I'm always here for you'. Three days after that, she texted him again: 'This is all quite a lot for me to handle and a journalist tried to add me on Instagram. I will be available to talk every now and again but I am not going to continue our relationship. 'I'm sorry and I hope you understand.' Brittany Higgins is pictured leaving Federal Court during the defamation case against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson At that time, Mr Lehrmann's mother was visiting him in Sydney, friends were sending him articles with more rape allegations, and he had lost his job. Mr Lehrmann is suing Wilkinson and Ten over an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project on February 15, 2021, during which she first aired her rape allegations against him. He was not named in that broadcast, but he claims he was identified by friends, colleagues and family members as the man who allegedly raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House on March 23, 2019. Mr Lehrmann has continually denied having any sexual contact with Ms Higgins, consensually or otherwise. Ms Higgins' cross-examination finished on Tuesday. The hearing will resume on Wednesday morning. This is the moment a furious driver ripped an eco-warrior away from his car, before driving through several more and speeding off. The driver of a purple BMW was seen angrily getting out of his car and walking over to several members of Italian activist group Last Generation, who yesterday morning blocked the Rome-Civitavecchia motorway near Torrimpietra. The protestors, wearing high-vis jackets and carrying large signs, had blocked off the dual-carriageway to lobby for a 'reparation fund', and used glue to stick themselves to the concrete. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that dozens were stuck in the blockage which stopped drivers from heading towards Rome from Civitavecchia, which lasted for 40 minutes. The driver of the BMW was seen dragging a male protestor away from his car. But the other protestors were not deterred, and several can be seen standing in front of his car shortly after. The driver of the BMW was seen dragging a male protestor away from his car Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that dozens were stuck in the blockage which stopped drivers from heading towards Rome from Civitavecchia Italian media reported that no one was seriously injured during the incident, and that police later came and removed the protestors The driver then drives forward twice, seemingly in an attempt to get the protestors to back down. But after more join them, the driver decides to drive through the crowd and speed off. Italian media reported that no one was seriously injured during the incident, and that police later came and removed the protestors. Environmentalists have ramped up their protest efforts across the world. In the UK, police officers have made 630 climate arrests as eco-zealots stage weeks of disruption - with group 'die-ins' taking place on London's streets. Scotland Yard said 630 arrests had been made of Just Stop Oil protesters since 30 October, and 328 were charged. The rest have been released on police bail. A JSO activist lying at a road crossing near Earl's Court as police try to move her Officers are using new powers to make the mass arrests under anti-protest legislation, which bans any action that 'interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure'. Almost half of the 'climate arrests' over the last month have been under this new legislation - section seven of the Public Order Act 2023. More than 470 eco-activists have been arrested - some more than once - according to Just Stop Oil. Data gathered by the group shows at least 276 people have been charged. At least 125 were charged with blocking key national infrastructure under section seven, and 125 with wilful obstruction of the highway. It comes after JSO protesters staged a 'die-in' in London - making themselves limp and floppy to make it more difficult for police to move them. The activists' 30-day campaign of disruption on an 'unprecedented scale' saw them deploy the new tactic. A wind turbine engineer known as 'Mr Safety', who sued for more than 1million after his arm was sliced off while working on a North Sea wind farm, has won his compensation fight at the High Court. Darren Hoadley, 42, a specialist wind turbine installer, had been checking the bearings in the mechanism that spins the blades when the rotating machine sliced through his arm 'like a guillotine' and 'traumatically amputated his left arm' in June 2018. Mr Hoadley, nicknamed 'Mr Safety' by workmates due to his reputation as a diligent, careful worker, was working at the Rentel offshore wind farm in a Belgian-controlled part of the North Sea. He sued his employer, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Ltd, claiming the horrific accident could have been avoided had he known that the power source which was slowly turning the turbine at the time had not been deactivated. After a judge found the company was mostly to blame at the High Court, Mr Hoadley, from Norfolk, won a huge compensation payout, which lawyers say is likely to be worth more than 1million. Darren Hoadley, 42, a specialist wind turbine installer, was checking the bearings in the mechanism that spins the blades when the rotating machine sliced through his arm 'like a guillotine' in 2018 After retraining, Mr Hoadley has now won a legal battle for compensation The exact amount he will receive will be decided at a later date and reduced by a third after Judge Richard Davison found that Mr Hoadley was also partly at fault. The judge ruled he 'failed to plan' and 'assumed what he should not have assumed' after the last staff to leave the site on the morning of the incident turned the power on without telling colleagues or placing appropriate warning signs to notify them. The life-changing accident occurred while the engineer was checking parts in a cramped 'nacelle' pod attached to the top of the turbine's upright body and close to the hub around which the blades turned, the court heard. He had reached his arm through a hole in the turbine brake disc to check a series of safety pins and was horrified when he realised that the turbine was rotating slowly under power and that his arm had become stuck. Mr Hoadley described the horror of realising he was about to lose his limb, saying in evidence: 'I could easily see the lock from a hole in the disc, so I proceeded to check the lock by placing my left arm through the hole and check the lock. 'It was fine, but then I realised I could not move my arm. I then realised the disc was still moving slowly and I was going to lose my arm.' Describing the accident, Judge Richard Davison said: 'Upon completion of the check, he could not retrieve his arm and he realised that the generator was moving, and he had no way to stop it. 'What then happened was that the stationary single blade mounting tool, immediately behind the brake disc, acted as a guillotine which traumatically amputated his left arm.' The judge praised his 'courage and presence of mind' in being able to get out of the dark and cramped confines of the pod immediately after his injury. 'The key features of the accident are that the claimant thought that the brake disc was locked and immobilised and that the power was off,' he said. 'He therefore thought he was safe in what he was doing, but both assumptions were incorrect. 'He did not realise his mistake until his arm was already trapped and it was too late to do anything about it.' Mr Hoadley competed in Run Norwich, an annual 10km running race, just seven weeks after the accident The life-changing accident occurred while the engineer was checking parts in a cramped 'nacelle' pod attached to the top of the turbine's upright body (stock image) The judge ruled that Siemens Gamesa was at fault because other technicians working in the pod had previously turned on the power without properly alerting colleagues. READ MORE: Look out for low bridges! Enormous 212ft turbine blade makes its slow way through the Scottish Borders on its way to wind farm Advertisement 'The technicians who were the last to leave the nacelle in the morning removed the rotor locks and reactivated the power without reinstating the chain and warning sign which were intended to and would have alerted incoming staff to the fact that the system was energised,' he said. 'They also left the door to the nacelle open... which contributed to the false impression that the power was isolated and which had the unfortunate side effect of obscuring vision of the control panel for the slow speed turning device.' The silent mechanism of the devices in the pod also lulled Mr Hoadley into a false sense of security, while his own inattention was found to have contributed to the accident. 'On this occasion, he failed to live up to his reputation as Mr Safety,' the judge noted. 'He failed to involve his installation lead. He failed to plan. 'He was working alone when he should not have been - and having a radio with him was no answer to that when there was no one nearby to summon and no one to act as a second pair of eyes over what he was doing. 'Lastly, he assumed what he should not have assumed without checking.' Mr Hoadley was judged one-third to blame for his injuries, which means he will recover two-thirds of whatever damages award is ultimately allocated him by the courts. The assessment of damages will be heard at a later date, with Mr Hoadley expected to claim more than 1million for his life-changing injuries. As well as praising Mr Hoadley for his coolness and courage in the immediate aftermath, the judge commended him for his resilience in 'adapting and coping'. After having his arm cut off, Mr Hoadley feared that the job for which he had a special expertise was now beyond him and commented in an interview: 'For a long time I felt as though part of my identity was missing. 'This haunted me for a while and I struggled with the uncertainty that flooded my future.' But after fitting a prosthetic arm and intensive on-the-job support, he was able to get back to work, undergoing a series of gruelling safety and competence tests, including sea survival, helicopter rescue and working at heights. During his sea survival training, Mr Hoadley had to get back up a ladder for the first time in four years and technicians had to adapt the hook on his artificial limb to help him cope. He also competed in Run Norwich, an annual 10km running race, just seven weeks after the accident - completing it only 1 minute 30 seconds slower than the previous year. His wife Sue Hoadley said at the time: 'We have Run Norwich together nearly every year, and he wanted to run again this year, despite the difficult circumstances. 'Darren is determined to not let what life has thrown at him stop him from achieving - and he was only 1 minute 30 seconds slower than last year! 'He makes me incredibly proud every day, and he is an amazing role model for our girls.' At the end of his ruling, the judge also commended Siemens Gamesa for their post-accident reaction and for ushering in 'immediate and effective reforms to their equipment and procedures.' Robert Jenrick today admitted there would be 'merits' to introducing an annual cap on the number of people coming to Britain. The Immigration Minister did not dismiss the prospect of imposing an absolute limit on the number of UK visas issued each year. His comments appeared to put himself at odds with Home Secretary James Cleverly, his boss in the Home Office, who yesterday batted away Tory calls for a cap. Mr Cleverly has unveiled a new five-point plan to bring down net migration numbers - aimed at cutting the number of people coming to the UK by around 160,000. This includes a ban on overseas care workers bringing family dependants and a hiked salary threshold for skilled workers to 38,700. Robert Jenrick admitted there would be 'merits' to introducing an annual cap on the number of people coming to Britain His comments appeared to put himself at odds with Home Secretary James Cleverly, his boss in the Home Office , who yesterday batted away Tory calls for a cap Mr Jenrick this morning acknowledged that being able to deliver on pledges to cut immigration was a 'matter of trust' for the Tories ahead of the general election. Net migration hit a record 745,000 in 2022, although it is estimated to have fallen to 672,000 in the year to June 2023. The Conservatives' manifesto pledge prior to the 2019 election, made when net migration was around 219,000, was for overall numbers to come down. Mr Jenrick told Times Radio: 'I have argued for this package of measures, that we have to meet our manifesto commitment. 'And that is a matter of trust and ensuring that the democratic will of the public who have voted for parties who sought lower levels of net migration is delivered.' But during a round of TV and radio interviews, Mr Jenrick acknowledged that 'more things may need to be done' to bring down net migration. He suggested to Sky News that building a 'more socially cohesive and united country' was 'impossible when such large numbers of people are coming into the country'. Asked if a cap on numbers was a good idea, Mr Jenrick said: 'There are merits to ideas like that. 'But what matters now is action. The public wants to see us actually deliver reducing levels of net migration, as I've been very clear, that people are sick of talk on this topic.' Suella Braverman, who was sacked as home secretary by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has led Tory demands for an annual cap on the number of UK visas issued. In the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Cleverly was quizzed by ex-Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg as to whether he believed a 'cap on the number coming in' was a 'good idea'. The Home Secretary dismissed the idea as 'difficult' to manage, replying: 'Whilst I understand the calls for a cap, in practical terms managing a cap is difficult. 'We would want to make sure that we are being as generous as possible to the people who contribute to our society and to our economy. 'And recognise that not every single individual the difference between a child that would count as one person against a cap or to an investor that may bring a huge number of jobs - they are not the same. 'We want to be able to make the difference between the two.' This is the moment a fearless Israeli woman fought to free herself from seven Hamas gunmen as they dragged her back to Gaza during their ruthless October 7 attacks. Amit Soussana, 40, found herself alone and surrounded by armed attackers with no way of defending herself as they marched her towards the border, having torn her from Kfar Aza kibbutz. But any sense of bending to the will of her captors in the hope of receiving less brutal treatment was overridden by her staunch refusal to go quietly. The astonishing footage, captured by a security camera according to Times of Israel, showed how one terrorist lifted the Israeli lawyer onto his back, only to tumble to the ground as she kicked and wriggled against him. Holding her down, the attackers can be seen slapping Amit as they attempted to wrap her in a shawl or blanket, but still she fought back, twisting and kicking. Eventually the captors were forced to bundle her into a car to get her back to Gaza as they were unable to drag her on foot - a testament to the sheer bravery and determination of Amit. Amit Soussana, 40, found herself alone and surrounded by armed attackers with no way of defending herself as they marched her towards the border, having torn her from Kfar Aza kibbutz One terrorist lifted the Israeli lawyer onto his back, only to tumble to the ground as she kicked and wriggled against him Amit refused to go quietly, kicking and screaming until her captors bundled her into a car to drive back to Gaza Amit is seen amid her release back to Red Cross workers close to the Israel-Gaza border as a huge group of Palestinians surrounded her, jeering and chanting Amit lived alone in Kfar Aza and was an easy target for Hamas attackers, who discovered her hiding in a safe room in her property. The lawyer, who works for the law firm Luzzatto & Luzzatto, was ill at the time of her capture and was recovering at home with a fever when Hamas stormed her kibbutz. More than 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered on October 7 irrespective of whether they tried to flee or resist against their attackers, but Amit was one of several hostages who were dragged into Gaza and spent almost eight weeks days living in captivity. But she was released by Hamas along with 21-year-old Mia Schem, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, last week just one day before the week-long truce between Israel and Hamas expired and hostilities resumed. Footage of their release showed how they were bundled out of a car and handed over to Red Cross workers close to the Israel-Gaza border as a huge group of Palestinians surrounded them, jeering and chanting. Speaking on the morning of her return to Israel, relative Michael Cohen said: 'I was always hopeful she would come back but there was terrible tension. This has been a difficult, crazy time. I can't wait to give her a hug.' Amit lived alone in Kfar Aza and was an easy target for Hamas attackers, who discovered her hiding in a safe room in her property. The lawyer, who works for the law firm Luzzatto & Luzzatto, was ill at the time of her capture and was recovering at home with a fever when Hamas stormed her kibbutz Mia Schem was released alongside Amit the day before the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal expired Amit was released alongside 21-year-old captive Mia Schem, seen here being embraced by family members Mia is seen walking with family members at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel after her release Israel pressed on with its expanded ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip today, following the end of a seven-day truce last week. Hamas militants from Gaza launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials. In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and has carried out air strikes and a ground offensive that have killed around 15,900 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. During the truce, Hamas released 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Twenty-five other captives, mostly Thais, were freed outside the scope of the deal. But the Israeli army said 137 hostages were still being held in Gaza. The mother of an autistic man who starved to death in hospital fears he was left to die because of his disability. Stewart Kelly died in Robina Hospital on the Gold Coast in August 2022 after he suffered from starvation and dehydration. The 45-year-old had been in hospital for 33 days - 20 in intensive care - where he refused to eat and needed treatment for his mental health. 'He was allowed to reach that critical state within the hospital system. How can that be?' His mother Ann Jeffry, 81, told A Current Affair. 'How can someone starve to death in a hospital? 'I feel that he was cheated out of 40 years more of his life. I felt that the joy had gone out of my life. I felt that he had been left to die possibly because of his disability.' Stewart Kelly (pictured) died of starvation in hospital More than a year after her son's death, Ms Jeffry is demanding to know what the hospital is now doing to stop other patients from facing the same fate. 'I want to know what's been implemented now 15 months later, after I buried my son, what have they done in actual real terms?' A Gold Coast Health spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia said that Mr Kelly's death was preventable and that the hospital 'acknowledged that Mr Kellys death was preventable and that there were significant failures in the care provided. 'Open disclosure discussions have been held with his family, and weve offered an unreserved apology for his death.' The causes of our failures were complex, and... we're committed to implementing all the recommendations from the RCA (Root Cause Analysis) report and to learning the lessons necessary to better support patients who are neuro-diverse or who have a disability.' Ms Jeffry (pictured) has demanded to know what the hospital is doing to prevent the situation ever happening again Robina Hospital (pictured) said there were a number of failures in the care it provided Mr Kelly Mr Kelly (pictured) spent 20 days in intensive care and was never provided treatment for his mental health Mr Kelly's death is being investigated by the Queensland Office of Health Ombudsman, the agency that looks into health services complaints. His death is among several deaths of patients that have occurred recently which could have been prevented at Robina Hospital. Former cop Kevin Farr was killed in the dementia ward in October after the 68-year-old man was attacked by another patient. An 86-year-old aged care patient who allegedly suffered from delirium died in November after they jumped off a balcony. Former Secretary of State and presidential candidate John Kerry is facing accusations that he broke wind during one of his patented climate change rants that he delivered in Dubai after traveling to the Emirate via a gas guzzling jet. Kerry, 79, was in the process of telling the audience that 'the climate crisis and the health crisis are one and the same' on Sunday while bringing up a study that states coal 'doubles the numbers of deaths' compared to other types of pollutions, when a squeak could be heard. 'There shouldnt be any more coal-fired power plants permitted anywhere in the world,' Kerry added while saying that he's become more-and-more 'militant' over the issue in his old-age. His remarks were met by a round of applause from the crowd, which apparently muffled the fart sound however it was picked up by the microphones and could be heard clearly during the broadcast. Kerry was speaking in his role as the Biden administration's climate envoy at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai. There has been no comment from the 2004 presidential candidate on the scandal. Kerry was sat in between Becky Anderson, Managing Editor of CNN Abu Dhabi and Fatih Birol, Executive director of the International Energy Agency, when the incident occurred Anderson could be seen placing her hand over her mouth, close to her nose after the noise was heard After the sound is heard, the person sitting next to Kerry, Becky Anderson of CNN Abu Dhabi, clearly puts her hand over her mouth. Far right activist Laura Loomer joked on X: 'The woman next to him looks like she want to choke on his toxic gas emissions.' Right-wing radio host Larry O'Connor of Townhall Media told the New York Post that he was outraged by Kerry's apparent flatulency. 'The biggest problem is, during this entire exchange, representing us, The United States of America, he ripped a fart out. 'He let loose with flatulence on an international stage. He should lose his job immediately. John Kerry farted,' O' Connor said. Kerry also announced that the U.S. was joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, which means the administration commits to building no new coal plants and phasing out existing ones. Its in line with other Biden regulatory actions and international commitments in the works that had meant no coal by 2035. Earlier Saturday, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry joined French President Emmanuel Macron to push for development of nuclear energy, which doesnt produce greenhouse gas emissions, even if it also presents security and waste challenges. During his time in Dubai, Kerry met with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, to discuss the coal issue. The US and the Communist nation are the two biggest emitters of coal in the world. Kerry has long been criticized for his use of airplanes when going around the world to lecture about the dangers of climate change. In July, Sen. Joni Ernst told DailyMail.com during an exclusive interview that it's a 'sign of full hypocrisy' to have the Biden administration's Climate Czar John Kerry 'jetting around the world in an airplane.' Ernst, R-Iowa, said Kerry's trips violate 'all kinds of fossil fuel, flames and emissions' standards that he criticizes everybody else for. 'So I think that the climate czar needs to stay home focus on his green energy policy. 'So instead of demonizing fossil fuels, let's focus more on pushing back against China,' which is a huge threat to the U.S., Ernst continued. At a hearing before a House Foreign Affairs oversight subcommittee in June, Kerry defended himself saying it is an 'outrageously persistent lie' that he has ever used a private jet to conduct official trips. Kerry, who did not deny in the hearing ever flying on a private jet and has said he's flown on one 'possibly once,' insisted that he personally has never owned a private jet. 'We don't own a private jet. I don't own a private jet. I personally have never owned a private jet.' However, the Kerry family owned a personal jet - a Gulfstream GIV-SP - that was sold in 2022. A Nigerian army drone strike accidently killed at least 85 civilians in a village in northwest Kaduna State, officials said, in one of the country's deadliest military bombing mishaps. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today ordered an investigation after the army acknowledged one of its drones aimed at armed groups had accidently struck the Tudun Biri village on Sunday as residents were celebrating a Muslim festival. The army did not give any casualty figures, but local residents had said 85 people, many of them women and children, had been killed. 'The Northwest Zonal Office has received details from the local authorities that 85 dead bodies have so far been buried while search is still ongoing,' National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said in a statement. NEMA said another 66 people were being treated at hospital, but emergency officials were still negotiating with community leaders to calm tensions to be able reach the village. Nigerian soldiers (File Photo). The incident is one of the country's deadliest military bombing mishaps The drone strike took place in the Tudun Biri village in Nigeria's northwest Kaduna State on Sunday Nigeria's armed forces often rely on air strikes in their battle against bandit militias in the northwest and northeast of the country, where jihadists have been fighting for more than a decade. 'President Tinubu describes the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, expressing indignation and grief over the tragic loss of Nigerian lives,' the presidency said in a statement. The army had said its drone was a routine mission that 'inadvertently affected members of the community'. Many of the victims were women, children and elderly who had been celebrating the Muslim festival of Maulud. 'I was inside the house when the first bomb was dropped... We rushed to the scene to help those affected and then a second bomb was dropped,' local resident Idris Dahiru told AFP. 'My aunt, my brother's wife and her six children, wives of my four brothers were among the dead. My elder brother's family are all dead, except his infant child who survived.' President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday ordered an investigation after the army acknowledged one of its drones aimed at armed groups had accidently struck the Tudun Biri village on Sunday as residents were celebrating a Muslim festival (File Photo) Militia gangs have long terrorised parts of northwest Nigeria, operating from bases deep in forests and raiding villages to loot and kidnap residents for ransom. In the northeast, jihadists have been pushed back from the territory they held at the height of the conflict, though they continue to fight on in rural areas. More than 40,000 people have been killed and two million displaced since 2009 in that conflict. Nigerian military bombing raids have accidently hit civilians in the past. At least 20 fishermen were killed and several injured in a September 2021 attack in Kwatar Daban Masara on Lake Chad in the northeast, when the military mistook them for militants. In January 2017, at least 112 people were killed when a fighter jet struck a camp housing 40,000 people displaced by jihadist violence in the town of Rann near the border with Cameroon. The Nigerian military blamed 'lack of appropriate marking of the area' in a report issued six months later. The Lib Dems are attempting to capitalise on Tory flirting with Nigel Farage to win seats in moderate Conservative heartlands, MailOnline can reveal. Sir Ed Davey's party has launched an attack ad in the Blue Wall shires portraying the ex-Ukip leader as top of Rishi Sunak's present list to Santa. It comes after the PM did not rule out the I'm A Celebrity contestant and television host rejoining a party he quit in the early 1990s, saying it was a 'broad church'. Rightwing backbenchers have gone further, with one today saying he would 'love it' if Mr Farage was given a seat in the Lords and made a hardline anti-immigration Home Secretary. In the advert, Mr Sunak is pictured as his desk writing a letter to Father Christmas, below a dream sequence showing the Reform Party's honorary president giving a speech at the 2024 Conservative Party Conference, with a caption saying: 'All I want for Christmas is...' The Lib Dems believe that Mr Farage is Tory kryptonite in affluent areas which voted Remain in the 2016 EU referendum. They are seeking to take a swathe of seats, mainly in the South East, at the next election. A Liberal Democrat source said: 'Nigel Farage's toxic brand and rhetoric go down like a cup of cold sick in the Blue Wall. The more Conservative MPs heap praise upon him, the more votes they risk losing to us. Sir Ed Davey's party has launched an attack ad in the Blue Wall shires portraying the ex-Ukip leader as top of Rishi Sunak 's present list to Santa. It comes after the PM refused to reject the idea of the I'm A Celebrity contestant rejoining a party he quit in the early 1990s, saying it was a 'broad church'. Stoke-on-Trent North's Jonathan Gullis told GB News : 'I'd love to see it, personally, I think Nigel has a lot to offer.' 'The Conservative Party has now become UKIP-lite and is just unrecognisable compared to a few years ago. They are chasing votes in the Red Wall while alienating their traditional voters in the South. 'Lifelong Conservative voters across the leafy shires feel the party just doesn't represent them any more and are switching to the Lib Dems in their droves.' Mr Farage left the Tories in 1992 following the signing of the Maastricht Treaty and has since led Ukip and the Brexit Party, now called Reform UK, of which he is now honorary president. Asked about Boris Johnson's father Stanley saying the party needed a man of Mr Farage's 'talents', Mr Sunak did not reject the possibility of him returning at the weekend. The PM said: 'Our party has always been a broad church but my focus is consistently on delivering on the things that matter to people.' One backbencher went even further today, saying he would welcome Mr Farage being made Lord Farage, with a seat in the Lords, so he could be a hardline home secretary. Such a move would see him line up next to EU Referendum rival David Cameron, now Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the Foreign Secretary. Stoke-on-Trent North's Jonathan Gullis told GB News: 'I'd love to see it, personally, I think Nigel has a lot to offer. 'Number one, he is a big voice on the key issues like immigration that we know are a huge number one, if not number two issue for Conservative voters particularly those in 2019 and particularly those in the red wall. 'Secondly, I think he's actually an asset across the blue and the red wall. In essence, he's able to communicate in a way many politicians aren't able to. Probably no one closer to having the ability other than Boris Johnson to be able to get a message across clearly and concisely. 'So I really do hope that he comes forward and he joins and I'd be very happy to welcome him.' Mr Farage attended the Conservative Party conference this year in his capacity as an anchor for GB News. The former MEP was greeted as a hero by many of the Conservative faithful and spent much of his time posing for selfies and signing autographs, sparking rumours he could return to the Tory fold. He has joked that he will lead the party in the future and has discussed his potential return while appearing on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Prince Harry has been accused of 'bragging and encouraging illegal drug use' in his memoir Spare, according to a new court filing. The Heritage Foundation is suing the Biden administration in a bid to force officials to release the Duke of Sussex's US immigration files to see if he admitted to using illegal drugs before gaining a visa. In Spare, the 39-year-old admitted to using marijuana, cocaine and magic mushrooms, saying 'Psychedelics did me some good'. He also experimented with the hallucinogenic Amazonian plant ayahuasca, describing it as 'the cleaning of the windshield, the removal of life's filters'. Harry's admissions prompted the conservative think-tank to sue the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Freedom of Information Act, claiming the royal may have been given favorable treatment when he applied for a US visa. The Biden administration is fighting the case on the basis that visa applicants have a right to privacy. But the foundation has countered by insisting Harry undermined his right to privacy in the book and by 'selling every aspect of his private life'. The Heritage Foundation are asking to view the Duke of Sussex's US immigration files to see if he admitted to using illegal drugs before gaining a visa. Harry is seen with Meghan at the Invictus Games Harry - seen leaving a London nightclub in 2006 - has openly admitted to taking illegal drugs In its latest legal filing at the Federal Court in the District of Columbia, seen by Newsweek, the Heritage Foundation states: '[The case] comes about in the main because HRH [His Royal Highness] voluntarily - and for immense profit - admitted in writing to the elements of any number of controlled substance violations. (Indeed, some say HRH has approached the point of bragging and encouraging illegal drug use.) 'The Duke of Sussex did so despite the fact that it is widely known that such admissions can have adverse immigration consequences for non-citizens and despite employing preeminent legal advisors on both sides of the Atlantic,' the document added. READ MORE - Meghan shows subtle signal of support for King Charles as she wears diamond bracelet he gave her Advertisement 'But that is not all. This case is further bespoke in that HRH - again for immense profit - detailed his immigration decisions and manner of entry in writing and via Netflix video. 'Add to that the fact that all aspects of HRH's travel are extensively covered in the press.' Harry had no qualms when it came to sharing private information in his memoir Spare in which he even includes an anecdote about his frostbitten penis as well as his six-part Netflix series with wife Meghan Markle late last year. In its filing, the foundation notes that the duke's attempts to claim 'privacy interests' despite these disclosures had led to 'public ridicule'. 'The Duke of Sussex has sold every aspect of his private life for, in some estimates, over $135 million. HRH's [His Royal Highness'] claims of privacy interests in the face of this conduct have been met with widespread public ridicule,' its filing states 'The Duke of Sussex must take the good with the bad. Having sold all manner of private matters for profit - including specific details on his taking up residence in the United States and every detail of his years of illegal drug use to the point of braggadocio - HRH must accept a substantially diminished privacy interest,' the filing adds. The Duke of Sussex openly discussed how he experimented with drugs in his youth, including cocaine, magic mushrooms, and marijuana, in his new memoir and in interviews after his memoir was released He also shared personal information about his life on his Netflix show alongside wife Meghan Markle This is the section of the visa application that Prince Harry would have had to fill out in order to get into the United States Heritage has claimed Harry could have lied about taking drugs in his immigration paperwork despite admitting doing them in his memoir and in the Netflix show. If the prince did not tell the truth on his entry forms then he could be removed from the US or barred by a border agent. DHS initially rejected the application and the Heritage Foundation filed a lawsuit in a court in Washington after its administrative appeal stalled. Both sides were asked by a judge to try to work out differences on key points, but after that failed DHS filed a request for summary judgment, or to dismiss the case. In a legal filing that emerged in August, DHS claimed that disclosures Harry made in his memoir and TV series did not mean it should have to hand the documents over. READ MORE - Prince Harry's lawyers to challenge Home Office decision that he is no longer entitled to armed police guards when he visits Britain Advertisement Jarrod Panter, Acting Associate Center Director for Freedom of Information at DHS, wrote: 'Prince Harry has not consented to the release of records related to or reflecting information about him. 'Despite the public role that Prince Harry has played in the UK and despite information that he has disclosed regarding his personal life, he still maintains a strong privacy interest in his immigration status and information about him reflected in (immigration) records. 'Prince Harry has not publicly or officially disclosed his status in the United States and has not surrendered all rights to personal privacy.' In his memoir, Spare, which came out in January, and the Netflix show Harry & Meghan, Harry was frank about his past drug use. He has admitted to using cocaine and marijuana, once saying that cannabis helped heal the trauma of his mother's death. The Duke said that through using ayahuasca, the psychedelic drug, he realized that his mother wanted him to be 'happy'. Despite this, Harry's US visa application in March 2020 could show he ticked the 'no' box on questions about his drug use, The Heritage Foundation claims. In its legal filing, DHS said that the records at issue are 'particularly sensitive' because they would 'reveal Harry's (immigration) status in the United States'. The Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, filed a complaint and request for injunctive relief in May after their FOIA request was denied DHS wrote: 'Even though he is a public figure, Prince Harry still maintains a privacy interest in these types of records and in his immigration or visa status generally. 'Even if public figures may have a diminished expectation of privacy, they do not surrender their privacy interests entirely', The filing added that 'were this not the case, a requester could go on a fishing expedition for (government) records for any celebrity at all'. The original request sought to reveal whether Harry, who moved to the US after quitting being a working member of the British royal family, was getting 'preferential treatment'. But the Heritage Foundation has merely 'recounted a litany of allegedly suspicious circumstances (that) lacked any substantiation', DHS said. The Heritage Foundation had requested access to Prince Harry's records from DHS through the Freedom of Information Act earlier this year DHS dismissed the Heritage Foundation's claims as a 'bare suspicion of government misconduct' and making Harry's paperwork public would not shed any 'meaningful light' on how it operates. Earlier this year Rep. Greg Steube introduced the SPARE Act which would lead to deportation for non-citizens who are found to lie about drug use on their visa application. The act would require the Homeland Security secretary to begin an investigation within 60 days if information came to light about a non-citizen's drug use. Harry has previously declined to comment on the case. By Susan Lochrie via SWNS A brave little girl fighting leukemia will have a new home this Christmas after her mum's appeal for a safer place to live. Aria McGill, three, and mom Leighann Forsyth were facing a dire situation after doctors told Leighann that they had to move from their flat. Medical staff claimed that the second-floor flat was not only too small, but also in need of extensive repairs. It was deemed unsafe for Aria, who is incredibly weak, has limited mobility and needs her own bedroom to reduce the risk of infections that could kill her. But Leighann was forced to take her little girl to live with her own mother, in a shared bedroom, because her applications for new tenancies were repeatedly turned down by housing bosses. Leighann, of Greenock, Scotland, says she was even told she was not a top priority. Councillor Colin Jackson took up her case, demanding that local housing associations resolve it urgently. Now Leighann, a tenant with River Clyde Homes, has been told by Larkfield Housing that she has been successful with a bid for a house close to her parents. The news comes as a timely tonic for the family with little Aria currently back in hospital. Leighann, speaking from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, said: "When Aria was diagnosed, I didn't even know whether she would still be with us at Christmas. "Then as it got closer we thought we wouldn't have a house that was safe for us to live in. "This is the best news we have had for a long time. "Our Christmas wishes have come true. "I don't know exactly when we will be in the house because there is still work to do in it. But it is a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. "It would never have happened without Colin Jackson. I was getting nowhere until Colin stepped in. "Two weeks ago they couldn't give me one house and then they were offering me two." Only days after they found out the news about the house, Aria was rushed to hospital by ambulance when a spike in her temperature raised alarm that she may have a life-threatening infection. The tot has now recovered, but she has had to undergo another grueling round of chemotherapy. Aria is under the care of the Schiehallion Unit at the Royal after she was diagnosed with blood cancer in June this year. Leighann was given the devastating news that her daughter had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She immediately underwent a life-saving surgical procedure before spending eight weeks in hospital. Despite asking her own social housing landlord River Clyde Homes for help and joining the Inverclyde Common Housing Register, she was knocked back for successive houses and at one point she was 39th on the waiting list. Leighann was recently told by Larkfield Housing that she had been successful in her bid to get a house with them in Auchmead Road, close to her parents. She said: "It is perfect, a three bedroom house which means we are reunited again as my older daughter can move back in as well. We are all together again. "It is also close to my mom and dad. We rely on them if we need to drive up to the hospital." Councillor Jackson has told of his relief at the news. "Aria and her family were let down by those who should have been there to support them," he said. "Sadly they are not the first and regrettably I know from experience they won't be the last." Residents on a remote Scottish island have been enjoying the benefits of a new 4G mast, allowing them to buy Christmas presents online and stream Netflix without any issues for the first time. The new infrastructure was installed this summer on Bruray, one of the Out Skerries islands which are the easternmost part of Shetland and are located more than 130 miles north east of mainland Scotland. Alice Arthur, 63, previously had to make a six-hour round trip to Lerwick, on mainland Shetland, to do her Christmas shopping for her seven grandchildren and always worried that what she ended up buying wouldn't excite them. But Mrs Arthur said she is now spoiled for choice after mobile internet was installed on the island as part of the Scottish Government's 4G Infill programme, which has 'opened up a whole new world' for her. Elsewhere on the island, Kia and Paul James, owners of Rocklea Retreat B&B, say their business has 'dramatically' improved since the 4G infrastructure was installed over the summer. The 28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill programme is delivering 4G infrastructure to rural and island communities across Scotland, which previously had no or extremely limited mobile coverage. Alice Arthur, 63, lives on Bruray, one of the Out Skerries islands which are the easternmost part of Shetland and are located more than 130 miles north east of mainland Scotland The 28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill programme is delivering 4G infrastructure to rural and island communities across Scotland, which previously had no or extremely limited mobile coverage Mrs Arthur previously had to make a six-hour round trip to Lerwick, on mainland Shetland, to do her Christmas shopping for her seven grandchildren and always worried that what she ended up buying wouldn't excite them Mrs Arthur said: 'Gift buying for my grandkids was never easy as I was only able to choose from what was available on the Shetland mainland, and without many options to choose from, I was always worried that some of what I found wouldn't be very exciting to them. 'But now, with this new connectivity, there's just so much choice. 'I can find such a wide range of toys and clothing, at good prices, and have them delivered right to my door. It's made things so much easier.' Mrs Arthur is not the only person on the Out Skerries islands to be benefiting from the new 4G mast. Kia and Paul James, owners of Rocklea Retreat B&B say their business has 'dramatically' improved since the 4G infrastructure was installed over the summer. Mrs James, 52, said: 'Yeah, we've noticed a significant improvement. In the connectivity here, and in our ability to be more consistent with communicating with our customers as well. 'If people are out doing a walk, we know that they can contact other people if needed for any help or for any advice on where to go. 'There's connectivity not just here at the B&B, but all over the island as well. So it just makes it a much more of an attractive, more connected place to be definitely doesn't feel as remote.' Before the mast was built, Mr James says they relied on patch internet coverage from the mainland, meaning if the weather was bad, they received little signal. Now, because of the new infrastructure, people on the island are able to work from home, such as the Kia and Paul's son, whilst council meetings can now take place in the town hall because of the 4G coverage. Mr James said: 'It's been up since the summer, prior to that we were relying on very patchy four g signals from Shetland, mainland. If the weather was bad, it went out it wasn't particularly good 'It's been particularly beneficial to our son, because he works from home as a web developer from here. So it's supporting remote working as well. The business's website easy to manage. It's been pretty much transformative. 'It was meant to up last year in October, but the weather got in the way. I mean, we had power cuts and storms and all sorts of things. So it really is quite a lifeline service for us out here. At the moment it's all but provided by EE, but we're hoping to get Vodafone to put service out here as well. 'I mean, we can now get Internet in the community hall. So things like remote teams, meetings and things for council work, it really has made a huge difference. And we can stream Netflix as well which is great.' Scottish innovation minister Richard Lochhead said: 'Thanks to our 28.75 million S4GI programme, we've brought 4G to these Shetland islands, showing our commitment to providing future-proofed connectivity to rural and island communities. 'These phone masts mean residents, businesses and visitors in these communities can work, communicate and access services more efficiently. 'This is about creating opportunities for businesses, improving daily life and ensuring no-one - even the hardest to reach - is left behind in the digital era.' In addition to the mast in the Out Skerries, EE has recently activated a 4G mast as part of the S4GI programme on the island of Foula, Shetland. Through EE's partnerships with the Scottish Government, WHP Telecoms, Cellnex UK and Scottish Futures Trust, EE 4G connectivity is now available on 51 of 55 S4GI mobile masts across Scotland. Through EE's partnerships with the Scottish Government, WHP Telecoms, Cellnex UK and Scottish Futures Trust, EE 4G connectivity is now available on 51 of 55 S4GI mobile masts across Scotland In addition to the mast in the Out Skerries, EE has recently activated a 4G mast as part of the S4GI programme on the island of Foula, Shetland Greg McCall, chief networks officer at BT Group, said: 'Alice's story is a powerful reminder of how reliable 4G connectivity can transform the everyday lives of people in rural communities, especially those living in some of the UK's most isolated areas. 'These new 4G sites provide residents with fast and reliable access to online services like banking, healthcare, and shopping, while empowering rural Scottish businesses to take mobile payments and offer new digital experiences. 'Together with the Scottish Government and our industry partners, we are helping close the UK's digital divide and deliver the connectivity boost countryside communities can rely on.' Hamas terrorists shot female Israeli soldiers 'in the crotch, intimate parts and breasts' as part of a 'systematic genital mutilation', the IDF has claimed. Some of the female victims of the attack on October 7 were left with agonised looks on their faces in death, according to an Israeli unit that helped bless the bodies. Army reservist Shari Mendes said many bodies of female victims, both civilian and soldiers, arrived 'in bloody shredded rags or just in underwear'. Mendes, whose unit is based at the Shura Army Base in central Israel, was speaking at a UN event in New York on Monday titled 'Hear Our Voices: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the October 7 Hamas terror attack'. She said: 'Our team commander saw several female soldiers who were shot in the crotch, intimate parts, vagina, or shot in the breast. 'This seemed to be a systematic genital mutilation of a group of victims.' Army reservist Shari Mendes said many bodies of female victims, both civilian and soldiers, arrived 'in bloody shredded rags or just in underwear' Mendes said that she and her unit are forced to make a decision to not show the families of dead soldiers their bodies READ MORE: Israel is preparing to flood Hamas tunnels with SEA WATER to flush out terrorists as high-powered pumps are transported into Gaza Advertisement 'These women arrived with their eyes opened, their mouths in grimaces, their fists clenched,' she added. 'The soldiers that we dealt with had expressions of agony on their faces still. 'I remember one young woman whose arm was broken in so many places it was difficult for us to lay her arm in the burial shroud, her leg too. 'In her case the entire left side of her body was shredded, torn apart, most likely by a grenade.' Mendes, describing the atrocities in graphic detail, said that she and her unit are forced to make a decision to not show the families of dead soldiers their bodies. 'Some were shot in the heads were bashed in so badly that their brains were spilling out,' she said. 'Some were shot in the heads so many times at close range that their heads were almost blown off.' Amit was released alongside 21-year-old captive Mia Schem, seen here being embraced by family members Mia Schem was released alongside Amit the day before the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal expired Amit is seen amid her release back to Red Cross workers close to the Israel-Gaza border as a huge group of Palestinians surrounded her, jeering and chanting Mendes said the scene that lay before her as she arrived at Shura Army Base a day after Hamas killed 1,200 people during its incursion was 'unimaginable in scale'. 'Body bags were piled to the ceiling, lining the corridors in every room. Refrigerator trucks were waiting outside, also full. 'Body bags just kept coming in all shapes and sizes. Many were oozing liquids and the floors were wet. 'The smell of death was already unbearable. It is impossible to overemphasise the number of bodies we were dealing with, the sense of shock and despair.' More and more reports of Hamas using sexual violence as a method of warfare during its bloody incursion on October 7 have been published in the weeks since. Yoni Saadon, 39, told the Sunday Times that he saw Hamas fighters targeting women at the Nova festival. 'I saw this beautiful woman with the face of an angel and eight or ten of the fighters beating and raping her,' he said. 'She was screaming, 'Stop it already I'm going to die anyway from what you are doing, just kill me!' Saadon said that when they were done, they laughed and shot her in the head. 'I kept thinking it could have been one of my daughters,' added the father of four. 'Or my sister I had bought her a ticket but last minute she couldn't come.' One terrorist lifted the Israeli lawyer onto his back, only to tumble to the ground as she kicked and wriggled against him Amit refused to go quietly, kicking and screaming until her captors bundled her into a car to drive back to Gaza Amit Soussana, 40, found herself alone and surrounded by armed attackers with no way of defending herself as they marched her towards the border, having torn her from Kfar Aza kibbutz One woman was seen fighting to free herself from seven Hamas gunmen as they dragged her back to Gaza during the incursion. Amit Soussana, 40, found herself alone and surrounded by armed attackers with no way of defending herself as they marched her towards the border, having torn her from Kfar Aza kibbutz. But any sense of bending to the will of her captors in the hope of receiving less brutal treatment was overridden by her staunch refusal to go quietly. The astonishing footage, captured by a security camera according to Times of Israel, showed how one terrorist lifted the Israeli lawyer onto his back, only to tumble to the ground as she kicked and wriggled against him. Holding her down, the attackers can be seen slapping Amit as they attempted to wrap her in a shawl or blanket, but still she fought back, twisting and kicking. Eventually the captors were forced to bundle her into a car to get her back to Gaza as they were unable to drag her on foot Hamas have also been accused of treating living hostages badly, with the US claiming that the terror group refused to release ten female hostages because they do not want them to reveal what they have been subjected to while being held captive. State Department spokesman Matt Miller said this was the reason the week-long ceasefire, which came after Hamas agreed to release more than 100 hostages, ended. The official said on Monday: 'It seems that one of the reasons Hamas doesn't want to turn women over that they've been holding hostage, and the reason this pause fell apart, is they don't want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody.' Senior Tories are set to support a Labour MP's bid to ban all forms of so-called conversion therapy, which seeks to suppress a person's sexual or gender identity. Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, is due to introduce draft legislation to the House of Commons tomorrow to outlaw the practice. His Private Member's Bill has attracted the backing from a group of 10 Conservative MPs. They include Alicia Kearns, the chair of the Commons' foreign affairs committee, and Caroline Nokes, the chair of the Commons' women and equalities committee. Mr Russell-Moyle's attempt to introduce a ban on 'conversion therapy' comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dropped a Tory commitment to outlawing the practice. Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, is due to introduce draft legislation to the House of Commons tomorrow to outlaw 'conversion therapy' His Private Member's Bill has attracted the backing from a group of 10 Conservative MPs - including Alicia Kearns (left) and Caroline Nokes (right) Mr Russell-Moyle's attempt to introduce a ban on 'conversion therapy' comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dropped a Tory commitment to outlawing the practice Both Theresa May and Boris Johnson pledged to ban 'conversion therapy' when they were in Downing Street. But Mr Sunak controversially did not include the promise of a ban in the King's Speech last month, which set out his Government's new legislative agenda. So-called conversion therapy is aimed at changing someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. The Bill to be introduced to the Commons by Mr Russell-Moyle, seen by ITV News, seeks to 'prohibit practices whose predetermined purpose is to change or suppress a person's sexuality, or change or suppress a person to or from being transgender.' Mr Russell-Moyle said: 'Some of the biggest social reforms in this country have happened via Private Members' Bills. 'I was overwhelmed with support from all sides of the House for this reform. 'Too many have suffered for too long; we have a responsibility to ensure no one else must suffer from this practice.' Ms Nokes noted how 13 countries have implemented nationwide conversion bans, adding: 'We'll be reflecting on those examples to make sure we get our ban right. 'The Bill will contain the appropriate safeguards for legitimate forms of therapy, but trying to "cure" someone from being LGBT is abuse, and we must outlaw it.' Private Member's Bills are a Commons process that allows backbenchers to introduce a new law separate from the Government's legislative agenda. Mr Russell-Moyle came fifth in last month's ballot to bring forward a Private Member's Bill. His proposed legislation is not expected to be voted on until March at the earliest, at which point the Government will have to decide how to instruct Tory MPs to vote. Private Member's Bills rarely become law without Government support. Downing Street has argued it needs more time to work out a policy on the 'complex' area as they seek to avoid unintended consequences. A Government spokesman said: 'No one in this country should be harmed or harassed for who they are and attempts at so-called 'conversion therapy' are abhorrent. 'That is why we are carefully considering this very complex issue.' Half a dozen Ukrainian children are soon to be reunited with their families for the first time in almost 20 months in the latest Qatar-brokered deal with Moscow. Kyiv says that thousands of minors were taken either to Russia or to Russian-held territory following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. But thanks to sensitive negotiations between Moscow and diplomats in Qatar - which are backed by Ukraine - six children will be, or already are, back in the loving arms of their families. The new scheme to secure the safe return of hundreds of Ukrainian youngsters in Russia had its first success in October, when four Ukrainian children were handed over to Qatari diplomats before being returned to their families. The children included in today's announcement of the latest reunification operation have not been named but include an 11-year-old boy whose mother is a Ukrainian soldier currently being held captive in Russia. HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Nasser Al Thani, Qatars Ambassador to Russia, welcomes Ukrainian child as part of the reunification HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Nasser Al Thani, Qatars Ambassador to Russia, welcomes Ukrainian child as part of the reunification The little boy, who lost his father 10 years ago, is travelling from Moscow to Ukraine, where he will go to live with his maternal aunt, who will become his guardian. The youngest of the children, an eight-year-old boy had been living with his grandmother in the city of Kremennaya, in occupied Lukansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, since March 2022, a month after Putin's attack. In a carefully handled operation, Qatari officials secured permission for the little boy's mother to travel to Luhansk so they could see one another again. The pair are being escorted by diplomats from Qatar to Moscow before travelling to Ukraine with the wider group. The reunion was hit by an agonising setback in its first attempt when a vehicle carrying the child broke down, delaying his departure from his grandmother's village by a day. But his grandmother was able to meet the boy's mother in Luhansk to hand over the boy. Meanwhile, two siblings who had been staying with their older sister and father in Russia will be reunited with their mother in Ukraine via Moscow. A 13-year-old boy who had been staying with his grandmother in the village of Tarasovka district in Russia was the first to be reunited with loved ones and is back with his mother, who lives in Ukraine. The youngster and his mother are travelling to Moscow before returning to Ukraine with the other children and their loved ones. Qatari diplomat welcomes Ukrainian child as part of the reunification Qatari diplomat welcomes Ukrainian children as part of the reunification Finally, a 15-year-old boy who had been living with his grandmother in the occupied Zaporozhye region of Ukraine will join his mother in Kyiv, via Moscow. Lolwah Al-Khater, Qatar's minister for international cooperation, has been mediating and overseeing the safe return of the children. He said: 'We are pleased that an additional six Ukrainian children have been successfully reunited with their families. 'As millions of people around the world set aside time to gather with loved ones, it is heartwarming to know that a few more families will be reunited this holiday season. 'Moments like this serve as a timely reminder that mediation can yield positive results when both parties, regardless of their differences, are willing to engage patiently and in good faith. We thank our Russian and Ukrainian counterparts for their full commitment to these discussions. 'Qatar's approach has been to identify areas where both the Ukrainian and Russian sides share common interests and use that as a foundation to build trust. 'Although the road ahead is still long and the challenges are many, we remain committed to engaging with both sides as long as there is a shared willingness to continue the course.' Diplomats in Qatar trying to ensure the safe return of Ukrainian children to their families face several challenges, not least the changing routes involved in getting them back home. HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Nasser Al Thani, Qatars Ambassador to Russia, welcomes Ukrainian children as part of the reunification Families travel to Kyiv via Moscow and Minsk and Qatari officials accompany the children to the Ukrainian border where they are handed over to their Ukrainian counterparts. Diplomats hosted the children at the Qatari Embassy in Moscow before arranging their safe return to Ukraine. The successful return of the Ukrainian children is understood to reaffirm Qatar's commitment to promoting peace, stability and security regionally and internationally. Kyiv has estimated between 16,000 and 20,000 children have ended up in Russia without their parents' consent. Moscow claims the figure is in the hundreds. International critics have condemned Ukrainian children being in Russia, comparing it to ethnic cleansing. In March, judges of the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. It accused them both of war crimes, saying they bear individual responsibility for the 'unlawful deportation' and 'unlawful transfer' of Ukrainian children to Russia. Former TV chef Mario Batali returned to the small screen over the weekend, hosting a cooking webinar titled Molto a Casa from his new home in rural Michigan. Batali, 67, has been largely absent from the mainstream media since he was first accused of sexual misconduct in 2017, something he has strenuously denied and never been prosecuted for. The Seattle-native used some of his time on screen to rail against his former home, the Big Apple. The entire session costs subscribers $50. One viewer asked if Batali would ever do live cooking demonstrations in Eataly, the gourmet Italian market that he once held a stake in, and he responded: 'Me and New York, we have parted ways. Done. 'It was a great town, it worked for me for the longest time but now I live in Northern Michigan, in a tiny little town of 600 people, with a community of magnificent, like-minded creatives,' he continued. 'Theres a lot of great people. I love most of them. But theres enough a******s in New York City that Im done with that town. And I wish everyone the best there,' Batali went on. Former TV chef Mario Batali pictured during his online cooking class, Molto e Casa, during which he disclosed that he won't be returning to New York City anytime soon Batali is arraigned in 2019 on a charge of indecent assault and battery in Boston Municipal Court in connection with an incident at a Boston restaurant, he was acquitted in 2022 The chef did not appear to hold any ill-will to the folks at Eataly, which has two locations in Manhattan, even recommending that one viewer go there to source good pork jowl. Another tip that Batali offered was to tell his viewers to try to make friends with butchers, fishmongers and anyone selling fresh produce. 'Above all, smile. Smile at people. Smile at everyone and be friendly.' Batali went on to disclose that his son, Leo, now lives in his former townhouse in the city where his renowned wine cellar is located. However, Batali told his fans that he's now sober. He also said that he's planning further online cooking classes. 'Provided that everyone thinks this is a pretty good idea, we're going to continue doing this for a long time.' Batali compared the online class to a reincarnation of his hugely popular Food Network show, Molto Mario, which aired between 1996 and 2010. None of the gathered viewers asked Batali about the various legal issues that he has faced in the last few years. In August 2022, Batali agreed to settle two Massachusetts lawsuits that accused the celebrity chef of sexual assault. That came three months after Batali was cleared of a criminal charge stemming from accusations by one of the women, who alleged that he aggressively kissed and groped her while taking a selfie at a downtown Boston bar in 2017. The women alleged that Batali had sexually assaulted them on separate occasions. The accusations by one of the women led to the only criminal case against the prominent chef and restaurateur at the height of the #MeToo movement. Batali samples coffee at Eataly in 2010, this weekend he said he wouldn't be doing any more cooking demonstrations at the Italian gourmet store One woman testified in May 2022 about how she felt confused and powerless to do anything to stop Batali at the time. But Batali was acquitted of indecent assault and battery after a Boston judge agreed with Batalis lawyers that the accuser had credibility issues and that photos suggested the encounter was amicable. Batalis lawyers portrayed the accuser as a liar who was financially motivated because of her civil lawsuit brought against the chef in 2018. If convicted, Batali could have faced up to 30 months in prison and be required to register as a sex offender. The other woman who sued Batali in 2019 similarly alleged that Batali had groped and kissed her at a restaurant in Bostons Chinatown neighborhood in 2016. Batali stepped down from day-to-day operations at his restaurant empire and left the since-discontinued ABC cooking show 'The Chew' after the sexual misconduct allegations surfaced. Last year, Batali, his business partner and their restaurant company agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve a four-year investigation by the New York attorney generals office into allegations that Batali and other staff sexually harassed employees. This payment was made without any admission of guilt. A manhunt for a suspected knifeman has been launched today after a 'pregnant' woman was stabbed in Aberfan. Armed police swooped on Moy Road in the South Wales village shortly after 9am this morning after the 29-year-old woman was reportedly found in a pool of blood on the pavement. Multiple schools and childcare centres were placed on lockdown amid a police hunt for the suspect. Neighbours ran into the street with pillows and blankets while emergency services arrived. The woman, who is said to be pregnant, was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for treatment. South Wales Police said that her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. Armed police are patrolling Aberfan after a woman was stabbed by a knifeman Armed police, paramedics and an air ambulance were scrambled to Moy Road The woman was attacked on Moy Road in Aberfan, South Wales In a statement, South Wales Police said: 'The suspect left the scene immediately after the incident and enquiries are ongoing to find him. A search of the immediate area is being carried out by armed officers. 'Local schools have activated their lockdown protocols to keep pupils safe whilst the incident is ongoing. 'We continue to request that people avoid the area so that we can effectively deal with this incident. The woman has been taken to hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening at this time.' Images from the scene show multiple emergency service vehicles in attendance. Forensic officers can be seen gathering evidence with a police cordon at Coronation Place, which connects to Moy Road. A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called today at approximately 9:10am to reports of an incident in Aberfan, Merthyr Tydfil. 'We sent one emergency ambulance, one air ambulance and one Cymru High Acuity Response unit to the scene where advanced critical care support was delivered by the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service. 'We conveyed one patient by road to University Hospital Of Wales, Cardiff for further treatment.' Villager Gareth Jones, 64, told MailOnline: 'Another police helicopter was hovering above the village and the street has been cordoned off. Neighbours ran into the street with pillows and blankets while emergency services arrived Police officers at the scene in Aberfan as police respond to a 'major incident' Forensic officers could be seen gathering evidence at the scene on Tuesday lunchtime 'You can see the pillow and blankets that people gave the women to keep her comfortable until an ambulance arrived.' The attack happened just half a mile from the scene of the 1966 Aberfan disaster when 116 children and 28 adults were killed when a colliery tip collapsed onto the village school. Mr Jones, one of the few children to survive the catastrophe, added: 'The air ambulance landed behind the Aberfan disaster memorial gardens. This is the most police activity we've had in the village since that dreadful day. 'There are forensic officers in white suits at the spot where she was attacked. Everyone is just praying the woman is going to be ok.' One of the schools locked down is Greenfield School, which is a special needs school. Posting on X, headteacher Rhiannon Davies said: 'Dear Parents and Carers, We are aware of an ongoing police incident in Aberfan. 'We just wanted to reassure you that as a precaution we are keeping the pupils safe inside the building, and all perimeter gates are locked.' Trinity Childcare and Family Centre also confirmed it had locked down 'as a precaution'. Police are asking people to stay away from the area and not to post 'speculative' comments on social media A person has been stabbed and rushed to hospital for further treatment, the Welsh Ambulance Service said Police confirmed they were called to Moy Way, Aberfan at 9.10am this morning A spokesperson said: 'Trinity Childcare and Family Centre Ltd Aberfan are currently in lockdown as a precaution due to an incident within the Community. All staff and children are safe.' Ynysown Primary School was also in lockdown, with parents receiving text messages informing them that all children are safe. Parents were told: 'Due to an incident in the locality school is currently on lockdown as a precautionary measure. All children are well, we will update parents in due course. Please do not call the school as we are keeping the lines free in case police need to call.' MP for Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Gerald Jones said: 'I have spoken to police regarding a serious incident in Aberfan this morning. 'You may see an increased police presence in the area and I'd encourage everyone to co-operate with police officers as they deal with the incident.' Speaking to Sky News, he added: 'Aberfan is a very close knit, tight community. The community centre and the schools are very close by, hence the reason why police are keen for people not to go to the area. 'The community centre has closed its doors for the moment, and the schools have locked down as well because they are in very close proximity to Moy Road. The community, as I said, is a very tight-knit community so there is, undoubtedly, serious concern within the community.' He added that he had been assured by police that they were dealing with the incident 'as quickly and effectively as they can'. Member of the Senedd for Merthyr Tydfil, Dawn Bowden added: 'I am aware of a serious incident in Aberfan this morning. I have spoken to the Police and will await further information from them. However, please take advice given by the Police who will be grateful for your co-operation while this incident is dealt with. Thank you.' A local community centre was also closed 'until further notice'. Wellbeing Methyr confirmed: 'Due to an ongoing police incident in Aberfan, the Community Centre will be closed until further notice.' However, a Polish official has now said that is an optimistic time frame NATO has just three years to prepare for a Russian attack, the chief of Polish national security has warned, amid growing concerns over the war in Ukraine. With Vladimir Putin's 21-month-long invasion dragging into another winter, Kyiv has suffered a series of setbacks that suggest the war is becoming 'frozen'. The United States and the EU are struggling to secure further packages of military aid to Ukraine, which in-turn has struggled to make major advances in its 2023 counteroffensive that many hoped would deal more blows to Moscow's armies. As a result, attention is turning to the threat the Kremlin could pose to NATO and the EU's eastern borders shared with Russia and its ally Belarus. In one troubling report from a leading German think tank, it has been argued that the NATO alliance must be ready to fend off a Russian attack within six to ten years. But according to Jacek Siewiera, the chief of Poland's National Security Bureau and a minister in the country's chancellery, the report has underestimated the time frame. NATO has just three years to prepare for a Russian attack, the chief of a Polish national security has warned, amid growing concerns over the war in Ukraine. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers patrol around Avdiivka, Ukraine on December 4 'Unfortunately [...] this analysis is consistent with studies prepared in the USA,' he told Polish Catholic newspaper Nasz Dziennik in an interview that was also published on Poland's presidential website. 'However, in my opinion, the time frames presented by German analysts are too optimistic. If we want to avoid war, NATO countries on the eastern flank should adopt a shorter, 3-year time horizon to prepare for confrontation,' he warned. 'This is the time when a potential must be created on the eastern flank that would be a clear signal deterring aggression.' Since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, senior Kremlin officials have hinted that it was just the beginning of the president's imperial ambitions that could see him set his sights on NATO's eastern-most member states. With a full-scale war at NATO's doorstep for the first time in years, such threats have not been taken idly by European nations. Both Finland and Sweden signed up to the military alliance, setting aside their decade-long stance on military non-alignment. Finland officially became a member on April 4 this year, while Sweden's application is currently being held up. Meanwhile, Germany was among several countries to increase their defence spending in the wake of the invasion. But concern remains over the threat posed by Russia. Ukrainian soldiers fire towards Russian targets in Avdiivka, Ukraine, December 1 A soldier of the 58th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army walks in a muddy road, as Vladimir Putin's 21-month-long invasion drags into another winter In particular, there are fears for the three Baltic nations - Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia - all of which border either Russia or Belarus. Successive Russian governments since the 18th century have identified the three small nations as being part of Moscow's sphere of influence, and Putin is understood to view the break-up of the Soviet Union as a national tragedy. In response to Finland joining NATO, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said in May that the Kremlin would establish 12 new 'units or divisions' in its Western Military District that would be stationed along NATO's eastern flank. With the bulk of Russia's military strength bogged down by Ukraine's fierce resistance, those plans have been deferred for now. But many NATO leaders and military analysts fear the alliance has only a small window in which to bolster its own forces. After suffering heavy losses in Ukraine, Russia will now inevitably scale up its own military industry and mobilise more soldiers to expand its armies for years to come. Siewiera's warning came after Christian Molling and Torben Schutz of the German Council on Foreign Relations think tank wrote in their report that NATO is in a 'race against time' to fend off a Russian attack within six years. Meanwhile, in a letter to House and Senate leaders and released publicly, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned the US will run out of funding to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine by the end of the year. She said this would 'kneecap' Ukraine on the battlefield. A Lithuanian fence runs along the border to the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad, as seen in October 2022. There are fears that Putin could set his sights on the Baltic states next Lithuanian border guard officers patrol by the metal fence at the Lithuanian Belarusian border on July 10, 2023 in Dieveniskes, Lithuania Britain's Royal Tank regiment take part in maneuvers during NATO exercise Hedgehog on the Estonian-Latvian border on May 25, 2022 in Voru, Estonia She added that the US already has run out of money that it has used to prop up Ukraine's economy, and 'if Ukraine's economy collapses, they will not be able to keep fighting, full stop.' 'We are out of money - and nearly out of time,' she wrote. The letter said that the US government has already sent $111 billion in aid to Kyiv. Ukraine has sought to play down concerns that support is waning. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insisted on Wednesday that NATO allies are showing no sign of war fatigue and remain committed to helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia and take back occupied territory. Speaking to The Associated Press, Kuleba also said that Putin is miscalculating if he sees any value in keeping his forces in Ukraine at least until presidential elections in the United States in a year's time, which could usher in a new administration. 'I heard a clear "no" to any reference to fatigue, and I heard (a) clear "yes" to increased support to Ukraine,' Kuleba said after meeting NATO counterparts in Brussels. He told the press agency that some allies had made fresh offers of support, but he declined to provide details. 'They understand that in order for them to feel safe, in order for them not to end up in a situation where NATO's soldiers will have to fight, Ukraine has to win in this war.' More than 650 days into the war, fighting between Russia and Ukraine has bogged down, with neither able to make significant gains. NATO believes that Russia has suffered around 300,000 casualties, but officials decline to speculate about the toll on Ukraine. NATO as an organization does not provide military assistance to Ukraine, even though many members do on an individual basis and in groups. But supplying ammunition and equipment has become a challenge as national weapons stocks dwindle. And the rhetoric has shifted. Six weeks ago, top NATO officials and ministers praised the slow but incremental gains that Ukraine's armed forces were making. This week, the country's mere survival was being hailed as a victory. Still, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the allies are 'determined to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, including to take back territory.' He said many NATO members want 'to help Ukraine build a future force that can ensure deterrence, and ensure defense against aggression going forward.' NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference after the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on November 29 Blinken said the only thing preventing an end to the war 'is Vladimir Putin and the extent to which he believes that he can somehow outlast Ukraine, outlast his people,' and Putin's refusal 'to engage in any meaningful way in diplomacy or negotiations.' A senior US official said that most, if not all, NATO allies do not believe Putin will agree to any kind of deal with Ukraine until after the US election, and they approach their decisions on assistance to Ukraine with that in mind. This means not only military aid but also reconstruction assistance, economic support and help with reforms to get Ukraine on a more sustainable path to NATO membership, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. He offered no specifics. But Kuleba said that Putin is always holding out for something. 'He always waits for elections in another country to take place and for the new government and new leadership to change the attitude,' Kuleba said, 'and President Putin always failed, consistently failed, in his expectations.' He added: 'There may be differences about the best ways to contain Russia, to deter Russia. But the understanding (at NATO) that Russia poses a threat is consensual, and I don't see that changing.' Meanwhile, on the ground in Ukraine, at least two people were killed in the street after Russian artillery struck the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, officials said. Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin posted a video of the attack's aftermath, showing two bodies in a city centre street and blood near holes in the road caused by the shelling. The head of the Kherson city administration, Roman Mrochko, added that a health facility was also struck, leaving two medics injured. Russian attacks on the Dnieper river port city have become routine since the Ukrainian army liberated the city last year, with civilian deaths reported almost daily. With the war's front line apparently static along most of its more than 600-mile length, and amid wintry weather, both sides in the war have used aerial bombardment to keep up the military pressure. Russian authorities said they repelled another heavy Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea, while Ukraine officials said air defences responded to drones and missiles launched by the Kremlin's forces. Neither side immediately reported any other casualties or damage. The Russian defence ministry said that air defences destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones and intercepted 13 more over Crimea and the Sea of Azov early on Tuesday. Shortly after, it added that another four drones were destroyed and two were intercepted. Russian officials commonly say drones were destroyed when they were shot down and say they were intercepted when electronic jamming is used. A Ukrainian soldier is seen near a Bradley Fighting vehicle as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in Avdiivka, Donbas, Ukraine on December 4 Military and logistics sites in Russian-occupied Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, have been a frequent target for Ukraine since the full-scale invasion. Last month, Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone attacks on Crimea, according to Russian officials, though they did not mention any casualties or damage. Ukraine's air force, meanwhile, said it downed 10 out of 17 Shahed drones that Russia launched during the night. Moscow's forces also unleashed six S-300 missiles, the air force said. The UK's Ministry of Defence said last month that Russia could target Ukraine's power grid again, just like last winter when Moscow aimed to break local resistance by denying civilians home heating and running water. A pub owner has warned that schnitzels and parmies could soon set patrons back $40 as the cost of living crisis worsens. Australian Hotels Association state president David Basheer, who owns the Strathmore Hotel in the centre of Adelaide, made the ominous prediction during a Christmas luncheon speech. He said that if the South Australian government follows the example of Victoria and phases out gas cooking it would be a costly move for pubs. 'Natural gas is increasingly under siege,' he said, in a speech reported by The Advertiser. Mr Basheer said hospitality costs are also being driven up by the rapid expansion of bureaucratic red tape that's strangling venues. The pub schnitzel could soon cost an eye-watering $40, an Australian Hotels Association state president has warned Mr Basheer said red tape is threatening to strangle hospitality venues, which are already battling to stay open An example of this is the federal government forcing highly experienced chefs and cooks to undergo eight hours of 'food standards 101' training despite there already being strict and stringent state safeguards in place. He said many in the hospitality industry are struggling to stay open amid a 20 per cent slump in business. Coopers Alehouse general manager Nick Sando said the major cost he has to bear is a weekly $25,000 wage bill. On top of that other costs are also rising but he has held the cost of schnitzels to $28 on average with a special rate of $12 on Thursdays. 'We see peaks and troughs a bit more,' he said. 'We're coming into a good time with Christmas but it might be a bit different in January and February.' A spokesman for SA Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis' spokesman said the government 'has no intention whatsoever to ban gas connections' and that the fuel would remain essential in transitioning to cleaner energy. Prince Harry has claimed that he was 'unjustifiably treated differently' when the Home Office withdrew his police protection, the High Court heard today. The Duke, 39, had his taxpayer-funded police protection removed after he stepped back as a senior royal and moved to California with wife Meghan in 2020. This week's case in London will consider the February 2020 decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as Ravec, to withdraw his automatic right to such protection. Harry claims he does not feel safe bringing his family to Britain without police protection, and that private bodyguards cannot match the powers and intelligence-gathering capacity of the police. Lawyers for the Duke told the High Court he should have been entitled to taxpayer-funded police protection because he remained in the line of succession to the throne and was 'a prince of the realm'. The duke's barrister Shaheed Fatima KC said Harry 'has, unjustifiably, been treated less favourably than others'. Harry - seen outside the High Court in London in March - had his taxpayer-funded protection removed after he stepped back as a senior royal and moved to California with Meghan Markle Harry says he does not feel safe to bring his family to Britain without police protection. Pictured with Meghan in London in March 2020, after the pair announced they were stepping down as senior royals She told today's hearing: 'Ravec should have considered the 'impact' that a successful attack on the claimant would have, bearing in mind his status, background and profile within the royal family - which he was born into and which he will have for the rest of his life - and his ongoing charity work and service to the public. Ms Fatima said Harry's 'knowledge/understanding was limited' and that he should have been allowed to make representations to Ravec before the change in his security. READ MORE - Prince Harry is accused of 'bragging and encouraging illegal drug use' in his memoir Spare in US court papers filed by the Heritage Foundation Advertisement She said the Duke wants his security arrangements declared unlawful, arguing that the case-by-case approach leads to 'excessive uncertainty'. Ms Fatima said: 'The purpose of security is to mitigate the risk of a successful attack. 'The risk has arisen in relation to the claimant because of a factor over which he has no control and which will affect him for the rest of his life, ie, his place in the royal family.' The barrister added: 'The 'case-by-case' security provision results in excessive uncertainty and/or hardship for the claimant/his security team.' Ms Fatima had earlier opened today's hearing by saying: 'This case is about the right to safety and security of a person, there could not be a right of greater importance to any of us.' She said in written submissions that the risk the duke faces 'arises from his birth and ongoing status, as the son of HM the King'. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with security, their faces blurred, in New Zealand in 2018 She continued: 'The claimant's consistent position has been - and remains - that he should be given state security in light of the threats/risks he faces.' The barrister later said the duke is 'plainly' part of the group that should be considered by Ravec. Ms Fatima said: 'The effect of the February 20 decision is that Ravec is only required to consider protective security for the Duke of Sussex when he visits the UK. 'That does not mean he is no longer one of the principals that Ravec is required to consider; he plainly is.' But rejecting her arguments, Sir James Eadie KC, for the Home Office said: 'There is no recognised common law right to publicly funded protection.' He said Harry was offered 'bespoke' treatment, as his security needs were assessed whenever he alerted the Home Office that he was planning to visit Britain. He said in written submissions: 'In considering whether to provide protective security to any such individual... Ravec considers the risk of a successful attack on that individual. 'In summary, Ravec considers the threat that an individual faces, which is assessed by reference to the capability and intent of hostile actors, the vulnerability of that individual to such an attack, and the impact that such an attack would have on the interests of the state.' He continued: 'As a result of the fact that he would no longer be a working member of the Royal Family, and would be living abroad for the majority of the time, his position had materially changed. 'In those circumstances, protective security would not be provided on the same basis as before. However, he would, in particular and specific circumstances, be provided protective security when in Great Britain.' Sir James continued: 'Ravec has, accordingly, treated the claimant in a bespoke manner. Lawyers for the Duke told the High Court he should have been entitled to taxpayer-funded police protection because he remained in the line of succession to the throne and was 'a prince of the realm' 'He is no longer a member of the cohort of individuals whose security position remains under regular review by Ravec. But he is brought back within the cohort in the appropriate circumstances.' The barrister said Ravec's job was to balance the risk of a public figure being attacked with the 'finite' nature of police funding. And he said it was 'plainly rational' and lawful for Ravec to consider that the Duke of Sussex was stepping back as a working royal was a factor. 'The fact that the Duke of Sussex cannot cease to be a member of the Royal Family is trite, but does not further inform the balance which Ravec must strike. Its decisions were made in that knowledge.' The barrister added: 'The decision - and its practical implementation for the claimant's subsequent visits - recognised that he nonetheless occupies a particular and unusual position, such that it may be appropriate to afford him protective security in certain circumstances.' The High Court heard that the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was raised as part of the decision over the Duke of Sussex's security. Sir James said: 'Ravec was aware of the wider 'impact' following the tragic death of the claimant's mother, and this was also a matter referenced by the royal household.' The barrister added there would be 'likely significant public upset were a successful attack on the claimant to take place'. But he continued: 'The decision, and its subsequent application, constituted a lawful balancing of relevant factors, in the conduct of a consideration of risk, impact and threat.' The High Court was told that Ravec requires requests for protective security on a case by case basis, giving 28 days' notice. The case continues. A Las Vegas teenager has been arrested after threatening an Isis-inspired terrorist attack on social media. Police said they found parts and instructions to build an explosive device during a search of the unnamed 16-year-old boy's home. Authorities began looking into the suspect after being alerted to a series of social media posts threatening 'lone wolf operations in Las Vegas against the enemies of Allah.' Police identified the suspect within hours and the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force and Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center conducted a search of his home. Deputy Chief Dori Koren said said the search turned up 'numerous items of concern to include terrorism propaganda and materials that indicated the suspects intent to commit an act of terrorism.' Deputy Chief Dori Koren said said the search turned up 'numerous items of concern to include terrorism propaganda' A series of social media posts threatening 'lone wolf operations in Las Vegas against the enemies of Allah' Investigators said they found an Isis flag as well as Al Qaeda and ISIS propaganda Investigators said they found an Isis flag as well as Al Qaeda and ISIS propaganda, and guidance on how to carry out a terrorist attack. The boy has been charged with multiple felony offences including making terroristic threats, attempting to further an act of terrorism and providing material support to a terrorist organization. He remains in custody. The teen's arrest comes as US authorities are on high alert for possible terrorist threats during the Israel-Hamas war. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is beefing up security in the Big Apple following an intelligence report indicating that there is an increased chance of a terrorist attack in the wake of Hamas' brutal assault on Israel on October 7. The boy has been charged with multiple felony offences The teen's arrest comes as US authorities are on high alert for possible terrorist threats during the Israel-Hamas war The report found that due to the increased violence in Israel with the bombardment of Gaza, there has been a rise in 'chatter' about possible terrorism targets in the Big Apple. 'I am working hard at the state level with the control I have. I'll be talking about this tomorrow, about exactly what we're doing, and how many online threats we've uncovered, how many have been investigated, what the outcome is,' Hochul was quoted as saying. The governor also spoke about her administration looking into ways to counter online radicalization. The intelligence center's report found that hate crimes against Jewish people, Muslim people and Arabs are being fueled by online rhetoric. Fort Johnson, LA (71446) Today Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible late. High around 70F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 54F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. A five-month-old baby girl who was shaken to death was born severely premature after her mother tried to abort her, an inquest has heard. The little girl - known only as Baby BE - died in May 2019 after suffering catastrophic brain injuries. An inquest in Perth heard on Tuesday that the child had been living in a house not fit for 'human habitation' in the weeks leading up to her death. A five-month-old baby girl who was shaken to death was born severely premature after her mother tried to abort her, an inquest has heard (file picture) BE was taken to Joondalup Health Campus on May 21 by her parents because she was refusing to eat, the West Australian reported from the inquest. She was having seizures and was transferred to Perth Children's Hospital, where she was found to have suffered 'severe, non-accidental injuries'. She died five days later. BE was also found to have 16 rib fractures and seven other bone fractures which were inflicted in the 10 days before she was taken to hospital. Both her parents were initially arrested on suspicion of murder but they were later released without charge. No one has been arrested in relation to BE's death. The Coroner's Court heard that BE's mother tried to terminate her pregnancy herself at 23 weeks, leading to her premature birth. Clinical specialist nurse Sara Stephens told the inquest that she unsuccessfully tried to arrange several visits to BE's parents' home after the mum and baby were discharged from hospital and a colleague noticed that the little girl had a bruise on her jaw. Ms Stephens was horrified when she was finally allowed into the property. 'I have never been in a home with live wires in the ceiling and broken glass in the windows,' the nurse told the court. 'I was just so shocked anyone was living there. I couldn't understand how they were there. This was a family who did have access to resources. None of it made sense to me.' She added that she suspected the mother was a victim of domestic violence, saying that while the mother did not say she was being physically abused, she did say that she was not allowed to make decisions and had 'no control over the finances'. Ms Stephens felt the baby quieter than babies usually are at that age but that she had put on weight and was engaging well with her mum. Paediatric senior registrar Dr Sheeba Qamer, who assesses BE after her bruised jaw was spotted, said he noticed a scratch on her nostril but said the baby was gaining weight. The inquest continues. Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman took aim once again at Harvard University's leadership in a scathing open letter in which he highlights their failure to address anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination on campus. Ackman, 57, posted the letter on his X page on Sunday. In one section he wrote that anti-Semitism is 'the canary in the coal mine for other discriminatory practices at Harvard.' The Harvard graduate also alleged that straight white males are subject to discrimination and denied opportunities at the school. On Tuesday, Harvard University President Claudine Gay will answer questions before Congress on the multiple anti-Israeli protests that have occurred since Hamas' barbaric assault on October 7. Ackman said in his letter that his criticisms echoed many faculty members who are not willing to be named. Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman took aim once again at Harvard University's leadership in a scathing open letter Claudine Gay is due to testify at Congress about anti-Semitic incidents at her college One particularly scathing section of Ackman's letter to Gay In private, Ackman says that faculty describe Harvard as 'loud' and 'hate-filled' where 'protests appear to be encouraged, but where faculty and students cant share points of view that are inconsistent with the accepted narrative on campus.' Ackman spoke disparagingly about Harvard's Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, calling it a 'home for people who have been victimized.' 'The ODEIB is at the service of black students, to a lesser extent brown students, and to a lesser extent LGBTQ students.' 'It's about whiteness versus people of color,' Ackman wrote as the complaints continued. He goes on to say that Gay is guilty of having a double-standard when it comes to pro-Palestinian protesters compared against other voices of dissent. Ackman also accuses the school of having inconsistent hiring policies. 'The problems at Harvard are clearly not just about Jews and Israel. It is abundantly clear that straight white males are discriminated against in recruitment and advancement at Harvard,' the billionaire wrote. 'That is also apparently true to a somewhat lesser extent for men who are Asians or of Indian origin,' he added. 'While Harvard claims that it is committed to free expression, in practice free expression appears to only happen "behind closed doors" or among faculty and students speaking anonymously,' Ackman said continuing his allegations of anti-Semitism. A sign set up on campus by the Harvard Palestine Society On Sunday, Ackman posted a video showing a pro-Palestinian student disrupting a class with a bullhorn, ranting about protests and chanting: 'Free free Palestine.' 'This is what you get for $73,600/year at @Harvard,' Ackman wrote in the caption. The Pershing Square Capital Management founder, who has a net worth of $3.8 billion, graduated with a degree in social studies from Harvard in 1988 and later attained an MBA in 1992. The school's official rule book bans the disruption of classes and is 'regarded as unacceptable obstruction of the essential processes of the University.' This weekend saw a mob of University of Pennsylvania students chanting 'intifada,' meaning 'uprising,' through the streets. Ackman too posted that video which was accompanied by the caption: 'Stop telling American Jews not to worry.' Last week, Ackman took aim at Gay over her 'failed leadership' and called the decision not to attend the screening of a documentary on October 7 an 'insult'. Ackman offered to fly Gay to Washington D.C. immediately after the documentary is screened at Harvard for her congressional appearance, where she is due to testify to Congress about the explosion in anti-Semitism at the college. But the university leader has declined the invitation, with her chief of staff stating she is 'out of town' in an email reply. 'I cant imagine anything more important for the Harvard President to do now than to bear witness to the atrocities before testifying about the Hamas protests and antisemitism on campus,' Ackman wrote on X. 'It may be true that she is "out of town" as I am sure she is flying to DC that day, but it sure sends a bad message to the students, the faculty, and the alumni community about the seriousness with which she is taking the issue of antisemitism on campus. 'And it is an insult to the Israeli Ambassador who is flying to Boston just to present the documentary at Harvard.' Ackman said he offered to provide dinner and a flight so the two could discuss the kinds of questions Gay may face at Congress on Tuesday. However, gifts such as a this from a donor seeking to influence university policy may or may not be prohibited by school regulations. The presidents of Harvard, UPenn and MIT were shamed by Republicans and college students today for their lack of action against campus antisemitism at a heated congressional hearing. The three female presidents were all grilled for hours about the angry protests at their schools and what they have done to protect Jewish students, many of whom say they now feel unsafe going to class. While all condemned Hamas and disavowed antisemitism generally, they refused to speak against students calling for the genocide of Jews, and said such speech was allowed - 'even if it is hateful'. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) was dogged in her questioning of the leaders, demanding to know whether such calls for Jew genocide violated their policies on bullying on harassment. Dr. Claudine Gay - Harvard's $900,000-a-year president who has been in the job for five months - replied: 'If the speech becomes conduct it can be harassment.' 'Conduct being committing the act of genocide?' Stefanik shot back. Gay and the other presidents said the incidents were 'context-based decisions.' 'I haven't always gotten it right,' said Harvard President Dr. Claudine Gay in her opening remarks Dr. Gay was grilled by New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik All three conceded the rising antisemitism and vowed to crack down on it, but used their testimony to say there have 'also' been 'rising incidents of Islamophobia'. Gay, under heated questioning from Republicans, failed to acknowledge the school's undeniable liberal bias, insisting neither she nor the school tracks the political leanings of faculty. She refused to accept that certain faculty members had been fired after sharing their conservative views, and claimed the school 'doesn't keep track of professors' politics. While chants for 'Intifada' or the eradication of Israel were 'personally abhorrent' to her, she said they did not meet the level of violating the school's code of conduct. 'Does the phrase intifada not breach your code of conduct?' Gay was asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik. 'We embrace a commitment to free expression - even of views that are objectionable, offensive, hateful,' Gay replied. UPenn President Liz Magill said the school had demonstrated its 'unyielding commitment to combatting antisemitism' MIT President Dr. Sally Kornbluth was also grilled for her school's response to protests A woman holds a placard as supporters of a ceasefire in Gaza gather before a House Education and The Workforce Committee hearing titled "Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism Other pro-Palestine protesters turned up to support the Ivy League school leaders None of the school leaders could answer when asked by Rep. Joe Wilson how many conservative faculty members they hired. All three college presidents said they didn't 'collect that kind of data' when hiring staff. 'There is no diversity of thought and the result of that is antisemitism. You might look into that,' he said. Before the hearing, Jewish NYU student Bella Ingber gave a blistering analysis of on-campus life. Before the hearing, Jewish NYU student Bella Ingber gave a blistering analysis of on-campus life 'Being a Jew at NYU is experiencing how 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' is not a value that NYU extends to its Jewish students,' she said. Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, in her opening statements, said the three presidents have failed to ensure the safety of Jewish students out of fear for upsetting their liberal student bodies, who are overwhelmingly anti-Israel. 'Harvard was ground zero for antisemitism following October 7th attack. 'It is the single least tolerant school in the nation. UPenn was right behind them and MIT sits in the middle of the pack,' she fumed. At the beginning of the hearing, the committee displayed a video compilation of antisemitic incidents on campus One of the many pro-Palestine campus protests that Republicans say have labeled 'morally reprehensible' The schools' collective failure to condemn Hamas has triggered a donor vacuum where the generous Jewish alumni once stood. In addition to larger, mostly peaceful protests, there have been singular incidents of violence against Jewish students on some of the school campuses. 'I want to ask them when they're going to get a spine and do what it is what they should be doing which is condemning terrorism and doing what they can to protect their students,' Foxx said last night in an appearance on Newsmax before Tuesday's hearing. Harvard President Dr. Claudine Gay, UPenn President Liz Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth will all be called to testify before the committee. The hearing will also include testimony from Dr. Pamela Nadell, Professor of History and Jewish Studies, American University. In November, more than 1,600 Harvard alumni threatened to withdraw donations in protest over the school's response to the protests. At 10.15am, leaders from the three schools will be grilled by Republican lawmakers sitting on the House Committee on Education & the Workforce Foxx has been outspoken in her criticism of the schools and their approaches. 'Antisemitism has no place in America, especially not on college campuses. Colleges and universities have become a breeding ground for radical ideology. 'That fact has never been more evident as campus demonstrations in support of Hamas and other terrorist organizations erupt. 'Not only are these demonstrations morally reprehensible, but they also incite violence against Jewish students and staff. 'The passage of this resolution is a good first step, but I can assure you, we will not stop here. 'Soon the Committee will hold a hearing on combating antisemitism. 'I will continue to demand accountability for this kind of hateful and violent rhetoric,' she said earlier this month. Former Rep. Liz Cheney said Monday she is considering a run for president in 2024 with the goal of keeping former President Donald Trump out of office. She sat down with USA Today for an interview published Tuesday and said she was interested in creating a new third party. Cheney revealed she was also open to joining a bipartisan ticket, like the one being proposed by the moderate No Labels group. She said: 'I think that the situation that we're in is so grave, and the politics of the moment require independents and Republicans and Democrats coming together in a way that can help form a new coalition, so that may well be a third-party option.' At the same time, Cheney was insistent she wouldn't run on the No Labels ticket if it seemed poised to suck votes away from Democratic President Joe Biden. That would help put Trump, the leading contender for the Republican nomination, back in the White House. Rep. Liz Cheney said in an interview with USA Today Monday that she was interested in running for president in 2024 and would even join a No Labels ticket but not if that meant playing spoiler and allowing former President Donald Trump back in the White House A number of Democratic and nonpartisan analysts have warned that the No Labels effort - recruiting a bipartisan, third-party ticket - would likely damage President Joe Biden's (left) prospects more than former President Donald Trump's (right) Cheney told USA Today that calculation - whether her votes would come from Biden or Trump - would impact her decision. A number of Democratic and nonpartisan analysts have warned that the No Labels effort would likely damage Biden's standing more than Trump's in next year's general election, as Trump has a very reliable voter base. Former Rep. Liz Cheney's new book Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning arrived in bookstores Tuesday Democrats have urged Biden to take independent and third-party challenges seriously and to reach out to Cheney, as well as Sen. Joe Manchin - who's also flirting with a No Labels bid - to bring them on board with his campaign instead. She's not yet supporting Biden, but has encouraged Republican voters to vote Democrats into Congress for fear that new House Speaker Mike Johnson might not adhere to the results of the 2024 presidential election. 'It's not a position that I've arrived at lightly,' she said. Cheney said her top priority is to defeat Trump and protect the Constitution. 'The president who's willing to ignore the rulings of the courts, the president who's willing to ignore the guardrails of our democracy is an existential threat,' Cheney said about the ex-president. The former Republican House member also said she hoped to 'play a role' in the formation of a 'new, fully conservative party.' 'And so whether that means restoring the current Republican Party, which ... looks like a very difficult if not impossible taks, or setting up a new party, I do hope to be involved and engaged in that.' Cheney had been the No. 3 House Republican before her leadership post was stripped away due to her vote to impeach Trump over his role in the January 6 Capitol attack and her continued Trump criticism. She then joined the House select committee on January 6, much to the chagrin of her GOP colleagues. Cheney lost her Republican primary in August 2022 to Rep. Harriet Hageman, who backs Trump, and has been out of office since January. 'My only regret is supporting Donald Trump,' she told Page. Her new book, Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning, came out Tuesday. She used it, in part, to shame 'enablers' and 'collaborationists' of Trump, who are willing to be critical of the ex-president behind closed doors but appear to be in lockstep with him in public. Cheney ruffled feathers with the office of Tennessee Republican Rep. Mark Green, who she wrote 'sheepishly' said 'the things we do for the Orange Jesus' as he signed up to contest the 2020 presidential election results, on Trump's orders. Former Rep. Liz Cheney inspired a Truth Social rant from former President Donald Trump on Monday in which he said claims written in her book - that Rep. Kevin McCarthy said he was 'really depressed' and 'not eating' - were false Green's spokesperson denied the congressman said such a thing. She also inspired a Trump rant on Truth Social on Monday for writing that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told her that Trump knew he lost the 2020 race. Three weeks after the January 6 Capitol attack, McCarthy traveled to Mar-a-Lago to visit with Trump, which he told Cheney was because the ex-president was 'really depressed' and 'not eating.' 'That statement is not true. I was not depressed, I WAS ANGRY, and it was not that I was not eating, it was that I was eating too much,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'But thats not why Keven McCarthy was there. He was at Mar-a-Lago to get my support, and to bring the Republican Party together - Only good intentions.' Trump also called Cheney 'crazy' and said she 'suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome at a level rarely seen before.' The ex-president also falsely claimed that Cheney and other January 6 select committee members destroyed the evidence and findings of the committee. The US ranked 28th among a list of 37 industrialized countries measured as part of the assessment Students scored 'among the lowest ever' for math in the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) American teens' math scores are lagging behind their peers across the world as students continue to be held back by pandemic learning loss. Results recorded for US 15-year-olds were 'among the lowest ever' in the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Math scores plummeted by 13 percentage points compared to 2018, and fell below levels seen in 2012. The drastic decline has been attributed to the impact of school closures during the Covid pandemic. It means U.S teens are trailing behind those in the likes of China, Japan and Singapore. American teens scored 'among the lowest ever' scores in the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) Math test results plunged by 13 percentage points compared to 2018 and saw the US lag behind many other countries PISA measures around 700,000 15-year-old students' performances in reading, mathematics, and science. Last year, 81 education systems participated in the tests, including 37 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and 44 other countries and education systems. The US ranked 28th among OECD states, with a below-average math score of 465 compared to 480. The score was, 'among the lowest ever measured by PISA in mathematics' for the U.S., per the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country note. There was also a discrepancy between male and female students. Boys scored higher, on average, than their female peers by 13 points on mathematics literacy. A similar trend was seen across OECD countries where on average, male students outperformed female students in mathematics by nine points. The drop was also consistent with declines seen elsewhere in the world, as other nations were forced to close their schools in the wake of Covid-19. 'Learning loss due to the pandemic was a global phenomenon,' Martin West, the academic dean at Harvard Graduate School of Education told the Wall Street Journal. 'We've never seen, in an international assessment, consistent declines across a large number of school systems in the way we see here.' The typical OECD country saw its math scores plunge by 15 percentage points. The outlet reports that 20 is equivalent to an entire year of learning. Those countries and economies that managed to improve or maintain their math scores were typically those who experienced shorter lockdowns or less barriers to remote learning, according to the PISA report. U.S. 15-year-olds typically scored 465 for math on the PISA, compared to an average of 472 for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member states Studies have suggested U.S. elementary and middle school students will need months of additional tutoring to make up for their lost learning in reading and math after 13-year-olds scores dropped to their lowest level in decades. Researchers estimated that students would need 4.1 months of extra schooling to catch up in reading and 4.5 months for math. The 2022 PISA score saw US teens maintain a similar position for reading, ranking 6th of the OECD countries with an above average score of 504 compared to 476 overall. The U.S. also had a larger percentage of top performers in reading literacy than the OECD average with 14 percent compared to seven percent respectively. While OECD countries saw teens' reading scores slide by 10 percentage points compared to 2018, the US' performance remained unchanged. American teens also scored higher than average in science proficiency, with a typical score of 499 compared to 485. Scores remained flat compare to 2018 levels. Although several countries including Estonia, Japan and China performed better across all three exams. PISA assessments are considered to be indicative of more than just educational prowess and are seen as a measure of socioeconomic success. Reading and science literacy scores in the U.S. remained relatively stagnant compared to 2018 In 2018, the US placed 29th in the OECD rankings for math making this year's performance a slight improvement. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona claimed the results indicate that $123 billion emergency funding distributed to schools during the pandemic minimized the impact of school shutdowns. 'Here's the bottom line: At an extremely tough time in education, the United States moved up in the world rankings in reading, math, and science all three categories PISA measures while, unfortunately, many other countries saw declines. 'These results also show that we can't be satisfied with the status quo in education. There's much work to be done and we need all hands on deck to accelerate academic success,' he said. However West said it is too early to state whether the additional funding helped students recover. The PISA report also noted some bias in the test results as participation is optional. A couple who promised grieving families a 'natural burial' for loved ones will go on trial today charged with leaving corpses stacked for years in their unrefrigerated compound outside Denver. Jon and Carie Hallford face 250 charges of forgery, theft, money laundering and abuse of a corpse after nearly 200 decaying bodies were discovered at their Return to Nature funeral home in Colorado Springs. Investigators discovered 'abhorrent conditions' when they raided the property in October after repeated complaints from neighbors about the 'dead animal smell' sitting over the area. Horrified police discovered 190 dead bodies abandoned in rooms where 'human decomposition fluids and insects lined the floors'. Relatives who paid $1,290 for an eco-friendly cremation and the promise of a tree planting in the Colorado National Forest were allegedly handed 'concrete dust' rather than ashes while their loved ones were shelved and forgotten about. Jon and Carie Hallford promised 'a natural way of caring for your loved one with minimal environmental impact,' at their Return to Nature funeral home in Colorado But investigators discovered 190 corpses that had been abandoned for up to four years in a raid on their premises in October The company's operating license expired in November last year but the state has little regulation of funeral homes with no routine inspections or qualification requirements 'For four years, I've marched all over this country with this urn believing it to be my son,' said Crystina Page whose 20-year-old son, David, who was shot and killed by law enforcement in 2019. 'My son has been laying there rotting for four years. It's the most horrendous feeling I've ever had in my life.' County coroners worked around the clock for a week in a bid to identify the bodies after the property was raided on October 4. DNA testing had to be used on many due to the state of the bodies before they were returned to their families. The EPA has announced that the building will be demolished after fury from neighbors 'To say my family is horrified and enraged is an understatement,' said Lindsay Maher when she discovered her grandmother Yong Anderson was among the dead. 'My grandma's last wishes were to be cremated and have her ashes spread in the ocean. 'It turns out the ashes we received from Return To Nature was actually just concrete dust and my grandma's body has been at the abandoned building this entire time. 'They falsified my grandmas death certificate and handed my grieving family concrete dust.' The company opened for business in 2017 offering 'a natural way of caring for your loved one with minimal environmental impact.' But by the time of the raid it owed more than $120,000 in unpaid bills and had been repeatedly taken to court over unpaid wages and disputes with local medical centers. The company's operating license expired in November last year but the state has little regulation of funeral homes with no routine inspections or qualification requirements for operators. Relatives said they raised their suspicions with the couple but were fobbed off each time. When the family of retired Army officer Tanya Wilson received her ashes, her brother Elliot thought they were unusually heavy and confronted Carie Hallford. 'Jesse, of course, this is your mother,' Elliott recalled Hallford saying. When he took them to a nearby funeral director he was told 'I've never seen anything that looks like that in the range of what cremated remains would typically expect to look like.' Two families were so suspicious they mixed the 'ashes' with water and found that they solidified. Samantha Naranjo discovered that the body of mother Dorothy had been warehoused for more than a year in the dilapidated building. 'We were hurt, we were frustrated, now we're angry,' she told KRDO. 'We want justice. Not just for us, but every single one of those victims. Every one of them. 'Their family deserves to be at peace, the community deserves justice.' The couple fled to Wagoner, Oklahoma, where they were arrested on November 8 and jailed on a bond of $2million each. Grieving relatives and outraged locals have picketed the premises 100 miles south of Denver demanding justice for victims. Samantha Naranjo (right) discovered that the body of mother Dorothy had been warehoused for more than a year in the dilapidated building The firm owed more than $120,000 in unpaid bills by the time it was raided in October Joyce Pavetti, 73, can see the funeral home from the stoop of her house and said she caught whiffs of a putrid smell in the last few weeks. 'We just assumed it was a dead animal,' she said. Neighbor Ron Alexander thought the smell was coming from a septic tank, adding that the blur of law enforcement lights during the police raid 'looked like the 4th of July.' The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Monday that the building will have to be demolished next month to 'safely remove biological and hazardous materials that were found'. Court records say Jon Hallford is being represented by the public defenders office, which does not comment on cases to the media. Carie Hallford is being represented by attorney Michael Stuzynski, who declined to comment on the case. Striking junior doctors will bring the NHS to a standstill days before Christmas as they plot 72 hours of carnage. Struggling hospitals will also be rocked by six consecutive days of British Medical Association (BMA) action in the New Year, marking the longest ever walk-out in the NHS's 75-year history. The action, starting on December 20 and January 3rd, respectively, will coincide with one of the traditionally busiest periods. Pay talks between the militant union and Government have broken down, despite hopes of progress. Ever since they kicked off the never-ending wave of strikes last winter, BMA chiefs have pushed for a salary rise of 35 per cent for junior doctors. The union claimed the Government's newest offer amounted to an additional 3 per cent, on top of an 9.8 per cent rise already given. It said the lack of a 'credible offer' forced it into another round of strikes. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the Government would 'immediately look to come back to the table' if the devastating strikes were called off. Junior doctors in England have voted to stage fresh strikes in December and January after talks between the Government and British Medical Association broke down Official figures also show waiting lists for routine NHS procedures also shot up to a a new record high, with around 6.5million patients in England waiting for 7.77million appointments and procedures in England The BMA union is calling for a full walkout of all junior doctors in the days leading up to Christmas and again in the new year. Pictured: Health workers on the picket line outside St Thomas's Hospital in London in September this year Junior doctors in England will strike from 7am on December 20 to 7am on December 23 and from 7am on January 3 to 7am on January 9. Ms Atkins said: 'It is disappointing that, despite significant progress, the BMA junior doctors committee have walked away from negotiations and declared new strikes, which will result in more disruption for patients and extra pressure on NHS services and staff as we enter a busy winter period, risking patient safety. 'I have been clear that I respect the work of doctors in training and want to work with them to settle this dispute. 'We have agreed a fair and reasonable offer with the BMAs consultants committee which is being put to members for vote following constructive talks.' She added: 'If the junior doctors committee call off their strikes, we will immediately look to come back to the table to continue negotiations.' Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairmen of the BMA's junior doctor committee, said: 'We have been clear from the outset of these talks that we needed to move at pace and if we did not have a credible offer, we would be forced to call strikes. 'After five weeks of intense talks, the Government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline. 'Instead, we were offered an additional 3 per cent, unevenly spread across doctors' grades, which would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors this year.' The pair added: 'It is clear the Government is still not prepared to address the real-terms pay cut doctors have experienced since 2008. 'It is a great shame that even though the approach was more constructive, there was not enough on offer to shape a credible deal, which we hoped would end the dispute. 'Without enough progress by the deadline, we have no choice but to take action that demonstrates doctors are as determined as ever in reversing their pay cuts. Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins (pictured in November) said that the Government would 'immediately look to come back to the table' if the junior doctors' strikes were called off 'However, we can still avoid the need for these strikes. We will be ready and willing any time the Government wants to talk. If a credible offer can be presented the day before, or even during any action, these strikes can be cancelled. 'The approach from Ms Atkins and the team has been productive but ultimately that alone is not sufficient to make up for 15 years of declining pay. 'A year after our dispute started, we are still too far from turning the tide on plummeting pay, morale, and retention of doctors. 'Rather than waste more time and money and have further disruption to patient care, the Health Secretary needs to make a credible offer now.' In the wake of Covid and never-ending strike action, waiting lists have soared to an all-time high. NHS figures show 7.8million patients are currently needing routine treatment, up on the 4.5m logged pre-pandemic. Insiders fear the dire situation will likely only get worse with winter looming and the constant threat of fresh strikes. The strikes come as waiting lists for routine NHS procedures have shot up to another record high. At Prime Minister's Questions last month, Labour Leader Keir Starmer said the NHS waiting list stood at 7.8 million - half a million more than in January Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (pictured today) pledged at the start of the year to cut waiting lists and newly appointed Ms Atkins has made tackling the disputes with doctors one of her top priorities Ms Atkins last week said putting a stop to industrial action would prevent the NHS from having to reschedule appointments during the walkouts (file photo of an NHS hospital ward) Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: 'This is the outcome that trust leaders were dreading. 'This will be the longest strike in NHS history during the busiest and toughest time of the year for the NHS. 'These strikes will undermine efforts to cut waiting lists further, theyll have a serious knock-on effect on services right across the NHS. 'As we have seen with previous walkouts, patients will once again pay the price through renewed delays and disruption. 'We know this walkout will be especially hard for trusts to manage, given lots of staff will have annual leave booked over the festive period... 'It's not too late for the Government and unions to sort out this dispute and prevent more strikes.' Strikes are estimated to have cost the NHS more than 1.3billion already and more than one million delayed patient appointments. The Prime Minister pledged at the start of the year to cut waiting lists and newly appointed Ms Atkins has made tackling the disputes with doctors one of her top priorities. Her language has proved markedly different to that of predecessor Steve Barclay, who referred to the BMA as having a politically 'militant stance'. Last week the Government agreed a deal with consultants in England to potentially end a long and bitter dispute over pay. Officials refused to budge on their original offer, worth around the 6 per cent mark, for months. But now the Government has vowed to give an additional 4.95 per cent 'investment in pay' that will see consultants who earn six-figure salaries, on average get up to an extra 20,000. The deal on the table for consultants is being voted on by BMA members. The junior doctors are understood to be seeking a 35 per pay rise, but Ms Atkins has said the Government cannot meet such requests. The Moms for Liberty Pennsylvania chapter has broken away from the national organization after its Florida co-founder's husband was accused of raping a woman in a 'menage a trois' with the couple. Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler, 40, is facing fierce accusations after a woman said he raped her after she canceled plans to have sex with him and his wife Bridget - who is the founder of Moms for Liberty. Sarasota police are investigating the unnamed woman's claim that Ziegler attacked her after she backed out of sex when she learned Bridget would not be present. Ziegler, 40, said he and his wife are being targeted because they are 'such loud political voices' - and added that he will not resign over the allegations. However, Moms for Liberty's Pennsylvania branch has disassociated from the organization because of the scandal - which has rocked the GOP and its supporters. Pictured: Christian and Bridget Ziegler. Christian Ziegler, 40, is facing fierce accusations after a woman said he raped her after she canceled plans to have sex with him and his wife Clarissa Paige (pictured) founded the Northumberland County chapter in April 2022. She has disassociated her chapter with the national organization over the rape accusations Clarissa Paige, the chapter chair, told the News Item: 'It's hard to advocate for parental rights when the co-founder is caught up in the scandal. 'Our values are not aligning with the national organization.' Paige is described online as a 'dedicated mother, wife, and community leader from Watsontown, Pennsylvania. 'Clarissa's commitment to honesty and the pursuit of truth has led her to become an active and influential figure in her community.' She founded the Northumberland County chapter in April 2022 and was also on the Moms for Liberty Pennsylvania Legislative Committee Chair, where she helped 'further the organization's goals and impact on the state level.' A search warrant revealed that Bridget admitted to police that the couple had a sexual encounter with the accuser last year. Ziegler told detectives that he did have sex with the woman but that it was consensual. Ziegler claimed he filmed the October 2 encounter before deleting the video and saving it on a Google Drive, according to police documents. Florida Republican Party chairman Christian Ziegler has said he is innocent following a woman's claims that he raped her after she cancelled plans to have sex with him and his wife In a letter to supporters, Ziegler wrote: 'We have a country to save and I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission on the bench as I wait for this process to wrap up.' 'My family is rock solid. My wife is behind me 150 percent and we have methods in place to protect our (three) children, just as we have with all previous attacks that we have faced.' The longtime GOP activist ascended to the state party's top post in February. Governor Ron DeSantis said last week that while Ziegler is innocent until proven guilty, he should resign to avoid becoming a distraction to their party - but Ziegler insists he won't quit. No charges have been filed against Ziegler, but the Sarasota Police investigation remains open. Police records saying that the Ziegler had group sex with a woman have led Democrats and gay rights leaders to accuse the couple of hypocrisy, given that an organization Bridget Ziegler co-founded - Moms for Liberty - has joined DeSantis and the Florida GOP in pushing back against LGBTQ+ causes. Bridget Ziegler is also an elected member of the Sarasota County school board and was appointed by DeSantis to the board that now oversees Walt Disney Worlds land development. An unnamed woman claims that Ziegler sexually assaulted her after she backed out of sex when she learned his wife, Moms for Liberty founder Bridget Ziegler (pictured with Casey Desantis), would not be present Together, the couple holds powerful influence in Florida GOP politics Bridget Ziegler (left) helped establish the framework for what would become DeSantis' (right) Parental Rights in Education Bill dubbed the 'Don't Say Gay' law DeSantis pushed through legislation last year disbanding a Disney-controlled board after the company opposed his bill that limits sex education in schools. The rape accusation against Ziegler became public last week after the Florida Center for Government Accountability, an investigative news organization, obtained a police report and the search warrant affidavits detailing the allegations. The accuser's name is redacted in the documents. The accuser, who has known Ziegler for 20 years, told police that when Bridget backed out of the plan to have sex, she texted Christian saying: 'Sorry, I was mostly in for her,' according to an affidavit. The Florida GOP Chair pictured with former Republican president Trump Later that evening, the woman claims that as she went to leave her apartment, she discovered Ziegler outside in the hallway - and alleges he then entered her property and raped her. Weeks later, detectives began to monitor calls and messages sent by Christian Ziegler to the accuser, according to the affidavit. 'Where r u? Wanna meet and chat? Worried about you. You are my friend,' Ziegler allegedly wrote in one message via Instagram. 'Hell no not after what you did to me,' the woman responded. 'Do you not understand I am terrified of you?' A 911 call, obtained by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, made by a friend of the alleged victim revealed she confided in the friend about being raped. 'She told me she was raped,' the friend informed the dispatcher on October 4. 'She's saying she's scared, that the person who raped her came to her house, so she's scared to leave... I'm worried about her right now,' the friend explained. In text and phone conversations monitored by investigators, Ziegler offered the woman 'financial help' before becoming suspicious that they were being recorded. The Idaho father accused of shooting his pregnant wife to death and kidnapping their 10-month-old son who was later found dead appeared in court topless on Monday. Jeremy Albert Best, 48, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of his wife and unborn child on November 30. He appeared before the judge over Zoom from the Bonneville County Jail where he was seen shirtless with his head in his hand. The first count of murder that he faced was for shooting his pregnant wife, Kali Randall Best, 38, and the second was for the death of their unborn child. He was also charged with one count of using a firearm during the crime, but it is not yet known if he will face additional charges for the abduction and later death of their 10-month-old son Zeke Gregory Best. Jeremy Albert Best appeared in court topless with his head in his hand (pictured) on Monday for his arraignment where he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder Best is accused of shooting his pregnant wife Kali Randall Best to death in their Victor, Idaho, home. He then went on to kidnap their 10-month-old son Zeke Police believe that Best murdered his wife at their home in Victor, Idaho, before he kidnapped their son Zeke. Roughly 24 hours before, footage obtained by East Idaho News showed Best walking through the Swan Valley General Store naked. He can be seen in the video with a cigarette in his mouth as he slouched over the store's counter next to the cash register. Deputies with Bonneville County Sheriff's Office responded to the store and identified Best. He was evaluated by EMS teams outside the store and was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center over mental health concerns. It remains unclear what happened at the hospital, but a spokesperson confirmed that Best was discharged on Thursday afternoon. Later that day, officers arrived at the family home after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor at 11.39pm - just before Best was last seen. They found Randall unresponsive, with her death being treated as homicide. Zeke Gregory Best was just 10 months old. He was found dead on Saturday morning after hunters reported his father resting on the side of the road Best, 48, looked dazed and disheveled with a mane of wild hair and a gray beard in the booking photo. He is being held at Bonneville County Jail without bond An Amber alert for Zeke was then issued at 4.30am Friday. Police said that the dad was last seen driving a Black 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV with an Idaho license plate 1T39349. They warned the public not to approach the 'heavily armed' white 5'11'' male suspect and asked anyone with information to come forward. On Saturday, at about 9.15am, nearby hunters discovered Best resting in a sleeping bag beside Kepps Crossing Road near the Dan Creek Road, east of Idaho Falls, and called police. The caller said that the man 'was naked and making odd statements', according to a news release. Bonneville County Sheriff deputies then rushed to the scene and identified Best before they placed him in a patrol car until medics arrived to treat him for any injuries. His black Chevrolet was found down a nearby embankment off the roadway where deputies soon found the 10-month-old's body. No cause of death has been released. Randall's cousin, Meg Fischer, released a statement on behalf of her family thanking friends for their support amid horrific circumstances. 'We thank all of you for walking with us during this time,' Fischer said in a message sent to East Idaho News. 'Our Zeke is now at rest with his loving mama and unborn sibling. The pain we feel is unimaginable and we thank everyone for their support. 'You will never know how you have lifted our family up during this time. As this is an ongoing investigation, we ask for privacy as we take time to process and grieve.' Fischer previously said she was 'shattered' to learn that Randall had also been expecting her second child at the time of her death. Best was seen walking through a Swan Valley General store naked on Thursday before the alleged homicide and kidnapping of his wife Police believe Best killed his wife Kali Jean Randall, 38, at their home in Victor, Idaho on Thursday before he went on to abduct their baby Zeke Gregory Best An amber alert for the couple's child was issued at 4:30am Friday morning, just over 24 hours after Zeke's body was found Paying tribute to her cousin, Fischer said: 'She was a beautiful and free spirit. 'She was called to the mountains and made her home there. She was a lover of animals, especially her dogs. 'Motherhood was her greatest joy and we assume she gave her life protecting her children. We love her endlessly.' Best owns a local mechanic shop in Victor, Idaho, called Jeremy's Auto, and has been a mechanic for 20 years. Jeremy said that when not repairing cars - he's 'soaking up the sun on his leisure boat' or 'cruising the backroads with his lady, Kali, and three dogs'. During his arraignment on Monday, the defense requested a mental competency test be conducted on Best from the Department of Health and Welfare. He is currently being held in the Bonneville County Jail without bond and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for December 18 at 9.30am. A mother has died two weeks after her hammer-wielding son attacked her and her husband inside their California home. Alison Marshall, 63, succumbed to her injuries on Friday at a hospital in Thousand Oaks, California, as her son, Scott Goldberg, 21, now faces a murder charge. Goldberg allegedly assaulted his parents with a deadly weapon on November 19 at their family home in Mayfield Court, Thousand Oaks. Marshall suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead later at a hospital. The suspect's 64-year-old father, who has not been identified, survived the attack. Goldberg, initially charged with attempted murder, is now facing the more serious charge of murder, according to Erin Meister, a supervising senior deputy DA who spoke to VC Star. Scott Goldberg, 21, is set to face a murder charge after his 63-year-old mother, Alison Marshall, died as a result of being brutally beaten with a hammer The alleged attack last month left Marshall with 'life-threatening injuries', authorities said Goldberg allegedly assaulted his parents with the deadly weapon on November 19 at their home in Mayfield Court (pictured) in Thousand Oaks, California Deputies from the Thousand Oaks police station responded to a call of battery around 11pm on November 19. When police rushed to the scene at the in Mayfield Court, they found a man and a woman, both in their 60s, had been attacked with a hammer. Marshall was found 'suffering from significant and life-threatening injuries' and was sent to Los Robles Reginal Medical Center for 'advanced medical treatment', authorities said. Police originally said two victims were known to the suspect, later confirming that they are his parents. The 21-year-old suspect was arrested after the alleged attack at their family home, according to local reports. Goldberg was charged with attempted murder of his mother Marshall and assault with a deadly weapon against his father. Thousand Oaks police responded to a call of battery around 11pm and found a man and a woman, both in their 60s, had been attacked with a hammer Goldberg was charged with attempted murder of his mother Marshall and assault with a deadly weapon against his 64-year-old father As the result of Marshall's death, the District Attorney's Office is making arrangements to shift the case to the more serious charge of murder, authorities said. Goldberg was booked and held in county jail with a $510,000 bail. But a judge granted the prosecution's request to deny bail of any amount last week, which bars him from being released before trial. 'The cause of death is pending autopsy results from the Ventura County Medical Examiners Office,' authorities said in a statement. Goldberg is scheduled to appear for arraignment on December 20, but it is unclear whether the updated charge will impact the scheduled court dates. Genetic testing firm 23andMe has admitted that hackers accessed sensitive data on 6.9 million people - or 50 percent of its users. The mammoth breach is the result of digital spies using old passwords to break into files belonging to 0.1 percent of customers - some 14,000 profiles - which are linked to millions more through ancestry tracing. On Friday, 23andMe admitted in a Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure that overall, a 'significant number' of files 'containing profile information about other users' ancestry' had been stolen. The California-based company, which is a market-leader in the $17 billion genetic testing industry, later told TechCrunch that this amounted to around half of its 14 million users. It highlights how the explosion in popularity of at-home DNA testing kits which have led to hundreds of Americans uncovering shocking family secrets, could come with unexpected consequences. Genetic testing firm 23andMe has admitted that hackers accessed sensitive data on 6.9 million people - or 50 percent of its users 23andMe was co-founded in 2006 by its current CEO, Anne E Wojcicki (pictured), 50, who is the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, along with biologist Linda Avey and businessman Paul Cusenza 23andMe said the breach affected 5.5 million people who had opted in to its DNA Relatives feature, which allows customers to automatically share some of their data with others. This included the person's name, birth year, relationship labels, the percentage of DNA shared with relatives, ancestry reports and self-reported location. A separate group of around 1.4 million people who opted into DNA Relatives also had their 'Family Tree profile information accessed', which displays similar information, 23andMe admitted. The mass leak came to light in early October when users on a hacking forum claimed to be selling troves of user data including 'photographs' and 'phenotype information' for thousands of dollars. 23andMe initially denied the claims, saying they had conducted an investigation and had not identified 'any unauthorized access to our systems'. The San Francisco firm said it would 'continue to monitor the situation' - deploying third-party forensic experts and federal law enforcement officials to investigate. But the company doesn't foresee a major financial fallout from the incident, saying it expects to lose between $1 to $2 million in 'onetime expenses related to the incident'. Its stocks also plunged five percent on Tuesday morning as news of the breach circulated online. It required all customers to reset their passwords and encouraged them to start using multi-factor authentication. On October 20, it announced that it had 'temporarily disabled some features within the DNA Relatives tool as an additional precaution to protect the privacy of our customers'. A hacker has released millions of additional genetic profiles stolen from DNA testing firm 23andMe, claiming that the leaked dataset includes members of the British royal family The DNA testing firm 23andMe has denied it was hacked after posts online claimed that sensitive data about millions of customers had been breached But the precautions came too late, and a hacker using the moniker 'Golem' published the genetic profiles on cybercrime marketplace BreachForums - targeting profiles with links to Israel and citing anger at the nation's regime for the leak. The dataset included four million 23andMe customers who have ancestry in Great Britain, Golem claimed, saying the genetic profiles include 'wealthy families serving Zionism' and 'the wealthiest people living in the US and Western Europe.' 'There are samples from hundreds of families, including the royal family, Rothschilds, Rockefellers and more,' the hacker added, referring to the wealthy European and American families, respectively. It followed offers from the hacker to sell stolen DNA profiles, and a prior leak of millions of profiles of people with Jewish and Chinese ancestry. 'These breaches are getting more brazen and more worrisome,' Dimitri Sirota, the CEO of data security firm BigID, told DailyMail.com. 'They are targeting contextual identifiers like membership in an ethnic group. This could be used for targeted campaigns by ethnicity, race, gender, political affiliation or membership in another group,' he added, saying it raised concerns about cyber breaches turning into 'hate crimes'. 23andMe was co-founded in 2006 by its current CEO, Anne E Wojcicki, 50, who is the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, along with biologist Linda Avey, 63, and businessman Paul Cusenza, 63. Around two in 10 Americans have taken a mail-order ancestry test, according to data from survey site YouGov, while the global gene-testing market is now worth around $14 billion. U.S. Rep Jason Crow, of Colorado, warned that bio-weapons are being made that use a target's DNA to only kill that person during the Aspen Security Forum in July 2022 The congressman said the development of the weapons were worrying given the popularity of DNA testing services like 23andMe And experts say the trend is being driven by the availability of cheap and accurate tests, with the two major providers - 23andMe and AncestryDNA - offering them for just $99. Last year, US Rep Jason Crow of Colorado warned Americans to not be so cavalier about sharing their DNA with private companies due to the coming of the new type of bio-weapon. 'You can actually take someone's DNA, take, you know, their medical profile and you can target a biological weapon that will kill that person or take them off the battlefield or make them inoperable,' Crow said. Crow, a former Army Ranger who served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, continued: 'People will very rapidly spit into a cup and send it to 23andMe and get really interesting data about their background.' 'And guess what? Their DNA is now owned by a private company. It can be sold off with very little intellectual property protection or privacy protection and we don't have legal and regulatory regimes to deal with that.' 'We have to have an open and public discussion about... what the protection of healthcare information, DNA information, and your data look like because that data is actually going to be procured and collected by our adversaries for the development of these systems.' Years later, the CEO retired after decades at the firm. His suit claims that months later, the bank unlawfully canceled a $14million grant and withheld bonuses A former Wells Fargo CEO is suing the bank for withheld pay after resigning in the wake of a scandal. Tim Sloan is asking the bank pay out $34million for alleged contractual violations surrounding his 2019 departure after claiming he was used 'as a scapegoat' for others' misconduct. Sloan, 69 became Wells Fargos chief executive weeks after the banks 2016 fake-account scandal made headlines, where customer accounts were created by staffers to meet sales goals. The bank's previous boss was forced to step down it went public, leaving Sloan, the banks president and chief operating officer since that November, in the hot seat. He was promoted, since an investigation by the bank's board seemed to exonerate him. However, he still faced scrutiny, and his retirement came weeks after he was scolded on Capitol Hill over the scandal. Asked by a lawmaker whether Wells Fargo could promise it would no longer harm customers, he said, 'I cant promise you perfection.' Shortly after, the CEO retired following more than 30 years at the firm. His suit now claims the bank unlawfully rescinded a $14million equity grant and millions more in bonuses. He now wants it back - plus interest. Tim Sloan, seen here being grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill in March 2019, is asking the bank fork over $34million for alleged contractual violations surrounding his departure two weeks later - alleging he was used 'as a scapegoat' for others' misconduct The bank's previous boss, John Stumpf, was forced to step down in the wake of the scandal - where staffers created fake customer accounts to meet sales goals - leaving Sloan in the hot seat. He was promoted, after an investigation by the bank's board seemed to exonerate him 'Wells Fargo canceled the grant and used Mr. Sloan as a scapegoat even though he was not responsible for the sales practices that prompted the congressional review,' Sloan claims in his suit, citing how 1.5million bank accounts and 565,000 credit card accounts customers did not request were created by Wells Fargo staffers in 2016. In fact, while Mr. Sloan was CEO,' the complaint continues, 'the Board of Directors [Stephen Sanger] repeatedly expressed both publicly and privately its support and approval for Mr. Sloans plans to address regulatory and compliance issues which he inherited. 'Accordingly, the Board assured Mr. Sloan when he retired that he would receive the benefit of his vested equity grants and a pro-rated bonus, and Mr. Sloan forewent a severance agreement in reliance on that assurance,' the suit adds. More than two years later, in May 2021, the suit states Sloan was still not paid out. On top of that, it claims he was also missing - at the very least - $1 million prorated bonus, $327,187 in restricted share rights, $8million in 2017 performance stock awards, $10.8 million in 2018 performance stock awards and $13.5million in 2019. That month, Sloan claims Wells Fargo agreed to review the performance-based conditions for vesting Sloans 2015, 2017, and 2018 incentive plan awards, writing how at the time, 'all of these equity awards had fully vested and were due to be paid out. 'However,' the complaint filed in California state court continues, 'large tranches remained unpaid.' 'Wells Fargo canceled the grant and used Mr. Sloan as a scapegoat even though he was not responsible for the sales practices,' Sloan claims in his suit, citing how 1.5million bank accounts and 565,000 credit cards customers did not request were created by staffers in 2016 'Accordingly, the Board assured Mr. Sloan when he retired that he would receive the benefit of his vested equity grants and a pro-rated bonus, and Mr. Sloan forewent a severance agreement in reliance on that assurance,' the suit adds. More than two years later, in May 2021, the suit states Sloan was still not paid out. H Then, on September 30 of that year, the bank 'canceled the outstanding tranches of all three awards,' lawyers for Sloan write - depriving him of 'tens of millions of dollars in deferred compensation he had earned during his career.' These earnings, the suit points out, were 'earnings that the Board had promised he would continue to receive upon his retirement.' But '[t]o this day,' it continues, 'Wells Fargo has failed to identify anything Mr. Sloan did or failed to do that would justify its decision.' The filing then references how at the time of Sloan's departure from the firm, the then-chairman of the board, Sanger, 'stated publicly... [how] Sloan 'worked tirelessly over [his tenure] for all of our stakeholders in the best long-term interest of Wells Fargo.' It adds that '[o]ther than politically charged, financially motivated and factually unsupported rhetoric from the banks critics, there is no documented criticism of his performance regarding the outstanding regulatory matters. The filing goes on to declare that Sloan - who received more than $18million in compensation during his last year - was 'left with no choice but to bring this lawsuit to enforce the terms of his equity grants and a bonus that were promised and earned.' In fact, while Mr. Sloan was CEO,' the complaint continues, 'the Board of Directors [Stephen Sanger] repeatedly expressed both publicly and privately its support and approval for Mr. Sloans plans to address regulatory and compliance issues which he inherited' The lawsuit seeks damages as well as about $34 million, including $1 million prorated bonus, $327,187 in restricted share rights, $8million in 2017 performance stock awards, $10.8 million in 2018 performance stock awards and $13.5million The lobby of the Wells Fargo offices at Hudson Yards in NYC is seen here The lawsuit seeks damages of about $34 million, in addition to interest on top of that allegedly owned sum. On top of that, Sloan - who unlike his predecessor John Stumpf was not federally fined and banned from the bank industry - is also asking Wells Fargo cover his legal fees, and emotional distress he's said to have sustained over the past few years. Today, Sloan is a senior advisor to the Fortress Credit Funds Business at Fortress Investment Group, where he also works on the firms investment committee of numerous Fortress Credit Funds. He is also a member of the credit leadership committee. When he assumed the top spot at Wells Fargo in 2016, he decried staffers for their fraudulent behavior, stating '[these] exposed behaviors... were contrary to our values... and damaged our reputation and the trust of many of our stakeholders. 'I want to assure you that we are facing these problems head on, and I am confident that Wells Fargo will emerge a stronger company,' he said. Wells Fargo & Co. stock was up fractionally Monday afternoon trading as news of Sloan's surprise suit surfaces, and is up 9.5 percent overall for the year. In a statement about the suit, a rep for the bank said: 'Compensation decisions are based on performance, and we stand behind our decisions in this matter.' The death toll from a volcanic eruption in Indonesia has risen to 22 after nine more bodies were discovered - with officials blaming hikers for getting too close to the crater. Mount Marapi on the island of Sumatra spewed an ash tower 9,800 feet - taller than the volcano itself - into the sky on Sunday. Hundreds of rescuers have worked for days to find the missing hikers, which numbered 10 on Tuesday before the local rescue agency's announcement that most had been found, bringing the days-long search closer to an end. 'Nine of 10 missing victims were found dead this afternoon and at the moment, they are being evacuated. There is one remaining victim currently in the search, Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency said. The head of Indonesia's volcanology agency, Hendra Gunawan, said Marapi has been at the second level of a four-tier alert system since 2011, and a three kilometre (1.86 mile) exclusion zone had been imposed around its crater. He appeared to blame hikers on Monday for going too close to the crater, saying the agency recommended no human activities in that zone, and emphasised that 'severe impacts' were reported for victims within one to 1.5 kilometres from the crater. Mount Marapi on the island of Sumatra spewed an ash tower 9,800 feet - taller than the volcano itself The head of Indonesia's volcanology agency, Hendra Gunawan, He appeared to blame hikers on Monday for going too close to the crater, saying the agency recommended no human activities in that zone Those killed were severely burned and forensic workers were preparing to identify the dead by dental and fingerprint records, or based on marks on their bodies, local police said Relatives of hikers who are missing or dead were still waiting for updates at the information centre at the base of the mountain Officials said the hikers had registered through an online booking system, but others may have been on illegal mountain routes. Those killed were severely burned and forensic workers were preparing to identify the dead by dental and fingerprint records, or based on marks on their bodies, said Eka Purnamasari, an official from the West Sumatra police medical unit. The search would last seven days until all of the hikers were found, rescue officials said. The dead who have been found so far were carried down the mountain in bodybags over several days, rescue officials said. Images shared by Basarnas showed a rescue team of six in orange jackets and hard hats carrying a body down the side of the volcano on Tuesday. Some of the 75 hikers on the mountain during the eruption were found alive and carried down, with multiple suffering burns and fractures. One survivor spoke of his panic after the eruption began. 'I was zig-zagging, going down around 30 to 40 metres' to a trekking post, Ridho, 22, said from a bed in a nearby hospital. 'The eruption sounded loud, I took a look behind then immediately ran away as everyone did. Some jumped and fell. I took cover behind the rocks, there were no trees there.' The volcano was still erupting as of midday on Tuesday, according to officials, slowing the rescue efforts of more than 200 personnel. Mount Marapi spews volcanic ash from its crater in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 This handout photo taken on December 4, 2023 and released on December 5, 2023 by the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) shows rescuers evacuating one of the victims from the slopes of Mount Marapi in West Sumatra Rescuers prepare to evacuate a survivor of the Mount Merapi eruption in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 04 December 2023 Rescuers carry a climber injured in the eruption of Mount Marapi in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 Locals shared fearful messages as ash clouds filled the sky in Indonesia over the weekend Mount Marapi in Agam district in West Sumatra province spewed thick columns of ash as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the sky in a sudden eruption Sunday and hot ash clouds spread several miles Rescuers transfer the injured in West Sumatra, Indonesia, Dec. 4, 2023 Moment burned volcano survivors plead for help after getting caught in deadly eruption that claimed 11 lives and left 12 others missing Advertisement Later in the day, rainfall and volcanic smoke were still blocking a view of Marapi, according to an AFP journalist. Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where tectonic plates collide. Mount Marapi, which means 'Mountain of Fire', is the most active volcano on Sumatra island and one of the archipelago's nearly 130 active volcanoes. Locals described the carnage when the volcano burst to life on Sunday. 'The villagers were shocked because of the thundering noise, then there was a jolt and also a boom,' said Adrizal, head of local village Nagari Lasi. 'The villagers were very traumatised by the eruption.' Their relatives were still waiting for updates at the information centre at the base of the mountain. 'I will stay here until I hear some news,' said Dasman, father of missing hiker Zakir Habibi, who made a two-hour drive from Padang city to the base of the mountain in hope of good news. 'I still hope my son survives,' he said on Monday. A total of 75 hikers were listed by officials as hiking on the mountain since Saturday, with some of the 49 initially accounted for suffering burns and fractures. The search will carry on for seven days, rescue officials said. The Marapi volcano erupted on Sunday, leaving nearly 75 hikers stranded. There are 26 people who have not been evacuated, 11 of which were found dead and 12 are still missing Rescue teams evacuate a victim of the eruption of Mount Marapi. Three people found by rescuers were alive Rescuers talk to a man affected by Monday's volcano eruption in Marapi, Indonesia 'Some suffered from burns because it was very hot, and they have been taken to the hospital,' Rudy Rinaldi, head of the West Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency said to AFP. 'Those who are injured were the ones who got closer to the crater.' Falling ash blanketed several villages and blocked sunlight, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said. Authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear eyeglasses to protect them from volcanic ash, he said. About 1,400 people live on Marapi's slopes in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages about 3.1 to 3.7 miles from the peak. Shocking footage showed one lucky survivor caked in ash at the bottom of the volcano. The woman, named as 'Zafira', appeared to be filming herself at the base with thick ash and dirt in her face, on her clothes and in her hair. 'Mum, help Ife,' she said, referring to herself by a family nickname. 'This is Ife's situation right now.' The young woman is now in a nearby hospital with her father and uncle after being trapped on the mountain on a hiking trip with 18 school friends. 'She is going through a tremendous trauma,' said her mother Rani Radelani, 39. 'She is affected psychologically because she saw her burns, and she also had to endure the pain all night.' One lucky survivor was pictured at the base of the volcano following the eruption The eruption sent ash plumes nearly 10,000 feet into the air and hot ash clouds spread several miles Marapi has been active since a January eruption that caused no casualties. It is located on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' Authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear eyeglasses to protect them from volcanic ash Marapi's alert level was maintained at the third-highest of four levels, Abdul Muhari said. He confirmed that authorities had been closely monitoring the volcano after sensors picked up increasing activity in recent weeks. Marapi has been active since a January eruption that caused no casualties. It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. This is the moment a five-year-old girl held hostage by Hamas was reunited with her classmates on her first day back to school. Amelia Aloni was held by Hamas, along with her mother Daniela, for weeks as hostages following the terror group's incursion into Israel on October 7. She and Daniela were kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, less than two miles from the border with Gaza, and were held underground for 49 days, only getting released last week as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The young girl returned to her school today, and was seen in video footage smiling gleefully as staff came to welcome her back. One staff member welcomed her back with a hug, before she ran into the arms of her friends. Amelia Aloni (pictured) had a huge grin on her face in the moments before she went back to school for the first time in eight weeks One staff member at her school welcomed the five-year-old back with a big hug Amelia and her mother were released last week as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas Four other young girls ran out of the school building to hug her at the entrance to the school, before even more of her classmates came out to greet her. Despite the warm greeting, the last two months have been harrowing for Amelia and her mother. Daniela was made to write a propagandistic letter to the outside world by Hamas, who made her praise the terror group that snatched her and her daughter and took them into Gaza. The letter reads: 'I sincerely thank you from the depths of my heart for your extraordinary humanity shown towards my daughter. 'You've treated her like parents, inviting her to your rooms, making her feel that you're not just friends, but true caring loved ones.' She praised the terrorists for their 'extraordinary humanity' towards her daughter. Danielle Aloni, who was a hostage of Hamas along with her 5-year-old daughter Emilia, was reportedly made to write a propagandistic letter to her family 'Kids shouldn't be in prison, but thanks to you and other kind people we met along the way My daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza,' she supposedly added. Her family later warned people not to believe the letter. One of her cousins wrote: 'I know many out there will try to use this in Hamas defense. Dont believe them!' Daniela later said in an interview shortly after she was released: 'Our girl saw things that children at this age or any age should not see. 'It was a horror movie.' More than 100 hostages were released last week as part of a temporary ceasefire deal negotiated between Hamas and Israel. The first group of 13 hostages were released on November 24, after Hamas and Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire. Israel has so far killed at least 15,000 of its civilians in Gaza, according to figures deemed trustworthy by the UN Israel said Hamas refused to produce a list of ten hostages before the deadline Israel's military is currently pushing deeper into the south of the Gaza Strip The IDF called on Gazans to flee the enclave in its pursuit to wipe out the territory's Hamas rulers They also agreed to free women and children held behind enemy lines, with Hamas initially agreeing to free 50 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 150 Palestinians from jail. The deal was open-ended, and allowed for more days of ceasefire in exchange for more prisoners and hostages being released. Hamas, desperate for a brief respite from the war that has so far killed at least 15,000 of its civilians in Gaza, according to figures deemed trustworthy by the UN, made the most of the extensions, releasing a total of 105 hostages. But the deal was not extended past a week, which Israel said was because Hamas refused to produce a list of ten hostages before the deadline. An unnamed Israeli official told the Times of Israel that they believe 'Hamas is lying about the number of women in their possession.' The exact number and identities of the people still held by Hamas is not currently known. Israel's military is currently pushing deeper into the south of the Gaza Strip, after it called on Gazans to flee the enclave in its pursuit to wipe out the territory's Hamas rulers. The war has already killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since October 7 has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants The war has already killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, who are running out of safe places to go. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since October 7 has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded. While the ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, it said 70% of the dead were women and children. Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighborhoods. The United States, Qatar and Egypt, which mediated last week's ceasefire, say they are working on a longer truce. But hopes for another temporary truce faded after Israel called its negotiators home over the weekend. Hamas said talks on releasing more of the scores of hostages seized by militants on October 7 must be tied to a permanent cease-fire. This is the shocking moment a school senior is knocked from his motorcycle by a student in a Porsche who flew through a stop sign as part of a 'promposal.' William Vannasap, was leaving Arizona College Prep High School in Chandler on April 20 when he was thrown from his motorcycle Vannasap suffered multiple injuries, some of which he will have to live for the rest of his life with according to his attorney April Speelmon, and is now seeking a $1 million settlement. The student behind the wheel of the Porsche had purposely sped through the stop sign as part of a plan to ask a girl to the upcoming prom, according to a notice of claim. Vannasap's suit alleges the 'promposal' had been organized with school authorities, with the driver planning to speed through the stop sign with the girl in the passenger seat before being pulled over by a waiting school officer, 12news reported. Shocking footage shows the Porsche barreling through the intersection at Arizona College Prep High School in Chandler before ploughing into William Vannasap Vannasap suffered multiple injuries, some of which he will have to live for the rest of his life with according to his attorney The student had planned to pull out a poster to ask her to the dance once the officer had moved in to pull him over, the claim states. What was failed to be taken into account was the traffic having the right-of-way at the intersection, the notice claims. Footage of the incident shows the Porsche barreling through the intersection, and ploughing into Vannasap at about 40 mph. The awaiting school resource officer cruiser can also be seen in the footage, inching towards the intersection as the student driver collides with Vannasap. The officer quickly pulls towards Vannasap after he was thrown from the motorcycle, rushing to his aid. The impact from the collision caused the airbags on the Porsche to open, and for Vannasap to let out a 'blood curdling scream', according to his sister. Resource officer, Joshua Bazzell, was on the scene with school principal Rob Bickes, who had agreed to the plan, but didn't know the student would speed through the stop sign, according to the claim. A report by Bazzell, seen by Chandler News, states: 'The initial plan was for [the student] to slow roll the stop sign on private property and have me pull him over where he could deliver a poster asking his girlfriend to prom. The wreck of the motorcycle can be seen being strewn across the road in this picture, as the resource officer in the cruiser makes his way to the scene The impact from the collision caused the airbags on the Porsche to open, and for Vannasap let out a 'blood curdling scream', according to his sister Resource officer, Joshua Bazzell, was on the scene with school principal Rob Bickes, who had agreed to the plan, according to the claim 'Moments after explaining the idea to the principal, [the student] drove towards the stop sign at a high rate of speed, visually estimated at approximately 40 m.p.h. '[The student] did not look both ways nor slow down. A motorcyclist came westbound through the bus lane and collided into the drivers door of the vehicle [the student] was driving.' In documents seen by 12news, Bickes has said he was not aware of the plan, and claimed he had been inside the cruiser for an unrelated matter. But the teen driver has disputed the claims made by the principal, telling Chandler Police investigators that he had discussed the plan with the school. In a police report seen by Chandler News, the student told officers: 'I was supposed to go through this stop sign, and get pulled over. 'From when I got pulled over, there would be some exaggerated play and I would pull out my sign for the promposal. The outlet also reported that the student claimed he never saw Vannasap until the collision, and that he did not think he was traveling fast at the time. Vannasap's sister, Mayci Vannasap, told ABC News: 'It's just heartbreaking to even to watch that video. In any instant he could have passed away.' Speelmon is asking for a settlement of $1 million against Chandler Unified School District, the City of Chandler, the SRO and school principal. Speaking to 12news, the attorney told the outlet: '[Vannasap] sustained a traumatic brain injury. He's been emotionally very harmed by this incident. School Principal Rob Bickes, seen here, has said he was not aware of the plan, and claimed he had been inside the cruiser for an unrelated matter Attorney April Speelmon, seen here, is now seeking a $1 million suit against the school district, the city of Chandler, the resource officer and the principal '[Vannasap] very easily could have died in this accident by just milliseconds difference in timing.' She continued: 'It really was a dangerous plan. Those adults at the school should have said "no, we're not going to do this".' The claim does not go after the student driver, who Speelmon said they are working on a separate filing against. Due to the incident happening on private property and was an accident, the student was not ticketed for the incident. DailyMail.com has approached the Chandler School District for comment on the suit. Two thieves have been caught on camera stealing nearly $1 million worth of jewelry from a Miami store. Over the span of four hours, two unidentified suspects broke into a neighboring nail salon before making their way into C4G Jewelers in Hialeah early on Monday morning. The duo then spent hours breaking the shared wall between the salon and the jewelry store before finally getting through. 'It was easy just to get in. No alarm no security nothing,' store owner Oscar Zegarras said. 'They made a hole, and they went to my store from there.' Footage shows one of the burglars opening the door from the inside and the second suspect walking in with a type of metal wire in a circular shape, which he threw over the safe The robbers then connected the wire to a blue and white pickup truck, got into the vehicle and drove away with Zegarra's 'life savings' Footage shows the duo, who are wearing hoodies and have their faces hidden, once they made their way into the premises. They were seen attaching a wire to a six-foot safe before pulling it out the door with a pick-up truck. The distressed owner said losing the safe is the worst possible outcome. 'This is the nightmare I never wanted. And it happened today,' he said. 'We have 12 employees, which they're part of my family. They're not actually blood, but I take care of them like family. We've been together for many years. 'This is, for us, the high season. That's when we make the most profit from all the bad seasons we just passed. This just happened and that's crazy. That's crazy.' 'It was easy just to get in. No alarm no security nothing. They made a hole, and they went to my store,' said store owner Oscar Zegarra The incident was reported by a person who was passing through the shopping center. The safe was filled with Rolexes, diamond necklaces, Cuban link chains and cash He says that the alarm never went off in the store and he only came to know about the theft at around 9am. The incident was reported by a person who was passing through the shopping center. The safe was filled with Rolexes, diamond necklaces, Cuban link chains and cash. Zegarra said he has insurance for the store but is not sure how much of the damage it will cover. Police have asked anyone with information is asked to contact the Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers. Nowhere is safe in Gaza, and there is nowhere left to go,' U.N. coordinator said Israel's military is pushing deeper into southern Gaza today in an expansion of its ground operations to root out Hamas leaders leaving war-weary Palestinians with 'no safe zones' left for shelter. The IDF intensified its bombardment in and around Khan Younis early this morning, sending ambulances, private cars and even trucks racing into the local Nasser hospital laden with wounded civilians in a bloody new phase of the war. It came as eyewitnesses claimed Israeli tanks were closing in after satellite photos from Sunday showed around 150 Israeli tanks and armoured personnel carriers less than four miles from the heart of Gaza's second-largest city. 'Nowhere is safe in Gaza, and there is nowhere left to go,' Lynn Hastings, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said Monday. 'The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold.' The bitter conflict has already killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza's 2.3 million residents. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since Oct. 7 has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded. The United States, Qatar and Egypt, which mediated the earlier cease-fire, say they are working on a longer truce to bring about a fresh opportunity to get aid to Palestinians and work on the release of hostages seized by Hamas. But hopes for another temporary truce faded after Israel called its negotiators home over the weekend. Hamas said talks on releasing more of the scores of hostages seized by militants on Oct. 7 must be tied to a permanent cease-fire. An injured Palestinian child is taken to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for a treatment as Israeli attacks continue in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on December 05, 2023 An Israeli military tank rolls near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 5, 2023 An Israeli artillery unit operates at the border with Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, December 5, 2023 An injured Palestinian girl named Lana Ebu Safi is under treatment at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital Wounded Palestinians are transported to Nasser hospital following Israeli strikes An injured Palestinian child is taken to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for a treatment as Israeli attacks continue in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on December 05, 2023 A man wounded in Israeli air strikes on southern Gaza lies on a stretcher as he is carried to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, 05 December 2023 Aerial bombardment and the ground offensive have already driven three-fourths of the territory's 2.3 million people from their homes - and new orders to evacuate areas around Khan Younis are squeezing people into ever-smaller areas of the already tiny coastal strip. At the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, ambulances brought dozens of wounded people in, including a young boy in a bloody shirt whose hand had been blown off. 'What's happening here is unimaginable,' said Hamza al-Bursh, who lives in the neighbourhood of Maan, one of several in and around the city where Israel has ordered civilians to leave. 'They strike indiscriminately.' Residents said troops had advanced following heavy airstrikes to Bani Suheila, a town just east of Khan Younis. Halima Abdel-Rahman, who fled to the town earlier in the war from her home in the north, said they could hear explosions through the night. 'They are very close,' she said. 'It's the same scenario we saw in the north.' Israel ordered the full-scale evacuation of northern Gaza in the early days of the war and has barred people who left from returning. In the south, it has ordered people out of nearly two dozen neighbourhoods in and around Khan Younis. That further reduced the area where civilians can seek refuge in central and southern Gaza by more than a quarter. In spite of the huge Israeli offensive, Hamas have continued to fire back. Many of their rockets are shot down by Israel's array of air-defence systems like the Iron Dome, but one rocket slammed into an apartment block in Ashkelon, blowing a hole in the side of it and destroying several homes. No casualties were reported in the attack, with residents taking shelter in safe rooms amid air raid sirens. Palestinians fleeing the Israeli ground offensive arrive in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 Palestinians fleeing the Israeli ground offensive arrive in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 An injured Palestinian girl named Lana Ebu Safi is under treatment at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after Israeli attacks that continue in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on December 05, 2023 Askhelon resident Katya Ekimov inspects her bedroom that was destroyed after a rocket attack on December 5, 2023 in Ashkelon, Israel A member of emergency services speaks on a mobile phone as he inspects the damage inside a building which was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza today Israel says it must dismantle Hamas' extensive military infrastructure and remove it from power to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war. The surprise assault through the border fence saw Hamas and other Palestinian militants kill about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capture some 240 men, women and children. The military says it makes every effort to spare civilians and accuses Hamas of using them as human shields as the militants fight in dense residential areas, where they have labyrinths of tunnels, bunkers, rocket launchers and sniper nests. Hamas is deeply rooted in Palestinian society, and its determination to end decades of open-ended Israeli military rule over millions of Palestinians is shared by the vast majority, even those opposed to its maximalist aim of eventually destroying Israel, and its attacks on civilians. That will complicate any effort to eliminate Hamas without causing massive casualties and further displacement. Satellite photos from Sunday showed around 150 Israeli tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles just under 6 kilometres (4 miles) north of the heart of the city. Securing a cease-fire is becoming an increasingly high priority for many nations, including Israel's supporters Britain and the United States. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps today told MPs he will 'move heaven and earth' to rescue hostages held by Hamas. Speaking during an urgent question on UK military deployments to the Middle East, he said: 'I'll move heaven and earth to bring our hostages home, and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) will conduct the surveillance flights over eastern Mediterranean including operating in airspace over Israel and Gaza. A view of a hole on a wall of a building which was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza today, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Ashkelon, Israel, December 5, 2023 An Israeli artillery unit is pictured near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 5, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas An Israeli artillery unit is pictured near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 5, 2023 Smoke rises above buildings in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, as battles between Israel and Hamas militants continue on December 5, 2023 Palestinians wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip are brought to the hospital in Deir al Balah on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. 'Surveillance aircraft will be unmanned, they do not have a combat role and will be tasked solely to locate hostages,' he continued. 'Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to relevant authorities responsible for those rescues. 'The MoD is working on land, air and maritime routes to deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid, four RAF flights carrying over 74 tonnes of aid have landed in Egypt and I'm considering whether RFA Argus and Lyme Bay can support medical and humanitarian aid provision, given that their original purpose was to potentially take non-combatants out of the area.' Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council whose workers are assisting with aid delivery and evacuations in Gaza, said: 'The pulverising of Gaza now ranks amongst the worst assaults on any civilian population in our time and age. Each day we see more dead children and new depths of suffering for innocent people enduring this hell. 'Across the Gaza Strip, almost the entire population 1.9 million people have been displaced. Nearly two in three homes are now damaged or destroyed. Amid relentless air, land and sea attacks, thousands of families are forced to relocate from one perilous zone to another. 'Many of my own NRC staff members now live on the streets. One of them does so with her two-month-old baby. 'Countries supporting Israel with arms must understand that these civilian deaths will be a permanent stain on their reputation. They must demand an immediate ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. 'Only a cessation of hostilities will allow us to ensure effective relief to the two million who now require it. Severe restrictions on aid access have aggravated the situation, leading to starvation among Gaza's population, intensifying an already dire humanitarian crisis.' She looks a world away from the 23-year-old who starred as a gifted dancer who becomes a victim of sexual assault in a movie that took the world by storm. Now she is back in the limelight thanks to a Christmas ad for a credit card opposite the man who went on to worldwide fame thanks to his starring role in that film. In the intervening years she landed the title role in a short-lived sitcom and played the first lesbian on a daytime soap among dozens of other roles. She even appeared as a mobster's wife in the very final episode of The Sopranos. So who is the actress who was spotted stepping out for lunch in Beverly Hills on Sunday? Can you tell? The actress looked totally unrecognizable from her days as a silver screen disco queen She was spotted stepping out for lunch in Beverly Hills on Sunday The actress was cast as the first lesbian to appear in a day time soap. In real life she has been married to advertising executive Arnold Zelonka for 36 years She has appeared on daytime soaps All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital over the years It's Donna Pescow Annette in Saturday Night Fever! Donna, who went incognito wearing sunglasses and a Purple Haze hat, shot to overnight fame thanks to her role alongside John Travolta in the classic 1977 movie. Her character loses out to Karen Lynn Gorney's Stephanie as Travolta's dance partner and then is attacked by two of his friends in the back of a car. But Pescow could not turn her role in the disco movie into the same sort of international success that Travolta did. She had her own show Angie which ran for a couple of seasons and also starred in another sit-com Even Stevens. But it was roles on daytime soaps including as the gay Dr. Lynn Carson on All My Children that sustained her acting career. She also appeared in One Life to Live and General Hospital. On The Sopranos she played Patsy Parisi's wife Donna in the series finale. Now she has a cameo appearance in Capital One's Christmas ad which sees Travolta, 69, transform into Santa Claus and recreate his iconic dance moves from both Fever and its 1983 sequel Staying Alive. The ad shows Travolta as Santa strutting down the street performing Christmas miracles before talking to a shopkeeper played by Pescow. Donna was initially considered to be too pretty to play Annette. She had to gain weight for the role and relearn her Brooklyn accent she had worked hard to lose at acting school Donna could not parlay her fame from her biggest movie role into the kind of worldwide fame that costar Travolta enjoyed Wow: John Travolta transformed into Santa Claus and recreated his incredible 1977 Saturday Night Fever dance for a new Capital One advert Donna has a cameo in the new Capital One ad as a shopkeeper who asks Travolta's Santa where he has been. He replies 'The North Pole' Donna had her own ABC sitcom, Angie, which ran for two seasons. She starred opposite Robert Hayes Based on Nik Cohn's 'Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night' article, Saturday Night Fever was a critical and commercial smash hit on release in 1977, and has since come to define the grittier side of the disco era. The musical tells the story of Travolta's Tony Manero, a 19-year-old who escapes the drudge of life as a Brooklyn paint store clerk by spending his weekends as king of the local disco. He agrees to be Annette's partner in a dance contest but then dumps her for Stephanie Saturday Night Fever was produced by late Australian producer Robert Stigwood, and spawned one of the best-selling movie soundtracks of all time featuring the Bee Gees with tracks including Stayin' Alive, More Than a Woman, How Deep is Your Love and Night Fever. Travolta, who was already famous for playing Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter when he got his Saturday Night Fever role went on to star in movies including Grease, Urban Cowboy, Look Who's Talking, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty and Face/Off. The founder called Facebook's decision 'absurd' and said the platform was trying to suppress 'pure historical fact' as charged political rhetoric Meta flagged the post as a 'sensitive social issue' when it rejected the Wyoming museum's plan The National Museum of Military Vehicles has claimed that Facebook suppressed its Thanksgiving post praising the holiday's history saying it contained 'sensitive social issues.' The Wyoming museum, which opened in full in 2022, made a post on November 16 titled 'The True Meaning of Thanksgiving' that traced the origins of the National holiday. 'Our Thanksgiving holiday began as a celebration of American independence and preservation of the U.S. What happened?' the post read. 'Lets take Thanksgiving back to its roots and use it again today to unite Americans and Honor American Freedom.' The post references presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and details how the Continental Congress declared the first Thanksgiving. The post then details the history of the holiday and how it was to 'thank God for the creation of the U.S.' When the museum tried to promote the post, Facebook denied the effort calling the post a 'sensitive social issue.' Now, the museum operators are left fuming and stymied over the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company's decision that came with little explanation. The National Museum of Military Vehicles has claimed that Facebook suppressed its Thanksgiving post praising the holiday's history saying it contained 'sensitive social issues' Founder Dan Starks (pictured) has ripped the decision by the META-owned site The museum's post read: 'What does Thanksgiving have to do with Honoring American Freedom? Everything!' 'Yes, Europeans, Native Americans, and other cultures held harvest festivals and days of thanksgiving for various events, but the first truly American Thanksgiving was proclaimed by the Continental Congress November 1, 1777 to give thanks for the American victory over the British at the battle of Saratoga on October 17, 1777. 'This first American Thanksgiving was celebrated December 18, 1777. 'Congress did not proclaim another day of Thanksgiving until 1782 after the British House of Commons voted to end the Revolutionary War. This second American Thanksgiving was celebrated November 28 that year. 'The third American Thanksgiving was declared by Presidential proclamation issued October 3, 1789 to be held Thursday, November 26. This Thanksgiving was to thank God for the creation of the U.S. under the new U.S. Constitution that became effective that year. 'Between 1789 and 1863, there was no American national day of Thanksgiving. Then on October 3, 1863, following the Union victories over the Confederacy at Vicksburg and Gettysburg several months earlier, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving for the nation to heal its wounds and restore 'peace, harmony, tranquility and Union. 'Thanksgiving has been celebrated every year since then, becoming a national holiday by act of Congress in 1870. 'Our Thanksgiving holiday began as a celebration of American independence and preservation of the U.S. What happened? Let's take Thanksgiving back to its roots and use it again today to unite Americans and Honor American Freedom.' 'Our Thanksgiving holiday began as a celebration of American independence and preservation of the U.S. What happened? Let's take Thanksgiving back to its roots and use it again today to unite Americans and Honor American Freedom,' the post from the museum read However, when the museum went to promote the post, Facebook flagged it and rejected the efforts Museum founder Dan Starks claimed that compared to other posts that they've shared on Facebook, this one performed 'ridiculously low' for viewership, he told Cowboy State Daily. Many posts from the site hit six figures in views, the Thanksgiving-related one only had 12 within days of publication. The museum's communications director, Craig Blumenshine, told Starks they could pay Facebook $100 to 'boost' the post and amplify viewership. They decided to pay for the boost. It was at this point Facebook allegedly rejected boosting the post on the grounds that it mentioned 'politicians' and 'sensitive social issues.' The email also said the museum had to confirm its identity and file a disclaimer about who was paying for the ad. 'Your ad may have been rejected because it mentions politicians or is about sensitive social issues that could influence public opinion, how people vote and may impact the outcome of an election or pending legislation,' read the email, obtained by the Daily. The museum had paid for other ads, so Starks was left dumbfounded as to why Facebook needed to know who was posting. Starks and Blumenshine also said Facebook didn't detail the issues with the post that caused it to be flagged. 'They guidance they gave is to rewrite the post, not really identifying what parts of the post their algorithms didnt care for,' Blumenshine told the outlet. Facebook officials did not respond to a DailyMail.com request for comment about the controversy in time for this report. The Wyoming-based museum opened in full in 2022 and typically see six-figure views on its posts The National Museum of Military Vehicle said the post has seen normal viewership on Instagram, also owned by Meta, but not Facebook Starks called Facebook's decision 'absurd' and said the platform was trying to suppress 'pure historical fact' as charged political rhetoric 'Yeah, we mentioned politicians, President Washington and President Lincoln. But this is just ridiculous. This is just hostile,' he said. 'I get a little suspicious' The museum decided not to rewrite the post and instead sent a traditional letter to Facebook hoping to get approval. Starks has since submitted documentation to verify the museum, but has not gotten a response. Starks also noted the post has seen normal traffic on META-owned Instagram but not on Facebook. He called Facebook's decision 'absurd' and said the platform was trying to suppress 'pure historical fact' as charged political rhetoric. 'Yeah, we mentioned politicians, President Washington and President Lincoln. But this is just ridiculous. This is just hostile,' Starks said. 'I get a little suspicious.' North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un cried as he called on women to have more children, saying that it was their duty to halt the country's declining birth rate in order to strengthen national power. In his seemingly highly choreographed emotional plea, the authoritarian leader was seen dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief while addressing thousands of women gathered at a National Mothers' Meeting in Pyongyang on Sunday. 'Preventing a decline in birth rates and good childcare are all of our housekeeping duties we need to handle while working with mothers,' Kim said at the event, while also urging them to instil the values of his communist party in their children. Many in the large audience - made up of women dressed in traditional multi-coloured garments - openly wept along with their leader. But it wasn't all a sombre affair. Pictures released by North Korea's state media also showed the adoring crowd clapping and cheering Kim as he waved back from his seat, flanked by male officials in suits and military uniform. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un cried as he called on women to have more children (pictured on Sunday night) In his seemingly highly-choreographed emotional plea, the authoritarian leader was seen dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief while addressing thousands of women gathered at a National Mothers Meeting in Pyongyang on Sunday Many women in the audience (pictured) openly wept along with their leader at the event, the first of its kind held in 11 years and put on amid a fall in the isolationist state's birth rate The event - the first National Mothers' Meeting in 11 years - was put on amid a fall in the isolationist state's birth rate, which has evidently prompted concern among the DPRK's (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) top officials. Addressing the audience as 'Dear Mothers', Kim told them 'we are confronted with a host of social tasks that our mothers should join to tackle'. 'These tasks,' he said, 'include bringing up their children so that they will steadfastly carry forward our revolution, eliminating the recently-increasing non-socialist practices, promoting family harmony and social unity, establishing a sound way of cultural and moral life, making the communist virtues and traits of helping and leading one another forward prevail over our society, stopping the declining birth rate, and taking good care of children and educating them effectively. 'These belong to our common family affairs, which we need to deal with by joining hands with our mothers,' he added. He went on to say that 'in view of our mothers' position and role in their families and society', his government viewed the meeting of mothers as 'no less important than a party congress or a plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee.' Getting a detailed idea of North Korea's population trends is extremely difficult because of the limited statistics it discloses. The last census North Korea released was in 2008, which showed its population stood at 24 million. Estimates now suggest 25.7 million people inhabit the country. However, South Korea's government assesses that the North's fertility rate has declined steadily for the past 10 years. That is a concerning development for the socialist country that depends on mobilised labour to help keep its broken, heavily sanctioned economy afloat. It also follows a 'military first' approach which prioritises the Korean People's Army when it comes to the allocation of resources. It is the country with the highest number of military and paramilitary personnel per capita, and its active-duty army of 1.28 million soldiers is the fourth largest in the world, despite having the world's 56th largest population. According to South Korea's government statistics agency, North Korea's total fertility rate, or the average number of babies expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime, was 1.79 in 2022, down from 1.88 in 2014. Even the figures released by North Korea itself in 2008 suggested a slow-down in population growth, which otherwise had risen fairly consistently since a drop caused by the Korean War in the early 1950s. Between 1993 and 2008, the country reported a per-annum growth rate of 0.84 per cent. Between 1963 and 1993, that figure had been 2.04 per cent. However, the earlier figure does not paint the full picture, with the average number of children born to women in North Korea decreasing from 6.5 in 1966 to 2.5 in 1988. This was put down to women marrying later, urbanisation, limited housing space in the country and the expectation for women to work - all factors that analysts say have contributed to lower birth rates in other countries. But the decrease in fertility since the 1990s has also been caused by famine, as well as a post-war push to slow population growth in the 1970s and 80s. According to South Korea's government statistics agency, North Korea's total fertility rate, or the average number of babies expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime, was 1.79 in 2022, down from 1.88 in 2014 - a trend clearly concerning Kim Jong Un and his government Kim Jon Un shakes the hands of women at the National Mothers Meeting in Pyongyang on Sunday - the first time the event has been held in 11 years The fall in birth rate is a concerning development for a country that depends on mobilised labour to help keep its broken, heavily sanctioned economy afloat Kim's comments on Sunday would not be the first time the DPRK has promoted population growth, with officials within the country understood to perceive its population as being too small in relation to South Korea's 51 million people. In the 1980s, one Korean American scholar who visited the country reported an absence of birth control policies, and said North Korean women were being encouraged to have as many as six children. Meanwhile, the state is understood to provide nurseries to ease the burden of raising children, and offers 77 days of paid leave after childbirth. While North Korea is one of the poorest nations in the world, the recent estimated change in its demographic structure is similar to that of rich countries, some observers say. 'Many families in North Korea also don't intend to have more than one child these days as they know they need lots of money to raise their kids, send them to school and help them get jobs,' said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHealth.org, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. Ahn, who has interviewed many North Korean defectors, said the smuggling in over the past 20 years of a vast amount of South Korean TV dramas and films showing an elevated social status for women is also likely to have influenced women in North Korea not to have many children. North Korea implemented birth control programmes in the 1970-80s to slow a post-war growth in population. And the country's fertility rate recorded a major decline following a famine in the mid-1990s that was estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people, the Seoul-based Hyundai Research Institute said in a report in August. 'Given North Korea lacks resources and technological advancements, it could face difficulties to revive and develop its manufacturing industry if sufficient labour forces are not provided,' the institute report said. According to North Korean state media reports this year, the country has introduced a set of benefits for families with three or more children, including preferential free housing arrangements, state subsidies, free food, medicine and household goods and educational perks for children. South Korea's statistics agency estimates the North's population at 25.7 million. The Hyundai institute report said that North Korea is expected to see a shrink in population from 2034. It forecast its population will decrease to 23.7 million by 2070. Ahn, of DPRKHealth.org, said Kim's repeated public appearances with his young daughter, Ju Ae, are probably part of efforts to encourage families. Other experts have said her appearances - which include her presence at missile tests - are more likely an attempt to show she is her father's heir. North Korea's population is forecast to fall by around 2 million people by 2070 North Korean women attend the National Mothers' Meeting in Pyongyang North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said it is a duty of women to stop a fall in the country's birth rate to strengthen national power. Pictured: North Korean children While figures clearly have North Korean officials concerned, the fertility rate remains higher than in some of North Korea's neighbours, which have been grappling with a similar downward trend. For example, the decline is still slower than its wealthier rival South Korea, whose fertility rate last year was 0.78, down from 1.20 in 2014. South Korea's fertility rate, the lowest in the developed world, is believed to be due to a potent cocktail of reasons discouraging people from having babies. These include a decaying job market, a brutally competitive school environment for children, traditionally weak childcare assistance, and a male-centred corporate culture where many women find it impossible to combine careers and family. China important market for Denmark's maritime industry: minister Xinhua) 13:26, December 05, 2023 COPENHAGEN, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Denmark has accepted China's invitation to co-host a prestigious shipping fair in Shanghai, a landmark collaboration in the global maritime industry, the Danish government said on Monday. "China is an important market for the Danish maritime industry, so I accepted the invitation to co-host Marintec China 2023," Morten Bodskov, Denmark's minister for industry, business and financial affairs, said in a press release. This will be the first time for a non-Chinese entity to co-host the event and this highlights the strategic importance of the Chinese market for Denmark, especially for its maritime equipment industry, the press release said. The minister emphasized the economic importance of the Chinese market, noting that China has become the third largest market for Danish maritime equipment, highlighting the mutual benefits of Danish-Chinese maritime cooperation. "Danish equipment companies employ more than 5,000 people in China, and the industry's exports to the country amount to 4 billion Danish kroner (580.7 million U.S. dollars)," Bodskov said. Denmark is expected to be represented by 30 to 40 companies from Blue Denmark, the collective name for Denmark's maritime industry, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the country's total exports. Denmark, according to the press release, is reinforcing its position as a leader in maritime innovation, particularly in green technologies, by participating in Marintec China. "We have long since set the course towards a climate-neutral future, but we need the whole world on board," Anne H. Steffensen, chief executive officer of Danske Rederier, or Danish Shipping, said in the press release. "This will be a gain for the climate, of course, but also for the Danish shipping companies that are leading the way and thus helping to make the green transition a good business," she said. Marintec China, which is expected to attract over 70,000 participants from over 100 countries, will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in China from Dec. 5 to Dec. 8. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Abdalhamid urges people to educate themselves on the conflict, adding: 'Palestinians need support, not sympathy' The Haverford College student was shot in the right glute in what is being investigated as a possible hate crime nnan Abdalhamid, 20, is trying to direct attention towards the suffering of Palestinians following the shooting A Palestinian college student who was one of three injured in a shooting in Vermont hopes the attack will prompt Americans to focus on the plight of people in his homeland. Kinnan Abdalhamid, 20, was treated for minor injuries after he and friends Hisham Awartani and Tahseen Ahmed were shot on November 25. The group had been spending Thanksgiving together at Awartanis grandmother's home when they were approached by a random man while walking down the street in Burlington. Abdalhamid suffered minor injuries after a bullet hit him in the right glute. He was subsequently released from the hospital. Ahmed, who attends Trinity College, was shot in the chest, and Awartani, who attends Brown University, was struck in the spine. Police arrested Jason J. Eaton, 48, in connection with the shooting. He pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder last week. As the group makes their recovery, Abdalhamid said he and his friends are mainly concerned with the war in the West Bank. 'Its impossible to see this in a vacuum,' told the Boston Globe. 'It makes no sense to do that.' Kinnan Abdalhamid, 20, is urging people to consider the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank Abdalhamid (center), Hisham Awartani and Tahseen Ahmed were wearing keffiyeh scarves and chatting in English and Arabic when they were shot on November 25 Abdalhamid was shot in the right groin and only suffered minor injuries Of the accused shooter, Abdalhamid said: 'Were not putting all of our energy into this dude.' The 20-year-old suspects the 'dehumanization' of Palestinians and the ongoing conflict in Gaza factored in to his motive. Two of the students were wearing black-and-white kaffiyehs, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, and the trio were speaking a mix of English and Arabic in the moments leading up to the attack. 'Were just as human over there,' Abdalhamid told the Globe. He was born in the United States and lived in the occupied West Bank from the time he was three years old. He, Awartani and Ahmed graduated from the same school before enrolling at separate colleges in the United States. All three men were treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center, but Awartani faces a grueling recovery as he was left paralyzed. According to his mother, doctors say he may never walk again. The 20-year-old student, pictured with his mother Tamara Tamimi, says he and his friends are mainly concerned with the war in the West Bank, even as they recover Abdalhamid was born in the United States and lived in the occupied West Bank from the time he was three years old He currently attends Haverford College in Pennsylvania, where he is a member of the school's track and field team Abdalhamid encourages Americans to educate themselves on the conflict, adding: 'At least speak to a Palestinian before talking about Palestinians' He is on a pre-med track at Haverford and hopes to improve the quality of hospitals in his homeland of the West Bank Abdalhamid expressed his gratitude for the outpouring of support, adding that he is 'recovering quite fast.' He declined to comment on the condition of his friends. The 20-year-old, who runs track at Haverford, said he recently received his EMT certification. He plans to attend medical school and wants to improve the quality of hospitals in the West Bank. He added that he had been surprised by how little Americans know about the conflict in the Middle East, calling the Burlington shooting 'light compared to whats happening in the West Bank and Gaza.' Abdalhamid shared that when he attended school in the West Bank, another friend was shot in the leg by an Israeli soldier during a protest. 'At least speak to a Palestinian before talking about Palestinians,' he said. 'Palestinians need support, not sympathy.' The man charged with opening fire on the three friends, 48-year-old Eaton, had a documented history of domestic violence dating back to when he lived in upstate New York. Authorities have not yet declared a motive, but are investigating it as a hate crime, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad. 'In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime,' he told reporters. 'I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it's proven.' Jason J. Eaton, 48, of Burlington appeared in court last week and pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder First responders loading one of the victims into an ambulance after the Burlington shooting Eaton was staying in a multi-unit white apartment, where he was apprehended one day after the shooting Vermont police said the 48-year-old did not appear to be known to them beyond several vehicle-related tickets from 1998 to 2016. He moved from Syracuse to Burlington over the summer. Eaton was seized on November 27 and appeared in court the following day to enter a not guilty plea. In an earlier statement, police said the victims had been walking on Prospect Street when they were approached by a 'white male with a handgun.' 'They stated that the person had not made any comments to them and had merely approached them while they were walking down the street, essentially minding their own business,' Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said. Burlington police encountered Eaton during a canvas of the homes in the area the day after the shooting. After knocking on the door of his apartment, he allegedly told federal agents, 'I've been waiting for you,' and said he had a shotgun inside. After executing a search warrant, authorities found a Ruger .380 pistol and ammunition inside a bedroom dresser. The red-tipped bullets were identical to those found at the scene, according to a probable cause affidavit. Ballistics tests confirmed the match. Investigators also located a .22-caliber rifle and two shotguns. The pistol used in the shooting was obtained legally in April through a federally licensed firearms dealer, Murad said. Eaton is being held without bail pending a hearing. His attorneys have declined to comment. Pro-Palestine activists have thrown blood red paint outside a London HQ of a company that they say does business with Israeli weapon manufacturers. Palestine Action sprayed the paint over the building of London Metric - who they said rents property to Elbit Systems - in the early hours of this morning. Police said they were alerted to people spraying paint on a building in Curzon Street, Mayfair, at around 6.30am this morning. Two women and a man were then arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. Dramatic footage posted on Palestine Action's social media shows officers gathered outside the building which is covered in red. The paint can be seen sprayed all over the windows and doors of the building as well as up the tiled walls. Workers clean the walls and entrance after the activist group Palestine Action splashed London Metric Property offices in Mayfair with red paint The group wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'Palestine Action halts operations at London Metric - who rent property to Elbit Systems. 'If you do business with Israeli weapons manufacturers, you should expect us. No more business as usual for genocide profiteers!' A police spokesperson said: 'At around 06.30hrs on Tuesday, 5 December, we responded to a report of criminal damage to a building on Curzon Street, Mayfair. 'We were alerted to people spraying red paint, and officers arrived quickly on scene and arrested two women and a man on suspicion of criminal damage.' The paint can be seen sprayed all over the windows and doors of the building as well as up the tiled walls It comes after Pro-Palestinian activists smashed windows and daubed paint over a business they accused of renting land to an arms factor that sends weapons to the IDF last month. The activists, three men in their late 20s and early 30s, as well as a 20-year-old woman, were being held on suspicion of causing criminal damage after the office building in Birmingham was vandalised at 7am on November 27. Several windows were smashed and the doors covered in 'blood red paint' at Number 55 Colmore Row by protesters from Palestine Action. More than 29,000 migrants have crossed the Channel by small boat so far this year, the second highest annual figure on record. A total of 29,090 people have made the perilous journey in 585 dinghies - an average of 50 people crammed into each vessel. Today's figures show Turkish nationals now account for more than one in 10 arrivals, while Albanians represent three per cent compared to nearly a third last year. Afghans account for the single largest group of arrivals from January 1 to November 29, 2023 - 20% of the total - the same proportion as for the whole of 2022. The next largest group is Iranians on 12%, down slightly from 13% last year. The figures emerged today as James Cleverly signed a new treaty with Rwanda in a bid to revive a scheme to deport Channel migrants to the East African country. The Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) drastically revised its figure for the year to December up from 606,000 to 745,000, an increase of 139,000, almost the same as the population of Cambridge . The Home Secretary plans to get emergency legislation into the Commons within days in the hope of beginning deportation flights in the spring. Last year saw a record 45,755 asylum seekers arrive in the UK by small boat - 60 per cent higher than 2021 when 28,526 people made the perilous journey and the highest figure since statistics started to be collected in 2018. The first three days of December saw 730 migrants cross the Channel, with 519 of those people arriving on Saturday alone. READ MORE - James Cleverly signs new Channel migrant flight deal with Rwanda designed to get planes in the air in the spring - but will it be enough to get past the courts? Advertisement The same day, the French coastguard rescued several migrant boats in difficulty in the 21-mile Strait. Assistance and rescue tug Abeille Normandie picked up 65 people from a dinghy in the early hours of the morning. The same vessel then rescued a further 28 people from a second migrant boat. The rest of the people on board 'refused the assistance' offered by the French coastguard, according to the Maritime Prefect. A decision was made to let them carry on with their journey, as it was deemed too risky to intervene. All of the rescued asylum seekers were dropped off at the quay of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Later that morning, the French Navy vessel Borda recovered eight people from a migrant boat off the coast of Steps and dropped them off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The remaining people on board refused help and continued with their journey. Around the same time, rescue ship Esvagt Charlie picked up a further 58 people from another boat and dropped them off at the port of Calais, and state-chartered vessel Apollo Moon rescued 31 migrants and dropped them off at the quay of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The stranded people were taken care of by the land rescue services and the border police. A group of migrants are brought ashore at Dover amid freezing conditions on December 2 This year became the second highest on record despite Rishi Sunak 's pledge to reduce the number of boats arriving in Britain. People are migrants arriving on December 2 In total, 190 people were rescued by French means overnight and into the day of December 2. Later that night, the CROSS rescue centre in Cap Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty off the coast of Neufchatel-Hardelot. The French Navy patrol boat Flamant picked up 28 people and dropped them at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken care of by the land rescue services and the Border Police. On Sunday, a further 118 migrants were escorted into Dover, Kent after two dinghies were intercepted at sea by Border Force officials. READ MORE - Labour's poll lead falls by four points as Tories get tough on immigration over fears of a surge in support for Nigel Farage's Reform UK Advertisement The mix of nationalities of people arriving on small boats across the English Channel has varied from year to year. Albanians represent 3% of this year's figure, compared with 28% last year, according to provisional data. But the proportion who are Turkish has jumped from 2% in 2022 to 11% so far this year. In 2018 and 2019, when comparatively few crossings were recorded, most arrivals were Iranian nationals (80% and 66% respectively). A change came in 2020, with Iranians still the leading nationality but accounting for 28% of arrivals, followed by Iraqis (19%), Sudanese (11%) and Syrians (9%). Iranians and Iraqis together accounted for more than half of arrivals in 2021 (30% and 22% respectively), with a mix of countries once again making up the rest. There was another change in 2022: Iranian and Iraqi nationals dropped to 13% and 10% respectively, with Albanian (28%) and Afghan (20%) the leading nationalities. The data for 2023 so far suggests a new trend is emerging, with a sharp drop in Albanian arrivals and a jump in the proportion who are from Turkey. All figures are based on the total number of arrivals where nationality has been recorded by the Home Office. Following the spike in summer 2022 in the number of Albanian nationals arriving in the UK on small boats, the governments of both countries struck an agreement to work together to prevent people from making the journey. A dinghy carrying around 50 migrants drifts across the Channel earlier this year This included placing UK border force staff in Tirana airport in the capital of Albania, the exchange of senior police officers, and the creation of a joint migration task force. The cumulative number of small boat arrivals this year currently stands at 29,090, down 34% on the total at the same point last year. The Rwanda scheme has been the government's flagship policy for curbing illegal migration. But the original 140million scheme was signed almost 18 months ago and not a single deportee has yet left UK soil by air. It was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court last month, which said that Rwanda was not a safe country as those flown there could be sent back to their country of origin - a process known as 'refoulment'. READ MORE - Robert Jenrick says there are 'merits' to introducing an annual cap on immigration to Britain Advertisement Speaking after signing a new agreement today, Mr Cleverly said Rwanda had made a 'clear and unambiguous commitment to the safety' of those who would be flown there and there was no 'credible' reason to block the flights with it in place. But he declined to guarantee the flights would start by next spring. sked at the press conference in Kigali, Mr Cleverly said: 'We want to see this part of our wider migration plan up and running as quickly as possible. 'We feel very strongly this treaty addresses all of the issues of their lordships in the Supreme Court.' The new deal is designed to remove the risk of refoulment, the Home Office said. It also broadens the role of the independent monitoring committee to include conditions for arrivals, the processing of claims and treatment and support they receive for up to five years after landing in Africa. It will also set up a private complaints system and have 'unfettered access' to make reports on the situation. The new UK-Rwanda treaty will 'strengthen' the asylum processing system, Rwanda's foreign affairs minister Vincent Biruta said. Speaking ahead of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly at a press conference in Kigali, Mr Biruta said this would happen 'by exchanging best practices and providing capacity building and expertise in the area of migration'. He said: 'I want to reaffirm that the people relocated to Rwanda will be welcomed and that they will be provided both the safety and support they need to build new lives. 'Rwanda looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with the United Kingdom and to implementing this treaty.' The Home Secretary signed off a new agreement to offshore small boat arrivals amid a deafening clamour from the Tory backbenches at the scale of immigration, legal and illegal. It came as Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick today accused Channel boat migrants of 'breaking into' Britain. Mr Jenrick, who previously worked with ousted home secretary Suella Braverman, told Sky News: 'If you or I crossed an international border, or literally broke into another country, we would expect to be treated very seriously.' He admitted it 'will take time' for new restrictions to have an effect on legal migration numbers as he insisted the Government is still committed to the Tory 2019 manifesto target. Asked whether the goal to reduce overall numbers to below the 2019 net migration figure of around 219,000 would be met by the next election, the immigration minister told LBC Radio: 'The measures we're bringing forward now will take time to feed through in the system, but I want to see the manifesto commitment met. 'That's clearly why I have pushed for this set of measures.' Mr Cleverly follows in the footsteps of predecessors Dame Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, who both made private visits to the site during their trips to Rwanda over the last 18 months. A father who built four luxury holiday cabins complete with hot tubs in a natural beauty spot has been ordered to demolish them following a planning battle. Owner John Phillips, 38, who opened his 200-a-night chalets in the Gower Peninsula in Wales over a year ago, built them without proper permissions. Mr Phillips said he did not believe the buildings needed planning permission because of their size when he initially put them up. But after speaking to council workers, he was advised to apply for 'change of use' if he intended to rent them out. He later applied for retrospective planning permission, which was denied. Mr Phillips and his partner Kerrie Garrett saw the chalets as a chance to 'cash in' on the beauty of the surrounding area and provide for their two-year-old daughter Darcy-Mae. A father who built four luxury holiday cabins complete with hot tubs has been ordered to demolish them Mr Phillips and his partner Kerrie Garrett saw the chalets as a chance to 'cash in' on the beauty of the surrounding area and provide for their two-year-old daughter Darcy-Mae Mr Phillips said he did not believe the buildings needed planning permission because of their size when he initially built them But furious locals claimed the chalets were a 'blot on the landscape' of Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and should not have been built. The cabins in the hamlet of Landimore, about 13 miles east of Swansea, faced objections from neighbours and even the National Trust - before planning officials ruled they detracted from the Landimore Conservation Area and Gower AONB. Council officers issued enforcement action on eight grounds, including the lack of flood and ecology reports, and potential damage to the roots of trees at the rear of the cabins. The enforcement notice requires Mr Phillips to remove all traces of the cabins and return the land to its previous condition. The notice was due to take effect from next week but Mr Phillips has appealed the council decision with the Welsh Government department Planning and Environment Decisions Wales. He argued the cabins would attract visitors to the area all year round and boost the economy in an area where tourist accommodation was limited. He built the cabins in the grounds of his home as an investment. The luxury chalets were constructed without planning permission in a natural beauty spot Owner John Phillips, his partner Kerrie Garret and their daughter Darcy-Mae, during construction of the chalets Mr Phillips said that this part of Swansea means a lot to him and that visitors love the beautiful surroundings Mr Phillips said that this part of Swansea means a lot to him and that visitors love the beautiful surroundings. The professional middleweight mixed martial artist said: 'The Gower is a gorgeous area, we've grown up around here. Everybody loves it here. 'We've had tonnes of visitors here, they absolutely love it. They'll come from all over the world and they can't believe how beautiful it is here.' But there were 12 objections to his retrospective plans - including from the National Trust, on the grounds of increased noise, traffic and visual intrusion. One objector described them as a 'blot on the landscape' while another said they should be demolished and the area replanted. There were also two letters of support, which said the chalets were the type of high-class tourist accommodation Gower needed. Mr Phillips said: 'We don't understand what the big problem is. 'There's a massive need for rental accommodation down here, and it provides jobs. The local pubs, restaurants and takeaways must have seen an increase in business.' He argued the cabins would attract visitors to the area all year round and boost the economy in an area where tourist accommodation was limited The cabins in the hamlet of Landimore (pictured), about 13 miles east of Swansea, faced objections from neighbours and even the National Trust The chalets are made up of a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, pull-out sofa bed for children, balcony and hot tub and each come with a parking space close to the Wales Coastal Path running around the entire Welsh coastline The chalets are made up of a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, pull-out sofa bed for children, balcony and hot tub and each come with a parking space close to the Wales Coastal Path running around the entire Welsh coastline. They were advertised on the business's website for 175, 185 or 200-per-night. In the original planning report, officers said the road leading to the chalets was too narrow, leading to potential pedestrian safety issues. It also said he had not provided flood consequence and ecological reports, and that the chalets had damaged the roots of protected trees. The planning officers' report added that the 'need and demand for the holiday chalets in this sensitive countryside location has not been justified'. A Ryanair plane had to make an emergency landing in Portugal after the pilot fell ill. The aircraft was heading from the UK to Morocco but ended up landing at Faro Airport on the Portuguese Algarve this morning, according to local reports. The pilot had told passengers before landing that he wasn't feeling well and the diversion triggered a 'red alert' at the airport, according to Portuguese daily Correio da Manha. A spokesperson from Ryanair said: 'There was no "emergency landing". 'This flight from Stansted to Morocco (5 Dec) diverted to Faro when one of the pilots became ill. A spokesperson from Ryanair said: 'This flight from Stansted to Morocco (5 Dec) diverted to Faro when one of the pilots became ill' (Stock Image) 'The aircraft landed normally, and passengers were transferred to an alternative aircraft operated by another crew before continuing to Morocco.' In April a packed easyJet plane heading to Agadir in Morocco from London Gatwick had to divert to Faro. Local reports at the time said the flight diversion was the result of the pilot suffering an 'indisposition', and led to an identical red alert being activated before the Airbus A320 was landed safely. EasyJet said in a comment at the time: 'easyJet can confirm that flight EZY6469 from London Gatwick to Agadir on 21 April diverted to Faro due to the First Officer requiring medical assistance. 'The Captain performed a routine landing in accordance with standard operating procedures and the aircraft was met by medical services on arrival in Faro. 'A replacement crew was arranged and passengers have since continued their journey to Agadir. We apologise for any inconvenience experienced due to the diversion and resulting delay. 'The safety and well-being of its passengers and crew is easyJet's highest priority.' Hostages captured by Hamas were forced to take tranquilisers before being handed back to Israeli authorities so they would 'appear content' for the cameras, it has been claimed. The shocking claim was made by Dr Hagar Mizrahi from Israel's health ministry, who said the terrorists administered 'Clonex' - a brand name of the drug clonazepam - to the hostages along with other 'vitamins'. Clonazepam is an anti-convulsant and anti-epileptic medication often used to treat conditions such as seizures, sleep disorders and akathisia - otherwise known as chronic restlessness. Dr Mizrahi disclosed the details during a meeting with the Knesset's health committee, according to Israeli media, and added that the released hostages had documented numerous war crimes committed by their captors which were described by another spokesman as 'starvation, a lack of medical treatment, and prolonged shackling'. She did not disclose whether the drugging was confirmed by blood tests on newly freed hostages, or simply by their testimonies. The revelation comes a day after it was revealed Dr Mizrahi is leading a three-person medical committee tasked with the forensic exploration of images and videos taken on the day of the October 7 attack in a bid to ascertain how many hostages are likely to have died. A Hamas fighter and Red Cross medics are seen helping a newly released Israeli hostage, Maya Regev, to safety, in the Gaza Strip early on November 26, 2023 Hostages who were abducted by Hamas gunmen during the October 7 attack on Israel are handed over by Hamas militants to the International Red Cross Bemused-looking hostages are handed over by Hamas militants on November 29, 2023 The medical committee is poring over the evidence for signs of lethal injuries, and cross-referencing it with the testimony of hostages freed during a week-long Gaza truce that ended on Friday. This would help determine that a hostage has died, even if no doctor has formally pronounced the death, she said. 'Designation of death is never an easy matter, and certainly not in the situation embroiling us,' she told Israel's Kan radio. Her committee addresses 'the desire of the families of loved ones abducted to Gaza to know as much as possible'. Of some 240 people kidnapped, 108 were freed by Hamas in return for the release by Israel of scores of Palestinian detainees as well as more humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza. Since the truce, Israeli authorities have declared seven civilians and an army colonel have died in captivity. Israel says 137 hostages remain in Gaza. This has not been confirmed by Hamas. It has previously said dozens of hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes, has threatened to execute hostages itself and suggested that some hostages were in the hands of other armed Palestinian factions. Hostages have been kept incommunicado despite Israel's calls on the Red Cross to arrange visits and verify their wellbeing. Dr Mizrahi said she and her fellow panelists - a forensic pathologist and a physical trauma clinician - have been watching clips filmed by the Hamas attackers themselves, cellphone video by Palestinian spectators and CCTV footage of the hostage-taking 'again and again, frame by frame'. That has allowed them to map out life-threatening wounds and spot any cessation of breathing or other essential reflexes. Additional considerations have been hostages' rough handling by captors, the reduced chances of them getting adequate medical care in Gaza and accounts of deaths by former fellow hostages. Amit Soussana, 40, is seen being handed over to Red Cross as a crowd of Palestinians jeer Mia Schem, 21, who was abducted by Hamas gunmen during the October 7 attack on Israel, is escorted by members of the International Red Cross The panel has been consulting with a religious expert, she said, given Jewish laws that prevent a widow from remarrying unless her bereavement is formally recognised by authorities. 'We assemble the overall picture,' Dr Mizrahi said, adding that every determination of death has to be unanimously agreed. The risk of getting it wrong was laid bare in the case of Emily Hand, who went missing on October 7 and whose father Tom was initially informed 'unofficially' that she had been killed. The girl had in fact been taken hostage and was freed in the truce. Being denied a burial may pose a psychological barrier for grieving kin, however. Last week, the Israeli military - which has rabbinical and intelligence units scouring Gaza battlefields for information about the fate of lost soldiers, as well as remains of hostages - declared dead Shaked Gal, a conscript missing since October 7. His mother Sigalit said in a Facebook post addressed to the 19-year-old that she would not observe the traditional Jewish mourning period for him 'until your body is returned'. Dr Mizrahi said her panel had yet to encounter a family that refused to accept its determination, but was prepared for this eventuality. 'We are here to provide the professional side. We do not, God forbid, debate or confront the families regarding their decision, and we accept their choices with understanding,' she said. The military has recovered the bodies of one captive soldier and two civilian hostages, and freed one soldier in a rescue operation. On Tuesday morning, police said she was found safe An Amber Alert has been canceled for a 'critically missing' 14-year-old Texas girl with special needs, who vanished on Monday night and was later found safe. Seryna Ferrin was last seen in the 100 block of Charlotte Drive in Beaumont around 7.20pm. She was dressed in pink pajama pants, a white tank top and green jacket. She was also carrying a blue backpack. The Beaumont Police Department said that the young girl has autism and the mental capacity of an 8-year-old, and has no access to any type of electronics, internet service or social media. Authorities posted information to their Facebook page sharing that Ferrin is homeschooled and has 'no known friends or close associates outside of family or her case worker.' The teen reportedly left on foot but it is unclear how she went missing. On Tuesday morning, police canceled the Amber Alert and said Ferrin was found safe. No further details were released. An Amber Alert was issued for Seryna Ferrin, 14, who hasn't been seen since Monday night. The Beaumont Police Department said the young girl has autism and the mental capacity of an 8-year-old, and has no access to any type of electronics, internet service or social media Seryna Ferrin was last seen in the 100 block of Charlotte Drive in Beaumont, Texas on Monday evening around 7.20pm. By Tuesday morning, police said she was found safe The DailyMail.com reached out to the Beaumont Police Department to get further information about the case, but they were unavailable. 'SERYNA HAS BEEN LOCATED AND IS SAFE!!,' police wrote on social media updating the search. Authorities said they had tracked to a church in Nederland, Texas, about five miles away from where she was last seen. She was filmed on surveillance at the front of the church. It's unclear how the teen made it five miles from her home. Marvel star Jonathan Majors looked unsettled on the second day of his assault trial as his ex-girlfriend described the alleged 'excruciating' assault she went through. Majors' accuser, Grace Jabbari, 30, is a British-born choreographer, and testified at Manhattan Criminal Court today - saying that the star 'wanted me to feel pain.' The actor has denied assault with intent to cause physical injury, assault recklessly causing physical injury, aggravated harassment and harassment. The allegations have stalled the career of Majors, 34, who plays the evil Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel films and also appears in Creed 3. He was dropped by his manager - and his latest film about a bodybuilder, which stunned audiences at this years Sundance film festival, was tipped for an Oscar but has now been put on hold. Marvel star Jonathan Majors is seen arriving in court for the second day of his assault trial Majors and his partner, Meagan Good, dodge the grating on the New York sidewalk as they arrive at court on Tuesday Majors is accused of grabbing Jabbari (pictured right) and twisting her arm on the way home from a night out after she spotted a flirty text from another woman. He denies the allegations As the court came into session on Tuesday, Majors sat at a table with his lawyers reading a Bible he brought with him. Keen to give an impression of being polite to the court, he brushed away a loose hair from his lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, and smiled at her. His girlfriend Meagan Good and her mother sat in the front row of the public gallery - Majors kissed them both before the hearing began. On the opposite side of the public gallery sat three of Jabbaris family members. Majors appeared to be unsettled as Jabbari recounted the excruciating assault to the jury that felt as if he wanted me to feel pain. Majors veered between incredulous and wounded with a furrowed brow. At times he looked away indignantly and rubbed his eyes, curled his lips up and looked back at his girlfriend Meagan Good in the public gallery for support. Good shook her head as videos showed Majors running away from Jabbari after the alleged attack. Jabbari said the evening of the attack in March this year she and Majors had been to see a play in Brooklyn and had dinner and were driving home in a hired car. As Majors scrolled on his phone, Jabbari saw he had sent a romantic song by rapper DAngelo to somebody. She said: I said who have you sent that to, jokingly. A message popped up saying I wish I was kissing you right now or something like that. He didnt really say anything and the next message popped up oh its not what it looks like. I was like I dont know how else that looks? I was so taken aback. Jabbari admitted she spoke in a loud voice. She said: Our whole relationship I never considered infidelity to be one of the things that was also happening. (I said) What is that? (He said) its not what it seems, baby baby. Baby, its not what it seems He was really alert, like hed been caught out. I was saying let me see the messages and he wasnt so I grabbed his phone and turned away from him. Moving her shoulder to the left and pulling her hands down, she said: I really easily grabbed it, like he wasnt expecting me to take it I turned away from him. I was trying to see the message and I could just see his home screen. I felt a heavy thud on top of me, what I knew to be the weight of him and trying to pry the phone out of my fingers but I was going into protective mode. I curled over and felt him yank my arm. He was trying to pry the phone out of my hands. When that wasnt successful he put his arm behind my back, putting her right arm behind her back. Jabbari said Majors began peeling her fingers off the phone and was twisting my arm, my hand. (He was) trying to make me feel pain. Just felt excruciating, she said. Next I felt a really hard blow across my head making a swiping motion over the back right side of her head. It took me aback. I was in pain but I was thinking who is this girl? I said just show me it, if its nothing. Are you cheating on me? I was upset, confused, he has his arms out. He was pressing me everywhere it could reach it felt. Jabbari couldnt fend off Majors because he was very strong. I couldnt move, she said. He was using his hands and his arms to force me. Everywhere, my face, my arms, my neck, my chest. Head. I tried to hit his arms away, I was hitting like that, using both arms to indicate she slapped him. Asked if she scratched Majors, Jabbari said no. Majors ordered the driver to stop and then turned around and pushed her back into the car, Jabbari said The jury were shown security camera footage of the car stopped in the middle of the street. Majors can be seen lifting Jabbari up and putting her back in the car as she tries to get out. He walks to the sidewalk then runs off, with Jabbari running after him. Describing what was happening, Jabbari said: He was trying to make me stay in the car, trying to push me. My body felt very light in his hands so it felt just that he was forcing me to stay in his car. He was holding me with (his arms). My arms were by my body. He was running away. I couldnt work out why I followed. I wanted to hear - literally that morning were talking about when were getting married, the names of our children and hes running away instead of saying actually Ive had an affair. It was silence and bolting out the doorI was really heartbroken. Jabbari said she felt sad. She said: Everything I knew to be true was not. As the court came into session on Tuesday, Majors sat at a table with his lawyers reading a Bible he brought with him Grace Jabbari's sister arrives at court wearing a camel-colored coat Jonathan Majors, left, and his girlfriend Meagan Good held hands as they entered court on Monday Creed actor Majors walked into the Manhattan court on Monday wearing a dark suit, sunglasses, black boots and a black beret - carrying a Bible and a notebook Prosecutors had previously detailed how Majors attacked Jabbari to cover up his infidelity. Emmy-nominated Majors is said to have got into a row with Jabbari as they returned from a New York City bar when she saw a text from another woman which read: Wish I was kissing you right now. In his opening statement, prosecutor Michael Perez said the assault came after Majors subjected Jabbari to months of a 'cruel and manipulative pattern of psychological and physical abuse'. The alleged abuse included throwing things at the wall and berating her for not living up to the standards of Michelle Obama and Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King. Majors has strongly denied the allegations and his lawyers said that Jabbari was the one who attacked him as they rode home, then chased him through the streets of Manhattan when he exited their car. Jabbari did it in 'revenge' for finding out that Majors had been texting another woman, the jury was told. Majors lawyer Priya Chaudhry said: 'This is the case about the end of a relationship, not a crime. At least, not one that Mr Majors committed. Police are used to dealing with mysteries of lost or missing people, but it's not every day that they put out an appeal over nine goats. The animals were reported to North Yorkshire Police after they were found wandering around in the rural hamlet of Thorpe Underwood. Inquiries in the vicinity didn't reveal where the animals had come from and so police took to social media to put out a plea for help. Alongside a photo of one of the lost goats, the police appeal asked 'has anybody lost nine goats?!' One of the goats found. The animals were reported to North Yorkshire Police after they were found wandering around in the rural hamlet of Thorpe Underwood It continued: 'That's not a sentence we ever thought we'd say. But you 'herd' correctly and we 'kid' you not. 'They were in the Thorpe Underwood area, between York and Boroughbridge. They are currently safe and being well cared for. But we want to trace their owner. 'So if you are missing nine goats or know anyone who is, please get in touch.' The goats turned up in a farming area, but there is little in Thorpe Underwood apart from Queen Ethelburga's College one of the country's most expensive independent boarding schools. The missing goat inquiry is being handled by PC David Mackay and it certainly prompted a huge response with over 350 people commented on the police Facebook post. Needless to say many weren't taking the appeal too seriously. There were offers to take them in and numerous messages of goodwill towards the homeless animals. Rosanna Parkinson wrote: 'Nice to have a laugh after all the misery about today.' Judith Bowler commented: 'Guess that means they are not tagged! Big fine if anyone owns up to owning them.' Pauline Stephenson said: 'Love the pun, but hope they find their way home.' There were numerous jokey comments from people claiming ownership or suggesting who the owner could be. While Carol Harrison quipped: 'I thought it was a line out of the 12 days of Christmas. Nine goats a leaping.' Joy Clarke write: 'Hope their owner gets in touch to claim them. It could be a herd mentality one goes the rest follow.' While Ian McCulloch quipped: 'I hope you're feeding them goat-meal for breakfast. And make sure he doesn't get his goatee in his bowl!' The appeal was also put up on the force website. A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: 'This certainly isn't a sentence you say every day, but if you're missing nine goats or know anyone who is, we'd love to hear from you.' Maori politicians mockingly pledged their allegiance to King Charles by calling him 'King Skin Rash' during the opening of New Zealand's parliament on Tuesday. Three lawmakers from the Te Pati Maori party, the smallest in parliament which represents Maori people, called him 'Kingi harehare', instead of using the Maori name for him, which is 'Kingi Tiare.' 'Harehare' is a derogatory term in Maori that means 'skin rash' or 'sore'. It can also connote something 'objectionable' and 'affronting', according to the Maori dictionary. All New Zealand MPs are required to swear allegiance to King Charles, as he is officially the commonwealth nation's head of state. But the Te Pati Maori party opposes the oath, claiming it is symbolic of the colonial power that the New Zealand parliament ranks more highly than the standing of Indigenous people. The party also supports removing King Charles as New Zealand's head of state. Three lawmakers from the Te Pati Maori party mockingly called him 'Kingi harehare', instead of using the Maori name for him, 'Kingi Tiare'. Pictured, Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waiti in the New Zealand parliament on Tuesday 'Harehare' is a derogatory term in Maori that means 'skin rash' or 'sore', as well as 'objectionable' and 'affronting', according to the Maori dictionary The Te Pati Maori party opposes this, claiming the oath is symbolic of the colonial power that Parliament places above the standing of Indigenous people All New Zealand MPs are required to swear allegiance to King Charles, as he is officially the nation's head of state Te Pati Maori politicians also broke protocol by pledging allegiance first to their descendants and the country's founding document. They each made a pledge to their 'mokopuna', or descendants, to 'tikanga', or Maori practices, and the Maori version of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, laid down a set of principles under which the British and Maori agreed to govern New Zealand. But the English and Maori versions differ and there is debate over whether the Maori ceded sovereignty. Critics of the party said that Te Pati Maori mocked the King, who is planning on visiting the country next year. 'They are trying to make fun of the transliteration "hare", which if said as "harehare" is kind of a transliteration of Charlie, but it also means something objectionable,' New Zealand First MP Shane Jones said. David Seymour, leader of the libertarian party ACT New Zealand, dismissed the demonstrations as 'divisive theatrics'. Te Pati Maori politicians also broke protocol by pledging allegiance first to their descendants and the country's founding document King Charles is planning on visiting the country next year 'New Zealanders elected a government that will treat people equally, regardless of their race,' he said. There has been debate for some time on whether the Pacific nation should become a republic, with a citizen as the head of state. In some Indigenous communities this feeling is stronger, both in New Zealand and elsewhere, as the King is a symbol of colonisation. In 2022, Indigenous Australian parliamentarian Lidia Thorpe had to retake her parliamentary oath after she changed it to label the late Queen a coloniser. A number of New Zealand politicians have previously tried to avoid the oath but relented so they could participate in government. The Washington shooter who shot his wife, their two adult daughters and his brother before killing himself on Sunday turned the gun on himself hours after texting a relative to say he had harmed them, police revealed on Monday. Authorities received a call around 1pm Sunday requesting a welfare check at a home in Vancouver, Washington. The person who requested the welfare check had received a text message from the suspected shooter indicating that he had 'harmed others' at the home, the sheriffs office said in a statement. It took police more than four hours to attend the home as the person who requested the check didn't see the original message until later, the sheriff's office said in a statement. Based on the timing of the text, deputies believed everyone in the house was already dead, Sgt. Chris Skidmore said, speaking to media. They therefore had to wait for a search warrant from a judge, as the scene was not believed to be an active crime situation. The names and ages of the victims were not immediately released. Autopsies were pending. The Clark County Sheriff's Office said it was investigating the case as a murder-suicide. The tragedy, coupled with a separate mass shooting in Dallas on Sunday, brings the number of such attacks up to 38 this year - an annual record. Sgt. Chris Skidmore, center, speaks to members of the media after five people were killed in a shooting, including the shooter, at a home in Orchards, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 Mass shootings here refer to instances where at least four have died, not including the shooter The Clark County Sheriff's Office said officers found five bodies inside a home in Orchards, Washington, following a call from another family member. Police used a drone to look inside the home and saw people who appeared to be dead, the station reported. Law enforcement and a paramedic team entered the home at that point where all five were confirmed to be deceased. The Southwest Washington Regional SWAT team responded due to the threat of a firearm and entered the home with emergency medical personnel, but all five adults inside were dead, KGW8 reported. Clark County sheriff's Sgt. Chris Skidmore told the media that all of the victims are adults. 'Unfortunately, it's not the first time we've seen something kind of similar that shocks the conscience like this,' Skidmore said. He added that they were unable to enter because they had reason to believe the victims were already dead. 'If (deputies) had an exchange with somebody at the residence, then we may have or if we hear someone screaming for help, that creates exigency right away, and of course deputies are going to go in and deal with that and try to take care of it, if someone is at risk right then and there,' he said. 'Versus where they come and on scene there's no signs, no lights, not like anybody's home they've made attempts to loud hail, and then they start working that and slowing that down because the concern about somebody being a threat immediately kind of lessons a little bit.' Clark County property records list Stuart and Christina Rouse as the owners of the house. Vancouver is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Portland, Oregon. It is statistically one of the safest areas in Washington. Neighbor J.D. Hartman, who moved in down the street about four months ago, said the household appeared to be a 'typical, normal family,' as reported by The Colombian. He said he saw police cars lining the streets and later SWAT arrive. He heard deputies call out over a loud speaker for people to leave the house empty handed. This went on for several hours through the day, he said. As many as 453 mass attacks with firearms have now taken place since 2006, with nearly 60 per cent of victims known to the shooter. The Washington shooting brings the number of total mass shootings up to 38 this year, mass shootings here referring to incidents where at least four people have died, not including the shooters. Sgt. Chris Skidmore, center, speaks to members of the media after five people were killed in a shooting, including the shooter, at a home in Orchards, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 A house is seen after five people were killed in a shooting, including the shooter, at the home in Vancouver, Wash., Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 Clark County sheriff's Sgt. Chris Skidmore told the media that all of the victims are adults The CDC has recently shared updated stats on violence and injury in the United States, reporting 48,830 firearm deaths nationwide in 2021. More than 50 per cent of those were reported as suicide by gunshot. Forty-three per cent were murders, according to the CDC. The remaining were accidental, involved law enforcement or undetermined. The startling numbers give the US a firearm mortality rate of 14.7 per 100,000. That was a considerably lower 10.6 back in 2016, PEW reported earlier this year. Underwater footage shows the destruction a US military plane caused after it crashed into the sea and damaged endangered coral reef. The US Navy P-8A was successfully recovered on Saturday after crew members spent 13 hours moving the aircraft. An estimate $1.5million was spent on the extraction and a 'deceased sea turtle' was found at the site. The military plane overshot the runway after it missed its mark on November 20 when it attempted to land at the US Marines base 10 miles away from Honolulu. Nine people who were onboard at the time were not physically harmed. Following the crash, the massive military aircraft knocked off tops of coral and got its tires lodged in between them. Kim Fuller, the Division of Aquatic Resources Biologist for the Department of Land and Natural Resources told Hawaii News Now that her team will overturn the now upside-down corals to 'give them a better chance of survival.' Underwater footage captured the destruction from the US military plane that crashed into Hawaii's Kaneohe Bay on November 20 The impact of the US Navy P-8A managed to knock off the tops of endangered coral reefs and flip them upside down Biologists have started to plan restoration efforts as they conducted their second site survey on Monday and plan to access the reef again on Tuesday. Military officials have reported that no contaminants from the plane crash spilled into Kaneohe Bay- home to coral reefs and a range of marine life, like sharks, octopus and fish. 'I'm incredibly pleased with what has been accomplished. But more importantly, the way in which it was accomplished,' Marine Corps Base Commanding Officer Jeremy Beaven said in a press conference. For two weeks it sat floating in the water before Navy contractors designed a complex inflatable and rope system to float it to the surface and remove it from the water. On Thursday, a dead sea turtle was found 'floating between' two of the Navy barriers around the plane. Rear Adm. Kevin P. Lenox, the salvage operations on-scene commander said: 'I have no information on the cause of death on that particular sea turtle. DLNR did report a sick sea turtle struggling in the vicinity yesterday, we suspect that may be related. The plane sat floating in the water for two weeks before navy contractors designed a complex inflatable and rope system to extract it at a cost of $1.5million Biologists have started to plan restoration efforts as they conducted their second site survey on Monday and plan to access the reef again on Tuesday 'Hawaiian Marine and Animal Recovery team has taken custody of that and they'll make an assessment and if necessary we will do a necropsy on that turtle to find out why it passed.' It is unclear why the plane crashed while doing 'routine training.' All of the nine on board safely managed to swim to shore and were left unharmed. One expert speculated that bad weather and winds made it harder to land on the shorter than average runway at Kaneohe. After the crash, local residents began warning about the risk to the local wildlife, which includes several endangered species. The bay is also a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks and a feeding ground for whale sharks. Following the crash, the massive military aircraft knocked off tops of coral and got its tires lodged in between them At the time of the crash, nine crew members were on board. All of the passengers safely managed to swim to shore and were left unharmed Kahaluu resident Jonee Kaina told Hawaii News Now: '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 state of Hawaii said that it is 'unlikely' that they will fine the military for the crash. The P-8A, a Poseidon reconnaissance plane used for intelligence, is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet. Marine Corps Base Kaneohe is home to over 25,000 Marines, sailors, family members and civilian employees. Nine people have been arrested after riot police stormed a leafy millionaires row in London over an anti-Semitic banner calling to 'globalise the intifada'. Several officers wearing helmets and holding shields engaged in a stand-off with a group of squatters occupying the building in Regent's Park, while residents in the city's affluent area were blocked off from entering their homes. The Met Police told MailOnline that it deployed multiple officers to the scene amid fears that there could have been a hundred squatters inside the vast property. After cordoning off the area, where properties can fetch up to 20 million, officers were able to remove the banner from the building in Park Square near Regent's Park. 'We can confirm 9 people were arrested under Section 18 of the Public Order Act,' the Met Police said. 'Officers have now secured the property which was being used by squatters. We will continue to have a presence in the area to respond to any further incidents.' Riot police have been marching through London's Regent's Park this afternoon after an anti-Semitic banner calling to 'globalise the intifada' was hung up by squatters Police engaged in a stand-off with squatters occupying the building in the millionaires row Residents in the city's affluent park area have been blocked off from entering their homes Police have cordoned off the scene, with several police officers and vehicles also present One local said it was squatters who put the anti-Semitic sign up. Two women, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'We've been out this morning and we came back to all the police officers. 'No one is telling us anything, except that we're not allowed back inside.' A Met Police officer at the scene said: 'People inside the building are being kept inside, while people outside are being kept outside for the time being.' Earlier this morning, Campaign Against Antisemitism posted a photo of the banner on Twitter, accompanied by the caption: 'We have been contacted by distressed members of the public regarding a banner calling to 'globalise the intifada. 'This was seen this morning on a home in Regent's Park. Past intifadas were campaigns of violence that included suicide bombings.' The slogans and related chants have been a subject of controversy of late; particularly since protesters took to the streets following the October 7 attacks in Israel. It has been criticised by Jewish groups as inciting widespread violence or terrorism, with some interpreting it as a rallying cry for harming Jews. The Met Police's official Twitter account commented on the post: 'Our officers are on scene responding to this incident, investigating, and providing reassurance.' A Met Police at the scene added: 'I've been told that the premises we are interested in is an old theatre or old cinema, but people do live on the street too.' According to one local, it is squatters who put the anti-Semitic sign up and police have arrested nine A group of officers gather at the scene in a standoff with pro-Palestinian squatters Police carrying riot shields are seen storming towards the property in Regent's Park The Met Police said nine arrests had been made as they secured the property in the affluent area A Met Police officer at the scene said: 'People inside the building are being kept inside, while people outside are being kept outside for the time being' A police car is seen cordoning off the area on what is believed to be Park East Street One person, who works in a building on the street, claimed: 'They're trying to remove squatters inside. 'Someone said it's some kind of standoff.' According to photos from the scene, the building appears to be The Diorama Offices in Park Street East, where properties can fetch up to 20 million. The Diorama was a specialised theatre built in 1823, but in the years since it has had various uses and occupants. In 1994, the building was turned into offices by The Prince's Trust, and in recent years, it has been vacant. In 2020, planning consent was granted to return the two flanking town houses, 17 and 19 Park Square East, to separate residential use while The Diorama was retained as offices. police in full riot gear arrive to remove squatters who hung a banner calling for a global Intifada Riot police stormed past a group of people who were left stunned as officers stormed down the leafy millionaires row The Met Police told MailOnline that it deployed multiple officers to the scene amid fears that there could have been a hundred squatters inside the vast property One person, who lives nearby, said: 'There has been an issue with squatters in the building, in the Diorama. 'There have been raves and parties attended by hundreds of people, often with 'Free Palestine' posters. 'I know that the issue is in the courts at the moment, but I'm not sure whether there has been an outcome.' The 'globalise the intifada' banner remained suspended while the police cordon was in place, but was eventually removed at around 4:30pm. It comes after the Metropolitan Police said antisemitic attacks in London increased by 1,353 per cent following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on 7 October. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has previously said about the use of 'intifada': 'The world feels different because at the very moment when it should be clearer than ever what is meant by Hamas's 'resistance', 'jihad', 'uprising', or 'intifada', more and more people are now openly calling for these things in cities across Britain and the world. 'This is hateful extremism.' Prince William left shoppers in London stunned this morning after he was spotted helping the homeless by selling the Big Issue. The Prince of Wales donned his red cap and jacket to sell the magazine to people outside Tesco in Hammersmith, West London. Beaming William, 41, appeared relaxed as he joined vendor Dave Martin, 61, who has been a friend of the royal since they hit the streets selling Big Issue copies together 18 months ago, with the pair even swapping Christmas cards. On Kensington Palace's official X account, Prince William wrote: 'Great to be back with Dave, selling the latest edition of the Big Issue once again!' William's appearance comes after a week of drama for the Royal Family following the explosive accusations by author Omid Scobie, whose new book named the Princess of Wales and King Charles as the alleged 'royal racists' who questioned what skin colour Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son, Archie, would have before he was born. Beaming William, 41, appeared relaxed as he joined vendor Dave Martin, 61, who has been a friend of the royal since they hit the streets selling Big Issue copies together 18 months ago Prince William pictured with Big Issue vendor Dave Martin in 2022 when he first went out to do his bit to help the homeless by selling the magazine Neither Buckingham Palace or the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have commented on any of the allegations by 'fantasist' Scobie - revealed in the Dutch version of his 400-page tome, with the Firm instead appearing to stick by the age-old royal dictate of 'never complain, never explain'. Today, William seemed untroubled by the drama as he smiled and spoke to shoppers while doing his bit to help the homeless. Among those witnessing the royal in action was father-to-be Oliver Kempton, who popped out of his office to buy a sandwich from Tesco - and went back with a stunning picture of himself with the future King of England. Oliver literally bumped into the prince, after buying a copy, posed up with William. 'To be honest I was speechless when I realised the Big Issue seller I was talking to was the Prince of Wales. He happily posed up with me for my colleague to take our picture - it is something I will be able to share with all the family. The 33-year-old, who works in advertising and is the son of a retired senior ambulance chief, is to become a father in February. 'It is the first time I have met royalty - the photo is something I'll be able to show my new-born when they are a bit older,' he added. The prince launched his Homewards project this year to end homelessness and has been campaigning for rough sleepers since his mother Princess Diana took him out on the streets when he was a child. His visit to Tesco with Dave follows a similar trip out with the Big Issue vendor back in 2022 to mark the future King's 40th birthday. On that occasion, William sold 32 copies of the Big Issue in less than an hour as he spent the day on the streets of Victoria, London. He also wrote for the magazine, explaining he wanted to shine a light on the issue of homelessness, recalling when he first visited a homeless shelter with his mother, the Princess of Wales. He added that Diana, 'in her own inimitable style, was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem'. The Prince wrote exclusively for the magazine to explain why he wanted to talk about the problem of homelessness around his milestone Prince William, pictured on the cover of the magazine, posed for the special edition of The Big Issue to mark his 40th birthday, last year He even said he plans to take his children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, to see the work of 'fantastic' organisations he works with 'just as my mother did for me'. Footage, which was released on his social media, showed William accompanying vendor Dave to sell the magazine, which is sold by people to help lift themselves out of poverty. On Twitter he said: 'I have always believed in using my platform to help bring attention and action to those who are struggling and I commit to doing what I can to shine a spotlight on this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come.' In the video, the prince says: 'Homelessness has always stuck with me as a topic and as an issue I want to fight for. 'Started to kind of feel actually this issue isn't quite as big to tackle as we think. We can fix it. 'I think that's been a bit of a turning point in my head, where I've seen, okay if we really want to fix homelessness it can be done. We do it together. Give the next generation less chance of being homeless.' William, father to Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis (pictured together), four, said that 'in the years ahead' he hopes to bring his children to 'see the fantastic organisations doing inspiring work to support those most in need just as my mother did for me' Prince William - then the Duke of Cambridge (right) - speaking to Big Issue vendor Dave Martin in 2022 William wrote in the magazine: 'I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem. 'In the 30-odd years since, I've seen countless projects in this space grow from strength to strength, including charities of which I have had the honour of being Patron. 'New initiatives have been launched up and down the country some have worked, some have not. But The Big Issue, perhaps now the most immediately recognisable of these organisations, has undeniably had an impact.' He continued: 'I wanted to experience the other side and see what it was like to be a Big Issue vendor. My time was truly eye opening. I was lucky to join Dave on a warm, sunny day in June. People recognised a familiar face and were happy to give me the time of day. But that isn't the case for the vast majority of Big Issue vendors... 'And while I may seem like one of the most unlikely advocates for this cause, I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I plan to do that now I'm turning 40, even more than I have in the past. 'So, for my part, I commit to continue doing what I can to shine a spotlight on this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come. 'And in the years ahead, I hope to bring George, Charlotte and Louis to see the fantastic organisations doing inspiring work to support those most in need just as my mother did for me.' Prince William on his first visit to the homeless shelter The Passage with his mother Diana and brother Harry in 1993 The Prince (pictured right) selling the Big Issue in London with Big Issue vendor Dave Martin in 2022 (pictured centre) Prince William (pictured selling the Big Issue) wrote: 'I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem' The magazine, sold by people in order to lift themselves out of poverty, also includes an interview between William and Dave Martin, 60, the Big Issue vendor he joined to sell the magazine (pictured) Only a few days after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the Prince of Wales sold the magazine on Rochester Row, close to Victoria in London with Dave. They then visited The Passage, a homelessness charity nearby that supports people who are street homeless or at risk of homelessness, of which William became a Patron in 2019. It was to The Passage that Princess Diana took her young sons to give them an insight into the challenges faced by people on the margins. William and Dave then interviewed each other about their Big Issue selling experience, homelessness, how the Jubilee brought the country together and much more. The conversation is available to read in The Big Issue magazine and website. When William asked Dave what The Big Issue had done for him, he said: 'It got me off the street. Gave me respect. I was begging at the time. Another vendor said I could be doing something a lot better and took me along to the Big Issue office.' William added: 'People who are homeless can't rebuild their life without a number of things. And one of those things is respect and self-respect. And that's what The Big Issue gives you, along with a means to earn an income.' Vitalijus Zuikauskas poses for a picture with Prince William, who was spotted selling The Big Issue newspaper in London, on June 8, 2022 December 2009: Then aged 27, William spent a night sleeping rough to understand the plight of the homeless at Christmas Lord (John) Bird, founder of The Big Issue, said: 'I met with Prince William and told him how I myself had been homeless and got out of grief by being imprisoned and then went on to start The Big Issue. 'We need to do everything we can to get the millions of people in the UK out of poverty for good. We need more emphasis on prevention and cure, not just all the support and effort going into emergency relief. 'The scale of interest in William selling The Big Issue has been enormous. And it puts our vendors and their sterling work in the public eye again. Anyone can sell The Big Issue, even a prince!' Mick Clarke, CEO of The Passage, said: 'We were delighted to host our royal patron, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, for this special interview with Dave and The Big Issue. 'The Duke has visited The Passage on many occasions over the years to meet our clients and raise awareness and support for people affected by homelessness. We were especially pleased to welcome Dave as a former Passage client and very proud to see how he has moved on in life. 'As The Duke mentions in the interview, the "Everyone In" programme showed that when society works together, we can truly make progress towards ending street homelessness which simply should not exist in 21st century Britain. The Passage stands alongside The Duke, The Big Issue and many others who are working hard in the fight to end homelessness.' Vendors buy magazines for 1.50 and sell them for 3, keeping the proceeds. There are around 1,300 men and women working their way out of poverty by selling The Big Issue. Visit www.bigissue.com to find your local Big Issue seller. If you can't get to a local vendor, subscriptions are available at www.bigissue.com/subscribe to help continue the work of the organisation. The man who was killed in an battery fire after he ran back into his house to try and save his brother was pictured on his treasured e-bike just days before he succumbed to the flames. Mohsin Janjua, 28, did not realise his brother had already escaped through the back window when he dashed back into the blazing terraced house in Bradford. In a tragic new picture he can be seen grinning on the of his black and red mountain bike - with fire service investigators later revealing that the terrifying blaze was started by its lithium battery. The electric bike had been left on charge in the living room, where the blaze broke out at 5am on Saturday and destroyed the house, leaving the family homeless. Janjua's brother along with a woman and a child all managed to escape from the property. Mohsin Janjua, 28, (pictured) did not realise his brother had already escaped through the back window when he dashed back into the blazing terraced house in Bradford Emergency services at the scene of the home in Bradford where an e-bike battery fire broke out at 5am on Saturday They were taken to hospital for treatment where their injuries were not life-threatening. The property in Finch Street, Little Horton was cordoned off for a painstaking forensic investigation - which ruled out arson. West Yorkshire Fire Service said: 'The room of origin of the fire was the living room. The cause of the fire was a Lithium-Ion battery from an E-bike, which had been charging in the living room.' 'We were called at 05.17 on 02/12/23 to reports of a fire on Finch Street, Bradford. We sent two crews from Bradford, one from Odsal, Fairweather Green and Shipley. 'Crews used 6 breathing apparatus and 3 hose reels to extinguish the fire. One man was taken from the property by firefighters but sadly passed away. 'The cause of the fire, which started in the living room is believed to be a Lithium-Ion battery from an E-bike, which had been charging.' Janjua was trapped in the flames for nearly 20 minutes before being overcome by fire and smoke. His brother wanted to rush back into home to help but had injured his leg while jumping out the window. The property in Finch Street, Little Horton was cordoned off for a painstaking forensic investigation - which ruled out arson He and neighbours were forced to watch in horror as the family home was engulfed by flames and left a burned out shell. Firefighters later went into the smoking wreckage to pull Mohsin out but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Mohsin's life long pal Leo Whyte, who lives in the street, said: 'He died a hero.' 'I woke up at 4am and heard a massive crash and screaming. I ran downstairs and saw an orange glow coming through the windows. 'I went outside to see the whole house on fire. Mohsin told us "I'm going in, my brother is in there". 'There was no stopping him. He did not know Faisal had jumped out of the window at the other side. 'Faisal wanted to go back in when he realised what Mohsin had done but he had injured his leg when escaping. 'Mohsin was in the house for about 15-20 minutes. It is just so gut-wrenching.' Leo, 25, said Mohsin had been a 'lifelong friend' since school, adding: 'I have known him since I was four years old. 'He was a really good lad - an angel. A happy-go-lucky person. Everyone liked him. 'He always would say hello and look after me in school. He would do anything for anyone. He was such a nice kid.' Another friend added: 'I always went to the Mosque with him on Fridays. He was a diamond. 'I last spoke to him a few hours before it happened. What a man he was for going in there. He's gone in to save his family.' The tragedy comes as fire services across the country warn of the risk e-bike batteries pose to UK homes - with London firefighters putting out blazes from faulty e-bikes and e-scooters every two days for the first months of this year. Statistics from London Fire Brigade show there were 158 fires caused by the vehicles from January until May. Europe faces a 'huge risk of terrorist attacks' over Christmas, an EU official has warned. European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said anger caused by the Israel-Hamas war made violence more likely. 'We saw (it happening) recently in Paris, unfortunately we have seen it earlier as well,' she said, referring to the stabbing near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday that left one dead and two injured. Johansson said the EU was making 26million available for additional security in vulnerable areas, notably places of worship. She did not specify whether there was any information in particular that had resulted in the warning. French forensic policemen investigate the scene following a knife attack in Paris, France, on December 3, 2023 Paris police approaching the assailant after the attack near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser sent her condolences to France over the weekend attack and said it highlights 'just how acute and how serious the threat posed by Islamist terrorism is currently in the EU'. 'The war in Gaza and Hamas' terror are exacerbating this situation,' she said. Faeser said she had spoken with her counterparts from Austria, Belgium, France, Spain and Sweden about the risks. 'Our security agencies are working very closely together. We must keep a particularly close eye on the Islamist threats right now and take action against Islamist propaganda together with neighbouring countries,' she said. Several European countries have seen a rise in hate crimes since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, leaving around 1,200 people dead and many others held hostage in Gaza. The fatal weekend attack in Paris left a German-Filipino tourist dead and two others, including a British man, injured. The savage attack took place near the Eiffel Tower shortly before 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday. A 26-year-old French man was later arrested. French investigations into the attack were looking on Monday into the mental health of the suspected assailant, who swore allegiance to the Islamic State group before stabbing the man to death and injuring two other people with a hammer. European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said the EU was making an additional 26million available for additional security in vulnerable areas, notably places of worship (File Photo) The French national taken into police custody, Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, has a history of mental illness and of Islamic radicalisation, officials said. He faces a possible preliminary charge of terrorist-related murder for the nighttime attack that raised fresh questions about security in Paris before it hosts the Olympic Games next year. 'This is a case that links radical Islam, undeniably, and mental illness. I must tell the French people the truth that there are numerous cases like this,' French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said yesterday, adding that around one-third of suspected radicals under surveillance have psychiatric issues. The stabbing took place within the future security perimeter that will blanket both banks of the River Seine when the 2024 Summer Games open on July 26 with a show and parade for the 10,500 athletes along the waterway that cuts through the French capital. Last week, two boys, aged 15 and 16, were arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning an Islamist attack on a Christmas market or a synagogue. The younger of the two, a German-Afghan from Burscheid in west Germany, was detained after police searched his home. Authorities were not able to immediately ascertain the seriousness of the alleged plot. Police are reported to have intervened so as to be cautious, because the boy had set out a time and place. 'It seemed very concrete,' said local interior minister Herbert Reul. 'We received a tip from abroad about possible plans for an attack involving someone from North Rhine-Westphalia, and that's when the security apparatus kicked in.' The 16-year-old boy was described as a Russian national. He was detained on suspicion of preparing the alleged plot in the town of Wittstock/Dosse in the state of Brandenburg outside of Berlin. The mayor's office has previously said the loss of such a power would slow down its response to the current migrant crisis , which has persisted for over a year A New York City comptroller has revoked Mayor Eric Adams emergency right to make deals with contractors for migrant services without prior approval. Comptroller Brad Landers office made the revocation known in a letter dated this past Thursday, three months after he retroactively rejected a $432million, no-bid contract with a for-profit medical services firm accused of mistreating migrants. The mayor's office has previously said the loss of such a power would slow down its response to the ongoing migrant crisis, which has seen more than 140,000 asylum seekers arrive in The Big Apple since spring 2022. Adams, 63, has also said the revocation could inhibit migrants access to food and shelter, as the city is set to spend roughly $12billion in tax dollars within the next two years to house them. The former NYPD captain has since been forced to slash the city budget to cope, with $110.5 billion in reductions across the board - including billions taken from important departments like education and policing. Given the expansion of such efforts, part of the comptrollers office letter states, 'our Office is revising its prior approval' - after his office reviewed $1.7 billion in emergency contracts over a 21-month span, including the agreement with DocGo. A New York City comptroller revoked Mayor Eric Adams emergency right to make deals with contractors for migrant services without prior approval this past week , as the city is set to spend roughly $12billion in tax dollars within the next two years to house migrants Comptroller Brad Landers office made the revocation known in a letter dated this past Thursday, months after he retroactively rejected a $432million contract with a for-profit medical firm accused of mistreating migrants, and a year after he gave Adams the permission The mayor's office has previously said the loss of such a power would slow down its response to the ongoing migrant crisis Another excerpt outright declares: 'The comptrollers office citywide prior approval is hereby revoked.' Such deals, it adds, 'will require an independent prior approval from the comptrollers office.' The revocation, first reported by The Daily News, comes roughly a year after the Adams administration was awarded the unprecedented permission to make deals with migrant service contractors by Landers office, without the comptrollers pre-approval. The crisis - which spread to New York in April 2022 when Adams touted New York as a 'sanctuary' for asylum seekers - has since worsened exponentially, and the mayor has struggled to find a solution. An Adams administration spokesman, Charles Kretchmer Lutvak, responded to the letter sent to several city agencies on Monday, reiterating Adams' previously aired belief that the comptroller was hampering his ability to quickly respond to the needs of the migrants. 'Thousands of new migrants are still coming to New York City every week,' Lutvak told The New York Times, 'and the comptroller tying our hands behind our back is unfair to both new arrivals and longtime New Yorkers. '[It] will unquestionably slow down every step in the process.' The former NYPD captain has said the revocation could inhibit migrants access to food and shelter, as the city is set to spend $12billion within the next two years to house them He has since been forced to slash the city budget to cope, with $110.5 billion in reductions across the board - with billions taken from important departments like education and policing Given the expansion of such efforts, part of the comptroller Landers office letter states, 'our Office is revising its prior approval' The revocation comes after the Adams administration was awarded the unprecedented right to make deals with migrant service contractors by Landers office, without the comptrollers pre-approval The crisis, which spread to New York in April 2022 when Adams touted New York as a 'sanctuary' for asylum seekers - has since worsened, with more than 140,000 travelers arrive in The Big Apple since spring 2022. Migrants are seen lining up in front an East Village school converted to a city-funded shelter for arriving families The back-and-forth serves as the latest installment in an ongoing in-fight between the two Democrats, who have publicly disagreed over the administrations approval of the aforementioned DocGo contract. Funded by the city, the plan was poised to cost taxpayers another $432million for a medical services firm and had been approved - that is until Landers retroactively rejected it in September. Upon airing his decision, the relatively new city comptroller cited the private companys lack of expertise and other controversies - including allegations they mistreated and misled migrants as part of its city-subsidized program to relocate them to other parts of the city and the country. 'My office did not make this decision lightly,' the elected official, who assumed his post two years ago, wrote at the time. 'After a careful review, we are declining to approve this contract due to numerous outstanding concerns.' Immediately afterward, Adams used his mayoral right to override the comptroller's objection, stating that the city would continue to honor the nine-figure contract, which will see four companies receive $176.8 million to do case management at each of the citys 16 Humanitarian Emergency Relief and Response Centers. The back-and-forth serves as the latest installment in an ongoing in-fight between the two Democrats, who have publicly disagreed over the administrations approval of the aforementioned DocGo contract Funded by the city, the plan was poised to cost taxpayers another $432million for a medical services firm and had been approved - that is until Landers retroactively rejected it in September Upon airing his decision, the relatively new city comptroller cited the private companys lack of expertise and other controversies - including allegations they mistreated and misled migrants as part of its city-subsidized program to relocate them to other parts of the city and the country. Immediately afterward, Adams used his mayoral right to override the comptroller's objection, stating that the city would continue to honor the nine-figure contract, which will see four companies receive $176.8 million to do case management at each of the citys 16 Humanitarian Emergency Relief and Response Centers A couple weeks later, Lander reacted - stating he would be beginning an audit to determine how the city had come to award the contract to DocGo. In a Monday statement after the News reported on the internal letter, a Landers spokesperson revealed some of the results of that review, saying they had found 'extensive failures to report subcontractors despite problems that surfaced with many of them' A couple of weeks later, Lander reacted - stating he would be beginning an audit to determine how the city had come to award the contract to DocGo, which bills itself as a medical firm and has no prior experience handling migrant services. During the probe, his office reviewed $1.7 billion in emergency contracts over a 21-month span, including the $432 million agreement with DocGo. In a Monday statement after the News reported on the internal letter, a Landers spokesperson revealed some of the results of that review, saying they had found 'extensive failures to report subcontractors despite problems that surfaced with many of them.' 'In response,' it continued, 'we concluded that the most prudent course for the citys fiscal health and integrity would be to require City Hall to seek prior approval before using emergency procurement on a case-by-case basis. 'We will continue to conduct fast and thorough reviews of emergency contracts.' The revelation was delivered four months after a New York Times report found local authorities had expressed frustration at the lack of coordination between DocGo and agencies that provide services to the migrants, and that local security guards enlisted by the for-profit firm have repeatedly threatened the migrants. The report also claimed that Adams' promises to find steady work for the asylum seekers has been nearly impossible. Less than a month later, The Times piece was further bolstered by Department of Homeless Services data reporting that hundreds of beds in the city shelter system sat empty while a large group of migrants were sleeping outside the Roosevelt Hotel for several nights over the summer. Citing the Times report as additional evidence, the states filing slammed the Adams administration for '[allowing] hundreds of migrants to sleep on the street.' Adams, meanwhile, is set to travel to DC Thursday, to discuss the needs of his city and others amid the continued stream of arrivals. Luton-born Chase star Paul Sinha has complained about receiving a letter from the NHS demanding documents that prove he is a British citizen. The 53-year-old is one of the Chasers on the hit TV series, referred to by host Bradley Walsh as The Sinnerman. He is also a successful comedian who had his own solo show at the Edinburgh Festival, Saint Or Sinha? Sinha revealed the 'unpleasant' incident involving his local NHS trust in a series of posts on X. 'Received an official letter from my NHS trust demanding I provide several documents proving I'm a UK citizen, despite my protestations about having lived here my entire life. Feel like Jonathan Pryce in Brazil, and it's not pleasant,' he wrote - presumably a reference to the 1985 film Brazil, starring the actor. Paul Sinha is one of the Chasers on the hit TV series referred to by host Bradley Walsh as The Sinnerman Sinha revealed the 'unpleasant' incident involving his local NHS trust in a series of posts on X He continued: 'I have eight days to scan and email over my passport and three utility bills. 'In the meantime another NHS trust is happily looking after another aspect of my health without alarm. An unpleasant shambles.' Sinha said the communication warned he could have appointments cancelled, be removed from waiting lists and charged for treatments if he did not get back to the trust with evidence of his UK citizenship. He noted that he has an NHS pension, having worked as a GP after graduating from St George's Hospital Medical School. In another post, the Dulwich College graduate said he believes the issue could have been caused by an IT problem. The comedian noted that he has an NHS pension, having worked as a GP after graduating from St George's Hospital Medical School 'I ought to point out that I think this is a computer glitch,' he said. 'But despite my protestations which could have been easily checked, I'm now in a bureaucratic nightmare. Like many people my bills are paperless.' A follower replying to his post said they had also been 'rung out of the blue' about a similar issue. MailOnline has contacted Sinha's representatives for comment. Fidel Castro's only sister died peacefully in a Miami hospital at the age of 90 nearly 60 years after she defected from her homeland after becoming deeply disillusioned with her brother's violent revolution. According to Juanita Castro's biographer, Maria Antonieta Collins, the activist died of natural causes. Collins said that there will be no public funeral and no family members will give interviews. She passed away on December 4. 'She is an extraordinary character of which there is no more, a woman who sacrificed everything for her ideals. She leaves extraordinary lessons,' Collins said. In 2009, it was revealed that Juanita had been working with the CIA, under the code name Donna, despite initially being part of the communist revolution in the Caribbean island. She left Cuba for Mexico in 1964 before eventually settling in Miami among the city's vibrant Cuban community, opening a pharmacy and running it until 2006 when she sold it to CVS. At the time of Fidel's death in 2016, she came forward to say that she would not be at the funeral. Juanita Castro pictured at an anti-Castro rally headed to the United Nations building in New York City in 1979 Juanita, who fled Cuba in 1964 and turned against her brother, passed away on December 4 at the age of 90 Previously, Juanita said that she supported her brother's cause but grew disillusioned with his unrelenting belief in communism Juanita was the fourth child born to Angel Castro y Argiz and Lina Ruz Gonzalez, in total she had three brothers and three sisters. In her 20s, she joined her brothers in their attempts to overthrow the Fulgencio Batista government, even traveling to the US in 1958 to raise money for the movement. The divide in the family grew after Batista was overthrown when Fidel and Raul Castro wanted to include the family's land as part of their land reforms, in effect giving it to the state. It was during this period that Juanita began working with the CIA, recruited by someone in Fidel's close circle. Her work with the CIA saw her aid at least 200 people with escaping the authoritarian regime in Cuba. In her memoir, Juanita said that she used a shortwave radio to connect with her handlers in the US from Havana. In 1963, when the family's matriarch died, the family fell out for good with Juanita attempting to sell their cattle before it could be given to the state. A year later, Juanita was forced to flee to Mexico where she stayed with her sister, Emma, and her Mexican husband. At a press conference, she described her brothers as turning Cuba into a 'prison surrounded by water.' After leaving public life, Juanita opened a pharmacy named Mini Price in Miami in 1973 where she regularly put in 14-hour days and became a US citizen in 1984. She made the purchase after a friend lent her $5,000. Fidel Castro marches with comrades including Che Guevara in Havana in March 1960 In her 2009 memoir, Juanita said that her brother was against any kinds of reforms in Cuba Juanita said in a 1993 interview that upon arrival the Little Havana section of the city, she was greeted with skepticism. 'Some people gave me a hard time. They thought I was a liar. Others waited a few month to see if I was for real, if I meant what I said against my brother, and the regime,' she told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Her autobiography was published in 2009 in Spanish, co-written from Collins, Fidel and Raul, My Brothers: The Secret History. She is not thought to have spoken to either of her brothers since leaving Cuba. Juanita wrote in her book that she believed Fidel was still influencing Cuba's leadership by keeping the the one-party communist system he established firmly in place despite officially handing over power to Raul in 2008. Fidel still held the powerful post of first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party's central committee until this death. 'There are two people currently governing Cuba, (Raul) is not the only one ruling, Fidel is also ruling from his sickbed, from his retirement, he's also calling the shots, as it were,' she said in an interview in 2009. Juanita said also said in 2009 that her brother would not be in favor of reopening ties with the United States. 'It could be Fidel has the dominant voice, that's the impression I have,' Juanita Castro said. Slight, bespectacled and petite, her voice strengthens when she accuses her brother Fidel Castro of hijacking the national democratic credentials of the 1959 revolution to then impose Marxism on the island. 'He betrayed the Cuban revolution which was democratic and as Cuban as palm trees, as he himself used to say,' she said. The suspect fled the scene after the stabbing Police say he was attacked by a fellow student, described as a white male between 16 and 17 years old The teen was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after he was attacked at Edward R. Murrow High School A 15-year-old boy was stabbed by a fellow student at a Brooklyn high school on Tuesday morning. Police say the teen was attacked on the third floor of Edward R. Murrow High School at around 9.22 am. A spokesperson for the New York Police Department's Office of the Deputy Commissioner told Dailymail.com that officers responded to a 911 call for a male stabbed at the school, located at 1600 Avenue L. Upon arrival, they observed the teen with a stab wound to the abdomen. He was removed from the scene in stable condition, the spokesperson said. The boy was taken to Maimonides Medical Centers childrens hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. His condition is unknown. An ambulance from Maimonides Medical Center was spotted on scene after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the stomach at a Brooklyn high school The attack occurred on the third floor of Edward R. Murrow High School. The suspect, describes as a white male between 16 and 17 years old, fled the scene Video from the Citizen app, which sends location-based safety alerts in real time, showed NYPD officers crowding around an ambulance at around 9.40am. The suspect fled the scene following the attack. Police describe him as a white male between 16 and 17 years old. He was last wearing a black bubble jacket, black sweatpants with a white logo and gray sneakers, and carrying a black backpack. The suspect reportedly exited the school through the main entrance. Mona Davis, a member of the New York City School Safety Coalition, said the suspect is known to the New York City Police Department School Safety Division. The investigation is ongoing. Top Republicans are sounding the alarm about China's mobilization of its massive propaganda machine which is targeting 'useful idiots' in America. They said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is recruiting accomplices in what it believes is an 'existential struggle' against the United States. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, told DailyMail.com that President Xi Jinping's 'entire mission' is to undermine the U.S. 'at every single turn.' Hinson sits on the House Select Committee on the CCP, which released a memo last week detailing how the U.S. has failed to combat infiltration by Beijing's 'United Front' program, a political strategy Xi has called his 'magic weapon.' The CCP uses the United Front to extend its influence without information appearing to come directly from the Chinese government. Hinson referred to a video released by Chairman Mike Gallagher on Tuesday, in which he highlights China's successes at it attempts to make an impact in the U.S. through censorship and intimidation. 'Americans need to understand that the CCP's United Front work is not just a distant "over there" threat. It's a right here at home threat,' the chairman warns. Hinson sits on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 'They're continuing their propaganda machine, whether it's through Chinese publications here in the U.S. or on platforms like TikTok, which are being consumed by Americans, or just manipulation of our institutions,' Hinson explained. In the video, Gallagher refers to the United Front 'magic weapon' - which is China's global influence campaign and political warfare strategy. There are three main tactics used by the CCP in this endeavor: silencing criticism of China, a push for propaganda, and manipulation through spy tactics and other 'illegal operations.' 'Perhaps the best summation of the United Front strategy I've heard is simply three words, 'making idiots useful,' meaning co-opting any individual or organization to advance the goals of the Party,' Gallagher says in the video obtained by DailyMail.com. The Republican from Wisconsin runs through several United Front networks currently operating. The Thousand Talents program is a 'CCP recruitment scheme' targeting overseas scientists. And the FBI has recognized that it 'openly encourages' the stealing of trade secrets. In addition, Confucius Institutes on college campuses have been traced back to United Front work. 'Many Chinese Student and Scholars Associations surveil and report on any Chinese students' dissident activity,' warns Gallagher. Furthermore, a '50 Cent army' of trolls have been deployed to 'flood internet discussion with CCP Propaganda on American social media.' Another strategy called 'elite capture' was even executed last month during President Biden's trip to San Francisco. American nonprofit groups sold $40,000 tickets giving executives the chance to sit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a dinner in California coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Gallagher wrote to the two groups, the National Committee on U.S. China Relations (NCUSCR) and the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), demanding information about the dinner and how proceeds will be used. 'What United Front Work shows is that the CCP believes we are in an existential struggle over what life will look like for the rest of the 21st Century,' the chairman continues in the video. As for solutions, Gallagher says his committee is pushing a new law that would increase foreign agent registration requirements. In addition, Hinson said later this week the House plans to vote on a bill that would require universities to report any foreign donation over $50,000 to the Education Department. As for solutions, Gallagher says his committee is pushing a new law that would increase foreign agent registration requirements She said this is critical because the Chinese have been trying to influence the educational research process on college campuses. 'And that is exactly why we need to continue to shine a light on this, expose their malign activities here in the U.S. and present policies that help us to be competitive and counter them,' Hinson told DailyMail.com. China's investment in its military is the largest long-term threat as the country works to 'undermine' the U.S., she added. 'If we do not curtail malign CCP influence on American soil, future generations will look back and ask why we allowed, and even invited, a 'magic weapon' to be used against us,' Gallagher concludes in the video. David Cameron today vowed Britain will 'continue to engage with China' as he spoke to his counterpart in Beijing. The Foreign Secretary, who made a dramatic return to Government last month, told China's foreign minister Wang Yi he intended to have a 'constructive relationship'. It came as Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, as the ex-prime minister is now formally known, this afternoon escaped a grilling over his own business links with China. In peers' first opportunity to quiz the Foreign Secretary in the House of Lords, no questions were raised about Lord Cameron's past relationship with Beijing. Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, as the ex-prime minister is now formally known, escaped a House of Lords grilling over his business links with China The Foreign Secretary had earlier vowed Britain will 'continue to engage with China ' as he spoke to his counterpart in Beijing Lord Cameron, pictured while he was PM in 2015, enjoying a pint with Chinese President Xi Jinping This was despite Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee having previously raised concerns, prior to Lord Cameron's return as Foreign Secretary, about his appointment as vice-chair of a 1billion UK-China investment fund. There has also been scrutiny of the Lord Cameron's involvement with the Colombo Port City in Sri Lanka, viewed as a major part of China's controversial belt and road initiative. Campaigners last month wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ethics chief to put pressure on Lord Cameron to set out the details of his past business dealings with China. There was additional concern when Chinese state media hailed Lord Cameron's to ministerial office in November. Ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said an opinion piece in The Global Times newspaper saying Lord Cameron's appointment could 'breathe new life' into UK-China ties 'raises the issue of conflict of interest'. Luke de Pulford, of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said: 'In the eyes of Beijing, Cameron is one of theirs - hopelessly compromised by his financial interests and history of uncritical engagement with Xi Jinping's dictatorship.' But there were no direct questions about Lord Cameron's links with Beijing as he appeared before unelected peers this afternoon. The Foreign Secretary was instead quizzed about the war in Ukraine, Afghanistan, and the UK's relationship with the EU. According to the Politico website, some peers had tabled questions on China prior to Lord Cameron's appearance in the Lords this afternoon, but none were successful in a ballot to decide what topics he would be quizzed on. There was one mention of China when Baroness Kennedy used a question about Belarus sanctions to raise the case of pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who is charged with colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong's controversial national security law. Lord Cameron told the Labour peer he was 'aware of the case of Jimmy Lai', adding: 'It's very important that we raise these cases including that one when we have interactions with the with the Chinese government, and that's exactly what I've done.' Just prior to his first time answering questions in the Lords, the Foreign Secretary revealed details of his call with his counterpart in Beijing. Lord Cameron posted on Twitter: 'I spoke to China's foreign minister Wang Yi today. 'We discussed our intention to have a constructive relationship, the situation in Israel and Gaza, and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. 'The UK will continue to engage with China where it furthers our interests.' Lord Cameron was made a life peer last month to allow him to serve in Mr Sunak's Cabinet after he resigned as an MP in the wake of losing the EU referendum in 2016. The former Tory leader previously sat in the House of Commons for 15 years, including five years as leader of the Opposition and six years as PM. There has been disgruntlement about the fact he cannot appear in the Commons in his new role as Foreign Secretary, due to his peerage, which has fuelled concerns about democratic accountability. In a letter to Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran blasted the means for holding the Lord Cameron to account as 'woefully lacking'. Vrbo apologized about the fake listing; Lee was issued a refund and Porter requested that his house be cleaned An Iowa family broke into his home - one they thought they had rented on Vrbo - leading to an awkward confrontation and confusion by the owner as both groups found they were duped by a scam. Melanee Lee, along with her husband, Lee's mother and four children were looking forward to spending the November 24 weekend at a spacious vacation rental in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Lee told KETV she had made the arrangements and payment through the Vrbo website but never heard about check-in from the lister. Still, the family went to the property and Lee's mom found an unlocked door into the house. Inside, the family noted the furnishings were unkept but still made themselves at home. That was until a neighbor alerted the homeowner Scott Porter about someone being at his property. The neighbor then found the family inside. Porter has unloaded on Vrbo and said he felt 'violated' by the incident. Still, he admitted it could have gone worse, noting he was 'glad they picked my house. What if they had picked a different homeowner's house who had a gun?' Melanee Lee pictured with her husband and four children. Lee's mother, who was part of their family getaway was not pictured. The family rented a home through Vrbo online to discover they were duped by a scam The spacious home in Council Bluffs, Iowa, was listed on Vrbo, but by someone other than owner Scott Porter. He was alerted by a neighbor that people were in his house Lee's mother went to the home and couldn't find a key, but found an unlocked door to give the family access When the family arrived at the home and were unable to find the lockbox with the key, Lee's mother found an unlocked door and entered. A doorbell camera caught the moment the woman found an unlocked door. Once inside, the family began to select the rooms they would be staying in and started to make themselves at home despite the lived in feel. 'The beds aren't made. Then, we were in the kitchen, and there's just a few dishes in the sink. This is just weird,' Lee said. Lee said she tried to reach the host but was unsuccessful, until a neighbor informed Porter, the man who owned the home, that there were cars in his driveway and it appeared that there a strange family in his home. But, it wasn't until the neighbor found the Lee's that the scam was unveiled. Porter had never listed the house and happened to be out-of-town when the family arrived. After Lee eventually spoke with Porter that is when she discovered that the house was never listed for rent on Vrbo. She told the news outlet, that she was 'totally mortified. Couldn't get out of that house fast enough.' Both Porter and Lee said reached out to VRBO about the disaster that took place. Once inside, the family began to select the rooms they would be staying in and started to make themselves at home despite the lived in feel It is unclear how much Lee paid for the rental home, but Vrbo issued her a refund and paid for alternative lodging for her family. Lee was still waiting for her refund but said she is 'hopeful that I will get all of my charges recouped' Porter said that after making several attempts to get a manager on the phone he was able to get the fake listing of his home taken down. Though he shared the angst that he went through with some of the agents he spoke to, he said had wanted him pictures and for him to show proof. He said he had to stay with his parents upon returning home from being out-of-town. 'Basically called me everything except a liar. It was unbelievable the response I was getting,' Porter told the news outlet. He demanded that the company replace his bedding, pay for the home cleaning and do a flea treatment for his pets. Homeowner Scott Porter said he felt 'violated' by the incident but shared that the situation could have been a lot worse for the family The text messages Porter sent Vrbo sharing the angst he went through and telling the company that he need to be reimbursed for the cleaning, etc. When they asked if he has proof? He responds all in caps and several exclamation points, 'BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE IN MY HOME!!!!!!' The company asks if he has 'solid proof?' As he adamantly tells them that he will not return unless his house is cleaned, bedding, and pest control is taken care of It is unclear if Vrbo fulfilled Porter's requests, but online vacation rental marketplace has since removed the listing. 'Mr. Porter's home was mistakenly listed on Vrbo and has been removed from our platform.' The company told the news outlet, adding it also suspended the scam account. It is unclear how much Lee paid for the rental home, but Vrbo issued her a refund and paid for alternative lodging for her family. Lee was still waiting for her refund but said she is 'hopeful that I will get all of my charges recouped.' She was more concerned about what she described as 'the bigger picture.' 'How do they (Vrbo) not know about this scam going on?' Lee said. 'Are they aware of it? What are they doing to make sure this doesn't happen?' Francey Hakes is a former federal prosecutor and the Justice Department's first National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction Mayors, actors, rappers and rockstars - the headlines are full of well-known men publicly accused of horrific allegations of sexual assault and even rape. Some of the accusations date back many years. Others are decades old. One of the most horrific accounts comes from the former girlfriend of hip hop mogul Sean Combs. Cassandra Ventura says the famous rapper subjected her to a litany of horrors between 2005 and 2019, including vicious beatings, drug-addled hotel orgies and rape. Combs denies the claims and the two sides reached an out-of-court settlement barely 24 hours after the suit was made public. Despite the dreadful nature of this lawsuit, it would not ordinarily have seen the light of day in a civil court. That's because New York law requires sexual assault cases be brought within three years of the alleged incident. That legally prescribed time frame is known as the statute of limitations. Ventura's suit was made possible by another New York State law called the Adults Survivors Act (ASA). The ASA suspended the statute of limitations for one year from November 24, 2022, to November 24, 2023 for any case in which someone claimed to be a victim of a sexual offense after turning 18 years old. Under the ASA, New York Mayor Eric Adams has been accused of sexual assault in 1993; former Guns and Roses' frontman Axl Rose faces claims of rape in 1989; and actor Jamie Foxx is said to have groped a woman in a Manhattan lounge in 2015. Cassandra Ventura (above, right) says the famous rapper subjected her to a litany of horrors between 2005 and 2019, including vicious beatings, drug-addled hotel orgies and rape. Under the ASA, New York Mayor Eric Adams (above, left) has been accused of sexual assault in 1993; former Guns and Roses' frontman Axl Rose (above, right) faces claims of rape in 1989; and actor Jamie Foxx is said to have groped a woman in a Manhattan lounge in 2015. Many victims' advocates are now cheering the ASA as a ground-breaking piece of legislation. California has enacted a similar statutory scheme, and their filing window is open through the end of 2026. There are even calls to eliminate the statute of limitations for all alleged sex crimes as the idea gains in popularity across America. That would be a grave mistake. The ASA and laws like it turn centuries of legal precedent on its head and while I have no doubt that its supporters are sincerely seeking justice for victims America cannot ignore the rights of the accused. If it seems like I write in defense of abusers nothing could be further from the truth. I, of all people, take allegations of sexual assault incredibly seriously. As a state and federal prosecutor, I spent 16 years of my professional career fighting on behalf of sex crime victims, and I have personally prosecuted hundreds of offenders. President Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, appointed me to be the first National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction and tasked me with ending child sexual abuse in the United States. To this day, I offer expert testimony at trials and educate my colleagues in law enforcement. I believe that all women have the right to report crimes, to expect diligent investigations to support criminal charges and bring civil lawsuits when appropriate. I believe all abusers should be held accountable for their vile wrongdoing. But as someone committed to justice I know that the statute of limitations exists to protect the innocent. And this ancient concept, rooted in centuries of legal precedent, should not be so easily discarded. The foundation of this jurisprudence dates to ancient Greece and Rome. Due process - the right of an accused to confront the witnesses testifying against him, to obtain relevant evidence in his defense, and to bring his own witnesses is a centerpiece of criminal justice. The United States declared its independence from King George hundreds of years ago, in part, because the justice system gave the accused barely any rights at all. The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights defined the protections a defendant enjoys to prevent the unjust removal of one's life, liberty and property without sufficient evidence to overcome a presumption of innocence. So, how does that apply here? Take the recent troubling allegations against Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. He stands accused of a sexual assault that reportedly occurred in the summer of 1975. A woman claims she was 17 when Tyler allegedly assaulted her in New York City as they walked down Sixth Avenue together. Steven Tyler (above, right) stands accused of a sexual assault that reportedly occurred in the summer of 1975. A woman claims she was 17 when Tyler allegedly assaulted her in New York City as they walked down Sixth Avenue together. (Above) Steven Tyler in san Diego in 1975 The plaintiff, Jeanne Bellino, says Tyler shoved her into a phone booth and molested her and then forcibly kissed and molested her yet again back at the hotel where he was staying. Again, the alleged account is appalling. Anyone found guilty of such an act should pay a steep price. Though surely most Americans would agree that Tyler is entitled to a defense. Well, nearly 50 years after the encounter, what kind of defense could be possibly present? What witnesses can he call to refute the allegations? What documents might still exist that offer him an alibi? As prosecutors like to say, evidence only worsens with age. Documents like receipts or other paperwork that might provide a defense tend to disappear or get deleted. Think hotel bills that might show an individual was in an entirely different neighborhood, or even a different city, at the time alleged in the lawsuit. Human memory is even less reliable. Imagine you are accused of committing an injury or offense against someone on this day five years ago. Do you have any idea where you were, who you were with, or what you were doing on that evening as you sit reading this column? I doubt you do. It is also irresponsible for America to ignore the cultural climate under which these very serious allegations are being made. As a former prosecutor, I opposed the 'believe all women' mantra that gained mainstream acceptance in the aftermath of the horrible Harvey Weinstein rapes and assaults and the rise of the 'MeToo' movement. There's also no doubt that many victims of sex violence must have felt intimidated by powerful men in male-dominated industries and that fear discouraged them from reporting crimes. As a former prosecutor, I opposed the 'believe all women' mantra that gained mainstream acceptance in the aftermath of the horrible Harvey Weinstein (above) rapes and assaults and the rise of the 'MeToo' movement. But our sympathy and understanding does not permit us to throw away the bedrock legal principal of 'innocent until proven guilty' in favor of the perverse standard of 'guilty until proven innocent.' All reasonable people should accept the possibility that not all allegations are proven true. Unlike most other crimes, false claims of rape and sexual assault are made. Other crimes like murder or carjacking have obvious physical evidence. In contrast, sexual assault rarely has physical evidence, despite what you see on TV. Sexual assault is a crime that generally happens in secret and victims often delay reporting because of feelings of guilt and shame. These unique factors can lead to false allegations, estimated by a U.S. Justice Department study, to occur in between two and ten percent of all reports. Finally, as Americans consider taking up new laws that erode the statute of limitations, they must consider that not only celebrities are among the accused. More than 3,000 cases have been filed in New York State alone and the defendants in most of these lawsuits are ordinary people. If your family member a brother, sister, father or aunt faced terrible, reputation-destroying, allegations of sexual assault wouldn't you want them to have a fair shot at defending themselves? Of course, you would. And, in fact, the American justice system demands it. The heir to a media empire has been revealed as a $250milion 'trust fund kid' who lives on a bizarre communist commune in Massachusetts and organizes anti-Israel protests. James 'Fergie' Chambers, 38, has secured 'multiple hundreds of millions of dollars' from his family - one of the eight-richest families in America - who own Cox Enterprises. A feature in The Free Press exposed Chambers, revealing his use of inheritance money to back a communist life and to fund a far-left activist group harassing Jews nationwide, Palestine Action US. Chambers serves as the General Secretary of the Berkshire Communists, a 'revolutionary Marxist-Leninist collective' aiming to establish a powerful workers' party, a group which he started and is headquartered at a Massachusetts commune. 'I dont want to pay taxes to Uncle Sam,' Fergie told the outlet. 'Objectively, somebody like me should pay almost all of their money in taxes, but if I can legally evade giving that to the US war machine, I will.' James 'Fergie' Chambers, 38, is an heir to a wealthy media-giant family. But, he chooses to live as a communist on a bizarre commune. He recently detailed his life, communism and his anti-Israel efforts in a recent interview There is a gym on-site at the Massachusetts commune that is free for 'working-class people' and closed to cops, military personnel and 'capitalists.' Images from the gym include flags celebrating noted communist leader Vladimir Lenin and communist nations It appears the Berkshire Communists are targeting Israeli supporters and backing Palestinian groups while offering verbal support to Hamas Descendant of the Cox family, owners of Cox Enterprises, a global megacorporation and the third-largest private cable provider in the US, Fergie is part of the eighth richest family in America, with a net worth of around $34 billion. Chambers, whose billionaire father co-owns the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, cut ties with his family in July, receiving a significant payout. Cox oversees numerous TV news operations as well as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The heir admitted his family never wanted him to take over the company as that 'wasn't me ever.' Now, he lives in New Hampshire for its lax gun laws. But his communist commune is located near Alford, Massachusetts. He has bought 300 acres since 2019 and ten people are at the site at any given time. There is a gym on-site that is free for 'working-class people' and closed to cops, military personnel and 'capitalists.' Images from the gym include flags celebrating noted communist leader Vladimir Lenin and communist nations. Photos of the gym and commune life are shared on the Berkshire Communists' social media pages. Photos show members raising livestock, playing music and working out. Now, it appears the Berkshire Communists are targeting Israeli supporters and backing Palestinian groups while offering verbal support to Hamas. Chambers - who is covered in tattoos, including headshots of Stalin and China's communist founder Mao Zedong on his thigh - has dedicated his last 24 posts on Instagram to spouting anti-Jewish or anti-Zionist sentiments. 'We need to start making people who support Israel actually afraid to go out in public,' Chambers said in a Friday Instagram post. 'We need to make all of white America afraid that everything they have stolen is going to be burned to the ground. That's what makes them listen.' Chambers, who is covered in tattoos, including headshots of Stalin and China's communist founder Mao Zedong on his thigh, dedicated his last 24 posts on Instagram to spouting anti-Jewish or anti-Zionist sentiments Chambers, a self-declared communist since the age of 13, is seen at the commune tending to the livestock Photos show members raising livestock, playing music and working out Photos of the gym and commune life are shared on the Berkshire Communists' social media pages Following Hamas's attack on Israel, he funded legal fees for Palestine Action US, a radical group targeting Israeli businesses with vandalism and harassment. Chambers aims to instill fear among Israeli supporters, expressing his desire to make all of white America fear the consequences of their actions. Since the war broke out in Israel, Chambers, a self-declared communist since the age of 13, has been organizing anti-Israel demonstrations around the country. Members of Berkshire Communists also reportedly harassed a hardware store owner for selling Israeli flags, according to the Free Press. They followed home employees of an Israeli defense company based in Boston. 'No descendant of European settlers is oppressed, anywhere. Not nearly enough, anyhow,' Chambers shared online. Neighbors of Chambers have called him and his fellow communists a 'mob' or 'cult.' Nearby residents told The Press that they fear Chambers. 'A lot of people are just scared,' one resident told The Free Press, referencing Chambers' recent social media posts. 'There is nothing more disgusting than rich people who do nothing to undermine the material position of their own class vaguely calling for peace and love,' Fergie wrote on Instagram on November 2. 'It gives me actual bloodlust.' Following Hamas's attack on Israel, Chambers funded legal fees for Palestine Action US, a radical group targeting Israeli businesses with vandalism and harassment. The Berkshire Communists have also backed other causes such as when Amazon workers went on strike. Flyers posted by the group offer support to the strike The Massachusetts commune has raised concerns for locals. Three of Chambers' comrades were arrested on the roof of a weapons manufacturer. Chambers has paid the bail of his friends when they get in trouble with the law. 'There is nothing more disgusting than rich people who do nothing to undermine the material position of their own class vaguely calling for peace and love,' Fergie wrote on Instagram. 'It gives me actual bloodlust.' Other neighbors, who refused to be identified for safety reasons, said they are getting 'panicky' and fear they will be retaliated against. 'We're frightened to go out to restaurants, or cafes in town. It's chilling,' the anonymous neighbor told The Free Press. Locals said the police are no help either, claiming 'they won't come' when it regards Chambers or his followers. The local prosecutor told the Free Press he is working with law enforcement regarding Chambers' behavior. 'If he was just a gun-toting communist, that would be one thing,' one resident told the outlet. 'If he was just a millionaire, who liked to host young people and put a roof over their head and train them and indoctrinate them, that would be one thing. 'But its a completely different ball game when were talking about someone from a family that is arguably not only the richest in the county, but maybe richer than the whole county put together.' They also raised concerns about the town of 486 people if the commune grows and more people get involved in the movement. 'My fear is that he will get more supporters, and they will get more radical,' one resident said. 'And that this will end in an ugly and violent way.' The Air Force is expanding its deadly cancer study at three secret underground nuclear missile sites in the US after scores of troops were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Investigators have so far found PCBs, chemical compounds which are recognized as 'likely carcinogens' by the Environmental Protection Agency, inside launch control capsules at sites in Montana and Wyoming. The Air Force is not making its initial findings on the cancer numbers public for another month or so, but released an initial assessment on Monday saying deeper examination was needed. 'Weve determined that additional study is warranted' based on preliminary analyses of the data, said Lt. Col. Keith Beam, one of several Air Force medical officers who updated reporters on the service's missile community cancer review. The Air Force is expanding its deadly cancer study at three secret underground nuclear missile sites in the US after dozens of troops were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Pictured: the inside of a launch facility near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana) Danny Sebeck, who served at Malmstrom AFB from 2003 until 2007, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma at the age of 42 Ryan Luecke was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia in May 2020 at the age of 45 Medical teams have been conducting thousands of tests of the air, water, soil and surface areas inside and around three nuclear missile bases: Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. Results from the North Dakota base are still pending. The review began after at least 268 current or former soldiers who served at nuclear missile sites came forward in recent decades to report cancer diagnoses. This includes at least 41 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer which is extremely resistant to treatment. Danny Sebeck, who served at Malmstrom AFB from 2003 until 2007, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma at the age of 42. He said he noticed a lump which swelled to the size of a ping-pong ball over just 30 days in August 2022 and received the devastating diagnosis shortly afterwards in September. Another missileer, Ryan Luecke was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia in May 2020 at the age of 45. He said he found a grape-sized lump in his neck in May 2020, and his condition rapidly deteriorated as the cancer spread to his bones and he ended up having 'no desire to do anything but rest' in his mid-forties. 'Im sharing my story because I dont believe the toxic exposure from serving in LCCs is limited to Malmstrom AFB,' Luecke warned via the website of a charity supporting the troops, called the Torchlight Initiative. 'I want to help raise awareness that exposing young men and women to these harsh chemicals at ALL missile bases has consequences,' he added. 'I want to ensure that future missileers arent exposed to toxins that lead to more Cancer diagnoses.' Jeff Fawcett Sr. served with 564th missile squadron at Malmstrom, from 1988 to 1992, and ending up passing away in 2016 of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, both types of blood cancers at age 56 Jeff Fawcett Sr. (pictured) passed away in 2016 of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, both types of blood cancers at age 56 Dean Shockley was a young man also enlisted at Malmstrom serving in the base's 341st maintenance group, where he worked on the missile silos from 1987 to 1989 at the same time as Fawcett Sr In 2022, Shockley was diagnosed with an inoperable glioblastoma, a brain tumor at 56-years-old, according to Krem2 News While the Air Force review is looking at a broader set of cancers, the number of self-reported non-Hodgkin lymphoma is striking because the community of missile launch officers is very small. Nationwide rates of the blood cancer are 18.7 per 100,000 people, according to the National Cancer Institute. For comparison, there have only been about 21,000 who have served as missileers since the 1960s, according to the Torchlight Initiative. The entire missile community population - to include maintainers to fix the warheads and security forces who patrolled the sites - is likely about 84,000, the Air Force said. In a statement, the Torchlight Initiative said 'despite the air, water, and soil findings, the PCB results are concerning. 'The missile community continues to struggle with disproportionate rates of cancer. 'The community is in desperate need of appropriate exposure documentation so they can get the care they need.' Many of the missileers have already died, including Air Force Capt. Jason Jenness, who was a senior launch officer in the 1990s with a missile squadron at Malmstrom. He died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2001 at the age of 31. Jeff Fawcett Sr. also served with 564th missile squadron at Malmstrom, from 1988 to 1992, and ending up passing away in 2016 of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, both types of blood cancers at age 56. Dean Shockley was a young man also enlisted at Malmstrom serving in the base's 341st maintenance group, where he worked on the missile silos from 1987 to 1989 at the same time as Fawcett Sr. In 2022, Shockley was diagnosed with an inoperable glioblastoma, a brain tumor at 56-years-old, according to Krem2 News. Air Force Capt. Jason Jenness was a senior missile launch officer in the 1990s with a missile squadron at Malmstrom, who died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2001 at the age of 31 The full Air Force study will look not just at the missileers but at the whole missile community, to include all who supported the ICBM mission. At a Friday briefing with reporters to discuss its findings ahead of the release, the Air Force said none of the more than 2,000 samples of air, water and soil at either the Montana or Wyoming bases came back showing harmful levels of contamination. However, four locations in the underground launch control capsules where the missileers worked had unsafe levels of PCBs. The service is still waiting on results from the North Dakota base. PCBs are oily or waxy substances that have been identified as a likely carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. But while that data may show that the air, water and soil are safe now, it still raises questions as to what earlier missile launch officers may have breathed in or been exposed to in the past. The silos and underground control capsules were dug during the 1960s and much of that infrastructure hasnt been updated since. 'We can't go back and test to fully quantify what was there in the `90s or 2000s, or even the 50s and '60s,' said Col. Tory Woodard, commander of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. 'But we can use this data to help us inform what those risks might have been.' Woodard said between the sampling and further data review, it will help the Air Force 'build a risk profile of what past members may have been exposed to.' To help with that the Air Force is expanding its review of medical records to try to account for as many service members as possible. The initial dataset only goes back to 2001, when DOD began using electronic medical records. A large cluster appear to be connected to underground launch control centers at Malmstrom Air Force Base, where hazardous, carcinogenic materials were found. Malmstrom Air Force Base in central Montana is home to a vast field of 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile silos. At least 268 soldiers who served at nuclear missile sites have self-reported being diagnosed with cancer, blood diseases or other illnesses over the past several decades, Jeff Fawcett Sr. (pictured) But the group they hope to capture includes any personnel who worked with military nuclear missiles going back to 1976, and will add Department of Veterans Affairs data and state cancer registries. 'The limitations that were discovered with this initial dataset is driving us to open the aperture to ensure that we are capturing as many cases as possible, particularly among those who previously served in missile related career fields,' the Air Force said in a statement. In all, the study hopes to capture data on all missile community members who served from 1976 to 2010. The Air Force response is far different this time than it has been in the past, when earlier generations of missile launch officers raised concerns about illnesses among their community. For years the missileers were told in multiple Air Force reviews that there was not cause for concern. But the issue received significantly more attention this year as scores of current or former officers or their surviving family members joined forces and went public with self-reported data of their cancers. The heightened response in the Air Force is part of an overall sea change within the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to look more bluntly at the issue of exposure to toxic contaminants such as exposure to radiation or harmful air particles in military occupations. It often still requires a grassroots effort, whether by the Torchlight Initiative, or by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who breathed in toxic fumes from trash-burning pits on base, or by individual pilots drawing attention to numbers of sickened aviators who all flew the same airframe, such as the Navy's E-2 Hawkeye radar plane, to drive further action on military cancer clusters. Perhaps the biggest difference from years past in the Air Force's missileer community is that a number of those diagnosed officers are still serving, and many of the officers leading the missile community now have ties to former missileers who have been diagnosed with or have died of cancer. 'I personally know a number of the folks who are non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors, so a lot of empathy and a lot of desire to understand better,' said Col. Barry Little, commander of the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base. 'Were leaving no stone unturned.' But angry parents are demanding the right to know the gender of their children's bedmates An 11-year-old Colorado girl called her mother in a panic from a hotel bathroom after discovering that the girl she was expected to share a bed with on a school trip was actually a biological male. No-one had told the girl, the mother or any other parent at Governor's Ranch Elementary School because the transgender pupil was in 'stealth mode' with their sexual identity protected by school board policy. Mom Serena Wailes said her daughter had to repeatedly ask for a different room, and was then told to lie about the reason she was going in order to protect her bedmate's privacy. The family from Littleton are now demanding the school board ensure that parents are told in advance the gender of people their children will be expected to share a bed with. 'Her bedmate informed her that he was a boy who identified as transgender,' Wailes told Fox31. Parents Joe and Serena Wailes's daughter was made to sleep in a bed with a biological boy during a Governor's Ranch Elementary School field trip 'She actually got along really well with the other student, but just felt uncomfortable with the idea of being in bed with a biological boy,' Serena said 'She was terrified and really upset about the idea of sharing a bed with a biological boy, even though she had a good relationship with this other student.' Jefferson County Public Schools (Jeffco) rules insist that 'under no circumstances' shall a transgender student be required to share a room with children 'whose gender identity conflicts with their own'. But the case has been taken up by attorneys at the Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF) who want parents given the choice to opt out if room mates are chosen by gender identity rather than biological sex. 'Schools should never hide information from parents, yet that's exactly what JCPS officials did her,' said ADF senior counsel Kate Anderson. 'Every parent should have the information needed to make the best decision for their children.' Wailes was accompanying her daughter on the trip in June to the nation's capital and was repeatedly assured that the boys' rooms would be on a different floor to the girls' and that permission would be needed to travel between them. But she demanded to see a chaperone in the hotel lobby after receiving the whispered phone call from her daughter. 'The school chaperone asked the Waileses' daughter if they could merely move her to a different bed rather than a different room,' reported the ADF in a letter to Jeffco superintendent Tracy Dorman. 'While she was still uncomfortable with this arrangement, she agreed to try it for one night. 'Jeffco officials then decided to lie to her roommates, and instructed the Waileses' daughter to do the same, telling her to say she needed to switch beds to be closer to the air conditioner. 'It then took the girl and her parents multiple requests to get her moved to another room. 'And even then, chaperones told the girl to lie about the reason for her move because of the district's overnight rooming policy a policy that violates parental rights and student privacy by rooming students based on gender identity while hiding that information from other parents and students.' The family from Littleton are now demanding the school (pictured) tell parents in advance the gender of people their children will be expected to share a bed with The ADF has written to JCPS Superintendent Tracy Dorman claiming the policy violates parental rights and is unconstitutional The ADF claims that the other girls in the room were not informed about the biological male in their room, and were ordered to keep quiet about it when they found out. Jeffco policy on transgender room accommodations states that, when it comes to sleeping arrangements, the needs of a transgender student will be assessed on a 'case-by-case basis with the goals of maximizing the student's social integration, providing equal opportunity and minimizing stigmatization of the student'. 'In most cases, students who are transgender should be assigned to share overnight accommodations with other students that share the student's gender identity consistently asserted at school,' it adds 'Any alternative arrangement should be provided in a way that allows the student's transgender status to be kept confidential.' Dailymail.com has reached out to Jeffco for comment. A group of 15 senators say that left-wing university activists are being emboldened by the Biden administration to consider pro-BDS policies when making pension investments on behalf of Americans, in order to hurt Israel. The Republicans led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., are warning in a letter to Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su first obtained by DailyMail.com that President Biden's environment and social governance (ESG) push may have farther-reaching consequences than previously known. Last year, the Biden administration finalized its ESG rule that empowers asset managers to 'prioritize political ideology' when making investments for Americans' retirement plans. As a result, the senators say Biden's policy will 'allow activist university trustees to weaponize Americans' retirement savings to target Israel and companies who do business with Israel.' And this could allow retirement plans to be 'weaponized' and therefore hurt Americans' pension performance. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., led a letter Tuesday first obtained by DailyMail.com outlining concerns with the resurgence of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement on college campuses Cassidy's letter Tuesday warns that there is now an increased push for universities to divest from companies who support Israel. The top lawmakers outline concerns with the resurgence of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement on college campuses. The BDS movement's sole purpose is to harm Israel economically in any way possible - from boycotting Israeli-owned businesses to refusing to invest in Israel-connected companies. Cassidy, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, says this could allow retirement plans to be 'politicized' and deal a blow to pension performance. 'We are deeply concerned that, in this environment of unrest, there is likely to be a resurgence in the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which will be used to economically harm and delegitimize the state of Israel,' wrote the senators. 'Although student government resolutions are not binding, support for these initiatives can lead to a divisive atmosphere on campus.' Biden has condemned the BDS movement during the 2020 campaign. His website stated: 'Biden has been unequivocal in condemning calls in the United States to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel.' The current administration maintains that it is strongly backing Israel in its current quest to defeat Hamas after a bloody terror attack on Oct. 7 killed over 1,400. Congress is currently working on moving forward a proposal to send additional military aid to Israel at the request of Biden. Following the attack, Israel and Hamas have been engaged in war. And there has been a progressive movement across college campuses in support of Palestine and citizens in Gaza, and against Israel. In addition, many universities have reported an uptick in antisemitic events. The Republicans are warning that President Biden's environment and social governance (ESG) push may have farther-reaching consequences than previously known The senators point to several related instances on college campuses nationwide. Arizona State University's Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter recently circulated a petition demanding the university to boycott Israel and divest from connected companies. In addition, Vassar College's SJP chapter staged a walkout after demanding university leadership to 'boycott' two study abroad programs in Israel, while also calling for the end to U.S. assistance to it's critical ally. 'The American people must be confident that pension investors will not override the economic goals, or personal views, of beneficiaries to pursue their own political agenda,' the senators continue in the letter Tuesday. Cassidy was joined by Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Maine, Mike Crapo, Idaho, Roger Wicker, Mississippi, James Risch, Idaho, Ron Johnson, Wisconsin, Thom Tillis, North Carolina, Mike Rounds, South Dakota, Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee, Kevin Cramer, North Dakota, Mike Braun, Indiana, Rick Scott, Florida, Roger Marshall, Kansas, Tommy Tuberville, Alabama, and Katie Britt, Alabama. Speaker Mike Johnson promised no funding for Ukraine would pass the House without 'transformative' border security provisions - as immigration talks in the Democratic-led Senate seemingly grind to a halt. 'Ukraine funding is dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation's border security laws,' Johnson wrote in a letter to the White House Tuesday. 'Any national security package has to begin with the security of our own borders,' the speaker insisted in a news conference on Capitol Hill. Johnson said he told National Security adviser Jake Sullivan that Congress must understand the 'endgame' and 'objective' in Ukraine - as well as oversight procedures - before taking up any new aid. Speaker Mike Johnson promised no funding for Ukraine would pass the House without 'transformative' border security provisions - as immigration talks in the Democratic-led Senate grind to a halt His comments came as Senate Republicans prepare to block a vote to advance President Biden's $100 billion foreign aid request that includes money for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan - but does not include border security provisions. Border talks have reached an impasse in the Senate - and House hardliners insist they are going to need serious changes to get on board with offering more aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Johnson's letter to the White House came in response to a letter from Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young warning that the U.S. would run out of aid to give to Ukraine by the end of 2023. 'There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of moneyand nearly out of time,' Young wrote. 'Cutting off the flow of U.S. weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories.' The U.S. has contributed north of $100 billion to Ukraine's war effort since Russia invaded in February 2022. Meanwhile House leaders revealed there would be a vote on authorizing an impeachment inquiry next week to get around White House 'stonewalling.' 'We've come to this sort of inflection point,' Johnston told reporters of why he chose to move forward with an inquiry vote - essentially bringing the investigation back to step one. 'We will be at the apex of our constitutional authority,' Johnson added. 'They're refusing to turn over key witnesses to allow them to testify as they've been subpoenaed. They're refusing to turn over thousands of documents to the National Archives, and the House has no choice.' The inquiry was declared open without a vote by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in September. Impeachment leaders hope to haul in Hunter and James Biden this month for deposition. A Ukrainian serviceman sits in a tank during anti-sabotage drills, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Chernihiv region, Ukraine December 5, 2023 Ukrainian servicemen take part in anti-sabotage drills, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Chernihiv region, Ukraine December 5, 2023 At the start of this month Johnson told reporters the House was nearing a decision on whether or not to vote on articles of impeachment - the final step in the process - not an inquiry. 'I do believe that very soon we are coming to a point of decision on it,' he said on November 2. Republican leaders have long insisted they don't need a vote to authorize the inquiry - in part to avoid putting swing district members in a difficult position. Now they are reconsidering as White House lawyers frequently insist the inquiry lacks 'constitutional legitimacy.' But holding a vote would be risky given the GOP's three-seat majority. Republicans criticized Nancy Pelosi for initially failing to hold a vote to authorize the impeachment inquiry into former President Donald Trump. Pelosi eventually took a full House vote to authorize the inquiry. Residents living close to a Chanel fashion show being held in Manchester city centre are being told to dim their lights and not use their balconies when the models take to the catwalk. The global fashion house is transforming Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter of the city for its Metiers d'Art show on Thursday, December 7, which is set to see celebrities, fashionistas and other VIP guests descend on the city. A temporary canopy is now in place, which has been taped off for the event, and access to the area has been limited with several road closures in place. A number of businesses are being paid by the fashion brand to shut while the event takes place, but owners fear the reimbursement will not cover their losses. Locals have also received letters, that have been passed on from Chanel, which requested that occupants do not use their balconies during the show and urged occupants to 'dim' their lights on the evening in question. The global fashion house is transforming Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter of Manchester, or its Metiers d'Art show on Thursday, December 7, which is set to see celebrities, fashionistas and other VIP guests descend on the city One resident said: 'We were told not to go on our balconies and to keep our curtains shut during the show. It was more or less: 'We strongly suggest you don't go on your balcony or if you have lights on in your home close the curtain.' He said he began receiving letters about the fashion show around three weeks ago. 'We've had a handful of letters which have been like a drip feed of information because they want to keep it on the down low even though everyone knows it's a Chanel show', he added. Within the letters he says event dates were given and residents were warned the area was set to become 'very active' from Monday, December 4. When asked about the transformation of Thomas Street, he said: 'It's a lot of money spent on basically a glorified canopy. If they leave it up that will be really good for the businesses during winter time and if there's heating and stuff that would be great. I feel like it's a little over zealous but it's cool it's not happening in London or somewhere like that.' Another resident living in the building said he too had received a letter warning him not to use his balcony during the show. A manager of a bar on nearby High Street, said they have suffered reduced footfall due to people assuming the businesses in the area are shut in the lead up to the event. He said: 'It looks closed unless you're coming from Edge Street. We've had to change our entrance. On Saturday (December 3) I would say we were a couple of grand down.' The manager said the business has been compensated for the days it has been told to close [Wednesday and Thursday] but worries the amount given may not cover the total losses incurred. Another manager of a venue also on High Street, said the establishment has not been asked to close but has seen a drop in customers due to the road closures in the build up to the show. 'It's definitely been quieter,' he said, adding that the impact of the show has been 'played down' by organisers who have reassured businesses that only certain roads will be affected and the impact will be minimal. Locals have also received letters, that have been passed on from Chanel, which requested that occupants do not use their balconies during the show and urged them to 'dim' their lights The venue receives its beer delivery on a Wednesday and staff are concerned the delivery may not be able to go ahead amid the closures. 'They're saying customers can still walk up here but then drivers can't come up here and if we don't get the beer we can't open,' the manager said. When asked whether he's expecting any celebrity visitors this week, he said with more than a hint of sarcasm : 'Oh yeah Naomi Campbell coming for her chicken and chips.' One resident living in a flat on Thomas Street said he works at a nearby cafe that has faced issues with receiving deliveries due to the road closures and loading bays being 'blocked off'. He said: 'The delivery drivers are 'mad' because they're blocking off all the loading bays to prioritise this. They [the drivers] will get in and say: 'I've parked this far off the street.' The landlady of a pub on Shudehill however hopes the fashion show will bring in more punters. She said: 'It's great for Manchester, it's a once in a lifetime thing. There has been a lot of disruption but they've paid everybody compensation.I have the pub on the corner and they've kept us informed for weeks and weeks. It's not disrupted any business for me and we're hoping it [the fashion show] will bring people in on Thursday. 'It's a busy time of the year anyway but I think it will be good for us. I think it's brilliant, it's got everybody talking about Manchester and it's good for the Northern Quarter as well.' A 64-year-old man who lives nearby and grew up in the area said: 'It's fantastic, how can it be bad? How many other cities get this? The ones that do are London, Milan, Paris and now grotty old Manchester, in the market area. I was born in this area.' Chanel have been approached for a comment. . Doctors, bus drivers and rail workers will all stage walkouts before Christmas as the country braces itself for another bleak winter of strikes. The coordinated action will heavily impact services in the coming weeks with trains already coming to a grinding halt on some rail lines today. As well as train strikes, Londoners will face travel chaos with bus drivers walking out on two dates just days before Christmas. And the NHS is gearing itself up for a nightmare over the festive period after junior doctors rejected a new pay offer and announced they will walkout for three days this month. Lee Anderson, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, condemned the latest walkout by medics as a 'slap in the face for patients' with millions of appointments already cancelled during previous walkouts. Signs at the closed Kettering station on December 2 as train services continue to be disrupted following a strike by members of the train drivers union Aslef Striking members of the BMA and UNIT trade unions march around Royal London Hospital on October 4 as junior doctors strike for better pay and conditions A picket line at Translink's Europa Bus Station on Glengall Street in Belfast on December 1 during a 24 hour dispute over pay Today the rail strike misery continued for many passengers with no trains across the entire c2c network and limited service on Greater Anglia and Stansted Express. Strike action began last Saturday and runs until this Friday, as members of train drivers' union Aslef continue to dig its heels in and accept an improved 65,000 pay packet. Full list of train, bus and doctors strikes in December 2023 Train Wednesday, December 6 Gatwick Express South Western Railway Southeastern Southern Thursday, December 7 CrossCountry Great Western Railway Heathrow Express Friday, December 8 Northern TransPennine Express Bus Friday, December 22 and Saturday, December 23 218 Hammersmith to/from North Acton 295 Ladbroke Grove to/from Clapham Junction 414 Putney Bridge to/from Marble Arch 23 Great Western Road to/from Aldwych 28 Wandsworth to/from Harlesden 452 Ladbroke Grove to/from Vauxhall 13 North Finchley to/from Victoria Station N28 Wandsworth to/from Camden Junior doctors Wednesday December 20 from 7am to 7am on December 23 Advertisement Different operators are affected on each day, which is causing extra confusion, with the next wave as early as tomorrow impacting Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, Southeastern and Southern services in the south. The next strikes after that are: Thursday - CrossCountry, Great Western Railway & Heathrow Express Friday - Northern and TransPennine Express Aslef's general secretary Mick Whelan has ominously warned 'we are in this for the long haul' after members voted overwhelmingly to continue taking industrial action for the next six months in their long-running dispute over pay. 'The cost of living has soared since the spring and summer of 2019, when these pay deals ran out,' he said. 'The bosses at the train companies as well as Tory MPs and government ministers have had increases in pay. Its unrealistic and unfair to expect our members to work just as hard for what, in real terms, is considerably less.' Transport Secretary Mark Harper has already demanded an end to the walkouts and hit out at Aslef bosses for attending 'lavish parties with Labour MPs' amid the crippling strikes. Writing in The Express earlier this week, he said: 'The more they inconvenience the British public, the more they play fast and loose with peoples livelihoods, particularly those in the hospitality sector,' Mr Harper said. 'This is not the first time either.' In a further blow to the transport sector, thousands of bus drivers will go on strike just days before Christmas Day creating travel hell. The walkout by RATP Dev Transit London bus drivers will impact eight routes on December 22 and December 23. Drivers are walking out in a dispute over pay. Transport for London has already warned there will be little to no service on both days. Striking junior doctors will bring the NHS to a standstill days before Christmas as they plot 72 hours of carnage. Struggling hospitals will also be rocked by six consecutive days of British Medical Association (BMA) action in the New Year, marking the longest ever walk-out in the NHS's 75-year history. Revealed: When train strikes will take place in December, as well as which operators will be impacted on those days Calendar shows dates when junior doctors in England will strike in December and the New Year in a fresh batch of strikes after talks between the Government and British Medical Association broke down Passengers wait for updates at London Liverpool Street station today during the rail strike Greater Anglia is only running a limited service to and from London Liverpool Street today A very quiet Liverpool Street Station station this morning due to the Aslef rail strike today The action, starting on December 20 and January 3rd, respectively, will coincide with one of the traditionally busiest periods. Pay talks between the militant union and Government have broken down, despite hopes of progress. READ MORE: Junior doctors vow to strike for NINE days before Christmas and in the New Year in huge blow to beleaguered NHS at its busiest time of year Advertisement Ever since they kicked off the never-ending wave of strikes last winter, BMA chiefs have pushed for a salary rise of 35 per cent for junior doctors. The union claimed the Government's newest offer amounted to an additional 3 per cent, on top of an 9.8 per cent rise already given. It said the lack of a 'credible offer' forced it into another round of strikes. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the Government would 'immediately look to come back to the table' if the devastating strikes were called off. Junior doctors in England will strike from 7am on December 20 to 7am on December 23 and from 7am on January 3 to 7am on January 9. Ms Atkins said: 'It is disappointing that, despite significant progress, the BMA junior doctors committee have walked away from negotiations and declared new strikes, which will result in more disruption for patients and extra pressure on NHS services and staff as we enter a busy winter period, risking patient safety. 'I have been clear that I respect the work of doctors in training and want to work with them to settle this dispute. 'We have agreed a fair and reasonable offer with the BMAs consultants committee which is being put to members for vote following constructive talks.' Official figures also show waiting lists for routine NHS procedures also shot up to a a new record high, with around 6.5million patients in England waiting for 7.77million appointments and procedures in England Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins (pictured in November) said that the Government would 'immediately look to come back to the table' if the junior doctors' strikes were called off She added: 'If the junior doctors committee call off their strikes, we will immediately look to come back to the table to continue negotiations.' Tory MP Mr Anderson said last night: 'This is nothing but a slap in the face for patients. 'Millions of appointments have already been cancelled thanks to strikes - and the BMA knows exactly the harm they're causing by walking out over the busiest time of the year.' Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairmen of the BMA's junior doctor committee, said: 'We have been clear from the outset of these talks that we needed to move at pace and if we did not have a credible offer, we would be forced to call strikes. 'After five weeks of intense talks, the Government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline. 'Instead, we were offered an additional 3 per cent, unevenly spread across doctors' grades, which would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors this year.' A teenage computer geek who cost railway companies an estimated 600,000 for selling fake tickets to commuters has been ordered to pay just 4,500 in compensation. Jake Lazaros was just 17 when he set up the 'Train Bumper' website, a scheme that offered fare dodgers a way to pay a fraction of the cost of their commute. His illegal service offered a recycled QR code, taken from a 7.95 child ticket and a set of forged emails, which pretended to be from the legitimate ticket-selling website Trainline, to help buyers 'style out' any suspicion from inspectors. The website was estimated by prosecutors to have cost railway companies in London over 600,000 but accepted a basis of plea which put the losses at 50,000. Lazaros, of Bexley, south-east London, was caught after railway companies got wind of the ruse and tracked down his IP address and phone number to a domain hosted by American website hosting company BuyVM, The Old Bailey heard today. After an internal investigation led by LNER, the 19-year-old, who is now studying computer science at university, was arrested and admitted everything to police. Jake Lazaros was just 17 when he set up the 'Train Bumper' website, a scheme that offered fare dodgers to pay a fraction of the cost of their commute. Pictured: Lazaros, now 19, pictured outside The Old Bailey today His illegal service offered a recycled QR code, taken from a 7.95 child ticket and a set of forged emails, which pretended to be from the legitimate ticket-selling website Trainline (stock image) Judge Silas Reid gave Lazaros 12 months in jail, suspended for 12 months for fraud by false representation and gave no separate penalty for money laundering. He also ordered him to do 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and pay compensation of 4525.19p to LNER. The teenager will also pay a 34 surcharge. Prosecutor Edmund Blackman said: 'A plausible looking QR image was generated to use on a phone or show to a ticket inspector. Jake Lazaros, now 19, pictured outside court today 'At the same time a genuine-looking email was sent to the customer from 'Trainline.com'. The train company tried to disrupt the website but when they disrupted the domain it would move somewhere else.' The investigation linked Lazaros's phone number and bank accounts to the online activity, and investigators were able to show his IP address and phone number were used to pay the US domain hosting company. In his plea, Lazaros only admitted to profiting around 4,500 from the scheme, but Judge Reid said the loss 'must be vastly more'. Defence barrister Emma Stuart said she would not dispute a figure of 50,000 loss after rejecting the need for a separate hearing on the matter. Ms Stuart said: 'He was only 18 at the time of his interview when he made full admissions.' She said he was now studying at university, selling trainers on the side, and giving his family 300 a month while caring for his aunt. Judge Reid told Lazaros: 'You are clearly a talented computer scientist. At the moment you are applying that at university, in the period of offending you were applying it in the wrong direction by utilising it for serious criminal activity. 'This was a very sophisticated offence. Multiple websites used, spoofed emails and so on. It was carried out over a long time.' Police have launched a murder probe into the death of an ex-paratrooper whose body was discovered 'in a drain' in Ukraine. Daniel Burke, from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, disappeared from the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine in August after travelling there to provide aid to injured soldiers. At the time, his family were told by Ukrainian police that officers searched Mr Burke's apartment and found it empty with no signs of a break-in and the door triple locked. After weeks without answers, his parents were told back in September that the 36-year-old's body had been discovered with DNA tests identifying him. Authorities now say they are treating Mr Burke's death as a homicide. Daniel Burke (pictured), from south Manchester, disappeared from the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine in August Mr Burke, an ex-paratrooper who travelled to Ukraine last year, disappeared from his flat in Zaporizhzia in early August Greater Manchester Police's Serious Crime Division is said to be assisting Ukrainian police with their enquiries. Work is said to be ongoing to repatriate Daniel's body to the UK, the Manchester Evening News reports. Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, GMP's lead for Disaster Victim Identification, said: 'This is a tragic case and we do not underestimate the impact it has had on Daniel's family who have been left devastated by his loss. 'I can confirm the Ukrainian authorities are treating Daniel's death as a homicide and GMP Serious Crime Division is assisting and has completed a number of enquiries to aid the investigation. 'These are difficult circumstances and GMP is continuing to work with the family and the Ukrainian authorities to repatriate Daniel and bring him home. 'Daniel's family have asked for privacy during this difficult time.' Daniel's mother Diane previously told the Manchester Evening News of her nightmare as she waited for news about her son. Speaking on the anniversary of the first month since his disappearance she said: 'I just want to know that all that can be done to find him is being done. It's been an absolute nightmare.' She described the moment a Ukrainian police officer with broken English called her at work and repeated the phrase 'Daniel Burke is missing' over and over. 'I was absolutely hysterical,' she says. 'I couldn't cope with it.' She added: 'I don't want it to be just brushed under the carpet. Nobody can just disappear into thin air. There has to be someone, somewhere, who knows something.' Daniel previously served in Afghanistan and fought Islamic State in Syria - seeing him survive sniper attacks, bomb blasts and infection. His family say he was experienced in frontline combat, reconnaissance and rescue - skills which he was utilising in Ukraine. Daniel Burke set up his own volunteer unit in Ukraine called the Dark Angels (pictured) Former British soldier and volunteer in Ukraine, Daniel Burk, has been missing in the country since August 11 He was last seen on Friday August 11 after a fellow volunteer dropped him off at his apartment. He was reported missing by another British volunteer two days later. Daniel had first travelled to Ukraine when war broke out but returned to Manchester several times. His most recent visit to Ukraine has been his longest. His mum says he was first encouraged to visit the country by military contacts. He was part of a volunteer military group and spent a very short period fighting on the front line before working for a charity in front-line rescue and evacuation. Diane last saw him in June of this year. 'He was really enthusiastic about the work. And he was very, very busy,' she said previously. Daniel previously served with the Parachute regiment in Afghanistan and said in 2002 that it was the impact of war on civilians that haunted him most. Elmore was placed on leave after footage of the incident was widely shared, while Washington was booked in Pickens County jail for resisting arrest, drugs and weapons charges His girlfriend Jalexis Rice said the altercation began as he was changing a blown out tire Micah Washington was tased repeatedly in the back by Reform Police officer Dana Elmore on Saturday The girlfriend of a black Alabama man who burst into tears while he was being repeatedly tased at point blank range by a white female cop claims he was just changing a tire when the altercation began. Jalexis Rice said things quickly escalated after her partner Micah Washington, 24, was approached by Reform Police officer Dana Elmore on Saturday. Elmore was filmed telling Washington 'shut your b**** ass up' as she deployed a taser into his back while he was bent over the hood of his car. Washington had admitted to having a gun in his possession moments earlier which was then confiscated by Elmore. 'I couldn't do nothing but cry,' Rice, who was in the car at the time of the incident, told ABC News. Alabama man Micah Washington's girlfriend Jalexis Rice claims he was just changing a tire when he was approached by a white cop who tased him at point blank range Reform Police officer Dana Elmore has been placed on leave after footage of her response was widely criticized Washington was subsequently charged with five counts including resisting arrest, drug and weapons charges 'After she leaned him on the car and got the gun out of his pocket she screamed, "oh yeah". 'He asked her, 'what you saying of yeah for?' And that's when she tased him in the the back and she was just holding it there.' The officer in Pickens County has since been placed on administrative leave in the face of widespread backlash over her conduct. Meanwhile, Washington has been charged with obstructing governmental operations, resisting arrest, marijuana possession, drug trafficking and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm. He is currently in Pickens County jail with a bond set at $505,000. Washington's brother Shikeem Washington caught most of the incident on film. The video was widely shared across social media, prompting a furious backlash. On Monday a rally was organized outside Reform Municipal Building in protest over Elmore's response. Elmore was condemned after video showed her deploy her taser at point blank range into Washington's back while telling him to 'shut the f*** up' as he wept in pain Washington's mom Toris Washington told ABC she is just glad the situation did not escalate further. 'Mothers with young black sons please talk to them about situations like this it's important. I just thank God the situation did not turn out worse.' An employee at Picken County Sheriff's Office confirmed Elmore's identity to DailyMail.com. Reform police Chief Richard Black and Mayor Melody Davis said they were aware of the video. They called it a 'citizen's arrest' and confirmed it took place on Saturday. The statement read: 'The Reform Police Department is aware of a video circulating involving a citizen's arrest on December 2. 'The department is in the process of turning over all materials related to this arrest to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation and has requested a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest.' 'In accordance with City Policy, the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is conducted.' Elmore was previously honored by Pickens Country Sheriff Office after she helped save the life of a two-week-old baby. She managed to revive an unresponsive child using CPR and given a Life Saver Award for her 'outstanding performance'. The atmospheric river event is projected to last into midweek - and may be followed by another An Oregon man was swept to his death in a flooding creek 'in the blink of an eye' Washington and Oregon were pummeled with more than eight inches of rain An Oregon man was swept to his death and millions remain under a flood alert as an atmospheric event known as a 'Pineapple Express' pounds the Pacific Northwest. Emergency crews in Portland, Oregon were unable to rescue the man from flooded Johnson Creek on Monday morning. His body was recovered later that afternoon, according to the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office, after a witness reported a man floating atop an outdoor furniture cushion while being swept downstream. The man's friend, Jeffrey Tristant, told KATU that he was helping homeless campers in the area when he was carried away 'in the blink of an eye.' An Oregon man drowned after he was swept away in a flooded creek while attending to homeless people in the area The man's death comes amid an aggressive atmospheric river, which dumped several inches of rain on the Pacific Northwest with more on the way A driver was rescued in in Granute Falls, Washington after attempting to traverse a submerged roadway The Clackamas County Water Rescue Team was deployed to the area, but after both of their crafts flipped, rescuers decided that it was unsafe to continue. The search-and-rescue operation was switched to a recovery effort before crews succeeded in finding the man's body. Water levels at Johnson's Creek are predicted to rise by more than five feet over the next 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service. The man's drowning death comes amid a strong atmospheric river, a warm and wet air mass that has been pummeling the region for two days straight. These 'rivers' transport water vapor from the tropics and release it in the form of precipitation once they make landfall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This particular event is known as a 'Pineapple Express,' which is when the jet stream dips into the tropical Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and carries moisture across the ocean to either the Pacific Northwest or California. More than eight inches of rain have already touched down in the region, burying roadways beneath water and causing rivers to rise. In Washington, the Skagit and Snoqualmie rivers are anticipated to spill onto farmland and creep into some residential areas. Heavy flooding prompted several road closures Tuesday, with one report of a driver being rescued from a submerged road in Granute Falls. The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office posted a photo of the car engulfed up to its headlights, with a warning: 'Its dark this morning and water over roads is often much deeper than it appears. Please do not attempt to drive through a flooded roadway.' In Medford, Oregon, muddy floodwater spilled across roads. Between two and six inches of rain have fallen in the Northwest Oregon Coast Range in the past 24 hours Speed cameras along U.S. Route 101 in Seaside, Washington showed the highway buried beneath murky water The National Weather Service issued a flood watch through Wednesday for portions of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington A flood watch will be in effect through Wednesday for portions of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. 'Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with more heavy rain,' the NWS cautioned, noting that flood warnings were already in effect for several coastal rivers in northwest Washington. Between two and six inches of rain have fallen in the Willapa Hills, Northwest Oregon Coast Range, Cascades and foothills in the past 24 hours. An additional one to three inches was projected for those areas Tuesday. Washingtons Olympic mountains could see over a foot of rain, while the Cascades could see between 5 to 9 inches, according to the NWS. The atmospheric river is projected to continue through midweek. It is already registering impressive totals, with Olympic National Park in Washington recording nearly inches inches of rain in just the last 24 hours. A flood warning was in effect for Snohomish County, Washington, through December 7, with county police and the NWS urging people to avoid watery roadways Yet another atmospheric river was forecast to hammer the region days after the end of the current weather event, which already saw several inches of rain Yet another atmospheric river is forecast to land in the region this weekend. Its impact should become clearer once this weeks event concludes on Wednesday. In the event of a flood, the NWS recommends staying indoors or seeking higher ground if shelter is not available. If ordered to evacuate, people should do so immediately. The NWS cautions against going into any room where electrical outlets or cords are submerged, as the water may have electricity in it. Most importantly, people should not attempt to traverse flood waters, as it only takes six inches of moving water to knock someone off their feet. 'A vehicle caught in swiftly moving water can be swept away in seconds 12 inches of water can float a car or small SUV, 18 inches of water can carry away large vehicles,' reads a note on the agency's Flood Safety Tips and Resources page. FBI director Christopher Wray has warned that the United States is facing the highest risk of a terrorist attack in years in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas atrocity in Israel. Wray warned the Senate Judiciary Committee that there are 'blinking red lights everywhere' when asked to assess the 'threat matrix' faced by the U.S. 'The threat level has gone to a whole 'other level since October 7,' Wray said. His comments come at a time when U.S. forces are being subjected to a barrage of strikes in the Middle East and with Jewish and Muslim communities being targeted at home. FBI director Christopher Wray has warned that the United States is facing the highest risk of a terrorist in years in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel Wray told Congress he sees 'blinking red lights everywhere' There have been at least 74 attacks on U.S. bases and troops since October 17. The bureau is 'moving quickly' to stop threats against Jews and Muslims across the country, he insisted, and gave his dire analysis of the situation at the border. He said enough fentanyl flooded in from Mexico to kill every American and admitted he was 'concerned' migrant crossings are adding to the terrorist risks. Wray warned that 'violent extremists' in the U.S. and abroad could draw inspiration from the Hamas attack, and the FBI is 'working around the clock' to stop these potential attacks. He said: 'What I would say that is unique about the environment that we're in right now, in my career, is that, while there may have been times over the years where individual threats could have been higher here or there than where they may be right now, I've never seen a time where all the threats, or so many of the threats, are all elevated, all at exactly the same time.' Lindsey Graham asked Wray to compare the threat to that before 9/11 A man walks near Ground Zero with a Remember 9/11 flag on September 11, 2023 Republican senator Lindsey Graham asked him: 'So, blinking red lights analogy about 9/11 - all the lights were blinking red before 9/11 apparently. 'Obviously, all of us missed it. Would you say there's multiple blinking red lights out there?' Wray replied: 'I see blinking red lights everywhere.' He said the U.S. was facing threats from a a 'veritable rogues' gallery of terrorists'. Wray used the hearing to make a fresh pitch for renewal of a key spy program and said it would be 'devastating' if it was allowed to lapse. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is due to expire at the end of the year. It allows the U.S. government to collect, without a warrant, the communications of targeted foreigners outside America. Yehya Al-Sinwar, the Hamas terror leader in Gaza The program was created in the aftermath of the September. 11, 2001 terror attacks, and will cease at the end of this month unless Congress votes to reauthorize it. However, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have balked at renewing it . Wray said: "702 allows us to stay a step ahead of foreign actors located outside the United States who pose a threat to national security. "And the expiration of our 702 authorities would be devastating to the FBI's ability to protect Americans from those threats." An Austin ISD police officer was shot near a high school as the gunman remains on the loose and students are put on lockdown in Austin, Texas. Gunshots were reportedly heard just before 11am on Tuesday near Northeast Early College High School which is located off Berkman Road and East Highway 290 in northeast Austin. The Austin ISD Police Department confirmed that the school was placed under lockdown at 11.16am and the campus is safe, KVUE reported. The school resource officer was shot in the leg near Nelson Field, across from the high school and taken to a local hospital. They are reported to be in stable condition. Community members have been asked to refrain from coming on campus at this time. An Austin ISD Police officer was shot near Northeast Early College High School in Austin, Texas on Tuesday morning A helicopter is seen canvasing the area for the shotting suspect still at large The area around the school is blocked off and there is a helicopter canvasing the area for the suspect. The Austin Police Department, Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin ISD Department are at the scene. Students are still on lockdown, but the district has announced that the school will start a 'controlled release' after students are taken by bus to the Delco Activity Center. Family members are allowed to start picking up students by 2pm and have been asked to provide some form of ID. Student who do not have family members picking them up will be taken home by bus. Authorities said that this is still an active investigation as the shooter has not been captured or identified as of yet. Joanna Parrish's distraught parents walked out of a Paris courtroom yesterday as the 'Ogress of the Ardennes' gave the first graphic account of their daughter's rape and murder. Previously unknown details revealed by Monique Olivier were so distressing that, after two torturous hours, Roger Parrish, 80, and his former wife Pauline Murrell, 75, could not bear to listen any longer. Patrick Proctor, the 20-year-old student's steady boyfriend when she was killed in 1993, and her aunt, Pauline Harris, 77, also left the room. They had heard Olivier admit she acted as 'bait' to lure Joanna into the back of a van, then ignored the young British woman's last desperate screams as she attempted to fend off the punches rained down by her husband, serial killer Michel Fourniret. The family's torment was exacerbated when Olivier recalled how the 'Ogre of the Ardennes' who had a perverse obsession for defiling virgins grilled Joanna about her sex life before setting about her. 'He asked her if she had a boyfriend,' she told the court. 'It must have annoyed him when she said she had, because (to him) it meant she was not a virgin. In sexuality he always wanted to be the first. That's why he was violent and did what he did.' Roger Parrish, 80, and his former wife Pauline Murrell, 75, left the court room (both are pictured) Joanna Parrish (pictured) was grilled about her sex life by the 'Ogre of the Ardennes' who had a perverse obsession for defiling virgins Monique Olivier (pictured in court on November 28) admitted she acted as 'bait' to lure Joanna into the back of a van, then ignored the young British woman's last desperate screams However, by refusing to attend the late morning session, the travelling Parrish contingent were spared from sitting through the most harrowing part of the proceedings. It came when lawyer Didier Seban attempted to prick Olivier's conscience by confronting her with photographs of Joanna. Projected onto a screen, the first set of pictures showed the carefree young woman enjoying a day out in Paris and posing demurely. READ MORE: Boyfriend of Ogre of Ardennes victim Joanna Parrish speaks for the first time of their relationship Advertisement Thrust into Olivier's veiny, shaking hand, the second set reminded her how her victim looked after her bruised and bloated body had been fished from a river. 'Look at her. Do you recognize her?' asked Mr Seban contemptuously. 'What effect does that have on you? What do you say to that? What can I tell the parents of Joanna?' It was the closest the stone-faced 75-year-old woman in the dock came to breaking. 'It's not possible,' she muttered, shaking her grey head. 'She was beautiful. She deserved to live. I truly regret it. 'Because of me she is gone. It's unforgiveable. If it had been my daughter, I think I would have done something. I would have looked for..' her voice trailed off. Another dramatic day began with Judge Didier Safar reminding Olivier who cut a shambolic figure in her grubby cream sweatshirt that relatives of Joanna and two other murdered girls had come to hear her 'explain yourself free your conscience.' Poking her prominent nose through a gap in the bullet proof screen to make herself heard, she at first frustrated the court with mumbled replies and claims that she couldn't remember events 30 years ago. Gradually, however, the full horrific story emerged. It became clear that Joanna fell into the ogre's clutches by a series of catastrophic coincidences. In May 1990, when she was coming to the end of a year-long teaching assignment in Auxerre, Fourniret and Olivier had already begun their husband-and-wife murdering spree (which, the court heard yesterday, could have claimed the lives of as many as 35 young women and girls, though the Ogre was only convicted of eight). However, the couple had by then moved to Belgium, and only returned to their former home, in a village near Auxerre, that month to collect some furniture. While they were away, Olivier said sickeningly, Fourniret decided to 'have some fun'. Joanna (pictured in 1988) advertised her services as an English tutor in the paper and Fourniret phoned her up and set up a meeting Olivier (pictured in 2008) ignored Parrish's screams as she attempted to fend off the punches rained down by her husband, serial killer Michel Fourniret A picture taken in 1990 of Joanna Parrish (L) and her brother Barney in Paris As was their habit, they cruised the streets for suitable targets. Fourniret would also scour newspapers and billboards for small-ads placed by vulnerable girls, and by chance Joanna had just advertised her services as an English tutor. Pretending he wanted her to teach their son, Selim (then only 18 months old), he phoned her. A meeting was fixed for around 7pm in Auxerre centre. Joanna was so excited at the prospect that she had no hesitation in climbing in the back of the white Citroen. Fourniret later told police that but for his wife's presence Joanna would not have got into the vehicle and would still be alive, the court heard. Explaining his maniacal compulsion, Olivier said: 'He told me it was like a cavalry charge in his head that forced him to go off hunting (virgins).' Were you the dog who found his prey, M. Seban asked her? 'Yes,if you want to put it like that,' she said wretchedly. Insisting she was acting under Fourniret's influence, she added: 'I deserve to be in prison because I helped him do all these terrible things. 'I should have done what I needed to do (to prevent the attack on Joanna). But I was scared of him and scared of what was happening. Fear and panic stopped me.' 'Don't tell us that you were the victim!' M. Seban snapped back. Olivier said Fourniret had originally intended to kidnap Joanna and take her back to their home in the village. For some unknown reason, however, his plans changed. They drove around for about an hour seeking a quiet place, then he tied her up, raped her and strangled her with tape he used for DIY before flinging her in the river. Denying she was equally culpable in Joanna's murder, Olivier, who is already serving life with a minimum of 28 years for four other murders, insisted: 'It was obedience not pleasure.' Prosecutors on Tuesday gave short shrift to Hunter Biden's request to subpoena documents from Donald Trump and former Justice Department officials in the firearms case filed against him. 'His motion is meritless and should be denied,' they wrote in their response. Biden, 53, pleaded not guilty in October to violating laws against drug users owning guns when he bought a revolver in 2018. Last month his legal team filed papers with Delaware federal court requesting subpoenas for Trump, his Attorney General Bill Barr and two other former senior Justice Department figures, Richard Donoghue and Jeffrey Rosen. They want documents, including journal entries, discussing Hunter Biden. as part of a defense that he was the victim of political interference. They say Biden was subject to 'certain instances that appear to suggest incessant, improper, and partisan pressure applied.' Last month, Hunter Biden's lawyers filed papers requesting subpoenas for Donald Trump and his former top Justice Department officials in his Delaware firearms case In their response to Biden's subpoena request, prosecutors write: 'His motion is meritless and should be denied' In their response, prosecutors said: 'His allegations and subpoena requests focus on likely inadmissible, far-reaching, and non-specific categories of documents concerning the actions and motives of individuals who did not make the relevant prosecutorial decision in his case.' The investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes and a gun purchase began in 2018, when Trump was president. However, prosecutor Leo Wise pointed out in his response that charges were not brought until this year. An 'inconvenient truth,' he called it. The subpoena for Trump included a demand for: 'All personal records (including diaries, journals, memoirs, memoranda, or notes) from the relevant time period discussing or concerning Hunter Biden, including, but not limited to, reference to any formal or informal decision, discussion, or request to investigate or prosecute Hunter Biden.' The move represented another blockbuster twist in a case that has already generated mountains of coverage. It is the first-ever criminal prosecution of a sitting U.S. president's child. But the documents filed last month revealed how his defense was starting to take shape. 'Mr. Biden seeks specific information from three former DOJ officials and the former president that goes to the heart of his defense that this is, possibly, a vindictive or selective prosecution arising from an unrelenting pressure campaign beginning in the last administration, in violation of Mr. Bidens Fifth Amendment rights under the Constitution,' his lawyers wrote to the judge. The subpoena for Trump included a demand for: 'All personal records (including diaries, journals, memoirs, memoranda, or notes) from the relevant time period discussing or concerning Hunter Biden' In 2020, Trump blasted his then attorney general for not going public with details of the federal tax investigation into the son of his election opponent Barr revealed in his memoir how he became irritated by Trump for pushing him over the status of the probe into Hunter Biden. And in 2020, after Trump had lost the election to Hunter's father, the then president blasted Barr for not revealing the existence of the investigation before polling day. He said Barr was a 'big disappointment' in a series of tweets saying the revelation would have given Republicans a boost in the election. The president's troubled son has long been the focus of attacks by Trump and his allies in Congress. They accuse him of corrupt business practices and have tried to link his father to his activities. The allegations are at the heart of an impeachment inquiry led by House Republicans. The White House dismisses the investigation as politically motivated. The criminal probe into Hunter Biden began in 2018, when Trump was in power. It began with scrutiny of his income taxes and foreign business dealings, but expanded to include his purchase of a gun in 2018. Federal prosecutors accuse him of making two false statements, saying he was not addicted to or using illegal drugs, in paperwork to complete the purchase. The feisty marsupial was spotted Oshawa, 40 miles east of Toronto and is currently recovering in Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm in Ontario A rogue kangaroo that punched a police officer in the face has been captured after spending four days on the run in Canada. The four-year-old female marsupial escaped last Thursday while being transported from Ontario to a zoo in Quebec. Handlers launched a search for the unnamed animal, born and raised in captivity, and received a report of a possible sighting in Oshawa, 40 miles east of Toronto. After being briefed on safe capture techniques for kangaroos, police officers were able to sneak up behind her and grab her tail. The kangaroo was not going to go down without a fight and punched one of the officers in the face, giving her one last chance to escape. Fortunately, the officer was not seriously injured, and authorities decided 'not to continue the investigation.' The four-year-old female kangaroo escaped last Thursday while being transported from Ontario to a zoo in Quebec The marsupial, born and raised in captivity, was spotted in Oshawa, 40 miles east of Toronto The kangaroo punched one of the officers in the face, giving her one last chance to escape The kangaroo escaped during a rest stop at the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm in Ontario, where she jumped on her handlers' heads and ran away. 'They were trying to unload her into our warm facility un unpredictably, it jumped over them and ran across the road,' Cameron Preyde, a staff at the Oshawa Zoo told Global National. 'It ran to a farm field and at night this thing was very very difficult to find,' Preyde added. The 'roo-haunt' lasted for four days until the Durham Regional Police received a reported kangaroo sighting on a rural property in northern Oshawa early Monday morning. The kangaroo that had escaped was seen hoping around in the area. Officers located the kangaroo and spent the next hour monitoring her activities until she appeared to take a little break around the intersection of Wilson Road and Winchester Road. 'While doing so the officers managed to sneak up behind her and grab her tail,' the Durham Regional Police said in a statement. 'So in accordance with best practice by the handlers, the officers just actually grabbed it by the tail and they were able to safely keep her detained in the area,' Staff Sgt. Chris Boileau said Monday. The kangaroo escaped last Thursday during a rest stop at the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm in Ontario, where she jumped on her handlers' heads and ran away Officers located the kangaroo and spent the next hour monitoring her activities until she appeared to take a little break around the intersection of Wilson Road and Winchester Road The four-year-old suddenly rose from the ground and attempted to escape again, but she was eventually secured and placed in a patrol During the apprehension, the kangaroo attacked an officer by punching in his face, 'but he'll be just fine and we won't be continuing the investigation,' Boileau added. 'The kangaroo gave up and surrendered peacefully to police officers,' authorities said and later released the bodycam footage of the capture. In the video, an officer can be heard saying, 'You're okay; it's all good,' in an attempt to calm the animal down. The four-year-old suddenly rose from the ground and attempted to escape again, but she was eventually secured and placed in a patrol. She is currently recovering at the Oshawa zoo where she escaped and will travel to her original destination of Quebec in the near future. A San Diego street racer has been arrested for causing damage after crashing into two law enforcement vehicles and a semi-truck. The unidentified driver was racing in a red Nissan 370z and led authorities on a wild chase, which ended in a crash near the US-Mexico border on December 3. Despite the motorist smashing into multiple vehicles, no injuries were reported. Officials have not revealed the driver's identity, the charges he is facing or the race's starting point. The unidentified driver was racing in a red Nissan 370z and led authorities on a wild chase, which ended in a crash near the US-Mexico border on December 3 While being pursued by the San Diego Police Department, the driver first crashed into a US Border Patrol vehicle While being pursued by the San Diego Police Department, the driver first crashed into a US Border Patrol vehicle, then hit an SDPD patrol car - and as the chase ended, the Nissan hit a semi-truck parked on Kerns Street in Otay Mesa. Owners of the semi-truck, Ken Kirschnick and his wife Sheryl, said they believe the car was speeding over 100 mph when they collided. The Nissan slammed into their full fuel tank, right underneath where they slept. Parts of the car, including one of its front wheels, were found lodged beneath the front part of the truck. He then hit an SDPD patrol car. Ultimately, the chase ended when the Nissan crashed into a semi-truck parked on Kerns Street in Otay Mesa Parts of the car, including one of its front wheels, were found lodged beneath the front part of the truck Witnesses told the channel that several cars were racing on Kerns Street just before midnight 'It is pretty scary, pretty dangerous,' the couple told NBC7. The Kirschnicks, who are long-haul truckers and owners of the big rig, said they will be out of work for six weeks due to the damage and are now estimating the repair costs. Truck driver Daniel Viens, who is parked at Kerns Street for weeks, said: 'Every night they are [driving] 100, 150 maybe 200 miles an hour, I dunno. 'They are full-blown drag races. You know all it is going to take is one of you to screw up. One time and you are going to put me out of business for two months.' Witnesses told the channel several cars were racing on Kerns Street just before midnight. They said that usually, street racing drivers avoid trucks, but for some reason, they did not this time. Kerns Street is a popular road for racing among drivers due to low traffic and being a clear, straight road. They further called the entire incident an attempt at making a 'Fast and Furious' escape. The Fast and Furious movie series is largely focused with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The characters are often seen escaping from officials in their supercars. DailyMail.com has approached the San Diego Police Department. The Arlington man suspected of triggering an explosion at his Virginia home after firing more than thirty flares was a paranoid conspiracy theorist who believed the U.S. government wanted to kill him, DailyMail.com has learned. James Yoo is presumed dead after his property erupted into a fireball, police confirmed on Tuesday. Human remains were found within the charred property. His now-deleted LinkedIn account contained a string of bizarre ramblings, including a recent post from December 1 that claimed his neighbors were spies who wanted to carry out his assassination. He also called his ex-wife a 'witch' and posted a series of anti-America posts on social media. His Linkedin profile described him as the former Head of Information and Physical Security for an international telecommunication company.' Yoo's name has now been officially released by Arlington County police, after public records linked the long-time Virginia resident to the address where the blast took place late on Monday night. James Yoo, the Arlington man suspected of triggering an explosion at his Virginia home, was a paranoid conspiracy theorist who believed that the U.S. government wanted to kill him, DailyMail.com has learned. He is believed to be dead The Arlington, Virginia, home exploded into flames Monday night during a standoff Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn said at a press conference on Tuesday: 'Human remains have been located at the scene. 'The office of the Chief Medical Examiner will work to positively identify the individual and cause and manner of death.' Yoo had previously communicated with the FBI through phone calls, online tips and letters. David Sundberg, FBI assistant director for Washington, said: 'I would characterize these communications as primarily complaints about alleged frauds he believed were perpetrated against him.' The 56-year-old, described by fellow residents of North Burlington Street as a 'loner', believed that locals were carrying out surveillance operations on his house and relaying information to the U.S. authorities. 'Jamie/Rosemary and Lance and her two children are spies and act as buffers collecting my information and then delivering to their handlers,' Yoo wrote in the unhinged social media entry. He bizarrely claimed that they were 'working with the witch and the alien' plotting a 'surprise attack' against him on December 7, the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. The posts refer to his ex-wife as a 'witch,' and anti-U.S. slogans including '#F---AMERICA.' He ranted: 'This is how White people operate and have the luxury of outnumbering all other 'races' by almost 7 to 1 in 'Merica.' Yoo provided no evidence for his unfounded allegations, but DailyMail.com can reveal that he has a long history of filing lawsuits against state and federal authorities. He launched a 2018 case in New York against family members, including ex-wife Stephanie, and Rochester General Hospital for allegedly detaining him against his will. But his suit was thrown out by judges, who dismissed it as 'frivolous.' 'The Court has carefully reviewed each page of Plaintiff's submissions. Plaintiff's Complaint consists of delusional-sounding allegations intermixed with other statements that seem more factual,' the court document reads. 'Plaintiff believes he is the victim of conspiracy against him by his sister, his ex-wife, and others including RGH. Plaintiff believes, for example, that his sister, ex-wife and RGH conspired to prevent him from obtaining an attorney.' The blast left the house in the city's Bluemont neighborhood in flames Emergency crews trying to put out the fire while area residents have either been evacuated or told to shelter-in-place A flare lights up the darkening sky above Arlington, Virginia, on Monday evening. The pyrotechnic was shot out of a gun by a man before the house exploded in a huge fireball as a SWAT team prepared to go in. The suspect remains unaccounted for Dismissing his complaint, the judges said that Yoo 'apparently believes there is a connection between the alleged conspiracy, the terrorism on September 11, 2001, and the current investigation into the 2016 presidential election by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.' Yoo had made attempts to contact Mueller, the court documents show, to warn him of those so-called links. DailyMail.com can also reveal that his ex-wife Stephanie had filed for divorce on March 30 2017, citing 'the irretrievable breakdown of their relationship. She won a court ruling rubber-stamping their split in the December of the following year. Yoo was told to pay her a sum of $80,000 as well as buy her out of her share of their now-destroyed former martial home for the sum of $150,000. The divorce records make no mention of any custody arrangements, suggesting the couple did not have any children. A police spokeswoman said they had come to execute a search warrant when the suspect, believed to be Yoo, discharged 30 to 40 shots of the flare gun. Emily Saxon, a 30-year-old nurse, said that blast sounded like an 'earthquake' and the shockwaves felt like 'a car had run through my living room' Sam Kin, a 25-year-old consultant who lived next door to Yoo, filmed the police trying to coax the 56-year-old out of the house. He said the explosion was 'traumatizing' after getting hit by the shockwave. 'I am going to see my therapist right now,' Kim told DailyMail.com. Sam Kin, a 25-year-old consultant who lived next door to Yoo, filmed the police trying to coax the 56-year-old out of the house The charred remains of the home are seen on Tuesday People work at the scene following the firey explosion Astounding video showed the house erupt, sending debris in all directions as a SWAT vehicle sat outside. The sky was lit up in bright orange as glowing particles of the explosion fell down over the Virginia neighborhood. Huge plumes of smoke cast a thick dark fog over the street, obscuring parked cars and darkening the scene. Neighbors said a man inside the home fired a flare before the explosion - although it is unclear why. Multiple rounds are said to have been blasted out of a weapon, prompting a call to police, who quickly arrived at the scene. After SWAT teams arrived, the unidentified person inside the duplex began firing at officers, it is claimed. They prepared to enter the property - only for it to explode in a huge blast that sent debris and a fireball roaring into the sky. No serious injuries were suffered by police, though authorities said the fate of the suspect inside was unclear, unable to get into the house. The FBI has since joined the investigation into unpicking exactly what happened on Monday night. In their latest update, Arlington Police said: 'At approximately 4:45 p.m. on December 4, the Arlington County Police Department was dispatched to the 800 block of N. Burlington Street for the report of possible shots heard. 'The preliminary investigation indicated a suspect discharged a flare gun approximately 30 40 times from inside his residence into the surrounding neighborhood. No property damage or injuries were reported related to the discharge of the flare gun. 'During the course of the investigation, officers obtained a search warrant for the suspect's residence and attempted to make contact with the suspect over the telephone and through loudspeakers. 'The suspect did not respond and remained barricaded inside the residence. As officers were attempting to execute the search warrant, the suspect discharged several rounds, from what is believed to be a firearm, inside the home. 'Subsequently, at approximately 8:25 p.m., an explosion occurred at the residence. The investigation into the circumstances of the explosion are ongoing. 'The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire. As of approximately 10:30 p.m., the fire is under control and crews continue to battle small spot fires. 'Three officers reported minor injuries and there were no transports to the hospital related to this incident. The investigation is ongoing.' Five medical school students were found shot to death inside an abandoned vehicle in the north-central Mexican state of Guanajuato. The students were located by the National Guard on a rural road on the outskirts of the municipality of Celaya Sunday night. They were identified as Jose Freire; Bryan Amoles; Jesus Orozco and Fabian Orozco, who are brothers; and their cousin, Pedro Mateos. The students' bodies showed signs of violence and were shot in the head, local media outlets reported. The Latina University of Mexico confirmed in a statement that the victims attended the school. At three of the students were set to graduate. Classes at the university, located in Celaya, were postponed Monday. In a separate incident, a sixth student was found dead Monday night. The victim's name and gender have not been released. Five medical students were found shot in the head and their bodies were left in an abandoned car in Mexico Jose Freire, who was studying to become a pediatrician, was killed along with five over medical school students in the central Mexico city of Celaya, which has been plagued by cartel violence Pedro Mateos (left) and his cousin Jesus Orozco (right) were among the five university students who were found dead in a vehicle in Celaya, Mexico on Sunday Fabian Orozco (left) and Bryan Amoles (right) were two of the victims found dead in the car 'The Latina University of Mexico deeply regrets the events and strongly condemns the violence that is exercised against everyone, particularly against our children and young people,' the school said. The victims were last heard from around 2pm Sunday when one of the students notified their family that were returning to Celaya after traveling for a weekend party in the nearby state of Queretaro. Police received a 911 call at 6:30pm about bodies abandoned in a car on a road next to the University of Guanajuato's Celaya Campus. Investigators with the Guanajuato State Attorney General's Office analyzed cellphone records, which showed that the students near the towns of La Cruz and Santa Rosa de Lima, Milenio news outlet reported. It's unknown if the students were murdered at the scene where they were abandoned. The mother of Jesus Orozco and Fabian Orozco is the former director the National System for Integral Family Development's center in Celaya. Jesus Orozco was studying to be a surgeon and his brother was just starting school. It's unknown if the students were murdered at the scene where they were abandoned Mateos specialized in pediatrics and Amoles was studying to be a surgeon. Freire was concentrating on becoming a pediatrician. Located northwest of the capital Mexico City, Celaya for years has been plagued by violence fueled by rival drug cartels. In June, a drug cartel set off a car bomb in Celaya aimed at law enforcement, killing a National Guard officer. In that case, National Guard officers were reportedly responding to information about a car parked with what appeared to be bodies inside. As they approached, the vehicle exploded, sending officers flying. Authorities blamed the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, which for years has fought a bloody turf war with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel cartel for control of Guanajuato. QUESTION: When was the first recorded handshake? The earliest recorded depiction of a handshake comes from a relief on the Throne Dais of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III, dated to around 846-845 BC. It depicts him shaking hands with King Marduk-zakir-shumi I of Babylon. The scene commemorates Shalmaneser's support of Marduk-zakir-shumi against his rebellious brother, Marduk-bel-usati and the ascent of Marduk-zakir-shumi to the throne. Handshaking was common practice among the Ancient Greeks. It was depicted on Greek pottery, and Ancient Greek tombstones would often show a carved handshake as a bond between the living and the dead. Handshakes of the era conveyed peace between combatants. It was a way to demonstrate that there were no concealed weapons or intentions. The earliest recorded depiction of a handshake comes from a relief on the Throne Dais of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III, dated to around 846-845 BC The Romans used the handshake in a similar manner. Pictured: A Roman painting showing two people shaking hands Such handshakes even featured on Roman coinage. Pictured: A Roman coin portraying Emperor Balbinus and showing a handshake on the other side The poet Homer depicted the clasping of hands in this way in The Iliad, during a meeting between Diomedes and Glaucus. The two men, on opposing sides in the Trojan War, realise they have a mutual bond through their grandfathers. They exchange armour and 'clasped each other's hands as a pledge of their good faith'. The Romans used the handshake in a similar manner. Such handshakes feature on Roman coinage and the Roman poet Ovid described how the Sabine women persuaded their fathers and husbands to stop fighting: 'The men let their weapons and their mettle fall, and, having laid by their swords, the fathers-in-law shake hands with their sons-in-law and receive their handshake.' The handshake's modern usage is thought to be derived from the Quaker movement of the 17th century. They viewed a simple handclasp as a more egalitarian alternative to bowing or tipping a hat. Carrie Goode, Salisbury, Wilts. QUESTION: Which was the first storm to be named? The formal naming of storms (tropical cyclones) began in the 1950s in the U.S. The practice wasn't adopted by the Met Office until November 2015, when Abigail became our first named storm. From the 19th century, storms were named intermittently, usually after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred. For example, there was Hurricane Santa Ana which struck Puerto Rico with exceptional violence on July 26, 1825; and San Felipe, which hit Puerto Rico on September 13, 1876. The first storm to be named in the UK was storm Abigail in 2015 (pictured) The formal naming of storms (tropical cyclones) began in the 1950s in the U.S. Pictured: Storm Abigail in 2015 The first systematic naming process was established by the Australian meteorologist Clement Wragge in 1895. He established weather stations on Mount Wellington (Tasmania) and Mount Kosciuszko, mainland Australia's tallest mountain in New South Wales. TOMORROW'S QUESTIONS... Q: What are the worlds most disappointing tourist attractions? Irene Thompson, South Shields, Tyne and Wear. Q: Has a new mineral been created out of waste plastic? Sean Hayes, Benfleet, Essex. Q: Is evolution making us smaller? Christine Case, Coventry, Warks. Is there a question to which you want to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question here? Write to: Charles Legge, Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY; or email charles.legge@dailymail.co.uk. A selection is published, but we're unable to enter into individual correspondence Advertisement Wragge began by naming storms after the letters of the Greek alphabet (alpha, beta, gamma etc). He later began naming them after Australian politicians such as James Drake, Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin, or figures from history such as Xerxes and Hannibal. Wragge's system did not catch on, and it was only in 1950 that the National Hurricane Centre in Florida began naming storms. At first, they used the U.S. phonetic alphabet (Able, Baker, Charlie, etc) but this method was changed in 1953 in favour of using alphabetised female names. Names were considered useful as they allowed the quick identification of storms in warning messages names are easier to remember than technical terms. The first tropical storm to receive a name was Tropical Storm Alice in 1953. Alice hit Florida, Cuba and Central America in late May and early June of that year. In 1978, men's names joined the U.S. storm list, alternating with the female names. In 2015, the UK Met Office and the Republic of Ireland weather service, Met Eireann, decided to follow in the footsteps of their U.S. counterparts, launching a 'Name Our Storms' public awareness campaign. Martin P. Gold, Crewe, Cheshire. QUESTION: Which quotes are most commonly misattributed to Shakespeare? 'You could fill a book with what Winston Churchill didn't say,' remarked his colleague Rab Butler, and much the same applies to William Shakespeare, where quotes about love or life are routinely attributed to the Bard. A classic example is, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' This is wrong on two counts: first, the actual quote is preceded by, 'Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned', and second it comes from William Congreve's tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697). Countless Shakespeare quotes have been abridged or distorted: a well-known example is 'Gilding the lily' Another common misattribution is, 'Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all.' This comes from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's (pictured) poem In Memoriam A.H.H., 1850 The aphorism, 'The pen is mightier than the sword' was not written by Shakespeare but came from the pen of the Victorian writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton, in his 1839 play Richelieu: Or The Conspiracy. Another common misattribution is, 'Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all.' This comes from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem In Memoriam A.H.H., 1850. The line is often quoted in response to lost romantic love, but it was actually grieving the loss of Tennyson's close friend, fellow poet Arthur Henry Hallam, who died suddenly at the age of 22. Likewise, the beautiful Shakespearean-sounding sentiment, 'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...' came from the pen of the English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in her Sonnets From The Portuguese, 1850. The saying, 'Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive' feels as if it could come from any Shakespeare play, but in fact came from Walter Scott's historical romance poem Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field(1808). Countless Shakespeare quotes have been abridged or distorted: a well-known example is 'Gilding the lily' (to exaggerate), from King John, which was originally 'To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... is wasteful and ridiculous excess.' James Owens, Wareham, Dorset. Is there a question to which you want to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question here? Write to: Charles Legge, Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY; or email charles.legge@dailymail.co.uk. A selection is published, but we're unable to enter into individual correspondence A delighted Moroccan migrant arriving at the US-Mexico border has praised President Joe Biden after illegally crossing at Lukeville, Arizona. The remote part of the border has seen a massive surge of migrants from across the globe including countries in Africa and the Middle East in recent days. In an interview with Fox News Correspondent Bill Melugin at the border town, one migrant admitted he wasn't seeking asylum and instead traveled there to seek job opportunities in New York. 'I love you Joe Biden, thank you for everything Joe Biden I am a good person I want to be a good person here in the United States,' the man, who did not share his name, said to Melugin. The same man who was seen dressed in an orange jacket and black hoodie claimed to local reporters he had been beaten in the face by 'African people' while making the journey. A delighted Moroccan migrant arriving at the US-Mexico border has praised president Joe Biden after illegally crossing at Lukeville, Arizona The remote part of the border has seen a massive surge of migrants from across the globe including countries in Africa and the Middle East in recent days I love you Joe Biden, thank you for everything, Joe Biden! I talked to two African men who crossed illegally into Lukeville, AZ (Morocco & Liberia). Both admitted to me they are not seeking asylum, & instead want work and opportunity in US. Both are planning to go to NYC. pic.twitter.com/IK8fcY3qvB Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) December 5, 2023 'The African people they hit me and the police also hit me,' he claimed. He added they wanted to take him to prison and that he had 'not eaten in 24 hours.' '24 hours I haven't eaten anything, can you help me?' he pleaded with the local reporter he was speaking to. Further reports indicated the young man had allegedly 'cut in line and caused a fight.' Border Patrol have also blamed the Biden administration's handling of the border crisis putting the surge in Lukeville to an 'open invitation' from them Another migrant from Liberia told Melugin that he came to the border town to find 'quality life' and added that 'America is a land of opportunity.' According to Fox News, hundreds of men were seen camped outside the remote border port with the Tucson Sector seeing nearly 3,000 encounters in a single day and 17,500 encounters in a single week, the highest total ever recorded. The broadcaster captured migrants exploiting gaps in the border wall that were being fixed by federal contractors. Last week, Arizona Rep. Juan Ciscomani called for the Arizona National Guard to be deployed to the border, urging Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to recommend such action to the Pentagon. 'Tucson Sector is leading in encounters and our agents and officers are overrun and undermanned,' Ciscomani said in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas obtained by the outlet. 'The situation is far past a breaking point and those on the frontlines of this crisis are in need of immediate support.' The same man who was seen dressed in an orange jacket and black hoodie claimed to local reporters that he had been beaten in the face by 'African people' while making the journey Resources to the Tucson Sector have been surging in the region that typically sees less traffic than its counterparts such as the Rio Grande Valley. There were more than 2.4 million migrant encounters in 2023 FY across the US southern border, which is a new record. The Biden administration has claimed that it needs Congress to act and provide more funding for the border processes. Since 2021, it has been calling on Republicans to support a comprehensive immigration bill that it unveiled the first day of the administration. 'In nearly three years since [Biden took office], Congress has failed to act on it, a White House official told CNBC. 'Because of their failure, the administration has focused on implementing a strategy of humane, safe and orderly enforcement, and have put in place policies to process individuals in a fair and fast manner, and continue to remove those without a legal basis to remain in the United States.' Since 2021, it has been calling on Republicans to support a comprehensive immigration bill that it unveiled the first day of the administration There were more than 2.4 million migrant encounters in 2023 FY across the US southern border, which is a new record Conservatives would instead like to introduce a bill of their own which would increase border security funding while limiting asylum and humanitarian parole Republicans have blamed the ongoing crisis on leniency and the roll-back of Trump-era policies such as Title 42 The bill would include amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants - a legislation vehemently rejected by Republicans. Conservatives would instead like to introduce a bill of their own which would increase border security funding while limiting asylum and humanitarian parole. They've blamed the ongoing crisis on leniency and the roll-back of Trump-era policies such as Title 42. Border Patrol have also blamed the Biden administration's handling of the border crisis putting the surge in Lukeville to an 'open invitation' from them. 'It takes a toll on the men and women [of Border Patrol] that are out there putting their lives on the line each and every day,' The National Border Patrol Council's Art Del Cueto told Fox News. Some southern governors, such as Texas' Greg Abbott and Florida's Ron DeSantis have turned to busing migrants north to liberal-run cities as states become overwhelmed by the number of migrants. Resources to the Tucson Sector have been surging in the region which typically sees less traffic than its counterparts such as the Rio Grande Valley (pictured is a line of migrants at Lukeville) Last week, Arizona Rep. Juan Ciscomani called for the Arizona National Guard to be deployed to the border, urging Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to recommend such action to the Pentagon That has led to a surge at shelters in northern cities and many Democratic leaders have lamented Biden's policies and demanded federal officials help cover the cost of migrant housing in their cities. Abbott has said he will not stop sending the migrant buses north and that Texas 'is going to continue to use every tool that we can to secure the border the best that we can.' Migrants huddle for warmth in Lukeville, AZ Thousands of migrants have flooded the border in search of a better life in America - but national security remains a concern for government leaders The governor visited New York last month and saw for himself how the city has been overwhelmed by the more than 120,000 asylum seekers who have arrived in the last 18 months. Abbott, a Republican, has claimed he is not to blame, but President Joe Biden. 'The lead importer of migrants to New York is not Texas, it's Joe Biden,' he said at a breakfast event held by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. Abbott said he began the busing program in response to the plight of the small border towns in his state who do not have the resources to deal with border crossers. A controversial academic and media favourite has been given an honorary award for her 'contributions to race equality and combatting discrimination' by a top British university - just days being criticised for comparing Israel to Nazi Germany. British-Nigerian lawyer Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu said she was 'humbled and honoured' to have been given the award by Newcastle University which once presented the same degree to Martin Luther King. The award came just days after Dr Mos-Shogbamimu was described as 'repugnant' by one campaign group against antisemitism for her pronouncements on Israel. Dr Mos-Shogbamimu, a lawyer and a trustee for legal action NGO Reprieve, is no stranger to controversy: in 2020 she was called a 'race-baiter' by Piers Morgan after they clashed on Good Morning Britain over Meghan Markle. And in April she said Markle was right to skip King Charles's Coronation calling it 'an inspiration' and while August she sparked a new controversy after saying that killer nurse Lucy Letby had been able to get away with murder because she was a white woman. British-Nigerian lawyer Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu said she was 'humbled and honoured' to have been given the award by Newcastle University which once presented the same degree to Martin Luther King . Pictured: At a rally against implementation of pensions age equalisation policy in 2018 The award came just days after Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu was described as 'repugnant' by one campaign group against antisemitism for her pronouncements on Israel The University of Newcastle, a Russell Group institution, said it was standing by its award to her Her most recent messages about Israel on X formerly known as Twitter have caused particular outrage because equating Israel with the Nazis is defined as antisemitism according to an official definition. READ MORE: Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu sparks backlash after suggesting Lucy Letby got away with murdering seven babies because she was a white woman Advertisement Her post about Israel read: 'Just like Nazi Germany, one day justice will be served on it.' She later added that she felt criticism for her comments 'falsely accuse me of antisemitism 4 daring to call out State of Israel's extermination of 15,000 Palestinians'. A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'This post is abhorrent. Comparing Israel to the Nazis and calling, in effect, for the elimination of the Jewish state just as Nazi Germany was eliminated, are antisemitic according to the International Definition of Antisemitism. 'For a lawyer and academic who purports to believe in equality and inclusion to demonise the Jewish state in such repugnant terms is breathtaking. 'People like Dr Mos-Shogbamimu were supposed to be allies of the Jewish community and this was their time to stand up for a persecuted minority. Instead, they have betrayed the Jews and exposed themselves. 'We will be writing to both her university and to her regulator. Her colleagues and her staff and those who rely on legal professionals have the right to expect more from these institutions than Dr Mos Shogbamimu.' A spokesman for Labour Against Antisemitism added: 'Weaponising the ultimate Jewish trauma against Jews is highly offensive and antisemitic according to the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which has been adopted worldwide. 'The University of Newcastle on Tyne has already adopted this definition, making a mockery of the Honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree they awarded to Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu for her contributions to race equality, combating discrimination and promoting diversity. In April she said Markle was right to skip King Charles's Coronation calling it 'an inspiration' and while August she sparked a new controversy after saying that killer nurse Lucy Letby had been able to get away with murder because she was a white woman The academic has used the analogy of the Holocaust when writing about the conflict on social media. On October 27 she wrote of the Israel/ Hamas war: 'This is an EXTERMINATION in Gaza. A HOLOCAUST on Palestinians.' On November 25 she wrote: 'Israel oppresses with state sanctioned genocide, rape, ethnic cleansing etc' When MailOnline approached Dr Mos-Shogbamimu for comment she wrote on X: 'So MailOnline is writing a hit piece to falsely accuse me of antisemitism 4 daring to call out State of Israel's extermination of 1500 Palestinian. See how they conflate Jewish ppl & invoke 'Holocaust'. They want my comment: 'I Stand with Palestine. Do Your Worst.' Dr Mos-Shogbamimu's attacks on MailOnline continued during the day as she wrote a tweet using a screenshot of Meghan Markle and said: 'Meghan Markle living her best life while alleged #RoyalRacists stew in infamy triggers #Daily Fail. Let me sip my [sign for tea].' Meanwhile The University of Newcastle, a Russell Group institution, said it was standing by its award to her. A spokesperson for the University said: 'Newcastle University has a proud history of awarding honorary degrees to individuals who champion social justice and Dr Mos-Shogbamimu has been recognised by us for her commitment to race equality and her work promoting diversity and inclusion.' The President of the University of Pennsylvania defended paying President Joe Biden a salary of $400,000 a year during the years he was out of government service. UPenn President Liz Magill was testifying Tuesday before the House Education and Workforce Committee on combating rising anti-Semitism on college campuses. Rep. Mary Miller, a Republican from Illinois, used her time to query Magill about Biden's seemingly high salary, saying that he 'appeared to have a no-show job.' 'Can you give us some insight into why Joe Biden was paid almost a million dollars by UPenn, what were his responsibilities when he was at UPenn? Did he teach a class?' Miller asked. Magill said that Biden was a 'professor of practice' at the Philadelphia-based Ivy League school and was on staff for a little more than two years. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill was queried over President Joe Biden's role at the Ivy League school that garnered him a $400,000 salary She said he was paid a salary of $400,000 annually. 'We also had Mr. Jeb Bush as a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania,' Magill added. Bush, a Republican, is the former governor of Florida and was a failed 2016 presidential candidate. He is also the son and brother of the two former presidents. 'President Biden had a wide variety of obligations,' Magill said She was interrupted by Miller who asked, 'What obligations, exactly, did he have?' 'He held seminars, he was in many different classes, he interacted with thousands of students over the time he was there. He invited speakers - the goal of the center was to enhance ...,' Magill continued, again getting cut off. President Joe Biden arrives in Boston for fundraisers Tuesday. Biden was a 'professor of practice' at the University of Pennsylvania for a little more than two years Miller remained confounded at the salary. 'For $400,000?' she asked. The Illinois Republican then claimed, without citing proof, that 'anonymous Chinese donations' poured into the school on the heels of Biden's hire. 'The House Oversight Committee is going to get to the bottom of this,' Miller warned. Since January when Republicans took over the House, the GOP-led Oversight Committee has been investigating Hunter Biden's business practices in China and Ukraine, trying to link those deals with the president. A 27-year-old San Francisco woman has been found dead in the apartment she shared with her boyfriend as police investigate her death as a 'domestic violence homicide.' Kimberly Wong was found unresponsive when officers from the San Francisco Police Department performed a welfare check at her Clay Street home in the Presidio Heights neighborhood around 7pm Thursday. When first responders arrived, they attempted life-saving efforts on Wong, but she was pronounced dead, The San Francisco Standard reported. A neighbor told local news outlet KTVU that Wong owned the condo unit and her boyfriend had moved into the apartment two years ago. They said that Wong was the first person to welcome them when they moved in. No arrest has been made and no suspect details have been officially released. Kimberly Wong, 27, worked in tech, and described by neighbors and co-workers as 'smart, positive, energetic and responsible' Wong was found unresponsive when officers from the San Francisco Police Department performed a welfare check at her Clay Street home in the Presidio Heights neighborhood around 7pm Thursday Wong pictured during a kayaking work trip that was shared by her former colleague According to her LinkedIn profile, Wong worked in product design a plaid, a financial services company. She also worked at Splunk and was a graduate of the University of Washington. Neighbors and co-workers of Wong's were devastated to hear the news about her death. 'Somebody that young and so smart. It's just, why?,' said Alberto Forero, a former co-worker who sat next to Wong. 'It's so senseless.' Forero said the pair would make software together. He described her as 'positive, smart and energetic.' He shared a photo of the pair kayaking together during a work trip, the news outlet reported. Another neighbor said Wong was 'the last person I would expect something like this to happen to.' Wong, had enjoyed word games, crossword puzzles and played piano. Beverly Upton, head of the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium, called Wong's death a 'tragedy' and said 'they are 'hoping for an arrest.' Red roses were placed outside of Wong's condo on Friday. Annie had forgiven her husband many times for alleged infidelity during their relationship, which began when they were teenagers in Sheffield. The couple married in November 2021 but have now split after a 13-year relationship where they had three sons together while Kyle, 33, built a glittering football career, most recently as a 160,000-a-week defender with Man City and England. But off the pitch Annie, 30, always took back Kyle despite claims he was unfaithful, including with a reality star in the back of his 200,000 Bentley. There were also allegations he held a sex party in lockdown with escorts and shared texts with a Playboy model while away with England. After Kyle was caught on CCTV in a bar apparently flashing friends and fondling a mystery blonde woman's breasts last year, his wife famously posted on social media: 'No matter how good you are to people, it won't make them good to you'. But it appears it was his on-off relationship with Lauryn Goodman that was the trigger for the split after an alleged promise to Annie that he was no longer in contact with her was broken and he was kicked out of the family's 2.4million Cheshire mansion. Lauryn has hinted heavily that Kyle is the father of her two children and lives in a 2.5million seaside home the footballer may have paid for. A Fire and Rescue chief has warned motorists against driving through water which 'puts your life at risk' after a woman was rescued from a submerged car in chaos caused by heavy rain - with more expected to come. Parts of the UK are at risk of flooding with more heavy rain set to fall this week, forecasters say, with over three inches of rain expected to lash parts of south-west England on Thursday, where a number of flood warnings are already in place. The Met Office, issuing a yellow warning, told Brits to prepare a flood plan and emergency kit if their property is at risk of flooding. Earlier today, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service crews rescued a driver of a white BMW who became stuck after attempting to drive through flood water. Warning others against doing the same, Brentwood watch manager Andy Haswell said doing so 'puts your life at risk' as it's 'often deeper than you think'. Earlier today, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service crews rescued a driver of a white BMW who became stuck after attempting to drive through flood water Crews were called to Buttsbury Wash at 7:37am to find the car stranded It comes after emergency services were called to a caravan park to reports of severe flooding and concerns for the welfare of around 100 people living there Drone pictures show the extent of the damage to the 30 or so caravans There were concerns for the welfare of around 100 residents with many of the caravans on site flooded and others had lost electricity and water supplies It comes after emergency services were called to a caravan park to reports of severe flooding and concerns for the welfare of around 100 people living there. Drone pictures showed the extent of the damage to the 30 or so caravans after the mainly elderly residents and pets were extracted in boats. Rescue crews attended Buttsbury Wash, near Billericay, at 07:37 this morning to free the driver of a BMW who tried to drive through a flooded patch of road. Brentwood watch manager Andy Haswell told the BBC: 'It is often deeper than you think and it really doesn't take much water for your car to be severely damaged or for your car to float out of control.' Last night, emergency services were called to Primrose Hill Residential Park in Charlton Adam, Somerset to evacuate residents. There were concerns for the welfare of around 100 residents with many of the caravans on site flooded and others had lost electricity and water supplies. All the residents were checked over and many had to be extricated to dry land alongside their pets for further care and assistance. Aerial images taken this morning after the rescues show water still engulfing around 30 caravans on the site. Among the large number of search teams to be deployed to help in the rescue was Wiltshire Search and Rescue. It's understood that water rescue specialists were initially alerted to the incident at around 9pm, with the peak of the flooding in the early hours of the morning overnight before levels began to drop. A spokesperson said: 'On arrival, we were briefed about an emerging issue at a caravan park, with flood water up to five inches deep in places, and the welfare of around 100 residents was unknown. Some of the caravans were flooded, and others had lost electricity or water supplies. All the residents were checked over and many had to be extricated to dry land Witnesses said the flood peaked overnight at waist height for residents and with the only way out blocked there was no option other than to use the boats Last night, emergency services were called to Primrose Hill Residential Park in Somerset 'The five teams deployed and worked alongside the fire service to locate, assess, and where required extricate the mainly elderly residents and pets in boats. 'Once back on dry land they were checked over by paramedics at a casualty collection point and then taken to a place of safety.' Witnesses said the flood peaked overnight at waist height for residents and with the only way out blocked there was no option other than to use the boats. Footage this morning showed much of the site still underwater with an estimated 30 caravans impacted. A woman, who turned up to try to help her elderly relatives living on the site, said that police stopped her from accessing the area. 'When I turned up last night my mum and dad were so distressed, really scared. 'But the police had closed the road and it was too dangerous to get closer. 'They said they had the situation under control. 'We came back at 8am and spoke to some workers, they said everyone was accounted for and helped us get access to check in with them and they were okay thank God.' One observer said: 'You can see how bad it was just from the pictures this morning. It must have been a worrying time for everyone involved.' Chaos across the country is being caused by the heavy rain which will continue to batter the UK this week. The Met Office has issued a yellow rain warning covering the morning and early afternoon, saying people should expect travel disruption. It said: 'Check if your property could be at risk of flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit.' A police officer wades through the forecourt of the Esso garage in Bridport, Dorset Network Rail tweeted this photo of flooding on the line in Somerset as disruption continues A Land Rover is driven through floodwater on Derby Road in Risley, Derbyshire, this morning Flooding at Huntingdon Racecourse in Cambridgeshire today after the Alconbury Brook burst The forecaster also issued warnings for Northern Ireland on Wednesday and further yellow alerts in parts of south-west and eastern Scotland and large swathes of Wales on Thursday. Flooding is possible in the worst affected regions and some could face power cuts, it said. The Environment Agency had 49 flood warnings - where flooding is expected - in place across England on Tuesday morning, mainly in Dorset, Somerset and across the Midlands. There were a further 174 flood alerts, where flooding is considered possible. Meanwhile, temperatures across the country are expected to drop below freezing quite widely overnight and into Wednesday ahead of a milder rest of the week. Yellow ice warnings have been issued amid snowfall in parts of eastern Scotland, lasting until Wednesday. Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey, said: 'The low pressure system that brought yesterday's rain is pulling away across the near continent and things will turn a little drier today for many with the odd bright spell before the next system arrives from the west tomorrow. 'Tonight will be another cold night with a widespread frost expected. As we go through the morning heavy rain and strong winds will push across the country from the west, a number of National Severe Weather Warnings have been issued.' RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: 'After one of our busiest days of the year yesterday, today's milder temperatures may provide some respite for drivers but there is still a lot that could catch drivers out. After yesterday's downpours, there remains much standing water which presents a very real risk of aquaplaning should motorists drive too fast. 'The addition of some short, sharp showers in the east of the UK might still make driving conditions difficult, so it's vital drivers leave extra space as stopping distances will be considerably longer. But with frosts returning to many parts tonight, drivers should expect another icy start tomorrow. Flood warnings (in red) and flood alerts (in orange) are in place across England today Flooding in Glastonbury, Somerset, this morning after the South West endured heavy rain 'We expect to see a big jump in breakdowns tomorrow morning as vehicles with older, less reliable batteries fail in the cold weather. If drivers know their vehicle is sluggish to start, we recommend they book one of our mobile mechanics or take their car to a reputable garage as soon as possible.' Flooding caused havoc on Britain's railways today amid 'do not travel' warnings for passengers as 250 areas were put on alert with nearly three inches of rain set to fall. Met Office weather forecast for Christmas The Met Office has issued a forecast for the period between December 19 and January 2 as follows: 'Conditions are most likely to be changeable through this period. 'Wetter and windier than average conditions are slightly more likely than normal, especially in the west and northwest. 'Temperatures are most likely to be near or above average overall, especially in the south and west. 'It is possible that there will be further colder interludes, but these likely to be short lived at first. 'Perhaps a greater chance of a longer cold spell later in the period.' Advertisement Train passengers trying to travel between Newcastle and Edinburgh faced chaos today after heavy flooding at multiple locations in Northumberland blocked all rail lines - affecting CrossCountry, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express services. LNER advised its customers 'not to travel north of Newcastle in either direction', with industrial action by train drivers on other routes today adding to the disruption. Rail users in Devon and Somerset also faced disruption, with South Western Railway saying a landslip between Exeter St Davids and Yeovil Junction had blocked all lines. Heavy rain and flooding caused earth to move above the Crewkerne Tunnel and the line was closed until at least Thursday for safety reasons. The operator said further rain on the way meant there is 'potential that no services will run until the weekend'. Flooding at Alsager in Cheshire blocked the line between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent, impacting East Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services. Great Western Railway said flooding caused disruption between Taunton and Castle Cary in Somerset - with long-distance services between Plymouth and London Paddington expected to be diverted, extending journey times by up to an hour. Snow has continued to make life difficult in other parts of the country with Cumbria Police saying they expected conditions to be 'challenging' for the rest of the week, although the major incident declared in the area has been ended. Engineers at Electricity North West said 99 per cent of affected properties in Cumbria would have power restored overnight after up to 1ft (30cm) of snow fell in the county. Stephanie Trubshaw, the energy firm's customer director, said: 'We understand this is an extremely difficult situation for all of our customers who have been impacted and we are working tirelessly to ensure power is restored as quickly as possible.' Earlier, the company said it had reconnected power to more than 13,000 properties after the snow damaged miles of overhead lines. Cumberland Council said nearly 40 schools were closed yesterday due to the conditions. Forecasters said rain and hill snow will ease today with brighter spells developing Frost and fog clears for bright spells tomorrow, when wet and windy weather is set to arrive The wet and windy weather is expected to push north and east into Thursday More heavy rain is expected on Friday, although temperatures could get up to double figures Cars and vans are driven along the flooded Derby Road in Risley, Derbyshire, this morning Flooding in Glastonbury, Somerset, this morning after the South West endured heavy rain People carefully make their way along Derby Road in Risley today after flooding in Derbyshire Members of the public shelter from the rain along the Strand in London this morning Flooding at Huntingdon Racecourse in Cambridgeshire today after the Alconbury Brook burst Members of the public shelter from the rain along the Strand in London this morning The Met Office said rain would ease across England and Wales with brighter spells later, but another cold day will see wintry showers in the north and north west. EXCLUSIVE READ MORE Are you winter driving ready? 10 tips to prepare your car for harsher conditions Advertisement Cloud will remain overnight in the south and south east with frost and some freezing fog forming by dawn. Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said the risk of snow was lessening and would 'more or less be confined to Scottish mountains' by the end of the week. He said: 'Temperatures are rising from below average now to above average. 'Overnight (on Monday), in parts of the north, frost remains still a risk. Today could see frost from Scotland down into central southern England. In general, conditions will be more wet and windy.' Yesterday, there had been warnings for this morning of 'freezing rain' falling onto ground where temperatures were close to or just below freezing, causing treacherous driving conditions. The RAC motoring organisation had dubbed it 'ice rink Monday'. Saturday saw the coldest temperatures since last winter, with -12.5C (9.5F) recorded in Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands. LNER tweeted this photo of heavy rain flooding the railway today north of Newcastle station Another LNER photo of flooding this morning between Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed LNER also tweeted this picture of flooding north of Newcastle station on the railway today Network Rail tweeted a photograph this morning of flooding affecting the railway in the Derbyshire village of Draycott today between Derby and East Midlands Parkway stations NEW: Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle, all lines are currently blocked. Services due to run between these stations will be amended. Individual updates and alterations can be found here:- https://t.co/ywOeYGPOnJ pic.twitter.com/ac1whRPvDy CrossCountry Trains (@CrossCountryUK) December 5, 2023 Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between #Newcastle and #Edinburgh all lines are blocked. - Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed. - Disruption is expected until 10:00. pic.twitter.com/RRroMArMpS TPE Customer Assist (@TPEassist) December 5, 2023 Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between #Newcastle and #Edinburgh all lines are blocked. Disruption is expected until 10:00. Network Rail staff are on site monitoring the situation. Live journey updates: https://t.co/2it4q5iS18 pic.twitter.com/0zQWqWsD09 Lumo (@LumoTravel) December 5, 2023 Travel update - Tuesday 5th December The line between Bristol Parkway and Swindon is blocked. Trains are running on a diversionary route The line between Taunton and Westbury is also blocked due to flooding. Check your journey before travelling at https://t.co/CQAQ48CRW7 pic.twitter.com/h69mznxPpK GWR (@GWRHelp) December 5, 2023 Although milder weather has now moved in by day, overnight frost remains a risk across the country. Sub-zero temperatures are a possibility as far south as central southern England tonight, with -1C (30F) forecast in rural parts of Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. While daytime temperatures barely reached above freezing over the weekend, they could reach 10C (50F) to 11C (52F) in southern England by Thursday. Coastal areas in the South West, which escaped the worst of the wintry weather, could reach 13C (55F). However, the conditions are set to remain overcast with more rain at times in all areas through the week ahead. She was accused of 'botching' the release of detainees Clare O'Neil has responded to calls she should resign Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil has re-emerged from several days of silence to hit back at calls for her resignation after three asylum-seeking detainees, including registered sex offenders, were arrested and charged with new crimes. Australia's High Court on November 8 ruled that indefinite immigration detention is not constitutional where there is 'no real prospect' of deportation becoming 'practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future'. The decision resulted in the release of at least 148 detainees - including several dangerous criminals - whose detention met that condition. Among those include Afghan refugee Aliyawar Yawari, 65, who was charged with indecently assaulting a woman at a hotel in South Australia on Saturday. Mohammed Ali Nadari, 45, was arrested over drug charges in New South Wales. On Monday, Emran Dad, 33, a registered sex offender who was the ringleader of a child exploitation gang, was arrested in Melbourne for allegedly making contact with minors on social media and breaching his reporting obligations. Yet, despite mounting public anger about the Albanese government's handling of the issue, neither Ms O'Neil or Immigration Minister Andrew Giles have publicly appeared this week to reassure Australians the matter is under control. Ms O'Neil appeared on Sunrise on Wednesday, with host Monique Wright, asking: 'You've said on this program it is your job to keep Australians safe. 'Now, three detainees have now been rearrested on new charges. Should you resign as the Coalition says?' Ms O'Neil hit back and said she is doing everything she can to try and protect the community. She said that included teaming up with the opposition to pass a new preventative detention law that would put some recently released detainees back behind bars. 'If it were up to me, all these people would never have been released from detention,' she said. Wright continued to press the minister further. 'Claire with the benefit of hindsight now, two of the three of these arrested detainees, they're sex predators,' she said. 'Now, when you look back, do you wish you had got on the front foot? Could you have done something sooner about this and tried to get these laws through preventively?' Ms O'Neil responded: 'Some of these are very bad people who have done very bad things, and that is the exact reason why when I had the power to keep them in detention, I would. 'I have three children, as if I want these people walking on the street. 'The job for the government is to make sure we can provide ways to protect the community within the new laws that have been set down by the High Court of Australia. That's exactly what we're doing.' Yesterday, Ms O'Neil took steps to implement preventive detention legislation, typically applied to terrorists and spies, in order to lock up some of the detainees. Home Affairs minister Clare O'Neil has lashed critics who accused her of 'botching' the release of immigration detainees and demanded she apologise to the Australian public The preventive detention laws were approved by the Senate on Tuesday night and will be presented for debate in the lower house later on Wednesday. But coalition senator Jane Hume said the government should have had legislation ready before the High Court's decision so it was ready to go as soon as the ruling was handed down to prevent the release of any detainees. 'First of all, you could have made a much better submission to the High Court, and you botched that,' Ms Hume told the minister. 'Then you released all of those detainees when the said you had to release one. You didn't wait for the High Court's ruling. 'Then you failed to get to those pre-tentative detention measures in place which you could have done months ago. 'Instead, you blamed your department, you've blamed the High Court. You've blamed the Coalition, you've blamed Peter Dutton. But this is on you. 'You owe the Australian community an apology and if you're a responsible minister, you would also offer your resignation. 'This is a test now of the Prime Minister. He should sack you.' Opposition Finance Minister Jane Hume (pictured) claimed the government should have had legislation prepared ahead of the High Court's decision The government says it was hamstrung by the High Court decision, which mandated the release of detainees in the same situation as the original complainant, NZYQ. Legislation could not have been put in place to detain the whole cohort due to the ruling, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said as he offered to show the opposition legal advice from the solicitor-general. 'Following the High Court decision and reasons in the NZYQ matter, it is not legally possible to legislate to require the detention of all of the NZYQ-affected individuals on community safety grounds,' he wrote in a letter tabled in the Senate. Any delay in releasing affected detainees could open the government and individual officers up to legal claims of false imprisonment, he added. The opposition is pushing for stronger requirements from the ministers who ticked off on the release of detainees, calling for a statement of reasons as to why they needed to be set free. A Small Illinois town of just 9,000 people has approved the construction of a $2 billion Chinese-owned electric vehicle battery factory - despite protests from local residents who say the company is 'un-American.' The village board in Manteno, Illinois, approved a zoning change that clears the way for constructing the Gotion Inc. manufacturing plant - but the decision has divided locals. Gotion's plant is set to bring $536 million in state incentives, creating 2,600 local jobs and will push forward Governor J.B. Pritzker's desire to make Illinois an EV hub. The company is a California-based subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech of China. It has been operating in the US for nearly a decade, and is 30 percent owned by Volkswagen. The village board in Manteno, Illinois, approved a zoning change that clears the way for the Gotion Inc. manufacturing plant to be constructed - but the decision has divided locals The issue was voted 5-1 in favor on Monday, where dozens of locals came to protest in opposition of the project - holding signage reading 'go home Gotion' The factory is set to be built on 150-acre land where an abandoned Kmart warehouse distribution currently sits, near Interstate Highway 57. The issue was voted 5-1 in favor on Monday, where dozens of locals came to protest in opposition of the project - holding signage reading 'go home Gotion.' Many were fearful of Chinese influence that may seep into the town. Other locals, however, crowded the room with 'Go for Gotion' signs. Gotion will now have to pass through the village's permitting process after winning the vote in the small town. According to the Chicago Tribune, Manteno Mayor Timothy Nugent said: 'I hate to see the town divided. 'Believe me, there's views on all sides and no one has a monopoly on the right views.' Manteno resident Kerri Rolniak said: 'We're upset. We're mad. We feel that they're being very un-American. They're all about themselves. It should be about we the people. And it wasn't about we the people. It was about their agenda.' Patrick Young, president of the Kankakee and Iroquois Building Trades, said: 'It's going to generate revenue. 'Listen, not every student that's going to Manteno High School is going to go to college. Manufacturing is gone from Kankakee County. This is bringing manufacturing back. And I think it's a good start.' Manteno Mayor Timothy Nugent said, 'I hate to see the town divided. 'Believe me, there's views on all sides and no one has a monopoly on the right views' Pritzker's spokesperson said following the vote: 'We look forward to continuing to work with the village to meet our clean energy goals and continue expanding the state's manufacturing footprint.' This comes just weeks after town leaders in Michigan kicked out their predecessors in a seismic vote over plans to bring a Chinese-linked factory to their rural idyll and blasted claims that the project is a 'done deal' as 'hogwash'. Last month, Green Charter Township's five incumbent board members were voted out in a recall election after they backed proposals by Chinese-owned firm Gotion for a $2.4billion EV battery plant. The town's new leaders wasted no time in stamping their authority, changing the locks on the local government building hours after their victory. The grassroots backlash has been hailed as democracy in action after many of the area's 3,200 residents raised national security and environmental concerns over the project, which lies around 50 miles east of Lake Michigan. But Gotion and Green Charter's ousted town boss Jim Chapman have both suggested attempts to fight back are futile. China owns 383,935 acres of US farmland as of December 2021, with almost half of it in Texas The site is already under construction and Gotion, which 'pledges allegiance' to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), purchased the 270 acres of land it requires for the project in August. Gotion recently sent a letter to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) saying they consider the plant 'a done deal' and they're moving forward with many facets of the project. But Green Charter's new town chief, supervisor Jason Kruse, told DailyMail.com that Gotion 'can be stopped, 100 percent'. 'There's a lot of holes that can be pulled apart and we can dissect this project,' he said. New township trustee and physical therapist Jeff Thorne, 64, described claims the project was a 'done deal' as 'hogwash'. 'I've had a number of people ask me this locally: 'Don't you think no matter what you do, it's going to happen anyway?' he told DailyMail.com. 'I tell them, 'no'. I wouldn't be in this fight. I wouldn't be involved in this if I thought it was fruitless, if it was a done deal. There are a lot of things that can be done.' Set to be built on the outskirts of Big Rapids, the planned plant would be set only a few miles from one of the state's National Guard bases Thorne, 64, who has lived in the area for almost 40 years, pointed out that the project had not yet passed a state environmental review. Meanwhile, there are also calls from congressional Republicans for the Committee on Foreign Investment to revisit national security concerns over Gotion's ties to the CCP and the location of the plant 100 miles away from a US military camp where the Michigan National Guard has been training troops from Taiwan. In ousting Green Charter's town board, voters in the community also sent a message to President Joe Biden, who has touted EV plants and other clean energy projects as key to his economic growth plans. China is a leader in the global supply chain for advanced batteries and other green technology. The communist country is now trying to take advantage of tax credits for businesses that manufacture renewable energy products in the US. Gotion is to be paid $175million in direct taxpayer funding to help it build its battery plant in Michigan. State Governor Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D.) has welcomed the investment, which she said would create 2,350 'good-paying jobs'. Three people have been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after a horror head-on collision in Sydney's south-west. Emergency services raced to Townview Rd, Mount Pritchard shortly before 10pm on Tuesday night following a crash between a Kia and Ford Escape. A male passenger in the Kia and the female driver in the Ford SUV were trapped in their vehicles for more than an hour before firefighters managed to free them from the wreckage. Three people are recovering in hospital after a horror head-on crash in Mount Pritchard The passenger, 23, in the Kia was treated for suspected spinal injuries, while the male driver 22, suffered minor injuries. The female driver of the Ford suffered leg and spinal injuries. All three were taken to Liverpool Hospital in a serious but stable condition. Photos from the scene show the crumpled wreckages of both vehicles and debris from the crash strewn across the road. It is understood the Kia driver is known to police and is assisting them with inquiries. Crash investigators spent the night examining the crime scene. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers. The Turner Prize has crowned its first transgender winner, whose exhibition is made out of warped railway tracks and tattered union jack bunting. The art piece - inspired by 'modern British life' - also included barbed wire, piles of office files and crowd control barriers made to look like legs. Oxford-born Jesse Darling won the prestigious Turner's Prize and a 25,000 cheque for the piece which was inspired by Brexit, the pandemic and austerity. The artist, who goes by he/him, in past interviews described himself as a 'white European assigned female at birth'. His victory makes him the first transgender winner since the competition began in 1984. Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, who chaired the judges panel, called it 'bold' and a piece with 'delirious derangement'. An exhibition featuring crowd control barriers with legs, union jack bunting and curtains The art piece also included barbed wire, warped railway tracks and piles of office files His unruly art piece is an illustration of what Britain looks like today The other nominated artists were Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Barbara Walker. Previous winners include pottery maker and contemporary artist Sir Grayson Perry, film director and visual artist Sir Steve McQueen and artist Damien Hirst. READ MORE - Artist Heather Phillipson who installed whirl of whipped cream topped with cherry, drone and fly on Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square is among four nominated for award Advertisement Mr Darling, 41, picked up the award at a ceremony in Eastbourne, East Sussex, yesterday. Speaking to the BBC afterwards he said: 'You have to love something to be able to critique it. I was born in this country and I'm looking at what's going on here. 'I wanted to make a work that reflected that, and I wanted to make work about Britain for the British public. 'Whether they like it or don't like it, it was a great honour and privilege to be able to do something so public for the British public.' The artist is known for his work with unconventional materials such as welded barriers, hazard tape, office files and net curtains. He has also turned a full-sized roller coaster into the skeletal form of a woolly mammoth. His unruly art piece which won him the coveted prize was an illustration of what Britain looks like today - which was this year's theme. In the exhibition, tattered and faded union jack bunting hung from the ceiling. Barbed wire and net curtain were also put above a decayed 'mock checkpoint' to reflect how the artist sees the hostile environment in the UK towards immigration. Drawing on the walls included what looks like a tally count of days passing. Broken and twisted crowd control barriers were scattered around the room, with a pile of office binders surrounded by broken pieces of concrete. Darling - who now lives and works in Berlin - adorned his work with frilly curtains, police tape and anti-pigeon spikes. One of the critics, The Telegraph's Alastair Sooke, called the room at the Eastbourne Towner gallery 'the most exhilarating presentation' he's seen in at the annual art show in years. He went to describe the piece as 'ruinous' and 'suffused with impish magic' as he praised the work. In contrast, Waldemar Januszczak called it a 'glumly poetic interpretation' and said: 'Where it fails is in its overall visual impact. It's too bitty'. Mr Darling, 41, picked up the award at a ceremony in Eastbourne, East Sussex, today Nominee Barbara Walker's art piece at Towner Eastbourne, Sussex At the end of his acceptance speech, Darling pulled the Palestinian flag out of his coat pocket and waved it amid the conflict in Gaza and Israel. He said art 'is something that a lot of the public can get behind' and explained that it helps develop other skills. Darling claimed that former prime minister Margaret Thatcher lessened the teaching of art in schools because it was not 'economically productive'. Darling's exhibitions are described by the Turner Prize as conveying a 'familiar yet delirious world' that 'unsettles perceived notions of labour, class, Britishness and power'. Born in 1981, he studied at Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London and completed a masters in fine art at University College London's Slade School of Fine Art in 2014. He works across sculpture, installation, video, drawing, sound, text and performance - and in 2021 released a collection of poetry, called Virgins. Pictured: The art piece submitted by Turner Prize 2023 nominee Ghislaine Leung Ghislaine Leung had an exhibition featuring water pouring into the space through the ceiling Darling was originally nominated for the prize for his largest presentation of his work to date, No Medals, No Ribbons at Modern Art Oxford, which features plastic bags put on steel legs like soldiers and mobility aids bent into strange shapes. He was also give the nod for Enclosures at Camden Art Centre, which takes a look at how common land was fenced off from public use by the Inclosure Acts. Darling has also put together solo exhibitions such as Miserere in St James's Piccadilly, London in 2022, Gravity Road at Kunsteverein Freiburg in Germany in 2020, Creve at Triangle - Asterides in Marseille in 2019 and The Ballad of Saint Jerome in Tate Britain London in 2018. He beat Ghislaine Leung, who had an exhibition featuring water pouring into the exhibition space through an opening in the ceiling; Rory Pilgrim, who delivered a live performance at Cadogan Hall in London; and Barbara Walker, who shone a light on families affected by the Windrush scandal. The 2023 jury, chaired by Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, included Martin Clark, director of Camden Art Centre, and Cedric Fauq, chief curator of Capc musee d'art contemporain de Bordeaux. Melanie Keen, director of London museum Wellcome Collection, and Helen Nisbet, chief executive and artistic director at gallery Cromwell Place, were also among the judges. The award goes to an artist born or based in the UK, for an outstanding exhibition or presentation of their work in the past 12 months. While Darling is understood to be the first transgender person to win the prestigious award, in 2021 Black Obsidian Sound System were nominated for the prize and were described as being a collective of queer, trans and non-binary artists at the time. In 2022, Sin Wai Kin was the first non-binary artist nominated, the Telegraph reported. The prize will mark its 40th anniversary next year and return to Tate Britain for the first time since 2018. An exhibition of the Turner Prize shortlisted artists is at Towner Eastbourne until April 14 2024. The House overwhelmingly passed a resolution to condemn anti-Semitism in the U.S. and around the world in another show of support for Israel in its war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The vote on the measure condemning anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism was 311 to 14, with 92 Democrats voting 'present' and 17 members not voting. Thirteen Democrats, including 'The Squad' Reps. Jamaal Bowman, N.Y., Cori Bush, Mo., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, Mich., voted against the measure. A group of Jewish Democrats, including Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman, both of New York, and Jamie Raskin of Maryland voted 'present' on the resolution and called it the 'latest unserious attempt by Republicans to weaponize Jewish pain.' Only one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, Ky., voted against it. Ahead of the vote, he posted a meme with rapper Drake suggesting Congress has done more to support Zionism than American Patriotism. Thirteen Democrats, including Reps. Jamaal Bowman, N.Y., Cori Bush , Mo., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib , Mich., voted against the measure The resolution was introduced by Jewish Republicans David Kustoff, R-Tenn., and Max Miller, R-Ohio. The Democrats who voted 'present' noted that last week the House already passed a resolution asserting that 'denying Israel's right to exist is a form of anti-Semitism.' The group also noted that there are Jewish anti-Zionists, including the Satmar Sect, who are 'quite obviously not anti-Semitic.' Some liberals have expressed concerns that such sentiment could lead to characterizing any criticism of the Israeli government as anti-Semitism. The Merriam-Webster definition of anti-Zionism is 'opposition to the establishment or support of the state of Israel.' The definition for antisemitism is listed as 'hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.' The resolution was brought forth after the Anti-Defamation League reported a stark increase in anti-Semitic incidents since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. It came as House Republicans brought in Jewish students to talk about anti-Semitism on their university campuses. One MIT student said she had to leave her doctoral group because her group members told her 'the people at the Nova music festival deserve to die because they were partying on stolen lands.' A New York University student told reporters: 'I hear calls to gas the Jews and I am told that Hitler was right.' Newsom's woke bill comes after Target faced backlash for its Pride range which included gender inclusive options such as this 'tuck-friendly' bathing suits If they fail to comply, they will have to dish out a civil penalty of $250 or $500 Newsom's 2021 bill will be enacted on January 1, 2024, compelling some major retailers to have a gender neutral section California retailers that refuse to have a gender-neutral section for children will be fined up to $500 under Gavin Newsom's new bill. The ultra-woke governor signed legislation in 2021 that would require some retail stores in the Golden State to have a gender-neutral section for children. Retailers would have to do this 'regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or for boys,' the bill said. The legislation, Assembly Bill No. 10584, will be enacted on January 1, 2024, and if retail department stores choose not to comply, they will have to dish out a civil penalty of $250 or $500. Department stores that are subject to the new laws will have to have a total of 500 or more employees, be physically located in California and sell 'childcare items or toys'. Governor Gavin Newsom's bill will require some retail stores in the Golden State to have a gender- neutral section for children from January 1,2024 Target was under pressure in June 2023 after they presented their yearly pride collection that included gender inclusive options like this 'tuck-friendly' bathing suit Target CEO Brian Cornell told CNBC the Pride controversy was the first time his staff had told him 'it's not safe to come to work'. He decided to pull all related items from the shelves after the threats According to the bill, 'childcare items' refer to any product that is designed to facilitate sleep, feeding children, relaxation, or 'to help children with sucking or teething'. The age range of the 'children' that the legislation refers to is 12 years of age and under. 'Toys' were defined as a product designed or intended to be used by children by the manufacturer. Californian Democratic Congressman Evan Low backed the bill to the Associated Press 'We need to stop stigmatizing what's acceptable for certain genders and just let kids be kids,' he said. 'My hope is this bill encourages more businesses across California and the U.S. to avoid reinforcing harmful and outdated stereotypes,' Low said. The Congressman added that he was 'incredibly grateful' to receive Governor Newsom's signature and support on the bill. This legislation comes after the popular American retailer Target was slammed for its sale of Pride seasonal items in spring of 2023. CEO Brian Cornell decided to pull all related items from the shelf after critics threatened to burn down stores and attack employees. Target faced a violent backlash to outfits including 'tuck-friendly' bathing suits for adults and pro-trans T-shirts for kids, as well as a plunging share price that wiped $10billion from the firm's value in just over a week. Cornell told CBNC that he ordered staff to remove the displays just days before the start of June's Pride Month because the backlash was getting dangerous. Target announced that it was ending the policy of dividing products like children's toys by gender with a gender-neutral line for children introduced in April 2016 'I've seen natural disasters, the impact of COVID, the violence that took place after George Floyd's murder,' he said. 'But I will tell you what I saw back in May is the first time since I've been in this job where I had store team members saying, 'It's not safe to come to work.'' The retailer has publicly supported Pride through the month of June every year since 2013 and in 2014 Target endorsed marriage equality. In 2015, the store announced that it was ending the policy of dividing products such as children's toys by gender and in 2016 introduced a gender-neutral line for children. Then, amid a nationwide discussion about bathroom access, Target announced that transgender people were free to use whichever bathroom they chose. Three months later, it responded to protests by spending $20 million to add a private bathroom to each of its stores. 'I think those are just good business decisions, and it's the right thing for society, and it's the great thing for our brand,' Cornell said in May. The retailer has publicly supported Pride through the month of June, every year since 2013 and in 2014 Target endorsed marriage equality When the California bill was first introduced in 2021, Lego issued a statement that the company was working to make its toys more inclusive for girls 'The things we've done from a DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) standpoint, it's adding value. 'It's helping us drive sales, it's building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests, and those are just the right things for our business today.' When the California bill was first introduced in 2021, Lego issued a statement that the company was working to make its toys more inclusive for girls. 'The company is committed to making Lego play more inclusive and ensuring that children's creative ambitions both now in the future are not limited by gender stereotypes,' a statement from Lego said. President Joe Biden used stark language to describe the 'unimaginable cruelty' of Hamas fighters during their Oct. 7 rampage, citing reports of repeated rapes and desecration of Israelis. Biden issued the comments in Boston on a day he is holding three fundraisers for his presidential campaign, after the resumption of fighting between Israel and Hamas following a humanitarian pause that allowed for the release of about 100 hostages from Gaza. 'Before I begin, let me say a few words about what's going on in Israel right now. The terror that Hamas is continuing to inflict on the Israeli people,' Biden said. 'We had a report in the earliest days that Hamas used rape to terrorize women and girls during the attack on October the 7th in Israel. 'Over the past few weeks, survivors and witnesses of the attacks have shared the horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty. Reports of women raped repeatedly raped and their bodies being mutilated while still alive of women corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them. It is appalling,' he said. President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday about 'unimaginable cruelty' and referenced reports of Hamas fighters raping Israeli women during the October 7 attack. He blasted Hamas for walling away from a humanitarian pause and continuing to hold hostage civilian women Biden, who helped author the Violence Against Women Act while serving in the Senate, called ending sexual assault 'one of the causes of my life.' He said the burden was on 'all of us' to 'forcefully condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without equivocation. Without equivocation, without exception.' 'These are civilian women, mostly between the ages of 20 and 39, whom Hamas has refused to let go under the deal that paused the fighting, which I helped negotiate with the Qataris. I spent hours with the Qataris and others to broker, sustain and extend that deal. I got more than 100 hostages out,' Biden said. He spoke after a series of independent media reports catalogued evidence of rape during the October 7 attack. Then he echoed comments from his national security advisor on Monday about the hostage situation. 'Let me be crystal clear: Hamas' refusal to release the remaining young women is what broke this deal and ended the pause in the fighting,' the president said. ' 'These women and everyone still being held hostage by Hamas need to be returned to their families immediately. We're not going to stop we're not going to stop until we bring every one of them home and it's going to be a long process.' The White House said Monday it was 'gravely concerned' about the women civilian hostages who remain captive inside Gaza, as Israel Defense Forces and Hamas continue to exchange fire. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasized the plight of civilian women seized during the Hamas October 7 raid. There are also Israeli military women being held captive. He was asked during the White House briefing about Hamas' unwillingness to release the balance of civilian women being held in Gaza, following the breakdown of a seven-day cease fire that led to the release of more than 100 hostages, out of a total of about 240 seized during the assault. 'I'm not going to speculate on that, only to say that they haven't done it, and we're gravely concerned about that. But I'm not going to speculate as to their reasoning,' Sullivan told reporters. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the administration was 'gravely concerned' about the plight of female hostages still held inside Gaza His comments following new reporting from eyewitnesses about the rape of Israeli men and women during the Oct. 7 raid. Israel has expanded its ground operations in Gaza, and Israeli forces say they struck 200 'terror' targets in the latest barrage, even as U.S. officials including Vice President Kamala Harris have issued cautions about the risk to Palestinian civilians. Administraiton officials continue to try to get information about the status of nine American hostages still held in Gaza. 'Look, the basic bottom line when it comes to where we are in the hostage negotiations, is that the first phase of the hostage negotiation was about the release of women and children,' said Sullivan, who has been involved the strategy. 'Hamas continues to hold women and civilian women and will not release them. And Israel is not prepared to close the book on those women or to give them up, so Israel is insisting that Hamas follow through on the release of those women,' he said. Israeli soldiers embrace next to photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event, to commemorate the October 7, massacre, near kibbutz Re'im, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 SEI*182767099 Released Israeli hostages siblings Maya and Itay Regev (R) arrive to their family home in the city of Herzliya near Tel Aviv, on December 4, 2023, after spending a few days in hospital following their release from captivity by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The White House said the refusal by Hamas to release more caused an end to the humanitarian pause Israel continued to pound targets in Gaza after the end of the pause 'And then Israel has said if Hamas is prepared to follow through on that, Israel is absolutely prepared to discuss additional categories of hostages, civilian men, the wounded and ultimately all of the hostages, the idea of soldiers being held.' Sullivan was loathe to get into points of leverage that might move the process along. 'The easiest, most straightforward way to get back to it would be for Hamas, to be held accountable for not following through on it. But then we also have to think about how we get all of our American hostages. out and we are giving thought to that as well. And, you know, handicapping forms of leverage or precise strategies for how we go about that is something I will refrain from doing I would just say that we are thinking through, both in concert with Israel and then just as a country with our own citizens. being held, what tools we have at our disposal to be able to get them on.' Sullivan said it was the 'refusal by Hamas' that 'caused the end of the hostage agreement, and therefore the end of the pause in hostilities. Israeli officials said the pause broke down after Hamas refused to produce a list of another 10 female hostages for release, according to the Times of Israel. Sullivan also talked about protecting 'safe areas,' as Israeli forces told Gaza residents where to go amid a flurry of attacks. 'They have also indicated that there are areas where there will be 'no-strike' zones, and in those zones, we do expect Israel to follow through on not striking,' he said, in a caution to the U.S. ally. The identities of eight crew members killed when a US Air Force Osprey aircraft crashed last week off southwestern Japan have been revealed. A search team recovered three members and located the remains of three others, while still searching for the two missing bodies, authorities said Tuesday. 'The depth of sorrow is immeasurable,' Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, Air Force Special Operations Commander, said in a statement announcing the names of the crew. 'The honorable service of these eight airmen to this great nation will never be forgotten, as they are now among the giants who shape our history.' The crew members who lost their lives during the crash were identified as follows: The identities of eight crew members killed when a US Air Force Osprey aircraft(pictured) crashed last week off southwestern Japan have been revealed A search team recovered three members and located the remains of three others, while still searching for the two missing bodies, authorities said Tuesday Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minnesota, was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer in charge of training. Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah, was a residency-trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight commander. Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander. Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, New York, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander. Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Florida, was a medical operations flight chief. Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia, was a flight engineer. Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a flight engineer. Staff Sgt. Jacob 'Jake' M. Galliher, 24, was a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann (left), 32, of Andover, Minnesota , was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer in charge of training. Maj. Eric V. Spendlove (right), 36, of St. George, Utah , was a residency-trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight commander. Maj. Luke A. Unrath(left), 34, of Riverside was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander. Capt. Terrell K. Brayman (right), 32, of Pittsford, New York, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy (left), 33, of Oviedo, Florida, was a medical operations flight chief. Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage (right), 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia, was a flight engineer Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson (left), 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a flight engineer. Staff Sgt. Jacob 'Jake' M. Galliher(right), 24, was a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts Among the eight crew members, Galliher's remains were the first to be found. He is survived by his wife Ivy and two boys, aged two years and six weeks. 'Jacob was an incredible son, brother, husband, father and friend to so many,' his family said in a statement. 'His short life touched and made better the lives of hundreds, if not thousands in Pittsfield, in this region and everywhere he served. Jacob lived to serve his family, his country and the people he loved,' the statement reads. President Joe Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden were heartbroken by the loss. 'We owe them everything,' Biden said in a statement. 'Jill and I are praying for the families and friends who lost a loved one in this terrible accident.' The U.S.-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster, like an airplane, during flight. The $90 million CV-22 Osprey carrying eight American crew crashed last Wednesday off Yakushima island during a training mission. 'The main priority is bringing the Airmen home and taking care of their family members. Support to, and the privacy of, the families and loved ones impacted by this incident remains AFSOC's top priority,' it said in a statement. On Monday, divers from the Japanese navy and U.S. military spotted what appeared to be the front section of the Osprey, along with possibly five of the missing crew members, Japan's NHK public television and other media reported. Japanese navy officials declined to confirm the reports, saying they could not release details without consent from the U.S. A total of six coast guard ships and two helicopters were deployed as part of a rescue operation. The deployment of the Osprey in Japan has been controversial, with critics saying it is prone to accidents. The US military and Japan say it is safe. This is the second time in three months that an Osprey has been involved in a crash. Three Marines were killed during an exercise in northern Australia. The cause of that crash has not been made public. The members of Japanese Coast Guard carry the debris which are believed to be from the crashed U.S. military Osprey aircraft Parts believed to be pieces of wreckage from the fuselage of a US Air Force CV-22 'Osprey' transport aircraft were recovered during the search In June 2022, five Marines died in a fiery crash in a remote part of California east of San Diego. A crash investigation report last month found that the tragedy was caused by a mechanical failure related to a clutch. There had been 16 similar clutch problems with the Marine Ospreys in flight since 2012, the report found. In February 2023, the Marine Corps announced that a piece of equipment believed to be the source of the problem had been replaced. The Osprey, a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but during flight can tilt its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane. They are used by the US Marines, US Navy and Japan Self Defense Forces. Since 2012, there have been six fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys resulting the deaths of 16 people. A majority of the 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact and 70 percent of U.S. military facilities are stationed in Okinawa, which accounts for only 0.6 percent of Japanese land. Japan has suspended all flights of its own fleet of 14 Ospreys. Russia has rejected a significant offer to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan from custody, the State Department has confirmed. Spokesman Matthew Miller did not reveal the details of the offer or why the Kremlin turned it down. But the revelation of the proposal was a fresh indication that Washington is continuing to try to negotiate with Moscow to get both men home. 'This was a new proposal, in recent weeks. It was a significant proposal,' Mr Miller said. Russia has rejected a significant offer to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan from custody, the State Department has confirmed 'And it was rejected by the Russians but it does not, it will not deter us from continuing to do everything we can to try and bring both of them home.' The US government has declared both Whelan and Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained. Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, has been jailed in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage-related charges that both he and the US government dispute. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was detained in March while on a reporting trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,200 miles east of Moscow. Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, has been jailed in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage-related charges Brittney Griner was released last December in a prisoner swap with notorious Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, but Whelan was not part of the deal Gershkovich and the Journal deny the allegations, and Russian authorities have not detailed any evidence to support the espionage charges. A Russian court last week extended the detention until January 30. 'They never should have been arrested in the first place. They should be released immediately,' Miller said. 'But we have made a number of proposals and including a substantial one in recent weeks and we will continue to work every day to bring Evan and Paul Whelan home. There is no prior higher priority for the Secretary of State. 'There is no higher priority for the president.' In July 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that the US had made a substantial proposal to Moscow to get home WNBA star Brittney Griner and Whelan. Griner was ultimately released in December in a prisoner swap with notorious Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, but Whelan was not part of the deal. More than a dozen passengers and crew were injured on an international flight from Perth when the plane hit severe turbulence. Emirates flight EK421 from Perth to Dubai was shaken violently over the Persian Gulf shortly before landing early Tuesday morning. A spokesperson said 14 people were assessed by medical staff both on the plane and after the Airbus A380 landed at about 4.45am local time. More than a dozen passengers and crew members were injured on board Emirates flight EK421 from Perth to Dubai early Tuesday morning 'We can confirm that flight EK421 from Perth to Dubai on 4 December briefly encountered unexpected turbulence mid-flight,' they said. 'While onboard, those injured were assessed and assisted by our crew and medically-trained volunteers, with additional medical support provided via satellite link. 'The flight was met by medical services on landing, and Emirates has also deployed its care team to ensure the injured passengers and crew are provided all possible support.' One passenger said meal services were stopped during the turbulence and travellers were told to stay in their seats with their seatbelts on. It's believed at least one passenger called out for 'help' later in the flight and was given oxygen. Cruise, a driverless robotaxi service has been sent a legal notice for allegedly covering up the severity of an accident involving one of its cars A San Francisco robotaxi service under fire for allegedly covering up the severity of an accident involving one of its driverless cars is facing a $1.5 million fine. In October, a woman was hit by a car that knocked her into the path of a driverless Cruise car, which braked hard before colliding with her. The robotaxi dragged her for 20 feet (6 meters) at a speed of seven miles per hour for 30 minutes while she screamed for help. Based on court documents filed late on December 1 by the California Public Utilities Commission, General Motor's Cruise service could be fined about $1.5 million if found guilty of a cover-up. The company was issued a legal notice to appear in court on February 6, 2024 for an evidentiary hearing to determine whether they misled regulators about the incident. Based on court documents filed late last week by the California Public Utilities Commission, General Motor's Cruise service could be fined about $1.5 million if found guilty of covering up the severity of the accident Court documents recount how Cruise handled disclosures about the accident. The Public Utilities Commission asserted the company tried to conceal how its robotaxi reacted to the accident for more than two weeks in the legal paperwork. The documents allege Cruise's concealment started with an October 3 phone call to a regulatory analyst who was told the robotaxi had come to an immediate stop upon impact with the pedestrian without mentioning the vehicle drove another 20 feet with the injured person still pinned down. The Public Utilities Commission asserted the company tried to conceal how its robotaxi reacted to the accident for more than two weeks in the legal paperwork DNV officials requested additional footage from the company, which the company sent 10 days after the meeting. The new footage showed that the car continued driving after the initial stop and attempted a 'pullover maneuver,' traveling about 20 feet while the pedestrian was still trapped underneath. After seeing the video, the California Department of Motor Vehicles effectively shut down the robotaxi service by suspending its license to operate in the state. This maneuver 'increased the risk of, and may have caused, further injury to a pedestrian,' the DMV wrote in a report. 'Cruise's omission hinders the ability of the department to effectively and timely evaluate the safe operation of Cruise's vehicles and puts the safety of the public at risk,' the department added. In the October 2 incident, a passenger was trapped beneath a Cruise taxi for 30 minutes after another car pushed her into its path Footage posted to social media shows the victim's feet sticking out from beneath the vehicle as police officers crowd around her 'The General Motors-owned company must request hearings to reinstate both the deployment permit and the driverless testing permit, though it is unclear how long this will take. 'When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits,' the DMV wrote in its justification for the suspension. The department cited sections of the state's regulatory text for autonomous vehicles as evidence that the robotaxis are 'not safe for the public's operation' and that the company 'misrepresented' safety information. The suspension was a major blow for Cruise and its corporate parent, who suffered huge losses during the development of the driverless service that was supposed to generate $1 billion in revenue by 2025 as it expanded beyond San Francisco. After losing nearly $6 billion since the end of 2019, Cruise has shifted into reverse as it scrambles to control the fallout from the October accident that critically injured the run-over pedestrian and led to the recent resignation of CEO and co-founder Kyle Vogt. General Motors-owned Cruise had its permits suspended for deploying and testing driverless cars in San Francisco amid accusations that its employees hid the full story behind a crash Without directly addressing the potential fine, GM CEO Mary Barra said on Monday that the October crash has helped the automaker learn more about the need for transparency and a better relationship with regulators. 'We're very focused on righting the ship here because this is technology that can make the way we move from point A to point B safer,' Barra told a gathering of automotive media. Barra also pointed to the overhaul of Cruise's management, which included reorganizing its government relations and legal teams as signs of progress. 'We think we can do things more effectively,' she said. Cruise issued its own statement pledging to respond 'in a timely manner' to the Public Utilities Commission's concerns. The company has hired an outside law firm to scrutinize its response to the October accident. Ben Wallace has warned that the UK risks losing its leadership role in Ukraine if it does not give it 2.6billion in military aid. In his first backbench intervention since resigning as defence secretary in August, Mr Wallace said 'now is the time to double down on our support'. He said he wrote to the Prime Minister in June setting out a 2.6billion request for more military aid for Kyiv, and he 'hoped that, by now, Parliament would be aware of next year's pledge'. He wrote in The House magazine: 'But the Autumn Statement said nothing. In fact, it said the minimum on defence. 'The window on British defence leadership is closing. All the good work done will be overtaken by other European powers if we don't restate our commitments.' Ben Wallace has warned that the UK risks losing its leadership role in Ukraine if it does not give it 2.6billion in military aid. Pictured: Wallace in the House of Commons in July He said he wrote to the Prime Minister in June setting out a 2.6billion request for more military aid for Kyiv. Pictured: Avdiivka, Ukraine on 4 December Mr Wallace continued: 'Last December, I said to the Prime Minister that, after years of watching the threat, it was my belief that the world was getting more unstable, more anxious and more insecure and that instability would be likely to continue for the next decade. Both our deterrent and our resolve will be tested, and we need to just get on and invest. 'To date, that commitment has not been made by either the Conservatives or Labour.' He added that Ukraine has now 'crossed the Dnipro [river] and opened up a new front northwest of Crimea', and is able to 'threaten Russian bases on the peninsula'. The former minister said: 'But what they need is time and equipment. They need a clear statement of our resolve to stick by them.' He also told the magazine that Vladimir Putin 'is banking on us getting bored', saying: 'Despite losing 300,000 men (dead or injured), 10,000 armoured vehicles, 2,000 tanks and whole supply chains of equipment, Putin actually thinks he is winning. 'He dragoons, via secret mobilisation, more souls into the fight for his legacy and glory.' The alleged prison-break happened in Italy in March, after an Italian judge ruled to extradite Artem Uss to the US to be prosecuted for stealing military secrets The United States is demanding a man from Bosnia and Herzegovina be extradited on the basis he helped the indicted son of a Russian governor close to Vladimir Putin escape house arrest earlier this year. The alleged prison-break happened in Italy in March, after an Italian judge ruled to extradite Artem Uss, 40, to the US to be prosecuted for allegedly shipping military technologies bought from US manufacturers to Russian buyers. Uss, the son of recently resigned Krasnoyarsk Krai Gov. Aleksandr Uss was charged in 2022, and after being found guilty, was filmed fleeing his home detention in Milan on March 22, with the assistance of several individuals including Vladimir Jovancic, 51. Jovancic - one of six men allegedly affiliated with a Serbian organized crime group recruited by Uss - was taken into custody in Croatia Monday, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn just announced. He is now being held on charges of helping Artem Uss flee Italy to Russia - where fed say he posted to social media celebrating his safe return - ahead of his impending extradition to the States. The alleged prison-break happened in Italy in March, after an Italian judge ruled to extradite Artem Uss, 40, to Russia to be prosecuted for allegedly shipping military technologies bought from US manufacturers to Russian buyers. He is seen here with alleged smuggler Vladimir Jovancic, who was arrested on Monday Wanted in the U.S. on charges of smuggling Western technologies in violation of Western sanctions and money laundering, Uss's father is Aleksandr Uss (right), the recently resigned governor of the Krasnoyarsk Krai region who is friends with Vladimir Putin. The two are pictured together in 2017 In a December 4 letter to the US District judge handling the case, prosecutors demanded Jovancic be detained once he arrives in the US to ensure he will be tried. In the same correspondence, feds included a single surveillance still showing the pair strolling out of Artem Uss's home in Milan, before describing how they allegedly used bolt cutters, 50,000 euros and a cross-country car trip to evade extradition. Addressed to United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner, the letter begins: 'The government writes regarding defendant Vladimir Jovancic, who has been charged in the above-referenced indictment.' It goes on to add that the suspected mobster 'has been taken into custody in Croatia and will undergo extradition proceedings to the United States. 'As described in the Indictment and herein, the defendant presents an irremediable flight risk and has significant ties to foreign jurisdictions, including non-extradition countries. 'The government therefore moves for a permanent order of detention pending trial,' the note concludes. It goes on to offer some background into Artem Uss and the underlying criminal indictment surrounding his case, which contends he knowingly tried to 'obstruct and impede an official court proceeding' through his hiring of Jovancic and five others. One of the men, identified by prosecutors as the younger Uss's business partner Yury Orekhov, who allegedly orchestrated a transnational fraud, smuggling and money laundering operation along with the son of ex-governor. Krasnoyarsk Krai Gov. Aleksandr Uss resigned this past April - days after his son returned to Russia Prosecutors said Artem Uss and his wife paid Jovancic 50,000 euros - or $54,110 - to transport Uss from Milan across the border to Slovenia and ultimately to Serbia in a car, where he boarded a plane to Moscow. They also described Jovancic role in Uss escape. 'The investigation into Uss escape has revealed that, in or about January 2023, Jovancic and other individuals affiliated with a Serbian organized crime group were recruited by Uss to help him flee to Russia in the event extradition was granted,' that portion reads. The Bosnian national then met Uss wife at a hotel in Milan, Italy, prosecutors added, 'where they planned for Jovancic to deliver groceries to Usss residence in Milan as a pretext so that Jovancic's presence would not raise suspicion if an escape was necessary.' 'Uss wife also provided Jovancic with a cell phone and a 10,000 euro deposit for his services,' the letter continues, and Jovancic was later provided with a keycard to directly access Uss residence.' The note then pivots to the day of Uss escape, following the Italian courts decision to extradite Uss to the US, where Jovancic and several other coconspirators arrived at Usss residence. 'Once there, Jovancic escorted Uss into a car and provided Uss with bolt cutters, which Uss used to remove his electronic ankle monitor and throw it out the window. Jovancic and his coconspirators then drove Uss across the border into Slovenia. The 40-year-old son of the ex-governor - seen here with Putin - was arrested as he was about to board a flight to Istanbul in October 2022. Putin did not offer a reason for the elder Uss's resignation 'Over the next several days,' it continues, Jovancic and his coconspirators shuttled Uss through Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina before crossing into Serbia, where Uss paid Jovancic an additional 40,000 euro before boarding a plane to Russia. 'Surveillance video captured Jovancic arriving at Uss residence and leaving with Uss on the day of the escape. A still image of Jovancic and Uss leaving the premises is attached below.' The Oct. 20, 2022 charges against Uss, which also accused him of shipping Venezuelan oil to Russian and Chinese buyers in breach of U.S. sanctions, came as the U.S. sought to crack down on violations of sanctions and export controls to pressure Putin to halt Moscow's war in Ukraine. Separately on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department said it was offering a $7 million reward for information leading to Uss' arrest in regard to the major sanctions evasion and smuggling case, months after his father resigned shortly after his son returned to Russia. Jovancic, described by prosecutors as an affiliate of a Serbian organized crime group, faces two counts of obstruction of justice and instigating or assisting escape. Uss, meanwhile, is wanted in the U.S. on charges of smuggling Western technologies in violation of Western sanctions and money laundering. He faces up to 30 years in prison, Milan prosecutors said. Yehia Amin, 28, was charged with assault, stalking and aggravated harassment in the alleged hate crime, the Manhattan DA's office announced An 'anti-Semite' who punched a 23-year-old Israeli tourist in New York City's Times Square while shouting 'Hamas should kill more of you' has been charged with a hate crime, prosecutors announced. Yehia Amin, 28, was charged with assault, stalking and aggravated harassment in the hate crime, the Manhattan District Attorney's office stated on Tuesday. The victim, whose was wearing a a kippah, was walking through Times Square with four of his friends, who were all wearing their traditional head covering that is worn by Jewish males, during the October 18 attack, according to the DA's office. DA Alvin Bragg alleged that Amin 'taunted and punched a tourist after stalking his friends and going on a vile anti-Semitic tirade that spanned several minutes.' He vowed that 'violence stemming from hate and discrimination will not be tolerated in Manhattan.' A pro-Israel rally in Times Square that was held on October 19, a day after Amin attacked the young Israeli tourist A day after the barbaric Hamas attack on Israel pro-Israeli supporters gathered in Times Square waving and holding up the Israeli flag During the protests, many held up signs supporting those Palestinians that are being held by the militant extremist group, Hamas The victim, a Jewish Israeli tourist whose name was not released, was visiting Times Square with a group of four male friends. As the young men walked up to 7th Avenue from 42nd Street, they passed Amin, who started to follow them when he recognized they were Jewish, court documents revealed. Amin trailed the group several blocks as he played, what he described as 'Hamas music', on his Bluetooth speaker. During the vicious tirade, he made chilling anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli remarks including, 'Hamas should kill more of you.' He chanted: 'May Allah kill you... May Allah kill all Jews' and 'All Jews should die,' as per court documents. Two pro-Israeli supporters held up black-and-white signs stating that 'AntiSemitism is Racism' and 'Israel Celebrates Life' and 'Hamas Celebrates Death' As Amin continued his verbal onslaught, the young men approached a nearby security guard to report him. Court documents reveal the diatribe Amin went on shouting out, 'I want to die for Gaza.' 'I want to kill you,' and 'I want to kill you for Gaza.' As the men tried to walk to a train station, Amin reportedly ran behind the victim and punched him in the back of the head, The Hill reported. After the alleged assault, he tried to flee the scene, but the group chased him including, a police officer who then took him into custody, as per the news outlet. They could be another young couple heading out for the evening. But the assault rifle slung around the shoulders of this young woman helps lay bare the grim everyday reality faced by Israelis. The pair were seen walking hand-in-hand through Jerusalem on Monday, amid heightened tensions in the city. Prior to Hamas's brutal massacre on October 7, Israel had strict gun laws, permitting licences only to people who could prove they needed extra security. Applications previously took months to process but can now be approved within days of filling out an online form. A young couple head out for a night in Jerusalem, with the woman wearing a rifle across her body Men pray at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem as tensions continue to increase between Israel and Hamas Gun shops and shooting ranges in Israel have since been inundated with civilians looking to buy firearms to protect their families. Less than a month after Hamas's attacks there had been 150,000 applications for gun licences, compared to just 42 in the same period, last year. Israel's police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has previously described gun ownership as a precaution against internal unrest between Jews and Israel's Arab minority. In a televised speech after the attacks, Israel's president Benjamin Netanyahu said the government would be 'encouraging civilians and helping civilians to arm themselves for their self-defense'. The alleged kingpin of a major drug gang has been extradited to Sydney to face court almost two years after fleeing the country and attempting to shelter in Turkey. Alleged senior Alameddine gang member Masood Zakaria touched down at Sydney airport about 6pm on Tuesday. Described as one of NSW's most wanted men, police allege Zakaria was involved in a failed plot to murder underworld figure Ibrahem Hamze in 2021. He has been charged with 11 serious and violent offences after being deported from Turkey last week. After arriving in Sydney, the 28-year-old was taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with conspiring and agreeing to murder, knowingly directing activities of a criminal group, supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, reckless grievous bodily harm as well as assault and affray. Masood Zakaria flew in to Darwin on Sunday before being extradited to Sydney He was refused bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday. READ MORE: Zakaria forced to give up assets A $1.5 million dollar home, $200,000 in cash, Harley Davidson motorcycle and jetski are among the list of luxury items one of Australia's most wanted crime bosses and his wife have been ordered to hand over. Advertisement Zakaria fled the country last year while under investigation for a string of serious organised crime-related offences. He was arrested when he landed in Darwin on Sunday afternoon and then extradited to NSW. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald described Zakaria as one of the state's 'most wanted and significant' organised-crime figures. He has been a focus of a transnational offshore task force Operation Gain targeting the nation's most prominent overseas-based offenders. The Sydney man was wanted by police over his claimed links to the Alameddine gang and his alleged involvement in a failed plot to murder Hamze. Police thwarted the plot when they tried to stop a stolen Mercedes in North Sydney that investigators believe was to be used for the crime. Several men have previously been charged with conspiracy to murder. Mr Fitzgerald said Zakaria fled Australia in a fishing boat as police were about to arrest him in 2022. Michael Fitzgerald says Zakaria is a 'most wanted and significant' organised-crime figure They believe he was second in charge of one of Sydney's largest crime gangs. Turkish officials notified Australian authorities after Zakaria allegedly entered the country in 2022 on a false passport. He was arrested and transferred to immigration detention in January where he was held in custody awaiting deportation. The Boston newlywed who was killed by a shark while paddle boarding with her new husband a day after their dreamy Bahamas wedding has been identified. Lauren Erickson Van Wart, 44, was paddleboarding off the coast of the five-star Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort with her new spouse Monday morning when she was fatally mauled by the predator. A lifeguard spotted the woman in distress and rushed to help. They attempted CPR, but the attack had severely injured the woman's right hip and upper limb, with attempts to revive her unsuccessful. People enjoying the nearby beach are said to have heard screams as the horror unfolded, vacationer Debra DeWeese told DailyMail.com. Grim photos and video shared afterwards showed the victim's covered body being brought back to the beach on a gurney, before being loaded into an ambulance. A 44 year-old Boston newlywed's paddle board is pictured floating in the Bahamas Monday, shortly after she was fatally-mauled by a shark the day after her wedding Mortuary services personnel transport the body of a female tourist after what police described as a fatal shark attack in waters near Sandals Royal Bahamian resort The newlywed's body is loaded into a van by local police after Monday's tragedy A woman from Boston died in the Bahamas on Monday, after she was attacked by a shark while paddle boarding about three-quarters of a mile away from the shore with a family member. https://t.co/PhJW5KkDr7 pic.twitter.com/J0OlNgtKRc CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 4, 2023 Royal Bahamian Police Sergeant Desiree Ferguson told reporters: 'Shortly after 11:15 a.m. police were notified that a female visitor from Boston, Massachusetts, USA was attacked by a shark. 'According to our initial reports, the female along, with a male relative were paddle boarding just at the rear of a resort in Western New Providence, some 3/4 miles out from the shoreline when she was bitten by the shark. 'A lifeguard on duty who saw what was happening went out in a rescue boat, retrieved the victim, along with the male relative and brought them to safety CPR was administered to the victim. 'However she suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, including the right hip region and also her right upper limb. 'Emergency Medical Services responded to this scene they thoroughly assessed the victim and they declared that she show she showed no vital signs of life.' She added that it took a couple of hours to pull the woman in, before they took a wheelchair out to gather the man believed to be her husband. 'I cant imagine what the husband is going through,' DeWeese - who was on a day pass from a cruise - added in a Facebook post. Emergency services are seen gathered on a pier off the Sandals resort on Monday after the fatal shark mauling Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort is a five-star complex, where rooms cost around $1,500-a-night in peak season DeWeese noted that 'the staff and some guests are a bit traumatized.' It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked the woman, although tiger sharks and bull sharks are known to live off the coast of the Bahamas. Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said in an interview that there have been several shark-related fatalities reported in the Bahamas in the past five years. He noted that the Bahamas has a 'huge' tourist population, adding that there are a lot of people in the water and a lot of visitors who want to view sharks from a fishing boat or dive with them. 'So the sharks get acclimated, and the animals are a little bit less cautious than they otherwise might be,' he said. The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located She was paddleboarding with a man - believed to be her husband - who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson Between 30 to 40 shark species live around the Bahamas, although the Caribbean reef shark, the bull shark, the tiger shark and the black tip shark have the highest bite frequency, Naylor said. 'Usually, its an accidental bite. They think its something else,' he said. 'Once in a while, theyll actually single out people, and its very intentional.' Fatal shark attacks are rare, with only an average of five to six reported worldwide a year, most of them occurring in Australia, Naylor said. Last year, there were a total of 57 unprovoked bites around the globe, the majority of them in the U.S., according to the International Shark Attack File. Debra DeWeese, a woman visiting the resort who posted photos from the scene afterwards, told DailyMail.com that her fellow vacationers could hear the woman's screams all the way from land Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts At least 33 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1580, with the island ranking ninth worldwide, according to the file. The Nassau Guardian newspaper reported that authorities in the Bahamas are still searching for a German woman who went missing late last month after she was apparently attacked while diving. Last year, a shark killed a U.S. cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania who was snorkeling in the northern Bahamas near Green Cay. Most shark attacks in the Caribbean occur in the Bahamas, although a rare shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin three years ago. Rishi Sunak is set to reject calls for the most hardline Rwanda plan and keep an option open for European judges to intervene. Threatening a new row with the right of his party, the Prime Minister is discussing plans under which Strasbourg will still have the right to consider whether Channel migrants can be sent to Africa. Senior Tories believe he is preparing to drop the controversial idea of legislating to put illegal migrants outside the jurisdiction of the European Convention on Human Rights. Tory moderates tonight said they had received 'assurances' the PM will not proceed with the most radical option for resolving the stand-off with the Supreme Court over the flagship Rwanda scheme. Mr Sunak has been examining the so-called 'full-fat' plan that would carve out the Rwanda scheme from the ECHR, as advocated by many on the Tory Right. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts his weekly cabinet meeting with Home Secretary James Cleverly appearing via video link on Tuesday The PM is set to axe a plan to duck Europe's human rights laws over the Rwanda scheme (Pictured: The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg) Downing Street today said 'no final decisions' had been made on the legislation, which could be published as soon as Thursday. Migrants could be sent back if crime committed Migrants who are sent to Rwanda could be returned to the UK if they commit a serious crime, it has emerged. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said that in 'hypothetical, exceptional circumstances', a deported migrant who is later jailed for at least five years in the central African nation could end up coming back to Britain. Anyone convicted of a crime would first have to serve their sentence in Rwanda. At that stage, authorities there may decide to revoke their permission to remain. Home Office sources said that migrants may also be able to return here if they win an appeal which had been previously lodged in UK courts against the original decision to remove them to Rwanda. The spokesman added that there would be a 'high bar' for sending someone back but declined to give examples of circumstances. Last night, a source said the likelihood of a migrant being returned after committing a crime in Rwanda was 'minuscule'. Advertisement A source insisted the final legislative package would be 'tough'. But a leading Tory moderate told the Mail No 10 had today given private assurances that plans for setting aside the ECHR had been 'dropped'. The former Cabinet minister said: 'There are people on the Right of the party shouting that we have to do this and the PM has flirted with it, but it is not necessary. It would not work and it now looks like it is not going to happen, which is a great relief and which makes it more likely we will actually get these flights going.' Mr Sunak is thought to be leaning towards a 'semi-skimmed' version of the legislation which could override the UK's Human Rights Act but not the ECHR. This could limit legal challenges but leave open a right of appeal to Strasbourg. A 'skimmed' version of the deal would simply see Parliament declare that, in the light of the new treaty signed with Rwanda today, the African nation is a safe country to send migrants. Mr Sunak is understood to have been influenced by Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, who ignored ECHR rulings on prisoner voting for years without leaving it. The former prime minister told peers today: 'There are occasions when the ECHR makes judgments as they did on the issue of prisoner votes when they said that it was absolutely essential that we legislated to give prisons the vote. 'And I said I didn't think that was the case, I think that should be settled by Houses of Parliament, and the ECHR backed down. So that sort of flexibility may well be necessary in the future.' A Whitehall source said Mr Sunak was focused on what will work rather than 'crowd pleasing'. James Cleverly arrived in Kigali on Tuesday to sign a fresh agreement with the Kagame regime to take those arriving in the UK by sea He visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial during his visit to Rwanda and viewed pictures of the victims of the genocide 'This legislation is going to be tough, but the PM is not interested in doing something that ends up being counter-productive and ties us down in further legal problems,' the source said. 'There is no point having a crowd-pleasing moment if it all falls apart a few months later.' READ MORE: 29,000 migrants have reached the UK via the Channel this year as figures show proportion of Albanians crossing in small boats has fallen while one in nine arriving are Turkish Advertisement Supporters of the 'full-fat' plan, who include former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, argue it is the only way to guarantee the scheme is not subject to further debilitating legal challenges and ensure the first deportation flights take off before the next election. But opponents, said to include senior Cabinet ministers, have warned the plan would damage the country's international standing and put the Government on a collision course with judges who could block a new law, killing off hope of Rwanda flights next year. Senior figures in the influential One Nation group of Tory MPs tonight warned that leaving the ECHR would be a 'red line'. Damian Green, who served as Theresa May's deputy, said overriding the ECHR would be 'the wrong thing to do' and make it 'pretty much impossible' to get the legislation through the House of Lords. Mr Green said the Government should 'think twice' before trying to limit the application of the ECHR or the Human Rights Act. Stephen Hammond, a former One Nation minister, admitted Mr Sunak faced a 'tricky task' but insisted the Rwanda scheme could work without breaching international obligations. Mr Hammond warned 'mainstream Conservatives may struggle to support a so-called full-fat deal'. Tory whips have warned as many as ten ministers could resign if the Government tries to override the ECHR, including Attorney General Victoria Prentis and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk. But MPs on the Tory Right signalled they would continue to press for a 'full fat' option. Dozens are said to be ready to back an amendment to the legislation on the ECHR if Mr Sunak drops the plan. Mark Francois, of the European Research Group of Tory MPs, tonight said the group's lawyers would look for 'unambiguous wording' in the new plan that will ensure deportation flights can take place next year before backing it. A worker has been left fighting for life following a freak electrocution accident. The man, aged in his 40s, suffered an electric shock while at a Swanbank worksite, in Queensland, at 4.30pm on Tuesday. A High Acuity Response unit was sent with paramedics to the scene. The worker was rushed to a hospital in Ipswich in a critical condition. A murder probe has been launched after a woman was shot dead and two others were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds in Hackney. Emergency services raced to a home in Vine Close, east London, just before 6.30pm after reports of a shooting. Paramedics desperately tried to save the 42-year-old woman but she died at the scene. A teenage boy, 16, and 20-year-old man were also rushed to a major trauma centre following the attack where their conditions are being assessed. No arrests have been made at this time with a huge manhunt underway to catch the perpetrator. Detective Superintendent Vicky Tunstall, from the local police team in Hackney, declared that whoever is responsible 'will be brought to justice'. Emergency services raced to a home in Vine Close, east London , just before 6.30pm after reports of a shooting. Pictured: Police guard a cordon in Hackney Paramedics desperately tried to save the 42-year-old woman but she died at the scene A teenage boy, 16, and 20-year-old man were also rushed to a major trauma centre following the attack where their conditions are being assessed No arrests have been made at this time with a huge manhunt underway to catch the perpetrator Detective Superintendent Vicky Tunstall, from the local police team in Hackney, declared that whoever is responsible 'will be brought to justice' She said in a statement: 'This shocking incident has resulted in the death of a young woman and my thoughts are with her family at this incredibly difficult time. 'My thoughts are also with the two people who have been taken to hospital. 'Gun crime has no place on the streets of London and we will do all we can to bring whoever is responsible for this despicable crime to justice.' Local police officers said they are in the 'early stages' of its investigation and specialist officers have been deployed to establish what happened. The two others harmed in the shooting are having their conditions assessed in hospital. They were rushed to a major trauma centre after fast response cars and an incident officer from the London Ambulance Service were rushed to the scene alongside a trauma team from London's Air Ambulance. Detective Tunstall added: 'I do not underestimate the impact this incident will have on people in Hackney and I understand the community will want answers about what has happened this evening. 'We will share further information as our investigation progresses.' Local police officers said they are in the 'early stages' of its investigation and specialist officers have been deployed to establish what happened. Pictured: Vine Close, Hackney Scotland Yard said the woman's next of kin are in the process of being informed and will be supported by specialist family liaison officers The two others harmed in the shooting are having their conditions assessed in hospital They were rushed to a major trauma centre after fast response cars and an incident officer from the London Ambulance Service were rushed to the scene alongside a trauma team from London's Air Ambulance Detective Tunstall said the force will share further information with the community as their investigation progresses Police guard the cordon in Hackney, east London, after three people were found with gunshot wounds Detective Superintendent Vicky Tunstall said her thoughts were with the woman's family Scotland Yard said the woman's next of kin are in the process of being informed and will be supported by specialist family liaison officers. A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service added: 'We were called at 6.33pm today (5 December) to reports of a shooting in Vine Close, Hackney. 'We sent two ambulance crews, three paramedics in fast response cars and an incident response officer to the scene. 'We also dispatched a trauma team from London's Air Ambulance in car. 'Despite the best efforts of our medics and the police officers, one patient sadly died at the scene. We treated two other patients who were both taken to a major trauma centre as a priority.' Anyone who witnessed the shooting, or has information about what happened, is urged to call 101 quoting CAD 5811/05Dec or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Junior doctors will stage the longest strike in NHS history putting patients at risk and piling more strain on hospitals at their busiest time of year. They will again abandon their posts for three days this month and six more at the start of January. The move came after British Medical Association chiefs rejected a pay offer in their long-running row with the Government. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins warned of huge disruption and danger to patient safety. Her concerns were echoed by health chiefs who described the BMA's 'hasty' decision to quit talks as the outcome they were dreading. The walkouts are likely to coincide with a surge in winter viruses as well as casualties from Christmas parties. Pictured: Doctors strike outside the Conservative Party Conference in October Britain's Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said it's 'disappointing' new strikes are happening Lee Anderson, a Conservative Party deputy chairman, said the industrial action should end Nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics have all called off strikes following pay deals, while consultants are to vote on an offer their leaders have accepted. Lee Anderson, Conservative Party deputy chairman, said that junior doctors should read the Hippocratic oath and end their industrial action now. The Ashfield MP added: 'This is nothing but a slap in the face for patients. READ MORE - Junior doctors vow to strike for NINE days before Christmas and in the New Year in huge blow to beleaguered NHS at its busiest time of year Advertisement 'Millions of appointments have already been cancelled thanks to strikes and the BMA knows exactly the harm they're causing by walking out over the busiest time of the year.' Paul Bristow, a Tory MP who sits on the Commons health committee, said junior doctors were looking increasingly isolated because colleagues had accepted pay offers. He added: 'The junior doctors have clearly not got the memo that the time for striking is over. 'It's time the junior doctors put patients first, accept a fair offer and call off their strikes.' Ministers and representatives from the BMA have been locked in negotiations for five weeks. But the union said its junior doctors committee had voted unanimously for further strikes after accusing the Department for Health of failing to put forward a credible offer. It means junior doctors in England will walk out from 7am on December 20 to 7am on December 23 and from 7am on January 3 to 7am on January 9. Strikes by doctors, nurses and physiotherapists have already led to the cancellation of more than a million appointments and operations, costing the NHS more than 1.3billion A protester holds a placard while chanting in support of fair pay outside the Conservative Party Conference in October Junior doctors were offered a 3 per cent rise on top of the average 8.8 per cent in the summer. But the BMA said the cash would have been split unevenly across different medical grades and would 'still amount to pay cuts for many'. Strikes by doctors, nurses and physiotherapists have already led to the cancellation of more than a million appointments and operations, costing the NHS more than 1.3billion this year. The BMA last month reached a deal with the Government that will hand consultants pay rises of between 6 per cent and 19.6 per cent if the senior doctors back the offer in a ballot in January. Ms Atkins said: 'It is disappointing that, despite significant progress, the BMA junior doctors committee have walked away from negotiations and declared new strikes, which will result in more disruption for patients and extra pressure on NHS services and staff as we enter a busy winter period, risking patient safety. If they call off their strikes, we will immediately look to come back to the table.' Sir Julian Hartley, of NHS Providers, which represents health trusts, said: 'This is the outcome trust leaders were dreading. This will be the longest strike in NHS history during the busiest and toughest time of the year for the NHS. These strikes will undermine efforts to cut waiting lists further, they'll have a serious knock-on effect.' Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairmen of the BMA's junior doctors committee, said they would call off the strike if they had a 'credible' offer. They added: 'The approach from Ms Atkins and the team has been productive but ultimately that alone is not sufficient to make up for 15 years of declining pay.' Top Democrats have condemned Rep. Thomas Massie for posting a meme with rapper Drake suggesting Congress has done more to support Zionism than American Patriotism. 'Rep. Massie, you're a sitting Member of Congress. This is antisemitic, disgusting, dangerous, and exactly the type of thing I was talking about in my Senate address. Take this down,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posted in response to the meme. Massie's post came as the House overwhelmingly passed a resolution to affirm that antisemitism are synonymous, in another vote to support Israel in its war on Gaza. The vote was 311 to 14, with 92 Democrats voting 'present' and 17 members not voting. Thirteen Democrats, including Reps. Jamaal Bowman, N.Y., Cori Bush, Mo., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, Mich., voted against the measure. Only Massie voted against it on the Republican side. 'All Americans - including @HouseGOP leadership - should condemn this virulent Antisemitism from a sitting member of Congress,' White House deputy communications director Herbie Ziskend posted on response to Massie's meme. Massie and Tlaib were the only members of the House who last week voted against a resolution reaffirming Israel's right to exist last week. That resolution had said: 'denying Israel's right to exist is a form of antisemitism,' which Massie took issue with. 'Antisemitism is deplorable, but expanding it to include criticism of Israel is not helpful,' Massie wrote on X. Tuesday's resolution, introduced by Jewish Republicans David Kustoff, R-Tenn., and Max Miller, R-Ohio, both condemns antisemitism and 'clearly and firmly states that anti-Zionism is antisemitism.' Top Democrats have condemned Rep. Thomas Massie for posting a meme with rapper Drake suggesting Congress has done more to support Zionism than American Patriotism 'Rep. Massie, you're a sitting Member of Congress. This is antisemitic, disgusting, dangerous, and exactly the type of thing I was talking about in my Senate address. Take this down,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posted in response to the meme Thirteen Democrats, including Reps. Jamaal Bowman, N.Y., Cori Bush , Mo., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib , Mich., voted against the measure A group of Jewish Democrats, including Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman, both of New York, and Jamie Raskin of Maryland voted 'present' on the resolution and called it the 'latest unserious attempt by Republicans to weaponize Jewish pain.' They noted that last week the House already passed a resolution with the same assertion. The group also noted that there are Jewish anti-Zionists, including the Satmar Sect, who are 'quite obviously not anti-Semitic.' Some liberals have expressed concerns that such sentiment could lead to characterizing any criticism of the Israeli government as antisemitism. The Merriam-Webster definition of anti-Zionism is 'opposition to the establishment or support of the state of Israel.' The definition for antisemitism is listed as 'hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.' The resolution was brought forth after the Anti-Defamation League reported a stark increase in antisemitic incidents since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. It came as House Republicans brought in Jewish students to talk about antisemitism on their university campuses. One MIT student said she had to leave her doctoral group because her group members told her 'the people at the Nova music festival deserve to die because they were partying on stolen lands.' A New York University student told reporters: 'I hear calls to gas the Jews and I am told that Hitler was right.' It's one of the most popular gaming platforms around the world. But if you use the PlayStation Network, you might want to check on your account. Several confused PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users say they have been 'permanently suspended' from their accounts and games. Taking to Reddit, one user wrote: 'My account permanently suspended for no reason??,' while another added: 'There's no reason for it. Sony better fix this.' Sony is yet to publicly acknowledge the issue - but here's what to do if you've been affected. Several confused PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users say they have been 'permanently suspended' from their accounts and games Taking to Reddit, one user wrote: 'My account permanently suspended for no reason??,' while another added: 'There's no reason for it. Sony better fix this' READ MORE: GTA 6 trailer is released 'GTA VI' will be released in 2025 and set in fictional Vice City, reminiscent of Miami, appearing to feature the first playable female character in the franchise Advertisement According to Sony's help page, accounts can be permanently suspended for a number of reasons. 'If PlayStation Safety determines that you have uploaded or shared content that breaches our Community Code of Conduct, your account may be temporarily or permanently suspended depending on the severity of the offense,' it explains. 'You can be suspended for sharing explicit, hateful, or graphic content in text, audio, images, or videos.' However, several users claim their accounts have been suspended, despite not breaking any of these rules. 'I got a permanent suspension. no email. no appeal,' one user wrote on Reddit. 'I literally played this morning. I'm trying to get on a chat. They are swamped on the phone, and I started at 265 on the chat. This must be a mistake.' Another added: 'I just got permanently suspended while playing Ark. 'There's no reason for it. Sony better fix this. I'm in the US, and was playing on my PS5.' 'Without any notice, PlayStation permanently banned me from the PlayStation Network,' one user tweeted. One user vented: 'We just came home from dinner and my kids got on to play Fortnightperm bannedkids are freaking out' Another added: 'I just got permanently suspended while playing Ark. 'There's no reason for it. Sony better fix this. I'm in the US, and was playing on my PS5' READ MORE: Sony unveils new PlayStation 5 in slimmed down model with game-changing feature Advertisement And one vented: 'We just came home from dinner and my kids got on to play Fortnightperm bannedkids are freaking out 'I'm just happy that we aren't alone, but this stinks!!! I'm thinking it's a bug, I just hope it can be resolved.' Several users have reported similar issues over on X (formerly Twitter). 'Without any notice, PlayStation permanently banned me from the PlayStation Network,' one user tweeted. 'No one knows why! I don't have a chargeback, I can't appeal & no response to suspension status. CS says to create a new account & disconnected me.' Another responded with a similar predicament, replying: 'Same thing here. Lots of people. 'I've done nothing and now I can't use my PS5. This better get fixed quickly.' Sony is yet to comment on the issue, although MailOnline has contacted the press team for comment. In the meantime, if your account has been suspended, you can appeal the suspension on the PlayStation support page here. When a dead great white shark washed up on an Australian beach in October, authorities immediately suspected foul play. The shark's belly was ripped open, a rare twist for one of the ocean's most feared predators. Now scientists have confirmed who killed the giant predator: a killer whale or, more likely, a group of killer whales. Swabbing the bite wounds has revealed DNA traces from killer whales, Dr. Adam Miller of Deakin University announced this week. The great white shark washed up on the beach, with its head and spine intact but its liver missing. Signs pointed to killer whales 'We effectively took genetic samples, a swab of the bite wounds,' Miller, associate professor of aquatic ecology and biodiversity, told ABC Radio Melbourne. 'We were able to confirm that those bite wounds were just loaded with killer whale DNA. So it's a bit of a smoking gun.' The shark in question was almost 16 feet long, Miller said. That's relatively large by great white standards, as the largest individuals grow to about 20 feet in length and weigh up to about 4,400 pounds. Great white sharks may be giant, but orcas are even larger, measuring 20 to 26 feet long and weighing over 13,000 pounds. The mangled remains were found washed up on the beach at Bridgewater Bay in Victoria, across Port Phillip from Melbourne. The great white shark's carcass was found in October, washed up on Bridgewater Beach in Victoria, Australia. It was ripped apart, but the liver seemed to be the only part eaten A different great white carcass, seen after having its liver was precisely ripped out by orcas Bite marks were found on the pectoral girdle, the portion of the belly between the fins on the shark's underside. This is also where killer whales are known to bite other shark species, including blue sharks and makos. 'They effectively suck out the liver,' said Miller. 'They're really picky eaters, these things.' Killer whales had been spotted in the area during the days leading up to the attack, including a couple of well-known males named Bent Tip and Ripple, Miller said. 'We can determine individuals' by their distinct markings, he added. 'They were corralling and tossing around what looked to be a small whale, based on some of the public reports we received, which was interesting,' said Miller. Because the whales were actively hunting in the area shortly before the dead shark was found, observers speculated that the mammals may have been to blame, Miller said, 'which is something that hasn't actually been documented in Australian waters before.' Scientists and other observers have seen orcas harassing great whites in Australian waters but haven't seen them killing any giant fish. Killer whales have, however, been recorded hunting and killing great whites and other species of sharks in California and in great numbers off the coast of South Africa. In fact, great white numbers have dropped significantly in South African waters because of increased hunting by killer whales, Miller said. Earlier this year, one pair of orcas appeared to have killed a whopping 17 sharks in just 24 hours. Last year, scientists captured stunning footage of killer whales pursuing a great white shark. We may be familiar with great whites as the ocean's most fearsome predator, but for the first time ever, this video revealed how they behave when they become the prey. The shark swam in tight circles, trying to evade the larger killer whales pursuing it. Unfortunately for the shark, this maneuver wasn't enough to save it from the whales, who hunt in groups. And scientists suspect that 'cultural transmission' may happen among killer whales. In other words, they seem to teach each other how to hunt. Great white sharks seem to be learning, too, as the 2022 report found that the surviving sharks abandoned their hunting grounds after orcas had killed others. 'When you remove a top-order predator, it can actually have quite a measurable impact on the structure of marine ecosystems,' Miller said. Apex predators like great white sharks keep the populations of their prey animals in check, and when they leave or get killed off, the ecosystem's balance is disrupted. 'It's something we just want to monitor because white sharks in Australia are a vulnerable species.' Wine sommeliers are experts in their field, able to help decipher wine lists and recommend which bottles complement certain foods. But they could be facing competition from somm-AI-liers, according to a new study. Experts from the University of Bordeaux say that artificial intelligence (AI) can detect the chemical profiles in wine with remarkable accuracy. During testing, AI was able to identify the origin and vintage of different varieties with 100 per cent accuracy. The researchers now plan to put the bot head-to-head against a human sommelier to see how the two stack up. Robots could soon help you pick your wine, as a study reveals AI can identify the origin and vintage of plonk with 100% accuracy (stock image) READ MORE: Climate change is making wine taste BETTER Advertisement In the study, the researchers used gas chromatography a technique used to separate and identify components within a mixture to analyse the chemical composition of 80 red wines across seven wine estates in the Bordeaux region of France. They looked at 12 harvest years, between 1990 and 2007. The team then used machine learning algorithms to look at the raw, unprocessed results of the analysis, and to group the wines into clusters based on the similarity of their chemical compositions. The authors found that their technique could group wines into clusters according to their estate with 100 per cent accuracy and according to their vintage with up to 50 per cent accuracy. Writing in the journal Communications Chemistry the scientists, from the University of Bordeaux, said: 'It would be interesting to compare the performance of our model to the one of expert human tasters on blind tasting of the 80 wines we have analysed. In the study, the researchers used gas chromatography a technique used to separate and identify components within a mixture to analyse the chemical composition of 80 red wines across seven wine estates in the Bordeaux region of France (stock image) 'Whether expert wine tasters would be able to match our model's performance 100 per cent on these seven estates is not known. 'Given our strong performance with estate recognition, artificialsystems might be able to complement human tasters on wine recognition.' Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, is the home of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Red wine from the region typically has aromas of red berries, blackcurrant and 'earthiness', with the taste described as supple and fruity. Experts say red Bordeaux is best served just slightly below room temperature, at around 18C (65F), and is best paired with steak and chips. A mole with a shimmery golden coat deemed extinct in 1936 after all traces of the species had disappeared has been rediscovered on a beach in South Africa. Known as De Winton's golden mole, the blind burrower with 'super-hearing powers' was rediscovered in Port Nolloth on the west coast of South Africa by a team of researchers from the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the University of Pretoria. The tiny mammal, about the size of a hamster, spends most of its life underground and avoids humans, making it easy to miss. This particular species had been threatened by Africa's diamond and mineral mining activities, and when it was lost to science 86 years ago, researchers assumed it had gone extinct. But using DNA from a sister golden mole, scientists were able to track it down with the help of a sniffer dog that led them to tunnels hidden on a beach. A mole with a shimmery golden coat deemed extinct in 1936 after all traces of the species had disappeared has been rediscovered on a beach in South Africa Researchers began their hunt in 2020, using samples from De Winton's sister species, the endangered Van Zyl's golden mole, to see if the technique was viable. Golden moles are native to sub-Saharan Africa, and the De Winton's had only ever been found in the Port Nolloth area. After the successful results of the pilot study, the team set out in 2021 to the west coast in search of the elusive animal. Samantha Mynhardt, a biologist at Stellenbosch University, told The Associated Press: 'We had high hopes, but we also had our hopes crushed by a few people. 'One De Winton's expert told us, `You're not going to find that mole. Its extinct.' The team and the sniffer dog, a border collie named Jessie, investigated the 985-foot-long beach, searching for tiny tunnels burrowed in the sand. The tiny mammal, about the size of a hamster, spends most of its life underground and avoids humans, making it easy to miss This particular species had been threatened by Africa's diamond and mineral mining activities, and when it was lost to science 86 years ago, researchers assumed it had gone extinct The dog used the sister mole's DNA to sniff out the presumed extinct animal. Mynhardt writes for The Conversation that she and Jessie surveyed about one foot of beach each week until the dog picked up the scent that led to small tunnels flowing under the sand. The team took soil samples to ensure they were made by De Winton's mole. The samples contained the animal's hair, skin, cells and secretions, which the team extracted and compared with the species' DNA. However, the DNA did not match as it did not come from De Winton's mole. Although the DNA did not match any other known golden mole species, there was still not enough evidence to declare De Wintons Golden Mole rediscovered. Researchers surveyed about one foot of beach each week until the dog picked up the scent that led to small tunnels flowing along the sand The team then did more morphological and genetic analysis on the golden moles on the beach. The missing evidence was found in 2022 at the Port Nolloth Museum, with an old specimen of De Wintons Golden Mole in its collection. A separate team of researchers had sequenced several of its genes, allowing EWT to compare the findings with the soil samples - and it was a match. There are 21 species of golden moles, most of which live only in South Africa. These small creatures have an oily secretion that lubricates the fur with an iridescent sheen, giving them the name 'golden mole,' allowing them to 'swim' through the sand Two De Winton's golden moles have now been confirmed and photographed in Port Nolloth, Mynhardt said, while the research team has found signs of other populations in the area since 2021. 'It was a very exciting project with many challenges,' said Esther Matthew, senior field officer with the Endangered Wildlife Trust. 'Luckily, we had a fantastic team full of enthusiasm and innovative ideas, which is exactly what you need when you have to survey up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) of dune habitat in a day.' There are 21 species of golden moles, most of which live only in South Africa. These small creatures have an oily secretion that lubricates the fur with an iridescent sheen, giving them the name 'golden mole,' allowing them to 'swim' through the sand. The De Winton's golden mole was one of the top 25 animals on a list of long-lost species the Re:wild non-government group drew up in 2017. Eleven have now been discovered again. Christina Biggs, a lost species specialist for Re:wild, praised the team's persistence in finding the moles. "They left no sandhill unturned, and now it's possible to protect the areas where these threatened and rare moles live," said Biggs. A war over UFO disclosure broke out on Capitol Hill after House Republicans were accused of obstructing a bill that would declassify records of mysterious sightings. The Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosure Act of 2023 was passed by the Senate in July but needs full congressional approval to be part of the National Defense Authorization (NDAA) 2024. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer took the stand Monday to slam Republicans for pushing back on the legislation that would force governments to disclose if aliens have visited Earth. Schumer said on the Senate floor that the Republicans are trying to 'kill a commonsense, bipartisan measure' and preventing Americans from accessing records on a topic of 'intense curiosity'. It is unknown why Republicans are working against the legislation - but some speculate it is because the executive branch is concealing vital information regarding UFOs, which extends over a long period of time. Democrat Chuck Schumer is fighting for the passing of the UAP disclosure act that would force governments to inform Americans if aliens have visited Earth Mike Turner (R-Ohio), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) are said to be among those pushing back on the bill. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said on his show on X in late November that Rogers and Turner 'have been instructed to violate, in letter and in spirit, federal law, and to hide the truth about UFOs.' Carlson later called out Speaker of the House Johnson and McConnell for being among those looking to 'shut [the bill] down.' David Grusch, a former high-ranking intelligence official who testified under oath about his experience with UAPs, also named Rogers and Turner during a recent interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. 'Why are you blocking the bill? And it's not going to cost much, a couple [of] million a year max, you know, for the panel, which is like vaporware in U.S. government speak, right?' Grusch said during the podcast. The Senate passed the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosure Act in July, requiring government offices to hand over all UAP records no later than 300 days after the amendment's enactment date. The bill now needs congressional approval 'If there's nothing to see here, why are Mike Rogers and Mike Turner in the House blocking this bill that is, in my opinion, the most important legislation for transparency in American history?' Schumer told the Senate floor Monday: 'House Republicans are also attempting to kill another commonsense, bipartisan measure passed by the Senate, which I was proud to cosponsor to increase transparency around what the government does and does not know about unidentified aerial phenomena,' Schumer said. 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena has generated intense curiosity from many Americans, and the risk for confusion and misinformation is high if the government is not willing to be transparent.' Schumer has teamed up with Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican, in leading an effort to force disclosure. The UFO bill was modeled after the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, which required all assassination-related material be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). 'The measure would create a board just like with the JFK assassination records to work through the declassification of the many government records on UAPs,' Schumer said Monday. 'This model has been a terrific success for decades and should be used with UAPs.' Schumer, Rounds and three other senators, one Democrat and two Republicans, believe several Republicans are plotting to hinder their efforts. The bill was passed as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization (NDAA) for 2024 in July, but it has yet to receive full congressional approval. Both the House and Senate must pass the same bill by majority vote - and with the Senate's approval, the amendment is in the hands of the House. If the act is greenlighted, government agencies with records, samples of craft or 'biological' material must hand it over within 300 days. David Grusch, Ryan Graves, an esteemed former pilot, and Navy veteran fighter pilot Commander David Fravor, who witnessed the 2004 'Tic Tac' UFO, swore under oath in July during a hearing where they testified their evidence David Grusch claims one of these alien spacecraft crashed in Northern Italy in 1933 and was secreted away by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Pictured is a handwritten memo claiming to describe the crash President Joe Biden will have 90 days to appoint a nine-person Review Board responsible for investigating each record and determining if they are considered UAPs that should be disclosed to the public. Any government agency possessing such records must hand over printed and digital copies to the board, which has 180 days to investigate and 14 days to publish their findings. The president, however, can vote against disclosing specific evidence if it poses a national threat. The bill is just part of the growing UFO curiosity in the US, which has gained traction in recent years due to high-ranking military officials coming forward with reports of such sightings. Grusch, Ryan Graves, an esteemed former pilot, and Navy veteran fighter pilot Commander David Fravor, who witnessed the 2004 'Tic Tac' UFO, swore under oath in July during a hearing where they testified their evidence. An artist's impression of the alleged 1933 UFO crash outside Magenta in northern Italy shows a craft shaped like a saucer Grusch claimed that the US has had UFOs since 'the 1930s' and has been secretly back-engineering them and carrying out a public disinformation campaign to prevent the details from leaking publicly. At one point during the first-of-its-kind hearing, Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn) asked Grusch: 'Personally, have you heard anyone [has] been murdered?' Grusch said: 'I have to be careful answering that question. I directed people with that knowledge to the appropriate authorities.' Advertisement Just an hour after the wheels of our plane touched down on the scorching runway - and were swimming in the glittering Atlantic just off whats claimed to be the worlds best beach. Certainly, it looks impressive to me. Giant spotted eagle rays fly through the water, multicoloured parrotfish swim between the coral and a giant sun sits above in a cloudless sky. This is Grace Bay in the Caribbeans Turks and Caicos, a ribbon of 40 low-lying islands and cays (smaller islands) encircled by the worlds third-largest coral reef. For years, Grace Bay has been topping the list of best beaches thanks to its bone-white soft sand, dotted with giant peach and pale pink shells and lapped by an impossibly blue sea. Until now, reaching Turks and Caicos was a chore for British tourists, with a 12-hour BA flight stopping in the Bahamas or Antigua for an hour en route. Laid-back beauty: Harriet Sime swims in the waters of famous Grace Bay Beach (pictured) on a trip to Turks and Caicos, which she describes as 'a ribbon of 40 low-lying islands and "cays" (smaller islands) encircled by the worlds third-largest coral reef' But Virgin Atlantic last month launched a direct route to the British Overseas Territory, meaning you can be whisked from Heathrow Terminal Three to Provincediales - or Provo - the archipelagos main island, in under nine hours. At immigration, a band plays, while a beautiful female officer checks our passports. She spots where were staying on our forms and gives us recommendations for local restaurants and bars. Enjoy Paradise, she says with a smile and a stamp, and were on our way. Im here for four restorative nights with my friend, Ami. Our first base is the charming Wymara Resort which, lucky for us, backs onto 12-mile long Grace Bay. Its shortly after Thanksgiving and guests are mainly made up of American couples and families enjoying the last of their holidays. We make good use of the service flags on Wymaras sun loungers and order delicious fish tacos and rum cocktails between dips in the ocean, which feels like silk against the skin. On a clear day, its said that you can see 12 shades of blue. I give up after seven. But be warned of the prices. At Indigo, Wymaras restaurant, the cheapest main dish comes in at 31, while the least expensive glass of wine costs 12. 'For years, Grace Bay has been topping the list of best beaches thanks to its bone-white soft sand, dotted with giant peach and pale pink shells and lapped by an impossibly blue sea,' writes Harriet. Pictured: A section of the 12-mile-long beach Blue view: Harriet checks into Amanyara resort (pictured), which she describes as 'once-in-a-lifetime territory for most of us' In search of a cheaper alternative, we walk barefoot at sunset along Grace Bay until we get to Somewhere, a wooden tiki bar with live music which were told is cheap and has good vibes. The vibes are indeed good but prices remain steep. Were charged 29 for two pina coladas. Next morning, were taken by a Wymara Hobie Cat from the beach to Bight Reef just a few hundred metres up Grace Bay, in the hope of finding green turtles. This, as well as paddleboarding and kayaking, is included in a guests stay. The chop from the speeding boats form waves which bounce us along as sea spray splashes up onto our already sunkissed faces. We quickly wrestle on our flippers and snorkel and throw ourselves backwards as the boat speeds away with a gust of wind. Beachside vibes: Harriet discovers that Da Conch Shack (pictured) serves a delicacy called 'cracked conch' - battered and fried local sea snail Spiky, bulbous porcupine fish bounce off the reef; long, tube-like trumpetfish search for prey and flashes of sunlight illuminate patches of bright green brain coral. But no turtles. Thanks to Provos diminutive size (measuring roughly 23 miles by four), you can reach any point by car within 40 minutes. Our journeys take us through desolate landscapes dotted with cacti, past bright pink and lime-coloured colonial buildings and schools where smartly dressed children play hop skip jump. Initially inhabited by the indigenous Taino people who stumbled across the islands in 600 AD, Turks and Caicos changed hands between the French, the Spanish (who established salt production), and then the British before becoming a Crown colony in 1962. Above, a fisherman holds up conches, giant sea mollusks, which are the national symbol of Turks and Caicos Numerous political crises (one which, in 2009, involved a suspension of government and period under direct British rule), a recession and a battering by a series of hurricanes, have meant the archipelagos history has not been pretty. But the storm clouds have blown away and the island nation is enjoying a revival. Trouble in Paradise headlines have all but gone; tourism is booming and peace and charm now reign. So far this year, more than one million tourists have visited an 18 per cent increase over the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. On the 25-minute drive to our second hotel, Amanyara, from the high-end Aman group, we pass a bright pink building surrounded by walls built from shells washed up on the beach just in front. We ask our taxi driver to stop so we can take a look. Its a beachside restaurant called Da Conch Shack playing reggae music and serving rum cocktails and cracked conch - battered and fried local sea snail - to customers dining on the tables on the waters edge, feet in sand. Conch (pronounced conk) - a giant sea mollusk with a spiral peach and cream shell - is the national symbol of Turks and Caicos and appears on the flag. On a snorkelling trip, Harriet describes seeing 'flashes of sunlight' that 'illuminate patches of bright green brain coral'. Pictured: A diver shines a light on a section of brain coral in the waters off Grand Turk Island, part of Turks and Caicos During her trip, Harriet goes in search for 'the elusive green turtle' (stock image above) Historically, the arid islands were absent of livestock, but conch was readily available and easy to catch, providing a staple source of protein for inhabitants to this day. We taste conch served with bell peppers and salsa later that afternoon on Amanyaras beach. Its salty with a rubbery texture, but deliciously refreshing in the 30c heat. If Wymara is expensive, Amanyara is once-in-a-lifetime territory for most of us. But the beach easily beats Grace Bay (and thats no mean feat) and the rooms, if you can call them that, are among the best Ive seen. Ours, a standalone wooden Ocean Pavilion, is just steps away from our own patch of sand and the crashing ocean, while inside theres a huge tub and walls of glass which look onto mature deep green trees and an endless turquoise sea. Its easy to see why the super-rich and super-famous regularly holiday here. Privacy is key (its set in a 5,000-acre nature and wildlife reserve) and despite being 60 per cent full, were never close to the other guests. In one final search for the elusive green turtle, were taken five minutes by speedboat across the bay to a marine reserve. We give up hope after an hour and start swimming back to the boat when I spot one, just a metre or two away. Hes a juvenile green turtle, no bigger than a side plate, with an olive-coloured shell and tiny leathery head. We follow him as he dives between the bright red and purple coral while foraging for seagrass. Were with him for a minute or two until, with a couple of flips of his speckled flippers, hes off. Even in the smartest of places in Turks and Caicos, the locals, all speaking English with an American twang, are affable and charmingly relaxed. Six oclock allows plenty of time, go and jump in the ocean, an Amanyara worker with dreadlocks and a wide smile says when I question whether our transfer should be half an hour earlier for our 8pm flight. He was right. And his lovely, laid-back demeanour enables us to sip on rum cocktails while enjoying the last of the days sun which dries off our salty hair and freckled faces one last time. According to the Michelin Guide, a restaurant with two of its world-famous stars is 'worth a detour'. I'd say two-star Le Chabichou by Stephane Buron at the luxurious five-star Chabichou Hotel & Spa in France's Courchevel 1850 ski resort bends the definition or the inspectors keep forgetting to hit the star button three times when they file their conclusion. It's worth crossing countries for. The moment my partner and I finish our nine-course meal at the property - part of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux portfolio - I'm moved to declare that it might just be the best I've ever enjoyed, potentially eclipsing a three-star meal I had in the same ski resort earlier in the year. Afterwards we have the honour of meeting Chef Buron and I can't help but make bowing-down motions towards this culinary deity, who began working in the kitchen here in 1987 under then-head-chef Michel Rochedy, three years after the restaurant won its second star. The first had been awarded in 1979. Buron, who became head chef in 2018, knows the recipe for successfully standing the test of time, no doubt. Ted Thornhill checks into the luxurious five-star Chabichou Hotel & Spa in France's Courchevel 1850 ski resort Our experience had begun four hours earlier in the evening (you need to clear your diary for a meal here), the waiting staff inviting us to choose any table set for two as we gaze around at the invitingly elegant decor in the restaurant - think beautiful pale woods and chic chairs. We take a corner table next to a huge black-and-white photograph of legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, signed by chefs that have eaten at Chabichou over the years. We had been the first to arrive, but we're soon joined by a chatty party of eight and a charming sommelier pushing a wooden trolley displaying the ingredients for a delicious, ceremoniously presented kir-royale-style aperitif made from Bollinger Champagne and sapinette, a liqueur made from fir needles. Ted and his partner dine at two-star Le Chabichou by Stephane Buron. Here their kir-royale-style aperitif made from Bollinger Champagne and sapinette is being prepared Ted declares that the food at Le Chabichou 'doubles as art'. On the left - '3D-printed' amuse bouche resembling ornate leaves. On the right - wild mushroom tartelette and mushroom cappuccino Next we're asked if we would like the five (220 euros/195/$245), seven (310 euros/275/$345) or nine-course tasting menu. The nine-course (400-euro/355/$450) meal we opt for is an eye-popping, Instagram-baiting tour de force of culinary wizardry that consistently astounds. The dishes are served in delightfully imaginative ways, accompanied by top-level wine, and all presented by highly knowledgeable staff who exude warmth and humour. It's food that doubles as art, with the first exhibit amuse bouche resembling ornate leaves, made from vegetables including potatoes, carrots and celery that have been blended with eggs and flour and '3D-printed' using stencils. Very clever. And so is the wild mushroom tartelette and mushroom cappuccino. This double act takes over 12 hours to make and is served in a wonderfully whimsical fashion on a wooden plate decorated with a mushroom statue that doubles as a carrying handle. Ted writes: 'The nine-course (400-euro/355/$450) meal we opt for is an eye-popping, Instagram-baiting tour de force of culinary wizardry that consistently astounds.' On the right is a 'treasure chest' of sorbets housed within frosted citrus fruits Ted reveals that the nine-course tasting menu is a four-hour affair 'This restaurant is worth not just a detour, but a spot of globe-trotting,' trumpets Ted 'The Foie Gras', meanwhile, is a stunning 'nest' of delicate spheres and cones made from foie gras, apple, eel and aged apple vinegar, with the plate dotted with apple gel and parsley coulis and garnished with an eye-catching tuile leaf. Stunning. We are also treated to delicious scallops seared in mushroom butter and a treasure chest of sorbets housed within frosted citrus fruits. The wines include a heavenly Burgundian Chablis by Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin and a lip-smackingly gorgeous Burgundian Vosne-Romanee red by Domaine Meo-Camuzet. Pictured here is the father-son team of Stephane and Antonin Antonin reveals that one day they'd love to add another star to the Chabichou Michelin ranking Afterwards, so full we're in a daze, we meet not only Chef Buron but his son, Antonin, too who's the sous-chef in the brigade. He tells me that one day they'd love to add another star to their Michelin ranking. With such rare talent working in this kitchen, they must surely be in with a great chance (I'm moved to suggest it's a Chabichou-in). But two stars or three, this restaurant is worth not just a detour, but a spot of globe-trotting. People flooded the comments section and expressed their rage Claire Zhu took to TikTok to share footage of his 'manspreading' A man on a plane who extended his legs into the aisle left people furious A frequent flyer has sparked uproar online after sharing video footage of a fellow plane passenger taking 'manspreading to a new level.' Claire Zhu, 27, has become known for traveling with her boyfriend Peter Ovendorf, 29, from Charlotte, North Carolina, after the two of them waved goodbye to their nine-to-five life and hit the road with a plan to travel the world. Since then, the lovebirds have been documenting their 'corporate gap year' and their travels on their joint TikTok account where they boast over 242,000 followers. And although they have seen their fair share of passengers disobeying travel etiquette, one man took it to new levels when he actually spread his legs across the aisle and near Claire's seat. A frequent flyer has caused furious outrage after she shared footage of a man taking 'manspreading to a new level' Claire Zhu, 27, has become known for traveling with her boyfriend Peter Ovendorf, 29, from Charlotte, North Carolina , after the two of them hit the road with a plan to travel And although they have seen their fair share of passengers disobeying travel etiquette, one man took it to new heights when he spread his legs over the aisle and near Claire's seat In a viral video, which has so far amassed over 3.6 million views, Claire showed how the man in the row across from her was sitting. She captioned the clip: 'Goodbye.' At the start of the video, Claire showed herself shockingly covering her mouth, with text overlay that read: 'The way this man took manspreading to ANOTHER LEVEL on my flight.' Then, she pointed the camera to her legs to show that the man had extended his leg all the way into the aisle. His leg was so extended that it even crossed into her seat. His foot was sitting directly next to his. People flooded the comments section and expressed their anger. One person said: 'I would lose my mind.' In a viral video, which has so far amassed over 3.6 million views, Claire showed how the man in the row across from her was sitting People flooded the comments section and expressed their anger Another user commented: 'All of a sudden I'd have to get up to go the bathroom an awful lot!' Someone else wrote: 'That isn't man spreading, that's literally splitting.' 'Its like a spider,' said someone else. 'Absolutely not,' another user wrote. 'Bestie you got to step on his foot. This is the final straw,' commented one person. Someone else added: 'He will trip someone!' 'As a flight attendant Id be announcing a reminder to keep the aisle clear,' commented another user. Seeds Of Deceit: The Sperm Doctor Donor Rating: Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator Rating: Most true-crime shows are obsessed with serial killers. But there is no word for their opposite the weirdo who preys on his victims to create lives. Dr Jan Karbaat, who ran a fertility clinic near Rotterdam in Holland, used his own sperm to impregnate dozens of women over more than two decades. And that's just the starting point for Seeds Of Deceit (BBC4), a three-part investigation that spirals into strangeness like a psychedelic strand of DNA. This subtitled Dutch documentary doesn't merely interview some of the women who were duped and their children, now young adults who have inherited Karbaat's wide-set eyes and broad mouth. It attempts to recreate the creepy clinic, with a replica of the grubby tiled room where his patients were treated and in many cases sexually assaulted or even raped. BBC4's Seeds of Deceit is a three-part investigation following Dr Jan Karbaat, who used his own sperm at his fertility clinic in Rotterdam to impregnate dozens of women But the documentary-makers don't appear to consider whether they too are guilty of exploiting these mothers, whose interviews they show spliced to expose family dramas and encourage viewers to judge Women were invited to lie down on the medical couch, on a sheet of disposable tissue, and to stare at the ceiling as they recalled their ordeals. These segments were intercut with images of chickens laying eggs and taps dripping. I'm going to put it down to the slightly twisted Dutch sense of humour. Karbaat was an utter rat, there's no doubt of that. With nine children from three marriages and others from an affair, he targeted women who were desperate for babies and exploited them mercilessly. His insemination techniques were more suited to a cattle barn, though plainly effective when he wanted them to be. Some women were required to attend five times a month, for up to a year: he would inject them with sterile water instead of sperm, explaining to a nurse, 'I have to make money.' Many of the women suspected his motives but decided to keep trusting him, though they didn't dare tell their husbands what happened in the clinic. 'What could I do?' asked one. 'I wanted children so badly.' Tourist deadzone of the night Visiting a derelict military complex in Albania on Abandoned Engineering (Yesterday), the voiceover wondered why this little nation on the Med isn't a holiday hotspot. An Albanian cab driver asked me the same thing last week. It's a mystery... Advertisement The documentary-makers don't appear to stop and consider whether they too might be guilty of exploiting these mothers, now desperate to tell their stories. The interviews are spliced in ways that expose family fractures, heightening the drama but also inviting us to judge. Karbaat died aged 89 in 2017, and the second episode of this double bill brought some of his grown-up children together. They compared hands and faces, but many shared more than his physical features. A common trait, several of them agreed, was that they were highly sexed. Two of the half-brothers, on their first meeting, headed into Amsterdam's red-light district for an adventure. It makes some sort of evolutionary sense that this could be a hereditary feature. But the documentary wasn't interested in exploring that it was just treated as a bit of a smutty joke. If the more selfish and vicious elements of human personality are passed on, we probably inherited most of them from the Romans. Their devious nastiness is on full display in Julius Caesar: The Making Of A Dictator (BBC2). The Romans' devious nastiness is on full display in Julius Caesar: The Making Of A Dictator (BBC2) One of the villains was a senator called Clodius. 'He's a skunk. There's nothing good about Clodius,' said American professor Shelley Haley, one of the chatty historians embellishing this tale. 'He's a manipulator, a sociopath, a psychopath.' Clodius didn't last long. Most of the attention in this second episode was on the triumvirate of Pompey, Caesar and Crassus, who sound like a 1960s supergroup at Woodstock. Their story was told with lots of slo-mo re-enactment. Swords were brandished, blood dripped, birds gazed beadily into the camera, all looking like a classic rock video. Overdone but fun. Natalie Barr unexpectedly left her post at the Sunrise desk on Tuesday morning, leaving Monique Wright to fill in alongside co-host Matt Shirvington. When the show returned from ad break at approximately 7.30am, Monique sat beside Shirvo as he welcomed viewers back to the program. 'Well, Mon has cruised by,' he said, before revealing why his co-host abruptly disappeared. He revealed the breakfast television host, 55, had quietly snuck out of the Sunrise studio for an exclusive interview with Sir Richard Branson. 'It's all because Nat's on her way to meet Sir Richard Branson.' Branson is currently in Sydney as he welcomes his Virgin Voyages cruise ship to Australia - with the ship Resilient Lady docking at Circular Quay on Monday. The studio crossed to Natalie, who sat in the backseat of a car on her way towards Sydney Harbour. 'This is a billion dollar ship. We've got no kids, no buffet, no tips,' the excited television host said. 'He's doing things a bit differently. More than 20 restaurants and 17 decks. It's new, it's fresh. And he's gonna tell us about it.' Natalie Barr unexpectedly left her post at the Sunrise desk on Tuesday morning, leaving Monique Wright (left) to fill in alongside co-host Matt Shirvington (right) Natalie added: 'Actually, the traffic's looking good. I've put on a great day for him. 30 degrees in Sydney. Sparkling on the Harbour. Stay tuned.' This isn't the first time Natalie has suddenly left the Sunrise desk. In September, the brunette disappeared halfway through the show to attend her youngest son Hunter's final school assembly. She was again replaced by Monique Wright for the remainder of the show. The breakfast television host, 55, quietly snuck out of the Sunrise studio for an exclusive interview with Sir Richard Branson Back in February, Sunrise viewers were left scratching their heads after Natalie mysteriously vanished without much explanation. When the cameras returned to the news desk at 8:01am, the voiceover welcomed back 'Kochie and Nat' but Monique was sitting in her chair. 'Good morning! Back now for our 8am hour on Sunrise. Thanks so much for joining us,' a cheerful Monique said. 'What the hell are you doing here?' former host David 'Kochie' Koch asked her. It's not the first time Natalie has suddenly left the Sunrise desk. The host has vanished from the studio a handful of times this year As the team laughed off the sudden change to the panel, Monique joked: 'Nat just scurried out and I happened to have been under the couch.' Kochie then explained why Natalie was forced to make a quick exit, revealing she had just scored an 'exclusive interview' and had a flight to catch. 'She's dashing to the airport as we speak,' he said. 'In the meantime, Monique is in the chair for the rest of this morning.' It was later revealed Natalie had scored an interview with the Olivia Newton-John's daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, following the late star's state funeral in Melbourne. Game of Thrones star Joseph Gatt will face a preliminary court hearing in Los Angeles later this month on a charge of having sexually explicit contact online with a minor. The 51 year-old British actor distinctive with his shiny, bald head showed up at court in downtown LA Monday with his long-time girlfriend, actress and writer Mercy Malick. LA Superior Court Judge Kim Nguyen ordered Gatt to be in court for a preliminary hearing she scheduled December 18 when prosecutors are expected to present internet evidence allegedly found at Gatt's LA home. He remains free on $5,000 bail. Joseph Gatt, 51, was seen arriving in court in Los Angeles on Monday with long-time girlfriend, actress and writer Mercy Malick The 51 year-old British actor distinctive with his shiny, bald head showed up at court in downtown LA Monday Gatt told DailyMail.com after Monday's brief hearing, 'I would love to talk about this but I have been advised by my attorney not to comment at this time' Gatt wearing a charcoal-gray suit and open-neck white shirt told DailyMail.com after Monday's brief hearing, 'I would love to talk about this but I have been advised by my attorney not to comment at this time.' He was arrested in Los Angeles in April 2022 and his home was searched by police officers of the Juvenile Division, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, armed with a search warrant. He was charged with 'contact with a minor for sexual offense' and he also faces a second charge of felony possession of an assault weapon. He pleaded not guilty to both charges at subsequent court appearances and, while he was granted the $5,000 bail, he was also ordered not to have unsupervised time with minors, not to have pornography and not to use social media, except for work. A week after his arrest, London-born Gatt who has lived in the U.S. for 18 years took to Twitter to vehemently deny the charges. His dark haired girlfriend, Mercy Malick lashed out on social media at the allegations, calling them 'beyond insane' According to her Instagram profile, Malick is a yogi, does aerial acrobatics and loves animals The pair are pictured with two huskies. Gatt has a condition called alopecia universalis which caused him to lose all his hair at the age of 14 'I obviously want to address the absolutely horrifying and completely untrue allegations recently leveled against me,' he wrote. 'They are 100% categorically wrong and reckless. 'I am fully cooperating with police and LAPD to get to the bottom of this,' he continued. 'I look forward to clearing my good name. Thank you to all my friends and supporters who know that this is untrue and understand for legal reasons I cannot comment further on social media.' His dark haired girlfriend, Mercy Malick, 51 who wore a figure-hugging brown jacket, black pants and black high heels in court Monday has also lashed out on social media at the allegations, calling them 'beyond insane'. 'So much love to everyone who has already reached out in support of Joe and myself,' she wrote. 'Those who know us obviously know that the allegations leveled against him are insane.' A week after his arrest, London-born Gatt who has lived in the US for 18 years took to Twitter to vehemently deny the charges Gatt played Thenn Warg on the hugely popular HBO series Game Of Thrones Gatt pictured in 2014 on the series The 100 One of Gatt's most high-profile roles was playing Thenn Warg on the hugely popular HBO series Game Of Thrones. His character was a member of the Thenn, a tribe of Free Folk known for their practices of ritual self-scarring and cannibalism. After appearing in several episodes of season four in 2014, his character was killed off in the Battle of Castle Black Gatt has also starred in several blockbuster movies including the live-action Disney remake Dumbo, Star Trek Into Darkness and Thor. The actor who has a condition called alopecia universalis which caused him to lose all his hair at the age of 14 began his acting career with an appearance on the British police drama The Bill in 1999. Nicole Kidman has been blasted by her fans after partnering with controversial fashion label Balenciaga for its latest campaign launch. The French-based fashion house sparked controversy in late 2022 after it released a shoot that placed children alongside BDSM-themed items. The saga prompted more revelations to emerge about Balenciaga's previous campaigns, with fans discovering the Spring/Summer 2023 campaign featured pages from a US Supreme Court decision on child pornography laws. Nicole, who has ignored the controversy so far, surprised fans on Sunday when she was officially announced Balenciaga's newest celebrity ambassador during the brand's Fall 2024 fashion show in Los Angeles. The news sparked backlash among the Eyes Wide Shut actress's social media followers, many of whom have left comments expressing their disappointment. Nicole Kidman has been lambasted by her fans after it was announced she had partnered with controversial fashion label Balenciaga for its latest campaign launch (Pictured at Balenciaga's Fall 2024 fashion show) 'Bad choice Nicole!!! Do better!!!' one concerned fan wrote, after Nicole shared black-and-white images of herself attending the fashion show. 'Disappointed you chose that brand,' another added, while someone else added: 'Nice campaign to make us all forget [eyeroll emoji].' Another person wrote: 'Nicole is always such a beauty, but DANG... money must be tight for all these movie stars and musicians too when they have to support that business.' However there were plenty of positive comments praising Nicole's glamorous photos. 'Absolutely gorgeous,' one wrote, while another user added: 'Holy hell, these are brilliant!' Nicole's latest collaboration with Balenciaga comes a year after the company received immense criticism for releasing a set of images that showed children posing alongside a slew of BDSM-related items. Nicole's latest collaboration with Balenciaga comes a year after the company received immense criticism for releasing a set of images that showed children posing alongside a slew of BDSM-related items THE BALENCIAGA SCANDAL: BONDAGE BEARS, CHILD PORN DOCS AND AN ARTIST KNOWN FOR DEPICTING NAKED KIDS The Bondage Bears Christmas campaign The scandal erupted when Balenciaga released its 2022 Holiday ad campaign that featured children posing with its Plush Toy Bag. The bags look like teddy bears and are dressed in BDSM gear. In the photo shoot, the kids also appeared surrounded by empty wine and champagne glasses. The distinctly adult themes immediately troubled many who asked why children had ever been used. Balenciaga ignored the scandal at first and seemingly allowed the photographer who was involved, Gabriele Galimberti, to take the heat. He released a statement saying he had no control over the content of the shoot and eventually, Balenciaga released its own statement agreeing with him and taking responsibility for the campaign. It has now been pulled from the internet. The hidden child porn documents After the BDSM bears fiasco, eagle-eyed critics started examining the rest of Balenciaga's campaigns closely. They soon discovered that in the background of an image from the Spring '23 campaign was a printout of a Supreme Court ruling on whether or not internet child porn can be legally considered free speech. On the back of the bears scandal, many critics said it pointed to a troubling pattern within Balenciaga. Balenciaga was quick to blame North Six, a production company that helped arrange the shoot, for the inclusion of those documents. They claimed that they entrusted all of the props from the photoshoot to North Six, and that their team was assured everything that was included was fake. The troubling book of artist whose work depicts naked, castrated toddlers Balenciaga is yet to answer for the inclusion of a book by Michael Borremans in the background of two of the images from the Spring '23 campaign. Borremans is a Belgian painter whose work includes a troubling 2017 series called Fire From The Sun. It depicts naked toddlers - some of them castrated - playing in a group and at times alone. Lawyers for the brand are yet to address DailyMail.com's questions about how the book ended up on the photoshoot. In this image from Balenciaga's scrapped Spring '23 campaign, Isabelle Huppert sits in front of a stack of books including one that celebrates Michael Borremans, a Belgian painter whose work is known to include depictions of castrated toddlers Borremans' other work includes his 2017 series Fire From The Sun, which features castrated toddlers and babies holding what look like severed limbs, while playing together nude in a large group Advertisement In the photo shoot the kids also appeared surrounded by empty wine and champagne glasses. The distinctly adult themes immediately troubled many who asked why children had ever been used. Balenciaga ignored the scandal at first and seemingly allowed the photographer who was involved, Gabriele Galimberti, to take the heat. He released a statement saying he had no control over the content of the shoot and eventually, Balenciaga released its own statement agreeing with him and taking responsibility for the campaign. On the back of the bears scandal, many critics said it pointed to a troubling pattern within Balenciaga. A Twitter user discovered that one of the photos in a separate shoot contained an excerpt from the 2008 US Supreme Court opinion in United States v. Williams, which upheld part of a federal child pornography law, which Twitter's own fact-checkers confirmed. Balenciaga was quick to blame North Six, a production company that helped arrange the shoot, for the inclusion of those documents. They claimed that they entrusted all of the props from the photoshoot to North Six, and that their team was assured everything that was included was fake. The Australian actress starred in the fashion brand's Spring 2023 campaign, which was unveiled just as the BDSM scandal broke (pictured in Balenciaga in July 2022) Ally Langdon has been hosting Channel Nine's A Current Affair for the past year. And despite her success in taking over Tracy Grimshaw's chair, some viewers are suggesting that Deb Knight would be a better fit for the program. The comments were sparked after Deb stepped in for Ally, who is currently on annual leave for the holiday period. 'Thank God for [Ally] disappearing, now Deborah Knight gets the job like she should of got the job in the first place,' one viewer wrote on Facebook. 'I think Allison is great,' reasoned another. 'But ... Deb Knight is an absolute number one replacement. I believe Deb will do a magnificent job.' There have been calls from some A Current Affair viewers to have Deb Knight replace Ally Langdon (pictured) 'I think Deb Knight does a MUCH better job presenting, and at least seems genuine and professional,' wrote another. Despite some griping over Langdon's role, many viewers also threw their support behind the 44-year-old. 'We love Ally! enjoy your break your chair is in good hands with Deb,' gushed one. 'Will miss her. Seems like a genuine caring person. Enjoy your break,' wrote another. 'You have done a magnificent job, looking forward to your return,' added one, while another fan called Ally 'a ray of sunshine'. 'I think Deb Knight does a MUCH better job presenting, and at least seems genuine and professional,' wrote one fan Deborah hosted a 2GB radio show for the last four years but was recently sacked. The broadcaster was 'shattered' by the news, reported The Sunday Telegraph last week. Her salary was rumoured to be $600,000 when she began with the afternoon radio show in 2020 after being axed from the Today breakfast show. But despite debuting at a stellar 11.4 per cent share results in the ratings, she has since dropped to a record-low 6 per cent market share in the most recent survey. Deborra-Lee Furness has been spotted looking sombre in New York City less than three months after her split from Hugh Jackman. The Australian actress, 68, and her husband, 55, announced their shock separation in September after 27 years of marriage, telling fans they split 'to pursue our individual growth'. On Monday, Deb was seen deep in thought while riding her electric scooter on her way to a gym class. She kept warm in a black puffer jacket over the top of a yellow long-sleeved active top and wore a pair of black tracksuit pants. The Correlli star also wore a white helmet for the commute, while her hair appeared to be tied back in a low ponytail. Deborra-Lee Furness stepped out looking sombre less than three months after her split from Hugh Jackman Deb's sighting comes after fans grew concerned for her ex Hugh last week after a 'sad' photo of the actor emerged in the wake of their split. On Friday, the Hollywood heartthrob shared a series of close-up photos of his far more serious face to his Instagram account. In the pictures, Hugh looked pensive and downcast as he walked the streets of New York City. 'Entirely too close,' he captioned his post, adding the hashtag 'moods'. On Monday, Deb was seen deep in thought while riding her electronic scooter on her way to a gym class She kept warm in a black puffer jacket over the top of a yellow long-sleeved active top and wore a pair of black tracksuit pants Hugh was inundated with messages pointing out that the actor 'looked sad' and sent words of encouragement to the newly-single star. 'We have all been there. Completely get it. Hope your day gets better,' commented one fan. 'Looking a little serious there Hugh,' another said. 'Your sunglasses are making you look a bit grumpy,' one fan noted, while another pointed out the newly-single actor's 'brow is still furrowed'. 'Why so serious my love,' asked one concerned fan, and another commented that the photo looked more like a 'mug shot' than a selfie. 'Not a good day?' asked someone else. Hugh Jackman recently sparked speculation in his latest Instagram post about how he's holding up following his split from Deborra-Lee Furness 'Where is that beautiful smile we all know, and love?' added a concerned female fan, with yet another describing his facial expression as 'stern'. Hugh is said to be pouring all of his efforts into getting physically 'ripped' to reprise his role as Wolverine in the upcoming Deadpool movie - and is considering his next Broadway role. 'Hugh is completely focused on Deadpool 3 and getting into Wolverine shape,' a source exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com last month. 'That is taking him away from dealing with his ex and taking him away from dating. He is excited to be back working and is excited to put all his focus on all of that.' The insider added Hugh isn't against the idea of finding love again in the future - but currently has no plans to 'chase it'. The Australian actor, 55, and wife, 67, announced their shock split in September after 27 years of marriage, telling fans they separated 'to pursue our individual growth' The former couple have remained friendly, with the insider adding Hugh planned to mark his ex's upcoming birthday on November 30. The source said: 'Though they might not be in love with each other anymore, there is still a bond and a love there between the two that will last forever. 'He's still going to wish her a happy birthday and they still will talk around the holidays when it pertains to anything about their kids. They are trying to figure it all out and are looking to do it as civilly as possible.' The update comes after interest piqued in Hugh's love life, with rumors swirling that he had found love again after posting a picture of himself on a stroll through Central Park. But a separate source shut down any talk of the actor moving on, telling DailyMail.com: 'He was in the park with his best friend.' Hugh and Deborra-Lee tied the knot in 1996 after crossing paths on set of Correlli in 1995. During the course of their marriage, they adopted two children: son Oscar, 23, and daughter Ava, 18. A source previously told DailyMail.com that Hugh was in 'mourning' following their split and was keen to get back to work - which ground to a halt during the historic WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes. 'He is in that lull period where he is still mourning the break-up, looking to dive into work to get his mind removed from it, flattered that a new love life could happen in the future and also, he loves the fact that he could do absolutely nothing at all,' they said last month. 'The options he has are exciting and scary, he wants to respect Deborra's feelings and his feelings, and he also wants to respect the feelings of someone he would get involved with. 'Sure, he is interested in dating, but he also wants to give it his 100 per cent attention and not half-a** it if and when that comes about.' Hilton is marketing her Be an Icon cookware line, a collaboration with Walmart Elon Musk on Sunday took a jab at Paris Hilton and her Be an Icon cookware line after the hotel heiress withdrew her company's advertising on his Twitter/X platform over concerns over antisemitic content being posted on the social media platform. 'The ad campaign wasn't super convincing tbh,' the billionaire businessman, 52, said in a tweet of Hilton's Walmart cookware line. 'I don't think Paris cooks a lot.' The Pretoria, South Africa native's tweet came in response to a user who posted a 2005 image of Hilton, 42, appearing as a model at a fashion show put on by her sister Nicky in Las Vegas, donning a tank top that purportedly read 'Stop Being Poor.' The user said of Hilton, 'She stopped advertising on X because the content is too controversial.' In regards to the photo, Hilton in May of 2021 took to TikTok to deny having ever worn a top with that lettering, saying she 'never wore that shirt.' Elon Musk, 52, on Sunday took a jab at Paris Hilton, 42, and her Be an Icon cookware line after the hotel heiress withdrew her company's advertising on his Twitter /X platform over concerns over antisemitic content being posted on the social media platform The billionaire businessman was skeptical of the promotional campaign of Hilton's Walmart cookware line Be an Icon Hilton said on the platform, 'Everyone thinks its real, but thats not the truth,' showing off a shot of the shirt she wore in 2006 that read 'Stop Being Desperate.' According to the New York Post, Hilton's company was one in a group that pulled their advertising dollars from Musk's company after Musk on November 15 endorsed a tweet containing an antisemitic trope. X CEO Linda Yaccarino in October said that Hilton's company 11:11 Media had inked a deal for an revenue sharing ad campaign on the social media platform. Hilton said at the time: 'Together, we're going to be exploring new ways to connect with all of you across video, live video, live shopping, and even Spaces. And we're just getting started. Loves it.' While Musk apologized and backtracked on his controversial remarks in the tweet, he remained defiant toward corporate partners who might want to jump ship. 'I dont want them to advertise,' Musk said at the New York Times DealBook Summit November 29. 'If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money go f*** yourself. Go. F***. Yourself.' He referenced Disney CEO Bob Iger, another speaker at the event, in his commentary, adding, 'Is that clear? Hey Bob, if youre in the audience, thats how I feel.' Hilton, who had a Netflix show called Cooking with Paris, has since advertised her cookware line on Instagram and TikTok. Hilton is selling a cookware line called Be an Icon in a collaboration with Walmart Musk has remained defiant toward corporate partners who might want to jump ship after a backlash over controversial commentary he shared on his account last month Musk said at the New York Times DealBook Summit November 29, 'If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money go f*** yourself. Go. F***. Yourself' She spoke to the outlet Eater last month about what inspired her to release her kitchen lines, which comes in a pallet of colors and has her catchphrases on it. 'Looking at all the kitchenware available online and in stores, I just noticed it was so boring and not fun,' she said. 'I didn't really see any pink. I just saw rusty, like, silver and boring colors. It seemed like there was something missing.' She added, 'I wanted to elevate people's kitchens and make it more fun for them to cook. I want everyone to feel like an icon, even in the kitchen. Everyone should feel iconic no matter where they are.' Rebel Wilson has called on the New South Wales government to fix one of Sydney's most notorious intersections, after she was forced to sit at traffic lights for 30 minutes. The LA-based Australian actor, who recently returned home to direct her upcoming film The Deb, took to Instagram Stories on Tuesday morning to rant about the dire traffic at the newly-opened Westconnex Rozelle Interchange in the inner-west. The roadway, which stretches for 16.6km and cost the government $4billion, was opened late last month and has been referred to by critics as the 'spaghetti junction' due to its confusing arrangement. Filming herself in the passenger's seat, the 48-year-old complained she was running late to work because of the traffic and branded the interchange as 'crazy'. 'I've just been stuck in traffic. I'm just trying to go to work, it's a Tuesday morning. You know, what normally can take 15 minutes, 30 minutes, to go from Victoria Road to the Anzac Bridge... I literally was just at one traffic lights for almost 30 minutes,' she ranted. Rebel Wilson has called on the New South Wales government to fix one of Sydney 's most notorious intersections, after she was forced to sit at traffic lights for 30 minutes Rebel said the interchange's traffic lights make it almost impossible for residents living in suburbs like Balmain and Rozelle to 'drive anywhere in the mornings'. 'Like, it's literally crazy. And I'm sure you guys are out there running late to work as well, it's a nightmare. There's nothing you can do,' the mother-of-one lamented. Rebel accompanied her rant with a fiery caption that read: 'Government needs to do something re Rozelle Interchange NOW! Let the traffic flow from Victoria Rd to Anzac Bridge like it used to!!' The LA-based Australian actor, who recently returned home to direct her upcoming film The Deb, took to Instagram Stories on Tuesday morning to rant about the dire traffic at the newly-opened Westconnex Rozelle Interchange in the inner-west 'I've just been stuck in traffic. I'm just trying to go to work, it's a Tuesday morning. You know, what normally can take 15 minutes, 30 minutes, to go from Victoria Road to the Anzac Bridge... I literally was just at one traffic lights for almost 30 minutes,' she ranted In a subsequent post, she added: 'Having a baby, and working 12 hour days means I do NOT need an extra hour STUCK IN SYDNEY traffic caused by stupid decisions!' It is the second time Rebel has lambasted the Rozelle Interchange on her Instagram Stories. Last Wednesday, she posted another photo from inside her car after being forced to wait in traffic. In a subsequent post, she added: 'Having a baby, and working 12 hour days means I do NOT need an extra hour STUCK IN SYDNEY traffic caused by stupid decisions!' 'Thanks Rozelle Interchange for now making a 15 minute trip into the city 90 minutes via Victoria Road. WTF!!' the Pitch Perfect star wrote next to a photo of the gridlocked road. The NSW government previously warned the new Rozelle Interchange could lead to up to six months of increased congestion while drivers get used to the new set-up. Meanwhile, a sign outside of one of the tunnels previously added to the confusion. Last Wednesday, she posted another photo from inside her car after being forced to wait in traffic. 'Thanks Rozelle Interchange for now making a 15 minute trip into the city 90 minutes via Victoria Road. WTF!!' the Pitch Perfect star wrote next to this photo of the gridlocked road The sign at the entrance of the new 1.1km Iron Cove Link that bypasses Victoria Road - the only section of the interchange that's free to use - told commuters they would have to pay to use it. Premier Chris Minns recently told 2GB the interchange was 'clearly... confusing - a lot of cars' GPS hasn't caught up'. Mr Minns said the government would 'change that sign' while portable electronic signs would be used in the interim to tell commuters they won't have to pay a toll on the bypass. The roadway, which stretches for 16.6km and cost the government $4billion, was opened late last month, and has been referred to by critics as the 'spaghetti junction' due to its confusing arrangement Transport for NSW co-ordinator general, Howard Collins, meanwhile said: 'Whilst it looks like a bowl of spaghetti from above, the Rozelle interchange is actually quite a simple decision-making process.' 'It's either turn left or go to the right. You have two choices as you enter many of these tunnels. 'It isn't complex just observe those signs and check that you know your route.' A single sign for the Rozelle Interchange also caused standstill after it told motorists they would pay a toll to use the Victoria Road Bypass, a toll-free road (pictured) Even when commuters get used to the new interchange, those wishing to use the section of Victoria Road above the bypass could also be struck with altered traffic conditions. The Inner-West Council is intending to pursue further works in the area to, make Victoria Road 'a more place-focussed and less (of a) movement-focussed corridor'. In a recent submission for community comment, the council laid out it's plans to lower speed limits across the Inner-West, with Victoria Road between Terry and Robert Street potentially dropping from 60km/h to 50km/h. One of Australia's top plastic surgeons has pinpointed a surprising 'flaw' on Angelina Jolie. Dr Bryan Mendelson, who is a world-renowned facial surgeon, shared his thoughts on Jolie's appearance during an interview on the Face by Alex Pike podcast. 'Women love Angelina Jolie, I don't quite know why,' Dr Mendelson said. 'She does not have good bone structure on the temple. The other thing about her is her face is not symmetrical,' he continued. 'And it would be nice to reassure people not to get focused on asymmetry because everyone is asymmetrical.' One of Australia's top plastic surgeons has pinpointed a surprising 'flaw' on Angelina Jolie - her asymmetrical facial features Alex, who is a cosmetic nurse, added that patients concerned about asymmetry is 'one of the most common things' she hears during consultations. 'People notice [asymmetry] on themselves but they don't notice it on other people,' Dr Mendelson explained. Despite critiquing Jolie's visage, Dr Mendelson also complimented one of her most famous features - her perfect pout. Dr Bryan Mendelson (pictured), who is a world-renowned facial surgeon, also said that Jolie 'does not have good bone structure on the temple' 'She had her father's lips before fillers were around,' he gushed, citing it as a reason that her beauty is so revered. Alex added, 'She probably helped the fillers industry if anything!' Dr Mendelson isn't the first famed surgeon to point out Angelina's asymmetrical appearance. London-based aesthetic surgeon Dr. Osman Bashir Tahir previously pointed out Jolie's asymmetry in a Facebook post In 2021, London-based aesthetic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Osman Bashir Tahir shared a post about the Hollywood star's uneven face. 'It's not about being symmetrical! Many clients presume that beauty, aesthetics and my face sculpting is associated with symmetry, when in fact it isn't true at all!' he captioned a close-up photo of Jolie. 'Achieving profile harmony is personal, bespoke and isn't based on symmetry.' Karl Stefanovic shocked American fans on Friday when he played a hilarious prank on Today breakfast show viewers. The Nine star, 49, tricked fellow host Sarah Abo by pretending he just received breaking news about the arrest of former U.S president Barack Obama. A video of the stunt went viral on TikTok, with Americans getting caught up in the fake news segment as well - until the popular presenter broke down laughing. The video kicked off with Karl looking somber as he informed viewers at home of 'breaking news' he just received 'out of the United States'. 'Former U.S. president Barack Obama we're just waiting to verify this but we're hearing that former U.S. President Barack Obama has been arrested.' he said. He continued: 'It may be on historic charges, related to when he was in the White House, so pretty significant.' Shocked by the apparent news being fed to Karl via an earpiece, all co-anchor Sarah, 35, could say was, 'Wow.' However, Karl wasn't able to keep the joke going for long as he quickly broke down laughing, revealing the whole story was actually a fake. Karl Stefanovic, 49, (pictured) had American fans shocked on Friday when he played a hilarious prank on Today breakfast show viewers The Nine co-anchor played a prank on fellow host Sarah Abo, 35, by pretending he just received breaking news about the arrest of former U.S president Barack Obama, 62, (pictured) Sarah slapped his arm and promptly stormed off stage as the veteran breakfast show host was left in hysterics behind the desk. 'I hate you! I hate you forever! I even had a Christmas present for you and you're not getting it anymore!' the Syrian-born reporter shouted as she left the studio. The Channel Nine star wasn't the only one who believed Karl, as Americans flocked to the comments of the viral video to share their thoughts on the humorous prank. A video of the stunt went viral on TikTok, with Americans getting caught up in the fake news segment as well until the popular presenter broke down laughing The video kicked off with Karl looking somber as he informed viewers at home of 'breaking news' he just received 'out of the United States' READ MORE: Karl Stefanovic 'finally' convinces his glamorous shoe designer wife Jasmine to embrace his controversial fashion choice Advertisement 'This guy had me too,' one person said alongside a series of laughing-crying emojis. Another said: 'Omg it got me crying lol I love Obama... jeez but that was good lol.' 'Aussie humour at its best,' a third wrote, while another commented: 'The way I literally went to get my remote to turn the TV on.' 'Oh man, he had me too,' someone else agreed, with one viewer adding: 'Only on Aussie TV.' Jessica De Gouw has opened up about her experience on the set of Disney+ series The Artful Dodger and what mischief she would have gotten into back in the 1850s. The actress, 35, known for her captivating performances, had nothing but praise for her co-stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster and David Thewlis. 'They're a delight... You know how they say ''don't meet your heroes''? Well, in this case, you definitely should!' she told Daily Mail Australia. Embracing the period theme, De Gouw said she loved her costume. 'I'm no stranger to a corset and a period drama. But this one was saucy, naughty, and playful - so it just doesn't feel like any way like a bonnet drama,' she shared. Jessica De Gouw has opened up about her experience on the set of The Artful Dodger and what mischief she would have gotten into back in the 1850s The actress, 35, known for her captivating performances, had nothing but praise for her co-stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster (pictured) and David Thewlis 'It was action-filled and fun, making the whole shoot feel very playful.' Set in 1850s Australia, The Artful Dodger tells the story of Charles Dickens' famous character who leads a double life as a surgeon and a thief. When asked about the most likely crime she would commit in that era, De Gouw said with a laugh 'What would I get deported for? Probably something like my character, Peggy. 'A bit too naughty, a bit of a philanderer.' Away from the set, De Gouw revealed her Christmas holiday plans, saying she was excited to return to Perth to attend her best friend's wedding and spend time with her family after years of living in London. Set in 1850s Australia, The Artful Dodger tells the story of Charles Dickens' famous character who leads a double life as a surgeon and a thief When asked about the most likely crime she'd commit in that era, De Gouw said with a laugh 'What would I get deported for? Probably something like my character, Peggy' Looking ahead, 2024 promises to be a thrilling year for the Australian actress. She's set to appear in the action/thriller The Union, starring alongside Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, and J.K. Simmons. Additionally, she'll feature in Ladies in Black with Kate Box, Miranda Otto, and Gemma Ward, further cementing her status as one of the industry's most versatile talents. The Artful Dodger is now streaming on Disney DJ Khaled and Fat Joe attended rapper Raul Conde's funeral Monday at a cemetery in Coral Gables, Florida, just more than a week after the Terror Squad artist's death following a fatal heart attack at the age of 52. DJ Khaled, 48, was clad in an all-black ensemble of a short-sleeved button-up top with black pants and sneakers, with sunglasses. He was seen chatting with fellow mourners and sitting alongside Fat Joe, 53, at the somber proceedings. The funeral viewing was held at Van Orsdel Family Funeral Chapels in Coral Gables, with the burial taking place at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn North in Miami, according to a post DJ Khaled shared on Instagram. He captioned the image, 'Love you brother.' He also posted an image of a collection of huge floral arrangements honoring Conde's memory, including one with the Terror Squad initials TS. Other notable names in attendance included rapper Noreaga, 46, and producer Scott Storch, 49. DJ Khaled, 48, and Fat Joe, 53, attended rapper Raul Conde's funeral Monday at a cemetery in Coral Gables, Florida, just more than a week after the Terror Squad artist's death following a fatal heart attack at the age of 52. Conde was mourned by a number of fellow hip-hop stars, including Fat Joe, who said his fellow Terror Squad member was closer than family DJ Khaled, Fat Joe,and French Montana were among the hip-hop luminaries who paid tribute to rapper Raul Conde via social media, after news of his death broke November 24. 'My Day 1 how can a man love another man more than your own biological family. You are 1 of 1 the most loyal EVER. We did it since kids we did everything we dreamed of i love you with every fiber in my body,' Joe wrote. Conde had been a member of Fat Joe's Bronx-based rap collective Terror Squad since it began in 1998. 'I thought wed get old together and look back at the times we had and laugh. No one understood me like you, you were God sent my brother I wish I could get one last talk with you.' 'My Condolences to the CONDE FAMILY ty for letting us have RAUL for all these years i can tell you not a moment in my life i wont love and cherish every minute every second Ive had with RAUL,' the Lean Back rapper added. Also mourning Conde was former Love & Hip-Hop: New York star Erica Mena, who shares a child, King, with the late Terror Squad member. On her Instagram story, Mena posted a photo of Conde and their son together. She wrote in the caption: 'My Son officially has a broken heart. LIFE IS SO SHORT. PLEASE LOVE YOUR PEOPLE.' In his tributes, Joe posted numerous photos demonstrating the pair's close relationship over the years. Conde was also known for directing videos and was behind the camera for the video of Fat Joe's crossover hit Lean Back as well as for the song Take Me Home. Conde also directed the video for MDMA and Lupe Fiasco hit Cupcakin. The funeral viewing was held at Van Orsdel Family Funeral Chapels in Coral Gables, with the burial taking place at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn North in Miami, according to a post DJ Khaled shared on Instagram Stories He also posted an image of a collection of huge floral arrangements honoring Conde's memory, including one with the Terror Squad initials TS Conde had been a member of Fat Joe's Bronx-based rap collective Terror Squad for more than 25 years The music industry professionals sat alongside one another at the proceedings DJ Khaled was clad in an all-black ensemble of a short-sleeved button-up top with black pants and sneakers, with sunglasses DJ Khaled said on social media following Conde's death, 'Love you my brother ... you are very rare you the definition of a true brother friend' He added in his memorial post: 'RAUL I LOVE YOU BROTHER ! GOD BLESS. WE GOING MISS U' He was seen chatting with fellow mourners at the somber proceedings Conde had been a member of Fat Joe's Bronx-based rap collective Terror Squad since it began in 1998 In 1998, Joe credited Conde with saving his life following an encounter Terror Squad had with a local gangster while performing in Bridgeport, Connecticut. When the encounter turned physical, a member of Terror Squad punched the kingpin, the group were set upon by hoards of people inside of a club. 'When I go to walk [out], I open the door, this dude is standing in the trunk of a car this is no exaggeration pulling out the silver gun, All of a sudden, I see Raul TS. Now, Raul got a .22 Derringer, probably the same s**t he had at Morris High School,' Joe said during an Instagram Live session. The pair's friend Joey Crack chimed in. 'So he tells me to stand behind him and all eight of us are in line with Rauls .22. We wound up car-jacking two dudes, grabbed them out, boom, jumped in the whip We get the f**k outta there.,' Crack said. Conde, a Bronx-native, attend the infamous Morris High School in The Bronx alongside Fat Joe. At the time of his death, he had been living in Miami. According to his Instagram page, he was an ordained minister. DJ Khaled was also close with Conde. 'Love you my brother @raul.ts you are very rare you the definition of a true brother friend . U always wanted to see everyone win. RAUL I LOVE YOU BROTHER ! GOD BLESS . WE GOING MISS U, @raul.ts the legendary RAUL ! Love for ever!' the social media star wrote on Instagram. The producer was seen pointing at something off-camera as he was seen in the parking lot A number of Conde's friends and associates were pictured on the somber day The music mogul has more than 37.7 million followers on Instagram Conde, right, pictured with Scott Disick, Fat Joe and Kim Kardashian in 2014 Conde pictured on his Instagram page alongside fellow Bronx-native J-Lo Another hip-hop star who paid tribute to Conde was social media star DJ Khaled Conde, shown here with Fat Joe and Usher, had been a member of Terror Squad since the collective was founded in 1998 Erica Mena said in an Instagram post that her son's heart is broken in the wake of Conde's death Rapper French Montana added: 'Crazy! I love that guy hold your head crack.' In addition to music, Conde was also behind a tequila brand that was pushed by Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Scott Disick. In 2007, reality star Erica Mena gave birth to her and Conde's son, King. Mena has two younger children with her ex-husband and Love and Hip-Hop: New York star Safaree Samuels. Mena was fired from the show in 2023 after being accused of using a racial slur. In 2010, a video went viral showing Mena attack Conde. After the clip spread, Mena went on to publicly accuse Conde of being physically abusive to her during their relationship together at 2013 rally to raise awareness of domestic abuse. A year later, the couple appeared to have solved their problems as she posted a photo showing them bringing their son to a Miami Heat game. 'The war is over,' she wrote in the caption. Tammin Sursok has revealed she was forced to rush her four-year-old daughter to the emergency room. The former Home and Away star, now living in Nashville, took to Instagram on Monday to share that her youngest daughter Lennon started having seizures. 'I pick her up and her eyes are blank and she's spitting from her mouth. I go to call 911 but I know it's faster for me to get to the ER,' the 40-year-old mother-of-two wrote in her Instagram Story. Once at the hospital, the medical staff revealed that four year old Lennon had contracted Covid. Later, the child was transferred by ambulance to another hospital specialising in paediatrics because the seizures continued, but after 'five bags of fluid and glucose...she was able to go home.' Tammin Sursok (pictured) has told the harrowing story of rushing her daughter to the emergency room 'I was actually shocked it [Covid] could present like this,' admitted the actress, before revealing it was the second time the toddler had contracted the virus. 'She's resting now and keep her in your positive thoughts,' concluded Sursok. The shocking medical development comes as Sursok recently shared a moving video explaining why she 'hated' her body growing up. The former soap star posted a video post to Instagram, and included clips of various celebrities being shamed for their weight. Tammin's clip featured stars such as the late Anna Nicole Smith and Victoria Beckham being quizzed on what they weigh by journalists. The former Home and Away star, now living in Nashville, took to Instagram yesterday to share that her youngest daughter Lennon started having seizures. Pictured with children Phoenix (left) and Lennon (right) 'Why did you hate your body and feel so judged growing up?' Tammin captioned the clip. She further added: 'We have grown up with this being acceptable. 'No wonder so many of us hated what we looked like or strived to look what society deemed as acceptable. The former Home and Away star posted a video post to Instagram last week, and included clips of various celebrities being shamed for their weight. Pictured: Anna Nicole Smith 'I pray and hope this is changing for us and our children. No one has the right to comment on your body and weight. Period.' Tammin has been candid about her body image struggles in the past, admitting that she 'desired to be wanted, to be lusted over' as a young girl and struggled with an eating disorder. Tammin lives in Nashville with husband Sean McEwen and their two daughters, nine-year-old Phoenix and Lennon. Tammin has been candid about her body image struggles in the past Infamous Block buyer Danny Wallis has revealed he will be selling all his properties in Victoria after former premier Dan Andrews introduced new property laws. Wallis told the Herald Sun he will be off-loading all his investment homes ahead of a land tax hike set for January 2024. Under the new regulations owners must pay land tax on secondary property's valued at $50,000 and over. The current threshold is $300,000. 'I'm saving on Daniel Andrew's land tax, I'm going to sell because I'm sick of the land tax going up and up and up,' he said. 'I'm going to move all my investments out of Victoria.' The Block's serial buyer Danny Wallis (pictured) has revealed why he's selling all his Melbourne properties Wallis said he is now planning to invest interstate and will sell his Victorian portfolio over the next two years. 'I know so many landlords who are selling because of the land tax,' he added. Wallis has spent more than $30million buying property during final auctions on The Block over the last few years. The high-profile businessman made headlines last year on Nine's hit renovation show when he won the bid on Omar and Oz's property. The controversial Blockheads Omar and Oz walked away with $1.6million after Wallis entered into a bidding war with their 'millionaire friend' which forced him to buy the home for $5.6million. Wallis later admitted he had 'spent too much' on the property, acknowledging the bidding war had just been a clash of egos. Wallis told the Herald Sun he'll be off-loading all his investment homes in Victoria after former premier Dan Andrews (pictured) introduced new property laws He previously purchased Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie's house for $4,044,444.44 in 2021. Wallis also snapped up Tanya and Vito Guccione's for $3,800,000.01, and Kirsty Lee Akers and Jesse Anderson's for $4,401,523.67 that same season. During the 2020 series, Danny also spent big and bought three apartments for just under $12million after purchasing properties in the 2016 and 2012 seasons. Despite the furore he excites at the auction each year, Danny is a philanthropist who gives away many of the homes he buys to children's cancer charities. He has donated multiple homes to the My Room Children's Cancer Charity and Ronald McDonald House for use by terminally ill children and their families. Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke made a stylish pair at the premiere of their new Netflix film Leave the World Behind on Monday night in New York City. Roberts, 56, took the red carpet in a black sequin mini skirt with a matching turtleneck blouse tucked into it. The Pretty Woman actress looked gorgeous with her head of auburn locks styled in uniform wavy curls that tumbled over her chest. She wore a pair of black tights with the leggy look, rounding it out with pointy-toe black heels. For his part, Ethan, 53, turned heads as he arrived in a subtly pinstriped black suit with a white shirt and a black bolo tie. Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke made a stylish pair at the premiere of their new Netflix film Leave the World Behind on Monday night in New York City Roberts, 56, took the red carpet in a black sequin mini skirt with a matching turtleneck blouse tucked into it The Pretty Woma n actress looked gorgeous with her head of auburn locks styled in uniform wavy curls that tumbled over her chest Julia draped a cream-colored coat over her shoulders as she clutched costar Ethan's arm while posing for photos. She layered a long beaded necklace around her neck and she looked youthful in a face of glowy makeup. Hawke slicked his neck-length hair back behind his ears and looked dashing with a light gray goatee. His dapper look was finished with a pair of black leather Chelsea boots. Leave the World Behind is an apocalyptic thriller about class and race relations in the midst of blackout caused by a cyberattack. Actor Mahershala Ali, 49, is also in the adaptation of the Rumaan Alam novel of the same name. Roberts and Hawke play a married couple on vacation who encounter a father (Ali) and daughter who claim to be renting the same AirBnB and who may know more about the impending doom than they let on. Sam Esmail, who attended Monday evening's premiere with his wife, actress Emmy Rossum, 37, directed the film. She wore a pair of black tights with the leggy look, rounding it out with pointy-toe black heels For his part, Ethan, 53, turned heads as he arrived in a subtly pinstriped black suit with a white shirt and a black bolo tie The two stars gathered with their castmates as well as director Sam Esmail Esmail looked handsome in a gray suit with a black polo shirt and black dress shoes as he posed with wife Emmy Rossum The couple had the look of love as they lovingly stared into each other's eyes Chatting with The Hollywood Reporter recently, Esmail discussed casting Roberts who is largely considered to be America's Sweetheart as a deeply unlikeable 'Karen.' 'But it's for that reason,' he said. 'Amanda's a very flawed character in the book, but I found her compelling, and I knew making it into a film, the audience needs to find some way to access this person and it was going to be hard,' he told the outlet. 'You really need someone like Julia Roberts. She's not only America's sweetheart, but she's like the Michael Jordan of actors, and she was going to find a way to channel the humanity out of this person,' he explained. He dished that Julia read the book 'in a day' and then 'called me the next day, and said, "I'm in."' Eva Mendes channeled a Barbie-inspired casual look while shopping in Santa Barbara on Monday. The actress, 49, sported a comfortable pair of bubblegum pink PANGAIA sweatpants and a black tee for the outing. She also rocked white-rimmed sunglasses that looked nearly identical to the ones Margot Robbie, 33, wore in the Barbie film, in which she starred alongside Eva's husband, Ryan Gosling, 43, who played the iconic role of Ken. The mother-of-two who was recently pictured out with Ryan during a family celebration wore her brunette tresses pulled into a ponytail held together by a colorful scrunchie. In case it got colder later the star wore a grey jacket wrapped around her waist. She also accessorized with a green shoulder bag. Eva Mendes channeled a Barbie-inspired casual look while shopping in Santa Barbara on Monday The actress, 49, sported a comfortable pair of bubblegum pink PANGAIA sweatpants and a black tee for the outing The Florida-born beauty completed her look with a pair of sneakers and long socks. Eva enjoyed some tunes on the outing with the help of wired headphones plugged into her iPhone. Her husband's blockbuster hit Barbie will be available for streaming on Max December 15, nearly two weeks ahead of the screenplay being released as a book. The film has set records since its July 21 release in theaters, earning more than $1.4 billion dollars, and becoming the most successful film of 2023 and the highest earning movie in Warner Bros history. While Ryan has been busy with acting projects, Eva has stepped away from Hollywood to focus on motherhood. The pair enjoyed a rare outing together in September, when they attended a family celebration at a hotel in Santa Barbara. The celebration appeared to have been for the couple's eldest daughter, Esmeralda Amada, eight, who was born on September 12, 2014. The pair also share younger daughter Amada Lee, 7. The duo were seen unloading items from their Range Rover upon arrival. The couple who have been together since 2011 brought a number of Gucci travel bags, two horse-shaped pinatas, sombrero's, fedora hats, and gift-wrapped presents. During a recent interview with GQ, Ryan discussed parenthood with Mendes, and sweetly gushed that before meeting her, 'I was looking for her, you know?' adding that 'it all makes sense now.' He also revealed that he relies on his partner during challenging moments raising their girls. 'I just lean on Eva. She knows whats important, always. She just somehow knows. So if ever Im in my head about it, I just ask her,' he shared. She also rocked white-rimmed sunglasses that looked nearly identical to the ones Margot Robbie, 33, wore in Barbie, in which she starred alongside Eva's husband, Ryan Gosling, 43 The mother-of-two wore her brunette tresses pulled into a ponytail held together by a colorful scrunchie In case it got colder later the star who has been with Gosling since 2011 wore a grey jacket wrapped around her waist She also accessorized with a green shoulder bag The star was pictured adjusting her sweats at one point Her husband Ryan was not present for the outing, and neither were their two daughters, Esmeralda Amada, eight, and Amada Lee, 7 The Place Beyond the Pines star enjoyed the sunny day as she strolled down the street Gosling admitted that before meeting his partner, 'I wasnt thinking about kids,' but, 'after I met Eva, I realized that I just didnt want to have kids without her.' The La La Land star continued, 'And there were moments on The Place Beyond The Pines where we were pretending to be a family, and I didnt really want it to be pretend anymore. I realized that this would be a life I would be really lucky to have.' In July, Gosling made a rare comment about his relationship while he paid tribute to her with a sweet jewelry choice at the Barbie premiere. He was asked about his partner's constant gushing posts about him on social media about his role as iconic doll Ken. He told Access Hollywood at the event: 'It means everything. It means everything.' Ryan and Eva have been notoriously private about their relationship despite sharing two daughters together - born in 2014 and 2016 - but he paid a sweet silent tribute to the mother of his kids at the star-studded event. The Drive star donned a custom necklace featuring a custom 'E' pendant in the Barbie font at the gala event. This came just days after Eva took to Instagram to gush about her man. The star uploaded throwback images from her and Ryan's 2012 movie The Place Beyond The Pines. She wrote, 'Mi Hombre. Mi Vida To say hes the greatest actor Ive ever worked with is an understatement.' Earlier this year Eva interacted with someone online who expressed wanting to get a glimpse of the couple on the red carpet of an upcoming awards show. Eva's sunglasses were very reminiscent of the pair worn by Margot in Barbie; she is pictured in a promotional photo Her husband's blockbuster hit will be available for streaming on Max December 15, nearly two weeks ahead of the screenplay being released as a book; Gosling seen in a promo image 'But we dont do those things together. Like these photos Ive been posting, I'm only comfortable posting because its already out there.' The beauty clarified: 'By "not comfortable", I mean exposing our very private life that we value.' And then she teased: 'Im still dying to do another movie with him though' The star also made sure to preemptively clarify that the duo has made one public appearance together. 'Oh wait - for those who may catch me in a "lie" - we only were on the red carpet together once when promoting [The Place Beyond the Pines].' Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell are hot on the promotions trail for their upcoming R-rated rom-com Anyone But You. And on Monday, the pair shared a video of themselves exploring the city where the movie was filmed - Sydney, Australia. The clip, which was filmed earlier this year, showed Sydney, 26, exploring her namesake city via a private bus tour alongside Glen, 35, and other crew members. 'Today we are taking my bus and exploring my city Sydney,' the Euphoria actress exclaimed at the start of the clip, showing off her curves in a tight white skivvy and jeans. Glen, dressed in a black jacket, mused: ''Sydney in Sydney' is going to be said at least a thousand times today.' Sydney Sweeney, 26, (left) and Glen Powell, 35, (right) shared a video of themselves exploring the city where their new movie Anyone But You was filmed - Sydney, Australia The pair then took their seats next to each other on the top level of the open-top double-decker bus, before changing into matching T-shirts that read 'Sydney In Sydney'. During the day, the group were treated to a special didgeridoo performance by an Indigenous man and a visit to the iconic Sydney Opera House. At one point is started raining, forcing the group to slip into bright pink disposable rain jackets. 'Today we are taking my bus and exploring my city Sydney,' the Euphoria actress exclaimed at the start of the clip, showing off her curves in a tight white skivvy and jeans Glen, dressed in a black jacket, mused: ''Sydney in Sydney' is going to be said at least a thousand times today' Several shots showed Sydney and Glen playfully cuddling and laughing together Several showed Sydney and Glen playfully cuddling and laughing together. Captioning the video, Sydney wrote: 'The amount of memories from this day that I'll never forget fill me with so much joy and love [heart emoji].' It comes after Sydney and Glen were forced to shut down rumours of anon-set romance. Captioning the video, Sydney wrote: 'The amount of memories from this day that I'll never forget fill me with so much joy and love [heart emoji]' At one point is started raining, forcing the group to slip into bright pink disposable rain jackets Rumours began to swirl at the beginning of the year during filming, and quickly gained traction after Glen quietly split with his model girlfriend Gigi Paris in April. Sydney finally shot down the rumours during a tell-all interview with Variety, saying 'It's a rom-com. That's what people want!' She added: 'Glen and I don't really care.' 'We have so much fun together, and we respect each other so much; he's such a hard worker, and I'm a hard worker,' she continued. Earlier this year, Sweeney fuelled speculation of an on-set romance with Powell as they filmed their romantic comedy in Sydney 'We're excited for the press tour [the interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike], and I literally just left ADR with him. We talk all the time like, 'That's really funny,' the blonde beauty quipped. Despite the pair continually denying any possibility of a romance, fans of the two Hollywood heavyweights found such statements hard to believe after the rom-com co-stars were spotted spending a lot of time together in Australia... when they weren't filming scenes. A production member on the film even relayed that many of the workers on set 'thought they were already a couple.' They continued with 'I knew him from Top Gun. But I just assumed they were a couple in real life. That's what it looked like to most of us. And to some of the extras as well.' A production member on the film even relayed that many of the workers on set 'thought they were already a couple' Although the 6'0 heartthrob did break up with his girlfriend while filming Anyone But You, with Gigi even unfollowing the Madame Webb star, Sweeny is still very much together with her fiance, Jonathan Davino, 38, who has also joined her in Sydney as she does her reshoots. The pair have looked more loved up than ever recently, with Sydney and Jonathan even joining Riverdale star Lili Reinhart on a double date with her boyfriend Jack Martin while the foursome were vacationing in Venice back in September. A source told TMZ back in April that the curvaceous beauty was 'still engaged,' to the Chicago restaurateur and that Powell and Sweeney were 'not dating.' The same insider verified that Jonathan and his sex symbol fiancee were still living together as well, despite theories to the contrary. 'Zendaya is probably the most honest with me, he said. Which I love, cause you need that,' Holland When the talk turned to his 27-year-old girlfriend - who he's been dating since November 2021 - Holland reveals he loves her honesty the most The 27-year-old actor took part in a Q&A discussion for his new film The Crowded Room for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversions Series on Friday Tom Holland offered a rare glimpse into his relationship with Zendaya in a new interview over the weekend. The 27-year-old actor took part in a Q&A discussion for his new film The Crowded Room for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversions Series on Friday. When the talk turned to his 27-year-old girlfriend - who he's been dating since November 2021 - Holland reveals he loves her honesty the most. 'Zendaya is probably the most honest with me, he said. 'Which I love, cause you need that,' Holland said. The news comes just a day after he was spotted grabbing some dinner in West Hollywood with friends. Tom and Zendaya: Tom Holland offered a rare glimpse into his relationship with Zendaya in a new interview over the weekend Most honest: 'Zendaya is probably the most honest with me, he said. Which I love, cause you need that,' Holland said He also opened up about how honest his fellow Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are honest with him as well, though Robert Downey Jr. may be too honest. 'Downey is very honest sometimes a little too honest. I really respect Downeys opinion,' Holland added. 'He taught me so much and I always sing his praises, and I love the guy. I admire him,' Holland continued. When it comes to the craft of acting, though, Holland admitted that he turns to Benedict Cumberbatch the most. 'Benedict Cumberbatch is someone that I ask for advice a lot about acting,' Holland said of the Doctor Strange star. Holland made his debut as Spider-Man in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, which he followed up with 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, 2019's Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home and 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. There have been rumors about the potential for a fourth Spider-Man movie, which Holland recently opened up about. 'All I can say is that we have been actively engaging in conversations about what it could potentially look like for a fourth rendition of my character,' Holland told Collider at the recent press conference with the Critics Choice Association. Too honest: He also opened up about how honest his fellow Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are honest with him as well, though Robert Downey Jr . may be too honest Spider-Man debut: Holland made his debut as Spider-Man in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, which he followed up with 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, 2019's Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home and 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home 'Whether or not we can find a way to do justice to the character is another thing. I feel very protective over Spider-Man,' he insisted. During the conversation the actor expressed a healthy dose of gratitude for having the privilege to work on such an iconic franchise. 'I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy,' he added. 'So, I won't make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character,' he admitted. Nella Rose has been seen for the first time since being eliminated from I'm a Celebrity as she arrived at the Marriott hotel in Surfer's Paradise. The 26-year-old TikTok sensation was clapped in by the friends and family of her campmates still in the Jungle. Before leaving the site Nella was seen by doctors for a physical and psychiatric test and taken through the social media coverage of her time in camp. Nella may be shocked to learn the public did not warm to her after her rows with Nigel Farage and outburst at First Dates Fred Sirieix caused 20,000 complaints to Ofcom. Nella Rose has been seen for the first time since being eliminated from I'm a Celebrity as she arrived at the Marriott hotel in Surfer's Paradise Nella may be shocked to learn the public did not warm to her after her rows with Nigel Farage and outburst at First Dates Fred Sirieix caused 20,000 complaints She will spend the next week at the Marriott while the other celebrities are voted off. I'm A Celeb has been rocked by a race row after the only two black contestants Nella and Marvin Humes received the lowest votes from the public. The TikTok sensation, 26, was the second celebrity to be eliminated from the jungle this year and was widely disliked by fans but JLS's Marvin Humes, 38, has been a fan favourite throughout the show. When the votes were being read out by hosts Ant and Dec, viewers were confused when Marvin and Nella were both in the bottom two and were quick to point out it was a matter of race. One person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'Nella and Marvin bottom two? 'In a camp that has public enemy number one Fred Sirieix and Nigel Farage? 'The UK is hella racist.' Another wrote: 'Marvin and Nella? What is wrong with the British public? Before leaving the site Nella was seen by doctors for a physical and psychiatric test and taken through the social media coverage of her time in camp. The 26-year-old TikTok sensation was clapped in by the friends and family of her campmates still in the Jungle and the first eliminated cmapmate Frankie Detorri I'm A Celeb has been rocked by a race row after the only two black contestants Nella and Marvin Humes received the lowest votes from the public The TikTok sensation, 26, was the second celebrity to be eliminated from the jungle this year and was widely disliked by fans but JLS's Marvin Humes, 38, has been a fan favourite throughout the show But other viewers have hit back and said: 'It's not about race it's about personality , Marvin is lovely Nella is not.' Marvin now is in the top two campers with the highest odds of leaving the Jungle, alongside First Dates' Maitre'd, Fred Sirieix. It comes after Fred, 51, was slammed by viewers for his 'unbearable' and 'misogynist' behaviour towards Josie Gibson's cooking skills as camp chef. The French Maitre'd has been constantly berating the This Morning host's cooking skills after she was chef over him and it has become the main feature of the show. One person wrote: 'I was a really big fan before he went on the show but now he's really annoying me. Like back off from Josie. While Sunday's episode was airing, Marvin's wife Rochelle Humes was at London's Royal Albert Hall for the British Fashion Awards 2023. When the votes were being read out by hosts Ant and Dec , viewers were confused when Marvin and Nella were both in the bottom two and were quick to point out it was a matter of race One person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter : 'Nella and Marvin bottom two? 'In a camp that has public enemy number one Fred Sirieix and Nigel Farage ? However, the TV presenter, 34, ditched the star-studded event early and rushed home to get ready to catch her flight to Australia, in the hopes that she will make it there on time to greet her husband. Viewers at home were in disbelief that Marvin had ended up in the bottom two of the public vote, thinking that he would've been safe over other campmates. One person took to Twitter to ask: 'Someone explain why Marvin was in the bottom 2' while another echoed: 'WHY WAS MARVIN IN THE BOTTOM TWO??????' A shock interview conducted by Matt Doran which aired on Channel Seven's Sunday Night in Australia has resurfaced following the release of new Netflix drama, May December. The movie, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, is loosely based on the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau, who served six years in prison for second-degree rape of her 12-year-old student Vili Fualaau. The controversial couple eventually married until they separated in 2019. Mary passed away, age 58, from colorectal cancer in 2020. May December was released on November 17 and started streaming on Netflix on December 1 in the US. It is set for release on Netflix in Australia on February 1, 2024. Doran interviewed Mary and Vili for Sunday Night in 2018, and the sit-down appears to be inspiration for a scene in the film. During the interview, Mary attempted to justify her relationship with Vili much to the horror of Doran who sat across from them. 'Who was the boss? Who was the boss? Who was the boss back then? Who was the boss back then? Who was? Just say,' Mary barked at him. 'This is ridiculous... this is getting weird,' Vili replied, to which Doran agreed, 'This is ridiculous.' A shock interview conducted by Matt Doran which aired on Channel Seven 's Sunday Night in Australia has resurfaced following the release of new Netflix drama, May December The movie, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, is loosely based on the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau (right), who served six years in prison for felony second-degree rape of her 12-year-old student Vili Fualaau (left) 'Well, I was the pursuer,' Vili eventually answered. May December follows actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) who travels to Georgia to meet and study the life of sex offender-turned-baker Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) in order to more authentically play her in an indie film. The woman is infamous for her 23-year-old relationship with her husband Joe (Charles) whom she first met as a minor. Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, the married couple buckles under pressure when the actress arrives to do research. In a scene in May December, Joe (played by Charles Melton) confronts Gracie Atherton-Yoo (played by Julianne Moore) about the origins of their controversial relationship. Doran interviewed Mary and Vili for Sunday Night in 2018, and the sit-down appears to be inspiration for a scene in the film During the interview, Mary attempted to justify her relationship with Vili much to the horror of Doran who sat across from them 'Who was the boss?' Gracie asks him. 'Who was in charge?' The film was announced in June 2021, with Natalie and Julianne joining the cast and filming took place in mid-2022 around Savannah, Georgia. It premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20. Julianne's character is a thinly-veiled version of Mary Kay Letourneau (R), who served six years in prison for felony second-degree rape of her 12-year-old student Vili Fualaau (L) Fans have taken to Twitter to praise the acting and storyline and in particular Charles' acting. One said: 'It's the next morning after seeing may December (2023) and I can't get Charles Melton's performance out of my head. 'He's just so good and the film itself is a freaking masterpiece dude.' Another said: 'They don't make movies like may December anymore!' Portman and Moore had never worked together before Natalie portrayed actress Elizabeth Berry, who researches sex offender-turned-baker Gracie Atherton-Yoo in order to more authentically play her in an indie film A third penned: 'What Charles Melton does in May December is so special, he has to walk such a fine line between child and adult. 'I've never been so excited to see where someone's career goes. he's not just a star in the making, but a really special kind of actor.' Charles accepted the Gotham Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance for May December on Monday night. Policemen injured in house explosion near Washington D.C.: report Xinhua) 13:48, December 05, 2023 WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Police officers received minor injuries following an explosion at a residential building on Monday near Washington, D.C., reported local media. The blast occurred at a house in Arlington, a county in the U.S. state of Virginia directly across the Potomac River from the U.S. capital, where the police were conducting an investigation, said the report. "As officers were attempting to execute a search warrant at the residence, the suspect discharged several rounds inside the home. Subsequently, an explosion occurred at the residence and officers continue to investigate the circumstances of the explosion," the Arlington County Police Department said on X, formerly Twitter. A loud explosion was heard in the area just after 8:20 p.m. local time (0120 GMT) and electricity was disrupted in the vicinity, according to local media reports. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Gal Gadot was pictured in Los Angeles Monday heading to Chateau Marmont hotel for lunch, a day after she called on the United Nations to demand every female hostage held by Hamas be released immediately. The Wonder Woman actress, 38, and her spouse Jaron Varsano, 48, were pictured walking to the famed location following her strong statement. It came nearly two months after Hamas militants stormed the a music festival October 7 and killed hundreds of Israeli people, taking 240 hostages to take back to Gaza. The Heart of Stone star was clad in an off-white long-sleeved sweater with black leather pants and matching boots. She wore her dark brown locks pulled back with dark sunglasses on the daytime outing. Varsano, a film producer, wore a gray button-up top with dark blue jeans and black sneakers, with black sunglasses. Gal Gadot, 38, was pictured in Los Angeles Monday with spouse Jaron Varsano, 48, heading to Chateau Marmont hotel for lunch, a day after she called on the United Nations to demand every female hostage held by Hamas be released immediately Gadot on Instagram Sunday called for the release of female hostages in a detailed post Gadot has consistently been vocal about her support for Israel since Hamas attacked Israel eight weeks ago. Referring to Hamas' deadly incursion, last night she said in an Instagram post to more than 109 million followers: 'The world has failed the women of October 7th. We claim we stand against rape, violence against women. 'We will not let women be victimized and then silenced. We say we believe women, stand with women, speak out for women. It continued: 'On October 7th, the world witnessed Hamas carrying out its violent plans in real time. Within hours of the October 7th attack, the first blood-chilling video emerged of Shani Louk being paraded naked and defiled by her proud assailants. 'Yet two months later women are still hostage to these rapists and the world has failed to call this situation what it is: an urgent emergency that demands a decisive response.' Gadot said that the 'moment' had come for women and allies of women to act in condemnation of the crimes committed. She said, 'I am beseeching all those who have done so much for women's rights globally - from the UN, to the human rights community, to please join in the demand that Hamas release every single woman hostage immediately - not after the next round of international mediation, not after another day. 'These women cannot survive another moment of this horror.' The Wonder Woman actress and her husband were pictured walking to the famed location Gadot has been vocal about her support for Israel since Hamas terrorists attacked a festival October 7 The Heart of Stone star was clad in an off-white long-sleeved sweater with black leather pants and matching boots Shani Louk, 22, was pronounced dead after a bone from the base of her skull was found three weeks after she was taken by Hamas. Kidnapped by gunmen as she and her friends parties at the Nova festival near Kibbutz Re'im, her body was paraded after she was taken. Though her family held out hope that she was still alive, her family confirmed her passing in late October, though the circumstances of her death, as well as where and how the bone from her skull was found, are not currently clear Gadot, who spent two years in the IDF as a combat fitness instructor, has been pushing for all remaining hostages to be released since war broke out between Israel and Hamas. Earlier this month, she hosted a Hollywood screening to show footage of Hamas' October 7 attack. The 47-minute video titled 'Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre', provided by the IDF, was shown in select locations across the world including in Los Angeles and New York. The footage, which was mostly filmed by Hamas terrorists, includes murder, mass rapes and beheadings of Jewish people as well as the massacre at the Nova music festival. Shortly after the initial attack, the former Miss Israel 2004 was one of the first Hollywood names to support Israel, writing: 'I stand with Israel you should too. The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!' Gadot's post made reference to Shani Louk, 22, who was paraded in a Hamas video before a bone from the base of her skull was found three weeks after she was taken hostage Smoke rising after Israeli attacks in Gaza, is seen from Sderot in southern Israel Palestinian citizens inspect the destruction caused by air strikes on their homes on December 3 in Gaza Smoke billows over the Palestinian enclave during Israeli bombardment amid continuing battles between Israel and Hamas The star also asked her followers to donate funds for those affected by the attacks. Gadot's call comes as Israeli investigators probing the fallout of the brutal October 7 attacks have found evidence that women and men have suffered sexual violence and rape at the hands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad attackers, activists have claimed. Yael Sherer, a spokeswoman for Israel's Survivors of Sexual Violence advocacy group, said there was physical evidence as well as eyewitness accounts of sexual violence perpetrated against both sexes amid the attacks. There was sexual violence and rape in these communities in the south of Israel... we have a few living survivors - not a lot - of both genders. It didn't only happen to women, it happened to men as well,' Yael Sherer told BBC Radio 4. 'Aside from finding bodies of people who were murdered, a lot of the bodies were mutilated... terrorists made sure to disgrace these people and dishonor them,' she added. It comes as Israeli police opened up the biggest investigation into sexual violence and crimes against women ever in the nation. Jeannie Mai and Jeezy have made conflicting statements about their separation. The television personality, 44, claimed that she found out about her divorce from the news while the rapper, 46, reportedly stated that was not true. On Monday, the actress made an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show and admitted she was 'gutted' after learning about her now-estranged husband filing for divorce. Just days after she suggested her ex was allegedly unfaithful, he told the host that finding out 'at the same time as the rest of the world' was 'kinda hard', but the split is something she is 'taking day by day'. This comes about two months after it was reported that the pair had split and filed for divorce in September. Jeannie Mai and Jeezy have made conflicting statements about their separation. On Monday, the actress, 44, made an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show and admitted she was 'gutted' after learning about her now-estranged husband filing for divorce A source close to the couple said the rapper, 46, refuted his ex's claims about him blindsiding her about their separation and her finding out about the divorce filing from the news 'I think I'm doing better now,' she said after Hudson asked how she has been doing since the separation. However, she admitted that she couldn't say the same for weeks ago when she had been allegedly blindsided by Jeezy, whose real name is Jay Wayne Jenkins. 'At the time, when I found out at the same time as the rest of the world that my marriage was ending in divorce, I was gutted,' she said. In the aftermath of their split, she said that she has been 'picking up the pieces' and has been focusing on 'discovering' herself. Most importantly, she said that her main priority is 'being a mom to the best blessing in my life my little girl.' About a year ago, Mai had welcomed her daughter Monaco, nearly 11-months-old, with Jenkins. She also said on the show that she wants to make sure that their child gets to spend time with her father for the holidays. Just last week, Mai had cited her pre-nuptial agreement in her divorce petition response to Jenkins and suggested that Jenkins had been unfaithful. This comes about two months after it was reported that the pair had split in September 'I think I'm doing better now,' she said after Hudson asked how she has been doing since the separation. However, she admitted that she couldn't say the same for weeks ago when she had been allegedly blindsided by Jeezy, whose real name is Jay Wayne Jenkins In the aftermath of their split, she said that she has been 'picking up the pieces' and has been focusing on 'discovering' herself Most importantly, she said that her main priority is 'being a mom to the best blessing in my life my little girl.' About a year ago, Mai had welcomed her daughter Monaco, nearly 11-months-old, with Jenkins A source told TMZ just hours after The Jennifer Hudson Show episode with Mai's guest appearance aired on Monday that those claims were false. The insider said Jenkins also refuted what his estranged wife said on the show about how he had blindsided her about their divorce. He alleged that it was something they both knew was coming as they had gone to multiple marriage counselors and therapists in the time leading up to their split, the source told the outlet. They also claimed that Jenkins is adamantly refuting the cheating allegations. The Bachelors new hunk Ben Waddell has a shocking link to Hollywood star Zac Efron, with the model threatening legal action against the actor in 2021. The Channel Ten star, 36, made headlines at the time when he issued a legal notice to the Baywatch actor over his Netflix docuseries Down To Earth. He claimed the eco-travel show is a replica of the concept he shopped around the United States in 2018, though the producers categorically deny the accusations. Ben said producers balked at the idea, prompting him to return to Australia to shoot a local version until Zac's show aired in 2020, which he alleged partially copied the pilot he filmed. The environmentalist's legal notice to the Bad Neighbours star demanded Zac, 36, respond to the allegations within seven days. The Bachelors new star Ben Waddell, 36, (pictured) has a shocking link to Hollywood star Zac Efron, 36, with the model threatening legal action against the actor in 2021 Ben claimed he was shocked to see 'his show' airing with the award-winning actor at the helm and vowed to launch legal proceedings against Netflix and Down To Earth creators The Nacelle Company. He went on to tell his Instagram followers at the time that he tried several times to contact production before going public with his allegations. 'I spoke to radio stations and then Channel Nine chased [Zac] down. Yesterday our lawyers contacted Efron's team direct. Now they've got seven days to write us back or you know what happens next,' Ben said. The Channel Ten star made the news when he issued a legal notice to the Baywatch actor (pictured) over his Netflix docuseries Down To Earth A letter of demand can be formally issued in an attempt to resolve a matter outside of court, though Ben's brother created a GoFundMe page in an attempt to raise the $50,000 it would take to sue. The final nail in the coffin for Ben was when he learned season two would be filmed in his home country of Australia, he told Daily Mail Australia at the time. 'I was sitting on my couch during lockdown [in America] and turned on Netflix and it was trending as the second-biggest show in the US,' he said. He claimed the eco-travel show, which filmed its second season in Australia, is a replica of the concept he shopped around the United States in 2018 'I fell out of my chair, I was shocked. It was brutal, gut-wrenching. Now they're making a season 2 in Australia just to kick me when I'm down.' The Australian presenter and production partner Whitney Smith shot a pilot for 'Down to Earth with Ben Waddell' at an eco-retreat in Mexico in July 2017. After it was not picked up in the US, he began plans to shoot in Australia but had to shut down discussions with Channel Ten after seeing the Netflix version. A Channel Ten spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday: 'Ben Waddell is no longer pursuing legal action against Netflix and Zac Efron. 'All the money raised through GoFundMe was used to cover legal costs pertaining to this suit in 2021.' She may not be American, but she still got to celebrate one of the United States' national holidays last month. Millie Bobby Brown shared that she spent the Thanksgiving holiday with her fiance Jake Bongiovi last month while speaking with People. The 19-year-old Stranger Things star who wore a 'J' necklace for her 21-year-old fiance in a recent social media post revealed that she and Jake marked the holiday with his parents: the rocker Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea Hurley, both 61. 'Obviously I'm British, so I don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but of course Jake's family are American, so they were able to introduce me to what a real American Thanksgiving looked like,' she said. It appeared to have been a success for Millie and Jake's family, as 'Jake's mom's cooking was amazing.' Millie Bobby Brown, 19, revealed to People that she spent her first Thanksgiving ever with her fiance Jake Bongiovi, 21, and his parents Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley, both 61; seen November 7 in NYC The Enola Holmes star sweetly added that she 'got introduced to a really great Thanksgiving [with a] wonderful family.' In addition to Jake, Jon and Dorothea share three other adult children: Stephanie, 30; Jesse, 28; and Romeo, 19. Millie also weighed in on the Thanksgiving dinner's showcase, the turkey. The bird confounds many amateur chefs each year as they try to keep the white meat from drying out too much without leaving the dark meat undercooked, but Dorothea seemed to have gotten the equation just right. 'I really went into it thinking, "Turkey's turkey, how good can it be?" but Jake's mom made the best roast turkey,' Millie gushed, calling their bird a 'pretty unbelievable' dish. 'I felt like I was totally living my all-American dream,' she added, channeling visions of Norman Rockwell paintings. This appears to be her first time celebrating Thanksgiving with Jake, following their April engagement. Despite enjoying the new holiday, Millie made it clear that Christmas is her holiday of choice. 'I feel like Christmas is my holiday. It's just where I thrive,' she said, before noting that she starts decorating even before Halloween has passed . 'Jake's very much against that, but who cares?' The lovebirds were first linked back in June of 2021, when Jake shared a selfie of the two in a car and captioned it: 'bff <3.' 'Obviously I'm British, so I don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but of course Jake's family are American, so they were able to introduce me to what a real American Thanksgiving looked like,' she said; seen November 7 in NYC Millie wasn't excited for the turkey, but she was pleasantly surprised. 'I really went into it thinking, "Turkey's turkey, how good can it be?" but Jake's mom made the best roast turkey,' she gushed, calling it a 'pretty unbelievable' dish; seen together in September in NYC Millie has said that she and Jake became friends on Instagram before getting to know each other in real life. They were first linked in June 2021 before going Instagram official in November 2021. They announced their engagement in April of this year; seen in 2022 Millie is best known for starring on Netflix's hit series Stranger Things They continued to make playful appearances together on social media in subsequent months, but it wasn't until November of that year that they posted a blurry photo of themselves embracing for a kiss to make the relationship official. A year later, Millie revealed that the two had struck up a virtual relationship before moving into the physical world after they first met on Instagram. 'We were friends for a bit, and then, what can I say?' she told Wired. Millie subsequently struck up engagement rumors in January of this year when she referred to Jake as her 'partner for life' in one of her Instagram posts, but it wasn't until April that they announced their engagement and shared photos of the ring. Julie Bishop looked incredibly stylish on Monday when she rolled up her sleeves to go cherry picking in the Adelaide Hills. The former foreign minister, 66, slipped on a white linen shirt tucked into blue jeans and a blue sweater tied around her shoulders for an elegant touch. Ms Bishop hid her eyes behind designer sunglasses and accessorised with a pair of diamond drop earrings. She had her signature blonde crop coiffed in a perfect blow wave and wore minimal makeup. It seems Ms Bishop is continuing to live her best life following her shock breakup from David Panton, as she was also seen posing with a group of sexy muscle men earlier this year. Julie Bishop looked incredibly stylish on Monday when she rolled up her sleeves to go cherry picking in the Adelaide Hills She jetted off to Sentosa Island in Singapore for a luxury holiday in June where she decided to join an early morning boot camp filled with attractive men. The towering studs gleefully snapped a picture with her for Instagram as they flaunted their ripped muscles while Ms Bishop stood between them grinning ear-to-ear. Her new lease on life comes after her ex David, 61, dumped her over dinner in Sydney last year, putting an end to their eight-year relationship. The former foreign minister, 66, slipped on a white linen shirt tucked into blue jeans and a blue sweater tied around her shoulders for an elegant touch He quickly moved on with a 38-year-old woman just months later. During their partnership, Ms Bishop took David to the United Nations to meet world leaders, Buckingham Palace to hobnob with British royalty and to the White House where he met Donald and Melania Trump. The pair first stepped out publicly in 2014, and were pictured at countless celebrity events over the years including the 2018 wedding of Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough. It seems Ms Bishop is continuing to live her best life following her shock breakup from David Panton They had appeared to be going strong when they visited St James' Palace in London for an event honouring Prince Charles' charity - now King Charles. Ms Bishop was understood to have been 'blindsided' by the sudden breakdown of her relationship, sources close to the former politician said. Daily Mail Australia understands she had been finding more ways to be in Sydney with David when the split occurred. Another source close to her hinted that David's presence in her inner circle 'divided' some of her friends and colleagues. Jennifer Fessler revealed that she was hospitalized for an 'impacted bowel' due to her Ozempic use, but that it hasn't stopped her from continuing to take it. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 55, shared about the side effects of Hollywood's favorite weight loss drug on her podcast Two Jersey Js. 'I have been on, and I'm not going to call it Ozempic that's been the umbrella name. But I've been on semaglutide for over a year now, and I've lost maybe 22 pounds,' she told co-star Jackie Goldschneider. 'I'm not afraid of Ozempic and I will tell you I have had an experience that was not good and I'm pretty positive it was about the semaglutide where I had to go to the hospital for an impacted bowel and I'm still not nervous about it,' she said. The star who also recently got a facelift and nose job admitted that though she noticed 'constipation' she ignored the warning sign, causing the problem to worsen. Jennifer Fessler revealed that she was hospitalized for an 'impacted bowel' due to her Ozempic use, but that it hasn't stopped her from continuing to take it; seen November 2023 The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 55, shared about side effects of Hollywood's favorite weight loss drug on her podcast Two Jersey Js 'I was drinking no water, eating no vegetables because something that happens, a new experience for me, is being able to eat what I want even when its not the most healthy choices and still lose weight,' Fessler explained. 'So maybe for the first time in my life, I'm losing weight on pizza and bagels and ice cream.' 'Having said that, I noticed there was constipation, I didn't do anything about it. I wasnt taking Miralax, that you take every morning, or any kind of stool softener,' she said. 'I hadn't gone in a week, then it was a week and a half.' Upon reflecting, she said she was 'to blame' for 'ignoring' the signs and has since changed her habits. 'I haven't had a problem since,' she shared. Ozepmic is a diabetes medicine used to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes, according to the European Medicines Agency, but has recently made headlines for its weight-loss effect. Though she admitted to being 'a raging hypochondriac,' Fessler stated that when it involves things to do with her 'physical appearance' her anxiety goes 'out the window.' 'I'm not afraid of Ozempic and I will tell you I have had an experience that was not good... where I had to go to the hospital for an impacted bowel and I'm still not nervous about it,' she shared; seen in May, 2023 The star (seen left in October 2022 and right this month) admitted that though she noticed 'constipation' she ignored the warning sign, causing the problem to worsen Upon reflecting, she said she was 'to blame' for 'ignoring' the signs and has since changed her habits. 'I haven't had a problem since,' she shared; pictured in November Though she admitted to being 'a raging hypochondriac,' Fessler stated that when it involves things to do with her 'physical appearance' her anxiety goes 'out the window'; pictured in September The star previously shared she didn't ask to be put on a weight loss drug, but admits she has been thrilled with the results; seen in August 22 She also admitted to losing some muscle and that she began going to the doctor 'every month' to get it checked. 'Physically, I feel a lot better in clothes. When I'm not in clothes I look 90 because I have gone up and down my more than 20 pounds in my life so there is a lot of skin that exists now when you lose muscle and fat.' 'Again, I have to take responsibility for that in the sense that, you know, you dont put on muscle when you just lay horizontal on your bed eating chips. It doesnt work like that,' she went on. The star then shared that she has since hired a personal trainer. Meanwhile her co-star voiced her disapproval for the medication, which she claims 'more than half' of the RHONJ cast is currently on. 'I am an outspoken advocate for eating disorder recovery and a very strong opponent of semaglutides for losing those last 10 pounds,' Goldschneider said. 'I think its a very dangerous trend but out of respect for each other and our friendship, we have never discussed it,' she said. Fessler previously hinted she was taking Ozempic in March while on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. The star detailed her cosmetic surgeries and use of medications to help aid her recent weight loss. 'I got a glow up!' Fessler revealed to Cohen when he asked about her makeover, as reported by People. 'What am I on? Well I did have a facelift. I did. Dr. Sam Rizk baby, he's the best. And a nose job!' The reality star went to boast: 'Yeah, I don't play, I don't play. And I did lose a lot of weight. I took peptides and I don't know if you've heard of medications associated with that that help people lose weight.' Jennifer previously revealed she underwent a deep plane facelift, neck lift surgery and a nose job. She is pictured left before the procedures and right after The reality star - who is originally from Texas - joined the latest season of the Bravo show in February. She is seen with co-star Teresa Giudice 'Like Ozempic?' he asked. 'You said it, I didn't, Fessler replied, adding, 'But whatever works, here I am.' The month prior, the Saddle River, New Jersey native claimed her doctor put her on Ozempic 'without her knowledge' to treat symptoms of menopause. 'I didnt realize what he gave me,' Fessler revealed during an interview with the Daily Mail. 'Its like a bunch of different things, like estrogen pellets. He gave me a mix of peptides, but I found out it's a form of Ozempic.' Despite the weight-loss effects, Fessler said, 'Listen, I got on it because I went to a doctor for menopause symptoms.' Fessler first appeared on RHONJ as a guest in season eight in 2018, and only just returned in the most recent season 13 as a friend of the housewives, alongside former housewife Jackie. Cardi B and Offset's often-tumultuous relationship seems to have hit another rough patch, with the musicians now unfollowing each other on Instagram. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the 31-year-old Cardi (born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar) and 31-year-old Offset (born Kiari Kendrell Cephus) both unfollowed each other. The news comes just hours after a rather cryptic Instagram story post where she revealed, 'You know sometimes you just outgrow relationships.' She added in the next story post, 'I'm tired of protecting people's feelings... I GOTTA PUT MYSELF FIRST.' Just days earlier she was seen at a Balenciaga party in West Hollywood, just hours after making her fashion runway debut at the brand's Fall 2024 Fashion Show. Rough patch: Cardi B and Offset 's often-tumultuous relationship seems to have hit another rough patch, with the musicians now unfollowing each other on Instagram Outgrow: The news comes just hours after a rather cryptic Instagram story post where she revealed, 'You know sometimes you just outgrow relationships' Just an hour before Cardi's cryptic posts, Offset added one of his own, sharing a clip from the 1983 Al Pacino classic Scarface. The title character is alone in a huge bathtub as the clip begins with him saying, 'Hey, f**k you, man! Who put this thing together? Me. That's who. Who do I trust? Me.' While it's unclear if that was aimed at Cardi, he hasn't posted anything since his wife's IG story posts. This certainly wouldn't be the first time the couple has been on the outs throughout their tumultuous relationship. The couple reportedly met at an 'industry event' in 2016, with Cardi B recalling in a November 2017 Twitter video, 'He was very consistent. He really wanted to talk to me.' They reportedly started dating in January 2017, the same month they released a song together called Lick. Cardi shared a photo of them on her Instagram during the Super Bowl, referring to the Migos rapper as, 'my friend you know what Im saying?' Offset later revealed that the Super Bowl was their first real date, with the couple sharing a kissing Instagram snap on Valentine's Day 2017. Clip: Just an hour before Cardi's cryptic posts, Offset added one of his own, sharing a clip from the 1983 Al Pacino classic Scarface Me: The title character is alone in a huge bathtub as the clip begins with him saying, 'Hey, f**k you, man! Who put this thing together? Me. That's who. Who do I trust? Me' Tumultuous: This certainly wouldn't be the first time the couple has been on the outs throughout their tumultuous relationship Lick: They reportedly started dating in January 2017, the same month they released a song together called Lick While Cardi refused to confirm she was even dating Offset that summer, she dropped some not-so-subtle marriage hints at the VMAs in late August 2017. Less than a month later, the couple secretly married in Fulton County, Georgia, though it was not publicly revealed until June 2018. Offset proposed to Cardi on stage in October 2017 - despite already being legally married - though in January 2018, rumors surfaced that not only had Offset cheated on Cardi, but he had made a sex tape with another woman. Cardi defended her decision to stay with Offset in February 2018, stating, 'Its not right, what he fucking didbut people dont know what I did, cause I aint no angel.' Pregnancy rumors swirled just weeks later, with Cardi confirming she's expecting while performing on Saturday Night Live, with the couple welcoming their first child Kulture in June 2018. After months of cheating rumors, Cardi revealed in December 2018 that she had split with Offset, even denying rumors their entire relationship was 'fake.' Later that month, while Cardi was performing at Rolling Loud, Offset took over her set in an effort to win her back, with signs reading, 'Take Me Back Cardi.' A month later they had reconciled, with the couple in attendance at the Grammy's where Cardi became the first solo female artist to win Best Rap Album. Married: Less than a month later, the couple secretly married in Fulton County, Georgia, though it was not publicly revealed until June 2018 Take me back: Later that month, while Cardi was performing at Rolling Loud, Offset took over her set in an effort to win her back, with signs reading, 'Take Me Back Cardi' Cardi confirmed Offset had cheated on her in December 2019, though the couple seemed to be going strong into 2020, before Cardi surprisingly filed for divorce in September 2020. They seemingly got back together just months later, with each giving each other expensive cars for their respective birthdays, before welcoming their second child Wave Set in September 2021. While the couple has seemingly been going strong since, she admitted in September that she didn't think they'd actually get married. They celebrated their six-year wedding anniversary this past September as well. Real Housewives of Sydney star Victoria Montano turned heads with her stunning display at Poof Doof in Sydney on Saturday. The 40-year-old showcased her incredible figure in a dazzling hot pink leopard print dress. The reality TV star, who owns athleisure brand Sport Luxe, was not just there to party but to perform, and she certainly put on a show to remember. Montano, known for her glamorous lifestyle and bold fashion choices, embraced the night with her signature flair. The hot pink leopard print was a nod to her fearless and fiery persona, both on and off-screen. Real Housewives of Sydney star Victoria Montano turned heads with her stunning display at Poof Doof in Sydney on Saturday. Pictured The 40-year-old showcased her incredible figure in a dazzling hot pink leopard print dress The highlight of the evening was when Montano was lifted into the air during the performance by her dancers, a moment that captured the crowd's attention. Patrons of the bar cheered as she was hoisted by her backup dancers, adding an element of surprise and excitement to the night's festivities. It comes just weeks after Victoria was forced to deny claims is still selling genuine fur jackets on her website. The reality TV star, who owns athleisure brand Sport Luxe, was not just there to party but to perform, and she certainly put on a show to remember The hot pink leopard print was a nod to her fearless and fiery persona, both on and off-screen Patrons of the bar cheered as she was hoisted by her backup dancers, adding an element of surprise and excitement to the night's festivities Victoria recently proclaimed her fur-selling days are dead and buried amid a row with co-star Dr Kate Adams after she wore a fur-collared vest to an animal rescue centre. Meanwhile, on the Sport Luxe website, a number of garments listed as 'faux' also claim to be authentic fur in the item description. One particular listing describes her popular 'faux fur' vests, currently on sale for $990, as being '100 per cent racoon fur'. It comes just weeks after Victoria was forced to deny claims is still selling genuine fur jackets on her website Victoria, 39, who owns athleisure brand Sport Luxe, recently clashed with her co-star Dr Kate Adams after wearing a fur vest during an episode of RHOS In a statement issued to Daily Mail Australia, Victoria insisted the listings on her website were a 'human error'. 'Out of the 50 products I sell on my website, only two items were ever containing a fur trim. Both items were removed in May 2023,' she explained. 'They were the Classic Winter Vest (made from tweed with fur trim), and the Showstopper (a Cashmere long jacket with fur trim),' she continued. 'I sell both items with fake fur trim as an option and have done so since I launched the range two years ago. 'My website designer uploaded these fake fur options two years ago with the correct title - but copied the text of the fur item underneath. That is the simple but very boring explanation of what has happened here. Human error!' Victoria's once openly advertised 'real fur' coats before changing the description on her site Screenshots of her site via WayBackMachine, a service which captures and stores historical snapshots of websites, shows her coat being listed as '100% fox fur' on June 2 Victoria explained that after she was made aware of the error, she instructed her web designer to update the website's copy immediately. Screenshots of her site via WayBackMachine, a service which captures and stores historical snapshots of websites, show her coat being listed as '100 per cent fox fur' on June 2. The jacket's description was recently changed to read 'faux fur' instead. Nick Cannon and Bre Tiesi, one of the six women he shares children with, were pictured on what appeared to be a romantic dinner date on Monday evening in Calabasas, California. The San Diego, California native, 43, and Tiesi, 32 - who are parents to son Legendary Love, one - matched in dark ensembles as they stepped out for a bite at the Crossroads Kitchen, a Vegan franchise that counts Travis Barker as one of its investors. Cannon was pictured donning a long black peacoat over a black shirt with black jeans and black boots. He accessorized with a large patterned neck scarf by Louis Vuitton and topped things off with a black knit cap. Tiesi, a one-time model, was clad in a black skirt with a thigh split, over a black one-shoulder turtleneck top keeping warm with a black coat with horizontal red stripes. The Selling Sunset personality wore knee-high black boots and accessorized with silver hoop earrings, with her black locks down and parted. Nick Cannon, 43, and Bre Tiesi, 32, were pictured on what appeared to be a romantic dinner date on Monday evening in Calabasas, California at the the Crossroads Kitchen The couple, who are parents to son Legendary Love, one, looked affectionate, as Tiesi had wrapped her arm around Cannon's Tiesi, a Los Angeles native who was formerly married to ex-NFL player Johnny Manziel, was pictured after it was revealed she stated she had suffered a miscarriage two years ago after being rear-ended in her car in Burbank, California. The sad news was stated in court documents obtained by The Blast for a lawsuit Tiesi filed against the female driver who hit her. In the paperwork, the reality TV star claims that she had the 'loss of an unborn child' in her list of the 'serious injuries and damages' she sustained in the crash. It is not known if Cannon was the father of the unborn child, or if Cannon and Tiesi were even seeing each other at the time of the crash. Tiesi is suing for her 'physical injuries' and 'costs of past and future medical treatment.' The accident took place on July 30, 2021 on Burbank Boulevard near Warner Bros. Studios. DailyMail.com reached out to Tiesi's rep for comment but did not immediately hear back. The driver who hit her acknowledged in the court documents that Bre had suffered an 'alleged miscarriage' due to the accident. Cannon smiled as he and Tiesi made their way to the vegan restaurant that counts Travis Barker as one of its investors Cannon was pictured donning a long black peacoat over a black shirt with black jeans and black boots Tiesi was clad in a black skirt with a thigh split, over a black one-shoulder turtleneck top keeping warm with a black coat She wore knee-high black boots and accessorized with silver hoop earrings, with her black locks down and parted Tiesi also reportedly accused the defendant of operating 'their vehicle negligently and carelessly' rather than 'in a safe and reasonable manner.' Tiesi lost the baby after the July 2021 accident, then six months later announced she was pregnant, and by June 2022 had welcomed her son Legend with Cannon. Cannon is, in total, father to 12 children with six different women, eight boys and four girls. His oldest kids are twins Monroe and Moroccan, 12, with ex-wife Mariah Carey. With Brittany Bell, Cannon is father to sons Golden Sagon, six, and Rise Messiah, one, and daughter Powerful, two. With Abby De La Rosa, Cannon is father is two-year-old twin sons Zion and Zillion and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin, one. With LaNisha Cole, Cannon is father to daughter Onyx Ice Cole, one. Cannon has welcomed two children with Alyssa Scott: late son Zen, who tragically passed away from brain cancer at five-months-old in December 2021; and daughter Halo Marie, who turns one on December 14. Cannon last week opened up about the major expenses it comes to his prolific parenting, telling The Breakfast Club that he spends an estimated $200,000 annually at Disneyland. Tiesi was pictured after it was revealed she stated she had suffered a miscarriage two years ago after being rear-ended in her car in Burbank, California The accident Tiesi is in litigation over took place on July 30, 2021 on Burbank Boulevard near Warner Bros. Studios Cannon is, in total, father to 12 children with six different women, eight boys and four girls Cannon last week opened up about the major expenses it comes to his prolific parenting, revealing he spends an estimated $200,000 annually at Disneyland Cannon on Friday said that he visits the Anaheim, California theme park 'at least once a month' for birthday and holiday celebrations. 'To move around Disney, like, I'm probably spending $200,000 a year at Disneyland,' Cannon said. Cannon noted that he 'used to be an employee' at the amusement park as he would be able to enter the park free when he'd host their holiday parade. 'It's no longer free, and I only had two kids then,' he said. Cannon said the overall number also reflected the cost of hotel rooms and chaperones for his group. 'Disneyland is expensive already off top,' he said. 'It's not how it used to be. You've got to make reservations.' Christine Baumgartner was spotted filling up her $164K Range Rover with gas in Montecito on Monday. The 49-year-old handbag designer was spotted at the pump in a casual outfit for the solo outing. Her sighting came just weeks after her ex-husband Kevin Costner was seen partying with celebs like Jewel, Emma Stone and Michael Bolton at Richard Branson's private island over the Thanksgiving holiday. Baumgartner stepped out in a stylish grey sweater with her blonde locks pulled back into a messy bun. She had black sunglasses tucked into the collar of her sweater, while opting for tan pants for the casual outing. Christine's look: Christine Baumgartner was spotted filling up her $164K Range Rover with gas in Montecito on Monday She completed her look with matching brown shoes with white soles for her Montecito outing on Monday. Baumgartner and Costner starting dating in 2000, with the actor and designer tying the knot at his Aspen, Colorado in 2004. They share three kids - Cayden Wyatt, 16, Hayes Logan, 14, and Grace Avery, 13 - with Costner also sharing four more kids with three women from previous relationships. He shares Annie, 39, Lily, 37, and Joe, 35, with first wife Cindy Silva, who were married from 1978 to 1994, with Silva filing for divorce after her ex allegedly had an affair on the set of the movie Waterworld. He also shares 26-year-old son Liam with Bridget Rooney, the niece of Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney. Fans were taken by surprise when Baumgartner filed for divorce in May, with rumors swirling that both Costner and Baumgartner were unfaithful. A source claimed, 'Kevin was very surprised by Christines actions, he obviously doesnt want the divorce and he would take her back.' 'Its disappointing, he loves her and he loves his children,' the statement concluded, with a rep adding cheating allegations are, 'absoluely untrue.' Christine's look: She completed her look with matching brown shoes with white soles for her Montecito outing on Monday Unfaithful: Fans were taken by surprise when Baumgartner filed for divorce in May, with rumors swirling that both Costner and Baumgartner were unfaithful The divorce was finalized in September, with Costner ordered to pay $63,209 a month in child support payments. Costner was tentatively ordered to pay $129,755 a month in an initial hearing, though Baumgartner then asked for $175,057 a month during a Santa Barbara hearing in August. Baumgartner's attorney John Rydell claimed the increase was so Baumgartner could maintain their oceanside lifestyle, which was, 'in their DNA at this point.' 'Kevin and Christine Costner have come to an amicable and mutually agreed upon resolution of all issues pertaining to their divorce proceedings,' a statement read. Channel Seven star Sally Obermeder finally lost her temper during this week's episode of The Real Housewives of Sydney. The former TV host-turned-lifestyle blogger, 50, became annoyed when co-stars Krissy Marsh, Caroline Gaultier, Terry Biviano and Nicole O'Neil began arguing over dinner and bluntly put them in their place. 'Everyone is still talking. Let me finish! I need a f**king flow chart,' a fiery Sally told her shocked co-stars. 'Sometimes people talk too much and don't listen enough, that's actually the problem.' Sally's shocking outburst came after fellow Housewife Terry Biviano, 48, had arranged for the group to meet up to go to the fish market during their Tokyo trip. The former TV host-turned-lifestyle blogger, 50, became annoyed when co-stars Krissy Marsh , Caroline Gaultier, Terry Biviano and Nicole O'Neil began arguing over dinner and bluntly put them in their place. Pictured: Sally Obermeder and Terry Biviano (left) Unfortunately, Terry and Caroline did a no-show and later laughed it up by visiting the market as a duo, standing Krissy and Nicole up. Obermeder bluntly told the group they had to all work together to sort out their differences. 'Externally it's just that she's saying she loves you, and we're all on a trip now, she doesn't understand why now you're saying, actually I barely know you,' Sally said as she acted as a mediator between her upset co-stars. 'Everyone is still talking. Let me finish! I need a f**king flow chart,' a fiery Sally told her shocked co-stars Unfortunately, her attempts did not go as hoped as the ladies continued to bicker, much to Sally's displeasure. It comes after Caroline opened up about her mum's cancer diagnosis last month in an episode of the hit Binge reality television show. In the episode, Caroline was at a wellness party on a luxury yacht cruising Sydney Harbour when she received the 'hardest phone call of her life' and began to weep. Obermeder bluntly told the group they had to all work together to sort out their differences The heart-wrenching news she received was that her mother had been rushed to the hospital diagnosed with stomach cancer, visibly leaving Caroline devastated. Fortunately, the boat returned to shore early, allowing Caroline to swiftly reach her mum's side. While they waited, the group reflected on the impact of cancer, recounting experiences of losing parents and loved ones, with Sally Obermeder sharing her own story of surviving cancer. Sally's shocking outburst came after fellow Housewife Terry Biviano, 48, had arranged for the group to meet up to go to the fish market during their Tokyo trip. Pcitured: Obermeder and Caroline Gaultier Maya Jama and Stormzy put on a loved-up display as they headed to the British Fashion Awards afterparty in London on Monday. The couple appeared in good spirits as they held hands while making their way to the venue following the star-studded ceremony earlier in the evening. Maya, 29, who co-hosted the awards, ensured all eyes were on her as she slipped into a black evening dress that showed off her toned pins. The garment featured a flowing train aong with white straps while Maya added height to her frame with a pair of heels. Styling her locks into voluminous curls, the Love Island presenter completed her look with a pair of gold drop earrings. Maya Jama and Stormzy put on a loved-up display as they headed to the British Fashion Awards afterparty in London on Monday They both underwent outfit changes from the awards show where Maya turned heads in an off the shoulder black gown and matching gloves The couple appeared in good spirits as they held hands while making their way to the venue following the star-studded ceremony earlier in the evening Stormzy, 30, opted for a casual look as he sported a black bomber jacket with a matching T-shirt and trousers. They both underwent outfit changes from the awards show where Maya turned heads in an off the shoulder black gown and matching gloves. The garment featured a beaded embellishment while the presenter also wore a pair of matching gloves. Stormzy meanwhile looked dapper in an all-white outfit as he and Maya were seen chatting and looking cosy backstage. The couple confirmed that they were giving their romance another shot over the summer after they were spotted on holiday together. They have mostly kept their rekindled relationship out of the spotlight apart from an appearancer at the Vogue Forces For Change party last month. The couple's reunion was said to be the work of Stormzy's mother Abigail Owuo, who recently spoke out about whether the rapper and girlfriend Maya will have children. Stormzy is reportedly already planning to propose to Maya, after they sent fans into a frenzy by revealing they had got back together. Maya's backstage garment featured a beaded embellishment while the presenter also wore a pair of matching gloves Stormzy meanwhile looked dapper in an all-white outfit as he and Maya were seen chatting and looking cosy backstage Maya ensured all eyes were on her as she slipped into a black evening dress that showed off her toned pins The garment featured a flowing train aong with white straps while Maya added height to her frame with a pair of heels Styling her locks into voluminous cursls, the Love Island presenter completed her look with a pair of gold drop earrings The couple confirmed that they were giving their romance another shot over the summer after they were spotted on holiday together They have mostly kept their rekindled relationship out of the spotlight apart from an appearancer at the Vogue Forces For Change party last month The grime star is said to have told pals he's 'determined' to show his commitment to the presenter after winning her back. And now his mother has hinted starting a family could be on their mind, saying: 'It's up to them.' She said: 'Will they get married and have children? Oh, I dont know. For now, its up to the two of them.' Insiders told The Sun that their relationship was secretly rekindled a year ago as they were reportedly seen kissing in an extra special VIP area in Germany, days before the GQ bash in London. A source said: 'Stormzy is really open about wanting to settle down and have kids one day, and he knows Maya is 'The One'.' Stormzy is reportedly already planning to propose to Maya, after they sent fans into a frenzy by revealing they had got back together The British Fashion Awards, presented by jewellery brand Pandora returned to the iconic London venue, the Royal Albert Hall on Monday evening. The evening, hosted by Maya and musical artist Kojey Radical, celebrated 16 awards. TFA nominees and winners are voted for by an international judging panel made up of over 1000 industry experts. The event serves as the main fundraiser for the BFC Foundation. which supports the future growth and success of the British fashion industry through its focus on education, grant-giving, and business mentoring. The BFC also went back to having some gender-based design awards for the first time since the pandemic, splitting the best British designers into menswear and womenswear categories. Schapelle Corby has turned her life around following her release from an Indonesian prison in 2014 and now makes a living as an artist. On Tuesday, the convicted drug smuggler, 46, shocked her Instagram followers when she unveiled a dramatic makeover. The Gold Coast born clockmaker has said goodbye to her lacklustre jet-black locks, replacing them with a warmer, sun-kissed look. In an image shared to the social media platform, Schapelle is seen positively glowing as she gives the camera a knowing stare. Her new caramel-kissed locks shine centrestage as Schapelle poses in the sunlight. Schapelle Corby has turned her life around following her release from an Indonesian prison in 2014 and now makes a living as an artist. On Tuesday, the convicted drug smuggler, 46, shocked her Instagram followers when she unveiled a dramatic makeover She captioned the glamorous image simply, writing 'salty' alongside the frame. Corby has been working as a clockmaker and influencer after being deported from Indonesia in 2017, after serving a reduced prison sentence and parole. She was infamously convicted of smuggling cannabis into Indonesia before being incarcerated for nine years at Bali's Kerobokan Prison. Following her arrest at Bali airport in October 2004, Schapelle said she did not know anything about the drugs that were found in her boogie board bag. After a series of sentence reductions, she was released on parole in 2014 and three years later was deported to Australia. In an image shared to the social media platform, Schapelle is seen positively glowing as she gives the camera a knowing stare. Her new caramel-kissed locks shine centrestage as she poses in the sunlight Last year, it was reported that Corby split from her Indonesian boyfriend Ben Panangian after 16 years together. She announced on Instagram that her long-distance relationship with Ben was over and that she was looking for her Prince Charming. The couple met in a Bali prison in 2006 when they were both serving time for drug-related offences, but hadn't seen each other in person since 2019. Ben was released from prison in 2009, while Schapelle was finally paroled in 2014 and allowed to return to Australia in 2017. The Indonesian government, however, permanently banned her from ever revisiting their country, which put a strain on their now long-distance relationship. She captioned the glamorous image simply, writing 'salty' alongside the frame Coleen Rooney reflected on the 'draining' and 'stressful' Wagatha Christie trial in an interview on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning. The WAG, 37, won her case against former pal Rebekah Vardy in May 2022 - and has since opened up about the trial in a new documentary and autobiography. In 2019, Coleen, 36, publicly accused Rebekah of leaking stories from her personal Instagram account to The Sun newspaper, leading to a High Court war, which saw Coleen reign victorious - as laid out in the acclaimed documentary. Speaking about the Wagatha trial, Coleen admitted: 'It was just draining and so stressful. It was the unknown going into it. 'I'd never been into court before, I'd never seen a courtroom before. I just didn't know what to expect. It was all new and it was scary it was emotional.' Coleen Rooney reflected on the 'draining' and 'stressful' Wagatha Christie trial in an interview on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning She went on to reveal that she was sitting by herself in the car when the judgement was handed out and detailed what her reaction was like after months of stressful waiting. She said: 'My phone started pinging saying "Congratulations, we're so pleased for you." 'It was a bit surreal. I was just sitting there on my own in the car. I didn't know whether to celebrate or cry. I was a bit numb. 'Since the verdict, the support's been unbelievable. I'm grateful for that. When the verdict came out I thought it's time for me to tell my story. It's my story to tell.' Her new book, My Account Coleen Rooney The Autobiography, tells the the Wagatha Christie libel battle from her side. In her new publication, she gives fans an insight into the 2022 trial and also gives a 'full account' of her life, from her childhood to more recent events. Coleen said she had no worries about sharing intimate details with the world: 'Why not tell my side of it? I've been in the press for more than 20 years. 'Even though I can be in the papers and stuff day in and day out they don't really know me as a person which I feel like from the book hopefully they get me a lot more.' The WAG, 37, won her case against former pal Rebekah Vardy in May 2022 Rebekah, 41, famously took Coleen to the High Court for libel and lost after Coleen claimed in October 2019 that stories about her were being leaked to the Press Coleen was pictured taking a stroll and sipping on a morning coffee as she headed out in Cheshire on Tuesday morning The WAG was spotted getting in her 120,000 Mercedes which was parked on double yellow lines Coleen risked a parking ticket to quickly grab a coffee in Cheshire as she stepped out in her stylish gym wear Rebekah, 41, famously took Coleen to the High Court for libel and lost after Coleen claimed in October 2019 that stories about her were being leaked to the Press from Rebekah's social media account . Publisher Penguin describes Coleen's autobiography as follows: 'Here, she recounts how she first suspected someone was betraying her trust (and how devastated it left her), and then the meticulous steps she took to identify, trap and finally reveal to the world her suspect. 'With the consequences playing out around the world and Coleen dragged unwillingly into a devastating court case whose outcome was far from certain, only now can she candidly give us her side of the story.' Coleen added in the press release: 'It was the biggest thing that had ever happened to me, and like nothing Id ever experienced. 'Looking back on it now, it still amazes me how inflated it all got, how ridiculous, how serious. Thats why I need to tell what happened in full.' It comes after the release of her Disney+ series Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story last month. It offered an inside tale into what exactly happened between warring WAGs Coleen and Rebekah. Revealing that she felt compelled to make the show in order to explain the situation 'in her own words', Coleen didn't hold back as she told the story from start to finish. Coleen has released a new autobiography, which sheds light on various incidents from her life With her first leaked post coming out in 2017, the mother-of-four revealed there had been plenty of drama behind closed doors in the five years leading up to the famous Wagatha Christie trial. With a judge ruling in Coleen's favour after Rebekah sued her for libel, she revealed the key elements to winning her case as well as exactly how she managed to uncover Rebekah's deception in a two-year solo investigation. Coleen's autobiography shares intimate details of her living, including how she felt 'hurt and ashamed' when she learned that her husband Wayne had used prostitutes at a Liverpool massage parlour. The incident took place in 2002 when the former England captain was 16. Coleen described it as a 'horrible dream' and admitted she was unable to decide whether the relationship had a future. She said: 'The full story was that when he was sixteen, Wayne had visited prostitutes in a Liverpool massage parlour. When Wayne sat me down and told me it was true and that the story was about to break in the national press I was confused and hurt. I couldn't even speak to him. 'More than that, I felt ashamed.' It comes after the release of her Disney+ series Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story Ms Rooney, 37, still a teenager then, told how she agonised over what others would think of Wayne's demeanour. 'Everyone knew, and everyone seemed to have an opinion. I sat with it all swirling around me like some horrible dream, unable to decide what was best or what I wanted. 'A voice inside me told me not to do anything rash and not to make a decision in the midst of my anger. 'Dealing with that kind of thing was heart-breaking enough, but I was eighteen years-old. I was upset and confused, not knowing what to think or how others might react. 'I wasn't sure what I felt about Wayne anymore. Also, I knew my family's instinct would be to protect me, and whatever way you spun it, this was not a good look.' Coleen eventually decided to accept Wayne's apology and they have been together ever since. The couple, who have four children Kai, 14, Klay, ten, Kit, seven, and Cass, five got together when they were teenagers after Wayne repeatedly asked the now WAG out. Eventually she agreed and they went to see an Austin Powers movie and ate a McDonalds afterwards. They got engaged in October 2003 when Rooney proposed at an Esso petrol station while they were on their way for a meal at a Chinese restaurant. They wed in summer 2008. Adriana Lima returned to the red carpet on Monday evening, weeks after causing a stir with her last public appearance at a Los Angeles premiere. The Brazilian model, a former Victoria's Secret Angel, was forced to defend herself after fans claimed she looked unrecognisable at the LA launch of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes in November. But she was back on the red carpet and hoping for a better response from onlookers at the Mon Cheri Barbara charity gala in Munich. The model, 42, toned down her make-up and opted for a more subdued appearance while attending the event, which helps raise money for children with disabilities as well as projects for medical assistance and disaster relief. Wearing a caped evening gown for the annual event, Adriana commanded attention as she posed for photos after arriving ahead of the annual gala. Adriana Lima returned to the red carpet on Monday evening, weeks after causing a stir with her last public appearance at a Los Angeles premiere. The Brazilian model was previously forced to defend herself after fans claimed she looked unrecognisable at the LA launch of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Adriana toned down her make-up and opted for a more subdued appearance while attending the Mon Cheri Barbara charity gala in Munich In November Adriana shocked fans while attending the Hunger Games premiere in Los Angeles. While she is one of the most influential Victoria's Secret Angels of all time, the appearance raised eyebrows due to the noticeable changes to her face over just the past month. 'I would have had no idea that was the same person,' one social media user wrote on X while others speculated that the Brazilian bombshell might be 'still swollen' from a cosmetic procedure, like a 'facelift' or 'fillers.' Another wrote: 'OH NOOOOOO! What did she do to her face?! and WHY????? She was perfect before.' Following online discussions about her appearance, the supermodel took to Instagram to break her silence over plastic surgery rumors. 'This is the face of a tired mom of one teenage girl, two pre-teens, one active boy, a 1 year old learning to walk, and three dogs... thanks for your concern,' she captioned a makeup-free selfie from her kitchen. Many fans stuck up for the model as they called her 'response to criticisms about her face' being 'the reality of a mother's life, juggling the responsibilities of raising children and managing a household' inspiring and relatable. 'Her gratitude for the concern adds a touch of grace to her acknowledgment of the challenges she faces,' one Twitter user said. Wearing a caped evening gown for the annual event, Adriana commanded attention as she posed for photos after arriving ahead of the annual gala The supermodel's appearance at The Hunger Games premiere in November set Twitter ablaze with speculation she has had work done on her face While she is one of the most influential Victoria's Secret Angels of all time, her latest appearance raised eyebrows due to the noticeable changes to her face Her latest appearance at the Munich fundraiser was subdued in comparison to her bold look on The Hunger Games red carpet Back in 2017, Adriana revealed that she wanted 'people to look' at her 'beyond' her 'face/body.' More recently, the model explained that motherhood changed 'everything' in her life as her beauty and self-care regimes have gone 'out the window' at times to focus on her children. Still, she said: 'But as my two daughters have gotten older, I've realized that they copy a lot of what I do and my habits, and it's important for me to make sure they're copying good ones.' Additionally, she told Vogue India in 2020, that she allows them to 'experiment with my make-up, masks and creams.' 'I try to teach them to love the skin they're in and eat healthily for their bodies and to also practise positive mental wellness through meditation,' she told the outlet. Kayla Itsines took to social media on Tuesday to share exciting family news with her fans, just days after she married her long-term boyfriend Jae Woodroffe. The fitness influencer, 32, shared a video to Instagram capturing her eleven-month-old son Jax taking his first steps in her kitchen. The youngster is all smiles in the adorable footage which shows him carefully walking and then briefly dancing before he softly falls over. Jax is then seen trying to walk towards his older sister Arna, four, who stands on the other side of the kitchen. Kayla captioned the heartwarming footage with some sweet words. Kayla Itsines took to social media on Tuesday to share exciting family news with her fans, just days after she married her long-term boyfriend Jae Woodroffe. Both pictured 'First steps! Covered in berry juice, haha. If you were wondering what made him walk... Arna! He's obsessed with her,' she wrote. Kayla and Jae welcomed Jax in January and Arna was born in April 2019 to her ex-fiance Tobi Pearce. Kayla and Jae married over the weekend. The fitness entrepreneur shared the happy news to Instagram on Sunday evening, alongside a stunning picture from their lavish nuptials. In the image, the happy couple are seen sharing a romantic kiss at their outdoor wedding ceremony in Adelaide. The newlyweds look deeply in love as Jae wraps his arms around her waist, while Kayla tenderly caresses his cheeks. 'Just married my best friend and we couldn't be happier. The most perfect day ever,' she captioned the image alongside a white love heart and ring emoji. Kayla, 32, looked stunning in a sleek and slinky white wedding gown with a short train and sheer hood. Little is known about Jae, who is one of the 732 people Kayla follows on Instagram, but his social media activity suggests he enjoys travelling and motorcycles. The fitness influencer, 32, shared a video to Instagram capturing her eleven-month-old son Jax taking his first steps in her kitchen The youngster is all smiles in the adorable footage which shows him carefully walking and then briefly dancing before he softly falls over Kayla Itsines married Jae Woodroffe on the weekend. The fitness entrepreneur shared the happy news to Instagram on Sunday evening The pair went public with their relationship more than a year after Kayla confirmed her split from ex-fiance Tobi Pearce in August 2020. The former couple, who dated for eight years and are parents to daughter Arna, co-founded Bikini Body Guides - later renamed Sweat - after meeting in late 2012. The business partners sold their health and fitness empire to U.S. software giant iFIT for $400million last year. Tobi has since departed the company. Before he started dating Kayla, Jae was in a long-term relationship with a woman named Lauren Belotti, who is believed to be one of Kayla's friends. Sadie Frost was pictured leaving the British Fashion Awards after party arm in arm with her long-term ex partner Darren Strowger on Monday evening. The pair, who were also spotted last year enjoying lunch together, split up in 2021 after eight years together. The former couple seemed close as the departed Charlotte Tilbury's home in Notting Hill - where she hosted the after party. The actress, 58, wore a strapless blue dress and tried to keep a low profile as she kept her head down while departing the party. Meanwhile her film producer ex partner Darren, 57, looked dapper in a brown pinstripe tailored suit and clung close onto Sadie's arm. Sadie Frost, 58, was pictured leaving the British Fashion Awards after party arm in arm with her long-term ex partner Darren Strowger, 57, on Monday evening The pair, who were also spotted last year enjoying lunch together , split up in 2021 after eight years together Sadie went braless for the outing and wore black heeled boots to accessorise, aside with a black scarf that she wrapped around her arms. Meanwhile, Darren cut a dapper look with white patent shoes and a loose-fitting unbuttoned white shirt. Last May, the duo enjoyed an al fresco lunch out and appeared to be invested in a deep conversation. At the time of their 2021 split, Sadie described the break up as 'amicable' and without 'drama or stress', admitting that she wanted to take time for herself. The pair met through mutual friend Kate Moss, and despite enduring a long-term relationship, never fully moved in together - with Sadie explaining that she likes her own space. Announcing the break up back in October, Sadie told Stella Magazine: 'Ive decided to spend time on my own because of all my life changes, because of work, and the house. I want to live the life I want to live. 'Maybe it sounds incredibly selfish, but my kids are finally [at an age where] I dont have to worry about them and Im on a mission for me.' She's know for keeping close relationships with ex-partners - including former husbands Jude Law and Gary Kemp. The former couple seemed close as the departed Charlotte Tilbury's home in Notting Hill - where she hosted the after party The actress wore a strapless deep blue dress and tried to keep a low profile as she kept her head down while departing the party Meanwhile her film producer ex partner Darren looked dapper in a brown pinstripe tailored suit and clung close onto Sadie's arm Sadie went braless for the outing and wore black heeled boots to accessorise, aside with a black scarf that she wrapped around her arms Meanwhile, Darren cut a dapper look with white patent shoes and a loose-fitting unbuttoned white shirt At the time of their 2021 split, Sadie described the break up as 'amicable' and without 'drama or stress', admitting that she wanted to take time for herself As Sadie hopped in the front seat of the car, Darren walked round the other side The pair met through mutual friend Kate Moss, and despite enduring a long-term relationship, never fully moved in together - with Sadie explaining that she likes her own space (pictured in 2020) Announcing the break up back in October, Sadie told Stella Magazine: 'Ive decided to spend time on my own because of all my life changes, because of work, and the house. I want to live the life I want to live' She's know for keeping close relationships with ex-partners - including former husband Jude Law (pictured with Jude in 1998) Following her recent split from Darren, Sadie was spotted reuniting with ex-husband Gary Kemp - who she shares eldest son Finlay Munro Kemp, 31, with Sadie shares children Rafferty, 25, Iris, 21 and Rudy Law, 19 with ex Jude, who she was married to between 1997 and 2003 - after leaving Gary for him. And showing just how amicable their co-parenting relationship is, the star often shares throwback snaps of her and Jude, with them being spotted together numerous times over the years. Following her recent split from Darren, Sadie was spotted reuniting with Gary - who she shares eldest son Finlay Munro Kemp, 31, with. She was snapped alongside the Spandau Ballet musician and his wife Lauren as they supported her at the premiere of her film documentary Quant back in October, following the breakup. A TV star looked worlds away from her usual self on Monday as she transformed into Queen Elizabeth II for a new West End show Diana: The Musical. The ITV star left fans doing a double take as she gave a first glimpse of herself in her new role on X, formerly known as Twitter. She dressed very sophisticated in the picture wearing a grey blazer over a blue top and a grey checked midi skirt. The former Coronation Street actress added a pair of black heels to the costume and accessorised by layering a pearl necklace and added a dazzling broach. To complete her stage ensemble, she covered her short grey locks with a curly brunette wig. But can you guess who the famous star is? A TV star looked worlds away from her usual self on Monday as she transformed into Queen Elizabeth II for a new West End show Diana: The Musical That's right, it's Denise Welch! The Loose Women star as she usually looks (pictured July 2023) It's Denise Welch who is portraying the late monarch. On Monday night, Denise took to the stage at the Hammersmith Apollo in London for the show's opening night. The West End musical is described as telling the 'dazzling and devastating' life of Princess Diana in an original musical. It comes as Denise was forced to assure fans she is very much still alive and well after finding herself at the centre of a death hoax on Sunday. Loose Woman star Denise's Wikipedia page was updated at the weekend with a paragraph which read: 'Denise Welch sadly was killed after being ran over by Kerry Riches' mobility scooter after it was hijacked in a drunken rampage by Farida Khalifa, hair and make up artist for the traveller and gypsy community.' Meanwhile, the bizarre page edits also stated Denise was born on the Hollyoaks set in February this year despite the star leaving her role as Trish Minniver in the soap in January 2022, 13 months before Denise's apparent birth. The claims soon meant Denise's name was trending on X, formerly known as Twitter. She wrote alongside her latest post: 'And we're off!! Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated #dianathemusical' Denise had also taken to Twitter on Sunday to deny she was dead, assuring fans she was well and settling in at home to watch ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! It comes as Denise was forced to assure fans she is very much still alive and well after finding herself at the centre of a death hoax on Sunday (pictured last month) The former soap actress took to X on Sunday evening to deny she was dead, assuring fans she was well and settling in at home to watch ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! The page was also falsely stated Denise was born on the Hollyoaks set in February this year despite the star leaving her role as Trish Minniver in the soap in January 2022 She wrote: 'I'm alive and well and about to watch the jungle. Thanks for your concern.' Actress Denise was soon trending on social media with many users commenting to express their shock at the trending news. One person wrote: 'I have been off Twitter for 1 hour, how have i missed so much? As if someone added this to Denise Welch's Wikipedia. FARIDA IS INNOCENT.' Someone else recounted: 'So I shouted into my mum's room, 'Guess who's dead DENISE WELCH'. 'She shouted, 'Whaaat? She was only on telly the other day god rest her soul'. Then I see in the comments Wikipedia got hacked.' Referring to Denise's son Matt Healy's past romance with Taylor Swift, someone else wrote: 'Denise Welch in 2023 was on course to be Taylor Swift's Mother In Law and has now died on Twitter and come alive again. Now don't get me wrong I don't like the woman but let's be fair this is highly impressive.' 'I enter the cinema for about three hours and in the meantime Denise Welch has died and risen again. Alleluia alleluia, give thanks,' joked someone else. Another amused social media user wrote: 'Whoever is editing Denise Welch's Wikipedia page is having a ball. Apparently she was born on 31st February 2023 in the Hollyoaks set and she's a presenter on Loose They/Them.' Actress Denise was soon trending on social media with many users commenting to express their shock and amusement at the news 'Seeing why Denise Welch is trending and wow what a wild 24 hours the Welch-Hive must have had,' posted someone else. While another person posted: 'Denise Welch trending really had me thinking she was dead for a min.' And someone else shared: 'Whoever is editing Denise Welch's Wiki page deserves an award. I don't why, or what she did to deserve it & i know it's juvenile, but I am highly entertained.' Denise's response that all was well was met with widespread relief from her fans, with one replying: 'Great to hear! I was worried for a second!' TV newsreader Kelly Nestor has returned to the air waves after 15-years. The 55-year-old is filling in for ABC Adelaide's Sonya Feldhoff for the next two weeks on the station's Afternoons talkback show. Nestor, who has worked at Sky News and Channel 10, has not had a regular media gig since she left Channel Nine's Adelaide News in 2009, reported the Advertiser on Tuesday. The broadcast veteran told the publication she had been angling to make a media comeback for years and was enjoying her new role. 'No makeup or hair requirements and freedom to say what you think,' she said. TV newsreader Kelly Nestor has returned to the air waves after 15-years. The 55-year-old is filling in for ABC Adelaide 's Sonya Feldhoff for the next two weeks on the station's Afternoons talkback show Nestor, who has worked at Sky News and Channel 10, has not had a regular media gig since she left Channel Nine's Adelaide News in 2009, reported the Advertiser on Tuesday. Pictured: Nestor seen in her days at Channel Nine 'Im not saying it wont be bumpy at times. Its three hours of talk radio, which is hard yakka. Im learning lots and helped by really experienced producers.' Nestor, who has been working as a media consultant, has had a distinguished 25-year career as a journalist. Some of the major events she has covered include the death of Princess Diana, the 9/11 attacks and the Asian tsunami attacks. Beginning her career with ABC in the '90s, Nestor worked on the 7.30 Report's Adelaide, Perth and Darwin editions. She later became weekend presenter for ABC News Adelaide. Meanwhile, ABC Adelaide has announced changes to its on-air line-up for 2024. Sonya Feldhoff will be leaving her current role on Afternoons to join Jules Schiller to become the stations new breakfast duo. Schiller has been ABC Adelaide's Drive presenter since 2017. Keira Knightley looked effortlessly stylish when she stepped out alongside her mother Sharman MacDonald in Hampstead, London, on Sunday. The Hollywood star, 38, made sure to bundle up against the cold for her daily outing, as she wore her trusty black oversized aviator jacket. She wrapped up with a trim-fur brown trapper hat, and added burgundy gloves to keep warm. The Academy award nominated star wore a pair of maroon joggers and black ankle boots, while carrying her essentials in a large tote bag. The Love Actually favourite looked relaxed and in good spirits as she enjoyed some quality time with her mother. Keira Knightley, 38, wore her trusty black aviator jacket and trapper hat as she stepped out with her mother Sharman MacDonald in Hampstead, London, on Sunday The Hollywood star made sure to bundle up against the cold for her daily outing Keira showcased her fresh-faced natural looks, as they enjoyed the cosy outing. Sharman wore denim, trainers and a black jacket, while carrying the essentials in a large cross-body bag. Elsewhere, Keira's husband and musician James Righton was spotted taking their eldest daughter Edie, 7, seven, out for a walk, leaving some mum-daughter time to the pair. The couple - who tied the knot in 2013 - also share Delilah, three. Keira is currently busy filming her new spy thriller series Black Doves and was seen filming in central London last week. In Black Doves, Keira plays Helen Webb, a dedicated wife and mother, who secretly also works as professional spy, unbeknownst to her loved ones. Helen has spent years passing her politician husband's secrets to the shadowy organisation she works for. The series, which is set during the Christmas period, will also star actors Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire. Keira looked cosy and warm in her wintry essentials as he headed past a church She wrapped up with a trim-fur brown trapper hat, and added burgundy gloves to keep warm The Academy award nominated donned a pair of maroon joggers and black ankle boots She was seen carrying the essentials in a large tote bag The Love Actually favourite seemed to be showing around her mother around the Hampstead area Keira looked relaxed and in good spirits and looked naturally beautiful in her ensemble Her mum toted the look with a large cross-body bag The plot sees Helen embark on a passionate affair with a man who has no idea what her secret identity is. Helen's lover falls victim to the dangerous London underworld, prompting her panicked employers to call in a security guard in a bid to protect her. The series was unveiled at a showcase earlier this year and it is being made by Chernobyl producers, Sister. The Netflix series is written by Joe Barton and Keira is listed as an executive producer. Amid the current writers and actors' strikes in America, fuelled by the studio's use of AI to replace human actors, the 38-year-old plans to copyright her face. She said: 'At the moment for actresses, the concern is about the voice, and they're trying to protect the voice-over industry. 'I don't know where that's at but I know that's the negotiation. But I imagine the next step will be to copyright my face. 'AI has the potential to be catastrophic and I hope governments come in and regulate it,' she added. Studios including the likes of Amazon, Netflix and Apple are proposing to use AI to replace humans with digital scans where an actor's likeness can be superimposed over a stunt double. Hollywood actors and writers are currently united in their first 'double strike' in more than 60 years vowing they will protect every worker in the industry from being replaced by AI. An iconic noughties pop group are set to hit the stage at the first-ever TrainLive festival - but the location is yet to be disclosed. The festival will be hosted at a London train station and is said to be the first of its kind in the UK. So get ready to push the button as the legendary noughties trio - Sugababes - will be the event's first ever headliner. Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy will be hitting the high notes on Friday, December 8. The line up of the Trainline sponsored event include a myriad of up-and-coming artists, such as Stone Jets, Isaac Levy, Dan Tredget and Ella Tobin. Iconic noughties girl group - Sugababes - are set to headline the first music festival ever held at a London train station Original line up Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Siobhan Donaghy (pictured left to right in 2023) will be performing at a currently undisclosed location on December 6. The venue will be unveiled to ticket holder on the morning of the event The event's super confidential location will be unveiled to concertgoers on the morning of the gig. The girl group are reportedly bringing an array of their iconic hits to the show, including Push The Button, Too Lost In You, Hole In The Head, as well as cover of a Christmas tune. Sugababes told the Evening Standard: 'When Trainline asked us to headline its first-ever music event in a London station we were excited to be part of it, particularly when we heard that the event will be supporting up and coming music talent, giving them a platform to perform. 'This will be an intimate gig for us, and with all of us being born and bred in London, we're excited to perform.' Trainline executive Sakshi Anand said: 'Now we want to get Christmas off to a great start, too, by hosting our first ever music festival in a station. 'From new artists to our iconic headliners, we hope our festive festival helps bring a moment of joy to travellers this Christmas.' The group's original trio have been touring across the UK this year, as well as down under in Australia, after they announced their comeback last December. When the Sugababes touched down in Australia to perform a string of shows in February of this year, they looked almost unrecognisable. The legendary trio will bring an array of their hits to the concert, including Push The Button, Too Lost In You, Hole In The Head, as well as cover of a Christmas tune (pictured in 2000 left to right: Siobhan, Keisha and Mutya) The band said in a statement that are 'excited' to be part of the Trainline sponsored event supporting emerging musical talent in their home town of London (pictured in 2001) Mutya, 37, flashed her countless tattoos and cut a casual figure in a tracksuit and ugg boots as she puffed on a cigarette outside the terminal. Siobhan, 38, went makeup free and showed off her vibrant red locks as she touched down, making sure to take pictures and videos on her phone. Keisha, 38, kept a low profile in a navy blue tracksuit and sunglasses - and hurled an oversized bag full of goods from the UK pharmacy Boots. The crooners appeared in high spirits when they arrived, happily taking snaps with fans who greeted them. Sugababes have also performed alongside Take That at BST Hyde Park festival in 2023. In September. the trio also released their single When The Rain Comes, giving fans a taste of their ninth studio album, which will hit shelves next year. The original line-up have been touring across the UK and Australia after reuniting last December. Earlier they looked almost unrecognisable when they touched down for multiple tour dates in Australia (pictured in February 2023) Tonka's handlers had prevented Alan from seeing him once the film wrapped The Scottish actor starred alongside the chimpanzee in the 1997 comedy drama Alan Cumming has revealed he could have been sexually assaulted by his beloved chimpanzee costar, Tonka - but was saved by animal handlers who were forced to separate the pair despite their 'beautiful friendship.' The 58-year-old starred alongside the primate in the 1997 film Buddy, a comedy drama which was based on a real-life gorilla called Massa. Speaking at the second annual Save the Chimps fundraiser in New York City last week one year after Tonka, now 32, was found alive and well following a frantic two-month search Alan recounted to guests how he had 'fallen in love' with the animal and even let it groom him. 'Tonka and I really connected and so much so that he wanted to groom me,' Alan recalled of their time on the film. 'When chimps groom, they do this funny clicking noise and pull your hair and go for your armpits the trainers were like "no!" Alan Cumming has revealed he was almost sexually assaulted by his beloved chimpanzee costar, Tonka Alan, pictured with Tonka at the premiere of Buddy in 1997, was banned from seeing him after filming wrapped Alan, 58, pictured on the set of Tonka with Buddy and another chimp 'They realized that Tonka thought I was another chimp On the last day of the film, they let Tonka groom me as a treat. 'I get really emotional even talking about it We had this beautiful friendship.' Alan revealed that while he was doing the press tour for the film, he was told that he was unable to reunite with Tonka over fears he would sexually assault him as a result of becoming sexually aggressive on hitting puberty. 'I came back to do the press tour and I would talk about it, how Tonka was really connected to me,' he continued. 'It was powerful. I came back to do the press tour and I was like "I'll go and see Tonka". 'Then I did this morning talk show, and this producer came into the room and said "it's a shame about Tonka isn't it?" and I was like "what, did he die?" 'They went: "No. Because he's now five or six he's more sexually aggressive and the trainers were worried if he saw you"' Alan continued: 'Basically, because he was sexually aggressive and he loved me, he was basically going to sexually assault me.' The actor claims he had a 'beautiful friendship' with Tonka after they starred alongside each other in the comedy drama which also featured Renee Russo (pictured) Tonka was found alive and well last year after his owner claimed he had died in 2021 Alan's shocking tale comes one year after Tonka was found alive after his owner admitted to faking his death to avoid turning him over to an ape sanctuary. In April 2022, the actor offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could help locate the animal alongside animal welfare charity PETA, which also pledged $10,000. Before he was found, Tonka was last seen in a cage in a controversial breeding facility in Missouri called Missouri Primate Foundation, which PETA claimed was 'filthy.' His owner Tonia Haddix had claimed the chimp had died in May 2021 from heart failure after a stroke. But, in a bizarre twist, Tonka was found in Tonia's Missouri home, with Rolling Stone stating the chimp had 'access to a 60-inch TV and a tablet device' and had even attended a St Patrick's Day party. When asked if she had lied about the animal's death, the owner told the publication: 'Oh absolutely, 100 percent'. Tonia added that she had faked Tonka's death to avoid sending him to the Center for Great Apes sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida despite a court order from a judge. At the time, PETA had also claimed that Tonia had booked for Tonka to be euthanized - although she denied this and says it was merely a standard check-up. Alan, who was told Tonka had retired to Palm Springs following their time on Buddy, recalled how Tonia told him she had cremated his former costar - but PETA refused to believe her story. Alan also revealed how Tonka was allowed to 'groom him' as a 'treat' on the last day of filming Buddy 'She said he had died and she had cremated him in the back yard,' the actor said. 'I was like "shut up". At the last minute poor Tonka doesnt get to live out his life and socialize with other chimps, [but] PETA didnt believe that hes dead 'They said that the information shed given them about how she cremated him couldnt have even roasted a turkey.' Tonka is now one of more than 200 chimps who live at a privately-funded sanctuary in St. Lucie County, Florida. He also starred alongside Brendan Fraser in George of the Jungle. His hit film Buddy was about wealthy eccentric Trudy, played by Rene Russo, who collects wild animals. She then meets the sicky young gorilla Buddy and raises him as her own child, dressing him in up and training him. But as Buddy grows older and larger, Trudy is unable to restrain him from turning increasingly violent, according to the film's synopsis. The story is loosely based on a real life socialite from the 1920s who raised animals in her mansion. She wanted to protest 'inhumane zoo conditions,' according to the Tampa Bay Times Paris Hilton attempted to change her son Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum's diaper for the first time one month after his January 16th birth in the eight-episode second season of Paris in Love, which premiered last Thursday on Peacock. In the clip - filmed on her 42nd birthday on February 17 - the hotel heiress-turned-reality TV icon enlisted her younger sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild and her nanny Jean to assist her. 'I wouldn't do this on my birthday, but I will for you,' Paris told the infant while lifting him out of his crib. 'Anything for Phoenix!' The 40-year-old mother-of-three marveled: 'You've never done it?' Paris Hilton attempted to change her son Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum's diaper for the first time one month after his January 16th birth in the eight-episode second season of Paris in Love, which premiered last Thursday on Peacock In the clip - filmed on her 42nd birthday on February 17 - the hotel heiress-turned-reality TV icon enlisted her younger sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild and her nanny Jean to assist her 'No,' Hilton replied. Nicky (born Nicholai) showed her big sister how to loosen up a new disposable diaper, and the nanny explained which side was the front and the back. As Paris started to remove the poo-filled diaper, she gagged and said: 'I'm scared!' 'Be gentle, gentle. Get in the little crevices,' Rothschild urged. The nanny added: 'When you do that, you have to talk to him.' 'Hi!' Hilton said to Phoenix. Afterwards, Nicky laughed: 'That was half you doing it by yourself.' In a confessional, Rothschild explained how much of a 'tomboy' The Simple Life alum was growing up. Paris told the infant while lifting him out of his crib: 'I wouldn't do this on my birthday, but I will for you. Anything for Phoenix!' The 40-year-old mother-of-three marveled: 'You've never done it?' Hilton replied: 'No' Nicky (born Nicholai) showed her big sister how to loosen up a new disposable diaper, and the nanny explained which side was the front and the back As Paris started to remove the poo-filled diaper, she gagged and said: 'I'm scared!' 'Be gentle, gentle. Get in the little crevices,' Rothschild urged The nanny added: 'When you do that, you have to talk to him.' Paris told Phoenix, 'Hi!' Afterwards, Nicky laughed: 'That was half you doing it by yourself' In a confessional, Rothschild explained how much of a 'tomboy' The Simple Life alum was growing up Nicky recalled: 'She liked to hang out in the backyard, build forts, play with her pet rats. She wasn't one to really talk about having a baby. But motherhood you gotta get your hands a little bit dirty' Paris and her husband of two years - Carter Reum - went through the IVF/egg-harvesting process during the pandemic and they annouced the birth of their second child - daughter London Hilton Reum - on Thanksgiving Hilton said in her show: 'Surrogacy was a difficult decision to make. I would have loved that experience of growing the baby in your tummy and feeling the kicks and all of those exciting moments, but my life has just been so public. So even though the baby is biologically mine and Carter's, we decided to have a surrogate carry him' On Tuesday morning, the 11:11 Media co-founder - who boasts 63.7M social media followers - Instastoried a video of herself alone on a private jet captioned: 'Taking off to Cannes [in France]!' In the last month alone - Paris has left her babies to attend the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball (pictured last Friday), the Paris in Love premiere, Watch What Happens Live, The Kelly Clarkson Show, LIVE with Kelly and Mark, TODAY, F1 Grand Prix, GQ Men Of The Year, and the LACMA Art+Film Gala 'She liked to hang out in the backyard, build forts, play with her pet rats. She wasn't one to really talk about having a baby,' Nicky recalled. 'But motherhood you gotta get your hands a little bit dirty.' Paris and her husband of two years - Carter Reum - went through the IVF/egg-harvesting process during the pandemic and they announced the birth of their second child - daughter London Hilton Reum - on Thanksgiving. 'Surrogacy was a difficult decision to make,' Hilton said in her show. 'I would have loved that experience of growing the baby in your tummy and feeling the kicks and all of those exciting moments, but my life has just been so public. So even though the baby is biologically mine and Carter's, we decided to have a surrogate carry him.' Meanwhile, VH1 Secrets of Aspen alum Laura Bellizzi told Page Six in 2021 that the 42-year-old M13 Ventures founder has only seen their 10-year-old daughter 'once since she was born.' On Tuesday morning, the 11:11 Media co-founder - who boasts 63.7M social media followers - Instastoried a video of herself alone on a private jet captioned: 'Taking off to Cannes [in France]!' In the last month alone - Paris has left her babies to attend the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball, the Paris in Love premiere, Watch What Happens Live, The Kelly Clarkson Show, LIVE with Kelly and Mark, TODAY, F1 Grand Prix, GQ Men Of The Year, and the LACMA Art+Film Gala. Rufus Sewell has got engaged to his girlfriend Vivian Benitez. The actor, 56, who played love rat Jasper in festive movie The Holiday, popped the question to the American actress, who is 30 years his junior. This will be the third time Rufus has tied the knot. Vivian - who has starred in Arsenal, Criminal Minds and Sky Dancers Grown Up - shared an image of the pair of them cuddling up on social media, as well as the beautiful diamond ring Rufus gave her. She wrote in the caption: 'Til death, (or him continuing to walk on bathmats with his outside shoes) do us part.' It appears Rufus popped the question during a romantic getaway in Rome as Vivian shared a snap of herself in the city a day prior to their exciting announcement. A host of Vivian's pals took to the comment section of the engagement post to share their congratulations. Rufus Sewell is engaged! The twice-married Holiday actor, 56, has proposed to US actress Vivian Benitez, 26 She shared an image of the beautiful diamond ring Rufus gave her Rufus famously played Kate Winslet's onscreen love interest in The Holiday - but his character turned out to be something of a love rat A family member wrote: 'You are soooo good together. this makes my heart sing, We have a wedding to plan!' Others typed: 'Oh my goodness!! The best couple. Congratulations you two, so much love to you both!' and 'I am so excited!!!!! YAY!!'. The couple keep their relationship relatively private but have made some red carpet appearances over the years together. In 2021 they put on a loved-up display at the premiere of Old in New York and Rufus sometimes features in Vivian's Instagram posts. Rufus' first wife was his long-term girlfriend, Australian fashion journalist Yasmin Abdallah, 47. Yasmin met Rufus in Australia aged 19, and the couple married when Yasmin was 23 in 1999. They divorced in 2000. Yasmin previously spoke about their short-lived marriage in an interview with Elle. She met Rufus in a bar in Australia and after several months of dating, they relocated to the UK and mixed with the Primrose Hill set. 'I dont know if I was accepted to be honest some weird, shaved-head Aussie-Lebanese girl who wasnt quite part of the mix,' she said. Rufus attended the premiere of Old in New York with his love in 2021 It appears Rufus popped the question during a romantic getaway in Rome as Vivian shared a snap of herself in the city a day prior to their exciting announcement In 2021 the couple put on a loved-up display at the premiere of Old in New York and Rufus sometimes features in Vivian's Instagram posts (pictured together on his birthday in 2021) Vivian also shared their romantic beach snap on her Instagram page back in 2021 His first wife was his long-term girlfriend, Australian fashion journalist Yasmin Abdallah. They were married in 1999 and divorced in 2000 (pictured in 1997) Rufus married second wife, scriptwriter and producer Amy Gardner, in 2004 and they sadly divorced in 2006 (pictured with Amy in 2001) 'I ended up making some wrong decisions, wrong business decisions, and I ended up losing the store, which was devastating for me. Rufus and I were no longer together, and that was quite traumatic. I was broke. It was a time of big loss. But it was also a time of great healing, when I went on dare I say it a spiritual journey.' The actor married his second wife, scriptwriter and producer Amy Gardner, in 2004. They sadly divorced in 2006. They are parents to a son, William Douglas. Amy went on to marry film producer Will Ricker. Rufus previously said both Amy and his son William would visit him on set. He told The Telegraph: 'They would come and have lunch with me every day, and I would go home to them at night. I guess it was a bit like having a regular job in that it felt very stable.' Rufus also has a daughter called Lola, 10, from his relationship with Ami Komai. Rufus previously said of his love life in an interview with the Mail: 'It's always been important to be in a relationship when I'm in one, but I don't actively look for one. 'I've gone through long times without being with someone, but that's not happened for a while.' New role: Rufus (left) will reportedly wear facial prosthetics for his role as Prince Andrew (right) in a new adaptation of Newsnight's bombshell interview with the Duke Rufus said previously he loved his heartthrob status following his stint as brooding Lord Melbourne in ITV's smash hit series Victoria (pictured with Jenna Coleman in 2016) And it's a busy time for the actor, who is set to star as Prince Andrew in a new adaptation of Newsnight's bombshell interview with the Duke. But the heartthrob will reportedly wear facial prosthetics to make him look 'less handsome' for his role in the show, which will depict the story behind Newsnight's interview with Andrew. In the adaptation, which will be titled Scoop, Gillian Anderson will portray Emily Maitlis, who grilled Andrew in the 2019 interview over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The film will be based on the book Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews, former BBC producer Sam's account of how she gained access to Andrew for the infamous interview, which aired in November 2019. The role couldn't be further from the brooding Lord Melbourne in ITV's smash hit series Victoria. The actor said on This Morning he had no idea how popular his portrayal of the British PM would be in the series which starred Jenna Coleman as Melbourne's monarch. 'I was in America when it came out, I talked to Jenna to see what was going on, it took me by surprise,' he explained. 'At my age it's quite nice to be objectified! Having complained about it for years I was like "thank you very much!"' Indya Moore has opened up on attempted to take their own life after a traumatic childhood, where they faced transphobia, assault and sexual exploitation. The Pose star, 28, covered December's issue of Harper's Bazaar Spain, and put on a daring display in a sheer black dress. Their sultry lace number showed off plenty of underboob and clung to their sensational figure, while they hid under a wide brimmed black hat. The model, who is transgender and non-binary and uses they/them and she/her pronouns, detailed growing up as a trans girl and the trauma she suffered. Speaking to the publication, Indya explained that their family struggled to understand their gender identity and caused their childhood to 'take on a darker turn'. Indya Moore has opened up on attempted to take their own life after a traumatic childhood, where they faced transphobia, assault and sexual exploitation The Pose star, 28, covered December's issue of Harper's Bazaar Spain , and put on a daring display in a sheer black dress while they hid under a wide brimmed black hat The model, who is transgender and non-binary and uses they/them and she/her pronouns, detailed growing up as a trans girl and the trauma she suffered Their parents were Jehovah's Witnesses and had strict ideas on what it means to be masculine or feminine. Indya said: 'I grew up learning that gender is a social and cultural construction based on differences, because I looked different from the archetype they had mentally constructed about me. 'I started to resent my parents, they disciplined me for being me. They were subconscious behaviors and I didn't realize they were a problem until my parents were bothered by seeing them. 'Growing up as a trans girl, it was very difficult for me to understand what the expectations were around me and trying to meet them all the time was very stressful and prevented me from enjoying my childhood.' They explained that the situation got so dire that they often got into fights with their parents and brother as they felt 'ashamed'. They said: 'I began to learn to protect myself by being dishonest and lying about my sexuality. I couldn't have the freedom and security of being transparent with what I liked. 'I distanced myself more and more from my parents and my brother, we didn't trust each other, and vice versa. The tension and violence at home were becoming more and more pressing.' Eventually Indya went into foster care at the age of 14 and their foster mother, who was also a trans woman, allowed her to use hormone replacement therapy for the first time. Speaking to the publication, Indya explained that their family struggled to understand their gender identity and caused their childhood to 'take on a darker turn' (pictured last November) They explained that the situation got so dire that they often got into fights with their parents and brother as they felt 'ashamed' (pictured December 2018) They explained: 'It was complicated, since I had emotional problems with anger and I struggled with depression that was aggravated by the lack of support at home. But little by little, I felt safer, happier and more like myself.' However, after their foster mother stopped giving them the treatment, Indya was forced to find their medication on their own. They met a gay couple on the internet who said they could help Indya get the drugs needed, but then began to exploit the 16-year-old sexually. Speaking to Elle in 2019, Indya revealed the couple said 'that all I had to do was play with these men who will come in for a moment to see me and play with me and then theyll give me money'. They went on: 'So I said, "Okay" and I did that. I stayed with them, and they had men come over and have sex with me. They told me I needed to do it continuously so that I could afford hormones. 'I didnt understand what sex trafficking was at the time. The language I knew was that they were, basically, my pimps. I was just a kid.' In their conversation with Harper's Bazaar, Indya explained that the couple then assaulted them and split their head open, leaving a small scar on their cheek. After their attack and becoming homeless, they finally decided that they wanted to die, confessing: 'At that moment I felt like I didn't want to continue living. I felt very tired.' Eventually Indya went into foster care at the age of 14 and their foster mother, who was also a trans woman, allowed her to use hormone replacement therapy for the first time (pictured October 2019) However, after their foster mother stopped giving them the treatment, Indya met a gay couple on the internet who said they could help Indya get the drugs needed, but then began to exploit the 16-year-old sexually (pictured last month) Indya explained the couple then assaulted them and split their head open, leaving them injured and homeless and wanting to take their own life (pictured in September 2019) They continued: 'One day I tried to hang myself and I left a note for my family telling them how much I loved them and how much I wished we could be a family where I could be myself with them. "God, if this is all I have to live for, please let me go," I thought. 'I went out to the window with the rope loop around my neck and the rope broke before I fell into the void. I was there for a month in the hospital on suicide watch.' Thankfully, Indya managed to turn their life around after being encouraged to audition for independent film, Saturday Church. They explained: 'This film made me see that there were other people who had gone through the same experiences as me. I mean, it was my story, I saw myself totally reflected in it.' Indya added that they are also working on their relationship with their mother, Gloria, and that she accompanied them to the premiere of the film. They said: 'Her eyes lit up blue. It was at that moment that my mother came to her senses and realized that what will save your children is loving them and being curious about their experiences. Our relationship has been growing ever since.' Indya is best known for playing Angel Evangelista in Pose, a transgender model and sex worker and previously described the FX series as a 'reflection of their childhood'. Speaking to NET-A-PORTER's Porter magazine in 2021, Indya explained how they felt that they had been through the same things as the characters on screen. Thankfully, Indya managed to turn their life around after being encouraged to audition for independent film, Saturday Church and added they are also working on their relationship with their mother, Gloria (pictured in 2020) Indya is best known for playing Angel Evangelista in Pose, (pictured) a transgender model and sex worker and previously described the FX series as a 'reflection of their childhood' Indya explained how they felt that they had been through the same things as the characters on screen and commented on how Pose (pictured) helped them understand their younger self Discussing the deeply personal experience they felt from being on the show, they said: 'I think that our society underplays the level of trauma that trans folks experience as kids '[Pose is] a huge mirror, a reflection for so many of us into our childhood. It was anxiety-inducing in some ways, but it was also really affirming. I think it was cathartic, because reading that script, it was like, 'Wow, I went through this.' Indya also commented on how Pose helped them understand their younger self saying: 'I feel really, deeply connected to my inner child 'I don't know if a lot of our community knows that we get to do that, but I think it's important to be reminded that we get to be in touch with our inner youth and that place that has been threatened and taken away from us so many times in our lives. 'Our innocence, our human curiosity, exploring clothing, fashion, toys These things are so gendered. And, as a result, kids get punished for it and then we're gaslit and told that we were confused by ourselves, but it's really the world around us that's confused.' Reflecting on their experience of homelessness as a teenager, Indya said: 'If your understanding of home is rooted in everything that you've gone through as a trans person at home, then you start to question life. 'You know, you grow up in this life believing that you may never have safety or peace or that you are undeserving of home Like, what do I have to do to access that? 'Imagining home felt like something that was inaccessible to me. [But] I knew that there would be love, that there is community and that there is support.' Doctor Who's newest companion Millie Gibson joined her co-star Jonah Hauer-King on set in west Wales as they filmed an alien invasion for the upcoming series. The actress, 19, who will make her debut as Ruby Sunday alongside the fifteenth Time Lord Ncuti Gatwa on Christmas day, is already hard at work filming scenes for next year's festive special. While details about Jonah's character are still under wraps, the duo were joined by Jemma Redgrave who had reprised her role as UNIT leader Kate Stewart. Millie and Jonah walked hand-in-hand as they headed to a pub with some friends before they were joined by two aliens. But it appears help was close by as a UNIT helicopter touched down to capture the rogue extraterrestrials. Doctor Who's newest companion Millie Gibson, 19, joined her co-star Jonah Hauer-King, 28, on set in west Wales as they filmed for the upcoming series The actress who will make her debut as Ruby Sunday alongside the fifteenth Time Lord Ncuti Gatwa on Christmas day, is already hard at work filming scenes for next year's festive special Earlier this month, fans were treated to a surprise glimpse of Ncuti and Millie as the show marked its 60th Anniversary with an epic new trailer. The trailer featured a slew of clips of all 14 Doctors, including David Tennant who has reprised the role for a trio of 60th Anniversary Specials. And amongst the montage was a tiny snippet of a pensive Millie as Ruby, flashing a brief smile with the TARDIS visible behind her. Later in the preview, Ncuti could be seen in a snowy landscape, hinting at the time-travelling adventures that could be on the horizon. Fans will get to see Ncuti and Millie make their full debut on Christmas Day, before they set off in the TARDIS for a new series in spring 2024. Earlier in the day, David and returning showrunner Russell T Davies discussed the upcoming 60th Anniversary Specials during an interview on BBC Breakfast. David said of his return: 'Doctor Who, when you're attached to it, you're attached to it. To get to revisit it, sort of full-time, even briefly, was something I never really imagined.' While Russell gushed of his plans: 'I've always believed is all this show needs is to be good, to be fun, to be well cast, to be brilliant, that's really missing from the schedules at the moment.' While details about Jonah's character are still under wraps, the duo were joined by Jemma Redgrave who had reprised her role as UNIT leader Kate Stewart Millie and Jonah walked hand-in-hand as they headed to a pub with some friends They were joined by two aliens who arrived on set But it appears help was close by as a UNIT helicopter touched down to capture the rogue extraterrestrials One alien was seen being led away by the military organisation Jemma's character Kate wore a long trench coat as she arrived with her team Actress Ruth Madeley, who plays Shirley Anne Bingham, was also seen on set A member of the crew was seen carry two alien masks Fans will get to see Millie make her full debut on Christmas Day, before they set off in the TARDIS for a new series in spring 2024 David and returning showrunner Russell T Davies discussed the upcoming 60th Anniversary Specials during an interview on BBC Breakfast He added: 'I dare not say I'm confident but I'm proud of what we've made and I hope it works.' David also spoke about how Ncuti Gatwa will be taking over as the Doctor in the upcoming 2023 Christmas special as he gave his support to the actor. He said: 'I've had a little glimpse of what Ncuti can do and it's very exciting. He's such a great energy, he's inventive, he's clever, he's quick, he's funny. 'It's really exciting that there is such a brilliant new Doctor coming and I'll be glued to every episode.' Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary celebrations continue with The Wide Blue Yonder on Saturday at 6:30pm on BBC One in the UK, and Disney+ internationally. Daddy Yankee announced he was retiring to devote his life to Christianity during his final concert Sunday at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan. 'My people, this is the most important day of my life and I want to share it with you, because living a life of success is not the same as living a life with purpose,' the Puerto Rican 46-year-old said in Spanish. 'For many years I've tried filling a void in my life that no one could fill. I tried finding a purpose, on many occasions it seemed as if I was happy but something was missing for me to feel complete. I have to confess that those days are over and someone was able to fill that void that I felt for a lot of time. 'I realized that for everyone I was someone but I was no one without him. Throughout the years I was able to travel the world, win many awards, applaud and praise but I realized something that's in the Bible: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' Daddy Yankee (born Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez) went on to tell the 18K fans packed inside the stadium on the final stop of his farewell tour La Meta (The Goal) that one 'chapter has ended but a new one will begin.' Daddy Yankee announced he was retiring to devote his life to Christianity during his final concert Sunday at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan 'All the tools that I have in my possession such as music, social media, platforms, a microphone - everything that God has given me is now for his kingdom,' the 'King of Reggaeton' - rocking $313 Oakley 'Kato' sunglasses - said. 'Thank you very much, Puerto Rico, and I hope you walk with me in this new beginning and I hope you remember something very important: Don't follow any person. I am human. To all the people who follow me, follow Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. 'Just like Jesus, with his mercy, allowed me to travel the world, in your mercy, Father, I hope you allow me to evangelize the world from Puerto Rico. Amen.' After Daddy Yankee's tearful speech, dozens of drones formed into the shape of a cross in the night sky with the message 'Cristo viene' (Christ will come). The five-time Grammy nominee first announced his plans to retire back in March 2022 following the release of his seventh (and final) studio album Legendaddy and subsequent tour. Daddy Yankee - who boasts 134.3M social media followers - shared his speech on Instagram along with a meaningful Bible verse from the book of Matthew 16:26-27. The Gasolina hitmaker - who gets 48.8M monthly listeners on Spotify - originally began his career in 1994, and it peaked in 2017 when he and Luis Fonsi released their record-breaking single Despacito. It went on to amass an eye-popping 8.5B views on YouTube and the ear-worm became the first Spanish-language song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Los Del Rio's 1996 dance hit Macarena. Daddy Yankee has three children - daughter Yamilette, 29; daughter Jesaaelys, 27; and son Jeremy, 25 - from his 29-year marriage to childhood friend Mireddys Gonzalez. The Puerto Rican 46-year-old said in Spanish: 'My people, this is the most important day of my life and I want to share it with you, because living a life of success is not the same as living a life with purpose. For many years I've tried filling a void in my life that no one could fill' Daddy Yankee (born Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez) continued: 'I tried finding a purpose, on many occasions it seemed as if I was happy but something was missing for me to feel complete. I have to confess that those days are over and someone was able to fill that void that I felt for a lot of time' The 'King of Reggaeton' - rocking $313 Oakley 'Kato' sunglasses - added: 'I realized that for everyone I was someone but I was no one without him. Throughout the years I was able to travel the world, win many awards, applaud and praise but I realized something that's in the Bible: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' Daddy Yankee went on to tell the 18K fans packed inside the stadium on the final stop of his farewell tour La Meta (The Goal) that one 'chapter has ended but a new one will begin' The five-time Grammy nominee said: 'All the tools that I have in my possession such as music, social media, platforms, a microphone - everything that God has given me is now for his kingdom' Daddy Yankee first announced his plans to retire back in March 2022 following the release of his seventh (and final) studio album Legendaddy and subsequent tour The Gasolina hitmaker - who boasts 134.3M social media followers - shared his speech on Instagram along with a meaningful Bible verse from the book of Matthew 16:26-27 Daddy Yankee originally began his career in 1994, and it peaked in 2017 when he and Luis Fonsi released their record-breaking single Despacito. It went on to amass an eye-popping 8.5B views on YouTube and the ear-worm became the first Spanish-language song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Los Del Rio's 1996 dance hit Macarena Emma Corrin showed off their sense of style while posing at an event celebrating the finale of The Crown at The Royal Festival Hall in London on Tuesday night. The actor, 27, - who played Princess Diana in series four of the Netflix show - wore a boxy white blazer and sheer skirt on the red carpet. The event comes ahead of the December 14 release of the final ever episodes of The Crown. The first part of the sixth and final series of The Crown aired on November 16 and followed the eight weeks in the lead up to the tragic death of Princess Diana. Emma wore a white shirt and black bow tie under the double breasted blazer and completed the outfit with chunky heeled boots. Emma Corrin showed off their sense of style while posing at an event celebrating the finale of The Crown at The Royal Festival Hall in London on Tuesday night The actor, 27, - who played Princess Diana in series four of the Netflix show - wore a boxy white blazer and sheer skirt on the red carpet The starry event comes ahead of the December 14 release of the final ever episodes of The Crown They accessorised with silver earrings and wore their hair in a short style while opting for natural makeup. Viewers were reduced to tears watching the harrowing scenes, and the fourth episode ended with the public's reaction to Princess Diana's death and her funeral. Ahead of the final set of The Crown's episodes arriving on Netflix, the cast and a whole host of other stars came together at a lavish event celebrating the series' end. For the occasion, actress Meg Bellamy, who will make her acting debut as a young Kate Middleton in the second half of the sixth series, also stepped out on the red carpet. The star, 21, looked glamorous in a knitted cream Valentino dress, which she styled with an array of elegant silver jewellery. Speaking to Vogue of her red carpet attire, Meg said of her sudden rise to fame: 'My relationship with fashion has developed quickly in the past 12 months, but more from an access point of view. 'You have to remember that, before all of this, I wore a school uniform and I could only afford high-street brands like Primark!' Meg was seen posing on the red carpet alongside her co-star Ed McVey, who will star as a young Prince William as his early romance with Kate at St Andrews University is recreated on screen. The first part of the sixth and final series of The Crown aired on November 16 and followed the eight weeks in the lead up to the tragic death of Princess Diana Emma portrayed Princess Diana in the fourth series of The Crown before Elizabeth took over the role for the fifth and sixth instalments of the hit Netflix series They accessorised with silver earrings and wore their hair in a short style while opting for natural makeup Emma wore a white shirt and black bow tie under the double breasted blazer and completed the outfit with chunky heeled boots Ahead of the final set of The Crown's episodes arriving on Netflix, the cast and a whole host of other stars came together at a lavish event celebrating the series' end Emma portrayed Princess Diana in the fourth series of The Crown before Elizabeth Debicki took over the role for the fifth and sixth instalments of the hit Netflix series. Elizabeth has received much praise for her performance as the late Princess Diana, with commentators and royal watchers calling her talent 'unquestionable'. And stepping out to celebrate The Crown's finale, Elizabeth put on a dazzling display in a shimmering silver gown adorned with beaded detailing. The Australian actress, 33, made sure to turn heads in her statement ensemble and let her outfit do all the talking as she kept her accessories simple. Imelda Staunton, who portrays Queen Elizabeth II, cut an elegant figure in a dark green velvet suit, which she styled with black slip-on pumps with bow detailing. She toted her essentials in a small black clutch and added some glitz to her look with a pair of silver droplet earrings. Elizabeth (left) has received much praise for her performance as the late Princess Diana, with commentators and royal watchers calling her talent 'unquestionable' The sheer skirt was teamed with chunky heels and black socks Shannen Doherty is launching a new podcast called Let's Be Clear which kicks off on Wednesday. The 52-year-old actress - who says she is 'booked and busy with appearances' in spite of her cancer diagnoses - will open up about her journey with the disease and other issues on the show. 'Tomorrow my podcast comes out!!! So excited to share with you all,' she wrote on social media Tuesday, next to a photo of herself in a black vest and matching slacks with a long black scarf tied around her neck. A description of the podcast, which will be available across several streaming platforms including iHeart, says the star 'will open up like never before in a live memoir.' It was added: 'She will cover everything from her TV and film credits, to her Stage IV cancer battle, friendships, divorces and more.' Her highs and lows and 'hopes and dreams for the future' will also be addressed. Shannen Doherty, 52, is launching a new podcast. The Beverly Hills 90210 alum will begin hosting Let's Be Clear, starting December 6. 'Tomorrow my podcast comes out!!! So excited to share with you all,' she wrote on social media Tuesday A description of the podcast says the star 'will open up like never before in a live memoir. 'She will cover everything from her TV and film credits, to her Stage IV cancer battle, friendships, divorces and more,' including her highs and lows and 'hopes and dreams for the future' The List Of A Lifetime star filed for divorce from husband Kurt Iswarienko, 49, in April, after 11 years of marriage. The official divorce paperwork, obtained by TMZ, revealed the pair had been separated since January. She was also wed to Rick Salomon (20022003) and Ashley Hamilton (19931994). In an interview with People, the Charmed star said her eight year journey with breast cancer, now listed as stage four and spread to her bones and brain, has helped her realize, 'I'm not done with living. Im not done with loving. Im not done with creating. 'Im not done with hopefully changing things for the better,' she explained, 'Im just not Im not done.' Shannen was first diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015 and revealed the disease has spread to her lymph nodes. She underwent a unilateral mastectomy to remove the affected breast and later turned to and radiation and chemotherapy. In April 2017 the Hot Seat star announced her cancer was in remission. In February 2020 the Dying to Belong actress revealed the sad news her cancer had returned and she was in stage four, joining some some 168,000 people are living with metastatic breast cancer, according to the Susan G Komen organization. She revealed in June that she had undergone surgery earlier in the year to remove a brain tumor she nicknamed Bob, announcing the disease had spread to her brain and was terminal. The List of a Lifetime star filed for divorce from husband Kurt Iswarienko, 49, in April, after 11 years of marriage (Pictured in Pasadena, California in January 2012) Shannen's cancer battle continues. In June the actress revealed she had undergone surgery to remove a brain tumor, and that her condition was terminal. The BH90210 star is hoping to get into some clinical trial to take advantage of new possible treatments The star said she hopes to help change perceptions about people with cancer. 'Were vibrant, and we have such a different outlook on life. We are people who want to work and embrace life and keep moving forward' The BH90210 star told the outlet she is hoping to get into some clinical trial to take advantage of new possible treatments. Until then, she has plenty of living to do. 'People just assume that it means you cant walk, you cant eat, you cant work. They put you out to pasture at a very early age Youre done, youre retired, and were not,' she argued. 'Were vibrant, and we have such a different outlook on life. We are people who want to work and embrace life and keep moving forward.' Julia Roberts looked like she stepped off the runway while rocking a chic ensemble during an outing in New York City on Tuesday. The 56-year-old Oscar winner - who has been making the rounds to promote her new movie Leave the World Behind - stunned in a black tuxedo jacket, white oxford and black skirt on her way to the set of Watch What Happens Live. Showing off her statuesque figure in sheer stockings and black high heels, America's sweetheart stole the spotlight on the Big Apple sidewalks. She kept her trademark ginger-tinted tresses long and loose as she added designer shades to the mix with a bow tie hanging round her collar for a touch of modern sophistication. The appearance comes after Julia stopped by The Today Show where she chatted with Hoda Kotb and made a rare comment on her family life with husband Danny Moder. Julia Roberts looked like she stepped off the runway while rocking a chic ensemble during an outing in New York on Tuesday The Oscar winner stunned in a black tuxedo jacket, white oxford and black skirt on her way to the set of Watch What Happens Live 'Well, it all starts with Danny Moder, you know?' she gushed to Hoda. 'Hes just really our anchor and our person. And in the most beautiful way, the captain of our ship, you know, truly.' The gorgeous star -- who shares three children with Danny -- then joked that she doesn't necessarily give her partner all the credit for their amazing home life. 'And its not, like, giving it all away to him,' she added. 'Its just that for me, understanding how deeply felt life could be really started with him.' Julia and Danny met on the set of The Mexican in 2000, where she was acting alongside Brad Pitt, and he was working as a cameraman. At the time, Julia was dating Benjamin Bratt, while Danny was married to makeup artist Vera Steimberg. 'I could see how wonderful he was, but we were both in relationships at the time, so we were just friends,' Julia revealed in 2003 during an interview with Oprah Winfrey. The pair eventually split from their respective partners before romance blossomed. 'He sorted his whole thing out, separate and apart from me,' she explained to Oprah. 'And I sorted my life out, separate and apart from him. I think thats the only reason we were able to ultimately fall in love with each other and be together.' Showing off her statuesque figure in sheer stockings and black high heels, America's sweetheart stole the spotlight on the Big Apple sidewalks She kept her trademark ginger-tinted tresses long and loose as she added Ray-Ban shades to the mix with a bow tie hanging round her collar for a touch of modern sophistication The appearance comes after Julia stopped by The Today Show where she chatted with Hoda Kotb and made a rare comment on her family life with husband Danny Moder 'Well, it all starts with Danny Moder, you know?' she gushed to Hoda. 'Hes just really our anchor and our person. And in the most beautiful way, the captain of our ship, you know, truly'; seen in 2014 They tied the knot in 2002 in a secret ceremony at Roberts ranch near Taos, New Mexico. The couple went on to welcome twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, now 19, in 2004, followed by son Henry, now 16, three years later. During Tuesday's interview with Hoda, Julia revealed how she is parenting two kids in college, and one who will soon be off to college. 'I parent them the same way out of the house that I parented them in the house,' she said. '"Are you getting enough sleep? And you sound like youre sick. And are you drinking tea? And text me when you get home."' Julia also explained how they keep in touch while they are away from home. The gorgeous star -- who shares three children with Danny -- then joked that she doesn't necessarily give her partner all the credit for their amazing home life The couple went on to welcome twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, now 19, in 2004, followed by son Henry, now 16, three years later In July, Julia celebrated her and Danny's 21st wedding anniversary by sharing a sweet photo of the couple sharing a kiss 'We all were on a FaceTime the other day together, all of us. And it was, like, this gift that we had, these four minutes of us all looking at each other. We were all so happy to be together in that way,' she said. In July, Julia celebrated her and Danny's 21st wedding anniversary by sharing a sweet photo of the couple sharing a kiss. When asked in October on how she defied the Hollywood odds with her decades-long marriage, Julia told E! News: 'I always say that same thing and I'm sticking with it. It's making out. Lots of making out.' ITV viewers were left perplexed on Tuesday morning after Nella Rose pulled out of her first interview since leaving I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! The influencer, 26, who became the second star to be voted off, left staff at ITV's Lorraine baffled when she cancelled at the last minute. After claiming that she wanted to put her family first, Nella is now set to appear on Lorraines stablemate show, This Morning. Sources at ITV say that the move is somewhat mysterious as it is unprecedented that a guest would pull out of one of the channel's daytime programmes to go to another. Yesterday morning Lorraine Kelly, host of Lorraine, said: 'She was going to join us this morning but decided not to give any interviews today, but we may catch up later.' ITV viewers were left perplexed on Tuesday morning after Nella Rose, 26, pulled out of her first interview since leaving I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! The influencer, who became the second star to be voted off, left staff at ITV's Lorraine baffled when she cancelled at the last minute Meanwhile, an ITV source told MailOnline: Nobody can work out what is going on. You just dont say youre doing Lorraine and then do This Morning. Typically, contestants will be interviewed remotely by the Scottish presenter after leaving the jungle camp, with first evictee Frankie Dettori featuring on Monday's show. But Nella opted out of the pre-arranged live appearance to give herself time to 'rest and recover', leaving producers in an eleventh hour scramble to fill her slot. While celebrities are normally greeted by their loved ones when they cross the bridge out of the jungle, Nella was not met by anyone on Monday evening. She has since reunited with her brother, who jetted to Australia to be beside her after she became the second campmate voted out the jungle. Older sibling Albert, 27, landed at Brisbane airport hours after she was given the boot from hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, with the star not met by anyone as she crossed the show's famous bridge. Friends of Nella told MailOnline that she needs a day to 'process' her time on the ITV series, which saw the presenter challenge politician Nigel Farage and fallout with Fred Sirieix. It is understood that Nella's priority is to catch up with her brother, who she was emotional seeing again following weeks in the Aussie camp. After claiming that she wanted to put her family first, Nella is now set to appear on Lorraines stablemate show, This Morning A source close to Nella told MailOnline: 'All Nella needs right now is a day to relax and process all the happenings from her time on I'm A Celeb. 'While she absolutely loved her experience, there has also been a lot to digest and discuss with ITV plus her team, she didn't feel ready to be interviewed on live television by Lorraine just yet. 'Her brother Albert arrived in Australia shortly after she was evicted from the show, and it means the world to her having him by her side. 'It may have looked like she wasn't met by anyone close to her as she crossed the I'm A Celeb bridge, but her brother wasn't far away.' UK based family members have watched her on the show and were convinced that her 'Congolese spirit' would see her win - but it was not to be. A relative said she is from a close-knit family and told of their sadness that she didn't reach out and ask them for help when her mother died suddenly in her arms and she was evicted from the family home. The social media influencer was the second campmate to be voted out of the jungle after winning the least amount of public votes Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the relative recently said: 'All of Nella's siblings and other members of her family, wherever they are in the world, are watching her in the jungle and praying that she wins. 'We are very proud of her achievements, it's amazing what she's done. She is showing the fighting spirit of the Congolese people and we are all with her. 'There is a lot of love for her as we are a caring Congolese family even though we live in different countries. She also has an aunt, her mother's sister, who lives in London. And her father came from a very large, well to do family. 'There are lots of them in the Congo and others spread across Europe. She could have turned to anyone of us for help.' DJ and producer Michael Bibi has celebrated leaving hospital cancer-free after six months of treatment for the disease. He revealed back in June that he has been diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma, a rare form of brain and spinal cancer. On Tuesday he took to Instagram to share a picture of himself as he left the hospital 'officially in remission' after ringing the ceremonial bell on the ward to mark the end of his treatment. The musician, 33, also posed for pictures with the The Royal Marsden's Oak Cancer Centre staff, hugging the nurses before his departure. He captioned his post: 'CANCER FREE! After 6months of fighting I leave hospital officially in remission with no cancer in my body. DJ and producer Michael Bibi, 33, has celebrated leaving hospital cancer-free after six months of treatment for the disease He revealed back in June that he has been diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma, a rare form of brain and spinal cancer On Tuesday he took to Instagram to share a picture of himself as he left the hospital 'officially in remission' 'To every person that sent me the support, energy & strength to fight I thank you from the bottom of my heart & to the staff @royalmarsden for literally saving my life I will forever be in your debt. Thank you so much. 'Im still very tired, Im on a lot of meds, my body hurts & my hairs all gone.but Im excited to get home, process, heal & prepare for the future with you all.' Michael revealed back in June that he had been diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma, a rare form of brain and spinal cancer. At the time, he wrote: 'Hello world, writing this post is a hard one.. last week I was diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma. A very rare cancer that effects the brain & spine. 'Unfortunately it's moving fast & l to have to stay in hospital starting treatment immediately. 'Typing this message doesn't quite seem real & I'm sorry for the bad news. I don't know what lies ahead, I'm tired but I know I am strong & I won't let this beat me. 'Wish me luck & I will be back stronger for you all. Love Bibi.' He later informed fans that his condition was more serious and his symptoms were due to a 'more serious' neurological concern. He rang the ceremonial bell on the ward to mark the end of his treatment before leaving the hospital He also posed for pictures with the The Royal Marsden's Oak Cancer Centre staff, hugging the nurses before his departure He captioned his post: 'CANCER FREE! After 6months of fighting I leave hospital officially in remission with no cancer in my body' 'Im still very tired, Im on a lot of meds, my body hurts & my hairs all gone.but Im excited to get home, process, heal & prepare for the future with you all,' he added 'To every person that sent me the support, energy & strength to fight I thank you from the bottom of my heart & to the staff @royalmarsden for literally saving my life,' he wrote Michael gave fans a health update last month after being diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma, a rare form of brain and spinal cancer The London-based electronic musician revealed he had returned to hospital to begin the final phase of treatment in November, which included a bone marrow/stem cell transplant He wrote: 'If all goes well this will be the final yet toughest part of my journey. It will hit me hard & could take months of recovery but the end goal is being 100% cancer free' Michael is hugely successful and runs two of his own music labels, Solid Grooves and SG Raw. He has more than 900,000 followers on Instagram In a video posted online, he said: I'm doing alright. Long story short, I had some tinnitus and they did a bunch of tests on that but it turns out it's more of a neurological problem within my brain and the brain stem. 'So yeah, the doctors don't know exactly what's going on or what it is yet but I'm in the hospital now and they're doing lots of tests and hopefully, I should get some answers soon and get to start some treatment and then get back out there.' Micheal revealed he had returned to hospital to begin the final phase of his treatment, which included a bone marrow/stem cell transplant, last month. He shared a picture of himself smiling in a hospital bed while a doctor started his treatment. Alongside the picture, he wrote: 'The final battle. After many months of fighting, today I start the last phase of my treatment by having a bone marrow/stem cell transplant. 'If all goes well this will be the final yet toughest part of my journey. It will hit me hard & could take months of recovery but the end goal is being 100% cancer free Michael continued: 'I pray everyday that all goes smoothly & I will be out of hospital with you all again soon. He signed off by saying: 'Wish me luck & see you on the other side.' Michael made an epic return to music in September by surprising clubbers at Ibiza's iconic DC-10 club for the Solid Grooves closing party. It marked his first set since his cancer diagnosis back in June which put a stop to his extensive live plans for the summer. Michael revealed back in June that he has been diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma, a rare form of brain and spinal cancer He wrote: ' Hello world, writing this post is a hard one.. last week I was diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma. A very rare cancer that effects the brain & spine' He sparked rumours of a comeback after tweeting 'one life, live it', shortly after sharing a picture of himself leaving hospital, and another on a plane. Michael has previously spoken about his tinnitus diagnosis and has promoted the importance of ear protection at shows and festivals. The condition sadly had a huge impact on his ability to perform at shows and he announced he would be cancelling his upcoming gigs. Michael is hugely successful and runs two of his own music labels, Solid Grooves and SG Raw. He has more than 1.1million followers on Instagram. Comedian Mark Steel, who recently announced that he is battling throat cancer, is dealing with upheaval in his private life, too, after swapping one comedienne girlfriend for another. Previously going out with former I'm A Celebrity star Shappi Khorsandi, who declared last year that he was 'the love of my life', Steel is now in a blossoming new relationship with another comedienne, flame-haired Caroline 'Cally' Beaton. She is comforting him as he fights his illness and he calls her his 'partner'. Beaton, 54, recently posted a photograph of Steel in his hospital gown on social media with the words: 'Stuffing his face and doing great. Throat cancer poster boy. And we've got at least two shows and a book out of it already.' Mark Steel is now in a blossoming new relationship with another comedienne, flame-haired Caroline 'Cally' Beaton (both pictured) Comedian Mark Steel, who recently announced that he is battling throat cancer , is dealing with upheaval in his private life, too, after swapping one comedienne girlfriend for another. Pictured: Mark and Cally Without naming Cally, Steel, 63, who is a regular on BBC television and radio programmes, has made references to the relationship in a recent article about his illness. He said: 'To add to the jeopardy, I was in the exciting early, slightly hesitant, stages of a new relationship that seemed extremely promising. So one evening I had to say, 'By the way I might have cancer'. 'There are countless books, websites and forums in which detailed advice is given on how to act, what to look out for and what to say in these first months of a potentially lifelong partnership. I doubt if any of them say, 'Why not liven up a romantic evening by mentioning that you may have cancer?' Steel who was adopted, then discovered his real father was Joe Dwek, a multi-millionaire Wall Street trader and friend of the royals later paid tribute to Cally's care by saying: 'My partner has been extraordinary.' Cally, who has two children, does live stand-up, motivational speaking, has made several television appearances including Live at the Apollo and runs a podcast, Cally Beaton Namaste Motherf***ers. Khorsandi who recently published a book, Scatterbrain, about her ADHD says she is currently enjoying being single. 'I'm exhausted from relationships,' she declared recently. TV'S Kirstie Allsopp, whose father is the 6th Lord Hindlip, wouldn't object to a title of her own. The 52-year-old, who often airs her campaigning views on the likes of childcare and sexual equality, wouldn't want to be an MP as 'I wouldn't know which party, for a start'. But she would fancy joining the Lords. '[Being a] peer? That's a different story... And not because I want to be Lady Allsopp.' But she adds: 'If you want to campaign on an issue, you've probably got more likelihood of change outside Parliament.' Just A Minute host Nicholas Parsons is to be given 24 hours by the BBC to celebrate his life on Christmas Eve. Radio 4 Extra is to devote the whole day to programmes featuring the broadcaster, who died in 2020 aged 96. He would have turned 100 this year. 'Can you believe it?' his daughter Suzy tells me. 'It would have put a smile on his face.' Parsons hosted the Radio 4 show for more than half a century. Let's see if the Beeb can avoid hesitation, repetition or deviation in the tribute... Wonka star Sophie's real acting royalty Sophie Winkleman has achieved a social upgrade on screen, at least. The former Peep Show star, 43, is Lady Frederick Windsor in real life, because she's married to Lord Freddie, son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. On screen, however, Sophie is The Countess in new Hollywood film Wonka. While Prince Harry was surprised when King Charles suggested that Meghan Markle could continue acting after marrying into the Royal Family, Sophie has proved it's possible. The half-sister of Strictly host Claudia Winkleman has performed roles in television series including Belgravia and Sanditon. 'I've been incredibly welcomed with open arms by all of them,' she said of her royal in-laws. 'They'd never tell me off at all if I wanted to play some [racy] role.' Eugenie pal's very unusual loo break... Princess Eugenie's pal Poppy Jamie has revealed that she had to pop to the loos to inject herself with fertility drugs during a gala dinner hosted by King Charles's niece last week. The television presenter and mental health campaigner says: 'It was an exceptional evening, even though I had to bring my egg-freezing medication along with me. Nothing could reduce my joy.' Guests at the fundraising event for the Anti-Slavery Collective included Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall and pop stars Ed Sheeran and James Blunt. Poppy, 33, who is currently single, adds: 'I had my final trigger injection at 8pm, conveniently just as dinner began, but nothing a quick trip to the bathroom couldn't sort. I do feel hormonal and more sensitive than I would be usually, but it's manageable. My admiration for the science and tech outweighs any negative feelings.' Princess Eugenie's pal Poppy Jamie has revealed that she had to pop to the loos to inject herself with fertility drugs during a gala dinner. Pictured: The pair together Britain's most famous lexicographer, Susie Dent, has an embarrassing confession. 'I'm terrible at Scrabble,' the Countdown star says. 'People always assume I'm going to be brilliant at it.' Her colleague on the Channel 4 show enjoys playing her. 'Colin Murray wears it as a badge of pride that he beat me at Scrabble,' she says. 'He used to have the winning scorecard up on his fridge.' Green Wing star Stephen Mangan still bears the emotional scars of his expensive education, he says. The actor, 55, attended Haileybury and Imperial Service College in Hertfordshire, whose alumni include Rudyard Kipling and film director Christopher Nolan. 'When I went, we still had fagging the little boys were servants to the older boys,' he explains. 'We had outdoor toilets, which were below freezing in the winter months. And we had to go and sit on the loo and warm them up so the sixth-formers didn't get cold bottoms. Giving 17-year-olds power like that over 13-year-olds is horrendous.' Ray sees red over vegans Warwick became the eighth university in the country to ban meat and dairy in its canteens last month after a vote by a handful of activists. And Hollywood hardman Ray Winstone is ready to lead the fight back against enforced veganism. 'I was at the British [Independent] Film Awards last night and they had f***ing Beetroot Wellington,' he boomed while on stage to collect a prize at the Cigar Smoker of the Year Dinner and Awards at Boisdale Canary Wharf, in London, where beef was served. Cora keeps Dame Viv's flame alive Dame Vivienne Westwood's granddaughter Cora Corre has clearly inherited the late fashion designer's eccentric style. The 26-year-old rocked up to London's British Fashion Awards in a veiled lace bridal-inspired dress designed by her grandmother's widower, Andreas Kronthaler. His manager told DailyMail.com that he doesn't need to rest despite his tour The former Community actor sparked concern after arriving in a wheelchair Chevy Chase's manager has insisted the star is in 'amazing' health despite the National Lampoon actor sparking concern when he was pictured in a wheelchair while supporting his close friend Sylvester Stallone at the weekend. The 80-year-old actor, who is currently in the middle of his festive tour of the country, had travelled to Philadelphia on Sunday for the opening of Sylvester's Rocky memorabilia shop. Chevy, who is famed for appearing in the National Lampoon's comedy film franchise, was pictured in a wheelchair before getting to his feet to pose for pictures with his 77-year-old pal. Fans feared for his health after the images emerged - but representatives for Chevy have since quashed any concerns for the actor, telling DailyMail.com that he is in good shape. Chevy Chase was pictured using a wheelchair while supporting his close friend Sylvester Stallone over the weekend The 80-year-old actor's manager told DailyMail.com that the star is in 'amazing' health 'His health is amazing and his tour, A Live Conversation With Chevy Chase, has been selling out across the country,' they said in a statement. 'He sometimes uses the chair due to all the airport travel - even at 80 years young.' They added: 'He does not need rest. His tour is extensive during the holiday season.' Chevy was seen waving to guests at Sunday's event, before encouraging them to shout 'Two for one! Rocky and Clark Griswold' - a reference to one of his lines from the National Lampoon films. His appearance marked two years since he was admitted to hospital with near-fatal heart failure. The actor and comedian opened up about the health scare last year, telling CBS' Sunday Morning: 'Oh, we removed it. Didn't need it. It's much better now.' Chevy is currently touring the country with his A Live Conversation With Chevy Chase. The Q&A sessions, which kicked off in Chicago on November 26, follow special screenings of the beloved 1989 film, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, in which he played lead star Clark W. 'Sparky' Griswold Jr. Chevy and his wife Jayni then share their behind-the-scenes stories from the set and take audience questions from fans. Chevy got out of his chair to pose for pictures with his pal Sylvester Stallone The star's manager told DailyMail.com that he 'sometimes uses the chair due to all the airport travel' Chevy is currently on tour across the US, giving special insight into his beloved film, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation The six-date tour will see him on stage in New York, Minnesota and New Jersey, as well as Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Wisconsin. The tour comes three months after Chevy divulged about his time on the sitcom Community, in which he played the politically incorrect millionaire of Hawthorne Wipes CEO Pierce Hawthorne, admitting that he 'felt happier being alone.' Speaking on the WTF Podcast, he said that while he 'didn't mind [his] character,' he 'didn't want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people.' He added: 'It was too much. I honestly felt the show wasn't funny enough for me, ultimately. 'I felt a little bit constrained. Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasn't hard hitting enough for me.' Chevy was fired from the critically acclaimed NBC comedy 11 years ago for using the N-word in front of co-stars Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover. Sebastian Stan was the spitting image of iconic businessman Donald Trump as he was seen filming The Apprentice movie for the first time in Toronto on Monday. The actor, 41, donned a bouffant blond wig in honor of the former President's signature hairdo, paired with a tailored navy suit and overcoat as he filmed scenes on a park bench for the movie - which charts Trump's efforts 'to build his real estate business' in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s. Stan was also seen sporting a dose of fake tan and apparent facial prosthetics as he ate a sandwich and drank a Coke while filming in the snow. Throwing himself into character, the star was seen pulling some brooding facial expressions as he munched on his food during the scene. The Emmy-nominated actor will be joined in the cast by Succession star Jeremy Strong, 44, who plays Trump's late lawyer and mentor Roy Cohn; and Oscar-nominated actress Maria Bakalova, 27, who will play Trump's late ex-wife Ivana Trump, Deadline reported Wednesday. Sebastian Stan was the spitting image of iconic businessman Donald Trump as he was seen filming The Apprentice movie for the first time in Toronto on Monday The actor, 41, donned a bouffant blond wig in honor of the former President's signature hairdo, paired with a tailored navy suit and overcoat (Trump pictured R 1980s) Production began earlier this week on the motion picture directed by Ali Abbasi, and starring the Constanta, Romania-born actor, the outlet reported. Variety reported that the film's title would be The Student, adding that a logline for the forthcoming film described it as 'an exploration of power and ambition set in a world of corruption and deceit. 'It's a mentor-protege story that charts the origins of an American dynasty. Filled with larger than life characters, it reveals the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers.' The screenplay for the film was penned by writer Gabriel Sherman, who authored the 2014 book The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News and Divided a Country. The book was subsequently adapted into the 2019 Showtime miniseries The Loudest Voice. Stan is surging professionally, having garnered nominations for an Emmy and Golden Globe after playing the role of Tommy Lee in Hulu's Pam & Tommy. He was rumored to be playing Ric Flair in a film after meeting with the pro wrestling icon this past May in New York City. (Aaron Dean Eisenberg plays Flair in the upcoming The Iron Claw.) Stan has been seen in multiple movies this past year, including Dumb Money, Sharper and Ghosted. Stan was also seen sporting a dose of fake tan and apparent facial prosthetics as he ate a sandwich and drank a Coke while filming in the snow The star looked focused as he prepared to film an emotional scene The actor chomped on a sandwich during his lunch on a park bench Stan was unrecognizable as he transformed into the former President Stan was surrounded by the crew as he filmed the scene Stan looked pensive as he took in the sights o Toronto The actor looked eerily similar to Trump as he filmed Trump was pictured in NYC in a limo in August of 1987, a timeframe the film spans Stan, who has also been seen in multiple MCU films playing Bucky 'Winter Soldier' Barnes, is the latest in a line of performers who have played Trump. Few of those have been for dramatic productions, with the most recent being Irish actor Brendan Gleeson in the 2020 Showtime miniseries The Comey Rule. Trump has been spoofed for decades on NBC's Saturday Night Live, with actors including Alec Baldwin, Darrell Hammond, Jason Sudeikis, Taran Killam and the late Phil Hartman playing the role at different points. Cohn and Trump were pictured at the October 1983 opening of Trump Tower in NYC Trump and his late wife Ivana were pictured in September of 1984 Trump remains battling multiple legal cases in multiple states as he remains the favorite to garner the Republican presidential nomination next year. Strong, coming off his strong run on Kendall Roy on the HBO hit Succession, is also working in a Broadway production of Henrik Ibsens An Enemy of the People alongside The Sopranos alum Michael Imperioli. Previews are slated to commence at Circle in the Square Theatre February 27, with the play set to open March 18. Bakalova, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, has been featured in multiple films this year, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Fairyland. Farmer Wants A Wife couple Andrew Coleman and Claire Saunders celebrated their first anniversary together on Monday. The couple, who agreed to leave FWAW before the finale when they realised they were in love, shared a loved up picture to their Instagram to celebrate the milestone. Unable to wipe the smile off her face, Claire, 37, donned a high vis shirt as she cradled a baby goat and lounged back in the passenger seat of her love's truck. 'Happy 1st Anniversary Lover,' she wrote as the Narromine farmer, 41, could be seen grinning from the driver's seat in his own work clothes. 'The first year of life with you has been my favourite one yet, thanks for showing me what real love is meant to feel like!' Farmer Wants A Wife couple Andrew Coleman, 41, (left) and Claire Saunders, 37, (right) celebrated their first anniversary together on Monday It comes after the lovebirds revealed their plans for the future after quitting the Channel Seven matchmaking show early to be together. Back in May, just weeks after the show's finale aired, the pair said they had already started discussing their family plans. 'We're approaching it with the mindset of, "Let's enjoy one another first for a period of time and make memories of our own and if things keep evolving in a positive manner, then that'll come,"' Andrew told Woman's Day at the time. The couple, who agreed to leave FWAW before the finale when they realised they were in love , shared a loved up picture to their Instagram to celebrate the milestone Claire added: 'It would be nice to have twins first up, and then see what would happen after that.' She also said the two 'have a positive thing going on' and they are relieved to be able to 'finally show the world our happiness'. Andrew and Claire found love on FWAW season 13 and decided to leave the show early, with Andrew letting down the other women gently. 'The first year of life with you has been my favourite one yet, thanks for showing me what real love is meant to feel like!' Claire wrote. Pictured together on Farmer Wants A Wife The farmer professed his love for the Tasmanian mine truck driver in touching scenes that aired to TV as he said: 'I'm falling in love with you.' Claire revealed she felt the same way and was 'very happy' they found each other. 'I'm definitely falling in love with you, too. I didn't expect any of this to happen. I'm pretty chuffed,' she beamed. The pair then shared a romantic kiss as they sat on the patio before Claire asked if Andrew had sent the other women home, and he confirmed he had. Kathy Hilton has shared that she thinks her daughter Paris will have a third child. The RHOBH star made the comments at her annual pajama party at her mansion in Bel-Air, California where guests included Denise Richards and Paula Abdul. Paris already has daughter London and son Phoenix. She told Extra's Terri Seymour she thinks there are plans in the works for a third baby. When asked if Paris is already thinking of adding another baby girl, Kathy commented, 'I think so I think the fact that Nicky is her best friend, I think she would like for London to have that sisterly bond as well.' Kathy said of her newest grandchild, 'She is so beautiful and sweet and very alert.' She also loves Phoenix saying, 'We did a few swimming lessons He loves the water and he loves the beach.' According to Kathy, Phoenix is happy about having a new sibling. Party on: Kathy Hilton has shared that she thinks her daughter Paris will have a third child. The RHOBH star made the comments at her annual pajama party at her mansion in Bel-Air, California where guests included Denise Richards Here Kathy is seen with Extra's Terri Seymour and Paula Abdul She shared, 'He is loving it, they are so close apart, they are 10 months apart 'It's so nice because Paris said she would have loved to have a big brother to look after her, so she is so happy that London will have Phoenix to look after her.' While on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen last week, Paris said she would 'probably' like a 'sister' for her newborn daughter London and her son Phoenix whom she shares with husband Carter Reum, 42. When asked by Andy if she wants to add more kids to her brood, she said it was likely. 'We'll see. I'm just loving having my little boy and girl right now. But I'm probably going to want a little sister for London,' Paris said. Paris and Kathy were on the Bravo talk show promoting season two of Paris In Love that will premiere Thursday on the Peacock streaming service. The first season focused on Paris as she prepared for her wedding to Reum. She was joined by other reality TV stars as well Hilton wants a third child she said on Wednesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen where she was joined by her mother Kathy Hilton The 42-year-old DJ said she would 'probably' like a 'sister' for her newborn daughter London and her son Phoenix whom she shares with husband Carter Reum, 42 Also on the show, Paris and Kathy also played a game in which Andy asked them if they had met famous people. Kathy confirmed meeting Liza Minelli, Michael Jackson's chimp Bubbles, members of the Beatles, John Travolta, Liz Taylor and Bette Davis. 'What about a member of the British royal family?,' Andy asked. 'Yes,' Paris and Kathy both answered. 'Who is the highest ranking royal that you're buddies with?' Andy said. 'I wouldn't say buddies, but I did meet Princess Diana at the Met Ball years ago. 'And I have met Prince Charles and Camilla several times at Buckingham Palace,' Kathy said. 'King Charles,' Andy corrected. Here Paris is seen with Phoenix next to her pink tree which was for new baby London Paris and Kathy were on the Bravo talk show promoting season two of Paris In Love that will premiere Thursday on the Peacock streaming service. The first season focused on Paris as she prepared for her wedding to Reum Andy asked for details and Kathy revealed that she had a tattoo session at her house along with her sister Kim Richards, 59, who declined to get inked 'And Harry or William, have you met either of them?,' Andy asked referencing the sons of King Charles and the late Princess Diana. 'I've met both of them,' Paris said. 'You've met both of them! Really,' Andy said. 'Any energy there? Like flirty energy?' 'They were really nice. We hung out in London,' Paris said. 'Years ago,' Kathy added. Andy asked if they went to a club and Paris said it was years ago when they went out. 'It was at the Park Lane Hilton. They used to have like this bar downstairs,' Paris said. 'I saw a picture of it,' Kathy said. Andy asked if William and Harry were able to let loose and have fun or if they were kind of restricted. 'No, we had a fun night. It was me, Christina Aguilera, and the boys and a group of people. It was a fun night,' Paris said. During the After Show, Hilton teased that she has some surprises in store with Nicole Richie in honor of the 20th anniversary of their iconic reality show The Simple Life. Plus, Kathy said she would be open to returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and being on the show was a fun adventure. Cary Grant's ex-wife, Dyan Cannon, revealed that she is 'living now' while also attributing prayer to keeping her 'straight' in life. The Heaven Can Wait actress, 86 - whose short-lived marriage to the Hollywood icon is portrayed in a new show called Archie - opened up about her faith to Page Six while at the premiere of the Britbox series in NYC on Monday. 'Praying, that's what keeps me straight,' the stat told the outlet, adding, 'I'm a big God girl.' 'After some of the things I've been through, I couldn't make sense out of the world, so I had to go to something that did make sense.' Cannon stated that she, 'realized' and also understood that 'there really is something bigger than me that protects me and guides me and nourishes me and I believe that.' Cary Grant's ex-wife, Dyan Cannon, 86, revealed that she is 'living now' while also attributing prayer to keeping her 'straight' in life; seen in 2022 in Los Angeles The Heaven Can Wait actress - whose short-lived marriage to Grant is portrayed in a new show called Archie - opened up about her faith to Page Six while at the premiere of the series in NYC; seen in 1966 'I'm living now,' Dyan admitted. 'I just came to understand that there is something bigger than me that I can trust because I can't trust a lot of what is out there because it changes its mind all the time.' The actress also discussed how she still remains fit and active as she prepares to celebrate her 87th birthday next month in January. 'I've come to a place in my life where I can eat anything but I do work out. I try and do something at least three or four times a week.' Cannon put on a youthful appearance while attending the Archie premiere in the Big Apple at The Paley Center for Media. She opted for an all-black ensemble that comprised of fitted black pants as well as a long-sleeved, satin shirt that contained puffy shoulders. The Such Good Friends star slipped into a pair of black, heeled ankle boots and was proudly joined by her daughter, Jennifer Grant - whom she welcomed with Cary during their three-year marriage. The former couple tied the knot in 1965 when she was at the start of her career, and Grant in the height of his. The North By Northwest actor was 61 at the time of the marriage, and Dyan 33 years his junior at 28-years-old. The following year, their daughter - and Cary's only child - was born, but the pair split in 1968 when their divorce was finalized. 'Praying, that's what keeps me straight,' the stat told the outlet, adding, 'I'm a big God girl'; seen in 2020 in Los Angeles The Such Good Friends star slipped into a pair of black, heeled ankle boots and was proudly joined by her daughter, Jennifer Grant - whom she welcomed with Cary during their three-year marriage; seen on Monday together Archie is based on Dyan's 2011 memoir titled Dear Cary: My Life With Cary Grant. Both she and daughter Jennifer were also executive producers on the miniseries. The premise follows, 'the life of Hollywood's greatest leading man, Archibald Alexander Leach - A.K.A. Cary Grant,' per an official IMDB synopsis. The show will not only depict Grant throughout his career in Hollywood - but also his difficult upbringing as a child. Four actors were cast to portray Grant through the decades, including Jason Isaacs. Other stars who were cast in the project include Laura Aikman - playing Dyan - as well as Harriet Walter and Kara Tointon. During a recent interview on New York Live, Cannon opened up about the series and her former relationship with the Hollywood icon. Cary had a total of four marriages, but only welcomed a child with Dyan, which she explained, 'I think it's because he trusted me because he felt safe.' She also opened up about Isaacs' performance as Grant and the decision to ultimately cast him. 'He, at times, doesn't really resemble Cary physically, but he nails Cary. He got him tooth and nail. He really understood the man.' As the Harry Potter alum prepared for the role, Dyan explained that both she and the actor would sit and have 'great talks' about Cary - whose real name is Archibald Leach. During a recent interview on New York Live, Cannon opened up about the series and her former relationship with the Hollywood icon; seen in 1965 The former couple tied the knot in 1965 when she was at the start of her career, and Grant in the height of his. The North By Northwest actor was 61 at the time of the marriage, and Dyan 33 years his junior at 28-years-old; seen in 1959 While talking CBS Sunday Morning in an article published earlier this month, Jason stated, 'I'm not Cary Grant. But he wasn't Cary Grant, either, that's the point.' 'He invented Cary Grant,' and added that it was, 'a character to save him from himself, to build a career, and to try and exercise his demons.' Dyan - who was also a part of the interview - was later asked, 'Did Cary Grant play Cary Grant at home with you? Did he ever let that facade down?' She replied, 'Oh sure, yes, he did, of course. Real people have emotions. He had a very tough boyhood. He was abandoned, felt left alone, unloved, unneeded, unwanted, deprived...' 'And of course, who we came to know as Cary was this magnificent, gorgeous, leading man a personality that never stopped. He was so graceful! And what a gorgeous body. And he never exercised which really used to really tick me off!' While talking CBS Sunday Morning in an article published earlier this month, Jason stated, 'I'm not Cary Grant. But he wasn't Cary Grant, either, that's the point'; Isaacs seen with Cannon on Monday in NYC Cannon's memoir jumped to the New York Times bestseller list and dives into their relationship as well as details of Grant's own upbringing. The late actor's childhood saw a young Archie being abandoned by his father - who told Cary that his mother had passed away when he was only 10-years-old. However, 20 years later, he discovered that his mother had been placed in a mental institution. Within Dyan's marriage to Grant, the actress also detailed his controlling behavior and in a separate occurrence, recalled him forcing her to take LSD. Lorraine Stanley revealed she is struggling to find new acting gigs following her character Karen Taylor's shock exit in BBC soap EastEnders. It was announced Karen will depart Walford at the end of the year but her exit storyline is currently unknown. Now the soap actress, 47, has shared some of her struggles in a candid Instagram story - as she looks for new acting roles after playing on the BBC series for seven years. Lorraine shared a picture of a self-made audition room with plenty of panels, lights, a tripod and a chair, as she prepared to do some self-tape some brand-new audition clip to send. She admitted her struggle to manage the equipment and told fans how Zack Morris - who played her on-screen son Keegan Baker - gave her a few very useful tips on how to create an authentic setting. Lorraine Stanley, 47, revealed she is struggling to find new acting gigs following her character Karen Taylor's upcoming shock soap exit in BBC soap EastEnders (pictured in 2018) The actress is known for her role as Karen, centre, her exit storyline is currently unknown (pictured in EastEnders) Zack, 25, is currently leading the cast of Disney+'s Goosebumps as Isaiah Howard, as he continues his career in the US. 'Self tape setup in the loft, I'm so not technical but I'm proud I've managed to set it up all by myself with advice on equipment by @_zack_morris,' she captioned. 'Just finished one and it's hard work... I'll get there. It'a struggle watching yourself back & not being highly critical on yourself... just let it go and send it #SENT.' It comes after Lorraine broke her silence in October after being forced to leave Albert Square. She has played matriarch Karen for seven years and is being written out of the BBC soap as part of a shock cast shake-up. Speaking to The Sun, Lorraine revealed she is gutted to be leaving the EastEnders family but was excited to see what opportunities come next. And the actress might be bagging a part on a rival soap, as she revealed: 'I think it would have to be Corrie and I would have to be the new landlady. Now the soap star has shared some of her struggles in a candid Instagram story - as she looks for new acting roles after playing on the BBC series for seven years Lorraine revealed Zack Morris (pictured) - who plays her on-screen son Keegan Baker - gave her some tips on how to create an authentic settings It comes after Lorraine broke her silence in October after being forced to leave Albert Square in brutal axing from the soap (pictured in June) 'I'd be Gemma's [Winter] auntie, Bernie's sister. I'd be in there family and I'd take over The Rovers.' Opening up about the shock moment she found out she was being axed she explained that while she was sad to be leaving it gives her the opportunity to push herself outside of her comfort zone. Talking about the legacy of her character she said: 'I just want people to remember her as the best mum on the square, a heart of gold, she's give you her last fiver and would do anything for her kids - a bit like myself.' The actress will exit the soap at the end of the year, and Lorraine confessed she would be furious if her character was killed off. 'I hope the door will be left open for Karen. I can't say too much but if they kill me then I would never watch EastEnders again.' Since joining the soap in 2017, Lorraine has played the single mum laundrette worker who arrived in Walford with her brood Keanu (Danny Walters), Keegan Baker (Zack Morris), Bernadette (Clair Norris), Riley and Chatham played by real life brothers Tom and Alfie Jacobs. Lorraine will not be the only character exiting the soap in the coming months after the soap made history back in February with their epic end to a normal Monday episode as they teased a flashforward of a Christmas murder. In the shocking scenes, Denise (Diane Parish), Kathy (Gillian Taylforth), Linda (Kellie Bright), Sharon (Letitia Dean), Stacey (Lacey Turner) and Suki (Balvinder Sopal) were seen surrounding a dead body, but the identity of the corpse and the killer were kept secret. Discussing the who-dunnit story line she revealed that her character would like to see Phil Mitchell meet his ends at Christmas, but confirmed that the legendary character isn't going anywhere. She then teased who the potential victims could be as she suggested Theo, Nish or Ravi. Jodie Comer stunned in a suit-style dress at the Fashion Awards, which were held at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday night. The actress, 30, wore a sleeveless, short black dress with a deep V-neck, and paired it with sheer black tights. She wore sandal-style heels which strapped around the ankle and posed on the dark red carpet with her hands in her pockets. The Killing Eve star accessorised beautifully with a silver necklace from Boucheron which reached halfway down her neckline. Jodie matched the necklace with earrings also from Boucheron and a barrette which she used to jazz up her side part hairstyle. Jodie Comer, 30, stunned in a suit-style dress at the Fashion Awards that returned to the Royal Albert Hall on Monday night The actress wore a sleeveless, short black dress with a deep V-neck, and paired it with sheer black tights The event, presented by jewellery brand Pandora returned to the iconic London venue, the Royal Albert Hall. Leading industry figures will be recognised such as Valentino Garavani with the Outstanding Achievement award and make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury with the Special Recognition Award. South Londoner Kai Isaiah Jamal has been nominated for the model of the year gong along with the likes of Paloma Elsesser and Alton Mason. The event serves as the main fundraiser for the BFC Foundation. which supports the future growth and success of the British fashion industry through its focus on education, grant-giving, and business mentoring. The BFC is also going back to having some gender-based design awards for the first time since the pandemic, splitting the best British designers into menswear and womenswear categories. A-Listers such as Kate Moss also attended the bash. She wore sandal-style heels which strapped around the ankle and posed on the dark red carpet with her hands in her pockets Jodie matched the necklace with her earrings and a barrette which she used to jazz up her side part hairstyle In 2023, the actress starred in British survival film The End We Start From, with Benedict Cumberbatch, but has not announced any upcoming projects for 2024 She is perhaps best known for playing the psychopathic assassin Villainelle in the hit British show Killing Eve which ended in 2022 Jodie braved the cold at the Fashion Awards, presented by jewellery brand Pandora and attended by numerous stars such as Kate Moss Jodie rose to fame on the drama miniseries Thirteen in 2016, but prior to that she had appeared in several episodes of Doctor Foster. She is perhaps best known for playing the psychopathic assassin Villainelle in the hit British show Killing Eve which ended in 2022. Jodie starred opposite American-Canadian actress Sandra Oh and won a Primetime Emmy for her performance. In 2023, the actress starred in British survival film The End We Start From, with Benedict Cumberbatch, but has not announced any upcoming projects for 2024. Katie Piper has revealed she's got an eye infection after undergoing surgery to reduce the risk of 'losing her left eye'. The presenter, 40, gave her followers a health update after spending Tuesday morning at the eye clinic. In a candid video shared to Instagram, Katie said: 'I've spent the morning back at the eye clinic as I've got problems with my eye. I've got a defect and an infection that is becoming really hard to treat.' Gushing over her husband Richard James Sutton, Katie added: 'I have to give a shout out to my lovely husband, he's always there for me, always driving. He's spent a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms and a lot of car parks waiting for me. It comes after Katie shared a gallery of snaps showing her eye after the procedure, while admitting she still finds operations 'mentally hard' following her acid attack ordeal. Katie Piper has revealed she's got an eye infection after undergoing surgery to reduce the risk of 'losing her left eye' Katie suffered major injuries and blindness in one eye after she was attacked with acid by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch and accomplice Stefan Sylvestre in 2008. In the wake of her ordeal, she has tirelessly campaigned to keep the topic of such attacks in the forefront of the minds of the public and officials since her horrific experience, and has since set up The Katie Piper Foundation. In her post, Katie explained she'd received tarsorrhaphy to her left eye, which can 'help the cornea heal or to protect the cornea during a short period of exposure or disease.' Posting a lengthy caption, Katie added that it's hoped the surgery will 'preserve her eye,' and the decision to have the operation stemmed from 'function over aesthetics.' Katie wrote: 'This is me! (For now). On Tuesday I had a planned operation, a Tarsorrhaphy to my left eye. 'Tarsorrhaphy is the joining of part or all of the upper and lower eyelids so as to partially or completely close the eye. 'Temporary tarsorrhaphies are used to help the cornea heal or to protect the cornea during a short period of exposure or disease. I've also had scar tissue operated on on my right eye, so that will also be slightly swollen. 'I wanted to put this here for a few reasons: 'Firstly to educate that living with the kind of injures I have means things will change through out your life and sometimes things go backwards. There isn't really an end point and part of this kind of recovery is acceptance of that. The presenter, 40, gave her followers a health update after spending Tuesday morning at the eye clinic Gushing over her husband Richard James Sutton, Katie added: 'I have to give a shout out to my lovely husband, he's always there for me, always driving. He's spent a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms and a lot of car parks waiting for me.' Candid: The presenter shared a gallery of snaps showing her eye after the procedure, while admitting she still finds operations 'mentally hard' following her acid attack ordeal 'Secondly with a disfigurement surgical decisions have to be based around function not aesthetics. In my case I am trying to preserve the eye, avoid perforation and loosing my eye completely. 'Also just because something is on view permanently it doesn't give people the right to constantly comment on your appearance - you never know what's going on in someone's life. 'Also, if this helps anyone else. yes I do sometimes find it hard. I'm ok with looking different to everyone else but operations can sometimes take me back to memories of how this all started and that's hard mentally. What is a tarsorrhaphy? Tarsorrhaphy is the joining of part or all of the upper and lower eyelids to partially or completely close the eye. Temporary procedures can be used to help the cornea heal or to protect the cornea during a short period of exposure or disease. Permanent tarsorraphies are used to protect the cornea from a long-term risk of damage. A permanent tarsorrhaphy usually only closes the outer eyelids, so the patient can still see through the central opening and the eye can still be examined. Advertisement 'I always think I'm incredibly lucky with this space here on IG. I feel like I have an intelligent, interesting and kind following. 'So I know most of you will find this update useful and probably have had your own similar journeys of medical or mental health recoveries, but for the few that will send msgs or leave negative comments (I've heard them all before, nothing new) then this explanation/ education is for you. 'I'm still the same person. I've just had different path in life to most and that's ok. For most part I live a fulfilling, privileged and very happy life. For that I'm extremely grateful for. But as I recover I'm asking that you please don't troll me. 'Thank you to my eye surgeon Mr Joshi for taking care of my eyelids all these years. I'm so grateful to him and his team for care, compassion and skill.' Katie's ex Daniel was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years for the violence inflicted on Katie when she was just 24 years old. In September, it emerged Daniel could be released from prison after completing his minimum term of 16 years. Daniel received a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years after being convicted of rape, GBH and ABH at Wood Green Crown Court in 2009. His co-conspirator, Stefan, who threw the acid at Katie, admitted GBH and was given a life sentence with a minimum term of six years. He was released in 2018 but was recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions. Police have since said they believe he has fled the country. Passing sentence against the pair, Judge Nicholas Browne QC said: '(The victim) had a face of pure beauty. You, Danny Lynch and Stefan Sylvestre, represent the face of pure evil. The facts of this case are chilling and shocking. 'You planned and then executed an act of pure, calculated and deliberate evil. Traumatic: Katie (pictured left in 2009 and right in 2022) was left with horrific injuries after Stefan Sylvestre, then 19, threw acid at her in 2008 'You decided to wreck the victim's life by thrusting a full container of sulphuric acid straight into her face from point- blank range.' Katie was attacked in Golders Green, north London, in 2008. She had dated Daniel briefly before the steroid-fuelled martial arts fan, who had a previous conviction for pouring boiling water over a man, became obsessively jealous. Model and TV presenter Katie had to wear a mask after the attack and needed 400 operations to treat her severe burns in a long and painstaking process which included pioneering surgery which completely removed the damaged skin from her face and replaced it with a substitute. The identity of Layton Williams' mystery boyfriend has finally been revealed after the couple enjoyed a romantic trip away last month. The Strictly star, 29, has found love with deli-cum-bar owner and fellow actor James Harper. The couple, who went Instagram official in November, hit it off when they met at Glastonbury festival. A source has now told The Sun: 'James has been by Layton's side all through Strictly. 'He even travelled to Blackpool to watch him perform there. They are obviously made for each other.' The identity of Layton Williams ' mystery boyfriend has finally been revealed after the couple enjoyed a romantic trip away last month The Strictly star, 29, has found love with deli-cum-bar owner and fellow actor James Harper James is a fellow actor, having starred on stage previously and now also owns and runs a deli and bar in London. MailOnline has contacted Layton's representatives for comment. Layton unveiled his new boyfriend with a 'hard launch' on Instagram on James' birthday. Layton showed off his man in a sweet post while wishing him happy birthday but revealed he would be keeping his name and further details private. He shared on Instagram Story: 'Happy birthday to my fave! #hardlaunch but no @ coz y'all are too [nosy].' The Signature Wine Experience is offered at AIRE Ancient Baths London for 450 and claims to utilise the 'antioxidant properties' of the Spanish Ribera del Duero red grapes. Layton previously hinted that he was in a relationship, saying on Alan Carr's Life's a Beach podcast: 'I've got a man, you know, it's new though, it's only been a soft launch on Instagram.' The star's new romance comes as he continues to battle an onslaught of trolling by Strictly Come Dancing fans. A source has now told The Sun: 'James has been by Layton's side all through Strictly. He even travelled to Blackpool to watch him perform there. They are obviously made for each other.' Layton unveiled his new boyfriend with a 'hard launch' on Instagram on James' birthday The West End star and his professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin, 25, appeared on Tuesday's This Morning as they discussed the backlash. Speaking to hosts Rochelle Humes and Craig Doyle, Nikita said that the tolling gets to Layton and that he finds people's lack of compassion 'sad and unnecessary'. Layton is often targeted by trolls for for his West End background and some claim that the celeb is a 'professional dancer' and that he has an 'unfair' advantage. Talking about the hateful comments sent to him online, Layton told This Morning: 'It's like: 'Can you not just dress like a man, please please please put a suit on!' and I'm like: 'Girl, relax!''' Nikita was quick to defend Layton as he said: 'We get a bit defensive of our partners and just to see sometimes people speaking things or saying things they shouldn't be saying. 'Sometimes things also get to him, and that's a personal side, I find it sad and unnecessary [the trolling]. At the end of the day, we just want to make people happy, we just want to put on a show...' Strictly's Nikita Kuzmin has hit back at trolls who have continued to make hurtful comments about his dance partner Layton as they appeared on Tuesday's This Morning Despite topping the leaderboard every week, the twinkle-toed duo found themselves in the dreaded bottom two on Sunday night Layton added: 'I'm sure you know how it feels, you can have 1000 amazing messages and then just one [negative] and you're like: 'Urgh!' but in these moments, I've said it before and I'll say it again... even Beyonce has haters, so!' Despite topping the leaderboard every week, the twinkle-toed duo found themselves in the dreaded bottom two on Sunday night. The pair were thankful that the judges saved them from elimination but were sad to see fellow contestants Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu go home. While it may have shocked viewers, Nikita said he had a 'feeling' they would have to face the dance-off after the negative comments online. Americans calling officials for help with benefits must wait 36 minutes just to speak to someone - almost seven times longer than they did 15 years ago, we can reveal. The wait time for staff at the Social Security Adminsitration to pick up the phone has jumped from under five and a half minutes in 2008, analysis of official data by DailyMail.com shows. Staff numbers at the agency have fallen as claimants - many of whom are older or vulnerable - have risen. Millions of Americans call the Social Security toll-free phone line every year for help with benefits. According to government data, the wait time on the National 800 Number Network was an average of 5 minutes and 26 seconds in 2008, just over ten minutes in 2013, just under 24 minutes in 2018 - then jumped to 35 minutes 50 seconds this year. Given it is an average wait time, many will be waiting much longer. The release of the shocking wait times come as the SSA is dealing with an unprecedented backlog of more than a million disability benefits claims. On average, people are waiting 220 days for initial decisions on benefit applications - more than 100 days longer than in 2019 and more than 150 days longer than what the SSA defines as a minimum level of performance. The wait time on the Social Security Administration phone number has gone up almost seven times in the last 15 years, DailyMail.com analysis of official data shows The SSA pays $1.4 trillion in benefits to more than 71 million people every year. Its National 800 Number Network provides toll-free telephone service to the US, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, the American Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The number provides an agent service five days a week from 7am to 7pm. 24-hour automated services are also available 365 per days a year. According to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the SSA is facing a customer service crisis - with many of the issues caused by stringent administrative budget cuts over the past ten years. Since 2011, congressional cuts have meant the SSA's customer service budget has fallen by 17 percent, the think tank said. The number of staff has also fallen 16 percent, it said, to a 25-year low last year. And at the same time, the number of beneficiaries has risen by 22 percent over the last decade. The Biden administration has requested a $1.3 billion increase in the SSA's customer service budget for 2024. The months-long backlog for disability benefits claims is 'devastating' for vulnerable Americans, a Ways and Means Social Security subcommittee hearing heard last month. 'The real world consequences for these individuals who are unable to work and wait for their disability decision is devastating,' Representative Drew Ferguson, chair of the subcommittee, said in the November meeting. Representative Drew Ferguson, chair of the subcommittee, said the processing delays were having 'devastating' implications David Camp, the interim CEO of National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives, described a case in which the applicant died more than two years after applying for benefits. Jennifer Burdick, Co-Chair of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Social Security Task Force said the department needed better funding to hire enough staff to process applications in good time. 'SSA is not going to be able to address this backlog without adequate funding,' said Burdick. 'Staffing losses have come at the same time that there are new social security rules like the all evidence rule that are making claims bigger than they ever were before,' she added. 'There just needs to be more bodies to work these claims and this won't happen unless Congress provides SSA with meaningful sustained funding consistent with the President's fiscal year 2024 budget request.' A Social Security Administration spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'Too many customers have experienced long waits and busy signals. These service challenges are driven by insufficient staff and interim telephone technology that we implemented during the pandemic. We are doing what we can to improve phone service. 'With the budget increase we received last year, we hired new National 800 Number agents. In addition, we have transitioned to a new phone system. However, to return to answering calls within 5 minutes, it will require sufficient and sustained funding. Under the current continuing resolution, we are in a hiring freeze, which means we cannot not replace the telephone agents who leave.' It could redefine how income is taxed and cost the federal government hundreds of billions of dollars Case relates to a Trump-era tax rule relating to foreign profits of US companies A Supreme Court battle over a Washington couple's $15,000 IRS bill is threatening to rewrite America's tax code. Oral arguments began today in the case of Moore V. United States over a 2017 Trump-era tax rule. The measure affects few Americans but an overturning of it could redefine how income is taxed in the US, cost the federal government hundreds of billions of dollars and jeopardize Biden's billionaires' tax bill. Former GOP Speaker of the House Paul Ryan today said the challenge was 'misguided' and could make much of the tax code 'unconstitutional.' The case centers around Charles and Kathleen Moore, of Redmond, Washington, who appealed for a refund on a $14,729 bill paid on their shares in an Indian company. Former GOP Speaker of the House Paul Ryan today said the Moore V. United States was 'misguided' and could make much of the tax code 'unconstitutional' The bill was triggered by a change to the way foreign profits of American companies were taxed under Trump. It placed a one-time levy on previously untaxed profits US businesses generated from overseas subsidiaries. Individuals who owned more than 10 percent of shares in foreign companies were also stung by the change. The rule was expected to generate $340 billion in revenue over ten years. In the Moores' case, they had invested $40,000 into KisanKraft - an Indian company that supplies tools and equipment - which earned them a 13 percent stake in its common shares. But the couple argue their profits were never 'realized' as the money was reinvested. They claim they cannot be taxed on unrealized gains. They are backed by conservative political groups and business interests, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Those allied with the Moores argue that a change to the law is similar to a wealth tax, which would apply not to the incomes of the very richest Americans, but their assets, like stock holdings. Currently these only get taxed when they are sold. Lower courts have ruled that earnings need to be realized to be taxable - as suggested in the 16th Amendment which gives Congress the power to impose income levies. But Ryan, who was Speaker when the tax law was signed into Congress, said: 'A lot of the tax code would be unconstitutional if that thing prevailed.' The case centers around Charles and Kathleen Moore, of Redmond, Washington, who appealed for a refund on a $14,729 bill paid on their shares in an Indian company The bill was triggered by a change to the way foreign profits of American companies were taxed under Trump. It implemented a one-time levy on profits US businesses held in overseas subsidiaries or individuals who owned more than 10 percent of foreign companies Democrats are also concerned it could stymie legislation like the Billionaires Income Tax, introduced last week. The bill will tax those with more than $1 billion in assets - or $100 million in income for three consecutive years - at a 20 percent rate. It will apply to both their full income and unrealized appreciation. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden or Oregon, who is spearheading the legislation, said: 'The Moore case could make it impossible to close those loopholes.' The battle also has kicked up ethical concerns and raised questions about the story the Moores' lawyers told in court filings. Public documents show that Charles Moore's involvement with the company, including serving as a director for five years, is far more extensive than court filings indicate. Senate Democrats had asked Justice Samuel Alito to step aside from the case because of his interactions with David Rivkin, a lawyer who is representing the Moores. The Democrats said Alito had cast doubt on his ability to judge the case fairly because he sat for four hours of Wall Street Journal opinion page interviews with an editor at the newspaper and Rivkin. Alito rejected the demands in a four-page statement issued by the court in which he said there 'is no valid reason' for his recusal. Adani Group stocks jumped up to 20 per cent on Tuesday following a report that the US agency found short-seller Hinderburg Research's allegations of corporate fraud against the conglomerate were not relevant. The US International Development Finance Corp, or DFC, examined the allegations against the Adani Group before extending a loan for the Indian conglomerate's port project in Sri Lanka, according to reports. All the 10 firms extended their gains for the second straight session this week and breached the total market capitalisation mark of Rs 13 lakh crore. On the BSE, shares of Adani Green Energy zoomed 20 per cent to Rs 1,348 apiece, Adani Energy Solutions surged 16.38 per cent to Rs 1,050, Adani Total Gas rallied 15.81 per cent to Rs 847.90, while flagship firm Adani Enterprises bounced 10.90 per cent to Rs 2,805 per share. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) stock jumped 9.47 per cent to Rs 961.95, NDTV climbed 8.49 per cent to Rs 244.20, Adani Wilmar advanced 7.71 per cent to Rs 373, and Adani Power rose 6.68 per cent to Rs 495.65 per piece. Also, scrip of Ambuja Cements gained 6.17 per cent to Rs 503.70 apiece, and ACC went up by 5.65 per cent to Rs 2,133.45 apiece on the exchange. Meanwhile, the 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 245.75 points or 0.36 per cent higher at 69,110.87 points, while NSE Nifty rose 0.56 per cent to 20,801.90. Both the benchmarks are at their lifetime peaks. In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, Adani Green Energy (AGEL) announced it has secured a funding of USD 1.36 billion from a consortium of international banks as part of its construction financing framework. The USD 1.36-billion senior debt facility will enhance the company's funding pool to USD 3 billion since initial project financing in March 2021, AGEL said. On Monday, Adani group shares extended gains from previous week amid a record breaking rally in the broader market, taking the total market valuation of group companies to close Rs 12 lakh crore mark. Stock prices of Adani group companies have been on the rise since last week after the Supreme Court on November 24 reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions seeking examination of allegations of fraud by US-based short seller Hindenburg Research against the conglomerate. Ride hailing firm Rapido on Tuesday announced its foray into the cab services segment, where it will compete with established unicorns Ola and Uber. The company has started the service in Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad and Bengaluru with around 1.2 lakh cabs and plans to scale it to around 35 cities by September 2024, Rapido Co-founder Pavan Guntupalli said. Over the course of 10 years not more than 25 per cent are participating in app based services. Our motive is to bring all these guys online and increase the market. With a zero commission model, we will maximise their revenues in a way that it is not a burden on users, Guntupalli said. The captains or the driver partners will get direct payment from customers without any commission cut by Rapido. However, they will have to pay a subscription fee after crossing a certain level of earnings. While the company claimed that it will provide the lowest price in the market, a random check on the app showed that the fare of Rapido cab was higher compared to the prices offered by the established online players. Guntupalli said that the service has just been launched and the company will work with cab partners to get the cheapest fare across 80 per cent of the route in the city where it operates. Software-as-a-service-based Rapido will invest in adding electric vehicles to its fleet but it will operate rest of cab services at break-even level, he said. The company plans to expand the services to Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai in January-March 2024 and cover a total of 35 cities by September 2024, Guntupalli said. Human rights violations are rampant in Balochistan. The Pakistan is waging an undeclared war on Baloch people, writes Mir Khan Baloch Anwarul Haq Kakar was a senator in the Balochistan assembly before resuming office as Prime Minister of Pakistan. ISI has given him special instructions to pursue the narrative of Islamabad to counter the ongoing Balochistan freedom movement. His NGO, Voice of Balochistan publishes content on social media and YouTube. He is head of well-known state-sponsored death squads whose prime objectives are to facilitate Pakistan ISI, MI (Military Intelligence) and the army to locate the Baloch activists and freedom-loving patriots and later kill them in fake encounters. He often can be seen with Sarfaraz Bugti who is another cabinet member of the current government but he runs dozens of death squads in Sui, Dera Bugti, Pirkoh, Loti, Sibi and adjoining areas of Dera Bugti. His most active death squad militia is the Bugti Aman Force which openly confesses to killing patriot Baloch fighting against Pakistani illegal occupation of Balochistan. Sarfaraz Bugti had countless meetings with another notorious radical death squad Shafiq Mengal involved in the abductions, and killings of Baloch in district Khuzdar, Wadh, Sorab, and Kalat areas. His proxy militia is also involved in sectarian violence such as targeting Shia communities living in Balochistan, he enjoys the full support of the Pakistan army. Pakistan army distributed ministries to all of its proxy assets, one of them is Jamal Raisani 20 years 20-year-old boy, who is the son of Siraj Raisani who openly advocated assassinations of pro-independent seeking leadership and activists. He was killed in a suicide attack in Mastung along with his 100+ party members. Islamabad had given them ministries as compensation to acknowledge their contribution to facilitating the army and the ISI. Pakistan is repeating the Bangladesh style of Baloch genocide and hiring death squads like Al Shams and Al Badr who were used against Mukti Bahini the freedom fighters of Bangladesh in 1971.It is very sad that on 27 March 1948, Jinnah ordered its army to invade Balochistan in a similar fashion Russia invaded Ukraine. They attacked the Palace of Balochistans King, they fired artillery shells and opened indiscriminate firing. The mosque of the King of Kalat still bears the marks of bombing. Hence the instrument of annexation was signed by force with the Prince of Balochistan. The people of Balochistan did not join Pakistan willingly and they reserve the right to regain their independence. After the invasion of Pakistan, they kept resisting on various occasions but unfortunately, none gave any heed to their suffering and problems.China is exploiting the resources of Balochistan For many decades China made entry into Balochistan and extracted minerals of Balochistan such as Gold, Copper, Silver, and Uranium from Balochistans Rekodet, Saindak and other areas. Pakistan is brutally suppressing the voices of ordinary Baloch people. Baloch people are demanding a peaceful future free of fear, they want complete independence and good relations with India and the rest of the world.Reports are emerging that Pakistan and China are abducting Baloch civilians, among them are women being rapped, children being terrorized, and students being made victims of enforced disappearances. Pakistan under the nose of the United Nations and civilized world, is repeating the atrocities its army perpetrated against Bengalis in 1971. Baloch people are being butchered and bombed which must be a matter of worry for the civilized world. How can we sleep when humanity in Balochistan is under constant threat and Baloch people are facing heinous crimes by the Pakistan army? To quell their liberation movement, the Pakistan establishment is using air force to bomb ordinary unarmed Baloch people which is against the international laws. About 30,000 Baloch prisoners are being kept in secret detention centers and 2 lakh Baloch have been killed since 1948. This is a huge ratio of ethnic cleansing and it must be recognized genocide of Baloch people.Pakistan is repeating the same cruelty that its army did in Bangladesh in 1971. Today Baloch people are being butchered, their land is being occupied and their resources are being exploited. If Balochistan becomes independent I believe there will be peace because they are not radicals, they are not against India, they are not against peace, and they are not pursuing any sort of policy to invade any country.I urge the government of India to speak about the massive scale of the Baloch genocide taking place and how people over there are deprived of fundamental rights to independence. There is no harm in inviting pro-independent Baloch leadership to India because Balochistan historically is not part of Pakistan and they dont accept Pakistans occupation. We must listen to them and accept the genuine stance of the Baloch people rather than relying on Pakistans fabricated lies and illegal rule of Balochistan. Our leadership of both countries must sit together and help their cause so we can have a friendly country of Balochistan to end Pakistans day-to-day border infiltration, terrorism, proxy wars, and use of other anti-India elements.Balochistan is not an internal issue of Pakistan and we have the right to talk about Balochistan in the open, in parliament, in the media and globally. India is a strong country it has the guts to take a strong position to help Balochistan get its liberation. Liberating Balochistan is tantamount to solving many problems internally and internationally at a time. The situation in occupied Balochistan is pathetic and deserves international attention. The aspiration of 1.4 billion Indians echoes the current government to make appropriate decisions by giving a helping hand to support the aspirations of millions of Baloch people.Who Leads the Balochistan Movement? In the world liberation movements are led by one leader who has the vision, and background of not compromising on a national cause and people trust him/her. Balochistan liberation movement is led by Baloch nationalist leader Hyrbyair Marri who from his childhood is attached to Balochistan cause. He is the son of Baloch veteran leader late Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri. He enjoys the full support of his people from Balochistan and the overseas population. He had never accepted the slavery of Pakistan. His determination and commitment to his people are adorable. Marri is an international calibre leader and the world community has always given him immense respect and space. He urged the Baloch community to join hands and work for the independence of united Balochistan. (The writer is a Baloch human rights activist covering Balochistan, Central Asia and the Middle East. Views are personal) This is the second part of the two-part series on Balochistan. Concluded India's unique and novel initiative Mission LiFE and Green Credit Program (GCP) can be replicated by other countries The whole world is concerned about climate change and its ill effects. Climate Change concerns have attained centre stage in all environmental, social and economic deliberations at the National as well as Global levels. In this sequence, again during the 28th session of the COP (Conference of Parties) related to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC), which started November30 in Dubai, UAE, more than 190 countries are deliberating on various issues. In this conference, countries around the world are discussing the challenges related to climate change and reviewing the progress made in the decisions taken in previous conferences as well as global brainstorming. India has taken several concrete initiatives at the national and international levels in recent years to address the challenges of climate change. To take this movement forward, the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of India has notified the Green Credit Scheme (GCP) and rules in October 2023. Its objective is to encourage every individual and community to promote a healthy and environment-friendly lifestyle. The concept of the Green Credit Scheme will be based on a very simple process to benefit from environmentally favourable conditions. Therefore, common people, community organizations, industries and corporations will be encouraged to adopt and support environment-positive actions under the Green Credit Program( GCP), proposed at the National Level.The program will also enable India to meet Nationally Determined Contributions ( NDCs), submitted to UNFCCC. The program envisages incentives for voluntary environmental actions of various stakeholders. Presently the guidelines and rules have been notified for tree planting and water conservation-related activities. Sustainable Agriculture, Waste Management, Air Pollution Reduction, Mangrove Conservation and Restoration, Ecomark-based trading by manufacturers, Sustainable Building and Infrastructure are the other sectors that will also be covered under the Green Credit Program (GCP) for financial incentives. Under this scheme, various stakeholders will be encouraged to voluntarily adopt environment-friendly activities by encouraging competitive market-based trading for availing benefits of green credits. The main objective of this scheme is to encourage environmentally positive actions so that the challenges of environmental protection and climate change can be faced at the individual and community levels.It aims to allocate credit as per the activity and also to encourage the process of measuring and verifying the progress of the activity and also to encourage environment-positive actions to raise awareness at the grassroots level on a large scale and fulfil the vision of Mission Life. This will also support the adoption of environment-friendly lifestyles and meeting sustainable development goals ( SDGs), based on values and policies. GCP will also encourage individuals, farmer producer associations, environment-friendly agriculture, industries, urban and rural local bodies, private sector, industries, NGOs and community organizations etc. to adopt environment-friendly positive actions in the form of tradable 'Green Credits, for which market-based system is being envisaged under the program.Green credits, certified as per the notified format of the Green Credit Program will be verified by the Program Administrator as a unit, the benefits of which will be determined as per market-based assessment. The eligible entity has to register to generate green credit units. There will be a system of third-party certification to certify the activities of the registered units as units of green credit. Under this, any activity by the consumer or community to obtain or spend green credit is subject to market-based verification. The quantum and value of green credit will be determined by the authorized agency and will be determined on the environmental positive benefits associated with the activity. The quantity and value of green credit will be determined by the authorized agency as per the rules and norms approved by the Central Government.The promotion of green credit will have many benefits, such as the promotion of green industries, and pollution control which will ensure improvement in air and water quality and protection of biodiversity. The pace of community and individual-driven planting of trees will increase. Challenges of climate change will also be addressed. The Green Credit Scheme is a novel and unique initiative to achieve the goals and objectives of Mission LiFE, launched by Prime Minister Modi. This unique initiative can be adopted by other nations at the global level by adjusting environment-friendly lifestyles. (The author is Dy Director General in the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Views are personal) Concession given to import of Tesla cars would could hamper the efforts being made by other car companies operating in India Once again the issue of reducing import duty for importing their cars is in discussion for American electric car company Tesla. Till now, a 60 per cent import duty has been imposed on any car whose price is less than $ 40,000 and a 100 per cent import duty is imposed on cars costing more than $ 40,000. This is done to protect the Indian automobile industry from unfair foreign competition. India's automobile industry has made remarkable progress in the last few decades. The share of the automobile sector in the total manufacturing output of the country is about 49 per cent and it constitutes 7.1 per cent of the total GDP. Most of the vehicles plying in the country are manufactured in India and very few vehicles are imported. Not only this, India's automobile exports were worth $21.2 billion. Tesla company has put up the condition of duty cut on the import of its cars to 18 per cent, for setting up a plant of car manufacturing in the country. The company says it is ready to invest $2 billion in the country, provided the import duty on its cars is reduced. Its request is under consideration. Today almost all the automobile companies in India have started producing electric and hybrid cars. In such a situation, customers already have options to buy electric cars. In India, nearly one lakh electric cars are sold monthly and the number is expected to rise rapidly. Keeping in mind the growing market of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the country, Tesla company has come up with a proposal to set up its plant in India, about which there is no opposition per se. To encourage the production of electric cars in the country, the import duty on components has already been reduced significantly. Today, spare parts for electric cars are being imported at only 10 to 15 per cent import duty. These are much lower than the import duty on conventional automobile parts. Due to low import duty on electric car components, established automobile companies and startups in the country have started adding value to a large extent in the country. Given the incentives being given to electric cars by the Government of India, it seems that soon India will start meeting its requirement of electric vehicles.Till now, the key to the development of the automobile industry in the country has been the protection given to this industry by the government. Concession given to import Tesla cars would not be right, as it could hamper the efforts being made by the companies already operating in the country. But more importantly, Tesla company manufactures luxury cars. In 2019-20, only 40637 luxury cars were sold in the country, which was reduced to only 19700 in 2020-21 during the Covid-19 period. The reason for this is that only a very small section of the country can buy luxury cars more expensive than 16 to 17 lakh rupees i.e. $20000 US and even a smaller section can buy a car worth $40000 i.e. 32-33 lakh rupees. In such a situation, if Tesla company is given an exemption in import duty, then rich people who can buy expensive cars will naturally buy imported Tesla cars. This will affect the manufacturing of luxury electric cars in the country.Not only this, many other companies, including Volkswagen, who are also in the queue, will also demand lower import duty. We also have to understand that domestic companies are already putting a lot of effort into research and development in manufacturing electric cars. An Indian company 'Ola', with the help of investors, has made significant progress in manufacturing electric scooters in the country. Similar efforts can be made in cars, but the concession in import duty will hamper these efforts. We have to understand that Tesla's business model is such that it does not encourage domestic manufacturers of components, and only uses internal manufacturing technology. The expectation that the downstream value chain will develop with the arrival of Tesla company is not correct. (The writer is a Professor, at PGDAV College, DU, views are personal) The quality of school education deserves maximum attention, particularly in terms of teacher education and recruitment, vocational skills and interest identification The strife-torned world aspires to witness days of no wars, and no violence for future generations. One could safely state that even those who are busy fighting the Ukraine-Russia war, or Israel - Palestine war; or busy in violence in the name of fundamentalism and terrorism, must be somewhere inside willing to give a tension-violence-war free world to their future generations. Probably some select ones could still be under the illusion that their Truth is the only Truth, and all others who do not toe the line must be brought within the fold by even by violence would like their generations ahead to continue in the tradition of violence their Goal certainly a utopia - stands achieved! One needs a really tough-nut optimist to even imagine that wars and violence could vanish from the face of the earth in the near future. However, the faith in human ingenuity and trust in the powers of love to create an environment of hope and inspire people to work for global peace. The way out is only one; follow the path of knowledge, and be conversant in applying the skill of discrimination to separate right from wrong, light from darkness, real from false, and Truth from Untruth! This is not the oft-quoted cliche! It is the only alternative available to human beings for the very survival of the human race on the planet Earth, and the planet itself. The mute question before India and Indians is: are we preparing ourselves to become the soldiers of peace and harmony within the boundaries of India, and then establish that the only way is the Indian way that respects diversity, universality of the human race, and responsibility of human beings to care for every human being, and most importantly, the nature that sustains humans so long it is treated in the appropriate manner! In the third decade of the third millennium, it is evident that as the world moves ahead in its dependence on knowledge, the emergence of an enlightened and cohesive people; and a strong, prosperous, enterprising, nation would prominently depend on good quality education and dynamic skill acquisition which are the two of its most powerful pivots. Indias achievements in education in the post-independence period are indeed praiseworthy. From a literacy rate of around 18%, in 1947 we are now touching 80%! Initiatives taken at the policy level, support extended to the community and adequate comprehension of their key role by teachers, academics, scholars and people have contributed to reaching the present position. Credit must also go to three major policy formulations in education - 1968, 1986 and 1992 - that have taken a comprehensive view of the emerging needs of the nation, changing national and international scenarios and aspirations of the young of India. Each one of these confronted the inherited legacy of a transplanted alien system of education and made an attempt to move away from it. It has not been an easy task. However, India is now well-equipped with the necessary experience and expertise and has successfully formulated a policy that is rooted to culture and committed to progress. It envisages Indias prominent role in global human endeavours to create new knowledge and explore every possibility of its use for the benefit of humanity. The NEP-2020 is essentially an articulation of the fundamental role of education in achieving full human potential, developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development. It responds with the confidence of an alert and active nation to achieve the SDG-4 that seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote; lifelong learning opportunities for all. The challenge before the academia of the nation is how to ensure quality education on a universal scale, dynamic skill acquisition and effective personality development. This would require high levels of competence, commitment and performance from every teacher irrespective of his level or stage in the hierarchy. The NEP-2020 offers basic support by permitting flexibility in the choice of subjects of study and encourages multidisciplinary. Every learner could pursue the subject areas of his interest, he could study music and mathematics, or chemistry and philosophy. Flexibility and learners interest shall dominate the system. As the quality of school education paves the path for quality enhancement at higher levels, it deserves maximum attention, particularly in terms of teacher education and recruitment, vocational skills, individual attention and interest identification, and assessment procedures. It shall have to fully transform itself to ensure that ideas, imagination, curiosity and creativity with which every child is blessed with is never impeded, but dexterously nourished. Hopefully; education shall get all the resource support in future, and the dilution of quality in certain aspects of education shall be redressed early. Only then the Indian education attract global attention and appreciation and shall not be just the acquisition of knowledge as preparation for life in this world, or life beyond schooling, but for complete realisation and liberation of Soul. True Indian education imbued with the legacy of Worlds but one family could pave the path for global brotherhood in the world of today that is suffering in innumerable ways. The first step in India could be the transformation of elementary schools! Yes, if teachers are given the autonomy -and responsibility to present a model of regularity, punctuality, discipline, honesty, integrity, empathy, broad vision, commitment to the profession, value-based conduct, and growing up in competence, the multiplier impact would be tremendous. That could transform work culture in every other sphere of life. For that, the nation must trust the teacher and look after him! (Professor Rajput works in education, social cohesion and religious amity) After the state assembly poll results, speculation about who the new chief ministers will be, is rife The exit polls had predicted a neck-to-neck battle in these states, with a tied result of 2-2 for both Congress and the BJP. However, despite a close fight in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, the Party could only win Telangana. Despite the stringent anti-defection laws, MLAs are tempted with large sums of money to change sides, often resulting in the winning Party's government's collapse has strengthened itself in the North, but it has yet to find a foothold in the South. The BJP 's successful poll strategy united its supporters and minimised internal conflicts. Fielding Parliament members as candidates helped the Party reduce internal sabotage. Congress gained an advantage in Telangana due to its strong local leadership. The Party also benefited greatly from the defections of many leaders who began to see it as a viable contender, especially after its success in Karnataka. Voters shifted towards the Congress once it became evident that it posed a severe challenge to the ruling BRS, BJP and Congress did not announce chief ministerial candidates before the polls. Both parties must decide whether to continue with established leaders or search for new leadership. Congress must decide whether to appoint Revanth Reddy or a new face. The Party has many potential candidates, so the main question is how to implement the new rules. The BJP favours phasing out old guards like Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Raman Singh, who have had their innings. Another crucial factor when selecting new candidates is their caste. A diverse mix of castes is essential, not limiting it to Rajputs or forward castes. Additionally, their performance will also be taken into consideration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants a suitable candidate to deliver the States in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This is his top priority for performing a hat trick. Let's take a look at Madhya Pradesh as an example. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, one of the longest-serving Chief Ministers, is ready to continue. During an event in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan even asked the public for their opinion on whether he should run for Chief Minister again if elected. There are many potential candidates for the top post in Madhya Pradesh. They include three Union Ministers, Narendra Singh Tomar, Faggan Singh Kulaste, and Prahlad Patel, who provide a range of options. Kailash Vijayvargiya, the Party's General Secretary and Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister who helped bring down the Kamal Nath government, are also on the list of potential candidates. The prominent candidate in the State of Rajasthan would be the former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnav, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Minister Arjun Meghwal, and Mahant Balaknath are also in the race. Rajyavardhan Rathode is a Rajput and a multiple-time cabinet minister. Satish Poonia served as the Rajasthan BJP. president when the Party was out of power. In early 2023, C P Joshi, a Brahmin and two-time MP, replaced Poonia as the state BJP president. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, a new-generation BJP leader, is also a potential candidate for the CM of Rajasthan. In Chattisgarh, too, former chief minister Raman Singh is a front-runner. Raman Singh, the BAMS doctor who ruled Chhattisgarh for 15 years till 2018, is the most recognisable face of the Party in the State. He was a union minister before he became the chief minister of Chhattisgarh in 2003. However, he has been sidelined in the past five years. Vishnu Dev Sao is also a contender for CM. He has a clean image, comes from an RSS family and has risen. Union Minister Renuka Singh, a prominent tribal leader, from the Bharatpur-Sonhat constituency is yet another option. Congress, on its part, must choose a leader to keep the Party united in Telangana. The leader of BRS., K Chandrashekhar Rao is known for his talent in luring away members from other parties. Historically, Congress has lost its ability to protect its flock. This was visible in Goa, Karnataka, and other states. Revanth Reddy is the most likely candidate in Telangana. He belongs to the robust Redd and had the full support of Congress leadership despite criticisms from within the Party for his style of functioning. Starting with ABVP as a student, he has ended up at the top. Reddy faces various challenges, including winning more seats in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. However, it's more crucial for him to keep his Party united. Of late, the instability kicks off with horse trading, commencing immediately after the government's formation. Despite the stringent anti-defection laws, MLAs are tempted with large sums of money to change sides, often resulting in the winning Party's government's collapse. Political parties use tricks to buy the required M.L.A.s to snatch the government. The BJP is upbeat about its success and is already strategising for the 2024 polls. The opposition group INDIA 's future is still being determined after the huge BJP win. (The writer is a popular columnist; views are personal) The BJP encashed the alleged massive corruption in the welfare schemes launched by Gehlot and people trusted Modis guarantee Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ready to return to power in Rajasthan and in the elections held on 199 seats, BJP has won 114 seats and Congress 70 seats. But this is evident from the fact that the difference between the two parties appears so big. This marks a continuation of a three-decade-old trend of voters in the desert state changing governments every five years. This marks a major turnaround in the fortunes of the party, which was divided into factions and was struggling to counter the welfarist agenda of the Ashok Gehlot-led government. To win in Rajasthan, the BJP targeted the Gehlot welfare model and ensured victory by controlling the internal strife in the party. The only hindrance was the lack of unity in its organisation and the Rajasthan unit was mired in infighting. Rani Basundhara proceeded step by step to convince Raje and bring unity to the party and addressed the leadership issue by fighting as a unit and without announcing any chief ministerial face. Modi's guarantee card Modi had previously mocked the growing Revadi or 'freebie' culture in Indian politics, mocking the Congress' guarantee in Karnataka and even speaking on the issue in Parliament. However, several surveys conducted by the BJP found that people were voting based on day-to-day economic issues and that the Congress' promised welfare schemes in Himachal and Karnataka were key factors in its victory. Thus, the BJP went to the polls armed with a number of welfare schemes, both existing schemes such as Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna scheme, which was announced in March this year and the annual financial assistance for women in Chhattisgarh in the manifesto. As promises were made. Also many concessions for youth and farmers. The Prime Minister also used his personal credibility by offering the 'Modi Guarantee' to differentiate BJP's welfare schemes from those of Congress. There was the issue of recruitment exam paper leak, which was used by BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to target the youth constituency. Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena and the state leadership held several protests on the issue. Earlier this year, when Meena was on hunger strike, Bashundhara Raje had also given her support to him. The BJP brought together these issues, from paper leaks to crimes against women to unemployment, during a street protest in September 'Nahi Sahega Rajasthan' to craft a unified script and capitalise on the anti-incumbency wave. Can be picked up. Since Rajasthan has a mental tendency to elect a different government every five years, the BJP's only real fear was a welfare scheme-based loss by Gehlot at the last moment, but the CM lost that advantage too by retaining most of its sitting MLAs. , which became a boon for the BJP. To turn the indecision of Gurjars in Bjp's favour. In 2018, the Gujjar community was seen supporting the Congress and rallied with the Meenas to make then-state chief Sachin Pilot the chief minister. Eight Gujjar candidates of the Congress won, giving the party a total of 25 seats in East Rajasthan. The BJP was reduced to three seats in the region, with the remaining seats going to independents and the BSP, which later supported the Congress. This time, the BJP had been working on a multi-pronged plan for some time to win back the Gujjar votes, as evidenced by Prime Minister Modi's attempt to capitalise on Congress's attempt to humiliate Rajesh and Sachin Pilot at rally after rally. This not only brought many Gujjar leaders into the organisation but also kept the issue of Pilot's "insult" alive in the Gujjar belt to draw community voters away from the Congress. State BJP leaders acted at Modi's behest, for example, Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuriya, a two-time MP from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, said Pilot had "no chance of becoming chief minister because Gehlot would never allow it". (Writer is a senior journalist; views are personal) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet in the special court here in Gujarat against five persons, including a woman, for their alleged links with terror outfit Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP). The chargesheet against Ubaid Mir, Hanan Shawl, Mohammad Hajim Shah, Zubair Ahmed Munshi, and Sumerabanu Hanif Malek was submitted in the court of special judge Kamal Sojitra by NIA special public prosecutor Amit Nair. The ISKP is a UN-designated terrorist organisation. Investigations by the NIA revealed that the accused had planned to train themselves and carry out terror attacks in Afghanistan after reaching the war-torn country via Iran as directed by their handler, the chargesheet stated. On June 9, the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) busted this ISKP module and arrested Mir, Shawl, and Shah from Porbandar city in Gujarat. A day later, the ATS nabbed Sumerabanu from Surat and Munshi from Srinagar. All four men hail from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. They were booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and section 120 B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The NIA had found a video clip in which the accused can be seen pledging their allegiance to ISKP while flashing sharp weapons sitting under the flag of the outfit, as per the chargesheet. The interrogation of the accused by the ATS had revealed that all of them were part of the ISKP module and radicalised by their handler Abu Hamza, officials had said. Mir, Shawl and Shah had reached Porbandar to work as fishermen on boats with the given GPS coordinates as directed by Abu Hamza. They had planned to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and reach Afghanistan via Iran to join ISKP, the ATS had said. From Porbandar, they were to be taken to Iran on a dhow and were provided with fake passports for Afghanistan and to reach Khorasan via Herat, as per the ATS. The ATS had found mobile phones, tablets, and sharp weapons in the bags of the accused. It was revealed that their handler had planned to release the pre-recorded videos and photographs of their sacrifice in Afghanistan. In a video clip, they can be seen pledging their allegiance to ISKP while flashing sharp weapons. The ATS had found copies of various publications promoting radicalisation, including ISKPs mouthpiece Voice of Khorasan during the search of the house of Sumerabanu Hanif Malek in Surat. Malek had admitted to having been in touch with Abu Hamza and being close to Munshi, the ATS had said. The case was transferred to the NIA by the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 28. Karni Sena chief shot dead Jaipur: Right-wing group Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Senas president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead in the living room of his house here on Tuesday by three armed men, one of whom was also killed in retaliatory firing, police said. One of Gogamedis security guards sustained bullet injuries in the exchange of fire with the assailants, who had gone to his house in the Shyam Nagar area on the pretext of meeting him, they said. The incident was caught on CCTV. P2 Michaung makes landfall, claims 12 lives Chennai/Amaravati/Bhubaneswar/Hyderabad: Severe cyclonic storm Michaung made landfall crossing south Andhra Pradesh coast between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm on Tuesday leaving its maximum fury to be felt on Monday in Chennai and adjoining areas in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Southern districts of Odisha and eastern Telangana continue to be on alert. At least 12 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in and around Chennai. Delhis air quality improves New Delhi: Pollution levels in Delhi improved on Tuesday, and were recorded in the poor category, with minimum temperature settling at 11.2 degrees Celsius, weather department officials said. As per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 297, higher than 310 (very poor category) recorded a day earlier. The national Capital recorded a maximum temperature of 25.4 degrees Celsius. Buoyed by the massive success in the just-concluded Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, asked the Opposition not to vent its frustration over the defeat in the Assembly polls inside Parliament during the ensuing Winter Session. Instead, he urged them to move forward, leaving behind 'negativity,' and sought cooperation in meaningful debates. "The country has rejected negativity. We always have dialogue with Opposition friends at the start of Session, we always seek cooperation of everyone. This time also all such processes have been completed," said Modi, addressing media outside Parliament building ahead of beginning of the Winter Session. This 'temple of democracy' is a very important platform for people's aspirations and strengthening foundation of a developed India, Modi said and urged all members to come well prepared and hold thorough discussions on Bills so that good suggestions come to the fore. But if discussion does not take place, the country misses those things, Modi said. "If I speak on basis of the Assembly poll results, this is a golden opportunity for friends in Opposition. Instead of making plans for venting frustration over defeat, they should learn from this defeat, leaving behind the habit of negativity of the last nine years, if they move forward with positivity this Session, the country will change its perspective towards them. A new door could open for them," he said, adding that "they are in the Opposition but still I am giving them good advice." The Prime Minister urged the Opposition to come forward with a positive mindset. "I say on the basis of my experience, I would say change your (Opposition) direction a bit, leave the habit of opposing for the sake of opposing. Support constructive things that are in country's interest, debate the shortcomings that are there and you will see that the hatred among the people over such things, that may change into love," he said. The Prime Minister said, "In 2047, the country does not want to wait long for becoming developed. This is the feeling in every section of the society. Respecting this sentiment, all members should take forward Parliament proceedings, this is my request to them". In his remarks to the media, Modi said winters may be coming late but the political heat is increasing very fast. "Only yesterday the election results of four States have come, the results are very encouraging. These are encouraging for those who are committed to the welfare of the common person of the country, who are dedicated to the bright future of the country," Modi said. He asserted that those who move forward on the principles of empowering the four castes women, youth, farmers and the poor ensure concrete policies for their future and last-mile delivery, receive full support of the people. "And when there is good governance, complete support for people's interest, then the word anti-incumbency becomes irrelevant. And we are continuously seeing that... Some people call it pro-incumbency, some call it good governance, some transparency, while some call it concrete schemes in national interest, but this is being experienced constantly," he said. When the new complex of Parliament was inaugurated, there was a small session and a historic decision was taken but this time there will be an opportunity to work in this House for a longer period, he said. "It is a new House, perhaps some minor shortcomings in facilities may still be felt. When work goes on for long, the MPs, visitors and media people will also realise that it would be good if some things need to be fixed. And I am sure that under the leadership of the vice president and the speaker, those things are being monitored," Modi said. The Winter session of Parliament is scheduled to have 15 sittings till December 22. The Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) stormed to power in Mizoram by dethroning the Mizo National Front (MNF) bagging 27 seats in the 40-member House on Monday. The MNF won 10 seats, BJP (2) and Congress (1), Election Commission officials said. Prominent ZPM winners include the party's CM face Lalduhoma, who secured the Serchhip seat defeating his MNF rival J Malsawmzuala Vanchhawng by 2,982 votes. Chief Minister and MNF chief Zoramthanga lost to ZPM's Lalthansanga by 2,101 votes, the Election Commission said. He later called on Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and submitted his resignation, officials said. In the 2018 Assembly elections, the MNF had won 26 seats. This will be the first time in the history of Mizoram that the northeastern State will be ruled by a non-Congress and non-MNF Government since its creation in 1987. Nine out of 11 MNF Ministers who contested the polls lost. Home Minister Lalchamliana did not contest the elections. Prominent among them are Deputy Chief Minister and MNF candidate Tawnluia who lost to ZPM candidate in Tuichang, Health Minister and MNF candidate R Lalthangliana who was defeated by ZPM's Jeje Lalpekhlua in South Tuipui and Rural Development Minister Laruatkima who lost to ZPM nominee Lalnghinglova Hmar in Aizawl West II, according to the Election Commission. The 73-year-old ZPM chief Lalduhoma first contested the Mizoram assembly polls on a Congress ticket in 1984, but lost to People's Conference party nominee Lalhmingthanga by a margin of 846 votes. The same year, he contested the Lok Sabha polls as a Congress candidate and was elected unopposed. The ZPM leader resigned as State Congress president and withdrew his primary membership from the party in 1986, after he was accused of conspiring against then Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and some cabinet Ministers. Lalduhoma, an ex-IPS officer who served as the in-charge of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's security, had earned the dubious distinction of being the first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law. He was also disqualified by Mizoram Assembly Speaker Lalrinliana Sailo in 2020, after 12 Mizo National Front (MNF) legislators filed complaints, alleging he defected to the ZPM by actively participating in party activities, though being elected as an independent in the 2018 polls. Besides the Congress, he was also once part of the MNF. He had floated his own party, the Zoram Nationalist Party, and was also instrumental in the formation of the ZPM. Meanwhile, ZPM working president K Sapdanga said it will stake claim to form the Government after holding a consultative meeting of newly elected MLAs and senior party leaders on Tuesday. "A meeting of newly elected MLAs and Val Upa Council, the decision-making body of the party, will be held most likely on Tuesday to decide on claiming stake to form the government in Mizoram," Sapdanga told PTI. ZPM has emerged winners in Kolasib, Chalfilh, Tawi, Aizawl North-I, Aizawl North-II, Aizawl North-III, Aizawl East I, Aizawl East II, Aizawl West-I, Aizawl West-II, Aizawl West-III, Aizawl South-I, Aizawl South-II, Aizawl South-III, Lengteng, Tuichang, Champhai North, Champai South, Tuikum, Hrangturzo, South Tuipui, Lunglei North, Lunglei East, Lunglei West, Lunglei South, Lawngtlai East and Serchhip seats. The MNF won in Hachhek, Mamik, Tuirial, Dampa, Serlui, Tuivawl, East Tuipui, West Tuipui, Thorang and Tuichawng seats and was leading in one. Counting of votes, which began at 8 am, was being held in 13 centres. Postal ballots were counted first, and from 8.30 am, the counting for votes polled in the EVMs began. In some of the seats that have a fewer number of voters, only two rounds of counting will be held, but in most of the constituencies, five rounds will be counted. More than 4,000 personnel were involved in the counting process. In all, there are 399 tables for the EVMs and 56 for the counting of postal ballots. Polling was held on November 7, and over 80 per cent of the State's 8.57 lakh voters exercised their franchise. A total of 174 candidates, including 18 women, were in the fray. The MNF, the ZPM and the Congress contested 40 seats each, while the BJP fielded candidates in 23 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which contested the Assembly polls here for the first time, fought in four seats. Also, there were 17 independent candidates. Life was thrown out of gear in Chennai and its neighbouring districts due to heavy rainfall caused by the severe cyclone Michaung, inundating the city, causing disruptions in flights and trains. Residents were startled when a video surfaced of a crocodile crossing a submerged road. The relentless downpour, reminiscent of the 2015 deluge, paralysed daily life, prompting authorities to declare a public holiday and dispatch rescue teams to aid a city besieged by torrential rains. As many as five people have died due to rain related incidents, including falling of trees and electrocution here. Local trains have been cancelled and operations at Chennai airport have been suspended till Tuesday morning. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has temporarily denied permission for devotees to take holy bath at Sri Kapilathirtham waterfalls. In view of the cyclone, the Tamil Nadu Government has declared a public holiday on Tuesday for all educational institutions, Government and private offices, financial institutions and banks in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts. Commuters found themselves stranded as suburban train and bus services remained affected. Heavily inundated roads posed a challenge to road users who were few and far. Power and internet disruptions compounded the city's challenges. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday spoke to the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry on the situation arising due to Cyclone Michaung and assured them of all necessary Central help. Shah also said adequate deployment of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel has already been made and additional teams are ready for further assistance. In a post on X, Shah said he had spoken to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his counterparts in Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and N Rangaswamy, respectively. "...Took stock of the measures taken to tackle the challenging weather conditions caused by the Cyclone Michaung. Assured them of all the necessary assistance from the Modi Government to secure lives," Shah said in the post. "Adequate deployment of the NDRF has already been made and additional teams are ready for further assistance," he further said. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclone Michaung over west-central and coastal south Andhra Pradesh has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to make landfall near the States Bapatla district on Tuesday morning accompanied by winds reaching up to 100 km per hour. The weather system is expected to persist until December 7 and thereafter become a deep depression. The storm has led to heavy rainfall in several parts of Andhra Pradesh, in most parts of Tamil Nadu, and southern Odisha. The leopard, which spread panic in South Delhis Sainik Farms and its adjoining areas for the last five days, seems to have returned to its natural habitat. According to the Delhi Governments forest department officials the leopard has not been seen since Saturday evening but the departments team remain stationed in the area. However, residents were advised to remain vigilant for a couple days more. The operation to capture it continued on Tuesday with the help of drone surveillance and at least 50 police personnel were deployed to monitor the situation. Several arterial roads in the area were blocked. Deputy Conservator of Forest (South Division) Mandeep Mittal said the Forest Department teams combed the area but did not find anything. The leopard has not been seen since Saturday evening. We are expecting that it has gone back but our team is still there, he said. The cage that was set up is also there, he said. Sushil Jain, a wildlife expert from Bail A Tail NGO, who led the search operation along with the forest department, wildlife and the Delhi Police for the last five days, told The Pioneer that search operation was on Tuesday evening. A joint team of the force, Forest Department, Western Avenue Resident Welfare Association (WARWA) and an NGO (Bail A Tail) conducted an hour-long search operation in the area in the afternoon but could not find the animal. There was no sighting of leopard for the past two days. Thats why we decided to end operation, Jain said. After the search operation, the Residents Welfare Association of Sainik Farms issued an advisory informing that the forest department officials have completed their search. As per them the animal seems to have returned to its natural habitat. We can relax for now but still keep our eyes & ears open atleast for a couple of days more. We take this opportunity to thank Our SHO Surinder Rana and his team and the forest officials for their support in this crisis. We on behalf of all residents thank our wonderful Member Sushil Jain for his relentless support, reads the advisory. Last but not the least we salute our Quick Response Teams and our guards who have been on their toes all this time. Meanwhile lets try to keep the story alive so that the unwanted elements stay off our area, it said. On Monday again, a thorough search operation was conducted in the area but the animal was not spotted. Exits were closed from three sides and only the one leading towards the jungle was left open. It is likely that the leopard has gone back into the jungles of Aravallis but we are still on alert, the police official said. On Sunday, the Forest Department team conducted a search operation using drones but the leopard was not spotted anywhere, the official added. The Asola Wildlife Sanctuary shares boundaries with densely populated settlements like Sangam Vihar, Chattarpur, Sainik Farms and Fatehpur Beri and villages such as Mangar and Pali in Faridabad. In 2021, a leopard was caught on multiple cameras in southwest Delhis Najafgarh, leading to cages being installed to catch the animal, but in vain. A similar exercise was also undertaken in 2016 to trap a leopard that had reached the Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP). The state forest and wildlife department eventually trapped the animal, which was then released in the Shivaliks. Among metropolitan cities, the national Capital continues to remain the most unsafe metropolitan city for women in the country India, with an average of three rape cases reported every day in 2022. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showed the national capital recorded 14,158 incidents of crime against women in 2022, the highest number among 19 metropolitan cities for the third consecutive year. It was distantly followed by 6,176 cases in Mumbai and 3,924 in Bengaluru. Under categories of Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty and Kidnapping & Abduction of Women, Delhi tops among the 19 metropolitan cities. The cases of crimes against women in Delhi accounted for 31.20 percent of total crimes in the category, according to the NCRB data. Delhi, meanwhile, reported 1,204 rape cases last year, followed by 497 in Jaipur, the NCRB data revealed. Delhi logged close to 3 lakh criminal cases, an increase of 3.3 per cent, in 2002 in comparison to the previous year, according to the latest NCRB data. A total of 2,98,988 cases were registered in the national capital under the Indian Penal Code in 2022 against 2,89,045 in 2021, as per the annual crime report of the National Crime Records Bureau. The overall number of cases registered in 2020 was 2,45,844. The capital city also logged the highest rate of FIRs linked to crimes against women in the country in 2022. The national capital recorded 14247 cases in 2022 with a rate of 144.4 (per lakh), which is way above the national average of 66.4. The figures in 2020 and 2021 were 10,093 and 14,277 respectively. According to NCRB report, kidnapping of minors has gone up by 2 per cent in the national capital with the majority of victims from the 12-18 age group. The number of girls kidnapped in the year were more than twice that of male abductions in the 12-18 age group, the recently released NCRB data for 2022 showed. Kidnapping cases rose from 5,585 in 2022 to 5,475 cases in 2021. As per the NCRB data, 4,011 cases were reported in 2020. In the 12-16 age group, 2,659 teenagers -- 771 boys and 1,888 girls -- were kidnapped in 2022. According to the data, 2,245 teens in the 16-18 age group were kidnapped, of which 569 were males and 1,676 females. In the 6-12 age group, 315 boys and and 260 girls were kidnapped in 2022, while 66 boys and 45 girls were kidnapped in the 0-6 age group. A total of 129 cases pertaining to dowry deaths were recorded in the city. Delhi reported 4,847 incidents of cruelty by husbands or by their relatives. As per data, 16 cases of murders arose out of love affairs in the national capital in 2022. The cases include the sensational murder of Shraddha Walker, who was allegedly strangled and chopped into 35 pieces by her live-in partner Aftab Amin Poonawala, who suspected she was having a relationship with some other man. Her body was dumped in a jungle near south Delhis Mehrauli. Delhi, according to the NCRB data, recorded overall 501 cases of murder of these, at least 13 were committed over illicit relationships, 54 in personal enmity, and 197 in family, property, and other disputes. At least 35 murders took place over money and one was over water. Two cases of murders emerged out of incidents of road rage and three due to gang rivalry.At least 10 cases of murder were committed during dacoity and robbery bids, said the report.Human sacrifice became the cause of at least one case of murder. It also recorded 106 cases of human trafficking. At least 492 minor boys were trafficked in Delhi as compared to 113 girls in 2022 all of whom were recovered, the report said. The incidents of crime against senior citizens (aged 60 or above) increased from 1,166 cases in 2021 to 1,313 cases in 2022. Cases of cyber crime in the city doubled in 2022. The number of such cases rose from 345 in 2021 to to 685 cases in 2022, NCRBs comprehensive crime data for 2022 showed. In 2020, the count was much lower with only 166 cyber crime cases, it added. A senior official of Delhi Police said, We are continuously working to promote cyber awareness and several campaigns are being carried out from time to time. The NCRB report shows Delhi, on the other hand reported 1,529 POCSO cases in 2022. Mumbai was the second highest in metropolitan cities recording 1,195 cases The NCRB report also shows that the rate of crime against women (number of incidents per 1 lakh population) increased from 64.5 percent in 2021 to 66 percent in 2022. Out of this, a total of 48,755 cases of crime against women were registered in 19 metropolitan cities during 2022, showing an increase of 12.3% over 2021 (43,414 cases). The NCRB data also showed as many as 56,653 sudden deaths were reported in 2022, with 32,410 deaths attributed to heart attack and 24,243 deaths to other reasons. The maximum deaths (19,456) were reported in the age group of 45-60 years. An increase was observed in suicides during 2022 (1,70,924 suicides) when compared with 2021 (1,64,033 suicides). There was an increase in accidental deaths 4,30,504 such deaths were reported in 2022, compared with 3,97,530 deaths in 2021. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami distributed Geographical Indication (GI) certificates for 18 products of the State here on Monday. With this a total of 27 products of the State have the GI tag. The new GI certificates were presented for items including Uttarakhand Chaulai, Jhangora, Mandua, red rice, Almora Lakhori Mirch, Berinag tea, Burans Sherbat, Ramnagar-Nainital litchi, Ramgarh peach, Malta, Pahadi Tor, Gahat, Kala Bhatt, Bicchubuti fabric, Nainital candles, Kumaoni coloured Pichoda, Chamoli Ramman mask and Likhai wood carving. Speaking on the occasion, Dhami thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that it was due to his farsightedness that 18 products of the State received GI tag certification. The CM also congratulated the producers of these products. In the 20 years from 2003 when the GI law was made to 2023, for the first time one State received GI certificates for 18 products. This will benefit various traditional dishes of Uttarakhand, various other items and those connected to these products while also helping in developing Uttarakhands unique identity in the world. I hope that the export of GI tagged items from Uttarakhand will rise swiftly, Dhami said. The CM further said that the State government is working efficiently on the One District Two Product scheme to encourage the local products of all the districts. Two products of each district are being developed on the basis of skill development according to market demand, design, raw material and new techniques, among other factors. The main aim of this scheme is to identify the local products of every district and develop the traditional industries accordingly, the CM added. Agriculture and Horticulture minister Ganesh Joshi said that 18 products of the State including its coarse grains like Mandua, Jhangora, red rice had received GI certification on this day, adding that the State government is working on the path shown by PM Modi for developing a self-reliant India, going vocal for local and encouraging millets. Stating that nine products of the State had received the GI tag in the past, Joshi said that a week-long State-level GI festival will be held in Dehradun from January 12 to 18 next year. In a major decision the Uttarakhand government has decided to connect 3,177 rural habitations in the State with roads. A proposal in this regard was approved by the State cabinet in its meetings held on Monday. Informing about the decision the secretary Shailesh Bagauli said that the Rural Roads department has proposed to start a Mukhyamantri Gram Sampark Yojana for the habitations with a population of less than 250 and not included in the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). He said that there are 2,035 such habitations in the State which are not connected with the main roads and 1,142 habitations where the roads are not constructed as per the norms. The scheme aims to boost economic activities in the small villages located in the border areas. In another decision, the cabinet approved the plan to create 950 posts each for the Government Medical College Haridwar and Government Medical College Pithoragarh. The government intends to start MBBS classes for the first batch of 100 students from next academic session. The cabinet also approved the plan to construct 559 Utkrishta schools in different parts of the State. These schools will be developed as centres of excellence and modern infrastructure will be provided to them. The education department has proposed a budget of Rs 240 crore for these schools. The department will also provide transportation to the students of these schools. In view of the studies of the students affected by the teachers going on long leaves such as child care leave (CCL) and others, the cabinet approved the proposal of the department to appoint temporary teachers on per class basis. About 1,500 to 2,000 teachers of the department usually remain on long leaves ranging from 15 days to six months. The temporary teachers will be paid Rs 200 and Rs 250 for LTs and lecturers each for taking one class. In another significant step the cabinet approved the plan for virtual registration of the documents in the offices of sub registrars. These offices will verify the documents presented in this manner by conducting video KYC of the applicants. Apart from providing relief to the applicants, the process of virtual registration of documents is expected to boost industrial investment in the State. In view of the shortage of government land in the mountainous areas for construction of helipads the cabinet approved the proposal of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) to develop helipads on private land. The land owners will be given options of either handing over the land to the UCADA on lease for 15 years or construct the helipad on his own. A sum of Rs two to three crore is spent on helipad or heliport and the authority will provide subsidy in this endeavour. The cabinet also approved the plan to hand over 0.4 hectares of land in village Gugli in Kirtinagar to the GB Pant National institute of Himalayan Environment free of cost. In another decision the cabinet approved the plan to provide the benefit of Nanda Devi Kanyadhan Yojana- Hamari Kanya Hamara Abhiman scheme to 35,088 such applicants who were not able to get the benefit of the scheme due to some reasons from the year 2009 to 2016-17. A sum of Rs 52.62 crore is provided to these left out beneficiaries. The cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending help in the mission to rescue labourers in Silkyara, Uttarkashi. It also hailed the victory of the BJP in the assembly elections in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The cabinet also thanked PM Modi for Uttarakhand getting the chance to host the 38th National Games. The Delhi police has arrested three people who impersonated police officials of the Delhi Police, used wireless sets, forged i-cards to rob people, were arrested. Police said beside spa/massage centres, the accused used to search for call girls through just dial/ websites and upon contact they used to go to those addresses and looted them. The accused were identified as Amzad (24), Jishan alias Shanu (30) and Imran alias Pehalwan (32), all residents of Delhi. According to police, on November 25, a police control room (PCR) call regarding a robbery at a house in Seemapuri was received wherein complainant said that five persons came to the house, thrashed and looted him of Rs 33,000. In another incident, on November 22, the same type of robbery also took place at Dilshad Colony in Seemapuri wherein the accused impersonated themselves as Police officials of Delhi Police and robbed Rs. 50,000 and other articles. During the investigation, the police team tasked to crack the cases analysed the CCTV footages in the vicinity of the scene of crime and followed the criminals via CCTV footage. It came to know that the criminals used two motorcycles and one of the bikes was a red coloured Yamaha Fazer, said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rohit Meena. On further investigation, it came to know that on November 22, criminals left one small piece of paper after the robbery. The paper was found to be a print out of the online Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) of April 2023. The police team enquired about the same from the concerned enquiry officer in Special Branch and also contacted the applicant who is in Nepal, said the DCP. He gave the print out of PCC form to one person namely Shanu who lives in Ghonda, Maujpur who represented himself as Delhi police official to the applicant and assured to get his verification done, said the DCP. The Bharatiya Janata Party is also focusing on efforts to ensure the success of the Global Investors Summit which is slated to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dehradun on December 8. The BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt along with party leaders inspected the venue of the summit at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) on Tuesday. Inspecting the venue along with cabinet minister Ganesh Joshi, he said that Union Home minister Amit Shah will attend the concluding ceremony of the summit. The BJP has started preparations for welcoming PM Modi in Dehradun during the Global Investors Summit. This will be Modis first visit to the State after the partys recent electoral victory in three States where it achieved comfortable wins in the Assembly elections. On Tuesday, the BJP State president visited the venue of the event, exhibition and nearby areas. Bhatt said that this summit will prove to be a gamechanger for the development of the State and facilitating employment for the youth of Uttarakhand. It is fortunate for us that PM Modi is going to come here to motivate and guide us, he said. Bhatt further said that all the party office bearers and workers have been requested to build an atmosphere of positive discussion among the States people regarding the Global Investors Summit. They have also been asked to make efforts to make sure that a good picture of the State is presented in front of the large number of delegates from across India and abroad coming here to attend the summit. He also informed that while PM Modi will be present at the inaugural session of the summit on December 8, Home minister Amit Shah will be attending the conclusion of the summit on December 9. The BJP State general secretary (Organisation) Ajaey Kumar, general secretary Aditya Kothari and other office bearers of the party were also present along with Bhatt during the inspection. She longs ever to live more in the blissful phantasmagoria of the other world. She gains a strange sensation and unalloyed beauty in living there. She subtly colours her fanciful creative texture and yearns to blend into it herself. She is Prof Pragyan Prabartika Dash of VN Autonomous College. Her passion is writing. She does not merely believe in the dull dispensations of a pedantic scholar delivering discourses to her students, but she is like a fallen angel ready to take her journey to eternity through the creative larva of her imagination. An admired figure amidst contemporary Odia fiction writers, Dash unfolds the strands of her narrative with such fresh delicacies and nuances in style that instantly hooks the audience by casting a magic spell on them. Her ensemble treasures more than a dozen thrilling novels now. She also often pens poetry and books on literary criticism. In an interview to The Pioneer, Pragyan Prabartika spoke to Sugyan Choudhury about her creations and on her unending literary journey. How do you describe the urge and anxiety that drive you to write novels? My childhood was not an eventful one. Being the one and only of my parents, I grew up as a pampered child and made myself a home-bird. So, my free time was spent in perusing books of all genres. Children books like Chanda Mama, Minabazar, Manapabana were regularly coming to my home. In Class-VI, I got two story books by the great fiction writer Manoj Das as a prize in a certain competition, after reading which my outlook towards literature completely changed. I realised that nothing else but literary resonance is what my inner self earnestly desires to be drenched with. It connected me with the collective consciousness, the Life Divine. Sometimes, I dreamed that his characters were talking to me. Then, I started to scribble on the papers. I began with composing poetry and, unbeknownst, I switched over to narrative art later. What are the trends and nuances that you think you are putting on to the art of writing? How do you paint the canvas before and after the plot is pictured? My fictions are mostly inspired by personal experiences, the people I meet in my life and the events happening all around me. My characters come to me willy-nilly, choose their roles on their own. I only serve as a medium in this metaphysical process. I mostly choose post-modern lifestyles, complexities in relationships and love as the themes for my fictions. I believe in parallel worlds. I believe we could live more in other world which envelops us now and then! When I was doing my PhD on Magical Realism in the fictions of Manoj Das, this realisation dawned on me. The concept of love is found to be wearing a strange and exotic sari in your lyrical compositions. How do you like to explain it? My poetic strains carry personal feelings like love, anger, desolation and rebellion that surge inside me. Moon, night, sea and rain occur often as circular motifs in my poems. Yes, I'm very much romantic in crafting them; yet sometimes, they tend to get highly philosophical. Out of my 27 books, I have just three compilations of poetry. You have also written reference books and literary criticism. How do you negotiate between different genres within schedule of your creative world? Before being a writer, I'm a reader first. And whenever I go through a good book, I can't check myself from critically evaluating it. Encouragement to critics is not satisfactory in Odia literary scenario. Still, I think it my duty to probe into the different dimensions of a good piece of work is made up of. It can ward off the biases and prejudices ensnaring our creative practices, I believe. And, reference books! Yes, I write them for students of literature. I want to share my knowledge with them. What, in your opinion, our literary creations lack that hold back them from attracting the global readers? It's the narrow vision with which we daub our creative landscape that holds no fascination to the global audience. The point of view with which we look around matters the most. From my reading of the classics and the bestsellers in Spanish, African or American literary tradition and practices, I learn that every time they bring out something, they step beyond the borders of the world of the visible truth and try to show us something strange but more real when seen from a three dimensional point of view. How amazing to experience four generations in a single novel like Hundred Years of Solitude! They dream, they make it happen too. But we capriciously call it imagination and right away discard it. Miracles abound in all around us, but we set out to search them in heaven. Being rooted is the need of the hour. What will be your message to the gen next? While evaluating books of some young writers, I realised that the role of moulding our literature is being rightly entrusted to the magnificent architects. Some of them possess extraordinary talents. Experiment is boldly being undertaken by many young writers today, but no such motivations like felicitations or awards are being given to them. I wish they always keep it in their minds that there are no short cuts to success; and they need to employ more hard work and dedication in order to be successful. The urge to be famous overnight may lead them along wrong roads, but having belief in them will settle them on the right path. Riding high on the wave of recent victories in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab is orchestrating a tactical maneuver to transform this regional success into a formidable political force in the border state of Punjab. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, who does not believe in merely basking in the glow of victories from the other states, is, in fact, strategically mobilizing the party machinery at the district level, ready to translate the electoral triumphs into tangible gains in Punjab. In a political chess move, Jakhar is actively engaging with the party workers, gearing them up for what he terms a defining moment for Punjab BJP. A BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, said that the victories elsewhere provide an opportune moment to galvanize the partys grassroots infrastructure. As of now, the district-level meetings are underway, with a focused agenda on channeling the enthusiasm generated by the tri-state successes. The victories in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh are not just wins; they are the winds of change that we are bringing to Punjab. The people have spoken, and their voices resonate with the vision and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the leader, while talking with The Pioneer. However, the BJP's strategy is not only limited to the confines of the party offices. It is a calculated effort to connect with the people, especially those at the grassroots. With the upcoming municipal corporation elections and the looming Lok Sabha polls, the party is eyeing an expansion of its political footprints in Punjab. It would be for the first time that the BJP would contest the Lok Sabha polls all alone, without any alliance, in Punjab. The saffron brigade is all set to take, to the bottom level, the partys success in other states, the initiatives and policies of the Central Government, especially related to Punjab and the Sikh community. We will go district to district, constituency to constituency, block to block, village to village, door to door, every person to personWe will make them know how good the BJP government at the Centre and party governments in other states are working and taking decisions for the people, for the poor, said the BJP leader. Political analysts suggest that the timing couldn't be more apt for the BJP. The opposition's attempt to craft a narrative against the Prime Minister Modi and the BJP seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as evidenced by the resounding victories in the three states. Now, the Punjab unit is harnessing this positive sentiment to mobilize party workers, creating a momentum that could propel them into a position of political dominance. Even as the BJP is already in motion to leverage the latest poll victories, a palpable sense of disappointment is looming large over the grand old party the Congress as they grapple with the outcomes. Principal opposition party in Punjab, the Congress is grappling with a sense of dismay after facing defeat in the three states. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has canceled Tuesday's regular monthly meeting with district unit chiefs, scheduled for the first Tuesday of every month. Even though the party maintained that Warrings personal commitments are the reason for cancellation of the scheduled meeting, it brought into light the internal reflection and reassessment within the party, possibly in response to the recent electoral setbacks. It is seen as the partys apparent attempt to shield itself from direct questions and criticism in the aftermath of the electoral defeats. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Monday, said that all paths lead to the same destination and it was essential to choose the right path for the right destination. At present, 142 crore citizens aim to make the country developed. The path to a developed and self-reliant India has been outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, where he has provided Panch Pran, he said while inaugurating the 91st Foundation Week celebrations of Maharana Pratap Education Council at Maharana Pratap Inter College campus in Gorakhpur. Yogi said that Maharana Pratap embodied courage, self-respect and self-reliance. Connecting the country with such sentiments, Prime Minister Modi has set the goal of walking on the path of Panch Pran, which signifies liberation from the mentality of slavery, respect for heritage, pride in great men, traditional arts and cultures, resolution for unity, and the fulfillment of civic duties, he said. If we follow the spirit of Panch Pran, no one can stop India from achieving the goal of becoming a developed nation and the worlds biggest power, he said. The chief minister emphasised that if all individuals fulfill their responsibilities in their respective fields with honesty, the country will progress rapidly towards the goals of Panch Pran. Union Minister of State and former chief of the Indian Army, General (Retired) VK Singh was the chief guest at the function. During the programme, the chief minister praised the military career and subsequent political success of General (Retired) VK Singh, stating that the symbol of public trust is formed when ones actions and words are coherent. When there is harmony between speech and action, the trust of the people is gained, he said. In his address, General (Retired) Singh inspired the students, saying, When we work for our name, success is undoubtedly achieved with the dedication to our name. The desire for a name is, in itself, a source of inspiration. He said todays youth must be disciplined, intellectually vibrant and passionate about their goals. The country requires such young individuals, he said, adding that he had full confidence that the students and youth studying in the institutions of the Maharana Pratap Education Council were progressing on this standard. In his welcome address, Maharana Pratap Education Councils president Prof YP Singh highlighted the journey of progress of the school. Member of Parliament Ravi Kishan Shukla, Mayor Dr Manglesh Srivastava, vice-chancellor of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University and teachers and students were present. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara has said that though BJP has registered victory in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan the Congress party has got more votes than BJP in the Assembly elections held in the four States. Interacting with the media persons at Rajiv Bhawan here on Monday the PCC president accepted that the results of the assembly election brought dismay to the party. He said that the Congress leaders were hoping that the party would come to power in at least three states. Mahara accepted the results of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were not as per the expectation of the party. He however pointed out that the Congress got 4.90 crore votes in the four states while the BJP got 4.81 crore votes. Congress party got nine lakh more votes as compared to BJP. The difference between BJP and Congress in Rajasthan is only two per cent while it is 3.5 per cent in Chhattisgarh. The PCC president said that a close analysis of the assembly result reflects that it is the real issues which got defeated in the elections. He said that the death of farmers in protests, public stripping of women in Manipur, increasing unemployment, insult of women wrestlers, rising prices, downfall in economy and increasing crime were not the issues during the election and it appears as if the freebees offered by the government won the election for BJP. The Congress leader said that after the promise made by the Congress party that it will provide a cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500, the BJP offered the cylinder at Rs 450 in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. He demanded that the cooking gas cylinder should be provided at Rs 450 to people of Uttarakhand also. The PCC president also questioned the role of the Election Commission (EC) which according to him remained biased towards the BJP. Terming the upcoming Global Investors Summit -2023 as a drama of the BJP government to hide its failures on fronts, Mahara demanded that the government should come out with a white paper on the Investors Summit 2018. He said that a claim of providing 60 lakh employment was made during that summit and lofty claims about investment were made by the government at that time. The PCC president said that many industries have actually migrated out from the State due to pathetic infrastructure, erratic power supply and bad condition of roads. Provide good infrastructure, security and a corruption free system and the industry will automatically come to the State, he said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that faculty members of medical colleges should sit in the Out Patient Department (OPD) regularly and encourage research in medical institutions by preparing case studies. Speaking at an event organised as part of Mission Rozgar at Lok Bhavan, the chief minister said on Tuesday that Uttar Pradesh was able to control encephalitis because of the efforts of health workers. More research needs to be done on various illnesses and the professors and assistant professors of both Allopathic and AYUSH should hold OPD, he said. The chief minister highlighted the significant positive changes since 2017, stating that Uttar Pradesh, previously experiencing an identity crisis and lacking in development, has witnessed a transformation. As a result of the governments efforts over the last six and a half years, individuals in Uttar Pradesh not only proudly express their identity, but even those who are not originally from UP proudly associate themselves with the state, he said. Chief Minister Yogi emphasised that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh has significantly enhanced its healthcare services in the last six and a half years. In the period from 1947 to 2017, only 12 medical colleges were established in the state. Today, there are 65 medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh, of which many are functional, the chief minister pointed out. Attributing the accelerated pace of development to the double-engine government in the state, Chief Minister Yogi said today, along with Allopathy, even traditional medicine was also being promoted in the state. After the formation of the Ministry of AYUSH by the Government of India, Uttar Pradesh also formed the Department of AYUSH. Today, Uttar Pradesh has its own AYUSH University, which is rapidly progressing in terms of recognising new colleges, he said. The chief minister said that paramedics and staff nurses were the backbone of the states healthcare system. Their interactions with the patients should be such that the patients remember them even after they have recovered, he said. He highlighted the successful control of diseases like malaria, chikungunya, kala-azar and dengue in the state, emphasising the significant improvements in healthcare statistics since 2017. Chief Minister Yogi highlighted the tangible outcomes of the governments efforts to enhance healthcare services in the state. Under Ayushman Bharat and Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana, health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh is being given to 10 crore people of the state. Dialysis facility has been made available in 72 districts of the state. ICUs (intensive care units) have been established in every district, he pointed out. In a commitment to provide prompt and efficient healthcare, efforts to minimise the response time of ambulance services 108 and 102 have shown positive results, the chief minister added. He emphasised that Atal Medical University was being established in Lucknow, dedicated to the revered Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to bring about a revolutionary transformation in the field of medical education. In a testimony to transparency in recruitment process, a massive function was organised in which appointment letters were given to the new appointees in the Health Department, including assistant professors. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led the function in Lucknow while public representatives distributed the appointment letters in districts. On Tuesday, appointment letters were given to 278 assistant professors, 2,142 staff nurses and 48 AYUSH teachers. It is a major accomplishment of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as it has increased transparency in recruitments. It is not only ensuring provision of employment to the maximum number of youths, but also appointment of the most deserving, meritorious and eligible ones on vacant positions across sectors, a government spokesman said here on Tuesday. In this sequence, the state government held an appointment letter distribution ceremony across the state. The function was led by the chief minister who distributed the appointment letters at a function held in the Lok Bhavan. Earlier on Sunday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had distributed appointment letters to 242 assistant boring technicians at the Lok Bhavan. The newly-appointed youths expressed their gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for fulfilling their wish for a prosperous future. The youth believe that transparency has played a crucial role in their obtaining employment and it has given them an acute sense of responsibility towards the work as well. One of the new recruits, Dr Ved Prakash Upadhyaya, said that the distribution of appointment letters at Lok Bhawan rather than the college itself gave him a sense of pride. He said that the address of Chief Minister Yogi inspired him to work with dedication and also pay attention to both treatment of patients and education of children. Sarojini Devi, a resident of Barabanki, has been selected for the position of staff nurse in Pratapgarh. She said that complete transparency was maintained in the appointments in all government departments. Dr Anjali Chaudhary, who received an appointment letter for the post of assistant professor in Sultanpur, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the fair selections. She said recruitment based on a fair process boosts our confidence and inspires us to do something new every day. Mohd Faizan Ansari, who has been appointed as an assistant professor in Kanpur Dehat, said that he was enthusiastic about the impartiality of the appointment process and expressed gratitude to the Yogi government for it. He said that the honest appointment process has increased our responsibility as well and now we have to work hard to deliver good results. Yet another candidate, Shweta Singh of Deoria who has been selected for Basti, said that the appointment had taken place in a completely fair and transparent manner. In Uttar Pradesh, eligibility is the only criterion for selection. We obtained employment only by meeting this criterion. For this, we thank the Yogi Adityanath government, she added. Hry CM inaugurates several developmental projects in Jind Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday inaugurated various developmental projects in Jind, involving a drinking water supply initiative for the town at a cost of Rs 388.27 crore. Additionally, he sanctioned Rs 75.87 crore for augmenting sewage systems in different colonies of Narwana town. A spokesperson said that the special maintenance of the Jind-Julani Janjgir road, with an expenditure of Rs 3.82 crore, and the special repair of the Jind-Safidon road connecting Jind-Rohtak via Jind-Gohana road crossing the Delhi-Bathinda railway line, costing Rs 3.85 crore, were also inaugurated. Moreover, the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction work of roads on both sides of the canal, from Kandela bridge to Delhi-Bathinda Railway Line Bridge, with an expenditure of Rs.5.98 crore, was conducted. Committee formed to review compensation policy for Police and Home Guards in Hry Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Monday constituted a four-member committee to provide recommendations for the modification and revision of the current policy, particularly focusing on compensation for police officers and home-guards who are injured or sacrifice their lives during violence and communal unrest. Kaushal presided over the meeting regarding compensation for policemen, home guards, and civilians who lose their lives during violence and communal unrest. The members of the committee are Commissioner & Secretary, Personnel Department, Pankaj Agarwal; Special Secretary, Home-I Department, Mahavir Kaushik; IG, Administration, Sanjay Kumar; and AIG, Welfare Rajeev Deswal. The committee has been asked to provide its recommendations within two weeks. Haryana Home Minister addresses public grievances Chandigarh: Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij held a public grievance redressal meeting at his residence on Monday, listening to the concerns of people from across the state and directing the officials concerned to take prompt action. Hry CS reviews 94 pending CM's announcements of 14 Deptts Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Monday reviewed 94 pending Chief Minister's announcements of 14 Departments- Animal Husbandry, Archaeology & Museum, Dairy Development, Cooperation, Development and Panchayat, Elementary Education, Forest & Wildlife, Higher Education, Home, HSAMB, HSIIDC, Public Health Engineering, Revenue, State Transport here in Chandigarh. The officers concerned were given the necessary directions during the meeting. Earlier Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had asked the Chief Secretary emphasizing the need for expeditious resolution of land-related matters for projects falling under the ambit of Chief Minister's announcements. Kaushal asked the officers to resolve all land-related issues for pending development projects within the next two weeks. Hry Govt approves renaming of Bhadani to Kaimalgarh Road as Shaheed Vikrant Sehrawat Road Chandigarh: Haryana Government has given the nod to the renaming of the road from Bhadani to Kaimalgarh in Jhajjar District, in honour of the brave martyr Shaheed Vikrant Sehrawat Road. An official spokesperson said that this decision came after a recommendation from various stakeholders including the Deputy Commissioner, MLA, MP, and the Gram Panchayat concerned. He said that the road, previously known as the Kaimalgarh to Bhadani Road, will now be officially named the Shaheed Vikrant Sehrawat Road, paying homage to the supreme sacrifice made by the martyr. Hry Dy CM inaugurates University IT, Data and Computer Centre at Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa Chandigarh: Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Monday inaugurated the University IT, Data and Computer Centre (UITDC) at Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa. The state-of-the-art UITDC Center, has been established at CDLU, signifying a remarkable stride towards technological efficiency. During the inauguration, Chautala highlighted the importance of technology in the present era and commended CDLU for becoming proficient in this domain. Punjab VB nabs patwari for taking Rs 3k bribe Chandigarh: Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Monday nabbed a revenue Patwari Narinder Kumar alias Neeta, posted at revenue halqa Malout, Sri Muktsar Sahib district, red-handed for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 3,000. A spokesperson said that the case has been registered against the said revenue official on the complaint of Malout village resident Surjit Singh, who alleged that the Patwari demanded Rs 10,000 as a bribe in lieu of mutation of his land and has taken Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000 on two occasions. The complainant further alleged that the said Patwari had demanded Rs 3,000 more for entering the said mutation in revenue records and he had recorded the conversation while the Patwari was demanding this bribe from him. As part of its ongoing drive to improve health infrastructure, the Uttar Pradesh government is setting up integrated public health laboratories in all the 75 district hospitals of the state. The laboratories will be equipped to conduct over 150 types of tests and save the time and money of patients as they would not have to visit Lucknow and private labs to get these tests done. Each lab will have a lab technician, a microbiologist, a biochemist and a pathologist, a government spokesman said here. He said the Yogi Adityanath government was working on a war footing to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision on the ground. He said significant strides were being made through the Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM ABHIM) to fortify the healthcare infrastructure of UP. Under the scheme, 50-bed critical care hospital blocks are being constructed in block public health units, district integrated public health labs in district hospitals and medical colleges in the state. Apart from this, a 100-bed critical care hospital block and health sub-centre is being established in the district hospitals. Under the PM ABHIM scheme, 515 block public health units, 75 district integrated public health labs, 50-bed critical care hospital blocks in 22 district hospitals and 22 medical colleges will be set up by the fiscal year 2025-26. Additionally, 100-bed critical care hospital blocks will be established in 30 district hospitals. Apart from this, 1,670 health sub-centres and health wellness centres will be constructed in the state while 674 health sub-centres will be shifted to their own buildings. For this, the Central government has approved Rs 4,892.53 crore. Integrated public health laboratories (IPHLs) are being established in all 75 district hospitals of the state. The state-of-the-art lab will facilitate microbiology-related tests, including virology, bacteriology, protistology, micrology, immunology and parasitology in every district hospital, reducing the need for patients to visit larger private hospitals for diagnostic examinations. Union Minister of State for External affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday participated at a in Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Shahpur Jat village of South Delhi area. Lekhi administered pledge of Viksit Bharat and interacted with beneficiaries of various schemes on the occasion. Addressing on the occasion, Lekhi said that the country was waiting for the past 70-75 years for a leader who can take the country towards development and it happened in 2014. She said that before 2014, there were no guarantee of anything but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is a guarantee that there will be no theft. Under the Ayushman Health Scheme, Prime Minister has given a health guarantee of up to Rs 5 lakh to the entire family and more than 55 crore people are covered under this scheme. Lekhi said that Ayushman Bharat Yojana has not been implemented in Delhi because the Delhi government is not in favour of it. Lekhi said that earlier there were 44 types of taxes but now only one GST is there, because of that the tax collection of the government is increasing and government is investing that in public welfare by fixing the broken roads, keeping people healthy. We all have the same responsibility to resolve that India should become a developed country, India should progress, India should move forward and our children should have good health. We should have good doctors and engineers, there should be cleanliness everywhere, let us all contribute in making a developed India, Lekhi added. Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has been launched throughout the country to raise awareness through outreach activities to achieve saturation of various welfare programs launched by the Government of India. As the eagerly awaited consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya approaches, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has revealed the meticulously prepared final guest list. A total of 7,000 guests, including revered saints and sages from across the country, have been invited to partake in the historic event. In a bid to ensure a seamless and harmonious celebration, the Trust has issued a special appeal to all attending saints and religious leaders not to bring traditional symbols such as dand, chhatra and paduka to the ceremony. The decision was formalised during a meeting where officials from the four provinces of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in Ayodhya. Before the meeting, the officials inspected the ongoing work at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, along with assessing the progress of the statue construction and the tent city being set up in Bagh Bijesi. Following these evaluations, a two-hour meeting took place at the Trust office in Ramkot, focusing on the comprehensive arrangements for accommodating, transporting and providing sustenance for the guests. The guest list was meticulously prepared to encompass a diverse array of individuals, with particular emphasis on extending a warm welcome to approximately 2,500 sages and saints representing various traditions from around the country. Approximately 7,000 guests, including representatives from Kedarnath, Badrinath, Baba Vishwanath Dham and Vaishno Devi temple, have been invited to witness the historic event. While the participation of priests from major temples remains uncertain, representatives from these temples are expected to attend the consecration ceremony. Emphasising the principle of Atithi Devo Bhava (the guest is god), the Trust is keen on extending a grand reception to the esteemed guests. In the light of security concerns, the Trust is appealing to saints and sages not to bring certain symbols to the ceremony, aligning with a coordinated effort for a smooth and secure event. Dr Krishna Gopal, former co-secretary of the RSS, held a meeting with the officials in Ayodhya, addressing various aspects of the consecration ceremony. This included discussions on accommodation, food, healthcare, sanitation and the tent citys provisions for the devotees. Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai said that 21 Vedic acharyas from Kashi would conduct the consecration of the Ram temple. The throne for Lord Ram Lalla, eight feet long and four feet wide, is ready, with the final touch of a gold layer pending. The Trust is making meticulous preparations to enshrine Ram Lalla on this golden throne during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, he said. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will install 10,786 CCTV cameras at 786 school sites at a cost of approximately Rs 25 crore. Each MCD school will be installed with 10 IP-enabled Vandal Dome cameras and five bullet cameras in order to ensure the safety and security of students, the MCD said in a statement. The civic body had earlier announced it will install 15 CCTV cameras and recruit nearly 3,000 security guards, following cases of sexual assault in MCD-run schools. It said that the erstwhile southern and eastern corporation had installed 15 CCTV cameras in each of its 399 schools. However, of 529 schools in the erstwhile northern corporation, only 480 CCTV cameras were installed in 120 schools, four in each. The CCTV cameras will be installed in Shahdara North, Shahdara South, Civil Lines, City SP, Karol Bagh, Narela, Keshavpuram, Rohini, Southern, Western, Central and Najafgarh areas. A Hard Disk of 2 TB capacity will be attached to each camera to store recording and cameras will be connected with 50 MBPS internet connection, the statement said. The CCTV cameras will be installed at vulnerable points and will have night vision capabilities. They will have motion sensors and will start recording upon detecting any movement, the statement said. With the help of internet connection, the CCTV cameras can be accessed from anywhere. The agency selected to install cameras will provide four years AMC along with one year warranty, the statement said. In February, the National Human Rights Commission had sought a report from the Delhi government and police in connection with the alleged sexual assault against a class 3 girl inside an MCD school. In March, another case of alleged gang rape of a class 5 student by a 54-year-old peon of an MCD school and his associates was reported. Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has hit back at the civic body saying the proposal to install CCTVs in MCD schools is welcome but the proposal put before the media today by MCD without the Mayor or the Commissioner taking responsibility for it speaks volumes as to how serious MCD is about it. One fails to understand why such a important statement has not been issued by the Mayor. It appears its a just statement issued by beauracrats to please Education Minister Ms. Atishi.The proposal needs a budget of Rs. 25 crores which has no provision in 2023-24 budget of MCD hence no work will start in near future. Question remain from where will funds come, he said. Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said over 14,000 pending cases of mutation were settled during the Revenue Lok Adalats held in Himachal Pradesh on December 1 and 2. Presiding over a meeting of administrative secretaries here, Sukhu lauded the efforts of the revenue officers in expediting the long pending mutation and partition cases through Revenue Lok Adalats and said that pending revenue cases be disposed of on priority to facilitate the public. He also directed to expedite the pace of the flagship programmes and developmental works of the state government. The chief minister directed the departments concerned to explore the options to reduce the energy bills of various schemes of Jal Shakti Department, medical colleges and hospitals. He said that the state government was contemplating enhancing the marriageable age of girls from 18 years to 21 years and for this purpose, a committee would be constituted led by secretary health soon. He said that all the employment exchanges in Himachal would be digitised and registration of employers would also be done to facilitate them to hire skilled manpower. Emphasising the modernisation of police and prison departments, Sukhu said that police reforms would be carried out to provide better working conditions for police personnel and to benefit the public at large. High-end night vision cameras would be installed in jails, he added. Bank accounts under Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Aashrya Yojna shall be opened in the office of all the deputy commissioners at the district level, the CM said. He said that 17 e-charging stations were ready and directed to speed up the work on other charging stations and the creation of other necessary infrastructure as well. Sukhu said 200 youths have applied to the transport department for purchasing e-taxis under which a 50 per cent subsidy was being offered by the government for purchasing the e-taxis. In a significant spiritual convergence, the sacred city of Ayodhya is set to strengthen its ties with Kashi, the abode of Lord Shiva, as the upcoming consecration ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla in the new Ram temple on January 22 will see the active participation of 21 Vedic Brahmins from Varanasi, enhancing the spiritual bond between the two cities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, is slated to perform the consecration ceremony on January 22, under the auspicious Mrigashira nakshatra. The responsibility for the sacred installation of Ram Lalla in his new temple has been entrusted to the 21 Vedic Brahmins of Kashi, Pt Deepak Malviya, a member of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust said. The week-long celebration is scheduled to commence on January 18. The consecration rituals will begin with the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, incorporating Ganesh puja, Ambika puja, Varun puja, Matrika puja, Brahmin puja and Vastu puja. Led by Vedic pandit Laxmikant Dixit of Kashi, a group of Vedic Brahmins will embark on their journey to Ayodhya on January 17. On the same day, the idol of Ram Lalla will embark on a city tour in Ayodhya, engaging the devotees in the auspicious atmosphere. The consecration rituals will include the symbolic use of water from the holy river Saryu, with 81 urns to wash the sanctum sanctorum. Subsequently, Vastu shanti and Annadhivas rituals will be performed. According to Pandit Deepak Malviya, the consecration ceremony will feature several important rituals, including Annadhivas, Jaladhivas and Ghritadhivas for Ram Lalla. On January 21, a divine bath with 125 urns will precede the installation of the idol. The following day, after the daily morning puja, a grand mahapuja of Pran Pratishtha will take place in the afternoon, followed by the Shodashopachara puja and the first maha aarti, in which Ram Lalla will be presented before to the devotees. The Ram Mandir Trust has initiated the invitation process for the grand ceremony, extending invites to saints of Kashi, including those from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust and Kashi Vidvat Parishad. The departure from Kashi to Ayodhya is scheduled to commence from January 15, with devotees eagerly anticipating the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. Pt Laxmikant Dixit will lead the group of 21 Vedic Brahmins from Kashi, who will be present during the entire consecration ceremony. This symbolic convergence of knowledge and spirituality from both cities is expected to create a lasting bond and a momentous occasion for devotees of Lord Ram. A bus full of school children overturned in the Ghaghi Valley in Chhattisgarhs Surguja district after falling into a ditch, injuring many of them, four of them seriously. The children have been admitted to the Medical College Hospital. The cause of the accident is said be faulty brakes. The bus was returning to Dhamtari after a picnic at Mainpat. The search for the leopard that was spotted on Friday night in south Delhis Sainik Farms area was still on Monday while at least 50 police officials have been deployed in the area to monitor the situation. Forest and police officials on Monday said they were yet to locate the leopard spotted multiple times in south Delhis Sainik Farms area since Friday night. Its more than 60 hours and there is no lead on the leopard despite using a drone. The two trap cages set up by the forest department are still at their places. We have even created a safe passage for the big cat, Sunil Jain, an expert on wildlife told The Pioneer. Jain further said they are planning to send a team in the forest area to trace the leopard. The leopard was spotted near a farmhouse in the Sainik Farms area on the border of Delhi and Haryana on Friday. It has not been seen since then. A police officer said at least 50 staffers of the Neb Sarai Police station have been deployed round the clock to keep a tab on the situation. They, under the supervision of the station house officer, Inspector Surender Rana, are working with the forest department personnel.We are making announcements, at least thrice a day, telling the people about dos and donts if they see the leopard again, a police official said. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) had gained strength after the recent elections to state assemblies in five states. The assembly elections were held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. The BJP sweeped the polls in three states, wresting Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the Congress and retaining Madhya Pradesh while the Congress won in Telangana and Mizoram went to a regional party. The poll results of the five state assemblies must be a cause of concern for the Bharatiya Janata Party as the results have clearly demonstrated that the people are in favour of a change and the electorate will do this during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh Yadav said, adding that the SP would win all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. He claimed that the double-engine government of the BJP had nothing to show as its achievement and the development work done by it in UP. The SP had contested 69 seats in Madhya Pradesh this time but it did not even come a close second on any of them. The party failed to win any seat in MP and ended up with its worst-ever vote share of a mere 0.46 per cent. This electoral reverse comes despite MP having historically been the SPs second-best performance state after UP. The SP had won four seats in MP with a 1.58 per cent vote share in 1998, seven in 2003 with 3.7 per cent vote share, one in 2008 with a vote share of 1.9 per cent, and one seat in 2018 with a 1.3 per cent vote share. Even when it did not win any seat in MP in 2013, its poll percentage was 1.2 per cent. Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP government in UP had done nothing for the micro, small and medium enterprises sector. He said the government had waived loans amounting to Rs 15 lakh crore of the industrial houses but it did not waive Rs 2 lakh crore loans of the farmers. He said the farmers loan would be waived when the SP comes to power. The BJP owes an explanation to the farmers why the minimum support price (MSP) for the paddy crop has not been doubled by the government. It should also tell whether all the unemployed youths have got jobs, Akhilesh Yadav said. Accusing the BJP of being an enemy of social justice, the SP chief alleged that the Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and Muslims were victims of injustice due to the discriminatory policies of the BJP government. He alleged that the BJP government was wary of caste census as the ruling party was against the idea of SCs, OBCs and Muslims getting their due share in power structure. Students of Delhi University on Monday staged a demonstration at Ramjas College against the alleged displacement of eight ad hoc teachers from its English Department. Hardeep Kaur, acting principal of Ramjas College, refused to comment on the issue when she was reached out. One displaced teacher on condition of anonymity said their removal was an ideological move. We are left with no other option than to look out for other jobs. The displacement is politically motivated and the new recruitment is done to suit a certain ideology. AISA activists along with students of Ramjas College gheraoed the principals office against the politically motivated displacement of ad-hoc teachers in English Department of the college, AISA, a student group affiliated with CPI-Marxist-Leninist, said in a statement. The outfit said they will hold a demonstration outside the principals office on Tuesday as well. The protest was triggered after the college chose not to appoint eight out of ten teachers of the Colleges English Department in permanent roles in its ongoing recruitment drive. English Department of Ramjas was considered as one of the best Departments. It was not without the contribution of colleagues working on ad hoc basis. How can a college displace those who worked for past several years. It is unfortunate that trained teachers are often being replaced by those who do not have a days teaching experience, Abha Dev Habib, secretary, Democratic Teachers Front, said. With the opposition parties having already blamed electronic voting machines for the Bharatiya Janata Partys victories in three of the four assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati, on Monday, said the one-sided results in the four states had made people apprehensive, astonished and worried. She said that the election results in favour of one party were not acceptable to the public. This is a mysterious matter on which there is a need for contemplation, she added. In a series of tweets on Monday, Mayawati appealed to the party cadre not to be disappointed and exhorted them to prepare vigorously for the Lok Sabha elections. She said, It is natural for all the people to be doubtful, surprised and worried because the results of the recently held assembly elections in four states of the country were one-sided in favour of one party, because considering the entire atmosphere of the elections, such a strange result is very shocking to the people and very difficult to get down the throat. The BSP chief said, The atmosphere during the entire election was completely different and interesting, like a close fight, but the election result being completely different from it and becoming completely one-sided, is such a mysterious matter that requires serious thinking and its solution. A terrible mistake in sensing peoples pulse is a new topic of election discussion. She said, All the people of BSP fought this election with full strength, mind and money, which brought a new life to the atmosphere, but they should not be disappointed by the surprising results but should keep trying to move forward by taking inspiration from the life struggles of the most respected Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. The Ambedkarite movement will never lose the courage to move forward without being disturbed by the election results, she added. In the election results declared on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party succeeded in saving its government in Madhya Pradesh and regained power in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan after defeating Congress. The Congress won in Telangana. Mayawati has convened a meeting of her party leaders to discuss the 2024 Lok Sabha polls strategy. The meeting will be held in Lucknow on December 10. Sehore police have arrested two accused who pushed a 33-year-old man of the running car at Bhopal-Gwalior highway in Sehore who was dragged for about 25 km after he got stuck with the seat belt. Shyampur police of Sehore has arrested two accused and registered a case of murder. One of the accused is a cousin of the deceased. All were returning to Bhopal from Rajasthan. According to SP Mayank Awasthi, information was received at 12 in the night of Saturday that a person was being dragged in a car on the Bhopal-Gwalior highway. By the time the car was stopped near Doraha toll post, 33 year old Sandeep, father of Ramesh, resident of Bhopal, who was trapped in the seat belt, had died. According to SP Awasthi, in this case the police interrogated eyewitness Mukesh Mewada and both the accused. It came to light that Sandeep had a fight with his cousin Sanjeev while sitting in the car. After the dispute escalated, Sandeep was thrown out of the car. Sandeep got stuck in the seat belt. The young man kept getting stuck in the seat belt on the back side of the driver's seat and was dragged. The accused are identified as Sanjeev Naqwal (53) and Rajesh Chadhar (38), Awadhpuri, Bhopal. At around 10 pm locals spotted something dragging in the car at the flyover intersection, at that time the car would be at a speed of around 80-100 and thought some bag was hanging and went a little closer to car ,tried to stop them by taking down the windshield of his car but they failed to listen and immediately informed the police. Another vehicles by followed the car and finally they had to stop the car at the toll plaza. This body was hanging towards the rear of the car, entangled with the seat belt located opposite the driving seat. There were two youths in the car who were in an intoxicated state. Minister of State(Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said here on Tuesday young minds will steer Indias future growth with science and technology and Innovation. Inaugurating the New Delhi Municipal Councils Schools Annual Science Fair, he also said Indias scientific prowess is going to have a major role in the making of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Our greatest asset is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who not only has a natural predilection for science but is also forthcoming in supporting and promoting Science and Technology based initiatives and projects: added Dr Jitendra Singh. New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) hs organized the two-day NDMCs Schools Annual Science Fair starting Tuesday to showcase scientific creativities in the forms of models and charts by its schools blooming scientist. The theme of the Science Fair is Technology and Toys. Apart from NDMC Schools, some public schools including St. Columbus, St. Thomas, Modern School, Sardar Patel etc., National Science Center, Science Magazine-Science Reporter and Avishkar were amongst those participating in the Science Fair. Science Games, quiz, debate, health mela, science toys etc. are also attractions of Science Fair. More than 60 exhibits displayed in the Science Fair, showcasing the scientific temperament, aptitude and innovative minds of the future scientists. Science/Mathematics inventive exhibits, displays from Palika Tinkering Lab /Atal Tinkering Lab, and interactive workshops for students on Fun with Science, Science Behind Miracles, and exploring the wonders of science with the National Science Centre are also in the science fair. The fair will also feature a display of science magazines and a Do It Yourself (DIY) Zone. One of the standout features of the science fair is the Live Science Talk with prominent scientists and experts in the field. The overarching goal of the exhibition is to educate children on AtmaNirbhar Bharat and contribute to the education of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Notably, this event marks the resumption of the exhibition after a hiatus of three years due to the pandemic. The Science Fairs also highlighted the Digital India Mission and the objectives outlined in the National Education Policy. The event is free of cost and open to students from all schools, parents, guardians, educators, school administrators, and science enthusiasts. NDMC urges all walks of life to come together and witness the brilliance of young scientists, celebrating their commitment to a sustainable future. The event promises to be a unique opportunity for learning and engagement. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has no plans to attend the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled in Delhi on December 6, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said on Tuesday. When asked if the decision was taken after the declaration of assembly poll results in four states, the spokesperson said there was no information about the meeting earlier. "The Samajwadi party national president has no plans to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc tomorrow. Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised by the national president will go for the meeting," Chaudhary told PTI. Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc are set to meet at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on December 6 to formulate a strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After the announcement of the results of the recent assembly elections in four states, the SP chief on Monday said he was not disappointed and expressed hope that results will be different in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He had, however, stressed that opposition parties will have to make a lot of preparations to fight against a "big party" like the BJP. "The fight is big. To fight a big party like the BJP, we will have to make a lot of preparations. We have to be under strict discipline and have to fight the strategy with which they (BJP) are getting the majority. I hope the results will be different in the Lok Sabha polls," Yadav had told reporters in Varanasi. The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on Sunday, inflicting a resounding defeat on the Congress to tighten its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland, in a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In some consolation for the Congress in the face of the saffron wave after it lost Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the party ousted the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday hit out at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, saying that those criticising the present government's initiatives, themselves carried out "bogus work" during their dispensation's two-and-a-half year tenure. He also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan has confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will remain in power after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.. Shinde was speaking at the 'Shasan Aplya Dari' (government at your doorstep) initiative of his government at Parli in Maharashtra's Beed district. This initiative is aimed at giving benefits of government schemes to the citizens directly at their doorstep. US and Japanese divers have discovered wreckage and remains of five crew members from a US Air Force Osprey aircraft that crashed last week off southwestern Japan, the Air Force announced on Monday. The CV-22 Osprey carrying eight American personnel crashed last Wednesday off Yakushima island during a training mission. The body of one victim was recovered and identified earlier. The Air Force Special Operations Command said two of the five newly located remains have been recovered but their identities have yet to be determined. The joint US-Japanese search operation is still working to recover the remains of three other crew members from the wreckage, it said. The search is continuing for the two people who are still missing, it said. The main priority is bringing the Airmen home and taking care of their family members. Support to, and the privacy of, the families and loved ones impacted by this incident remains AFSOCs top priority, it said in a statement.The US military identified the one confirmed victim as Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday. On Monday, divers from the Japanese navy and US military spotted what appeared to be the front section of the Osprey, along with possibly five of the missing crew members, Japans NHK public television and other media reported. Japanese navy officials declined to confirm the reports, saying they could not release details without consent from the US The US-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster, like an airplane, during flight. Ospreys have had a number of crashes, including in Japan, where they are used at US and Japanese military bases, and the latest accident rekindled safety concerns. Japan has suspended all flights of its own fleet of 14 Ospreys. Japanese officials say they have asked the US military to resume Osprey flights only after ensuring their safety. The Pentagon said no such formal request has been made and that the US military is continuing to fly 24 MV-22s, the Marine version of Ospreys, deployed on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. On Sunday, pieces of wreckage that Japans coast guard and local fishing boats have collected were handed over to the US military for examination, coast guard officials said. Japans military said debris it has collected would also be handed over to the US Coast guard officials said the recovered pieces of wreckage include parts of the aircraft and an inflatable life raft but nothing related to the cause of the crash, such as an engine. Local witnesses reported seeing fire coming from one of the engines. Under the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, Japanese authorities are not given the right to seize or investigate US military property unless the US decides otherwise. That means it will be practically impossible for Japan to independently investigate the cause of the accident. The agreement has often made Japanese investigations difficult in criminal cases involving American service members on Okinawa and elsewhere. It has been criticized as unequal by rights activists and others, including Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, who has called for a revision. The Chinese military said that an American naval ship had illegally intruded on Monday into waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, the site of a hot territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. A Chinese naval force was mobilized to track the USS Gabrielle Giffords during the operation, according to a statement from the Peoples Liberation Army Southern Theater. The U.S. Navy did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Chinese and Philippine naval and coast guard ships have confronted each other repeatedly around the Second Thomas Shoal in recent months as China tries to prevent the Philippines from resupplying and repairing a rusting warship that it intentionally ran aground in 1999 to serve as a military outpost. Dwarfed by Chinas military might, the Philippines has sought Americas help, agreeing to an expansion of the U.S. military presence in the country earlier this year and launching joint sea and air patrols with the United States late last month. China says the U.S. is meddling in waters far from its shores and renewed its accusation that America is the one raising regional tensions following the sailing of the USS Giffords, a littoral combat ship designed to operate in coastal areas, near Second Thomas Shoal. The US deliberately disrupted the situation in the South China Sea, seriously violated Chinas sovereignty and security, seriously undermined regional peace and stability, and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, fully demonstrating that the U.S. is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea, the statement from the Chinese militarys Southern Theater said. China has staked claim to virtually all of the reefs and other outcroppings in the South China Sea, building some into islands with runways that could be used by the military. Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also say they are the rightful owners of territory in the same waters in a complex web of overlapping claims. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said it is a duty of women to halt a fall in the countrys births in order to strengthen national power, state media said Monday, as his government steps up the call for the people to have more children. While getting a detailed read on North Koreas population trends is extremely difficult because of the limited statistics it discloses, South Koreas government assesses that the Norths fertility rate has declined steadily for the past 10 years. That is a concerning development for a country that depends on mobilized labor to help keep its broken, heavily sanctioned economy afloat. Kims latest appeal for women to have more children was made Sunday during the countrys National Mothers Meeting, the first of its kind in 11 years. Stopping the decline in birthrates and providing good child care and education are all our family affairs that we should solve together with our mothers, Kim said in his opening speech. According to South Koreas government statistics agency, North Koreas total fertility rate, or the average number of babies expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime, was at 1.79 in 2022, down from 1.88 in 2014. The decline is still slower than its wealthier rival South Korea, whose fertility rate last year was 0.78, down from 1.20 in 2014. South Koreas fertility rate, the lowest in the developed world, is believed to be due to a potent cocktail of reasons discouraging people from having babies, including a decaying job market, a brutally competitive school environment for children, traditionally weak child care assistance and a male-centered corporate culture where many women find it impossible to combine careers and family. While North Korea is one of the poorest nations in the world, the change in its demographic structure is similar to that of rich countries, some observers say. Many families in North Korea also dont intend to have more than one child these days as they know they need lots of money to raise their kids, send them to school and help them get jobs, said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. Ahn, who has interviewed many North Korean defectors, said the smuggling of a vast amount of South Korean TV dramas and movies in the past 20 years that showed an elevated social status for women has also likely influenced women in North Korea not to have many children. North Korea implemented birth control programs in the 1970-80s to slow a postwar population growth. The countrys fertility rate recorded a major decline following a famine in the mid-1990s that was estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people, the Seoul-based Hyundai Research Institute said in a report in August. Given North Korea lacks resources and technological advancements, it could face difficulties to revive and develop its manufacturing industry if sufficient labor forces are not provided, the institute report said. According to North Korean state media reports this year, the country has introduced a set of benefits for families with three or more children, including preferential free housing arrangements, state subsidies, free food, medicine and household goods and educational perks for children. South Koreas statistics agency estimates the Norths population at 25.7 million. The Hyundai institute report said that North Korea was expected to experience a population shrink from 2034 and forecast its population would decrease to 23.7 million by 2070. Ahn, the website head, said that Kim Jong Uns repeated public appearances with his young daughter, Ju Ae, are also likely be efforts to encourage families. Other experts said the daughters appearances were more likely an attempt to show shes her fathers heir. The UN refugee agency on Monday sounded the alarm for about 400 Rohingya Muslims believed to be aboard two boats reported to be out of supplies and adrift on the Andaman Sea. The agency, also called UNHCR, worries that all aboard could die without efforts to rescue them, said Babar Baloch, its Bangkok-based regional spokesperson. There are about 400 children, women and men looking death in the eye if there are no moves to save these desperate souls, he told The Associated Press. He said the boats that apparently embarked from Bangladesh are reported to have been at sea for about two weeks. The captain of one boat, contacted by the AP on Saturday, said he had 180 to 190 people on board, they were out of food and water and the engine was damaged. They are worried they are all going to die, said the captain, who gave his name as Maan Nokim. On Sunday, Nokim said the boat was 320 kilometres from Thailands west coast. A Thai navy spokesperson, contacted on Monday, said he had not received any information about the boats. The location is about the same distance from Indonesias northernmost province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra, where another boat with 139 people landed Saturday, UNHCRs Baloch said. He said they included 58 children, 45 women and 36 men, reflecting the typical balance of those making the sea journey. Hundreds more arrived in Aceh last month. There is a seasonal exodus of Rohingyas, usually coming from overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. About 740,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to the camps in Bangladesh since August 2017 after a brutal counterinsurgency campaign tore through their communities. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and the burning of thousands of Rohingya homes. International courts are considering whether their actions constituted genocide. Most of the refugees leaving the camps by sea attempt to reach Muslim-dominated Malaysia, where they seek work. Thailand, reached by some boats, turns them away or detains them. Indonesia, another Muslim-dominated country where many end up, also puts them in detention. Baloch with UNHCR said if the two adrift boats are not given assistance, the world may witness another tragedy such as in December 2022 when a boat with 180 aboard went missing in one of the darkest such incidents in the region. Cibc World Market Inc. bought a new stake in Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:FMX Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 9,192 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,019,000. Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in Fomento Economico Mexicano during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $201,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Fomento Economico Mexicano by 16.2% during the second quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 24,058 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,667,000 after purchasing an additional 3,357 shares during the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its stake in Fomento Economico Mexicano by 5.6% during the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 4,199,431 shares of the companys stock worth $465,465,000 after acquiring an additional 223,708 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano by 31.1% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 554,808 shares of the companys stock worth $61,495,000 after purchasing an additional 131,623 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano by 4.1% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,687,041 shares of the companys stock valued at $186,992,000 after acquiring an additional 67,086 shares during the period. Get Fomento Economico Mexicano alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages recently weighed in on FMX. HSBC lifted their price objective on shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano from $112.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 25th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Fomento Economico Mexicano from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 17th. Itau BBA Securities cut Fomento Economico Mexicano from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $127.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. Barclays raised Fomento Economico Mexicano from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the company from $115.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Monday, October 30th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Fomento Economico Mexicano from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, November 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Fomento Economico Mexicano has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $125.20. Fomento Economico Mexicano Stock Down 0.6 % FMX opened at $126.14 on Tuesday. Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. has a 1-year low of $74.90 and a 1-year high of $128.63. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $114.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $111.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.93. Fomento Economico Mexicano (NYSE:FMX Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, October 27th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.16 by $0.59. Fomento Economico Mexicano had a return on equity of 9.42% and a net margin of 9.01%. The business had revenue of $10.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.22 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. will post 5.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Fomento Economico Mexicano Cuts Dividend The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 7th. Investors of record on Monday, November 6th were paid a dividend of $1.0001 per share. This represents a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 3rd. Fomento Economico Mexicanos dividend payout ratio is presently 17.31%. About Fomento Economico Mexicano (Free Report) Fomento Economico Mexicano, SAB. de C.V., through its subsidiaries, operates as a bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. The company produces, markets, and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FMX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:FMX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Fomento Economico Mexicano Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fomento Economico Mexicano and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Monks debate at Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet Ecns.cn) 14:38, December 05, 2023 Buddhist monks participate in a scriptural debate, a unique way of learning in Tibetan Buddhism, at the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Li Lin) Built in 1447, Tashilhunpo is one of the six monasteries in the Gelukpa School of Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhist monks participate in a scriptural debate, a unique way of learning in Tibetan Buddhism, at the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Li Lin) Buddhist monks participate in a scriptural debate, a unique way of learning in Tibetan Buddhism, at the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Li Lin) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Microsoft India Development Centre's employees celebrate the tech centre's 25th anniversary in Hyderabad on Tuesday. B Krishna Mohan Hyderabad: Celebrating a significant milestone, Microsoft's India Development Centre (IDC) in Hyderabad marked 25 years of operations in the city, a journey that has played a pivotal role in shaping the city's technology landscape. As one of the first multinational companies to establish operations in Hyderabad, Microsoft set the stage for what is now known as the Cyberabad-Financial District, hosting numerous prominent technology brands. Rajiv Kumar, managing director and corporate vice president of Microsoft's experiences and devices, reflected on the challenges encountered during the initial phase. "In 1998, it was Bill Gates who made the decision in favor of Hyderabad. At that time, India was not as technologically advanced as it is now. There was no internet; we had basic communication tools. The process of product development from a remote site was unfamiliar territory, and global development centres were not commonplace. We had to learn extensively about talent acquisition, product development, and fostering inclusive growth," he recalled. The subsequent phase witnessed substantial growth, with the IDC expanding from 100 to 1000 employees in a decade. Kumar highlighted the challenges faced during this period, including fluctuations in the number of projects. This prompted a strategic slowdown to reconfigure, leading to a consolidation of efforts in critical areas such as Windows, server products, and Office. This phase laid the foundation for the IDC's engineering prowess. The last decade has been characterised by significant innovation, with a focus on security, mobile technology, business continuity services, and more. The IDC's notable contributions include Microsoft 365 (Office) Mobile, Indian language support, the development of the Azure Specialized AI Supercomputer, and initiatives to enhance accessibility within the Windows ecosystem. Looking ahead, Microsoft IDC is embarking on a new phase with the construction of a new building to accommodate a growing workforce. While specific details regarding hiring plans, investments, and building configuration remain undisclosed, Microsoft currently employs around 20,000 professionals across multiple centres in India. Rajiv Kumar envisions a future where technology, particularly generative AI, revolutionises daily lives. He anticipates more interdisciplinary applications of AI across engineering, computing, finance, education, healthcare and other sectors. Emphasising the evolving role of technology in different professions, Kumar stated, "Doctors, to be the best, need to know many case studies. Technology is the answer. It won't replace a doctor, but it can be a co-pilot for them." Kumar also emphasised the importance of analytical and reasoning skills as key attributes for the future. "The most interesting skill of the future will be analytical and reasoning skills. Individuals will be evaluated based on their ability to break down complex problems. Coding is a way of thinking in a linear, mathematical way. However, this doesn't necessitate becoming an engineer. One can pursue a career in medicine, finance, or any field of their choice," he added. Microsoft is actively developing a responsible AI framework that prioritizes inclusion, privacy, trust, and transparency. Charu Srinivasan, corporate vice president of engineering, Azure core and cloud, and AI IDC site leader, emphasised the company's commitment to becoming carbon-neutral and water-positive by 2030. The ongoing initiatives showcase Microsoft's enduring impact on Hyderabad's technological landscape, illustrating a commitment to innovation, responsible AI development, and a sustainable future, she notes. Commuters on a flooded road after heavy rainfall owing to Cyclone Michaung, in Chennai, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. (PTI Photo) Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh heaved a sigh of relief as Cyclone Michaung, packing 100 kmph winds, spared the state of extreme damage after it made landfall near south Bapatla between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm on Tuesday. The landfall phenomenon lasts for up to three hours. Till last reports came in, there was no loss of life. However, it left in its wake a trail of damage to agricultural and horticultural crops in thousands of acres and uprooted power poles, and affected flight and railway schedules. The cyclone will start weakening overnight and dissipate into a low pressure area but not before bringing more rain in coastal AP, Telangana state and Odisha. In Chennai, rain from the cyclone claimed 12 lives and stranded vast swathes of the metropolis. Fishing boats and farm tractors were engaged in rescuing stranded people in Chennai. Around 10,000 people from coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema districts were moved to safer places. There was no power supply in as many as six districts. Normal life remained crippled as road, rail and air transport remained suspended for the second day on Tuesday. Heavy gales touching up to 100kmph were felt along the storm path. An IMD Amaravati report said the eye of the cyclonic storm lay near Bapatla while the forward sector of the weather system had also entered overland. The landfall phenomenon lasted around three hours. Nine mandals of Nellore were grappling with severe impacts. Trees have been uprooted, electric poles fell, and fields were submerged in floodwaters. Manubole mandal recorded heavy rainfall of above 30 cm while Sydapuram experienced over 28 cm and Nellore urban faced the brunt with 25 cm of rainfall. Podalakuru, Venkatachalam, Sangam, Nellore rural, Rapur, and Muthukur mandals recorded downpours exceeding 20 cm. The Grand Trunk Road witnessed brief halts in vehicular movement from Nellore towards Chennai, Tirupati and Vijayawada due to waterlogging on the highways, uprooted trees, and fallen electric poles. Hundreds of houses were inundated due to continuous rainfall since Sunday evening. The delay in power supply affected the municipal corporation limits' water supply in Nellore on Tuesday. "Relief measures were promptly undertaken in all cyclone-affected areas while power supply was restored in Nellore city. However, crops at the sowing stage suffered damage and the government would provide seeds under input subsidy to the affected farmers. Families shifted to rehabilitation centres would receive a compensation of Rs 2,500", said cyclone special officer Hari Kiran. In Kandukur, around 100 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, stranded at Juvvaladinne in 23 boats due to heavy rainfall, were given shelter by authorities. The Somasila reservoir had reached its full capacity, with inflows resulting in a storage level of 30tmc-ft. To prevent breaches in the bunds, irrigation officials released 10,915 cusecs of water downstream. The Brahmeswaram culvert was damaged in the cyclones impact in Duttalur mandal, while the Manneru rivulet in Atmakur mandal experienced a surge in water levels. Agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, along with MLA Ramireddy Pratap Reddy visited the cyclone-affected areas on Tuesday. In Tirupati district, Kota mandal experienced the highest rainfall of 19cm, while Chillakuru, Gudur and Chittamur mandals recorded 18cm rainfall. Tragically, two women -- Kannali Krishnamma and Mabamma - of BN Kandriga's Pallamala and Mutyalamma colony lost their lives due to the intensified cold conditions. TTD chairman and MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy visited the flood-affected areas in Pulavanigunta and Gollavanigunta in Tirupati city. He claimed that modernization of drains and roads prevented inundation in a majority of the corporation limits. The district administration has set up 47 cyclone relief centres in Prakasam, providing essentials for around 18,000 people in the water-logged areas. Collector Dinesh Kumar promised support for the families living in such conditions, including distribution of essentials. Telangana Police personnel deployed at Nagarjuna Sagar dam, in Nalgonda district (PTI) HYDERABAD: The December 6 meeting in New Delhi between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, to review and find a solution to the battle between the two states on control of Nagarjuna Sagar dam, and water releases from there, has been postponed. The Department of Water Resources under the Ministry, announced on Tuesday that the meeting has been rescheduled to December 8 on account of the intense cyclone Michaung that formed over the Bay of Bengal and impacting Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Telangana. The December 6 meeting was to be attended by senior irrigation officials from both states, and discuss a solution to the stand-off at Nagarjuna Sagar dam. It may be recalled that on the night of November 29, on the eve of voting on November 30 for the Telangana Legislative Assembly, Andhra Pradesh irrigation department officials, accompanied by police forces from the state, took charge of the dams control room and began releasing water to their state through the dams right canal. This was objected to by Telangana which rushed its own police forces to the dam resulting in a stand-off and an urgent meeting called for by the Union government subsequently, saw the Union Home Ministry suggesting that the CRPF take control of the entire dam, which was agreed to by Telangana but was rejected by Andhra Pradesh. Chief Ministers Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, M.K. Stalin and Hemant Soren and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have decided to give it a miss. (File photo: PTI) New Delhi: After the rout of the Congress in the Hindi heartland, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc of the Opposition parties seems to be tottering and has postponed the meeting scheduled for Wednesday to an unspecified date, after some op Opposition leaders, including Chief Ministers Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, M.K. Stalin and Hemant Soren and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav decided to give it a miss. Instead, a 14-member coordination committee of the bloc will meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges residence on December 6, said Gurdeep Singh Sappal, coordinator of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharges office. "Thereafter, a meeting of the party presidents/heads of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc will be held in the third week of December at a date convenient to all," Sappal said in a post on X. Seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls, which are just four months away, is likely to be on top of the agenda of the meeting. The next I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting would also be crucial for the Congress, particularly as the party lost the Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh elections, the Hindi heartland states that send a large number of members to the Lok Sabha. Responding to a remark by TMC's Saugata Roy in the Lok Sabha that "ek nishan, ek pradhan, ek samvidhan (one flag, one head, one constitution)" was a "political slogan", Shah wondered as to how can a country have two prime ministers, two constitutions and two flags. PTI New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday said the concept of "one Flag, one Prime Minister, one Constitution" was not a political slogan and that the BJP firmly believed in the principle. It was not an election slogan, he said. "We had been saying since 1950 that a country should have one PM, one Flag and one Constitution and two will not do and we have done it." He was speaking during a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The debate will continue on Wednesday. He was reacting to a remark by TMC MP Saugata Roy that the Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Samvidhan was a political slogan. Shah called the remark objectionable and asked the MP: "How can a country have two prime ministers, two constitutions and two flags." "Whosoever did it was wrong," Shah said in an apparent reference to the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. "Narendra Modi has corrected it. Your approval or disagreement does not matter. The entire country wanted it." Roy, speaking on the J&K-related bills had said he had taught in a college named after BJP idealogue Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Samvidhan was his slogan and it was a "political slogan." Shah then rose to hit back at the TMC member. Soon after Roy ended his speech on the bills, Union minister Piyush Goyal said while the TMC leader mentioned Syama Prasad Mookerjee, he should have also recalled his sacrifice. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to nominate two members, including a woman, from Kashmiri migrant community and one member from displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, provides for reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward class communities. During the debate, Union minister Jitendra Singh said that the government is ready to hold Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir whenever the Election Commission (EC) takes a final decision in the matter. "The EC has its own mechanism of gathering inputs according to its requirements and it will take a final call. Let us all trust the wisdom of the EC and not appear to be interfering in its functioning," Singh said. IDT Corporation provides communications and payment services in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through Fintech, National Retail Solutions, net2phone, and Traditional Communications segments. The company operates point of sale, a terminal-based platform which provides independent retailers store management software, electronic payment processing, and other ancillary merchant services; and provides marketers with digital out-of-home advertising and transaction data. It also offers BOSS Money for international money remittance, and related value and payment transfer services; and Leaf, a digital wallet services which operates money transfer businesses, as well as net2phone, a unified cloud communication services, which includes voice, texting, and chat services to enable smarter business conversations. In addition, the company provides IDT Digital Payments enables businesses, entrepreneurs, and developers to offer prepaid digital offerings including mobile airtime top-up, mobile data bundles, digital gift cards, and prepaid utility payments through its Zendit platform; and BOSS Revolution Calling, which provides international long-distance voice services primarily to immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. Further, it offers IDT Global, a wholesale provider of international voice and SMS termination, and outsourced traffic management solutions to telecoms; and IDT Express, a unique self-serve portal that offers SMBs the power to purchase DIDs, manage IPs, select termination quality, make payments, and other services. The company also provides Awards2Go, a B2B incentive, loyalty, and customer appreciation gift card solution; and IO Security which provides automation to remediation. IDT Corporation was incorporated in 1978 and is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Patricia Logue, has announced she will host a series of interactive online discussions to give advice and guidance to households in coping with the cost of living. The first webinar will take place on Tuesday December 12th at 7pm when Mayor Logue meets online with representatives from the Foyle and Strabane Social Supermarkets who will discuss the important food support available to those living in poverty. Members of the public can attend the event live via zoom where they can submit their questions to the panel via a chat box facility. The online discussion is the first of a series of four webinar events in the coming months to highlight the support and guidance available locally in managing household budgets. Many households across our Council area are facing into another tough winter of struggling to meet the financial demands placed on them by rising energy and food prices, said Mayor Logue. The Council website has a lot of useful information and signposts people to many of the organisations who offer assistance and support but I wanted to meet with some of them personally to allow them to give more detailed advice and allow members of the public to submit their own questions. Local organisations are doing critical work on the ground to support householders and I would encourage the public to take an active part in these webinars so that as many households as possible can get the help they need. The second webinar on Wednesday January 17th will focus on energy support when the Mayor meets the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the National Energy Agency. In February the Mayor will meet Advice North West before a final webinar with the Consumer Council in March. The full lists of webinars and links are available at www.derrystrabane.com/helpwithcostofliving, no pre-registration is necessary. Friends, old and new, of the Derry Walls are invited to attend the groups annual general meeting. The event is taking place on Thursday, December 7, at 7 pm, upstairs in the Nine Hostages Coffee Company at the top of Waterloo Street. This cafe is built on the site of Gunners Bastion (demolished 1810) and the contrasting stonework of the rebuilt and original sections of the city wall can be seen behind the cafe counter. Niall McCaughan, chairperson of Friends of Derry Walls explained the group was a voluntary organisation which attempts to be the "voice of the Walls, raising ambitions for their care and presentation. Niall will brief the meeting on activities undertaken by the Walls Friends, making sure that the Walls are fully exploited as a resource for the citys educational, cultural and economic development. At the meeting, Manus Deery, Assistant Director, Historic Environment Division, will outline how the Department for Communities has delivered on their Guardianship of the Derry Walls. Mark Lusby, historical researcher and coordinator of the Walls Friends will update members on progress to produce an official guide to the Derry Walls. Mark will reveal some of the interesting facts which have been unearthed as part of the research for the book. Appealing for a good attendance, Niall also stated: Over recent years, planning applications have been submitted for development within and adjacent to the Derry Walls, as well as inappropriate signage and the like, installed beside our historic Walls, many of which demonstrate a misunderstanding of the extent and significance of Derrys Renaissance-era defences and townscape. Clearly, Derrys Walls still needs friends, HIGHLIGHTS Dell Technologies unveiled its vision for 2024 for the Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) region. The journey of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is maturing from theoretical exploration to practical implementation. Zero Trust infrastructure, set to be mandated across industries in 2024. We recently had the opportunity to participate in a virtual briefing hosted by Dell. During this briefing, Dell Technologies unveiled its vision for 2024 for the Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) region, shedding light on key industry trends and the companys role in the coming year. John Roese, Global Chief Technology Officer, underscored the evolving landscape, stating, AI is the center of the universe, and edges are the way that youll put it into production. The journey of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is maturing from theoretical exploration to practical implementation. Roese highlighted the shift from broad experimentation to strategic focus. Moreover, Dell predicts the rise of the Edge Platform approach, positioning the modern edge as an extension of multi-cloud infrastructure. Peter Marrs, President, Asia Pacific & Japan, emphasized the centrality of data, stating, As data continues to be at the center of our future, extracting value from it will be crucial in unlocking transformative business opportunities. Also read: Womens Day: Dell Technologies Srikripa Srinivasan on Women in Tech Zero Trust infrastructure, set to be mandated across industries in 2024, takes center stage in securing the regions digital future. Roese anticipates a tangible shift from conceptual discussions to real-world applications of Zero Trust: As we move into 2024, we will move from a world where Zero Trust is a buzzword to a world where real technology, real standards, and even certifications emerge. Addressing the quantum leap needed for AIs computing demands, Roese envisioned a hybrid quantum system, spreading AI workload across diverse computing architectures. Meanwhile, Dells commitment to cybersecurity is solidified with the introduction of Fort Zero, slated for a 2024 release as the first commercial full Zero Trust private cloud system. Also read: We want your machines to be always running reliably Dells Raj Kumar Rishi on Latest PC Lineup and Indian Consumer In the virtual briefing, Dell Technologies talked about these key insights for next year: Major AI implementation : Dell is going to focus on AI by implementing GenAI to different frameworks in the APJ region to achieve lasting positive outcomes. : Dell is going to focus on AI by implementing GenAI to different frameworks in the APJ region to achieve lasting positive outcomes. Quantum Computing : Quantum Computing will be featured to fulfill the needs of GenAI. This will help in the overall performance and abilities of the AI system. : Quantum Computing will be featured to fulfill the needs of GenAI. This will help in the overall performance and abilities of the AI system. Modern Edge and Multicloud Strategy : The use of a flexible and distributed cloud platform will help in building and expanding a modern computing edge. : The use of a flexible and distributed cloud platform will help in building and expanding a modern computing edge. Zero Trust Security : To handle the data wisely as AI and data move to new computing locations called the edge, Marrs talked about a new Zero Trust architecture, Fort Zero. : To handle the data wisely as AI and data move to new computing locations called the edge, Marrs talked about a new Zero Trust architecture, Fort Zero. Ecosystem approach: Dell will also keep in mind the collaboration and interconnection between businesses, technologies, and communities. HIGHLIGHTS OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 12 in three colour options. OnePlus claims a 4500 nits of peak brightness in the OnePlus 12. The camera of the OnePlus 12 comes with a major upgrade. The OnePlus 12 has finally launched in China today with some really exciting specifications. The latest flagship by the Chinese brand was long-awaited. Its the third smartphone in China to debut with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. Along with the processor, the OnePlus 12 comes with plenty of upgrades such as the camera, display, and battery as well. However, in terms of design, the OnePlus 12 is quite familiar to its predecessor, the OnePlus 11. Lets talk about it. OnePlus 12 Design OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 12 in three colour options that are Green, Black, and White. On the back, there is a big circular camera module that houses a triple-camera setup. This camera module is placed on top of a bezel that is attached to the side frame. There is a Hasselblad branding too on the camera module. Also read: OnePlus 12 and 12R will repeat design wins, sport Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC suggest leaks The new smartphone comes with a curvy design for a better grip. Furthermore, it features stereo speakers and an optical screen fingerprint sensor. It is also protected by an IP65 rating against dust and water. The famous alert slide is placed on the left panel and the volume rockers and power buttons are on the right panel. OnePlus 12 Display First and foremost, OnePlus claims a 4500 nits of peak brightness in the OnePlus 12. That is insane, right? Moreover, the OnePlus 12 is equipped with a 6.82-inch LTPO OLED display with 2K resolution. This display comes with a 120Hz refresh rate support. It also comes with Dolby Vision support and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. OnePlus 12 Performance The OnePlus 12 is equipped with Qualcomms latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Alongside this flagship chipset, the smartphone boasts up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, a detail that had long been rumoured. Furthermore, it also packs an Adreno 750 GPU. OnePlus claims that the OnePlus 12s CPU and GPU are 30% and 25% improved than its predecessor. Speaking of the OS, it will run on the latest Android 14-based skin. Also read: OnePlus 12 officially revealed with brighter Display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and more OnePlus 12 Camera The camera of the OnePlus 12 comes with a major upgrade. This major upgrade is the integration of a Periscope Telephoto sensor. The OnePlus 12 is equipped with a triple camera setup, holding a 50-megapixel Sony LYT808 OIS main camera, a 48-megapixel IMX581 Ultrawide sensor, and a 64-megapixel OmniVision OV64B Periscope Telephoto sensor. For selfies, OnePlus has featured a 32-megapixel shooter. OnePlus 12 Battery The OnePlus 12 is packed with a huge 5400mAh battery that supports up to 100-watt fast charging. Interestingly, it also supports 50-watt fast wireless charging and 10-watt reverse wireless charging. Qualcomm optimistic about potential of Taiwanese startups Qualcomm recently held the Demo Day and finals award ceremony for the 2023 Qualcomm Innovate in Taiwan Challenge (QITC). The top three winning teams are Agromeans, PetaRay, and CoolSo. ST Liew, Qualcomm VP and president of Qualcomm Taiwan and South East Asia, stated that all the nominated teams were outstanding, a sign that Taiwan's local innovative energy is stronger than ever while also having the ability to launch mature products with market competitiveness. In the future, Qualcomm will continue its long-term collaboration with Taiwan. The top three teams of this year's competition all proposed solutions related to AI or wearable devices, an indicator that these technological trends indeed have promising growth potential. The champion team, Agromeans, focuses on developing AI vision perception technology for agriculture, fishing, and livestock. Its solution integrates spectral analysis, 3D vision, and edge computing to achieve remote and real-time monitoring of plant and animal growth/health. The second-place team, PetaRay, is dedicated to providing a natural and comfortable mixed reality (XR) experience. Its light field projection technology revolutionizes how 3D content is displayed, transitioning from "projecting images to both eyes" to "projecting the light field onto the retina." This provides users with a dizziness-free viewing experience. The third-place team, CoolSo, offers a gesture interaction algorithm and technical services for smartwatches, XR, and spatial computing scenarios. Many of the teams that reached the final stage of this challenge have already expanded their business development reach to Southeast Asia. Regarding this, Liew expressed that he is glad Taiwanese startup teams are actively bringing innovative solutions to the SEA market. He highlighted that the SEA region is vibrant, and business activities are rapidly developing, which presents excellent opportunities for innovative business models. Qualcomm looks forward to these teams expanding their presence in the SEA market. Since its inception in 2019, QITC has seen eight participating teams invited to join the Qualcomm Advantage Network and become a member of Qualcomm's global business ecosystem, receiving an opportunity to expand to the global market. This includes RelaJet and Nestech from the first QITC, QT Medical, LUBN, Yallvend, VM-Fi, and ioNetworks from the second, and Nuwa Robotics from the third. Regarding Qualcomm's future development in Taiwan, Liew stated that besides continuing to provide technical and experience support for local startup teams through the QITC competition, reducing the bottlenecks teams may encounter in the early stages of development, existing supply chain collaborations will also persist. Qualcomm will continue to cooperate with Taiwan's robust ICT supply chain. For instance, the new Snapdragon X Elite PC platform launched in 2023 will actively engage with local PC brands and ODM companies in Taiwan to develop various AI PC products. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Nvidia CEO commited to provide more GPUs to Japan after meeting Prime Minister After a meeting between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, it was stated that Japan hopes Nvidia will supply as many GPUs as possible to Japanese companies for AI development. Nvidia also plans to collaborate with Japanese companies such as SoftBank to accelerate the development of generative AI in Japan. According to reports from Nikkei and Kyodo, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met on the afternoon of December 4th at the Prime Minister's official residence in Japan. After the meeting, Huang revealed during media interviews that, to meet the needs of Japanese companies for the development of generative artificial intelligence (generative AI), Prime Minister Kishida hopes Nvidia will provide as many GPUs to Japan as possible, and Huang has committed to this. Huang pointed out that Nvidia will collaborate with Japanese companies such as SoftBank, internet service provider Sakura Internet, IT company NEC, and telecommunications provider NTT to accelerate the development of generative AI. Regarding generative AI in Japanese, Huang believes that Japan will eventually establish a unique language model based on Japanese data. He also mentioned that the combination of generative AI and specialized knowledge and experience in Japanese manufacturing will be able to demonstrate advantages in the field of robotics. Furthermore, Nvidia has expressed its intention to assist in talent development. In the areas of weather and disaster prediction, Nvidia will also offer technical applications of AI. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE (AP) Another proposed airline buyout is renewing debate over whether there has been too much consolidation in the industry and whether consumers are paying the price. The Biden administration has taken a tough stance against mergers, and it is certain to take a close look at Alaska Air Group's proposed acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines for $1 billion in cash. . . . Subscriber content preview The tunnel would encase part of an old pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes. By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press Michigan officials approved a $500 million plan Friday to encase in a protective tunnel a portion of an aging oil pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes, leaving just one more regulatory hurdle for the contentious project. The state's three-person Public Service Commission approved the project in the Straits of Mackinac on a 2-0 vote. Commissioner Alessandra Carreon abstained, noting she just joined the commission four months ago. . . . Subscriber content preview SEATTLE A small apartment building at 315 Belmont Ave. E. sold last week for almost $5.2 million, according to King County records. The seller was Ardy Enterprises, a Canadian investor that acquired the property in 2005 for nearly $2.5 million. . . . Subscriber content preview SEATAC An apartment development site at 15005 Military Road S. recently sold for a little over $7.9 million, according to King County records. The buyer was an LLC associated with African Community Housing, backed by a $5.5 million loan from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. ACH hasn't filed any new plans. . . . The work of a Ukrainian war refugee who has rebuilt her life in Ireland will feature at the countrys largest craft and design fair later this week. Mother-of-three Elena Pozdniak fled her war-torn homeland last year with daughter Evelyn, seven, and son Yarolsav, 17, while eldest son Ruslan, 21, and husband Viacheslav remained to fight for their country. Now the 42-year-old has found work with Dublin-based social enterprise We Make Good, which helps vulnerable people find employment by training them in traditional skills such as sewing, knitting and metalwork. Ms Pozdniak, who was a tailor in Ukraine, has settled in Bray, Co Wicklow, and now works full-time as a sewing machinist. Her and her colleagues work will appear at craft and design fair Gifted, which opens at the RDS on Wednesday. I saw the advert online and said to myself that I had the skills they were looking for and could make the things they were making, said Ms Pozdniak , who previously worked as a tailor in Nicolaev, in southern Ukraine. Fellow Ukrainian Tanya Kazatkova, 45, also works as a machinist at the award-winning enterprise, which makes t-shirts, baby wear, tea towels, kitchenware and beauty products. She left her home city of Dnipro to escape the fighting 19 months ago with her daughter Maria, 15, and the pair now live in temporary accommodation in the capital. I studied fashion design for four years in Ukraine and it is something I would love to do in Ireland, but I need to improve my English first, she said. Since it was established 10 years ago, We Make Good has employed 26 people from marginalised backgrounds, including refugees and ex-prisoners. Anyone who comes to work for us is paid a living wage while they train, chief executive Caroline Gardner said. All our employees have either moved to full-time employment or education. Over the past decade, more than 150 families across Ireland have had their lives radically improved by We Make Good. The social enterprise has been given a stall at this years Gifted show after soaring rents prevented it from opening a pop-up shop. For the past couple of years, weve had a Christmas pop-up shop in the centre of Dublin, said Caroline. But its not available this year and weve been finding it hard to find an alternative and affordable space anywhere in the city. We have been really lucky getting this space from Gifted. The show runs at the RDS from this Wednesday until Sunday. The Government has won a vote of confidence in Minister of Justice Helen McEntee after hours of heated debate on both her record and that of the main opposition party Sinn Fein. The Government won the vote by 83 votes to 63. There was one abstention. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had accused Ms McEntee of failing abysmally in her responsibilities as the Dail debated the motion of confidence in her post following a stabbing attack and violent riot in Dublin city centre. The Government compared Ms McDonald to former US president Donald Trump as Sinn Fein was accused of exploiting the violent events for originally tabling a motion of no confidence in Ms McEntee. Ms McDonald told the Dail on Tuesday: It is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice to ensure that our streets are safe, to ensure that An Garda Siochana have the resources that they need. And she has failed in these responsibilities abysmally with very dire consequences. She added: The ministers position is untenable and she must go. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the original Sinn Fein motion was a political stunt as he expressed full confidence in the minister. He said: Removing the Justice Minister and the Garda Commissioner, which is Sinn Fein policy, would be a victory for those who engaged in violence and incited violence on our streets. Mr Varadkar accused Ms McDonald of engaging in absolutely disgraceful behaviour after she said it took nearly two weeks for the Government to reach out to the school community affected by the stabbing, in a remark understood to be about ministers meeting parents at the affected school. He said: The leader of the opposition has quite disgracefully misled the Dail. There was contact from the Government with the school within 24 hours of the events. Several ministers did so. She knows that, its deliberate misleading and it should be withdrawn. I call on her to be decent for once and withdraw it. Minister Josepha Madigan further described the Sinn Fein leader as Mary Lou Trump over the comments. Ms McDonald said she would not withdraw the remark and that she had stated facts. Tanaiste Micheal Martin expressed confidence in Ms McEntee and accused Sinn Fein of seeking to intimidate opponents and journalists alike. He added: The cynicism and aggression continues to directly undermine the ability of our democratic institutions and democratically elected representatives to work constructively on issues. Labour justice spokesman Aodhan O Riordan said there had been a cross-government failure to properly resource An Garda Siochana as he said the party would not be supporting the Governments motion in confidence for the Justice Minister. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said it was justifiable to seek accountability following an absence of collaboration from the Government on safety in the city. In her contribution, Ms McEntee accused Sinn Fein of using an appalling situation to play politics and seeking to undermine An Garda Siochana following a stabbing and riot in Dublin city centre. Ms McEntee told the Dail prior to the vote: It is a great honour to be Minister for Justice, Ceann Comhairle. I see it as my duty to build stronger, safer communities. She said one of her top priorities has been tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence as she also highlighted her work on legislation for body-worn cameras, facial recognition technology and a record budget for gardai. Ms McEntee said Sinn Fein wanted instability, adding: Their mantra is to sack, sue and bully. It may surprise (Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou) McDonald to know this is not an episode of The Apprentice, you cant fire your way out of the situation. After two hours of debate on confidence in her position and the Governments handling of policing, the minister concluded: It has been a difficult few weeks, above all for the victims of the recent appalling attack, for their families and their community. They remain at the forefront of my mind. So too is the safety of the Irish people. All of my actions during my time in office have been taken to make people safer, and make them feel safer. It is for this reason I will continue working to build stronger, safer communities. And I will not be deterred by a Sinn Fein party which seeks to sow division and disunity for its own ends. She was applauded by members of the Government benches. Corporation tax take in November was up almost a third on the same month last year, sharply reversing a recent slump in revenue generated from business profits. The 6.3 billion euro collected was up 1.3 billion euro (27%) on the receipts for November 2022. The marked increase in corporation tax take comes after three successive months of drops in year-on-year revenue received by the exchequer from that tax head. November is the key month for corporation tax receipts as it contains the returns from a number of large multinationals operating in Ireland. Total corporation tax revenues in the year to date now stand at 22 billion euro 0.9 billion (4.2%) ahead of last year. This figure is broadly in line with expectations as set out in Budget 2024. When other tax revenue was taken into account, the exchequer was left with a 5.4 billion euro surplus in November. Commenting on the figures, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said: The end-November exchequer returns confirm that we are, broadly speaking, where we expected to be at this point in the year. The growth in income tax and VAT receipts we have seen over the course of the year points to the fundamental resilience of our economy despite all the external challenges we are facing. The stand-out feature of the November performance is, of course, corporation tax: after three months of decline, a large increase in receipts this month means this revenue stream is once again comfortably ahead of last year. However, it is crucial to place this in context. While corporation tax is now four per cent ahead of 2022, it is clear that the era of persistent over-performances is coming to an end. The volatility in this revenue stream highlights the importance of ensuring that permanent fiscal commitments are not made on the basis of temporary receipts. Instead, the establishment of the two new long-term savings vehicles (the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund) will use these windfall corporation tax(es) to help finance known future fiscal challenges, such as an ageing population, climate change and digital transition. Dundalk Institute of Technology recently hosted their inaugural Nursing & Midwifery Career Day. The Department of Nursing & Midwifery in conjunction with the DkIT Careers & Employability Centre hosted their first dedicated Careers Day for their Nursing & Midwifery Final Year students. Students were provided with a jam-packed day of career advice, employer insights, job opportunities, alumni talks and postgraduate study options. Students were encouraged to use the day as a break away from their heavy academic workloads and a time to reflect on their personal career path and consider the wide range of opportunities available to them, and how to best prepare for their future as Nursing and Midwifery graduates. The Day was made up of four distinct sessions and commenced with a Careers Workshop delivered by the DkIT Careers & Employability Centre focussing on CVs, LinkedIn and Competency Based Interviews. This was followed by Discipline Specific seminars with employers, recent graduates and research students in the field. In the afternoon, the Nursing & Midwifery Planning & Development Unit of the HSE, delivered an insightful session introducing Career Development within the HSE and the day culminated in a Careers Fair with Employers for each discipline. With employer representatives from across the four disciplines General Nursing, Intellectual Disability Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Midwifery the Muirhevna Building in DkIT was a hive of activity. Some of the employers who attended on the day included Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Cavan General Hospital, Letterkenny Maternity Unit, Beaumont Hospital, HSE Older Person Services, HSE Disability Services Louth Meath and Cavan Monaghan, HSE Public Health services, St Patricks Mental Health Services, Louth Meath and Cavan Monaghan Mental Health Services, National Forensic Services, SJOG services, Praxis Care, Talbot Group, St. Michaels House and the Peter McVerry Trust. Dr Myles Hackett, Head of Nursing, Midwifery & Early Years, was delighted with the success of the day, he said: This first nursing and midwifery careers day for Year 4 students was a great success. Students had an opportunity to attend talks from the DkIT Careers and Employability Office, meet graduates of the DkIT nursing and midwifery programmes, hear from clinical experts and meet with representatives from a variety of healthcare providers. "The students were very excited to hear about the opportunities available to them when they complete their studies in DkIT and begin their careers as registered nurses and midwives. Dr Hackett thanked Programme Directors Dr Briege King, Dr. Anita Byrne, Dr. Aine McHugh and Joe Treacy for their leading role in creating the day. Catherine Staunton, Head of Careers & Employability, was excited to work alongside her colleague Claire Fallon, Employability Advisor to bring a dedicated Careers Day to the DkIT Nursing & Midwifery students, Catherine added: As expected, the Nursing & Midwifery final year students approached the day as true professionals, they engaged fully, posed insightful questions and took the opportunity to learn as much as possible from employers and DkIT alumni. Above: Pictured at Uniquelys customer engagement centre in Dundalk to announce the creation of 100 new jobs for Dundalk were (L to R) Michael Carey, Chairman of Enterprise Ireland; Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin T.D.; and Gerard Teahon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Uniquely. (Picture: Arthur Carron) Dundalk Chamber of Commerce President, Una McGoey, has said that the decision by SalesSense International, now known as Uniquely, to expand in Dundalk not only reflects the town's attractiveness for business investment but also underscores our community's resilience and potential for growth. Ms McGoey made the comments to the Dundalk Democrat, following two notable milestone announcements last Friday by the sales and service outsourcing partner when it confirmed, a significant investment in the North-East region and M1 Corridor within the next 18 months, and plans to create over 100 new job opportunities. It also confirmed that, effective immediately, as part of a strategic rebranding initiative and expansion, the company will operate under its new name, Uniquely. The company in its announcement, said that its new redefined corporate identity has been specially tailored to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. This expansion, it went on to say, is not just a testament to Uniquelys commitment to the local economy but also an indication of the vibrant opportunities that exist in this dynamic region of Ireland. In addition, the company hopes to expand its footprint even further in the coming years, both in Ireland and abroad. At the announcement on Friday, Gerard Teahon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Uniquely said: Today is an exceptionally proud day for all of us in Uniquely. As a result of our unwavering focus on operational excellence, clients are increasingly coming to us to help them with their development and growth objectives and this significant investment of over 100 new job opportunities is in response to increased demand for our services across all our business areas. At Uniquely, our vision is to create extraordinary experiences, that push the possibilities of careers, businesses and our category. We collaborate with leading banks in Financial Services on innovative care solutions, we are pioneering sustainable strategies in Utilities, and we are transforming communications sales and support in the Telecoms sector. Across all these domains, our central mission is to elevate standards in customer support and engagement, ensuring exceptional care is woven into the fabric of every sector we touch. In addition, people are at the heart of everything we do at Uniquely including these new employment opportunities, which are a welcome investment for our sector, the local economy and the North-East region, as well as contributing to the sustained reputation of the M1 Corridor as an international hub for businesses. Dundalk Chamber of Commerce said that it applauds the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility and its proactive engagement with the local community. Above: Dundalk Chamber of Commerce President, Una McGoey This expansion, strategically positioned within the M1 Corridor, aligns with Dundalk Chamber's mission to foster collaboration between businesses and contribute to the corridor's overall prosperity. The Chamber added that it looks forward to the positive impact of Sales Sense International's expansion on the local economy and job market, supporting the continued growth and vitality of the community. Established in 2006, Uniquely says that it boasts a wealth of experience in diverse markets, collaborating with various organisations to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. Its expertise, rooted in knowledge and practical experience, spans service solutions in sectors such as Energy, Financial Services, Medical Technology, Telecoms, Media, and Retail. Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin TD, was at Uniquely last Friday for the announcement. Mr Martin said, Im particularly pleased to announce Uniquelys plans to create 100 new jobs at its customer engagement centre in Dundalk. Above: At Uniquelys customer engagement centre in Dundalk last Friday were (r to l) Michael Carey, Chairman of Enterprise Ireland; Tanaiste Micheal Martin; and Gerard Teahon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Uniquely; and Uniquely worker, Nicole Mackle. Picture: Arthur Carron This is a significant milestone for this Irish-owned company, previously known as SalesSense International, and testament to its consistent investment in its workforce, and in solutions for banking, energy and telecoms. Todays announcement is a great boost for Dundalk and the wider North East area, and it paves the way for even further innovation. I want to wish the Uniquely team every success in its ongoing expansion. Michael Carey, Chairman of Enterprise Ireland, who was also present on Friday said that, todays expansion announcement is testament to the innovative offering, exceptional talent and cutting-edge services that Uniquely provides to their global customer base. It comes as a great boost for Dundalk as well as the wider North-East region and paves the way for this innovative company to significantly scale its business globally. The announcement from Uniquely follows on from the recent announcement by Anord Mardix, of a 27 million investment to expand its operations in Dundalk, which is expected to double Anord Mardix's footprint in the region and create 200 new job opportunities. Congratulating Anord Mardix on the announcement, Dundalk Chamber President, Una McGoey, said that this investment demonstrates the town's appeal for global industry leaders, and we are thrilled to witness the positive impact it will have on our local workforce and economy. Dundalk Chamber of Commerce says that Anord Mardix has a strong history of innovation and excellence in providing critical power solutions worldwide. It adds that the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility and community engagement aligns seamlessly with Dundalk Chamber's mission to foster economic development and collaboration within the region of the M1 Corridor. An event to mark International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People was held at the Imperial Hotel last week, organised by Louth Sinn Fein. The event, chaired by Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu, featured speakers from Palestine, including Khalid El-Estal, who described how his family members were killed by Israel and how his one-year old daughter was pulled from the rubble, still alive. He told how his wife died screaming having been burned on over 60% of her body. He has now reunited with his children having got them out of Gaza in the past few weeks. According to Khalid, his story isnt anywhere near the worst of them and there are many thousands more. The Chair of Sedaka - Ireland Palestine Alliance, Eamonn Meehan, also spoke about the background about what is happening at the moment and what needs to be done to stop the slaughter of people in Gaza. There was a short video from Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement about what ordinary people can do to help. Deputy O Murchu said: The event in Dundalk gave people an opportunity to hear for themselves what is happening in Gaza. The Israelis continue their war this week, causing further despair and slaughter in Gaza. There needs to be international pressure brought to bear on Israel, with sanctions, ahead of a negotiated, long-term agreement. Following the success of her second solo exhibition I Brought You Flowers this past summer, contemporary Irish artist Anna McKeever has unveiled her new collection of work, Solas, which draws inspiration from a range of mythic Irish landscapes and locales including the Cooley Mountains in Carlingford, County Louth and Newgrange in County Meath. This collection of eleven oil-on canvas paintings explores the influence of ancient Celtic beliefs and mythology in the context of the modern Irish landscape. The pieces combine to form a fascinating hybrid of ancient Irish mythology within a modern, vibrant landscape of colour and texture. Anna draws inspiration from pagan beliefs that recognised the profound importance of light through her own signature style. Solas is the Irish word for light, brightness and enlightenment. The Celts recognised the sun in particular as a powerful deity representing life, warmth and vitality. It was believed to have a direct impact on the fertility of the land, crops and livestock, Anna explains. A Belfast-based artist with a growing reputation across Ireland and internationally, Annas work is immediately recognisable. In this collection she seamlessly blends ancient mythological themes with contemporary colour and texture. Celtic symbols are etched into the work itself, and the paint is applied liberally and without abandon. The result is a fascinating hybrid of ancient and modern. Commenting on the creative process which produced Solas Anna says: I find it interesting that even in this modern era there is still a connection to ancient myths and legends. This juxtaposition of the ancient and modern weaves its way through the work - creating a storyboard without words. I was influenced by myths I heard in my childhood, legends of the borderlands; the Cooley Mountains, Cuchulainn, and the Tain Bo Cuailng. I visited the ancient site of Newgrange and have always been aware of thin places - where the Celts believed a spiritual atmosphere of a location made it easy to connect with God, as though there is no barrier between heaven and earth. The energy of these places resonated more to me than more modern religious doctrine. "It was important for me to honour the Irish landscape whilst incorporating the myth and legend that has shaped it. It has been a fascinating journey to create this body of work. Anna describes the effect of light that plays on the landscape as well as the symbolic power of light in her paintings of Newgrange, Winter Solstice and the Cooley Mountains. I love how transient light is here. A sunbeam can break through the clouds and in a split second, the entire landscape changes. Commenting on the creative process which produced Solas Anna says: I find it interesting that even in this modern era there is still a connection to ancient myths and legends. This juxtaposition of the ancient and modern weaves its way through the work - creating a storyboard without words. It was important for me to honour the Irish landscape whilst incorporating the myth and legend that has shaped it. It has been a fascinating journey to create this body of work. Art enthusiasts can view the full exhibition at Anna McKeevers Ormeau Road-based studio, 455 Ormeau Road, Belfast, on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am 4pm or by appointment. Visit www.annamckeever.com for more information. A young Moville woman who has been battling health issues for almost ten years has spoken of her frustrations with the health service. Natasha Crumlish, a mother-of-two, has told of her struggles to receive proper care since discovering a lump underneath her tongue in 2014. At a public meeting in Letterkenny on Thursday night, Ms Crumlish spoke passionately about the lack of adequate oral maxillo care in the county. Oral Maxillo is the diagnosis and surgical care of the mouth, jaws, skull, face head and neck. I have tried to highlight how broken the health system is and I am suffering, Ms Crumlish said. All I want for Christmas is a hospital bed. I just want my young life back again. I try to take the painkillers to get through as a mum, but I feel that theyre wrecking me as a person. Due to how unwell I am, I feel incapable of being the mother I should be an incapable of being the partner I should be. Having initially presented to Letterkenny University Hospital in 2014, Ms Crumlish contacted medics in 2016 to see where she stood on the waiting list. She told the meeting that she found out that there was only one oral maxillo consultant between Galway, Sligo and Donegal. I received many letters asking me if I still needed an appointment, which I did, she said. In 2018, Ms Crumlish received a call to see if she wanted to take up a private appointment at the Hollywood Clinic in Belfast. Without haste, I took it, she recalled. I was referred back to Letterkenny to have the lump surgically removed. Having subsequently developed flu-like symptoms and suffering from pain and pressure in my ear, neck and throat, Ms Crumlish contacted doctors again in 2019. She said: To my despair, I was told that I was removed from the list. The manners that my mum and dad taught me went out the window. The lady on the other end of the phone hung up on me. I was absolutely devastated. Ms Crumlish reached out to her own GP and opted to go to St James Hospital in Dublin for assessment. Doctors in St James advised that they were unable to touch the lump as there were too many nerve endings. A biopsy was ruled out for the same reason and in May 2021 she underwent a procedure in Ballykelly. The deep pressure in her ear, mouth, neck and throat persisted and the oral maxillo department told her it was now an ENT (ear, nose and throat) issue. The ENT waiting list is backlogged by as much as seven years. I hounded them, she said. I landed with no appointment week after week and they had to give in. An appointment with a consultant brought the news that she had cancer. However, a scan two days later came back clear. She was left with no choice but to return to Ballykelly, where she had another operation to remove a lump from her throat, The lump came back as reactive tonsil tissue, she said. When pain returned to her ear six months later, Ms Crumlish I didnt want to acknowledge it. The pain got so bad, she said. The lymphoid was removed and has now been replaced with a cluster of solid lymphoids. The pain radiates deep in my ear and now also at the back of my head. In May of this year, Ms Crumlish spent 17 hours on a hard chair at Letterkenny University Hospital. She recalled: I had no choice but to go to my car. There was snow and I was laying in the car in the freezing cold. Ms Crumlish told Thursdays meeting that she borrowed money from her parents to assist with the costs of the procedures and said: I was very lucky that my mum and dad were there for me and I just thunk of the poor person who has no option to go to. East Cork councillor Danielle Twomey has announced her resignation from the Sinn Fein party. Ms Twomey issued the update in a post on social media this evening. I have resigned as of today from the Sinn Fein party. I will continue to see out my last few weeks in the seat as an Independent. The last year has taught me so much, one thing is never allow any less than you deserve and always know your worth, she said. East Cork councillor Danielle Twomey has announced her resignation from the Sinn Fein party. Picture: David Keane. Ms Twomey announced in October that she will not run in the next local elections. For a long time, I have felt that I needed a break from politics, because of my all-or-nothing approach to everything I do. Ive thrown my heart and soul into my council seat. Through my challenging and rewarding job, Ive met amazing people and had the most amazing opportunities. However, Ive also had to make some sacrifices and one of them was my family, she said. In that statement, she also referenced the recent floods that wreaked havoc in Midleton in particular. The recent floods have really made me realise what is most important and I need to now give my all or nothing to my family for a while, she said. She also said that online harassment had led her to question whether she should remain in politics. Ms Twomey said in October that she would continue in her role as a councillor until the new year. A Ballincollig-based secondary school has become the first in the county to receive a Narrative 4 Ireland Empathy School Award an award which recognises and celebrates secondary schools that promote empathy, kindness and connection among students and staff. Le Cheile Secondary School Ballincollig, which was established just two years ago, has been awarded the Narrative 4 Bronze School Award in recognition of the schools commitment to promoting empathy, diversity and community among its student body through the transformative power of storytelling. "Being the first school in Cork to receive the Narrative 4 Bronze School Award is an honour and a testament to the dedication of our students and staff, principal of Le Cheile Secondary School Ballincollig, Nicola Barrett, said. First year pupils Aisling Brady, Pilar Deasy-Ruboi, Grace Delaney and David Bentley who were awarded the Narrative 4 empathy award at Le Cheile Secondary School in Ballincollig, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan We believe in the power of storytelling to bridge gaps and cultivate understanding, and this recognition validates our commitment to creating an inclusive and compassionate learning environment. At the heart of our efforts lies the foundation of nurturing students' wellbeing, and as a result, we've witnessed the positive impact it has had on their academic achievements. Narrative 4 was established in Ireland in 2016 and is a registered charity. The programme is rooted in the practice of story exchange where trained facilitators work with young people to use their own stories to build empathy, shatter stereotypes and break down barriers. Students who attended the presentation of a Narrative 4 empathy award at Le Cheile Secondary School in Ballincollig, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan The "story exchange" process allows participants from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences to come together to share their personal narratives with one another. Through this exchange, individuals have the opportunity to step into each other's shoes, experiencing the world from another person's perspective. Le Cheile Secondary School Ballincollig was also awarded the Amber Flag at the end of the previous academic year for promoting positive mental health. Le Cheile Secondary School Ballincollig was awarded the Amber Flag at the end of the previous academic year for promoting positive mental health. Pictured (l-r) are students: Falak, Nina, Jewel, Alex, Emily and Katelynn. The school said it has worked hard to establish a safe, welcoming atmosphere that promotes mental health and welcomed that this has been acknowledged by the Pieta Amber Flag initiative. CORKS chief superintendent has moved to allay concerns about any downgrading of community policing in Cork stressing that there are no plans at all to take community policing out of the city. The comments come amid fears that community policing could be impacted by recently implemented changes to garda rosters and following on from recent events in Dublin. Speaking at a meeting of the joint policing committee which took place at City Hall yesterday, Chief Supt Tom Myers said that there are no plans at all to take community policing out of the city. I would like to reassure everyone of that. This is not a downgrading of Cork city under any circumstances. He added: We understand the significance of community policing and the role they play in youth diversion projects. One recent example of this was the recent Garda Youth Awards. There are no plans to downgrade community policing. Need to maintain community policing unit Supt Myers was speaking in response to questions raised by Cork North East Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan. Speaking at the JPC meeting Cllr Tynan said: It looks like these gardai are going to be taken out of housing estates and placed on the main streets of our cities. This in response to events in Dublin like the ones that involved attacks on tourists and I understand that fully. "What gardai need to do is put more funding and garda resources into the overall garda numbers and maintain our community policing unit. "The Garda Youth diversion projects have been a massive success. They have a very positive effect. They see peoples self-esteem being lifted by activity but there is concern that community policing units may collapse. "The absence of the visible presence of gardai in other areas of the city will increase anti-social behaviour. If people responsible are contacted at a young age this can turn lives around. Safeguarding community policing Independent councillor Thomas Moloney later echoed his sentiment, calling for the safeguarding of community policing in Cork city. I am delighted to hear the chiefs acknowledgement that it wont be disbanded in Cork City, he said of community policing. However, there have been reports from across the country that the units are being disbanded and going into the main units. Thats something we need to be very careful about. "Its something we should be protecting and its something we should be advocating against with the commissioner because everybody here has accepted the tremendous work they do on the ground. "They also accept how supportive they are in preventing crime in the community as well as having their fingers on the pulse. If they are brought out of the community policing units and put into covering everyday units we are going to be seriously challenged in Cork. A brighter future beckons for the children attending a Knocknaheeny pre school centre after the unveiling on Monday of a new mural to make the north side building even more welcoming. Braving the elements over the past number of weeks, artist Blanca Rice and several of the mothers whose children attend the Barnardos Brighter Future Early Years Centre on Ardmore Avenue, have been giving the red brick building's exterior a colourful makeover to match its welcoming and cheerful interior. Speaking to The Echo on Monday, Blanca said that she had had conversations with the parents and children about what they wanted to see on the outside of the building as it had been long thought that it needed to be made more colourful to measure up to the interior. "In order to create the mural, I met the families, the team at the Centre and we chatted about what they would like to see and what's happening in the playschool but they had told me about the different things they found particularly significant," she said. "One of the things is the emotional education the children get and another theme is 'nature' which is very strong in the finished work." Sarah O'Gorman of the Brighter Futures centre is thrilled with the result of the project which received funding from the Department of Social Protection. "We were delighted to get some funding and we were able to commission Blanca to come in and paint a mural. Two-year-old Olan Keogh-Walsh loving the dogs in the mural by artist Blanca Rice at the Brighter Futures Centre, Ardmore Avenue, Knocknaheeny, Cork. Picture Dan Linehan "We were talking about it for a long time as we were very aware that the outside of the building didn't reflect the inside of the building, we felt," said Sarah. "The inside of the building is very welcoming and fun, a great place, colourful and calming." In the centre, emotional education is delivered using familiar characters such as a dog (called Dwayne), Daphne the Duck and Twiggle the Turtle and all of these feature in the finished mural which focuses on a tree and the idea of seeds being planted and blossoming. Located in Knocknaheeny, which is among the most deprived areas in the city, the centre welcomes 32 2-5 year olds every day for a mixture of supports, breakfast clubs and other fun activities to help them meet developmental milestones and become school ready. The community mural painted on the Barnardos Brighter Futures Centre Early Years centre in Knocknaheeny was unveiled on Monday. "Barnardos works in areas which seem to be deprived and when you look at the deprivation statistics, it's a hugely deprived area of the city, so we work very closely with parents providing children with a kind of haven in this area," said Sarah. "The centre was originally set up to improve the educational attainment of children as this was an area where children weren't achieving their best educationally," she said, adding that children weren't going on from primary to secondary school. Sarah had high praise for Blanca for involving the local community in the work. Although from Argentina originally, Blanca's father, Patrick Rice, originally hailed from Fermoy and became a prominent human rights activist across Latin America. She has painted murals in her native country as well as in Mexico. "It was great to get the mothers involved in the project - it helped the project significantly," said Blanca. The mural was unveiled by the children attending the centre on Monday morning - now they have a brighter building to look forward to as well as a brighter future. A 30-year-old man was charged today with murdering a 32-year-old man in the centre of Cork city last June. Detective Garda Pat Russell formally arrested Aaron Babbington and charged him at Cork District Court with the murder of Jason Butler on June 14 at Grand Parade, Cork, contrary to Common Law. Sergeant Pat Lyons said the Director of Public Prosecutions directed that the murder case would proceed at the Central Criminal Court or the accused could sign a plea of guilty at district court level and be sent forward for sentencing at the Central Criminal Court. Defence solicitor, Aoife Buttimer, said a book of evidence would be required. The solicitor acknowledged that there could be no application for bail on a murder charge at the district court. Judge Mary Dorgan confirmed it was not a suitable case for bail to be issued at the district court. Mr Babbington was remanded in custody until December 12 to allow time for preparation and service of a book of evidence. Thirty-year-old Aaron Babbington, formerly of Churchfield Avenue, Churchfield, Cork, was asked he if had any reply after being charged and cautioned and he made no reply to the murder charge. It was previously alleged that the late Mr Butler was slashed in the throat during the daylight incident on Grand Parade at around 7.30pm that Wednesday and died two days later. The late Mr Butler was originally from Castleredmond in Midleton, County Cork. BISHOP Lucey Park will close to the public from tomorrow to facilitate enabling works ahead of a redevelopment of the amenity, which the Lord Mayor of Cork has said will deliver a new park for the modern era while respecting the past. The closure of the park will facilitate enabling works such as the removal to storage of park furniture and advance investigative works. Redevelopment works, commencing early in the new year, are expected to be completed in the early part of 2025. A spokesperson for Cork City Council confirmed that the park is expected to remain closed throughout the duration of the construction works. The redeveloped park, based on an award-winning architectural design by Hall McKnight Architects, will include improved access to the historic city wall, a new events pavilion and plaza, improved access and seating for all and a new tower to mark the eastern entrance. The revamp of the city centre park is part of the wider regeneration of the Grand Parade Quarter, which will see a complete renewal of the area around the southern gateway to the medieval city, connecting Grand Parade and a series of historic lanes, streets and Bishop Lucey Park with the south channel of the River Lee and the city centre business core. Commenting on the plans for the park, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, said the redevelopment works are much-needed. Theres many parts of it that are very, very tired. Theres broken footpaths, broken walls, a fountain that doesnt work theres many symbols within it that are from its time. The park opened to commemorate Cork 800 and I suppose were trying to create something that marks Cork 2023, he said. Its really great to showcase the medieval wall and the different heritage plaques that are in the space as well. Theres going to be a new Cumann na mBan memorial, a number of new trees planted and the paths will look great. Independent councillor Mick Finn said the redevelopment of the park "will help to reconnect the modern Cork with its past". Its fair to say that the redesign plans for the park have been controversial but I am hopeful that the new, more accessible space will trump any of the negativity. I do have some concerns about how a more open space will be policed, but new lighting and permeability will hopefully offset these fears. Meanwhile, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle said: Opening the park will be good, but I have never liked the reduction of green space proposed. It has to be seen with wider development work there on South Main Street and on Grand Parade outside the City Library. We badly need to increase the amount of green space to be found in the city centre. THE garda file on the Tina Satchwell case is at an advanced stage a court heard this morning as her husband, Richard, appeared in a Tipperary court having previously been charged with the murder of his wife. Richard Satchwell of Grattan Street in Youghal, Co Cork was charged with the murder of his wife, Tina, at a sitting of Cashel District Court in Co Tipperary on October 14 last. The State charged that on March 20, 2017, at a location in Cork, he murdered Tina Satchwell contrary to Common Law. Mr Satchwell, who is a native of Leicester in the UK, was charged after gardai found the skeletal remains of his wife while excavating a concrete floor and walled up area underneath the stairwell of her home in Youghal. Mr Satchwell (57) appeared via video link at Clonmel District Court today. Sgt Tom OBrien told Judge Brian OShea that DPP directions are awaited in the case. The State applied for a further remand in custody of Mr Satchwell until January 2 next. Judge OShea said that it was quite surprising that the garda file has yet to be sent to the DPP. He said that it was in the interests of Mr Satchwell and the family of the deceased that the DPP receive it in the near future. Detective Garda David Kelleher said that 38 statements were requested from the initial arrest, detention, further extensions and the subsequent re-arrest of Mr Satchwell. He said they were also awaiting State Pathologist, forensic, forensic archaeology, anthropology, State Laboratory and toxicology reports. Det Garda Kelleher stressed that the file is at an advanced stage". We are hoping to have it with the DPP before the end of 2023. Mr Satchwell who was wearing a light grey tracksuit did not speak during the short hearing other than to confirm that he could hear and see the court proceedings. ADJOURNMENT Solicitor Aidan Leahy, standing in for solicitor Eddie Burke who is representing Mr Satchwell, consented to the adjournment of the case to January 2, next. Judge OShea remanded Mr Satchwell in custody to appear in court in Clonmel on January 2, 2024. Meanwhile, Mr Satchwell was previously denied bail at a High Court sitting at Cloverhill Court. Richard Satchwell of Grattan Street in Youghal, Co Cork was charged with the murder of his wife, Tina, at a sitting of Cashel District Court in Co Tipperary on October 14 last. FILE PIC Gardai objected to bail saying that the accused was a flight risk. Refusing the application, Judge Siobhan Lankford said that Mr Satchwell faces "very serious charges, the most serious charges on the criminal canon". Mr Satchwell first appeared in court on October 14 in connection with the alleged offence. On that occasion evidence of arrest charge and caution was given by Detective Garda David Kelleher. Dt Garda Kelleher said that Mr Satchwell had been formally charged with the murder of his wife in Cobh Garda Station the previous day. Legal aid was granted in the case. Tina Satchwell was a native of St Bernards Place in Fermoy, Co Cork who was living in Youghal at the time of her death. She was reported missing on March 24, 2017 by her husband Richard. After she was reported missing gardai followed 400 lines of inquiry, watched hundreds of hours of CCTV and took witness statements from 170 people. A major sea and land search was carried out by gardai following her disappearance. In March 2018 gardai led a major search for Tina in Mitchells Wood in Castlemartyr, Co Cork. In March of this year on the sixth anniversary of Tinas disappearance, gardai issued a renewed appeal for information in a bid to locate her. Tina Satchwell would have turned 50 last year. She hailed from a family of eight and is survived by her siblings. Vigils in her memory have been held in Youghal and Fermoy. A private family funeral has also taken place. Eimear Dodd A man who raped a woman he'd been chatting with online before arranging to meet for coffee has been imprisoned for five years. Daniel Maymay (31), of Thornbury, Kilmacrennan Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, appeared before Mr Justice Paul Burns in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday after being found guilty of one count of rape on January 28, 2019. Maymay had pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape and one of false imprisonment. The matter went to trial in October of this year. The jury convicted him of one count of rape, but acquitted him on the second count of rape and the false imprisonment charge. An investigating garda told John Gallagher BL, prosecuting, that the victim and Maymay had chatted over social media and arranged to meet for coffee and to smoke cannabis. The victim thought this was an opportunity to make a friend. On the day in question, Maymay pulled up in his car and the victim got in. They then drove off in a direction that the woman didn't believe she had travelled before. Concern During the journey, Maymay and the woman chatted. She was concerned about where they were going as she was unfamiliar with the area. They arrived in Letterkenny at Maymay's residence and entered the property through the French doors. Maymay placed a hand on the woman's back to guide her into a bedroom. The woman felt uncomfortable, but didn't want to say anything as she didn't know where she was or how Maymay might react. They smoked cannabis, then Maymay commented on the woman's waist and lifted her top. The court heard that the victim accepted during cross-examination that oral sex was performed. Maymay then touched the woman to initiate sexual contact. She told him to stop and that she wanted to go home. Maymay told her she was 21 and you don't have to go home. He then raped her. The woman felt nauseous and was taken to a shower room afterwards. Maymay then left the property, and offered to get food for the woman. The court heard the woman didn't initially report the rape. Her mother gave evidence during the trial that the woman seemed despondent after returning home to a location in Northern Ireland. She asked if the man she was with had hurt her and her daughter nodded. The victim's mother then asked did he rape you? and the woman nodded again. Complaint A complaint was made to the PSNI, before it was identified that the incident took place in Donegal. The woman was taken to a sexual assault treatment unit. Following his arrest, Maymay told gardai that he knew the woman had contacted the police as she had deleted their Instagram chat. When interviewed, Maymay accepted meeting the woman and maintained there had been consensual sexual intercourse. The woman's victim impact statement was read to the court by the investigating garda. She said she had spent nearly five years in constant fear. She said she withdrew socially following this incident and has had issues sleeping. She said she finds it difficult to be in the presence of men and has lost trust in people. The woman said she found coming to court for the trial to be a terrifying and most traumatic experience. She said the guilty verdict will help with her recovery. Why should he get away with it? The truth is out now. Previous convictions Maymay has 17 previous convictions including one for violent disorder and possession of drugs for sale or supply. In 2020, his permission to remain within the State expired and has not been renewed. Shane Costelloe SC, defending, outlined to the court that the prosecution alleged that Maymay raped the woman, then there was an interlude before the second rape occurred. His client was then accused of leaving the woman trapped in the house. The garda accepted that Maymay was acquitted of the first alleged rape and false imprisonment, but convicted of another rape. Mr Costelloe noted that the woman said she told Maymay to stop, but he didn't. Maymay said he stopped immediately, however the jury decided this was not the case. The garda agreed that Maymay told gardai during interview about the circumstances surrounding the violent disorder charge, which related to an incident in 2013. It was further accepted that Maymay is known to gardai as someone who smokes cannabis and has no previous convictions of a sexual nature. Mr Costelloe told the court his client is from the Philippines but came to Ireland at the age of 12. His father served in the army and died in the line of duty. His mother passed away due to cancer. Maymay's siblings were already in Ireland, and he moved here to live with them. He worked as a chef, but lost employment during Covid-19. Maymay has two children and his brother was in court to support him. The court heard that the Director of Public Prosecution's view is that the headline sentence should be between seven and 10 years. Mr Costelloe noted that the case would have been deeply traumatising for the victim. He suggested that the court consider the sequencing of events and that the jury didn't convict Maymay in relation to the first alleged rape. He suggested the court treat Maymay as someone who began a sexual act in a mistaken belief that the act was consensual and sentence his client on the basis that he was reckless as to whether or not there was consent, rather than intentionally. He submitted there is a world of difference between an offence committed with intent or one on the basis of recklessness. Mr Costelloe argued this would mean that the court should set a headline sentence at a lower level than suggested by the DPP, and then consider the mitigation. Mr Gallagher told the court that the prosecution say this is a distinction without difference as their case is that Maymay was aware there was no consent at that point. Apology In a letter handed in to the court by Maymay on Monday, he apologised for what he did and expressed regret. He also said he accepts the verdict of the jury. Maymay said he hoped the victim could find it in her heart to forgive him and wished her family the best. Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Paul Burns said: The crime of rape is a serious matter. He said the mitigating factors were that Maymay had no history of sexual offending, that he answered questions put to him during garda interview and that he abided by bail. Mr Justice Burns noted that the woman has a history of anxiety and depression and that she has struggled to sleep since the rape. He wished her the best for the future. He sentenced Maymay to six years' imprisonment but suspended the final year on strict conditions in order to incentivise rehabilitation. The sentence was backdated to when Maymay went into custody on October 13th 2023. Rebecca Black, PA Police have issued an appeal for information as they investigate the murder of a man in Co Armagh. Two women, aged 35 and 43 years, and a 31-year-old man who were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of murder, remained in custody on Monday evening. Police said the man who was murdered has yet to be identified. Investigators remained at the scene in the Edward Street area of the Co Armagh town across Monday. Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Kelly, who is leading the murder investigation, said a post-mortem examination is set to take place on Tuesday. Sadly a family has lost a loved one, which is particularly poignant in the run up to Christmas, he said. My thoughts are very much with them. The post-mortem is expected to take place tomorrow and we are also hoping formal identification of the victim will take place then. Mr Kelly described the investigation as at a very early stage. I am appealing for anyone who was in the Edward Street or Francis Street areas of Lurgan between 2am and 5am on Sunday morning, and who noticed any suspicious activity or who may have captured dash-cam footage which could assist with the investigation, to come forward to police, he said. I would also like to hear from anyone who has any CCTV footage to contact police. I am aware there may be some video footage circulating on social media and I would be keen to see it. I have launched the Major Incident Public Portal where anyone can upload CCTV, dash-cam and any other footage via https://mipp.police.uk/operation/PSNI23S13-PO1. 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. Polar bears can be elusive and difficult to track in the wild, but scientists have come up with a new, noninvasive way to follow them as well as other animals like snow leopards and Eurasian lynxes using environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from skin cells shed inside their paw prints in the snow. Monitoring the detailed movements of polar bear populations and other threatened species is essential for their protection and conservation. However, since they can be hard to find, crucial data regarding population size and connectivity between populations has been missing, according to a new study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and MIX Research Sweden AB. It is particularly challenging, expensive, and time-consuming to find polar bears in the Arctic, let alone count them and understand how they are coping with climate change, said Dr. Melanie Lancaster, senior author of the study who is also Arctic species senior specialist for the World Wide Fund for Nature Global Arctic Programme, as Frontiers reported. A Polar bear near Utqiagvik, Alaska. Elisabeth Kruger / World Wildlife Fund The scientists at the MIX Research lab were able to isolate and sequence eDNA from the nuclei of bears cells left behind in their paw prints, which allowed the researchers to put together a unique genetic profile for each bear, a press release from WWF said. This will enable further understanding of behavioral and migratory patterns, as well as population interconnectedness. The study, Capturing environmental DNA in snow tracks of polar bear, Eurasian lynx and snow leopard towards individual identification, was published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science. The researchers were inspired in their data collection by forensic methods which can be used with tiny samples of DNA even when they have been degraded, reported Frontiers. The techniques enable scientists to study bears without physically capturing them, which is a concern for some Indigenous communities and is also stressful and dangerous for bears and humans. Many Inuit express concern about invasive research methods, said Elisabeth Kruger, co-author of the study and manager of WWFs Arctic Wildlife Program, as Frontiers reported. People are concerned about the welfare of the individual polar bear and the health and safety of people who may harvest the bear later. This is one of the reasons we are so excited about new methods like this the person collecting the sample never needs to even see or be seen by the polar bear. Environmental DNA can be found when animals defecate, but that form of eDNA isnt always of a good enough quality to do the individual analysis necessary for conservation. The behavior of territorial animals like snow leopards and lynxes can also be affected by collecting feces samples, so the research team opted for samples from their snowy paw prints instead. The tracks usually contain fresh cells, and the DNA is intact because of the cold storage temperature. DNA that has passed the gut is much more degraded and therefore more challenging to work on, said lead author of the study Dr. Micaela Hellstrom of MIX Research Sweden, as reported by Frontiers. The team collected snow samples from tracks made by individual polar bears in Alaska and Eurasian lynxes in Sweden both in the wild and in captivity, as well as from tracks of a snow leopard in captivity. They also sampled materials like saliva, hair and mucus, which confirmed that the tracks were giving them accurate genotypes. A total of 24 tracks from wild polar bears and 44 from wild lynx were sampled by the researchers. In order to collect the eDNA, they melted then filtered snow before conducting a microsatellite analysis. Despite the fact that concentrations of eDNA were low, the research team was able to successfully extract nuclear DNA from 59.1 percent of the wild lynx tracks and 87.5 percent of those made by the wild polar bears. Of the samples from wild polar bears, 13 were able to be genotyped, which allowed for the identification of 12 distinct individuals. Eleven percent of the wild lynx tracks were able to be genotyped, but this number rose to 76 percent when the researchers looked only at the tracks that had been sampled by trained personnel. Of those, 24 percent were able to be genotyped. The new method of collecting eDNA has great potential for understanding the behavior and populations of these exquisite yet elusive animals, while also informing conservation and managing human-wildlife conflicts through the use of accurate animal identification. Even though the sampling technique has a lower success rate, the fact that it is noninvasive means sample sizes can be greatly expanded. We hope this method will be taken up by the polar bear research community, with the involvement of hunters, volunteers, and Indigenous communities, as a new way to collect information on polar bears, Lancaster said, as Frontiers reported. We also hope the method will be expanded to other animals living in snowy environments we have shown it works for lynx and snow leopards as a start. The Delhi Universitys Academic Council will convene an emergent meeting tomorrow Wednesday, December 6, to consider the revised Strategic Plan of the University of Delhi (2022-2047), which is being tabled tomorrow. A press statement issued by Dr Maya John, Member, Academic Council, University of Delhi, states that the new strategic plan document for Delhi University (2022-2047) is heavily plagiarised from different sources, which includes Ohio State University Advancement Strategic Plan, University of Sheffield Vision and Strategic Plan, Strategic Plan 2016-21 of Friends College Kaimosi, Kenya, among other sources. Such plagiarism in the case of a vision document implies the succumbing of the educational bureaucracy to the agendas of other forces / interests groups rather than organic syncing with the needs and aspirations of the people of our country. In this light, it is necessary for such a document affecting long-term functioning of a public-funded university to be thoroughly revised and put out for wider public consideration, the press statement said. Issues raised: The statement adds that DUs visionary document repeatedly stresses on the need for relationship-building and fundraising for the sustenance of the university. The Academic Council raises concerns that this might make the teaching-learning process as well as research subservient to these private profit-seeking entities. Moreover, apprehensions regarding potential fee increases, and provision aimed at providing financial aid to students with greatest need have also come forward. These apprehensions stem from the fact that the document emphasises on looking for alternative fund-raising; marking a crucial departure from established entitlements linked to state-backed fee concession/publicly-funded scholarships. The statement further highlights that the strategic plan focuses on catering to the needs of industry and the corporate world instead of fulfilling the requirement that a university be responsive to the needs of society. This raises concerns about the prestige of DU leading to the commercialisation and colonisation of Indian academia The provisions in the document on recruitment of research assistants in departments of the university are also objectionable. Such a plan to recruit research assistants in departments, who are recipients of Senior Research Fellowship (SRF), will have detrimental effects on the academic life of PhD scholars, says the statement. Queens University Belfast, one of the leading Universities in the UK and Ireland as well as a member of the prestigious Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities, is set to invest up to 100 million over the next four years as part of their overall plan to help meet an unprecedented upsurge in demand for international students accommodation in Belfast. The announcement was followed after a recent UK-wide report by StuRents, the UK's leading student accommodation search, property management and data platform revealed that the UK is set to face a shortfall of around 4,50,000 student beds by 2025. Belfast is currently home to an estimated 45,000 full-time students attending third-level education. It is estimated that 3,000 more rooms will be needed in Belfast within the next five years for Queens University students alone in line with increased demand from students opting to live in high-quality student accommodation. As per the data by the UK Government, in 2022, a total of 55,465 Indian students were in the UK on a student visa. Additionally, the Home Office, the Government of the UK announced that a total of 1,42,848 student visas were granted to Indian nationals in June 2023. Three new sites across Belfast have been acquired by the university at Dublin Road, Laganbank and Brunswick Street as part of its accommodation growth plan, within the Queens ambitious Strategy 2030. Captain of the Parish of Lonan releases new book 'Pirate to Pilot' Captain of the Parish of Lonan, Stephen Carter has released his memoirs from over the years. The former Douglas harbour pilot has aptly named the book Pirate to Pilot. It is a sort of autobiography and includes the history of many of the boats Captain Carter has owned. Commenting the release of his book, Captain Carter said he has been writing the book for a couple of years and thought that when he retired as pilot, after nearly 30 years, would be a good point to finish it. In 1962 at just 11 years old Captain Carter purchased his first boat and since has spent most of his life at sea. In 1978 he set up Laxey Towing Company, which he stills runs to this day. There have been many interesting and satisfying moments during my career, we have been involved in just about every major civil engineering project in Douglas Harbour for the past 45 years as well as many difficult salvage operations which have been successfully completed, and many amusing anecdotes, Carter said. The book is available from either the Bridge Bookshops in Port Erin and Ramsey, WH Smith in Strand Street, Douglas or direct from the publisher Lily Publications in Jurby. Learn British Sign Language with The Manx Deaf Society The Manx Deaf Society will be hosting a range of British Sign Language (BSL) courses for 2024. For complete beginners, the introduction to BSL course offers 5 sessions, each of which are 3 hours long. The sessions are taught by Lucy Buxton at The Manx Deaf Society in Douglas. Beginners are also welcome to apply to join the Level 1 BSL course. On successfully passing 3 assessments learners will receive a certificate from Signature. The sessions are taught by Ayesha Gavin of Ayesha Communications. Most sessions are online on Tuesday evenings but there are 2 weekends of face-to-face sessions at The Manx Deaf Society. The Level 2 course is suitable for someone who has already passed their Level 1 or who uses BSL as part of their daily life. This course is taught over 10 weekends, most of which are online but again there are 2 face-to-face weekends of teaching and assessment at The Manx Deaf Society. The costs for each course are 75 for the introduction course, 200 for the Level 1 course and 240 for the Level 2 course. For further information about the courses or to request an application form, email lucy.buxton@manxdeafsociety.org.im Apple is reportedly lobbying India to delay the implementation of a rule that requires all smartphones sold in the country to have a USB-C charging port. While Apple has already started shifting away from the Lightning port in the iPhone 15 lineup (and other products), the regulation differs from a similar one enacted in the European Union in that India may press Apple to switch to a USB-C port on older iPhones. Other manufacturers, including Samsung, have agreed to India's plan to have a universal USB-C charging port on their smartphones by June 2025, which is six months after the EU's deadline (such OEMs have long been using USB-C charging ports anyway). Apple, however, is said to have pressed India to delay the implementation of the rule, or at least to exempt older iPhones from the requirement. According to Reuters , Apple executives told Indian officials late last month that were the rule to be applied to older iPhones, the company would not be able to meet production targets as set out by the country's production-linked incentive (PLI) program. Under this scheme, India grants electronic manufacturers financial incentives to make new investments and generate incremental phone sales each year. Apple suppliers such as Foxconn are said to have taken advantage of the program to boost iPhone production in India . Estimates suggest that between 12 and 14 percent of iPhones made this year will be manufactured in India. That proportion could rise to as much as 25 percent next year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo . Apple is said to have told officials that it can't change the design of earlier iPhones to include a USB-C port. The company reportedly argued that, unless it gains an exemption for pre-iPhone 15 models, it will need 18 months beyond the end of next year (i.e. until mid-2026) to comply with the regulation. That's presumably to give Apple enough time to phase out Lightning ports on older iPhones, which Indian consumers tend to prefer since they fall in price when the company releases new models. Residents on a Japanese island close to Taiwan are worried they would be unable to cope with an influx of refugees if conflict between Taiwan and China broke out. Yonaguni Island's officials say their plea for help to the Tokyo government went unheard. A new case of bluetongue has been detected in north east Kent, prompting Defra to widen the original temporary control zone (TCZ). Defra confirmed on Tuesday (5 December) that bluetongue virus was discovered in a single cow outside the original 10km TCZ. Established last month following the UK's first case of bluetongue since 2007, the zone has been revoked and replaced with a larger zone. It means movement of susceptible animals, except under licence, will be restricted over a larger area than before. Since the first outbreak of bluetongue in a single cow on 11 November, four further cows were found to have the virus in late November. In an update, Defra said: "Following active surveillance of premises linked to cases within the 10km TCZ, a further case of bluetongue serotype 3 in cattle has been identified. "This animal was, until recently, grazing on a premises outside the TCZ. This brings the total number of cases to 6. As a result, the TCZ has been extended. "The animal will be humanely culled to reduce the risk of onward transmission. There is no evidence that there is circulating virus in the midge population." The virus is usually transmitted by midge bites and affects cows, goats, sheep and other camelids such as llamas. Midges are most active between April and November and not all susceptible animals show immediate, or any, signs of contracting the virus. Impacts on susceptible animals can vary greatly some show no symptoms or effects at all while for others it can cause productivity issues such as reduced milk yield, while in the most severe cases can be fatal for infected animals. Christine Middlemiss, the UKs chief veterinary officer, has urged farmers to remain vigilant for bluetongue virus following the new case. Bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health or food safety, but the disease can impact livestock farms, and cause productivity issues," she said. This detection is an example of our robust disease surveillance procedures in action and it is also a clear reminder for farmers that the disease remains a threat, despite coming towards the end of the midge activity season. Farmers must remain vigilant and report any suspicions to APHA. Farmers have been reminded by APHA that animals imported from impacted regions must be accompanied by the relevant paperwork to show they meet certain conditions designed to reduce disease risk, such as correct vaccination. NI and GB ruminants cannot be exported from an GB Assembly Centre to the European Union or moved to Northern Ireland until further notice. BTV is a notifiable disease. Suspicion of BTV in animals in England must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301. Farmers in and around the TCZ can also call Ruminant Health & Welfare's (RH&W) bluetongue hotline on 024 7771 0386 for advice. Bluetongue does not affect people or food safety. Side events and exhibits enable participants to focus on climate-related topics Ecns.cn) 14:44, December 05, 2023 A participant engages in an interactive game at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) Side events and exhibits enable participants to network around many different climate-related topics in a dynamic and diverse environment. Photo shows an exhibition area on climate change at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) A participant engages in an interactive game at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) A participant engages in an interactive game at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) Photo shows an exhibition area on climate change at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) Photo shows an exhibition area on climate change at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) A participant engages in an interactive game at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) Photo shows an exhibition area on climate change at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) Photo shows an exhibition area on climate change at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) Participants visit an exhibition on climate change at the Green Zone of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo: China News Service/Han Haidan) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) MPs are calling for a regulatory framework to be introduced by 2035 to focus on preventing soil degradation and contamination across agriculture. The cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) committee says soil health should be put on the same footing as water and air quality. Their new report, released on Tuesday (5 December), examines how the government could turn the tide on soil degradation. In recent years, soil in the UK has become heavily degraded through over-use, erosion, compaction, or pollution. To combat this, MPs who sit on the committee are calling for statutory targets on soil health, alongside the existing water and air quality targets, by 2028. This will need to be underpinned by data, their report says, as well as agreed soil health indicators and widely accepted definitions of sustainable soil management. EFRA emphasises that soil health monitoring must be on a continuous, ongoing basis, not a one-off event, and should be on the same scale as funding for the countrys other critical assets water and air. They also recommend the introduction, by 2035, of a regulatory framework to focus on preventing soil degradation and contamination across various sectors, including construction and planning, as well as agriculture. With soil waste making up 58% of tonnage received by landfills, MPs recommend that these laws should aim to prevent soil waste ending up in landfill. Their report calls on the government to fund the widespread, standardised testing of soil through the UK's post-Brexit Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. An agreed set of metrics of soil health should also be established by 2024, as well as definitions of sustainable farming. EFRA's report goes on to recommend that government should aim "for nearly all farmers and growers (90% or more) to be part of an ELM scheme by 2040". However, the government should make sure that 'sustainable farming is profitable farming', by addressing unsustainable supply chain demands and by ensuring that ELMs pay attractive rates. While the report highlights the importance and the potential of ELMs to improve soil health, it points out that they alone cannot be the whole story. Responding to the report, chair of EFRA, Sir Robert Goodwill, said threats to soil health were in turn threats to Britain's domestic food supply. He said: "Our report says that it is about that time that soil health is considered on an equal footing with these other critical assets. Problems of soil degradation, contamination and soil waste can be addressed through the use of sustainable soil management practices and now is the time for the government to lead on this. ELMs are a good start, but we call on government to make these schemes more ambitious, aiming to get nearly all farmers involved and ensuring that they adopt a variety of sustainable soil management practices across their land. "We also encourage the government to use ELMs to fund the collection of the data we desperately need to understand our soils." MPs will debate whether to amend the Grocery Supply Code of Practice to make it more fairer for farmers, it has been confirmed. Parliament will debate the issue on 22 January 2024 after 100,000 people signed a petition urging retailers and their suppliers to treat British farmers more fairly. An open letter was sent to the CEOs of Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl over two months ago warning that the farming industry was on its knees. Campaigners behind the #GetFairAboutFarming campaign want the UK's largest supermarkets to adopt new principles as a way of spreading fair trade across the industry more widely. The campaign's supporting petition has reached over 100,000 signatures on the parliament.uk website, meaning the threshold has passed for MPs to debate the issue. One of the key asks from the campaign is for the government to amend the Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCP). This would see supermarkets required to buy what they agreed to buy, pay what they agreed to pay, and pay on time, without exception. A Defra response to the petition confirms that parliament will debate the matter on 22 January 2024 and the public will able to watch proceedings online. Defra said: "The government is committed to tackling contractual unfairness that can exist in the agri-food supply chain and Defra is working to support farmers and ensure they get a fair price for their products. "We announced a new review into fairness in the horticulture supply chain building on what we have already got underway to improve transparency and contracts in the pork and dairy markets. "Beginning in December, we will launch a public consultation exploring these issues." Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford Organic who launched the campaign, said there was a clear message being sent to the big six and the government to safeguard the future of British farmers. He said: Despite the encouraging public support, the lack of a mere acknowledgement from the big six is insulting at a time when British agriculture is on its knees. Our countryside is being desecrated because thats the only way you can produce cheap food and farmers in my sector are not being paid fairly. The pressure further increases on supermarkets to act now and avoid having their poor practices exposed to the nation in a debate in parliament. The public can still show their support for the campaign by signing the online petition. New legislation introduced in parliament this week will put an end to the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill delivers on a Conservative Party commitment to ban the export of live animals including cattle, sheep and pigs. The government said animals should only be transported when necessary and, if possible, should not travel long distances to be slaughtered. However, live exports in other specific circumstances, for example, for breeding and competitions, will still be allowed. This is provided animals are transported in line with legal requirements aimed at protecting their welfare. Defra Secretary Steve Barclay said: This Bill makes use of post-Brexit freedoms to strengthen these standards by preventing the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening, which we know causes animals unnecessary stress and injury. The legislation follows a 2020 consultation on ending live animal exports, in which 87% of respondents agreed that livestock should not be exported for slaughter and fattening. But some farming groups have frequently warned that any significant regulatory changes to live exports could potentially have a major impact on the UK food supply chain. The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) has said that a live export ban could 'cut off an essential lifeline' for sheep producers. And the Ruminant Health & Welfare (RH&W) group whose members represent the breadth of the supply chain said Defra must take responsibility for the impact of the ban on businesses. The move has, however, been welcomed by animal rights organisations, with Compassion in World Farming calling it a 'historic moment'. "We urge a speedy passage for this long-awaited measure, to ensure that the export of unweaned calves on journeys often lasting 60 hours or more will finally be banned. "And that a line will be drawn under the practice of sending sheep on journeys that can last many days, simply to be slaughtered on arrival," the group said. It comes after New Zealand banned live exports earlier this year and Australia has committed to phasing out exports. And in April, a Brazilian court banned the export of live cattle from all the country's ports. The last live export to leave the UK was on 31 December 2020. A Code for Countryside Roads is in the pipeline after rural road deaths surge to a four-year high, with over 1,000 people losing their lives last year. The figure is included in a new report showing the disparity between rural and urban road deaths, with fatalities 72% higher in the countryside. In response, NFU Mutual has announced plans for a Code for Countryside Roads to bring together expert knowledge and advice to make rural roads safer. Accidents on rural roads are around four times more likely to result in a fatality, the rural insurer said in its new report released today (5 December). In 2022, an average of one in every 31 accidents (1,017 of 31,395) on rural highways resulted in a death, compared to one in every 120 (593 of 71,151) on urban roads. Nick Turner, chief executive of NFU Mutual, explained that over 1,000 people lost their lives on rural roads last year, with thousands more injured. Rural roads are not only the arteries of the rural economy, but also the gateway to our countryside and a source of enjoyment for millions. Sadly, our analysis shows that, after a few years of decreasing fatalities, rural roads are becoming more deadly again. That is why we are announcing a Code for Countryside Roads, which will take in feedback and advice from experts and groups to provide a clear guide to how people should use rural roads. We invite members of the public and experts to get in touch with us to feed into the Code and hope the document, once published, will help steer a course towards safer rural roads for all road users. A survey conducted in November by NFU Mutual found that one in seven people had been in an accident on a rural road, and one in five admit to being uncomfortable driving on rural roads. Among respondents top concerns about rural road safety were blind corners (63%), narrow roads (53%), impatient drivers (50%) and people breaking the speed limit (47%). In January 2022, the Highway Code was amended to introduce a hierarchy of road users where the greatest responsibility for protecting road users lies with those most likely to cause damage. The value and role of hedges in storing carbon below the ground is being studied as part of a project gathering soil samples from across Wales. Data collection for the second year of the Welsh Soil Project is underway, and this time soil samples will also been taken from land within a metre from field hedges, in addition to within-field samples. The project, which is being spearheaded by the Welsh government funded Farming Connect, is set to provide farmers with important benchmarking data. Dr Non Williams, Farming Connects carbon specialist officer, who is leading the project, said the aim is to compare soil carbon stocks within fields and under woody vegetation. We often get questions from farmers about this, and we hope that the results of this project will provide them with the answers," she said. Estimating the soil carbon levels by hedges will help to highlight their importance for climate change mitigation." So far, over 1,000 samples have been taken from farms across Wales, which is then analysed for organic matter content and bulk density, as well as other measurements. For uniformity, all samples are collected within the same period this autumn and from grass fields including permanent pasture, hay and silage fields, and reseeds. Soil is taken from multiple depths, from the top 10cm layer to a depth of 50cm. Dr Williams said: This project looks at how varying management intensities, along with geographical factors, are impacting soil carbon stocks across Wales." Howden Insurance have set up a Rural Community blog as part of their work on social media to contribute to farmers' efforts in showcasing British farming. Bridging the gap between farm and the consumer is something that lots of farmers are trying to do in an effort to help more people understand the reality of what goes into producing their food. As part of their work on social media to contribute to farmers efforts in showcasing British agriculture, Howden Rural Insurance have setup a Rural Community blog. They are inviting farmers to give their experiences in the industry, sharing their contributions to over 115,000 followers on Instagram. Since starting the blog, Howden Insurance, previously known as A-Plan Rural Insurance, has worked with a great variety of farmers from differing backgrounds and locations all over the UK. In their latest blog, they spoke with Ellie George (@crazy.farming.mum), who runs a mixed farm in Abergavenny, Wales. She shared how her early experiences led to opportunities that started her farming career, the balance she strikes between farming and family life and a typical working day in her shoes. Read the full blog here. Feeding birds is good for the soul. Feeding birds can be a good thing for humans Scientists have analysed the relationship between bird feeding and human wellbeing and have found that both species benefit from the practice. Professor Ashley Dayer, of Virginia Tech in the United States, said: "Wildlife agencies... need to be considering not only what the science is behind what's going on with birds, but also the science behind what's going on with people." She continued: "People are not only reporting what they see at their bird feeders, but also their emotional responses to it. "It's pretty fun because most citizen science projects focus just on the natural or physical science, but we're now able to look at the human piece of it. "People in urban areas can feed birds. People with a wide range of physical abilities can feed birds. So it's just a great way to keep that human connection to wildlife." Two reindeer have been found after escaping a Christmas grotto. Missing reindeer have been located after escaping from a Christmas grotto The Elveden Estate in Suffolk explained that Blue and Blitzen "got spooked and jumped the fence" at the event over the weekend before wandering onto the A11 road. Police were forced to close the road for several hours until the festive animals had moved away - but it took until Monday (04.12.23) to track down the antlered escapees. Elveden's courtyard general manager Denise Sharpe said that the reindeer were finally found on the estate - one of the biggest farms in Britain - and is "happy" that they will be home for Christmas. She told BBC News: "They went for quite a run. We located them last night, but couldn't get close enough to bring them in, and then it became too dark." As we enter December and the countdown to Christmas and the New Year begins, now is the time to start thinking about resolutions. For Britains growing number of wannabe J.K. Rowling, finding a literary agent and publicising their book will be at the top of their 2024 to-do list. But as every budding author knows, neither is quick or easy. To help, Female First has found a great Q&A interview that should speed things up and make life a bit easier for authors. The blog is written by the literary agent Kizzy Thomson and is full of insider tips. It was originally published by Palamedes PR, one of the worlds top book publicists, and with their kind permission weve reproduced it here. Q: What does a literary agent do, and how can they help aspiring authors and publishers in the book industry? Kizzy Thomson (KT): A literary agent serves as a bridge between authors and publishers in the book industry. They play a pivotal role in discovering and nurturing literary talent, helping authors refine their manuscripts, and securing book deals with publishers. Literary agents provide valuable guidance on market trends, manuscript editing, and contract negotiations. They are advocates for their clients, working to maximise their opportunities and income in the publishing world. For aspiring authors, literary agents provide expertise, industry connections, and a better chance at getting published. Q: Is there still such a thing as a slush pile, and if so, what is it, and how does it work in traditional publishing? KT: Yes, the dreaded slush pile still exists in traditional publishing. It refers to the unsolicited manuscripts that publishers receive from aspiring authors. These manuscripts are typically unsolicited, meaning they arent submitted through a literary agent. In traditional publishing, junior staff or interns often review the slush pile submissions to find hidden gems. However, the vast majority of manuscripts from the slush pile are rejected, as the competition is fierce. Literary agents help authors bypass the slush pile by submitting their work directly to publishers, increasing the chances of getting noticed. Q: How do literary agents decide which manuscripts to represent, and what criteria do they use to evaluate potential clients? KT: We evaluate manuscripts based on several criteria, including writing quality, marketability, uniqueness, commerciality, and the authors existing marketing efforts. Lit agents look for compelling storytelling, well-developed characters, and a strong narrative voice. Market potential is crucial, so agents consider whether the book fits current trends or has a unique angle. An authors platform, including their social media presence, media coverage, and speaking engagements, also factors in. Agents often seek authors with the potential for long-term success so authors whose books could be developed into a series or, better, adapted for TV or the big screen, are prized assets. Q: What qualities or elements make a manuscript more attractive to publishers and increase its chances of getting a book deal? KT: Publishers are attracted to manuscripts that are well-written, original, and have a clear target audience. A unique concept or fresh perspective can set a manuscript apart. Additionally, a strong author platform and a well-crafted query letter can enhance an authors chances of getting noticed. Meeting genre and market trends, while still offering a fresh take, is also important. Q: Can you explain the process of selling a manuscript to a publisher? What steps are involved, from submission to signing a contract? KT: It varies from publisher to publisher but the process typically involves these same steps: Query/Pitch: The authors literary agent submits a query letter and sometimes sample chapters to publishers who might be interested. Well have a good idea about what publishers will be interested because we speak to (and often meet) commissioning editors at least once a year to find out what theyre hoping to find for the year or years ahead. The initial pitch, which may be formal or informal depending on the agents relationship with the recipient commissioning editor, is really important because it serves to pique interest. Submission: If a publisher is interested, they request the full manuscript. Review: Editors and other staff, including marketing teams, read and evaluate the manuscript. Offer: If a publisher is interested, they make an offer, which includes advance payment (if any), royalties, and contract terms. Negotiation: The literary agent negotiates the contract terms on behalf of the author. This can be a quick or painfully slow process depending on the authors expectations. Signing: Once both parties agree on the terms, the author signs the publishing contract. Editorial Process: The author works with an editor (or editors) to refine the manuscript and may also have a part to play in the books cover design. Q: What are the key factors that influence a literary agents decision to take on a new author or manuscript? KT: The key factors include the quality of the writing, market potential, the authors platform, and the manuscripts uniqueness. Agents also consider whether the author is a good fit for their agency and if they have the potential for a successful long-term career. The majority of agents specialise in (or at least prefer dealing with) a finite number of genres in my case mostly non-fiction in the areas of business, self-help and personal development and inspirational memoirs and wont accept new authors outside of these genres unless their work is extra special or they know it can be sold quickly. Q: How do literary agents typically handle rejection from publishers, and what strategies do they employ to navigate setbacks? KT: Rejection is a common part of the publishing process for authors and for us agents! Literary agents provide emotional support to authors and offer constructive feedback to improve the manuscript. They may also reevaluate submission strategies or consider alternative publishers. Persistence and a focus on the long-term goals are essential. Thick skin comes in handy, too! Q: Are there specific genres or types of books that are currently in high demand in the publishing market, and how do agents stay informed about these trends? KT: Agents stay informed about market trends through industry publications, attending conferences, networking with publishers and editors, and monitoring bestseller lists. While trends can shift, genres like thrillers, romance, and diverse voices often remain popular. However, the market is diverse, and unique voices can find success in various genres. Conversations with commissioners ensure that we have a pretty good idea what publishers are looking for what types of book. Q: What are the common pitfalls or mistakes that authors make when seeking representation from a literary agent, and how can they avoid them? KT: Common pitfalls include submitting unfinished manuscripts, not researching the right agents, and submitting to agents who dont represent their genre. To avoid these, authors should complete their manuscripts, research agents carefully, and tailor query letters to each agents specific interests. Aside from these mistakes, many new authors write their books for such a wide audience that, in the end, they appeal to no one. Focusing on a specific target audience and writing in a blinkered way to appeal to those people are really important. Q: Could you explain the role of a literary agent in negotiating book deals, including advances, royalties, and other contract terms? And what about TV rights? A literary agent plays a crucial role as the authors representative throughout the negotiation process and the deal-making phase. Our initial objective is to secure an offer from a publisher, and once weve achieved that, we work closely with the publisher to enhance the offer in any way possible. This includes negotiations related to TV rights and subsidiary rights. We address these matters before delving into the contract stage. After ensuring that the author is content with the terms, literary agents then focus on making sure that the contracts are robust and provide the maximum benefit and protection for the author. Once the agreement is signed, the literary agent steps back from the process. Subsidiary rights, as mentioned earlier, refer to the rights that allow for the sale of an authors work on their behalf. If an author doesnt retain rights related to TV, radio, or any form of dramatization, the publisher typically offers a royalty split. For instance, a common arrangement is a 50-50 split for TV or film rights. However, its usually advisable for the author to specify which rights they wish to retain. Its in the authors best interest to hold on to any rights that the publisher does not plan to utilize or sell, as this will minimize the agents fee from the total income generated by these rights. Sometimes, the agent will actively pursue subsidiary rights, depending on the authors trajectory and the potential for their work to be adapted into TV or film. Often, it makes sense to wait until the book has been published and the authors platform is still growing before exploring these opportunities. Additionally, someone in the industry might facilitate introductions to TV or film companies, especially after the author has signed a worldwide deal with a publisher. The likelihood of TV companies expressing interest and making offers may depend on how the book is performing and its sales figures. The advance offered to an author typically depends on the number of offers they receive. More offers often result in a higher advance. If the agent conveys that the author wrote the book with a specific publisher in mind, there may be limited room for negotiation, leading to a smaller advance. Advances are essentially upfront payments against future royalties and serve as a way to compensate the author for their time, particularly in non-fiction writing. Advances for authors, unless they are celebrities or tackling a highly popular topic, generally range from a couple of thousand dollars upward to five figures, and they are considered on a case-by-case basis. Authors are not typically required to repay the advance if the publisher fails to sell the books. This risk is assumed by the publishers, and the advance may only need to be repaid if there is a contractual breach or the author fails to deliver the manuscript, although such situations are rare. Regarding royalty rates, agents typically prefer to see a hardback book start with a royalty rate of around 12 percent, while a paperback might start at 10 percent. In the ebook industry, the standard royalty rate is around 25 percent, and this rate is less likely to change unless an author is selling a significant number of copies or has considerable leverage with multiple publishing offers. For in-house audio rights, the starting royalty rate is generally around 20 percent, but this can vary depending on the specific circumstances of the deal. Q: What is the typical timeline from signing with a literary agent to the publication of a book, and how much input does an agent have in the editorial process? KT: The timeline varies but can range from one to several years. The agents input in the editorial process depends on the publisher and authors needs and the publishers process. Some authors especially seasoned ones require extensive editing, while others need minimal changes. Literary agent Kizzy Thomson Q: Are there differences in how literary agents work with established authors versus debut authors, and what can new authors expect when they first start working with an agent? KT: Agents tailor their approach to each authors needs. Established authors may have different goals and contract terms than debut authors. New authors can expect guidance on manuscript development, career strategy, and navigating the publishing industry. Authors and lit agents invariably become quite close given the time and frequency they correspond. Many author-agent relationships last a lifetime and the pitching and sales process gets easier and easier over time. Q: How do literary agents approach the task of finding the right publisher for a manuscript? Does the agent deal with one commissioning editor or with many? And do literary agents send a manuscript to numerous publishers at the same time on what amounts to a first come, first serve basis? KT: Agents have industry connections and knowledge to target the right publishers and editors for a manuscript. They often submit to multiple publishers simultaneously to increase the chances of securing a deal. The process involves working with various commissioning editors at different publishing houses. Q: Can you provide insights into the current state of the publishing industry and how it has evolved in recent years, especially in terms of digital publishing and self-publishing? Is there still a need for agents, for example? KT: The publishing industry has evolved with digital and self-publishing options, but traditional publishing remains strong. Agents are still valuable because they offer expertise, industry connections, and negotiation skills that authors may lack. I cant see the role of an agent changing hugely until such a time that major publishers stop using us. Such disruption, however, is unlikely because we act as helpful gatekeepers. And without us, the slush pile would be enormous and sorting through it to find a diamond in the rough would be untenable. Q: What are some strategies authors can use to build their platform and increase their chances of attracting the attention of literary agents and publishers? KT: Authors can build their platform by actively engaging on social media, blogging, attending writing conferences, and networking with other authors. Publishing short stories or articles can also help establish credibility. The best book PR agencies like Palamedes offer pre-publication marketing, which is invaluable. Q: What is the typical commission structure for literary agents, and how do they get compensated for their services? KT: Agents typically earn a commission of around 15% on an authors earnings, including on any advances and royalties. They receive this commission when the author gets paid by the publisher. That may sound a lot but remember that agents dont get paid at all in advance (or, at least, reputable ones dont) and the amount of time and resources that go into each project are considerable. Even a 15% commission doesnt always cover that unless the book happens to sell really well, so theres a lot of risk and trust on our part. Q: Do bestselling and celebrity authors have the veto over their book cover designs and book content, or do they like everyone else have to accept that the publishers word is final? KT: Bestselling and celebrity authors often have more influence in cover design and content decisions, but ultimately, it depends on the contract and publisher. While they may have input, the publishers final decision is usually binding. Q: Are there ever any instances of bidding rights where multiple publishers will vie to get a deal? KT: Yes, bidding wars can occur when multiple publishers are interested in a manuscript. This competition can drive up advances and lead to more favourable contract terms for the author. Q: How does someone actually become a literary agent? And how would a new agent go about finding who to speak to in mainstream publishers? KT: Becoming a literary agent typically involves gaining experience in the publishing industry, developing a network of contacts, and building a deep knowledge of the book market. Many agents start as interns or assistants in literary agencies or publishing houses. Networking at industry events and joining professional can help new agents connect with publishers and authors. Building a strong list of authors and successfully negotiating book deals will further establish their reputation in the industry. For the most part, being a literary agent is entirely non-glamourous and involves, as youd imagine, countless hours delving through piles of submissions. Having contacts in the TV and marketing industry, like Palamedes, can help in this process because we also rely on personal connections and professional nudges to alert us to potential gems. Q: And finally, are literary agents and publishers open to accepting books that have previously been self-published? KT: This is an interesting question. In most cases, literary agents and publishers prefer not to accept books that have been self-published before. The main reason for this is that they typically prefer to work with fresh and new book launches. However, there are exceptions. If a self-published book has already been selling exceptionally well, with millions of copies sold, they may consider rebranding and republishing it. One of the first things theyll look at when considering a self-published book is the number of copies sold and whether theres a clear benefit to republishing it. They also assess whether the author has a substantial platform and if they can effectively sell these books. In the past, Ive represented self-published titles from authors who wanted to transition to mainstream publishing, but nowadays, the standards are much higher. My advice is to avoid self-publishing until youve explored the possibility of reaching out to literary agents and traditional publishers. These days, they tend to work with authors who have a significant following or are experts in their field, are addressing trending topics, or filling a gap in the market. It all comes down to having an engaged audience and a substantial following. For instance, if youre writing about a specialized topic like intergenerational trauma, publishers might consider an author who is recognized as an expert in the field, even if they dont have the largest platform. Expertise often outweighs platform size at this stage. Ive had authors who were experts and received praise for their work but lacked a substantial platform, and publishers were hesitant. Definitely explore your options with literary agents, and dont forget to consider smaller indie publishers who may accept unsolicited submissions. Many of them will have information on their websites about their submission guidelines. A great resource for authors is the Writers and Artists Yearbook, which contains valuable information on literary agencies, agents, and publishing agreements. In your approach to agents and publishers, focus on creating a strong proposal that clearly demonstrates the market need for your book, why youre writing it, and the potential platform you can build (or already have). A strong platform often means having thousands of followers, rather than just hundreds. Ive worked with a successful businesswoman who had around 5,000 followers on Instagram, a few thousand on Facebook, and a substantial LinkedIn network, but publishers were cautious because they didnt see her platform as sufficient for the current market. However, when an author has 30, 50, or 100 thousand followers, its a different story. You need to show your status and profile regarding the topic youre addressing. If your self-published book hasnt sold well, there might still be a chance for a traditional publisher to pick it up. This would depend on the subject matter being particularly relevant (zeitgeisty) and if the author has a platform that can serve as a strong launching point, which can be further expanded through their network. In such cases, publishers may take the self-published version offline and relaunch a new version. The key takeaway is that having a strong platform is crucial in todays publishing landscape. by Matt Shine for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Jamie Spears has reportedly had his leg amputated. Jamie Spears has had his leg amputated, according to insiders The 71-year-old father of pop superstar Britney Spears - with whom he has become estranged in recent years following the termination of a conservatorship agreement, which had given him control over his daughter's fortune and career - ended up "in a special infectious disease facility" in October after falling ill but now insiders have claimed that multiple surgeries were unsuccessful and he has had to lose his leg. The insider told TMZ: "Jamie had a massive infection in one of his legs that landed him in a hospital for weeks. He had five unsuccessful surgeries to contain the infection, and doctors decided the only way to proceed was amputation." The outlet went on to add that the 'Lucky' hitmaker has "softened toward her dad recently" and has even talked about the idea of sending money to help him out. Insiders also added that Jamie wants "nothing more than a reconciliation with his daughter, and harbors no ill will" towards her. The news comes just days after the '...Baby One More Time' hitmaker celebrated her 42nd birthday with her mother Lynne Spears - with whom she had also become estranged over the last few years - as well as her elder brother Bryan. A source said: "Being together and celebrating her birthday was a really nice moment for the family." However, there was some drama at the party, as Britney was forced to leave early in order to rush her dog to the vet, according to TMZ. Britney was then spotted dashing to a nearby gas station, in a picture obtained bythe outlet. . Britney later returned to the veterinary clinic and took to Instagram to reassure her fans that Snow, her Maltese pooch, was fine. She wrote: "Don't worry about Snow she's fine. I went to the emergency vet in the middle of the night with [friend and manager] Cade [Hudson]'s shoes and clothes in a hurry. Elon Musk has slammed Paris Hilton for pulling her kitchenware adverts from X. Elon Musk has slammed Paris Hilton for pulling her kitchenware adverts from X The 52-year-old Tesla boss kicked off a feud with the heiress-turned-entrepreneur after she took down her Be an Icon promotions from the social media platform amid concerns over its anti-semitic content. Elon wrote on X, which he bought when it was branded Twitter in October 2022 for $44 billion: The ad campaign wasnt super convincing tbh. I dont think Paris cooks a lot. In October, Xs CEO Linda Yaccarino announced a partnership between the platform and Paris 11:11 Media firm. But the heiress ended it after Elon seemingly endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory last month. Other companies including Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Comcast, Lionsgate and IBM also pulled ads due to his online activity. Elon recently apologized for his post, but also abused advertisers for leaving the platform. He said in November at the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York: I dont want them to advertise. If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money (go away.) Is that clear? Hey (Disney CEO) Bob (Iger), if youre in the audience, thats how I feel. Paris has continued to promote her kitchenware line, which includes pink utensils, pans and tea pots emblazoned with her Thats Hot catchphrase, on Xs rival sites Instagram and TikTok. The heiress, who hosts her culinary series Cooking with Paris on Netflix has yet to publicly respond to Elons remarks, including his assertion that she is incapable in the kitchen. Paris said about her kitchenware venture in an interview with Eater in November: Looking at all the kitchenware available online and in stores, I just noticed it was so boring and not fun. I didnt really see any pink. I just saw rusty, like, silver and boring colours. It seemed like there was something missing. I wanted to elevate peoples kitchens and make it more fun for them to cook. I want everyone to feel like an icon, even in the kitchen. Everyone should feel iconic no matter where they are. Ozzy Osbourne had a "low-key" 75th birthday with his family. Ozzy Osbourne's 75th birthday gathering The 'Dreamer' hitmaker was surrounded by his children and grandchildren on his special day on Sunday (03.12.23), with daughter Kelly Osbourne sharing how the rocker spent his birthday. The 39-year-old presenter posted a rare and sweet family portrait of her baby boy, Sidney, 12 months, sitting on grandfather Ozzy's lap as she and partner Sid Wilson, 46, stood alongside the rest of the Osbourne family. Kelly wrote alongside a snap of the family: Yesterday was my Daddas birthday although we kept it low key we had the best time. We are always the best versions of ourselves when we are together. I love my family so much it hurts. Dad you are the other pea in my pod. I love you to the moon and back. Ozzy's wife Sharon, 71, was next to her son Jack Osbourne, 38, his wife, Aree Gearhart, 40, and their brood - Pearl, 10, Andy Rose, seven, Minnie, five, and Maple Artemis, 16 months. The heavy metal icons latest birthday milestone comes after the former Black Sabbath frontman recently admitted he believes he's only got, "at best, another decade left after battling poor health. He was quoted by The Sun as saying: I dont fear dying, but I dont want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to Switzerland and get it done quickly. I saw my father die of cancer. I said to Sharon that Id smoked a joint recently and she said, What are you doing that for? Itll kill you! I said, How long do you want me to live for? At best, Ive got 10 years left and, when youre older, time picks up speed. Me and Sharon had our 41st wedding anniversary recently and thats just unbelievable to me. Ozzy is retiring from the road as he continues to battle a rare but mild form of Parkinsons. But he said it is surgeries following a fall in 2019 that have resulted in his biggest health fights. An accident dislodged metal rods that had been inserted into his back after a quad bike accident at his home in Buckinghamshire, south-east England, in 2003, and earlier this year, the rocker underwent spinal surgery for a fourth time in a bid to repair another operation where a tumour was also discovered. He told Rolling Stone UK magazine: The second surgery went drastically wrong and virtually left me crippled. I thought Id be up and running after the second and third, but with the last one they put a rod in my spine. They found a tumour in one of the vertebrae, so they had to dig all that out too. Its pretty rough, man, and my balance is (messed) up. Susan Sarandon has been dropped by a production company amid her anti-Semitism row. Susan Sarandon has been dropped by a production company amid her anti-Semitism row The 77-year-old was cast to appear in PTO Films short movie Slipping Away a thriller about a schizophrenic man who struggles with his own psychosis and his wifes extramarital affair was ditched from a film project being run by the firm after she stunned her industry and fans by spending the past few weeks raging against Israel. She has most recently been under fire for her latest outburst in the wake of the October 7 massacre by Hamas for saying Jews are getting a taste of how it feels to be Muslim in America. David Barroso, co-founder of the indie movie production company PTO Films, told Page Six: As a company, PTO Films would like to make it clear that Susan Sarandons views do not reflect the opinions of our organisation. We were considering her for a short film, but due to her recent statements, we have decided to pursue other options. Susan had been set to play Dr Sylvia Mansfield in Slipping Away, with the film appearing in her upcoming projects list on IMDB under the pre-production list. Susan has also been dropped from her UTA agency as several staffers are said to have been extremely hurt by her comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict. A UTA spokesperson told Page Six the business is no longer representing the star, who has been a client of the agency since 2014 and whose beloved movies include Thelma and Louise. Susan made her controversial comment about Jews getting a taste of how it feels to be Muslim in America after she attended a string of rallies in New York tackling the Israel-Hamas conflict during which she also 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. Bangladeshs exports increased by 27 per cent in November this year to $4.78 billion compared to October amid higher demand for clothing in the Western markets due to onset of the festive season. The figure was a drop of 6.05 per cent year on year (YoY). Apparel exports were worth $4.05 billion in November, 28 per cent higher than October's $3.16 billion, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data released recently. Bangladesh's exports rose by 27 per cent in November to $4.78 billion compared to October amid higher demand for clothing in the Western markets due to onset of the festive season. The figure was a drop of 6.05 per cent year on year (YoY). Apparel exports were worth $4.05 billion in November, 28 per cent higher than October's $3.16 billion. Central bank figures show a 2.4 per cent fall in remittance inflow in November than the previous month. The reasons for lower export earnings this year in the garment sector compared to the same period last year are slowdown in global apparel demand, a fall in unit price and a disruption in production due to workers unrest in November, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Faruque Hassan was quoted as saying by a domestic newspaper. The trend of higher exports is expected to continue in the coming months as the peak sales season in Europe and America will run till January end. The overall export earnings in October this year were $3.76 billiona 26-month low. Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) executive president Mohammad Hatem is hopeful of a positive trend in businesses by next year if the political situation does not worsen. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) German exports in October 2023 experienced a marginal decline of 0.2 per cent, while imports saw a more significant drop of 1.2 per cent compared with September 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). The data, adjusted for calendar and seasonal variations, also highlighted a substantial year-over-year (YoY) decrease, with exports and imports falling by 8.1 per cent and 16.3 per cent, respectively, compared to October 2022. The total value of exported goods in October 2023 reached 126.4 billion, and imported goods amounted to 108.6 billion. This resulted in a foreign trade surplus of 17.8 billion for October, slightly up from September 2023's adjusted surplus of 16.7 billion and a significant increase from the 7.8 billion in October 2022. Trade within the European Union (EU) showed a decline, with exports to EU member states totalling 67.9 billion and imports at 56.9 billion. Both figures represent a decrease from September 2023, with exports and imports dropping by 2.7 per cent and 2.8 per cent, respectively. Exports to euro area countries decreased by 1.9 per cent to 47.8 billion, and imports from these countries also fell by 1.9 per cent to 38 billion. Trade with EU countries outside the euro area saw a sharper decline, with exports and imports decreasing by 4.4 per cent and 4.6 per cent, respectively, as per Destatis. In October 2023, German exports slightly declined by 0.2 per cent, and imports decreased by 1.2 per cent from September. Compared to October 2022, there was a significant drop of 8.1 per cent in exports and 16.3 per cent in imports. Despite these declines, Germany's trade surplus grew, reaching 18.1 billion, a notable increase from the previous year. In contrast, trade with non-EU countries (third countries) indicated a positive trend. Exports to these countries rose by 2.9 per cent to 58.5 billion, while imports increased by 0.8 per cent to 51.8 billion. The US was the top destination for German exports, which surged by 5.7 per cent to 13.5 billion. Exports to China and the UK also saw increases of 1.5 per cent and 5.6 per cent, respectively. However, imports from China, the largest source of German imports, decreased by 2.4 per cent to 12.7 billion. Imports from the US and the UK showed mixed results, with a rise in imports from the US by 2.2 per cent and a substantial decline from the UK by 15.1 per cent. Trade with Russia continued to decline, with exports decreasing by 5.0 per cent to 0.6 billion and imports increasing by 6.6 per cent to 0.2 billion. YoY, exports to Russia plummeted by 40.5 per cent, and imports were down by 88.5 per cent. On a non-adjusted basis, Germany's exports in October 2023 were valued at 130.8 billion and imports at 112.7 billion, marking a decrease of 5.0 per cent in exports and 14.4 per cent in imports compared with October 2022. The unadjusted foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 18.1 billion, up from 6.1 billion in the same month last year. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP) India's newest crush, Triptii Dimri, has swept the nation off its feet with her mesmerizing performance as Zoya in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's recent release, 'Animal.' The versatile actor, renowned for her impactful roles in films like 'Bulbul' and 'Qala,' is garnering widespread acclaim for her brief yet captivating appearance in the film, especially for her enchanting chemistry with co-star Ranbir Kapoor. Dimri's on-screen charisma is nothing short of magical, leaving audiences yearning for more. Dimri's portrayal of Zoya in 'Animal' marks a turning point in the narrative, showcasing her versatility and acting prowess. Fans eagerly anticipate future collaborations between Dimri and Kapoor, hoping for more on-screen magic. Social media is buzzing with praise for Triptii Dimri, with netizens expressing their admiration for her portrayal of Zoya and her sizzling on-screen chemistry with Ranbir Kapoor. One user on X wrote, "Watched Tripti Dimri onscreen for the 1st time in Animal. Amazingly sensual & angelic. Scorching chemistry with #RanbirKapoor. We'd like to see you both, and you in general as well, more often." The internet is flooded with memes, tweets, and posts declaring Triptii Dimri as the latest crush of India. Her pictures from the grand premiere of 'Animal' have gone viral. Social media reactions: How many of you are crushing on Tripti Dimri? How many of you are crushing on Tripti Dimri? pic.twitter.com/jHCPtOJciQ RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) December 3, 2023 Tripti Dimri looks stunning and acts so bloody good.... And I have a lil crush update now Tripti Dimri looks stunning and acts so bloody good.... And I have a lil crush update now pic.twitter.com/blqkEi3P8p (@jovialbeing_) November 26, 2023 #AnimalTheMovie The kind of love Tripti Dimri is receiving after #AnimalTheMovie is next to none. She is loaded with many Telugu offers, her Instagram followers have doubled, and she's on track to become the new national crush #AnimalTheMovie The kind of love Tripti Dimri is receiving after #AnimalTheMovie is next to none. She is loaded with many Telugu offers, her Instagram followers have doubled, and she's on track to become the new national crush pic.twitter.com/bRyt4z2T6N Exploretheworld (@Exposetheduniya) December 4, 2023 If small role big impact had a face Triptii Dimri's popularity is on the rise, and her fans have more to look forward to. The actor is set to grace the screen in Raaj Shaandilyaa's 'Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video' and Anand Tiwari's 'Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam,' promising audiences even more memorable performances in the near future. As the nation continues to crush on Triptii Dimri, she stands poised for a bright and successful career in the world of Indian cinema. Fans often dream of meeting their favorite celebrities, and for one ardent fan of Shraddha Kapoor, that dream became a reality not once, but twice. The most loved actress, known for her down-to-earth nature and warm interactions with her fans, recently made one of her admirers feel like she was meeting an old friend. Shraddha Kapoor, currently immersed in the shooting of the highly anticipated movie 'Stree 2' in Chanderi, received a delightful surprise when Palak Jain, a devoted fan, traveled all the way to meet her. Despite the busy schedule, Shraddha graciously took the time to meet Palak during her free moments, going above and beyond by chatting with her and even capturing the precious moments in photographs. In a heartfelt social media post, Palak shared her experience, expressing admiration for Shraddha's humility and genuine demeanor. "It was nice to meet Shraddha Kapoor again. She is the most humble person in the world. She doesn't have the attitude of being a big actress. She is a down-to-earth person. Her behavior is very good. She has a very simple personality. She loves her fans very much. I felt as if I was meeting an old friend of mine," Palak wrote, underlining the unique connection she felt with the star. The fan's appreciation for Shraddha's approachability and simplicity continued, emphasizing that despite the actress's fame, meeting her didn't feel like encountering a celebrity but rather reconnecting with a familiar friend. Palak cherished the moments, stating, "These were very precious moments for me." Interestingly, this wasn't the first encounter between Palak and Shraddha. During their previous meeting, the actress not only wiped away Palak's tears but also extended kindness by offering her a glass of water and engaging in a heartfelt conversation. Shraddha's genuine care for her fans creates an emotional bond that goes beyond the typical fan-celebrity relationship. Shraddha's ability to connect with her fans on a personal level showcases her character both on and off the screen. Her warm interactions, humility, and genuine affection for her admirers set her apart in the world of glamour. As she continues to captivate hearts with her on-screen performances and delightful off-screen moments, Shraddha remains not just a Bollywood star but a true friend to those who admire her. Renji Panicker's Ban Lifted: Renowned figure in the film industry, actor, scriptwriter, and director Renji Panicker, has had his ban lifted by the Kerala Film Exhibitors United Organisation (FEUOK). Abraham Ozler Update: Mammootty's Cameo In Jayaram Starrer Promises Surprises, Set To Steal The Spotlight The ban was imposed due to unpaid dues by the production and distribution company associated with Renji Panicker, causing financial strain on theatre owners. Renji Panicker has assured that these outstanding amounts will be settled through installments, as confirmed by FEUOK President K. Vijayakumar. FEUOK had highlighted an outstanding advance of Rs 30 lakhs for a film distributed seven years ago, which remained unpaid. Consequently, FEUOK had taken the stance of not releasing Renji Panicker's new film, 'A Ranjit Cinema.' Yesterday, the theater owners unanimously decided to refrain from screening any films associated with Renji Panicker, including those produced or collaborated upon by him. With the resolution of the issue, FEUOK has now agreed to screen 'A Ranjit Cinema' in theatres starting on December 8. This development follows a previous ban imposed on Renji Panicker in April, where FEUOK restricted the release of any films involving him. Despite this ban, the movie 'Section 306 IPC,' featuring Renji Panicker, proceeded with its release on April 8, disregarding the enforced restriction. Renji Panicker: Journalist Turned Scriptwriter, Director, And Actor Renji Panicker commenced his professional journey as a journalist, starting out as a reporter for various magazines and publications. While at Chithrabhumi, a film magazine, he crossed paths with director Shaji Kailas. Their collaboration led Renji to script numerous successful films for Kailas, such as "Dr. Pasupathy" (1990), "Thalastaanam" (1992), "Sthalathe Pradhana Payyans" (1993), "Ekalavyan" (1993), "Mafia" (1993), "Commissioner" (1994), and "The King" (1995). This dynamic partnership significantly propelled actor Suresh Gopi's career during the early 1990s. Renji Panicker also established a notable collaboration with director Joshiy, contributing to films like "Lelam" (1997) and "Pathram" (1999). Transitioning into film direction, he helmed two projects and now holds a managerial role at the Malayalam newspaper Metrovaartha. Firoz Khan And Sajna's Divorce: Is Shiyas The Reason Behind Separation? Sajna Opens Up While making cameo appearances in his own creations, Renji gained prominence as an actor, particularly for his role in "Ohm Shanthi Oshaana" (2014). His acting prowess shone in movies like "Njaan" (2014), "Premam" (2015), "Jacobinte Swargarajyam" (2016), "Thoppil Joppan" (2016), "Alamara" (2017), "Godha" (2017), and "Bhayanakam" (2018). Bigg Boss Tamil 7 has been witnessing some mind-boggling twists these days which has managed to keep everyone intrigued. The popular reality show, which was hosted by legendary actor Kamal Haasan, has come up with an interesting ensemble of contestants. Each episode has been spicing up things in the house and while the show has entered the tenth week, the fight to survive in the house is getting intense. Amid this, this week's nomination has also got everyone brimming with an opinion. To note, this week Manichandra, VJ Archana, Dinesh Gopalasamy, Nixen, Vichithra have been nominated for elimination and the audience is voting in large numbers to save their favourite contestants. Needless to say, everyone is wondering about who will be getting eliminated from Bigg Boss Tamil 7 this week. According to the recent voting trends, VJ Archana has been leading the voting trends with maximum votes in her favour. Amid this, there are reports about Vichithra being in the danger zone this week on Bigg Boss Tamil 7. As per a tweet shared by Imadh on micro-blogging site Twitter (now X), he wrote, "By seeing the nomination list and as per social media reports, I strongly feel #Vichitra could be in hot seat at this weekend. Vote wisely". To note, while no official announcement has been made in this regard so far, his tweet has sparked reports about Vichithra's elimination and the netizens are hoping she escapes the eviction this week. A Twitter user wrote, "Why is Mani in the house ? I hope they do not send Vichitra. Disappointing if that happens". Another user tweeted, "Vichitra. ..one of the strongest player... Shocking...I want her to be in top 5". By seeing the nomination list and as per social media reports, I strongly feel #Vichitra could be in hot seat at this weekend. Vote wisely#biggbosstamil #biggbosstamil7 Imadh (@MSimath) December 4, 2023 Meanwhile, Vichithra made the headlines recently as she opened up about her casting couch experience which made her quit acting two decades ago. She recalled the worst casting couch experience which took place in 2000 while she was shooting for a film in Malampuzha wherein the actor of the film asked him to visit his room. She also recalled how men working on the film used to bang on her door after getting drunk. "I could still remember the noise. I was disheartened and was thinking how to deal with this. I used to tell the hotel guys not to connect calls to my hotel. My now-husband, who was not even my friend back then, asked me if I was dealing with something and if he could help. I told him to change my room. He and his team managed to change my room everyday without letting the team know. I don't how they managed and they tried to help me. The men used to go bang on other doors thinking I was there. One day, the men lost their patience and wanted to teach me a lesson," Vichithra was quoted saying. Dinesh Phadnis aka Fredericks C.I.D Costars Mourn His Loss: It's a sombre day for the Hindi television industry, and fans of Sony's popular investigative daily soap C.I.D., as well-known actor Dinesh Phadnis, known for playing funny and innocent CID officer Fredericks on the show along with Shivaji Satam and Aditya Shrivastava, is no more. Phadnis passed away at midnight on Tuesday, December 5, owing to multiple organ failure at Mumbai's Tunga Hospital, where he was receiving treatment. Confirming the same to Indian Express, his co-star Dayanand Shetty said, "Dinesh breathed his last at 12.08 am." The actor's last rites will be performed at Daulat Nagar Crematorium, Borivali East. And now, mourning his loss, Dinesh Phadnis, C.I.D., costar took to social media to express their grief. C.I.D costars mourn Dinesh Phadnis death Earlier last week, it was reported that Dinesh suffered a heart attack, but Dayanand Shetty cleared the rumours and informed the media that he was suffering from liver damage. The 57-year-old actor's death has come as a shock for the entire C.I.D team. CIDs Fredericks aka Dinesh Phadnis Passes Away At 57 The bond shared between the team is quite known to all. Actress Shraddha Musale, who played Dr Tarika in the serial, took to her Instagram and shared a photo with Dinesh and wrote, "We will miss you Freddy sir." Ansha Sayed, who played the role of Purvi, also dropped a pic of the late actor and wrote, "RIP sir." Hrishikesh Pandey shared a clip from the show and wrote, "can't believe it lost a family member." Others, including Vivek V. Mashru, Janvi Chheda, and Vaishnavi Dhanraj, also shared a Phadnis pic on their Instagram Stories along with a broken heart emoji. Talking about his illness, Dayanand Shetty, who played the character of Daya in CID, said, "Firstly, it wasn't a heart attack, it was liver damage, because of which he was immediately rushed to Tunga Hospital, Malad. For the last two days, he has been very critical. Today morning (Sunday) also I've learned that there's no major improvement. We're hoping he gets better soon." He added, "Dinesh was getting treated for some other ailment but the medication affected his liver adversely. That's why it is always recommended to take medicines very carefully. You never know when the medicine that one is taking to treat something can cause another major ailment. One should be very careful regarding allopathic medicines." CID's Fredericks Aka Dinesh Phadnis Suffers Heart Attack. Actor Hospitalised, On Ventilator Support Our heartfelt condolences to the family. The telly world broke up to a heartbreaking news on December 5, actor Dinesh Phadnis passes away this morning. He was 57. For the uninitiated, Dinesh was best known for his role of Fredericks in Sony TV's iconic show CID which featured Shivaji Satam in the lead as ACP Pradayuman. According to media reports, Dinesh died of multiple organ failure in a hospital in Mumbai. For the uninitiated, Dinesh wasn't keeping well for a while and was reportedly on ventilator support for a couple of days. The news of Dinesh's unfortunate demise was confirmed by his CID co-star Dayanand Shetty who told the ETimesTV, "Yes, it's true he is no more. It happened around 12:08 am. I am at his residence right now. His last rites will be conducted today at the Daulat Nagar crematorium. Almost everyone from the CID is present right now". According to media reports, Dinesh was batted against live damage for a while now. In fact, there have been reports about Dinesh suffering a heart attack during the weekend following which he was put on ventilator. However, Dayanand Shetty rubbished the rumours and said that while Dinesh was critical, he didn't suffer a heart attack. Talking to IndianExpress.com, Dayanand stated, "Dinesh Phadnis is hospitalised and on a ventilator, doctors are observing him. He has not suffered a heart attack, it is a different treatment and I wouldn't like to comment on it". Meanwhile on the work front, Dinesh became a household name with his stint in CID wherein Shivaji Satam played the role ACP Pradayuman, Dayanand was seen as Daya and Aditya Srivastav played the role of Abhijeet. The show went on air in 1998 and pulled its curtains down in November 2018. Besides, Dinesh was also seen doing a cameo in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah along with movies like Sarfarosh and Super 30. As the saying goes, "One doesn't decide to visit God's abode; it's the divine call that beckons!" And it seems God has bestowed favor upon none other than actor Romanch Mehta. Renowned for his roles in 'Kulfi Kumar Bajewala' and 'Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq Sey,' Romanch recently embarked on a spiritual journey to the Vaishno Devi temple and the Golden Temple to seek blessings ahead of a new beginning. Yes, you guessed it right! The actor is all set to begin shooting for a new project, and just before that he decided to seek God's blessings. While details of his new project are not yet revealed, it is speculated that Romanch is again returning to TV after his OTT stint. He might be seen in an upcoming show on a popular GEC channel. Opening up about the same, Romanch shared, "Before diving into my new project, I took some time to connect with the divine at Vaishno Devi and the Golden Temple. It was more than asking for blessings; it was about starting my journey with faith and humility. I believe that beginning with God's grace makes everything better. In those quiet moments of prayer, I feel strong and sure about facing the unknown. It's not just a routine; it's like having a heartfelt talk with the universe, understanding that there's something bigger guiding us. So, as I start this new project, I bring the good vibes of those prayers with me, trusting that God's blessings will make every part of this journey special." Shedding light on his trip and experiences, Romanch said, "This time it was a spontaneous plan. I was at home, was getting ready to head out for work, for a shoot. And suddenly, I had this feeling inside me, like a call or a sign. It felt like it's been a while since I visited Maa Vaishno Devi, and I wondered if I should go. Some unexpected tasks came up, causing a delay, but I sorted out things the next day and booked the tickets. I made a specific plan and came here alone. The darshan at Vaishno Devi temple was amazing, and afterward, I also visited Bhairav Baba and the Golden Temple in Amritsar." Expressing his deep faith in God, Romanch shared, "Sometimes you just need to talk to God, especially when life gets a bit tough or when you're facing challenges. It's comforting to feel like there's someone listening, and it brings a sense of relief. So, yes, I have this deep trust in the divine. Coming here was so fulfilling, and after having the darshan, my mind is now completely calm. This trip has been amazing. Now, I'm left wondering, when will God call me again?" On the work front, Romanch Mehta will soon be seen in the web series 'Bhagin,' where he plays a pivotal role of a brother. The release date and trailer for the web series are expected to be unveiled soon. Photo Credit: For the enthusiastic people who would like to watch cinema and web series of various genres and web series in the comfort of their homes and experience it on the big screen with all the advancements, the new weekend of the December first week of has come with a plethora of options. We have handpicked the best of the Telugu releases this week for the OTT and theatres. Check them out below. List Of Telugu Theatrical Releases In December Hi Nanna December 7 Natural star Nani, who hit a jackpot success with his recent mass action film Dasara, is back in his element. The actor is again introducing a new writer-director to Tollywood through his latest romantic and emotional family drama titled Hi Nanna. The movie which features Mrunal Thakur is going to hit the screens on December 7. Shouryuv, a Doctor by degree is making his directorial debut. Nani is pretty confident about this film. Extra Ordinary Man December 8 Tollywood's youngster Nithiin is back on the big screens with his latest romantic comedy entertainer titled Extra Ordinary Man. Starring the hotshot beauty of Tollywood, Sreeleela as the female lead, the team and the actor are exuding confidence in the film that is assuring a fun experience. Writer-director Vakkantham Vamsi directed the movie which also stars Rajasekhar. List Of Telugu OTT Releases Maa Oori Polimera 2 AKA Polimera 2 Satyam Rajesh, Kamakshi Bhaskarla, and Getup Srinu-starrer mystery horror film Polimera 2, which was released to an outstanding response on the big screen on November 2, are finally making its OTT debut. The movie's first part or the prequel was bought by Disney Plus Hotstar but the latest one will stream on Aha Video. The OTT platform officially announced the date of streaming as December 8 but for the Gold subscribers of the Telugu-only OTT platform will get to see the movie one day before the rest. The 24-hour head start for the movie by Aha is termed a clever move, which will build excitement and drive new subscribers. Keedaa Cola Tharun Bhascker's directorial, in which he also played a key role, Keedaa Cola, an experimental crime-comedy is all set to start its digital streaming journey on Aha Video from this week itself. The movie which stars Brahmanandam, Chaitanya Rao Madadi, and Raghuram among others will begin streaming on December 8. Dubbing Releases Jigarthanda DoubleX The critically acclaimed gem of a film, written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj, Jigarthanda Double X is ready to unleash its unique period charm on the digital streaming giant Netflix. Starring Raghava Lawrence and SJ Suryah as the two leads, the Anirudh Ravichander musical will make its debut on December 8. Jigarthanda DoubleX is a must-watch. Those who missed it on the big screens, set your alarms. Koose Munisamy Veerappan Another interesting web series on the life of Veerappan, the infamous smuggler of India is going to hit the digital streaming space of Zee 5. The new series features several interviews with Veerappan and that of politicians, victims, and their families. The new series will stream on Zee 5 from December 8. Press release Brussels, 21 November 2023 - 7:00 Regulated information Nethys confirms to Orange Belgium its intention to convert its stake in VOO into Orange Belgium shares UPDATE Last week, Orange Belgium confirmed that it was in discussions with Nethys about converting its 25% + 1 share in VOO into Orange Belgium shares. This option is available to Nethys as part of the acquisition of VOO by Orange Belgium. After obtaining ENODIA's agreement, Nethys today officially informed Orange Belgium that it wishes to initiate the process of converting its stake in VOO into Orange Belgium shares. At the end of this process, Nethys would obtain an 11% stake in Orange Belgium and would retain, once in the capital of Orange Belgium, the governance rights associated with its stake in VOO. This transaction will be presented to the Orange Belgium Board of Directors in the next few days. To the extent that this transaction falls within the scope of the procedure provided for in Article 7:97 of the Companies and Associations Code, it will be analysed by a committee of independent Orange Belgium directors, with the support of an independent expert, who will submit an opinion to the Board of Directors. The transaction will then have to be approved by the General Assembly of Orange Belgium. About Orange Belgium Orange Belgium is one of the major telecommunication operators on the Belgian market, with revenues of 1,391 million euros in 2022 and over 3 million customers on 31 December 2022, and in Luxembourg, via its subsidiary Orange Communications Luxembourg. As a convergent player, it provides next generation connectivity services to residential and business customers through multi-gigabits mobile, cable and optic fiber networks, also relating to the Internet of Things (IoT). Its high-performance mobile network is equipped with the latest technologies and benefits from continuous investments. As a responsible operator, Orange Belgium is also investing to reduce its ecological footprint and promote sustainable and inclusive digital practices. In June 2023 Orange Belgium completed the acquisition of a 75% stake minus 1 share in telco operator VOO SA. This acquisition represents a major step forward in Orange Belgium's national convergent strategy and will increase investment and competition in the telecommunications sector for the benefit of customers and the competitiveness of the Walloon and Brussels regions. Orange Belgium is a subsidiary of the Orange Group, present in 26 countries with a total customer base of 287 million customers worldwide on 31 December 2022. The Group is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business. Orange Belgium is listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange (OBEL). For more information on the internet and on your mobile: corporate.orange.be , www.orange.be or follow us on Twitter: @pressOrangeBe Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. Press contact Sven Adams - sven.adams@orange.com +32+32 Attachment Little Rock, Arkansas--(Newsfile Corp. - December 4, 2023) - Pinnacle Advisors, a Little Rock-based financial services firm, was excited to co-host the inaugural Small Business Boot Camp in Cabot, Arkansas. The 6-week program and pitch competition aimed to empower entrepreneurs in the Natural State. "We were thrilled to partner with the City of Cabot and other organizations to make this program accessible for aspiring entrepreneurs," said Victor Werley, spokesperson for Pinnacle Advisors. "By sharing our expertise, we set these small business owners up for success not just in Cabot, but across Arkansas." Event Picture 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10166/189803_44b70880c4d869af_001full.jpg The program culminated in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition on October 24, where entrepreneurs showcased their business ideas to a panel of judges. "The pitch competition was the perfect way for these small business owners to put their skills into action," said Marshall D. Butler of Pinnacle Advisors. "We were excited to see the innovative ideas and provided mentorship to help turn those ideas into reality." Pinnacle Advisors specializes in helping start, scale, and sell small businesses. They provide focused structure, data-based analysis, and significant experience with growing and transitioning businesses. With deep roots supporting entrepreneurship and economic growth in Arkansas, Pinnacle Advisors was committed to programs like the Small Business Boot Camp. "We recognized a gap when it came to guidance for small business owners," said Werley. "Through hands-on participation in the Boot Camp, we aimed to help fill that gap and provide the insights these entrepreneurs needed to build strong foundations." Their involvement was rooted in the belief that when small businesses thrive, so does the community. Pinnacle Advisors served as judges at the pitch competition, along with other local leaders. "As judges, we looked for ideas that not only had growth potential for the founder but also gave back to Cabot and beyond," said Butler. "A win-win for both the business and the community." Entrepreneurs who attended at least two Boot Camp sessions were eligible for the pitch competition on October 24. They had the chance to showcase their skills and ideas before the expert judges. "We're committed to equipping participants with the insights needed to achieve their dreams," said Werley. "The Boot Camp and pitch competition were the perfect avenues to provide that hands-on support and set these entrepreneurs up for long-term success." Werley aims to share those lessons with the small businesses he serves across Arkansas. "I see a large gap in thought leadership when it comes to small business. I want to help fill that gap," says Werley. "Our focus is on helping develop businesses in the Arkansas economic ecosystem and then helping those families benefited by those businesses to create generational wealth." To learn more about preparing a business for the future with succession planning, reach out to Pinnacle Advisors at www.pinnacleadvisor.net. Contact: Victor Werley http://www.pinnacleadvisor.net victor@pinnacleadvisor.net To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189803 STOCKHOLM, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T today announced plans to lead the United States in commercial scale open radio access network (Open RAN) deployment. This industry-leading move, in collaboration with Ericsson, will further the telecommunications industry efforts and build a more robust ecosystem of network infrastructure providers and suppliers. AT&T's spend could approach roughly $14 billion over the 5-year term of the contract with Ericsson. AT&T's Open RAN plan is for 70% of its wireless network traffic to flow across open-capable platforms by late 2026. The company expects to have fully integrated open RAN sites operating in coordination with Ericsson and Fujitsu, starting in 2024. This move away from closed proprietary interfaces will enable rapid scaling and management of mixed supplier hardware at each cell site. Beginning in 2025, the company will scale this Open RAN environment throughout its wireless network in coordination with multiple suppliers such as Corning Incorporated, Dell Technologies, Ericsson, Fujitsu and Intel. AT&T's and Ericsson's multiyear joint commitment to Open RAN deployment comes at a pivotal moment in the 5G innovation cycle. This move to an open, agile, programmable wireless network positions AT&T to quickly capitalize on the next generation of wireless technology and spectrum when it becomes available. These innovative technologies will enable lower-power, sustainable networks with higher performance to deliver enhanced user experiences. Ericsson's open architecture will provide a foundation and springboard for developers driving innovation through open and programmable networks and bringing new suppliers into the industry. This will foster modernization and competition in the U.S. wireless equipment market. The company expects that increased competition in the U.S. RAN market will yield more innovation and greater efficiencies. Committing to Open RAN with its suppliers deploying open hardware, migrating to cloud RAN, and introducing 3rd party radios leads to more flexibility in choosing equipment, lower network costs and improved operational efficiencies. This cutting-edge open management approach to building the network will enable the company to continue to invest in its fast-growing broadband network. "AT&T is taking the lead in open platform sourcing in our wireless network," said Chris Sambar, Executive Vice President, AT&T Network. "With this collaboration, we will open up radio access networks, drive innovation, spur competition and connect more Americans with 5G and fiber. We are pleased that Ericsson shares our support for Open RAN and the possibilities this creates for American digital infrastructure." Borje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, says: "High-performance and differentiated networks will be the foundation for the next step in digitalization. I am excited about this future and happy to see our long-term partner, AT&T, choosing Ericsson for this strategic industry shift - moving to open, cloud-based and programmable networks. Through this shift, and with open interfaces and open APIs, the industry will see new performance-based business models, creating new ways for operators to monetize the network. We are truly proud to be partnering with AT&T in the industrialization of Open RAN and help accelerate digital transformation in the U.S." Ericsson will leverage its USA 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas in the manufacture of 5G equipment for this contract. Opened in 2020, the factory is highly automated and efficient, and is fully powered by renewable electricity. The Smart Factory recently completed an expansion, bringing its production floor to more than 107,000 square feet. The state-of-the-art 5G smart factory produces next generation 5G and Advanced Antenna System radios for Ericsson's U.S. customers. Ericsson also recently became the first mobile infrastructure provider to achieve compliance with the infrastructure law's Build America, Buy America provisions. The factory's products are labeled Made in USA as Ericsson's facility complies with the Build America, Buy America infrastructure laws Act. AT&T is one of the largest infrastructure investors in the United States across both wireless and broadband fiber. The commitment to Open RAN is a key part of AT&T's strategy to provide the seamless connectivity America needs. With owner's economics in both wireless and fiber, AT&T aims to become the largest, fastest growing converged fiber company with a modern, competitive wireless network. ' AT&T will use this new collaboration with Ericsson to enhance its wireless network in North America and expand the most reliable 5G network. The expected spend under the Ericsson contract is below what the company expects to spend for wireless capital expenditure over the next 5 years. Given the interdependence between fiber and wireless, and the increasing desire for customers to have one connectivity provider across fixed broadband and wireless, the company sees economically attractive opportunities to expand its fiber footprint in the coming years as well. This is a joint press release with AT&T. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Contact person Peter Nyquist, Head of Investor Relations Phone: +46 705 75 29 06 E-mail: peter.nyquist@ericsson.com Additional contacts Stella Medlicott, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Relations Phone: +46 730 95 65 39 E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com Investors Lena Haggblom, Director, Investor Relations Phone: +46 72 593 27 78 E-mail:? lena.haggblom@ericsson.com Alan Ganson, Director, Investor Relations Phone: +46 70?267 27 30 E-mail: alan.ganson@ericsson.com Media Ralf Bagner, Head of Media Relations Phone: +46 76?128 47 89 E-mail: ralf.bagner@ericsson.com Media relations Phone: +46 10 719 69 92 E-mail:?media.relations@ericsson.com Forward-looking statements This release includes forward-looking statements, including performance and results of operations, business plans, objectives, market conditions, and assumptions upon which those statements are based including, in particular the following risks and uncertainties: - Our goals, strategies, planning assumptions and operational or financial performance expectations - Industry trends, future characteristics and development of the markets in which we operate - The expected demand for our existing and new products and services as well as plans to launch new products and services including research and development expenditures - The ability to deliver on future plans and to realize potential for future growth - Technology and industry trends including the regulatory and standardization environment in which we operate, competition and our customer structure. The words "believe," "expect," "foresee," "anticipate," "assume," "intend," "likely," "projects," "may," "could," "plan," "estimate," "forecast," "will," "should," "would," "predict," "aim," "ambition," "seek," "potential," "target," "might," "continue," or, in each case, their negative or variations, and similar words or expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. Any statement that refers to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. We caution investors that these statements are subject to risks and uncertainties many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Important factors that could affect whether and to what extent any of our forward-looking statements materialize include, but are not limited to, the factors described in the section "Risk Factors" in the latest interim reports, and in "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report 2022. These forward-looking statements also represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date that they were made. We expressly disclaim a duty to provide updates to these forward-looking statements, and the estimates and assumptions associated with them, after the date of this release, to reflect events or changes in circumstances or changes in expectations or the occurrence of anticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange regulations. This is information that Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 23:00 CET on December 4, 2023. The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/15448/3888036/2473764.pdf AT&T to Accelerate Open and Interoperable Radio Access Networks (RAN) in the United States through new collaboration with Ericsson View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/att-to-accelerate-open-and-interoperable-radio-access-networks-ran-in-the-united-states-through-new-collaboration-with-ericsson-302005324.html Hyper-personalized omnichannel shopping experience enabled by Infosys' AI-first offering, drives customer delight MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NSE: INFY), (BSE: INFY), (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced that it has helped enhance Spotlight Retail Group's customer growth via an omnichannel digital fulfilment and advanced analytics platform built with Infosys. By leveraging Infosys' AI-first offering, Infosys Topaz, Spotlight Retail Group, one of Australia's biggest retailers, enabled a hyper-personalized online shopping experience for its customers. The improved customer experience has led to a growth of 113 percent in customer base over 12 months period and 93 percent in transactions. This digital commerce platform is scalable on-demand and is helping Spotlight Retail Group meet the significant surge in transaction volumes among customers. By integrating the advanced analytics capabilities powered by Infosys Topaz, this platform has elevated the online shopping experience for Spotlight Retail Group's customers. With intelligent insights of customer behaviour, the flexible digital commerce platform enables personalised customer journeys and new services like Click and Collect and Made-to-Measure for online shoppers. The platform has enabled Spotlight Retail Group to better manage inventory, reduce occurrences of order cancellations due to insufficient stock, and faster order fulfillment helping significantly improve customer satisfaction levels. Tal Lall, Group General Manager, Digital and Omnichannel, Spotlight Retail Group, said, "At Spotlight Retail Group, we are committed to continuously optimise customer experiences as one of our key competitive differentiators. One of the ways that we've done this is through greater investment in personalisation, and this is core to the digital commerce platform built with Infosys Topaz, leveraging its advanced analytics capabilities. This platform now provides us with deeper customer insights while supporting scalability to meet customer demands and onboarding new brands. We are delighted to have collaborated with Infosys on this journey." Karmesh Vaswani, Executive Vice President and Global Head, Consumer, Retail & Logistics, Infosys, said, "It's exciting to see the strong customer and business outcomes enabled by the digital commerce platform we built for the Spotlight Retail Group. The deep insights on consumer behavior and inventory enabled for the Spotlight team highlights the power of Infosys Topaz in helping enterprises become AI-ready." About Spotlight Retail Group Spotlight Retail Group (SRG) is a privately held $2.5bn+ Australian company which controls and operates a diverse set of retail businesses patiently built over more than 50. SRG represents the best value and choice for millions of loyal customers who regularly shop online or at their local Spotlight, Anaconda or Harris Scarfe store, making SRG one of the most successful and fastest growing retailers in Australasia. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, or our future financial or operating performance are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the execution of our business strategy, our ability to attract and retain personnel, our transition to hybrid work model, economic uncertainties, technological innovations such as Generative AI, the complex and evolving regulatory landscape including immigration regulation changes, our ESG vision, our capital allocation policy and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, liquidity, capital resources, and our corporate actions including acquisitions. Important factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements are discussed in more detail in our US Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/4364085/Infosys_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/infosys-topaz-accelerates-spotlight-retail-groups-customer-growth-in-digital-commerce-302005385.html DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strategic move that promises to reshape the landscape of air compressor market in the UAE, Cummins Arabia has joined forces with Sullivan Palatek Asia (SPA). This alliance introduces SPA's Diesel Driven Portable Air Compressors to the UAE market, under the exclusive distribution of Cummins Arabia. Sullivan Palatek, with a rich legacy in the compressor industry, mirrors Cummins' ethos of dependability and innovation. Their comprehensive range, designed for the demanding Middle Eastern conditions, complements Cummins Arabia's robust sales and service network. This synergy is further enhanced as the majority of Sullivan Palatek' s compressors are powered by Cummins engines, enabling Cummins Arabia to provide unparalleled end-to-end support for both the compressor and engine, eliminating the need for third-party involvement. Amit Deshpande, Managing Director of Cummins Arabia, highlights the significance of this partnership, "Uniting with Sullivan Palatek not only aligns with our values but also consolidates our position as a one-stop solution provider in the UAE. We are excited to offer our customers the combined excellence of Sullivan Palatek's compressors and our comprehensive support services." Mr. Rajesh George, Regional Director of Sullivan Palatek Asia spoke about the strategic aspects of the partnership, "Our decision to collaborate with Cummins Arabia stems from a transformative vision to redefine industry standards. Their extensive network and technical expertise in the region, combined with our longstanding trust among customers, notably in oil rigs across the Middle East, make this partnership an ideal match." This collaboration is set to introduce innovative Sullivan Palatek products to the MEA/GCC markets, including the DOF1750H portable oil-free compressor and other new ranges tailored to regional needs. The partnership enhances Cummins Arabia's product range, reinforcing its commitment to providing integrated solutions across diverse sectors including Equipment Rental, Construction, and Oil & Gas. With a majority of Sullivan Palatek's range powered by Cummins engines, Cummins Arabia's well-established network and technical capabilities offer unmatched support in the field. Initially focusing on the UAE, this agreement lays the foundation for a progressive expansion for Cummins Arabia, that is poised to explore broader opportunities with SPA's industrial compressors, aiming to strengthen its position in key market segments. For more information about this partnership and its offerings, please contact: Maninder Kaur Marketing Manager, Cummins Arabia sm888@cummins.com +971 48809911 About Cummins Arabia: Cummins Arabia is a joint venture between Cummins Inc. and the Olayan Group and consolidates Cummins distribution businesses in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Our products range from diesel and natural gas engines and generators, along with parts, filtration, and service solutions, and the new power product (now Accelera) portfolio including hydrogen production and fuel cells. Comprising of 10 service branches, eight warehouses, a high horsepower (HHP) Master Rebuild Center and a service training center, Cummins Arabia is fully equipped to deliver the right capabilities and expertise to our customers. About Sullivan Palatek Asia: Sullivan was founded in 1868, the company originated as an engineering service provider and has since transformed into manufacturing the most rugged and dependable rotatory screw compressors available on the market today. With more than 150 years of experience and expertise, Sullivan Palatek air compressors have been developed to be reliable, durable, and energy-efficient. We offer a wide range of Compressors from 185 to 1800 CFM at 7 bar to 42 bar in Portable and up to 450HP in Electrical Compressors. In addition to our core offerings, we have expanded our portfolio to encompass gas compressors, vacuum pumps, and Tanto DTH Rock Drills. These additions emphasize our commitment to providing diverse and innovative compressor technology solutions for a variety of applications. Our Air Compressors are specifically designed to provide you with exceptional performance and flexibility, all in a competitive package with the best warranty and after-sales services. Sullivan-Palatek Asia is committed to continuous improvement, in the compressed air industry, meeting the needs of customers, employees, and suppliers in a world of rapid change. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2289311/Cummins_Arabia_and_Sullivan_Palatek.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cummins-arabia-and-sullivan-palatek-form-strategic-alliance-to-distribute-portable-air-compressors-in-the-uae-302005077.html Relief Therapeutics Holding SA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Relief Therapeutics Shifts Commercial Operations to Partnership Model, Focusing on Efficient Patient Access and R&D Growth 05-Dec-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. Relief Therapeutics Shifts Commercial Operations to Partnership Model, Focusing on Efficient Patient Access and R&D Growth GENEVA (DEC. 5, 2023) - RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX: RLF , OTCQB: RLFTF , RLFTY ) (Relief, or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering innovative treatment options for select specialty, unmet and rare diseases, today announced its intent to progressively transition from a direct marketing and sales infrastructure for its commercial-stage assets to a partnership-based model. The Company believes that the transition will continue to enable more efficient patient access through leveraging external expertise and infrastructure. The Company intends to streamline its commercial operations and focus its resources on its R&D activities, paving the way for sustainable growth. Michelle Lock, interim chief executive officer of Relief, commented, "Our strategic pivot will enable us to reallocate resources towards our advancing R&D pipeline. It will also reinforce Relief's foundational strengths and historical business model, centered around drug development and the business-to-business (B2B) commercialization of our products." This decision primarily affects Relief's GOLIKE franchise, with the Company's other products historically licensed or distributed through third parties. The Company remains committed to supporting the needs of patients currently benefiting from PKU GOLIKE and is exploring potential partnerships for the continued commercialization and expansion of its GOLIKE franchise and the expected commercial launch of RLF-OD032 in early 2026. PKU GOLIKE is currently marketed by Relief in the U.S., Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and is licensed to distribution partners in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Ecuador, and certain Middle Eastern countries. PKU GOLIKE shall remain commercially available in the U.S. via Relief's distribution arrangement with Pentec Health, Inc. Relief also remains actively engaged in optimizing the value of its development-stage pipeline, continuing the development of RLF-OD032 for phenylketonuria (PKU), RLF-TD011 for dermatological conditions, RLF-100 (aviptadil) for pulmonary disorders, and Olpruva for metabolic disorders in Europe. ABOUT RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Relief Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing treatment paradigms and delivering improvements in efficacy, safety, and convenience to benefit the lives of patients living with select specialty and rare diseases. Relief Therapeutics' portfolio offers a balanced mix of marketed, revenue-generating products, our proprietary, globally patented Physiomimic and TEHCLO platform technologies and a targeted clinical development pipeline consisting of risk-mitigated assets focused in three core therapeutic areas: rare metabolic disorders, rare skin diseases and rare respiratory diseases. In addition, Relief Therapeutics is commercializing several legacy products via licensing and distribution partners. Relief Therapeutics' mission is to provide therapeutic relief to those suffering from rare diseases and is being advanced by an international team of well-established, experienced biopharma industry leaders with extensive research, development and rare disease expertise. Relief Therapeutics is headquartered in Geneva, with additional offices in Balerna, Switzerland, Offenbach am Main, Germany and Monza, Italy. Relief Therapeutics is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF and quoted in the U.S. on OTCQB under the symbols RLFTF and RLFTY. For more information, please visit our website www.relieftherapeutics.com or follow Relief Therapeutics on LinkedIn and Twitter . CONTACT : RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA Jeremy Meinen Chief Financial Officer contact@relieftherapeutics.com Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, including its ability to achieve its corporate, development and commercial goals, and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Relief to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. A number of factors, including whether the Relief's change in its business strategy will be successful and those described in Relief's filings with the SIX Swiss Exchange and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), could adversely affect Relief. Copies of Relief's filings with the SEC are available on the SEC EDGAR database at www.sec.gov . Relief does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date. VT5 Acquisition Company AG / Key word(s): Acquisition VT5 updates on expected positive business performance of R&S Group 05-Dec-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. This announcement or the information contained therein is not being issued and may not be distributed in the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the distribution or release would be unlawful or require registration or any other measure and does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in such countries. Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR 5 December 2023 VT5 updates on expected positive business performance of R&S Group Revised FY 2023 guidance of R&S Group highlighted by expected revenues of above CHF 200 million and an EBIT margin of approx. 18% (excluding to be fully divested plant in the Czech Republic / SERW); mid-term guidance remains unchanged Order backlog of approx. CHF 200 million at the end of November 2023 with a book-to-bill-ratio of 1.2x Balance sheet further strengthened with a net cash position of CHF 25.6 million at the end of November 2023 (CHF 14.2 million at the end of September 2023) Strong support indicated from VT5 shareholders and new investors Board of Directors of VT5 considers entering into new credit agreements of up to CHF 40 million to increase flexibility for the business combination of VT5 with R&S Group and to reduce dilution of shareholders The Board of Directors of the Swiss listed SPAC VT5 Acquisition Company AG ("VT5") has been informed by R&S Group that the business in Q4 2023 is developing better than anticipated and that full-year results in 2023 are expected to exceed the guidance communicated at the time of the prospectus publication. R&S Group now expects total revenues for 2023 above CHF 200 million (prior CHF 195-205 million) and an increased EBIT margin of approximately 18% (up from 15%) excluding the plant in the Czech Republic / SERW which will be fully divested by year-end 2023. The order backlog continued to rise and reached approx. CHF 200 million at the end of November 2023, supporting R&S Group's communicated growth and margin targets for 2024 and 2025 (based on the new FY 2023 guidance) as the business continues to expand. The net cash position rose to CHF 25.6 million (CHF 28.0 million excluding SERW) at the end of November 2023 (up from CHF 14.2 million at the end of September 2023) and provides a strong platform for future growth. The free cash flow margin is expected to rise to a mid to high single-digit as a percentage of net sales. VT5 is finalizing new credit agreements of up to CHF 40 million with its lead banks to increase flexibility for the business combination of VT5 with R&S Group. This would allow VT5 to finance part of the cash purchase for the R&S Group in the event part of the redeemed shares cannot be replaced in the share offering. As a result, VT5 could build-up a treasury shares position, which would reduce dilution per share at the same time. The Board of Directors of VT5 has received substantial indications of support from existing and new investors after the announcement of the proposed business combination with R&S Group. The bookbuilding of the public offering is expected to take place on 7 December and 8 December, after the end of the repurchase offer period on 6 December 2023. The listing at SIX Swiss Exchange under R&S Group, ticker symbol RSGN, is planned for 13 December 2023 with subsequent inclusion in the SPI indices SPI/SPIEX/SXSLI on 14 December 2023. Heinz Kundert, Chairman of VT5 commented: "I am very excited about the progress achieved at R&S Group. The strong business performance leading to an even stronger balance sheet and the support indicated by existing and new shareholders to participate in the public offering are all favorable developments in the proposed business combination with R&S Group. I am looking forward to bringing the hidden champion R&S Group to SIX Swiss Exchange." Contact VT5 Acquisition Company AG Communications & Investor Relations Doris Rudischhauser Phone: +41 79 410 81 88 Email: doris.rudischhauser@vt5.ch About VT5 VT5 is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), a vehicle to directly or indirectly acquire one or (if at the same time) more operating companies or businesses in order to take them public and provide dedicated support. VT5 provides a target company with the industry and technical experience of a seasoned team to allow a fast and smooth way to become a public company in Switzerland. VT5 seeks to unlock this investment opportunity for investors by entering into a business combination with a technology and innovation leader backed by scientific research within 24 months of listing. Geographically, VT5 is looking to acquire a business in Central and Northern Europe with a focus on the DACH region and in particular on Switzerland. The Class A Shares and redeemable Warrants are listed on SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbols of VT5 and VT5W, respectively. More information about VT5 can be found at www.vt5.ch . About R&S Group R&S International Holding AG ("R&S Group" or the "Company") is headquartered in Sissach/BL, Switzerland. R&S Group has six manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, Italy, Poland and the Middle East, serving its domestic as well as various European export markets with small and medium power and distribution transformers and other components in the utility, infrastructure and industrial sectors. R&S Group's current owner, a private equity fund managed by CGS Management AG ("CGS"), headquartered in Pfaffikon/SZ, Switzerland, and R&S Group's management have successfully positioned the Company to benefit from the accelerated demand for energy production and distribution, driven by the global trend for decarbonization. More information about R&S Group can be found at www.the-rsgroup.com . Disclaimer The business combination and its implementation remains subject to approval by the investor shareholders of VT5, the approval by the VT5 shareholders meeting of other items necessary to implement a business combination, the conducting of a share repurchase to allow redemptions by shareholders, the successful completion of an offering and capital increase to finance any parts of the purchase not financed by the amounts in escrow or otherwise, and obtaining of all required approvals by the stock exchange. This announcement may contain forward looking statements, estimates, opinions and projections with respect to anticipated future performance of VT5 ("forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "aims," "believes," "estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "may," "will" or "should" or, in each case, their negative, or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on the current views, expectations and assumptions of the Board and management of VT5 and involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. Any forward-looking statements included herein only speak as at the date of this release. VT5 undertakes no obligation, and does not expect to publicly update, or publicly revise, any of the information, forward-looking statements or the conclusions contained herein or to reflect new events or circumstances or to correct any inaccuracies which may become apparent subsequent to the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. VT5 accepts no liability whatsoever in respect of the achievement of such forward-looking statements and assumptions. This announcement constitutes neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy securities of VT5 and it does not constitute a prospectus or a similar notice within the meaning of articles 35 et seqq. or 69 of the Swiss Financial Services Act. Copies of this announcement may not be sent to jurisdictions or distributed in or sent from or otherwise made publicly available in jurisdictions, in which this is barred or prohibited by law. Any investment decision regarding the publicly offered securities of VT5 should only be made on the basis of the prospectus, which is available free of charge upon request from VT5 (e-mail: info@vt5.ch). This announcement is being distributed only to, and is directed only at (i) persons outside the United Kingdom, (ii) persons 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 (the "Order") or (iii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person must not act or rely on this announcement or any of its contents. This announcement does not constitute an "offer of securities to the public" within the meaning of Regulation 2017/1129 of the European Union (the "Prospectus Regulation") of the securities referred to in it (the "Securities") in any member state of the European Economic Area (the "EEA") or, in the United Kingdom ("UK"), the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended (the "UK Prospectus Regulation"). Any offers of the Securities to persons in the EEA or the UK will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation or the UK Prospectus Regulation (as applicable), as implemented in member states of the EEA or the UK, from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of the Securities. Securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) unless the securities are registered under the Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. The issuer of the securities has not registered, and does not intend to register, any portion of the offering, if any, in the United States, and does not intend to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. In an offering, if any, the securities may be offered and sold outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S and within the United States to "Qualified Institutional Buyers" (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("Rule 144A")) in reliance on Rule 144A. Prospective purchasers are hereby notified that sellers of the securities may be relying on the exemption from the provisions of Section 5 of the Securities Act provided by Rule 144A. This announcement or the information contained therein is not being issued and may not be distributed in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Japan, or any other jurisdiction in which the distribution or release would be unlawful or require registration or any other measure and does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in such countries. Additional features: File: VT5 updates on expected positive business performance of R&S Group End of Inside Information API security company provides key insights, recommendations and new solutions amid Europe's rising interest in API security BLACK HAT EUROPE 2023 -Wallarm, the integrated app and API security company, today announced its upcoming appearance at Black Hat Europe 2023, the Dec. 4 to Dec. 7 conference that provides the latest in research, development and trends in information security. Wallarm executives are hosting a session on Dec. 7 at 12:15 p.m. GMT at ExCeL London and sharing critical insights and recommendations from the latest API ThreatStats report. Additionally, Wallarm is discussing its new 100% channel strategy and launching a new API Attack Surface Management solution during Black Hat Europe. Wallarm's Black Hat appearance comes as interest in API security solutions grows in Europe, with the Europe API security market expected to witness market growth of 31.5% CAGR during the forecast period (2023-2030). This critical opportunity allows Wallarm to build awareness around the need for API and app security, jump-start expansion to the European market and recruit additional channel partners. Key announcements from Wallarm include: Latest discoveries in API security from ThreatStats report Wallarm's Tim Erlin, head of product, and Girish Bhat, VP of marketing, are leading the Black Hat Europe session, sharing real-time insights into threats from the latest API ThreatStats report, such as detection of 239 new vulnerabilities, injections and API data leaks. They'll also recommend solutions to help security practitioners fortify their digital assets, such as prioritizing authentication, authorization and access control principles and integrating API leak protection measures. New 100% channel model The Wallarm team is also discussing its move to a 100% channel model. With a 100% channel strategy, Wallarm can deliver a better customer experience through its channel partners, ensuring customers get the best value from working with a trusted solution provider of their choice. With this announcement, Wallarm is focused on developing new partnerships globally among VARs, distributors and technology partners, as partner profitability and enablement are key parts of the expanding channel partner program. Wallarm's channel partners include Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, security solutions leaders and independent software vendors. "Our channel program is directly linked to the quality service we provide our customers, so our move to a 100% channel model is unique," said Clay Speckmiear, head of channel at Wallarm. "As we look toward rapid growth, a 100% channel model will help us improve our efficiency and avoid channel conflict, while not sacrificing value for our customers." API Attack Surface Management product launch During Black Hat Europe, Wallarm is launching API Attack Surface Management, which identifies APIs, hosts, risks and misconfigurations. The new product arrives as more organizations lack visibility into their public API attack surface, such as which APIs are exposed, what risks they exhibit and whether they're protected. Existing solutions are limited and occasionally only partially solve the problem. As part of the API Attack Surface Management launch, Wallarm is introducing its API Leak Detection capability, which identifies leaked secrets essential amid the growing concern of API data leaks. To learn more about Wallarm's upcoming announcements, please visit the team during Black Hat Europe at booth #426 and attend the session in Business Hall Theater C. To become a channel partner, please sign up at https://www.wallarm.com/partners. To try API Attack Surface Management, please visit https://www.wallarm.com/. About Wallarm Wallarm, the integrated App and API Security company, provides robust protection for APIs, web applications, microservices, and serverless workloads running in cloud-native environments. Wallarm is the preferred choice of hundreds of Security and DevOps teams for comprehensive discovery of web apps and API endpoints, protection against emerging threats throughout their API portfolio, and automated incident response to enhance risk management. Our platform supports modern tech stacks, offering dozens of deployment options in cloud and Kubernetes-based environments, and also provides a full cloud solution. Wallarm is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and is backed by Toba Capital, Y ?ombinator, Partech, and other investors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204592356/en/ Contacts: Sara Black PRforWallarm@bospar.com Girish Bhat girish@wallarm.com BAE Systems is set for another record-breaking recruitment drive in 2024 with almost 2,700 new apprentice and graduate opportunities available to young people across the UK. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204956875/en/ Software engineering trainees working in BAE Systems' digital, cyber and intelligence business. (Photo: Business Wire) The Company has more than doubled its early careers intake in the past five years, making a significant contribution to the UK economy and offering more young people than ever the prospect of exciting long-term careers supporting the nation's armed forces and security services. The Company's award winning early careers schemes are vital to developing the talent pipeline needed to deliver critical national security capability. They also help to build the next generation of talented industrial leaders, with many former apprentices and graduates reaching the top ranks of the Company. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive, BAE Systems, said: "As the UK's largest manufacturer, we have sites located right across the country and we're investing hundreds of millions of pounds to equip young people with the skills they need to achieve their full potential. "Providing high quality apprenticeships and graduate programmes gives young people a route into long-term employment and helps to grow the talent we need to deliver vital national defence and security programmes, including future fighter jets, nuclear-powered submarines and low earth orbit satellites." Minister for Higher Education, Apprenticeships and Skills, Robert Halfon, said: "We need big employers on side in our efforts to build a skills and apprenticeships nation and this record-breaking announcement from BAE Systems is fantastic to see. "Apprenticeships provide a ladder of opportunity for people to get in-demand skills and really push on in their careers, and these roles offered by a top apprenticeship employer will transform lives and boost growth right around the UK." More than 1,400 apprentices will join the Company, with the majority of roles based in the North of England and opportunities available across the South of England, Scotland and Wales. The Company also plans to recruit almost 1,300 graduates in 2024 that's 1,100 more graduate positions compared to five years ago. With more than 60 programmes available, there are opportunities at every level, from steelwork and electrical engineering to cyber security, software development, human resources and project management. Successful applicants have the chance to work on some of the world's most advanced technology programmes including the Global Combat Air Programme and the UK's next-generation submarines known as SSN-AUKUS. Megan Pearson, former Software Degree Apprentice, BAE Systems' Air sector, said: "Embarking on an apprenticeship with BAE Systems after I completed my A-Levels helped me become financially independent, which benefitted both me and my parents. I've had the chance to work on a range of exciting projects and the flexibility of my apprenticeship means that I'm experiencing lots of new things and not tying myself to any one profession. "A lot of my friends struggled with the immediate mind-set shift from school to work, but my apprenticeship provided a complete package with helpful support and guidance. It's the ideal route for bridging the gap between school and the workplace." Last year, BAE Systems invested approximately 180m in education, skills and early careers activities in the UK and currently has more than 5,500 apprentices and graduates in training across its UK businesses, equivalent to more than 10% of its almost 40,000 strong UK workforce. Achieving a diverse, inclusive and flexible workplace is vital to developing the Company's future skills and talent pipeline. In 2023, almost a third of apprentice joiners to the business' early careers programmes were female, significantly outperforming the industry average of 14% in England. The closing date for apprentice applications is 28 February 2024. There are multiple graduate intakes throughout the year, including January, April, July and September. Find out more and apply: baesystems.com/earlycareers Additionally there are thousands of roles available across the UK for experienced professionals. Find out more and apply: baesystems.com/experiencedprofessionals Early careers opportunities are just one part of the Company's wider recruitment drive. BAE Systems is currently recruiting thousands of skilled workers from steelworkers to data scientists across the UK. Notes to Editors: The breakdown of roles across the UK by region is as follows*: *Numbers are based on current resource planning assumptions. There may be some small fluctuations in final numbers. Region Business Apprentice roles Undergraduate roles Graduate roles Total Scotland Air Prestwick 1 13 14 Air Hillend 2 2 Land UK Glasgow 1 1 Maritime Services Hillend 3 3 Naval Ships Glasgow 198 26 53 277 Shared Services Glasgow 1 1 Scotland total 202 30 66 298 North West England Air Warton Samlesbury 222 66 206 494 Digital Intelligence Manchester 2 2 Head Office Barrow, Warton Samlesbury 1 1 Land UK Barrow 8 3 11 Land UK Radway Green 9 2 11 Shared Services Preston 27 5 8 40 Submarines Barrow 649 100 244 989 NW England total 916 176 460 1552 North East England / Yorkshire and the Humber Land UK Washington Ridsdale 5 5 Air Brough Humberside 53 6 37 96 Digital Intelligence Leeds 3 5 8 NE England Yorks Humber total 58 9 42 109 South East England Digital Intelligence London, Guildford Chelmsford 9 24 66 99 Electronic Systems Rochester 30 34 29 93 Head Office Frimley Portsmouth 2 2 Maritime Services Chelmsford 3 5 8 Maritime Services Portsmouth Cowes 109 34 40 183 Naval Ships Hampshire (some roles also available in London and Filton) 13 1 7 21 Shared Services Frimley 1 1 Shared Services Guildford 2 2 Submarines Hampshire (some roles also available in the South West Dorset) 17 17 34 SE England total 182 97 164 443 South West England and Wales Air Christchurch Yeovil 14 2 16 Air Filton 4 2 6 Digital Intelligence Gloucester 8 4 12 Maritime Services Filton 1 1 Naval Ships Filton Dorchester 3 4 7 Submarines Filton Weymouth 15 59 74 SW England total 29 17 70 116 Land UK Glascoed 16 1 6 23 Shared Services Glascoed 3 3 Wales total 19 1 6 26 Other roles with flexible or TBC locations Head Office 1 1 2 Maritime Services 3 16 19 Naval Ships 11 47 58 Shared Services 21 21 Submarines 11 11 31 53 Other total 11 26 116 153 Total 1417 356 924 2697 We have individuals available for interview from across the UK. For imagery and apprentice and graduate case studies, please visit: https://baesys.resourcespace.com/?c=25119&k=4cfd497d38 About BAE Systems At BAE Systems, we provide some of the world's most advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions. We employ a skilled workforce of 93,100 people in around 40 countries. Working with customers and local partners, we develop, engineer, manufacture, and support products and systems to deliver military capability, protect national security, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204956875/en/ Contacts: For more information, please contact: Sean Hills, BAE Systems M: +44 (0) 7827 991666 E: sean.hills3@baesystems.com Andrew McDowell, BAE Systems M: +44 (0) 7796 256974 E: andrew.mcdowell3@baesystems.com Issued by: BAE Systems plc Media hotline: +44 (0) 7801 717739 www.baesystems.com @BAESystemsplc Ref: 145/2023 CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian dollar weakened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Tuesday. The Australian dollar fell to a 4-day low of 1.6494 against the euro and a 3-week low of 96.72 against the yen, from yesterday's closing quotes of 1.6369 and 97.43, respectively. Against the U.S., the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars, the aussie dropped to a 5-day low of 0.6571, more than a 1-1/2-month low of 1.0692 and nearly a 3-week low of 0.8913 from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.6619, 1.0733 and 0.8960, respectively. If the aussie extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.68 against the euro, 94.00 against the yen, 0.63 against the greenback, 1.05 against the kiwi and 0.87 against the loonie. 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. Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - WinproFX, an established online trading platform with over three decades of industry presence, announces a significant corporate milestone. Building on its extensive experience in serving banks and financial institutions, WinproFX has successfully extended its offerings to cater to a diverse global clientele, now exceeding half a million traders. The company has gained recognition for its operational efficiencies, including competitive spreads, prompt transaction processing, and advanced execution technologies. These capabilities have earned WinproFX numerous industry accolades, totaling over 105 awards, reflecting its commitment to service excellence. Central to WinproFX's operations is its 24/7 live support system, affirming the company's dedication to client service under the ethos, "Your trust, our responsibility." This commitment further extends to the protection of client data through robust security measures and the provision of educational resources in both technical and fundamental trading aspects. WinproFX facilitates trading in a wide range of instruments, including Forex, cryptocurrencies, indices, stocks, metals, and commodities. Leveraging 33 years of market experience, the company provides an environment supportive of trader education and market navigation. WinproFX invites interested parties to explore its services further and to consider how its trading platform might align with their financial activities. For more details, please visit winprofx.com. Media Contact: Email address: support@winprofx.com Company website: winprofx.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189715 CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prospera Energy Inc. ("Prospera" or the "Company") (TSX.V: PEI, OTC: GXRFF, FRA: OF6B, OF6B.SG, OF6B.F, OF6B.BE). Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI, OTC: GXRFF, FRA: OF6B) is a publicly traded energy company based in Western Canada, specializing in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas. Prospera is continuing to execute the horizontal transformation and is attaining the expected results. Seven horizontals have been drilled with three more expected prior to year-end. Prospera also drilled the light oil slanted well, encountering structure and pay as anticipated. Accordingly, PEI anticipates achieving 2023 year-end exit rate of 1,800 boepd GORR Financing Prospera Energy Inc. is pleased to announce the successful completion of a $3,000,000 GORR financing. The GORR portion bears a 1% royalty on Prospera's revenue from its Cuthbert properties and is re-purchasable in 12 months for $3,480,000. The funds from the transaction will be used to conduct the horizontal well development program on the Company's Cuthbert properties. The Company signed an arms-length Purchase and Sale, Overriding Royalty Agreement and Agreement to Purchase Royalty, all dated November 17, 2023 (together, the "Agreements"), for the sale of 1% royalty on Prospera's revenue from its Cuthbert properties. Funds will be advanced as follows: $1,000,000 upon closing; $1,000,000 to be paid within 10 days; $1,000,000 to be paid within 10 days from the first date of production of wells #8 and #9 in PEI's drilling program located in Cuthbert, Saskatchewan. The Company has the right of first refusal to repurchase the royalty back for $3,480,000, subject to price adjustments, no later than November 30, 2025. In the event that the Company elects to purchase the GORR prior to October 1, 2024, the purchase price shall be $3,480,000. If closing occurs after November 30, 2024, and if royalty payments for any quarter does not exceed $250,000 per quarter prior to the closing date, the purchase price will increase by $139,200 for each of those quarters where the royalty payments were less than $250,000 per quarter. The initial royalty rate of 1% up to and including November 30, 2024, jumps to 16% after November 30, 2024, up to and including May 31, 2025, and then to 22% after May 31, 2025, if the royalty interest has not been repurchased. Failure to remit royalty payments will result in the Company paying, in addition to those funds, interest at 18% per annum, compounded monthly. As a part of White Tundra's business development initiatives supporting Prospera, Shubham Garg assisted in coordinating the placement with the investor group. Neither White Tundra nor Shubham Garg was paid any finder's fee or warrants in this transaction. Debt Financing Additionally, Prospera Energy announces a clarification to the closing of its private placement, as a total of $583,000 was raised (previously $580,000 was announced). Prospera intends to use the net proceeds of the debt financing with an equity bonus and the GORR financing for development capital (including covering default partner portion) - drilling, completion, and tie-in, well abandonment & reclamation costs, and ongoing ESG initiatives. The debt financing with an equity bonus was previously announced in press releases dated September 27, 2023, November 1, 2023, and November 9, 2023, with the below terms: Debt Term Sheet Issue: Low-dilutive offering (the "Offering") of debt financing with equity bonus. Equity Bonus: Principal amount loaned will be granted an equity bonus. 1 share for every $1 of debt provided. Interest: 14% interest, calculated and paid quarterly in cash starting after the 3rd quarter (interest in the first quarter is compounded). Term: 2 years. Repayment: Principle repaid at the end of the term. Underlying Equity Bonus: Common shares of the Company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEI (the "Common Shares"). Use of Proceeds: Prospera intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for development capital (covering default partner portion) - drilling, completion & tie-in, well abandonment & reclamation costs, and ongoing ESG initiatives. Finders Fees: The Corporation may pay qualified finders a fee of 7% cash and 7% warrants. Insider Samuel David has participated in this private placement for a principal amount of $503,000, which results in this being a Related Party Transaction pursuant to TSXV Policy 5.9 and MI 61-101. The Corporation is relying upon numerous exemptions under these policies with respect to minority approval and valuation requirements, including those found in section 5.5 (a), (b), and (c) and 5.7 (a) and (b). The Corporation paid finders fees to qualified finders totaling $23,310 in cash and issued 211,909 in brokers warrants. Each warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one common share of the Corporation at a price of $0.13 per share for a period of two (2) years from the date of closing. The Corporation reserves the right to accelerate the expiry date of the warrants to fifteen (15) days, in the event the share trades at $0.30 for ten (10) consecutive business days following the expiry of the four (4) months hold period. Strengthen Leadership Team Prospera Energy is delighted to announce the appointment of Chris Ludtke, CPA, CMA, as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective immediately. Mr. Ludtke, formerly the VP of Finance & Accounting at PEI, brings over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas, clean energy, and renewables industries. His extensive expertise in finance, budgets, planning, accounting, economic evaluation, and decision-making positions him as an invaluable asset for Prospera Energy. Prospera extends sincere gratitude to Matthew Kenna for his exceptional service as CFO over the past two years contributing his wealth of experience to Prospera Energy. Therefore, Prospera is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Matthew Keena to Prospera's board of directors. Additionally, Prospera Energy is pleased to announce the appointment of John McMahon as VP of Operations. With over 35 years of engineering and operations experience in Western Canada, John brings a wealth of knowledge to Prospera's leadership team. John's extensive expertise aligns well with our organizational goals, and PEI anticipates that his leadership will contribute to innovation and efficiency for PEI to become a low-cost producer. About Prospera Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI, OTC: GXRFF, FRA: OF6B) is a publicly traded energy company based in Western Canada, specializing in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas. Prospera is primarily focused on optimizing hydrocarbon recovery from legacy fields through environmentally safe and efficient reservoir development methods and production practices. Prospera was restructured in the first quarter of 2021 to become profitable and in compliance to regulation, environment, landowners, and service providers. The company is in the midst of a three-stage restructuring process aimed at prioritizing cost effective operations while appreciating production capacity and reducing liabilities. Prospera has completed the first phase by optimizing low hanging opportunities, attaining free cash flow, while bringing operation to safe operating condition, all while remaining compliant. Currently, Prospera is executing phase II of the restructuring process, the horizontal transformation intended to accelerate growth and capture the significant remaining reserves (400 million bbls). These horizontal laterals allow PEI to reduce its environmental and surface footprint by eliminating the numerous vertical well leases along the lateral path. Phase III of Prospera's corporate redevelopment strategy is to optimize recovery through EOR applications. Further, Prospera will pursue its acquisition strategy to diversify its product mix. Its goal is to attain 50% light oil, 40% heavy oil and 10% gas. PEI continues to apply efforts to minimize its environmental footprint. Also, efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate emissions, alongside pursuing innovative ESG methods to enhance API quality, thereby achieving higher margins and eliminating the need for diluents. For Further Information: Shawn Mehler, PR Email: shawn@prosperaenergy.com Website: www.prosperaenergy.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Corporation and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will," "may," "should," "anticipate," "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Corporation, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Although Prospera believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Prospera can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses, and health, safety and environmental risks), commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Prospera. As a result, Prospera cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize, and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward- looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and Prospera does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by Canadian securities law. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - SafeCasinos.Asia, Asia's premier online casino review website, proudly announced its ambitious expansion plans for the year 2024. 2024: Setting Sights Higher Building on its previous successes, SafeCasinos.Asia has outlined a bold and expansive strategy for 2024: Geographical Expansion: The company plans to extend its services to more Asian countries, bringing its trusted reviews to an even broader audience. This step will solidify its position as the leading review platform in Asia. Entering New Markets: A significant leap is planned with the expansion into the European market, a move that represents SafeCasinos.Asia's ambition to become a global influencer in the online casino review space. Scaling Up the Team: To support these ambitious plans, SafeCasinos.Asia aims to triple its manpower. This increase in workforce is envisioned to enhance the quality of reviews, customer service, and overall user experience. "By November 2024, we aim to triple our brand recognition across Asia and Europe," said Mark Reynolds, the CEO of SafeCasinos.Asia, when discussing about the company's aspiration. "This is not just a goal but a commitment to our users to continually provide top-tier, reliable, and comprehensive casino reviews." Caption 1: SafeCasinos.Asia Official Website Homepage To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10144/189462_dd03afc8f4a30b2c_001full.jpg 2023: A Year of Milestones and Expansion This ambitious plan would not have come true if it weren't for a series of significant achievements in the year 2023 for SafeCasinos.Asia. The company successfully grew its presence from the Online Casino Singapore market to Southeast Asia and eventually across the whole Asian continent. Caption 2: SafeCasinos.Asia - DMCA Approved To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10144/189462_dd03afc8f4a30b2c_002full.jpg This expansion was further reinforced by the acquisition of an official DMCA license and certificate, adding a layer of credibility and trustworthiness to its operations. Most notably, SafeCasinos.Asia's commitment to authentic and transparent reviews helped approximately 28,000 players make informed decisions in their gambling ventures. A Journey of Growth and Innovation SafeCasinos.Asia's journey began with a simple yet powerful mission: to equip gamblers of all types with the best and most truthful information, giving them an edge in their gaming endeavours. This mission, coupled with the company's vision to inspire every gambler to beat the odds, has propelled SafeCasinos.Asia to the forefront of the online casino review industry. In a short span, the company has expanded its influence from local to global, attracting audiences from all corners of Asia and beyond. Upholding Responsibility and Safety At the core of SafeCasinos.Asia's operations is a staunch commitment to promoting responsible gambling. The company maintains a dedicated page on responsible gambling and collaborates with prominent organizations like BeGambleAware and GamCare. These initiatives demonstrate SafeCasinos.Asia's dedication to ensuring a safe and responsible gaming environment for its audience. "There is always a sense of fear surrounding online casino. That is why we always take an objective stand when reviewing all the available online casino platforms. We are not associated with any of the brands, nor do we accept any affiliation, and we will continue to keep it that way," added Mr. Reynolds. Caption 3: SafeCasinos.Asia Supported Countries To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10144/189462_dd03afc8f4a30b2c_003full.jpg The Road Ahead Looking beyond 2024, SafeCasinos.Asia envisions becoming the global leader in online casino reviews. This long-term vision is driven by a relentless pursuit of innovation, quality, and trust, aiming to redefine the standards of online gambling reviews worldwide. For More Information Media inquiries and further information about SafeCasinos.Asia's plans can be directed to: Website: https://safecasinos.asia/ https://safecasinos.asia/ Contact Person: Mark Reynolds Mark Reynolds Address: 448 Tagore Industrial Ave, Ang Mo Kia, Singapore 787816 448 Tagore Industrial Ave, Ang Mo Kia, Singapore 787816 Email: hello@safecasinos.asia hello@safecasinos.asia Operating Hours: Monday to Friday | 8:00 am to 5:30 pm To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189462 Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - QuickHR, a leading payroll and HR software provider, emerged as a triumphant recipient of multiple accolades at the HR Vendors of the Year 2023, propelling its journey towards empowering HR leaders to drive organisational success in the evolving world of work. QuickHR Recognised for Its Outstanding HR Solutions at HR Vendor of the Year Awards 2023 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/189699_ac553d57e40e6a06_001full.jpg These prestigious awards serve as a testament to QuickHR's commitment to delivering cutting-edge HR solutions that enable HR professionals to navigate complex challenges and achieve operational excellence, even in the face of adversity. Highlights include clinching a Gold Award for Best Applicant Tracking System, recognition of the Company's innovative approach to streamlining the recruitment process and helping organisations find the best talent and build a strong and competent workforce. QuickHR further established its reputation as a trailblazer in the HR software industry by earning a Bronze Award for Best HR Management System (SMB), showcasing its versatility and scalability for businesses of all sizes, a feat that sets it apart from many providers. In addition to its stellar performance at the 2023 HR VOTY Awards, QuickHR garnered Bronze Award recognition for its top-rated modules, Best Payroll Software and Best Attendance Automation System, which are highly regarded by both clients and QuickHR staff for their user-friendliness and effectiveness. "Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to our esteemed clients who have fuelled our drive to continuously refine our HR software, tailoring it to seamlessly align with the dynamic needs of Singapore businesses, from early-stage startups to established enterprises, while adhering to the ever-changing labour regulations," says QuickHR's Managing Director Mr. Suki Bajaj. For the sixth consecutive year, QuickHR has been honoured with eminent awards at the HR Vendor of the Year Awards, presented by the acclaimed publication Human Resources Online. "We take pride in providing comprehensive solutions that empower both our clients and our employees to optimise their daily tasks and achieve peak productivity," says Mr. Bajaj. Drawing upon his extensive experience with various HR systems and his firsthand insights into the industry's pain points, Mr. Bajaj spearheaded the development of QuickHR. As a result of his vision and dedication, QuickHR has emerged as a top-tier HRMS software, known for offering in-depth, automated, compliant, and cost-effective HR solutions tailored to both SMEs and large enterprises. "These recognitions have served as a driving force for us to relentlessly enhance our HRMS software as well as expand our footprint across the region," says Mr. Bajaj. QuickHR has been lauded for its role in catalysing business transformation through automated and streamlined payroll management, time and attendance tracking, and recruitment, allowing HR leaders to focus on more strategic initiatives, such as improving employee engagement and productivity. Contact Info: Name: Ronald Ng, Marketing Executive Email: ronald.ng@quickhr.co Organization: QuickHR (Enable Business Pte Ltd) Address: 60 Paya Lebar Rd, #07-38 Paya Lebar Square Singapore 409051 Phone: +65 9295 5061 Website: https://quickhr.co/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189699 Company awarded Design Organisation Approval (DOA) by UK's Civil Aviation Authority DOA enables Evolito to apply for Type Certification of its electric propulsion systems. Evolito Limited, the pioneer of world-leading axial-flux electric motors, power electronics and battery solutions for aerospace applications, has received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the UK Civil Aviation Authority for electric propulsion system products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231201483295/en/ Evolito's D500 Axial Flux Motor: stacked for increased torque and power up to 1 megawatt. (Photo: Business Wire) The UK Civil Aviation Authority's approval of Evolito as a Design Organisation demonstrates that it is satisfied that Evolito has the technical expertise, facilities and capabilities to design safe and reliable products, and is able to comply with stringent requirements for certification. Evolito is the first company in the UK to achieve this for electric propulsion systems. This accreditation is a significant milestone towards certification of Evolito's products, as well as supporting customer requirements to certify their electric and hybrid aircraft. Type Certification is necessary to prove an electric aircraft, its propulsion system or propeller are safe for commercial use. Dr Chris Harris, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Evolito, said: "Securing Civil Aviation Authority DOA approval is an important step in supporting our customers aircraft certification activities and for applying for Type Certificates for our electric propulsion systems. Holding our own Type Certificates will allow aircraft customers to integrate our component off the shelf (COTS) electric propulsion solutions saving aircraft manufacturers both time and money and enabling them to focus on the aircraft certification." Evolito has a dedicated and experienced team of over 200 employees, brought together from aerospace and automotive industries, who have been working together to achieve this certification milestone. The DOA process was initiated in autumn 2022, with rigorous assessments of the company's organisation and procedures and concluded with the signed approval in October 2023. Gareth Morris, Chief Operating Officer at Evolito, said: "We have been working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority through these thorough and rigorous assessments, and we are delighted that they have awarded Evolito the UK's first DOA for an electric propulsion system. While this DOA takes Evolito one step closer to Type Certification, it's also an important step for the electric aerospace industry, further accelerating the commercialisation of electric flight. Evolito's unique axial flux electric motors, which are proven in rate manufacture offer class-leading torque densities and system efficiencies, best matched to propeller speeds used in eVTOL, UAV and fixed-wing aircraft applications. The Evolito motor topology is inherently safer and more robust as compared to alternative motor types. Combined with the battery systems and high integrity motor control unit capabilities, Evolito creates propulsion solutions that at are optimised for the aircraft business case. Tendai Mutambirwa, Interim Group Director of Safety and Airspace Regulation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: "It is important we enable companies like Evolito to bring their ideas to market in a safe, secure and sustainable way. We worked collaboratively with Evolito to make sure the high safety standards the public can expect were met. Granting this Design Organisation Approval is an essential step for the electric aerospace industry, and it emphasises our commitment to make the UK a key destination for aviation innovators." EDITOR'S NOTES Evolito http://www.evolito.aero Evolito is making all-electric flight a reality by offering world-leading electric axial flux motors, motor control units and battery systems for the aerospace market. Evolito's electric propulsion systems offer the highest power, torque, and energy densities in class and are inherently more robust than alternative technologies mission critical in eVTOL, Urban Air Mobility and fixed-wing applications. The privately-held company is based in Oxford. Evolito's investors include B-Flexion and Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE). Dr. Chris Harris, Evolito CEO and co-founder, brings over 25 years' experience building and leading high-tech, high-growth businesses in the UK, Europe and US. Dr Harris is passionate about building world-class British manufacturing companies, the transition to electric vehicles and growing a diverse pipeline of engineering talent; now shaping the emerging electric aerospace industry. Gareth Morris, Chief Operating Officer, Evolito, has over 35 years of engineering, programme and general management experience working for large tier-1 global aerospace companies. Most of his career has centred around the development and industrialisation of more-electric aircraft systems, and from 2012 to 2020, he led the creation of a specialist Centre of Excellence for electric motor drive systems and power electronics at Collins Aerospace. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the national aviation authority in the UK responsible for regulating aviation safety. UK and European aerospace companies cannot hold a Type Certificate without being granted a DOA. A Design Organisation Approval (DOA) is the official recognition that an organisation complies with the requirements of designing aerospace products (aircraft, engine or propeller). A Type Certificate (TC) signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft and all its component parts (including propellers, engines, control stations, etc.) It confirms that the aircraft, intended for serial production, is in compliance with the applicable airworthiness requirements established by the national aviation law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231201483295/en/ Contacts: Cat Lenheim, ThoughtLDR +44 7511117587 Cat@thoughtldr.com Syngenta Crop Protection, a global leader in agricultural innovation, has become a sponsor of the International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research, cementing a partnership between the research community and industry that is aimed at advancing both fundamental science and sustainable agriculture. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205916679/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Phytobiome is a collective term for plants within a specific growing environment, for example soil, and the complex interactions influenced by microbes, nutrients, animals, climate, weather, and management practices. This complex and dynamic ecosystem plays a crucial role in the health and functioning of crops, affecting their growth and overall well-being. For example, beneficial microbes in the phytobiome provide essential aid to plants, such as protection against pathogens and acquisition of nutrients. At the same time, there can also be elements of the phytobiome that cause diseases or stress to the plants, such as pathogenic microbes, high heat, or low water availability. Interactions within the phytobiome are highly complex, with much of it yet to be fully understood. Through its partnership with the Phytobiomes Alliance, Syngenta will contribute towards international research into understanding the interactions of the phytobiome's diverse components. The results of these studies will play a pivotal role in ensuring sustainable food security for a growing population over the next decades. In a key aspect of this collaboration, Syngenta will lead a dedicated working group focused on soil health. Furthermore, Syngenta will work with fellow Alliance partners to identify focus areas for the development of cutting-edge biological solutions and support science-based regulations that facilitate farmers' access to the biological products they need. "As a leader in agricultural innovation with a strong global presence, we possess an in-depth understanding of the phytobiome," said Camilla Corsi, Global Head of Research, Syngenta Crop Protection. "We have invested in sophisticated tools to unravel intricate interactions within the phytobiome, such as chemical signaling and its influence on various facets, from root growth to a plant's stress response. We are excited to collaborate with others at the forefront of scientific research, translating our discoveries into practical solutions for farmers, and jointly establishing the foundation for a more sustainable future in agriculture." "Syngenta's expertise and resources will significantly contribute to our mission of unlocking the potential of phytobiomes research, benefitting agriculture and the environment," said Kellye Eversole, Phytobiomes Alliance Executive Director. "We welcome Syngenta's commitment to this collaborative effort between industry leaders and the research community and are particularly thrilled to have them play a leading role in our newly formed soil health working group." Syngenta invests significantly in delivering new solutions that improve farming's environmental footprint. From novel technologies that precisely address farmers' pest challenges to biologicals that improve a plant's ability to leverage available nutrients, Syngenta is at the forefront of agriculture's transformation. Its participation in the International Phytobiomes Alliance reflects its strong commitment to be a collaborator of choice. About Syngenta Crop Protection Syngenta Crop Protection is a leader in agricultural innovation, bringing breakthrough technologies and solutions that enable farmers to grow productively and sustainably. We offer a leading portfolio of crop protection solutions for plant and soil health, as well as digital solutions that transform the decision-making capabilities of farmers. Our 17,900 employees serve to advance agriculture in more than 90 countries around the world. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, and is part of the Syngenta Group. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta, www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/syngenta Data protection is important to us. You are receiving this publication on the legal basis of Article 6 para 1 lit. f GDPR ("legitimate interest"). However, if you do not wish to receive further information about Syngenta, just send us a brief informal message and we will no longer process your details for this purpose. You can also find further details in our privacy statement. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as 'expect', 'would', 'will', 'potential', 'plans', 'prospects', 'estimated', 'aiming', 'on track' and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. 2023 Syngenta. Rosentalstrasse 67, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205916679/en/ Contacts: Michelle Ng Head, External Communications michelle.ng@syngenta.com New dss+ book urges the food industry to transform and rebuild for a sustainable future DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, dss+ announced the publication of a new book, 'How To Create A Sustainable Food Industry - A Practical Guide to Perfect Food'. Written by food industry and academic experts, the book published by Routledge, explores new opportunities to transform and improve the food value chain. In the new dss+ book, sustainable operations experts explore the choices and decisions that will protect and transform the global food system. They demystify a range of food topics and use case studies to provide guidance on how to analyse sustainability and make the right strategic choices to effectively drive human-centred transformation, both within organisations and across value chains. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the food industry accounts for 31% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 70% of global freshwater use, 38% of land use and 80% of bio-diversity loss.1 Commenting on the purpose for the new book, Melissa Barrett, global managing director, Corporate Impact & Practices at dss+ said, "Myself and the co-authors wanted to create a practical guide to help businesses navigate the complex topics of sustainability in the food industry. To achieve this, we have harnessed a depth of experience, data and tools to help uncover the facts, simplify decision-making and guide actions that support the sustainable transformation and protection of food systems." The demand for essential nutritious food is growing, with the global population set to reach 10 billion by 2050. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the demand for food is forecast to increase by 60% by 2050.2 The authors maintain that a growing global population and higher demand for food and resources pose a unique challenge for the food and agriculture industry. In order to meet higher-production demand and steward a significant proportion of the world's natural resources, the industry and society must transform radically as the world transitions to a sustainable economy. The requirement for transformation extends broadly across consumer demand, business operations and production, supply chains and labour dynamics. In introducing the book, Juan Aguiriano, group head of sustainability and technology ventures at Kerry Group asks, "How do we design a food system that is able to feed 10 billion people with tasty and healthy nutritious food choices every day, that is culturally acceptable and fair to people, that is not contributing to non-communicable diseases for billions of people, that is not wasting 30% of the food produced, that is not depleting 70% of the water available and that is able to regenerate soils and bio-diversity while limiting global warming to below 1.5? Transforming food systems and coupling expertise with the human ingenuity and leaders who will make the right decisions, as advised in this book, is a winning combination." The book is published by Routledge and is available here About dss+ dss+ is a leading provider of sustainable operations management consulting services with a purpose of saving lives and creating a sustainable future. dss+ enables companies to build organisational and human capabilities, manage risk, improve operations, achieve sustainability goals and operate more responsibly. Additional information is available at https://bit.ly/3Nbku7q 1 New FAO Analysis Reveals Carbon Footprint of Agri-Food Supply Chain, United Nations News, November 2021, https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1105172. Water for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. A Report Produced for the G20 Presidency of Germany, 2017, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, https:// www.fao.org/3/i7959e/i7959e.pdf. Land Use in Agriculture by the Numbers, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, May 2020, https://www.fao.org/sustainability/news/detail/en/c/1274219/. Secretary-General's Chair Summary and Statement of Action on the UN Food Systems Sum- mit, United Nations, Food System Summit 2021, September 2021, https://www.un.org/en/ food-systems-summit/news/making-food-systems-work-people-planet-and-prosperity. 2 https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/rethinking-food-systems Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1754701/4436810/dss_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/can-we-create-the-perfect-food-302005086.html Ethics, Bias and Regulatory concerns slowing European adoption LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe is doubling down on generative AI (GenAI) investment but is on a more cautious path than North America, according to new research from the Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI), the research arm of Infosys (NSE: INFY), (BSE: INFY), (NYSE: INFY). The research forecasts that European companies will increase GenAI investments by 115% in the next year, to $2.8 billion. The pace of investment is slower than in North America where spend is expected to reach close to $6 billion. This more cautious spend is largely due to concerns around ethics and bias driven by the more regulated European market. However, European companies remain optimistic about generative AI's impact on their business and are much more confident in their ability to train and recruit talent, as well as manage and control generative AI systems. For the Generative AI Radar 2023 - Europe report, IKI surveyed 1,000 respondents from companies across 11 Western European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom). The research, which is also supported by interviews with business leaders and AI practitioners, highlights the following insights. France and Germany lead spending and adoption France and Germany are expected to double spending on GenAI, to nearly $730 million in France and almost $610 million in Germany, in the next 12 months. In both countries, about 50% of companies have either implemented GenAI or have implemented and have created business value from it - compared with roughly 40% in UK, Benelux, and Nordics. UK is expected to move past Benelux into third place in the next 12 months, more than doubling spend to nearly $510 million. Nordic companies are expected to increase spending at the highest rate in the next 12 months - more than 2.5x their current spending, to more than $470 million. European companies are deploying GenAI, but few have created business value Despite high levels of experimentation and implementation with GenAI, only 6% of European companies generate business value with their GenAI use cases. France, Germany and the UK lead the region, with about 10% of companies reporting value delivered by their GenAI projects. European companies are more focused on ethics and bias, and more confident about managing and controlling GenAI than North American companies European companies identified ethics and bias as the second biggest challenge, after data privacy and security. North American companies are less concerned with ethics and bias - where it was the fourth biggest challenge behind issues such as data privacy, unusable data and lack of skills. European companies also have more boards of directors involved in GenAI policies, reflecting their concerns around regulations. In Europe, boards of directors set regulations and policies at more than 30% of companies and are primary sponsors nearly 20% of the time. More than 70% of European respondents are confident in GenAI management abilities. Balakrishna D. R. (Bali), Executive Vice President, Global Head of AI and Industry Verticals, Infosys, said "Generative AI is driving phenomenal transformation across industries, and investment is happening at a rapid pace. Against the backdrop of an ever-evolving regulatory landscape, organizations must embed responsible AI techniques to not only improve data quality and management, but effectively manage ethics and bias risks. Our research has shown that for European businesses to derive business value, they must develop and evolve an AI-first operating model that prioritizes business transformation and skills development, and enables them to maximize human potential." To read the full report, please visit here. Methodology Infosys used an anonymous format to conduct an online survey of more than 1,000 business executives across industries across Belgium, Denmark, Finland France, Germany, Iceland, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom. To gain additional, qualitative insights, the researchers interviewed subject matter experts and business leaders.? About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE: INFY), (BSE: INFY), (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, or our future financial or operating performance are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the execution of our business strategy, our ability to attract and retain personnel, our transition to hybrid work model, economic uncertainties, technological innovations such as Generative AI, the complex and evolving regulatory landscape including immigration regulation changes, our ESG vision, our capital allocation policy and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, liquidity, capital resources, and our corporate actions including acquisitions. Important factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements are discussed in more detail in our US Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. These filings are available at www.sec.gov . Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. For more information, please contact: Dena Tahmasebi, Director of Communications EMEA, Infosys | Dena.tahmasebi@infosys.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/european-firms-struggle-to-generate-value-from-generative-ai-yet-will-double-spending-in-2024-infosys-research-302004976.html Healthcare IoT security leader ranked as a leading vendor with distinguished customer impact and technology excellence LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare IoT asset intelligence and security leader, Cylera, has been recognised as a top technology leader by Quadrant Knowledge Solutions in its recent report, SPARK Matrix: Connected Medical Device Security Solutions, Q4 2023. Customers can see the full competitive ratings and obtain the report by visiting https://resources.cylera.com/2023_cmdss_report. Ranked among the highest in the Customer Impact category and listed overall as one of the top global providers in connected medical device security, the report described how Cylera's IoT intelligence and security platform can readily discover, categorise, inventory, risk assess and monitor a diverse and large volume of healthcare IoT and connected medical devices, with 'an unmatched depth of visibility and accuracy.' At least 15% greater IoMT coverage delivered right out of the box compared to other vendors, cited one customer. The Quadrant Knowledge Solutions report provides a detailed analysis of the global connected medical device security solutions industry, including market dynamics, major trends, vendor landscape, and competitive positioning, ranking the leading connected medical device security solution vendors in the form of a SPARK Matrix. The study provides strategic information for healthcare delivery organisations (HDOs) to evaluate different vendor capabilities and competitive differentiation. Customers surveyed, as part of the analysis process by the advisory firm, expect continued growth in their IoT and IoMT assets with many concerned around managing attacks, as well as operational, privacy, and reputation risks. This follows recent data by KnowBe4, confirming healthcare as the third most frequently targeted group by cybercriminals, with a 74% increase in 2022 compared to the year before. Cylera was noted by Quadrant Knowledge Solutions for its scalable and extensible SaaS-based platform supporting hospitals with 150 or more beds, and larger networks that manage over a dozen hospitals and more than 250 different facilities across multiple regions and countries. Rated best overall for its customer experience, the platform was also commended for its ease of use and deployment. Mohnish Rathore, analyst at Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, said: "Cylera has been placed among the market leaders owing to factors such as comprehensive healthcare IoT security technology for continuous IoMT visibility, high-fidelity intelligence, risk scoring with prioritisation, and integrated threat mitigation." "Beyond the ease, flexibility, and depth of functionality of its platform, users expressed Cylera's rapid time-to-value and outcome-based, partnership approach to healthcare customer success, setting Cylera apart from its competitors. Owing to the company's platform capabilities and customer impact, Cylera has been positioned among the leaders to be considered by healthcare delivery organisations in 2023," continued Mohnish. Quadrant Knowledge Solutions also highlighted Cylera's capabilities for: More accurate risk profiling and scoring, and "less alert fatigue than other vendors" A higher degree of granular device details, including SBOM, vulnerability, risk and utilisation Improved security posture and the ability to mature security programs by eliminating IoMT inventory, vulnerability, and threat management operational and process gaps Alignment to standards-based risk analysis of healthcare IoT devices to meet regulatory and operational compliance requirements, including NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) Enabling more accurate and up-to-date IoT/IoMT device micro-segmentation in support of Zero Trust initiatives Analytics that provides extensive usage telemetry across sites and hospitals to help ensure patient care availability, as well as to make informed budget decisions and cost-effective deployment Timur Ozekcin, Co-founder & CEO of Cylera, added: "It is a privilege to be placed as a leader in the 2023 SPARK Matrix for Connected Medical Device Security Solutions. It's testament to the work being carried out by the Cylera team and our focus on building successful outcome-oriented business relationships with our customers." He adds, "Our mission is to help healthcare providers optimize their resources, availability, resiliency, capacity, and savings which ultimately protects what matters - the health and privacy of patients. This market leadership recognition highlights our continued commitment to our mission and our customers." To learn how Cylera can help healthcare delivery organizations fortify patient care and accelerate resiliency, and to review case studies of Cylera customers, please visit Cylera. TWEET THIS: Cylera recognised as a technology leader in new Connected Medical Device Security Solutions - see the competitive ranking and download the report at https://resources.cylera.com/2023_cmdss_report cylera healthcareIoTsecurity connectedmedicaldevicesecurity cyberphysicalsystemprotection Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2292667/Timur_Ozekcin_CEO_Cylera.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cylera-named-leader-in-connected-medical-device-security-solutions-report-302005208.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - MediSupply Warehouse is proud to announce the launch of its dedicated website for Canadian customers, https://canadianpharmaciesunlimited.com. This new platform offers a comprehensive and convenient solution for Canadians seeking access to both prescription and non-prescription medications, all within a secure and legal framework. In an era where convenience and accessibility have become paramount, CanadianPharmaciesUnlimited.com aims to provide Canadian residents with a hassle-free and trustworthy option to purchase pharmaceutical products online. The website offers a wide range of medications, ensuring that essential healthcare needs are met with ease. Canadian Pharmacies Unlimited To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8846/189533_canadianpharmapicture1.jpg Key Features of Canadian Pharmacies Unlimited: Legal and Compliant: CanadianPharmaciesUnlimited.com strictly adheres to all Canadian regulations and laws regarding the sale and distribution of pharmaceuticals. Customers can rest assured that all products are sourced from licensed suppliers, guaranteeing their authenticity and quality. Extensive Product Range: The website boasts an extensive catalog of prescription and over-the-counter medications, catering to a diverse array of healthcare needs. Express Shipping: Canadian customers can enjoy the convenience of express shipping, ensuring prompt delivery of their orders to their doorstep. Delivery Guarantee: They are committed to providing a seamless shopping experience. CanadianPharmaciesUnlimited.com guarantees the safe and timely delivery of all products purchased through the platform. User-Friendly Interface: Navigating the website is effortless, with an intuitive design that allows customers to browse, search, and order products with ease. MediSupply Warehouse has always prioritized customer well-being and satisfaction, and the launch of CanadianPharmaciesUnlimited.com is a testament to this commitment. MediSupply Warehouse To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8846/189533_medisupplypicture2.jpg About MediSupply Warehouse: MediSupply Warehouse, a trusted name in the pharmaceutical industry, has been dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare products and medications to customers for over 15 years. Committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and safety, their online platform, MediSupplywarehouse.com, has served as a reliable resource for customers worldwide. With the launch of CanadianPharmaciesUnlimited.com, they are extending their unwavering commitment to providing Canadians with access to essential healthcare solutions, ensuring they have a convenient and secure option for all their pharmaceutical needs. For more information about MediSupply Warehouse and their extensive range of healthcare products, please visit the MediSupply Warehouse website as listed below. For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Contact Person: Dr. Anna Lee Company Name: MediSupply Warehouse Email: dr.lee@medisupplywarehouse.com Website: https://medisupplywarehouse.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189533 CorWave, a French company that develops and manufactures innovative cardiac assist devices, announces the appointment of Fairuz Hasni as Vice President Human Resources. Fairuz Hasni has over twenty years of experience in industrial companies. She will support CorWave in the development of its HR functions and in its next stages of growth. Before joining CorWave, Fairuz Hasni served as the Director of Human Resources and was a member of the Executive Committee at the Wheat Division (2,500 employees and operations in 24 factories spanning 11 countries) of InVivo, a global group specializing in the agri-food industry with 10 billion in sales. A seasoned HR professional, Fairuz graduated from the Universities of Poitiers and Tours, and began her career in 2003 as a recruitment consultant. She later assumed the role of Human Resources Manager at the Etex Group (2 billion sales), a global manufacturer of building materials, where she notably took part in the integration of Siniat (ex- "Lafarge Platres") post M&A. She then joined Motul Group, a leading engine lubricant specialty company, where she modernized the HR function. In 2015, Fairuz joined Rector Lesage (270 million sales), a family-owned group specializing in concrete prefabrication, as Group HR and Safety Director and a member of the Management Committee. Joining CorWave's Executive Committee as Vice President of Human Resources, Fairuz will leverage her diverse industrial HR experience gained in various companies to support the company's growth, particularly during this crucial phase following the opening of its manufacturing facility in Clichy. Fairuz Hasni, Vice President Human Resources, states: "I am very pleased to join CorWave at this pivotal moment in its history. The commitment of CorWave's teams is crucial to the success of our project, dedicated to serving heart failure patients." "I am delighted to welcome Fairuz to our management team as Vice President Human Resources" comments Louis de Lillers, CorWave's CEO. "Fairuz has accumulated over twenty years of experience in human resources, primarily in the manufacturing sector. Her contributions focus on optimizing HR functions and supporting growth phases, highlighting her ability to align HR strategies with organizational goals. Her expertise, developed within international industrial companies of varying sizes (from SMEs to major groups), will be a significant asset as CorWave strives to become a global leader in cardiac assist devices. About CorWave: CorWave is a French company that develops and manufactures innovative cardiac assist devices. The CorWave undulating membrane is a breakthrough technology that differs from today's commercially available left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) by its physiological operation, designed to mimic a pulse and blood flow rates similar to those of a healthy heart. Ultimately, CorWave's membrane pump technology is expected to reduce the complications associated with current devices and improve the management of heart failure patients. A member of the French Tech 120, CorWave was founded in 2012 by the start-up studio MD Start and is funded by renowned investors including Bpifrance, Exor Ventures, EIC Fund, Financiere Arbevel, M&L Healthcare, Novo Holdings, Seventure Partners, Sofinnova Partners, Ysios Capital and Vlerick Group. The company has secured over 80 million in equity capital and employs over eighty people. For more information: www.corwave.com twitter.com/corwave www.linkedin.com/company/corwave This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 954151. The SPI fund's investment in CorWave is part of the France 2030 program. CorWave's R&D program is supported by the French government through the Programme d'investissements d'avenir (PIA). CorWave's industrialization program is supported by the Paris Region through the "Relance Industrie" call for projects. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205421648/en/ Contacts: Press contact: Taddeo Camille Duchiron +33 6 50 52 44 43 camille.duchiron@taddeo.fr Working in concert with Ethic Ocean, the Association's World Culinary Council will lobby European ministers to protect biodiversity PARIS, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The members of Relais & Chateaux's World Culinary Council has voted to immediately remove eel from their own menus and are sending a call to action to the rest of the group's 580 hotels and restaurants to do the same, after its NGO partner Ethic Ocean launched an alert that public authorities must urgently listen to scientists who recommend suspending European eel fishing. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9230451-relais-chateaux-chefs-pledge-stop-serving-eel-prevent-extinction/ The European eel (Anguilla anguilla), which is featured in menus all over the world-and revered in certain French, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch and Japanese culinary cultures-is considered critically endangered and features on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Over the last 20 years, European scientists from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) have been warning about all the causes of the alarming decline of this species-but for the last three years, they have recommended suspending fishing. In this context, the 21 Relais & Chateaux chefs elected to the Association's World Culinary Council gathered in October and voted to approve an immediate ban of European eel from its menus. In partnership with Ethic Ocean, Relais & Chateaux calls on the 27 European Union ministers to hear this chef mobilization and scientific recommendation in order to take the necessary measures this December to safeguard this species. The effort follows a similar approach taken by the Association, in 2009, to save the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) stocks in the North-East Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, which were close to collapsing. This action contributed to public mobilization around this species, which encouraged legislators to enact management measures adapted to the situation of the state of the stock. A Variety of Issues The situation with eels is very alarming because this species suffers from a numerous challenges including water pollution (particularly rivers), habitat destruction, dams that impede their biological cycle and illegal fishing, which has created a black market, fetching up to 5,000 per kilo. Eels are the only fish that are targeted at their juvenile stage, on top of the fact that it takes them a long time to reach reproductive maturity. While it is urgent to suspend eel fishing today, it is crucial that the public authorities take the necessary measures to fight against the other causes of the decline of this species. Mauro Colagreco, Vice President, Chefs of Relais & Chateaux and therefore leader of the World Culinary Council, and chef-owner of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Mirazur in the South of France, said, "Chefs have a critical role to play: we can stop the demand. We have a chance to protect eels from becoming extinct, and of preserving biodiversity to allow future generations to continue to enjoy them, but only if we act now. As the world's largest network of chefs, Relais & Chateaux hopes to save this species." Gastronomy: Dependent on Nature The World Culinary Council-an international committee of 21 chefs from across the Relais & Chateaux network-had gathered over October 8-10, 2023, under the Association's president, Laurent Gardinier. Laurent Gardinier said: "We have an acute understanding that Relais & Chateaux, and our very art de vivre, is dependent on nature. We must lead in sustainability to protect the ecosystems and biodiversity that our culinary and travel experiences rely on. It is these experiences that move our guests emotionally. And this would not be possible without nature." A Vehicle for Change The World Culinary Council wishes to draw attention to the plight of eels. Relais & Chateaux has had a partnership with Ethic Ocean since 2009 and regularly unites its members around actions in favor of the environment, especially marine biodiversity (for example, World Oceans Day). Gilles Boeuf, president of Ethic Ocean, said, "I am happy to see the Relais & Chateaux association support this alert, which aims, above all, to preserve an exceptional species that reflects humanity's relationship with the environment. This cause to save the eel touches on many biodiversity issues. Let's act before it's too late." To learn more about sustainability at Relais & Chateaux, the Association's annual report with 15 objectives for 2025 and 2030 can be found here: https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/discover/commitments About Relais & Chateaux A MOVEMENT WITH MEANING Relais & Chateaux, established in 1954, is an association of 580 unique hotels and restaurants throughout the world, owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs - most often families - who are passionate about their craft and deeply committed to forging warm, lasting relationships with their guests. Relais & Chateaux members protect and promote the wealth and diversity of the world's culinary and hospitality traditions, to ensure they continue to thrive. They are equally dedicated to preserving local heritage and the environment, as articulated in the association's Vision presented to UNESCO in November 2014. www.relaischateaux.com About Ethic Ocean Ethic Ocean is a non-governmental environmental organization dedicated to the conservation of fisheries and marine ecosystems. Its mission is to create opportunities for change and help implement sustainable practices in the fisheries industry. Ethic Ocean works with all stakeholders to help them source species having stocks that are not overfished or which have been farmed responsibly. For more information, visit www.ethic-ocean.org . PRESS CONTACT J/PR relaisuk@jpublicrelations.com Contact SCANDINAVIA By Baungaard email: tina@bybaungaard.com Contact BENELUX Pitch PR email:?dagmar@pitchpr.nl LIST OF WORLD CULINARY COUNCIL CHEFS: 1. Mauro Colagreco Vice President, Chefs, Relais & Chateaux Relais & Chateaux Mirazur, FRANCE 2. Peter Tempelhoff Chef Delegate, Africa & Indian Ocean, Relais & Chateaux Ellerman House, SOUTH AFRICA 3. Josep Espuga Chef Delegate, Australia, New Zealand & Pacific, Relais & Chateaux Laura at Pt. Leo Estate, AUSTRALIA 4. Jef Schuur Chef Delegate, Benelux, Eastern Europe & Scandinavia, Relais & Chateaux Bij Jef, THE NETHERLANDS 5. Frederic Doucet Chef Delegate, France: Great East & Rhone-Alps, Relais & Chateaux Maison Doucet, FRANCE 6. Cedric Bechade Chef Delegate, France: Great Southern West, Relais & Chateaux L'Auberge Basque, FRANCE 7. Mathieu Guibert Chef Delegate, France: Great West, Relais & Chateaux Anne de Bretagne, FRANCE 8. Julien Dumas Chef Delegate, France: Paris & Champagne, Relais & Chateaux Saint James Paris, FRANCE 9. Jacques Pourcel Chef Delegate, France: Provence, French Riviera, Corsica & Languedoc, Relais & Chateaux Hotel Richer de Belleval, FRANCE 10. Holger Bodendorf Chef Delegate, Germany & Austria, Relais & Chateaux Landhaus Stricker, GERMANY 11. Vicky Lau Chef Delegate, Greater China, Indian Subcontinent & Southeast Asia, Relais & Chateaux Tate Dining Room, HONG KONG 12. Emanuele Scarello Chef Delegate, Italy, Relais & Chateaux Agli Amici dal 1887, ITALY 13. Shinichiro Takagi Chef Delegate, Japan & Korea, Relais & Chateaux Zeniya, JAPAN 14. Marko Gajski Chef Delegate, Mediterranean, Middle East & Morocco, Relais & Chateaux Lesic Dimitri, CROATIA 15. Jason Bangerter Chef Delegate, North America: Canada, Relais & Chateaux Langdon Hall, CANADA 16. Gabriel Kreuther Chef Delegate, North America: USA East & Caribbean, Relais & Chateaux Gabriel Kreuther, NEW YORK, USA 17. Kyle Connaughton Chef Delegate, North America: USA West & Mexico, Relais & Chateaux SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn, CALIFORNIA, USA 18. Norman Brandt Chef Delegate, South America & Central America, Relais & Chateaux Pikaia Lodge, GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 19. Pedro Subijana Chef Delegate, Spain & Portugal, Relais & Chateaux Akelarre, SPAIN 20. Stephane Decotterd Chef Delegate, Switzerland & Liechtenstein, Relais & Chateaux Restaurant Stephane Decotterd, SWITZERLAND 21. Michael Caines Chef Delegate, United Kingdom & Ireland, Relais & Chateaux Lympstone Manor, UNITED KINGDOM Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2290486/Relais_Chateaux_chefs_pledge.mp4 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2084329/4433700/Relais_et_Chateaux_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/relais--chateaux-chefs-pledge-to-stop-serving-eel-with-immediate-effect-to-prevent-its-extinction-302005665.html Expedia Group unlocks traveller demand for new European partners and increases their visibility to high-value travellers New partnerships announced today include Ryanair, Icelandair, Iberia Airlines and Deutsche Hospitality LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Expedia Group announced today a series of new and expanded travel partnerships across Europe, encompassing B2B technology, advertising partnerships and supply distribution deals, connecting European partners to the company's extensive global traveller base and giving them access to Expedia Group's innovative technology and industry expertise. The deals further cement Expedia Group's presence in the continent and commitment to propel partners to easily capture the attention of high-value travellers from around the world. Powering Travel with Unmatched Technology Solutions Expedia Group powers companies of all sizes, from a multitude of industries to succeed in the complex universe of travel by providing innovative technology, supply and tools to power their own sites. Partners can choose from White Label Template, a turnkey, tailor-built solution that provides their travellers with an end-to-end travel experience on a site that is branded for the partner; or Rapid API, a scalable solution that empowers travel companies to build end-to-end booking experiences by leveraging Expedia Group's global lodging inventory. Additionally, Expedia Group continues to offer European travel advisors access to a wide breadth of travel inventory, rates, and availability through the Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP). Expedia Group's newest European technology powered partnerships announced today include: Ryanair: Over the coming weeks, Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, will launch 'Ryanair Rooms', a renewed offering that leverages Expedia Group's White Label Template technology, allowing its customers to book a hotel with their flight and access Expedia Group's Virtual Agent, an AI-powered customer service tool. The Ireland and UK sites launch in December, with a phased rollout to additional markets next year. Over the coming weeks, Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, will launch 'Ryanair Rooms', a renewed offering that leverages Expedia Group's White Label Template technology, allowing its customers to book a hotel with their flight and access Expedia Group's Virtual Agent, an AI-powered customer service tool. The Ireland and UK sites launch in December, with a phased rollout to additional markets next year. Icelandair: The flagship carrier of Iceland will launch Saga Club, a new travel site, powered by Expedia Group's White Label Template, providing a way for its most loyal travellers to book additional trip elements with their flight. Saga Members will be able to access Expedia Group's global supply of hotels, car rentals and activities to redeem and earn Saga Points. This service will enable the airline's loyal travellers to book additional trip elements, using the program's loyalty points, to enhance their journey. The travel site will be offered to Saga Club members in the new year. The flagship carrier of Iceland will launch Saga Club, a new travel site, powered by Expedia Group's White Label Template, providing a way for its most loyal travellers to book additional trip elements with their flight. Saga Members will be able to access Expedia Group's global supply of hotels, car rentals and activities to redeem and earn Saga Points. This service will enable the airline's loyal travellers to book additional trip elements, using the program's loyalty points, to enhance their journey. The travel site will be offered to Saga Club members in the new year. ADAC - Germany's largest automobile association partners with Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP), giving ADAC's travel agencies access to Expedia Group's vast inventory of travel products, including hotels, flights, rental cars, and activities. Advertising Europe to a Growing Audience Expedia Group Media Solutions is a leading travel media network, providing a targeted way for travel partners, Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) and brands to reach, engage, and convert millions of travellers worldwide through advertising solutions. With its vast network of travel brands and global reach, Expedia Group Media Solutions provides partners with proprietary data and dynamic advertising solutions to deliver impactful campaigns and measurable results. Recent partnerships include: Deutsche Hospitality - the umbrella brand of the German hotel company Steigenberger Hotels AG will be investing in display advertising and industry-leading advertising solution TravelAds to target the hundreds of millions of travellers visiting Expedia Group sites each month. - the umbrella brand of the German hotel company Steigenberger Hotels AG will be investing in display advertising and industry-leading advertising solution TravelAds to target the hundreds of millions of travellers visiting Expedia Group sites each month. The European Travel Commission (ETC) - the ETC's Creative Cities of Central Europe Campaign promoted the undiscovered value of the Visegrad countries of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to U.S. travellers. The campaign ran from August to October this year and highlighted the region's rich culture, history and natural beauty. - the ETC's Creative Cities of Central Europe Campaign promoted the undiscovered value of the Visegrad countries of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to U.S. travellers. The campaign ran from August to October this year and highlighted the region's rich culture, history and natural beauty. Croatian National Tourism Board (CNTB) - In partnership with Expedia Group Media Solutions, CNTB developed a series of impactful campaigns targeting both European and USA markets, highlighting Croatia's unique charm and natural beauty. Focusing on European markets, European travellers were encouraged to explore Croatia beyond the familiar through gallery spotlight pages. The promotion connected the CNTB with Expedia Group's high value travellers, resulting in a 10% increase on the average daily spend year-on-year on Expedia channels during the campaign period. To capture the US market, travellers from the States were inspired to visit Croatia's distinct regions and experiences through the "Always in Season" campaign. During the CNTB's targeted campaign, Croatia experienced a 10% uplift in demand across Expedia channels from US travellers1. Enhancing Reach and Boosting Conversion for Supply Partners Expedia Group is also announcing new supply partnerships, enabling European partners to capture more share of wallet and gain visibility to Expedia Group's global customer base. The company's strong footprint in the U.S. in particular means European partners can take advantage of a high-value demographic planning trips across the Atlantic. Company research shows that in the first half of 2023, American travellers spent more, booked earlier and stayed longer on their trips compared to European travellers.2 Turkish Airlines has expanded Expedia Group's Air Member Only Deals to Europe following a successful pilot in the United States. The airline offers exclusive discounts to Expedia rewards members, driving better conversion and boosting revenue. A similar campaign ran in the U.S. during the first six months of 2023, resulting in an over 15% uplift in ticket-booking volume on Member Only Deal routes for Turkish Airlines. has expanded Expedia Group's Air Member Only Deals to Europe following a successful pilot in the United States. The airline offers exclusive discounts to Expedia rewards members, driving better conversion and boosting revenue. A similar campaign ran in the U.S. during the first six months of 2023, resulting in an over 15% uplift in ticket-booking volume on Member Only Deal routes for Turkish Airlines. Iberia Airlines: Spain's flagship carrier and leading carrier between Europe and Latin America has expanded its direct New Distribution Capability (NDC) connection with Expedia Group. Millions of travellers who shop for and book Iberia flights can now enjoy more options to customize their travel with ease on multiple European points of sale, United States and Mexico. Spain's flagship carrier and leading carrier between Europe and Latin America has expanded its direct New Distribution Capability (NDC) connection with Expedia Group. Millions of travellers who shop for and book Iberia flights can now enjoy more options to customize their travel with ease on multiple European points of sale, United States and Mexico. Sonder and TravelStaytion: Expedia Group's ongoing partnership with the UEFA Champions League continues for the 2023-24 season. For the first time, Expedia Group's lodging partners - including Sonder and TravelStaytion - will support the upcoming sponsorship of fan-focused events with dedicated booking experiences through Expedia Live. Booking these lodging experiences will be available mid-December 2023 on the dedicated Expedia Live x UEFA Champions League site. Expedia Group is also expanding its car rental offerings in Europe through a number of new partnerships: Alma, a family-owned car rental company, has signed a partnership with Expedia Group to distribute its car inventory in eight European countries including Greece, Malta, Romania, and Albania. a family-owned car rental company, has signed a partnership with Expedia Group to distribute its car inventory in eight European countries including Greece, Malta, Romania, and Albania. Drivalia, a leading car rental company with a large fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles, has expanded its partnership with Expedia Group to distribute its cars in Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the UK. a leading car rental company with a large fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles, has expanded its partnership with Expedia Group to distribute its cars in Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the UK. Green Motion, Green Motion, an international car rental company that offers low-emission vehicles, has expanded its partnership with Expedia Group to help bring environmentally efficient driving within Europe and worldwide. Green Motion, an international car rental company that offers low-emission vehicles, has expanded its partnership with Expedia Group to help bring environmentally efficient driving within Europe and worldwide. Record go, a leading Spanish car rental company with a wide range of vehicles, including cars, vans, and SUVs, has also expanded its partnership with Expedia Group from Spain and Portugal to now include Italy and Greece. "This wide range of new and expanded partnerships demonstrates the strength and resilience of travel demand in Europe, as well as our ability to power partners of all sizes. Our partners benefit from our expanded European footprint with new ways to connect to high spending global travellers, and access to our cutting-edge B2B technology solutions and our industry-leading advertising solutions," said Ariane Gorin, President, Expedia for Business, Expedia Group. If you're interested in partnering with Expedia Group, please visit the Expedia Group partner site here. About Expedia Group Expedia Group, Inc. brands power travel for everyone, everywhere through our global platform. Driven by the core belief that travel is a force for good, we help people experience the world in new ways and build lasting connections. We provide industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers. Our organization is made up of three pillars: Expedia Product & Technology, focused on the group's product and technical strategy and offerings; Expedia Brands, housing all our consumer brands; and Expedia for Business, consisting of business-to-business solutions and relationships throughout the travel ecosystem. The Expedia Group family of brands includes: Expedia, Hotels.com, Expedia Partner Solutions, Vrbo, Trivago, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, Wotif, ebookers, CheapTickets, Expedia Group Media Solutions, CarRentals.com, and Expedia Cruises. One Key is our comprehensive loyalty program that unifies Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo into one simple, flexible travel rewards experience. To enroll in One Key, download Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo mobile apps for free on iOS and Android devices. For more information, visit www.expediagroup.com. Follow us on Twitter @expediagroup and check out our LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/expedia. 2023 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50 1 Insights sourced from Expedia Group's proprietary first-party data and third-party research partners, comparing year-over-year performance during respective campaign periods 2Expedia Group data, all lines of business excluding cruise, H1 2023. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2292797/0_1828R_34479.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2292796/EXPEDIA__INC__LOGO_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/expedia-group-secures-new-and-expanded-travel-partnerships-in-europe-302005585.html LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IFS, the global cloud enterprise software company, today announced that it has made two senior appointments with Max Roberts and Belinda Finch joining the company's executive leadership team as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer respectively. The appointments underpin the company's consistent performance trajectory as well as its longer-term plans for growth. Max Roberts joins IFS from Stripe, a financial infrastructure platform for businesses, where he was CEO of the UK business and latterly led the EMEA organization through significant growth. His career spans over 25 years in the technology sector and specifically the enterprise software space where he held a wide variety of leadership positions at Oracle, Salesforce, and Stripe. He has also been a non-executive director of UK Finance. As he steps into his new COO role, Roberts will work with the executive and wider leadership teams to develop IFS's longer-term strategic products and services portfolios and develop the company's strategic alliances and partnerships. Priorities will be aligned to continuing to drive innovation that not only meets customers' needs, but also anticipates and responds to market demand, and delivers sustained revenue and margin growth for IFS. Roberts will take responsibility for IFS's Industry, Service Management and Enterprise Asset Management business units, and support IFS global sales and customer success teams in customer engagements. Belinda Finch joins IFS from mobile giant Three, where, as CIO, she led Three's digital transformation program and worked closely with their product teams to drive system developments that would enhance customer experience. Finch's previous experience includes senior leadership roles at Centrica and Vodafone as well as at Accenture and KPMG. Belinda's leadership values have been recognized with accolades such as Women in Tech Excellence Awards 2022, CIO of the Year Finalist and MVNO's World Congress Woman of the Year Awards 2023. In her role as IFS CIO, Finch will oversee the continuation of the company's digital transformation journey and work with the executive leadership team to maximize the adoption of AI across the entire organization, driving productivity and effectiveness as the company strives to deliver an outstanding customer experience. IFS CEO Darren Roos commented: "I am delighted to welcome Max and Belinda to IFS. They are joining at a very exciting time, and I am confident that their energy and perspectives will have a very positive impact as we enter our next phase of growth." Roos continued: "They both bring strong expertise and a proven track record that is well aligned to our space and, in Belinda's case, to one of our core industries." He concluded: "I am proud that the brand awareness IFS has achieved over the last few years and our consistent performance are attracting such incredible talent. I know that their combined experience and vision will be hugely instrumental as we accelerate our growth journey." The company also shared that Michael Ouissi and Sal Laher will move to IGT1, the Holding Group for IFS, as COO and CDIO respectively, and take more central roles in ensuring long-term value creation from recent and future M&A activities. About IFS: IFS develops and delivers cloud enterprise software for companies around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. Within our single platform, our industry specific products are innately connected to a single data model and use embedded digital innovation so that our customers can be their best when it really matters to their customers-at the Moment of Service. The industry expertise of our people and of our growing ecosystem, together with a commitment to deliver value at every single step, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of over 6,000 employees every day live our values of agility, trustworthiness and collaboration in how we support our 6,500+ customers. Learn more about how our enterprise software solutions can help your business today at ifs.com. IFS Press Contacts: MEA& APJ: Adam Gillbe Corporate Communications Email: press@ifs.com Phone: +44 7775 114 856 USA: Mairi Morgan Corporate Communications Email: press@ifs.com Phone: +1 520 396 2155 The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/ifs/i/ifs-appoints-max-roberts-as-chief-operating-officer-and-belinda-finch-as-chief-information-officer,c3246010 IFS Appoints Max Roberts as Chief Operating Officer and Belinda Finch as Chief Information Officer View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ifs-appoints-max-roberts-as-chief-operating-officer-and-belinda-finch-as-chief-information-officer-302005757.html 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. News provided by World News Media LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The front cover of the latest World Finance magazine features Omar Alfardan, Managing Director of the Qatar-based Commercial Bank. He spoke exclusively with World Finance about the progress and developments taking place within Qatar, and the role his bank is playing in this exciting new phase. We have a special report on economics, which takes a look at some of the problems the science faces. We examine why the industry is going through a difficult time and why its credibility and methodologies are being questioned. What needs to change? Another special report looks at the relationship between Gen Z and banking institutions. More than 50 percent of the world's population is under the age of 30 and the way they view their financial choices is different to those that went before. Who do they trust and how can financial institutions bridge the gap? Anna Sergi spoke with World Finance about the Italian mafia and details how the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta exploited financial loopholes to become one of the world's wealthiest criminal organisations. There is a profile of Ajay Banga, the recently installed President of the World Bank. Additional topics covered in the Winter 2023-24 edition of World Finance magazine include; luxury cars for investment, a looming pensions crisis, IMF's presence in Africa, the gender pay gap, blue bonds and quantum models in economics. Also included in this edition are details of the winners of the 2023 World Finance awards for Digital Banking, Innovation, Insurance, Investment Management and Wealth Management. To read all of the above, and more, pick up the latest issue of World Finance magazine, available online, on mobile and in print now. www.worldfinance.com World News Media, the parent company of World Finance, is a leading publisher of quality financial and business magazines, which enjoys a global distribution network that includes subscriber lists of prominent decision-makers around the world. Contact information: Richard Willcox +44 (0)207 553 4151 richard@wnmedia.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-winter-issue-of-world-finance-magazine-has-been-published--offering-its-usual-wealth-of-in-depth-and-high-quality-journalism-on-a-diverse-mix-of-financial-topics-from-across-the-globe-302005741.html Turin, 5th December 2023. Iveco Group N.V. (EXM: IVG) and Hedin Mobility Group AB (publ), following up on the Letter of Intent signed in March 2023, announce the signing of a Share Purchase Agreement that sees Hedin Mobility Group acquiring Iveco Group's distribution and retail operations in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. This transaction, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed during the first half of 2024. This partnership fortifies Hedin Mobility Group's position as a leading European mobility provider and expands IVECO's Nordic distribution network. It involves the transfer of marketing and distribution operations for IVECO light commercial vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and minibuses sold through the retail network in the four Nordic countries, including spare parts. The agreement also includes the acquisition of the retail business at the IVECO-owned dealerships in Sweden (Gothenburg, Helsingborg and Malmo), Norway (Brum), Finland (Espoo), and Denmark (Odense). Iveco Group's commercial vehicle product range is currently sold and serviced in the Nordics through 35 retailers and more than 100 workshops. Gerrit Marx, CEO, Iveco Group, commented: "Finalizing this key partnership with Hedin Mobility Group immediately after the launch of our new full range is a sign to our commitment to growth and sustainability. This collaboration will enhance our presence in the Nordic market, leveraging Hedin's established network to deliver our innovative, efficient, and environmentally friendly vehicles to more customers." Anders Hedin, founder and CEO of Hedin Mobility Group, said: "This strategic partnership with Iveco Group significantly strengthens our value proposition and position as a leading European mobility provider, expanding our business both in distribution and retail. We share a determination to drive change and deliver products and services that benefit both end-users and society at large. Building on the renewed IVECO offering, we are excited to start our collaboration, enhance the brand's Nordic market presence and create value for existing and new customers." Iveco Group N.V. Media Contacts: Francesco Polsinelli, Tel: +39 335 1776091 Fabio Lepore, Tel: +39 335 7469007 E-mail: mediarelations@ivecogroup.com Attachment Changes in family structures, evolution of safety technologies, and rise in demand for electric crossovers are expected to drive the growth of the global crossovers market. WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Crossovers Market by Type (Compact Crossovers, Mid-size Crossovers, and Full-size Crossovers), Propulsion (ICE and Electric), and Gear Transmission (Manual and Automatic): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global crossovers market size was valued at $541.0 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $1,078.9 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 7.6% from 2023 to 2032. (We are providing crossovers industry report as per your research requirement, including the Latest Industry Insight's Evolution, Potential and Russia-Ukraine War Impact Analysis) 132 - Tables 81 - Charts 325 - Pages Download Sample Pages - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/11127 Prime determinants of growth The rise in urbanization is playing a pivotal role in driving the demand for crossovers. As more individuals migrate to urban centers, there is a growing inclination towards vehicles that offer a compact footprint for easy maneuverability in city traffic while still providing ample cargo space and a higher driving position. This trend aligns with the versatile nature of crossovers, making them well-suited for diverse driving conditions. Moreover, advancements in technology and safety features have contributed to the market's expansion. Integration of smart connectivity, advanced driver-assistance systems, and fuel-efficient powertrains enhances the overall appeal of crossovers. The interplay of these factors positions crossovers as a prime choice for a broad consumer base, driving sustained growth in the crossover market as it continues to dominate the automotive landscape. Report Coverage and Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $541.0 billion Crossovers Market Size in 2032 $1,078.9 billion CAGR 7.6 % No. of Pages in Report 305 Segments covered Type, Propulsion, Gear Transmission, and Region. Drivers Changes in Family Structures to Impact Positively to Crossovers Market Evolution of Safety Technologies Drive Crossover Market Growth Electric Crossovers to Spark a Transformation in the Market Opportunities Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid Models to create lucrative opportunities Expanding into Luxury Crossover Segment Restraints Competition from Other Vehicle Segments Concerns About Fuel Efficiency The compact crossovers segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on type, the compact crossovers segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting nearly half of the global crossovers market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Meanwhile, the full-size crossovers segment is projected to hold a suitable CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period. Interested to Procure the Research Report? Inquire Before Buying - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/11127 The ICE segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on propulsion, the ICE segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than nine-tenths of the global crossovers market and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. Meanwhile, the electric segment is projected to hold a suitable CAGR of 17.6% during the forecast period. The manual segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on gear transmission, the manual segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global crossovers market and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period. Meanwhile, the automatic segment is projected to hold a suitable CAGR of 9.2% during the forecast period. 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 four-ninths of the global crossovers market revenue. However, Europe is projected to hold a suitable CAGR of 10.3% during the forecast period. Key Developments: Leading companies are implementing a range of strategies, including acquisition, agreement, expansion, partnership, contracts, and product launches, to fortify their positions in the market. In October 2023 , Mitsubishi Motors Corporation introduced the Mitsubishi D:X Concept electrified crossover MPV. The design boasts large-diameter tires, robust over fenders, and front and rear skid plates to enhance off-road performance in challenging conditions. The car features a raked front windscreen, moonroof, LED laser projector headlights, mud-terrain tires, and rugged black plastic flares at each wheel. , Mitsubishi Motors Corporation introduced the Mitsubishi D:X Concept electrified crossover MPV. The design boasts large-diameter tires, robust over fenders, and front and rear skid plates to enhance off-road performance in challenging conditions. The car features a raked front windscreen, moonroof, LED laser projector headlights, mud-terrain tires, and rugged black plastic flares at each wheel. In September 2023 , Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. unveiled an exciting series of all-electric concept vehicles, the Nissan Hyper Urban crossover. The styling of the Nissan Hyper Urban is tailored to the preferences of its target users, including urban- and suburban-based professionals who prioritize environmental sustainability. , Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. unveiled an exciting series of all-electric concept vehicles, the Nissan Hyper Urban crossover. The styling of the Nissan Hyper Urban is tailored to the preferences of its target users, including urban- and suburban-based professionals who prioritize environmental sustainability. In July 2023 , Toyota Motor Corporation launched the second-generation C-HR crossover. The new C-HR shares its powertrain lineup with the Prius, featuring a 2.0-liter plug-in hybrid, alongside 2.0-liter and 1.8-liter parallel hybrids. , Toyota Motor Corporation launched the second-generation C-HR crossover. The new C-HR shares its powertrain lineup with the Prius, featuring a 2.0-liter plug-in hybrid, alongside 2.0-liter and 1.8-liter parallel hybrids. In April 2022, Kia Corporation developed the EV6 electric crossover with plans to launch it in India. Prior to the EV, the company has been selling models like Seltos and Sonet in India. The newly developed EV is designed from the ground up to make electric mobility enjoyable, convenient, and accessible by offering a highly impressive real-world driving range. Key Highlights of the Report: The market study on crossovers spans across more than 15 countries, conducting regional and segment analysis for each country in terms of value ($billion) over the projected period of 2023-2032. Integrating high-quality data, professional insights, and critical independent perspectives, the study adopts a research approach aimed at providing a comprehensive and balanced view of global markets. The goal is to assist stakeholders in making well-informed decisions to achieve their ambitious growth objectives. The research involved a thorough review of over 3,700 product literature, annual reports, industry statements, and comparable materials from major industry participants. This extensive review enhances understanding and insight into the market dynamics. Procure Complete Research Report (PDF with Qualitative and Quotative Data, Insights, Statistics, Tables, Charts, Figures) - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/crossovers-market/purchase-options Leading Market Players: - Ford Motor Company Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Hyundai Motor Group Kia Motors Nissan Motor Company Ltd, TATA Motors Toyota Motor Corporation Volkswagen AG Subaru of America, Inc. Mazda Motor Corporation The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global crossovers 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. Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry: E-SUV Market Research Report 2023-2032 Electric Truck Market Research Report 2023-2032 Family Car Market Research Report 2023-2032 Sports Utility Vehicle Market Research Report 2023-2032 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/crossovers-market-to-reach-1-078-9-billion-globally-by-2032-at-7-6-cagr-allied-market-research-302005430.html CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Oil and Gas Pumps Market is expected to reach USD 10.9 billion by 2028 from USD 8.7 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 4.7% during the 2023-2028 period according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Pumps have a critical role in the oil & gas industry. They are used in upstream drilling sites, crude oil pipelines, and LNG export terminals to transport fluids from one process or location to another. In the past, pumps were operated with fixed-speed electric motors. However, variable-speed electric motors have replaced them nowadays. Pumps that are driven by variable-speed drive systems reduce the likelihood of equipment failure by minimizing electrical and mechanical stresses, thereby reducing downtime. Oil and gas pumps are used in upstream, midstream, and downstream applications. The market for oil and gas pumps includes revenues generated by global companies from pump sales. The current study focuses on major pump types such as centrifugal pumps, positive displacement pumps, and cryogenic pumps. The increasing global demand for oil is likely to propel the demand for oil and gas pumps. Moreover, discoveries of new oilfield, will boost the demand for oil and gas pumps. Browse in-depth TOC on "Oil and Gas Pumps Market" 164 - Tables 50 - Figures 206 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=72491540 Oil and Gas Pumps Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $8.7 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $10.9 billion Growth Rate Poised to Grow at a CAGR of 4.7% Largest Market Asia Pacific Market Size Available for 2021-2028 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Oil and Gas Pumps Market by Type, Pump Type, Application, and Region. Geographies Covered Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East & Africa. Key Market Opportunities Discovery of new oilfields Key Market Drivers Rapid expansion of gas terminals The centrifugal pumps, by pump type, is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on pump type, the Oil and Gas Pumps Market has been split into Centrifugal Pumps, Positive Displacement Pumps and Cryogenic Pumps. Centrifugal pumps are expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecasted period. Centrifugal pumps are preferred for managing fluids with low viscosity and high flow rates, especially in environments free from air, vapor, or excessive solids. They hold significant importance in upstream operations, particularly in scenarios involving multiple phases. Different variants of these pumps are tailored to meet diverse application needs. Take, for instance, electrical submersible pumps that excel in efficiently separating water and oil. This functionality permits the reintroduction of water into reservoirs without necessitating surface lifting. The adaptability of centrifugal pumps underscores their continual expansion and acceptance across various industrial applications. The submersible pumps segment, by type, is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This report segments the Oil and Gas Pumps Market based on type into two segments: submersible pumps and non-submersible pumps. The submersible pumps segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecasted period. Submersible pumps, as their name suggests, are designed to operate while fully immersed in tanks, wells, or other fluid-containing containers. Tailored for complete submersion, these pumps are particularly suitable for pumping fluids like crude oil or water. Their efficiency shines in applications such as oil wells or storage tanks, where they prove adept at seamlessly lifting substantial volumes of fluids to the surface. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=72491540 North America is expected to be the largest region in the Oil and Gas Pumps Industry. North America is expected to be the largest Oil and Gas Pumps Market during the forecast period. The North America region comprises major economies such as US, Canada and Mexico. As per the report from the US Energy Information Administration, the United States claimed the title of the largest global crude oil producer in 2022, representing 14% of the world's total crude oil production. Similarly, Canada contributed to approximately 5.6% of the world's crude oil production in the same period. The expansion of the Oil and Gas Pumps Market is propelled by the increasing exploitation of unconventional resources in both the US and Canada. Additionally, the demand emanating from onshore and offshore fields in the Gulf of Mexico is anticipated to be a significant factor fostering market growth throughout the forecast period. Projections indicate that North America is poised to experience the initiation of 594 operational projects between 2023 and 2027. Key Market Players: Some of the major players in the Oil and Gas Pumps Companies are including Atlas Copco AB (Sweden); Flowserve Corporation (US); Sulzer Ltd (Switzerland); KSB SE & Co. KGaA (Germany); Nikkiso Co., Ltd. (Japan). The major strategies adopted by these players include contracts, agreements, partnership, collaborations, and expansions. Inquiry Before Buying : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=72491540 Recent Developments In May 2023, KSB SE & Co. KGaA added 19 sizes to its MegaCPK type series. The new seal chamber design allows the installation of gland packings, all common mechanical seals compliant with EN 12756, as well as a large number of cartridge-type mechanical seals. This expansion will ensure a high degree of reliability and improves the availability of an entire system. In August 2022, Atlas Copco acquired LEWA GmbH, a German manufacturer of diaphragm metering pumps, process pumps, and complete metering systems, including its subsidiaries, and Geveke B.V., an expert in pump systems, compressors, and associated services, including its subsidiaries, to strengthen its industrial pumps business. In April 2022, Atlas Copco acquired Pumpenfabrik Wangen GmbHGerman, a manufacturer of progressive cavity pumps, especially for transferring fluids in the biogas and wastewater sectors, and twin-screw pumps for food & beverages and cosmetics industries. This acquisition is likely to help Atlas Copco create a solid foundation for further growth in new industrial pump segments. Browse Adjacent Markets: Energy and Power Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Artificial Lift Market by Type (ESP, PCP, Rod Lift, Gas Lift), Mechanism (Pump Assisted (Positive Displacement, Dynamic Displacement), Gas Assisted), Well Type (Horizontal, Vertical), Application (Onshore, Offshore) and Region - Global Forecast to 2028 Centrifugal Pump Market by Type (Overhung Impeller, Between Bearing, Vertically Suspended), Operation (Electrical, Hydraulic, Air-driven), Stage (Single Stage, Multistage), End User (Industrial, Commercial & Residential) & Region - Global Forecast to 2028 Cryogenic Equipment Market by Equipment (Tanks, Valves, Vaporizers, Pumps), Cryogen (Nitrogen, Argon, Oxygen, LNG, Hydrogen), End-user Industry (Energy & Power, Chemical, Metallurgy, Transportation), System Type, Application & Region - Forecast to 2028 Diaphragm Pumps Market by Mechanism (Air Operated and Electrically Operated), Operation (Single Acting and Double Acting), Discharge Pressure (Up to 80 Bar, 81 to 200 Bar & above 200 Bar), End User and Region - Global Trends & 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. 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Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/oil-gas-pump-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/oil-gas-pump.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/oil-and-gas-pumps-market-worth-10-9-billion-by-2028---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302005695.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (OTCQB: PVGDF) (the "Company" or "Provenance") is pleased to report that a property-wide drone high resolution digital elevation model (DEM) and orthomosaic survey of the Eldorado Gold Project in Malheur County, Eastern Oregon, has been completed, and is currently being processed. Highlights A property-wide drone high resolution DEM and orthomosaic survey covering approximately 4 sq km's has been completed and is currently being processed. Known drillhole locations, together with the DEM and orthophotos will be used to validate the locations of some of the historical drillholes which will greatly aid the geological modelling and 2024 drill planning going forward. The survey work also highlights additional historic placer mining operations, trenchwork, geological structures, and alteration areas previously masked by cover and vegetation that will be followed up in the 2024 field season. The photos and videos allow for accurate 3D viewing of the property (Figure 1). The images show previously unrecognised geological structural details and subtle soil color changes that will be helpful in mapping the extensive mineralization at Eldorado. Figure 1 - Photo Mosaic of the Drone Coverage Area To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5654/189807_fa2204b9345a8967_001full.jpg Rauno Perttu, Provenance's CEO and an Oregon-Certified Engineering Geologist, commented, "The drone survey data will be pivotal in providing new and accurate positioning of the historical data, as well as new structural information, areas of alterations and old workings. This new information will be fundamental as we model this large, open-ended gold system and we are excited to unlock the potential at Eldorado." Exploration Update To advance mineral exploration with minimal environmental impact, Everett Ecological successfully executed a drone mapping operation for Provenance at the Eldorado Project, Oregon. This initiative, covering approximately 1,000 acres (4 sq km's), utilized advanced UAV technology to gather high-resolution data essential for accurate geological data. James Waddell, leader of the Everett Ecological team, emphasized the project's alignment with sustainable practices, highlighting the role of drone technology in reducing ecological footprint. This effort is part of Provenance's commitment to innovative and environmentally responsible exploration methods. The Company is continuing to process its 2023 drilling data, incorporating it into the voluminous historic drilling, surface samples, and trenching database with the goal of establishing a new geological model for the project. The data is allowing a three-dimensional model of the large and open gold system to be completed and will be detailed in upcoming news releases. Additionally, the Company is using the data to plan its upcoming 2024 exploration efforts. Once the processing is complete, the Company plans to release a summary of the recently completed 11-hole drill program as well as outline plans for 2024. The planned multiphase 2024 program may include both infill and expansion RC/Core drilling to test the continuity of the recognized gold system and expand the known gold-rich areas beyond the currently known footprint. Eldorado Gold Project Summary The magmatic/hydrothermal mineralization located at Eldorado is interpreted as a porphyry gold system associated with a multi-pulse dioritic intrusive. Pervasive gold mineralization is controlled by both strong fracture development and fluid flow within and around the hydrothermal breccias. The initial 2023 drill program was conducted to begin to confirm and expand on the 242 historic holes that were drilled prior to the Company's involvement with the property. Eleven holes have been drilled by Provenance to date, totalling 1,446 metres. A summary of the drilling program, its focus and results will be reported in the coming weeks together with a broad interpretation of the mineral system and size potential. Select samples have been sent for additional analyses, with metallurgical work currently being conducted by Dawson Metallurgical Laboratories Inc., with a view to building on the positive historical bench scale test work. These results will be reported as they become available. Consulting Services Engagement The Company has entered into a Consulting Services Agreement (the "Agreement) with Quantum Ventures SEZC (QVS), an arms-length company organized pursuant to the laws of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands whereby the services to be provided by QVS will include media creation, marketing strategies, news distribution, and introductions to relevant business contacts and appropriate strategic partners for a term of six months. In consideration for the services, the Company has paid QVS an upfront fee of US$60,000. The Agreement may be renewed or extended by the Company and QVS at the end of the initial term. The consideration provided to QVS does not involve any securities of the Company. Beyond this specific engagement, there exists no relationship between the Company and QVS. Qualified Person The technical content disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Jo Price, P.Geo., M.Sc., and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). About Provenance Gold Corp. Provenance Gold Corp. is a precious metals exploration company with a focus on gold and silver mineralization within North America. The Company currently holds interests in Nevada, and eastern Oregon, USA. For further information please visit the Company's website at https://provenancegold.com or contact Rob Clark at rclark@provenancegold.com. On behalf of the Board, Provenance Gold Corp. Rauno Perttu, Chief Executive Officer Safe Harbor Statement: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its regulation services provider, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189807 BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - 118 countries and the European Union have endorsed the Global Pledge on Renewables and Energy Efficiency at the World Climate Action Summit in Dubai. This initiative sets global targets to triple the installed capacity of renewable energy to at least 11 terawatts (TW) and to double the rate of global energy efficiency improvements from roughly 2 percent to an annual figure of 4 percent, by 2030. Achieving these targets will support the transition to a decarbonised energy system, and help to phase out unabated fossil fuels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who first proposed this initiative at the Major Economies Forum in April, said that in the next two years, the European Union will invest EUR2.3 billion from the EU budget to support the energy transition in the European neighbourhood and around the globe. This is one of the eight new declarations announced at COP28 that will help transform every major system of the global economy. The COP28 UAE Declaration on Agriculture, Food, and Climate has received endorsements from 137 countries. The Declaration on Climate and Health has been endorsed by 125 countries. The Declaration on Climate Relief, Recovery and Peace has been endorsed by 74 countries and 40 organizations. The Declaration on Climate Finance was endorsed by 12 countries. The Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships Pledge has been endorsed by 64 countries. The Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter has been endorsed by 51 companies, representing 40 percent of global oil production. Governments, businesses, investors and philanthropies have announced more than $57 billion across the climate agenda in the first four days of COP28, which began in Dubai on December 1. On climate finance, the UAE has launched a $30 billion catalytic fund, ALTERRA, with an emphasis on unlocking private finance across the Global South. The climate summi'ts host country has also announced $200 million for SDRs and $150 million for water security. In addition, the World Bank has announced an increase of $9 billion annually to finance climate-related projects. In addition, $3.5 billion has been announced to replenish the Green Climate Fund, $2.7 billion for health, $2.6 billion for food systems transformation, $2.6 billion to protect nature, $467 million for urban climate action, and $1.2 billion for relief, recovery and peace. On energy, $2.5 billion was mobilized for renewables and $1.2 billion for methane emission reduction. In addition, $568 million was pledged to drive investments in clean energy manufacturing. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Financing led by Sanofi Ventures with participation from new investor Bpifrance (through its InnoBio 2 fund), and existing investors Khosla Ventures and Seventure Partners Funding expected to generate proof of concept clinical data in patients Eligo Bioscience, a pioneering gene-editing company focused on addressing diseases driven by the expression of bacterial genes from the microbiome, has announced a successful $30 million Series B funding round, led by Sanofi Ventures. This infusion of capital, supported by new investor Bpifrance (through its InnoBio 2 fund), and existing backers Khosla Ventures and Seventure Partners (with Health For Life Capital), propels Eligo towards becoming a clinical-stage biotech. Concurrent with this financing, Laia Crespo, Ph.D., Partner at Sanofi Ventures and Benoit Barteau, Investment Director at Bpifrance will join the board of directors. "We are excited to lead this financing for Eligo and support the company as they move to the clinic," said Laia Crespo, Ph.D., Partner at Sanofi Ventures. "We are impressed by the unique delivery and editing technologies that Eligo has developed, and we believe this will set the stage for Eligo to forge new paths in the application of in vivo gene-editing technologies." "We are delighted to welcome additional prominent healthcare investors to our existing syndicate. We feel this reflects the strong support for our vision and confirms the potential of Eligo to create a novel class of transformative genetic medicines," said Xavier Duportet, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Eligo BioscienceThis is a defining time for Eligo as this funding puts us in a strong position to make a significant leap in treating diseases by editing the genetic makeup of the human microbiome." This funding is earmarked for accelerating the development of Eligo's flagship program, EB005, which targets moderate to severe acne vulgaris, an inflammatory disease that affects about 3% of the global population. The investment will fuel pre-IND and IND activities to achieve early human data readouts in a Ph1b/2a clinical trial. Additionally, it will facilitate Eligo's expansion into other chronic diseases, including oncology. Eligo stands at the forefront of a biotechnological revolution. By focusing on the in-vivo delivery of genetic cargoes to the microbiome, Eligo's technology goes beyond traditional gene therapy and gene editing, expanding the range of addressable genetic targets. Through precise genetic modification within the human microbiome, this unique approach holds the promise of radically altering the course of numerous chronic and life-threatening diseases that are either triggered or driven by the expression of bacterial genes. About Eligo Bioscience Eligo Bioscience is the world leader in microbiome in-vivo gene editing and is advancing a highly differentiated pipeline of precision medicines to address unmet medical needs in immuno-inflammation, oncology, and infectious diseases driven by the expression of deleterious bacterial genes. Eligo was founded by Luciano Marraffini (Professor at The Rockefeller University and cofounder of Intellia Therapeutics, Timothy Lu (Professor at MIT, and CEO at Senti Biosciences), Dr. David Bikard (Professor at Institut Pasteur) and Xavier Duportet. Eligo was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and received venture capital funding from Sanofi Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Bpifrance, and Seventure Partners. For more information, please visit: eligo.bio About Sanofi Ventures Sanofi Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Sanofi. Sanofi Ventures invests in early-stage biotech and digital health companies with innovative ideas and transformative new products and technologies of strategic interest to Sanofi. Among these areas are oncology, immunology, rare diseases, vaccines, potential cures in other core areas of Sanofi's business footprint, and digital health solutions. Find out more: www.sanofiventures.com About Khosla Ventures Khosla Ventures invests in companies that are bold, early and impactful. The firm was started in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, to provide venture assistance to entrepreneurs. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., Khosla Ventures invests in a range of areas including AI, climate, sustainability, enterprise, consumer, fintech, digital health, medtech and diagnostics, therapeutics and frontier technology. Visit our website: www.khoslaventures.com About Bpifrance and InnoBio 2 Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses at every stage of their development through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extra financial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export). InnoBio 2 is an investment fund dedicated to life sciences, managed by Bpifrance, which is also one of the LPs alongside Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda, Ipsen, Servier, BMS, European Fund of Investment and Pasteur Mutualite. InnoBio 2, with 203 million, aims to invest in companies developing innovative products and services, close to or in early clinical development, with the objective of bringing them until the clinical proof of concept. InnoBio 2 takes minority equity stake in companies and can lead or co-lead the investment rounds. For more information, please visit: www.bpifrance.com About Seventure Partners Seventure Partners is a long term equity investor that actively supports innovative companies aiming at generating positive impacts on Humankind, Society, Sustainability and the Planet. With 950m net commitments under management as of the end of 2022, Seventure is a leading venture capital firm in Europe investing since 1997 in innovative businesses with high growth potential in 2 main areas: (i) Life sciences and (ii) Digital technologies. With Health for Life Capital funds (160m and 250m commitments respectively in 2 vehicles) and its co-investment funds, Seventure is a worldwide leader in microbiome investments with more than 20 microbiome companies in its portfolio to date. For more details: http://www.seventure.fr/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205514642/en/ Contacts: xavier@eligo.bio Aalyria commits to long-term partnership with new headquarters in the U.K. Aalyria, a leader in advanced software-defined and optical networking communications, has been awarded a development contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), supported by the UK Space Agency (UKSA), to help unlock new 5G/6G Terrestrial (TN) and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) capabilities. The project aims to develop a first-of-its-kind O-RAN compliant orchestration system that can stitch together disparate connectivity assets to form highly heterogeneous networks that span land, sea, air, and space to deliver new NTN connectivity features based on emerging 5G-Advanced and 6G standards. Representing the significance of the collaboration and a commitment to 5G TN/NTN services, Aalyria has also established a European entity of its business with headquarters in London. Aalyria's work with ESA is focused on enabling interoperability within and among existing and future TN/NTNs, such as those leveraging satellites, HAPS, and space-based assets. Stitching together these assets has proven difficult in the past because, as opposed to fixed, terrestrial ones, non-terrestrial assets are in constant motion relative to the Earth, one another, and potential users and have traditionally relied on bespoke orchestration systems that are not built for interoperability. Aalyria is solving this problem with its Spacetime platform an advanced network orchestration capability that can create, manage, and remedy mesh communications networks that span any domain land, sea, air, and space across any number of communications-equipped assets, utilizing any radio frequency band or optical wavelength. Spacetime considers all factors that could impact the ability of any asset to close a connection and automatically reroutes connections in real-time to maintain optimal connectivity across the entire network. Spacetime is a production-validated platform, having orchestrated complex HAPS networks on Google's Project Loon in Kenya and Peru. In recent months, Aalyria has struck partnerships with Telesat, Intelsat and Rivada Space Networks to utilize the Spacetime platform. Working with ESA, Aalyria will adapt Spacetime to develop a novel TN/NTN-capable Service Management Orchestration platform and make it available to partners at ESA's ECSAT 5G/6G Hub in Harwell, United Kingdom. Aalyria and ESA will work to identify, implement, and test significant enhancements to the O-RAN Alliance's standardized Radio Access Network management interfaces (O1, A1, E2) to support future use cases, such as at-sea connectivity; roaming between satellite and terrestrial assets; in-flight connectivity; connected vehicles; network management and optimization; and more. In addition to the announcement, Aalyria has also established Aalyria UK Aalyria's global 5G TN/NTN headquarters in London. With a growing team of full-time staff now located in the United Kingdom, this new entity represents a significant expansion of Aalyria's global presence and signifies the company's commitment to strengthening ties within the United Kingdom's thriving space industry. Aalyria UK will serve as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and the development of world-class technologies, as the company works to establish Europe as the center of its 5G TN/NTN business. Furthermore, Aalyria UK will catalyze competition and sustainability, not only in the UK, but throughout the European continent. Regarding these developments, Aalyria CEO Chris Taylor stated, "This achievement marks a significant milestone in Aalyria's journey towards reshaping the future of space communications to create a new universal connectivity fabric. Our collaboration with the European Space Agency is a testament to our dedication to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with 5G NTN connectivity. We are also excited to introduce Aalyria UK, which will serve as a strategic hub for our operations in the United Kingdom, fostering new partnerships and driving innovation in the region." Antonio Franchi, Head of Space for 5G and 6G Strategic Programme at ESA, said: "Collaborations with industrial partners, like this one with Aalyria, play a pivotal role in ESA's efforts to advance the digital transformation of industry and society, thanks to the integration of 5G/6G Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks. Establishing seamless ubiquitous and resilient connectivity is vital in the context of emerging technologies. The platform envisioned under this development contract could be a game-changing asset for telecommunications systems, with substantial benefits for stakeholders." About the European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe's gateway to space. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia are Associate Members. ESA has established formal cooperation with four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions. Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205745794/en/ Contacts: Scott Coriell Aalyria press@aalyria.com MUMBAI, India, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, one of India's leading luxury hotel brands, today announced the signing of a management agreement for a 140-room hotel in Ranka in Sikkim, marking the foray of the brand into Northeast India. Owned by the SIBIN Group, the project Leela Sikkim is located approximately 10 kilometres from the capital city, on a 17-acre plot overlooking the Gangtok Hill. Slated to open in December 2026, The Leela Sikkim is set amidst the serene backdrop of the Himalayas and is poised to redefine the hospitality landscape of the region with its inspirational design, thoughtful programming and the brand's renowned signature services. Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Anuraag Bhatnagar, Chief Executive Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, said, "We are delighted to introduce The Leela brand into Northeast India with the project Leela Sikkim. Sikkim remains a pristine destination with the right blend of urbanization, rich cultural heritage and unexplored natural beauty. This expansion is in lockstep with the growing demand from the discerning global leisure traveller to experience meaningful and transformative journeys that are an authentic expression of a region's natural beauty, heritage, cuisine, and culture." Speaking on the occasion Mr. Neel Chhetri, Proprietor, Sibin Group, said, "I am excited to partner with The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts to bring this uber luxury brand to Sikkim. We are confident that with this partnership and the investments we are making, the project Leela Sikkim will soon emerge as one of the most sought-after leisure and wellness destinations in the country and will help us to showcase the hidden Himalayan treasure to the world." The Leela Sikkim will offer guests a tranquil and luxurious experience complete with a range of leisure and wellness facilities and thoughtfully curated services. The resort will feature 35 independent luxury villas, including 20 wellness villas, 13 twin villas, and a 6-room double storey villa and 88 luxury rooms in a hotel block. A range of dining options with an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality restaurant, a wellness restaurant and a lounge bar will also be offered. Guests will also be able to enjoy a state-of-the-art wellness centre and a casino along with a host of other indoor and outdoor activities. Announcing its foray into the Northeast, The Leela takes pride to introduce Sikkim - a mystical Himalayan destination to leisure travellers and is embracing the hill state with authenticity to provide unforgettable experiences for guests to savour the true culture, art, wellness, flavours and the natural beauty of this unexplored region. This expansion is a testament to the company's strategy to grow in key leisure and resort destinations across the country. Watch video here. About The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts Headquartered in Mumbai, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is owned by a Brookfield Asset Management-sponsored private real estate fund and operates twelve award-winning properties in major cities and leisure destinations across India. These include the flagship hotel in the capital city of New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Udaipur, Jaipur, Gurugram, East Delhi, Mumbai, Gandhinagar and now Kovalam and Ashtamudi in Kerala. The Leela celebrates each hotel through its unique location, art, culture and cuisine with thoughtful services, celebratory rituals, and immersive experiences. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was voted the World's Best Hotel Brand twice in a row by Travel + Leisure, USA, World's Best Awards Survey, 2020 and 2021. In 2023, the brand has once again been featured in the top 3 World's Best Hotel Brands. An epitome of true Indian luxury hospitality, The Leela is committed to providing guests with unforgettable stays in settings that capture the essence of India. The brand has a marketing alliance with US-based Preferred Hotels & Resorts and is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance. For more information, please visit our website www.theleela.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2292950/The_Leela_Sikkim.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1441809/4367785/The_Leela_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-leela-palaces-hotels-and-resorts-announces-its-foray-into-northeast-india-with-the-signing-of-a-140-room-hotel-in-sikkim-302005866.html The tests are now approved as Secure English Language Tests (SELT) for global use and will be available from 19 December 2023. LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LanguageCert, the global awarding organisation for languages, today announces that its LanguageCert Academic and General tests have been approved as Secure English Language Tests (SELT) by the UK Visa and Immigration Authority (UKVI) for UK Student and Work visas. Independently evaluated by UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC), LanguageCert Academic and General SELT tests are specifically designed for individuals applying for UK student or work visas where proof of English language ability is required. These multi-level tests are calibrated to the CEFR and meet the Home Office specifications and visa requirements, whilst maintaining a candidate-centric approach. Every year over 350,000 people travel to the UK for study, while in 2022 190,000 workers applied for UK Skilled Worker and Health & Care Worker visas. LanguageCert Academic and LanguageCert General SELT tests are the ideal solution for people who need to certify their English language skills. LanguageCert Academic was developed in response to growing demand from institutions for a test that assesses English proficiency for use within academic settings. The test covers language use in an academic context, encompassing vocabulary and expressions needed for various essential tasks, including interactions with tutors, peers, and college staff and comprehension of lectures, seminars, and academic reference materials. The assessment also covers the language and skills necessary for academic success, such as essay writing, presentations, note-taking, and argument formulation. LanguageCert General was designed for non-native speakers of English who are preparing for professional employment in the UK. Like LanguageCert Academic, the General test references the language proficiency in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and evaluates listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. The two tests are backed with extensive pretesting and trialling of test materials to ensure fairness, fitness-for-purpose, and comparability, as well as extensive support and practice materials available for test takers. Marios Molfetas, Chief Languages Officer, LanguageCert says: "We're dedicated to creating and delivering top-tier language assessments that enhance the lives and educational journeys of individuals worldwide. LanguageCert Academic and General represent our commitment to continually evaluate and meet the evolving needs of our diverse user base, ensuring the provision of secure, relevant, and reliable testing."?? The new SELT tests will be delivered globally through the existing LanguageCert SELT Centre network combining user-friendly, state-of-the-art and highly-secure test technology. Candidates have access to frequent and flexible test availability and benefit from receiving official results in just five days. Test takers will be able to book and take their LanguageCert Academic and General SELT tests from 19 December 2023. Both tests are offered in addition to the current LanguageCert ESOL 4-skills SELT provision for work and study visas, which remain approved for UKVI purposes until further notice. LanguageCert is well known for offering Ofqual-regulated, high-stakes tests that align with CEFR standards. The company has been providing UK Home Office-approved tests since early 2020 and is trusted by hundreds of thousands of test takers in over 120 countries across the world. About LanguageCert: LanguageCert, a member of the PeopleCert Group, is an innovative Ofqual recognised Awarding Organisation committed to developing and delivering high-quality, internationally recognised language tests that enhance the?career,?education?and?life opportunities?of individuals worldwide. An ever-growing number of universities and organisations in over 90 countries worldwide recognise LanguageCert scores as evidence of English language proficiency.? - About PeopleCert: PeopleCert is the global leader in the certification industry. Our certifications are delivered across 200+ countries to 50,000 corporations (82% of Fortune 500) and 800 government organisations, through an extensive network of accredited training organizations and our award-winning online proctoring solution. With a focus on innovation, security, and customer experience, PeopleCert emboldens people and organisations to achieve what they are capable of and realize their life ambitions through learning. Our product portfolio includes global best practice frameworks and certifications, including ITIL and DevOps Institute for IT & Digital Transformation, and PRINCE2 for Project, Programme & Portfolio Management, as well as language qualifications in English, Spanish and Classical Greek through LanguageCert. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/languagecert-academic-and-general-tests-approved-by-uk-home-office-for-student-and-work-visas-302005879.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: VGANF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands is pleased to announce it has signed as of December 4th, 2023, a definitive franchise acquisition agreement to acquire 50% of breakfast brand sensation Yolk's Breakfast Inc ("Yolks"), a boutique restaurant brand serving delicious breakfast and brunch delights in the Vancouver area. Yolks Image 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/189869_1fe83654c4ea0a16_001full.jpg "We are very pleased to welcome our first full-service restaurant chain, Yolks Breakfast to our portfolio of emerging brands. This particular brand reminds me of the days of Fresh, where we had a clear category leader in our hands in the very early days of the brand. Yolks is an 'OG' of the Vancouver breakfast scene and is by far the best breakfast experience I have ever had in Canada, so when given the chance to work with founding partner & renowned Chef Steve Ewing, we just had to do it," said Sean Black, Chief Investment Officer of Happy Belly. "Steve Ewing has worked in restaurants such as Napa Valley based three-Michelin-Starred - The French Laundry - with Thomas Keller so having him create a brand like Yolks is pretty special for guests. Yolks started out in a Vancouver food truck but due to the huge demand has since expanded into three (3) bricks and mortar locations in Vancouver. With the signing of this definitive agreement for an asset-light franchising model, we look forward to working with Yolk's founder and his partners Christoph & Gus as we focus on an accelerated franchise development plan across Canada." Yolks Image 2 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/189869_1fe83654c4ea0a16_002full.jpg "After announcing our entry into franchising in March of this year, we are excited to add Yolks Breakfast to our franchised operations as our fifth (5th) franchised brand. The breakfast category is one of the hottest and fastest growing sectors of the restaurant industry today across North America as proven by the IPO of First Watch Restaurant Group in the US so this is a very important step for Happy Belly as we continue to diversify our portfolio. We are utilizing our experience as we have grown our previous brands such as Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito, Burger's Priest, Pur Blendz, and Fresh Restaurants to over 400 franchised and corporate locations. The asset-light franchise model that we are implementing is one that I have worked with previously as it has yielded great success for us in the past. It will continue to be a big part of the future growth plans here for Happy Belly." This transaction is aligned with our strategic plan and goals of delivering shareholder value through accretive M&A. Post closing of this accretive transaction we anticipate immediate organic growth from Yolks Breakfast through the existing three (3) locations and net new franchised locations being established throughout 2023-2024 as we launch an aggressive Canada-wide franchising program. Sourcing of suitable new locations is currently underway. Acquisition Details Happy Belly and Yolks Breakfast Inc have signed a definitive franchise acquisition agreement. A JVCo was incorporated for the purposes of corporate franchise expansion and growth of Yolks Breakfast Inc. Happy Belly will issue to JVCo such number of common shares of Happy Belly equal in value to $250,000 (based on a 10-day VWAP) at time of closing for 50% ownership of the JVCo. The JVCo receiving the shares will be 50% owned by Happy Belly, and the owners of Yolks Breakfast Inc will own the remaining 50% in exchange for Yolks Breakfast franchising rights, brand assets and IP rights. The Company anticipates the closing of this agreement to take place within the next 10 business days. Yolks Image 3 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/189869_1fe83654c4ea0a16_003full.jpg "Our approach has always been to focus on the development and growth of emerging brands in the food sector. Yolks Restaurant will be an accretive acquisition by Happy Belly Food Group, and it is anticipated that our franchising program will deliver new franchised locations that will continue to drive both the top line and bottom line of the company." For franchising inquiries please see www.happybellyfg.com/franchise-with-us/ or contact us at hello@happybellyfg.com. About Yolks Breakfast Chef Steve Ewing is a strong proponent of breakfast - it's his favourite meal of the day - which is why its so important to him and why he takes so much care and puts so much effort into its menu. Not only are the eggs free-range, but the bacon is local and the hollandaise isn't some quickie version, but the real deal, just one fast whisking away from le Cordon Bleu. Even the Dijon is made in-house! About Happy Belly Food Group Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: VGANF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company") is a leading consolidator of emerging food brands. Happy Belly Food Group Shawn Moniz Chief Executive Officer FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: www: www.happybellyfg.com or email hello@happybellyfg.com If you wish to contact us please call: (604) 737-2303 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. 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, and include the future performance of LumberHeads Food Co. 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. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Happy Belly 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. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedarplus.ca/ . To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189869 Exploration Target is contained within only 1.4km of the ~3km prospective trend LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Accesswire / Meridian Mining UK S (TSX:MNO)(OTCQX:MRRDF)(Frankfurt:2MM)(Tradegate:2MM) ("Meridian" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has assessed the geological potential of the Santa Helena mine area ("Santa Helena") based on new and historical data, generating an initial Exploration Target with a tonnage range of 3.2 -7.2 Mt grading between 3.0 - 3.2g/t AuEq* , which gives a potential high-grade metal inventory range of between 306,000 to 763,000 AuEq ounces, located within 10km of the proposed Cabacal mill site 1 . The Company is also reporting further strong intercepts at Santa Helena including CD-359: 36.6m @ 1.3g/t AuEq from 13.0m; and CD-378: 5.9m @ 5.5g/t AuEq from 38.3m. These follow early positive results 2 from the Company's verification and extensional drilling program, and now highlight an expansion of Santa Helena's mineralization across strike, and at depths suitable to open pit development potential. Further drill results remain pending. Highlights Reported Today Meridian reports Exploration Target for Santa Helena mine area of 3.2 - 7.2 Mt @ 3.0 - 3.2g/t AuEq ; Exploration Target's contained metal is between 306,000 to 763,000 AuEq ounces ; Mineralization grades 1.0 - 1.1g/t Au, 0.7 - 0.8 % Cu, 20.0 - 26.3 g/t Ag and 2.8 - 3.0 % Zn; Exploration target restricted to 1.4km of the ~3km prospective trend; ; Santa Helena's drilling expands and confirms shallow VMS Au, Cu, Ag and Zn mineralization; CD-359: 36.6m @ 1.3g/t AuEq (0.6g/t Au, 0.4% Cu, 8.4g/t Ag & 0.8% Zn) from 13.0m; Including : 9.4m @ 1.9g/t AuEq (1.3g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 15.1g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 13.0m; CD-378: 5.9m @ 5.5g/t AuEq (1.9g/t Au, 1.3% Cu, 33.5g/t Ag & 5.6% Zn) from 38.3m; and (1.3g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 15.1g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 13.0m; Expansion of drilling into Santa Helena's prospective ~2km eastern extension is planned for 2024. * The potential quantity and grade of an Exploration Target is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. The metal equivalence formula is based on the historical Santa Helena resource report 3 , calculated as AuEq based on gold being the dominant metal of the Cabacal VMS camp, as the expectation is that Santa Helena's mineralization will be evaluated for processing through a centralized facility at the Cabacal mill with the addition of a zinc circuit. True width is considered to be 80 to 90% of intersection width. Mr. Gilbert Clark, CEO, comments: "Today Meridian continues to confirm the tremendous value upside opportunity that the Cabacal belt presents. Santa Helena's high-grade Exploration Target of 306,000 to 763,000 ounces of gold equivalent, within a small tonnage and high-grade ranges, presents a very exciting upside opportunity for both the Cabacal belt and for Meridian's shareholders." "Looking to the medium term growth plans, utilizing a robust Exploration Target and continuing strong drill results, we will evaluate Santa Helena's potential for contributing additional high-grade mineralization to Cabacal's future. Being within ten km of the advanced Cabacal Mine project, if ongoing work at Santa Helena proves successful, future economic studies will not need to carry the capital expenditure of building a stand-alone mill. After a great year of advancement of the Cabacal belt in 2023, including the submission of the Cabacal mine's Preliminary Licence Application, we look forward to the further strong progress in 2024." Santa Helena Initial Exploration Target The Santa Helena mine area provides for the continuation of Meridian's low-risk investment model of targeting prospects with a high degree of potential and untested upside. A robust geological and mineralization model has been achieved by incorporating the results from historical drill campaigns, geology, and mining records, with Merdian's recent results from diamond drilling, trenching, mapping and geophysical surveys. This, with the removal of the limited mined areas, was then used as the basis for the reasonable ranges of tonnes and contained metals defined within the Exploration Target. The VMS mineralization has been modelled and the plan view ("Figure 1") shows a strong correlation to the historical geological maps and reports. The long sections indicate that the mineralization again strongly follows the known geology of a continuous mineralized trend ("Figure 2"). Figure 1: Upper Range Santa Helena Upper Range Exploration target footprint in relation to the historical resource outline. The Santa Helena database consists of data generated from multiple campaigns of surface and underground drilling and sampling, summarized as follows: Campaign Code Number Meterage Average Depth (m) Historical DDH (BP Minerals) JUCHD 80 8,301.42 103.77 Meridian DDH CD 14 731.1 52.22 Historical DDH (Prometalica) FS 35 1,170.81 33.45 PM 39 2,487.98 63.79 Historical Channels/Trenches (BPM/RTZ) C2C_TR 14 707.66 50.55 Grand Total 182 13,398.97 73.62 Campaign Code Number Meterage Average Length (m) Grade Control (Prometalica) FP 249 793.61 3.19 CAN / M 90 129.4 1.44 Grand Total 339 923.01 2.72 Table 1: Summary of Santa Helena Exploration Target database. Surface drilling and locally trenching to the east was historically conducted on nominally 50 x 25 m spaced sections along a strike length of ~ 1,350m, with a cross-strike footprint of ~130 -220m, with some outlying holes. Spacing was not always regular, and a combination of vertical and inclined holes were drilled. Sectional azimuth varied from 10 to 35 degrees across the deposit. Meridian has since concluded 1,258m of drilling including 6 twin holes and 18 resource delineation holes within and outside the historical resource envelope. The model utilizes 14 of Meridian's holes (731.1 m of drilling) for which results were available. Figure 2: Top: long section looking north of Lower Range Exploration Target (after depletion), Bottom long section looking north of Upper Range Exploration Target (after depletion). Geological modelling was completed generating a mineralization wireframe at a 0.3g/t AuEq cut-off grade, consistent with the resource cut-off grade of the Cabacal deposit. Modelling of key lithologies included bounding post-mineralization gabbro sills which are present in the footwall and hangingwall of the deposit. A block model constrained by the interpreted mineralized bodies was constructed with the parent cell size of 10 mE x 10 mN x 5 mRL. Drillhole sample intervals have been composited to 1 m length and were used to interpolate all main modelled grades (Zn, Pb, Cu, Au, Ag) into the block model using inverse distance 2 and ordinary kriging (OK) interpolation techniques. Block grades were validated both visually and statistically and all modelling was completed using Leapfrog software. To estimate the grades inside of the 0.3g/t AuEq cut-off grade wireframe, 1,644 samples of Au, 1,715 of Cu, 1,606 of Ag, 1,745 of Zn and 1,714 of Pb were used. For the lower limit of the exploration target, the unsampled drilling intervals were replaced by zero grade. Meridian's drilling indicates that like at the Cabacal mine, areas of mineralization were left unsampled due to a particular commodity or development focus. For the upper limit, the unsampled intervals were omitted and the wireframe projected along a trend considered reasonable based on geometry and geological logging. The search radius used was 70m x 70m x 10m for the major, semi-major and minor axes respectively, the same used to classify inferred resources in the Cabacal deposit, with restrictions of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 10 samples. For the interpolation of the grades, dynamic anisotropy was used with the geometry of a synclinal fold plunging up-plunge towards the east-south-east. To evaluate the reconciliation of the Exploration Target with historical mining production of the vendors, Prometalica, the block model was resized to 4 mE x 4 mN x 2 mRL to better adhere to the geometry of the mining void. The difference in the estimated tonnage was -0.6%, and for the grades the variation was, +9.3% for Au, +4.5% for Cu, -2.9% for Ag, and -5.7% for Zn ("Table 2"). Lead production was not reported and is currently not contributing to the metal equivalence formula. Production is based on the historical digital archives of the Run-of-Mine monthly records of the Prometalica geology department, from October 2006 to August 2008. These Run-of-Mine production figures closely align with the modelled estimate, providing confidence in the Exploration Target's potential. The estimated range in tonnage and grade for the Exploration Target after mining depletion are 3.2 -7.2 Mt @ 3.0 - 3.2 g/t AuEq / 2.0 - 2.2% CuEq (1.0 - 1.1 g/t Au, 0.7 - 0.8% Cu, 20.0 - 26.3 g/t Ag & 2.8 - 3.0 % Zn; "Table 3"; "Table 4"). Metal equivalence is based on the historical SRK resource report, with metal prices applied from the Meridian's Cabacal PEA dated March 6, 2023 (AuEq = (Au(g/t) * 65%Recovery) + (1.492Cu% * 89%Recovery) + (0.474Zn% * 89%Recovery)) + (0.008Ag(g/t) * 61%Recovery)). Recovery formulas will be updated with future testwork programs. Reconciliation Item Mass (t) Zn_pct Cu_pct Au ppm Ag ppm Historical Prometalica Production Report 439,813 6.65 1.62 1.77 43.02 Meridian Estimation - Void Model 437,290 6.27 1.69 1.94 41.79 Difference -0.6% -5.7% 4.5% 9.3% -2.9% Table 2: Comparison of the model with Run of Mine production records of Santa Helena. Exploration Target Item Mt Au Ag Cu Zn Pb AuEq AuEq CuEq CuEq (g/t) (g/t) (pct) (pct) (pct) (g/t) (koz) (pct) (Mlbs) Pre-Mining - Upper Range Exploration Target 7.8 1.2 27.2 0.8 3.2 0.7 3.4 854 2.3 393 Pre-Mining - Lower Range Exploration Target 3.6 1.1 22.7 0.9 3.3 0.6 3.4 397 2.3 183 Mining Depletion 0.4 1.8 43.0 1.6 6.7 1.0* 6.4 91 4.3 42 Upper Range Exploration Target (after depletion) 7.3 1.1 26.3 0.8 3.0 0.7 3.2 763 2.2 351 Lower Range Exploration Target (after depletion) 3.2 1.0 20.0 0.7 2.8 0 .6 3.0 306 2.0 141 Table 3: Exploration Target for the Santa Helena Deposit, with recovery-factored gold equivalent and copper equivalent content. Individual metal grades are pre-recovery. * Lead production was not officially reported, but figures indicated based on metallurgical feed reports aligning well with modeled calculation. Lead does not contribute to the metal equivalence formula. Item Mt Au Au_rec Ag Ag_rec Cu Cu_rec Zn Zn_rec (koz) (koz) (koz ) (koz ) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) Pre-Mining - Upper Range Exploration Target 7.8 291 189 6793 4144 143 127 544 484 Pre-Mining - Lower Range Exploration Target 3.6 123 80 2666 1626 69 61 264 235 Mining Depletion 0.4 25 16 608 371 16 14 64 57 Upper Range Exploration Target after depletion 7.3 266 173 6185 3773 127 113 480 427 Lower Range Exploration Target after depletion 3.2 98 64 2058 1255 53 47 200 178 Table 4: Exploration Target metal contents, before and after metallurgical recovery factoring. An average bulk density values of 2.94 - 2.97 t/m3 was derived for the deposit, based on interpolation of 267 density readings on drill core. Values were derived by immersion techniques in Meridian and historical campaigns of drilling. The estimated potential quantity of tonnes and grades are conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient data and evaluation to support estimation of a Mineral Resource. Tonnages and grades are expressed as ranges that are considered appropriate for the Exploration Target. There is no certainty that further exploration, verification drilling, or twinned drilling will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target is not to be considered in any way to represent a Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve. Steps being taken to update the Exploration Target to a resource include: Independent QP review - field checks completed by H&SC associate, Marcello Batelochi. Full review of database to be conducted after receipt of additional assay results; Update of surface relief topographic model for open pit development assessment - completed with high-precision Lidar survey flown by Brazilian Contractor, Embratop; Resampling checks on available historical drill core - completed; Maximizing collar surveys of all historical holes that can be located at surface (over 50% confirmed); Assess spatial shift between modern surfaces and historical theodolite-based surfaces (Current reconciliation of coordinates based on drill holes, mine entrance and ventilation shaft indicate a shift of x-3.3m, y-3.6m, z+12.9m between mine database records and SIRGAS200 grid; Resampling umpire checks on available historical pulps - in progress; Compilation of historical records - completed for assays and geological coding; compilation of recovery data and geotechnical data in progress; Addition of more density data into the database - proceeding in parallel with Meridian drilling; Completion of 50 x 50m infill check and extensional cross-strike drilling, with 25 x 25m infill test area - objectives of current program and continuing into 2024 campaign; Final spatial review of collar and void underground data integrity; Review metallurgical recovery assumptions with new testwork program, including the assessment of potential for Pb concentrate with precious metal credits, and assessment of oxide - transition zone recoveries which affect ~20% of the exploration target: scheduled for 2024; and Checks of historical records of plant throughput and tailings grade to compare against the geology department run-of-mine production records - ongoing. Scope remains to test further potential for extension to the mineralized system, along the geophysical anomalies projecting along strike from Santa Helena. Opportunities to recover a lead concentrate will be assessed as part of the future metallurgical test programs. The historical processing facility did also not include a gravity circuit. Gravity recoverable gold is anticipated at least in the oxide zone, with past surface geochemical surveys identifying a surface gold in soil anomaly at Santa Helena by pan concentrate methods. Santa Helena Historical Resource Estimate SRK was previously commissioned by the Cabacal Vendors to undertake a resource study on the Monte Cristo (Santa Helena) Zn Deposit in 2007 ("Table 5"). This estimate was last updated in a report dated 30 May 2007. The estimation procedure used three iterations of the inverse distance squared method on composited drillhole data with progressively longer search ranges. A Zn Equivalent % calculation was applied for reporting the estimates (ZnEq % = Zn% + (2.14 * Cu%) + (0.39 * Au ppm)+ (0.007* Ag_ppm); Metallurgical Recovery = 89% Zn, 89% Cu, 65% Au, 61% Ag; Au price USD 570 / oz; Ag price USD 11 / oz, Cu price USD 3.36/ lb; Zn price = 1.57 / lb). A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves; and the issuer is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The 2007 historical resource does not account for final depletion. Table 5: Historical Santa Helena 2007 Resource Estimate. The historical resource had a number of limitations reducing its tonnage compared to the current Exploration Target range: The historical resource was quoted at a 3% Zinc Equivalent cut-off grade, reducing the amount of lower grade mineralization at reasonable grades that could alternatively be considered for open-pit development; The historical resource estimate did not incorporate data from mineralization intersected in BP trenching and drilling programs at the eastern end of the deposit; Checks against original BP maps and reports retrieved from historical archives, coupled with field checks, indicated than a number of holes were wrongly placed in the database; and New drilling indicates a greater cross-strike footprint of mineralization than originally modelled. Santa Helena Drill Program Santa Helena is a Cu-Au-Ag & Zn VMS deposit located ~9km to the southeast of the Cabacal Mine in Mato Grosso Brazil. It has over 10,000m of historical drilling and is one of a series of exploration targets along the 11km Cabacal Mine Corridor. The Company commenced initial drilling in August 2023 as part of a verification program, to validate the historical data in line with NI43-101 requirements, and to initiate scout drilling for potential extensions defined by geophysics. The Company's compilation of historical drill data indicated that many past holes were not completely sampled, that reconciliation of surveyed drilled positions and mine workings suggested that the high-grade massive sulphide mineralization was only partially mined. and that extensions of near-surface mineralization to the south and to the east were also not integrated into the historical resource calculations 4 . The Company has concluded that this historical resource area is considered open. Figure 3: Santa Helena drill results, with 2.0km eastern exploration extension, and newly emerging target area remaining open to the southeast. The Company has completed twenty-four holes to date. Initial results from holes drilled along the main trend for resource verification were very positive, confirming high-grade massive to semi massive near-surface mineralization 5 . Further drilling across strike into a geochemical anomaly located south of the historical resource also confirmed strong mineralization, locally increasing the cross-strike footprint of mineralization by up to 300% 6 . These results have included: CD-311: 19.1m @ 1.9g/t AuEq from 8.0m; including 4.9m @ 6.8g/t AuEq from 22.2m; from 8.0m; including from 22.2m; CD-321: 23.1m @ 1.5 g/t AuEq from 6.1m, including 3.6m @ 4.9 g/t AuEq from 10.0m; from 6.1m, including from 10.0m; CD-325: 14.9m @ 4.6 g/t AuEq from 26.3m; from 26.3m; CD-329: 6.8m @ 7.4g/t AuEq from 38.7m; from 38.7m; CD-332: 5.8m @ 6.8g/t AuEq from 32.2m; from 32.2m; CD-335: 7.2m @ 6.0g/t AuEq from 35.5m; from 35.5m; CD-336: 30.7m @ 1.1g/t AuEq from 6.0m, including: 5.7m @ 2.2g/t AuEq ; and from 6.0m, including: ; and CD-351: 11.7m @ 2.0g/t AuEq from 27.0m, including 5.4m @ 2.8g/t AuEq from 27.0m. The latest results ("Table 6"; "Figure 3") have been returned from a range of positions throughout the deposit. Additional drilling across strike from the historical resource has returned further shallow mineralization with a wide zone intersected in CD-359, located 55m along strike from CD-336. Further drilling is in progress to extend this position eastwards along strike. CD-359: 36.6m @ 1.3g/t AuEq (0.6g/t Au, 0.4% Cu, 8.4g/t Ag & 0.8% Zn) from 13.0m; including: 9.4m @ 1.9g/t AuEq (1.3g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 15.1g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 13.0m, and (1.3g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 15.1g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 13.0m, and 5.6m @ 1.7g/t AuEq (0.9g/t Au, 0.4% Cu, 10.8g/t Ag & 1.4% Zn) from 29.7m. Drilling further to the east confirmed shallow mineralization both within the historical resource envelope aligned with expectations (CD-378, CD-382), and mineralization to the south of the projected resource envelope, below historical surface trenching of BP Minerals (CD-372): CD-372 20.0m @ 0.7g/t AuEq (0.2g/t Au, 0.2% Cu, 8.9g/t Ag & 0.3% Zn) from 0.0m; including: 7.6m @ 1.2 g/t AuEq (0.4g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 5.4g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 0.0m; (0.4g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 5.4g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 0.0m; 4.9m @ 0.8g/t AuEq (0.1g/t Au, 0.2% Cu, 6.7g/t Ag & 1.3% Zn) from 31.4m; (0.1g/t Au, 0.2% Cu, 6.7g/t Ag & 1.3% Zn) from 31.4m; CD-378: 5.9m @ 5.5g/t AuEq (1.9g/t Au, 1.3% Cu, 33.5g/t Ag & 5.6% Zn) from 38.3m; and (1.9g/t Au, 1.3% Cu, 33.5g/t Ag & 5.6% Zn) from 38.3m; and CD-382: 8.4m @ 1.3g/t AuEq (0.5g/t Au, 0.3% Cu, 12.6g/t Ag & 1.3% Zn) from 41.0m. The growing confidence in the data combined with historical compilations has allowed the Company to nominate the Exploration Target for the Santa Helena Deposit. The Company aims to continue the program with the objective of defining a Mineral Resource, and we look forward to further results. About Meridian Meridian Mining UK S is focused on: The development and exploration of the advanced stage Cabacal VMS gold-copper project; Regional scale exploration of the Cabacal VMS belt; and Exploration in the Jauru & Araputanga Greenstone belts (the above all located in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil). Cabacal is a gold-copper-silver rich VMS deposit with the potential to be a standalone mine within the 50km VMS belt. Cabacal's base and precious metal-rich mineralization is hosted by volcanogenic type, massive, semi-massive, stringer, and disseminated sulphides within deformed metavolcanic-sedimentary rocks. A later-stage gold overprint event has emplaced high-grade gold mineralization. The Preliminary Economic Assessment technical report (the "PEA Technical Report") dated March 30, 2023, entitled: "Cabacal Gold-Copper Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment, Mato Grosso, Brazil" outlines a base case after-tax NPV5 of USD 573 million and 58.4% IRR from a pre-production capital cost of USD 180 million, leading to capital repayment in 10.6 months (assuming metals price scenario of USD 1,650 per ounces of gold, USD 3.59 per pound of copper, and USD 21.35 per ounce of silver). Cabacal has a low All-in-Sustaining-Cost of USD 671 per ounce gold equivalent for the first five years, driven by high metallurgical recovery, a low life-of-mine strip ratio of 2.1:1, and the low operating cost environment of Brazil (see press release dated March 6, 2023). The Cabacal Mineral Resource estimate consists of Indicated resources of 52.9 million tonnes at 0.6g/t gold, 0.3% copper and 1.4g/t silver and Inferred resources of 10.3 million tonnes at 0.7g/t gold, 0.2% copper & 1.1g/t silver (at a 0.3 g/t gold equivalent cut-off grade), including a higher-grade near-surface zone supporting a starter pit. Readers are encouraged to read the PEA Technical Report in its entirety. The PEA Technical Report may be found on the Company's website at www.meridianmining.co and under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at http://www.sedarplus.ca/ . The qualified persons for the PEA Technical Report are: Robert Raponi (P. Eng), Principal Metallurgist with Ausenco Engineering), Scott Elfen (P. E.), Global Lead Geotechnical and Civil Services with Ausenco Engineering), Simon Tear (PGeo, EurGeol), Principal Geological Consultant of H&SC, Marcelo Batelochi, (MAusIMM, CP Geo), Geological Consultant of MB Geologia Ltda, Joseph Keane (Mineral Processing Engineer; P.E), of SGS, and Guilherme Gomides Ferreira (Mine Engineer MAIG) of GE21 Consultoria Mineral. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining UK S Mr. Gilbert Clark - CEO and Director Meridian Mining UK S Email: info@meridianmining.co Ph: +1 778 715-6410 (PST) Stay up to date by subscribing for news alerts here: https://meridianmining.co/contact/ Follow Meridian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeridianMining Further information can be found at: www.meridianmining.co Technical Notes Samples have been analysed at SGS laboratory in Belo Horizonte. Samples are dried, crushed with 75% passing <3 mm, split to give a mass of 250-300g, pulverized with 95% passing 150#. Gold analyses are conducted by FAA505 (fire assay of a 50g charge), and base metal analysis by methods ICP40B and ICP40B_S (four acid digest with ICP-OES finish). Visible gold intervals are sampled by metallic screen fire assay method MET150-FAASCR. Samples are held in the Company's secure facilities until dispatched and delivered by staff and commercial couriers to the laboratory. Pulps and coarse rejects are retained and returned to the Company for storage. The Company submits a range of quality control samples, including blanks and gold and polymetallic standards supplied by Rocklabs, ITAK and OREAS, supplementing laboratory quality control procedures. Approximately 5% of archived samples are sent for umpire laboratory analysis, including any lots exhibiting QAQC outliers after discussion with the laboratory. In BP Minerals sampling, gold was analysed historically by fire assay and base metals by three acid digest and ICP finish at the Nomos laboratory in Rio de Janeiro. Silver was analysed by aqua regia digest with an atomic absorption finish. True width is considered to be 80-90% of intersection width. Assay figures and intervals are rounded to 1 decimal place. Gold equivalents for Cabacal are calculated as: AuEq(g/t) = (Au(g/t) * %Recovery) + (1.492*(Cu% * %Recovery)) + (0.013*(Ag(g/t) * %Recovery)), where: Au_recovery_ppm = 5.4368ln(Au_Grade_ppm)+88.856 Cu_recovery_pct = 2.0006ln(Cu_Grade_pct)+94.686 Ag_recovery_ppm = 13.342ln(Ag_Grade_ppm)+71.037 Recoveries based on 2022 metallurgical testwork on core submitted to SGS Lakefield Copper equivalents for Santa Helena are based on metallurgical recoveries from the historical resource calculation, updated with pricing forecasts aligned with the Cabacal PEA. The metal equivalent formula s presented as a copper equivalent rather than a zinc equivalent, based on the Companies current assessment of the metal balance after the past zinc-focussed extraction. CuEq% = (Cu% * 89%Recovery) + (0.67Au(g/t) * 65%Recovery) + (0.318Zn% * 89%Recovery)) + (0.009Ag(g/t) * 61%Recovery)). Recovery formulas will be updated with future testwork programs. The Gradient Array IP survey is being conducted using the Company's in-house team, utilizing its GDD GRx8-16c receiver and 5000W-2400-15A transmitter. Data is processed by the Company's independent consultancy Core Geophysics. Geophysical and geochemical exploration targets are preliminary in nature and not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit. Qualified Person Mr. Erich Marques, B.Sc., MAIG, Chief Geologist of Meridian Mining and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed, and verified the technical information in this news release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Meridian's most recent Annual Information Form filed on www.sedar.com. While these factors and assumptions are considered reasonable by Meridian, in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, Meridian can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. 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, Meridian disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results or otherwise. Table 6: Results Reported Santa Helena Hole-ID Dip Azi EOH (m) Zone Int (m) AuEq (g/t) CuEq (%) Au (g/t) Cu (%) Ag (g/t) Zn (%) Pb (%) From (m) CD-382 -90 000 66.5 SHM 8.4 1.3 0.9 0.5 0.3 12.6 1.3 0.2 41.0 Including 3.4 2.1 1.4 0.7 0.3 21.2 2.6 0.5 46.0 1.2 0.8 0.6 0.2 0.1 6.2 1.4 0.3 59.0 1.6 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 4.1 0.4 0.2 63.9 CD378 -60 216 70.6 SHM 5.9 5.5 3.7 1.9 1.3 33.5 5.6 1.0 38.3 Including 4.0 7.5 5.0 2.7 1.8 45.1 7.1 1.2 39.4 CD372 60 213 50.1 SHM 20.0 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.2 8.9 0.3 0.3 0.0 Including 7.6 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.6 5.4 0.5 0.3 0.0 4.9 0.8 0.6 0.1 0.2 6.7 1.3 0.2 31.4 CD359 45 188 70.6 SHM 36.6 1.3 0.9 0.6 0.4 8.4 0.8 0.5 13.0 Including 9.4 1.9 1.3 1.3 0.6 15.1 0.5 1.2 13.0 Including 5.6 1.7 1.2 0.9 0.4 10.8 1.4 0.6 29.7 1 Meridian Mining news release dated March 6, 2023 2 See Meridian Mining news releases of: November 14, October 23 and September 27, 2023. 3 Monte Cristo Mine. State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Report by SRK Consulting, Project Number 164802. Compiled by Nick Michael, Clay Taylor, Alva Kuestermeyer. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Meridian has not treated the resource and reserve stated in this report as a current mineral resource or reserves for purposes of National Instrument 43-101. 4 Meridian Mining News Release of March 29, 2022. 5 Meridian Mining News Release of September 12, 2023. 6 Meridian Mining News Release of November 14, 2023. SOURCE: Meridian Mining UK S View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813161/meridian-defines-initial-exploration-target-of-32--73-mt-30--32-gt-aueq-at-santa-helena The agreement will enable Lacuna Space to provide low-cost tracking and sensor detection service, with the opportunity to scale the constellation to dozens of satellites Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) ("Spire" or "the Company"), a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, was awarded a Space Services contract by Lacuna Space, a leading satellite IoT connectivity provider. Under the agreement, Spire will initially build and launch six satellites carrying Lacuna Space's payload and antenna, with the opportunity to scale the constellation to dozens of satellites. Lacuna Space will operate its payloads and receive encrypted data at its Harwell headquarters. With six satellites manufactured by Spire at its facility in Glasgow, UK, in addition to Lacuna Space's ten earlier satellites, Lacuna Space will be able to scale its IoT network for low-cost, reliable global connections to sensors and mobile equipment. Lacuna focuses on IoT services for agriculture, maritime, logistics, remote infrastructure and environmental monitoring, with applications such as measuring soil moisture for farmers in remote regions to improve crop yield or tracking the movement of assets. These satellites feature Lacuna's new proprietary, ultra-high density 'Gentoo' satellite gateway. The satellite gateways work in conjunction with Lacuna's ground scheduling network, which enables adaptive, regional, fine-frequency algorithms developed using AI from years of satellite-based spectrum scans. "Satellites play a critical role in providing IoT connectivity across the globe, particularly to remote, underserved, and developing areas of the world. These services are transformational in enabling new applications across a wide variety of industries and solving some of the biggest challenges facing humanity today," said Frank Frulio, the general manager of Space Services at Spire. "With Spire Space Services, we have streamlined the process to architect, build, launch and operate satellites reliably, and at a much lower cost than it would typically require new space companies to build infrastructure in space, allowing revolutionary technologies, like Lacuna's IoT network, to reach the market faster." "This contract is a very important step in Lacuna's progression into commercial operations, and represents over five years of intensive development work to refine the concept and achieve the scalability and reliability required to provide a global commercial service," said Rob Spurrett, CEO and co-founder of Lacuna Space. "Glasgow produces more satellites than anywhere else in Europe, and this contract between Spire Global and Lacuna Space is a fantastic example of how the UK's strong heritage in space manufacturing is accelerating our progress towards global connectivity and new commercial applications for telecommunications," said Craig Brown, investment director at the UK Space Agency. "This collaboration will unlock opportunities for businesses, using satellites to transfer data and information between millions of sensors on the ground that make up IoT, with the potential to scale up further. I'm looking forward to watching the constellation come to life." Spire Space Services offers fast and scalable access to space through a subscription model that eliminates the high upfront cost of building and maintaining infrastructure in space. The Company has designed, built, and launched more than 170 satellites, enabling commercial and government organizations to easily deploy and operate a constellation, hosted payload, or a software application in space leveraging Spire's established space, ground, and web infrastructure. Spire handles the end-to-end management, from manufacturing to launch to satellite operations, and the customer operates the system through a web API. About Spire Global, Inc. Spire (NYSE: SPIR) is a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, offering unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth so that organizations can make decisions with confidence in a rapidly changing world. Spire builds, owns, and operates a fully deployed satellite constellation that observes the Earth in real time using radio frequency technology. The data acquired by Spire's satellites provides global weather intelligence, ship and plane movements, and spoofing and jamming detection to better predict how their patterns impact economies, global security, business operations and the environment. Spire also offers Space as a Service solutions that empower customers to leverage its established infrastructure to put their business in space. Spire has nine offices across the U.S., Canada, UK, Luxembourg, Germany and Singapore. To learn more, visit spire.com. About Lacuna Space Lacuna Space, a UK and Dutch entity, headquartered in Oxford UK, is recognized as the leader in scalable direct-to-satellite IoT solutions based on the open and interoperable LoRaWAN standard. The Lacuna Network enables multiple constellations of Lacuna and third-party satellites to meld together, forming the most robust and field-proven IoT service for our customers. Operating a wholesale model, Lacuna empowers service providers and systems integrators to extend the limited coverage footprint of LoRaWAN networks around the globe with ubiquitous low-power, low-cost connectivity. Learn more at https://lacuna.space/contact/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205715623/en/ Contacts: For Spire: Kristina Spychalski Head of Communications Kristina.Spychalski@spire.com For Spire Investors: Benjamin Hackman Head of Investor Relations Benjamin.Hackman@spire.com For Lacuna Space: Kitty Howie Kitty@lacuna-space.com CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Eagle Royalties Ltd. ("ER":CSE, or "Eagle Royalties") has been notified by Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. ("EPL":TSX-V) of the results from an airborne geophysical survey at Eagle Plains' 100% owned George Lake critical metals project. Recently released from the eastern Wollaston Domain electromagnetic and magnetic high resolution geophysical survey, flown by the Government of Saskatchewan, covered the entirety of the George Lake project on which Eagle Royalties holds an underlying 2% Net Smelter royalty. The 200m line spaced survey was carried out by Geotech Canada Inc. utilizing Geotech's VTEM Max Time-Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) system. Results from the survey indicate a strong southwest northeast trending EM conductor that crosses the entire property. The conductor is coincident with the George Lake deposit mineralization and has been only partially drill tested. The survey also located weaker parallel conductor trends north and south of the main conductor, with the northern conductor coincident with the Spence Lake mineralized zone. The fully permitted George Lake project is located 280km north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan. The project has excellent access and is located on an all-weather spur road along Saskatchewan Highway 905. The property overlies 8 Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index ("SMDI") occurrences including the George Lake Zn Deposit which is reported to contain a historical resource grading 2.63MT grading 3.67% Zn and 0.53% Pb (SMDI 0663)*. Zinc and lead mineralized boulders were discovered in the George Lake area in 1965 which led Falconbridge Nickel Mines to acquire a large land position in the area, resulting in a 34-hole diamond drill program in 1969-70 which defined the George Lake deposit. The deposit contains sedimentary-exhalative ("sedex") style mineralization, with a higher-grade core of >5% Zn. See George Lake Geophysics Map here George Lake Project Highlights 10,050m of drilling completed in 90 holes, with the best drill holes returning 57.9m grading 3.42% Zn ( including 9.1m grading 7.1% Zn ) and 47.8m grading 4.5% Zn and 0.61% Pb (including 8.0m grading 7.0% Zn and 1.4 % Pb ); ) and 47.8m grading 4.5% Zn and 0.61% Pb (including ); Historical resource of 2.63MT grading 3.67% Zn and 0.53% Pb reported in 2003 (SMDI 0663)*; Deposit dimensions are approximately 35m thick x 150m in width x 800m in length, open to depth and along strike; Potential for discovery of extensions of existing mineralization and other discrete mineralization elsewhere on the property. *Eagle Royalties' management considers these estimates to be historical in nature and cautions that a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with National Instrument 43-101. These estimates do not comply with current definitions prescribed by National Instrument 43-101 or the Canadian Institute of Mining, and are disclosed only as indications of the presence of mineralization and are considered to be a guide for additional work. The historical models and data sets used to prepare these historical estimates are not available to Eagle Royalties, nor are any more recent resource estimates or drill information on the property. See George Lake Royalty Map and Details here George Lake Geology The George Lake property is underlain by metasedimentary sequences of the Wollaston Supergroup. Bedding is very steeply dipping to vertical and locally overturned on the northwest limb of the Spence Lake Synform. Rapid thickening and facies changes in sedimentary units suggests syndepositional faulting on north-south trending structures which are interpreted as providing conduits for mineralizing fluids. Mineral occurrences on the George Lake Property include stratabound, disseminated and vein-hosted sphalerite, galena and arsenopyrite interpreted as sedex-type mineralization. Stratabound Pb-Zn-Ag-mineralization is predominantly found disseminated in quartzite of the upper Souter Lake group near the contact with the overlying meta-argillite. The Spence Lake formation also hosts stratabound Pb-Zn-Ag mineralization. Vein-hosted arsenopyrite, galena, and sphalerite are predominantly found as blebs in quartz-veins hosted in meta-argillite of the Spence Lake formation, as well as disseminated grains in the host rock. Silver is associated with both mineralization types in the George Lake property. George Lake History Zinc-lead mineralization was first noted in the George Lake area in 1965 by prospectors who identified mineralized boulders while following up on an airborne geophysical magnetic survey. This led to the discovery of sphalerite-bearing outcrops which attracted Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. to acquire a large land position in the area. Falconbridge conducted ground geophysics, soil geochemical surveys, mapping and prospecting to help define the mineralized trends which were tested by a 34-hole, 5127m drill program in 1969-70 which delineated the George Lake deposit. In the 1980's the Pressuag/SMDC joint-venture and Esso Minerals Canada worked in the George Lake area, completing lake sediment, soil, and glacial till geochemical surveys, geological mapping, magnetic/EM surveys, and 17 diamond drill holes. Falconbridge Ltd. reacquired the property in 1990 completing airborne EM, VLF-EM, and magnetic surveys over the George Lake deposit, as well as relogging and sampling of historic drill holes. In 1992, Noranda Exploration and Mining Company carried out Genie-EM ground surveys and completed two short drill holes at the Souter Lake target. The most recent work on the property was in 2008 when Golden Arch Resources completed 6 diamond drill holes within the known deposit area which identified previously undescribed Ag mineralization. Current Program Eagle Plains plans to intergrate the digital data from the Government of Saskatchewan geophysical survey into the ongoing George Lake data compilation to better constrain geological modelling of the known George Lake mineralization and to locate additional targets for further exploration. Qualified Persons Charles C. Downie, P.Geo., a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and a Director of both Eagle Plains and Eagle Royalties, has prepared, reviewed, and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in the news release. About Eagle Royalties Ltd. Eagle Royalties was previously a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. ("EPL":TSX-V), incorporated in late 2022 to manage the diverse royalty holdings of EPL. In May 2023, ER was spun out to Eagle Plains' shareholders on a 1:3 basis by means of a plan of arrangement. Concurrent with the spin-out transaction, Eagle Royalties amalgamated with 1386884 B.C. Ltd., which effectively provided ER with CDN $2.7M in initial funding. Eagle Royalties was listed for trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") on May 19th, 2023. Eagle Royalties benefits from having over 50 royalty interests in western Canada covering a broad spectrum of commodities including critical metals, precious metals, uranium, industrial minerals and diamonds. Projects subject to royalties in favour of ER are controlled by companies including Cameco Corp., Iso Energy Corp., Denison Mines Corp., Skeena Resources Ltd. and Hecla Mining Co./Banyan Gold Corp., among many others. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Tim J. Termuende" President and CEO For further information on ER, please contact Mike Labach, Business Development Officer, at 1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673) Email: info@eagleroyalties.com or visit our website at https://www.eagleroyalties.com/ Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Neither the CSE nor any other regulatory body has reviewed or approved the contents of this news release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming financings, work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. 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. SOURCE: Eagle Royalties Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813067/eagle-royaltiesprovides-update-on-government-of-saskatchewan-airborne-geophysical-survey-at-george-lake REGINA, SK / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Carbon RX Inc. ("Carbon RX") and FrontRunner Technologies Inc. ("FrontRunner") entered into a sales agreement ("Sales Agreement"), pursuant to which Carbon RX will sell its carbon credits to FrontRunner while guaranteeing FrontRunner access to First Nations originated carbon credits to offset the environmental footprint of its digital advertising campaigns globally. The purchase of these carbon credits will support First Nations communities across Canada, and bolster initiatives to combat climate change. According to an article published by CEPSA in 2023, a single advertising campaign generates 70 tons of C02 emissions, the equivalent of 15 passenger vehicles annually. FrontRunner is a proven innovator in the digital out-of-home ("DOOH"), commercial real estate, and retail industries by delivering digital content to High Street WindowFronts in major cities. This Sales Agreement will allow FrontRunner to use Carbon RX branded carbon credits for a New York and LA-based campaign for Caliwater, owned by actors Vanessa Hudgens and Oliver Trevena, and for DoorDash's HoliDifferently campaign running in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver through to the New Year. "We recognize we need to do our part to contribute to a greener, more sustainable planet," says FrontRunner's Founder and CEO, Nathan Elliott. "Carbon RX's carbon credits spoke to us based on their environmental impact and, equally important, the social impact for First Nations communities who directly benefit from the revenue. We have a long track record of partnering with First Nations communities, so this is a seminal agreement for our company." There are over 150 million acres of First Nations-managed land in Canada. Carbon RX partners with First Nation communities, offering nature-based solutions to be used as carbon offsets across multiple industries. "This deal is about more than offsetting carbon footprints," says Carbon RX's CEO, Marty Seymour. "It's a pathway to enriching First Nations communities in remote parts of our country and giving them the power to heal Mother Earth in ways that are culturally and economically significant." About Carbon RX Headquartered on Treaty 4 Territory in Regina, SK, Carbon RX specializes in the origination and streaming of carbon credits. Backed by a team of agriculture, forestry, and hydrocarbon experts, Carbon RX provides high-fidelity carbon credits to the international voluntary carbon market, ultimately aiding Canada in the race to net-zero emissions. For more information, visit carbonrx.com About FrontRunner Technologies FrontRunner was founded in?Canada?by Founder and CEO?Nathan Elliott?in 2017 to create a new standard of digital media by leveraging High Street retail WindowFronts to deliver high-definition video content. The company provides a robust digital out-of-home content solution for national and international brands looking to hyper-target campaigns, while simultaneously creating a new revenue stream for landlords, brokerages and store owners searching for creative ways to monetize their spaces. For more information, frontrunner-tech.com For media inquiries Nathan Elliott (306)-501-4923 nelliott@frontrunner-tech.com Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, which are based upon Delta CleanTech Inc. ("Delta") and Carbon RX (Delta's subsidiary), current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "likely", "may", "might", "will", "shall", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "project", "contemplate", "continue", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking information include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance, or other statements that are not statements of fact. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information, and more specifically, Carbon RX ability to deliver these carbon credits, to continue its good standing and business relationships with First Nation communities, and its business model in general. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Carbon RX does not undertake any obligations to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by securities law. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: FrontRunner Technologies View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/812920/carbon-rx-and-frontrunner-technologies-out-in-front-on-carbon-credits Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Denarius Metals Corp. (TSXV: DSLV) (OTCQX: DNRSF) ("Denarius Metals" or the "Company") announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with the shareholders of Rio Narcea Recursos, S.L. ("RNR") (collectively, the "RNR Shareholder Group") to acquire a 50% interest in RNR, which has the rights to exploit the historic producing Aguablanca nickel-copper mine located in Monesterio, Extremadura, Spain, approximately 88 km from the Company's Lomero Project. Serafino Iacono, Executive Chairman and CEO of Denarius Metals, commented, "The acquisition of a 50% stake in RNR reflects the continued execution of our strategy of acquiring significant projects in highly prospective and tier one mining jurisdictions in Spain. The acquisition gives us ownership in the only nickel deposit in Spain and one of the few in Europe. With our Zancudo Project in Colombia already on track to commence production in 2024, this acquisition gives us a second mine going into operation next year with Aguablanca set to resume production through underground mining in the next 12 months. The acquisition also accelerates our path to production from our flagship Lomero Project using excess capacity available in RNR's 5,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") processing plant. Our technical expertise and location of assets in the nearby Autonomous Community of Andalucia makes us uniquely suited to benefit from the synergies derived from a combination of the Lomero and Aguablanca Projects. We look forward to continuing our work to help the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia and Extremadura become frontrunners in sustainable raw material technologies and practices to support the European climate neutrality goal and increase local well-being." Under the Agreement, Alto Minerals S.L.U. ("Alto"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Denarius Metals in Spain, and owner of the Company's Lomero Project, has acquired 50% of all of the issued and outstanding shares of RNR in an arm's length transaction with the RNR Shareholder Group for cash consideration totaling EUR 25 million (equivalent to approximately US$27 million), of which EUR 2.5 million has been paid on signing of the Agreement and the balance will be paid in instalments of EUR 5.0 million on March 31, 2024 and approximately EUR 5.8 million at the end of each of June, September and December 2024. The Company used a portion of the net proceeds from its recently completed convertible debenture financing to fund the initial payment and is currently in discussion with several parties regarding potential structured financing sources, including royalties, streaming, prepayments on offtake contracts and other similar arrangements, to fund the future payments due in 2024. No finder's fees are being paid in connection with the acquisition. In addition, the Company, through Alto, and the RNR Shareholder Group have entered into a joint venture agreement (the "JV Agreement") pursuant to which Alto will appoint three members of the RNR board of directors and the RNR Shareholder Group will appoint the remaining three members. Pursuant to the JV Agreement, Alto will be the operator of the Aguablanca Project and the RNR Shareholder Group will provide a line of credit to RNR to fund the resumption and start-up of operations at the Aguablanca Project. The acquisition of the 50% stake in RNR is subject to conditional approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Aguablanca Project The Aguablanca Project is located approximately 100 km north of Seville within the Monesterio municipal boundary in the south of Badajoz Province (Autonomous Community of Extremadura) and close to the Huelva and Sevilla (Autonomous Community of Andalucia) provincial boundaries, in the south of Spain. Discovered in 1994, the Aguablanca mine was one of the only deposits in Spain able to produce nickel (sole producer) and copper. The Aguablanca deposit is a magmatic sulfide deposit hosted in gabbro and gabbro-norite rocks. The deposit is rich in nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) with anomalous cobalt (Co), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) and gold (Au). Production commenced in 2005 and, in 2007, RNR was acquired by Lundin Mining Corporation ("Lundin"). Lundin continued to operate the Aguablanca Project until 2015 through an open-pit exploitation and on-site processing plant. Over its 11-year operating life, the total volume of ore mined at Aguablanca was approximately 14 million tonnes at grades of 0.59% Ni and 0.35% Cu. At full operating capacity, the mine was processing approximately 1.85 million tonnes of ore per year with an average of approximately 8,000 tonnes of Ni and 7,000 tonnes of Cu produced in concentrate. The concentrate produced in the plant during the period from 2005 through 2015 totaled 997,575 tonnes with an average grade of 6.67% Ni and 5.99% Cu, containing 66,552 tonnes of Ni metal and 59,236 tonnes of Cu metal. The recovery in the plant was 80% for Ni and 92% for Cu. The Underground Mining Plan for the Aguablanca mine has already been approved by the local mining authority. The Environmental Impact Study ("EIS") approved in 2017 is still in force. All surface facilities at the mine, including the 5,000 tpd processing plant, are in good condition and maintenance activities to resume plant operation are expected to last no longer than 6 months. A historical Mineral Resource estimate (the "Historical MRE") of the Aguablanca mineral deposit was produced for the RNR Shareholder Group in March 2023 by CRS Ingeneria Consultoria ("CRS"), Madrid, Spain, based on information collected from various historical exploration campaigns. The Historical MRE, prepared before the Company became interested in the Aguablanca Project and acquired its 50% interest, summarizes the estimated quantity, grade and mineral content of the underground deposit, below the current level of open pit exploitation. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the Historical MRE as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the Historical MRE as current mineral resources or mineral reserves or is using the Historical MRE for the basis of a production decision. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Based on a nickel price of US$10.00/lb, the following table summarizes the Historical MRE for underground resources at the Aguablanca Project at a cutoff grade of 0.30% Ni: Classification Tonnes (kt) Ni Grade (%) Ni Metal (kt) Cu Grade (%) Cu Metal (kt) Co Grade (g/t) Pt Grade (g/t) Pd Grade (g/t) Au Grade (g/t) Measured 3,632 0.67 24.41 0.59 21.59 259 0.30 0.26 0.16 Indicated 2,782 0.58 16.18 0.51 14.21 134 0.25 0.22 0.14 Measured & Indicated 6,414 0.63 40.59 0.56 35.79 150 0.28 0.24 0.15 Inferred 242 0.52 1.25 0.42 1.02 93 0.11 0.10 0.06 The Historical MRE is relevant to the Aguablanca Project as it reflects the known geologic assumptions of the mineral deposit. The geologic report prepared by CRS, which is the basis of the Historical MRE, is well written and the mineral estimation procedures are well documented. The Company's QP considers the Historical MRE to be reliable. General statistics and geostatistics were evaluated for the deposit. Domains were created according to geology and structures to ensure mineralization was estimated according to each separate domain. High grade outliers were capped to avoid over estimation of mineral content. Variograms were evaluated to determine variance of mineralization. Mineralization was estimated using Ordinary Kriging estimation techniques. Resulting mineral resource estimates were validated by evaluating swath plots, local estimates of mineralization compared to drilling composites and visually. The Historical MRE was categorized according to the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves 2014. Mineralization for the Historical MRE has been categorized as measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources. No more recent estimates or data are available to Denarius Metals. In order to update the Historical MRE, the Company's QP needs to independently validate the Historical MRE through a review of the geological models, drilling databases, assay reliability and reproducibility, geostatistical analyses and a re-estimation of mineral resources for the Aguablanca Project. Synergies Between Aguablanca and Lomero Projects in Spain The Company's 100% owned Lomero Project is a polymetallic deposit located on the Spanish side of the prolific copper rich Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). The Lomero Project is located in the Huelva Province of the Autonomous Community of Andalucia in Southern Spain, about 90 km west northwest of Seville and 88 km west-southwest of the Aguablanca Project. After the latest update of the Mineral Resource estimate for the Lomero Project, with an effective date July 31, 2023, the Company has attained a sufficient level of knowledge to undertake further work for an initial engineering study, and preliminary economic assessment. The proximity between these two projects provides opportunities for the Lomero Project to capture synergies that will offer numerous benefits including: Aguablanca offers extra processing plant capacity to process material from Lomero, given that the optimal capacity of the existing plant at Aguablanca is 5,000 tpd and the underground mining plan for Aguablanca is set at 2,500 tpd; Having access to the existing process plant at Aguablanca represents a significant time and capital cost saving for the development of the Lomero Project; This strategy accelerates the commencement of mining operations for the exploitation of the Lomero-Poyatos and Palomarejo deposits and the resultant creation of local employment in the area of the Lomero Project; The consolidation of processing at the Aguablanca Project also reduces the environmental impact at Lomero that should speed up the environmental permitting process for Lomero; and The combined operations will produce a wide range of strategic and precious metals from the two projects such as nickel, copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver, cobalt, platinum and palladium, enhancing the Company's exposure to a broader range of metals and opportunities to benefit from cyclical demand. Qualified Persons ("QP") Review Mr. Scott E. Wilson, CPG, President of Resource Development Associates Inc., is an independent consulting geologist specializing in Mineral Reserve and Resource calculation reporting, mining project analysis and due diligence evaluations. Mr. Wilson has over 34 years of experience in the mining industry and is a Registered Member (#4025107RM) of Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc. Mr. Wilson and Resource Development Associates Inc. are independent of the Company under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mr. Wilson is acting as the Company's QP, as defined in NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information disclosed in this press release. About Denarius Metals Denarius Metals is a Canadian junior company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and eventual operation of polymetallic mining projects in high-grade districts, with its principal focus on the Lomero Project, a polymetallic deposit located on the Spanish side of the prolific copper rich Iberian Pyrite Belt, one of the largest districts of pyrite-rich massive sulfide deposits in the world. The Company is also carrying out an exploration campaign on the Toral Zn-Pb-Ag Project located in the Leon Province, Northern Spain pursuant to a definitive agreement signed in 2022 for an option and joint-venture arrangement with Europa pursuant to which Europa has granted Denarius Metals two options to acquire up to an 80% ownership interest in Europa Metals Iberia S.L. ("EMI"), a wholly-owned Spanish subsidiary of Europa which holds the Toral Project. The Company has commenced construction activities at its 100%-owned Zancudo Project in Colombia, which includes the historic producing Independencia mine, providing an opportunity to develop near-term production and cash flow commencing in 2024 through local contract mining and long-term growth through continued exploration of the Zancudo deposit which remains open in all directions. Additional information on Denarius can be found on its website at www.denariusmetals.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information", which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Agreement and the acquisition of a 50% interest in RNR, regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange conditional approval, potential structured financing sources, funding of the Aguablanca Project, reliability of the Historical MRE, synergies between the Aguablanca and Lomero Projects and the Company's business plans or strategies. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of 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 Denarius Metals to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated April 21, 2023 which is available for view on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release and Denarius Metals disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result 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. Cautionary Statement on Mineral Resources Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. In particular, the quantity and grade of reported inferred mineral resources are uncertain in nature and there is insufficient exploration to define these inferred mineral resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource in all cases. It is uncertain in all cases whether further exploration will result in upgrading the inferred mineral resources to an indicated or measured mineral resource category. For Further Information, Contact: Michael Davies Chief Financial Officer (416) 360-4653 investors@denariusmetals.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189766 TreviPay continues to expand loyalty-building technology for all merchants to perfect the payments experience TreviPay, the global B2B payments and invoicing network, today released a series of technology features designed to help merchants build experiential loyalty with enterprise buyers, including TreviPay's new all-in-one payments solution. By providing payment choice, convenience and customization, merchants across different industries, including retail, hospitality and manufacturing, can leverage TreviPay's technology to reduce friction and build loyalty at all stages of the purchasing process. Recent TreviPay research unveiled the importance of payment choice for optimizing first-time and returning buyer experiences with 86% of global business buyers reporting the ability to pay using their preferred payment method is important. With TreviPay's all-in-one payments, B2B merchants and marketplaces can now serve the entire spectrum of business buyers with TreviPay as their single payments vendor. Through integration, merchants can customize acceptance of card types, allowing business buyers to either pay upfront with card, ACH or mobile wallet, or pay later through net terms (the ability to pay in 30-, 60-, or 90-days) and invoicing to improve cash flow and reduce bad debt. "As enterprises continue to evaluate their digital transformation efforts, there is still an opportunity to innovate the online B2B payments experience to eliminate checkout friction and increase conversions," said Dan Zimmerman, Chief Technology Officer of TreviPay. "Through one comprehensive checkout solution, merchants can rely on a single payments vendor to accept multiple payments modalities and consolidate reporting across payment types." A notable use case is found in the B2B retail industry where credit cards are often the only payment option offered online. As trade credit or net terms are preferred by 85% of global business buyers, typically for higher spend or more frequent purchases, retailers can now accommodate both options more seamlessly through TreviPay's all-in-one payments solution. Credit and debit card payments are supported for customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Europe and Australia, in 16 payout currencies and 25+ locales. TreviPay APIs also provide integrated reporting to systematically deliver detailed reimbursement documentation daily, as well as consolidated reporting for card and net terms payments and deposits at the marketplace and individual seller levels. Additional technology capabilities now offered by TreviPay to bolster buyer loyalty include: Decentralized Billing: For sellers to create billing groups and sub-tiered accounts (parent/child hierarchy) with separate legal entities, to configure custom payment and billing options, as well as apply individual credit limits. For sellers to create billing groups and sub-tiered accounts (parent/child hierarchy) with separate legal entities, to configure custom payment and billing options, as well as apply individual credit limits. Contract Price Verification: For sellers to define customer pricing tiers with specific SKU-level pricing details, for TreviPay to conveniently cross-reference against contracted pricing with limited disruption. For sellers to define customer pricing tiers with specific SKU-level pricing details, for TreviPay to conveniently cross-reference against contracted pricing with limited disruption. Customized Customer Support: For sellers to define and rank buyers to customize support with white-glove services, such as offering extended net terms or assigning a dedicated support agent. For sellers to define and rank buyers to customize support with white-glove services, such as offering extended net terms or assigning a dedicated support agent. Customer Portal Redesign: To improve navigation, usability and customer experience for buyers, with easy-to-export data capabilities. To learn more about TreviPay's solutions for growing B2B experiential loyalty, visit www.trevipay.com. About TreviPay At TreviPay, we believe loyalty begins at the payment. By understanding the diverse and unique requirements of B2B sellers, TreviPay's global B2B payments and invoicing network enables enterprises to provide payments choice and convenience, open new markets and automate accounts receivables. With more than four decades of experience, TreviPay serves leaders looking to build loyalty while driving efficiency and embracing new digital channels, especially in industries with large distribution networks such as manufacturing, retail and transportation. For more information, visit trevipay.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205023858/en/ Contacts: Alissa Clayton The Fletcher Group 647.390.9085 alissa@fletchergroupllc.com Temasek and Isuzu join Woven Capital and NVIDIA in a major round led by 83North TEL-AVIV, Israel and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Foretellix, the leading provider of safety-driven verification and validation (V&V) solutions for Automated Driving Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), has announced today that it closed a Series C funding round of $85 million, bringing its total raised capital to $135 million. The funding round was led by 83North. The new investors Temasek and Isuzu joined Woven Capital - the growth fund of Toyota - NVIDIA, and Artofin, which participated in the first closing earlier this year. All major existing shareholders participated, including MoreTech, Nationwide, Volvo Group VC, Jump Capital, Next Gear Ventures, and OurCrowd. Foretellix will use the funding to accelerate the development of its expanding product portfolio and address the growing worldwide demand for its solutions. "We are thrilled to have Temasek and Isuzu join as investors," said Ziv Binyamini, Foretellix CEO and Co-Founder. "Foretellix is driving a transformative leap forward in V&V technology and methodology. Our solutions address the largest barriers to safe large-scale deployment of autonomous vehicles while dramatically reducing development costs. We are committed to continue our partnerships with leading autonomy developers and supporting our customers. This funding round will secure our long-term sustained growth. It will help extend our product line for real-world and synthetic driving scenarios and the development of new AI capabilities." "Isuzu believes that safety verification and validation is essential for OEMs to responsibly develop safe autonomous vehicles," said Mr. Hiroshi Sato, Vice President of Isuzu's Engineering Division. "Foretellix's advanced technology in automated scalable scenario generation, and their leadership position in the OpenSCENARIO 2.0 standard, are key assets for Isuzu. Collaborating with Foretellix's senior management and engineers is a great opportunity, and a major advantage, for Isuzu's autonomous vehicle development." Foretify, Foretellix's Safety-Driven V&V Platform, is used by Automotive, Trucking, and Mining customers worldwide to accelerate the development and deployment of their Automated Driving Systems. The platform provides a unified V&V flow that combines real-world test drives and virtual simulation in one platform. It helps development, testing, and safety engineers at OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and Autonomous Vehicle providers to better collaborate and boost their efficiency throughout their AV and ADAS projects cycle. Foretellix led the ASAM OpenSCENARIO 2.0 (OSC2.0) standard development, revolutionizing how safety is developed and tested in Automated Driving Systems. Foretellix contributed key syntax and concepts to ASAM, and it continues to lead standard enhancements. The Foretify platform is the industry's first solution offering native OSC2.0 support. For more information about Foretellix, visit www.foretellix.com, or email info@foretellix.com About Foretellix Foretellix is the leading provider of safety-driven verification and validation solutions for Automated Driving Systems and ADAS. Foretellix's Foretify? platform helps automotive, trucking, and mining customers to ensure safety, reduce development costs, and accelerate time-to-market. Foretellix is headquartered in Israel, with offices in the US, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit https://www.foretellix.com/ Media Contact: George Giles Marketing@foretellix.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293070/Foretellix.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1977129/Foretellix_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/foretellix-raises-85-million-in-series-c-closing-302005746.html CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MarketsandMarkets has released Top 11 Hydrogen Fueling Station Companies, Worldwide 2023 to help businesses make quicker and more informed decisions. Companies' market presence and product footprint are used to build quadrants, which will be revised annually. The global hydrogen fueling station market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth USD 380 million in 2023 and is poised to reach USD 1,129 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2023 to 2030. It was observed that the growing emphasis on attaining a carbon-neutral future, accompanied by intensified governmental initiatives to cut carbon emissions, especially in transportation, has spurred a rise in the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles. Where meeting the increasing demand for these vehicles requires substantial investments in hydrogen fueling stations, both from private and public entities, thereby fueling the market growth. Additionally, ongoing research and development endeavors by hydrogen fueling station companies and various institutions aim to develop innovative technologies, such as electrolyzer-based onsite hydrogen refueling stations, to enhance station efficiency. These elements significantly contribute to the expansion of the hydrogen fueling station market. Access Research Report @ https://www.360quadrants.com/energy-and-power/hydrogen-fueling-station Unveiling the Market Leaders: Honoring Excellence in Hydrogen Fueling Station Markets Linde , a leading global industrial gases and engineering company, has solidified its position as the market leader in hydrogen fueling stations by leveraging its expertise in the production, processing, storage, and distribution of hydrogen. With one of the largest liquid hydrogen capacity and distribution system globally, Linde operates the high-purity hydrogen storage cavern and an extensive pipeline network spanning approximately 1,000 kilometers to ensure reliable supply to its customers. Spearheading the transition to clean hydrogen, Linde has installed over 200 hydrogen fueling stations and 80 hydrogen electrolysis plants worldwide, showcasing its commitment to advancing sustainable solutions. Notably, Linde's engineers have developed state-of-the-art compression technologies, including the ionic compressor and cryo-pump, which are self-developed and patented. These technologies enable rapid fueling, with hydrogen-powered cars refueled in just three minutes, aligning with the efficiency of traditional petrol or diesel refueling. Linde's comprehensive approach to hydrogen infrastructure, innovative technologies, and global presence firmly establish it as the market leader in the evolving landscape of hydrogen fueling stations. , a leading global industrial gases and engineering company, has solidified its position as the market leader in hydrogen fueling stations by leveraging its expertise in the production, processing, storage, and distribution of hydrogen. With one of the largest liquid hydrogen capacity and distribution system globally, Linde operates the high-purity hydrogen storage cavern and an extensive pipeline network spanning approximately 1,000 kilometers to ensure reliable supply to its customers. Spearheading the transition to clean hydrogen, Linde has installed over 200 hydrogen fueling stations and 80 hydrogen electrolysis plants worldwide, showcasing its commitment to advancing sustainable solutions. Notably, Linde's engineers have developed state-of-the-art compression technologies, including the ionic compressor and cryo-pump, which are self-developed and patented. These technologies enable rapid fueling, with hydrogen-powered cars refueled in just three minutes, aligning with the efficiency of traditional petrol or diesel refueling. Linde's comprehensive approach to hydrogen infrastructure, innovative technologies, and global presence firmly establish it as the market leader in the evolving landscape of hydrogen fueling stations. Nel, holds a dominant position in the hydrogen fueling station sector, showcasing an impressive product footprint and exerting a substantial influence in the market. a dedicated global hydrogen firm, specializes in delivering optimal solutions for renewable hydrogen production and distribution. Catering to industries, energy, and gas companies, the company stands out with its leading hydrogen technology. NEL's comprehensive hydrogen solutions span the entire value chain, encompassing hydrogen production technologies and fueling stations. The Nel Hydrogen Fueling business segment offers hydrogen fueling stations, including the H2Station, along with a range of equipment such as hydrogen trailers, storage units, and dispensers tailored for mobility and industrial applications. NEL categorizes its H2Station offerings into three types: Cascade fill 70 Mpa, Direct fill 70 Mpa, and Direct fill 35 Mpa. Additionally, the company contributes to clean energy generation through electrolyzers based on alkaline and PEM technology, enabling onsite production of clean hydrogen. holds a dominant position in the hydrogen fueling station sector, showcasing an impressive product footprint and exerting a substantial influence in the market. a dedicated global hydrogen firm, specializes in delivering optimal solutions for renewable hydrogen production and distribution. Catering to industries, energy, and gas companies, the company stands out with its leading hydrogen technology. NEL's comprehensive hydrogen solutions span the entire value chain, encompassing hydrogen production technologies and fueling stations. The Nel Hydrogen Fueling business segment offers hydrogen fueling stations, including the H2Station, along with a range of equipment such as hydrogen trailers, storage units, and dispensers tailored for mobility and industrial applications. NEL categorizes its H2Station offerings into three types: Cascade fill 70 Mpa, Direct fill 70 Mpa, and Direct fill 35 Mpa. Additionally, the company contributes to clean energy generation through electrolyzers based on alkaline and PEM technology, enabling onsite production of clean hydrogen. Air Liquide , one of the world-leading companies providing services, technologies, and gases to healthcare and industrial end users, emerges as an unparalleled market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, seamlessly integrating its expertise across diverse sectors. Air Liquide's Global Markets & Technologies business segment takes center stage in designing and constructing hydrogen fueling stations, complemented by hydrogen liquefiers and Turbo-Brayton reliquefaction units. This strategic approach is reflected in the company's extensive portfolio of hydrogen fueling stations and related services, offering a range of dispensers, including single, double, dual, and mobile dispensers. Furthermore, Air Liquide's strong market presence is evident through strategic partnerships, collaborations, and a proactive approach to addressing the evolving needs of the hydrogen economy. This combination of technological prowess, product diversity, and a well-established market presence positions Air Liquide as a formidable force in shaping the future of hydrogen fueling infrastructure. , one of the world-leading companies providing services, technologies, and gases to healthcare and industrial end users, emerges as an unparalleled market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, seamlessly integrating its expertise across diverse sectors. Air Liquide's Global Markets & Technologies business segment takes center stage in designing and constructing hydrogen fueling stations, complemented by hydrogen liquefiers and Turbo-Brayton reliquefaction units. This strategic approach is reflected in the company's extensive portfolio of hydrogen fueling stations and related services, offering a range of dispensers, including single, double, dual, and mobile dispensers. Furthermore, Air Liquide's strong market presence is evident through strategic partnerships, collaborations, and a proactive approach to addressing the evolving needs of the hydrogen economy. This combination of technological prowess, product diversity, and a well-established market presence positions Air Liquide as a formidable force in shaping the future of hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Air Products, a global leader in hydrogen fueling stations, boasts a comprehensive product line with its proven H2fM technology. This fully integrated and customizable equipment covers compression, storage, and dispensing, requiring minimal installation and adaptable to any hydrogen source. From cars to submarines, Air Products' H2fM has fueled diverse vehicles. As the world's largest hydrogen supplier, the company spans the entire hydrogen value chain, operating the longest hydrogen pipeline and excelling in liquid hydrogen supply. With over 250 hydrogen fueling station projects in 20 countries and technologies facilitating over 1.5 million fueling operations annually, Air Products is not only a pioneer in hydrogen fueling but also a driving force in the global hydrogen infrastructure development, crucial for the successful commercialization of hydrogen-powered vehicles worldwide. a global leader in hydrogen fueling stations, boasts a comprehensive product line with its proven H2fM technology. This fully integrated and customizable equipment covers compression, storage, and dispensing, requiring minimal installation and adaptable to any hydrogen source. From cars to submarines, Air Products' H2fM has fueled diverse vehicles. As the world's largest hydrogen supplier, the company spans the entire hydrogen value chain, operating the longest hydrogen pipeline and excelling in liquid hydrogen supply. With over 250 hydrogen fueling station projects in 20 countries and technologies facilitating over 1.5 million fueling operations annually, Air Products is not only a pioneer in hydrogen fueling but also a driving force in the global hydrogen infrastructure development, crucial for the successful commercialization of hydrogen-powered vehicles worldwide. Ingersoll Rand has established itself as a prominent market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, exemplifying a robust product footprint and expansive market presence. Air Products has solidified its position as a market leader in hydrogen fueling stations through its Precision and Science Technologies business segment, where it delivers a comprehensive suite of products and services. The Geno range caters to large fleets, while the Nano and Nano Pro offerings target small fleet operators. These hydrogen refueling stations are versatile, finding applications in materials handling, trains, aerospace, buses, trucks, and light vehicles. With an expansive product footprint and an influential market presence, Air Products stands at the forefront of the hydrogen fueling infrastructure sector, showing innovation and sustainability in the pursuit of a greener future. has established itself as a prominent market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, exemplifying a robust product footprint and expansive market presence. Air Products has solidified its position as a market leader in hydrogen fueling stations through its Precision and Science Technologies business segment, where it delivers a comprehensive suite of products and services. The Geno range caters to large fleets, while the Nano and Nano Pro offerings target small fleet operators. These hydrogen refueling stations are versatile, finding applications in materials handling, trains, aerospace, buses, trucks, and light vehicles. With an expansive product footprint and an influential market presence, Air Products stands at the forefront of the hydrogen fueling infrastructure sector, showing innovation and sustainability in the pursuit of a greener future. Chart Industries has solidified its position as a market leader in hydrogen fueling stations through a combination of innovative products and a strong market presence. The company offers a comprehensive range of cutting-edge hydrogen infrastructure solutions, including state-of-the-art compression and dispensing systems. The seamless integration of Chart fueling stations with the company's hydrogen vehicle tanks further underscores their dedication to delivering the simplest and safest liquid hydrogen fueling solutions, supported by patented technologies. Chart's DynaFlow dispenser, renowned in LNG vehicle fueling, has been adapted for hydrogen delivery to trucks and heavy goods vehicles, combining ergonomic design with maximum safety and consistent fill times. Notably, Chart has pioneered a fast and user-friendly fill solution for hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), offering a familiar refueling experience akin to traditional petrol or diesel. This extensive product range, coupled with Chart's global market presence, positions the company at the forefront of the hydrogen fueling station landscape. has solidified its position as a market leader in hydrogen fueling stations through a combination of innovative products and a strong market presence. The company offers a comprehensive range of cutting-edge hydrogen infrastructure solutions, including state-of-the-art compression and dispensing systems. The seamless integration of Chart fueling stations with the company's hydrogen vehicle tanks further underscores their dedication to delivering the simplest and safest liquid hydrogen fueling solutions, supported by patented technologies. Chart's DynaFlow dispenser, renowned in LNG vehicle fueling, has been adapted for hydrogen delivery to trucks and heavy goods vehicles, combining ergonomic design with maximum safety and consistent fill times. Notably, Chart has pioneered a fast and user-friendly fill solution for hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), offering a familiar refueling experience akin to traditional petrol or diesel. This extensive product range, coupled with Chart's global market presence, positions the company at the forefront of the hydrogen fueling station landscape. McPhy stands as a prominent market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, commanding a distinctive position through its robust product footprint and expansive market presence. McPhy has solidified its leadership position by offering a comprehensive and innovative product range under the banner of McFilling. This suite of hydrogen stations, characterized by technical and digital ingenuity, caters to a diverse spectrum of low-emission mobility needs, providing hydrogen delivery ranging from 5 kg to several thousand kilograms per day at 350 and 700 bar pressure. The compact and modular design of McPhy's hydrogen stations makes them versatile, suitable for various modes of transportation such as cars, logistics chains, forklift trucks, buses, trains, trucks, waste-disposal vehicles, and boats. Leveraging the McLyzer and Augmented McLyzer electrolyzers, these stations have the unique capability to produce low-carbon energy on-site and on-demand, ensuring swift refueling for a myriad of vehicles in a matter of minutes. This strategic focus on holistic clean mobility solutions sets McPhy apart as an industry leader, driving the evolution of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source for diverse transportation sectors. Request Your Free Marketing Kit @ https://www.360quadrants.com/energy-and-power/hydrogen-fueling-station Categorization Of Hydrogen Fueling Station Companies On 360 Quadrants Hydrogen Fueling Station companies' evaluation was conducted for 40 companies, of which the top 11 were categorized and placed in a quadrant under Market Leaders, Contenders, Innovators, and Emerging Companies. Positioned in the upper-right quadrant, Market Leaders exemplify a combination of an expansive product offering and a formidable market presence. These organizations not only deliver comprehensive solutions but also boast a well-established and influential position in the market. Market Leaders are recognized for their reliability, consistent innovation, and widespread acceptance among customers. Their dominance in both product capabilities and market influence solidifies their status as leaders in their respective industries. These companies include Linde, Nel, Air Liquide, Air Products, Ingersoll Rand, Chart Industries, and McPhy. These companies dominate the market, together accounting for nearly one-third of the entire Hydrogen Fueling Station market. Nestled in the upper-left quadrant, Contenders possess a substantial market presence but may encounter challenges in terms of product innovation or differentiation. These companies have already secured a notable customer base and market recognition, positioning them as contenders. While their current offerings are competitive, Contenders have the potential to evolve and enhance their product capabilities to become more visionary and competitive in the future. Situated in the lower-right quadrant, Innovators are distinguished by their exceptional product innovation and uniqueness. While they may not match the market presence of Market Leaders, Innovators challenge industry norms by introducing cutting-edge solutions. These companies push industry boundaries with forward-thinking approaches and have the potential to become major players despite lower corporate growth strategies. Iwatani, Hydrogen Refueling Solutions, and Nikola have been identified as the innovators in the quadrant. Residing in the lower-left quadrant, Emerging Companies showcase a promising product footprint but are in the early stages of establishing their market presence. These companies may excel in specific niche areas or offer unique features that differentiate them, but their impact on the overall market is still evolving. Emerging Companies are considered niche players with significant growth potential as they expand their reach and recognition in the market. This segment of the quadrant has identified Galileo technologies as emerging companies. Evaluation Criteria The vendor evaluation was conducted on over 40 companies of which the top 11 were categorized and recognized as the quadrant leaders. Factors such as revenue, geographic presence, growth strategies, investments, and sales strategies for the market presence of the Hydrogen Fueling Station quadrant. While the top criteria for product footprint evaluation included While the top criteria for product footprint evaluation included Station Size (Small, Mid-sized, Large), Pressure (Low, High), Supply Type (On-site, Off-site), Station Type (Fixed, Mobile), R&D Expenditure, New Product Launch, and Patents. 360 Quadrants Scoring Methodology 360 Quadrants employs a comprehensive and transparent scoring methodology to evaluate companies. It identifies relevant evaluation criteria, collects and validates data from multiple sources, and employs an algorithm that considers parameter weights to generate scores. Normalization ensures fair comparisons, and the aggregated scores categorize solutions into quadrants such as Market Leaders, Contenders, Innovators, and Emerging Companies. This unbiased approach equips users with accurate information, empowering them to make well-informed decisions and select solutions that best suit their needs and objectives. About MarketsandMarkets 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. 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 and facilitates analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. 360 Quadrants will also be launching 100 quadrants in Chemicals and Materials, Packaging, Energy & Power, and Healthcare. Visit https://www.360quadrants.com to access our interactive quadrants. For media inquiries, please contact: Mr. Agney Sugla MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road, Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: agney@marketsandmarkets.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/top-11-hydrogen-fueling-station-companies-worldwide-2023-marketsandmarkets-360-quadrant-revealed-302005963.html NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the most recent analysis conducted by We Market Research, the Cellular IoT Market is on track to reach a value of $27.37 billion by the end of 2033. Looking ahead, the market's prospects appear even more impressive, with projections suggesting a significant increase to $ 4.14 million in 2022. This remarkable growth trajectory is underpinned by a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 49.16% expected between 2023 and 2033. The Growing Need for Data-Driven Insights ranks first in priority to shape the growth of Cellular IoT market In today's data-driven world, organizations are increasingly relying on data to make informed decisions. This trend is driving the growth of the Cellular IoT market, as businesses are using Cellular IoT devices to collect and transmit data from a wide range of assets and environments. Request Free Sample Copy of this Report @ https://wemarketresearch.com/sample-request/cellular-iot-market/1299 Cellular IoT devices are small, affordable, and easy to deploy, making them ideal for collecting data from a wide range of sources. These devices can be used to collect data on everything from asset performance and environmental conditions to customer behavior and traffic patterns. Industries across various sectors, such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and logistics, are increasingly relying on real-time data for monitoring and managing their operations. Cellular IoT enables devices to transmit data seamlessly over cellular networks, providing real-time insights into processes and systems. In the manufacturing sector, connected sensors on machinery can provide real-time data on equipment health, helping predict and prevent breakdowns, thus optimizing production efficiency. Cellular IoT Market Report Scope: Report Attributes Description Market Size in 2022 USD 4,143.6 Million Market Forecast in 2033 USD 27,377.6 Million CAGR % 2023-2033 24.7 % 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 Component, Technology and End-User 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 Qualcomm, Huawei, Sierra Wireless, Gemalto, Thales, and Telit Cellular IoT enables remote monitoring and control of devices and systems, reducing the need for physical presence. This is particularly valuable in applications where assets are spread across large areas or in challenging environments. Utilities can use Cellular IoT for remote monitoring of power grids. Sensors on transformers and power lines can transmit data on energy consumption, voltage levels, and potential faults, allowing utilities to optimize grid performance and respond quickly to issues. Smart city projects involve the deployment of various IoT devices for improved urban management, sustainability, and citizen services. Cellular IoT plays a crucial role in connecting and managing these diverse devices in real-time. Intelligent traffic management systems in smart cities use Cellular IoT to collect and analyze data from traffic cameras, sensors, and connected vehicles, allowing for dynamic traffic control and optimization. Advancements in Cellular Technologies, is poised to slash the Cellular IoT Market The evolution of cellular technologies, particularly the rollout of 5G networks, is providing enhanced performance, bandwidth, and coverage for cellular IoT applications. 5G enables low latency, high-speed data transmission, and the ability to connect a massive number of devices simultaneously, making it ideal for real-time IoT applications. The advent of 5G technology is a major catalyst for the growth of Cellular IoT. 5G offers significantly higher data transfer speeds, lower latency, and increased network capacity compared to previous generations (3G and 4G). These improvements are especially beneficial for applications requiring real-time data processing and low-latency communication. Smart factories can leverage 5G-enabled Cellular IoT to enable real-time monitoring and control of manufacturing equipment, enhancing overall operational efficiency. U.S. to be a gamechanger within the Cellular IoT market The United States, China, and India are poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Cellular IoT market, each bringing unique strengths and opportunities to this dynamic landscape. The United States is the largest Cellular IoT market in the world, and it is expected to remain so in the coming years. The U.S. government is investing heavily in Cellular IoT, as it sees the technology as a way to improve efficiency, boost innovation, and create jobs. The U.S. has a well-developed cellular network infrastructure, which makes it easy for businesses to deploy Cellular IoT solutions. Businesses in the U.S. are increasingly demanding data-driven insights, and Cellular IoT is a key enabler of this. Request for Customization of this Report @ https://wemarketresearch.com/customization/cellular-iot-market/1299 Farmers in the U.S. are using Cellular IoT sensors to monitor soil moisture, crop health, and weather conditions. This data is then used to optimize irrigation, fertilization, and pest control. China is experiencing rapid urbanization, which is creating a demand for smart city solutions. Cellular IoT is a key enabler of smart city applications. Competitive Landscape Major companies operating within the Cellular IoT market are Qualcomm, Huawei, Sierra Wireless, Gemalto, Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd, Thales, and Telit. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd and Thales Group combined dominate the market with an active share of around 50-55%. Have a Look at Related Reports Artificial Intelligence In Cyber Security Market Artificial Lift Systems Market Collaborative Robots Market Multi-cloud Security Market Cybersecurity Mesh Market About We Market Research: WE MARKET RESEARCH is an established market analytics and research firm with a domain experience sprawling across different industries. We have been working on multi-county market studies right from our inception. Over the time, from our existence, we have gained laurels for our deep rooted market studies and insightful analysis of different markets. Contact Us: Mr. Robbin Joseph Corporate Sales, USA We Market Research USA: +1-724-618-3925 Websites: https://wemarketresearch.com/ Email: sales@wemarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2267296/We_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cellular-iot-market-revenue-to-hit-usd-27-37-billion-by-2033--says-we-market-research-302005985.html DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei has teamed up with multiple UN agencies in helping unlock the potential of AI in bolstering collective response to climate change at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), hosted by the UAE. Jerry Guo, President of Huawei's Global Technical Services R&D, joined top officials from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNESCO in encouraging green digital solutions for climate change at a high-profile event at COP28 on Saturday that saw the announcement of winning teams from the AI/Machine Learning in 5G Challenge, which kicked off in July. More than 700 teams from 83 countries took part in the 5G energy consumption modelling challenge, a problem statement Huawei introduced as part of the series of competitions curated by the UN organizations, and led by the ITU and IAEA. Data scientists Krishna Priya and Rajat Ranjan, from India, emerged as the winning team that developed machine learning models to reduce energy consumption of base stations from any manufacturer. According to ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, AI has the potential to help mitigate between five to ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and that increasingly people are discovering "how technologies can unlock solutions and put us on a greener, more sustainable path". "Ultimately our success is about partnerships," she said. The event also brought together top officials including Qu Dongyu, Director-General of FAO; Najat Mokhtar, Deputy-Director General of IAEA, and Vladimir Ryabinin, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO. For his part, Guo of Huawei noted that more than 90 percent of a telecom operator's carbon footprint for operations comes from the electricity used to power networks. "This means we need to act fast to reconcile between fast-growing demand for data with expectations for green networks," Guo said. "Increasing the efficiency and quality, reducing energy consumption and cost of communications networks - that's the responsibility of tech companies like Huawei, and a major part of how we can contribute to human development," he added. One case in point is the AI-powered Simulated Reality of Communication Networks (SRCON), which saves more than 20 percent of energy while ensuring leading network performance. The technology has been implemented in more than 40 countries, helping reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 700,000 tons per year, Guo said. The COP28 session on Saturday was part of the Green Digital Action at COP28, an initiative led by the ITU with partners spanning the United Nations, governments, civil society, as well as businesses including Huawei. The initiative is aimed at illuminating on the ways in which digital technologies can help achieve a more sustainable future and optimize resource efficiency through joint action. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293154/Huawei_Challenge_Winners.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293153/Huwaei_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/winner-in-ai-solutions-for-climate-change-competition-announced-at-cop28-302006007.html DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ma Jun, President of the Beijing-based Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS) and former Co-Chair of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG), together with representatives from six other founding members, launched the Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI) today at COP28. Representatives from over 20 CASI members and partners joined the launch ceremony held in AIIB Pavilion. As of now, 42 Chinese and global institutions, including financial firms, financial associations, NGOs, service providers and universities have joined CASI as members. CASI, initiated by the IFS, is an international cooperation platform aiming to deliver high quality and high impact sustainable finance capacity building services to Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs). CASI's learning programs, including face-to-face training programs and e-learning products, aim to attract an audience of 100,000 people by 2030. "The demand for sustainable investment is huge in EMDEs, but most of these economies are yet to put in place the key elements of a green financial system. A key barrier to mobilizing sustainable finance in much of the Global South is the lack of 'green' capacity with various stakeholders, including governments, financial institutions, service providers and project owners. CASI will serve as a global aggregator and distributor of sustainable finance knowledge for EMDEs," said Ma. "Capacity building is a key enabler for wider adoption of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, especially in emerging markets and developing economies. The ISSB looks forward to working with CASI, via its network of sustainable finance stakeholders, in delivering capacity building for effective sustainability disclosure," said Faber Emmanuel, Chairman of the ISSB. Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of HKMA, said "EMDEs are facing steep pathways to meet their sustainable development goals, requiring substantial investment. The HKMA Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office looks forward to working with CASI on leveraging Hong Kong as a leading green and sustainable finance hub to help strengthen EMDEs' capacity and meet their financing needs." Zhu Jun, Chairwoman of Silk Road Fund, said "The establishment of CASI is another critical progress in promoting sustainable investment in the global south. As a founding member, Silk Road Fund would like to make contributions in terms of project implementation, technical assistance, professional training, seminar organization and knowledge sharing. Let's join hands and strive for the common goal of green development." Surendra Rosha, Co-Chief Executive of HSBC Asia-Pacific, and Group Executive of the HSBC Group said, "The transition to net zero requires finance to be channeled at scale to where it is needed most. The challenge of Asia's current financing gap is heightened by a lack of technical capability to access and scale up finance. We are pleased to support CASI to help build local technical skills for organisations to secure sustainable financing in emerging markets across the globe." Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, said "CASI demonstrates the value of constructive partnerships to accelerate sustainable investment. This is particularly relevant given our commitment to emerging markets and long-standing presence across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Sharing our expertise to unlock capacity and aid capital deployment is critical in accelerating future sustainable investment. We are very proud to be involved." "As an asset manager, we are pleased to join CASI as a founding member. We firmly believe that enhancing technical capacity in emerging market and developing economies is a key component to increasing the supply of investment opportunities aligned with global net-zero ambitions," said George Walker, Chairman and CEO of Neuberger Berman. Margaret Franklin, President and CEO at CFA Institute, said, "Creating sustainable growth is clearly the greatest challenge of our time. It is crucial to develop strong capacity, both at the institutional and individual levels, and we are deeply honored that CFA Institute is furthering our long-time collaboration with the IFS through CASI. Collectively, we can contribute to ensuring strong and sustainable growth by helping build capacity." CASI will develop and consolidate educational content in collaboration with its members, tailor them to be more relevant to developing country contexts and deliver them to a larger audience through its network. CASI's learning programs will cover topics including green taxonomies, disclosure, financial products, policy incentives, carbon markets and project origination. Programs will be distributed through a variety of means, including online courses, certificate programs, face-to-face training events, and tailor-made courses. The target audience of the CASI programs include senior professionals from financial regulators and governments, financial institutions, service providers, as well as corporates that need to originate green and bankable projects. CASI will begin its operations in 2024, with in-person events planned in Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America. List of CASI Founding Members as of November 2023 Institute of Finance and Sustainability HKMA Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office Silk Road Fund HSBC Standard Chartered Bank Neuberger Berman CFA Institute View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/capacity-building-alliance-of-sustainable-investment-casi-launched-at-cop28-302006023.html Hong Kong, Hong Kong--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - The "The ICP Gateway in Korea" event, held on December 4th, 2023, at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, Sapphire Ballroom, has successfully concluded. The event, marked by insightful discussions and significant networking opportunities, was greatly enhanced by the partnership with LBank, a globally recognized cryptocurrency trading platform. Event Poster To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/189872_8af2f6e734fcebfa_001full.jpg The event, running from 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM, was a hotspot for innovation, discussions, and insights into the Internet Computer (ICP) ecosystem and the broader web3 landscape. As a key partner, LBank played a crucial role in enriching the event experience for all attendees, emphasizing its commitment to supporting growth and innovation in blockchain and digital assets. Key highlights of the event included in-depth talks and presentations from industry experts, academicians, and professionals. Notably, sessions by Professor Hoh Peter In from Korea University, and Jake Park, founder of ICP.Hub Korea, provided attendees with valuable insights into the fast-evolving world of Internet Computer technology. Discussions covered a range of topics from BTC and ETH Integrations to AI developments in the ICP ecosystem. The ICP Gateway in Korea event held on December 4th, 2023 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/189872_8af2f6e734fcebfa_002full.jpg The event also featured a unique opportunity for networking, where participants engaged with the ICP.Hub Korea team, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and web3 experts. This networking session proved to be a fertile ground for fostering future collaborations and partnerships in the web3 domain. A highlight of the event was the lucky draw, sponsored by LBank. This added an element of excitement and engagement to the event, complementing the educational and networking aspects. LBank's participation and support as a partner were instrumental in the event's success. Their expertise in digital asset trading and blockchain technology not only contributed to the depth of the discussions but also demonstrated their commitment to nurturing a forward-thinking digital asset community. The "The ICP Gateway in Korea" event has set a precedent for future collaborations and events in the web3 space, with LBank at the forefront as a key supporter and enabler of such innovative initiatives. LBank, known for its diverse cryptocurrency offerings and innovative trading solutions, continues to be a pillar in the digital asset community, providing secure, professional, and convenient services to its users worldwide. For more information about the event and future collaborations, interested parties are encouraged to visit https://www.lbank.com/. Contact Information: Eddy Wang PR Manager, LBank Email: eddy.wang@lbank.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189872 FN Media Group Presents GlobalInvestmentDaily.com Market Commentary LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lithium 2.0 is all about North America and some of the biggest new discoveries in the world. While this may be against the backdrop of bad times for lithium stocks overall, it has actually created a situation in which lithium companies are significantly undervalued, yet of critical importance to our energy transition future. Mentioned in today's commentary includes:FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), Livent Corporation (NYSE: LTHM), Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX), Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE: CMP), Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO). That makes for the best buying opportunity in this space in years. And the best of the best opportunities, where the risk-reward ratio is the most potentially rewarding for investors, are found in the juniors who make big discoveries, particularly in lithium-starved North America. Canadian EMP Metals Corp ( EMPS , EMPPF ) has gained significant traction over the past three quarters, testing the highest lithium concentrations in brine in Canada to-date, attracting one of the biggest names in battery metals financing, and gearing up for pilot production in the first-quarter of 2024. >200,000 Acres in 3 Key Project Areas in Mining-Friendly SaskatchewanSaskatchewan is one of the most important lithium hubs in North America, and in energy transition terms, it's a vital critical minerals venue of national security urgency to both the U.S. and Canada. It's awash with everything from lithium and graphite to nickel, cobalt, aluminum and manganese. And it's a long-time high-producing area for uranium, potash and helium. EMP Metals has over 200,000 acres here in the most advantageous area of South Saskatchewan's Williston Basin: The Duperow formation, which is fast becoming the flashpoint for North American battery metals. While explorers have been descending upon two separate formations here-Duperow and Leduc-the advantage goes to the former because of its generally higher grades of lithium and shallower drilling depths, which in turn allow for operating cost advantages in the quicker to production direct lithium extraction (DLE) scenario compared to hard rock mining. One of the Highest-Grade Lithium Drills in Canadian History EMPS has already completed its NI 43-101 Inferred Resources Assessment for its Mansur and Viewfield areas, and the results are some of the most remarkable in the lithium space. Viewfield and Mansur tested up to 259 mg/L and 148 mg/L respectively, lithium in brine. The preliminary assessment confirmed a high-quality Inferred Resource of 1.2 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) at a weighted average grade of 143 mg/L. To put these concentrations into perspective, the 259 mg/L EMPS tested at Viewfield is the highest concentration among explorers in the Leduc/Duperow Lithium area, and among the highest on record in North America. New Strategic Investor Validates Assets The fact that this is a massive, ~200,000-acre play with an inferred resource of 1.2-million-tonne LCE testing at impressively high grades has now netted EMP Metals a new strategic investor that changes everything. On November 1, after six months of the type of heavy-handed due diligence investors like to see, London-based Tembo Capital private equity group took a 19.9% stake in EMP Metals, gaining a seat on the board to steward their investment. The deal shored up EMP Metals' accounts with $9,757,600, as well as expertise from a private equity group focused on sustainable natural resources and clean energy metals, with an impressive track record of identifying and supporting the best-emerging resource companies. Since 2021, after raising $380 million for its third mining fund, Tembo has been increasing its mining bets in North America, eyeing critical battery metals. That same year, Tembo took a 50% stake in Cherish Metals, in partnership with U.S.-based Black Mountain Metals, to advance the Lanfranchi nickel mine in Western Australia. Tembo took a 34.6% stake in US-based copper developer Arizona Sonora, along with giant Rio Tinto, in 2022. Saskatchewan, and the Duperow formation in particular, is the place to be for North American lithium, and while junior explorers are rushing to this scene, EMP Metals passed the Tembo selection, with high grades, the best lithium well drill yet in Canada and its plans to use DLE, a more environmentally sustainable method while producing lithium at faster speeds with high recovery rates. In a further boost of confidence for investors, Karl Kottmeier and Craig Foggo, Tembo's Investment Director since 2014, will now be joining the board of directors. Both bring over 20 years of experience in the industry, ranging from operations, finance and administration. Adding to the news flow, on November 20, EMP Metals announced a new COO for the team. Paul Schubach, P Eng. spent over ten years for $11-billion-market-cap Mosaic Potash (MOS), working onsite at its Mosaic Potash Belle Plaine, the world's largest potash solution mine. He brings 12 years of top-dollar engineering experience to add shareholder value. The Next Big Push: Pilot Production in 2024 With all their ducks in order, one of the biggest names in battery metals, a new world-class board member and a new COO joining EMP right from a $11B market cap company, EMP Metals is ready to take off. After consulting with several direct lithium extraction (DLE) providers, in early Q4, EMP Metals selected their two preferred, with ongoing brine testing at both. They've also consulted with three CRC (concentration, refinement, and crystallization) providers, and are running a detailed evaluation of the preferred provider proposal. The engineering partner has already been selected in the form of Sproule Associates Limited, with resource to be developed by multi-lateral horizontal wells of shallow depths from 1500-3000 meters. By the first quarter of next year, EMP Metals plans to have its field pilot plant up and running and is in the process of acquiring the DLE permit, with Viewfield evaluation to continue in the first two quarters of the New Year. At the beginning of the year, onlookers could see EMP Metals start drilling horizontal wells to test for flow rates and pressures in multiple zones, and some expect that all the while they will continue new land acquisitions. EMP Metals is currently evaluating proposals for the DLE commercial plant, based on lithium concentration, impurity removal, CAPEX/OPEX costs, availability and guarantees of scale of production. At the same time, drilling will continue with multilateral horizontal wells in the higher concentration Upper Wymark zones, continually building on EMP Metals' high-grade hits to date. Junior Discoveries Are Key for the North American Supply Chain On the mining scene, and particularly deep in the battery metals playing field, the speculative junior explorers have the potential to offer investors the biggest rewards, for investors with the necessary risk appetite. In the case of EMP Metals ( EMPS , EMPPF ), we've already got high-grade test results that break Canadian records for lithium drill holes. We've got a huge play in one of the most advantageous mining and metals hubs, Saskatchewan. This play is highlighted by shallower drilling depths and projects that are amenable to direct lithium extraction which offers a faster cheaper, and more sustainable process than traditional hard-rock lithium mining. With concentrations up to 259 mg/L, the economic drivers on this one are stronger than usual for a junior play, and investor confidence is buoyed in the aftermath of the 19.9% stake acquisition by a global name in battery metals financing-Tembo Capital, which is also brining on an industry veteran to serve as a board member to help guide this project through to a successful production scenario. Major Miners Are Making Moves Compass Minerals International (CMP), based in Overland Park, Kansas, is a leading provider of essential minerals, including salt, sulfate of potash, magnesium chloride, and even sustainable lithium . The company's product mix serves a wide range of markets, including agriculture, consumer deicing, water conditioning, and industrial applications. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX), based in Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the world's leading mining companies, with significant reserves of copper , gold, and molybdenum. The company's sizeable asset base includes the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia, one of the world's largest copper and gold deposits, and significant mining operations in the Americas. Rio Tinto (RIO), a global leader in the mining and metals sector , is known for its operational efficiency and commitment to sustainable development. The UK-Australian corporation operates in around 35 countries and has assets across several commodities including aluminum, copper, coal, iron ore, and uranium. FMC Corporation (FMC), based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a global agricultural sciences company that delivers innovative technology to growers around the world. While not a mining company in the traditional sense, FMC has a significant stake in lithium, a critical component in rechargeable batteries and other high-tech applications. FMC's commitment to innovation and sustainability is noteworthy, and the company's products contribute to increased yield and quality, making it a significant player in addressing global food security issues. In recent years, FMC has benefited from robust demand for its protection products. Livent Corporation (LTHM), a spin-off from FMC Corporation , is a leader in lithium technology, powering the electric vehicle revolution. The Philadelphia-based company supplies lithium used in batteries for electric vehicles, mobile devices, and other consumer electronics. Livent's position in the high-growth lithium market makes it a compelling option for investors seeking exposure to the green energy transition. ** IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER -- PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! ** PAID ADVERTISEMENT . This article is a paid advertisement. FTB Capital and its owners, managers, employees, and assigns (collectively "the Publisher") is often paid by profiled companies or a third party to disseminate these types of communications. In this case, the Publisher has been compensated by EMP Metals Corp (EMPS-EMPPF) to conduct investor awareness advertising and marketing. EMP Metals paid the Publisher to produce and disseminate this article and related banner ads for $23,500. This compensation should be viewed as a major conflict with our ability to be unbiased. Readers should beware that third parties, profiled companies, and/or their affiliates may liquidate shares of the profiled companies at any time, including at or near the time you receive this communication, which has the potential to hurt share prices. 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Any investment should be made only after consulting a professional investment advisor and only after reviewing the financial statements and other pertinent corporate information about the company. Further, readers are advised to read and carefully consider the Risk Factors identified and discussed in the advertised company's SEC, SEDAR and/or other government filings. Investing in securities, particularly microcap securities, is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This communication is based on information generally available to the public, and does not (to the Publisher's knowledge, as confirmed by EMP Metals Corp) contain any material, non-public information. The information on which it is based is believed to be reliable. Nevertheless, the Publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. 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Contact Information: Media Contact e-mail: editor@financialnewsmedia.com U.S. Phone: +1(954)345-0611 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/north-american-lithium-2-0-high-grade-lithium-concentrations-attract-global-financing-attention-302005672.html CHRIST CHURCH, Barbados, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolution Optiks Limited, a privately held company and forerunner in light field technology, announced today the successful completion of data collection in a US FDA-authorized clinical study to assess the safety and efficacy of its DeCon device for the evaluation of human vestibular disorders. The study findings will be included in the application to the FDA to support the request for approval which the company currently expects to obtain in the first quarter of 2024. "The prospective, single-site, randomized, controlled study involved 25 patients and was conducted to compare the performance of the DeCon system to the current industry standard in videonystagmography", says Dr. Anne Reuter, a highly regarded specialist in neuro-optometry, binocular vision and neurological rehabilitation and principal investigator of the study. "The results are very promising and we look forward to sharing the final analysis with the neuro-ophthalmological community." DeCon, the flagship product of the NeuroDynamiks brand of Evolution Optiks, is a portable head-mounted device that uses proprietary light field technology to track and analyze involuntary movements of the eyeball in response to visual stimuli and positional changes. This is essential in the diagnosis of vestibular disorders which are commonly caused by external trauma to the brain such as a fall, a blow or jolt to the head. DeCon can perform dozens of established neurological tests, the results of which are simultaneously recorded on the device and, if required, can be made available remotely for interpretation by a qualified medical practitioner. "We are very pleased with the timely and professional manner in which the clinical study was conducted and would like to thank all the test subjects for their kind support and the investigators for their hard work and dedication", comments Raul Mihali, President & CEO of Evolution Optiks. "Vestibular dysfunction as a result of traumatic brain injury is extremely common, with most cases being due to falls or motor vehicle accidents, and we would like to play our part in tackling this problem. The light field engine at the core of DeCon as well as its lightweight portable design and telehealth capabilities may open a new chapter in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of vestibular disorders." Founded in 2014, Evolution Optiks Limited is commercializing an extensive and ongoing portfolio of innovation and is on track to revolutionizing how digital information is being consumed. The company's primary categories of interest are optometry instruments, neuro-optical screening and training devices and, more broadly, it is exploring solutions based on vision-adapted, multi-view and light field displays, with applications in medicine, consumer solutions, advertising and media, automotive and avionics. Contact: Evolution Optiks Limited www.evolutionoptiks.com, www.neurodynamiks.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/evolution-optiks-successfully-completes-data-collection-in-clinical-study-of-neuro-optical-testing-device-302006034.html U.S.-based Anton van Deth joins with over 30 years of B2B marketing experience driving sustained growth and innovation BERLIN and NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2023, the leading composable commerce platform for sophisticated use cases in B2B Commerce, Enterprise Marketplaces, and IoT Commerce, today announced that Anton van Deth will join the Spryker executive team as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Anton's strong product and revenue marketing background, experience connecting with an international audience, passion for partner marketing, and deep interest in AI will enable Spryker to continue to grow their global presence and increase efficiency. "I'm very excited to announce that I'm joining the Spryker Herd," said Anton van Deth, CMO at Spryker. "Customers are being pushed to respond faster to an increasing range of challenges created by today's dynamic markets. Marketing must support this decision agility by leveraging the power of AI at every stage of the process. This means reducing the noise from promotion pollution and focusing on what's essential and relevant. This is where I believe marketing must go to be successful." Anton's focus will be transforming marketing from a communications function to a revenue and decision engine that enables customers to quickly recognize the impact Spryker and its partners can have on their business and make the buying journey the best in the world. His global experience running demand generation, product, partner, and operations teams will enable him to best identify what will move the needle with efficient global campaigns. "I am thrilled to share the news that Anton will join us as Spryker's new CMO," said Boris Lokschin, Co-founder and CEO at Spryker. "Anton is a highly experienced, future-oriented, world-class marketing expert, as well as an inspiring leader and human being. His expertise will propel our global marketing efforts to new heights by doubling down on the initiatives and ecosystem led growth approach we have underway and strategically designing new ones. He will strengthen our U.S. footprint and help us grow in this important and strategic core market." Having lived and worked in the U.S., Australia, Japan, and France, Anton brings a wide perspective to the business well aligned with Spryker's global customer base. Anton previously worked at Symantec, Red Hat, Informatica, Apptio, and Protegrity. In these roles he helped to grow and transform teams while increasing efficiency as well as build solutions that drove significant and continued business results even years later. Outside of work, Anton can be found exploring the world with his wife, flying planes, building and racing cars, woodworking, playing chess, and anything that teaches him something new. Spryker recently announced efficiency-enabling product updates including new additions to the Spryker App Composition Platform as well as a new middleware that slashes development time, enables more personalized customer experiences, and shortens time-to-value. Spryker will be attending CES 2024 in Las Vegas taking place from January 9-12. ExaGrid honored with "Storage Company of the Year" award for 4th consecutive year ExaGrid, the industry's only Tiered Backup Storage solution, today announced that the company was honored with two industry awards, including: Backup/Archive Innovation of the Year Storage Company of the Year These awards were announced at the 14th annual SDC Awards ceremony, held in London on November 30, 2023. The Storage, Digitalisation and Cloud (SDC) Awards, are focused on recognizing the innovation, expertise and success of the IT industry across a range of key disciplines. Storage, security, cloud, automation, digitalization some of the key building blocks of today's digital businesses blazing a trail in their chosen industry sectors. Winners are determined by public vote. This year's awards mark the eighth year of wins for ExaGrid at the SDC Awards (known previously as the SVC Awards) and the fourth consecutive year that ExaGrid has won the Storage Company of the Year award. ExaGrid's unique Tiered Backup Storage is the only storage solution built just for backup to improve backup performance, restore performance, scalability as data grows, security, ransomware recovery, disaster recovery, and the economics of backup, with low costs up front and over time. All other solutions are generic storage solutions or inline scale-up deduplication appliances. Over the past year, ExaGrid's growth has accelerated and ExaGrid has expanded its sales and customer support teams worldwide while remaining Cash, EBITDA, and P&L positive. ExaGrid supports over 4,000 organizations worldwide, in over 80 countries. ExaGrid continues to gain recognition for its Tiered Backup Storage appliances, winning seven industry awards in 2023, including: SDC Awards Backup/Archive Innovation of the Year SDC Awards Storage Company of the Year Storage Awards "The Storries XX" Enterprise Backup Hardware Vendor of the Year Storage Awards "The Storries XX" Immutable Storage Company of the Year Network Computing Awards Bench Tested Product of the Year Hardware Category Network Computing Awards Company of the Year Network Computing Awards Storage Product of the Year "We are honored by the continued recognition we've received for our Tiered Backup Storage, and grateful to everyone who voted for us, and to our staff, our customers, and our channel partners for their support," said Bill Andrews, President and CEO of ExaGrid. "We are proud to win Storage Company of the Year again, which is a testament to not only our product, but also our expert-level customer support, and our success and growth as a company. Many thanks to the SDC Awards team for organizing a wonderful evening that celebrated many industry leaders, and congratulations to our fellow award winners." About ExaGrid ExaGrid provides Tiered Backup Storage with a unique disk-cache Landing Zone, long-term retention repository, and scale-out architecture. ExaGrid's Landing Zone provides for the fastest backups, restores, and instant VM recoveries. The Repository Tier offers the lowest cost for long-term retention. ExaGrid's scale-out architecture includes full appliances and ensures a fixed-length backup window as data grows, eliminating expensive forklift upgrades and product obsolescence. ExaGrid offers the only two-tiered backup storage approach with a non-network-facing tier, delayed deletes, and immutable objects to recover from ransomware attacks. ExaGrid has physical sales and pre-sales systems engineers in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Benelux, Brazil, Canada, Chile, CIS, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nordics, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and other regions. Visit us at exagrid.com or connect with us on LinkedIn. See what our customers have to say about their own ExaGrid experiences and learn why they now spend significantly less time on backup storage in our customer success stories. ExaGrid is proud of our +81 NPS score! ExaGrid is a registered trademark of ExaGrid Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205482739/en/ Contacts: Media: Mary Domenichelli ExaGrid mdomenichelli@exagrid.com COP28 Announcement Supports Global Climate Objectives Westinghouse Electric Company today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) to explore deployment of the eVinci microreactor in the UAE. The MoU signing took place at COP28 in Dubai in recognition of the role nuclear energy will play to accelerate global decarbonization. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205838611/en/ Westinghouse President and CEO Patrick Fragman (left) with His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, at the signing ceremony at COP28 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Photo: Business Wire) The MoU will facilitate joint exploration of technical and commercial deployment in the Emirates and overseas. The new partnership will leverage Westinghouse's extensive experience designing and deploying new nuclear technology and ENEC's proven project delivery, as well as identify potential UAE nuclear-graded supplier partners. "Our latest collaboration with Westinghouse takes this vision of rapid decarbonization a step further, enabling us to assess the positive potential impact of eVinci microreactors, to accelerate global clean energy transitions. Now more than ever we need fast action and reliable solutions to guarantee energy security, whilst sustainably powering our homes, businesses, cities and hard-to-abate sectors," said His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. "We are very excited to be partnering with ENEC once again, and with this game-changing technology that can be truly transformative to the UAE," said Patrick Fragman, President and CEO, Westinghouse. "Our eVinci microreactor is an innovative nuclear battery that can deliver decarbonization and secure energy exactly where it is needed for a wide range of customers and applications." The agreement is enabled by the UAE-U.S. Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy, known as PACE, which was launched in November 2022 and is expected to mobilize $100 billion in clean energy projects, including nuclear power, by 2035. Last week, the Saskatchewan Research Council announced a funding award to begin development of the first eVinci microreactor in Canada. Westinghouse recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to plan for the location of the eVinci Nuclear Test Reactor at Idaho National Lab. The test reactor, a one-fifth scale representation of an actual eVinci microreactor, will enable design finalization, testing and licensing of the technology. Last year, the Canadian government awarded Westinghouse a grant from its Strategic Innovation Fund to further the technology's development. The eVinci Microreactor builds on decades of Westinghouse innovation to bring carbon-free, safe, and scalable energy wherever it is needed for a variety of applications, including electricity and heating for remote communities, universities, mining operations, industrial centers, data centers, and defense facilities, and soon the lunar surface and beyond. The eVinci microreactor has very few moving parts, working essentially as a battery, providing the versatility for power systems ranging from several kilowatts to 5 megawatts of electricity, delivered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for eight-plus years without refueling. It can also produce high temperature heat suitable for industrial applications including alternative fuel production such as hydrogen, and has the flexibility to balance renewable output. The technology is 100 percent factory built and assembled before it is shipped in a container to any location. Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear and other clean power technologies to utilities globally. Westinghouse supplied the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the company's technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation makes Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205838611/en/ Contacts: Media@westinghouse.com MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Luminar Media Group, Inc. (OTC PINK:LRGR) ("Royale" or the "Company"), the makers of Royale de Monte Carlo "the world's most prestigious vodka", today announced that it has reached an agreement with Houston-based Mexcor International for the distribution of its products throughout the state of Florida. The product is now available through Mexcor, and the team has already commenced placing products throughout Florida. Additionally, negotiations have begun to make Royale de Monte Carlo Vodka available in Total Wines in Florida and many other locations. Established in 1989, Mexcor's national sales network currently extends to 46 states, with direct distribution to Florida, California, and other locations. Mexcor has grown to become the third largest distributor in Florida, servicing more than 17,000 accounts, including grocery stores, liquor stores, bars, and restaurants. It has established a network of partnerships with over 140 regional distributors. Robert Rico of Royale de Monte Carlo commented, "With its substantial population and significance in the market, Florida is a vital part of our consumer growth strategy. This agreement gives Monte Carlo access to millions of consumers and retailers. Achieving statewide coverage with any one distributor in Florida has always been a challenge. Mexcor has established an impressive operation with excellent market reach. Our brands will be backed by multiple warehouses across the state through a distributor recognized as one of the fastest growing in the US." About Mexcor: founded in Houston, Mexcor International has rapidly established its reputation in the alcohol distribution sector. With a commitment to quality and service, they have fostered growth and partnerships across the nation. For more information, visit their website at www.mexcor.com About Royale de Monte Carlo/ Luminar Media Group, Inc. Royale de Monte Carlo, headquartered in Miami, Florida, is an ultra-premium vodka renowned for its icy coolness and exquisitely smooth taste, offering euphoric pleasure to discerning palates. Crafted and produced by fifth-generation master distillers located in the heart of France's world-famous Cognac region, Royale de Monte Carlo has been honored as the "World's Most Prestigious Vodka". For more information, please visit www.royaledemontecarlo.com Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our business, financial condition, and prospects, based on our current assumptions and beliefs. However, the company cannot guarantee that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements will be realized. There may be unforeseen risks and circumstances that we are unable to predict. While words such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "estimates," and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements, there may be forward-looking statements that are not accompanied by such expressions. Investors should exercise caution when relying on these forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date of this press release. The company's actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results expressed in these forward-looking statements due to various factors, including risks discussed in the company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available on its website (www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributed to the company or individuals acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors, except as required under securities laws. The company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Investors should refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor Relations Contact: Robert Rico 305-283-9237 SOURCE: Luminar Media Group, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813134/royale-de-monte-carlo-is-now-distributed-in-florida-by-mexcor-international 3.58 g/t gold over 1.15 meters within 3.65 m carrying 2.33 g/t gold and 87.6 g/t silver Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Prismo Metals Inc. (CSE: PRIZ) (OTCQB: PMOMF) ("Prismo" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results for the second group of drill holes completed at Los Pavitos, a 5,300 ha Project in the well mineralized Alamos region of southern Sonora State, Mexico. The highlight hole is LP-AU-23-01, the first hole ever drilled at Las Auras (Fig. 1), which intersected 3.58 g/t gold over 1.15 meters (core length) within a wider interval of 3.65 m (core length) with 2.33 g/t gold and 87.6 g/t silver. Adding these results to the high gold reported in the first drilling at the Mina Hedionda in the Santa Cruz zone (See Table 1 and Press Release of October 17, 2023) shows that significant gold grades are being encountered across the property. Also notable are the results for hole LP-SE-23-09 drilled on the Southeast Santa Cruz structure (Figs. 2, 3) that also showed this gold plus silver signature, intersecting 106g/t silver with 0.51 g/t gold over 5.27 meters (core length). The Southeast Santa Cruz structure also has a relatively silver rich surface expression (Fig. 3). Several of the remaining holes reported here intersected wide zones of anomalous gold mineralization, including 40.8 meters (core length) with 0.16 g/t Au in hole LP-SC-23-12. The first stage of the drill program has now been completed with 2,370 meters of HQ core drilled in 25 holes. Assay results have been received for 17 holes, 8 holes reported here and the first 9 holes reported previously (See Press Release of Oct 17, 2023). Assays are pending for the remaining 8 holes. This program was the first ever drilling at Pavitos and was designed to determine the overall mineralization style(s) and geometry of structures defined by surface mapping and sampling in separate areas of the project, including Las Auras, Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Southeast and the Oromuri and La Espanola areas (Fig. 1). Exploration work is currently advancing to develop additional new areas for drilling in several areas identified during reconnaissance work. "We are very pleased to see continued concentrated precious metals grades in new areas, as well wider zones of dispersed gold values, which we consider positive for bulk mineable mineralization potential," Dr. Craig Gibson, President and CEO commented. He continued, "The results of the first ever drill program at Los Pavitos show that gold values are widespread across the project, confirming surface geochemistry, and provide impetus to continue exploration as only about 30% of the prospective part of the land package has been adequately mapped and sampled to date." Figure 1. Drill hole map for the Las Auras area. Holes with colored drill traces have been completed, with yellow highlighting drill holes in this news release. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7434/189813_figure1.jpg Figure 2. Drill hole map for the Santa Cruz area. Holes with colored drill traces have been completed, with yellow highlighting drill holes in this news release. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7434/189813_figure2.jpg Table 1. Selected drill intercepts from the Los Pavitos project Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) True Width (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Cu % Pb % Zn % Santa Cruz: Hedionda mine (previously released with updated Ag assays)* LP-SC-23-02 52.27 64.20 11.93 6.0 5.77 *31.1 0.15 0.16 0.38 includes 54.88 61.53 6.65 3.3 10.22 *51.3 0.17 0.29 0.65 SE Santa Cruz LP-SC-23-09 20.63 25.90 5.27 3.7 0.51 106.3 0.02 0.06 0.20 LP-SC-23-10 96.13 98.68 2.55 1.8 0.31 5.9 0.01 0.00 0.01 103.40 105.19 1.79 1.3 1.20 7.8 0.01 0.01 0.02 Santa Cruz West LP-SC-23-11 No Values LP-SC-23-12 18.35 58.30 40.80 23.4 0.16 2.4 0.05 0.02 0.16 23.00 33.00 10.00 5.7 0.19 5.6 0.07 0.08 0.52 includes 23.00 29.13 6.13 3.5 0.25 7.7 0.10 0.12 0.70 LP-SC-23-13 No Values LP-SC-23-14 6.00 16.00 10.00 6.4 0.18 6.7 0.04 0.07 0.08 includes 12.00 16.00 4.00 2.6 0.23 16.5 0.08 0.16 0.12 Las Auras LP-AU-23-01 31.85 35.50 3.65 2.6 2.33 87.6 0.00 0.17 0.18 includes 31.85 33.00 1.15 0.8 3.58 45.9 0.00 0.15 0.36 LP-AU-23-02 33.53 38.17 4.64 2.3 0.34 4.5 0.00 0.00 0.04 LP-AU-23-03 32.15 39.00 6.85 4.8 0.11 2.0 0.00 0.01 0.02 93.00 98.00 5.00 3.5 0.15 0.4 0.00 0.00 0.00 Au by fire assay for all holes except SC 11 & SE-13, by ICP. *SC-02 updated with a silver assay for one sample at 124 g/t, reported previously with the average for silver using 100g/t for the sample that was initially reported at >100g/t. *Final silver assays were received for an overlimit sample in hole LP-SC-23-02 that was reported previously in the Press Release of Oct 17, 2023. The new average is 10.22 g/t gold and 51.3 g/t silver over 6.65 meters (core length) within a wider interval of 11.93 m (core length) with 5.77 g/t gold and 31.1 g/t silver. Mapping and surface sampling over the last year and a half have delineated several kilometer-long mineralized structures and encountered high grade gold values in several areas with local high silver grades. Results of the initial drilling at the Santa Cruz target (Figure 1) followed by drill testing of the Las Auras target (Figure 2), has been in line with the surface sampling. The other targets, Oromuri and Espanola targets (Figure 3), have characteristics indicating that similar high-grade mineralization may exist beneath cover, and drill results are pending. The abundance of magnetic pyrrhotite-bearing sulphides at very shallow depths in the initial high-grade holes indicates that geophysics, including a drone based magnetic survey and potentially other geophysical methods should help define additional drilling targets through cover. Exploration work is also advancing to develop additional new areas for drilling in several areas identified during reconnaissance work. Figure 3. Geologic map of Los Pavitos Project area showing major recognized mineralized trends and surface sampling results for gold. Inset shows silver results clustered in the SE Santa Cruz area. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7434/189813_figure3.jpg Table 2. Drill hole data for the Phase I program at the Los Pavitos project Hole Target Easting Northing Elev Azim Incl Depth (m) LPSC-23-01 Hedionda mine 677,103 3,002,113 215 310 -45 27.70 LPSC-23-02 Hedionda mine 677,109 3,002,109 207 310 -55 87.00 LPSC-23-03 Hedionda mine 677,082 3,002,157 201 130 -45 60.00 LPSC-23-04 Hedionda mine 677,082 3,002,157 201 130 -60 75.00 LPSC-23-05 Hedionda mine 677,109 3,002,109 207 270 -45 75.00 LPSC-23-06 Hedionda mine 677,060 3,002,060 210 325 -45 72.00 LPSC-23-07 Hedionda mine 677,048 3,002,147 202 130 -45 81.00 LPSC-23-08 Hedionda mine 677,055 3,002,147 205 160 -45 109.50 LPSC-23-09 SE Santa Cruz SE 676,953 3,001,754 255 140 -45 110.00 LPSC-23-10 Santa Cruz SE 677,118 3,001,736 245 320 -45 123.00 LPSC-23-11 Santa Cruz West 676,885 3,001,875 232 305 -45 114.00 LPSC-23-12 Santa Cruz West 676,815 3,001,873 239 133 -55 63.00 LPSC-23-13 Santa Cruz West 676,798 3,001,887 247 140 -60 108.00 LPSC-23-14 Santa Cruz West 676,700 3,001,736 232 130 -50 71.00 LPSC-23-15 Santa Cruz West 676,700 3,001,736 232 130 -50 132.00 LPSC-23-16 Santa Cruz West 676,700 3,001,736 232 130 -50 96.00 LPAU-23-01 Las Auras 674,692 3,003,822 192 210 -45 50.00 LPAU-23-02 Las Auras 674,692 3,003,822 192 210 -60 75.00 LPAU-23-03 Las Auras 674,692 3,003,822 192 260 -45 151.50 LPAU-23-04 Las Auras 674,712 3,003,803 190 210 -47 144.00 LPAU-23-05 Las Auras 674,779 3,003,830 180 210 -45 171.00 LPAU-23-06 Las Auras 675,339 3,003,664 190 200 -45 57.80 LPAU-23-07 Las Auras 674,884 3,003,271 175 185 -45 52.50 LPOR-23-01 Oromuri 674,420 3,002,616 196 314 -45 162.00 LPES-23-01 La Espanola 675,390 3,002,811 202 290 -47 102.00 Coordinates in UTM WGS84 using handheld Garmin GPS. About Los Pavitos The Los Pavitos project consists of a 5,289-hectare property position located in southern Sonora State, Mexico (Figure 4). Pavitos lies 25 km west of the well-mineralized Alamos District, which encompasses several active exploration and mining projects, including the past producing Alamo Dorado mine of Pan American Silver, the Piedras Verdes copper mine of Cobre de Mayo and the Alamos and Aurifero vein projects being explored by Minaurum Gold Inc. Infrastructure is excellent with paved highway access, electricity and water. The project, which was generated by geologist and Prismo Metals Board Member Rafael Gallardo, is believed to have potential for both the typical epithermal veins of the Alamos district and "orogenic" or shear-hosted gold hosted in the highly metamorphosed basement rocks that crop out sparingly below the region's extensive blanket of mid-Tertiary volcanic rocks. Los Pavitos lies along the projection of the Caborca Orogenic Gold Belt (Fig. 4) and the fabric and style of metamorphic deformation of the basement rocks is similar to that elsewhere in the belt. Pavitos was acquired from Minera Cascabel S.A. de C.V., a Mexican exploration and services company founded by Dr. Peter Megaw, an advisor to the Company (for terms see the Company's prospectus filed on SEDAR). The company completed a NI 43-101 Technical Report on the project in March 2021 available on SEDAR. Assays have been received for 1,384 surface rock samples taken by the company (excluding control samples); a further 347 samples were taken in 25 trenches cut across the main mineralized trends. Figure 4. Location of the Los Pavitos project in southern Sonora State in relation to the Caborca Orogenic Gold Belt. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7434/189813_figure4.jpg QA/QC Rock samples taken by Prismo are analyzed by multielement ICP-AES and MS methods and by fire assay by ALS Group and Bureau Veritas, both internationally recognized analytical service providers. Gold is analyzed as part of an ICP package using a 15 or 25-gram aqua regia digestion and is also analyzed by Fire Assay with an AA finish. Au overlimits( >10 g/t) are analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Ag over 100g/t and Cu, Pb and Zn over 1% re-analyzed by the by overrange ICP methods. Certified Reference In addition to internal laboratory standards, duplicate samples, standard pulps and coarse blank material are inserted by Prismo in the sample stream at regular intervals. Dr. Craig Gibson, PhD., CPG., a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-01 regulations and President, CEO and a director of the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release. About Prismo Prismo (CSE: PRIZ) is mining exploration company focused on two precious metal projects in Mexico (Palos Verdes and Los Pavitos) and a copper project in Arizona (Hot Breccia). Please follow @PrismoMetals on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube Prismo Metals Inc. 1100 - 1111 Melville St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V6 Contact: Craig Gibson, President & Chief Executive Officer craig.gibson@prismometals.com Jason Frame, Manager of Communications jason.frame@prismometals.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 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, including without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement and exploration program results, the ability to complete future financings, required permitting, exploration programs and drilling, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are 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. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations 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, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, the analytical results from surface trenching and sampling program, including diamond drilling programs, the results of IP surveying, the results of soil and till sampling program. the quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including CSE acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, the potential impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the Company's exploration program and on the Company's general business, operations and financial condition, and other risks and uncertainties. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189813 13.2 Metres of 3.8 g/t Au (including 5.6 m of 7.5 g/t Au) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Emperor Metals Inc. (CSE: AUOZ) (OTC Pink: EMAUF) (FSE: 9NH) ("Emperor") is pleased to announce additional assay results from the summer 2023 drilling campaign at the Duquesne West Gold Project. A total of 14 diamond drillholes has been completed which represents 8,579 metres. Highlights DQ23-09 intersects 13.2 metres (m) of 3.8 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), including 5.6 m of 7.5 g/t Au in DQ23-09 Drilling confirms Phase 1 open-pit potential DQ23-09; 5.6 m of 7.5 g/t Au exceeds the average grade of the deposit DQ23-06 intersected 5.2 meters of 2.1 g/t Au (including 1.2 m of 6.1 g/t Au) DQ23-06 expands mineralization down plunge over kilometer from any known drillholes, implies additional inferred ounce potential CEO John Florek commented: "With the recent development of identifying the open pit potential on the property, holes DQ23-09 to 14 targeted the strategic vision to expand the Phase 1 open pit potential. DQ23-09 confirms that these high-grade lenses seen at depth are expressed at surface and could make very attractive stockpiles for delivery to nearby mills. "Only an estimated 30% of the core from historical drilling was sampled at surface by previous operators who did not examine the additional lower-grade bulk tonnage material crucial to lowering the stripping ratio. As a result of recent work to locate and sample this material in the historical core library, more than 3,000 meters of additional sampling will be sent out for assays; sampling of historical core is ongoing. "The intercept at DQ23-06 is very significant, since it expands the mineralization by an additional 0.55 km along strike and plunge, in an area of virtually no drilling. This area has potential to add significant ounces to this deposit. "Our vision to develop a multimillion-ounce deposit with multiple mining scenarios on the property continues to progress. The proximity to multiple mills and infrastructure in a Tier 1 mining district makes this project highly valuable compared to any competitors." Summary of Drill Results: DQ23-06 intersection (5.2 m of 2.1 g/t Au) was designed to extend mineralization +500 meters eastward along strike and down plunge of high-grade mineralization. It intersected mineralization predicted by the model, which will help to potentially increase the grade and add ounces laterally to the mineralized stopes model (Table 1, Image 1). DQ23-09 intersection (13.2 Metres of 3.8 g/t Au (including 5.6 m of 7.5 g/t Au)) was designed to intersect near-surface mineralization to begin the strategic drilling of development of a potential area of development for a Phase 1 open pit (Image 2). These partial results and the drill core visuals from our 2023 campaign suggest resource expansion within and outside the open pit concept. The open pit concept in Image 1 shows an ultimate pit with a depth extent to 400 meters; the footprint is 1.8 km by 0.8 km. Initial exploration will strategically focus on the area of the phase 1 pit design. This will allow us to determine the potential economics as we progress through the phases having the necessary assay results for resource evaluation and eventually for economic evaluations. Currently, Emperor is sampling near-surface core from the historical core library that was not assayed by previous explorers. Up to 70% of this core has not been assayed. So far, over 3,000 meters have been sampled and will be sent to the laboratory for analysis (Image 3). Partial assays for these reported drillhole results continue to increase confidence to consider an open pit potential to the Duquesne West deposit. Full laboratory results for drillholes DQ23-01, 03, 04, 05, and 09 have been received. DQ23-09 was rushed through the laboratory to advance our understanding related to near surface mineralization. Approximately 65% of the assays have been returned from the laboratory, Emperor is still awaiting additional assays results. A total of 14 diamond drillholes were completed this summer on this property. Samples were sent to SGS Laboratories in Lakefield, ON. Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t Au) 1DQ23-06 1032 1034 2 1.16 1034 1035 1 0.33 1035 1036 1 0.15 1036 1036.6 0.6 1.42 1036.6 1037.15 0.55 12.67 Wt. Avg. 5.15 2.06 Including: 1.15 6.80 1DQ23-09 26 27 1 5.51 27 28 1 6.24 28 29 1 1.37 29 29.8 0.8 19.52 29.8 30.6 0.8 0.04 30.6 31.6 1 13.46 31.6 32.6 1 0.01 32.6 33.6 1 0.005 33.6 34.6 1 0.2 34.6 35.6 1 5.45 35.6 36.1 0.5 0.01 36.1 37.1 1 0.05 37.1 38.25 1.15 0.05 38.25 39.2 0.95 1.51 Wt. Avg. 13.2 3.75 Including: 5.6 7.54 1Host Structures are interpreted to be steeply dipping and true widths are generally estimated to be 80 to 90%. Image 1: Figure showing DQ23-06 intercept-expanding ounces +550 meters along strike and plunge of deposit. This intercept should continue building mineable stopes along this trend. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8461/189569_f7600bcc34ad484d_001full.jpg Image 2: Representation of mineralized and altered core from DQ23-09 (5.6 m of 7.5 g/t Au). Altered breccia zone in mafic volcanics; containing quartz veinlets, sericite, and ankerite. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8461/189569_emperorfigure2.jpg Image 3: Historical Core Library. Over 3,000 meters have been sampled related to the Phase 1 Open Pit Concept. Sampling continues. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8461/189569_f7600bcc34ad484d_003full.jpg Quality Assurance and Control The Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) was conducted by Technominex, a geological contractor hired by Emperor Metals, which adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines for exploration related activities conducted at its facility in Rouyn Noranda, Quebec. The QA/QC procedures are overseen by a Qualified Person on site. Emperor Metals QA/QC protocols are maintained through the insertion of certified reference material (standards), blanks and lab duplicates within the sample stream totaling approximately one QA/QC sample per 7 samples. Drill core is cut in-half with a diamond saw, with one-half placed in sealed bags with appropriate tags and shipped to the SGS Lakefield laboratory and the other half retained on site in the original core box. A dispatch list consists of 88 or 176 samples along with their corresponding QA/QC samples for a single batch. This allows complete batches (88 samples) for fire assay. A file for sample tracking records tags used and weights of sample bags shipped to the SGS Lakefield. Shipment is done by Manitoulin Transport and coordination by Technominex staff in Rouyn-Noranda. The third-party laboratory, SGS prep laboratory in Lakefield Ontario, processes the shipment of samples using standard sample preparation (code PRP91) and produces pulps from the specified samples. The pulps are then sent off to SGS Burnaby for analysis. Chain of custody is maintained from the drill to the submittal into the laboratory preparation facility all the way to analysis at the SGS Burnaby B.C. laboratory. Analytical testing is performed by SGS laboratories in Burnaby, British Columbia. The entire sample is crushed to 75% passing 2mm, with a split of 500g pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns. Samples are then analyzed using Au - ore grade 50g Fire Assay, ICP-AES with reporting limits of 0.01 -100 part per million (ppm). High grade gold analysis based on the presence of visible gold or a Fire assay result exceeding 100 ppm, are analyzed by Au - metallic screening, 1kg screened to 106m, 50g fire assay, gravimetric, AAS or ICP-AES of entire plus fraction and duplicate analysis of minus fraction. Reporting limit 0.01ppm. About the Duquesne West Gold Project The Duquesne West Gold Property is located 32 km northwest of the city of Rouyn-Noranda and 10 km east of the town of Duparquet. The property lies within the historic Duparquet gold mining camp in the southern portion of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in the Superior Province. Under an Option Agreement, Emperor agreed to acquire a one hundred percent (100%) interest in a mineral claim package comprising 38 claims covering approximately 1,389 ha, located in the Duparquet Township of Quebec (the "Duquesne West Property") from Duparquet Assets Ltd., a 50% owned subsidiary of Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. For further information on the Duquesne West Property and Option Agreement, see Emperor's press release dated October 12, 2022, available on SEDAR. The Property hosts a historical inferred mineral resource estimate of 727,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 5.42 g/t Au.1,2 The mineral resource estimate predates modern CIM guidelines and a Qualified Person on behalf of Emperor has not reviewed or verified the mineral resource estimate, therefore it is considered historical in nature and is reported solely to provide an indication of the magnitude of mineralization that could be present on the property. The gold system remains open for resource identification and expansion. Reinterpretation of the existing geological model was created using Artificial Intelligence (A.I) and Machine Learning. This model shows the opportunity for additional discovery of ounces by revealing gold trends unknown to previous workers and the potential to expand the resource along significant gold-endowed structural zones. 1 Watts, Griffis, and McOuat Consulting Geologists and Engineers, Oct 20, 2011, Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate Update for the Duquesne-Ottoman Property, Quebec, Canada for XMet Inc. 2 Power-Fardy and Breede, 2011. The Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) constructed in 2011 is considered historical in nature as it was constructed prior to the most recent Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (CIM) standards (2014) and guidelines (2019) for mineral resources. In addition, the economic factors used to demonstrate reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction for the MRE have changed since 2011. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to consider the MRE as a current MRE. Emperor is not treating the historical MRE as a current mineral resource. The reader is cautioned not to treat it, or any part of it, as a current mineral resource. QP Disclosure The technical content for the Duquesne West Project in this news release has been reviewed and approved by John Florek, M.Sc., P.Geol., a Qualified Person pursuant to CIM guidelines. About Emperor Metals Inc. Emperor Metals Inc. is an innovative Canadian mineral exploration company focused on developing high-quality gold properties situated in the Canadian Shield. For more information, please refer to SEDAR (www.sedarplus.ca), under the Company's profile. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS s/ "John Florek" John Florek, M.Sc., P.Geol President, CEO and Director Emperor Metals Inc. For further information, please contact: Mr. Alex Horsley, Director Phone: 778-323-3058 Email: alexh@emperormetals.com Website: www.emperormetals.com THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENT OF THIS PRESS RELEASE CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CERTAIN STATEMENTS MADE AND INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN MAY CONSTITUTE "FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION" AND "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF APPLICABLE CANADIAN AND UNITED STATES SECURITIES LEGISLATION. THESE STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION ARE BASED ON FACTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO THE COMPANY AND THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT ACTUAL RESULTS WILL MEET MANAGEMENT'S EXPECTATIONS. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION MAY BE IDENTIFIED BY SUCH TERMS AS "ANTICIPATES", "BELIEVES", "TARGETS", "ESTIMATES", "PLANS", "EXPECTS", "MAY", "WILL", "COULD" OR "WOULD". FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE BASED ON CERTAIN FACTORS AND ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE ESTIMATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES AND RESERVES, THE REALIZATION OF RESOURCE AND RESERVE ESTIMATES, METAL PRICES, TAXATION, THE ESTIMATION, TIMING AND AMOUNT OF FUTURE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT, CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS, THE AVAILABILITY OF FINANCING, THE RECEIPT OF REGULATORY APPROVALS, ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS, TITLE DISPUTES AND OTHER MATTERS. WHILE THE COMPANY CONSIDERS ITS ASSUMPTIONS TO BE REASONABLE AS OF THE DATE HEREOF, FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION ARE NOT GUARANTEES OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE AND READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON SUCH STATEMENTS AS ACTUAL EVENTS AND RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED HEREIN. THE COMPANY DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS OR INFORMATION EXCEPT AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189569 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Hillcrest Energy Technologies (CSE: HEAT) (OTCQB: HLRTF) (FSE: 7HI) ("Hillcrest" or the "Company"), an innovative clean technology company redefining power conversion technologies, is pleased to welcome Daryn Gordon as the Company's new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Gordon is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) with more than two decades of finance and accounting experience. He started his career working for global auditing firms Grant Thorton LLP and PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC Canada). Over that past fourteen years, he's provided CFO services to Canadian public companies across a variety of industries. "We are pleased to have Daryn join our team," said Hillcrest CEO, Don Currie. "His wealth of experience in the public and capital markets adds value and is sure to elevate the Company's financial and accounting capabilities." Mr. Gordon assumed the CFO role effective December 1, 2023, upon the departure of Samuel Yik. "On behalf of the Board and the entire Hillcrest team, we'd like to thank Mr. Yik for his service and wish him all the best," said Mr. Currie. Hillcrest to Present at the Investor Summit Hillcrest will be presenting at the Investor Summit Group's virtual investor conference this Thursday, December 7, 2023. This invitation-only event connects microcap and small cap companies with strong fundamentals and growth prospects with potential investors and buyside analysts. Please use this link to view the live presentation schedules for 12:30 pm EST 9:30 am PST): https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YtPTottoRT29lhQuGntxLQ#/registration Additional Corporate Updates The Company announces that it has granted stock options ("Options") to a consultant of the Company to acquire up to 102,000 common shares of the Company at a price of $0.35. These Options will vest in tranches of 25,500 on a quarterly basis in 2024. The Options have a five-year term. About Hillcrest Energy Technologies Hillcrest Energy Technologies is a clean technology company focused on providing advanced power conversion technologies and digital control systems for next-generation powertrains and grid-connected renewable energy systems. From concept to commercialization, Hillcrest is investing in the development of energy solutions that will power a more sustainable and electrified future. Hillcrest is publicly traded on the CSE under the symbol "HEAT," on the OTCQB Venture Market as "HLRTF" and on the Frankfurt Exchange as "7HI". For more information, please visit: https://hillcrestenergy.tech/. CONTACT INFORMATION Investor Relations Don Currie info@hillcrestenergy.tech O: +1 604-609-0006 Toll-free: 1-855-609-0006 Or Walter Frank/Jennifer Belodeau IMS Investor Relations hillcrest@imsinvestorrelations.com O: +1 203-972-9200 Public Relations Jamie L. Hogue jhogue@hillcrestenergy.tech O: +1 602-793-9481 NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information Some of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "expects," "intends," "is expected," "potential," "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "should," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this news release. The forward-looking information reflects our current expectations and assumptions and is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these assumptions will prove correct. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are advised to consider the risk factors under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's MD&A for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, available at www.sedar.com for a discussion of the factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. # # # To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189797 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Level 14 Ventures Ltd. (CSE: LVL) ("Level 14" or the "Company") announces it will change its name (the "Name Change") to Copper Standard Resources Inc. ("Copper Standard") to better reflect the Company's strategic decision to focus on assembling quality copper/gold projects. In connection with the Name Change, the Company is changing its stock ticker symbol on the Canadian Securities Exchange to "CSR" ("Symbol Change"). The Company also announces a proposed consolidation of its issued and outstanding common shares ("Shares") on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation Share for every three (3) pre-consolidation Shares (the "Consolidation"). The Company intends on effecting the Name Change, Symbol Change and Consolidation immediately after completion of the private placement announced on December 1, 2023. Completion of the Name Change, Symbol Change and Consolidation remains subject to filings with the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Company will issue a further news release announcing the effective date of the Name Change, Symbol Change and Consolidation and the new CUSIP number for the Shares. About Level 14 Ventures Ltd. Level 14 is an exploration-stage mining company with a focus on copper and gold, with an option to acquire 100% of the Colpayoc Property in Peru. Colpayoc has significant, untested potential for a Cu-Au porphyry at depth beneath drill holes bottoming in copper-gold oxide mineralization. Colpayoc is largely untested with limited drilling and is similar to many of the world class porphyry copper-gold deposits within this prolific belt. Level 14 continues to evaluate opportunities in the mineral sector on an ongoing basis. For more information about Level 14, please visit our website at www.level14ventures.com or email us at info@level14ventures.com. Marcel de Groot, President & Director Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to the Company's plans and expectations regarding the Name Change, Symbol Change and Consolidation; the completion of the Name Change, Symbol Change and Consolidation; the completion of the private placement, and the date on which the Shares ultimately trade under the new name and on a post-Consolidation basis. 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," "intends, " "estimates," "projects," "aims," "suggests," "indicate," "often," "target," "future," "likely," "pending," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and "possibly," 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 Canadian Securities Exchange, 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 the completion of the Acquisition and risks associated with mineral exploration operations, including the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, 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.sedarplus.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189817 Marula Mining Plc - Appointment of New Chief Operating Officer PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, December 05 Marula Mining PLC ("Marula'' or the "Company") 5 December 2023 Appointment of New Chief Operating Officer Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU), an African focused mining and development company, PLC announces the appointment of Mr Martin Westerman as the Company's new Chief Operating Officer. Mr Westerman is a mining executive with over 25 years' experience across mining operations, corporate finance, accounting, taxation and financial reporting, and the commercial and business activities of mining projects across multiple commodities and throughout Southern Africa. The appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer is part of the Company's commitment to operational improvement and its overarching strategy to ensure its growth potential is realised at its lithium mining operations at the Blesberg Mine in the Northern Cape, at the Kinusi Copper Mine in Tanzania and its graphite projects in Tanzania and other battery metals projects being pursued. Mr Westerman, who will be based in South Africa, will report to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman and will work with the Company's General Managers in Southern and East Africa to ensure the Company's portfolio of mining, development and exploration activities achieve their targeted and strategic goals. In his role, he will ensure effective internal controls and the management systems are in place to conduct its business activities in accordance with all statutory and regulatory requirements. He will further be responsible for maintaining the Company's high standards of corporate governance and social responsibility wherever it does business. The position of Chief Operating Officer is a non-Board position. The Company confirms that Mr Tokkas van Heerden has tendered his resignation as Chief Operating Officer and is currently serving his notice period with the Company and supporting Mr Westerman in his new role. Jason Brewer, Marula Mining PLC CEO said: "We are delighted to announce Martin's appointment as our new Chief Operating Officer. Martin has a wealth of experience, and I have no doubt that he will be a great asset to the team. "Martin's primary focus will be on building sustainable and profitable operations at the Blesberg Lithium Mine and Kinusi Copper Mine and accelerating the development of our graphite projects, achieving our production targets and demonstrating the growth potential of our projects. I have no doubt he can deliver on this. "I'd like to thank Tokkas van Heerden for his contribution and commitment to the Company throughout 2023 and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. I look forward to working closely with Martin in the coming months and years and in delivering on our corporate strategy to establish Marula as a leading battery metals producer in Africa." The Directors of Marula are responsible for the contents of this announcement. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of UK Market Abuse Regulation. About Marula Mining Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU) is an African focused battery metals investment and exploration company and has interests in several high value mine projects in Africa; the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine and Korridor Lithium Project in South Africa, the Kinusi Copper Mine, the Nyorinyori Graphite Project, the NyoriGreen Graphite Project and the Bagamoyo Graphite Project all in Tanzania and the Nkombwa Hill Project in Zambia. As we advance operations at these battery metals focused projects, Marula will continue to build and expand its interests in other high-quality projects in Africa. Marula's strategy is to identify and invest in advanced and high-value mining projects throughout East, Central and Southern Africa that the Directors believe would deliver returns for its shareholders. The Board and management team aims to establish Marula as a socially and environmentally responsible, sustainable, and profitable producer of critical metals and commodities that are of increasingly strategic importance to modern technologies and the global economy. Marula's shares are traded on the AQUIS Stock Exchange (AQSE), Marula is exploring opportunities to admit its shares to trading on the London Stock Exchange plc's Standard List or AIM Market, Kenya's Nairobi Securities Exchange and South Africa's Johannesburg Stock Exchange. For enquiries contact: Marula Mining PLC Jason Brewer, Chief Executive Officer Faith Kinyanjui Mumbi Investor Relations Email: jason@marulamining.com Email: info@marulamining.com AQSE Corporate Adviser Cairn Financial Advisers LLP, Liam Murray / Ludovico Lazzaretti +44 (0)20 7213 0880 Broker Peterhouse Capital Limited, Charles Goodfellow / Duncan Vasey +44 (0)20 7469 0930 Financial PR and IR BlytheRay Tim Blythe / Megan Ray / Said Izagaren +44 (0)20 7138 3204 Caution Certain statements in this announcement, are, or may be deemed to be, forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are identi?ed by their use of terms and phrases such as 'believe', 'could', "should" 'envisage', 'estimate', 'intend', 'may', 'plan', 'potentially', "expect", 'will' or the negative of those, variations or comparable expressions, including references to assumptions. These forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but rather on the Directors' current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company's future growth, results of operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof), competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Such forward looking statements re?ect the Directors' current beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available to the Directors. The battery energy storage system Coalburn 1 will be one of the largest battery storage projects in Europe. Construction has commenced in November 2023 and the project will be 500 MW / 1,000 MWh once complete. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) through its Flagship Funds has taken final investment decision and commenced construction on a 500 MW / 1,000 MWh energy storage system in Coalburn, Scotland, which will be one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The facility is the first project to be developed from the partnership between CIP and Alcemi to deploy 4 GW of energy storage assets across the UK. CIP aims to take final investment decision on two other projects next year with a combined capacity above 1 GW. The portfolio will provide vital support to the UK's energy network, accelerating the integration of renewable energy and the transition to net zero by 2050. The Coalburn 1 facility has been developed with extensive landscaping and ecological mitigation measures, including the maintenance of peat reserves, tree and wildflower planting, and new habitats, promoting biodiversity across the site. The scheme will reduce the need for fossil fuel power generation during periods of peak demand leading to a decrease in CO2 emissions but also provide balancing services to help lower the costs for end consumers to manage the UK Power system. "Achieving Final Investment Decision on one of the largest battery projects in Europe is a significant milestone for CIP. It demonstrates CIP's industrial approach in identifying a market need and delivering a large-scale project with a robust contractual framework with high quality partners and counterparties. The integration of renewable energy into the energy system requires significant investment into storage solutions and we have a significant pipeline of storage projects across the world which we hope to build in the years ahead," said Nischal Agarwal, partner at CIP. Canadian Solar's e-STORAGE will deliver their proprietary energy storage solution, SolBank, while H&MV Engineering will undertake the balance of plant works. SSE Energy Markets will provide the optimisation services for the project. About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S ALBANY, N.Y., Dec. 05, 2023. This recognition acknowledges the contributions of Curia's Aurangabad and Hyderabad sites. The Aurangabad facility provides contract manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates, and the Hyderabad site includes the Hyderabad Research Center with expertise in medicinal chemistry and chemical and analytical development. These sites also house Curia's quality control center and Global Shared Services (GSS) center, which support the company's global organization, enabling process standardization and scalability. Curia's focus on continuous improvement for its comprehensive suite of services and investments in innovative technologies position the company as a strong partner to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across the drug research, development and manufacturing continuum. The report also highlights Curia's commitment to being an employer of choice, providing employees with a workplace culture rich in opportunities for professional development and recognition. "This achievement is a testament to the talent and hard work from our Aurangabad and Hyderabad facilities, and it is a well-deserved honor for the team," said Philip Macnabb, CEO, Curia. "Our India sites relentlessly pursue excellence and are vital to our goal of improving patients' lives." India Pharma Outlook's editorial board compiled the list with a panel of judges with expertise in the industry, including CXOs and analysts. Winners were chosen for their impact on India's economy through job creation, fostering research and development and for their high-quality offerings in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. About Curia Curia is a leading contract research, development, and manufacturing organization providing products and services from R&D through commercial manufacturing to pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers. Curia's nearly 4,000 employees at 27 locations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia help its customers advance from curiosity to cure. Learn more at CuriaGlobal.com. Curia Contact Information: Viana Bhagan +1 518 512 2111 corporatecommunications@CuriaGlobal.com A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/faac19ea-f26f-4811-946f-e03d10480984 KIGALI, Rwanda, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 13th International Conference on Typhoid & Other Invasive Salmonelloses gets under way today in Kigali, Rwanda, with nearly 350 researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers meeting to find ways to address the urgent challenges of typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses. The three-day conference, hosted by the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), housed at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, is the largest convening of the typhoid research community. Titled "Catalysing Change: The Urgency of Expanding Impact-Driven Solutions," it will feature 95 oral presentations and 120 poster presentations exploring opportunities for preventing and combating typhoid and invasive non-typhoid salmonella disease (iNTS). Typhoid is a bacterial infection contracted through the consumption of food or beverages contaminated with Salmonella Typhi. There are an estimated 9-24 million cases of typhoid fever globally each year, leading to more than 110,000 deaths. "These meetings have consistently fostered research collaborations and knowledge exchange that have been instrumental in advancing important progress within this field," says Dr. Denise Garrett, Vice President, Applied Epidemiology at the Sabin Vaccine Institute. "Our aim is to address the current challenges in typhoid and iNTS control and prevention, discuss impactful tools and potential solutions, and collectively explore approaches to forge a pathway forward." Urgent issues in typhoid and iNTS control include: Escalating drug resistance, limiting treatment options for typhoid patients. The impact of climate change and extreme weather events, contributing to typhoid spread. Need for improved diagnostics to assess disease burden and to facilitate decision-making for the introduction of the typhoid vaccine into national immunization schedules. Need to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, such as water treatment or filtration, installation and management of sanitation systems, and education on proper handwashing to prevent the transmission of typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses. The conference is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and will run through December 7. For more information about the Coalition against Typhoid, visit:https://www.coalitionagainsttyphoid.org For media inquiries: press@sabin.org About the Sabin Vaccine Institute The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policymakers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with three decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world. For more information, visit www.sabin.organd follow us on X, @SabinVaccine. Sabin leads research projects generating estimates of the burden of enteric fever around the world and conducts typhoid vaccine immunogenicity, effectiveness, and impact studies. Sabin's Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) tracks enteric fever in Bangladesh and Nepal to establish disease burden and the potential impact of vaccines. Additionally, Sabin leads the Sero-epidemiology and Environmental Surveillance (SEES) project, which has developed and validated sero-surveillance tools to rapidly estimate the burden of enteric fever in community settings. About the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT) The Coalition against Typhoid. It is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Media Contact: Monika Guttman Media Relations Specialist Sabin Vaccine Institute +1 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/edaaf20e-0b8f-4647-80a0-fa5995adacc3 New indexed, searchable, and actionable Exposure Data helps investigators identify and stop threats earlier Searchlight Cyber, the dark web intelligence company, has launched a new Exposure Data view in DarkIQ, collating 450+ billion dark web data points from data breaches and malware infection to help organizations spot threats related to their business long before they trigger detection systems or firewalls. As soon as DarkIQ detects exposed credentials related to an organization such as customer or staff usernames and emails Exposure Data automatically cross-references these details against more than 450 billion recaptured data points from the clear, deep, and dark web. All compromised breach and malware-related metadata is collated into a straightforward, actionable incident overview giving investigators a full picture of the scale and impact of the breach on their organization's security. Research has shown that 89 percent of breaches involve the use of stolen credentials to establish initial access. It is therefore vital that organizations act quickly to contain the threat when leaked credentials are identified, which requires them having all the information they need at their fingertips. Exposure Data in DarkIQ automatically filters and structures the data for analysts, only surfacing results that are relevant to their organization to improve response times and free up resources for more complex cybersecurity issues. The extra data points provided by DarkIQ arm security and incident response teams with vital details, including the date and source of the breach and, where available, other data that was compromised by the breach or infostealer infection. For example, Exposure Data can include financial, medical, and personal information right down to the victim's marital status, political affiliation, and information about other family members (even whether they own a cat or a dog), information which could be used in a social engineering attack or to dox the individual. Dr Gareth Owenson, Co-Founder and CTO of Searchlight Cyber said: "The masses of breached data across the deep, dark and clear web is a threat to organizations. However, if they can identify it early, they have an opportunity to get ahead of the cybercriminals and break the attack chain. The real problem security teams are facing is not a lack of data points, but a lack of structured data that is indexed, relevant, and actionable. With these new capabilities, we are focused on making sure that the billions of unstructured data points are delivered in a helpful way, automating time-intensive processes and ensuring that security teams can take action quickly." Exposure Data makes it easier for organizations to defend against threats including social engineering, attacks targeted at executives and VIPs, and customer-targeted fraud. The additional data can also assist with incident response, helping security teams identify, contain, and eliminate malware infections. These enhancements bring additional data points to Searchlight's existing archive of the most comprehensive dark web data on the market, gathered from sources including underground forums, marketplaces, and encrypted chats, using a combination of automated technology and manual techniques in accordance with US, UK, and European laws. The new Exposure Data panel is now available for all DarkIQ customers. Read more here. About Searchlight Cyber Searchlight Cyber provides organizations with relevant and actionable dark web intelligence, to help them identify and prevent criminal activity. Founded in 2017 with a mission to stop criminals acting with impunity on the dark web, we have been involved in some of the world's largest dark web investigations and have the most comprehensive dataset based on proprietary techniques and ground-breaking academic research. Today we help government and law enforcement, enterprises, and managed security services providers around the world to illuminate deep and dark web threats and prevent attacks. To find out more visit slcyber.io or follow Searchlight Cyber on LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205374872/en/ Contacts: Media contact Tom Duncan Brands2Life SearchlightCyber@brands2life.com Macrobond, the leading provider of global macroeconomic data and time-series technology, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Domenic Maida as a Non-Executive Director to its board. Domenic has an impressive career spanning nearly three decades, marked by his contributions as a Global Executive in data, sales, product development, and technology. Having begun his career at Bloomberg L.P., in 1995, Domenic has a rich history in the technology and financial sectors. Notably, he served as Bloomberg's Chief Data Officer from 2013 to 2021, where he was instrumental in revolutionizing global data operations through constant innovation. His tenure at Bloomberg also included managing their flagship product, the "Bloomberg Terminal," from 2008 to 2012, overseeing Sales, Support, and Product Management after managing Engineering from 2007 to 2008, globally. He is also recognized as a thought leader in serving financial professionals through the application of new technologies, a skill derived from his deep understanding of capital markets, data, and organizational design. His approach to business transformation focuses on delivering greater operational effectiveness and growth, leveraging data science, AI/ML, and GenAI. Since 2022, Domenic has been lending his expertise as a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group ("BCG"), where he consults on data, technology, and product strategies for clients in Information Services, Financial Institutions, FinTech, and Big Tech. Macrobond looks forward to benefiting from Domenic 's extensive experience and innovative mindset. His passion for technology and its application in business improvement and growth aligns seamlessly with our mission to deliver the next generation of research solutions to our clients. "We are excited to welcome Domenic Maida to our board. His unparalleled experience in data and technology, combined with his visionary approach to business solutions, makes him an invaluable addition to our team," said Tomas Liljeborg, CEO and Founder. About Macrobond Macrobond is a leading provider of global economic, aggregate financial and sector time-series data for professionals including economists, analysts, quants, strategists, portfolio managers and asset allocators. Founded in Malmo, Sweden in 2008, its flexible SaaS solution delivers timely macroeconomic data from more than 2,500 sources, supported by the most comprehensive metadata in the industry. Macrobond's integrated analytical tools enable customers worldwide to quickly find, analyse and visualise relevant data. Automated workflows empower users to instantly share their insights, enhancing enterprise-wide collaboration and improving productivity. Visit Macrobond Macrobond Financial View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205789979/en/ Contacts: For Macrobond Howard Rees howard.rees@macrobond.com Mujin enters Europe to bring their game-changing robotics technology to the market Mujin, a global leader in intelligent robotic automation, today announced the opening of its first European office, strategically located in the Netherlands. This expansion follows a series of transformative achievements, including significant funding, global expansion and growing market adoption. Mujin's new European headquarters, situated in the heart of the Netherlands, represents a pivotal step in the company's commitment to global expansion, driven by an $85 million Series C funding round. The funding positions Mujin as a significant player in delivering cutting-edge automation solutions to a broader international audience. The Netherlands, renowned for its innovation and logistics excellence, provides the ideal home for Mujin's European base. This European office will serve as a central hub for sales, customer support, and solution development, enhancing Mujin's ability to meet the unique needs of European businesses across various industries. "We are very excited to enter new markets in Europe," said Lukasz Drewnowski, CEO at Mujin Europe. We already have many partners in Europe for whom our close presence will certainly make collaboration even easier. The European market is very mature and customers expect very high standards. We feel that Mujin is a perfect fit to meet these requirements and will become the number one choice for local customers." Mujin's advanced robotic solutions, including TruckBot, Random Palletizing, Depalletizing, and Bin Picking, have already been met with enthusiasm in the European market, where the need for intelligent automation is on the rise. "We're thrilled that the European market can start to get a taste of intelligent robotics with MujinController," said Ross Diankov, CEO of Mujin Corp. in the U.S. "There are so many features and capability packed into the platform that it will help unlock a lot of next-generation applications in the warehouse and manufacturing sectors across Europe." Mujin is actively expanding its European team, currently recruiting salespeople and engineers to support the new office's operations and meet the demands of the European market. The European operations will be led by Drewnowski, who brings a wealth of experience to the role. Prior to joining Mujin, Drewnowski served as business manager, operations manager, and managing director at ABB Robotics in Poland, China and the UK. Mujin's global presence also includes offices in Tokyo, Atlanta and Guangzhou, and the company is poised for continued growth and success. About Mujin Mujin, a robotics technology company, develops "machine intelligent" robot controllers that are designed as a common platform for industrial and collaborative robots specializing in logistics and other pick-and-place applications. Launched in Tokyo in 2011 with offices in China and in the U.S., Mujin works with many of the world's largest companies to make material handling applications easier to deploy, more accurate and less costly. The company's flagship product, the MujinController, uses machine intelligence technology to give robotic systems real-time decision-making ability that enables truly autonomous, reliable, and production-capable robot applications. For more information, visit https://www.mujin-corp.com. Press photos and video: Click for Asset Library View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205660693/en/ Contacts: Contact Mujin: press@mujin-corp.com (404) 963-1117 PT Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR) presented its innovation in constructing wetlands to manage wastewater from its operational activities at COP28. (Antara / HO-Pertamina) PHR Vice President of Facility Engineering Erwin Sinisuka. (ANTARA/HO-PERTAMINA) DUBAI, Dec 5, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - PT Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR) presented innovations in creating wetlands to manage wastewater produced from its operational activities at COP28 on Friday. PHR's innovations, which were implemented to support the achievement of net zero emissions (NZE) by 2060, were presented at the 2023 UN Climate Change Summit, or Conference of the Parties (COP28), in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Friday (12/01).PHR Vice President, Facility Engineering, Erwin Sinisuka explained that nature-based solutions (NBS) were employed to manage wastewater produced by Pertamina's energy production processes. Wastewater management was carried out using constructed wetlands based on hydro technology, where wetlands are formed using a hydraulic loading rate technique, so that wastewater management simply used gravity.Erwin said that the development of wetlands were part of the effort for environmentally friendly operations, in accordance with environmental standards of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. The presentation session, 'Unlocking the Potential of Nature Based Solutions, for Adaptation and Mitigation of Climate Change' was held at the Indonesian Pavilion at COP28 on Friday.PHR has built constructed wetland covering an area of 5,000 m2 in one of its Rokan Block work areas. The wetland is the company's pilot waste management project, while it is developing 14 wetland construction projects in its work areas.The wetland has reduced emissions by 1,341 tCO2eq from January to October 2023, and has reduced wastewater discharge, which reached 11,30 barrels per day (bwpd) before construction, whereas now it is only 7,217 bwpd.Constructed wetlands are not only for waste management but can provide more significant benefits for the community. "The community will always be our focal point, as their involvement can be the key to successful wetland management," Sinisuka said.PHR collaborates with local communities to manage these wetlands. The buffer materials and plants used at this location come from local sources, including coconut fiber, which is used as a filter. Apart from that, the community can use filtered water, he said.Vice President of Upstream Business Operational Excellence, Health, Safety, and Environment, PHR I, Nyoman Widaryantha Naya added that this artificial wetland also becomes a water absorption area, which can reduce the risk of flooding. "This constructed wetland also has many other benefits for the community. Residents are also now using the area as a small-scale transportation route by boat," Widaryantha said.In a similar session, the Deputy for Environmental and Forestry Management Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Nani Hendiarti, stated that Indonesia has great potential to develop NBS, where 15 percent of the world's NBS potential is in Indonesia.Seeing these various potentials, the government is developing a blue carbon roadmap. Presidential Regulation 98 (2021) concerning the Economic Value of Carbon strengthens the optimization of blue carbon. "We will also include the marine sector and blue carbon in the nationally determined contribution targets," Hendiarti said.The Director General of Marine Spatial Management, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Victor Gustaaf Manopo, said that blue carbon is part of climate adaptation through ecosystem resilience.The event was also attended by Assistant Deputy Secretary, UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Mohamed Salman Alhammadi; Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist, World Bank, Ambroise Beriner; President Director, Sucofindo, Jodi Triananda Hasjim; and Executive Director, Tropical Forest Alliance, World Economic Forum, Jack Hurd.As a leading company in the energy transition sector, Pertamina is committed to supporting the 2060 Net Zero Emission targets and continues to encourage programs that impact the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These efforts align with implementing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) in all Pertamina business lines and operations.PERTAMINA, https://www.pertamina.comMedia ContactSonitha PoernomoManager Corporate CommunicationsPT Pertamina Hulu Rokan (PHR)M: +62 811-851-9273E: sonitha.poernomo@pertamina.comSource: PT PertaminaCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center, to provide decision-makers with access to trusted data and analysis on greenhouse gases, has been launched at the annual United Nations Climate Conference. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, and other United States government leaders unveiled the Greenhouse Gas Center at a ceremony held at the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai. The U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center will serve as a hub for collaboration between agencies across the U.S. government as well as non-profit and private sector partners. Data, information, and computer models from observations from the International Space Station, various satellite and airborne missions, and ground stations are available online. As the lead implementing agency of the center, NASA partnered with the EPA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Science experts from each of these U.S. federal agencies curated this catalog of greenhouse gas datasets and analysis tools. 'A goal of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center is to accelerate the collaborative use of Earth science data,' said Argyro Kavvada, center program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. 'We're working to get the right data into the hands of people who can use it to manage and track greenhouse gas emissions.' The center's data catalog includes a curated collection of data sets that provide insights into three key CO2 areas of study: Estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities; Naturally occurring greenhouse gas sources and sinks on land and in the ocean; and Large methane emission event identification and quantification, leveraging aircraft and space-based data. Built on open-source principles, the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center's datasets, related algorithms, and supporting code are fully open sourced, according to NASA. This allows anyone to test the data, algorithms, and results. 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. Trivia Night in Your Pocket DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Geeks Who Drink, the company renowned for hosting trivia nights in 700 bars across the nation, is excited to introduce a brand-new digital trivia game, Thrice, hosted by its emerging news platform, Questionist. Question Format As a convenient, daily trivia game, Thrice brings America's best pub quiz directly to people's pockets. "The proliferation of daily casual games has shown that people have a big appetite for little time-wasters," says Geeks Who Drink CEO Christopher Short. "Some of them make us feel clever, but none of them make us feel smart. That's what Geeks Who Drink is for, that's what Questionist is for, and now that's what Thrice is for, in a big, big way. It's trivia night, every day." Thrice represents the latest addition to the Geeks Who Drink family, continuing the mission of making daily clever content accessible to a wide audience. New questions are delivered daily. There are five trivia questions spanning five categories, each question has three clues that point to the answer in a different way. The varied approach ensures that everyone will know something going in and learn something coming out. The highest possible score is 15, and at the end of each game, you can see all the clues to each answer and share your scores to challenge friends. "We eagerly anticipate the ability of our trivia to bring people together through our relevant, curated questions, our easy scoring functionality, and our score tracker," Short said. "For years, we've played along with Jeopardy!. We've made appointments to play HQ. We've swapped Wordle scores with our spouses. But we've never seen a game that puts all those elements together. That's another reason why we named it Thrice!" Thrice is now live at ThriceGame.com on any mobile digital device or laptop. About Geeks Who Drink Founded in 2006, Geeks Who Drink is the industry leader in bar trivia, producing clever and accessible quizzes at pubs, restaurants, and private events nationwide. Through its Quiz for a Cause initiative, GWD also facilitates no-cost fundraisers for charitable causes. With more than 300 new quizzes each year, GWD crafts the equivalent of a Trivial Pursuit set per month - or nearly twice as many questions as Jeopardy! - all to foster fun social connections and to spread the message that knowing things is fun. For more information, visit geekswhodrink.com. Contact Information Bernadette Orscher Director of Marketing bernadette@geekswhodrink.com Related Images Question Format Results Image SOURCE: Geeks Who Drink View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813410/geeks-who-drinks-new-daily-game THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Affidea, a leading European provider of advanced diagnostics, out-of-hospital services, and Centres of Excellence, is pleased to announce its expansion into two countries - Spain and Romania through the acquisition of Clinica Atenea in the Valencia Region, Spain, and Oldega Imagistics clinic in Bucharest, Romania. With these additions, Affidea's network grows in 2023 to a remarkable 340 centres, reinforcing the company's commitment to enhancing its advanced diagnostics portfolio while expanding its offering of out-of-hospital services in state-of-the-art polyclinics that can address the needs of the communities we serve. Guy Blomfield, Chairman and CEO of Affidea Group, commented on this milestone, saying, "Affidea has significantly expanded its presence in 2023, completing a total of 14 acquisitions in eight countries, adding 25 new centres. Today, we are thrilled to extend our presence in Spain and Romania, two markets with great potential. These latest acquisitions mark a significant step in our ongoing growth journey, reaching today more than 340 centres across 15 countries, annually serving over 13 million patients. We are driven by the mission of providing high-quality care close to the communities we serve." Clinica Atenea is a well-reputed outpatient and diagnostics provider serving the Valencia region. Founded two decades ago, the company boasts a network of four clinics strategically located in the metropolitan area of Valencia, including Aldaia, Torrent, L'Eliana, and Alfafar. The clinics offer a comprehensive range of services, including outpatient consultations in more than 25 clinical specialities, advanced diagnostics such as MRI, Mammography, Ultrasound, X-ray, DXA, and dental CT, as well as laboratory services. With this acquisition, Affidea reinforces its standing as a prominent outpatient healthcare provider in the Valencia region, reaching 43 centres in Spain and serving a total of more than 1 million patients every year. Theo Kravvas, Country CEO of Affidea Spain, stated, "Clinica Atenea has a strong reputation for its high-quality medical services and is an ideal match for our expansion in the region, where we are already present with our Affidea Tecma clinic. We aim to become the provider of choice for out-of-hospital services in Spain, and with the addition of Clinica Atenea, we are taking another significant step towards our aspiration. We will continue to support the growth of Clinica Atenea, enriching the level of services provided to our patients and sharing the best practices between our centres across Spain." Odelga Imagistics Clinic, located within the Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu Bucharest Oncology Institute, offers state-of-the-art imaging services of Computer Tomography (CT) and Ultrasound deploying the best equipment. This acquisition underscores Affidea's commitment to supporting oncological patients and the public healthcare system with advanced diagnostic examinations. This marks the third acquisition in Romania this year, bringing Affidea's total number of centres in Romania to 49. Razvan Predica, Country CEO of Affidea Romania & Hungary, stated, "With this acquisition, we are reinforcing our commitment to support Romanian patients as well as the public system by offering them an accurate and timely diagnostic service, working with highly reputed medical professionals and state-of-the-art technology. This step aligns perfectly with our mission to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality. We are excited to continue our journey of growth and innovation, serving the needs of the communities we are privileged to be a part of." With these acquisitions, Affidea reaches a team of 13.000 professionals across 15 countries, serving more than 13 million patients every year at the Group level. These acquisitions represent a significant step forward for Affidea as the company continues to expand its presence across Europe, providing high-quality healthcare services that prioritise patient well-being. About Affidea Group Affidea Group (www.affidea.com) is Europe's largest provider of advanced diagnostics, out-of-hospital services, and Centres of Excellence in orthopaedics and cancer care. Founded in 1991, the company operates almost 340 medical centres in 15 countries, serving more than 13 million patients annually. Due to its high standards in patient safety, Affidea is the most awarded provider of medical imaging services in Europe. More than 90% of the award-winning centres with 5 stars on the Eurosafe Wall of Stars, accredited by the European Society of Radiology in Europe, are Affidea centres. About Affidea Spain: Affidea Spain (www.affidea.es) is a leading medical provider in diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, and specialist consultations, with 43 centres across the country. Affidea Spain conducts over 1 million diagnostic imaging scans annually, delivering top-notch medical services at the forefront of patient care. The company collaborates with more than 1,450 healthcare professionals. Affidea Spain is renowned for its patient safety focus, with all its centres accredited for excellence in nuclear medicine by the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS) and the European Board of Nuclear Medicine (EBNM), as well as all its CT centres accredited by the European Society of Radiology in Europe, featured on the EuroSafe Imaging Wall of Stars. About Affidea Romania Affidea Romania is a prominent healthcare provider with 49 clinics in 26 cities. In Romania, Affidea also includes the clinics: Hiperdia, Sanmed, Phoenix, Medsan, ExMed, Biomed Scan clinics and now Odelga Imagistics Clinic. Affidea Romania Team consists of 1,500 professionals, including over 900 clinicians, annually providing care to more than 2 million patients. The company's centres have been accredited for excellence in nuclear medicine by the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS) and the European Board of Nuclear Medicine (EBNM), as well as all its CT centres accredited by the European Society of Radiology in Europe, featured on the EuroSafe Imaging Wall of Stars. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293265/Chairman_CEO_Affidea_Group.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/942742/Affidea_Group_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/affidea-expands-its-presence-in-europe-with-acquisitions-in-spain-and-romania-302006222.html The bank's newest LGBTQ+ flagship continues commitment to enhance customer experience for the diverse communities it serves NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / U.S. Bank Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog The U.S. Bank Phoenix Uptown branch has proudly served local businesses and customers for the past 40 years. It recently underwent a facelift to better reflect its customers and neighbors by becoming the bank's newest LGBTQ+ flagship. The branch is right around the corner from Phoenix's historic Melrose neighborhood, which has a number of LGBTQ+ owned-businesses and community members. As part of the redesign, the location features an updated interior and exterior design that pays tribute to the LGBTQ+ culture, such as exterior window signage and LGBTQ+ themed artwork throughout. Additionally, the branch is staffed with members and allies of the community to signal that it is a safe space for LGBTQ+ customers to do their banking while being their authentic selves without any fear of stigma or judgement, said Dom Sims, U.S. Bank geographic lead for Arizona's LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group. It's the bank's newest LGBTQ+ flagship, joining others located in Capitol Hill in Seattle, Castro District in San Francisco and Lakeview East in Chicago. Members of the community and local LGBTQ+ focused nonprofit onenten recently joined branch staff and market leadership to officially redesignate the Phoenix Uptown branch to an LGBTQ+ flagship. It's a visible representation of how U.S. Bank sees the future of branch banking - one that blends its significant investments in digital tools with the irreplaceable value of building meaningful relationships with the surrounding community, Sims said. "It's important now more than ever to show up for the community and show them that we are here to help them succeed financially," Sims said. "It's important to have spaces where the community is welcomed and accepted no matter how they identify. Everyone should have the freedom to be themselves and not have to worry about whether or not their banker will treat them unfavorably if they walk in with a same-sex partner, or if their appearance doesn't necessarily match their identity." For the past 16 years, U.S. Bank received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index , the nation's foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. The award in part recognizes the contributions of the company's Spectrum LGBTQ Business Resource Group, launched in 2012 to help LGBTQ+ employees connect with members of their community and grow personally and professionally. Since then, the bank's commitment to the LGBTQ community continues to grow for its customers, communities and colleagues, most recently evidenced by the opening its newest LGBTQ+ flagship branch in Phoenix. Along with actively participating in more than 45 Pride events across the country, U.S. Bank offers products and services tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. Branch employees have content and training aimed to help LGBTQ+ community members and same-sex couples navigate their finances. Focusing on wealth management, the bank provides content tailored to financial realities for modern families at USBank.com/LGBTQ , such as financial planning for same sex couples, same sex wedding planning and modern estate planning. Check out the video above to see how U.S. Bank celebrated the grand opening of its newest LGBTQ+ flagship branch. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Bank on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: U.S. Bank Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-bank Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: U.S. Bank View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813413/us-bank-opens-first-lgbtq-flagship-branch-in-arizona For the second time, Henkel is presenting the "Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science," a research prize to promote and honor outstanding female scientists in the field of hair research. The three winners of this year's award have been honored in Dusseldorf and, in addition to prize money, will also receive the offer of scientific exchange and support for their research work by Henkel experts. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Equal opportunities and gender equality are integral parts of Henkel's corporate culture. That's why Henkel supports women in a wide variety of areas - inside and outside the company. As women continue to be underrepresented in the field of research, Henkel has launched the Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science last year as one example to support women in science. With the award, Henkel is committed to promoting talented women in science and supporting them in their research projects. "We are very pleased to further strengthen our scientific network in the field of hair research with this year's winners of the Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science. At the same time, we support outstanding female researchers in advancing the science of hair and the hair follicle and thus gain new insights to continuously improve the lives of our customers," says Frank Meyer, Head of R&D Henkel Consumer Brands. The Martha Schwarzkopf Award is a research prize open to international female scientists from the fields of life sciences, physical and medical sciences, as well as computer sciences. This year's winner specialize in hair research or related fields, such as textile and wool fiber research, the analysis of biological surfaces or the interaction of substances with hair or scalp. The winners are thus carrying on the tradition of the laboratories initiated by Martha Schwarzkopf, which were already researching human hair in the 20th century. In recognition of their scientific achievements, the winners receive a prize money as well as the opportunity to be mentored by Henkel experts to further advance their research. All applications were reviewed under scientific aspects by an expert jury of scientists from Henkel Consumer Brands R&D. The winners were announced during an award ceremony in Dusseldorf on November 21. "We are very pleased that we have received so many qualified applications and were able to once more honor three female researchers. We are particularly pleased that we were able to fulfill our ambition of making the award even more international this year," says Andrea Sattler, Corporate Director R&D at Henkel Consumer Brands and Chair of the Martha Schwarzkopf Award expert jury. About the winners This year's winners convinced the expert jury with their innovative strength, their pioneering spirit and the high relevance of their research. Andrea Sattler emphasizes that the diversity of hair research is perfectly represented by the applications and the winners' different life paths, experiences, and research directions. This year's first place went to Dr. Claire Higgins from Imperial College in London, who receives a prize money of 10,000 euros. She is the president of the European Hair Research Society and has been focusing her research on human hair follicles and their skin environment for over 20 years. She is internationally recognized for her work on hair ageing. For the future, she hopes that scientific work like hers will contribute to effective technologies and patented products that can help people suffering from hair ageing. The prize money of 5,000 euros for the second place went to Prof. Dr. Yan Zhang from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. As a member of various Chinese and Asian scientific societies, Prof. Dr. Zhang can already look back on a career spanning more than 30 years, in which she has focused on glycobiological relationships in medicine and immunology. She was the first to systematically illustrate the connection between the physiological conditions of the host, the demographics, the microbiota of the commensals and the formation of dandruff. The award for the most promising "emerging talent" is also endowed with 5,000 euros and went to Dr. Yan Huang from the Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai, New York. In her dissertation, which she completed at the beginning of this year at the Fudan University in Shanghai, Dr. Huang deals with the pathogenesis and treatment of androgenetic alopecia areata. Her goal is to translate her research findings into clinical applications to help patients. For the second time, Henkel has awarded the "Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science" to promote and honor outstanding female scientists in the field of hair research. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Henkel on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Henkel Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/henkel Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Henkel View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813414/henkel-recognizes-female-researchers-with-the-martha-schwarzkopf-award-for-women-in-science Expanding convergence of interests, building community of shared future 14:49, December 05, 2023 By Gong Ming, Zhang Penghui, Jiang Xiaodan, Luo Aihua ( People's Daily The 2023 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou) was held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province from Dec. 1 to 3. The conference, themed "China's New Endeavors amid Unprecedented Global Changes - Expanding the Convergence of Interests and Building A Community of Shared Future," was joined by over 600 participants from over 30 countries and regions, who had discussions on how to resolve common problems and improve the well-being of humanity. Photovoltaic parts are assembled in a workshop of a solar energy enterprise in Hai'an, east China's Jiangsu province. (People's Daily Online/Zhai Huiyong) Today, confronted with a weak global recovery and escalating geopolitical conflicts, humanity has once again come to a crossroads in history. "What kind of world we need and how to build such a world" has become a vital question with the future of humanity at stake. At the 2023 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou), China's new endeavors amid unprecedented global changes received huge attention, and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind has gathered a broad consensus. Former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome said that countries are interdependent in the world today, and mankind is a community with a shared future. China has taken the building of a community with a shared future for mankind as its responsibility, constantly providing the world with new opportunities through its own new development. From deepening economic and trade cooperation and sharing development opportunities, to promoting green development and addressing climate change, Africa-China cooperation mirrors the goal of building a high-level Africa-China community with a shared future, he said. Former Chancellor of Austria Wolfgang Schussel said that solving global issues such as climate change and regional conflicts needs common efforts from the international community. China is the second-largest economy in the world and has made indispensable contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity. Building a community with a shared future for mankind requires countries to support economic globalization and free trade, safeguard multilateralism, keep open cooperation and promote equality and justice, he added. A China-Europe freight train departs from Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province for Hamburg, Germany, Nov. 28, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Liu Xiang) As an important practice in building a community with a shared future for mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was a focus of discussion at the conference. Mushahid Hussain Syed, head of Pakistan's Friends of Silk Road Club and chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute, noted that the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind represents a new worldview, which explains that mankind is a community with a shared future and countries must respect with each other and reinforce cooperation. During the past decade since the BRI was proposed, the initiative has brought new development opportunities to Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and other regions, and built new platforms for strengthening global economic cooperation. Following the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, we'll build a world that's more open, inclusive and interconnected, he added. At the conference, participants had in-depth discussions on higher-level opening up and economic globalization, artificial intelligence and the future of humanity, the development of the digital economy and cybersecurity governance. It was widely recognized that China's commitment to promoting high-quality development with high-level opening up and the steady progress of Chinese modernization have injected positive energy into achieving common development through open cooperation. Containers are lifted by cranes at the Nansha Port in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province. (People's Daily Online/Lyu Huadang) The world is facing numerous challenges, and deepening cooperation between Europe and Asia is more important than ever before, said Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Hungary Barnabas Virag. Virag remarked that China possesses many key technologies for sustainable development, such as clean energy, new energy vehicles, and biotechnology. Strengthening cooperation between European countries and China in areas including trade, climate change response, and sustainable development will benefit both sides, and will also help steer the international order towards a more just and reasonable direction. Former Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said that China's adherence to innovative development, which resulted in the rapid growth of information technology, big data, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, aerospace technologies and more, sets an example for other developing countries. The China-proposed BRI promotes connectivity and trade development, creates opportunities for international cooperation, and assists developing countries to achieve modernization, Sharaf added. Zafar Uddin Mahmood, president of the Understanding China Forum, a Pakistan-based think tank, said that China has made tremendous progress in economic and social development under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Adhering to a people-centered development philosophy, China aims to ensure that the gains of development can better improve people's livelihood, which makes Chinese modernization an important example for other developing countries, Mahmood noted. As China shares its development dividends with the world, Chinese modernization will also benefit the people of other countries, he added. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) EQS-News: EnergyNet Ltd. / Key word(s): Conference Tanzania and the East African Community (EAC) at the centre of regional transmission expansion: Tanzania Energy Cooperation Summit 2024 05.12.2023 / 16:20 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Confirmed as one of the most stable and important investment destinations on the continent, Tanzania prepares to host the fifth annual Tanzania Energy Cooperation Summit (TECS) from 31 January to 1 February 2024 in Arusha, home of the East African Community (EAC). Investors from across industry, finance and government are convening to showcase Tanzania's potential. Potential that is epitomised by a country now ranked third in sub-Saharan Africa for future investment, that is expected to see 6% GDP growth by 2025, and that has seen hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars of investment, targeted towards infrastructure, hydropower, LNG and solar projects in recent years. Ranked by KPMG behind only South Africa and Nigeria, Tanzania has confirmed its status when it comes to trade and investment. The nation was cited for its strategic location to the east of the continent, its abundance of natural resources, and its recent investment spike, especially in the power sector. A first on-grid 50MW solar power plant, a $300 million investment into hydropower, a $42 billion LNG project formed by Shell, Equinor and Exxon Mobil, and almost $7 billion injected into infrastructure, confirms its attractiveness both in Africa, and globally. Organised by EnergyNet, TECS24 will not only highlight these success stories but look at future trade and generation projects poised to transform the country and region further. Challenges around financing and guarantees will also be brought to the fore, to ensure that momentum isn't lost and that the country's power sector continues to go from strength to strength. Alongside major investors, stakeholders attending include national ministers from Tanzania, Malawi and Ethiopia, as well as heads of national utilities, including Tanzania's Managing Director of TANESCO, Gissima Nyamo-Hanga. Speakers from Electricidade de Mocambique (EDM) and Zambia's ZESCO will also be present. They, alongside representatives from the public and private sectors, DFIs - including AfDB, BII, World Bank Group and ATIDI - and multilaterals, will descend on Arusha for an intimate, high-level business retreat like no other. With an emphasis on Tanzania's' position as a regional energy enabler, topics being brought to the table include Tanzania's economic outlook and energy development potential, as well as plotting the best way to build a regional power market. Public-private partnerships in transmission projects will also be on the agenda, in addition to DFIs, governance and regulations, and the vital role of renewables. Attendees will be invited to offer ideas around building better regional interconnection, more robust frameworks for trade and investment, and ultimately to form a roadmap for regional energy access moving forward. "Tanzania's positioning on the continent has made it pivotal to trade. With connections between south and east and also to the rest of the world, the country has always had the potential to be a trailblazer for industrial growth - and now we're seeing how this potential will be realised. It's therefore hugely exciting to showcase Tanzania's growth and to make sure the opportunity and momentum continues." said Simon Gosling, Managing Director, EnergyNet. He continued, "We're also delighted to be hosting the summit in Arusha, giving everyone the time and space to deep-dive into the sector's most pressing topics." "With Tanzania being one of our founding member countries, we are keen to do more in support of the country's energy sector goals. Building on the progress made at last year's event in Dar es Salaam, we hope that TECS24 will provide greater clarity on the proposed role of the private sector in the energy sector and how DFIs - particularly multilateral insurers and guarantors like ATIDI - can be supportive of such efforts and the wider energy transition," commented Obbie Banda, Underwriter & Acting RLSF Coordinator at the African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI). Aleem Tharani, Co-Head for Infrastructure Sector Group (Africa), Bowmans and Head of Projects, Energy & Infrastructure (Africa), concluded: "The 5th Tanzania Energy Cooperation Summit marks a pivotal moment for Africa's energy sector. By uniting investors, government entities and industry specialists, we're fostering dialogues crucial for advancing Tanzania's energy roadmap, prioritising gas and renewables, and enhancing regional transmission. Bowmans is proud to sponsor this summit, recognising its significance in shaping Africa's energy future and strengthening public-private partnerships." See the agenda and speaker line-up here https://www.Tanzania-ECS.com/ Distributed by APO Group on behalf of EnergyNet Ltd.. Download image (1): https://apo-opa.co/4a66SnK Download image (2): https://apo-opa.co/418pH5A Media contact: sarah@energynet.co.uk About EnergyNet FACILITATING ENERGY INVESTMENT IN FAST-GROWING ECONOMIES - EnergyNet has produced investment forums and executive dialogues for Africa and Latin America's power sectors for the last 25 years - in Europe, the USA, Asia and across Africa and Latin America. We work with governments and national utilities to facilitate investment summits where credible international investors can build relationships with public sector stakeholders to advance access to power. Best known for the Africa Energy Forum, the longest-serving business development meeting place for senior-level decision makers in Africa's power sector, other leading investment summits we provide strategic perspectives on the investment landscape and project preparation include the Tanzania Energy Cooperation Summit, H2 Africa, Offshore Technology Africa, Powering Africa Summit, Latin American Energy Forum and Latin American & Caribbean Gas Conference and Exhibition. YES! Youth Energy Summit and YES! Youth Energy Day are part of the portfolio, with a focus on creating a platform and network to boost the skills, connections and business readiness of a new generation of African energy leaders Having this focus on public and private sector partnerships provides us with a valuable lens through which we can offer independent perspectives and support the business development activities of companies from around the world operating in these fast-growing markets. Our team talks daily with stakeholders across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean to support these insights, so relationships and investor insights are our business and our passion. Headquarters: London, UK For further information, please visit our website https://EnergyNet.co.uk/ 05.12.2023 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 The rankings, now featuring 1397 institutions - over double the number from last year's pilot - evaluate universities based on their social and environmental impact, as well as governance. The University of Toronto leads as the world's most sustainable university , followed by the University of California, Berkeley, and The University of Manchester in second and third places, respectively. 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. CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Stick-to-Skin Adhesives Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $2.4 billion in 2023 and is poised to reach $3.7 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2023 to 2029 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and the growing aging population globally contribute to the rising demand for advanced wound care solutions, spurring innovation in adhesive technologies for medical applications. Additionally, the surge in outpatient procedures and a preference for minimally invasive treatments propel the use of medical adhesives in various healthcare settings. Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=252354778 Browse in-depth TOC on "Medical Stick-to-Skin Adhesives Market" 213 - Tables 51 - Figures 273 - Pages Medical Stick-to-Skin Adhesives Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $2.4 billion Estimated Value by 2029 $3.7 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% Market Size Available for 2021-2029 Forecast Period 2023-2029 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By product, backing material, type, application end user and region Geographies Covered North America US Canada Europe Germany France UK Italy Spain Rest of Europe Asia Pacific Japan China India Australia South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of LATAM Middle East and Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Expanding healthcare infrastructure in emerging markets Key Market Drivers Increasing demand for minimally invasive surgical procedures Moreover, a growing emphasis on patient comfort and convenience is fueling the development of skin-friendly adhesives that offer secure attachment without causing irritation or damage. The rise of wearable medical devices, such as continuous glucose monitors and smart patches, is also boosting the demand for gentle and reliable adhesives. The medical stick-to-skin adhesives market is further segmented based on the product, backing material, application, type, end-user, and region. The acrylic-based adhesives segment holds the largest market share during the forecast period. Acrylic-based medical stick-to-skin adhesives represent a class of adhesives commonly used in the healthcare industry for applications such as wound care, wearable medical devices, and transdermal drug delivery systems. These adhesives are known for their strong bonding properties, durability, and biocompatibility. Acrylic adhesives can provide a balance between adhesion strength and gentle removal, making them suitable for use on sensitive skin. The increasing prevalence of chronic wounds, rising demand for wearable medical devices, and the expanding geriatric population are key drivers for the growth of the acrylic-based medical stick-to-skin adhesives market. The wound dressing segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. Medical stick-to-skin adhesives designed for wound dressing applications play a pivotal role in the field of healthcare, providing secure and comfortable solutions for wound care. These adhesives are typically composed of a backing material, often fabric or plastic, coated with a medical-grade adhesive that adheres gently to the skin. Wound dressings with these adhesives serve to protect and promote the healing of wounds, ranging from minor cuts to surgical incisions. Driving factors for the adoption of these adhesives include the increasing prevalence of chronic wounds due to factors like diabetes and aging populations, along with the rising number of surgical procedures worldwide. In the end-user segment, hospitals & clinics hold the largest market share in the medical stick-to-skin adhesives market. The end users' market in 2022 was dominated by hospitals & clinics. Medical stick-to-skin adhesives are integral components in hospitals and clinics, offering versatile solutions across a spectrum of medical applications. From wound care and IV securement to diagnostic procedures and surgical interventions, these adhesives play a crucial role in ensuring effective patient care. Driving factors for their widespread use in healthcare facilities include the increasing patient population, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and advancements in medical procedures. North America will continue to dominate the medical stick-to-skin adhesives market in 2029. On the basis of region, the medical stick-to-skin adhesives market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. North America has various advantages-an advanced healthcare system, high public and private healthcare spending, a rise in the geriatric population, and the significant presence of prominent players in the region are the major factors contributing to the growth of North America and the largest share of the medical stick-to-skin adhesives market APAC is known to grow at the highest rate. The growth in the market can be attributed to increasing R&D activities, and high growth in the healthcare industries. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=252354778 Medical Stick-to-Skin Adhesives Market Dynamics: Drivers: Increasing demand for minimally invasive surgical procedures Restraints: Regulatory compliance and safety concerns Opportunities: Expanding healthcare infrastructure in emerging markets Challenge: Ensuring adhesion and skin-friendliness Key Market Players of Medical Stick-to-Skin Adhesives Industry: The medical stick-to-skin adhesives market is a competitive market, the prominent players in the global market include 3M Company (US), Scapa Healthcare (Mativ Holdings, Inc.) (UK), Johnson & Johnson (US), Avery Dennison Corporation (US), Smith & Nephew PLC (UK), Nitto Denko Corporation (Japan), DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (US), Medtronic Plc (Ireland), B. Braun Melsungen AG (Germany), and Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany). A breakdown of the primary participants (supply-side) for the medical stick-to-skin adhesives market referred to for this report is provided below: By Company Type: Tier 1: 42%, Tier 2: 35%, and Tier 3: 23% By Designation: C-level Executives: 28%, Directors: 35%, and Others: 37% By Region: North America: 33%, Europe: 24%, Asia Pacific: 18%, Latin America: 10%; Middle East: 10%; Africa: 5% Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=252354778 Medical Stick-to-Skin Adhesives Market Recent Developments: In October 2023, DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (US) launched a new DuPont Liveo MG 7-9960 Soft Skin Adhesive. The higher-adhesion, low-cyclic soft silicone skin adhesive (SSA) is designed for advanced wound care dressings and adhering medical devices to the skin for long wear time and gentle removal. In July 2023, H.B. Fuller Company (US) acquired Adhezion Biomedical, LLC (US). The acquisition will help H.B. Fuller expand its capabilities in the fast-growing healthcare adhesives market. In February 2023, 3M Company (US) launched 3M Medical Tape 4578, a new adhesive tape that can stick to the skin for up to 28 days for use with medical monitors, sensors, and wearables. In November 2022, Avery Dennison Corporation (US) launched MED 5740, MED 5741, and MED 5742 at the Medica International Trade Fair at Messe Dusseldorf. These products are single-coated adhesive materials designed for long-term, multi-week wear. Medical Stick-to-Skin Adhesives Market - Key Benefits of Buying the Report: The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall medical stick-to-skin adhesives market and the subsegments. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their businesses better and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. This report provides insights into the following pointers: Analysis of key drivers (Increasing demand for minimally invasive surgical procedures, Advancements in wearable medical devices, Growing prevalence of chronic diseases, Increasing aging population), restraints (Regulatory compliance and safety concerns, High cost of advanced adhesive products), opportunities (Expanding healthcare infrastructure in emerging markets, Expansion of home healthcare services, Increasing adoption of telemedicine and remote patient monitoring) and challenges (Ensuring long-term adhesion and skin-friendliness, Maintaining long-term adhesion) influencing the growth of the medical stick-to-skin adhesives market Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on product portfolios offered by the top players in the global medical stick-to-skin adhesives market. The report analyzes this market by product, application, animal type, end user, and region. Product Enhancement/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming trends and product launches in the global medical stick-to-skin adhesives market. Market Development: Comprehensive information on the lucrative emerging markets by product, application, animal type, end user, and region. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products and services, growing geographies, recent developments, and investments in the global medical stick-to-skin adhesives market. Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, product and service offerings, and capabilities of leading players in the global medical stick-to-skin adhesives market. Related Reports: Pharmaceutical Excipients Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Insulin Delivery Devices Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Fetal Monitoring Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 Topical Drug Delivery Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 Brain Monitoring Market - Global Forecasts to 2026 About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/medical-stick-to-skin-adhesives-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/medical-stick-to-skin-adhesives.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/medical-stick-to-skin-adhesives-market-worth-3-7-billion--marketsandmarkets-302005908.html JERSEY CITY, N.J., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the "Global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market- by Device Type (e-Cigarettes, Vaps, Mods, e-Hookahs, Pens, and Other Device Type), System (Open Vaping System, Closed Vaping System, Semi-Closed System, and Other System), Product Type (Tobacco Heating Products, Vapour Products, Snus Products, and Other Product Types), Component (Atomizer, Vape Mod, Cartomizer, E-liquid, Battery, and Other Component), Distribution Channel (Online Buying, Retail Stores, Convenience Store, Drug Store, Newsstand, Tobacconist Store, Specialty E-cigarette Store, and Other Distribution Channel), Age Group (18-30 Age Group, 31-44 Age Group, 45-60 Age Group, 61 & Above Age Group), Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast To 2031." According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market is valued at US$ 27.33 Billion in 2022, and it is expected to reach US$ 70.82 Billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 11.3% during a forecast period of 2023-2031. Next Generation Tobacco Product Market Report Scope Report Attribute Specifications Market Size Value In 2022 USD 27.33 Billion Revenue Forecast In 2031 USD 70.82 Billion Growth Rate CAGR CAGR of 11.3 % from 2023 to 2031 Quantitative Units Representation of revenue in US$ Million and CAGR from 2023 to 2031 Historic Year 2019 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2031 Report Coverage The forecast of revenue, the position of the company, the competitive market structure, growth prospects, and trends Segments Covered By Device Type, By System, By Product Type, By Component, By Distribution Channel, By Age Group Regional Scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa Country Scope U.S.; Canada; U.K.; Germany; China; India; Japan; Brazil; Mexico; France; Italy; Spain; South East Asia; South Korea Competitive Landscape Adris grupa, Altadis, Altria Group Inc., American electronic cigarette company, Arnold Andre GmbH & Co. KG, British American Tobacco (BAT), China National Tobacco Corporation, Davidoff, Dharampal Satyapal, DS Group, Eastern Tobacco Company, Fiedler & Lundgren AB, FIN Branding Group LLC., Request for Free Sample Pages: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1201 The main component of tobacco products that keeps people from quitting smoking is nicotine. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that tobacco smoking causes the deaths of more than 8 million people annually. To address this, producers of tobacco products have been introducing innovative solutions to lower the risk of diseases linked to tobacco use. Due to their capacity to reduce the danger of tobacco-related diseases by preventing the inhaling of toxicants because these products are made to mimic tobacco smoking, next-generation goods are superior alternatives to conventional products like cigarettes. Some Major Key Players In The Next Generation Tobacco Product Market: Adris grupa, Altadis, Altria Group Inc., American electronic cigarette company, Arnold Andre GmbH & Co. KG, British American Tobacco (BAT), China National Tobacco Corporation, Davidoff, Dharampal Satyapal, DS Group, Eastern Tobacco Company, Fiedler & Lundgren AB, FIN Branding Group LLC., Gajane AB, Global Horizon Ventures Limited (GHVL), GN Tobacco Sweden AB, Gotlands Snus AB, Gudang Garam, Hay Island Holding Corporation, Healthier Choices Management Corp (Ruthless Vapor Corp), House of Oliver Twist A/S, Imperial Brands, Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) Limited., International Vapor Group, ITC Limited, J Well France, Japan Tobacco Inc., JT International AG, Juul Labs Inc, Korea Tobacco (KT&G), Lorillard Tobacco Company, MAHAK Group, Manikchand Group, MCIG Inc., Mighty, Nerudia, Nicotek Llc., NJOY Inc, P.T. Karyadibya Mahardhika, Pax Labs, Philip Morris International (PMI), Ploom TECH, J. Reynolds Vapor Company, Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken GmbH, Reynolds American Inc., Rothmans, Ruyan, Sarajevo Tobacco Factory, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Swedish Match AB, Swisher, Taboca AS, Turning Point Brands, Universal Corporation, V2 Tobacco, Vapor Hub International, Inc., VMR Products LLC, other prominent products As more goods are introduced to the market, there is an increasing desire for next-generation tobacco products. During the forecast period, simple access to high-quality products is also having a major impact on the growth of next-generation tobacco products. During the projection period, the next-generation tobacco products market is anticipated to rise because of the rapid development and commercialization of goods, including snus, tobacco heating devices, and vapour products. During the projected period, it is anticipated that investments in next-generation tobacco products will rise dramatically, as will the consumption of tobacco products among females and students. Due to rising consumer disposable income, the market for next-generation tobacco products is currently seeing increasing demand. The market for next-generation tobacco products will also have a lot of additional growth potential due to the fast-growing consumer knowledge and product awareness, as well as the evolving consumer views linked to their preference for less dangerous tobacco products. The Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the major contributor to the Next Generation Tobacco Product market over the forecast years due to increased public knowledge of Next-Generation Tobacco Products, rising government funding in Tobacco Product Research and Development, the rising rate of tobacco cessation, and significant demand for E-Cigarettes and Vapes. In addition, the North America Next Generation Tobacco Product market is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period, considering expanding investments in future products, rising demand for tobacco products, and rising prevalence of diseases linked to smoking. Recent collaborations and agreements in the market: In October 2021 , The Food and Drug Administration allowed electronic cigarettes and associated products to continue to be sold in the US. Tobacco-flavoured e-liquid pods and the Vuse Solo electronic nicotine delivery system device from R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company has been approved. , The Food and Drug Administration allowed electronic cigarettes and associated products to continue to be sold in the US. Tobacco-flavoured e-liquid pods and the Vuse Solo electronic nicotine delivery system device from R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company has been approved. In July 2021, Fertin Pharma A/S will be purchased by Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (Fertin Pharma). PMI will be able to accomplish its goal of boosting net revenues from smoke-free products by offering speed and scalability in oral administration, owing to Fertin's broad portfolio of technologies, expanding business mix, and world-class experience. Curious about this latest version of the report? Obtain Report Details @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1201 Market Segments Global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Device Type, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) e-Cigarettes Vaps Mods e-Hookahs Pens Other Device Type Global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by System, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) Open Vaping System Closed Vaping System Semi-Closed System Other System Global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Product Type, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) Tobacco Heating Products Vapour Products Snus Products Other Product Type Global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Component, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) Atomizer Vape Mod Cartomizer E-liquid Battery Other Component Global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Distribution Channel, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) Online Buying Retail Stores Convenience Store Drug Store Newsstand Tobacconist Store Specialty E-cigarette Store Other Distribution Channel Global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Age Group, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) 18-30 Age Group 31-44 Age Group 45-60 Age Group 61 & Above Age Group Global Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Region, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa North America Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Country, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) U.S. Canada Europe Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Country, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) Germany France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Country, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) India China Japan South Korea Australia & New Zealand Latin America Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Country, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa Next Generation Tobacco Product Market, by Country, 2023-2031 (Value US$ Mn) GCC Countries South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Why should buy this report: To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for the global Next Generation Tobacco Product market To receive an industry overview and future trends of the Next Generation Tobacco Product market To analyze the Next Generation Tobacco Product market drivers and challenges To get information on the Next Generation Tobacco Product market value (US$Mn) forecast to 2030 Significant investments, mergers & acquisitions in the Next Generation Tobacco Product market industry For More Information @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/1201 Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic: Herbal Heatsticks Market Smoking Cessation Market Cigar and Cigarillo Market About Us: InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain a competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets, and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis of key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner. Contact Us: InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. Tel.: +1 551 226 6109 Email: info@insightaceanalytic.com Site Visit: www.insightaceanalytic.com Follow Us on LinkedIn @ bit.ly/2tBXsgS Follow Us On Facebook @ bit.ly/2H9jnDZ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1729637/InsightAce_Analytic_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/next-generation-tobacco-product-market-worth-us-70-82-billion-by-2031---exclusive-report-by-insightace-analytic-302006131.html CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Peer To Peer Network (OTC PINK:PTOP) ("PTOP") - In a strategic move set to revolutionize its market presence, Peer To Peer Network (PTOP) has officially announced its partnership with a leading public relations firm, for an extensive year-long campaign at the "Total Pro" level. PTOP has signed a contract and paid for the entire year of 2024 in full. This collaboration is poised to propel PTOP into the spotlight with an earned media campaign, stock ticker indexing, added distribution to various financial institutions & brokers, added distribution outlets extending to financial data providers/platforms, stock exchange targeting, major financial news sites, and a suite of comprehensive services designed to maximize visibility and enhance investor relations. The campaign is set to start January 15th, 2024, PTOP's decision to engage the PR & Newswire firm at the "Total Pro" level underscores the company's commitment to fostering transparency, amplifying its corporate narrative, and ultimately driving shareholder value. The campaign is anticipated to create a significant impact on PTOP's stock price, as the market responds to heightened awareness and enhanced communication strategies. Key Highlights of the Total Pro Campaign Include: Earned Media Exposure: PTOP will benefit from targeted media outreach, securing features in prominent financial and business publications. This heightened visibility is expected to capture the attention of a broader audience of investors and analysts. Stock Ticker Indexing: The Total Pro level includes the indexing of PTOP's stock ticker across major financial platforms. This ensures that potential investors easily access real-time information, contributing to increased liquidity and market participation. Strategic Investor Relations: With a dedicated team of seasoned professionals, the PR firm will work closely with PTOP to refine and execute a comprehensive investor relations strategy. This includes facilitating communication between the company and its shareholders, analysts, and the broader investment community. Customized Press Materials: The Newswire & PR firm will craft and distribute compelling press releases, ensuring that PTOP's key messages are effectively communicated to the media and the investment community. Financial Institutions & Brokers: The Total Pro campaign extends to financial institutions, and discount broker platforms, leveraging the PR firms expertise in crafting engaging content to maximize PTOP's reach across various digital channels. "We are thrilled to embark on this journey at the Total Pro level. This partnership represents a pivotal moment for PTOP, as we aim to strengthen our market presence, engage with our stakeholders, and unlock the full potential of our stock. We believe that the comprehensive suite of services offered by this particular PR firm will significantly contribute to our growth trajectory and shareholder value. I think everything is coming together, to make all of our efforts bear major fruit in 2024," stated Chairman & CEO Joshua Sodaitis. Investors and industry observers are encouraged to follow PTOP closely as the Total Pro campaign unfolds. With heightened visibility, strategic investor relations, and comprehensive media coverage, PTOP is poised for an exciting year of growth and potential stock price appreciation. Contact Info: Joshua Sodaitis, Chairman & CEO MobiCard, Inc. 45 Prospect Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Investor Relations Phone#: 1-617-481-1971 Email: info@freemobicard.com Investor website: www.ptopnetwork.com Safe Harbor Statement: This release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company intends all forward-looking statements to be covered by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategies, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, as well as statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on and reflect our current expectations, estimates, assumptions and/or projections, our perception of historical trends and current conditions, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include those set forth in our reports at OTCMarkets . We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE: Peer to Peer Network via PRISM Mediawire, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813334/peer-to-peer-network-announces-it-has-hired-a-pr-firm-set-to-start-major-public-relations-operation-starting-in-2024 FAB expands its target to include transition financing and early stage innovation Group has facilitated over AED100 billion (USD27 billion) in financing renewable energy, wastewater, green buildings and other areas since 2021 Commitment represents more than half of the combined AED1 trillion (USD270 billion) sustainable finance pledge made by UAE banks at COP28 FAB promises new target will be a floor, not a ceiling DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE's largest bank and one of the world's largest and strongest financial institutions, today announced that it will lend, invest and facilitate over AED500 billion (USD135 billion) in sustainable and transition financing by 2030. The new target, an 80 per cent increase over FAB's 2021 commitment of AED275.4 billion, (USD75 billion) represents the largest sustainable finance commitment made by any MENA bank to date. The commitment by the UAE's largest bank represents over half of the combined pledge of AED1 trillion (USD270 billion) made by UAE banks towards sustainable finance announced by the UAE Banks Federation on Finance Day at COP28. As part of FAB's announcement at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), the bank will expand its target to include transition financing projects and early-stage innovative climate solutions. The expansion underscores FAB's commitment to be a key enabler of the regional sustainable finance agenda and its responsiveness to shifting customer and community priorities. HH Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of FAB, said "FAB is deeply integrated into the UAE's ambition on climate change and net zero, placing sustainability at the heart of social and economic progress. Across the Group, we believe in the urgency to scale investments and financing, as the foundation of climate action. In setting even more ambitious sustainable finance targets by 2030, we are expanding our commitment. Our objectives will accelerate the decarbonisation journey, while supporting the UAE vision and regional, and global net zero agenda." Hana Al Rostamani, Group Chief Executive Officer of FAB, said: "The UAE has shown us this week what it means to be ambitious, bold and collaborative in its leadership of climate change action for our region and our world. We mirror its desire to accomplish the unprecedented and unlock 80% more resources for transition finance. Our new target is a floor and not a ceiling. "From now until the end of this decade, we will deliver meaningful impact by deploying finance, advisory, and innovation at scale to ensure we meet climate ambitions across the region, where we will support more sustainable projects, engage more clients in their transition journeys, and advance the UAE's development as a green finance hub." As a regional pacesetter bank in climate action, FAB's sustainable finance has created positive impact in the UAE, the broader MENA region and internationally. Since 2021, it has facilitated over AED100 billion (USD27 billion) as of September-end 2023 in sustainable projects towards renewable energy, clean transportation, green buildings and social projects. FAB's expanded portfolio will include transition financing - a vital component for heavy, extractive, and other hard-to-abate industries - in addition to purely green financing. The bank will also include early-stage innovative solutions to climate change such as hydrogen. FAB's sustainable finance projects since 2021 are diversified across geographies, with 57% in the UAE, 21% in Saudi Arabia, 11% in Singapore, 5% in Bahrain, and the remainder in Europe, the Americas and South Asia. Over 86% has been disbursed through conventional financing; and 14% via Islamic financing. The enhanced target is the latest in FAB's numerous sustainability milestones. In October 2021, FAB joined the industry-led and UN-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), becoming the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bank to commit to net zero by 2050. FAB was the first MENA bank to issue a green bond in 2017 and is a regional and global leader in the Green Bond and Sukuk market - with Green Bonds and Sukuk outstanding of over AED11.75 billion (USD 3.2 billion) equivalent across 15 issuances and 6 different currencies. For further information, visit: www.bankfab.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/fab-to-provide-over-aed500-billion-usd135-billion-in-green-finance-by-2030-increasing-sustainable-commitment-by-80-302006308.html NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the most recent analysis conducted by We Market Research, the Internet of Medical Things Market is on track to reach a value of $516.40 billion by the end of 2033. Looking ahead, the market's prospects appear even more impressive, with projections suggesting a significant increase to $ 61.56 million in 2022. This remarkable growth trajectory is underpinned by a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.70% expected between 2023 and 2033. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases ranks first in priority to shape the growth of Internet of Medical Things market Chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are becoming increasingly common, particularly as the population ages. Internet of Medical Things devices can be used to monitor patients with chronic diseases remotely, helping to prevent complications and improve patient outcomes. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases is a major global health concern, with an estimated 73% of all deaths worldwide attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. This alarming trend is driving the demand for effective healthcare solutions that can manage and prevent these chronic conditions. Request Free Sample Copy of this Report @ https://wemarketresearch.com/sample-request/global-internet-of-medical-things-market/1267 The Internet of Medical Things, a rapidly evolving technology, is emerging as a promising solution to address the challenges posed by chronic diseases. It enables the collection and analysis of real-time patient data through connected medical devices, wearables, and sensors, providing healthcare providers with valuable insights for personalized and proactive care. Internet of Medical Things devices can continuously monitor vital signs, blood glucose levels, and other health parameters of patients with chronic conditions, allowing for timely interventions and early detection of potential complications. Wearable devices can track physical activity, sleep patterns, and heart rate variability, providing valuable data for managing conditions like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Internet of Medical Things Market Report Scope: Report Attributes Description Market Forecast in 2022 USD 61.56 billion Market Forecast in 2033 USD 516.40 billion CAGR % 2023-2033 23.70 % Base Year 2022 Historic Data 2020-2021 Forecast Period 2023-2033 Report USP Product, end-user industry, company share, company heat map, company Capacity Technology Product capacity, growth factors and more Key Companies Koninklijke Philips N.V.; GE healthcare; LifeFuels Inc.; Carre Technologies Inc.; Breathometer Inc.; Wimm Labs; Honeywell International; Medtronic MiniMed; IBM Corp.; Meru Health; Nike; Apple; Others Implantable Internet of Medical Things devices can monitor internal conditions and deliver therapies, such as insulin for diabetes or medication for heart failure, directly to the patient's body. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is poised to fuel the growth of the Internet of Medical Things market, as healthcare providers seek innovative solutions to effectively manage and prevent these conditions. The Internet of Medical Things's ability to provide real-time patient data, facilitate remote monitoring, and enable personalized care makes it a transformative force in addressing the global challenge of chronic diseases. Advancements in IoT technology, is poised to slash the Internet Of Medical Things Market The rapid advancement of IoT technology is making it possible to develop more sophisticated Internet of Medical Things devices that are smaller, more powerful, and more affordable. This is making Internet of Medical Things devices more accessible to a wider range of patients. IoT enables the development of wearable devices and sensors that continuously monitor patients' health parameters. Advancements in sensor technologies and connectivity allow for real-time transmission of health data to healthcare providers. Continuous glucose monitors for diabetic patients can provide real-time glucose level data, enabling healthcare professionals to make timely adjustments to treatment plans. IoT technology facilitates connectivity among various medical devices, such as infusion pumps, pacemakers, and diagnostic equipment. This connectivity enables seamless data exchange and integration with electronic health records (EHRs). Smart inhalers for patients with respiratory conditions can monitor medication usage and send adherence data to healthcare providers for better disease management. IoT advancements contribute to the expansion of telemedicine services. Connected devices enable remote consultations, video conferencing, and the exchange of vital health information between patients and healthcare professionals. Remote monitoring solutions for elderly patients allow healthcare providers to conduct virtual check-ups and monitor health metrics, reducing the need for frequent in-person visits. Edge computing, an IoT-related technology, enables data processing closer to the source rather than relying solely on centralized cloud servers. This is particularly valuable for Internet of Medical Things applications that require real-time data analysis. Edge computing can be employed in wearable ECG monitors to analyze cardiac rhythms locally, allowing for quick detection of abnormalities without relying on distant servers. IoT advancements include improved security protocols and encryption methods to protect sensitive health data. Robust cybersecurity measures are crucial in healthcare IoT to ensure patient privacy and compliance with regulations. Secure IoT platforms can be used to transmit and store patient data from medical wearables, ensuring that the information is encrypted and accessible only to authorized healthcare professionals. U.S., China and Japan to be a gamechanger within the Internet of Medical Things market The United States is at the forefront of IoMT innovation, with a strong track record of developing cutting-edge medical technologies. The country is home to many of the world's leading IoMT companies, including Medtronic, Philips, GE Healthcare, and Abbott Laboratories. These companies are developing a wide range of IoMT solutions, including implantable devices, wearable sensors, and remote monitoring systems. For instance, Medtronic has developed a wireless insulin pump that can be controlled from a smartphone and Philips has developed a wearable sensor that can monitor vital signs and detect falls. China is the world's largest manufacturer of electronics, and this expertise is giving the country a competitive edge in the IoMT market. Chinese companies are developing a wide range of IoMT devices, including wearable sensors, smart home appliances, and medical robots. For instance, Huawei has developed a wearable sensor that can monitor heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels and Xiaomi has developed a smart home appliance that can dispense medication and track medication adherence. Request for Customization of this Report @ https://wemarketresearch.com/customization/global-internet-of-medical-things-market/1267 Japan faces challenges related to an aging population, leading to a higher prevalence of chronic diseases. IoMT plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges by providing remote monitoring and personalized healthcare solutions. Japan is a leader in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), and these technologies are being used to develop innovative IoMT solutions. Japanese companies are developing a wide range of IoMT devices, including robotic caregivers, AI-powered diagnostic tools, and telemedicine systems. For instance, Panasonic has developed a robotic caregiver that can assist with activities of daily living (ADLs) and NEC has developed an AI-powered diagnostic tool that can detect cancer at an early stage. Competitive Landscape Major companies operating within the Internet of Medical Things market are Koninklijke Philips N.V.; GE healthcare; LifeFuels Inc.; Carre Technologies Inc.; Breathometer Inc.; Wimm Labs; Honeywell International; Medtronic MiniMed; IBM Corp.; Meru Health; Nike; Apple; Medtronic, Koninklijke Philips N.V and GE Healthcare combined dominate the market with an active share of around 45-50%. Have a Look at Related Reports Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Dispensing Robots Market Web 3.0 Block-chain Market IoT Identity Access Management (IAM) Market Arm Cloud Servers Market About We Market Research: WE MARKET RESEARCH is an established market analytics and research firm with a domain experience sprawling across different industries. We have been working on multi-county market studies right from our inception. Over the time, from our existence, we have gained laurels for our deep rooted market studies and insightful analysis of different markets. Contact Us: Mr. Robbin Joseph Corporate Sales, USA We Market Research USA: +1-724-618-3925 Websites: https://wemarketresearch.com/ Email: sales@wemarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2267296/We_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/internet-of-medical-things-market-revenue-to-hit-usd-516-40-billion-by-2033--says-we-market-research-302006316.html The majority of business leaders surveyed (89%) are actively implementing AI. 72% of them are worried that process shortcomings may be holding further implementations back over the next two years Over 80% surveyed said that processes are the lifeblood of their organization, and 99% consider it essential or important to optimize their processes to meet their business objectives 81% are either already investing in or planning to invest in process optimization technologies in the next three years, and 82% of business leaders believe process excellence will emerge as a core business discipline within the next five years Celonis, the global leader in process mining, today launched The 2023 Process Optimization Report, an independent third-party research report that surveyed over 1,200 global business leaders and highlighted the critical importance of optimizing organizational processes. In fact, the vast majority of senior business leaders (99%) say process optimization is important, or even essential, to meet their business objectives. And for most (89%), those objectives include unleashing the full potential of AI. But there's a catch as 72% are concerned that process shortcoming could hinder their AI success. "The potential of emerging technologies, including AI, is top of mind for every enterprise right now, and it's clear that business leaders understand the need to optimize their processes to be able to harness that potential. However, they're facing numerous barriers in doing so; departments speak their own languages, data and teams are siloed, systems don't play well together, and processes are hard to see," said Alex Rinke, co-Founder and co-CEO, Celonis. "With the recent advancements to our process intelligence platform, we are enabling our customers to overcome these barriers and bring their teams together around a common language for understanding how their processes run end-to-end and how to improve them, fast." Senior business leaders recognize the value of optimizing their processes 83% see processes as their greatest lever for realizing value, and their fastest lever for change. 82% said process optimization is particularly important in times of economic instability, recognizing that it is one of the quickest ways to reduce expenditure and get cash flow under control. 84% believe process optimization can deliver bottom, top and green-line value at the same time. The top five factors driving process optimization according to business leaders are: Interest in harnessing emerging technologies such as AI (70%) Cutting costs (69%) Competitive pressure (64%) Changing customer expectations (64%) Compliance with legislation or regulation (64%) Business leaders acknowledge that sub-optimal processes are negatively impacting their organizations 63% say it costs their department time and reduces productivity 46% say it results in missed opportunities to capture value 43% say the lack of efficiency costs them money 39% believe it negatively affects employee morale 19% are worried that it prevents innovation The opportunity ahead: Business leaders are investing in process optimization technologies to unlock value opportunities The results show that business leaders understand the critical importance of optimizing their processes and the significant costs of not doing so. Many are already taking action, and many more will soon. Over 80% of those surveyed are either already investing in process optimization technology (49%) or plan to in the next 3 years (32%). Over a third (38%) of respondents are already using process mining, while a further 32% are evaluating it. Process mining's importance as a key enterprise technology is highlighted by the fact that Gartner published its first Magic Quadrant for Process Mining Tools in 2023, and 82% of the surveyed business leaders believe process excellence will emerge as a core business discipline within the next five years. To learn more about how enterprises are using processes as a lever for value and a driver for change, download the full report from https://www.celonis.com/processreport/. Along with the data shared here, the report contains information on factors driving process optimization, barriers to optimization as well as tools and technologies used for process improvement. Breakdowns by job function and region-specific takeaways are also available. Methodology The research was conducted by Insight Avenue, an independent, third-party, specialist B2B and technology research consultancy. 1,217 interviews of senior business leaders across a wide range of sectors were conducted during August and September 2023. The interviews included around 400 business leaders in each of the three regions (US, DACH, Rest of EMEA) and 300 in each of the four job functions (listed below). Respondents were from organizations with a minimum revenue of $500 million, with 85% having revenue above $2 billion. Job Functions: Operations Process improvement Process excellence IT Digital Supply chain Procurement Demand planning Logistics Order management Finance Shared services About Celonis Since 2011, Celonis has helped thousands of the world's largest and most esteemed companies yield immediate cash impact, radically improve customer experience, and reduce carbon emissions. Its Process Intelligence platform uses industry-leading process mining technology and AI to present companies with a living digital twin of their end-to-end processes. For the first time, everyone in an organization has a common language for how the business runs, visibility into where value is hiding, and the ability to capture it. Celonis is headquartered in Munich, Germany and New York City, USA with more than 20 offices worldwide. 2023 Celonis SE. All rights reserved. Celonis and the Celonis "droplet" logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Celonis SE in Germany and other jurisdictions. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Find out more at celonis.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205746071/en/ Contacts: Media contact: press@celonis.com The demand for stationary battery storage systems is driven by several factors, including the need for efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions, the challenges utilities face during peak demand periods, and advancements in battery storage technology. NEWARK, Del., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Kingdom stationary battery storage industry is forecast to increase from US$ 341.8 million in 2023 to US$ 3,184.2 million by 2033. Over the assessment period, the United Kingdom's demand for stationary battery storage is projected to surge at a CAGR of 25.3%. Get an Exclusive Sample Copy of UK's Stationary Battery Storage Market, 2023-2033: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-18491 Enhancing Energy Storage Solutions for Industries: The Role of Stationary Battery Storage Systems in the United Kingdom Industries across the world are actively looking for efficient storage systems that are not only efficient but environmentally sustainable as well. Stationary battery storage systems play a crucial role in storing excess energy generated during periods of high renewable output and releasing it during times of low generation, reducing the need for additional generation capacity and minimizing grid stress. Navigating the Demand for Stationary Battery Storage Systems in the United Kingdom's Industrial Landscape The United Kingdom has a robust industrial and manufacturing sector where energy generation and storage are crucial. The demand for stationary battery storage systems in the United Kingdom is also rising as utilities face challenges during peak demand periods when electricity consumption is at its highest. Advancements in battery storage technology coupled with supportive government initiatives are driving the growth of the stationary battery storage industry in the United Kingdom. Addressing Energy Challenges in the United Kingdom's Industrial Sector with Lithium-Ion Battery Storage The demand for lithium-ion batteries in the United Kingdom's commercial and industrial sectors is gaining traction due to their long cycle life, allowing them to undergo many charge and discharge cycles before experiencing a significant decrease in performance. The United Kingdom is also prone to natural disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, and floods. In these scenarios, industries rely on energy storage systems and stationary battery storage to manage their energy requirements effectively. United Kingdom Stationary Battery Storage Industry Overview Attributes Details CAGR (2023 to 2033) 25.3 % Valuation (2023) US$ 341.8 million Growth Factor The need for advanced heat treatment processes in sectors like automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing Key Trend Manufacturers in the stationary battery storage industry are addressing the energy-efficiency concern by integrating batteries to enhance energy security. Understand global, regional, and country-level parameters with growth opportunities, historical data (2018-2022), and forecasts (2023-2033). Buy this report today! "The United Kingdom stationary battery storage industry is predicted to expand around 9.3X through 2033. This is due to the growing demand for energy resilience and the need for uninterrupted power supply across diverse industries, including renewable energy integration, grid stabilization and frequency regulation, manufacturing, data centers, defense and military, and remote and off-grid," says Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.). Key Takeaways from the Report Over the forecast period, United Kingdom stationary battery storage demand is anticipated to rise at 25.3% CAGR. Utility and grid are expected to dominate the United Kingdom stationary battery storage industry with a volume share of about 46.1% in 2023. The United Kingdom stationary battery storage industry is poised to exhibit healthy growth, totaling a valuation of US$ 3,184.2 million by 2033. Lithium-ion batteries dominate the United Kingdom stationary battery storage industry with a whopping share of 22%. Competitive Landscape The United Kingdom stationary battery storage industry is fragmented, with leading players, such as EON United Kingdom, Centrica, OVO Energy, Anesco, RES, Belectric United Kingdom, Zenob Energy, GRIDSERVE Sustainable Energy Ltd, Eelpower, Moixa, Connected Energy, and Ecotricity. Key stationary battery storage companies invest in continuous research to produce new products and increase their production capacity to meet end-user demand. They are also inclined toward adopting strategies, including acquisitions, partnerships, mergers, and facility expansions, to strengthen their footprint. Recent Developments in Stationary Battery Storage Industry: In May 2023, Centrica announced the development of its first battery storage outside the United Kingdom. Centrica Business Solutions has started work on a 24MW battery storage facility in Ostend. Centrica announced the development of its first battery storage outside the United Kingdom. Centrica Business Solutions has started work on a 24MW battery storage facility in Ostend. In July 2023, Centrica built the largest battery storage project to date. Centrica Business Solutions has secured the development rights to a 65MW two-hour battery storage plant in Perthshire, Scotland, its largest battery storage acquisition. 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 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 Oil and Gas Domain: The global energy harvesting market is poised to reach US$1.95 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Download Sample Report. is poised to reach US$1.95 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2023 to 2033. - The global battery energy storage system market is projected to surge to US$52.9 billion by 2033 from US$18.5 billion in 2023, expanding at a robust CAGR of 11.1%. - Review and Request to Download Sample Report. is projected to surge to US$52.9 billion by 2033 from US$18.5 billion in 2023, expanding at a robust CAGR of 11.1%. - The global fuel additives market is forecast to reach US$10.5 billion by 2033, expanding at a steady CAGR of 5.4% from 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Download Sample Report. is forecast to reach US$10.5 billion by 2033, expanding at a steady CAGR of 5.4% from 2023 to 2033. - The global CNG tanks cylinders market is expected to reach US$3.5 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Download Sample Report. is expected to reach US$3.5 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2023 to 2033. - The global digital oilfield solutions market is anticipated to surge to US$65.4 billion by 2033 from US$39.63 billion in 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 5.1%. - Review and Request to Download Sample Report. is anticipated to surge to US$65.4 billion by 2033 from US$39.63 billion in 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 5.1%. - The global waste-to-energy (WTE) market is anticipated to reach US$88.96 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2023 to 2033, driven by the growing demand for sustainable energy sources and the need for effective waste management solutions. - Review and Request to Download Sample Report. is anticipated to reach US$88.96 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2023 to 2033, driven by the growing demand for sustainable energy sources and the need for effective waste management solutions. - The global floating power plant market is projected to attain a valuation of US$ 11.04 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 26 billion by 2033, trailing a CAGR of 9% during the forecast period. - Review and Request to Download Sample Report. is projected to attain a valuation of US$ 11.04 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 26 billion by 2033, trailing a CAGR of 9% during the forecast period. - The global social media and destination market is projected to reach US$459.5 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 13.7% from 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Download Sample Report. 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. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/uks-industrial-and-manufacturing-sectors-drive-demand-for-stationary-battery-storage-systems--future-market-insights-inc-302006346.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Antea Group The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is not just a matter of environmental sustainability, it's also a question of social and economic justice. Take, for example, what happens when coal mines and coal-fired power plants are shut down? The displaced workers face the immediate risk of unemployment, often in communities where coal-related jobs are the primary source of income. This creates not only an economic vacuum but also a range of social issues such as increased poverty rates and community disintegration. In the United States, efforts are underway to facilitate a just energy transition that balances both environmental goals and social equity. Let's take a brief look at what it means to enact a just transition, then explore what actions the United States is taking. What Is a Just Energy Transition? The concept of a just energy transition gained prominence within international governance and policy discussions, particularly through its inclusion in the Paris Agreement. It is now embraced as an ethical imperative and a practical framework by various international bodies, governments, and non-governmental organizations. The UN Global Compact defines Just Transition as "simultaneously and coherently addressing the three dimensions of sustainable development - environmental, social and economic - with a focus on the role of decent work in generating sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development". Building on this global momentum, the United States has also adopted the just energy transition as a cornerstone of its energy policy. Federal Initiatives for Just Energy Transition in America Job creation and training programs The U.S. government has been proactive in investing in workforce development for the clean energy sector. This empowers communities and ensures that American workers are at the forefront of this rapidly advancing field. Several federal training programs stand out as examples of this investment: The Department of Energy's Solar Ready Vets program, which provides career training for military veterans transitioning to civilian roles. The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy's Good Jobs and Workforce Development program, aimed at training middle-skill workers to transition to career paths within the clean energy sector. Apprenticeship programs supported by the Department of Labor, targeting various sectors within clean energy, from wind turbine maintenance to energy-efficient construction techniques. These programs offer hands-on experience, often in partnership with industry leaders, to provide workers with the practical knowledge they need to excel in their new roles. Support for displaced workers The transition to cleaner energy solutions brings with it the challenge of aiding workers displaced from the fossil fuel industry. The U.S. government has initiated several programs aimed at mitigating the negative impacts. For example, the POWER Initiative by the Department of Labor is designed specifically to assist communities affected by job losses in coal mining and coal-fired power plants. This program provides funding for workforce development, including retraining and job placement services. Various forms of assistance are available, ranging from unemployment benefits to career counseling services and targeted skill development courses. These resources are designed to help displaced workers adapt to new roles in a shifting energy market. Support for affected communities The Department of Energy's Local Energy Action Program, commonly known as Communities LEAP, aims to accelerate the deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in local communities. The program focuses on creating sustainable energy strategies tailored to community-specific needs. Financial resources are allocated for targeted communities, empowering them to build more resilient and efficient energy systems. International cooperation and partnerships One noteworthy international effort is the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between the United States, Indonesia, and South Africa. The partnership aims to accelerate the transition to clean energy in these countries while ensuring social equity and economic sustainability. Outcomes of these international collaborations include sharing best practices, facilitating technology transfer, and securing financial support for clean energy projects. State-Level Actions: A Closer Look Philadelphia: Green projects and racial equity In Philadelphia, infrastructure funding is being strategically allocated to green projects that prioritize racial equity. The city is placing an emphasis on partnering with historically underutilized businesses to ensure that the benefits of these projects are widely shared. Chicago: Residential decarbonization program Chicago is making strides in decarbonization through energy-efficient upgrades in residential buildings. A key component of this initiative is the involvement of local contractors from underrepresented communities, aiming to combine environmental goals with social justice objectives. New Orleans: Collaborating for environmental justice New Orleans has entered into a partnership with the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. The collaboration includes the establishment of technical assistance centers and a focus on climate action equity, aiming to build resilience while ensuring fairness in environmental outcomes. Colorado: Focused initiatives for coal workers The Colorado Office of Just Transition has been established to specifically assist coal workers affected by the transition to cleaner energy sources. Coal Transition Community Grants are available to help these communities adapt and develop sustainable economic models. New Mexico: Energy Transition Act New Mexico's Energy Transition Act aims to shift from coal to low-carbon energy sources. In addition to setting ambitious clean energy goals, the Act provides for workforce training and transition assistance to ensure that workers are not left behind during this crucial transformation. The Path Forward for Just Energy Transition Federal and state-level initiatives have shown a concerted effort to make the energy transition both just and efficient. The significance of a collaborative approach cannot be overstated. Both domestically and internationally, cross-sector partnerships amplify the impact of individual initiatives and are essential for addressing the complex challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy while leaving no one behind. As technology advances and policy evolves, the United States is well-positioned to foster a sustainable and equitable energy future. The key to success will be the continued alignment of economic, environmental, and social objectives, supported by inclusive and far-reaching policies. Learn more about Energy Transition services from Antea Group, to better understand how your organization can deftly navigate the challenge of our time. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Antea Group on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Antea Group Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/antea-group Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Antea Group View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813460/just-energy-transition-the-us-perspective DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The NDC Partnership and the Government of the United Kingdom launched a centre to catalyze systemic change to unlock climate finance at COP28 today, aiming to generate and streamline solutions for climate vulnerable countries and enable sustainable development. The centre is being financed by the UK Government and created as part of the collaborative work of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance. Andrew Mitchell, International Development Minister of the United Kingdom, said: "It is critical that climate finance is accessible to developing countries, which often face the greatest risks from climate change. The UK is proud to launch a new centre, hosted by the NDC Partnership, to support this goal. The centre will galvanise our collective efforts to make climate finance accessible and aligned with the needs and priorities of developing countries." Dr. Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment of the Republic of Rwanda and NDC Partnership Co-Chair, said: "Today's announcement of a centre to mobilize climate finance will amplify the knowledge generation and adoption of best practices, making them accessible to the Partnership's more than 100 Developing Country Members." The centre will further knowledge sharing, system thinking and outreach to improve access to finance, with a strong focus on seven country-led trials-in Bangladesh, Fiji, Jamaica, Mauritius, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda-supported through the Taskforce. "The challenges in accessing climate finance are especially severe in low-income countries. The Partnership and the Taskforce are pioneering country-specific approaches and providing much-needed support to increase national capacities and coordinate climate finance. By joining forces, we can increase our impact," says NDC Partnership Global Director Pablo Vieira. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1687000/NDC_Partnership_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-ndc-partnership-and-united-kingdom-launch-centre-to-catalyze-climate-finance-302006380.html Innovative Geospatial Startup Announces Contract Under NRO's Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement Framework, Commercial Electro-Optical Capabilities Focus Area WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Hydrosat , the thermal infrared data and analytics company, announced today it has secured a 2.5-year contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) under the agency's Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Commercial Electro-Optical Capabilities (CEC) Focus Area. Washington, DC-based Hydrosat provides geospatial intelligence for climate, food security, and the environment through daily surface temperature data and analytics. The SCE BAA CEC award will enable NRO to evaluate Hydrosat's commercial remote sensing technology for potential application across a broad range of use cases. Hydrosat's contract with the NRO includes the evaluation of high-resolution thermal imagery from its planned constellation of satellites. "NRO operates the nation's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites and is assessing commercial thermal imagery as a potential tool for expanding its commercial and defense capabilities," said Pieter Fossel, CEO and co-founder of Hydrosat. "We are honored to be chosen for this highly selective contract, and are confident that Hydrosat's unparalleled data frequency and high-resolution thermal monitoring will be a cutting-edge commercial addition to the NRO overhead architecture." The NRO award is the latest in a series of wins for the fast-growing organization. After closing a $20 million Series A earlier this year, Hydrosat recently announced the acquisition of IrriWatch, the world's most advanced irrigation management software, to provide critical data for commercial growers. In the defense sector, Hydrosat previously announced a grant award from the U.S. Air Force to adapt its surface temperature data to the mission needs of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. To learn more about Hydrosat's innovative thermal imagery technology, please visit https://www.hydrosat.com/solutions . About Hydrosat Hydrosat is a geospatial data analytics company that uses thermal infrared imagery to provide unprecedented technology insights for commercial and government customers. The company's high-resolution, daily satellite thermal imagery delivers a unique perspective on our planet, and Hydrosat's advanced analytics convey precise crop yield forecasts and improved irrigation tools to financial and agribusiness customers around the globe. For more information visit https://www.hydrosat.com . Hydrosat Contact Escalate PR hydrosat@escalatepr.com SOURCE: Hydrosat View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813463/hydrosat-awarded-contract-with-the-national-reconnaissance-office-for-thermal-imagery CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar retreated against its most major counterparts in the New York session on Tuesday, as job openings came in below expectations in October. Data from the Labor Department showed that U.S. job openings decreased to 8.7 million in October from a downwardly revised 9.35 million in the prior month. Economists had expected the figure to rise to 9.3. The greenback eased to 0.8728 against the franc, 1.2651 against the pound and 1.0838 against the euro, reversing from an early 4-day high of 0.8759, 8-day high of 1.2598 and a multi-week high of 1.0801, respectively. The greenback pulled back to 0.6579 against the aussie, 0.6156 against the kiwi and 1.3562 against the loonie, from an early nearly 2-week high of 0.6547 and 5-day highs of 0.6125 and 1.3591, respectively. The next possible support for the greenback is seen around 0.86 against the franc, 1.31 against the pound, 1.10 against the euro, 0.68 against the aussie, 0.63 against the kiwi and 1.32 against the loonie. 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. Regulatory News: Having obtained all the necessary administrative authorizations, Vitura (Paris:VTR) is pressing ahead with its plans to bring the Passy Kennedy and Office Kennedy properties together within a single 34,000 sq.m complex, to be known as the "Kennedy Campus". One of the aims of this flagship operation is to refocus the Company's portfolio on the wider Paris CBD. Discussions on financing arrangements (both debt and capital) for the project are currently underway with major international banks and investors, including some of Vitura's shareholders. The new financing, which is subject to approval by the different banks, will cover the estimated 100 million works program, the refinancing of the two outstanding loans, and financing costs. It will therefore incorporate the loan granted by Societe Generale in connection with the acquisition of Passy Kennedy in 2018, which represents an amount of 139 million, the maturity of which has been extended to March 2024. About Vitura Created in 2006, Vitura is a listed real estate company ("SIIC") that invests in prime office property in Paris and Greater Paris. The total value of the portfolio was estimated at 1,436 million at June 30, 2023 (excluding transfer duties). Thanks to its strong commitment to sustainable development, the Company's leadership position is recognized by ESG rating agencies. Vitura has held a GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) 5-star rating since 2014 and has been ranked world number 1 (Global Sector Leader) in the listed office property companies category four times. It has also received two Gold Awards from the European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA) for the quality and transparency of its financial and non-financial reporting. Vitura is ISO 14001-certified. Vitura is a REIT listed on Euronext Paris since 2006, in compartment B (ISIN: FR0010309096). Visit our website to find out more: www.vitura.fr/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205509210/en/ Contacts: For more information, please contact: Investor Relations Charlotte de Laroche info@vitura.fr +33 1 42 25 76 38 Media relations Alienor Miens alienor.miens@margie.fr +33 6 64 32 81 75 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - West Island Brands Inc. (CSE: WIB) (FSE: 39N0) (OTC PINK: WIBFF) ("West Island" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company is in receipt of an order to partially revoke ("Partial Revocation Order") the FFCTO (defined below) from its principal regulator, the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC"). On May 5, 2023 , the OSC issued a Cease Trade Order (the "FFCTO") in respect of the securities of the Company for failure to file certain documents which included (i) the audited annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, (ii) the accompanying management discussion and analysis relating to the audited annual financial statements for year ended December 31, 2022, and (iii) certification in respect of the audited annual financial statements for year ended December 31, 2022, as required by National Instrument 52-109 Certification of Disclosure in Issuers' Annual and Interim Filings. The purpose of seeking the partial revocation of the FFCTO is to enable the Company to complete a small private placement. The use of funds from this capital raise are to resolve outstanding fees, prepare and complete audited financial statements for year end December 31, 2022, and to pay all other costs associated with an application for a full revocation of the FFCTO. The Company intends to complete and file all unfiled continuous disclosure documents and apply for a full revocation of the FFCTO following the completion of the private placement. As per the Partial Revocation Order issued, the Company intends to raise funds by means of a non-brokered private placement ("Private Placement") consisting of up to 2,051,282 units ("Units") at a price of $0.0975 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $200,000.00. Each Unit will be comprised of one common share ("Common Share") in the capital of the Company and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share for a period of 24 months from the closing date at an exercise price of $0.13 per Warrant. Prior to completion of the Private Placement, each subscriber to the Private Placement will receive a copy of the FFCTO and the Partial Revocation Order, and will be required to provide a signed and dated acknowledgement to the Company that all of the Company's securities, including the securities issued in the Private Placement, will remain subject to the FFCTO until such order is fully revoked, and that the granting of the Partial Revocation Order by the OSC does not guarantee the issuance of a full revocation order in the future. The Partial Revocation Order, which was granted on November 30, 2023, will terminate on the earlier of the completion of the Private Placement and 60 days from date of the Partial Revocation Order. All issuances hereunder remain subject to any required approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE"). About West Island West Island is a multi-faceted, innovative company in the Quebec cannabis space. Its subsidiary, RoyalMax Biotechnology Canada Inc. D.B.A West Island Culture is a Montreal, Quebec based cannabis company. A Health Canada Licence Holder West Island has standard cultivation licence, standard processing, medical sales and sales licences. For more information on West Island Brands please visit the website at: westislandbrands.com. West Island cannabis products can be found in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon Territories, Northwest Territories, Ontario and Quebec. On behalf of the Board of Directors WEST ISLAND BRANDS INC. Boris Ziger Boris Ziger, CEO The Company's public filings are available for review at www.sedar.com and www.thecse.com. For further information, please contact: Boris Ziger, CEO at: Telephone: 416-304-9935 E-mail: info@westislandbrands.com Website: www.westislandbrands.com Boris Ziger, PDG de : Telephone: 416-304-9935 Courriel: info@westislandbrands.com Site Web: www.westislandbrands.com Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as, "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "expect", "anticipate", "believe, "intend", "plan", "forecast", "project", "estimate", "outlook" and other similar expressions, and includes statements concerning the Company's intent to conduct the Private Placement, its belief that the proceeds will be sufficient to pay to bring its continuous disclosure record up to date, and its intent to file for a full revocation of the FFCTO, reinstatement of trading on the CSE, the ability to obtain the necessary approvals in connection with the Private Placement. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors relevant in the circumstances, including assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions, the current and future regulatory environment; and the availability of licenses, approvals and permits. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. We seek Safe Harbor. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189901 BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foreign Languages Press recently invited a panel of scholars to evaluate its multi-language publication titled "Xi Jinping: On Respecting and Protecting Human Rights." Liu Huawen, executive director and researcher at Human Rights Research Center of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the book provides a comprehensive review of President Xi Jinping's approach to respecting and protecting human rights. The book also provides important insights into how China plays an active role in promoting human rights within the framework of global governance. Active participation in promoting human rights within the framework of global governance embodies an important approach and major milestone for China to achieve human rights-based development. In the book Xi Jinping: On Respecting and Protecting Human Rights, President Xi Jinping illustrated four points. First, countries around the world should practice true multilateralism, and safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law. In his speech at the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2021, Xi said, "...we must improve global governance and practice true multilateralism. In the world, there is only one international system, i.e. the international system with the United Nations at its core. There is only one international order, i.e. the international order underpinned by international law." He also stressed the importance of the UN to "advance, in a balanced manner, work in all the three areas of security, development and human rights." Second, all countries should emphasize the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and create a virtuous cycle where cooperation, development and human rights reinforce one another. China is the first developing country to realize the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), contributing over 70 percent to global poverty reduction. While managing its own affairs well, China is also an active player in driving global economic growth. An advocate and practitioner of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, China highly values the formulation and implementation of the United Nations development agenda. Third, China has devoted serious energy to the development of developing countries and South-South cooperation. Being the largest developing country itself, China faces the same or similar task with other developing countries along the path to survive and thrive through economic and social development. In fact, a basic principle in China's foreign policy is to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with third world countries. Fourth, every country should uphold the common values of humanity, playing an active role in the building of a global community of shared future. Thanks to China's efforts, the United Nations Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Human Rights Council have included the concept of building a global community of shared future in a number of resolutions, making it an increasingly significant component in international human rights discourse. The international community has achieved the consensus that human rights should be respected and protected, and that solidarity and cooperation should be strengthened. Promoting human rights within the framework of global governance is anchored in the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom illuminated by President Xi Jinping, and in the building of a global community of shared future. To read more about the multi-language publication, please visit the website of the Foreign Languages Press: https://flp.com.cn/en/. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293156/Foreign_Languages_Press.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2288625/4439459/Foreign_Languages_Press_Logo.jpg Media contact: Ms. Liu Yuhong Phone: 008610-68995846 Email: 1542190629@qq.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/foreign-languages-press-chinas-active-role-in-promoting-human-rights-within-the-framework-of-global-governance-302006396.html These achievements underline Esker's continuous commitment and leadership in ESG performance Esker, a global cloud platform and leader in AI-driven process automation solutions for Finance, Procurement and Customer Service functions, today announced it has once again received recognition for its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments. EcoVadis awarded Esker the Platinum Medal and placed it in the top 1% of companies evaluated across all industries. EthiFinance also ranked Esker among the leaders of its ESG Rating. These two accomplishments exhibit Esker's successful implementation of its ambitious ESG roadmap. The Platinum Medal is the highest distinction awarded by EcoVadis, the leading provider of business sustainability ratings. Esker received an overall score of 81/100, up 7 points from 2022, and improved its social and ethical conduct score by 10 points. EthiFinance, a European rating, research and advisory group serving sustainable finance and development, evaluates companies according to a framework containing 140 criteria which are divided into four tiers. Esker achieved an overall score of 75/100, an increase of 8 points over 2022. Notably, this included a 30-point improvement in environmental performance and a 9-point improvement in the socialperformance category. "The EcoVadis and EthiFinance awards crown two decades of continuous efforts to establish a more sustainable and resilient business model," said Jean-Michel Berard, CEO at Esker. "We have put a roadmap in place in which we pledge to increase our efforts to achieve four key objectives: acting ethically and responsibly, continuing to grow customer trust, fostering a content and skilled workforce, and doing our part in protecting the planet. The involvement of all teams and stakeholders is essential to successfully reduce Esker's environmental footprint, which also is a prerequisite for long-term growth." This year, Esker has been able to distinguish itself in the social sphere, thanks to long-standing commitments to employee well-being as well as externally through community engagement and educational initiatives. Esker understands the importance of a positive work environment and promotes a culture of diversity and inclusion and held several company-wide awareness-raising initiatives such as trainings, events and workshops on these subjects. And successfully so, as the question "I feel accepted as I am at Esker" received the highest score in the 2023 HR employee survey. Over 91% of employees recommend Esker as great company to work for. "The EcoVadis Platinum Medal and the significant progress on social and ethical conduct aspects acknowledge the long-term work performed not only by Esker Management and HR teams, but above all by Esker employees, who are very involved in proposing ideas and seeing them through," said Aurelie Guimera, Worldwide Director of Human Resources at Esker. "This is an impressive team achievement which aligns superbly with our company values." Being a technology company, Esker is committed to the inclusion and promotion of women in IT positions. With 32% of management positions held by women (compared with 31% of women in the total workforce), the company's goal is to achieve an overall rate of 34% women in the workforce by 2027. Esker's commitment to innovation is also reflected in its education sponsorship program, which includes being a founding partner of the coding school Ecole 42 Lyon, and a cocreator of an AI research chair at INSEEC. By supporting a variety of schools and organizations in the region that promote gender equality in the IT sector and encouraging exchanges between students and employees, Esker is working to contribute to the development and integration of future graduates. An additional pillar of this work revolves around the recruitment of interns and work-study program participants, whose number has more than doubled in France between 2020 and 2022. On the environmental front, Esker is strongly committed to reducing the environmental footprint of its business activities. Esker has proactively measured its carbon emissions across all locations worldwide, including all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3). Esker recently renewed its ISO 14001 environmental management certification for both locations in France (Villeurbanne and Decines). Esker strives to extend the lifecycle of company-owned IT equipment and electronic devices as much as possible by performing in-house maintenance, vendor support and employee buyback programs. These buybacks are made in exchange for donations to charities of the employee's choosing. As part of its ESG roadmap, Esker is also committed to extending the lifespan of its IT equipment for all subsidiaries by six months by 2027. Esker considers ethical business conduct to be the foundation of its operations. To that end, the company has implemented anti-corruption policies and training as well as a Code of Conduct for all employees. To learn more about Esker's ESG strategy, visit: www.esker.com.esg. About EcoVadis EcoVadis is a purpose-driven company whose mission is to provide the world's most trusted business sustainability ratings. Businesses of all sizes rely on EcoVadis' expert intelligence and evidence-based ratings to monitor and improve the sustainability performance of their business and trading partners. Its actionable scorecards, benchmarks, carbon action tools, and insights guide an improvement journey for environmental, social, and ethical practices across 200 industry categories and 175 countries. Industry leaders such as Johnson Johnson, L'Oreal, Unilever, LVMH, Bridgestone, BASF, and JPMorgan are among the 100,000 businesses that collaborate with EcoVadis to drive resilience, sustainable growth, and positive impact worldwide. Learn more on ecovadis.com. About EthiFinance EthiFinance is an innovative European rating, research and advisory group serving sustainable finance and sustainable development. The Group provides investors, companies and organizations with solutions to the challenges of financing as well as environmental and societal transformation. Created in 2017, the Group is the result of the merger between Spread Research and EthiFinance, French financial and nonfinancial rating agencies both founded in 2004. EthiFinance provides its services to a wide range of leading international clients under the brands Spread Research (independent credit research), EthiFinance Ratings (credit rating agency), EthiFinance Analytics (risk modelling), imug rating (ESG rating consulting), and EthiFinance (nonfinancial rating and advisory agency). Learn more on ethifinance.com. 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/20231205449114/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 Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, December 05 For immediate release 5 December 2023 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 300,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 826.10 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 25,517,186; 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 199,474,117. The figure of 199,474,117 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 NORWALK, Conn., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GameChange Solar (GCS), a leading global supplier of solar tracker and fixed-tilt racking technology, announced the opening of a new dedicated training, service, and technical support center exclusively for its Genius Tracker solar trackers in Cape Town, South Africa. The new center is expected to be staffed by experienced local experts able to train EPC companies and installation technicians on the project construction and assembly of the tracker components. The training site will also contain a warehouse for GCS equipment to provide support for projects in the region. "By providing an in-person training center in Cape Town, the South African hub for the solar industry, we will be able to deliver higher quality hands-on local training and service for solar project owners and EPCs before, during, and after project construction," said Russ Bowden, Regional Director for Southern Africa. "With the current growth of our business in Africa, it was essential for GCS to have a local team of local experts who can respond quickly to the needs of our customers." "GameChange Solar entered the South African market in 2021," said Derick Botha, Chief Commercial Officer for GameChange Solar. "We are thrilled that our growth in the region since then has led to this new milestone of opening the training and service center in Cape Town. We offer cutting-edge technology with low installation and maintenance costs, and that has resonated in the South African region." Genius Tracker design allows for fast installation with preassembled Speed Clamps. Power production enabled by the Genius Tracker system is further optimized with its WeatherSmart and SmartStow modes that optimize tilt during overcast periods and minimize time spent in stow during severe weather to optimize production. Africa has 60% of the world's best solar resources, but only 1% of the solar generation capacity, and it is expected that Africa's installed capacity of solar power could increase from around 5 GW in 2020 to over 25 GW by 2040 according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). About GameChange Solar GameChange is a leading global provider of solar tracker solutions used in utility-scale and ground-mounted distributed generation solar projects around the world. We have delivered over 26 GW of solar tracker and fixed tilt systems that combine fast installation, bankable quality, and unbeatable value through superior engineering, innovative design, and high-volume manufacturing. Our products enable solar panels at power plants to follow the sun's movement across the sky and optimize plant performance while also protecting the array from damaging weather conditions. Additionally, GameChange Solar, through its GeniusBOS subsidiary, is growing a portfolio of products for the broader balance of system needs of solar arrays. For more information, please visit GameChange Solar. Contact: Lisa Andrews Director of Marketing GameChange Solar lisa.andrews@gamechangesolar.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293420/GameChange_Solar_Training_Facility_in_Cape_Town.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1592922/GameChange_Solar_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gamechange-solar-opens-new-training-and-customer-service-center-in-south-africa-302006487.html SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of December 5th (local time), the Shenzhen Session at China Pavilion during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) was held in the Expo City of Dubai. The Shenzhen Session was jointly guided by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China and the People's Government of Shenzhen Municipality, and was hosted by the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, presenting Shenzhen's latest initiatives and achievements in addressing climate change to the world and promoting international communications and cooperation in the field of green and low-carbon development. On the session, Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Ian Tout, Manager at Communications and Engagement Division of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change , Sren E. Lutken, Senior Economist of UN Environment Programme and Zhang Xuefan, Director-General of the Party Committee of Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality delivered speeches. Shenzhen's Annual Green Achievements Released The National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation released the Research Report on Low Carbon Transformation and Development of Emerging Industries in Shenzhen, the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality released the White Paper on Responding to Climate Change in Shenzhen and Tencent launched "TanLIVE Global" -Empowering Climate Tech Ecosystem. Notably, the White Paper on Responding to Climate Change in Shenzhen comprehensively summarizes the progress made by Shenzhen in tackling climate change since the 13th Five Year Plan, hoping to offer Shenzhen's best practice to global climate change action. Shenzhen's Top Ten Green and Low-Carbon Cases of 2023 Unveiled Enterprise cases from BYD, Shenzhen Energy Group, Shenzhen DAS Intellitech, Shenzhen Grandsun Electronic, SF Holding, Shenzhen Metro Group, CR Power Shenshan Company, Shenzhen Lumi United Technology, Shenzhen DeCarbon Technology, and Shenzhen Shenzhentong were awarded Shenzhen's Top Ten Green and Low-Carbon Cases of 2023. These cases encompass a wide range of sectors, including low-carbon transportation, green building, smart manufacturing, industrial park management, modern logistics, smart homes, and energy conservation and environmental protection, standing out the major role of Shenzhen's enterprises in green and low-carbon innovation. Keynote Speakers Remarked on Pioneering Practices Wang Shi, Chairman of Vanke Public Welfare Foundation, Cassie Sutherland, Managing Director of Climate Solutions and Networks of C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Liu Bang, Chairman of Shenzhen DAS Intellitech and Cheng Huiming, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other experts and representatives from international organizations, industries, and consulting institutes shared views and insights on global low-carbon development pattern and future trends and Shenzhen's pathway to advance. A Head Start on Actions, Practices, Measures, and Innovations Wang Dong, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) hosted a high-level dialogue and sparked a brainstorming discussion. Dialogue guests Kobie Brand, ICLEI Deputy Secretary General and Regional Director of ICLEI Africa Secretariat, Liang Rui, Vice President of Sunwoda Electronic, Li Xia, CEO of Shenzhen Solar Run Energy, Sun Lili, Co-founder Vice President of Mangrove Foundation, and Yao Shu, BYD Middle East Africa Sales Director discussed how to achieve green development goals based on "A Head Start on Actions, Practices, Measures, and Innovations" and how different sectors in Shenzhen to leverage digitalization and greenization for a green, low-carbon and high-quality development . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sharing-green-and-low-carbon-development-experience-with-the-world-shenzhens-climate-action-showcased-at-china-pavilion-302006535.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / SAP Feature by Claudia Cortes The world is watching as tens of thousands of leaders gather for the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at Expo City in Dubai, UAE, from November 30 to December 12. The primary goal is to negotiate agreements that will limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The conference participants face complex challenges as they strive to turn these aspirations into concrete action. Amidst the vibrant backdrop of Dubai, the objective stands tall: to ensure that all nations, particularly the less affluent, aren't disproportionately burdened in pursuing a sustainable world. Yet, can these ambitious goals truly be achieved? The UN Climate Change Conference is a platform for governments to collaborate on creating policies against rising global temperatures and confronting the consequences of climate change. Over the years, these gatherings have shown progress, but many say they are too slow in creating tangible results. Recent assessments suggest a potential warming of 3 degrees Celsius, highlighting the urgent need for collective action to achieve the crucial 1.5-degree target. COP28 aims to be more than just another meeting; it seeks to serve as a significant moment where the international community reflects on and evaluates the progress made since the 2015 Paris Agreement. Above all, it represents a critical self-assessment, examining what actions are required to bridge the gap by 2030. SAP Promotes Sustainable Innovation: Making Progress Together SAP is participating in COP28 and advocating for ambitious policy action and the adoption of technology for corporate sustainability management. Through the active participation of CEO and Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE Christian Klein, SAP Chief Marketing & Solutions Officer and Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE Julia White, and Chief Sustainability and Commercial Officer Sophia Mendelsohn, SAP showcases its critical role in advancing sustainability. SAP underscores its commitment to climate action by engaging in nearly 70 initiatives during COP28 on various fronts like carbon accounting, climate justice, and the circular economy. Businesses of every stripe are reshaping their processes and how they operate to not only adjust to increasing regulation but to thrive in an era demanding zero emissions. "SAP's customers generate 87% of the world's global commerce, about US$46 trillion. That puts us in a unique position in which we play a critical role in the global economic ecosystem," says Mendelsohn. "SAP can help 87% of total global commerce organize its supply chain, transportation, and financial data in a way that enables a circular and net zero economy." A recent study conducted by SAP revealed a significant advantage for businesses that proactively incorporate sustainability into their strategies, surpassing those that merely respond to external pressures. SAP's solutions can help by streamlining data collection, enabling comprehensive analysis, sharing standardized data, and seamlessly integrating sustainability measures into core business processes. This transparency and integration can empower businesses to effectively navigate regulatory landscapes and make well-informed, sustainable decisions across their entire value chain. SAP's advocacy of managing carbon, fostering collaborative supply chain ecosystems, and supporting local initiatives in combating climate change and societal challenges exemplifies its strategic priorities driving this significant global shift towards sustainability. This underscores the urgency for all companies, regardless of size or industry, to prioritize sustainability. Climate change poses an unparalleled challenge that necessitates collective effort - a challenge no single entity can tackle alone. That's why SAP is working with a broad set of partners for sustainability. Alicia Lenze, global marketing head of Sustainability Marketing at SAP, says, "Collaborating with our global sustainability ecosystem is essential to our customer success. We work with partners of all kinds - institutional, strategic, consulting, and technology - to achieve our sustainability goals together. We actively engage with institutional partners such as The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and We Mean Business (WMB) to demonstrate how we are helping companies take concrete actions to tackle climate change." SAP also strives to be a trusted sustainability partner to governments, international organizations, and civil society. By fostering meaningful relationships, SAP drives climate action through technology and advocates for effective climate policies and youth inclusion in a just transition. COP28 is an opportunity for governments to implement a balanced approach to addressing climate challenges, combining mitigation and adaptation with crucial technological support. "I'm hopeful for an ambitious and impactful set of outcomes, which will send a strong signal to all stakeholders, including businesses, that we need to act with urgency and scale to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement for our people and planet," says Pete Selfridge, head of Global Government Affairs at SAP. Empowering Change Through Education and Youth Action SAP University Alliances is teaming up with Abu Dhabi University to host a special Academic Community Conference. Dr. Karina Edmonds, senior vice president and global head of SAP Academies and University Alliances, will lead the talks, focusing on the critical mix of education, sustainability, and technology. This partnership aims to teach the next generation of leaders, equipping them to navigate and work in our changing world. "Engaging academia and youth in SAP's sustainability efforts is paramount. We are very proud to team up with our academic partners and innovation ecosystem during COP28 to facilitate dialogue around the power of emerging technologies in addressing climate change and its impact," says Edmonds. SAP also focuses on climate justice initiatives, particularly empowering youth through events like the Green Rising Showcase and Youth to the Table's COP28 Collaborator Roundtable, highlighting the significance of youthful involvement in shaping a sustainable and equitable future. The private sector plays a big role in climate justice by bringing people together, speaking up, teaching new skills, and giving resources. Projects like Green Rising aim to involve 10 million young people in climate action. Ensuring youth representation in decision-making forums is vital for inclusive policies. Climate justice is a critical element in addressing the challenges posed by climate change on a global scale. It emphasizes the need to tackle the uneven effects it has on various regions and populations, particularly those that are more susceptible. Projections suggest that by 2050, approximately 1.2 billion individuals could face displacement due to climate-related disasters, underlining the pressing need for action. These forecasts also indicate heightened health risks for nearly all of the world's 2 billion children, potentially resulting in a 20% increase in malnutrition cases. Among the most affected are young people whose futures might encounter disruptions amidst these unfolding crises. COP28 marks an important moment for global action on climate change. It represents an opportunity for collective effort, emphasizing the need for collaboration and a shared commitment to addressing this critical issue. SAP's engagement goes beyond mere attendance - it entails spearheading initiatives toward a sustainable future, encouraging collective responsibility, innovation, and progress. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from SAP on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: SAP Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/sap Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: SAP View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813577/sap-at-cop28-navigating-climate-change-together OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global hospital services market size is expected to reach around USD 21,529.2 billion by 2032, increasing from USD 12,314 billion in 2023. The global hospital services market is projected to grow at a healthy CAGR of 6.40% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. North America led the market with a major share of 37.82% in 2023. Global Hospital Services Market Size and Y-O-Y Forecasted (2022 to 2032) Forecast Years Market Size ($ Billion) Y-O-Y % 2022 11,359.1 8.80 % 2023 12,314.0 8.41 % 2024 13,302.9 8.03 % 2025 14,323.3 7.67 % 2026 15,372.9 7.33 % 2027 16,449.0 7.00 % 2028 17,239.3 6.61 % 2029 18,317.3 6.25 % 2030 19,396.8 5.89 % 2031 20,470.1 5.53 % 2032 21,529.2 5.17 % The North America hospital services market size is estimated to hit around USD 7,861.97 billion by 2032, increasing from USD 4,656.89 billion in 2023 and is expanding at a CAGR of 5.99% between 2023 and 2032. The Europe hospital services market size is projected to surpass around USD 4,397.69 billion by 2032, increasing from USD 2,700.05 billion in 2023 and is growing at a CAGR of 5.57% between 2023 and 2032. The Asia Pacific hospital services market size is anticipated to reach around USD 6,615.20 billion by 2032, increasing from USD 3,558.34 billion in 2023 and is growing at a CAGR of 7.13% between 2023 and 2032. The Full Study is Readily Available | Download the Sample Pages of this Report@ https://www.precedenceresearch.com/sample/1082 Hospital Services Market Revenue ($ Billion), By Hospital Type Hospital Type 2022 2023 2024 2027 2028 2030 2031 2032 State-owned Hospitals 3,904.89 4,227.81 4,561.55 5,618.98 5,881.46 6,600.72 6,957.11 7,307.72 Private Hospitals 3,270.04 3,565.18 3,873.35 4,870.55 5,132.89 5,839.08 6,195.85 6,551.80 Public/Community Hospitals 4,184.20 4,521.02 4,867.96 5,959.48 6,224.90 6,956.98 7,317.15 7,669.65 Total 11,359.13 12,314.01 13,302.86 16,449.01 17,239.26 19,396.78 20,470.11 21,529.17 Hospital services are diverse and essential components of the healthcare system, that includes a wide range of offerings to address the different requirements of patients. Emergency services are especially crucial as they have specialized sections that offer immediate treatment for acute injuries and medical conditions. These units have been trained to react rapidly to critical situations and provide potentially life-saving interventions. Hospitals admit patients for overnight stays or longer to simplify intensive medical care, procedures, and the recovery process that follows. This represents another important aspect of inpatient care. Outpatient services supplement this, allowing people to obtain healthcare without the need for prolonged hospital stays. Accurately identifying medical disorders and directing subsequent therapies are critical functions of diagnostic services, which include laboratory testing and medical imaging. Hospitals are unable to operate without surgical services, which provide operating rooms for a wide range of treatments, from emergency interventions to elective surgeries. Maternity units offer labor and delivery services, whereas pediatric services address the specific healthcare needs of children and expectant mothers. Intensive care units (ICUs) are medical facilities that provide specialized care to patients who have severe and life-threatening diseases. This helps hospitals better prepare to handle emergency medical crises. Hospitals offer patients complete treatment that is further improved by providing pharmacy, mental health, and rehabilitation services, which ensure that patients receive all the assistance they need for their physical and mental health. Immediate Delivery Available | Buy This Premium Research Report@ https://www.precedenceresearch.com/checkout/1082 Additionally, hospitals engage in outreach activities and preventative health initiatives as part of their larger involvement in community health. They handle general healthcare needs and offer specialized treatments in fields like neurology, orthopedics, and cardiology through primary care and specialty clinics. Social services and nutritional support contribute to a comprehensive approach to patient care. The hospital services market is segmented based on hospital type, service type, area, and region. Factors such as the ageing population, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing disposable income, and expanding health insurance coverage are driving the growth of the market. However, high costs, limited access, shortage of skilled workers, complex regulatory laws, and changing patient needs are limiting the growth of the market. Furthermore, the North America region has dominated the market with 50% of the market share. Hospital Services Market Revenue Share (%), By Regions Regions 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 North America 37.96 % 37.82 % 37.67 % 37.53 % 37.38 % 37.24 % 37.10 % 36.95 % 36.81 % 36.66 % 36.52 % Europe 22.09 % 21.93 % 21.76 % 21.59 % 21.43 % 21.26 % 21.09 % 20.93 % 20.76 % 20.59 % 20.43 % APAC 28.69 % 28.90 % 29.10 % 29.30 % 29.51 % 29.71 % 29.91 % 30.12 % 30.32 % 30.52 % 30.73 % LATAM 7.52 % 7.55 % 7.58 % 7.61 % 7.64 % 7.67 % 7.70 % 7.73 % 7.76 % 7.79 % 7.82 % MEA 3.73 % 3.81 % 3.89 % 3.96 % 4.04 % 4.12 % 4.20 % 4.28 % 4.35 % 4.43 % 4.51 % Total 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % 100.00 % The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly during the forecast period. The region's growth is due to the rising adoption of telemedicine, increased use of mobile health apps, and growing demand for personalized medicine. Telemedicine is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in isolated and rural locations with limited access to healthcare services. This technology allows patients to obtain medical consultations and care from the comfort of their own homes, increasing accessibility and convenience. Telemedicine's rise coincides with a greater global shift toward digital health solutions, which is changing the old healthcare delivery model. In addition to telemedicine, the use of mobile health apps is rising. These apps monitor health, schedule appointments, and receive medication reminders. The convenience offered by mobile health apps contributes to improved patient engagement and adherence to treatment plans. Moreover, there is a growing demand for personalized medicine. This innovative approach to healthcare uses genetic information to alter treatments for individual patients, potentially leading to more effective and safer therapeutic interventions. The adoption of personalized medicine reflects a commitment to advancing healthcare outcomes by using advanced technologies and individualized treatment strategies. Personalized your customization here: https://www.precedenceresearch.com/customization/1082 Hospital Type Insights Private hospitals are expected to grow faster during the forecast period, owing to their strategic focus on specialized healthcare services, advanced technology, and patient-centric approaches. These hospitals are benefiting from the rise in medical tourism by providing high-quality services such as elective procedures and innovative treatments to international patients. Investment in advanced diagnostic imaging and robotic-assisted surgeries increases private hospitals as the experts in providing precise and less invasive procedures. Companies set themselves apart by focusing on patient-centric services like specific healthcare plans and concierge medicine, which improve the overall healthcare experience.Furthermore, private hospitals are leading the telehealth revolution, including remote consultations and virtual care to fulfill the growing need for convenient and accessible healthcare services. Service Type Insights Outpatient services dominate the service type segment due to their adaptability, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with preventative and ambulatory care trends. Outpatient care selection, which includes routine check-ups, diagnostics, and specialist clinics, contributes to its prevalence. Furthermore, telemedicine integration improves outpatient care by providing remote consultations and monitoring. Inpatient services, particularly critical care and advanced interventions continue to be essential for emergencies, major surgeries, and long-term therapies. Services Area Insights The cancer care segment of the hospital services market has been growing owing to increased global cancer incidence as well as major advances in oncology. According to World Health Organization data, cancer is the second largest cause of death worldwide. Advances in diagnostics and imaging for early detection are driving an increase in demand for comprehensive cancer care services. Oncology treatments, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and precision medicine, are advancing rapidly, improving the effectiveness of cancer care services. The interdisciplinary approach, which includes surgery, radiation therapy, and supportive care, accelerates the growth of this market. Growth is made easier by investments in advanced cancer care facilities, research and development, and collaborations for advanced therapies. Furthermore, the incorporation of Tele oncology for remote consultations increases the accessibility of cancer treatment services Browse More Insights: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Biopharmaceutical Market: The global artificial intelligence (AI) in biopharmaceutical market size was estimated at USD 0.86 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit around USD 14.07 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 32.3% from 2023 to 2032. Healthcare Discount Plan Market: The global healthcare discount plan market size reached USD 20 billion in 2022 and is expected to hit around USD 80.56 billion by 2032, poised to grow at a CAGR of 15% from 2023 to 2032. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Animal Health Market: The global artificial intelligence (AI) in animal health market size was estimated at USD 0.99 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit around USD 5.76 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 19.30% from 2023 to 2032. Veterinary Pharmacovigilance Market: The global veterinary pharmacovigilance market size accounted for USD 784.6 million in 2022 and it is projected to hit around USD 2,514 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2023 to 2032. Insulin Market: The global insulin market size surpassed USD 23.1 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to hit around USD 83.04 billion by 2032, poised to grow at a CAGR of 13.70% from 2023 to 2032. Small Molecule Immunomodulators Market: The global small molecule immunomodulators market size reached USD 156.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit around USD 283.70 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 6.20% from 2023 to 2032. Skincare Devices Market: The global skincare devices market size surpassed USD 15.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit around USD 43.31 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.80% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. Individual Health Insurance Market: The global individual health insurance market size reached USD 124.8 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit around USD 233.16 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 6.50% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. Live Cell Imaging Market: The globallive cell imaging market size is projected to hit around USD 5.74 billion by 2032 from USD 2.6 billion in 2022 and is expanding at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. Vaccine Contract Manufacturing Market: The global vaccine contract manufacturing market size is projected to be worth around USD 8.92 billion by 2032 from USD 3.1 billion in 2022 and is expanding at a CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period 2023 to 2032. Market Dynamics: Driver: The rise in chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory ailments, and diabetes is a major factor driving the growth of the hospital service market. These diseases jointly account for 73% of global mortality, indicating their huge impact on healthcare systems globally. Increases in chronic diseases, driven by factors such as population aging, urbanization, and unhealthy lifestyles, create a continuing burden on hospital services. For instance, rising heart disease prevalence is associated with an increase in hospital admissions for heart attacks and strokes. The medical field is changing to effectively handle these chronic diseases, with hospitals established as important organizations in providing comprehensive treatment. In addition, the rising prevalence of chronic respiratory disorders like COPD and asthma increases the need for hospital care. This complicated health burden increases by urbanization and environmental factors, indicating the critical role of hospitals in addressing respiratory disorders. Furthermore, as the worldwide population struggles with the long-term impact of diabetes, diabetes-related complications generate a significant rise in hospital admissions. As a result, the hospital service industry not only responds to the rising frequency of chronic diseases, but it also navigates the changing healthcare landscape, establishing hospitals as critical hubs for managing cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory issues and diabetes. Restraint: The ongoing issue of a shortage of healthcare workers is a major barrier to the hospital services market. The issue includes a lack of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers, among other professionals. The need for healthcare services is growing faster than the number of healthcare workers, especially given the aging population and rising incidence of chronic diseases. Due to this imbalance, healthcare workers are overworked, which result in burnout, longer workdays, and possibly lower-quality patient care. The dearth of qualified professionals is made worse by the pressure on the labor force, which also has an impact on hiring and retaining talent. Factors including the demanding nature of the field, the restricted number of training spots available in medical and nursing schools, and the regional distribution of healthcare professionals all contribute to the scarcity of workers in the healthcare industry. The weight of this shortfall frequently falls on rural and neglected areas, which struggle to draw and keep healthcare workers. Opportunities: Technology that strategically integrates machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) presents a large opportunity for the hospital services market. Hospitals can provide healthcare practitioners with data-driven insights and enable more precise diagnosis and individualized treatment regimens by deploying AI-powered clinical decision support systems. The use of predictive analytics models enables proactive actions aimed at enhancing overall health care by anticipating patient outcomes and identifying potential dangers. Furthermore, AI resource allocation systems enhance hospital operations through analysis of patient flow, bed usage, and staffing trends, resulting in more economical and efficient use of hospital resources. Moreover, the integration of AI involves improving administrative procedures and patient involvement. AI-powered chatbots and virtual health assistants can book appointments, respond to patient inquiries instantly, and give basic medical advice. Reduction of errors and acceleration of reimbursement cycles occur by the automation of billing and claims processing using AI in revenue cycle management. This innovative strategy not only strengthens hospitals' bottom lines but also elevates patient care in general. Recent Developments: Dec 2023, Arihant Hospital in Belagavi achieves a milestone in healthcare with the opening of its advanced Endoscopy Suite. Inaugurated by Dr. Naresh Bhat, a distinguished Gastroenterologist from Aster CMI, Bangalore, the suite boasts state-of-the-art technology for precise and minimally invasive procedures. Led by renowned Gastroenterologist Dr. Varadraj Gokak, the facility aligns with Arihant Hospital. Dec 2023, Health Minister to open surgery, physiotherapy and laboratory units at Govt. AYUSH Hospital in Mangaluru. Key Market Players: Mayo clinic HCA Healthcare Cleveland clinic Spire Healthcare Group plc Ramsay Health Care Ascension Health Community Health Systems, Inc. Tenet Healthcare Fortis Healthcare Key Market Segments: By Hospital Type State-owned Hospital Private Hospital Public/ Community Hospital By Service Type Outpatient Services Inpatient Service By Service Areas Cardiovascular Acute Care Cancer Care Diagnostics, and Imaging Neurorehabilitation & Psychiatry Services Gynecology Others By Regions North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the World Immediate Delivery Available | Buy This Premium Research Report@ https://www.precedenceresearch.com/checkout/1082 You can place an order or ask any questions, please feel free to contact at sales@precedenceresearch.com | +1 650 460 3308 Unlocking Market Insights through Data Excellence The "Precedence Statistics" flexible dashboard is a powerful tool that offers real-time news updates, economic and market forecasts, and customizable reports. It can be configured to support a wide range of analysis styles and strategic planning needs. This tool empowers users to stay informed and make data-driven decisions in various scenarios, making it a valuable asset for businesses and professionals looking to stay ahead in today's dynamic and data-driven world. Access our Premium Real Time Data Intelligence Tool, Visit: www.precedencestatistics.com About Us Precedence Research is a worldwide market research and consulting organization. We give an unmatched nature of offering to our customers present all around the globe across industry verticals. Precedence Research has expertise in giving deep-dive market insight along with market intelligence to our customers spread crosswise over various undertakings. We are obliged to serve our different client base present over the enterprises of medicinal services, healthcare, innovation, next-gen technologies, semi-conductors, chemicals, automotive, and aerospace & defense, among different ventures present globally. Web: https://www.precedenceresearch.com Our Blogs: https://www.towardshealthcare.com https://www.towardspackaging.com For Latest Update Follow Us: Linkedin | Facebook | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2264617/Precedence_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hospital-services-market-size-estimated-to-reach-usd-21-529-2-billion-by-2032--302006653.html The Company Celebrates the Holiday Season With Donations, Service Projects, and More NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Gen Gen Blog | Community By Kimberly Bishop Gen donates $424K to nonprofits on Giving Tuesday Giving Tuesday is a holiday tradition for us here at Gen. Every year, we look for ways to inspire team members to take part in the campaign, which encourages people everywhere to support the causes and organizations that mean the most to them. This year was no different. On November 28, we offered a 2:1 Donation Match to team members across the company, and more than 300 people jumped at the chance to increase their impact. Between employee contributions and our matching donations, we collectively donated $424,000 to nearly 430 causes. We're also incredibly proud that every person on our Leadership Team donated. The organizations we supported were wide ranging and international in scope. Nadacni fond MUZI PROTI RAKOVINE, a nonprofit in the Czech Republic pushing for early detection of prostate cancer, and the International Committee of the Red Cross were two of the most funded causes this year. More than half of employees participate in Giving@Gen This effort comes on the heels of another important milestone for us: the one-year anniversary of the Gen Giving Hub platform launch, powered by Benevity. We launched the Gen Giving Hub after we came together as a new company in November 2022, and it has come to exemplify the thriving culture of giving that we enjoy all year long. In just eight months - April through November - 55% of Gen team members participated in our Giving@Gen program. To honor this one-year anniversary moment, Gen rewarded each employee with $50 to donate to a charity of their choice over a 10-day campaign. More than 2,000 team members supported their favorite causes, resulting in donations to 916 causes. These included organizations supporting those affected by the conflict in Israel and Gaza, as well as military veterans in the United States, cancer patients in the Czech Republic, global LGBTQ+ safe spaces, and many more. Thanks to our teams, this campaign contributed upwards of $135,500 to high-impact nonprofits. Supporting our local communities this holiday season Many of our sites are planning to keep this momentum going by planning local, holiday-inspired donation drives and service projects throughout December. In Dublin, team members are collecting food and essential items for donation to The Capuchin Centre and offering multiple opportunities to volunteer their time. Our American offices are working with Family Giving Tree and the Salvation Army on gift drives for those in need. Our Czech Republic sites are organizing gift and clothing drives with organizations including Dejme detmi sance ("Give Kids a Chance"), Jeziskova Vnoucata ("Santa's Grandchildren") and FriendShip Prague. Team members in Chennai are supporting Bhumi, which works to transform disadvantaged communities in India through education. We are so proud of the generosity of our team members and the many ways they supported their communities this year. We wish you a joyful and impactful holiday season - from all of us at Gen. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gen on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Gen Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/gen Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Gen View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813585/gen-encourages-a-spirit-of-giving NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. ("CO2 GRO" or the "Company") (TSXV:GROW)(OTCQB:BLONF)(Frankfurt:4021) is pleased to announce its intention to complete a non-brokered private placement of unsecured convertible debentures (the "Debentures") for a principal amount of up to $2,500,000 (the "Offering"). The Debentures will bear interest at a rate of 13.5% per annum from the date of issuance (the "Issue Date") and will have a three-year term (the "Term"). During the first year of the Term, quarterly interest payments on the Debentures will be paid in cash. In the remaining two (2) years of the Term, the Company will have the option to (i) pay further interest payments in cash or (ii) make payments-in-kind by way of issuance of common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a price equal to the market price of the Common Shares at the time the accrued interest becomes payable. At any time during the Term, each holder of a Debenture may elect to convert the outstanding principal amount, or any portion thereof, into units of the Company ("Units") at a conversion price of $0.12 per Unit. Each Unit shall consist of one Common Share and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire a Common Share at an exercise price of $0.15 per Common Share for a period of 48 months following the Issue Date. The Debentures will be subject to a forced conversion provision whereby, upon delivery of such notice to holders of the Debentures, the Company is permitted convert the principal amount of all outstanding Debentures into Units in the event that the average closing price of the Common Shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") is greater than $0.20 for twenty (20) consecutive trading days. The Company anticipates using the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital purposes, crystallization of its sales pipeline and conversion of ongoing TAPs (Technology Adaption Projects) with clients into recurring revenue, and for hiring of additional engineering and technical staff to advance all of the above. In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay a finder's fee in cash or securities or a combination of both, as permitted under the policies of the TSXV. Closing of the Offering is expected to occur in one or more tranches, with the first tranche expected to close on or about December 18, 2023. The Debentures and any securities issuable upon conversion thereof will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance of the Debentures. The Offering is subject to the acceptance by the TSXV. The Debentures will be offered and sold by private placement in Canada pursuant to exemptions from the prospectus requirements under National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions, and in certain other jurisdictions on a basis which does not require the qualification or registration of the securities issued pursuant to the Offering. 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 the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") 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 term is defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act any application state securities laws. Visit www.co2gro.ca for more information on CO2 GRO Inc. About CO2 GRO Inc. CO2 GRO Inc. is a precision ag-tech, clean-tech company with a focus on People, the Planet and Prosperity. Our vision is to become one of the leading companies enhancing global food production from protected agriculture. By helping our customers sustainably increase yield and profitability, we could help feed up to half a billion people worldwide while reducing our customers' ecological footprint. About 300 million MT of fruit and vegetables are grown annually from about 5 million hectares of protected vegetable facilities globally (6 kg/m2/year of average production). A 30% yield increase using our technology could add up to 100 million MT of fruits and vegetables per year. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual fruit and vegetable consumption of up to 200 kg per year per adult. Our Target Market: The estimated 800 billion square foot global protected grower market is comprised of 700 billion square feet of fruits & vegetables (Cuesta Roble 2019 estimate), and an estimated 100 billion square feet of protected floriculture and other medicinal plants and non-food varieties. Our Technology: CO2 Delivery Solutions enriches plants with CO 2 by misting an aqueous CO2 solution directly onto plants grown in greenhouses and other protected grow facilities globally. Value Proposition: Approximately 98% of protected grow facilities globally cannot add CO 2 by atmospheric gassing, missing out on up to 30% increased yield potential and 100% more gross profit. CO2 GRO's technology enables all protected growers regardless of facility or location to enrich their plants with CO2 to realize up to 30% yield increases. In addition, our technology suppresses the growth of micro-pathogens such as E.coli and powdery mildew, leading to healthier crops. Growers currently employing CO2 gassing can save up to 90% of CO2 gas used, reducing their ecological footprint and production costs. Patent Protection: CO2 GRO's CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is protected by a suite of patents and patents pending. Business Model: Our technology is sold to growers based on the cultivation area installed at prices that provide a high return on their investment and high margins for our shareholders. Global Expansion: CO2 GRO's management is rapidly expanding its international marketing partner relationships into Mexico, Spain, the EU, the UK, South Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America as well as in its US and Canadian base. Environmental Social and Governance ESG: CO2 GRO is committed to good Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies and practices. We are an equal opportunity employer of choice and opportunity. Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimer This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities. Forward- looking information is often identified by the words "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: statements regarding the future direction of the Company; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business and financial objectives; plans for expansion and the ability of the Company to obtain, develop and foster its business relationships; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning the business of the Company's future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates that management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Such assumptions include but are not limited to: general business and economic conditions; the Company's ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions; successful completion of the Offering; the availability of financing on reasonable terms; the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Company's competitors; and that good relationships with business partners will be maintained. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; in particular, in the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in applicable laws or adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws; the biotechnology industry and the greenhouse growers market are highly competitive, and technical advances in the industry will impact the success of the Company, and other risks described in the Company's filings that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contact: Soumik Roy, Director of Marketing, Communications, and Investor Relations ir@co2gro.ca 416 475 3806 SOURCE: CO2 Gro Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813587/co2-gro-inc-announces-private-placement-of-unsecured-convertible-debentures-of-up-to-25-million Indicative Terms for up to US$175m in a potential UKEF (UK Export Credit Agency) Supported Project Financing Banco Santander S.A. appointed as Mandated Lead Arranger due to extensive experience in ECA and Resources sector financing with a significant presence Brazil (All numbers reported in US dollars) TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSX.V: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 $175 million, the Company has appointed and executed an Engagement Letter with Banco Santander S.A. ("Santander") as the Mandated Lead Arranger ("MLA") for its Monte Do Carmo Project in Brazil. Santander has now executed the engagement letter and completed administrative procedures and onboarding, and plans to initiate the due diligence process within the coming weeks. 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. Santander has extensive experience in ECA financing, a longstanding relationship with UKEF, and presented competitive and compelling terms for the project financing. Additionally, Brazil is one of the core markets for the Santander which is also one of the Top 20 largest Financial Institutions, globally. The UKEF backed facility is expected to be for up to US$175 million on a non-recourse project financing basis for a total tenor of 8 years. The funding will be to cover 70% of the expected project capital expenditures for the Monte Do Carmo 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 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 the MLA 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 granting of construction permits, due diligence, amongst other requirements, the appointment of Santander as MLA is a significant milestone for the project financing of the Monte Do Carmo Project. At the Monte Do Carmo project, work continues to advance the permitting with our Construction License expected in the coming months. The Company is preparing the issuance of its 43-101 Feasibility Study report and once completed 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 such a well-regarded and experienced financial institution such as Santander as MLA to lead our Project Financing in partnership with UKEF as we progress with the development of Monte Do Carmo. We view the support of Santander and UKEF as another indication of the robust nature of the Monte Do Carmo project". About Banco Santander S.A. Banco Santander, S.A is a Spanish multinational financial services company based in Madrid and Santander in Spain. Additionally, Santander maintains a presence in all global financial centers as the 17th-largest banking institution in the world. Although known for its European banking operations, it has extended operations across North and South America, and more recently in continental Asia. It is considered a systemically important bank by the Financial Stability Board. Santander has been designated as a Significant Institution since the entry into force of European Banking Supervision in late 2014, and consequently is directly supervised by the European Central Bank. 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 Chibougamau, 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 Massif. 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 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 the MLA including but not limited to those described in this news release. 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. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813509/cerrado-gold-appoints-banco-santander-sa-as-mandated-lead-arranger-for-export-credit-agency-supported-project-financing-at-its-monte-do-carmo-project-in-brazil Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Trojan Gold Inc. (CSE: TGII) (the "Company" or "Trojan") is pleased to announce that, further to the press release of the Company dated November 14, 2023, it has issued 100,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") to Jon Li, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, at a price of $0.05 per Share, in exchange for outstanding accounts payable totaling $5,000.00 owing to Mr. Li. The Shares will be subject to a four-month and one-day hold period. The issuance of the Shares to Mr. Li constitutes a "related party transaction" as such term is defined by Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company has relied on the exemptions from the MI 61-101 valuation and minority approval requirements for related party transactions in connection with the issuance of the Shares that are set out in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value (as determined under MI 61-101) of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the issuance of the Shares, exceeds 25% of the Company's market capitalization (as determined under MI 61-101). About Trojan Gold Inc. Trojan is an active Ontario-based prospect generator junior exploration company, led by a team of professionals having exploration, engineering, project financing and permitting experience. Trojan has accumulated land positions in the Hemlo Gold Camp and Shebandowan Greenstone Belt which in management's view represent mineral exploration potential. For further information on the Company, please visit www.trojangold.com. Trojan is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol (CSE: TGII), on the OTC Pink Market under the ticker symbol TRJGF and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol KC1. For further information, please contact: Charles J. Elbourne, President & CEO Trojan Gold Inc. 82 Richmond St. East, Suite 401 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1 Telephone: 416-315-6490 Email: elbourne007@gmail.com Website: www.trojangold.com Further Information 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 jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions, and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking information contained in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements relating to the future potential of the Company's mineral properties. Where the Company expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is based on assumptions made in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. Such assumptions include, without limitation, that the Company will have the resources, financial and otherwise, required to complete exploration activities on its properties as currently anticipated or at all. However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to: the risk that the Company will not be able to proceed with anticipated exploration activities on its properties as anticipated or at all; risks relating to the junior mining industry; global economic trends; and other risks as described in the Company's public disclosure record at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as at the date hereof and are based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations, and opinions of management on such date. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements or any forward-looking statements contained in any other documents whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required under applicable securities law. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties, and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189920 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Hypercharge Networks Corp. (NEO: HC) (OTC: HCNWF) (FSE: PB7) (the "Company" or "Hypercharge"), a leading, smart electric vehicle ("EV") charging solutions provider, is pleased to announce its conditional approval for up to 12 DC fast charging locations to be deployed in Western Canada, worth an estimated $2M-$3M. The project is anticipated to commence in the second half of 2024 and expected to continue through 2025, with revenue recognized upon delivery of charging stations. This initiative, by a Western Canadian energy infrastructure provider, marks a substantial step in expanding public charging infrastructure across urban and rural areas in Western Canada. Conditional approval is subject to certain conditions, including but not limited to infrastructure buildout, including the development or expansion of certain physical facilities, and sufficient project financing. "This significant initiative represents a tremendous opportunity for Hypercharge to partner with a leading energy infrastructure provider to enable innovative charging solutions. By increasing the availability of public fast charging stations, we further our goal of providing critical infrastructure required to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in Canada," said David Bibby, President and CEO of Hypercharge. -##- About Hypercharge Hypercharge Networks Corp. (NEO: HC) (OTCQB: HCNWF) (FSE: PB7) is a leading provider of smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions that offers turnkey technology to residential and commercial buildings, fleet operations, and other rapidly growing sectors. Driven by its mission to accelerate EV adoption and enable the shift towards a carbon neutral economy, Hypercharge is committed to providing seamless, simple charging solutions by offering industry-leading equipment and a robust network of public and private charging stations. Learn more: https://hypercharge.com/. On behalf of the company, Hypercharge Networks Corp. David Bibby, President & CEO Investor Relations: invest@hypercharge.com Media Contact: Kyle Kingsnorth | Senior Marketing Manager kyle.kingsnorth@hypercharge.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "will", "estimates", "believes", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements regarding final approval for future commercial contracts, contractual performance and expected deployment of charging equipment. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and the actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as such information, although considered reasonable by management of the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statement. Except as expressly required by securities law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither NEO Exchange Inc. nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of NEO Exchange Inc.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189958 Vaughan, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Delota Corp. (CSE: LOTA) ("Delota" or the "Company"), is excited to announce that the Company intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of senior secured convertible debenture units of the Company (each, a "Debenture Unit") for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $900,000, led by Plaza Capital Advisors (the "Lead Investor") at a price of $1,000 per Debenture Unit. Each Debenture Unit will consist of: (i) a $1,000 principal senior secured convertible debenture (each a "Debenture"); and (ii) 10,000 common share purchase warrants (each, a "Warrant") exercisable for 10,000 common shares in the Company (each, a "Share"). The Debentures will mature on the date that is 18 months from the date of issuance (the "Maturity Date") and shall bear interest at a rate of 1% per month, beginning on the date of issuance and payable in cash on the last day of each calendar month. The principal sum of the Debentures, or any portion thereof, and any accrued but unpaid interest, may be converted into Shares at a conversion price of $0.10 per Share, subject to adjustment conditional upon compliance with the polices of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder to acquire one additional Share (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.15 per Warrant Share, subject to adjustment conditional upon compliance with the polices of the CSE, for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance. The obligations under the Debentures will be collaterally secured by a general security agreement from the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, 2360149 Ontario Inc. d/b/a 180 Smoke Vape Store, 180 VFC Inc., 1000712645 Ontario Inc., and Spyder Cannabis Subco Inc. d/b/a Offside Cannabis (collectively, the "Guarantors") and a pledge of the security interests of the Guarantors. All Debentures and Warrants issued pursuant to the Offering (including any securities into which they may be converted or exercised) will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance thereof. The Company will use the proceeds from the Offering for the ongoing development of the Company's business model and for general working capital purposes. The Company expects the Offering to be completed in the week of December 11, 2023. The Company will pay the Lead Investor a closing fee in connection with the Offering comprised 4.0% of the gross proceeds arising from orders received from the Lead Investor group in the Offering. The Company has also agreed to reimburse the Lead Investor for reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Offering in the amount of up to $30,000 plus applicable taxes and disbursements. About Delota Corp. Delota Corp. is a nicotine vape enterprise that spearheads the smoke-free revolution in Canada, catering to adult consumers seeking alternative to traditional combustible tobacco. With a strong emphasis on delivering exceptional retail experiences and carefully curated product offerings, the Company is dedicated to redefining the way people transition away from smoking. The Company's flagship brand, 180 Smoke Vape Store, stands as Ontario's largest specialty omnichannel vape retailer, fueling innovation, growth, and leadership in the retail vape space. About Plaza Capital Plaza Capital is a boutique firm focused on investing in growth companies. At Plaza Capital, we leverage our capital markets expertise to deploy principal capital and serve as hands-on advisors to our portfolio companies. The securities to be offered pursuant to the Offering 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 United States 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 United States 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. Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the stated terms, Lead Investor, Guarantors, collateral, use of proceeds, expenses, and timeline of the Offering; the Company's issuance of the Debentures, Warrants (and the underlying Warrant Shares if exercised), and potential issuance of Shares (if the Debentures are converted); and the Offering and potential adjustments will be conducted in accordance with the policies of the CSE. Forward-looking information in this press release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, including but not limited to: the Company has the ability to carry out the Offering as stated; the Company has the ability to issue the Debentures, Warrants (and the underlying Warrant Shares if exercised), and Shares (if the Debentures are converted); and the Offering and potential adjustments being conducted in accordance with the policies of the CSE. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company's inability to carry out the Offering as stated; the Company's inability to issue the Debentures, Warrants (and the underlying Warrant Shares if exercised), and Shares (if the Debentures are converted); and the Offering and potential adjustments not being conducted in accordance with the policies of the CSE, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in disclosure documents filed by the Company with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward- looking information, except as required by applicable law. For further information, please contact: Delota Corp. Cameron Wickham Executive Vice Chair and Chief Executive Officer T: (905) 330-1602 E: info@delota.com THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189963 $145K donation funded UV water purification and silo system for Sea Turtle Inc. SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Sea Turtle Inc. is protecting the environment and marine life with their newly installed UV water purification and silo system, thanks to a sustainability grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Sea Turtle Inc. will soon open a new 15,000-square-foot hospital, which will be the largest fully enclosed sea turtle rehabilitation facility in the world, doubling their patient intake capacity. The neighboring Laguna Madre is a natural water source with both naturally occurring and man-made toxins, bacteria and pathogens that can further sicken the hospitalized sea turtles. Until recently, the organization relied on chlorine to kill any potential pathogens in the water, and the existing infrastructure fulfilled only 22 percent of the facility's needs for on-demand, chemical-free water. The new structure, consisting of a sand filter and two silos with pumps, piping, and a heat/cool system, will safely clean more than 250,000 gallons of recycled water from Laguna Madre. Green Mountain Energy Sun Club donated nearly $145,000 to fund this initiative, which will meet 100 percent of the facility's needs, further supporting the hospital expansion for endangered sea turtles. "At Green Mountain Energy, we support projects that advance sustainability with our Sun Club program," said Mark Parsons, vice president and general manager for Green Mountain Energy. "We look forward to helping Sea Turtle Inc. save even more turtles in the coming years." With help from customers and employees, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club has advanced sustainability by donating more than $13 million to 156 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club supports projects related to renewable energy, sustainability education and environmental stewardship. "Sea Turtle Inc. is dedicated to not only the conservation and care of sea turtles but to the protection of our waterways," said Wendy Knight, chief executive officer for Sea Turtle Inc. "This new sustainable water purification system will allow us to have on-demand access to the water required to save these amazing animals while protecting the ecosystem." The new UV system eliminates the use of chemicals, which is healthier for wildlife, better for the environment, and reduces purification time from three days to two hours, saving $10,000 annually to reallocate to life-saving care for endangered sea turtles. Sea Turtle, Inc. was founded in 1977 by Ila Fox Loetscher, better known as "The Turtle Lady of South Padre Island." In 1999, Sea Turtle, Inc. moved from Ila's backyard into its current location. Originally this organization was formed to aid in the protection and recovery of the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle. Their mission has since expanded into three parts: to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured sea turtles; educate the public; and assist with conservation efforts for all marine turtle species. In the last 10 years alone, Sea Turtle Inc. has protected or intervened to aid more than 80,000 sea turtles along 50 miles of the south Texas coast. ### About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Green Mountain Energy is inspiring hope, motivating action through the use of clean energy, and advancing sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club has donated more than $13 million to 156 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub. About Sea Turtle Inc. Sea Turtle, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit sea turtle hospital and education museum in South Padre Island, Texas. From South Padre Island, Texas, to the world, Sea Turtle Inc. protects sea turtles through conservation, medical care, applied research and education. Sea Turtle Inc is responsible for more than 50 miles of shoreline, protecting and treating sea turtles, and educating more than a quarter of a million people a year in the South Padre Island facility at 6617 Padre Blvd. To learn more about Sea Turtle Inc. visit www.seaturtleinc.org GME Media Contact Estefania Joy 713-537-5735 media@greenmountain.com Twitter: @GreenMtnEnergy Sea Turtle Inc. Media Contact Sanjuana Zavala 956-761-4511 ext.105 info@seaturtleinc.org Sea Turtle Inc. representatives "flipped the switch" for new water purification system, funded by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Green Mountain Energy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Green Mountain Energy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/green-mountain-energy Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Green Mountain Energy View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813647/sea-turtles-rejoice-green-mountain-energy-sun-club-donates-new-water-purification-system WARSAW, Poland, Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OC&C Strategy Consultants (OC&C), the global strategy consulting firm, has become a certified B CorporationTM, joining a global community of businesses committed to balancing profit with purpose. As a Certified B Corporation, OC&C Strategy Consultants has undergone rigorous evaluation by B Lab, meeting high standards for social and environmental impact. This certification also reflects the firm's ongoing dedication to using business as a force for good, evidenced by its legal commitment to stakeholder governance and pledge to continuous improvement. OC&C has always been committed to building for the long-term - for both their clients and themselves - and B Corp aligns well with these values and initiatives already pursued by the firm. As a people-oriented business, OC&C is dedicated to becoming the best home for the best strategy talent, striving to ensure that individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds are well-equipped to thrive as employees and individuals. This gives OC&C the strongest possible team to provide high quality bespoke advice to their clients. In the broader community, the firm's commercial client work increasingly embeds environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, and the resources dedicated to pro bono work have continually expanded to nearly 1.5% of all revenue. Environmentally, the firm has made significant strides in performing in-depth measurements of its carbon emissions and setting and working towards science-based targets to minimise its footprint in the short and long term. As a Certified B Corp, OC&C Strategy Consultants aims to demonstrate that profitability and social responsibility are not mutually exclusive but integral components of a forward-thinking and impactful business model. Will Hayllar, OC&C's Global Managing Partner, commented on the announcement: "We aspired to become a B Corp to put our values into practice - moving beyond profit to make a positive impact on people and the planet. As a global strategy consulting firm growing in size and influence, it's critical to ensure these principles are intrinsic to both our core strategic work for clients and the way our business operates more widely'. "The foundation of our business is our people. I hope this mark of assurance instils a sense of pride and motivates even greater engagement in our collective mission'. Deidre Sorensen, Partner and Global Head of ESG, OC&C, added: "We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with over 7,000 B Corp companies worldwide, united in a commitment to use business as a force for good. And whilst this is a moment to celebrate, we know this is just the beginning. From our carbon footprint to our stakeholders' well-being, every aspect of our impact will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, looking for ways to create positive change. It's daunting to make this commitment, but critical if we want to drive lasting impact in a genuine way.' Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, shared: "We are delighted to welcome OC&C Strategy Consultants to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that OC&C Strategy Consultants are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward". OC&C looks forward to their exciting new chapter and enthusiastically invites and encourages industry peers to join them in reshaping the consulting landscape and the positive impact they can collectively make. About OC&C?? Founded in 1987, OC&C is a leading global strategy consulting firm that brings clear thinking to the most complex issues facing today's management teams. OC&C's client roster includes some of the world's most respected companies throughout the retail, consumer goods, leisure & hospitality, media, technology, industrial products and services and private equity sectors.? For more information about OC&C Strategy Consultants, please visit?occstrategy.com? About B Lab: B Lab is transforming the economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. A leader in economic systems change, our global network creates standards, policies, and tools for business, and we certify companies-known as B Corps-who are leading the way. To date, our global community includes over 7,000 B Corps in 90 countries and 161 industries, and over 150,000 companies manage their impact with the B Impact Assessment and the SDG Action Manager. bcorporation.eu View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/occ-strategy-consultants-becomes-a-certified-b-corporation-302006689.html VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("PMC" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIR)(OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to announce the assay results from the PIU16-DDH01 diamond drillhole (920.2 m) completed at the Piuquenes Project in the 2015-2016 season (refer 30 November 2023 News Release). Results include: - 558.2 m (362-920.2 m EOH) @ 0.38% Cu & 0.42 g/ Au & 2.4 g/t Ag (0.73% CuEq)* Including: - 296 m (362-658 m) @ 0.5 % Cu & 0.5 g/t Au & 2.7 g/t Ag (0.91% CuEq)*, - 180 m (362-542 m) @ 0.71% Cu & 0.61 g/t Au & 3.8 g/t Ag (1.22% CuEq)* and - 130 m (362-492 m) @ 0.81% Cu & 0.6 g/t Au & 4 g/t Ag (1.31 % CuEq)* PIU16-DDH01 Diamond Drillhole (920.2 m) - (refer 30 November 2023 News Release). As part of its Due Diligence and data validation of the Piuquenes Project, the Company relogged the PIU16-DDH01 borehole which had crossed the mineral intersections discovered by Inmet in 1995-1997 (refer 30 November 2023 News Release). A 558 m (362-920.2 m) section was sent to ALS Mendoza for Au fire 30 gram Au fire assay (Au-AA23) and ICP multi-element 4-acid digestion (ME-MS61) assays. Following review and interpretation of the assay results and a thorough Qa/Qc process, the Company is pleased to report a significant section of copper-gold-silver mineralization of: 558.2 m (362-920.2 m EOH) @ 0.38% Cu & 0.42 g/ Au & 2.4 g/t Ag (0.73% CuEq)* Including: 296 m (362-658 m) @ 0.5 % Cu & 0.5 g/t Au & 2.7 g/t Ag (0.91% CuEq)*, 180 m (362-542 m) @ 0.71% Cu & 0.61 g/t Au & 3.8 g/t Ag (1.22% CuEq)* and 130 m (362-492 m) @ 0.81% Cu & 0.6 g/t Au & 4 g/t Ag (1.31 % CuEq)* The re-logging and interpretation of the assays indicates that primary mineralization is related to Cu-Au porphyry hosted quartz veins and remains open at depth. The shallow overlay is associated with supergene enrichment, with some copper oxides observed at surface. Image 1: A-type quartz veining associated with pink quartz-feldK interstitial intergrowth affecting diorite porphyry Image 2: A-type quartz veinlet with chalcopyrite and some grade of secondary enrichment at PIU16-DDH01 Qa/Qc procedure - PIU16-DDH01 Diamond Drillhole Assay of the PIU16-DDH01 drillhole was based on samples of 2m intervals initially cut by Anglo-American Argentina at the drill platform using a hydraulic press. As part of Pampa Metals' data validation and due diligence, 8 batches of between 16 and 50 samples each were sent to ALS Mendoza for Au fire 30 gr (Au-AA23) and multi-element ICP 4 -acids (ME-MS61) assays. The Qa/Qc control protocol included twinned samples, coarse-grained and fine-grained duplicates, coarse quartz blanks and two types of standards, which together represented 20% (57 samples) of the 279 associated drillhole samples. Results of the Qa/Qc procedure confirm that the samples pass the duplicate, blank and standard controls. In the case of duplicates, samples are well distributed on a linear correlation curve with only gold showing some variability, possibly due to the presence of coarse gold. Image 3: Piuquenes Drill Core and Assays. October 2023 Piuquenes Porphyry Copper-Gold Project The Piuquenes Project consists of nine mining titles that cover an area of ~1,880 ha in the San Juan Province of Argentina, adjacent (to the north) with the Altar copper-gold porphyry project (Aldebaran Resources Inc.) and approximately 190 km west of the city of San Juan. Other large porphyry copper projects in the San Juan Miocene porphyry belt include, El Pachon (Glencore), approximately 30 km to the south, the operating Los Pelambres copper mine (60% Antofagasta plc) in Chile, and Los Azules (McEwen Mining) 50 km to the northeast. The first evidence of copper oxides at Piuquenes was reported in 1970 by MInera Aguilar, who subsequently completed the first exploration program between 1973-1975. Between 1995 and 1997, Inmet Mining Corporation (IMC) completed a heli-magnetic/radiometric survey, surface geology, rock and soil geochemistry, ground magnetics, PD-IP and eight diamond drillholes for a total of 1,894.2m. Subsequently, in 2015-2016, Anglo American Argentina (AAA) completed detailed 1:2,500 geology and geochemistry, 17.8 km of gDAS24 deep 3D PD-IP/NSMT and a single 920.2 m diamond drill hole. Since its discovery, the Piuquenes Copper-Gold porphyry has until now remained privately held. Inmet Mining Corporation's (IMC, subsequently acquired by First Quantum in 2013) 8 diamond drill holes for a total of 1,894.2m intersected significant copper and gold mineralization including: 413.5 m (167-580.5 m) @ 0.47% Cu and 0.52 g/t Au (0.87% CuEq)*; 67.5 m (207-274.5 m) @ 0.63% Cu and 0.51 g/t Au (1.02% CuEq)*; and 158 m (3-161 m) @ 0.32% Cu and 0.6 g/t Au (0.78% CuEq)*. In November 2023, Pampa Metals assayed and re-logged Anglo-American Argentina's (AAA) 2016 single diamond borehole of 920.2 m length which had crossed the mineral zones drilled by IMC and reported the results in this news release dated 5 December, 2023. Follow-Up drilling Pampa Metals has designed a diamond drill program to be completed across two drilling seasons which consists of a ~2,500 diamond Phase 1 drill program designed to test the depth and lateral extension of known mineralisation, to be completed between January - April 2024 (indicative) with assays results expected progressively between March and May 2024 (indicative). Phase 2 consists of a six-month drill program designed to significantly expand the mineralised envelope and scheduled to commence in October 2024 (indicative). The latest Company Presentation can be accessed at https://pampametals.com/investor/. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO INVESTORS CONTACT Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO Joseph@pampametals.com ABOUT PAMPA METALS Pampa Metals is listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIR), and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges, and wholly owns a portfolio of projects highly prospective for copper, molybdenum, and gold along proven and highly productive mineral belts in Chile, the world's largest copper producer. In November 2023, the Company announced it had entered into an Option & JV Agreement for the acquisition of an 80% interest in the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in San Juan Province, Argentina. Qualified Person Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G, Geologist and a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego is a consultant to the Company. * %CuEq values are calculated based on copper and gold metal prices: Cu = US$3.20/lb, Au = US$1,700/oz and Ag = US$ 20/oz. The formula utilized to calculate %CuEq is: Cu Eq Grade (%) = Cu Head Grade (%) + [(Au Head Grade (g/t) / 31.104) * (Au Price (US$/oz) / Cu Price (US$/lb) / 22.04) + [(Ag Head Grade (g/t) / 31.104) * (Ag Price (US$/oz) / Cu Price (US$/lb) / 22.04) Note: The reader is cautioned that Pampa Metals' projects are early-stage exploration projects, and reference to existing mines and deposits, or mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties, is not necessarily indicative of any mineralization on Pampa Metals' properties. Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals 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" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/813649/pampa-metals-reports-130m-from-362m-131-cueq-within-a-broader-interval-of-558m-from-362m-073-cueq-which-remains-open-at-depth Dust Identity, a Boston, MA-based provider of an authentication and anchored digital thread solution for real-world objects, raised $40M in Series B funding. The round was led by led by Castle Island Ventures, with participation from Amex Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Airbus Ventures, 8VC, and others. The company intends to use the funds to build relationships with fans through the activation of authentic, game-used merchandise. Led by CEO Ophir Gaathon, Dust Identity provides an authentication and anchored digital thread solution for real-world objects that connects data to physical things. Its digital thread solution delivers the ability to track and trace an objects pedigree and provenance throughout its lifecycle providing access to the right information at the right place and time. The companys new product line for mobile is an on-demand solution that reinforces authenticity for any physical object of value by enhancing the traceability and visibility of the objects origin. The company also signed a partnership with Oxygen Esports, one of North Americas largest multi-title esports organizations to use this new solution. Dust Identity emerged from stealth in 2018 with support from Kleiner Perkins, Lockheed Martin, Airbus Ventures, and other companies and investors. The company is headquartered near Boston, MA, and has an R&D facility in Princeton, New Jersey. FinSMEs 05/12/2023 UP Catalyst, a Tallinn, Estonia-based company which specializes in sustainable carbon material production, raised 4M in funding. The round was led by Extantia and supported by Estonias state fund SmartCap, along with participation from existing investors Sunly, Little Green Fund, Scottish Baltic Invest and UniTartu Ventures. Led by CEO Gary Urb, UP Catalyst is a nanotechnology company that specializes in the production of sustainable carbon nanomaterials and graphite utilizing CO 2 through electrolysis. The company intends to use the funds to scale up their local production of carbon materials and graphite derived from CO 2 emissions, offering a sustainable alternative source of raw materials to European battery manufacturers. With the funding, UP Catalyst will build an industrial pilot reactor capable of processing 100 tons of CO 2 annually and producing 27 tons of carbon materials. In the past years, the company secured over 6M in grants and has expanded its customer base beyond Europe. FinSMEs 05/12/2023 Amidst the devastation in Chennai caused by massive floods, Kollywood superstars and siblings Suriya and Karthi have stepped forward as the first from the industry to contribute to relief efforts. They have donated a sum of Rs 10 lakhs through their fan clubs, which will go to help with any kind of relief aid required. Trade expert shared this news on X and tweeted, Actors #Suriya & #Karthi have announced an initial sum of 10 lacs to carry out relief work in the flood affected districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur. ||#ChennaiRains2023||#ChennaiFloods|#CycloneMichaung|| The actors are offering assistance to those affected through their fan clubs. Chennai @Suriya_offl fans on duty! Provided food items and other materials at the affected areas.#ChennaiRains #CycloneMichuang pic.twitter.com/WIseZuk3WH Suriya Fans Club (@SuriyaFansClub) December 4, 2023 The state government advised people to take precautionary measures as the IMD issued a red alert for the state, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chennai and neighbouring areas. Meeanwhile,Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Tuesday said that the rains received during the Cyclone period have exceeded what the state has received in 2015. The Chief Minister also called on organisations involved in Relief Work to join hands with the government to alleviate the suffering of fellow human beings. Relief assistance of Rs 5,000 crore will be requested from the central government for storm and rain damage. Relief assistance will also be provided to the people who have suffered CM MK Stalin said. Eight people have lost their lives while multiple roads and subways are closed due to waterlogging in the wake of the Severe Cyclonic Storm Michaung, which is expected to make landfall on the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh between Nellore and Machilipatnam today. with inputs from agencies The world is witnessing a surge in conflicts, posing severe consequences for both individuals and the environment . In 2023, approximately 56 active conflicts were documented globally, including the recent one involving Israel and Hamas. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine also remains unresolved. Notably, global military spending has reached an unprecedented peak. While the cost of violent conflict is frequently calculated in terms of civilian deaths, injuries, and infrastructure devastation, the environmental cost of war and its long-term influence on the climate is sometimes overlooked. Heres what we know about the carbon emission of the Ukraine war. 150 million tonnes of CO2 emissions Russias invasion of Ukraine launched in February last year accounts for around 150 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, a deputy Ukrainian minister cited experts as saying on Monday. The war has a devastating impact on the environment. Air, soil and water is polluted as a result of the fighting, Viktoria Kireyeva, Ukraines deputy minister of environmental protection and natural resources, said in Dubai. The total amount of emissions after 18 months of war is estimated to be 150 million tonnes of CO2, which is more than the annual emission of a highly developed country like Belgium, she said at a conference on the sidelines of the COP28 climate conference. The estimate comes from the Initiative on GHG Accounting of War, a group of experts studying the climate impact of the Ukraine war. The warfare itself is 25 per cent of those emissions, mostly due to fossil fuel consumption by the Russian and Ukrainian armies, one of the experts, Lennard de Klerk, told the conference. Numerous fires, which are particularly frequent along the front line because of the fighting, account for 15 per cent. The experts also took into account emissions due to the movement of refugees and detours for planes avoiding Ukraine. But the biggest share of estimated emissions 54.7 million tonnes, or around a third of the total is a projection of the climate costs of rebuilding towns and cities left in ruins by the war. The construction sector is responsible for at least 37 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United Nations. Kireyeva said Ukraine will recover but it will additionally cost a significant amount of emissions, adding that Russia should be held accountable for this. With inputs from AFP The Indian Navy is set for a sea change. On the occasion of Navy Day (4 December), Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the epaulettes worn by naval officers will now bear the imprint of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Inspired by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, todays India is moving forward abandoning the mentality of slavery. I am happy to announce that the epaulettes donned by the naval officers will now highlight the heritage and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and they will be similar to the naval ensign, PM Modi said. For the unaware, epaulettes are worn either on the shoulder or cuffs of the sleeve of some uniforms to denote the rank of the personnel. Until now, Indian Navy officials wore epaulettes, featuring the Nelsons Ring, a colonial legacy. And this is not the only transformation that the Navy will undergo. The PM also announced naval ranks will be Indianised. For instance, ranks such as seaman2, seaman1 and petty officer will be changed. The new epaulettes and Indianised ranks are a series of changes introduced by the Indian Navy to shed its colonial past, which saw the maritime force adopting a new ensign inspired once again by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But why is it that Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler, is considered important to the Navy? What is his significance to the maritime agency? Shivaji, the father of Indian Navy Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Maratha ruler, is considered by many as the Father of the Indian Navy. It is him who laid the foundation of a modern navy in India. Historians point out that while Shivaji could be considered the man behind the revival of the maritime force, it was the Cholas who first displayed their prowess in the water. When Shivaji was enthroned in the mid-1600s, he realised the importance of the seas. He decided to establish a navy in order to protect his dominion from the Siddis. He also wanted to secure ports and merchant ships in order to ensure smooth maritime trading that brought in revenue and customs duty. Historians note that his vision for the navy was based in his belief Jalameva yasya, balameva tasya, which translates to He who rules over the seas is all powerful. Many historians note that his love for the navy and his desire for a naval fleet also came from his love for the water that emerged as he spent time as a youth in Mahad, near Bombay. Historians note that in February 1655, he decided to test the preparedness of his navy. With 85 ships, he attacked Basuru near Kundapura in todays Karnataka and returned with a huge booty. Shivaji built a formidable naval force during his reign. Some military experts note that at its peak, his fleet was made up of 400 ships of different sizes and kinds, including battleships as well as others vessels such as gurab, tarande, galbat, shibad, and pal. Also read: How Maharaj founded a reign of cultural resurgence and good governance Besides building a formidable naval fleet, Shivaji also understood the importance of forts in securing territory. Between 1653 and 1680, Shivaji built more naval forts such as Sindhudurg and Kolaba. They were used by the Marathas for strategic purposes, to keep a watch on enemies approaching via the seas. It is reported that in total, Shivaji built 13 new sea-side forts along the Konkan coast, and fortified and improved many others. Many still stand tall, with Sindhudurg, built on an island off Malwan, being perhaps the best preserved. According to Indian Navy documents, the Maratha navy held both the Portuguese and the British at bay. It was under Shivaji, the Maratha navy developed into a ferocious force with more than 500 ships. And even after Shivajis death in 1680, his legacy was taken forward by his sons. They appointed Kanhoji Angre as their naval chief in 1693 and he controlled the Konkan territory from 1693 to 1730. He fought several wars with the Dutch and the English, defeating them every time. Indian Navys inspiration from Shivaji The Indian Navy acknowledges Shivajis contributions to making it the force it is today. In fact, its training establishment in Lonavala, near Mumbai, is called INS Shivaji. Additionally, the administrative hub of the Western Naval Command, INS Angre, is named after Kanhoji Angre, the well-known and brave Maratha naval commander. Additionally, last year in August, the Indian Navy announced a new naval ensign (Nishaan), which according to PM Modi did away with the colonial past. The previous ensign of the Navy was a white flag with horizontal and vertical red stripes, symbolising the Cross of Saint George, with the emblem of India superimposed on the intersection. The tricolour is placed in the upper canton next to the staff. However, a new ensign was unveiled in September 2022, which bears the seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The white background of the new ensign has the national flag on the top inner quarter, while the outer half features a blue octagon, in which the national emblem is placed atop an anchor, which is superimposed on a shield with the Navys motto Sam no Varunah, in Devnagari script. The Navy later said that the octagonal shape with twin golden borders drew inspiration from the seal Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose visionary maritime outlook established a credible naval fleet. As one military historian wrote, We owe it to Shivaji who revived the navy on the western coast. With inputs from agencies The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Monday released its annual crime report, painting a dire image of womens safety in India. The report indicates a four per cent rise in crimes against women, with over 4,45,256 cases reported in 2022. This corresponds to roughly 51 FIRs each hour. Comparing 2021s 4,28,278 cases with 2020s 371,503 cases, this was a significant increase. According to the NCRBs findings, there were 66.4 crimes committed for every lakh people, and 75.8 charge sheets were filed in these cases. Cruelty by husband tops the list In 2022, there was a four per cent rise in crime against women in India, with the majority of incidents being cruelty by husbands or his relatives (31.4 per cent). This was followed by other crimes like rape, kidnapping and abduction, and assault with the intention of outraging modesty and more. In terms of numbers, the NCRB report puts the total number of cruelty by husbands or his relatives cases at around 1.40 lakh, with 1.44 lakh victims. As evidence of a persistent pattern, such cases accounted for 31.8 per cent (1.36 lakh) of all crimes committed against women in 2021, an almost two per cent increase over 2020. Other crimes against women 2022 also witnessed a high 66.4 total crime rate per lakh women, up from 64.5 in 2021. Contrary to the previous years pattern, kidnapping and abduction of women accounted for the second-highest percentage of crimes in 2022 (19.2 per cent), translating to 85,310 instances and 88,243 victims. Cases of assaults on women with intent to outrage her modesty (18.7 per cent) and rape (7.1 per cent) came next. In 2022, there were 248 murder cases with rape or gang-rape involving 250 victims, according to the report. There were 284 cases with 293 victims in 2021. According to data on rape incidents, there were 31,982 victims including 1,017 girls under the age of 18 and 31,516 cases. Delhi takes the lead With 14,247 cases, Delhi has recorded the highest rate of crime against women in the nation in 2022 at 144 a rate far higher than the national average of 66.4. In 2021, there were 14,277 cases and 10,093 in 2020. When it comes to crimes against senior citizens, the National Capital ranked first among metropolitan areas. According to the data, there were 1,313 reports of crimes against the elderly in Delhi last year, up from 1,166 in 2021 and 906 in 2020. Coming back to crimes against women, Uttar Pradesh (65,743) topped the list, followed by Maharashtra (45,331), Rajasthan (45,059), West Bengal (34,738), and Madhya Pradesh (32,765). Together, these five states were responsible for around half of all cases filed in the the country in 2022. 12 states and Union Territories had crime rates that were greater than the 66.4 national average, according to NCRB data. Delhi came in first place with a crime rate of 144.4, followed by Haryana with an average crime rate of 118.7, Telangana 117, Rajasthan 115.1, Odisha 103, Andhra Pradesh 96.2, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 93.7, Kerala 82, Assam 81, Madhya Pradesh 78.8, Uttarakhand 77, Maharashtra 75.1, West Bengal 71.8 and UP 58.6. An upward swing in crime The aforementioned crimes have increased when compared to NCRB data from 2021. Based on the available data, India recorded 58,24,946 cognizable offences in 2022, which is 4.5 per cent less than the previous year. This included 22,63,567 offences under the Special and Local Laws (SLL) and 35,61,379 offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), representing a reduction of seven per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively, as per India Today. In addition, there was an 8.7 per cent increase in crime against children, mostly due to incidents involving kidnapping, abduction, and offences covered by the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The in-depth analysis revealed an uneven picture of trends across multiple crime categories. Certain categories showed encouraging decreases, while others crimes against women, children, and other demographic groups, for example saw alarming increases. Crimes that involve the human body, such as abductions and injury cases, have increased by 5.3 per cent last year, necessitating the implementation of more stringent measures to protect the publics safety and welfare. The 11.1 per cent and 24.4 per cent increase in economic and cyber offences indicate the need for more robust cybersecurity policies and procedures to stop financial fraud. Increase of 9.3 per cent, 13.1 per cent, and 14.3 per cent of crimes against Senior Citizens, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, highlights the need for focused actions aimed at protecting these vulnerable populations. According to the NCRB, an increase in police data (FIR) does not imply a rise in crime. It indicates that an increasing number of people are reporting crimes. Rise in crime and increase in registration of crime by police are clearly two different things, a fact which requires better understanding. Thus, an oft-repeated expectation from certain quarters that an effective police administration will be able to keep the crime figures low is misplaced, the NCRB said, as per Livemint. Increase in crime numbers in a state police data may in fact be on account of certain citizen-centric police initiatives, like launching of e-FIR facility or women helpdesks, it said, adding, The increase or decrease in crime numbers, however, does call for a professional investigation of underlying factors pertaining to the local communities to suitably address the pertinent issues. Two months after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel, there have been several reports of how the Jewish nation missed warnings. There was a colossal intelligence failure and even neighbouring Egypt had reportedly cautioned the country days before the 7 October assault. Now a new study suggests that five days before the strike, the deadliest in Israels history, signs may have appeared on stock exchanges. According to the study by researchers from Columbia University and New York University (NYU) titled Trading on Terror, there was a significant short-selling of shares before the attacks, which triggered the war. Short selling is a trading strategy aimed at making a profit off an asset that is expected to drop in price. We take a look at what the research found out and who could have made profits off the terror attacks. What does the study say? The research conducted by law professors, Joshua Mitts of Columbia University and Robert Jackson Jr from NYU, revealed that some traders might have had prior knowledge of the 7 October Hamas attack and profited off it. They bet against the Israeli economy and made profits by short-selling on the Israel stock exchange. Days before the attack, traders appeared to anticipate the events to come, the professors wrote, citing short interest in the MSCI Israel Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) that suddenly, and significantly, spiked on 2 October based on data from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). And just before the attack, short selling of Israeli securities on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) increased dramatically, they added in the 66-page report, reports Reuters. The paper looked at the Israel Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), a common way for people to make investments in Israel, which on any regular day has around 2,000 shares shorted. On 2 October that number shot up to over 227,000 shares, reports CBS News. According to Mitts, Thats extremely unusual. It was also profitable: the shares sold short for one Israeli company alone yielded a profit of nearly $900,000. For one Israeli company alone, 4.43 million new shares sold short over the September 14 to October 5 period yielded profits (or avoided losses) of $740 million on that additional short selling, the paper says. The study referred to Bank Leumi, a TASE-listed company, as an example. The researchers say that 4.43 million of the banks shares were sold short between 14 September and 5 October. The trades yielded over 30 million Israeli shekels, or about $7.8 million based on the exchange rate in early October before the attack. The bets against the value of the MSCI Israel ETF in the days leading to the terror strikes far exceeded the short-selling activity that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Israels judicial reforms that led to massive protests, the 2014 Israel-Gaza war and the 2008 global financial crisis, the study found. Our findings suggest that traders informed about the coming attacks profited from these tragic events, wrote the authors. A similar trend was noticed on 3 April, a few days before the Jewish holiday of Passover. The research paper links this to a report in the Israeli media that Hamas had initially planned the attack on the eve of the Passover. Its almost the same magnitude. What are the odds? asks Mitts. According to the professor, it appears to have been the product of a single trader based on the data. We think its virtually impossible this happened by chance, Mitts told CBS News. Also read: Jobless rate spiking, GDP shrinking: Israels economic crisis amid Hamas war Who made the profits? It would be exceedingly difficult to find out who was behind the trades and who profited from them, according to Mitts. He said that he was pretty pessimistic that whoever was betting against the Israeli economy would be found. A report in The Times of Israel concluded that Hamas could have profited off the attacks. However, the authors have clarified that they do not know the location of parties making trades and whether the traders were connected to any particular financial firms, government entities or terrorist organisations. They also urge caution before drawing such conclusions, according to a CNN report. Linking it back to Hamas is very speculative and were not suggesting this, Mitts was quoted as saying by the publication. He added that there were a wide range of possibilities including the potential that someone overheard something and acted on it. Charles Whitehead, a professor at Cornell Law School, called the study interesting but preliminary. However, he told CNN that the subject needs close scrutiny as a way to anticipate future events and cut off the ability of terrorists and others, with inside information, from profiting on terrorist activity. Also read: Profiting Off the War: How defence stocks are rocketing amid Israel-Hamas conflict What is Israel saying? The Israel Securities Authority, The matter is known to the authority and is under investigation by all the relevant parties. A spokeswoman for the securities regulator did not elaborate, and Israeli police did not immediately comment, reports Reuters. With inputs from agencies Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lose their royal titles? According to reports in the British media, a bill has been introduced in the UK Parliament to strip them of their royal titles. This comes after the Royal Family has been engulfed in yet another row over race. But what do we know about the controversy? Lets take a closer look: What happened? The row goes back to a 2021 interview Harry and Meghan did with Oprah Winfrey. The Guardian quoted Meghan as saying that a member of the Royal Family, whom she did not name, had spoken to Harry about concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when hes born. BBC quoted Oprah as asking, Because they were concerned that if he were too brown, that that would be a problem? Are you saying that? To which Meghan replied: I wasnt able to follow up with why, but if thats the assumption youre making, I think that feels like a pretty safe one, which was really hard to understand. I think it would very damaging to them, she added. That conversation, Im never going to share, but at the time it was awkward. I was a bit shocked, Harry chimed in. Winfrey in the aftermath of the race row clarified that Harry confirmed to her that neither Queen Elizabeth nor her husband the Duke of Edinburgh was the individual in question. Then, the furore over race and the Royal Family erupted again this week. This, after a book by Omid Scobie entitled Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival identified two members of the Royal Family as racist royals. Scobie previously wrote Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family in 2020. The Dutch version of the book identified King Charles and Katherine the Princess of Wales as the two members of the Royal Family who enquired as to what the skin colour of Meghan and Harrys first baby would conceivably be. Meghan and Harrys first child Prince Archie was born in 2019. It was the Dutch journalist Rick Evers, who obtained a copy of the book, that broke the news. The names were then picked by talk show host Piers Morgan and a number of outlets. The names of the racist royals remain absent from the English edition of the book. Scobie has insisted that this is a translation error and denied that this is an attempt to create a controversy and sell books. The book I edited didnt have names in it, Scobie told BBC. Meanwhile, the publisher of the Dutch edition of the book has withdrawn and pulped the copies. But the translator of the book has defended her work. As a translator, I translate what is in front of me, Saskia Peeters told Mail Online. The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them. I just did what I was paid to do and that was translate the book from English. This isnt the first time the Royal Family has had to deal with allegations of racism. As per CNN, in December 2022, as Camilla, Queen Consort, held an event at Buckingham Palace to highlight the issue of violence against women, the chief of a domestic violence charity was asked where she was really from. It was like an interrogation, Ngozi Fulani of charity Sistah Space told BBC. Although its not physical violence it is an abuse. I have to really question how this can happen in a space thats supposed to protect women against all kinds of violence, Fulani added. It was previously reported Charles referred to a wealthy Indian property developer and polo friend Kolin Dhillon by the nickname Sooty. Prince Harry himself was engulfed in a race row after a video emerged of him calling a fellow cadet our little Paki friend. Whats the bill Harry and Meghan are facing? British lawmaker Bob Seely is planning to move an amendment in UK Parliament stripping Harry and Meghan of their titles. In the next couple of weeks, I shall present a Bill in Parliament to strip the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their royal titles, Seely wrote in the Mail. Im not a republican and support the monarchy, but after the latest instalment of the couples feud with the rest of the Royal family, I believe that Parliament and the Privy Council should consider a nuclear option, he said. My aim is simple: if someone doesnt want to be a royal, that is a decision we respect but they should not keep the titles and privileges if they trash an institution that plays an important part in our nations life, he added. People close to the young royal couple have revealed that Harry and Meghan are not behind claims made in Omid Scobies book. But, I suspect that few people believe such denials, the British Conservative MP said. As per the BBC, Harry and Meghan have strongly denied any notion that they or their representatives fed Scobie information for his book. Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has indicated that all options are open. With inputs from agencies Scientists at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) keep making the country proud. After successfully launching Chandrayaan-3 from Sriharikota on 14 July and it touching down on the Moon making India the first nation to land on the lunar surfaces south pole on 23 August, the space agency has now moved the propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 from an orbit around the Moon to an orbit around the earth. The move, being described as a unique experiment, is considered significant in space exploration, as it showcases Indias capability of not only landing a man on the Moon, but also successfully bringing him back to earth. We take a closer look at this unique experiment how it was carried out and why it is special. Bringing the propulsion module back Chandrayaan-3s propulsion module (PM) was to ferry the lander module from the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) to the final lunar polar circular orbit and separate the lander. On Tuesday, the PM was brought back to an orbit around the Earth, said ISRO. Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Ch-3s Propulsion Module (PM) takes a successful detour! In another unique experiment, the PM is brought from Lunar orbit to Earths orbit. An orbit-raising maneuver and a Trans-Earth injection maneuver placed PM in an Earth-bound orbit. pic.twitter.com/qGNBhXrwff ISRO (@isro) December 5, 2023 Initially, the PM, with the Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload, was to operate for about three months. It was later decided to use the available fuel in the PM to derive additional information for future lunar missions and demonstrate the mission operation strategies for a sample return mission. ISROs bold plan Once decided that they would attempt this brave experiment, ISRO scientists thought out a bold plan to move the PM from an orbit around the Moon to an orbit around the earth. On 9 October, they carried out the first manoeuvre in which the attitude was raised from 150 km to 5,112 km and they extended the orbital period from 2.1 hours to 7.2 hours. In the next step, on 13 October, a Trans-Earth injection (TEI) manoeuvre was performed. In simple terms, a TEI is a propulsion manoeuvre used to set a spacecraft on a trajectory which will intersect the Earths sphere of influence. According to ISRO, after the TEI move, the propulsion module made four Moon fly-bys before departing the Moons sphere of influence on 10 November. As of now, the PM is orbiting Earth and crossed its first perigee on 22 November with an altitude of 1.54 lakh km. Additionally, it will remain in orbit around the Earth for a year. Significance of moving the propulsion module There are a number of reasons why ISRO and the country should celebrate the return manoeuvre of the propulsion module. Firstly, it reflects ISROs capability of planning and executing manoeuvres to bring a spacecraft back from Moon to Earth. The journey back shows that India has the software to execute such a crucial manoeuvre. The experiment is also the first time that ISRO demonstrated a gravity assist flyby not around Earth but another celestial body. For the layman, a gravity assist flyby is a technique where gravity of a planet or celestial body is used to redirect, speed up, and slingshot a spacecraft towards Earth. Also read: Chandrayaan-3 costs lesser than big films: How India keeps its space missions frugal Moreover, ISRO has been able to prevent the issue of space debris by avoiding the uncontrolled crashing of the propulsion module on to the Moons surface at the end of its life. Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India, told The Week, The successful return of the Chandrayaan-3 PM to earths orbit heralds a new chapter in Indias space exploration narrative, marked by technological prowess, meticulous planning, and groundbreaking achievements. This milestone not only amplifies Indias presence in the global space community but also paves the way for innovative advancements in future space missions. The Chandrayaan-3 mission On 23 August, India scripted history by successfully landing on the lunar surface, and also became the first to land near the south pole of the Moon. According to ISRO, the missions three objectives were to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate a Rover roving on the Moon and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments. Celebrations broke out across the country when the lander (Vikram) and the 26 kg rover (Pragyan), made the soft landing near the south polar region of the Moon, less than a week after a similar Russian lander crashed. Also read: How India's Moon missions went from Somayaan to Chandrayaan Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who watched the soft-landing live from South Africa where he was attending the Brics summit, said: India is now on the Moon. The success of Chandrayaan-3 came 15 years after Chandrayaan-1, the country's first Moon mission in 2008. It was during this mission that the presence of water molecules on the parched lunar surface was discovered and it was also established that the Moon has an atmosphere during daytime. With inputs from agencies The US has warned that it is running out of money to send Ukraine. Shalanda Young, the White House budget czar, has in a letter to the US House Speaker, warned that the country will be unable to supply Ukraine with weapons and equipment by the end of 2023. I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine, Young wrote. Cutting off the flow of US weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, she added. The strongly worded letter from the White Houses budget director said that by that time it would be too late and funds for Ukraine would have already dried up. There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money and nearly out of time, Shalanda Young wrote. But why is the US struggling to get together funds for Ukraine? And what does this mean for the conflict? Lets take a closer look: Why is the US struggling to raise funds for Ukraine? This is down to domestic US politics. While President Joe Biden asked for $106 billion in national security funding, including support for Ukraine and for Israels war against Hamas in October, Congress has been unable to do much of anything. Republicans in the House have been devouring their own as the hard-right lawmakers have been stridently opposed to any new funding for Ukraine. After Kevin McCarthy was removed from power by those from the extreme wing in his party, Mike Johnson was elected the New House Speaker in October. Johnson, an ally of ex-president Donald Trump, managed to keep a government shutdown from occurring by cutting a deal with the Democrats the very sin McCarthy was held guilty of by his brethren but the agreement did not include money for Ukraine and Israel. Of course, we cant allow Vladimir Putin to march through Europe. And we understand the necessity of assisting there, Johnson was quoted as saying by The Guardian. If there is to be additional assistance to Ukraine which most members of Congress believe is important we have to also work on changing our own border policy. How much has the US sent Ukraine? The United States has already provided at least $40 billion in security aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. But some put that figure even higher. CFR quoted the German research institute the Kiel Institute for the World Economy as saying US Congress and Biden have given Ukraine over $75 billion in aid. Around $4 billion is humanitarian aid, $26 billion is financial aid, another $18.3 billion was sent for security, $23.5 billion was sent for hardware and $4.7 billion was given to Ukraine in grants and loans. However, as per Politico most of the money that Congress earmarked for Ukraine has remained in the United States. Around 97 per cent of the $62.3 billion sent to the Pentagon has been spent, while the entire $4.7 billions sen to the state department is also gone. Most of the money hasnt gone directly to the Ukraine either. Rather, it has been spent on replacing the US military hardware sent to Kyiv. Young pointed out that this has created employment in the defence industries. While we cannot predict exactly which US companies will be awarded new contracts, we do know the funding will be used to acquire advanced capabilities to defend against attacks on civilians in Israel and Ukraine for example, air defence systems built in Alabama, Texas, and Georgia and vital subcomponents sourced from nearly all 50 states, Young was quoted as saying by Politico. That has improved our own military readiness since DOD is buying new equipment to replace what we are sending Ukraine, jumpstarting and expanding production lines, and is supporting good-paying jobs in dozens of states across the country, Young added. Casting Russian president Vladimir Putin and Hamas as twin forces trying to annihilate neighbouring democracies, Biden has sought to tie $61 billion for Ukraine with $14 billion for Israel in the aid package he demanded in October. What does this mean for the conflict? The White House has warned that failure to agree to more funding not only puts Ukraines gains to date at risk, but increasing the chance of Russian military victories. This isnt a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. It is time for Congress to act, Young wrote. Already, our packages of security assistance have become smaller and the deliveries of aid have become more limited, Young added, as per Politico. If our assistance stops, it will cause significant issues for Ukraine. Ukraine has been desperately pushing for more foreign aid as Russian forces step up attacks in the east after holding back Kyivs much-vaunted counteroffensive. As the war enters a third winter, the frontline has largely remained static for the last year despite a massive push by Ukrainian forces this summer with Western military hardware. With inputs from agencies In modern dating scene, wavering commitment for someone looking for an authentic relationship can be a painful experience. At some point, this might even make them give up on love. The damaging tactic known as breadcrumbing has become quite common these days. Lets take a closer look. A new entry in modern dating parlance According to Dr Monica Vermani, a Canada-based clinical psychologist, who spoke with CNN, breadcrumbing is a form of manipulation whether intentional or not involving one person feigning interest and acting as though they feel sincerely interested and invested in a relationship with another person when they are not. In simple terms, it is an act of sending out flirtatious but non-committal, social signals to lure a romantic partner in without much effort. The emotionally manipulative tactic also has famous cousins like ghosting, gaslighting, and situationships. The psychology behind breadcrumbing The person who intentionally misleads others may have desire for attention, validation or control, and in some cases, for fun without being committed. Others may just be conflicted about what they want or have a fear of commitment and confrontation. Dr Kelly Campbell, a professor of psychology at California State University, believes the reason someone stays in perpetrators corner is due to principle of intermittent reinforcement, which drives the addictive cycle and success of gambling behaviour. Dr Campbell explained to CNN, With a slot machine, every so often theres a little winning, so you keep playing in hopes of achieving that again, whereas if you never won, you wouldnt keep playing. People with low self-esteem or some mental health issues like depression, anxiety or eating disorders, can be vulnerable to this kind of emotional manipulation, according to Cleveland Clinic. Red flags Unfortunately, a lot of individuals frequently dont realise theyre being breadcrumbed until after theyve been harmed and misled.. Here are the signs to watch out for when dating to prevent this from happening. The person you are interested in is not as committed to the relationship as you are. (Breadcrumbers) make plans with you but cancel or dont show up, and they seem too busy for you. They might even go absent for periods of time, Campbell told Brides.com. Youre never sure where you stand in their eyes. Breadcrumbers are sporadic, inconsistent, and unpredictable in their expression of interest in you. They initially appear friendly, but eventually become aloof. Taking a long time to respond to messages is one such example of this behaviour. Their actions are beyond comprehension or explanation. You often feel confused, angry, frustrated or inadequate and hopeless after interacting with them Ways to tackle it Acknowledge that you are being breadcrumbed. Setting boundaries and understand what you are willing to tolerate is important. If your needs are not being met, be prepared to walk away. Speak to your loved ones, friends, family or a therapist who can offer emotional support and guidance. Keeping the options open by not putting all emotional eggs in one basket. Thousands of protesters took to the streets across New Zealand on Tuesday as the Parliament convened for the first time since October elections. The demonstrations in Wellington, Auckland, and other cities and towns were organised by the minor Maori Party, which advocates for the rights of Indigenous community in the country. Lets take a closer look. The protest Protesters demonstrated peacefully outside Parliament against what they described as the anti-Maori policies of the newly elected conservative-led coalition government. The demonstration caused traffic jams for commuters and gave Prime Minister Christopher Luxon a taste of leadership. Police estimate around 300 vehicles took part in protests in New Zealands largest city Auckland, where two arrests were made. Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the new policies of Luxons administration would take New Zealand back to the 1800s. Our protest this morning was an activation of our people. He joined a group of around 600 people in Wellington, some draped in Maori flags and carrying signs reading Honour the Treaty, who marched through the capital before rallying in front of parliament. This is about pulling our people together, standing as one to protect the Treaty of Waitangi, the very document which allows us to live here freely, he added. Maori leaders accuse Luxons conservative coalition of racist policies, including undermining a treaty that protects Indigenous rights. The coalition government, sworn in last Monday, also wants to switch the names of some departments from Maori to English and close the Maori Health Authority, Te Aka Whai Ora. Luxon governments response The National Party-led government promises to review the Treaty of Waitangi and implement potential changes to how that foundation document signed by British colonists and Maori chiefs in 1840 affects modern laws. The government has also foreshadowed changes to the Maori Health Authority, a statutory agency responsible for ensuring that the New Zealand health system meets Maori needs. Luxon rejected the protestors criticism of his fledgling government. I think its pretty unfair, to be honest, Luxon told reporters, The reality is weve been in government for a week. We are going to get things done for Maori and non-Maori. He added that his government was deeply committed to improving outcomes for Maori and non-Maori. Maori have done very well in National-led governments in the past, and theyre going to continue to do well. ACT Party leader David Seymour described the Maori Party protests as divisive theatrics that showed disrespect for the election result. New Zealanders elected a government that will treat people equally, regardless of their race, Seymour said, adding, Its a sad day when a political party is protesting equal rights. The elections Lawmakers were sworn in on Tuesday after elections on 14 October ousted the center-left Labour Party government that had ruled since 2017. Luxons National Party won 38 per cent of the vote the largest proportion of any party. He took almost six weeks after the election to reach a coalition agreement with another two parties: the populist New Zealand First party and the libertarian ACT Party. The Maori Party won six of the 123 seats in the 54th Parliament. With inputs from AP, AFP The red carpet was set, the chairs were arranged, and tight security arrangements were made for Monday. All of effort was in vain, since even two days after its historic win in Telangana, the Congress being Congress failed to elect a leader of the Legislature Party who goes on to become Chief Minister. They were also unable to carry out the scheduled oath ceremony at Raj Bhavan. Heres what went wrong. Whats happening Throughout the election campaign, Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy appeared to be the front-runner. This was all thanks to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadras support that allowed him to become the face and the spokesperson of the campaign. Thus, it was quite obvious for many to think that he would be the CM. However, it was not going to be a cakewalk, considering the partys long history of outspoken leaders and contenders. The veteran party leaders believe this is the ideal time to remind the Congress high command who are the warhorses. For those unversed, the Congress had a noteworthy victory with over 64 seats in the 119-member Telangana Assembly. The party ousted the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS, which managed to secure only 39 seats. The BJP and AIMIM won eight each. Earlier, Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who is also credited with delivering Telangana for the Congress, told News18 that the collective leadership will decide on the CM. Infighting over the post According to a report by NDTV, there have been massive infighting within Telangana Congress considering the chief ministerial post. Party leaders like Bhatti Vikramarka, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Damodar Rajanarasimha are all raising their voices against Revanth Reddys candidature. They claim Reddy advertised that he is the preferred candidate by both the MLAs and the electorate. They reportedly alleged that he also compromised arrangements to appoint him as CM, while elect others for posts like Deputy CM or ministerial positions. The leaders also cited Reddys political inexperience as one of the reasons of their protest. Well, Reddy is not new to internal attacks. Earlier, he was accused of getting bribes to become state Congress chief, selling tickets during the ticket distribution process. However, over the years since, Reddy worked hard to gain sufficient members on his side to succeed in his own party. He has over 42 MLAs in his favour, who claim would cause trouble if he wasnt given the top position. The suspense continues Earlier today, the newly elected MLAs met in Hyderabad to pass a one line resolution that authorises the Congress president to take the decision of electing the leader of the new Congress Legislature. The report of the CLP meeting that was conducted in Hyderabad yesterday will be presented to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in Delhi at noon today by AICC in-charge of Telangana Manikrao Thakare and special observer DK Shivakumar. The Telangana Congress MLAs are currently lodged in a Hyderabad hotel, as per News18. According to Indian Express, the high command is likely to announce its decision today and swearing-in ceremony might take place tomorrow, i.e. Wednesday. The newspaper quoted its sources as saying that the party high command is thinking about appointing one or two deputy CMs and that Reddy could get the top job. It also stated that there is a demand for appointing deputy CMs from the marginalised communities like Dalit and backward class community. Notably, senior MLA Bhatti Vikramarka belongs to the Mala (SC) community. The possible CM The high command has reportedly arranged meeting with each 64 MLAs in the party to understand the real picture. Since then, there are four names who are in the race to become CM. Uttam Kumar Reddy, 61, has won seven elections, one as MP from Nalgonda. The former Air Force Pilot, is also close to the Gandhi family. According to NDTVs source, he is most qualified for the chief ministerial post. Former Congress Legislature Party chief and a three-time MLA Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has served as deputy speaker and leader of opposition. According to him, he campaigned for the party beyond his constituency during his 1,400-kilometre march earlier this year. For those unversed, the 63-year-old is the brother of Mallu Ravi, who has declared his support for Reddy. With over 35 years of experience, 58-year-old Komatireddy Venkat Reddy considers himself among the senior most in the party. He has been a former minister, four-time MLA and MP, and delivered 11 of 12 assembly constituencies in his district of erstwhile Nalgonda, as per NDTV. Damodar Rajanarasimha, 65 from the dominant Madiga Scheduled Caste group, has been a minister in the YS Rajasekhara Reddy cabinet and deputy CM in the Congress government that was led by Kiran Kumar Reddy. He has generations of family history with the Congress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a jab at his detractors, saying that while they could be content with their arrogance, lies, pessimism, and ignorance, people should be wary of their divisive agenda since a 70-year-old habit is difficult to break. Taking to X, in an unusual post, PM Modi wrote, May they be happy with their arrogance, lies, pessimism and ignorance. But Beware of their divisive agenda. An old habit of 70 years cant go away so easily. Also, such is the wisdom of the people that they have to be prepared for many more meltdowns ahead, He was responding to an X post with the caption Meltdown-e-Azam (great meltdown) that included a news clip citing excuses and purported attempts by a ecosystem to incite regional division and offend voters in Hindi heartland. This came after the BJP easily won elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, ignoring the Congresss challenge. The Congress drew some consolation by winning the Assembly poll in Telangana. PM Modis reply and the expression of unusual social media aggression in reaction to a post was also punctuated by several emojis, also not very common with his remarks on X. BJP leaders said the prime ministers post reflects the party turning up the heat in its social media outreach in the recent months. This post of the prime minister is not out of character. It is aggressive and taking the opposition ecosystem head on, a leader told PTI. He added this has been the case with the BJPs content on social media in general too for the last few months now. Its campaign and reels have seen aggressive in tone and tenor. Many Instagram reels have generated 1.5 million views and more, he added. Commenting on Modis post, a leader likened it to a technically sound batsman resorting to a slog sweep to hit the ball for a six. With inputs from agencies Byju Raveendran, founder of edtech giant Byjus, has now mortgaged his home as well as those owned by his family members to raise money for paying staff as the company battles a fund crunch, according to people familiar with the development. Two houses owned by the former billionaires family in Bengaluru and his under-construction villa in Epsilon a plush gated community in the city were offered as collateral assets to borrow $12 million, the people cited above said. The startup used the funds to pay salaries to 15,000 employees in Byjus parent firm, Think & Learn Pvt., on Monday. Raveendran has been adopting desperate measures to keep his company afloat and to ease the immense financial crisis that has engulfed the edtech firm for some time now. Once, well known as Indias most valuable tech startup, the firm is in the process of selling its US-based kids digital reading platform for about $400 million. It is also locked in a legal battle with creditors over a missed interest payment on a $1.2 billion term loan. Raveendran, whose net worth was once valued at almost $5 billion, has raised debts of about $400 million on a personal level, pledging all his shares in the parent company, according to the people. He also put back into the company the $800 million he raised through share sales in the past couple of years, leaving him cash-strapped, they said. Last month, Byjus published its first results in years, which showed losses at Think & Learn narrowed marginally amid a pandemic-era boom in business. After an Indian federal agency concluded a probe into the startups overseas fundraising, penalties, if any, are expected to be nominal, the company said in a statement last week. Cyclone Michaung, which is hovering over the Bay of Bengal, is due to make landfall near Bapatla on the Andhra Pradesh coast at about noon, according to the IMD. The incoming tropical storm caused rain mayhem in Chennai over the weekend, in which at least eight people have died. A storm surge, or tidal wave, of 1-1.5 metres is expected to inundate the low-lying areas of south coastal Andhra Pradesh and the peak storm surge will be over the Bapatla and Krishna districts. The cyclone is expected to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 km per hour, gusting to 110 km per hour. The Andhra Pradesh government has issued an alert for eight districts Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada. In Puducherry, Section 144 has been imposed in the coastal areas, restricting movement there, until 6 pm. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the officials to treat the storm as a major challenge to avoid loss of life and property as the winds are expected to blow gales reaching speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour. Reddy said that special officers have been appointed for all cyclone-affected districts, besides releasing Rs 2 crore each for rescue and relief work. People from low-lying areas have been evacuated and over 300 relief camps have been set up to accommodate them. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry on Monday and assured them of all necessary help from the Centre. The minister said adequate deployment of National Disaster Response Force personnel has already been made and additional teams are ready for further assistance. Director General of the India Meteorological Department, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra warned that cities and towns along coastal Andhra Pradesh will see extremely heavy, and even exceptionally heavy (30-40 cm), rainfall. A severe cyclonic storm has the potential to cause uprooting of small and medium trees, large-scale damage to hutments and mud houses, and partial damage to telephone and electric poles. The weather office said that Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are expected to experience light to moderate rainfall in most places on Tuesday. Rain has stopped in Chennai, but most parts of the city remains submerged, with heavy inundation in low-lying areas. The Chennai airport will remain closed till 9 am today. Schools, colleges, and government offices remain shut and the government has appealed to private companies to let employees work from home. Videos shows flights grounded as rainwater entered the airport runway, prompting authorities to order its closure till 11 pm tonight. The Odisha government has also deployed rescue teams in the southern districts as a precautionary measure. All the coastal and southern district collectors have been out on alert and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S on Tuesday stoked controversy as he claimed that the BJP can win elections only in gaumutra states, drawing a sharp retort from the saffron party leaders who said that DMK will soon get to know the benefits of gaumutra when people teach them a lesson for disrespecting the Sanatani tradition and Indian culture. While addressing the Parliament on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023 in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, DNV Senthilkumar said, The people of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections mainly in the heartland states of Hindi, what we generally call the Gaumutra states. #WATCH | Winter Session of Parliament | DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S says The people of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections mainly in the heartland states of Hindi, what we generally call the Gaumutra states pic.twitter.com/i37gx9aXyI ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 In the recently-concluded Assembly elections, the BJP swept all the three Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while Congress managed to win only the southern state of Telangana. Referring to states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka, he said that the saffron party cannot come to South India as the non-BJP parties/governments are very strong there. Further in his seven-minute speech, he tried to make false equivalence with the Unionhood of Jammu and Kashmir. So we will not be surprised if you have an option of converting these states into Union Territories, so that you can come into indirect power You can never dream of setting foot over there and taking control of all the southern states, said the DMK MP. Later, speaking to ANI news agency outside Parliament, Senthilkumar S said he has used a similar statement in his previous Parliament speeches and insisted it was not a controversial remark I made some statement inside the House. At the time Home Minister and BJP members were there. I have used this before in my Parliament speeches. It was not a controversial statement. If it touches somebody I will try to avoid using it next time. I will use some other words to mention that where the BJP is strong in getting their votes, said the DMK MP #WATCH | DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S on his Gaumutra remark, I made some statement inside the House. At the time Home Minister & BJP members were there at that time. I have used this before in my Parliament speeches. It was not a controversial statement. If it touches somebody I pic.twitter.com/bUUbQ0O7fY ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 Reacting to DMK MPs controversial statement, Union Minister and BJP leader Meenakashi Lekhi said that the southern party leader has disrespected the Sanatani tradition and this will not be tolerated by the people of the country. #WATCH | Winter Session of Parliament | On Gaumutra remark by DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S, Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi says I think that is a disrespect of the Sanatani tradition. DMK will soon get to know the benefits of Gaumutra. They are very well aware that this will pic.twitter.com/Z7e7bvaTtu ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 I think that is a disrespect of the Sanatani tradition. DMK will soon get to know the benefits of Gaumutra. They are very well aware that this will not be tolerated by the people of the country. Anyone who tries to play with the sentiments of the country will get a befitting reply from the public, said Lekhi. In agreement with Lekhis remarks, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar said that the BJP is accepted all across the country and whoever is making such comments lacks knowledge. #WATCH | Winter Session of Parliament | On Gaumutra remark by DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar says, BJP is accepted all across the country. Whoever is saying this, does not have any knowledge. He is not aware of the culture of India but we all know that pic.twitter.com/IvxA2SW7en ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 BJP is accepted all across the country. Whoever is saying this, does not have any knowledge. He is not aware of the culture of India but we all know that people have trust in BJP and PM Modi is not just an Indian leader, he has become a world leader, said Sarkar. Meanwhile, Congress leader Congress MP Karti Chidambaram called his choice of words very unfortunate. Taking to X, Karti Chidambaram said, Very unfortunate choice of words. Unparliamentary. Must forthwith apologize & withdraw his comments Very unfortunate choice of words. Unparliamentary. @DrSenthil_MDRD must forthwith apologize & withdraw his comments. https://t.co/2FRLYMUcFW Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) December 5, 2023 Congress MP Rajiv Shukla said the politics of DMK is different and the grand old party does not agree with their politics. Congress believes in Sanatana Dharma and Gaumata as well. We believe in moving forward with people from all religions, said Shukla. #WATCH | On Gaumutra remark by DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S, Congress MP Rajiv Shukla says The politics of DMK is different. Congress does not agree with their politics. Congress believes in Sanatana Dharma and Gaumata as well. We believe in moving forward with people from pic.twitter.com/65gZEBBVx4 ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 However, Senthilkumar S also saw some support coming his way. I agree with his statement, he is correct, said MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) MP Vaiko. #WATCH | On Gaumutra remark by DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S, MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) MP Vaiko says I agree with his statement, he is correct pic.twitter.com/N4xGx9L5md ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 It is not the first time that the DMK leader has made the Hinduphobic gaumutra comment inside the Parliament. In February 2022, he mocked the BJP government by making the Hinduphobic gaumutra comment in Parliament. In his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President, Senthilkumar had said that if the government at all wants to implement the National Education Policy, it should do it in their gaumutra states. With inputs from agencies Congress MP Rajiv Shukla on Tuesday slammed DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S for his controversial remark against people hailing from the Hindi heartland. The politics of DMK is different. Congress does not agree with their politics. Congress believes in Sanatana Dharma and Gaumata as well. We believe in moving forward with people from all religions, Rajiv Shukla told the media. #WATCH | On 'Gaumutra' remark by DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S, Congress MP Rajiv Shukla says "The politics of DMK is different. Congress does not agree with their politics. Congress believes in 'Sanatana Dharma' and 'Gaumata' as well. We believe in moving forward with people from pic.twitter.com/65gZEBBVx4 ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 While speaking in the Lok Sabha, D N V Senthilkumar stated that people in this country should believe that the BJPs influence is limited to winning elections in the heartland states of Hindi and what we generally called as gaumutra states during a discussion on two legislation pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir in the Lower House. The remarks are made against the backdrop of some characterising the outcomes of the most recent assembly elections as a North-South divide, following the Congress victory in Telangana and the BJPs crushing victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. You (BJP) cannot come to South India. You see all the results of what happens in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. We are very strong over there, Senthilkumar said during his address in the Lok Sabha. We will not be surprised if you have an option of converting all these states into Union territories so that you can come into indirect power because you can never dream of setting foot over there and taking control of all the southern states, he added. BJP leaders protested against the insult to North Indians by DMK MP D N V Senthilkumar and asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi if he agreed with the controversial insulting remarks of its INDI alliance partner. Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao urged the Tamil Nadu government to register a case against those making hate speeches against Sanatan Dharma and remove them from their posts. The I.N.D.I alliance meeting which was scheduled to take place in Delhi on Wednesday has been postponed, according to an NDTV report, citing sources. The meeting was deferred shortly after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav joined Mamata Banerjee in expressing unavailability and decided to send their representatives instead. The Samajwadi party national president has no plans to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc tomorrow. Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised by the national president will go for the meeting, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI. However, it is not clear yet why the Bihar CM will be not be attending the meeting. According to reports, Nitish Kumar was likely to send party President Rajiv Ranjan and senior figure Sanjay Jha. On Monday, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she too would not attending the meeting citing prior commitments. I will be visiting North Bengal from December 6 to December 11. I was not aware of the meeting date on December 6. Had I known about the meeting date beforehand, then I could have rescheduled my visit, she said while addressing reporters outside Raj Bhawan on Monday. All three are senior members of the bloc; in fact, Nitish Kumar is widely seen as a founding member of the opposition grouping. According to NDTV, citing sources, Nitish Kumar, Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee arent the only senior I.N.D.I.A leaders who backed out of Wednesdays meeting, underlining the growing chasm in the bloc as regional parties grumble (louder and louder) over the Congress insisting that it will continue to fight elections largely on its own. Leaders of the opposition I.N.D.I bloc were set to meet at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi tomorrow to formulate a strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on Sunday, inflicting a resounding defeat on the Congress to tighten its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland, in a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In some consolation for the Congress in the face of the saffron wave after it lost Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the party ousted the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana. With inputs from agencies During a crucial visit by Kenya President William Samoei Ruto to India, both nations have strengthened their longstanding ties through the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and strategic collaborations across various sectors, stated Dammu Ravi, Secretary (ER) of the Ministry of External Affairs. Ravi provided insightful remarks on the significant outcomes of President Rutos visit, emphasising key developments in agriculture, education, fintech, space, and health cooperation. #WATCH | On President of Kenya, William Samoei Rutos visit to India, MEA Secretary (ER) Dammu Ravi says, This is the first meeting taking place post G 20. The visit is happening after Voice of Global South where Ruto participated. The Kenyan side expressed interest in pic.twitter.com/OmC48CstNG ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 A notable aspect of the visit was Kenyas expressed intention to offer agricultural farmland to Indian companies, aiming to promote farming activities in the region. Simultaneously, MoUs were inked between the open universities of both nations, igniting a collaborative effort in the field of education. These agreements set the stage for a multifaceted exchange that encompasses cultural, sports, digital solutions, and digital transformation initiatives. Education is another area. The open universities of both sides, IGNOU and Kenyan Open University, have entered into an MoU. Space is another area of cooperation. So these are the five MoUs that have been signed, said the MEA Secretary. Kenyas keen interest in learning from India extends to the fintech space, with a specific focus on UPI and Aadhaar. The health sector emerged as a significant area of cooperation, with discussions ranging from medical expertise exchanges to collaborative efforts in traditional medicine. The Kenyan side expressed interest in learning from India in several areas, particularly in fintech, space, the UPI, the Aadhaar, and the health space. They have expressed interest in having greater cooperation, particularly with Indian specialist doctors visiting those countries, and in turn, they would like to have a longer stay for their specialists, nurses, and medical doctors to come to India to learn from us. Traditional medicine also figured very strongly in the bilateral talks, he added. Ravi also said that the economic landscape witnessed a substantial boost with announcements such as the enhancement of the line of credit for agriculture modernisation in Kenya. A ground-breaking customised training programme for Kenyan space scientists by ISRO and the development of a geospatial information portal for Kenya further underscored the commitment to technological advancements. Besides, there have also been other announcements. For example, you have the line of credit to enhance from the existing 100 million to USD 250,000,000 for the agriculture modernization of Kenya and a customised training programme for 20 space scientists of the Kenya Space Agency, which will be done by ISRO, and a geospatial information portal for Kenya, which India will be developing for them. And then, last but not least, the Kenyan government expressed interest in joining the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuel Alliance, the MEA Secretary added. With inputs from ANI In connection with the terror conspiracy hatched and operationalized by the offshoots of the banned terrorist organisations backed by Pakistan, including Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, and Al-Qaeda, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided eight locations across Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. Seven districts in Jammu and Kashmir Poonch, Shopian, Pulwama, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kupwara, and Srinagar were among the locations that were raided. The residences of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) connected to recently established affiliates and offshoots of the terrorist groups that are prohibited were among the seized places. The premises of the cadres and supporters of these recently established parties, which included Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Party, The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu and Kashmir (ULFJ-K), and Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind (MGH), were also subject to extensive searches. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been looking into the plot of the recently formed offshoots of the banned terror groups to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir through violent terrorist attacks and activities, seized several digital devices containing copious amounts of incriminating data and documents as a result of the searches. In order to investigate the involvement of cadres, overground workers, and other suspects of the new outfits in the gathering and distribution of sticky bombs, magnetic bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), money, drugs, and weapons and ammunition to spread terror, violence, and subversion in Jammu and Kashmir, the NIA had suo moto registered the case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) on June 21 of last year. Thus far, the NIAs investigations have shown that operatives stationed in Pakistan were not only utilising drones to supply weapons and ammunition, explosives, and drugs to their cadres and operatives in the Kashmir valley, but also using social media platforms to incite terror. These activities were being carried out as part of the terror conspiracy hatched by the banned outfits, backed by their masters in Pakistan. The conspiracy also involved radicalization of local youth and mobilization of OGWs to carry out violent and disruptive activities in Jammu and Kashmir, said the NIA. (With agency inputs) Kenyan President William Ruto was accorded a ceremonial welcome on Tuesday in Rashtrapati Bhavan after President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi received him. Several union ministers including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, and Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju were present. President Murmu also met the Kenyan delegation led by William Ruto. Ruto arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a state visit upon the invitation of Murmu. This is the first presidential visit by Kenya in over six years. This evening a state banquet will be hosted by President Murmu in honour of President Ruto. During his visit to India, the Kenyan President will hold detailed discussions with Prime Minister Modi. Ruto, who is accompanied by a high-level official delegation will also participate in a business and investment event in the national capital. Upon his arrival at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Ruto said, India and Kenya are great friends and we have had diplomatic engagement of different levels from way back in 1948, even before the independence of Kenyawere looking at how we can have partnership in the space of rural development, especially agriculturewe will also be signing an agreement on digital space #WATCH | Delhi: President of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto says, India and Kenya are great friends and we have had diplomatic engagement of different levels from way back in 1948, even before the independence of Kenyawere looking at how we can have partnership in the space of pic.twitter.com/Pr5G8uU9w0 ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 India has made a very huge contribution. We want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making sure that Africa became a permanent member of the G20 during his presidency. And we will be having further conversations with him, the Kenyan President told ANI. With inputs from ANI Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds were witnessed in Andhra Pradesh Bapatla Tuesday as cyclone Michaung began to make landfall. A red alert has been issued in Andhra Pradeshs eight areas Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada in anticipation of possible destruction by the storm caused by Cyclone Michaung. #WATCH | Rough sea, strong winds and heavy rain in Andhra Pradeshs Bapatla as #CycloneMichuang makes landfall pic.twitter.com/gRu12ltOMC ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked all officers and departments to be on alert and be available for immediate relief and rescue. IMD scientist HR Biswas said the cyclonic storm is likely to weaken in the next few hours. #WATCH | On #CycloneMichuang, Scientist 'E' and in-charge IMD Bhubaneswar, HR Biswas says, "Currently, the windspeed is 90-100 kmph. The cyclone is expected to weaken in the next few hours." pic.twitter.com/74vQ080ffy ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 Residents asked to stay indoors According to the data shared by the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), 9,454 people have been evacuated from the seven districts of Konaseema, Kakinada, Krishna, Bapatla and Prakasam to safety in 211 relief camps. #WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: Rain lashes several parts of Visakhapatnam due to cyclone Michaung pic.twitter.com/ZcipZUChXM ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 Residents around Bapatla have been advised against going outdoors. Bapatla district superintendent of police Vakul Jindal told PTI that people living in thatched houses in the region have been evacuated. No respite in sight for Andhra Weather agencies have predicted that harsh weather conditions in Andhra Pradesh and nearby cities will prevail till Thursday. The IMD forecasts heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by strong winds in parts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday. It also forecasts extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. Rains in Chennai kill 12, roads submerged in water Cyclone Michaung has also caused rain mayhem in Tamil Nadu with incessant downpours and floods killing at least 12 people. #WATCH | People living in the inundated Krishna Nagar area of Chennai's West Tambaram's being rescued using inflated boats The city is reeling under the effect of #CycloneMichuang. Rescue effortss underway by police, local administration and volunteers. pic.twitter.com/v7lWdDXWkA ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 #WATCH | Roads in Chennai's Pallikaranai area inundated due to heavy rainfall owing to #CycloneMichuang pic.twitter.com/CUSEhFZfDc ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 Videos from Chennai showed low-lying areas submerged underwater and people facing difficulties due to power outages. VIDEO | Several areas in Chennai remain waterlogged after Cyclone Michaung-triggered heavy rainfall in the region. Visuals from Tharamani area.#CycloneMichaung #ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/5oM3V6Pvan Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 5, 2023 Visuals of rainwater stagnation in a residential colony of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. pic.twitter.com/Xe8FZ6tuEM Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 5, 2023 29 NDRF teams deployed in southern India A total of 29 NDRF teams have been deployed in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry to undertake relief and rescue operations in the wake of the severe cyclonic storm Michaung hurtling down India's eastern coast on Tuesday. Fourteen National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in Tamil Nadu (five in Chennai), 11 in Andhra Pradesh, one in Telangana and three in Puducherry. #WATCH | NDRF personnel deployed on Bapatla coast in Andhra Pradesh as #CycloneMichuang makes landfall "We have deployed 12 teams, which are ready for rescue operations," says Zahid Khan, Commandant NDRF. pic.twitter.com/UZJbgz2gEN ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 "Our focus is on Andhra Pradesh as the cyclone will make landfall there and a number of trees, poles and other infrastructure could be uprooted, leading to blockage of communication and power lines," a senior officer was quoted as saying by PTI. The NDRF is also prepared to launch rescue and relief operations for the affected people who could be stranded, he said. Additional teams have been kept on standby and they will be moved into the affected areas as and when the requisition is made by the state governments, another NDRF officer said. With inputs from agencies The Telangana win for the Congress party is like a log that one desperately clings to after a boat-wreck. But instead of introspecting so that the collapse does not happen again, it is busy blaming the boat and praising the log. Dozens of Congress leaders and leading influencers immediately took to social media to denigrate everything north of the Vindhyas as less educated and civilised than the South. The SOUTH! Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) December 3, 2023 Hence proved South is aware and North is still lagging far behind Anita Jacob (@AnitaJacobJain1) December 3, 2023 It seems that the Congress has decided to cede north, east and west Bharat. The party first disowned the biggest game changer of contemporary India, liberalisation, by trying to sideline the legacy of its non-Gandhi, non-Nehru prime minister, PV Narasimha Rao. It then ceded the Hindu space by wanton minority appeasement. Then it ceded the nationalistic space, questioning Indias surgical strikes and taking Chinas line on Doklam, Galwan and Pangong Tso conflicts. Now, frustrated by another spate of electoral rout, the Congress has started denigrating the North. It started from the very top. During his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi suggested in Kerala that those in the South were interested in issues and were not superficial like north Indians. That theyre treating South India as some sort of consolation while disparaging the Hindi heartland should reveal to all Indians that, one day, the South too shall be disparaged. After all, this alliance is led by someone who disparaged the people of Amethi. pic.twitter.com/CvSKs2dT1m Kartikeya Tanna (@KartikeyaTanna) December 4, 2023 But here are some ground realities that the Congress should consider before falling into a false lull that its ground is relatively safer in south India and the BJP is weak there. The BJP is the single biggest party in south India in Parliament. It has 29 MPs from the South compared with the Congresss 28, followed by DMKs 23. At the state level, the BJP increased its tally in the Telangana Assembly from one to eight seats and doubled its vote share from 7 per cent in 2018 to 14 per cent. This is despite the speculation that the BJP did not put all its might in the state and decided to go slow against the BRS to keep the doors of an alliance open in 2024. If the BJP got four seats in Telangana in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it could substantially increase its tally there in the next general elections. In neighbouring Andhra, the BJP has the chance to fill in a political vacuum. Chief Minister Jagan Reddys popularity is on the wane and both he and his rival TDP are open to an alliance with the BJP. Besides, the BJP could win a few seats on its own if it can get a leader like Pawan Kalyan or somebody promising from its own stable. In Tamil Nadu, the party is on the rise. While the Congress is almost out entirely dependent on its ally DMK in the state, the BJP led by the young and increasingly popular K Annamalai could at least get it a handful of seats even without any alliance. In Kerala, where the Congress got 15 of the 20 seats on its own in 2019 with Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad, the Left will be more circumvent about ceding ground this time. And the BJP could be just one social coalition away from a few seats. Large sections of Christians are already angry with both the Left and the Congress pandering to extremist Muslim elements and the protest against love jihad is rising from the church communities. Karnataka has been the BJPs bastion in the South. While it lost the 2023 elections to Congress, one must remember that the BJP swept the 2019 general elections from the state it got 25 of the 28 seats in spite of there being a Congress-JDS government running the state at that time. Finally, the Congresss Telangana victory may prove pyrrhic. It has already made its I.N.D.I.A. alliance partners, chiefly regional parties, extremely wary. The Left, DMK, TDP, YSR Congress and the JDS will be far less accommodative fearing cannibalisation of their voter base by the Congress. Most of the Opposition allies have already started making angry noises about how arrogantly and dismissively the Congress has been dealing with them. The Congress is far from safe in the South. It will have to deal with a bigger, determined and more agile BJP in 2024. The author is contributing editor, Firstpost. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The recent and frequent earthquakesroughly four of them in the last 30 days around the Delhi-NCR regionhave caused panic among the residents, forcing them to run out of their homes and offices. This region lies in earthquake zone 4, denoting a high-risk area. This is primarily because of its proximity to the Himalayan region, which is extremely fragile and prone to shaking. Earthquakes as a disaster have been causing a lot of damage to life and property across regions since the beginning of time. The uncertainty of its occurrence and the failure to predict it well before time, despite the technological advancements, are what make it even more catastrophic. Climate change has led to extreme weather events. Droughts, floods, and cyclones have been reported to get worse as global warming increases and changes in climate worsen. However, when we think about climate change led disasters, earthquakes generally dont really come to our mind. To even establish the connection between the twoclimate change and earthquakesmakes one ponder and wonder. But according to recent research, the changing climate can alter activities below the surface of the earth and have an impact on earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Up to four meters of rainwater during the summer monsoon season squeeze the crust horizontally and vertically, thus making it stable. The effective rebound that occurs when this water evaporates in the winter destabilizes the area and increases the frequency of earthquakes. Climate change may make this occurrence more intense. Climate models predict that the future now will result in an increase in the intensity of monsoon rainfall in southern Asia. This can potentially intensify the winter rebound and result in more earthquake activity. Beyond merely precipitation, the weight of water has an effect on the Earths crust that also affects glacial ice. Parts of the Earths crust began to rebound upwards approximately 10,000 years ago as heavy glacial ice masses thawed at the conclusion of the previous ice age. Scotland has elevated beaches that show signs of this process, known as isostatic rebound; some of these beaches are up to 45 meters above sea level today. Research from Scandinavia indicates that between 11,000 and 7,000 years ago, multiple earthquake events were likely caused by this uplift in addition to the geological instability of the area. A few of these earthquakes even had magnitudes higher than 8.0, which denotes significant damage and fatalities. The worry is that comparable consequences might arise elsewhere if glacier ice continues to melt as it does now. To reduce the damage it causes to people and property around, there are several established disaster risk measures that can be adopted. One of the major ways through which risk can be reduced is through good and reliable data. The Android app-MyShake uses the devices built-in sensor to identify active earthquakes. After setting the phone down on a level surface and letting it take a half-hour to adjust, it starts listening for vibrations that could potentially interfere with its integrated accelerometer. The MyShake database is automatically updated with any information that matches the characteristics of an earthquake. The University of California, Berkeley team behind MyShake intends to develop an iPhone app and eventually create a global network of MyShake users. Similar to MyShake, LastQuake is a smartphone app, however instead of using the hardware built into the phone, it depends on volunteer reporting. A group at the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre in Essonne, France, developed the LastQuake system, which searches Twitter and other public networks for seismic activity reports. People who live close to earthquake epicenters can rate the strength of the tremor by answering a questionnaire. India is strongly committed to following the 2015-2030 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction which recommends citizen participation in risk-related scientific activities. It can be very effective in increasing risk awareness and preparedness. The crowdsourcing approach assumes that information and evidence collected from several citizens gives a bottom-up method that improves knowledge and numerous studies have demonstrated that such approaches can support disaster management, disaster assessment, and emergency decision making. The author is a Masters student at TERI School of Advanced Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The fragile weeklong truce during the current Israel-Hamas war collapsed on December 1 2023, with both sides blaming each other for it. As per the CNN News on December 22, Israeli military admitted that it launched more than 400 strikes on the Gaza strip in the first 24 hours after the truce collapsed and expanded its operations to south Gaza, besides continuing strikes on northern Gaza. Hamas too recommenced rocket fire on border cities of Israel to indicate its residual capability to respond. Caught in crossfire, it is distressing news for hostages and civilians of one of the most populated regions of the world, who are blockaded in a landmass and are left with no safe zones. Although, most rational voices condemn the brutal, barbaric, terror attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and felt Israelis actions against Hamas were justified, but the scale, cost and methodology of Israeli response, causing fourteen times more Palestinian civilian casualties (approximately over 15000 in comparison to 1200 Israelis killed so far) and large scale forced displacement of people has invited global criticism for violation of International Humanitarian Law. Despite Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) maintaining that it doesnt target civilians, reports of more than 400 Palestinians killed in span of three days concerns everyone, including its closest ally the US, which expects Israel to do more to protect civilians in pursuance of its legitimate military objectives in Gaza. Why was the truce destined to collapse? The weeklong truce in Israel-Hamas war was a result of tireless negotiations by mediators including Qatar, Egypt and Biden Administration, which was feeling the heat of heavy political cost in pre-election year under domestic and global pressure, hence persuading Netanyahu (who is also struggling for his political survival) for truce made sense, in addition to internal pressure on Netanyahu by family members of hostages. Although the truce was a big relief to the hostages released, their families and civilians in Gaza Strip, but the Netanyahus War Cabinet, IDF and hardliners were viewing it as an avoidable reorganisation opportunity for Hamas fighters. Embarrassed by their possible security lapses of October 07, Netanyahu-led Israel was convinced that application of total military might to obliterate Hamas, notwithstanding the cost on innocent civilians, can perhaps mitigate their loss of prestige; hence a disruption like truce was unwanted and needed to end soon. Israel has mobilised over 300,000 people, most of them were involved in various economic activities, which stand disrupted; hence early consolidation of Hamas is an economic compulsion too. It blamed Hamas for not releasing women and children as per truce terms as cause of collapse of truce, which Hamas denies. Hamas took hostages on October 07 to use them as bargaining chips against Israel. The Israelis announcement at the beginning of the temporary ceasefire that the war will continue once the temporary humanitarian ceasefire was over, was perceived by Hamas that it needs to retain some high value hostages till end of the war for ensuring its survival. After releasing 105 hostages (mainly ladies and children) and having scored a favourable point on released Palestinians, a disruption in truce suited Hamas too, so that it can retain remaining hostages and blame Israel for predetermined decision to recommence criminal aggression. Opposing strategies and outcomes As per Netanyahu the Israelis objective in this war is to liquidate Hamas completely, ensure that its citizens are never again threatened by an attack from Gaza and ensure release the hostages. He thinks that it can be done by military action and has pulled back the Israeli team from ongoing negotiations in Qatar. The force level used and the scale of destruction being caused indicates that his undeclared aim is to make Gaza inhabitable and force Palestinians out of Gaza, as it is extremely difficult to identify Hamas in such a heavy population density of Palestinians and selectively destroy them. To minimise its own casualties, the IDF has chosen the strategy of mass destruction and pulverising targets/buildings alleged as hideouts by standoff attacks, avoiding hand to hand fighting in built up areas. The strategy of Hamas on October 07 was to pick up maximum hostages to be used as bargaining chip, embarrass Israel and provoke it beyond limits to respond disproportionately, causing heavy casualties to innocent Palestinians in Gaza, to put the Palestinian issue from back burner to forefront, besides inviting global criticism of Israel for human right violations, which seems to have been achieved. Hamas also expected favourable reaction in their support from Arab countries, radical Islamic countries and organisations and drove a wedge in the relationship of some Arab countries and others getting closer to Israel. This has not been fully achieved as Arab countries have voiced in favour of Palestinians (not Hamas, in context of its brutal assault violating human rights) and have not intervened beyond diplomatic and moral support. In terms of outcome, Israel had finished the war in six days in 1967, Yom Kippur war in 19 days, but against Hamas, the war is nearing two months and the obliteration of Hamas is nowhere in sight. It is overambitious because Hamas is an ideology, brewed out of subjugation of population confined into the bounds of Gaza, with airspace, maritime space, six exit points and inflow of essential services controlled by Israel. With growing hatred towards Israel due to unprecedented casualties, the ideology is unlikely to die down. Moreover, many Hamas leaders are outside Gaza, away from the striking distance of Israel; hence, they will survive even after the destruction of Gaza to reorganise Hamas. While Israel may be able to comb Gaza to reduce the striking capability of Hamas, in the long term it will make itself and its people more insecure to terror attacks within and outside Israel, as the US Defence Secretary rightly warns Israel that failure to protect Palestinian civilians could lead to strategic defeat. Who will control Gaza after the war? Israel is planning to have a buffer zone or a security envelope along the Gaza border, inside Gaza to prevent Hamas being positioned on the border, but it may not be easy as world opinion is shifting against Israel and inclined for the two-state solution. Even Israels closest ally the US is insisting on two-state solution, which has laid down five principles for the future of Gaza, as its Vice President said No forcible displacement of the Palestinian people, no reoccupation of Gaza, no siege or blockade, no reduction in territory, and no use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism. The idea of Gaza to be ruled by Palestinian Authority (PA) has its own drawbacks due to lack of credibility PA leaders, who havent had elections after 2005, and they do not represent the people of Gaza. Governance under the UN stabilisation mission till elections are held could be an option, but will Israel agree to completely vacate Gaza remains a question? With an angry population, the Israeli occupation of Gaza will be marred by risk of frequent insurgent attacks. The future of two-state solution While Israel and Palestinians both have legitimate right to live, have a homeland, govern and defend themselves, the lack of accommodation of these rights within the boundaries of Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip remains problematic, leading to bloodshed for over decades. While every peace propagator including the US is talking of the two-state solution, but no such solution succeeded due to the competing claims to Jerusalem, which is crucial to Christians, Jews and Palestinians. The problem, therefore, remains how to divide that landmass into two states, as both sides want East Jerusalem, because Palestinians cant compromise on al-Aqsa Mosque (Third holiest shrine for Islam) and Jews cant compromise on Temple Mount or Western Wall (the holiest site in Judaism). The complexities of Palestinian enclaves embedded by Israeli settlements in the West Bank and their continued encroachment, makes it impractical for any of them to vacate their enclaves, complicating the situation further. Way ahead The strong support demonstrated by the US to Israel in the initial stages has not allowed direct involvement of any other country into the Israel-Hamas war, although groups like Hezbollah and Houthis did show some support with standoff attacks. The Arab countries have expressed support for Hamas, condemned Israel for violating International Humanitarian laws and excessive civilian casualties, but no one has directly entered the conflict. Considering the responses so far, it appears that this conflict may not expand into larger regional conflict. This conflict has further divided the global power blocks with the US and Israel standing together, getting increasingly isolated. Most of the world is raising concerns for Palestinian cause and unprecedented casualties and the US seems to be doing damage control internally and externally, short of stopping Israeli offensive. The number of ladies and children killed in less than two months has exceeded two years of Russia-Ukraine war violates self-defence logic. The war may end with Israels combing operations over destroyed Gaza, claimed as victory by Israel. It may work as a face saver for the Israeli Government, but Israel can neither hope to be safe nor peaceful in the long term. In counter-terror operations, people are the centre of gravity. The next generation of Hamas will arise, with a frustrated populace demanding revenge. Until a two-states solution that is acceptable to both parties is reached, the Israel-Palestine conflict will persist, albeit in an active insurgent form, for an extended period of time. The author is an international strategic and military analyst well versed in the area of conflict, having served in the UN Peacekeeping Force. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Dubai, with its iconic skyline, is a city known for its architectural marvels and breathtaking views. However, on a recent Sunday, the glamour of its skyline was overshadowed by a thick layer of smog, bringing attention to the critical issue of air quality. Ironically, this occurred on the same day that COP28, the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, was discussing the paramount topic of health. Ironies unfold As the COP28 unfolded in Dubais Expo City, just 11 kilometres from the worlds largest gas-fueled power station, the Jebel Ali Power Complex, a series of ironies became apparent. The summit, led by Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, the head of the UAEs state-owned oil firm, faced scrutiny for its choice of leadership and the clash between discussions on health and the evident air quality issues outside. Former US vice president Al Gore expressed concern stating that the industry seems more adept at influencing politicians than addressing emissions. He criticised the appointment of the CEO of a major oil company to head the COP highlighting a perceived conflict of interest. This industry is way more effective at capturing politicians than they are capturing emissions. And they have captured the COP process itself now and overreached abusing the publics trust by naming the CEO of one of the largest and least responsible oil companies in the world as head of the COP, said Gore. Controversial statements The controversy deepened as old comments by COP28 president Sultan Al-Jaber went viral. These comments, made during an online event in November, asserted that there is no scientific basis for phasing out fossil fuels. The remarks gained significant attention, considering the global push for sustainable energy and the urgency of addressing climate change. Al-Jaber defended his statements, emphasising the importance of context and expressing a commitment to finding common ground among participating nations. But one statement taken out of context with misrepresentation and misinterpretation that gets maximum coverage. Again, I respect facts. I respect numbers. And these are the facts on the ground. Unfortunately. I have called on parties many times to find common ground, build consensus and come to me with language that will work with all parties, said Sultan Al-Jaber. However, the clash of opinions underscored the challenges faced by COP28 in aligning diverse interests. Global declarations and Indian concerns During the summit, 123 countries signed a declaration on health, recognising the impact of climate change on public health. Notably, India refrained from signing, citing concerns about the practicality of reducing greenhouse gas use in the healthcare sector. India argued that such measures could impede its ability to provide essential healthcare services, especially in rural areas. COP28 faced additional challenges amid global conflicts and economic crises. With ongoing conflicts in Europe and West Asia, a recovering global economy from the pandemic and widespread cost-of-living crises, the urgency of climate action struggled to dominate global agendas. As COP28 unfolds against the backdrop of a record-breaking hot year in 2023, the world is closely watching for decisive actions. The summit serves as a critical juncture to address the escalating climate crisis. While the challenges and ironies are evident, the question remains: Can countries set aside geopolitical differences to deliver meaningful solutions? The world awaits the outcome, hoping that COP28 will not only address the pressing issues but also set a precedent for collaborative global action on climate change. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The fragile truce in Gaza has been shattered as Israel resumes its strikes, targeting over 200 sites with no safe zone, including southern Gaza. The recent attack on Khan Younis, a city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, highlights the intensification of the conflict. Israels mission and the tunnel threat The primary focus of Israels current offensive is the extensive network of tunnels constructed by Hamas. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claim to have discovered over 800 shafts with around 500 already destroyed. Israel alleges that these tunnels are strategically placed in sensitive areas such as schools, mosques and playgrounds releasing footage to support these claims. Benjamin Netanyahus objectives Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasises two key objectives: protecting civilians in Gaza and eliminating Hamas for what he terms a complete victory. In order to complete the sacred mission of returning all our hostages, to eliminate Hamas and to ensure that Gaza does not return to pose a threat to Israel, that it does not contain an entity that educates its children for terrorism, that supports terrorism, that finances terrorism, that calls for the destruction of Israel, we continue to fight with all our might, said Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, achieving both goals proves challenging as civilian casualties continue to rise. The death toll surpasses 15,000 including 6,600 children with over 41,000 wounded and 6,800 missing. Strategic challenges and international concerns The conflicts strategic downside becomes apparent as the invasion risks turning more Gazans into hardliners. French President Emmanuel Macron raises concerns suggesting that the destruction of Hamas could take a decade and questioning the feasibility of such an objective. What is the total destruction of Hamas and does anyone think its possible? If it is, the war will last 10 years. And I dont think anyone can seriously define this objective, so this objective must be clarified, said President Macron. The conflict in Gaza has broader regional implications, evident in attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. Houthi rebels, backed by Iran and allied with Hamas, claimed responsibility for these attacks. With the Houthi declaration of war on Israel and promises of more attacks until the conflict ends, the region faces heightened instability. The Red Sea, a critical trade route with around 10 per cent of global trade passing through, is now at risk. Attacks on commercial ships not only impact trade but also pose a security threat. The US warships interception of Houthi drones raises questions about potential retaliation and the involvement of other regional players. Hezbollah has resumed attacks on Israel striking positions along the border. Israel responded resulting in at least one Hezbollah fighters death. The situation begs the question of how long before the US or Iran takes a more direct and forceful stance. As Israel intensifies its offensive, there is a growing concern that the international community is losing interest. The hope remains that Israels allies, including leaders like Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz and Rishi Sunak, will exert pressure to bring about a ceasefire and prevent further escalation. The situation in Gaza is rapidly escalating with Israel pursuing its objectives amid international concerns and regional risks. The impact on trade, security and the potential for a broader conflict underscore the urgency for diplomatic intervention and a renewed commitment to finding a lasting solution. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Sunday was result day in India. Five statesMadhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoramheaded to the polling booth last month, the results of which were keenly watched. After all, the general elections are next year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi looking for a third consecutive term. So these state elections were supposed to give a sneak peek at what Indian voters are thinking about. The ruling party, the BJP, won three states, namely, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. The main opposition, the Congress, won only one that of Telangana. It is certainly an advantage to the BJP. Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh were ruled by the Congress. In fact, Chhattisgarh was considered a safe state for the Congress. Yet, both have flipped to the BJP. Plus, Madhya Pradesh was billed as a tough fight, maybe even a losing cause for the BJP, but again, it was a trouncing for the Congress. Trust in Prime Minister Modi seems unshaken So Indian voters tell us a lot of things. For starters, their trust in Prime Minister Modi seems unshaken. Hes like a trouble shooter for his party: Cant choose the Chief Minister? Just bank on PM Modi. Cant build a social coalition? Again, project the prime minister. Facing stiff anti-incumbency? Get the PM to campaign. Its something the opposition clearly lacks a popular and bankable face. Does that mean local leadership is irrelevant? Absolutely not. If you dont perform as an MLA you will be pulled up. If you dont deliver as chief minister the same fate will follow. Just look at Telanganas outgoing chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Now, KCR contested from two seats in his state. He actually lost one of them. It was his first election defeat since 1983. So it is the performance that matters, not just surname or stature. Similarly in Rajasthan, 25 ministers in the Congress government contested and 17 of them. Thats around 70 per cent of all ministers. Welfarism Another message is on welfarism, theres been a lot of debate about what sort of welfare state should India be. Should it focus on hand-outs or empowerment or something else? Well, the voters dont mind hand-outs. Just look at Madhya Pradesh, the BJP winning 160 out of 230 seats. How did that happen? Senior party leaders mentioned the Ladli Behna Yojana as a game-changer which is basically a welfare scheme for women. Under this the women from poor families get Rs 1,250 per month (around 15 dollars). The strategy has clearly worked. Many experts say the women voters flocked to the BJP. Not a one-size-fits-all country Compare that to Rajasthan, the Congress government pushed a right to health bill. It was the first in India, it guaranteed emergency care to people, even at private hospitals. But clearly, thats not what people want. What they want is more money in their pockets. Of course, not every voter thinks like this and its not a one-size-fits-all country. But thats another message to the politicians: What works in north India, wont work in south India. What works in the south, wont work in the northeast. In Mizoram, both the BJP and Congress lost, its a new regional party in pole position. So the BJP won the northern and central states while the Congress won the southern state. And a new regional party won in Mizoram. So different regions, different voters, different choices and thats where the beauty of Indias federal structure lies. But finally, lets keep the politics aside, lets look at the broader impact on Indias democracy. The turnout was good, it was higher than the last elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. But in Telangana, it was lower. So maybe something to think about. Also, the turnout was higher in rural areas, compared to urban areas. So all you city people, listen up: Try to make time and vote in the next election. It promises to be a crucial one. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In a shocking turn of events, the Philippines fell victim to a terror attack on Sunday, marked by a devastating bomb blast during a Catholic mass in the city of Marawi. This tragic incident has left a nation in mourning, grappling with the aftermath of the heinous act that claimed the lives of four individuals and left dozens critically injured. The targeted bombing occurred within the premises of a university gym in Marawi, situated on the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines. This region has a history marred by religious extremism making it susceptible to acts of violence of this nature. Responsibility claims The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack heightening concerns about the resurgence of religious extremism in the area. The situation has prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Junior to place the army on high alert and launch a massive manhunt to capture the suspected attackers who remain at large. Authorities in the Philippines view the bombing as a threat to national unity, describing it as an attempt to stoke religious tensions. So we have alerted also our units, all of our units in Mindanao,as well as our other units, just like the Philippine National Police here in the metro Manila area. So that is the update from your side. We are continuously gathering in our operations so that we will be able to run after the perpetrators of this terroristic attack, said General Romeo S Brawner Jr, Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines. Gilberto C Teodoro Jr, the Secretary of Defence, emphasised that the attackers aimed to foster confusion and chaos through their terroristic activity. Let us remember that this was done in a religious occasion in Marawi and the intent really to foment terrorist activity, to foment confusion, chaos, is a prime initia of a terrorist activity, said Gilberto C Teodoro Jr. Eyewitness accounts Survivors of the attack described the horror unleashed during the Catholic mass. The explosive, believed to be made from a mortar round, tore through the gym, leaving behind a scene of devastation with fragments and blood covering the area. One survivor, Cris Jurado, recounted the sudden explosion during the mass, prompting panic and a rush for safety. We went to the 7 a.m. Mass. Everyone was focused during Mass, then during the first reading of the priest, there was a sudden explosion. Everybody started running and when I looked back, I saw a number of bodies on on the ground, said Cris Jurado, a blast victim. History of religious extremism Mindanao, the province where the bombing occurred, has a long-standing history of religious extremism. The Philippine Armed Forces have been engaged in continuous operations against extremist groups in the region, reflecting the ongoing struggle to maintain peace and security. The bombing comes on the heels of a significant anti-terror operation conducted by Manila just a day before the attack. Fighter jets and attack helicopters were deployed in one of the largest operations of the year, resulting in the reported killing of 11 Islamic terrorists. Authorities are now considering the possibility that the Marawi bombing could be a retaliatory response to these operations. Because of our continuous operation against the terrorist groups in the whole area of western Mindanao, Maguindanao, Lanao and in Basilan, it is possible that what happened this morning is a retaliatory attack. That is one angle that we are looking in to, said General Brawner Jr. Marawi City has previously been a battleground in 2017 when it witnessed a five-month-long siege between the Islamic State and Philippine forces. Hundreds of civilians lost their lives, and the city was left in ruins. Since then, smaller extremist groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks, primarily targeting civilians in public areas. Classes have resumed at the university in Marawi, albeit with heightened security measures. The Philippine Army is actively combing the area, intensifying efforts to locate and neutralise the suspects behind the recent bombing. With the spectre of the Islamic States resurgence and the haunting memories of 2017, Manila is determined to prevent a repeat of history by swiftly addressing the current security crisis. As the Philippines grapples with the aftermath of the Marawi bombing, the nation stands united against the threat of religious extremism. The urgent response from the government and security forces underscores the gravity of the situation, as the country works to neutralise the perpetrators and safeguard against the resurgence of the Islamic State. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Neither was I Chief Minister contender earlier nor now. I am just a party worker, said Madhya Pradeshs CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Tuesday. The statement was made by Chouhan amid speculations on who will be the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power in the state in the recently concluded Assembly elections. I am just a party worker and whatever post or duty the party will give I will fulfil that, said Chouhan. I consider myself fortunate that I have got an opportunity to work with a leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said. #WATCH | Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, Neither was I CM contender earlier nor now. I am just a party worker and whatever post or duty the party will give I will fulfil that. pic.twitter.com/AxjDd7pnD5 ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 He also thanked the people of Madhya Pradesh for voting BJP to power. "As a member of family, BJP will continue to work for the development of people of Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan added. In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the BJP won 163 seats, while the Congress managed to win just 66 seats. Chouhan is the longest-serving chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, first taking the oath for the state's top post in 2005. Considered to one of the most prominent leaders of BJP, Chouhan, in Assembly elections 2023, contested from the Budhni constituency, which has been a stronghold for him since 2006. He first won from the Budhni constituency in 1990 and was elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time in Lok Sabha from the Vidisha constituency in 1991. He later won the Budhni constituency seat in 2006 again, retaining his hold on the constituency to date. With inputs from agencies It seems that the leadership at Meta cant help but do something so shady, that not only looks highly inappropriate but also makes them look suspicious of seriously heinous crime Joan Donovan, a renowned disinformation expert and former head of Harvards Technology and Social Change Project (TASC), is alleging that Harvard succumbed to pressure from Meta (Facebooks parent company) leading to her termination. And that the did all of that with a mad donation of $500 million. Donovan, known for her work on COVID-19 disinformation and extremism, filed a 248-page document with the Massachusetts attorney generals office and the US Education Department, presenting an explosive explanation for her exit from Harvard earlier this year and the closure of TASC. According to Donovan, the sequence of events started in October 2021 when she presented a keynote on the Facebook Papers to top Kennedy School donors, including former Facebook communications executive Elliot Schrage. From that very day forward, I was treated differently by the university to the point where I lost my job, Donovan told the Logic. Facebook Papers is a trove of whistleblower documents Donovan had obtained suggesting the company didnt just allow disinformation to be spread on its platform, but that it was acutely aware of the harm it was causing, and decided not to do anything against it. There are a handful of tried and true means to coerce someone or some entity to do something they would not otherwise do, and influence through financial compensation is at or near the top of the list. Objectively, $500 million is certainly a significant financial influence, wrote attorneys Andrew Bakaj and Kyle Gardiner from Whistleblower Aid, in their filing on Donovans behalf. Donovan claims Schrage interrupted her, visibly agitated, and attempted to downplay her findings. Following this, Kennedy School dean Doug Elmendorf, a personal friend of former Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, made inquiries about her research that raised suspicions of contact with Meta leadership. Donovan alleges that she faced increased oversight and funding cutoffs for TASC soon after these inquiries. Elmendorf later informed her about plans to wind down the project, imposing restrictions on fundraising and new research. Around the fall semester in 2022, the dean announced to Donovan that she was not allowed to fundraise, begin new research, or hire anyone new. Donovan eventually left Harvard and continued her work at Boston University. While all of this was happening, the Chan Zuckerberg Institute, associated with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, donated $500 million to Harvard for an AI institute. This came at a time when Donovan was informed of a shortage of funds being the reason why her programme was being shut down. Donovans filing suggests a connection between this donation and Harvards actions, implying financial influence. Harvard denies Donovans claims, stating she was offered a chance to continue as a part-time adjunct lecturer, which she declined. The allegations raise questions about potential undue influence on academic research, and the matter is under investigation by the Massachusetts attorney general and the US Education Department. (With inputs from agencies) Iranian-backed hackers have been going after several water treatment and sewage treatment plants in the US for quite some time now. While authorities in the US are actively addressing the cyber attack campaign, so far they have been failing, miserably. Their novel situation? Stop using the automated systems, and operate the vital systems of the plants, manually. Eric Goldstein, Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, reported the active targeting and exploitation by these hackers. While a small number of water utilities have been compromised, Goldstein reassured that there has been no known impact on the safety of drinking water or operational systems. Among the affected utilities is the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa in western Pennsylvania, which had to resort to manual systems, as reported by WaterISAC, an industry information-sharing body. The CyberAv3ngers group, affiliated with the Iranian Governments Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been identified as the perpetrators. They are specifically targeting programmable logic controllers, manufactured by Unitronics, an Israeli company. These controllers are widely used in water and wastewater systems, as well as in other industries such as energy, food and beverage manufacturing, and healthcare. A joint cybersecurity advisory issued by US agencies, including CISA, the FBI, and the National Security Agency, along with the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, warned about the potential breach of these controllers, emphasizing the risks associated with internet connectivity and the use of default passwords. The CyberAv3ngers group, known for claiming responsibility for various attacks on critical infrastructure since 2020, has faced scepticism regarding the actual impact of their actions. Experts, including John Hultquist from Mandiant Intelligence, noted that the group tends to fabricate or exaggerate their impact, focusing more on undermining a sense of security than causing physical harm. Michael Hamilton, Founder and Chief Information Security Officer at Critical Insight, highlighted that the success of these less sophisticated hackers often results from security oversights by their victims. The fragmented nature of the US water industry, comprising approximately 165,000 drinking water and wastewater systems, adds to the challenge, with many lacking basic cybersecurity protections. (With inputs from agencies) Foxconn, the Taiwanese company responsible for manufacturing Apple iPhones, has temporarily ceased production at its facility near Chennai, India, due to the impact of heavy rains caused by Cyclone Michaung. The decision on whether to resume production on Tuesday remains pending, as reported by Reuters. Foxconn began iPhone production at its Sriperumbudur plant in August. Reports suggest that Pegatron has also suspended production. Foxconn plans to restart production as soon as by the end of Tuesday but is unlikely to do so if the weather continues to be this bad. The relentless rainfall associated with Cyclone Michaung has disrupted normal life in Chennai and neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu. Streets are submerged, and both airport runways and railway tracks are inundated. The cyclonic storm has hovered near Chennai and Puducherry, prompting significant waterlogging and challenges for the residents. In response to the adverse weather conditions, the government under Chief Minister MK Stalin has ordered the closure of all educational institutions in Chennai on Tuesday, anticipating further heavy rainfall. The state government has also advised private companies to allow employees in affected regions to work from home on December 5. While essential services such as police, fire service, local bodies, medical facilities, power supply, and transportation will continue to function, the situation has prompted a precautionary closure of educational institutions and remote work arrangements. Cabinet ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin and Ma Subramanian visited the affected areas in Chennai, overseeing relief activities. The government has deployed ten teams comprising 250 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel for rescue efforts in the affected districts. Chennais airport operations were significantly impacted, with a suspension of services from 9:40 am to 11 pm. Around 70 flights arriving or departing were cancelled due to the continuous rainfall, causing waterlogging on the runway and tarmac. The Airport Authority of India confirmed the closure, emphasizing the need to address the waterlogging issue before resuming normal operations. (With inputs from agencies) Hours after The Guardian report claimed that UKs most hazardous nuclear site Sellafield has been hacked into by cyber groups closely linked to Russia and China, Britain on Monday said that it has no records or evidence to suggest that networks were compromised. Our monitoring systems are robust and we have a high degree of confidence that no such malware exists on our system, Reuters quoted the government as saying. This was confirmed to the Guardian well in advance of publication, along with rebuttals to a number of other inaccuracies in their reporting, the government added. On Monday, The Guardian reported that its investigation has found that the astonishing disclosure and its potential effects have been consistently covered up by senior staff at the vast nuclear waste and decommissioning site. The news outlet said that it has discovered that the authorities do not know exactly when the IT systems were first compromised. But sources said breaches were first detected as far back as 2015, when experts realised sleeper malware software that can lurk and be used to spy or attack systems had been embedded in Sellafields computer networks, the report added. The report claimed that it is still not known if the malware has been eradicated. It may mean some of Sellafields most sensitive activities, such as moving radioactive waste, monitoring for leaks of dangerous material and checking for fires, have been compromised, it added. Sources suggest it is likely foreign hackers have accessed the highest echelons of confidential material at the site, which sprawls across 6 sq km (2 sq miles) on the Cumbrian coast and is one of the most hazardous in the world. The Guardian reported that Sellafield, which carries out nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear waste storage and decommissioning, had been hacked by cyber groups closely linked to Russia and China. The full extent of any data loss and any ongoing risks to systems was made harder to quantify by Sellafields failure to alert nuclear regulators for several years, said the report, sources. The revelations have emerged in Nuclear Leaks, a year-long Guardian investigation into cyber hacking, radioactive contamination and toxic workplace culture at Sellafield. The site has the largest store of plutonium on the planet and is a sprawling rubbish dump for nuclear waste from weapons programmes and decades of atomic power generation. Guarded by armed police, it also holds emergency planning documents to be used should the UK come under foreign attack or face disaster. Built more than 70 years ago and formerly known as Windscale, it made plutonium for nuclear weapons during the cold war and has taken in radioactive waste from other countries, including Italy and Sweden. The Guardian said it can also disclose that Sellafield, which has more than 11,000 staff, was last year placed into a form of special measures for consistent failings on cybersecurity, according to sources at the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the security services. The watchdog is also believed to be preparing to prosecute individuals there for cyber failings. The ONR confirmed Sellafield is failing to meet its cyber standards but declined to comment on the breaches, or claims of a cover up. A spokesperson said: Some specific matters are subject to ongoing investigations, so we are unable to comment further at this time. In a separate statement, Britains Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) also said it had seen no evidence that state actors had hacked its systems as the paper had described. But the regulator said Sellafield was currently not meeting certain high standards of cyber security it required, adding that it had placed the plant under significantly enhanced attention. Some specific matters are subject to an ongoing investigation process, so we are unable to comment further at this time, the ONR said. The Guardian report said the ONR was believed to be preparing to prosecute individuals at Sellafield for cyber failings. With inputs from agencies China has asked Afghanistans Taliban to introduce political reforms in the country, improve security and mend relations with its neighbours to receive full diplomatic recognition. Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of US troops from the country. Beijing does not formally recognise Taliban rulers although both countries host each others ambassadors and have maintained diplomatic engagement. China has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday when asked if China would now recognise the Taliban government. We hope that Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure (and) implement moderate and stable domestic and foreign policies, he said. The foreign minister also urged Kabul to resolutely combat all types of terrorist forces, live in harmony with all countries around the world, especially neighbouring countries, and integrate with the international community at an early date. As the concerns of all parties receive stronger responses, diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will naturally follow, he said. Not just China but no other country has formally recognised the Taliban since it took over Afghanistan. Amid this, China has some ties with Afghanistan. Afghanistans new rulers have promised the country would not be used as a base for militants and, in exchange, China has offered economic support and investment for reconstruction. Chinas foreign ministry said in a position paper on Afghanistan released this year that it respects the independent choices made by the Afghan people, and respects the religious beliefs and national customs. With inputs from AFP After facing backlash and strong criticism, Columbia University has announced that it will not be allowing a teach-in and discussion on the significance of the October 7th Palestinian counteroffensive that was scheduled for 6 December. The event was scheduled to be held at Columbia School of Social Work (CSSW). On Monday, CSSW claimed the students who organised the event did not seek approval and it was not a CSSW-sponsored event. CSSW supports free speech but does not condone language that promotes violence in any manner, which is antithetical to our values, the statement read. A rare moment of sanity: @ColumbiaSSW will not allow this event to occur. @Columbia Will there be any repercussions for organizations that clearly refuse to follow school rules? Thank you everyone for raising your voice! When we act together, we make a difference! https://t.co/SnlsUT4h3l pic.twitter.com/mFKeNCXOrR Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) December 4, 2023 Shai Davidai, an assistant professor of management at the Columbia Business School, who shared the invitation to the event reacted to the decision to cancellation and called it, "A rare moment of sanity." He also asked Columbia University whether there would be any repercussions for organisations that refuse to follow school rules. Sharing the invitation, Davidai had said: ITS TIME FOR ALL OF US TO RAISE OUR VOICES! The School of Social Work at @Colubmia University CANNOT allow a teach-in that sees rape as a counteroffensive and calls murder and kidnap of children revolutionary violence! Also Read: Columbia University organises discussion to justify, normalise Hamas rape, murder People expressed their anger against Columbia University for holding the "discussion", with many calling it "appalling" and asking the varsity to cancel the 'teach-in' because they are trashing your school's reputation." A student of the University said he would "not feel safe on the campus" if the event took place. "This is the rhetoric of justifying worldly regarded terrorism. This must not go on at Columbia University," the student said. With inputs from agencies In what they described as the most violent day of fighting in five weeks of ground operations against Hamas militants, Israeli forces assaulted the main city of Gaza in the south on Tuesday. Hospitals were overwhelmed with the number of Palestinians who died and were injured. In what seemed to be the largest ground attack on Gaza since a ceasefire with Hamas broke down last week, Israel announced that its forces, supported by jets, had entered the centre of Khan Younis. We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation, the commander of the Israeli militarys Southern Command, General Yaron Finkelman, said in Jerusalem. He stated that Israeli soldiers were also engaged in combat in Shujaiyya, which is east of Gaza City, and in Jabalia, a sizable urban camp and Hamas bastion in northern Gaza adjacent to Gaza City. We are in the heart of Jabalia, in the heart of Shujaiyya, and now also in the heart of Khan Younis, he said. Residents of Khan Younis reported that Israeli troops and tanks had advanced past the border fence that encloses the coastal Gaza Strip and were encroaching on the city from the east. Israeli forces dropped more leaflets on Tuesday instructing the locals to stay inside shelters during the attack, following days of orders for them to leave the region. For your safety, stay in the shelters and the hospitals where you are. Dont get out. Going out is dangerous. You have been warned, said the leaflets, addressed to residents of six districts amounting to around a quarter of Khan Younis. Israel initiated the campaign as payback for an October 7 raid by Hamas terrorists who, according to Israels count, rampaged through Israeli cities, murdering 1,200 people and taking 240 prisoners. More than 15,900 Palestinians have been officially confirmed killed by Israeli air power, strikes, and other acts, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands more are still missing, possibly buried under debris. Eighty percent of Gazas 2.3 million population have been forced to evacuate southward by Israeli bombardments. Three times as many people as normal are currently being housed in crowded southern districts. (With agency inputs) On October 7, when Hamas launched an attack, the Israeli military established an impromptu morgue of refrigerated shipping containers at the Shura defense base in central Israel for the identification and preparation of the deceased for burial. Authorities reported that of the 1,200 people killed that day, and at least 300 were women. Shari Mendes, a reservist who assisted medics at the base, told Reuters, Often women came in in just their underwear. She also described challenging situations, and mentioned witnessing disturbing injuries, such as very bloody genitals on women. Israeli police are investigating potential sexual crimes by some of the few hundred people that they arrested after the October 7 attack. Their objective is to prosecute every suspect in custody. However, challenges have arisen in the investigation, with some womens clothes being buried with them before examination due to Jewish burial traditions. The alleged sexual crimes during the attack, considered the bloodiest in Israels history, present hurdles. Some battle sites remained inaccessible for days, hindering evidence collection. The Justice Ministry told Reuters that victims experienced torture, physical abuse, rape, burning alive, and dismemberment. Hamas denies allegations of sexual assault or mutilation by its armed wing on October 7 or afterward. The UN commission of inquiry investigating war crimes in the Israel-Hamas conflict will examine the sexual violence allegations by Hamas. Israel criticises the UN, accusing bias and refusing cooperation with the investigation. In Israeli criminal law, sexual violence includes rape and other offenses. urviving victims and witnesses, estimated to be a few dozen, have sought help, though it can take years for some to come forward. Authorities face challenges due to decomposition, making forensic evidence difficult to obtain. Legal experts suggest a potential reliance on the legal doctrine of shared responsibility for prosecutions, requiring proof of intent and co-conspiracy. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague may handle prosecutions if challenges arise in Israel. Normally the Israeli Defence Force, the Israel government, would say we have no dealings with the ICC,' Geert-Jan Knoops, lead defence counsel at the tribunal, told Reuters. But this is going beyond any imagination. I think Israel has the interest to provide the evidence to the ICC prosecutor and for the Oct. 7 events. With inputs from Reuters Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last week published a map of Gaza dividing the Strip into different zones to help Palestinians avoid active combat zones. However, IDF has now admitted that the system is not perfect but is the best thing they could do. On Friday, the Israeli military dropped leaflets containing QR codes linked to the online map that divides Gaza into hundreds of zones. Talking to CNN, IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said, Were trying to reach out to Palestinians. He added, Were trying to inform them ahead of time where fighting is going to be in order for them to be able to take precautions and move from where there is going to be fighting. I dont know how else we can square that circle of defeating Hamas where Hamas is and minimizing civilian casualties. Since last week, IDF has been using the interactive map to warn Palestinians in specific areas to evacuate when the Israeli militarys operation expands into the Gaza Strips north, instead of ordering mass evacuation as it did in the north. Meanwhile, Israeli forces pressed ahead with their air and ground bombardment of the southern Gaza Strip, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, even as the United States and the United Nations repeatedly urged them to protect civilians. Asked on Monday about the mounting death toll since a truce collapsed between Israel and Hamas on Friday, Israels closest ally the United States said it was too soon to say whether Israel was doing enough to protect civilians and that it expected Israel not to strike zones it has identified as safe. With inputs from agencies The United Nations on Tuesday issued a warning saying that it was impossible to create so-called safe zones for civilians within the Gaza Strip as Israels bombing campaign showed no signs of abating. Initially, Israel concentrated its offensive on the northern region, but leaflets were later dropped in southern parts, instructing Palestinian civilians to relocate. The so-called safe zones are not scientific, they are not rational, they are not possible, and I think the authorities are aware of this, AFP quoted James Elder, spokesman for the UN childrens agency UNICEF, as saying during a press briefing in Geneva via video-link from Cairo. This announcement coincided with Israeli troops engaging Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip, marking an expansion of their offensive into the besieged area. Israel declared itself at war with Hamas following the groups 7 October attacks, resulting in 1,200 casualties, mostly civilians, and around 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response to this devastating attack, Israel committed to eradicating Hamas and securing the release of all hostages in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported nearly 15,900 casualties, with approximately 70 per cent being women and children. As Israels offensive extended deeper into Gaza, international aid organisations expressed concerns, warning that civilians in the densely-populated territory were running out of safe havens. James Elder insisted that the safe zones declared by Israel cannot be safe nor humanitarian when unilaterally declared. Describing the pretense of a secure destination as callous, he stressed that genuine safe zones should guarantee conditions of food, water, medicine, and shelter. Elder, who recently spent a week in Gaza, highlighted the absence of these necessities in the designated safe zones. He described them as tiny patches of barren land, or they are street corners, they are sidewalks, emphasising the lack of water, facilities, shelter from the elements, and sanitation. In overcrowded shelters, where most displaced individuals sought refuge, there was approximately one toilet for every 400 people. Elder pointed out that relocating these people to the so-called safe places would result in tens of thousands without a single toilet, clean water, or any provisions to sustain them. Without these basic necessities, the designated safe zones risk becoming breeding grounds for disease. With inputs from agencies India, one of the top nations supplying troops and police, is a vital peacekeeping partner for the United Nations as it has consistently backed the world bodys attempts to enhance peacekeeping operations, according to a top UN official. Before the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting, in an exclusive interview with PTI, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix emphasised the importance of technology, the role and number of women in peacekeeping missions, and accountability for crimes against the Blue Helmets as critical areas of cooperation with India. Ghanas Accra will host the ministerial conference on 56 December. Ministers and delegations from more than 85 nations and international organisations will be there to demonstrate their shared commitment to UN Peacekeeping, the UN said. We very much count on India. India is one of the major partners to peacekeeping. Its one of the leading troop and police-contributing countries, but in addition to that, it is also a country that has steadily supported all the initiatives to improve peacekeeping, Lacroix told PTI. Lacroix said that India has several capacities that offer avenues for cooperation with UN peacekeeping. Technology is a key area where we certainly have to do more and more in cooperation with India. We also count on India to help us in terms of increasing the number and role of women in peacekeeping, he said, adding that there are many areas in which New Delhis role and cooperation will be very critical. I would also like to mention the importance of working more on accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, which is also an area in which India has really been in the lead, and were very grateful for that, he said. The ministerial meeting seeks to secure vital political support and concrete commitments to strengthen UN Peacekeeping efforts to meet current and future challenges and needs, in line with ongoing reform under Action for Peacekeeping and the A4P+ (Action for Peacekeeping Plus) implementation plan, the UN said in a statement. The flagship event, co-hosted by the United Nations and the Republic of Ghana, marks the fifth such meeting at the ministerial level and the first to be held on the African continent. The event will focus on crucial issues such as advancing sustainable peace, protecting civilians, strategic communications, and improving the safety and mental health of peacekeepers. During the two-day event, Member States and the UN will also work together to improve environmental management of peacekeeping operations and deploy more women peacekeepers to ensure more diverse and inclusive operations, the UN said. Lacroix said the ministerial meeting will be a very important opportunity for UN peacekeeping and member states to recommit politically to peacekeeping because all peacekeeping operations are political in nature. We need the political support, the political engagement in favour of political efforts and all the efforts to improve peacekeeping, he said. Lacroix noted that ultimately, peacekeeping is a political endeavour. Our goal is to help parties secure and implement peace agreements and related processes. To succeed in a world that is more divided than ever, we need the united and active engagement of Member States, the UN peacekeeping chief said. As missions navigate unprecedented challenges and threats, the Ministerial is an important opportunity for Member States to demonstrate their support and make concrete pledges to strengthen our effectiveness, he said. The meeting will also aim to take stock of efforts in terms of improvement and effectiveness of peacekeeping as well as think about new avenues and ideas to take this work forward and continue efforts to improve UN peacekeeping. He added that another very important objective of the ministerial is to collect pledges from member states. We need capacities from member states. We need not only police or military units or individual personnel, but we also need their support in terms of training, providing us with new ways of adapting to new technologies, improving the way in which we communicate, counter fake news and disinformation, he said. Lacroix further said that a key challenge facing UN peacekeeping is the new forms of conflicts, adding that threats, such as armed groups, terrorist and criminal groups, and new enablers, such as digital technologies-enabled forms of threats, including fake news and disinformation, are creating more challenges for the implementation of peacekeeping mandates. We should not forget that in spite of these challenges, the peacekeepers continue to play a very important role in preserving the ceasefire, which is critical, he said. Lacroix stressed that peacekeepers also protect hundreds of thousands of civilians daily even though we would want to be able to do more. The ministerial meeting will be an opportunity to look at new ways to complement the work that we do to address these challenges. The UN said that the Accra meeting is the latest in a series of high-level events that have enabled world leaders to pledge resources to help missions fully implement their mandates. Apart from garnering political support, contributions by Member States at meetings in New York, London, Vancouver, and Seoul have helped generate rapidly deployable military units, key aviation assets, better medical capacities and advance the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, the world body said. Since 1948, more than two million peacekeepers from 158 countries have served in 71 operations. Today, nearly 80,000 women and men from over 120 countries are deployed in peacekeeping missions across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. India is among the largest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping, with more than 6,000 military and police personnel deployed to Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East and the Western Sahara. About 177 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice, the highest number from any troop-contributing country. With inputs from agencies The death toll resulting from a volcanic eruption in Indonesia has reached 22 after nine more bodies were discovered on Tuesday. On the island of Sumatra, Mount Marapi emitted a towering ash plume that rose to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) on Sunday, surpassing the volcanos own height. Nine of 10 missing victims were found dead this afternoon and at the moment, they are being evacuated. There is one remaining victim currently in the search, Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency told AFP. The deceased were carefully brought down from the mountain in bodybags over the course of several days, according to rescue officials. Images shared by Basarnas depicted a rescue team carrying a body down the volcano on Tuesday. Among the 75 hikers on the mountain during the eruption, some were found alive but suffered burns and fractures. Hendra Gunawan, head of Indonesias volcanology agency, indicated that Marapi had been on the second level of a four-tier alert system since 2011, with a three-kilometer exclusion zone around its crater. Gunawan suggested that hikers might have ventured too close to the crater, noting the agencys recommendation against human activities in that zone. Forensic workers are preparing to identify the deceased through dental and fingerprint records or other identifying marks. The search is expected to last seven days until all hikers are accounted for. With inputs from AFP The Kremlin on Tuesday said that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will meet Vladimir Putin in Russia on Thursday as the two nations fortify their military and commercial connections in the face of Western sanctions. I can confirm. There will be Russian-Iranian negotiations on December 7, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday when asked about media reports of Raisis impending visit. Meanwhile, Irans official news agency Irna said Raisi would be travelling to Moscow following an invitation from Putin. Bilateral issues, including economic interactions, as well as discussions about regional and international issues, especially the situation in Gaza, will be high on the agenda of the one-day trip, it reported. Putin visited Iran in July last year and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Tehran in October for talks with regional counterparts. Western countries have accused Tehran of supporting Russias offensive in Ukraine by providing it with large quantities of drones and other weaponry. With inputs from agencies Senior Israeli military officials have acknowledged that there had been about two civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip for every Hamas militant killed. They also said that the army was using cutting-edge mapping software to try to lower the number of non-combatant deaths as it advances into southern Gaza. Since Israel launched its military operation in response to Hamas attacks on 7 October, around 15,900 people have died, the most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas. Asked about media reports that 5,000 Hamas fighters had been killed, one of the senior officials told reporters at a briefing: The numbers are more or less right. Im not saying its not bad that we have a ratio of 2 to 1. The official added that the use of human shields was part of Hamas core strategy in the conflict. Hopefully it (the ratio) will be much lower in the coming phase of the war, he added, speaking on condition of anonymity. The rising death toll and unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza have sparked outrage in much of the world. Israels military began bombarding targets in the Gaza Strip, alongside a ground invasion, with the aim of eradicating Hamas after its fighters carried out the worst attack in Israels history on 7 October. Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped about 240 others in that attack, according to Israeli officials. Consequences of war Key ally the US has cautioned Israel to do more to avert civilian casualties as operations shift to the south, where many Gazans are seeking refuge after fleeing the devastated north. To that end, the Israeli officials said the army was using high-tech mapping software to track population movements inside the Gaza Strip and issue evacuation orders. The system incorporates mobile phone and other signals, aerial surveillance and word from local sources, as well as artificial intelligence, to maintain a constantly updating map showing population concentrations across the territory. Each of the maps 623 cells are color-coded, with green designating areas where at least 75% of the population has evacuated. In the south, because we have basically doubled the population, operations are much more precise, the official said. We are taking much more time to make sure our efforts (at warning civilians) are effective. The map which the military says is the product of eight years of research and development is available to commanders and units on the ground. The map is used to coordinate efforts to warn civilians to leave certain areas ahead of impending strikes via text messages, phone calls, leaflet drops and other announcements, and to track the effectiveness of such messaging in real time. It is similar to one made available online that the military says is intended to enable Gazans to evacuate from specific places for their safety if required. But the United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA, has questioned the usefulness of such a tool in an area where access to telecommunications and electricity is sporadic. On Monday night, the main telecom company in the Gaza Strip said mobile telephone and internet services had been cut across the territory. I can assure you that were doing everything in our power to reduce civilian casualties, the official said. But this is part of the consequences of war. Israeli troops continue to battle Hamas militants into the southern Gaza Strip after expanding their offensive deeper into the besieged territory, with warnings that an even more hellish scenario was unfolding for trapped civilians. Israel had initially focused its offensive on the north of the territory, but the army is now also dropping leaflets on parts of the south, telling Palestinian civilians there to flee to other areas. Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers and bulldozers were seen on Monday near the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, which is packed with civilians who fled their homes further north in the territory earlier in the war, witnesses told AFP. The army said Monday it was taking aggressive action against Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Khan Yunis, warning that the main road in the north and east of the city constitutes a battlefield. Hamas claimed via Telegram its militants had targeted two personnel carriers and a tank near Khan Yunis. Rocket salvos were again fired from Gaza towards Israeli territory. As the war spreads, international aid organizations have warned that civilians in the densely populated territory are running out of places to flee to. Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go, said Lynn Hastings, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond, Hastings said in a statement. Like an earthquake In the city of Rafah near the Egyptian border, resident Abu Jahar al-Hajj said an air strike near his home felt like an earthquake. Pieces of concrete started falling on us, he said. In Deir al-Balah further to the north, Walaa Abu Libda found shelter at a hospital, but said her four-year-old daughter remained trapped under rubble. I dont know if she is dead or alive, said Libda, one of an estimated 1.8 million people displaced in Gaza roughly three-quarters of the population, according to U.N. figures. The Israeli army on Tuesday denied telling the World Health Organization to empty an aid warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours before ground operations in the area render it unusable. On Monday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X that his organization had received a notification from the military that we should remove our supplies from our medical warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours. Israel on Monday said it was not seeking to force Palestinian civilians to permanently leave their homes, but that it was instead seeking support from aid groups to improve infrastructure in a tiny coastal area of Gaza named Al-Mawasi. Intolerable The latest fighting followed the collapse last Friday of a Qatar-mediated truce that saw scores of Israeli and other hostages released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. According to the Israeli military, at least 137 hostages are still being held in Gaza, but Hamas has ruled out more releases until a permanent ceasefire is agreed. With several women still among the hostages, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said one of the reasons why the truce fell apart could be that Hamas did not want them to talk about what happened to them during their time in captivity. Israeli police have been exploring evidence of sexual violence against women during the October 7 attacks. A senior police officer recently told Israels parliament that an inquiry had gathered more than 1,500 testimonies. Allegations include gang rape and post-mortem mutilation. The war has sparked fears of a wider regional conflict, with frequent exchanges of fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah across Israels border with Lebanon. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said its fighter jets had struck Hezbollah positions in Lebanon in response to launches on Monday from Lebanon into Israel. The Israel-occupied West Bank has also seen a surge in violence, with more than 250 Palestinians killed there since the war began, according to Palestinian authorities. With inputs from agencies As of Tuesday, Israeli authorities have increased the count of hostages held by Gaza militants to 138, including one individual previously considered missing since the October 7 attacks by Hamas. The updated figure was provided by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office, but no details were provided regarding the 138th confirmed hostage or how Israeli authorities were able to verify their status. Earlier reports indicated that 137 hostages, including 20 women and two children, were still in the Gaza Strip, kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 attacks. The total number of people, both Israelis and foreigners, taken by the militants was reported to be around 240. These attacks resulted in 1,200 casualties, primarily civilians. In response to the situation, Israel launched a military campaign targeting Hamas, which controls Gaza. Since October 27, ground forces have been deployed into the Palestinian enclave. The ongoing violence has claimed the lives of nearly 16,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Following a seven-day truce that began in late November, 105 hostages were released. This included the release of 80 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Prior to the truce, five hostages were freed, with one rescued in an Israeli operation. With inputs from AFP Israeli military will hunt down Hamas in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar even if it takes years, the head of Israels domestic security agency Shin Bet said in a recording aired by Israels public broadcaster Kan. It was unclear when Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar made the remarks or to whom. The agency itself declined to comment on the report. The cabinet has set us a goal, in street talk, to eliminate Hamas. This is our Munich. We will do this everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar. It will take a few years but we will be there to do it. By Munich, Bar was referring to Israels response to the 1972 killing of 11 Israeli Olympic team members when gunmen from the Palestinian Black September group launched an attack on the Munich games. Israel responded by carrying out a targeted assassination campaign against Black September operatives and organizers over several years and in several countries. Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas after its gunmen on October 7 burst through the border with Gaza, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostage. More than 15,500 people have been killed so far during Israels offensive in Gaza since, according to Gazas health ministry. Other than in Gaza, Hamas leaders reside in or frequently visit Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar. Qatar helped to mediate a week-long truce that broke down on Friday. Over the years, various countries have offered some protection for Hamas, designated a terrorist group by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the United States. In 1997, Israeli Mossad agents botched the poisoning of then-Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Jordan. Israel had to give Jordan an antidote to save Meshaals life. Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister at the time Sonkichi Sakihara remembers coming across four individuals who were among the final migrants to arrive to Yonaguni. These men had travelled almost 2,000 km from Vietnam to get to the westernmost inhabited island in Japan. The year was 1977. Sakihara, 80, said of the group, I was out checking for stowaways from Taiwan when I found them, at his family store close to the harbour. The trio was one of 113 Vietnamese who made the trek after the war. Some Yonaguni locals believe their remote enclave, home to less than 1,700 people, is ill-prepared to manage another refugee crisis in the future. Only 110 kilometres to the west, and sometimes visible from Yonaguni, is Taiwan, the 24 million-person self-governing island that China claims is part of its territory. Fearing a war, Japan has stepped up its defences more than at any other time since World War II. However, Yonagunis $290 billion expenditure does not include a backup plan to get the city ready for a potential humanitarian disaster that locals like Sakihara fear would soon overwhelm their shores. More than two dozen current and former Japanese officials and citizens told news agency Reuters in interviews that in the event that China invaded Taiwan, hundreds, if not thousands, of migrants may attempt to reach Yonaguni by boat. They argued that Tokyo had no strategy to cope with them and that the residents cries for assistance had gone unanswered. According to some U.S. officials, China might be prepared to attack Taiwan by 2027. Although Vice President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing considers a separatist, is expected to win the Jan. 13 presidential election, Chinese leader Xi Jinping informed US President Joe Biden last month that there is no such plan in place. Nevertheless, he is putting more pressure on Taiwan. Taiwans foreign ministry said Taipei would not act hastily or give in to Chinese pressure, but it declined to answer inquiries on whether it had addressed humanitarian emergencies with Japan. (With agency inputs) Jordans King Abdullah declared on Tuesday that the international community ought to denounce any effort by Israel to set up circumstances that would result in the forcible eviction of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by conflict, or from outside its borders. The king once more demanded an urgent ceasefire and issued a warning that Israels unrelenting bombing campaign was causing a dangerous deterioration in the situation, according to statements made by official media following a meeting with the president of Cyprus in Amman. During their conversation, President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus stressed the importance of stepping up efforts to provide relief and humanitarian aid to the beleaguered citizens residing in Gaza. Abdullah has pushed Western authorities to put Israel under intense pressure to provide an unbroken flow of help and open the borders under its control in order to bring in an adequate amount of aid. U.N. officials and humanitarian workers report that Israel currently regulates the amount and type of aid reaching the roughly 2.3 million people under siege. Only a small portion of the help required by the enclave is reportedly entering through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which according to UNRWA officials and NGOs can only handle a small portion of the demands. According to Israels count, Hamas fighters launched a rampage through Israeli villages on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 prisoners. For this reason, Israel launched its campaign in retaliation. According to data from the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli shelling has killed up to 16,000 Palestinians and forced 80% of the people from their homes. According to sources, Jordans King Abdullah warned Christodoulides that any attempt to forcibly remove Palestinians from their land in large numbers would have severe repercussions while it retained security control. Authorities also worry about increased violence in the West Bank, which borders Jordan, due to an increase in Israeli military operations, land confiscations, and settler attacks against Palestinian people. Conditions might be created that would motivate Israel to drive tens of thousands of Palestinians across the Jordan River with force. According to officials, forcing Palestinians out would be tantamount to declaring war and would cause Jordan to renounce its peace deal with Israel. Jordan has denounced Israels attempt to construct new settlements in Arab East Jerusalem, the portion of the city under dispute that was taken during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War together with the West Bank and is recognised by the UN as occupied territory. (With agency inputs) There is a great deal of consensus that the Second World War extricated the United States of America from the tight clutches of the Great Depression. In the years leading to the war, the New York Stock Exchange had crashed and burned, taking down with it most of the value in the economy. Banks failed. Unemployment peaked at 25 per cent or one in every four Americans was without employ. Americas mobilization for the Second World War pulled almost 10 million people from civilian labour force and pumped them into the war effort. This was towards the end of 1941. The unemployment rate came down to less than 10 per cent. The same script seems to be at work now. Post-pandemic America found itself in deep economic morass. The cost of living crisis and unemployment spiraled. But, the US seems to have saved itself again using the Ukraine War. According to estimates and reports, close to 90 per cent of the $68 billion aid to Ukraine has stayed in America, being spent on Americans. Arguably, this was also the reason that a government shutdown on the issue of Ukraine aid was kicked down the road. Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says: Aid to Ukraine has become a sticking point in congressional budget negotiations, but the term is a misnomer. Much of the money supports US activities, and much of the money directly supporting Ukraine is spent not abroad, but here in the United States. Cancian wrote this in Breaking Defense. More recently, this was called the best-kept secret of US aid to Ukraine. Essentially, the US has pushed this money into defence sector manufacturing creating thousands of jobs, directly and indirectly. The defence and ordnance factories are making equipment and ammo to fill USs own defence deficiencies created by transfers to Ukraine. Moreover, US is also using this money, and manufacturing, for supplying its NATO allies who it has goaded to part with old US-made and Soviet-era armaments. In all, the Russian invasion of Ukraine created an opportunity for the US to jump in and create demand for defence equipment and armaments, both in Ukraine as well as NATO allies who have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. It has been a win-win for the US. Figure this, the Washington Post identified 117 production lines across 31 states and 71 cities where American workers are manufacturing major weapons systems. The Washington Post opinion observes that Americas war on terror did not serve the production of heavy defence systems much since: terrorists did not have jet fighters, so production faltered. The example cited in this respect is the case of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Since the US sent 1400 of these deadly missiles to Ukraine, the Pentagon inked a $624.6 million contract to make these missiles, when not one had been produced since 2005. If we were not aiding Ukraine, the United States would not be producing either of these weapons, observed the Washington Post opinion. About NATO allies, Poland transferred old German and Soviet-era tanks to Ukraine, apart from Soviet-era Mi attack gunships, and inked deals worth billions of dollars to replace these with top-of-the-line American M1A2 Abrams and Apache attack helicopters. Myanmars junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has urged armed ethnic groups engaged in an offensive against the countrys ruling military to seek political solutions. The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper conveyed his warning that continued aggressive actions by armed organisations would adversely affect residents in the concerned regions. Emphasising the need to prioritise the well-being of the people, he urged these groups to address their issues through political means. The Myanmar military is confronting its most significant challenge since the 2021 coup, with three ethnic minority forces coordinating an offensive in late October. This effort has resulted in the capture of several towns, including key border trade zones and military posts. In response to Min Aung Hlaings call for dialogue, a parallel civilian government supporting some rebel groups rejected the proposal, reported Reuters. Kyaw Zaw, a spokesperson for the parallel National Unity Government, said, As they are losing badly on the ground, they are trying to find an exit route. There would be genuine dialogue if the military guarantees that it no longer has a role in politics; they must be under an elected government. Reports from Shan State on the China border, as well as Rakhine and Chin States in the west, indicate surrendering military and police officials. With inputs from Reuters Confirming that its citizens are fighting for Moscow, Nepal stated that six of its citizens had died while acting as mercenaries in the Russian army and that another had been taken prisoner in Ukraine. Moscow was urged by Kathmandu to cease using Nepali mercenaries and to return any men who were serving to their homes. In addition to naming another citizen who was being held in Ukraine after being recruited into the Russian army, the foreign ministry of Nepal said it had learned of the deaths of six Nepali citizens while serving in the Russian army. Where, how, or when the six were killed was not made clear. The announcement on Monday came after a cautionary tale in August telling people not to work in security-related fields in nations that are ravaged by war. The government of Nepal has requested the Russian government to repatriate their bodies to Nepal and compensate the victims families, the ministry said. Nepal has requested the Russian government to not recruit Nepali citizens and to send them back as soon as possible if any are recruited. The announcement comes as Russian troops are trying to seize Avdiivka, an industrial town in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine that has become one of the most contested points on the front line. Nepal, a majority-Hindu Himalayan nation, is more than 5,350 kilometres (3,325 miles) from the bloodshed in Ukraine that was sparked by Russias invasion. Many Nepalis go abroad to earn money and remittances are crucial for Nepals economy, equalling nearly a quarter of its gross domestic product last year, the ninth-highest rate globally, according to the World Bank. Nepals Gurkhas have long been recruited into the British army, earning a reputation for fierce fighting and bravery since they first served as troops in then-British-ruled India in 1815. (with inputs from AFP) Israel has intensified its attacks in southern Gaza to fight Hamas terrorists in the region. Israeli tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers were seen on Monday near the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. Amid this, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said that the countrys expanding ground operations is a complex situation but they have no choice but to fight Hamas if they want to defeat them. So far, Israel has been focussing on northern Gaza, urging Palestinians living in the region to move south for their safety. However, last week the military dropped leaflets in northern Gaza asking residents to flee the region. According to reports, an Israeli commander has claimed that the army has almost completed its mission in the north. Speaking to Sky News Australia, IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, We are indeed operating all over the Gaza Strip, wherever Hamas is, and we have indeed in the weeks past asked Palestinian civilians to evacuate from the combat area in the north to other areas in the south. What we are doing now is to, in a very detailed manner based on a high-resolution map of neighbourhoods in Palestinian cities, asking select areas of Palestinians to evacuate to other areas in order for them to be out of where the main fighting is being conducted, he added. IDF last week published a map of Gaza dividing the Strip into different zones to help Palestinians avoid active combat zones. Conricus further said, We understand that there are difficulties on the ground and we understand that there is great danger and discomfort for Palestinians. At the end of the day, we have no choice but to fight where the enemy is if we are to defeat the enemy and that is what we are going to do. The army said Monday it was taking aggressive action against Hamas and other terrorist organisations in Khan Yunis, warning that the main road in the north and east of the city constitutes a battlefield. With inputs from agencies Norways government announced on Tuesday an agreement with the opposition parties to permit mining in parts of its seabed, a move that has triggered backlash from environmentalists. As a significant oil and gas producer, Norway aims to explore the ocean floor for minerals crucial for renewable energy technologies, a controversial practice due to its potential impact on marine ecosystems. Marianne Sivertsen Naess, a member of the Labour party, emphasised the need for minerals to support the green transition, including fuel cells, solar panels, electric cars, and mobile phones, during a press conference, reported AFP. Norway, she stated, could contribute to a more secure supply of these minerals without complete dependence on other nations. In June, the Labour-dominated coalition government proposed seabed mining, potentially containing substantial quantities of copper, cobalt, zinc, and rare earths. However, lacking a majority in parliament, the government sought support from opposition parties. On Tuesday, the Conservative Party and the populist right agreed to endorse the gradual opening of areas in the Greenland and Barents Seas in the Arctic. The government pledged to implement strict environmental safeguards, with conservative MP Bard Ludvig Thorheim stating that exploitation would only be authorised if studies demonstrate sustainable and reasonable methods. Despite these assurances, the agreement has drawn criticism from environmental groups. Concerns raised by NGOs and scientists include potential damage to habitats, harm to little-understood species crucial to the food chain, disruption of the oceans carbon absorption capacity, and noise disturbance affecting species like whales. Notably, several countries, including France and the UK, have called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. With inputs from AFP Irans UN envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, has said his country has not been involved in any actions or veiled attacks against US military forces, the Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. The United States has blamed Yemens Iran-allied Houthi group for a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7. The war was triggered by a deadly attack carried out Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, in which it killed nearly 1200 Israeli civilians and took another 250 hostage, some of whom have now been released. In a briefing with reporters on Monday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington has every reason to believe that these attacks, while they were launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. In the latest incidents, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea on Sunday. The Houthis acknowledged launching drone and missile attacks against what they said were two Israeli vessels in the area. The Carney, a US Navy destroyer, shot down three drones on Sunday as it answered distress calls from the commercial vessels. The US military says the three vessels were connected to 14 separate nations. Ahead of general elections in Pakistan, the election commission has asked the government to deploy the army to ensure peace during polls citing the shortage of 2.77 lakh police personnel to provide security during the polling. Cash-strapped Pakistan will go to polls in February 2024. According to a letter written by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to the Interior Ministry, the provincial police force is not sufficient to provide security during the polling. Pakistan needs at least 591,106 security personnel for the upcoming elections but the country is short of 277,558 police personnel. The polling body has suggested the deployment of army personnel to fill the requirement to maintain law and order in the country. The letter, referring to the bad law and order situation in the country, said the deployment of the army and civil armed forces as a static and quick response force be ensured. On Tuesday, the Finance Division said it has released Rs 17.4 billion to the Election Commission for the upcoming general elections. The amount was in addition to the Rs 10 billion released in July 2023, the Finance Ministry said, highlighting that the latest disbursement brought the total funds released for polls to Rs 27.4 billion. Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi earlier said the government would meet the financial needs of the ECP ahead of the February 8 general election. There is no crisis in meeting the financial needs of the ECP, Solangi said in a post on X. Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP will be released as per its needs accordingly, he said. The Finance Division remains committed to provision of funds as and when required by the Election Commission of Pakistan, it added. With inputs PTI In what is believed to be the latest military attack on civilians, a military drone attack in northern Kaduna over the weekend claimed the lives of at least 85 people, including women and children. President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria on Tuesday ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. The military of Nigeria, fighting Islamist insurgents in the northeast for a long time with support from the US, UK, and other non-Western allies, has also been carrying out deadly airstrikes in other regions of the nation. Kaduna is one of the northwest and central states dealing with kidnappings for ransom and killings by armed gangs, which security forces have been targeting using aerial assault. Kaduna is located 163 km (101 miles) from the capital Abuja. The National Emergency Management Agency said on Tuesday at least 85 people had died during the attack and 66 were injured, giving the first official confirmation of the death toll. Tinubu, who is attending the Cop28 Climate Summit in Dubai, called Sunday nights incident in the village of Tundun Biri a bombing mishap, which was very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, his spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement. The President directs a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident and calls for calm while the authorities look diligently into the mishap, said Ngelale. Nigerian Defence Headquarters spokesperson Major General Edward Buba said aerial surveillance captured movement of persons synonymous with terrorists and the threat was eliminated to prevent the terrorists from unleashing terror on innocent civilians. The military views every civilian death in the cause of operations as a tragedy. Such tragedies are needless and unwanted, Buba added. DEAD NURSING MOTHERS Witnesses said villagers were gathered for the annual Maulud Muslim celebrations when they heard a loud blast after 9:00 pm (2000 GMT), forcing people to scatter to safety. When the villagers realised it was a bomb explosion, they started helping those who were injured and moving the dead. But another blast was heard some 30 minutes later, killing more people, the witnesses said. Musa Shehu said he had lost two wives while his youngest daughter was injured and in hospital. Body parts, mostly children, were littered on building roofs and tree branches. We packed them in empty grain bags and deposited them alongside bodies of the dead that were not seriously mutilated, Shehu said by phone. Shehu Bala, another survivor, said the villagers, who came from four villages, were still in shock seeking for answers. We counted 97 bodies, many of them are women and children. Some infants who survived were taken away from their dead nursing mothers. Its a terrible experience, Bala said. (with inputs from Reuters) UK-based Paramjit Singh alias Dhadi, an associate of the banned terrorist outfit, International Sikh Youth Federations chief Lakhbir Singh Rode, was arrested from Amritsar airport, a senior police officer said on Tuesday. UK-based Khalistan supporter Paramjit Singh alias Dhadi was arrested by the Punjab Police at the Amritsar airport on Tuesday. According to the Punjab Police, Paramjit Singh alias Punjab Singh alias Dhadi is an associate of Lakhbir Singh Rode, the chief of banned Khalistani terrorist group International Sikh Youth Federation. A Punjab Police official claimed that Paramjit Singh was involved in terror funding and other illegal activities in Punjab. In a major breakthrough, SSOC Amritsar has arrested #UK based, Paramjit Singh @ Punjab Singh @ Dhadi from #Amritsar airport An associate of Lakhbir Rode, Chief of banned terrorist outfit #ISYF,Dhadi has been involved in terror funding & other subversive activities in #Punjab, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said in a statement on social media platform X. Investigation is on to unearth and expose the terrorist network Major blow to terror module attempting to disturb peace in the region @PunjabPoliceInd is fully committed to make Punjab safe & secure as per directions of CM @BhagwantMann, the DGP added. Meanwhile, Lakhbir Singh Rode, the Pakistan-based ISYFs chief and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) handler, reportedly died in Pakistan on Monday. He was among Indias most wanted and the nephew of the late Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Rode, a listed individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), fled to Pakistan around 1996/97. He had planned to execute Improvised Explosive Device blasts at various locations in Punjab including the December 23, 2021, Ludhiana court complex blast which claimed the life of one person and injuries to six others, according to the NIA chargesheet. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet also states that Rode, in association with Pakistan-based smugglers, recruited India-based operatives to smuggle IEDs and to carry out blasts to cause maximum casualties and to strike terror among the general public. (With agency inputs) Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday, the Kremlin has announced. His visit comes amid Russias attempt to forge allies as it finds itself isolated amid Moscows war on Ukraine. President Putin will go on a working visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday. It is important to note that Putin limited his international trips since Russia deployed troops in Ukraine following which the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an international arrest warrant for the Russian president on the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. The Kremlin spokesperson said that Putin would discuss bilateral relations, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and international politics. It is, however, not clear whether Putin will attend the COP28 Summit currently being hosted by the UAE. Putin has missed several high-level gatherings abroad since Moscow launched large-scale hostilities in Ukraine in February 2022. Putin skipped the BRICS summit in South Africa in August to avoid causing a political show. He also missed the in-person flagship G20 summit in September though he attended a virtual G20 meeting in November. Putin to meet Irans Raisi Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will, on the other hand, visit Russia on Thursday to hold bilateral meetings with Putin. I can confirm. There will be Russian-Iranian negotiations on December 7, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday when asked about media reports of Raisis impending visit. Putin had last visited Iran in July last year while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Tehran in October for talks with regional counterparts. With inputs from AFP A financial blogger named BubblePisces in China got a massive 2.375 million followers on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Recently, he shared a poignant narrative about his 50-year-old male relative, describing a life seemingly eliminated by society. BubblePisces outlined eight observations on his relatives secluded existence, garnering a staggering 120 million views. The Shanghai-based blogger portrayed a life devoid of social interactions, emphasising how his kin seldom ventured beyond the confines of work, spending leisure hours immersed in TV, phone use, or sleep. The relatives aversion to socialising extended to online platforms, as he shunned social media interactions, turned down invitations, and refrained from hosting dinner gatherings. According to BubblePisces, the man held a unique perspective on socialising through meals, asserting, Theres no point in entertaining through food and drink. If you have money, its better to have a good meal with your family. This lifestyle, marked by a lack of interest in vacations, shopping, and career advancement, prompted BubblePisces to question if his relative had become completely disconnected from society by the age of 50. His post received an influx of positive responses, with many expressing admiration for the relatives seemingly uncomplicated life. Comments ranged from sentiments like, If he has savings, that would be perfect, wouldnt it? to the endorsement of a lifestyle described as living with clarity. Notably, the post sparked a discussion on societal expectations in China, echoing sentiments from the earlier lie flat movement. Critics of the intense work culture advocated for a simpler life, rejecting the norms of exhausting work hours. In a more recent offshoot termed letting it rot, individuals champion the idea of idleness over relentless dedication to employment. In its most recent assessment of global learning standards, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) stated on Tuesday that the COVID school closures are only partially to blame for the unprecedented decline in the reading and math proficiency of teenagers in dozens of countries. The OECD, based in Paris, reported that since it started testing the reading, math, and science proficiency of 15-year-olds every three years in 2000, it has witnessed some of the sharpest declines in performance. The two-hour test was taken by nearly 700,000 youths in the 38 OECD members that are mostly developed countries and 44 non-members last year for the most recent study, which is being closely watched by policymakers as the largest international comparison of educational performance. Compared to when the tests were last conducted in 2018, reading performance fell by 10 points on average in OECD countries, and by 15 points in mathematics, a loss equivalent to three-quarters of a years worth of learning. While more than half of the 81 countries surveyed saw declines, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland saw particularly sharp drops in mathematics scores, the OECD said. On average across the OECD, one out of four 15-year-olds tested as a low performer in maths, reading and science, which means they could not use basic algorithms or interpret simple texts, the study found. COVID probably played some role but I would not overrate it, OECD director of education Andreas Schleicher told a news conference. There are underlying structural factors and they are much more likely to be permanent features of our education systems that policymakers should really take seriously. Countries that provided extra teacher support during COVID school closures scored better and results were generally better in places where easy teacher access for special help was high. Poorer results tended to be associated with higher rates of mobile phone use for leisure and where schools reported teacher shortages. The OECD said the decline was not inevitable, pointing to Singapore, where students scored the highest in maths, reading and science, with results that suggested they were on average three to five years ahead of their OECD peers. After Singapore, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea also outperformed in maths and science, where Estonia and Canada also scored well. In reading, Ireland, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan earned top marks, and was all the more notable in Ireland and Japan because their spending per student was no higher than the OECD average. (with inputs from Reuters) UAE Ambassador to India Abdulnasser Alshaali on Tuesday expressed the robust and commendable collaboration between India and the UAE in addressing climate change. In an interview with ANI, the envoy highlighted the alignment of efforts between the G20 summit and the COP28 presidency, underscoring the shared commitment of both nations to jointly tackle climate issues. We wanted to make sure that whatever outcomes or results come out of the G20 summit translate also into certain outcomes during the COP28 presidency because there are certain overlaps, he said. Addressing the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the UAE President during COP28, Alshaali said, They discussed all sorts of topics among them, and most importantly, the COP28 presidency and climate action. Moreover, he also emphasised that such discussions contribute to the progression of the bilateral relationship. The UAE Envoy, while shedding light on the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, highlighted significant achievements, including the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, boasting over USD 700 million in commitments. He applauded Indias active involvement in crucial declarations related to climate, such as climate health and climate finance. Alshaali noted that the Loss and Damage Funds operationalisation received strong support from India. Additionally, he expressed confidence in Indias organisational capabilities, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement of Indias bid to host the COP33 Summit in 2028. With inputs from ANI Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, who is on a three-day visit to India, on Wednesday said that terrorism is a big issue for Kenya and India and both the countries have agreed that our defence forces will work in collaboration to deal with the challenge of terrorism. At the joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ruto said, Terrorism is a big issue both for Kenya and India and weve agreed that our defence forces will work together in collaboration, sharing information, sharing experience, sharing knowledge and intelligence to make sure that we deal with the challenge of terrorism. #WATCH | At the joint press statement with PM Narendra Modi, the President of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto says, I have also assured PM Modi that 70 per cent of health commodities in Kenya, have their origin in India, and we appreciate the partnership and the support and we have pic.twitter.com/V54drqVdAR ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 He said that 70 per cent of health commodities in Kenya have their origin in India and he and PM Modi discussed how manufacturing of some of these commodities can be started in Kenya, not just to help the Kenyan market but also the East African and the African market. I have also assured PM Modi that 70 per cent of health commodities in Kenya, have their origin in India, and we appreciate the partnership and the support and we have discussed how we can begin to manufacture some of these commodities in Kenya, not just for the Kenyan market but for the East African and the African market, and it will be mutually beneficial for companies, added Ruto. He said India has been immensely useful to Kenya, especially in the marine space. I have thanked PM Modi for the support of India in the research and documentation of resources in the Indian Ocean that are related and relevant to Kenya, said the Kenyan President. Talking about East Africa, Ruto said that he discussed with PM Modi the security situation in Sudan and Somalia and pledged to work together to stabilize and secure the region. #WATCH | At the joint press statement with PM Narendra Modi, the President of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto says, I have explained to PM Modi about our situation in, East Africa, challenges we have of security in Sudan, in Somalia, and we are going to work together to see how we pic.twitter.com/ammRQiUr1E ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 I have explained to PM Modi about our situation in, East Africa, challenges we have of security in Sudan, in Somalia, and we are going to work together to see how we can stabilize and secure that region for the mutual benefit of the people living in the global south, Ruto added. He said he also shared his experience of delivery of affordable housing in Kenya with PM Modi and how the country was learning from India in that aspect. I have also shared with him (PM) our experience, especially in the delivery of affordable housing and learning from the great experience in this country on delivery of affordable housing, working on slum upgrading and ensuring that citizens have decent houses and live in dignity that we are cutting out the same in Kenya following in the example of India, added Ruto. With inputs from agencies In an attempt to hunt Hamas fighters, Israel has assembled a large system of pumps that may be used to flood the network of tunnels used by the Palestinian terror group under the Gaza Strip, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing US officials. Around the middle of November, Israels army completed the set-up of at least five pumps about a mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp that could move thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, flooding the tunnels within weeks, the report said. It was not clear whether Israel would consider using the pumps before all hostages were released, according to the news report. It is believed that Israel has assembled a system of large pumps it could use to flood Hamass vast network of tunnels under the Gaza Strip with seawater, a tactic that could destroy the tunnels and drive the fighters from their underground refuge but also threaten Gazas water supply, U.S. officials said. The Israel Defence Forces finished assembling large seawater pumps roughly one mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp around the middle of last month. Each of at least five pumps can draw water from the Mediterranean Sea and move thousands of cubic meters of water per hour into the tunnels, flooding them within weeks. Hamas has previously said it has hidden captives in safe places and tunnels. When asked about the report, a US official said it made sense for Israel to render the tunnels inoperable and that the country was exploring a range of ways to do that. Israels defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Wall Street Journal said an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official declined to comment on the flooding plan but was quoted as saying: The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamass terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools. Israel first informed the United States of the plan to flood tunnels in Gaza last month, the Wall Street Journal said, reporting that officials did not know how close Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government was to carrying out the plan finally. Israel has not made a final decision to go ahead or rule it out, the officials were cited as saying. Britains Home Secretary James Cleverly touched down in Rwanda on Tuesday with the aim to sign a new treaty that London hopes will revive controversial plans to transfer migrants to the east African country. During his visit to Rwanda, Cleverly is set to sign the new treaty alongside Rwandas Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta. The discussions will encompass crucial next steps in the plan, with Cleverly emphasising that Rwanda is considered a safe country. Additionally, he expressed determination to move forward swiftly with the partnership to curb illegal immigration and save lives. The Conservative government seeks to resurrect its halted initiative to transfer asylum-seekers and migrants to Rwanda. This move comes in the wake of the UK Supreme Courts recent ruling that deemed the previous arrangement unlawful. The judges sided with a lower court decision that the policy was incompatible with Britains international obligations because Kigali could forcibly return migrants to places where they could face persecution. This setback poses a challenge for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who faces mounting pressure to curtail immigration to the UK. Undeterred, he is committed to pursuing the controversial project by securing a new treaty, aiming to address concerns raised in the Supreme Courts ruling. The new agreement is expected to include commitments from Rwanda regarding the treatment of migrants sent there. Sunaks strategy also involves enacting emergency legislation in parliament to designate Rwanda as a safe country, aiming to put an end to the legal challenges surrounding the initiative. In an op-ed for The Sun tabloid, Sunak expressed frustration, stating, Im fed up with our Rwanda policy being blocked, and outlined the governments efforts to resolve the issue decisively and stop the boats. The UK-Rwanda migration partnership, established in April of the previous year, envisioned the transfer of individuals who had undertaken what London deems dangerous or illegal journeys to Britain on small boats from Europe or concealed in lorries. Despite the governments insistence that the scheme is crucial to deterring illegal immigration across the Channel from France, nearly 30,000 individuals have undertaken the perilous journey this year. Although this figure is lower than the nearly 46,000 in 2022, it falls short of Sunaks vow to stop the boats. With inputs from AFP In an effort to prevent kids from viewing pornography online, Britain unveiled new age-check guidelines on Tuesday. One of the recommendations is to employ artificial intelligence (AI) to determine whether a viewer appears to be of legal age along with taking face ids and credit card details. The recently enacted Online Safety Act mandates that websites and applications that show or distribute pornographic material make sure that children are not typically exposed to it on their platform. In Britain, you have to be at least 18 years old to watch porn. An Office of the Childrens Commissioner for England study conducted in 20212022 revealed that children encounter online pornography for the first time at the average age of 13, almost a quarter by the time they are 11 years old, and one in ten as early as 9. Regardless of their approach, we expect all services to offer robust protection to children from stumbling across pornography, and also to take care that privacy rights and freedoms for adults to access legal content are safeguarded, media regulator Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes said. The regulator described its suggestion on facial age estimation as using AI to analyse a viewers features. That would likely require taking a selfie on a device and uploading it. The watchdog said its proposed guidance also included photo identification matching, requiring a user to upload a photo ID such as passport or driving licence to prove their age, and credit chard checks. Another suggestion was open banking, whereby users can consent to their bank sharing information with online porn sites to confirm they are over 18. The Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market think tank, said mandatory age verification threatened user privacy and would expose users to breaches and abuse by increasing the amount of sensitive data held by third parties. The regulator said weaker methods such as self-declaration of age, online payment methods that do not require a person to be 18, and disclaimers or warnings, would no longer meet the standards in its new guidance. Ofcom said it expects to publish its final guidance in early 2025. (with inputs from Reuters) Britain and Rwanda on Tuesday inked a fresh treaty aimed at resurrecting a contentious proposal by London to relocate migrants to the East African nation. The agreement, signed by Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta and British Interior Minister James Cleverly, follows the UK Supreme Courts previous rejection of an arrangement, deeming it unlawful. Cleverly, who journeyed to Kigali to salvage the stalled initiative, expressed the commitment of both nations to enhance the process. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had vowed to persevere with the controversial project and address concerns raised by the Supreme Court. Cleverly, during a joint press briefing in Kigali, emphasised the collaborative effort between the UK and Rwanda to improve the partnership, noting Rwandas commitment to addressing the concerns highlighted by the court. According to Alain Mukuralinda, deputy spokesman for Rwandas government, the two countries plan to establish a joint tribunal with judges from both nations in Kigali. This tribunal, subject to approval by both parliaments, aims to prevent the deportation of immigrants to their countries of origin. While specific details of the new agreement were not disclosed, reports suggest that it includes commitments from Rwanda regarding the treatment of asylum-seekers and migrants sent there. The UK Supreme Courts decision prompted Sunak to consider emergency legislation designating Rwanda as a safe country, intending to overcome legal challenges. The UK-Rwanda migration partnership, established in April the previous year, envisioned sending individuals who had undertaken what London termed dangerous or illegal journeys to Britain. The plan faced setbacks, with legal challenges and opposition from activists such as Yasmine Ahmed, the UK director at Human Rights Watch, highlighting Rwandas human rights record. Despite criticisms, the British government maintains that the bilateral scheme is essential to deter illegal immigration across the Channel from France. With immigration being a significant issue expected to feature prominently in an upcoming general election, Cleverly emphasised the urgency of moving forward with the partnership to stop the boats and save lives. The statement also highlighted the Supreme Courts acknowledgment that future changes could address their conclusions, indicating the intent to implement such changes through the new treaty. With inputs from AFP Three people were killed and at least eleven injured when Russian soldiers attacked a medical facility, an assistance centre, and residential areas in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, according to officials on Tuesday. Roman Mrochko, the head of the military administration of the city, stated on the messaging app Telegram that two persons were killed and two injured in the morning bombardment on the southern city of Kherson. According to Mrochko, a Russian projectile struck a medical facility, injuring four additional doctors. The International Rescue Committee reported in a statement that the humanitarian centre I am Kherson was attacked in a midnight missile strike on the city, destroying supplies of help. It stated that no staff members or guests were harmed. According to the General Prosecutors Office, Russian forces also launched a two-hour strike on the eastern border city of Chasiv Yar on Tuesday using the Grad multiple launch missile system. Five individuals were hurt, and a 50-year-old inhabitant passed away immediately from his wounds, the office reported on Telegram. Russia has denied intentionally targeting civilians throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022, despite the fact that Russian airstrikes have claimed thousands of lives all around the nation. (With agency inputs) In a strategic move to bolster military capabilities and confront Chinas maritime dominance, the US Navy has announced plans to equip submarines with ship-targeting versions of the Tomahawk missile, known as the Maritime Strike, according to a Bloomberg report. The initiative is part of a broader effort to counterbalance Chinese forces, particularly in the contested waters around Taiwan. Captain Jon Hersey, program manager, told Bloomberg that the Maritime Strike version of the Tomahawk, the RTX Corp. missiles are set to be deployed after October 1 next year. These modified missiles, originally designed for ground-attack purposes, will now feature a new guidance system enabling them to engage mobile sea targets. The Navy, after receiving an initial version last year for testing, has declared it combat-ready. The deployment of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk complements the US Navys existing arsenal, aiming to address the numerical superiority of the Chinese fleet. While plans include deploying these missiles on surface vessels, submarines provide a more secure platform against Chinas anti-ship capabilities. Of particular significance is the focus on defending Taiwan, a contested territory claimed by China. The island nation holds economic and strategic importance for the United States, especially concerning its semiconductor industry. The timeline for the new maritime strike missile aligns with the Pentagons Replicator program, set to deploy thousands of drones in the Indo-Pacific region between February and August 2025. This development is concurrent with the growing security alliance between the US, the UK, and Australia, known as Aukus, which recently unveiled plans, including the use of artificial intelligence in tracking Chinese submarines. The Maritime Strike Tomahawk missiles will be deployed on Los Angeles and Virginia-class submarines, with some modified Virginia-class submarines capable of carrying up to 40 missiles. The extended range of up to 1,000 miles provides a significant standoff from Chinese anti-access and area-denial missile forces, potentially complicating Chinese planning for a blockade or invasion of Taiwan. According to the report, Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, emphasised the need for further development to determine how these missiles will be employed to overwhelm Chinas forces and achieve a war-winning outcome. Japan may also join the deployment of the new anti-ship version of the Tomahawk missile, with the State Department notifying Congress of a potential sale valued at up to $2.35 billion for 200 missiles. China, with 370 ships and submarines in its naval force, including more than 140 major surface combatants, faces a growing challenge as the US Navy deploys advanced weaponry. The US Navy, with 291 deployable vessels, aims to counterbalance Chinas modern multi-mission ships and submarines. Vice Admiral William Houston, the Navys Submarine Forces Commander, said in a statement to Bloomberg that hes committed to fielding the Maritime Strike Tomahawk as quickly as possible but pointed out that procurement, modernisation and fielding schedules are dynamic and impacted by a variety of factors including industrial base and shipyard capacity. In addition to the Maritime Strike Tomahawk, the US anti-ship arsenal includes the RTX SM-6 air defense missile, Lockheed Martin Corp.s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, and Boeing Co.s sea-skimming Harpoon anti-ship missiles. These developments underscore the ongoing efforts to enhance the United States maritime capabilities and maintain a strategic edge in the Indo-Pacific region. With inputs from agencies Chinese netizens welcome the scheduled return of giant panda couple from UK, as wave of pandas returning home in 2023 continues Global Times) 14:57, December 05, 2023 An undated photo provided by Edinburgh Zoo shows giant panda Tian Tian at Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland. Photo: Xinhua On Tuesday morning, the two giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian who had been living in the UK since 2011 safely arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport in Southwest China's Sichuan Province. Chinese netizens warmly welcomed the return of the two pandas. "Welcome back, our cutest ambassadors! Hope that they will have a happier and more contented life back in China," a netizen said. The topic of the two pandas' return has been highly discussed on Weibo, Chinese X-like social media platform and appeared among the top trending searches. Last week, before their return to China, visitors bid farewell to Yang Guang and Tian Tian for the last time. "For me, pandas represent China. China is willing to lend pandas to other countries so that people around the world have the opportunity to see them. This brings joy and is an act of goodwill," a British resident said to media outlets. In December 2011, as part of an agreement between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, Yang Guang and Tian Tian were loaned to Edinburgh Zoo for 12 years. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland stated that over one million species are facing the risk of extinction, and against this backdrop, Yang Guang and Tian Tian have inspired millions of people to care about nature and have had an incredible impact. According to Edinburgh Zoo staff, in order to help the pandas adapt to the environment inside the crates, the zoo had conducted adaptive training in advance. In addition, they thoughtfully prepared "in-flight meals" for the two passengers - fresh bamboo grown in the UK. At around 9:45 am on Monday, the truck slowly drove out of the zoo's gate, and Yang Guang and Tian Tian headed to Edinburgh Airport, officially embarking on their journey back home. Regarding the return of the giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated on December 1 that since the international cooperation on giant panda conservation research between China and the UK began in 2011, a good cooperative relationship has been established. Positive achievements have been made in giant panda conservation management, scientific research, technological exchange, and public education, playing an important role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and British people. The female giant panda Tian Tian was once selected as the "2011 Female Face" by the BBC. Since the return of the giant panda cub Xiang Xiang on February 21 from Japan, a total of 15 giant pandas have returned to China this year from countries including the US, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and the UK. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Lakhbir Singh Rode, the self-styled chief of the banned outfit Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation has reportedly died in Pakistan due to a heart attack. He was 72. Lakhbir Singh was a nephew of slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed by Indian security forces inside the Golden Temple in Punjabs Amritsar during Operation Blue Star, ordered by Indias former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. A report by The Indian Express quoted Jasbir Singh Rode, brother of Lakhbir Singh, saying that Lakhbir was highly diabetic and died of a heart attack in Pakistan. He has been cremated there. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter who live in Canada. Who was Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode? 1 Lakhbir Singh, who as per intelligence agencies had been living in Lahore, was allegedly involved in terror activities against India. For several years, Lakhbir Singh has been running the banned outfit KLF from Pakistan. 2 He was listed as an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or the UA(P)A, by the Indian government. He had fled the country to reside in Dubai but later moved to Pakistan. 3 Lakhbir Singh, had on several occasions, confessed that he had been working closely with the Pakistani government to launch attacks against India. He was arrested with 20 kg of RDX and said it was given to him by a councillor in the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu. 4- Lakhbir Singh was named as the mastermind of the 23 June 1985 Air India 182 bombing during confession by terrorist Talwinder Singh Parmar to the Punjab Police. 5- In 2002, India had submitted a list of 20 terrorists, including Lakhbir Singh Ride, demanding their extradition from Pakistan. As per the Indian government, he was allegedly engaged in sending weapons and explosives consignments from across the border to India to carry out terrorist activities in Punjab and to target various Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs) and political leaders. 6- He was also the primary organiser of the Khalistan Zindabad Force cell near the India-Nepal border and was responsible for creating disturbances. 7- The NIA is investigating six cases against Lakhbir Singh for his alleged active involvement in terror-related activities between 2021-2023. 8 In October this year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Punjabs Mohali had ordered to requisition of land belonging to Lakhbir Singh under Section 33 (5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The court order stemmed from the case filed against Rode on 1 October, 2021, of multiple charges, including sections 3, 4, 5 & 6 of the Explosive Substances Act 1908; sections 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38 & 39 of UA(P) Act 1967, Section 21B, 27A, 29 of NDPS Act 1985, and section 120B of IPC. With inputs from agencies A daring escape by a kangaroo being transported to a new home east of Toronto ended with a surprising turn of events, as the marsupial delivered a punch to one of the police officers involved in its capture. The incident occurred after the kangaroo hopped away from handlers during a rest stop at the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm in Ontario. The Kangaroos Weekend in the Wild The female kangaroo, born in captivity, roamed freely over the weekend, captivating onlookers and prompting videos to circulate on social media. The escape raised concerns about the safety of both the kangaroo and the public in Oshawa, a town on Lake Ontario. Kangaroos Capture and Resistance According to a report in The Guardian, officers on patrol located the kangaroo on a rural property in northern Oshawa around 3 am on Monday. Following instructions, they contacted the kangaroos handlers and attempted to capture it by the tail. However, the marsupial fought back, delivering a punch to one of the officers during the process. Staff sergeant Chris Boileau expressed that the unexpected encounter would likely leave a lasting memory for the officer involved. En Route to a New Home The kangaroo, en route to a zoo in Quebec, was provided with medical treatment following the capture. Despite its unexpected escapade, the decision was made to allow the kangaroo to rest at the Oshawa Zoo for a few days before continuing its journey. Cameron Preyde, the head keeper at the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm, explained the decision, stating, Were going to keep her here for a little while longer, let her rest up and make sure she is safe. Kangaroo Defense Mechanisms Dr. George Wilson from the Australian National Universitys college of science shed light on kangaroo behaviour. He noted that when confronted, kangaroos typically stand on their hind legs and may use their forearms to fend off perceived threats. While kicking is their primary defense mechanism, punching with the upper arms or forearms is not uncommon. Meanwhile, Wilson revealed that kangaroos, especially those from a zoo environment, are accustomed to human interaction and may assert themselves in various ways when feeling threatened. Kangaroo Is A Symbol Of Boxing In Australia Referring to the famous boxing kangaroo symbol of Australia, Wilson highlighted the animals ability to engage in physical confrontations. Kangaroos, known for their territorial nature, can cause significant damage with their powerful hind legs when they feel the need to protect themselves. As the war between Israel and Hamas is close to entering its second month, a senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus party Likud has announced his intentions to challenge the latters 18-year-old leadership, saying the party needs change. Economy Minister Nir Barkat said, I wont support Netanyahu again. After the war, we must turn to the people and get its trust anew. Likud needs change. Im acting in accordance with an agenda, and it is nearing its end, Barkat added while addressing Likud activists last week at a bike store in Kiryat Gat. According to a report by public broadcaster Kan, Barkat has expressed his intention to run for the leadership of the Likud Party even if Netanyahu doesnt step down. Responding to the Kan report, Barkat said, I dont intend to cooperate with political officials who have an ulterior motive. It is no secret that I have professional criticism that relates to the issue of the budget, which I believe will be solved. Israel-Hamas war update Israel has intensified its attacks in southern Gaza to fight Hamas terrorists in the region. Israeli tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers were seen on Monday near the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. Amid this, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said that the countrys expanding ground operations is a complex situation but they have no choice but to fight Hamas if they want to defeat them. So far, Israel has been focussing on northern Gaza, urging Palestinians living in the region to move south for their safety. However, last week the military dropped leaflets in northern Gaza asking residents to flee the region. News Judge's map ruling enough to force Galveston County's hand, attorneys say Jeffrey V. Brown GALVESTON U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey V. Brown said Monday he wanted to ensure Galveston County doesnt use a precinct map he ruled violates the Voting Rights Act during 2024 elections. During a conference Monday, attorneys representing plaintiffs who oppose a controversial map commissioners approved in 2021, known as Map 2, argued there was nothing more Brown must do to compel the Galveston County Commissioners Court to use a least changes map, also known as Map 1, which largely preserves Precinct 3 as a minority-majority district. Attorneys defending Galveston County in the litigation offered no argument when Brown asked for the countys response. Both sets of attorneys agreed there was no need to extend the Dec. 11 filing deadline for county commissioner candidates, which was the other issue Brown said he hoped to sort out on Monday. I tried to put a timeline in place for the county to draw a new map, Brown said at the hearing. I was never opposed to the county taking a shot at it. But, based on timing, Id think theres no time for it now. Barring a stay order from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, the county must use Map 1 in the 2024 election, Brown told The Daily News. The full 17-judge panel will make the decision about a stay, or a three-judge motions panel, said Brown, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump. LATE NIGHT RULING Brown on Thursday evening ruled Galveston County cant use the contested district voting map, Map 2, for 2024 elections and will instead use the least changes map, Map 1. Given that the candidate-filing period for the 2024 election has already begun and that the defendants electoral map is enjoined, it is no longer practicable to permit the commissioners court the opportunity to cure its enjoined maps infirmities, Brown wrote in the ruling. The court will proceed accordingly to carry out its unwelcome obligation to devise and impose a remedy for the 2024 election. Terry Petteway and NAACP plaintiffs previously asked the court to implement Map 1, the alternative map that the commissioners court considered on Nov. 12, 2021, according to court records. Accordingly, the court grants the plaintiffs emergency motion and adopts Map 1 as the remedial plan, Brown wrote. The ruling means Precinct 3 Commissioner Stephen Holmes district will look largely as it did in previous elections, with the addition of parts of Bolivar Peninsula. The map commissioners adopted and is under litigation would have added traditionally white Republican-voting residents to the traditionally Black and Latino Democrat-voting district. DISTRICT DILEMMA On Thursday morning before Browns ruling, it appeared the litigation would disrupt key dates in the 2024 election. In a letter Tuesday, the clerk of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said the full court would rehear the case the week of May 13, about two months after the March 5 party primaries. Precinct 3, which plaintiffs argue was illegally gerrymandered along racial lines, is up for election, along with Precinct 1. Brown said he attempted to remedy that issue with Thursday nights ruling to use a map that represents far fewer changes to Precinct 3. $4-MILLION MAP The 2021 redistricting map created four majority white districts in the county. Holmes has since 1999 represented parts of Texas City, La Marque and Hitchcock in the only majority-minority district in Galveston County. The new map dismantled Holmes district and added many north county voters who tend to support GOP candidates. County Judge Mark Henry has accused the Department of Justice and its circus of traveling lawyers of coming to Galveston County on the heels of fake news reporting over the redistricting case, he wrote in a statement. Henry argues that forced the county to spend more than $4 million defending what he said is a wrongful claim of racial discrimination, he wrote. This case is not just about Galveston County, but is of great national importance because the Voting Rights Act does not require us to draw Democrat districts, Henry said in the email. The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday agreed to rehear the case, according to an announcement from the court. Commissioners were pleased the Fifth Circuit vacated its earlier decision and is going to hear the case again, Henry said in an email. The New Orleans-based appeals court vacated a ruling a three-judge panel issued Oct. 19 upholding Judge Browns ruling in favor of local elected officials, civil rights groups and the federal government, who argued the 2021 map diluted minority-group power dismantling the only county commission precinct with a majority of minority voters, according to court documents. A full panel of the circuit, which is 17 judges, is set to rehear the case in May. Brown ruled the map violated the Voting Rights Act, according to a 157-page document he signed Oct. 13 that noted an expert witness for the NAACP, William Cooper, a plaintiff in the case. Attorneys asked Cooper, who has 40 years of experience drawing voting maps for about 750 jurisdictions in the United States, about the 2021 map. Well, if you look at the underlying census data, Precinct 3 went from being a Black plus Latino majority precinct to being a precinct with the lowest percentage of Blacks and Latinos in the county, Cooper said, according to court documents. Its just a textbook example of a racial gerrymander. Browns Oct. 13 order stems from lawsuits filed by The Texas Civil Rights Project, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, three Galveston-area branches of the NAACP and the local council of the League of United Latin American Citizens, along with elected officials, the U.S. government and numerous Black and Hispanic residents. After the end of another school day and week last Friday, staffers at Fruita 8/9 School met with Mesa County Valley School District 51 administrators and received the news that the district plans to close the school after the coming spring semester. The District 51 Board of Education this past spring passed a resolution charging district administrators with reconfiguring Fruitas grade system to align with the rest of the district, with eighth graders going to Fruita Middle School and ninth graders going to Fruita Monument High School. Since then, the district has been holding community meetings to gauge the thoughts of parents and staff as to whether this shift should go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year or the 2025-2026 school year. That decision has been reached, as D51 administrators met with Fruita Monument staff Monday morning and with Fruita Middle School staff Monday afternoon to discuss the districts plan to close Fruita 8/9 School after next semester. Obviously, if you have three secondary schools but youre only going to need a six-through-eight and a nine-through-12, you dont need three schools, so there was always going to be a school that would need to be taken offline, and in this case, we wouldnt need the 8/9 school anymore, Hill said. Hill told The Daily Sentinel that he will make the suggestion to the school board at its Dec. 12 work session. A vote on a resolution to close Fruita 8/9 School after the 2023-2024 school year could take place as soon as the boards Dec. 19 meeting. We wanted to make sure that staff heard it from us first, so thats why we wanted to go out and meet with the staff before we did any public presentation to the community or the board, Hill said. The plan is to relocate Fruita Middle School into the Fruita 8/9 School building, which Hill called a much better-conditioned building that can house three grades of students. Staff from Fruita Middle School would carry over. Whats next for Fruita 8/9 staff isnt quite so clear, but Hill said the district will do what it can to find 8/9 staff new jobs within the district. I know the words been thrown around that were firing staff and that is not true or accurate. We talked to the staff about this last Friday; we would be working with the staff to help them find positions in buildings that may be in the Fruita area or may not, Hill said. I want to clarify that all non-probationary staff are guaranteed a position next school year, so no ones being fired. Thats part of our process. They would just be displaced and we would be working with them on finding positions within the school district. However, while the district can guarantee positions within the district, it cant guarantee positions at specific schools or in specific areas in the Grand Valley, citing the states mutual consent law that went into effect in 2011. Hill noted that the district hired 287 teaching positions and 250 support staff positions last year, emphasizing that the district will have options to help Fruita 8/9 staff land on their feet somewhere in permanent positions. Because of mutual consent in the placement of teachers and counselors, we cant force-place teachers into buildings. We cant force a school to take a staff member, Hill said. They have to go through a process where the principal and at least two teachers at that school go through an interview process to hire people. If the 8/9 school were to close, while we can guarantee positions, we cant guarantee where that will be because we have to go through a hiring process because of that mutual consent law and thats Colorado law, not a district policy. District 51 spokesperson Callie Berkson added that, this school year, Fruita secondary schools Fruita 8/9, Fruita Middle School and Fruita Monument are overstaffed by more than nine FTE, which she said is the equivalent to more than $800,000 in unfunded staffing positions. This year, those positions were subsided using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) funds, but ESSER funds expire at the end of the year, and based on the districts projections, next school year, there would be 13 FTE of overstaffing, equating to more than $1.2 million. Hill cited these statistics and emphasized that, since 2019, Fruitas three secondary schools have seen an enrollment decline of about 423 students. With that comes staffing issues. Having fewer students means less staff, so were trying to solve two problems here. Were trying to, one, reconfigure the grades so that we have a traditional grade configuration out there, but also, were trying to get to a point where were not having to cut staff by having these three buildings open. When we have just two buildings, we can actually staff them properly, Hill said. If we dont do something different for next school year, right now, the projections would show us having to cut over 13 staff positions from those schools next year because of declining enrollment there. Thats something that we dont want to do because it impacts programming and thats not best for kids, and we also dont have the money to subsidize that.... All of this would hopefully accomplish those two goals. A four-day trial is underway for a former Deputy District Attorney accused of attempting to influence a public servant and official misconduct after police said he used his position to look into a case in another jurisdiction for a friend, and then tried to cover it up. Holden Chadwick, 30, turned himself into law enforcement in February after an arrest warrant was issued. Police said in the affidavit for an arrest warrant Chadwick contacted the 20th Judicial District Attorneys Office in Boulder, as well as the Boulder County Sheriffs Office, asking about a potential criminal case into a friend from college who had told Chadwick a woman had accused him of giving her Rohypnol, also known as roofies. According to the affidavit, Chadwick told the officials his friend, Max Clark, was a witness in a case he was prosecuting. This information was reported to the 21st Judicial District Attorneys Office, where Chadwick was employed from March, 2021 to February, 2023. Chadwick repeated the story about Clark being a witness to a DAs Office investigator, as well as the public defender on the hit and run case he claimed Clark was a witness in, according to the affidavit. According to the affidavit, Chadwick also told Assistant District Attorney Trish Mahre and dormer Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Tuttle he did not know Clark. He later told District Attorney Dan Rubinstein Clark was a distant friend who had reached out. Chadwick is charged with one count of tampering with a witness or victim, one count of official misconduct, three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of false reporting to authorities and one count of tampering with physical evidence. The tampering with a witness or victim and attempting to influence a public servant charges are Class 4 felonies. The tampering with physical evidence charge is a Class 6 felony. The other charges are misdemeanors. Chadwick said in a Nov. 10 blog post there was never an actual criminal investigation into Clark, and he believes he is being overcharged. He wrote that he had rejected a plea deal that would have deferred a conviction in exchange for three years probation. My family and I would love to move on but theres no way to do that if I accept that plea, Chadwick wrote. Accepting that plea to something that is very much not criminal would have put my family and career in a dismal state. The case is being prosecuted by the 7th Judicial District Attorneys Office out of Montrose. Jury selection for the trial started Monday afternoon. The trial is scheduled to continue Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Saturday Night Snow showers early will become steadier snow overnight. Low near 30F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. Former U.S. Ambassador and National Security Council Official Charged with Secretly Acting as an Agent of the Cuban Government Monday, December 4, 2023 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs Federal prosecutors have charged Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, of Miami, Florida, a former U.S. Department of State employee who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 and ultimately as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, with committing multiple federal crimes by secretly acting for decades as an agent of the government of the Republic of Cuba. "This action exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "We allege that for over 40 years, Victor Manuel Rocha served as an agent of the Cuban government and sought out and obtained positions within the United States government that would provide him with access to non-public information and the ability to affect U.S. foreign policy. Those who have the privilege of serving in the government of the United States are given an enormous amount of trust by the public we serve. To betray that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the United States while serving a foreign power is a crime that will be met with the full force of the Justice Department." "Like all federal officials, U.S. diplomats swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Acting as an agent for Cuba - a hostile foreign power - is a blatant violation of that oath and betrays the trust of the American people," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "The FBI will continue to rigorously defend against foreign governments targeting America, and we will find and hold accountable anyone who violates their oath to the United States, no matter how long it takes." "For decades, Rocha allegedly worked as a covert agent for Cuba and abused his position of trust in the U.S. government to advance the interests of a foreign power," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. "However long it might take, we will deliver justice to those who betray their solemn oaths to the American people." "The Southern District and our law enforcement partners stand ready to protect the United States from individuals who act unlawfully as agents of foreign governments," said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. "Individuals who violate federal law by engaging in clandestine activity for hostile foreign states, and by providing false information about those activities to the U.S. government, endanger American democracy. That is especially so for past or present employees of the United States who took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, and for U.S. citizens who benefit from the freedoms and opportunities of this country. The U.S. Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners in South Florida, and elsewhere, will continue to vigorously enforce all federal laws." According to the complaint, beginning no later than approximately 1981, and continuing to the present, Rocha, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Colombia, secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the United States by serving as a covert agent of Cuba's General Directorate of Intelligence. To further that role, according to the complaint, Rocha obtained employment in the U.S. Department of State between 1981 and 2002, in positions that provided him access to nonpublic information, including classified information, and the ability to affect U.S. foreign policy. After his State Department employment ended, Rocha engaged in other acts intended to support Cuba's intelligence services. From in or around 2006 until in or around 2012, Rocha was an advisor to the Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, a joint command of the United States military whose area of responsibility includes Cuba. The complaint alleges that Rocha kept his status as a Cuban agent secret in order to protect himself and others and to allow himself the opportunity to engage in additional clandestine activity. Rocha provided false and misleading information to the United States to maintain his secret mission; traveled outside the United States to meet with Cuban intelligence operatives; and made false and misleading statements to obtain travel documents. According to the complaint, Rocha began his State Department career in 1981, rising through the ranks to serve in a variety of roles, including (1) from in or around February 1989 until in or around November 1991, as the First Secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico; (2) from in or around November 1991 until in or around July 1994, as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; (3) from in or around July 1994 until in or around July 1995, as a Department of State employee, as the Director of Inter-American Affairs on the U.S. National Security Council, with special responsibility for, among other things, Cuba; (4) from in or around July 1995 until in or around July 1997, as Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba; (5) from in or around July 1997 until in or around November 1999, as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and (6) from in or around November 1999 until in or around August 2002, as Ambassador to Bolivia at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia. The complaint alleges that, in a series of meetings during 2022 and 2023, with an undercover agent from the FBI posing as a covert Cuban General Directorate of Intelligence representative, Rocha made repeated statements admitting his "decades" of work for Cuba, spanning "40 years." When the undercover told Rocha he was "a covert representative here in Miami" whose mission was "to contact you, introduce myself as your new contact, and establish a new communication plan," Rocha answered "Yes," and proceeded to engage in a lengthy conversation during which he described and celebrated his activity as a Cuban intelligence agent. Throughout the meetings, Rocha behaved as a Cuban agent, consistently referring to the United States as "the enemy," and using the term "we" to describe himself and Cuba. Rocha additionally praised Fidel Castro as the "Comandante," and referred to his contacts in Cuban intelligence as his "CompaAeros" (comrades) and to the Cuban intelligence services as the "DirecciAn." Rocha described his work as a Cuban agent as "a grand slam." Rocha is charged with conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General; acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General; and with using a passport obtained by false statement. He is expected to make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Miami today, Dec. 4. The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable contributions by the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI's Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and John C. Shipley of the Southern District of Florida, along with Trial Attorneys Heather M. Schmidt and Christine A. Bonomo of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Rocha complaint Topics: Counterintelligence National Security Component: National Security Division (NSD) Press Release Number: 23-1360 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia Developing 'Secret Cloud Initiative' Interoperable With US, UK - Intelligence Chief Sputnik News 20231204 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Australia is working to develop a "top secret cloud initiative" that will be "interoperable" with US and UK intelligence agencies, its director-general of national intelligence said Monday. "In Australia, we are working very hard on a top-secret cloud initiative...what that will do is obviously transform how we do our work as agencies but also it'll open up a shared collaborative space," Andrew Shearer said at a talk hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Shearer added that the initiative would make Australia "interoperable" with the US and UK intelligence communities. He said that the project was being designed with "interoperability with our most important partners right from the start." Shearer said that post 9/11, Australia's intelligence agencies had been going through a "similar journey" to those of the US to heighten collaboration. He also suggested that collaboration stood to be improved across the Five Eyes international intelligence alliance. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former US Diplomat Charged With Spying for Cuba for Decades By VOA News December 04, 2023 A former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, has been charged with spying for Cuba since at least 1981. Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday and charged with multiple federal crimes, including acting as an illegal foreign agent and using a fraudulently obtained passport. According to the complaint, Rocha met with Cuban intelligence operatives and gave false information to U.S. government officials about his travels. Prosecutors said Rocha concealed his identity as a foreign agent in efforts to protect himself, so he could continue engaging in "clandestine activity" for the Cuban government. The United States requires individuals acting for the benefit of foreign agencies to register with the U.S. Justice Department. Rocha, a Colombian born, naturalized U.S. citizen, held several positions within the U.S. State Department, giving him "unique access," to non-public government information, prosecutors said. Rocha joined the department in 1981 and worked his way up to becoming the top U.S. diplomat in Argentina between 1997 and 2000, and later the ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002. Rocha's arrest comes as the Justice Department ramps up criminal enforcement of illicit foreign affairs. Since last year, the FBI has been running a series of undercover operations that include an FBI agent pretending to be a Cuban contact. In an undercover meeting in Miami last year, Rocha exposed that he had been instructed by the Cuban government's intelligence services to "lead a normal life" and that he had created the "legend," or artificial persona, "of a right-wing person," according to a recording of the meeting cited in court documents. In the meetings with the undercover FBI agent, Rocha repeatedly referred to the United States as the enemy and used the term "we" to describe himself and Cuba. Rocha was expected to make his initial appearance in court on Monday. It was not clear whether he had a lawyer. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The World's Largest Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Souda Bay US Navy 02 December 2023 From U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Public Affairs SOUDA BAY, Crete -- The U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and embarked staff from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 arrived in Souda Bay, Crete for a scheduled port visit, Dec 2, 2023. This port visit is the capital ship's sixth stop while deployed to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) area of operations. The port call will offer Gerald R. Ford Sailors the opportunity to experience the rich history and culture of Greece and enhance the strong partnership between the U.S. and Greece. "The crew has been laser-focused on the mission, and I am really proud of our Sailors' work and efforts these past couple of months as our nation's capital ship has remained on scene and prepared to do our duty," said Capt. Rick Burgess, Commanding Officer of Gerald R. Ford. "The team has earned some time off and looks forward to taking in Greek culture and exploring Souda Bay, Chania, and the surrounding area. Earlier this summer, Gerald R. Ford visited Piraeus and Athens, and the port visit remains one of the highlights of our deployment because of the hospitality of our cherished Ally." The U.S. Navy routinely operates with Greece, sending its largest aircraft carrier in the fleet to Souda Bay just four months after it visited Piraeus. Since Piraeus, the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) conducted three steaming exercises with the Hellenic Navy and hosted the commanding officers of HS Elli (F-450) and HS Psara (F-454) aboard the flagship, Gerald R. Ford. On Nov. 28, Psara joined the strike group to conduct joint and combined training in the Mediterranean Sea. Gerald R. Ford's most recent port visit in theater was in Trieste, Italy, Sept. 17-21. The ship deployed from Norfolk, Virginia on May 2, and has been conducting training, exercises, and operations to support maritime stability and security in defense of U.S., Allied, and partner interests. Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier. As the first-in-class ship of Ford-class aircraft carriers, CVN 78 represents a generational leap in the U.S. Navy's capacity to project power on a global scale. Ford-class aircraft carriers introduce 23 new technologies, including Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, Advanced Arresting Gear and Advanced Weapons Elevators. The new systems incorporated onto Ford-class ships are designed to deliver greater lethality, survivability and joint interoperability with a 20% smaller crew than a Nimitz-class carrier, paving the way forward for naval aviation. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) is conducting a scheduled deployment in U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, demonstrating the commitment and power projection capability of the Navy's globally deployed force. The GRFCSG provides an inherently flexible naval force capable of deploying across combatant commands to meet emerging missions, deter potential adversaries, reassure allies and partners, enhance security and guarantee the free flow of global commerce. In total, the GRFCSG is deployed with more than 6,000 Sailors across all platforms ready to respond globally to combatant commander tasking. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group consists of Carrier Strike Group 12, Carrier Air Wing 8, Destroyer Squadron 2, USS Normandy (CG 60), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS McFaul (DDG 74), and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116). Headquartered in Naples, Italy, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. Our persistent presence in Europe is in accordance with our international commitments and agreements and is necessary to reassure our Allies and Partners of our commitment to collective defense. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ICC Prosecutor, Karim A. A. Khan KC, concludes first visit to Israel and State of Palestine by an ICC Prosecutor: "We must show that the law is there, on the front lines, and that it is capable of protecting all". International Criminal Court (ICC) / Cour penale internationale (CPI) Statement: 3 December 2023 I have just concluded my first visit to Israel and the State of Palestine. During this mission, I had a simple message: my Office is here to ensure that the protection of the law is felt by all. I am sincerely grateful for the warmth and openness shown by all those I met with during this visit. The clarity, compassion and courage that victims, in particular, in both Israel and Palestine, demonstrated in explaining their experiences were deeply impactful. While not investigative in nature, this mission allowed me to listen to their accounts and deepen my understanding of what they experienced. My visit to Israel was conducted at the request of family members and friends of Israeli citizens who were either killed or taken hostage by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups on 7 October 2023. In both Kibbutz Beeri and Kibbutz Kfar Azza, as well as at the site of the Nova Music Festival in Re'im, I witnessed scenes of calculated cruelty. The attacks against innocent Israeli civilians on 7 October represent some of the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity, crimes which the ICC was established to address. In my meeting with the families of the victims of these attacks, my message was clear: we stand ready to work in partnership with them as part of our ongoing work to hold those responsible to account. I also stand ready to engage with relevant national authorities in line with the principle of complementarity at the heart of the Rome Statute. Such engagement, like my visit, would be without prejudice to the position of Israel on jurisdiction, and as a non-State Party to the Rome Statute. I called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by Hamas and other terror organisations. There can be no justification for the holding of any hostages, and in particular the egregious breach of fundamental principles of humanity through the taking and continued holding of children. Hostages cannot be treated as human shields or bargaining chips. During my visit to Ramallah, I had the honour to meet separately with their Excellencies President Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Mr. Mohammad Shtayeh, and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammad Shalaldeh. I underlined to them that it was of real significance to me that this represented the first official visit by an ICC Prosecutor to the State of Palestine, and I expressed my sincere thanks for the official welcome that they provided. Our discussions were highly productive as we look to further deepen our cooperation under the Rome Statute. I also spoke with the families of Palestinian victims. I was grateful to hear such personal accounts of their experiences in Gaza and the West Bank. We must never become numb to such suffering. In relation to Gaza, and notwithstanding any ongoing violations of international humanitarian law by Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip, the manner in which Israel responds to these attacks is subject to clear legal parameters that govern armed conflict. Conflict in densely populated areas where fighters are alleged to be unlawfully embedded in the civilian population is inherently complex, but international humanitarian law must still apply and the Israeli military knows the law that must be applied. As I have stated previously, Israel has trained lawyers who advise commanders and a robust system intended to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. Credible allegations of crimes during the current conflict should be the subject of timely, independent examination and investigation. On this visit, I again stressed that the clear legal principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality must be complied with so that the protection of the law is rendered meaningful for those who need it. I emphasised that not only must the letter of the law be complied with, but also the spirit upheld. International humanitarian law and the provisions of the Rome Statute are there to protect the most vulnerable. On humanitarian access, the position is critical, and the law does not allow for doubt. The United Nations, the World Health Organization and the International Committee for the Red Cross and Red Crescent have continued to underline the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. As I have repeatedly emphasised, civilians must have access to basic food, water and desperately needed medical supplies, without further delay, and at pace and at scale. And when such aid arrives, it must not be diverted or misused by Hamas. I cannot be more clear about this. All actors must comply with international humanitarian law. If you do not do so, do not complain when my Office is required to act. I also, yet again, emphasised my profound concern with the significant increase in incidents of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. I stated that no Israeli armed with an extreme ideology and a gun can feel they can act with impunity against Palestinian civilians. In Ramallah, I heard directly from those affected by such attacks. I underlined that we are continuing to investigate these incidents with focus and urgency. I wish to emphasise that all such attacks must cease immediately. No person should feel any sense of impunity for such attacks. My Office will further intensify its efforts to advance its investigations in relation to this situation. In this work, we will rely on the partnership of all actors to ensure that when action is taken by my Office it is done on the basis of objective, verifiable evidence which can stand scrutiny in the courtroom and ensure that when we do proceed we have a realistic prospect of conviction. It is my hope that this visit represents my first but not my last to both Israel and Palestine. Even in this deeply troubling current context, I leave with some hope that the core of our collective humanity can survive this moment. That hope in fact stems from the words and kindness from the victims I met with in Israel and Palestine. It is they that our Office works to serve. At this time of significant turbulence, the law is needed more than ever. I wish to emphasize that we are working intensively to ensure the law is protected and upheld, for all. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Blinken's Call with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al Thani US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson December 3, 2023 The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The Secretary reiterated his gratitude for Qatar's partnership and critical efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and enable the recent humanitarian pause in Gaza. Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Al Thani discussed ongoing efforts to facilitate the safe return of all remaining hostages and increase aid to civilians in Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of the Vice President's Call with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority December 03, 2023 Vice President Kamala Harris spoke today with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority on her flight to Washington, D.C., from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the Vice President had several conversations with Arab leaders on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Vice President reiterated U.S. support for the Palestinian people and their right to security, dignity and self-determination. She underscored our commitment to a two-state solution and said that the Palestinian people must have a clear political horizon. They spoke about the situation in the West Bank and the Vice President reiterated our concerns with steps that could escalate tensions, including extremist settler violence. Building on her meetings in Dubai, the Vice President discussed U.S. ideas for planning for the day after the fighting ends in Gaza, and the Vice President reiterated U.S. support for a unified West Bank and Gaza under a revitalized Palestinian Authority. The Vice President told President Abbas that, to follow-up on this conversation and her meetings in Dubai on day-after planning, her National Security Advisor, Dr. Phil Gordon, would travel to Israel and the West Bank this week for additional discussions. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Georgia National Guardsmen Return from Overseas Mission By Maj. William Carraway, Georgia National Guard December 4, 2023 MARIETTA, Ga. -- More than 80 Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard's 201st Regional Support Group Forward returned home Dec. 1 after a nearly year-long deployment to Europe. Soldiers and family members were reunited during a welcome home ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta. "You represent the very best of our nation," said Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard. "All of you have performed in an exceptional manner over the last 10 months." During their deployment, the Soldiers of the 201st RSG supported base operations for more than 60,000 personnel at multiple stations throughout Europe. Their mobilization was part of a rotation of U.S. military forces that conduct multinational training and operations with allies to build regional security. "You had a very challenging mission and a very unique mission, providing support to nine forward operating sites across four countries ... delivering unparalleled support to U.S. and NATO forces," said Wilson. "Our forces in Europe are more capable because of you, and our world is safer because of you." The 201st RSG comprises a diverse group of units with specialty response missions, supporting overseas combat and domestic emergency response operations. The 201st RSG has deployed units and personnel multiple times since its 2004 organization. Soldiers of the 201st mobilized to Afghanistan from 2011-2012 and 2013-2014. In 2018, Soldiers of the 201st mobilized to Iraq, serving as base operating support integrator for Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve. Subordinate units of the 201st RSG have also supported operations in Korea and Egypt. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 30,000 Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen of the Georgia National Guard have deployed to support overseas missions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chair of the NATO Military Committee on official visit to Switzerland Swiss Government Bern, 04.12.2023 -- On 4 and 5 December, Admiral Rob Bauer, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, will be paying an official visit to the Swiss Armed Forces. Discussions with the Chief of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Thomas Sussli, will focus on intensifying cooperation with NATO. A courtesy visit with the head of the DDPS, Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, is also on the agenda. During his visit to Switzerland, Admiral Rob Bauer will meet with Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, Head of the DDPS, to discuss developments in the security situation and ways to intensify security cooperation. Lieutenant General Thomas Sussli and Admiral Rob Bauer will discuss the war in Ukraine and its consequences for Europe and NATO. They will also discuss the implementation of military cooperation targets that are part of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) between Switzerland and NATO. This will help put into concrete terms the Federal Council's intention to strengthen international cooperation in the field of security policy. A visit to the Spiez Laboratory, a division of the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), is also planned. Strengthening defence capability through cooperation In its Supplementary Report to the 2021 Security Policy Report, the Federal Council declared its intention to strengthen international cooperation with partner organisations, in particular with NATO and its member states, in a way that is compatible with neutrality. Contributing to security in Europe and improving cooperation strengthens the Armed Forces' defence capability, which in turn enhances Switzerland's security. Since 1996, Switzerland has participated in the PfP programme with NATO in order to improve interoperability, in particular between air forces and communication systems. There are also plans to increase Swiss participation in NATO centres of excellence and post staff officers to NATO facilities. The Swiss Armed Forces offer numerous courses and training programmes with international participation and make their simulators available. Military peace support - one of the three mandates of the Swiss Armed Forces - will also be discussed. Since 1999, Switzerland has been contributing to the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR) through Swisscoy. Switzerland's mandate runs until the end of 2026. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address December 4, 2023 Release Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Minister of Defense Angel Tilvar Attributed to Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the Romanian Minister of Defense Angel Tilvar at the Pentagon today to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues. The three leaders were unified in their condemnation of Russia's brutal war of choice against Ukraine and pledged unwavering support to the Ukrainian people. Secretary Austin thanked Romania for continuing to host over 3,000 U.S. and Allied forces to strengthen deterrence and defense along NATO's Eastern Flank. Secretary Austin, Prime Minister Ciolacu, and Minister Tilvar shared their views on the security concerns in the Black Sea. Romania's strong leadership in the Black Sea Region has been vital to combatting increased Russian aggression. Secretary Austin praised Romania's continued commitment to spending over 2 percent of its Gross Domestic Product on defense, and their investments in procuring modern, NATO interoperable military equipment. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3605794/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address December 4, 2023 Transcript Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Ms. Sabrina Singh Holds an Off-Camera, On-the-Record Press Briefing Sabrina Singh, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: Good morning, everyone. Happy Monday. It's pretty busy, so just to provide some information upfront and then we'll happily take questions. So, as probably most folks are tracking, there were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels yesterday that were operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea. The USS Carney responded to distress calls from the ships and provided assistance. These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. And we also believe these attacks, while launched from -- while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will continue all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners. Also yesterday, on December 3, near Kirkuk, Iraq, forces assigned to combine joint task force Operation Inherent Resolve, engaged five militants preparing to launch a one-way attack drone. Operation Inherent Resolve forces responded in self-defense with an armed U.S. uncrewed aerial system, killing all five militants and destroying the drone. Iraqi security forces were notified of the strike and responded to the location, where they confirmed the death of the militants and the destruction of the -- of the drone. The United States will continue to defend U.S. and coalition personnel from attacks. And last item here, today combined Japanese and United States teams were able to locate additional remains following the Osprey mishap in Japan. Dive teams were able to confirm five additional crew members from the original crew of eight. Currently, two crew members of the five have been successfully recovered by the attending teams. There is an ongoing combined effort to recover the remaining crew members from the wreckage. As efforts persist for the location and recovery of the entire crew, the privacy of the families and loved ones impacted by this tragic incident remains a great concern. The identities of the members located today have yet to be determined and will be released at a later date. With that I'm happy to take questions. I think I saw Lita. Do you want to kick us off or you're lurking, yes? Q: Yes, is there any effort ongoing to bolster any security in the Red Sea and in around the BAM? MS. SINGH: Not -- I mean, we have our assets, of course, within the CENTCOM AOR, the Carney is there and continues to operate. But at this time I don't have anything additional to readout in terms of additional efforts or forces being surged to the region. Lara? Q: Just to follow-up on the Kirkuk attack, can you -- you said it was an uncrewed aerial system? MS. SINGH: Yes. Q: Was it just one? And can you say, more specifically, what aircraft that was and the current info? MS. SINGH: All I can give is what I read out, unfortunately. I can tell you that the combined joint taskforce Operation Inherent Resolve forces responded in self-defense. It was an uncrewed aerial system, and it did kill all five militants. But -- and destroyed the drone, but that's -- that's all I have for now. Q: So, it was a dynamic? It wasn't -- it wasn't like a pre-planned thing? MS. SINGH: It was -- it was not pre-planned in that it was how we've traditionally announced these from previous strikes. It was something though that was observed by our forces and therefore under, you know, our ability -- for inherent right to self-defense we took action. Q: And then, can you just give us an update on the number of injuries in the attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria so far, please? MS. SINGH: I don't have an update on the number of injuries. That's something that we're working through. And, as always, we'll update you when I have more of an update. I believe on the number of attacks we're up to -- oh, thank you, I believe we're up to 76 attacks as of today. But, as you know, I don't have all the breakdown of every single place. But we can get you that. And I know you that is Pete is tracking that well -- Pete and Mac I should say. Thank you. Wafaa? Q: On the same subject, you said the Iraqi forces were notified of the strike, before or after? Like, did you coordinate with them? MS. SINGH: We -- they were notified of the strike, and I'll just leave it at that. Q: Okay, because the Iraqis are, like the Iraqis considering this as a violation of their sovereign -- sovereignty. So my question is under the security agreement with the Iraqis, does -- the United States has the right to conduct such -- such strikes without coordinating or notifying the government of Iraq? MS. SINGH: We have the inherent right to self-defense. When we saw what these five militants were doing and -- and were preparing to do to take action against our forces, we took action so that they would not harm or damage any infrastructure. That is inherently our right to self-defense. We did notify the Iraqi government, and as I mentioned, they did go out and confirm that all five militants were dead, but I'm just going to leave it at that for now. Q: On a separate subject, can you please give us an update on the U.S. security assistance to Israel and also on the no conditions status? MS. SINGH: Sure. So we're still, again, continuing to support Israel in what it needs in its -- in its fight against a terrorist network in Gaza, against Hamas. So security assistance is still flowing. Is that what you were asking about? So security assistance, we're still supporting Israel. We are doing that through FMS and FMF. Those are the two mechanisms -- or some of the mechanisms that we are supporting Israel with. Again, we don't put conditions on -- on the security assistance but, I mean, as you heard the Secretary say at the Reagan National Defense Forum, I think he was pretty clear that we are constantly and continue to engage the Israelis on ensuring that they are protecting civilian lives, innocent civilians, and that's something that, you know, he even spoke about -- his near daily conversations with Minister Gallant, that's something that he continues to emphasize. Yeah, I'll switch it over here. Phil and then Haley Q: Just going back to the Red Sea real quick -- MS. SINGH: Sure. Q: -- you know, why has there been no action taken against the Houthis? And, you know, is the United States looking at options to retaliate against them? MS. SINGH: Well, again, we don't know that these -- well, let me take a step back. The attacks that we witnessed within the Red Sea, the Carney, as for our initial assessment, was not the intended target. Now, we are seeing that some of the commercial vessels were. The Carney took action as a drone was headed in its direction, but again, we can't assess that the Carney, at this time, was the intended target. If we decide to take action against the Houthis, it will of course be at a time and place of our choosing. I won't get ahead of the Secretary, I won't get ahead of the President on any actions, but we always reserve the right to -- to respond. Q: But, I mean, you know, are you saying then there's been no attack so far against U.S. warships that you can attribute to the Houthis -- attempted attack? MS. SINGH: Well, of -- we have engaged certain drones that have gone into the direction of some of our vessels in the Red Sea or as they're transiting. Again, we continue to assess these attacks. Right now, especially from the ones yesterday, we don't assess that these were targeted towards the Carney. Q: So the -- so the -- so the bottom line is that so far there's been no -- no actions by the Houthis that would warrant a -- a response -- MS. SINGH: I think there have certainly been irresponsible actions taken by the Houthis, especially when it comes to targeting commercial vessels that are transiting international waters, moving, whether it's grain or other cargo, through international waters. That certainly is something that is very concerning to us, something that we're going to continue to monitor. And as you saw just yesterday, the Carney engaged two drones that were coming towards its direction. So it's absolutely -- just because it's not necessarily targeting U.S. forces doesn't mean that we're concerned by the actions that these Houthis are taking. (Haley?), yeah? Q: Thanks. Can you talk a little bit -- I know you guys have kind of tried to stay away from directly linking what we're seeing, like, in the Red Sea and Iraq and Syria with what's happening in Israel, but can you just kind of talk about your -- the assessment there of how connected these things are? Do you see them as just taking advantage of the situation, these groups, or how linked are -- cause obviously this is all happening at the same time, so -- MS. SINGH: Yeah, I think it's still important though to separate it out. Even though, yes, they are happening at the same time, it's still important to understand and to focus on what's happening in Israel and within Gaza has not spread out into a wider regional conflict, and that -- that is managing escalation. That's what we do not want to see have happened in the region. We have seen attacks on our forces in Iraq and Syria -- again, that's separate. We have a different mission in both those countries to defeat ISIS and we have responded when we have felt that we need to, when our troops have been attacked. Q: What -- MS. SINGH: And a good example of that was just yesterday, when we took a dynamic action. When we observed, you know, these five militants setting up an attack on our forces, we took action on them. Q: What would constitute that -- you think to -- that -- that assessment to kind of change? Cause obviously we saw the attacks on U.S. forces stop when the ceasefire started. Those have obviously started up again. Clearly, there is a lot of attacks elsewhere on commercial vessels or wherever. So I guess it's -- can you just kind of explain the thinking there? Cause we keep saying it's not spreading outside into the region but clearly there's a lot of shit going on in the region, so. MS. SINGH: I can't wait for that to be in the transcript. (Laughter.) Yeah -- yes, not to paraphrase, there is a lot going on. (Laughter.) And again, what we don't want to see is the conflict in Israel widen to a regional war. As of today, it has not. Yes, we are seeing one-off attacks on our U.S. forces that are certainly backed by -- or supported by groups that get funding and support and training from Iran, but that said, we haven't seen this, again, bring the U.S. into a wider regional war and that's not something that we want to see in the region. And so I understand that there is a parallel track of, you know, what's happening in Israel and also what's happening in Iraq and Syria. There are attacks on U.S. forces, there are attacks on commercial vessels. Again, it's important to -- to note that this conflict has not widened out into a regional conflict. They -- they are separate. Our mission in Iraq and Syria is very different to what we're supporting in Israel, when it comes to security assistance. Yeah? Q: Two separate questions. MS. SINGH: Sure. Q: First, following up on Yemen, is -- a pre-emptive action by the U.S. military is on the table when we are seeing Houthi about to launch an attack? MS. SINGH: Yeah, I'm not going to forecast or get ahead of the Secretary and any of his decisions, what have or haven't been made. We always, as a department, as you know, plan for all sorts of scenarios, but I'm just not going to get ahead of any decisions that the Secretary hasn't made himself. Q: Separate topic -- when the White House says this morning to the Congress that we will not have any more money, does it mean that the department doesn't have any capability to send to -- to Ukraine or we don't have the authority to send any more? MS. SINGH: You're talking about the letter that our OMB Director sent out? Q: Yes. MS. SINGH: We submitted our supplemental request to Congress months ago at this point. That is a urgent supplemental request, not just for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific. And that's something that I think that letter outlined, in that we do not have funds at the end of the year -- like, we will not have additional funds to replenish our stocks, which does impact how we think through PDAs that we -- or, like, our own stocks and how we draw down from our stocks when supplying Ukraine. So we do still have PDA funding. But the important thing to focus on, is we don't have enough money to replenish what we've taken out from our stocks. And that's what that letter that Director Young, I think, really emphasized. And that's the important thing. Q: Thank you. MS. SINGH: Carla? Q: Thanks. Just a follow-up to Phil's question on the Red Sea and I guess bringing Barbara Starr in with all do respect, how much of a coincidence is it that the USS Carney just happens to be around these commercial vessels as they're getting attacked by the Houthi? MS. SINGH: We've been very clear that the -- the Carney and the Ike are in -- and the Mason, as well, is in the CENTCOM AOR, that's one of the water raids that the Carney is transiting. That was where the Mason was, I think, last week or the week before. We always are going to sail and operate in international waterways. That's part of their mission. And so, I don't know that it's a coincidence so much as they were there. They were doing their jobs. And that when there were distress calls from -- I think -- I think that there were two or three ships that sent out distress calls. I think it was two, actually, that they responded. That's their job, that's one of their jobs, of course, is also to focus on deterrence. But should a ship need help or -- or issue a distress call, that's what they're there for. Q: Is this building open to considering that maybe the Houthis were targeting the Carney and not a commercial vessel? Or has this building completely ruled that out? MS. SINGH: We've not ruled out anything. Our initial assessments are that the drone -- the intended target was not the Carney. It came so -- it came close enough that the commander of the ship felt that it was a threat and needed to engage and shoot down that drone. And that's what you (saw ?). Q: But close enough to the Carney? MS. SINGH: Yes. What did I say? Q: Yes, I was just -- MS. SINGH: Yes. Q: -- like you said, the drone came close enough to the Carney that the commander felt that it was a threat and shot it down? MS. SINGH: Yes. That's right. Q: So, how is that not a potential attack on the Carney? MS. SINGH: Because as we do our own assessments, and again, this is coming from our own intelligence analysis, we do not assess at this time, if our assessments continue and lead us in a different direction, I will certainly come to you on that. But at this time, we do not assess that the Carney was the intended target of the drone. Luis in the back. Q: You answered most of my questions. MS. SINGH: Great, moving on. (Laughter.) Q: But you just said, was this a one-way drone that would -- had it -- that was shot down? MS. SINGH: I don't have more information that. I think what -- Q: I mean, I understand the whole thing about the -- MS. SINGH: Yes. Q: -- direction and all that stuff, but intent, I mean, can be determined, but like the type of drone, whether it was a one-way or a reconnaissance. MS. SINGH: Yes. Q: So, I mean -- MS. SINGH: Good -- Q: -- it sounds to me like you're saying, you're using the word target and you're using the word threat, that, for all intents and purposes, you're talking about a one-way drone. MS. SINGH: I don't have more on the type of drone that it was that the Carney shot down. You saw, last night, the pretty detailed release that CENTCOM put out. So, I'd direct you to that. But again, the commander of the ship made a decision, made a call that he or she felt that the drone was a threat to the ship and needed to be shot down. Jeff? Q: Thank you. Can -- what is the total number of U.S. airstrikes, including the AC-130 strike in Iraq and this -- this strike against the drone? Are we talking six now? Three in Syria, three in Iraq? Sorry, math is not my strong point. MS. SINGH: Let me just get this right. You know what, I don't want to -- I don't want to take a guess here. So, let us just get you that rundown. Again, the AC-130 strike that was taken, that was -- I would, again, I think I tried to explain this at the podium, but maybe I didn't do an eloquent job. I would separate that out from the pre-planned strikes that we took, whether it was I think on the -- I -- we have the dates, but that was something that was a dynamic strike. And you know what that means, like we were able to identify where the fire was coming from and that's what that AC-130 did. Q: So, when you -- when you respond on it, does the total number of dynamics/pre-planned strikes. And my last question is, is there any talk of reflagging commercial vessels like the U.S. did during the tanker wars? MS. SINGH: I don't have anything for you on that. If that changes, I will certainly let you know. And in terms of the strikes, we can get you, like, a more precise breakdown. I know we've put out -- you've seen some of our press releases that we've put out for some of those, and then some of the more dynamic targeting like the AC-130 we read out at the podium. Q: Great. MS. SINGH: (inaudible). Q: Thanks. Going back to the Red -- the Red Sea real quick, so you know, you're sort of saying that the Carney's commander felt that the drone was a threat; shot it down before it could get too close. MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: I mean, that strike comes right around the same time it -- same weekend as the Ike is putting up very lovely pictures of an Iranian drone flying within, you know, I think 1,200 feet or what have you of it. That drone is not shut down. Can you sort of square that for -- for folks? MS. SINGH: Sure, well, I think the photos that you're referring to is just what we did and what -- what the Ike put out -- Q: Sure. MS. SINGH: -- to demonstrate that that was unsafe, unprofessional behavior, but not a threat. We observed that drone. They took photos of it. We've seen this not just with Iranian-made drones; we do this also when there are PRC intercepts. Sometimes we don't always shoot something down. We observe. We take photos. We release that. In fact, you saw Dr. Ratner spoke to that earlier this year about how many intercepts we've had. Just because something is unsafe and unprofessional doesn't always meet the threshold to feel the need to shoot it down. Q: Sure. MS. SINGH: And so that was -- that was why we put up those photos, to show how close it got. Q: Yeah. MS. SINGH: But the commander of the ship did not feel that it needed to be shot down at the time. Q: So then what is it about the Houthi drones that makes them so threatening? MS. SINGH: Again, each incidence is different. The Carney, as it was on -- headed towards, I think, the Unity Explorer, and then again -- don't want to get this wrong -- I think it was -- it was headed towards the Sophie too, as well; engaged and shot down two drones that it felt was a threat to its -- the ship and the personnel on the ship. It's up to the discretion of the commander. They have the absolute right to make that decision and make that call when it is happening in that moment. Q: Okay. MS. SINGH: Yeah, (inaudible). Q: One thing I want to correct -- you mentioned two drones, but I thought there were three that were shot down yesterday. MS. SINGH: Yeah. Or -- yeah. Q: One -- one while it was patrolling (inaudible) and two while it was patrolling -- MS. SINGH: That's why -- that's why I didn't want to, like, do the (inaudible) here. But yes, you're correct. There was one, I think, when it was -- when the Carney was headed towards Unity Explorer; another time when it was -- and again, this entire release is online, so don't make me do it here, but -- Q: Yeah. MS. SINGH: -- towards the Sophie, and then I think at this other point, when it was in the vicinity of the Number 9. Q: Okay. I think so at -- at -- is the U.S. focused on the Middle East, then, the (inaudible) there? Is that detracting from -- from attention on other regions? And if it hasn't started to do that, at what point will it distract from -- MS. SINGH: Well, I'm glad you asked that because I think the secretary spoke to that pretty forcefully at the Reagan National Defense Forum. He made the case for why we need to continue to support Ukraine. And yes, while, as you mentioned, there is focus on the Middle East, we're still doing what we can to support Ukraine with the presidential drawdown authority that we have left. We're going to continue to do that. That's a commitment that the president has made. That's a commitment that the secretary has. We have not lost sight of the NDS. We have not lost sight of the fact that we have still our pacing challenge with the PRC. And I think you've seen this administration do a really incredible job of managing multiple challenges. You know, the president just last month was in San Francisco talking about the need to resume mil-to-mil communications with the PRC. That's something that the secretary looks forward to doing once the secretary has a counterpart that the PRC appoints. That, I think -- it shows the incredible might of the United States military, that we are able to do and manage and address multiple, whether it be conflicts or challenges around the world and keep our eye on what the National Defense Strategy has outlined. According to -- yup. Q: Just a quick one. So just the -- I just want to be clear on the the dynamic strike in Iraq yesterday. So they saw -- the U.S. saw five guys getting ready to launch a drone, right? The drone, it was still on the ground when the strike -- when the U.S. took the strike, right? MS. SINGH: They -- Q: They had not launched it or had it -- MS. SINGH: From what I am -- know right now, it had not launched. But again, they were in the process of getting ready to attack U.S. forces. Q: Can you explain how it is that if the drone was still on the ground, the U.S. was confident that it was going to be -- it was going to be striking the U.S.? Like, how is that considered a self-defense if it wasn't even up in the air yet? What it there (inaudible) MS. SINGH: Yeah, that gets into our intelligence and what we were able to decipher, and I'm not going to get into, you know, further more on our intelligence. But we felt that that it was going to be a threat to U.S. forces, and because the inherent right to self-defense we took action. Q: Was -- was that because of the -- the drone that you guys were able to see? I mean, was it -- was it because it was armed or it was -- is that what it was? It was armed or -- MS. SINGH: No, I'm -- I -- I'm just not -- sorry, I was just -- I was nodding and, like, listening to you. Q: I'm taking that as a yes. (Laughter.) MS. SINGH: I'm an -- an active listener. Q: Okay. MS. SINGH: So again, I would just say that all -- all I can say right now is what I read out. I don't have more on the specifics of the drone itself. Yeah? Yeah, (inaudible) Q: There was reporting -- MS. SINGH: Oh, sorry. Q: Sorry. Q: No, go ahead, Ellee (CROSSTALK) MS. SINGH: Ladies first. Q: Yeah, ladies first. Q: There was reporting earlier this year that the Marines were -- CENTCOM was considering putting Marines on commercial vessels to deter Iranian seizures. Was that plan ever approved? Are there any Marines on commercial vessels? And is the Pentagon still considering that? MS. SINGH: I don't have anything to read out in terms of any plans to put Marines on commercial ships. I -- I know -- I saw that reporting at the time. That -- that did not happen, and I don't have anything to preview of any plans to do so. (inaudible)? Q: The Carney -- the -- the Carney was not formally escorting any of the three ships at the time, right? It just so happened to be responding to their distress call? There was no formal -- MS. SINGH: Yeah, I'm not tracking that it was escorting any ships. Q: I mean, particularly those three, you know -- MS. SINGH: Right, not -- Q: -- those three ships? MS. SINGH: -- not those three. Q: Okay, and as pointed out, whether or not you -- there there's -- a reflagging operation or not, there's no current plan here to formally have another escort to -- for -- for Navy warships to escort commercial vessels -- MS. SINGH: At this moment -- Q: -- here in the region? MS. SINGH: At this moment I -- I -- not at -- not at this moment. Should that change, we would, of course, let you know. But at this moment, I have nothing to read out on that. Yeah. Yes? Q: So like, a lot of these ships, there's -- that are being hit -- or are being targeted, they're Israeli-linked even if they're flying under flags of different countries. So what does it tell the DOD about what we see intelligence -- or Iranian-backed groups about the intelligence about these ships that are flying under a Panama flag, but they actually know that these are, in fact, Israeli-linked or Israeli business that'll -- MS. SINGH: Well, I would I would let each ship speak for itself, but I don't know that that's entirely accurate, that they're all, or have a connection to Israel in some way. Again, I -- I would -- I would direct you to -- I mean, it's not my responsibility, nor should it be, to speak for these ships. But I -- that -- that -- I couldn't speak to the intel that, you know, that these have on how they're targeting. But it's -- to my understanding, they're not all Israeli-backed. I mean, you have to remember -- and I think, you know, in the release that was put out, I mean, these ships have multiple nationalities on that. They're not just Israeli. They're, you know, from -- nationalized from all around the world, and so I think it's important to remember that. I would -- I would just let each commercial vessel speak for itself. I just don't have that information. Q: And based on what's happening with the Houthis, have the -- so -- DOD assessed them to be more of a threat than maybe at the beginning of what was going -- or what started with Israel and Hamas? MS. SINGH: We continue, and always have continued to monitor the Houthis and their capabilities. I -- I think I was asked earlier if -- you know, if the U.S. will respond. And, again, I would just leave it that I'm not going to get ahead of the secretary or the president on any decision. Obviously, it would be our decision to respond at a time and place of our choosing. But I'm just not going to get into any more intel on that. Q: And just one more quick question? MS. SINGH: Sure, yeah? Q: This -- Ford's getting pretty close to their seven and a half, eight months mark on their deployment -- MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: Any -- any word on if they're being sent home, if they're going to be deployed? MS. SINGH: I don't have any announcements today. The Ford remains in the Eastern Med. Chris, yeah? Q: Thanks, Sabrina. Just to parse the dynamic strike versus pre-planned strike thing, the drone was looking at these guys, obviously ready to -- MS. SINGH: Which one? Q: The -- (Laughter.) MS. SINGH: U.S.? Q: -- U.S. drone, that took the strike -- was looking at the guys, took action. Are these drones up for force protection? I mean, the AC-30 -- AC-130 was up. Does the U.S. have air assets up to plan to possibly take action? Should we read in anything to that, or why are these -- why did it happen to be there at that time? MS. SINGH: Yeah, I'm just not going to get into our intelligence assessments and why we -- what we're doing. We're obviously flying assets to protect our troops. And I'll just leave it at that. Yeah, I'm going to -- yes? Q: Thank you for taking my question. So just quick question about Osprey flights. So does the DOD still recognize an official request from Japan to suspend our pause its flights? And is there any update on Osprey operation? I know CV-22 are not flying now, but other than that flight, for example, like MV-22 and other flights? MS. SINGH: Yeah. So just to clarify that, and I think, if you didn't get our statement from -- from Friday, I'm happy to send it to you. But we are taking all appropriate measures, as we do for every flight and every operation. The unit of the CV-22 that had the accident is not conducting flight operations at this time. And that's standard. As they're -- the focus of the unit is, of course, on search-and-rescue. All CV-22 Ospreys in Japan operate only after undergoing thorough maintenance and safety checks. And we have already started sharing information about the accident with our Japanese partners and (inaudible) should continue to do so in a timely and transparent manner. Yeah, we've got time for, like -- (CROSSTALK) Q: Just had a quick follow-up on Osprey? MS. SINGH: Sure, yeah? Q: Have those operations officially transitioned from search-and-rescue to search-and-recovery yet? And have those -- as far as I know, there was six now who have been found and are being recovered? The other two, are their statuses going to change from DUSTWUN to deceased? MS. SINGH: Yeah, no, great questions. We will have more to share later today. I just -- I don't want to get ahead of that at this time. Yeah, Will and Lara, and then I'll -- I'll wrap it up. Q: Quick, on the -- on the strike in Iraq, do you have any information on the militants who were carrying this out? What was their affiliation? MS. SINGH: We know that these were militants, like IRGC-backed militants. I don't have more to share at this time. But again, these are -- it's the same pattern of hostile actors that have been attacking our forces in Iraq and Syria. I'll just leave it at that. Lara, yes, last one. Q: Yeah, just on the -- the guys that attacked the commercial vessels, I think it was last week, that you had initially determined to be Somali, do you have an update on that? Are they -- did you confirm they were Somali? Do they have any links to the Houthis? MS. SINGH: At this time, our initial assessments is that they do not have any link. But, again, that's our initial assessment. We've said that, at the beginning, when they were taken into U.S. custody. Should that change, we would -- we would let you know. But it is still our assessment at this time that they're not -- Q: They are Somali? MS. SINGH: -- a connection. Q: They are Somalian? MS. SINGH: Yes, that's our -- that's our assessment right now, that they are Somali. Q: Where are they? MS. SINGH: And they are in U.S. custody. Q: Still? MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: On the Ford, or where -- MS. SINGH: On the Mason. Q: In the Mason? MS. SINGH: On the Mason, yeah. All right. Thanks, everyone. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3606323/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address December 4, 2023 By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News More Osprey Crew Members Located in Japan Last week a CV-22A Osprey aircraft was involved in an aviation mishap off the shore of Yakushima Island, Japan. Of the eight airmen on board, three have been recovered, the whereabouts of an additional three have been confirmed, and two remain unaccounted for. "Today, combined Japanese and United States teams were able to locate additional remains following the Osprey mishap in Japan," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a meeting today with the Pentagon press corps. "Dive teams were able to confirm five additional crew members from the original crew of eight. Currently, two crew members of the five have been successfully recovered by the attending teams." This weekend, Air Force Special Operations Command released the name of one of the crew members whose remains have been recovered. He is 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Galliher, who was stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Galliher is originally from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the Air Force in 2017. "There is an ongoing, combined effort to recover the remaining crew members from the wreckage," Singh said. "As efforts persist for the location and recovery of the entire crew, the privacy of the families and loved ones impacted by this tragic incident remains a great concern." The identities of the additional members located today have yet to be determined, Singh said. Houthis Continue Attacks on Commercial Shipping Yesterday in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility there were multiple additional attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the southern Red Sea, all believed to have been launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The USS Carney responded to distress calls from those vessels, said Singh. According to a U.S. Central Command release, commercial vessels involved in the attacks include the M/V Unity Explorer, M/V Number 9 and the M/V Sophie II. Over the course of the day, each of the three commercial vessels were hit with a missile. Those attacks resulted in minor damage. A fourth missile impacted in the vicinity of the M/V Unity Explorer but did not hit it. The USS Carney also shot down three UAVs. "These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security," Singh said. "They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. And we also believe these attacks ... while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will continue all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address December 4, 2023 By Joseph Clark , DOD News Austin Praises U.S.-Romania Defense Ties Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored the importance of the U.S.-Romania defense relationship today as he met with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Defense Minister Angel Tilvar. The two countries' strategic partnership has continued to strengthen amid Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Austin said, adding that Romania has been a key ally among the international coalition united in defense of its neighbor. "After 26 years, that partnership that has never been stronger or mattered more, especially in the wake of Russia's cruel and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine," the secretary said. "Romania has been a strong defender of Ukraine, including [making] robust donations of military aid and their vital participation in the Ukrainian defense contract," he said. "We're especially grateful to the Romanian people for welcoming more than 5 million Ukrainian refugees and providing critical humanitarian assistance." Austin also highlighted Romania's role in hosting the European F-16 Fighting Falcon training center, which he said will enhance critical capabilities among NATA allies. "We're also grateful to you for hosting an increased U.S. and allied presence," he said. "That's bolstering deterrence along NATO's eastern flank." Romania hosts more than 3,000 U.S. and allied forces. Additionally, he said Romania's leadership in the Black Sea has been crucial in the face of repeated Russian drone attacks against Ukrainian grain infrastructure. As the three leaders met in the Pentagon, Austin previewed further discussions on Russia's war in Ukraine, security in the Black Sea and the broader region, and Romania's investments in its defense modernization. Austin praised Romania for its continued commitment to spending 2% of its gross domestic product on defense and its investments in NATO interoperable military equipment, according to a summary of the discussion. The meeting comes on the heels of last month's meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, where Austin underscored the group's unwavering commitment to assisting Ukraine. Collectively, the more than 50 countries that comprise the group have committed more than $80 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion. Convening the latest meeting, Austin said the group will remain steadfast in its support. Ahead of today's meeting, Ciolacu pledged that Romania would continue to stand in support of its neighbor for "as long as it takes until Ukraine achieves victory." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Three Military Contractors Sentenced in Procurement Fraud Scheme Monday, December 4, 2023 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs A federal judge in the Northern District of Georgia has sentenced three military contractors for their roles in a multi-year procurement fraud scheme related to more than $7 million in federal government contracts. Former Envistacom LLC president and co-founder Alan Carson was sentenced on Nov. 30 to six months in prison and two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a criminal fine of $250,000. The owner of another company, Philip Flores, was sentenced on Oct 30 to four months in prison and two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a criminal fine of $50,000; and former Envistacom vice president Valerie Hayes was sentenced on Dec. 1 to 12 months of home confinement with three years of probation, and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service. A federal jury previously convicted the three individuals of conspiring to defraud the United States and committing major fraud. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the three military contractors prepared and procured sham quotes and fraudulently prepared procurement documents. "When contractors defraud the federal government, they undermine the integrity of the federal contracting system," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. "These sentencings send a clear message that the Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will not tolerate procurement fraud." "The defendants served as federal contractors with a duty to lawfully act on behalf of the government," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. "Instead, these executives chose to defraud the United States and are now being held accountable for their actions by serving prison sentences and paying substantial fines." "These sentencings should serve as a deterrent to any company or individual seeking to subvert the government procurement system to obtain contracts," said Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. "DCIS, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD contracting process that supports our nation's warfighters." "These sentencings should serve as a stark reminder that our agents, and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, are relentless in their pursuit of those who choose to defraud the government," said Special Agent in Charge Andrew Johnson of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division's (Army CID) Fraud Field Office. The Justice Department's Antitrust Division's Washington Criminal II Section, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Army CID and DCIS investigated the case. Trial Attorney Brittany E. McClure of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case. Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government - federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Topic: Antitrust Component: Antitrust Division Press Release Number: 23-1361 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA slams US Navy ship for illegally intruding into water near Ren'ai Jiao, violating Chinese sovereignty, regional stability Global Times By Wang Qi and Liu Xuanzun Published: Dec 04, 2023 08:33 PM Updated: Dec 04, 2023 10:42 PM The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday slammed the US for violating Chinese sovereignty and described it as "the biggest threat" to peace and stability in the South China Sea, after a US Navy ship illegally intruded into waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) in China's Nansha Islands, which are at the center of the recent tensions between China and the Philippines. Chinese experts believe that the US intended to create tension and thus strengthen the Philippines' loyalty to Washington, thereby destabilizing the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific and better advancing Washington's "Indo-Pacific strategy." The Philippines' recent moves over the South China Sea show that Manila currently lacks rationality and balance, which means regional countries should be better prepared with "bottom line thinking" for further possible provocations by the Philippines. The USS Gabrielle Giffords littoral combat ship on Monday illegally intruded into waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao without authorization from the Chinese government, and the PLA Southern Theater Command organized naval forces, tracked and monitored the US vessel throughout its entire course on high alert, Senior Colonel Tian Junli, a spokesperson at the PLA Southern Theater Command, said in a statement on the day. It appears to be the first time the PLA Southern Theater Command has issued a statement on a US warship trespassing into waters off Ren'ai Jiao, observers said. The PLA Southern Theater Command has previously issued statements whenever a US warship intruded into waters off China's Nansha Islands, but no names of exact islands and reefs were made available. It was an intentional move by the US that stirred up tensions in the South China Sea, seriously infringed on China's sovereignty and security, seriously sabotaged regional peace and stability, seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, and fully showed that the US is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea, Tian said. China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters, and troops are kept on high alert at all times so as to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea, Tian said. The US move came amid rising tensions between China and the Philippines due to Manila's constant provocation over the sovereignty of Ren'ai Jiao since August, as Manila made several attempts to send building materials to reinforce an old Philippine warship illegally grounded on the Chinese reef since 1999, and saw its efforts blocked and restricted by countermeasures by the China Coast Guard. Citing a public affairs officer for the US 7th Fleet in Yokosuka, US media reported that Washington believed they were conducting routine operations with "freedom to navigate." The US warship added fuel to the flames and sent a wrong signal to the Philippine side, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday. From the start, the Philippines' recent provocations on Chinese islands and reefs were instigated by the US, so the US can take advantage of the Philippines' territorial claims to enhance its own military presence in the region to better contain China's military movements along the "first island chain," the expert said. Chen Xiangmiao, director of the world navy research center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that a littoral combat ship is a lightweight warship that is not suitable for modern naval combat, but rather for close-in reconnaissance and other missions that have strong diplomatic and political goals. US warship activities cannot change the fact that Ren'ai Reef belongs to China, Chen said. According to Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, the US intention is to further strengthen its alliance in the "Indo-Pacific strategy" by creating regional tensions to reinforce the Philippines' loyalty, as well as to create resentment against China among other regional countries. The US' creating tensions on China-related issues is actually a move that sows seeds of crisis, which will damage prospects for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, Li said. Losing balance Before the US' Navy ship's provocative actions, Philippines Coast Guard hyped on Sunday that "more than 135" Chinese vessels were "swarming" a reef in the South China Sea, namely the Niu'e Jiao, describing it as "alarming," according to media reports. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a Monday press briefing that Niu'e Jiao is part of China's Nansha Islands, and the relevant waters of the South China Sea, including Niu'e Jiao and its adjacent waters, have always been an important operating area and shelter for Chinese fishing vessels. "It is reasonable and lawful for Chinese fishing vessels to operate in those waters and take shelter there, and the Philippine side should not make thoughtless remarks about it," Wang said. Meanwhile, the Philippines opened a new coast guard monitoring base on an occupied island in the South China Sea on December 1, and plans to expand joint patrols with the US and Australia to counter China, according to Associated Press. Unlike most ASEAN members, as a country at the forefront of geopolitical tensions, unfortunately, the Philippines is gradually losing balance and rationality in its policy, said Li Kaisheng, vice president of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. Sovereignty disputes among countries are normal and should be resolved through peaceful negotiations and consultations. Attempts to increase leverage by bringing in external forces will have serious consequences for the regional security situation, such as upgrading sovereignty disputes into geopolitical crises and weakening ASEAN's unity and centrality, according to the expert. In addition, a more likely outcome for the Philippines will be to become a tool and a victim of the great power game, said Li. "The US vessel has brought only superficial comfort and de facto trouble to Manila," he added. According to Li Haidong, the Philippines is currently presenting a posture to maintain its stand-off with China by colluding with the US. But bringing US forces into the Asia-Pacific and turning the region into a powder keg is something that all parties and peace-loving people do not want to see. He said what the Philippines needs is a pragmatic, rational and prudent foreign policy, and that the relatively sober and calm politicians in Manila should check and balance the hawks in the country. However, it can't be ruled out that the next move by the Asia-Pacific country could be even more irrational, the expert said, noting that regional countries need to be fully prepared with bottom-line thinking for the Philippines' further provocations in continually creating crises in the Asia-Pacific and undermining decades of peace and prosperity. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli military widens ground offensive to southern Gaza; hopes for new truce still exist: experts Global Times By Deng Xiaoci Published: Dec 04, 2023 07:36 PM The Israeli military confirmed Sunday that it has expanded its ground offensive against Hamas militants in Southern Gaza, an area previously considered a "safe zone," sparking deep concern across the international community that nowhere in the Gaza Strip is safe for Palestinians anymore. Chinese observers on Monday said that though trust has been impaired, common ground for a new cease-fire between the conflicting sides still exists, and the conflict itself has increasingly shifted from being primarily a military one to a complex game involving military, politics, diplomacy, and public opinion struggles. "We fought strongly and thoroughly in the northern Gaza Strip, and we are also doing it now in the southern Gaza Strip," Herzi Halevi, the chief of the General Staff of Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said during a tour at Israel's Gaza Division outside the besieged enclave, according to a statement released by the military, Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday. At least 700 Palestinians have been killed in the past 24 hours - one of the highest daily death tolls since the war began on October 7, per the Al Jazeera coverage on Sunday. China is deeply concerned over the resumed fighting in Gaza, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday, noting that under the current situation, the goal of ending the hostilities should not change and the principle of protecting civilians should not be violated. "Facts prove once again that the use of force will never bring lasting peace. Heavier civilian casualties will only create more hatred and bring the next conflict nearer," the spokesperson said. China strongly calls on relevant sides to exercise restraint, the international community, especially countries with influence on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, to earnestly play a responsible role, implement the Security Council's Resolution 2712 and the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly at its emergency session, promote a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, protect civilians, ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, resume talks for peace as soon as possible and work relentlessly for the peaceful co-existence between Palestine and Israel and lasting peace in the Middle East, Wang said. The Israeli army resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip early Friday after a week-long humanitarian cease-fire came to an end. No aid entered the enclave via the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Friday, and delivery on Saturday was restricted, further impacting humanitarian operations to support millions amid a scarcity of food, water, fuel and other basic essentials, according to the United Nation (UN) official website. The resumption of hostilities in Gaza and its terrifying impact on civilians underscore the need for the violence to end and a long-term political solution between Palestinians and Israelis to be found, Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Sunday. "Silence the guns and return to dialogue - the suffering inflicted on civilians is too much to bear. More violence is not the answer. It will bring neither peace nor security," he said in a statement, voicing deep concern that negotiations towards a continuation of last week's pause had reportedly stalled. The basic factors that would hopefully push for the next round of a cease-fire still exist, although the foundation of trust [between Israel and Palestine] has been impaired, Zhu Yongbiao, executive director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Monday. According to Zhu, such basic factors include intensified international pressure from the US - Israel's main ally - the UN and its member countries such as China, the Arab world and France. Also, both Israel and Hamas need to strive for another truce, so as to respond to international concerns, and also replenish their combat readiness, Zhu pointed out. The Israel-Palestine conflict has increasingly shifted from being primarily a military one to a complex game involving military, politics, diplomacy, and public opinion, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday. Yemen's Houthi rebel group on Sunday claimed responsibility for attacking two "Israeli ships" off Yemen's Red Sea coast near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier in the day, with its spokesperson warning that Houthi forces would continue hampering Israeli ships from sailing in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip ceases. The Pentagon claimed that a US Navy warship also came under attack in the Red Sea as Houthis from Yemen intensified attacks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel and the occupied territories: President of the ICRC arrives in Gaza, calls for the protection of civilians ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross Geneva (ICRC) -- Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the ICRC, is in Gaza today to advance efforts that alleviate the devastating humanitarian toll the ongoing conflict is taking on civilians. News release 04 December 2023 Israel and the occupied territories President Spoljaric will call for the protection of civilians in Gaza and respect for the laws of war. She will also reiterate the ICRC's call for the hostages to be immediately released. Her travel to the region is happening in several stages, with a visit to Israel expected over the coming weeks. In Gaza, President Spoljaric will spend time with the ICRC team on the ground and visit the European Hospital, where ICRC medical teams have been conducting life-saving surgery alongside local healthcare workers. The ICRC has also been providing medical and other supplies to health care facilities as well as livelihood support to displaced people. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has been providing ambulance and other core healthcare services in extremely dangerous circumstances in Gaza since the fighting escalated. Many humanitarian and health workers, including members of the PRCS, have been tragically killed in the conduct of their duties over the last weeks. President Spoljaric said: "The level of human suffering is intolerable. It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza, and with a military siege in place there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. The purpose of my visit is to advance efforts that alleviate the desperate humanitarian situation. I will convey my deep concern for the plight of civilians and underline the ICRC's utmost commitment to doing everything we can to ease their suffering. We have urgently appealed for civilian life to be protected and respected on all sides, in line with international humanitarian law, and I reiterate that appeal today. An unimpeded and regular flow of aid must be allowed to enter Gaza. All those deprived of liberty must be treated humanely. The hostages must be released, and the ICRC must be allowed to safely visit them. The last week provided a small degree of humanitarian respite, a positive glimpse of humanity that raised hopes around the world that a path to reduced suffering could now be found. As a neutral actor, the ICRC stands ready to support further humanitarian agreements that reduce suffering and heartbreak." 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari December 4th, 20:15 IDF Press Release Press Briefing 04.12.23 IDF Good evening. IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip are continuing to expand their ground operations. Today, fighter jets struck across the Gaza Strip. These were very significant, precise, and intelligence-based strikes. In addition, we are expanding our ground operations against Hamas strongholds throughout the Gaza Strip. Today, ground forces along with the Air Force completed a number of joint missions which led to the elimination of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure. Ground forces operate in the field, the terrorists emerge from the shafts, from the tunnels, the Air Force strikes, and that's how we continue having forces assisting other forces. Our forces are operating with determination, courage, and professionalism and are striking numerous terrorists. The forces move from building to building, from tunnel to tunnel, and do not enter into areas rigged with explosives. First, they lay charges and secure themselves. This is how they operate securely. However, these are battles that also involve close-quarter fighting, and there are also casualties. But I want to emphasize this, our forces are determined to kill the terrorists, to win every battle and to continue to do so in every place that will be required, in Shejayia, in Jabalya, and in every stronghold where we encounter the enemy. Today, the Chief of the General Staff held a situational assessment with the commanders and soldiers inside the Gaza Strip. He heard the operational conclusions from the fighters in the battles against the strongholds. He gave instructions to the soldiers, especially in light of recent events in combat, in order to decide how to operationally respond best in the field. This was also discussed today in the situational assessment of the General Staff here at the Kirya. In the north, today fighter jets and UAVs struck an operational command center, terror infrastructure, and military structures belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. IDF forces struck with artillery the sources of launches fired toward the State of Israel. On the homefront, I once more call on the public to show alertness and to follow the updated instructions of the Home Front Command - they save lives. We may encounter this in the north, in the center, and also in the south. 137 hostages, who were abducted on October 7th, are still being held in Gaza. Today, the President of the Red Cross arrived in Gaza. She came through Egypt and returned back to Egypt. The Red Cross greatly assisted in the extraction of the hostages during the operational pause. We continue to demand international organizations around the world ensure the well-being of our hostages and to assist with medicines and the required medical response. This is a basic demand for every international organization in the world to implement this. We have a moral obligation to continue to do everything, make every effort, to bring everyone home. We are supporting the families and will continue to update them with every piece of information we have. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas rejects Western reports on alleged rape of Israeli captives IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Dec 4, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Hamas has rejected Western media reports on alleged raping of Israeli captives by the group's forces, saying that the accusations are aimed at ruining the image of the Palestinian resistance movement following widespread news of its members' good behavior towards the captives. Hamas issued a statement on Monday, a day after UK-based newspaper The Sunday Times published a report alleging sexual violence by Hamas members during and after the October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. The movement strongly rejected and condemned those allegations, saying that some Western media are following the misleading propaganda campaign by the Zionist regime in spreading lies and unfounded allegations aimed at ruining the image of the resistance front. Hamas said that the allegations are part of lies spread by the Zionist regime, some of which have already proven wrong, including beheading children, targeting a music festival in Re'im and using Gaza-based Shifa Hospital for military purposes. Hamas also said that the Zionist regime is spreading lies about the resistance movement after the world found about its humane and moral behavior toward the Israeli captives it held, adding that a number of the released captives admitted to have received such behavior despite attempts by the Zionist regime to prevent them from doing so. The resistance movement, in its statement, called on all media outlets and news agencies not to be trapped by lies and biased propaganda of the occupying regime, and investigate the information they receive in order to fulfill their responsibility to tell the truth. 4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Al-Aqsa storm turns Palestine into first issue of Islamic world: Iran's FM IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Dec 4, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian referred to the continuation of the Zionist regime's crimes and the open support of the US regime to this crime, saying that the Al-Aqsa storm has once again raised Palestine to the top priority in the Islamic world. Amirabdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with Muslin Lebanese scholars here in Tehran on Sunday. He hailed the effective performance of Lebanese Muslim scholars in the past four decades in confronting the conspiracies of the enemies of the Islamic Ummah to create divisions between Islamic religions. He also lauded the role of Islamic scholars in enlightening public opinion and explaining the realities of the Islamic world, to the ongoing developments in Palestine and Gaza. Elsewhere in his remarks, Amirabdollahian called for taking practical steps to put pressure on the Zionist regime to stop the child-killing regime's crimes. Meanwhile, the Lebanese scholars elaborated on the goals and activities of this institution in Lebanon and the region in the field of Islamic unity and supporting resistance, especially supporting the Palestinian issue. They appreciated Iran's special role in supporting the unity of the Islamic world and the causes of the Islamic Ummah as well as supporting the legitimate struggles of the Palestinian nation against occupation, aggression, and killing. They stressed that the issue of Palestine is the most important issue of the Islamic world. They also described the Al-Aqsa storm operation as the definite defeat of the Zionists. 9376**7129 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli regime military says three soldiers killed in Gaza during last 24 hours IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Dec 4, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Three Zionist soldiers have been killed in the last 24 hours in the occupying regime's war on the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli regime military's spokesman. Sgt. Maj. (Res.) Neriya Shaer, 36; Sgt. 1st Class (Res.) Ben Zussman, 22; and Sgt. Binyamin Yehoshua Needham, 19; were identified as the slain troops. It came as fighting escalated between the Israeli regime's military and Gaza-based resistance groups on Sunday. A Zionist military analyst said the regime's troops experienced the heaviest number of casualties in their history in Gaza. Channel 12 of the Zionist regime quoted Barham Meir as saying that 25 armored vehicles of the Zionist regime were destroyed in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, according to Al-Sabah Al-Misri. He added that 75 soldiers were killed, which is unprecedented in the history of the regime. The Zionist regime waged a bloody war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" against the occupying regime in retaliation for its ongoing crimes against Palestinians. The regime's war on Gaza has so far killed over 15,500 people, including at least 6,600 children and 4,300 women, in the besieged territory. Over half of Gaza's residential units have also been destroyed or damaged in relentless Israeli strikes. 4354**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel commits new massacres in Gaza, targets more hospitals ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 4 December 2023 / 10:39 Another bloody day for Gaza, the Israeli occupation committed new massacres against Palestinians across the Strip, in addition to targeting multiple hospitals and medical and civil teams. Tehran (ISNA) - The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf al-Qudra, announced earlier that the death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7th has risen to 15,523 martyrs, with 41,316 citizens sustaining various injuries. He also pointed out that 70% of the martyred civilians are children and women. According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, a new Israeli massacre was committed at the gates of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. The Israeli occupation carried out strikes targeting the hospital's entrance, killing and wounding tens of civilians. Furthermore, Palestinian media stated that medical and civil teams are unable to bury over 35 civilian martyrs, whose bodies are still in the facility's courtyards and directly outside its premises, due to the nonstop Israeli shelling. Meanwhile, in the central Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation targeted the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, resulting in the martyrdom of several individuals and the injury of others. The Director-General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Munir al-Barsh, revealed that amid the Israeli strikes, more than 7,000 displaced Palestinians are taking shelter inside the Kamal Adwan Hospital. Al-Barsh warned that the occupation is trying to advance toward the hospital to besiege it. Just on Sunday, it was reported the martyrdom of hundreds of civilians across Gaza, a large number of which were killed in massacres after the occupation forces struck residential areas. As the Israeli occupation military continues to carry out violent bombardments, leaving no time window for rescue efforts to be carried out, our correspondent in the Gaza Strip confirmed that the medical staff are no longer able to count the number of martyrs who have fallen in the aggression. The Israeli occupation has directly targeted more than 14 hospitals in Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip since the beginning of the aggression, the Government Media Office in Gaza announced, pointing out that assassination attempts against doctors and medical personnel are ongoing. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Switchblade 600 loitering munition set to reach Lithuanian military next year Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2023-12-04 Acquisitions and infrastructure development | International cooperation | Minister's news | Security and defense policy On December 1 Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anusauskas had a visit to an AeroVironment factory in California where he viewed the production and discussed opportunities for further cooperation. Lithuania signed a contract on procurement of the kamikaze drones from the United States Government in the end of last year. Head of AeroVironment Wahid Nawabi affirmed to Minister the equipment would be presented in 2024. "We are the first nation worldwide to acquire the new combat drone Switchblade besides the United States. It will be a really significant redeploy able capability enhancement to our Armed Forces which will add an up to 40 km effective range against enemy equipment. We are watching its effect in Ukraine," said A. Anusauskas. The acquired Switchblade 600 loitering munition is next generation long-range combat drones with high precision optics, up to 40 minute flight time and an anti-armor warhead effective against heavy armored vehicles, including tanks. The kamikaze drone can trike to neutralize targets vertically. Lithuania is also purchasing launching and control equipment, simulation system for personnel training and a maintenance package from the U.S. The United States is one of Lithuania's key partners in defence acquisitions and one of the key Allies for the security of the Baltic region. Lithuania has over 60 acquisition projects underway with the United States alone. Security assistance funds granted to Lithuania and the other Baltic states annually additionally facilitates Lithuania's defence capability development. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Further U.S. assistance to Ukraine, weaponry and force to Lithuania are key for regional security, says A. Anusauskas after meetings with top U.S. officials S Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2023-12-04 International cooperation On November 30-December 4 Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anusauskas conducted a visit to the United States of America where he took part in the Reagan National Defence Forum. Minister discussed key challenges to global security agenda alongside top U.S. security and defence officials. The Forum panels centered around the ongoing conflict in Gaza, war in Ukraine and challenges presented by China, as well as the possible response. Panelists agreed that continued support of the American public, defence industry capabilities and technological advantage, as well as unity of the Allies, were the decisive factors which would ensure the United States was and would remain successful in facing arising security challenges. According to Minister A. Anusauskas, participants of the Forum kept underscoring the commitment on both sides of the isle to continue the assistance to Ukraine, as well as the ability to find a common ground even amidst the most severe political disagreement. "Addresses of Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Charles Brown and other senior officials leave no doubt about the strength of the U.S. leadership and readiness to take the responsibility both in Europe, our region, and the Indo-Pacific - anywhere the autocrats and their supporters need to be pushed back. The United States needs Allies of matching strength and commitment, like Lithuania. Every U.S. official I met emphasized the appreciation of strengthening Lithuania's defence and the active Lithuanian defence policy, as well as encouragement to stay the course," said A. Anusauskas. In his turn, Minister underscored to the officials he met that a continued assistance to Ukraine, timely delivery of U.S. equipment to Lithuania and U.S. forces deployed in our country were critical factors in regional security and Lithuania was united and determined more than ever to work with the Allies and partners to further strengthen defence, deterrence and resilience. Minister A. Anusauskas had meetings on the margins of the event with the following U.S. officials: Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and opposition leader Roger Wicker, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mike Rogers and Vice Chairman, opposition leader Adam Smith, Chairman of the Congressional Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Mike Gallagher member of the House Armed Services Committee Ronny Jackson, formed U.S. Secretary of Defence Mark Esper, former United States Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, Vice President of Lockheed Martin Kathryn Wheelbarger, cofounder and CEO of Palantir Alex Karp, and other influential U.S. officials and journalists. The Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF) is one of the foremost annual events of the U.S. security and defence community attended by senior representatives of the U.S .Administration, Members of the Congress, military leaders, representatives of influential media outlets and a few invited guests from abroad, including Lithuania. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 5 paramilitary fighters killed in U.S. airstrike in N. Iraq People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:05, December 04, 2023 BAGHDAD, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Five members of the Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces were killed on Sunday in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, according to a statement by an Iraqi armed group named "Islamic Resistance in Iraq." The statement did not provide further details, but the group threatened the U.S. forces "with more painful strikes until they withdraw from the country." A drone bombarded in the evening a position of the al-Nujaba Movement, affiliated with the Hashd Shaabi forces, in the al-Debis area, northwest of the namesake provincial capital, Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, said an Iraqi army officer who wished to remain anonymous. On Nov. 22, U.S. aircraft attacked positions of the Hashd Shaabi forces in the Jurf al-Nasr area, south of Baghdad, leaving eight of its fighters killed and wounding four others. "The Islamic Resistance in Iraq" claimed in an online statement on Sunday that its fighters fired rockets on a U.S. military airbase in the Kharab al-Jir area in northeast Syria and hit their targets, without giving further details. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, confirmed that rockets believed to be from the group landed at a U.S. airbase in the Kharab al-Jir area in Syria's northeastern province of al-Hasakah. While casualties haven't been reported yet, the attacks are believed to be part of a series of retaliatory measures against the U.S. forces amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, said the observatory. The incident marked the 47th recorded attack on the U.S. bases in Syria since Oct. 19, it added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen's Houthis claim responsibility for attacking 2 "Israeli ships" in Red Sea People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:02, December 04, 2023 ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebel group on Sunday claimed responsibility for attacking two "Israeli ships" off Yemen's Red Sea coast near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier in the day. According to a statement released by the group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea, the rebel forces carried out drone and naval missile attacks at two "Israeli ships" after both ships ignored warning messages from Houthi-controlled naval forces. He vowed that the Houthi forces would continue hampering Israeli ships from sailing in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip ceases. Earlier on Sunday, a Yemeni coast guard official told Xinhua that a missile had struck a Bahamian-flagged commercial ship 34 nautical miles off the coast of Mocha, a Yemeni port city in the Red Sea, while sailing in international waters near Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The official confirmed the vessel sustained damage, but the extent was unknown. The Houthis have previously threatened to target Israeli ships in the Red Sea in retaliation for the ongoing conflict in Gaza that erupted on Oct. 7 between Israel and the Gaza-ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). On Nov. 19, the Houthis seized a vessel they claimed was an "Israeli ship" near Bab el-Mandeb, holding 52 sailors of different nationalities hostage. The strikes on the commercial ship near the strategic maritime route of Bab el-Mandeb could potentially escalate tensions and threaten international shipping in the region. Since the Yemeni civil war erupted in late 2014, the Houthi militia has taken control of much of Yemen's north, including the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. base in NE Syria comes under renewed attack: war monitor People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:47, December 04, 2023 DAMASCUS, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. base in the Kharab al-Jir town in Syria's northeastern province of al-Hasakah came under attack by pro-Iran fighters on Sunday as part of the revenge campaign for the Israeli attack in Gaza, a war monitor reported. Rocket shells fired by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a Iran-backed Iraq-based militia, hit the base with no information about casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Meanwhile, the pro-government Sham FM radio cited a statement by the militia, confirming that a "big wave of rocket shells hit their targets directly" in the Kharab al-Jir base. The Britain-based observatory has said that it had documented 47 attacks on U.S. bases in Syria since October 19. The Kharab al-Jir base is used as a station for gathering vehicles entering and exiting Syrian territories due to its proximity to the Syrian-Iraqi border. The U.S. forces have set up bases in several areas in northeastern Syria, especially near oil and gas fields. The Syrian government repeatedly charged that the U.S. is aiming to steal and smuggle oil and gas production abroad using convoys of tanks and trucks, in coordination with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DFA Team Conducts Successful Assistance-To-Nationals Mission in Egypt and Israel Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs MANILA 04 December 2023 -- A team from the Department of Foreign Affairs, led by Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Eduardo Jose A. de Vega, conducted a successful Assistance to Nationals (ATN) Mission from 11 to 19 November 2023 in Egypt and Israel. The ATN Team and the Philippine Embassies in Cairo and Tel-Aviv assisted in sending off Filipinos who sought repatriation assistance. The repatriation was a result of close coordination by the two Posts with the Philippine Embassy in Amman, which has jurisdiction over the Filipinos in Gaza. Those who were repatriated from Cairo are actually Filipinos and their Palestinian family members who escaped the conflict in Gaza. They expressed their concerns on arrival logistics, which the ATN Team coordinated with the DFA in the Philippines and other partner agencies. As part of their Mission, the ATN Team visited several pilgrimage accommodations in Israel that will be used as temporary shelters or, in case of evacuation, meeting points for Filipinos who are in distress and/or seeking repatriation. The Team also met 18 Filipino agricultural interns in a farm in Mishmar Ha'Shiva town and a Filipino organization in northern Israel. They visited Filipinos and their employers in a Dead Sea area hotel. The government of Israel provided the hotel as temporary shelter, following the Hamas-led attacks on their town that made their houses uninhabitable. A critical portion of the Mission was the meetings of Undersecretary de Vega with top-level government officials in Cairo and Tel-Aviv to hand deliver Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo's letters of gratitude for his Egyptian and Israeli counterparts. The meetings, which provided a platform for discussions on matters of mutual interest, also allowed Undersecretary de Vega to express the Philippines' concerns and appeal for the release of Filipinos taken captive by Hamas during its 7 October 2023 attacks: Gelienor Pacheco and Noralin Babadilla. Pacheco and Babadilla were captured during the Hamas-led attacks in the Gaza envelope area on the said date. They would be eventually released on 24 November and 29 November 2023, respectively, or less than two weeks after the ATN Team's Mission concluded. "We have enduring relations with Egypt and Israel. During these challenging times, the historical friendship between our countries and peoples is instrumental in facilitating our commitment to protect the welfare and promote the interests of Filipinos abroad. I thank Egypt and Israel for their assistance to our fellow Filipinos, and the strong bilateral cooperation that led to the release of Mr. Pacheco and Ms. Babadilla." Undersecretary de Vega said. He lauded the work of the Philippine Embassies in Amman (Jordan), Cairo, and Tel-Aviv in ensuring the safe passage of Filipinos and their families out of Gaza. Undersecretary de Vega likewise commended the Philippine Embassy in Doha (Qatar) for its diplomatic engagements in relation to the release of Babadilla. END NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Report: Penetrating Israel's 'Iron Dome', Palestinian rocket hits regime's strategic base Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 10:11 PM A US media report says a rocket "most likely fired by the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement" from the Gaza Strip on October 7 has hit an Israeli military base where, according to experts, many of the regime's nuclear-capable missiles are kept. The Monday report by The New York Times said although the Israeli missiles were not hit in the rocket attack, its impact at the Sdot Micha base in central Israel sparked a fire that approached the regime's missile storage facilities and other sensitive weaponry. "More satellite images taken in the hours after the strike captured the rapid spread of the fire and Israeli firefighters' efforts to stem its growth. At least two firefighting aircraft and streaks of bright red fire retardant were visible near the fire," the report said. Israel, which pursues a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its nuclear weapons, is estimated to have 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, making it West Asia's sole possessor of the nonconventional arms. The usurping entity has, however, refused to either allow inspections of its military nuclear facilities or sign the NPT, an international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear arms. October 7 was the day when the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise operation, dubbed al-Aqsa Storm, against Israel in response to the regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians. The operation started with a heavy barrage of rockets fired by resistance fighters at Israel's sensitive military sites and settlements. Experts quoted by the paper said the base most likely houses 25 to 50 nuclear-capable Jericho missile launchers. According to declassified US government documents, Israel's Jericho missiles are equipped to carry nuclear warheads. The strike proved that despite all Israeli allegations about the capability of its air defense systems, the Palestinian resistance's rockets were able to "slip through" the regime's air defenses and hit the military base that is home to its strategic weapons. "...the targeting of one of the most sensitive military locations in Israel shows that the scope of the Oct. 7 attacks may have been even greater than previously known and that [Palestinian] rockets can penetrate the airspace around Israel's closely guarded strategic weapons," the report said. "It's unclear how many rockets were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome air defense system, or managed to slip through and hit the base in addition to the one found by The Times," the report said, admitting that in some cases on October 7 "Iron Dome became overwhelmed by the amount of incoming fire or ran out of interceptor missiles." Although the Israeli occupation forces have declined to comment on the incident, recent satellite images show new earthen berms and barriers have been built around military positions near the rocket impact location. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish intelligence official warns Israel: Targeting Hamas officials abroad will have 'serious consequences' Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 6:29 PM Turkey has issued a strong warning to Israel, saying the regime would face Ankara's serious action if it tries to target key figures of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas who are based outside Gaza, including in Turkey. "Necessary warnings were made to the interlocutors based on the news of Israeli officials' statements, and it was expressed to Israel that (such an act) would have serious consequences," a Turkish intelligence official said on Monday, according to Reuters. The warning came a day after the Israeli broadcaster Kan released a recording from Ronen Bar, who serves as the head of Israel's so-called internal security service Shin Bet, in which he said that the regime would hunt down Hamas in countries like Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar even if it takes years. Bar said the Israeli administration had set a goal to target Hamas officials who are based outside Gaza. Key Hamas leaders, including its top political officials, live outside the besieged Gaza as part of the group's policy to garner support from other countries for the fight against the Israeli regime. Head of Hamas' politburo Ismail Haniyeh has been shuttling between Qatar and Turkey in recent weeks amid Israel's aggression on Gaza that has left nearly 16,000 people dead. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly condemned Israel for its brutal military campaign against Gaza while warning the regime against political and economic consequences if it continues with the aggression. The presence of Hamas leaders in Qatar helped the Arab country mediate a seven-day ceasefire in Gaza that ended on Friday. Israel's aggression against Gaza began on October 7 after Hamas launched a major military operation into the Israeli-occupied territories near Gaza, killing some 1,400 Israeli settlers and military forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netherlands faces lawsuit over sending F-35 parts to Israel Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 5:47 PM The Netherlands' plan to send F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel has prompted action by a group of human rights organizations that have filed a lawsuit against the move. Amnesty International, Oxfam Novib and The Rights Forum made a plea in the district court in The Hague on Monday. They say shipping the F-35 parts implicates the Dutch government in the war crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians. Human rights lawyers told the court Israel has been using the warplanes in its brutal war on the besieged Gaza Strip. Israel has killed more than 15,500 people, 70 percent of whom women and children, in Gaza since October 7. Lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld told the court hearing that the Dutch government "must immediately stop the delivery of F-35 parts to Israel." "That is its obligation under ... article 1 of the Geneva conventions, it is its obligation under the Genocide Treaty to prevent genocide, and it is its obligation under export law." "Israel disregards the fundamental principles of the laws of war, such as distinguishing between civilian and military targets and the principle of proportionality," in the bombing of Gaza, the groups said in the court filing. The F-35 parts, owned by the United States, are stored in a warehouse at Woensdrecht Air Base in the Netherlands. Weeks after Israel waged its war on Gaza on that October day, the Dutch government approved the delivery of spare parts, according to government records. Citing government documents, Zegveld said the Dutch customs asked the government if it wanted to continue exports after Israel ignited the war machine. "The warning that the fighter jets can contribute to serious breaches of the laws of war does not, for the (Dutch) state, outweigh its economic interests and diplomatic reputation," Zegveld said. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) says the Dutch Foreign Ministry was already aware that there were serious concerns over Israel's war on Gaza but did not stop the shipment of the parts. Massacre vs. 'law that governs armed conflict' Meanwhile, government lawyer Reimer Veldhuis has urged the court's single judge to reject the injunction. "The suffering of the people of Gaza is great, and the state does not minimize that. But the law that governs armed conflict is not a simple calculation." A ruling is expected within two weeks and can be appealed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prosecution of US, Israel 'minimum price' to be paid for Gaza genocide: Iran Army chief commander Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 4:51 PM The chief commander of the Iranian Army has lauded the Palestinian resistance against Israel's brutal aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip, saying the prosecution of those responsible for crimes against Palestinians is the minimum price the Israelis and Americans must pay. Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi made the remarks at a ceremony in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Monday as he praised Operation al-Aqsa Storm, the largest military operation by the Palestinian resistance groups against the occupied territories in decades. "Operation al-Aqsa Storm and the resistance of the people of Gaza against the unheard-of oppression and crimes of the illegitimate and usurping Zionist regime as well as their disgraceful and dishonorable master unmasked the so-called human rights advocates," Mousavi said. "Gaza is a city of resistance and a symbol of steadfastness," he added. "Operation al-Aqsa Storm, as Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said, is an 'irreparable defeat' since the heroic Palestinian fighters carried out an offensive [against Israel] after nearly 75 years." Stressing that more than 700 innocent Palestinian women and children have been killed by the Israeli regime in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the chief commander of the Iranian Army said the Americans have also maintained an "active presence" there and been responsible for "directing and managing" the Israeli genocide in the besieged territory. Mousavi said the US and Israel, in defiance of global condemnations, continue to commit crimes and add to their "black record," but the final victory is for Palestinians no matter how the ongoing war ends. Underlining that the Israeli regime is on the decline and on the path to destruction, the commander said, "The supporters of Zionists must ... return the occupied territories to their main owners; Of course, in doing so, putting criminals on trial is the minimum price that the criminal Americans and Zionists have to pay." Israel started the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements launched the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians. According to Gaza's health ministry more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed and over 41,300 others wounded since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on the coastal territory. Israel resumed its brutal onslaught on Gaza early Friday after declaring an end to a week-long humanitarian truce. Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, the US has been Israel's biggest ally, providing it with thousands of arms consignments. Washington, which has backed Tel Aviv's ferocious attacks as a means of "self-defense," has also been casting its veto against the UN Security Council resolutions that called on the occupying regime to cease its aggression. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel forces evacuation of south Gaza as it expands ground invasion Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 2:44 PM In an intimidating move typical of Israel, the regime has forced the Palestinians to evacuate several more areas in the besieged Gaza Strip. Residents said the military dropped leaflets reading Khan Younis was "a dangerous combat zone." The people have been forced to move to the border city of Rafah or a coastal area in the southwest. Halima Abdel-Rahman, a widow and mother of four, says she just ignores the leaflets. She fled her home in October to an area outside Khan Younis, where she stays with relatives. "The occupation tells you to go to this area, then they bomb it." "The reality is that no place is safe in Gaza. They kill people in the north. They kill people in the south." The Israeli military said on Sunday its ground offensive had expanded to every part of the besieged Palestinian territory. Khan Younis in the south was previously designated as a safe area, thus making thousands of displaced Palestinians to flee to the city. Heavy bombardment followed the leaflet drops. The Gaza health ministry says hundreds of people have been killed or wounded since a weeklong ceasefire ended on December 1. "The majority of victims are still under the rubble." The human rights chief of the United Nations Volker Turk has urged an end to the war. He says the civilian suffering in Gaza is just "too much to bear." Melanie Ward, chief executive of the humanitarian organization Medical Aid for Palestinians, has said, "I cannot overstate the fear, panic and confusion that these Israeli maps are causing civilians in Gaza, including my own staff. People cannot run from place to place to try to escape Israel's bombs, nor does international law expect them to." The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says Israeli forces have directly bombed 14 hospitals. A few of the medical facilities in the Palestinian territory are now functional and they are inundated with thousands of the wounded. Meanwhile, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad resistance movement have denounced a decision by Britain to conduct surveillance flights over the Gaza Strip, calling the move a military involvement in the "genocidal war" on the besieged territory. Israel has killed nearly 16,000 Palestinians since it began its latest onslaught on Gaza on October 7. Hopes for another temporary truce in Gaza faded as Israel called its negotiators home, and senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said talks on releasing more hostages must be tied to a permanent ceasefire. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel's threats to kill Hamas leaders reflect its political, military crises: Top official Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 11:21 AM A senior Hamas official said the resistance group is unfazed by Israel's recent threats to assassinate its leaders and that making them reveals the regime's political and military crises. Taher al-Nunu, the advisor to the head of Hamas's political bureau Ismail Haniyeh, told Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network on Sunday night that such "idle threats" would never intimidate Hamas. "The threats to murder Hamas leaders are clearly indicative of the political and military quagmire that the Zionist occupation is facing" following the Gaza onslaught, he said. Nunu added that the Israeli regime is hit hard by grave crises due to the heroic steadfastness and resilience of the Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli plans to kill top-brass Hamas members around the world are in "flagrant violation" of the allied countries' sovereignty and will pose serious threats to the national security of those states, he said. "The leaders of the usurping regime must be prosecuted and put on trial for such excessive level of arrogance and indiscretion," Nunu added. American daily newspaper The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed Israeli officials, reported on Thursday that the regime's top spy agencies, including Mossad, are working on plans to assassinate Hamas leaders living in Lebanon, Turkey, Qatar, and other Persian Gulf countries, once they shift away from fighting the group in Gaza. They have got orders from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do so, it said. "The question now for Israeli leaders isn't about whether to try to kill Hamas leaders elsewhere in the world, but whereand how, the officials said," wrote the newspaper. The report claimed that there had been calls to immediately assassinate Khaled Mashaal, one of the top Hamas leaders, after the Palestinian resistance group launched the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation against the regime on October 7. Israel's prime minister hinted at the regime's plans for assassinations abroad in an address in late November, when he said that he had "instructed the Mossad to act against the heads of Hamas wherever they are". Israel has a long history of conducting assassination operations outside its borders in violation of international law, sovereignty of other countries, and human rights. Israel's minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant also threatened Hamas leaders back then, saying, "The struggle is worldwide." The Israeli aggression in Gaza has so far killed at least 15,523 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Another 41,316 people have been wounded as well. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US has 'direct, undeniable' role in Israeli war crimes in Gaza: Iran Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 10:47 AM Iran has lambasted the United States for its "undeniable" role in the Israeli war crimes against Palestinians, saying Washington has equipped Tel Aviv with new weapons to carry out atrocities in the genocidal war on Gaza Strip. Speaking at a weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani said instead of taking a stance to prevent the calamity, the US has practically sided with the occupying regime, which has killed thousands of Palestinians in order to compensate for its defeat in the war on Gaza. "The US has a direct and undeniable role in the Zionist regime's war crimes against the Palestinian people. It is clear that Operation Al-Aqsa Storm was a legitimate and defensive action by the Palestinian nation against the occupiers and that it exposed Israel's fake claim to possess security capability." "The new round of attacks started when the US Defense Secretary [Lloyd Austin] was present at the Zionist regime's war cabinet... the US has provided new weapons and equipment to the Zionist regime and has filled its hands to continue crimes." Kan'ani also referred to remarks by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who reaffirmed on Saturday that Washington's support for Israel is "not negotiable." "Today, the US government is a side to the war. However, it contradicts claims by Americans who say we do not want the expansion of the war and warned Israel not to kill civilians," he added. Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 15,523 Palestinians, mostly women and children, injured 41,316 others, and left vast swathes of Gaza in ruins. It has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to more than two million Palestinians living there. 'Action against Iran, military advisory forces will not go unanswered' Also in his remarks, the top diplomat warned that action against Iran's interests and security, as well as the country's military advisors in Syria, will not go unanswered. In a statement on Saturday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said two of its members, Mohammad Ali Ataee Shoorcheh and Panah Taqizadeh, were martyred by the Israeli regime while on an advisory mission. It said the two IRGC officers were martyred against the backdrop of the relentless savagery of the "fake and child-killing" Israeli regime in Gaza. Touching on recent Western accusations about Iran's missile program, Kan'ani also said some parties want to divert public opinion and cover up "the bitter reality in Palestine" by raising deviant issues and empty concerns. In a statement last week, Britain, France, and Germany condemned the unveiling of a new ballistic missile variant by Iran on November 19 and said Iran continues to develop its missile program despite repeated international calls to halt it. Iran obtained 'guarantees' from US on unfrozen funds The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman was asked about a bipartisan measure passed by the US House of Representatives to block Iran from accessing its $6 billion funds unfrozen and transferred to Qatari banks a few months ago. "The plan to block Iran's money needs the approval of the Senate and the signature of the US president. The US government must honor its commitments in an agreement with Iran. We got necessary guarantees in this regard as the US has shown that it is not reliable," he said. Kan'ani further emphasized that the Iranian government has access to the funds, saying, 'We can use them according to our needs." Back in August, Iran and the United States agreed to a Qatar-brokered deal to secure the release of some $6 billion of Iranian funds that had remained blocked in two South Korean banks since 2018 under the pretext of US sanctions. The money was successfully transferred to accounts held by six Iranian banks in Qatar's Ahlibank and Dukhan Bank. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli war on hospitals: Gazans say Israel wiping out health sector as attacks rise Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 9:13 AM Israeli forces are seeking to encircle the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza city of Jabalia, the undersecretary of the Gaza Health Ministry said Monday. Munir al-Boursh said that the occupation troops were advancing toward the hospital in order to besiege it. Dozens of Palestinians were martyred during an Israeli drone strike early on Monday, he said, adding that hospital staff cannot bury the victims. Over 10,000 displaced people are currently seeking shelter at Kamal Adwan Hospital, according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency. Israel has 'integrated scheme' to destroy Gaza healthcare system Also on Monday, the Government Media Office in Gaza said the bombardment of the Kamal Adwan Hospital shows that Israel has an integrated scheme to destroy the healthcare system in Gaza. In a statement, the media office condemned Monday's attack as a "serious violation of the provisions of international law and humanitarian law." The Israeli military, it added, directly bombarded and shelled at least 14 Gaza hospitals and arrested 35 doctors. The media office further urged the world, especially Western countries led by the US, to end the green light it gave Israel to target hospitals in Gaza and destroy its health sector. "This is an organized war crime and is subject to punishment under international law as well as criminalization based on all international conventions," it said. "Silence amounts to active participation in this crime." Israel bombs areas near al-Ahli al-Arab Hospital Meanwhile, reports said that the Israeli military has bombarded areas near the al-Ahli al-Arab Hospital, where many people are sheltering. On October 17, hundreds of civilians were killed and injured by Israeli airstrikes on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The assault has been condemned as an act of genocide by many governments around the world. Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group conducted Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 15,523 Palestinians, mostly women and children, injured 41,316 others, and left vast swathes of Gaza in ruins. It has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to more than two million Palestinians living there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Direct involvement in genocide': Resistance groups slam UK aerial spying of Gaza Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 8:16 AM The Gaza-based Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad resistance movements in separate statements have denounced a decision by the United Kingdom to conduct surveillance flights over the Gaza Strip, calling the move a military involvement in the "genocidal war" on the besieged territory. The statements came after the British Defense Ministry announced the decision on Saturday, to help locate captives held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "Britain's intention to carry out surveillance flights over the Gaza Strip makes it an accomplice to the Zionist occupation in its crimes, and responsible for the massacres to which our Palestinian people are subjected," Hamas said in a statement released on Sunday. The statement added that the UK should have "corrected its historically negative stance towards the Palestinian people," and "atone for" the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which set out Britain's aim to establish a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. The declaration is widely seen as the precursor to the 1948 Palestinian Nakba, when Zionist armed paramilitary groups, who were trained and created to fight side by side with the British in World War II, forcibly expelled more than 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland. The statement said the Balfour Declaration is "the sin of the century," stating that Britain is "making another mistake" and reminding the world of its "colonial and offensive" past. Britain's surveillance flights over the Gaza Strip will "put the British government at enmity with Palestinians and all freedom-loving people worldwide, who reject the Israeli aggression," it added. It called on Britain to "rescind its decision" for direct participation and political and financial support for the "genocidal war against Gaza." In a separate statement, the Islamic Jihad also decried Britain's decision to monitor Gaza from above as "direct involvement in Israel's aggression against Gaza." 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. Resistance fighters seized about 240 Israelis and foreign captives during their October 7 operation. A 4-day truce agreement between Hamas and Israel went into effect on November 24 and was extended twice before it ended on Friday. As part of the truce, Hamas released 110 out of 240 Israeli captives held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian abductees held illegally in Israeli prisons. The Israeli army resumed bombing the Gaza Strip early on Friday after declaring an end to a week-long truce. The Israeli aggression has so far killed at least 15,523 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Another 41,316 people have been wounded as well. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNICEF: Southern Gaza hit by 'worst bombardment' of war Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 6:49 AM The southern Gaza Strip is currently facing its "worst bombardment" since the beginning of Israel's brutal aggression against the Palestinian territory, says a spokesperson for the UN Children's Agency (UNICEF). "I am seeing massive child casualties," James Elder wrote in an X post on Sunday. "We have a final warning to save children; and our collective conscience." In a separate video message from the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, Elder said he felt like he was "running out of ways" to describe the horrors children face in the Israeli-besieged territory. "I feel like I'm almost failing in my ability to convey the endless killing of children here," he added. Israel resumed its brutal onslaught on Gaza early Friday after declaring an end to a week-long humanitarian truce. The regime's military also stepped up its attacks in southern Gaza, which was earlier declared a "safe zone". Currently, only half of Gaza's 36 hospitals are minimally to partially functional. They are all overflowed with dead and wounded people amid an acute lack of fuel and medical supplies. 'No safe place in Gaza' UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk also warned on Sunday that nowhere is safe in Gaza amid Israel's fresh raids and evacuation orders. "As a result of Israel's conduct of hostilities and its orders for people to leave the north and parts of the south, hundreds of thousands are being confined into ever smaller areas in southern Gaza without proper sanitation, access to sufficient food, water and health supplies, even as bombs rain down around them," he said. "I repeat, there is no safe place in Gaza." The UN rights chief also underlined the need for an end to violence and a long-term political solution between Palestinians and Israelis. "Silence the guns and return to dialogue - the suffering inflicted on civilians is too much to bear. More violence is not the answer. It will bring neither peace nor security," he noted. Turk further said that renewed Israeli bombardments have killed hundreds of Palestinians and largely halted the already limited aid operations within Gaza. Extremely serious allegations of multiple and grave breaches of international law must be fully investigated and those responsible held to account, he said, calling for international probes in cases where national authorities prove unwilling or unable to carry out inquiries. Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group conducted Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 15,523 Palestinians, mostly women and children, injured 41,316 others, and left vast swathes of Gaza in ruins. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas: US president, secretary of state complicit in Israeli crimes against Palestinians Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 12:46 AM A senior official of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says the United States administration and its top officials are complicit in Israel's war crimes against Palestinians, including its genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip. Osama Hamdan, the representative of Hamas in Lebanon and also a member of the movement's Politburo, made the comments in a Sunday press conference in Beirut, as Israel pressed ahead with a new round of its indiscriminate strikes on Gaza. "The American administration, its president [Joe Biden], and his Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken are complicit in [shedding of] Palestinian blood [as well as Israel's] massacres, [and] crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and they will pay the price for their crimes," he said. The Hamas official called for prosecution of senior Biden administration's officials in international courts as war criminals, while praising "the free American people who have raised their voices loudly in rejecting the [Israeli] aggression." "We call on every free person in the United States, who rejects the crimes of the occupation, to withhold their votes from Biden and his party's candidates in all states, and every candidate who supports the Zionist massacres against the Palestinian people," Hamdan said. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Hamas official reiterated that despite Israel's brutal aggression and genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, the regime will not achieve any of its goals. "What the occupation failed to achieve in more than 50 days before the truce, it will not achieve afterward [either] no matter how long this war continues," Hamdan said, referring to an Egyptian- and Qatari-mediated truce deal that marked a lull in the unabated Israeli aggression against Gaza. He stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu and his army will only reap failure and severe defeat, more bodies of his soldiers, [and] destruction of their tanks and vehicles." Israel started the war against Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements launched the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians. According to Gaza's health ministry more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed and over 41,300 others wounded since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on the coastal territory. Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, the US has been Israel's biggest ally, providing it with thousands of arms consignments. Washington, which has backed Tel Aviv's ferocious attacks as a means of "self-defense," has also been casting its veto against the UN Security Council resolutions that called on the occupying regime to cease its aggression. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yancheng in E China's Jiangsu makes innovation in wetland conservation 15:03, December 05, 2023 By Yao Xueqing ( People's Daily A man takes photos of red-crowned crane specimens at the Yellow Sea Wetland Museum in Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu province, Jan. 11, 2022. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Gukai) Yancheng in east China's Jiangsu province, home to a World Natural Heritage site and accredited by the Ramsar Convention as an international wetland city, boasts a coastline of 582 kilometers and a total area of 4,553 square kilometers of tidal flats. It houses the largest coastal wetland on the edge of the Asian continent and on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, which serves as an important resting, feeding, and molting ground for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian flyway. Developing coastal wetland resources for nature education is one of the focuses emphasized in a 2023-2035 development plan on nature education released at the 2023 China Nature Education Conference. Yancheng, leveraging its local wetland resources, has dug into popular science development. It has built specialized venues, innovated popular science formats, and encouraged social forces to hold diverse activities, in order to form a synergetic force for nature education. The Yellow Sea Wetland Museum in Yancheng is a treasure trove. It houses over 1,000 exhibits, including precious specimens of sperm whale skeletons, red-crowned cranes, elks, and spoon-billed sandpipers. It also offers an immersive experience with a large-scale digital sand table, a holographic display, and a dynamic monitoring platform for the Yellow Sea wetland. The museum has five permanent exhibition halls focusing on themes of international wetland city, the Yellow Sea ecological zone, bird migration, muddy coast and human-nature harmony, unfolding a beautiful picture of the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Migratory birds fly in wetlands of Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu province, Nov. 19, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Ji Haixin) In the museum, there is a holographic display that vividly presents the migratory routes of birds in 4D animation, an interactive display wall that brings together 436 bird species in Yancheng, and exhibition boards that showcase popular science knowledge about the biodiversity on muddy coasts, which attract a huge number of citizens and tourists. Wu Qijiang, chief curator of the exhibition and director of the Yancheng Wetland and World Natural Heritage Site Conservation and Management Center, noted that Yancheng's unique natural resources are exactly the foundation for the city to carry out natural education. According to Wu, the five permanent exhibition halls of the museum have gone through over 100 adjustments and received 83,000 visits since the museum started trial operation in 2022. Yancheng is leveraging the museum to build a main base for nature education. In addition to the Yellow Sea Wetland Museum which systematically tells wetland stories, nature conservation organizations in the city such as the Yancheng Wetland and Rare Birds National Nature Reserve and the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve have also launched special exhibitions for visitors. Besides, some schools and public institutions in the city have allocated hundreds of square meters from their office space to build "mini museums," showcasing the evolution of wetlands and secrets of birds to teachers, students and the general public. Apart from venue construction, the local government has innovatively developed various forms of science popularization, both online and offline, to create a comprehensive science education platform. In 2019, the Yancheng Wetland and Rare Birds National Nature Reserve, in cooperation with the municipal education bureau of Yancheng, published a nature education book themed on Yancheng's wetlands. Every primary and secondary school in the city has received copies. A coffee shop themed on the spoon-billed sandpiper, an endangered migratory bird species, is located in Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu province, in December 2021. (Photo from the official account of Yancheng Economic and Technological Development Zone on WeChat) Staff members of the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve also visited surrounding communities and collaborative institutions, to launch public legal education and science popularization campaigns, while establishing joint protection mechanisms. The Yancheng Wetland and World Natural Heritage Site Conservation and Management Center has established an official website and accounts on social media platforms, publishing nearly 500 science popularization articles. In recent years, social forces in the city have hosted a variety of educational and scientific activities, which have been well-received by the public. Since the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase I) in Yancheng was inscribed on the World Heritage List as a natural site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in July, 2019, the Yellow Sea Wetland Museum, the Yancheng Wetland and Rare Birds National Nature Reserve, the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve, the School of Wetland of Yancheng Teachers University, as well as social educational institutions, have launched diverse and engaging educational activities, attracting primary and secondary school students to explore the wetland and discover the nature. Jiangsu Yellow Sea Wetland Culture Development Co., Ltd., an enterprise focusing on wetland-themed business, education and research, has created a cartoon figure based on the endangered migratory bird, the spoon-billed sandpiper. The figure has been printed on T-shirts, cups, fans and other products sold in the gift shop of the Yellow Sea Wetland Museum. Xu Hongxin, general manager of the company, told People's Daily that the popularity of the figure exactly mirrors the process of nature education in people's hearts. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) US ship conducts navigation operation near Second Thomas Shoal China says U.S. warship "trespassed" into waters near one of the most hotly contested reefs in the South China Sea. By RFA and BenarNews Staff 2023.12.04 -- A U.S. naval ship conducted Monday the first known freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, a move condemned by China as "illegal." "On December 4, the USS Giffords littoral combat ship trespassed into the waters adjacent to Ren'ai Reef in China's Nansha Islands without the approval of the Chinese government," Col. Tian Junli, spokesman for the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command, said in a statement. Ren'ai is the Chinese name for the Second Thomas Shoal, an atoll in the Spratly (Nansha) archipelago. Filipinos call it Ayungin Shoal and the Philippine military in 1999 deliberately ran aground an old landing ship, BRP Sierra Madre, to serve as an outpost. Manila, which maintains that the reef is located inside its exclusive economic zone, has been accusing Beijing of "acting aggressively" and blocking its ships from delivering supplies to troops stationed there. In his latest statement, Col. Tian claimed that the U.S. had "seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, severely undermined regional peace and stability, and seriously violated international law..." "This fully demonstrates that the United States is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea," he said. The U.S. responded that the USS Gabrielle Giffords was conducting routine operations in international waters in the South China Sea, consistent with international law, Reuters news agency reported, quoting a statement from the U.S. Navy. "Every day the U.S. 7th Fleet operates in the South China Sea, as they have for decades. These operations demonstrate we are committed to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the statement said. Monday's mission was "the first explicit mention of the Second Thomas Shoal as a FONOP target" for the U.S. military, according to regional maritime analyst Collin Koh, who predicted that there would likely be more such operations in the future. "The question is whether it'll be conducted at the same time, or dovetailing with Philippine resupply missions to the outpost, or simply just conducted in random or as a response to more severe circumstances," said Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore. Escalation of tension "Ren'ai Reef is one of the most tense areas in the South China Sea," wrote Hu Xijin, former editor of the pro-Beijing Global Times, in the paper. "Chinese coast guard ships have had multiple confrontations with Philippine vessels near Ren'ai Reef this year, and a collision occurred in October," Hu wrote, adding that the U.S. ship's appearance this time "is an escalation of the U.S. gesture of intervening in the South China Sea." The Chinese commentator accused the U.S. military of using "cheap muscle-flexing and petty actions to incite the Philippines to confront China more boldly." "The Second Thomas Shoal is somewhat special because the Sierra Madre is still a commissioned Philippine Navy ship which means any attack on it will amount to an armed attack that triggers the Mutual Defense Treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines," said Koh. According to the treaty, or MDT in short, Washington and Manila are obliged to support each other militarily if either of them were to be attacked by an external party. "I'll surmise the Chinese would be more cautious around the shoal, even if the Americans stage FONOPs in the area," Koh told Radio Free Asia. "I also believe Beijing may perceive this to be not simply about the Americans showing moral support to their Filipino allies but to potentially pave [the] way for the latter to carry out so-called 'large scale construction' at the feature," the analyst said. "Therefore, we don't dismiss the possibility of Beijing ramping up its measures in the area," he added. Japanese news outlet Nikkei Asia in November reported that the U.S. had begun advising the Philippines on the repair of the World War II-era ship BRP Sierra Madre. Last week the Philippine government gave approval for a large convoy of civilian boats to bring Christmas cheer to troops stationed there, risking an angry response from China. Maritime militia at Whitsun Reef Meanwhile the Philippine Coast Guard said Sunday that two of its vessels were dispatched "to conduct patrols in the immediate vicinity of Julian Felipe Reef"- also called Whitsun - another disputed reef in the Spratlys. Since mid-November, the coast guard has monitored more than a hundred Chinese maritime militia boats "swarming the area," said spokesman Jay Tariela. Tariela added that the number of Chinese vessels "is now estimated to have grown to more than 135 vessels dispersed and scattered" within the reef. Most of the ships are rafted together and not "visible" on the AIS ship tracking system. Philippine officials repeatedly said that their country has sovereignty over the reef "in accordance with international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2016 Arbitral Award and Philippine domestic laws." China claims nearly all of the South China Sea as its own despite an international arbitration court in 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines in a case brought against Beijing over the contested waterway. Manila has lodged numerous diplomatic protests with Beijing over the swarming of Whitsun Reef by Chinese maritime militia ships, which China insists are fishing vessels that have been fishing in the waters near the reef it calls Niu'e Jiao all along. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghans Banned From 16 Provinces In Iran As Forced Exodus Continues By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi December 04, 2023 Iran has banned millions of Afghan refugees and migrants in the country from living in, traveling to, or seeking employment in just over half of the country's 31 provinces. On December 3, Hamzeh Soleimani, the director-general of citizenship and foreign nationals affairs of the western Kermanshah Province, confirmed the ban was in place in 16 provinces nationwide. "Numerous construction projects, greenhouses and livestock farms underwent inspection under the plan. [This led] to the arrest and expulsion of Afghan workers from the province," he said. Iranian media have identified 15 of the 16 provinces, including Kermanshah, East Azarbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Kurdistan, Hamedan, Gilan, Mazandaran, Sistan-Baluchistan, Ilam, Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kahgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, and Hormozgan. In October, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi reiterated that Tehran would deport all "illegal" migrants, most of whom are Afghan nationals who fled war, persecution, and poverty. Tehran estimates that more than 5 million Afghans currently live in the country. Iranian officials now want to deport at least half of them because they do not have the documents to remain in the country. During the past few months, the rate of Afghans deported from Iran has steadily increased despite efforts by Afghanistan's Taliban-run government to persuade Tehran to give the Afghans more time before embarking on a mass expulsion campaign like Pakistan. Islamabad is currently deporting thousands of impoverished Afghans daily as part of its campaign to expel more than 1.7 million "undocumented foreigners." In Iran, Afghans say their life is becoming more complicated with each passing day. "The situation of Afghan refugees across Iran is very worrying," Sharif Mateen, an Afghan refugee, told RFE/RL's Azadi Radio. "Police are arresting everyone irrespective of whether they have documents or not. They are then taken to repatriation camps," he added. Iran has hosted millions of Afghans for more than four decades, but Tehran has often complained of the lack of international aid for hosting them. More than 70 percent of the 3.6 million Afghans who left their country after the Taliban seized back power in August 2021 fled to Iran. Data show most are educated, middle-class Afghans who served in the fallen pro-Western Afghan republic's security forces or civil bureaucracy. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-afghans- banned-provinces/32713320.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Safe Corridor in Central Gaza Turned Into Battlefield - IDF Statement Sputnik News 20231204 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The safe corridor in the central Gaza Strip has turned into a battlefield, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Monday, calling on the population of the enclave to evacuate along the coast. "The fighting and IDF military offensive in the Khan Yunis area prevents the movement of civilians through Salah ad-Din ... The Salah ad-Din direction is a battlefield, making it extremely dangerous to reach! IDF will allow humanitarian movement of civilians through the bypass road located west of Khan Yunis," Adraee wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Earlier it was reported that Lebanese militant groups shelled Israeli territory with IDF launching retaliatory strikes. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US to Conduct Hypersonic Missile Tests With Australia in 2024 Sputnik News 20231204 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Defense Department plans to carry out joint hypersonic missile tests with the Australian military in 2024, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu said. "We're already in the process of working very closely with them [the Australian Defense Department] to figure out [to] who do we integrate some of our [hypersonics] experimentations in Australia," Shyu was quoted as saying by the DefenseNews website on Sunday. She added that the countries had intensified their partnership in hypersonic technologies over the past year and the tests are to be conducted next year. A hypersonic is a type of vehicle that can move and maneuver at speeds of Mach 5 or beyond. Technology is being developed as part of the second stage of cooperation in terms of the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. The second phase of collaboration includes quantum computing, autonomy and electronic warfare research. The news about hypersonic experiments came after, in March, the US Armed Forces admitted that a hypersonic weapon test failed, the website wrote. The countries announced the new trilateral defense partnership, AUKUS, in September 2021. The first initiative announced under the AUKUS defense pact was the development of nuclear-powered submarine technology for the Australian navy, prompting the Australian government to cancel its then-estimated $66 billion diesel-electric submarine contract with France's Naval Group. Under AUKUS, the United States plans to sell between three to five Virginia-class submarines to Australia as an interim capability in the early 2030s. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel Shells Lebanon in Retaliatory Move - Statement Sputnik News 20231204 The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that they had documented shelling from Lebanon towards IDF outpost and opened fire in response. "A number of mortar shell launches from Lebanon toward an IDF post in the area of Yiftah were identified. In response, IDF artillery struck the sources of the fire," the Israeli army said on its official Telegram channel. Earlier, another round of shelling was documents, which resulted in three injured Israeli soldiers. "Three IDF soldiers were lightly injured and evacuated to receive medical treatment. Their families have been notified," the statement read. The situation in South Lebanon heated up after Israel had its launched military operation in the Gaza Strip against Hamas. The Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah started shelling Israeli territory, with the IDF responding in kind. West Bank Death Toll From Israeli Fire Reaches 464 Since Early 2023 - Palestinian Ministry The death toll in the West Bank as a result of clashes with Israeli forces has reached 464 since the beginning of 2023, including 256 since October 7, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Monday. "The death toll in the West Bank from Israeli army fire is 464 since the beginning of the year, including 256 since October 7," the ministry said in a statement. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Airstrike on Headquarters of Iraqi Armed Formations Leaves 5 People Dead - Reports Sputnik News 20231204 CAIRO (Sputnik) - Five people have been killed as a result of a US airstrike on the headquarters of Iraqi armed formations, Iraqi news agency Shafaq News reported on Sunday, citing a source in the security agencies. Earlier, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which includes Shia Muslim militant groups, said that it had attacked a US military base in the Syrian province of Al Hasakah using drones. The source said that it was unclear whether the strike was carried out by a drone or a fighter jet, while the location of the airstrike is yet to be disclosed. The strike allegedly took place in the city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, according to the Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen. On Thursday, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said that US forces in Iraq and Syria had been attacked 74 times since October 17. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon Aware of Reports About Attack on US Destroyer in Red Sea Sputnik News 20231204 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Department of Defense told Sputnik on Sunday that it was aware of reports about an attack on its destroyer USS Carney in the Red Sea. Earlier in the day, Al Jazeera broadcaster reported that the US Navy destroyer USS Carney came under attack by drones and missiles fired from Yemen. "We're aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available, later," the Pentagon said. Earlier in the day, Yemen's rebel Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, said they would resume attacks on Israel, following the end of a week-long truce in the Gaza Strip. "The Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea (and Gulf of Aden) until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops," said Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree. The Houthis then attacked two Israeli ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea, as confirmed by the movement's spokesman, and a UK-owned merchant ship, the UK maritime trade authority said. Since the start of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, the Houthi rebels have launched several missiles at the Israeli city of Eilat, as well as seized a Bahamas-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea, which allegedly belongs to an Israeli businessman. The vessel was carrying 2,000 new vehicles. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Ciolacu US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson December 4, 2023 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu today in Washington to discuss the U.S.-Romania Strategic Partnership. Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Ciolacu reaffirmed the importance of supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression and committed to working together as NATO Allies to strengthen security and energy resilience across the Black Sea region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu Before Their Meeting US Department of State Remarks Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson Room Washington, D.C. December 4, 2023 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. It's a great pleasure to have Prime Minister Ciolacu here with us today. Welcome. Romania is and has been a very close partner and a very valued ally, and we are working more closely together than ever to meet some of the most important challenges of our time. I am grateful, the United States is grateful for that partnership. We see it right now, particularly when it comes to helping defend Ukraine against the ongoing Russian aggression, and the critical role that Romania has played and continues to play in making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, but also critically the ability to continue to export grain, wheat, and other things that are so vital not only to Ukraine's economy but vital to people around the world. And it is thanks in large part to Romania that Ukraine continues to be able to do that - the Danube, as well, of course, as the Black Sea. We are working very closely together as well on civil nuclear cooperation, where we're partners in I think what is going to be one of the most important and exciting projects for the future of civil nuclear power and be effective in dealing with climate change. And of course, fundamentally - and I've had the great privilege of being to Romania on multiple occasions over the course of my 30 years in government, including with President Clinton many years ago and then much more recently than that, and what I've seen is a partnership that's only grown stronger. It's fundamentally grounded in the ties between our people, but it's also because of the work between our governments as well as our private sectors, something else that we want to continue to deepen. So Prime Minister, thank you so much for being here today, for taking the time. It's wonderful to have you. PRIME MINISTER CIOLACU: Your Excellency, I prefer speaking my language. (Via interpreter) The strategic partnership with the United States, which represents the most important partnership concluded by (inaudible), especially on the background of the security crisis resulting from the unlawful aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. I would like to congratulate you for your (inaudible). Definitely for the entire diplomacy and for the entire world, this involvement didn't go unnoticed. And I'd like to thank you on behalf of Romania, on behalf of Romanians, for all the support provided so that we can recover the Romanians living in the Gaza Strip - something that will never be forgotten for Romanians. As you rightly mentioned, (inaudible) has stood and will stand by Ukraine's side until it achieves a victory against the Russian Federation. Romania has learned (inaudible) its relationships with Russia some time ago, quite a while ago. We are very much aware of the Russian people and the aggression system, and this is why we will ask you, besides the partnership that has already been concluded with Romania, we would always - we would also like to encourage you to take into consideration a special relationship with the Republic of Moldova. It's the most vulnerable country, the second most vulnerable country after Ukraine. Well, Ukraine has an armed conflicts and undergoing, while in - Republic of Moldova is subjected to hybrid warfare directed against the president, Maia Sandu, and against democratically elected government. I'd like to thank you once more for the honor receiving us here together with my colleagues. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "Gaza belongs to the Palestinians and will remain so forever" Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey 04.12.2023 Addressing the opening event of the 39th Ministerial Session of the COMCEC in Istanbul, President Erdogan said: "We must display a very clear stance against Israel's policies of depopulating Gaza. I would like to once again remind the Israeli administrators, who pursue different ambitions, of the fact that Gaza is a Palestinian land. Gaza belongs to the Palestinians and will remain so forever." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a speech at the opening event of the 39th Ministerial Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) in Istanbul. "OVER 16 THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MARTYRED IN ISRAELI ATTACKS" Noting that this year marks the centenary of the Republic of Turkiye, President Erdogan said: "The Republic of Turkiye, the last ring of the chain of states we established in our geography, has left behind a century full of glory and successes. We will not stop until we crown this blessed march of ours extending from past to future with the Century of Turkiye. We will achieve this in solidarity with you, our brothers." President Erdogan stated: "The cooperation we will display gets increasingly more important during these days when a grave atrocity is underway in Palestinian lands, particularly in Gaza. Israel's massacres, which had started on October 7, have accelerated again as of December 1 following a 6-day pause due to the exchange of prisoners. Over 16 thousand people have been martyred and more than 36 thousand others wounded in Israeli attacks targeting civilians and civilian residential areas." "TWO OUT OF EVERY THREE PERSONS MARTYRED IN GAZA ARE CHILDREN, BABIES AND WOMEN" Pointing out that two out of every three persons martyred in Gaza are children, babies and women, President Erdogan noted that the number of missing Gazans has exceeded 6,500. Highlighting that among the victims of the Israeli oppression are 73 journalists and over 100 United Nations personnel, President Erdogan stated: "The situation is such that the United Nations, established to protect global security and peace in the first place, cannot protect even its own workers from Israel's barbarity. What is even grimmer is the incompetence of the powers from Europe to America that claim to be an advocate of human rights and freedoms. These countries lend unconditional support to Israel in order for it to kill more children, to bombard more hospitals, schools and homes, and to shed more blood of innocent people." Drawing attention to the international media's silence in the face of Israel's atrocities in Gaza, President Erdogan said: "International media outlets do not utter one single sentence for their killed colleagues or voice one single criticism of Israel. They, however, lectured all of us on the law and democracy for years. Were they not the ones who always started their remarks by mentioning the freedom of press? Those who caused a stir when the perpetrator was a Muslim are now blind and deaf to the massacres Israel is carrying out brutally. Those dying in Israel's attacks may be Palestinians in terms of physical identities. However; those ostentatious ideologies, conventions, declarations and principles, proudly laid out by persons, institutions or countries who side with Israel by lending support or remaining silent to this oppression, have now totally collapsed." Stressing that those who try to quiescently brush over the deaths of so many innocents and even justify them with the excuse of Hamas no longer have a single word to say to humanity, President Erdogan noted: "We are watching before our eyes the collapse of the entire 20th century design, which we looked at with good intentions with the hope that it could serve the humanity's common interests even though we knew the hypocrisy behind it. Still, we cannot help saying 'what a pity' notwithstanding all our objections. That is so because just like the closure of every period and the construction process of a new one, the years ahead will also be very turbulent, tough and bloody and will be full of risks. It is in our hands to convert this process into great gains for ourselves as well as for our friends and brothers. We are determined to work harder and to increase our efforts in this direction." Underscoring that Gaza serves as a litmus test for the global system, President Erdogan stated: "What we have been witnessing since the start of the war on October 7 has unveiled the true face of many entities including international organizations, human rights organizations, western democracies and global companies." "THE UNITED NATIONS HAS FAILED THE TEST OF GAZA INSTITUTIONALLY" "The United Nations has failed the test of Gaza institutionally. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' sincere efforts have unfortunately been undermined by the members of the Security Council. The decision adopted with 121 votes in favor at the United Nations General Assembly was a valuable step in that it reflected the conscience of the humanity. However, it remained incomplete because of the current structure of the United Nations and fell short of stopping the bloodshed. Unfortunately, the will of 161 countries, 40 absentees included, was disregarded. Even this picture alone suffices to show the impasse we as the 2 billion-strong Islamic world have been pushed to," said the President. President Erdogan continued his remarks as follows: "On one side, there are 121 countries that say, 'Stop the war, no more bloodshed.' On the other hand, there are 3 or 5 countries that give Israel carte blanche to attack. And, there is a global mechanism which takes action only when these 3 or 5 countries give the go-ahead. It is not possible for such a structure to bring peace, stop the conflicts, or serve as a source of hope for humanity." President Erdogan added: "This crooked structure of the United Nations Security Council, which is unfair and incapable of solving crises as we have been highlighting for years by saying that 'the World is bigger than 5,' must change as soon as possible. None of us is obliged to accept this system. None of us can accept the things as they are. From now on, we must be more vocal in raising our objections." President Erdogan further stressed: "As Muslims, we say 'A fairer world is possible.' Working in this direction is our responsibility not only towards our own citizens but also towards future generations. Of course, we will not stand idly by while doing this but will make full use of all the means and capabilities at our disposal. The Organization of Islamic Conference, whose raison d'etre is to promote the Palestinian cause, offers an important platform for us to wage this struggle as one body and one voice." "ISRAEL IS INCREASINGLY BEING RECOGNIZED NOT ONLY AS A THIEF BUT ALSO AS A MURDERER IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA" Drawing attention to the decisions of the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League held in Riyadh on November 11, 2023, President Erdogan said: "As the Islamic world, we showed our stance on the Palestine issue during the extraordinary Riyadh summit held jointly with the Arab League. During the summit, we took decisions of a truly milestone nature, particularly the designation of occupier settlers as a terrorist for the first time." President Erdogan went onto say: "Israel is increasingly being recognized not only as a thief but also as a murderer in the international arena. The Foreign Ministers Contact Group, formed during the summit, held talks in various countries. These talks will continue until the bloodshed in Gaza stops. We need to take other steps as well. One such step is to hold Israeli administrators to account for the war crimes they commit." "WE MUST START THE PREPARATIONS FOR GAZA'S RECONSTRUCTION IMMEDIATELY" Underscoring the importance of resorting to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court regarding the war crimes committed by Israel, President Erdogan stated: "Likewise, we will not allow the issue of the nuclear weapons, whose existence Israel has already admitted, to be forgotten. Does Israel have atomic bombs? Yes, it does, but if you ask them they tell the otherwise. We know very well what this means. Netanyahu, the Butcher of Gaza, will definitely stand trial not only as a war criminal but also as the Butcher of Gaza, just like Milosevic was tried." Stressing the urgent need to initiate the preparations for Gaza's reconstruction without delay, President Erdogan said: "We must display a very clear stance against Israel's policies of depopulating Gaza. I would like to once again remind the Israeli administrators, who pursue different ambitions, of the fact that Gaza is a Palestinian land. Gaza belongs to the Palestinians and will remain so forever. It is incumbent on all of us as the Islamic world not to yield even one inch of the Gazan territory to the occupier Israel. We must do this not only for our Gazan and Palestinian brothers and sisters, but also for our own security, for our own territorial integrity. We know it very well that those who occupy Gaza today will set their sights on other places tomorrow with the delusions of promised lands. So much so that they do not even find it necessary to conceal this intention of theirs any more. Netanyahu, the Butcher of Gaza, has personally revealed before cameras that the issue is not Gaza or Ramallah but that he pursues expansionist goals. Therefore, defending Gaza and Palestine today means defending Al Quds, Macca, Medina, Istanbul, Damascus, Beirut, Baghdad and other Islamic cities." "THE WAY TO PEACE IN OUR REGION IS THROUGH THE FOUNDATION OF A PALESTINIAN STATE" President Erdogan further stressed: "If we act with the sensitivity and knowledge that we are a big family of two billion individuals extending from Asia to Africa, America to Europe, no one can threaten or shake finger at us." President Erdogan continued his remarks as follows: "It has become all the more critical for us to boost our solidarity with the Palestinian people particularly during these trying times for them. As Turkiye, we, alongside our efforts in the international arena, also work to deliver humanitarian aid to the region. We have sent 12 planeloads of supplies and two civilian aid ships to Al Arish thus far in cooperation with our Egyptian brothers and sisters. We have transferred to Turkiye the wounded as well as cancer patients and children. I have personally visited these patients and shared their pain on behalf of our country and nation." Pointing out that the 'United for Peace in Palestine' summit, held in Istanbul under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdogan with the participation of first ladies and special representatives from numerous countries, was an important event in that it showed Turkiye's stance, President Erdogan said Turkiye will maintain its multipronged endeavors in the future as well. President Erdogan said: "The recent incidents have once again shown the importance of the formation of an independent, sovereign and geographically-integrated Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with Al Quds as its capital. The way to peace in our region is through the foundation of a Palestinian state. Within this framework, we, together with other countries, stand ready to assume every sort of responsibility, including acting as a guarantor, for the establishment of peace." "WHILE ISLAMOPHOBIA SPREADS LIKE A PLAGUE AMONG WESTERN SOCIETIES, GOVERNMENTS UNFORTUNATELY TAKE NO PRECAUTIONS" Also drawing attention to the increasingly growing treat of Islamophobia, President Erdogan stated: "Muslims, who make up the majority of the immigrant population in many European countries, endure xenophobic, racist, discriminatory and Islamophobic treatment on a daily basis. The attacks on our citizens as well as on their properties and the mosques, particularly in Western European countries, are on the rise in recent years. Since January 2023, nearly 500 anti-Islam attacks in the form of burning the Holy Quran has taken place, particularly in front of the OIC countries' embassies in Europe. Last week, three young men wearing Palestinian keffiyehs came under armed attack in broad daylight in the U.S. We can cite many more examples..." Underlining that governments unfortunately take no precautions while Islamophobia spreads like a plague among western societies, President Erdogan said: "Despicable attacks against the Holy Quran are unfortunately justified and legitimized under the excuse of the freedom of expression. We have all seen and continue to see how those who turn a blind eye to these attacks start to act prohibitively all of a sudden when it comes to defending the rights of the innocents in Palestine and Gaza." "THE CENTER OF GRAVITY IS SHIFTING FROM WEST TO EAST IN GLOBAL FINANCE" President Erdogan stated that COMCEC members' support is very valuable in order for the OIC Arbitration Center, based in Istanbul, to be an important platform in the settlement of investment and commercial disagreements. Expressing his belief that the COMCEC SME programme will contribute to the strengthening of the SMEs operating in OIC countries, President Erdogan added: "It is evident that electronic trade and digital transformation incentivize innovation and offers new opportunities in economic growth. Halal food is an area on which we need to increase our cooperation. Thank Allah, the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries has covered significant distance in the works carried out regarding this issue." Pointing out that the desired level in finance has yet to be reached even though the center of gravity is shifting from west to east in global finance, President Erdogan said: "We inaugurated in April the Istanbul Financial Center to fulfill our country's and our region's potential. With an area covering nearly 1.4 million square meters, the Istanbul Financial Center is a project that intends to be the heart of the sector in Fintech and Participation Finance. We desire the OIC and you, our friends, to benefit from this center of high strategic importance." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Ministry of Defence statement in response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants. 4 December 2023 A UK government spokesperson said: The United Kingdom condemns the attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants. As we've previously stated, Iran has long provided military and political support to Houthi militants and it bears responsibility for the actions of its proxies and partners. These waters are vital routes for global trade and incidents like these show the importance of the Royal Navy's presence in the region, which we announced last week would be bolstered by the additional deployment of HMS Diamond to join HMS Lancaster. The UK is committed to ensuring the safety of shipping in the region, including through our contribution to the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 4 December 2023 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. ** COP28 Good afternoon. The Secretary-General is on his way back from Dubai where he attended the opening segment of the Conference of Parties number 28, otherwise known as COP28. He was there all weekend, he spoke at various events, including the early warning systems event and a round table on the high-level expert group on net-zero emissions. He also spoke to the Group of 77 plus China, as well as the group of landlocked developing States. In all his interventions, the Secretary-General stressed the need for ambitious action to phase out fossil fuels and the need for developed countries to make good on their pledges to provide accessible financing to developing countries who are the ones that are experiencing the impacts of climate change the most. Also, he said that while the fossil fuel industry is finally waking up to the climate crisis, the recent announcements at COP28 fall far short of what is clearly needed and provided no clarity on the pathway to reaching net zero by 2050, which is absolutely essential to ensure integrity and integrity matters. There must be no room for greenwashing, he said. At the G77 event, he announced that he is establishing a Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. The Panel will bring together governments, international organizations, industry and civil society to develop common and voluntary principles to guide extractive industries in the years ahead in the name of justice and sustainability. During his time at the conference, the Secretary-General also met on two occasions with young climate activists and encouraged them to continue speaking up and putting pressure on leaders to act. And the Secretary-General will be in the office tomorrow morning, with a full program. ** Gaza Turning to Gaza, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warn that the current situation does not allow them to address people's needs in Gaza. Limited aid distributions, primarily of flour and water, took place yesterday in the Rafah governorate in Gaza. In the adjacent Khan Younis governorate, aid distribution largely stopped due to the intensity of hostilities. Gaza's Middle Area was largely disconnected from the south, following Israeli forces' prevention of movement, including of humanitarian supplies. Meanwhile, grave concerns about waterborne diseases due to water consumption from unsafe sources persist, particularly in the north, where the water desalination plant and the pipeline from Israel was shut down. There has been almost no improvement in the access of residents in the north to water for drinking and domestic purposes for weeks. And the World Food Programme warns that, eight weeks into the war, there is a big risk of famine for all of Gaza's people, including for those with chronic diseases, older persons, children and people living with disabilities. ** Lebanon Also just to flag that in southern Lebanon, our peacekeeping mission continues, and they note with concern that exchanges of fire across the Blue Line continued throughout the weekend, with reports that people were injured on both sides of the border. This follows the reported deaths of three people in Lebanon following exchanges of fire on 1 December. UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] reiterates its call for all actors to exercise utmost restraint, to avoid further escalation and to return to a cessation of hostilities immediately. ** UNWomen Also, just wanted to flag, you may have seen I think late Friday or early Saturday, UNWomen issued a statement, deeply regretting that military operations have resumed in Gaza, and reiterated that all women, Israeli, Palestinian women, as all others, are entitled to a life lived in safety and free from violence. They also unequivocally condemn the brutal attacks by Hamas on 7 October. They said they were alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during those attacks. That full statement was shared with you. ** Sudan Humanitarian I just want to flag on the humanitarian end on Sudan, we and our humanitarian partners continue to scale up the response to the outbreak of cholera in the country, including by supporting the detection and treatment of cases and addressing water, sanitation and hygiene issues. This comes as OCHA warns that the cholera outbreak in the country continues to worsen with a 70 per cent surge in reported cases over the past three weeks. To date, nearly 2.2 million oral cholera vaccinations have been administered in the worst-impacted states. As of today, nearly 5,200 suspected cases of cholera have been registered, including more than 160 fatalities, those have been reported in nine states in Sudan since 26 September. That's according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Sudan's Federal Ministry of Health. About two thirds of Sudan's population lacks access to health care, and more than 70 per cent of health-care facilities in conflict areas are out of service. Since the start of the war in April, WHO has verified 60 attacks against health-care facilities, which, as a reminder, is against international humanitarian law. ** Sudan Also on Sudan, for the record we issued a statement on Friday night in which the Secretary-General took note of the Security Council's decision to terminate the mandate of the political mission (UNITAMS) that took place on 3 December. The Secretary-General reiterates his deep appreciation to UNITAMS personnel for their service to the people of the Sudan, and for their resilience, including in the aftermath of the outbreak of conflict earlier this year. The Secretary-General, as you will recall, recently appointed a Personal Envoy for the Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra of Algeria, who will support ongoing peace efforts, in close coordination and cooperation with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). ** Philippines Also, a quick update from the Philippines, which as you will have seen, was struck by a 7.4magnitude earthquake over the weekend in the south of the country. OCHA notes that more than 700 aftershocks have been recorded, which could further weaken already damaged structures. The Government of the Philippines is leading the efforts, at both the provincial and municipal levels. Government agencies, the UN as well as our partners on the ground are conducting rapid assessments in impacted areas. According to the Government, more than 340,000 people have been impacted. Initial reports indicate damage to hospitals and roads. ** Iraq Back here this morning, Christian Ritscher, the Special Advisor and Head of the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant otherwise known as UNITAD briefed Security Council members on the 11th report detailing the Team's work over the past six months. He underscored that his team has significantly contributed to convictions of ISIL defendants throughout the world. More information is online. Also, in the Council, this afternoon, there will be closed consultations on the Middle East. The Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, is expected to brief on her recent visit to the region, which we shared information with you at the time it occurred. ** Honduras Also, over the weekend, we issued a note to correspondents on Honduras, and on the possible establishment of an international, impartial, independent and autonomous mechanism against corruption and impunity in Honduras. Our colleague Miroslav Jenca, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs, focusing on Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, has had a discussion with Eduardo Enrique Reina Garcia, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Honduras, on the status of implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretariat of the United Nations and Honduras on a future mechanism against corruption and impunity. They also discussed the joint way forward. ** Nuclear Weapons Also over the weekend we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General congratulated the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on the successful conclusion of their Second Meeting. He said he is encouraged by the work done, which showcases what is possible within multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations and bolsters the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture. He also welcomed the adoption of the political declaration, contributing toward our shared goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. ** 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial A couple of programming notes. The 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting is starting tomorrow in Ghana. Ministers and delegates from more than 85 countries and international organizations are meeting in Accra. This is a two-day event held in Africa for the first time it is an important opportunity for members to demonstrate their political support and make concrete pledges to strengthen UN peacekeeping's efforts to meet current and future challenges and needs. The meeting will focus on important issues such as advancing sustainable peace, the protection of civilians, strategic communications and improving the safety and mental health of peacekeepers. Member States and the UN will also work together to improve environmental management of peace operations and to deploy more women peacekeepers to ensure more diverse and inclusive operations. In a statement released earlier today, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who runs our peacekeeping department, said that to succeed in a world that is more divided than ever, we need the united and active engagement of Member States. ** Department of Economic and Social Affairs Also, our colleagues in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) tell us that in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, today, government officials from around the world are beginning the first global workshop for the 2024 voluntary national reviews for the implementation of the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]. The two-day workshop is organized by DESA and is hosted by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). More information on the interweb. ** Genocide This Friday, 8 December, the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide is organizing a high-level event to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. Under the theme "A Living Force in World Society: The Legacy of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide", panel speakers will reflect on the impact of the Convention in the areas of accountability, memory and prevention. The event starts at 11 p.m. in the Trusteeship Chamber and a media advisory is on the interweb. I will get to you, I won't leave without taking questions. ** Anti-Corruption Conference Also, in Atlanta, from the 11th to the 15th [of December], in Atlanta Georgia, it will be the 10th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption. The meeting is expected to highlight the impact of corruption on the environment and climate change. It will discuss how corruption hinders the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the role of the private sector in fighting corruption. And this is an important milestone for the Conference, as it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention against Corruption. ** Day of Banks Today is the International Day of... if I said to you "show me the money", what would you say? It's not the International Day of Tom Cruise, that's a good one! It's the International Day of Banks. This Day is a reminder that well-run national development banks can help countries develop finance operations for the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the humour, it is an important day. ** Questions and Answers Spokesman : Please, Edie, and welcome back. Question : Thank you, Steph. Two questions. A quick follow-up on the Secretary-General at COP28. Is he planning to return at the end of the COP meeting to try and ensure that there is as aggressive a final outcome as possible? Spokesman : We haven't announced a second leg, but I think traditionally, one would not be surprised to see the Secretary-General return, as you would say, to put maximum pressure on, but that will be announced in due time. Question : And a second question, on the UNWomen's statement on especially condemning the reported crimes of sexual violence against women by Hamas. The UN and UNWomen have been criticized for the long delay, seven weeks and more in coming out with a statement. What is the UN's response? Spokesman : Well, I mean, I think UNWomen's response, I think, is the clarity of their statement. And I think it refers back to things they have said in the past that may not have been seen. I mean, and for his part, I think the Secretary-General all along has been extremely clear. Benno, then Dezhi, then Margaret Besheer. Question : Thank you. About COP, how satisfied is the SG so far with the ongoing COP? Spokesman : Well, I... listen, I think I would refer you to his reaction to some of the developments that were laid out clearly in his statement. As for a verdict on the COP itself, I think we will wait till the end of the event. Question : Okay. And I don't know if you said that already in Dubai, but do you have a position on the, I think, 28 countries it was, pledging to increase nuclear powers that the way the SG sees as fruitful? Spokesman : I think I would refer you to... I think the SG did address it in one of his remarks. I'll refer you to that. Dezhi? Question : I'm going to dig a little bit deeper on the UNWomen statement. I believe the Secretary-General also said there should be an investigation on this Hamas attack of the sexual violence during the attacks. How would the investigation of this go? Spokesman : There are different mechanisms, and we've seen different mechanisms throughout the world. Of course, national authorities where the crimes took place have the initial, of course, the initial responsibility, and we fully understand that the Israeli authorities are doing so. We remain engaged with the Israeli authorities through UNWomen, through Pramila Patten [Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict] on how we can support them in any way. But there needs to be accountability. Question : But today, in the Israeli mission's event called "Hear Our Voice: Sexual and gender-based violence in the 7 October Hamas terror attack", the Israeli Ambassador, Mr. Erdan, said that he believed UNWomen is a blatantly anti-Semitic UN body and should be an investigation that truly must be carried out is an investigation of UNWomen's indifference to the heinous crimes against Israeli women. [cross talk] Spokesman : First of all, as I've said to you before, I'm not interested in getting for... Question : I know. But that's why I'm now going to ask you another question. [cross talk] Spokesman : But let me finish. You... Question : Okay. Spokesman : I think I heard a question mark there. Let me get to a full stop, and then we can return to question marks. Question : Actually, I didn't give you any question yet. Okay. You can go ahead. You can go ahead. Spokesman : Alright. Okay. Thank you, Dezhi. I appreciate it. First of all, the Secretary-General has full confidence in UNWomen and the leadership and the Executive Director of UNWomen. And I think that's clear and unambiguous. If you have any questions regarding more details of UNWomen's statement, I would refer you to them. Question : So, technically speaking, if there should be an investigation on the UN body, would that go through General Assembly or...? Spokesman : I'm not sure I know how to answer that. But as I said, I think the statement issued by UNWomen was very clear and to the point. Question : Okay. Spokesman : Margaret Besheer? Question : Hello. Spokesman : Hello. Question : Any update on Lynn Hastings situation? Spokesman : No, ma'am. Question : Okay. And then there have been a number of attacks on navigation in the Red Sea over the weekend. Spokesman : Yeah. Question : Is Mr. Grundberg using his good offices in any way to try and get the Houthis to cool it? Spokesman : We are using whatever ways we have to, both public and private to communicate our extremely serious concern about these attacks on commercial vessels. We believe, not only in the basic freedom of navigation, I mean, it's a bedrock of international commerce and international law. We're also, as we've said in the past, very worried about the expansion of the conflict as we see it. And also anything that may derail the Yemen process, right? I mean, Mr. Grundberg has met recently with Ansar Allah in Oman. He met with the Omanis. He met with the Yemeni government representatives in Riyadh. So, I mean, there is our continuing efforts on Yemen itself, and this, what is happening is not good for that. And then there's also the fear of expansion of the current conflict that we're seeing between Israel and Hamas. Question : And just one more. I know you addressed it last week. You were asked about the Secretary-General's confidence in Cindy McCain leading World Food Programme. But over the weekend, there's been reports about a petition that's gaining traction from within the agency. Employees are really unhappy with her. Is the Secretary-General still fully confident in her leadership, especially at this time of crisis? Spokesman : Yes, he is. Abdelhamid? Question : Oh, thank you, Stephane. I have two questions also. I want to start with what's going on in Gaza and the West Bank, Stephane. The Palestinian people are being butchered day in and day out. Every single day, there are hundreds of people 300 people were killed in the last 24 hours in Gaza. And again, in West Bank. What the UN can do to do some kind of protection? Palestinians are being annihilated day in and day out. This is... it's a genocidal war. It's not a war between Israel and Hamas. It's between Israel and the Palestinians. What the UN can do? Spokesman : Well, I mean, I think if, as you've seen, we have been speaking out publicly. We've been speaking out privately with all the necessary interlocutors. We're, of course, extremely... the Secretary-General was extremely concerned by the resumption of the hostilities between Israel and Palestinian armed groups and Hamas. Also the renewal of the ground operations and intensified air strikes by the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], notably in southern Gaza. Also the firing of rockets towards Israel from Gaza. We have again been advocating both privately and publicly for the Israeli forces to avoid further action that would exacerbate an already catastrophic humanitarian situation. I mean, it's clear to anyone that as long as you have fighting and intensified fighting, it is that much more difficult and complicated to distribute humanitarian aid, both not only for the safety of aid workers, but also for the safety of those who are receiving it. There is international law, and all the parties in this conflict have an obligation to respect that international law. We continue to call for an immediate humanitarian and sustained humanitarian ceasefire and, of course, the unconditional release of all the remaining hostages in Gaza. And these are things we're saying publicly and we're saying privately. Your second question, sir. Question : My second question about the accusation of an UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] staff and the UNRWA issued a statement. You have information that it was a lie and it was not proven in any way? Spokesman : No. I mean, I would refer your question to UNRWA. I think they've been very public about asking for more information. They're trying to get more information to investigate this claim to see what the veracity of it is. They're taking it very seriously. Jordan? Question : My question and also one more question, please. Spokesman : Okay. Go ahead. Question : Sufyan Tayeh is the president of Islamic University in Gaza. He's one of the most renowned scholars in the world. He's among the best 2 per cent of physical... of physics, scientific field. And he's a science scholar in physics, and he was killed with his family. I didn't see any reference to him or... Spokesman : Look, we're... Question : And, by the way, UNESCO chair all support science. So I didn't hear any statement from Tor Wennesland [UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process] or anyone... [cross talk] Spokesman : Look, what the resumption of fighting has done is it has led to a return of civilians being killed, people being killed with their families, in their homes, as they were seeking shelters, they were sleeping, as they were eating. We're seeing a cross section of the population of Gaza. Civilians, esteemed scientists, journalists, UN staff workers, all of them dying in Gaza. And this is why we want to renew our call for a humanitarian ceasefire. Jordan, and then I'll come back to the room. Question : Okay. Good afternoon. I have two small questions and one also simple question. Israel, in the past few days attacked Damascus, Syria. If you have anything to say on that. And also, according to UNOCHA, this question about settler violence in West Bank, they said most of cases which that Israeli army, occupation army, actually [inaudible] the settlers and they start shooting people, especially villagers or all of [inaudible]. If you have anything on that. The other question, as Abdelhamid asked you, what the UN can do besides talking to...? Spokesman : Well, I think, on your second question, as you said, Abdelhamid asked it, I answered it to the best of my abilities. I was not holding back anything. So I think I've answered that question. On the West Bank, we continue to be very worried about what we're seeing in the West Bank, intensifying Israeli operations, spiking of settler violence, high number of fatalities and arrests. We're also seeing attacks on Israelis by Palestinians. I think we need to be able to keep a focus on both what is going on in the Gaza and the West Bank simultaneously. Your other question, sir? Question : I did it, about Israeli attack on Syria two days ago. Spokesman : I don't have anything... I mean, what we've repeatedly said on a number of attacks we're seeing in Syria from very different quarters is our, again, same to my answer to Maggie, is the risk of expansion to this conflict, the need for everyone involved to avoid any actions that would escalate the conflict, which is already fairly intense. Stefano, then Dezhi. Question : Thank you, Stephane. When did Secretary-General Guterres last speak to President Biden? Spokesman : I don't have an exact date for you. Question : In the last month? No? Spokesman : I mean, I don't know if he spoke in the last month. Question : Does he...? Spokesman : He spoke, I mean, you know, I understand the kind of the focus. I mean, I can understand from your perspective, that focus. But I have to tell you the Secretary-General saw Kamala Harris not long ago when she was in London. He's on the phone with [United States Secretary of State] Antony Blinken, with the National Security Advisor [Jake Sullivan] as well regularly. He is in very constant contact with the Permanent Representative here, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. So I think we have no complaints about the level of communication with the United States Government, nor do we feel it is being hindered in any way, shape or form. Question : Just a quick follow-up, because it's known that who has more influence on the Israeli government at the moment is the US Government. Does the Secretary-General plan to, if the situation got even worse, to have a contact directly with the President Biden? Spokesman : The Secretary-General will speak to whomever and whenever he feels he needs to speak to someone. Dezhi Xu, China Central Television? Question : Hopefully, I'm going to have very quick questions. Spokesman : Hopefully, I have quicker answers. Yeah. Question : First one, I just want to confirm this because you mentioned about Khan Younis. Can the UN confirm that Israeli military has already started the operation in Khan Younis, which is actually south Gaza? Spokesman : Yeah. And your second question? Question : The second one is I remembered when you're talking about the humanitarian delivery, you mentioned the prevention of Israeli military. So the question is basically the same on Friday. Is it because of the security reason that some of those humanitarian deliveries cannot be achieved or because of the prevention of Israeli army, they wouldn't allow those humanitarian deliveries? Spokesman : From what I understand, it is both the resumption of the fighting and a number of cases of what you referred to. Question : What about the Khan Younis? Spokesman : We understand, you know, there was, I think, on the 3rd, the Israeli military designated an area covering about 20 per cent of Khan Younis for immediate evacuation. I'll tell you prior to that, that was home to about a 117,000 people, about 50,000 people were sheltering in UN premises there. It's not for me to give a sort of battle reports of where the IDF is. Question : Okay. So the last question. Minister for Defence of Israel, today announced that he thought the military operation will be at least for two months at current level. What would that mean for the UN humanitarian operation in Gaza? Spokesman : I think you can answer that question for yourself, Dezhi. The longer this continues, the worse the suffering is, the more complicated it is for us to run our humanitarian operations. Okay, Monica, all yours, and thank you all. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ghana meeting seeks to boost political support to strengthen UN Peacekeeping 4 December 2023 - Ministers and delegates from more than 85 countries and international organizations are meeting in Ghana this week to express their collective commitment to UN Peacekeeping. They are taking part in the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial, which opens in the capital, Accra, on Tuesday. The two-day meeting aims to secure vital political support and concrete commitments to strengthen UN Peacekeeping efforts to meet current and future challenges and needs, in line with ongoing reform under the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) framework and the A4P+ implementation plan. UN peacekeeping and special political missions in Africa have been navigating major challenges this year, including the withdrawal at the military government's request of MINUSMA in Mali, and the drawdown of MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose president said in September he wanted 'blue helmets' to start their planned withdrawal early, by the end of December. Just last week, the Security Council agreed to terminate the political mission in Sudan, following a Government request for its immediate withdrawal last month, although a personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General will continue to work towards resolving the devastating civil conflict between rival militaries there. A demonstration of support "Ultimately, peacekeeping is a political endeavor. Our goal is to help parties secure and implement peace agreements and related processes. To succeed in a world that is more divided than ever, we need the united and active engagement of Member States," said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. He added that as field missions "navigate unprecedented challenges and threats, the Ministerial is an important opportunity for Member States to demonstrate their support and make concrete pledges to strengthen our effectiveness." The flagship event, co-hosted by the UN and Ghana, marks the fifth such meeting at the Ministerial-level and the first to be held on the African continent. Advancing peace, protecting civilians This time the focus is on crucial issues such as advancing sustainable peace, protection of civilians, strategic communications, and improving the safety and mental health of peacekeepers. Member States and the UN will also work together to improve environmental management of peace operations and deploy more women peacekeepers to ensure they are more diverse and inclusive. UN Peacekeeping 'indispensable' Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, spoke of her country's long-standing contribution to UN Peacekeeping, having provided uniformed personnel - troops and police - since the 1960s. She also acknowledged the "long and positive track record of peacekeeping in Africa". She said Ghana "believes that UN Peacekeeping has a future and remains indispensable and invaluable in advancing peace in conflict settings globally." "It is therefore pertinent that the world remains resolute in our commitment to jealously guarding this multilateral tool and fully support the Secretary-General's initiatives such as the Action for Peacekeeping and A4P+ which are essential to improving the effectiveness of modern-day peacekeeping and tackling the security challenges of our time," she added. Pledges and commitments The Accra meeting is the latest in a series of high-level events that have enabled world leaders to pledge resources to help missions fully implement their mandates, according to UN Peacekeeping. Past Ministerials in New York, London, Vancouver, and Seoul have helped generate rapidly deployable military units, key aviation assets, better medical capacities and to advance the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNRWA 4 Dec 2023 Key Points The Gaza Strip UNRWA has been able to confirm that at least 19 additional colleagues were killed during strikes. In total, 130 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since 7 October. Nearly 1.9 million people (or over 85 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip since 7 October. As of 3 December, almost 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were sheltering in 156 UNRWA installations across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the North and Gaza City. UNRWA 4 Dec 2023 Key Points The Gaza Strip On the morning of 1 December, hostilities resumed following the end of a humanitarian pause that started on 24 November. UNRWA confirms that one colleague was killed during strikes before the humanitarian pause. In total, 111 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since 7 October. Almost 1.9 million people (or over 80 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip since 7 October. As of 2 December,** UNRWA has been able to verify that 117 incidents have occurred at 85 UNRWA premises since the beginning of the war. 30 installations were hit directly and 55 sustained collateral damage. In addition, UNRWA has received reports of the military use of its facilities on at least five occasions.** As of 2 December, almost 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were sheltering in 156 UNRWA installations across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including in the North and Gaza City. U.S. Navy to start recovery operations for downed Blackhawk US Navy 04 December 2023 From U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs MEDITERRANEAN SEA -- The U.S. Navy contracted the multi-purpose support vessel, NG Worker, for search and recovery operations of an Army Blackhawk aircraft that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 10. The aircraft was conducting routine training when the crash occurred. The NG Worker, equipped with the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving team, is set to depart to the crash location from Augusta Bay, Sicily, in the coming days. Once on station, salvage experts will deploy a shallow water intermediate search system (SWISS) and towed pinger locator (TPL) to search for the aircraft. The SWISS is a towed side-scan-sonar (SSS) and the TPL is used to locate emergency relocation pingers on downed military and commercial aircraft. The TPL will use passive sensors to "listen" for the aircraft pinger's frequency. Recovery of the aircraft will take place using the Deep Drone remote operated vehicle (ROV). Deep Drone is a 4,100 pound ROV designed to meet the Navy's mid-water salvage requirements to a maximum depth of 8,000 feet. Every effort will be made to recover the aircraft and the fallen Soldiers. NG Worker is a 288-foot offshore supply vessel that is outfitted with advanced, state-of-the-art underwater survey and positioning equipment. Assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command the Blackhawk was carrying five special operations aviation Soldiers when it crashed. All Soldiers on board were killed. The cause of the crash is under investigation. For information regarding the incident, contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs office at 910-432-6005, or by email at PAO-USASOC@socom.mil. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Red Sea Attacks Raise Tensions as US Kills 5 in Iraq By Carla Babb December 04, 2023 U.S. forces killed five Iran-backed militants as they prepared to launch a drone attack in Iraq, as the number of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria rose to 76 since mid-October. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Monday that U.S. forces saw the militants Sunday as they were beginning to launch an attack drone and fired a precision munition from a U.S. drone to take them out. "We felt that ... it was going to be a threat to U.S. forces, and because we have the inherent right to self-defense we took action," she said. Iranian-backed proxies launched two multi-rocket attacks against U.S. forces in eastern Syria over the weekend; one targeting Rumalyn Landing Zone and another targeting forces in Shadaddi. The attacks resulted in no casualties or damage to infrastructure. "Iran, we believe, is the ultimate party responsible" for attacks on ships transiting near Red Sea, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. "This is an issue for the entire world," he added. The latest violence in Iraq and Syria comes as Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents in Yemen hit three commercial ships in the Red Sea with missiles Sunday, in what could be a further escalation in a string of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the nearly two-month-old Israel-Hamas war. "Houthi forces attacked multiple commercial vessels in the Red Sea," the Defense Department told VOA. "The USS Carney lended aid in some circumstances and shot down Houthi drones that were headed in its general direction." According to U.S. Central Command, after the first ballistic missile hit the waters near M/V Unity Explorer, the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, responded and took out a drone heading in the direction of the two ships. Less than an hour later, M/V Unity Explorer was hit by a Houthi missile, causing minor damage. While the USS Carney was responding to the ship's distress call, Houthis fired another drone at the ships that was shot down by the Carney crew. A few hours later, missiles launched from Yemen hit two more commercial ships, the M/V Number 9 and the M/V Sophie II, damaging both vessels. While responding to the Sophie II's distress call, USS Carney shot down another drone heading in its direction. Singh said the Pentagon assessed the Carney was not the target of any of the attacks, but when pressed by VOA, she acknowledged that this was an initial assessment and the Pentagon had not ruled out the possibility that the Carney might have been a drone target. "It came close enough that the commander of the ship felt that it was a threat and needed to engage and shoot down that drone," she said. Singh added that the attacks were "very concerning" but would not say how or whether the U.S. would respond. In 2016, the U.S. launched Tomahawk cruise missiles that destroyed three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory to retaliate for missiles being fired at U.S. Navy ships. A Houthi military spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying the rebels hit one vessel with a missile and another with a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. "The Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea [and Gulf of Aden] until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops," Saree said. "The Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all Israeli ships or those associated with Israelis that they will become a legitimate target if they violate what is stated in this statement." Saree also identified the first vessel hit as the Unity Explorer, which is owned by a British firm that includes Dan David Ungar, who lives in Israel, as one of its officers. The Houthi spokesperson said the second hit was a Panamanian-flagged container ship called Number 9, which is linked to Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement. Israeli media have identified Ungar as being the son of Israeli shipping billionaire Abraham "Rami" Ungar. For more than a month, Iranian-backed militias have conducted drone and rocket attacks against the 2,500 American troops based in Iraq and the 900 troops in Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Chief Alarmed at Resumption, Spread of Gaza Fighting By Margaret Besheer December 04, 2023 U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his extreme alarm Monday about the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, including Hamas rocket fire on Israel and the renewal and expansion of Israel's airstrikes and military ground operations into the southern Gaza Strip. "The U.N. continues to appeal to Israeli forces to avoid further action that would exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and to spare civilians from more suffering," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. "Civilians including health workers, journalists and U.N. personnel and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times." Guterres called on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and renewed his call for a sustained humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza and for the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas. "The number of civilians killed is rapidly increasing," said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA, the U.N. agency that assists Palestinians. "Civilians, including men, women, children, older persons, the sick and people with disabilities, are the most to suffer," Lazzarini said. Israel vowed to destroy Hamas, which governs Gaza, after the militant group sent fighters rampaging into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israel. Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and others, also took about 240 people hostage. More than 100 of the Israeli hostages have since been released, most of them during a weeklong truce agreement between Israel and Hamas. Israel's air and ground military operations in Gaza have killed more than 15,500 Palestinians, about 70 percent women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. More than 1.8 million Gazans are believed to be displaced by the fighting and Israeli evacuation orders. About 1.2 million of them are in 156 severely overcrowded U.N. shelters. Guterres also reiterated the need for an unimpeded, adequate and sustained flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The U.N. said Monday that the current situation on the ground is severely impeding its ability to address humanitarian needs. Limited aid was distributed in Rafah on Sunday but largely stopped in the neighboring Khan Younis because of the hostilities. "The Israeli authorities continue to restrict the flow of humanitarian supplies, including fuel, forcing the U.N. to only use the ill-equipped crossing point with Egypt," Lazzarini said, reiterating his call for Israel to open more border crossings with Gaza for humanitarians. Israel has told Palestinians in areas around the Gazan city of Khan Younis to evacuate to Rafah, farther south, near the border with Egypt. Many of them have been displaced more than once before from other parts of Gaza. "The order created panic, fear and anxiety," Lazzarini said, adding that it pushes people into an area less than one-third of the Gaza Strip. West Bank boiling Guterres also expressed alarm at the growing violence in the West Bank, including Israeli security operations, high numbers of fatalities and arrests, rising settler violence and attacks on Israelis by Palestinians, his spokesperson said. According to the U.N. department of humanitarian affairs, since Hamas' terror attacks on October 7, Israeli forces have killed 244 Palestinians, including 65 children, in the West Bank. Israeli settlers have killed another eight people, including one child. The U.N. Security Council met for 2 hours in a closed session Monday to discuss the collapse of the seven-day humanitarian truce and the renewed hostilities. France's envoy expressed concern about Palestinians in Gaza being pushed farther south and renewed calls for a humanitarian truce. "In the short term, what we would need is a humanitarian truce leading to a cease-fire," Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere told reporters after the meeting. "In the first time of this crisis, the people of Gaza were pushed from the north to the south. Now, I think they are in the south and are asked to leave again. So, where should they go? It's really time to have a truce and a cease-fire." Sexual violence Separately Israel, along with several Jewish organizations, held an event Monday inside the United Nations to spotlight atrocities they accuse Hamas of committing against women on October 7, including rape and mutilation, which they say the international community has been largely indifferent to. Ahead of the session, dozens of women waving Israeli flags and signs gathered outside the United Nations. "This was premeditated. This was planned. This was instructed," Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the meeting of mostly female activists and Israel supporters, addressing the violence against women. "Hamas terrorists were told to commit these acts of sheer evil in order to terrorize us and our families, in order to drive us away from Israel out of fear. This is the enemy we are facing." Erdan focused his anger on the U.N.'s main agency for women, saying it failed to speak out early and strongly against sexual attacks on Israeli women. "Sadly, the very international bodies that are supposedly the defenders of all women showed that when it comes to Israelis, indifference is acceptable," he said. "To these organizations, Israeli women are not women. The rape of Israelis is not an act of rape. Their silence has been deafening." Erdan said he sent photographic evidence in two separate letters to U.N. Women, which were ignored. During a Security Council meeting on November 22, U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Bahous told the council she was alarmed by reports of gender-based and sexual violence. "I reiterate my call from when I last spoke in these chambers in October, that every act of violence against women and girls, including sexual violence, is unequivocally condemned and must be fully investigated with the utmost priority," she said. In a statement on December 1, U.N. Women condemned Hamas and called for the investigation, prosecution and accountability for all acts of gender-based violence committed on or after October 7. In Washington, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters the Biden administration has "no reason to doubt those reports" of sexual violence by Hamas, adding that Washington does not have its "own independent assessments to make right now." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Many Feared Dead as Nigerian Military Airstrike Hits Local Village By Timothy Obiezu December 04, 2023 Nigerian authorities said Monday that a military airstrike targeting terrorists in northern Kaduna state had erroneously hit a local village and killed civilians there. Officials of the Kaduna state Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs confirmed the incident after an emergency security meeting Monday. Authorities said the military jet was on a routine counterterrorism operation Sunday when it inadvertently bombed the Tudun village in the state and killed dozens of residents. The victims had gathered to mark the Maulud celebration, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad that night, when the incident occurred. Authorities did not give details on casualties but local media reported at least 30 people were killed, and dozens of others were being treated in the hospital. The state government said Monday that search-and-rescue operations were still underway. Mike Medubi, media aide to the Kaduna state security commissioner, told VOA by phone, "The official statement is the only authoritative source right now, as no numbers have been published or released from the end of the Kaduna state government. ... I don't know where the other media sources are getting their numbers from." The Kaduna state government sent condolences to the affected families. This wasn't the first time this year that a military airstrike had killed civilians in Nigeria. In January, an airstrike hit a small settlement in Nasarawa state near Abuja, killing 39 people and injuring six others. Civilian casualties during military operations have in the past sparked debate about such operations as well as war accountability in Nigeria. Nigeria has been struggling to end a 14-year Islamic insurgency in its northeast and keep armed gangs from spreading across the northwest and central states. Kaduna is one of the states affected by the activities of kidnap-for-ransom gangs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 04 December 2023 - Day 649 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that between 24 February 2022 and November 2023, official Russian MoD forces likely suffered between 180,000 and 240,000 personnel wounded and approximately 50,000 killed. Wagner Group mercenaries likely suffered approximately 40,000 wounded and 20,000 killed. Therefore, overall, the Russian side has likely suffered around 220,000-280,000 wounded and approximately 70,000 killed. This gives an estimated range of between 290,000 and 350,000 total Russian combatant casualties. The median of the estimate range is 320,000 total Russian combatant casualties. Even amongst Russian officials there is likely a low level of understanding about total casualty figures because of a long-established culture of dishonest reporting within the military. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of December 4, there were 61x combat engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 5x missile strikes, 44x air strikes, 37x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. The Russian occupiers launched another attack on Ukraine with 1x Kh-59 guided missile and 10x Shahed-136/131 UAVs. 6x Russian drones and 1x Kh-59 guided missile were shot down. Unfortunately, the Russian attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and injuries. Private residential buildings as well as other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group. Certain units of the armed forces of Belarus continue their missions in the areas bordering Ukraine. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. Russia continues its sabotage and reconnaissance activities, shelling Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine. Around 20x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Klyusy, Prohres, Serhiivs'ke (Chernihiv oblast), Atyns'ke, Myropil's'ke, Hrabovs'ke, Porozok, Popivka (Sumy oblast), Chervona Zorya, Pletenivka, Krasne Pershe (Kharkiv oblast). Kup'yans'k axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 10x Russian attacks in the vicinities of Syn'kivka and Petropavlivka (Kharkiv oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes near Petropavlivka, Pishchane (Kharkiv oblast) and Novojehorivka (Luhansk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Dvorichna, Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Ivanivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: Ukrainian defense forces repelled 8x attacks in the area of Serebryans'ke forestry, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), and Terny (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces with air support attempted to force Ukrainian units out of their positions. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Spirne and Vyimka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian occupiers fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Yampolivka, Tors'ke, Serebryanka, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 9x attacks near Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Chasiv Yar (Donetsk oblast). Around 15x settlements, including Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Markove, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, New York (Donetsk oblast), came under artillery and mortar fire. Avdiivka axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 15x attacks in the area east of Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Avdiivka, Sjeverne (Donetsk oblast), where Russia was making unsuccessful attempts to breach Ukrainian defenses. Also, the Russian invaders launched an air strike in the vicinity of Oleksandropil' (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 15x settlements, including Ocheretyne, Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Karlivka, Netailove, Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast). Mar'inka axis: Ukrainian defense forces continue to hold back Russian forces, who, with air support, launched 14x unsuccessful attacks on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinities of Mar'inka and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). The settlements of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, Paraskoviivka, Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast) were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces conducted no assaults. The occupiers launched air strikes in the vicinities of Urozhaine, Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Around 10x settlements, including Vodyane, Urozhaine, Staromaiors'ke, Rivnopil' (Donetsk oblast), came under artillery and mortar fire. Zaporizhzhia axis: Ukrainian defense forces repelled all Russian attacks near Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast), where Russian forces made attempts to regain lost ground. Russian forces launched air strikes near Novodarivka, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 20x settlements, including Levadne, Malynivka, Zaliznychne, Robotyne, P'yatykhatky, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast), came under artillery and mortar fire. Kherson axis: Russian forces fired artillery at the settlements of Inzhenerne, Antonivka, Dniprovs'ke, Novodmytrivka (Kherson oblast), as well as the cities of Kherson and Ochakiv (Mykolaiv oblast). Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold their ground on the left bank of the Dnipro River (Kherson oblast) and inflict fire on the Russian enemy. During the day of December 4, Ukrainian Air Force launched 10x strikes on concentrations of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment, and 2x strikes on air defense systems. Ukrainian missile troops hit 3x concentrations of troops, weapons and military equipment, 2x air defense systems, and 7x artillery systems of the Russian invaders. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by helicopters and artillery repelled one attack of assault groups of the AFU 57th Mechanised Brigades close to Sinkovka (Kharkov region). Up to 35 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system have been eliminated. In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, helicopters, and artillery repelled five attacks of assault groups of the AFU 63rd and 67th mechanised brigades close to Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic). The enemy losses amounted to up to 280 troops, five Kozak armoured fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 24th, 93rd mechanised brigades near Kurdyumovka and Kleshcheyevka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy lost up to 300 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, and three motor vehicles. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by helicopters and artillery inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of the AFU 102nd Territorial Defence Brigade close to Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses amounted to up to 100 Ukrainian troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles. In Zaporozhye direction, one attack launched by assault groups of the AFU 118th Mechanised Brigade near Nesteryanka (Zaporozhye region) was repelled by the Russian Group of Forces, air strikes, and artillery fire. The enemy lost up to 40 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, and three motor vehicles. In Kherson direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on clusters of manpower and hardware of the AFU 36th, 37th marines brigades near Tyaginka (Kherson region). Up to 50 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, as well as one Giatsint howitzer have been neutralised by fire. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 107 areas during the day. Air defence units shot down 30 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Novovodyanoye, Lisichansk (Lugansk People's Republic), Peski, Spornoye, and Aleksandrovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Novaya Zburyevka, (Kherson region) and Tokmak (Zaporozhye region), as well as one HIMARS MLRS projectile. In total, 545 airplanes and 256 helicopters, 9,391 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 13,775 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,187 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,227 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 15,894 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO's flagship cyber exercise concludes in Estonia NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 27 Nov. 2023 - 01 Dec. 2023 Last updated: 04 Dec. 2023 From 27 November to 1 December, Allied and partner cyber defenders tested their ability to protect networks and critical infrastructure against realistic and complex cyber threats and attacks. Exercise Cyber Coalition is NATO's flagship cyber exercise and one of the largest in the world. This year's edition brought together more than 1,300 cyber defenders from 28 NATO Allies and 7 partner countries, as well as the European Union and participants from industry and academia. This year's exercise took place in Tallinn, Estonia, as well as remotely, in national capitals and other locations. "Cyber Coalition is unique because it is the only cyber exercise in NATO that is not a competition. We all work together as a family of cyber defenders. This collaboration is what makes us stronger and more resilient to cyber threats. This year, the cooperation between all participants has been exceptional" said Commander Charles Elliott (US Navy), Exercise Director. The Cyber Coalition 2023 scenario is based on real-life cyber challenges, including attacks on critical infrastructure such as electrical substations, energy grids and water treatment plants, as well as the disruption of NATO and Allied assets while in operations. The aim is to enhance NATO's, Allies' and partners' resilience to cyber threats and their ability to conduct cyber operations together. Cyber Coalition is also a perfect venue for cyberspace experimentation, supporting NATO's capability development and transformation in the cyber domain. During Cyber Coalition 23, NATO's Allied Command Transformation spearheaded three experimentations to improve cyber awareness, information sharing and automated data exploitation, and enhance the protection of military missions against cyber-attacks. The 28 participating Allies were: Albania, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, TArkyie, United Kingdom, United States. The 7 participating NATO partner countries were: Georgia, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kyrgyz Republic and OSCE join forces to counter terrorism and violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism OSCE | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 4 December 2023 Bishkek, 21 November 2023 -- The Anti-Terrorism Centre of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic (ATC SCNS KR), in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, organized a roundtable on implementing the Programme of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on countering extremism and terrorism for 2023-2027 and its Action Plan. The event brought together high-level representatives of the Kyrgyz government. The participants discussed the outcomes of the 2017-2022 Programme for countering extremism and terrorism and were introduced to the objectives of the new 2023-2027 Programme, along with its Action Plan. The focus was on implementation mechanisms, anticipated results, collaboration among implementing agencies, and matters related to monitoring and evaluation. Both the Programme and the Action Plan aim to effectively implement the national policy on countering terrorism, and violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism by enhancing co-operation and co-ordination mechanisms among state and non-state institutions. "In recent years, extremism and terrorism have emerged as predominant threats to every country worldwide. Therefore, in the fight against such threats, all government agencies need to work coherently, decisively, continuously, and proactively, with the active involvement of representatives of civil society," noted Aibek Shamenov, Director of the ATC SCNS. "Substantial milestones have been achieved at every stage, from evaluating the previous Programme to developing and approving the current Programme and the Action Plan. These efforts once again demonstrate Kyrgyz Republic's commitment to fulfilling its international obligations in the fight against terrorism and ensuring the safety of its citizens," shared Ambassador Alexey Rogov, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek strengthens the security of the Kyrgyz Republic by actively supporting state institutions, including the development of strategic documents such as the Programme of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on countering extremism and terrorism for 2023-2027 and its Action Plan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address United Kingdom joins Horizon Europe programme European Commission Press release 4 December 2023 Brussels As of 1 January 2024, the United Kingdom becomes an associated country to Horizon Europe. Its researchers will be able to participate in this research and innovation programme of the EU on the same terms as researchers from other associated countries and will have access to Horizon Europe funding. Today, the final step towards this was completed - the EU-UK Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes adopted the political agreement on United Kingdom's association to Horizon Europe and to the Copernicus component of the Space Programme. The UK's association to Horizon Europe will deepen the EU's relationship with the UK in research and innovation, bringing together research communities to tackle global challenges such as climate change, digital transformation and health. The association Protocol adopted by the Committee is an integral part of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The UK will contribute around a2.43 billion per year on average to the EU budget for its participation in Horizon Europe, and roughly a154 million for participation to Copernicus. Background Horizon Europe is the EU's key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of a95.5 billion for 2021-27. It tackles climate change, helps to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and boosts the EU's competitiveness and growth. The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union's Space programme, looking at our planet and its environment to benefit all European citizens. It offers information services that draw from satellite Earth Observation and in-situ (non-space) data and makes an essential contribution in reaching our European Green Deal and net-zero objectives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPRK warns against attack against its space assets People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:46, December 04, 2023 SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of National Defense of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warned in a statement Saturday that "any attack against the country's space assets will be deemed as declaration of war," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The warning came after an official from the U.S. Space Command recently said that the United States can decrease the enemy country's outer space operation capabilities by employing diverse "reversible and irreversible methods," hinting at the U.S. intention to militarily attack the DPRK's reconnaissance satellite "Malligyong-1," according to the statement. Noting the reconnaissance satellite is "a part of the territory of the DPRK where its sovereignty is exercised," the statement said the U.S. stance is "a challenge to the sovereignty of the DPRK, and more exactly, a declaration of war against it." "It is the mission of the DPRK armed forces to exercise their war deterrent to protect the state sovereignty and territorial integrity in case a lethal military attack is carried out against the country's strategic assets or it is judged such attack is imminent," the statement stressed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address First time participation in Japan-US exercise Issued by Defence Media 4 December 2023 In a historic first Australia will take part in Exercise Yama Sakura 85 (YS85) enhancing our interoperability and mutual defence capability with Japan and the United States. More than 200 Australian Defence Force personnel will take part in the large-scale Command Post Training Exercise involving the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and United States Army Pacific. For more than a decade Australia has been an observer at Yama Sakura (which means mountain cherry blossom). The exercise was first held in 1982 to practise command and control of large-scale combat operations and to improve interoperability between partner nations. At the conclusion of last year's Exercise Yama Sakura 83, the Australian Army received an invitation to participate, reinforcing Australia's special strategic partnership with Japan and strengthening our alliance with the US. "Australia's participation in Exercise Yama Sakura 85 is a significant step forward in trilateral cooperation in support of an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific," Major General Scott Winter AM, Commander of the 1st (Australian) Division said. YS85 will involve around 230 members of the Australian Army, 1500 US Army personnel and 5300 JGSDF in locations across Japan and Washington State in the USA, and will be the largest ever iteration of this annual command post exercise. The opening ceremony for Yama Sakura 85 took place on 4 December at Camp Higashi-Chitose, outside Sapporo on Japan's northern island, Hokkaido. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Heavy lifters arrive down under 4 December 2023 Exercise Global Dexterity has brought together C-17A Globemaster aircraft from the US, UK and Australia for a series of air mobility training missions. Held at RAAF Base Amberley from November 27 to December 8, the exercise continues to build close ties between RAAF's 36 Squadron and the US Pacific Air Forces' (PACAF) 535th Airlift Squadron, travelling from Hawaii. For the first time, Royal Air Force's (RAF) 99 Squadron participated in the exercise from December 1. Exercise Global Dexterity is held twice a year and provides an opportunity for C-17A aircrew and technicians to build aviator-level relationships with foreign counterparts. Commanding Officer 36 Squadron Wing Commander Scott Hyland said these relationships ensured RAAF aviators could support operations at short notice. "The C-17A is well suited to delivering critical personnel and large amounts of cargo across the Indo-Pacific, but the people and our relationships are what allow us to do this quickly and effectively," Wing Commander Hyland said. "Through Exercise Global Dexterity, we've built a relationship with the US PACAF C-17A community that allows us to fly and fix each other's aircraft as a blended workforce, greatly increasing our flexibility during operations. "The value of these aircraft and their workforce is evident when we deploy together in the region, whether it be in support of peacekeeping operations, non-combatant evacuations, or to deliver a time-critical response to a natural disaster." The exercise this year involves low-level formation training around western Sydney, high-level air-to-air refuelling from RAAF KC-30As, and deployed operations to RAAF Bases Townsville and Scherger in northern Queensland. "With the cooperation of the Papua New Guinea government, we will also conduct air mobility missions to PNG during Exercise Global Dexterity 23-2," Wing Commander Hyland said. "We are grateful for the opportunity to test our skills in PNG, which is one of the world's most complex flying environments. The training we achieve during Exercise Global Dexterity ensures that we can deliver help anywhere in the Indo-Pacific. "We welcome the UK's debut in Exercise Global Dexterity, and believe it will yield great benefit to the wider Indo-Pacific community on future operations, and we thank the government and community of PNG for their support." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joining forces in Japan By Flight Lieutenant Claire Burnet 4 December 2023 A RAAF P-8A Poseidon and 33 personnel from 11 Squadron have conducted two training exercises at Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi base in Japan. The aircraft and team undertook seven sorties during Exercise AnnualEx (from November 10 to 20) and one during Exercise Nichi Gou Trident 23-2 (from November 20 to 21), with further Australian support provided by the Royal Australian Navy's HMA Ships Brisbane and Stalwart. Exercise Nichi Gou Trident is an activity between Japan and Australia that provides an opportunity to practise anti-submarine warfare and aircraft interoperability procedures. Conducted regularly since 2009, it enhances operational understanding between both countries' maritime patrol aircraft and submarines. Exercise AnnualEx on the other hand is a multi-lateral exercise with contingents from the United States, Japan, Canada and Australia conducting high-end war fighting in the maritime domain. RAAF's P-8A Detachment Commander for the exercises, Squadron Leader Simon Earl, said they both aim to enhance interoperability between participating nations in the region. "Exercise AnnualEx involved conducting anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare serials in the Philippine Sea, with multiple air and maritime assets deployed from each country," Squadron Leader Earl said. This large-scale maritime fleet exercise provided an opportunity for maritime air, surface and sub-surface warfare to engage in interoperability practice. "Exercise AnnualEx presented a relatively rare opportunity for Australia to practise maritime warfare skills with a large group of international counterparts during a Japanese-led exercise," Squadron Leader Earl said. "It's extremely valuable for our ADF personnel to practise tactics and interoperability procedures in new locations with different geographical terrain and varying weather." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New pilots challenged during exercise By Flight Lieutenant Rob Hodgson 4 December 2023 RAAF personnel and aircraft were deployed to RAAF Base Townsville to conduct the final phase of Exercise High Sierra at the end of November. The final phase of the F-35A Lightning II operational conversion course aims to graduate the newest generation of fast-jet pilots for Air Force's 81 Wing. The exercise also supported the E-7A Wedgetail operational conversion course for co-pilots, surveillance and control officers, and electronic support measures operators. Commanding Officer 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU) Wing Commander Philip Eldridge said there were critical benefits for training by deploying to RAAF Base Townsville for the exercise. "Deploying away from our home base - RAAF Base Williamtown in NSW - allows pilots to train in an unfamiliar environment, practise large-force employment with other Air Force squadrons and practise delivery of high-explosive ordnance into an air weapons range," Wing Commander Eldridge said. "This allows the pilots to practise the skills used in real conflicts, developing the ability to defend Australia and its national interests." The aircraft operated for the duration of the exercise from RAAF Base Townsville. "We are very grateful for the ongoing support that Air Force receives from the people of Townsville and the wider region," Wing Commander Eldridge said. During this exercise, the pilots and crews needed to successfully operate away from their main operating base, plan and execute a large-force employment scenario and deliver explosive ordnance into the weapons range. As would be expected, given that the F-35A Lightning II is the cutting edge of fast-jet development, the training is extremely rigorous and critically demanding. The graduates had to prove that they had the 'right stuff'. 2OCU instructor Flight Lieutenant Ross Bowman said pilots were put in scenarios where they had to rapidly switch between different mission sets and execute to a high standard, but also achieve this safely. "Such missions will involve taking off and conducting air-to-air refuelling, fighting their way down the airspace, neutralising the enemy aircraft while also avoiding or killing surface-to-air threats," Flight Lieutenant Bowman said. "Good prioritisation and multitasking is a huge attribute you need to be an effective pilot in the F-35A Lightning II aircraft." Supporting the exercise were other RAAF aircraft platforms including the E-7A Wedgetail from 2 Squadron and the 33 Squadron KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transports, as well as Qinetiq Air Affairs Lear jets in an adversary role. Flight Commander 2 Squadron, Squadron Leader Tim Growden, said the exercise was an excellent opportunity to expose junior aircrew, ground and support personnel to deployed operations, as well as meeting operational conversion requirements and positional upgrades. All participating aircraft and personnel were supported by 27 Squadron, RAAF Base Townsville, making the exercise a multi-force element group activity. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address HK activist Agnes Chow 'considering' asylum in Canada Her remarks came a day after she announced her departure from the city to pursue education in Toronto. By Taejun Kang for RFA 2023.12.03 -- Agnes Chow, a prominent pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong who was imprisoned as part of a security crackdown imposed by China, said she is considering whether to apply for asylum or not in Canada, hinting that she would do what she could to bring attention to her native city. Her remarks, made during an interview with TV Tokyo on Dec. 4, came a day after her announcement that she had left Hong Kong for Canada due to mental health issues caused by duress from authorities. In the interview, Chow, a 27-year-old former member of a dispersed group of younger activists that propelled Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement alongside Joshua Wong, said she was "considering" whether to apply for asylum or not, but the broadcaster stated that she is "effectively in exile." When asked whether she would be involved in political activities to promote democracy in Hong Kong from abroad in the future, Chow declined to say, but hinted at the possibility that she would do what she could to bring attention to Hong Kong. Chow announced via Instagram on Sunday that she had left the city to pursue education in Canada, from which she may never return. The democracy group of which she was a member, Demosisto, disbanded mere hours after China enacted a national security law in 2020 that has been deemed a repressive instrument by some Western governments. The law has resulted in more than 280 arrests, but Beijing claims that it has stabilized the city following massive pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019. In November 2020, Chow received a ten-month prison sentence in relation to a charge of unauthorized assembly. Following the completion of her jail term, she was released on police parole while her passport was seized on suspicion of a national security offense. In her first public statement since the release from prison in June 2021, Chow detailed how she had remained under "supervision" from the authorities and such pressures led her to be diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. "Several emotional illnesses put my body and mind in a very unstable state," said Chow. Chow added, the police consented to return her passport if she traveled to the Chinese city of Shenzhen this year, subsequent to her acceptance to a university in Toronto. Visits to Chinese technology behemoth Tencent and a "patriotic" exhibition commemorating China's accomplishments were included in the itinerary. "I was forced to go to mainland China in exchange for the opportunity to study abroad," she wrote. Later this month, Chow was scheduled to report to the security police in Hong Kong; however, she chose not to return in the interest of her own safety and wellbeing. "Maybe I won't return for the rest of my life," she added. However, she said she did not have the intention of abandoning her bail at the outset and had even bought a return air ticket to Hong Kong after arriving in Canada. "If anyone wants to say that I have made every effort to deceive national security, that would be an absolutely wrong statement," she added. Chow did not say whether she would cut ties with her family but added that over the past few years she had learnt that freedom was "such a precious thing," and that she finally no longer had to worry about whether she would be arrested or not. Hong Kong police on Monday "strongly condemned" Chow's move, without mentioning her name. "Police have noted someone's recent claim of jumping Police bail in social media and strongly condemn the irresponsible action which is against and challenging the rule of law, " the police said in a statement. "Police urge the woman to immediately turn back before it is too late and not to choose a path of no return. Otherwise, she will bear the stigma of 'fugitive' for the rest of her life." Edited by Mike Firn. Updated to include statement from Hong Kong police. 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 December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address HKSAR government vows to pursue anti-government figure Chow Ting in line with law Global Times By Chen Qingqing Published: Dec 04, 2023 06:45 PM The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government vowed to pursue the anti-government figure Agnes Chow Ting in accordance with the law and severely condemned her shameful act of absconding in fear of facing her crimes, after Chow revealed that she has no plans to return to Hong Kong despite being required to report to the police in December as part of a national security investigation. Chow, who was arrested by the national security department of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) on suspicion of colluding with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security, openly stated on social media that she would jump bail and abscond, disregarding the law and discipline, the HKSAR government said in a statement on Monday evening. Chow's open statement ignores the police's bail conditions, and her integrity is now completely ruined, as, in an attempt to evade legal consequences, she never seriously faced her alleged violations of law and order, the government said. No matter what excuses she uses or tries to earn sympathy through deception, she cannot hide her hypocritical and shameful behavior and lawless nature, it noted. The HKPF also strongly condemned her irresponsible action, which challenges the rule of law. Legal experts warned that in addition to her previous serious crimes of colluding with foreign forces, Chow is committing a second offence by absconding, and law enforcement authorities can apply to the court to confiscate her bail and issue an international arrest warrant through Interpol. Given that Chow is currently abroad, if she is in or transits through a country with an extradition agreement with Hong Kong, the police can request her extradition for trial. China is a country under the rule of law, and Hong Kong is a society ruled by law. The rights and interests of Hong Kong residents enjoyed in accordance with the law are fully protected, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday in response to Chow's decision. At the same time, no one has any extrajudicial privileges, and any illegal and criminal act is bound to be punished by law, Wang said. Chow was arrested by the police's national security department in August, 2020, and is suspected of running an organization with two other individuals which was pushing for foreign sanctions on Hong Kong, violating the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong. She was separately sentenced to 10 months imprisonment on November 23 in 2020 on charges related to a siege of police headquarters during the 2019 anti-government protests. Chow was released in June 2021 under strict bail conditions detailed in the NSL for Hong Kong, which included being required to report to the police on regular basis. Chow's passport was also been confiscated, meaning she cannot leave the city, according to media reports. She has to sign a notice of detention of travel documents every three months. Chow applied for a university in Canada earlier this year and applied for approval to leave the city to the police's national security department. She was then asked to write letter of apology, promising that she will not participate in political movements or make contact with relevant individuals. After she met the requirements of the police, Chow obtained a passport in September and left Hong Kong to Toronto, Canada, local media reported. Chow said she had scheduled to return to Hong Kong and report the police at the end of this month, but eventually decided not to return. "After careful consideration, including the situation in Hong Kong, my physical and mental health, I decided not to report back and will never go back," she said in a social media post on late Sunday. Chow was arrested by national security department of the HKPF on August 10, 2020 for suspected "collusion with external elements." She was later sentenced to imprisonment for other offences from late 2020 to mid-2021. The individual has been released on bail by the department, the HKPF said in a statement on Monday. Police also restricted her from leaving Hong Kong according to Schedule 2 of Article 43 of the NSL for Hong Kong. While on bail, she reported back to police punctually and cooperatively, the police said. Chow earlier told police that she wished to study abroad and provided admission documents as a proof. Hence, the department returned the travel documents to her and extended her bail until December. The HKPF also urged Chow to immediately return before it is too late and not to choose a path of no return. Otherwise, she will bear the stigma of "fugitive" for the rest of her life. Chow's deliberate online announcement of "absconding" is a calculated move, openly challenging the law and trampling on the rule of law, "which is despicable act," Willy Fu, a law professor who is also the director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong & Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. "If Chow refuses to return to Hong Kong, law enforcement can apply to the court to confiscate her bail and issue an international arrest warrant through Interpol," he said, noting that Chow should deeply reflect and not to repeat her mistakes. Endangering national security is an extremely serious crime. The HKSAR government will fight against these crimes with all its strength and pursue them to the end, the government said. No fugitive should think that they can escape criminal responsibility by fleeing Hong Kong. Fugitives will be hunted for life unless they surrender, it added. Since Chow is now currently out of territory, she may be extradited to Hong Kong if she presents in a country which had signed mutually extradition laws with Hong Kong. She may be arrested immediately once she steps onto Hong Kong soil again in the future, Chu Kar-kin, a veteran current affairs commentator based in Hong Kong and member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. Taking lessons from Nathan Law, Chow's former party member, Law, a former chairman of the now-disbanded Hong Kong independence organization Demosisto, also lives as a fugitive abroad, completely isolated. His own brother publicly disassociated himself from Law, Chu said. These individuals must understand that their crimes are serious criminal offenses, not so-called political crimes, and they are unlikely to receive political asylum under normal circumstances, he said. These Hong Kong separatists should realize that once they are no longer useful, they will be abandoned and live their lives as fugitives, unable to return home, leading a life of uncertainty, unable to live with dignity, occasionally seeking exposure for living support, the expert noted. "The only way out for a fugitive is to return to Hong Kong, take legal responsibility for their past actions, sincerely repent, and turn back from the brink." The HKSAR government also advised Chow to cooperate with police, take responsibility for her actions and correct her mistakes, otherwise she will be trapped in deep trouble and regret. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raimondo's remarks expose deep-rooted Cold War mentality: FM Global Times By Global Times Published: Dec 04, 2023 11:16 PM The US should stop treating China as an imaginary enemy and correct the wrong behavior of engaging in major power confrontation under the guise of competition, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference on Monday. The remarks came after US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo called China "the biggest threat we've ever had" and said that "China is not our friend," while speaking at a national defense forum in California on Saturday (US time), AFP reported. In response to media requests for comment on her statement, Wang reviewed a previous statement by US President Joe Biden that "the US has no intention to halt China's economic development or scientific and technological progress." "Conflicting statements from US officials make it challenging to gain trust from China and the international community...it also exposes a deep-rooted Cold War mentality and hegemonic attitudes among certain individuals in the US," Wang said. China never bets against the US, and has no intention to challenge the US or to unseat it, Wang said. The US should develop an accurate understanding of China, effectively implement the important consensus reached at the China-US summit in San Francisco, cease treating China as an imaginary enemy, correct the misguided approach of promoting major power rivalry under the guise of competition, and avoid saying one thing and doing another, the spokesperson said. Citing an editorial from the Global Times, Wang said "going against the principles and laws of the free trade market is like building a dam with a sieve. No matter how hard you try, water will still find its way through the gaps and flow where it should." The US has implemented measures to exert control over China in crucial technological domains, particularly in the realm of semiconductors, over the past few years. Despite these efforts, Chinese companies have persistently achieved numerous breakthroughs. Some US chip manufacturers have also sustained their business relations with China in attempting to navigate around restrictions imposed by Washington to ensure the continuity of their operations. Despite the external challenges, many companies, including US multinationals, actively explored partnerships at the recent China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, another reflection of their willingness to build stronger ties with their major trading partner. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on December 4, 2023 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China 2023-12-04 21:55 At the invitation of Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of the Republic of Singapore Lawrence Wong will visit China from December 5 to 8. Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will co-chair the 19th meeting of the China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the 24th meeting of China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Joint Steering Council (JSC), the 15th meeting of the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City JSC and the seventh meeting of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity JSC in Tianjin on December 7. At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola TAte AntAnio and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali Abdoulaye Diop will pay official visits to China from December 5 to 8 and from December 6 to 10 respectively. AFP: US Commerce Secretary recently called China "the biggest threat we've ever had" and stressed "China is not our friend." She also urged US business leaders to put national security above short term revenue. What is your comment on this? Wang Wenbin: President Biden once noted that the US is not seeking to halt China's economic development or scientific and technological progress. However, the remarks of the US official contradict this. It will hardly win the trust from China and the rest of the world, and reveals the deep-seated Cold-War mentality and hegemonic mindset of some in the US. China never bets against the US, and has no intention to challenge or unseat it. The US needs to have a right understanding of China, work with China to earnestly deliver on the important common understandings reached between the two Presidents in their meeting in San Francisco, stop viewing China as an enemy, correct the wrong move of carrying out major-country confrontation under the pretext of competition, and avoid saying one thing and doing another. I read some comment on Chinese media platforms, which I would like to cite here and hope the US will seriously reflect on it. Going against the rules, principles and laws of free trade market is like building a dam of sievesano matter how hard you try, the water will run through the sieves to where it is heading. Yonhap News Agency: China's General Administration of Customs has recently halted customs clearance on exports of urea to the Republic of Korea (ROK). The ROK government considers the Chinese action as an informal export restriction. Could the foreign ministry share more information with us? Wang Wenbin: We noted relevant reports. The relevant departments of China and the ROK maintain communication on this. I'd like to refer you to the competent authorities for any specifics.a The Paper: The United Arab Emirates (UAE), as the host country of the 28th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), held the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS) in Dubai on December 1 and 2. President Xi Jinping's Special Representative, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang attended the meeting and delivered an address. Could you share some information with us on that? Wang Wenbin: From November 30 to December 2, President Xi Jinping's Special Representative, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang attended the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS) in Dubai and delivered an address. In his address, Vice Premier Ding first conveyed President Xi's good wishes for the UAE in hosting the summit. He recalled that eight years ago, President Xi worked with leaders of other countries to reach the Paris Agreement with the utmost political determination and wisdom, and embarked on a new journey of global cooperation to address climate change. He said that China has always kept its promise and made important contributions to global climate governance and put forward a three-point proposal on global climate governance, including practicing multilateralism, accelerating green transformation, and strengthening action implementation. He stressed that we need to adhere to the goals and principles set out in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement; actively increase the proportion of renewable energy, promote the clean, low-carbon and efficient use of traditional energy, and accelerate the formation of green and low-carbon production methods and lifestyles. He added that countries need to fully honor the existing commitments. In particular, developed countries should effectively increase financial, technological and capacity building support to developing countries.a Vice Premier Ding's address demonstrates China's sense of responsibility as a major country in actively tackling climate change and leading in global climate governance, which will help COP28 achieve positive outcomes, boost full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and build a clean and beautiful world. During the summit, Vice Premier Ding also attended and addressed the Group of 77 (G77) and China leaders' summit on climate change, met respectively with leaders including the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, Cuban President Miguel DAaz-Canel, President of the Maldives Mohamed Muizzu and UN Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres. He shared with them what China has achieved in enhancing ecological conservation and China's propositions on global climate and environmental governance, which has been widely recognized.a NHK: Hong Kong "pro-democracy" activist Agnes Chow Ting, who is studying in Canada, said on social media on December 3 that she's living in exile in Canada and won't return to Hong Kong for the rest of her life. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: The Hong Kong police has responded to this and condemned her irresponsible behaviors that blatantly challenge law and order. China is a country with rule of law and Hong Kong is a law-based society where residents' lawful rights and interests are fully protected. That being said, no one is entitled to extrajudicial privileges and all offenders shall be brought to justice. Xinhua News Agency: Can you brief us on this year's mechanism meetings between China and Singapore at the vice-premier level? What are the special highlights of this year's meetings? Wang Wenbin: The bilateral cooperation mechanisms between China and Singapore at the vice-premier level are the two sides' institutionalized communication channel at the highest level, playing an important role for years in promoting China-Singapore cooperation in various fields in a coordinating way and facilitating socioeconomic development of the two countries. This year's meetings to be held in Tianjin coincide with the 15th anniversary of the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City project and the two sides will hold commemorating activities. China and Singapore are each other's friendly neighbors and important partners, with a sound momentum of growth in bilateral relations. This March, President Xi Jinping and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong jointly announced to elevate China-Singapore relations to an all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership, providing strategic guidance for China-Singapore cooperation. This year's meetings are the first ones since the bilateral relationship was elevated. Thus the meetings have special significance. The two sides will focus on "all-round", "high-quality" and "future-oriented" in the characterization, deliver on the important common understandings between leaders of the two countries, further dovetail development strategies, fully advance high-quality cooperation and jointly act on the new characterization of China-Singapore relationship. Beijing Daily: On December 2, the first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) was successfully concluded. We noted that many representatives from multinational corporations attending the expo said that holding the first CISCE demonstrates China's firm determination in taking concrete actions to deepen international cooperation on industrial and supply chains. What is your comment on this? Wang Wenbin: As the world's first national-level expo themed on supply chains, the first CISCE attracted 515 companies and institutions from both home and abroad. Available data shows that over 200 cooperation deals and tentative deals worth more than RMB 150 billion were signed at the expo. The CISCE is a grand event that connects the world for a shared future. It reflects the common aspiration of all parties for building stable and resilient industrial and supply chains, sends out a clear message of China's deeper engagement in building global industrial and supply chains, and shows that in global industrial and supply chain cooperation, China is not only a participant and beneficiary, but also a staunch defender and contributor. During the CISCE, the international business community launched the Beijing Initiative for the Connectivity of Industrial and Supply Chains. Companies from home and abroad connected by industrial and supply chains showcased their advancements, deepened cooperation and gained substantively from the CISCE. The supply chains should be chains of win-win cooperation. China stands ready to share opportunities with all sides that stem from its huge market, the most complete industrial sectors, high-level opening up policy, and innovation factors gathering at a faster pace. China stands ready to work with all sides to build global industrial and supply chains that are secure, stable, smooth, efficient, open, inclusive and mutually beneficial, and provide strong safeguards for boosting global growth and increasing the wellbeing of people around the world. AFP: The Philippine government said recently that it is deeply concerned about the over 130 Chinese boats around Niu'e Jiao. French Foreign Ministera Catherine Colonna said recently that France is concerned by what the Chinese warship did to the Australian ship. She added that "stability must prevail in the Taiwan Strait, and certainly the world doesn't need a new crisis." What is your response to these? Wang Wenbin: On your first question, Niu'e Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao. Relevant waters of the South China Sea, including Niu'e Jiao and its adjacent waters, have always been important operating areas and shelters for Chinese fishing boats. It is justified and lawful for Chinese fishing boats to operate or shelter from wind in the area, and the Philippines is in no position to make irresponsible remarks. On your second question, you may refer to China's previous response. I would like to stress that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, and the solid anchor to cross-Strait peace and stability is the one-China principle. We hope relevant parties will adhere to the one-China principle, stand firmly with China against Taiwan independence, and safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.a TASS: Yesterday Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko started his visit to China. Does the foreign ministry have any comment? How does the foreign ministry comment on Belarus and China's cooperative partnership? Wang Wenbin: China and Belarus are all-weather comprehensive strategic partners and the two sides maintain close exchanges at all levels. As for the details of President Lukashenko's visit, you may refer to the relevant press release the Chinese side has put out. Bloomberg: Finland has said that it will demand that its investigators be allowed on board the NewNew Polar Bear, a Hong Kong-flagged vessel whose anchor ripped up a sub-sea gas pipeline in October. Finland's President said that he requires that investigators from his country will be involved when the captain is questioned when he returns to China. How does the foreign ministry respond to this? Wang Wenbin: China always attaches great importance to protecting the safety and security of undersea infrastructure, and strictly fulfills its obligations under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and relevant treaties of the International Maritime Organization. Relevant Chinese authorities are conducting technical investigation on the incident and maintaining smooth communication and good cooperation with parties concerned, including Finland, in accordance with international law. China Daily: On December 1, the High Constitutional Court of Madagascar announced the final result of the country's presidential election. Andry Rajoelina was reelected as President with 58.96 percent of the votes. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: We noted the announcement of the election result by the High Constitutional Court of Madagascar and express our sincere congratulations to Mr. Rajoelina for his reelection as the President of Madagascar. We believe that under the leadership of President Rajoelina, Madagascar will achieve greater success in national development and economic and social progress. China always values its traditional friendship with Madagascar. We stand ready to work with the new government of Madagascar to deepen and expand exchange and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and pursue new, greater development of the China-Madagascar comprehensive cooperative partnership. Hubei Media Group: December 3 marks the second anniversary of the China-Laos Railway. Data shows the railway has served 24.2 million passengers and shipped 29.1 million tonnes of goods over the past two years, taking on an increasingly important role as a golden route. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Over the past two years, the China-Laos Railway has become an important engine for economic and trade cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges between China and Laos, a road of happiness, development and friendship for the benefit of the Chinese and Laotian people, and an artery linking China and countries on the Indochina Peninsula. The China-Laos Railway freight service could reach 12 Belt and Road partner countries, including Laos, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Myanmar. The Lancang-Mekong Express international freight train of the China-Laos Railway now runs 400 trains with fixed point, time, route and train number. The new transport model of China-Laos Railway plus China-Europe Railway Express has shortened direct rail shipping time from countries like Laos and Thailand to Europe to 15 days. The railway's function as a major international corridor in increasing domestic and international connectivity, benefiting countries along the routes, leveraging complementarity of its destinations, and offering safe and efficient services is becoming more pronounced. We hope that the China-Laos Railway, as an engine for China and countries on the Indochina Peninsula to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, will continue to run at top speed and drive the development and prosperity of more countries in the region. NHK: It is reported that the 24th China-EU Summit will be held in Beijing on December 7. Can you share more information and China's expectation? Wang Wenbin: The China-EU Summit is an annual meeting between the leaders of the two sides and provides strategic guidance for the development of China-EU relations. This year's summit coincides with the 20th anniversary of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and the 25th anniversary of the China-EU Summit mechanism. It is followed closely by people from various fields in China and the EU as well as the broader international community. China attaches high importance to the summit. President Xi Jinping will meet with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Premier Li Qiang will co-host the summit with the two Presidents of the EU. Leaders from the two sides will have in-depth exchange of views on strategic issues critical to the direction of China-EU relations and global issues of mutual interest to draw a blueprint for, identity the focus of and inject impetus to China-EU relations. At present, the situation unseen in a century is evolving at a faster pace marked by increased volatility in international situation, sluggish wold economy and emerging global challenges. The China-EU relationship is also facing new opportunities and challenges. China and the EU are partners, not rivals and our common interests far exceed differences. China hopes that the summit will play an important role by building on past achievements, enhance understanding and mutual trust through strategic communication, boost mutually beneficial cooperation through innovation, and discuss solutions through dialogue and consultation. China hopes that the two sides can work together to address global challenges, inject new impetus to the world economy, increase stability in international situation and provide strategic guidance for sustained and sound development of China-EU relations. This serves the fundamental and long-term interest of both China and the EU and meets the common aspiration of the international community. Shenzhen TV: The Israel Defence Forces issued a statement on December 1 saying that Hamas violated the temporary ceasefire deal and attacked Israel. Israel resumed combat operations against Hamas. On the same day, Israeli officials said that intelligence department of Israel is making plans to hunt down Hamas leaders living in Lebanon, TArkiye and Qatar. What's China's comment? Wang Wenbin: China is deeply concerned over the resumed fighting in Gaza. Under the current situation, the goal of ending the hostilities should not change and the principle of protecting civilians should not be violated. Facts prove once again that the use of force will never bring lasting peace. Heavier civilian casualties will only create more hatred and bring the next conflict nearer. China strongly calls on relevant sides to exercise restraint, the international community, especially countries with influence on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, to earnestly play a responsible role, implement the Security Council's Resolution 2712 and the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly at its emergency session, promote a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, protect civilians, ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, resume talks for peace as soon as possible and work relentlessly for the peaceful co-existence between Palestine and Israel and lasting peace in the Middle East. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese censors delete news report probing return of COVID tracking The report followed up on social media reports that the hated 'Health Code' is back amid wave of pneumonia cases. By Gu Ting for RFA Mandarin 2023.12.04 -- Chinese censors have deleted a news report investigating claims that local governments had brought back a hated disease-tracking app that was used during the "zero-COVID" era to confine people to their homes, amid an ongoing wave of respiratory infections across the country, according to local media reports and residents. The Dec. 1 Top News article cited social media posts across China as saying that local governments in Sichuan and Guangdong had both brought the app back online after retiring it following the lifting of three years of harsh COVID restrictions in December 2022, with users posting screenshots of their "green" health code from the app. While the article remained visible in syndicated form on Sohu.com's mobile website on Monday, it had disappeared from the Top News website. Guangzhou officials told the news service that some aspects of the app had never been retired, but that the app's ability to impose travel restrictions on individuals had been shut down in February and never reactivated. The article also reported that the Tianfu Health Pass app in the southwestern province of Sichuan was once more showing a green code, according to residents who checked the government app. 'Physiological nausea' The deletion of the article, which was also picked up by several media organizations outside mainland China, comes as hospitals in China struggle to cope with a wave of respiratory disease, much of it among children. The reports highlight public concerns that restrictive measures may make a comeback, as some suspect that the current pneumonia wave is being driven in the background by COVID-19, which affects people's ability to fight off opportunistic infections like mycoplasma pneumonia, and which has been associated with waves of other respiratory infections in children. "I hope this will never happen again in my lifetime," commented Weibo user @uuk20_fca from Guangdong, while blogger Lao Xiaoza commented in a post to the China Digital Times that "there is no smoke without a fire." "When I saw this, my first reaction was physiological nausea," the blogger wrote. "Don't tell me how this great invention of digital governance has protected everyone's health. I will never accept this account, no thanks." Another blogger on the same site, Qinghui Youmo, posted a number of screenshots of reappearing health codes from social media users across China, including Zhejiang, Tianjin, Hebei, Guangxi and Shaanxi. "Don't scare me like that - I'm close to tears," commented @YipingXuzijiang in a screenshot posted in the blog post. Wave of sickness The concerns come as a wave of respiratory disease sweeps across the country, prompting reported class closures amid official warnings of growing cases of influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19. The World Health Organization called on Beijing to share its data on an outbreak in Beijing and Tianjin that made international headlines last week. Later media reports dismissed people's concerns about the return of the Health Code app, citing officials as saying that the app had never entirely been taken offline, because it offers other health data services in addition to COVID-19 tracking and tracing. However, sporadic reports of compulsory COVID-19 testing have also emerged on social media in recent days, including at a conference in Guangzhou, according to Qinghui Youmo's blog post. A staff member at Shanghai Pudong International Airport who gave only the surname Ma for fear of reprisals said incoming passengers are being tested for COVID-19 on arrival. "They say incoming passengers are being randomly tested, but I actually saw an entire flight being tested for COVID," the person said. "A friend of mine flew to Australia yesterday, and they were spraying the plane with disinfectant." "Health codes have already started coming back online in various places," they said. A nurse at a hospital in the central city of Wuhan, who gave only the surname Sun, said health codes are being reactivated in some parts of the country, including Fujian, Guangdong, Shaanxi and Sichuan. "Mycoplasma pneumonia is very serious now, and health codes have been resumed in some areas of Fujian, Guangdong, Shaanxi, and Sichuan," she said. "The wave of mycoplasma pneumonia started in children and then started to spread, just like COVID-19 did back then." "Now you have to line up for seven or eight hours to get anti-inflammatory shots at the hospital," she said. Sichuan hit hard A resident of Sichuan's provincial capital Chengdu, who gave only the surname Jiang, said Sichuan has been particularly hard hit. "The outbreak in Sichuan is particularly serious - the hospital corridors are full of patients," he said. "A lot of people can't even get admitted to hospital." But he was skeptical about the reports of the return of health codes, saying: "I don't think so." The ongoing concern about health tracking came as authorities in Zhejiang's Yiwu city sent out a directive requiring urban and rural residents to stockpile grain, and maintain enough to feed everyone for 10 days. "All departments and work canteens should maintain a large stock of grain in storage, equal to the average consumption over a 15-day period from the previous year," the directive, which was widely posted online, said. The reports also sparked concern that the authorities are quietly readying themselves for a return to lockdown measures in a bid to stem the spread of infectious diseases. The authorities on Dec. 1 also added several newly developed COVID-19 vaccines to their list of medicines approved for emergency use, according to the Associated Press. National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said on Sunday that the current outbreak is being caused by known pathogens, and called on people to wear masks and wash their hands. Chinese health authorities are "actively monitoring and assessing winter respiratory diseases," and that outpatient clinics will start operating round the clock to meet demand for treatment, Mi said. Measures are also being taken to ensure the supply of influenza and other vaccines, with a focus on early vaccination for key groups such as the elderly and children to reduce the risk of illness, Mi said in comments quoted by state news agency Xinhua. A Guangzhou-based lawyer who declined to be named for fear of reprisals said public opinion in China is divided over the cause of the current wave of sickness, but few believe that the government is giving them the whole story. "Privately, everyone believes that [these cases] are either sequelae from COVID-19 infections, or that they've been caused by [China's homegrown] vaccines," the lawyer said, in a reference to public mistrust of vaccines following a number of public health scandals in which children died or were otherwise harmed by fake or incorrectly stored vaccines. Some medical journals have reported coinfection with COVID-19 and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, while others have pointed to weakened immunity from infection and reinfection with COVID-19. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Unless Chow Ting surrenders, she will be hunted for life,' HKSAR CE John Lee says Global Times By Global Times Published: Dec 05, 2023 12:00 PM Updated: Dec 05, 2023 01:04 PM Unless anti-government figure Chow Ting surrenders and turns herself in, otherwise she will be hunted for life, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government CE John Lee said on Tuesday, emphasizing that the Hong Kong police will fully pursue any criminal who endangers national security. In a press conference ahead of the Executive Council on Tuesday, Lee labeled Chow a fugitive suspected of colluding with foreign forces. Unless she surrenders herself, the HKSAR government will pursue her relentlessly for the rest of her life, the CE said. Lee also criticized Chow, a former core member of a now disbanded group of young anti-government figures including Joshua Wong Chi-fung, calling her actions a betrayal of trust and an attempt to garner sympathy through fabrications. "Law enforcement officers tried to deal with her leniently, but their goodwill was met with deceit, which is the most disappointing thing," Lee said, noting that authorities will review the matter. Chow applied for a university in Canada earlier this year and requested for approval to leave the city to the police's national security department. She was then asked to write letter of apology, promising that she will not participate in political movements or make contact with relevant individuals. After she met certain requirements of the police, Chow obtained a passport in September and left Hong Kong to Toronto, Canada, local media reported. As Chow wrote in social media reports, those requirements included a visit to Shenzhen, city in South China's Guangdong neighboring Hong Kong in addition to a letter of apology. Lee said on Tuesday that he won't comment on the details of the case, and will leave it to the law enforcement authorities. Chow, the fugitive, is suspected of colluding with foreign forces and has become a foreign agent, serving as a reminder to Hong Kong residents on the influence of the foreign forces on the city and their national security threat. Lee also warned that the influence of foreign forces should not be overlooked, as "their interference in Hong Kong affairs for political gain has never ceased." He also mentioned the wounds of the 2019 black-clad riot in Hong Kong, saying, that "it caused us intense pain, so much so that it was hard to sleep." Lee also emphasized that authorities should advance at full speed to implement legislation associated to Article 23 and ensure that it can be completed in 2024. Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that the HKSAR government shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition or subversion against the central government. While the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong is a big umbrella that safeguards security in the HKSAR, while more detailed security protections are needed from Article 23, experts said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Makes Important Speech at 5th National Conference of Mothers Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, December 5 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on December 4 made an important speech at the 5th National Conference of Mothers "On Duty of Mothers for Their Families and Society": Dear mothers, On behalf of the Party Central Committee and the government of the Republic, I once again warmly congratulate the participants in the 5th National Conference of Mothers and the mothers who received the Communist Mother Honor Prize at the conference. I am very pleased that the conference of mothers is held with splendor at a proud time when the year 2023 is to be concluded with precious victories and epoch-making successes and that the whole country could extend greetings of thanks in chorus to the mothers who have made numerous exertions for many years. In the glorious history of our country which advances by winning victories through all sorts of hardships, there are soldiers with arms, scientists with clear heads, devoted workers and diligent farmers. But, on the highest peak of all of those glories and honors, there are always Korean women who are the best in the world, all the mothers of this country. The credit for the brilliant today of our country goes to our mothers who are ordinary and simple and the strongest before any difficulties and have become the genuine models of always devoting themselves unhesitatingly to the road of patriotism as well as the roots for bringing up a large number of heroes in all parts of the country. The period between the 4th and 5th national conferences of mothers coincides with the 10-odd years, the most arduous and grimmest period in the history of our Party and country. Clearly imprinted in those trying days and months is the group of righteous and strong mothers who have overcome hardships, regarding all pains for the country and their children as pleasure, in order to be always upright before them. Thanks to the mothers who endure obediently all sorts of difficulties and affliction, believing that anything our Party is determined to do is all right, we could decide on and push ahead with such grand undertakings as another great cause of nation-building, and all those projects could be crowned with successes by the devoted efforts of the mothers who became admirable assistants and faithful servants to their husbands and children. But for mothers who have backed up the Party policies without a change of mind, reliably supported the arms of faith held by their sons and daughters and kindled the raging flames of patriotic movement throughout the country while enduring for scores of years the harshest trials that women of other countries could hardly stand even for a few days, we could not have continued to advance steadily and vigorously along the road of strengthening the national power. When I hear the news of good deeds done by many youths who volunteered to work at difficult and labor-consuming worksites and devote themselves, including those young builders performing new miracles at the construction site for a new street in the Sopho area which is showing its magnificent appearance from day to day, I am thrilled to heart at the thought of our mothers who supported the good choice of their children and encouraged them heartily. In fact, the mothers should be praised by the times only for the painstaking efforts and merits they have made while giving birth to many children and bringing them up in the days of insufficiency and difficulties and doing all sorts of troublesome work to take care of their husbands and parents-in-law. But, with such great worries and work, our mothers are taking full responsibility for a post of the revolution, a part of socialist construction like men, and cultivating the freshness and beauty of our society with their thoughtfulness and kindness. Mothers have been standing not only on the agricultural and light industrial fronts to which our Party attaches importance, but also on the scientific research bases and spark-flying construction sites. And the names of mothers can be found in the front ranks of patriotic meritorious persons who have stirred up the times and their love and affection can be felt in the strong breathing of the country which is overcoming the cold wind of trials and opening up a future with virtues and beautiful traits. Their jewel-like patriotic mind and precious sweat shine in the bright laughter and happy tears of the great socialist family sharing difficulties and hardships with each other, and they can be deeply felt in the absolute strength and proud edifices of the Republic. All of what we have had and are proud of at present -- all of those symbolizing the high prestige and mightiness of the Republic will remain forever along with the history made by the mothers of Korea with noble mind and the feats they have performed with resourceful and diligent efforts. I would like to extend once again my warm thanks to all the mothers of the country who have become great strength to our Party in the grim annals of the revolution, as they always did in the past, and devoted their pure and ardent patriotism and loyalty to the prosperity of the country. Respected mothers, The future of a country and a nation is reflected first in the ideological and spiritual qualities of mothers and is built from the minds and hands of mothers. Nearly one century has passed since our revolution was pioneered. We can no longer see those mothers of anti-Japanese guerrilla origin who turned out in the sacred war for national liberation, leaving their beloved children under the eaves of other's house, and those mothers who dedicated all their children and even daughter-in-law to the revolution and who wrote epics of the Chollima era, holding aloft the communist slogan "One for all and all for one!". The generations, who have known about them only through videos and books, have become mothers now. However, the beautiful mental world peculiar to the Korean mothers is being invariably carried forward and the history of noble life dedicated to the future is going on. This is precious for the future of our Party and state just like lifeline and blood vessel. If the mothers have a firm mind, the cornerstone of the country is solid, and if the spiritual world of mothers is noble, the baton of the revolution will be steadily carried forward and the nature of Korean-style socialism will remain unchanged. We hold the conference of mothers with splendor as now because the future of Korea is shining brightly amid the steady inheritance of the proud history and tradition of mothers which have been carried forward generation after generation. In the minds and appearances of mothers, we read the noble view of life that one's life is for younger generation and one's devoted efforts will result in a prosperous country where posterity will lead a happy life, and we are looking back upon the traces of their beautiful lives again. Everyone has a mother and memories of childhood spent under her warm and benevolent care as well as of unforgettable images. Among them, what children do not forget forever are their mothers' whole life of devotion, in which mothers had been always busy doing everything for their children but nothing for themselves, and the tears shed by mothers who were very happy to see their children do a good thing for the country or gave a whipping to their children when they did a sinful act even a bit. Through their examples, mothers taught their children that the political integrity given by the Party is more precious than the physical life they gave, and that the life they devote is more valuable than the life they enjoy. Our younger generation realized the real meaning of life and patriotism in the teachings and appearances of the mothers before the books. It is certain that a good child is to be grown up under the care of a good mother. The generation, who were born and grew up under the care of such mothers, witnessing the traces of their mothers from aside and learning the real worth of life, hands over the baton of patriotism and loyalty to the next generation and that baton is handed down generation to generation. This is a law-governed historical process in which the future of our country is built. Our mothers are, indeed, truly precious persons who link the new generation with the same blood of patriotism and are the first builders of the beautiful future. Dear participants, It is the primary revolutionary task to prepare well the younger generation to be the main force of our society and to hold up our powerful state. As the first step is important in human life, family education takes the first place among family education, school education and social education, and the influence of mother is particularly important in family education. For that reason, the Party has attached greater importance to the congress of the children's union and the conference of mothers than other conferences, and the Party Central Committee directly organized this conference with deep care and much efforts. Expecting that this conference will be a practical occasion for all mothers to be more deeply aware of their responsibility and duty before the family and society and successfully fulfill them, I would like to inform you of the important policies of the Party and government and to make some requests. As you know, the economic situation of the country was difficult and the obstructive moves of the enemies were unprecedentedly vicious, but we have made countless changes incomparable with those we made ten-odd years ago and we are going to make a stubborn struggle with a higher ideal and goal in the future and thus make an unimaginable development after another ten years. As all our people actually see, listen and feel, the major policies being pursued by our Party and government at present are the gigantic works to create better living conditions and more civilized living environments. The most essential requirement of people's life is the problems of food, clothing and housing. The struggle to implement the Party's programme for the rural revolution in the new era is a historic cause of solving the food problem for the people in a perfect and sustained way in the near future and, at the same time, of modernizing the countryside, which had been a pronoun of centuries-old backwardness. To accomplish this cause at an early date, the Party and the government offer the countryside lots of farm machines and farming supplies by mobilizing the important sector every year even in times of shortage and difficulties and, this year, launched large-scale projects to restore and perfect the irrigation facilities across the country, which had not been touched for decades, and thus made big stride in laying foundations for agricultural production. At present, our agricultural sector is pushing ahead with the work to go over to the farming with focus on rice, wheat and barley, develop the animal husbandry and the fruit farming and build large-scale greenhouse farms. This work is for gratifying the desires of mothers who wish to provide their children and families with tasty and nutritious food all the time. Saying that the reclamation of tidelands falls under the same category, he noted that President Kim Il Sung highlighted the need to reclaim the tideland on the west coast without fail in order to feed all the people with rice and that our army addressed itself to the project for reclamation of tideland in a bid to complete it in seven to eight years. Though it is a hard and grand nature-remaking project, we should complete in our generation it to be flawless for all ages. Then, the future generations will benefit from it forever, without knowing what the lack of farmland and the food problem are like. For the issue of raising children - the foremost concern of mothers - we have done not a few jobs and have a promising prospect. Now I feel very fulfilled that our Party and government, with much efforts, managed to feed all the children of the country with dairy products everyday, fully provide all the schoolchildren with "Sonamu"-trademarked school bags, uniforms and things and give a facelift to children's palaces, camps and halls. However, not content with this, we put forward a policy of making a great revolution in education and are striving for its implementation to ensure that our rising generations receive the best education under the best and advanced educational conditions and circumstances in the world during all school from kindergarten to university. While putting titanic state efforts into establishing a new chemical industry and creating the production capacity of chemical fibre in order to satisfactorily settle the clothing problem for people, we actively encourage such development levers as an exhibition of advanced garments to develop in a more civilized way the costumes of all the people including mothers. Recent years saw more gigantic construction projects than ever on a nation-wide scale, and what is most important here is to solve the housing problem for people at a high level. Under the resolution of the 8th WPK Congress, the project for building 50 000 flats in the capital city has been carried out for three years so that over 10 000 households of the capital moved into new houses every year. And modern rural houses fit for an ideal society have taken their shapes across the country from last year to be offered to agricultural workers one after another. By carrying out a construction project to remodel the provincial, city and county seats to meet the requirements of modern civilization, we intend to bring about a new world where the whole country from the capital city to local areas and mountain villages has undergone radical changes. And we plan to solve the problems of domestic water, cooking fuel, public transport, lift, heating for the citizens of the capital city first and, on this basis, satisfactorily tackle the necessary living problems including the problem of providing domestic water for local cities. Noting that the important policies planned by the Party and the government at present include a project for building general hospitals equipped with modern, advanced medical service facilities in every provincial seat, he went on to say: In addition, various important popular policies are on the table and I believe that if all these come to fruition, a truly fundamental change will be made in the life of our people. All mothers should fulfill their responsibility and duty assumed before society and families with confidence in and optimism about the prospects of our socialist construction and a changed ideal society to come in the near future. They have heavy mission to bring up their children to be pillars of socialist and communist construction and masters of future society. The first step of a revolutionary is taken under the care of the mother and his true growth can be guaranteed by his mother's care. No one can replace mothers for their position and duty. If mothers fulfill their responsibility as educators, faster and more remarkable progress will be made in making the young people and all other members of the society communist persons. First of all, mothers themselves should become communist mothers who have noble and beautiful moral qualities. Unless a mother becomes a communist, it is impossible for her to bring up her sons and daughters as communists and transform the members of her family into revolutionaries. There is a saying that if you want to judge a man, you should judge his mother, so there is a large difference between the outlooks on life and the world of the children who grow up under the care of mothers who devote themselves to the society and the collective and are willing to help those suffering pain, and of the children who grow up, seeing their mothers devote all energies to only their children and families. So, the traits of all our mothers should be the virtues of helping others tide over their difficulties and sharing others' sorrow and the humanity of sharing their happiness with their neighbors and rejoicing at others' success as their own one. The harmony of the families our mothers defend and tend also has a great effect on the growth of their children. Mothers should always bear in mind that it is a great thing for the country to manage their household affairs carefully and promote the happiness and harmony of the families as housewives, and make an effort to become a meticulous mother, a grateful wife and a kind-hearted daughter-in-law. If a mother truly wants her children to be fine persons, she should train her children consciously through the revolutionary struggle and the practice of socialist construction. The posts for national defence and the sites of socialist construction are revolutionary universities which give the children valuable experiences of life that cannot be gained in the yard of their families and cultivate the spirit of loving their comrades and the collective and the will and ability to surmount the difficulties. It will be mothers' greatest pleasure to see their children growing up as pillars of the country while realizing in the struggle and life how precious our Party and social system are. With their inborn true feelings of flogging their kids with tears in their eyes to bring them up as honest persons, mothers should have no hesitation in making their beloved children work in the difficult and labor-consuming posts and workplaces. For mothers, another important thing is to always pay deep attention to their mental and moral lives. The children, who were well-mannered and innocent when they were young, grow up to be unmannered and become tainted with a bad thing if their mothers pay less attention to them who are older. Mothers should give regular education to their children so that they can study and lead an organizational life well and lead a sound moral life not only when they are young but also after they have entered university and society. Some mothers pay attention to their children's studies while neglecting their education in courtesy and morality, including the polite way of speaking, and their use of words and deeds different from our own style. Some other mothers think that they perform their responsibility as mothers when they bring their children up in a special way, providing special clothing for them. The struggle against alien practices now intensifies in society. Only when mothers actively join in the struggle, can all such practices be eliminated. Mothers should take an active part in socialist construction and exert a revolutionary influence on their children by setting practical examples. Though the word working woman is an everyday word, it means the brilliant honor and clear expression of a communist woman who devotes herself to our cause with a firm confidence in the truthfulness and victory of the cause. Mothers should go beyond the bounds of their homes and take an active part in public life to devote their sincere patriotic sweat and make innovations at factories and workplaces. By doing so, they should be socialist working women of whom their children are proud and live a worthwhile life under the love and trust of the collective. They should also fully discharge their duty as citizens by actively doing good deeds that will contribute to the prosperity of the country, including assistance to the army and the grand construction sites. It is important for mothers to know well about the acuity and cause of the present grave situation and the key to the great change under such circumstances, he said, stressing the need for mothers to have pride and self-esteem in the victory we have achieved and fully understand the validity and truth of our Party's policies which can never be denied with anything and thoroughly reject all the attempts and hypocrisy of the enemy. He said that when all mothers clearly understand that it is patriotism to give birth to many children and do so positively, our cause of building a powerful socialist country can be hastened faster. He called upon the Party organizations and working people's organizations including the women's union to positively lead and help mothers to fulfill their duties for families and society. If children rely on their mother's care, their mothers rely on the care of the organization. The organization's constant warm care will be an encouragement to our mothers who have more troubles, worries and difficulties than others owing to incomplete living condition. Our Party hopes that not a few special mothers but all mothers of the country would lead a worthwhile life in the same ranks towards communism. Even though some mothers have led a humdrum or dishonorable life so far, they can emerge model mothers and innovators thanks to the sincere efforts of organizations in future and then it will be the great delight. The Party organizations and women's union organizations should organize and guide the work properly so that mass movements involving mothers become voluntary work based on patriotic enthusiasm and duty proper to a citizen. Referring to the principled issues arising in expanding the ranks of communist mothers, he stressed that the Party organizations and women's union organizations should enlighten and sincerely help mothers to voluntarily get aware of their duties before families and society and give birth to many children and bring them up with devotion. It is necessary for the Party Central Committee and provincial, city and county Party committees to always pay attention to the women's union organizations so that they can perform their role properly, bearing in mind that the work of the women's union is an important part of our Party work, and solve the problems arising in the women's union on a priority basis and guard strictly against the overburdens imposed on it. The Party and power organs and economic bodies should ensure that the benefits of the state such as giving priority to families with many children in allotment of dwelling houses, foods and commodity supply and medical service are correctly realized, and apply special subsidies in order to contribute to the life in actuality and take more preferential treatments in various aspects. Dear mothers! It is the long-cherished desire of our Party to provide our people, who are the best people in the world and have endured more sufferings and troubles than anyone else, with a happy and highly-civilized life as soon as possible. This reflects the dream our mothers have had generation after generation. It is the most glorious and honorable task to bear in mind the mothers' dreams and wishes for bringing up their children well in the beautiful land of socialism and communism and realize them to the utmost. Our Party will make more dynamic struggle to achieve everything desired by the toughest and most beautiful mothers in the world and their beloved sons and daughters as soon as possible. Dear mothers! I regard it as the greatest pride that our mothers are the most honest and greatest in the world. It is a great blessing and fortune for the sons and daughters of this country to call such good mothers their mother. Heartily wishing all the mothers of the country good health and happiness, in reflection of the minds of all the sons and daughters in this land, I declare the 5th National Conference of Mothers closed. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Visit of US Principal Deputy National Security Adviser to India (December 04, 2023) India - Ministry of External Affairs December 04, 2023 Jonathan Finer, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser of the United States is visiting New Delhi to hold consultations with Mr. Vikram Misri, Deputy National Security Adviser (Strategic Affairs), National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). This is a follow up to the visit of US NSA Jake Sullivan to India in June 2023 and the visit of NSA Mr. Ajit Doval, KC to US in January 2023. During the consultations, the two Deputy NSAs reviewed key bilateral issues and exchanged views on regional and global developments. The two Deputy NSAs undertook the first comprehensive mid-term review of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) after the first meeting led by the respective NSAs in January 2023 in Washington D.C. In May 2022, Prime Minister Modi and President Biden launched iCET to facilitate outcome-oriented cooperation in new and emerging technologies. iCET is co-led by the NSCS in India and the US National Security Council (NSC). They took stock of progress made in building technology value chains under the framework of iCET. They expressed satisfaction with ongoing collaborations in diverse domains including semiconductors, quantum, Artificial Intelligence (Al) and High-Performance Computing (HPC), defence innovation, space, and advanced telecommunications through interactions between the respective governments, industry,academia and other stakeholders. The two Deputy NSAs also reiterated their commitment to fulfilling the vision of Prime Minister Modi and President Biden for elevating the bilateral strategic partnership and agreed to broaden the scope of iCET to biotechnology, critical minerals and rare earths processing technologies, digital connectivity and digital public infrastructure, and advanced materials. They also affirmed the importance of easing regulations to facilitate high-tech collaborations, and transfer of technology. Their discussions served to highlight the immense potential to tap synergies between their domestic initiatives and boost the competitiveness of industry in both countries. PDNSA Finer called on NSA and EAM. He will meet Foreign Secretary and also participate in the Global Technology Summit. New Delhi December 04, 2023 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address INS SUMEDHA - MISSION DEPLOYED AT ANTSIRANANA, MADAGASCAR India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 04 DEC 2023 4:27PM by PIB Delhi As part of Indian Navy's Long Range Mission Based Deployment, Indian Naval Ship Sumedha is undertaking port call at Antsiranana, Madagascar from 04 to 06 December 2023. The visit is aimed at reinforcing Indian Navy's commitment to enhance Maritime Security, building bridges of friendship and strengthening maritime co-operation with Madagascar. India and Madagascar have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly relations, sharing common ethos of democracy, secularism and development. The deployment also highlights warm and cordial relation of India with Eastern African countries. During her stay, INS Sumedha will engage in professional interactions, cross training for exchange of best practices and interaction with Malagasy Navy personnel. The visit aims to enhance interoperability towards capacity building between the two friendly navies in Indian Ocean Region in line with the Prime Minister's vision of Security And Growth for All in Region (SAGAR). The ship is also scheduled to undertake Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with Malagasy Navy upon departure on 06 December 2023, wherein, various facets of maritime operations such as communication drills, tactical manoeuvres and flying operations are planned. INS Sumedha is third of the indigenously constructed Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) of Saryu class deployed for multiple roles independently and in support of Fleet Operations. She is part of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam and functions under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. The ship is equipped with several weapon systems, sensors, state of art navigation and communication systems/Electronic Warfare suite. Sumedha has undertaken various Fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance, Non-combatant Evacuation Operations and HADR missions. The ship also has the distinction for being the maiden Indian Naval Ship to participate in Exercise Bright Star (a Multinational exercise held biennially in Egypt) from 06 to 15 September 2023 and India-EU Joint Naval exercise 24 to 26 October 2023. ***** VM/JSN (Release ID: 1982360) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 2 Indian pilots killed as air force trainer aircraft crashes in Telangana People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 16:23, December 04, 2023 NEW DELHI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots were killed on Monday after a trainer aircraft that they were on board crashed in the southern Indian state of Telangana, officials said. According to officials, a Pilatus PC 7 Mk II aircraft carrying an instructor and a trainee pilot had taken off from Air Force Academy (AFA) at Hyderabad for a routine training sortie. However, it crashed on Monday morning at Toopran in Medak district, about 55 km north of Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana, killing both pilots on the spot. The aircraft went into flames immediately after crashing to the ground. No damages to civil life or property have been reported, and a court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, according to an IAF statement. Officials said that IAF pilots often undergo basic training on the single-engine Pilatus PC 7 Mk II aircraft. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer's Travel to India December 04, 2023 Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer led a U.S. delegation to New Delhi on December 4 for an intersessional review of the U.S-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) with Indian Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri. The iCET is a major milestone in the U.S.-India partnership, which is increasingly defined by strategic security and technology cooperation. In addition, Mr. Finer conducted bilateral and regional consultations with Ambassador Misri, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra for in-depth discussions aimed at strengthening coordination and policy alignment across the Indo-Pacific, including the wider Indian Ocean region. They discussed the Middle East, including the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the importance of safeguarding freedom of commercial navigation, as well as plans for a post-conflict Gaza and a pathway toward a two-state solution. Mr. Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Navy commander in Baku for military cooperation IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Dec 4, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani has travelled to Baku for talks on military cooperation. The Iranian commander arrived in Baku on Monday at the head of a delegation. In a phone conversation between the foreign ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan on November 18, the Azerbaijani side underscored the need for dialogue and regional mechanisms without the intervention of trans-regional countries. The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, said that the more the two countries work on regional cooperation formats, the more benefits will go to the regional partners of both nations. The two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction with the growing relations between Iran and Baku, urging the need for more joint efforts in the regional and international arenas. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Supreme Leader stresses global coalition against US, Western bullying IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Dec 4, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has underlined the need for forming a coalition against the bullying of the United States and the Western countries by world states who share views in this regard. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran on Monday with Cuban President Miguel DAaz-Canel. The Supreme Leader noted that this coalition, which he believed has to fucus on economic cooperation, can influence significant world issues such as the Palestinian issue. Reiterating that the Palestinian issue is not confined to the recent events in Gaza, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the Palestinian people have been suffering from different types of torture and massacre over the past 75 years. The Supreme Leader also referred to his meeting with the late Fidel Castro 22 years ago, praising his honesty in expressing his revolutionary stances. Ayatollah Khamenei added that the Cuban Revolution and the character of Mr. Castro have been attractive for the Iranian revolutionary people even before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Cuban president, for his part, said that the stances of the Supreme Leader are in the same line with the concerns of the Cuban government. Noting that the relations between Iran and Cuba have been on the right track after the Islamic Revolution, DAaz-Canel said that he is making every effort to further deepen the relations between the two countries in different areas, particularly in the areas of trade and economy. He stressed that Tehran and Havana can complement each other in various fields, especially in dealing with interventionist actions and sanctions by the United States and its allies. The Cuban president also touched upon the grave situation in Gaza and said that what is going on in the Gaza Strip today is an unacceptable genocide. He criticized the international organizations for turning a blind eye on the massacre of tens of thousands of people in Gaza two thirds of whom he said are women and children. Earlier today, the Cuban president met Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi where seven cooperation documents were signed between the two countries. He also had a meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The visit of a Cuban president to Tehran takes place 22 years after Fidel Castro, the then president of the country, paid a visit to Tehran. President Raisi visited Havana earlier this year upon an invitation by his Cuban counterpart. 9341**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran says obtained guarantees from US on funds release IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Dec 4, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Tehran has obtained the necessary guarantees that the United States will honor its commitments under an agreement to release Iran's frozen assets, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Monday. He made the remarks when asked at a press conference in Tehran about attempts by US Congress to block Iran's released funds once again. "The plan to block Iran's money needs the approval of the Senate and the signature of the US president," he said, asserting, however, that the US government must honor its commitments toward Tehran. "Since the United States has shown that it is not reliable, we have acquired the necessary guarantees in this regard." According to Kanaani, the Iranian government has access to the country's released financial resources, and "we can use them in accordance with our needs." The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman further said certain "representatives" at the US Congress have shown that they are in fact representatives of the Zionist lobby rather than the American people. "It is not acceptable that the US Congress turns a blind eye to the [Israeli regime's] crimes against the Palestinian people while pointing the finger of accusation at the Islamic Republic of Iran and violating the legal obligations of the United States," he added. Iran slams Israeli regime's crimes The spokesman underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the Israeli regime's brutal atrocities and the unrelenting war crimes against the residents of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and that it is really painful that the regime tremendously continues its ruthless brutalities against civilians and non-combatants. The United States plays a direct and undeniable role in the war crimes committed by the Israeli regime against the Palestinian nation, he said, adding it is obvious that Operation Al-Aqsa Storm showed the regime's claim of possessing security capabilities is chaffy and shaky. Kanaani further argued that the Israeli regime resorted to the massacre of over 16,000 Palestinians, 70% of whom were civilians, intending to compensate for its failures and that the US stands with the criminal regime instead of taking a constructive stance to prevent the calamity. The new round of strikes by the Israeli regime kicked off when the United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was present in the war room of the regime, indicating that the US plays a direct role in this respect, the diplomat said, arguing that Washington provided new arms and equipment to the Israeli regime, so they equipped the regime to keep on its war crimes. The US administration is now a party to the Gaza war, he said, adding that the situation on the ground proves contradictions regarding the statements made by the US authorities who claimed that they did not seek to expand the war and that they cautioned Israel not to kill non-combatants. Good talks with Omani FM In his remarks, the spokesman referred to the talks held in Tehran with the visiting Omani foreign minister and said the two top diplomats focused on various economic and political questions, the issue of Palestine in particular. Considering the good record of Oman and its various initiatives on removal of the sanctions, Tehran welcomes Muscat's goodwill to the issue of Palestine, the spokesman underlined. Both Iran and Oman believe that maximum pressure is needed to cease the Zionist regime's crimes, lift Gaza's siege and send humanitarian aid to the stricken people, he added. He went on to say that the two countries reached an agreement on Sunday on making joint efforts to halt war in Gaza. "Oman always takes just and fair stance and plays a responsible role in the regional developments." Killing of two Iranian military advisors in Syria by Israeli regime Elsewhere in his presser, Kanaani commented on the martyrdom of two Iranian military advisors in Syria, saying no action against the Islamic Republic's interests and security, as well as the country's military advisors in the Arab country, will go unanswered as proven already. Nuclear talks On the continuation of multilateral negotiations to revive the US-abandoned nuclear agreement, he said Iran's performance under the deal, also called the JCPOA, as well as its stance toward the deal are completely clear. "These views have been and will continue to be raised in our negotiations with the European parties and are among the key points of our talks," he said. "Our views are based on valid laws and regulations, and we also have strong arguments in this regard." He then made clear that Tehran has never run away from the talks nor left the negotiation table, and will continue to adhere to the negotiating table as long as it serves the country's interests. "We advise the other parties to learn from past experiences gained along the path taken so far," he added. Regarding the issues raised during a recent phone conversation between Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, the spokesman noted that there are a significant number of political issues between Iran and Europe that need to be addressed. He lamented that Europe has occasionally taken a "non-constructive approach" toward the Islamic Republic's relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "The positions taken by the Agency and the European troika (Britain, France and Germany) mean ignoring the facts, and they do not pay any attention to the US's violation of its obligations while raising unilateral accusations against Iran," he stated, adding that Tehran's position as well as its cooperation with the IAEA was conveyed and clarified to the EU foreign policy chief. Iraqi MPs' visit to Iran Kanaani also pointed to the ongoing visit of an Iraqi parliamentary delegation to Iran, noting that the trip is in continuation of the proper and constructive collaborations between the two countries in different sectors. According to the official, the main topic of the discussion between the Iraqi delegation and the Iranian side is the issue of Palestine and how they can utilize their parliamentary potential in this regard. He added that the stance adopted by Iraq regarding Palestine has been remarkable in comparison to other Islamic and Arab nations. Iran military delegation's trip to Iraq As to the visit of an Iranian military delegation to Iraq, the spokesman said that the Iranian military envoys pay a visit to the neighboring country in order to follow up on developing and consolidating military cooperation between the two nations. Both sides enjoy common interests in regional security, he said, adding that the preservation of the security of borders between two countries is of great importance; therefore, the two states emphasize the need for maintaining secure borders to guarantee development and prosperity in line with their mutual interests. The security of Iran and Iraq will help enhance security in the region, which will benefit all regional countries, the spokesman said. Iranian sanctions on Israeli regime Replying to a question by IRNA correspondent on the timing of setting up a committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tasked to impose sanctions on the Israeli regime and its achievements in this regard, he said that a committee has been formed at the ministry and they pursue negotiation to reach the mentioned goal based on the emphasis made by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution. Ministerial meeting in Moscow Regarding the meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian Sea littoral states in Moscow, Russia, Kanaani noted that the event will be held in the framework of regular meetings between officials of the Caspian Sea littoral states, adding that the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will also travel to Moscow to take part in the meeting. Visit of Cuban president to Iran About the visit of the Cuban President Miguel DAaz-Canel to Tehran, the spokesman said the visit took place within the framework of invitation from his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi. Miguel DAaz-Canel arrived in the Iranian capital late on Sunday and was officially welcomed by President Raisi on Monday morning. According to Kanaani, Tehran and Havana enjoy good approaches towards various issues. CENTCOM accusation against Iran Speaking about the accusation made by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) against Iran, the spokesman said the Islamic Republic considers CENTCOM a terrorist group as their presence in the region has always caused instability. So, the Islamic Republic rejects such accusation made baselessly by a terrorist group, according to Kanaani. He further refuted the claim that Iran has sent drones to Yemen and said such claims are for hiding the crimes being committed by the Zionist regime of Israel in Gaza. "We advise the United States to stop supporting the Zionist regime." As he underlined, continuation of the crimes in Palestine will not remain without reaction. The Zionist's dream about occupying Palestine will never come true as the other countries will not let it happen, and the Palestinian nation is so strong. 'West trying to divert attention from Palestine' Kanaani also dismissed Western claims over Iran's missile program, saying that by leveling such accusations against Iran, they are trying to divert public attention away from the bitter reality in Palestine. "Those who joined hands with the Zionist regime and committed crimes should rest assured that the nations of the world will not be distracted from the bitter realities that happened in Palestine," he remarked. Asked about a Bloomberg report claiming that Saudi Arabia has offered Iran to invest in its economy in exchange for containing its "regional proxies", Kanaani said there are lots of claims being spread with specific political goals by specific media outlets. "We will not pay attention to such issues," he said, adding that the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are on a good track, and both countries are determined to further strengthen their bilateral ties through cooperation agreements. Regarding Europe's hosting of the anti-Iran Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group, the Foreign Ministry spokesman pointed out that the MKO has a history of crimes against the Iranian people. He said Western countries are virtue signaling with their claim to fight terrorism while at the same time cooperating with well-known terrorists in Iran, Europe and the US. 4354**4208**1483**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran FM urges further Tehran-Baghdad ties to ensure regional peace IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Dec 4, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has called for further cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad to help establish peace and stability in the region. Amirabdollahian made the remarks in a meeting held in Tehran on Sunday with the visiting Iraqi Deputy Parliament Speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi and his delegation, the IRNA reported on Monday. Cooperation between Iran and Iraq is a prime example in the region, Amirabdollahian underlined. In his remarks, the foreign minister appreciated the Iraqi parliament, government and nation for strongly condemning the Zionist regime's criminal measures in Gaza. As Amirabdollahian noted, Iraq played an effective role in the recent developments in Gaza. For his part, the Iraqi official said his country is satisfied with the brotherly ties with Iran and stressed the need to expand such relations in all areas, particularly in the parliamentary field. He said Baghdad has a firm stance on condemning the Zionist crimes in Gaza. Elsewhere in his remarks, he invited the Iranian companies to participate in the engineering and development projects in Iraq. He also expressed hope that the two would expand consular cooperation to pave the way for the Iraqi students to study in the Iranian universities. 1483**7129 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran vows to respond to Israel attacks on advisory forces ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 4 December 2023 / 12:43 The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, referring to the martyrdom of 2 Iranian advisory forces in Syria by Israeli bombardment, said: "No action against Iran and the interests of Iran and our advisory forces in Syria will end without a reaction". Tehran (ISNA) - Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani said that Iran will respond to any attacks on the country's interests in the region. Iran announced martyrdom of two advisory forces in Syria as a result of recent Israeli attacks on Damascus suburbs. Speaking on weekly press conference, Kan'ani said: "Iran responded and will respond to any attack on the country's interests in the region. No action against Iran and Iran's interests and our advisory forces in Syria will remain without reaction, and those who take action and have taken action have experienced this issue. No anti-Iranian action by the enemies will go unanswered." Israel has carried out several strikes targeting Syria, putting the international airports of Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo out of commission. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cuban President arrives in Iran after about two decades ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 4 December 2023 / 10:41 Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel arrived on Sunday evening at Mehrabad Airport in the Iranian capital, Tehran, where he was received by the Iranian Health Minister and the head of the joint committee for cooperation between Iran and Cuba. Tehran (ISNA) - At the invitation of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Cuban President arrived in Tehran leading a high-level political and economic delegation, marking 22 years since the last visit by the late President Fidel Castro. Headed by the Iranian President, the official reception ceremony for Diaz-Canel is scheduled to take place on Monday morning at the Sa'dabad Historical Cultural Complex adjacent to the Iranian presidential headquarters. Following the official reception ceremony, there will be a special meeting between the two presidents and a joint meeting of high-level delegations, along with a signing ceremony for cooperation documents and memoranda. Subsequently, Raisi and Diaz-Canel will hold a joint press conference to review the outcomes and achievements of their bilateral consultations. In addition, Diaz-Canel will hold meetings with several high-ranking Iranian officials and will also visit the exhibition showcasing the technological capabilities and latest achievements of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the Pasteur Institute, which collaborates with Cuba in the fields of medicine and pharmacy. This visit marks the first by a Cuban President to Iran since the June 1991 visit by the late Fidel Castro. It is noteworthy that in June of this year, Raisi visited Havana during a regional tour in Latin America, at an official invitation from his Cuban counterpart. During the visit, six documents and memoranda of understanding were signed by senior officials from both countries for cooperation in multiple realms. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Cuba must form coalition to counter US, West bullying: Ayatollah Khamenei Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 2:45 PM Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says great political and economic capacities of Iran and Cuba should be used to form a coalition against bullying of the United States and its Western allies. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a Monday meeting with Cuban President Miguel DAaz-Canel, who is in Tehran on a historic visit. Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi was also present in the meeting. Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to remarkable potentialities of Iran and Cuba and said, "These capacities should be used to set up an alliance and a coalition among those countries that share the same position against the US and Western bullying." "With its focus on economic cooperation, this coalition can take a common and effective position on important international issues such as the Palestinian issue," the Leader stated. The Leader emphasized that the Palestinian issue is not limited to the recent developments in Gaza and its bombardment as the Palestinian people have been exposed to various types of torture, sufferings and massacre over the past 75 years. However, Gaza is currently faced with such a big catastrophe that cannot be concealed, Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that the war revealed the realities on the ground to the world public opinion. The Leader added that Iran and Cuba share a stance on many international developments, particularly the Palestinian issue. Referring to Tehran-Havana cooperation in international forums, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the importance of further promoting mutual relations in various fields, including science. The Leader expressed hope that the two countries would implement bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding now that the administration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, which he described as the "administration of work and activity", is at the helm. Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to his meeting with late Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Tehran 22 years ago, and said Cuba's revolution and Castro's personality have always been fascination to Iranian revolutionaries even before the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution because of the sincerity in his revolutionary positions. The Leader emphasized that "revolutionary sincerity", "revolutionary resilience" and "revolutionary solemnity" are the common main features of the Cuban revolution and the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Cuba urges further cooperation with Iran in various fields DAaz-Canel, for his part, said Ayatollah Khamenei's positions and statements correspond to concerns and stance of the Cuban government. The Cuban president added that in his talks with Iranian authorities in Tehran, both sides focused all their efforts on ways to deepen mutual relations, especially in the economic and commercial spheres. He emphasized that Iran and Cuba can complement each other in various fields, particularly in dealing with interventionist measures and sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies. Regarding cooperation on global issues, the two countries should further develop their relations and play an influential role in leading developments such as the Palestinian issue, he said. The Cuban president denounced the ongoing developments in Gaza as "unacceptable genocide" and said international organizations have turned a blind eye to the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, most of them children and women, in the besieged Strip. He said those who were constantly complaining about the war between Ukraine and Russia and the killing of civilians are now silent vis-A -vis the massacre of tens of thousands of people in Gaza, which indicates the grave state of the world. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Cuba call for global coalition to support Palestinians amid Israeli genocidal war Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 7:23 AM President Ebrahim Raeisi says Iran and Cuba have a common stance on the need to form a coalition to support the oppressed Palestinian people in different continents in cooperation with the allied countries. Raeisi made the remarks in a meeting with Cuban counterpart Miguel DAaz-Canel, who is in Tehran on a historic visit. The Iranian president slammed the deafening silence of the international community on the Israeli genocide in Gaza, saying no international organization is trying to stop the Israeli killing machine. "Regrettably, the United States and the West are supporting these heartbreaking crimes," Raeisi said, slamming those who claim to defend human rights for backing Israel's crimes against humanity. He expressed regret over the inefficiency of the international systems which have failed to stop the "war machine that the US has provided to the Zionist regime." "The United Nations, the Security Council, the Arab League and other global bodies have lost their efficiency," the Iranian president said. He stressed the need to end the current unfair international system and form a fair global system that supports the oppressed people and prevents oppression. Raeisi said Iranians and all nations are saddened that the enemies are attacking the Palestinian people, who want to defend their homeland and lives. "The Zionist regime martyrs the Palestinian people with [acts of] racism, genocide and crime against humanity and massacres women and children," the Iranian president added. He noted that since the beginning of the Tel Aviv regime's large-scale attack on Gaza on October 7, more than 6,000 Palestinian children and over 4,000 women have been killed, reaffirming the Islamic Republic's support for the Palestinian people. Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group conducted Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 15,523 Palestinians, mostly women and children, injured 41,316 others, and left vast swathes of Gaza in ruins. It has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to more than two million Palestinians living there. Cuba calls for immediate ceasefire, formation of Palestinian state: DAaz-Canel DAaz-Canel, for his part, said Cuba slams Israel's killing of thousands of Palestinian people and calls for the immediate establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza which would prepare the ground for the formation of an independent Palestinian state. He added that Iran and Cuba call for international efforts to condemn Israel's acts of genocide against the Palestinian people. The Cuban president lashed out at the US for interfering in Iran's internal affairs, saying that Havana defends Tehran's legitimate right to determine its own fate. Iran, Cuba resisting against arrogant system: Raeisi Elsewhere in the presser, Raeisi said both Iran and Cuba are resisting the arrogant system, warning the US and its allies of their miscalculation regarding the implementation of the policy of sanctions against the countries. He added that the resistance of Tehran and Havana against US hegemony and excessive demands has led to the imposition of sanctions. "The US and arrogant system think that sanctions can force countries to surrender, but this calculation is incorrect," the Iranian president emphasized. He said those countries that are under sanctions can exchange capacities in a bid to neutralize them, adding that Iran and Cuba decided to promote relations as a major step towards foiling the sanctions. Raeisi hailed Iran's growing cooperation with Cuba, particularly in the fields of science and technology, and noted that the two countries are also determined to expand relations in agriculture, mines and energy sectors. He described his Cuban counterpart's visit to Tehran after 21 years as a "turning point" in the improvement of mutual ties. During a ceremony held at the Sa'adabad historical and cultural complex on Monday morning, Raeisi welcomed DAaz-Canel, who arrived in Tehran Sunday night on the first visit by a Cuban president after former leader, late Fidel Castro, visited Iran 22 years ago. The Iranian and Cuban presidents started their meeting shortly following the ceremony and are scheduled to attend a joint press conference afterward. Iran, Cuba sign 7 documents, cooperation agreements In the presence of the Iranian and Cuban presidents, senior officials of the two countries signed seven documents and agreements on the improvement of bilateral cooperation. Raeisi and DAaz-Canel also issued a joint statement on strengthening strategic relations between Tehran and Havana. According to the documents, Iran and Cuba will strengthen cooperation in various sectors of science and technology, health, agriculture, energy and mines, communications and medicine. The Cuban president, who is heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, was welcomed by Iran's Minister of Health and Medical Education Bahram Einollahi at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport upon his arrival. DAaz-Canel will also hold separate meetings with a number of Iranian authorities and tour an exhibition showcasing the latest joint achievements reached in cooperation with Cuba in medical and pharmaceutical fields. Back in June, the Iranian president traveled to Havana and met with his Cuban counterpart. In the presence of the two presidents, Iran and Cuba signed six agreements to expand bilateral economic, political and judicial cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Regional Iranian Officials Order Strict Dress Code For Female Public Workers By RFE/RL's Radio Farda December 04, 2023 Iranian media say the governorate of the central city of Qom has issued a directive mandating female employees in government offices adhere to strict Islamic dress codes, specifically wearing a black chador, a large piece of cloth that is wrapped around the head and upper body leaving only the face exposed, and refraining from using makeup. The directive, initially disclosed by the Iran Watch rights group's website, marks a further tightening of the Islamic republic's stance on how women can dress in the workplace. The deputy governor of Qom, Abolghasem Moghimi Araghi, emphasized in the directive the need for female employees to comply with the "laws of modesty and hijab." The requirement underscores the regime's renewed emphasis on conservative dress standards, particularly in Qom, a city known for its religious significance and as a hub for Shi'ite religious education. The directive's publication coincides with a period of heightened sensitivity and opposition to Iran's mandatory hijab laws. Nationwide protests under the banner of "Women, life, freedom" have called for the abolition of compulsory dress codes, with Iranian women risking much in their quest for freedom and equality by standing at the forefront of the demonstrations. This latest regulation in Qom, compelling the wearing of a chador in public offices, is unprecedented in its scope and signals an intensification of the government's approach toward enforcing strict Islamic dress codes. The hijab, or Islamic head scarf, became compulsory for women and girls over the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The move triggered protests that were swiftly crushed by the new authorities. Many women have flouted the rule over the years and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing. Women also have launched campaigns against the discriminatory law, although many have been pressured by the state and forced to leave the country for safety reasons. Tensions have run high in Iran over the hijab law since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's death in police custody in September 2022. Amini's death, which came just days after her detention in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly, led to nationwide protests and hundreds of demonstrators' deaths across the country. Despite lasting public anger, parliament around the anniversary of Amini's death approved an updated version of the law that included harsher penalties for violations, including prison sentences of up to 10 years. In late October, outrage boiled over again after another young woman died following an alleged encounter with "morality" enforcers earlier that month in a Tehran subway car. Armita Garavand, 17, died after falling into a coma after the alleged confrontation on October 1. Some reports have suggested she was assaulted by the morality police, while others have said hijab guards were responsible. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-qom- women-chador/32713444.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Says Received Guarantees on Release of Funds Frozen in United States Sputnik News 20231204 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran has received all the necessary guarantees regarding the release of funds frozen in the United States, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday. "Since the United States has shown that it is not reliable, we have acquired the necessary guarantees in this regard," Kanaani told reporters, as quoted by the local news agency, commenting on attempts by the US Congress to block Iran's released funds once again. In September, Iran and the US conducted a prisoner swap deal, and Washington gave the green light for South Korean banks to unfreeze Iranian assets worth $6 billion. The funds were transferred to Qatar with the condition that they could only be used for humanitarian purposes, and the US reserved the right to cancel the agreement at any time. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi PM condemns U.S. attacks on central province People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 11:19, December 04, 2023 BAGHDAD, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iraq rejected any attack by U.S. forces on its territory, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said on Saturday during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Al-Sudani emphasized that the U.S. airstrikes on positions of armed groups linked to the Iraqi Hashd Shaabi paramilitary forces in the Jurf al-Nasr area in the central province of Babil constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, according to a statement issued by al-Sudani's media office. "At the same time, al-Sudani reiterated the Iraqi government's commitment to protect international coalition advisors working in Iraq," the statement said. Blinken called on the Iraqi government to protect installations hosting American personnel and to pursue those responsible for attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq, according to the State Department of the U.S.. Al-Sudani and Blinken also discussed developments in the Palestinian territories and agreed to stabilize the truce, stop attacks, and ensure that the Israel-Hamas conflict does not expand in a way that poses a real threat to security and stability in the region, the Iraqi statement added. On Nov. 22, U.S. aircraft attacked positions of the Hashd Shaabi forces in the Jurf al-Nasr area, south of Baghdad, leaving eight of its fighters killed and wounding four others. The U.S. airstrikes came after the armed group "Islamic Resistance in Iraq," an umbrella body for Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, claimed responsibility for carrying out a series of rocket and drone attacks on military bases housing U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq and Syria. The attacks by the armed group are believed to be part of retaliatory measures amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Immediately after the airstrikes, al-Sudani condemned in a statement the U.S. airstrikes and described them as a clear violation of the coalition's mission, which is to fight the Islamic State militants on Iraqi soil. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The United Kingdom stands firm in continued efforts to deliver justice for Daesh's atrocities: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council meeting on Iraq. 4 December 2023 Thank you President. I would like to thank the Special Adviser for his latest report and for all the work of the UNITAD team. The United Kingdom continues to value UNITAD's important contribution to holding members of Daesh accountable for their appalling crimes. We welcome the progress that UNITAD has made since the last briefing. As we've heard, it has concluded reports on two critical issues: sexual violence against women and girls, and the development and use of chemical weapons by Daesh. It has delivered 80 field missions and digitised a further five million records. And we welcome UNITAD's important capacity-building work including training on witness protection and victim-centred approaches to evidence collection, as well as supporting mass grave excavations. All of this is vital to bringing justice and accountability for victims and survivors while supporting the Iraqi government in its modernisation of judicial processes and of investigatory work. We strongly encourage UNITAD and the Government of Iraq to find a way forward for third party evidence sharing, as this Council requested in resolution 2697, which is so critical to ensuring members of Daesh cannot escape impunity by fleeing abroad. We also encourage UNITAD to continue working with the Iraqi authorities to improve evidence sharing and to plan for the future. However, we do recognise the sharing of sensitive evidence is not straightforward, as it is often subject to, among other things, the consent of witnesses. We hope the upcoming report of the Secretary-General will provide clarity on these matters so that the Council and Iraq can properly understand what evidence has been and can be shared, and how the Council, UNITAD, and the Government of Iraq could make further progress on this. It is critical that the evidence collected by UNITAD continues to be available for prosecutions of international crimes. President, we all agree here on the importance of accountability for Daesh's crimes. We owe that to the victims as the Special Adviser has said. For our part, the United Kingdom is committed to working closely with the government of Iraq and the United Nations to ensure UNITAD's unique work is used effectively both in Iraq and around the world. We are grateful to the Special Adviser and his Team for their dedicated efforts in pursuit of accountability. And we stand firm in our continued international efforts to deliver justice for Daesh's atrocities. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of the Vice President's Call with President Isaac Herzog of Israel December 03, 2023 Vice President Kamala Harris spoke today to President Isaac Herzog of Israel on her flight to Washington, D.C., from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the Vice President had several conversations with Arab leaders on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Vice President reiterated the strong U.S. support for Israel's right to self-defense and she and President Herzog discussed latest developments in Gaza. They spoke about the situation in the West Bank and the Vice President reiterated our concerns with steps that could escalate tensions, including extremist settler violence. Building on the Vice President's meetings in Dubai, the Vice President reiterated the importance of planning for the day after the fighting ends in Gaza, and she underscored our commitment to a two-state solution. The Vice President told President Herzog that, to follow-up on this conversation and her meetings in Dubai on day-after planning, her National Security Advisor, Dr. Phil Gordon, would travel to Israel and the West Bank this week for additional discussions. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Netanyahu Speaks with Argentinian President-elect Javier Milei Israel - Prime Minister's Office The 37th Government 04.12.2023 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today , spoke with Argentinian President-elect Javier Milei, congratulated him on his election victory and thanked him for his support of the State of Israel in its war against the Hamas terrorist organization. The Prime Minister told the President-elect that he is a true friend of the Jewish people. Prime Minister Netanyahu also thanked President-elect Milei for his intention to move the Argentinian Embassy to Jerusalem, and invited him to visit Israel. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Updated National Security Council Travel Warnings Israel - Prime Minister's Office The 37th Government 04.12.2023 Since the beginning of the Swords of Iron War, the National Security Council (NSC) has been conducting ongoing situation assessments together with the Israeli security organizations. Consequently, an announcement was released to the public on November 3, 2023, listing recommendations for the conduct of Israelis abroad at this time, and emphasizing the threat in several countries. We then conducted an in-depth analysis of all countries and adjusted their threat levels accordingly. As a result, the threat level in dozens of countries has been changed (detailed in the NSC website; see the files available for download at the link below). The threat level for many countries in Western Europe (including the UK, France and Germany), South America (including Brazil and Argentina), as well as Australia and Russia, has been raised to level 2, with the recommendation to exercise increased caution. The threat level for countries in Africa (including South Africa and Eritrea) and Central Asia (including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan) has been raised to level 3, with the recommendation to reconsider non-essential travel to these countries. Since the beginning of the war, we have identified increased efforts by Iran and its proxies, including Hamas and Global Jihad factions, to harm Israeli and Jewish targets around the world. At the same time, there is a constant and significant rise in incitement, attempted attacks and manifestations of antisemitism in many countries. Therefore, the NSC reiterates and underlines its recommendation to weigh the essentiality of travel at this time. For Israeli citizens traveling abroad, we recommend choosing their destinations wisely, while exercising recommended precautionary measures wherever they are, and examining their conduct in light of the recommendations detailed in the NSC website and especially: a. Postponing travel to countries for which travel warnings have been issued, and particularly Arab and Middle Eastern countries, the North Caucasus, countries bordering Iran and several Muslim countries in Asia. b. Checking whether there have been anti-Israel protests and violence at the destination, even in countries for which no travel warnings have been issued. c. Staying away from demonstrations and protests. d. Remaining alert while abroad and being aware of things happening around you. e. Avoiding openly displaying your Israeli and Jewish identities and any relevant symbols and, and staying away from Israeli and Jewish gatherings. f. Finding out in advance the phone numbers for emergency services in the destination country and of the Israeli mission, if there is one. https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/news_public32 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu's corruption trial resumes amid war on Gaza Iran Press TV Monday, 04 December 2023 2:19 PM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-running trial on a host of corruption charges resumes following a two-month halt due to the regime's war on Gaza. Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in one case. In two other cases, he faces similar charges of fraud and breach of trust. Prosecutors say between 2007 and 2016 Netanyahu allegedly received gifts valued at $195,000 in exchange for financial or personal favors. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing. A court in occupied al-Quds was to start hearing the case on Monday. Bribery charges carry a sentence of up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine. Fraud and breach of trust carry a prison sentence of up to three years. When the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched its surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the regime on October 7, the trial was paused on an emergency order from the Israeli justice minister. In the event, Netanyahu ordered Israeli military forces to attack the besieged Gaza Strip with a force "like never before." Israel has so far killed more than 15,500 people, according to the Gaza health ministry. 70 percent of those killed are women and children. Netanyahu said on Saturday that the air and ground invasion of the besieged Palestinian territory will continue "until we achieve all our goals." The regime's longest-serving prime minister is now facing calls for war crime investigations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has repeatedly called for Netanyahu to be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC), said on Monday that "Netanyahu, who is the butcher of Gaza right now, will be tried as the butcher of Gaza." The ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in November his office had received a referral from five countries to investigate Israel's war crimes in the Palestinian territories. South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, and Djibouti submitted the referral, according to Khan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar villagers find 18 burnt bodies after junta raid About a fifth of the village's houses were destroyed in the attack, locals said. By RFA Burmese 2023.12.04 -- Villagers uncovered 18 charred bodies after junta forces burned homes in a village in central Myanmar, residents and defense forces told Radio Free Asia. Junta soldiers and the military-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia attacked a village in Monywa township on Saturday morning. Roughly 80 soldiers stationed nearby stormed Kya Paing village and began torching houses, causing locals to flee, Kya Paing residents said. On Saturday evening, villagers returned to the area and found the bodies of 18 people badly burned near Kya Paing, a member of Monywa township defense forces said. "We are now cleaning up the fire debris in the village," he said, declining to be named for security reasons. "The bodies are deformed and only the bones remain. We're still cleaning and I am praying that we will not find another body again. Up to 170 or 180 houses were burned." Because of how badly the bodies were damaged, it is not possible to identify the victims, he added. However, all of them are men between the age of 20 and 50 years old. Taw Pu village, which is adjacent to Kya Paing, has one military camp occupied by Pyu Saw Htee soldiers. On Friday, a People's Defense Force attacked the camp, leading some to believe soldiers attacked Kya Paing in retaliation, said a person in charge of the Monywa district People's Defense Force No. 5 Battalion. The incident was extremely cruel, said one villager whose house was set on fire, adding he had lost several friends in the attack. "The bodies were damaged. They were charred. I feel sorry that my friends are among the dead. It was indescribable," he told RFA on Sunday, declining to be named for fear of reprisals. "This action was extreme and cruel. All the families are split up and have no place to live." Junta and Pyu Saw Htee forces left on Saturday afternoon after torching the houses. Villagers found the burnt bodies of 10 men in a centrally-located house after entering the village and extinguishing a fire later that evening. Eight more bodies were found the next day. Local organizations are helping families who have lost someone come to identify the men using pieces of clothing and other evidence, said a member of the Monywa- Ah Myint Road Information Group. "There were some people who were caught by junta troops while working on a farm as the soldiers entered the village. Ten bodies were found in a closed house," he told RFA, speaking anonymously to protect his identity. "It's still unknown whether those 10 bodies were burned after shooting them or whether they were burned without being shot." About a fifth of the homes in Kya Paing village were burned, locals said. RFA called Sagaing region's junta spokesperson Sai Naing Naing Kyaw seeking comment on this incident, but calls went unanswered. As of the start of this month, 4,218 civilians have been killed across the country since the military coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. 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 December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Quiet Resistance: From Legal Actions To Vandalism, Russia's Pro-War Symbols Coming Under Attack By RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities December 04, 2023 IRKUTSK, Russia - In the days immediately following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a pro-war banner prominently featuring the Latin letter Z appeared on the colonnaded facade of the drama theater in the center of this Siberian city. It was just one of many thousands of similar jingoistic signs featuring the Kremlin's new symbol for demonstrating support for the war and the policies of President Vladimir Putin that local administrations trotted out at the time. Critics of the often aggressively brandished Z symbol see it as a fascistic emblem of state-mandated loyalty and militarization, derisively referring to it as a "Zwastika." For many months, the Irkutsk banner flapped in the breeze. But in May, local media reported that representatives of the city's theatrical community had quietly sent two requests to municipal authorities asking that it be removed. According to their letters, the banner had been attacked more than once by vandals throwing hollowed-out eggs filled with a staining green antiseptic called zelyonka, purportedly damaging the historic structure. The mayor's office ignored the appeals, but Vadim Palko, who runs a local news channel on Telegram called Irkutsk Blog, launched a public campaign demanding that the huge banner be removed, quickly drawing 440 supporters. Late last month, Deputy Mayor Tatyana Makarycheva sent a response rejecting the appeals, arguing that the banner "defends the motherland, the people, and our traditions." She also warned darkly that "negative statements" about the Z symbol could be prosecuted under legislation criminalizing "discrediting the armed forces." But the fight to remove the Z banner from the theater "is not over," Palko told RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities. "According to our plan, we are now preparing new letters to the prosecutor's office." The growing opposition to the Irkutsk banner -- both the campaign to remove the banner and the anecdotal evidence that vandals had attacked it -- echoes similar stories across Russia that could be indicative of growing popular weariness with a costly war that is dragging on toward its third year since the full-scale invasion, with no clear end in sight. In addition, it has now been more than a year since Putin declared military mobilization in September 2022 and brought the war directly home to hundreds of thousands of Russians. "There was no grassroots support for the war from the beginning," said Aleksei Ivanov, a resident of the northwestern city of Syktyvkar who fled Russia after facing criminal charges for calling a police officer a "fascist" during a small anti-war protest in February 2022. "I only saw the first Z sign on a car in the middle of April [2022]. There were stories then of people slashing the tires of cars with those stickers. From conversations I have had, we still don't see widespread support. So this news is not at all surprising." 'One Of The Less Dangerous Paths' For over a year now, 17-year-old high school student Yevgeny Fokin has been waging a campaign to get authorities to remove Z banners from public spaces in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. In late May 2022, he succeeded in persuading municipal authorities to remove a banner after arguing it violated city regulations on advertising. "After the first banner, a new version appeared on the [same] building," Fokin told RFE/RL. "I wrote a second complaint to the administration, saying the banner 'again does not conform to city standards and must be removed.'" To Fokin's surprise, the second banner also disappeared. Since then, he estimates, he has succeeded in securing the removal of nearly 10 more, leaving the downtown area of Russia's third most-populous city largely bereft of government-organized pro-war banners. "The situation with the banners is so much better that...there are almost none left," he said. "They are not hanging up banners that violate architectural standards, and the ones that were removed have not reappeared. The only ones left are those placed on legally installed advertising platforms. Z signs have also been removed from almost all city transport. They're still on the buses, but they've been taken off of the trams and trolleybuses." Fokin attributes his successful record to the fact that shortly after he began his anti-banner efforts, he was hired as an assistant to independent Novosibirsk City Council member Svetlana Kaverzina. "When a deputy asks, [officials] are obligated to respond substantially," Fokin said. "Plus, they know a deputy can confirm any information they provide and raise a fuss if necessary." In April, students at the State University of Architecture and the Arts in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, began collecting signatures on a petition to remove a Z banner from the facade of their school. Unknown vandals even slashed the banner and splattered it with red paint. When the petition had collected more than 600 signatures, university officials summoned two of the campaign's organizers and ordered them to compose a written "explanation" addressed to the local branch of the Interior Ministry's Anti-Extremism Committee, known as Center E, according to a report by the news outlet Mediazona in July. They refused, and the dean told them the Z banner would remain in place. Eight months later, however, the Z banner was removed without explanation. Mediazona documented similar cases in Perm, Yaroslavl, and St. Petersburg. "I hope that people who read my social media posts and publications will also write," St. Petersburg resident Aleksei Lakhov, who has campaigned against Z banners on the streets and in the subway system, was quoted as saying. "I think it is important to use this quiet resistance because I think it is one of the less dangerous paths." On November 17, Komi Republic head Vladimir Uiba complained on his Telegram channel that there were too few patriotic, pro-war symbols in his region. "I ordered all state agencies to support our boys and display these slogans," he wrote. "But transport companies tell me they won't do it. I ask why. They answer: 'Someone will break the windows.' That means that our boys are dying over there, and we are afraid of broken windows." Total Unanimity? Given the severe restrictions on independent polling and the fact that Russians have long been conditioned to be cautious in their public statements, it is difficult to gauge the extent of public support for the war in Ukraine with any certainty. According to the Levada Center polling agency in November, 67 percent of Russians say the country is "moving in the right direction" and 85 percent approve of President Vladimir Putin. In October, Levada found that 76 percent of Russians either "support" or "tend to support" the war, while just 16 percent said they either "oppose" or "tend to oppose" it. However, when the same agency in October asked Russians who agreed that things were moving in the right direction to specify what policies they had in mind, only 14 percent named the "special military operation," using the mandatory Kremlin euphemism for the invasion of Ukraine. By contrast, among the minority who said Russia was moving in the wrong direction, 45 percent mentioned the war in Ukraine, more than any other cause for concern. Meanwhile, the families of mobilized Russian soldiers have stepped up their protests across the country in recent weeks, organized in part by a Telegram channel The Way Home that has collected more than 30,000 subscribers. Another Telegram channel, Visible Protest, documents quiet expressions of discontent with the war, including anti-war slogans scrawled on currency or written in freshly fallen snow or vandalism targeting pro-war posters. "If the Z banners are hanging everywhere and no one says anything, that would mean that the Zwastika is normal," said Irkutsk activist Palko. "But if someone is fighting for them to be removed and is starting a public discussion, that means there could be something wrong with the symbol, that there isn't total unanimity. "This fight lets people who do not accept the war feel they are not alone or powerless," he said. "And it pushes others to think." Written by RFE/RL's Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities. RFE/RL's North.Realities contributed to this report. This story is based on reporting by correspondents on the ground in Russia. Their names are being withheld for their protection. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-war-z-symbol- resistance-legal-actions-vandalism/32713146.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wider Europe Briefing: More EU Sanctions On Russia, And What Remains Of The Eastern Partnership? By Rikard Jozwiak December 04, 2023 Brief #1: Can The EU Agree On More Russia Sanctions? What You Need To Know: The European Commission presented a new Russia sanctions package in mid-November -- the 12th since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The hope in Brussels is that the 27 EU member states will sign off on the package by the end of the year, preferably ahead of or at the EU summit in Brussels on December 14-15. At first sight, getting a green light looks possible, considering there is still time. There have already been a few rounds of discussions among high-level diplomats, and the sanctions package isn't perhaps the most controversial of proposals. It doesn't, for example, hit the Russian gas or nuclear sectors. Yet, it took nearly seven weeks for the member states to agree on the 11th sanctions package back in the summer, and those measures were equally unambitious. The ongoing issue is that certain member states want to water down the proposals, claiming that the sanctions hurt their economies more than Russia's. For example, Slovakia has asked to extend the exemption that it and other landlocked countries were given, meaning the country could continue importing Russian oil via pipeline until the end of 2025. Germany is also keen to get an exemption on the ban on Russian vehicles entering the bloc and the Czech Republic wants to be able to import Russian steel until 2028. All these measures were already agreed in previous sanctions packages -- and the exemptions that has been sought could very well be agreed again. Deep Background: Exemptions aren't the biggest threat to the deal. Predictably it is Hungary, which has questioned the EU's sanctions regime on Russia from the very start. Diplomats I have spoken to on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the record say they believe that Budapest will block the new deal in order to gain leverage on the European Commission releasing 13 billion euros ($14.2 billion) of EU funds so far held by Brussels over Hungary's backsliding on the rule of law. In a recent letter, seen by RFE/RL, addressed to European Council President Charles Michel, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban asks for a "strategic discussion" on the EU's approach to Ukraine in a number of fields -- not only Russia sanctions but also financial aid to Kyiv and the country's potential EU accession. The letter notes that "the European Council is not in a position to make key decisions on the proposed security guarantees or additional financial support for Ukraine, endorse further strengthening of the sanctions regime or agree on the future of the enlargement process unless a consensus on our future strategy towards Ukraine is found." Specifically on sanctions, the letter notes that "we must also have a clear view [of] what the European Union has actually done to mitigate the obvious adverse effects of the sanctions on individual member states." Everything is essentially coming to a head, ready for those last critical weeks before Christmas. Drilling Down So, what is actually in the sanctions package? The top line is probably the proposed ban on Russian diamonds, something that many EU member states have pushed for. Belgium, however, with its diamond-trading hub of Antwerp had pushed back on this -- until now. If approved, the ban would apply to both Russian natural diamonds and diamond jewelry from January 1, 2024. Then, starting on March 1 and with the aim of being completed by September, there will be an indirect import ban of processed Russian diamonds, meaning stones that have been cut or polished in third countries. For this, the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrial nations will have to come up with a workable global traceability mechanism, something that Belgium has asked for in order for its sign-off on the diamond ban. There will also be an EU import ban on Russian copper, aluminum wire and foil, as well as Russian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The export ban has been further widened to include EU companies providing cryptocurrency wallets. The mostly digital applications, used to store cryptocurrency keys, can also be used for the design and manufacture of certain dual-use goods, which can have both a civilian and military purpose, such as lithium batteries and thermostats for drones. While not touching the actual price cap on Russian oil set late last year in conjunction with the G7 at $60 per barrel, the latest sanctions proposal introduces tougher financial reporting requirements that extra costs, such as for insurance and freight, must be declared, as regulators fear such extras are being inflated as a way of creating more revenue for Russia. And in order to try to thwart Russia's "shadow fleet" -- unlicensed vessels carrying and selling Russian oil above the price cap -- the European Commission will now ask member states to notify the competent authorities of any sale or export of tankers concluded since 2022. Both this measure and the one concerning more detailed financial reporting, however, could be watered down by EU maritime nations fearing too much red tape. Perhaps the most interesting part of this latest sanctions proposal -- and one that will almost certainly be softened -- is a requirement for the EU subsidiaries of Russian companies to transfer all their funds either back to Russia or to a third country. Firstly, it is not an outright ban, which is important to note; and secondly, there are exemptions to ensure critical energy supplies are not interrupted -- so, for example, the subsidiaries of Russian gas companies would likely be spared. But it could affect other EU subsidiaries, making it much harder for them to survive. As always in these packages, there are also 48 people and 73 entities that the bloc wants to slap visa bans and asset freezes on -- adding to a list that already consists of over 1,800 names in total. Included on the new one are several high-ranking Belarusian military officials; Rady Khabirov, the head of the Russian republic of Bashkortostan; Viktor Afzalov, the commander of the Russian Air Force; and Putin's cousin, Anna Tsivileva. Interestingly, there is also a proposal to keep dead people on the sanctions list. Normally, a deceased person is removed, but Brussels is hoping that an asset freeze can remain, as funds can still be generated to financially aid Russia's war in Ukraine. (For obvious reasons in such cases, there will be no more need for a visa ban.) Brief #2: The Eastern Partnership Is Still Hobbling Along What You Need To Know: Perhaps it was the zenith of the European Union's Eastern Partnership. It was the end of November 2013 in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and EU leaders were gathering for a high-level summit together with their counterparts from the bloc's six eastern neighbors: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus (represented by then-Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makei as authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka was persona non grata), Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The latter trio was supposed to initial association agreements with the EU that would bring them closer to the bloc. The international press was out in force at the conference center, not for the Georgian or Moldovan leaders but to see whether Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych would sign the association agreement. There had been reports the evening before saying he wouldn't sign, which turned out to be exactly what happened. Meanwhile, more and more protesters had gathered in Kyiv, angry that the Ukrainian government appeared to prefer closer ties with Moscow than the European Union. The next day, riot police dispersed the crowd, which reoccupied the square shortly afterward. The protest, later known as "Euromaidan," eventually forced Yanukovych to step down and flee to Russia. Deep Background: Exactly a decade later, on November 28-29, I was back in the Lithuanian capital to participate in a seminar that dealt with the future of the Eastern Partnership. The key takeaway was that, in many ways, the Eastern Partnership had been a victim of its own success. The partnership was created after a Polish-Swedish initiative in 2009 and had the goal of bringing the six former Soviet republics closer to the EU but not putting them on the same accession path as, say, Turkey or the countries of the Western Balkans. Wary of antagonizing Russia and the growing enlargement fatigue in the bloc, Brussels chose an easier, softer path -- the Eastern Partnership. In the end, despite the initial intentions, half of the Eastern partners did follow that traditional route, in the sense of moving along an accession pathway. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moldova and Ukraine became official EU candidate countries and, if EU member states agree in the coming weeks, will start EU accession negotiations next year. Georgia, one step behind the other two, is set to become an official candidate country by the end of 2023. Those three countries have all gone beyond what was promised by the Eastern Partnership. Drilling Down The question then is whether the format has outlived its purpose. Officials from Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, all speaking on background, told me that they don't like to be grouped with the other three Eastern Partnership countries -- Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus. While they are all publicly positive about the Eastern Partnership, the more advanced candidates can see less need for the initiative these days, because, to their minds, the only thing that unites them now is a Soviet past. Armenia, which is making moves away from Moscow but is not yet ready to apply for EU membership, might be the keenest of the six to keep the partnership going. Azerbaijan still prefers bilateral deals with Brussels, notably in the energy sector; and Belarus unilaterally pulled out of the framework in 2021, after its standoff with the EU following the presidential election in 2020, which was widely seen as rigged, and the subsequent crackdown on civil society and opposition in the country. Possibly the biggest sign that the Eastern Partnership is in decline is that there hasn't been a high-level summit for two years now. Normally, the EU would hold a summit every other year, and Sweden, which held the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union earlier this year, was approached. However, Stockholm -- which co-conceived the whole idea of the partnership in the first place -- declined the offer, with Swedish diplomats telling me that there wouldn't be any deliverables. There has been talk in Brussels that Poland, the other co-founder of the Eastern Partnership, is keen to host a summit when they have the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025. But the question is if the six partners are keen and if it won't end up being another "box-ticking exercise," as some diplomats fear. That was what essentially happened at the last summit, held in Brussels in December 2021. There was a working session that lasted a couple of hours and then a short working dinner. Then the whole thing was over with minimal fuss. Looking at the summit declaration, there was no mention of Russia whatsoever. Nor were there any specific lines dedicated to any of the many frozen or hot conflicts in the territories of the eastern partners. Looking back at media reports from the time, most of the focus was given to Belarus's empty chair and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy trying to cajole EU leaders into adopting sanctions on Russia immediately, due to the build-up of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine. What holds the Eastern Partnership together, other than just a bureaucratic reluctance to kill it off? Some point to the fact that the foreign ministers of the five current members will meet their EU counterparts in Brussels on December 11 with the hope of agreeing on a cell-phone roaming zone among the five countries that would eventually be extended to the EU. So, there is that. The Eastern Partnership will probably hobble on for a while. The framework has already borne fruit, with increased cooperation between the EU and partner countries, particularly in the energy sector. The more sanguine diplomats and EU officials see other areas, such as security, that can be explored further. Looking Ahead On December 7-8, the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, respectively, will head to Beijing for the EU-China summit. Expect the EU to ask for China to play a more constructive role in the Ukraine war, notably by pressuring Russia on abducted Ukrainian children or prisoner exchanges, as well as taking a harder line on sanctions circumvention. In return, Beijing will likely ask the EU for more cooperation on research and development and for an increase in trade between the two sides. EU interior ministers assemble in Brussels on December 5. One of the items on the agenda is whether a green light can finally be given to Bulgaria and Romania to join the visa-free Schengen zone. It is expected that the pair will be disappointed once again. Some EU officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they weren't authorized to speak on the record, were annoyed that the Bulgaria and Romania request was even on the agenda, especially as one of the key opponents, the Netherlands, doesn't have a functioning government yet after Geert Wilder's far-right party got the most seats in recent parliamentary elections. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-eu-sanction- russia-eastern-parnetship-jozwiak/32712705.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Says West Demonstrates Political Bias, Russophobia Sputnik News 20231204 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The West is demonstrating bias and Russophobia, while the process of degradation of international politics continues, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. "December 10 marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unfortunately, we are celebrating this anniversary in a difficult situation, when the process of degradation of the international system of ensuring and promoting human rights continues. Its institutions, which are actually controlled by the West, demonstrate political bias, hypocrisy and undisguised selectivity," Putin said during a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. At the same time, Putin noted that Russia's withdrawal from a number of international human rights institutions does not mean that it is ignoring human rights, on the contrary, Moscow is ready to cooperate to build an equal and fair system of ensuring human rights. "As you know, Russia has withdrawn from a number of international human rights organizations. However, this does not mean that we abandon the principles laid down in the declaration [Universal Declaration of Human Rights]. On the contrary, we are ready to cooperate with all interested countries and partners, to find solutions for the formation of an effective, fair, equal system for ensuring human rights for all," Putin said. Civil institutions, due to their flexibility, are more adapted to a prompt search for possible solutions in this area, Putin said. Russia Should Ensure Rights of Migrants, But Put Interests of Russians First Russia should ensure the rights of migrants, but put the interests of Russians first, President Vladimir Putin said. "This is a large range of issues, and it is very important that the interests of the Russian citizens are put first in all areas, we must consider these issues in a complex," he said during the meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. Maintaining the ethno-cultural balance is important in the situation with migrants in Russia, the president added. "There is a very acute issue about the rights of migrants, this is understandable. Here I cannot but agree that an ethno-cultural balance must be maintained. Of course, everything that happens in this area is primarily dictated by the interests of the economy a the shortage of workers. But it is necessary, of course, to prepare these people. We need to attract such labor resources that meet the interests of the Russian economy," Putin said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Vows Response to Deaths of 2 Military Advisers in Syria Sputnik News 20231204 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday that the country would respond to any actions against its military advisers in Syria, following a missile attack on Damascus that left two Iranian personnel dead over the weekend. This past Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), an elite branch of the Iranian armed forces, said two of its military advisers stationed in Syria died during an Israeli missile attack on the Syrian capital of Damascus. This marks the first official announcement of casualties among IRGC members since the start of the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. "No action against the interests and security of Iran and our military advisers in Syria will go unanswered, we already have experience in such situations," Kanaani was quoted by media. From time to time, Israel carries out attacks on Syria saying its operations are aimed at countering the Iranian military presence in the Arab republic. Damascus condemns such attacks as violations of Syrian national sovereignty. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan opens combat casualty care training building ROC Central News Agency 12/04/2023 05:02 PM Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) A building dedicated to enhancing the training of tactical combat casualty care and disaster rescue skills was officially inaugurated Monday during a ceremony at National Defense Medical Center (NDMC) in Taipei. Addressing the opening ceremony, President Tsai Ing-wen (ee) said the building marks the complete upgrading of techniques and training facilities at the NDMC Health Service Training Center, an ROC military affiliated medical school responsible for the training of military doctors, nurses and other medical personnel. Tsai said the health service training center's mission is to provide military officers and soldiers with the skills required to provide medical care in combat situations. The new building creates a multi-functional environment for training, including enabling the use of virtual and augmented reality technologies to immerse military personnel in a simulated battlefield rescue training environment, she indicated. The president also said the health service training center has taught 3,800 service members how to effectively treat combat casualties this year. Meanwhile, the Medical Affairs Bureau under the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement Monday that artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the building's design to create simulations and models that enable the simulation of different disaster scenarios, including a tactical combat casualty care simulation system, a simulation training system related to major disasters and a multi-functional casualty care training center. (By Matt Yu and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Three presidential candidate duos all eligible for 2024 election: MOI ROC Central News Agency 12/04/2023 08:41 PM Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) The three presidential candidates and their running mates contesting Taiwan's 2024 presidential election all comply with national regulations, such as citizenship requirements, and are eligible to run, the Ministry of Interior (MOI) said Monday. The MOI checked the qualifications and requirements of the presidential and vice presidential candidates at the request of the Central Election Commission (CEC) in accordance with the law, including their nationality status. The CEC is reviewing candidate qualifications and is scheduled to finalize the list of presidential and vice presidential candidates by Tuesday and announce the official roster on Dec. 15. The three tickets that have registered for Taiwan's presidential election on Jan. 13, 2024 are Lai Ching-te () and Hsiao Bi-khim () of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Hou Yu-ih () and Jaw Shau-kong () of the main opposition Kuomintang, and Ko Wen-je () and Wu Hsin-ying () of the smaller Taiwan People's Party (TPP). It was not immediately clear if the MOI's judgment was the final word on the nationality issue. Though the MOI confirmed that all six candidates met Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship requirements, it made no mention of possible dual nationality issues. Wu, the TPP's vice presidential candidate, has been recently dogged by allegations that she had not relinquished her United States citizenship. If true, that would disqualify her for the election because candidates for political office in Taiwan are not allowed to hold dual nationality. Wu said on Nov. 30 via a Facebook post that she had already renounced her U.S. citizenship, but has not publicly presented a document confirming that. Questions had also arisen over whether the DPP's Hsiao, who was born in Japan and lived in the U.S. for some of her childhood, had always been an ROC citizen, given that people who are naturalized or who regained citizenship after giving it up cannot hold office. The MOI did not find anything wrong, however, with Hsiao's citizenship status. (By Chen Chun-hua and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan to Finalize Upgrading 140 US-Made F-16s by Year-End - Reports Sputnik News 20231204 BEIJING (Sputnik) - Taiwan is about to finish upgrading 140 US-made F-16 jets in its fleet by late December, with no new flight tests on the schedule, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Monday, citing a military source. According to Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA), the last retrofitted F-16V aircraft has already passed flight tests, while Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and US arms giant Lockheed Martin proceed with modifications. "All modifications are expected to be completed by the end of this month," the source said. The project of modernizing 140 US-made F-16A and F-16B warplanes to F-16 Block 20 for the Taiwanese air force is estimated to be worth 140 billion Taiwan dollars ($4.45 billion) and is financed by AIDC and Lockheed Martin. In addition, Taiwan has acquired 66 new F-16V Block 70 jets from the United States. In late November, a Bloomberg reported cited a group of US Republican lawmakers, saying that two F-16 fighter jet programs for Taiwan were at considerable risk of falling behind. The matter has gotten worse due to rising questions as to whether the US could be overextending its capacity to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan all at once. Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing regards the island as its province, while Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous entity but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official foreign contacts with Taipei and regards Chinese sovereignty over the island as indisputable. The latest escalation around Taiwan took place in April after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with the then-US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States. Beijing responded by launching massive three-day military drills near the island in what it called a warning to Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers. In August and September, the Taiwanese armed forces reported multiple sightings of Chinese naval and air patrols in the island's vicinity. On September 18, the ministry reported a record high of 103 Chinese aircraft seen near the island in one day. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address High-Level Dialogue on Democratic Governance Reforms in Ukraine Council of Europe Council of Europe Strasbourg 4 December 2023 The High-level Dialogue II "Good Democratic Governance in Ukraine: achievements, challenges and the way forward in post-war period" took place in Kyiv on 4 December 2023. Following discussions moderated by the Council of Europe representatives, key national stakeholders, including representatives of the Parliament of Ukraine, Office of the President of Ukraine, Ukrainian Government, of the Central Election Commission, reached a broad agreement on further actions to improve legal framework on multi-level governance and elections in line with the European standards, good practices and with the view of Ukraine's EU candidate status. Participants discussed next steps in advancing local self-government reform which is an integral part of the roadmap on good democratic governance in Ukraine. The parties discussed the draft law on the reform of local state administrations and introduction of the legality supervision over local authorities' decisions (draft law No. 4298), key milestones and conditions for re-instating local self-government and transition from military administrations to regular (civilian) legal regime. Other issues on the agenda included division of competences between the state and local governments, preconditions for sustainability, and irreversibility of the decentralisation reform. The Council of Europe's Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity organised and facilitated the discussion, in co-operation with the secretariats of the Venice Commission, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of local and regional authorities. The High-level Dialogue was launched in the Council of Europe in November 2022 following the initiative of the Parliament, Government and Central Election Commission of Ukraine. Its subsequent final document - Joint Declaration - was signed by Deputy Secretary General Bjorn Berge and First Vice-Speaker of the Parliament Oleksandr Korniyenko. The event was conducted within the framework of the Council of Europe projects on "Strengthening Good Democratic Governance and Resilience in Ukraine" and "Supporting democratic post-war elections in Ukraine" implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tsahkna in London: Russia must pay for its damage in Ukraine Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04.12.2023 Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna is on a visit to London on 4 and 5 December, and met with Foreign Secretary David Cameron today to discuss continued support to Ukraine, security in Europe and closer bilateral cooperation. At the meeting, Foreign Minister Tsahkna thanked the United Kingdom for its contribution to the security of Estonia and Europe, including to reinforcing NATO's Eastern Flank. "The United Kingdom is our close Ally in NATO," Tsahkna said. "We are happy to serve daily shoulder to shoulder in the UK-led battle group that is part of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Estonia and we highly appreciate your contribution to the Baltic Air Policing mission," Tsahkna noted. The conversation concentrated on Ukraine, continued comprehensive assistance to Ukraine and raising the cost of the war for Russia. At the meeting, Tsahkna emphasised that efforts must continue to isolate Russia internationally. He also presented Estonia's initiative for using frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. "We will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as needed, it is a matter of conscience for us," Tsahkna said. The ministers also spoke about boosting bilateral economic ties, including developing Europe's defence industry. Tsahkna said that Estonia and the United Kingdom were connected through cooperation on emerging and disruptive technologies, including on developing NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), but he sees opportunities for even deeper ties. Tsahkna added that Estonia and the UK were contributing to maintaining the continuity of Ukraine's digital sector. Tsahkna also recognised the leading role the United Kingdom has played in supporting Ukraine. "The United Kingdom has done remarkable work in supporting Ukraine by leading the tanks and planes coalition, and organising a recovery and reconstruction conference for Ukraine this year." Tomorrow, Tsahkna will meet with members of the International Relations and Defence Committee of the House of Commons, National Security Adviser Tim Barrow, Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary General and Ukrainian Defence Minister discuss battlefield situation, NATO support NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 04 Dec. 2023 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underlined the Alliance's unwavering support to Ukraine during a meeting with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov in Brussels on Monday (4 December 2023). The Secretary General and Minister Umerov discussed the latest battlefield developments and Ukraine's urgent military needs. With winter expected to complicate fighting, Mr Stoltenberg stressed that Allies are committed to stepping up political and practical support to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's invasion. The Secretary General reiterated that NATO will provide long-term support to Ukraine to make Ukraine's forces fully interoperable within NATO and bring them even closer to the Alliance. Secretary General Stoltenberg and Minister Umerov also discussed Ukraine's path to NATO membership and Ukraine's reform efforts. Mr Stoltenberg reiterated that Ukraine will become a member of NATO when all Allies agree and when conditions are met. Monday's talks follow a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at Foreign Ministers level last Wednesday (29 November 2023). Mr Stoltenberg previously met Minister Umerov in Kyiv in September, and during the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in October. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Orban Wants EU Membership For Ukraine Stripped From Summit Agenda By RFE/RL's Hungarian Service December 04, 2023 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has written European Council President Charles Michel to demand that Ukraine's membership in the European Union be taken off the agenda at a summit next week. In a letter to Michel, who will chair the summit in Brussels, Orban also warned against putting a review of billions of dollars in funding for Ukraine on the agenda, saying both topics are doomed to fail. Orban urged Michel not to push for a decision at the European Council on these matters in December, "as the clear lack of consensus will inevitably lead to failure." He insisted that a "strategic discussion" was needed first about Ukraine's EU membership and warned that forcing a decision could destroy EU unity. The council "must avoid this counterproductive scenario for the sake of unity, which is our most important asset," he said in his second letter to Michel in as many weeks about Ukraine's prospective EU membership. But the letter did not say outright that Hungary would veto any moves to open membership talks with Ukraine. Decisions on the enlargement of the bloc and a review of its long-term budget, which includes 50 billion euros ($54.1 billion) in aid for Kyiv, must be agreed unanimously by all 27 member countries. Ukraine is counting on the EU funds to help its economy survive in the coming year. Michel's office declined to comment on Orban's letter, according to the AP. Michel traveled to Budapest last week after Oban's first letter in which he urged a change in strategy of the European Union's policy toward Ukraine. After meeting with Orban on November 27, Michel posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, stressing the importance of EU unity, saying it "requires constant effort and it's our main strength." The European Commission, which supervises the enlargement process, last month recommended that Ukraine be allowed open membership talks once it addresses corruption, lobbying concerns, and restrictions that might prevent its minorities from studying and reading in their own languages. Orban said allowing accession talks to start even though all preconditions have not been met would mark the end of the European Union's enlargement policy "as an objective and merit-based instrument." Orban discussed his position on opening European Union accession negotiations with Ukraine last week in an interview with Hungarian state radio in which he said it was not currently in Hungary's interest. "I would favor the EU reaching a strategic partnership agreement with Ukraine first," Orban said, adding that such a partnership could take up to 10 years until Ukraine could adapt to the EU's requirements. "When we see that we can cooperate, then let's bring up the issue of membership again, but that will be possible only after many, many years," he said. Orban is considered one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies in Europe, and his nationalist government has argued against EU sanctions on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With reporting by AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary- eu-ukraine-summit/32713628.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bulgarian President Vetoes Transfer of Decommissioned Armored Vehicles to Ukraine Sputnik News 20231204 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has returned to the parliament for further discussion the draft law on the ratification of the agreement on the free transfer of 100 decommissioned armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, according to the president's office. Last month, the parliament ratified the agreement between the Bulgarian Interior Ministry and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on the free provision of a batch of old armored personnel carriers to Kiev. "The justification for the veto notes that the lawmakers were not sufficiently familiar with the specific parameters of the donation, which deprives them of the opportunity to objectively assess whether the equipment provided is no longer necessary," the office said in a statement. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Clean Energy Partnership: G7+ and Ukraine joint statement At COP28, G7+ countries and Ukraine launched the Clean Energy Partnership, to support the sustainable recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. 4 December 2023 This is a statement from G7+ countries, international organisations and the Government of Ukraine as members of the newly-launched Clean Energy Partnership for the Sustainable Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine's Energy System. Last winter, Ukraine survived the months-long onslaught of Russian attacks on its integrated energy system, thanks to the brave efforts of the Government of Ukraine, Ministry of Energy, energy companies and the Ukrainian people, and with support from the international community. As Russia continues its unrelenting attacks on energy infrastructure, we, the members of the G7+ Coordination Group in support of Ukraine's energy system and the Government of Ukraine continue to firmly condemn Russia's actions and demand that all those implicated in these attacks be held responsible. We commit to continue to support Ukraine with significant emergency assistance to help repair and stabilise the energy grid and prepare for this winter. Over a300 million in funding has been provided to the Energy Community's Ukraine Energy Support Fund for the restoration and protection of Ukraine's critically damaged energy infrastructure. Members of this group are also supporting the provision and procurement of a least 65 high voltage autotransformers and 6 mobile gas turbine generators so far. We will continue to stand with Ukraine in the face of Russian attacks, and in their aftermath. At the June 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, this group committed to develop a Clean Energy Partnership to support the sustainable recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. At COP28, we are pleased to formally launch the new, expanded Clean Energy Partnership, in recognition of Ukraine's recent progress on key reforms in the energy sector, and significant investments from international partners in Ukraine's clean energy future. This Partnership brings together the Government of Ukraine, bilateral donors, key international organisations and financial institutions and voices representing the private sector. Following the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, we are proud to welcome the following new partners to the Clean Energy Partnership: the World Bank Group's International Finance Corporation, whose $2 billion Economic Resilience Action platform is already investing in Ukraine's green, resilient reconstruction; the UN Global Compact's Ukraine Energy Initiative, which will act as a voice for its private sector signatories within the Clean Energy Partnership; and the International Renewable Energy Agency ( IRENA ), which aims to support Ukraine's transition to a sustainable energy future by mobilising green investment. With these additional partners, we collectively reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine's goal of building a resilient, efficient, more decentralised and smart energy system fit for a Net Zero future and with greater integration with Europe thereby also linking Ukraine's energy reconstruction to its EU accession path and EU energy and climate policy. This group will continue to seek to help Ukraine meet its climate objectives in line with the Paris Agreement while strengthening Ukraine's energy security and supporting a clean energy transition. The Partnership continues to complement existing bilateral energy partnerships between G7+ members and Ukraine. All members recognise the importance of highlighting progress made on reforms to showcase Ukraine's investment potential. We would like to congratulate the Government of Ukraine for making progress on reforms, not only in ensuring its citizens have security of supply and access to energy during the war of aggression, but also supporting the private sector's role in Ukraine's future recovery and reconstruction. These include: passing new legislation to attract investment in low carbon energy and promoting the development of small, distributed generation, with a special focus on renewable energy passing legislation to develop energy storage systems progress towards the full adoptions of REMIT (regulation on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency) progress made to liberalise wholesale energy tariffs progress in the corporatisation of state-owned enterprises including Energoatom, as well as the implementation of a proper corporate governance system for the gas transmission system operator of Ukraine We encourage close coordination in the development of the 'Ukraine Plan' and the reforms necessary for Ukraine's EU accession process. As highlighted in the World Bank Group's recent report 'Private Sector Opportunities for a Green and Resilient Reconstruction in Ukraine', concerted reform efforts will create significant opportunities for the private sector to drive a green and resilient reconstruction and could generate $169 billion in private financing. We support the key recommended interventions outlined in the report that are projected to increase the share of private financing to address the needs outlined in the World Bank's Ukraine Rapid Damage Needs Assessment: further electricity market liberalisation reduce household electricity costs through energy efficiency and energy saving, development of decentralised renewable energy generation and social support launch auctions for electricity from renewable energy gradual transition to cost-recovery tariffs with incentives to switch to efficient and decarbonised district heating allow commercial financing of, or gradual private participation in, state-owned enterprises without compromising energy security allow private participation in construction of independent high voltage lines and modernization of district heating systems To support the transparent reporting and assessment of reforms in the energy sector, the Clean Energy Partnership would like to acknowledge the efforts of: IFC2, the Energy Community Secretariat, UN Global Compact and DiXi Group to monitor progress on reforms. Alongside its reform efforts, we also congratulate the Government of Ukraine, and in particular the Ministries of Energy, Restoration and Economy on progressing efforts that will realise a pragmatic green and resilient recovery. These include finalising their 2050 Energy Strategy, and its commitment to developing a comprehensive implementation plan; making renewed progress on the National Energy and Climate Plan; completing several full feasibility studies in wind, solar, Bioenergy, geothermal energy production and supporting the development of electric vehicles and energy storage; and developing a new decarbonisation fund with consultation on design from IRENA . We applaud the Government of Ukraine's continued commitment, despite the ongoing war of aggression, to phasing out state-owned coal power plants by 2035. The Clean Energy Partnership is supporting these efforts by providing grants, guarantees, technical support and expertise in a coordinated way that reinforces the Government's efforts to integrate with regional energy markets, harness private finance, and support the adoption of cutting-edge clean energy innovations. This group has collectively committed substantial financial support to help lay the foundations for a cleaner and more secure energy system and serve as a catalyst for Ukraine's economic recovery. The Clean Energy Partnership will serve as a forum for discussion, coordination and knowledge sharing to help deliver support for recovery, drive reforms and harness the private sector in Ukraine's clean energy transition. The members of Clean Energy Partnership will continue to support Ukraine's efforts for immediate, medium, and long-term recovery and reconstruction of the energy sector. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Assembly of the International Maritime Organization adopted a resolution in support of our efforts in the Black Sea - address by the President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 4 December 2023 - 22:26 I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians! First of all, I would like to recognize the warriors of our mobile firing groups today. Last night alone, during the latest "shahed" attack, 18 drones were destroyed. That's the majority. And most of those destroyed were the result of mobile firing groups. This is how it should be. I thank everyone who trains the warriors of such groups and who works to provide them with everything they need. Last night, the mobile firing groups in Mykolaiv, Kherson, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kirovohrad regions worked well. I am grateful to you guys personally, and to everyone else who is on duty every day and every night in various regions. I would also like to recognize the Air Force servicemen - our pilots, engineers, anti-aircraft gunners and air defense units of the Ground Forces. Warriors, your vigilance and accuracy are the resilience of our entire country and our cities. Today marks an important result for Ukraine on the international stage as well. Particularly in the International Maritime Organization, which last week removed Russia from its governing bodies. Today, the Assembly of the International Maritime Organization adopted a resolution in support of our efforts in the Black Sea - Ukraine's success in restoring navigation and establishing a new "grain corridor". By the way, this export corridor has already yielded results - more than 7 million tons of cargo. And this is very significant - it is our economy. It's not just the work of ports and agrarians, but also of many other related industries. Millions of jobs in Ukraine depend on the exports that our country is able to provide. I extend gratitude to everyone worldwide who assists Ukraine in this matter. In particular, the International Maritime Organization will now support our efforts, and there is a corresponding decision to assess the technical assistance we need for the proper functioning of the sea corridor. Our railway system is also showing good results. In November alone, Ukrzaliznytsia transported 14 million tons of cargo. This is a record figure since the beginning of the full-scale war, and we are observing railway's excellent performance in both export and import directions, as well as domestic transportation. I am grateful to the entire team of Ukrzaliznytsia, all our transport workers, each and every individual working in Ukrainian ports, and all those countries and peoples who genuinely support the European Solidarity Lanes created to aid the nation opposing aggression. Today I heard a report from the Chief of Foreign Intelligence, Oleksandr Lytvynenko. An important and relevant information on what Ukraine should expect and prepare for. I also held a meeting with international relations officials on our foreign policy communications in December: we are planning an active agenda for each week of this month. We also anticipate important agreements with our partners by the end of the year. The priority remains unchanged - strengthening the state, protecting our people, and bolstering our positions in everything. And I am grateful to all those who do not put their personal interests above the interests of the Ukrainian state. Those who are fighting, working, and aiding. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address On the instructions of the President of Ukraine, consultations with the European Union on security commitments have begun President of Ukraine 4 December 2023 - 19:40 On the instructions of the President of Ukraine and the Head of the Presidential Office, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva started the first round of consultations with the Deputy Secretary General for Peace, Security and Defence of the European External Action Service Charles Fries on the EU's collective security commitments. These consultations followed up on the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine of July 12, 2023. "Ukraine's future membership in the EU serves as a robust assurance of security for our nation and the European community as a whole. We greatly appreciate that at this stage we are already discussing concrete steps to enhance our collective security and strengthen Ukraine's resilience," said Ihor Zhovkva. During the consultations, the parties exchanged views on approaches to future security commitments from the EU, focusing on the security and defense segment. The Deputy Head of the Presidential Office noted the significant contribution of the European Union to strengthening the security and defense capabilities of our country, in particular by supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the European Peace Facility and the activities of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine. On behalf of the President of Ukraine, Ihor Zhovkva presented Charles Fries with the Order of Merit, III class, recognizing his significant contribution to strengthening and supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskyy to Address US Lawmakers Amid Debate About New Aid for Ukraine By VOA News December 04, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to address members of the U.S. Senate Tuesday amid a push by the White House for Congress to urgently approve new funding to help Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Zelenskyy was invited to speak via video at a classified briefing "so we can hear directly from him precisely what's at stake" when lawmakers vote on a bill that includes billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine. Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned in a letter to congressional leaders Monday that by the end of the year, the U.S. will no longer have the funds to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine. It "will not be able to keep fighting," Young said of Ukraine, noting that the U.S. has already run out of money for propping up Ukraine's economy. In October, the Biden administration asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security. Funding for Ukraine has become politically controversial with some right-leaning lawmakers in the narrowly Republican-controlled Congress. Young said in the letter released by the White House that cutting off funding and a flow of weapons to Ukraine would likely work to Russia's advantage on the battlefield. "I want to be clear: Without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine, to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks," she wrote. "There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money a and nearly out of time," she said. With a nod to important political swing states and Republican strongholds ahead of the 2024 election, Young noted that funding could be used for contracts with companies in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Michigan. EU-Ukraine Diplomatic envoys of the EU's 27 member countries will meet Tuesday to start debating a launch of EU membership talks with Ukraine, according to officials and diplomats. The meeting marks the start of preparations among the 27 for the December 14-15 summit of the bloc's leaders that will also assess and decide on EU integration prospects for Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Bosnia and others. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has demanded that Ukraine's membership bid into the European Union not be on the agenda at the EU summit. In a letter he sent to European Council President Charles Michel, who will chair the summit in Brussels, Orban insisted that a "strategic discussion" is needed first about Ukraine's European future and warned that forcing a decision could destroy EU unity. Orban, who is widely considered one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies in Europe, maintains that Ukraine is "light years away" from becoming an EU member. He wrote that EU leaders "must avoid this counterproductive scenario for the sake of unity, our most important asset." He did not explicitly say that Hungary would veto any moves to open membership talks with Ukraine, but the threat was implicit. Michel's office declined to comment. Decisions regarding EU membership and EU's long-term budget, which includes $54.1 billion in assistance for Kyiv, can only be made unanimously by all 27 member countries. Ukraine is relying on the EU funds to help its war-ravaged economy survive in the coming year. "Ukraine's future membership in the EU serves as a robust assurance of security for our nation and the European community as a whole," Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said during consultations with EU official Charles Fries on the EU's collective security commitments to Ukraine. Ukraine-Russia fighting In a post on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter, Ukrainian Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kyiv is focused on increasing domestic arms production and speeding up talks with partners to boost military supplies. He said that though Ukraine is anticipating a stiff offensive from Russia this winter, Ukrainians are prepared, taking into account the experience of the last winter. "The winter won't be easy, given that Russia pays absolutely no attention to international law, conventions and rules of warfare, deliberately attacking civilians on a massive scale," Podolyak said. Ukraine's military said Monday on the Telegram messaging service that it attacked oil depots in the Russia-controlled Ukrainian city of Luhansk a day earlier. Earlier Monday, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said Ukrainian troops attacked an oil depot there with combat drones. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nokia Corporation Stock Exchange Release 5 December 2023 at 4:30 EET Nokia comments on AT&T vendor plans Espoo, Finland Nokia has a wide-ranging relationship with AT&T, supplying products and services across wireless, wireline and other network technologies, alongside similar relationships with other major North American network operators. Nokia is aware of AT&Ts plans to commit to an Open RAN deployment in collaboration with other vendors over the next five years. As a result, Nokia now expects revenue from AT&T in Mobile Networks will decrease over the next 2-3 years. AT&T accounted for 5-8% of Mobile Networks net sales year-to-date in 2023. The already announced action Nokia is taking to reduce its cost base is expected to partially mitigate the impact of AT&Ts decision. Nokia expects Mobile Networks to remain profitable over the coming years but this decision would delay the timeline of achieving double digit operating margin by up to 2 years. Nokia has invested heavily in the last few years to deliver market leading radio technology and a highly competitive product portfolio. This has helped it gain the most 5G market share since Q1 2022 among the top RAN suppliers, reaching 29% in Q3, excluding China (source: DellOro). Nokia remains one of the few global vendors of mobile network equipment with significant scale and R&D investment capability to deliver market leading products to customers and while the company is taking action to lower its cost-base, it will protect its R&D output. The company is also a recognized leader in Open RAN. It is fully committed to O-RAN and together with its ecosystem of partners is providing increased choice and industry leading performance in O-RAN. Most recently, Japans NTT DOCOMO has selected Nokias O-RAN 5G network for their commercial deployment. Nokia remains a key partner for AT&T within both its Network Infrastructure and Cloud and Network Services businesses. AT&T will also continue to buy products such as microwave radio links and femto solutions from Mobile Networks. AT&T confirmed to Nokia that while its decision was driven by reasons specific to AT&T, it believes Nokia has highly competitive products and services in Radio Access Networks (RAN) and an accomplished R&D capability. Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia, said, Whilst the news from AT&T is disappointing, our Mobile Networks business has made significant progress in recent years, increasing our RAN market share and technology leadership. I firmly believe we have the right strategy to create value for our shareholders into the future with opportunities to gain share, diversify our business and improve our profitability. Mobile Networks are critical to our global connected future and as I have said before the cloud computing and AI revolutions will not materialize without significant investments in networks that have vastly improved capabilities. Our customers can rest assured that we continue to invest in R&D and develop market-leading products for them. Nokia will provide more detail on its strategy both at the group level and a deep dive into Mobile Networks and Cloud and Network Services at its Investor Progress Update event on Tuesday 12th December in Espoo, Finland with the event also being webcast. 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. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future. Inquiries: Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com Kaisa Antikainen, Communications Manager Nokia Investor Relations Phone: +358 40 803 4080 Email: investor.relations@nokia.com Forward-looking statements Certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect Nokia's current expectations and views of future developments and include statements regarding: A) expectations, plans, benefits or outlook related to our strategies, product launches, growth management, licenses, sustainability and other ESG targets, operational key performance indicators and decisions on market exits; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses (including the expected impact, timing and duration of potential global pandemics and the general or regional macroeconomic conditions on our businesses, our supply chain and our customers businesses) and any future dividends and other distributions of profit; C) expectations and targets regarding financial performance and results of operations, including market share, prices, net sales, income, margins, cash flows, the timing of receivables, operating expenses, provisions, impairments, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, investment funds, inflation, product cost reductions, competitiveness, revenue generation in any specific region, and licensing income and payments; D) ability to execute, expectations, plans or benefits related to changes in organizational structure and operating model; E) impact on revenue with respect to litigation/renewal discussions; and F) any statements preceded by or including "continue", believe, commit, estimate, expect, aim, influence, "will, target, likely, intend, may, could, would or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are based on managements best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to them. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and views of future events and developments and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences, include those risks and uncertainties specified in our 2022 annual report on Form 20-F published on 2 March 2023 under Operating and financial review and prospects Risk factors. TOGETHER FOR NET ZERO STRENGTHENING FOOD RESILIENCY THROUGH INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY AND GENDER EQUALITY - KEY THEMES FOR UAE PAVILION PROGRAMS ON DAY 5 OF COP28 Women Alliance for Climate Action in Agriculture (WACAA) launches to unite women leaders, scientists, policymakers, farmers and org aniz ations to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture Launch of the Food Innovation Hub in the UAE will seek to strengthen food systems by increasing accessibility to more affordable, more nutritious, and more sustainable foods Global Islamic Finance Program for Climate, Nature & Development emphasizes opportunities to catalyze blended finance to encourage sustainable investments in climate and nature initiatives across the Global South Dubai, UAE 5 December 2023: Several new initiatives to transform food systems were announced at the UAE Pavilion at COP28 during day 5 of the global climate conference. Further, in line with the COP28 focus on Gender Day on 4 December, programs at the UAE Pavilion also emphasized the critical role of women in fostering climate smart agriculture worldwide. Key launch events and dialogues at the UAE Pavilion at COP28 included: The UAE-based International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) announced the formation of the Women Alliance for Climate Action in Agriculture (WACAA) . Dr. Tarifa Al Zaabi, Director General of ICBA, and Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, particularly in agricultural communities, and stressed the need for inclusive policies in fostering climate-smart agriculture. The just-launched WACAA will unite women leaders, scientists, policymakers, farmers, researchers, and organizations to mitigate the impact of climate on agriculture and strengthen the resiliency of food systems, aiming to reach one million women worldwide by 2050. . Dr. Tarifa Al Zaabi, Director General of ICBA, and Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, particularly in agricultural communities, and stressed the need for inclusive policies in fostering climate-smart agriculture. The just-launched WACAA will unite women leaders, scientists, policymakers, farmers, researchers, and organizations to mitigate the impact of climate on agriculture and strengthen the resiliency of food systems, aiming to reach one million women worldwide by 2050. Her Excellency Mariam Al Mheiri, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), announced the new UAE Food Innovation Hub to transform food systems and increase access to sustainable, nutritious and affordable resources. The project is a collaboration between MOCCAE, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), and the World Economy Forum (WEF) - and the UAE will be the sixth hub launched by WEF to bring together stakeholders under the farm-to-fork concept as part of the sustainable food supply chain. to transform food systems and increase access to sustainable, nutritious and affordable resources. The project is a collaboration between MOCCAE, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), and the World Economy Forum (WEF) - and the UAE will be the sixth hub launched by WEF to bring together stakeholders under the farm-to-fork concept as part of the sustainable food supply chain. The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted a timely discussion on Addressing the Triple Nexus: Gender, Climate & Security in the Regional World , exploring the interplay between climate and gender inequality in conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding and the need for gender inclusion in National Adaptation Plans (NAP). , exploring the interplay between climate and gender inequality in conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding and the need for gender inclusion in National Adaptation Plans (NAP). And, the Global Islamic Finance Program (GIFP) for Climate, Nature & Development and their advisory committee were featured in an engaging program at the UAE Pavilion at COP28. The GFIP is a joint collaboration between Emirates Nature - WWF, Ajman University and other stakeholders to catalyze blended finance to achieve bankable nature-based solutions across the Global South. In parallel to the significant launches and thoughtful dialogues in the UAE Pavilion at COP28, the Actionists Hub, located in the Green Zone, also hosted activations related to Gender Day to raise awareness of inclusive climate action. Key sessions included a Chagemakers Majlis centered on addressing gender equality in climate financing for women-led eventures to drive collaborative nature and tech-based solutions; to Sustainability in Style: The Runway to Decarbonization, a discussion on opportunities to decarbonize supply chains and innovative strategies to address the interplay between consumer demands and climate; to the Mohmmad bin Rashid School of Government announcement of the 2023 Arab SDG Index and Dashboard, created in partnership with SDSN to provide data-driven insights on regional efforts to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. -END- For press inquiries, please contact: NAME: Heba Hemdan NUMBER: +971501635406 EMAIL: heba@wearestickyginger.com For more information about the pavilion and the schedule of events taking place, please visit the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment Website , and the COP28 Website About the UAE Pavilion at COP28 Welcome to the UAE Pavilion at COP28, situated within the Blue Zone at COP28 an integral platform to present our nation's commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions and encourage the acceleration needed on climate action at this critical moment. The UAE Pavilion at COP28 seeks to cultivate meaningful connections, promote collaboration, and collectively forge solutions that pave the way towards a resilient, low-carbon economy where all of life flourishes. Join us in shaping a sustainable future where every facet of life thrives. Follow along on Instagram and X to learn more: @UAEPavilionCOP LinkedIn: @UAEatCOP Live sessions held at The UAE Pavilion at COP28 can be viewed on the official YouTube channel @UAEatCOP About COP28 The UAE is hosting the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) from November 30 to December 12, 2023 at Expo City Dubai to unite the world towards agreement on bold, practical and ambitious solutions to the most pressing global challenge of our time. COP28 is of particular significance as it marks the conclusion of the first Global Stocktake, a comprehensive assessment of the progress made in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The UAE is gathering the world at COP28 UAE to co-create innovative solutions to the worlds most pressing, far-reaching climate challenges. With the declaration of 2023 as the Year of Sustainability in the UAE, the country is proud to host the COP28 UAE conference and more determined to accelerate climate action nationally and globally. Attachment Washington, D.C., Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, released its 2023 annual policy assessment of the largest 75 cities in the United States, finding significant progress made by cities advancing health-promoting, prevention-oriented policies that support community health. This year, 46 cities (61%) were awarded overall medals, up from 37 cities (49%) in 2022. More than 43 million people live in a city that has earned an overall medal an increase of more than 4 million people compared to last year. The findings suggest that local leaders continue to prioritize health as they seek solutions to a diverse set of challenges from a lack of affordable housing to mitigating the effects of climate change and extreme weather. We are thrilled to see more than half of the largest cities across the country increasingly adopting health-oriented policies aimed at addressing pressing challenges that are faced by communities, said CityHealth Co-Executive Director Katrina Forrest, JD. Our local leaders are operating at the intersection of complex and convergent issues; everything from homelessness and housing affordability to food insecurity. This growth is encouraging as it clearly shows that local leaders are seeing the critical role they play in promoting health equity through policy. This year, seven cities Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Portland, San Antonio and St. Louis have succeeded in earning overall gold medals. These cities qualified for overall gold by earning at least five gold medals across 12 individual policy areas: Boston, Minneapolis and Portland earned seven gold medals; and Denver, New Orleans, San Antonio and St. Louis earned six gold medals. (See the full overall medal list below.) Working alongside city leaders and partners, our goal is to empower local stakeholders to transform health outcomes across the country, said CityHealth Co-Executive Director Catherine Patterson, MPP. The CityHealth model serves as a framework to equip leaders, policymakers and residents with tools to drive meaningful health improvements in their cities to help them lead healthier lives today and in the future. Cities can earn individual gold, silver, or bronze medals in CityHealths 12 policy areas, with overall medals awarded to cities earning 5 or more individual policy medals. The medals are awarded for city laws that meet CityHealths policy criteria, which provide an evidence-backed framework that cities can use to help promote health equity and address key public health concerns such as affordable housing, earned sick leave, access to greenspace, and more. Vibrant, healthy communities are a result of effective policies and programs, said Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, MA, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. The CityHealth assessment serves as a valuable benchmark for evaluating cities efforts in improving community health. We are pleased to see the progress made from the last assessment, and we are hopeful for more progress to be accomplished in more cities across the country. Two policy areas that saw significant movement in 2023 were Affordable Housing Trusts and Greenspace. With the end of most pandemic-era funding that supported local health-promoting initiatives, cities are increasingly adopting laws that address the housing crisis and access to public outdoor space. Over half (59%) of cities earned a medal for their Affordable Housing Trusts policies to help ensure sustained funding for affordable housing projects. Similarly, 69% of cities earned medals for their Greenspace policies, with many prioritizing investments in parks that are driven by principals of equity. Cities are uniquely positioned to create community conditions that promote health and wellbeing, said Bechara Choucair, MD, senior vice president and chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente. The CityHealth initiative is proud to support localities in adopting evidence-based health policies that give everyone the opportunity to thrive. 2023 ANNUAL REPORT KEY FINDINGS CityHealth, in partnership with the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple Universitys Beasley School of Law and other evaluation partners, rated Americas 75 largest cities based on the criteria established for each of the 12 policy solutions (listed below) using gold, silver and bronze medals. For complete results, including individual medals by policy area, go to: https://www.cityhealth.org/2023-assessment/. OVERALL RESULTS* Gold Boston Denver Minneapolis New Orleans Portland San Antonio St. Louis Silver Atlanta Chicago Kansas City Los Angeles Milwaukee New York Newark Philadelphia Pittsburgh San Francisco San Jose Seattle St. Paul Washington, DC Bronze Albuquerque Anaheim Aurora Baltimore Cleveland Colorado Springs Columbus Dallas Detroit Fort Worth Fresno Henderson Houston Indianapolis Lincoln Long Beach Louisville Nashville Oakland Riverside Sacramento San Diego Santa Ana Stockton Tucson POLICY AREAS CityHealths tried and tested policies help all people in our nations largest cities have access to have a safe place to live, a healthy body and mind, and a thriving environment. Learn more: ### CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, works to advance a package of proven policy solutions that will help millions of people live longer, better lives in vibrant, prosperous communities. CityHealth regularly evaluates cities on the number and strength of their policies. Find out more at cityhealth.org. The de Beaumont Foundation advances policy, builds partnerships, and strengthens public health to create communities where people can achieve their best possible health. Learn more at www.debeaumont.org. Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of Americas leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org. Attachments HANOI, Vietnam, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vietnams leading genetic testing firm Gene Solutions, specializing in detecting the presence of certain diseases based on their genetic markers, made a remarkable impact at ESMO Asia Congress 2023, one of the most prestigious oncology conferences held in Singapore from December 1 to 3. Gene Solutions booth attracted lots of interest and discussion ESMO Asia is where distinguished international experts, key opinion leaders, and oncology associations meet annually to present and discuss the latest scientific and clinical advances in oncology in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. As the only representative of South East Asia at the 2023 congress, Gene Solutions introduced its achievements in Next-generation sequencing (NGS), presenting significant steps forward in personalized medicine in cancer treatment. The research and development team presented five reports, including an oral and four poster presentations that illustrated the clinical advantages of genetic testing for cancer screening and tracking. Two presentations were awarded the Travel Merit Award. Dr. Tran Le Sons oral presentation won the Travel Merit Award Gene Solutions has made impressive strides in the region, present in Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and now Singapore. Its sixth laboratory recently opened in Singapore is a clear indication of the recognition and cooperation from this global powerhouse. It also hosted a meeting with the theme "A One-stop solution for all cancer patients," bringing together experts from six Southeast Asian countries. Dr. Vo Hoai Nams report at ESMO Asia 2023 draw attention from experts and doctors Earlier in 2023, Gene Solutions clinical research success was recognized at The ASCO Breakthrough in Japan, with two ASCO Breakthrough Abstract Awards. They were selected for a prominent press conference to highlight the exceptional outcomes of their clinical validation study, K-DETEK. This pioneering company is on a mission to combat these ailments and improve patient care in Southeast Asia. It has developed Screening for the Presence of Tumor by Methylation And Size (SPOT-MAS) - a multimodal liquid biopsy-based assay that can detect the five most common cancer types (liver, breast, colorectal, gastric, lung cancer). In April 2022, the first analytical validation of SPOT-MAS test was conducted on a cohort of 738 patients, 1550 healthy individuals and published in the esteemed journal, eLife (eLife.89083.2). This proved SPOT-MAS' ability to detect cancer patients with a sensitivity of 72.4% and a specificity of 97.0%. With products like SPOT-MAS, OncoGS, K-TRACK, K-4CARE, Gene Solutions has been at the forefront of applying liquid biopsy technology to support screening, diagnosis, guiding and monitoring treatment for various types of cancer. Gene Solutions was co-founded in 2017 by Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia (CEO), Dr. Nguyen Huu Nguyen (Deputy CEO), and Dr. Giang Hoa (R&D Head). They have strong backgrounds in genetics, cancer biology, clinical medicine, biotechnology. After studying cancer biology and genetics in the US, Dr. Nghia wished to establish cutting-edge technologies in Vietnam. That was when "Gene Solutions" as an idea came to be. They aim to create a solution that will be more accessible, affordable, and widely accessible, thereby benefiting millions of people in Southeast Asia. It was an exciting experience to present our research at this esteemed event for the first time, and an honor to be rewarded for our efforts. We are proud of our six-year journey in Vietnam developing NGS. Gene Solutions is leading a much-needed paradigm shift in healthcare by embracing the most recent developments in genetic research, encouraging preventive care, and motivating people to take control of their health, said Dr. Nguyen Huu Nguyen. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/404de6e6-91af-4b17-abb5-b8123c2d0570 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e4dcf1ea-5055-4c39-8805-05dd5d20e003 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/85441e0c-f85e-4ed3-bcd3-b84d072166c5 Dublin, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Voice of Enterprise Security Customer-Government Sector" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global Voice of Enterprise Security Customer survey examines how government and public sector stakeholders develop,build, and implement their cybersecurity operations in line with their risk posture. It explores the size and structure of government cybersecurity budgets, growth drivers and challenges, cybersecurity threat awareness, and many other factors influencing the decision-making process for new cybersecurity purchases. It also highlights the main technology focus areas, capabilities, and leading vendors government cybersecurity teams use. When considering government sector cybersecurity preparedness, most think about national security or military defense systems. However, public sector organizations widely utilize digital infrastructure across many tasks, necessitating security protection to safeguard data on citizens, government officials, organizations, and critical operations. For non-military public sector agencies, cybersecurity processes and investments typically take longer to implement due to budget restrictions or changing allocations based on the country's political or economic priorities. This creates inherent security vulnerabilities within public sector agencies that maintain legacy systems or analog processes that have yet to be digitized. With digital investments a growing priority to optimize resources and protect systems from digital threat actors, many government agencies are increasingly committed to retaining or increasing security investments. Key Topics Covered: 1 Objectives and Methodology Key Objectives Methodology Sample Structure Government Customer Sample Respondent Profile - Government Key Findings 2 Cybersecurity Teams in Governments Introduction Involvement in Cybersecurity Solution Selection Profile of Decision-makers Operations Employment Nature, Ratio Size, and Growth 3 Cybersecurity Teams in Government - Budget Introduction Public Sector Cybersecurity Budget Cybersecurity Budget by Country Cybersecurity Budget Allocation - 2023 Russo-Ukrainian War - Influence on Cybersecurity Budgets 4 Growth Drivers, Challenges, and Cybersecurity Threats Introduction Growth Drivers of the Cybersecurity Space in the Public Sector Top Challenges Cybersecurity Threats Risk Exposure Cyber Attacks 5 Tools and Technologies Introduction Key Objectives 2023 Focus Area Network Security Data Security Security Services Likely to Add Solutions in 2024 (50%+) Summary 6 Cybersecurity Brands Net Promoter Score (NPS) - Note on Methodology Leading Brands 7 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vylb66 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. NEWARK, Del, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global collagen casings market is estimated to be worth around US$ 1,506 million in the present year. As per the market trends, the net valuation could register an annual growth rate of 5.9% between 2023 and 2033. Furthermore, FMI predicts the market is expected to reach US$ 2,672.6 million by the end of the forecast period. Collagen meat casing is used in the manufacturing, storage, and sales of all varieties of sausages. Previously, only animal intestines were commercially available for the making of casings. But over the past 30 years, a significant increase in the use of synthetic collagen casings has been observed to reduce costs and automate production. They are well-matched with present-day traceability requirements and food hygiene, and also, technical specifications can be determined in advance. Over the last decade, a solid rise in the demand for different types of collagen casings used in sausage production has been witnessed. Natural casings are being replaced with synthetic collagen casings due to their ease of use, consistency in sizing, and ability to be employed on high-speed machinery. Tap into Market Opportunities and Stay Ahead of Competitors - Get Your Sample Report Now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-8807 The observed change in collagen casings from natural casings in the past few years is remarkable. The new type of smoked collagen casings operate more quickly and effectively on sausage production lines and are well-liked by consumers worldwide. Key Takeaways from the Collagen Casings Market Study Report: Due to the higher consumption of sausages in the United States, the sales of collagen casings are most lucrative in this country. The United States collagen casings market is projected to register a CAGR of 5.1% through 2033 and reach a valuation of US$ 548.53 million. European countries are the traditional main hub for the demand for all types of sausage casings and Germany is the leading manufacturer and supplier. Further, the demand for collagen casings in the German market is projected to follow an annual growth rate of 5.8% through 2033. On the other hand, the demand for collagen casings in many countries is somewhat saturated as per the market survey report. For instance, the year-on-year growth rate through 2033 of markets in the United Kingdom and Spain could be 1.9% and 4.6% respectively. "The rising preference for collagen casings among sausage manufacturers is poised to significantly propel market growth, reflecting a shift towards a more cost-effective and versatile alternative. This trend underscores the industry's adaptability to innovative solutions, likely contributing to increased efficiency and product quality." says Nandini Roy Choudhury, Client Partner at Future Market Insights. Access the Complete Report Methodology Now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/request-report-methodology/rep-gb-8807 Key Companies Profiled Viscofan, S.A. Devro PLC Nippi, Inc. Shenguan Holdings (Group) Limited Fibran, S.A. Fabryka Oslonek Bialkowych FABIOS S.A. LEM Products Inc. DeWied International (Oversea Casing Company, Llc) Nitta Casings, Inc. Weschenfelder Direct Limited Belkozin LLC Others There have been plenty of advancements by the beef collagen casing market participants, as well, over the past few years. A few of the advancements are a result of technological developments and others as a result of upgraded manufacturing unit systems. Recent Developments by the Collagen Casings Industries: The LEM Products firm primarily sells collagen casings for smoked sausages, fresh sausages, and hot dogs. In the United States and Canada, the corporation sells around 800 different items through its recently expanded 3,500 retail locations. Oversea Casing Corporation manufactures and sells natural and artificial casings for fresh and processed sausage, frankfurters and wieners, and deli products. To expand its market reach, the firm obtained partners in Europe, Australia, the United States, South America, and China last decade. Drive Your Growth Strategy: Purchase the Report for Key Insights! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/8807 Global Collagen Casings Market: Segmentation By Product Type: Edible Collagen Casings Non-edible Collagen Casings By Caliber: Small Caliber Collagen Casings Large Caliber Collagen Casings By Application: Fresh Sausages Cooked Sausages Dry-Cured Sausages Meat-based Snacks Others Applications (Pork Loin, etc.) By End Use: Industrial Food Processing Foodservice Private Label Butcheries and Meat Processors Other End-users By Sales Channel: Business to Business Sales Channel Food Processing Foodservice Private Label Brands Butcheries and Meat Processors Other B2B channels Business to Customer Sales Channel Grocery Retailers Hypermarket or Supermarkets Convenience Stores Wholesalers Food & Drink Specialty Stores Independent Small Groceries Online Retail Other Retail Channels By Region: North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia Oceania MEA Author Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives. She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table. Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results. Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India. Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor. Have a Look at Related Reports of Food and Beverage Domain: The global plant-based hot dogs market size is expected to reach a market valuation of US$ 828.90 million by the year 2033, accelerating with a CAGR of 16.7% between 2023 and 2033. The global commercial hot dog cooker market share is expected to reach at US$ 72.8 Million by 2033, from US$ 50.9 Million in 2023, registering at a CAGR of 3.6% over the forecast period. Global vegan fast food market demand is expected to be valued at US$ 18829.5 Million in 2023 and to reach a valuation of US$ 27980.2 Million by 2033. The global fast food containers market trend reached US$ 47.91 billion in 2022 and is likely to get a valuation of US$ 50.45 billion in 2023. The fast-food reusable market growth is anticipated to flourish at a steady CAGR of 9.0% between 2023 and 2033. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 5000 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Nandini Singh Sawlani Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube KEY HIGHLIGHTS: Hole MTC-23-059, a 150-metre step-out hole down-dip, returned 4.79 grams of gold per tonne (g/t Au) over 12.8 metres (m) including 10.05 g/t Au over 4.3 m at the Montclerg Gold Project (Montclerg or the Project). Hole MTC-23-063 returned 3.38 g/t Au over 5.8 m near surface. Assay results from 12 holes remain pending. Drilling is planned to resume in February with a primary focus at Montclerg and testing high-priority targets across the Goldarm Property. Completed a first pass till sampling program consisting of 224 samples across the Dore Gold Project (Dore), located south of the Pen Gold Project and adjacent to IAMGOLD, Evolution and Newmont. Join Brian Skanderbeg, CEO of GFG Resources for a LIVE virtual event on Wednesday, December 6th at 1:00 pm ET: Click here to register for the event. SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GFG Resources Inc. (TSXV: GFG) (OTCQB: GFGSF) (GFG or the Company) reports initial gold assay results from its recently completed 2023 Phase 2 drill program from its Montclerg Gold Project, located 40 kilometres (km) east of Timmins, Ontario (see Tables 1-2 and Figures 1-6). The results released today are from three drill holes completed along the Montclerg gold system where GFG has continuously proven and grown a robust gold system since the Company acquired the asset in October 2021. In the Phase 2 drill program the Company completed a total of 3,613 m from 15 holes (7 at Montclerg and 8 at the Aljo Mine Target (Aljo)). The Phase 2 drill program focused on step-out and in-fill drilling at Montclerg and to test a spectrum of targets at Aljo located within the Goldarm Property east of Timmins, Ontario. In addition to the results today, the Company is optimistic that the remaining 12 holes will return strong results as significant mineralized zones were observed. "Our Phase 2 drill program, which focused on expanding the potential of Montclerg through strategic step-outs and in-fill drilling, while also testing several targets proximal to the Aljo mine environment was highly successful, stated Brian Skanderbeg, President and CEO of GFG. At Montclerg, the assays confirm a robust gold system plunging beyond 400 m and remains open for expansion. In particular, hole MTC-23-059, a 150-metre step-out, exceeded our expectations hitting the zone as predicted and with increased thickness and more intense alteration, which speaks volumes about the continuity and potential growth at Montclerg. Looking ahead, we are excited to advance our exploration efforts at Goldarm and to continue developing regional targets across our properties in 2024. It's an exciting time for GFG as we delve deeper into the potential of our assets and strengthen our position in the Timmins Gold District." Table 1: Initial Assay Results from the 2023 Phase 2 Drill Program at the Montclerg Gold Project Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Zone MTC-23-059 424.2 437.0 12.8 4.79 Lower Footwall **incl. 428.0 432.3 4.3 10.05 and 435.6 436.5 0.9 4.97 Lower Footwall MTC-23-061 98.6 100.5 1.9 5.11 Upper Main incl. 98.6 100.0 1.4 6.79 and 141.5 152.2 10.7 1.34 Upper Footwall incl. 151.1 152.2 1.1 5.61 and 253.1 255.6 2.5 4.45 Lower Footwall incl. 253.1 255.0 1.9 5.63 and 271.8 275.2 3.3 3.15 Lower Footwall incl. 272.4 273.1 0.8 10.40 MTC-23-063 73.4 79.2 5.8 3.38 Upper Footwall incl. 77.4 79.2 1.8 8.18 *Drill intercepts are presented using a 0.20 g/t Au cut-off and as drilled length with a minimum 0.5 gram-metre product. Composites include internal dilution of up to 3 m at grades less than 0.2 g/t Au. Included intervals are calculated using a 3 g/t cut-off at a minimum 5 gram-metre product unless otherwise stated. True width is estimated to be 50 to 90% of drilled length. **Calculated at a 5 g/t cut-off. Commentary on Assay Results Anders Carlson, Vice President, Exploration commented, Hole MTC-23-059 demonstrates a meaningful change in the thickness of the Lower Footwall Zone from 2-5 m to over 10 m within an even broader alteration and veining envelope. This change is an exciting development and confirms this as a viable target for defining future underground resources. Drill hole MTC-23-059 was drilled to test the down-dip extension of the Lower Footwall Zone at MC Central (see Figures 3-6). The hole intersected approximately 22 m of moderate to strong sericite-ankerite-silica alteration in mafic volcanics with up to 35% disseminated arsenopyrite and pyrite. Quartz-carbonate veins and veinlets are present throughout the zone yielding 4.79 g/t Au over 12.8 m including 10.05 g/t Au over 4.3 m. This intercept is the best zone drilled in the Lower Footwall Zone to-date and represents a 150 m step-out from high-grade zones intersected during the Phase 1 2023 drill program (MTC-23-057 10.21 g/t Au over 2.7 m). Drill hole MTC-23-061 was drilled to infill gaps in the Main and Upper Footwall zones while testing the up-dip extension of the Lower Footwall Zone as it approaches the ultramafic contact (see Figures 3-6). The hole was successful in intersecting significant grade in each of the three zones with the most encouraging results coming from the Lower Footwall Zone where two closely spaced zones were observed yielding 4.45 g/t Au over 2.5 m and 3.15 g/t Au over 3.3 m. Seeing this up-dip continuity of the Lower Footwall Zone is important as it allows us to maximize the extent of the zone before it terminates against the upper ultramafic contact. Drill hole MTC-23-063 was drilled to test the up-dip extension of the Upper Footwall Zone (see Figures 3-6). The hole yielded an intercept of 3.38 g/t Au over 5.8 m including 8.18 g/t Au over 1.8 m in carbonate and silica-altered mafic volcanics hosting up to 15% arsenopyrite and pyrite with associated quartz-carbonate veining. This intercept successfully pulls the Upper Footwall Zone closer to surface in an area that lacked drill density. Dore Gold Project Till Sampling Program From September to November, the Company collected 224 bulk till samples across the 212 square kilometre Dore land package with the objective of defining new gold targets. The Dore project is an underexplored region that is near several multi-million-ounce gold deposits and mines such as the Cote Gold Project and Newmonts Borden gold mine (see Figure 1). The till samples will be analyzed with the goal of outlining new large-scale gold anomalies. The Dore property hosts two major gold-bearing shear-hosted structures, the Rideout and Rundle deformation zones, that are very underexplored on our property. The till survey will be followed-up by significant compilation and targeting over the winter in order to generate new prospecting targets for the 2024 summer field season. We expect this to lead to our first-ever drilling campaign at Dore in Q4-2024. Anders Carlson, Vice President, Exploration commented, The Swayze Greenstone Belt has become increasingly desirable to mid-tiers and majors with commercial production set at Cote for Q1-2024 and a recent up-tick in overall exploration activity. Were pleased to be strategically located and are excited to advance our Dore project through aggressive exploration programs over the next 24+ months. LIVE INVESTOR WEBINAR Join Brian Skanderbeg, CEO of GFG Resources for a LIVE virtual event on Wednesday, December 6th at 1:00 pm Eastern Time. Click here to register for the event. Figure 1: Regional Map of GFG Gold Projects in the Timmins Gold District Figure 2: Goldarm Property Plan View Map Figure 3: Montclerg Gold Project Plan View Map Figure 4: Montclerg Gold Project MC Central Plan View Map Figure 5: Montclerg Gold Project Cross Section Map Figure 6: MTC-23-059 High Grade Gold Zone (424.2 m to 437.0 m) Table 2: GFG Drill Hole Assay Highlights from the Montclerg Gold Project Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Zone MTC-21-001 62.5 90.0 27.5 1.56 Upper Main and 126.0 166.5 40.5 0.78 Lower Main incl. 130.8 138.0 7.3 2.20 MTC-21-005 86.0 112.0 26.0 4.82 Upper Footwall incl. 94.3 96.1 1.8 15.96 and 103.8 109.3 5.5 12.32 and 118.9 120.6 1.7 11.29 MTC-21-006 98.3 105.8 7.5 8.34 Upper Footwall incl. 98.3 101.0 2.7 15.04 MTC-21-007 65.4 95.6 31.1 1.40 Upper Main and 108.0 131.0 23.0 1.11 Lower Main MTC-21-010 79.5 106.5 27.0 1.05 Upper Main incl. 89.6 100.5 10.9 1.84 MTC-22-015 24.0 57.5 33.5 1.32 MC West incl. 24.0 28.7 4.7 5.15 MTC-22-020 22.4 34.1 11.7 1.07 Upper Main and 97.0 105.3 8.3 4.95 Upper Footwall incl. 102.8 105.3 2.5 12.83 MTC-22-021 50.3 72.0 21.7 1.51 Upper Main incl. 62.2 64.0 1.8 8.17 MTC-22-023 17.6 88.0 70.4 1.60 Upper Main incl. 35.2 42.0 6.8 2.43 incl. 76.2 81.0 4.8 4.97 and 124.5 133.2 8.7 2.46 Upper Footwall incl. 131.4 133.2 1.8 7.75 MTC-22-029 104.4 111.5 7.1 4.98 Upper Footwall incl. 104.4 107.6 3.2 7.02 MTC-22-030 71.0 86.0 15.0 3.40 Upper Footwall incl. 71.0 74.0 3.0 6.21 also incl. 81.9 82.9 1.0 17.50 MTC-22-034 79.5 94.6 14.5 1.37 Lower Main and 161.7 171.0 9.3 5.26 Upper Footwall incl. 163.9 168.3 4.4 10.77 MTC-22-035 72.0 85.2 13.2 2.31 Lower Main incl. 77.0 82.1 5.1 4.07 and 125.3 141.3 16.0 9.85 Upper Footwall incl. 130.3 137.8 7.5 14.99 MTC-22-036 79.0 85.0 6.0 9.63 Upper Footwall incl. 80.5 84.0 3.5 15.40 MTC-22-039 79.8 83.3 3.3 4.32 Upper Footwall incl. 80.7 83.3 2.6 5.74 and 88.0 98.3 10.3 3.95 MTC-22-041 76.2 81.0 4.8 4.89 Upper Footwall incl. 81.0 80.1 1.1 14.40 MTC-22-042 96.4 119.0 22.6 1.48 Lower Main and 307.3 312.3 5.0 8.46 Lower Footwall incl. 309.3 312.3 2.0 16.40 MTC-23-054 73.1 81.2 8.1 9.97 Upper Footwall incl. 75.9 78.9 3.0 16.95 MTC-23-057 346.0 348.7 2.7 10.21 Lower Footwall incl. 346.0 347.5 1.5 16.20 MTC-23-059 424.2 437.0 12.8 4.79 Lower Footwall **incl. 428.0 432.3 4.3 10.05 *Drill intercepts are presented using a 0.20 g/t Au cut-off and as drilled length with a minimum 0.5 gram-metre product. Composites include internal dilution of up to 3 m at grades less than 0.2 g/t Au. Included intervals are calculated using a 3 g/t cut-off at a minimum 5 gram-metre product unless otherwise stated. True width is estimated to be 50 to 90% of drilled length. **Calculated at a 5 g/t cut-off. About the Goldarm Property The Goldarm Property is a large and highly prospective land package east of the Timmins Gold Camp (see Figures 1-2). The consolidated Goldarm Property covers approximately 30 km of the Pipestone Deformation Zone and the North Pipestone Deformation Zone. Within the Goldarm Property, there are several highly prospective gold targets such as the Aljo Gold Mine region, the Carr target and the Montclerg Gold Project which is the most advanced target. The Montclerg Gold Project covers 10 km of the highly prospective Pipestone Deformation Zone and is located 48 km east of the prolific Timmins Gold Camp and is adjacent to multiple current and historic gold mines (see Figure 1). About GFG Resources Inc. GFG is a North American precious metals exploration company focused on district scale gold projects in tier one mining jurisdictions, Ontario and Wyoming. In Ontario, the Company operates three gold projects, each large and highly prospective gold properties within the prolific gold district of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. The projects have similar geological settings that host most of the gold deposits found in the Timmins Gold Camp which have produced over 70 million ounces of gold. The Company also owns 100% of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, a district scale gold exploration project located approximately 100 km southwest of Casper, Wyoming, U.S. For further information, please contact: Brian Skanderbeg, President & CEO or Marc Lepage, Vice President, Business Development Phone: (306) 931-0930 Email: info@gfgresources.com Website: www.gfgresources.com Stay Connected with Us Twitter: @GFGResources LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gfgresources/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GFGResourcesInc/ Footnote: (1) Drill intercepts are historical and GFGs QP has not verified the laboratory accreditation, analytical method, sample size or QA/QC procedures utilized for the historic drill results. True widths have not been estimated. Potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a Mineral Resource on the Coulson Claims to date and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the Coulson Claims being defined as a Mineral Resource. Sampling and Quality Control All scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been prepared under the supervision of Brian Skanderbeg, P.Geo. President and CEO of GFG, a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Drill core samples are being analyzed for gold by Activation Laboratories Ltd. in Timmins, Ontario. Gold analysis consists of the preparation of a 500-gram pulp and an assay of a 50-gram aliquot by Pb collection fire assay with an Atomic Absorption Spectrometry finish (Package 1A2-50. Samples assaying above 5 ppm Au are routinely re-run using a gravimetric finish (Package 1A3-50). Mineralized zones containing visible gold are analyzed by a screen metallic fire assay method. Selected samples are also undergoing multi-element analysis for 59 other elements using a four-acid digestion and an ICP-MS finish (Package MA250) by Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd. in Vancouver, British Columbia. Quality control and assurance measures include the monitoring of results for inserted certified reference materials, coarse blanks and preparation duplicates of drill core. Drill intercepts are presented using a 0.20 g/t Au cut-off and as drilled length. Composites include internal dilution of up to 3 m at grades less than 0.2 g/t Au. True width is estimated to be 50 to 90% of drilled length. Sampling protocols, quality control and assurance measures and geochemical results related to historic drill core samples quoted in this news release have not been verified by the Qualified Person and therefore must be regarded as estimates. 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. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this news release constitute 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 (referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Companys future exploration plans with respect to its property interests and the timing thereof, the prospective nature of the projects, future price of gold, success of exploration activities and metallurgical test work, permitting time lines, currency exchange rate fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of exploration work, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate 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, will, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved or the negative connotation thereof. All forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long-term price of gold, that the Company will receive required permits and access to surface rights, that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour, and that the political environment within Canada and the United States will continue to support the development of mining projects in Canada and the United States. In addition, the similarity or proximity of other gold deposits to the Companys projects is not necessary indicative of the geological setting, alteration and mineralization of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, the Goldarm Property, the Pen Gold Project and the Dore Gold Project. 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 GFG to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: actual results of current exploration activities; environmental risks; future prices of gold; operating risks; accidents, labour issues and other risks of the mining industry; availability of capital, delays in obtaining government approvals or financing; and other risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties and the additional risks described in the Companys most recently filed annual and interim MD&A are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive. Although GFG has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, 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. In addition, forward-looking statements are provided solely for the purpose of providing information about managements current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and GFG assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d2f386c-819f-4f10-8e60-c6f39d262045 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/850ce7f8-b60d-40fb-a258-c92188aad893 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c6073935-4449-4bc6-b5af-141d05132db3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83f728bf-1de2-4883-b2b4-48d189abda70 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f803ab18-9382-4baf-81f5-ba456e3e86f5 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7c61aa52-caa8-41f5-8634-37a775bc00f1 Fort Collins, Colorado, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to DataHorizzon Research, The Intravenous (IV) Iron Formulations Market size was valued at USD 3.1 Billion in 2022 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.6% to reach USD 6.4 Billion by 2032. IV iron formulations are in demand due to their safety, efficacy, faster absorption, less adverse effects, and higher bioavailability. They are administered directly into the bloodstream and are used to treat conditions such as chronic kidney disease, cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. These diseases cause less iron absorption through the oral route, increasing the demand for intravenous iron formulations. Chronic kidney disease affects over 10% of the global population, which amounts to more than 800 million individuals. Anemia in women, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic kidney disorders are on the rise, creating opportunities for IV iron formulations. Increased cancer cases also present a scope for R&D in this area. Awareness campaigns can help expand the market to emerging economies with higher rates of iron deficiency anemia. Request Sample Report: https://datahorizzonresearch.com/request-sample-pdf/intravenous-iron-formulations-market-2256 Segmentation Overview: The global intravenous (IV) iron formulations market has been segmented into product, application, and region. Ferric carboxymaltose is the leading drug on the market and is safe for late pregnancy and heart failure patients. Its dominance is due to its safety and efficacy. IV iron formulations for chronic kidney disease also dominate the market. Buy This Research Report: https://datahorizzonresearch.com/checkout-page/intravenous-iron-formulations-market-2256 Intravenous (IV) Iron Formulations Market Report Highlights: The global intravenous (IV) iron formulations market growth is anticipated at a CAGR of 7.6% by 2032. IV iron formulations are in demand due to their faster absorption and safety, used to treat chronic conditions like kidney disease and cancer. North America leads the market due to continuous drug development and USFDA approval, such as the approval of Injectafer for treating iron deficiency in adult patients with heart failure. Some prominent players in the intravenous (IV) iron formulations market report include Zydus group, AbbVie Inc., Sanofi, Daiichi Sankyo Company Ltd, AMAG Pharmaceuticals (Covis Pharma), Vifor Pharma Management Ltd (CSL), Pharmacosmos A/S Industry Trends and Insights: - Zydus Lifesciences acquired LiqMeds Group for 68 million. - Sanofi completed its deal with Janssen Pharmaceuticals for ExPEC9V, a vaccine candidate for extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. Looking Exclusively For Region/Country Specific Report? https://datahorizzonresearch.com/ask-for-customization/intravenous-iron-formulations-market-2256 OR Ask For Discount https://datahorizzonresearch.com/ask-for-discount/intravenous-iron-formulations-market-2256 Intravenous (IV) Iron Formulations Market Segmentation: By Product: Dextran, Iron Sucrose, Ferric Carboxymaltose, Others By Application: Chronic Kidney Diseases, Inflammatory Bowel Disease By Region: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. About DataHorizzon Research: DataHorizzon is a market research and advisory company that assists organizations across the globe in formulating growth strategies for changing business dynamics. Its offerings include consulting services across enterprises and business insights to make actionable decisions. DHRs comprehensive research methodology for predicting long-term and sustainable trends in the market facilitates complex decisions for organizations. Contact: Mail: sales@datahorizzonresearch.com Ph: +1-970-672-0390 Website: https://datahorizzonresearch.com/ Follow Us: LinkedIn Recent Publications Clear Aligners Market 2023 to 2032 Medical Waste Management Market 2023 to 2032 eClinical Solutions Market 2023 to 2032 Pharmaceutical Packaging Market 2023 to 2032 Regenerative Medicine Market 2023 to 2032 Jersey City, NJ, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the "Global Returnable Plastic Crate Market - (By Capacity (Less than 10 kg, 10 kg to 20 kg, 21 to 35 kg, 36 to 50 kg, Above 50 kg), By Product Type (Stackable, Nestable, Collapsible), By Material (High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene (P.P.), Others), By Application (Agriculture, Grocery, Dairy, Bakery, Seafood & Meat, Others)), Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast To 2031." According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the Global Returnable Plastic Crate Market is valued at US$ 1.65 Bn in 2022, and it is expected to reach US$ 2.54 Bn by 2031, with a CAGR of 5.03% during the forecast period of 2023-2031. Returnable packaging comprises tough materials like metals, plastics, or wood and is meant to survive the severe treatment of traditional shipping systems. Returnable plastic crates are utilised throughout the fruit and vegetable supply chain, including harvesting, handling, packing, and delivery, as well as in retail. The use of the same for fresh produce handling has a number of benefits, including the potential to improve environmental sustainability. The rising end-use industries, the shifting trend towards sustainable packaging, rigorous rules on packaging disposal, and the presence of key returnable plastic crate manufacturers in the region all contribute to the market's overall growth in this region. some of the factors expected to drive the returnable plastic crates market include growing concerns about packaging disposal and the need to reduce environmental impact, strong demand for returnable plastic crates from end-use industries, and the need for sustainable and cost-effective packaging solutions. Rising necessity from emerging economies, as well as increased R&D spending by manufacturers, provide chances for the market to flourish. Free PDF Report Brochure @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/2252 Recent Developments: In July 2023, DS Smith allocated 34 million into a strategic initiative aimed at substituting plastic and promoting environmentally-friendly packaging. DS Smith's Greek division has announced a total investment of 33.9m, which will be distributed across three facilities. These sites are focused on developing sustainable packaging solutions and will receive the investment over the course of the next two years. List of Prominent Players in the Returnable Plastic Crate Market: Brambles Limited Myers Industries Inc. Supreme Industries Limited Schoeller Allibert Services BV. DS Smith PLC Rehrig Pacific Company Inc. TranPak Inc. IPL Plastics Inc. RPP Containers Craemer UK Limited Dynawest Limited Dolav UK Limited Ravensbourn Limited Zhejiang Zhengji Plastic Industry Co. Ltd. Stamford Products Limited Others Need Specific Chapter from the Report @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/2252 Returnable Plastic Crate Market Report Scope: Report Attribute Specifications Market Size Value In 2022 USD 1.65 Bn Revenue Forecast In 2031 USD 2.54 Bn Growth Rate CAGR CAGR of 5.03% from 2023 to 2031 Quantitative Units Representation of revenue in US$ Bn, Volume (Unit) and CAGR from 2023 to 2031 Historic Year 2019 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2031 Report Coverage The forecast of revenue, the position of the company, the competitive market structure, growth prospects, and trends Segments Covered By Capacity, By Product Type, By Material, By Application Regional Scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa Country Scope U.S.; Canada; U.K.; Germany; China; India; Japan; Brazil; Mexico; France; Italy; Spain; South East Asia; South Korea Market Dynamics: Drivers: Growing environmental concerns have boosted the demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging. Packaging producers are now focusing on providing sustainable and ecofriendly packaging that can be recycled and reused. These producers are investing in R&D efforts and technology to provide environmentally friendly, cost-effective packaging solutions that do not compromise the protection level offered to the packed goods. Increasing R&D spending to produce sustainable packaging materials will provide chances for growth in the returnable plastic crates industry. Challenges: When compared to single-use options, the initial cost of procuring RPCs can be higher. This expense can be prohibitive for certain businesses, particularly those that are tiny or have limited resources. Coordination of RPC return and reuse across the supply chain necessitates effective logistics and reverse supply chain management. It might be difficult to manage the logistics of returning empty boxes from merchants to producers. Furthermore, events like the COVID-19 epidemic might interrupt global supply networks, impeding RPC return and reuse. During such occasions, transportation and logistical issues can undermine the effectiveness of the returnable system. Regional Trends: Europe's Returnable Plastic Crate Market is expected to register a major market share in terms of revenue and it is projected to grow at a high CAGR in the near future. In Europe, the improved Eurozone economy is expected to boost industrial output, which will fuel growth in the agriculture, construction, chemical, and food and beverage markets in the coming years. Countries with a strong industrial foundation, such as Germany, France, Italy, as well as the UK, will be critical to the development of the European returnable plastic boxes sector. With the advent of e-commerce in Europe, there is a greater need for economical and reusable packaging solutions. RPCs are well-suited to the demands of e-commerce logistics due to their capacity to tolerate repeated travels. During the projected period, the rising end-use industries are expected to drive demand for returnable plastic boxes. Curious about this latest version of the report? Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/2252 Segmentation of Returnable Plastic Crate Market- By Capacity- Less than 10 kg 10 kg to 20 kg 21 to 35 kg 36 to 50 kg Above 50 kg By Product Type- Stackable Nestable Collapsible By Material- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Polypropylene (P.P.) Others By Application- Agriculture Grocery Dairy Bakery Seafood & Meat Others By Region- North America- The US Canada Mexico Europe- Germany The UK France Italy Spain Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific- China Japan India South Korea Southeast Asia Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America- Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa- GCC Countries South Africa Rest of Middle East and Africa Read Report Snapshot: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/returnable-plastic-crate-market/2252 About Us: InsighAce Analytic is a specializing in market research and consulting services that helps in building business strategies. Our mission is to provide high quality insights with using data analytics techniques and visualization tools that drives the disruption and innovation in market research industry. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with in-depth analysis and key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner. Follow Us @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightace-analytic-pvt-ltd/ Subscribe Our Exclusive Newsletters @ https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/latest-market-research-reports-6929319878155739136/ LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prelude Corporation (PreludeDx), a leader in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine for early-stage breast cancer, today announced it will present data demonstrating the decision impact on physician recommendations for radiation therapy (RT) in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients in Australia. The data will be presented at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held on December 5 - 9, 2023 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas. The poster entitled, Changes in Treatment Recommendation for Patients with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ Using a 7-Gene Predictive Biosignature: Analysis of the Predict Australia Study, demonstrates that the use of DCISionRT resulted in significant changes in recommendations to add or omit RT compared to clinicopathologic factors (CP) alone. Specifically, in the interim analysis of 483-patients treated with breast conserving surgery in Australia, the use of the test resulted in a 41% change in RT recommendations and a 9% change in hormone therapy (HT) recommendations. The integration of DCISionRT into the clinical decision-making processes has a substantial impact on recommendations to personalize care and prevent over- and under-treatment, said Dr. Yvonne Zissiadis, MBBS, FRANZCR, radiation oncologist, GenesisCare and principal investigator. The change in treatment recommendations demonstrates the physicians high confidence in the DCISionRT test results based on prior validations, versus clinicopathology alone. The expanded international data on our PREDICT Australia study for DCIS further establishes DCISionRTs substantial impact in clinical practice on personalized treatment decisions for early-stage breast cancer patients, said Dan Forche, President and CEO of PreludeDx. About DCISionRT for Breast DCIS DCISionRT is the only risk assessment test for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) that predicts radiation therapy benefit. Patients with DCIS have cancerous cells lining the milk ducts of the breast, but they have not spread into surrounding breast tissue. In the US, over 60,000 women are newly diagnosed with DCIS each year. DCISionRT, developed by PreludeDx on technology licensed from the University of California San Francisco, and built on research that began with funding from the National Cancer Institute, enables physicians to better understand the biology of DCIS. DCISionRT combines the latest innovations in molecular biology with risk-based assessment scores to assess a womans individual tumor biology along with other pathologic risk factors and provide a personalized recurrence risk. The test provides a Decision ScoreTM that identifies a womans risk as low or elevated. Unlike other risk assessment tools, the DCISionRT test combines protein expression from seven biomarkers and four clinicopathologic factors, using a non-linear algorithm to account for multiple interactions between individual factors in order to better interpret complex biological information. DCISionRTs intelligent reporting provides a womans recurrence risk after breast conserving surgery alone and with the addition of radiation therapy. In turn, this new information may help patients and their physicians to make more informed treatment decisions. About PreludeDx PreludeDx is a leading personalized breast cancer diagnostics company dedicated to serving breast cancer patients and physicians worldwide. Founded in 2009 with technology licensed from University of California San Francisco, PreludeDx has focused on developing precision breast cancer tools that will impact a patients treatment decision. Our mission is to provide patients and physicians with innovative technologies that improve patient outcomes and reduce the overall cost burden to the healthcare system. Before making a treatment decision, Know Your RiskTM. PreludeDx is a Fjord Ventures portfolio company. For more information on how PreludeDx is making a difference for patients, please visit the Companys website: https://preludedx.com and follow us on Twitter @PreludeDx, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. PreludeDx, the PreludeDx logo, DCISionRT, the DCISionRT logo, DecisionTree, Decision Score, The DCIS Test, Know Your Risk and Your Biology, Your Decision are trademarks of Prelude Corporation or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States and foreign countries. Media Contact Cory Dunn 760.705.7464 cdunn@preludedx.com Investor Contact Andrew Wade 949.600.8925 awade@preludedx.com St. Louis, MO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Interface Systems, a leading managed service provider of business security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location businesses, today shared its predictions for security technology trends that will impact multi-location consumer-facing businesses in 2024. AI and automation will improve monitoring operations Addressing ever-changing business security threats will require new capabilities to rapidly analyze massive amounts of data from a variety of sensors. AI-based applications will increasingly enable remote monitoring teams to respond to potential threats faster than ever, while simultaneously reducing false alarm notifications that plagued legacy solutions. For instance, AI-enabled security camera systems offer a searchable footage library making it easy to quickly find footage of relevance and doing away with the need to sift through hours of recorded footage during investigations or to rely on simple analog triggers, like motion. Advanced AI-enabled security cameras have deep learning capabilities and can become progressively adept at recognizing patterns and detecting anomalies in the video being recorded. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) will be increasingly used to automate certain time-consuming tasks such as updating alarm security codes at scale for multi-location businesses. Instead of manual, time-consuming tasks, RPA bots take care of repetitive actions like updating alarm codes, users, and contact lists. This automation minimizes the risk of human error, ensures accuracy, and accelerates the overall update process. Additionally, the systematic logging and monitoring built into the RPA solution provide users with a transparent and auditable record of code changes, contributing to overall security and compliance efforts. Security systems will become more proactive AI will increasingly be employed to help monitor video feeds from security cameras. Unlike traditional video monitoring operations that rely on human operators to watch security feeds in real-time to identify suspicious or criminal activity, AI technology can automatically detect suspicious behavior and unauthorized access. Security operators monitoring the feeds can get real-time alerts when the camera detects any of the anomalies the AI program is trained for. These systems can detect loitering or unusual behavior and raise alerts for potential security threats. This swift response enables proactive action, allowing security teams to act before a crime is committed. For instance, a new generation of AI-based voice-down systems leverages computer vision cameras to detect people and vehicles loitering or acting suspiciously with 99.9% accuracy and warn them of security presence and possible law enforcement action with customizable audio messages, auxiliary lighting, and sirens. Keeping humans in the loop will become increasingly important As AI-based solutions continue to evolve, the role of human operators will change but will continue to play a significant role in security-related decisions. While AI offers groundbreaking capabilities, AI detection systems are only intended to assist human operators and security personnel in identifying potential threats. AI technology by itself is not foolproof. Adding an extra layer of decision-making by an experienced operator helps verify threats and prevent false positives. Combining the efficiency of AI with human judgment and expertise will strengthen the overall security posture. While AI security cameras can improve productivity and enhance the effectiveness of the monitoring team, they cannot replace human monitoring. AI solutions do not understand the context of the visuals being recorded and require human review to make vital decisions, such as police dispatch. But they are a highly intelligent filter and that can provide an exponential efficiency lift to a monitoring operation, said Bud Homeyer, Chief Operations Officer at Interface Systems. Mundane and monotonous tasks will increasingly be handled by machines, allowing human employees to focus on the more complex and strategic aspects of their work, thereby enhancing productivity. This will in turn improve their job satisfaction and help monitoring centers attract and retain talented professionals. Retailers and restaurant operators will have new tools to fight crime Violence and theft continue to impact retail workers and consumers at unprecedented levels. However, retailers are ramping up preventive measures by implementing innovative technology solutions to deter, prevent, and mitigate shrink and crime. Some retailers are already deploying AI-enabled cameras to detect suspicious behaviors, such as unusual movements, repeated visits to high-value merchandise areas, or sudden large group gatherings. These cameras can trigger alerts when suspicious behaviors are detected, enabling onsite or remote security teams to take steps to minimize loss and keep customers from harms way. In addition to AI-enabled cameras, more and more retailers and multi-location restaurant owners will leverage Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) in their parking lots and entrances to track vehicles and flag those associated with past ORC activities . These systems capture license plate information and compare it against a database of known offenders, alerting security personnel when a vehicle of interest is detected. While some states have placed restrictions on facial recognition, the tide is turning. For instance, states like Louisiana and Virginia have reversed the ban on the use of facial recognition for tracking criminal activity. Businesses that are the target of Organized Retail Crime (ORC) are increasingly looking to facial recognition software to aid in the identification of known perpetrators. By comparing captured facial images against databases of known criminals or shoplifters, security personnel can quickly identify individuals involved in ORC activities and notify law enforcement. Consumer-facing businesses will increasingly rely on interactive remote monitoring services . Trained security professionals operating from remote command centers can support businesses by conducting virtual walkthroughs, issuing voice-downs to warn people who may be acting suspiciously, and interacting with store employees directly as needed. By leveraging cameras, microphones, and speakers, this model offers discreet security coverage and an upgraded eye in the sky that can not only see but also interact in real-time. About Interface Systems Interface Systems is a leading managed service provider of business security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location businesses. We enhance security, streamline connectivity, optimize operations, and reduce IT costs, maximizing ROI for the nations top brands. Learn more and follow us on our blog Making IT Happen and on LinkedIn . Attachment Melrose, Massachusetts, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Raising the Bar , an innovator in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, has proudly marked three years in the sector and has distributed over 25,000 zero-proof cocktail kits to its community of discerning drinkers nationwide. This holiday season, Raising the Bar continues its mission to redefine happy hour by offering both regular monthly subscriptions and one-time holiday boxes, enabling customers to explore the world of zero-proof mixology, kick off their Dry January or surprise their loved ones with a unique and inclusive cocktail experience. Each monthly Raising the Bar box is carefully curated with high-quality, handpicked ingredients including spirit alternatives, bitters, mixers, shrubs, teas, garnishes, bar tools, and more. The boxes contain all of the necessary ingredients to create three unique recipes for a total of 10-12 delicious, alcohol-free craft cocktails. "Raising the Bar is a top-tier partner. The recipes are nothing short of fantastic and they consistently place our brand in front of our key demographic of flex drinkers. As an added bonus, each kit has garnered media and influencer exposure for us, says Ian Blessing, Owner and Co-Founder of All the Bitter . We cannot recommend Raising the Bar more highly, both for consumers and fellow brands. A Raising the Bar subscription is the best way to enjoy elevated, alcohol-free cocktails each month. The Company offers a variety of subscription options so that customers can select what works best for them - subscription options start at $50.75/month plus $10 S&H. Raising the Bar also offers one-time boxes and exclusive holiday offerings whether youre a first-time customer or looking for the perfect gift. These offers include the festive Pear-y & Bright Shrub Box ($50 + $10 S&H) , a Ready to Drink Advent Box ($95 + $10 S&H) , Tost the Town ($120 + $10 S&H) which includes everything you need to ring in 2024, and the ultimate companion for all types of intimate gatherings, the Party in a Box ($135 + $10 S&H) . "Were so thrilled to support the burgeoning interest in alcohol-free options by simplifying the process of crafting non-alcoholic drinks at home and introducing consumers to the best products in the zero-proof space," says Abbie Romanul, the driving force behind Raising the Bar as Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. "As we make our way into the new year, were excited to continue growth starting with Dry January, which is a wonderful time to kick-start your exploration of non-alcoholic options." Raising the Bar has played a pivotal role in reshaping the way individuals approach socializing and celebrating. The Company is dedicated to cultivating an inclusive community that welcomes a diverse range of customers, ranging from those opting for an alcohol-free evening to those embracing a lifelong journey of sobriety. About Raising the Bar Established in 2020, Raising the Bar is a zero-proof cocktail business offering monthly subscriptions to discerning drinkers across the United States. Subscribers receive handpicked ingredients, mixers, garnishes, tools, and recipes, to craft the perfect pour every time. Featured in outlets including The Today Show, the Boston Globe, Oprah Daily, Food & Wine, and GQ, Raising the Bar is a tool supporting people through various chapters in their lives and part of a cultural movement toward more mindful and moderate drinking. For subscriptions and one-time purchases, visit https://weareraisingthebar.com/ . Attachments TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: BMK, OTC: MCDMF) (MacDonald Mines or the Company) is pleased to announce the results from its 1,206 meter drill program along the prospective McLaren Lake Fault Zone (MLFZ) at the Alwyn Copper-Gold (Cu-Au) trend (Alwyn), as well as the Glade Gold (Au) trend (Glade) located on MacDonald Mines 100% owned SPJ Project near Sudbury, Ontario. We are extremely pleased with the results at Alwyn which continue to confirm the potential of a robust mineral system capable of forming IOCG or affiliated deposits at depth. Company personnel are actively pursuing various options to prepare for a follow-up drill program at Alwyn directed towards expanding Cu-Au mineralization in the 102 Vein and testing the most favorable geophysical targets at depth to the south-east stated Mike England, CEO of MacDonald Mines. Highlights from 954 meters of drilling in the Alwyn Cu-Au trend (see tables 1 and 2 and figure 1) Copper-gold mineralization confirmed in the Alwyn Trend over a strike length of approximately 400 metres The Alwyn Cu-Au trend is part of the MacLaren Lake Fault Zone (MLFZ) Other known centers of Cu-Au mineralization along the MLFZ includes the Ashigami and Crerar showings respectively located 4.5 km and 9.5 km SE from the Alwyn prospect Confirmation that the Alwyn 102 Vein contained within a broader halo of Cu-Au mineralization is extending at least 75 metres SE of the historical Alwyn mine Near-surface intersection of 1.16% Cu and 1.64 g/t gold over 4.75 metres within a mineralization halo containing 0.47% Cu and 0.52 g/t gold and over 25 metres in AW-23-107 (see table 2) Located 30 metres away from the intersection of 1.07% Cu and 3.01 g/t gold over 4.2 metres in AW-22-102 1.36% Cu and 3.06 g/t gold over 0.90 metres associated with garnet-amphibole alteration in AW-23-106 within a Cu-Au mineralization halo containing 0.31% Cu and 0.31 g/t Au over 16.0 metres (see table 2) Zones of pervasive magnetite alteration with indications of Cu mineralization in AW-23-110 identified in the Alwyn Cu-Au trend (see figure 1) Magnetite alteration is indicative of mineral systems capable of forming IOCG and affiliated deposits In AW-23-109 and AW-23-110, the zones of pervasive magnetite alteration are located at the edge of aeromagnetic and gravity highs This is supporting a possible relation between the geophysical anomalies and magnetite and iron-rich alteration Magnetite is primarily disseminated in replacement fronts and is also forming localized veins, and was observed down to approximately 160 m vertical depth in AW-23-110 Indications that parallel zones of Cu-Au mineralization exist in the Alwyn Cu-Au trend AW-23-107 discovered a new zone of Cu-Au mineralization located south of the Alwyn 102 Vein and its mineralized halo AW-23-108A intersected Cu-Au mineralization north of the Alwyn Cu-Au 102 Vein A diabase dyke truncated the core zone of the Alwyn 102 Vein and its mineralized halo in AW-23-109 and AW-23-110. Cu-Au mineralization associated with the halos of the Alwyn 102 Vein is observed in both holes above and below the upper and lower contacts of the diabase dyke. Highlights from 252 m of drilling in the Glade Au trend (see tables 1 and 2 and figure 1) Many zones of Au mineralization intersected Supports the continuity of Au mineralization at depth in the Glade Au trend Development of the Scadding deposit The Company is continuing to investigate opportunities to advance the exploration and potential development of the high-grade gold zones of the Scadding deposit that remain open laterally and at depth for further exploration. Significant drill intersections in the North Zone of the Scadding deposit include: 52.03 g/t over 12.3 m in SM-19-001, including 210.27 g/t gold over 2.95 m 376.75 g/t gold over 2.96 m in SM-20-026. Copper-Gold Mineralization along the McLaren Lake Fault Zone hosting the Alwyn Cu-Au trend The MLFZ is emerging as a compelling exploration target for Cu-Au and potentially Co-Au mineralization affiliated with mineral systems capable of forming IOCG and affiliated deposits. Along the 2.5 km-long Alwyn Cu-Au trend defined in collaboration with ALS-GoldSpot, near-surface Cu-Au mineralization is associated with networks of quartz-carbonate veins with zones of stronger Cu-Au mineralization concentrated in the Alwyn 102 Vein. The 2023 drilling program confirmed the existence of pervasive magnetite alteration zones in the SE extension of the Alwyn Cu-Au trend at the edge of positive magnetic anomalies overlapping with gravity anomalies (see figure 1). Many drill holes from the 2022 and 2023 drilling programs also contain chalcopyrite mineralization associated with the development of the following iron-rich alteration types: AW-22-101 - Specular hematite and quartz-specular hematite, AW-22-102 - Actinolite-chlorite-earthy hematite, AW-23-106 - Actinolite-garnet-chlorite-earthy hematite, AW-23-109 - Amphibole-chlorite-epidote-fluorite, AW-23-110 - Chlorite and chlorite with K-feldspar. Regionally, the MLFZ is highly prospective for critical and precious metals mineralization. In addition to Alwyn, along the MLFZ on the SPJ Project the primary targets include the Ashigami and Crerar showings, located 4.5 km and 9.5 km southeast of the Alwyn mine, respectively. Official Name Collar location Hole Attributes Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (m) Final Depth (m) Azimuth Dip Alwyn Cu-Au Trend AW-23-106 528406 5172103 274 126 190 -58 AW-23-107 528406 5172103 274 153 235 -50 AW-23-108 (Recollared) 528287 5172073 284 21 0 -50 AW-23-108A 528287 5172073 284 261 0 -50 AW-23-109 528623 5172033 280 162 240 -47 AW-23-110 528623 5172033 280 231 185 -55 Glade Au Trend AG-23-111 529049 5165626 292 252 135 -59 Table 1: Collar locations and attributes for drilling along the Alwyn Cu-Au and Glade Au trends. Table 2: Reported assays 2023 drilling program Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m)* Cu (wt. %) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Co (ppm) Zone AW-23-106 33.00 33.89 0.89 0.08 0.47 Alwyn Cu-Au trend 33.89 53.05 Diabase 56.00 72.00 16.00 0.31 0.31 Including 56.00 56.90 0.90 1.35 2.83 1.06 72.00 102.00 30.00 0.058 AW-23-107 38.00 63.00 25.00 0.47 0.53 Including 55.25 60.00 4.75 1.42 1.64 Alwyn Cu-Au trend 135.00 141.00 6.00 0.27 0.16 AW-23-108 10.00 23.00 13.00 0.34 154 AW-23-108A 35.00 71.00 36.00 0.12 0.23 35.00 36.80 1.80 0.41 1.74 144.00 166.30 22.30 0.08 240.50 243.80 3.30 0.08 AW-23-109 125.15 125.4 0.25 0.67 0.20 125.40 141.65 Diabase 141.65 144.45 2.80 0.27 0.14 Alwyn Cu-Au trend AW-23-110 31.80 34.90 3.10 0.09 128.60 131.00 2.40 0.05 135.00 135.90 0.90 0.13 0.18 135.90 150.65 Diabase 150.65 153.65 3.00 0.17 Alwyn Cu-Au trend AG-23-111 7.30 21.00 15.60 0.58 Glade Au trend 40.18 51.18 1.00 3.76 142.00 146.00 4.00 1.23 219.00 222.00 3.00 0.60 *Assay results are presented over core length. As they represent discoveries, additional drilling is necessary to estimate the true width of the discovered zones of mineralization. Figure 1. Magnetic susceptibility (10-3 SI) measured with a KT-10 susceptibility meter versus down-hole depth (m) to show the distribution of magnetite alteration zones in the eastern extension of the drill tested area of the Alwyn Cu-Au trend. Qualified Person Jean-Francois Montreuil, P.Geo., Chief Geologist of MacDonald Mines, is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, responsible for preparing, supervising, and approving this news release's scientific and technical content. About MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. MacDonald Mines is a Canadian exploration company focused on exploring for critical and precious metals in a Metasomatic Iron alkali-calcic (MIAC) mineral system on its 100%-owned, 19,720 ha (197.2 km2) SPJ Project. MIAC systems are known for hosting IOCG and affiliated deposits. The property is located 20 km southeast of the prolific Sudbury Mining Camp in Northern Ontario. The Companys primary exploration focuses are the polymetallic and iron-poor to possibly iron-rich Ag-Au-Cu-Co showings and prospects along the McLaren Lake Fault System that includes the Alwyn Cu-Au-(Ag-Co) trend and the Ashigami Co-Cu-Au showings, and the iron-rich to iron-poor Glade Au trend recognized to host Au mineralization comparable to the Scadding deposit. In addition, a potential for nickel, cobalt, copper, and platinum group elements in the Nipissing intrusions that are hosting the Candore, Jerome and Glade showings within the SPJ Project. To learn more about MacDonald Mines, please visit www.macdonaldmines.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Mike England ____________________________ Mike England, INTERIM CEO & DIRECTOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Telephone: 1-604-683-3995 TollFree:1-888-945-4770 E-mail: mike@engcom.ca Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that 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. 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 Company 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. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ce3b5484-ffb4-49ca-8893-5b2aca79e02d TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forsys has launched a broad-ranging initiative to reassess its 2015 Feasibility Study (FS) for its fully owned Norasa Project1 in Namibia. The Company sees potential to improve project economics by optimizing pit parameters and examining the potential of using heap leaching in mineral processing. The work program that began in mid 2023 and is anticipated to finish in mid 2024 includes the following components: 4,100 metre (m) drilling program aimed at enhancing geotechnical assessments and obtaining fresh ore samples for additional metallurgical test work; Geotechnological optimization of pit parameters to reduce stripping ratio; Evaluation of alternative metallurgical processes, including heap leaching, to reduce capital and operational expenses; Critical review of all linear infrastructure and utilities. To achieve these objectives, the Company recruited a 27 person team who have significant previous uranium mining experience at various Namibian operations. The technical team includes process engineers, mining experts, geologists, environment consultants, and local specialists led by the Companys Namibian Country Director, Pine Van Wyk. Further Drilling Program Recent advancements in metallurgical, engineering and mining technology since exploration and computation of the Norasa Projects FS have warranted a comprehensive review of the project. In mid 2023, the Company commenced a new 4,100 m drilling program to retrieve fresh samples at depths of up to 420 m from the slope areas for both the planned mining pits at Valencia and Namibplaas. The drilling program focuses on: Geotechnical logging and geo-mechanical sampling to refine pit designs; Sampling for new metallurgical test work and for optimized process design; Sampling and testing local groundwater resources and to establish additional groundwater monitoring borehole; Further geotechnical drilling, logging and sampling, along with downhole surveys (trajectory, gamma, Optical Televiewer) at Valencia and Namibplaas; Density test work on ore and waste material; geochemical analysis of samples at Trace Element Analytical Laboratories and calc index and U deportment test work; minimum of 5% check analyses by other independent analytical laboratories. Figure-1 below, illustrates the drilling program within ML-149 Valencia and EPL-3638 Namibplaas (ML-251 pending). Currently one Reverse Circulation (RC) drill rig and two Diamond Core (DC) drill rigs are on ML-149. Additional drill locations are planned for further in-depth studies and for geotechnical assessments. Figure 1: Drilling program underway By the end of October 2023, a total of 1,445 m of RC drilling and 1,865 m of DC drilling had been completed, including substantial large diameter metallurgical drilling at the Valencia, ML-149 site. Work is ongoing and the majority of the programme is targeted for completion by year end 2023. Heap Leach Trade-Off Studies and Test Work In March 2023, Forsys engaged DRA Projects Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of DRA Global Limited (ASX; DRA/JSE: DRA) (DRA) to oversee test work and conduct various engineering studies. The test work and studies aim to assess the potential trade-off opportunity between tank and heap leaching given advances in High Pressure Grinding Rolls crushing and heap leach technology. Column leach tests are underway at SGS laboratories in South Africa, including measurements of ore height and slump in the column, with residues analyses for uranium content. The column leach tests results will inform heap leach recovery projections and key process conditions for the economic assessments. Final results of this trade-off study are expected first quarter 2024. Mining Licences, Environmental Certificates and Permits The Company currently holds a 25-year Mining Licence (ML-149) for its Valencia deposit, valid until 2033. Additionally, Forsys is actively engaged with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) to renew its Exclusive Prospecting Licence (EPL-3638) for further pit optimization work at the Namibplaas site. Earlier in the year, Forsys renewed its Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism for a further three-year term, allowing the Company to advance its development plans for the Norasa project. The ECC renewal process evaluated the Company's environmental management practices, including waste management, emissions controls, biodiversity protection, and community engagement, among other factors. Forsys is in the process also of securing additional permits, encompassing land surface rights; accessory works; radiation management; linear infrastructure development and desalination. Qualified Person and Independent Consulting Firms Mr. Robin Welsh is acting as the Companys Qualified Person, as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Mr. Welsh is a Senior Project Manager for DRA Projects Pty Ltd and with his education, experience, and professional registrations, he fulfils the requirements of an independent Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Welsh has reviewed and approved the scientific or technical information contained in this press release. DRA Projects Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of DRA Global Limited is an international multi-disciplinary engineering, project delivery and operations management group, predominantly focused on the mining, minerals and metals industry. About Forsys Metals Corp. Forsys Metals Corp. (TSX: FSY, FSE: F2T, NSX: FSY) is focused on advancing the Norasa Uranium Project that is made up of the Valencia Uranium deposit (ML-149) and the nearby Namibplaas Uranium deposit (EPL-3638) in the politically friendly jurisdiction of Namibia. Extensive work has been carried out on the deposits from 2006 to 2015 with close to 290,000 m of drilling, resource estimation and processing test work. The reserves come from three deposits: the Valencia pit, a small satellite pit adjacent to Valencia, and the Namibplaas pit, and two NI 43-101 technical reports previously prepared in support of the 2015 FS demonstrated significant proven and probable mineral reserves of 91Mlb. In addition, the 2015 FS demonstrated Measured and Indicated resource of 115Mlb and Inferred resource of 11Mlb. Forsys are currently engaged in re-evaluating the 2015 FS and multiple workstreams are underway to re-analyze geology data as well as establishing a new drilling program to retrieve fresh samples from both site deposits and improve on process and pit designs. As a part of this study, Forsys are exploring new technologies to understand how these can enhance recovery rates, optimise tailings and improve project economics. Further information is available at the Company website www.forsysmetals.com On behalf of the Board of Directors of Forsys Metals Corp. Richard Parkhouse, Director, Investor Relations. For additional information please contact: Richard Parkhouse, Director, Investor Relations email: rparkhouse@forsysmetals.com email: info@forsysmetals.com Phone: +44 (0) 7730 493432 Forward Looking Statement Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding improved project economics, improved resource quality, the benefits of changing to a heap leach process, anticipated Capex and Opex savings, the results and timing of an updated NI 43-101 technical report and feasibility study, and the future operating or financial performance of Forsys Metals Corp which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Forsys Metals Corp disclaim 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. The Norasa Uranium Project (Norasa) is wholly-owned by the Companys subsidiary Valencia Uranium (Pty) Ltd. (Valencia Uranium) and comprises the Valencia Uranium Project (ML149) ("Valencia) and the Namibplaas Uranium Project (EPL3638) (Nambiplaas). A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b6239d95-6ce4-434e-9012-bf5e9f0efe03 New York, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Digital Remittance Market size was projected to be USD 22.1 billion in 2023. By the end of 2024, the industry is likely to reach a valuation of USD 25.4 billion. During the forecast period, the global market for digital remittance is expected to garner a 15.0% CAGR and reach a size of USD 77.7 billion by 2032. The Digital Remittance Market refers to the ecosystem that facilitates the transfer of funds or remittances through digital channels as opposed to traditional paper-based methods like money orders or cash transfers. This market encompasses various financial service providers, technologies, and platforms that enable individuals, particularly migrants, to send money back to their families in their home countries in a secure, swift, and cost-effective manner. Digital remittance platforms offer a diverse range of options such as online bank transfers, digital wallets, and mobile payment systems to execute cross-border transactions. The digital remittance market has gained traction over the years due to the increasing need for quicker and more convenient methods for international money transfers. It leverages advancements in financial technology, including blockchain, machine learning, and cybersecurity measures, to offer more reliable and flexible remittance solutions. Moreover, digital remittance providers often collaborate with local financial institutions, telecom companies, and even retail outlets to expand their reach and provide more accessible points for fund collection. Regulatory changes and evolving consumer behavior, especially among the tech-savvy younger generation, are significantly influencing the market's growth and are pushing traditional remittance service providers to adapt digital channels. Overall, the digital remittance market aims to make the process of sending and receiving international funds more efficient, secure, and accessible, thereby playing a critical role in financial inclusion globally. Sample Report Request: Unlock Valuable Insights for Your Business: https://market.us/report/digital-remittance-market/request-sample/ Key Takeaway: Based on Type, outward digital remittance leads the market with a major revenue share of 60.0%. leads the market with a major revenue share of Based on Channel, money transfer operators lead the market with a major revenue share of 39.8%. lead the market with a major revenue share of Based on End-User, the personal segment dominates the market by holding a major revenue share of 58.4%. dominates the market by holding a major revenue share of Based on Region, North America leads the market with a major revenue share of 30.2%. leads the market with a major revenue share of Asia Pacific will grow at the fastest CAGR rate from 2023-2032. Factors Affecting the Growth of the Digital Remittance Market Mobile Penetration: the widespread use of smartphones, especially in emerging markets, allows people to access digital remittance platforms easily. This accessibility expands the customer base, as individuals can send money conveniently from their mobile devices, driving the market growth. the widespread use of smartphones, especially in emerging markets, allows people to access digital remittance platforms easily. This accessibility expands the customer base, as individuals can send money conveniently from their mobile devices, driving the market growth. Globalization and Migration: The increasing trend of international migration leads to a growing need for efficient cross-border money transfers. Digital remittance services fulfill this demand, positively impacting market growth. The increasing trend of international migration leads to a growing need for efficient cross-border money transfers. Digital remittance services fulfill this demand, positively impacting market growth. Cost Efficiency: Digital remittance providers often offer lower fees and competitive exchange rates compared to traditional methods. Users looking to send money cost-effectively are drawn to these services, contributing to market expansion. "The increasing prevalence of digital payment solutions and cross-border financial transactions is a major factor that is expected to propel the growth of the Digital Remittance Market across the globe in the near future." remarks a Mr. Yogesh Shinde Team Lead at Market.us. Top Trends in the Global Digital Remittance Market The rising acceptance of mobile-centric solutions is an observable trend within the digital remittance market. With smartphones gaining widespread prevalence across the globe, individuals are turning to mobile apps and digital wallets for seamless cross-border money transfers. This surge is primarily propelled by the convenience, accessibility, and cost-efficiency inherent in mobile-based remittance platforms. Service providers consistently enhance their mobile applications, delivering user-friendly interfaces, up-to-the-minute exchange rate details, and robust payment security, thus amplifying the momentum towards mobile-centric remittance methods. Get deeper insights into the market size, current market scenario, future growth opportunities, major growth driving factors, the latest trends, and much more. Buy the full report here Market Growth Globalization, characterized by the increasing interconnectedness of countries and economies, plays a pivotal role in driving the growth of the digital remittance market. In this context, globalization encompasses the movement of people across borders in pursuit of better opportunities or to support their families back home. This trend necessitates efficient and secure cross-border money transfers, precisely what digital remittance services offer. Regional Analysis The North American region leads the market by securing a major revenue share of 30.2%. North America stands out as a digital remittance market due to several factors. The demand for Digital Remittance in North America was valued at USD 5.7 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to grow significantly in the forecast period. First, its immigrant population consistently sends funds back home via digital remittance platforms, creating consistent demand and driving market expansion. Furthermore, North America features a highly developed financial infrastructure and stringent regulatory framework, which support the development of digital remittance platforms while guaranteeing security and efficiency when sending cross-border money transfers. After North America, Asia Pacific is projected to experience a significant CAGR throughout the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to rapid smartphone proliferation and internet access throughout this region, making digital remittance platforms increasingly accessible to individuals. Click to Request Sample Report and Drive Impactful Decisions: https://market.us/report/digital-remittance-market/request-sample/ Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the Market has also been examined in this report. Some of the major players include: PayPal Holdings Inc. Digital Wallet Corporation InstaReM Pvt. Ltd. MoneyGram Azimo B.V. TransferGo Ltd. Western Union Holdings Inc. Ria Money Transfer. WorldRemit Ltd. OFX Other Key Players Scope of the Report Report Attributes Details Market Value (2023) US$ 22.1 Billion Forecast Revenue 2032 US$ 77.7 Billion CAGR (2023 to 2032) 15.0% North America Revenue Share 30.2% Base Year 2022 Historic Period 2016 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2032 Market Drivers The key driver for market expansion is the expanding global diaspora, composed of millions of individuals employed abroad who remit money home for family support and community development purposes. These remittances provide vital financial lifelines to numerous emerging economies. It has revolutionized cross-border money transfers with its innovative mobile applications, online platforms, and blockchain innovations, making remittance procedures faster, more convenient, and cost-efficient. Consumers now expect simplified and user-friendly solutions, driving financial institutions and fintech firms to innovate constantly. Furthermore, government policies and regulatory frameworks have enabled the digital remittance market to thrive, guaranteeing security and transparency for international transactions. Market Restraints One of the biggest obstacles facing digital remittance markets is financial inclusion. Digital remittance services hold great promise for providing financial access to marginalized populations. However, many individuals in remote or economically challenged areas lack the technology and infrastructure required for such transactions. An absence of internet connectivity, limited smartphone usage, and lack of awareness regarding digital financial services hamper the adoption of these services in certain regions. Leveraging this digital divide presents a serious challenge that necessitates investments in infrastructure, digital literacy initiatives, and innovative solutions tailored to the specific needs of underserved communities. Conquering these obstacles is critical for ensuring the market's continued sustainability and inclusive growth. Market Opportunities Blockchain technology holds significant promise in the digital remittance market and is poised to transform these services by enhancing security, transparency, and efficiency. Transactions facilitated through blockchain are notably swifter, accompanied by reduced fees, heightened transparency, and improved traceability. Additionally, blockchain offers a decentralized platform for cross-border transactions, diminishing dependence on conventional financial intermediaries. As blockchain technology matures and garners broader acceptance, it opens avenues for forward-thinking remittance providers to offer more economical and accessible services. Consequently, this transformation is reshaping the industry landscape, aligning with the evolving demands of a digitally connected global population. Plan your Next Best Move. Purchase the Report for Data-driven Insights: https://market.us/purchase-report/?report_id=12200 Report Segmentation of the Digital Remittance Market Type Analysis On the basis of type, the market is divided into outward digital remittance and inward digital remittance. Outward digital remittance dominates the market from these types by securing a revenue share of 60.0%. As a growing number of individuals pursue job opportunities overseas, they rely on outbound digital remittance to support their families and loved ones back home. This substantial migrant workforce fuels the demand for outbound remittance services. Additionally, the convenience and accessibility offered by digital platforms play a pivotal role. With the widespread adoption of smartphones and internet connectivity, people can effortlessly access digital remittance services through user-friendly mobile applications and online platforms. Channel Analysis Based on channel, the market is classified into money transfer operators, banks, online platforms, and other channels. Among these channels, money transfer operators dominate the market by securing a revenue share of 39.8%. MTOs have cultivated extensive networks and partnerships, enabling them to offer a dependable and far-reaching service for cross-border remittances. This network encompasses physical locations like agent offices and kiosks, catering to customers who prefer in-person transactions. Furthermore, MTOs frequently present competitive exchange rates and lower transfer fees in comparison to traditional banking institutions, enhancing the cost-effectiveness of their services for customers. End-User Analysis On the basis of the end-user, the market is divided into business and personal. Among these end-users, the personal segment dominates the market, with a major revenue share of 58.4%. Millions of individuals living and working abroad generate an ongoing demand for sending money to their home countries, resulting in significant personal remittances. Furthermore, digital remittance platforms have evolved to be highly user-friendly and accessible. This convenience allows individuals to initiate cross-border transactions easily using their smartphones or computers. The combination of user-friendliness and the emotional drive to support family and friends further solidifies the preference for personal digital remittances. Request for Research Methodology to Understand Our Data-sourcing Process in Detail: https://market.us/report/digital-remittance-market/request-sample/ Market Segmentation Type Outward Digital Remittance Inward Digital Remittance Channel Money Transfer Operators Banks Online Platforms Other Channels End-User Business Personal By Geography North America The US Canada Europe Germany France The UK Spain Italy Russia Netherland Rest of Europe APAC China Japan South Korea India Australia New Zealand Singapore Thailand Vietnam Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Rest of MEA Recent Developments In January 2023, Xoom forged a strategic alliance with Visa Direct, allowing debit card users across 25 nations, including Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Ukraine, and Sri Lanka, to swiftly access funds within minutes. Xoom forged a strategic alliance with Visa Direct, allowing debit card users across 25 nations, including Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Ukraine, and Sri Lanka, to swiftly access funds within minutes. In September 2022, Western Union completed the acquisition of Te Enviei, a digital wallet based in Brazil. This strategic move expedites Western Union's entry into the Brazilian market for financial ecosystem services. Explore Extensive Ongoing Coverage in Information and Communications Technology Market Research Reports Domain: About Us Market.US (Powered by Prudour Pvt Ltd) specializes in in-depth market research and analysis and has been proving its mettle as a consulting and customized market research company, apart from being a much sought-after syndicated market research report-providing firm. Market.US provides customization to suit any specific or unique requirement and tailor-makes reports as per request. We go beyond boundaries to take analytics, analysis, study, and outlook to newer heights and broader horizons. Follow Us On LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Our Blog: Pune, India, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Dental implants market is projected to reach USD 4.42 billion in 2023, with an expected increase to USD 6.95 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. Dental implants are commonly employed to support dental prosthetics. Rising prevalence of oral disorders worldwide is driving the demand for these implants. Fortune Business Insights presents this information in their report titled "Global Dental Implants Market, 2023-2030." Request a Free Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/dental-implants-market-100443 Key Industry Development: February 2022 - Zest Dental Solutions introduced LOCATOR R-Tx abutment for its versatile LOCATOR overdenture inserts. R-Tx offers greater flexibility and durability. This abutment can help clinicians treat narrow & standard ridge cases. Key Takeaways: In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the number of individuals affected by oral diseases was 3.5 billion. As of 2020, the Journal of Multidisciplinary Care stated that digital dental technology was becoming mainstream, with around 34% of clinicians incorporating its use. The market is categorized into titanium, zirconium, and other materials based on composition In 2022, the Europe market yielded a revenue of USD 1.70 billion. Discover the Leading Players Featured in the Report: Institut Straumann AG (Switzerland), Dentsply Sirona (U.S.),Henry Schein, Inc. (U.S.),ZimVie Inc. (Zimmer Biomet) (U.S.),Osstem Implant (South Korea),BioHorizons (U.S.),CeraRoot SL (Spain),Envista Holdings Corporation (Danaher) (U.S.),Cortex (Israel),Dentium (South Korea),Zest Dental Solutions (U.S.) Report Scope & Segmentation Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023 to 2030 Forecast Period 2023 to 2030 CAGR 6.7% 2030 Value Projection USD 6.95 billion Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2023 USD 4.42 billion Historical Data 2019-2021 No. of Pages 206 Segments covered By Material, Design, Type, End-user, and Region Browse Complete Report Details: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/dental-implants-market-100443 Segmentation: Titanium implants are gaining popularity due to their high biocompatibility. The market is segmented by material, including titanium, zirconium, and others, with the titanium segment anticipated to hold a significant share in the dental implants market. This is attributed to the excellent suitability of titanium-based dental implants for various procedures, their non-allergenic nature, and remarkable biocompatibility. Among the different designs, the market is classified into tapered implants and parallel-walled implants. In 2022, tapered implants dominated the market share. These implants are particularly suitable for immediate placement, designed for narrow gaps, and are ideal for teeth with high root proximity. These advantages contribute to their popularity as a preferred treatment option following immediate tooth extraction. The market is further categorized by type into endosteal implants, subperiosteal implants, and transosteal implants. The endosteal implants segment held a substantial market share in 2022, being the most commonly used implants that are placed within the bone. In terms of end-users, the market is divided into solo practices, DSO/group practices, and others. The solo practices segment secured a prominent market position, driven by the increasing preference among patients for these practices in dental implant procedures, owing to the presence of skilled dentists. Driving factor: Several key factors are fueling market growth, including an increase in cases of tooth loss, a rise in per capita healthcare spending, a strong demand for aesthetic dentistry, and the introduction of technologically advanced products. The prevalence of edentulism is on the rise among the elderly population, thereby facilitating the expansion of the market. Quick Buy https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/100443 Regional insights: The revenue from the European market reached USD 1.70 billion in 2022. This growth was influenced by various factors, including the extensive presence of dental implant manufacturers, an increasing preference for tooth implants, a continuously growing elderly population, and favorable reimbursement policies. These elements collectively contributed to the heightened demand for dental implants in the region. Competitive Landscape Institut Straumann AG Held Sizeable Market Share in 2022 Several prominent companies dominate a significant share of the market. Institut Straumann AG, a market leader, holds the largest market share due to its extensive portfolio of premium products. The company provides a wide range of implants at premium prices. Institut Straumann AG has achieved prominence through robust product offerings and successful penetration of these products in key revenue-generating regions, including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South America. Other leading market players include Danaher and Dentsply Sirona. FAQs How big is the Dental Implants Market? Dental Implants Market size is USD 4.42 billion in 2023. How fast is the Dental Implants Market growing? The Dental Implants Market will exhibit a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period, 2023-2030 Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/dental-implants-market-100443 Related Links: Taiwan Dental Equipment & Implants Market Size, Share, Growth Industry Report. Dental Prosthetics Market Share, Size, Demand, and Forecast. Clear Aligners Market Size, Share, Growth Industry Report. Cosmetic Dentistry Market Share, Size, Demand, and Forecast. India Dental Milling Machines Market Share, Growth Industry Report. About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Attachment MIAMI, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AYR Wellness Inc . (CSE: AYR.A, OTCQX: AYRWF) (AYR or the Company), a leading vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator (MSO), today announced the relaunch of its flagship kynd brand via the Season of Kyndness initiative, a campaign designed to spread positive impact and connection during the holiday season through hyperlocal charitable giving. We felt it was important to re-introduce our flagship cannabis brand, kynd, in a way that highlights its purpose and impact-driven mission, said David Goubert, President and CEO of AYR Wellness. The Season of Kyndness campaign embodies the values we hold dear at AYR, providing an opportunity to be a force for good in each of our communities and to make a real difference during this special time of year. We are leaning on our local retail teams to drive this initiative by selecting the hyperlocal causes that mean the most to them. Since kynds inception in Nevada in 2014, its tagline for all humankynd, has encapsulated the brands commitment to those who seek the benefits of cannabis as well as the communities that it serves. With Season of Kyndness, AYR Wellness invites customers in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania to participate in an effort to address community needs where they live. For every purchase of a kynd product from an AYR dispensary, a portion of proceeds goes directly to charities chosen by local teams. AYR is triple matching any individual donations made at point of sale, as applicable per state law. Additionally, certain locations are holding food and supply collection efforts for a variety of organizations. The full list of charity recipients can be found below. For more information about the Season of Kyndness campaign and AYR Wellness, please visit www.kynd.com/seasonofkyndness . Organizations FLORIDA Cape Coral Caring Center Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida Feeding South Florida Harry Chapin Food Bank Heartland Food Bank Humane Society of North Central Florida Jacksonville Humane Society Leon County Humane Society Ocean Conservancy P.A.W.S. Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League S.O.U.L (Saving Our United Leaders) The Animal League Veterans Cannabis Project MASSACHUSETTS Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice Needham Community Council NEW JERSEY Arc of Monmouth City Relief NEVADA Food Bank of Northern Nevada Three Square PENNSYLVANIA Jared Box About AYR Wellness Inc. AYR Wellness is a vertically integrated, U.S. multi-state cannabis business. The Company operates simultaneously as a retailer with 85+ licensed dispensaries and a house of cannabis CPG brands. AYR is committed to delivering high-quality cannabis products to its patients and customers while acting as a Force for Good for its team members and the communities that the Company serves. For more information, please visit www.ayrwellness.com . Company/Media Contact: Robert Vanisko VP, Public Engagement T: (786) 885-0397 Email: comms@ayrwellness.com Company/Investor Relations Contact: Jon DeCourcey Head of Investor Relations T: (786) 885-0397 Email: ir@ayrwellness.com Investor Relations Contact: Sean Mansouri, CFA Elevate IR T: (786) 885-0397 Email: ir@ayrwellness.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81a60b2e-89ce-4978-8ca8-6e86e2c36b7f DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a significant move to redefine real estate CRM solutions, SAABSOFT, recognized as the official Bitrix24 partner in the UAE and across the Middle East, has enthusiastically unveiled its newest update for the Property Listing module within Bitrix24 CRM. This major enhancement, already adopted by over 400 leading real estate companies in the UAE, reinforces SAABSOFT's role as a key influencer in the technological landscape of the region's real estate industry. Revolutionizing Real Estate CRM with Advanced Features The new version of SAABSOFT's Property Listing in Bitrix24 CRM is equipped with several key enhancements that cater to the specific demands of the real estate sector: Advanced Search Filters: The introduction of advanced search filters allows users to navigate through listings with unprecedented ease and precision, ensuring that the right properties are matched with the right clients. Multiple Account Management in Listing Portals: Addressing the need for expansive outreach, the update enables real estate professionals to manage multiple accounts across various listing portals from a single, centralized platform. Automated Media Upload and Watermarking: A streamlined media upload feature now automatically adds watermarks to images, enhancing brand presence and protecting intellectual property with minimal effort. Workflow Approval for Listing Publication: Ensuring quality and compliance, the new workflow approval process facilitates the review and authorization of listings before they are published on portals. Seamless Portal Leads Integration: The update seamlessly integrates leads from various portals directly into Bitrix24 CRM, enabling efficient tracking and management of potential client interactions. Enhanced Lead and Listing Matching: Perhaps the most ground-breaking feature is the sophisticated system that matches leads with the most suitable listings, optimizing the chances of successful transactions. A Vision for the Future: A Statement from the Managing Director In a statement, the Managing Director of SAABSOFT highlighted the impact of the update, "As the official Bitrix24 partner in the Middle East, we understand the dynamic needs of the real estate sector. This update reflects our commitment to providing top-notch solutions that cater specifically to the complexities and demands of the industry. By empowering over 400 leading real estate firms in the UAE with our enhanced module, we are setting a new standard in real estate CRM efficiency and innovation. The integration of leads and the sophisticated matching system are game-changers, promising to enhance the way real estate professionals connect with clients and manage their portfolios." Impact on the Real Estate Industry This update is expected to have a substantial impact on the real estate sector. By simplifying and streamlining various aspects of property management and client interaction, SAABSOFT's new Property Listing feature is set to empower real estate companies with tools that can significantly enhance productivity and client satisfaction. Real estate professionals can now enjoy a more intuitive, efficient, and effective CRM experience, enabling them to focus more on client relations and less on administrative tasks. About SAABSOFT Founded in 2018 and based in Dubai, UAE, Saabsoft is a premier software company with a legacy of over 20 years of technology expertise. As a key player in digital transformation, software development, business automation, digital marketing, and research and data analysis, Saabsoft stands at the forefront of technological innovation. As the authorized Bitrix24 partner in Dubai, serving the MENA region, Saabsoft's expertise in Bitrix24 dates back to 2016. The company excels in implementation, configuration, customization, and training, assisting numerous enterprises across various industries in automating their business processes with Bitrix24 Ecosystem. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a05613e2-cc7c-46bf-88ef-c454383f2ab4 WATERLOO, Ontario, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AdHawk Microsystems , a leader in eye tracking technology that unlocks the connection between the eyes and the brain, today unveiled the first ever research-grade eye tracking glasses for the masses. AdHawks MindLink Air can be worn in comfort and style as a pair of lightweight everyday glasses. They feature embedded all-day eye tracking technology to provide valuable data about task proficiency, productivity, and cognitive health and wellness throughout the day. The glasses come in three styles (rectangular, round, oval) and many colors, and can be customized to the wearers needs by adding an existing prescription, blue light capabilities, or as sunglasses. Were proud of our track record of bringing cutting edge eye tracking technology to the medical and research communities. Now were excited for consumers to experience the power of our technology and to take control of their cognitive wellness, said Neil Sarkar, CEO of AdHawk Microsystems. MindLink Air will provide customers with personalized, longitudinal data they can use to adjust their daily routine to reduce eye strain, improve focus to get into a flow state, avoid mental fatigue, and understand when they are most productive. We think of it as the first fitness tracker for the brain. How Does MindLink Air Work? MindLink Airs sensors observe eye behavior and movement, including blink activity, pupil dilation, gaze behavior, fixation depth when looking at different distances, and even saccadesthe rapid and precise movements that our eyes make all the time. The precision and speed of these sensors is unmatched in wearable products. With personalized, longitudinal data, MindLink Air can measure and monitor cognitive wellness and eye health throughout the day, indicate when a break is needed to avoid tired eyes or mental fatigue, and determine periods of peak cognitive performance. People can use these personalized insights to help adjust their daily routines to maximize efficiency while reducing eye strain, improving focus, and avoiding mental fatigue. In the near future, like with other biomarkers, long-term trends of neurological activity captured with eye tracking will reveal the tiniest changes in cognitive function over time to indicate brain health, disease progression, and treatment efficacy. MindLink Air is easy to use with a simple mobile app that communicates wirelessly with the glasses. While the glasses are worn, the ultra-compact micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) begins tracking eye movement robustly, following a users gaze with incredible accuracy, and capturing data from the eye thousands of times each second. The MEMS-based sensor is tiny and energy efficient, allowing for all-day use in a lightweight pair of glasses. MindLink Airs eye sensor is based on research-grade technology used by hundreds of researchers around the world. It incorporates the MEMS scanner-based eye tracking system and methods invented by the AdHawk team. Researchers from the University of Waterloo and other laboratories and clinics around the world are using AdHawks MindLink technology to support their studies. We have been studying the MindLink technology in providing unobtrusive and objective information about a pilots cognitive load, stress, and mental state allowing for improvements in pilot training and assessments, said Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Human Health at the University of Waterloo. The AdHawk technology has tremendous promise in its MindLink Air as its lightweight and untethered form factor allows for inconspicuous and useful monitoring of visuomotor behavior across a wide array of tasks and environmental contexts. Where Can I Buy MindLink Air? Today marks the official unveiling of MindLink Air. To get early access, please visit www.mindlinkair.com . Visitors can sign up for the MindLink Air VIP newsletter and receive an early adopter discount code toward their purchase once MindLink Air is commercially available in 2024. About AdHawk Microsystems AdHawk Microsystems develops eye tracking technology that unlocks the connection between the eyes, the brain, and the world around us. The company has developed AdHawk MindLink, a research-grade eye tracking system with unprecedented speed and data quality in a wearable device that delivers game-changing computational and power efficiencies. With their newest product, MindLink Air, AdHawk has now brought their research-grade technology to consumers, allowing everyone access to their own cognitive health data (available in 2024). The AdHawk solution is also powering a new generation of smart glasses, AR, and mixed reality experiences for Tier 1 OEMs. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, the company is backed by Samsung Venture Investment Corp, HP Inc., Essilor International, Sony Innovation Fund, Intel Capital, and Brightspark Ventures. For more information, please visit www.mindlinkair.com . For more information: Heidi Davidson Galvanize Worldwide for MindLink Air (914) 441-6862 Heidi@GalvanizeWorldwide.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c4e32b05-ad1b-45fc-bea4-040b87f62736 CARMEL, Ind., Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Community Association Services of Indiana (CASI) invites you to a free legal consultation webinar for managed communities. Current and potential clients are welcome to attend and discuss a range of issues related to community association living, legal guidelines and best legal practices in Indiana managed communities. The seminar is a part of CASIs ongoing 7 at 7 Board Education series, designed to help board members to navigate through the essential aspects of community management year-round. What: Legal Consultation Webinar Q&A with HOA Attorney Who: Kelly Elmore, Esq. KSN Law When: Thursday, December 7, 2023, from 7:00 8:00 p.m. EST Where: To RSVP for this free virtual event, please click here. About Associa With more than 275 branch offices across North America, Associa is building the future of community for more than 6.5 million residents worldwide. Our 14,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise, and trailblazing innovation. For more than 44 years, Associa has brought positive impact and meaningful value to communities. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com. Stay Connected Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa KIGALI, Rwanda, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 13th International Conference on Typhoid & Other Invasive Salmonelloses gets under way today in Kigali, Rwanda, with nearly 350 researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers meeting to find ways to address the urgent challenges of typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses. The three-day conference, hosted by the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), housed at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, is the largest convening of the typhoid research community. Titled Catalysing Change: The Urgency of Expanding Impact-Driven Solutions, it will feature 95 oral presentations and 120 poster presentations exploring opportunities for preventing and combating typhoid and invasive non-typhoid salmonella disease (iNTS). Typhoid is a bacterial infection contracted through the consumption of food or beverages contaminated with Salmonella Typhi. There are an estimated 9-24 million cases of typhoid fever globally each year, leading to more than 110,000 deaths. These meetings have consistently fostered research collaborations and knowledge exchange that have been instrumental in advancing important progress within this field, says Dr. Denise Garrett, Vice President, Applied Epidemiology at the Sabin Vaccine Institute. Our aim is to address the current challenges in typhoid and iNTS control and prevention, discuss impactful tools and potential solutions, and collectively explore approaches to forge a pathway forward. Urgent issues in typhoid and iNTS control include: Escalating drug resistance, limiting treatment options for typhoid patients. The impact of climate change and extreme weather events, contributing to typhoid spread. Need for improved diagnostics to assess disease burden and to facilitate decision-making for the introduction of the typhoid vaccine into national immunization schedules. Need to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, such as water treatment or filtration, installation and management of sanitation systems, and education on proper handwashing to prevent the transmission of typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses. The conference is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and will run through December 7. For more information about the Coalition against Typhoid, visit: https://www.coalitionagainsttyphoid.org For media inquiries: press@sabin.org About the Sabin Vaccine Institute The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policymakers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with three decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world. For more information, visit www.sabin.org and follow us on X, @SabinVaccine. Sabin leads research projects generating estimates of the burden of enteric fever around the world and conducts typhoid vaccine immunogenicity, effectiveness, and impact studies. Sabins Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) tracks enteric fever in Bangladesh and Nepal to establish disease burden and the potential impact of vaccines. Additionally, Sabin leads the Sero-epidemiology and Environmental Surveillance (SEES) project, which has developed and validated sero-surveillance tools to rapidly estimate the burden of enteric fever in community settings. About the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT) The Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), based at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, works to prevent typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses through research, education, and advocacy. With more than 800 members, the Coalition acts as a catalyst in the global health community to coordinate partnerships, convene decision-makers, and advocate for sustainable solutions, including access to next-generation vaccines and clean water. The Coalition, formed in 2010, is guided by a multi-stakeholder steering committee. It is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Media Contact: Monika Guttman Media Relations Specialist Sabin Vaccine Institute +1 (202) 621-1691 press@sabin.org A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/edaaf20e-0b8f-4647-80a0-fa5995adacc3 Sarasota, Florida, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Open Arms Surrogacy & Egg Donation, one of the leading agencies in the United States, is proud to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The Sarasota-based company, founded and led by CEO Souad Dreyfus, has been helping families from all over the world achieve their dreams of parenthood through surrogacy and egg donation since 2003. Under the leadership of Dreyfus, Open Arms has gained a well-deserved reputation for providing exceptional services and support to intended parents, egg donors and surrogates. The company has been recognized as a trusted and respected leader in the surrogacy and egg donation industry. "Over the past 20 years, we have been privileged to help hundreds of families grow through surrogacy and egg donation," said Dreyfus. "We are grateful to all of the families, egg donors and surrogates who have entrusted us with their journeys, and we look forward to continuing to serve our clients with the same empathy, dedication and commitment that has defined us for the past two decades." Open Arms offers intended parents personalized and comprehensive services, including matching them with qualified egg donors and surrogate mothers, managing legal and financial aspects, and providing ongoing support throughout the journey. I am a gestational carrier and my surrogate journey through Open Arms has been amazing, said Suncoast resident Hope Robertson. I delivered a healthy baby last year! The agency had great communication and was very professional. As Open Arms celebrates its 20th anniversary, the company is looking forward to continuing to grow and evolve to meet the needs of its client. With a commitment to excellence and a focus on providing compassionate and personalized support to every client, Open Arms is well-positioned to remain a leader for years to come. For more information about Open Arms Surrogacy & Egg Donation and its services, visit www.openarmssurrogacy.com. About Open Arms Surrogacy & Egg Donation Open Arms Surrogacy & Egg Donation is one of the leading surrogacy and egg donation agencies in the United States. Founded in 2003 by CEO Souad Dreyfus, the agency is committed to providing a safe, ethical, and compassionate environment for all parties involved. With a focus on personalized attention and support, Open Arms has helped hundreds of intended parents to create their families through surrogacy and egg donation. www.openarmssurrogacy.com Attachments CASTINE, Maine, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wave energy technology developer Oscilla Power, the University of Maines Advanced Structures & Composites Center (ASCC) and the Maine Maritime Academy successfully deployed a 1/6 scale prototype of Oscillas 1 MW Triton wave energy converter (WEC) in Castine Harbor. The goal of this project is to confirm the design and performance of Triton in a real-world operating environment, helping to inform the ongoing engineering design of Oscillas full-scale, 1 MW Triton WEC in 2024. Due to the unique wave conditions in Castine the 1/6 scaled unit will operate in the same manner as a full-scale unit during this 12-week test. Winter wave conditions in Castine are approximately 1/6 the size of waves experienced on the U.S. West Coast, and therefore provide an ideal representative ocean environment to test and evaluate the scaled Triton system. A key goal of this testing is to be able demonstrate the ability of the WEC to survive extreme weather events through the use of a unique submerging ability which will enable the Triton to withstand even the harshest wave events. The testing will also be used to enable Oscilla to accurately predict the power that the full-scale system will generate in different wave conditions. While we have excellent design and computer-driven simulations, there is no substitute for running the unit through its paces in a real operating environment, said Tim Mundon, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer for Oscilla Power. Thanks to the partnership with Maine Maritime Academy and the University of Maine, were able to complete this testing to validate our assumptions and numerical models to ensure our commercial production unit will perform as designed. This is a critical milestone in the design. Oscilla Powers Triton wave energy converter will make ocean wave energy a viable resource that can complement solar and wind in many locations worldwide including the U.S. West Coast. The innovative design of the Triton overcomes the main limitations that have prevented ocean wave energy from being adopted previously by offering increased levels of energy capture, conversion efficiency, and survivability in the harsh ocean environment. Building on nearly three decades of research and development, the University of Maines Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) was charged with the structural design and construction of a submerged concrete ring that serves as a heave plate for the WEC, as well as providing support for permitting, deployment, monitoring, and decommissioning for the project. This is the fourth technology that has been demonstrated and studied by the ASCC in the Castine location. "We are pleased to support Oscilla Power by designing and fabricating the wave energy converter's hull at UMaine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center. This deployment marks an important step in helping develop local clean energy sources and local jobs," said Anthony Viselli, Ph.D., PE, Assistant Director for Ocean Energy and Engineering at the ASCC. Maine Maritime Academys world class waterfront and generations of leadership on the water have ensured that the prototype was successfully launched and secured in its testing site. Without their expertise, offshore energy testing and implementation would not be possible. Through this deployment and testing, they are training a new era of waterfront workforce in Maine that will continue to bolster the states economy. Partnering with Oscilla Power and the University of Maine to test technology at scale is vital to our contributions for workforce development and Mariner training at MMA, said Keith Williamson, Ph.D., Provost, Maine Maritime Academy. MMAs waterfront campus gives our state a unique advantage to test and evaluate ocean technologies that will define our future workforce. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through its Water Power Technologies Office has been a strong supporter of Oscilla Power as well as the overall wave power industry. DOE officials were onsite for the launch. Marine energy technologies have tremendous promise to provide clean, reliable power to remote and coastal communities as well as for offshore work, said Jennifer Garson, Director, U.S. Department of Energys Water Power Technologies Office. It is exciting to see Oscilla Power test the scaled prototype of its Triton wave energy converter in real world conditions and take an important step toward realizing the potential of marine energy. About Oscilla Power Founded in 2009 in Seattle, Oscilla Power develops novel wave energy systems that produce power at a lower levelized cost than traditional wave energy systems which are cost-competitive with incumbent systems. Its core Triton wave energy platform is engineered to produce renewable power at a levelized cost that is competitive with current clean energy costs. Oscilla Power is producing two wave energy systems with this multi-mode architecture: the Triton and the Triton-C. The Triton is a 1 MW rated power system that is designed to be installed in large arrays to provide utility-scale power while the Triton-C is a 100 kW system designed for isolated power-at-sea applications or remote communities. More information can be found at www.oscillapower.com. About University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center The Advanced Structures and Composites Center is a world-leading interdisciplinary center for research, education and economic development, encompassing material sciences, advanced manufacturing and engineering of composites and structures. Housed in a 100,000-square-foot ISO-17025-accredited facility, the center has been recognized nationally and internationally for cutting-edge research programs leading and impacting new industries, including offshore wind and marine energy, civil infrastructure, biobased composites, large-scale 3D printing, soldier protection systems and innovative defense-related applications. About Maine Maritime Academy Maine Maritime Academy is a co-educational, public college on the coast of Maine offering 22 programs of study in engineering, management, science, and transportation to promote the maritime interests of the United States. The college serves approximately 950 undergraduate and graduate students in career-oriented degree programs. The job placement rate for MMA graduates is approximately 90 percent within 90 days of graduation with very high paying jobs. The college is consistently recognized for providing a high-value education by organizations such as the Brookings Institution, U.S. News and World Report, and Money Magazine. The 2022 Report by Georgetown University ranked MMA #1 among all public colleges for return on investment for low-income students at public bachelor's degree institutions. For more information, visit www.mainemaritime.edu. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/10d93598-c493-4e2d-8dde-0bd72b4e5509 Staunton, VA, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Secure Solar Futures, a provider of on-site clean energy to schools, hospitals, and businesses, has signed a 25-year Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) to develop a 1.7-megawatt solar power system at seven locations. The agreement will provide the school division with on-site solar power at no upfront capital cost for the next three decades or more while offering opportunities for workforce development in renewable energy. Secure Solar Futures will install a total of 3,667 solar panels manufactured by Trina Solar at seven locations: Fallon Park and Fishburn Park elementary schools; James Breckinridge, John P. Fishwick, Lucy Addison, and Woodrow Wilson middle schools; and the William B. Robertson Central Administration building. Construction will begin in early 2024 and is slated to be completed by the end of the year. Going solar helps Roanoke City Public Schools protect their budgets against volatility in utility costs that is likely in the future, said Anthony Smith, President and Co-founder of Secure Solar Futures. And hosting solar energy systems on site makes RCPS a leader in protecting the environment while offering students hands-on opportunities to learn about renewable energy and tap into the 21st century economy. All solar arrays will be installed at no upfront cost to RCPS through a 25-year power purchase agreement. After installation, Secure Solar Futures will own, operate, and maintain the solar equipment and sell the clean energy produced to the school division at a cost generally lower than the rate charged by the local electric utility for the term of the PPA. In its first year, the solar system will produce 2,287,402 kilowatt hours of electric power, which will offset nearly 39% of the electricity demand of the seven locations combined. For comparison, first-year solar production will generate enough energy to power 315 average homes while avoiding the equivalent of 1,621 metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution, an amount that would be produced by burning 1,815,815 pounds of coal or using 182,406 gallons of gasoline. At the conclusion of the PPA term, RCPS will take ownership of the solar power system at no additional cost, producing its own energy for the remainder of the equipments 35- to 40-year productive lifespan. Utilizing solar power, as set forth in our strategic plan, will allow RCPS to be better stewards of our environment, stated Dr. Verletta White, Superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools. Additionally, we are very proud to have found a partner in Secure Solar Futures that values workforce development and will allow us to expose our students to the growing solar field so they can graduate with a diploma and skills in emerging technology. In addition to installing and operating solar energy systems, and at no extra cost to RCPS, Secure Solar Futures will help the school division establish and operate a workforce development program to train high school students as solar power technicians. The company will also offer programs for students to learn about energy and solar power in the classroom, including standards-based curricula and teacher training for all grades plus Secure Solar Futures unique Throwing Solar Shade program of citizen-science research for high school students. About Roanoke City Schools Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) is an urban school division in Roanoke, Virginia, serving a pre-K through 12th grade population of approximately 14,000 students. RCPS provides an inclusive and equitable, student-centered culture that empowers lifelong learning. Through meaningful, relevant, and engaging learning opportunities, we will empower all students to dream, excel, and meet their full potential to benefit our city and its citizens. The division has 17 elementary schools, five middle schools, two high schools, and five program locations, including the Roanoke Valley Governor's School for Science & Technology and two Career & Technical Education centers. Visit www.rcps.info for additional information. About Secure Solar Futures As a market and policy leader, Secure Solar Futures builds, owns, manages, and funds affordable Resilient Solar Solutions for schools, hospitals, and businesses. The company combines state-ofthe-art solar technology with an innovative business model to make commercial-scale solar readily affordable in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, helping customers to realize the economic, environmental, and community benefits of solar energy. In 2017, Secure Solar Futures became a Certified B Corporation. Find the company online at www.securesolarfutures.com. ### Roanoke City Public Schools Media Contacts: Claire Mitzel, Coordinator, Communications & Public Relations O: (540) 853-6164 C: (540) 355-9035 | cmitzel@rcps.info Kelly Sandridge, Chief Communications & Community Engagement Officer O: (540) 853-2905 C: (540) 819-0477 | ksandridge@rcps.info Secure Solar Futures Media Contact: Erik Curren, Director of Marketing C: (540) 466-6128 | erik@securesolarfutures.com Attachments NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IPG Health announced today that three of its agencies have earned coveted spots in MM+Ms annual Best Places to Work program which recognizes the worlds best healthcare marketing agencies as scored by their employees and then selected by a panel of judges. Humancare was chosen as an honoree in the Small Healthcare Agency category, while both Neon and YuzuYello were named in the Midsize Agency category. Employees were surveyed anonymously and provided candid feedback across categories like well-being and professional growth, internal communication and transparency, flexibility, agency culture, employee benefits, and more. The beauty of IPG Health continues to be our broad diversity of agency brands and personas across the network. And even though we are all unique and different, we have the same core values emanating from a strong culture at the center, said Dana Maiman, CEO of IPG Health. At IPG Health, we are obsessed with doing whats right for our people, enabling a meaningful experience for all within our global network, and are honored to see so many of our agencies recognized as a best place to work. Humancare, IPG Healths seventh full-service AOR that launched in June 2022, lives by the rule of Be Human. This mantra has allowed Humancare to establish the kind of culture and identity that ordinarily takes years to develop. From the outset, Humancare has been an agency that puts Human first in everything it does even its name. That human-centric approach drives the agencys work across DTC and HCP, as well as how the agency works internally. Whether it's agency outings, monthly meetings, or day-to-day interactions, theres a consistent emphasis on recognizing and respecting each other's humanity. Or, what the Humancare team led by Greg Lao, Managing Director and Lauren Cohen, Managing Director/Creative calls Living up to our name. Neon, established in 2009, lights the way with innovative creative solutions to the biggest challenges of life-saving brands. With a boutique agency feel, Neon is a full-service AOR for HCP and DTC/DTP promotion including robust omnichannel and patient support capabilities. The agency produces internationally awarded work for a diverse range of clients both in therapeutic category and size. Led by Mardene Miller, President and Jesse Kates, Managing Director/Creative, Neon maintains a strong agency culture with neighborhood meet-ups and an employee recognition program called the Lumineer Awards, honoring employees who bring leadership, excellence and teamwork to everything they do at the agency. YuzuYello, launched in May 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, is dedicated to creating brighter patient experiences and helping brands exceed their patients expectations. YuzuYello is a diverse team of specialists consisting of behavioral and learning strategists, service designers, content creators and patient experience specialists who focus largely on patient and caregiver support services, and ambassador programs. Led by Ross Quinn, Managing Director, Client Solutions at IPG Health, YuzuYello frequently hosts a Cocktails & Training series for employees that breaks down different functions, capabilities and philosophies of the agency. Learnings and best practices are shared across departments via lively, interactive in-person and virtual events. These new awards are the latest in an outstanding year of recognition for IPG Health and its agencies, including Network of the Year wins at Cannes Lions, Ad Age A-List , Manny Awards, Clio Health Awards, MM+M Awards, London International Awards and New York Festivals Health Awards. About IPG Health IPG Health is a global collective of the worlds most celebrated and awarded healthcare marketing agencies. We are 6,500+ people across six continents driven by a healthy obsession with creating novel marketing solutions, and harnessing creativity, technology, science, and data to inspire behaviors that fuel better health. With 45+ agencies, including 18+ specialized units, our integrated approach to the full range of communications capabilities ensures we can help clients improve outcomes and quality of life for healthcare audiences around the world. Our clients include the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies as well as countless startups, biotech companies, biopharma companies and a variety of life science companies. IPG Health companies have earned coveted accolades in 2023 including Healthcare Network of the Year at Cannes Lions, Ad Age A-List, Clio Health Awards, the Manny Awards and the New York Festivals Health Awards, as well as Network of the Year at the London International Awards and MM+M Awards. We are part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG). Visit ipghealth.com to learn more. Contact: Chido Tsemunhu 718-500-0944 Chido.Tsemunhu@ipghealth.com Mullica Hill, NJ, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, Acting Gloucester County Prosecutor Christine Hoffman, and Salem County Prosecutor Kristin Telsey announced December 1, at a joint press event hosted at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill, an initiative to fight the statewide opioid epidemic by teaming up with Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) to provide scholarships for opioid prescribing education to healthcare providers within each of their counties. Prescribed opioids continue to be a factor on the drug harm index in our region, especially in Salem County, said Salem County Prosecutor Kristin Telsey. We are always looking for opportunities to leverage our resources when it comes to opioid education and substance abuse prevention. Each Prosecutors Office is awarding scholarships for prescribers within their county to participate in PDFNJs Safe Prescription continuing medical education course entitled, Do No Harm: Exploring Strategies for Safer Prescribing of Opioids. The course is specifically tailored for healthcare professionals including 1) doctors of medicine, 2) doctors of osteopathic medicine, 3) dentists, 4) nurse practitioners, 5) physician assistants, 6) nurses, 7) residents, 8) fellows and, 9) medical students. This unique approach, providing continuing medical education to prescribers is a natural intersection for law enforcement and the medical community, said Acting Gloucester County Prosecutor Christine Hoffman. The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey has been a trusted ally in our ongoing battle against opioid abuse affecting Gloucester residents. PDFNJs accredited online course features medical, law enforcement, and legal experts discussing the impact of the opioid epidemic on New Jersey and providing the most updated information on how to prescribe opioids safely and responsibly to patients. The curriculum also fulfills New Jerseys continuing education requirement prescribers must complete to renew their license to reduce the risk of addiction and the accumulation of opioids in the household medicine cabinets. Each of our offices play a pivotal role fighting the opioid epidemic through both community engagement and education, said Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae. Southern counties in New Jersey continue to have much higher opioid prescription rates per capita than our Central and North Jersey counterparts according to the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program. As such we hope this training becomes a catalyst for lowering prescription rates in the seemingly never-ending battle against opioid abuse in our area. Educating medical professionals on the risks and proper ways to treat pain and prescribe opioids is crucial to combatting the opioid epidemic our state and country are facing, PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente said. This initiative has been pivotal in forging a powerful alliance among the medical community, law enforcement, and prevention organizations, effectively shattering traditional silos to foster a united and effective front. Prosecutors Webb-McRae, Hoffman, and Telsey continue to bring innovation from prevention and recovery programs to engaging the broader community on public safety. These three Prosecutors Offices have emerged as leaders in this fight. Now, by making prescriber education more accessible to providers in the county, their offices provide a vital prevention opportunity to positively impact residents throughout the region. Background on this issue and the accredited curriculum are accessible through the website, drugfreenj.org/TriCountySafeRx or through the QR Code on the attached to the appended supplemental material. ### Attachments ARDOOIE, Belgium, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GiftsforEurope ( www.giftsforeurope.com ), a leader in international gift delivery to Europe, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023. Nathalie and Benny Sintobin founded the website in 1998 during the early days of Internet shopping to make it easy to send gifts to Europe from abroad. From beginnings as a 5-person team in Roeselare, Belgium, today GiftsforEurope.com delivers corporate and personal gifts to 30+ European countries and the UK. Now is the time to contact GiftsforEurope B2B specialists for corporate Christmas gifts for employees, clients, and colleagues in Europe. Bridging the Distance Founder and current General Manager, Benny Sintobin was inspired to launch the website while earning his MBA from Kenan-Flagler in 1995. Mr. Sintobin discovered that it was very difficult to ship gifts home to Belgium for special occasions. Bridging the feeling of distance when a good friend, relative, or business partner lives on another continent - that was the starting premise of GiftsforEurope.com, he explained. The Belgian-based website soon discovered that demand for gift delivery to Europe was highest from the US. GiftsforEurope initially delivered to Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, but quickly adapted to meet requests for delivery across Europe. Germany (23%) and France are the largest delivery destinations. Corporate Gifting Made Easy from the US to Europe Today, corporate orders are 54% of the business. The B2B team has the capacity to tackle very large and unique requests from corporate clients, including an annual cheese tasting event in over 15 countries for 5,000 people on the same day. Key Facts: Ship tens of thousands gifts annually 57% of sales are from outside the EU (38% USA, 19% UK) Sells world-renowned brands like Veuve Clicquot (1800+ bottles annually) and small local brands. Every gift is still packed by hand in Belgium. The GiftsforEurope DNA Bringing people together through the art of gifting has always been the DNA of GiftsforEurope. Relationships have also been built between GiftsforEurope and their superbly loyal clients. Sintobin recalled, One client that comes to mind is a New Yorker with 4 family members in a small village in Italy. Every year for the last 20+ years we have sent gifts for him, translated the Christmas note to Italian, and entered his order manually. Each year we wish each other 'Merry Christmas and good health. These things make it special to me. Thriving Over the Next 25 Years Sintobin is confident that GiftsforEurope will continue to grow and thrive over the next 25 years because it offers gifts and services the Internet giants can never match. Avoiding Internet hypes and staying loyal to the companys core DNA is key. Sustainable packaging and practices are also priorities. In his final reflection on the success of GiftsforEurope in the next 25 years, Mr. Sintobin concluded, GoshI will be 80 then! About GiftsforEurope GiftsforEurope is an online gift shop from Belgium with delivery to 30+ European countries and the UK. Specialities include European luxury brands, Champagne , Belgian chocolate , fruit, and fine wine. Since 1998, GiftsforEurope has offered convenient international gifting solutions, particularly for US-based customers needing gift delivery to Europe. Visit www.giftsforeurope.com to discover why it is the premier international gift delivery website for Europe and the UK. Connect on Instagram: @GiftsForEurope and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giftsforeurope/. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc1c5aab-461c-4fc7-bad8-59e8080774b6 Dublin, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Finland Construction Market Size, Trend Analysis by Sector, Competitive Landscape and Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Finnish construction industry is forecast to contract by 7.9% this year, as the decline in residential constructions continues to weigh on the industry's output along with the increase of construction companies' bankruptcies leading to project delays or cancellations. According to Statistics Finland, the number of new bankruptcy proceedings across all the sectors increased by 24.7% year on year (YoY) to 283 companies in August 2023, a new high since 2013-2014. However, the industry's output in 2023 will supported by the increase of developments in transportation and energy infrastructure projects. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) released the medium-term works for 2023-2025 under Transport 12 in early January 2023, which include the execution of nearly 50 general and road planning projects, 20 railway projects and preliminary studies for small-scale rail and road projects. The industry's output is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 2.1%between 2024 and 2027, supported the National Transport System Plan for 2021-2032, under which, the government plans to spend EUR6.1 billion ($6.2 billion) to upgrade the country's transport infrastructure over the 12-year period. Of the total investment, the government plans to spend EUR3.4 billion ($3.5 billion) for new infrastructure development projects. By segments, 44% of EUR3.4 billion ($3.5 billion) will be allocated for roads, 52% for the rail network and 4% for waterways. As part of the Finnish Government's fiscal plan for 2023-26, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment allocated EUR1.9 billion ($1.9 billion) for promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy for attaining its energy efficiency target by 2030. The report provides detailed market analysis, information, and insights into the Finnish construction industry, including - The Finnish construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, as well as an analysis of key risks and opportunities in the Finnish construction industry Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, focusing on development stages and participants, in addition to listings of major projects in the pipeline. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Finland including: Historical (2018-2022) and forecast (2023-2027) valuations of the construction industry in Finland, featuring details of key growth drivers. Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by sub-sector Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, including breakdowns by development stage across all sectors, and projected spending on projects in the existing pipeline. Listings of major projects, in addition to details of leading contractors and consultants Report Benefits Identify and evaluate market opportunities using the standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies. Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts. Understand the latest industry and market trends. Formulate and validate strategy using critical and actionable insight. Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures. Evaluate competitive risk and success factors. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d0ugea 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. Picturesque scenery of bald cypress trees in E China's Anhui People's Daily Online) 15:28, December 05, 2023 Kayaking and paddle boarding enthusiasts enjoy water activities amidst beautiful bald cypress trees in Fangtang township, Ningguo city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Li Xiaohong) As winter arrives, bald cypress trees enter the peak of their beauty in Fangtang township, Ningguo city, east China's Anhui Province. With the majestic mountains in the background, the surrounding glistening waters perfectly complement layers of golden and red bald cypress forests, creating a surreal spectacle. The leaves of the bald cypress trees have started to turn red in mid to late October. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Dublin, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Greece Construction Market Size, Trend Analysis by Sector, Competitive Landscape and Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The construction industry in Greece is expected to register annual growth of 6.3% in real terms in 2023, following on from an expansion of 26% in 2022, driven primarily by investments as part of the European Union (EU's) Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). An improvement in the tourism and hospitality sectors, coupled with rising foreign direct investment (FDI) has also been a supporting factor. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), FDI in Greece rose by 20.2% last year, increasing from EUR6.2 billion ($6.3 billion) in 2021 to a historic high of EUR7.4 billion ($7.6 billion) in 2022. Rising building permits will also provide a boost to the industry's growth in 2023. Following the sharp boost in activity in 2022-23 from spending under the RRF, output will ease back in 2024, but it will still be much higher than 2021, with construction activity continuing to be supported by investments in transport, renewable energy, residential and commercial construction projects. The government aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix to 35% over the next eight years. The plan involves a target of producing 7.7GW of solar PV and 7GW of wind capacity by 2030. In May 2023, the Greek government allocated a budget of EUR238 million ($243 million) for its "Photovoltaics on the Roof" program. The report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Greek construction industry, including: The Greek construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, as well as an analysis of key risks and opportunities in the Greek construction industry Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, focusing on development stages and participants, in addition to listings of major projects in the pipeline. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Greece including: Historical (2018-2022) and forecast (2023-2027) valuations of the construction industry in Greece, featuring details of key growth drivers. Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by sub-sector Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, including breakdowns by development stage across all sectors, and projected spending on projects in the existing pipeline. Listings of major projects, in addition to details of leading contractors and consultants For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rcxxg1 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. LOS ANGELES, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces an investigation of Adobe, Inc. (Adobe or the Company) (NASDQ: ADBE) on behalf of investors concerning the Companys possible violations of federal securities laws. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. On September 15, 2022, Adobe announced that it had agreed to acquire Figma at a price of $20 billion, double Figma's valuation and a multiple of 50 times its revenue. On this news, Adobes stock price fell approximately 17% on September 15, 2022, thereby injuring investors. Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW. If you purchased Adobe securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 800, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to info@frankcruzlaw.com, or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Contacts The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles Frank R. Cruz, 310-914-5007 fcruz@frankcruzlaw.com www.frankcruzlaw.com MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) Ltd. (Konica Minolta) a leader in industrial and commercial printing and packaging solutions, is pleased to announce the installation of its JETvarnish 3D Evolution Press at Print Panther Direct. Located in Toronto, Ontario, Print Panther Direct is an award-winning commercial print shop that provides truly integrated, creative solutions for high-end embellished print. With a rich history of innovation, embracing specialty inks, finishes and enhancements, the company continually looks to lead the way with embellished print. Print Panther Direct purchased Konica Minoltas JETvarnish 3DS embellishment press in 2017, and after five years deemed it a natural step to upgrade to the JETvarnish 3D Evolution. With a much more robust platform, 29 X 47 sheet size and 800 GSM stock compatibility, the new press will have a transformational impact on Print Panther Directs business, empowering it to competitively deliver short-run, high quality, embellished print. The upgrade will position the company to be the top print shop for digital embellishment in Canada. Adding the JETvarnish 3D Evolution will increase the value we provide our customers and provide new opportunities to expand our business, said Christine Yardley, President, Print Panther Direct. The press is one of the worlds most productive B2 digital embellishment solutions, complementing our existing line-up of digital presses and supporting our mission to provide customers with beautiful print and packaging. A true influencer in digital embellishment with access to all kinds of technology, Print Panther Direct continues to rely on Konica Minolta for its decorative print needs. The company has been recognized multiple times as a FSEA Gold Leaf award winner, including the 2022 Best of Show award and Best Use of Foil/Embossing Client Promotion for Konica Minoltas Print So Real You Can Feel It Extreme Digital Guide III. Our industrial print group is committed to offering the best technology with our digital embellishment solutions. Our customers look to our solutions and services in order to produce the best overall design and quality, said Bill Troxil, President, Industrial Print and Production Print Business, Konica Minolta. We work with clients to continually help them develop their businesses, and as a result they are realizing profitable growth and competitive capability opportunities. Konica Minolta Digital Embellishment Solutions help customers See the Potential in Print. The companys unique product lineup features digital spot UV coating, 3D embossing, and hot foil stamping, creating sensory dimensional effects that cannot be replicated by traditional print processes. Konica Minoltas solutions help take businesses to the next dimension and gain new customers while increasing profits with visually stunning and tactile printed pieces. Learn more about our Digital Embellishment Solutions. About Konica Minolta Konica Minoltas journey started 150 years ago, with a vision to see and do things differently. We innovate for the good of society and the world. The same purpose that kept us moving then, keeps us moving now. Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) Ltd. is reshaping and revolutionizing the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace portfolio. Its business technology offerings include IT Services, intelligent information management, video security solutions and managed print services, as well as office technology and industrial and commercial print solutions. Through its ongoing work, the company is fortunate to be continuously recognized for its products and services. This includes, but is not limited to being included on CRNs MSP 500 list numerous times; named a finalist in the IT Software Category by The World Technology Awards; recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys and presented with Keypoint Intelligences BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year and BLI 2021-2023 Most Colour Consistent A3 Brand Awards for its bizhub i-Series. Sustainability also continues to be a key driver for the company. As such, Konica Minolta Inc. has spent six years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. For more information, please visit Konica Minolta online and follow its accounts on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter (@KonicaMinoltaCA), and Instagram! About Print Panther Print Panther Direct is an award-winning commercial print shop. Providing a truly integrated creative solution for high-end embellished print, Print Panther has a rich history of being innovators, embracing embellishment, specialty inks and finishes. Contact us to learn more about our digital printing, digital foil and varnish, large format printing, bindery & finishing. President Christine Yardley is also the Founder of eatprintlove.com, a resource hub for designers, printers, and anyone else interested in the design and production of print media. Konica Minolta Contact Konica Minolta Media Relations Canada +1 437.388.1140 info@bt.konicaminolta.ca Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/375d2ff0-83e7-4011-bafc-31f28ea186ce https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/39cecf09-a038-482d-9a3a-81ff63c115b9 Wereldhave has reached agreement with DELA Vastgoed B.V. (DELA) regarding the acquisition of shopping center Polderplein and its parking garage in Hoofddorp (The Netherlands), with a total gross lettable area of c17,000 m (excluding parking). The acquisition perfectly fits within Wereldhaves strategy and acquisition criteria such as location, value creation opportunities and synergies with the recently delivered Full Service Center Vier Meren. Combined, Vier Meren and Polderplein will create one dominant Full Service Center in the best location of the city, with 49,100 m2 lettable area and 105 shops, with Wereldhave as sole owner. The total purchase price amounts to 74m ( 82m including transaction costs), reflecting a net initial yield of 7.6%. As the transaction is 70% equity financed, the loan-to-value will improve by c30bps. Matthijs Storm, CEO of Wereldhave commented: This acquisition marks the start of the growth phase of Wereldhaves LifeCentral strategy and completes a busy and successful year in which we also accessed the US Private Placement market for the first time since 2017, with USD 100 million in new long-term debt, and in which we raised equity for the first time since 2015. The transaction is partially settled in 3,605,208 newly issued ordinary shares of Wereldhave N.V. following a contribution in kind by DELA to Wereldhave. The remainder is paid in cash. The 3,605,208 new ordinary shares of Wereldhave N.V. issued today are expected to be admitted to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam. Following the transaction, the number of issued ordinary shares of Wereldhave N.V. amounts to 43,876,129 shares. About shopping center Polderplein Shopping center Polderplein opened in 1992 and is fully occupied. Polderplein benefits from its strategic location in the economically advanced Haarlemmermeer catchment area, positioned near Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and Leiden. The center is directly connected to Wereldhave-owned Vier Meren center and comprises of c17,000 m GLA and an underground parking garage with 417 parking spaces. With 55 tenants, including notable brands such as Action, HEMA, Kruidvat, Normal, Only, Rituals and Ziengs, Polderplein contributes to the dynamic commercial landscape of the region. Attachment MIRAMICHI, New Brunswick, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SLAM Exploration Ltd. (TSXV-SXL) (OTC: SLMXF) (SLAM or the Company) announces that it has recently made significant acquisitions with the addition of three projects in the critical element space and now holds a diversified portfolio of gold, lithium, niobium, tantalum, silver and zinc projects. The Company has mandated its consultants to evaluate each project for possible option, vend-out or spin off arrangements in a strategic manner to focus on core projects. This strategic evaluation begins with the Menneval and Jake Lee gold projects where the company has reported significant gold discoveries as summarized below: Menneval Gold Project: The discovery of the Maisie vein resulted from a SLAM prospecting expedition designed to investigate an 8000 metre (m) long gold anomaly from a regional till survey conducted by the government. This was followed by discovery of the No 2, No. 9, No 18 and No 22 veins, all associated with a 1500 m by 3000 m antiformal dome structure in the footwall of the Restigouche fault. This regional Appalachian structure is similar to the Appleton fault where NewFound Gold Corp. has reported major gold discoveries such as Queensway. The following selected results were reported in the past from Menneval trenching and drilling programs by SLAM: 1838.00 g/t gold over 0.10 m in trench M18-12 3950.00 g/t gold over 0.10 m in trench M18-13 (News Release 2020-Dec-03) 162.50 g/t gold over 0.2 m core interval in diamond drill hole BG21-11 56.90 g/t gold over 0.5 m core interval in diamond drill hole BG22-30 104.00 g/t gold over 0.3 m core interval in diamond drill hole MG12-26 7.09 g/t gold over 0.6 m core interval in diamond drill hole MG22-77 It should be noted that the drilling results listed above are core intervals and may not represent the true vein widths. The vein system is associated with a 3,000 m gold soil anomaly shown on Figure 1 that is largely untested. SLAM is planning a diamond drilling program to test the depth extent of these veins and to test for potential extensions. Figure 1: Menneval Gold Occurrences And 3000 Metre Gold Anomaly Jake Lee Gold Project: Multiple gold anomalies were detected with assays ranging from 0.005g/t to 0.980 g/t in 190 of the 517 soil samples collected on SLAMs wholly owned Jake Lee mineral claims located 30 kilometres west of Saint John, New Brunswick. The highest value, 0.980 g/t gold occurs 100m east of a cluster of gold-bearing float grading up to 39.300 g/t gold reported January 25, 2023. Three trenches uncovered the CT vein at 3 points for a strike length of 150 m near its north end. The vein is up to 8 metres wide and locally mineralized with limonite, pyrite and chalcopyrite. Grab samples collected from angular float associated with the CT vein have returned anomalous levels ranging to 0.125 g/t gold and copper to 0.663%. Recent Acquisitions: The Peninsula Lithium Project: SLAM announced on November 22, 2023, an option to acquire the 4,700 hectare Peninsula lithium project comprising 302 claim units near the 60 million tonne Rose lithium-tantalum deposit and mine project operated by Critical Elements Lithium Corp. (CRE). CRE reported new lithium discoveries northeast of the Rose deposit suggesting a possible trend toward the Peninsula project. The Peninsula lithium project is located in the centre of the James Bay lithium district which includes Rose, Corvette, Whabouchi and other deposits as shown on Figure 2. SLAM intends to conduct prospecting, geochemistry and diamond drilling in exploration for additional lithium rich pegmatites in 2024. Figure 2: Peninsula Project - James Bay Lithium District The Notre Dame Niobium Project: SLAM announced on October 25, 2023, that it signed an agreement with St-Georges Eco-Mining to acquire the option to earn a 51% interest in the Notre Dame Niobium Critical Mineral Project located 110 km northwest of the Niobec niobium mine in Quebec. SLAM announced on October 25, 2023, that it signed an agreement with to acquire the option to earn a 51% interest in the Notre Dame Niobium Critical Mineral Project located 110 km northwest of the Niobec niobium mine in Quebec. St-Georges identified niobium and rare earth element (REE) in pegmatites and carbonatites with grab samples range up to 2,320 ppm niobium (0.33% Nb2O5) with 3,901 ppm total REE including 1,726 ppm heavy REE and 2,175 ppm light REE. Permits are in place for a trenching and drilling program to test these new discoveries at Notre Dame. The Ear Falls Lithium Project : SLAM announced on October 12, 2023, that it had acquired an option from Perry English and Gravel Ridge Resources Ltd., to acquire a 100% interest in the Ear Falls lithium project, located in the vicinity of a new lithium discovery by Beyond Lithium Inc. (BY on CSE) near Ear Falls in northwestern Ontario. : SLAM announced on October 12, 2023, that it had acquired an option from Perry English and Gravel Ridge Resources Ltd., to acquire a 100% interest in the Ear Falls lithium project, located in the vicinity of a new lithium discovery by Beyond Lithium Inc. (BY on CSE) near Ear Falls in northwestern Ontario. Beyond Minerals recently reported, New spodumene bearing pegmatites zone discovered at the Ear Falls Project with grab samples up to 4.54% Li2O on its claims. SLAM intends to conduct prospecting, geochemistry and, if warranted, diamond drilling in 2024. Figure 3: SLAM Lithium, Niobium and Gold* Projects In Ontario And Quebec *Reserve Creek gold project is under option to S2 Minerals Inc. The Mine Road Base Metal Project: SLAM announced on September 6, 2023, an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Mine Road project, located adjacent to the former Heath Steele mine in the historic Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. The property is host to several volcanogenic massive sulphides (VMS) occurrences including the Railroad zone. SLAM announced on September 6, 2023, an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Mine Road project, located adjacent to the former Heath Steele mine in the historic Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. The property is host to several volcanogenic massive sulphides (VMS) occurrences including the Railroad zone. Previous workers drilled a number of VMS core intercepts on the Railroad Zone including 14.51% zinc, 5.86% lead, 0.67% copper and 139.9 g/t silver over a 9.0 metre interval in diamond drill hole IL2014-003. The Railroad zone is a drill ready VMS target. About SLAM Exploration Ltd: SLAM is a resource company with a large portfolio of mineral claim holdings in 3 divisions; Gold, Critical elements and Base Metals. SLAM has built its gold portfolio through exploration for gold along regional fault structures has resulted in significant gold discoveries including the Maisie gold vein system at SLAMs wholly owned Menneval project and a number of recent gold discoveries in southern New Brunswick on its Shadow Lake, Jake Lee and Highway projects. These projects have potential for critical elements minerals as well as cobalt, silver and base metals. The recently acquired Peninsula Lithium-Tantalum, Ear Falls Lithium and Notre-Dame Niobium projects are significant additions to SLAMs Critical and Strategic Element portfolio. The Company recently added the Mine Road zinc, lead, silver project to its base metal portfolio in the mineral rich Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. Previous workers drilled massive sulphide zones including one hole with a core interval grading 14.51% zinc, 5.86% lead, 0.67% copper and 139.9 g/t silver over a 9.0 metre interval. The Company holds NSR royalties and expects additional cash and share payments on the Wedge, Goodwin, and Ferguson base metal projects. SLAM also holds NSR royalties and may receive addition cash and share payments on the Ramsay, Reserve Creek and Opikeigen gold projects. To view SLAMs corporate presentation, click SXL-Presentation. Additional information is available on SLAMs website SLAM and SEDAR+ filings at www.sedarplus.ca. Follow us on Twitter @SLAMGold. QA-QC Procedures: SLAM collected grab samples from boulders and outcrop. These samples were submitted to ALS Chemex in Moncton, New Brunswick for sample prep followed by gold analysis using fire assay with AAS finish (Au-AA23). Samples above the detection limit were re-assayed using a gravimetric method. In addition, selected samples were analyzed for multiple elements using ICP. Soil samples were submitted to ActLabs in Fredericton, NB for gold analysis using fire assay with AAS finish as well as multi-element analysis using ICP. Qualifying Statements: Mike Taylor P.Geo, President and CEO of SLAM Exploration Ltd., is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has approved the contents of this news release. Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information, including statements regarding mineral resources and the Companys plans with respect to the exploration and development of its properties. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. There are a number of risk factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those described herein. Information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CONTACT INFORMATION: Mike Taylor, President & CEO Contact: 506-623-8960 mike@slamexploration.com Eugene Beukman, CFO Contact: 604-687-2038 ebeukman@pendergroup.ca SEDAR+: 00012459 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/23fdfc71-4411-4834-9ad4-4ddbbbd9f2fd https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a1c1a14-b0b9-417e-bcf9-0a478714384e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e05782c1-2eda-45c4-82df-826f877fb190 Washington, D.C., Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. government has asked a federal judge to dismiss an NCLA lawsuit on behalf of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy against the Dept. of Educations unlawful 35-month suspension of monthly student loan payment obligations. The New Civil Liberties Alliance has filed a response urging the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to continue the case, Mackinac Center for Public Policy v. U.S. Department of Education, and take action against the Departments abuse of power. Congress lawfully suspended monthly payment obligations and interest accrual on federal student loans by statute for six months in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Mackinac Center has no objection to Congresss exercise of its exclusive power of the purse to pause payments and cancel approximately $30 billion in interest that would otherwise have accrued. However, when that statutory suspension expired in September 2020, the Department unilaterally extended it without any lawful basis for nearly 35 additional months at a cost of at least $175 billion to taxpayers. Thats a problem. Each month of administrative extension of this payment-and-interest suspension has unlawfully cancelled debt in violation of the Constitutions Appropriations Clause. The payment-and-interest suspension eviscerated the financial incentives that Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) provides for borrowers to work at public service employers like the Mackinac Center, irreparably harming these organizations and circumventing Congresss goals in creating the program. Congress enacted the PSLF in 2007 to help nonprofit groups attract employees by forgiving a borrowers debt after that borrower makes 120 monthly payments while working for nonprofit organizations or other public service employers. The 35-month suspension has unconditionally cancelled at least $175 billion in debt that could otherwise be forgiven under PSLF, thus reducing the incentive for affected borrowers to seek debt cancellation through the program. The government is also counting 35 months of non-payments during the suspension as monthly payments needed to earn loan forgiveness through PSLF and other programs, drastically shortening the statutorily mandated time that borrowers are incentivized to work for public service employers like the Mackinac Center. NCLA asks the Court to declare these suspension and debt cancellation measures unlawful and put a stop to them before the Department of Education can overstep its authority even more. NCLA proudly represents the Mackinac Center and Cato Institute in a different lawsuit against the Department for canceling $39 billion of student loan debt owed under the Income-Driven Repayment program by crediting non-payments during periods of forbearance as monthly payments via a One-Time Account Adjustment. These lawsuits appear to be the main effortsand perhaps the only ones since the Supreme Courts decision in Biden v. Nebraska last Juneto force the Department of Education to obey that decision and apply its holding to its other student debt actions. NCLA released the following statements: The Departments own regulation concedes that PSLFs purpose is to encourage individuals to enter and continue in full-time public service employment, so its denial of economic injury here is self-contradictory. By granting hundreds of billions of dollars of debt forgiveness regardless of where borrowers workwithout Congressional authorizationthe Department undermines the competitive incentive Congress provided via PSLF debt forgiveness specifically to public service employers like the Mackinac Center. Sheng Li, Litigation Counsel, NCLA The Administrations response to the Supreme Courts Biden v. Nebraska decision, which ruled that massive debt cancellation is a major question that requires Congress involvement, has been to ignore that decision and continue canceling massive amounts of student loan debt without Congressional authorization. This lawlessness is brazen and shocking, and the lower federal courts must put an end to it immediately. That starts by recognizing the Mackinac Centers economic injury here and denying the governments motion to dismiss this lawsuit. Mark Chenoweth, President, NCLA For more information visit the case page here. ABOUT NCLA NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights. ### Dublin, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Europe UWB Technology-Based Vehicle Access Control Market - Analysis and Forecast, 2022-2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Europe ultra-wideband technology-based vehicle access control market (excluding U.K.) was valued at $29.5 million in 2022, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.72% and reach $118.7 million by 2031. Automakers in Europe are prioritizing the integration of car access based on ultra-wideband technology in their forthcoming models, a response to the growing worldwide awareness and increased usage of this technology in developed nations. Prominent automobile manufacturers, like Mercedes, BMW, General Motors, and others, have already started offering car access systems that utilize ultra-wideband technology in recent times. In the near future, it is expected that market expansion will be driven by original equipment manufacturers' (OEMs) change in focus towards the development of vehicle access controls using ultra-wideband technology. Europe is home to four of the top ten automotive manufacturers in the world and has a dominant position in the global automotive value chain. Rising automotive production and competent performance of the domestic market in recent years, along with a high awareness level of telematics and connected vehicles, have resulted in the stable growth of the ultra-wideband technology-based vehicle access control market in the region. Market Introduction The vehicle access control market driven by ultra-wideband technology is expected to have a significant impact on both the European automotive industry and the overall economy. When it comes to providing more convenient and safe car entry, these solutions could be a major differentiator for automakers looking to improve the user experience. We predict that European automakers will invest significantly more in ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, which will result in a greater use of UWB systems in automobiles. Compared to conventional keyless entry systems, ultra-wideband technology provides a better level of protection since its sophisticated security features make it difficult to intercept or jam UWB signals. It is anticipated that the use of UWB-based vehicle access control systems will lessen the number of cases involving car theft. Report Scope Segmentation by vehicle type, authentication type, component type, and by frequency range provided in the report Analysis of business drivers and challenges of the Europe Ultra-Wideband Technology-Based Vehicle Access Control Market Detailed analysis of Ultra-Wideband Technology-Based Vehicle Access Control Market for Germany, France and Italy A detailed company profile comprising established players Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis Some of the prominent names established in this market are: NXP Semiconductors STMicroelectronics N.V. BMW Group Continental AG Robert Bosch GmbH Valeo Sirin Software Case Study Analysis UWB Technology-Based Digital Keys for Secured Vehicles Access BMW Digital Key Plus Continental Key as a Service (CKaaS) Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 102 Forecast Period 2022 - 2031 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $29.5 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2031 $118.7 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 16.7% Regions Covered Europe Key Topics Covered: 1. Markets 1.1 Industry Outlook 1.1.1 Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology-Based Vehicle Access Control: Overview 1.1.2 Trends: Current and Future 1.1.2.1 Deployment of UWB Technology in Automotive Applications 1.1.2.2 Emergence of Various Technologies, Such as 5G and AI 1.1.2.3 Rising Investments in Automobile Industry 1.1.3 Comparison of UWB and Other Positioning Technologies 1.1.4 Regulatory Landscape 1.1.4.1 Consortiums, Associations, and Regulatory Bodies 1.1.4.2 Government Programs and Initiatives 1.1.4.3 Programs by Research Institutions and Universities 1.1.5 Supply Chain Network 1.1.6 Technology Roadmap 1.1.7 Key Patent Mapping 1.1.8 Other Emerging Ultra-Wideband Applications 1.2 Case Study 1.3 Business Dynamics 1.3.1 Business Drivers 1.3.1.1 Increasing Adoption of Real-Time Location System (RTLS) Applications in Vehicle 1.3.1.2 Growing Adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) in Automotive Applications 1.3.2 Business Challenges 1.3.2.1 Risk of Cyber Attacks 1.3.2.2 Spectrum Expansion for New Applications 1.3.3 Business Strategies 1.3.4 Corporate Strategies 1.3.5 Business Opportunities 1.3.5.1 Growing Demand for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles 1.3.5.2 Future Potential of 5G and Artificial Intelligence 2. Regions 3. Markets - Competitive Benchmarking & Company Profiles 3.1 Competitive Benchmarking 3.2 Market Player Ranking 3.3 Company Profiles NXP Semiconductors STMicroelectronics BMW Continental Robert Bosch Valeo Sirin Software For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fqjovf About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Rye Brook, New York, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global B2B marketing solution provider Anteriad today announced it has been Certified by Great Place To Work for the second year in a row. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Anteriad. This year, 88% of employees said its a great place To Work 31 points higher than the average U.S. company. Anteriads Certified Company Profile provides reliable third-party validation that the company has built a high-trust, positive workplace culture. Among the aspects that set Anteriad apart, Great Place To Work found: 91% of Anteriad employees say that when you join the company, you are made to feel welcome.** 95% of Anteriad employees say management shows appreciation for good work and extra effort.** 92% of Anteriad employees say, I can be myself around here.** **Source: 2023 Great Place to Work Trust Index Survey Anteriads employees also benefit from the strong values upheld across the organization at every level. Employees note that there are great opportunities to learn and that they have great working relationships with executives and the leadership team, which came through in the many comments citing great teamwork and collaboration. Employees also praised the excellent benefits as well as flexibility and good work/life balance. "I'm thrilled I joined Anteriad this year. The team has been incredibly welcoming, and leadership's support for my growth has been solid from day one. I've already had opportunities like presenting at a local 'Get in Front' event, said Andrea Cabana-Duffy, Senior Director of Paid Media at Anteriad. It's clear this is a place where careers flourish, and it's encouraging to see my peers share the same sentiment." We are thrilled to be certified two years in a row. We are particularly pleased with the increased number of our employees who agree that Anteriad is a great place to work. Our values include learning and collaborating, and its fantastic that this comes through in our results. As we continue to grow, were focused on a welcoming environment that supports employees at work and in life, said Heather Buxton, Chief People Officer at Anteriad. "Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience," says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, the Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasizes that Certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Anteriad stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees." WERE HIRING! Looking to grow your career at a company that puts its people first? Visit our careers page at: https://anteriad.com/about-us/careers/. View our company profile page here: Working at Anteriad LLC | Great Place To Work About Anteriad Anteriad puts B2B marketers in front of their next customer and ahead of their competition. Companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Forbes, SHRM, and Lenovo have benefited from our high-fidelity B2B buyer data, full and self-service multichannel execution, tele-based conversion services, analytics, and expert advisory to generate impactful ROI multiples. Our award-winning Anteriad Marketing Cloud platform tracks more than 500 billion buyer-related signals each month. BNZSA, our international division, delivers GDPR-compliant data and qualified prospects directly to sales teams with BDRs that offer local expertise in 26 languages. Start creating your future today get to know us at https://anteriad.com/. About Great Place to Work Certification Great Place To Work Certification is the most definitive employer-of-choice recognition that companies aspire to achieve. It is the only recognition based entirely on what employees report about their workplace experience specifically, how consistently they experience a high-trust workplace. Great Place to Work Certification is recognized worldwide by employees and employers alike and is the global benchmark for identifying and recognizing outstanding employee experience. Every year, more than 10,000 companies across 60 countries apply to get Great Place To Work-Certified. About Great Place to Work Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation. CLEVELAND, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After a seven-year hiatus, Battle Of The Corporate Bands -- a program that spurned numerous corporate office parks across the country to compete for rehearsal spaces for their afterwork band practices, and saw national TV performances from the winners on The Today Show and features in the Wall Street Journal -- returns to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The entry portal for submissions is now open at rockhall.com/ battleofcorpbands and closes on Jan 29, 2024. The timeline for the program, which will conclude with the finals on Aug 3, 2024, at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, is as follows: Jan 29 Deadline for submissions Feb 12 Invitations sent for regional qualifiers (entry fees due Apr 12) May 2024 Regional Competitions (2 TBD markets) Aug 3 Finals at the RRHOF (entry fees due July 1) The battle of the corporate band's competition showcases the social and economic benefits of recreational music programs within the workplace. In addition to fostering team-building and increased morale, research shows that the positive effects of workplace music programs extend far past the social sphere, improving employee wellness by reducing depression and reversing the human bodys response to stress at the DNA level. Consequently, recreational music programs help companies save on costs related to employee stress and depression, which are estimated at $34 billion (about $100 per person in the US) annually $11 billion for treatment, $11 billion in decreased productivity and $12 billion in absenteeism. Depression affects approximately 19 million people (about the population of New York), 70 percent of whom are in the workforce (Braun Consulting News). The Battle of The Corporate Bands competition not only provides a platform for talented employees to showcase their musical abilities but also highlights the importance of incorporating recreational music programs in the workplace. By reducing stress and depression, these programs contribute to a healthier and more productive workforce, ultimately benefiting both employees and companies. Companies interested in participating can visit rockhall.com/battleofcorpbands to submit their entries before the Jan 29 deadline. With the chance to perform at the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the opportunity to showcase their musical talents on a national stage, this competition promises to be an unforgettable experience for all involved. For more information and updates on the Battle of the Corporate Bands, please visit rockhall.com/battleofcorpbands. ### ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GLOBEX MINING ENTERPRISES INC. (GMX Toronto Stock Exchange, G1MN Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Munich, Tradegate, Lang & Schwarz, LS Exchange, TTMzero, Dusseldorf and Quotrix Dusseldorf Stock Exchanges and GLBXF OTCQX International in the US) is pleased to provide shareholders with an update of the inaugural drill results from holes completed by Brunswick Exploration Inc. (TSXV-BRW, BRWXF- OTCQB) on Globexs Lac Escale (Mirage) lithium royalty property in the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay region of Quebec, Canada (NTS 33H09). Brunswick has completed 36 drill holes designed to test, at shallow vertical depths of less than 150 metres, pegmatite dykes outlined in mapping of surface outcroppings, to determine their geometry and orientation. In total 5,090 metres was drilled with 33 of the 36 holes intersecting mineralized pegmatites. Mineralized pegmatites were intersected along three major NE-SW axis within a two-by-two kilometres area along a strike length of 1.5 kilometres. The three axes are termed the North, Central and South Zones. Intersections include Bonanza grades and significant widths such as: 2.57% Li2O over 25.8 m in drill hole MR-23-02 including 3.08% li2O over 14.2 metres at a vertical depth of 28 metres in the North Zone 2.18% li2O over 24.8 m in drill hole MR-23-01 also in the North zone 2.75% Li2O over 16.2 m in hole MR-23-14 including 3.30% Li2O over 9.5 m at a vertical depth of 40 metres in the South Zone An intersection of 1.06% Li2O over 50.6 m in hole MR-23-07 at a vertical depth of 22 metres in the Central Zone. Below is the list of lithium assays as reported in Brunswicks press release of December 4, 2023 (click to access Brunswick Press Release). Hole ID Zone Dyke From (m) To (m) Length (m) Li 2 O% Ta 2 O 5 (ppm) MR-23-01 North MR-1 40.0 64.5 24.5 2.18 228 incl. MR-1 42.5 52.0 9.5 3.06 202 MR-23-02 North MR-1 8.8 34.6 25.8 2.57 239 incl. MR-1 8.8 23.0 14.2 3.08 268 MR-23-03 North MR-2 23.3 29.5 6.2 1.12 227 MR-23-04 North MR-2 27.8 30.3 2.5 0.52 141 MR-23-05 Central MR-3 5.5 45.8 40.3 0.86 87 incl. MR-3 5.5 15.5 10.0 1.48 99 Incl. MR-3 39.5 45.8 6.3 1.16 148 MR-23-06 Central MR-3 17.7 55.1 37.4 1.02 93 incl. MR-3 42.6 48.1 5.5 2.23 135 MR-23-07 Central MR-3 22.0 72.5 50.6 1.06 105 incl. MR-3 30.7 43.2 12.5 1.76 192 MR-23-08 Central MR-3A 10.6 12.7 2.1 0.33 112 MR-23-09 Central MR-3 66.0 77.3 11.3 0.89 69 MR-23-10 Central MR-3 39.4 87.2 47.8 0.99 80 incl. MR-3 39.4 52.4 13.0 1.29 81 Incl. MR-3 79.4 87.2 7.8 1.55 73 MR-23-11 Central MR-3 83.8 118.6 34.9 1.01 Assay pending incl. MR-3 98.7 106.0 7.3 1.75 MR-23-12 Central MR-3 92.0 133.1 41.1 1.04 94 incl. MR-3 103.0 109.0 6.0 2.49 203 MR-23-14 South MR-4 46.5 62.7 16.2 2.75 98 incl. MR-4 52.5 62.0 9.5 3.30 113 Holes 13 and 15 through 36 are pending. Globex is pleased with the success demonstrated by Brunswicks initial drill program results and looks forward to assays from the remaining 23 holes yet to be reported. Brunswick has indicated that they intend to drill an additional 15,000 metres in the next exploration program and to this end, have established a winter camp on the property. Globex maintains a 3 % Gross Metal Royalty on the Lac Escale portion of the Mirage property and a 1- kilometer area extending outward from the Globex royalty claim boundaries. All the drill intersections reported herein are within the Globex royalty area. As reported in a November 28, 2023, Globex press release, Brunswick has prepaid all cash and share option payments in order to lock up 100% interest in the Globex claims subject only to the 3% GMR royalty and a $100,000 per year advance royalty. Surface plan of the Lac Escale (Mirage) area currently drilled. Cross Section Along Central Zone Cross Section Along North Zone Cross Section Along South Zone This press release was written by Jack Stoch, Geo., President and CEO of Globex in his capacity as a Qualified Person (Q.P.) under NI 43-101. We Seek Safe Harbour. Foreign Private Issuer 12g3 2(b) CUSIP Number 379900 50 9 LEI 529900XYUKGG3LF9PY95 For further information, contact: Jack Stoch, P.Geo., Acc.Dir. President & CEO Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. 86, 14th Street Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec Canada J9X 2J1 Tel.: 819.797.5242 Fax: 819.797.1470 info@globexmining.com www.globexmining.com Forward Looking Statements: Except for historical information, this news release may contain certain forward looking statements. These statements may involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity and performance to be materially different from the expectations and projections of Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. (Globex). No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits Globex will derive therefrom. A more detailed discussion of the risks is available in the Annual Information Form filed by Globex on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/35842aea-ab80-45e9-b434-8760024615d7 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9ad01d9a-6ba5-42b6-8c59-0272fab54f4e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b4face64-d074-499a-a74b-ba0430a208e5 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e4571191-083d-43d6-a109-49a7c0ed409e Shepherdstown, WV, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shepherdstown, W.Va: The Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd University, nationally known for developing and producing new plays, announces its twelfth play commission, Our Shepherdstown. Based on the play Our Town by Thornton Wilder, Our Shepherdstown captures the unique and vibrant personality of historic Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and its people. We are so honored to call Shepherdstown our home. This town and its residents have been instrumental in developing CATFs new play experience. Shepherdstown is the artistic home for many theater-makers from across the country, CATFs Artistic Director Peggy McKowen states. New play commissions reflect contemporary society. And what better way to celebrate and reflect on our community than to create a play about the community? Jeffrey Lieber, the playwright of Our Shepherdstown, first came to Shepherdstown in the summer of 2023 as a CATF company member. Lieber wrote Fever Dreams (of Animals on the Verge of Extinction), which performed at the Shepherdstown Opera House as part of CATFs July season. His summer in Shepherdstown inspired the contemporary adaptation. After rehearsals for Fever Dreams, Id walk about town. At night, with fireflies everywhere, the sound of the train in the distance, and the reverent silence of the various graveyards, I kept thinking that Shepherdstown is the real-life embodiment of Grovers Corners from Thornton Wilders beloved classic Our Town. Since October of this year, Lieber has been interviewing Shepherdstown leaders and residents to gain insight into the town. Lieber calls the new play a love letter to Shepherdstown. On Friday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m., CATF will celebrate the commission with a benefit that supports the Festivals upcoming season. The benefit will include reading an excerpt of Our Shepherdstown by professional actors and area residents with a potluck dinner to follow. The benefit will take place at Christ Reformed Church in Shepherdstown, which was donated to CATF by the congregation earlier this year. In addition to the developmental reading, CATF is hosting a free event on Saturday, December 9 at 2 p.m. at the church. Lieber and McKowen will discuss the importance of creating new plays and read a portion of the script. Afterward, attendees are encouraged to share their Shepherdstown story with Lieber to help him continue to write Our Shepherdstown. Its critical that Jeff speak to and hear from as many Shepherdstown residents and visitors as possible. That will give him an even deeper, fuller understanding of this amazing town, McKowen shares. We invite everyone to hear from Jeff and share their Shepherdstown story. Were also going to livestream the discussion with Jeff on December 9. Well be able to talk to people online and get their stories, too, McKowen continues. Our Shepherdstown is supported by the Marellen J. Aherne New Play Commissioning Fund. Our Shepherdstown is the first play supported by the fund. CATF is dedicated to producing the plays that we commission. This isnt true everywhere. This December, we will share a bit of the script's first act. Our Shepherdstown will continue to be developed throughout the year, and well perform the world premiere next December, states McKowen. Tickets to the Our Shepherdstown benefit on December 8 at 6:30 p.m. are $125. Tickets to the discussion with playwright Jeffrey Lieber on December 9 at 2 p.m. are free. Reservations for both events can be made by contacting CATFs Director of Development, Vicki Willman, at 681-240-4044 or by visiting CATF online at catf.org. Attachments VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K92 Mining Inc. (K92 or the Company) (TSX: KNT; OTCQB: KNTNF) is pleased to announce results from the updated resource estimate completed on the Kora and Judd deposits, at its producing Kainantu Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea. The resource estimate is based on surface and underground exploration diamond drilling and underground face sampling. The focus of exploration at Kora and Judd since the previous resource estimates (previous effective date of October 31, 2021 for Kora and December 31, 2021 for Judd) has been predominantly on resource growth. Kora and Judd Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate Highlights Kora Measured and Indicated Resource of 2.3 million ounces at 10.24 g/t gold equivalent (AuEq) (1) , representing an +8% increase from the previous resource estimate of 2.1 million ounces in October 2021. Kora Inferred Resource has increased substantially to 3.9 million ounces at 8.60 g/t AuEq, representing a +58% increase from the previous resource estimate of 2.5 million ounces in October 2021. This has resulted primarily from successful drilling of the southern extensions of the K1 and K2 lodes. Judd Measured and Indicated Resource of 0.35 million ounces at 8.68 g/t AuEq (1) , representing an increase of +167% from the previous resource estimate of 0.13 million ounces in December 2021. Judd Inferred Resource of 0.56 million ounces at 7.72 g/t AuEq, representing a +211% increase from the previous resource estimate of 0.18 million ounces in December 2021. The increase in the Judd resource has been the result of a significant amount of drilling since the last resource, with drill defined strike length extended +130% since the end of 2021. Significant component of the updated Kora and Judd Mineral Resource are high grade (see Fig 3, 4, 7 and 8). Excellent reconciliation between mill feed and the updated resource model with a 1% difference in gold ounces. Depletion from the previous resource based on production was approximately 900 kt at 10.4 g/t AuEq (7.9 g/t Au, 0.68% Cu, 12 g/t Ag) or 300 koz AuEq contained metal(2). Resource Growth Opportunities and Exploration Targets Significant expansion potential at both the Kora and Judd vein systems. The Kora vein system is open along strike and at depth, with exploration focused on Kora, Kora South and Kora Deeps target areas. The Judd vein system is open in all directions, with drilling focused on Judd, Judd South and Judd Deeps target areas. Drilling plans to commence at Kora South Deeps and Judd South Deeps in 2024 (see Fig 10 and 11). In addition to the Kora and Judd vein systems, there are multiple near-mine high-priority exploration areas including: Arakompa, Maniape and Karempe. Drilling at Arakompa is planned to commence in late-2023 / Q1 2024 (see Fig 12). Multiple highly prospective porphyry targets also being explored, with drilling at the A1 Porphyry target underway. The Blue Lake Porphyry deposit which hosts a 10.8 million ounces AuEq / 4.7 billion pounds inferred resource (see August 9, 2022 press release) is open at depth and the Company plans to follow-up with a third, deeper program. Currently up to 11 drill rigs operating and in October 2023, K92 increased its exploration budget to a record of US$20 million. Note (1): Cut-Off of 3 g/t gold equivalent. Note (2): Based on production recorded from the beginning of Q4 2021 to the end of Q3 2023. Table 1 Global Kora and Judd Mineral Resource (Effective Date September 12, 2023, 3 g/t gold equivalent cut-off) Tonnes Gold Silver Copper AuEq Mt g/t moz g/t moz % kt g/t moz Kora Measured 3.7 8.74 1.0 20.5 2.5 1.21 45.0 10.96 1.3 Indicated 3.1 6.99 0.7 21.9 2.2 1.31 41.3 9.40 1.0 Total M&I 6.9 7.94 1.8 21.1 4.7 1.25 86.2 10.24 2.3 Inferred 14.3 5.60 2.6 28.7 13.2 1.62 231.2 8.60 3.9 Judd Measured 0.4 9.05 0.12 19.0 0.25 0.80 3.2 10.58 0.14 Indicated 0.8 6.37 0.17 15.6 0.42 0.73 6.2 7.76 0.21 Total M&I 1.2 7.24 0.29 16.7 0.67 0.75 9.4 8.68 0.35 Inferred 2.3 6.27 0.45 15.8 1.15 0.76 17.2 7.72 0.56 Kora and Judd Measured 4.1 8.77 1.2 20.4 2.7 1.17 48.2 10.92 1.5 Indicated 4.0 6.86 0.9 20.6 2.6 1.19 47.4 9.05 1.2 Total M&I 8.1 7.83 2.0 20.5 5.3 1.18 95.6 10.00 2.6 Inferred 16.5 5.69 3.0 27.0 14.3 1.50 248.3 8.48 4.5 The Independent and Qualified Person responsible for the Mineral Resource estimate is Simon Tear, P.Geo. of H & S Consultants Pty. Ltd., Sydney, Australia, and the effective date of the estimate is September 12, 2023. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Geological interpretation has generated a series of narrow, sub-vertical vein structures based on delineated wireframes on 10m, 20m and 25m spaced cross sections. The design of the lode wireframes is based on a combination of logged geology, Au, Cu & Ag assay grades and locally on a nominal minimum mining width of 5.2m, all coupled with geological sense. Resources were compiled at 3 g/t gold equivalent cut-off grades for Kora and Judd. Density (t/m 3 ) was modelled using Ordinary Kriging on 2,778 sample measurements. Areas within the mineral wireframes where no density grades were interpolated had average default values inserted at appropriate levels. ) was modelled using Ordinary Kriging on 2,778 sample measurements. Areas within the mineral wireframes where no density grades were interpolated had average default values inserted at appropriate levels. Reported tonnage and grade figures are rounded from raw estimates to reflect the order of accuracy of the estimate. Minor variations may occur during the addition of rounded numbers. Estimations used metric units (metres, tonnes and g/t). Gold equivalents are calculated as AuEq = Au g/t + Cu%*1.6481+ Ag g/t*0.0114. Gold price US$1,700/oz; Silver US$22.5/oz; Copper US$4.00/lb. Metal payabilities and recoveries are incorporated into the AuEq formula. Recoveries of 95% for copper and 80% for silver were used. John Lewins, K92 Chief Executive Officer and Director, stated, The updated Kora and Judd Resource estimate has significantly exceeded our expectations for both the Measured and Indicated resource and the Inferred resource. The combined Kora and Judd Measured and Indicated resource increased +13%, net of depletion, to 8.1 million tonnes at 10.00 g/t AuEq for 2.6 million ounces AuEq, and the Inferred resource increased +70%, net of depletion, to 16.5 million tonnes at 8.48 g/t AuEq for 4.5 million ounces AuEq. When comparing the updated resource models depletion to mill actuals, Kainantu has delivered a gold reconciliation in-line with the updated resource model within 1%. Importantly, the resource growth was also achieved expeditiously, over a period of less than two years and at discovery cost of less than US$7.5 per ounce gold equivalent. This was driven by the strong continuity of the Kora and Judd vein systems, with almost all holes intersecting the mineralized structure. Looking ahead, exploration at the Kora and Judd vein systems will remain a major focus, with drilling targeting multiple highly prospective target areas concurrently, including Kora, Kora South, Kora Deeps, Judd, Judd South and Judd Deeps. Kora Deeps and Judd Deeps have only recently commenced drilling from the twin incline, and the initial reported results from this area via Judd underground development in late-Q3 have been very promising, including 4.6 m at 14.89 g/t AuEq and 6.8 m at 11.77 g/t AuEq from channel sampling in an area previously sparsely drilled and interpreted to be waste. Later in 2024, exploration plans to commence at Kora South Deeps and Judd South Deeps, also from the twin incline. Beyond the Kora and Judd vein systems, there are multiple highly prospective areas for resource growth near mine infrastructure, including Arakompa, Maniape and Karempe. Exploration pad construction at Arakompa, which hosts a historic resource of 800 koz at 9.0 g/t Au, is underway with plans to commence drilling near-term. Porphyry exploration continues to progress, with drilling underway at A1 and plans for follow-up drilling at the Blue Lake Porphyry in the medium term. Blue Lake hosts an Inferred Resource of 10.8 moz AuEq or 4.7 blbs CuEq. Recently, in October 2023, K92 increased its exploration expenditure guidance to US$20 million. This was driven by our conviction in the geological potential of the Kainantu Project and we look forward to announcing results from multiple target areas near-term in addition to operational announcements as we transform Kainantu into a Tier 1 Mid-Tier producer over the next 18 months with construction of the Stage 3 and 4 Expansions underway. Key Assumptions and Parameters Underground drilling consists of diamond core for a range of core sizes depending on the length of hole and expected ground conditions. Sampling is sawn half core under geological control and generally ranges between 0.5m to 1.0m. Underground face sampling is completed for every fired round and is to industry standard. QAQC data indicated no significant issues with the sampling or the accuracy of the on-site analysis. Current core recovery of the mineral zone is +95%, with initial drilling recoveries around the 90% mark. Geological logging is consistent and is based on a full set of logging codes covering lithology, alteration, and mineralization. All sampling and analytical work for the mine exploration program is performed by Intertek Testing Services (PNG) LTD, an independent accredited laboratory that is located on site. External check assays for QA/QC purposes are performed at SGS Australia Pty Ltd in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The geological interpretation of the vein systems is represented as 3D wireframe solids snapped to a combination of diamond drillhole data and underground face sampling (see Fig 1 and 5). Definition of the wireframes is based on identified gold (and copper and silver) mineralization in drill core nominally at a 0.1-0.2 g/t Au gold cut-off in conjunction with geological control/sense and current mining widths. The Kora Link is a broader zone of more variably continuous mineralization and butts onto both the K1 and K2 lodes in various places. A total of 4 lodes were delineated for the Judd deposit, with a dominant J1 lode and subordinate parallel lodes for J2, J3 and J1W. The wireframes were used to extract 1-metre best-fit composites (minimum of 0.5m) from the drillhole & sampling database for gold, copper and silver. A total of 30,791 composites were used in the grade interpolation, 24,925 for Kora and 5,866 for Judd. A gold top cut of 1000 g/t was applied to K2, a 400 g/t top cut was applied to the Kora Link and a 400 g/t top cut was applied for the Judd composites. A top cut of 300 g/t was applied to the silver composites but no top cuts was applied to the copper composites. Variography was good for the mined areas of K1 and J1 (due to the face sampling) but only moderate to poor for other areas, as would likely be expected for the style of mineralization. Grade interpolation of the composite data was completed using Ordinary Kriging with a block size of 1m (X direction) by 5m (Y direction) by 5m (Z direction). A larger block size check model for Kora indicated no evidence of over-smoothing of the gold grade with the smaller block size. A check model excluding the face sampling data indicated no significant difference in gold grade for the measured and indicated estimates at Kora. Density data was modelled using Ordinary Kriging on a total of 2,778 sample measurements for the different lodes. Density values were determined using the weight in air/weight in water method (Archimedes Principle) on single pieces of representative core. Default average density values were applied to the different lodes where there was a lack of modelled data. Average density for the global estimates are 2.77t/m3 for Kora and 2.61t/m3 for Judd. A three-pass search strategy was used for the grade interpolation. Search ellipse parameters are listed below. 4 search domains with varying ellipsoid orientations were used for both of K1 and K2 with the search ellipse orientations generally reflecting the subtle changes in dip and strike of the vein systems. The much smaller Kora Link Lode required only 2 search domains as did the J1 and J2 lodes at Judd. Table 2 Mineral Resource Search Ellipse Pass Specifications Pass No X radius (m) Y radius (m) Z radius (m) Min Data Min Octants Max Data 1 2 25 25 12 4 32 2 4 50 50 12 4 32 3 12 125 125 6 2 32 Allocation of the classification of the Mineral Resources is derived from the search pass numbers produced from the grade interpolation which essentially is a function of the drillhole and face sample data point distribution. Additional considerations were included in the assessment of the classification; in particular, the geological understanding and complexity of the deposit, sample recovery, quality of the QAQC sampling and outcomes, density data, check models and reconciliation with production. Defined shapes were used to better define the Measured Resource distribution (i.e. the removal of the spotted dog effect). Table 3 Resource Classification by Pass Category Pass Category Resource Classification 1 Measured 2 Indicated 3 Inferred All material mined within the mineral wireframes up to the effective date has been removed from the resource model. Gold reconciliation of the new resource model with the global mill feed material up to the end of the third quarter for 2023 has been reasonably good with the difference in gold ounces from the mill being within ~1% of that estimated by the model. The Inferred Mineral Resources in this estimate have a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be updated to an Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration. Gold equivalents are calculated as AuEq = Au g/t + Cu%*1.6481+ Ag g/t*0.0114. Gold price US$1,700/oz; Silver US$22.5/oz; Copper US$4.00/lb. Metal payabilities and recoveries are incorporated into the AuEq formula. Recoveries of 95% for copper and 80% for silver. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. It is anticipated that the updated Mineral Resource estimate will not result in a material change to the mineral reserve estimate set forth in the Technical Report entitled Independent Technical Report, Kainantu Gold Mine Integrated Development Plan, Kainantu Project, Papua New Guinea with an effective date of January 1, 2022 (the IDP Technical Report). In addition, the increase to the Measured and Indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources will not materially impact the design parameters and conclusions outlined in the Kainantu Stage 3 Expansion Definitive Feasibility Study Case or Kainantu Stage 4 Expansion Preliminary Economic Assessment Case of the IDP Technical Report. However, as a result of the updated Mineral Resource estimate, the Company expects the potential mine life to be extended for both the Stage 3 Expansion Definitive Feasibility Study Case and Stage 4 Expansion Preliminary Economic Assessment Case. Qualified Persons K92 mine geology manager and mine exploration manager, Andrew Kohler, MAIG, a qualified person under the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and is responsible for the technical content of this news release. Data verification by Mr. Kohler includes significant time onsite reviewing drill core, face sampling, underground workings, and discussing work programs and results with geology and mining personnel. Simon Tear, P.Geo of H & S Consultants Pty. Ltd. of Sydney, Australia is a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 for the Mineral Resource estimate discussed above. Mr. Tear has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release in relation to the Mineral Resources. About K92 K92 Mining Inc. is engaged in the production of gold, copper and silver at the Kainantu Gold Mine in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, as well as exploration and development of mineral deposits in the immediate vicinity of the mine. The Company declared commercial production from Kainantu in February 2018 and is in a strong financial position. A maiden resource estimate on the Blue Lake copper-gold porphyry project was completed in August 2022. K92 is operated by a team of mining company professionals with extensive international mine-building and operational experience. On Behalf of the Company, John Lewins, Chief Executive Officer and Director For further information, please contact David Medilek, P.Eng., CFA, President at +1-604-416-4445 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (i) the results of the Kainantu Mine Definitive Feasibility Study, and the Kainantu 2022 Preliminary Economic Assessment, including the Stage 3 Expansion, a new standalone 1.2 mtpa process plant and supporting infrastructure; (ii) statements regarding the expansion of the mine and development of any of the deposits; (iii) the Kainantu Stage 4 Expansion, operating two standalone process plants, larger surface infrastructure and mining throughputs; and (iv) the potential extended life of the Kainantu Mine. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as expect, plan, anticipate, project, target, potential, schedule, forecast, budget, estimate, intend or believe and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, should or might occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control, that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, without limitation, Public Health Crises, including the COVID-19 virus; changes in the price of gold, silver, copper and other metals in the world markets; fluctuations in the price and availability of infrastructure and energy and other commodities; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; volatility in price of our common shares; inherent risks associated with the mining industry, including problems related to weather and climate in remote areas in which certain of the Companys operations are located; failure to achieve production, cost and other estimates; risks and uncertainties associated with exploration and development; uncertainties relating to estimates of mineral resources including uncertainty that mineral resources may never be converted into mineral reserves; the Companys ability to carry on current and future operations, including development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Companys ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the availability and costs of achieving the Stage 3 Expansion or the Stage 4 Expansion; the ability of the Company to achieve the inputs the price and market for outputs, including gold, silver and copper; failures of information systems or information security threats; political, economic and other risks associated with the Companys foreign operations; geopolitical events and other uncertainties, such as the conflicts in Ukraine, Israel and Palestine; compliance with various laws and regulatory requirements to which the Company is subject to, including taxation; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions, including relationship with the communities in Papua New Guinea and other jurisdictions it operates; other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry; and the risks, uncertainties and other factors referred to in the Companys Annual Information Form under the heading Risk Factors. Estimates of mineral resources are also forward-looking statements because they constitute projections, based on certain estimates and assumptions, regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future and/or the anticipated economics of production. The estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation, Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actual results to differ materially from those that are 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. 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 required by law. CAUTIONARY NOTE TO U.S. READERS CONCERNING ESTIMATES OF MINERAL RESERVES AND MINERAL RESOURCES Information concerning the properties and operations of K92 has been prepared in accordance with Canadian standards under applicable Canadian securities laws and may not be comparable to similar information for United States companies. The terms Mineral Resource, Measured Mineral Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource used in this presentation are Canadian mining terms as defined in the Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) on May 10, 2014 and incorporated by reference in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). While the terms Mineral Resource, Measured Mineral Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource are recognized and required by Canadian securities regulations, they are not defined terms under standards of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As such, certain information contained in this presentation concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources under Canadian standards is not comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. An Inferred Mineral Resource has a great amount of uncertainty as to its existence and as to its economic and legal feasibility. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher confidence category through additional exploration drilling and technical evaluation. Readers are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Under United States standards, mineralization may not be classified as a Reserve unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the Reserve estimation is made. Readers are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. In addition, the definitions of Proven Mineral Reserves and Probable Mineral Reserves under CIM standards differ from the standards of the SEC. Historical results or feasibility models presented herein are not guarantees or expectations of future performance. Figure 1 Kora Resource Lode Wireframes Long Section, Cross Section and Plan View Figure 2 K1 and K2 Resource Category Long Sections Figure 3 K1 Resource Long Section (Resource Statement is for 3 g/t AuEq Cut-off only) Figure 4 K2 Resource Long Section (Resource Statement is for 3 g/t AuEq Cut-off only) Figure 5 Judd Resource Lode Wireframes Long Section, Cross Section and Plan View Figure 6 J1 and J2 Resource Category Long Sections Figure 7 J1 Resource Long Section (Resource Statement is for 3 g/t AuEq Cut-off only) Figure 8 J2 Resource Long Section (Resource Statement is for 3 g/t AuEq Cut-off only) Figure 9 Kora-Judd Vein System Long Section Figure 10 Kora-Irumafimpa Vein System Long Section Figure 11 Judd Vein System Long Section Figure 12 Near Mine Exploration Targets Suite 488 - 1090 West Georgia Street Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6E 3V7 Telephone: +1 (604) 416-4445 Facsimile: +1 (604) 608-9110 www.k92mining.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1cab52c2-e973-4240-9122-cd94f7c68417 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e2b27c69-54bd-46ca-94ba-9434e5dd7027 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/43b6b440-a7e8-4898-9ff8-a820ae2205e4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/111e024d-2d37-4ed4-b471-8d9bc4dacdf6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8df4f5a0-87f7-49f8-a3e4-d584097825e5 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b37c494-955c-44f9-aa03-13c07543f910 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77201feb-c03c-4d65-99b0-85b69edb7c14 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b62c23c1-3fdc-40a2-ae16-5e36cc70868a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e2aefb1-96a3-44d5-915c-37dd1547574e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6bb8b6a5-877e-4a7f-acaa-c93e8f115dc6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/642fb879-a484-4ec8-a542-a1201b09949b https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df8bd013-0921-4e87-9a29-f91e92c93db7 Toronto, December 4, 2023 - KWG Resources Inc. (CSE: CACR) (CSE: CACR.A), which carries on business as The Canadian Chrome Company ("CCC", "KWG" or the "Company") (The Canadian Chrome Company is a registered business style of KWG Resources Inc.) is pleased to announce two proposed private placements - up to $2 million of Series CD-2023 Convertible Debentures (the "Debentures") and up to $5 million of flow-through units (the "Flow-Through Units"). Convertible Debentures The Debentures will be convertible into units (each a "Unit") with a deemed value of $3.00 per Unit (the "Conversion Price) (i) at the holder's option at any time prior to payment in cash. The Debentures will mature on April 24, 2028 (the "Maturity Date") and bear interest at 5% per annum, accruing daily, compounding annually and payable on April 24 of each year and at the Maturity Date or conversion. Payments of interest may, at the Company's option, be made either (i) by payment in cash (other than in the event of a conversion) or (ii) by the issuance of Units at a deemed value of $3.00 per Unit. On closing, subscribers will be paid a bonus in Units, equal to one Unit for each $12.00 of Debentures subscribed. Each Unit will be comprised of one (1) CACR.A multiple-voting share and one (1) share purchase warrant enabling its holder to acquire one further CACR.A multiple-voting share from treasury upon payment of $3.00, exercisable at any time on or before the earlier of (i) December 15, 2028 or (ii) two (2) business days after completion of a take-over bid or a merger, amalgamation, arrangement or other form of business combination as a result of which the shareholders of the Company immediately prior to such bid or business combination do not own a majority of votes attaching to the voting securities of the Company or of the resulting issuer or do not have the power to elect a majority of the directors of the Company or of the resulting issuer, as the case may be, after completion of such bid or business combination. The proceeds of the distribution of Debentures will be used to fund the Company's business focused on the acquisition of interests in, and the exploration, evaluation and development of, large-scale mineral deposits of chromite and other base metals and minerals including, without limitation, funding the Company's overhead and operating expenses and the costs of these private placements. Flow-through Units Each Flow-Through Unit will be comprised one (1) CACR.A multiple-voting share issued as a "flow-through share" pursuant to the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one (1) share purchase warrant enabling its holder to acquire one further CACR.A multiple-voting share issued as a "flow-through share" upon payment of $3.00, exercisable at any time on or before December 31, 2024. Flow-Through Units will be offered to subscribers at $2.50 each for a minimum subscription of $500,000 or such other amount as the Company may determine. The proceeds of the distribution of Flow Through Units will be used to fund Canadian exploration expenses including the proposed drilling of targets at the Black Horse deposit in the Ring of Fire identified by the magneto telluric survey completed in February of this year, which drilling is planned to be undertaken under the permit issued September 15th, 2023 as announced by the Company on September 22nd, 2023. Closing Dates The Company proposes to complete the proposed private placements in one or more tranches on or after December 15, 2023. Finder's Fees The Company will pay finder's fees of up to 5% of the aggregate amount of Debentures and/or Flow-Through Units purchased by subscribers referred to the Company by finders entitled to receive such fees in accordance with applicable securities laws, which fees will be payable in Units at deemed price of $3.00 per Unit. Resale Restrictions All of the securities to be issued pursuant to the private placements will be subject to a four (4) month hold period. Offering This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Qualified Purchasers Each subscriber for Debentures or for Flow-Through Units must be an "accredited investor" within the meaning of applicable securities laws or otherwise qualify to purchase Debentures or Flow-Through Units on a prospectus-exempt basis in accordance with applicable securities laws. About The Canadian Chrome Company: KWG, which carries on business as The Canadian Chrome Company, is the owner of 100% of the Black Horse chromite project (formerly part of Fancamp's "Koper Lake-McFaulds" properties) in which Bold Ventures Inc. is carried through exploration of the former Fancamp claims for 10% of the chromite project. KWG also holds other area interests including a 100% interest in the Hornby claims, a 15% vested interest in the McFaulds copper/zinc project and a vested 30% interest in the Big Daddy chromite project. KWG also owns 100% of Canada Chrome Corporation (the "Subsidiary") which staked mining claims between Aroland, Ontario (near Nakina) and the Ring of Fire. The Subsidiary has conducted a surveying and soil testing program to assess the prospects for the engineering and construction of a railroad along that route between the Ring of Fire and Aroland, Ontario covering the claims staked by the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary engaged Cormorant Utilities and Rail-Veyor Technologies for Engineering Proposals for the construction of a transportation and utility corridor within the route and has received those proposals. KWG has also acquired intellectual property interests, including a method for the direct reduction of chromite to metalized iron and chrome using natural gas. KWG subsidiary Muketi Metallurgical LP has acquired two chromite-refining patents in Canada and one in each of the USA, South Africa and Kazakhstan, and is prosecuting an application in Turkey. For further information, please contact: Bruce Hodgman, Vice-President: 416-642-3575 ~ info@canadachrome.com Forward-Looking Statements: Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and KWG disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Disclaimer: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for release, publication, distribution or dissemination, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, into the United States To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189789 in the county jail outside Jersey City, N.J., still call Jim McGreevey governor, even though he left office more than a decade ago. But not these women in forest green scrubs. They know him. They address him as Jim. He asks how theyre feeling and they answer in turn: Grateful. Blessed.OK. Angry.I feel like God got my back today, one says. Others nod in approval.Jim asks about their sins and most recall the crime that brought them there. One says she still sins in her sleep. More nods.We all make mistakes, McGreevey says, but we all get up.McGreevey speaks from experience. He is getting his own second chance. Elected governor of New Jersey in 2001, he resigned three years later after coming out as a gay American and admitting to an affair with his homeland security adviser. Then came an ugly public divorce, a memoir and a tell-all Oprah interview. Now hes director of Jersey Citys Employment and Training Program, which helps inmates and ex-offenders glue their lives back together after release from incarceration. A few times a month, McGreevey visits the jail to talk with inmates enrolled in a drug addiction counseling program.Lots of cities and counties are trying to find ways to keep people from returning to jail, but the program in Jersey City is notable for a couple of reasons: It has recorded measurable gains since 2010 and a former governor is personally overseeing the program. Each year, about 48 percent of the 7,200 inmates in the Hudson County jail are rearrested within three months of their release. But graduates of the re-entry program have recorded much better numbers. Among the nearly 700 who have been exposed to in-jail drug counseling, the rearrest rate is 23 percent.McGreeveys own personal arc gives added weight to the work. After resigning from the governors office, he attended an Episcopalian missionary school and ended up assisting at a drug treatment program for ex-cons in Harlem. It was one of the few places where McGreevey thought he could start over. I was filled with my own sense of shame, he says. But how could these people look down on me? Two years ago, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop decided to make prisoner re-entry a piece of the citys workforce strategy and invited McGreevey to run the program.Now 57 and gray-haired, the former governor still has the enthusiasm of his early years in politics, which lifted him to the governorship at age 43. He peppers his assessment of the corrections system with equal parts expletives and statistics. The United States spends $74 billion per year on incarcerating people, yet we do virtually nothing when they come out, he says. Its startling how fucking stupid it is.Jersey City is trying to find a local solution to a national problem. The United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. Its population in prison or jail more than quadrupled between 1980 and 2012. The rising number of inmates generated a flood of people being released from jail or prison every year. Nationally, about three-quarters of prison inmates get re-arrested within five years of their release. Thats not too surprising, because ex-offenders return home with the deck stacked against them. Employers are reluctant to hire them, they lack employable skills and frequently they have other problems to contend with, such as homelessness, mental illness and drug addiction.The problem of prisoner re-entry keeps gaining public attention at all levels of government. Its as close to a bipartisan national issue as one can find these days. Democrats from President Obama to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker are recommending the same sorts of remedies as prominent Republicans such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. Both parties seem to agree that with the costs of incarceration so high, programs with even modest success can pay for themselves. Thus, re-entry experiments like the one in Jersey City can appeal to those who see a moral reason for rehabilitating ex-offenders and those who see it as a matter of fiscal prudence.This is an idea whose time has come, McGreevey says.The origins of the Jersey City program actually precede both Fulop and McGreevey. They start with a meeting of the Hudson County freeholder commission in 2006, when Oscar Aviles, the county warden, had to answer questions about the local crime rate. One of the freeholders called Aviles to the podium and asked him what he was doing to make sure the people he released into the community didnt commit new crimes. I was like, Thats not my problem. This is somebody elses problem, he recalls. In retrospect, the public grilling was a turning point for Aviles. He used to conceive of his job as keeping the jail safe and secure. He didnt measure his performance by what happened to former inmates beyond his walls.That mentality has been common in corrections for the past 30 years, and now Aviles is among a cadre of wardens arguing it has become a barrier to effective rehabilitation of ex-inmates. Once Aviles began feeling accountable for inmates transition back into society, he started looking for ways to improve their chances of success. In 2010, Hudson County won a competitive Second Chance Act grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that funded an array of support services both behind bars and outside. The grant paid for a nonprofit called Integrity House to set up an office in the jail and conduct a mix of 12-step meetings and one-on-one drug counseling sessions for people the jail had identified as substance users. McGreevey came on board in the first three months.Heres how the program works today: As soon as inmates enter the county jail, they are screened for a history of drug use, which is one of the main ways Hudson County stands apart from other places with re-entry programs. The screening targets the frequent flyers, people who repeatedly cycle through jail due to untreated mental illness and substance abuse disorders. The jail also works with family services to make sure inmates are pre-enrolled in Medicaid and other forms of government assistance, so they dont have to wait to receive benefits once they leave jail.At the moment, the re-entry program is still a small-scale experiment. Only about 5 percent of the jails annual population participates in the program, in part because demand for treatment exceeds capacity. As of April, only 80 inmates, divided evenly by gender, could participate at any one time because of staffing and shelter constraints. Upon release, inmates who participate in drug treatment are met by a staff member and taken to transitional sober housing. This is rare in American corrections, as most inmates usually exit incarceration without anyone waiting for them. The housing is free, so long as tenants pass regular random urine tests and enroll in either job training or employment-related schooling. Case managers check in with inmates every week for the first three months and once a month for the next year.The statistics released thus far show that people who receive the extra support services are getting jobs and re-offending less than the general jail and ex-offender population. The results have convinced federal officials to award multiple grants to Hudson County and pay for a formal evaluation of how and why the program seems to work so well.an ideal environment to try a re-entry program. If ex-inmates can find jobs anywhere, its here. The citys population is growing. It rose by more than 7 percent between 2000 and 2013, and construction cranes are visible all over the city. The median income has climbed by more than a third since 2005. Part of the growth in residents and income is due to the high cost of living in New York City, just across the Hudson River. Jersey City has essentially become a less expensive extension of lower Manhattan. Goldman Sachs, Chase Bank, Merrill Lynch, Citibank and UBS all occupy buildings in Jersey Citys financial district, earning it the nickname Wall Street West.During his campaign for mayor two years ago, Fulop sought advice from McGreevey about workforce development, particularly for the poor. McGreevey used the opportunity to discuss ex-offenders and the barriers they face returning from jail or prison. The talk left an impression on Fulop, who decided to make re-entry a new focus of Jersey Citys employment agency and put McGreevey in charge. Since then, the city has opened Martins Place, a job center exclusively for ex-offenders, located in a ward with some of the highest rates of violent crime and poverty in the area.The emphasis on prisoner re-entry by the Fulop administration and its partners in Hudson County has drawn some complaints that too much money is being spent on an undeserving population. The county portion alone costs an estimated $2.9 million per year -- in addition to the traditional corrections costs for an inmate. Convicted criminals get first priority with transitional housing and welfare benefits at the expense of other residents. The citys employment office not only helps clients find jobs, but functions as a mobile HR department, serving as a liaison between businesses and the ex-offenders they hire. The staff also links clients to free legal aid. All of that work derives from the basic premise that if ex-offenders find and keep jobs, theyre less likely to commit another crime.Frank Mazza, director of community reintegration at the Hudson County jail, says the re-entry program represents the current best thinking on how to rehabilitate inmates and ex-offenders: It focuses on drug users and the mentally ill, it offers service inside the jail and after release, and it tackles a host of related problems at once. Still, he wonders about the long-term political viability of the program. He worries that it doesnt have the backing of the average citizen. I think the public is against me, Mazza says.Fulop concedes that giving extra resources to people who broke the law is controversial. Its not the sexiest population to be dealing with, he says. Nonetheless, his assessment is that the benefits outweigh the costs because lowering the recidivism rate is in everyones best interests. Ex-offenders who dont remain sober, who cant find housing or who cant find employment increase the strain on taxpayer-funded services, from hospitals to emergency shelters to law enforcement. For every ex-offender who does not return to jail, Hudson County estimates that it saves $47,000. While the data is too thin to make any broader observations, Mazza and Fulop are also betting that the re-entry program reduces overall crime.Fulop believes enough in the program that hes sending McGreevey across the state to meet with other public officials about exporting the re-entry model. Five counties are in the process of designing their own re-entry programs. If more local jurisdictions adopt the model, the mayor reasons, it will improve their chances of receiving federal, state and private grant funding to expand and improve the effort.But there may be limits to how successfully the Jersey City program can be replicated. Jersey City is attracting young, affluent professionals whose purchasing power adds to the construction and service-sector employment base. Those conditions dont exist all over the state, says Jerry Harris, interim CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, a nonprofit think tank. Millennials are looking for cool places. Trenton and Camden are not cool.And not every community in the state is enjoying the kind of economic renaissance Jersey City is. Harris points to Atlantic City, the states faded gambling mecca, which is losing much of its job base as the casinos close. Thats 9,000 fewer jobs in the past year alone, he says, and 9,000 more people competing with [ex-inmates] trying to re-integrate.benefits not only from a healthy local economy but also from a cadre of officials -- from Fulop and McGreevey down to the warden of the county jail -- who are personally invested in the outcome. One of those officials is John Koufos.Up until a few years ago, Koufos was a criminal defense attorney, a partner at a law firm and an adjunct professor at a local university. He was also an alcoholic.One night in 2011, he drove drunk and hit a 17-year-old boy walking home, injuring him badly. Koufos fled the scene and persuaded a junior lawyer in his firm to confess to the crime. Police later discovered Koufos was the driver responsible for the accident. Besides losing his license to practice law, he served two years in state prison.After Fulop became mayor, Koufos read about the re-entry efforts and asked to volunteer at the job center. Now, yet another second-chance seeker, he manages the re-entry office at Martins Place. Koufos dresses in a suit and tie, but his experience with addiction and incarceration gives him cachet with ex-offenders. He knows that the corrections system isnt designed to prepare inmates for work or future family responsibilities. For the most part, youre just tolling time, he says. The world is progressing, but [you are] not.Koufos and the staff at Martins Place try to catch people up. They help with every aspect of the job search process. They edit resumes, conduct practice interviews and teach clients how to convey professionalism in their speech, writing and attire. So far, about 61 percent of clients who have completed the centers one-week training course have found jobs within three months.The results are encouraging, but not everybody who walks into Martins Place is ready to change. One afternoon in February, a member of Koufos staff left her purse in an empty room. It took less than an hour before a client being served by the job center -- a recovering heroin addict -- stole the purse and used the credit cards for public transportation. While Koufos and his team seemed frustrated by the betrayal, they were equally annoyed by what the theft meant for one of their clients -- an arrest and possible re-incarceration.Then something unexpected happened. Word of the theft spread. Other clients who were further along in drug treatment and job assistance offered to help. They tracked down the purse and presented it along with the man who stole it.Koufos says both parts of the experience are emblematic of the re-entry program so far. Some people do falter, especially drug addicts. They have to hit rock bottom before theyll accept help, and sometimes they have to hit bottom more than once. Talking about the purse incident afterwards, Koufos chose not to dwell on the theft. He focused on how the community of ex-offenders responded. They rallied around his staff and resolved the situation themselves. That gave him hope. Alpha Tauri not a Red Bull clone says Horner Christian Horner has dismissed theories that Alpha Tauri is the new "pink Mercedes" of Formula 1. Yuki Tsunoda, Abu Dhabi GP 2023 Red Bull Before Aston Martin assumed its current name, the Lawrence Stroll-owned team was coloured pink and called Racing Point - and accused of having far too close a technical relationship with the dominant Mercedes team of the time. And so, as Red Bull-owned Alpha Tauri emerged from its performance slump mid-season in 2023, many wondered if the new 'synergies' with parent team Red Bull Racing were coming together in the form of cloned new car parts. It's a long way from a 'pink Mercedes', Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner is quoted by the Spanish broadcaster DAZN. "There are some transferable components that are clearly listed in the rulebook, and that's what they have. But if you look at that car, there are fundamental differences between the Alpha Tauri and the Red Bull. And arguably there are other cars on the grid that are much closer in concept than an Alpha Tauri. Just look at the Aston Martin, Horner said. Or even the McLaren - if you look at the rear suspension, it's very similar in concept to ours, he insisted. Horner also notes that Mercedes and also Ferrari have close technical relationships with teams, involving the supply of gearboxes, suspension and simulation and wind tunnel tools . AfDBank, Princes Trust to accelerate wealth-creating youth programmes Business Desk Report Business News Dec - 05 - 2023 , 03:57 The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and the CEO of the Princes Trust International (PTI), Will Straw, are exploring strategic partnerships to scale up youth employment, human capital, and entrepreneurship opportunities. Consequently, the two have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that commits both institutions to work together to identify and develop partnership opportunities to incorporate employability skills for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) projects, funded by the bank in countries of common interest. The Princes Trust will participate in the preparation, design, implementation and monitoring of TVET and skills development projects. Unemployment in Africa With 1.4 billion people, Africa has the worlds largest proportion of unemployed and under-employed youth. More than 60 per cent of the continents population is under the age of 30. Dr Adesina at a meeting in London where the MoU was signed described youth unemployment as a precursor to poverty which required a strategic multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder approach. He said, Too often, way too much lip service is given to youth programmes. That must change. Together, we have an opportunity to create youth wealth and eradicate poverty which is not a tradable commodity. Mr Straw provided an overview of the Trusts programmes globally and highlighted Ghana and Nigeria, where capacity building and entrepreneurial skills were having an impact on the youth. He said the Princes Trust International was committed to upscaling existing youth-based initiatives and co-hosting a youth-focused investment summit in 2024 in the UK, in conjunction with the African Development Bank. Brief Since 2015, the Princes Trust International, founded by HM King Charles (then the Prince of Wales), to tackle the global crisis of youth unemployment has supported more than 75,000 people. This follows 40 years of experience in the UK. The African Development Bank has launched Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks to provide financial and technical support businesses of young people. Liberia was the first to launch the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank with an initial funding of $16 million approved by the African Development Banks Board of Directors. This is in addition to the Banks ENABLE youth programme and several other youth-based programmes. The Princes Trust International runs 13 programmes in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, which are designed to match the skills and expectations of young people with existing employment and enterprise opportunities. Israel/ Hamas war: Ghanaian businesses asked to stay away from Israel Charles Benoni Okine Business News Dec - 05 - 2023 , 04:27 This is not the best time for a delegation from Ghana to visit Israel to explore business opportunities or for tourism, Yaniv Tessel, Head of Economic and Trade Mission at the Embassy of Israel in Ghana, has advised. He said much as the country was safe, I would want to advise that they stay away until things normalise, and that will be soon. Addressing a cross section of the media at the embassy in Accra, Mr Tessel said Ethiopian Airlines, after a short break, resumed flights to Israel since December 1 and that could make it easy for people willing to go to that country to do so; But we would advise them to stay away for now. The war On October 7, Hamas led a surprise attack on towns, a music festival, army bases and other locations in Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, including children, according to the Israeli government. Israeli officials vowed to destroy Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls the Gaza Strip and is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States, Israel and other countries. Israel has since besieged Gaza in one of the most intense bombing campaigns of this century, and launched a ground invasion. More than 11,000 Palestinians, including more than 4,600 children, have been killed since the Israeli campaign began, according to Gazas health ministry. The violence, its fallout and the humanitarian crisis afflicting Gazan civilians, have shaken the region and the world with many calling for either a ceasefire, a complete end to the war or for Israel to stop targeting civilians who are caught up in the crossfire. In the last few days, there have been some exchange of hostages from Hamas as the Israelis also released some Palestinian prisoners. Since then, the war has resumed after a few days ceasefire agreement, creating discomfort as there are fears it may escalate beyond the borders of the two neighbours to create bigger global trade barriers. Israel Ghana trade On the impact of the war on Ghana/Israel trade, Mr Tessel said the war might slightly affect trade volumes this month. Trade volumes between the two countries stood at a total of $27 million in 2022. Ghana earned $6 million with the rest going to Israel. Giving more insights, he said there might be Possible effects on Israel-Ghana trade. Import and export activities of goods and services in October and November to continue in spite of the war. Quarter four might be slightly affected. He said since early November, Israeli companies resumed business visits in Ghana and noted that Every crisis is also an opportunity which both countries must heavily explore to their advantage. Economic Forecast Describing the impact of the war on the Israeli economy, he said for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, the initial forecast of 3.8 per cent in 2023 will be down by 1-2 per cent depending on the different scenarios. Deficit target has been revised for 2023 from one per cent to 2.3 per cent of the GDP. 2024 deficit target has also been revised to 3.5 per cent. Regarding credit rating, Israels high credit rating remains high in recent reports of S&P, Modis and Fitch, but it is under review for downgrade according to Mr Tessel. Potential challenges for labour market For the high-tech sector, the drafting of 350,000 reservists to the Israel Defence Force (IDF) resulted in a shortage of manpower in the tech industry. In the manufacturing sector, 62 per cent of the factories in Israel reported that they experienced a shortage of skilled labour. The agriculture sector is not also spared the ordeal from the war because the repatriation of foreign workers back to their countries and the lack in Palestinian workers (mainly from Gaza) due to the war has led to a shortage 20,000+ agriculture workers. Hope Despite these challenges, among many others, to the economy, Mr Tessel expressed the hope that Israel would emerge victorious to return its economy back to a stronger footing as had been demonstrated over the years. Creative industry lacks support because they portray expensive lifestyles when they need help -Hammer Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Dec - 05 - 2023 , 08:56 Well established Ghanaian music producer, Hammer of the Last Two is cautioning creatives especially musicians to desist from portraying affluent lifestyles which gives the wrong impression that the industry is doing well. According to him, musicians flaunting expensive standard of living has been a major setback for the industry in securing support from government and corporate entities. Speaking on Joy FMs Showbiz A-Z recently, Hammer, real name, Nana Poku Osei disclosed that most of the celebrities who drive luxurious cars have other sources of income apart from music. However, those of outside the industry and oblivious of their challenges assume all is well since they dont portray that they need help. (Read I have not been a good father to my daughter Ofori Amponsah) We are not displaying suffering to them. We are buying cars with different money. We are flexing. Most people in the creative [music] industry are not buying cars with the music money. If you are doing Forex Trading at home and you buy an X Class, and you are pulling up in it and a tax man is looking at you, what are you talking about? We have to speak the truth to power. Let's show them we are suffering. But we can't go around shopping at the expensive places, driving the biggest cars and expect them to feel for us. If you want to show that your works are promoting the tourism industry, show it. Prove that you are an up and coming artiste and you can't afford these things," he said. Hammers comments come in the wake of passionate pleas from creatives to government to grant them tax incentives to attract investors. MountCrest University urges govt support for private institutions Juliet Akyaa Safo Education Dec - 05 - 2023 , 06:22 Mountcret University College has appealed to the government to allocate direct funding to private institutions in areas of faculty development and research. The Rector of the College, Irene Ansa-Asare, who made a direct appeal to the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Ahmed Jinapor, urged him to use his office to promote the agenda of levelling the playing field for both public and private institutions in the areas of funding for faculty development and research. She also stated that although the rigorous quality assurance checks and expert assessment of their facilities and finances for the award of charter were in the best interest of the country, the financial burden placed on young private institutions could be crippling. For it will be a tragedy, an avoidable one at that, if private institutions are able to surmount the hurdle of attaining charter status only to later face the challenge of struggling to sustain themselves in these areas. We hope that our plea will not fall on deaf ears. We trust that GTEC, under the leadership of Professor Jinapor, will be a faithful ally in supporting MountCrest and its fellow private tertiary institutions in their journey towards charter, navigating change for sustainable development, she said. Ms Ansa-Asare was speaking during the 6th congregation and 16th matriculation ceremony of the College in Accra. It was on the theme Navigating change for sustainable development: Towards charter and beyond. Nonetheless, she said the institution was working to meet the GTEC directive, for all affiliate institutions to attain Charter status by the end of 2024. She said the college had passed the screening process and could progress to the third stage of the application for the award of charter. The graduates Ms Ansa-Asare thanked the colleges mentoring institution, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), for the support and guidance given throughout the charter application process. She announced that the college would be launching the MountCrest Business School next year with accredited programmes such as Bachelor of Science (BSc.) Business Administration (Accounting) and BSc. Business Administration (Banking and Finance). Applications for the two programmes are now open and we are committed to following in the success of our public health and flagship LLB programmes, Ms Ansa-Asare said. To the graduates she urged them to hold the government accountable and become the nation's lawmakers and policymakers to create a conducive environment. Support The Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ben K. B. Banful, who conferred the degrees on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, expressed the institution's continuous support to offer guidance and assist the college to attain charter status. To the graduating class, he urged them to be open to new ideas, diverse perspectives and innovative approaches. Seek opportunities for professional growth, whether through further education, mentorship or engaging with the legal community, he said. Re-evaluate programmes to meet modern trends - Prof. Dzakadzie to tertiary institutions Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Education Dec - 05 - 2023 , 05:00 The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Yayra Dzakadzie, has urged tertiary institutions to constantly re-evaluate their programmes to ensure that they are in line with the latest industry trends and demands. He said it was important to adapt programmes and courses to suit the current global environment, so that graduates could be equipped with the skills they needed to succeed in today's economy. As we all know, the world is changing at an unprecedented pace, and it is essential that we stay ahead of the curve in order to provide our students with the best possible education, he stressed. Prof. Dzakadzie gave the advice at the graduation ceremony of Nobel International Business School (NiBS), Africas Premier Doctoral School. It was on the theme: "Creating Tomorrow's Workforce. During the ceremony, 12 individuals graduated with a degree in Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA), 27 were conferred with Certified Innovation Professional (CIP) degrees and 14 graduated with degrees as Certified Strategy Professionals (CSP). The degrees were awarded by the SBS Swiss Business School in Zurich, Switzerland. As part of the event, the new CIPs were inducted into the Certified Innovation Professional Association (CIPA). Leadership roles The Deputy Director-General, GTEC, urged the graduates to commit to making a difference in the world because their education and training equipped them to take on leadership roles, innovate and to steer change, and equally urged them to take such a responsibility with humility and integrity. Our belief in your potential to significantly impact the Ghanaian economy and society is unwavering. We have strived to instil in each graduate and inductee the skills, knowledge and mindset necessary to contribute meaningfully, he stressed. The Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Simon Giger, urged the graduates to use the skills they had acquired throughout their academic journey to solve pressing global challenges, which required urgent attention such as climate change and environmental degradation. That, she said, was because during their studies, they did not just acquire knowledge but developed the capacity to question, analyse and synthesise information all skills which were crucial for tackling future challenges in the country and beyond. Equipped with the rich skills you have acquired at NiBS, you can analyse the environmental impact of business practices and propose innovative solutions, contributing to a sustainable and prosperous future, she stressed. The Executive Dean NiBS, Prof. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima, urged the students not to view their graduation as an end to their academic careers because the world was changing and as such they needed to continue studying to remain relevant. Research states that by the time you finish your degree, half the things you would have learnt would be obsolete and that is why, here at NiBS, we continue to introduce courses that will enable you up-skill and re-skill, he said. Advertising Association of Ghana takes on new shape - To be in sync with current trends Joshua Bediako Koomson Dec - 05 - 2023 , 07:06 The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) has commenced a restructuring plan to help strengthen it to become more relevant to the current needs and advancement in the marketing communications industry. As part of the plan, the association has developed a new logo to give it a new visual identity and to also represent the changes that are going to happen within it. If the AAG is to progress and flourish in its quest as the purveyor of top-class advertising practice and ensure that all members feel a sense of belonging, a voice to behold and the desire to contribute and participate in all activities of the association, then this restructuring is inevitable, the President, Andrew Ackah, said at the associations 32nd annual general meeting (AGM) which took place in Accra. 32nd AGM At the event, 13 news members were sworn in and presented with their certificates of membership. Present at the event were the President and Executive Council of the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG), representatives of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana and members of the AAG. Regulatory framework The AAG President noted that the business of advertising had changed considerably with the fast-evolving digital ecosystem, thus, sprouting new business models and demanding a different kind of thinking and relationship building. Mr Ackah further expressed worry at the absence of a regulatory framework to standardise the practice of advertising within the industry. The Advertising Bill which was designed to regulate the advertising industry has been gathering dust for the past 15 years. Francis Dadzie (left), Executive Director, Advertising Association of Ghana, presenting a dummy cheque to Emmanuel Mihilov Mann (middle), winner of the AAG Logo Competition. With them are Andrew Ackah (2nd from right), President of the Advertising Association of Ghana; Clarence Amoatey (right), Vice President of AAG; and Sharon Mills (2nd from left), Council Member of AAG This year, he said, the Executive Council met with the Minister of Information and the Minister of Trade and Industry to lay its petition for support of the bill to go through for Cabinets approval and be laid on the floor of parliament. Mr Ackah held the strong belief that through the efforts, the bill would receive approval from cabinet before the current parliament finally rose in 2024 or soon after that. We remain optimistic and are working assiduously to ensure that the Advertising Bill is passed at the right time. We will need all of you in the lobbying process when the time arrives, he urged the members. Outdoor advertising The President further observed that the roads and spaces in Accra and other urban cities and towns in the country were cluttered with unauthorised billboards and other advertising structures. He indicated that the association, through its Outdoor Caucus, set up a committee to conduct a thorough audit of all structures on selected streets in Adentan Municipal Assembly, La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly and the Krowor Municipal Assembly. While preparing the final findings of the above project, he said, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), the Urban Roads, as well as some Municipal Chief Executives (MCEs) also got interested in the project. He said that resulted in the setting up of another committee to conduct a broader audit. Mr Ackah disclosed that the data and findings had been compiled in a comprehensive report which had been submitted to the MCEs of the assemblies selected for the exercise. We eagerly await their response and action plan for decluttering out of home structures on our roads. Additionally, the Executive Council also met with the Kumasi Municipal Assembly (KMA) on the same mandate to declutter billboards to minimise road safety threats, he said. Afari Military Hospital to be ready March Emmanuel Baah Dec - 05 - 2023 , 05:00 The main subcontractor working on the Afari Military Hospital in Kumasi has moved technical staff back to site to complete the installation works at the 500-bed facility. TeQV resumed work last week after leaving site over financing issues. The resumption of work at the site at the instance of the contractor, Euroget De-Invest, is to bring a closure to work on the project for eventual inauguration. A team of government officials, led by the Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Nsiah Asare, was yesterday joined by the Country Director of Euroget De-Invest, Abraham Dwuma Odoom, and other officials of the company and top military officers on a tour of the project to assess the progress of work. Briefing the team during the tour, the Resident Engineer, Abou Shamar, said 150 technical staff were currently cleaning and painting the facility for a full resumption of installation works. He said given the progress of work, the hospital could be handed over to the government within three months if there were no new hitches. As of April last year when Euroget first engaged TeQV, only two per cent of work on the project remained for it to be completed. At the time, the subcontractor was to provide finishing works, mainly installations, to pave the way for the handover to the government. Finances resolved Dr Asare said the project was stopped for some time due to some financial issues among the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defence and the contractor, but weve been able to solve that and the contractor has been resourced to move to site. So this morning, we wanted to come and have a look. Aerial view of the Afari Military Hospital This project is very dear to the heart of the President, and we want to finish it as quickly as possible. Some part of the road has been asphalted and theyve started clearing all the weed, and the contractors have told us by March, this project will be completed, he added. He said the military would start using the facility even before it was inaugurated. With the progress of work, Im seeing right now, I am very sure that by March, the contractor will finish, Dr Asare said. Were also going to hold the contractor by his words. We will keep asking for updates on the project very often. We are happy that whatever negotiations that went on between the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Finance have materialised, and we want to tell everybody that this project is back on track, he added. The Euroget country director said, Most of the equipment for the project are in the country. Currently, weve taken delivery of about eight containers, including equipment for (the project at) Salaga, which is about 80 per cent complete. We assure the country and the President that by March next year, the project will be completed so that at the end of the day, the good people of Ghana will benefit from it. Euroget projects The Afari Military Hospital is one of nine hospitals awarded to Euroget, an Egyptian investment company, for construction in the country. The company has already delivered the Wa Regional Hospital in the Upper West Region, the Ga East Municipal Hospital at Kwabenya in the Greater Accra Region, the Ahafo Ano North Municipal Hospital at Tepa in the Ashanti Region, the Tain District Hospital in the Bono Region and the Twifo-Atti-Morkwa District Hospital at Twifo Praso in the Central Region. Why Aisha Huang was jailed 4 and half years and why judge wished for longer sentence Justice Agbenorsi Dec - 05 - 2023 , 07:25 Galamsey kingpin, En Huang, also known as Aisha Huang, was Monday jailed four-and-a-half years for engaging in illegal mining by the Accra High Court. The jail term was in respect of offences she committed between 2015 and 2017 before she was first deported in 2018 following the Attorney-Generals decision to discontinue the case. After convicting the Chinese national, the presiding judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, said she wished she could have given her a longer sentence. Although she was not explicit, the judges hand appeared to have been forced by the old mining law, the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), which imposes a maximum of five years jail term for engaging in illegal mining. Act 703 was replaced in 2019 with the Minerals and Mining Act, 2019 (Act 995), which came into force well after Huangs trial had begun under the old law. Under Act 995, convicted illegal miners face a minimum of 15 years and a maximum 25 years in prison. In addition to the custodial sentence, Huang was also fined GH48,000. She is to be deported after serving her jail term and paying the fine imposed by the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court after finding her guilty of undertaking a mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation and illegal employment of foreigners. Abuse Aisha Huang abused our (Ghanas) kind hospitality extended to her during her initial trial stage when a nolle prosequi was filed and she was deported. She did not rest; she came back with new personality, different name and date of birth and carried on her illegal activities with impunity, were the words of the judge prior to slapping Huang with the custodial sentence and the fine. This follows a 14-month long trial led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa. Describing the fight against illegal mining as a public concern, Justice Marfo said she did not even compensate the farmers adequately, adding: The mode of her operation was just to get them to agree to give out their lands before agreeing on how much they will take per acre. Facing the judge in her usual nose mask and white scarf, Aisha Huang was calmly seated in the dock while the judge read out the-close-to three-hour judgement. Offence En Huang was accused of being in the thick of affairs of galamsey, especially in the Ashanti Region. She was deported from the country in 2018 after the A-G decided to discontinue her trial in which she was accused of engaging in small-scale mining without a licence. However, she sneaked back into the country to engage in the same activities for which she was deported. In October 2022, the A-G decided to prosecute her for the crimes she committed before her deportation. It was the case of the prosecution that Aisha had an illegal mining concession at Bepotenten in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region and also operated a mining support services company. She had pleaded not guilty to four counts of undertaking a mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreigners and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry. But on May 3, this year, Aisha pleaded guilty to entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry contrary to section 20(4) of the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573. While Aisha Huang had denied the remaining three charges, it was the courts view that she contradicted herself in her defence statements in the trial which lasted for one year, two months. Plea of mitigation Miracle Attachey, counsel for Aisha, in his plea of mitigation said his client had been in custody since October 2022. He, therefore, prayed the court to impose a fine and deport his client instead of a custodial sentence. It is our humble prayer that a custodial sentence to the accused would exert another financial burden on the state, particularly the prison service. She has made the work of the prosecution and court move expeditiously regarding her re-entry charge, he added. Response In a sharp response, the DPP said taking into consideration the impact of Aishas action on the families and witnesses who testified before this court, it was imperative for the court to impose a maximum custodial sentence and a deportation order. In conclusion, we wish to state that because of the indignity with which the accused person operated, the sentence should reflect the impact of her actions on the people of Ghana, the communities that she had permanently impaired and the livelihoods that she took away, she said. Reforms Sentencing the convict, Justice Marfo stressed the need for the law to go after landowners fond of giving their lands out for illegal mining, adding, because Aisha Huang is a foreigner, she does not know anybody or what goes on there. She said if the law was strict on chiefs and farmers, I am sure they wont have the effrontery to give out the lands. Until that is done, the kingpins who benefit will never show their heads; they will continue hiding until we end up bathing pure water which is too expensive for us, especially those in the rural areas, the judge added. Following Aishas conviction, a Deputy Attorney-General, Alfred Tuah Yeboah has said no illegal miner would be spared. It should be a lesson to the others that you may be engaged in illegal mining but when your time comes, the law will deal with you, he added. AWMA trains journalists, female candidates ...In preparation for District Assembly Election Juliet Akyaa Safo Dec - 05 - 2023 , 06:47 In an effort to increase visibility for women candidates in the upcoming election on December 19, the Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA), has trained some candidates in good communication skills. The training held in Tamale, Accra and Kumasi for candidates who had successfully filed their nominations, was intended to equip the participants with skills to craft convincing messages as well as effectively communicate with the electorate during their campaign. Apart from the candidates, some journalists were also trained on gender sensitive reporting and how to better tell the stories of women aspirants. Project The training is part of an AWMA project with support from the Canadian High Commission to support and encourage more women participation in the District Assembly Elections. Earlier in October, the AWMA launched its campaign to support more women to contest in the elections. Inclusive participation The Head of Department of Communication Studies at the University of Ghana, Dr Abena Yeboah-Banin, explained that the programme known as Enhancing the inclusive participation in local governance was intended to get more women involved both as candidates and also as reporters covering the elections. The idea is to engage the media and let them understand why it is important to improve the coverage that women generally get but more importantly, the women who are contesting in the election so that they are presented to the populace as viable candidates worthy of the votes. We are training them to better tell their stories, how to package their messages, how to argue their campaign messages and also how to engage with the media when they get the opportunity, she said. Global media monitoring report Dr Yeboah-Banin stated that a 2020 Global Media Monitoring Report, done every five years to look at how visible or not women are in the news, revealed that it would take 67 years to balance the equation in terms of representation in the news across the globe. I think it should be a worry to anybody who is really democratic at heart, because what this means is that, the democracy we are practising is actually a one-sided conversation. Women are not getting a seat at the table to discuss issues that matter to people with the communities and the country as a whole, she said. Marginalised groups The Convener of AWMA, Shamima Muslim, explained that it was crucial to increase coverage for women aspirants in the media as they had a lot to offer. She also pointed out that they were contributing to equipping the media with tools on inclusive reporting to give coverage to all forms of marginalised groups. She said it was, therefore, the goal of the organisation to build the capacity of journalists to understand gender sensitive reporting to help build a better society. Low representation The General Secretary of the National Association of Local Authorities Ghana (NALAG), Kokro Amankwah, said womens representation at the district level was low, adding that they were less likely to be voted for when the country went to the polls. We believe that the Ghanaian society is a patriarchal society so there is, therefore, the need for women to be supported not because they are not competent, but because the system itself makes it difficult for women, he said. He called for a concerted effort to support women in elections and further called on the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to be an assistant to women aspirants. We cannot pride ourselves as a nation and think that we are the gateway to Africa in terms of democracy without paying attention to our women. Our women are highly educated, competent and experienced and have the will to work and succeed, he said. Cybersecurity Global Conference adopts blueprint to safeguard digital space Emelia Ennin Abbey Dec - 05 - 2023 , 06:29 A global conference on cyber capacity building in Accra has adopted an action framework that outlines intentional measures and resources needed to build a resilient cyber architecture. The framework, dubbed The Accra Call was endorsed by representatives of governments and organisations from across the globe. The Accra Call is both a blueprint and a motivation for voluntary action to strengthen the role of cyber resilience as an enabler for sustainable development and sustainable cyber capacity building. It is also to foster stronger partnerships and better coordination, and unlock financial resources and implementation modalities for cyber resilience. Global Conference The Accra Call was adopted in Accra at the opening of the maiden edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B) hosted by the government of Ghana. Held on the theme: Cyber Resilience for Development, it was organised by the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), the Cyber Peace Institute, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and Ghanas Cyber Security Authority. Digitisation benefits President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a speech read on his behalf by the Senior Advisor to the President, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, said digitisation of economies, governments and societies had led to numerous benefits and contributed to socio-economic development. However, he said cyber threat had been on the rise as technology advanced, making it imperative for state and non-state actors to build the relevant skills, knowledge and infrastructure to safeguard their digital assets, investments in information communication technologies (ICTs) and other digitisation initiatives. President Akufo-Addo also called for strong partnerships and diversified financial resources to address the increasing threats posed by cyber security risks. These challenges call for the need for governments, businesses and stakeholders within the cyber ecosystem to collaborate and develop holistic strategies that will address these complex threats, he said. He said the World Economic Forums 2022 edition of the Global Risks Report indicated that there was a three million undersupply of cyber professionals. It is imperative that we strengthen international cooperation efforts now more than ever to enable us to bridge existing cyber security gaps, the President said. Initiatives The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said the government was committed to digitisation and cyber security issues and was working on bridging the digital divide to enable equitable connectivity which was critical to Ghana's economic transition. She said the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with its secretariat in Ghana, aimed to connect 1.3 billion people across the 55 African countries with a market size of $3 trillion and to create the largest trade bloc in the world, was a signal of the continents digital marketing strategy. Threats On cyber threats, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said Positive Technologies, a cyber security research organisation, had reported that in the first half of 2022 and 2023, the global financial sector was the most hit with cyber attacks recording 18 per cent, followed by telecommunications companies, 13 per cent; government agencies 12 per cent; trade organisations, 12 per cent, and the industrial sector, 10 per cent. Africa, she said, experienced the highest average number of weekly cyber attacks per organisation in the second quarter of 2023 with an average of 2,164 attacks, establishing a significant year-on-year increase of 23 per cent compared to the same period last year. These increasing threats mean we must prioritise our cyber security efforts both at the national and international level, she said. Redoubling efforts The President of the Global Forum of Cyber Expertise (GFCE) Foundation, Chris Painter, said GFCE was created in 2015 as a multi-stakeholder platform motivated by the global need for more cooperation and coordination for cyber capacity building. He said the Accra Call for Cyber Resilient Development would serve as a lighthouse as the world redoubled efforts to mainstream cyber resilience across national and international development agenda. Education Minister justifies SHS 1 reopening date in Parliament Daniel Kenu and Nana Konadu Agyeman Dec - 05 - 2023 , 00:00 Parliament on Monday failed to convince the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, to reconsider rescheduling the reopening date for first-year students of senior high schools (SHSs) to January next year. After a seven-minute speech and justification on the date by the minister, Parliament had no choice but to succumb. The Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, said in his conclusion remarks after about an hours debate on the floor that more than 96 per cent of students had already reported to school, hence it would be unwise to ask them to return home. Rather, he suggested that a seamless procedure would be adopted in subsequent years to address the issue. The Speaker noted that until the minister's appearance, most of the submissions by MPs were based on assumptions. Dr Adutwum said the decision was part of efforts by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to regain the Pre-COVID-19 academic calendar. The minister explained further that the first-year students were given more than a months notice to report on December 4. He stressed that the decision to fix the reopening date on December 4 followed many months of stakeholder engagements, including those with teacher unions. Giving details, the minister said the management of GES released the 2023/24 academic calendar on October 24 and subsequently published it in the Daily Graphic on November 1, 2024. That publication, he said, stipulated the reporting date of the first-year students as December 4. Dr Adutwum recalled that last year, placement was done on February 15, and within five days, students were asked to report. However, this years placement was released on November 28, while students were asked to report on December 4, which is six days of preparation. The minister said the new initiative had made it more convenient for students and parents to prepare for school. Placement As at the time of placement, 477,772 candidates, representing 81.56 per cent of students who qualified for placement were automatically placed. That was an improvement on last year's 372,780 candidates, representing 69.24 per cent. Per the figures, less than nine per cent have to go on the portal and look for schools. "It cannot, therefore, be said that a lot of students are yet to be placed," the minister told Parliament. He said for the first time, the ministry, with its relevant agencies and stakeholders, developed a national harmonised prospectus for SHS and TVET students and same was published in the Daily Graphic on November 15, 2023. The purpose was to give parents ample time to buy the prospectus items and get their children ready for school by December 4. Teacher fatigue Responding to the alleged teacher fatigue as a result of the double-track system, the minister said since the introduction of the double-track, majority of teachers had been at post only when their track was in session. "It cannot, therefore, be true that teachers have never had any rest since the double-track was introduced," he added. Meanwhile, parents and their children stormed the Senior High School Placement National Resolution Centre at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra yesterday to seek immediate help in connection with this years SHS placement exercise, reports Emmanuel Bonney. Their concerns included self-placement, change of school, change of status from day to boarding and vice-versa, and change of programme. At the crowded centre, officers from the Free Senior High School (SHS) Secretariat were deployed to attend to parents and guardians and address their issues amicably. There was also a heavy police presence to ensure peace and order during the exercise. Personnel As part of their itinerary, personnel from the Free SHS Secretariat took turns to instruct parents and their children as to what to do to get their issues resolved. For instance, those who wanted change of school were asked to choose three schools and write down their telephone numbers, among other instructions. During a visit to the centre yesterday, some parents, accompanied by their children, could be seen trooping in and out of the packed auditorium. Others were also seen carrying brown envelopes containing their placement and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) result slips or flipping through the pages of the register containing the list of SHS and TIs in the country. The documents were made available to the parents by officers at the secretariat to assist parents in the selection process. Forster Dadson, who was seen busily writing the names of schools on an A4 sheet, told the Daily Graphic that he had come to the centre to change the school his brother had been placed in. He said his brother lived in the Volta Region but had been placed at the Presbyterian Senior High School, Osu, adding that there was no way his brother could attend a day school other than his native region. At least, we want a school in the Volta Region. My brother cannot come all the way from that region to Accra, he said. A mother, Millicent Abakah, who was seen in the company of her twins, said the two children had aggregates 15 and 17 respectively, but were placed in Komenda SHS. Change She said she was at the centre to get their school changed to Swedru SHS or Ghana National SHS. Roy Mends, a candidate who was with his father, said he had come to the centre for a change of school. He said although he preferred Benkum SHS, he was placed in Presbyterian SHS, Teshie. Another parent, Kwesi Jehu-Appiah, said he was seeking a change of school because his son was placed in Amasaman Senior High Technical School but he wanted Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC). The Deputy Coordinator of the Free SHS Secretariat, Nana Afrah Sika Mensah, urged parents and their children to be patient and calm since their issues would be addressed. As of last Thursday, he said the centre had almost 3,500 issues that were taken to the solution centre for redress and that we have sent them to the placement centre for the hardworking team over there to handle them. So I would urge all parents that if you brought your issue to the solution centre and you have not been called, kindly go to the internet cafe, print your form out and see if the changes have been effected, she said. Calm down She said if they checked and their issue had not been addressed, they should calm down since the issues were a lot and that the secretariat was working on them. We would make sure that all issues would be resolved for them, she emphasised. Ms Mensah said the issue was not about the self-placement since the portal was available for everyone to access and that there were a lot of schools to choose from. That notwithstanding, she said they could go to the centre if they did not want to go to the internet cafe and all they needed to do was to write four schools that they wanted, provided that they had space in those institutions and we would look at it and effect changes for you. So far, the challenges that are coming in are those who have not got placement at all and those who want to change programmes, as well as change status from day to boarding. These are the few challenges weve encountered here so far, she said. Reporting Ms Mensah said although yesterday was the reporting day, it did not mean that serious academic work was going to start right away and that the whole week would be for registration and orientation after which the students would break for Christmas and return in January, 2014, when serious academic work would start. In a related development, Shirley Asiedu-Addo and Francisca Eshun report that parents and their children trooped to schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis to register to begin their SHS education. However, the day witnessed fewer numbers compared to previous years. Some parents said that might be because of the clause from the GES that reporting on the first day was not compulsory. The Headmaster of Ghana National College, Joseph Ato Sarpong, said school officials started the admission registration last Thursday to Sunday. He added that out of about 1,000 students expected, about 185 students had been registered. He said they included seven students who were registered for Business, 41 for Home Economics, 25 for Visual Arts, 44 for General Arts, and 69 for General Science. He explained that the system had been slow because normally when students gained admission, they came to the school for early registration. The registration process went on smoothly at Academy of Christ the King, Holy Child School, University Practice Senior High School, Edinaman Senior High and Mfantsipim School. The heads of the schools visited said they expected more students to arrive by the close of the week. One of the headmasters who pleaded anonymity complained that the school had not received funds for perishable foodstuff for feeding for the Form One students and urged the government to ensure they were released promptly. A parent, Rebecca Williams from Kasoa, whose child was admitted to Adisadel College, told the Daily Graphic that she did not have any problem with the reporting date since she had already prepared for the school since the BECE results were released. "So far, so good; the process has been smooth without any challenges, she added. International Day of Persons with Disability: Federation of disability organisations entreats govt to address challenges Diana Mensah Dec - 05 - 2023 , 07:50 The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations have entreated the government to address the gaps in the Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715 ) to conform to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It mentioned the gaps to include inclusive education, reasonable accommodation and independent living, employment policy, equity, equality for women and girls, access to public spaces and infrastructure, participation in political activities and empowerment. The President of the Ghana Federation of Disability, Joseph Atsu Homadzi, who made the call, said a strong and effective policy regime was needed to protect the rights of persons with disabilities to promote their inclusion and effective participation in society. In line with that, he also entreated the Minister of Roads and Highways to fulfil his promise of reassigning and paying of salaries of former tollbooth workers across the country until they were redeployed. He was speaking during the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disability 2023 in Accra yesterday on the theme: United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs with and by persons with disabilities. Among activities to mark the day was a mass procession in Accra to increase public knowledge about the issues of disability inclusion in the country. Collaboration The Resident Coordinator, United Nations in Ghana, Charles Abani, urged government to work side-by-side with persons with disabilities to design and deliver solutions based on equal rights. He also called for sensitisation and empowerment of PWDs. Mr Abani further said there was the need to create market spaces and linkages to accommodate persons with disabilities and also leverage on digital tools to take advantage of AfCFTA. The Ghana we want should be disability inclusive, tackle injustice and discrimination, provide accessible infrastructure and create opportunities that increase access to technology that results in strengthening institutions and creating sustainable jobs and access to markets for persons with disabilities as well, he added. Mr Abani also urged the private sector to create more jobs for persons with disability, saying together we can achieve more for persons with disabilities to attain sustainable development goals. The Senior Programme Manager of Sightsavers, David Agyemang, said in the coming years, the organisation would support the promotion of rights and the well-being of persons with disabilities in areas such as employment, promotion of health equity, capacity building and financial inclusion among other areas. He advised persons with disabilities to put their talents and abilities into action, while advising citizens against stigmatisation and discrimination against persons with disabilities. The Deputy Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mawuli Avutor, said persons with disabilities had the same rights and freedoms as everyone else, hence respecting their inalienable rights would enable them to develop their full potentials and speed up the process of their integration and reintegration. He gave the assurance that the commission would continue to deliver on its mandate to promote and protect the rights of all citizens. For her part, the National Coordinator of CSOs Platform on SDGs, Levlyn Konadu Asiedu, said the organisation was committed to work towards ensuring the passage of the law. "Any legislation we pass must be in complete alignment with the provisions of our Constitution' - Akufo-Addo Daniel Kenu and Nana Konadu Agyeman Dec - 05 - 2023 , 07:00 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that he is unable to assent to the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, (Witchcraft Bill) and the Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2023, because of constitutional issues. In a letter written to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, and read by the Speaker himself on the floor of Parliament yesterday, the President indicated that there were specific constitutional concerns regarding the bills related to Article 108, particularly the nature of these bills, which were introduced to Parliament as private members bills rather than being presented by or on my behalf. Article 108 of the Constitution provides that Parliament shall not proceed upon a bill that in the opinion of the person presiding imposes a charge on the Consolidated Fund or other Public Funds. "The content of these bills have my support, but we need to ensure that they are enacted in line with established constitutional and legislative processes," the letter by the President said. "After thorough consideration in the light of constitutional issues, I'm unable to assent to these bills, it added. The letter said the concerns raised were significant, and had profound implications for the constitutional integrity of "this legislative action". "Any legislation we pass must be in complete alignment with the provisions of our Constitution. "I intend to have the bill reintroduced to Parliament on my behalf in due course," the letter said. The President is also yet to assent to the Wild Life Resources Management Bill, 2023. Unlike the other two, the President indicated that this bill was introduced on his behalf. However, the letter said, various provisions of the bill required Parliament to reconsider the move to ensure that the bill, when enacted, would be in alignment with established constitutional legislative processes. The letter said once the necessary considerations and review were done, an action would be taken. Background The Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, popularly referred to as the Witchcraft Bill, explicitly criminalises the practice of witchcraft accusation and proscribes the declaration, accusation, naming or labelling of another person as a witch, and its related matters. The object of the bill is to amend the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), to prohibit the practice by any person as a witch doctor or witch finder. It formed part of the broad policy measures to deal with attacks and human rights violations arising out of witchcraft accusations. The bill was laid in Parliament on March 31, 2023, by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, on behalf of other co-sponsors. The co-sponsors were MP for Pusiga, Hajia Laadi Ayii Ayamba; MP for Wa East, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw; MP for Krachi, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, and MP for Afram Plains North, Betty Nana Efua Krosbi Mensah. Retrogressive action Reacting, Mr Sosu said the Presidents refusal to sign the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2023 into law was very retrogressive and smacks of bad faith. He said it was so shocking that the President would raise constitutional infractions, given that the two bills were passed by consensus at the committee and plenary levels during their considerations. He said the bills were first introduced through the Parliament of Ghana or initiated on September 30, 2021. He said usually when a bill was introduced, it went through several processes of consultation, and the Drafting Department of Parliament would have to research into the background of the bill to come to a conclusion that the bill did not violate Article 108 of the Constitution. Thorough consultations It is quite strange that at this last stage the President would say that the bill has violated some Constitutional provisions, Mr Sosu said. He said Article 108 only regulated Parliaments admission process of bills in terms of private members bill. Once a bill has been admitted and has gone through all the processes and passed, it has become an Act of Parliament. And there is no provision wherever in the Constitution that says that when an Act has been passed by Parliament, the President can choose not to assent to the Act on grounds that that Act or its enforcement will in some respect have a charge on the Consolidated Fund, he said. Misconstruing Article 108 Mr Sosu said every law, once passed by Parliament, became public law, and its enforcement would by all means have some form of financial implications, including its gazetting. So, the President misconstrued Article 108 when he gave that as a basis to refuse an assent, and it is quite retrogressive and unfortunate because we are talking about a social problem that is destroying people, the lives of most vulnerable people of our society elderly women, widows, the marginalised, he said. Mr Sosu recalled that the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill began in the Seventh Parliament but could not be passed, and was revived when a 92-year-old woman Akua Dentaa was killed upon being accused of witchcraft. Since the passage of this bill, while we were waiting for a Presidential assent, three more women have died on account of witchcraft accusation, he said. Mr Sosu added that the Constitution was clear that once the President refused to assent a bill, he was supposed to convey, in the next 14 days, the specific reasons and amendments that the government was seeking to propose, but not just a blanket statement that some constitutional provisions had been flouted. He pointed out that during the 42nd session of the Universal Peer Review in Geneva in Switzerland, the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, a principal legal advisor to the government, made reference to both the Death Penalty Bill and Witchcraft Bill as ways Ghana was resorting to deal with human rights abuses. High Court judges, registrars undergo training Justice Agbenorsi Dec - 05 - 2023 , 06:57 The Judicial Service has held a one-day conference for supervising High Court judges, regional administrative officers and court registrars in the southern sector as part of efforts to remove barriers to effective justice delivery. The conference forms part of efforts by the Chief Justice to enhance the administration of justice and ensure a responsive legal system that addresses the needs of citizens. It was on the theme, "Building the Pillars of Justice in Coherence and Harmony". It was spearheaded by the Judicial Training Institute (JTI). There were presentations by some directors of the Judicial Service on identified areas of concern, followed by breakout sessions that addressed practical challenges in administrative/registry work such as execution, bails, letters of administration, preparation of warrants etc. Conference The Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, explained that the objective of the conference was to enhance the administration of justice by addressing relevant, practical models. "Court registrars play a pivotal role in the justice delivery system and as quasi-judicial officers, it is important that they are informed, possess integrity and strong leadership skills". The participants in the Judicial Service training The conference, she said, was meant to engage participants in finding practical solutions to issues which worked against effective and efficient delivery of services to the public. She added that the conference would help identify institutional and structural barriers that impinged on work at the registry level and in overall judicial administration. Outcome The outcome of the dialogue, she said, would ultimately form the basis for strategies and policy documents that would promote efficiency and effectiveness in court administration. At the end of the conference, a communique on Achieving Coherence and Harmony, whiles Building the Pillars of Justice, was presented by Justice Dorothy Kingsley-Nyinah, a Justice of the High Court and Quality Assurance Manager of the Judicial Service. A similar conference event is expected be held for supervising judges, regional administrators and registrars in the northern sector of Ghana. PNC joins calls to suspend reopening date of schools Daily Graphic Politics Dec - 05 - 2023 , 05:00 The Peoples National Convention (PNC) has expressed concern over what it describes as the untimely and rushed approach adopted by the Ghana Education Service (GES), pressuring first-year students and their parents to quickly report to school merely three days after releasing school placements. The party said it was unfortunate that a number of students had found themselves placed outside their regions or vicinities with no prior consultation or input from them. In a statement signed by the General Secretary of the PNC, Janet Nabla, she said parents have had to grapple with the mammoth task of finding the necessary financial resources to cater to the associated responsibilities. It is undeniable that such an abrupt and unreasonable expectation puts undue strain on families, She said The statement said the PNC firmly believed that the Ghana Education Service should give due attention to the voice of the Speaker of Parliament, as they were the representatives of the people. The statement joined in urging the Ghana Education Service to consider postponing the reporting deadline to January 3, 2024 She said the extension would offer both parents and students sufficient time to adequately prepare for the upcoming academic year, thereby alleviating the stress and anxiety caused by the current situation. Ms Nabla further urged the GES to prioritise the well-being and academic success of students and make a concerted effort to address the concerns raised. This will ensure that the education system remains inclusive, fair and accessible to all Ghanaian children without leaving others behind, the statement said The PNC further indicated that the future of Ghanas educational system depended on collaborative efforts between the GES, parents and students, without allowing any party to become too powerful and abuse the others. Haruna Iddrisu calls for Parliamentary probe into Ghana's delegation size at COP28 GraphicOnline Politics Dec - 05 - 2023 , 08:04 The Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu has urged Parliament to investigate claims of the Ghanaian government registering more than 600 delegates for the current Conference of Parties (COP28). According to data from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Ghana's delegation to COP28 in Dubai has surged from 350 last year to 618. The delegation comprises 95 individuals on the official parties list, with an additional 523 on the party overflow list. Addressing the Parliament on Monday, December 4, 2023, the former Minority Leader expressed concerns about the financial implications of such a sizable delegation on the state's resources. "Mr. Speaker, with this economic distress, how can Ghana lead a delegation of 618 persons? Are we shouldering the economic gain and hardship of the Ghanaian? And Mr. Speaker, I see a delegation of the President here at COP28 I am demanding that a committee looks at this," he emphasized. From left, Selina Lian, Atkins Kroll BMW; Tom Mazzei, AK director of sales; Yun Yi, AK BMW sales manager; Jayne Flores, treasurer of the Guam Homeless Coalition; Rob San Agustin, vice-chair of the Guam Homeless Coalition; Ernie Galito, AK director of business development; Arnold Sikat, AK director of aftersales; and Kevin Chu, AK BMW. The District Court of Guam, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, has announced the 2024 high school civics contest with the theme, 70 Years Later The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, as 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts 1954 landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Brown v. Board of Education is widely accepted as one of the most momentous Supreme Court decisions, but views differ regarding what impact it has had on the law and society. With this, students will be able to express their thoughts in an essay between 500 and 1,000 words and individuals and teams up to three students can produce a 3- to 5-minute video on the theme. Students may submit an essay and video but may submit only one essay and be involved in the production of one video. The contest entries will be accepted from Jan. 8, 2024 through Mar. 8, 2024. It is open to high school students in nine Western states, Guam, and the CNMI. The District Court of Guam will hold a local contest to select finalists for the circuit-wide competition. To enter the local contest, students must reside in Guam. Local winners or teams will receive prices of $300 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place. Cash prizes will also be given to winners of the circuit-wide competition. 1st place winners will receive $3,000, as well as travel and accommodations to attend the 2024 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 2nd place will be $1,700, and 3rd place will be $1,000. For more information about the contest, contact Charles White at (671) 969-4510 or Charles_White@gud.usdcourts.gov. After over a decade of bringing Guam babies into the world, Dr. Jeffrey Gabel, an obstetrician-gynecologist, has died. Gabel was one of just a handful of OB-GYNs living and working on the island before his death. Guam Medical Association president and fellow OB-GYN Dr. Thomas Shieh expressed condolences to Gabels family on Tuesday. We are very saddened (by) the news of our long time OB-GYN Dr. Gabels passing today. He delivered many babies on Guam for over a decade, and helped many pregnant moms and their babies, Shieh said. Guam lost another OB-GYN, but moreover we lost a wonderful human being. (Rest in peace) Jeffheaven has gained an angel, he said. The Guam Memorial Hospital Administration is deeply saddened to hear of Dr. Gabels passing. He was a highly respected and honored member of our Maternal Child Health department, a statement from hospital spokesperson Cindy Hanson said. Dr. Gabel will be greatly missed. GMHAs Labor and Delivery unit will honor his memory by continuing to provide Guams expectant mothers with excellent care while safely delivering their babies, GMHA stated. Gabel notably took over the operations at the old Womens Clinic in Tamuning in 2018, after long time OB-GYN and the last abortion provider on island, Dr. William Freeman, retired from practice. The clinic was renamed Dr. Gabels Clinic Obstetrics & Gynecology Para Famalaoan when Gabel took over in 2018, but no longer provided abortions, with Gabel describing himself as pro-life, according to Pacific Daily News files. Gabel has also worked to provide maternal medicine with the Guam Memorial Hospital and Northern Regional Community Health Center over the years, PDN files show, and was at one time a member at large on the Guam Medical Association executive board. More recently, Gabel took up work doing house calls for GMH. His death is also a loss for the island, as OB-GYN specialists are in a high risk, hard to recruit field, and healthcare providers have described expectant Guam mothers as frequently being high risk pregnancies, the PDN previously reported. Getting good prenatal care before giving birth has been cited as an issue, and the Sagua Managu birthing center shut down on Christmas Eve last year. According to Shieh, GMH is down to two fulltime hospitalist OB-GYNs, with two others taking house calls part time. Just three community based OB-GYNs are still in practice, Shieh said. The Public Utilities Commission will wait until January to decide whether the Guam Power Authority can move to salvage a solar farm deal that Hanwha Energy Corp. never came through on. Hanwha in 2018 signed a deal to build a 60-megawatt solar farm in Dandan Inalahan and start selling power to GPA by December 2023. It never got off the ground. The cost of transmission lines to carry power from the project site to their destination basically doubled the costs, according to GPA General Manager John Benavente. Now, GPA wants to salvage the deal by giving Hanwha another two years to build a 41MW solar farm that will also have batteries that can shift solar power from the daytime to the evening. Those changes will allow Hanwha to install less costly transmission lines, according to Benavente. But members of PUC are concerned with whether Hanwha can be relied upon to deliver on the project at all, after failing to do so over the past five years. They opted last week to table any decision on the matter until January. PUC Administrative Law Judge Fred Horecky said the timely completion of the Hanwha project was estimated to save about $45 million by delivering power that was cheaper than burning fuel oil. Their failure to comply with the contract they signed likely cost ratepayers even more, Horecky said, because of how much fuel prices have spiked since 2018. Questions really arise as to why GPA would want to do business with a company that costed us so dearly over the last number of years, Horecky told PUC commissioners. But the situation is complicated, he said. GPA was supposed to add about another 40MW worth of solar power to the grid by this month in order to comply with a settlement reached with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over violations of the Clean Air Act. Benavente said the Hanwha project was supposed to get GPA over the finish line, but the settlement with US EPA will have to be renegotiated. Benefits to the extension Besides giving GPA a bargaining chip that can be used in negotiations over the consent decree deal with US EPA, saving the project would bring benefits to ratepayers, according to Benavente. For one thing, the rate that Hanwha wants to sell power to GPA at is cheap. The revised contract would see GPA buying power from the Hanwha solar farm at 14.38 cents per kilowatt hour. Thats higher than the 8.4 cents that Hanwha agreed to back in 2018, but it factors in the added cost of adding batteries that can shift solar power to be used at night. Customers currently pay a surcharge for power generated through burning oil at 23 cents, and GPA will petition PUC to raise it again to 26 cents. That surcharge is the most expensive part of the power bill. Hanwhas new rate would also be cheaper than the 17.9 cents per kWh that GPA is capping future solar project rates at. Additionally, Benavente said, the solar farms batteries will allow about 30% of the power it generates to be shifted to the evening. That can be used to shave the peak demand for power at night, which can stave off load shedding and save on fuel costs even further. If Hanwha doesnt pull through on the revised contract, or PUC doesnt authorize the changes to the deal, GPA will drop the project instead of putting it out to bid again. That process could lead to more procurement protests and lengthy delays. If its dead, its dead, he told commissioners. With GPA moving to award contracts for another 180MW worth of solar power generation in summer 2024, the utility will be moving on, Benavente said. Concerns raised PUC Commissioner Doris Flores Brooks said giving Hanwha a second chance on the matter would be like rewarding them for failing. To now try to salvage this I know the driving force is the consent decree, but five years to make this happen? she said. She also questioned whether the major changes to the contract would be appropriate or would legally require GPA to take the whole project out to bid again. Benavente, for his part, said the changes were in line with the procurement law. PUC Vice Chairman Peter Montinola said he believed that the failure to meet the consent decree settlement with US EPA rested with Hanwha, and may give GPA room to negotiate. He said he was more concerned that GPA was setting a bad precedent by not taking action against Hanwha for failing to deliver on the solar project. Im not a fan of Hanwha, Benavente responded. And certainly the contract provisions show that, and certainly the hammer is over their contract. And if it doesnt move forward, then were done. If any other renewable entities that believe this is a precedent or anything like that, its not a precedent, the general manager said. If the project fell through, Hanwha would be on the hook for a $4 million performance bond, and litigation would not bring any benefit, Benavente added. PUC Chairman Jeffrey Johnson also had worries about Hanwha, but said the ability to shift solar power would be a good tool in GPAs arsenal. Theres a lot of wrinkles in this but its still potentially attractive, Johnson said. Montinola ultimately asked that commissioners wait until January, to see if other solar companies put out bids for solar power that was cheaper than Hanwha. A man who was convicted in a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance fraud case had one of his charges reversed by the Supreme Court of Guam. George Chambers, Jr. was found guilty by a jury on one count of tampering with public records and one count of unsworn falsification of records, both as misdemeanors in July 2021. He appealed his conviction with the Supreme Court of Guam. The court found there was sufficient evidence to sustain the tampering with public records conviction, but a lack of sufficient evidence for the unsworn falsification charge and reversed and vacated it. The case was remanded to the trial court for resentencing consistent with the Supreme Court opinion. The federal-funded PUA was meant to help those who could no longer work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, Chambers applied for PUA benefits, but was later told he needed to submit additional documents like a business license to show proof of employment. Chambers submitted a business license for GC Cleaning, but a Guam Department of Labor employee noticed the font used for the expiration date appeared to differ from the font with Chambers information, court documents state. According to the opinion, there was sufficient evidence that showed Chambers gave Guam Labor a business license which was later confirmed by the Department of Revenue and Taxation to not be genuine. However, looking at the evidence provided during trial, the Supreme Court found there was not enough evidence to convict Chambers of unsworn falsification. Prosecutors didnt show Chambers intended to mislead Guam Labor, the Supreme Court justices opined. If Chambers was entitled to PUA benefits, submitting false documents in applying for those benefits does not disqualify him per federal law. As the People failed to prove Chambers was ineligible for benefits, they also failed to show he had the intent to mislead in his application, the opinion states. Lee Webber is the former publisher of the Pacific Daily News, Honolulu Advertiser, president of Gannett Pacific and Asia area manager for USA Today international. Haiti - FLASH : Tension rises at the border, Dajabon militarized The military presence and members of the Corps specialized in land border security (Cesfront) was considerably reinforced in Dajabon after the incident on Sunday, November 3rd, 2023 where Haitian police officers threw tear gas grenades at an informal market which was being held in Dominican territory along the border fence patrol route on the west side, before entering Dominican territory with weapons to violently seize goods purchased by Haitians https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41123-haiti-flash-the-pnh-violated-dominican-territory-at-the-border-video.html The intervention of Haitian police officers was strongly criticized by the inhabitants of Dajabon, who described this action on Dominican territory as illegal and a provocation of the Dominican armed forces. In retaliation, a group of Dajabon traders carry out constant patrols on Capotillo Street (a place very frequented by many Haitian traders) and in other areas, to prevent Haitians from trading. In response to these events, Dajabon was militarized, military forces were deployed in the streets, parks and public spaces of the municipality, with increased patrols observed in various sectors of this border area. During a tour with the municipal police to verify that Haitians are not carrying out commercial activities in Dajabon, Mayor Santiago Riveron declared that foreigners who are not in a legal situation to do business will be expelled from the territory "[...] those who sell bananas, cell phone accessories, clothes and other merchants, all will be expelled." Monday, November 4th, 2023, President Luis Abinader speaking in the TV program "Semana de la prensa" described the incursion of Haitian police officers into Dominican territory as a provocation. He said that the Chancellery was preparing a note of diplomatic protest over the incident, and assured that the Government will be very firm The Commander of the army, Major General Carlos Antonio Fernandez Onofre, also intervened, explaining that when military reinforcements arrived on the scene the Haitian police (PNH) and Border Police (PoliFront) finally returned to Haiti ... For his part, former President Leonel Fernandez, presidential candidate, condemned this Monday the action committed by Haitian police officers who entered Dominican territory. On his "X" account (formerly Twitter) he wrote "We find it unacceptable and reprehensible that members of the Haitian police entered Dominican territory, attacking traders and destroying their products in a violent manner." He also described this act as of "irresponsible and provocative," affirming "The security and sovereignty of our country cannot be compromised in this way" calling for a firm defense of "our land and our people." Furthermore in Haiti, Haitian truckers and unions in Ouanaminthe blocked the main road leading to Cap-Haitien for abuse of authority in Haiti. Small merchants say they are tired of the abuses of the Ouanaminthe authorities, who claim to charge a toll to Haitians who buy and sell in the markets and inform that the demonstrations will begin from Tuesday (November 5), as a result, the unions are calling on citizens to exercise caution and not send their children to schools. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41123-haiti-flash-the-pnh-violated-dominican-territory-at-the-border-video.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41118-haiti-flash-dajabon-binational-market-closed-pedernales-open.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40919-haiti-flash-high-tension-a-group-of-haitians-confront-the-dominican-soldiers-in-ouanaminthe-video.html SL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2023/12/04 | Source The drama "Weak Hero Class 1", which released on wavve, will meet viewers through Netflix in season 2. Advertisement Netflix announced on Monday that it has confirmed the production of "Weak Hero Class 2". Actor Park Jihoon, who led the last season, will play the main role again. Choi Min-young, Yoo Su-bin, Bae Na-ra, Lee Min-jae-II, and Lee Jun-young will join the group. "Weak Hero" is based on a Naver webtoon of the same name. It tells the story of Yeon Si-eun (Park Jihoon), a 'voluntary outsider' who is not interested in anything other than studying, standing up against violence after meeting her precious friends. It is unusual for a work to change its public platform. Some speculate that the decision was due to the deepening management difficulties of wavve. wavve had an operating loss of more than 100 billion won last year. This year, the deficit accumulated until the third quarter reached 79.7 billion won. It is observed that there will be insufficient funds to invest in new original content. Meanwhile, Shortcake and Playlist, the production company of "Weak Hero Class 2" said on Netflix, "We are grateful to be able to respond to the requests of viewers who want to see the story of Si-eun and his friends". (HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed charges against Brite Advisors USA, Inc. (f/k/a deVere USA, Inc.) (Brite USA), a NY-based SEC-registered investment adviser, for failing to comply with Commission requirements for the safekeeping of client assets and for failing to disclose material risks and conflicts of interest associated with Brite USAs recommendations to clients to use a related firm in Australia as a custodian. Brite USA has been registered with the Commission as an investment adviser since 2013. The SECs complaint, filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Brite USA advises nearly $400 million of client assets maintained by Brite Advisors Pty Ltd. (Brite Australia), an Australian financial services company under common control with Brite USA. Registered investment advisers that have custody of client assets are subject to the custody rule, which requires that if a related person maintains client funds or securities, the investment adviser must obtain an internal control report as to the safeguarding of client funds and securities. The SEC alleges that since 2019, when Brite USA began having a related firm, Brite Australia, maintain its clients assets, it failed to comply with the SECs custody rule. In addition, the SECs complaint alleges that Brite USA breached its fiduciary duties to its clients by failing to fully and fairly disclose the material risks and conflicts of interest resulting from Brite Australias use of clients assets. According to the SECs complaint, Brite Australia borrowed millions of dollars using client assets as collateral to provide operational funding to Brite USA and other related companies. For these alleged violations, the SECs complaint charges Brite USA with violating Sections 206(2) and 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-2 thereunder and seeks permanent injunctive relief and civil monetary penalties. We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here A recent study by the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerces Forecasting Chamber (Ennakointikamari) has revealed a significant drop in labor demand in Uusimaa, outpacing the national trend in Finland. In September 2023, approximately 17,600 new job openings were reported in Uusimaa, marking a nearly 47% decrease compared to the same period in 2022. This decline is more pronounced than the overall Finnish decrease of 36% in new job vacancies. The sharp downturn follows a peak in labor demand in 2022. "After last year's high demand for labor, we've seen a clear drop. However, the increase in unemployment is still nowhere near the levels experienced during the pandemic. Despite challenging times, we don't foresee an explosion in unemployment rates in the near future," says Olli Oja, Project Manager at the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerces Forecasting Chamber. A survey conducted by the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce in September among its member companies revealed cautious optimism. Only 10% of respondents anticipated a decrease in recruitment needs over the next six months, while 49% expected their recruitment needs to remain stable. The remaining respondents foresaw an increase in hiring. Comparatively, recruitment prospects have dampened since the autumn of 2022. A year ago, 48% of companies reported an increase in their recruitment needs. The member survey of the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce included responses from 265 companies, primarily from top management. The survey, conducted from September 6 to 11, 2023, included businesses of various sizes, with 80% representing companies with fewer than 50 employees. The Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, with around 7,400 member companies, coordinates the Forecasting Chamber. This network unites labor and economic administrations, businesses, educational institutions, and regional governance. It includes numerous educational and training organizations, the University of Helsinki, the Uusimaa Regional Council, the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, the Uusimaa Employment and Economic Development Office, and the Chamber itself. The Forecasting Chamber meets biannually to devise practical solutions and actions for employment issues in Uusimaa, producing two situational reports annually. HT The study reveals that the highest-income percentile doubled its share of income between early 1990s and early 2000s from 2.8 per cent in 1990 to 6.1 per cent in 2004. The share dropped to five per cent by 2019. INCOME DISPARITY in Finland rose to a new, permanently higher level in the wake of the recession of the early 1990s, according to a study published in late November by VATT Institute for Economic Research. Also the Gini coefficient indicates that income disparity has increased, with the coefficient rising from 0.2 in 1990 to 0.26 in 2003. The reading has hardly changed in the 2000s. Researchers at VATT estimated that the increase in income disparity is attributable particularly to an increase and concentration of capital income to high-income earners, highlighting that wages and earned income have developed very stably. High-income earners benefited from a tax reform implemented in 1993, which established a lower flat tax rate for capital income. Capital income not exceeding 30,000 euros is taxed at a rate of 30 per cent and capital income exceeding 30,000 euros at a rate of 34 per cent. Even though the total tax rate of individuals decreased across income brackets between the mid-1990s and 2010s, the decrease has been the sharpest for high-income earners. Also the social security cuts and freezes carried out in the aftermath of the recession have increased income inequality in Finland. Income differences between employed and unemployed households grew at the end of the 1990s, when the long-term unemployed were transferred from earnings-based unemployment allowance to the labour market subsidy and social security benefits were cut or frozen. While the median real income of employed households grew by 37 per cent in 19902010, that of unemployed households grew by only 11 per cent. Income differences did not grow during the recession of the 1990s because social security functioned as a safety net. The recession did leave a permanent mark on employment and unemployment rates, the report states. VATT also drew attention to a correlation between labour market inequality and social inequality. While over two-thirds (67%) of 2560-year-old men without earned income had a partner in 1987, the share stood at only 37 per cent in 2019. It appears that the significance of labour market position has increased in society. Today, low-income and unemployed people are less likely to find a partner than before. This is evident especially among men, but the development has been in the same general direction for women, the researchers said. The inequality study is part of Deaton Review of Inequalities, a project launched in 2019 by the London-based Institute for Fiscal Studies. Finland is one of 17 countries covered by the project, which examines not only labour market inequalities, but also factors such as education, social security, taxation and gender disparities. Aleksi Teivainen HT It took a lot of effort, but we moved forward in a constructive and collaborative way, Laiho stated to YLE on Monday. THE SOCIAL AFFAIRS and Health Committee of the Finnish parliament has finalised its statements on government proposals to cut unemployment and other social security benefits, tells deputy chairperson Mia Laiho (NCP). Chairperson Krista Kiuru (SDP) and Laiho had previously accused each other of putting the brakes on the committee work by presenting an endless stream of amendment proposals. Laiho and three other ruling-party members, for example, published a joint press release last weekend to express their concern about the activities and procedures of the committee, targeting most of the criticism at Kiuru. Kiuru, in turn, argued that the unforgettable and historic cuts presented by the government are so dramatic that their potential impacts must be combed through carefully. Other opposition lawmakers also accused the government of trying to conceal the effects of the spending cuts by removing them from the committee statements. These cuts will affect people, and people are sore about the effects. Of course they want to know what the effects will mean, argued Kiuru. We arent trying to cover up anything. The committee has reviewed the cuts effects, and theyll be discussed also in the statement, countered Laiho. The flurry of accusations reflects what was described as a chaotic week for the committee. Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday reported that one of the committee meetings ended in a march-out by ruling-party members, with its sources telling of meetings that had included yelling, accusations, inappropriate comments and crying. Kiuru on Monday admitted that there had been some disturbances and that she had raised her voice to remind some committee members of the code of conduct. She denied crying or yelling in the meetings, though. Kim Berg (SDP) has stood up for Kiuru. He estimated in a press release that the criticism from ruling parties is an attempt to steer public attention away from the issue at hand: the social security cuts. Behind the ruling parties accusations is an apparent desire to shift attention away from their own attempts to conceal the facts so that people would forget how cold policies Orpos government is pursuing, he said. Aleksi Teivainen HT The crisis has led to the displacement of nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip, totaling 1.9 million people. Jan Egeland , Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has issued a strong condemnation of the ongoing crisis in Gaza, describing the situation as one of the worst assaults on a civilian population in recent times. Egeland's statement sheds light on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region, marked by escalating civilian casualties, including many children. Approximately two-thirds of homes in the area have been damaged or destroyed, forcing thousands of families to seek refuge in overcrowded shelters or on the streets. Egeland highlighted the plight of over 750,000 people who are now crammed into just 133 shelters, with tens of thousands more living on the streets under bombardment, facing the onset of winter rains and the spread of infectious diseases. Egeland's statement also draws attention to the plight of humanitarian workers in the region, including his own staff members at the Norwegian Refugee Council. One staff member, he noted, is living on the streets with her two-month-old baby. The relentless attacks have severely hampered aid operations, leading to starvation and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The Secretary General criticized the international community for its inaction, despite widespread awareness of the atrocities. He called out countries supporting Israel with arms, stating that their complicity in the civilian deaths will be a lasting stain on their reputations. Egeland demanded an immediate ceasefire and stressed the need for accountability for those responsible for the killings, torture, and atrocities committed, both in Israel and in Gaza. He emphasized that the military campaign cannot be justified as self-defense and constitutes a violation of international law. Egeland reiterated the demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, asserting that the lives of innocent civilians and the ability of aid workers to provide assistance should not be used as leverage in the conflict. In his closing remarks, Egeland described the situation in Gaza as a "total failure of our shared humanity" and called for an immediate end to the killing, underlining the urgency of addressing this humanitarian crisis. HT Media outlets of developing countries call for louder voice of Global South Xinhua) 15:53, December 05, 2023 This photo taken on Dec. 3, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (WMS) in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.(Xinhua/Mao Siqian) In an era of increasing global interconnectedness, a louder voice from the Global South has become more imperative than ever before, and the media also shoulder the responsibility for promoting global common development through exchanges and cooperation. GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from developing countries at the fifth World Media Summit being held in the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Kunming have made a strong call for a louder voice of the Global South. In an era of increasing global interconnectedness, a louder voice from the Global South has become more imperative than ever before, and the media also shoulder the responsibility for promoting global common development through exchanges and cooperation, they said. President of Prensa Latina News Agency, Luis Enrique Gonzalez Acosta, said he takes this summit as an opportunity to collaborate with other media outlets in providing objective and responsible reports that can amplify the voices of developing countries and jointly address the challenges facing the Global South. "We must not be afraid to position ourselves as the voice of the Global South," said Iqbal Surve, chairman of South Africa's Independent Media. "Our narrative, our communication, our stories must be about the possibility of global growth and development." Delegates attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (WMS) in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) Media's role extends beyond conveying facts, Surve said, adding that it should catalyze social-economic change and development. "If we have one task only as a social responsibility, that task is to ensure that media must be a change agent in the world today, to promote a common humanity and a shared future and shared prosperity," he added. South-South cooperation among media is crucial in ensuring that the voices of developing countries are heard worldwide, said experts present at the summit. It plays a significant role in fostering diverse and inclusive narrative perspectives on a global scale, they said. Creating a grand shared narrative that would promote common prosperity is imperative, said Seife Deribe Endale, CEO of Ethiopian News Agency. "We are now in the critical juncture to create an inclusive media ecosystem through the lens of alternative narratives like that of the BRICS," he said, adding that the true and success stories of Ethiopia and the whole of Africa need to be heard worldwide. A delegate receives an interview during the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (WMS) in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian) South-South communication is of great importance, said Maria Bernarda Llorente, president of Telam, Argentina's official news agency. Communication between developing countries is fundamental to building relations, she added. To foster more dialogues among nations and cultivate a culture of peace and understanding within the international system, it is crucial and urgent to formulate a shared agenda in response to global threats, she said. Roger Agana, managing director of News Ghana, said the world needs to know a real Africa and a real China. "As African media, we do have a story to tell," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR in a case in which over 41,000 UCO Bank customers received surprise credits of varied amounts in their accounts, totalling 820 crore, during November 10-13 without any corresponding debits in accounts from where the transfers originated, officials said on Tuesday. The money landed in accounts of UCO Bank customers through 8.53 lakh Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transactions originating from 14,000 account holders of private banks.(Reuters File Photo) Under an operation, which continued till Tuesday, the agency has searched 13 locations in multiple cities, including Kolkata and Mangalore, in connection with the case, they said. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The money landed in accounts of UCO Bank customers through 8.53 lakh Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transactions originating from 14,000 account holders of private banks in three days, the officials said. Surprisingly, no corresponding amount was debited from the originating bank accounts, they said. Several account holders withdrew the surprise credits from their accounts, the officials said. The countrywide transactions resulted in a CBI FIR after UCO Bank approached the central probe agency with a complaint against two support engineers working with it and other unknown persons on allegations of "suspicious" IMPS transactions amounting to approximately 820 crore, they said. "During the searches, electronic evidence, including mobile-phones, laptops, computer systems, email archives, and debit or credit cards were recovered," the spokesperson of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said. Between November 10 and November 13, IMPS inward transactions from 14,000 account holders across seven private banks were directed to 41,000 UCO Bank account holders, he said. "It was further alleged that this intricate network involved a staggering 8,53,049 transactions, and these transactions were mistakenly posted in UCO Bank account-holders records, despite the originating banks registering failed transactions," the spokesperson said. He said it was also alleged that several account holders exploited this situation, illicitly withdrawing funds from UCO Bank through various banking channels, thereby benefiting wrongfully from the transaction. New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): In a move towards bolstering global efforts to combat climate change, the Conference of the Parties 28 (COP28) Presidency organized a High-Level Roundtable on 'Unlocking High-Integrity Carbon Markets'. HT Image This gathering brought together leaders from multilateral institutions, including COP28 President Dr Sultan Al-Jaber, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, and GFANZ Co-Chair and UN Special Envoy for Climate Finance Mark Carney, along with senior representatives from nations committed to fostering and scaling high-integrity carbon markets. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The roundtable underscored the importance of carbon pricing schemes, compliance markets, and high-integrity voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) in the global net-zero transition. Emphasizing the complementary roles of these mechanisms, speakers highlighted their critical contributions. Carbon markets were identified as key channels to finance high-quality decarbonization projects in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell acknowledged the substantial progress made by the Article 6.4 supervisory body. World Bank Group President Ajay Banga unveiled plans for the growth of high-integrity global carbon markets, with 15 countries poised to generate income from carbon credits through the preservation of their forests. Participants acknowledged the achievements of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market and Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity initiative in establishing essential guardrails for high-integrity credit supply and demand in the voluntary market. However, they stressed the need for ongoing capacity building to empower EMDEs, enabling their active participation in international carbon markets. The roundtable participants recognized the imperative need for coordination among key stakeholders to seamlessly integrate the remaining components of the global carbon markets architecture by 2024 and 2025. While acknowledging significant progress in 2023, the call for coordinated action extended across governments, multilateral institutions, principles-setters, carbon credit standards, businesses, financial institutions, and the broader carbon markets value chain, including verification and validation bodies and project developers. The objective is to ensure a cohesive and mutually reinforcing global carbon market architecture, aligning with climate mitigation goals. This high-level gathering marked a crucial stride towards intensifying coordination efforts, ensuring the effective functioning of high-integrity carbon markets, and bolstering commitments under the Paris Agreement. The united vision expressed at the roundtable signifies a concerted global push towards creating robust frameworks that can effectively address the challenges of climate change. (ANI) Gautam Adani added $10 billion to his net worth in the past week and is the 16th richest individual globally, Bloomberg reported. The Adani Group chairman now has a $70.3 billion fortune according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Adani is the second Indian in the Top 20 list after Mukesh Ambani who is on the 13th spot with a total net worth of $90.4 billion. Gautam Adani is the second Indian in the Top 20 list after Mukesh Ambani who is on the 13th spot.(PTI file) On Tuesday, the Adani Group shares jumped to 20 per cent after a report by US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) which found that Hindenburg Research's allegations of corporate fraud against the conglomerate were not relevant. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The DFC had examined the allegations against the Adani Group before extending a loan for the Indian conglomerate's port project in Sri Lanka, according to reports. All the 10 firms extended their gains for the second straight session this week and breached the total market capitalisation mark of 13 lakh crore. On the BSE, shares of Adani Green Energy zoomed 20 per cent to 1,348 apiece, Adani Energy Solutions surged 16.38 per cent to 1,050, Adani Total Gas rallied 15.81 per cent to 847.90, while flagship firm Adani Enterprises bounced 10.90 per cent to 2,805 per share. On November 24, the Supreme Court had reserved its judgment on a bundle of petitions seeking probe into allegations of accounting fraud and stock manipulation against the Adani Group companies, raised in a research report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research. The top court had observed that it will not be proper for it to appoint a special investigation team (SIT) to look into alleged violations of minimum public shareholding (MPS) norms by Adani group companies without there being evidence of lapses on part of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). Where is the material before us to start doubting Sebi? Sebi is a statutory body exclusively entrusted with investigating stock market manipulation. Is it proper for the highest court of the land to say without any proper material that we dont trust Sebi, and we will form our own SIT? This has to be done with a great deal of calibration, a top court bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had told advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was appearing on behalf of the petitioners. ZestMoney, the buy now pay later (BNPL) startup will shut down amid regulatory uncertainty and a failed bid to revive its business. The management in a townhall on Tuesday informed its employees that will wind up its operations and let go the 150 employees, Moneycontrol reported. The company will retain a legal and finance team to oversee the closure. The decision to close operations comes months after the founders stepped down, leaving Zestmoney in the hands of investors and a new management. Zestmoney will retain a legal and finance team to oversee the closure. The company was founded in 2016 by Lizzie Chapman, Priya Sharma and Ashish Anantharaman, and had a customer base of 17 million and enables loan disbursals of 400 crore per month. It also had 27 lending partners and merchant partnerships with 10,000 online brands and 75,000 offline stores. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The startup said that its turnaround plan, the ZestMoney 2.0 or ZeMo 2.0 could not take off. According to report, the company has promised to pay two months of severance payment and outplacement support to the laid off employees. An employee told the website that the staffers did not expect that the company will shut down operations. The employee said many of the colleagues have started reaching out for jobs outside. Last year, the Reserve Bank of India had barred operating non-bank insitutions or fintech companies, including several buy now, pay later services from loading credit lines into prepaid payment instruments like wallets and prepaid cards. In November 2022, UPI provider PhonePe was in talks to acquire the lending platform but it cancelled its plan this year over disagreement on valuation. After the deal fell through, Zestmoney laid off 100 employees. NewsVoir HT Image Dubai [UAE], December 5: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) organized a first-of-its-kind panel discussion at the Climate Live Pavilion during COP28, focusing on the Sixth Assessment Report (AR 6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its relevance for India. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Prof Jim Skea, IPCC Chair, shared the global assessments of the IPCC and their specific implications for India's climate realities. Prof Skea outlined projections for India, providing crucial insights that can guide the country's development trajectories in response to climate change challenges. Emphasizing the urgency of action, the report underscored the severe consequences humanity faces without immediate mitigation efforts targeting key climate change drivers. Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, commenced her welcome address, reflecting on the longstanding historic association between TERI and IPCC. She credited the integration of 'sustainability' into the ethos of every 'TERI-ite' to this enduring partnership. Dr Dhawan's address emphasized the concern over rising temperatures, underscoring its broader implications for humanity and particularly its impact on lower-income segments. Expressing deep apprehension about the alarming state of current climate change, Dr Dhawan remarked, "We are already late in taking action. The impact of climate change is far uglier than what was predicted. Unfortunately, the impacts are not uniform. The countries already struggling are going to be negatively impacted due to the changing climate." Guiding the audience through the IPCC assessments, Prof Skea stated, "Current policies are likely to lead to temperature overshooting 1.5-degree target. Net zero globally does not mean net zero for all countries and sectors simultaneously." In the upcoming cycle, the IPCC is determined to prioritize equity issues. Most vulnerable countries are the least contributors to emissions per capita. "These vulnerabilities are exacerbated by inequity and marginalization," he added. His presentation was succeeded by the launch of the report 'Practices and Solutions: Accelerating Indian Industry Decarbonisation.' The report is a compilation by signatory Indian companies of the Industry Charter for Near-Zero Emissions Ambition by 2050. The report captures the key achievements and voluntary actions by Indian industries. During the interactive session, the IPCC Chair and the Indian Business Leaders delved into the implications of the AR6 findings. The discussion extended to deliberations on opportunities available for India to adopt an inclusive and green development pathway. This involves leveraging the nation's strengths, embracing innovative technologies, and adopting climate-friendly approaches to development. The dialogue aimed to pave the way for a sustainable future while addressing the pressing challenges outlined in the IPCC's latest assessment. Addressing the imperative of net-zero emissions, Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries Ltd., voiced his concern, suggesting, "We should be talking about the storage mechanism. Perhaps, we should look at nuclear solutions as an option to solve the carbon issue." Recognizing the complexity of the matter, he acknowledged that every solution comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Pai presented this perspective to industry leaders, proposing it as a crucial topic for discussion and further exploration within the broader discourse on sustainable practices. Discussing the current landscape of electric vehicles in the country, Abanti Sankaranarayanan, Chief Group Public Affairs (India & International) and Group Sustainability, Mahindra Group, shared insights during her presentation. "It is bold and audacious because current figures for India indicate less than a one-and-a-half percent consumer adoption of electric vehicles. So we are in some ways having to create the market for electric vehicles and there's a slew of policy and enablement as well as the cost structure and redefining that needs to be done to trigger acceleration and consumer adoption of electric vehicles." "Profitability and sustainability can go hand in hand," asserted Mahendra Singhi, MD & CEO, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd., highlighting the advantage they gained through early recognition of this paradigm. He proudly shared that Dalmia Cement stands out as one of the few companies with the least carbon footprint. Expanding on the potential for implementing non-viable solutions, Singhi emphasized, "We need to explore the possibility of capturing CO2 viable. Replace thermal with renewable energy and replace fossil fuel with non-fossil/biofuel to reduce the carbon footprint." According to him, carbon credits and green finance can further expedite this transformative process. Koushik Chatterjee, Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer, Tata Steel Ltd., said, "We cannot achieve climate positivity without nature positivity. The role of public policy is facilitating the pace of the decarbonisation. Carbon market and carbon pricing including voluntary carbon markets will become very critical for a country like India." The session ended with a vote of thanks by Arupendra Nath Mullick, Vice President, TERI Council for Business Sustainability. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), based in India, is an independent, multi-dimensional research organization with capabilities in policy research, technology development, and implementation. An innovator and agent of change in the energy, environment, climate change and sustainability space, TERI has pioneered conversations and action in these areas for nearly five decades. Headquartered in New Delhi, it has centres in six Indian cities, and is supported by a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, sociologists, economists, engineers, administrative professional and state-of-the-art infrastructure. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): In a step toward combatting the escalating threat of deepfake technology, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar held the 2nd Digital India Dialogues on Misinformation and Deepfakes with intermediaries. HT Image The meeting aimed to review the progress made since the initial gathering on November 24 and reinforce the government's commitment to ensuring the safety and trust of #DigitalNagriks. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Rajeev Chandrasekhar posted on X, "Held the 2nd #DigitalIndiaDialogues on Misinformation and #Deepfakes with intermediaries today, to review the progress made since the Nov 24 meeting. Many platforms are responding to the decisions taken last month and advisories on ensuring 100% compliance will be issued in the next 2 days. A new amended #ITRules to further ensure compliance of platforms, and safety & trust of #DigitalNagriks is actively under consideration." On November 24, Chandrasekhar emphasized the dangers posed by deepfake technology and announced the government's call for social media platforms to align their terms of use with the 12 areas prohibited on the Indian internet. Deepfakes, manipulated videos that can sow discord and disruptions, were identified as a clear and present danger to a safe and trusted internet. During the meeting with internet intermediaries, Chandrasekhar raised concerns about the disruptive nature of deepfakes, highlighting their potential to create divisions within communities and families. Since October 2022, the government has been alerting platforms to the dangers of misinformation, with deepfakes being a crucial aspect of this threat. "The intermediaries all agreed that current IT rules and the IT Act provide for adequate compliance requirements on their part to deal with deepfakes," Chandrasekhar stated. Acknowledging the need for future regulations, the platforms agreed that the existing laws provide a foundation to tackle misinformation effectively. Platforms were given a 7-day timeline to align and transform their terms of use with the 12 prohibited content areas outlined in rule 31B under the IT Act. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) and the Government of India will nominate a rules officer to ensure 100 per cent compliance with the prohibited content areas. This move underscores the government's commitment to combating the deepfake menace, reflecting the urgency to safeguard against the detrimental impacts of this evolving technology. The forthcoming advisories and potential amendments to the IT Rules showcase a proactive approach to ensure a secure digital environment for Indian citizens. (ANI) New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): In an initiative to combat the rising threat of methane emissions, the World Bank has announced plans to launch a series of country-led programs, to reduce up to 10 million tons of methane over the course of their investment lifespans. HT Image According to the World Bank, the move is a step in addressing the alarming increase in global temperatures and supporting communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The World Bank is set to roll out a minimum of 15 country-led programs within the next 18 months. These programs will specifically target methane emissions, employing strategic interventions to curb environmental degradation and promote sustainable practices. The ambitious programs will focus on slashing methane emissions from various sources, including rice production, livestock operations, and waste management. Successful pilot programs have already demonstrated the effectiveness of transformative solutions, with the potential to reduce methane emissions significantly. The comprehensive approach to methane reduction outlined by the World Bank emphasizes triple wins - reducing emissions, enhancing resilience, and empowering livelihoods. By employing the best available technologies, emissions from rice production, livestock, and waste can be curtailed significantly. Methane accounts for approximately 19 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a substantial contributor to climate change. Rice production, livestock, and waste collectively constitute a significant portion of human-driven methane emissions, making targeted efforts in these areas crucial. Despite methane being 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of warming the planet, it has received less attention and funding. Currently, finance for methane abatement constitutes less than 2 per cent of global climate finance. The World Bank envisions a substantial increase in financing for methane reduction through public and private sector channels between 2024 and 2030. The institution is set to collaborate with Germany, Norway, the United States, the UAE, and the private sector to implement effective solutions and reduce methane emissions across the entire energy value chain. Complementing its efforts, the World Bank is launching two partnership platforms - the Global Methane Reduction Platform for Development (CH4D) focusing on methane abatement in agriculture and waste, and the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Partnership (GFMR) concentrating on reducing methane leaks in the oil and gas sector. The World Bank's commitment to addressing methane emissions underscores the urgency of mitigating climate change and building resilience in vulnerable communities. With a focus on collaboration, innovative solutions, and increased financing, the initiative aims to pave the way for a sustainable and climate-resilient future. (ANI) The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has introduced 10 new Vajra buses between Attibele and Hoskote. This is the first time for BMTC to run fully air-conditioned local buses in the route as only ordinary buses were operating all these days. BMTC introduces 10 new Vajra buses between Bengaluru's Attibele and Hoskote Also Read - Re-exam for recruitment of PSIs to be postponed to Jan 23: Karnataka Home Minister Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here According to BMTC, These Vajra buses are set to travel between Indlabele, Bidaraguppe, Medahalli, Billapura, Sarjapur, Somapura, Yemare, Dommasandra, Heggondahalli, Gunjur, Varthur, Varthur Kodi, Whitefield Post Office, Hope Farm, Kadugodi, Belathur, Seegehalli, Kaji Sonnenahalli, Hoskote Kodi and Hoskote High School. On Sunday, Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy launched the new buses and said that these buses will help the employees who live in the outskirts of Bengaluru and travel to the city on a daily basis. As many people even travel to central and south Bengaluru from Hoskote, these buses will also help them to use the newly launched purple line metro. The frequency of these buses is set according to the peak hour traffic of the IT capital. During peak hours, buses will be available every 15-20 minutes and during non-peak hours, it will take up to 40-45 minutes. Meanwhile, the Vajra buses are observing big time occupancy across the routes in Bengaluru. The buses offer comfort with not so exorbitant charges, and it is driving many commuters to skip driving their vehicles in peak traffic hours. There is also a demand to increase the number of Vajra buses to the airport route as many people are opting for these buses, while travelling back and forth to Kempegowda International Airport. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday announced in the Legislative Assembly that the re-examination for the recruitment of police sub-inspectors will be postponed to January 23. Karnataka minister G Parameshwara. (PTI) The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) had earlier said it would conduct the re-examination on December 23. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Aspirants have been demanding the postponement, claiming there was not enough time for preparations. Also Read - Over 10 workers feared trapped in warehouse in Karnataka's Vijaypura The measures or precautions that should be taken while conducting the exams, if done properly this situation would not have arisen. But, it has happened, whether it happened during their (opposition BJP) time or others, let's not get into that discussion now," Parameshwara said. He asked: "When there is an (overall) vacancy of 1,500 sub-inspectors, how can the police stations function, how can the law and order be maintained?" "There is no intention to trouble the candidates, if our schedule completes quickly, 1,500 sub-inspectors will get jobs. So the schedule that was there for December 23, will be postponed to January 23," he added. The KEA had recently said in a statement that following the High Court order, the PSI re-examination is being conducted and those who were eligible to appear for the exam in the previous examination will be entitled to write the re-examination. On January 21, 2021, the police department issued a notification for the recruitment of 545 PSI posts and the written examination was held on October 3, 2021. The exam was mired in controversy after the question paper was leaked on social media. Several people were arrested including the then Additional Director General of Police Amrit Paul, and some senior police officers of the rank of deputy superintendent of police, inspector, sub-inspector, assistant sub-inspector, and constables in connection with the scandal. The government cancelled the exam and decided to conduct it afresh. A day after Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rodes death, his close associate Paramjit Singh was arrested at Amritsar airport trying to catch a flight to London on a fake passport. ParamjitSingh, alias Dhadi, an associate of Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode being arrested at the Amritsar airport on Tuesday. (HT Photo) The state special operation cell (SSOC) wing of Punjab Police caught Paramjit Singh, alias Punjab Singh, alias Dhadi from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, when he was about to take a London flight. A lookout circular (LoC) was issued against Dhadi, which led to his arrest, police sources said. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Also read: Lakhbir Singh Rode, Pak-based chief of banned Khalistan Liberation Force, is dead Dhadi was trying to flee using a fake passport, said a senior Punjab Police official, requesting anonymity. In a major breakthrough, SSOC Amritsar has arrested #UK-based, Paramjit Singh @ Punjab Singh @ Dhadi from #Amritsar airport. An associate of Lakhbir Rode, the chief of the banned terrorist outfit #ISYF, Dhadi has been involved in terror funding & other subversive activities in #Punjab, tweeted director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday. He said their investigation is on to unearth and expose the terrorist network. 72-year-old Rode, who was the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)s self-styled head and nephew of Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, died of a cardiac arrest in Pakistan. Rode was listed as an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Delhi Minister Atishi pulled up officials for sewage water overflowing in lanes of Sultanpur Majra and Trilokpuri and directed them to promptly address all sewer-related issues in the area within 15 days, the city government said on Tuesday. HT Image Warning the officials of stringent action, the Delhi water minister directed them to deploy machinery and resolve the issue of sewage water overflowing outside sewers. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here "If officials cannot tolerate dirt around their own homes, how can they let sewers overflow outside the homes of common people? Such negligence is unacceptable," the Delhi minister was quoted as saying in the government statement. Taking cognisance of public complaints, Atishi conducted a surprise inspection in various areas of Sultanpur Majra and Trilokpuri on Tuesday. The minister found during the inspection that sewage water was overflowing outside sewers in many lanes, causing distress to locals. The criminal investigation department (CID) of West Bengal police on Sunday arrested a suspect in connection with alleged irregularities in some contractual appointments at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kalyani, Nadia district, officials aware of the development said. Representational image. The suspect, Somnath Biswas, was arrested from Naida and produced before a local court that remanded him to CID custody for two weeks, a police official said on conditions of anonymity. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Two state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators, Niladri Sekhar Dana and Bankim Ghosh, who have been summoned to the CID headquarters in Kolkata later this week for questioning, have been under scanner in this case since last year. The recruitments were done by a private company hired by AIIMS Kalyani, officials said. The CID filed the case in May 2022 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act following complaints that Anusuya Dhar, the daughter-in-law of BJP legislator Bankim Ghosh from Chakdah in Nadia, was appointed although she did not qualify for the job. In June 2022, another case was filed following complaints that Maitrayee Dana, the daughter of BJPs Bankura MLA Niladri Sekhar Dana, was appointed as a data entry operator although she did not appear for the eligibility test. Both MLAs and the BJP have claimed that the allegations are baseless. The CID is being used as a political tool against BJP, Bankim Ghosh said. Sundays arrest was made days after Trinamool Congress chairperson and chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that if federal agencies arrest four of her leaders, then eight BJP leaders will land behind bars. She was referring to the cases filed against TMC leaders and ministers by the CBI and ED. If you put four of our leaders in jail, we will arrest eight of yours, Banerjee, who is also in charge of the home department, said at a TMC convention at Kolkatas Netaji Indoor Stadium on November 23. West Bengal BJPs chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya did not comment on the CID arrest but reacted to Banerjees statement. This sort of vindictive attitude is not expected of a chief minister. She is not doing justice to her stature, he said. LUCKNOW The UP government on Tuesday claimed a consistent increase in its revenue receipts with a collection of 2,580.78 crore more in November this year. It collected 16,610.53 crore in the month against receipts of 14,029.75 crore in the corresponding period last year. The total collections were 76.6% of the target of 21,676.03 crore for 2023-2024. The state government received 3,788.55 crore from excise, about 78.9% of the target of 390.77 crore. (Pic for representation) Our collections have gone up by 2,580.78 crore. We have maintained transparency in the release of data about tax and non-tax collections, said minister for revenue Suresh Khanna while releasing the details about the state governments total revenue collections. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Giving a break-up of receipts under various heads, he said the state government earned 9,389.33 crore from GST/VAT and this was 76.7 % of the target of 12,249.64 crore. The state government received 3,788.55 crore from excise, about 78.9% of the target of 390.77 crore. Its receipts from stamps and registration, however, went down to 1,961.94 crore against 2,051.68 crore received in the same month in 2022. The minister said the state governments collections under the stamps and registration head this year were about 91.7% of the target of 2,965.20 crore. The state governments non-tax revenue collections were 405.63 crore during the month against receipts of 312.28 crore in the same month last year. About the UP governments total tax collections from April 1 to November 30, 2023, he said it received tax revenue of 1.20 lakh crore during the period. The state government had collected 1.11 lakh crore during the same period in 2022-2023. He said the state governments tax collections were 72.2% of the target of 1.67 lakh crore for the same period. He said these tax collections were, however, 45.9% of the state governments annual target of 2.62 lakh crore. The state governments non-tax revenue collection up to November 30 was 6,280.86 crore, which was 41.2% of the target for the period. These figures show that the state government has made satisfactory progress on the revenue collection front. Though there is progressive improvement in the collections, the state government will have to make more efforts in the remaining months to achieve its annual target, said Professor Yashvir Tyagi, former head of department, economics, Lucknow University. The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has proposed a Parivartan Yatra from Shakambhari Devi, Saharanpur, to Naimisharanya, Sitapur, aiming to connect with the people ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The proposal was discussed during the executive committee meeting of the UPCC, presided over by UPCC President Ajay Rai on Tuesday. For representation only (REUTERS FILE IMAGE/Pawan Kumar) We will initiate the Parivartan Yatra from Saharanpur to Sitapur. The yatra may commence later this month or in early January 2024, lasting for nearly 25 days. We plan to engage with people in all districts through the gaon, gaon, paon, paon and nagar nagar and dagar dagar programs during this period, said Rai while addressing media persons at the UPCC headquarters. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Rai said that there are only about five months left until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the party needs to strengthen its connection with the people. He mentioned the invitation of senior party leaders to participate in the Parivartan Yatra. Rai urged the newly appointed office bearers to work diligently to prepare the party for the upcoming elections. Despite the election outcomes in five state assemblies, he encouraged party members not to feel disheartened and instead focus on fighting for the peoples cause. Rai expressed confidence that the new office bearers would do their best to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to them by the Congress. Mumbai: Traffic police in Mumbai collected a whopping 205 crore from motorists in the past five years for violating traffic rules, HT reported yesterday. Now, it has come to light that many government vehicles, including some owned by the traffic police that issued e-challans for violations, are guilty of violating the same norms. Top officials in the state, including the chief minister, the deputy chief minister, and the police commissioner of Mumbai feature in the defaulters list, HT found, but not a single one among them has been penalised. CM, Dy CM, CPs cars among scores that fail road fitness test HT clicked photos of 70 government vehicles between October 23 and November 29. These included vehicles used by ministers, senior officials and the police. Registration numbers of these vehicles were then fed into MParivahan, the official database for vehicle registration and compliance, to check if they had valid PUC (pollution under control) and fitness certificates. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Traffic police routinely ask for these two documents from motorists during routine checks. The penalty for not having a valid PUC is 500 for first-time offenders and 1500 for repeat offenders. Lack of a valid fitness certificate attracts a fine of 2,000 and 5,000 for first-time and repeat offenders respectively; it is applicable to drivers as well as owners. Analysis of MParivahan data showed that only eight out of the 70 vehicles had both PUC and fitness certificates valid till 2024. PUC certificates had expired for 30 vehicles, including those used by chief minster Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar all three vehicles were snapped outside the Sahyadri guest house on November 29. Additionally, nine mobile vans owned by Mumbai police did not have fitness certificates. Records showed that none of these high-profile violators or the other offenders in the list were penalised even once. This was despite explicit orders to the traffic police to fine all vehicles which did not have valid PUC certificates, especially after the recent High Court order mandating air pollution mitigation measures. A traffic police official told HT that after the court order, they were given a target of fining at least 15 vehicles every day for not having PUC certificates. M Ramkumar, additional commissioner of police (traffic), too claimed that the officers on the field are told to penalise all vehicles irrespective of whether they belong to the government or private parties. If you have the list of vehicles which do not have fitness certificates and PUCs, please forward it to us so that action can be taken against them, said Ramkumar. Transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar and joint commissioner of police (traffic) Praving Padwal claimed that sometimes, data on the MParivahan portal is not updated. But the traffic police and the transport department are liable to check if their vehicles have valid PUC and fitness certificates, said Padwal. Mumbai, Dec 5 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said he would lead a march to the Mumbai office of Adani Group on December 16 claiming that the government was apparently favouring the business conglomerate with the Dharavi redevelopment project. HT Image Several suspicious decisions have been taken to favour Adani Group for the Dharavi redevelopment project. It also includes a TDR (Transferable Development Rights) sale clause which will benefit the Adani group significantly. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here "To protect the interest of the residents of the Dharavi area, Shiv Sena will march to the Adani Group office on December 16. I will lead the rally on Saturday," Thackeray told reporters. The Maharashtra government in July formally awarded the 259-hectare Dharavi Redevelopment project to an Adani Group firm. Thackeray wondered whether the state government was trying to favour the Adani Group at the cost of residents of Dharavi, a sprawling slum colony. "Enough information is available about the Dharavi redevelopment project which raises suspicion about whether the government is trying to benefit Adani at the cost of Dharavi residents, Thackeray added. Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) ally Congress had last month organised a protest rally in Mumbai demanding the cancellation of the Dharavi redevelopment project contract alleging discrepancies in the issuance of the work order. The project, which reportedly has a revenue potential of 20,000 crore, involves rebuilding the Dharavi slum sprawl in central Mumbai, located near the BKC business district. It was won by Adani Properties in November last year through a competitive bidding which also saw realty major DLF and Naman Developers competing. President of the Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), Lalduhoma, who steered his party to a landslide win in the just-concluded Mizoram Assembly elections, is all set to become the northeastern states next chief minister. Zoram Peoples Movement president Lalduhoma. (PTI) The opposition party bagged 27 of the 40 seats in the state assembly pushing the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), which secured 10 seats, to a distant second spot. The other seats were bagged by the Bharatiya Janata Party (2) and the Congress (2). Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here There will be a meeting of all newly elected MLAs at the party presidents residence in Aizawl on Tuesday evening where he will be declared as the ZPM candidate for the chief ministers post, said newly elected ZPM MLA Lalthansanga who defeated MNF president and chief minister Zoramthanga. Lalduhoma, a 74-year-old Indian Police Service (IPS) officer-turned politician, had already been endorsed last year by the ZPMs elderly council, called Val Upa Council, as the partys chief ministerial candidate for this election. We are most likely to stake claim to form the next government on Wednesday. Swearing in of the new chief minister and his cabinet will be held on December 8, said Lalthansanga. According to people familiar with the matter in the ZPM, the swearing in would most likely be held at the Raj Bhawan though many in the party had wanted it to be held at a public place so that more people could take part. Speaking to HT on Monday, Lalduhoma had stated that his governments three prime focus would be welfare of farmers, fiscal reforms and strict measures to prevent corruption. To support farmers of the state, our government will procure ginger, turmeric, chilly and broomsticks at a minimum pre-determined price. The finances of the state are in shambles. We will constitute an expert committee and put fiscal reforms in place, he said. Our government will adopt a policy of zero tolerance for corruption and will grant permission to CBI to act on it. Other focus areas of the new government will be decided after the swearing in takes place, Lalduhoma added. In another development, a day after his partys loss, former chief minister Zoramthanga resigned on Tuesday as the president of the MNFa post which he had been holding since 1990. The 79-year-old submitted his resignation letter to former deputy chief minister Tawnluia, who is the senior vice-president of the party. On Tuesday, the MNF named Lalchhamdama Ralte as the partys legislature party leader in the new assembly. Bahraich Local women staged a demonstration in Bahraich on Tuesday to voice their opposition to the fencing work carried out by the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division (KWD). Forest department officials, a police team, and representatives from a local NGO intervened to address the agitation. The protesting women argued that the fencing would hinder their access to firewood from the forest and restrict the grazing of their animals. (HT Photo) Deputy director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), Rengaraju Tamilselvan, explained that the forest department initiated the fencing project to minimise human-animal conflicts. The fencing was strategically placed along sanctuary areas near residential villages, preventing wild animals from entering human settlements in search of food and water. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Additionally, the fencing aimed to reduce confusion among wild animals, which often mistake sugarcane fields for forested areas. Tensions escalated on Tuesday during fencing work in Tediha hamlet, Chahelwa village, when women working in the fields opposed the project. The opposition drew hundreds of women and villagers to the scene, resulting in a peaceful agitation. Ranger officer (RO) Katarniaghat, Anoop Kumar, attempted to persuade the women to no avail. The protesting women argued that the fencing would hinder their access to firewood from the forest and restrict the grazing of their animals. In response, a police force was deployed, and local leaders, including former minister Banshi Dhar Baudh, village head Zahid Khan, and social activists Jang Hindustan, convened to address the concerns. After a meeting, the forest department agreed to install temporary gates in the fencing, easing access for the villagers. Following this resolution, the situation de-escalated, and work resumed without further tension in the area. Speaking to HT, Station Officer (SO) Sujauli, Saurabh Singh, confirmed that work had recommenced, bringing an end to the unrest in the region. Archana Nag, a woman blackmailer who was arrested 14 months ago in a honey-trapping case following an FIR by a Dubai-based banker-turned-filmmaker, is likely to walk out of jail on Wednesday after the Orissa high court on Monday granted her bail in a case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate. Archana Nag. (File Photo) Nag, 27, was arrested in October last year along with her husband Jagabandhu Chand after a woman named Shraddhanjali Behera accused the couple of taking her obscene photos and using it to force her into honey-trapping politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats. Later, the ED arrested her under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Nag, found to be in possession of several branded cars including Audi, Ford Endeavour, expensive two-wheelers, a farmhouse and a horse, was accused of amassing 30 crore through sextortion in just two years. Though Nag was granted bail by Orissa HC in two cases lodged against her in two different police stations of Bhubaneswar, she continued to be in jail in the ED case. Also Read:Odisha blackmailing case: ED arrests Archana Nag under PMLA During the last five years, Nag and her husband hit upon the idea of luring the rich and famous into their trap using WhatsApp video calls and other social media sites. She and her husband Jagabandhu would first develop friendship with the victims by posing as a happy couple on Facebook. Jagabandhu would shortlist the victims first after which Nag chatted with them to collect their personal details and invite them to her house. She would then get intimate with them and record videos through secret cameras and later blackmail the victims, many of whom were rich and famous, said a senior police official. On social media, the couple posted photographs posing with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ministers, senior leaders as well as bureaucrats. Archanas husband identified himself as a BJD worker on his Facebook page. According to ED officials, apart from extorting people, Nag and her husband also laundered black money of influential people including some politicians and businessmen. The agency has told the SIT on Black Money, headed by former Supreme Court judge Arijit Pasayat, that it has so far traced properties worth 10 crore in Nags name. The 40th annual conference of the Association of Otorhinolaryngologists of IndiaUP AOICON-2023is going to be organised at United Institute of Medical Sciences (UIMS), Prayagraj from December 8. Organisers sharing details of UP AICON-2023 with media persons on Tuesday. (HT Photo) The mega conference is being organised by the Prayagraj branch of the association jointly with the department of ENT, UIMS, Prayagraj and would witness around 300 delegates and experts participating in it from all across Uttar Pradesh and nearby states, said Prof Mangal Singh, organising chairman and Principal/Dean, UIMS-Prayagraj. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Addressing mediapersons on Tuesday, Prof Singh said that experts from Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana and West Bengal would be attending the conference. On December 7, there will be a live cadaveric demonstration of surgical procedures for the delegates sitting in the auditorium with a two way talk-back system as part of a pre-conference workshop. It will cover operative procedures on ear, nose, throat, head, neck and skull base. On the first day of the conference on December 8, from 9am to 6pm there will be live demonstration of surgical procedures on live patients on various surgeries of ear, nose, throat, head, neck and skull base. On December 9 and 10, orations, invited lectures, keynote addresses, symposia, quiz competition poster presentations, free paper presentations by delegates will take place even as postgraduate students will be presenting papers in the competitive sessions. There will be hands-on training in ear nose, throat head, neck and skull base surgery of about 60 postgraduate students on cadavers too, said organising secretary Dr Prabhat Srivastava. Organising patron Dr LS Ojha said that some notable surgeons coming for the conference include Dr Satish Jain from Jaipur, Dr Vijayendra Honurappa from Bengaluru, Dr KK Handa from Medanta, Gurgaon, Dr Kinshuk Chaterjee and Dr Sudipto Chandra from Kolkata. Besides, senior ENT, Head, Neck and Skull Base surgeons from various medical colleges of Uttar Pradesh will also be attending this conference, he added. SASARAM: A man blamed for injuries to a woman in a case of celebratory firing last month was killed in an acid attack on Monday evening in Bihars Rohtas district. A police contingent has been deployed in the area to maintain peace (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Police said six unidentified men on two motorcycles threw acid on the deceased, Dinesh Ram, when he was walking in the Kargahar market area, not far from his house. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Dinesh Ram was rushed to the local government hospital which was not equipped to treat him. He was referred to a hospital in Varanasi 130km away. Ram died on the way. Rohtas superintendent of police Vineet Kumar said the attack was linked to old enmity between two groups. The deceased was also an accused in a celebratory firing case in which a woman from the other group was injured last month. Dinesh Ram was arrested in this case and walked out on bail just last week. People from Dinesh Rams community blocked the Sasaram-Chausa state highway with the body for more than four hours on Monday evening to demand the arrest of the accused, 25 lakh compensation and action against the police for their inaction. Senior police and administrative officers pacified the crowd and persuaded them to open the highway. Police said the two groups had clashed in July this year, and again on November 13, leading the police to book cases against both sides. Kumar said the sub-divisional magistrate and sub-divisional police officer were camping in the area and the situation was under control. Queens University Belfast is planning to invest up to 100 million over the next four years as part of its overall plan to help meet an unprecedented upsurge in demand for international students accommodation. Queens University Belfast to invest 100 million for students' accommodation(Getty Images/iStockphoto) According to a press release issued by the university, the announcement followed a recent UK-wide report by StuRents, a leading student accommodation search, property management, and data platform which revealed that the UK is set to face a shortfall of around 450,000 student beds by 2025. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here As per the release, an estimated 3,000 more rooms will be needed in Belfast within the next five years for Queens University students alone in line with an increased demand from students opting to live in high-quality student accommodation. BSEB Bihar Board class 10th and 12th date sheet released, check schedule here Additionally, a total of 55,465 Indian students were in the UK on a student visa, the data used by the UK Government in 2022 revealed. Besides, the Government of the UK had granted a total of 142,848 student visas to Indian nationals in June 2023, the Home Office informed. The growth plan: The university at Dublin Road, Laganbank, and Brunswick Street are the three locations selected as part of the accommodation growth plan, within the Queens ambitious Strategy 2030, the release stated. The range of highly sustainable accommodation will create additional places for Queens students, staff, and their families. Caroline Young, Vice President of Students and Corporate Services at Queens said: We have been aware of and planning for a major increase in demand for student accommodation in recent years, and through this significant investment, we are ensuring we are prepared to respond effectively. There is a specific focus on the need for high quality, affordable, and safe housing options, near Queens. IIT Kanpur Placements 2023: 485 jobs offered on day 1 She added, Securing these three sites close to Queens and the city center, is not only putting us on the front foot in terms of keeping our best students at home and attracting others from elsewhere, but it will also have a hugely positive effect on the city as a whole in terms of attracting developers, businesses and better services and crucially will help deliver Belfast City Council Agenda for 66,000 more residents living in our city center by 2030. Members of the Delhi University's Academic Council and a teachers' body on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh calling for an urgent meeting to discuss "irregularities" in 12 colleges highlighted by Delhi Education Minister Atishi in a recent letter to the Centre. Members of DU's Academic Council, teachers' body write to VC, condemn Atishi's letter to Centre Condemning Atishi's letter, the Indian National Teachers Congress (INTEC) said that a significant policy matter pertaining to these 12 colleges was presented before Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan without consulting the stakeholders. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Atishi wrote the letter to Pradhan on Friday flagging "irregularities and procedural lapses involving hundreds of crores of rupees from the public exchequer" in 12 Delhi University colleges that are funded by the city government. She said since these colleges are "directly affiliated with DU", they're not answerable to the Delhi government for the judicious utilisation of funds. She suggested that the colleges can either be merged and brought under the Delhi government or the Centre may disaffiliate them and take their full control and in that case, the Delhi government will stop allocating funds to them. The memorandum said, "The letter erroneously categorises these 12 colleges as 'affiliated' when in fact, they are 'constituent' colleges of the University of Delhi and are inseparable from the university." "The Delhi government's intent to transform these colleges into Autonomous Degree Granting Colleges under clause 10.3 of the New Education Policy (NEP) clearly signals a privatisation agenda, rendering education unaffordable for economically weaker sections," it said. The memorandum further said a special Executive Meeting should be convened urgently by the Delhi University to deliberate on this issue and arrive at a decisive resolution. In a statement, INTEC "unequivocally" condemned Atishi's letter concerning the 12 colleges that receive 100 per cent funding from the Delhi government. It also condemned the city government's proposal to disaffiliate these colleges from Delhi University and designate them to Ambedkar University or Delhi Skills and Entrepreneurship University, saying that not only do these universities have exorbitant fee structures, they also do not offer science stream courses. The teachers' body alleged that insufficient allocation of grants to these colleges has plunged them into a severe financial crisis, and salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff are often delayed for several months. Additionally, there are pending arrears amounting to crores of rupees for teachers who have been promoted in the last one and a half years, it claimed. The University of Sheffield, UK has announced the Delhi Public School Society (DPS) Undergraduate Merit Scholarship in 2024. The University of Sheffield, UK has announced the Delhi Public School Society (DPS) Undergraduate Merit Scholarship in 2024. The scholarship is available for new students joining the University in 2024 from a Delhi Public School Society (DPS) institution. (Representative image) According to a press release, the scholarship is worth 10,000 (INR 10,56,182) towards the tuition fee for an undergraduate degree program starting in autumn 2024. Additionally, the scholarship is available for new students joining the University in 2024 from a Delhi Public School Society (DPS) institution in India. The release further states that applicants must hold an offer to study at the University of Sheffield before applying for the scholarship. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here HTET 2023 answer key released, raise objections at bseh.org.in; Direct link to check answer key Students must apply for the scholarship by 1 PM (UK Time) on April 22, 2024. The names of the scholarship winners will be announced on Wednesday 15 May 2024. Selected candidates will be asked to confirm acceptance of their scholarship and firm their offer by a fixed date. Logical Reasoning series: Solving questions on Calendars The Eligibility criteria Applicants must be studying at a Delhi Public School Society (DPS) institution in India. All applicants should receive an offer to study a full-time or part-time undergraduate degree or foundation degree program at the University of Sheffield before applying for the scholarship. Additionally, applicants must receive an offer for a course studied in full at the University of Sheffield. All undergraduate degree courses are eligible with the exceptions of Medicine (A100/A101) and Dentistry (A200). Degree programs split between the University of Sheffield and a partner institution are not eligible to apply for a scholarship. Applicants should not be sponsored students. All MArch programs are to be considered postgraduate taught programs and are not eligible for any undergraduate scholarships. The University of Sheffield will reserve the right to review and change scholarship provisions. For more information, visit the official website New York, Dec 5 (PTI) An animated short film, with Michelin-star chef and filmmaker Vikas Khanna and Oscar-winner Guneet Monga as executive co-producers, shines the spotlight on inclusivity, kindness, resilience and acceptance through the real-life story of its protagonist - an American Sikh "superhero". HT Image Khanna and Monga, who won the Oscar this year for The Elephant Whisperers, are Executive Producers of the Oscar-qualified American Sikh, an animated short film directed by Ryan Westra with a run time of just under 10 minutes that tells the real-life story of US-born, turban-clad Sikh Vishavjit Singh. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here I always saw the superheroes in Sikhs, Khanna said as he hosted a special screening of the film at his residence here. He underlined that Sikhs are always among the first to respond with help and support during calamities and difficult times. Sikhs were always superheroes. They have been the protectors of our daughters, mothers, Amritsar-born Khanna said, adding that he had always found shelter, food, love, care and a sense of belonging in Gurudwaras. So for me to be associated with this (film) was very, very clear, Khanna said. It takes guts and courage to stand up and to fight evil and hate with so much compassion and love, he said, adding that it takes immense courage to not accept what people think and change their perception, which Singh is endeavouring to do with his film and work. India celebrates diversity like no one else, Khanna said, adding that he aims to take this story about Sikhs to a much larger audience. We have to tell people who we are - it could be through restaurants, books, TV, documentaries, movies. The makers of the film are on a journey to get 'American Sikh shortlisted for Best Animated Short at the Oscars next year. Later this month, the film will be screened at the Asia Society and at the Sikh International Film Festival in the city. Singh, who is the films director/producer, is a New York City-based illustrator, writer, performance artist and creator of Sikhtoons.com. Through the animated short, the Washington-DC-born Singh tells his story of living in India in his younger years and then returning to America as an adult, the challenges he faced, not feeling welcomed and trying to fit in the American society. I felt a new desire to stand out as myself rather than blend in as no one, Singh narrates in the film. The short film also chronicles the struggles Sikhs faced in the US in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks, being abused and attacked for wearing turbans and being called names such as Terrorist and Osama bin Laden. Singh states in the film that after the 9/11 attacks, he went from being seen as an outsider to being seen as a villain. It is then that he decides to don this new identity of Sikh Captain America. Sikh Captain America is changing the narrative on Sikhs (and anyone else who may not look traditionally American) creating a new American hero that challenges societal expectations and norms. This film also follows his journey of accepting his own identity, according to the films website. People have grown up idolising superheroes for decades. Sikh Captain America may not fight evil monsters, but he takes on hate and intolerance that are sadly still very much part of our contemporary society. Thats why an animated documentary, much like the superhero cartoons weve all grown up watching, is such a unique way to raise awareness about Sikhs domestically and internationally in a style that people of all cultures and ages can enjoy, it says. Underscoring the importance of spreading awareness about Sikhism, Singh stressed that children in schools across America must be educated about Sikhs. We (have) got to work with kidsWe need to have Asian American Pacific Islanders, including Sikh stories in our schools. Not just learning about who Sikhs are and where they hail from. If you're born here, start your story here, Singh said. My hope is certainly yes, I'm telling Sikh stories but I want to create films that have a lot of different characters. You want to tell a really beautiful story, and then let people ask questions, Singh said. Singh added that nearly 600 people have supported him and his short film. He said that in this journey many strangers have come forward, showing empathy and extending their support to him over the years. Go out and just take care of strangers. If you see somebody down, just take care of them, Singh says. The screening events co-host, CEO and co-founder of digital agency Digimentors Sree Sreenivasan said that in the aftermath of 9/11, the Sikh community was attacked, targeted and called names but the Sikhs went out of their way and took the blows and tried to educate others about their identities and culture. Responding to a question on anti-semitism in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Singh said Right now, its a very strange time we're living in where anti-semitism and Islamophobia both are peaking. And then as an extension, Sikhs and others are also getting targeted. It's a very difficult moment. IN MOST THRILLERS it is easy to distinguish between the virtuous and the villainous. Towards the political end of the genre, however, the line becomes blurred. Tales of anti-government whistleblowers , which hinge on keystrokes rather than killings, epitomise this tension. Someone who breaks the law in service of a broader justice makes for a complicated protagonist. In a drama that creates a compelling character, such as the rogue cop of Luther, the BBC s detective thriller. But in stories based on real life, portraying the person behind intelligence leaks as evidently good or badand therefore one viewers can get behind or notmeans taking a political stance. The latest of this subgenre, Reality, which is now available on Max (the streaming platform formerly known as HBO Max), skilfully avoids doing so. The film (pictured) masterfully adapts the transcript from the FBIs interrogation of Reality Winner, a 25-year-old intelligence linguist who in 2017 stuffed a top-secret document down her tights before leaving the National Security Agency (NSA) contractors office in Georgia where she was employed. The report detailed Russias efforts to interfere in the presidential election of 2016, when Americans voted Donald Trump into office. In the film, Ms Winner comes off as both sophisticated and childish. She is an air-force veteran who speaks three languages and owns three guns (one of which is a pink AR-15 rifle), yet sleeps under a Pikachu duvet and wears yellow Converse with no laces. Infuriated by Mr Trump repeatedly dismissing allegations of Russian hackingand by Fox News blaring re-runs of him above her cubicle at workMs Winner felt the world needed to know what she had seen on the NSA intranet. The film inches towards her confession, which comes a full hour in, told to a pair of detectives in an empty back room of her suburban home. Blown away by the richness of the transcript, Tina Satter, the director of Reality, crafted the screenplay using only the words spoken by Ms Winner and the agents on that day. (Ms Satter spun the film out of her acclaimed play of 2019, Is This a Room, which was also a verbatim production based on the FBIs arrest.) The result is a film which offers insight into the psyche of an atypical young woman whose life is about to radically change. Cast as the protagonist, Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus, Euphoria) captures her characters ordeal magnificently, expressing herself through darting eyes and subtle smirks. Unlike other films about anti-government leakers, Reality resists judging Ms Winners decision to spill state secrets. In The Fifth Estate (2013), a platinum-haired Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, as bruised, maladjusted and forcefully ambitious. Other whistleblowers, meanwhile, are more unequivocally celebrated. Edward Snowden, an American national-security contractor, hand-picked Laura Poitras, a documentary-maker, to film him in a hotel room in Hong Kong as he divulged as many as 200,000 classified documents about government mass surveillance to two reporters. The resulting documentary, Citizenfour (2014), paints Mr Snowden as prudent and self-sacrificing; the viewer admires, perhaps grudgingly, the hacks diligence. Official Secrets (2019) is a more dramatised picture: Keira Knightley plays Katharine Gun, a translator working at GCHQ, Britains equivalent of the NSA. In 2003 Ms Gun leaked a classified memo to the press about an operation to gather intelligence that would help America bully members of the UN Security Council into authorising the invasion of Iraq. Between scenes of her fervently shouting at the television and fooling around in bed with her curly-haired husband, a daring and principled (albeit exceptionally ordinary) warrior emerges. Ms Gun was charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act, but was eventually vindicated: prosecutors dropped the case against her in 2004. These movies present their protagonists in a way that may be at odds with the publics perception of whistleblowers. Americans of all political stripes were split in 2014 as to whether Mr Snowden had served or harmed the public interest; still, most thought the government should prosecute him. (Mr Snowden has evaded capture in Moscow.) As for Ms Winner, a court sentenced her in 2018 to 63 months in prison, the longest penalty ever imposed for an unauthorised release of classified information to the media. (She was released in 2021 for good behaviour.) Yet her case has drawn both less support and less outrage. Ms Satter, one of the few who paid attention, was drawn to her character, not her politics. In 1991 Ronald Winner chose to name his daughter Reality in the hope that she would grow up to be a real winner. On June 3rd 2017, as her home was being raided by detectives, it seemed Reality Winner had lost. In watching the film some will celebrate her takedown; others who believe her actions were justified will condemn it. Reality makes room for both. Reality is streaming on Max now and will be released in Britain on June 2nd Filmmaker Karan Johar on Monday said his superstar friend Shah Rukh Khan will not be appearing in the current season of popular celebrity chat show, Koffee with Karan Season 8. Shah Rukh was a regular on the chat show, but has stayed away from it in the last few seasons. (Also Read: Koffee with Karan 8: Kiara Advani reveals Sidharth Malhotra proposed to her in Rome before coming on last season. Watch) Shah Rukh Khan on his last appearance on Koffee with Karan in Season 5 What Karan said Karan said as a friend, he understands and respects Shah Rukh Khans decision and will approach him when the time is right. I just know if there is any megastar who has earned his right to speak when he needs to, it is Shah Rukh Khan. I, of all the people, have been his closest friend and family and should understand that. I have that leverage because he is family to me, the filmmaker said at an event of Koffee With Karan in Mumbai on Monday evening. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here I can ask him and request him and he has never said no to me. So, I never asked because I know he didnt want to be in that situation of dilemma, where he has to say no to me. I pick and choose what I ask for, he said. Karan said he is also waiting for the right time to invite the superstar on the show. When the right time is there, I will ask him. I know when he has to want to speak, he will. When he does, itll be extraordinary because no one gives interviews better than Shah Rukh Khan. Nobody speaks better than him, he said. Karan added that he speaks with Shah Rukh every other day. I dont miss him that way, because I have Koffee with Karan with him every night. Almost every evening, Shah Rukh, Gauri (Khan, wife), his family and I meet. Im having those conversations. I understand why you might miss him, but Im satiated because hes a big, huge part of my existence, he added. Shah Rukh has not given any media interviews in the last four years, except for promotional press events and #AskSRK sessions on social media. About Koffee with Karan Season 8 Karan, who has collaborated with Shah Rukh on various films such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), and My Name is Khan (2010) among others, is currently hosting the eighth season of the popular chat show on Disney+ Hotstar. This season had guests like Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, Sara Ali Khan and Ananya Panday, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan, and Rani Mukherji and Kajol. The next episode will feature Kiara Advani and Vicky Kaushal. A new episode of Koffee with Karan Season 8 drops every Thursday at midnight. On the work front, Shah Rukh will be next seen in Dunki. - With inputs from PTI Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place. Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, mocked Paris Hilton's cookware brand after her media company, 11:11, withdrew a deal from X (formerly Twitter). Paris Hilton's 11:11 Media joined IBM and Apple in pulling ads from X after Musk supported a post containing antisemitic content. The billionaire apologized afterward, but the antisemitic post resulted in major backlash, causing the businessman to lose business deals one after another. File - Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, gestures during an event with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London on Nov. 2, 2023. IBM has stopped advertising on X after a report said its ads were appearing alongside material praising Adolf Hitler and Nazis. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)(AP) Elon Musk takes swipe at Paris Hilton's cookware line Taking to the microblogging platform, the 52-year-old businessman took a jab at the actress and wrote The ad campaign wasnt super convincing tbh,I dont think Paris cooks a lot. Despite Musk's supposedly angry response, many fans rallied behind Paris Hilton, acknowledging her longstanding efforts in building a brand centered around food-related interests. She even hosted a Netflix series titled Cooking with Paris in 2021 which was a good debut. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Bruce Gersh the COO of 11:11 Media in a statement to CNN said The company decided to immediately pull the campaign from the platform. Nevertheless, the statement made no mention of whether the suspension was temporary or permanent. Initially, Paris Hilton partnered with Elon Musk to advertise her pink cookware collection, known as the Be An Icon Collection, which is available at Walmart shops across the nation. The original idea was to split the revenue with X. Elon Musk's antisemitic row explained A few days ago Elon Musk responded to a tweet claiming Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them. In response, the CEO and chief technology officer of SpaceX said "You have said the actual truth." Big businesses like IBM, NBC Universal, and Comcast ceased airing advertisements on Elon Musk's platform, X (previously Twitter), because of concerns expressed by Media Matters regarding anti-Semitic content. American actor Jamie Foxx has been staying out of public sight since his mystery illness in April. The 55-year-old comedian was hospitalised after experiencing a medical emergency on a film set. After six months of recovery, the Day Shift star made a surprise appearance at the Critics Choice Associations Celebration of Cinema & Television Honoring Black, Latino & AAPI. During the event, Foxx fought back tears as he spoke about how difficult the heath scare had been for him. FILE - Jamie Foxx attends day two of Homecoming Weekend, Feb. 12, 2022, in West Hollywood, Calif. When New York's Adult Survivors Act expired on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, more than 3,700 legal claims had been filed, with many of the last few coming against big-name celebrities, such as Foxx, and a handful of politicians. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)(Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Jamie Foxx opens up on hospitalisation Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here As Foxx took the stage to accept the Vanguard award from the presenter and his co-star Jurnee Smollett, he gave an emotional speech at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City. I couldnt do that six months ago, I couldnt actually walk to [the stage]. And Im not a clone, Im not a clone. I know a lot of people saying that I was cloned out there, Foxx said according to the Hollywood Reporter. The Django Unchained star spoke for about 12 minutes, leaving the crowed stunned over his gruelling trauma. It feels good to be here. I cherish every single minute now, its different, he continued. He explained that he wouldn't wish for anyone to ever be in such a tough situation. I wouldnt wish what I went though on my worst enemy because its tough when its almost over, when you see the tunnel, Foxx said. I saw the tunnel, I didnt see the light. It was hot in that tunnel too, I dont know where I was going. St, am I going to the right place? he added. Foxx's first update after health scare Foxx first addressed his health issues back in July via an Instagram post. I went through something that I thought I would never ever go through. I know a lot of people were waiting or wanting to what updates, but to be honest with you, I just didnt want you to see me like that man I didnt want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was gonna make it through, he wrote. The 38th Golden Disc Awards (GDA) 2023 unveils its initial performer lineup, featuring Billboard sensation NewJeans, K-pop legends Stray Kids, rising star ZEROBASEONE, the dynamic ENHYPEN, and many more. Hosted by ASTROs Cha Eun Woo and Sung Si Kyung, the prestigious event is set to enthrall fans at the Jakarta International Stadium in Indonesia this January. Explore the event details now! 38th Golden Disc Awards (X) Also read: 38th Golden Disc Awards: BTS' Jungkook and Jimin get nods for Best Digital Song, check out full list of nominations Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here 38th Golden Disc Award first performer lineup On December 5, the organizers dropped the first artist lineup which includes a mixture of fourth and fifth-generation K-pop groups. NewJeans, SEVENTEEN, STAYC, Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, and ZEROBASEONE are scheduled to perform at the opening night of the star-studded musical night. The organizing committee unveiled the list of nominees in several important categories on December 4th, the same day that the official website for the coveted annual award event went live. Artists who have won major awardsBonsang in the Album Division and Bonsang in the Digital Song Division got a special shoutout. 38th Golden Disc Award date and venue For those curious, the 38th Golden Disc Award will take place on January 6, 2024, at 9 p.m. Korean Standard Time (7:00 AM Eastern Time, 5:30 PM Indian Standard Time). Jakarta International Stadium in Indonesia will play host to this grand event. Rookie groups engage in tight competition with seasoned K-pop acts This time rookie groups like NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, FIFTY-FIFTY, and others can be seen giving a good fight to K-pop legends like BTS and BLACKPINK. The list includes impressive tracks such as G)I-DLE's Queencard, aespa's Spicy, AKMU's Love Lee, DK's (), FIFTY FIFTY's Cupid, H1-KEY's Rose Blossom, IVE's I Am, LE SSERAFIM's Unforgiven featuring Nile Rodgers, NCT Dream's Candy, NewJeans' Ditto battling against Jungkook's Seven featuring Latto, Jimin's Like Crazy, Jisoo's Flower, and Taeyang's VIBE featuring Jimin. The competition promises an exciting showcase of diverse and exceptional musical talents. It was a big break for Annapurna Soni, when she got finalised for the role of one of the pivotal characters in the Netflix original The Railway Men based on the Bhopal gas tragedy. Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, she was more than familiar with the tragedy and its impact, but working on the show helped her uncover undisclosed truths. In an exclusive Interview with Hindustan Times, she talks about the series and her journey in showbiz. Also read: The Railway Men review Annapurna Soni reveals how Babil (right), as well as Kay Kay, helped her on Netflix's The Railway Men. On her role Talking about her The Railway Men character, Annapurna said, "It is a very different character. My first audition was for the young girl, who is getting married. Later, I auditioned at studios and the ADs told me they were ready to finalise me with the first audition itself. Then, I got this role of Shazia. This is the most time I have given for a character. Shazia is very different from my real life personality." Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Talking about her preparation, she said that she read news items, and watched videos of research about the tragedy. The director, Shiv Rawail, and her co-star's also helped her get into the zone. I can tell you about a life-changing experience during the shoot of The Railway Men. I was conscious while shooting the hospital scene with Babil Khan. I had read my lines and all but was a little conscious so I had asked director Shiv to get my close shots first. Babil agreed to give me the cue and he sat below the camera lens to give the cues. I looked in his eyes and suddenly felt lost. I could only see his one eye and it looked so huge.. .it was a different feel. After the entire take, I could not even realise what I was doing. My mind stopped working. Everyone else was applauding the take, but the joy I got in that moment I realised 'This is what I want and this is what brought me to acting. Annapurna Soni in a still from The Railway Men. On working with Kay Kay and R Madhavan Talking about her experience of working with stalwarts like Kay Kay and R Madhavan in The Railway Men, Annapurna said, "I was supposed to shoot right after Kay Kay's take, and he was shooting the railway station sequence, which was taking a lot of time because it is a crowded scene. After many takes, the entire set started panicking, but he kept doing it again and again. The way he behaved with junior artists was amazing." She added that she is not starstruck, but she got to learn a lot about dealing with stardom working with Kay Kay and R Madhavan. "They patiently teach and guide young ones like us and are so humble with everyone around." She also said she was happy to see Babil introduce her to his team as Shazia (her character in the show). On her earlier work Recalling the time she worked on Debashish Makhija's short film Cheepatakadumpa, Annapurna said, "It was all improvisation. He gave us such freedom to explore the idea that we experimented a lot and arrived at something that turned out to be so much fun." The short film explores female orgasms in a fun manner and is available on YouTube. Recalling her earlier days as an aspiring actor, Annapurna said that her family, especially her elder brother, dealt with much more struggles than she did. "My father was not sure of the profession as we did not know much about acting and the industry in our town. But people around us would taunt them even when I was in NSD (National School of Drama). They told my family 'Beti nachaniya ban gayi (Your daughter is a dancer),' when I got work in films. My brother had a parallel struggle explaining things to my parents, dealing with people criticising me and finding ways to convince my parents." Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place New Delhi: Around 13,626 reserved category students from the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) have dropped out of the central universities (CUs), the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) over the last five years, minister of state for education Subhas Sarkar informed the Lok Sabha on Monday. The data was submitted in response to a question by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Ritesh Pandey in Lok Sabha. (ANI) The data was submitted in response to a question by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Ritesh Pandey about the number of drop-outs from central universities, IITs, IIMs and National Law Universities (NLUs) over the last five years. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Responding to the question, Sarkar said, in the last five years, around 4,596 OBC, 2,424 SC, and 2,622 ST students have dropped out of central universities; 2,066 OBCs, 1,068 SCs, and 408 STs from IITs; and 163 OBCs, 188 SCs, and 91 STs from IIMs. NLUs have been established under the Acts enacted by the respective state legislatures and as such they are the state universities. No such data on dropout students from NLUs is maintained by the central government, he added. Explaining the possible reason behind the drop-outs, Sarkar said students have multiple options in the higher education sector and they choose to migrate across institutions and from one course/programme to another in the same institution. The migration/withdrawal, if any, is mainly on account of securing seats by the students in other departments / institutions of their choice or on any personal ground, he said. Responding to a query on what the government was doing to address the issue, Sarkar said that the government has taken various steps like fee reduction, establishment of more institutes, scholarship, priority access to national level scholarships to aid the students with poor financial backgrounds to pursue their education. For the welfare of SC/ST students the schemes like waiver of tuition fees in IITs, grant of national scholarships under Central Sector Scheme, scholarships in Institutes etc. are also there, he added. He further said that in order to proactively address any issues of SC/ST students, Institutes have set up mechanisms such as SC/ST students cells, Equal Opportunity Cell, Student Grievance Cell, Student Grievance Committee, Students Social Club, Liaison officers, Liaison Committee etc. Further, University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued instructions from time to time for promoting equity and fraternity amongst students, he said. Bhopal The election on Sunday of several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of Parliament (MPs) and Union ministers to assemblies in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh has triggered speculation about a possible rejig in Prime Minister Narendra Modis council of ministers months before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Polling officials collect EVMs and other polling materials on the eve of the Telangana Assembly election, at a distribution centre in Hyderabad, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023 (PTI) The BJP wrested power from the Congress in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, while retaining power in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress only managed to win in the southern state of Telangana. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Pralhad Patel were elected to the Madhya Pradesh assembly, and Renuka Singh was elected to the Chhattisgarh House. Tomar holds the agriculture portfolio, Patel is the minister of state for food processing and Jal Shakti, and Singh is the minister of state for tribal affairs. A fourth minister who contested but could not win was Faggan Singh Kulaste, minister of state for steel and rural development. The last major rejig in the Union council happened in July 2021 when 43 ministers, including 36 new faces, were inducted. The most recent change was in May when minister of state Arjun Ram Meghwal replaced Kiren Rijiju as law minister. Rijiju was appointed as the minister for earth sciences. Among the Lok Sabha members who won in the latest round of assembly elections are Rakesh Singh, Uday Pratap Singh, and Riti Pathak from Madhya Pradesh; Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Diya Kumari, Kirori Lal Meena (Rajya Sabha MP) and Baba Balaknath from Rajasthan; and Arun Sao and Gomti Sai from Chhattisgarh. Lok Sabha MP Ganesh Singh did not win his seat in Madhya Pradesh. The new lawmakers will have 14 days after the declaration of results to resign from either Parliament or the state assembly, as per rules. Since these leaders were specifically tasked to contest the assembly polls to strengthen the partys position in their respective states, they are likely to resign from the Lok Sabha, a BJP functionary said on condition of anonymity. To be sure, some of them may also choose to quit the assembly seat and return to Parliament. According to election commission rules, all vacancies, whether in state assemblies or Parliament, must be filled within six months of arising. There is a possibility of a rejig in the council of ministers as some ministers have charge of more and a couple of ministries. There is a buzz that perhaps the central high command may want to move some faces from the states, possibly former CMs, to the Centre. These decisions will be taken by the central leadership, a second party functionary said, asking not to be named. In the three states where the BJP walked away with a stunning mandate, there is no clarity who the next CM will be. Since the party had not named any chief ministerial candidate, is remains to be seen if the incumbent Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan will continue in office. In Rajasthan, where former Vasundhara Raje is in the fray, party leaders remained non-committal about her appointment. In Chhattisgarh, too, the party is considering pocking an OBC or tribal face instead of former CM Raman Singh, who is a Thakur. The legislative party will soon take a decision on who the CMs will be, said the second functionary. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary on Tuesday said party chief Akhilesh Yadav has no plans to attend the INDIA bloc meeting which is scheduled for tomorrow. This comes a day after West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee announced skipping the upcoming meeting in which the member parties are set to chalk out the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav claimed that it was only the SP that could defeat the saffron party in the state. (File Photo) Earlier, while addressing the media, CM Banerjee said she would have rescheduled her itinerary if she had the information about the meeting. "I have got no information so I kept a programme in North Bengal. If we had the information, we wouldn't have scheduled those programmes. We would have definitely gone (for the meeting), but we have not received any information," she said. The participation of any other TMC member in the meeting is still unclear at this point. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Responding to CM Banerjee's claim, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said said the meeting by the Opposition's INDIA bloc, scheduled for tomorrow, was not called in a hurry and that it was planned even before the declaration of (assembly) election results. "This meeting was not called in a hurry. Even before the declaration of election results, this meeting was being planned...Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Uddhav Thackeray about the meeting 2 days before the election results were announced...Uddhav Thackeray will reach Delhi tomorrow and take part in the meeting," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP said. BJP takes jibe at the Opposition Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party took the opportunity to slam the Opposition alliance and said the West Bengal CM has realised that there is no future in INDIA bloc. Mamata Banerjee has understood that there is no future of the INDIA alliance that's why she is skipping the meeting, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said. BJP MP Dilip Ghosh asked the whereabouts of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who spearheaded the Opposition coalition, and said the action by Mamata Banerjee is confusing people. "This is their internal matter. Where is the INDIA alliance? They had tea together thrice and became an alliance. Nitish Kumar took up its leadership. Where is he today? He doesn't attend the meetings. Mamata Banerjee went there and saw that nothing was going to come out of it so she then sent her nephew. Now, she too doesn't go and says that she doesn't know about it...People are confused," he said. Hyderabad Commuters on a road waterlogged due to heavy rain owing to Cyclone Michaung, in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. (PTI) The coastal administration has been put on high alert as Andhra Pradesh is bracing up for cyclone Michaung, set to make landfall near Bapatla in Guntur district on Tuesday afternoon. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The cyclone is expected to hit the coastline at a speed of 90-110 kmph, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The weather system is expected to persist until December 7 and thereafter become a deep depression. A red alert has been issued in West Godavari and Dr Ambedkar Konaseema districts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Nellore, Prakasam, Krishna, Bapatla, and Guntur in South Coastal region, and Tirupati, Chittoor, Annammayya and YSR Kadapa districts in the Rayalaseema region. Chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy held a meeting on Monday with the collectors of eight coastal districts to review cyclone preparedness. Special funds have been allocated to the collectors of the vulnerable districts to evacuate people from low-lying areas and the path of the cyclone and provide food, dry ration at relief camps. Bapatla district collector P Ranjit Basha said the primary focus was on preventing the loss of lives and livestock. The chief minister told the collectors that priority should be given to safeguarding crops, especially the freshly harvested paddy lying at procurement centres, a press release from the chief ministers office said. The state government procured 97,000 tonne paddy on Sunday while 650,000 tonne has been moved to safe storage locations. As many as 181 relief camps have been set up. Five NDRF and five SDRF teams have been deployed in the eight districts. Each family sheltered at relief camps would be given 2,500 while returning home and individuals would be given 1,000 to compensate for loss of livelihood. The families would also be given 25 kg of rice, pulses, palm oil, onions, and potatoes. Besides restoring power lines and transportation facilities in affected areas, steps should be taken to ensure proper sanitation in and around the relief camps, the chief minister told the officials. The IMD has warned that North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh will experience heavy rains over the next two days. School education commissioner S Suresh Kumar asked the authorities of educational institutions to declare holidays based on the storms severity. The impact of the cyclonic storm was seen in Tirupati and Nellore districts on Sunday as Doravarisatram in Tirupati and rural mandals in Nellore recorded the highest rainfall of 11 cm in the last 24 hours. Kota and Sullurpeta mandals in Tirupati district reported 10 cm rainfall. In yet another cross-border love story, a Pakistani woman on Tuesday crossed over to India from the Wagah-Attari International border to marry her fiance residing in Kolkata. According to reports, the Karachi resident, identified as Javeria Khanum, has been granted a visa for 45 days. Javeria Khanum and Sameer Khan(Twitter) Khanum, who is set to marry her fiance in January next year, Sameer Khan, was welcomed by him and his family at the Attari border to the beats of dhol. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Speaking to the media, Khanum said that the Covid-19 pandemic stalled their plans for around five years as her visa was rejected twice earlier, reported PTI. I have been granted a 45-day visa. I am very happy to be here. Just on arrival, I am already getting so much love here. In the first week of January, the marriage will be solemnised, she told the media. "It is a happy ending and a happy beginning. Everyone back home was very happy. I cant believe I have got the visa after five years, she said, as quoted by PTI. According to Khan, he expressed interest in marrying Khanum after seeing her photo on his mothers phone. This started in May 2018I had come home from Germany where I was studying. I saw her photo on my mother's phone and expressed my interest. I told my mother that I want to get married to Javeria, he said. In the recent past, several such cross-border marriages or couples have come into the limelight. It started when a Pakistani national identified as Seema Haider crossed the Indian border via Nepal to marry a Noida-based man Sachin Meena. Their relationship became one of the key topics for debate. Meanwhile, in July, an Indian woman, Anju, went to Pakistan to marry her Facebook friend Nasrullah. However, she recently returned to India via the Wagah border. (With inputs from PTI) The Opposition bloc, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), will conduct its fourth meeting in Delhi tomorrow, however with the members of Parliament. According to member of Congress Working Committee Gurdeep Singh Sappal, the Opposition alliance will move ahead with the co-ordination meeting, which is likely to talk about the strategy and sharing of seats ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, with the MPs of different member parties. However, a meeting of party chiefs of the member parties will be convened in the third week of December. Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders hold a meeting in Mumbai on September 1. (Hindustan Times) A coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of India Alliance will be at 6 pm on December 6th, 2023 at the residence of Congress President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge. Thereafter, meeting of Party Presidents/ Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in the third week of December at a date convenient to all, the Congress leader wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The December 6 meeting will be held at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi, where all 28 members of the coalition are likely to chalk out the final strategy to take on the ruling BJP in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The main agenda of the meeting is likely to be surrounding the sharing of seats. At least three heads of member parties including West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav have decided to skip the meeting. While all the key leaders say they are occupied with prearranged events, the Bengal CM claimed she was not made aware of the meeting in advance. "I have got no information so I kept a programme in North Bengal. If we had the information, we wouldn't have scheduled those programmes. We would have definitely gone (for the meeting), but we have not received any information," Banerjee said during a media briefing. Among other leaders, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin will not attend the meeting, ANI reported citing sources. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is also likely to skip the huddle owing to his illness. The INDIA bloc had convened three meetings so far Patna on June 23; Bengaluru on July 17-18; Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. BJP takes jibe at the Opposition Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party took the opportunity to slam the Opposition alliance and said the West Bengal CM has realised that there is no future in INDIA bloc. Mamata Banerjee has understood that there is no future of the INDIA alliance that's why she is skipping the meeting, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said. BJP MP Dilip Ghosh asked the whereabouts of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who spearheaded the Opposition coalition, and said the action by Mamata Banerjee is confusing people. "This is their internal matter. Where is the INDIA alliance? They had tea together thrice and became an alliance. Nitish Kumar took up its leadership. Where is he today? He doesn't attend the meetings. Mamata Banerjee went there and saw that nothing was going to come out of it so she then sent her nephew. Now, she too doesn't go and says that she doesn't know about it...People are confused," he said. New Delhi Elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were unusual in the sense that Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Ashok Gehlot, the incumbent chief ministers, turned them into referendums on their personae and policies. There was no tangible anti-incumbency against the leadership of either OBC (other backward classes ) leader. But one succeeded, the other failed. Polling officials collect EVMs and other polling materials on the eve of the Telangana Assembly election, at a distribution centre in Hyderabad, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. (PTI) While Chouhan scripted history for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), beating back an 18-year-long anti-incumbency to reignite popular connect with a thumping majority, the Congresss Gehlot ended up repeating it. The latter failed to alter the desert states record of dumping regimes every five years. In the manner of a habituated enchantress, the electorate spurned his over-the-top overtures to walk the other way. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Having first assumed office in 2005, Chouhan was a four-time CM aiming to get lucky the fifth time, and he did. As both sought to ride back to power on overabundant welfarism, what exactly distinguished their campaign? At first glance, it was the BJP leaders focussed messaging combined with the chemistry he engendered with his constituents. Amid incessant talk and visible signs of him being cold-shouldered by the partys central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CM ventured to revive his jaded charisma by approaching the people directly. At one public meeting, he asked his audience: Tell me whether Im running a good or a bad government? Should the government continue; should mama become CM [again] or not? The emotional pitch worked. People responded resoundingly, and his appeal became one of the factors that have the BJP a majority bigger than it ever got. The beneficiary class Chouhan so assiduously nurtured among the women voters was too possessive of his cash-transfer-based affirmative action model. Elections were for them the time to reciprocate, to pay back for the goodies. Questions remain, however, on whether the incumbent will continue in office. His supporters have put him within striking distance. Yet the final call will be of the central command on continuing with him or effecting a generational shift. The Congress, too, had on offer a bagful of sops to attract voters in a climate considered ripe for political change. That did not happen as the party ran a lethargic campaign; its communication strategy falling far short of the ruling partys. It couldnt also capitalise on the deep resentment in the BJP cadres against Chouhan. Their complaint was against a cabal around the CM and his perfunctory care for party workers in his fourth term. In retrospect, it appears the BJP, which is a way more disciplined party than the Congress, could mollify disenchanted foot soldiers with the help of its ideological fountainhead, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The formidable challenge it eventually staged in tandem with the Sangh neutralised the voters fatigue. Congresss shortcomings For its part, the Congress lacked matching logistics and a leader with Chouhans peoples skills. Its CM face, Kamal Naths public outreach did not have the kind of personal appeal his principal rival marshalled to cover up his myriad shortcomings, ranging from graft in government recruitments to paper leaks that had the youth up in arms. Lauded by needy women across urban-rural and caste divides, the Ladli Behna monthly cash-transfer scheme -- a brainchild of Chouhans firewalled the BJP against the Congresss attacks. If at all, the Congresss pledge to restore the old pension scheme had only a niche appeal among government employees. In a nutshell, the people went with the incumbents on-going delivery against the alternatives promise! Gehlots solo flight Given his soft, accessible persona, the welfare schemes Gehlot thought up, albeit late in his tenure, had resonance across the state. What actually did him in, was the I, me, myself campaign he choreographed to retain the CMs office on making the party win on his face. In that pursuit, he fought and got tickets for a whole lot of sitting legislators who had saved his government during Sachin Pilots 2020 rebellion. That cost him dear in the face of the anti-incumbent mood in an election contested on local issues in several constituencies. Another debilitating factor was his failure to tie-up with smaller parties. The winners magic which eluded the CM, who takes pride in being an amateur magician, as much had its genesis in his self-promoting solo act. The real trick wouldve been the CM going around hand-in-hand with his former deputy, remarked a party insider. The wondrous spectacle couldve built the perception of a united Congress, addressing at once the ruffled sentiments of Pilots Gujjar clansmen over him being denied the CMs office. That never happened. The community which is electorally influential in many assembly seats of eastern Rajasthan remained alienated. On Rahul Gandhis intervention, Pilot was eventually provided a chopper in the final leg of the campaign post-Diwali. But, by then, the BJP had covered huge ground, leaving the Congress far behind. It clearly did not have the discipline, the unity, and the work culture required to defeat a behemoth thats the BJP. Looking back, it seems the Congress deserved the defeat it faced in the two big Hindi heartland battlegrounds. Insult got added to injury when it slipped massively in the presumed safe state of Chattisgarh. The hearing of the case relating to delays by the Union government in processing the collegiums recommendations on judicial appointments could not take place on Tuesday after it was abruptly dropped from the list of business even as the judge leading the bench clarified that though he was willing to hear the matter, some things are best left unsaid. The court hearings marked the long-running standoff between the judiciary and the executive on a timeline for appointment to constitutional courts (HT file photo) The case was listed before a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia, which has been monitoring the steps taken by the Centre in acting on the collegiums recommendations for appointing and transferring judges. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Justice Kaul demits office on December 25. However, his last day in office will be December 15 (Friday) because the Supreme Court goes on a winter break starting December 18 (Monday next). It is likely that justice Kaul may not hear the case again before his retirement and the matter will be listed before a new bench in January. Also read- Right to approach court is heart of Constitution: CJI Chandrachud Over the last few hearings, the bench has repeatedly reproached the Centre for sitting over several collegium recommendations while also calling the latters selective decisions on appointment and transfer of judges troublesome. The court hearings marked the long-running standoff between the judiciary and the executive on a timeline for appointment to constitutional courts. The government was expected to revert on Tuesday with the status of over two dozen recommendations that the collegium has made over different points in time. While the case appeared in the list of business published on Monday evening as directed by the bench on the last date of hearing on November 20 -- it was later dropped from the list. Wondering over the development, advocate Prashant Bhushan complained that the case was suddenly deleted from the list. Responding, justice Kaul said that the deletion was not at the instance of his bench. I will just say one thing. I have not deleted the matter, the judge told Bhushan, who replied that the court must ask for an explanation from the registry for deleting the matter despite a specific directive on November 20 for listing it on December 5. (I) had not deleted it or expressed unwillingness to take it up...I am sure the Chief Justice is aware of it (deletion)...Yesterday evening, I found it was deleted. I checked up, justice Kaul told Bhushan. The lawyer called it very strange and unusual that a matter was deleted notwithstanding a judicial order. Some things are best left unsaid sometimes. I clarify that it is not that I have deleted the matter or that I am unwilling to take the matter both, said justice Kaul. Advocate Amit Pai, who appears for the petitioner, Advocate Association, Bengaluru, submitted that he would raise the issue before the Chief Justice of India. When this matter was taken up on October 9, the court observed that the collegiums recommendations could not remain in limbo, emphasising that instead of sitting on them indefinitely, the government must either notify those appointments or send them back citing specific objections. Attorney general R Venkataramani, representing the government, assured the court of some concrete steps. Also read- Collegiums proposals cant remain in limbo: SC to govt Subsequently, the government on October 16 notified the transfer of the much-delayed appointment of Delhi high court judge Siddharth Mridul as the new full-time chief justice of the Manipur high court, more than three months after the collegiums recommendation. Three judges in the high courts of Madras, and Manipur, including a judicial officer who would become the first woman from a scheduled tribe to become a judge in the Manipur high court, were also appointed on October 13. During the proceedings on November 7, the bench said that the government must stop picking and choosing from a set of collegiums recommendations, adding that the business of selective appointments has become troublesome when an element of workable trust was required between the executive and judiciary. While the memorandum of procedure (MoP), which guides the judiciary and the government in matters of the appointment and transfer of judges, is silent on the segregation of names by the latter, a former CJI had disapproved of this practice. On November 20, the bench flagged that pick and choose for appointing and transferring judges sends a wrong signal, adding the court will continue its monitoring not because it wants to take an antagonistic stand against the government but because it is necessary for the system. On the day, the court recorded in its order that six transfers were still pending. The order added that while eight candidates have not been appointed from recommendations made since July, five reiterated names and five names recommended for the first time are also pending. Leaders from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) on Tuesday launched an attack on chief minister Siddaramaiah over his recent remarks at a convention of Muslim religious leaders in Hubballi, where he announced that he would ensure increased grants for the Muslim community. Calling the move appeasement politics, the Opposition demanded an explanation during the ongoing assembly session in Belagavi. Siddaramaiah (PTI) Former Karnataka chief minister and senior BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday accused the state chief minister Siddaramaiah of indulging in minority appeasement politics, while doing injustice to Dalits and tribal communities. Chief minister Siddaramaiah yesterday [Monday] expressed his support for granting special rights to minorities in terms of national resources. However, many see this move as nothing more than appeasement politics aimed at securing votes, Bommai posted on X. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here It appears that the CM has forgotten his duty to ensure justice for all citizens. It is worth noting that there already exist departments and organisations such as the Wakf Board, Minority Commission, and Minority Corporation, which receive funds for various programs aimed at minority development, he added. JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy echoed these sentiments, urging the chief minister to first release the budget allocated for Muslims in the current year. Kumaraswamy said that government should be working for the welfare of all communities rather than focusing on a single group, expressing reservations about frequent comments targeting one particular community. First ask the CM to release the budget that has been allocated this year. There is no doubt that it is appeasement politics. Frequent comments on one particular community are not good. The government is there for the welfare of all communities and not a single community, Kumaraswamy said. Defending his statement, chief minister Siddaramaiah said that there was nothing objectionable about his commitment to provide more funds for the Muslim community. He further emphasised on his determination to prevent any injustice against Muslims, citing his previous actions as chief minister, where he had augmented the budget for the Muslim community. When I was the CM [earlier], I had increased the budget for Muslims. That was reduced by the previous government. I have increased it again. I came to power in the middle of the year. I will increase the funds from next year. Even you [Muslims] have to get an education and your religious institutions have to be developed. You must also get a share of this countrys wealth, said Siddaramaiah. He further defended his position, challenging the notion that his commitment to the Muslim community was tantamount to appeasement. What is wrong with that? I have told them that we will protect everyone, including Muslims. Is this appeasement? questioned Siddaramaiah. A high-level meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modis official residence on Tuesday, with people aware of the matter saying the top brass deliberated upon the process of picking chief ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the three Hindi heartland states that the party won in the recently concluded assembly elections. BJP swept Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly elections (PTI) While the party did not offer any official comment on the agenda or the outcome of the meeting, which was also attended by BJP president JP Nadda, the people cited above said the meeting was called to decide the schedule of the parliamentary board, the highest decision-making body of the party, that will take a call on the appointment of observers for the legislative party meetings in each of the three states. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The party high command will assess the inputs from the ground before arriving at a decision, a BJP functionary said, requesting anonymity. What the senior leadership does not appreciate is flexing muscle. Reports of leaders showing strength by parading MLAs is not welcomed, the functionary said. Though he did not name anyone, he was referring to reports of legislators grouping in Rajasthan to signal their support for former CM Vasundhara Raje. In the recently concluded polls, the last such exercise before Lok Sabha elections next summer, the BJP wrested power from the Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and retained its government in Madhya Pradesh. As suspense over the CMs choice for Rajasthan continued, party leaders from the state held a series of meetings on Tuesday. Several newly elected legislators made a beeline to meet Raje as well as state unit chief CP Joshi in Jaipur on Tuesday. State in-charge Arun Singh also held a meeting with Joshi at the latters residence. They then met party general secretary (organisation) Chandrashekhar at the BJP office in the state capital. The series of meetings came a day after Joshi and Singh met Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday. Singh said a decision on the CM would be taken soon. Whatever decision is taken by the parliamentary board will be acceptable to all, he added. The BJP legislature party meeting where the leader of the legislature party will be chosen is likely to be take place on Wednesday or Thursday, people familiar with the matter said. In Raipur, BJP MLAs and leaders met former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh. We have just come to greet the former chief minister, said one of the newly elected MLAs who did not wish to be named. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he had never been a contender for the chief ministers post earlier, or now. I have neither been a contender for the post of chief minister in the past nor am I today, Chouhan said in a video shared on his official X account. As a party worker, I have always carried out whatever work was assigned by the BJP with dedication, to the best of my ability, genuineness and honesty, he added. Telangana Congress president Anumula Revanth Reddy, who steered the party to victory in the just-concluded Assembly elections, has been named the new chief minister of Indias youngest state. He would be sworn-in as the second chief minister of Telangana, which was carved out from Andhra Pradesh in 2004, on December 7 in Hyderabad, succeeding K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) Revanth Reddy. (File Photo) Congress general secretary KC Venugopal announced 54-year-old Reddys name as the Telangana CM in Delhi after a series of parleys held by the partys central leadership amidst competing claims for the top post. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The Congress on Sunday defeated the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) by winning 65 of the 119 seats, ending the 10-year rule of KCR in the southern state. Reddy, who was appointed the state Congress chief in 2021 after he switched over to the party from Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 2017, has been largely credited for this victory. However, a section of Telangana Congress leaders dubbed him as an outsider and staked claim for the CM post. Reddy started his career with the Ahil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and later moved to the TDP and won the Kodangal constituency in Mahaboobnagar district in the 2009 and 2014 assembly polls. After joining the Congress in October 2017, he lost to the BRS in the 2018 elections. However, he bounced back in just a few months, winning the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 Parliament elections. Soon after he was appointed the state party chief, Reddy had faced a virtual revolt by a section of leaders. However, the high command firmly stood by him and gave him a free hand in the selection of candidates and formulation of campaign strategies for the assembly polls. He was successful in infusing new energy and dynamism into the organisation that was bogged down by groupism and infighting and ran a fiery campaign focusing on the corruption and family rule of the BRS. After considering the report by the AICC (All India Congress Committee) observers and holding discussions, party president Mallikarjun Kharge has decided to go with Revanth Reddy as the CLP (Congress Legislative Party) leader, Venugopal told the media in Delhi on Tuesday. On Monday, the party had held a meeting of its newly elected MLAs in Hyderabad and passed a one-line resolution, authorising party president Mallikarjun Kharge to appoint the CLP leader, after multiple leaders staked claim for the CMs post. The leadership tussle brought back bitter memories of the early 1980s when the party had changed four chief ministers in the combined Andhra Pradesh. This had become one of the key campaign themes of the Telugu Desam founder N T Rama Rao who stormed to power within nine months after floating the regional party. Former state party chief Uttar Kumar Reddy had said, Yes, I have staked my claim and explained my case to (DK) Shivkumar (Karnataka deputy chief minister and Congress observer for Telangana). I am a seven-time MLA and have been loyal to the party for 30 years. He added, in an indirect dig at Revanth Reddy, We were expecting 70 to 75 seats but got only 65. The performance is rather disappointing, though there was widespread anti-incumbency against the BRS government. The partys floor leader in the outgoing assembly Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who had also thrown his hat in the ring, told the media on Sunday that he was ready to take up the responsibility if the high command directs. Another senior leader from Nalgonda district, K Venkat Reddy, was also reportedly in the race. On Tuesday, the meeting at Kharges residence was attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, AICC observer and Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivkumar, and AICC secretary incharge of Telangana Manikrao Thakre. According to a senior Congress leader who is familiar with the developments, Rahul Gandhi pitched for Revanth Reddys candidature for CMs post. Thereafter, another meeting was held at Venugopals residence where Uttam Kumar Reddy and Vikramarka were present, along with Shivkumar and Thakre. Venugopal was flanked by both Uttam Kumar Reddy and Vikramarka during his interaction with the media in Delhi on Tuesday. Both the contenders (Uttam Kumar Reddy and Vikramarka) were asked to cooperate with Revanth Reddy and work unitedly for successful implementation of the promises made by the party to the people of Telangana, a top leader familiar with the matter said. However, there was no word about the composition of the new cabinet, or whether there would be any deputy chief ministers post. All the details will be informed to you in due course, Venugopal said. It is possible that the central leadership will eventually opt for one or two deputy CM posts to placate the aspirants, a senior party leader said. Cyclone Michaung, which was centred over the Bay of Bengal's west coast off south Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu coasts on Monday, is likely to make landfall near the south Andhra Pradesh coast between cities Nellore and Machilipatnam. Auto-rickshaws stuck on a waterlogged road during heavy rain owing to Cyclone Michaung, in Chennai. (PTI) The severe cyclonic storm Michaung (pronounced as Migjaum) over west-central Bay of Bengal along and off South Andhra Pradesh coast moved northwards with a speed of 10 km/h during the past 06 hours. As of 0730 hours IST on 5th December 2023, it was centered over the same region near latitude 15.13N and longitude 80.25E, approximately 35 km east-northeast of Kavali, 70 km north-northeast of Nellore, 90 km south-southwest of Bapatla, 150 km south-southwest of Machilipatnam, and 230 km north of Chennai, the India Meteorological Department on Monday said in a post of X. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The current intensity of the cyclone was at 90-100 kmph and is gusting towards 110 kmph. Here are the top updates on cyclone Michaung: Cyclone Michaung, which intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Monday, was expected to move north and make landfall in Andhra Pradeshs Bapatla around noon on Tuesday, a day after it brought heavy rain and submerged much of Chennai, damaging infrastructure and leaving at least five people dead. Water logging amid heavy rain due to Cyclone Michaung in Andhra Pradeshs Tirupati. (PTI) The rains and winds between 90 and 100km per hour and gusts of up to 110km per hour forced the closure of the Chennai airport. Floodwaters drowned the runway and stranded aircraft. All flights were cancelled until 9am on Tuesday. Many Chennai-bound trains were cancelled as well. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The system was expected to hit the Andhra coast with a maximum wind speed of 90 to 100 km per hour and bring extremely heavy rain. India Meteorological Department (IMD) director general M Mohapatra said the severe cyclone was expected to cross Bapatla with a storm surge of 1 to 1.5 metres. In its hourly bulletin at 8am on Tuesday, the IMD said the cyclone maintained its intensity with a speed of 90-100 km per hour gusting up to 110 km per hour. It said the cyclone was centred off south Andhra Pradesh at 7:30am and was gradually moving northwards. As the system is nearly moving northwards close to the coast, some parts of the wall cloud region lie over land. The system is likely to move nearly northwards, parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam, during forenoon on Tuesday, the IMD said. Between 8:30am on Monday and 7:30am on Tuesday, Bapatla recorded 215.3mm of rainfall, Nellore 215.1mm, and Machilipatnam 151.7mm. On Monday, low-lying neighbourhoods in southern Chennai bore the brunt of the floods. Over 2,000 people were moved to relief camps in Chennai as chief minister MK Stalin sought more National Disaster Rescue Force teams for relief efforts. In a post on X, Stalin requested political parties and volunteers to join hands with the government. I have appointed 13 ministers to speed up the relief work. Additional personnel are engaged in fieldwork. The river Adyar, which runs through Chennai and meets the Bay of Bengal, spilled over. Officials warned people of the risk of crocodiles and urged them against provoking them. The high tides prevented water from draining out to sea through rivers as intense flooding was certain unless rain abated. The showers were unlikely to relent until Cyclone Michaung moved a considerable distance away. Torrents swept away vehicles and trees across the coastal city while gusts snapped power lines and left Chennai without electricity for most of Monday. The city received 415mm in less than 24 hours between 8.30pm on Sunday and 1.30pm on Monday. The downpour was the most in Chennai since the floods in December 2015 left 250 people dead. The 64-year-old elephant Arjuna, which used to carry the golden howdah for right years, died on Monday during a fight with a wild elephant at the Yesalur range forest in Sakleshpura taluk of Hassan district, officials familiar with the matter said, adding that the fight took place during an operation to capture wild elephant. According to the officials, both Arjuna and the wild elephant were musth. (HT Photo) According to the officials, both Arjuna and the wild elephant were musth. Arjuna succumbed after the wild elephants tusk pierced his stomach, during the fight. We launched a wild elephant translocation operation on Monday morning as a team of elephants arrived in Bengaluru from the neighbouring Chikkamagaluru district on Saturday, said SP Mahadev, assistant conservator of forests (ACF). Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here While the other elephants dispersed, during the attack, Arjuna valiantly fought with the wild elephant. As the two elephants engaged in a clash, Arjunas mahouts, sensing the intensity of the fight, descended from their vantage point and retreated, the ACF said. Notably, the forest department has recently implemented various measures to address the increasing human-elephant conflicts in the hilly regions of Hassan district, including fitting radio collars on elephants to monitor their movements and launch operations to capture them. Arjuna, a prominent participant in Mysuru Dasara for 22 years, had carried the Ambari eight times from 2012 to 2019. The giant used to be a part of the Jamboosawari as a Nishane elephant and stands at 2.88 meters tall and weighs around 5,800 to 6,000 kg. In another incident, a wild elephant died after being administered a tranquilizer dart at Mudigere tulik in Chikkamagaluru district on December 2. Meanwhile, chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed grief over the death of Arjuna. It was sad to hear the news of the demise of Arjuna, the elephant who was loved by the people and who was the centerpiece of the historic Mysore Dussehra, Jambusawari, for eight years very successfully, he posted on X. Bengaluru-based environmentalist Joseph Hoover attributed Arjunas death to departments negligence. This death is caused by the forest department itself, he said, adding the department mistakenly darted the tranquilizer at Arjuna, after missing aim at the wild tusker. Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday slammed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP DNV Senthilkumar S over his remark calling the Hindi heartland states as Gaumutra states, saying that it is a disrespect of the Sanatani tradition. The DMK MP's statement was in reference to BJP's victory in three states - Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh - in the recently concluded assembly election. Union minister of state for external affairs and culture Meenakshi Lekhi DMK will soon get to know the benefits of 'Gaumutra'. They are very well aware that this will not be tolerated by the people of the country. Anyone who tries to play with the sentiments of the country will get a befitting reply from the public, Lekhi told the media. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Meanwhile, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar said, BJP is accepted all across the countryWhoever is saying this, does not have any knowledge. He is not aware of the culture of India. Another party MP Annapurna Devi said that people who say such statements have a shallow mindset and are jealous of PM Modi's popularity across the world. Bihar BJP leader Nawal Kishore Yadav told news agency ANI that hurling abuses at Hindi-speaking states need mental treatment. Under the leadership of PM Modi in the upcoming elections, these people will be given a treatment, he said. Addressing the Lok Sabha on the second day of the winter session of Parliament, the DMK MP evoked a controversy by saying, The people of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections mainly in the heartland states of Hindi, what we generally call the 'Gaumutra' states." In September this year, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin's son Udhayanidhi stoked a similar controversy after he compared the Sanatana Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria and said it should not be merely opposed but "eradicated". A few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona. We have to eradicate this, that's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated," he said at an event. An FIR was also registered against him under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different religious groups), and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun a money laundering probe against the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has been involved in the smuggling of drugs and weapons in India and abroad, assisting pro-Khalistan elements, extortion, and targeted killings, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The agency was carrying out raids at 13 locations in Haryana and Rajasthan at the premises linked to Bishnois associates. Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was allegedly sending money generated through extortion and smuggling to countries such as Canada. (HT Photo) The ED is learnt to have taken over the cases against the gang from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Haryana Police to launch a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was allegedly sending money generated in India through extortion and smuggling to Canada and other countries. The money was invested in yachts, movies and even the Canadian Premier League, as well as clubs and bars in Thailand, HT reported on September 24. The ED will look into all these investments as part of its probe. In its charge sheet filed against Bishnoi, the NIA listed at least 13 instances from 2019 to 2021 when Bishnoi sent amounts ranging from 5 lakh to 60 lakh to Canada and Thailand via hawala. The agencies have established that Bishnoi worked closely through his deputy Satwinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar with Khalistani groups operating from Canada, particularly Babbar Khalsa International leader Lakhbir Singh Landa. ...the money collected through extortion, illegal liquor, arms smuggling business, etc was sent to...Goldy Brar and one Satbir Singh alias Sam in Canada through hawala for further investment as well as for funding the radical activities of pro-Khalistan elements..., said the charge sheet filed in March against 14 persons, who are part of a larger Khalistan-gangster nexus. The chargesheet said Sam has been identified as a point person for managing the ill-gotten money in Canada. Sam invested a part of this money to purchase yachts, finance movies, and organise [the] Canadian Premier League in Canada. It added Bishnoi confessed to receiving funds from Sam. The transactions to Canada cited in NIAs charge sheet include two lakh monthly to Brar in 2021, two payments of 20 lakh each in 2020 to him, 50 lakh given to Sam in 2020, 60 lakh to both Brar and Sam in 2021 and payments of 40 lakh and 20 lakh to Sam in 2021. The NIA said the money the gang collected through extortion, illegal liquor, arms smuggling business, etc was sent to one Manish Bhandari in Thailand through hawala by gangster Virendra Pratap alias Kala Rana, his father Joginder Singh and Rajkumar alias Raju Basodi for investing in night clubs and bars. When any member of Lawrence Bishnois gang goes to Thailand, Bhandari provides accommodation and logistics support to him. An ED officer said the anti-money laundering agency was analysing NIA charge sheets and first information reports. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday said she was not sure if the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee report on her in the alleged cash-for-query case would be placed or not in Parliament. TMC MP Mahua Moitra on the first day of the winter session of Parliament in New Delhi on Monday, (PTI) "Let's see, I don't know whether they will place it or not," Moitra, who reached Parliament on Day 2 of the winter session told reporters. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Parliamentary sources said the report of the ethics committee on the expulsion of Moitra from the Lok Sabha was expected to be tabled in the House on Tuesday. The Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee, chaired by BJP member Vinod Sonkar, had adopted its report at a meeting on November 9, recommending Moitra's expulsion from the lower house over the cash-for-query allegation. On Monday, Opposition members demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the report, recommending the expulsion of the TMC member, before any decision was taken on the matter. The opposition members made the demand during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to finalise the agenda for the House this week. The report was listed for presentation in the Lok Sabha on Monday, but the agenda item was not taken up by the presiding officer, raising questions over the continuance of Moitra as a parliamentarian. The Business Advisory Committee also decided to allot 12 hours for discussion on the three bills to replace the colonial-era criminal laws. It also decided to allocate three hours for discussion on the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill. Six members of the panel, including Congress member Preneet Kaur who had earlier been suspended from the party, voted in favour of the report. Four members of the panel belonging to opposition parties submitted dissent notes. The opposition members termed the report a "fixed match" and said the complaint filed by BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey, which the panel reviewed, was not supported by a "shred of evidence". Moitra can be expelled only if the House votes in favour of the panel's recommendation. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Moitra said that Trinamool leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay asked the presiding officer as to why the report of the ethics committee was not tabled in the Lok Sabha. She said Congress' K Suresh and RSP's NK Premachandran also raised the same question but there was no reply. Later, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that for reasons best known to the committee, the report has not been tabled. He said there would have been some reason which "forced them" not to table the report on Monday. "I think today or tomorrow, someday it will be tabled," he said outside the Parliament House. Moitra said she will comment on the report when it is tabled. "They printed it as item number five. I don't know much about Parliament procedure, they know everything... As far as I know, if it is item number five, it should be read at least ... Let's see when they bring it," Moitra said. Backing Moitra over the issue, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Maji said, "Yes, she is being harassed because the allegations against her haven't been proven. The kind of questions that have been asked of a woman candidate are objectionable too...This matter has been unnecessarily escalated...As far as IP address and password is concerned, there are no such rules. Had there been rules and she would have broken them, then action could have been taken." The Winter Session of Parliament began on Monday and is scheduled to continue till December 22. BJP MP Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said the manner in which the section on Question Hour was shared - law will take its own course. There is freedom of speech for everyone in democracy but violating the confidentiality of one's country is not correct, she said. President of the COP28 summit Sultan Al Jaber on Monday said he respected the science around the climate crisis and that there were attempts to undermine the work of the UAE as this years conference host, seeking to clarify remarks from a day before that many saw as having undermined consensus around the need to cut back the use of fossil fuels. United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (right) and COP28 Director of Communications and Marketing Sconaid McGeachin attend a press conference at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, on Monday (REUTERS) The strategy of the Presidency to keep the 1.5C goal alive was guided by science, Jaber said at a press conference in Dubai, a day after The Guardian reported that he questioned the scientific basis for calls to phase out fossil fuels. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here I honestly think there is some confusion, misinterpretation and misrepresentation. Let me introduce myself to you. I am an engineer and an economist by background it is my conviction in science and my passion for science that has enabled me to progress in my career. Science has been central to progress in my career. I respect and trust numbers and figures. Science has guided my life, Jaber, who is also the group chief executive officer of state oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Corporation (ADNOC), said. On Sunday, during a conversation with Mary Robinson, the chair of the Elders group and a former UN special envoy for climate change, Jaber said there is no science indicating that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global heating to 1.5C and that phase-out of fossil fuels would not allow sustainable development unless you want to take the world back into caves. During the interview, Jaber also told Robinson, You can take the lead. I will make sure that it (fossil fuel phaseout) is on the agenda. You come from a developed country and developed countries can lead like they always do and lead by example. Robinson is the former president of Ireland. On Monday, Jaber along with Jim Skea, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said that phasedown and phaseout of fossil fuels is inevitable. I have said over and over that the phasedown and phaseout of fossil fuels is inevitable. In fact, it is essential. This transition is essential. The transition needs to be orderly, fair, just and responsible and well managed, he said. I have invited parties to come to me with language on fossil fuels. With regards to timeline, I respect science and IPCC reports, he added. Science has guided our strategy as the COP28 Presidency. The science says we must get to net zero emissions by 2050 and we must reduce emissions by 43% by 2030 in order for us to keep 1.5C within reach. My job in this mission is to keep laser focused on my north star which is keeping 1.5C within reach. That will not change, Jaber said, adding that there are repeated attempts to undermine our message and our work as COP28 Presidency. I am quite surprised at the constant attempt to undermine this message. There are repeated attempts to undermine our message and our work as COP28 Presidency, he said. Skea sided with Jaber. Oil use by 2050 is reduced by 60%; natural gas is reduced by 45%... I can say Dr Sultan has been attentive to the science and understood it, he said. On Monday, the COP28 Presidency said that governments, businesses, investors and philanthropies have announced over $57 billion across the climate agenda in just the first four days of the summit. After an historic agreement to operationalise a fund for climate impact response on day one, announcements have poured in across the entire climate agenda, including on finance, health, food, nature, and energy. On climate finance, the UAE has launched a $30 billion catalytic fund, ALTERRA, with an emphasis on unlocking private finance across the Global South. Around $725 million has already been pledged for the Loss and Damage fund by various countries. In addition, $3.5 billion has been announced to replenish the Green Climate Fund, $2.7 billion has been pledged for health, $2.6 billion has been committed for food systems transformation among others. Negotiators at the Conference in Dubai are grappling with contentious issues around phasing out coal, other fossil fuels, and climate finance. There is little clarity on the final text of the agreement at this stage. Observers are concerned about the lack of funding for climate action, with rich countries relying on the private sector rather than public. Jaipur: Hectic lobbying and back-to-back meetings to name the chief ministerial picks for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh began in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, a day after the party recorded a thumping victory in the three heartland states. BJP workers celebrate as the party leads in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh assembly elections during the counting of votes, in Ranchi on Sunday. (ANI) According to people familiar with the matter, the BJP brass has been holding back-to-back meetings with state units since the results were finalised late on Sunday, but no decision has yet been made on holding the legislative party meetings to that effect. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The BJP brass will soon be appointing observers to oversee meetings of newly elected MLAs of the party in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where they will elect their leaders. However, no date has been given for the legislative party meeting, so far, a leader familiar with the developments said, requesting anonymity. Across the three states, the BJP contested the elections without a chief ministerial candidate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having led the campaign. The decision to not field a CM face in Madhya Pradesh, and instead project a united state leadership, was the first time in three decades that the party did not field a candidate for the top position. In Rajasthan, where the BJP won 115 of the 199 seats on Sunday, the party leadership held a series of meetings with its units in Jaipur and Delhi even as former chief minister and a possible contender for the CM post, Vasundhara Raje, met around 30 of the newly elected MLAs at her residence in Jaipur. We have come to seek blessings of the senior-most party leader in the state and congratulate her for the victory, said party leader Shankar Singh Rawat, who won from the Beawar assembly seat. Two-time chief minister Raje (70), who campaigned aggressively for the party, has been the BJPs face in Rajasthan for the last two decades and a five-time Parliament member. A BJP national vice-president, Raje is seen as an able administrator but one who has had frequent run-ins with the partys top leadership. Another leading contender is Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The BJPs Rajput face, Shekhawat, 56, shot to fame after defeating Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlots son, Vaibhav, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Jodhpur. Shekhawat is considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the partys top leadership. A third leading candidate for CM is Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, a former bureaucrat. Known to enjoy Modis confidence, Meghwal is a three-time parliamentarian and one of the Dalit faces in Rajasthan. Meghwal, 69, is known to keep a low profile and is considered a good administrator. Two-time parliamentarian from Chittorgarh, CP Joshi, too, is considered among the contenders. In 2019, he won the Lok Sabha elections by the margin of 576,000 votes, defeating Gopal Singh Shekhawat of Congress. He is considered close to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, who may be in reckoning in the run for the CMs post as well, if the party prefers a senior leader like him. On Monday, Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh and Joshi held a meeting with BJP general secretary (organisation) Chandrashekhar at the BJP office in Jaipur. After the meeting, Singh and Joshi left for Delhi, while Chandrashekhar called on RSS regional head Nimbaram in Jaipur, a state leader aware of the matter said. In Delhi, Joshi and Singh called on state in charge Pralhad Joshi, BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh and Union home minister Amit Shah, the leader added. In Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP scored a massive victory staving off anti-incumbency, a high-level meeting is likely to be held in Delhi to discuss the name of the next chief minister, a senior leader familiar with the matter said. Earlier in the day, newly elected MLA from Narsinghpur seat and Union minister Prahlad Patel called on Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda in the Capital. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya also met Nadda in Delhi. A meeting of the BJPs national general secretaries will also take place on Tuesday where Vijayvargiya will be present, the leader quoted above said. Meanwhile, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met MLAs in Bhopal and congratulated them for winning the elections. In Chhattisgarh, the state BJP unit called a meeting of the new MLAs in the morning, only to cancel it a few hours later. A senior party leader aware of the matter said the meeting is expected to be held on Tuesday. It will be an introductory meeting of the new MLAs in which senior BJP leaders would be present but not the legislative party meeting, he said. Meanwhile, senior leaders of the party Dr Raman Singh, Arun Sao, OP Choudhary and Vishnu Deo Sai all top contenders to helm the state held consultations with the BJP top brass in New Delhi. Three time chief minister Raman Singh (71), who ruled over the state from 2003 to 2018, is among the top contenders for the chief ministerial post. A former union minister, Singh took over after the BJP beat the Ajit Jogi led Congress in 2003, and quickly became known as chawal wale baba , strengthening the states public distribution system. He was in power for fifteen straight years before anti-incumbency caught up with him, and the BJP crashed to 15 seats in 2018. Arun Sao (54), who began his political career as a volunteer of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, is another prominent face of the party who was made state party president in November 2022. Sao may be in the running because he is a Sahu, the most influential of OBC communities that have moved decisively to the BJP. A dark horse candidate for the post of chief minister is former IAS officer turned politician OP Choudhary who fought the elections from Raigarh and won with a record margin of 64,000 votes. A son of the soil, Choudhary is from the Agharia caste, an influential OBC group in rural Chhattisgarh, and has been seen as a future leader for the BJP. If the BJP wants to pick a tribal face as its chief minister, rewarding a clear tribal shift towards the BJP by the community, one option before the leadership is 59-year-old Vishnu Dev Sai, former union minister of state and Chhattisgarh BJP president. (With inputs from correspondents in Bhopal and Raipur) The Government of India has approved several high-profile appointments, including the elevation of Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi to the position of Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, according to people aware of the matter. Vice Admiral Tripathi, currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, is set to take on the crucial role of Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, effective early January 2024. Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi. His extensive experience and leadership in the naval domain make him a strategic choice for this pivotal position. The highly-rated officer has earlier served as chief of personnel Indian Navy, fleet commander and commanded front-line destroyers. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Vice Admiral Su Singh, the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, will assume the role of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, succeeding Vice Admiral Tripathi. Both appointments are slated to come into effect early in the new year. Another noteworthy change involves Vice Admiral Srinivas Vennam, currently serving as the Inspector General Nuclear Safety, who has been appointed as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command The appointments come amid Navy Day celebrations at Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Sindhudurg: Prime minister Narendra Modi during the Navy Day celebrations, in Sindhudurg district, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. (PTI) Reflecting on the historical significance of Sindhudurg Fort, Prime Minister Modi expressed, "It is indeed a moment of unprecedented pride to celebrate Navy Day from the victorious land of Sindhudurg." PM Modi further added, "This is that period of Indian history that will write the future of the country not just for 5-10 years but for the coming centuries," emphasizing the crucial role the Navy plays in shaping India's destiny. The Navy Day festivities witnessed a spectacular display of the Indian Navy's prowess, showcasing its state-of-the-art vessels and aircraft. The special forces of the Indian Navy, in particular, took center stage with a breathtaking operational demonstration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attending as the chief guest, witnessed a drill by the Navy's Special Forces simulating the destruction of an enemy oil rig on the high seas. The event's highlights included the presence of warships, including the illustrious aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, alongside various other naval assets. Even as Telangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy was named the states next chief minister, the infighting in the state party unit has come to fore, which delayed the process to select the new CM. Telangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy is the front runner for the chief minister post after the party won the state assembly polls. (PTI) On Monday the newly elected party legislators had left the decision on deciding the CM to the party high command. Senior party leaders had said Revanth Reddy would be the CM with two deputies N Uttam Kumar Reddy, a six-time MLA and former state unit president, and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, the party floor leader in the outgoing assembly. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Uttam Kumar Reddy staked his claim for the top post citing his seniority and loyalty, a senior Congress leader familiar with the developments said. Also read- Revanth Reddy: The man who steered Congress campaign in Telangana Vikramarka, the Dalit face of the party, was also a contender for CM post. He has been with the Congress since early 1980s and had recently undertaken extensive padayatra across the state. In fact, as the poll results were still pouring in on Sunday, he told the media that he was ready to take up the responsibility if the high command directs. It is possible that the central leadership will opt for one or two deputy CMs to placate the aspirants, a party leader said. Amidst competing claims, the AICC observer and Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivkumar left for Delhi on Monday afternoon to hold discussions with the central leadership on the choice of chief minister and the composition of the new cabinet. Earlier, he supervised a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) which unanimously passed a one-line resolution authorising Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to appoint the CLP leader. All (newly elected MLAs) have decided that whatever the high command decides, we will go by that, Shivakumar had told reporters in Hyderabad after the meeting, which lasted for over three hours. On Sunday, the Congress scripted a turnaround story in Telangana as it comprehensively trounced the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) by winning 65 of the 119 seats in the southern state. Ahead of the CLP meeting, Shivakumar separately had met Uttam Kumar Reddy, Vikramarka and Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who is the brother of Venkat Reddy, at another hotel in the city, according to a party veteran who did not want to be named. A senior Congress leader said that a CLP resolution, authorising Kharge to pick the new CLP leader, was proposed by Revanth Reddy and seconded by senior MLAs, including Vikramarka and D Sridhar Babu. Congress leader and former member of Rajya Sabha V Hanumantha Rao had said Reddy could be the next chief minister. Most probably, Revanth Reddy has chances to become the chief minister going by all the work he did, he had said. Former state minister Konda Surekha also batted for Revanth Reddy for the top post. Reddy is going to take the chief ministers post with the high commands blessing, Surekha said. The leadership tussle brings back bitter memories of the early 1980s when the party had changed four Chief Ministers in the combined Andhra Pradesh. This became one of the key campaign themes of the Telugu Desam founder N T Rama Rao who stormed to power within nine months after floating the regional party. A section of Telangana Congress leaders treat Revantha Reddy as an outsider as he made a lateral entry into the party from Telugu Desam Party in 2017. Soon after his appointment as the state party chief in 2021, there was a virtual revolt from a section of senior leaders. However, the high command firmly stood by him and gave him a free hand in the selection of candidates for the assembly polls and formulation of campaign strategies. Revanth was successful in infusing new energy and dynamism into a moribund organisation and ran an aggressive campaign focusing on the corruption and family rule of the BRS. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Tuesday expressed his surprise over the results of the Madhya Pradesh assembly election after he claimed that some former MLAs complained to him that they got not more than 50 votes in their seats. His claim resonates with his party colleague and Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh's remark on possible electoral malpractices during this election. Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath(PTI) "We are holding discussions with the elected and non-elected MLAs and analysing the result. Some MLAs have met me, and one of them told me that he got only 50 votes in his own village. How is this possible?...Exit polls are done only to create an atmosphere," Kamal Nath told reporters earlier. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Also read: Kamal Nath may resign from Madhya Pradesh Congress chief post as leadership is upset Kamal Nath's claim was in line with Digvijaya Singh's earlier remark on possible tampering with electronic voting machines (EVM). Any machine with a chip can be hacked, Singh wrote on X (formerly Twitter). BJP and Congress among other Opposition parties are at loggerheads over the election result following Singh's remark which was also backed by leaders from the parties including National Conference and Shiv Sena (UBT). The poll results are unexpected and surprising but we respect the democratic process. When the mandate goes against your party, one has to accept it. However, the results of Madhya Pradesh are not only surprising but also shocking for us. The poll results in three of four states should be considered as the EVM mandate and it has to be accepted in that way only, Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut said earlier. However, while asked if EVM was hacked, Kamal Nath said, It would not be right to conclude without holding discussions. I will talk to everyone first, while expressing surprise at the poll results. "Even you know what the mood was. Why are you asking me? Ask the people," he added. The BJP won 163 seats in the 230-member assembly, pushing the Congress far behind with 66 seats. Meanwhile, speculations of Kamal Nath's resignation as state Congress chief were rife following the party's defeat. He is likely to meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday and may tender his resignation from the post, as per sources cited by PTI. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan blamed the Congress for the loss in assembly polls in three states saying they did not forge an alliance with other parties. He said governor Arif Mohammed Khan was nominating RSS persons in universities. In an interview to Vishnu Varma on the sidelines of the ongoing Nava Kerala Sadas in Thrissur district, the CM also spoke about his party efforts for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Edited excerpts Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan talks about his party efforts for 2024 Lok Sabha polls in an interview with HT. (PTI) The Nava Kerala Sadas, the outreach programme of the LDF government as part of which the CM and the entire cabinet is touring all 140 Assembly constituencies of the state, has travelled through six districts so far and is in central Kerala now. What has been the experience so far? Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here We had planned this programme to make people aware about the main issues that the state faces today and the attempts by the central government to halt the states development. What we are seeing is that the public are more aware about these things. Theres massive participation of the public at each of these meetings. The people are showing great interest in the states issues and our highlight is that they stand united. The Congress has alleged that the CM directly interacts only with invited eminent persons and not with the common man at these meetings. How do you respond? It is their habit to make such allegations. People from all sections of society are attending our meetings. In our morning sessions, those who can relay problems and issues in different areas of society are participating. They are interacting with us about their problems. It is not exclusively open to an elite class. For example, a Haritha Karma Sena member participated. She is an ordinary labourer and she spoke. Another was a sanitation worker. A third was a Kudumbashree member. We are seeing that people from different walks of life are attending and talking about their experiences and opinions. Also read- On Cong defeat in 3 states, Kerala CM blames greed & lust for power Since this is a programme of the LDF government, and not of any party, the local MLAs are assuming presidentship of meetings in their constituencies. But the programme has been boycotted by the UDF and their MLAs are not participating. Has this adversely affected the events? Clearly, their MLAs should have also taken part in these meetings. This is a government programme and Keralas issues are being presented and discussed. We had announced it in a way that they can and should participate as well. The events are Assembly constituency-wise and the organising responsibility falls on the local MLA there. So in all, 41 UDF MLAs must assume that responsibility. They boycotted the programme for reasons that no one can understand. But the attendance at the morning sessions show that some of their leaders (at the local level) are also cooperating with us. At the conventions, thousands who have clear political opinions, who love Kerala and who want the state to develop are attending. So, the absence of (opposition leadership) has not adversely affected the programme. UDF is not interested in the cause of Kerala. When there were instances of Centre ignoring our state, their 18 Lok Sabha MPs did not raise these issues in Parliament. They did not speak out against the Centre. Recently, we requested all MPs to meet the union finance minister and they agreed as well. But ultimately, they did not sign the memorandum we prepared. This is the kind of stand they adopt and we cannot understand it at all. Will the results of the recently held Assembly elections have a direct effect on the Lok Sabha polls next year especially with the Congress losing three critical states in the Hindi heartland to the BJP? Be it in Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, the biggest mistake of the Congress is that it did not try to forge unity with other secular parties. Instead of cooperating with other parties, Congress was under the false impression that it can win on its own. In todays circumstances, it was not right. We have to stand united to defeat the BJP. Congress had a narrow-minded approach that it can win alone. It was not right to keep away the Samajwadi Party in Madhya Pradesh. It was reported that the earlier offers given to SP (to contest seats) were violated. Kamal Nath reportedly did not accept (the alliance with) SP. The top Congress leadership also did nothing to intervene in the issue. If SP and other like-minded parties were included, the result in MP would have been different. Similarly, the Congress calculated that it would win in Rajasthan alone. It did not cooperate with secular parties there. An opportunity to defeat the BJP was thus wasted. Also, the Congress seemed to adopt the same methods of BJP while fighting that party. When Narendra Modi offers puja in Ayodhya, Kamal Nath also offered puja at his home to counter it. Kamal Nath also claimed to be a disciple of Hanuman. He also publicly said that the credit for the Ram temple belonged to Rajiv Gandhi. This way, Kamal Nath became the leader of the B team of the BJP by repeating their claims in a different way. There were also fights between different factions of the party like Gehlot and Pilot in Rajasthan and Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh in MP. So, Congress must understand that all secular, like-minded parties must unite to defeat the BJP. How is the CPI(M) preparing for the Lok Sabha elections next year and what issues are likely to be discussed in the state? CPMs electoral strategies will be decided later. But what we intend to say (in the campaign) is that Keralas voice must resound within Parliament in the right way. Only when there were Left MPs were the demands of the state raised in the two Houses. Thats one aspect. What we have seen here is the reluctance of the 18 UDF MPs to openly expose the wrong policies of the BJP government at the national level. If the unique character of Kerala is to be reflected, if the right approach is to be taken on important secular issues, then LDF MPs have to be there in Parliament from the state. Over the last five years, the 18 UDF MPs have done nothing to raise the needs of the state and get them fulfilled. There has been a long-standing tussle between the state government and the Governor. Recently, the Governor sent 7 of the 8 bills passed by the Assembly to the President. Governor Khan has alleged that the CM is not visiting the Raj Bhavan personally and not clarifying his doubts on the bills. What do you intend to do to resolve this tussle? The Governors position is generally to assist in the governance of the state. But he (Governor Arif Mohammed Khan) is adopting a stand aimed at creating conflict in the state. Its unfortunate. In universities, the Chancellor has to nominate the members of the senate. Usually, the persons nominated are those from the panel recommended by the university. In Kerala and Calicut universities, he has not included anyone from the names recommended from the panel. He is getting some information from outside and working according to it. The persons he nominated were those connected to the RSS. He cannot do that as it is aimed at shattering the peaceful atmosphere in the state. The Centre should not encourage such moves as well and must ask the Governor to withdraw from such actions. We have legally questioned the moves of the Governor and we will see what more can be done. Also read: Governors cant sit on bill to thwart process of lawmaking, says SC Kerala is in a grave financial state and has alleged discriminatory attitude on the part of Centre in clearing its dues. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has countered the charges and said that there is no proposal to relax the existing terms for borrowing capacity of states including Kerala. How do you react? We have not demanded that Kerala be given special treatment. We have only said that the rightful dues that the state deserves should be paid. Kerala must not be targeted on the basis of the achievements it has been able to make. The rightful dues have not been paid in connection with GST dividends and grants on revenue deficit. Such steps should not have been made by the Centre and must be rectified. There cannot be one rule for the Centre and another for the state. When the national highway authority borrows money, it is not seen as the Centre borrowing funds, but when KIIFB borrows, it is seen as debt of the state government. Thats not right. When the firm formed to pay social welfare pensions of the state government takes out a loan, it should not ideally be seen as a loan of the state. So, the Centre seems to be doing a lot of research on how to minimise the revenues flowing into the hands of the state. Its not right. NEW DELHI: A woman army doctor, Captain Geetika Koul, has been deployed at the worlds highest battlefield, Siachen, for the first time, the Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps said on Tuesday. Captain Geetika Koul (centre) is the Indian Armys first woman medical officer to be deployed at Siachen, the worlds highest battlefield. (X/firefurycorps) Captain Geetika Koul from the Snow Leopard Brigade becomes the first Woman Medical officer of the #IndianArmy to be deployed at the worlds highest battlefield, #Siachen after successfully completing the induction training at Siachen Battle School, it said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The development comes almost a year after the army for the first time deployed a woman officer, Captain Shiva Chouhan, at the worlds highest and coldest battleground in January 2023. Chouhan is from the Corps of Engineers. Soldiers have a three-month stint in the frozen landscape where the temperature can dip to minus 60 degrees. Women in uniform are no longer on the fringes but are being assigned central roles on par with their male counterparts. They are flying fighter planes, serving onboard warships, performing command roles, being inducted in the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre, eligible for permanent commission, and undergoing training at the premier National Defence Academy. In his Navy Day address on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the governments resolve to strengthen Nari Shakti in the armed forces while congratulating the navy on the landmark appointment of a woman, Lieutenant Commander Prerna Deosthalee, as the commanding officer of fast-attack craft INS Trinkat. New Delhi: India and Kenya on Tuesday decided to bolster cooperation in health and agriculture, including an Indian line of credit of $250 million to modernise farming in the African country, even as the two sides signed five agreements in areas ranging from education to digital transformation. President Droupadi Murmu, Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday (ANI) During talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, the two countries finalised a joint vision statement on maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean that will serve as a framework for maritime security, boosting maritime trade, accelerating connectivity, and improving information-sharing to tackle challenges such as piracy and terrorism. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Modi told a joint media interaction with Ruto that Africa has always been given high priority in Indias foreign policy and that the Kenyan leaders visit will give new impetus to bilateral ties and engagement with the African continent. Today, we decided to strengthen our cooperation in all fields, laying the foundation for a progressive future, and we also identified many new initiatives. There is continuous progress in mutual trade and investment between India and Kenya, Modi said, speaking in Hindi. As two agrarian economies, we agreed to share our experiences. We have also decided to provide a line of credit of $250 million to modernise Kenyas agricultural sector, he said, adding that India is fully prepared to share its achievements in digital public infrastructure with Kenya. Ruto lauded Indias role during the countrys G20 presidency in making the African Union a full member of the grouping of the worlds largest economies. The new line of credit, he said, will help Kenya address pressing issues such as food security and cost of living. In the field of healthcare, Ruto said Kenya will reduce bureaucratic procedures to make it easier for Indian professionals and experts to come to the country to work and train others. He also requested New Delhi to consider allowing Kenyan nurses, doctors and clinical officials to come to India for short training courses. With almost 70% of health products in Kenya having their origins in India, Ruto said he had discussed ways to begin manufacturing some of these items in his country to meet the needs of the local market and East African countries. Referring to plans for the two countries to tackle piracy, terrorism and other criminal activities in shared waters, Ruto said: Terrorism is a big issue, both for Kenya and India. We have agreed that our defence forces will work together in collaboration, sharing information, experience, knowledge and intelligence to make sure that we deal with the challenge of terrorism. Ruto also pointed to security challenges emanating from Sudan, Somalia and Congo and spoke of the possibility of India and Kenya working together to stabilise and secure that region for the benefit of the people of the Global South. Also Read: Kenya declares surprise public holiday to plant 15 billion trees Modi added, Our growing cooperation in the field of defence is a symbol of our deep mutual trust and common interests. In todays discussions, we emphasised on military exercises, capacity building and linking the defense industries of both countries. Referring to the joint vision statement on maritime cooperation, Modi said close cooperation between Kenya and India in this field will strengthen all our efforts in the Indo-Pacific. He said: India and Kenya are unanimous that terrorism is the most serious challenge to humanity. Dammu Ravi, secretary (economic relations) in the external affairs ministry, told a media briefing that India has already provided more than $100 million to Kenya through lines of credit for three projects. Bilateral trade is valued at $3.3 billion, with Indian exports making up a significant part of the figure, while Indian investments in Kenya were worth $3.2 billion. The Kenyan side is interested to learn from Indias experience in digital public infrastructure, especially the Aadhar card, unified payment interface (UPI) and health solutions. The Kenyan side also offered large tracts of farmland to encourage Indian companies to come to the country to grow crops needed by African countries, Ravi said. Under the joint vision statement for maritime security, the two sides agreed to consider trade facilitation measures, strengthen logistics links and promote sustainable fishing and management of marine living resources. They also agreed to cooperate in capacity building of defence industries, especially shipbuilding and co-development and construction of defence equipment like offshore patrol vessels, fast attack craft and other weapons to meet the needs of Kenyas maritime forces. Both sides also agreed to closely coordinate on countering illicit maritime activities, including piracy, maritime terrorism, illegal fishing, irregular human migration and emerging maritime security threats in the Indian Ocean. The five agreements signed by the two sides included a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on sharing successful solutions for digital transformation, an MoU between Indira Gandhi National Open University and the Open University of Kenya, an agreement on culture exchanges for the period 2023-27, an MoU between the Bureau of Indian Standards and Kenyan Bureau of Standards, and an MoU on cooperation in sports. New Delhi At least two members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Monday asked the Congress to immediately start seat-sharing talks for the 2024 elections as constituents of the Opposition bloc mounted pressure and insisted that proceedings in the ongoing winter session not be disrupted on any issue to allow participation in debates. Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders hold a meeting in Mumbai on September 1. (Hindustan Times) A day after the Congress suffered an electoral drubbing in Indias heartland, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the lack of seat-sharing arrangements for the losses, and said it was a defeat of the Congress, not a disaster for the larger Opposition. Her comments come at a time when the alliance faces an existential crisis even before fully taking shape as a result of Sundays verdict. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Look at the figures. BJP won by thin margins. It happened because of split in (Opposition) votes. There should have been proper seat sharing, Banerjee said. The results have come, and arrogance has ended, said Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had spoken out against the lack of a pact during the Madhya Pradesh election campaign. In the evening, the Congress announced it had called an informal meeting of the INDIA bloc on December 6 and said the party wanted to fully participate in the debates in both Houses. Opposition parties have also demanded a debate on the economic situation. Ahead of the winter session which commenced on Monday morning, the Opposition convened a meeting where the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded that talks on seat-sharing, which were delayed by the assembly elections, start immediately. Another key ally, the SP, didnt attend the meeting called by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The Congress lost its governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, and failed to dislodge the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. Though the party won Telangana, its dismal head-to-head record against the BJP cast a long shadow on the grand old partys ability to put up a credible fight against the BJP in the Hindi belt, and effectively relegated it to southern India The insistence of the allies, including the TMC, against any disruptive tactics assumes significance as two recent sessions were washed out over media reports on the Adani Group and the Rafale deal considered pet issues of the Congress. Some allies, according to a leader present in the meeting on Monday, also suggested that the focus should remain on pro-people issues, and subjects such as India-China border row could wait. We should use every minute these 15 days (of the winter session). We have calculated that the time for discussions is between 2pm to 6pm, or four hours every day. We will get 16 hours a week for three weeks (as private members bills are slotted on Fridays). We will get 48 hours to debate in this session and we must put this to use. We can walk out in 10 minutes to oppose any bill or government decision. But we shouldnt get hooked on to one issue to hijack the session, said a senior non-Congress Opposition leader who was present in the meeting. The non-Congress leaders also pointed out that after the last meeting of the INDIA bloc on September 1, no further meetings were organised except the coordination committee meeting on September 13. We also said another INDIA meeting should be held soon. One party told the Congress to leave the assembly polls behind. There has to be some action, enough of words. Start the seat sharing talks, said another leader, requesting anonymity. The Congress had stalled seat-sharing talks in anticipation of a good performance in the assembly elections that could put it at an advantage in any negotiations, and had refused to have any informal arrangements in the three states. That strategy appeared to have backfired on Sunday. In the evening, Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi called a meeting of the strategy group, which briefly discussed the results but focused more on the upcoming bills and issues. The election result is definitely disappointing but we are not dejected. We are analysing the results. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge has called an informal meeting of INDIA allies. We are not only looking back but are also looking forward, said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. Ramesh added that the party will oppose the three proposed codes that are set to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Act. We will raise unemployment and price rise in the debate on economy, he said, In the meeting, Ramesh added, the party decided to seek a debate on the challenges at the border and on the environment, including recent ordeal suffered by 41 workers in Uttarakhand who were trapped inside an under-construction tunnel for 17 days. Some MPs also demanded debate on Manipur, he said. In Kolkata, Banerjee attributed the scale of the Congresss loss to the lack of a seat-sharing pact. The BJP says it will win 35 (of 42) Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in 2024. Let them win five and show us. Arrogance leads to defeat. If seat-sharing among INDIA coalition partners is done properly then BJP stands no chance next year. The Congress made some mistakes. We have to learn from it and prepare ourselves, she said in the legislative assembly. Banerjee also hinted that she might not attend the December 6 meeting. I have not received any letter or phone call till now. I am supposed to leave for north Bengal on the night of December 6 and stay in the region for four days. How can I change my programme? she said. In Varanasi, Yadav struck a more conciliatory tone on Monday, saying the bitterness that had erupted between the Congress and the SP during the campaign was over. The result itself brought the ego to an end. The matter is concluded. I hope there will be a resolution in the coming time because it is crucial to safeguard democracy and the constitution for the country, he said. (With inputs from Kolkata and Lucknow) Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was on Tuesday shot dead in Jaipur, news agency PTI reported. The incident took place in the Pink City's Shyam Nagar area. "As per initial reports, four people entered a house where Gogamedi was present and opened fire at him. One of Gogamedi's security personnel and another person were injured in the firing," Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) Umesh Mishra said. CCTV footage shows assailants shooting at Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi at his residence in Jaipur.(PTI) Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph said that Gogamedi was rushed to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here CCTV footage accessed by PTI showed two men firing multiple shots at Gogamedi and another man standing at the door of the leader's residence. Gogamedi died, while one of his security personnel and another person were injured in the firing. After the killing, the supporters of the slain Karni Sena chief staged a protest in the state capital. Pakistans go-getter man for anti-India operations and Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode died in Pakistan on Monday. He was 72. The Indian government had listed Lakhbir Singh Rode as an 'individual terrorist' under the UA(P)A for his anti-national activities.(REUTERS) Self-styled head of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and nephew of slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Lakhbir Singh was listed as an individual terrorist under the UA(P)A and had fled to Pakistan. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here According to various media reports, Lakhbir Singhs brother and former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode has confirmed his death in Pakistan. He said his brother had already been cremated in Pakistan on Monday. Recently, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali ordered the confiscation of land belonging to the designated terrorist in Punjabs Moga district. The land is at Kothe Gurupura village near Smalsar in Baghapurana tehsil of Moga district. The court ordered the confiscation of the land under Section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, under which a judge can confiscate moveable and immovable property of a proclaimed offender involved in serious crimes. The order was related to the case registered by the NIA on October 1, 2021, under the Explosive Substances Act, UAPA, NDPS Act and the IPC. Originally, the FIR was registered on September 16, 2021, under the Explosive Substances Act at Jalalabad police station in a case involving a tiffin bomb blast. The explosion occurred near Punjab National Bank at Jalalabad in Fazilka district at 7.57pm on September 15, 2021. ISYF was founded in 1984 and is quite active in Canada and the UK, with its head Rode settled in Lahore. According to the US State Department, ISYF was an active terrorist group organization. ISYF also has linkages with Islamist militant groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). ISYF was banned under the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA) on March 22, 2002. Besides being banned in India, the group was banned in the UK in 2001. Following the ban in UK, the group changed its name to Sikh Federation-UK (SFUK). Rode worked closely with ISI to disrupt peace in Punjab and all tiffin bomb modules busted in the past couple of years by the Punjab Police were his handiwork. Rode was the main conspirator of the Ludhiana Court blast of 2021. Rodes nephew and son of former Akal Takht Jatehedar Jasbir Singh Rode was also arrested by Punjab Police in connection with the recovery of RDX and tiffin bomb. The killing of Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh, a well-known face of Tarn Taran during the fight against terrorism, was executed on Rodes directions in 2020. Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Arsh Dalla has been the go-getter man of Rode. In February this year, the state special operation cell (SSOC) of the Punjab Police booked nine persons, including Pakistan-based International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) chief Lakhbir Singh Rode, for smuggling arms, ammunition, drugs and explosives using drones from across the border. At least 13 people were killed in a fresh incident of violence in Manipur on Monday afternoon the highest single-day toll reported in the state in six months, and one that punctured the tenuous peace in the strife-torn region once again. HT Image Security forces received inputs around noon that a gunfight had broken out between two groups at Leithao village near Saibol in the states Tengnoupal district. This is an area that was relatively peaceful since tension first erupted in the state on May 3, and the nearest security post is around 10km away in Saibol. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Once our forces moved in and reached the place, they found 13 bodies in the Leithao village. The forces did not find any weapons next to the bodies, a defence officer aware of the matter said, asking not to be named. The officer said that it appeared the 13 people who died of gunshot wounds were not from Leithao area, and preliminary inquiries suggested they had come to the village at around 8.30am. Some of them were armed, he added. The village, which comes under the territorial jurisdiction of Machi police station in Tengnoupal district, has nine houses and around 120 residents. The residents of the village are all Kukis. A gunfight broke about between village defence volunteers (VDFs) civilians with licenced arms who guard villages and the gunmen. Neither police nor security forces confirmed the identity or ethnicity of the 13 people who were killed. No casualties were reported from among the villagers. The forces suspect that the men could even be militants from Myanmar, since the nearby hills from Leithao are a common route adopted by militants from Myanmar to enter Manipur. The police have reached the spot. They will probe the matter, the officer quoted above said. By Monday night, senior police officers took custody of the 13 bodies, which were to be transported to Imphal under tight security. When contacted, Jamkhogin Lupho, secretary of Leithao village, said that villagers first noticed the movement of militants in the vicinity on Sunday night. Police have found the Aadhaar cards of three people, who are Manipur residents. They are from Wakching, Khurai Lamlong, and another place near Imphal, he claimed. It is possible that the others are from Myanmar because the village is close to the Myanmar border, and is used as a route frequently by militants. Some bodies were found in the village and others were recovered in the outskirts of the village, Lupho added. The village headman said residents saw more than 20 militants, some of them armed, trying to enter some houses. Some women alerted VDFs, who engaged in a gunfight with the militants for almost half an hour. Thirteen bodies were recovered. The others fled towards the jungle. I called the Assam Rifles office, and informed them about the incident. In the evening, police also reached the village and took the bodies, Lupho said. HT contacted Manipur polices director general and also sent a questionnaire, but the officer did not comment despite repeated calls and messages. Later, police released a statement confirming the incident. On 04.12.2023, in a gunfight between unknown armed miscreants at Leithao village near Saibol in Tengnoupal district under Machi police station, 13 (thirteen) persons have been killed. District police and security forces rushed to the spot, a case has been registered and investigation is going on, the statement said. Manipur has been roiled by ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and the Kukis since May 3. The clashes have left at least 182 dead (excluding the 13 who died on Monday) and around 50,000 homeless. The largest single-day toll in the state before Monday was reported on June 14, when nine people were shot dead in different areas of Kangpokpi district. With incidents of violence reducing in recent days, the state government on Sunday resumed mobile internet services across the state, except in the buffer zones small areas with a radius of around 2km that connect valley districts with hill districts. The Meiteis, the dominant community in the state, largely live in valley. The Kuki tribals live in the hill districts. The Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), Mizorams youngest party, capped a stunning rise in the states politics from its formation in 2017 to becoming the principal opposition in 2018 by sweeping the assembly elections on Monday, comfortably passing the halfway mark and winning 27 of the 40 assembly seats. In the process, the six-year-old political outfit led by Lalduhoma, a former police officer who was once part of Prime Minister Indira Gandhis security detail and turned politician in 1984, broke the hegemony of both the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Congress that have taken turns to rule the state for the past four decades. ZPM chief and party's chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma being greeted by his supporters in Mizoram on Monday. (ANI) In results that were declared close to a month after counting day on November 7, the scale of the ZPM win reduced the Mizo National Front to a tally of 10 seats, down from the 26 that it won in 2018. The BJP, that had won one seat in 2018, won two seats, and the Congress, once a heavyweight in the state, fell from five seats in 2018 to one seat. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here In terms of vote share, the ZPM received 37.86% in comparison to 23% in 2018. MNF, which secured 37.7% of total votes five years ago saw it slide to 35.10% this time. The BJP, which bagged 8% of total votes in 2018 managed to get 5% this time and the Congress that got 30% of total votes five years ago saw it fall to 20.82% this time. Prominent candidates to lose in the ZPM wave included MNF president and chief minister Zoramthanga who lost his Aizawl East-I seat by over 2,000 votes. In contrast, Lalduhoma won his Serchhip seat by a margin of 3,000 votes. The ZPM was founded in 2017, after six regional parties, Mizoram Peoples Conference, Zoram Nationalist Party, Zoram Exodus Movement, Zoram Decentralisation Front, Zoram Reformation Front and Mizoram Peoples party, came together. Two years later, the ZPM won eight seats, and became the largest opposition to the Zoramthanga-led MNF government. The central figure in the ZPM, and now the chief minister in waiting, is 74-year-old Lalduhoma who became an Indian Police Service officer in 1977, was part of Prime Minister Indira Gandhis security detail in 1982, before he quit and joined the Congress. He was elected unopposed to the Lok Sabha in 1984, but became the first member of Parliament to be disqualified under the anti-defection law in November 1988, after he resigned from the party. Soon after the Mizoram Peace Accord, an agreement between the Union government and the Mizo National Front to end the two decades-old insurgency in Mizoram, was signed in 1986, Lalduhoma joined the MNF. By 1997 however, Lalduhoma broke away and formed the Mizo National Front (Nationalist) that was renamed the Zoram Nationalist Party later that year. The ZPM fought the elections by highlighting the lack of development, need for financial reforms, and allegations of corruption against Zoramthanga, and speaking to HT on Monday, Lalduhoma said, Mizorams financial condition is very poor and this is something we will be inheriting from the previous government. Despite this we will honour or commitment made to farmers to procure ginger, turmeric, chilly and broom sticks at a predetermined prices. He said that financial reform was on the top of their agenda, and it was likely austerity measures will be put in place. An expert committee will be formed for this. Our next focus will be against corruption and we will give general consent to the CBI to probe cases, he said. He added that while both the Congress and the BJP may want to be part of his government, there was no need because of their absolute majority. According to the 2023-24 budget presented by Zoramthanga, who also handled the finance ministry, the states fiscal deficit is estimated at 3.5% of GSDP ( 1,247 crore). In 2022-23, according to the revised estimates, fiscal deficit was expected to be 7% of GSDP, almost twice the budget estimate of 3.1%. Revenue surplus in 2023-24 is estimated to be 1.2% of GSDP ( 418 crore), a decrease from the revised estimates for 2022-23 (2% of GSDP). In 2022-23, the revenue surplus at the revised stage was 57.5% lower than the budget estimate (3.6% of GSDP). Hours after the verdict became clear, Zoramthanga met governor Hari Babu Kambhampati at Raj Bhawan in Aizawl, with the ZPM slated to stake formal claim on Wednesday after a meeting of senior office bearers and newly elected legislators. MNF vice-president Vanlalzawma said, We had guessed two or three weeks ago that this (MNFs loss) could happen. It was clear that if voters dont give us the mandate, they would switch to ZPM. We accept the verdict and will regroup and assess the outcome. For the Congress that had hoped to capture the anti-incumbency against the MNF and return to power after five years, the result puts a further dampener on its prospects in the Northeast where it is quickly losing relevance. We accept the verdict, but this is not the end of the world. The Congress has withstood many upsets in the past and we will bounce back, said Mizoram Congress president Lalsawta. The BJP had also hoped for more in the one state in the region where it is not part of government in any capacity, and while it won its first seat in 2018, it could only bring that tally up to two. We had expected at least three seats. It was a close contest for a few other seats, but they didnt go in our favour. We would be happy to be part of the ZPM government to bring all-round development to Mizoram with help from the Centre, BJP Mizoram unit chief Vanlalhmuaka said. It was clear that the contest would be between MNF and ZPM. But the results showed the new regional party found great favour with voters especially the youth who wanted a change from the cycle of MNF and Congress governments. There was a wave in favour of ZPM and the results show that it was translated to votes, said J Doungel, professor of political science at Mizoram University. Kamal Nath is likely to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday and may tender his resignation as Madhya Pradesh Congress chief, two days after the party's debacle in the assembly election, news agency PTI reported citing sources. The report claimed that the Congress leadership is upset over Kamal Nath not meeting party leaders and workers, but meeting chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday, a day after the embarrassing defeat. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan being greeted by Congress state president Kamal Nath after BJP's victory in the state assembly elections in Bhopal on Monday. (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh Congress chief is likely to meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday and may tender his resignation from the post following the party's debacle in the assembly elections, the sources said. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The Congress, which had formed te government in the state under the leadership of Kamal Nath after winning 114 seats in the 2018 election, ended up bagging only 66 seats in the Madhya Pradesh assembly election 2023. The Congress government fell after being reduced to a minority and the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government in the state, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as chief minister. In this election, the BJP made a stunning comeback winning 163 seats, getting the two-thirds majority in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, under the leadership of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the election, which was held in November. The results were declared on December 3. Nath is likely to meet Kharge on Tuesday and could be asked to resign as Congress state unit chief, the PTI report claimed, adding that the party leadership is also upset over his remarks against many leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and JD(U) boss Nitish Kumar, over seat sharing. While the Samajwadi Party was asking for only four to six seats, the JD(U) only one seat in Madhya Pradesh, to which Nath did not agree and peeved the leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier on Sunday, addressing a press conference during the final stage of counting, Nath said, "We accept the mandate of Madhya Pradesh's voters in this democratic contest. We will fulfil the role of the Opposition." On the challenges that lie before the Congress as the principal Opposition party in the state, the former chief minister said, "The biggest challenge in front of us today is the future of the youth, unemployment and farm distress. Agriculture forms 70 per cent of our state's economy. We want to prioritise the strengths of the agriculture sector." The Congress leader also congratulated the BJP for their victory in the state on the occasion. "I congratulate the Bharatiya Janata Party and hope they will fulfil the responsibilities of the people who have given them this mandate," Nath said. Madhya Pradesh has been a BJP stronghold for the last 20 years, barring the 15-month tenure of the Kamal Nath-led government when the Congress came to power in 2018. (With inputs from agencies) The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the female foeticide racket case, on Monday arrested a nurse from Mysuru, who allegedly performed illegal abortions, officers familiar with the development said, adding that the arrested nurse, identified as Usharani, is a relative of one of the suspect arrested earlier in the case. Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has suspended two health officers for dereliction of duty in failing to address such activities. According to the officer, Usharanis along with Puttaraju and his associates used to identify pregnant women and take them to Mandya for foetal sex determination. and, if the foetus was female, they used to direct the pregnant women to hospitals in Mysuru. At the Mysuru hospital, where Usharani worked, she allegedly used to terminate pregnancies on Puttarajus directions, said the officer. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Usharani has allegedly performed multiple abortions without the knowledge of the hospital authorities, using fake documents, the officer added. The issue came to light after the CID police summoned the hospital owner and initiated an investigation. However, the authorities suspect the involvement of more individuals in the case, and a probe into the matter is underway. Meanwhile, health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has suspended two health officers for dereliction of duty in failing to address such activities. The illicit operation was initially uncovered in October when the Byappanahalli police had arrested four individuals operating a laboratory within a sugarcane processing unit in Mandya. This facility was found to be conducting unlawful sex determination tests. Subsequently, the police arrested five more individuals, including two doctors, involved in the illegal abortion of female foetuses in Mysuru. So far, 11 individuals have been arrested, and investigations have revealed that the accused ran the racket with systematic precision, carrying out over 250 abortions in the past three months. Meanwhile, health officials have launched inspections of ultrasound scanning machines in Mysuru, officials familiar with the matter said. Despite the racket operating for the past three years, resulting in the abortion of several foetus, the health department remained unaware of illicit activities at Mathaa Hospital in Udayagiri and the Ayurvedic Piles Daycare Centre on Rajkumar Road in Mysuru, indicating a concerning lack of diligence, said a senior official. During ongoing inspections, 139 scanning centres were scrutinized over two days in the Mysuru district. Family Welfare Officer Dr Gopinath said that out of the 288 scanning centres in the district, 139 were assessed on Friday and Saturday. While the government has set a deadline for the conclusion of inspection till December 31, the deputy commissioner has directed an expedited conclusion within a week. Providing details of the inspections, he said nine teams in Mysuru city have been tasked with visiting scanning centres, inspecting documents related to permissions and verifying the alignment of installed equipment with the permission letter. The task force has already initiated inspection procedures. The Local Inspection committee, led by the taluk health officer [THO] and including an AYUSH officer and a health officer, is actively examining each scanning centre in the taluk, Gopinath added. In a related development, a notification issued by the Commissionerate of Health and Family Welfare Services, Bengaluru, on December 1, has mandated all private medical establishments to register under section (5) of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act of 2017. Addressing concerns about unauthorised individuals, specifically quacks operating clinics and scanning centres, the notification directs District Health and Family Welfare Officers to instruct THOs and Inspection Officers to take action under Section (19) of the KPME Amendment Act of 2017. The notification further instructs Inspection Officers to file criminal complaints at the Magistrates Court if illegal medical establishments are found operating. Cases should be registered under the relevant IPC Section, and reports on actions taken must be submitted to the Commissionerate by District Health and Family Welfare Officers via email. The chargesheet against Ubaid Mir, Hanan Shawl, Mohammad Hajim Shah, Zubair Ahmed Munshi, and Sumerabanu Hanif Malek was submitted in the court of special judge Kamal Sojitra by NIA special public prosecutor Amit Nair. HT Image The ISKP is a UN-designated terrorist organisation. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Investigations by the NIA revealed that the accused had planned to "train themselves and carry out terror attacks" in Afghanistan after reaching the war-torn country via Iran as directed by their handler, the chargesheet stated. On June 9, the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) busted this ISKP module and arrested Mir, Shawl, and Shah from Porbandar city in Gujarat. A day later, the ATS nabbed Sumerabanu from Surat and Munshi from Srinagar. All four men hail from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. They were booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and section 120 B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The NIA had found a video clip in which the accused can be seen pledging their allegiance to ISKP while flashing sharp weapons sitting under the flag of the outfit, as per the chargesheet. The interrogation of the accused by the ATS had revealed that all of them were part of the ISKP module and radicalised by their handler Abu Hamza, officials had said. Mir, Shawl and Shah had reached Porbandar to work as fishermen on boats with the given GPS coordinates as directed by Abu Hamza. They had planned to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and reach Afghanistan via Iran to join ISKP, the ATS had said. From Porbandar, they were to be taken to Iran on a dhow and were provided with fake passports for Afghanistan and to reach Khorasan via Herat, as per the ATS. The ATS had found mobile phones, tablets, and sharp weapons in the bags of the accused. It was revealed that their handler had planned to release the pre-recorded videos and photographs of their 'sacrifice' in Afghanistan. In a video clip, they can be seen pledging their allegiance to ISKP while flashing sharp weapons. The ATS had found copies of various publications promoting radicalisation, including ISKP's mouthpiece "Voice of Khorasan" during the search of the house of Sumerabanu Hanif Malek in Surat. Malek had "admitted" to having been in touch with Abu Hamza and being "close" to Munshi, the ATS had said. The case was transferred to the NIA by the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 28. PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is likely to miss Wednesdays opposition INDIA bloc meeting, a senior JD-U member said on Tuesday, indicating widening cracks in the political bloc as it struggles to put up a united front against the BJP, which swept to victory in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in assembly polls earlier this week. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (PTI file) Kumar is the second senior opposition leader after his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, to likely stay away from the December 6 INDIA meeting. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Bihar Parliamentary Affairs Minister , who Vijay Kumar Choudharyhas consistently accused the Congress of ignoring regional parties, said Kumar, who attended the Tuesdays cabinet meeting after recovering from a bout of illness, would not take part in the meeting, as it was not required. JD-U president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh and water resources minister Sanjay Jha would attend the meeting. There is not much time left and the Congress should take the message from the debacle in three big states. Time demands that all the leaders of INDIA bloc get down to brass-tacks without further delay with a practical approach and complete distribution of seats in all the states. (The) Nitish Kumar-model is of (a) united fight and if that happens win is not improbable, said Choudhary. JD-U general secretary KC Tyagi said that though the Bihar CM would not attend the meeting, RJD chief Lalu Prasad will be there. The Nitish model is of giving everyone a level-playing field. The Congress will have to show a big heart. In key states, like Bihar, Maharashtra, UP, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, it will have to offer the reins to much stronger regional parties. After RJD and JD-U, not much is left for the Congress in Bihar. We will give the Congress its due, but it is important to work on strengths for the larger goal. Congress should not try to be overconfident to the extent of ignoring regional parties as it will be counterproductive, he added. Also Read: Congress faces tough INDIA bloc equation after defeat Tyagi said that the Nitish model is of keeping the doors open for parties like the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the YSR Congress for post-poll alliances. BJD was carved out of Janata Dal and the YSR Congress was part of the Congress. They are from a socialist background. Today they are not with us, but after polls, they may be helpful if the situation demands. The most important thing is to work out a workable plan and implement it. In many states, regional parties are the force and the Congress needs to understand this. Around 490 seats can be effectively fought, he added. On November 2, the Bihar CM was critical of the Congress at a Communist Party of India (CPI) meeting in Patna for being preoccupied with the elections in the five states and neglecting the INDIA formation. After the poll reverses in the three Hindi heartland states, JD-U has attacked the Congress for missing a vital push by ignoring the regional parties in a keenly fought election. By failing to honour the commitments of the alliance it formed, and neglecting regional parties, the Congress has fumbled in overconfidence. The JD-U has said what it needed to do and now the Congress has to decide on a fresh strategy by taking everyone along. Nitish Kumar is the initiator of the opposition alliance and his strategy of putting the best foot forward in each state needs to be accepted and applied, said Tyagi. The assembly poll debacle in three states should be seen as an opportunity to work together for a realistic fight against a much strong and more organised BJP in 2024, said, DN Diwakar, former director of the AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies. Congress is the biggest party in the Opposition, but it cannot go the full distance on its own, as has been proved. It requires effective partners and for that it will have to give others space. Regional parties cannot give their space to the Congress. Therefore, a common ground will have to be made and what Nitish Kumar said is all about that. JD-U is not the biggest party even in Bihar, but an arrangement has been made here and that is running, he added. JD-U leaders have made it clear that it would like a change in the blocs political strategy on the basis of the model proposed by Kumar, which calls for a united fight against the BJP by strengthening and expanding the alliance after assessing the strengths and weaknesses of every constituent and giving all equal importance. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, his Jharkhand counterpart, Hemant Soren, and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav will skip the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) meeting on Wednesday amid disquiet in the bloc over a delay in seat-sharing and Congresss alleged disregard for regional parties. INDIA bloc held a meeting in Mumbai in September. (HT PHOTO) The Congress called the meeting hours after suffering an electoral drubbing in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is scheduled to leave for North Bengal on Wednesday for a four-day visit, was also expected to stay away from the meeting. On Monday, she blamed the lack of seat-sharing arrangements for the Congresss losses. She called the drubbing a defeat of the Congress and not a disaster for the larger Opposition. On Tuesday, Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who has blamed Congress for ignoring regional parties, said Kumar has recovered from an illness and would not take part in the meeting as it was not required. He added Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan and Bihar minister Sanjay Jha will attend the meeting on Kumars behalf. Choudhary said there was not much time left and that Congress should learn from the debacle in three states. He added there should be no further delay in seat sharing across states. Nitish Kumars model is of a united fight and if that happens, a win is not improbable, said Choudhary. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said Akhilesh Yadav has no plans of attending the INDIA bloc meeting. He added Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised will go for the meeting. Ramgopal Yadav said Akhilesh Yadav was busy with some programmes in the Purvanchal region. It does not matter if a leader does not participate. All parties will be there at the meeting. Leaders are busy. They have prior commitments... the meeting was announced suddenly. Akhilesh Yadav, whose party fielded candidates in Madhya Pradesh after a falling out with the Congress, on Monday said he was not disappointed with the assembly election results in heartland states while hoping it will not impact their prospects in the 2024 national polls. Soren cited his busy schedule and said he would be unable to attend the INDIA bloc meeting while ruling out differences among the coalition partners. I will be busy here. I spoke to [Congress chief Mallikarjuna] Kharge Ji yesterday [Monday]...maybe our representative will go. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said another key member of the alliance, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, will be at the meeting. The Congress will have to show a big heart. In key states such as Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, it will have to offer the reins to stronger regional parties. He promised to give the Congress its due in Bihar. Congress should not be overconfident to the extent of ignoring regional parties as it will be counterproductive. Tyagi called for keeping the options open for parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the YSR Congress Party for post-poll alliances. BJD and YSR Congress Party were formed following splits in the Janata Dal and the Congress. Today, they are not with us, but after the polls, they may be helpful if the situation demands. The most important thing is to work out a workable plan and implement it. In many states, regional parties are stronger and the Congress needs to understand this. On November 2, Kumar criticised the Congress for being preoccupied with the elections in the five states and neglecting the INDIA bloc. The JD(U) attacked the Congress for ignoring the regional parties after the poll reverses in the three heartland states. Tyagi said the JD-U has said what it needed to do and now the Congress has to decide on a fresh strategy by taking everyone along. Nitish Kumar is the initiator of the alliance and his strategy of putting the best foot forward in each state needs to be applied. Troubles brew within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after party MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal on Monday announced his decision to boycott the BJP legislature party meetings until adequate representation is ensured for the north Karnataka region. Basangouda Patil Yatnal Yatnal said had earlier said that there is a need for a leader from north Karnataka to assume the role of party president or leader of the opposition and reiterated his stance during the winter session in Belagavi. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Expressing discontent with recent appointments within the BJP, Yatnal accused the party of neglecting north Karnataka. He specifically targeted the newly-appointed state BJP president, BY Vijayendra, alleging that only privileged individuals are securing key positions. I was eligible for the state president post but was ignored. I dont have any corruption cases or any such cases against me. People of the state are demanding Yatnal to be given an important post. Why only some privileged people must get it? he said during the winter session of the assembly in Belagavi. A leader from north Karnataka should be made party president or leader of the opposition. Till justice is done to north Karnataka, I will not participate in the legislature party meetings, he added. Justifying his decision to boycott the legislature party meetings, Yatnal pointed out the dominating presence of leaders from Old Mysuru and Bengaluru in key positions. The state president is from the Old Mysuru region, opposition leader is from Bengaluru, why I should attend the legislative party meeting? I will not attend it. The central leaders have assured me to give justice and unless it is fulfilled, I will not attend the meeting. They want MLAs and MPs from North Karnataka but dont want to give important posts, I am ready to sacrifice anything to get justice, the Vijayapura MLA added. The remarks by Yatnal come at a time when there were speculations that either he or another MLA, Arvind Bellad, could be appointed as the deputy leader of the opposition (LoP). Earlier, Yatnal had opposed the appointment of R Ashok as the partys leader of the opposition. On November 17, hours before the decision to appoint Ashoka was announced, Yantnal had walked out of the party legislative party meeting held in Bengaluru on Friday, before it even started. He had also expressed his concerns saying that the party should avoid becoming a dynastic entity. Yatnals comments were seemingly directed at the appointment of BY Vijayendra, son of veteran leader BS Yediyurappa, as the Karnataka state unit president. Yatnal also said he has sought an appointment with BJP leader JP Nadda, but as of now, he has not been summoned to Delhi. Speculations arose last week regarding a meeting between disgruntled leaders, including Yatnal, Bellad, and V Somanna, with the partys high command in early December. There are also talks that Yatnal could be appointed chief whip of the BJP. Responding to the controversy, BJPs Leader of the Opposition, R Ashok, assured that all problems would be addressed. We will take care of all problems. Dont have any doubts about it, he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said the meeting by the Opposition's INDIA bloc, scheduled for tomorrow, was not called in a hurry and that it was planned even before the declaration of (assembly) election results. His statement came after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced skipping the meeting, claiming that she was not made aware of it in advance. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut(ANI) "This meeting was not called in a hurry. Even before the declaration of election results, this meeting was being planned...Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Uddhav Thackeray about the meeting 2 days before the election results were announced...Uddhav Thackeray will reach Delhi tomorrow and take part in the meeting," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP said. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Also read: INDIA leaders push Congress on seat talks Earlier, while addressing the media, CM Banerjee said she would have rescheduled her itinerary if she had the information about the meeting. "I have got no information so I kept a programme in North Bengal. If we had the information, we wouldn't have scheduled those programmes. We would have definitely gone (for the meeting), but we have not received any information," she said. The participation of any other TMC member in the meeting is still unclear at this point. Meanwhile, the BJP took the opportunity to slam the Opposition alliance and said the West Bengal CM has realised that there is no future in INDIA bloc. Mamata Banerjee has understood that there is no future of the INDIA alliance that's why she is skipping the meeting, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said. The December 6 meeting will be held at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi, where all 28 members of the coalition are likely to chalk out the final strategy to take on the ruling BJP in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The main agenda of the meeting is likely to be surrounding the sharing of seats. At least two members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Monday asked the Congress to immediately start seat-sharing talks for the 2024 elections as constituents of the Opposition bloc mounted pressure and insisted that proceedings in the ongoing winter session not be disrupted on any issue to allow participation in debates. The INDIA bloc had convened three meetings so far Patna on June 23; Bengaluru on July 17-18; Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. New Delhi The Opposition should not vent the frustration of its electoral defeats in Parliament, and instead shed negativity and confrontational attitudes to move forward in national interest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he hailed the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) sweep of elections in three key heartland states. Proceedings of the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Winter Session on Monday. (ANI) Speaking outside Parliament on the opening day of the winter session, Modi termed his partys impressive victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh encouraging signs for those committed to the well-being of the common person and the future of the country, even as he advised the Opposition to embrace positivity. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Based on the current election results, I would like to tell my Opposition colleagues that they have a golden opportunity. Instead of planning to vent frustration over the defeat in this session, if they learn from it, shun the idea of negativity that has been prevalent for the past nine years, and move forward with positivity, the countrys perspective towards them will change, Modi said. A new door may open for them... and even if they are in the Opposition, I am giving them good advice to come forward with positive thoughts. If we take 10 steps, then you should take 12 steps while making decisions, he added. The winter session is expected to be stormy over the imminent expulsion of embattled Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra in connection with cash-for-query allegations, the passage of a raft of important but controversial bills (such as those to replace Indias legal codes) and polarising issues such as the ongoing violence in Manipur and allegations of irregularities against the Adani Group. Everyones future is bright; theres no need for despair. But please, do not vent the frustration of defeat in the House. There might be disappointment. Your colleagues may have to do something to show their strength. But, at least, do not turn this temple of democracy into a platform for expressing frustration, said Modi, flanked by Union ministers Prahlad Joshi, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Jitendra Singh. He held out some suggestions for the Opposition which has previously blamed the government for pushing bills through Parliament with little notice or discussion as he called for cooperation. And I say this again, based on my long experience, change your approach a bit, leave the confrontational attitude aside just for the sake of opposition, and contribute positively for the countrys benefit. Debate the shortcomings. You see, the hatred growing in the country today over certain issues might turn into love through such actions. So, there is an opportunity; dont let it slip away, he said. Modi said cooperation was important in Parliament, adding that conveying a message of positivity was important for the Opposition. I also want to say that it is in your interest to convey a message of positivity to the country. Its not good for democracy if your image becomes associated with hatred and negativity. The Opposition is as crucial, valuable, and powerful in a democracy, and it should be equally capable. I make this statement once again for the well-being of democracy, he said. The comments came a day after the BJP tightened its grip over Indias heartland with emphatic victories staving off anti-incumbency to score a massive victory in Madhya Pradesh, keeping alive Rajasthans tradition of voting out the incumbent with a clear majority in the desert state, and shocking the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh by wresting back the tribal-dominated province. The only salve for the bruised Congress came south of the Vindhyas where the party defeated the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana. Outside Parliament, Modi termed the results encouraging. These results are encouraging for those who are committed to the well-being of the common man, and who are dedicated to the bright future of the country, especially for all sections of all societies, women from every village and city, youth from every village and city of all social groups, farmers from every community, and the poor people of my country. Those who follow the principles of empowering these four important castes and ensuring their bright future and last mile delivery of concrete plans received strong support, he said. In previous speeches, he has said the only four castes important to him were farmers, poor, youth and women, accusing the Opposition of trying to divide the society on the back of polarising issues such as a caste census. When there is good governance and consistent support for public welfare, the term anti-incumbency becomes irrelevant. Some may call it pro-incumbency, good governance, transparency, national interest, or solid plans for public welfare, but this has been the experience that we have been witnessing consistently. And today we are meeting in this new temple of the Parliament after such an excellent public mandate, he said. The winter session is the first full session to be conducted in the new Parliament, which hosted a special session last September, when a historic bill reserving a third of seats for women in national and state legislatures was passed. The PM asked everyone to share their inputs on how to improve the new building and said the government was striving to have discussions with opposition members to seek everyones cooperation. I am urging all respected MPs to come prepared fully, discuss thoroughly on any bills presented in the House and provide the best suggestions. Because when a MP gives a suggestion, it contains elements of practical experience. But if there is no discussion, the country misses out on those things, and thats why I am urging (all the members for serious discussions) once again, he said. Modi said the country did not want to wait for development any longer. In every section of society, there is a sentiment that we just need to move forward. I urge all respected MPs to lead the House while respecting this sentiment. This is my request to them, he said. The Congress accused Modi of spreading negative politics. When they lost in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh PM Modi never shared these homilies... One time, he dedicated this win for the women, farmers and good governance, then he boasts in Parliament that it is Modis win. This is a bad omen for democracy and I can only say that the BJP is the proprietor of negative politics. They turn truth into false in the disguise of developing India, said the Congresss Lok Sabha House leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a sharp dig at the anti-BJP forces on Tuesday after Congress's dismal performance in the Hindi heartland states in the recently concluded assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at BJP Headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) Reacting to a television news clip, Prime Minister Modi, in a social media post, said, May they be happy with their arrogance, lies, pessimism and ignorance. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here He, however, warned about their alleged divisive agenda, saying an old habit of 70 years cant go away so easily. Also, such is the wisdom of the people that they have to be prepared for many more meltdowns ahead, PM Modi added. In the clip, the news anchor was commenting on the supposed meltdown of unnamed anti-BJP forces following Congress's loss in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, the three Hindi heartland states that went to the polls in November. Telangana came as the only solace for Congress where the grand old party snatched power from the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by K Chandrashekhar Rao. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the opposition not to vent its frustration over the assembly polls defeat inside Parliament and move forward leaving behind "negativity", saying that may change the people's perspective towards them. "The country has rejected negativity. We always have dialogue with opposition friends at the start of session, we always seek cooperation of everyone. This time also all such processes have been completed," he said. Modi urged all members to come well-prepared and hold thorough discussions on bills so that good suggestions come to the fore. "If I speak on basis of the assembly poll results, this is a golden opportunity for friends in opposition. Instead of making plans for venting frustration over defeat, they should learn from this defeat, leaving behind the habit of negativity of the last nine years, if they move forward with positivity this session, the country will change its perspective towards them. A new door could open for them," he said. "They are in the opposition but still I am giving them good advice," Modi added. JAIPUR: Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena (SRRKS) president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead on Tuesday by three men at his Jaipur residence, leading to protests in several parts of Rajasthan to demand the arrest of the culprits. Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi spent about 10-15 minutes with the assailants before they opened fire (Videograb) One of the three assailants, identified as a local shopkeeper Naveen Singh Shekhawat, was shot dead by Gogamedis security guards after the assailants opened fire at the prominent community leader, Jaipur police commissioner Biju George Joseph said. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here According to a widely-circulated video clip, two men abruptly started shooting at Gogamedi. His security guard Ajit Singh who was sitting with him fired at the assailants and killed one of them. Singh also sustained a gunshot injury in the incident. As Gogamedi slumps to the ground, they fire one last shot in the back before exiting. HT cannot verify the authenticity of the video clip. Rohit Godara Kapurisar, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, has claimed responsibility for the murder in a post on Facebook. According to the post, the gangster accused Gogamedi of cooperating with our enemies to strengthen their organisations. Police are yet to comment on the claim. Following the protests that erupted in parts of the state, Rajasthan director general of police Umesh Mishra said check posts had been set up to track down the two unidentified assailants. I have ordered my officers to take immediate action in the matter and arrest the culprits soon, he said, adding that additional security force was also deployed in the city, neighbouring districts, and at Gogamedis house. Jaipur police commissioner Biju George Joseph said the three assailants reached Gogamedis house in the Shyam Nagar area in a white car at about 1pm. They told his security guards that they wanted to meet him and were taken inside. The men talked to Gogamedi for a few minutes before opening fire at him. Since Naveen Singh Shekhawat, who died in the incident, had the keys to their car, the two assailants rushed out of the house to look for a getaway vehicle. The police commissioner said they saw a scooterist and shot him to snatch his vehicle to flee. Gogamedi, his security guard and the scooterist were taken to the local Metro Mass Hospital. However, Gogamedi passed away minutes after his treatment started. The two other injured people were shifted to the ICU- of which one can be transferred to the Sawai Man Singh hospital considering his critical condition, the commissioner said. He underlined that the two shooters are yet to be identified. Gogamedis family said they wont allow the body to be sent for autopsy until the police arrest the two culprits. A big conspiracy was hatched. I dont want to take anyones name, but he received threatening calls from many political groups. We had also asked the police to provide him with proper security but they refused. He knew that his life was under threat, his uncle said. The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Post Office Bill, 2023 that seeks to replace the 125-year-old colonial-era Indian Post Office Act, 1898 that currently governs postal services in India. The bill was passed through a voice vote and was first introduced in the upper house in August 2023. The new Post Office Bill seeks to replace the 125-year-old colonial-era Indian Post Office Act, 1898. (ANI) In the last nine-and-a-half years, postal services and post office have been transformed from a mail delivery institution to a service delivery institution. Post offices have been practically turned into banks. It is a short law that focusses on shifting this [postal] system from mail delivery to service delivery, from post office to banking services., communications minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here One clause of the bill, however, drew significant opposition from some MPs for threatening peoples privacy by allowing a government-appointed officer to intercept, open or detain any item for national security and allied reasons. Clause 9 empowers the central government to notify any officer to cause any item in course of transmission by the Post Office to be intercepted, opened or detained in the interest of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, emergency, or public safety or upon the occurrence of any contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or any other law for the time being in force. It also allows the central government to dispose of any such item in any manner. Congresss Shaktisinh Gohil said that the Act can be misused and used for increased surveillance of citizens. The right of privacy is a fundamental right. I understand that security is important and you are doing it for the safety of the people but in the name of security.in which direction are we going? he said. He also asked the government to clarify what constitutes a public emergency. Gohil also said that the level of the officer need to be specified else the trust that people have over postmen will be destroyed by this bill. Aam Aadmi Partys Raghav Chadha said that the bill does not lay down any procedures for interception or opening letters of packages. This is an act of surveillance on citizens, fails to specify procedures and the grounds are very vague. Moreover, there are no consequences for the unauthorised opening of postal articles by a postal officer, he said. This is a violation of articles 19 [fundamental rights] and 21 [protection of life and personal liberty] of the Indian Constitution, he added. The procedure for interception will be introduced through rules, Vaishnaw said as he explained that the provision for interception of post has existed for decades. To be sure, the new bill, does not provide for introduction of procedure of interception through rules. The extant act of 1898 allows for interception too but slightly differently. Section 26 empowered the central government, the state government, or a specially authorised officer to direct, through a written order, any postal article or class or description of postal articles to be intercepted, detained or disposed on the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of the public safety or tranquillity. In case of doubt whether something was a public emergency or done in interest of public safety, a certificate from the central or state government, as the case may be, was required. Under the new bill, a written order is not required. Similarly, an officer of the post office, empowered by the central government, could search or cause search to be made for any goods of specified description that have been prohibited or restricted by any law. The new bill, under clause 9(3), allows the central government to empower any Post Office officer to deliver an item, received from within or beyond the limits of India and reckoned to contain anything liable to duty or which is suspected to contain any prohibited item to such customs authority or any other authority as may be specified in the said notification, and such customs authority or any other authority shall deal with such item in accordance with the provisions of any law for the time being in force. Nationalist Congress Party member Fauzia Khan said that the legislative intent of the bill is unclear. It plans to turn us into one of the most surveilled nation, she said. Officers get an immunity shield and may indulge in corrupt practices through it, she said. Responding to criticism, Vaishnaw said the provision for interception is meant for national security. In a society that is complex and diverse, and times that are difficult, it is very important that interception is undertaken. This provision is kept for national security, he said. He also added that the government has a right to keep track of illegal substances, like narcotics being transported through postal networks. There is absolutely no question of privatisation of post offices, Vaishnaw said in response to such concerns. The government has no intention of privatising the postal services...The aim of the bill is to allow for inclusion of other services [such as banking, direct benefit transfer] within the remit of the act, he said. The new bill does not define what kind of materials cannot be sent through post. The extant act prohibits the postal transmission of unauthorised lottery tickets, indecent or obscene printing, painting, photograph, lithograph, engraving, book or card, or any other indecent or obscene article, and postal articles whose covers have any words, marks or designs that are indecent, obscene, seditious, scurrilous, threatening or grossly offensive. The Bill, in keeping with the current act, exempts the post office and the officers from any liability with regard to a service until and unless the officer has acted fraudulently or wilfully caused loss, delay or mis-delivery of service. All offences and penalties under the current act were removed through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. This included illegal opening of postal articles by an officer which was punishable with imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine. The bill requires the appointment of a director general to make regulations to provide services through the post office. These services have not been defined yet and will be prescribed by the central government. The director general can also fix the charges and terms and conditions for such services. The director general can make regulations related to the supply and sale of postage stamps and postal stationery while in the current Act, the power rests with the central government. However, only the central government is authorised to make rules under the new bill. (With inputs from Abhya Adlakha) Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy will be the next chief minister of the southern state, the party announced on Tuesday. Addressing a press briefing, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said that the swearing-in ceremony will be held on December 7. Telangana Congress leader Anumula Revanth Reddy. (File)(AP) Reddy was credited for the party's thumping victory in the assembly elections and was the face of Congress' winning campaign in Telangana. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here After the announcement, Reddy expressed his gratitude towards Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and other key party leaders. I wholeheartedly express my gratitude to honourable AICC president Shri @kharge ji, Mother of Telangana our beloved #Soniamma , ever inspiring leader @RahulGandhi ji, charismatic @priyankagandhi ji, AICC General Secretary (Org) @kcvenugopalmp ji, deputy CM of Karnataka @DKShivakumar ji and Incharge General Secretary- Telangana @Manikrao_INC ji and last but not the least our congress soldiers who stood by us through thick and thin, he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Who is Revanth Reddy? Revanth Reddy is a Lok Sabha MP and a two-time MLA, also having represented in the assembly of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2009 and later in Telangana assembly in 2014. Reddy started his political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of RSS. In 2007, he was elected as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) as an independent candidate. Later, Reddy joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and was elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Kodangal constituency in 2009. However, he quit the party after his involvement in an alleged bribing scandal. Reddy joined the Congress party in 2017 and was appointed as the TPCC chief in 2021. The 54-year-old leader earned several critics within the party ranks after he seemingly changed the style of functioning as a state Congress chief. He was projected as a big stage leader and addressed several high-ticket rallies in the run-up to the state elections. Reddy is known to take on KCR and his family in public speeches and interviews. Telangana Assembly election result In a historic win, Congress dethroned the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government as it crossed the majority mark by securing 64 seats in the southern state. The BRS trailed with 38 seats, while the BJP improved its 2018 tally by winning eight seats. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won seven seats, while CPI managed to get one seat. Outgoing Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot's officer on special duty (OSD) on Tuesday said the Congress government had carried out a surveillance on Sachin Pilot, when he along with his loyalist MLAs had rebelled in 2020. There was a political crisis in Rajasthan when Sachin Pilot along with 18 MLAs had gone to Manesar. It is quite natural that the government carries out a surveillance measures to track people a person in question is meeting. The government was on the verge of a collapse, Lokesh Sharma told news agency ANI. "We were constantly monitoring Pilot and the people associated with him and their meetings. He was being monitored so that corrective measures are taken. It was due to this monitoring that we were able to bring some people back. Following a person was a part of monitoring," Sharma added. Ashok Gehlot with Congress leader Sachin Pilot. (PTI) In June 2020, Pilot along with MLAs supporting him had revolted against Gehlot, triggering a political crisis in the state. The Gurjar leader's rebellion had taken place months after the Congress had lost power in Madhya Pradesh after 23 MLAs had defected to the BJP. Pilot and the MLAs were brought back to the party's fold following timely intervention of the Congress high command. But the political crisis had aggravated the tensions between Pilot and Gehlot. On December 3, the day Congress lost the assembly election in Rajasthan, Sharma had blamed Gehlot for the party's defeat. "I am hurt by the results, but not surprised. Undoubtedly, Congress could have changed the 'Rivaz' in Rajasthan but Ashok Gehlot ji never wanted any change. This is not the defeat of Congress but of Ashok Gehlot ji," Sharma said on X. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here He said the Congress fought the elections under Gehlot's leadership while giving him a free hand and alleged that the chief minister was himself contesting on every seat in the state. "Neither his experience nor magic worked and like every time, the Congress did not win with the help of his plans and campaign work. While being the CM for the third consecutive time, Gehlot once again brought the party to the margins," Sharma said. As the mystery thickens around the random killings of Lashkar-e-Taiba members, terrorist and LeT commander Sajid Mir was rushed to the hospital and placed on a ventilator after he was reportedly poisoned while lodged inside a jail in Pakistan. Lashkar-e-Taibas top terrorist Sajid Mir is reportedly on ventilator after being poisoned. (Sourced) Sajid Mir has been lodged in the Kot Lakhpat jail in Pakistan since his sentencing in an anti-terrorism court last year. Mir was suddenly admitted to a hospital a few days ago, The Times of India reported. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Media reports indicated that Mir has been on a ventilator after being poisoned inside prison. This alleged attempt to kill the terrorists comes on the heels of his impending transfer to another prison due to a threat to his life. However, the TOI report added that the reports of Mir's hospitalisation could be a "ruse" by the Pakistan army and the Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (Pakistan ISI) in an attempt to soften the action taken by international agencies against the LeT commander. Last year, Sajid Mir, who was a key plotter of the deadly 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, was sentenced to jail for eight years on charges of terror financing. A fine of PKR 420,000 was also imposed on him as Pakistan was trying to tighten the noose around wanted terrorists before the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) review. Reports also claimed that Mir's poisoning and faking his death in Pakistan could be an attempt by the ISI to stop his extradition to the United States, where the wanted terrorist has a bounty of USD 5 million on his head, announced by the FBI. Sajid Mir's role in 26/11 Mumbai attacks Sajid Mir is believed to be in his mid-40s, and was one of the key conspirators in the deadly 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in 2008. It is believed that Mir was providing intel to the terrorists who came to India to launch multiple attacks across Mumbai. Due to the nature of his crime, the US government and FBI put a bounty of USD 5 million on his head for his role in the 26/11 attacks. A proposal was passed by the US and India in the UN to term Mir as a global terrorist, freezing his assets and imposing a travel ban. Doctors cannot be blamed when parents remain negligent about their childrens health conditions for an inordinate period, the Supreme Court observed on Tuesday, as it refused to interfere with a clean chit given to a pediatrician in a two-decade old consumer case. Supreme Court A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that the parents had taken the two-year-old child to the pediatrician in Kanpur in January 2002 after the toddler had persistent fever for the previous 45 days. The child was finally diagnosed with meningitis that damaged his eyesight. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here You waited for 45 days to take such a small child to a doctor, and you claim the doctor was negligent? Why did you not take the child after a week or so? We are saying it that if anyone is negligent here, it is you the parents, the bench told advocate Namrata Chandorkar, who was appearing for the parents of the child, who is now 23-year-old. Also read- SC seeks response from Centre, NMC over live surgery broadcast The lawyer replied that the doctor was aware of the medical history of the patient, complaining that valuable time was lost by the doctor in treating the child with antibiotics and antimalarial drugs. Chandorkar added that the doctor failed to advise suitable pathological tests for diagnosing the serious disease, besides first treating the child for malaria. But the bench retorted: How can you solely blame the doctor after letting the child have fever for 45 days? The infection must have set in by the time you took him to the doctor. This is not a case where you can blame the doctor for being negligent. With the writing on the wall, the lawyer requested the bench to restore the 2013 order of the Kanpur district consumer forum that asked the doctor to pay 2 lakh as damages. But the bench remained unconvinced. Restoring the order of the consumer forum would mean restoring the charge of medical negligence against the doctor. No doctor wants such a stigma, said the court, refusing to interfere with the decision of the national consumer commission in March. Also read- Right to approach court is heart of Constitution: CJI Chandrachud The commission in its order held that medical negligence could not be attributed to the doctor since the prescriptions and other reports brought on record show that the patient was investigated, diagnosed properly and, at the appropriate time, referred to a specialist. To start with, for fever, the doctor usually initially prescribes antibiotics and antipyretics. No reasonable doctor will suspect it as meningitis directly unless the patient shows clinical signs of meningitis. Therefore, it does not constitute medical negligence, the commissions order in March stated. The safety and security of air passengers is a top priority of the Union government, and airports or airlines are subjected to penalties in the event of any norm violations, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Monday. Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Rajya Sabha (PTI) Safety and security is the priority of our ministry. For security, our institute BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) keeps a keen watch on all airports and for safety, DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) issues CAR (Civil Aviation Rule) so that the safety of the passengers is kept in mind. Whenever any airline or airport is found guilty, a penalty is imposed on them by the ministry, Scindia told the House in Hindi. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The minister was replying to a question by MP Kartikeya Sharma during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, on the first day of the Winter session of Parliament. In his question, Sharma sought to know whether the ministry was considering taking any step to safeguard the rights and the interests of the passengers, taking into consideration some of the reported incidents when passengers were mistreated. Scindia also explained the ministrys rules for flight cancellations. We have a due process for cancellations. If the airline cancels an hour or two hours before the departure time, it is supposed to accommodate passengers in the immediate connecting flights, he said. If they are not able to do so even after five or six hours, then the airline is supposed to accommodate passengers in hotels and refund them and then provide them an alternate flight. This is done as per the civil aviation rules by the ministry, he added. Strict action is initiated if an airline fails to follow these rules, he said. Last month, the DGCA had issued a show cause notice to Tata-owned Air India for failing to provide adequate facilities to passengers in cases of delay in flight boarding or cancellations. During the session, Scindia also said that as many as 130,000 passengers have travelled by air under the Udey Desh ka Aam Aadmi (UDAN) scheme since its launch in 2017 and the aviation sector is set to be the backbone of the transportation sector in the country. He said that steps have been taken with respect to flight operations during fog. There have been only 0.05% cancellations during 2020-21 and 2021-22 and 0.01% delays have taken place due to fog in the country, he said. (With agency inputs) The Enforcement Directorate (ED), while attaching properties worth 751 crore in its money-laundering probe into the National Herald newspaper last month claimed that a criminal conspiracy was hatched to give control of properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) to the beneficial owners of Young Indian, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, people familiar with the development said on Tuesday. Besides immovable properties, the ED attached 90,216,898 shares of Young Indian (YI) worth 90.21 crore, terming them as direct proceeds of crime (HT file photo) According to details of the EDs proceedings under section 5 (1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the three immovable properties attached on November 21 include Herald House at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Delhi, with a market value of 351 crore (as assessed by the Income Tax department in 2017), AJL House in Bandra, worth 245 crore, and the AJL office at Bisheshwar Nath Road, Lucknow, worth 64 crore. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Also read- What is the National Herald case? ED said that while Herald House in Delhi was given to AJL by the President of India on August 2, 1962, on lease, which was turned into a perpetual lease in January 1967, the property in Mumbai was given to AJL through an order by Maharashtra government on August 31, 1983, and the Lucknow property was acquired through a sale deed from Diocesan Trust Association, Lucknow. Besides immovable properties, the ED attached 90,216,898 shares of Young Indian (YI) worth 90.21 crore, terming them as direct proceeds of crime. On why it was decided to attach these properties, an ED officer, citing details of the attachment order, said, If these properties are not attached, there is every likelihood that they could be transferred and dealt with in a manner which may result in frustration of any proceeding relating to confiscation of the said proceeds of crime. The Congress has denied the charges, and described the case as a witch-hunt. Also read- BJP accuses Gandhi family of appropriating freedom struggle Explaining the alleged conspiracy, the ED officer cited above said, AJL, which owned properties worth hundreds of crores, closed its (publishing) operations in 2008 and started using these assets for commercial purposes. A criminal conspiracy was hatched to give control of properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees belonging to AJL to the beneficial owners of YI Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. YI was incorporated for this purpose only in November 2010. ED said that the the same set of people were appointed in AJL and YI, who were also members of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). As part of the conspiracy, a loan of 90.21 crore, given by AICC to AJL, was assigned to YI for a sum of 50 lakh by passing resolutions by the same set of people holding positions in these three entities, said a second officer, who also asked to be named. Thereafter, YI asked AJL to repay a loan of 90.21 crore assigned to it by AICC or convert it into equity, the officer added. ED said it found that AJL called an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), attended by the same set of people 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 1,000 shareholders was reduced to a mere 1% and AJL became a subsidiary company of YI. YI also took control over properties of AJL, ED claimed in its statement on November 21. This way, the second ED officer said, the criminal conspiracy was executed and control of assets of AJL worth hundreds of crores of rupees was transferred to the beneficial owners of YI. The Congress has repeatedly said that the transaction was done to help save the newspaper and pay the salaries of journalists and staff at a time when AJL faced huge debts. It argues that the decision helped revive the organisation and blames the central government of raking up an old issue to target the Gandhi family for political vendetta. In a detailed statement on November 21, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, 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. 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. Jaipur remains tense after Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was brutally shot dead by unidentified assailants at his residence on Tuesday. The slain Karni Sena chief's supporters blocked the Shipra Path road in Jaipur outside the hospital where he was rushed after the attack. Several Rajput organisations in the state have called for a bandh (shutdown) against the killing. A file photo of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, president of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena. The Rajput organisations also called for bandh in many districts such as Bundi, Baran etc. In Jodhpur and Barmer, they also called for a demonstration in front of the divisional headquarters. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here "Some crowd had gathered here, which was dispersed by the police," ACP Mansarovar Abhishek Shivhare told PTI on the protests. ALSO READ: Who was Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi of Karni Sena? Who shot him dead? Here are the top five updates in connection with the killing that has shook the state amid regime change after assembly election. 1. The entire murder was captured on CCTV camera. One of the assailants has been identified as Naveen Singh Shekhawat, who also died in the exchange of fire. Jaipur Police commissioner Biju Joseph said the remaining two assailants managed to flee on a scooty they snatched from a person outside Gogamedi's house. 2. One of Gogamedi's relatives told reporters outside the hospital that he had been receiving threats for a long time and feared an attack. He claimed police had been informed about the threats. 3. The killing has triggered a political slugfest in the state that recently witnessed assembly elections. Congress leader Pramod Tewari claimed that the criminals are emboldened just after the news that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is coming to power in the state. "It was under the Congress regime that culprits were nabbed within four hours. If in Jaipur, the capital, this is the situation, then you can imagine for yourself," Tewari was quoted by PTI as saying. 4. Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed shock at the killing and assured the people of Rajasthan that the state will be made crime-free. I am shocked by the news of the murder of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, National President of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena. In this regard, information has been taken from the Police Commissioner and he has asked for the arrest of the accused as soon as possible. Social people will have to maintain peace and patience. Making the state crime-free is one of our top priorities as soon as the BJP government takes oath, the minister posted on social media platform X. 5. Rajasthan DGP Umesh Mishra said the police are carrying out raids at the possible hideouts of the assailants. Raids are being conducted at the possible hideouts of the miscreants...We spoke to the Haryana DG and assistance has been sought. Rohit Godara gang has taken responsibility for the murder, they will be arrested soon, he added. (With PTI, ANI inputs) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the Centres response to a petition filed by an unmarried woman challenging the law, which bars single, unmarried woman from availing surrogacy. The court issued a notice to the Centre on a petition filed by a practising lawyer Neeha Nagpal who said that the law impacts the right to reproduction. (ANI) A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to the Centre on a petition filed by a practising lawyer Neeha Nagpal who said that the law impacts the right to reproduction and motherhood of a woman and denies them right to have a meaningful family life. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal appearing for the petitioner told the Court that Section 2(1)(s) of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 allows only divorced or widowed woman to avail of surrogacy. The petitioner who is aged about 40 years is diabetic and has been informed that a pregnancy would involve complications. Kirpal said, The Act by restricting surrogacy to only those women who have ever been married even though they may now be divorced or widowed violates the petitioners right to privacy. There is no rational nexus between imposition of this requirement of having once been married with the object of the Act which is solely to prevent commercial surrogacy. He said that the Government may consider this challenge to the law and file its response as surrogacy is the only viable option available to the petitioner for having a child and family of her own. He said, An unmarried woman has a right to reproduction and motherhood even without entering a marriage. Section 2(1)(s) of the Act is manifestly arbitrary and irrational as there is no restriction on a single, unmarried woman adopting a child or having a child out of wedlock. Also Read: Why restrict single women from surrogacy, Delhi HC asks Centre Additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati appeared for the Centre and said that the law is centered around the best interest of the child and is altruistic in nature where both gamete (reproductive cells) have to come from the intending couple undergoing surrogacy. In case of widow or divorcee, the woman must use her eggs and donor sperms to avail the procedure. The petitioner informed the Court that she has frozen her eggs and the law by restricting surrogacy to only those women who have ever been married violates her right to privacy. The petition filed through advocate Malak Manish Bhatt said, The right to a meaningful family life, which allows a person to live a fulfilling life and helps in retaining her physical, psychological and emotional integrity falls within the ambit of Article 21 of the Constitution. Hence, the restriction of surrogacy to only divorced and widowed women is in violation of Articles 14 (right to equality) and 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution. It also questioned the prohibition on monetary compensation to the surrogate mother that effectively makes it impossible for the petitioner to find a surrogate mother. New Delhi: Taiwan has helped set up 29 Mandarin language centres at leading universities across India, including the Rashtriya Raksha University in Gujarat, to help train more people in the Chinese language, people familiar with the matter said. A Chinook helicopter carrying a Taiwan flag flies over the city during the countrys National Day celebration in Taipei. (Reuters) The move comes at a time when there is renewed interest in Mandarin amid the dragging standoff with China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), especially among Indias security agencies. Mandarin also continues to be among the popular languages, along with French, German and Spanish, for young officers of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Several of the Mandarin language centres created by the Taiwan government are in private universities, in view of the funding needed to attract experienced teachers, the people said on condition of anonymity. Most of these centres have one or two Mandarin teachers, they said. Among the more prominent collaborations is the one with the Rashtriya Raksha University, which is described as a model security educational varsity that focuses on security, strategic and police education and research and training. There are four Taiwanese experts working with the university, and authorities in Taiwan are looking to expand the initiative to more institutions in India, the people said. However, with interest in Mandarin also growing in the US and European nations amid geo-political tensions between Western countries and China, these countries have emerged as attractive destinations for Taiwanese experts and teachers, especially since they offer better salaries and amenities. The Taiwanese side has taken several steps to help retain the 40-odd Mandarin teachers who are in India, including subsidising almost 50% of their salary and even turning to private firms to offer more incentives to them. This issue has become more pressing as Taiwan has a small pool of only 400 qualified Mandarin teachers, the people said. Also Read: Taiwan, India to seal pact on migration to overcome Taipeis shortage of workers The setting up of the Mandarin language centres has coincided with greater scrutiny and curbs on Chinas Confucius Institutes in India after the start of the border standoff in 2020. The Indian government has conducted a review of Confucius Institutes in the country, including two centres University Grants Commission operating in Kolkata and Mumbai, and the(UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) informed all colleges and universities last year that any existing or planned collaborations with Confucius Institutes will require clearance under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). Confucius Institutes are run by the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation, a controversial organisation also known as Hanban that functions under Chinas education ministry. These institutes offer courses in Mandarin and Chinese culture but have come under increased scrutiny in countries such as Australia, Canada and the US for their role in spreading propaganda and interference in free speech and other domestic issues. While India and Taiwan dont have formal diplomatic relations, both sides established representative offices in each others capitals in 1995. Taiwan also set up an office in Chennai in December 2012 and has plans to enhance its official presence in India by setting up a new office in Mumbai. Taiwan is widely considered to have one of the most extensive networks for keeping track of developments in China, especially since Mandarin is a common language, and experts contend there is a lot that India can gain from such collaborations. Sameer Patil, deputy director with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Mumbai, said, The fact is that we need to learn Mandarin but have had an adverse experience with the Confucius Institutes, which served as part of Chinas larger influence operations. Therefore, this initiative by Taiwan will help to fulfill this critical requirement and, at the same time, help to strengthen the nascent India-Taiwan relationship. Hyderabad: A day after the Congress stormed to power in Telangana, the newly elected MLAs on Monday authorised AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge to appoint the leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP), as the party began discussions to decide on the chief minister of the state. Polling officials carrying EVMs and other polling materials leave for their respective booths on the eve of the Telangana Assembly election, in Hyderabad, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. (PTI) According to Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who is the AICC observer for Telangana, all the members of the newly elected Congress party unanimously resolved to authorise Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to appoint the Congress Legislature Party leader. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here All have decided that whatever the high command decides, we will go by that, Shivakumar told reporters after a meeting of the CLP, which lasted for over three hours at a private hotel in Hyderabad. Shivakumar left for Delhi later in the day to hold discussions with the central leadership. The decision from the high command is awaited. We are expecting clarity tomorrow (Tuesday), a senior party leader aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity. On Sunday, the Congress scripted a rare turnaround story in Telangana as it comprehensively trounced the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) by winning 65 of the 119 seats in the southern state a rare feat for a party that had not been able to defeat a regional powerhouse in any key state, barring the Northeast, since the turn of the millennium. According to Congress functionaries aware of the developments, state party chief A Revanth Reddy, who engineered the stirring victory, is on the cusp of becoming the chief minister of the decade-old state. The CLP meeting was attended by Reddy, Karnataka minister KJ George and Congress leader Deepa Das Munshi, among others. A senior Congress leader said that at the meeting, a resolution proposed by Reddy and seconded by senior MLAs, including Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and D Sridhar Babu, was passed, authorising Kharge to pick the new CLP leader. We will get to know the high commands decision soon, the leader from Karimnagar district said, seeking anonymity. A second leader said the central leadership is in favour of picking Reddy as the CLP leader, as he enjoys the support of a majority of the MLAs. Meanwhile, Congress leader and former member of Rajya Sabha V Hanumantha Rao said Reddy could be the next chief minister. We will have to see what is decided in the CLP meeting. Most probably, Revanth Reddy has chances to become the chief minister going by all the work he did. Former state minister Konda Surekha also batted for Reddy for the top post. Reddy is going to take the chief ministers post with the high commands blessing, Surekha said. There are other leaders in the race for the top post. Ahead of the CLP meeting, Shivakumar separately met Nalgonda MP and former state party chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader in the outgoing assembly Bhatti Vikramarka and Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy at another hotel in the city, according to a party veteran who did not want to be named. The state is also likely to have a deputy chief minister and Vikramarka may be selected for the post, the leader added. If the high command directs, I am ready to take up the responsibility, Vikramarka told the media on Sunday. US principal deputy national security advisor (NSA) Jon Finer led a delegation to India on Monday where he noted the formation of an investigative panel by New Delhi to probe an alleged foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil, the White House said. Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is pictured in his office on November 29, in New York. (AP Photo) "Mr. Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible," the White House said in a statement on Monday. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Last week, the US Justice Department alleged that an Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate Pannun, the leader of banned Sikhs for Justice, on US soil, while it announced charges against a man accused of orchestrating the attempted murder. Pannun is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. The Department of Justice, in an indictment charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with conspiracy to commit murder for hire for his alleged role in the plot to kill the Sikh American individual. Gupta is accused of working with an Indian government employee to recruit and pay an assassin to carry out the killing. In response, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) expressed concern about one of its government officials being linked to the plot, from which it dissociated itself, as being against government policy. India said last week it would formally investigate the concerns aired by the US, and take "necessary follow-up action" on the findings of a panel set up on Nov. 18. News of the incident came two months after Canada said there were "credible" allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of another Khalistani terrorist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a Vancouver suburb, a contention India has rejected. US President Joe Biden, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA director Bill Burns and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have discussed this issue with their Indian counterparts in recent weeks. The issue is highly delicate for both India and the US as they try to build closer ties in the face of an ascendant China perceived as a threat for both democracies. The Indian government has long complained about the presence of Sikh separatist groups outside India. India views them as security threats. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India. Finer met Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. They also discussed developments in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas war, plans for a post-war Gaza and recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the White House said on Monday. The Left Front, which was in power from 1978 to 2018 (barring Congresss single term in 1988-93) blamed the erstwhile royals for depriving the indigenous people during their rule that only ended in 1949 after a merger agreement with India. Political parties including the Congress, Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti (TUJS), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raised similar allegations against the Left Front. Between 1980 and the late 2000s, armed indigenous groups militated against this, before the former Left Front government brought the issue under control in the past decade. Recently, Tripuras opposition party TIPRA Motha held discussions on the development of the indigenous community with the ministry of home affairs advisor on Northeast, AK Mishra. Part of those discussions included the formation of a separate state the partys founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, who is also the current head of the states royal family, placed forward his demands, thus throwing the ball into the Centres court. In the meeting, we placed our demand for Greater Tipraland. Now the Central government has to get back to us. The ball is in their court now. Even if they have some separate solution to our demand and give us written assurances, we shall consider it, Pradyot said after meeting Mishra on November 28. The TIPRA Motha leadership had met Mishra in New Delhi in July to discuss their pending demands. We placed our demands earlier during our meeting in Delhi in July. He assured us to forward it to the Central government, said TIPRA Motha senior leader and opposition leader Animesh Debbarma. Besides a new state, the party has also asked for direct funding from the Centre for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and help in the development of the Kokborok language, which is the lingua franca of a majority of the indigenous population. Kokborok was recognised officially as a state language in 1979. The then Left Front government constituted two commissions led by former legislator Shyama Charan Tripura and linguist Pabitra Sarkar to come to a fair conclusion about the script to be used for the language which is largely steeped in oral tradition. Though both commissions mandated Roman script, eventually Bengali script was used. There was even an attempt to introduce the Devanagari script for the language after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2018. Hours after swearing in the second term of the BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) government this March, BJP Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra announced that an interlocutor would be appointed to discuss indigenous development. When TIPRA Motha said that AK Mishra was the interlocutor appointed by the Centre, the state government denied having any information about it. The BJP has largely stuck to its slogan, Ek Tripura Shrestha Tripura but is also in support of the development of the indigenous people. Our party is working for the upliftment of the indigenous people. And if you ask about Greater Tipraland, let them (TIPRA Motha) clarify it first because we feel that they themselves are confused about it, said BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee. The Communist Party (Marxist) however argues that the demand for a separate state is an effort at gaining political mileage for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. No notification was issued before his (AK Mishra) visit to the state. We have also heard that the chief minister earlier denied any knowledge of appointing any interlocutor. We feel that this is a drama before the Lok Sabha polls. Some demands may be fulfilled with this meeting, but basic problems of the indigenous community are not solved, said CPI-M state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury. We also feel that the Centre should directly send funds to the ADC. If the fund comes to them, there will be developmental works for the ADC. AK Mishra met with the TIPRA Motha here. Let's see, said Congress legislator Sudip Roy Barman. The entire thing is a political gimmick. This is an attempt to consolidate the indigenous votes together as the East Lok Sabha seat is very crucial for both the parties, said veteran political expert Swapan Bhattacharjee. Another political analyst feels that Greater Tipraland demand is an implausible dream. First of all, it is unclear whether the government-appointed AK Mishra as an interlocutor. Secondly, the ruling party doesnt want to lose any seat in the Lok Sabha polls and they want support from the TIPRA Motha. There might be some negotiation between them. Lets see what happens next, said senior political analyst Jayanta Bhattacharjee. Who are the TIPRA? The Indigenous People's Regional Alliance (TIPRA) was constituted in 2021 with the agenda of creating a Greater Tipraland, a proposed separate state for the indigenous population who are staying in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC)-governed areas of Tripura and other neighbouring states including Assam, Mizoram and parts of neighbouring country Bangladesh. Later, different indigenous-based parties and social organisations including the National Conference of Tripura (NCT), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), Tipraland State Party, IPFT - Tipraha a breakaway faction of the state's ruling party among others merged to form TIPRA Motha party. Within two months of its formation, TIPRA Motha contested and won the TTAADC polls replacing the Left Front that had run the tribal council for the previous four terms. The tribal party later contested the 60-seated Assembly polls in February and emerged as the main opposition party by winning 13 seats. The TIPRA Motha's Greater Tipraland is an extended version of IPFT's Tipraland which was a proposed tribal state comprising ADC-governed areas alone while Pradyot Kishore's Greater Tipraland proposed more territorial inclusion beyond the tribal council. While the proposal initially included areas beyond Tripura, it was later revised to include a few villages outside the ADC. Greater Tipraland is essentially a separate statehood demand for the indigenous people and gained popularity when the IPFT failed to fulfil its promise to the population living in the hilly areas. Meanwhile, Pradyot's political party expanded its foothold in the indigenous-dominated areas keeping their core demand in the forefront. The TIPRA Motha held a mass gathering in October in the presence of Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma who extended his support to the demand a significant show of unity and solidarity in the Northeast. History of statehood demand With the influx of non-indigenous refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), the indigenous population dropped from 52.89% in 1901 to 28.44% in 1981. During the Left government's rule in 1978, an extremist group led by Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl first raised the demand for Swadhin Tripura (liberated Tripura). He later became the chief of an indigenous political party, the INPT which was founded in 2002 with the merger of IPFT and Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti (TUJS). The IPFT was founded in 1997 but faded away in 2001. In 2009, NC Debbarma revived the party keeping the demand of Tipraland, a separate statehood for the indigenous people, intact. The TTAADC, formed in 1982, encompasses nearly 70% of the state's geographical area. It is spread across eight districts of the state. One-third of the state's population from 19 different indigenous communities stays in the TTAADC. Though it has a separate council and its own budget, it receives funds from the state government allocated in the state budget. The Tripura legislative assembly unanimously passed the TTAADC Bill on March 23, 1979. It was constituted on January 15, 1982, through secret ballot voting. Later, the Indian Constitution was amended by a bill later passed by the Parliament on August 23, 1984, to introduce the Sixth Schedule, which provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram and safeguards the rights of the tribal population in these states. US principal deputy national security advisor Jonathan Finer has informed his Indian interlocutors of the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible for allegedly plotting to kill a Khalistani leader on American soil. US principal deputy national security advisor Jonathan Finer. (REUTERS) Finer, who was in New Delhi for a review of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), raised the plot during meetings with Indian officials, according to a readout from the White House. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here He was the first US security official to hold publicly acknowledged meetings with the Indian leadership since American prosecutors alleged last week that Indian national Nikhil Gupta had worked with an official purportedly responsible for intelligence in a thwarted plot to assassinate Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Finer acknowledged Indias establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible, the White House readout said without giving details. The readout also didnt specify with which Indian officials Finer had raised the issue. The readout said Finer conducted bilateral and regional consultations with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, national security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra and deputy national security advisor Vikram Misri. Finer and Misri carried out an intersessional review of the iCET, which the White House readout described as a major milestone in the US-India partnership, which is increasingly defined by strategic security and technology cooperation. The readout added that Finers consultations with the other Indian officials were in-depth discussions aimed at strengthening coordination and policy alignment across the Indo-Pacific, including the wider Indian Ocean region. The two sides also discussed the Middle East, including the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the importance of safeguarding freedom of commercial navigation, plans for a post-conflict Gaza and a pathway toward a two-state solution. India has set up a high-level inquiry committee to examine the allegations of a conspiracy to kill Pannun, a senior leader of the outlawed SFJ who has already been declared a terrorist by India. New Delhi has described the indictment filed against Nikhil Gupta in a US federal court in Manhattan as a matter of concern and said that follow-up action will be taken on the findings of the inquiry committee. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday said the party has nothing to do with the controversial remark made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Senthilkumar, who called Hindi heartland states as Gaumutra states. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. (ANI file) "We have nothing to do with what an individual is saying inside the Parliament, it is his own statement. We respect 'Gau Mata', we don't have anything to say on this..." Chowdhury told ANI. DNV Senthilkumar, the Lok Sabha MP from Dharmapuri, said in Lok Sabha,"The people of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections mainly in the heartland states of Hindi, what we generally call the 'Gaumutra' states". "Union Territories always look toward becoming States. But this is the first case where a state has become a Union Territory. BJP has just won many of the state elections. When they are not able to win a state they make it a Union Territory where they can have control over the governor and can run governance through them. If they were confident of a win there they would have not made it," he said during the debate. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here "The politics of DMK is different. Congress does not agree with their politics. Congress believes in 'Sanatana Dharma' and 'Gaumata' as well. We believe in moving forward with people from all religions..." Congress MP Rajiv Shukla told ANI. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram condemned the DMK leader's remark and demanded an apology. Very unfortunate choice of words. Unparliamentary. @DrSenthil_MDRD must forthwith apologize & withdraw his comments, he posted on social media platform X. The BJP has launched an all out attack on the DMK MP over his remark he made in wake of the saffron party winning assembly elections in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. "Chennai is sinking due to the misgovernance of DMK and so is their level of discourse on the floor of the Parliament. After calling our North Indian friends Pani Puri sellers, toilet constructors, etc., I.N.D.I. Alliance DMK MP, makes Gaumutra Jibes," Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai posted on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for united efforts and innovation to turn 'Inevitable India' into a reality. Prime Minister Narendra Modi.(PTI) On social media platform X, the prime minister shared an opinion article published on Hindustan Times sister publication Mint. The author of the post had recalled her visits to the United States and Europe, stating the experience was 'nothing short of awe-inspiring to witness India's unstoppable rise on the global stage'. The opinion piece titled Inevitable India rings especially true in the sphere of technology by Debjani Ghosh has the author saying that India now features at the forefront of discussions on alliances and strategic partnerships by governments across North America, Europe and the Global South to the CEOs across the world. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The Mint opinion piece spokes on the digital transition in India, starting from Aadhaar, the digital ID of almost 1.4 billion people. It said that India has established a formidable foundation for a genuinely inclusive digital economy. The article also speaks about India Stack, an amalgamation of digital identities, interoperable protocols for digital payments and a consent-based data layer.' The India Stack has evolved into the bedrock of India's digital public infrastructure, which powers a multitude of services from financial transactions to nationwide vaccine distribution, the article stated. The article also delves into India's efforts to navigate the artificial intelligence (AI) transition. It is fantastic to see the country looking at emerging technologies like AI from the lens of opportunity and impact, rather than just fear and risks, it said. Gangster Rohit Godara claimed responsibility for the on-camera murder of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi on Tuesday. Gogamedi was shot dead in Jaipur's Shyam Nagar area and the incident was caught on a CCTV camera in which two men can be seen firing at the Karni Sena chief. Rohit Godara(Twitter) A few minutes after the incident, Godara, a member of the gangster Lawrence Bishnoi gang, took responsibility for the killing through a Facebook post. I am Rohit Godara Kapursari, brother of Goldie Brar. Today we take full responsibility for the murder of Sukhdev Gogamedi. He (Mr Gogamedi) used to back our enemies, he wrote on the social media site. However, the authenticity of the post could not be independently verified. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Who is Rohit Godara? Khalistani separatist leader Lakhbir Singh Rode died in Pakistan, confirmed his brother Jasbir Singh Rode. The 72-year-old self-styled chief of the banned outfits Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation had been running his operations from Pakistan for several years. Khalistani leader Lakhbir Singh Rode passed away at 72 in Pakistan (Twitter) Lakhbir Singh Rode was the nephew of slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed by Indian security forces inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar during Operation Blue Star, ordered by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Lakhbir Singh Rode has been listed as a terrorist by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He had initially fled the country to reside in Dubai, and later moved to Pakistan. Rode had been running the banned outfit KLF from Pakistan for several years, and was suspected of running his operations from Lahore. Here is all you need to know about Lakhbir Singh Rode. Lakhbir Singh Rode: 5 points about the Khalistani leader Holocaust survivors and other Jews and non-Jews feel at home at the Jewish Community Center in Kazimierz. As the closest city to Auschwitz, Krakow's efforts are of particularly high importance. 'Building a Jewish future:' Jewish traditions are cultivated at the Jewish Community Center in Krakow. (Sabine Oelze/DW ) "Building a Jewish future in Krakow" is written on a banner hanging across the entrance to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in the Kazimierz district of Krakow, a city in Poland's south. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here It's a Friday, shortly before Shabbat, and more than 100 people are sitting at festively laid tables in the community center, waiting for the communal prayers and the Shabbat feast that follows. Because the JCC sees itself as a non-religious, open place, guests from all over the world meet here every Friday evening: people of Jewish descent, but also those who are simply interested in Jewish culture, religion and tradition. The JCC was officially opened in 2008 by Charles III, now King of the UK. ALSO READ: Krakow: Jewish identity returns It's located in a spacious new building with large windows and bright rooms, offering space for cooking courses, a choir, Yiddish and Hebrew language classes and even a kindergarten. History of the Jewish community in Krakow Before the Nazi occupationduring World War II, Krakow was one of the largest Jewish communities in Poland, with approximately 65,000 people. Today, some 50 Holocaust survivors live in the city on the Vistula River. Most survivors never or only reluctantly returned to the place from which their family, friends and relatives were deported by the Nazis and murdered in the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp just 50 kilometers (31 miles) away. The fact that Kazimierz was once home to a large Jewish community can be seen in the many synagogues, school buildings and mikvahs, the Jewish ritual baths. "Here, where Jewish culture has been so completely torn out, the cultivation of every Jewish root, no matter how small, is something very important," said Sebastian Rudol, deputy director of the Jewish Community Center. He is pleased to note that the number of members is growing. The third post-Holocaust generation is discovering its Jewish origins: "Many of the 800 members of the Jewish community in Krakow are not Orthodox Jews, but people who have only recently realized that they have a Jewish identity because their family hid it from them for years." Antisemitism stole Jewish identities The impact of antisemitism led to a loss of Jewish identity in the decades following the Shoah, says Rudol. "Many only found out about their origins by chance," he told DW. "They had a DNA test or found their name somewhere in a Jewish online archive." The JCC also welcomes Jews who have had to flee Ukraine, providing them with a contact point and place to receive donations of food and clothing. "The JCC has taken in more than 200 Ukrainian Jews," said Rudol. Providing care for Holocaust survivors When asked how the JCC looks after Holocaust survivors, Rudol says that most of them stop by every day. They come for memory training, to have a chat or sing with others. Among them is Bernard Offen, a regular at shabbat dinners. The 95-year-old film producer with the gray ponytail and bright blue eyes says he wants to use the time he has left to pass on what he knows about the Holocaust. In 1981, Offen returned to Poland for the first time since the Holocaust, in what he describes as a process of healing that involved confronting his past. Offen was witness to the inconceivable. He was born in 1929 in Krakow-Podgorze, which later became the Krakow ghetto. He survived five concentration camps: Plaszow, Julag, Mauthausen, Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Kaufering IV subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp, where he was liberated by US forces in 1945. Now, Offen meets with young people at the JCC. "I think that Poles, especially the younger generations, know very little about what happened in the Holocaust," he said. "In my encounters here at the JCC, I try to make survival understandable, beyond the statistics. I talk about what happened to me, my father, my mother and my sister." More than 50 people in his family were murdered; apart from Bernard Offen, only his two brothers survived, with whom he reunited in Italy after the war. Bernard Offen decided to make his home in Krakow again. The JCC has provided him with an apartment and helps him with daily tasks. He says that when it gets too cold for him in the winter, he returns to the United States to see his family there. "I was never a Polish citizen. I was a Jew. That's how the Catholics here treated me. There was and still is discrimination," Offen said. "My message is that, if you're a religious person, you can't hate other people." He added that, although the JCC is not a religious center, he's glad that "it preserves a few traditions." JCC receives support from the United States Sebastian Rudol emphasizes that the JCC hasn't resurrected Jewish life in Krakow from nothing. It had never fully disappeared from the city. But this renaissance was only possible once there was private financial support from the United States. "The Jewish committee in the US was very moved by the idea of a Jewish community near Auschwitz," he said. Rudol adds that for a long time, Holocaust survivors and their descendants believed there was nothing left of Jewish life in Krakow aside from "blood and ash." Being located only an hour's drive from the former Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, Krakow is a particular location within Poland. And Sebastian Rudol is aware of the responsibility that places on the JCC. "We have to be very active in promoting what we do here and talk about the Jewish resurgence and the fact that it is safe here," he said. "Because the more we talk about it, the more people will find out about it and maybe decide to come here." Bernard Offen is proof that's possible. Today, he takes young people to the places where he lived and survived. For him, the JCC is an "oasis of humanism." Christmas is a few days away, and people have already started preparing for the festive season. Gergely Dudas, an artist based in Germany, is also gearing up for the holidays in his own signature style. He shared a mind-bending brain teaser on social media for his followers, challenging them to spot a bear hidden in plain sight. Can you find it? Brain Teaser: The bear is the same colour as this herd of reindeer. Can you find it?(Facebook/@thedudolf) Dudas, who goes by Dudolf online, shared the brain teaser that he drew with the caption, Can You find Bear among the reindeer? The image features a herd of reindeer, a snowman and a Santa Claus. However, there's more to the picture than meets the eye. A bear is also hiding among the reindeer, and Santa Claus is surprised by its presence. Can you spot the bear faster than others? Your time starts now... Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Take a look at the brain teaser here: The brain teaser was shared a few hours ago on Facebook. It has since collected a flurry of reactions and reshares. Many even dropped comments on the post. Heres how people are reacting to this brain teaser: I love these! You draw the cutest animals, posted a puzzle enthusiast. Another added, I kept going here he is! And then nope, this one has antlers. Yes, found him or her! Thanks always for the fun, expressed a third. A fourth wrote, Took me two sweeps, but not hard. Easy peasy! Thank goodness, because it is Monday morning! commented a fifth. A sixth joined, Found. The snowman looks very unhappy. I really do love these, it's just this one was too easy, shared a seventh. How much did you take to spot the bear among reindeer? Israel now counts 138 hostages held by Gaza militants, authorities told AFP on Tuesday, after adding to the list one person previously considered missing since Hamas's October 7 attacks. Previously, Israeli officials had said 137 hostages were still inside the Gaza Strip and included 20 women and two children.(REUTERS) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office provided the updated number but gave no details concerning the 138th confirmed hostage or how Israeli authorities were able to verify their status. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here ALSO READ| FBI chief calls for renewal of spy program to ensure public safety Previously, Israeli officials had said 137 hostages were still inside the Gaza Strip and included 20 women and two children. Officials say some 240 people -- both Israelis and foreigners -- were abducted by Palestinian militants who stormed southern Israel on October 7, launching attacks that killed 1,200, mostly civilians. Israel has responded with an intense military campaign aimed at eliminating Islamist group Hamas which controls Gaza, and since October 27 has sent ground forces into the narrow Palestinian enclave. The devastating violence has killed nearly 16,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. A seven-day truce which began in late November saw 105 hostages released from Gaza captivity, including 80 who were freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Five hostages were freed before the truce, including one rescued in an Israeli operation. Hong Kong: Govt to give voters 'thank you' cards The Government today announced that heartfelt touches will be added to polling day arrangements for the District Council (DC) election, including the presentation of thank you cards to voters after they cast their votes. A card has been designed by civil servants and produced by the Government Logistics Department using environmentally friendly paper. Scenic spots and landmark sights in different districts all feature together beneath the Lion Rock, reflecting the idea that all districts in Hong Kong are joining hands to build a better community. Check-in spots, in the form of foam boards designed for members of the public to photograph themselves in front of, will also be placed next to polling stations. The boards will consist of the Ballot Box Family election mascots: Blue Ballot, Red Ballot and Grandpa Ballot. Meanwhile, a television station has released a song, Build a Better Community Beneath the Lion Rock, for the DC election. The theme originates from the popular song Beneath the Lion Rock, but it has been given new lyrics. The song is sung by popular movie and television stars and encourages the public to build a better community and a better Hong Kong together. Noting that the arrangements are designed to enhance the publics experience of participating in the election, the Government urged voters to make good use of their ballots on December 10. This story has been published on: 2023-12-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A newlywed from Boston was killed by a shark while she was paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police in the country have said. The incident took place just a day after the woman got married on Sunday, December 3. She was attacked on Monday, December 3, less than a mile off the western end of New Providence Island, WCVB reported. People gather on the resort pier after what police described as a fatal shark attack against a tourist at Sandals Royal Bahamian resort, in Nassau, Bahamas December 4, 2023 (REUTERS/Dante Carrer)(REUTERS) According to authorities, the victim was in the water with a relative, who was unharmed. The kind of shark that attacked the unnamed woman is not clear. The fatal attack happened near the Sandals resort on Cable Beach. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Shortly after 11.15am, police were notified that a female visitor from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, was subsequently attacked by a shark, Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement, according to Independent. According to initial reports, the female along with a male relative were paddleboarding just at the rear of a resort in western Providence, some 3/4 miles out from the shoreline, when she was bitten by the shark. The woman and her relative, who were paddleboarding at the time of the shark attack, were rescued by a lifeguard in a boat. The woman, however, succumbed to her wounds at the scene. She had suffered injuries to the right side of her body. We extend our heartfelt condolencesfor this most unfortunate situation, said Police Sgt Desiree Ferguson. Meanwhile, Sandals Resorts said in a statement, We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of a guest while on a paddleboarding activity nearly a mile from the shore. We wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the guests family and loved ones. We remain in close contact with them and are providing all support possible during this difficult time. About 30 to 40 species of sharks can be found in the waters around the Bahamas, according to Gavin Naylor, director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida. He told the Associated Press that most likely to attack were the Caribbean reef shark, the bull shark, the tiger shark and the black tip shark. Usually, its an accidental bite. They think its something else, he said. Once in a while, theyll actually single out people, and its very intentional. Four children, aged 7 to 10, and an adult were injured in an explosion in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar early on Tuesday, hospital and rescue officials said. Police and army soldiers cordon off an area following a bomb explosion, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Tuesday. (AP) Bilal Ahmad Faizi, the spokesman for emergency rescue services, said an improvised explosive device (IED) went off on a busy road in Peshawar at 9:10 a.m. (0410 GMT). He said five people, including four children, were injured. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Two of the children were in critical condition, Mohammad Asim, a spokesman for the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Peshawar's police chief, Mohammad Ashfaq Anwar, told Reuters that there was no indication school children were the target of the attack. Peshawar, which straddles the edge of Pakistan's tribal districts bordering Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, is frequently targeted by Islamist militant groups including Islamic State and the Pakistani Taliban. In 2014, six Taliban militants attacked an army-run academy and killed 153 people, most of whom were students. Toronto: The Commission of Inquiry examining foreign interference in Canada will also include India within its ambit, as on Monday, it provided standing to an advocacy group that could assist the commission better understand the impact of foreign interference on the Indian community in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with local women leaders to discuss affordability and child care, at the Royal Rose Art Gallery & Gifts, in Aurora, Ontario, on Friday. (AP) That announcement came as part of a release issued by the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, which is headed by justice Marie-Josee Hogue. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The group given standing to participate in the policy phase of the inquiry was Justice For All Canada (JFAC). While releasing the list of entities given standing for the inquiry, the commission stated that JFAC said it is an active advocate for the Indian diaspora community in Canada. It indicates that the Indian diaspora has, for many years, lived with the fear of harassment, violence, and retribution from Indian foreign agents, which has limited their freedom of speech and full participation in the democratic process. However, the commissioner noted that JFAC was not an Indian diaspora organisation as such, it does appear to have experience working with that community. I believe that, if necessary, it could assist the commission better understand the impact of foreign interference on the Indian community in Canada, she said. A website for JFAC shows it is based in Mississauga in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The executive director of the organisation is Pakistan-origin activist Taha Ghayyur. While it was not possible to confirm whether it was the same group given standing by the commission, JFAC appears to have as one of its focus areas the Union Territory of Kashmir, though more recently, it has pivoted to the situation in Gaza following the operations by Israel there after the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7. The commissioner noted that there were no other applicants to represent the Indo-Canadian community. JFAC has issued reports including one on The Nazification of India. Other than India, community organisations given standing include those representing diasporas from China, Russia and Iran. The Government of Canada, as well the opposition Conservative Party have also been given standing. The commission was created to respond to concerns about foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. That was based on reporting in the news outlets the Globe and Mail and Global News about Chinese interference in those elections allegedly in favour of the ruling Liberal Party. The commission will also examine the flow of information within the federal government in relation to these issues, evaluate the actions taken in response, assess the federal governments capacity to detect, deter, and counter foreign interference, and make recommendations on these issues. It is expected to complete an interim report by February 29, 2024 and deliver its final report by December 31, 2024. Relations between India and Canada are already at their nadir after Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. PICTURE IT: two of Americas most powerful governors take the debate stage. One is sporting copious amounts of hair gel. The other may, or may not, be wearing lifted boots to appear taller. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, and Ron DeSantis , his Republican counterpart in Florida, spend 90 minutes trying to convince viewers that their own state represents the very best of America, and that their relative youth and respective flavour of crusading politics are just what the country needs. Donald Trump is heckling both men in ALL CAPS on Truth Social, from his armchair at Mar-a-Lago, having decided not to seek a second term. Joe Biden is looking forward to retirement, secure in the belief that his presidency was a bridge to the next generation. Sean Hannity, of Fox News, does a passable impression of a neutral moderator. In another universe this could have been a prime-time debate during the 2024 presidential campaign. Instead, Messrs DeSantis and Newsom will face off on Fox News on November 30th for reasons unclear even to the governors themselves. During an interview last month in Los Angeles, your correspondent asked Mr Newsom why Americans should watch a debate between one (floundering) presidential candidate, and a governor who is not (currently) running for anything. I dont know they should, he replied merrily. Yet governors are not the provincial personalities they used to be. The governor has long been an underappreciated centre of power in US politics, says Kristoffer Shields of the Eagleton Centre on the American Governor at Rutgers University. But that changed a little bit during covid. In the early days of the pandemic Americans watched their governors deliver regular, often daily, press conferences about the advance of the virus. They became household names. The most outspoken inspired admiration and ire from Americans outside their own states. There are two ways to look at this event, says Mr Shields: the cynical and the uncynical. Journalists are bound by oath to start with the former. Mr DeSantis is running for president, and in contrast to the earlier imagined scenario, Mr Trump is leading him in the polls by nearly 50 points. Floridas governor is trying to sell the debate with his Californian counterpart as the next big event in the race for the Republican nomination. Except this time, unlike during the primary debates, hes the only member of the Republican Party on stage. He wont have to interrupt whatever spat Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley are having to get a word in. Mr Newsom is also knee-deep in national politics. He is leading a hopeless campaign to enshrine stricter gun control in the constitution, and has launched his own political action committee to campaign for Democrats in Republican states. He is one of Mr Bidens loudest defenders. But should the need for a different Democratic nominee arise, it is not hard to imagine the Californian calling his own number. The two governors have traded barbs from their respective coasts over gender identity, abortion and immigration. (Mr Newsom once went so far as to threaten Mr DeSantis with kidnapping charges for allegedly sending migrants to the Golden State.) The Fox News debate offers them a chance to burnish their national reputations on live TV. All debates are political theatre, but this one threatens to be more like a cage match, the clash of the culture warriors. Yet it would be wrong to dismiss the debate as frivolous. California is the most populous state in the country, and Florida ranks third. Taken together, the two are home to some 61m people. The policies of Mr Newsom and Mr DeSantis affect nearly a fifth of all Americans. The influence of these two mega-states can be felt beyond their borders. California and Florida have become avatars for very different visions of America. They are the standard-bearers for progressivism and anti-woke populism, respectively. And other states are following their leads. Seventeen adhere to Californias vehicle-emissions standards because they are stricter than the federal governments. Meanwhile PEN America, a free-speech organisation, reckons that a Florida law to limit instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for young pupils has inspired more than two dozen copycat bills in other states. There are risks for both governors. Should Mr DeSantis prove unable to keep up with Mr Newsom, who seems to relish his new role as Mr Bidens attack dog, his presidential hopes may sink further. Mr Newsom is walking into the debate knowing that California-bashing is a favourite pastime of both Fox News and Mr DeSantis. When the governor of Florida spoke at the California Republican Partys convention in September, he told the crowd: The California model represents more American decline. He wants to own the lib, predicts Mr Newsom, and talk about homelessness in California and everyone getting U-Hauls to drive to Florida. Still, Americans accustomed to hearing about dysfunction in Congress may be surprised to hear just how much states are getting done. If either governor manages to impress, it may not be for nothing. Perhaps the debate is not so much a glimpse of what could have been as a preview of what is to come. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Europe faces a huge risk of terrorist attacks" over the Christmas holiday period amid Israel-Hamas war, the European Union's home affairs commissioner warned as French investigators probe a fatal attack near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. "With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the polarisation it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union," EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson said, adding, We saw (it happening) recently in Paris, unfortunately we have seen it earlier as well. EU Security Risk: An aerial view of the Seine river banks, the Notre Dame Bridge (front), the Sainte-Chapelle (L), the commercial court, the Conciergerie, the Eiffel Tower and the business district of La Defense (Rear R).(AFP) She also said that the European Commission will provide an additional 30 million euros ($32.5 million) to help bolster security in vulnerable areas, especially places of worship. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The suspect- Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab- in the Eiffel Tower attack swore allegiance to Hamas before stabbing a German-Filipino tourist to death and injuring two other people with a hammer, it was reported. Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, a French national born in 1997, killed a 23-year-old German-Filipino man with two blows from a hammer and four stab wounds from a knife close to the Eiffel Tower increasing concerns in France over the risk of Islamist attacks, barely half a year away from the 2024 summer Olympic Games. France's interior minister Gerald Darmanin said, There was clearly a failure, not from the point of view of his monitoring by the intelligence services, but a psychiatric failure. The attacker had an acute mental illness. Doctors said on several occasions that he was doing better, was more normal and could be free. German interior minister Nancy Faeser sent her condolences to France over the attack saying that it highlights just how acute and how serious the threat posed by Islamist terrorism is currently in the EU. The war in Gaza and Hamas' terror are exacerbating this situation, she said. FBI Director Christopher Wray called Tuesday for the reauthorization of a U.S. government surveillance tool set to expire at the end of the year, warning Senate lawmakers that there would be devastating consequences for public safety if the program is allowed to lapse. The FBI seal(AP) At issue is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of targeted foreigners outside the United States. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The program, created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, is due to expire at the end of this month unless Congress votes to reauthorize it. But Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have balked at renewing the program in its current form, recommending a slew of reforms through competing legislative proposals that are jockeying for support in the coming weeks. ALSO READ| Israel intelligence' shocking report on Hamas attack: Years of planning and' The fact that Wray devoted a significant portion of his prepared remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee to the issue underscores its importance to the FBI, particularly at a time when the Israel-Hamas war has drawn heightened concern about the possibility of extremist violence on U.S. soil and contributed to threats being at a whole other level since the Oct. 7 attacks. Wray, calling the authority indispensable, told the committee, "702 allows us to stay a step ahead of foreign actors located outside the United States who pose a threat to national security. And the expiration of our 702 authorities would be devastating to the FBIs ability to protect Americans from those threats. Wray, who took over as director in 2017, said that what made the current climate unique is that so many of the threats are all elevated at the same time. But the 702 program has come under scrutiny in the last year following revelations that FBI analysts improperly searched the database of intelligence, including for information about people tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and the racial justice protests of 2020. Those concerns have united longtime vocal champions of civil liberties, including Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, as well as Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump who are still angry over surveillance missteps made during the Russia investigation of 2016. Some of the legislative proposals designed to reform 702 would require the FBI to obtain a warrant before searching the intelligence repository for information about Americans and others inside the U.S. But Wray and Biden administration officials said such a requirement would be both legally unnecessary and would hold up the FBI In trying to intercept fast-moving national security threats. If a warrant requirement is the path chosen, Wray said, What if there were a terrorist attack that we had a shot to prevent, but couldnt take it, because the FBI was deprived of the ability under 702 to look at key information already sitting in our holdings? Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, summed up the issue by telling Wray that though there was no question that Section 702 was a critical tool for collecting foreign intelligence but the Illinois lawmaker supports significant reforms meant to protect the privacy of innocent Americans. France on Tuesday imposed asset freezes on Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, the latest leader from the Islamist group to be added to its national sanctions list, according to a decree published in the country's official journal. Israel-Hamas War: Head of the political wing of Hamas in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar attends a rally.(AFP) France on Nov. 13 imposed sanctions at a national level on Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif and his deputy, Marwan Issa. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here It is working with partners to impose sanctions on Hamas individuals and its financing network at European Union level, diplomats have said. Fearful of being killed in an Israeli bombardment, families in Gaza were packing up and fleeing on Tuesday, heading for a pocket of land further south already crammed with displaced people without enough food, water or toilets. Israel-Hamas War: Palestinians fleeing Khan Yunis arrive in Rafah further south near the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt.(AFP) Some were fleeing for the third or fourth time in less than two months. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Most of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people have been made homeless by the war between Israel and Hamas, and the new phase of displacement since a week-long truce ended on Dec. 1 is worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian situation. ALSO READ| Norway to allow deep-sea mining but with conditions: 'Will be authorised if...' In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where Israel was launching a long-awaited assault, Palestinians who had sought protection from air strikes by camping in the grounds of the city's Nasser Hospital were rolling up their tents and loading cars or donkey carts with piles of mats and blankets. "We are getting ready to leave Khan Younis, heading to Rafah. We have been here for about 50 days," said Abu Omar, a middle-aged man who left his home in the eastern part of the city and had been sheltering at the hospital camp with his family. Rafah, further south on the border with Egypt, is one of the last remaining areas where the Israeli military has said civilians could go to escape the fighting, although it has been hit by many air strikes. "There is no safe place ... but at the end, we head to wherever we think there might be a bit of safety," said Abu Omar, standing by a car whose roof was piled high with possessions. But in Rafah, displaced people said their living conditions were horrible. "There are no bathrooms. We cannot even wash if we want to pray. There is no place for us to wash or pray. If we want to wash our kids hands there is no place for that. There is not even a place where you can bake or get bread," said Enas Mosleh, sitting with her children in a shelter made out of wooden slats and transparent plastic sheets. "We spend all night hearing rockets and bombing. We are living between life and death. We may die at any moment," she said, her face streaked with tears. OVERCROWDING Khan Younis was home to 381,000 people before the war. Another 245,000 people displaced by Israel's bombardment of the northern part of Gaza have been sheltering there, in 71 different locations, a United Nations spokesperson said. The Israeli army has called for residents to evacuate to three designated areas in the Rafah governorate. Those areas are already packed with 280,000 residents and 470,000 displaced people who arrived after the war started on Oct. 7. "The relocation directive would effectively bring the number of people in Rafah to 1.35 million, driving an additional 600,000 people from Khan Younis to an area with an existing population of 750,000 where the ability of the U.N. and partners to provide assistance is already critically challenged," the U.N. spokesperson said. Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 240 hostages, according to Israel's tally. More than 15,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military response in Gaza, according to figures from Gaza health officials deemed reliable by the United Nations. Hassan al-Basiouny's home was in Beit Hanoun, a town in northeastern Gaza where 52,000 people used to live but was so heavily bombarded that there is barely an inhabitable building still standing. He said he and his family first moved to a shelter elsewhere in northern Gaza, then to the Nasser Hospital camp in Khan Younis, and now they were going to Rafah -- their third displacement in less than two months. "Safety can only be provided by God. Whatever God has willed will happen," he said. Israel expects difficult fighting in the new phase of its war in Gaza but remains open to "constructive feedback" on reducing harm to civilians, a government spokesperson said. "We're moving ahead with the second stage now. A second stage that is going to be difficult militarily," spokesperson Eylon Levy said as per news agency Reuters as Israeli forces began operating in the southern area of the Gaza Strip. The population in the region has been swollen by around 1 million refugees from northern areas. Israel-Hamas War: Palestinians fleeing Khan Yunis arrive in Rafah further south near the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt.(AFP) "Any constructive feedback that we get, any serious military strategic advice about how to target Hamas while minimizing harm to civilians, we will of course mention," Eylon Levy said amid heavy international pressure, including from Washington, to limit civilian casualties. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The advice had to be in line with the aim of destroying the Palestinians militant group, he said, explaining, We are going to continue with our campaign to destroy Hamas, a campaign that the United States sees eye to eye with us about the strategic objectives of this war, that this war cannot end with Hamas still standing. Israel was making many efforts to reduce harm to civilians, he asserted, saying, We didn't pick the battlefield, Hamas picked the battlefield. The spokesman also said that Israel would consider another short-term ceasefire if an agreement can be reached with Hamas to return more of its 137 hostages. Securing the release of all those seized by Hamas remains an aim of the war, he said. A temporary pause to get them out would be considered. This comes as an Israeli military spokesperson urged Palestinian civilians in Gaza's southern area of Khan Younis to adhere to army's instructions to keep them out of harm's way. "What civilians should do to stay safe is listen to the instructions that are coming out from our Twitter accounts, from our website, and also to look at the leaflets that are landing in their areas," Richard Hecht said. Schoolchildren and some government employees in Tehran have been ordered to stay at home due to severe air pollution in the Iranian capital. The "red warning" for hazardous air quality extends beyond the capital as it affects major cities, news agency AFP reported. In Tehran, kindergartens and schools have shuttered their doors since Sunday. Online classes will take place instead, authorities informed. The governor's office advised people deemed "sensitive" -children, the elderly, and pregnant women- to refrain from outdoor activities and physical exercise. Iran Air Pollution: General view of the city following an increase in air pollution in Tehran, Iran.(Reuters) Since March, "Tehran has had nine days of clean air" only, the service responsible for monitoring air quality said. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Experts warned of the grave health and economic consequences of pollution saying that it claimed lives of about 40,000 people each year in the country of around 85 million people, reports claimed. City council members Soudeh Nadjafi and Mehdi Pirhadi recently highlighted "burning mazout" in some of Tehran's power plants as a major contributor to the city's pollution. "Electricity supplies have become more dependent on thermal and gas power plants, which naturally increases the sources of air pollution," environmental expert Sadegh Partani said, adding, Turning to new and sustainable sources of energies, such as solar, is one of the best ways to reduce air pollution caused by electricity producing industries. Azam Keyvan, a 40-year-old civil servant, told AFP, The situation is horrible. My throat itches as soon as I go out into the street. Saeed Sattari, a 42-year-old street vendor in Tehran said, We can't breathe anymore. I'm going bankrupt since people avoid going outside. Iran's U.N. envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, said his country has not been involved in any actions or attacks against U.S. military forces, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. An Iranian flag flutters.(Reuters) The United States has blamed Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi group for a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here In a briefing with reporters on Monday, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington has "every reason to believe that these attacks, while they were launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran". In the latest incidents, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea on Sunday. The Houthis acknowledged launching drone and missile attacks against what they said were two Israeli vessels in the area. The Carney, a U.S. Navy destroyer, shot down three drones on Sunday as it answered distress calls from the commercial vessels. The U.S. military says the three vessels were connected to 14 separate nations. Qatar calls on the UN Security Council to force Israel to return to the negotiating table over the war in Gaza, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said. "It is shameful for the international community to allow this heinous crime to continue for nearly two months, during which the systematic and deliberate killing of innocent civilians continues, including women and children," he said during a Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Doha. Israel-Hamas War: Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani(AFP) "We are constantly working to renew (the truce) and to alleviate the burden of our people in the Gaza Strip, but truces are not an alternative for a comprehensive ceasefire," he said. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here This comes as a World Health Organization official in Gaza said that the situation there is deteriorating by the hour as Israeli bombing intensified in the south of the enclave around Khan Younis and Rafah. "The situation is getting worse by the hour," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative on the occupied Palestinian territory, said, adding, "There's intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah." What is happening in Gaza? Israel's military pushed deeper south in Gaza as it called for more evacuations in the southern portion of the enclave. The war has already killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza's 2.3 million residents. In Gaza, the death toll has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded. Almost 70% of the dead in Gaza were women and children. Satellite photos showed that the Israeli military has begun its ground offensive in the southern reaches of the Gaza Strip. The satellite photos released by Planet Labs PBC provide the first clear look at the intensity and scope of the war, Associated Press reported. Would there be another ceasefire? The United States, Qatar and Egypt, which mediated the earlier ceasefire, said that they are working on a longer truce. Although, hopes for another temporary truce faded as Hamas said that talks on releasing more hostages must be tied to a permanent ceasefire. Digital devices and documents retrieved from Hamas fights after the October 7 attack show that the terrorist group was involved in years of planning and a very high level of "detail and readiness", Israeli intelligence officers said. The material was taken from dead or captured Hamas gunmen. It shows detailed plans for an assault that aimed to cause "such a shock as to break people's spirit", one officer said as per news agency AFP. Israel-Hamas War: An Israeli artillery unit is pictured near the border with the Gaza Strip.(AFP) Data from mobile phones, computers, GPS devices, GoPro cameras, maps and notebooks "show years of planning on how to attack bases and kibbutzim," another intelligence officer told AFP. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here On October 7, Hamas stormed into southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 240 hostages. In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas with a ground offensive, killing around 15,900 people, mostly women and children. How Israel analysed the material? Israel has reactivated a military intelligence unit called Amshat to navigate through numerous Arabic documents and electronic data. An officer said that the documents constitute the "battle plan with level of detail and of readiness which are the biggest surprise." Detailed plans were discovered on computers, including objectives, names of the units involved and missions assigned to each of them. There was a detailed hand drawing of the military outpost of Nahal Oz which Hamas seized, it was reported. On the bodies of dead Hamas fighters, Israel found satellite photos and precise plans of two of the attacked kibbutzim. "Part of the training was on how to take hostages" and that "checklists" and "phrase books" had been found, they said. Hamas fighters were told that hostage-takers should "kill those who cause problems or seek to escape". "Some of the Hamas fighters were kept in the dark and did not know what would happen," said one officer while the other said, A lot of them came with things that were not relevant to the raid, some with cars used on a daily basis. On tunnels, the officer said, All of Gaza Strip is a matrix of tunnels... Imagine how many hostages you can put inside. Israeli forces stormed southern Gaza's main city on Tuesday in what they called the most intense day of combat in five weeks of ground operations against Hamas militants, and hospitals struggled to cope with scores of Palestinian dead and wounded. Israel-Hamas War: Smoke rises above buildings in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, as battles between Israel and Hamas.(AFP) In what appeared to be the biggest ground assault in Gaza since a truce with Hamas unravelled last week, Israel said its forces - which were backed by warplanes - had reached the heart of Khan Younis. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here "We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation," the commander of the Israeli military's Southern Command, General Yaron Finkelman, said in Jerusalem. He said Israeli forces were also fighting in Jabalia, a large urban refugee camp and Hamas stronghold in northern Gaza next to Gaza City, and in Shuja'iyya, east of the city. "We are in the heart of Jabalia, in the heart of Shuja'iyya, and now also in the heart of Khan Younis," he said. Khan Younis residents said Israeli troops and tanks had crossed through the Israeli border fence enclosing the coastal Gaza Strip and closed in on the city from the east. After days of ordering residents to flee the area, Israeli forces dropped new leaflets on Tuesday with instructions to stay inside shelters during the assault. "For your safety, stay in the shelters and the hospitals where you are. Dont get out. Going out is dangerous. You have been warned," said the leaflets, addressed to residents of six districts amounting to around a quarter of Khan Younis. The Israelis, who largely seized Gaza's northern half last month before pausing for the week-long truce, say they are now extending their ground offensive to the south. They believe Hamas commanders they aim to eliminate are holed up in part of a vast tunnel network in the territory. "We're moving ahead with the second stage now. A second stage that is going to be difficult militarily," Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said. Israel, he added, is open to "constructive feedback" on reducing harm to civilians as long as the advice is consistent with its aim of destroying Gaza's ruling Islamist movement. Jordan's King Abdullah said on Tuesday the world should condemn any attempt by Israel to create conditions that would forcibly displace Palestinians within the war-devastated Gaza Strip or outside its borders. Jordan's King Abdullah (AP) In remarks carried by state media after a meeting with the Cypriot president in Amman, the monarch again called for an immediate ceasefire and warned that Israel's relentless bombing campaign was leading to a "dangerous deterioration" in the situation. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides focused on the need to increase efforts to deliver humanitarian aid and relief to the embattled civilians living in Gaza. ALSO READ| 'Situation horrible, stay at home': Air pollution chokes Iran's capital Tehran Abdullah has lobbied Western leaders to pile pressure on Israel to allow an uninterrupted flow of aid and open crossings it controls to bring in sufficient level of aid needed. Israel now controls the volume and nature of aid entering to over 2.3 million inhabitants under siege, according to U.N. officials and humanitarian workers. UNRWA officials say only a trickle of the aid the enclave needs is getting through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt which NGOs and officials say can only handle a fraction of the needs. Israel started its campaign in retribution for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters who rampaged through Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages, according to Israel's tally. Israeli bombardments have killed nearly 16,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health ministry figures, and driven 80% of the population from their homes. King Abdullah told Christodoulides there would be dangerous consequences from any attempt to forcibly push Palestinians en masse from their land while it maintained security control, officials said. Officials also fear wider violence in the West Bank, which Jordan borders, as settler attacks on Palestinian civilians, confiscation of land and Israeli military raids mount. It could create circumstances that could encourage Israel to forcibly push tens of thousands of Palestians across the Jordan River. Officials say the forcible expulsion of Palestinians would amount to a declaration of war and prompt Jordan to suspend its peace treaty with Israel. On Tuesday, Amman condemned Israel's move to build new settlements in Arab East Jerusalem, the part of the contested city that was seized along with the West Bank in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and the U.N. considers occupied territory.. "Israel's expansion of Jewish settlement building on land it occupied and the confiscation of territory are a flagrant violation of international law" and dimmed any prospects of peace, said Sufain Qudah, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry. Freezing rain and cold weather buffeting Germany were blamed for traffic accidents that left three dead on Tuesday while Munich Airport temporarily suspended flights. A towable passenger staircase is covered with snow as Munich Airport has cancelled all incoming and outgoing flights until 12 p.m. (1100GMT) due to a forecast for sleet in Munich, Germany, December 5, 2023. Picture taken through a fence. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth(REUTERS) One student was killed in a crash involving a school bus in the Erzgebirge mountains in the eastern German state of Saxony, police said. At least 10 other schoolchildren were taken to a hospital. Two adults, including the bus driver, were seriously injured. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The bus skidded into the side of a winter road maintenance vehicle in Sehmatal county near the Czech border, German news agency dpa reported. It then crashed head-on into a tree and and the impact was so strong that it completely destroyed the front of the vehicle. AlSO READ| France imposes sanctions on Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar In Munich, all flights were either canceled or postponed between 6 a.m. and noon (0500-1100 GMT), with the airport warning that many flights scheduled for later in the day might also be affected by the severe weather conditions. The airport, Germany's second-biggest, announced the temporary shutdown on Monday night as a result of weather forecasts for Tuesday. The operating areas will be de-iced in the first half of the day. The plan is to allow air traffic to resume from midday, the airport said on its website. However, it can be assumed that the majority of flights will also have to be canceled during the rest of the day for safety reasons. Tuesday's cancellations came after all flights at Munich Airport were grounded on Saturday following heavy snowfall in the city and in Germany's southern state of Bavaria. Two people died in a collision between a car and a tractor-trailer on the A8 highway in Upper Bavaria. According to the police, their car skidded under the rear of a truck, which had come to a stop across the highway overnight from Monday to Tuesday due to frozen rain on the highway's surface, dpa reported. The A99 near Munich was shutdown in both direction after 13 vehicles were involved in a mass accident, dpa reported. There was no immediate information about possible injuries. Train operator Deutsche Bahn said traffic in the Munich region would be affected for several days. At present, access to Munich's main station is severely restricted. Only a few long-distance trains are therefore running to and from Munich, it said on its website on Tuesday. Rail services to the Austrian cities of Salzburg and Innsbruck, as well as Zurich in Switzerland, remained suspended. Deutsche Bahn said that there could also be train cancellations and delays in other parts of southern Germany. Passengers were asked to postpone non-essential journeys to Wednesday. Southern Germany as well as neighboring Austria and Switzerland have been experiencing heavy snowfall which has affected public transport all over the region and led to alarm about possible avalanches. Norway's centre-left government announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with opposition parties to open parts of its seabed to mining, spurring angry reactions from environmentalists. From left: Terje Halleland (Progress Party), Aleksander Oren Heen (Center Party), Marianne Sivertsen Naess (Labour Party) and Bard Ludvig Thorheim (Conservative Party) give a joint press conference on the deal on extraction of seabed minerals made between the governing party and two large opposition parties, in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday Dec. 5, 2023. (Terje Pedersen/NTB Scanpix via AP)(AP) Already a major oil and gas producer, the Scandinavian kingdom could become one of the first countries to explore the ocean floor for minerals crucial for renewable energies, a controversial practice because of its potential impact on marine eco-systems. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here "We need minerals because we want to lead a green transition in the form of fuel cells and solar panels, of electric cars and mobile phones," Labour member of parliament Marianne Sivertsen Naess said during a press conference. "Norway could in the future contribute to larger access [to these minerals] without being dependent on countries that it is not always good to be completely dependent upon," she said. ALSO READ| US climate envoy launches international nuclear fusion plan at COP28: Details The Labour-dominated coalition government in June proposed allowing mining of the country's seabed, which might hold sizeable quantities of copper, cobalt, zinc and rare earths. However, without a majority in the parliament, it needed the support of opposition parties. On Tuesday, the Conservative Party and the populist right agreed to support the gradual opening up of areas of the Greenland and Barents Seas in the Arctic. The government assured it would impose strict environmental safeguards. "Exploitation will only be authorised only if studies carried out show that it can be done in durable and reasonable ways," conservative MP Bard Ludvig Thorheim said. The agreement between the four political parties angered environmental groups. "We will work to stop every deep-sea mining project presented to the Norwegian Parliament," said Frode Pleym, head of Greenpeace Norway. "We will not allow Norway to destroy the unique life in the deep sea, not in the Arctic nor anywhere else." NGOs and scientists have warned that deep-sea mining could damage habitats and harm species that are little understood, but are potentially important to the food chain. In addition, they point to the risk of disrupting the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon emitted by human activities, and the noise that could disturb species such as whales. Several countries, including France and the UK, have called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. Pakistan's election commission has asked the government to deploy army troops to maintain peace on the day of the general election, citing the shortage of 2.77 lakh police personnel to provide security during the polling. Pakistan Elections: Army troops in Peshawar, Pakistan.(Representational) Pakistan, which is facing both political and economic instability, is going to the polls on February 8. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here According to a letter written by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to the interior ministry, the provincial police force is not sufficient to provide security during the polling. The poll body wrote in the letter that at least 591,106 security personnel were needed for the upcoming general election, and there was a shortage of 277,558 police personnel in the provinces and the federation. The ECP said that the Pakistan Army and paramilitary forces should be deployed on the polling day to maintain law and order. The letter, referring to the bad law and order situation in the country, said the deployment of the army and civil armed forces as a static and quick response force be ensured. It asked the ministry to inform the commission about the same before December 7. The demand for army deployment is not new as regular troops are traditionally provided for elections in Pakistan. On Tuesday, the Finance Division said it has released 17.4 billion to the Election Commission for the upcoming general elections. The amount was in addition to the 10 billion released in July 2023, the Finance Ministry said, highlighting that the latest disbursement brought the total funds released for polls to 27.4 billion. "The Finance Division remains committed to provision of funds as and when required by the Election Commission of Pakistan, it added. Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi earlier said the government would meet the financial needs of the ECP ahead of the February 8 general election. "There is no crisis in meeting the financial needs of the ECP, Solangi said in a post on X. "Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP will be released as per its needs accordingly, he said. Solangi's statement followed media reports that the ECP summoned the finance secretary on Monday for the ministrys failure to provide the funds allocated for the election. The minister said the Cabinet already approved 42 billion for the ECPs needs and 10 billion had been released so far. We firmly stand behind the ECP in holding free and fair elections as mandated by Article 218(3) of the Constitution, he added. Prince Harry has been subjected to "unlawful and unfair treatment" by the British government over the decision to take away his police protection when he is in Britain, his lawyer told London's High Court on Tuesday. Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London.(AP) Harry, along with other senior royals, had received full security protection provided by the state before he decided to step back from his royal duties and move to California with his American wife Meghan in 2020. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here But the Home Office the ministry responsible for policing, immigration and security decided in February that year that Harry would cease to automatically receive personal police security while in Britain even if he were to cover the cost himself. The younger son of King Charles was given permission last year to challenge that decision. Shaheed Fatima, the lawyer for Harry - who was not in court, said he had been subjected to unlawful and unfair treatment. "This case is about the right to security and safety of a person," she said. "There cannot be a right of greater importance to any of us." She said the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as RAVEC, had not followed its own policy or treated Harry as it treated other figures. It had also failed to tell him why it had made its decision. Harry's "consistent position has been - and remains - that he should be given state security in light of the threats/risks he faces," she said in her written submission. The government's lawyer James Eadie said Harry had been treated in a "bespoke" manner, and would "occasionally" be included within the cohort of individuals receiving protection. "RAVEC does consider (Harry's) position when he comes to GB," he said in a written submission. "That does not mean he should be considered in the same way as he would be if he were resident in GB at all times." The judge, Peter Lane, has ruled that only the opening statements in the case could be held in public, with the vast bulk of the hearings over two and a half days held in private to prevent security measures being compromised. In May, the High Court ruled against Harry after he challenged the government's refusal to let him pay for his own police protection. Lawyers for the police and the government successfully argued it would be wrong to allow the fifth-in-line to the throne to pay, as it would mean wealthy individuals were able to "buy" specially trained officers to act as private bodyguards. The prince has often spoken out about his fears for the safety of his family, and has regularly hit out at press intrusion which he blames for the death of his mother Princess Diana, who was killed when her limousine crashed as it sped away from chasing paparazzi in Paris in 1997. In May, Harry's spokesperson said the prince, his wife Meghan and her mother were involved in a "near catastrophic" car chase with photographers after an awards ceremony in New York. Last year, Britain's former counter-terrorism police chief said there had been credible threats made against the couple by far-right extremists. Spains Queen Letizia had an affair during the early years of her marriage to King Felipe, reports claimed citing Jaime del Burgo, a longtime friend of the queen who went on to marry her sister. He alleged that he was in a romantic relationship with Queen Letizia, before she was married in 2004 and later after her wedding. Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia visit the Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen, Denmark.(Reuters) Jaime Del Burgo shared an image of Letizia on social media in which she is visibly pregnant saying that the Queen sent him the photo while they were conducting the affair along with the message, Love. I am wearing your pashmina. It is like feeling you by my side. It looks after me. Protects me. I am counting the hours until we see each other again, love you, get out of here. Yours. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here King Felipe and Queen Letizias daughters were born in 2005 and 2007. In a book written by royal reporter Jaime Penafiel, Jaime del Burgo claimed Queen Letizia told him that she loved him as they lay in hammocks by the pool at the royal residence. This prompted him to write an unpublished play in English with the title The Hammock, he said. Owing to the affair, Spains CNI secret service placed him under surveillance for five years and even broke into his home in Switzerland, Jaime Del Burgo said. The alleged operation did not achieve its presumed objectives as he had placed photographs, videos, mobile phones, text messages with the Queen in a bank vault. The Queen begged him to never leave her the night before she was married, he said. He went on to marry the queens sister, Telma Ortiz, in 2012. The couple divorced two years later. This comes as King Felipe and Queen Letizia appeared to be consolidating their reign after a series of scandals involving former King Juan Carlos. A recent poll published by the digital newspaper El Diario showed that 45 per cent of Spaniards support a republic, while 43.5 back the current system of monarchy. In October, Princess Leonor, the royal couples eldest daughter, swore her allegiance to Spains Constitution. Juan Carlos, who abdicated in favour of King Felipe in 2014, was excluded from ceremony. At least two people were killed and three wounded after Russian forces shelled the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, authorities said on Tuesday. Representational picture(AFP) Regional prosecutors opened a war crimes investigation into one of the strikes, which occurred around 9 a.m. and killed a 48-year-old man and a woman who had not yet been identified. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here "Terrorists," Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential administration, posted on Telegram along with two images of bodies lying on a sidewalk. ALSO READ| Russia's Vladimir Putin to visit UAE, Saudi Arabia: What's his plan Kherson Mayor Roman Mrochko said two doctors had been wounded in a separate artillery strike on a medical facility early on Tuesday. Reuters could not independently confirm the details of either incident. Russian forces have regularly shelled Kherson since retreating from the regional capital late last year to the other side of the Dnipro River. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was set to appeal directly to US senators for support Tuesday ahead of a showdown over funding the war with Russia -- with Washington fast running out of the cash approved so far to help its besieged ally. Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a media conference.(AP) Zelensky will appear via videolink during a classified briefing on the conflict, a day before the Senate is scheduled to take the first procedural vote on an emergency aid package that includes more than $60 billion for Kyiv. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here The Ukrainian leader's address comes after the White House warned Monday that aid will be exhausted by the end of the year, and that Russia's President Vladimir Putin could win the war if Congress fails to resolve a row over domestic policy that has deadlocked the funding. "We can't ever put a price on defending democracy in its hour of need, because if Ukraine falls, Putin will keep on going," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said as he announced Zelensky's address in the Senate late Monday. "Autocrats around the world will be emboldened. Democracy, this grand and noble experiment, will enter an era of decline." Underlining the stakes for Washington, Kyiv and beyond, Zelensky's chief of staff and defense minister were due to make the rounds in the US capital in person, alongside the speaker of Ukraine's parliament, as part of a coordinated lobbying effort. Several top administration officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines were due to take part in the closed-door briefing. Congress is more divided over backing for Ukraine than it has been at any time during the nearly two-year conflict. Senate Republicans are conditioning their support for the funding on President Joe Biden's Democrats accepting measures to address the migrant crisis at the southern border -- reforms they have already rejected as "extreme." Zero chance In the latest setback, the Democrats walked out of negotiations on changes to the asylum system and border security Friday after concluding that Republicans were refusing to compromise. Schumer has teed up a vote Wednesday on clearing the first procedural hurdle for addressing Biden's $106 billion aid request for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. But it needs 60 votes to get through the 100-member Senate, and the 49-strong Republican minority looks likely to sink the package as it leaves out their immigration reforms. Texas Republican John Cornyn said in a speech on the Senate floor the proposal had "zero chance of becoming law." "If Senator Schumer, as the majority leader, puts a bill on the floor that fails to address the crisis at the border with real, substantive policy reforms, we will not proceed to that bill," he vowed. "Our security cannot come second to that of other countries around the world, our allies, even those like Ukraine and Israel." US officials worry that failure would embolden wavering European governments to cut back on Ukraine aid and send a message to Putin that fissures were appearing in the coalition opposing the invasion. Yet even if the two sides can hammer out a deal in the Senate, it will be a tough sell for Republicans in the House, who have voiced what their leader Mike Johnson called "legitimate concerns about the lack of a clear strategy in Ukraine." White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday that there is no fallback plan if funding is exhausted. "Congress has to decide whether to continue to support the fight for freedom in Ukraine... or whether Congress will ignore the lessons we've learned from history and let Putin prevail," he told reporters at the White House. It is that simple. It is that stark a choice. A World Health Organization official in Gaza said on Tuesday the situation was deteriorating by the hour as Israeli bombing has intensified in the south of the Palestinian enclave around the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah. A picture taken in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 5, 2023, shows smoke billowing following Israeli bombardment amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (AFP) "The situation is getting worse by the hour," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in Gaza, told reporters via video link. "There's intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah." Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Peeperkorn said the humanitarian aid reaching Gaza was "way too little" and said the WHO was deeply concerned about the vulnerability of the health system in the densely populated enclave as more people move further south to escape the bombing. "We will witness the same pattern of what happened in the north," he said, referring to an area of northern Gaza that was heavily bombed and nearly cut off from humanitarian supplies. ALSO READ| Mount Marapi eruption: Hikers bodies found in Indonesia, death toll rises to 22 "That cannot happen ... I want to make this point very clear that we are looking at an increasing humanitarian disaster." Thomas White, Director of Affairs at the U.N. Palestinian agency in Gaza, said a population of more than 600,000 had been ordered to move to escape bombardment. "Rafah that normally has a population of 280K and already hosting around 470K IDP (internally displaced people) will not cope with a doubling of its IDP population," White wrote on social media platform X. James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations children's agency UNICEF, said the areas of Gaza designated as safe by Israel were nowhere near meeting basic requirements, warning an absence of sanitation and shelter have created a "perfect storm" for outbreaks of disease. "It's a safe zone when you can guarantee the conditions of food, water, medicine and shelter," he told reporters via video link from Cairo after visiting Gaza. "I've seen for myself these are entirely, entirely absent... These are tiny patches of barren land or they're street corners. They're sidewalks. They're half-built buildings. There is no water." He added: "Only a ceasefire is going to save the children of Gaza right now," and called the Israeli approach to creating these zones "callous and cold". The WHO's Peeperkorn said the agency had complied with an Israeli order to remove supplies from warehouses in Khan Younis. He said WHO had been told the area would "most likely become an area of active combat in the coming days." "We want to make sure that we can actually deliver essential medical supplies," he said. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday appealed to Israel to withdraw the order. Israel denied asking for the evacuation of warehouses. Under pressure from Tory MPs, the British government led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday announced a raft of measures to drastically reduce migration levels. The UK home office said that the move would impact around 300,000 individuals who would no longer be eligible to enter the UK based on the new measures, which include raising the minimum salary the migrants must earn in a skilled job by a third. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.(via Reuters) Sunak said the level of net migration was too high and he was determined to change it. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here We've just announced the biggest ever cut in net migration. No Prime Minister has done this before in history, he said in a social media post. Here are the key measures announced by Sunak's government: Dependant Restrictions: The government plans to put an end to high numbers of dependants entering the UK, forming a crucial part of the strategy to reduce migration. Salary Threshold Increases: The minimum salaries for overseas workers and British or settled individuals sponsoring family members will see a substantial hike. The earning threshold for overseas workers will surge by almost 50%, from 26,200 to 38,700, with a similar increase for British citizens sponsoring family members. Health and Care Visa Tightening: The Health and Care visa, previously a significant avenue for care workers and their dependents, will see restrictions. Overseas care workers will no longer be allowed to bring dependants to the UK, and care providers can only sponsor migrant workers involved in activities regulated by the Care Quality Commission. Crackdown on Cut-Price Labour: The government will eliminate the 20% salary discount for shortage occupations and introduce an Immigration Salary List, reviewed by the Migration Advisory Committee to align with increased salary thresholds. Student Dependant Restrictions: Measures are already in place to tackle the rise in students bringing dependants to the UK. These changes are expected to impact net migration significantly, with approximately 153,000 visas granted to dependants of sponsored students in the year ending September 2023. The government asserts that these measures collectively reinforce the principle that those who wish to live and work in the UK must be self-sufficient, contribute to the economy, and not become a burden on the state. Labour's home affairs spokesperson Yvette Cooper accused the Conservatives of being in a "chaotic panic" over immigration. "Today's statement is an admission of years of total failure by this Conservative government," she told parliament. All eight airmen who were aboard an Osprey military aircraft that crashed off Japan are considered deceased, the US Air Force said Tuesday. US military personnel carry a dinghy as they head out to search for the crash of a US CV-22B Osprey aircraft(AFP) The Osprey -- which can operate like a helicopter or a fixed-wing turboprop plane -- disappeared on November 29 near the island of Yakushima, sparking an intense search for survivors. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here "The US military transitioned search and rescue operations to search and recovery operations," meaning survivors are unlikely," the Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement. ALSO READ| YouTuber Trevor Jacob's 'daredevil' plane crash video lands him in jail: Done for views "Of the eight airmen, the remains of three airmen have been recovered, the remains of another three airmen have been located and are in the process of being recovered, and the remains of two airmen are still being located," it said. Osprey aircraft have suffered a string of fatal accidents, including a crash in northern Australia that killed three US Marines in August, and another in Norway during NATO training exercises last year that left four dead. Three Marines were also killed in 2017 when another Osprey crashed off Australia's north coast and 19 Marines died when their Osprey crashed during drills in Arizona in 2000. The United States temporarily grounded the aircraft in Japan in 2016 after an Osprey crash-landed off Okinawa, sparking anger among locals. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said on Thursday he had asked the US military to again suspend Osprey flights -- except for search-and-rescue operations -- and that Japan's military had halted using its own Ospreys pending safety checks. But the Pentagon said the following day that only the unit of the crashed CV-22 had stopped flying. It was not immediately clear if that halt was still in effect. Dozens of global traditions could be part of UNESCO's intangible global heritage list this week. These include Italian opera singing and Bangladeshi rickshaw art as well as the Peruvian delicacy of ceviche. The UN cultural agency's Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee is expected to examine and approve 55 nominations in total. The committee is set to meet in the town of Kasane in Botswana. These include a bid from Italy to include opera singing while Bangladesh is hoping to inscribe the art of painting rickshaws that contribute to a "roving exhibition of paintings- an emblematic feature of urban life in Dhaka". Dozens of global traditions bid to be inscribed as intangible global heritage by UNESCO this week.(AFP) Peru said that it has put forth the "preparation and consumption of ceviche", a traditional dish of raw fish marinated in lemon and seasoned with chilli, pepper and salt- a recipe "inherited from generation to generation". Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Azerbaijan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkey are together pushing for iftar, the meal shared by Muslims at the end of Ramadan, to be recognised. Other applicants include the "traditional skills of loincloth weaving" in Ivory Coast, as well as bolero from Cuba and Mexico. The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and its list were adopted in 2003. It was ratified by 30 member states in 2006. The list's 676 traditions include Neapolitan pizza, Brazilian capoeira and Spanish flamenco. The UN agency has said that the list has helped safeguard disappearing traditions. When Belgium succeeded in having "shrimp fishing on horseback" recognised, the practice gained more followers. Indonesia says that the inscription on the UNESCO list of the noken, a knotted or woven bag, provided "powerful incentive" to better preserve the handicraft. The United States imposed fresh Russia-related sanctions on Tuesday, targeting a defense procurement network consisting of people and entities in Belgium, Sweden and Hong Kong, among other places, as Washington cracks down on Moscow's evasion of Western sanctions. Russia-Ukraine War: Russian president Vladimir Putin speaks during a video address.(AP) The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement the network, led by Belgium-based Hans De Geetere, is involved in procuring electronics with military applications for Russian end-users and consists of nine entities and five people based in Russia, Belgium, Cyprus, Sweden, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here Read more: Israeli army chief says forces encircling Khan Yunis in Gaza The U.S. Department of Justice also unsealed two separate indictments against De Geetere related to his scheme to export sensitive, military-grade technology from the United States to end users located in China and Russia, while the Department of Commerce added De Geetere and five entities to its entity list. "The United States and our allies remain focused on disrupting any attempts by Russia or its trusted agents to gain access to the critical inputs and technologies necessary to support Moscows defense industry and facilitate its brutal war in Ukraine," Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in the statement. The U.S. Treasury Department separately imposed sanctions on 11 entities and seven people in a move it said was aimed at increasing the pressure on Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko over what it called his suppression of democratic civil society, corrupt financial enrichment of his family and complicity in Russia's war in Ukraine. Cheers fame actor Kelsey Grammer's BBC interview with Justin Webb aired on Monday, December 5, 2023. However, according to a radio host, the actor's interview was cut short as he became vocal about his support for former American President Donald Trump. However, according to a radio host, the actor's interview was cut short as he became vocal about his support for former American President Donald Trump. Justin, one of the hosts of BBC Radio 4's Today show, recalled that Kelsey, 68, had brought up actor and producer Roseanne Barr. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here During the 2018 popular revival of the sitcom "Roseanne," Barr, a real-life supporter of Trump, portrayed the fictional Trump supporter Roseanne Conner. However, after she made racist remarks on Twitter, now known as X, the network ABC decided to terminate her show. Barr later expressed regret and said she thought the sleep drug Ambien had affected her actions. Turning to politics, the show host asked the actor if he was still a supporter of the former US President. "You mentioned Roseanne early on, who had a great comeback, but also was a Trump supporter, you were, at least you were a Trump supporter, Im fascinated to know if you still are?" he asked. I am, and thats about all, let that be the end of it, replied Kelsey. After the segment ended, the show host moved on to discuss the reel life Dr. Fraiser's comments, adding, I have to say, actually, Kelsey Grammer himself was perfectly happy to go on talking about it. The Paramount+ PR people, less happy that he talked about it at some length, he said. They decided that wed had plenty of time for our interview. But I should stress that he was absolutely perfectly happy to talk about why he supports Donald Trump and still does in the coming election, he concluded. The actor was there to discuss the reboot of his hit 90s sitcom, Fraiser, which was released by Paramount+ in October. Republican former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, an outspoken critic of ex-President Donald Trump who co-chaired the congressional probe of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, said she is weighing a third-party bid for the White House in 2024. FILE PHOTO: Committee Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) attends the final meeting of the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 19, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo(REUTERS) In media interviews, Cheney said she was considering running for president next year as a third-party conservative candidate or on a bipartisan ticket that would include both a Republican and a Democrat. She cited Trump as a threat to democracy and the United States. "We face threats that could be existential to the United States, and we need a candidate who is going to be able to deal with and address and confront all of those challenges," Cheney told the Washington Post in remarks published on Tuesday. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here She said she planned to decide on a run in coming months. Cheney, 57, who lost her re-election bid in 2020 amid a tide of pro-Trump sentiment in her party, served as the top Republican on the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol attack by Trump supporters who wanted to overturn his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. She has kept her focus on the former president, echoing Biden in saying that another Trump presidency would threaten American democratic institutions. "I happen to think democracy is at risk at home, obviously, as a result of Donald Trumps continued grip on the Republican Party, and I think democracy is at risk internationally as well," she told the Post. Cheney made similar remarks in interviews with USA Today and MSNBC coinciding with the launch Tuesday of her memoir, "Oath and Honor: a Memoir and a Warning." She could not immediately be reached for comment. Despite Cheney's political setbacks, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney has deep roots in the Republican Party and has cultivated a national network of donors that has enabled her to stockpile millions of dollars. Trump remains the frontrunner in the 2024 race for the Republican presidential nomination despite indictments in four state and federal criminal cases, including one in Washington over his role in efforts to overturn his 2020 loss. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to carry out reprisals against those he perceives to have wronged him if elected again. Representatives for his campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. AS THE HEAD office of Northern Heavy Industries (NHI) comes into view, so does a huge slogan fixed permanently to its roof in metre-high red Chinese characters, where you might usually see a company name. The 22-character mouthful reads: Wave High the Great Banner of Xi Jinping Thought in the New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. A billboard-sized image of Mr Xi, Chinas leader, waves to visitors as they enter the lobby. In a nearby factory NHIs tunnel-boring machines, used for digging metro lines, rise four storeys into the air. The company was founded by the state many decades ago. Today more than ever it embodies an archetypal image of a state-owned enterprise (SoE). Except that on paper NHI is private. A company called Fangda Group, which is listed in Shenzhen and fully privately owned, took a 47% stake in NHI in 2019, in a rare instance of a private company bailing out a state one. This made Fangda by far the largest single shareholder. The deal should have privatised NHI. But in Chinas corporate sector nothing is so straightforward. Fangda is not the controlling shareholder. Executives say there isnt one. Some staff in its factories call it a state firm; some say it is private. When asked about Fangdas involvement in NHI, a manager says the investment was a policy decision. An investment adviser says that, for reasons he cannot divulge, investors should approach Fangda itself as if it had the backing of the stateeven though the state does not feature in its shareholder register. Fangdas website is covered in Communist Party imagery such as sickles and hammers. It describes its corporate mission as listening to the party and following the party. Chinese business has become much more professional in the past three decades. The countrys stockmarket is one of the worlds largest and has been opening up to Western investors. In futuristic industries like electric vehicles and green energy its firms lead the world. Chinas digital economy has produced rare rivals to Americas internet giants. They and others have global ambitions and are backed by some of the worlds savviest asset managers. Yet over the same period the lines between the state sector and private business have grown blurrier. Many global investors increasingly view Chinas private sector as a captive of the Communist Party. So do Western politicians, who rail against firms such as Huawei and TikTok for their alleged links to the party (which the companies deny). A recent paper from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a think-tank in Washington, asks: Can Chinese firms be truly private? Monitoring state influence has thus become more important than ever. It has also become more difficult than at any time in the past. One factor that has complicated matters is the central governments policy that explicitly seeks to blend state and private interests. Launched in 2013, mixed-ownership reform, as it is known, has encouraged private investments in some state firms and vice versa. The philosophy behind the policy was to introduce private capital into clunky state enterprises. Most of the investment since then, however, has flowed in the opposite direction. According to Fitch, a ratings agency, on average 50 state companies a year took the controlling rights of listed private business between 2019 and 2021, up from fewer than 20 in 2018. Privately owned firms share of market capitalisation among Chinas 100 largest listed companies shrank from a peak of about 55% in mid-2021 to just 39% at the end of June this year, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), another Washington think-tank (see chart 1). State enterprises may have spent around $390bn investing in private companies since 2018, according to data from Dealogic, a research firm (see chart 2). Mixed-ownership reform may have helped some SoEs perform better. Several academic studies found that in its wake some firms saw improvements to innovation and the return on assets. However, the reform has also created a vast grey sector that has characteristics of both state and private companies. The rise of government-backed funds armed with $1trn in capital has injected state funding into many private technology companies, including plenty of promising startups. State investors have also been taking golden shares, tiny stakes that grant outsize voting powers, in Chinas internet giants. In October it was revealed that a government agency had taken a 1% stake in a subsidiary belonging to Tencent, Chinas mightiest internet titan. In the red With the exception of top executives and government officials no one really understands what golden shares do. Company spokespeople say they are harmless. Investors disagree. When earlier this year such an arrangement came to light at Tencent and Alibaba, another internet giant, their share prices sank. An investment manager in Hong Kong explains that the discount was the result of state links being associated with corporate and financial stability, not risky innovation and animal spirits. From the states perspective, he adds, rapid profit growth and high valuations could be perceived as dangerous if they take place in the wrong sectors. Distinguishing between state and private companies is becoming more difficult because state influence over companies is no longer just tied to ownership, says Margaret Pearson of the University of Maryland, College Park. In The State and Capitalism in China, published in May, Ms Pearson and her co-authors say that China is moving from state capitalism, where business is guided by national interests, to party-state capitalism, in which it is organised around the interests of the Communist Party. Until the late 2000s how the party exercised its power over corporate management was mainly evident in its appointments of SoE bosses. That has changed significantly since Mr Xi became party chief in 2012. A sweeping anti-corruption campaign, followed by a crackdown on tech companies, has helped deflate and reshape Chinas digital economy. Outspoken technology entrepreneurs have vanished. A handful of tech founders and other business leaders have stepped down. Alibaba is splitting itself into several companies. Tencent has shed tens of billions of dollars in assets. New Oriental, Chinas most promising private-education business before the state snuffed out its entire industry almost overnight, has become an unglamorous online marketplace for agricultural and other products. Insiders argue about precisely how much direct influence the party had over such corporate decisions. Most agree that it is pleased with the outcome. State support, implicit or explicit, can help businesses aligned to Mr Xis vision. A lot of innovation in green energy, electric vehicles, robotics and digitisation is done by private firms but bankrolled by the state. Many entrepreneurs report that life is good in those areas. In sensitive domains like generative artificial intelligence (AI), new services are developed hand in hand with the state. Private companies working on AI frequently consult regulators, who provide guidance for what development is and is not permissible. Rather than regarding such consultations as an obstacle to innovation, Chinese AI firms often see it as a fast track to success. The party exercises control in subtler ways, too. One potent tool is its corporate social credit system. Launched not long after Mr Xi came to power, it rates companies based on factors including their legal and debt-payment record. Lauren Yu-Hsin Lin at the City University of Hong Kong and Curtis Milhaupt of Stanford Law School recently examined all publicly available scores in Zhejiang, a wealthy coastal province. They found that companies with more political connections had higher scores. Other than a companys size, the variable most closely associated with a high score is having a director or a chief executive who has served in important government or party positions. Firms with high scores can be red-listed, or given preferential access to credit. Ending up on the systems blacklist makes it exceedingly hard to get loans. This gives private firms a strong incentive to follow state policies even in the absence of direct state ownership. Cell-side analysts Another way for the party to control businesses is through party committees, where employees who are party members meet to discuss ideology and its place in corporate life. These cells typically do not have any formal administrative clout. However, they can channel information about the company or its industry to regulators. This information may in turn shape local regulations, notes a banker. As with golden shares, the clearest impact that party committees have had so far is to breed distrust among foreign investors, and between foreign companies local subsidiaries and their headquarters. Many of the changes in the private sector can be explained as an attempt on the part of entrepreneurs to balance commercial activity while also showing loyalty to the party and fulfilling political duties, says Huang Tianlei of PIIE. Showing loyalty does not necessarily make them less profit-seeking. They are simply trying to adapt to a political economy founded on the supremacy of the party. Still, the blurrier the line between the state and the private sector, the harder it becomes for entrepreneurs to strike a balance between party and profit. Ms Pearson and her co-authors find that private companies may not be secure enough in their autonomy from the state to pursue their own interests with ease. It is not just investors who find the system tiresomely muddled. The view from within is getting hazier, too. To stay on top of the biggest stories in business and technology, sign up to the Bottom Line, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Xi-Jinping-s-grip-on-Chinese-enterprise-gets-uncom Xi-Jinping-s-grip-on-Chinese-enterprise-gets-uncom When the "I Am Legend" movie was released in December 2007, it broke many hearts. First, many were saddened after Dr. Robert Neville's (Will Smith) dog, Samantha, died after getting attacked by some zombie canines. After that, tears fell after the movie ended with Dr. Neville dying just to let two strangers survive the attack of fast-running zombies. However, after a few days, fans saw a leaked alternate ending showing Dr. Neville surviving the explosion. Viewers waited for almost 15 years for the alternate ending's confirmation. Finally, Will Smith decided to break his silence and announced that his character would indeed return to the new movie, "I Am Legend 2." Will Smith Confirms Returning to 'I Am Legend 2'! According to Business Insider's latest report, Will Smith confirmed the arrival of the "I Am Legend 2." However, he said that he wasn't interested in returning. But, experts said that the idea of Michael B. Jordan co-starring in a mystery role could have inspired Will Smith to reprise his role as Dr. Robert Neville. In February, the movie's writer and producer, Akiva Goldsman, confirmed that the sequel will follow an alternate ending instead of the one fans saw in theaters. This December, Will Smith gave an update to the new film after appearing at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. "I have a call with Michael B. Jordan tomorrow. The script just came in... I'm probably giving away too much information," said the Oscar-winning Hollywood actor via CBR. "We're going with the mythology of the DVD version where my character lived. I can't tell you any more but Michael B. Jordan is in [it] and we're doing it," he added. Read Also: Jada Pinkett-Smith Reveals Secret 7-Year Split from Will: 'We're Still Figuring It Out' What To Know About 'I Am Legend' Alternate Ending In the original ending, Neville, together with Anna and Ethan (the two strangers who saved him from a hoard of zombies), went inside his laboratory as they ran from Darkseekers. To their surprise, they discovered that the zombie woman Dr. Robert had held hostage was finally cured, thanks to his special blood. He prepared a vial of his blood and gave it to Anna. He asked Anna and Ethan to go hide inside a coal shute, which is located at the back of his lab. After that, he activated a grenade and ran towards Darkseekers to save the two strangers. At the end of the film, Anna and Ethan can be seen going to a fortified area where people are kept safe from Darkseekers, but Dr. Robert Neville is nowhere to be seen, proving that he died. This original ending is quite different from the alternate ending. In the alternate ending, Neville is able to make peace with the Darkseekers by giving them the female zombie he had been experimenting on. He decided to do this after understanding that these zombies only attacked him because they saw Neville as a "monster" that they needed to protect themselves from. After his conflict with Darkseekers, Dr. Robert is seen leaving New York City, together with Ethan and Anna, to find other human survivors. Related Article: Will Smith Speaks Out About People Boycotting 'Emancipation' Film, Claims He Is 'Going Through Something' When Oscar Slap Happened @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Spotify made another staff lay-off after this year it announced on Monday (December 4) that it would cut 1,600 jobs in the company, equivalent to 17% of its current total workforce. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said that he made the "difficult" decision with economic growth "dramatically" slowing. The Stockholm-based company currently employed about 9,000 people, with Ek saying that, while the cuts would be "incredibly painful" to those affected, "substantial action to rightsize" its costs was needed to allow the firm to meet its objectives. "I recognize this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions," he said. "To be blunt, many smart, talented and hard-working people will be departing us." Spotify said it would start informing affected employees by Monday. They would be able to get about five months of severance pay, holiday pay, and healthcare coverage for the severance period. The company would also offer immigration support for employees whose immigration status was connected to their employment, especially or its headquarters and offices in Sweden. Read Also: Taylor Swift Tops Spotify's 2023 Global Artist List Making Spotify Cost-Effective The announcement was made about six months after it cut 200 jobs in its podcast department. In its third quarter results, Spotify reported a profit of 65 million ($70.7 million) - its first figure on the black for over a year - thanks to price rises and higher subscriber numbers. Spotify has been aiming to expand its global reach, with a goal of reaching a billion users by 2030. Currently, it has 601 million, an increase from 345 million by the end of 2020. Ek stated that the latest results would make the job cuts "feel surprisingly large" for many people. He added that the company would consider making smaller job cuts by 2024 and 2025. Other factors that affected Spotify's decision to let go of some staff included securing exclusive content, such as the podcast created by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The deal with the estranged son and daughter-in-law of King Charles III cost a reported $25 million over a span of just 12 episodes before the deal ended in June. "The truth of the matter is some of it has worked, some of it hasn't," Ek told the BBC last September. 2023 was a year where major tech companies have reduced their staff numbers following a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Some companies that laid off their employees include giants like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google's parent firm, Alphabet. Related Article: Spotify Cuts 200 Jobs in Podcast Department in Reorganization Plans @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Europe's right-wing leaders, representing the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, rallied in Florence on Sunday, marking the start of their EU-wide election campaign. This follows the unexpected victory of the Netherlands' anti-Islam leader, Geert Wilders, in November's general elections. The ID's Euroskeptic members, addressing approximately 2,000 supporters at a 16th-century fortress, pledged to transform the political landscape in Brussels, as per Politico. Salvini Urges EU Center-Right Alliance to 'Liberate Brussels' Matteo Salvini, Italy's far-right League leader, urged the European People's Party (EPP) to collaborate and "liberate Brussels" from what he termed as illegal occupiers. Salvini, a key figure in Italy's coalition government, advocated for unity among center-right factions in the EU, highlighting the success of such an approach in Italy. In Florence, Salvini hailed the gathering as a "historic day," suggesting a "Renaissance of Europe" based on work and rights, presenting a stark choice between freedom and fear, rights and extremism. He emphasized the importance of a united center-right force to free Brussels from illegal occupation. Despite the League's success in 2019, it has since seen a decline in support, with Meloni's Brothers of Italy party rising to 29%, while the League stabilizes at 9.3%. The League aims to capture votes from Forza Italia, which is currently at 7.4%. Projections for the 2024 EU elections by Europe Elects indicate a significant gain for the far-right, potentially becoming the fourth largest power in the EU House. To form a majority, a coalition would need 352 lawmakers, and the far-right, along with the EPP and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), could amass 344 MEPs. With additional non-attached members, such as Hungary's Fidesz party, they could achieve a slim majority. However, this prospect faces challenges within the EPP, particularly its liberal fraction. EPP Secretary General Thanasis Bakolas, in a September interview with Euractiv, dismissed any collaboration with the far-right and ECR, emphasizing the role of EPP, Socialists, ALDE, and the Greens in moving the EU forward, according to Euractiv. Read Also: Kathniel's Breakup Could Also Impact Philippines' Showbiz Industry Europe's Right-Wing Leaders Rally in Florence Based on current forecasts, a coalition of the EPP, Socialists, Liberals, and Greens could secure a majority of 457 MEPs, potentially isolating far-right forces. This shift in power dynamics reflects the evolving narrative of Europe's far-right parties. Instead of anti-EU rhetoric, they now advocate for reforming Europe from within, with migration as a central issue. France's Marine Le Pen and National Rally President Jordan Bardella emphasized migration as a crucial issue, while Belgian leader Gerolf Annemans called for collaboration against the current EU establishment. Ben Habib, a senior Brexit advocate in the United Kingdom, drew attention to a provision within the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with Brussels that has the potential to impede British border control. The debate intensified within the Conservative Party over whether to abandon the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), with a European Parliament report indicating that leaving the ECHR could violate the TCA. This development underlines the intricate relationship between national and EU-level politics, influencing both internal and external policy decisions, Express reported. Related Article: Kyriakos Mitsotakis Slams Rishi Sunak for Canceling Meeting Over Parthenon Sculpture Row @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have released a video alleging that Hamas is using mosques in Gaza to conceal underground tunnels. The video presents a deep tunnel within a building, which IDF soldiers identify as a mosque, along with several other tunnels they claim are being used by Hamas in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as per Mail Online. IDF Destroys 500 Hamas Tunnels in Gaza It has been reported that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ground troops have made their way into Khan Younis, located in the southern region of Gaza. This marks the first time that such a move has been observed. In the aftermath of the expiration of a seven-day ceasefire, a series of aerial and naval attacks have been launched, targeting more than 400 locations within the enclave. IDF spokesman Lt-Col Peter Lerner informed The Sun that approximately 800 tunnel access points have been identified since the war's onset, with around 500 destroyed. The IDF has developed various technologies over the past decade to counter what they perceive as Hamas's reliance on subterranean warfare. These methods include using drones to detect hidden structures and planes to destroy deeper defenses with specialized bombs. Armored bulldozers, attack dogs, unmanned vehicles, and robots are also employed to explore and clear underground areas. The IDF has also introduced innovative "sponge bombs," chemical devices that generate a foam explosion, solidifying into an airtight barrier to seal tunnel entrances. This tactic is intended to incapacitate Hamas troops by trapping them underground. Lt-Col Lerner highlighted the discovery of booby traps in tunnels, houses, and along transport routes. Former deputy head of Israel's National Security Council, Itamar Yaar, recommended collapsing the tunnels rather than entering them unless absolutely necessary. The IDF is reportedly executing operations with extreme caution to avoid endangering hostages. The IDF's slow and methodical approach is justified by Lt-Col Lerner, citing Hamas's 16-year preparation period for such a conflict. He also mentioned that the terror group and its commanders might possess a more extensive network of tunnels than the previously estimated 250 miles, according to The Sun. Read Also: Arizona County Officials Indicted, Charged With Interference for Allegedly Delaying Midterm Election Results IDF Targets Sinwar, Reveals Weaponized Hamas Tunnels Some of these tunnels have been found to contain rocket silos, allowing Hamas to continue missile launches into Israel. Others are equipped with electricity, water, and solar-powered air conditioning units. The IDF's most wanted list includes Sinwar, 61, held responsible for the October 7 incident that resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and over 240 hostages. Lt-Col Lerner stated that Sinwar, by financing and approving these operations, has effectively signed his own death warrant, with the IDF committed to employing all means to eliminate him. Moreover, the IDF reported the killing of Hamas battalion commander Wissam Farhat in an airstrike on Saturday. Since the beginning of the ground operation in Gaza on October 27, Israeli forces have discovered 800 shafts leading to Hamas's extensive underground network, destroying more than half. Hamas had previously claimed to have hundreds of kilometers of tunnels, likened to the New York subway system, serving both as protection and operational bases. These tunnels, often located in civilian areas near schools, kindergartens, mosques, and playgrounds, have been prime targets for Israeli strikes. The IDF's statement on Sunday summarized its anti-tunnel operations, noting the destruction of "many miles" of main tunnel routes through detonation and sealing. The civilian impact of the war has raised concerns among global powers, with Washington urging Israel to exercise caution in its operations, Rauters reported. Related Article: Israel Expands Ground Operations Against Hamas Across Gaza Strip @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The White House is now warning about Ukraine funds nearly running out. Because of this, the U.S. Congress is being urged to take action before 2023 ends. White House Budget Chief Shalanda Young opened this topic after sending letters to party leaders in the Senate and the House on Monday, Dec. 4. She said that lawmakers don't have much time to approve more financial assistance and military aid to Ukraine to help it fend off invading Russian soldiers. White House Says Ukraine Aid is Nearly Running Out Shalanda Young said that the lack of funding from the United States could cripple Ukraine in the ongoing war against Russia. "I want to be clear: Without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine," said the White House budget chief via Politico. Shalanda said that the lack of congressional action will also hinder Ukraine from receiving equipment from the U.S. military stocks. "There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money - and nearly out of time," warned Young. The top White House official's letters were sent specifically to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Shalanda Young's warning is the latest one coming from the U.S. government as the Biden Administration seeks to get the $61.4 billion emergency funding for Ukraine, which was recently proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden. Reuters reported that this is a part of the $106 budget request to fund ambitious plans for Israel, Ukraine, and the U.S. border security. Read Also: Ukraine Investigates Ukrainian POW Execution Allegations Against Russia; Victims Reportedly Unarmed When Killed Ukraine's Entering New War Phase Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that they are entering a new war phase against Russia because winter is setting in. He said that although they are fighting the second-best army in the world, they will never back down. However, he admitted that they are losing a lot of people against Russia because of a lack of military equipment and manpower. Although this is the case, Zelenskyy said that they did their best to achieve faster and more satisfying results. "We are losing people, I'm not satisfied. We didn't get all the weapons we wanted, I can't be satisfied, but I also can't complain too much," said the Ukrainian leader. This is why getting the financial assistance and military aid of the U.S. is a big deal for Ukraine. As of writing, the Congress hasn't confirmed if they will approve the billion-dollar budget request of Joe Biden. Related Article: Putin Orders 170K More Military Troops as Number of Casualties Continues To Grow @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack on a Catholic Mass inside the Mindanao State University in the southern Philippine city of Marawi on Sunday (December 3) that killed at least four people and injured 50 others. In a statement on its Telegram channel, the terrorist group said that its operatives "detonated an explosive device on a large gathering of Christians... in the city of Marawi." Philippine security officials earlier said the blast from an improvised explosive device might have been a retaliatory attack for a series of military operations against Islamist militant groups in recent days. However, Bangsamoro regional police public information officer Lt. Eirene Mazon told Filipino broadcaster ABS-CBN that investigators were "still gathering information" on the Islamic State claim. "We are accepting all the possibilities," she said. "As of now, we have persons of interest and we are also looking at several angles about the cause of this incident." Police in the Muslim-majority Bangsamoro region are now tasked with hunting down at least two suspects connected to the attack. Earlier, Washington officials have also condemned the incident, calling it a "horrific" attack on Christians inside a Muslim city. Japan, Australia, Britain, China, and Canada have also voiced their condemnation of the incident. Read Also: Philippines: At Least 4 Dead in Explosion During Catholic Mass in Marawi Pope Francis Prays for Victims of Marawi Bomb Attack In his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis urged the congregation gathered in St. Peter's Square in Rome to pray for the victims of the bombing attack in Marawi. "I would like to assure you of my prayers for the victims of the attack in the Philippines this morning, where a bomb exploded during Mass," he said. In the hours since the attack, the Vatican sent a telegram to the territorial prelate of Marawi, Bishop Edwin de la Pena. The message, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told the bishop that the Holy See was "saddened" with the injuries and loss of life caused by the bomb attack. Cardinal Parolin added that Francis had asked de la Pena "to convey his spiritual closeness" to the victims. I wish to assure my prayer for the victims of the attack that occurred this morning in the Philippines, where a bomb exploded during Mass. I am close to the families and the people of Mindanao, who have already suffered so much. December 3, 2023 Separately, the pope posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that he would be praying for those who were affected by the bombing. Archdiocese of Manila Statement on the bombing in Marawi City https://t.co/PPkyf7g0KL pic.twitter.com/kmMgBEomN2 rcamaoc (@rcamaoc) December 4, 2023 Meanwhile, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula said the killing of innocent Christians in Marawi was ironic as it happened merely days after "Red Wednesday," a commemoration held by the Catholic Church every last Wednesday of November to remember Christians persecuted, harmed, or killed for their faith. Related Article: Marawi Terrorist Bombing of MSU Catholic Mass Condemned by US Govt. @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sultan Al Jaber, president of COP28, has reportedly said that "no science" suggests that fossil fuels must be phased out to limit global warming to 1.5C. Al Jaber allegedly stated that sustainable growth cannot be achieved by eliminating fossil fuels "unless you want to take the world back into caves," Al Jaber allegedly stated. Some have raised concerns about the apparent conflict of interest between Al Jaber's roles as CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the state oil corporation of the United Arab Emirates, and his role as organizer of COP28 in Dubai. The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a worldwide climate summit where leaders from across the globe get together to discuss and brainstorm ways to combat climate change. This year's event was the 28th summit, hence the name COP28. Heated Debate Over Fossil Fuel Phaseout According to The Guardian, the contentious remarks were delivered by Al Jaber in a heated reaction to questions posed by Mary Robinson, a former UN special envoy for climate change and head of the Elders group, during a live online session that took place on November 21. During a She Changes Climate event, Robinson and Al Jaber had a talk. Robinson expressed: "We're in an absolute crisis that is hurting women and children more than anyone ... and it's because we have not yet committed to phasing out fossil fuel. That is the one decision that COP28 can take and in many ways, because you're head of Adnoc, you could actually take it with more credibility." The COP28 chief answered in a dismissive manner, stating that he wanted to have a "sober and mature conversation" and declining to engage in "any discussion that is alarmist," as heard on audio produced and released by The Guardian. "There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phaseout of fossil fuel is what's going to achieve 1.5C," Al Jaber pointed out. See Also: Millions of Dollars in Donation at the COP28 Climate Summit Is Pressuring Wealthy Nations To Pledge Contributions Alarming Remarks From COP28 Chief Himself That view contradicts the strong stance taken by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said on Friday, December 1, that the 1.5C target can only be achieved by trying to put an end to the combustion of all fossil fuels. He said, "The science is clear," as reported by Common Dreams. Scientist Joelle Gergis, who headed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Working Group I in the Sixth Assessment Report, criticized Al Jaber's comments as "disgraceful." Despite Al Jaber's claims that his remarks have been misrepresented, his position as CEO of a major fossil fuel company makes him an obvious candidate unfit to preside over a climate meeting. A study published over the weekend by Global Witness indicated that ADNOC is on course to become the second-largest oil producer in the world by 2050. Also, Al Jaber is accused of exploiting his position as COP28 president to promote oil and gas agreements. See Also: 'I Am Not Well': Pope Francis Makes First Public Appearance Since Lung Inflammation Episode @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Facebook owner Meta is up against a massive legal battle and damages claim in Spain. The plaintiffs argue that the ad tech giant should pay them for a competition violation since it has been processing people's data for adverts without a clear legal basis for years, in accordance with European Union data protection regulations. 'Systematic, Massive Non-Compliance' The lawsuit is being supported by AMI, a group of newspaper owners that counts more than 80 members, including the publishers of El Pais, ABC, and La Vanguardia, among others. Meta is being sued for what the plaintiffs call its "systematic and massive non-compliance" with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). They are aiming for over 550 million (about $600 million). In a press release, the media group said Meta has consistently disregarded the legislative requirement that individuals must provide their agreement before their data may be used for advertising profiling, thereby failing to comply with EU data protection regulations. "The systematic and massive use of personal data of users of Meta platforms, tracked without their consent throughout their digital browsing, would have allowed the American company to offer the sale of advertising space on the market based on an illegitimately obtained competitive advantage," the statement reads, as reported by TechCrunch. The group is establishing that their lawsuit contends that 100% of Meta's regional revenue was unlawfully obtained. See Also: Meta Warns China, Iran, Russia Plan 'Foreign Covert Influence Operations' Ahead of 2024 Elections Requirement for Consent Ignored? Allegedly, Meta has willfully disregarded the need for individuals to get their permission before their data may be used for advertising profiling. In January, Meta was fined 390 million ($422 million) by EU data protection regulators for tracking and profiling users to target adverts against a contract. The final GDPR ruling established that the tech giant was in violation of the legislation, which paved the way for private privacy lawsuits like this one to be brought. Thus, other cases like this will likely emerge. According to ABC News, Meta's ad processing from May 2018, when the GDPR went into effect until July 2018 is the focus of AMI's complaint. In light of what the complainants term "Meta's persistence in its non-compliance," however, they are not ruling out the prospect of extending the duration of their lawsuit if necessary. For ad processing in the area, Meta has changed its claimed legal basis twice since the January penalty. It first switched to asserting what it termed "legitimate interests" as its foundation. Nonetheless, in July 2022, the CJEU ruled that Meta's super profiling was also invalidated, ending a separate and lengthy competition and privacy challenge launched by Germany's competition authority. The AMI's challenge cites an October 27 urgent binding decision by the European Data Protection Board, issued after Norway's data protection authority requested it due to Meta's continued processing of personal data without a legal basis. See Also: Meta Intentionally Designs Platforms To Pursue Millions of Underage Users To Sign Up, Court Document Claims @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Philippine President Bongbong Marcos contracted COVID-19 as confirmed by the Presidential Communications Office. The positive COVID-19 result of the Filipino leader was announced on Monday, Dec. 4. PCO said that the president will be observed for five days while he is being isolated. However, instead of showing empathy for the sick Filipino president, many netizens questioned his COVID-19 infection. This is because the leader suddenly gets ill after the bombing in Mindanao and a strong earthquake happened. Here's what Filipinos said about the latest COVID-19 infection of Bongbong Marcos. Bongbong Marcos' COVID-19 Infection Questioned by Filipinos According to Rappler's latest report, Philippine President Bongbong Marcos has been infected by COVID-19. Since the Asian country suffered from a bombing and earthquake, many residents question the sickness of the Filipino leader. They are asking if the COVID-19 infection will make Bongbong Marcos miss important meetings and announcements (again). However, the Presidential Communications Office promises that the president will still continue his scheduled meetings. "The President remains fit to carry out his duties and will be continuing his scheduled meetings via teleconference," said PCO via its official Facebook announcement. PCO officials also said that more updates regarding the health of Bongbong Marcos will be provided soon. While the leader's health is being monitored, the office said that Bongbong highly encourages Filipinos to take precautions when going out to the public. PCO said that Marcos suggests getting vaccinated and voluntarily wearing facemasks when visiting places with crowded people. This is not the first time that Bongbong has been infected by COVID-19. The Philippine president also got sick because of the novel coronavirus; specifically in March 2020 and July 2022. In another case, Bongbong also became sick on Nov. 23. Because of his illness, he wasn't able to attend the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum. Hopefully, his latest health condition will not hinder him from making important announcements and attending critical meetings. Read Also: Philippines: Broadcaster Shot Dead While on Air in Mindanao Island Radio Station Filipinos Disappointed With Bongbong's COVID-19 Announcement Many Filipinos were disappointed with the announcement of PCO regarding Bongbong's COVID-19 infection. This is because some of them believe that the president is making another excuse to become absent from important meetings. Others said that Marcos is only using the COVID-19 sickness excuse to avoid addressing the latest bombing in Marawi, which four individuals and injured over 40 people. Meanwhile, some Filipinos are doubting the sickness of Bongbong Marcos, saying that the Philippines is the only remaining country where people are still contracting COVID-19. These are just some of their opinions about Bongbong's latest positive COVID-19 test results. You can click here to see more of their comments. Related Article: Philippines: Marawi Terrorist Bombing of Mindanao State University Catholic Mass Condemned by US Government @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Over five million Americans are permanently crippled due to traumatic brain injuries. They often have to leave their jobs or stop going to school because they cannot focus on doing even the smallest things. However, on Monday, December 4, a study was released that could give them a sense of hope. Successful Implant? Electrodes were inserted in the brains of five patients who suffered from mild to severe brain injuries. Their results on cognitive tests improved as the electrodes stimulated their brains. According to The New York Times, the researchers speculated that the implants may be the first successful treatment for persistent brain damage if the findings are confirmed in bigger clinical studies. Dr. Nicholas Schiff, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York who oversaw the research, said: "This is the first evidence that you can move the dial for this problem." One of the implant recipients, Gina Arata, was 22 years old when she suffered from fatigue, memory loss, and emotional instability as a result of a car accident. She was unable to hold down a job and ended up living with her parents in Modesto, California, after abandoning her ambitions to go to law school. Arata got the implant in 2018, 18 years after the accident. She said a dramatic shift had occurred in her life. "I can be a normal human being and have a conversation. It's kind of amazing how I've seen myself improve." Implants transmit minute electric pulses hundreds of times per second, which stimulate nearby neurons to generate their impulses and restore certain brain functions. See Also: Online Therapy Industry Surges as Solution to School Counselor Shortage Network of Brain Regions Dr. Schiff and colleagues drew on extensive brain structural studies over many years to develop the analysis. The results of these investigations seem to point to a network of interconnected brain areas that are essential for sustained attention. To maintain network activity, the areas communicate with one another, forming a feedback loop. Theoretically, Dr. Schiff and others have postulated that abrupt brain movement (as in a car accident or a fall) might disrupt some long-distance connections in the network, causing individuals to enter a coma. The network may be able to restore its power throughout the recovery process. Recovery may be more challenging in cases with serious brain injury. The team led by Dr. Schiff identified an anatomical region deep inside the brain as the network's central node. The central lateral nucleus is a thin layer of neurons that looks like an almond shell. Each hemisphere of the human brain has one of these structures. They seem to assist the brain in settling down for sleep and waking up more effectively. According to the study, if you stimulate the neurons in these areas, you may make a sleeping rat wake up. Restoring attention and concentration after a catastrophic brain injury may be possible by activating the central lateral nuclei. See Also: Study Claims 1 Sleepless Night Can Improve Mood, Thanks to Dopamine Boost @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Federal prosecutors have charged Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, of Miami, Florida, a former U.S. Department of State employee who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 and ultimately as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, with committing multiple federal crimes by secretly acting for decades as an agent of the government of the Republic of Cuba. READ ALSO: Readout of the Vice President's Call with President Isaac Herzog of Israel "This action exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "We allege that for over 40 years, Victor Manuel Rocha served as an agent of the Cuban government and sought out and obtained positions within the United States government that would provide him with access to non-public information and the ability to affect U.S. foreign policy. Those who have the privilege of serving in the government of the United States are given an enormous amount of trust by the public we serve. To betray that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the United States while serving a foreign power is a crime that will be met with the full force of the Justice Department." "Like all federal officials, U.S. diplomats swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Acting as an agent for Cuba - a hostile foreign power - is a blatant violation of that oath and betrays the trust of the American people," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "The FBI will continue to rigorously defend against foreign governments targeting America, and we will find and hold accountable anyone who violates their oath to the United States, no matter how long it takes." "For decades, Rocha allegedly worked as a covert agent for Cuba and abused his position of trust in the U.S. government to advance the interests of a foreign power," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. "However long it might take, we will deliver justice to those who betray their solemn oaths to the American people." "The Southern District and our law enforcement partners stand ready to protect the United States from individuals who act unlawfully as agents of foreign governments," said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. "Individuals who violate federal law by engaging in clandestine activity for hostile foreign states, and by providing false information about those activities to the U.S. government, endanger American democracy. That is especially so for past or present employees of the United States who took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, and for U.S. citizens who benefit from the freedoms and opportunities of this country. The U.S. Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners in South Florida, and elsewhere, will continue to vigorously enforce all federal laws." According to the complaint, beginning no later than approximately 1981, and continuing to the present, Rocha, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Colombia, secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the United States by serving as a covert agent of Cuba's General Directorate of Intelligence. To further that role, according to the complaint, Rocha obtained employment in the U.S. Department of State between 1981 and 2002, in positions that provided him access to nonpublic information, including classified information, and the ability to affect U.S. foreign policy. After his State Department employment ended, Rocha engaged in other acts intended to support Cuba's intelligence services. From in or around 2006 until in or around 2012, Rocha was an advisor to the Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, a joint command of the United States military whose area of responsibility includes Cuba. The complaint alleges that Rocha kept his status as a Cuban agent secret in order to protect himself and others and to allow himself the opportunity to engage in additional clandestine activity. Rocha provided false and misleading information to the United States to maintain his secret mission; traveled outside the United States to meet with Cuban intelligence operatives; and made false and misleading statements to obtain travel documents. According to the complaint, Rocha began his State Department career in 1981, rising through the ranks to serve in a variety of roles, including (1) from in or around February 1989 until in or around November 1991, as the First Secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico; (2) from in or around November 1991 until in or around July 1994, as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; (3) from in or around July 1994 until in or around July 1995, as a Department of State employee, as the Director of Inter-American Affairs on the U.S. National Security Council, with special responsibility for, among other things, Cuba; (4) from in or around July 1995 until in or around July 1997, as Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba; (5) from in or around July 1997 until in or around November 1999, as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and (6) from in or around November 1999 until in or around August 2002, as Ambassador to Bolivia at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia. The complaint alleges that, in a series of meetings during 2022 and 2023, with an undercover agent from the FBI posing as a covert Cuban General Directorate of Intelligence representative, Rocha made repeated statements admitting his "decades" of work for Cuba, spanning "40 years." When the undercover told Rocha he was "a covert representative here in Miami" whose mission was "to contact you, introduce myself as your new contact, and establish a new communication plan," Rocha answered "Yes," and proceeded to engage in a lengthy conversation during which he described and celebrated his activity as a Cuban intelligence agent. Throughout the meetings, Rocha behaved as a Cuban agent, consistently referring to the United States as "the enemy," and using the term "we" to describe himself and Cuba. Rocha additionally praised Fidel Castro as the "Comandante," and referred to his contacts in Cuban intelligence as his "Companeros" (comrades) and to the Cuban intelligence services as the "Direccion." Rocha described his work as a Cuban agent as "a grand slam." Rocha is charged with conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General; acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General; and with using a passport obtained by false statement. He is expected to make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Miami today, Dec. 4. The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable contributions by the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI's Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and John C. Shipley of the Southern District of Florida, along with Trial Attorneys Heather M. Schmidt and Christine A. Bonomo of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Rocha complaint READ MORE: Statement By Vice President Kamala Harris On The Passing Of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Virginia home exploded after a suspect in Arlington fired a flare gun as law enforcement personnel were serving a search warrant on Monday evening. The incident prompted multiple police and fire units to respond to the home located in the 800 block of N Burlington after 8:00 p.m. Arlinton police officers were trying to execute the search warrant when the suspect suddenly fired several rounds from his flare gun while still inside. Virginia Home Explosion In a statement, Arlington County Police Department spokesperson Ashley Save said that the preliminary investigation of the incident suggests that the suspect discharged a flare gun from inside his residence. Currently, the extent of injuries inside the home and the surrounding area remains unclear and community members have been told to shelter in place for their own safety. Law enforcement personnel on the scene reported minor injuries with no one transported to the hospital, as per Fox News. Fire officials remained on the scene to work on extinguishing the flames and police officers continued to investigate the circumstances of the blast. A video recording of the incident was posted on social media and showed a vehicle with a flashing blue light approaching the home when a loud blast suddenly blew the roof off. In a matter of seconds, the building appeared to have crumpled to the ground and burst into flames. The explosion sent debris flying through the air and setting off a nearby car alarm due to its shockwave. Read Also: Philadelphia Man Fatally Stabs Security Guard, Injures Another During Retail Theft at Macy's Store Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, who represents the region, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was monitoring the situation in Arlington. He said that this was a "very, very scary" incident. He also expressed his gratitude to the first responders who were working to secure the area and keep the people nearby safe, according to the New York Times. This follows a similar incident when an explosion led to a massive fire at an Ohio auto shop late last month that killed three people and left another one injured. The blast occurred at Jimbo's Auto Repair in Hillsboro, which is between Cincinnati and Columbus. Authorities said that the blast occurred at around 4:00 p.m. on Nov. 28. Extinguishing the Fire In a statement on Nov. 29, Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire Chief David Manning said that the singular injured individual was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition. The official added that the blast was powerful enough to shake the firehouse that was located roughly five blocks away. Manning said that he and his colleagues felt the explosion at the firehouse. While he was unable to recall how long it took to put the fire out, he noted that it was after midnight by the time that the scene was cleared and he was able to go home. Video recordings of the incident captured by witnesses showed the auto ship being engulfed by a bright-red flame under billowing black smoke. Manning noted that the identities of the dead were initially not being released to the public. On Wednesday, an Ohio Department of Commerce spokesperson said that the State Fire Marshal's Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau was responsible for investigating the incident. However, the cause of the blast remains unclear, said USA Today. Related Article: One-Year-Old Boy Dead in Quadruple Killing in Dallas House Shooting @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Israel claims that Hamas spies have been working for years just to plan the deadly Oct. 7 attack, which led to the official war between the Israeli government and the Palestinian militant organization. This was revealed by the Israel Defense Forces after analyzing acquired notebooks, phones, and documents from Hamas gunmen who were killed in the Gaza Strip. The latest findings that IDF acquired from examining these items owned by Hamas showed how Israel has little understanding of the capabilities of the terrorist group when it comes to deadly operations. Israel Claims Hamas Spies Work for Years to Plan Oct. 7 Terrorist Attack According to The Guardian's latest report, IDF's Amshat military intelligence unit, which was re-established after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, revealed a cache of material on Monday, Dec. 4. Included among it are guides to hostage-taking, as well as Arabic-to-Hebrew phrasebooks; one of these documents shows how to deal with hostages, such as ordering them to put their hands up and spread their legs. Aside from this, a 40-page battle plan for the Oct. 7 Hamas attack was also acquired. Amshat also revealed a super-detailed map of an Israeli military base, which is more detailed compared to the maps that meet IDF's requirements. An Israeli intelligence source said that this super-detailed map is a clear sign that Hamas has been using "inside knowledge," meaning they are relying on spies to gather information that will help them create their terrorist attack plans. Read Also: Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Marawi Bombing; Pope Francis Prays for Victims IDF Knew About 40-Page Battle Plan Before Attack Some reports stated that Israel already knew about the 40-page battle plan of Hamas. However, officials dismissed it since they thought the plan was too hard for the militant group to carry out. Meanwhile, some IDF spotters-mostly women-claimed information from the Israel Defense Forces about Hamas terrorists openly exercising an attack. These details led to critics questioning why Israel wasn't prepared when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7 despite having information about their inhumane operation. Other Signs of Hamas Oct. 7 Attack Yahoo News reported that there's another sign of the Hamas Oct. 7 attack that Israel overlooked. This is the anomalous trading activity that happened before the deadly terrorist operation. A newly published study claimed that the MSCI Israel Exchange Traded Fund experienced a significant increase in short selling. Meanwhile, hundreds of Tel Aviv Stock Exchange securities saw dramatically increasing short interest. "Our findings suggest that traders informed about the coming attacks profited from these tragic events," said involved researchers Joshua Mitts and Robert J. Jackson Jr. As of writing, Israel is still investigating the unusual trading changes that happened before Hamas conducted its terrorist attack. Related Article: IDF Destroys 500 Gaza Tunnels To Block Hamas' Plans To Use Civilians as 'Human Shields' @ 2024 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Philippe Starck designed boutique hotel is an inspired first destination for the MGallery brand in Taiwan. Accor and Hezun Hotel Inc. recently announced the signing of the first MGallery hotel in Taipei - a 100+ guestroom boutique hotel designed by world-renowned architect, Philippe Starck in 2016. Now joining the MGallery Hotel Collection, the 13-storey hotel will undergo refurbishments and upgrades. The hotel will also adapt to Accor's environmental standards, in areas such as plastics reduction, food waste, and energy efficiency. Guests arriving to the MGallery in Taipei will discover a fashionable urban retreat amid the energy of the downtown business district. The new MGallery in Taipei will entice curious travelers who yearn to experience something out of the ordinary. Guests will discover the nearby attractions of Taipei 101, Taipei Arena and Raohe Night Market. The hotel sits along Dunhua North Road, perhaps the most vital boulevard in the city - culturally significant, centrally located, and well-connected to public transportation. The popular thoroughfare is elegantly lined with stately green trees, verdant parks, architectural diversity, and a plethora of shops, businesses and cafes. The new MGallery in Taipei is not the first Accor hotel to have a connection with Philippe Starck. The contemporary designer's influence can be found at the TOO Hotel Paris - MGallery, and several other Accor hotels such as Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris; SLS South Beach Miami; and Mondrian Los Angeles. At the hotel in Taipei, Starck created a bridge between tradition and modernity. By incorporating indigenous humanistic features from Taiwan, Starck created a sensorial experience of art, culture, creativity, and intelligence. This aligns with the design philosophy of MGallery, which is to honor the origin, heritage, and stories of each hotel's past with modern sensibility, blending local artistry with contemporary style. Beyond design, guests of MGallery in Taipei will connect with the hotel's distinctive character through its services that invoke a sense of well-being and its creative food and drinks that enliven the senses. An exclusive wellness experience is linked to each hotel, inspired by the hotel's history and expressed through unique experiences to ignite each guest's inner spark. MGallery represents an exclusive, fast-growing collection with more than 170 properties either open or currently in the pipeline around the world. Originally dreamed up in 2008, today's MGallery Hotel Collection is truly international with a presence in eight global markets. With 100 rooms on average, its hotels are distinctive not only because of their strong design identity, but also thanks to their warmth and sense of well-being. Hotel website Hotel set to become the first five-star hospitality project in the year-round resort of Poiana Brasov. Situated in the mountains of central Romania, Kempinski Hotels reveals the latest addition to its European constellation: a contemporary ski resort that will transform the town of Poiana Brasov into a must-visit destination for trail-blazing travellers. With 120 guestrooms, Kempinski Poiana Brasov mountain resort will be the first five-star hotel in the Transylvania region and the debut Kempinski address in Romania. The EUR 70 million project marks Bucharest-based developer Rock Holding's first foray into the luxury hospitality space after successfully developing a collection of high-end residential projects in the Romanian capital. A collection of 120 lakeside rooms and suites in the main hotel will be augmented by extensive spa and wellness facilities that will tap into the healing powers of the mountain landscape, while three dining outlets will showcase the flavours of the Romanian and international cuisine. A conference centre and events space with stunning mountain views provide a blank canvas for spectacular corporate events and summer weddings. Behind a sleek, contemporary facade, the hotel promises a minimal, naturalistic aesthetic, with natural building materials, flowing organic lines and interiors that reflect the landscape of the Carpathian Mountains. Poiana Brasov is a gateway to some of the most spell-binding landscape in Central Europe and a magnet for outdoor afficionados. During the long summer days, well-marked trails between lush spruce forests and mountain meadows blanketed in wildflowers draw hikers, cyclists and horse riders, while the snowy peaks lure skiers and snowboarders from across Europe each winter. Guests staying at Kempinski Poiana Brasov mountain resort will have direct access to almost 24 kilometres of ski slopes on the flanks of the Postavarul Massif, one of the most picturesque areas of wilderness in Central Europe. The nearby medieval city of Brasov is home to gothic churches, cobbled streets and baroque townhouses that evoke the essence of Transylvania. In less than 45 minutes, guests can reach some of the other must-see sights of Romania, including Bran Castle, home of Count Dracula, the fairy-tale spires of Peles Castle and the mighty walls of Rasnov Fortress. Direct flights from cities including Dubai, London, Brussels, Barcelona, Munich, Stuttgart, Tel Aviv and Geneva serve the new Brasov-Ghimbav International Airport, a 30-minute drive from the hotel, while the larger Bucharest International Airport can be reached in 2.5 hours. Hotel website Lees aspires to elevate Raffles Spa into the premier wellness destination in Dubai by infusing the offering with immersive experiences. After beginning her career in advertising, after a decade, Lees found a passion for health and wellness and obtained spa certifications and moved into the spa business in England. She then moved to Bermuda, Bahrain, the Maldives, Ukraine, Grand Cayman, and Hong Kong. Accor, a leading augmented hospitality Group, is pleased to share its recent signings for November 2023, underscoring its unwavering dedication to extending its reach while delivering unparalleled experiences throughout Asia. As of October 2023, Accor has seamlessly executed management agreements for an impressive 69 properties, augmenting its extensive portfolio with over 16,500 keys. Amidst this remarkable surge, the Group strategically continues to direct its efforts toward resolute leadership in the Premium, Midscale and Economy segments, epitomised by its steadfast representation through the Novotel, Mercure, and ibis brands. This strategic approach underscores Accor's commitment to ensure a diverse range of offerings for its guests. The dynamism of the hospitality market demands more than expansion; it demands innovation. Our strategic signings and brand introductions to new markets are a testament to our pledge to be pioneers in delivering unparalleled guest experiences, marking a new era in the evolution of hospitality. Garth Simmons, Chief Executive Officer, Premium, Midscale and Economy Division for Accor in Asia New signings include: ibis Styles Phuket Bangtao (Thailand) Source: Accor Accor continues its growth in Thailand with the recent signing of ibis Styles Phuket Bangtao. This newly built hotel, set to open its doors in 2025, will feature 140 keys, a restaurant, a bar, a swimming pool, and a well-equipped gym. Situated in the vibrant neighbourhood of Bangtao, known for its pristine beach and modern living, ibis Styles is poised to infuse the locale with a fusion of artistic ingenuity and contemporary chic. With this signing, Accor further strengthens its position as the largest international hotel operator in Thailand, boasting a robust network of 73 hotels in the Midscale and Economy segments and a pipeline of 14 projects currently in development. Novotel Jakarta Pulo Mas (Indonesia) Source: Accor Accor is pleased to announcethe signing of Novotel Jakarta Pulo Mas, located in Pulo Mas, East Jakarta. This 36-floor hotel, part of a mixed-use development with an office building and the Nusantara TV studios, will offer 175 rooms, including standard rooms and suites. Featuring an all-day dining restaurant, lounge, health and fitness centre, spa, pool bar, and an outdoor swimming pool, Novotel Jakarta Pulo Mas promises a serene ambience with a spectacular bird's-eye view of Jakarta. Mercure Cat Tien and ibis Styles Cat Tien (Vietnam) Accor will oversee the management and operation of two hotels within the Imperial Oasis Quy Nhon project in Binh Dinh province, featuring the renowned Mercure and ibis Styles brands. Scheduled to open in 2027, the Mercure Cat Tien and ibis Styles Cat Tien hotels, situated in the Cat Tien gateway urban area, will offer 189 and 250 guestrooms, respectively. Both hotels will feature state-of-the-art facilities including an all-day dining restaurant, meeting rooms, swimming pool, pool club, and a gym. These projects align with Accor's strategic emphasis on coastal economic development and high-end commercial sectors in Vietnam. Swissotel Bangkok Pratunam (Thailand) Source: Accor Accor will unveil the Swissotel Pratunam Bangkok in early 2027. Nestled in the vibrant heart of Bangkok's premier shopping district, this premium hotel with 325 beautifully decorated rooms and suites is set to redefine urban sophistication. Guests can indulge in panoramic skyline views from the rooftop infinity pool, relax in the world-class spa, and enjoy exquisite dining options. Grand Mercure Goa Candolim (India) Source: Accor Grand Mercure Goa Candolim is scheduled to welcome guests in Q2 of 2024 and will become the 7th Grand Mercure in India. This expansive 6,500 sqm hotel offers 87 well-appointed rooms, two dining options, a 500+ sqm banquet hall, with fitness and spa facilities. With its upscale amenities, the hotel aims to make a significant impact on Goa's dynamic hospitality scene, providing a notable stay for travellers. Through six signings with over 1,100 additional keys across Asia in November 2023, Accor continues to demonstrate its prowess in the hospitality industry, delivering exceptional and innovative experiences to guests in the region. About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5,500 properties, 10,000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry's most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 40 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics & integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity & inclusion. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. Sarah Fernandez Director of PR & Communications +971 56 5448997 Accor Rocco Forte Hotels (the group) is pleased to announce that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a significant minority stake in the group. The Forte family will retain majority ownership and control. The arrangement sees the Italian entity CDPE Investimenti (CDPEI) selling its entire stake. PIFs investment will include an element of primary equity which will accelerate the brands expansion in both existing and new global markets, building on the groups track record of growth and development that includes eight new properties opened or committed in recent years. Sir Rocco Forte will remain Executive Chairman, alongside Olga Polizzi, who will continue as Deputy Chairman. Charles Forte, Lydia Forte and Irene Forte will also continue to hold key roles in the business. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. PIF is an excellent partner for us going forward. We have established an extremely good relationship during the course of our negotiations. They share the same vision for the brand and the future strategy of the group with the same ambition to take a long-term view. I look forward to working with PIF to expand the group and improve the high level of service we offer our customers. We thank CDPEI for having shared the past fruitful eight years during which we both successfully accomplished the mission we shared when we started the journey, having significantly enhanced the value of the company and increased the groups presence in Italy and across Europe. Sir Rocco Forte, Executive Chairman of Rocco Forte Hotel Our investment in Rocco Forte Hotels reflects PIFs confidence in both the commercial opportunity and strength of the international hospitality and tourism industries that have shown remarkable resilience in recent years. As active long-term investors, PIF will continue to invest strategically in promising sectors to achieve sustainable returns globally. Turqi Al Nowaiser, Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments Division at PIF Established in 1996 by Sir Rocco Forte and Olga Polizzi, Rocco Forte Hotels is a world-renowned operator of landmark luxury hotels in exceptional city and resort locations. The group today operates 14 hotels and resorts, as well as 20 private villas, including some of Europes most iconic properties. A further three hotels are due to open in 2024 and 2025. UNWTO has laid the strong foundations needed for countries everywhere to provide greater legal certainty to all operators in the tourism sector. The first seminar on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists (Salamanca, Spain, 30 November 1 December 2023) welcomed legal experts, academics and public and private sector representatives, to address the achievements of the Code in the two years since its launch as well as to assess the challenges in the years ahead. A landmark International Code for Tourists The pandemic highlighted the urgent need for a consistent legal framework for assisting tourists. Even during the biggest crisis in the history of tourism, UNWTO created the landmark legal instrument in record time, following consultation with more than 100 countries including both Member States and non-Members, and from across the private sector. Approved at the 24th UNWTO General Assembly in 2021in just two years, it has been recognized as a key means of restoring confidence in travel and interest in the Code. To date, 22 countries have agreed to adhere to it. The inaugural legal seminar, organized by UNWTO alongside the University of Salamanca and Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University, provided a platform for to delve more deeply into the principles and recommendations for assisting international tourists. Tourism and international law Over two days, leading experts contributed their insights and inputs during a series of multilateral panel discussions. The panels focused on several of the key challenges, with a focus on supporting the recognition of Tourism Law as an independent branch of the legal system. Highlights included: A focus on Tourism Law as a branch of international law, with contributions from leading experts from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, the Interamerican Development Bank and the Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs. The creation of a PhD programme on Tourism Law with the Universities of Salamanca and Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University, to support advanced studies and education in this specific branch of the legal system. As assessment of the Code's potential role in crisis management, drawing on the lessons of the pandemic and counting on the expert insights of leading academics. An exploration of what the minimum standard of protection for tourists could be, as well as discussions on contractual issues relating to delivering assistance in emergency situations, and recommendations for best practice around protection of tourists in the context of digital services, emergency prevention as well as assistance and repatriation. Best practices and opportunities As well as addressing the key challenges standing in the way of Tourism Law being better defined and integrated into wider national and international legal systems, the Seminar also highlighted the opportunities available through adherence to the Code. This was backed up by presentations of case studies of best practice, including the case of Uruguay, champion of the International Code for the Protection of Tourists, and the efforts made to apply the Code at the national level through the development of specific legislation. Expert panelists set out the case for "when crisis becomes an opportunity", making clear that the Code can help balance responsibilities between countries, businesses and tourists themselves in emergency situations. Participants were presented with the work of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean, jointly created by UNWTO and IDB, as well as from representatives of countries already adhering to the Code, including Costa Rica, Ecuador and Uruguay. The first Observatory on Tourism Law for Latin American and the Caribbean is a digital tool at the service of UNWTO Members that will compile all legislation affecting the tourism activity enacted by countries of the Latin America and Caribbean Region. Supported by a network of academic collaborators, the Observatory will serve as a tool for comparability, will issue recommendations and publications on Tourism Law and will support UNWTO Member States in the development of legislation affecting tourism. About The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency fostering tourism as a vehicle for equal, inclusive and sustainable development. Working with its Member States, international organizations and the private sector, UNWTO promotes safe and seamless travel for all. UNWTO also works to make tourism the foundation of trust and international cooperation and a central pillar of recovery. As part of the wider UN system, UNWTO is at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through its ability to create decent jobs, promote equality and preserve natural and cultural heritage. Follow UNWTO on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin. Following a successful pilot in France, world leading hospitality group Accor has launched an international partnership with Captain Cause, a mission-driven company that supports organizations with a social or environmental purpose. All over the world, members of ALL Accors loyalty program can now easily use their Reward points to support causes close to their hearts. Once donated, their points are monetized and paid to organizations involved in the two areas that Accor supports every single day Nature and Society. Members will also be able to support victims of humanitarian disasters. For many years, the Group has been strongly committed to supporting its local communities. The international roll-out in December 2023, with the release of the global platform all-captaincause.com available in both French and English underlines Accors ambition to have a large-scale positive impact. The projects will be expanded by region over the course of 2024, and additional languages will be added to improve accessibility. To date, more than 3 million points have already been spent in support of 9 organizations and feedback from customers has been unanimous these donations have a tangible impact. The initiatives include donations made to numerous projects, such as access to clean drinking water in Cambodian villages, reduction in the use of plastics, and protection of biodiversity. Through its loyalty program, Accor guarantees that 100% of member donations go to the recipient organizations and that Accor does not receive any commission or tax exemption, thereby ensuring that every euro donated contributes directly and fully to supporting the selected causes. The creation of all-captaincause.com helps to strengthen the customer relationship with ALL and Accor, satisfy member expectations regarding how their points are spent and act as a concrete embodiment of Accors commitment and vision. The suggested organizations have been chosen based on various criteria, including their short- and long-term impact. More than just having the opportunity to select their preferred projects, members will be able to follow the progress and realization of the projects. With Captain Cause, we are sharing the belief that companies have an important role to play in helping to provide solutions to environmental and social challenges. This initiative represents a powerful lever to involve our customers, by giving them a tangible role in helping to achieve our sustainable transformation, while offering them the chance to make a practical contribution at their own level. A 21st century company must be built on working together and contributing to making a positive impact. Brune Poirson, Accor Chief Sustainability Officer Our customers aspire to a more sustainable future. It is our responsibility to design solutions that meet these changing needs. By offering our ALL members the opportunity to use their points for causes dear to their hearts through our digital platforms, we are redefining how digital can be a positive force for change. Alix Boulnois, Accor Chief Digital Officer Donating your loyalty points to good causes is a simple, powerful and memorable act. Every ALL member can now do this in just a few clicks using Captain Cause technology and choosing from our selected organizations. We are proud to support Accor as a pioneer of more responsible marketing. I am also delighted that Brune Poirson has joined our Impact Committee, which we have created to conscientiously develop our strategy for collaborating with organizations. Since the very first day, financing the transition and involving as many people as possible have been our priorities at Captain Cause. Frederic Mazzella, cofounder of Captain Cause ABOUT CAPTAIN CAUSE Cofounded in 2022 by Frederic Mazzella (founder of BlaBlaCar), Georges Basdevant, Clara Pige and Nathanael Romano, Captain Cause is a platform that creates a bridge between companies and non-profit organizations. Creator of the term dift (contraction of the words donation and gift), this young mission-driven company (Pending B Corp) helps businesses to support the social and environmental causes that are close to their hearts while also involving their own customers, partners and employees through pre-financed charitable donations. By enabling companies to draw from existing budgets (such as marketing budgets dedicated to corporate gifts and loyalty programs), Captain Cause unlocks a new source of funding for organizations tackling todays biggest challenges. More than 150 companies including Accor, L'Equipe, Francaise des Jeux, Orange and M6 have already placed their trust in Captain Cause. For more information, please visit www.captaincause.com. About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5,500 properties, 10,000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry's most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 40 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics & integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity & inclusion. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. Line Crieloue Group external communications - Executive Director - Corporate +33 1 45 38 18 11 Accor Melia Hotels International, the leading hotel group in Spain, recognised as the most sustainable company in the world for its sector by S&P Global, has begun implementing its new sustainable event initiative: Road to Net Zero Events. This project, which the company is presenting at the IBTM trade fair in Barcelona, is the result of technology developed in collaboration with Creast, a company that specialises in measuring, reducing and offsetting the environmental impact of events, which has been tested for the past year in Europe at Melia Barcelona Sarria and Melia Berlin. Road to Net Zero Events, as the name suggests, was developed to find improvement opportunities that would help the company towards the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in events, responding to increasing demand from professionals in the sector. Accordingly, the initiative is focused on three key aspects: Firstly, Melia has worked with Creast to develop cutting-edge technology that calculates the carbon footprint at two crucial points: the quotation stage and the end of the event. This technology is integrated into hotel management systems and provides measurements based on data specific to each hotel and each event. It calculates the carbon emissions produced by the accommodation, the meeting rooms and, as a novelty, the consumption of food and beverages: it is the only hotel system that provides detailed information about each menu's carbon footprint. Secondly, Road to Net Zero Events is designed to help event organisers make responsible decisions based on Melia Hotels International's commitments and initiatives to reduce their environmental impact. This will enable the customer to discover first-hand the emissions they have avoided at their events by choosing Melia, a company that has achieved a green energy consumption level of 100% at all its hotels in Europe, along with its various other initiatives to manage its waste and water footprint, among other things. Finally, to strengthen its commitment to a more sustainable management model, Melia Hotels International will offset the carbon footprint of all events held as part of its Road to Net Zero Events initiative. As Jose Miguel Moreno, VP of Corporate & MICE Sales Strategy at Melia Hotels International, explains, With this initiative, we're going one step further to create events that not only inspire and connect people, but that also contribute towards a greener planet. We will work hand in hand with our customers to offset the carbon footprint of their events, whether through a solution of their choice or our emissions-offsetting initiative, The Planet We Love . This initiative makes it possible to acquire carbon credits certified by the United Nations, which support a selection of projects in developing countries to reduce emissions, applying blockchain technology to ensure traceability for the entire process. At the initial stage, Road to Net Zero Events is available for large events at a dozen different Melia hotels in Europe and the Caribbean, including Melia Madrid Princesa, Melia Valencia and Melia Palma Bay in Spain; Melia Milano (Italy), Melia Paris La Defense (France), Melia Frankfurt (Germany) and Paradisus Palma Real (Dominican Republic), in addition to Melia Barcelona Sarria and Melia Berlin, as already mentioned. Over the coming months, other hotels will also be included in the initiative, with the midterm goal of incorporating all the properties in the group where the MICE segment is particularly important. About Melia Hotels International Founded in 1956 in Mallorca (Spain), Melia Hotels International operates more than 380 hotels (portfolio and pipeline) throughout more than 40 countries, under the brands Gran Melia Hotels & Resorts, Paradisus by Melia, ME by Melia, Melia Hotels & Resorts, The Melia Collection, INNSiDE by Melia, Sol by Melia and Falcon's Resorts by Melia, plus a wide portfolio of affiliated hotels under the "Affiliated by Melia" network. The Group is one of the leading companies in resort hotels worldwide, while also leveraging its experience to consolidate the growing segment of the leisure-inspired urban market. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led the Group to become the most sustainable hotel company in Spain and Europe, according to the last S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (Silver Class). It also has ranked seventh in the Wall Street Journal's list of the 100 most sustainably managed companies in the world (and the leading travel company) and is the only Spanish travel company included in the list of "Europe's Climate Leaders 2021" by Financial Times. Melia Hotels International is also included in the IBEX 35 Spanish stock market. For more information, visit www.meliahotelsinternational.com Walmart is the latest company to suspend advertising on X (formerly Twitter). The US-based retail giant joins several prominent brands, including Apple, Sony, IBM and Disney, to withdraw advertising on the social media platform, in response to Elon Musks endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory in November. Several other companies too are reportedly contemplating to withdraw their campaigns. These developments triggered a month-on-month 100% increase in advertising related discussions for company X Corp. over the last 30-days, reveals the Social Media Analytics Platform of GlobalData. Smitarani Tripathy, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData, comments: The withdrawal of leading brands from Xs advertising platform has sparked a division in the opinions of influencers. Some express dissatisfaction with Musks actions, highlighting concerns about the impact on advertiser confidence and the overall brand image of X. On the other hand, there are those who scrutinize the motives of advertisers, considering factors such as ethical considerations, a desire to distance themselves from controversy, or strategic business decisions. Walmart, among others, attributes the withdrawal of ads to Musks negative impact on Xs brand, while some view it as a strategic move to protect their own brands. Companies like Disney, Apple, and IBM withdrawing their ads have ignited debates on whether to commend or penalize their actions. Musk is under scrutiny, accused of causing X potential financial loss as high as $75 million. Below are a few popular influencer opinions captured by GlobalDatas Social Media Analytics Platform: Rob Graham, CEO of Errata Security: #BoycottWalmart is trending because are confused by free-speech.Businesses like Walmart are pulling advertising from Twitter because its a business decision. Musk has tarnished the Twitter brand, and they dont want to tarnish their own brands by being associated with Twitter.. Mike Butcher, Editor at TechCrunch: The advertising community recently lost a good friend. Elon Musk murdered Twitter through his actions [which] actions have made it impossible for advertisers to invest their ad dollars Kees Van Der Leuno, Managing Director Common Futures: Walmart joins the Twitter ad boycott this one will sting. Walmarts decision to stop advertising comes after Musk, Twitters owner, told boycotting advertisers to go yourself. Mark Owen Jones, Associate Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University: Important to note this comes after IBM suspended advertising after one ad next to an anti semitic tweet. Musk is likely responding to loss of advertising revenue not any principle. He has arguably worsened Twitters antisemitism problem Tony Yatess, Economist: An everything App is according to this theory not dependent on advertising. Twitter would make a cut on transactions put through its books. However, Musk just said that he wasnt going to plug cash flow gaps indefinitely. DACH Hospitality Statistics 2023: Key Insights and Trends TrustYou DACH Hospitality Statistics Q3 2023 #1 Review Volume Just 2% Shy Behind 2019 Numbers Q3 2023 DACH review volume reached 98% of the pre-pandemic levels and recorded a 6.7% increase compared to Q3 2022. DACH Review Volume Trend - Q3 2019, 2021, 2022, & 2023 This quarter, the review volume evolution reflects a similar trajectory to other tourism indicators. The German Federal Statistical Office reports a 1.4% increase in overnight stays in July 2023, a 1.3% decrease in August, and +5% in September against the same periods in 2022. September also recorded a 3.8% growth compared to 2019, the second month after May this year recording better performance than in 2019. All of Q3 2023 recorded growth in overnight stays from travelers abroad. Austria recorded 3.7% more overnight stays in August and 4.8% in September compared to the same months in 2022. The demand was especially high for accommodations marked as recreation facilities in August (15.5% more than in 2022) and campsites for September (21.2% increase). Switzerland registered an increase of 4.5% in overnight stays in July, 1.9% in August, and 7.5% in September against the same months in 2022. The Federal Office for Statistics also released the first data for 2023. Between January and September 2023, the overnight stays grew by 9.9% compared to 2022. Demand from outbound travelers grew by 23.6%, while domestic overnight stays slightly decreased (-1.1%). #2 A Record for Positive Feedback 96% of the DACH guest reviews are positive. Historically, DACH recorded an impressive ratio of positive reviews in the last few years, surpassing many other markets. This quarter, this number broke a record since 2022. Last year, 95% of all reviews were positive, and in Q2 2023, the proportion was 94% from all feedback. This is a great indicator of guest satisfaction and focus on quality and improvement. #2 WiFi Back as First Category with the Most Negative Impact Most of the categories impacting the performance score of a hotel remained unchanged in Q3 2023. However, there are two changes in the bottom three categories. TrustYous Q3 2023 DACH Positive and Negative Impact Scores Influencing the Performance Score of a Hotel WiFi is back as the first category to bring more guest dissatisfaction. While Price remains a top priority for guests, this quarter, it comes second. A newcomer in the bottom categories is the Wellness Area. If youre offering wellness services at your hotel, ensure those areas are properly maintained and staffed. Industry Wrap-Up: DACH Hospitality Statistics Q3 2023 #4 Spotlight on Germany Germany records a strong demand from other European countries. A recent study shows that, between May 2022 to April 2023, rail travel to Germany from other European destinations has increased by 16%. European travelers preferred to extend their stays - from an average of 4.4 to 5.2 days. Internally, the 49 EUR ticket for public transportation has been used by more than 10 million people between July and August 2023. The authorities hope to increase this number. 8% of those who purchased the Deutschlandticket havent used public transport before. Approximately 5% of all trips would have been made by car if the ticket had not been introduced. The study shows that 20% to 30% of the ticket holders come from larger cities, compared to 6% from towns or rural areas. #5 Spotlight on Austria Austria has been revealed as the most overcrowded tourist country on the European continent. On average, there are 3.6 tourists for every local, with Vienna being the first destination of choice for many travelers. During the summer of 2023, Austrias capital experienced a 19.3% increase in overnight stays compared to the same period in 2022. Between June and August 2023, the most popular destination in Austria was Tyrol, recording the highest volume of bookings - 16.9 million. When looking ahead at the winter season, the industry is more cautious, despite a successful summer season. 4 out of 10 hoteliers expect a moderate performance or decline if bookings dont increase in the upcoming period. The booking window has also shortened - with many travelers planning based on the weather conditions. #6 Spotlight on Switzerland The latest survey from HotellerieSuisse looks at the industrys performance in summer and offers an outlook for the upcoming winter season. The majority of those surveyed from the accommodation sector are satisfied with the performance they achieved during the summer season, with sales exceeding 2022 numbers. Cities recorded a particularly good performance - 65% of urban accommodations reported an increase in sales compared to last year. Looking at the winter season, the industry is optimistic - the majority expect a similar performance as in 2022, 30% are confident they will register a better season, and only 14% have lower expectations. Staffing continues to be a challenge, especially for the mountain regions, where 56% stated that the recruiting process continues to be difficult, compared to 24% of urban accommodations. TrustYou DACH Hospitality Statistics Q2 2023 #1 Review Volume Only 3% Below 2019 Q2 2023 DACH review volume reached 96.6% of the pre-pandemic levels and recorded a 14.1% increase compared to Q2 2022. DACH Review Volume Trend - Q2 2019, 2021, 2022, & 2023 Like EMEA, we witness a moderated increase, mainly attributed to the regions quick rebound in 2022. DACH review volume continues to exceed EMEA averages. Official statistics also confirm a similar trend. According to DESTATIS, May 2023 was Germany's first month to exceed overnight stays by 5.6%. April got very close - just a shy 0.2% behind 2019. In June 2023, the number slightly dropped - 2.2% less than in 2019. In May 2023, Austria recorded 8.28 million overnight stays, 25.9% more than the previous year. In June, the country saw a notable increase in overnight stays by non-residents - 67% more compared to May 2023, which also positively impacted the overall number of overnight stays - 51% more compared to May 2023 and a 5.3% increase compared to June 2022. In the first half of 2023, Switzerland recorded 3.6% more overnight stays compared to 2019. The inflow of foreign visitors increased significantly by 33% compared to 2022. #2 Positive Feedback is Steadily High 94% of the DACH guest reviews are positive. DACH hoteliers consistently offer their guests a great experience; their positive reviews are among the highest in all areas analyzed. As of 2022, the percentage of positive feedback received was as high as 95%. #3 Hotel Improves Scores; Price Brings Lower Ratings We found six key factors that can make or break a hotels review scores in the DACH region. TrustYous Q2 2023 DACH Positive and Negative Impact Scores Influencing the Performance Score of a Hotel One of the categories labeled as "negative" impact - Beach - surprisingly had a positive effect on performance. This observation supports the idea that when the ratio of positive feedback is already very high, there tends to be fewer categories with negative impacts. Moreover, it showcases the dedication of the hoteliers to improving and considering the needs of their guests. The Hotel category brought the highest positive contribution to the score. Additionally, during Q2 2023, Waterpark and Sport Hotels received high guest appreciation. Regarding Service, DACH guests especially appreciated the friendly staff and efficient management. The hotel's location was crucial as it played a key role in increasing the chances of receiving positive reviews, especially when there were opportunities for sightseeing and going on excursions. In EMEA, we notice a trend around the category Price as the number 1 factor that can bring lower scores, a shift from Q1 2023 when WiFi held the first position. DACH guests paid particular attention to Food prices. Guests were more inclined to leave negative reviews if they experienced an unstable or unreliable internet connection or the hotel charged for WiFi services. Even though the Beach category entered the bottom three scores, it still positively impacts the guest experience. Industry Wrap-Up - DACH Hospitality Statistics Q2 2023 #4 Spotlight on Germany In June 2023, the German authorities approved essential changes to the Skilled Immigration Act, relaxing the entry and residency requirements for skilled workers outside the EU. Among measures to attract additional workforce are lower salary requirements to be eligible for the EU Blue Card, easier recognition of certifications, degrees, and experience, the possibility to search for a job one year under the Opportunity Card while staying in Germany, and others. Authorities hope these changes will make Germany more attractive for non-EU workers and reduce the country's generalized staff shortage. At the beginning of June, Deutsche Bahn announced the release of the 10 EUR ticket, available for specific short-distance trips. Over one month and a half, passengers can buy less than 10 EUR tickets for shorter trips. This comes on top of the 49 EUR ticket initiative, released this spring. #5 Spotlight on Austria OHV asked 750 Austrian and German guests about their booking behaviors. Here are some of the key findings: More guests book on the go. In 2019, 64% of Austrians used their desktops to book their trips. This number decreased to 55% in 2023. German travelers also book more via mobile: 74% used a desktop in 2019, which fell by 13% this year. In 2019, 64% of Austrians used their desktops to book their trips. This number decreased to 55% in 2023. German travelers also book more via mobile: 74% used a desktop in 2019, which fell by 13% this year. Email and phone continue to be the preferred communication channels. 40% of Austrians and 30% of Germans prefer to be contacted via email. 26% of Austrians and 31% of Germans prefer the phone instead for any questions or information regarding their stay. Another recent study by Online Birds assessed online marketing adoption for Austrian hotels. The last analysis returned an average score of 58 out of 100 points for Austrian hotels and 42 for German hotels. The research examined key digital performance metrics, such as SEO, SEA, website conversion, email & social media marketing. While most Austrian hotels have implemented the standard best practices for website optimization, SEO, and email marketing, there is still room for improvement regarding consistent social media posting and using Google Ads to attract new guests. #6 Spotlight on Switzerland Hoteliers from Switzerland expressed confidence in the summer season, anticipating an average 27% increase in overnight stays. Mountains, but especially city destinations, are expected to register high performances. This boost is attributed to a rise in visitors outside of Europe. Chinese travelers are still the most missed - numbers show that, after reopening, Chinese visits to Switzerland were at 30% compared to 2019. European arrivals will also grow but at a slower pace. Swiss travelers are most likely to shift their attention to international destinations. A report released by AirBnB focusing on the Swiss market shows that the searches for trips have increased by 50%. The most popular city destinations are Edinburgh (UK), Oslo (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Brittany (France). TrustYou DACH Hospitality Statistics Q1 2023 #1 Review Volume Above EMEA Averages Q1 2023 DACH review volume reached 93.3% of the pre-pandemic levels and recorded a 47.4% increase compared to Q1 2022. Historically, we noticed that the DACH region exceeds EMEA averages regarding review volume over time - a trend continuing in Q1 2023. In Q1 2022, the DACH review volume was 63% of 2019 levels. Its only a matter of time until it surpasses the pre-pandemic numbers. DACH Review Volume Trend - Q1 2019, 2021, 2022, & 2023 Other key tourism indicators show similar growth. Between January and February 2023, Germany recorded 50.4 million guest nights, with an average increase of 44.4% compared to the same period in 2022, and only 11.1% behind the first two months of 2020. Foreign stays registered the highest growth, with a whopping 103.4% compared to January - February 2022. Austria reported 7.4 million arrivals for February-March 2023, with an average increase of 25.7% compared to the same period in 2022. Switzerland recorded around 2.4 million arrivals in Q1 2023, with an overall 9% increase compared to last year. International arrivals grew by 36%. #2 Positive Feedback is Steadily High 94% of the DACH guest reviews are positive. DACH hoteliers continue to deliver an exceptional experience to their guests, with the ratio of positive reviews being amongst the highest of all regions. In 2022, 95% of all feedback was positive. #3 Hotel Improves Scores; WiFi Brings Lower Ratings We found six key factors that can make or break a hotels review scores in the DACH region. There are two newcomers to the positive and negative impact scores in Q1 2023 - Location (replacing Room in our positive impacts) and Beach (replacing Food in our negative impacts). TrustYous Q1 2023 DACH Positive and Negative Impact Scores Influencing the Performance Score of a Hotel It's important to note that one of the categories amongst the negative impacts, Beach, actually had a favorable effect on performance. It makes sense to see fewer categories with negative impact when the positive feedback ratio is among the highest. Additionally, it demonstrates a commitment to improvement and listening to guests needs. Hotel is the category most likely to contribute to a positive score. When mentioning this category, in particular, guests were evaluating their overall experience during the stay. Romantic Hotels were also highly appreciated in Q1 2023. A charming, intimate atmosphere, especially during Valentines Day, made a difference for couples and elevated hotel review scores. In terms of Service, friendly staff and effective management enhanced DACH guests' satisfaction. Location was also essential, with sightseeing opportunities and accessibility increasing the likelihood of a positive review. On the negative side, an unstable or unreliable internet connection or excessively high WiFi costs can result in guest frustration and negative reviews. Pricing also played a significant role, with high food prices and poor value for money also leading to guest dissatisfaction. The concern for food prices is shared equally by guests and hoteliers. A recent DEHOGA survey shows that the rising food prices are the second largest concern for German hoteliers (77.4%) after energy costs (80.1%). Although Beach enters the bottom scores, it positively impacts the guest experience. Its surprising to see a seasonal category in a period with colder months. When evaluating this category, most probably, guests referred to the view from their room and the cleanliness and maintenance of a beach, which is also important during the off-season. Industry Wrap-Up - DACH Hospitality Statistics Q1 2023 #4 A Strong Winter Season, Despite High Temperatures and Lack of Snow The 2022-2023 DACH winter season ended positively despite ongoing challenges, such as lack of snow, staff shortages, and the energy crisis. Austria was only 5.5% behind the 2018-2019 season, even though this winter was among the sixth warmest season recorded in the last 256 years. The regions with the highest amounts of snow were Carinthia and Styria. For December 2022 - January 2023, arrivals in the German alpine areas were at 87% of the pre-pandemic level. Allgau was the preferred choice for almost half of visitors (46%), followed by Zugspitz (11%), and the Chiemsee-Alpenland region (11%). The Swiss destination of Leukerbad broke several records this winter season, registering the highest number of admissions and first-time entries in the last ten years. It was a good season for Switzerland as well. The Grisons ski areas were only 8% behind pre-pandemic numbers. The Graubunden canton registered an 18% increase in overnight stays compared to the 2021/2022 season. Despite the low demand during Christmas and New Year due to high temperatures and lack of snow, the area rebounded in January and February. While high-altitude regions thrived, low-altitude areas struggled due to climate changes, recording low performances compared to the previous season. High temperatures and green pastures will continue to be a challenge for destinations relying on winter tourism in the upcoming years. Alternative strategies, including hiking, biking trails, and agrotourism, can help attract tourists during a warmer winter. #5 49 Transport Ticket Gets Approved The monthly 49 ticket applies to local train and bus transportation and was launched to the general public on May 1st, after receiving approval from the German legislative bodies in March 2023. Followed by the success of the 9 ticket introduced last summer (62 million tickets sold and 10% of car trips replaced), this initiative encourages consumers to use public transport and reduces the pressure of increasing costs. International visitors can also use the ticket to visit various local landmarks. #6 Creative Ways to Tackle Staff Shortages A joint project between the Zurich Airport and five mountain railways aims to tackle a chronic pain point of the travel industry: the lack of skilled workers. The project From Ski Slopes to Airport Slopes aims to offer year-round jobs for seasonal workers. During the winter season, the staff will support the mountain railways and in the off-season, they will help manage the increasing traffic at the airport. The project started in March 2023. Besides tackling staff shortages, it also aims at providing more stability for seasonal workers. #7 Austria Booking Behaviors: A Study by OHV The latest OHV study gives insights into the booking behaviors of Austrian travelers in 2022. Here are a few key findings: Direct is the way . 7 out of 10 Austrian travelers prefer to book via direct channels (the hotels website, phone, or email), and a similar trend was recorded in 2021. With more international guests entering Austria, this number will likely decrease in 2023. Direct booking is especially popular among regulars, with 30% of returning guests booking only via direct channels and 67% using direct channels regularly. . 7 out of 10 Austrian travelers prefer to book via direct channels (the hotels website, phone, or email), and a similar trend was recorded in 2021. With more international guests entering Austria, this number will likely decrease in 2023. Direct booking is especially popular among regulars, with 30% of returning guests booking only via direct channels and 67% using direct channels regularly. OTAs are at a slight decline. 20.1% of sales came from OTAs, which is 4.5% less than in 2019. This decrease can be explained by lower international and business travel levels. Read more insights here. *The requested Q1 2023 positive and negative Impact Scores reflect the main semantic categories. ** Q1 2023 Impact Scores and Review Volume were requested at the beginning of April 2023. Due to the dynamic nature of the database with reviews and hotels being updated, the numbers may vary if data were requested at an earlier or later stage.***the report includes rounded numbers for a clearer data representation. Catalina Brinza Catalina is a social media and data enthusiast. At TrustYou, she's on the mission to bring the most out of travel and hospitality data. One day, she hopes to experience Japan's culture to its fullest. About TrustYou TrustYou is on a mission to make guest communication and feedback simpler and more productive. All communication channels, together in one place, is the new way of doing business. Today, customers expect instant responses on their preferred communication channels. As a subset of communication, feedback is the foundation to build better products, services and companies. TrustYou helps companies win through the power of listening and provides a Guest Experience (GX) Platform that makes listening to customers easy, powerful, and actionable. The platform unlocks the potential of guest feedback and helps to: Create unlimited opportunities to listen and respond to guests needs. Understand all reviews across the web and make better business decisions. Publish hotel reviews on the website and on Google and allow positive feedback to influence bookings. TrustYou empowers companies to earn trust, make better decisions, and ultimately, win. Find more information on TrustYou and our GX platform on www.trustyou.com. Kempinski Hotels Unveils Plans for Kempinski Poiana Brasov Ski Resort in Romania Situated in the mountains of central Romania, Kempinski Hotels reveals the latest addition to its European portfolio: a contemporary ski resort that will transform the town of Poiana Brasov into a must-visit destination for trail-blazing travellers. With 120 guestrooms, Kempinski Poiana Brasov mountain resort will be the first five-star hotel in the Transylvania region and the debut Kempinski address in Romania. The EUR 70 million project marks Bucharest-based developer Rock Holdings first foray into the luxury hospitality space after successfully developing a collection of high-end residential projects in the Romanian capital. The mountains of Eastern Europe are some of the most spectacular in the world and we are thrilled to have found a new home in the enchanting village of Poiana Brasov, says Bernold Schroeder, Chief Executive Officer of Kempinski Group and Chairman of the Management Board of Kempinski AG. Together with Rock Holding, we hope to bring elevated levels of luxury to the regions hospitality scene and provide a truly five-star experience for well-heeled travellers heading to Romania. A collection of 120 lakeside rooms and suites in the main hotel will be augmented by extensive spa and wellness facilities that will tap into the healing powers of the mountain landscape, while three dining outlets will showcase the flavours of the Romanian and international cuisine. A conference centre and events space with stunning mountain views provide a blank canvas for spectacular corporate events and summer weddings. Behind a sleek, contemporary facade, the hotel promises a minimal, naturalistic aesthetic, with natural building materials, flowing organic lines and interiors that reflect the landscape of the Carpathian Mountains. Poiana Brasov is without doubt one of the most attractive parts of Romania and holds great development potential, says Mircea Cotiga, CEO and Founder, Rock Holding. Our vision for Kempinski Poiana Brasov is to create a luxurious mountain hideaway where visitors can choose to do as much or as little as they like, with a host of in-house facilities and an abundance of outdoor activities at the doorstep. The Kempinski Hotel will provide a luxury accommodation for anyone looking for a slice of paradise in the Carpathian Mountains. Advertisement Poiana Brasov is a gateway to some of the most spell-binding landscape in Central Europe and a magnet for outdoor afficionados. During the long summer days, well-marked trails between lush spruce forests and mountain meadows blanketed in wildflowers draw hikers, cyclists and horse riders, while the snowy peaks lure skiers and snowboarders from across Europe each winter. Our growing collection of European mountain resorts reflects the increasing demand from guests for holidays that immerse them in the natural world and provide a blank canvas for active adventures, adds Bernold Schroeder. From snow-packed winter ski holidays to adventurous summer escapes, Poiana Brasov provides a year-round destination for outdoor pursuits. Guests staying at Kempinski Poiana Brasov mountain resort will have direct access to almost 24 kilometres of ski slopes on the flanks of the Postavarul Massif, one of the most picturesque areas of wilderness in Central Europe. The nearby medieval city of Brasov is home to gothic churches, cobbled streets and baroque townhouses that evoke the essence of Transylvania. In less than 45 minutes, guests can reach some of the other must-see sights of Romania, including Bran Castle, home of Count Dracula, the fairy-tale spires of Peles Castle and the mighty walls of Rasnov Fortress. Direct flights from cities including Dubai, London, Brussels, Barcelona, Munich, Stuttgart, Tel Aviv and Geneva serve the new Brasov-Ghimbav International Airport, a 30-minute drive from the hotel, while the larger Bucharest International Airport can be reached in 2.5 hours. HFTP Announces BAE Ventures As Exclusive Sponsor of Entrepreneur 20X Europe 2024 The hospitality technology start-up pitch competition will present innovative solutions to a panel of judges and audience at Digital Horizons 360 on 20 Februa Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) is pleased to announce BAE Ventures as the sponsor of Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) Europe. The successful featuring hospitality technology start-ups will conclude the first day of HFTPs inaugural Digital Horizons 360 (DH360) symposium on Tuesday, 20 February 2024. Focused on nurturing startups within the tourism value chain by providing funding, resources and industry expertise, BAE Ventures is a Lisbon-based venture capital firm with a primary goal of igniting innovation through strategic alignment, smart investments and expert guidance. This makes the venture capital firm a natural fit to sponsor E20X. The firm acts as the primary conduit between corporations, start-ups and investors within the tourism value ecosystem, curating connections at all levels to ensure businesses reach their full potential in the evolving hospitality tech landscape. We at BAE Ventures are thrilled to be the main sponsor for E20X at the prestigious Digital Horizons 360 Symposium, said BAE Ventures CEO Henrique Veiga. This event represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of hospitality technology, especially in these challenging times. Our commitment to fostering innovation aligns perfectly with HFTP's mission to bring together the brightest minds in the industry. We believe that through collaborative efforts and exchanging ideas at symposiums like this, we can drive significant advancements in technology that will shape the future of hospitality. Established in 2015, HFTPs Entrepreneur 20X provides hospitality technology start-ups with a career-boosting opportunity, exposing them to top industry mentors, investors, leaders and executives. For the competition, one person from each startup will pitch for four minutes to a packed session room and a panel of judges. Immediately following the pitch, the judges have four minutes to question the pitcher. The start-ups compete for two separate awards: the Judges Choice Award with a 2,500 prize and the Peoples Choice award, a popular vote selected by the DH360 audience. Were grateful to have BAE Ventures onboard as HFTP reenters the European hospitality community with DH360, said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE. Having our show sponsor be so specifically focused on the development of fledging entrepreneurs reiterates our commitment to industry advancement and partnership. Additionally, financial infrastructure platform Stripe has shown their support for the future of hospitality technology by becoming E20X Europe 2024s prize sponsor, offering USD 10,000 in payment processing credit without fees for all participating start-ups and USD 30,000 in processing credit without fees for the Judges Choice winner. Stripe and HFTP share the vision of creating an innovative travel industry for organizations of all sizes, and there's a lot the industry can learn from the next generation of travel startups, said James Lemon, Stripes Global Industry Lead for Travel & Leisure, Automotive and Transport. Stripe is delighted to be offering a package of credits and support for the finalists and winner, to accelerate their growth and help them implement Stripe's payment and financial infrastructure. Applications to compete at E20X Europe are currently open through December 15, 2024. In addition to the European competition HFTP is hosting two other E20X competitions in 2024 at and HITEC Dubai (co-located with The Hotel Show) next June, with applications open. For more information regarding the competition, email e20x@hftp.org. Chicago, IL (60637) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of snow after midnight. Low 28F. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Subscribers to Register-Star or The Daily Mail are eligible to receive full access to HudsonValley360. If you have an existing print subscription, please make sure your email address on file matches your HudsonValley360 account email. Galliher Family Releases Statement; More Remains Recovered From Air Crash PITTSFIELD, Mass. As the community mourns the loss of Pittsfield native Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher, new information has been released about the military aircraft crash that claimed his life last week. On Monday, the Air Force Special Operations Command reported that Japanese and United States dive teams were able to confirm five additional crew members from the original crew of eight that were involved in the CV-22 mishap aircraft near Yakushima, Japan, on Nov. 29. "Currently, two crew members of the five located today have been successfully recovered by the attending teams. There is an ongoing combined effort to recover the remaining crew members from the wreckage. The identities of the members located today have yet to be determined and will be released at a later date," the update reads. "The coalition of military, coast guard, law enforcement, mariners, and local volunteers remain steadfast in locating and bringing the U.S. Service Members back to their units and their families. The military has also turned to dispatching professional support for the care of the families. As efforts persist for the location and recovery of the entire crew, the privacy of the families and loved ones impacted by this tragic incident remains a great concern." Over the weekend, Galliher's family released a statement expressing "heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of support and condolences received from friends, community members, and the nation at large." Galliher, 24, leaves behind a devastated family, including his beloved wife Ivy, two young sons aged 2 years and 7 weeks old, a loving family and countless friends, all of whom are grappling with this profound loss, his family wrote. "Jake was an amazing father, son and brother dedicated to his family and friends and we look forward to telling his story when the time is right." The Air Force confirmed that one set of remains had been found the day after the crash and announced the identification of Galliher's remains on Saturday. Galliher entered active duty in August 2017, after graduating from Taconic High School, and served as a direct support operator assigned to the 43rd Intelligence Squadron, a tenant unit in support of the 353rd Special Operations Wing based out of Yokota Air Base, Japan. He earned honors throughout multiple training pipelines including Honor Graduate of Basic Military Training, Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force's Cryptologic Language Analyst Course, and Honor Graduate of the Defense Language Institute's Chinese Language Course. "A consummate intelligence professional and dedicated academic, Jake earned his Community College of the Air Force degree in Intelligence studies, all while actively pursuing his bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies and maintaining proficiency in Chinese Mandarin," the Air Force wrote in an update on Sunday. "As a DSO, Jake was an airborne linguist specializing in Chinese Mandarin. DSOs fly as AFSOC aircrew members during training, exercises, and real-world contingencies. Jake was a qualified DSO on the AC-130J, MC-130H, and CV-22B." During his career, Galliher was recognized with the Air Force Achievement Medal, Air and Space Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and Air Force Meritorious Unit Award. "Jacob was a beloved husband, father, son, and brother as well as a model Airman who will be forever remembered for his dedication to this great nation and his fellow warriors," said Air Force Maj. Gilbert Summers, 43d Intelligence Squadron, Detachment 1 commander, said in the Air Force update. "With a ready smile, Jake brought the unit together on and off duty through humor and an inexhaustible supply of energy, whether it was on the aircraft, in the gym, or on the slopes with the team. Everywhere he went, and everyone he met, was made better for him being there. He has left an indelible mark as a devoted family man, steadfast wingman, and an irreplaceable airman in both duty and compassion. Jacob's tremendous legacy will live on through his beautiful family and through all of us who had the honor of knowing him." Following the announcement of his death, Taconic High School Principal Matthew Bishop, the Pittsfield Police Department, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and Gov. Maura Healey and state Veterans Services SecretaryJon Santiago issued statements of condolences. Williamstown Select Board Looks at Property Tax Relief Ideas WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The Select Board last week looked at a number of alternatives that could help the town make its property tax system a little more equitable. The issue of how property taxes disproportionately impact lower- and moderate-income homeowners came up in the summer, when newly-elected board member Stephanie Boyd suggested using the Residential Tax Exemption to make the town's main source of revenue a less regressive tax. The RTE, she argued, would shift more of the property tax levy onto owners of higher-valued homes and reduce the tax bills of those whose homes were assessed with a lower value. At the time, Andrew Hogeland argued that the RTE was a blunt instrument that would give property tax relief to owners of lower-valued homes regardless of their income or assets. Hogeland said there were better alternatives that could target the tax relief to those who need it. Last Monday, he laid out four possible programs the town could pursue two of which, unlike the Residential Tax Exemption, would require a home rule petition to the Massachusetts Legislature. The first item on his menu would not. State law allows municipalities that participate in the Community Preservation Act to exempt residents who would qualify by income for low-income housing or, for seniors, low- or moderate-income housing. If adopted by both town meeting and a ballot vote at a regular election (Hogeland suggested the 2024 federal election in November), the exemption would mean, for example, that a family of four earning $81,200 (80 percent of the area median income, or AMI, for a family that size) would not have to pay the CPA surcharge on their property tax bill. "That would get some, admittedly, limited relief to some people," Hogeland said. A 2 percent surcharge on property taxes funds Community Preservation Act grants in town. The surcharge is calculated after the first $100,000 of a property's value is exempted. For a median-priced home in Williamstown in fiscal year 2024 ($395,100), the tax bill is $5,986. The CPA surcharge on that same home would be $91.48. Hogeland's second proposal follows up on a property tax relief measure that town meeting adopted in 2023. At May's meeting, the town raised the income and asset limit for the Senior Property Tax Exemption in town and pegged those numbers going forward to the federal consumer price index as allowed by Massachusetts General Law. Hogeland pointed out that other municipalities that started tying the income and asset limits to the CPI years ago have significantly higher limits. For example, Stoneham, which began using the CPI adjustment in 2001, has an income limit for a single senior of $32,584, compared to the $20,000 Williamstown was able to adopt in May. Hogeland now proposes that town meeting pass a home rule petition asking the Legislature for permission to update all the town's income and asset limits to retroactively use the CPI adjustments to the fullest extent available and lower the age of eligibility to claim the senior exemption. "For the property tax exemption, I'd like to lower the age as far as we can, all the way down to zero," Hogeland said. "Sixty-five is not a magic age anymore. Most of these programs were set up when everyone retired at 65." A different home rule petition would be required to implement Hogeland's third proposal: establishing a municipal property tax exemption based on the state Senior Circuit Breaker income tax program. He noted that the commonwealth's income tax relief program was utilized by 92 Williamstown tax filers in 2021, the most recent year with data available. And those residents had an average claim of $937. He cited eight different municipalities that already have successfully earned the legislature's approval to institute a parallel local Senior Circuit Breaker modeled on the state income tax program. Unlike the home rule petition on the Senior Property Tax Exemption, the Senior Circuit Breaker has those precedents, which could help a home rule petition from Williamstown move relatively quickly through the sometimes Byzantine process in Boston. "If you file something now, it won't get acted on until 2025," Hogeland said. "Some of these go through quickly. Some take a couple of years. If we want it to go through quickly, we should probably follow one of these models." One common denominator in all of Hogeland's proposals is that beneficiaries of the tax relief programs, if adopted, would need to apply and demonstrate their income eligibility to the town as seniors already do with the Senior Property Tax Exemption. Hogeland outlined a fourth option that could arguably provide an indirect benefit to low- and moderate-income residents. But he expressed mixed feelings about the idea and whether the benefit would reach the intended target and made no proposal beyond further study. In October, the state created a local option for municipalities to give a property tax exemption to landlords who rent at an "affordable housing" rate to tenants whose income was less than 200 percent of the area median income. Hogeland said he was not sure that the potential of such an exemption would change landlords' behavior, and he questioned whether tenants would be hesitant to provide their income tax return to their landlord to verify eligibility. Randal Fippinger asked whether the new state law requires any of the financial benefit to be passed on to the renters themselves, and Hogeland replied, "Bingo. I see nothing here that indicates the tenant benefits at all." Boyd argued that it is worth considering the rental exemption if it does, in fact, incentivize landlords to lower rents and open opportunities for residents with lower incomes to come to town. She also pointed out that one of the arguments against her RTE proposal in the summer was that it would not have applied to rental properties; the newly created property tax exemption for property rented to low-income is the only one of Hogeland's proposals that would. The board agreed to continue the discussion at its Dec. 11 meeting with an eye toward developing warrant articles for one or more of the Hogeland's proposals. iciHaiti - Education : 70 new Haitian scholarship holders in Morocco The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that following a competition, 60 Haitian candidates were selected for university studies in Medicine, Computer Engineering, Business Management, Economics, Law and others among 206 participants as part of the scholarship program offered by the Kingdom of Morocco https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39469-haiti-flash-70-scholarships-for-morocco-registration-open.html to the Haitian Government for the year academic 2023-2024. 10 other scholarship holders from the National Institute of Vocational Training (INFP), a specialized body under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, are enrolled in professional study programs in Auto Mechanics, Hospitality and Tourism. These 70 new scholarship holders left the country on Monday December 4th, 2023 for the Kingdom of Morocco to continue their studies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes the students success. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39469-haiti-flash-70-scholarships-for-morocco-registration-open.html IH/ iciHaiti For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Indias opposition faces a herculean task to turn round its fortunes ahead of a general election due in the spring, experts said, after Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist ruling party won three out of five key state elections. One sixth of India was eligible to vote about 160 million people in the polls conducted throughout November that included the populous states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, as well as Chattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. The results, announced on Sunday and Monday, saw Mr Modis BJP back in power in Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, former strongholds for the main opposition party Congress, as well as maintaining its dominant position in central Madhya Pradesh. Congress won a single state, Telangana in the south of India, while the Mizoram election was dominated by two local parties, the BJP coming in a distant third. The Indian parliament saw chest-thumping sloganeering on Monday from Mr Modis BJP workers, who are confident that they can deliver him a record third term as Indian prime minister. Mr Modi thanked voters for their unwavering support in the states where his party was victorious. The results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan indicate that the people of India are firmly with politics of good governance and development, which the @BJP4India stands for, Modi wrote on social media platform X. Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, conceded defeat in the states where his party lost, while thanking the people of Telangana. The battle of ideology will continue, he wrote on X. The results were being closely followed ahead of the worlds largest exercise in democracy, a general election that is expected to be held in May. After these results, it looks like there is no stopping Modi, said Yashwant Deshmukh, a polling expert with the agency C-Voter, adding that stopping Modi would be a herculean task for the opposition. But for Dr Anand Kumar, a retired professor of sociology at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said there were glimmers of hope in the state results in spite of the headline losses. After two election cycles in which the BJP and Mr Modi have dominated Indian politics, more people are now returning to the Congress as an alternative, Dr Kumar said, pointing to the fact that the grand old party of Gandhi and Nehru secured a vote share of almost 40 per cent or more in all of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Now its their task to turn these vote shares into seats. Indian voters at the moment are impressionable and can be impressed if approached well by the opposition, he said. While state elections are typically fought on local issues in India, Dr Kumar argues that anti-incumbancy can never be ruled out on the national stage. Mays elections will come at a time when India is facing multiple challenges, including rising unemployment and fuel prices, concern among many over mounting attacks by Hindu nationalists on the countrys minorities, particularly Muslims, and a shrinking space for dissent and a free press. And though Mr Modi may maintain remarkable levels of personal popularity, his party has clashed with some major groups of voters in his second term none more so than northern Indias farmers, who protested and finally forced a U-turn on a package of major agricultural reforms. One criticism of Indias opposition in 2019, when Mr Modi won by an unexpected landslide, was that it failed to present a united front to take advantage of any unease with the government. That will not be the case next year, with Indias previously fractured opposition having formed an unprecedented alliance of 28 parties led by Congress, dubbed INDIA. The BJP is stoppable for the logic of India being a democracy and for the concept of incumbency, Dr Kumar said. They have had glaring failures in delivering on their promises in the past nine years. Their weakness is aggravated by their hate politics in India, which has had its impact on the secular society. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nepal has called on Russia to stop sending its Gurkha soldiers to fight on the frontline in Ukraine after a series of losses sparked anger back home. The Nepali government said six soldiers serving in the Russian military have died in Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine since February 2022, Nepali prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said. "The government of Nepal has requested the Russian government to immediately return their bodies and pay compensation to their families," the foreign ministry said late on Monday. Nepals foreign ministry said that diplomatic efforts were underway for the release of one Nepali soldier from the Ukrainian army following his capture while fighting in the Russian army, the statement added. The Gurkhas have long been known for their bravery and fighting skills on the battlefield, serving in the British and Indian armies under an agreement between the three countries since the independence of India in 1947. The Himalayan state, which is wedged between India and China, has no such agreement with Russia. Between 150 and 200 Nepalis are believed to have been working as mercenaries in the Russian army since the start of the war, said Milan Raj Tuladhar, Nepals ambassador to Moscow, according to The Kathmandu Post. We are sending those who come [in] contact [with us] back to Nepal, telling them about the high risks associated with joining the Russian army, Mr Tuladhar said. The ambassador said that young Nepalis are being lured to fight in the war with attractive financial offers, and are effectively being trafficked into Russia. We have been sending back at least one Nepali national a day. They were all brought to Russia to serve in the army, he said. If the individual does not possess a Nepali passport, we issue a travel document and send him back to Nepal. Nepals foreign ministry has urged its citizens not to join the army of any third country outside of its existing international agreements, and demanded Moscow return its nationals. The bodies of two Nepali soldiers, Rupak Karki and Sandip Thapaliya, have already been buried after they were killed around mid-July this year while others are still in the mortuary, the report said. It comes as Mr Putin has set his sights on boosting his ground troops capacity in Ukraine and signed a decree last week to increase recruitment by nearly 170,000 to reach a total of 1.32 million, as Russia suffers record losses in its 22-month-long war. Russias campaign to attract more voluntary recruits has included advertisements promising cash bonuses, cold calls to eligible men by recruiters, and partnerships with universities and social service agencies to attract students and the unemployed across Russia. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Uncertainty looms over the future of the nine Thai nationals still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza following the end of a week-long ceasefire between the militants and Israel. Foreign minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara on Monday welcomed the return of two more of the 23 Thai nationals freed so far. The pair, who arrived back in Thailand at the Udon Thani International Airport, were released during the Qatar-brokered ceasefire last week. At least 32 Thai labourers were among the nearly 250 people abducted by Hamas during their 7 October attack on southern Israel, when gunmen stormed through a border fence and killed 1,200 people, mostly Israelis. Officials in Thailand said 29 Thai citizens were also killed during the rampage. Bangkok has been engaging for weeks in diplomatic talks to free its nationals held by Hamas, with high-level ministers making trips to the Middle East to hold direct dialogue with the militants. Thai officials have also held talks with Iran, Qatar and Egypt to secure the hostages' release. Thai politician Areepen Uttarasin, one of the lead negotiators, said last month said he was assured that the Thai hostages were safe and well looked after and they would be released at the "right time". During the Qatar-brokered temporary ceasefire last week, Hamas released 23 Thai nationals along with nearly 80 Israelis. On the first day of the ceasefire, 10 Thai hostages were released without any conditions set by Hamas. The twice-extended ceasefire ended with daybreak on Friday after Israel accused Hamas of violating the truce by firing rockets into villages on the southern border. Qatari and Egyptian mediators said they were still in contact with both sides and trying to keep the negotiations open for the resumption of the ceasefire. Israel said around 125 men were still being held hostage by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Thailands foreign minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara (C) poses with Thai nationals, who had been kidnapped and taken hostage by Palestinian Hamas militants (AFP via Getty Images) Around 30,000 Thai labourers worked in the agriculture sector before the war, making them one of Israel's largest migrant worker groups. Nearly 9,000 of the migrant workers have been repatriated so far, Thai officials said. The first batch of 17 hostages landed in Bangkok last Thursday to a rousing welcome. Six other freed hostages were left behind temporarily in Israel because doctors found them unfit to travel. The freed hostages, several clad in white T-shirts with a picture of Thai and Israeli flags, arrived on a flight operated by the Israeli airline El Al, and were rushed to a hectic airport news conference. Prime minister Srettha Thavisin welcomed the Thai nationals via video call. All Thais were worried about you, she told them. Thai nationals who were taken hostage by Hamas militants on October 7th prepare for their journey home (Getty Images) While there were no dramatic stories from their captivity at the news conference, the group used the opportunity to ask for a moment of silence to mourn the Thais killed in the attack. "Im saddened that my 39 fellow workers died, and would like everybody to take a moment to mourn their loss, the groups representative Uthai Saengnuan said. The only woman among the Thai hostages Nattawaree Moolkan cried tears of joy, saying: Thank you for all your encouragement. Thai migrant worker Phonsawan Pinakalo (L), who was taken hostage by the Palestinian militan group Hamas in the 07 October attacks on Israel, hugs his mother (EPA) Pornsawan Pinakalo, a 30-year-old farmer who was working in a potato field when Hamas attacked Israel, said he wanted to see all the Thai captives released. "It would be better if all of our friends could come back, the 30-year-old was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying. When I was there I tried not to think too much about what might happen, because I was sad I wouldnt see my family again. He was picked up from the airport by his father, while the others headed for their hometowns in a bus organised by the government. They were pitured as Pornsawan kneeled to hug his father, and they both cried with joy. I thought wed lost him and now hes back. Its like the meaning of his name: a blessing from heaven, his father, Kong Panasudlamai, told reporters. Thailands foreign minister said the support of friends and allies helped secure the release of the hostages and that Bangkok was continuing its efforts to get the other captive Thai nationals out of Gaza. "We will continue to work on this mission to ensure that the remaining nine hostages receive freedom and return to Thailand," Mr Bahiddha-Nukara told reporters. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rescuers in Indonesia have found two more bodies of hikers on Mount Marapi, a volcano that suddenly erupted over the weekend trapping around 75 climbers. The 2,891-metre-tall Marapi volcano in West Sumatra province erupted on Sunday, spewing ash as high as 3km into the sky that rained volcanic debris onto nearby villages. Some 50 hikers were evacuated in the early stages of the eruption, with emergency officials declaring a search and rescue operation for the remaining 26. Officials on Monday found 11 bodies before a renewed eruption spewed a new bust of hot gas nearly 800 metres into the sky, hindering the search and rescue operation. Two more bodies were later found not too far from the eruption site, said Edi Mardianto, the deputy police chief in West Sumatra province. Only three of the 26 were found alive in a weak condition near the crater of the volcano, having suffered burns and other injuries. The remaining 10 missing hikers are presumed dead, authorities said on Tuesday, given their proximity to the powerful eruption of hot gas and ash. Five bodies have now been retrieved from the slopes, Mr Madianto said. "The rest we want to evacuate are 18 and we expect they are no longer alive. The team will evacuate and take them to the hospital tomorrow or today to be identified. Rescuers carry a climber injured in the eruption of Mount Marapi in Agam, West Sumatra (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Ongoing eruptions and poor visibility posed a challenge to rescuers as they attempted manual evacuations, walking to the top of the mountain and bringing back the bodies on stretchers. "Marapi is still very much active. We can't see the height of the column because it's covered by the cloud," Ahmad Rifandi, head of Marapi's monitoring post, told AFP. The search will carry on for seven days, rescue officials told the news agency. Marapi one of the most active volcanoes in the archipelago has stayed at the third highest of four alert levels since 2011, a level indicating above-normal volcanic activity, said Hendra Gunawan, the head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation. The Marapi Volcano in West Sumatra, Indonesia (Data Wrapper/ The Independent) "This means that there should be no climbing to the peak," Mr Gunawan said, adding that climbers were only allowed below the danger zone. But, he said, "sometimes many of them break rules to fulfill their satisfaction to climb further". The climbers had registered at two command posts or online through West Sumatra's conservation agency before they proceeded with their climb, authorities said. Officials said there was still no final confirmation of how many people were stranded at the top as some could have taken illegal routes up to the mountain. Motorists ride past by as Mount Marapi spews volcanic materials during its eruption in Agam, West Sumatra (AP) Relatives of the missing hikers were seen waiting at the information centre at the mountain's base. The father of missing hiker Zakir Habibi made a two-hour drive from Padang city to the base of the mountain hoping to hear news about his son. "I will stay here until I hear some news," the father said. Earlier, a 19-year-old student appealed to her mother for help in a video message from the mountain after getting stranded during a hiking trip with 18 school friends. She was rescued and rushed to the hospital. Her mother, Rani Radelani, said her daughter underwent "tremendous trauma". "She is affected psychologically because she saw her burns, and she also had to endure the pain all night," she told AFP. Falling ash blanketed several villages and blocked sunlight, prompting authorities to distribute masks and urge residents to wear glasses or goggles to protect them from volcanic ash. About 1,400 people live on Marapis slopes in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages about 5 to 6km from the peak. The South Asian country sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of high seismic activity along tectonic faultlines with some of the worlds most active volcanoes. The archipelago has more than 120 volcanoes in all and the largest global population nearly 8.6 million people living close to a volcano. At least 60 people were killed in April 1979 during one of Marapis deadliest eruptions. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Climate campaigners have expressed their anger at a record number of delegates with links to fossil fuel producers attending the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai. It has raised questions over the influence of oil and gas producers at this years summit amid a crucial debate on how and when to end fossil fuels globally. Climate Action Network (CAN), the worlds largest coalition of climate NGOs, said You dont bring arsonists to a firefighting convention, while some activists called it akin to dining with the devil. Others accused the UAE presidency of the summit of rolling out the red carpet for the fossil fuels industry. At least 2,456 people connected to the coal, oil and gas industries have registered for the summit in Dubai, according to an analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition of green groups. That is almost four times the number registered for Cop27 in Egypt last year, itself a record number. The figure is larger than the total attendees from the 10 nations seen as most vulnerable to the impact of the climate crisis. The report came as delegates wrangle over how and when to reduce and end the use of fossil fuels responsible for the climate crisis, the most crucial discussion of this years climate summit taking place after the hottest year on record. A separate study released at the same time said global carbon emissions from fossil fuels will reach record levels again in 2023. The report from the Global Carbon Project said the world is on track to burn more coal, oil and gas in 2023 than it did in 2022, pumping 1.1 per cent more planet-heating carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A number of activist groups expressed their anger by holding demonstrations against the involvement of those connected to the oil and gas industries, chanting for a phase out of fossil fuels. The sheer number of fossil fuel lobbyists at climate talks that could determine our future is beyond justification, Joseph Sikulu, the Pacific managing director for climate advocacy group 350.org, said. It took 10 years of relentless campaigning to even get a mention of fossil fuels in the carbon text, and since Glasgow [Cop26] we have been playing a game of linguistic gymnasts over phrases such as phase out, phase down or unabated, or whatever language the polluters use to get around accountability. We come here to fight for our survival ... This poisoning of the process needs to end, we will not let oil and gas influence the future of the Pacific this heavily, he added. A person holds a sign reading Phase out fossil fuels now! during a demonstration for a just and equitable transition from fossil fuels at Cop28 (AP) Vanessa Nakate, the Ugandan climate activist, said: We ask governments, legislators and the courts to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for the lives it endangers... We need to not only address the symptoms of the climate crisis but also the root cause, and that is the banning of fossil fuels. All the flashy announcements will mean little if countries continue to expound their development, she added. Muhammed Lamin Saidykhan, of CAN, said: The window to preserve a liveable planet is rapidly closing. At the same time, ever greater numbers of big polluters are allowed to roam around this summit, which communities on the frontlines cannot afford to have failed again. To share seats with the big polluters in climate change conversations is to dine with the devil, Ogunlade Olamide Martins, program manager at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, said. This unholy matrimony will only endorse [a] conflict of interest and further facilitate the silence of honest agitation. This year, record wildfires, droughts, floods and heatwaves have wreaked havoc around the world. Climate groups say that anything that takes the focus away from the strongest possible outcome for the summit is a concern. The president of Cop28, Sultan al-Jaber, who is also the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was forced into defending his views on Monday, insisting that he and the UAE very much respect science, as he sought to quell a backlash over comments questioning the need to phase out fossil fuels. To share seats with the big polluters in climate change conversations is to dine with the devil. This unholy matrimony will only endorse conflict of interest and further facilitate the silence of honest agitation Ogunlade Olamide Martins, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa During an online event last month, Mr Jaber suggested that there was no science behind requiring the end of fossil fuels in order to limit temperature rise to 1.5C, a key aim in the fight against the climate crisis. We fully understand the urgency behind this matter, he said. I have always been very clear on the fact that we are making sure that everything we do is centred around the science, Mr Jaber added. We did not in any way underestimate or undermine the task at hand. Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland, who was also present at the online event, made her first comment on the row on Tuesday, not mentioning Mr Jaber. A successful Cop28 is not about a single individual or nation, but the collective will and concerted efforts of all countries in these negotiations ... The science compels: phase out fossil fuels rapidly, accelerate renewable energy adoption, and radically scale up finance. As participation in climate summits has grown in recent years, the number of industry executives has also risen, prompting calls from climate groups to protect the UNs climate negotiations by establishing clear conflict-of-interest policies and accountability measures. Countries collectively representing almost 70 per cent of the worlds population have requested that any conflicts of interest be addressed. While more and more climate groups, volunteers and civil society members are also joining this years climate conference is the largest in terms of total participation their presence is somewhat muted in the tightly secured venue where space for protestors is limited and subject to the need for permission. On Sunday, former US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, raised concerns over the lack of participation from women at the climate negotiations. Sven Harmeling, global policy lead at CARE Climate Justice Centre, said that those most severely impacted by the climate crisis face being sidelined. Cop28 has rolled out the red carpet for fossil fuel lobbyists, while women and girls facing the worst impacts of climate change are being sidelined, he said. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Cyclone Michuang made landfall on Tuesday after pummelling southern India, with heavy rains and flooding killing at least nine people even before the storms arrival. The severe cyclonic storm is bringing winds gusting up to 110kmh and hit the state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday afternoon, in a landfall process that was set to continue for around three hours, the India Meteorological Department said. More than 9,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas in Andhra Pradesh as well as neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which has been already battered by heavy rains. Residents in Andhra Pradesh are bracing for rains of more than 200mm (8 inches) over the next 24 hours with all five major dams already at full capacity due to incessant rainfall in recent days. The cyclone began the landfall process between Nellore and Kavali in Andhra Pradesh and is expected to cross the coast, hitting Chirala-Bapatla. Relentless heavy rainfall lashed 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh, causing a halt in everyday activities, and disrupting air, suburban metro and road transport. The Andhra Pradesh government said it was on a state of high alert, prepared for rescue and rehabilitation efforts. A man along with his daughter wades with his stalled vehicle on a flooded road during heavy rains as Cyclone Michaug makes landfall (EPA) A four-year-old boy died in Tirupati district after a wall collapsed over him, C Nagaraju, executive director of the states disaster management authority said. The rains and strong winds also snapped power lines and uprooted trees, officials said, and more than 140 trains and 40 flights were cancelled in Andhra Pradesh. A day before Cyclone Michaung hit Andhra Pradesh, eight others were killed in Tamil Nadu. A man wades across a flooded street after heavy rains in Chennai (AFP via Getty Images) Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in the capital Chennai and surrounding areas, inundating roads, causing more than 24 hours of power outages and shutting down the Chennai airport until Tuesday morning. Several areas in the capital city reported water-logging and flooding as authorities continued rescue and rehabilitation work for those affected. Chennai, a major electronics and manufacturing hub, saw floodwaters sweeping away cars and submerging runways, triggering the shutdown of one of Indias busiest airports. The airfield at Chennai airport was finally declared operational at 9am on Tuesday after the rains stopped and water receded, a spokesperson for the federal civil aviation ministry said. Residents in Chennai issued SOS calls on social media and said that the water-logging was up to 7ft in some areas, while power outages continued for more than 36 hours. The Tambaram Government Hospital is flooded following heavy rains along the Bay of Bengal coast in Chennai (AP) A video also went viral on social media showing a crocodile crossing a waterlogged road in Perungalathur, a suburban area of Chennai. Officials advised residents to exercise caution and refrain from provoking the creatures, displaced due to the flooding. Red weather alerts remained in place for large parts of Tamil Nadu as well as Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, with schools, colleges and banks shut in at least four districts. In December 2015, floods in Tamil Nadu killed at least 290 people and caused widespread damage. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Adam Driver has been defended by fans after he was subjected to rude interview questions about his appearance. The actor, 40, recently sat down with CNN anchor Chris Wallace to promote his forthcoming film, Ferrari. During an episode of CNNs Whos Talking to Chris Wallace? on 1 December, the 76-year-old journalist asked Driver whether his physical appearance has impacted his acting career. Wallace began listing some of the comparisons fans have made between Driver and legendary actors, such as Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson. When asked if he agrees with these comparisons, Driver acknowledged that it was a nice comparison because those are the actors that made me want to be an actor. However, the House of Gucci star admitted that he tries not to absorb positive press just as much as negative reviews. The New Yorker has also called me a horse-face, so I take it with a grain of salt, Driver added. That led Wallace to his next question, as he told the Girls alum that he doesnt look like the typical movie star before asking: Has that been a help or a hindrance? While Driver appeared visibly taken aback by Wallaces question, he didnt hesitate in giving the interviewer an expert response. Well, Ive worked consistently, which is nice, with people Ive always dreamed that I wanted to work with, he said. I look how I look. I cant change that. So I guess it helped me. Yeah, I dont know. The Marriage Story actor also made a sarcastic quip about his appearance, adding: A hindrance in only breaking mirrors wherever I go and having a misshapen, outsized body that I cant fit through doorways or most clothes or fit into most cars. So apart from that, its been good. Wallace then took a moment to rephrase his question, asking Driver if he ever thought his career would be easier if he looked like actor Robert Redford. The Star Wars actor once again paused, before answering Wallaces question: Yeah, but it would just be different. I would be giving something off. Maybe Im trying to be diplomatic and I guess if I was alone in a room, Im like, who doesnt want to look like Robert Redford? But I just kind of accepted this is how I look, Driver said. Following the interview, a clip of the awkward moment was posted to X - formerly known as Twitter - where it received more than two million views. Unsurprisingly, Drivers conversation with Wallace was met with a flurry of responses from users criticising the CNN anchors line of questioning about the actors appearance. I cannot believe a distinguished interviewer like Chris Wallace would go down this line of questioning! It was extremely rude, and unprofessional, one person replied to the interview clip. @CNN Adam Driver has millions of fans that think he is perfect the way he is. Many users also maintained that it should be unacceptable to ask both celebrities and regular people about their appearance in general. In the year 2023, we dont need to be talking about peoples bodies or perceived attraction which is SUBJECTIVE for all. We just dont have to even go there! We all look how we look! one person said. Its 2023!! The topic of youre not typical looks in Hollywood should not exist anymore, another user pointed out. A third person mentioned: Its not okay when these sorts of questions are asked of women and its not okay when theyre asked of men. While some users took the opportunity to send Driver their love and support, others pointed out that the Oscar nominee is known to have a legion of female fans swooning over his looks. Most notably, Driver became the internets boyfriend when he transformed into a shirtless centaur during a video campaign for Burberry Hero mens fragrance. Meanwhile, comedian John Oliver has made it a bit throughout his HBO talk show series, Last Week Tonight, to obsess over the actors brooding appearance. He even declared during a 2020 broadcast: I spent the whole year demanding that Adam Driver demolish me. Crush my larynx, you unwieldy boulder. Why are there people pretending that hes not one of the biggest sex symbols of our time? Did the centaur ad mean nothing to these people? joked one user on X following the CNN interview. Sorry but I was under the impression that everyone thought Adam Driver is one of the hottest people alive, another wrote. Do people think hes ugly?? My worldview is shattering. This isnt the first time Driver has dodged rude questions throughout his career. Just last month, the BlacKkKlansman star attended a Polish screening of his new film, Ferrari, in which he plays Italian motor racing driver Enzo Ferrari. During the screening, Driver - who is also an executive producer of the film - was asked by an audience member: What do you think about [the] crash scenes? They looked pretty harsh, drastic and, I must say, cheesy for me. What do you think? Driver didnt hold back with his reply, telling the person: F*** you? I dont know. Next question. The film, which is based on the biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine, follows Ferrari during the summer of 1957 as he wagered his failing company on a 1,000-mile race across Italy. Ferrari will be released in US cinemas on 25 December and in the UK on 26 December. The Independent has contacted representatives for Driver and CNN for comment. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} It seems that Anya Taylor-Joy is among the many people who have had their fair share of struggles trying to use an Android phone. A hilarious viral video has captured the moment the Queens Gambit star attempted to take a selfie with a fans Android phone. The 27-year-old actor recently attended the CCXP convention in Brazil where she stopped to sign autographs and take pictures with the hoard of fans cheering for her. It was then that one fan asked Taylor-Joy to take a selfie with their front-facing camera on their Android phone. However, the Last Night in Soho star made it clear she was an iPhone user when she attempted to snap a selfie by clicking the phones side button. Unsurprisingly, the screen went dark before flashing to the fans locked home screen wallpaper. Taylor-Joy gave them back their phone, but the fan was persistent in taking a selfie with the beloved actor. When she tried to take a selfie for the second time, she checked the side buttons on the Android to make sure she was pressing the correct one. Still, she made the same mistake. As the screen went dark, The Menu star appeared to yell f*** in frustration. Taylor-Joy ultimately gave the Android back to the fan before greeting other fans at the convention. The amusing clip was initially posted to X - formerly known as Twitter - by user @ramon_png, who claimed to be the unfortunate Android user in the video. Imagine, you are lucky enough to have Anya Taylor-Joy take your cell phone to take a photo. And her bad luck MISSED THE BUTTON TO TAKE THE PHOTO TWICE, SWITCHING OFF HER CELL PHONE!!! he captioned the video, per English translation. Well friends, it happened to me, I dont have a photo with Anya Taylor-Joy because of her slowness lol. The relatable video was later reposted to popular celebrity gossip account PopCrave, where it was viewed more than 12m times. It didnt take long for people to recommend that the fan purchases an Apple iPhone after the unfortunate interaction. That man is crying his way to the Apple Store, one user shared on X, in response to the viral clip. This was heartbreaking to watch, another person joked. Legend says that fan went straight to the Apple Store the next day, someone else said. Others pointed out that the video made for a perfect Apple campaign, as one user noted: She needs to be sponsored by iPhone. If I was Apple, Id be petty and use this clip in my next ad, another person said. Meanwhile, several users explained that an iPhones volume buttons control the camera shutter, while on some Android phones, users must double click the power button to take a selfie. Taylor-Joy recently tied the knot with boyfriend Malcolm McRae in Venice, Italy. The Split star exchanged vows with the 29-year-old musician during a ceremony at the Palazzo Pisani Moretta in October. For the occasion, she was pictured wearing a dusted beige gown with floral adornments and stitched birds on the bodice. A number of star-studded guests in attendance included Miles Teller, Cara Delevingne, Evan Ross, and Julia Garner. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Bowen Yang has given fans an update on his mental health journey after getting candid about his experiences this summer. During the 2023 American Museum of Natural History Gala, the 33-year-old Saturday Night Live star told PageSix that hes been improving since he experienced bad bouts of depersonalisation. My mental health is great, the comedian told the outlet. I had a really rough patch and people were very patient with me. Its hard but you know, I barrelled through. I powered through. In July, Yang first addressed his mental health issues when he announced he was taking a break from his Las Culturistas podcast. In an announcement on his Instagram story, he said: Taking a very short break from [Las Culturistas]. Bad bouts of depersonalization are ****ing me up bad, but I am doing my best to get better! Please take care, be soon. Three weeks later, the Wicked actor addressed his mental health hiatus, explaining that he had been encountering some issues with his anti-depressant Wellbutrin. So I was on Wellbutrin and full transparency I got a low dose of Adderall just to help with the travel, to help with adjusting to the hours, Yang admitted, having taken the hiatus while filming for Wicked in London. Its not working, he continued. I was talking to some friends last night about how Wellbutrin really is not doing it for a lot of people. And if its working for you, God bless. But Wellbutrin isnt for me. Yang isnt the first celebrity to admit to experiencing symptoms of depersonalisation, with musician Dodie and Counting Crows rocker Adam Duritz also reporting having depersonalisation-derealisation disorder. Depersonalisation - which psychologists say stems from the underdiagnosed depersonalisation-derealisation disorder (DDD) - occurs when someone regularly feels as though they are having an out of body experience, according to Columbia University. Derealisation occurs when you feel like your surroundings arent real and it feels like youre in a dream-like state. According to senior medical director of Columbia Doctors Psychiatry, Dr Jacques Ambrose, DDD can cause significant distress and morbidity to the affected individuals, but it often goes undetected or misdiagnosed. He added: Delays in treatments also prolong the course of DDD. People diagnosed with depersonalisation-derealisation disorder either experience depersonalisation, derealisation, or both, all of which can directly interfere with their everyday lives and relationships. This isnt the first time the comedian has opened up about his mental health, having opened up to People for 2021s Sexiest Man Alive issue about his experience being sent to conversion therapy by his parents as a teenager, and how difficult it was for them to accept his sexuality. There was a huge chasm of misunderstanding, Yang told the outlet. Neither side really understood where the other was coming from, and it led to very dangerous situations overall. What was always constant was the intention of love from both sides, he added. It pushed me into questioning what it meant, what was protected and what I should be protective about in terms of being a queer person. I dont take it for granted. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nelson Mandelas granddaughter has called on Britains royal family to pay reparations for colonialism in Africa. Ndileka Mandela, an author and climate activist, appeared on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg where she urged Britain to acknowledge its role in colonising parts of Africa, and referred to climate apartheid as a painful ripple of its colonial legacy. If there can be an acknowledgement of what was done to countries to colonise because we are still suffering a great deal from colonisation, in as far as our culture as Black people is concerned, she said, speaking from the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai. So there has got to be first admission of the fact that yes, we acknowledge that we displaced you as a people. Then we can talk of reparations. Pressed on whether she would want to see reparations from the royal family, she replied: Yes I would. Thats where healing begins. Mandela said she wanted acknowledgement of the royal familys role in colonialism before reparations (BBC) If you are arguing with the next person and you come to a tiff, when you sit around the table and admit your part, both parties admit their part in the disillusion of whatever it is that happened, it is then that healing begins. If that happens, the healing will definitely begin. Her remarks come two months after King Charles was praised for acknowledging the more painful aspects of Britains relationship with Kenya during a historic speech notable for its contrition over colonial injustices. Charles said at the time: ...we must also acknowledge the most painful times of our long, complex relationship. The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret. They were abhorrent, unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans, as they waged a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty. And, for that, there can be no excuse. Mandela was then asked about the treatment of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in a week where discussion has returned to the alleged royal racist who is said to have raised concerns over the colour of Prince Archies skin. The names of two members of the royal family King Charles and the Princess of Wales were given in the Dutch-language translation of Endgame, a new book about the royal family written by royal reporter Omid Scobie. Scobie did not write the names in the English version of the book, and has denied adding them to the version released in the Netherlands. Asked if she felt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been victims of racism in the UK, Mandela said: I believe Harry and Meghan had to find their own voice, in a similar way Grandad had to find his own voice. They should be given, like any other person, room to voice out whatever their misgivings are. I cannot speak to whether Harry and Meghans children have been discriminated [against], because I dont have first-hand information of that. However he should be allowed to voice out whatever he wants to voice out and choose his own path. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man was stopped by airport security over a mystery Christmas gift that his grandmother had instructed him not to open. In a viral TikTok video, actor Brett Gaffney told viewers, I got stopped at the airport security, and you know what? It was because of this briefcase my grandma gave me as an early Christmas gift, and she said dont open it until you get to California. I was like, What is in the briefcase? Its super heavy, the Kansas native added, saying that his grandma expressly told him not to open the present. I was like, Grandma, Im going to the airport, like I need to know. Like the dutiful grandson he was, he followed her instructions to a tee, which led him to be questioned by TSA as he set his briefcase on the x-ray conveyor belt to be scanned. They asked me what was inside, and I said, I dont know, I dont know, Gaffney continued. They said, What do you mean? Youre bringing a briefcase, and you dont know whats inside? Security flagged the briefcase, and after a TSA agent gave it a closer inspection by opening it up, Gaffney finally found out what the mystery gift was: a vintage typewriter. Who am I, Tom Hanks? the actor jokingly referenced the Oscar winners penchant for typewriters. Am I going to go to the park and write a whole book with a typewriter? He added, I almost didnt get into the airport because of this typewriter. Since Gaffney posted the video last week, it has garnered over 500,000 views on the platform, with the majority of the comments cracking jokes about the situation. The fact u listened and didnt open it is so innocent lmao, one user commented, to which Gaffney replied, Im a man of pure trust. Someone else added, I feel like the words I dont know, its a surprise shouldnt be uttered to TSA, let alone in one sitting. Oh nah, Im checking for sure, another joked. Grandma Escobar aint getting me in trouble. Since getting home, the actor has been giving his followers regular updates on his typewriter, sharing that the device was an SCM Smith-Corona 250. In one video, he attempted typing on a page pulled from a journal but discovered that he needed to buy some brand-new typewriter ribbons because the ink was too faint on the page. On Wednesday, Gaffney uploaded a video sharing his progress with the machine, comparing it to a new toy and getting in touch with his inner child as a result. I got this new typewriter, because Im becoming an old man, he said. And all I want to do is stay home and type on my typewriter. The following day, he posted a video of him typing away with gusto, captioning the post: I didnt think Id use this, but here we are. Its so calming. At the end of the week, the Kansas native had finally bought the proper ribbon and paper to type to his hearts content. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as foreign secretary David Cameron takes his first questions from peers in the House of Lords on Tuesday (5 December). Lord Camerons first session came as home secretary James Cleverly arrived in Rwanda to sign a new treaty to help revive the Governments stalled asylum deal. Support for Ukraine and future relations with the EU are among the issues he will be grilled on as he faces his first monthly question time as foreign secretary in the House of Lords. The situation in Belarus and Afghanistan is also to be raised with the Cabinet minister by peers. Lord Cameron cannot appear before the House of Commons because he is not an elected MP, which has fuelled concerns about democratic accountability. Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell will deputise for him in the Commons, while he will answer questions in the upper chamber each month. The first question on Ukraine was due to be asked by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, a former Nato secretary general. Lord Cameron was also expected to be pressed over the future UK relationship with Brussels by former Labour MP Baroness Hoey, a Brexit supporter who sits as a non-affiliated peer. The return of the former prime minister as foreign secretary and his call for the UK to be a friend, a neighbour and the best possible partner for the EU has caused unease among some Brexiteers. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Europe faces a huge risk of terrorist attacks" over the Christmas holiday period due to the fallout from the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the European Union's home affairs commissioner warned on Tuesday. The warning came as French investigators probe a fatal weekend attack near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Questions were raised about the mental health of the suspect, who swore allegiance to the extremist Islamic State group before stabbing a German-Filipino tourist to death and injuring two other people with a hammer. "With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the polarization it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union," EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters. "We saw (it happening) recently in Paris, unfortunately we have seen it earlier as well," she said, as EU interior ministers gathered in Brussels. She provided no details about any information that might have led to her warning. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for details. Johansson, whose brief includes security and immigration, said that European Commission will provide an additional 30 million euros ($32.5 million) to help bolster security in vulnerable areas, notably places of worship. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser sent her condolences to France over the attack, and said that it highlights just how acute and how serious the threat posed by Islamist terrorism is currently in the EU. The war in Gaza and Hamas terror are exacerbating this situation, she told reporters. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Health authorities in Ohio have alerted in recent days of a paediatric surge of cases of pneumonia in the state. The Warren County Health District said in a statement on Wednesday that 145 cases of pneumonia have been reported in children between the ages of three and 14 since August. In an initial news release on Tuesday, the health district confirmed that the spreading illness was deemed an outbreak due to the above-average case volumes. Recent media reports have drawn comparisons between the spike in cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, dubbed white lung syndrome, in both Ohio and China. But health officials in the state have warned that the outbreak is not linked to Chinas meaning that the strains seen by Ohio doctors are not spreading from country to country. Although cases have risen in Ohio, medical experts said the trend was somewhat expected as part of the flu season, and that it was potentially exacerbated by COVID restrictions being dropped. We have no evidence whatsoever of any connection to any outbreaks statewide or internationally, said Clint Koenig, a family physician and medical director at the Warren County Health Department. We dont have any evidence to suggest this is anything but routine, standard winter bugs causing pneumonia in higher rates in kids. Dr Koenig has emphasised that the cases of pediatric pneumonia in Ohio are not a new or novel virus, but rather strains of pneumonia that already circulated in the US. Warren County District reports that most children are recovering at home and no deaths have been recorded in relation to the outbreak. Heres a breakdown of what you need to know about both outbreaks and why officials believe theyre not linked: China sees childhood pneumonia wave; officials tamp down outbreak fears What strains of pneumonia are circulating in Ohio? The Warren County Heath District said the main types of pathogens detected so far were streptococcus pneumonia, adenovirus, and mycoplasma pneumonia. Meanwhile, cases seen in China include respiratory illnesses such as influenza, rhinoviruses and mycoplasma pneumonia. Cases of mycoplasma pneumonia are also spreading in Denmark, reaching epidemic levels and recoding 541 new cases by the end of last week, according to a Danish Ministry of Health research group. In recent media reports, mycoplasma pneumonia has been described as white lung syndrome, due to the whitening of the lungs shown in x-rays of patients with pneumonia, NBC reports. The term is a medical buzzword and is not used by physicians when treating patients. Health authorities in the US have been in contact with their counterparts in China. However, medical experts have concluded that the outbreak in Ohio appears to be driven by the usual mix of respiratory viruses during the colder months all of which previously circulated in the US. Despite the headlines that were seeing in China, there is no indication that there are any new viruses or bacteria spreading from country to country, John Brownstein, a doctor at Boston Childrens Hospital, told ABC News. This is typical seasonal bacterial and viral activity that we see each year. The Chinese Health Ministry has also stated that the respiratory illnesses seen in the country are not new and are all known. What is mycoplasma pneumonia? Mycoplasma pneumonia is a bacteria that can cause mild infections by damaging the lining of the respiratory system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Around two million cases are recorded each year in the US. The infection can become pneumonia, where shortness of breath can also be experienced, but is considered a milder version of pneumonia. Its sometimes referred to as walking pneumonia, which means you have pneumonia but youre not sick enough to be in the hospital, Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center Dr James Cutrell told NBC. In most cases, people can recover at home and are treated with antibiotics, the Ohio health district said in its release. The bacteria is spread through coughs and sneezes and is usually spread between people who spend a lot of time together, such as in households, schools, residence halls, and military or care facilities and hospitals. In Ohio, the Warren County Health District said most children have been experiencing symptoms such as cough, fever and fatigue. Other symptoms listed by the CDC include a sore throat and headaches. If a child under five contracts the illness, they could also experience sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes, wheezing, vomiting and diarrhoea. What has driven the outbreak in Ohio? Bacterial infections such as mycoplasma pneumonia tend to make a resurgence every three to seven years in the US, with cases rising in colder months. Viruses like influenza, RSV, and the common cold follow similar trends. Based on our provisional assessment, we are seeing seasonal trends. Nothing is appearing out of the ordinary, but we are continuing to monitor, said a spokesperson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr Koenig also noted that although some cases have led to hospitalization, most have been patients with underlying conditions and that the illnesses are no more severe than in previous years. Restrictions on social interactions being further lifted post-pandemic may have also contributed to the spike in cases. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research at the University of Minnesota, told NBC that particularly rings true in Chinas case. They really did have a total shutdown of all the infectious diseases. So I would have expected exactly what were seeing right now, Mr Osterholm said. Were seeing increases in respiratory infections in general, but particularly it seems like mycoplasma ... Its just because weve got a larger pool of people who are more susceptible. Health officials have recommended that everyone over the age of six months get an updated COVID-19 vaccine and their annual flu shot. Older adults over the age of 60, pregnant women, and infants under the age of eight months are also eligible for an RSV vaccine to protect against severe illness and death. Close Aberfan Schools on lockdown as armed police called out to serious assault For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Armed police have arested South Wales after a 29-year-old pregnant woman was stabbed, leading to a large scale manhunt. After several hours, a 28-year-old man from Merthyr Tydfil was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was escorted into police custody. Several schools in Aberfan had been placed into lockdown as the force urged people to avoid the area. Schools closed included Afon Taf High School, Greenfield Special School and nursery Trinity Childcare and Family Centre. Trinity Childcare and Family Centre, added: Trinity Childcare and Family Centre Ltd Aberfan are currently in lockdown as a precaution due to an incident within the community. All staff and children are safe. Gerald Jones, MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, said: I have spoken to police regarding a serious incident in Aberfan this morning. You may see an increased police presence in the area and Id encourage everyone to co-operate with police officers as they deal with the incident. The Welsh village is known for being the site of the Aberfan disaster, when a coal tip on the hillside descended onto several houses and a school in 1966, killing 144 people, 116 of whom were children. Have you been affected by this? Email holly.evans@independent.co.uk For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Armed police have arrested a man after a pregnant woman was stabbed in a small former mining village in Wales. The 28-year-old, who was known to the expectant mother, was detained on suspicion of attempted murder after a seven-hour manhunt which placed schools on lockdown in Aberfan on Tuesday. South Wales Police said the attack was targeted and the suspect, who was from Merthyr Tydfil, was arrested at 3.50pm in the local area. The stabbing of the woman shocked the small village community (Getty) Speaking after the arrest, Chief Inspector Rob Miles said: The woman remains in hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life threatening at this time. I want to thank the local community and partners for their patience and support throughout todays police operation to trace and arrest the suspect. The situation unfolded after the woman was attacked on the villages Moy Road shortly after 9am. Resident Lynne Terrett said her daughter, Kira, heard the sound of the injured woman running towards her. [The woman] fell, she said. My daughter screamed, and people came out from everywhere. A cordon remained up after the arrest of a man after a woman was stabbed (Getty) The man who stabbed the woman then fled the scene, said Ms Terrett, who added: If she had not screamed, people would not have gone out. The woman was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff as a major police operation was launched to find the suspect. Schools were advised to activate lockdown protocols as armed officers scoured the village and surrounding area. Chief Inspector Rob Miles of South Wales Police makes a statement to the media outside Merthyr Tydfil police station (PA) A police spokesperson said: I appreciate there will be a real sense of shock to the local community with the attack having happened in broad daylight. Local schools activated their lockdown protocols to keep pupils safe, and neighbourhood officers remained in the area to ensure pupils were able to leave school safely at their normal time. This was done as a precaution, and schools will be open as normal tomorrow. First minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has said his thoughts are with the people of the village, which was the site of a catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip in 1966, killing 116 children and 28 adults. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies mentioned the incident in the Senedd on Tuesday, saying his thoughts were with the residents. Labour MP Gerald Jones told Sky News: The community is a very tight-knit community so there is, undoubtedly, serious concern within the community. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Christmas events across the UK have been cancelled this year following concerns for safety and budget restraints. From Dumbarton to Brighton, Christmas light switch-ons and markets have been scrapped, sparking concerns that many people will miss out on the usual Christmas festivities. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Englands oldest Christmas market in Lincoln had been scrapped as it proved too popular last year. Officials decided to cancel this years event over dears too many people in a small area would be unsafe for visitors. It was the latest abandonment in a string of festive cancellations across the UK this year - which have been mapped below: View more Both Sheffield and Manchester chose not to go ahead with their traditional light switch-ons this year due to similar safety concerns. Manchester councillors said the event could not go ahead due to ongoing development in the city centre, leaving them without a suitable location to safely hold the event. Sheffield City Council also blamed city centre building works for the cancellation of the event and said there was no way to safely host the festivities. It also seems that Christmas events are also not exempt from 2023s budget restrictions. Christmas markets and lights have been cancelled in several places including Winderemere, Brighton and Medway due to issues with funding. Brighton Christmas markets were cancelled after the council were unable to secure funding (istock) Brighton and Hove City Council said it couldnt find a commercial partner to fund the event and couldnt afford the 70,000 it needed for it to go ahead. Organising a Christmas Market for the city was always dependent on finding a new commercial partner to help us to fund and co-ordinate the event, lead for tourism and culture, councillor Alan Robins, said. We wanted to create a different kind of Christmas Market this year because in the two years it was staged it was never actually all that popular with the public, and was also expensive for traders who wanted a pitch there. Rising costs and shrinking budgets means some parts of the UK will be without Christmas lights completely this year. Medway Council in Kent said it had scrapped Christmas lights altogether in 2023 due to a challenging financial situation. Officials said the move would save a much needed 75,000 after finding a potential overspend of 17million in the last financial year. A Kent council were unable to switch on any lights this year in a bid to save 75,000 (Getty Images) Leader of Medway Council, Councillor Vince Maple, said: Unfortunately due to the challenging financial situation the council is in, we have had to make the sad and difficult decision to not have Christmas lights across Medway this year. This means there will sadly be no switch-on events held in the town centres this year. Thankfully, a private company later stepped in to offer funding for lights in three of the five town centres in the region. Other events faced changes or difficulties for more unusual reasons. In July, organisers of Oxfords Christmas market announced its cancellation after councillors insisted use of a cycle lane running through the event stayed open. Fortunately, new organisers stepped up and the event was able to go ahead. However, other Britons were not so lucky. Felixstowes market was scrapped due to a lack of interest in the event and a popular Lake District Christmas market in Windermere was also cancelled as organisers were unable to secure funding. A statement from the Windermere organisers said: We have worked hard in the background to keep the event going, opening the door up to the local community and businesses to encourage extra volunteers and financial assistance, but unfortunately the support and financial assistance offered was not enough to cover an event in 2023. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man with motor neurone disease who won just 5 in an unlucky game on ITVs Deal or No Deal has been left feeling honoured after viewers raised over 43,000 for him. Brad Wale, aged 29, appeared on the show to win money to fulfil his bucket list after he was given the heartbreaking diagnosis. However, luck was not on his side on the day and he left with just 5 to take home. Mr Wale told host Stephen Mulhern: This is my life. Ive always had such bad luck. Nothing changes, I should have expected this. But fellow contestant Rochelle Brown had a surprise in store as she launched a GoFundMe page following the airing of the episode. She said: Im sure you all saw Brads devastating game on Deal or No Deal. A tense final round left Brad with the lowest figure on the board (ITV) His DOND [Deal Or No Deal] family really want him to fulfil his dreams and we have set this up on the hope that anyone could maybe spare a couple of pounds and get Brad to tick some bits off his bucket list. The page, which was created five days ago, was initially set to a target of 20,000. But generous viewers who were left heartbroken at his game doubled that figure and the page currently stands at over 43,000. Ms Brown said she had clicked right away with Mr Wale who she considered a friend as well as her Deal or No Deal bench buddy. Mr Wale said he was left feeling honoured and said in a Facebook post: Im truly overwhelmed by it all and never in my life did I expect it. I had the best two weeks filming this amazing show and have truly made friends for life. Stephen Mulhern presents the show which was revived after years (PA) Thank you so much for all your lovely messages, posts and donations, completely overwhelmed by the response Ive had. Spent the past couple of days trying to take it all in. Its blown my mind. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. On the show Mr Wale had said that he would like to go travelling and visit places such as India and Thailand. The NHS website describes MND as an uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves. It causes weakness that gets worse over time. It states: Theres no cure for MND, but there are treatments to help reduce the impact it has on a persons daily life. Some people live with the condition for many years. MND can significantly shorten life expectancy and, unfortunately, eventually leads to death. The link for the fundraiser can be found here. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Prince Harrys battle against the governments decision to strip him of his security detail when he moved to the US goes to the High Court on Tuesday. The three-day hearing is one of five legal cases that Harry has pending in the High Court. Harry said he did not feel safe bringing his wife Meghan and their two young children back to Britain and was concerned about his own safety after being chased by paparazzi following a London charity event. The Duke failed to persuade a different judge earlier this year that he should be able to privately pay for Londons police force to guard him when he comes to visit the UK. A judge denied that offer after a government lawyer argued that officers shouldn't be used as private bodyguards for the wealthy. The 39-year-old prince is challenging the decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures to provide his security on a case by case basis after moving in 2020 to Canada and then California, where he and his family now reside. He said the committee unfairly nixed his security request without hearing from him personally and did not disclose the makeup of the panel, which he later learned included royal family staff. Harry says he wants security provided when he and his family are in the UK (PA Wire) He said Edward Young, the assistant private secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II, should not have been on the committee because of significant tensions between the two men. The Home Office has argued that any tensions between Harry and the royal household staff was irrelevant and that the committee was entitled to its decision because he had relinquished his role as a working member of the family. The four other lawsuits involve Britain's best-known tabloids, including a case that alleges the publisher of the Daily Mail libeled him when it ran a story suggesting he had tried to hide his efforts to continue receiving government-funded security. A ruling is expected in that case Friday. Three other lawsuits allege that journalists at the Mail, the Daily Mirror, and The Sun used unlawful means, such as deception, phone hacking or hiring private investigators to dig up dirt about him. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Home Office should have taken greater heed to the impact on the UKs reputation if a successful attack on Prince Harry were to take place, his lawyers have argued. The Duke of Sussex is challenging the UK governments decision to strip him of security when he moved to US, one of five legal cases he has in the High Court. A judge heard on Tuesday that the duke is plainly part of the group that Ravec the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures has to consider despite no longer being a working royal. Shaheed Fatima KC, who is representing the duke, said: The claimants consistent position has been, and remains, that he should be given state security in light of the threats/risks he faces. This latest hearing forms part of five ongoing legal battles Prince Harry has in the High Court (AP) He has argued the Home Office committee had failed to treat [him] as it treated others in denying him automatic police protection when in the UK, and that he had been treated less favourably. Given that his security was to prevent the risk of an attack, the current case-by-case provision created excessive uncertainty and hardship for himself and for his current security detail. The duke also accused Ravec of acting irrationally and failing to follow its own written policies in changing the same degree of personal security previously afforded to him as a working royal. Meanwhile, the Home Office said that he was treated in a lawful bespoke manner, and that the risks of a successful attack had been considered. However, given that he was no longer a working senior royal and had relocated to the US, his position had materially changed. At the start of the dukes legal challenge over the decision to change the level of his protective security when visiting the UK, Ms Fatima said: This case is about the right to safety and security of a person, there could not be a right of greater importance to any of us. Harry is taking action against the Home Office after being told by Ravec in 2020 that he would no longer be given the same degree of personal protective security when visiting. Harry and Meghan at the One World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York (Reuters) In written submissions, his barrister said: Ravec should have considered the impact that a successful attack on the claimant would have, bearing in mind his status, background and profile within the royal family which he was born into and which he will have for the rest of his life and his ongoing charity work and service to the public. Ravec should have considered, in particular, the impact on the UKs reputation of a successful attack on the claimant. The High Court heard that the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was raised as part of the decision over his security, with Sir James Eadie KC for the Home Office stating: Ravec was aware of the wider impact following the tragic death of the claimants mother, and this was also a matter referenced by the royal household. The barrister added there would be likely significant public upset were a successful attack on the claimant to take place. However, the decision involved a lawful balancing of relevant factors, with Harry now required to provide 28 days notice for protective security. During his visit to a WellChild event in June 2021, his car was chased by photographers yet the Home Office barrister said he had provided the details materially later than the 28 days required. His lawyers argued the Home Office should have considered the impact of a successful attack on the UKs reputation (Getty) However, Mr Justice Lane heard that the duke had not been given an opportunity to make representations to Ravec before the decision was made, and that he was entitled to be informed of the relevant policies applied in order to make informed submissions. Harry claimed to have been subjected to unfair treatment and that a far inferior procedure had been imposed by Ravec, which lacked the critical safeguards in their written policy. No good reason has been provided for singling the claimant out in this way, his barrister told the judge, adding that the duke had only discovered that the policy would not apply to him because he brought legal proceedings, forcing the government to disclose this fact. She claimed that he had been given no explanation for such treatment, and as far as they were aware, it was the first time Ravec had deviated from its own policy in this way. Security is provided on a case-by-case basis when he returns to the UK (PA) The duke was cleared to bring the challenge in July 2022 and the claim will be heard over two-and-a-half days starting from Tuesday. However, the majority of the hearing will be heard behind closed doors, after a a privacy order was issued over concerns that a vast amount of the evidential material cannot enter the public domain. In making the bid for the challenge, lawyers for Harry said the security arrangements set out in a letter from Ravec, and their application when he visited the UK in June 2021, were invalid due to procedural unfairness because he was not given an opportunity to make representations. Shaheed Fatima KC, for the duke, told the High Court in London last year: He didnt know at that stage that the Royal Household was involved at all he was told it was an independent decision. On behalf of the Home Office, Sir James wrote in their submissions: Ravec has, accordingly, treated the claimant in a bespoke manner. He is no longer a member of the cohort of individuals whose security position remains under regular review by Ravec. But he is brought back within the cohort in the appropriate circumstances. The hearing is due to continue until Thursday. The Covid inquiry has proved to be a trial of reputations for the big beasts of the 2020 government and none more so than for the then prime minister Boris Johnson who appears for the first time on Wednesday. His handling of two days of intense questioning may prove the most important 48 hours of his public life as he surely knows it will shape how his three-year premiership is judged by history. More immediately, it will also dictate whether he can attempt a spectacular political comeback his supporter-in-chief Andrew Gimson revealing that even now he burns with a desire to prove the decision by his own MPs to sack him was a mistake. Johnsons intention is apparently to present a strong case for being given a second chance at power and that he has been greatly wronged. With Labour a massive 23 points ahead in the polls, he is said to believe that he could return (just like his hero Silvio Berlusconi did in Italy) as his partys only possible hope of salvation and his own. In truth, there is probably nothing Johnson fears more than a shrinking life of small children, overseas speaking engagements, the odd appearance on GB News and the boos he received from fellow diners at Moro, a Hackney restaurant where his son Theo had been working. Even rumours that he might be parachuted in to edit The Daily Telegraph have recently faded. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson is expected to tell the Covid inquiry he unquestionably made mistakes when he begins his gruelling two-day grilling on his handling of the crisis on Wednesday. The public inquirys security has been stepped up for Mr Johnsons appearance in west London, with dozens of bereaved family members from all over Britain expected to hold a defiant vigil as he turns up to give evidence. The former PM is expected to offer an unreserved apology at the the historic hearings most hotly-anticipated session, after a series of bombshell revelations about his activities in recent weeks. Mr Johnson has been urged by opposition parties and campaigners to tell the truth about his own behaviour and his governments handling of the crisis. Labours Nick Thomas-Symonds said Mr Johnson should provide straight answers and integrity both of which he failed to provide in office. And the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper said families deserve the truth about exactly what went on behind closed doors. Matt Fowler, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, added: Johnson will appear at the inquiry tomorrow with his claim that he got the big calls right already entirely debunked. We hope to see Johnson challenged on these clear falsehoods when he appears in front of the inquiry he desperately tried to avoid having tomorrow. But any contrition will not stop a barrage of questions. Mr Johnson will be asked about Partygate and claims he oversaw a toxic culture at No 10, accusations he was weak and dithered over lockdowns, and the tensions with key figures such as Rishi Sunak, Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings. Boris Johnsons Partygate behaviour and toxic No 10 culture The former PM is expected to apologise, but it remains to be seen what exactly he will apologise for. Mr Johnson was utterly defiant over Partygate during his grilling by the privileges committee hearing in the summer defending leaving dos as essential for work purposes. Mr Johnson, fined for attending his own birthday party in June 2020, also told MPs that: People who say that we were partying in lockdown simply do not know what they are talking about. He may be asked what impact Partygate and associated scandals such as Mr Hancocks kiss and the Barnard Castle saga had on public compliance with the rules. Helen McNamara, former deputy cabinet secretary, told the inquiry it would be hard to pick one day when Covid regulations were followed at No 10. She also said Mr Johnson oversaw a toxic culture claiming there was sexist treatment of women at meetings. In WhatsApp messages, cabinet secretary Simon Case said dealing with Mr Johnsons team during the Covid crisis was basically feral and dealing them was like taming wild animals. Boris Johnson faces two-day grilling at Covid inquiry (Getty) Claims Boris said let the bodies pile high and old people must accept their fate Mr Cummings has claimed that he heard Mr Johnson say he would rather let the bodies pile high than sanction a second lockdown in the autumn of 2020 an accusation Mr Johnson has already denied. There are other remarks it may not be easy for the former Tory leader to evade. Former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said Mr Johnson suggested in August 2020 that Covid was natures way of dealing with old people and that people accept their fate. Sir Patricks diary reveals that Mr Johnson started an October 2020 meeting by arguing for letting it all rip accepting there would be more casualties and adding: They have had a good innings. Boris Johnson pictured with his ex-chief adviser Dominic Cummings (PA Archive) Questions on whether he or Dominic Cummings made key decisions Mr Johnson will have to explain why Mr Cummings was apparently handed so much power. Former cabinet minister Sajid Javid told the inquiry that Mr Johnson was not in charge of what was happening and was largely happy with Mr Cummings running the government. Mr Javid said the top No 10 strategist would not stop until he had burnt the house down. Matt Hancock also described Mr Cummings as malign actor that created a culture of fear across government. Mr Johnson will be grilled on his relationship with Mr Cummings, whether he allowed him to create a dysfunctional culture in government, and how the pair fell out towards the end of 2020. Key figures say flip-flopper Boris changed his mind on lockdowns Mr Johnson will be grilled on whether he was too slow going into the first lockdown in late March. The ex-PM was dubbed the trolley by Mr Cummings about claims he oscillated wildly and unhelpfully over a second lockdown in the autumn. The ex-PM is expected to admit the government were initially too complacent to respond to the crisis. But he is set to deny claims by Mr Cummings that he was distracted by his efforts to write a book on Shakespeare in February 2020. It remains to be seen whether he will agree with Mr Hancocks claim that many lives would have been saved if the UK had gone into the first lockdown three weeks before 23 March. Mr Johnson will reportedly claim Prof Chris Whitty the chief medical office was instrumental in arguing for a delay. The most damning evidence so far, perhaps, has come from Sir Patrick and Mr Case. The chief scientist said Mr Johnson was flip flopping and all over the place in the summer of 2020. And the nations top civil servant said in September 2020 that the then-PM cannot lead. Boris accused of being bamboozled by Covid science Mr Johnson was bamboozled by the science and had to have key details explained to him repeatedly, Sir Patrick told the Covid inquiry. The then-PM struggled to understand graphs and just could not get some scientific concepts. Sir Patrick wrote in his diary: Watching the PM get his head around stats is awful. He finds relative and absolute risk almost impossible to understand. More important for the inquiry KC to get at is whether Mr Johnson ignore scientific advice. He will have to explain why he rejected a circuit-breaker lockdown in September 2020. And he could be asked what he understood by the herd immunity concept and whether it influenced his thinking. Boris allegedly asked if a hairdryer up the nose would kill Covid Mr Cummings told the Covid inquiry that Mr Johnson shared with officials a YouTube video since taken down of a man blowing a special hairdryer up his nose to kill Covid. The ex-adviser said in his written evidence that the Mr Johnsons circulating the hairdryer video and asking top officials if it was true was a low point amid fears he could have been giving false information to the media. Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock both found to have broken rules (PA) Boris relationship with his health secretary Matt Hancock Mr Johnson may have wanted to keep Mr Hancock in post as health secretary as a sacrifice for the Covid inquiry, Mr Cummings has claimed. The ex-adviser wanted Mr Hancock sacked and told the then-PM in May 2020: Theres no way the guy can stay. Hes lied his way through this and killed people and dozens and dozens of people have seen it. But Mr Johnson will offer support for Mr Hancock at the inquiry, according to The Times, and will insist his old colleague was doing a good job in very difficult circumstances. Questions on whether Eat Out to Help Out fuelled Covids spread Mr Johnson will no doubt be asked about his relationship with Mr Sunak, and the then-chancellors controversial Eat Out to Help Out scheme in the late summer of 20202. Prof Whitty dubbed it Eat out to help out the virus, while Mr Hancock said he kept his own concerns about the scheme to boost the restaurant trade out of the news because he believed in a team effort. Despite their later bitter fall-out over Mr Sunaks resignation and leadership push, the two top government figures do not appear to have been regularly at odds on Covid policy. They both appear to have had reservations about a second lockdown. According to Sir Patrick, at the October 2020 meeting in Mr Johnson argued for letting it all rip, Mr Cummings claimed that Rishi thinks just let people die and thats okay. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} From partygate to wallpapergate, Boris Johnson has never been far from controversy. The former prime minister stepped down from Number 10 in July 2022, saying: No one in politics is remotely indispensable. Speaking outside Downing Street at the time before stepping down as PM, Mr Johnson thanked those who voted Conservative and said the reason he fought so long to remain in office was because he thought it was my job, my duty and my obligation to you". After many scandals and an investigation into his conduct, Mr Johnson bid farewell for the second time in early June 2023 - but this time it was as a member of parliament. The former Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP claimed he was forced out of parliament and branded a probe into his conduct as a hitjob. He also said the Committee of Privileges was determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament. So, since leaving both positions as PM and MP - what has Mr Johnson been up to lately? He is due to attend the Covid inquiry Boris Johnson is due to attend the Covid inquiry (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) A Covid-19 inquiry has been launched which looks into the British governments response to the coronavirus pandemic and seeks to understand the decisions made that led to strict lockdown measures. It also looks at how our evolving understanding of the virus guided policy, what the government got right and what mistakes were made, with a view to being better prepared for future pandemics and public health emergencies. Mr Johnson will be next in the hot seat at the inquiry, in one of the most anticipated hearings yet to come. The hearing is due to take place on Wednesday 6 December from 10am. Mr Johnson will answer questions about the government and what measures it took during the pandemic. It will also offer the ex-PM a chance to answer criticism of his handling of the pandemic. So far, the probe has painted a damning picture of Mr Johnsons operation, with an exchange of secret WhatsApp messages revealing the chaos between government officials. Becoming a columnist for MailOnline Just a few days after announcing his leave as MP, Mr Johnson confirmed he was joining the Daily Mail as a columnist. However, his writing endeavours were not taken well. After his announcement, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), suggested it was not notified about Mr Johnsons new role - which is a big problem. Former ministers who have left the Government in the past two years must apply to the independent watchdog before taking up a new appointment or role. An Acoba spokeswoman told the PA news agency: We havent had an application and we will be writing to Mr Johnson. The former PM has continued to produce work for the outlet, with his latest take being on the royal rumble and Omid Scobies bombshell book, Endgame. Awarded honorary degree in Lviv Zelensky (R) gives an award to Boris Johnson in 2022 (Getty Images) Mr Johnson jetted off to Ukraine in September this year to receive an honorary degree. He was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv this translates to for the sake of honour. Mr Johnson was welcomed by the Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi who described the former PM as a great friend of Ukraine. Mr Johnson was a loyal supporter of Kyiv during his time as prime minister and has often visited the country both before and after stepping down in July 2022. In another recent surprise visit in January 2023, Mr Johnson said: It is a privilege to visit Ukraine at the invitation of President Zelensky. The suffering of the people of Ukraine has gone on for too long. He added: The only way to end this war is for Ukraine to win and to win as fast as possible. This is the moment to double down and to give the Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job. The sooner Putin fails, the better for Ukraine and for the whole world. Read more on Mr Johnsons upcoming appearance at the Covid-19 inquiry here Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} New laws designed to slash the number of migrants by 300,000 a year risk splitting up families already living in the UK. Brits could see their foreign partners told to leave the country the next time their visa comes up for renewal if their household does not earn 38,700, No 10 said. The move is part of plans to cut net migration after it soared to nearly three-quarters of a million in 2022. Experts, however, warned the planned crackdown was causing distress for many. Downing Street defended the policy, saying it was right that if you are bringing someone into the country you are able to support them. Under the plans unveiled on Monday those wishing to bring their spouse to the UK will now have to earn 38,700, a significant increase on the current figure of 18,600, and what has been described as a tax on love. Former Tory minister Gavin Barwell said it was both morally wrong and unconservative to say that only the wealthiest can fall in love, marry someone and then bring them to the UK. As well as applying to those yet to come to the UK, No 10 confirmed the new higher figure risks affecting those already here. Asked if it would apply to partners when they came to renew their visas, No 10 said the change was not retrospective, but it would apply to renewals in the future. At that point, people would be expected to meet the visa requirements of the day. The prime ministers official spokesperson added: People always have a set length of time for their visas and will be aware at the conclusion of that visa time that they dont have a guarantee that they will obviously remain in the country. The income level had not been updated for 10 years, No 10 said. There are exemptions, but these will be on a case-by-case basis, and it stressed that the amount could be spread across the household. Madeleine Sumption, the director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said the changes would make the UK an outlier among western nations. This is definitely completely different to what any other high-income country does, she said. Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, from migrant rights organisation Praxis, said she was concerned for families who feel forced to make horrible decisions due to the changes. The changes are due to come into effect in spring and will apply when existing visas for foreign spouses come up for renewal. The prime minister's spokesperson said on Tuesday: The family immigration rules contain a provision for exceptional circumstances where there would be unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant, their partner, a relevant child or another family member if their application were to be refused. No examples were given and the spokesperson said applications would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Official figures from April show the median gross annual earnings for full-time employees in the UK was 34,963. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Home secretary James Cleverly has hailed yet another deal with Rwanda as the way to rescue the governments thwarted plan to stop the boats only for it to be denounced as a gross political fantasy. The embattled cabinet minister said there was now no credible legal reason for the policy to continue to be blocked after he flew to Kigali to sign a new treaty. But Mr Cleverly still could not guarantee flights will depart next spring, as Rishi Sunak hopes, as he became the third minister in less than two years to sign an agreement with the African nation. Tory MPs warned they would examine new emergency legislation on Rwanda due to be published within days to determine the country is a safe destination to ensure planes carrying asylum seekers take off. It came as the prime minister faces a major Commons revolt from two sides of his party over the planned new law. MPs on the right of the party are pushing the PM to use it to opt out of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) warning he must go for the full fat version to stop judges intervening. Home secretary James Cleverly arrives at Kigali International Airport (PA Wire) But senior Tory moderates are also warning Mr Sunak they may not support his legislation if he does try to flout the ECHR, arguing that it would be a mistake that doesnt command public support. As the treaty was unveiled, it emerged that: Asylum seekers sent to Rwanda who go on to commit serious crimes while there could end up back in the UK UK taxpayers will have to pay more on top of the 140m already spent on a scheme which has yet to send a single asylum seeker to the east-central African country The UK will take some of Rwanda's refugees under the plans, a measure contained in the original agreement Rwanda will still have a veto over which asylum seekers it accepts Those sent there will be offered support and accommodation by the UK for five years Under the treaty, they will not be sent on to a third country, such as the one from which they fled the main criticism of the Supreme Court and will stay in Rwanda Mr Sunak announced the new treaty and the emergency legislation in the wake of a damning Supreme Court judgment which ruled his plans unlawful. In the Rwandan capital, Mr Cleverly praised the new deal, saying: We feel very strongly this treaty addresses all of the issues of their lordships in the Supreme Court. But he could not guarantee when the first flight of asylum seekers would take off. The home secretary added: We want to see this part of our wider migration plan up and running as quickly as possible. James Cleverly during Tuesdays press conference in Kigali (PA Wire) Under the treaty, those sent to Rwanda will stay there, no matter the outcome of their asylum application. The Supreme Court had warned that under the previous system, vulnerable refugees risked being erroneously sent back to the countries from which they had fled, where they would face persecution. Also included in the treaty are plans for UK lawyers to be sent to Rwanda to help process claims and ensure appeals are granted correctly. An independent monitoring committee will assess the processing of asylum claims and the treatment and support for individuals for up to five years. It will also establish a new whistleblowing system to allow asylum seekers sent to Rwanda to lodge confidential complaints. Tory MPs on right including members of the New Conservatives, Commons Sense Group and European Research Group will convene a star chamber of legal experts to decide with the upcoming Rwanda legislation is tough enough to support. Mark Francois, chair of the ERG, said Mr Sunaks plan B bill expected to be set out on Thursday must fully respect the sovereignty of parliament by getting around international law. However, Tory moderates in the One Nation caucus which boasts around 100 MPs have urged Mr Sunak to remain committed to both the ECHR and the UK Human Rights Act. They too have warned of rebellion. Stephen Hammond, deputy chair, said moderate MPs would struggle to support a so-called full-fat option of flouting the ECHR. Its chair Damian Green said Mr Sunak should think twice before overriding both the ECHR and HRA, while leading moderate Matt Warman said overriding the ECHR would be a red line. Right-wing MP Simon Clarke, who wants to opt out of the ECHR, fired back at the moderates by tweeting: Failing to stop the boats would be a red line for a number of Conservatives namely our voters. Mr Sunak is said to have ruled out the most hardline option of opting out of the ECHR. But he will try to appease the Tory right by disapplying parts of the Human Rights Act, according to The Times described as a middle way option. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper accused Mr Cleverly of being the third home secretary in 18 months to take a trip to Rwanda for a photo op. Priti Patel signed the initial deal last April while his predecessor, Suella Braverman, visited Kigali earlier this year. More home secretaries than asylum seekers have been sent there and the scheme is badly failing, Ms Cooper said. We know even if it ever does get off the ground, it will only cover a very small number of people when over 1,000 people arrived in small boats last week alone. James Cleverly and Rwandan minister of foreign affairs Vincent Biruta (PA Wire) The governments former top lawyer Jonathan Jones questioned whether ministers were really as confident as they suggested. He said: If the government were really confident that the treaty did the trick and Rwanda will now be safe, it could be confident of winning any further court challenge and wouldnt need to change the law as well. But the government has said it will table a Bill which will likely tell the courts that Rwanda is now to be treated as safe for the purposes of asylum claims. Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: It was obvious that this policy was destined to fail from the beginning, and this couldn't have been made any clearer than the Supreme Court ruling. The Conservatives have already spent far too much time, energy and money on this failing policy. Its time for James Cleverly to get serious and get on with fixing the broken asylum system. Tackling the sky-high asylum backlog and creating safe and legal routes for sanctuary will make far more progress towards that than this pet project policy ever could. Prime minister Rishi Sunaks Rwanda plans are being closely watched by his MPs (PA Wire) The Law Society of England and Wales was sceptical about Mr Cleverlys assurances, saying it remains unclear how the treaty will overcome the Supreme Court ruling based on a well-established principle of international law. Nick Emmerson, the president of the professional association representing solicitors, argued that neither the deal nor new legislation can overnight provide adequate means of safeguarding the rights of people removed to Rwanda. Steve Valdez-Symonds, from Amnesty International, said: With this treaty, ministers are once again doubling down on a fundamentally reckless policy of not processing asylum claims made in the UK even while expecting other countries to deal with the asylum claims they receive. The policy of not processing claims has already created a massive, costly and inhuman backlog, in which tens of thousands of people are now simply stuck in limbo. The gross political fantasy that Rwanda can simply receive these people from the UK is utterly immoral, wholly impractical and sets a terrible example on the world stage. Enver Solomon, from the Refugee Council, said: Its time for the government to admit that the Rwanda plan just isnt the right way forward. Instead, we need to develop a fair and compassionate approach to refugee protection that focuses on providing safe routes and a fair hearing for those seeking safety in the UK. Last month, former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption accused the government of trying to change the facts by law by declaring Rwanda safe. He also said the scheme was probably dead. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of protesters rallied against the New Zealand governments Indigenous policies on Tuesday as the Parliament convened for the first time since October elections. Demonstrations in the capital, Wellington, and in about a dozen other New Zealand cities and towns were organized by the minor Maori Party, which advocates for the rights of Indigenous New Zealanders who are known as Maori. Protesters demonstrated peacefully outside Parliament against what they described as the anti-Maori policies of the newly elected conservative-led coalition government. Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the new policies of Prime Minister Christopher Luxons administration would take New Zealand back to the 1800s. Our protest this morning was an activation of our people, Waititi said. The National Party-led government promises to review the Treaty of Waitangi and implement potential changes to how that foundation document signed by British colonists and Maori chiefs in 1840 affects modern laws. The government has also foreshadowed changes to the Maori Health Authority, a statutory agency responsible for ensuring that the New Zealand health system meets Maori needs. Luxon said his government was deeply committed to improving outcomes for Maori and non-Maori. Maori have done very well in National-led governments in the past, and theyre going to continue to do well, Luxon said. Lawmakers were sworn in on Tuesday after elections on Oct. 14 ousted the center-left Labour Party government that had ruled since 2017. The Maori Party won six of the 123 seats in the 54th Parliament. Party lawmaker Takuta Ferris wore a Maori headdress and performed a haka, a traditional dance or challenge accompanied by a chant, as he crossed the chamber to make an affirmation that confirmed his place in the Parliament. Other Maori Party lawmakers sang traditional Indigenous songs. Some Green Party lawmakers wore the Arab headdress known as the keffiyeh over their shoulders in a sign of support for Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war. Luxons National Party won 38% of the vote the largest proportion of any party. He took almost six weeks after the election to reach a coalition agreement with another two parties: the populist New Zealand First party and the libertarian ACT Party. ACT Party leader David Seymour described the Maori Party protests as divisive theatrics that showed disrespect for the election result. New Zealanders elected a government that will treat people equally, regardless of their race, Seymour said. Its a sad day when a political party is protesting equal rights, he added. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Senior Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis says he would love to see Nigel Farage as Tory home secretary suggesting the political rival could even be given a peerage to join the government. The right-wing former minister said the ex-Brexit Party leader would take no prisoners and could reach the public like no-one other than Boris Johnson. Rishi Sunak has suggested that Mr Farage may be welcome back inside the Conservatives insisting the party was a broad church. And former chancellor George Osborne has said it is not inconceivable that the former Ukip boss could be a future Tory leader because of the partys big shift to the right. Mr Guillis, a former schools minister under Liz Truss, said Mr Farage would be ideal home secretary and he would be very happy to welcome him into the Tory fold. Id love to see it, personally, he told GB News. I think Nigel has a lot to offer. Number one, he is a big voice on the key issues like immigration. Secondly, I think hes actually an asset across the blue and the red wall, he added. Probably no one closer to having the ability other than Boris Johnson to be able to get a message across clearly and concisely. On the possibility of making him home secretary, Mr Gullis added: Maybe, just maybe, the Conservatives could put Nigel Farage in the House of Lords. Delegates at the Tory conference pose with Nigel Farage in Manchester (AFP via Getty Images) I think he would take no nonsense; he would take no prisoners. He would call out the civil service for what they are at times, which are blockers to actual government policy and make sure that we deliver on the priorities of the British public. Mr Gullis is a key figure in the increasingly influential right-wing New Conservatives group, which is pushing for radical action from Mr Sunak and his current home secretary James Cleverly on the stalled Rwanda deportation flights. The Independent understands a group of around 35 MPs in the hardline New Conservatives group reportedly met with other colleagues on the right on Monday night to discuss whether to vote against Mr Sunaks legislation if it is not deemed tough enough. It poses a real threat to Mr Sunaks plans since only 26 Tory MPs would be needed to vote with the opposition to defeat his plan B legislation. Mr Farage, currently on ITVs Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!, was feted by Tory members and seen dancing with former home secretary Priti Patel at the recent party conference. The hard-right politician has also flirted with the idea of joining the Tories in recent weeks as he seeks to raise his profile again saying never say never. There is speculation that Mr Farage founder of the re-incarnation of the Brexit Party a could replace current leader Richard Tice when he gets out of the jungle. It comes as a new poll Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that more people who voted for the Tories in 2019 plan to support Reform UK than Labour. Some 15 per cent plan to ditch the Conservatives for the hard right party, while only 13 per cent will go to Labour, the survey found. And the latest BMG Research survey shows that Reform UK is now ahead of the Liberal Democrats in third on 11 per cent its best performance in any poll by the firm. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Britains deputy PM Oliver Dowden has warned the public they should buy candles, torches and battery-powered radios in the event of a crisis cutting power supplies. The senior Tory cabinet minister said Britons should be more personally resilient, as he suggested they were too dependent on devices activated by the internet. A national resilience academy will be launched to help people and businesses prepare for future pandemics, natural disasters and cyber-attacks, Mr Dowden has said. Rishi Sunaks deputy announced the plans in the Commons claiming the new academy will help the whole of society prepare for major risks. Mr Dowden also suggested that people stock up on battery-powered radios and torches, as well as candles and first aid kits to prepare for power cuts or digital communications going down, according to The Times. In a visit to Porton Down, the UKs main military laboratory, he described the supplies as analogue capabilities that are worth boosting in our digital age. The world has changed unrecognisably and our society is highly reliant on digital infrastructure, he said. The government needs to ensure that we are resilient in this digital age, ensuring that our structures take this into account, including considering those analogue capabilities that it makes sense to retain. Mr Dowden listed Russias invasion of Ukraine, cyber-attacks, pandemics, the misuse of artificial intelligence and extreme weather among some of the risks the UK faces. Deputy PM Oliver Dowden has set out plans for a resilience academy (PA) He said businesses will be offered training to deal with the impact of such threats, while a new website will provide the public with practical advice on how to be better prepared for future risks. Mr Dowden made the announcement as part of his first annual risk and resilience statement, which he had promised to give last year when launching the governments UK resilience framework. He told the Commons the new resilience website will provide practical advice on how households can prepare as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the simple steps individuals can take to raise their resilience. Mr Dowden also said the government will develop a new volunteer hub aimed at helping authorities draw on a single pool of volunteers who want to help in future events similar to the Covid pandemic saying it showed the overwhelming community spirit of the UK. Labour frontbencher Pat McFadden welcomed the measures but asked what the government is doing to bolster resilience in energy supplies and the public estate, as well as in elections. He said: Why is it that the governments new policy is to roll back on the transition mandated by its own legislation for net zero, and prolong a reliance on international fossil fuel markets? For these failures, the British public has paid a heavy price. The Labour figure added: And how will the government increase resilience in the public estate? Schools capital budgets cut back under this prime minister watch while he was chancellor. School roofs falling in, disrupting childrens education. He also pressed ministers to implement recommendations of parliaments intelligence and security committee, aimed at preventing Russia and other states from interfering with upcoming elections. Mr McFadden said: With an election coming some time in the next year, I am sure the secretary of state would agree that we need to do all we can to ensure it is conducted in a free and fair manner. Mr Dowden reminded the Commons that an election could be held in January 2025 at the latest. Indeed it is not just in this nation, in many nations around the world next year or indeed in this nation it could be the year after elections will happen. That is why we have instructed the democracy taskforce to make sure we are fully resilient, he added. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Home secretary James Cleverly has signed a new treaty with Rwanda in a bid to rescue Rishi Sunaks thwarted deportation plan. Emergency plan B legislation is also planned soon, as Mr Sunak tries to assert that Rwanda is a safe country to send migrants following his governments defeat at the Supreme Court. Senior Tory right-winger are plotting a rebellion and are pushing the PM to opt out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) warning he must go for the full fat version to get around judges. The Independent understands the 35 MPs in the New Conservatives group will meet others on the right including the Commons Sense Group and European Research Group tonight to discuss whether to vote against Mr Sunaks legislation if it is not tough enough. But senior Tory moderates are also warning Mr Sunak they may not support his legislation if he does try to flout the ECHR arguing that it would be a mistake that doesnt have public support. Both sides poses a real threat to Mr Sunaks plans since only around 25 to 30 Tory MPs would be needed to vote with the opposition to defeat his landmark legislation. Mr Cleverly travelled to Kigali on Tuesday, as the PM attempts to make his plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda legally sound after the Supreme Courts ruling against the policy. Legal experts and charities believe the attempt to get flights started before the 2024 election will fail with the governments own lawyers said to be pessimistic about efforts to get around human rights law. Mr Cleverly, who met his counterpart Vincent Biruta to sign the treaty, hopes the upgraded agreement, which gives it the status of international law, will address the problems that led the UKs highest court to rule the offshoring deportation scheme unlawful. But in Kigali, Mr Cleverly could not guarantee the first flight of asylum seekers to Rwanda will take off in the spring. as the government aims. James Cleverly meets British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Omar Daair (PA) The home secretary said: We want to see this part of our wider migration plan up and running as quickly as possible. We feel very strongly this treaty addresses all of the issues of their lordships in the Supreme Court. He said he could not see any credible reason to question Rwandas track record, adding the planned new domestic legislation would come soon. UK lawyers are to be sent to Rwanda to help process claims and ensure appeals are granted correctly. Ministers said the new treaty would ensure those relocated to Rwanda are not at risk of being sent back to countries they have fled an act known as refoulement including through a new appeal body. An independent monitoring committee will assess the processing of asylum claims and the treatment and support for individuals for up to 5 years. It will also establish a new whistleblowing system to allow asylum seekers sent to Rwanda to lodge confidential complaints. James Cleverly and Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Biruta (PA) John Hayes MP, sacked home secretary Suella Bravermans mentor, is demanding that the Tory leader opt out of the ECHR in its emergency Rwanda legislation. We need severe measures. It important to get those flights off to Rwanda so we need to be really tough, the leader of the Tories Commons Sense Group told The Independent. Senior Tory Mark Francois, the ERG chief, also warned Mr Sunak that it could be three strikes and youre out urging the PM to to ignore the ECHR in the emergency Rwanda legislation. Tory moderates in the One Nation caucus which boats around 100 MPs have urged Mr Sunak to remain committed to both the ECHR and the UK Human Rights Act in the emergency Rwanda legislation. Stephen Hammond, deputy chair, said moderate MPs would struggle to support a so-called full-fat option warning that any attempt to flout the ECHR would be a mistake and doesnt have public support. Former minister Damian Green, chair of the One Nation group, said: The government should think twice before overriding both the ECHR and HRA and not rush such long term, difficult decisions. He said the group was studying the Rwanda treaty extremely carefully. The Supreme Court ruling has a major impact on Rishi Sunaks promise to stop the boats (PA Wire) Immigration minister Robert Jenrick claimed that he is confident Rwanda flights will take off before the general election as he described illegal migrants as having broken into the UK. The hardline cabinet minister said its profoundly wrong for people to be entering the UK illegally on small boats, telling Sky News: If you or I crossed an international border, or literally broke into another country, we would expect to be treated very seriously. Senior civil servants at the Home Office are said to have warned No 10 that its Rwanda legislation is destined to fail. Government lawyers are reportedly refusing to sanction the most draconian version, that would opt out of the ECHR by using a notwithstanding clause to direct UK judges to ignore it in asylum cases. Sacked home secretary Suella Braverman visisted Rwanda in April (PA Wire) Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council said the treaty showed a callous disregard for people who have fled unimaginable horrors and will have a devastating impact on the mental health of people seeking asylum. He added: Its time for the government to admit that the Rwanda plan just isnt the right way forward. The Freedom from Torture campaign group said the it was shameful to strike a new treaty. No amount of tinkering will change the fundamental fact that this cash for humans deal is immoral it needs to be shelved once and for all, they said. The Law Societys president Nick Emmerson said: The suggestion of stationing British lawyers in Rwanda implies a lack of confidence in how cases would be handled there .... The government needs to admit the scheme is likely beyond repair. It comes as a new poll Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that more people who voted for the Tories in 2019 plan to support Reform UK than Labour. Some 15 per cent plan to ditch the Conservatives for the hard right party, while only 13 per cent will go to Labour, the survey found. In a bid to cut record-high net migration, Mr Cleverly increased the salary threshold for foreign workers to 38,700. The measures announced on Monday also banned overseas social care staff from bringing dependants to the UK. But Mr Jenrick said more measures may be required to bring down legal migration. Youre right to say that more things may need to be done, but without question this is a big step forward, he told GB News on Tuesday. And in remarks which raise eyebrows at Westminster, the immigration minister also said there would be merits to introducing an annual, Australia-style cap on net migration a move demanded by Ms Braverman. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Home secretary James Cleverly has flown to Rwanda in a bid to get the governments plan to deport asylum seekers back on track, following a crushing defeat at the Supreme Court. In a unanimous decision, justices at the highest court in the land ruled that the flagship illegal immigration policy to stop the boats was unlawful because evidence said Rwanda was not a safe country to send migrants to. Rishi Sunak said it was not the outcome we wanted but a defiant prime minister vowed to get flights to take off in the spring of next year, declaring that his plans would alleviate concerns raised by the Supreme Court. Mr Sunak, under pressure from MPs on the right of his party to reduce migration to the UK, is said to be taking a three-pronged approach to make his Rwanda plan, which has already cost taxpayers 140m, viable. James Cleverly has flown to Rwanda to try and salvage the plan (PA) A new treaty with Rwanda The first part of that plan was for the UK to update its memorandum of understanding with Rwanda to a treaty. Mr Cleverly has met with his counterpart, Vincent Biruta, to put pen to paper in a signing ceremony and to discuss key next steps on the so-called migration and economic development partnership. Following the Supreme Court ruling on 15 November, Mr Sunak insisted that the government had for months been working on contingency measures and promised a treaty with Rwanda - and emergency legislation in parliament (more on that below) - within days. But the government has still not produced either. Over the weekend, reports swirled as to what the final document might contain as Downing Street sought to keep its details a secret, although the treaty was expected to be aimed at addressing some of the concerns raised by the Supreme Court, including guarantees that Rwanda would not deport arrivals from the UK back to their home country. The Sunday Times reported that Rwanda would be given a 15 million top-up payment to agree fresh terms on the agreement to take migrants who arrive in the UK on small boats. Sunak says flights will take off by the spring (Getty Images) Mr Sunak met Rwandas president Paul Kagame on the sidelines of the Cop28 climate talks in Dubai last week, but he declined to say afterward how much more money he would spend to get the scheme off the ground and Downing Street insisted there had been no demand from Kigali for extra money. The Daily Telegraph reported that British lawyers could be sent to advise Rwandan judges, perhaps for specific asylum case hearings or for longer periods, to help ensure appeals are granted correctly. Cabinet minister Lucy Frazer said the Home Office was looking very carefully at the idea when asked about it by broadcasters on Monday. There is an issue about processing and I know that the Home Office are looking at that very carefully, she told BBC Breakfast. I know that the home secretary James Cleverly is now working with Rwanda on a new treaty, and we will be bringing forward legislation in due course. However Rwanda has reportedly made clear that it will not allow anything that looks like a colonial court system, stressing the countrys judicial independence, according to the Telegraph. The newspaper reported that while the idea of sending lawyers to Rwandan lawyers had been discussed, it remained to be seen whether the proposal would actually make it into the treaty, which Downing Street wanted to ensure was legally watertight. The provisions of the treaty are the uncontentious, easy part of this negotiation within government, a senior government source told the paper. It is the bill that matters, and where the debate remains heated and unresolved. Emergency legislation The second part of the governments plan was to effectively ignore or override the Supreme Courts ruling by passing emergency legislation in parliament that would designate Rwanda as a safe country, in a highly controversial move that has been criticised by eminent legal professionals and experts. According to reports, Downing Street is considering two options when it comes to legislation. The first, the so-called semi-skimmed option, the UKs Human Rights Act would be disapplied to Rwanda. However, it is believed this would not prevent challenges by individual migrants. The full-fat option would be to remove the right of judicial review and include notwithstanding clauses that would allow ministers to ignore the European Convention on Human Eights (ECHR) and other international treaties in the area of asylum. Dominic Grieve has warned the UK could not override its international obligations without consequence (AFP/Getty) But Dominic Grieve, the former Tory MP who served as attorney general under David Cameron, said those arguing for the so-called notwithstanding clauses were living in a fantasy world, adding that the UK could not simply override its international obligations whenever it suits it without consequence. You can do it, but it is equivalent to breaching our ECHR obligations, he told Bloomberg after the Supreme Court ruling, adding any such move would end up in the courts in Europe. In its ruling, the Supreme Court stressed that the ECHR was not the only international obligation relevant to the case, pointing out that there are other international treaties which also prohibit the return of asylum seekers to their countries without a proper examination of their claims. The UK is also a signatory of the United Nations conventions on refugees and torture, meaning any legislation would need to address this treaty too, potentially sparking another row among backbench Tory MPs. It has been less than clear so far that Downing Street has been willing to do so. Meanwhile, Jonathan Sumption, a former Supreme Court justice, said it would be constitutionally really quite extraordinary for the government to introduce emergency legislation to declare Rwanda safe. He said he had never heard of a government trying to change the facts, by law and warned the PMs plan would not get through the House of Lords. And even if it did, Mr Sumption said, it would not be recognised internationally and therefore open to challenge in the courts. In short, the government could pass legislation to override its international obligations but it would still be open to legal challenges. Bundle of evidence The government is yet to send any asylum seekers to Rwanda (PA) According to the i newspaper, the government is considering a third option: preparing a dossier of evidence designed to show that Rwanda is a safe country for asylum seekers to be sent to. The evidence would address the points on which the Supreme Courts ruling was based, the paper said. Lawyers for some of the claimants who challenged the Rwanda plan in court argued that the government ignored clear evidence that Kigalis asylum system was not fit for purpose. A No 10 spokesperson insisted last month that substantive amounts of work had been done to address the supreme courts concerns - including improving asylum decision-making. By its very nature, this approach would mean the government having to go through the courts again and it is unclear how long this would take, with Mr Sunak anxious to get planes in the air ahead of the next election, expected in the spring or autumn of next year. It also begs the following question: if adequate evidence proving Rwanda was safe already existed then why wasnt it provided to the Supreme Court in the first instance? Rwanda is a safe country James Cleverly at a press conference in Rwanda (PA) Ahead of his visit on Tuesday, Mr Cleverly insisted that Rwanda was a safe country as senior Tories on the right of the party plotted to stage a rebellion if their demands to pull the UK out of the ECHR were not met, warning the government it was three strikes and youre out after previous attempts to send asylum seekers to Kigali failed. Following the signing ceremony on Tuesday, Mr Cleverly again insisted that Rwanda was a safe country and that the new treaty addressed all the issues addressed by the Supreme Court. The home secretary said he cannot see any credible reason to question Rwanda now after he signed the deal in Kigali, where he hopes the first migrant flights will land in the spring. He said categorically that the UK has not paid any more money to Rwanda in addition to the 140 million already handed over. But he signalled that there will inevitably be further costs to cover the new burdens imposed on the Rwandan legal system. Of course, when a country is taking on responsibilities as Rwanda is doing, it is right and proper that there is remuneration to reflect the additional costs that they are bringing on, Mr Cleverly said. Mr Cleverly promised that emergency legislation will come before Parliament soon to determine that Rwanda is a safe destination, under the second tier of the Governments approach. But he could not guarantee that the first group of asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on small boats would be sent to Kigali on a one-way ticket in the coming months. Instead, he told reporters: We want to see this part of our wider migration plan up and running as quickly as possible. We feel very strongly that this treaty addresses all of the issues raised by their lordships in the Supreme Court and we have worked very closely with our Rwandan partners to ensure that it does so. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has suggested he would like to see a fresh crackdown to cut net migration levels after his boss James Cleverly announced a package of curbs. Home secretary unveiled a five-point plan in the Commons aimed at cutting the number of people coming to the UK by around 300,000. But Mr Jenrick seen as a hardline ally of sacked home secretary Suella Braverman said further measures may be needed to bring numbers down, and there are merits in imposing an absolute cap on visas. Ms Braverman has called for an Australia-style cap on annual migrant numbers, as she responded to the Cleverly plan as too late and pushed Rishi Sunak to go further. Asked if a cap on numbers is a good idea, Mr Jenrick told Times Radio: There are merits to ideas like that. But what matters now is action Ive been very clear, that people are sick of talk on this topic. On GB News, the immigration minister said more things may need to be done but without question this is a big step forward. In a bid to win back voters, Mr Cleverly increased the salary threshold for foreign workers from 26,200 to 38,700 as part of a package set to come into force in April. In a surprise move, the minimum income for family visas was also raised to the new salary threshold of 38,700. He also banned overseas social care staff from bringing dependants to the UK, and the rule allowing the most-needed professions to be hired at 20 per cent below the going rate would also be scrapped. Robert Jenrick is believed to have pushed for hardline reforms (Reuters) Business leaders warned of major staffing crises in hospitality and social care ahead. Labour accused the Tories of chaotic panic, while union leaders claimed the PM was playing roulette with essential services to placate the right. Mr Jenrick said on Tuesday that achieving greater social cohesion and national unity in the UK is impossible unless levels of immigration can be brought under control. He also suggested that being able to deliver on commitments to cut immigration is a matter of trust for the Tory party trailing Labour in the polls in the run up to next years general election. We want to reduce pressure on housing and public services, and also to build a more socially cohesive and united country, which is difficult I would argue impossible when such large numbers of people are coming into the country, Mr Jenrick told Sky News. He also told Times Radio: I have argued for this package of measures, that we have to meet our manifesto commitment, and that is a matter of trust and ensuring that the democratic will of the public. Rishi Sunak is under pressure to cut both legal and illegal migration (PA Wire) Unison general secretary Christina McAnea who accused Mr Sunak of playing roulette with essential services just to placate its backbenchers and the far right warned that some foreign workers in the UK will now leave. What do you thinks going to happen? she told the BBC World at One programme. To those who are already here, who do have dependents when they come to renew their visa, presumably they will be told you have to send your children back again. On Tuesday, the Home Office and No 10 clarified that those earning less than the 38,700 when they came to the UK on a skilled workers visa would not be asked to leave when the changes come into force in April. Dependents who arrived in the UK on a family visa before the new threshold of 38,700 for family income kicks in from April will not be asked to leave either. However, it is not yet clear whether overseas workers or dependents who do not meet the threshold when they come renew their visa will be allowed to stay in the UK. Reunite Familes UK which helps migrants bring loved ones to Britain said they were beyond devastated at the changes. Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory, said the move to raise the family visa income threshold to 38,700 would restrict some people very significantly. Mr Sunak echoed Mr Cleverly in declaring enough is enough as he promised to get control of immigration once and for all. Writing in The Sun, the PM said there is far too much abuse of our system. Health secretary Victoria Atkins defended the migration reforms in the Commons on Tuesday. Asked if she was worried about the impact overseas recruitment in social care, she said: What we need to do is to tackle the migration rate that is too high. Ms Atkins said: The package as presented by the government yesterday is a thoughtful and careful package to tackle legal migration. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An American newlywed was killed by a shark the day after her wedding while paddle boarding in the Bahamas, according to police in the country. The female victim, who is from Boston, tied the knot on Sunday and was attacked on Monday morning in waters less than a mile off the western end of New Providence Island, according to WCVB. Authorities say that the unidentified victim was in the water with a relative, who was not injured in the attack. The type of shark involved in the attack was not immediately clear. Shortly after 11.15am, police were notified that a female visitor from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, was subsequently attacked by a shark, Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement. According to initial reports, the female along with a male relative were paddleboarding just at the rear of a resort in western Providence, some 3/4 miles out from the shoreline, when she was bitten by the shark. Both of the paddle boarders were rescued by a lifeguard in a boat but the woman, who had serious injuries to the right side of her body, died at the scene. We extend our heartfelt condolencesfor this most unfortunate situation, said Police Sgt Desiree Ferguson. The attack took place near the Sandles resort on Cable Beach. People gather on the resort pier after the shark attack at Sandals Royal Bahamian resort (REUTERS) We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of a guest while on a paddleboarding activity nearly a mile from the shore. We wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the guests family and loved ones. We remain in close contact with them and are providing all support possible during this difficult time, Sandals Resorts said in a statement. Gavin Naylor, director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, told the Associated Press that there are between 30 and 40 species of sharks that live in the waters around the Bahamas He told the outlet that the Caribbean reef shark, the bull shark, the tiger shark and the black tip shark were the most likely to bite. Usually, its an accidental bite. They think its something else, he said. Once in a while, theyll actually single out people, and its very intentional. There were 57 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2022, with nine fatalities, according to the International Shark Attack File. The Bahamas has seen 33 unprovoked shark attacks since 1749, according to the data. Officials in the Bahamas are still searching for a German woman who went missing last month while diving in the region. And last year a female cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania was attacked and killed by a shark while snorkeling near Green Cay. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as family members of people held hostage by Hamas speak in Washington on Tuesday, 5 December. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul and ranking member Gregory Meeks were due to hold a press conference with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and several family members of individuals held by the militant group. It comes after more than 100 Israeli and foreign hostages were released last week, in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. On Tuesday, Israel intensified its bombardment in and around Khan Younis, Gazas second-largest city. The Israeli military has widened its offensive into southern Gaza after obliterating much of the north in response to Hamas' attack on 7 October. The combination of aerial bombardment and a ground offensive has driven three-fourths of the territorys 2.3 million people from their homes. New evacuation orders are in place for areas around Khan Younis, meaning residents are squeezing into smaller areas of the tiny coastal strip. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A deadly helicopter crash off the coast of Japan has sparked safety concerns surrounding the US militarys V-22 Ospreyaircraft. Multiple people are believed to be dead after an American Osprey aircraft crashed into the sea in southwest Japan last week, according to the Air Force Special Operations Command. The recent crash is the latest in a series of incidents involving Osprey aircraft around the world. While the exact cause of the crash is unknown, the Japanese government has halted its operation of Osprey aircraft, and requested that the US ground its Ospreys. However, the US has disregarded the request and is continuing to fly the craft despite concerns it may harm relations with Tokyo at a time when China is carrying out an aggressive military expansion in the region. Japan and the US are the only nations to operate Ospreys. Their deployment has been controversial, with critics saying they are prone to accidents. Here is everything you need to know about the aircraft: What happened to the Osprey in Japan? A US Osprey crashed in Japan last week after leaving the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture for a training flight headed to the largest US base in the area Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The helicopter is believed to have requested an emergency landing on the small island of Yakishima before crashing into the sea close to the island. A US military Osprey aircraft at the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the centre of the city of Ginowan, Okinawa prefecture (AFP via Getty Images) Witnesses have said the aircraft flipped and caught fire before hitting the water. The Japanese Coast Guard, with the help of local fishermen, have been searching around the clock following the crash. On Monday, the US Air Force confirmed it had found wreckage from the aircraft which contained the bodies of five of the eight crew members who were on board. The Air Force said that two of the five crew members found on Monday had been recovered, adding that there was an ongoing combined effort to recover the remaining crew members from the wreckage. The five crew members have not been identified. A floating object believed to belong to the U.S. military aircraft V-22 Osprey that crashed into the sea is seen off Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, western Japan November 30, 2023 (via REUTERS) Before this discovery, the remains of only one crew member had been found. Last week, the Air Force identified that crew member as Staff Sergeant Jacob Galliher, 24. If all the crew members died in the recent crash, it would be the deadliest incident involving an Osprey ever. How many Ospreys have crashed recently? Last weeks crash is not the only fatal incident involving a US Osprey. Four fatal Osprey crashes, including last weeks accident, have claimed the lives of at least 13 American troops in the past two years. Three US Marines were killed and eight others were taken to hospital following an Osprey crash on an Australian island in August, CBS reported. Meanwhile, in the summer of last year, five Marines died when an Osprey crashed in the desert in California. Another crash which was found to be the result of pilot error killed four Marines in Norway in March the same year. A Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force minesweeper searches in the waters where a U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed, off Yakushima, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 (AP) Hundreds of Ospreys are operated by the US Marine Corps, US Navy and by the US Air Forces Special Operations Command, as well as by the Japanese military. The Japanese Defence Ministry said that the US has six Ospreys at Yokota and another 24 at the Futenma base on Okinawa, according to CBS News. The hybrid aircraft was initially used in Japan more than 10 years ago and can take off and land vertically like a helicopter before changing the angle of the rotors to fly at high speeds like a plane. Ospreys have been used extensively during US military operations, including combat missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Why do Ospreys keep crashing? Despite a string of accidents, the US military has so far insisted the aircraft is safe. A Marine Corps investigation found that the California crash was the result of clutch problems an issue that had also been reported by the Air Force on several occasions and which prompted the service to temporarily ground its fleet. Meanwhile, Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno last week said he was concerned that flights are being carried out without sufficient explanation about safety confirmation, despite repeated requests from Japan. The cause of the Japan crash is still unknown. The members of Japanese Coast Guard carry the debris which are believed to be from the crashed U.S. military Osprey aircraft, at a port in Yakushima, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 (AP) The Pentagon said all V-22 Ospreys in Japan undergo safety and maintenance checks, and an investigation is ongoing into the crash. The United States is taking all appropriate safety measures, as we do for every flight and every operation, a Pentagon spokesperson said. Should that investigation yield results that require the department to change anything about the Osprey or to take additional steps, we will certainly do that, they added. Statistics show that the aircraft is not more dangerous to operate than others in US military service. In 2022, a Marine aviation spokesman said the services Ospreys had a lower mishap rate per 100,000 flight hours than three of its jet fighters the Harrier, the F/A18 Super Hornet and the F-35 as well as its primary helicopter, the CH-53E Super Stallion. Close Related video: Jonathan Majors court date The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Marvel star Jonathan Majors was handed a guilty verdict in his trial for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari on Monday afternoon. Jurors deliberated for a total of roughly five hours before convicting Majors on two charges - one misdemeanour count of assault and one harassment violation. In a statement after the verdict, Majors legal team issued a statement saying he looks forward to clearing his name. Last week, Judge Michael Gaffey permitted the release of a wealth of evidence, including text messages, photographs, footage, a recording of the actor calling himself a great man and the 911 call from the night of the alleged attack. The texts show Majors dissuading Jabbari from going to the hospital following a separate alleged altercation in 2022, saying it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something. Majors was supported throughout the trial by his current girlfriend Meagan Good. Hours after the guilty verdict was announced, Marvel said it was dropping Majors from its lineup. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The shocking case of an alleged serial killer who targeted unhoused people in Los Angeles throughout last month is bringing attention to the dangers faced by those living on the street. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, made his first appearance in Los Angeles court on Monday, and will enter a plea in January. Officials accuse him of shooting three unhoused people to death, and killing a fourth man, an LA county employee, in November. The killings, which took place over four consecutive days between 26 and 29 November, shook the public and caused concerns about the safety of Los Angeless estimated population of over 75,000 unhoused people. This is a killer who is preying on the unhoused, LA Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference earlier this month. Many friends and family members know how to reach their unhoused relatives. We need you to contact them today. We need you to tell them about this danger. Police were able to find Mr Powell by using security video to identify his car and track it to Beverley Hills. Law enforcement automatic license-plate readers later flagged the car, leading to a traffic stop where the 33-year-old was arrested on Thursday and allegedly found with a gun tied to the killing of the county worker, Nicholas Simbolon. Officials address string of homeless murders While in prison, police used the car and gun to connect Mr Powell to the other killings. Los Angeles Police Department chief Michael Moore said last week that Mr Powell appeared to be a homicidal serial killer. A search of Los Angeles court records did not indicate whether Mr Powell has legal representation. According to Theo Henderson, an activist and formerly unhoused person in LA who hosts the podcast We The Unhoused, the idea of a serial killer targeting homeless people is not the surprise that housed people think. He told The Independent many unhoused people have been attacked at random. For his part, hes been assaulted by drunken strangers leaving a bar, and once was stabbed so severely he needed major surgery to repair his colon. This photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows suspect Jerrid Joseph Powell Many unhoused people have stories of being attacked by members of the community, Mr Henderson said. Contrary to housed peoples opinions, unhoused people dont start randomly attacking them. Instead, he said, its because strangers feel they have the divine right of kings to kick out our people who they feel are a danger to society or the community. The November killings of the three unhoused people, who were sometimes asleep when Mr Powell allegedly attacked them according to police, is not the first time homeless people have come under threat of violence. The public is often very frightened of people who experience homelessness, Dr Margot Kushel, director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco, told The New York Times earlier this month about the LA case. But what they dont realize is that people experiencing homelessness are frightened all the time. A spate of attacks on unhoused people in San Francisco San Francisco, another California city with a serious housing problem, has been home to repeated attacks on the unhoused, in what some argue is the work of a single former city official though he has also been attacked by a homeless man. In April, former San Francisco fire commissioner Don Carmignani, 53, was allegedly brutally beaten with a metal object by an unhoused man named Garret Doty, who has since been arrested and may go on trial for assault and battery. He maintains the blows were in self-defence. However, in the course of media attention to the case, it was revealed that since 2021, unhoused people living near the Marina neighbourhood where the Carmignani incident took place had been attacked with chemical agents, including a case in which an unknown assailant allegedly opened someones tent flap and sprayed mace inside. Former San Francisco Fire Commissioner Don Carmignani says he was brutally attacked by a homeless man. (Allinradiodotcom) During the April altercation between Mr Doty and the fire commissioner, Mr Carmignanis own can of pepper spray went off by accident, according to the man, and a local witness said she heard Mr Carmignani threaten the homeless man earlier that day. Witnesses to the previous attacks on homeless people have described a man matching Mr Carmignanis physical description in some cases, though the former fire official has repeatedly denied any link. San Francisco police began investigating the spray attacks in May. During pre-trial hearings in the Doty case, Mr Carmignani repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked about the past attacks on homeless people in the area. His lawyer has said this was to avoid tesifying about unrelated incidents during the case about the April assault. Violence in Washington Last October, a man accused of stalking and shooting multiple sleeping homeless people in Washington DC and New York City earlier that year. He was charged with 17 offences including murder, assault and firearm offences. He allegedly attacked three men in Washington in March of that year, shooting two and allegedly shooting and stabbing a third, then setting his tent on fire. In total, he was wanted for five alleged attacks in New York and Washington over the course of two weeks. The suspect, Gerald Brevard was arrested in March following a multi-agency investigation involving the Washington DC police, NYPD, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The murder and assaults were bias-related hate crimes, according to the Justice Department. Brevard pleaded not guilty, and a trial is set for October 2024, according to court records. Killings in New York While New York City offers residents a unique right to shelter, members of its unhoused community have also faced attacks. In 2022, a man with a knife allegedly stabbed three homeless men in their sleep, killing one. Trevon Murphy, 40, who allegedly carried out the attacks, was homeless himself at the time. A family member told The New York Times he suffered from mental illness. Murphy made a full confession in video-recorded statements, according to the Manhattan DAs office. Two years prior, four homeless men were bludgeoned to death in their sleep in the Chinatown section of Manhattan. Randy Santos, 24, initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, as he sought potential mental health-related defence. Police say he admitted to being the person captured on video attacking some of the unhoused men who were killed, but Mr Santos has also said he doesnt remember the incidents and was homeless himself at the time. His next court appearance is in early 2024, according to court records. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The footage is desperate, heartbreaking and the stuff of every parents worst nightmares. Beata Kowalski sits in a doctors office the latest in a long line of medical rooms alongside her daughter, not yet 10 years old, whose formerly vivacious energy has been slipping away before her familys eyes. Beata and her husband, retired firefighter Jack, have watched as Maya began suffering headaches, pain and lesions, her feet turning inwards as the use of her legs deteriorated. The doctor mentions anxiety as a possible cause, and both Beata and Maya, turning to each other when he briefly steps outside, seem sad and exasperated. Its not anxiety, says Maya, her voice small as she sits in her tiny wheelchair. I know, baby, I know, her mother replies. Hes just trying to figure it out. You just stay as calm as you can. The encounter was recorded by Beata, a trained and exacting nurse, as she and Jack fought to get a diagnosis and treatment for Maya after she began experiencing mysterious symptoms in 2015. The uncertainty, coupled with Mayas worsening pain, seemed bad enough. Take Care Of Maya But the Kowalskis medical journey would plunge the family into heretofore unimagined depths of hell. Doctors would accuse Beata of deliberately making her daughter sick. Maya would be taken from the familys custody. And her mother, shockingly and tragically, would take her own life. The horrifying story would later play out in court, after the Kowalski family filed a $200m lawsuit against the Department of Children and Families and Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital. The trial began on 21 September with jurors returning a verdict just over a month later on November 9. The hospital was found liable on multiple counts of abuse, including false imprisonment, battery and intentionally inflicting emotional distress on both Maya and her mother. The trial came months after Netflix released its documentary Take Care of Maya, featuring interviews with Maya, now a teenager, as well as Jack and the familys younger child, Kyle. Through tears and anger, they chronicle how their family fell apart after entering the medical, legal and child welfare vortex. They say theyre sharing their painful story for Beata and for the countless other families touched by medical abuse allegations, many of whom also come forward in the jaw-dropping film. I want people to see that I wasnt lying, and that other families who are going through similar situations, theyre not lying either, Maya, now more than halfway through her teens, says in the documentary. I have CRPS. My mom was not making me sick. I just wish people would believe me. Not even a decade ago, the family had been living the true American dream in Florida. Beata had emigrated from Poland as a teenager and thrown herself into her studies and American life, excelling at nursing school and in her career; her bond with Jack is evident as he reminisces about their meeting and romance, wistfully describing his wife as magic. Maya was born in 2005 and her brother shortly thereafter. Beata doted on the children, working as an infusion nurse and reveling in the comfortable family life she and Jack had built in their sparkling Venice suburb. Beata, a nurse, doted upon Maya, her first born and longed-for daughter with her firefighter husband, Jack (Netflix) When Maya began suffering an array of worrying symptoms in the spring of 2015, Beata applied her nursing knowledge and meticulous nature to the familys search for answers. Eventually, she sought out Dr Anthony Kirkpatrick, an anesthesiologist and expert in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS.) According to the Mayo Clinic, CRPS is a form of chronic pain that usually affects an arm or a leg and typically develops after an injury, a surgery, a stroke or a heart attack. The pain is out of proportion to the severity of the initial injury, the Mayo Clinic site continues. CRPS is uncommon, and its cause isnt clearly understood. Treatment is most effective when started early. In such cases, improvement and even remission are possible. To explain the rare condition, Dr Kirkpatrick says in Take Care of Maya, the best way to think about it is the way it evolves. Lets say you have an injury; you know that, probably in a week or two, the pain is going to go down, the swelling is going to go down, the redness and all that is going to go down, he says. But what happens in these patients with CRPS is that it actually intensifies over that period of time ... The patients describe it primarily as a burning sensation, that their skin becomes exquisitely sensitive to light touch. Following his initial evaluation for Maya and portions of his intake video are included in the film it was clear to me that, because of the magnitude of her symptoms (the lesions, this burning sensation in her legs, in the pain throughout her entire body, that Maya had advanced CRPS that we had to right away get aggressive with it, get under control, he says. Beata, a nurse, doted upon Maya, her first born and longed-for daughter with her firefighter husband, Jack (Netflix) Weve treated over 3000 patients with complex regional pain syndrome, Dr Kirkpatrick says. And we know what the best therapy is for. Its called ketamine. Treatments were extreme and required tough choices. Given the severity of Mayas symptoms, the Kowalskis decided to take her to Mexico for an induced ketamine coma that, while unapproved by the FDA, offered some possibility of relief. It seemed to have a positive effect, and, when the family returned from Mexico, they couldnt afford to keep up with Dr Kirkpatricks treatments, so he recommended his colleague, Dr [Ashraf] Hanna, who took our insurance and prescribed low dosages of ketamine for Maya, Jack says in the documentary. She was getting stronger, he says. The dystonia [bent legs] was straightened out. She was unable to use her legs, but she was using her arms, and she was doing very very well ... She went back to school, to laughing and playing. We were just blessed that we were finally seeing something working. And for a year, it did. Then as Hurricane Matthew barreled through Florida in October 2016 Mayas symptoms came roaring back with a vengeance. Jack took her to the emergency room at Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital. Maya relapsed; it came back, and it was very severe, he says in the documentary. She started complaining of pain in her tummy, and it got to the point where she was screaming and crying and begging for help. Jack contacted Beata, who was at work, and she arrived at All Childrens about an hour after hed entered triage with their daughter. The medical care team had already been asking questions about Mayas rare syndrome and even rarer ketamine treatment. When Beata turned up, the situation deteriorated. Hugely concerned for her daughter, intimately acquainted with her treatment and authoritatively explaining it, Beata never could have guessed that her demands for her daughters health would quickly spiral into a maelstrom that would dismantle her family, her health and drive her to take her own life. Maya, now 17, shares her memories, feelings, pain and tears in the new documentary (Netflix) Beata insisted that Maya needed far higher doses of ketamine to manage her pain with one healthcare worker calling Beata belligerent in a deposition and the demanding mother raised more eyebrows in the process. We were told, if we plan on trying to leave, that security would be called, Jack Kowalski says in the documentary, and it wasnt long before child welfare services were contacted by medical staff. When child abuse investigator Sally Smith a doctor with the Suncoast Center, a company contracted by Pinellas County for its privatised child welfare system walked into Mayas room, her father had no idea who the woman was. She came in and she acted like a regular doctor that worked for the hospital, and she started to ask questions, Jack says in the film. She asked whats wrong with Maya, where is she being treated, about medications, how could I let somebody give such high dosages, and I told her, Thats what the doctors prescribed. She did a ten-minute interview at most and, shortly after she walks out, the nurse walks back in that was helping me. She told me I had to leave that my daughter is under state custody, he says, choking up. I remember looking at my daughters eyes, and shes looking at me. Im wondering if I would ever see her again. They accused her of over-medicating Maya, he says of Beata. And they thought Maya was faking this syndrome. At that time, I said we need to get a hold of a lawyer. They hired attorney Debra Salisbury, who also becomes emotional during interviews for the documentary. Describing Beata as perhaps a little too direct sometimes, Ms Salisbury says she believes maybe some of the doctors took that offensively. I believe somebody at all Childrens Hospital was offended and a conflict started. Whatever the root cause, the consequences of the conflict escalated quickly, exponentially and, upon review years later, almost inexplicably. Beata Kowalski was just 43 when she took her own life in January 2017 after being separated from her daughter for months by the courts following accusations of Munchausen by proxy (Netflix) As soon as I was made aware that Sally Smith was investigating, I called her immediately, Dr Kirkpatrick says in the film. And I explained to her, This is what the diagnosis is. If you want to see the objective evidence, Ive got it for you. I told her that on the phone. She writes a report two days later, the doctor says. Does she include that in the report? No ... I told her that if she goes forward with this, it would not only be a catastrophic outcome for the child, it would be a permanent injury to the whole family. Dr Smiths report, and the testimony of other healthcare workers, led to the courts refusal to return Maya to her parents custody or even see Beata who continued to try to manage her daughters care and check on her from afar, causing tensions with her husband and the system. In recordings featured in the film, he pleads with her to stop any antagonisation, guessing correctly that it will only make things worse. Beata cant seem to understand why her rights as a mother dont trump everything else. Maya, in pain and confused, remained at the hospital as child welfare advocates insisted she was being abused, her mother making her sick through Munchausen by proxy. It is described by the American Psychological Association as a psychological disorder in which caregivers fabricate or intentionally cause symptoms in those they are caring for in order to seek and obtain medical investigation or treatment (i.e., to assume the sick role by proxy). Typically, the caregiver is the mother, who behaves as if distressed about her childs illness and denies knowing what caused it, APA continues in its definition. She is believed to be motivated by the hope that she will be seen as an exceptionally attentive parent, and her behavior may be an attempt to arouse sympathy. While advocates were suggesting Beata could be facilitating or Maya could be faking CRPS, the hospital was billing the insurance company for treatment of the exact same disease being questioned, the Kowalskis lawyers claim in Take Care of Maya. The hospital declined comment to The Independent about this specific allegation, citing strict patient privacy laws precluding further information sharing without the Kowalskis release of Mayas medical records. A hearing was held in December 2016, shortly before Christmas; Maya had written a letter to the judge, begging to see her family for the holiday and outlining how she felt worse and worse. During proceedings, a lawyer for the child asked the judge whether there was any way ... she could just see her mom, just to like hug her mother? The Kowalskis continue to live in Florida, where 17-year-old Mayas CRPS symptoms have become less severe (Netflix`) The judge said no and, the following month, Beata took her own life in the garage of the familys home. I know its because he turned her down, Jack sobbed on the phone after the family discovered her body; the audio is included in the documentary. That killed her. All the way home, thats all she talked about. I dont know how Im gonna tell Maya later, because I cant go there and tell her and then leave. Hed been on the phone to Ms Salisbury, who says in the film: It never made any sense to me why she was denied giving her child that hug and I can tell you, as we left the courthouse that day, that Beata was devastated. Devastated. And the one thing that I know, to this day, is: None of us can get that hug back now. That hug is gone. Jack, Maya, Kyle and their wider family were left equally devastated. Its very difficult to understand what went through Beatas mind, thinking that was the only way to get her daughter out, Jack says in Take Care of Maya. I miss her dearly. But I have anger here and there. It is so difficult to try to play both roles. In as much as you try, you cannot replace their mother. Something good has to come from all this pain. What has come from the pain is the familys realisation that they are not alone in their anger and that their story of what they say are false abuse allegations is anything but an anomaly. Families from Pinellas County and all over the country began coming forward, some appearing on film in Take Care of Maya to detail how their own children were ripped from them. What has also come from the tragedy is a court case an ongoing legal battle by the Kowalski family against Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital. We want Beatas voice to be heard, Jack says in the documentary. We want Mayas voice to be heard. Maya, Jack and Kyle Kowalski are pursuing a legal battle against Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital in Florida; a trial date is scheduled for September 2023 (Netflix) And it was Beatas voice her recordings, her studious notes along with her vigilance that enabled legal action in the first place, according to one of the familys lawyers. If she hadnt taken such an aggressive approach, we couldnt have sued, attorney Gregory Anderson says int he film. So were going after the hospital, Dr. Sally Smith and Suncoast based on whats known as infliction of emotional distress, meaning that they knew what they were doing, pushing her towards some form of harm. So they should pay punitive damages, which are designed to punish them for their wrongdoing. Dr Smith and the Suncoast Center settled their portion of the lawsuit with the Kowalskis in December 2021, according to the documentary. Dr Smith declined to be interviewed by filmmakers, and the Suncoast Center did not respond to request for comment from The Independent. The trial for the Kowalskis to pursue punitive damages began on 21 September 2,530 days after Maya first entered the hospital. During the month-long civil trial, the Kowalskis lawyer Greg Anderson argued that Maya was falsely imprisoned and battered, she was denied communication with her family. Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital repeatedly denied the allegations and insisted that they meant no harm to Ms Kowalski. The hospitals lawyer Howard Hunter told the court that hospital staff acted reasonably and prudently in order to treat a difficult and challenging case. He said Ms Kowalski had challenged doctors to give Maya a large dose of ketamine, which was not approved for children, and that doctors were also suspicious that the girls symptoms were being fostered and encouraged by the mother. Maya, now 17-years-old, gave emotional testimony during the trial, in which she described the time she was kept apart from her family. She and members of her family wept loudly as jurors returned verdicts in their favour on November 9. The family were awarded millions of dollars in damages. Following the verdict, Howard Hunter, counsel for the hospital, maintained that the hospital had acted appropriately. In a statment to The Independent Mr Hunter said the institution intended to appeal based on clear and prejudicial errors throughout the trial and deliberate conduct by plaintiffs counsel that misled the jury. While referring to the constraints of patient privacy laws, a lawyer for Johns Hopkins All Childrens, in a statement to The Independent, pointed to allegations of medical child abuse within the family that had predated their time at the hospital. If DCF, two circuit judges, and a Sheriffs Deputy found probable cause to suspect abuse, the conclusion is inescapable that JHACH providers had reasonable cause to suspect and report it, reads the hospitals motion to obtain statutory immunity for the phone call made to child services. There are hundreds of additional publicly available court documents that completely contradict the Netflix narrative; a narrative that has been unfortunately echoed by media outlets with scrutiny, attorney Ethen Shapiro told The Independent, pointing, among other documents, to a police interview in which Jack Kowalski admitted he would support Beatas move from the house if Maya were returned home. A police investigator confirmed under oath that the police investigation separate and apart from the input at my clients hospital was heading towards criminal charges of Beata Kowalski prior to her suicide, he continued. But other families who felt victimised by the system are looking to the Kowalskis and their case as a beacon of vindication. This young girl, Maya, represents hope for all of us, one mother tells the filmmakers in Take Care of Maya. And Maya herself outlines the familys determination in a heart wrenching letter to her mother read aloud near the end of the compelling film. As soon as we step foot into our home, we brought back to reality, she tells Beata. We miss you. I miss you. For five years, we have been promised a trial. Yet it seems that the closer we get to a set date, the further it gets pushed. Even though we are discouraged, we will not settle. We will fight for you, and we will fight for the thousands of other families who find themselves in the same unfortunate circumstances, the teenager says. The day will come. This story was originally published in June 2023 and has been updated. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A mother has been killed in a shark attack after she tried to save her five-year-old daughter on a beach in Mexico. Maria Fernandez Martinez Jimene died of blood loss after her leg was ripped off during the horrific incident. The 26 year-old was swimming off Melaque beach in the state of Jalisco on Saturday when the attack took place. Local authorities said she had been helping her daughter to safety on a floating platform about 65ft off shore. Videos on social media surfaced over the weekend, appearing to show rescue efforts and people shouting shes lost her leg. The civil protection service in Cihuatlan, the region the beach is in, said officers received a report of a person with difficulty getting out of the sea. The attack happened on Melaque Beach in Mexico (Alamy Stock Photo) A statement read: Upon arrival, a female is seen without vital signs and one of her legs severed, apparently caused by a shark attack. Local authorities issued warnings to locals and closed several beaches in the area. Cihuatlans municipal government said: Following the terrible incident off one of our beaches, our priority is guaranteeing the safety and wellbeing of all our citizens. Thats why weve decided on a precautionary measure of banning access to beaches until further notice. We are working in collaboration with the appropriate authorities to evaluate the situation and take the necessary measures to guarantee security on our beaches. Ms Martinez Jimenez was a marine biology a student at University of Guadalajara. Her child was reportedly unharmed. Friends and family took to social media to share their grief following her tragic death. One friend wrote: I want to express my condolences, love and support to the Martinez Arreguin family, for the sensitive passing of Maria Fernanda Martinez Jimenez. I accompany in your pain and sorrow to this great family that I appreciate as my own, especially at this moment to my great friend Angel Martinez. I am with you all. Ibae, Rest In Peace. Shark attacks are rare in the region. Local government officials said that there had been no record of an incident on the beaches of Jalisco in 60 years. They added that they are planning to install surveillance towers on the beaches and said the beaches will remain closed until Friday. It comes after an American bride was killed by a shark while paddleboarding in Bahamas on Monday morning, after tying the knot on Sunday. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man who featured in the hit podcast S-Town died on Sunday after he was shot during a standoff with police officers in Alabama. Joseph Tyler Goodson, 32, of Woodstock, was shot and killed by police after he barricaded himself inside a home and brandished a gun at officers, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said. The agencys statement said the Woodstock Police Department (WPD) had initially responded to a call for service a little after midnight and that a standoff then ensued. The statement said Goodson was shot by officers during the confrontation and was subsequently pronounced dead. It did not provide any further details on what led to the initial call to the home. Police bout to shoot me down in my own yard, a message posted early on Sunday to Goodsons Facebook account read, according to multiple US news outlets including WIAT and al.com. The ALEA released a statement on Monday saying it had launched an investigation into the matter following a request from the WPD. Mayor Jeff Dodson offered his condolences over Goodsons death. "I know that everyone wants answers and details, myself included. Tyler was well known and loved by myself, his family and this community. That love extends far beyond due to the S-Town podcast," said Mr Dodson in a statement. Please remember at this time that he is so much more than a character to the fans who loved him. This young man was a father, son, brother and friend to many. Released in 2017, the podcast S-Town followed a man named John B McLemore who hated his hometown, Woodstock in Alabama and reached out to the podcasts host seeking his help to investigate the son of rich family, who he claims had gotten away with murder. McLemore, who died by suicide ahead of the release of the show, used an expletive to describe his hometown that gave the podcast its abbreviated title. Downloaded by listeners 16 million times in its first week of release, the series earned a Peabody Award. Goodson prominently featured in the series and had a close friendship with McLemore. Because you know, I aint ever had no daddy worth a damn. Hes just about the only daddy Ive got, Goodson said of McLemore in the third episode of the podcast. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tucker Carlsons longtime Fox News producer and right-hand man is being sued for alleged sexual assault and harassment by a former employee at the network. Justin Wells is accused of aggressively forcing himself on Andrew Delancey in 2008 before retaliating when his advances were rejected in a civil lawsuit filed on Monday under the New York Adult Survivors Act. Mr Wells, who was fired by Fox News in April with Carlson and now works as an executive producer on his Tucker on X show, has denied the claims through his lawyer. According to the suit, Mr Wells contacted the complaint over Facebook in 2007 while he was working for a Fox station in Florida to say he had caught [his] eye, and encouraged him to seek a job in the New York bureau. Mr Delancey was then hired as a producer for Fox News Edge where he regularly interacted with Mr Wells, who held a senior producer role for Greta Van Susterens show On the Record. Mr Wells began showering Mr Delancey with gifts within one week of his arrival and would set tasks for the junior staffer even though they did not work on the same show. Tucker Carlsons top producer Justin Wells has been accused of sexual assault (REUTERS) Mr Delancey alleges he was invited by Mr Wells to staff drinks about a month after starting at Fox, and they arranged to meet outside his building. Mr Wells then suggested they go up to his apartment for a pregame cocktail, where he pushed Mr Delancey onto his bed and violently forced his tongue down his colleagues mouth, according to the filing. Mr Wells allegedly attempted to rip off Mr Delanceys jeans and repeatedly grabbed his genitals. In a state of shock, Mr Delancey claims he shouted no and attempted to reason with Mr Wells by reminding him he had a boyfriend and they were due to meet Fox colleagues at a nearby gay bar, the Barracuda Lounge. Fox News had a notorious reputation for allowing sexual harassment to run rampant, the suit alleges (REUTERS) When Mr Wells offered to show him the view from a rooftop deck, Mr Delancey saw it as a chance to escape, but was assaulted again as the two men walked up a stairwell, the complaint states. He left the apartment shortly afterwards. Mr Delancey claims that he told colleagues about the alleged sexual assault. He said he was advised by a supervisor not to report any concerns of inappropriate conduct to Foxs HR department. His lawyers state that Fox News was notorious for allowing sexual harassment to run rampant, citing previous cases against former CEO Roger Ailes, and high-profile on-air personalities Bill OReilly and Carlson. Mr Delancey accused Mr Wells of assault and battery, and alleges that Fox News was negligent for allowing the alleged sexual harassment to continue. In a statement to The Independent, Mr Wells attorney Harmeet Dhillon described the lawsuit as meritless and said her client denies the allegations unequivocally and will contest them vigorously. Carlson said in a statement he did not believe the allegations were credible. As a general matter, if you believe youve been the victim of a sex crime, you have a moral obligation to alert police, so it doesnt happen to someone else, he said. If you wait 15 years to cash in with a civil suit, no one should take you seriously. I certainly dont. Justin Wells now works as a producer on Carlsons streaming show on X ( Associated Press) Mr Delanceys attorneys Filippatos PLLC told The Independent that Carlsons statement was a classic example of the tactics that people with power and influence use to insulate themselves from accountability and silence victims. Mr Carlsons credibility on this and any other topic for that matter now hovers at zero especially since revelations surrounding the Dominion settlement and his termination by Fox News have established a public record of Mr Carlsons propensity to mislead his audience. Fox News did not respond to a request for comment. In June, former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg settled two harassment lawsuits against the network and Carlson for $12m. Mr Delanceys lawsuit was filed shortly under the New York Adult Survivors Act shortly before a one-year window closed which removed the statute of limitations for sexual misconduct. Close Young Thug criticises Andre 3000 The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The hotly-anticipated trial of the rapper Young Thug is back under way in a courtroom in Atlanta, Georgia, after being derailed when a codefendant was stabbed in jail. In May 2022, Young Thug, real name Jeffery Williams, was arrested and charged in a sprawling RICO indictment along with 27 other defendants. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis who is using the same law to prosecute Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case accused the suspects of being part of a criminal street gang named YSL or Young Slime Life. According to prosecutors, the gang is responsible for multiple violent crimes, including murders, shootings, carjackings and racketeering. Young Thug denies the accusations and insists YSL is simply his record label Young Stoner Life. The trial has been undoubtedly rocky. Shannon Stillwell, a YSL co-defendant, was stabbed multiple times in jail by a fellow inmate in December. The incident led to the trials postponement until 2 January. When the trial resumed on Tuesday, Young Thug instantly sparked speculation online around what he was wearing under his shirt. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} New Zealands indigenous leaders broke with protocol on Tuesday and may have insulted King Charles III in the process at the opening ceremony of the countrys new parliament. The parliament was sitting for the first time since the 14 October election, during which MPs must swear an oath to Charles, who is New Zealands head of state. But three MPs belonging to Te Pati Maori, the smallest party in the parliament, changed the wording of their pledge from Kingi Tiare to Kingi Harehare. According to the Maori Dictionary Project, Tiare means Charles, while the website refers to harehare as skin rash, sore, eczema, skin ailment, skin disorder. Linguistic experts debated whether the variation was likely to be an honest use of an alternative way of saying Charles in Maori, with one of the MPs involved defending it as such, while another admitted they were being provocative. But it comes at a tense time for race relations in New Zealand, with the MPs Te Pati Maori party leading protests across the country earlier in the day. Six parliamentarians belonging to the indigenous party held their own swearing-in at parliament, pledging allegiance first to their descendants, to tikanga, or Maori practices, and the Maori version of the Treaty of Waitangi, before heading to the clerk of the house to make their legally required oath to Britains King. The alternative ceremony took place alongside the official swearing-in in the house, when all 123 MPs swore allegiance. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, laid down a set of principles under which the British and Maori agreed to govern New Zealand, but the English and Maori versions differ and there is debate over whether the Maori ceded sovereignty. Te Pati Maori, which would like to remove the King as head of state, said in a statement on Friday that the oath of allegiance was symbolic of parliament placing New Zealands colonial power above the standing of Indigenous people. The three parliamentarians who used a different name for Charles were Rawiri Waititi, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Takuta Ferris. One of them, Mr Waititi, later defended the word he used, saying hare is a word that can mean Charles in some areas of New Zealand for Maori speakers, reported The Guardian. Harehare is another name for Charles. Yes, Hare is another name for Charles, he said, as he claimed not knowing any other meaning for the word. Those are the words we use on the coast, he was quoted as saying by New Zealands Newshub. Jack Potaka, a Maori language expert with Te Tari Consultants, told The Guardian that hare can have different meanings in different regions including skin rash and Charles or Charlie as he cautioned that the intended meaning can only be confirmed by the speaker. This linguistic diversity underscores the potential for varied interpretations influenced by regional nuances, Mr Potaka said. But Ms Ngarewa-Packer said the MPs were deliberately being provocative, when asked by Radio New Zealand. Always provocative because thats what we have, she said. The leaders of the indigenous party also voiced their disdain with the current oath, asking for an option to choose allegiance to both the King and the Treaty of Waitangi. There should be an option available, Ms Ngarewa-Packer said. I think what weve introduced [by changing the oath] is how easy it could be done. No one was offended except for a couple on [the government side of the house]. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Greece's health ministry is seeking police help in tackling hoaxers who have been trying to scare tourists out of some Athens short-term rental flats by inventing a bedbug crisis. A ministry statement released on Tuesday (5 December) said the posters stuck up outside apartment blocks in the city centre, festooned with fake ministry and Athens municipality logos, were absolutely false. The posters, addressed to dear visitors in misspelt English, claimed health authorities had ordered local private guesthouses evacuated to protect the public health of permanent Greek tenants. Citing a non-existent bedbug infestation, they threatened visitors with a 500 fine for failure to leave their flats, and politely wished them a pleasant stay in Greece. In addition to a cost-of-living crisis, Athens and other parts of Greece face housing problems largely caused by the proliferation of short-term rental flats that are mainly used by foreign visitors. That has helped fuel a surge in long-term rental costs for Greeks, many of whom are priced out of residential areas in central Athens. Property values are also spiralling, in part due to a golden visa programme offering residence to foreign property investors. Tourism is a key driver of Greece's economy, accounting for a fifth of annual output, and 2023 is expected to be a record year for arrivals. The health ministry said it has instructed the police to do what is necessary to deal with the hoax. It said that nobody is allowed to terrorize and misinform the public on public health issues. Greece is yet to record any major trouble with the creepy-crawlies that recently caused consternation in France. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putin is reportedly set to travel this week to meet with oil-producing allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in a trip that serves to highlight the Russian presidents international isolation over his war against Ukraine. Just days after more than 100 world leaders walked together down the flag-lined boulevard at Cop28 in Dubai for a family photo at the start of crucial UN climate talks, the absent Russian president will instead make his own working visit to the UAE. That will then be followed by a visit to Saudi Arabia, where Mr Putin will sit down for negotiation mainly with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov. I hope that these will be very useful negotiations, which we consider extremely important, Mr Ushakov told Russian news oulet Shot, without sharing further details of the agenda for the talks. The visits come at a time of active discussions in the region among the OPEC group the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and oil policy talks will likely be a key part of Mr Putins conversations. At the same time, at Cop28, world leaders and their representatives will be thrashing out a deal to phase out the use of fossil fuels. This will be a rare trip overseas by the Russian president since he launched his full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. He last visited China in October where he met his staunch ally and counterpart Xi Jinping, and took a brief trip to Kazakhstan in early November. Other than those trips, Mr Putin has largely avoid leaving Russia since he was issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March over charges of forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, which would be a war crime. ICC signatory nations in Europe like Germany have said that if the Russian president stepped foot on their soil, they would be obliged to arrest him. Russia is not a member of the ICC, and nor are Saudi Arabia or the UAE. The visits also come after the OPEC+ group last week agreed to voluntary output cuts totalling about 2.2 million barrels a day. Oil prices fell 2 per cent last week after the announcement, and declined further on Monday. The figure of 2.2 million bpd included an extension of existing Saudi and Russian voluntary cuts of 1.3 million bpd. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russia has confirmed the death of a seventh major general since Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, a week after local reports said he was killed by a landmine placed by his own side. Major general Vladimir Zavadsky, deputy commander of Russias 14th Army Corps, died at a combat post in the special operation zone, said Alexander Gusev, governor of Russias Voronezh region. Russia uses the term special military operation to describe its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian official called Zavadsky a much-decorated officer and a former tank commander, adding that his death was a heavy loss that caused transfixing pain. He did not give any further details of how the death occurred. While Zavadskys death is the seventh of a major general confirmed by Russias defence ministry, Ukrainian officials and media outlets put the true toll at at least 12. Russias defence ministry does not routinely comment on the countrys war losses, and has still issued no statement on Zavadskys death even after Mr Gusevs tribute. Zavadskys death first came to light last week after the pro-Kremlin newspaper Lenta said he had died in occupied Ukraine. The elite military academy where he studied, the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School, also announced his death in a social media post that was later deleted. Unconfirmed reports said that the general was killed by a landmine placed by Mr Putins own forces, intended to target Ukrainian reconnaissance groups, according to the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, which claims to have ties to Russian security services. The investigation is considering the possibility of an explosion of a mine that was previously installed by a neighbouring unit in order to combat the enemys [sabotage and reconnaissance unit], it said. The Telegram channel claimed that the incident happened during a senseless redeployment of Zavadskys forces away from the frontline, though there were conflicting reports about exactly where the landmine blast took place. The Lenta report said Zavadsky was killed near Izium, in Kharkiv oblast, despite the fact the town was taken back by Ukraine in September 2022 and now lies some dozens of kilometres from the frontline inside Ukrainian-held territory. Russia and Ukraine have treated their military losses in the continuing war as state secrets, and reports vary on the death toll of high-ranking Russian military officers. Most outlets put the figure as at least 12, while Ukrainian officials claim as many as 16 of Putins generals have died in the conflict so far. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Heavy fighting is taking place across Gaza as Israel says its forces are now operating in the heart of the territorys second-largest city as it steps up its war on Hamas. Tanks were digging in on the outskirts of Khan Younis during what one commander called the most intense day of fighting since ground operations began against Hamas. It came as the United Nations warned that an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold in the Gaza Strip with Israeli airstrikes pummelling the area. Fear grips our heart, Joumana Hussein, a 24-year-old resident of Khan Younis told The Independent. The sound of warplanes and drones is very loud. We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation, said the commander of the Israeli armys southern command, General Yaron Finkelman. Israels top military commander, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, added that its forces are surrounding the southern city. Sixty days after the war began, our forces are now encircling the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip, said the chief of general staff. Tanks crossed via Israels border fence and were seen on the eastern edges of Khan Younis, according to residents. The Israeli military has taken steps to secure the road leading out of the city, telling residents it now constitutes a battlefield. Israeli forces said they were also continuing to strike in the north of the strip, where operations had been focused before the move south. The Israeli military said they had mounted an attack into the heart of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, and that paratroopers and navy commandos had raided the Hamas general security headquarters there and were also fighting in the Gaza City district of Shijaiya. We are in the heart of Jabalia, in the heart of Shijaiya, and now also in the heart of Khan Younis, Gen Finkelman said. After days of ordering residents to flee the area around Khan Younis, Israeli forces dropped new leaflets on Tuesday with instructions to stay inside shelters during the assault. In the coming hours, the IDF [Israeli military] will begin launching an intensive attack on your area of residence to destroy the terrorist organisation Hamas, said the leaflet, addressed to residents of six eastern and northern districts, amounting to around a quarter of Khan Younis. Dont move out yet. For your safety, stay in the shelters and the hospitals where you are. Dont get out. Going out is dangerous. You have been warned, it read. Thousands have already fled, many of them walking by foot to the southernmost city of Rafah, carrying their possessions on their backs. Parts of Rafah have been declared safe zones by the Israeli military. Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis arrive in Rafah, which lies further south (AFP via Getty Images) There is a movement [of civilians] from Khan Younis to Rafah, to the safe area described by the [Israeli forces], but there is continuous bombing in Rafah, Ms Hussein said. We have said it repeatedly. We are saying it again. No place is safe in Gaza, whether in the south, or the southwest, whether in Rafah or in any unilaterally so-called 'safe zone, said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza (Unrwa). Describing the safe zones designated by the Israeli military, James Elder, spokesman for the UN childrens agency Unicef told reporters: These are tiny patches of barren land, or they are street cornersThere is no water, no facilities, no shelter from the cold and the rain [and] theres no sanitation. The situation is getting worse by the hour, said Richard Peeperkorn, World Health Organisation representative in Gaza. Theres intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis, and even in Rafah." Those fleeing Khan Younis join up to 1.8million other Gazan residents 80 per cent of the territorys population who have already fled their homes for other areas of the strip since 7 October, when a Hamas attack inside Israel killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 taken hostage and transported to Gaza. In response, Israel started a bombing campaign that health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say has killed almost 16,000 people. The aerial bombardment has been backed by a blockade that has left food, water, fuel and medical supplies running low. The only respite was a week-long truce that allowed for the exchange of more than 100 hostages for well over 200 Palestinians being held in Israeli jails. The ceasefire, which ended last Friday, also allowed more aid into Gaza and gave residents some respite from the bombardment. Qatar is pressing for a comprehensive end to the war in Gaza and is working to repair a collapsed truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, its emir said on Tuesday. We are constantly working to renew [the truce] and to alleviate the burden of our people in the Gaza Strip, but truces are not an alternative for a comprehensive ceasefire, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said in a speech to Gulf leaders gathered in the Qatari capital Doha. A Palestinian is brought into Nasser hospital in Khan Younis (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters) The UNs humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, said more than 700 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the resumption of hostilities following the end of the truce. Palestinian officials in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday morning that 349 Palestinians had been killed across the Strip and 750 injured in a 24-hour period to Monday afternoon, and more than 900 people had been killed since Friday. The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist, Ms Hastings said. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold. Palestinian health officials said large numbers of people had been killed in a strike on houses in Deir al-Balah, north of Khan Younis. Dr Eyad Al-Jabri, head of the Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital, told Reuters at least 45 people had been killed. Videos emerging from hospitals in Khan Younis have shown chaotic scenes as civilian vehicles and ambulances race to drop off the wounded, some with serious injuries. Gaza health ministry spokesperson Ashra al-Qidra said at least 43 corpses had already reached Nasser hospital in southern Gaza by Tuesday morning. Hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip are totally collapsing, they cannot deal with the quantity and quality of injuries that arrive at the hospitals, he said. Israel has so far shown little intent to slow its military operations now they have restarted, despite coming under international pressure from allies such as the US to do more to limit civilian casualties. Were moving ahead with the second stage now. A second stage that is going to be difficult militarily, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday morning. Sheikh Tamim called on the UN Security Council to force Israel to return to the negotiating table over the war in Gaza, saying the inaction by the international community in halting the conflict was shameful. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Israeli authorities are investigating claims by US researchers that some investors may have used advance knowledge of the Hamas attack inside Israel to make stock market profits. Robert Jackson Jr from New York University and Joshua Mitts of Columbia University found significant short-selling of shares leading up to the attack. "Days before the attack, traders appeared to anticipate the events to come," they wrote, citing short interest in the MSCI Israel Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) that "suddenly, and significantly, spiked" on 2 October, based on data from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). "And just before the attack, short selling of Israeli securities on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) increased dramatically," they wrote in their 66-page report. Our findings suggest that traders informed about the coming attacks profited from these tragic events, the pair wrote in the report. The academics did not have access to the identities of the traders but said their data might help those seeking to identify the sources of terrorist financing. In response, the TASE referred Reuters to the Israel Securities Authority, which said: "The matter is known to the authority and is under investigation by all the relevant parties." A spokeswoman for the securities regulator did not elaborate, and Israeli police did not immediately comment. The researchers said short-selling, in which investors expect the share price to fall, allowing it to be bought back at a lower price at a profit, prior to 7 October "exceeded the short- selling that occurred during numerous other periods of crisis." That includes the recession following the financial crisis in 2008, the 2014 Israel-Gaza war, and the Covid-19 pandemic. "Although we see no aggregate increase in shorting of Israeli companies on US exchanges, we do identify a sharp and unusual increase, just before the attacks, in trading in risky short-dated options on these companies expiring just after the attacks," they said. "Our findings suggest that traders informed about the coming attacks profited from these tragic events, and consistent with prior literature we show that trading of this kind occurs in gaps in US and international enforcement of legal prohibitions on informed trading." The professors referred to patterns in early April when it was reported that Hamas was initially planning an attack on Israel. "Short volume in EIS (the MSCI Israel ETF) peaked on 3 April at levels very similar to those observed on 2 October, and was far higher by an order of magnitude than other days prior to 3 April," they said. Reuters Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The family of a teenage girl who allegedly found a hidden camera in a bathroom on board an American Airlines flight is suing the company. An unidentified male flight attendant was removed from an American Airlines plane in September after a 14-year-old girl from North Carolina said he taped an iPhone to an airplane toilet to record her using the restroom. The alleged incident happened on a 2 September flight from Charlotte to Boston. Police said the flight attendant was removed from the plane by state troopers when it landed at Boston Logan International Airport but he was not arrested because they did not find any incriminating images on his phone. According to the lawsuit, lawyers for the teenager say that American knew or should have known the flight attendant was a danger. They alleged the failure of other crew members to confiscate the employees phone allowed him to destroy evidence. The airline said the flight attendant was withheld from service immediately after the alleged incident and has not worked since. We take this matter very seriously and have been fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, as safety and security are our highest priorities, American said in a statement. The girl said the incident happened after the flight attendant told her she could use the toilet in the first-class cabin. She added that he entered the bathroom first, saying he needed to wash his hands, then emerged a minute later to tell the girl that the seat was broken but not to worry about it. The teenager said she noticed an iPhone taped to the toilet lid under a seat broken sign while she was using the toilet. She said the camera flash was glowing. It immediately occurred to her that someone had put the phone there to film her using the toilet, the lawsuit said. She then took a picture of the device. After the girl left the restroom, the attendant was seen going back in, a passenger on board the flight told Boston 25. As another passenger was about to enter the bathroom, the girls mother came up from the economy cabin and warned them not to go in as there was a hidden camera. The girls dad told the New York Post he confronted the four flight attendants with the photo, and saw the male air hosts face go totally white. State police boarded the flight and inspected the restroom, before taking the male attendant away, the witness said. The 14-year-old said the incident left her shocked and scared. She is now undergoing therapy for trauma, her familys lawyers said. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A flight attendant has revealed why passengers should never drink the coffee served on planes. Kevin, who goes by the username @ichbinvin, shared a recent video to TikTok to look at some of the responses to a Reddit post, which asked: Flight attendants, whats the dirty little secrets of your industry? He started by reading one Reddit comment from someone who was a pilot, who encouraged people not to drink the coffee on board because water tanks are rarely if ever cleaned, and they use this water to make coffee on board. In his video, Kevin agreed that plane coffee is disgusting, before encouraging travellers to get to the airport 10 minutes earlier and buy a coffee in the terminal. However, according to the flight attendant, he doesnt avoid the coffee aboard a flight because of the water tanks. The fact that the tanks rarely get cleaned where the waters in should be the least of your concern, he said. For me, its always been the way that flight attendants have to clean coffee pots. For whatever reason, were not supposed to empty coffee pots in drains, were supposed to dump them down the toilet. He continued to emphasise that the cleaning of the coffee pot, which he claims includes dumping the coffee into a toilet, isnt necessarily sanitary. When you take a coffee pot and dump it in the toilet, in order to not make a huge mess everywhere, you kind of have to get a little close to the toilet, he said. And I imagine that theres some kind of backsplash of particles, bacteria, whatever that goes directly back into the coffee pot which gets put right back into the coffee maker. Kevin added that unless an airline has some kind of Nespresso maker on it, he wouldnt get the regular drip coffee served on planes. The flight attendants video has quickly gone viral, with more than 161,800 views as of 1 December. In the comments, many people shared their candid reactions to Kevins claims about how the coffee pots are allegedly cleaned. The coffee one is making me cry, one wrote, while another quipped: Coffee, tea, its a no for me. Ginger ale me up. A third added: Sir, thank you for your service NEVER drinking airplane coffee again!!! The Independent has contacted Kevin for comment. This isnt the first flight attendant whos shared their take about the coffee served on planes. In a video posted to TikTok last year, former flight attendant Kat Kamalani shared a range of things that she would ultimately avoid doing on a flight. She specified that she would never drink the hot water on a plane, which eliminates coffee and tea as beverage options. She also noted that she posted a video back in January 2021, when she revealed that the water tanks and hot coffee machines are rarely cleaned. Those water tanks are never cleaned and they are disgusting, she said at the time. We rarely, rarely drink coffee or tea. They come from the same water tank, and so when youre drinking that coffee and tea, it comes from that hot water, and its absolutely disgusting. Over the years, studies have also examined the on-flight water tanks, which are used for making coffee and tea. In 2019, CUNYs Hunter College Food Policy Center conducted an Airline Water study, in which they ranked 11 major and 12 regional airlines mainly by the quality of water they provided on board its flights. Results found that Alaska Airlines and Allegiant won the top spot with the safest water in the sky. Meanwhile, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines allegedly had the worst scores when the airlines onboard water was rated. Ratings were based on 10 criteria, including fleet size, violations of the governments Aircraft Drinking Water Rule, positive E. coli and coliform water sample reports. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two pandas who have spent the last 12 years living in the UK are getting the first-class treatment on their flight back to China. The chief executive of Edinburgh Zoo, where Yang Guang and Tian Tian had been residing, said the pair would have first-class accommodation on the 13-hour flight from Scotland. The pandas had been getting acclimatised to eating and sleeping in the metal crates theyd be transported in prior to the journey, before they boarded a charter plane bound for Sichuan, China, on Monday (4 December). The pandas special crates were loaded onto a charter jet (PA) Dave Field, the zoos chief executive, described the crates as first-class bedroom accommodation, and said Yang Guang and Tian Tian would likely sleep for the majority of the journey. However, he did add that they would get the odd bit of bamboo to snack on. They are in comfortable, warm, low-level light surroundings and they are just going to sleep for most of the time as we all do in first class, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. The crates were specially built for the animals by Rab Clark, Edinburgh Zoos blacksmith, and feature sliding padlock doors, urine trays and removable screens to ensure minders can monitor the animals during the flight. Yang Guang eats bamboo at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland (Royal Zoological Society) The pair of pandas was initially loaned to Edinburgh Zoo as part of a 10-year agreement between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The loan was extended for two years in the hopes that Tian Tian might produce a cub, but attempts were unsuccessful. Michael Livingstone, a senior Edinburgh zookeeper, was chosen to be part of the team accompanying the animals back to China. He said of the pandas: Theyre very different to look after, as a team we have looked after many different species of bear and we were fairly confident we knew what kind of hurdles we might need to cross and jump over for looking after pandas, and when they arrived it was completely different to what we thought. They are a very sensitive, very specialised species so we very quickly learned all the different things we needed to do with them or around them. Footage shows the moment emergency services rescued an elderly dog that had become stuck in an air vent. Police and firefighters of Fairfax County, Virginia, were called to a home to rescue Maya, a 17-year-old Shih Tzu. It is unclear how the dog became stuck in the vent, or how long she had been there when rescue crews arrived. Authorities initially cut open a flooring panel to try and reach the elderly dog, but when that failed, they were forced to head down to the basement to cut open the ceiling. They eventually retrieved the pet and slowly lifted her down from the hole. Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman took advantage of expelled congressman George Santoss Cameo service to deliver a message to fellow senator Bob Menendez, who currently faces bribery charges. I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give Bobby from Jersey some advice, Fetterman said in his caption of the selfie-shot Cameo video. In a lively manner, Santos tells Menendez to stand his ground. Dont get bogged down by all the haters, Santos says before adding, Merry Christmas. Cameo is a service that allows fans to pay public figures for personalised video messages. Home Secretary James Cleverly has signed a fresh treaty with Rwanda to help get Rishi Sunaks thwarted asylum deal off the ground. He traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, to sign the agreement on Tuesday 5 December, in a bid to make the deal legally watertight after the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful in November. Domestic legislation is also planned so Parliament can state that Rwanda is a safe destination for asylum seekers arriving in Britain. Details on what the final treaty contains are unconfirmed. James Cleverly has arrived in Rwanda to sign a new treaty to help revive the Governments stalled asylum deal. The foreign secretary travelled to Kigali as Rishi Sunak bids to make the plan to send migrants to the African nation legally watertight after the Supreme Courts ruling against the policy. Domestic legislation, which will be rushed through parliament to assert Rwanda is a safe destination for asylum seekers who arrive in Britain, is also planned. Mr Cleverly will meet his counterpart, Vincent Biruta, to sign the treaty and discuss key next steps on the so-called migration and economic development partnership. James Cleverly has outlined a raft of new restrictions on legal migration which he said will slash the number of people arriving in Britain by 300,000 a year. The home secretary said a ban on overseas care workers bringing family dependants and a drastically hiked salary threshold for skilled workers to 38,700 will deliver the biggest ever reduction. We will stop immigration undercutting the salary of British workers, Mr Cleverly told the House of Commons on Monday 4 December. The strategy, which will also make it harder for Britons earning under the national average to bring over foreign spouses, comes after net migration levels soared to a record high. The New Orleans Police Department has released home security footage of a suspected thief stealing a package off a porch moments after a UPS delivery van drove off. A dark-coloured pickup truck is seen pulling into the same spot the courier had parked in, before a man jumps out and runs across the street. He then picks up the package with one hand and returns to his vehicle, driving off in the same direction as the UPS truck. New Orleans PD said the incident happened shortly after 9:30pm on Dreux Avenue on Thursday 30 November. During the White House press briefing on Monday 4 December, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan provided details on the Red Sea commercial vessel attacks that were carried out by the Iran-backed Houthi militia group. On Sunday, Yemens Houthi group attacked three commercial ships in the Red Sea. The USS Carney assisted the ships by shooting down three drones. Were talking about the Houthis here, theyre the ones with their finger on the trigger, but that gun, the weapons here, are being supplied by Iran, Sullivan said. We are going to take appropriate action. YouTuber Trevor Jacob has been sentenced to six months in federal prison after intentionally crashing a plane in Santa Barbara County, California for video views. In his video I Crashed My Plane from December 2021, Jacob, 30, can be seen jumping out of the aircraft with a parachute. The video gained over 3.2 million views before it was privated. Authorities say Jacob took off in his single-engine Taylorcraft BL-65 from Lompoc City Airport in November 2021 with the intended destination of Mammoth Lakes. After claiming engine failure, Jacob recorded himself parachuting to the ground. A new research centre aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving the environmental sustainability of Irish agriculture has been announced. Some 6m from FBD Holdings plc, FBD Trust CLG and Farmer Business Developments Plc towards the development of the centre was announced yesterday by the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue. The new Centre for Sustainable Animal and Grassland Research will be located at Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork. The proposed centre will provide research infrastructure to support climate-related research, as well as facilitate research that can provide innovative solutions to improve the environmental sustainability of pasture-based systems and improve the efficiency of Irelands ruminant sector. When built, the centre will be named after the late Padraig Walshe. Teagasc will now engage in detailed planning of the new facility, which will be subject to the normal approvals process and controls for capital projects in the public sector. Speaking in Fermoy, Minister McConalogue welcomed the decision of FBD Group to make this very significant financial contribution towards the development of the new research facility. This new investment will improve agricultural research capacity, so vital to address key issues facing the agriculture sector, including strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient losses to water, he said. As a food-producing nation, I want to see Ireland achieve these environmental imperatives, while crucially maintaining agricultural output As a food-producing nation, I want to see Ireland achieve these environmental imperatives, while crucially maintaining agricultural output. Key to this will be a focus on improving competitiveness and developing a range of scientific solutions in support of productivity. Tomas O Midheach, Chief Executive of FBD Holdings Plc, said: FBDs support of this critically important initiative will help to advance climate related research. "For us at FBD Insurance, we are delighted to be involved as we all have a role in tackling the climate imperatives of our time. The farming community is working hard to meet the 25pc emissions reductions target by 2030. We believe that the research conducted at this facility by Teagasc has the potential to contribute to this reduction in a real and meaningful way. Teagasc Director, Professor Frank OMara, said the new facility will allow Teagasc to undertake research to address the great challenges facing agriculture and allow the mechanistic in-depth research that is urgently needed to develop new solutions that are suitable for widespread deployment on grass-based systems. he investment will be used to develop new state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for animal and grassland research and a new animal metabolism facility at Moorepark. This development will create the research capacity to undertake mission critical studies that will provide farmers, industry and policy makers with new solutions, he said. Farmers who produce Wagyu under this heifer and steer programme will benefit from a guaranteed 200 payment for their four-week-old calf, as well as an additional 50 premium to the breeder after the animal has been processed. Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan A payment of 200 per calf is being promised to farmers who join a new Wagyu beef programme. Warrendale Wagyu, which works with over 750 farmers in the UK, is extending its offering to Ireland and is hosting information evenings in Cork and Limerick next week to promote its supplier programme, in partnership with Munster Bovine and Kepak. According to the group, it will be of strong interest to dairy farmers looking for a guaranteed market outlet for their calves, as well as having environmental and economic benefits. Farmers who produce Wagyu under this heifer and steer programme will benefit from a guaranteed 200 payment for their four-week-old calf, it says, as well as an additional 50 premium to the breeder after the animal has been processed. Japanese Wagyu beef is some of the most expensive beef in the world and is renowned for its marbling, where the fat is dispersed throughout the muscle. According to Tom Richardson, Warrendale Wagyu managing director, Irish dairy beef breeders are ideally suited to produce Wagyu dairy cross calves. The information events will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday (December 12 and 13) in Clonakilty, Mitchelstown and Adare. Doreen Corridan, Munster Bovine CEO, welcomed Warrendale to their series of Dairy Beef Events across our territory. The Munster Bovine Dairy Beef Programme is focused on offering the best genetics to our dairy farmers ensuring they get maximum value for their calves in addition to the security of easy calving and short gestation, she said. Calf purchasers need a high CBV healthy calf to ensure profitability and also need to be able to conveniently source calves direct from dairy herd-owners. ICBF CEO Sean Coughlan said that analysis by his organisation shows that five star cows had the most weanlings exported. Stock Image: Getty The majority of beef farmers will better off as a result of the new Beef Eurostar evaluations, the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) has said. The changes, introduced last week after a delay, amid rising anger among beef farmers, but ICBF insists that the science based approach will leave the majority of beef farmers better off. Defending the rollout of its new Beef Eurostar evaluations last week, ICBF CEO Sean Coughlan told the Farming Independent that 84pc of animals that were previously 4 and 5-star on the old evaluation, will remain 4 and 5-star. Coughlan said that analysis by his organisation shows that five star cows had the most weanlings exported. However, he admitted there would be challenges with replacement heifers in a couple of years time "Some farmers will be potentially impacted on that [replacement heifers] and we will have to work through that with the individuals involved. "We want to work with farmers and help them to breed more of them. Depending on what part of the country youre in you could be at 0.82-0.84 calves per cow per year. Well continue to breed stylish calves but we want to get as close as we can to make sure that every farmer is getting a stylish calf [per cow] every year. However farm organisations and breed societies have been highly critical of the changes, saying they would be "challenging" for some breeds. ICSA president Dermot Kelleher has said ICBF has gone too far with changes to the beef breeding indexes regarding pedigree bulls. The majority of suckler farmers want to breed a good stylish calf that will sell well in the mart or is fit to export. The problem now is that any AI sire that will do just that has been hammered, and therefore deemed unsuitable for use in the SCEP scheme. "The averages of 10kg heavier at finishing and 5kg heavier at weanling don't matter if the day you're selling the weanling a fancy weanling makes E150 more than yours." Sean Coughlan said A stylish calf becomes a challenge if youre only getting it every 15 or 16 months and we have plenty of cows out there who are on a 425-430 day calving interval and it just makes it very commercially difficult for suckler farmers to make the financials work. If we have 850,000 suckler cows, we want 850,000 calves. Chairman of the Irish Belgian Blue Cattle Society Sean Sherman, who also represents breed societies on the board of ICBF, said that the details of SCEP will have to be revisited to reflect the challenges which will be met by farmers in the scheme when replacing cows in the herd. "The recruitment of eligible stock down the line will be very challenging. Farmers should be able to generate their own replacement stock for the scheme on their own farm." Breed Secretary at the Irish Charolais Cattle Society, Nevan McKiernan, said that across the board, breeders of continental cattle are unhappy with the changes. It's very clear that cow liveweight is driving the indexes and ICBF would argue that's not the case. You can clearly see it from looking at a number of herd profiles that the heavier cows have dropped in replacement value while the smaller lighter cows increased." Irish Limousin Cattle Society president William Smith has said there is a lot of dissatisfaction amongst his society members. "We have requested a meeting with Paul Crosson, Siobhan Kavanagh, Donagh Berry and Ross Evans. They are the architect of the changes, so we'll be looking for answers around if they included SCEP in the evaluations," he said. Teagascs Paul Crosson told the Farming Independent that ideally the work on the new indexes would have been completed last year, before SCEP ever commenced. He also said 87pc of the economic value on average is based on conventional economics, and 13pc is based on greenhouse gas emissions pricing. Carbon is putting an additional cost on higher intake. The breeding value for intake might be higher in animals based on the feed intake runout at Tully, or because the animal simply is generating heavier cows, he said. The way I look at it, within a breed, what youre trying to do is slow down the rate of increase in cow live weight almost. If we look at our genetic trends, how liveweight is continuing to increase, so the challenge is can we kind of tail that off a bit so we can get control of costs on farms. The Irish Home Builders Association and Construction Industry Federation have said they are extremely concerned following the broadcast of a documentary showing individuals seeking payments from property developers to drop planning objections. RTE Investigates: The Planning Trap claimed two brothers have been systemically lodging planning objections on environmental grounds and offering to drop the objections in exchange for cash and discounts on sites. "There are significant delays in the planning system and we have previously estimated that there are over 30,000 units stuck in An Bord Pleanala, as well as a further 30,000 units subject to Court proceedings delaying the much-needed supply of homes, said a joint statement from the Irish Home Builders Association and Construction Industry Federation. These unfounded planning objections are adding to delays and depriving people from realising their own home in the middle of a housing crisis. We welcome the timelines in the recently published Planning and Development Bill, which contains limitations on spurious objections. "Last nights report underlines the need for a planning system that efficiently accommodates genuine planning objections and supports the urgent need for more homes. The RTE documentary detailed how several objections have been lodged by the two men to residential and commercial developments countrywide. The brothers submitted an appeal after developer David Hogan received planning permission for 74 houses in Watergrasshill, Co Cork. The appeal was submitted under the name of An Lucht Inbhuanaithe (The Sustainable People). The Cork development is 290km away from one brothers home in Kells, Co Meath, and more than 300km away from the other brothers Westport, Co Mayo, home. RTE Investigates found no record of An Lucht Inbhuanaithe being registered with the Charities Regulator or the Companies Registration Office, and the group has no online presence, though a lack of state regulation for NGOs means they are not legal requirements. Mr Hogan said one brother told him: In the event of the appeal being withdrawn, what about my costs? And he says, if you have a proposal to make, I will be happy to listen. In another case, one developer paid the brothers and also gave one of the men the option to buy sites in the development for just 1,000 at a time they were valued at up to 50,000 each. The documentary will also show a case in which the two men were paid more than 50,000 in exchange for the withdrawal of a planning appeal. For 23 years, An Bord Pleanala has had powers to dismiss appeals on the grounds they are financially motivated. However, Freedom of Information requests show the planning appeals board has never rejected an appeal on these grounds since being granted that power in 2000. A property developer told RTE Investigates: I want to expose the fact that people are abusing the planning system for nothing other than personal gain. Its a silent cancer. Its not spoken about. Michael Mulvey and his partner were on their way home from a shopping trip to Tesco and were moving slowly through traffic on the Navan Road close to the Phoenix Park in Dublin when a man walked out in front of their car. Verdict of medical misadventure returned in death of girl (2) from Strep A infection as mother says trust in health system is gone Phoenix Graham-Hayden died in November last year having been sent home from Temple Street hospital two days earlier Phoenix Graham-Hayden, who died on November 3 last year. Photo: Collins Dublin Sean McCarthaigh Tue 5 Dec 2023 at 19:13 A mother of a baby girl (2) who died of invasive Group A Strep infection in hospital just over 48 hours after she had been discharged from its emergency department with a suspected throat infection has said she has lost trust in Irelands healthcare system. The Palestinian flag will be flown by Dublin City Council this week. Photo: James Connolly. Dublin City Council have tonight agreed unanimously to fly the Palestinian flag in an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza. It was agreed following a motion submitted by the Independent Group, Sinn Fein, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and a number of individual councillors. The Palestinian flag will be flown for seven days from tomorrow morning. Councillor Cieran Perry said he was delighted with the support for the motion. "Over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the indiscriminate attacks begin. More than 6,000 of the victims have been children. "This slaughter must stop, we reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire and for the release of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Mr Perry said: Its obvious Israel couldnt care less about the widespread disgust at their indiscriminate slaughter of civilians in Gaza so we have to continue to keep the pressure on the leaders in the countries supporting [Israel]. Following the passing of the motion tonight, local councillor Noeleen Reilly said that continuing to drop bombs on innocent men, women and children is unforgivable and anyone who does not call for an immediate ceasefire in the region will find themselves on the wrong side of history. Former Lord Mayor councillor Christy Burke said it is time for those in power to step up to the plate as the voice of ordinary people has been seen and heard worldwide. The Independent Group call on the American Government to intervene and use their influence with Israel to stop the indiscriminate slaughter of people in Gaza. There have been objections to the project over concerns about the environmental impact There have been objections to a proposed 100m expansion of Center Parcs Longford Forest which would include the addition of 198 lodges. Photo: Colm Kerr Plans for a 100m expansion of the Center Parcs holiday village in Longford have been placed on hold following a number of objections to the project over concerns about its impact on the environment. Two appeals, including one from a Meath-based environmental group, have been lodged with An Bord Pleanala against the recent decision of Longford County Council to grant planning permission to Center Parcs Ireland to construct 198 new lodges across three zones at its Longford Forest tourist resort near Ballymahon, Co Longford. The proposed expansion of the 160-hectare leisure facility also includes external saunas and pods, a new lakeside restaurant and coffee shop as well as an extension of several existing restaurants and additional staff facilities. Other elements of the plans include an extension to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana spa with a new treetop sauna and additional treatment rooms. Center Parcs is also seeking to provide a new energy centre and district heating system as well as to install solar panels on a range of buildings and to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant. A new car park will provide 313 parking spaces for staff vehicles. In its appeal, environmental group, Sustainability 2050, claimed documents submitted by Center Parcs were not sufficiently detailed to allow the proposed development to be assessed with regard to EU environmental legislation. The organisation claimed the plans were also not sufficiently ambitious in terms of emissions reductions, energy efficiency and renewable energy targets. Spokesperson John Callaghan said the proposed development did not identify a path to net zero compliance by 2050. Another objector, a resident of Ballymahon, has opposed the plans for the expansion of Longford Forest over concerns about the exact location and condition of a significant quantity of asbestos-contaminated material buried in a disused nearby landfill at Ballymulvey which was operated by Longford County Council before it was closed in 1992 Consultants acting for the appellant, P J Walsh, claim Center Parcs has not assessed the risk posed by such material to human health and the environment. Center Parcs said the concept of its forest holiday villages demonstrated that business and sustainable rural tourism can thrive in synergy with the natural environment. It added: Center Parcs has a long-standing and acknowledged track record of positively improving the natural environment of its woodland sites, enhancing biodiversity and safeguarding the forest through increased deciduous woodland cover and implementing well-informed management programmes and practices. The company said the proposed expansion, estimated to cost 99.8m, would bring the capacity of its tourist village in Co Longford, which opened in summer 2019, up to 3,500 guests. Its initial investment of 233m in the development of Longford Forest was the largest single investment in the history of Irish tourism. Once operational, Center Parcs projected the additional capacity would generate an additional 27m per annum for Irish GDP. The company hopes the expanded facilities will attract around 375,000 visitor nights annually. A ruling by An Bord Pleanala on the appeal by objectors is due by early March 2023. Independent TDs to the Meath TDs rescue over stability concerns after Dublin riots The Government will have a majority of at least a dozen votes in todays showdown. A motion of no confidence has been switched for a coalition motion expressing confidence in her. Chief whip Hildegarde Naughton said she was confident the Government would win after Independents bought the argument that now was not the time for political upheaval after the Dublin riots. The backers included former government party members Marc MacSharry, Peter Fitzpatrick, Denis Naughten and Joe McHugh, along with ex-Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry. Cathal Berry, Noel Grealish and Sean Canney are also prepared to vote confidence, which could take government support to 88 votes after Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who is in Dubai, was earlier paired with Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore in a voting arrangement. Tanaiste Micheal Martin predicted: There will be strong government support and clearly a number of Independents have indicated their support as well. So I expect the motion of confidence in Helen McEntee to be passed. Meanwhile, Housing Minister Darragh OBrien said Sinn Fein was playing a dangerous game by tabling the motion, accusing the party of seeking to capitalise on last months Dublin riots for electoral gain. Helen has my support and the support of my party, very clearly, Mr OBrien told the Irish Independent in Brussels, where he was meeting the European Commission about Irelands delayed plans to register short-term lets. He said Sinn Fein was trying, if anything, to double down on a situation just to score political points, so they believe then its going to enhance their standing [and] increase their vote. Its pretty dangerous now and I think its irresponsible, to be honest with you. It took them less than 24 hours after the attack to start calling for heads. If they were in government, how would they manage that? Like, any time anything happens, you just sack someone? I just dont think its the right approach. Mr OBrien said there would be no question of Ms McEntee not having the support of all three coalition parties and youll have Independents supporting Minister McEntee as well. Mr OBrien, who is director of elections for next springs European and local elections, said that the bad actors who fomented last months violence on the streets of Dublin could also hijack votes next year. People can be swayed basically by lies online. You saw it very quickly in the terrible events that happened in Dublin. We had seen incorrect videos going up that the Army was on the streets. Mr OBrien also hit out at Irelands Independent and Sinn Fein MEPs, whom he called anti-EU for voting against a motion last year condemning Russias actions in Ukraine. Mick Wallace and Clare Daly have said they voted against the motion because they are against armed escalation of the war. For some reason, we tend to send a sizeable portion of anti-EU MEPs over here, who dont represent the views of the people, Mr OBrien added. Some of our MEPs here, the way that they voted in relation to the war in Ukraine, voted in relation to Russia I speak specifically about Sinn Fein MEP [Chris] MacManus, about Clare Daly, about Mick Wallace, about Ming Flanagan they give an impression then to European parliamentarians here that this is the Irish position. Its not. Thats why we need positive, effective MEPs and thats why Fianna Fail will be fighting not just to retain the two seats that we have, but to win additional seats in the European election. He also said that Fianna Fail leader and Tanaiste Micheal Martin would be leading the party into the next general election, whenever that is. Micheal will be leading Fianna Fail into the next general election. Hes said that himself. Most fair-minded people would say he has done a really really good job as Taoiseach and as Tanaiste, and he has said himself, he unquestionably has the energy and the drive to continue it on, and I fully support him. A higher welfare payment of 75 for asylum seekers who cannot get accommodation will be discussed by Cabinet tomorrow, it is reported. Government sources have told RTE news that the higher payment will be a temporary measure and is in line with what other European Union states offer. Currently, asylum seekers receive 38.80 per adult and 29.80 per child weekly, as well as medical cards. It comes after the Department for Integration today confirmed that it is not in a position to provide a bed for all international protection applicants due to a "severe shortage" of accommodation. Integration minister Roderic OGorman said on Sunday that there may be additional financial supports put in place for arrivals who cannot be housed due to a shortage of accommodation. He said the additional supports offered would include higher payments for those without accommodation as well as closer co-operation with homelessness services. Earlier today, the Tanaiste said the Government is "very concerned" about the risks associated with newly arrived asylum seekers having to sleep rough in freezing conditions. Micheal Martin has insisted that state accommodation provision has not reached the point of "full exhaustion" and ministers will be meeting before the end of the week to assess what other options could be explored to provide more beds. Women and child applicants will continue to be accommodated. Male applicants without accommodation can still access services at drop-in centres, including showers, hot food and laundry. They will also be given tents and sleeping bags, if required. Asked by reporters in Dublin today about the potentially deadly risks associated with sleeping rough in freezing temperatures, Mr Martin said: "Obviously we're very, very concerned about that and we will do everything we possibly can to avoid it." Mr Martin said ministers will also consider proposals that would see unaccommodated arrivals get enhanced allowance payments. The Tanaiste said the accommodation situation is "challenging", adding that those claiming the Government could have foreseen the issue are adopting a "too simplistic" approach. "The situation is challenging," he said. "We have about 100,000 Ukrainians, 70,000-odd of which we are accommodating via the State and about 26,000 international protection asylum seekers. "I think it's a reflection of significant instability across the world where pressure is growing and continues to grow because of war and conflict, particularly in Ukraine but also the Middle East. "As you know, I am back from Jordan and Egypt in recent times. The amount of migration that they have experienced because of the war in Syria and because of instability in Palestine itself all points to a very difficult scenario. "So domestically here then, we have to do everything we possibly can to provide accommodation under our international legal obligations. And we will continue to do that and Government will be meeting this week again to assess the situation." He added: "It's not just in Ireland. This is happening across Europe, is happening across the United States." The Tanaiste continued: "This is a global phenomenon - migration - and it's not going to resolve itself anytime soon." The department, which blamed issues beyond its control, highlighted that the State is currently accommodating more than 100,000 people between Ukrainian refugees and IP applicants. A spokesman said: "This includes over 74,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the state and nearly 26,000 IP applicants currently in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. "Despite intensive efforts to source emergency accommodation, the department is currently not in a position to provide accommodation to all international protection applicants due to the severe shortage. "Department officials are working to bring more bed spaces into use, and since January 2022 have brought over 10,000 bed spaces into use to accommodate those who arrive in Ireland seeking international protection. "Various issues beyond the control of the department have resulted in offers not being progressed, and accommodation not contracted, swiftly enough to meet the demand." The spokesman added: "Drop-in day services will be available to unaccommodated IP applicants who wish to avail of them. In such centres, IP applicants can access facilities including hot showers, meals and laundry services seven days a week. They also provide tents and sleeping bags, where required. "Currently this department has agreements with two charities to provide these services in Dublin in the event that they are needed. All unaccommodated IP applicants will be provided with the contact details for IPAS and with information on accessing health and other public services in Ireland. "The department will work closely with the HSE to ensure that health services are provided to all those in need. All IP applicants who present to the International Protection Office (IPO) during an unaccommodated period will be assessed by IPAS and HSE staff for significant vulnerabilities and health issues, and prioritised for accommodation as necessary." Irish students best performing in reading literacy among 26 EU countries and 37 OECD countriesIrish students above average in reading, maths and scienceThe percentage of top performers in maths in Ireland is lower than the OECD averageBoys significantly outperforming girls in maths but girls performing better in reading Irish students are the best performers in reading literacy in the European Union, according to a major international study - but there has been a significant drop in performance when it comes to mathematics. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published the results of its latest programme for international student assessment (Pisa) which was carried out in 2022. The tests assess the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds from 81 countries across the world in mathematics, reading and science. Irish students scored above average in each of the subjects. The results show we are the best performing in reading literacy among the 37 countries in the OECD and the 26 EU countries. We have also moved from eighth place to second place for reading among the 81 countries. Singapore had the highest average performance. However, there has been a steady decline in mathematics scores. The percentage of top performers in maths in Ireland is lower than the OECD average and that of all of our comparator countries. Irelands mean score in mathematics was a significant eight points lower than it was in 2018, but this was below the average 15-point decline across OECD countries during the same time period. Pupils also answered a background questionnaire which sought information about the students themselves, their attitudes, dispositions and beliefs, their homes, and their school and learning experiences. Nearly one-fifth of Irish students reported that they were not satisfied with their lives. The Pisa results also looked at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on learning. There was no clear difference in recent performance trends between education systems with limited school closures during Covid restrictions and systems that had longer lasting school closures, like Ireland, Jamaica and Brazil. Some other interesting findings include how smartphones and tablets may be impacting learning. The data shows 45pc of students in the OECD countries reported feeling anxious or nervous if their phones were not near them. Students who used phones for more than an hour a day for leisure purposes - like browsing social media apps or playing games - saw a big drop in maths scores. On average, students who spent up to one hour a day on phones scored 49 points higher in maths, while students who were glued to their screens for between five and seven hours per day scored lower. In total 5,569 students in 170 schools in Ireland participated in Pisa. The tests were held in October and November last year after being delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Irelands overall performance in reading remained stable when compared to the 2018 results. Some 89pc of students attained a level two or higher in this subject. The OECD average is 74pc. Ten percent of students scored at level five or higher, above the OECD average of seven percent. Some 85pc of students scored a level two or higher in science, well above the OECD average of 76pc. Eight percent of students were among the top performers. In maths, 81pc of students attained at least level two proficiency, above the 69pc average. However, we ranked below average when it came to top performers. Just seven percent were at level five or six. The OECD average is nine percent. Irish boys outperformed girls in maths by 13 score points, while girls performed better than boys in reading by an average 18 score points. In science literacy, we have moved from 22nd to 12th place out of the 81 countries. We have moved from twenty-first place to eleventh place in maths. However, while we are above-average in each of the three subjects, there were some concerning findings when it came to students overall happiness. In a response to questions about a sense of belonging and satisfaction with life, 81pc said they made friends easily at school, 71pc felt they belonged, while 14pc reported feeling lonely. Another 14 percent said they felt like an outsider and were left out of things. Students satisfaction with life declined in many countries. In 2022, 19pc of Irish students reported they were not satisfied, compared to 18pc in 2018. On average across OECD countries, the proportion of students who are not satisfied with life increased from 11pc in 2015 to 18pc in 2022. Overall, Pisa found the average student performances in OECD countries are heading in the wrong direction. Some 25pc of students - representing 16 million children - are estimated to be low performers in maths, reading and science. This cycle saw an unprecedented drop in performance. When compared to 2018, the mean performance in OECD countries fell by 10 score points in reading and almost 15 in maths. The report states Covid may have had an impact, but is not solely to blame. It found educational trajectories were negative before the pandemic hit, which indicate issues in the education systems are to blame. However, Education Minister Norma Foley said overall, the results are extremely positive news for Ireland. We have retained our place among a small set of high achieving countries at a time where particular strain was put on school communities globally due to Covid-19, she said. We have also ensured that the number of low achieving students remains amongst the lowest in the 81 countries tested. Pisa 2022 was delayed by one year due to the impact of COVID-19 on our education system. The pandemic presented unprecedented challenges, but the resilience shown by schools during this time is to be commended. I want to particularly pay tribute to the dedication of teachers and school leaders to provide a stable and supportive learning. Our mathematics results have declined since 2018 but comparator countries such as Poland, Finland and Sweden have experienced a steeper decline than Ireland. We have managed to move from twenty-first to eleventh place in the listings for mathematics and our students are still performing at above average level. We can learn from these results and put measures in place to help to further develop our students critical thinking. Results in mathematics were particularly in favour of males, while females performed better in reading. Minister Foley said the Government is committed to promoting the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in schools with a particular focus on females. We will take account of the Pisa results in considering the implementation of actions from the STEM Education Implementation Plan and in the development of a new literacy, numeracy and digital literacy strategy, she added. Some 690 000 students took the assessment in 2022, representing about 29 million 15-year-olds in the schools of the 81 participating countries and economies. Students took two hour-long tests, each devoted to one subject. Different students were given different test questions and different combinations of subjects. Test items were a mixture of multiple-choice questions and questions requiring students to construct their own responses. Students also answered a background questionnaire. THE number of people working mainly from home has soared by a staggering 173pc since the last census. A total of 259,467 people were working from home for most of the week last year, up from 94,955 in 2016. A new official analysis of employment, occupations and commuting based on the census published today shows nearly one in three people were working from home at least one day a week in April last year. This equals 747,961 people or 32pc of all workers. The Central Statistics Office analysis reveals that the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area in Dublin has the highest proportion of people, at 57pc, working from home for at least a day a week. Home working is least prevalent in Monaghan and Longford, at 21pc of workers. Census 2022 Employment, Occupations and Commuting. Photo: CSO Meanwhile, driving is the main way that people commute to work. Around 1.28 million people, or 68pc of all commuters, travel to work by car. Another 12pc of commuters, or 240,000 people, walk or cycle to work. Just 9pc of commuters, or around 180,000 people, use public transport. The countrys entire workforce equals 2,320,297 people, which is an increase of 16pc since 2016. Tom Curran, Head of Wellbeing with Lockton People Solutions, described the increase in home workers as the biggest change to hit the world of work in decades, and perhaps centuries. There has been a somewhat staggering 173pc increase in the number of people who recorded that they worked mainly from home since the last census from 94,955 workers in 2016 to 259,467 in 2022, he said. He said todays report shows just how important working from home has become to many people within a short timeframe. Mr Curran said it has completely transformed how people work. He said the data tallies with a survey his agency conducted earlier this year. It found that more than one in three workers would choose a job that allowed them to work from home over a higher-paid role. Results from the same survey showed that most people believe workers should be entitled to work from home if their duties can be performed remotely. Less than one in three believe it should be up to an employer to decide whether or not an employee can work from home. Women in particular believe workers should have the right to work from home, with 76pc stating this compared to 63pc of men. Mr Curran said working from home can be a highly instrumental option when it comes keeping women in the workplace. "More needs to be done to encourage and facilitate female participation in the labour force, he said. Working from home allows people to organise their work around their life and work when theyre at their most productive. This in turn should allow people to work alongside the challenges which life throws their way, to work for longer, and to pursue multiple careers if they wish. It will also open up opportunities for people who may have struggled to participate in the workforce before. Meanwhile, the CSO analysis shows there were 657,790 retired people last year, a 21pc increase since the last census in 2016. A new online register for short-term lets advertised by the likes of Airbnb and Booking.com could finally be up and running by next summer, pending EU scrutiny. After meeting with EU officials in Brussels, Housing Minister Darragh OBrien said he hoped to get pre-clearance for the register next week, pending the end of a scrutiny period on December 22. It follows repeated delays to the Governments bid to bring an estimated 12,000 homes back into the rental market. The short-term letting challenge is quite acute in parts of Europe, too, particularly in the bigger cities. There is a whole discussion about over-tourism and that type of thing, Mr OBrien told the Irish Independent. From the Commissions perspective, it makes sense that its pan-European because obviously there is clarity for the platforms in that basically it is the same type of register, and were fine with that. I think, really, it was a timing thing, that were kind of ahead of all the other member states on this. Ireland submitted the legislation to Brussels last year, but the bloc put it on hold until this month so that it could scrutinise whether it was in line with the EUs own plans to regulate the sector. The EU says that Airbnb and other operators should be regulated the same way in all EU countries. Those rules are still being negotiated between MEPs and EU governments. Irelands plan is to make sure anyone renting out a property for holidaymakers must register with Failte Ireland. Regulations already in place state that homeowners in rent pressure zones who let out their entire home for short-term lets of more than 90 days or let out a second home must get planning permission. Mr OBrien said the new register would be a first step in adding holiday lets back into the rental stock, giving regulators an oversight of available properties. Successive governments, particularly the last one, if I look back at the regulations my predecessor brought in around inspection while the regulations are there the inspections dont happen at the rate that they should. He said it was also urgent to see through a new planning bill tabled last week. Id like to conclude the second stage in advance of Christmas, if we could, but were going to lose some time this week because of the no-confidence motion [by Sinn Fein against the Justice Minister], he said. The EU Commission had raised concerns about Irelands proposed new laws, said Tourism Minister Catherine Martin earlier this year. In response the Government put forward softer proposals which would mean rural properties would not have to abide by the strict new rules. Under the modified 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. The softening of rules for properties outside urban centres reflects officials belief that holiday homes in rural areas do not contribute to increases in the cost of rent and would not be suitable for long-term renting. He says Irish manufacturing has a clear role in the battle Pfizer is pivoting from Covid to cancer, and putting most of its resources into oncology, its CEO has said. Albert Bourla told an event hosted by IDA Ireland in Dublin that all the money his company made from Covid vaccines will be reinvested in technology to fight cancer. "I see a clear role for Irish manufacturing in this battle because here we have our largest manufacturing capacity in the world, Dr Bourla told over 500 people at the National Concert Hall, after receiving an award from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in recognition of Pfizers 54-year presence in Ireland. The pharmaceutical company employs over 5,000 people across Dublin, Kildare and Cork, and earlier this year it announced plans to spend more than 1.2bn increasing its manufacturing capacity at Grange Castle. However last month the company also signalled that up to 100 jobs will be lost at its manufacturing plant in Newbridge, following reduced sales of its Paxlovid Covid antiviral medicine. Dr Bourla said that Pfizers commitment to Ireland remains steadfast, and it looked forward to seeing the completion of recent investments which would ensure the company was ready to manufacture the next wave of medical innovations. "Nothing scares people all over the world more than cancer, because it affects everyone, the Pfizer CEO said. I hope we will be successful in our mission. I am optimistic that in the next 10 years, we will see significant advancement. Pfizers research is focused on Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC), medicines that are designed to kill tumour cells while leaving healthy ones alone. Dr Bourla said the aim is to create a basic technology platform, and then by changing the antibody or the drug, you can target breast cancer, brain cancer, cancer of the bladder or the liver. Asked what his company had learned from Covid, Dr Bourla said that it showed the power of science in the hands of the private sector in collaboration with academics, regulators and governments around the world. Without a thriving life sciences industry prepared to find a solution to an existential threat for human civilization, we wouldnt be here. Presenting the award, the Taoiseach said Pfizer was one of the first international companies to locate a substantial manufacturing operation here, and was part of a fundamental change in our national story. I think perhaps you saw something in Ireland that we did not see in ourselves, Mr Varadkar said.. Noting that Ireland is now home to eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies ranked by revenue, and that the sector accounts for exports of over 100bn a year, Mr Varadkar pledged that the government would work to provide a stable and attractive place for people to start and scale up businesses. "Were overhauling our planning system, and increasing resources in our planning and regulatory bodies, ranging from additional staff to the appointment of new judges with special expertise in the planning environment, he said. Michael Lohan, CEO at IDA Ireland, acknowledged the recent decline in exports from the life sciences sector, which employs about 100,000 people across 250 state-supported companies, but said this was reflective of the global market and a correction after Covid. He predicted export levels would return to where they were before the pandemic, with more measured growth. Mary Lou McDonald refuses to withdraw remark saying government didn't make contact with school for two weeks The Government won by 83 votes to 63 in todays showdown. It comes after Sinn Fein expressed no confidence is Ms McEntee amid the fallout of the Dublin riots. A motion of no confidence was switched for a coalition motion expressing confidence in her. The Irish Independents live blog, with rolling updates from Senan Molony and Seoirse Mulgrew, has now ended. Garda efforts to bring senior Kinahan cartel members to justice are advancing, with Justice Minister Helen McEntee expected to seek cabinet approval to begin formal extradition negotiations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Brothers Daniel Kinahan and Christy Kinahan Jr, along with other senior gang members, are believed to be running their international drug-dealing operation out of Dubai. There have been on going talks between Ireland and the UAE about extraditing the gang leaders back to Ireland, where they can be brought before the courts. In a further escalation in the States attempt to bring the Kinahans to trial, the Ms McEntee is to ask her cabinet colleagues for approval to open formal negotiations on new extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties with the UAE. The latest move from Ms McEntee comes on the day of a Dail vote on her future, after Sinn Fein tabled a motion of no confidence in the minister amid the political fallout from the Dublin riots. However, it is expected Ms McEntee will survive the motion. Talks with the UAE on agreeing an extradition pact could last more than a year but arrests can be made while negotiations are ongoing. It follows Ms McEntee meeting her UAE counterpart Abdullah bin sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi and also comes after Garda Commissioner Drew Harris met police chief Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri in Dubai. The minister is expected to tell the Cabinet bilateral treaties between Ireland and the UAE on mutual legal assistance and extradition would be of significant support to gardai in tackling organised crime and drug-trafficking gangs. She will also say it is important that criminals see there can be no hiding place from the law and add that the State will do everything in its power to bring those who spread misery in our communities to justice. Ms McEntee will tell cabinet colleagues criminals are hiding in the UAE and gardai need powers to bring them home to face charges for the crimes they have committed. Other EU member states already have extradition treaties in place with the UAE and the Government intends to draw from the experience of other EU countries when drafting a deal with the Middle Eastern state. The experience of EU partners has been that bilateral co-operation on existing individual cases can continue on a reciprocal basis while the treaties are being negotiated, a government source said. This process is about putting those at the top of organised crime behind bars and holding them responsible for their actions. Tackling organised crime is a key priority for Government and is central to building safer, stronger communities, the source added. Last year, the Government approved the expansion of the Garda Liaison Officer Network, following a request from Mr Harris. The US government last year offered a $5m (4.6m) reward for any person who provides information on the Kinahan cartel leaders that could lead to their arrest. The Policing Authority is standing over comments made by its chairperson Bob Collins on radio which contradicted Justice Minister Helen McEntee. It comes as the Minister is facing a motion of no confidence in the Dail later today, with Fine Gael expected to use the opportunity to raise Sinn Feins links with criminality. Mr Collins contradicted the Justice Minister when he said the authority had not been asked to provide clarity on the use of force, despite Minister McEntee saying earlier last week she would do so. After the radio interview, the authority then published the letter from Minister McEntee to the authority. As well as asking for guidance on providing Gardai with further supports in riots, in the letter to the authority Minister McEntee asked to advise her on what else might enhance policing performance and support the Gardai in the exercise of their lawful powers in situations such as arose last Thursday. Justice Minister Helen McEntee. Photo: PA The authority is standing by Mr Collins comments, it told the Irish Independent, Mr Collins emphasised the organisations promise to look into specific matters it has been formally requested to examine. Bob Collins, in his capacity as Chair of the Policing Authority, conveyed the formal request received from Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, during his appearance on RTE Radio 1 on Sunday, 3 December, said a spokesperson. In the letter, the Minister requested the Authoritys advice on enhancing policing performance and supporting the Gardai in the exercise of their lawful powers in situations such as arose during the riots in Dublin City on Thursday, 23 November. In this interview, the Chairman emphasised the Authoritys commitment to addressing the specific matters it has been formally requested to examine. Mr Collins told RTEs This Week the authority had not been asked to provide clarity on the use of force. No, the formal request that came to us from the Minister did not include that, said Mr Collins. It has asked us to advise her as to what else might be done to enhance policing performance and support the Gardai in the use of their lawful powers, to look again at the Garda response to the recommendations of the Inspectorates Report and to look at additional equipment, facilities, ICT, vehicles or training that might be required or any changes in policy, procedure or law, he said. He said he is relieved that the request was not made because he said he is not sure if it fits within the authority statutory remit. He said it is a matter for the law, their superiors and ultimately the Garda Commissioner. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says minister would be good in IMF role but that Donohoe aims to run in the next election Paschal Donohoe could almost treble his salary if he lands IMF role Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe could almost treble his salary and enjoy a variety of perks if he secured the position of International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director. Mr Donohoe has refused to dismiss reports in international media that he opened talks about taking up the senior role, which comes with a massive $524,970 (482,967) salary. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has moved to play down speculation that one of his most senior ministers is in line to replace the current IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva, amid growing speculation within Fine Gael that the cabinet minister is set to depart. Mr Donohoe, who currently earns around 175,000 a year as a minister, would see his pay skyrocket to more than 40,000 a month and be in line for IMF benefits such as comprehensive medical insurance for his entire family if he took up the role. The Washington DC-based agency also pays expatriate benefits for staff who are not from the US and this includes financial support for regular visits home and education for children. The IMFs website says staff are initially entitled to 26 annual leave days a year and this increases to 30 days with longer service. Staff also get 15 days of sick leave a year. The organisation also has what it calls the IMF Spouse and Partner Association, which provides a support network for a staff members partner when they move to Washington DC. This includes offering advice on living and working in the US, career services, personal development, English-language courses, a school counsellor to help children settle into school, and an onsite childcare centre. Mr Donohoe is married with two children. On leaving the IMF, the Dublin Central TD would be entitled to a generous final salary and a defined contribution pension plan, while a voluntary retirement savings plan is also available to employees. Mr Varadkar, who is at the Cop28 summit in Dubai, spoke to Mr Donohoe after it emerged in a report by business news agency Bloomberg that he was considering a bid for the senior IMF position. The Taoiseach sought to play down news that the cabinet minister was in preliminary talks with the IMF by saying there was no vacancy since the current managing director of the IMF, Ms Georgieva, had not yet indicated whether she would seek a second term. Mr Varadkar said Mr Donohoe told him he did not know where the story in Bloomberg had come from. The Taoiseach said Mr Donohoe was committed to running in the next general election and remaining as president of the Eurogroup but said he would make a good IMF chief if he was to go for the job. Paschal Donohoe is one of the most capable politicians in the country by a mile and hes internationally recognised for his work, he said. I think hed be an excellent managing director of the IMF, but thats not what hes interested in. Hes interested in staying on as president of the Eurogroup and also contesting the next Dail election in the Dublin Central constituency. More than three quarters of people in Ireland support a total phasing out of tobacco sales, eventually outlawing them from shops. Photo: Getty Images More than three quarters of people in Ireland support a total phasing out of tobacco sales, eventually outlawing them from shops, a new poll revealed today. The dramatic move and timeline would mean that people born after a certain date would never be able to legally purchase cigarettes. The Ipsos data on the proposed bold crackdown was presented at a conference in Dublin organised by ASH Ireland and the Irish Heart Foundation, to examine a tobacco endgame for Ireland as well as the regulation of e-cigarettes. It found high level support for both a reduction in the number of locations where tobacco is sold as well as lower nicotine content to make cigarettes less addictive. Smoking rates in Ireland remain at 18pc and have plateaued for a number of years despite hopes they would fall further. Chris Macey, Director of Advocacy with the Irish Heart Foundation, which commissioned the research said: If 12 people died on our roads every single day, there would be a national outcry, yet smoking causes a dozen preventable deaths a day, or 4,500 every year. As a nation, we have lost our way on tobacco control and have been too slow to react to the explosion in vaping. Our teenage smoking rate has increased for the first time in a generation and we will miss the Tobacco Free Ireland target of a 5pc smoking rate by 2025 by a margin of around half a million smokers. The survey of 1,012 adults last month shows 76pc of the population support a gradual outlawing of the sale and supply of tobacco, with 22pc disagreeing. Crucially, 76pc of 18-24 year-olds support the move. Such a measure would raise the legal age of smoking every year by a year so that, eventually, no-one can legally buy tobacco. A total of 78pc want a reduction in the number of locations where tobacco can be purchased and 87pc favour reduced nicotine content in tobacco to make cigarettes less addictive. Separate research by the Irish Heart Foundation found 57pc row in behind a ban on vape flavours with 35pc against. Some 66pc support plain packaging with 25pc against. Also 73pc said they support the Tobacco 21 policy, pushing up the age at which cigarettes can be purchase from 18 to 21. Some 26pc are opposed to it. Mr Macey said: Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the planet and the increase in e-cigarette use among 15-24 year-olds of almost two-thirds in the last year means we are facing a further surge in youth tobacco use, given the proven gateway effect between vaping and smoking. Dr Emmet OBrien, Chairman of ASH Ireland, said the statistics show the public is way ahead of policymakers on measures to protect young people from nicotine addiction and is ready for laws that will put an end to smoking. Its time for Government to heed public sentiment and set out a timetable to make this happen, he said. The conference was addressed by Richard Edwards, Professor of Public Health at the University of Otago in New Zealand and Dennis van Driel from the Dutch Heart Foundation. Members of Wexford Comhairle na nOg also attended to give the youth perspective on vaping. A senior civil servant is to be hauled before two Oireachtas committees to account for his claim that he didnt see a crucial email warning of a major health budget crisis - after the Irish Independent revealed he responded to the message in question. Department of Public Expenditure secretary general David Moloney is to be asked to appear before a joint sitting of the Oireachtas Health and Finance committees in January after TDs and Senators agreed to a proposal on Tuesday. Finance Committee chair John McGuinness wrote to the Health Committee in recent days to agree to a joint sitting to hear from Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoes most senior civil servant. The Health Committee agreed to invite Mr Moloney to appear before the joint session during a private meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Moloney told the Oireachtas Finance Committee in November that he had not seen HSE boss Bernard Glosters letter, sent by email hours before Budget 2024 was announced, warning of significant and punitive risks to the public linked to HSE funding shortfalls. I have not seen that letter, Mr Moloney told Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty on November 14. It may have been passed to the minister but, to the best of my knowledge, I have not seen it. But the Irish Independent revealed last Thursday that Mr Moloney had received the email and noted the comments of Mr Gloster in the email. Thanks Robert. I note the view expressed by the HSE, Mr Moloney wrote to Department of Health secretary general Robert Watt who had forwarded him Mr Gloster's email. Mr Gloster sent his email last October 9, hours before Budget 2024 was announced, after he had been told the HSE would be given 800m in extra funding next year less than half the 2bn extra sought by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. The HSEs chief executive also warned that the HSEs financial crisis will be even worse this time next year. DPER said last week that Moloney did not recollect having seen such a letter when asked about it by Mr Doherty at the committee on November 14. The email, released to the Irish Independent under Freedom of Information, was described as a smoking gun which reflects the level of knowledge within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform [DPER] on the funding requirements for health by Sinn Fein health spokesperson David Cullinane. There needs to be full accountability in relation to the health spend and the role of the Department of Public Expenditure in their communications with HSE and the Department of Health, Mr Cullinane said on Tuesday. Social Democrats TD Roisin Shortall has said there are strong grounds to revisit the health budget in light of the conflict of evidence and the wider issue in relation to the failure to accept the points that had been made over a number of months by the Department and the HSE about funding health services. Fine Gael senator Martin Conway said he would be very interested to see what Mr Moloney has to say for himself at the meeting in the new year. The controversy over the HSEs 22.5 billion budget for next year escalated at the weekend after the Sunday Independent revealed that Mr Watt warned the budget was not credible or honest and amounted to a clear breach of public finance rules in email to DPER officials just five days before it was announced. Helen McEntee will seek to meet with X following Dublin riots An official account affiliated with social media giant X, formerly Twitter, has refuted a claim made by Justice Minister Helen McEntee that the company did not cooperate with gardai in the wake of the Dublin riots. In a response posted on Monday night the platforms official Global Government Affairs account said: This is inaccurate. We have proactively taken action on more than 1,230 pieces of content under our rules relating to the riots. We met with the Coimisiun na Mean on November 24 to discuss our response. The gardai did not make any formal requests to us until late Monday 27th November. We responded promptly. The only appeal we have received from the gardai relating to the enforcement of our rules is for a single post. We hope the Minister will clarify her remarks. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content In the Dail last week the Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she spoke with a detective who was actively engaged with the social media companies throughout the scenes that unfolded in Dublin on November 23. "I spoke to a detective in Pearse Street on Saturday who was actively engaged with the social media companies on Thursday. "Who was actively engaged with TikTok, actively engaged with Meta, so Instagram and Facebook, who actively engaged with Twitter or X. "She said very clearly that social media companies, in particular TikTok and Meta, they were responding, they were engaging, they were with gardai and they were taking down these vile posts as they came up. "X were not. They didnt engage. They did not fulfill their own community standards, Ms McEntee said. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content She said social media companies should not get to self-monitor and Coimisiun na Mean has been established to ensure social media companies are held responsible. "While some were responsible, others were not, she said. On November 29, the official Fine Gael account posted: Some social media companies cooperated with An Garda Siochana to take down inflammatory content last Thursday. Unfortunately, X did not. "That's why we are taking action to ensure social media companies are held to account, the post, which tagged X owner Elon Musk, read. I was diagnosed as a love addict but does it really exist? After finding the emotional pain of a break-up totally unbearable, Charlotte Cripps was told she was experiencing love addiction meaning relationships are always dysfunctional. Years later, she talks to experts and those in recovery about a controversial and largely unknown form of addiction Stock image Charlotte Cripps UK Independent Tue 5 Dec 2023 at 11:42 When I was in my mid-twenties, I sat myself in the consulting room of a steely therapist, who told me that I was doing everything wrong when it came to love. For me, she said, love was all about the intoxicating highs and the soul-destroying lows; a dysfunctional cycle of attraction and distancing. From left to right, Oliver Napier, leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, British prime minister Edward Heath, Brian Faulkner, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, and Gerry Fitt, Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. Over 20 years ago, in July 2001 to be precise, Bertie Ahern was on an official visit to Brazil and Argentina and in conversation over a quiet beer with journalists he was asked: Do you think well be having the same conversation about political deadlock in Northern Ireland 20 years from now? In a move unusual for him in those times, he gave a direct reply: We could very well be doing so but I hope and believe that at least people wont be killing each other by then. Those prophetic words came back as I reflected that it is 50 years this coming Saturday since the first efforts were made to establish effective power-sharing in Northern Ireland, via the landmark Sunningdale Agreement signed on December 9, 1973. That first unionist-nationalist government lasted all of five months remembered as being ousted by huge unionist opposition culminating in a massive loyalist strike. Less remembered is that persistent upscaled IRA violence, including a bombing campaign in Britain, also played a hugely destructive role. Aherns prophetic judgment more than 20 years ago will resonate 10 days from now as we mark the 30th anniversary of the signing by the late Albert Reynolds and John Major of the Downing Street declaration on December 15, 1993. This declaration, among other things, paved the way for Sinn Fein to inch their way into peace talks, ultimately prompting SDLP stalwart Seamus Mallon to aptly describe the resultant 1998 Good Friday Agreement as Sunningdale for slow learners. Bertie Ahern correctly predicted that political progress in the North would be at a glacial pace, at best. More happily, he was also right to predict that the systematic killing and suffering was over. But true peace has to be something more than the absence of politically motivated killing. As I write this, new proposals are emerging from the London parliament recommending ways of ending the atrophy at Stormont, which has continued for 18 months. Since the latest power-sharing gambit happened in 1998, it has been a stop-start experience that has functioned poorly for just 60pc of the time. Citizens on both sides of the community are fed up with the lack of an assembly and executive because many vital public service decisions cannot be made. The latest recommendations from Westminsters Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, if adopted, could go a significant way to prevent the cycle of political instability. Since the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) collapsed the institutions last February, they have blocked several attempts to elect a speaker, meaning the parliament cannot function. The Affairs Committee has now recommended a rule-change so that a two-thirds majority of MLAs can elect a speaker. Currently, more than two-thirds are in favour of ending the political impasse, so that would deliver a first step. But it would not be a silver bullet to resolve other stumbling blocks. For instance, the DUP, or any party, could still refuse to nominate ministers. Interestingly, another significant recommendation would see the posts of first and deputy first ministers be rebranded as joint first ministers, a sensible move, as both offices already have the exact same responsibilities. Such changes would significantly modify the Good Friday Agreement but that agreement was never the end. The real test would be whether, half a century after the first power-sharing attempts via Sunningdale, the concept of cross-community government could finally be made work as part of an overdue healing process in Northern Ireland. Yet it is worth, at this point, reflecting on the deal signed off by British prime minister Ted Heath, Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, Brian Faulkner, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Gerry Fitt of the SDLP, and Oliver Napier of the Alliance Party, after three days of talks following months of diplomatic preparation. The venue was the Civil Service College at Sunningdale, near Ascot, in Berkshire. The Dublin government recognised that Irish unity could not happen without the consent of the people in the North, while London agreed that if unity was thus favoured by a majority, Britain would accept that reality. The other notable feature of the deal was a plan to create a ground-breaking cross-border Council of Ireland, comprising ministers from Dublin and Belfast and focusing on social and economic co-operation, with decisions to be taken by unanimity. Some in Fianna Fail criticised the deal, as it gave more recognition to the Norths existence and conflicted with declarations of jurisdiction in Articles 2 and 3 of the 1937 Constitution. Former Fianna Fail minister Kevin Boland took the issue to court, forcing Cosgraves government to spell out the limits of its recognition of the North. This move further stoked anti-Sunningdale unionists, who were increasingly outpacing Brian Faulkner and whose days in politics were numbered. For the unionists, the Council of Ireland was, in reality, an all-Ireland government in embryo. In hindsight, there is every chance the project was doomed. But the curtain came down on power-sharing when a new Labour government in London, under Harold Wilson, failed to face down the mass loyalist strikes which crippled power stations and petrol distribution. Sunningdale was the first of many political initiatives on the North which have at best had limited and sporadic success. But the quest must go on to embed permanent peace on this island. Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman should now be focused on the pragmatism of the accommodation crisis, rather than aspirations The system of emergency accommodation for asylum-seekers is under significant pressure, with suggestions it could run out of appropriate housing. The Dail was told the Government was working on identifying accommodation that could be used to house asylum-seekers. The lack of availability of accommodation for international protection applicants has unquestionably been exacerbated by the housing shortage in the country as a whole. However, the increase in the number of applicants has also made it extremely difficult to keep up with the demand. A report from the European Migration Network revealed a 415pc increase in the number of applicants to Ireland last year. Lets be clear, the invasion of Ukraine played a large part in that increase. The report said immigration to Ireland in 2022 was driven by the war Russia declared on Ukraine, the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions and shortages in the labour market. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission says international protection applicants who may have experienced persecution, trauma or destitution prior to arriving here are among the most vulnerable members of our society. A failure by the State to provide shelter to them puts these individuals at high risk on the streets, particularly at a time of anti-immigrant sentiment. The Department of Integration has been constantly playing catch-up in trying to source accommodation, and this has created tensions in some communities. While the Government cannot and should not allow protesters to have a veto over who lives in an area, there are legitimate concerns about the ability of doctors and schools community facilities to cope. However, there are success stories of parts of the system holding together against the odds. The Department of Education says 17,880 Ukrainian pupils have been enrolled in schools across Ireland over the 18-month period since the war began. Close to 12,000 of these pupils are in primary schools. However, anti-immigrant sentiment has also been fomented by sinister elements. The level of communication with communities where asylum-seekers will be based is always going to be challenging. But the policy of notifying communities of plans for impending arrivals is to be welcomed, even if it does run the risk of protests being organised. The enormous increase of asylum-seekers has put paid to the Governments policy to end direct provision. Integration Minister Roderic OGorman will today give an update to a conference hosted by the Childrens Rights Alliance on the latest position. The group acknowledges the context in which the commitments were made has changed drastically. When the accommodation system is so strained, there is no hope of ending direct provision for the foreseeable future. Given his political investment, the minister may not wish to state it so baldly, but all state and non-governmental groups should now be focused on the pragmatism of the accommodation crisis, rather than aspirations. Talking, and pledging, big tends to be the hallmark of climate conferences. Then, with everyone feeling a bit better about the modicum of progress they may have agreed upon, to avert disaster, they fly home. And this is normally when the backtracking begins. But thanks to explosive comments leaked at Cop28, the conference president has already found himself on the back foot, furiously trying to defend his stance. Reports revealed how he questioned the very scientific basis for calls to phase out fossil fuel. This is considered key to combating climate change. But it emerged, last month in an exchange with former President Mary Robinson, Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber had said: A phase-down and a phase-out of fossil fuel, in my view, is inevitable it is essential but we need to be real, serious and pragmatic about it. And then came the bombshell: There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phase-out of fossil fuel is whats going to achieve 1.5 (the restriction of global heating to 1.5C). In a limp effort at damage control, he since said: The science says that we must get to net zero emissions by 2050 and we must reduce emissions by 43% by 2030. What he omitted to specify was what exactly needs to happen to fossil fuels. The comments did nothing for the credibility of the conference. Apart from being Cop28 president, Sultan Al-Jaber also happens to be chief executive of UAEs state oil company Adnoc. His comments put him at odds with United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres, who could hardly have been more plain on the issue. The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels, he said. Not reduce. Not abate. Phase out with a clear time frame aligned with 1.5C, he added. This is now the mantra of an emboldened majority of states who now favour phase-out rather than phase-down. Had not nearly 200 countries already agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperatures to well below 2C ideally to 1.5C to avoid the worst impacts of global warming? Progress on the fossil fuels issue is fundamental to the success of the conference. Yet there are still powerful interests pushing back against going beyond a commitment to phase down fossil fuels, and to pledge a phase-out of them instead. Such a debate must not become merely an academic one for diplomats in Dubai. The British Medical Journal last week published a study showing air pollution from fossil fuel combustion is responsible for an estimated 5.13 million excess deaths a year. A phase-out of fossil fuels would have tremendous positive health outcomes, said Jos Lelieveld, an author of the study. Discussions about a degree or two on a thermometer might seem somewhat abstract. But that slight shift in the mercury level could be the difference between life or death for millions of people on our planet. The murder of Brandon Ledwidge in Finglas last week was remarkable in that it was the first such killing of the year. The 23-year-old was shot dead outside his home in a brazen attack at 7pm. His funeral heard about a man who wasn't without a big fat joint in his mouth and a hammer in his pocket. Further violence took place afterwards at a pub, sparking fears of an uptick in gangland feuding. In today's episode of the Indo Daily, presenter Kevin Doyle is joined by Irish Independent crime correspondent Ken Foy to discuss the motive behind Brandon Ledwidge's murder and whether the relative calm in the gangland world has been shattered. A dramatic 24 Hours in North Carolina, saw Molly Martens and her father on the brink of release from prison. An administrative error from The North Carolina Department of Corrections left the family of Jason Corbett feeling betrayed and frustrated in equal measure. What does this latest twist tell us about how US justice system views the ongoing Molly Martens saga? Ryanair have announced two new routes to their schedule from Cork for 2024, with regular flights to Greece and Belgium. Giving Cork travellers the perfect option for a sunny summer holiday, the budget airline will now fly to the beautiful island of Rhodes, marking the first ever direct flight between Cork and Greece. Flights start on June, 1 and offer two flights a week. This is Cork Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Cork newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Meanwhile, flights to Charleroi in Brussels will be the ideal city break. These flights start in March and again offer two flights a week between Cork and the European hub of Brussels. News of the extra routes comes as Cork Airport is forecasted to have its busiest year in its 62-year history. The airport saw a whooping 2.75 million international passengers fly in and out of the Munster's most popular airport in 2023. Knocknagree native and Gaelscoil Thomais Daibhis Teacher Laurence Hickey has created a new set of Christmas Cards ahead of this years festive season. All proceeds from sales will go to Cork Penny Dinners Tis the season of goodwill and Laurence Hickey has already embraced the concept as he prepares to market his bespoke Christmas cards in aid of Cork Penny Dinners. Knocknagree artist and Gaelscoil Thomais Daibhis (Mallow) teacher, Laurence has created a new set of cards for Christmas 2023. Back in 2020, Laurence, who describes himself as a part time artist, came up with the idea of creating cards bearing festive images of his hometown. However, for Christmas 2023 Laurence has unveiled another series of cards, but this time there are two different versions. One set features brand new images of Knocknagree and the surrounding areas in the parish of Rathmore, while the other depicts landmarks of his place of work in Mallow. This is Cork Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Cork newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Known in Mallow as Labhras, he has been teaching at Gaelscoil Thomais Daibhis for over 16 years and has come to know the town very well in that time. Im very lucky to live and work in areas that have a vibrant culture and history, the muinteoir told The Corkman. Growing up in Knocknagree and seeing its beautiful landscape was hugely inspirational. Painting the Paps Mountains covered in snow and Dan Battys Pub bedecked in Christmas lights are familiar to all living here. Speaking about his Mallow creations, Laurence said There is no other building in Cork quite like the Clock House, I teach Rang a Cuig in the Gaelscoil and wanted to share the local history with them. What began as a local history trail ended up being an inspiration for five Christmas cards of Mallow featuring the Clock House, Mallow Castle, OKeeffes Newsagents, and two wildlife images depicting rural scenes outside of the town. Theres a link between Mallow Castle and the Clock House that many of the pupils were unaware of, Labhras explained. Both were owned by the Jephson family and the tower on the Clock House actually came from the castle. In fact, the beautiful clock on the tower was gifted to the people of Mallow by Charles Denham Orlando Jephson as a way of knowing what the time was. The Knocknagree cards include five scenes depicting Christ the King Church, the Central Bar (Dan Battys), the Fairfield Christmas Tree, the Cow in the shed and the Paps Mountains. A pack of five cards will market for 10 and all proceeds go to Cork Penny Dinners. Homelessness and hunger arent grabbing the headlines lately but poverty hasnt gone away. People like Caitriona Twomey at Cork Penny Dinners and the great people working with her are doing all they can to help the marginalised and vulnerable under very difficult circumstances. Im hoping that the sale of the cards will make their work easier, Laurence said. If you would like to purchase cards in Mallow while simultaneously helping a great local charity the cards can be found at OKeeffes Newsagents and Katies Newsagents on Main Street. The people of Knocknagree know where they can find Laurence, who is also Lord Mayor of Knocknagree, if they wish to make a purchase. I would like to wholeheartedly thank Mallow Print on Market Square who were so obliging. A big Go raibh maith agaibh to all who purchased cards last year and those who will buy them this year. Your help and kindness are gratefully appreciated, Laurence said. Water supply issues have been ongoing in Cork for the past two years according to a city councillor Cllr Ken O'Flynn has called for the HSE to step in to fix issues with the water supply in Cork. The state of the water supply in Cork is such that some residents have complained that they are unable to use their washing machines or prepare a simple a cup of tea, according to one councillor. Cork North-East councillor Ken OFlynn said that he has received numerous complaints from residents of the city regarding discolouration and unusual odours of the water supply over the last two months. The city has been grappling with significant water issues for the past two years, Cllr OFlynn said. It is crucial that the drinking water supplied to the residents meets the required standards to ensure it does not pose any health hazards. This is Cork Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Cork newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The complaints I have received range from individuals unable to use their washing machines to being unable to prepare a simple cup of tea, or even bathe their children properly. This is simply unacceptable in this day and age, especially for the richest country in the world. The independent councillor said that problems with the water supply are city-wide across various areas from Ballinglough to Little Island and has called for the urgent involvement of other state agencies outside Uisce Eireann to fix the problem. Photo: Ken O'Flynn I am extremely disappointed with Irish Water's response, as their advice to run taps for 15 to 20 minutes has proven ineffective, Cllr OFlynn said in a statement. Cllr Ken O'Flynn has called for the HSE to step in to fix issues with the water supply in Cork. I personally know people who have run their taps for hours with no improvement. The suggested flushing system mentioned by Irish Water simply does not seem to be working. At this point, I am of the belief that the HSE and the Environmental Health must get involved. Cllr OFlynn said it is crucial that the drinking water supplied to the residents meets the required standards to ensure it does not pose any health hazards. We need a comprehensive investigation into the water quality issues plaguing our city, with a focus on identifying the causes and implementing effective solutions, the councillor said. The health and well-being of our residents should always be a top priority. Discoloured water in Cork. Photo: Ken O'Flynn On November 28, Uisce Eireann said it was continuing to work to improve water quality and about to begin a further programme of flushing works in several areas around Cork to address intermittent discolouration issues impacting customers in the city. We know from previous years that the changes in seasons and weather can be challenging in terms of managing water quality in Cork City. Sub-zero temperatures inevitably leads to more bursts, repairs and maintenance that will result in increased instances of discolouration in the network, Uisce Eireann said in a statement. Norma Foley Minister for Education , Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Maggie Cusack, President of Munster Technological University and Jimmy Deenihan, MTU Chair pictured at the recent announcement of multi-million euro funding for MTU projects. Photo by Domnick Walsh. MINISTER for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD yesterday announced two projects in Munster Technological University (MTU) that will progress to the next stage of development under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF). Photo by Domnick Walsh. Norma Foley Minister for Education , Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Maggie Cusack, President of Munster Technological University and Jimmy Deenihan, MTU Chair pictured at the recent announcement of multi-million euro funding for MTU projects. Photo by Domnick Walsh. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD this week announced two projects in Munster Technological University (MTU) that will progress to the next stage of development under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF). The Minister made the announcement while visiting Kerry MTUs North Campus in Tralee which will be one of the two locations whose proposal will progress, with the other being MTU Cork Bishopstowns campus. The Tralee campus proposal is the development of a Student Learner Centre with the potential to serve 2,000-3,000 students. This investment will provide for top class student facilities in the North Campus of MTU Kerry. The investment in MTU Cork is to upgrade and extend the existing Blocks D and Blocks A to provide core teaching facilities in the areas of Business, Humanities, Engineering, Science, Health and Wellbeing, Tourism. Speaking on Monday in Tralee, Minister Harris said: We are investing tens of millions of euros across the country to ensure each student benefits from the highest quality of education. I am delighted to announce that two MTU proposals have been approved to progress under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund. This means MTU can now work towards appointing design teams to get the ball rolling on each of these transformative projects for MTU. It is with these multi-million euro investments that we will truly change the learners experience for the better, providing the highest quality of infrastructure, he continued. The HEA in advancing these capital proposals, is playing a crucial leading role in rolling out the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund ensuring a pipeline of key strategic projects that delivers for our learners and our economic and societal needs. These are significant investments, providing funding to the tune of 130m for a number of projects that have been successful at this stage of the programme, of which MTU Cork and Kerry are two of those projects. The capital investments I am announcing today shows the commitment that I and my department have to our Technological Sector in supporting them to be drivers of regional and national development by supporting learners to achieve the skills level required to engage both nationally and in the global world President of MTU Professor Maggie Cusack welcomed the announcement: Todays announcement marks a real vote of confidence in MTU and will enhance further and higher education opportunities across the southwest region for generations to come. Chewbacca and the Grinch were just two of the characters at Manor West Shopping Centre in Tralee on Sunday for the Butterfly Skin Disease Charity, DEBRA Ireland fundraiser. Photo by James Finnegan. Volunteers and supporters of the for the Butterfly Skin Disease Charity, DEBRA Ireland pictured out in force at Manor West Shopping Centre in Tralee on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Fergus Dennehy. The excitement was palpable at the Manor West Shopping Centre in Tralee this past Sunday afternoon as kids and adults alike could not hide their joy at seeing some of their favourite characters come to life - and all for a good cause too to boot. Chewbacca, Fennec Shand and a Stormtrooper were there to represent the Star Wars universe while the Grinch, of all people, was the festive representative on the day. Keith and the other characters were representing three different character costume groups here in Ireland. All the Star Wars villains are represented by the 501st Legion Ireland group, the Star Wars heroes costumes all come from the Rebel Legion Ireland group while all other non Star Wars characters, including the Grinch, are from the Reel Icons group. The characters were certainly kept busy too with kids and their parents eager to nab a photo with icons such as Chewbacca - who delighted everyone with the traditional wookie roar - and of course, the very impressive looking stormtrooper. This is Kerry Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Kerry newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The fundraiser was organised by local photographer Keith McGlynn in memory of young Eanna Coffey who passed away back in October of 2016 while it was in aid of the for the Butterfly Skin Disease Charity, DEBRA Ireland. Keith spoke to The Kerryman on Tuesday about the fundraiser went, revealing that a whopping 2030 was raised on the day. The amount of photos that were taken was phenomenal. The smiles on the kids faces and the adults as well were great. Mr Grinch, he was a huge success. He came all the way down from Dublin that morning and he drove back that evening. He had a sack with him on the day that like onions and broccoli in it and, in true Grinch fashion, he was handing them out to the kids, he laughed. We had a girl dressed as Fennec Shand as well on the day. She was only 12 years old and she did most of that costume herself. Herself and her mom came down from Wicklow to help out on the day, he continued. Volunteers generously gave up their Sunday afternoon to do a bucket collection for the charity and speaking to The Kerryman on the day, they were pleased with how it was going, the kind generosity of people once again rising to the occasion. The Debra Ireland charity raises both funds and awareness for those suffering with the incurable condition known as epidermolysis bullosa (EB) which is more commonly known as butterfly skin. EB is described as an incurable genetic condition that affects the bodys largest organ; the skin. People living with EB are missing the essential proteins that bind the skins layers together, so any minor friction, movement or trauma causes it to break, tear, and blister; it is as fragile as a butterfly wing. Speaking about the disease, Keith said that it is indescribable in how horrendous it is for those who have it. The nickname of EB is the worst disease youve never heard of because so many people have not heard of it but it really is such a horrific condition. You cant comprehend what the people themselves who have the disease go through, he continued. The mission of Debra Ireland is to tell everyone about EB, to compel everyone to care about the disease and to be a positive force for all those who are living with EB as well. For more information on the condition or to find out how you can help out, please head to their website at debra.ie A Co Louth resident who applied for funds under the Vacant Homes Grant has been left out of pocket and owing money to a good friend after being approved for less money than she had anticipated. Kryslte McDonald found her dream cottage at Ballybonia, outside Ardee in 2021. It was derelict, having not been lived in for a number of years, but it fitted the bill for Krystle who was willing to do it up. "I work in Dublin airport and wanted somewhere that was within commuting distance, she explains. "The cottage had been vacant for a number of years and needed to be gutted, re-wired, new plumbing, plastering, everything. This is Louth Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Louth newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The roll out of the Vacant Homes Grant sounded just the answer and she applied to Louth County Council for funding in August 2022. "After initially being denied the grant I finally got approved on March 16, she says. When the government increased the grant amount from 30,000 to 50,000 in May, she says she was informed by an official of Louth County Council that she was automatically approved for the increased amount. Under the terms of the grant, the applicant has to pay for the works upfront and then claim the money back from the local authority. "I was lucky that I was in the position that I was able to borrow 50,000 from a good friend and had the works carried out to the cottage. Its a very old cottage and I wanted to bring it back to life. Krystle documented the cottage renovation on Instagram and took pains to ensure that all the works that were carried out were sympathic to the buildings history. "I absolutely love the cottage. Its my forever home. Im not leaving it. I put my heart and soul into it. She was devastated when she wasnt given full approval for the 50,000 she had anticipated by Louth County Council. After borrowing 50,000 from a dear friend to get the works done, I was offered by Louth County Council a payment of 29,078.70 on October 5, she says, She subsequently appealed this but again was refused the full amount. Krystle has questioned the fact that the inspection of the works wasnt carried out by Louth County Council but by an outside firm of consultants. "I am sitting here today in my beautiful little home, Snowdrop Cottage which I have painstakingly brought back to life. After investing so much in the property myself it was left liveable but unfinished as I didn't have the money to continue. I thought the grant was a gift from God and took part in the whole process in good faith, she says. She says that she wouldnt have undertaken all the work at one time if she hadnt thought she was getting 50,000 but would have saved up and done it in stages. "As it is Im now left financially in debt and at risk of losing a good friendship. I would never have done all the work if I had thought there would be an issue about getting the grant. Louth County Council was asked for a comment but hadnt replied at the time of going to press. Invitations have been extended to young people to participate in the 2nd Annual Young Entrepreneur Competition at the Christmas Winter Fest in Manorhamilton on December 10th. We believe that cultivating innovative thinking at a young age is crucial for the future, and we look forward to seeing the creative ideas from young participants, said JJ O Hara, CEO of Future Cast. For the second year in a row, Future Cast and the Manorhamilton Winterfest are delighted to support youth throughout Leitrim, Sligo and beyond to take part in the Young Entrepreneurs competition. The initiative adds an extra element of excitement to the overall Winterfest experience this Christmas. The event provides a platform for young minds to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and innovative ideas. Anyone aged 10-18 years, with an idea for an innovative, sustainable or homemade product can take part. Prizes include 200 first prize, 100 second prize and 50 for third prize. Each participating team can consist of up to 3, all of whom must be aged 10 to 18 years. Participants will be judged on their innovative ideas and products, and are invited to sell or showcase a variety of products, including innovative, sustainable, recycled, homemade, re-purposed, DIY items and foods. Future Cast aims to support young entrepreneurs as they begin their journey through the world of business, knowing that the creativity of the next generation is worth investing in. All participants will be invited to attend the Innovation Boot Camp during Summer 2024, where they will experience working with robots, 3D printing, flying drones, and other interesting technologies Anyone considering entering can book a free spot directly on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/young-entrepreneur-competition-in-christmas-winter-fest-tickets-750662219907 Or call for any further queries on 0719317480 Comments made during heated Wexford County Council meeting on Rosslare IPAS centre As the people of Rosslare Harbour continue their fight to have a nursing home built on the site of the former Great Southern Hotel, one of the districts elected councillors has revealed why he didnt sign a letter calling for an emergency council meeting to discuss same. The letter came on foot of a request by Deputy Verona Murphy and called upon Wexford County Council to issue injunctive proceedings against the developer who has turned the site into what is shaping up to be an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre. Just two of the Rosslare Municipal Districts (RMD) five councillors signed the letter and, during the aforementioned emergency meeting, one of those who didnt sign it explained his reasons. I did not put my name to the letter, and Ill be frank as to the reasons why, said Councillor Jim Codd. Verona Murphy was exiled from her party for making comments in relation to asylum seekers, for that reason I do not want to throw my lot in (with her). If youve been exiled from Fine Gael for being too right wing, in a party once led by Eoin ODuffy I doubt youre the right person to deal with this issue. Cllr Codd was referring to a decision made by Leo Varadkar in 2019, when Deputy Murphy was deselected by Fine Gael over comments made regarding migrants coming to Ireland. Although she later apologised for saying migrants may have been infiltrated by ISIS, Deputy Murphy was subsequently removed from the party before being elected to the Dail as an independent candidate in 2020. Adding that the people of Rosslare Harbour had his full support, Cllr Codd said Irelands issues with immigration could be easily traced back to those in central government. Its irresponsible and lazy of the government to concentrate the number of asylum seekers in one place, it creates ghettoes, he said. 25,000 families offered their home by way of shelter to Ukrainian refugees, instead theyve been put in small villages and cause division; we have a minister for disintegration rather than integration. Making a more veiled reference to some of Wexfords politicians, Cllr Codd said it was important that such a sensitive issue was not used to score political points. Todays meeting is not really about the welfare of asylum seekers, or the residents of Rosslare Harbour, this is about politics and controlling the narrative, and creating more controversy, he said. Im more than happy to support people of Rosslare Harbour but I will not play politics with vulnerable people. I ask the fair-minded politicians here to do the same. Dublin burned last week and the thugs were out in force, I implore people not to fan the flames of fascism again. A Ukrainian war refugee residing in Bray, who was forced to abandon her career as a tailor, will feature at Irelands largest craft and design fair which begins this week. Mother-of-three Elena Pozdniak fled her war-torn homeland with daughter Evelyn (7) and son Yarolsav, (17), while her eldest son Ruslan (21), and husband Viacheslav, remained to fight for their country. Eighteen months on, the 42-year-old has found work with Dublin-based social enterprise We Make Good, which helps vulnerable people find employment by training them in traditional skills such as sewing, knitting and metalwork. Elena works full-time as a machinist and her own and her colleagues work will appear at craft and design fair Gifted, which opens at the RDS on Wednesday, December 6. I saw the advert online and said to myself that I had the skills they were looking for and could make the things they were making, said Elena, who previously worked as a tailor in Nicolaev, in southern Ukraine. Fellow Ukrainian Tanya Kazatkova (45), also works as a machinist at the award-winning enterprise, which makes t-shirts, baby wear, tea towels, kitchenware and beauty products. She left her home city of Dnipro to escape the fighting 19 months ago with her daughter Maria, 15, and the pair now live in temporary accommodation in the capital. I studied fashion design for four years in Ukraine and it is something I would love to do in Ireland, but I need to improve my English first, she said. Since it was established 10 years ago, We Make Good has employed 26 people from marginalised backgrounds, including ex-prisoners. Anyone who comes to work for us is paid a living wage while they train, CEO Caroline Gardner said. All our employees have either moved to full-time employment or education. Over the past decade, more than 150 families across Ireland have had their lives radically improved by We Make Good. The social enterprise has been given a stall at this years Gifted show after soaring rents prevented it from opening a pop-up shop. For the past couple of years, weve had a Christmas pop-up shop in the centre of Dublin, said Caroline. But its not available this year and weve been finding it hard to find an alternative and affordable space anywhere in the city. We have been really lucky getting this space from Gifted. Gifted, the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, will take place at Dublins RDS from Wednesday, December 6 to Sunday, December 10. 1FISHERS CHRISTMAS MARKET: With the addition of late hours for evening shoppers, Fishers of Newtownmountkennedys Good Life Artisan Farmers Market returns for two consecutive Thursdays, on December 7 and 14, from 3.30pm-8.30pm. As well as a pizza truck for those who have missed supper, there are organic pet foods on hand for your pooch. So bring your adorable pet along to this pet-friendly market, which includes stalls by Smelly Nelly Wax Melts, Roxy Chixx Boutique, The Flower Gardener, Wood Turning by Ian, Bon A Pet Treats, Pizza Al Volvo, EH Bakes, Avas Cupcakes, Bitte Bag, Christmas Cakes & Puddings by Jacinta, Kens Amazing Plants and Natasha Drew Ceramics. Aristons My Natural Oil will also be there to ensure you get the best for your festive food. Ariston has been producing olive oils and vinegars for over three generations on their family estate in Kalamata (famous for its olives) Greece. Kalamata is near the Mediterranean Sea so the sea salt in the soil helps grow the best olives. This market is so popular, it even got a shout-out from Today FMs Alison Curtis over the weekend. And of course Fishers and its cafe will be open for tea, coffee and food . . . and maybe even some mulled wine. 2FESTIVE FLORAL POP-UP SHOP: Russborough House in Blessington hosts a free Christmas table styling workshop with floral design expert Ali Keogh, from The Tangled Bramble. The event is taking place on Saturday, December 9, from 10 a.m. Find inspiration for your Christmas table at Alis festive creative live demo and pick up a beautiful wreath or floral decoration from a mix of seasonal, scented festive foliage at The Tangled Bramble Pop Up Shop. As the Russborough Shop is host for the day they will have plenty of beautiful products to add to your creations for the finishing touches, not to mention gifts for everyone on your Christmas list. 3 BRAY CHRISTMAS GIVING TREE: Soroptimist International Bray & District in partnership with Bray Rotary Club will be hosting the Giving Tree event again on Saturday and Sunday, December 9 and 10, from 10.30am to 4.30pm each day.All are welcome to pop down between those hours and choose a tag which identifies a person and their age. You then purchase that person a gift and return to the tree for distribution by local charities. 4 SENIOR CITIZENS CHRISTMAS PARTY: Baltinglass Active Retirement Group are organising a festive extravaganza taking place in Germaines on Wednesday, December 6. The party is open to all active retirement members living in the area as well as any seniors. Patients from the local hospital have been invited along too. Tickets costing 25, after subsidisation, are available from Baltinglass Active Retirement Committee. Contact Mary to book on 087 299 9571. 5CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT: Wicklow Choral Society will be ringing in the Christmas season with a Carols by Candlelight concert taking place in the Dominican College Chapel in Wicklow town. The Musical Director is James Bingham and the concert takes place on Saturday, December 9 at 7.30 p.m. James is renowned for getting the congregation involved during performances so dont be surprised if you are asked to join in. Also performing on the night will be pianist Rachel Quinn, who also performs with the Degani Trio, and soloist Ben Escorcio. Children under the age of 12 get free admission to the family orientated event. Tickets costing 15 and are available from choir members, Earls Newsagents in Wicklow town and at the door on the night of the concert. 6 SANTA AT THE BAY:Santa is coming to Arklow this weekend and will be meeting children at both the Bridgewater Shopping Centre and the Arklow Bay Hotel. His grotto at The Bay is open from 2pm to 4.45pm on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, and next weekend, with each child getting a gift from Santa, hot chocolate and another sweet treat. Theyll also get to meet the elves and get to sit on Santas sled. Tickets are 15 at gr8events.ie, with all proceeds supporting the Arklow Cancer Support Group. Santas Bridgewater grotto is open every day until December 24, when he has to hot-foot it back to Lapland. Unfortunately he his fully booked until December 22 already, but there is still availability for meetings that day and on December 23 if youre quick! Hes going to be beside the big Christmas tree in the centre mall area and tickets cost 10 per child, but its 25 for three or more, and there are special slots for those with autism or additional needs. Just head to bridgewatershoppingcentre.ie and click on events to book. All children will get a gift from Santa. 7 KILMACANOGUE CAROL SERVICE: The Bray Concert Band are once again joining the Chaos in Harmony choir for the annual carol service for Saint Vincent de Paul, in St Mochonogs Church in Kilmacanogue, on Sunday, December 10 at 4pm. Admission is free but donations are welcome on the day for the local SVP. This annual carol service is a popular event on the local calendar, and brings together two wonderful groups of musicians to raise vital funds last year, despite the bad conditions on a cold day, over 700 was collected. The Bray Concert Band performs at many local events, festivals and fund-raisers. If you are interested, they rehearse on Tuesdays in Christ Church, Church Road, Bray. The community of Ashford and beyond has rallied to raise more than 4,000 for Dublin and Glendaloughs advent and Christmas appeal Shine a Light for the Diocese of Jerusalem, which seeks to rebuild a hospital in war-stricken Gaza. The Hub in Ashford village, which is run by Nuns Cross Church, Killiskey, hosted a coffee morning on Friday in aid of the appeal for the Diocese of Jerusalem which operates, among other institutions, Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The coffee morning was organised by local resident Lesley Rue, and apart from sales of baked goods and raffle tickets, and contributions for coffee, donations were received from local businesses and collections held further afield. Archbishop Michael Jackson joined those who enjoyed excellent cakes in the hub. This is Wicklow Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wicklow newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Al-Ahli Hospital reopened following an explosion in its grounds in mid-October. It was the last hospital operating in northern Gaza when it had to effectively close just over two weeks ago due to lack of fuel and medicine. However, the recent ceasefire enabled the World Health Organisation to oversee deliveries of fuel for generators, anaesthesia, ICU supplies, emergency drugs and IV fluids. It became once again the only functional hospital in northern Gaza, according to contacts in the Diocese of Jerusalem. Canon Don Binder, who is Chaplain to the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, reported on Wednesday last week that the WHO told them that the hospital is filled with hundreds of injured patients, with St Philip's Chapel being used to accommodate the overflow. Speaking at the coffee morning, the Rector of Wicklow and Killiskey, the Revd Jack Kinkead, thanked all the local businesses for their sponsorship and thanked the Archbishop for coming. Archbishop Jackson thanked members of the parish, community and the locality for raising funds for an indescribable tragedy and towards the continuity of the contribution and the reconstruction of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. He recalled being in Al-Ahli with the Revd Ken Rue, Rector of Narraghmore and former assistant Vicar in Killiskey. He spoke of the contribution of care at the hospital which, he said, looked after anybody and everybody who was in need. It is in many ways a manifestation and an expression of generous Christianity itself, he said. To think if it being reduced partially to rubble, its forecourt being the only safe haven, until it became unsafe, for people who were there is a tragedy and it must have been a tragedy to behold. He explained that the Shine a Light for the Diocese of Jerusalem appeal intended to draw together a focus of generosity for people across the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. The money will go undiluted with no deductions to the Diocese of Jerusalem, with whom Dublin and Glendalough have had a partnership link for almost a decade, the Archbishop added. The Diocese of Jerusalem encompasses Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The link between Dublin and Glendalough and the Diocese of Jerusalem began with an advent appeal in 2014 which raised funds for solar panels to support the hospitals electricity supply and upgraded on-call facilities for staff. If you want to support the appeal you can donate to: Diocesan Funds of Dublin and Glendalough No 1 A/C Current Account, Bank of Ireland, 2 COLLEGE GREEN DUBLIN 2 IBAN: IE50 BOFI 9000 1769 3548 78, BIC: BOFIIE2D. Cheques may be sent to Diocesan Offices of Dublin and Glendalough, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6, D06 CF67. But planning is no easy feat, especially when it comes to the guest list. Things can get political. This week, UK press reported that Montecito residents, Meghan and Harry, have not received an invitation to the wedding of the Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor and his fiancee Olivia Henson. Why the No Trousers Tube Ride is one of Londons most problematic traditions At least two people have been killed in the street after Russian artillery struck the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, officials said, as the 21-month war drags into another winter. LATEST | Israel strikes Gazas second largest city in new phase of the war United Nations plea to spare civilians from any more suffering as ground operation against Hamas continues in Gaza Palestinians injured in Israeli airstrikes arrive at Nasser Medical Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, yesterday. Photo: Getty Tue 5 Dec 2023 at 09:33 Israel has intensified its bombardment of Gazas second largest city, Khan Younis, with dozens of injured people rushed to hospital as a new phase of the war continues. The man, who was travelling on American Airlines flight 2829 from New York JFK to Phoenix, took to social media to condemn the airline for the alleged incident, accusing the company of being complicit in the murders of innocent Palestinian children in Gaza. The gag order was imposed after Donald Trump accused judge's top clerk of political bias. Photo: AP Former US president Donald Trump is seeking permission to appeal a decision reinstating gag orders in his New York civil fraud case to the states highest court, a court filing showed yesterday. A mid-level state appeals court last week reinstated the gag orders, which barred Mr Trump and his lawyers from making public statements about court staff. An appeals court judge had temporarily paused the order on November 16. US funding for war in Ukraine depleted due to House impasse White House says time is running out in urgent letter to Representatives Trucks line up in a long queue to cross the Polish-Ukrainian border at the Dorohusk-Jagodzin crossing, in Brzezno, Poland. Pic: REUTERS Jeff Mason Tue 5 Dec 2023 at 03:30 White House budget director Shalanda Young warned in a letter yesterday to Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and other congressional leaders that the United States was running out of time and money to help Ukraine fight its war with Russia. Meet the firm behind our content. Visit their website to see how their services can help your business succeed. Photo courtesy: ambujacement.com Mumbai: Adani Group-owned Ambuja Cements completed the acquisition of Sanghi Industries Ltd (SIL) at a revised offer price of Rs 121.90 per share, ET reported. In August this year, Ambuja Cements Ltd (ACL) proposed Rs 114.22 per share to acquire a 26% stake in Sanghi Industries, with each share having a face value of Rs 10, from its public shareholders. "In terms of the company's obligations under the SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011 ('Takeover Regulations'), the offer price as defined in the PA shall stand revised to Rs 121.90," Ambuja Cements said in a regulatory filing. ACL in a separate statement informed that it "successfully completes acquisition of Sanghi Industries, funded entirely through internal accruals" at an enterprise value of Rs 5,185 crore. "With the acquisition funded entirely through internal accruals, ACL holds a controlling stake of 54.51 per cent in SIL," it said. With this, the production capacity of ACL, which also owns ACC Ltd, has increased from 68. 5 to 74.6 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum). "ACL will increase its coastal footprint with this acquisition & by increasing capacity to 15 MTPA across the West Coast markets with states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala at a very competitive cost based on SIL's strength of low-cost clinker. This additional capacity to be commissioned over next 30 months," it said. In accordance with the share purchase agreement, Ambuja Cements Ltd (ACL) acquired 14.08 crore shares of Sanghi Industries from the promoters at a rate of Rs 121.90 per equity share. The remaining 57.56 lakh shares from the promoter group, constituting 2.23 percent, will also be obtained separately at the same price, said ACL. Sanghi Industries Limited (SIL) possesses a comprehensive integrated manufacturing facility spanning 2,700 hectares located in Sanghipuram along the coastal region of Gujarat. This facility is India's largest single-location producer of cement and clinker. ET reported that the facility includes two kilns with a significant clinker production capacity of 6.6 MTPA, a cement grinding unit of 6.1 MTPA, a dedicated 13 MW captive power plant, and an efficient 13 MW Waste Heat Recovery System. It has a captive jetty in Sanghipuram, with plans from the Adani group to invest in expanding the port's capacity. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones (APSEZ) CEO Karan Adani announced the expansion on August 3 as part of a deal. The expansion aims to handle vessel sizes of up to 8,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage). The acquisition of Sanghi Industries Limited (SIL) provides Ambuja Cements Ltd (ACL) with a billion-tonne reserve of high-quality surface mining limestone. This acquisition aligns with ACL's coastal strategy to enhance cement capacity to 15 MTPA along the West Coast, leveraging SIL's cost-efficient clinker. The initiative aims to capitalize on the strengths of the Ambuja and ACC brands. ACL plans to invest in expanding the existing captive port at Sanghipuram to accommodate larger vessels, catering to the growing demand for cement in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala at a competitive cost. The commissioning is expected to be completed over the next 30 months. Adani's Cement Business CEO, Ajay Kapur, sees this acquisition as a significant advancement, solidifying the Adani Group's leadership in India's cement industry. "We welcome the employees of Sanghi Industries into the Adani family and look forward to capitalising on the synergies this acquisition offers. Recognizing the Adani Group's expertise in marine infrastructure, plans are underway to expand the Sanghipuram port's capacity to handle larger vessels, facilitating cost-effective transportation of clinker and cement via sea routes," he said. Ambuja Cement is the second biggest cement company in India after UltraTech Cement owned by the Aditya Birla Group. Kolkata: P.C. Sen Charitable Trust, supported by Senco Gold and Diamonds, inaugurated Prabhat Diagnostics Centre at Rasapunja area in West Bengals South 24 Parganas district on Tuesday. The move was made as a part of Senco Gold & Diamonds CSR initiatives. Dr. Ari, Dr Arunavo Sengupta (PG Hospital), Dr MS Maity (CMOH), Sikha Roy(Sasthyathya karmadhyakshya, S-24pgs) attended the event. Ranjana Sen , Chairperson & Whole Time Director, Senco Gold &Diamonds, said, It is the first unit of the proposed medical complex, a dream project of Late Shri. Shankar Sen. He desired to provide healthcare and job-oriented academic support to the financially weak population of West Bengal, she said. The Medical Complex, as desired by him should comprise of (a) Diagnostic Centre, (b) Nursing Academy,(c) Paramedical Institute, (d) Medical Centre, she said. Suvankar Sen, MD & CEO of Senco Gold & Diamonds, said,The 2700 sqft spacious Polyclinic of Prabhat Diagnostic Centre has provision to accommodate 16 physicians daily. Joita Sen, Director and head of Design and marketing, Senco Gold & Diamonds, said, We are going to introduce a Nursing Academy to admit students in the academic session of 2024-25. Photo courtesy: UNI New Delhi/IBNS: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said she was not sure whether the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee's report on the cash-for-query charges brought against her will be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. When she was asked outside Parliament, Moitra told reporters this morning, "Let's see. Let them bring. I am not aware of it. It's not there in the list of businesses. If they bring it, let them." Brief about the case The controversy was triggered after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on October 15 accused Moitra, who is known for her fiery speeches in Parliament, of asking questions on businessman Gautam Adani in Parliament in exchange for money. Moitra, whose choice of words had triggered rows both inside and outside Parliament in the past, has been accused of accepting bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her Parliament login details. Dubey, a three term MP from Jharkhand's Godda constituency, even cited a letter from Moitra's estranged partner Jai Anant Dehadrai, a Supreme Court lawyer, in claiming that Moitra received bribes. In several interviews, Moitra claimed she received a few gifts from Darshan but no money and shared the login details to put her questions on the portal only but she used to receive the OTP on her phone. The BJP MP had appealed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to form an inquiry committee to probe into the allegations brought against the first-term parliamentarian from West Bengal's Krishnanagar constituency. Moitra had walked out of the Ethics Committee hearing allegeding she was asked "personal" and "filthy" questions which she felt have no connection with the entire case. The Parliamentary Ethics Committee on Wednesday recommended the termination of Moitra's Lok Sabha membership calling her actions "highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal". Photo courtesy: NarendraModi X page New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday held talks with Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto here and called for steady progress in mutual trade and investment between both nations". During the talks, five Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) have been exchanged between India and Kenya in several areas, including sports, IT, and education. Addressing the joint Press conference with President Ruto, PM Modi said, "There is steady progress in mutual trade and investment between India and Kenya." The PM said both nations will continue to explore new opportunities to realize the full potential of economic cooperation and expressed happiness that Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Solar Alliance. People-to-people linkages are essential in the India-Kenya partnership. In that context, President @WilliamsRuto and I discussed how to deepen cultural ties and work together in areas such as skill development. pic.twitter.com/mcNScxoSoK Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2023 "Kenya's decision to join the International Big Cat Alliance will enable the strengthening of global efforts for the conservation of big cats," he said. PM Modi said India and Kenya are unanimous in considering terrorism as the most serious challenge to humanity and both nations have decided to increase cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. He said, "Africa has been a topmost priority in India's foreign policy,"adding that in the past decade, India has worked to build cooperation with Africa in mission mode. The Prime Minister expressed hope that this visit will aid in further fostering ties and engagements with Kenya and Africa, saying, "This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Kenya." Had productive talks with President @WilliamsRuto today. We got the opportunity to review the full range of India-Kenya relations. We discussed ways to deepen economic linkages between our nations. Our nations will also work together in sectors like technology, digital pic.twitter.com/61a3zTeqUB Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2023 He pointed out that India's Kenya ties date back thousands of years. In his statement, President Ruto said that the two leaders held extensive conversations and engagement on all issues of mutual significance and importance between the two countries. Rout congratulated PM Modi for successfully hosting the G20 Summit and championing the cause of African people which led to the African Union becoming a member of the G20. The Kenyan President arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a three-day visit to India, accompanied by a high-level official delegation. Early in the day, Ruto was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Talking to the media, the Kenyan President said he shares a lot in common with the Prime Minister on what needs to be done by the global South and emphasised the need to consolidate the relationship between Kenya and India. He also laid a wreath at Rajghat and paid his respects to Mahatma Gandhi. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the Kenyan President last evening. In a social media post, Jaishankar said, "I appreciated President Ruto's perspectives on the concerns of the Global South and valued his insights for the further strengthening of India - Kenya bilateral ties." [With UNI inputs] In a startling development, the Pakistan Governments decision to allocate a significant portion of the historic Gurdwara Nankana Sahibs land has sparked widespread controversy and opposition from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The SGPC has vehemently objected to this move and is urgently calling for an immediate halt. The SGPC, led by Harjinder Singh Dhami, expressed its concern over the allocation of land that was originally donated in the name of Guru Ghar at Sri Nankana Sahib by a devout Sikh, Rai Bular Bhatti. The land, comprising 750 maraba, was a heartfelt tribute to Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, and has held historical and religious significance for centuries. Dhami revealed that the SGPC received distressing information from Bhattis descendants, currently residing in Pakistan, indicating that the Government of Pakistan had decided to allocate approximately 60 percent of the Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahibs land to a trust for an unspecified purpose. Rai Bular Bhatti, a contemporary of Guru Nanak Dev, was a fervent devotee of Guru Ghar, and his generous donation was an expression of deep reverence for Sikh teachings. The SGPC President emphasized that Bhattis family continues to maintain unwavering devotion to Guru Ghar, and the governments decision has profoundly hurt their sentiments. Urging the Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan to intervene and safeguard the properties of gurdwaras, Dhami also called upon the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee to file a case in the High Court of Pakistan against this controversial decision. This unexpected development has raised concerns not only within the Sikh community but also among those who value the preservation of religious and historical sites. The Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, being intimately linked to the roots of Sikhism, holds immense cultural and spiritual significance. The SGPCs objection underscores the need for a careful reevaluation of the decision to ensure the protection of religious heritage and communal sentiments. As the SGPC takes a firm stance against the governments move, the fate of Gurdwara Nankana Sahibs land hangs in the balance, awaiting a resolution that reconciles the interests of all parties involved and upholds the sanctity of this revered site. (Photo and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com) Videograb from SRK fans X page Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan along with his wife Gauri Khan, children Aryan and AbRam and mom-in-law Savita Chhibber attended the screening of Suhana Khan's debut film The Archies on Tuesday evening. The 58-year-old actor, who unveiled the trailer of his upcoming film Dunki the same day, took time off his busy schedule to be a part of the cheer gang for his daughter on her big night. For the event, SRK was seen wearing a customised black t-shirt that had Archies written on it. He completed his look with black pants and a matching blazer. Twinning with his father was little AbRam, who looked cute in a black blazer while his sibling Aryan kept it casual in a jacket and jeans. Suhana Khan made heads turn in her red dress while her mom Gauri Khan opted for a black dress and was accompanied by her mother and Suhana's grandmom Savita Chhibber. The Archies marks the debut film of Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan, Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda, and Boney Kapoor's younger daughter Khushi Kapoor. The other newcomers include Mihir Ahuja, singer Aditi Saigal (who goes by her stage name Dot), Vedang Raina, and Yuvraj Menda. The film will stream Dec 7 onwards on Netflix. Displaced people walk from the north of Gaza towards the south, as ambulances head in the other direction. Photo Courtesy: UNRWA/Ashraf Amra The World Health Organization on Tuesday said it has recorded 203 attacks on medical facilities and health workers in the Gaza Strip between October 7 to November 28. In its X post, the health organization said: "About 1.9 million people, nearly 80% of Gaza's population, are estimated to be internally displaced. Recent evacuation orders cover 20% of Khan Younis and localities east of Khan Younis, which prior to the hostilities were home to nearly 117 000 and 352 000 people, respectively." "In less than 60 days, the number of functioning hospitals has dropped from 36 to 18. Of these, three are only providing basic first aid, while the remaining hospitals are delivering only partial services. Those able to admit patients are delivering services well over their intended capacities, with some treating two to three times as many patients as they were designed for. The 12 hospitals that are still operational in the south are now the backbone of the health system," WHO said. WHO said: "From 7 October to 28 November, WHO recorded an unprecedented number of attacks on health care: 203 attacks on hospitals, ambulances, medical supplies, and the detention of health-care workers. This is unacceptable. There are means to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and they should be instituted." Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border on October 7. In response to the October 7 attacks, Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. Israel launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip on October 27 with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce on November 24 and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages occurred over the next few days. During the period, humanitarian aid was also delivered to the Gaza Strip. After extending for several days, the truce ended on December 1 and Israeli military resumed fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, saying the group had violated the humanitarian pause. Palestinian women mourning the loss of a family member at Al-Nasser Medical Hospital in Khan Younis, southern the Gaza Strip. Photo Courtesy: UNICEF/UNI472270/Zaqout Reports of hundreds of fatalities from bombing in southern Gaza over the weekend heightened deep concerns for civilians sheltering there, while UN humanitarians on Monday said that aid teams had only extremely limited movement and access to the north was now entirely blocked. The latest update from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, confirmed rising casualties and devastation amid heavy Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea. From the afternoon of (Saturday) 2 December to the afternoon of (Sunday) 3 December, at least 316 people were killed and at least another 664 injured in Gaza, OCHAs situation update reported, adding that an Israeli soldier had been reportedly killed in the enclave at the weekend and another had succumbed to wounds sustained previously. The return to bloodshed followed the breakdown of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel last Friday, 1 December, that had allowed for the release of dozens of the approximately 240 hostages taken from southern Israel during the groups terror attack that claimed some 1,200 lives, according to Israeli authorities, and of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Health authorities in Gaza claim that more than 15,000 people have been killed since 7 October. Nowhere is safe Echoing humanitarians concerns for civilians caught up in the violence, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA, said that in Rafah city in the south people were being forced to flee against a backdrop of airstrikes. People are pleading for advice on where to find safety, said Director of UNRWA Affairs Thomas White. We have nothing to tell them. Some 1.8 million Gazans now live in the south of Gaza after an order from the Israeli Defense Forces to residents to leave the north of the Strip in mid-October. In a new development, OCHA reported that the Israeli military had designated an area covering about 20 per cent of Khan Younis city for immediate evacuation on Sunday (November 3, 2023), and that this area had been marked in an online map (and) published on social media. Prior to the onset of hostilities, this area was home to nearly 117,000 people, the UN aid coordination office said, noting that it housed 21 shelters with about 50,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), the vast majority previously displaced from the north. Critical aid still rolling in Meanwhile, OCHA reported that some lifesaving humanitarian supplies were continuing to roll into Gaza late on Sunday evening from Egypt, although their exact number and contents were unclear. Ten humanitarian staff also entered via the Rafah border crossing, which also saw the evacuation of 566 foreign nationals and dual citizens, 13 injured people and 11 companions. Security Council meets In a sign of widespread international alarm over the continuing violence in Gaza, the UN Security Council was due to hold closed consultations on the issue on Monday. The meeting, which was expected to feature Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, was requested by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which expressed the deeply concerning resumption of hostilities and the continuing dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Killing of children Meanwhile, in a social media post revealing a panorama of smashed masonry, rescue workers and distressed youngsters in southern Gaza on Saturday, UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder railed against the endless killing of children after a night of utterly relentless bombardments. Speaking from inside a shelter, the UN official turned his mobile phone camera to Khaled and Hannah, two infants sleeping side by side. Please meet them and see them, pray that theyll be alive in a few days time, he said. I feel like Im running out of ways to describe the endless killing of children here. UNFPA/Bisan Ouda Photo Caption: Internally displaced people rest at a camp near the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the south of Gaza. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his call for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages, his Spokesperson said on Monday. Guterres is extremely alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas this past Friday, including rocket fire towards Israel from Gaza and Israels renewed ground operations and intensified airstrikes, increasingly in the south of the enclave. The UN continues to appeal to Israeli Forces to avoid further action that would exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and to spare civilians from more suffering, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Protect civilians, sustain aid flows The Secretary-General also underlined the need to protect civilians including health workers, journalists and UN personnel - and civilian infrastructure at all times. He also emphasized the need for unimpeded and sustained humanitarian aid flow to Gaza, noting that people ordered to evacuate have nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on. The statement said the UN chief also remains gravely concerned about the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, including intensified Israeli security operations, high numbers of fatalities and arrests, spiking settler violence and attacks on Israelis by Palestinians. Humanitarian efforts impeded The World Health Organization (WHO) also called on Israel to take measures to protect civilians. The UN agency was on Monday notified by Israel to remove supplies from its medical warehouse in the south "as ground operations will put it beyond use," Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on social media calling for the order to be withdrawn. Humanitarians have warned that the current situation in Gaza does not allow them to address the immense needs there. More than two million people live in the enclave and over 80 per cent, nearly 1.9 million, are now displaced, according to the latest update from the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, which is sheltering 1.2 million residents in its facilities. UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA said limited aid distributions took place in Rafah governorate in southern Gaza on Sunday and largely stopped in the adjacent Khan Younis governorate due to the intensity of hostilities. Additionally, central Gaza was largely disconnected from the south, following Israeli forces prevention of movement, including of humanitarian supplies. Disease and famine threat Meanwhile, grave concerns persist about waterborne diseases due to water consumption from unsafe sources, particularly in the north, where the water desalination plant and the pipeline from Israel was shut down, OCHA reported. Furthermore, there has been almost no improvement in the access of residents in north Gaza to water for drinking and domestic purposes for weeks. The World Food Programme (WFP) continues to warn about the ongoing risk of famine among the entire population in Gaza, especially for those with chronic diseases, older persons, children and people living with disabilities. ICC Prosecutors visit In related developments, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has concluded his first visit to Israel and the State of Palestine, where he met with victims on both sides of the conflict. This marked the first-ever such visit by a Prosecutor from the court, which was established in 2002 under a treaty known as the Rome Statute to investigate and try individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. Khan issued a statement on Sunday which said he had a simple message during the mission - my Office is here to ensure that the protection of the law is felt by all. Scenes of calculated cruelty The visit to Israel was conducted at the request of family members and friends of Israeli citizens who were either killed or taken hostage by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups during their bloody incursion into southern Israel on 7 October, he said. Khan travelled to Kibbutz Beeri and Kibbutz Kfar Azza, as well as the site of the Nova Music Festival in Reim, where he witnessed scenes of calculated cruelty. Working towards accountability He said the attacks against innocent Israeli civilians represent some of the most serious international crimes, that shock the conscience of humanity, and which the ICC was established to address. In my meeting with the families of the victims of these attacks, my message was clear: we stand ready to work in partnership with them as part of our ongoing work to hold those responsible to account, he added. The ICC Prosecutor also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, saying they cannot be treated as human shields or bargaining chips. Suffering in Gaza and West Bank Khan met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah where discussions were highly productive as we look to further deepen our cooperation under the Rome Statute. He also spoke to the families of Palestinian victims, who shared personal accounts of their suffering in Gaza and the West Bank. In relation to Gaza, and notwithstanding any ongoing violations of international humanitarian law by Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip, the manner in which Israel responds to these attacks is subject to clear legal parameters that govern armed conflict, he said. Conflict in densely populated areas where fighters are alleged to be unlawfully embedded in the civilian population is inherently complex, but international humanitarian law must still apply and the Israeli military knows the law that must be applied. The ICC Prosecutor said credible allegations of crimes during the conflict should be the subject of timely, independent examination and investigation. He also stressed the need to comply with the clear legal principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality. Critical need for aid Addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, he emphasized that civilians must have access to basic food, water, and desperately needed medical supplies without delay and at scale. And when such aid arrives, it must not be diverted or misused by Hamas. I cannot be more clear about this. All actors must comply with international humanitarian law, he said, adding that If you do not do so, do not complain when my Office is required to act. Khan also voiced concern over the increase in violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, which his Office is continuing to investigate. Hope for humanity The statement concluded with the hope that this would not be his last visit to both Israel and Palestine. Even in this deeply troubling current context, I leave with some hope that the core of our collective humanity can survive this moment, he said, referring to the words and kindness from the victims he met in both locations. At this time of significant turbulence, the law is needed more than ever. I wish to emphasize that we are working intensively to ensure the law is protected and upheld, for all. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash Javaria Khanam from Karachi, Pakistan, arrived in India via the Wagah Border in Amritsar on Tuesday. She has been granted a 45-day visa to visit India. Sources told UNI that her fiance, Samir Khan and future Father-in-law, Ahmed Kamal Khan Yusufzai, from Kolkata received her at Wagah Border. They are getting married in the first week of January 2024 and had a relationship for the past five years. Earlier, Javarias visa was rejected twice, but on the third attempt, she was granted the visa. The groom said, "I want to stay with her forever in India." (With UNI Inputs) Photo Coutesy: Unsplash At least two Levies force personnel were killed during an operation in Pakistan's Luni area on Sunday. A Levies team, headed by Duki Assistant Commissioner Zahoor Ahmed Baloch, conducted a raid in the Killi Majanzai locality on a tip-off about the presence of Amanullah Majanzai, an absconder accused of involvement in heinous crimes, reported Dawn News. The security personnel faced heavy firing after they cordoned off the alleged hideout of the absconder. The two deceased security personnel were identified as Obaidullah Achakzai and Mohammad Qasim Baloch. Their bodies were shifted to a local hospital. A heavy contingent of Levies and Frontier Corps arrived at the scene following the shootout and conducted a search operation during which the absconder also got injured in the exchange of fire, the Pakistani newspaper reported. He was later arrested, along with four others, by the security forces, officials told Dawn News. Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons Taipei: A top US official has said the upcoming polls in Taiwan should be free from outside interference. "U.S. support for Taiwan remains rock-solid, principled, and bipartisan, and that support is entirely consistent with our one China policy and longstanding commitments," Sandra Oudkirk, director of the American Institute in Taiwan and de facto US ambassador said as she addressed the National Taiwan University. "We firmly believe that the U.S. commitment to Taiwan contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and helps to create a more stable and resilient region," she said. Speaking on the upcoming polls, she said: "As Taiwan gets closer to its elections, I want to emphasize that the United States has deep confidence in Taiwans electoral processes and democratic system." She said the people of Taiwan should decide their next leader and that should be 'free from outside interference'. "The United States is not taking sides in Taiwans election, we do not have a preferred candidate, and we know very well that we do not have a vote," she said. She said the relationship between the US and Taiwan regardless of the winner of the election. What is the basis of Chinas claim over Taiwan? The basis of Chinas claim over Taiwan dates back to 1945 when Japan lost its control over the island in 1945,post-World War Two. The 1949 Chinese civil war led to communists taking control and Chiang Kai-shek the one who lost fled to Taiwan. He ruled it for many decades. This is where Chinas claim to Taiwan emanates. The very fact that Chiang Kai-shek came to Taiwan and was not indigenous to the place is Taiwans argument against the claim. The management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Universitys Yelwa Campus in Bauchi has shut down the institution following protests by students over the killing of Joseph Agabaidu, a final-year Geology student of the institution, during a robbery attempt. Recall that the student was heading to his residence at Yelwan Tudu, which is about one kilometre from the school gate when a robbery gang stabbed him in an attempt to steal his phone. Meanwhile, some hours after a protest by the varsity students, a circular signed by the Deputy Registrar (Academic), Haj. Fatima Inuwa Abdullahi, the management, announced the approval of the universitys closure for an initial period of one week from Monday, December 4, to Sunday, December 10. READ MORE: ATBU Final-Year Student Stabbed To Death By Phone Robbers According to the circular, the objective is to prevent a breakdown of law and order while alleging that hoodlums hijacked the protest. The circular reads: As you may recall, there was an alleged murder of Joseph Aga Baidu, a 500-level student of Applied Geology recently at Yelwa Kagadama, which made some miscreants embark on protests around Yelwa Campus, consequently disrupting the peace. In view of the above, the Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the Senate, has approved the closure of the university for an initial period of one week with effect from Monday 4th to Sunday 10th December, 2023. Therefore, I am directed to request all undergraduate students on both campuses to vacate the university premises with immediate effect, as failure to comply may lead to appropriate sanction by the constituted authority. Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, lawmaker representing Ondo South in the Senate, has said that the Federal Government (FG) must inevitably borrow money to run the countrys economy effectively. Speaking on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Monday, Ibrahim said that borrowing will help the FG build critical infrastructure which will enable it repay the loan in the long run. If you dont borrow to run the economy, what do you want to do? Where do you want to get the fund to run the economy? Dubai, with the population of 12 million people in total, is owing 168 billion dollars and look at what they have used the money to do? They are paying back now at 10 billion dollars a month. Now, Nigeria, with the population of 250 million people, is owing 77 million dollars, now you have challenges here and there. So, the key issue here has to do with the fact that you must borrow to run the economy, Ibrahim stressed. READ ALSO: Attack Was Unintended Army Takes Responsibility For Air Strike Which Killed Kaduna Villagers110ppm Cu) BoT values which appear to be broadly associated with mafic/tholeiitic volcanic rocks and which have also been cross -cut by later-stage NE-trending faults / shear zones (albeit with smaller offsets than observed in Killero East). Figure 2. Killero E target areas as defined by combined geochemical (BoT) and geophysical (drone magnetic survey data) anomalies. 2 Historic geochemical results quoted for Killero are derived from GTK (Geological Survey of Finland) datasets. Whilst Capella has not performed sufficient work to verify the published data reported, the Company believes this information to be considered reliable and relevant. Aside from the Killero East / West and the Saattopora NW extension permits the remaining three exploration permits cover the following targets: Keisunselka interpreted Au mineralization in cross-cutting structures in deformed mafic volcanic units. Concept is expected to be tested through BoT drilling in late Q1, 2024. Jolhikko zone of intense structural complexity with potential for orogenic-style gold mineralization. Target is also expected to be tested through BoT drilling in late Q1, 2024. Katajavaara potential SE extension of mineralization outlined in Outokumpu's former Saattopora Au-Cu mine. All of the Companys target areas lie adjacent to the Sirkka thrust zone, a well-mineralized structural corridor in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt which hosts a number of recent exploration discoveries (such as Rupert Resources' Ikkari gold project1). The granted exploration permits allow the Company to undertake more detailed field evaluations - including ground geophysical surveys and diamond drilling - within the individual target areas. Engagement with local communities / stakeholders on upcoming work programs will be a priority going forward. Qualified Persons and Disclosure Statement The technical information in this news release relating to the Northern Finland Gold-Copper project has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101, and approved by Eric Roth, the Company's President & CEO, a Director, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Roth holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Roth has 35 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation. On Behalf of the Board of Capella Minerals Ltd. "Eric Roth" ___________________________ Eric Roth, Ph.D., FAusIMM President & CEO About Capella Minerals Ltd Capella is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of quality mineral resource properties in favourable jurisdictions with a focus on European base and battery metals projects. On October 17, 2023, the Company entered in to a binding asset sale agreement with NickelX, a private Norwegian mining company, through which it will divest its 100% interests in the Hessjgruva, Kjli, and Lokken projects copper-zinc-cobalt projects in Trndelag, central Norway. NickelX currently holds 100% interests in four nickel exploration projects in northern Norway (namely Hamn, Palfjellet, Birgivi, and Envold) and is in the process of undertaking an Initial Public Offering ("IPO") on Oslo's Euronext Growth Exchange with the objective of becoming Norway's leading independent battery metals company. The total consideration of the transaction to Capella, payable upon completion of the NickelX IPO, is CAD 7 million and includes i) CAD 5 million in cash and ii) CAD 2 million in NickelX shares, which Capella intends to distribute to its shareholders on a pro-rata basis. The Company continues to explore the Northern Finland Gold-Copper project in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, together with JV partner Cullen Resources Ltd (ASX: CUL). A total of six exploration permits have now been approved, including the priority Killero East Cu-Au target. In central Finland, the Companys focus is on the discovery of lithium and rare-earth element deposits at both its Perho reservation, in addition to an extensive package of properties in the broader Keliber district through a JV with European Energy Metals Corp (formerly Hilo Mining)(TSXV: FIN). Capella also retains exposure to exploration success in precious metals projects through its active Canadian Joint Ventures with Prospector Metals Corp. (TSXV: PPP) at Savant (Ontario) and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd (formerly Yamana Gold Inc.)(TSX/NYSE: AEM) at Domain (Manitoba). The Company also holds a 49% interest in the Sierra Blanca low sulfidation gold-silver project in Santa Cruz, Argentina, which is currently being explored by Austral Gold Ltd (TSXV: AGLD; ASX: AGD). Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements 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 Capella, including the timing, completion of and results from the exploration and drill programs described in this release. 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 Capella 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 those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Capella's most recently filed MD&A. Capella 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. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - 1911 Gold Corporation ("1911 Gold" or the "Company") (TSXV: AUMB) is pleased to provide an update on corporate strategy on the near- and long-term plans for the Rice Lake property, including the True North underground mine. The Company also plans to complete a financing to support this strategy, by way of a non-brokered private placement for aggregate proceeds of up to $3,500,000 (the "Offering"), with a lead investment from Eric Sprott. Strategy Highlights Complete a detailed review of the current National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 resource for the True North underground mine, currently based on US$1,400 per ounce gold. Review additional areas of gold mineralization outlined in historical drilling at the True North underground mine which have significant additional resource potential accessible from existing infrastructure above the current resources and reserves, Conduct a comprehensive review of the resource potential of historic resources and past producers on the property (including the Central Manitoba and Ogama Rockland projects), including compilation of outstanding assay results from the 2022 drill program. Gary O'Connor , former President and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of Moneta Gold Inc. and an experienced geologist with over 35 years in the industry, has joined 1911 Gold as a key technical advisor to assist in executing this strategy. Shaun Heinrichs, President, and CEO commented: "We have worked diligently during 2023 to develop a longer-term strategy for our Rice Lake property in Manitoba. We have leveraged our infrastructure to complete several key transactions in 2023 to support ongoing maintenance of the site and significantly reduce our holding costs. We are now moving forward on our goal of advancing 1911 Gold towards production with the potential for multiple ore sources within the Rice Lake property. With the investment from Eric Sprott and with Gary O'Connor joining as a technical advisor, we have the resources required to execute on this strategy and complete the steps necessary to optimize the True North underground mine and evaluate other near-mine opportunities. The coming year will be a very active time for the Company as we lay the groundwork to execute on our vision to put the True North mine back into production and advance other projects towards development." The Offering The Offering is expected to be comprised of a combination of (i) non-flowthrough units of the Company ("Units") at $0.06 per Unit, each Unit shall consist of one common share of the Company ("Share") and one warrant ("Warrant") exercisable to purchase one Share at $0.10 for 24 months from the closing date of the Offering; (ii) flowthrough units of the Company ("FT Units") at $0.07 per FT Unit, each FT Unit shall consist of one Share qualifying as a flow-through share ("FT Share") for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "ITA") and one flow-through Warrant exercisable to purchase one Share at $0.10 for 24 months from the closing date of the Offering ("FT Warrant"); and (iii) units of the Company issuable to residents in Manitoba at ("Manitoba FT Units") $0.097 per Manitoba FT Unit, each Manitoba Unit shall consist of one FT Share and one FT Warrant. The gross proceeds raised from the Offering will be used by the Company as follows: (i) the proceeds from the sale of both the FT Units and the Manitoba FT Units is expected to be used to fund exploration programs qualifying as "Canadian Exploration Expenses" and "flow-through mining expenditures" (as those terms are defined in the ITA) at the Company's flagship Rice Lake property in Manitoba, focusing on near-mine target areas (such as the Central Manitoba project); and (ii) the proceeds from the sale of the Units is expected to be used primarily to fund the review and optimization of the 43-101 resource report published in 2018 as well as for general corporate purposes. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about December 22, 2023 (the "Closing Date") and is subject to receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). All securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the Closing Date. The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities law, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from such 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 any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Debt Settlement The Company is also pleased to announce that it has negotiated the settlement of $97,716.50 related to historical accounts payable for exploration and legal services provided in 2022 in consideration for the issuance of 1,085,739 common shares of the Company at a deemed price of $0.09 per common share. The debt settlement is subject to receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSXV. The common shares issued pursuant to the debt settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period which will expire four months and one day from the date of closing of the debt settlement. About 1911 Gold Corporation 1911 Gold is a junior explorer that holds a highly prospective, consolidated land package totalling more than 63,000 hectares within and adjacent to the Archean Rice Lake greenstone belt in Manitoba, and also owns the True North mine and mill complex at Bissett, Manitoba. 1911 Gold believes its land package is a prime exploration opportunity, with potential to develop a mining district centred on the True North complex. The Company also owns the Apex project near Snow Lake, Manitoba and the Denton-Keefer project near Timmins, Ontario, and intends to focus on organic growth and accretive acquisition opportunities in North America. 1911 Gold's True North complex and exploration land package are located within the traditional territory of the Hollow Water First Nation, signatory to Treaty No. 5 (1875-76). 1911 Gold looks forward to maintaining open, co-operative and respectful communication with the Hollow Water First Nation, and all local stakeholders, in order to build mutually beneficial working relationships. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Shaun Heinrichs President and CEO CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made. Actual results or events may differ from those predicted in these forward-looking statements. All of the Company's forward-looking statements are qualified by the assumptions that are stated or inherent in such forward-looking statements, including the assumptions listed below. Although the Company believes that these assumptions are reasonable, this list is not exhaustive of factors that may affect any of the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the terms of the Offering, the use of proceeds of the Offering, the timing and ability of the Company to close the Offering, the timing and ability of the Company to receive necessary regulatory approvals, the tax treatment of the securities issued under the Offering, the timing for the Qualifying Expenditures to be renounced in favour of the subscribers, and the plans, operations and prospects of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although 1911 Gold has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are given as of the date hereof. 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 in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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. VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals" or the "Company"; (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce it has completed the previously announced Phase 2 open pit diamond core and sonic infrastructure geotechnical drilling program. The work, with the support of APEX Geoscience Ltd., was completed by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. ("SRK") one of the principal consultants for the ongoing preliminary feasibility study ("PFS") regarding the Company's Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) Project located near Prince George, Canada. In addition, the Company commissioned Precision GeoSurveys Inc. to complete a 503 line-km airborne magnetic and radiometric survey over a 45 square-km are of the Wicheeda Project. The data has been delivered to the Defense Metals' technical team and is currently under review for ranking of exploration targets, which the Company will release as they become available. Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, commented: "We are pleased to have completed Phase 2 geotechnical programs and are encouraged that open pit geotechnical drilling has intersected significant widths of REE mineralized carbonatite within the western pit wall not previously known. Given the success of the prior ground radiometric surveys, the Company commissioned a 45 square-km airborne geophysical survey surrounding the Wicheeda REE Deposit, which we are now interpreting to guide property wide exploration efforts. The ongoing Wicheeda Project PFS study remains on target for completion at the end of Q2 2024, and the data gathered as part of this drilling campaign will provide key inputs to inform the open pit slope design work by SRK." Highlights of the recently completed phase 2 drill program and upcoming works include: Completion of 6 diamond drill holes totalling 1,182 metres within the Wicheeda REE Deposit pit shell; inclusive of 4 open pit geochemical drill holes totalling 920 metres; and additional 2 near-mine exploration holes totalling 262 metres. South and west pit wall drill holes WI23-81 and WI23-82 intersected significant widths of visibly REE mineralized dolomite carbonatite from surface over core intervals of 54 metres (WI23-81, see Image 1 ), and 21 metres followed by a 65-metre core interval of xenolithic-dolomite carbonatite ( see Image 2 ), respectively 1 . Drilling of WI23-82 into the west pit wall of the Wicheeda Deposit was successful tested a new ground radiometric anomaly ( see Defense Metals news release dated September 5, 2023 ). Assay results are pending and are expected in the coming months. ), and 21 metres followed by a 65-metre core interval of xenolithic-dolomite carbonatite ( ), respectively . Drilling of WI23-82 into the west pit wall of the Wicheeda Deposit was successful tested a new ground radiometric anomaly ( ). Assay results are pending and are expected in the coming months. Completion of 9 sonic overburden drill holes totalling 160 metres, and 14 test pits totalling 62 metres designed to support the characterization of the shallow soil subsurface and bedrock foundations of potential future waste rock storage, mineralization stockpile, contact water pond (CWP), crusher, processing plant, and tailings storage facility (TSF) locations. Mobilization is currently underway for completion of the final Phase 3 sonic overburden and test pit campaign which will comprise 10 sonic overburden drill holes and 3 test pits with the CWP, TSF and TSF alternatives area. The Phase 3 drilling and test pit program is expected to be completed within 4 weeks time. Mineralized drill core derived for the Phase 2 pit geotechnical campaign has been cut and sampled and submitted for analysis to ALS Global, North Vancouver. Results are expected in the coming months and will be released subject to QA/QC review. ______________________________ 1 The true width of REE mineralization is estimated to be 70-100% of the drilled interval. Corporate Development The Company also announces the appointment of Alex Heath as Vice President Corporate Development. Alex has a B.Com. with honours from the University of British Columbia and is a CFA Charterholder. He spent eight years with Salman Partners including as a Vice-President of Investment Banking focused on mining financings and merger and acquisition transactions. In 2019, he joined Discovery Group as Strategic Advisor, Corporate Development & Investor Relations. Mr. Heath is also a director of several public mining issuers. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Project has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (B.C.), Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta, who is a director of Defense Metals and a "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101. About the Wicheeda REE Property Defense Metals' 100% owned, 8,301-hectare (~20,534-acre) Wicheeda Project is located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia; population 77,000. The Wicheeda Light REE Project is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is near infrastructure, including hydro power transmission lines and gas pipelines. The nearby Canadian National Railway and major highways allow easy access to the port facilities at Prince Rupert, the closest major North American port to Asia. About Defense Metals Corp. Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the development of its 100% owned Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Deposit located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "DEFN", in the United States, trading symbol "DFMTF" on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under "35D". Defense Metals is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: http://www.discoverygroup.ca/ For further information, please visit www.defensemetals.com or contact: Todd Hanas, Bluesky Corporate Communications Ltd. Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: (778) 994 8072 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 news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release contains "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to advancing the Wicheeda REE Project, the expected completion of the PFS and the expected timeline, the receipt of assays from drilling, the completion of the Phase 3 sonic overburden and test pit campaign, potential new drill targets, the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its project and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of rare earth elements, the anticipated costs and expenditures, accuracy of assay results, performance of available laboratory and other related services, future operating costs, interpretation of geological and metallurgical data, the ability to achieve its goals, 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. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of exploration and metallurgical results, risks related to the inherent uncertainty of exploration, metallurgy and development and cost estimates, the potential for unexpected costs and expenses and those other risks filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather and climate conditions, failure to maintain or obtain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of personnel, materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters), risks relating to inaccurate geological, metallurgical and engineering assumptions, decrease in the price of rare earth elements, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, an inability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 and other viruses and diseases on the business of the Company, the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains, loss of key employees, consultants, or directors, increase in costs, delayed results, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law. December 5, 2023 TheNewswire - London, Ontario Abitibi Metals Corp. (CSE:AMQ) (OTC:AMQFF) (FSE:4KG) (Abitibi or the Company), is pleased to announce that, due to overwhelming interest, the Company's non-brokered private placement previously announced on December 4, 2023 (the "Offering") has been upsized and is fully allocated. The Offering will now consist of up to 13,333,333 common shares of the Company at a price of C$0.30 per share for up to total gross proceeds of up to C$4,000,000. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to increase the size of its upcoming drill program at the high-grade B26 Polymetallic Copper Deposit and the Beschefer Gold Project, both situated just 7 kilometers apart within the mineral-rich Abitibi Greenstone Belt, and for general and administration expenses including potential awareness initiatives. The securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to the Companys filing requirements with the Canadian Securities Exchange, and all securities will be subject to a four-month statutory hold period after closing. Finder's fees in cash or securities may be paid on gross proceeds of the financing, as permitted by securities laws. About Abitibi Metals Corp.: Abitibi Metals Corp. is a Quebec-focused mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality base and precious metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Abitibis portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and includes the high-grade B26 Polymetallic Copper Deposit (Ind: 7.0MT @ 2.94% Cu Eq & Inf: 4.4MT @ 2.97% Cu Eq) and the Beschefer Gold Project, where historical drilling has identified 4 historical intercepts with a metal factor of over 100 g/t gold highlighted by 55.63 g/t gold over 5.57 metres and 13.07 g/t gold over 8.75 metres amongst four modelled zones. With approximately 45% insider ownership and a market cap under $25M, the Company is tightly structured for potential positive developments. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jonathon Deluce, Chief Executive Officer For more information, please call 226-271-5170, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or visit https://www.abitibimetals.com. The Company also maintains an active presence on various social media platforms to keep stakeholders and the general public informed and encourages shareholders and interested parties to follow and engage with the Company through the following channels to stay updated with the latest news, industry insights, and corporate announcements: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statement: This news release contains certain statements, which may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information involves statements that are not based on historical information but rather relate to future operations, strategies, financing plans, financial results or other developments on the B26 Project or otherwise. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions, which are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Companys control and many of which, regarding future business decisions, are subject to change. These uncertainties and contingencies can affect actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on the Companys behalf. Although Abitibi has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. All factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Abitibis forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as expects, estimates, anticipates, or variations of such words and phrases (including negative and grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, might or occur. Mineral exploration and development are highly speculative and are characterized by a number of significant inherent risks, which may result in the inability of the Company to successfully develop current or proposed projects for commercial, technical, political, regulatory or financial reasons, or if successfully developed, may not remain economically viable for their mine life owing to any of the foregoing reasons, among others. There is no assurance that the Company will be successful in achieving commercial mineral production and the likelihood of success must be considered in light of the stage of operations. A Filipino congresswoman accused former president Rodrigo Duterte on Monday of threatening to kill her for a second time. House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader France Castro made the allegation in a "supplemental" criminal complaint filed with prosecutors in Manila. Castro and Duterte had been subpoenaed to appear at the prosecutor's office on Monday to present witnesses and supporting documents relating to the congresswoman's first complaint filed on October 24. Castro has alleged Duterte made "grave threats" against her during an October 10 interview with local broadcaster SMNI, violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act. She alleged on Monday Duterte had threatened her life again in an interview with the same broadcaster on November 16. In a transcript of that interview filed to the prosecutor, Duterte talked about communist rebels who are fighting a decades-old insurgency. "So you, France, how do you solve the problem now?" Duterte asked. "So that's my statement, communists should be killed, you should be included." Duterte did not appear at the prosecutor's office but two of his lawyers were there, Castro told reporters. There was no immediate comment from Duterte or his legal representatives about Castro's latest allegation. His former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said Duterte had not received a subpoena to attend Monday's preliminary investigation. Even if he had, Panelo added, the former president could opt to send his lawyers instead. The prosecutor will decide if there is enough evidence to charge Duterte in court. Duterte was protected from prosecution when he was president but he can be charged for alleged crimes committed in the Philippines now that he is a private citizen. Duterte often threatened to kill people, including drug dealers and rights activists, when he was president from 2016 to 2022. He also frequently labelled critics as communist sympathisers -- a practice known as "red-tagging", which sometimes resulted in the arrest, detention or even death of the person targeted. His signature policy was an anti-drug campaign that killed thousands of people and triggered an international investigation into an alleged crime against humanity. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The centuries-old relations between Armenia, India and Iran are a strong foundation for cooperation in present days, Ambassador of India to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha has said. Speaking at the New Regional Reality and the Crossroads of Peace forum in Yerevan, the Indian Ambassador said that Armenia and India have historic ties, and Iran is a bridge that has contributed to the development of the relations. India and Iran are closely cooperating as part of the North-South international transport corridor initiative, which connects the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf with the Caspian Sea, towards Russia and Europe. We are ready to work with Armenia to understand how the country can benefit from the opportunities of this corridor, the ambassador said. Speaking about the Crossroads of Peace project developed by the Armenian government, the Indian ambassador said that this initiative presented by Prime Minister Pashinyan seeks to promote connectivity in the Caucasus, including railways, roads and power transmission lines, through the development of infrastructures. Armenia is currently developing its road infrastructure, from the southern border with Iran to the northern border with Georgia. Certain Indian companies have displayed interest towards this project. We are ready to participate in infrastructure development projects in Armenia, the Indian ambassador said. Israel's army on Monday sent dozens of tanks into southern Gaza as part of expanded, "aggressive" action against Hamas and its allies in the besieged territory, despite global concern over mounting civilian deaths. Weeks after Israel deployed ground forces in the north of the Gaza Strip, the army has been air-dropping leaflets in parts of the south, telling Palestinians to flee to other areas. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas in retaliation for the militant group's unprecedented October 7 attacks that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw around 240 hostages taken, according to Israeli authorities. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says nearly 15,900 people have been killed in the territory, about 70 percent of them women and children, during Israel's relentless air, artillery and naval bombardments alongside its ground campaign. The toll has sparked global alarm and mass demonstrations. Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers were seen Monday near the southern city of Khan Yunis, which is packed with internally displaced Palestinians, witnesses told AFP. At the crowded entrance to the city's Nasser hospital, ambulances and private cars delivered dazed, bloodied and dust-covered survivors. Hoping to flee the bombardments, others continued to move further south, their belongings piled onto donkey carts, battered vehicles and even camels, but air strikes have followed them right to the southern border. "People are pleading for advice on where to find safety," Thomas White, Gaza director for the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "We have nothing to tell them." Amin Abu Hawli, 59, said Israeli vehicles were two kilometres (1.2 miles) inside Gaza in the village of al-Qarara, while Moaz Mohammed, 34, said Israeli tanks were moving down the strip's main north-south highway, the Salah al-Din road. The military was trying to cut the road between Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Yunis, "firing bullets and tank shells at cars and people trying to move through the area," Mohammed said. The army said it was taking "aggressive" action against "Hamas and other terrorist organisations" in Khan Yunis, warning that the Salah al-Din road in the north and east of the city "constitutes a battlefield". - Trapped under rubble - Walaa Abu Libda found shelter at Deir al-Balah's Al-Aqsa hospital but said her four-year-old daughter remained trapped under rubble. "I don't know if she is dead or alive," said Libda, one of an estimated 1.8 million people displaced in Gaza -- roughly three-quarters of the population. Three more Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes in the northern Gaza Strip, raising the number of troop deaths there to 75, the army said on Monday. Full-scale fighting resumed Friday after the collapse of a week-long truce brokered by Qatar with support from the United States and Egypt, during which 80 Israeli hostages were freed in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. More than two dozen Thai and other captives were also released from Gaza. With at least 137 hostages still held in Gaza, according to the Israeli military, Hamas has ruled out more releases until a permanent ceasefire is agreed. More air strikes also hit northern Gaza where Hamas's armed wing reported clashes with Israeli tanks. Rocket salvos were again fired from Gaza towards Israeli territory. - 'Like an earthquake' - In the southern Gazan city of Rafah, resident Abu Jahar al-Hajj said an air strike near his home felt "like an earthquake". "Pieces of concrete started falling on us," he said. International Committee of the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric, visiting Gaza, described the suffering as "intolerable". Conditions worsened further Monday with all mobile and telephone services across Gaza severed "due to the cut-off of main fibre routes from the Israeli side," the PalTel company said. Gazans were already short of food, water and other essentials including fuel. Israel's ally the United States has asked Israel to let more fuel in, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday. The US intensified calls for the protection of Gaza's civilians, and Miller voiced guarded praise for Israeli tactics as its campaign expands in the south. "We've seen a much more targeted request for evacuations" than in the earlier campaign in the north, he said. "So that is an improvement on what's happened before." Israel said that it was not seeking to force Palestinian civilians to permanently leave their homes. "We have asked civilians to evacuate the battlefield and we have provided a designated humanitarian zone inside the Gaza Strip," military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said, referring to a tiny coastal area of the territory named Al-Mawasi. Any suggestion of Palestinian dispersal is highly contentious in the Arab world as the war that led to Israel's creation 75 years ago gave rise to the exodus or forced displacement of 760,000 Palestinians. At the United Nations on Monday, Israel and Palestinian representatives traded accusations of "genocide" over the war, both sides demanding an international response. With fears of a wider regional conflagration, a United States destroyer shot down multiple drones over the Red Sea while assisting commercial ships on Sunday, according to the US Central Command. Yemen's Huthi rebels, which like Hamas are backed by Iran, said they had targeted two of the ships. On Israel's northern border with Lebanon, the Israeli army said it had launched artillery strikes in response to cross-border fire, and its fighter jets hit targets linked to Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Israel-occupied West Bank has also seen a surge in violence, with more than 250 Palestinians killed there since the war began, according to Palestinian authorities. The Palestinian Authority's health ministry said Monday two more were shot dead in an Israeli raid on the town of Qalqilya, and a third in Qalandia refugee camp. Despite the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, suspended when the war began, resumed Monday. He is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which he denies. bur-dr/it/er X The Swedish branch of climate movement Fridays for Future (FFF), best known for activist Greta Thunberg, Tuesday reiterated its support for Palestinians in Gaza following criticism of its stance on the Israel-Hamas war. At the end of October, several politicians in Germany urged the German branch of the movement to cut ties with its international branch over its and Thunberg's outspoken pro-Palestinian remarks. "Contrary to what many have claimed, Fridays for Future has not 'been radicalised' or 'become political'," FFF Sweden wrote in op-eds published in Swedish daily Aftonbladet and British newspaper The Guardian. "We have always been political, because we have always been a movement for justice." "Advocating for climate justice fundamentally comes from a place of caring about people and their human rights," it wrote. "That means speaking up when people suffer, are forced to flee their homes or are killed - regardless of the cause." "Standing in solidarity with Palestinians and all affected civilians has never been in question for us," it added. Fridays for Future's international group has blasted the "genocide" in Gaza, and slammed "Western support and misinformation machines". Luisa Neubauer, who heads the German chapter of Fridays for Future, said in a recent interview with Die Zeit weekly that Thunberg's view of the conflict was one-sided. "I'm disappointed that Greta Thunberg had nothing concrete to say about the Jewish victims of the massacre of October 7," she said. FFF Sweden wrote on Tuesday that "the horrific murders of Israeli civilians by Hamas cannot in any way legitimise Israel's ongoing war crimes." "Genocide is not self-defence, nor is it in any way a proportionate response," it said. The movement also condemned a "sharp increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic statements, actions and hate crimes in Sweden and the world", stressing the need "to distinguish between Hamas, Muslims and Palestinians; and between the state of Israel, Jewish people and Israelis." Israel launched an air and ground assault on Gaza after the Hamas militant group October 7 crossed into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In retaliation for the worst attack in its history, Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of all the hostages held in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says the war has killed nearly 15,900 people in the territory, around 70 percent of them women and children. Senior Hamas officials on Tuesday joined the family of Nelson Mandela to mark the 10th anniversary of his death and cast the spotlight on the bitter conflict in Gaza. South Africa has strongly condemned Israel's response to the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attacks that unleashed a war in which thousands have died. Mandela, who died aged 95 in 2013, made a Palestinian state one of his main international causes when he became South Africa's first black president. And Hamas representatives were among Palestinians who laid a wreath when the Mandela family paid tribute at a giant statue of the anti-apartheid icon, . Mandela's grandson, national assembly member Mandla Mandela, helped organise a two-day conference on the Palestinian-Israel conflict before the wreath-laying at the Union Buildings. Basem Naim, a former Hamas health minister in Gaza, and Khaled Qaddoumi, the militant group's representative in Iran, were among Palestinians to visit for the conference and anniversary. "We were waiting to gain first-hand experience of the daily atrocities that are being carried out in Gaza," Mandla Mandela told national broadcaster SABC. "It was a real experience for them to be in South Africa and learn from our experience as we had to face one of the most brutal apartheid regimes on the continent and we were able to defeat it." He said his grandfather considered a Palestinian state "the great moral issue of our time" and added: "We are carrying on where he left off." Mandla Mandela is part of the ruling African National Congress which last month backed a national assembly motion calling for the closure of the Israeli embassy and for a suspension of diplomatic ties in protest at the war. South Africa has also officially called on the International Criminal Court to investigate what President Cyril Ramaphosa has called Israel's "war crimes" in Gaza. Israel says 1,200 people were killed when Hamas fighters crossed the border on October 7. The Hamas government says nearly 16,000 people have died in Israel's military assault on Gaza since. Israel, which has rejected comparisons between its conflict and apartheid, did not send a senior leader to Mandela's funeral in 2013. Ansoumane Camara, nicknamed "Baffoe", took the stand in a sleek suit with oversized gold buttons. He was the third witness to testify at the Dixinn Criminal Court on Wednesday 29 November. The general recounted that tragic day of 28 September 2009 with many details. On that day, he commanded the Mobile Intervention and Security Company (CMIS 1), a police unit specialising in maintaining law and order. "On the eve of 28 September, I was called by the Director General of the National Police, Valentin Haba, said Bafoe. He told me that the demonstration [organised by the opposition] was banned and that I had to deploy my men from the cimenterie [a district in the suburbs of Conakry] to the vicinity of the stadium." Around the stadium, the security deployment included Mamba armoured personnel carriers designed to control all the streets leading to the stadium. Security of the esplanade and the stadium was entrusted to the gendarmerie. "So the police had nothing to do with the stadium facilities, or even the stadium esplanade, Baffoe insisted. This division of tasks was decided after a meeting "held at the army headquarters". Visibly at ease on the stand, the 57-year-old retired officer told how his men deployed at 4am. While on an inspection tour, he was contacted by the Director General of the National Police. "At around nine o'clock, I was supposed to be in Cosa (a district in the suburbs of Conakry, 11 km from the stadium), but I was called by the Director General. He said to me 'leave everything and come here. According to the information, it seems there are small gatherings taking place at the stadium, come and see! Police outnumbered On site, the crowd was growing ever denser. Among the demonstrators, there were a few unidentified citizens, but the majority were activists responding to the opposition call to demonstrate. The rally was meant to send a signal to the junta, whose leader Moussa Dadis Camara had left unclear whether he would run in the next presidential election. The opposition refused to accept the candidacy of the man who was already in charge of the transition. The very "popular" head of the anti-drug unit, Moussa Tiegboro Camara, was sent there by the authorities to try to "sensitise" the protesters, Baffoe told the court. The authorities were clear: the demonstration had to be stopped. Tiegboro asked those he met to postpone the rally, but his words were not getting through. The crowd was now "compact" and "some threw stones". Tiegboro was taken out and the demonstrators dispersed. But the forces responsible for maintaining order were soon overwhelmed. The protesters flooded the esplanade in front of the stadium. The police retreated. "We all fled! he told the court. "When it comes to maintaining order, when the crowd is compact, even if you have the means to clear it, you have to withdraw because if you use force, the strongest will trample the weakest, and that can lead to damage, injury, even death. So far precise about the facts and the sequence of events, Baffoe suddenly made a temporal ellipsis. After recounting the events of the morning, he moved on to the early afternoon: "At around 1pm, (...) Minister Tiegboro came to ask us to clear the road so that people could move around. We were in the process of clearing [the barricades set up by the demonstrators]. Our arrival on the stadium esplanade coincided with the arrival of the military. I saw two army vans. You know, President Dadiss protection had two low Toyota vans, the agents sat back to back. I saw two of those, plus a command vehicle. "Deathly silence Baffoe's account then took the audience back to the beginning of the massacre. "I don't know who was in command," he told the court. He said he did not recognise any of the red berets he saw. "The agents came down and entered the stadium. In the meantime, I saw Commander Toumba [Dadis's bodyguard] arriving alone. I saw him coming, on foot, but in big strides to join the others who were already in the stadium. Warning shots were fired. Baffoe recounted how he and his men took refuge in the police station next to the stadium. "We were unarmed and felt in danger ourselves. He felt that his mission was over: "Wherever the military show up, there are immediately weapons, and we are out of place". They stayed in the shelter "for a while", then left the police station. "I saw Commander Toumba come in with wounded leaders and take them away. I didn't know where he was taking them. It was here that I learned he was sending them to the clinic. He was really protecting them. He then spotted Tiegboro, who he said was with certain leaders, including the President of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea [Cellou Dalein Diallo]. They left and there was a deathly silence. The soldiers left behind them wounded and dead people, Baffoe added. The court president and the prosecutor took turns questioning the general. According to him, three of the accused were at the stadium: Toumba, Tiegboro and even Marcel Guilavogui. The last two have always denied they were in the stadium. According to Baffoe, the three arrived after the red berets of the presidential guard who, according to Baffoe, were responsible for the massacre. Risk of witnesses changing story The prosecutor challenged him on part of his story: "I'm going to go back to your transcript, where you made statements other than those you have just made." Baffoe had told the investigating magistrate that Toumba was leading a group of soldiers. "Is this a variation, or do you maintain this statement to say that he came with his group? Baffoe asserted that an error had crept into the transcript, and that what he was saying had been misunderstood. "You know, in French, there are different ways of speaking". He maintained that Toumba had arrived alone. Not convinced, the president warned him against giving false testimony. "Still in your statement to the examining magistrate, you say: 'In this group of soldiers, I saw Toumba and his deputy Marcel. The young soldiers who were with them are unknown to me. You see what that means, it's the same thing as what the prosecutor has just said. You say that we haven't written down the sense in which you used it, but it's clear." Baffoe is the first senior member of the security forces to be heard as an eyewitness to the stadium massacre. However, he played down the significance of his account: "I'm not the only witness, there were more important witnesses than me. I was just a simple commander. Does Baffoes hearing illustrate the risk of witnesses changing their story in a context where one of the accused, Claude Pivi, is still on the run after being freed from jail on November 4 by an armed commando? Some witnesses may choose to voluntarily soften their statements so as not to expose themselves to reprisals, concedes Maitre Amadou DS Bah, coordinator of the victims' lawyers' collective. The fact is that so far, the first three witnesses have gone easy on the defendants. None of them were directly implicated. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is ready to take practical steps to implement the Crossroads of Peace project, Chief of Staff of the Prime Ministers Office Arayik Harutyunyan has said. He said Armenia is guided by the principles of comprehensive, inclusive and non-discriminatory application of regional routes and full respect to the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries in the talks around unblocking of transport infrastructures in South Caucasus. Harutyunyan said that the new possibilities of shipment of goods and movement of persons would in turn ensure additional guarantees of security and stability, as well as serious prerequisites for economic growth for all countries. Armenia is ready to take practical steps for the implementation of Crossroads of Peace. Id also like to note that in implementing this important regional initiative, the Armenian government expects effective supports from all international partners, Arayik Harutyunyan said at the New Regional Reality and the Crossroads of Peace forum in Yerevan. Armenia believes in the regional peoples desire and ability to achieve peace and resolve all conflicts through peace, he said. Historically, Armenia has always been at the crossroads linking north to south and west to east, with all subsequent political, economic and cultural specificities. And today, given its geographic location, Armenia is ready to serve as a link for such partnership, Harutyunyan said. The New Regional Reality and the Crossroads of Peace forum in Yerevan was attended by Armenian officials, foreign diplomats, as well as analysts and researchers from Armenia, Georgia, Iran, India and Turkiye. Han So Hee once again proved her influence after making a decade-old book a bestseller! According to news, the 800-page "The Book of Disquiet" has become a fast-selling publication now. It was after Han So Hee recommended it in one of her interviews. 'The Book of Disquiet' Becomes Bestseller Thanks to Han So Hee According to the report, the publishing industry cited that the said book, which is Fernando Pessoa's essay collection, has been showing huge demand, especially on platforms like Aladin and Yes24. Due to this, some are offering pre-orders after there has been a shortage for "The Book of Disquiet." That was after Han So Hee revealed that she was into reading the book. "I've been engrossed in reading 'The Book of Disquiet,' this substantial volume, for quite some time," she told a magazine publication in her interview. Moreover, the actress also mentioned a part of the book that made a mark for her. "There's a poignant quote in the book asserting that all emotions, except those experienced during a 24-hour sleep, are rooted in anxiety," she said, adding, "Anxiety is akin to a delicate sheet of paper, underscoring the importance of diligently addressing today's anxieties promptly and tomorrow's anxieties on the morrow, preventing their accumulation layer by layer." As a result, Spring Day Books, which published the Korean-translated version, said that since the interview was released, there has been a massive demand for copies and even sold out hundreds in one day. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Han So Hee Updates Fans After Nose Surgery: 'Please do understand' Written by Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, he talks about his philosophical beliefs and fantasies about life and death in "The Book of Disquiet," which featured the main protagonist, Bernardo Soares, who works as an assistant bookkeeper in a Lisbon fabric firm. According to the media outlet, a Korean publisher introduced it as "The Book of Anxiety," which was translated by novelist Bae Sua. This is not the first time that a recommendation from an actress has attracted a large number of fans.This is also the reason brands love the actress. Han So Hee currently serves as a brand ambassador for various companies, including fashion, health, tech, and more. Among her endorsements are Balenciaga and Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, where she serves as the first Korean model for the British cosmetics brand. Adding to the list are the Swiss luxury watch brands Omega SA, Fila, Charles & Keith, and more. Han So Hee New Drama: Actress Returns With 'Gyeongseong Creature' Other than her endorsement and fashion activities, both local and international, Han So Hee is making her K-drama comeback through the upcoming series "Gyeongseong Creature." Joined by Park Seo Joon, the first action historical K-drama to be released is helmed by "It's Okay Not to Be Okay" director Jung Dong Yoon and slated to premiere on December 22. READ MORE: Han So Hee Delivers Heartwarming Year-End Greeting to Fans: 'I'll protect you guys' For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Park Eun Bin dishes on her plans regarding her acting journey, which includes taking on a variety of roles. The 31-year-old actress returned to the small screen with her K-drama comeback, "Castway Diva." As she successfully concludes the 12-episode series, Park Eun Bin talks about her future plans in the industry. From starting out as a child actress and debuting at 5, she surely made a name for herself in the industry after landing on hit K-dramas, which include the blockbuster series "The King's Affection" and "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." Park Eun Bin to Do Villain Roles in the Future? However, in an interview obtained by a media outlet, Park Eun Bin hints at possible changes in her career. When the interviewer mentioned her previous dramas like "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," "The King's Affection," and the recently concluded "Castaway Diva," the actress expressed her deep gratitude to fans and viewers who supported her projects. "I just want to do my job well, and I'm grateful that the public enjoys my work." When asked about the similarities of "Castaway Diva" to her other K-dramas, the actress explained that she didn't "want to compare it to 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' and said that she was very "satisfied" for completing it by showing all her efforts. IN CASE YOU MISSED: Unbothered Queen! Park Eun Bin Expresses Gratitude for Winning at 59th Baeksang Arts Awards Amid Criticisms As seen in her recent series, he often plays the protagonist; however, Park Eun Bin explained that she wanted to show the public her different side and take on more acting challenges. Interestingly, this also includes taking on the villain role, but I had to consider one thing. "I'll show everyone that appearance if I don't retire," she said, revealing what kind of antagonist she wants to play if given a chance. The villain I want to play is like the one in 'Transformers'. In fact, I don't look at a certain character and say I want to play it. I think a character is completed by the actor, and I don't try to fit myself into any fixed characters." What Does Park Eun Bin Look Forward to in 2024? Other than her future plans in the acting department, Park Eun Bin also dishes on updates regarding her upcoming fan concert. On January 6, the actress said that she was preparing hard for her fan meet. According to her, she thinks that 2024 will be a "refreshing year" for her, along with a "new mindset" for what is about to come. As for the fan meet, Park Eun Bin is definitely thrilled to meet and interact with her supporters. "Doing overseas activities definitely brings a different atmosphere, and I can experience different cultures. However, I don't consider it more important than domestic activities." The award-winning actress will be opening the year with a bang through the much anticipated "2024 Eunbin Park Fan Concert," which will take place at Olympic Hall in Seoul. READ MORE: 5 K-Drama Stars Who Rocked Hime Hairstyle: Song Hye Kyo, Suzy, More! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Wills After the release of Netflix's "Sweet Home 2," Song Kang expressed his feelings about his upcoming military enlistment. Keep on reading to know what he said. Song Kang Talks About The Changes He Experience While Working on Netflix's 'Sweet Home 2' In an exclusive interview on December 5, lead actor Song Kang talked about various things from his new series "Sweet Home 2," to his future plans. "Sweet Home 2" follows the struggle between Hyun Soo and the survivors, who leave the green home in a world where desire becomes a monster, and the emergence of another being and a mysterious phenomenon occur. The heartthrob showed a more devastated world by taking on Chan Hyun Soo, a special infected person in the drama. He said, "I improved my emotions a lot after filming this series." He also shared his affection with confidence that he has improved a lot, especially in expressing his emotions, thanks to "Sweet Home 2." ALSO READ: 'My Demon' Episode 4: Kim Yoo Jung Sticks With Song Kang Despite Refusing Her Marriage Proposal Song Kang who just released two consecutive dramas this year through "Sweet Home 2" and "My Demon" is expected to be in the military when season 3 is finally released in summer 2024. Song Kang Has No Regrets of Starting His Military Service Soon When asked about joining the army, the breakout star said, "I feel good. It's a duty of course. I've always been thinking about it. If I change my mind a little bit, I think I can improve and come back. I'm planning to show you a better performance after I fulfill my military duty." However, Song Kang hasn't announced yet what field in the military he will be attending. As he is joining the military soon while establishing himself as a 'mainstream male character' with support from fans all over the world, might be disappointed. In response, Song Kang said, "The military is also my choice, and I have no regrets at every moment." He added, "I have a plan to read more books there, watch movies and dramas, and study languages there. I don't know the military situation, so I'll have to go and see." He continued, "At first, I thought I was going to take a break, but when I looked at the video, I felt that I had to improve rather than take a break." Meanwhile, he expressed his regret about the "Sweet Home" Part 3 saying, "It's a bit sad that it will be released without me. I worked hard to film it with them. I am sure that it will come out well, and there are also many changes in the series." IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Sweet Home' Season 2 Episodes 1-3: Song Kang, Lee Jin Wook Become Special Infectees What can you say about Song Kang's forthcoming military enlistment? 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. House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is apologizing after a video message he filmed for the former interim leader of the Ontario Liberals was played at the party's convention on the weekend. Fergus rises during Question Period, in Ottawa, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Sixty U.S. Senators and Representatives, led by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), called on congressional leaders to send security assistance to Armenia and provide additional refugee relief aid for the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of the national security supplemental funding bill, set to be reviewed as early as next week, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). December 5, 2023, 10:48 60 Senators and Representatives call for U.S. security assistance to Armenia STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: Specifically, the Padilla-Eshoo letter calls for $10 million in U.S. foreign military financing (FMF) for Armenia and requests humanitarian assistance allocated in the supplemental aid bill to be made available to Armenia to meet the needs of over 100,000 forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijans brutal, unprovoked military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh on the heels of their months-long blockade of the Lachin Corridor has created a horrific humanitarian crisis, forcing more than 100,000 ethnic Armenian refugees to flee their homes, said Senator Padilla. The U.S. must step up to address this emergency. I strongly urge Congressional leadership to include essential security and humanitarian assistance for Armenia in the foreign aid package. In the letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), legislators cite Azerbaijans September 19th attack on Nagorno-Karabakh and forced displacement of over 100,000 indigenous Armenians. We are particularly concerned that Azerbaijan will continue its aggression by invading the sovereign territory of Armenia. Ominously, Aliyev recently referred to southern Armenia as western Azerbaijan and called for the liberation of eight Armenian villages along the Azerbaijani border, state the congressional lawmakers. They go on to stress, At this inflection point for the Caucasus, U.S. leadership is needed to deter further Azerbaijani aggression and enable Armenians to defend their democracy. As a small democracy in a region dominated by autocrats, Armenia is particularly vulnerable. This is especially true now that Armenia has distanced itself from Russia, Armenias traditional security guarantor, in pursuit of closer ties with western democracies, the U.S. lawmakers said in the letter. 4 Shares Share Health care is constantly evolving, and its no secret that many hospitals are bleeding money when it comes to their primary care practices. On the low end, a hospital loses $127,000 per year on a primary care physician. Anecdotally, a rural hospital in Indiana expressed that they lose nearly $500,000 per year! Headlines are filled with stories about rural hospitals (& many others) struggling to keep their doors open without some form of corporate welfare. Most people gloss over the current business model of treating primary care as a major loss leader in order to get more lucrative labs, tests, non-primary care specialty visits, and surgeries. This business model emphasizes revenue maximization over patient well-being. Add in a conflict of interest regarding referrals to the same hospital system, and a lack of costing and pricing transparency, and the traditional hospital-employed physician model has shown its fair share of cracks. So how did we get here? Facts about hospital-employed practices According to a survey by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), hospital-employed practices lose money. On average, for every dollar earned by a primary care practice, theres a 5 to 7 percent loss for hospitals, which then needs to be subsidized by the hospital. When a hospital loses money overall, taxpayers can be on the hook for this loss. The community ultimately bears the pain for the local hospitals reckless business practices. So, why do hospitals continue to employ primary care physicians, even when its not financially sustainable? Hospital apologists will often cite a complex web of factors that involves blaming insurance companies for denying claims or trying to hide behind a false notion of charity care. Ultimately, hospitals hope that subsidizing primary care can increase referrals to specialists and other services and make up for the losses. This creates a conflict of interest where patient care may take a backseat to the hospitals bottom line and the hospital avoids punishment for referring a patient outside the hospital for treatment. However, other issues arise from this current model. Major issues with the hospital-employed phyisican model One of the major sticking points is the lack of transparency, especially when it comes to pricing. In a nutshell, patients often have no idea what medical services cost. Many hospital-employed physicians express feeling pressured to refer patients to the same employer, whether they need more care or not. This lack of transparency can erode trust and make patients question the motivations behind their health care decisions. Moreover, a lack of price transparency in hospital settings can result in unexpected and exorbitant medical bills for patients. When patients are unaware of the costs associated with their care, they can be blindsided by bills that are far beyond their means. This can lead to financial hardship, medical debt, and even avoidance of necessary health care services due to fear of unaffordable costs. When it comes to rural hospitals and communities, the difficulties abound. Rural areas often struggle to attract and retain primary care physicians. When hospitals in these areas lose money on primary care, it can jeopardize their ability to provide vital health care services to the community. This creates a health care desert where residents have limited access to care, exacerbating health disparities. For hospitals caught in a downward financial spiral, theres a beacon of hope releasing primary care doctors to start their own Direct Primary Care (DPC) and accessible concierge health care clinics. DPC: the prescription for financial health Heres where direct primary care enters the scene as the hero of our story. DPC practices provide an innovative solution to this conundrum. They operate on a profitable subscription-based model, where patients pay a monthly fee for comprehensive primary care services. Why DPC works Financial sustainability. DPC practices are financially sustainable, eliminating the losses associated with hospital-employed primary care. Physicians can focus solely on providing high-quality care to their patients without the pressure to refer for financial gain. Transparency and trust. DPC practices are transparent about their financial model, fostering trust between patients and physicians. Patients know exactly what theyre paying for (prices are on the website), and there are no hidden agendas. Rural health care savior. Since DPC practices only need a few hundred patients to be profitable, they are able to operate in areas that a hospital-subsidized practice cannot. DPC practices are a lifeline for rural hospitals. They can partner with these hospitals to provide primary care services, ensuring that rural communities have access to essential health care. For any hospital looking for this solution, it can be scary because it is so different. Helping physicians partner with a DPC group helps put the hospital at the forefront of curing physician burnout, becoming an attractive destination for new physician & provider recruitment. The hospital will essentially enhance access to high-quality physician care in smaller towns, becoming a leader in increasing access to health care in rural settings. Plus, with DPC spending more time with patients, it puts a real solution at the forefront of mobilizing primary care doctors to address the (frequently neglected) mental health needs of patients. In the world of health care, its essential to reevaluate old models and embrace innovative solutions. Hospitals lose money on primary care, and a lack of price, and referral transparency in hospital settings hurts patients. But it doesnt have to be this way. Direct primary care offers a financial lifeline for hospitals, restores transparency and trust in patient care, and ensures that rural communities have access to the health care they deserve. Its time to let DPC save American hospitals, one patient at a time while providing patients with clear and transparent pricing to make informed health care decisions. Christopher Habig is co-founder and CEO, Freedom Healthworks, a company dedicated to scaling the direct primary care (DPC) practice model, putting doctors back in control of patient care. Christophers journey into health care innovation was sparked by the frustration of seeing family members struggle among the insurance and hospital-dominated industry. He envisioned a system where health care could be accessible, high-quality, and affordable. This vision led to the inception of Freedom Healthworks, which provides the tools, technology, and support for doctors to run successful DPC practices. Christopher dedicates his time to educating both consumers and health care providers about the benefits of the DPC model through his podcast, Healthcare Americana, leading the Indiana Free Market Medical Association, and being a contributing member of the Indiana Physicians Health Alliance. His goal is to create a future for Americans where health care is synonymous with the caring, individualized attention that was its original hallmark. He can be reached on Facebook, X @FreedomDPC, LinkedIn, and Instagram @freedomdoccare. 2 Shares Share In the rural area where I practice, two general surgeons recently retired, a medical oncologist moved out of the community, and two urologists left over a year ago. My patients with cancer are left wondering who will care for them. And this small community is not alone. An aging physician population, burnout, and understaffing of other health care workers all contribute to rising rates of physicians moving and leaving communities. One in five physicians say it is likely they will leave their current practice within two years. Meanwhile, about one in three doctors and other health professionals say they intend to reduce work hours in the next 12 months. Over the past 20 years, physician practice models have shifted. A majority of physicians, including me, are now employed by large health systems rather than owning their own practices. As a result, my patients are often surprised to learn that the clinic staff do not report directly to me but instead to a manager employed by the hospital. The business case for this setup is easy to understand. The onerous and ever-increasing administrative burdens of practice management fall to skilled managers, which allows me and the rest of the care team to focus on the medical care of our patients. This separation of powers, if not well-executed, however, can lead to conflict regarding what is best for the patient. By removing physicians from staff oversight, the responsibility of ensuring their orders are followed falls to others. Physicians (and other health care workers) are often powerless to navigate the gap between the plan of care they recommend and what employees are directed to provide. Employed physicians must decide which decisions are worth taking to the mat and which they must let go. Put another way, if a doctor orders a treatment, but the staff is not obligated to deliver it, is it really an order at all? A physician offers a suggestion rather than an order, and the patient remains clueless as the system rolls on. Dr. Wendy Dean, a leading physician advocate and author of the book If I Betray These Words, acknowledges the impossible situation that doctors face: Every time medical professionals have to choose anything other than their patient, it can be indicative of moral injury, or it predisposes them to moral injury. Health care is a team sport. When nurses and other support personnel are under tremendous strain or not able to perform at optimal levels, or when staffing is inadequate, the impact flows both upstream to physicians who then face a heavier workload and loss of efficiency, and downstream impacting patient care and treatment outcomes. L. Casey Chosewood, MD, MPH, director of the NIOSH Office for Total Worker Health The vulnerable patients waiting at the end of this dysfunctional power structure are unaware of these office politics. Television shows like House and Greys Anatomy portray dramatic scenes of physicians fighting for their patients and letting nothing stop them from providing the care they know is best. Let me be clear: this does not happen in real life. Health care institutions exist to support themselves. The backlash to a disruptive physician is swift and severe. As employees, we are acutely aware of how replaceable we are, not to our patients but to our employers. Accordingly, many health care institutions are beginning to prioritize consensus builders over mavericks when recruiting physicians. This approach, while admirable, ensures that only those towards the middle of the pack personality-wise will direct patient care. While employee satisfaction may be high, the patient may not always receive the best care. To keep this demanding physician, however, means supporting strong managers and setting high expectations for staff. In the current environment with persistently high staff turnover, this is a difficult balance for health systems to make. Often the decision is made to part ways with the physician to pacify staff members and weak managers. From an institutional perspective, I get it. Mavericks are hard to manage. They are prone to disruption, pointing out difficult problems in the system, and refusing to capitulate to senseless regulations and ever-changing policies. Pleasant, consensus builders dont end up in human resources or storm into C-suite offices demanding an incompetent staff member be fired immediately. Tied to practices by family, professional, and moral responsibilities, most doctors try to accommodate and accept low-level infractions which mostly do not result in harm. In high-risk situations, however, someone must make the final call, and those orders must be followed. Medicine, like many fields, has begun the long work of addressing diversity and inclusion challenges. I would argue that diverse personalities are necessary to provide the breadth of patient care required by our increasingly complex human population. Heres an example: After World War II, a civil war broke out in China. The Chinese Communist Party was eventually victorious, leading to the formation of the Peoples Republic of China. For more than twenty years after the war, the United States limited trade and diplomatic relations with the newly established government and instead recognized the Nationalist Party which fled to Taiwan. The civil war stranded many Chinese citizens in the United States, including a young physician named Dr. Min Chiu Li ((). M.C. Li was born in China and completed medical school at Mukden Medical College in modern-day Shenyang. Leaving his wife and two young children in China, he traveled to the United States in 1947 to study at the University of Southern California. Stuck in America, he became a U.S. citizen and, to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War, traveled across the country to Washington D.C., joining the research laboratory as an assistant obstetrician assisting Dr. Roy Hertz at the National Cancer Institute. While at the NCI, Dr. Li observed young women dying of a rare cancer called choriocarcinoma. Choriocarcinoma forms in the uterus when cells that were part of the placenta begin to rapidly divide. This can occur with a normal pregnancy, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy. It is extremely rare, occurring in 7 out of 100K pregnancies, but in the 1950s, it was uniformly fatal. Young women suffered through terrible pain and bleeding. Watching these young women die, Dr. Li became obsessed with finding a cure. After studying the chemotherapy agent methotrexate, recently discovered by Dr. Sidney Farber and in routine use for the cure of childhood leukemias, he decided to start administering it to these otherwise terminal cases. He noticed that markers in the patients urine dropped after she received methotrexate. He also realized that detectable levels of the markers in urine indicated that microscopic cancer was still present even if all visible cancer had disappeared and the patients health had improved. Because of the presence of these markers, he continued to give therapy for days after their symptoms had disappeared, a concept unheard of in an age when the concept of microscopic disease was unheard of. The first patient ever cured of choriocarcinoma was the 24-year-old wife of a U.S. Navy dental technician who was near death after a tumor deposit of choriocarcinoma in her lung ruptured. Dr. Li went on to cure 2 other women before he was fired. Officials at a government agency specifically tasked with finding a cure for cancer fired Dr. Li in 1957 after he documented the first cure of a solid tumor using chemotherapy. Undaunted, he moved to New York, where he joined the staff at Memorial Sloan Cancer Center and continued his research. His insights that cancer was not cured if tumor markers remained elevated were a completely new way of thinking about cancer. Because he persevered after being fired, choriocarcinomas are cured today with chemotherapy as described by Dr. Li and his team. And yet, a colleague described him as pugnacious, very difficult, very hard guy, and we attributed [this] to his loneliness and his privations. So, a new immigrant, unexpectedly separated from his family with barely passable English and little to no money cures a deadly cancer, and they say he was difficult? Umm OK. When we eliminate difficult physicians, patients must be made aware of the cost. Is mediocre the low bar you seek? Will your loved one die in the middle of the night while a group assembles to discuss how to address a fatal arrhythmia? Or a neurosurgeon who risked it all to drill a bedside burr hole on your dying child was fired based on his personality rather than his skills? I doubt this is the care you really want, but as it stands, were unable to provide better. Stacy Wentworth is a radiation oncologist. The Democratic Party (DP) has urged the government to implement mandatory HIV/AIDS testing in secondary schools to safeguard the lives of young people. According to UNESCO, available data suggests that an estimated 10,210 students and 1,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in secondary schools are living with HIV. DPs acting spokesperson, Mr. Ismael Kirya, maintains that while the government strives to eradicate HIV by 2030, there are gaps that need to be addressed to achieve this goal, and one of these is mandatory testing for secondary school students who are now believed to be unknowingly living with the virus. Kirya explains that many adults prefer relationships with younger girls in secondary schools because they perceive them as easily persuaded and unable to resist advances. He emphasizes that mandatory testing will empower adolescents to know their HIV status and take appropriate precautions to protect themselves. We want to urge government to have a sensitization tour in all schools so that our young people in this era can understand what AIDS is. We have a challenge that our young brothers and sisters understand issues of sexual intercourse more than us the elders because of the internet and the things they are exposed to, Kirya said on Tuesday. Secondly, let us have mandatory HIV tests in secondary schools because these young people are infected without knowing and once they are infected, these people who approach them after some time, abandon them and find other young people now you find that HIV is rotating in that circle, he added. Additionally, he reiterated the call for the government to reinforce other HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives to safeguard Ugandans. The opposition Democratic Party has asked government to apologise for the acts of human rights violations allegedly committed by different security agencies in the country. This after the State Minister for Internal Affairs Gen. David Muhoozi presented the long-awaited report on the missing persons last week in Parliament. However, Gen. Muhoozi told Parliament that most of the alleged missing persons have never been reported to the police and some reports are just fueled by self-centered politicians who want to earn a living. Speaking to the media at the partys headquarters in Kampala, the DP acting spokesperson, Mr Ismael Kirya, said the report is not what was expected despite the time and energy invested in demanding for it. He said the opposition wanted Gen. Muhoozi to present footage of one Senteza who allegedly jumped off a car as claimed before being knocked. Additionally, Kirya says they wanted to know when John Bosco Kibalama, a National Unity Platform supporter left the country and explain the exact address where he is currently staying in Canada. Kirya thus noted that if government cannot give the aforementioned explanations, it should apologize rather than playing tricks, noting that it is obvious there are acts of human rights violation in Uganda. A pensioner couple who repeatedly warned their local council about a tree they described as an accident waiting to happen is fighting for compensation after it eventually fell, crushing their car and damaging their home. Melburnians Rosemary and Ted McCormack residents of Ballantyne Street in East Burwood for over 50 years said the tree beside the footpath in front of their home had become a constant issue over the years, splintering and ripping up parts of their driveway. Couple warn council over 'dangerous tree' They knew it was just a matter of time until it collapsed completely and had even warned Whitehorse City Council about the potential dangers on a number of occasions. Then, on December 7 last year, a powerful storm bowled the tree over, causing it to crash into the couple's 2013 Hyundai Accent, which had only done 45,000kms. Rosemary and Ted McCormack are fighting to be compensated over their damaged property. Source: A Current Affair. The fallen tree completely wrote the couple's car off, which had only done 45,000kms. Source: A Current Affair. The McCormacks say the tree also damaged parts of their home and left live wires at their doorstep, trapping them inside. "We did say to council, 'look, this will fall on our house one day," Rosemary told A Current Affair. Fight for compensation Though the couple's insurer AAMI paid them out for the car which was written off their daughter Amanda is now calling for council to cover the amount her parents paid for a replacement and for the $1000 home insurance excess. "They're probably out of pocket $12,000 by the time they've had to pay their excesses on their insurance, they've had to buy another car they're pensioners," Amanda said. Other locals in the community also claimed they had noticed it was a potential danger. Source: A Current Affair. "There'd be about half a dozen emails, and after that I started ringing them because we weren't getting anywhere." In an email sent in 2012 Rosemary told Whitehorse City Council: "This tree keeps dropping branches and the roots are cracking and lifting our driveway". Story continues Another local mum claims she similarly told the council she was "most concerned about the amount of wood and sticks which flew off the gumtree, denting [her] car and also hitting [her] two young children". A second email from the McCormacks described "small twigs and branches falling off the tree and hitting our windows, some with great force". "Could we please have this tree removed?" the couple begged. Lawyer claims council 'may not be liable' Lawyer Justin Lawrence from Henderson and Ball, said Whitehorse City Council may not actually be liable if one of its trees falls on private property. "Council aren't liable just because the tree fell. But they might be liable if they've done something that contributed to the tree falling," Lawrence told ACA. The couple say they had warned council about the tree for years, but council said it was in perfect health. Source: A Current Affair. "If they agree with residents A and B and pay them out, they know that all the other residents will come to them for compensation as well, and they don't want that." Whitehorse City Council responds A spokesperson for the council said the tree had been routinely inspected over the years and was found to be in good health on each occasion. "Whitehorse City Council has a programmed, two-yearly street tree inspection and pruning program, and responds to community requests which includes undertaking risk assessments," the spokesperson said. "These inspections are by independent qualified arborists and Council's qualified inspecting arborist. The tree outside ... Ballantyne Street, East Burwood was inspected at least seven times since 2012 following a 'request for inspection' or during routine checks of Council trees. "All inspections found the tree was healthy with good or fair structure. No obvious signs of ill health or structural defects were observed during any standard ground-based visual inspections of the tree." In total, council had "received 15 requests for inspection of the tree since 2002" and each inspection "resulted in works being allocated to a contractor or no works required", it concluded. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. By Rodgers Magala & Sylvia Katushabe The two rival factions of the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party have announced separate mobilisation events as each bids to garner nationwide support ahead of the 2026 General Election. The Katonga faction has announced elections of new leaders at village level come December 9 while their coun- terparts at Najjanankumbi are on a nationwide mobilisation drive to recruit new party members. Mr Michael Kabaziguruka, the interim electoral commission chairperson for the Katonga faction, revealed yesterday that the elections are targeting new local leaders from 36,000 villages countrywide. Mr Kabaziguruka noted that the election materials had been dispatched to all the villages across the country. The village elections will be followed by those at the parish, sub-county, constituency and district levels, and will be crowned with a national delegates conference slated for March 15 next year as per the roadmap. Mr Kabaziguruka explained that they are guided by the resolutions passed by the September 19 delegates conference. I call upon all FDC faithful supporters countrywide to mobilise and turn up in huge numbers for the grassroots elections this Saturday, December 9, Mr Kabaziguruka said during a press briefing held at their offices on Katon- ga Road in Kampala yesterday. He urged their supporters to ignore all the demobilisation efforts against their electoral process by the Najjanankumbi team. We are aware that there are efforts by the suspended members, Patrick Oboi Amuriat [FDC president] and Nandala Mafabi [party secretary general], to sabotage the elections. We assure our supporters that we are in charge and they should participate in the elections, Mr Kabaziguruka added. He also asked all party members who were suspended by the Najjanankumbi group such as Ms Ingrid Turinawe to return, saying FDC is for all its members. The FDC Katonga faction delegates conference held on September 19 presided over by the party National Chairperson, Ambassador Wasswa Birigwa, unanimously suspended Mr Amuriat, Mr Mafabi and Treasurer Geoffrey Ekanya. They then appointed an interim committee headed by Mr Erias Lukwago. Meanwhile, Najjanankumbi leaders yesterday noted that the mobilisation exercise is aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the 2026 General Election. We have embarked on sub-regional conferences. We want to equip our leaders with mobilisation skills and even ask them to recruit members and future candidates, the party spokesperson, Mr John Kikonyogo, told journalists at the party headquarters. We are going to all regions in Uganda and when we finish them, we shall sit at our headquarters to analyse what will come out of them and we move forward,he said. The party is also gearing up for the National Council meeting, the first of its kind after the controversial election that saw Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat an d Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi retain their seats and party president and secretary general, respectively. Mr Kikonyogo revealed that the meeting, due to December 15, is aimed at discussing the current state of the party. Parliament has urged the government to intervene in the contentious auction of Gaddafi Mosque at Old Kampala rather than waiting for a court decision. The matter was raised in parliament by Bugiri Municipality MP, Asuman Basalirwa, who expressed concern about the potential political, spiritual, and security repercussions of the auction. Basalirwa emphasized the importance of Old Kampala as a tourist destination and a national treasure, stressing that it must not be lost to opportunists. The controversy surrounding the sale of the nine Muslim properties stems from businessman Justus Kyabahwas attempt to auction the properties, including the Gadaffi Mosque, to recover his investment of Shs18.9 billion. Kyabahwa allegedly purchased a Muslim-owned property in Ssembabule measuring 517 hectares in 2020 but did not receive a land title from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among implored the government to urgently intervene and resolve the matter out of court after putting a stop to a heated debate that had erupted in the House. By Jackson Onyango The opposition wing in Parliament is scheduled to deliver a response to the government statement on human rights violations later this afternoon during the plenary sitting. Last week, the Leader of Opposition, Mr Mathias Mpuuga asked to be accorded the opportunity to provide a comprehensive response since they were furnished with the statement on the same day. The sitting had marked their return to parliament after a month-long boycott of the plenary sittings that had culminated in their impugned ban from committee sittings by the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among. A section of the MPs from the opposition accused the government for issuing a blanket denial on the raised concerns of human rights violations top on the list being the whereabouts of the 18 missing persons. The state minister for internal affairs, David Muhoozi, while reading the statement stated that some of the persons had sought asylum outside the country on flimsy grounds. That the cases of missing persons were never reported to the police as required by the law. The statement indicated that the investigations of truck number 999 17 which was captured in video involved in an indiscriminate shooting during the November 2020 riots were inconclusive. It also denied the NUP security aide Frank Ssenteza was crashed by a UPDF truck, among other accusations. The Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) contingent which is part of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) in DR-Congo, will remain in place until further orders, regardless of the EACRF mandate expiring on Friday, December 8, 2023. The DRC government has since vowed not to renew the EACRF mandate, alleging that regional force troops have not engaged in combat with M23 rebels. However, speaking to KFM, UPDF spokesperson, Brigadier Felix Kulayigye stated that their mandate was never intended to engage in direct combat with M23 rebels and that they do not believe the group is the root cause of the problem. He emphasized that the primary issue in the DRC is political and requires dialogue. Our mandate was not to fight any force, but rather to create an environment for a political process. Now the political process was heavily dependent on the DRC government, and its protagonists. It turns out that some circles thought we had gone in fight M23. We dont think M23 is the problem, we think the problem is political and requires a political solution. Brig. Kulayigye said On whether the UPDF plans to withdraw troops on Friday, Brigadier Kulayigye stated that their primary objective is to maintain peace in the DRC for business purposes and that they are awaiting new instructions. So have we started withdrawing? No, for us we havent, we are waiting for orders. Just like we were given orders to deploy, we shall wait for orders to tell us to withdraw, to stay, or whichever way. In the military, if there are no new order issues, the first order stands, so we are there until we are told to withdraw. As UPDF, as Uganda, our interest is a peaceful Eastern DRC, because a peaceful Eastern DRC means business for our Ugandans. Thats the only interest we want, he added. On Sunday, December 3, 2023, Kenyan troops became the first to exit North Kivu. In 2022, M23 rebels launched a war against the DRC government, citing corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination as justifications for their actions. The DR Congo government has since accused Rwanda of supporting M23, an allegation that Kigali strongly denies. Anne Healy (Biddy's Good Luck Horseshoes) is the new president of the Kilkenny branch of Network Ireland, taking over from Autumn Tobin (The KOOP Studios), who had a very successful year in 2023. Healy has expressed that she is 'honoured' to take on the role and added that the Kilkenny branch of Network Ireland has 'such a wonderful group of ladies all doing amazing jobs both as entrepreneurs and employees'. "I am looking forward to 2024 with a wonderful committee and we will all work together to champion our wonderful group and ladies in business," she added. Anne also paid tribute to the outgoing president and her fellow committee members for their efforts throughout the year. Anne Healy originally started her business, Biddy's Good Luck Horseshoes, as a hobby to share good luck with friends and family. In January 2019, she left her corporate job to follow her passion and make memories and magical moments full of Irish good luck for people to share. This was the same year that she joined the Kilkenny branch of Network Ireland. Anne only uses genuine horse shoes that have been worn and repurposes them into beautiful gifts that she sells to people all over the world. Network Ireland is a networking organisation that supports the professional and personal development of women and the Kilkenny branch has more than 50 members. Sustainability and climate change are top of mind this week for Kilkenny people as COP28 piques interest with over 160 global leaders attending the climate conference in Dubai. Climate action is also a priority for Kilkenny businesses as they will be required to comply with the EUs Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), to report their sustainability efforts and impact from January 2024 onwards. As 2023 draws to a close, businesses in Kilkenny are currently in the process of developing their business strategy for 2024. Many will be focused on sustainability, looking at how they can implement circular economy practices or climate-positive and carbon reduction measures. From January 2024 onwards, Kilkenny businesses will, at different stages, be required to comply with the European Unions Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This new law will place responsibilities on businesses to accurately report their sustainability efforts and climate impact. Those responsible for the sustainability management in their businesses will benefit greatly from the programme, MODOS, which has announced three programme dates in 2024, with the first course starting on February 2, 2024. The training is free. The MODOS course is designed to equip SMEs to apply circular economy principles in their business. The programme will cover topics such as:circular economy principles,supply chain, resource efficiency, design thinking and innovation, carbon emissions and customer engagement and marketing. The training is practical and aims to help SMEs reduce waste and carbon emissions while creating opportunities to save money, increase resilience and boost competitive advantage. Each programme will consist of a three-module series and will be delivered online. Due to the practical nature of the training, each of the programmes, starting on February 2, April 12 and May 24 2024, is limited to 25 people. Speaking at the launch of the 2024 MODOS training programmes, Dr. Joanne Rourke, Regional Resource Efficiency Officer at the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices said: Irish businesses are at the heart of our economy, so it is our responsibility to equip them with the correct information to implement circular economy practices into their businesses. The MODOS training course has been hugely successful, with over 100 businesses completing the training. We want to continue to build on this success by helping more businesses this year.. The three training programmes planned for 2024 will be delivered by leading experts in circular economy principles, including Change by Degrees, Munster Technological University, and SustHub. To register your interest visit www.modos.ie A Kilkenny man who sustained multiple injuries when he was involved in a motorcycle collision is back in hospital in the Gold Coast in Australia. Trevor Fennelly from Bennettsbridge moved to Australia eight years ago and had a successful career before he was seriously injured following a collision in Bonogin on the Gold Coast on October 28. The 38-year old who was on his motorcycle when it collided with an oncoming car shattering his knee and elbow and had surgery to insert metal plates in his leg and arm. The Kilkenny native had to be resuscitated on two occasions after he suffered serious internal bleeding and broke several limbs. The brave Kilkenny man also underwent bowel and liver surgery and had 18 blood transfusions. After one month in hospital Trevor went home last week only to be re-admitted after he broke his recently broken arm after a fall at home. Speaking to local media from the hospital in Australia Trevor said he now intends to be a mentor the the Trauma Survivors Network. Doctors have told Trevor he will not be able to work or fly for at least six months. Concerned friends have decided to organise a fundraiser to help Trevor cover his costs as he will not be paid during his sick leave. "It will be a long time before he is back on his feet and we wanted to do something to help," said Sharon Davis, who organised the go fund me appeal. "A few of us have decided to set up a go fund me for our Friend Trevor who is living in Australia and has been in a terrible accident. He can't fly home now to be with his family, may not be able for some time. He will be out of work for a long time and we want to raise funds to help him get through these next few months. Any small amount will help. "Even if we could raise enough to get him a ticket home to Ireland next year when he's cleared to fly again that would be amazing. He's lucky to still be with us and we're lucky to have him. Lets show him some support," she added. For more information or to donate go to gofundme.com/f/help-our-irish-friend-trevor-in-australia A teenager's innocent mistake nearly cost him his life at a popular Aussie swimming spot, prompting a dire warning from officials to practice caution at the beach this summer. Perth man Jacob Eggington, 18, was swimming at Shoalwater Beach Monday looking for shells to "show his niece" when he accidentally pocketed a blue-ringed octopus one of the most venomous creatures known to man. The sea critter, no bigger than the palm of a hand, had been inside a shell when Jacob from Palmyra picked it up. After placing it in his pocket, things could've been much worse, because if he hadn't spotted it mere moments later, the deadly animal would've ended up in the hands of his toddler niece. Perth man Jacob Eggington was hospitalised after a run-in with a deadly blue-ringed octopus. Souce: 7News. Killer critter 'could've been handled by toddler' The unlucky teen's older brother recounted the scary moment as the group collected shells. "That's probably one of the more dramatic thoughts to think what could have happened," Eggington's brother Joshua told 7News. "So in the same way, he did get bitten, but he also probably saved one of his nieces or nephews lives." Soon after, Jacob noticed a "small, painless bite" on his leg, and after emergency services were called, he was quickly taken from the sand on a stretcher to a nearby hospital. With no antidote available, treatment took a total of six hours to stabilise the 18-year-old, saving his life from one of the world's most deadly toxins. Had Jacob not noticed the bite, "he could've been dead within half an hour". Eggington's brother Joshua said his sibling was "collecting shells" when he found the venomous creature. Souce: 7News. Expert's stark warning to beachgoers Marine scientist Jennifer Verduin said blue-ringed octopuses are so common at Perth beaches that she doesn't enter the water without a pair of reef shoes. "They're very good at hiding so we wouldn't normally see them that often, but they are," she said. Story continues The deadly sea creatures are found all around the country, including in w as far south as Tasmania. They're experts at camouflage and can kill a person in roughly 26 minutes. According to The Australian Museum, the species uses an extremely powerful venom to kill its prey including crabs and small fish. A viral video circulating last year showed one being handled by an unwitting Aussie. Blue-ringed octopuses are one of the most venomous creatures on the planet and can kill a person within 26 minutes. Source: Facebook. Ian Tibbetts, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland told Yahoo News Australia the social media trend showing people handle these creatures is "alarming stupidity". "Someone might die doing this," he warned at the time. Should someone come into contact with one of the creatures, the advice is to remain completely still and immediately call Triple-0. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new weekly newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. The Bard Out Of My Mind launch takes place in the beautiful Wild Flower Cafe between 2- 5pm on Saturday the 9th of December in the Butler Gallery Kilkenny city. The countdown to Christmas is on and a new creative Kilkenny based business has the perfect home grown gift. Bard Out Of My Mind is a poetry business established by Gareth Hanlon at the tail end of 2023. It was following a number of critically acclaimed open mic performances at the Alternative Kilkenny Arts festival in August and the launch of his self-published poetry book, Too Bard Out Of My Mind, that Gareth decided to set up an experiential poetry based business. One of the first pieces written for this new venture was Cill Chainnaigh. From its opening line, Irelands True capital The Marble city I asked?, to its closing, Visit Smithwicks brewery for a few red Ales, Kilkenny Cats laugh, while spinning their tales. Gareth manages to capture the charm and attractions of Kilkenny with an easy going light-heartedness and relevance. In his own words, I have created an interesting collection of rhyming wisdom to entertain near and afar. The nuanced cadence of each poetic flavouring combines observation, wisdom and layers of understanding to inspire and cultivate new thinking, Gareth enthuses. I wanted to write pieces that would be of interest to tourists in relation to their experiences while in Ireland. Bard Out Of My Mind has three distinct poetic stylings. There are poems based on the unique features of cities in Ireland with a hint of fun added to the mix. There are also regional poems referencing the wider attractions and experiences of Ireland. Then there is the rather quirky PoeTea collection. A series of poems based on the inherent benefits of drinking tea. Here, clever naming of each piece makes for fun and interesting reading, for example, PuriTea, TranquiliTea, LongeviTea and SereniTea, to name but a few. I particularly like the decorative PoeTea collection and I believe these will become excellent conversation pieces in the various cafes across Ireland, Gareth explains. While the poems are interesting for tourists as a keepsake of their visit to Ireland. They also have an appeal for locals and the extended Irish Diaspora, says Gareth. The poems will be available online via www.boomm.ie from January 2024. To purchase before Xmas, pop along to the launch in the beautiful Wild Flower Cafe between 2-5pm on Saturday the 9th of December in the Butler Gallery Kilkenny city. All collections can be viewed on the website and contact Gareth directly on 0858830071 to make any direct enquiries. www.boomm.ie Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Over 600,000 families in Ireland will receive double Child Benefit payments today (December 5). The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, confirmed 650,000 families will receive the payments to help with the cost of living crisis. It means 280 per child will be paid towards 1.2 million children under the age of 16 across Ireland. Minister Humphreys said, "I am very conscious of the pressure families are under particularly in the run up to Christmas. Child Benefit is one of the few tools within the Department of Social Protection that I can use to support working families. "I know from my days working in the Credit Union how much families depend on the monthly Child Benefit payment and I am delighted to announce details of this double payment today which will support hundreds of thousands of hardworking families across the country." Over 172,000 families in Dublin will receive the double payment (309,397 children), as well as 9,001 Carlow families (16,648 children), 22,466 Donegal families (43,966 children), 35,183 families in Kildare (64,933 children), 11,697 families in Kilkenny (22,574 children), and many more (full list below). The minister also announced details of the Christmas Bonus - which will be paid to approximately 1.3 million people this week including pensioners, carers and people with disabilities - at a cost of over 320 million. People will receive their Christmas Bonus on the same day that they usually receive their weekly primary payment. Announcing the Christmas Bonus details, Minister Humphreys said, "Christmas is a very special time of the year, but it can be an expensive period for individuals and families. "I am pleased to announce the details of the Christmas Bonus Payments today. Over 1.3 million people will benefit including our pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, and lone parents. "The Christmas Bonus is a vital support, particularly for our senior citizens. People will receive their Bonus payment on the same day that they usually receive their weekly pension or other primary payment. "As always, I would encourage people, where possible, to shop locally in the run-up to Christmas this year." The full Double Child Benefit breakdown is as follows: An exciting new development by Wallace Contracting Limited of spacious, modern, A rated three and four bedroom homes has just completed its first stage of new homes in Kilkenny City. Wallace Construction team and joint selling agents Donohoe Town & Country and Savills were all on site this week to welcome the first key holders to their new home. [Picture: The Design and Construction Team] TAP '>' ARROW OR 'NEXT' FOR MORE PICTURES! The Harker family were delighted with the welcome reception they received. All three of us are so excited for this moment, its been a long time coming and we cant wait to move in to make it our home, said Lisa Harker. Bishops Lough is a perfect combination of modern living with low density, contemporary design, enriched by landscaped green areas to deliver an impressive development which is designed for living now and to mature well in the future. Just 800m from Kilkennys High Street, Bishops Lough, on the Bonnettstown Road/Tullaroan Road is the perfect address with pedestrian walkway to the existing Loreto Secondary School and sited immediately adjacent to the proposed new CBS School. Wallace Contracting Ltd are delighted to bring Bishops Lough to the market, having acquired this prime development site of 45 acres to provide for modern living with an emphasis on low density, superior quality, spacious homes. Its a proud day to be letting the first buyers into their homes, especially when there is such a need for houses in Kilkenny, said Matt Wallace, Managing Director of Wallace Contracting Ltd. I am really excited to be bringing this prestigious development to the market. We have placed huge emphasis on high quality, spacious living in a low-density environment so close to Kilkenny City Centre and essential amenities. Everybody has commented on the quality of the homes, and we are proud of that. Kilkennys Donohoe Town and Country have been instructed as the joint selling agents with Savills and are very much looking forward to launching the show house in the New Year as well as phase two. We are delighted to be involved in this project and are very proud of the homes that Wallace Contracting are building. The development ticks all the boxes for modern, spacious living within very easy access to Kilkenny City. Ed Donohoe and Jennifer Bay from Donohoe Town and Country are taking enquiries and would be delighted to discuss the available options. If you are interested, call 0567770400 or email info@donohoeproperties.com GLOBALink | Chinese modernization offers insights to global challenges: experts, officials Pub Date:23-12-05 09:31 Source:Xinhua Representatives worldwide attending the 5th World Media Summit in south China's Guangzhou have praised the Chinese path to modernization. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Editor:Zheng Chen Related News More expansionary fiscal policy expected n... Tech reunites missing boy with family afte... Efforts stepped up to cope with children's... 50 foreigners honored for contributions to... Grim images shared with Yahoo News Australia highlight the unseen impact of the country's relentless urban sprawl on the native wildlife population. Taken northeast of Perth, they show a mob kangaroos standing next to a paddock that has been transformed into a construction site. While developments are financially lucrative for both construction companies and the local council, residents say theyve been left to clean up the mess with little help. Kangaroos have been photographed next to the Henley Brook development site near Perth. Source: Supplied Its heartbreaking, very depressing. Theres a feeling of hopelessness. Because theres no one else who seems to be protecting our wildlife, volunteer rescuer Lyn Manuel said. "There's so much work that has to be pushed into a day, but I'm also a mother, a grandmother and a wife." The kangaroos in the images have become increasingly landlocked by a patchwork of new housing and transport projects, creating a situation that residents say is "dangerous" for drivers and the welfare of animals. "I think my picture is very sad to be honest, just the way they are looking around confused," the photographer told Yahoo. Heartbreaking images show kangaroos displaced by development in the City of Swan. Source: Supplied/Google Earth/Airbus 'Theres no land anymore, theyve just built it all out' Yahoo spoke to several other residents in Swan who anecdotally reported collisions with kangaroos around the area. One local woman, who requested her name be withheld, said the problems began 30 years ago with kangaroos getting pushed into residential areas. Every time they do a development, no one does anything about the kangaroos Theres no land anymore, theyve just built it all out, she said. I hit this huge boomer kangaroo. Thank God I was in a Mercedes because it did a huge amount of damage. And then the poor thing had to suffer because there was no one around to put it out of its misery. Wildlife collisions jump 17 per cent Increasing wildlife collisions is a situation reflected in offical data right across Western Australia, according to the state's motoring authority, the RAC. Story continues A manager at RAC, Glen Walker, told Yahoo there's been a 17 per cent increase in claims involving animal collisions in Western Australia this year when compared to 2022. "Kangaroos account for 88 per cent of all animal collision claims," he added. While the RAC was unable to speculate on the cause of the jump in numbers, Walker said collisions are often distressing, costly, but also "extremely dangerous." The majority of incidents occurred during the April, May, June, and July during dawn and dusk. Discover more of our environment coverage. Council asked to respond to kangaroo concerns Yahoo News Australia reached out to the City of Swan with several questions about displaced wildlife and resident concerns last week. Following publication of this article, it responded with a written statement from Mayor Tanya Richardson. As one of Perths key growth Councils, the City of Swan understands the challenges of balancing the preservation of the environment with the need to provide new housing, employment and recreational opportunities. Working within Western Australias planning framework, the City endeavours to strike an appropriate balance," it said. The displacement of kangaroos can occur in parts of the Citys Urban Growth Corridor, and the City works with developers and State Government agencies to provide management plans to address displaced fauna. The City is running a 12-month trial in Brabham of deterrent devices designed to reduce collisions between kangaroos and vehicles. The City encourages local wildlife rescue groups to apply for funding support through our Grant and Sponsorship Program. While the City of Swan is one of Perth's fastest growing areas, it's not the only council area with a displaced population of kangaroos. In the City of Canning, the council has opted to trial relocating its landlocked mob. Developer 'very serious' about environment One project of particular interest to wildlife rescuers is the Henley Brook housing development which is being constructed on land that was until recently hobby farms. While the images taken of the displaced kangaroos were taken on a road adjacent to the project, developer Mirvac's environmental assessment did not record any of the marsupials at the site. One wildlife rescuer told Yahoo she had tried to raise the issue with the company, but it told Yahoo it had no record of anyone doing so. We have not been approached by any local wildlife groups to discuss concerns about kangaroos or other wildlife in the area or on our site, but would welcome any requests to discuss these matters and how we might be able to help, it said. We take our environmental responsibility very serious and we are continuously looking at how we can reduce our impact on the planet and leave a positive legacy in our communities. Injured joeys can't go back where they came from, because back where they came from is just houses now.Lyn Manuel, Wildlife Care WA Inc Wildlife rescuers pushed to brink after bushfires Since we first spoke to Lyn Manuel in mid-November, she was struggling to keep up with the demands of her volunteer work. Every morning she would wake before 6am to prepare milk bottles for orphaned joeys. "I then toilet them, clean out their pouches, but all the time the phone is ringing, with people saying: Can you, can you, can you," she said. Lyn then heads out into the community, checking for joeys inside the pouches of kangaroos that have been hit by cars. "The joeys get fed every four hours, the little ones every three hours. I have to plan when I can be home and when I can go out. A lot of the joeys are injured, so they need medication and vet trips. All that has to be put into a day, and all the time the phone keeps ringing." The situation worsened after bushfires roared through the Swan area in late November, killing and injuring more wildlife. On Monday evening, she was at a local veterinary clinic with 18 bobtail lizards in need of treatment for extensive burns. She was struggling to cope with the massive influx of bushfire victims on top of animals displaced by development. The wildlife is suffering in there, the kangaroos haven't got anywhere to go. They cant go back to where they came from because its just houses now, she said. So thats the problem. But whats the solution? Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new weekly newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Next year, Indian chemist Thalappil Pradeep will stay at KIT for an up-to-six-months research period. (Photo: Thalappil, IIT) Professor Thalappil Pradeep from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) in Chennai is awarded the first International Excellence Award of KIT and the Fellowship of SCHROFF Foundation. With these awards, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) honors the renowned chemist and his fundamental research in the field of nanoscience and the application of novel nanomaterials for drinking water purification. The award also includes an invitation to stay at KIT. Thalappil Pradeeps research focuses on investigating and unveiling the fundamental properties of metallic nanoparticles and of derived materials using various experimental and theoretical methods. Building on the findings gained, he and his team at the IIT recently succeeded in developing novel nanomaterials for drinking water purification. Access to clean drinking water is still a problem in many parts of the world. Pradeeps group uses water filters on a nanochemical basis to remove pesticides and other contaminants from the drinking water. These filters are a sustainable and cost-effective solution that already benefits several millions of people in India today. For his work, Thalappil Pradeep receives the International Excellence Award of KIT and the Fellowship of SCHROFF Foundation, which includes an invitation for a six-month stay at KIT next year. We are very pleased to welcome Thalappil Pradeep as an excellent nanoscientist at KIT, says Professor Oliver Kraft, representing the President of KIT. This award is presented to a highly committed scientist who goes beyond his own field of work to investigate future-oriented topics. At the same time, we are intensifying international exchange and top-level research at KIT. The International Excellence Award is a means to create a research environment that appeals to scientists and researchers from all over the world, adds Professor Thomas Hirth, KITs Vice President for Transfer and International Affairs. It is true that international collaboration in science is absolutely necessary to manage the global societal challenges of the 21st century. Long-standing Collaboration between KIT and IIT In addition to the research stay, the prize includes a scholarship with a duration of up to one year for an accompanying junior researcher from Pradeeps study group as well as funds for equipment of up to EUR 50,000 for conducting a research project at the host institute of KIT. We look back on a long-standing tradition of institutional collaboration between Chennai and Karlsruhe, says Professor Manfred Kappes, who heads the Division Physical Chemistry of Microscopic Systems at KIT. Together with Professor Pradeep, we will pursue the extension of the interface between the mass spectrometry and nanomaterials equipment. International Excellence Grants at KIT The award is part of the International Excellence Grants (IEG) initiative within the framework of the successful University of Excellence concept of KIT. It is aimed at promoting international collaboration in top-level research and attracting international researchers to KIT. More information Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence. A dishevelled politician has been heavily criticised for dialling into parliament during a debate and casting his vote on a disabled rights bill from the pub. Liberal Democrat party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton used his phone to video call into the Scottish parliament at the end of last month, with his image appearing on large monitors around the debating chamber. "Sorry Presiding Officer I was unable to connect, I would have noted no," he says while walking away from his table. Politician Alex Cole-Hamilton dialled into the Scottish parliament from the pub. Source: The Scottish Sun Fellow politicians jeered and mocked Cole-Hamilton when it became clear he was engaging in the debate from the boozer situated mere minutes away from where the debate was occurring, with the Lib Dem's shirt unbuttoned as he fixed his hair multiple times. The video from inside the debating chamber has circulated online. Many Scots called the politician's behaviour "disgraceful" and the whole incident a "shambles", with some saying if he was not present for the debate then his vote should not be counted at all. It is believed Cole-Hamilton was at the pub with another co-worker. Politician forced to apologise After the politician was widely condemned, Cole-Hamilton apologised and said he immediately sought out the Presiding Officer after the incident to explain why he didn't get to the debating chamber in time. "I take the proceedings of parliament very seriously. My voting record speaks for itself in casting my ballot every time that I possibly can," the politician told local news. "Members of the Scottish parliament regularly vote remotely and on this occasion, fewer than a third were present to vote in person." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Cloudy skies with a few snow showers this afternoon. High around 25F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.. Tonight Periods of snow along with gusty winds at times, especially this evening. Low 11F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 5 to 8 inches of snow expected. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Beachgoers at a popular Aussie hotspot were sent running from the water in fear Tuesday as a shark was spotted swimming in the shallows, at the same time as another popular lake was closed over a similar sighting. Swimmers enjoying the ocean at Cylinder Beach, on Queensland's North Stradbroke Island, were abruptly interrupted yesterday after a dusky shark made its way to shore just after 10am, entering the shallows between the red and yellow flags and forcing lifeguards to close the beach. The popular beach was packed to the brim as families and tourists alike soaked up the sun, but they were all forced to watch from the shore until the animal retreated. Cylinder Beach on North Stradbroke Island was slammed shut yesterday after a dusky shark was spotted in the shallows. Source: Nine/7News. Multiple shark sightings in the space of a week Queensland Surf Lifesaver Mitch Yates paddled alongside the shark, guiding it back out out to the deep, estimating the dusky whaler was between four to five feet long. Its just easier and quicker and the shark was much smaller than the board, it wasnt interested in the board, probably wasnt interested in the people either, its just looking for some little fish to nibble on, he told Nine. He said shark incidences are common on North Stradbroke but it is rare for them to come so close to the shore. Meanwhile, the popular Lake Alexander in Darwin was shut yesterday after a member of the public spotted a shark in the depths, NT News reported. A City of Darwin spokesperson said the lake would remain closed as officials scour the swimming spot in search for the animal, which, if found, will be "caught and released back into the ocean". Lake Alexander is closed to the public following a suspected shark sighting. Source: NT News City of Darwin will work closely with NT Fisheries to investigate the matter and the public will be advised when the lake is reopened, the spokesperson said. In the meantime, the lake remains closed and is not to be used for any water activities. Story continues Diver almost killed at Great Barrier Reef The two shark incidences come after a 21-year-old man nearly lost his life just days ago at the Great Barrier Reef, having been mauled last Thursday at Clack Island a remote stretch of sea about halfway between Cairns and the tip of the Cape York Peninsula. It's understood the man was diving for sea cucumbers at the time and only survived thanks to the quick-thinking actions of his companions, who ushered him back to the boat and applied a tourniquet. He suffered deep puncture wounds to his bicep and shoulder and was flown to Cairns Base Hospital, where he was later hospitalised. A diver was mauled by a shark on the Great Barrier Reef last week. Source: Nine. Active time for sharks on Aussie shores For most parts of the country, between September through to early December is when sharks are most active, due to an increase in fish migrating through coastal waters. The US and Australia recorded the most unprovoked shark attacks around the globe in 2022, according to the International Shark Attack File, with 41 occurring in the states mostly in Florida and nine recorded in Australia. That was down from 12 in 2021. While shark incidents attract a lot of attention in Australia, experts continue to remind the public they are still very rare. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new weekly newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. An exasperated disability advocate is calling on Aussie music festivals to "please do better" after a series of "microaggressions" at a major event last week left her "disappointed and very frustrated". Victorian woman Zoe Simmons, who is a wheelchair user, attended the Good Things festival at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on Friday and said she was confused and disheartened over an apparent lack of consideration for guests with disabilities, even though she paid $225 for a ticket just like everyone else. Melbourne woman calls for festivals to 'do better' for people with disabilities Simmons said that despite her repeated attempts to contact the festival's organisers prior to the event, to ascertain what protocols were in place for attendees with disabilities, she was ignored or given generic responses up until just two days beforehand. The Melburnian said she tried to contact management over four times in the weeks in the lead-up to gauge an idea of the set-up to no avail. Disability advocate Zoe Simmons said that one of the accessible viewing platforms at Good Things festival was so far away, she couldn't see or hear. Source: Supplied. When she arrived on the day, Simmons recalled that it was immediately apparent little thought had been put into the needs of those with disabilities. She was met with stairs to a bar, some accessible toilets were "hidden from view" and at least one differing from its assigned position on the map, and, of the two accessible viewing platforms, one was "so far away I couldn't see or hear, even with my phone camera zoomed all the way in". "I emailed them weeks beforehand, because I knew it wouldn't be fantastic based on my other experiences. There are always issues when there disabled people aren't involved in the organisation, planning and execution of these events," Simmons told Yahoo News Australia. "You can't expect disabled people to only have access to the information a week before or the day before, or not at all, that's really quite poor form." Story continues Lack of communication a concern, Zoe Simmons says Explaining that it's essential for all disabled people to have clear pick-up and drop-off locations, Simmons said specifically, she had sought to seek clarity from the festival over whether or not there was such a spot on the day. But was again given a vague response. "I was really, really panicking," she recalled. "I was lucky enough that it was a sunny day, that I was able to take my wheelchair because if I couldn't [get to those] those pickup and drop off points which according to them were a short walk for someone that's disabled, with chronic illnesses, or any kind of physical disabilities, chronic pain, energy impairment, [that] could've been really, really painful." Some bars had steps, which Simmons was unable to use, while the disabled bathrooms were a 'struggle'. Source: Supplied. Conceding there "were some efforts made" to cater to those with disabilities, and she still "enjoyed the music and vibe that I did get to experience", Simmons said a number of small, simple fixes could've vastly improved the day. "Even just really small things like waiting to line up outside there were no disabled toilets. There were non-disabled toilets, but no disabled. So if you're disabled sorry, you have to wait," she said, adding that there was scarce signage for disabled toilets inside as well. "One of the bathrooms, you had to go through the medical tent and go around the corner to where the ambulances were." Accessible viewing platform 'far away from stage' Of the five stages, only two accessible viewing platforms existed. Simmons said one platform "wasn't too bad" comparatively, but the other which doubled as a 'VIP area' was "very far away", though it did have a wheelchair lift, which was "awesome". "It was so far away that you could barely hear it, and instead, you could just hear everyone talking around you," Simmons explained. "It wasn't like being in the concert. It just felt really different to everyone else's experiences, and the fact that it was a 'VIP area' as well kind of just makes me think it wasn't 'accessibility' to begin with, they just tacked on accessibility who could call that an accessible viewing platform? It was so far away. Simmons claims organisers were unable to provide her with solid information about accessibility protocols in the lead-up to the event. Source: Supplied. "Even with my camera on zoom, I could barely see the big screens. It just wasn't fun." Eventually, Simmons said she decided to venture into the grass, where people were standing, just to try and experience some of the action. When the festival ended, Simmons noticed the exits had changed in contrast to the plan, resulting in chaos and mass confusion. "So instead of being able to go out the way we came through, we actually had to go all the way back through the venue," she said. 'We face these issues every single day' "Multiple groups of staff members had no idea where to go or what to do and that's really not good enough." Simmons said the delay in exiting the grounds resulted in an additional fee from her support worker, who was forced to wait to pick her up. Simmons says disabled people shouldn't be made to feel like a burden at musical festivals. Source: Supplied. "I would just really like to see them prioritise all different kinds of accessibility into actual care. I think that needs to be in the form of a disabled accessibility consultant, maybe a couple with different disabilities so it could be a really cool day. They are trying which is nice. But it's just, you can really tell that nobody involved is disabled, because they would've pointed out all of these things. "These microaggressions happen to us every day, every time we leave the house. I just want to highlight that, we're not being dramatic by asking to have the same access that other people do, especially when these organisations and events are earning money." Yahoo News Australia has contacted Good Things for comment with regards to Simmons's claims. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE:GXO Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,500,000 shares, a drop of 9.7% from the October 31st total of 2,770,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 627,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.0 days. Currently, 2.1% of the companys stock are short sold. Institutional Investors Weigh In On GXO Logistics Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in GXO Logistics by 217.2% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 425 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares in the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new position in shares of GXO Logistics in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of GXO Logistics in the 1st quarter worth approximately $39,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in shares of GXO Logistics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp boosted its holdings in shares of GXO Logistics by 44.9% in the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 881 shares of the companys stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. 90.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get GXO Logistics alerts: GXO Logistics Stock Performance GXO stock traded up $0.74 during trading on Monday, reaching $58.89. 562,684 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 748,706. GXO Logistics has a twelve month low of $40.94 and a twelve month high of $67.57. The company has a market capitalization of $7.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 1.71. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $54.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Analysts Set New Price Targets GXO Logistics ( NYSE:GXO Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 7th. The company reported $0.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $2.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.48 billion. GXO Logistics had a return on equity of 11.76% and a net margin of 2.09%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.75 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that GXO Logistics will post 2.59 earnings per share for the current year. A number of research firms have recently commented on GXO. Credit Suisse Group reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $81.00 price objective on shares of GXO Logistics in a research note on Friday, August 11th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on GXO Logistics from $74.00 to $71.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 9th. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on GXO Logistics from $76.00 to $66.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on GXO Logistics from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on GXO Logistics from $75.00 to $65.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $67.47. View Our Latest Stock Report on GXO Logistics GXO Logistics Company Profile (Get Free Report) GXO Logistics, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides logistics services worldwide. The company provides warehousing and distribution, order fulfilment, e-commerce, reverse logistics, and other supply chain services. As of December 31, 2022, it operated in approximately 979 facilities. The company serves various customers in the e-commerce, omnichannel retail, technology and consumer electronics, food and beverage, industrial and manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, and others. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for GXO Logistics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GXO Logistics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Masonite International Co. (NYSE:DOOR Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 352,300 shares, a growth of 7.1% from the October 31st total of 328,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 153,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.3 days. Approximately 1.6% of the companys stock are sold short. Masonite International Stock Performance Shares of Masonite International stock traded up $1.18 on Monday, hitting $92.80. 118,144 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 134,389. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $94.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.03 billion, a PE ratio of 12.89, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.64. Masonite International has a 1 year low of $71.04 and a 1 year high of $109.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 2.05 and a current ratio of 2.97. Get Masonite International alerts: Masonite International (NYSE:DOOR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 7th. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.12 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $702.25 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $711.21 million. Masonite International had a return on equity of 22.14% and a net margin of 5.60%. The companys revenue was down 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.53 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Masonite International will post 7.55 EPS for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on DOOR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Masonite International from $122.00 to $105.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Masonite International from $106.00 to $87.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 9th. Benchmark cut their target price on shares of Masonite International from $133.00 to $115.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 10th. Wedbush reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of Masonite International in a research report on Tuesday, September 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Masonite International from $123.00 to $116.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masonite International presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $108.50. Get Our Latest Report on DOOR Insider Activity In other news, Director Jay Ira Steinfeld purchased 600 shares of Masonite International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $81.97 per share, with a total value of $49,182.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,217 shares of the companys stock, valued at $509,607.49. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.21% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC lifted its stake in shares of Masonite International by 161.3% during the 1st quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 571,050 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,834,000 after buying an additional 352,497 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Masonite International during the 4th quarter valued at $18,809,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Masonite International by 21.6% during the 1st quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,094,773 shares of the companys stock valued at $99,373,000 after buying an additional 194,110 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new position in shares of Masonite International during the 3rd quarter valued at $13,283,000. Finally, Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Masonite International by 23.1% during the 1st quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 607,079 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,994,000 after buying an additional 113,896 shares in the last quarter. Masonite International Company Profile (Get Free Report) Masonite International Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes interior and exterior doors for the new construction and repair, renovation, and remodeling sectors of the residential and non-residential building construction markets worldwide. It offers molded panel, flush, stile and rail, steel, and fiberglass residential doors, as well as medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and architectural interior doors. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Masonite International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Masonite International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Angola, IN (46703) Today Overcast. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies. Low 26F. SW winds shifting to ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Mainly cloudy. Low 26F. SSW winds shifting to ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Cloudy skies. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. Low 27F. N winds shifting to E at 10 to 15 mph. The nominees for the upcoming 38th Golden Disc Awards have been announced. Read more to learn which artists received nominations! EXO, TWICE, More Nominated for 38th Golden Disc Awards On December 4, the organizers for the 38th Golden Disc Awards opened its official website, where nominees were displayed. According to the committee's post, various artists were included in several categories such as the Digital Song Division, Album Division Bonsang, and Rookie Artist of the Year. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: 38th Golden Disc Awards Announces Event Details + Official Statement Nominees from the Rookie Artist of the Year award were determined from digital scores and album sales performance. See the full list of nominees below: Digital Song Division Bonsang "Queencard" by (G)I-DLE "Spicy" by aespa "Love Lee" by AKMU "Heart" by DK (December) "Cupid" by FIFTY FIFTY "Rose Blossom" by H1-KEY "I AM" by IVE "UNFORGIVEN" by LE SSERAFIM "Candy" by NCT DREAM "Ditto" by NewJeans "Teddy Bear" by STAYC "Let's say goodbye" by Parc Jae Jung "Fighting" by SEVENTEEN BSS (feat. Lee Young Ji) "Super" by SEVENTEEN "Like Crazy" by BTS Jimin "FLOWER" by BLACKPINK Jisoo "VIBE" by BIGBANG Taeyang (feat. BTS Jimin) Album Division Bonsang "Exist" by EXO "READY TO BE" by TWICE "I feel" by (G)I-DLE "MY WORLD" by aespa "D-DAY" by BTS Suga / Agust D "THE WORLD EP. 2: OUTLAW" "DARK BLOOD" by ENHYPEN "Kill My Doubt" by ITZY "I've Mine" by IVE "UNFORGIVEN" by LE SSERAFIM "Golden Age" by NCT "Fact Check" by NCT 127 "ISTJ" by NCT DREAM "expergo" by NMIXX " (5-STAR)" by Stray Kids "REBOOT" by TREASURE "Youth in the Shade" by ZEROBASEONE "FML" by SEVENTEEN "GOLDEN" by BTS Jungkook "The Name Chapter: FREEFALL" by TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) Rookie Artist of the Year FIFTY FIFTY RIIZE ZEROBASEONE LUNE8 PLAVE BOYNEXTDOOR Hwang Yeong Woong EVNNE Xikers n.SSign The details for the 38th Golden Disc Awards was first announced on October 31, when JTBC shared that the year-end ceremony will be held on January 6, 2024, at the Jakarta International Stadium, in Indonesia. The committee also expressed anticipation on the awards show by elaborating on K-pop's impact and its continuous influence across the international music market. "Many Asian music fans have demanded to meet their favorite K-pop artists, since K-pop's impact across the globe is gradually increasing." "To keep up with this momentum, we decided to hold the show in Jakarta to allow more fans around the world to interact through K-pop." YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Jeon Somi's Performance at the 36th Golden Disc Awards Sparks Comparison to BLACKPINK - Here's Why The Jakarta International Stadium also has an 80,000-seating capacity. The 38th Golden Disc Awards will mark the show's fifth time to hold the event abroad. Previously, the 37th was held in Thailand, the 29th in China, 27th in Malaysia, and 26th in Japan. Which artists and songs in the nominee list are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below! Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 37th Golden Disc Awards Winners Announced: BTS, TREASURE, More! KpopStarz owns this article Written by Riely Miller EXO Lay's "innocence" made fans laugh, as he often does! In a free fan meeting and music listening party held in Manila, EXO Lay asked his Filipino Eris and Xbacks if they will do THIS as response to their chant. What was the idol's response? EXO Lay Sends PHIXOs & Xbacks Into Fits of Laughter After Misinterpreting Chant On December 4, EXO Lay finally returned to the Philippines, meeting his Filo supporters once again. In collaboration with Warner Music PH, the K-pop idol-turned-soloist held a free fan meeting and music listening party in Manila, with selected Filo Xbacks and PHIXOs. ALSO READ: EXO Lay To Hold A Fan Meeting FOR FREE? Eris, Xingmis Buzz About Idol's Upcoming Party The huge crowd of fans enjoyed their time watching Lay's exclusive performances, and were also able to listen to his new songs, "Psychic" and "Step," for the first time. Although the songs were originally set to be unveiled in the first half of 2024, FIlo Eris and Xbacks were allowed to hear and enjoy them with the artist himself! During the event, Lay and his supporters also had a good time playing and talking about various topics that they didn't even notice time flew really fast. As an attempt to extend their moments together, Filipino fans cheered and shouted, "Walang uuwi! Walang uuwi!" (Nobody is going home), repeatedly until it caught Lay's attention. Looking confused, Lay's interpreter explained that no one would go home unless the fans took photos with him. Basically, this phrase is often used by Filipinos to express their desire to be with a person and have fun with them longer. But the turn of events went hilariously wrong when Lay tried to interpret them LITERALLY, then asking: "We will sleep together?" Welcome back to Manila concert scene, Lay Zhang! Exclusive event attended by media and lucky fans, this is part of his Asia fan meeting & music listening party. Special thanks to @WarnerMusicPH #LayZhangManilaFanmeet Aram Lascano pic.twitter.com/k8WfQsmjBd Manila Concert Scene (@manilaconcerts) December 4, 2023 Perplexed with the fans' hysterical shouting, Lay looked at the interpreter and innocently explained: "You said we will not go home?" Apparently, he meant SLEEPOVER! But Lay, being the innocent he is, expressed concern to fans and added: "If you sleep here, the floor is not comfortable." Upon watching this, fans couldn't help but adore Lay even more due to his genuine reaction, leaving comments such as: "The usual Lay." "He's still the Lay we know even after many years." "It looks like he's willing to have a sleepover with Xingmis." "Our innocent Yixing." "Oh, he meant sleepover. My brain." "He meant overnight haha." EXO Lay Says 'Yes' to 'Grandline' in the Philippines As the event went on, fans who were able to attend then settled with seeing him again, but this time, Filo Eris and Xbacks wanted it to be through his solo tour, "Grandline," to meet more fans. Hearing this, Lay nodded in approval. "Oh, got it. Our team, did you guys hear about it? We have to bring my whole team to come to the Philippines." Maybe in 2024, Ill make you guys watch Grandline 3 or maybe 4? Grandline in Manila secured siguro #LayZhangManilaFanmeet @layzhang pic.twitter.com/z40WGPMEx1 eka saw yixing!!!! (@jaexingpil) December 4, 2023 Lay then apologized to Filipino fans for being not able to come to the Philippines in the past but he attested to them that he would try his best. "Maybe in 2024, I'll make you guys watch Grandline 3, or maybe 4." READ MORE: 'Lay Wants to Be Called Former EXO': Did Idol Hint at His Withdrawal From Group? For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson. BIGHIT MUSIC has released an official statement revealing more details on RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook's upcoming military enlistment. Read more to know further details. BIGHIT MUSIC Releases Statement on BTS Members' Military Service, Encourages Privacy on Enlistment Day On December 5, BIGHIT MUSIC posted a notice on Weverse regarding the enlistment details of RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. According to the post, the agency expressed its gratitude to everyone who supports BTS and updated fans about the status of the four members' enlistment plans. BIGHIT MUSIC then shared that no official events will be held on the day of their enlistment. It furthered that the entrance ceremony would only be supervised by military personnel and the idols' families. The agency also advised fans to avoid visitation to prevent overcrowding. Furthermore, BIGHIT MUSIC warned fans of purchasing unauthorized content using BTS's IP address. Read the full statement here: "Hello. This is BIGHIT MUSIC. We would like to thank everyone for their continued love and support for BTS. We would like to inform you more of the updates regarding the military enlistment of RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. The four BTS members will complete their military service and fulfill their required time in the army. RM and V will both be enlisting in accordance with their respective procedures. Meanwhile, Jimin and Jungkook are to enlist in the military together. Please take note that no official event will be held on the day of their entry. The entrance ceremony is an event to be observed only by military personnel and our artists' families. We request fans to refrain from visiting the site to prevent crowding issues. We kindly encourage you to send your warm regards in your hearts. We are also advising everyone not to be influenced by the purchase of unauthorized tours or product packages that illegally uses the artist's IP. We will take necessary measures against any attempts of commercial activity regarding such usage of IP. Furthermore, we are once again asking for your unconditional love and support for RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook until they return after completing their military service. We will do our best to provide the support they need at this time. Thank you." ARMYs expressed their shock at the fact that all four members would simultaneously enlist in the military. Read their reactions below: what happened to it takes two months for the application to process https://t.co/LXO3gjs8ZB pic.twitter.com/BrrURz0Aw8 xannie (@vopelvr) December 5, 2023 YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: BTS RM, Jimin, V, Jungkook Confirmed Starting Military Enlistment Process Earlier on November 22, BIGHIT MUSIC announced that the four members are now preparing for their enlistment. The agency remarked: "BTS members RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook have now started the process for their military service. We will inform you of more updates soon." Wishing RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook the best of luck in their military service! For more intriguing K-pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BTS Military Enlistment: Are Jin, Jimin, Jungkook, J-Hope, V, RM and Suga Exempted from the Mandatory Service? KpopStarz owns this article Written by Riely Miller Avantax Wealth Management's National Conference brought together more than 1,100 financial professionals, educational partners and more in Chicago Nov. 6-8. In a news release, Cuddy Financial Services said attendees collaborate as one Avantax community to deliver tax-intelligent financial planning to clients across America. The theme of the conference was "Profound Approach. Enduring Impact." This years Avantax National Conference was special for many reasons it marked our 40th business anniversary, we had the highest-ever attendance, and it was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with our financial professionals and reconfirm our commitment to how we serve them day in and day out, helping to ensure were a key part of their lives, Avantax Wealth Management President Todd Mackay said in the news release. These firms have an enduring impact on their clients and their communities because of their profound, tax-intelligent approach to financial planning." Speech at COP28 Ministerial Renewables & Energy Efficiency Your Excellencies, dear colleagues, and friends, Three days ago, at the World Climate Action Summit, our leaders set a clear goal for our energy transition. Over 100 countries committed to triple the world's renewable energy capacity and double global energy efficiency improvements by 2030 7 years from now. This is a huge challenge. But it is required to bring the world back on track to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And it is achievable if we all work together. I would like to thank the IEA and the UAE COP28 Presidency for co-leading this initiative with the European Union and for organising this timely conversation. We now need to transform our goal our pledge into reality. Think about all the benefits jobs, development, affordable energy, energy security. It is doable. In the EU, as in many other parts of the world, we have seen first-hand in recent years what can be achieved with a radical change of energy paradigm. In the wake of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Europe completely re-organised its energy system in a matter of months. Not decades, not years but months. Most importantly, we decided once and for all that our energy future would be free of fossils. In record time, we made more efficiency gains and installed more renewables than ever: over 40% in a year. In short, we made the energy transition our number one priority, and Europeans got fully behind this objective. This urgency was brought on by the global energy crisis. But we should all feel the same urgency in the fight against climate change. It is a threat to humanity's future. We need to act urgently and continue to accelerate the energy transition at full speed. The pledge is a first step, but it requires implementation. This is why it is so important that today we have brought together governments, financing institutions and industry. Here, I believe that we have to work on multiple actions at the same time: We need regulatory adjustments to propel the renewable revolution. We need to make energy efficiency part of any investment decision. We need to attract investments and bring manufacturing to scale everywhere in the world. We need to empower people and communities to ensure a just transition. And we need strengthened international cooperation. We are gathered here today to find concrete solutions to meet these objectives. Now more than ever, we must walk the talk to accelerate the global energy transition and build a greener, fairer, more sustainable tomorrow. Zarazeno ut 05.12.2023 11:12:00 Zdroj Evropska komise en Original ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/documents?reference=SPEECH/23/6365&language=en lang en guid /SPEECH/23/6365/ David Wilcox Executive editor Follow David Wilcox 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 New York state has won what it called an important victory against a shuttered chain of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries in central New York that included two locations in the Auburn area. In a news release Monday, the state Office of Cannabis Management said Wayne County Supreme Court has issued a permanent injunction and one-year permanent closing order against I'm Stuck. The chain, operated by David Tulley, included a location at 9 E. Genesee St. in Auburn, the Weed Warehouse at 2020 Crane Brook Drive in Aurelius and six others in Wayne, Monroe and Oswego counties. The court order, issued Nov. 21, marks the first petition for emergency relief the state has won under the new Section 16-a of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which strengthens enforcement powers against "gray market" businesses like I'm Stuck. By issuing the order, the state said, the court rejected Tulley's argument that his business model of gifting cannabis as part of a paid consultation did not require a license. The order therefore establishes "an important precedent allowing the state to seek longer-term closures for businesses found to be illegally selling cannabis," the state said. The new section of the state's cannabis law also raised fines for unlicensed dispensary sales. Rates are $10,000 a day, or $20,000 a day if an order to cease has been received from the state. Owners of properties where sales take place face a fine of $10,000 a day as well. In its news release, the Office of Cannabis Management said a fine total for I'm Stuck will be finalized "in the coming weeks." New York City cannabis attorney Joseph A. Bondy, who represents Tulley, told The Citizen in a statement on Monday that he is planning to appeal the court order. The court made clear that it would not rule a new statute unconstitutional, and that Im Stuck could take it up on appeal. Therefore it will, and I believe the law and facts are in its favor," Bondy said. "OCM has thus won no more than additional taxpayer-funded litigation and an impending appellate precedent notwithstanding its perfect history to date of ducking appeals on the merits. Attorney for Auburn dispensary owner talks legal strategy The attorney for the owner of the unlicensed cannabis dispensaries in the Auburn area that were shut down by authorities this summer shared hi New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party MPs staged a protest against the alleged misuse of Central agencies and demanded the release of former minister Manish Sisodia and MP Sanjay Singh. Party MP Raghav Chadha, Sushil Kumar Gupta, and Sandeep Pathak staged a protest on the premises of the Parliament with the banner in hands demanding the release of Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh. Also Read | Karnataka Lokayukta Raids Over 63 Locations Across State; Property, Valuables Worth Crores Seized. Notably, Rajya Sabha on Monday decided to discontinue the suspension of Raghav Chadha holding him "guilty of breach of privilege" but noting that the suspension suffered by him so far be taken as sufficient punishment. The motion for discontinuing the suspension of Raghav Chadha, on the first day of the winter session of Parliament, was moved by BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to do so. Also Read | Munich Airport Closes Again Due to Snow, Sleet. Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11, during the Monsoon session. Meanwhile, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia remains in Judicial custody in connection with the alleged excise policy scam after the Rouse Avenue court had extended the custody till December 11. Hearing the matter at length the court noted that several documents are yet to be filed by the Enforcement Directorate for the accused persons. Another AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also continues to remain in judicial custody in a money laundering case related to the excise policy case after the Rouse Avenue Court on Monday extended the custody till December 11, 2023. The court also ordered to supply an advance copy of the supplementary chargesheet to Sanjay Singh's lawyer and noted that the bail arguments are to be held on December 6, 2023. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a supplementary prosecution complaint (charge sheet) on November 2 against Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and his alleged associate Sarvesh Mishra in a money laundering case related to the excise policy case In Parliament, the Central government is set to move the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha later on Tuesday for consideration and passage. Both the Bills, as per the list of business in the Lower House, are to be moved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for consideration. According to the list of business, Shah is to move the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha further to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 26, 2023. It amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act of 2004. The Act provides for reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward classes. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Just before her trial was set to begin, a Syracuse woman has pleaded guilty to robbing the Kohl's department store in Aurelius. Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci said in a news release Monday that Kahlila Bender-Baker, 36, pleaded guilty to the entire indictment charging her with second-degree robbery, a violent felony, and third-degree grand larceny. Bender-Baker was scheduled for a jury trial beginning Monday morning on charges that she, along with three others, all from Onondaga County, entered the Kohl's store on June 11 and stole more than $3,000 worth of merchandise. Bender-Baker also threatened an employee with a taser while leaving the store through the back emergency exit. She was taken into custody by members of the Auburn Police Department and the New York State Police in the area of Dill Street. Bender-Baker faces an aggregate maximum prison sentence of 3.5 to 15 years, followed by five years of post-release supervision. She is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Thomas G. Leone on March 21. The Cayuga County District Attorneys Office has made it a priority to prosecute repeat offenders who target retail stores in our county," Grome Antonacci said. "To combat the ever-rising retail theft across the state, our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue our commitment to holding these individuals accountable for their actions and seeking swift prosecution of these offenders. Patna, December 5 (PTI) ) The Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday approved the Bihar Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy-2023 with the aim to achieve 15 per cent EVs in all vehicle registrations in the state by 2028, a senior government official said. The decision to this effect was taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here. Also Read | Munich Airport Resumes Operations After Sleet Halted Flights. "The main objective of the scheme is to encourage faster adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles by the people by offering incentives on purchase of electric vehicles and also by establishing a necessary charging infrastructure. The scheme will help in addressing the issue of environmental pollution and fuel security", S Siddharth, the additional chief secretary (cabinet secretariat), told reporters after the cabinet meeting. "The Bihar Electric Vehicle Policy-2023, which is designed to steer the state towards a sustainable transport paradigm, outlines ambitious goals for the next five years culminating in 2028". Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir Road Accident: Seven Tourists From Kerala Killed in Zojila Pass Accident after Vehicle Plunges into deep gorge (Watch Video). To incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles the EV policy introduces various measures, including subsidies on Motor Vehicle (MV) Tax of up to 75 per cent and purchase incentives of up to Rs 1.25 lakh for the first 1,000 personal four-wheeler EVs. "There are similar benefits for the first 10,000 personal two-wheeler EVs with subsidies on motor vehicles tax of up to 75 per cent and purchase incentives up to Rs 10,000," he said. The policy seeks to enhance environmental quality by mitigating air pollution while fostering startups and investments in the electric mobility sector and its associated support industries, he added. The policy also promotes the use of renewable energy for EV charging stations, with approved tariff rates for high tension EV charging stations set at Rs 8/KvA for the fiscal year 2023-24. Further, provisions for incentives for scrapping EVs and their components are outlined in the policy, Siddharth said." The state cabinet also approved a proposal of the transport department to acquire 400 electric buses under the "PM-e Bus Sewa" programme for six districts in Bihar. "These buses, slated to operate in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and Purnea aim to diminish reliance on conventional petrol and diesel-powered public transport," he said. The cabinet also approved the revised budget estimates of Rs 95 crore for the construction of two auditoria with a seating capacity of 2000 each in West and East Champaran districts. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dr Anjali Chaudhary, who received the appointment letter for the post of Assistant Professor in Sultanpur, thanked Prime Minister Modi and CM Yogi for the fair selection. Anjali said that recruitment based on a fair process boosts "our confidence and inspires us to do something new every day."Mohd. Faizan Ansari, who has been appointed as an Assistant Professor in Kanpur Dehat, said that he was enthusiasticntment Letters to 278 Assistant Professors, 2,142 Staff Nurses (Watch Video) One of the new recruits, Dr Ved Prakash Upadhyay, stated that the distribution of appointment letters at Lok Bhawan rather than the college itself gives him a sense of pride. He said that the address of CM Yogi inspires him to work with dedication and also pay attention to both the treatment of patients and education of children. Sarojini Devi, a resident of Barabanki, has been selected for the position of staff nurse in Pratapgarh. Sarojini says that complete transparency is being maintained in appointments in all government departments. The newly appointed youths are expressing their gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth for fulfilling their wish for a prosperous future. The youth believe that transparency has played a crucial role in their obtaining employment and has given them an acute sense of responsibility towards the work as well. Earlier on Sunday, CM Yogi distributed appointment letters to 242 Assistant Boring Technicians at Lok Bhavan. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath Flags Off 50 Buses and 38 Interceptor Vehicles in Lucknow (Watch Video) Lucknow , December 5: In a major accomplishment for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the increased transparency in recruitments brought about in the state in recent years with the CM's initiatives is not only ensuring the provision of employment to the maximum number of youths but also the appointment of the most deserving, meritorious and eligible ones to vacant positions across sectors. In this sequence, the state government held an appointment letter distribution ceremony for the second time in three days on Tuesday for the healthcare staff. The Chief Minister distributed appointment letters to a total of 278 assistant professors, 2142 staff nurses, and 48 Ayush Medical Teachers through public representatives in Lok Bhavan and other districts. Lucknow , December 5: In a major accomplishment for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the increased transparency in recruitments brought about in the state in recent years with the CM's initiatives is not only ensuring the provision of employment to the maximum number of youths but also the appointment of the most deserving, meritorious and eligible ones to vacant positions across sectors. In this sequence, the state government held an appointment letter distribution ceremony for the second time in three days on Tuesday for the healthcare staff. The Chief Minister distributed appointment letters to a total of 278 assistant professors, 2142 staff nurses, and 48 Ayush Medical Teachers through public representatives in Lok Bhavan and other districts. The newly appointed youths are expressing their gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth for fulfilling their wish for a prosperous future. The youth believe that transparency has played a crucial role in their obtaining employment and has given them an acute sense of responsibility towards the work as well. Earlier on Sunday, CM Yogi distributed appointment letters to 242 Assistant Boring Technicians at Lok Bhavan. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath Flags Off 50 Buses and 38 Interceptor Vehicles in Lucknow (Watch Video) One of the new recruits, Dr Ved Prakash Upadhyay, stated that the distribution of appointment letters at Lok Bhawan rather than the college itself gives him a sense of pride. He said that the address of CM Yogi inspires him to work with dedication and also pay attention to both the treatment of patients and education of children. Sarojini Devi, a resident of Barabanki, has been selected for the position of staff nurse in Pratapgarh. Sarojini says that complete transparency is being maintained in appointments in all government departments. Dr Anjali Chaudhary, who received the appointment letter for the post of Assistant Professor in Sultanpur, thanked Prime Minister Modi and CM Yogi for the fair selection. Anjali said that recruitment based on a fair process boosts "our confidence and inspires us to do something new every day."Mohd. Faizan Ansari, who has been appointed as an Assistant Professor in Kanpur Dehat, said that he was enthusiastic about the impartiality of the appointment process and expressed gratitude towards the Yogi government for it. Faizan stated that the honest appointment process "has increased our responsibility as well. We have to work hard to deliver good results." Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath Asks Startups Not To Compromise on Quality; Assures Priority in Government Purchases CM Yogi Offers Appointment Letters , - (A.L.S.) ... https://t.co/4ZICViO95Q Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) December 5, 2023 Yet another candidate Shweta Singh, a resident of Deoria, who has been selected for Basti, said that the appointment has taken place in a completely fair and transparent manner. "In Uttar Pradesh, eligibility is the only criterion for selection. We obtained employment only by meeting this criterion. For this, we thank the Yogi government", she added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 5: Cyclone Michaung, which lay centred over the west coast of the Bay of Bengal, off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts, on Monday, is likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Tuesday morning in the form of a severe cyclonic storm, the weather department informed. "The Severe Cyclonic Storm "MICHAUNG" over Westcentral and adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts moved N-NW with a speed of 12 kmph during the past 6 hours and lay centred at 8:30 am on December 4 over WC Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts, about 50 km southeast of Nellore, 130 km north of Chennai, 180 km south of Bapatla and 200 km south-southwest of Machilipatnam," read a post on the official X handle of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday. Cyclone Michaung Intensifies in Tamil Nadu: Five Killed As Heavy Rain Pounds Chennai, Flights Halted; Amit Shah Assures Help (Watch Videos). Cyclone Michaung to Cross South Andhra Pradesh Coast Today India Meteorological Department tweets, "Severe Cyclonic Storm MICHAUNG over Westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamilnadu coasts moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 07 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centered at 0230 hours IST of 5 pic.twitter.com/LhezdiV180 ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 "It is likely to move nearly northwards parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla, during the forenoon of December 5 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph," the IMD stated further in its post. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Monday, made enquiries on the damage wrought by the heavy showers amid the approaching cyclone while also taking stock of the ongoing relief and rescue operations and the state's preparedness to deal with the immediate aftermath of the storm. The CM also enquired about the food and other facilities provided to civilians sheltered in relief camps during a phone call to state ministers Sekar Babu, KN Nehru, and EV Velu and DMK MLAs Dr Ezhilan, Karunanidhi, E Parandaman and S Arvind Ramesh. The progress of the cyclone is being tracked closely and its potential impact assessed, police said on Monday, adding that the approaching storm has already claimed five lives and injured one in separate incidents across Chennai. Several trees lay uprooted as strong winds swept the state and the daily lives of locals were impacted as they had to grapple with extensive waterlogging and allied woes in the southern state. Earlier in the day, officials announced that the Chennai airfield would remain closed until 9 am on Tuesday due to the approaching cyclonic storm. "Airfield closed for arrival and departure operations till 0900 hrs IST tomorrow due to adverse weather conditions," the Chennai airport authority informed through a post on X. Subways have been closed due to severe waterlogging in Chennai, the police informed further, adding that traffic movement was also suspended from Manjambakkam to Vadaperumbakkam Road because of the release of water from Puzhal Lake. Cyclone Michaung Update: Cyclonic Storm Likely to Make Landfall Between Nellore, Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. "DDRT Teams are available in all vulnerable areas and they are working in coordination with the GCC and Highways Department," the police informed further on X. The IMD, earlier, warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday in north-coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Light to moderate rainfall at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, with extremely heavy falls at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, is expected on December 4 and 5, the agency informed earlier. Public life was severely affected in Chennai as heavy rains lashed several parts of the city. Several areas, including Wallajah Road, Mount Road, Anna Salai, Chepauk, outside Omandurar government multispecialty hospital and other low-lying areas, were inundated due to persistent heavy rainfall. Chennai's popular Marina Beach was flooded in the wake of the downpours while roads linking Mount Road to Marina Beach were blocked due to severe waterlogging. The state government advised people to take precautionary measures as the IMD issued a red alert for the state, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chennai and neighbouring areas. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and took stock of the preparations to tackle Cyclone Michaung, officials said, adding that the former assured all help to the latter in dealing with the aftermath of the cyclone. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ganderbal (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 5 (ANI): Four persons were killed and two others sustained injuries after their vehicle met with an accident on Zojila Pass in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Tuesday. The accident happened when the vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge on the Zojila Pass. Also Read | Who Is Gangster Rohit Godara, Who Claimed Responsibility for Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena President Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi's Murder?. Locals along with Sonamarg police carried out the rescue operation. Further details are awaited. (ANI) Also Read | India Is Global Frontrunner in Field of Generic Medicines, Says Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya While Addressing to India-Kenya Trade and Investment Forum. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Sindhudurg (Maharashtra) [India], December 5 (ANI): In a spectacular display of its prowess, the special forces of the Indian Navy displayed their capabilities as they carried out an operational demonstration and showcased the Navy's state-of-the-art vessels and aircraft to the general public at the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg on Monday. The Indian Navy's Special Forces showcased a drill for destroying an enemy oil rig on the high seas at the operational demonstration on Navy Day, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance as the chief guest. Also Read | Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer Drops with 2025 Release Date. The Marine Commandos of the Indian Navy also showcased an extraction operation at the operational demo in a Sea King helicopter at the event. The centrepieces of the event included warships, including aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, along with many other naval assets. Also Read | Munich Airport to Close Tuesday Due to Snow, Sleet. Addressing the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "With the emotion of feeling pride in our heritage, I am proud to announce that the ranks in the Indian Navy would be renamed as per the Indian culture. We are also working on increasing women's power in our defence forces. I want to congratulate the Navy for appointing the country's first woman commanding officer on a naval ship." Prime Minister added that the Sindhudurg Fort, situated in Maharashtra, instills a feeling of pride in every citizen of India "It is indeed a moment of unprecedented pride to celebrate Navy Day from the victorious land of Sindhudurg. The Sindhudurg Fort instills a feeling of pride in every citizen of India," he said. This is that period of Indian history that will write the future of the country not just for 5-10 years but for the coming centuries, PM Modi stated further while attending the Navy Day celebrations. Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said the Navy was working hard to make India a developed nation until 2047. "We are moving forward. December 4, 1971, gives us inspiration when our missile boats destroyed the Karachi harbour in an operation. The Navy is committed to national security and fulfilling the expectations of the nation," the Navy chief said. Indian Navy Day, celebrated on December 4 each year, recognises the role and achievements of the Indian Navy. The date holds historical significance as it commemorates 'Operation Trident' during the 1971 Indo-Pak War. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Palghar, Dec 5 (PTI) A 22-year-old man has been arrested from Bhayandar in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) for allegedly raping a minor girl whom he had befriended on social media and making her pictures viral, police said on Tuesday. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal said the accused, identified as Vishwanath Bhagat, and the girl became friends after coming in contact with each other on social media between June 2022 and November 2023. Also Read | BJP Only Wins in 'Gau Mutra' States: DMK MP DNV Senthil Kumar's Remarks Trigger Row; Congress, BJP Condemn. As per the complaint lodged with the police in November, Bhagat allegedly raped the girl and made her photographs viral when she broke up with him, police said. A case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology Act. Also Read | Who Is Gangster Rohit Godara, Who Claimed Responsibility for Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena President Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi's Murder?. Bhagat has been on the run for the last one month after he came to know that an FIR was registered against him and kept changing his locations. The investigation was taken over by the central crime unit of Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police which tracked down Bhagat's location in Uttan town in Thane district and arrested him on December 1. Further investigation is underway. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 5 (ANI): In a major accomplishment for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the increased transparency in recruitments brought about in the state in recent years with the CM's initiatives, is not only ensuring the provision of employment to maximum number of youths, but also the appointment of the most deserving, meritorious and the eligible ones to vacant positions across sectors. In this sequence, the state government held an appointment letter distribution ceremony for the second time in three days on Tuesday for the healthcare staff. The Chief Minister distributed appointment letters to a total of 278 assistant professors, 2142 staff nurses, and 48 Ayush Medical Teachers through public representatives in Lok Bhavan and other districts, read a statement from the chief minister's office. Also Read | JP Nadda Meets PM Narendra Modi, Discusses CM Probables for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Expressing their gratitude, newly appointed individuals attribute their success to the transparent recruitment process implemented by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The youth believe that transparency has played a crucial role in their obtaining employment and has given them an acute sense of responsibility towards the work as well. Earlier on Sunday, CM Yogi had distributed appointment letters to 242 Assistant Boring Technicians at Lok Bhavan. Also Read | Wikipedia Wrapped: Here Are 2023's Most-Viewed Articles on the Internet's Encyclopedia. One of the new recruits Dr Ved Prakash Upadhyay expressed pride in receiving his appointment letter at Lok Bhavan, stating that CM Yogi's address inspires him to work with dedication and also pay attention to both the treatments of patients and the education of children. Sarojini Devi, a newly appointed Staff Nurse from Barabanki, commended the complete transparency maintained in government department appointments across the state. Dr Anjali Chaudhary, who received the appointment letter for the post of Assistant Professor in Sultanpur, thanked Prime Minister Modi and CM Yogi for the fair selection. She said that recruitment based on a fair process boosts "our confidence and inspires us to do something new every day." Mohd. Faizan Ansari, who has been appointed as an Assistant Professor in Kanpur Dehat, praised the impartiality of the appointment process and expressed gratitude towards the Yogi government. He said, "The honest appointment process has increased our responsibility as well. We have to work hard to deliver good results." Yet another candidate Shweta Singh, a resident of Deoria, who has been selected for Basti, said that the appointment has taken place in a completely fair and transparent manner. "In Uttar Pradesh, eligibility is the only criterion for selection. We obtained employment only by meeting this criterion. For this, we thank the Yogi government", she added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 5 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the number one state in the country in terms of convictions in crimes against women with a conviction rate of 180 per cent as compared to the national average. The latest National Crime Records Bureau data for the year 2022 has revealed that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's zero-tolerance policy against crime and criminals in the state has led to a significant drop in the overall crime rate in the state. Also Read | BJP Only Wins in 'Gau Mutra' States: DMK MP DNV Senthil Kumar's Remarks Trigger Row; Congress, BJP Condemn. According to the NCRB data, against more than 35 lakh cases registered in the country only 4,01,787 cases were registered in UP. Besides, the crime rate of UP is 171.6 per cent as compared to 258.1 per cent of the entire country. In terms of the ratio of cases registered, UP stands at 11.28 per cent and ranks 20th in the country compared to other states and union territories of the country. This is when Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the entire country constituting 16.89 per cent of the population. Also Read | Who Is Gangster Rohit Godara, Who Claimed Responsibility for Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena President Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi's Murder?. According to NCRB data, with 28,522 murder cases registered in the country, the rate of murder (defined as the number of crimes relative to the number of crimes per one lakh population) was 2.1 per cent whereas, with 3,491 murder cases, Uttar Pradesh's rate of murder is 1.5 per cent. UP ranks 28th in terms of murder much less than in Jharkhand which has recorded 4 percent. Compared to Uttar Pradesh, the crime rate of Arunachal Pradesh is 3.6 per cent and that of Chhattisgarh and Haryana is 3.4 per cent. Similarly, 57,256 cases of attempt to murder were registered in the country with a rate of 4.1 per cent whereas in UP 3,788 cases of the same were registered at a rate of 1.6 per cent. Uttar Pradesh ranks 25th in the country in an attempt to murder cases. Furthermore, 83,344 cases of outraging modesty were registered in the country with a crime rate of 12.4 per cent while 10,548 cases of the same were registered in UP. UP ranks 17th in crime in the country with a crime rate of 9.4 per cent. Compared to UP, the rate of outraging modesty is 32 per cent in Orissa, 26.6 per cent in Kerala and 24.9 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir. Altogether 615 cases of kidnapping for ransom were registered in the country while only 30 cases were registered in Uttar Pradesh. UP is in 30th position in terms of kidnapping for ransom cases. A total of 31,516 cases of rape were registered in the country with a rate of 4.7 per cent whereas 3,690 cases of rape were registered in UP, with a crime rate of 3.3 per cent. UP ranks 24th in the country in rape cases whereas, in Uttarakhand, the rate of rape is 15.4 per cent, in Chandigarh it is 13.9 per cent and in Rajasthan, it is 13.9 per cent. Similarly, 57,082 cases of rebellion were registered in the country at a rate of 4.1 per cent while in UP 4,745 cases of rebellion were registered at a rate of 2 per cent. UP ranks 24th in the country in crime. As many as 1,07,222 cases of embezzlement have been registered in the country with a rate of 7.8 per cent while in UP. 6,906 cases of the same were registered with a crime rate of 3 percent. With this, UP ranks 31st in the country in terms of embezzlement. At the same time, 28,356 cases of robbery were registered in the country at a rate of 2.1 per cent whereas 1,975 cases were registered in UP at a rate of 0.8 per cent. UP ranks 27th in the country in crime. UP's rate of robbery is lower than Delhi's at 8.6 per cent. Besides, 2,666 cases of dacoity were registered in the country with a rate of 0.2 per cent against which 80 cases were registered in UP. UP ranks 31st with a crime rate of zero. Compared to UP, the crime rate of dacoity in Orissa is 0.9 per cent, in Meghalaya it is 0.5 per cent and in Chandigarh, it is 0.4 per cent. Furthermore, 63,414 cases have been registered under the POCSO Act in the country with a crime rate of 14.3 per cent whereas 8,136 cases have been registered under the Act in UP with a rate of 9.5 per cent. UP ranks 25th in the country in crime, the crime rate of Andaman and Nicobar has recorded a crime rate of 97.1 per cent under the Act, Lakshadweep 55.3 per cent and Sikkim 50 per cent. In UP, in the year 2022, 70.8 per cent punishment was given for crimes related to women. While on the one hand, there has been a decline in serious criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, the conviction rate in crimes related to women in the state has been recorded at more than 180 per cent of the national average. According to NCRB data, the country's national average conviction rate for crimes related to women is 25.3 per cent. According to the report of the year 2022, 70.8 per cent of punishment has been given in crimes related to women in Uttar Pradesh whereas in Mizoram, 68 per cent, 60.9 per cent in Bihar, 59.5 per cent in Chhattisgarh and 56.4 per cent in Manipur have been given punishment in crimes related to women. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Aizawl (Mizoram) [India], December 5 (ANI): After the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) registered a landslide victory in the Mizoram assembly elections, the newly elected MLAs of the party, party leaders and workers participated in a worship service at the party office in Aizawl on Tuesday. ZPM newly elected MLA, Baryl Vanneihsangi, who was also present at the venue for the worship service, while speaking to ANI, credited all the women of the community for her victory. Also Read | Parliament Winter Session 2023: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Slams Opposition on NPAs Issue, Says 'India's Economy World's Fastest Growing'. "I dedicate this win to every woman in our society and community," she said. Later in the day, a meeting of the newly elected MLAs of the ZPM will be held at the residence of ZPM's Chief Ministerial candidate, Lalduhoma, at 8 p.m. Also Read | Karnataka Godown Collapse: Seven Labourers From Bihar Die As Machine With 100 Tonnes of Corn Collapses in Aliyabad Industrial Area. Defying some of the pollsters who had predicted a hung house in Mizoram, the ZPM won 27 of the 40 assembly constituencies in the state. The MNF, which had been eyeing a fresh term at the hostings under the leadership of Zoramthanga, could only bag 10 seats this time while the BJP and the Congress brought up the rear, winning 2 and 1 seats respectively. Lalduhoma, who won the Serchhip seat, told ANI earlier on Monday that his government would set its top priorities for the "next 100 days" after the swearing-in. Newly elected MLA from the Aizawl West-II constituency, Lalnghinglova Hmar batted for Myanmar refugees in Mizoram saying that people living on the other side of the border are also Mizos and we cannot turn a blind eye on them. "But having said that, people living on the other side of the border are also our brothers and sisters. They are all Mizos, separated by the British policy of divide and rule. So we cannot turn a blind eye to our brothers and sisters living on the other side of the border," said Hmar, adding that further decisions on the issue will be taken by the party. Further speaking about his victory in the Aizawl West-II constituency, the ZPM MLA said that real challenging work from him will begin from hereon. "The indication was that I received 58.95 percent of the total votes. I don't know whether these statistics are reliable or not but they show that I have received the highest percentage of votes, which was never expected," said Hmar. "I am very thankful to God and to my people in the constituency. But this gives me a responsibility. It is not that I am elected and the work is finished. I am just about to start the work, which is very challenging," he added. The ZPM, which was formed six years ago through a merger of six smaller outfits, swept the assembly polls, ending the decades-old trend of power alternating between the MNF and the Congress in the Northeast state. From being in charge of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's security detail to leading the ZPM to a historic win, Lalduhoma's journey has been all about battling against the odds. His journey as an IPS officer started in 1977. Interestingly, he served as a squad leader in Goa, tasked with cracking down on delinquent hippies and smugglers. His achievements were recognised by the national media. Lalduhoma quit his job to join the Congress and was elected from Mizoram's lone Lok Sabha seat in 1984. Following his service, Lalduhoma founded the ZPM, a party which, in time, found a firm foothold in Mizoram and grew to become a key player in the state's political landscape. Earlier in 2020, Lalduhoma faced disqualification as a member of the Legislative Assembly for violating the anti-defection law. However, he made a triumphant comeback, winning the by-election for the Serchhip seat in 2021. In the last assembly elections, Lalduhoma emerged as the chief ministerial candidate for the ZPM-led coalition. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Vijayapura (K'taka), Dec 5 (PTI) Seven labourers from Bihar were killed after a gigantic processing machine collapsed, trapping them under a heap of about 100 tonnes of corn at a godown of a private food processing unit in Aliyabad industrial area here, police said on Tuesday. The Karnataka government has announced a compensation of Rs 7 lakh each to the families of those who died in the tragedy. The injured will get Rs 50,000. Also Read | CAT 2023 Exam: Response Sheet of Common Admission Test Examination Released at iimcat.ac.in, Raise Objections Till December 8. "Three people were injured but they were not trapped. Of the trapped people, one was rescued while seven of them died. All of them are labourers," Superintendent of Police of Vijayapura Sonawane Rishikesh Bhagawan told PTI. The incident occurred on Monday evening. Also Read | Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: Teaser of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff Starrer To Release on Republic Day, 2024. During a search and rescue operation, which started at around 6 pm on Monday and went on till 11 am Tuesday, the bodies of the seven labourers were pulled out while one person was rescued, the police officer said. Another senior police official said, "The machine that processes corn has funnels laden with corn attached to it which are very heavy. The labourers working under it got trapped after it collapsed partially. These labourers got trapped under 100 tonnes of corn." Karnataka District In Charge Minister M B Patil who was in Belagavi to attend the assembly session rushed to Vijayapura after learning about the incident. Besides announcing compensation to the next of kin of the deceased and the injured, Patil said the district administration will facilitate sending the bodies to their respective places. He also said that the bodies will be airlifted either from Belagavi Airport or Kalaburgi Airport. Of the Rs 7 lakh to each family of the deceased workers, Rs 5 lakh each will be provided by the owner of the unit and Rs 2 lakh each will be given by the government of Karnataka, Patil's office said in a statement. He further stated that an FIR has been lodged about the incident and an inquiry will be conducted following the due procedure. Patil, who holds the large and medium industries portfolio, directed the officials to issue a circular to all industries in the state to ensure compliance with safety measures. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Drug donation programs like one in Colorado and one in California take unopened, unexpired medications from health care facilities, private residents, pharmacies, or prisons that pile up when patients are discharged, change drugs, or die, and re-dispense them to uninsured and low-income patients. Mumbai, Dec 5 (PTI) The number of microfinance loans extended by all lenders declined in the September quarter, but an increase in the average ticket sizes helped in the quantum of lending to grow, a report said on Tuesday. The industry's self-regulatory body Microfinance Industry Network (MFIN) said the overall loan portfolio grew to Rs 3,76,110 crore at the end of September, up from Rs 3,55,977 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 3,00,974 crore in the year-ago period. Also Read | CAT 2023 Exam: Response Sheet of Common Admission Test Examination Released at iimcat.ac.in, Raise Objections Till December 8. The financiers made loans of Rs 76,054 crore in the September quarter as compared to Rs 71,916 crore in the year-ago period, but the number of loans declined to 1.69 crore from 1.81 crore. The average loan size increased to Rs 45,124 at the end of September as against Rs 39,725 in the year-ago period, and Rs 43,298 in the quarter-ago period, the report said. Also Read | Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: Teaser of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff Starrer To Release on Republic Day, 2024. MFIN's chief executive and director Alok Misra said the industry added 1.9 crore unique borrowers in the first six months of the new fiscal, helping the wider agenda of financial inclusion. Among the lenders, the dedicated Non-Banking Financial Company-MFIs (NBFC-MFIs) continued to lead the pack with a 39.3 per cent share of the overall loan portfolio, and was followed by banks at 31.6 per cent and small finance banks at 19.4 per cent. However, on the asset quality front, the NBFC-MFIs segment reported a slip, with the proportion of loans unserviced for over 30 days by borrowers doubling to 0.6 per cent in September from 0.3 per cent in June 2023. All other segments beyond the NBFC-MFIs showed an improvement in asset quality. From a geographical spread perspective, the East, Northeast, and South India together account for 63 per cent of the total portfolio, the report said, adding that Bihar is the largest state in terms of portfolio outstanding followed by Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Tel Aviv [Israel], December 5 (ANI/TPS): From November 27 to December 3, a delegation of the relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza visited Australia as part of a diplomatic initiative by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During this visit, the delegation members met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles, as well as senior government officials and members of the Australian Parliament and the large Jewish communities in Melbourne and Sydney. Also Read | CBC Layoffs: CBC Radio-Canada Announces To Cut 10% of Its Workforce Following USD 125 Million Budget Shortfall. Mika Shani, whose brother Amit was kidnapped by Hamas, said, "We are here to open the world's eyes. We need to understand that this is not a matter of politics, Jews versus Arabs - Hamas is a terrorist organization in every way and the world should condemn the massacre and work to free the kidnapped." Elad Levy, aunt of the late Roni Eshel who was murdered by Hamas said, "We are going through agony as a result of the brutal attack by Hamas, which hurt us personally and directly. We must act to release the abductees immediately, there are no two sides here. There is a murderous, barbaric terrorist organization here." Also Read | Canada: Kangaroo on The Run For Nearly Three Days Punches Police Officer in Face While Being Captured. The delegation to Australia was the seventh of its kind that has gone out since the beginning of the war. So far, there have been delegations to London, Rome, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Miami and Brussels. The members of the families met with heads of state, members of parliament, representatives of aid organizations and journalists, with the aim of exerting international pressure for the return of the abductees and actions against Hamas. (ANI/TPS) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) United Nations, Dec 5 (PTI) India, one of the leading troop and police-contributing countries, has steadily supported the UN's initiatives to improve peacekeeping operations and the world body counts on New Delhi as a major partner in peacekeeping, a top UN official has said. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix highlighted technology, increasing the number and role of women in peacekeeping missions and accountability for crimes against the Blue Helmets as crucial areas of cooperation with India in an exclusive interview with PTI here ahead of the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting. Also Read | Dog Attack in US: Three-Month-Old Baby Killed by Pet Wolf-Dog in Alabama. The Ministerial meeting is scheduled for December 5-6 in Accra, Ghana. It will bring together ministers and delegates from over 85 countries and international organisations to express their collective commitment to UN Peacekeeping, the UN said. "We very much count on India. India is one of the major partners to peacekeeping. It's one of the leading troop and police-contributing countries, but in addition to that, it is also a country that has steadily supported all the initiatives to improve peacekeeping," Lacroix said. Also Read | Indonesia: Marapi Volcano Erupts for the Second Day, Halting Search for 12 Missing Climbers (Watch Videos). Lacroix said that India has several capacities that offer avenues for cooperation with UN peacekeeping. Technology "is a key area where we certainly have to do more and more in cooperation with India. We also count on India to help us in terms of increasing the number and role of women in peacekeeping," he said, adding that there are many areas in which New Delhi's role and cooperation "will be very critical." "I would also like to mention the importance of working more on accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, which is also an area in which India has really been in the lead, and we're very grateful for that," he said. The ministerial meeting seeks to secure vital political support and concrete commitments to strengthen UN Peacekeeping efforts to meet current and future challenges and needs, in line with ongoing reform under Action for Peacekeeping and the A4P+ (Action for Peacekeeping Plus) implementation plan, the UN said in a statement. The flagship event, co-hosted by the United Nations and the Republic of Ghana, marks the fifth such meeting at the ministerial level and the first to be held on the African continent. The event will focus on crucial issues such as advancing sustainable peace, protecting civilians, strategic communications, and improving the safety and mental health of peacekeepers. During the two-day event, Member States and the UN will also work together to improve environmental management of peacekeeping operations and deploy more women peacekeepers to ensure more diverse and inclusive operations, the UN said. Lacroix said the ministerial meeting will be a "very important opportunity" for UN peacekeeping and member states to recommit politically to peacekeeping because all peacekeeping operations are political in nature. "We need the political support, the political engagement in favour of political efforts and all the efforts to improve peacekeeping," he said. Lacroix noted that "ultimately, peacekeeping is a political endeavour." "Our goal is to help parties secure and implement peace agreements and related processes. To succeed in a world that is more divided than ever, we need the united and active engagement of Member States," the UN peacekeeping chief said. "As missions navigate unprecedented challenges and threats, the Ministerial is an important opportunity for Member States to demonstrate their support and make concrete pledges to strengthen our effectiveness," he said. The meeting will also aim to take stock of efforts in terms of improvement and effectiveness of peacekeeping as well as think about new avenues and ideas "to take this work forward" and continue efforts to improve UN peacekeeping. He added that another very important objective of the ministerial is to collect pledges from member states. "We need capacities from member states. We need not only police or military units or individual personnel, but we also need their support in terms of training, providing us with new ways of adapting to new technologies, improving the way in which we communicate, counter fake news and disinformation," he said. Lacroix further said that a key challenge facing UN peacekeeping is the new forms of conflicts, adding that threats, such as armed groups, terrorist and criminal groups, and new enablers, such as digital technologies-enabled forms of threats, including fake news and disinformation, are creating more challenges for the implementation of peacekeeping mandates. "We should not forget that in spite of these challenges, the peacekeepers continue to play a very important role in preserving the ceasefire, which is critical," he said. Lacroix stressed that peacekeepers also protect hundreds of thousands of civilians daily even though "we would want to be able to do more". The ministerial meeting will be an "opportunity to look at new ways to complement the work that we do to address these challenges." The UN said that the Accra meeting is the latest in a series of high-level events that have enabled world leaders to pledge resources to help missions fully implement their mandates. Apart from garnering political support, contributions by Member States at meetings in New York, London, Vancouver, and Seoul have helped generate rapidly deployable military units, key aviation assets, better medical capacities and advance the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, the world body said. Since 1948, more than two million peacekeepers from 158 countries have served in 71 operations. Today, nearly 80,000 women and men from over 120 countries are deployed in peacekeeping missions across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. India is among the largest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping, with more than 6,000 military and police personnel deployed to Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East and the Western Sahara. About 177 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice, the highest number from any troop-contributing country. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], December 5 (ANI): The Indian Coast Guard Ship Sajag, an offshore patrol vessel (OPV), made a port call at King Abdul Aziz Port in Saudi Arabia for a three-day visit on Tuesday. The visit aims to strengthen long-standing diplomatic ties and enhance cooperative engagements with the Saudi Border Guards and Saudi Naval Forces personnel towards professional exchange as well as interactions such as training on Vessel Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR), cross-deck visits, and Table Top Exercise on Marine Pollution Response (MPR). Also Read | Israel-Palestine War: Hamas Drugged Hostages Before Releasing Them, Knesset Told. According to an official statement by the Ministry of Defence, "The visit envisages Courtesy Calls by the Ship's Commanding Officer to various dignitaries and Government Officials of Saudi Arabia besides showcasing India's shipbuilding capabilities and indigenous technology of advancement in weapons & sensors demonstrating the multi-faceted capabilities of the ICG Surface Platform." Moreover, these professional associations that are developed over the years, objectify to ensure maritime security and regional security, Also Read | Wikipedia Wrapped: Here Are 2023's Most-Viewed Articles on the Internet's Encyclopedia. Additionally, it also addresses contemporary issues and challenges in the common domain and advocacy of rule-based order at sea, according to the statement. "The overseas deployment of ICG Ship Sajag aligns with the Government's plan to foster bilateral relationships and strengthen international cooperation with Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs)," it added. During this ongoing West Asia deployment, earlier, the ship made port calls to Port Sultan Qaboos, Oman and later will be making port calls to Mina Rashid, UAE. The visit of ICGS Sajag to West Asia accentuates India's warm and cordial relations with Gulf countries and further reiterates to fostering friendly relations through maritime cooperation in consonance with the maritime vision of India "SAGAR - Security and Growth for All in the Region". The ICG Ship Sajag is part of the Indian Coast Guard fleet of OPVs, based on the West Coast of India in Porbandar, Gujarat, and operates under the operational command of the Commander Coast Guard Region (North West). According to the statement, "The ship is equipped with modern weapon systems, sensors, state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems, including an integral helicopter to support both surface and air operations." Moreover, Sajag has undertaken a myriad of Coast Guard operations ranging from Coastal Security and International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance, anti-transnational crimes, and Maritime SAR and Pollution Response operations in the past. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, DC [US], December 5 (ANI): Amid the resumption of the ground offensive against Hamas, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday said Israel was not ready to give up on the release of women hostages held by Hamas, adding that the terror group will "not release" them from their captivity. "The first phase of the hostage negotiation was about the release of women and children. Hamas continues to hold civilian women, and will not release them. And Israel is not prepared to close the book on those women or to give them up. So Israel is insisting that Hamas follow through on the release of those women. And, then Israel has said, that if Hamas is prepared to follow through on that, Israel is absolutely prepared to discuss additional categories of hostages," Sullivan said at a press briefing in Washington DC on Monday. Also Read | UK New Migration Policy: PM Rishi Sunak's Government Tables Tougher Visa Rules for Foreign Workers, Clampdown on Bringing Families. He informed, however, that the US was looking at negotiations to broker a fresh ceasefire and ensure the release of the remaining hostages. "Civilian men, the wounded, and ultimately all of the hostages, the IDF soldiers being held there. We the United States, of course, look at that negotiation and think- How do we get back to it? The easiest, most straightforward way to get back to it would be for Hamas to be held accountable for not following through on its end of the bargain. But then we also have to think about how we get all of our American hostages out, and we are giving thought to that as well," the NSA added. Also Read | Sikh Man Attacked in UK: Teens Attack 58-Year-Old Sikh Man in Langley Memorial Park Leaving Him With Broken Ribs. He, however, declined to weigh in on whether Israel has been more precise in its military operation in Gaza to avoid further civilian casualties, The Times of Israel reported. Top US officials, meanwhile, ramped up their warnings about protecting civilian lives as Israel expands its offensive to southern Gaza. "What I would prefer to do is just state facts as I see them, and the facts that I see, over the course of the past few days, are that Israel has identified a very specific area, has asked people to leave that area -- Israel has actually coordinated the commencement of its military operations on the ground in the south with that kind of notification," Sullivan said on Monday. He added that the US was holding conversations "day in, day out" with Israeli counterparts about the steps it wants to see Israel take to protect civilian lives. The Times of Israel, in a report, quoted Sullivan as saying that one of the "key lessons" from Israel's operations in the northern part of Gaza was that it must "give civilians the time and capacity and real opportunity to leave" the region before commencing a ground operation. The US is doing "everything in our power" to get hostages released from Hamas, Sullivan said. He said he briefed President Joe Biden regularly throughout the weekend, and on Monday, about efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages. The President was also briefed on efforts to expand humanitarian assistance to Gaza and support Israel's military campaign against Hamas, Sullivan informed. The Biden administration has also held conversations with Israel about how long its offensive against Hamas might take, Sullivan said. However, he did not elaborate on the talks. "I think particularly given the sensitivity of this military operation, it wouldn't be wise for me to lay that out in public for all of you, but it is a topic of conversation that we're having with Israel," Sullivan said. (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, December 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India and Kenya will continue to explore new opportunities to realise the full potential of economic cooperation between two nations. He stressed that India has remained a trusted and committed development partner for Kenya. Addressing a joint press meet with Kenyan President William Ruto, Prime Minister Modi announced that India has decided to provide a line of credit of USD 250 million to Kenya for modernizing its agricultural sector. He said, "As two agrarian economies, we agreed to share our experiences. To modernize agricultural sector of Kenya, we have also decided to provide a line of credit of USD 250 million." "Laying the foundation of a progressive future, today, we thought of strengthening our cooperation in all sectors and identified many new initiatives," PM Modi said. "We also note that mutual trade and investment between India and Kenya is making steady progress and we will continue to explore new opportunities to realize the full potential of our economic cooperation. India has been a trusted and committed development partner for Kenya. Through ITEC and ICCR scholarships, India has made a significant contribution in the skill development and capacity building of the people of Kenya," the Prime Minister said. PM Narendra Modi Congratulates Lalduhoma and Pledges Support As ZPM Celebrates Win in Mizoram Assembly Polls 2023. PM Modi made the remarks after his meeting with Kenyan President at Hyderabad House here. Five Memorandums of Understanding were exchanged following the discussions in a number of areas, including sports, Information Technology and education. PM Modi expressed happiness over Kenyan President's visit to India after the inclusion of African Union in the G20. He said that Ruto's visit will give a new boost to India's relations with Kenya and the African Union. "I am delighted that he (Kenyan President) is undertaking visit after the inclusion of African Union into the G20. Africa has always been given a high priority in India's foreign policy. In about one decade in the past, we have increased our cooperation with Africa in mission mode. I believe that with this visit, our bilateral relations and the relations with the African continent would receive a new boost," PM Modi said. Highlighting ties between India and Kenya, PM Modi said that the two nations are celebrating 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023. He stressed that India and Kenya have a common past and common future. PM Modi said, "This year, we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Kenya. But, our relations have a history dating back thousands of years. The vast Indian Ocean, connecting Mumbai and Mombasa, has been a witness to our ancient relations. On this strong foundation, we have been moving forward together for centuries. In the last century, we together opposed colonialism. India and Kenya are countries that have a common past as well as a common future." He noted that India and Kenya has agreed to increase its cooperation in technology and innovations. He said that India is ready to share India's achievements in digital infrastructure with Kenya. He called clean energy main priority for both nations. "According to the needs of modern times, we are increasing our cooperation in technology and innovations. We are fully ready to share India's achievements in digital public infrastructure with Kenya. The agreement being reached today on this important subject will strengthen our efforts. Clean energy is the main priority of both the countries," PM Modi said. He hailed Kenya for its African Climate Summit initiative and called it a "commendable step."He expressed happiness that Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Solar Alliance. "The Africa climate summit initiative taken by Kenya is a very commendable step. This also shows the President's commitment to unitedly face all global challenges. I am happy that Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuel Alliance and the International Solar Alliance," PM Modi said. He added that Kenya's decision to join the International Big Cat Alliance will enable the strengthening of global efforts for the conservation of big cats. "Our growing cooperation in the field of defence is a symbol of our deep mutual trust and common interests," he said. PM Modi said that he and William Ruto discussed using space technology for public welfare. He stated that India and Kenya have agreed to continue their efforts to increase cooperation in all sectors. "In today's discussion, we emphasized on military exercises, capacity building as well as linking the defence industries of both the countries. We also discussed using space technology for public welfare. We agreed to share India's successful experience with Kenya in this important area. In the spirit of this commitment and friendship, we will continue our efforts to increase our cooperation in all fields. He said, "We discussed new global and regional issues. As countries connected to the Indian Ocean, maritime security, piracy and truck trafficking are matters of our common priority. To strengthen mutual cooperation in this important sector, India, Kenya to issue a joint vision statement on maritime cooperation." Prime Minister said India and Kenya are unanimous that terrorism is the most serious challenge to humanity. Both nations have decided to increase mutual cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP Will Win General Polls With Thumping Majority, People Have Accepted Narendra Modi As PM Face, Says Union Minister Giriraj Singh (Watch Video). "We are issuing a joint vision statement on Maritime Cooperation today. The close cooperation between India and Kenya will boost all our efforts in the Indo-Pacific Region. India and Kenya agree that terrorism is the gravest challenge to humankind. In this regard, we have decided to enhance our mutual cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism." Earlier, Kenyan President William Ruto, who is in India on a state visit, paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat in New Delhi on Tuesday. Taking to X, the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson stated, "Paying homage to Mahatma. President @WilliamsRuto of Kenya laid a wreath at Rajghat and paid his respects to Mahatma Gandhi." He was also accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. William Ruto also inspected a Guard of Honour. President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi welcomed the Kenyan President at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet in honour of Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. She received the Kenyan President and welcomed him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and stressed that the waters of the Indian Ocean have connected the people of India and Kenya for centuries. Also Read | Wikipedia Wrapped: Here Are 2023's Most-Viewed Articles on the Internet's Encyclopedia. Emphasising India-Kenya friendship, President Murmu said, "Our friendship has matured into a robust bilateral relationship, underpinned by significant economic collaboration across various sectors including trade, education, and technology." She further extended joy to note that the 80,000-strong Indian-origin community in Kenya is well integrated there, both socially and economically. Also Read | Israel-Palestine War: Two More Army Personnel Killed During Operation Against Hamas in Gaza, Death Toll 80, Says IDF. "They are proud Kenyans, even as they have upheld Indian culture and values. This bears testimony to the inclusive character of Kenyan society," she added. India is one of Kenya's largest trading partners and among the largest sources of investment in Kenya, she emphasised. Many Indian companies have made Kenya their base for their operations in East Africa, further stressing that India's private sector is keen to invest in Kenya. Moreover, the Indian government is committed to being a dependable partner in Kenya's developmental journey. Murmu further said that India and Kenya share common views on major global issues, and cooperate closely in regional and multilateral fora such as the United Nations. Highlighting the African Union's inclusion in the G20 as a full member, she said, "We are very happy that under India's Presidency, the African Union has been included in G20 as a full member. Both leaders agreed that there are many other multilateral forums through which our two countries can work together." The President further emphasised that the two countries must work together, not only for the well-being and progress of our people but also for the citizens of the Global South. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Kenya will continue to explore new opportunities to realise the full potential of economic cooperation between two nations. He stressed that India has remained a trusted and committed development partner for Kenya. Addressing a joint press meet with Kenyan President William Ruto, Prime Minister Modi announced that India has decided to provide a line of credit of USD 250 million to Kenya for modernizing its agricultural sector. Earlier, Kenyan President William Ruto, who is in India on a state visit, paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat in New Delhi on Tuesday. He was also accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. William Ruto also inspected a Guard of Honour. President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi welcomed the Kenyan President at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, December 5: In a strategic move ahead of the 2024 election year, the Maharashtra government has declared December 6 -- the death anniversary of the Chief Architect of Indian Constitution, Bharat Ratna Dr. B. R. Ambedkar -- as a Mumbai local holiday, as per an official announcement made on Tuesday. The holiday will be applicable for all government and semi-government offices in Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban District jurisdiction, though banks would continue to function as usual. This is the third Mumbai-specific public holiday declared by the government, the first being Anant Chaturdashi (since 1996) during the Ganeshotsav and the second is Dahi-Handi festival (since 2007), and this year, the Mahaparinirvana Divas marking the 67th death anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar. To a query, official sources said that the December 6 local Mumbai holiday is likely to be an annual feature henceforth, though the district Collectorates would issue a fresh notification every year. BR Ambedkar Death Anniversary 2023: Central Railway To Run Special Trains, Extra Local Services in Mumbai for Mahaparinirvan Din Mumbai Congress President Prof. Varsha Gaikwad, who had first raised the demand to declare it as a public holiday recently, welcomed the move by the state government. I had written to the Chief Minister demanding that all offices should remain closed that day to enable all people to pay their respects at Chaityabhoomi, on the Mahaparinirvana Divas tomorrow, said Prof. Gaikwad. Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made elaborate arrangements to welcome over a million followers of Dr. Ambedkar from all over the country who will converge at Chaityabhoomi, in Dadar west, to pay their respects to Dr. Ambedkar here on Wednesday. Babasaheb Ambedkar Death Anniversary: Mumbai Police Issues Traffic Advisory for Mahaparinirvan Din, Check Details Here Born in Mhow town -- now renamed as 'Dr. Ambedkar Nagar' in Madhya Pradesh -- on April 14, 1891, Dr. Ambedkar , who was the first Law & Justice Minister of Independent India, breathed his last on December 6, 1956. Dr. Ambedkar's mortal remains were cremated at the Chaityabhoomi here where a sea of humanity converges every year to pay homage to him. Mumbai, December 5: In a shocking incident in Maharashtra, a 7-year-old boy was allegedly attacked and bit by a stray dog in Boisar. However, nearly a week after the incident, it emerged that a dog had not bitten the minor boy; it was a leopard. The incident occurred on Tuesday, November 28, when an animal bit Prem Patil on a foggy morning. The victim, a resident of Kudan village, was reportedly on his way to a grocery shop when the animal attacked him, reports Times of India. Soon after the child cried out aloud, the animal immediately disappeared into the wild bushes. Soon after, the boy informed locals about the incident, who came to his rescue. Leopard Attack Thwarted in Pune: Two Dogs Fight, Chase Away Big Cat After It Attacks One of Them in Dholwad; CCTV Video Surfaces. A few people who rushed to the child's aid said they did not spot any animal around the minor boy as the fog covered the area. The minor boy reportedly suffered injury marks on his head and left cheek. Later, he was admitted to a hospital in Silvassa for treatment. Acting on the boy's statement, his family members told doctors that a stray dog had attacked him. However, doctors said the injury marks were signs of a leopard's clawing after examining the minor boy. The leopard theory was also backed by locals who claimed to have spotted the big cat on a few occasions around the same area over the past few months. Leopard in Maharashtra Video: Big Cat Enters Barn, Kills and Eats Goat in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Following the findings, doctors and locals informed forest officials, who have launched a search for the wild cat. Meanwhile, residents have asked the forest department to set up cameras to trap the spotted animal. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 05, 2023 09:06 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Mumbai, December 5: After the success of Chandrayaan-3, ISRO plans to launch its new Chandrayaan-4 lunar mission. According to reports, the Chandrayaan-4 mission aims to bring samples of the rock and soil from the moon for study. However, the reports said that the success of ISRO's next lunar mission will depend on multiple factors, including the organisation's capability to go back to the moon and bring back samples. ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 completed its first manoeuvre on October 9, 2023 and second manoeuvre plan was revised to target an Earth orbit of 1.8 lakhs x 3.8 lakhs km. The mission was successful with a few setbacks related to the launcher's re-entry on Earth and re-establishing connection with Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-3 and Vikram lander. However, Chandrayaan-3 is considered the most successful mission of ISRO, despite its inability to return to Earth. Chandrayaan 3 Update: ISRO Moves Propulsion Module to Orbit Around Earth in Unique Experiment (See Pics). ISRO Chandryaan-4 Next Lunar Mission: According to a Hindustan Times report, Nilesh Desai, Director of Space Appliances Centre (SAC/ISRO), said the landing of the new mission will be similar to the previous Chandrayaan-3 mission. According to the post, Nilesh Desai said the centre module will return to Earth with an orbiting module, unlike the last mission. ISRO is taking another significant step in space exploration and initiating studies on the soil and rocks of the moon. Chandrayaan-4 is expected to significant advancement over the previous mission, with ISRO planning to upgrade its rover. According to the reports, Chandrayaan-3 had a rover weighing 30kg, but the Chandrayaan-4 will send a massive 350kg land rover to the moon. Astronauts for Gaganyaan Mission Ready and Waiting for Flight To Happen in 2025, Says ISRO Chief S Somanath. ISRO's Collaboration With Japan Space Agency JAXA: According to the reports, ISRO will collaborate with the Japanese Space Agency JAXA to explore the darker side of the moon. It will be another mission called LuPEX that reportedly will witness a 350kg rover on the moon. The rover is said to explore the areas up to 90 degrees on the moon's surface. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 05, 2023 07:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.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. Chongqing eyes 10% share in China's annual auto exports by 2027 Chongqing's Municipal Government Office issued the "Chongqing Cars Go Global" Action Plan on December 5, setting a target for the city's vehicle exports to constitute 10% of the China's total by 2027. The plan focuses on establishing 1 to 2 leading domestic enterprises for intelligent connected new energy vehicle exports, optimizing overseas factory layouts, and creating a robust international presence with an annual export value surpassing 120 billion yuan. Tesla introduces limited-time subsidy policy for home charging service package Tesla's official charging platform in China announced on December 4 that users who purchase the third-generation home charging service package and the Cybervault home charging service package at Tesla's flagship store on the JD.com platform from December 4 to December 12 will receive a direct subsidy reduction of 200 yuan. Photo credit: Tesla Haima Automobile posts 22.77% YoY drop in November sales Haima Automobile released its November 2023 production and sales data on December 5, revealing a monthly sales volume of 2,001 units in November, marking a 22.77% decline year-on-year. In the first eleven months of this year, the companys cumulative sales reached 22,227 units, exhibiting a marginal 0.16% decrease compared to the same period last year. FAW-Volkswagen rolls off 27 millionth vehicle On December 1, FAW-Volkswagen achieved a significant milestone as its 27 millionth vehicle, an ID.7 VIZZION, rolled off the production line at its Foshan MEB intelligent factory. BAIC BJEV posts 58.46% YoY surge in November sales On December 4, BAIC BluePark released the production and sales report for its new energy vehicle subsidiary BAIC BJEV in November 2023, which showcased substantial year-on-year growth in sales. Yueda Kias auto sales in Nov. zoom up 88.9% YoY In November 2023, Yueda Kia, the joint venture between Kia Corporation and China's Yueda Automobile Group, sold 18,224 vehicles, representing a remarkable year-on-year surge of 88.9%, according to a post on the WeChat account of Yueda Automobile Group. GAC AION announces foray into Cambodian auto market On December 2, GAC AION, the new energy vehicle (NEV)-dedicated subsidiary of GAC Group, held an event to launch the AION Y PLUS battery electric vehicle (BEV) model in Cambodia, marking its official foray into the Cambodian auto market. Tesla sells 82,432 China-made vehicles in November 2023 On December 4, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) released estimated sales data for new energy vehicles (NEVs) in November, spotlighting the delivery performance of Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory. Dongfeng Motors export arm ships 40,907 vehicles overseas in Jan.-Nov. 2023 On December 4, China Dongfeng Motor Industry Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd., the international trade arm of Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor, announced a remarkable 81% year-on-year surge in its auto exports from January to November this year, totaling 40,907 units. JEVE sign framework agreement for investment in energy storage integration & production base project in Suihua city On December 1, JEVE, a Tianjin-headquartered technology company that integrates the R&D, manufacturing and sales of lithium-ion batteries, signed a framework agreement with the authority of Suihua Economic and Technological Development Zone regarding the proposed investment in the construction of the JEVEs Energy Storage System Integration and Production Base. Tel Aviv, December 5: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday said that two more army personnel have been killed during their operation against Hamas in Gaza. With these two deaths, 80 of our army personnel have been killed so far in Gaza since the ground invasion began on October 7, an IDF Spokesperson said. He identified the two deceased soldiers as Capt. Yahel Gazit (24), Company Commander with 188 Armoured Brigade 53rd Battalion and Master Sgt (res) Gil Daniels (34) of 261st Brigade 6261 battalion. Israel Assembled 'Large Pumps' To Flood Hamas Tunnel Network Under Gaza Strip With Seawater: Report Hamas and Israel had agreed on a four-day ceasefire which went on for three more days following the hostage and prisoner swap between the two varying factions. The ceasefire was brokered by Qatar with active participation of the U.S, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Israel-Hamas War: IDF Uncovers 800 Tunnels in Gaza Amid Ongoing Ground Offensive Hostilities again broke out between the two after a seven-day ceasefire ended on December 1. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 05, 2023 06:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Victor Manuel Rocha may have served as US Ambassador to Bolivia under two presidents, but as it turns out, he may have also been a spy for Cuba. Moreso, court documents have shown that he may have actually hated the United States secretly as he covertly worked for the rogue Caribbean state. Recently unsealed court documents showed that Victor Manuel Rocha "secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the United States by serving as a covert agent of Cuba's intelligence services." CNN noted that he served as the US ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 under the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Before that, he was the Deputy Principal Officer of the US Interests Section in Cuba during the 1990s, as well as an employee for the US embassy in the Dominican Republic in the 1980s. He also served different roles in the US consulate in Italy and the US embassies in Mexico and Argentina. Rocha reportedly had several meetings with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as a member of Cuban intelligence. During those meetings, the disgraced former US ambassador to Bolivia reportedly praised Cuba's former leader, Fidel Castro, and also referred to the US as "the enemy." He reportedly also called Castro the "Comandante." He may have also been responsible for helping the Cuban government shoot down two unarmed airplanes operated by members of Brothers to the Rescue and killing four people aboard. The organization was a US-based group opposed to Castro's government, and the attack happened when he was still working for the State Department in Havana. READ NEXT: Cuban Embassy in Washington DC Attacked; At Least One Molotov Cocktail Thrown Attorney General Merrick Garland Addresses Victor Manuel Rocha - Cuba Espionage Issue Rocha was only arrested in Miami last Friday as he continued living life as if he were a US citizen who continued working for the US government. Soon after his arrest, US Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke with reporters and said that the Victor Manuel Rocha case was "one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations" of the US government by a foreign agent. "For over 40 years, Victor Manuel Rocha served as an agent of the Cuban government and sought out and obtained positions within the United States government that would provide him with access to non-public information and the ability to affect US foreign policy," the AG told reporters. Who Is Former US Ambassador to Bolivia and Accused Cuban Spy Victor Manuel Rocha? Although he was raised in New York City, Rocha was actually born in Colombia. As he grew up in the US, he studied in some of the finest institutions in the country and obtained degrees from Yale, Harvard, and Georgetown. Now that he is arrested, he faces several charges, including conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General and with using a passport obtained by false statement. According to Yahoo! Finance, he is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday. READ MORE: Pope Francis Wants Cuba to Release Cuban Protesters Arrested in 2021 This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Former US ambassador charged with being covert agent for Cuba - CNN Former President Donald Trump unleashed a vehement response on Sunday to actor Robert De Niro's scathing remarks aimed at him during the Gotham Awards ceremony last week, according to HuffPost. De Niro, known for his outspoken criticism of Donald Trump, was surprised to discover that his anti-Trump comments had been edited from the autocue during his tribute speech for "The Killers of the Flower Moon." Responding on his Truth Social platform, Trump fired back, dismissing De Niro as a "total loser." The former president criticized De Niro's acting talents, claiming they had greatly diminished, and ridiculed his use of a teleprompter for delivering what Trump referred to as "foul and disgusting language, so disrespectful to our Country." Donald Trump further lambasted the actor's impact on the Academy Awards, labeling him "unwatchable." "He has become unwatchable both in movies and with the FOOLS that destroyed the Academy Awards, bringing them from one of the top shows in the Country to a Low Rated afterthought," the former president added. The former president continued, suggesting that De Niro should redirect his focus to his own life, which he characterized as messy, instead of scrutinizing the lives of others. Concluding the statement, the former president labeled De Niro as a "total loser," asserting that the world is watching, waiting, and finding amusement in the situation. READ NEXT: Donald Trump Doubles Down in Potential Election Fraud Robert De Niro Defiantly Reads Edited Remarks at Gotham Awards De Niro, a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in "The Godfather Part II" and "Raging Bull," didn't hold back during the November 27 Gotham Awards. Accusing organizers of editing his speech, he retrieved his phone and read the censored remarks, expressing concerns about the manipulation of history, truth, and facts, per the NY Post. "The beginning of my speech was edited and cut out; I didn't know about it. And I want to read it," De Niro said before pulling out his phone. "History isn't history anymore," De Niro stated. "Truth is not truth. Even facts are being replaced by alternative facts and driven by conspiracy theories and ugliness." Robert De Niro condemned lies as a tool of charlatans and accused the former president of over 30,000 lies during his term, emphasizing that he couldn't hide his true nature. Known for his ongoing criticism of Donald Trump, Robert De Niro pointed out the former president's attacks on the weak, disregard for nature, and the use of derogatory terms like 'Pocahontas.' The actor has a history of speaking out against Trump, including a denouncement of his "abuse of power" at the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Donald Trump-Robert De Niro Clash Amid Legal Controversy The exchange comes on the heels of De Niro being ordered to pay $1.2 million in damages in a gender discrimination lawsuit involving his former assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, the Daily Mail noted. Although the jury found De Niro not personally liable for the abuse, his company, Canal Productions, was held accountable for gender discrimination and retaliation, leading to substantial damages. The actor faced accusations of bullying and was characterized as a "creep" for requesting back scratches. The legal battle between De Niro and Robinson has been ongoing since her departure in April 2019. Both Robert De Niro and his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, were present at the Gotham Awards, where the actor criticized Donald Trump. Notably, the couple recently welcomed their seventh child together. READ MORE: Donald Trump Net Worth This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: "KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON" Receives The Gotham Historical Icon & Creator Tribute - From The Gotham Film & Media Institute The US is intensifying its campaign against fentanyl trafficking as the US Treasury Department has launched a new strike force to help stem the influx of the deadly opioid. To help make this happen, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is heading to Mexico to meet with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. According to the Yucatan Times, the Mexican president himself has already confirmed that Yellen is going to Mexico to meet with him. Speaking during his usual morning press conference, AMLO confirmed he will indeed meet with Yellen but admitted he still does not know what the agenda for that meeting will be. However, he noted that he was pleased to have a meeting with her soon after he had a successful meeting with his own finance secretary. AMLO added that he expects to also talk to her about tax issues and added that he will meet with her personally on Thursday. The meeting will come after Yellen successfully secured Chinese cooperation to help combat illicit fentanyl trafficking. However, the Treasury secretary and the other leaders of the US Treasury Department are expected to not just speak with government leaders like AMLO to fight fentanyl, but also with leaders in Mexico's private sector to ensure that illicit finance that funds the drug trade and boost supply chains in Mexico will be stopped. How the Treasury Department Plans To Stop Fentanyl The Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force was only announced last Monday and it will consist of many of the US Treasury Department's best and brightest. Personnel from its sanctions and intelligence arms, as well as IRS Criminal Investigations, will all be working together to help stop the flow of fentanyl into the US. READ MORE: Sinaloa Cartel Members Sanctioned by US Government Over Fentanyl as El Chapo's Sons Order Members To Quit Drug's Production By attacking the money of the Mexican drug cartels, the US Treasury Department expects to help stem the tide of fentanyl arriving in the country. So far, it has been imposing sanctions against top cartel leaders and businesses connected to trafficking operations and so far, this has worked in pressuring some of the biggest cartels to either stop manufacturing fentanyl or slow it down. The biggest example so far is the Sinaloa Cartel, whose leaders have been heavily sanctioned by Yellen's Treasury Department. Leaders of the Cartel's Los Chapitos faction told members to stop manufacturing or selling fentanyl. According to the Associated Press, this trip to Mexico will just be the beginning of the Biden administration's plan to redouble its efforts to halt the flow of the deadly opioid into the US, and they are working together with the governments of China and Mexico to make this happen. US Got China To Agree To Crackdown on Fentanyl Shipping While the illegal fentanyl flowing into the US mostly comes from Mexico, the material used to create these opioids comes from China and these used to flow into Mexico freely. However, after Joe Biden met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the country has agreed to also crackdown on the flow of fentanyl-making material, as well as fentanyl itself. The Financial Times noted that last month's meeting with Xi marked a significant achievement for the Biden administration as this could significantly slow down the flow of fentanyl into the US. READ MORE: US Congressman Fights Back on Calls To Invade Mexico Over Fentanyl Problem This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Janet Yellen is heading to Mexico after Treasury launches a new fentanyl trafficking strike force - WGN News Actress Vanessa Hudgens and MLB star Cole Tucker have officially tied the knot in a romantic beach wedding in Tulum, Mexico, according to Page Six. The couple, who had been dating for four years, sparked marriage rumors when photos from the enchanting ceremony surfaced online over the weekend. Vanessa Hudgens, 34, adorned a stunning white Galia Lahav gown, as captured in a viral screenshot from the welcome party, where she was accompanied by her manager, Evan Hainey. Hainey's congratulatory message on Twitter fueled speculation, stating, "Congratulations @vanessahudgens & @cotuck on your beautiful wedding this weekend! Love to see you both so happy!" Notably, Monique Coleman, Hudgens' former "High School Musical" co-star, also seemed to partake in the joyous celebration, sharing glimpses of the Tulum festivities on her Instagram Story. In May, Hudgens provided a sneak peek into her wedding plans during an appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show," expressing her openness to the idea of eloping. The Disney star, boasting an estimated net worth of $18 million, also shared her frustration with the exorbitant costs associated with weddings. "It's crazy, the industry of weddings," Hudgens said in September, reflecting on the wedding industry. Hudgens also elaborated on the financial challenges, citing the high cost of dresses. "My God, dresses are so expensive. It's nuts," she said, empathizing with her best friend going through a similar experience. READ NEXT: Ryan Gosling Secretly Married His Long-Time Partner Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker's Journey to Marriage The public learned of Hudgens and Tucker's engagement on February 2, 2023. The MLB star proposed at the close of 2022, marking a significant milestone in their two-year relationship, per BRIDES. Initially linked in November 2020 after being spotted holding hands in Los Angeles, the couple's romance began with a chance encounter during a Zoom meditation. Hudgens, candidly sharing her proactive approach, revealed she initiated contact by sliding into Tucker's DMs, leading to a vibrant connection. Their red carpet debut transpired a year later at the premiere of Hudgens' film, "Tick ... Tick ... Boom!" In preparation for their nuptials, the actress celebrated with a memorable bachelorette weekend in Aspen, Colorado, attended by friends, including Sarah Hyland, PEOPLE noted. "The most iconic bachelorette weekend in Aspen thanks to my GIRLS and @airbnb. Couldn't ask for a more perfect home base ," Hudgens captioned her Instagram video of her pre-wedding celebrations. Tulum, Mexico: A Celeb-Favored Wedding Locale Situated about 90 minutes south of Cancun, Tulum, Mexico, once a haven for backpackers and adventure seekers, has evolved into a luxurious destination celebrated for its laid-back yet trendy ambiance and pristine white sand beaches, PEOPLE reports. A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Bosworth, Maren Morris, Julianne Hough, and Alessandra Ambrosio have sought refuge in Tulum's exclusive retreats over the years. Noteworthy establishments, such as HABITAS, Amansala Resort and Spa, and Azulik, have hosted celebrities like Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Kristin Cavallari. Tulum, Mexico's allure extends beyond glamour, with a commitment to sustainability evident in many hotels and restaurants, making it a preferred choice for eco-conscious celebrities seeking a blend of luxury and environmental responsibility. READ MORE: Macaulay Culkin Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Vanessa Hudgens MARRIES Cole Tucker in Mexico! - From E! News Disgraced former Republican Congressman George Santos may have already been kicked out of Congress, but a new controversy for him just popped up as Republican Rep. Max Miller of Ohio claims he and his mother were defrauded by his infamous colleague. Miller reportedly made the revelation of the accusation just before the vote to kick Santos out of Congress was made. He is also one of the Republicans who voted to expel the controversial now-former New York representative. NBC News managed to get hold of a letter from Rep. Miller and it showed that the Ohio Republican just learned of Santos stealing from him and his mother earlier this year. In that letter, Miller wrote that the Santos campaign "had charged my personal credit card - and the personal card of my Mother - for contribution amounts that exceeded FEC limits. Neither my Mother nor I approved these charges or were aware of them." Miller also revealed that after Santos stole from them, he spent "tens of thousands of dollars" in legal fees dealing with the situation. He also noted that he has seen a list of 400 people whom he believes were overcharged by Santos. The list includes other Republican House members. The Ohio representative was notable during the Santos expulsion vote for trading barbs with the controversial New York congressman. He infamously told Santos during that vote on Thursday, "You, sir, are a crook." "While I understand and respect the position of those who will vote against the expulsion resolution, my personal experience related to the allegations and findings of the Ethics Committee compels me to vote for the resolution," wrote Miller in his letter, addressing his Republican colleagues who stood by Santos. READ MORE: George Santos' Wildest and Unbelievable Lies Saturday Night Live Trolls George Santos After Expulsion George Santos was expelled from Congress on Thursday, and it did not take long for Saturday Night Live (SNL) to poke fun at the demise of his political career and fall from grace. According to USA Today, Bowen Yang played Santos during the show's cold open. He did not miss a beat in skewering the former New York representative, lamenting, "This entire country has been bullying me just because I am a proud gay thief." "But what else is new? America hates to see a Latina queen winning!" Yang continued as he played Santos on screen. "If I'm guilty of anything, it's for loving too much... slash fraud." Where Is George Santos Now? Former New York Congressman Now Charges $200 in Cameo With his job in Washington, DC gone, George Santos is now trying to earn money on Cameo. The disgraced former congressman has already made an account on the site and the public can now pay to have him say a personalized message for them. According to the Associated Press, he describes himself in his bio as a "Former congressional 'Icon'!" Soon after his account went online, several users, including a few lawmakers, were posting clips of the former Brazilian drag queen-turned-Republican congressman offering advice, blowing kisses, and making jokes about Botox. He is reportedly charging $200 for those videos at the most, with text messages from him costing $10. READ MORE: George Santos Denies Being a Drag Queen in Brazil This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: George Santos Expelled Cold Open - SNL A home in Arlington, Virginia, erupted in flames on Monday night following an incident where a man discharged a flare gun from inside the residence during a police investigation, as per authorities, according to NBC News. Neighbors alerted law enforcement around 4:45 PM, reporting possible gunfire, which was later identified as a flare gun, stated Ashley Savage, spokesperson for the Arlington County police. Subsequently, at around 8 PM, while officers were executing a search warrant at the location, the individual inside the home fired multiple rounds. The situation escalated when the house experienced a destructive explosion, with firefighters actively tackling the resulting blaze even past 10 PM. The condition of the suspect, who was in the residence at the time of the explosion, remains uncertain. "At this point, we're only aware of one individual who was inside the home," Savage said. READ NEXT: Virginia Man Stolen as a Baby Hugs Birth Mother for the First Time in 4 Decades The Virginia House Explosion The blast occurred in Bluemont, a suburban enclave in north Arlington County characterized by duplex homes accommodating two families each, per Spectrum News 1. Around 8:20 PM, a powerful explosion resonated through the vicinity, causing a local power outage and igniting flames visible from nearby streets. Witnesses, including Carla Rodriguez from South Arlington, described the explosion as audible from over 2 miles away. "I actually thought a plane exploded," Rodriguez, who ventured to the scene, remarked. A video circulating online captures what seems to be a Swat team vehicle moving toward the residence just as the explosion occurs. As a precautionary measure, police have evacuated some residents, instructing others to shelter in place, BBC noted. Eyewitness accounts, such as Jim Mathews', posted on X before the explosion, describe observing several flares. According to Mathews, these flares appeared to be fired off and lasted approximately 15-20 seconds, with several occurrences happening within a span of about 5 minutes. Suspect Status Still Unknown, Police Spokesperson Says Despite having secured a search warrant, Arlington County law enforcement had not entered the residence when the suspect discharged additional shots, leading to the catastrophic explosion, disclosed spokesperson Ashley Savage. "We have not been able to access the home at this point, so I don't have the status of the suspect," she added, noting the belief that the man was inside during the explosion. The investigation is ongoing. While minor injuries were reported by officers, no one required hospitalization, The New York Times reported. Social media footage capturing the incident shows a vehicle with a flashing blue light nearing the Virginia home before a sudden blast dislodges the roof. The structure swiftly collapses and becomes engulfed in flames, sending debris into the air and triggering a nearby car alarm. "This is very, very scary, and my profound thanks go out to first responders working to secure the area and keep everyone safe," Representative Don Beyer, a Democrat representing the region, said, expressing concern. The cause of the Virginia explosion remains unknown, according to Capt. Nate Hiner, a spokesperson for the Arlington Fire Department as per CBS 4. Federal involvement in the investigation has been confirmed, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) reporting that federal agents and fire investigators are present at the scene to assist in determining the circumstances surrounding the incident. READ MORE: Nevada Hit-and-Run Suspect Seen Drinking Before Crash This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Massive house explosion in Arlington after suspect fires flare gun - From FOX 5 Washington DC Donald Trump's legal losses just keep coming as a judge overseeing his 2020 election interference case, also known as the January 6 case, ruled he cannot use presidential immunity in this particular case, turning aside his expansive view on the limits of what a president can or cannot do. This is the latest in Donald Trump's growing list of legal setbacks as he once again fails to have his 2020 presidential election interference case thrown due to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan's decision, which rejects the former president's challenge to the case by merit that he has presidential immunity and therefore cannot be prosecuted, according to NPR. However, Trump's attorneys have vowed to appeal the ruling as they claimed that this is an unsettled legal question and that the higher courts can step in. However, Chutkan wrote in her decision that even if he was the president, Trump "does not confer a lifelong 'get-out-of-jail-free' pass." "Former Presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability," she wrote. "Defendant may be subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office." She also rejected Trump's claims that the indictment violates the former president's free speech rights, as his lawyers argued that "he was within his First Amendment rights to challenge the outcome of the election and to allege that it had been tainted by fraud." Chutkan shut this argument down by writing in her decision that "it is well established that the First Amendment does not protect speech that is used as an instrument of a crime." READ MORE: Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows Will Not Be Offered Plea Deals in Georgia Election Case Federal Appeals Court Also Throws Out Donald Trump Presidential Immunity Argument It was not just Chutkan who rejected Trump on the basis of presidential immunity. A federal appeals court also rejected former President Donald Trump's bid to dismiss several civil cases against him, including one that sought to hold him accountable for the January 6 riot. "The sole issue before us is whether President Trump has demonstrated an entitlement to official-act immunity for his actions leading up to and on January 6 as alleged in the complaints. We answer no, at least at this stage of the proceedings," the US. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, DC wrote in its ruling. The court also slammed Trump's attempts, writing in its decision, "When a first-term President opts to seek a second term, his campaign to win re-election is not an official presidential act." Donald Trump To Return in Court With a Gag Order Likely Still in Place For New York Trial Donald Trump also lost an attempt to fast-track the gag order appeal for his New York fraud trial. This happened just a few days after a ruling allowed the gag order to stay in place, according to Yahoo! News. This means that as Trump returns to court this week, he will still be gagged. However, as Trump cannot legally attack the judge's court staff anymore, he has started spreading false claims about Judge Arthur Engoron's wife instead. READ MORE: Donald Trump is Confused Why Co-Defendants Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro Pleaded Guilty This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Judges reject Trump's immunity claim to dismiss Jan. 6, election interference cases - MSNBC ArtsQuest received a significant grant from the Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon that will provide ample assistance in making its programs more accessible. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development awarded the South Bethlehem arts nonprofit a grant in the amount of $82,000 as part of the 2023-2024 Neighborhood Assistance Program, according to a release from ArtsQuest. The grant is part of the programs Special Program Priorities component. Through the grant, ArtsQuest will be able to provide accommodations for those with physical, sensory, intellectual or mental impairments so that theyre able to participate in ArtsQuests year-round programming of performances, classes, exhibitions, events and more. By offering performance opportunities for historically disadvantaged artists and arts groups, ArtsQuest will engage 5,000 community members from diverse backgrounds in educational arts and cultural events throughout the year, the release said. Equitable access to ArtsQuests programs and facilities will strengthen community connections to the arts through exhibitions, programs and events. DCED Deputy Secretary Community Affairs and Development Rick Vilello, who was on hand to announce the grant at a Tuesday press conference at the Banana Factory, said the Neighborhood Assistance Programs goal is to improve Pennsylvania communities, especially those with daily challenges. We congratulate ArtsQuest on the award, and on its work to enrich the lives of our residents with challenges or impairments by opening the world of arts and culture to them, Vilello said in the release. ArtsQuest is honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Neighborhood Assistance Program grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, ArtsQuest President and CEO Kassie Hilgert said in the release. We are also especially grateful for our partnerships with Boyle Construction, Univest Bank and C.F. Martin & Co. who helped to make this gift possible. Mission-minded, we will continue expanding and furthering our outreach into communities across the eastern portion of our Commonwealth, making our art-based programming available to every individual, regardless of the challenges or hardships they may face. Were proud of the work we do and remain focused on an exciting future in making the arts accessible to all. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On December 2, GAC AION, the new energy vehicle (NEV)-dedicated subsidiary of GAC Group, held an event to launch the AION Y PLUS battery electric vehicle (BEV) model in Cambodia, marking its official foray into the Cambodian auto market. AION Y Plus; photo credit: GAC AION The significant move was conducted by partnering with a local auto dealer. It followed GAC AION's strategic entry into the global market, starting with Thailand earlier this year. The company's Deputy General Manager, Xiao Yong, and Gold Integrate Co., Ltd.'s Chairman, Huang Yongjie, signed a memorandum of cooperation on June 28 during the "the 2023 China (Guangdong) - Thailand Economic and Trade Exchange Conference," officially announcing GAC AION's entry into the Thai market. The original plans included establishing GAC AION's Southeast Asian headquarters in Thailand by the end of the year and preparing local production for Thai-spec models. GAC AION aims to deepen its presence in the Thai market, extending its reach to Southeast Asia and surrounding regions, gradually achieving an integrated "research, production, supply, and sales" approach on a global scale. In September this year, GAC Group held a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, unveiling AIONs first overseas model, the AION Y PLUS, and marking the initiation of its going global strategy. GAC AION's General Manager, Gu Huinan, emphasized future plans for localized production, sales, and services in Thailand, contributing to the country's ambition to become a hub for electric vehicle industries in Southeast Asia. GAC AION said its entry into Cambodia is a pivotal move within its global strategy and innovation initiatives. The company, armed with its two major brands, AION and Hyper, covering a range of vehicle types, aims to inject new vitality into the Cambodian automotive market. Through its global strategy, GAC AION intends to introduce its key products into Cambodia, fostering a transition towards green new energy in the country's automotive industry. Throughout much of New Jersey, serving on the local town council is supposed to be a part-time community service that wont rake in the bucks. But for years, many towns have offered a plum to their elected officials: They are permitted to sign up for government health insurance, a generous benefit often quietly worth double or triple the small stipends they receive. In 2010, New Jersey lawmakers sought to crack down on that largesse by barring part-time mayors and council members from enrolling in the states insurance plan. The law required officials seated after it took effect to work at least 35 hours a week to qualify for those benefits, preventing them from receiving full-time perks for part-time hours at posts that typically pay less than $10,000 a year. Yet 13 years later, towns continue to flout those rules, an investigation by NJ Advance Media found. Across the state, at least a dozen municipalities have provided potentially questionable coverage to their elected officials over the past decade, documents obtained through public records requests show. That encompasses 32 current and former officials whose benefits have cost taxpayers at least $2.3 million since 2014, including $332,000 in 2023 alone. The public shouldered those expenses even as high-profile cases highlighted alleged abuses of the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), a wake-up call that caused some municipalities to reexamine their policies and rein in the benefits they offer. In Wildwood last year, state prosecutors charged a mayor, former mayor and city commissioner with falsely claiming they worked full-time to qualify for coverage they hadnt earned. The cost over a decade, authorities alleged: nearly $1 million in insurance claims and taxpayer-funded premiums. In Montclair, a whistleblowers lawsuit last year accused elected officials of pulling in tens of thousands of dollars in benefits even though they appeared to work only part-time. That included the townships mayor, Sean Spiller, whose lucrative day job is president of the New Jersey Education Association, the state teachers union. But while those instances have captured headlines, communities from Bridgewater to Roselle to Old Bridge are also offering benefits to elected officials who may not put in the necessary hours to qualify for them. Of the towns identified by NJ Advance Media, most described their elected boards as part-time in budget documents, with salaries as low as $6,000. And the officials involved largely held jobs beyond their public posts, including as lawyers, business owners, lobbyists and real estate agents, according to news accounts, campaign biographies, professional listings and other public sources. In some cases, municipalities provided them insurance that topped $35,000 a year for family plans. In others, they cut checks to officials who agreed to waive those benefits, paying them as much as $5,000 annually for declining coverage. In one of the costliest examples, Clark Township Council President William Smith and Councilman Steven Hund received benefits for years, totaling more than $522,000 in premiums, according to township records, though officials now acknowledge they were ineligible. Hund accepted coverage even as he worked as a vice president at an insurance company that sells health plans. Neither Hund nor Smith, an executive at a mattress supply company, responded to requests for comment. It is outrageous that elected officials would exploit the system while many of their constituents struggle to afford even basic health insurance, said Maura Collinsgru, director of policy and advocacy at New Jersey Citizen Action. The kind of message that it sends to taxpayers is the wrong one, said Collinsgru, whose group supports equitable access to health care. It sends the message that if you know the right people or are well connected, youll get preferential treatment. In Long Beach Township, Commissioner Joseph Lattanzi received coverage for himself and his family that, over the past nine years, cost taxpayers more than $243,500, including $34,135 in 2023, according to township records. His day job? He is a practicing physician, as is his wife. Lattanzi took office in December 2011, 18 months after the states rules took effect. He earns just over $14,000 as one of three commissioners, though the Ocean County township of 3,200 claims them as full-time employees in budget documents. Lattanzi did not respond to several requests for comment. Mayor Joseph Mancini, the head of the board, and Business Administrator Kyle Ominski also did not respond to inquiries. More than 100 of New Jerseys 564 municipalities provide health coverage to at least some of their elected officials, according to local budgets compiled by the state Department of Community Affairs. Of those, NJ Advance Media found 67 that participate in the state health program, with the rest purchasing insurance on the private market, where the 2010 rules dont apply. For this investigation, NJ Advance Media set out to identify every SHBP community that has provided post-2010 officials with health insurance or payments for declining it in the past decade. That was done through public records requests to the 67 municipalities, which sought a financial accounting of the benefits they paid since 2014, as well as the elected officials salaries and the dates they had taken office. The records revealed 12 communities had furnished benefits to officials who fall under the full-time work rules nearly one in five municipalities in the group. And that accounting was incomplete because some towns said they could not produce a full 10 years of records, and two refused to provide responsive documents: Bay Head and the city of Passaic. Reporters sought comment from each official and every municipality identified, though most did not respond or declined to discuss the issue. Several denied wrongdoing or said the benefits were mistakenly granted and rescinded once the error was realized. SHBP is often described as the gold standard of insurance coverage in New Jersey, making it one of the big selling points of government jobs. And for officials like Lattanzi, Smith and Hund, those benefits come at a cut-rate cost that is a fraction of what a typical police officer, firefighter or public works crew has to shoulder for the same insurance, given the way premiums are calculated. Thats because employee contributions are set on a sliding scale based on their salaries, with the highest earners responsible for as much as 35% of their premiums. Those workers would pay more than $12,000 for the coverage Lattanzi received this year. By comparison, because of his low commissioners salary, township records show Lattanzi paid just $1,055 or less than a tenth of that. Is the above chart not displaying? Click here. Even before the 2010 law, benefits for elected officials were controversial. Supporters say they reward public service at a time when it is under attack from all shades of the political spectrum. Critics say they are an unnecessary expense that rewards officials with clout while other part-time municipal workers are left to fend for themselves. To me, it was like, Do as I say, but not as I do, said Tucker Kelley, a former Rockaway Township councilman who has long been outspoken on the issue. He calls the benefits a kick in the ass to the taxpayers because most taxpayers dont even know. That means there are few eyes on whether the coverage is being properly awarded, since the state leaves it largely up to municipalities to police themselves, with each community responsible for determining whether its officials satisfy the criteria to receive insurance. The Division of Pension and Benefits, which oversees the state health program, said it does not track which local elected officials are covered. Local governments are charged with ensuring their employees are properly classified, the agency said. The division takes allegations of disingenuous attempts to obtain benefits very seriously and investigates every allegation brought to its attention to the fullest extent of its authority, spokeswoman Danielle Currie said in a prepared statement. Under the law, any person who knowingly obtains, or attempts or conspires to obtain, coverage or benefits under SHBP for themselves or another while knowing they are ineligible, is guilty of a fourth-degree crime. In announcing public corruption charges in the Wildwood case, state prosecutors said the matter was referred to them by the pension and benefits division. Wildwoods then-Mayor Pete Byron, former Mayor Ernest Troiano Jr., and City Commissioner Steve Mikulski are accused of submitting false timesheets to justify their benefits, though they allegedly worked no set schedule and didnt put in 35 hours a week. Attorney General Matthew Platkin described the allegations as egregious breaches of the public trust. The defense contends the men were entitled to the coverage, with an elected officials duties different than a 9-to-5 job. They call the charges, which remain unresolved, an overreach. Nor did the indictments resonate at the polls last month, with voters electing Mikulski to another term and returning Troiano to the board, according to unofficial results. Byron resigned from office in September, weeks after being sentenced to probation in an unrelated federal tax fraud case. He did not respond to phone messages. Troianos attorney, Brian Pelloni, declined to comment. Mikulskis lawyer, David Stefankiewicz, did not return a phone call. Limits to the law The scope of the 2010 statute was limited. It didnt address towns with private insurance, which are permitted to offer benefits to their elected officials regardless of the hours worked. The law also grandfathered in officials already signed up for the states plan, allowing them to keep coverage even if they arent putting in 35-hour weeks. That sets up a scenario seen in dozens of SHBP communities, in which veteran council members lawfully receive insurance while more junior members are barred from it. Since 2015, five of Clark Townships seven council members have accepted coverage from the Union County suburb of 15,000 people. Three Angel Albanese, Brian Toal and Patrick OConnor have long served on the board and are grandfathered from the states requirements. But Smith was seated in 2013 and Hund in 2015, after the rules took effect. Still, records show the township provided them with insurance each year into 2022. Mayor Sal Bonaccorso said that once the township realized they were ineligible, it withdrew their benefits. He said they signed on during the tenure of a former business administrator, with his replacement learning of the requirements while doing a seminar or something. The prior BA, I guess, didnt know that rule change, Bonaccorso said. Because sometimes we dont get notification on everything, believe it or not. Bonaccorso said the township had not asked Hund or Smith to pay back the money that went toward their premiums. Number one, I wouldnt think its their fault if they didnt know. How would they know? Bonaccorso said. And two, it was stopped immediately. A six-term mayor who is a landscaper by profession, Bonaccorso also receives coverage through the township as a grandfathered official. That permits his wife, Geraldine, to decline insurance at her job at the Clark Public School District, which has paid her nearly $38,000 since 2014 for waiving those benefits, according to district records. Bonaccorso said there was no reason to criticize that arrangement, which he said was not unusual. Thats the law, Bonaccorso said. Im sure, I know for a fact, theres elected officials throughout Union County whose wives work in school districts and probably are looking at the same thing were looking at. Bonaccorso declined to name them. (Bonaccorso was interviewed in October, six weeks before state prosecutors filed public corruption charges that accused him of using township employees and equipment to benefit his business, and with falsifying permitting applications for work his company performed. He has vowed to fight the allegations, with his attorney calling them faulty and incorrect.) The AG is investigating this In Montclair, the scandal started with a whistleblower who questioned whether her bosses were putting in the hours they claimed. In a civil suit filed in October 2022, Chief Financial Officer Padmaja Rao charged she was sidelined and retaliated against after she raised concerns about whether the townships mayor and council members were eligible for insurance after Montclair joined SHBP in 2017. In that time, Montclair paid nearly $454,000 in benefits to five current and three now-former elected officials who were seated after 2010, financial records obtained by NJ Advance Media show. Rao charges those members were ineligible for coverage but took benefits anyway in two ways: Some signed up for insurance, though they allegedly didnt work full-time hours. Others accepted as much as $5,000 a year for declining that coverage. The township has denied wrongdoing, but the allegations brought embarrassing attention to its high-powered board, whose members who accepted benefits include a media executive, a corporate lobbyist and a managing partner of a national law firm. Council members and the mayor earn just $10,000 a year in Montclair. By contrast, Spillers salary as head of the states teachers union was more than $291,000 in 2021, according to tax filings. In the end, it boils down to greed, charged one of Raos lawyers, Nancy Erika Smith. Its got to be, Smith said. I mean, the president of the NJEA is well compensated. Smith said the state Attorney Generals Office has subpoenaed township records related to the coverage as part of a criminal probe. The AG is investigating this, and they indicted Wildwood, Smith said. The Attorney Generals Office declined to comment, saying it does not confirm or deny investigations. In a recent legal filing in the civil case, a lawyer for Spiller cited that parallel criminal investigation and said he may advise his client to refuse to testify in the lawsuit, given his right against self-incrimination. Is the above chart not displaying? Click here. Records show Spiller received nearly $28,000 in payments for turning down health coverage. He also signed up for dental insurance through the township, with records showing $21,800 in premiums over four years. In a brief interview, Spiller said he did not accept health benefits and would not answer additional questions. Given that I have health benefits, I declined to take them, Spiller said. Anything else, the town attorney has to figure out. And I know the town is working on it. Interim Township Attorney Paul Burr did not respond to requests for comment. Interim Township Manager Michael Lapolla said Montclair no longer provides benefits to its elected officials, but he did not respond to follow-up inquiries. Spillers personal attorney, Frank Arleo, did not return a phone call. One former council member, Peter Yacobellis, said the Attorney Generals Office issued the subpoena last fall and that he has retained a lawyer given the probe. Im not concerned for myself, though I am concerned for some others, Yacobellis said. Yacobellis, who received more than $4,900 worth of health care premiums and opt-out payments, resigned in October to move to Washington state. He expressed frustration the township didnt make the full-time rules clear to him when he took office in July 2020, though he said he did work 35 hours a week on council. Former Montclair Mayor Robert Jackson said he is confident he met the hours requirement as well, though his day job is as Essex County administrator. Jackson, who served as mayor from 2012 to July 2020, said he was able to devote full-time hours to both positions by allotting nights and weekends to the township and workdays to the county. To me, I knew I was putting in 35 hours, said Jackson, who received nearly $7,200 for waiving insurance, according to financial records. Other council members who took benefits or money instead of them either declined comment or did not respond, including Robin Schlager, William Hurlock, Lori Price Abrams, David Cummings and former councilman Richard McMahon. Raos suit, which makes other claims of impropriety, is pending in state Superior Court in Newark. Judge Stephen Petrillo has chastised the townships lawyers for seeking to close proceedings to the public and has also raised the specter of potential criminal liability in the alleged fraud. The township stopped the coverage late last year, and the council voted in April to fire Township Manager Tim Stafford, whom Rao accused of retaliation and workplace hostility toward women after she voiced her concerns. In the suit, Rao said she learned of the full-time work requirement after the township decided to switch from a private insurer to the SHBP. Rao wanted elected officials to sign certifications that they worked at least 35 hours a week, but the suit said Stafford told her it was sufficient that they had assured him verbally. In April 2021, the townships auditor also questioned the officials eligibility, the suit said, and later suggested they turn in timesheets demonstrating their hours. Stafford again resisted, according to the suit, insisting that certifications would be sufficient, and all but one of the seven council members certified their compliance for the previous year. In spring 2022, the mayor and six council members were again asked to submit certifications for the prior year, the suit said. Only two signed and returned them, and one later backtracked and rescinded it, the suit said. Raos lawyer mocked the certifications, given the pay council members and the mayor earn. If these people claimed that they worked full time, for $10,000 a year, they have the best wage-and-hour claim that Ive ever seen, Smith said. Stafford and his lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. A $7k salary, but full benefits In other cases, the coverage continues to cost taxpayers. For decades and across administrations, Bridgewater said it has provided health insurance to its elected officials. That continued in 2022 when the Somerset County township switched to SHBP after a private carrier hiked its rates. Council President Michael Kirsh and members Timothy Ring and Filipe Pedroso were all seated after the 2010 law. But they still received benefits after the township entered the state plan, at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $133,000 combined. Township budgets for the past eight years list council members as part-time employees, and they earned just $7,000 a year, though Kirsh receives an additional $1,000 as council president. In two written statements, Bridgewater denied the coverage was improperly granted, but did not directly address whether the three work 35 hours a week though Deputy Administrator Wells Winegar highlighted a different budget document that labeled council positions as full time. Wells also noted the township is leaving SHBP at the end of 2023 to re-enroll in a private plan that saved money. This action effectively renders any confusion on this issue moot, Winegar wrote. Ring and Kirsh declined to comment. Pedroso did not respond to requests for comment. Other towns that recently joined SHBP also continue to cover post-2010 officials, including: Old Bridge in Middlesex County, where the township will pay nearly $73,000 in premiums in 2023 to insure Mayor Owen Henry and Council members Tony Paskitti and Jill DeCaro. Maple Shade in Burlington County, where Councilman Nelson Wiest received coverage worth more than $28,000 this year, though he was seated in 2013. Roselle in Union County, where Councilman John Fortuna received state coverage worth nearly $37,000 since the borough switched to the state plan in November 2020. Five other council members President Brandon Bernier, Cynthia Johnson, Denise Wilkerson, Richard Villeda and Cindy Thomas accepted nearly $58,000 in payments combined for declining benefits. Henry, a Republican elected to the state Senate on Nov. 7, did not return requests for comment. Neither did Paskitti or DeCaro, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran to be Henrys replacement as mayor. In the other communities, Wiest, Fortuna, Bernier, Villeda and Thomas did not respond. Wilkerson declined to comment. Maple Shade Administrator Susan Danson declined to comment, and administration officials in Old Bridge and Roselle did not respond. An attorney for Johnson, Patrick Toscano, said she has never violated any state statute at any time dealing with the SHBP. As with any benefit, municipalities need to have checks in place to ensure they only provide health insurance to officials who warrant it, said Paul Muir, president of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors. He said he hopes the Wildwood case causes municipalities to review whether they are meeting their requirements. Muir is the mayor of Bethlehem Township in Hunterdon County, a member of the SHBP that does not provide coverage to its officials. He said those benefits must be balanced with the expense they place on taxpayers, and at minimum must be reserved only for full-time employees. Any and all elected officials should understand the tax burden to their residents and whether they can absorb additional health insurance costs, Muir said. But [then] again, the basis is youre trying to find the best people to step forward. A costly but inadvertent mistake For Avalon, it was an uh-oh moment. For years, the Cape May County borough of 1,200 has offered health insurance to its elected officials, an option presented as they filled out paperwork as they assumed office. But in June 2022, state prosecutors announced the charges in Wildwood. Reading about them in The Press of Atlantic City, Avalon officials realized they had a problem. Among those receiving insurance in Avalon were Borough Council members John McCorristin, Sam Wierman and Barbara Juzaitis, all of whom, like the Wildwood officials, were seated after 2010. I would characterize it as a complete surprise, said James Waldron, Avalons assistant business administrator. The borough conducted an internal audit and concluded the three members were improperly receiving benefits. In a July 2022 memo marked confidential, borough officials called it inappropriate and inadvertent and cited confusion over the laws requirements. Juzaitis took office in 2018 and Wierman in 2019, with their benefits totaling more than $220,000. McCorristin was seated in 2013, but borough financial records went back only through 2017. His benefits in that time cost taxpayers over $122,000. As soon as it was brought to everyones attention, we kind of said, Oh, yeah, this is not what we want to be doing. Avalon Councilman Sam Wierman All three officials are no longer covered through the borough, though they remained on its plan until February as they secured their own coverage. McCorristin, now the boroughs mayor, said losing town insurance came at an inopportune time: He had just finished battling a serious health problem. But he said he accepts an error was made and had to be corrected. So no hard feelings, said McCorristin, a builder by profession. I love the island, and whatever it is, thats the way it is going to be. I look out for the town. Wierman, who works in the property insurance industry, said no one intended to break the rules. As soon as it was brought to everyones attention, we kind of said, Oh, yeah, this is not what we want to be doing, Wierman said. Juzaitis did not return a phone call seeking comment. Waldron said Avalon had an attorney review whether the three needed to reimburse the money. That was unnecessary because they were unaware of the requirements and were innocent participants, Waldron said the lawyer concluded. They didnt have any advance knowledge or any reason to know, Waldron said. The borough offered it; they accepted it. Waldron expressed surprise that the practice continues in other towns. Whats the saying? The buck stops here, Waldron said. We found the problem, and we corrected the problem. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com In Pennsylvania, hunting is a 24/7, 365-day activity. In other words, on any given day or night its legal to shoot one wild animal or another, depending on the species, the location and type of weapon. But no time of year is bigger than rifle deer season when hundreds of thousands of hunters head into the fields and forests across the state in search of their trophy buck. Theres always something in season, said Travis Lau, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. And coyotes for instance can be hunted year round, day or night, including on all Sundays. What about the many non-hunters in the commonwealth who want to go hiking or biking, bird watching or geocaching, in the great outdoors without fearing for their lives? There is some anxiety, said Sarah Corcoran, deputy director of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club, which has 30,000 outdoors-loving members. The popular rifle deer season runs through Dec. 9, but there are extended hunting seasons for antlerless deer, in deer management areas and extended archery and flintlock seasons that continue in certain regions until January 27. There are 1.5 million acres of state game lands where licensed hunters can hunt any number of species of animal and hunting is allowed in all 20 state forests and in designated areas in 100 of 124 state parks. Then there are conservancy lands and private property that hunters may be using that may not be marked. While there is some information on Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website, non-hunters say the state lacks a good database with all public land where hunting is permitted. That lack of access to mapping has many hikers and other non-hunting outdoors people on edge, especially when its difficult to tell where hunting areas begin and end. I find it difficult myself to know what are game lands and not, hunting in some state parks but not others, said Harris Toser, 57, of Harrisburg, a hike leader for the Meet Up group, Day Hikers of Central PA, for about seven years. Theres no hunting on the Appalachian Trail but its a very thin strip and you can go right through game lands and not know. Toser, who went to Maryland to hike to avoid the first day of hunting season in Pennsylvania, thinks theres an opportunity for someone to develop an app that would help hunters and non-hunters alike better navigate the boundaries in the state. We need a better resources, said Toser. At any given time theres hunting. It could be archery or small game, but it could be easier to go outdoors safely and [creating a searchable database] could an app developers dream. A DCNR spokesman said non-hunters should be able to determine where its safe to hike in state parks. We have designated areas for hunting in state parks that are clearly marked, so it is less about having areas set aside for non-hunters and more about having designated areas for hunters inside of the parks, said DCNR spokesman Wesley Robinson. In 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf approved a bill to allow limited Sunday hunting three times a year. There is legislation proposed to allow hunting seven days a week a move the Sierra Club and other outdoors and animal welfare groups oppose but so far that bill has not gained traction in the General Assembly. Many people do not feel safe while on the trail during hunting season even though there are precautions that can be made, and knowing that there is one day a week free from hunting gives peace of mind, said Corcoran. The good news for hikers this year? The remaining Sundays of 2023 will be deer-hunting free. Lau said while it might seem there is potential for hazardous encounters between hunters and non-hunters, the reality is that incidents are rare. All in all, non-hunters wouldnt seem to assume any more risk than hunters using the same lands, and accidents of any kind are few, he said. Tips for enjoying the outdoors safely during the most active hunting seasons: - Do your research. Be aware of state park, state forest and gameland boundaries. - Wear bright colors, or better yet, fluorescent orange. - Hike or bike in groups. - Plan activities for midday rather than dawn or dusk when most hunters are out. - Consider walking trails in city, township or other local parks where hunting is not allowed. An estimated 12,000 Laois families are entitled to double Child Benefit payments from the start of the December according to the Department of Social Protection. The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, confirmed 650,000 families nationwide will receive the payments to help with the cost of living crisis. It means 280 per child will be paid towards 1.2 million children under the age of 16 across Ireland, including 22,531 children in Laois. Minister Humphreys said: "I am very conscious of the pressure families are under particularly in the run up to Christmas. Child Benefit is one of the few tools within the Department of Social Protection that I can use to support working families. "I know from my days working in the Credit Union how much families depend on the monthly Child Benefit payment and I am delighted to announce details of this double payment today which will support hundreds of thousands of hardworking families across the country." Over 172,000 families in Dublin will receive the double payment (309,397 children), as well as 9,001 Carlow families (16,648 children), 35,183 families in Kildare (64,933 children), 11,697 families in Kilkenny (22,574 children), and many more (full list below). The minister also announced details of the Christmas Bonus - which will be paid to approximately 1.3 million people this week including pensioners, carers and people with disabilities - at a cost of over 320 million. People will receive their Christmas Bonus on the same day that they usually receive their weekly primary payment. Announcing the Christmas Bonus details, Minister Humphreys said: "Christmas is a very special time of the year, but it can be an expensive period for individuals and families. "I am pleased to announce the details of the Christmas Bonus Payments today. Over 1.3 million people will benefit including our pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, and lone parents. "The Christmas Bonus is a vital support, particularly for our senior citizens. People will receive their Bonus payment on the same day that they usually receive their weekly pension or other primary payment. "As always, I would encourage people, where possible, to shop locally in the run-up to Christmas this year." The full Double Child Benefit breakdown is as follows: Laois workers face the longest average commutes for work of their counterparts in an other county according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office. That's what's revealed in the latest set of data from the the Central Statistics Office from Census 2022 which focuses on Employment, Occupations and Commuting. The CSO has found that there were almost 71,500 people living in the county in April 2022 aged 15 and over and of these almost 40,000 people were at work. This was an increase of 19% (from the more than 33,500 people recorded as working in Census 2016). Nationally there were 2.3 million people at work in April 2022, which was up by 16%. Almost 3,900 people were unemployed in the county in April 2022. This was considerably lower than the 2016 figure of almost 6,100 people (a decrease of 36%). The unemployment rate was 9% compared with 15% in 2016. Nationally there were almost 211,000 people unemployed compared with over 297,000 in Census 2016. The unemployment rate was 8% in 2022 compared with 13% in 2016. There were more than 9,700 retired people in Laois, up 20% since Census 2016. There was a 27% increase in the number of people who were unable to work due to permanent sickness or disability to 3,766 people. The number of people looking after their home/family fell by 6% to almost 5,700. The labour force participation rate was 61% in Laois which was the same as the figure nationally. Among females the rate was 55% while for males it was 68%. Nationally the trend was similar at 56% for female labour force participation and 67% for males. Most people in work in Laois were in full-time employment, with more than 30,100 people in this category, compared with almost 5,700 who were working part-time. The wholesale and retail trade sector accounted for the largest number of workers in the county at almost 5,600. Human Health and Social Work Activities was the next largest, with just over 4,900 workers followed by Education with almost 3,700 workers. A new question was included in Census 2022 asking people whether they ever worked from home and if so, for how many days per week. There were almost 40,000 people at work in Laois in April 2022. Of these, over 25,600 never worked from home while almost 10,100 people worked from home at least some of the time. Of those working from home, more than 2,100 people did so for five days per week, with 1,786 doing so for two days and 1,767 for one day each week. There were 36,189 people travelling to work in the county in April 2022. The majority of these drove to work, with 23,944 people driving to work by car in 2022. There were 818 people travelling by train and 579 by bus. Looking at active travel, 2,073 people walked to work, up from 1,883 in 2016, while 367 people cycled, an increase of 121 people since 2016. Commuters in the county were travelling for longer in April 2022, with an average journey time of 32.3 minutes compared with 31.9 minutes in 2016. Nationally, the average journey time increased from 28.2 minutes to 29.1 minutes between 2016 and 2022. There were 8,575 Laois commuters who had a journey time of less than 15 minutes, while 9,096 people had a journey time of 15 to 30 minutes. A further 6,221 people had a journey time of 60 minutes and over. Commuters in the county were travelling for an average distance of 25.3km, the longest in the country. The average distance nationally was 16.8km. In Laois, nearly 3,200 children aged under 5 travelled to childcare or school. Most of these (over 2,500) travelled by car, while 393 walked and 55 went by bus. MORE BELOW GRAPHIC. Most of the 11,553 primary school aged children (5 to 12 years old) travelling to school in the county in April 2022 also travelled by car, with 7,455 doing so. Walking was the second most common means of travel at 1,513 children. A further 1,323 children used a bus while 211 children cycled. Primary school children in Portlaoise had an average journey time of 17 minutes, the third longest nationally (among towns with more than 1,500 residents). The average time for primary school children nationally was 12.2 minutes. Of the 7,972 secondary students (those aged 13-18 years) travelling to school, 3,776 were driven to school in a car, while 125 drove themselves to school. There were 2,205 students using a bus, and 88 using the train. A further 1,181 students walked to school while 172 cycled. For the 2,883 third-level students commuting, driving was the most popular means of travel, at 872 people. in total 472 students used a bus, while 467 walked. Another 345 students travelled by train, DART or Luas while 33 cycled. The census took place on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Most of the statistics in this publication are reported on a usually resident and present basis and, unless stated otherwise, exclude visitors and people absent abroad on the night of the census. An independent business in County Laois was honoured with a National award last weekend when Nook & Cranny Gift Store was named National Lifestyle Store of The Year 2023 at the AIBMS Retail Excellence Ireland Awards. The awards ceremony is the biggest event of the year in the Irish Retail calendar and was hosted in the Galmont Hotel in Galway. It was attended by almost 600 retail industry executives and is widely seen as the event which celebrates the very best in Irish retail, where outstanding achievements in the retail sector are recognised. Retail Excellence Ireland stated that As Lifestyle Store of the Year, Nook and Cranny exemplifies excellence in bringing style, comfort, and uniqueness to every aspect of life. Ladonna McCartan - Owner Nook and Cranny Gift Store The judging panel described Nook & Cranny as an acclaimed and inviting lifestyle store renowned for its charming and refreshingly unique selection of gift items, nestled on Portlaoise's Main Street and said that visiting Nook and Cranny is a heartwarming experience, with its warm and welcoming atmosphere.making it a truly unique and memorable shopping destination. Speaking at the events ceremony, owner Ladonna McCartan said: Initially, we were absolutely honoured to be listed as a Top 30 store in Ireland and thereby invited these glitzy awards! It meant that our store is included alongside so many other great stores around the country. But then, to have Nook and Cranny named as the National Lifestyle Store of The Year category 2023 sure, were on top of the world to bring that one back to Portlaoise with us! She continued that this is a wonderful award for our business which has been looking after customers on Portlaoise Main Street & beyond for over 8 years now. The award is a direct reflection of our team and their absolute dedication to Nook and Cranny. It recognises our customers that return time and again because they love to find a gift thats a little out of the ordinary. Ladonna and Mark Healy - In Attendance at REI 2023 Awards Event These wonderful customers also value their community & having their main street filled with an array of independent stores in our gorgeous town. And the celebrations continue instore for the entire month of November, where customers are invited to enjoy a glass of chilled bubbly as well as enter into a draw to win a beautiful tray framed piece of art entitled Colour by Irish Artist Rita Oates. Ladonna says that Being an independent retailer has brought so much colour to our lives through joy, purpose, laughter and many of life's moments that we share with the people we meet every single day. Im talking about our customers, supply partners, colleagues in business, local courier, local electrician, local painter, local sign company, local plumber. Its because of this supportive tribe, that we feel so extremely privileged to be able to come to work each day to do what we love and to hopefully in turn share even more colour in the process. As always, the paint strokes of this particular artists wonderful piece are the perfect reflection of how we view the people who share our path. We hope the lucky winner of this gift from us all at Nook and Cranny Gift Store enjoys the piece and its warm sentiment as much as we do. Mark Healy, Ladonna McCartan, Hector, Lorretta Dunne - REI Awards 2023 The winner of our draw was Miriam Craven, who won our Colour framed Irish print over the week-end. *Sponsored Content A Naas District Court judge told the gardai and a solicitor about a court case that 'haunts' him. Judge Desmond Zaidan made the comments during a contested bail application heard in the court on Thursday, November 23 last. The court session was held in-camera (in private), as the defendant was accused of committing three breaches of a 'full' barring order previously granted by the judge. A garda who was sworn in objected to bail being granted to the accused, while defending solicitor took issue with the lack of any documents showing the nature of the barring order. The garda said that while the order was not present before the court, it was logged in the gardais official I.T. system. When Mr Powderly put to the garda a number of conditions his client was willing to abide by, the garda said that none of the suggested conditions would alleviate his concerns. Garda Sergeant David Hanrahan also told the judge: "The court is being asked to accept the word of a man who is subject to a full barring order not an interim one; a full barring order." After hearing the points from both sides, the judge noted that he has 'probably only ever granted' ten full barring orders in his years as a judge. He pointed to one alleged domestic violence case he presided over where a man was accused of stabbing his wife in the arm, severing a main artery. "It will always haunt me," he said: "I granted a full barring order and refused him bail. "He was placed in custody for a total of 11 months. "Then, it came out that her best friend had actually stabbed her; she was then put on trial and sentenced to two years in prison, but on appeal, the conviction was overturned." Judge Zaidan added: "That will always be with me until the day I die, so anytime I grant a (full) barring order, its for a good reason." After consideration, he ultimately decided that he was satisfied with the States concerns, and refused the defendant bail. A woman who made a false statement to gardai alleging sexual impropriety had made an appearance at Naas District Court. The woman, aged in her early 20s and from west Wicklow, is being prosecuted for making a false statement in May 2022. Sgt Dave Hanrahan told the court that the women did not make the complaint against a specific person. The sergeant said that the woman complained she was confronted by a man with a knife. He said she subsequently admitted that she made a false report and this happened in February. He added she made a statement of admission straight away. Defending solicitor David Gibbons said there was no danger of anyone being convicted because nobody was identified. He said the defendant suffers with poor mental health. He added that her parents put pressure on her to continue with a college course she did not want to pursue. She is horrified over what happened and she is in a much better place now, added Mr Gibbons. The defendant is now taking a course shes interested in. Mr Gibbons said he would have a medical report for a future hearing. Mr Gibbons added another person would have stated they did not want to follow the course but she handled it in a completely different way. He added: It was very bad judgement. Questioned by Judge Desmond Zaidan, Sgt Hanrahan said statements were taken from people who were in the area at the time which led gardai to believe it didnt happen. Nobody was arrested, he said, and the people who were spoken to were interviewed as potential witnesses. The defendant was remanded on continuing bail. Irish teenagers have been ranked second for reading skills in a major global study comparing education standards in 81 countries. Ireland was also in the top 15 for maths and science in the latest results published by the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa). An initiative of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), the Pisa study measures the ability of 15-year-olds to use reading, maths and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. First run in 2000, the latest Pisa was conducted in 2022 and involved representative samples across the 81 participating countries of around 690,000 students. The results were representative of the 29 million 15-year-olds who live in those countries. In Ireland, 5,569 students in 170 schools participated. They scored above the OECD average in the three areas examined. In reading, Ireland rose to second in the global table, from eighth in 2018, even though its mean score of 516 was down by two on the previous assessment. In science, the mean score for Irish teenagers was 504, up by eight points on 2018 a result that saw Ireland ranked 12th in the overall standings, up from 22nd four years previously. In maths, the mean score was down by eight points to 492, but Irelands overall global ranking improved from 21st to 11th. Irish education minister Norma Foley described the results as extremely positive. Speaking to reporters at the Department of Education on Tuesday, Ms Foley said: Given that we have just come through Covid, it shows the remarkable resilience of our school communities particularly the great leadership of our teaching staff and indeed the students themselves who showed such focus and determination. Ms Foley said a range of measures were being taken to achieve greater gender equality, after the results found that female students significantly outperformed their male counterparts in reading literacy, while male students had significantly higher mean scores than female students in mathematics. Irelands rise up the rankings, despite recording slightly lower scores in two categories, can be explained by what the OECD said was an unprecedented drop in performance among many other countries. So while Ireland performed relatively well compared with other nations, the picture is more mixed when the results are placed beside previous assessments. In science, performance returned close to that recorded in 2015, but remained below the high mark set in 2012. In reading, the overall trend since 2012 has been flat, neither improving nor declining significantly. In maths, mean performance in 2022 was below that of any assessment since 2012. Singapore topped all three categories in the 2022 assessment, which was delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ireland outperformed countries like the UK in all three areas tested. In 2018, the UK scored higher than Ireland in science and maths. Compared with 2018, mean performance across OECD member countries fell by 10 points in reading and almost 15 points in maths. The drop in maths was almost three times the size of any previous change between assessments. The study highlighted particularly significant downturns for countries such as Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland, which all saw a drop of 25 points or more in maths between 2018 and 2022. While Covid-19 has been cited as one potential factor, the OECD said it was not just about the pandemic and longer term issues with education systems were also having an effect. CPT Group, Inc. Welcomes Darin Zabriskie as Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CPT Group, Inc., a leading provider of third-party legal administration solutions, is pleased to announce the rehiring of Darin Zabriskie as its new Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. This decision signifies our dedication to acknowledging and re-engaging outstanding personnel within our industry. Mr. Zabriskie is a multifaceted professional with extensive expertise in the banking and class action industries. His reputation for excellence in business development, client relationship management, settlement administration, leadership, and consultative approach make him a valuable addition to our team. Since 2019, Mr. Zabriskie successfully managed a nationwide network of client relationships and marketing-related events at Western Alliance Bank. He worked collaboratively with internal teams on disbursement strategies and product development while excelling in acquiring new clients and business partners. Notably, Mr. Zabriskie's achievements included exceeding quotas by 200% and spearheading deposit growth of over $2.3 billion by year two. Having worked in the legal services industry for over 14 years, Mr. Zabriskie's knowledge of claims administration, complex settlements, and financial services perfectly aligns with our company's strategic objectives. Using his experience in class action settlement services, mass torts, regulatory remediation, and now banking, escrow, and digital payments will undoubtedly strengthen our capabilities in the settlement services sector. "While at Western Alliance these past four years, CPT and Darin maintained a business relationship, and it was a natural choice for Darin to rejoin our team. We are delighted to have him return," stated Henry Arjad, CEO of CPT Group. "His capabilities, wealth of experience, and demonstrated history of success make him an indispensable asset to our organization. We are confident that Darin will significantly enhance our ability to deliver outstanding results for his clients. Darin's return to CPT marks an exciting chapter in our commitment to providing and expanding top-tier legal administration support services." Zabriskie's responsibilities will include initiating, identifying, and cultivating strategic partnerships that promote business growth, expand market presence, and generate value for CPT's stakeholders. He will broaden relationships with existing and new clients. He will collaborate with the executive team to develop and execute business strategies that align with the company's long-term goals and vision. "I am honored to rejoin CPT, a company renowned for its commitment to delivering exceptional client support services," said Darin Zabriskie. "I am excited about the opportunity to work alongside the talented employees at CPT and contribute to the company's growth and success. Together, we will drive financial performance and unlock new opportunities for sustainable expansion." About CPT Group, Inc. CPT Group, Inc. ("CPT"), founded in 1984, is a leading provider of notice and class action administration services and appointed as the third-party administrator by all major courts. Throughout its history, CPT has disbursed billions of dollars in settlement funds and serviced tens of millions of class members while administrating approximately 5,000 cases. CPT offers a wide range of administrative services for developing, managing, and executing all stages of integrated notice plans and settlements. This includes pre-certification and discovery mailings, class-certification mailings, claims processing and administration, data management, data reporting, qualified settlement fund administration, legal notice campaigns, website design, and web hosting. For more information, please visit www.cptgroup.com. CONTACT: Randi Martz, [email protected] SOURCE CPT Group, Inc. 4 december 2023 at 17:20 News published onand distributed by: It took 25 long years, but on Friday, 52-year-old Xie Kefeng was finally reunited with his son, who had been snatched from his parents as an infant. The power of technology, specifically a facial comparison algorithm that takes age-related changes and family similarities into account, played a major role in bringing about the happy outcome. In 1998, Xie and his wife lived in Xingtai, Hebei province, where they ran a small business. A few days before the Spring Festival that year, Xie's wife stepped out of home to buy groceries, leaving their three-month-old second son, Xie Qingshuai, on the bed with the door unlocked. When she returned a mere 10 minutes later, the child had disappeared. The couple reported the incident to the police and mobilized relatives and friends for a search that extended to Beijing, Tianjin and Henan province, and then to other provinces and cities, but the child could not be found. As there were no photographs of the baby, artists' impressions were used on the notices announcing the abduction. Xie Kefeng kept up his own search, spending almost all his savings in the process. Though they tried to move on with their lives, the abduction hit the couple hard. The boy's mother slipped into depression, and remained on medication for almost 10 years. All the while the couple kept working and searching, hoping to provide their son with a better life if and when he returned. "I always believed that he was still alive and I will eventually find him," said Xie Kefeng. In late November this year, Xie Kefeng received a call from the police informing him that a facial comparison had led to Xie Qingshuai being found. A DNA comparison confirmed that it was indeed his long-lost son. Two people had been involved in the abduction. One was dead, the other was taken into custody by the police. An intermediary who sold the baby was also apprehended. Xie Qingshuai, who now works in Chengdu, Sichuan province, was reunited with his father, mother and older brother on Friday, and met his two sisters for the first-time. Unknown to his family, he had been sold to a couple who lived in Handan, another city in Hebei. After the man he knew as his father died, his wife remarried and moved away, leaving Xie Qingshuai to be brought up by his "adoptive "grandparents. On Sunday, Beijing DeepGlint Technology Co, an artificial intelligence technology company, announced on its official Sina Weibo social media account that a facial comparison algorithm developed by it had played a vital role in the reunion. In an accompanying video, the company explained that most abducted children are separated from their families at a young age, and their appearances undergo significant changes as time passes, posing a challenge to police investigations. Based on the principle that facial features among relatives tend to be similar, the company's algorithm can identify highly relevant potential matches, significantly improving the efficiency of the search process. The company said it used photos of both parents and the boy's older brother to help the facial comparison algorithm narrow the search down to five possibilities. It said that Xie Qingshuai was the fourth abducted person it had helped the police locate in the past six months. Shen Junliang, a father who was reunited with his abducted son in 2020 after 15 years of searching, said on Weibo on Saturday that facial recognition technology was of great assistance in the search for missing children offering hope to many families. The Ministry of Public Security's Criminal Investigation Bureau said it wants to promote the use of technologies, including facial recognition technology, to combat child trafficking and help reunite abducted children with their biological parents. In 2009, the ministry established a national DNA database to combat child abduction and trafficking. In May 2016, it established the Emergency Information Release Platform for Missing Children, known as the "Reunion System". With a focus on the location where the child went missing, the system can disseminate related missing information to the public within a specific geographical range via 25 mobile applications and various new media channels. By July last year, the ministry had established 5,000 free blood collection points nationwide, aiming to facilitate timely blood collection for families needing a DNA match. yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On December 4, Bangkok Bank witnessed a significant milestone by issuing the group's first global green standby letter of credit (SBLC) to NETA Auto, according to a press release from the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker. The funds from this financing loan project will be channeled into the new energy vehicle industry, said NETA Auto. Photo credit: NETA Auto This collaboration in the issuance of the SBLC marks the initiation of a comprehensive partnership between NETA Auto and Bangkok Bank. In the coming phases, Bangkok Bank will extend a range of financial services to support NETA Auto's endeavors in the ASEAN market. These services include supply chain finance, automotive dealer financing, individual car loans, payment settlement, and exchange rate management. As Thailand's largest commercial bank in asset scale, Bangkok Bank plays a crucial role in supporting NETA Auto's global development. This new collaboration signifies NETA Auto's commitment to deepening its globalization strategy and actively expanding its corporate presence in Southeast Asia. In March 2022, NETA Auto established a subsidiary in Thailand, marking a strategic move into the Southeast Asian market. The company introduced its first right-hand drive model, NETA V, to the Thai market in August last year. On November 30 this year, its first right-hand drive model assembled at the factory in Thailand, the NETAV-II, officially rolled off the production line. Western Global Airlines Successfully Completes Financial Restructuring Company emerges from Chapter 11 with a strong financial foundation and less than $100 million of funded debt, positioned for long-term success. Reorganization efforts supported by all classes of voting creditors. Better positioned to meet customer needs with continued safe, effective, reliable service. ESTERO, Fla., Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Global Airlines ("WGA" or the "Company"), a US FAA 121 certified long-haul wide-body cargo airline with worldwide coverage, announced today that the Company has successfully completed its comprehensive financial restructuring. The Company's Plan of Reorganization (the "Plan") was confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware after receiving overwhelming support by all voting classes of creditors and the unanimous support of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors. Under the Plan, WGA has materially reduced its debt by more than $460 million and infused significant new capital into the Company, while preserving its seasoned workforce and long-term relationships with customers and suppliers. The Company is positioned for a strong and promising future as it leverages its unique and scalable platform. WGA will benefit from a greatly enhanced balance sheet, building on its extensive ten-year experience of safely and reliably operating large wide-body freighters to more than 400 airports in 135 countries on six continents. The Company has emerged with its entire pre-petition fleet of four 747-400 and fifteen MD-11 operational freighters intact, as well as two MD-11F's that have not yet been conformed, eleven part-out aircraft, and a large inventory of parts, materials, and tooling. Further, during the Chapter 11 process, the Company completed the overhaul of seven spare CF6-80C2 engines. With the exception of one leased airplane, all aircraft, engines, and spare parts are 100% owned by the reorganized WGA. Over the course of just 100 days, the Company restructured its debt through an in-court process. WGA continued to operate without disruption and implemented a cash award retention program for nearly its entire workforce during the process by drawing on $77.5 million of Debtor in Possession (DIP) financing provided by its owners, Jim and Sunny Neff, who also funded the equity and exit financing, and waived nearly $100 million of secured and unsecured prepetition debt held by them in order to provide recovery to all creditors. This cash consideration is a testament to the Company's effort to build consensus around its restructuring Plan, which it is proud to have achieved, and to establish a strong foundation going forward. "As the Founder and CEO of Western Global Airlines, my top priority has always been to preserve the long-term viability of our Company and protect our people. I am pleased our restructuring process has achieved that," said Jim Neff. "It continues to be a privilege to lead our team, especially as WGA has emerged stronger and ready to thrive again as it has historically done. As always, I am immensely grateful to our employees, customers, and partners for their enduring support as we navigated this process. I look forward to sharing the Company's successes with our loyal employees and for Western Global to continue to serve as a critical partner for our customers. We will continue our mission to connect people worldwide to the urgent necessities that are important to them?with steadfast and renewed focus and financial resources." At the Company's confirmation hearing, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Partner Candace Arthur, counsel for WGA, stated, "The debtors thank Jim and Sunny Neff for stepping up prepetition when extensive efforts failed to identify anyone else that would invest in the company to keep it out of liquidation. The debtors thank them for financing these Chapter 11 cases through a plan process despite it not being the easiest and most economic decision for them. The plan before the Court today is a gifting plan with multiple stakeholders receiving a recovery that they would, otherwise, not have. After today the debtors will also thank the owners for reinvesting with an equity check for the benefit of the reorganized company." The presiding judge, the Honorable Karen B. Owens, further commended the parties "for working together very productively to make these cases as smooth as one could imagine," later continuing, "I very much appreciate everyone's hard work to reach consensus." Her comments followed an affirmation from the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, whose legal representative called the Plan "highly favorable...[with] overwhelming support of all creditor classes." Ms. Arthur concluded the hearing by noting, "Western Global is better than it was...It is emerging stronger with significantly less debt, without...operational distractions...And it's poised to strive even in the face of an industry that continues to have significant headwinds." For more information about Western Global Airlines' Chapter 11 case, including terms of the transactions consummated in connection with the Company's emergence, please visit https://cases.stretto.com/WGA or call the Company's hotline at 844.500.8484 (for toll-free U.S. and Canada calls) or 949.522.9797 (for tolled international calls). The Company was represented by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Richards, Layton & Finger as legal counsel, Evercore as investment banker, and FTI Consulting as restructuring advisor. About WGA Headquartered in Estero, Florida, with an MRO in Shreveport, Louisiana, Western Global Airlines provides contracted air cargo transportation services ranging from ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) to Full Service, on a global scale. Western Global is the premier 21st century, high-tech air cargo platform serving customers in e-commerce, express, freight forwarding, logistics, nonprofit, and governmental organizations. In only 10 years, Western Global has become a leading, global logistics powerhouse, safely and reliably flying to over 400 airports in 135 countries on six continents on behalf of its diverse, blue chip, client base in the logistics industry. Media Inquiries: [email protected] SOURCE Western Global Airlines 4 december 2023 at 17:36 News published onand distributed by: Global Times: Night school boom reflects Chinese youth's pursuit of personal fulfillment, defying 'lying flat' narrative BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Working during the day and acquiring new skills at night is becoming a new way of life for young people in China. From dancing to vocal training, from traditional handicrafts, beauty, and fitness classes, to wine tasting and vlog filming, the list of possibilities for new learning experiences is seemingly limitless. These diverse options, cost-effectiveness, and highly qualified teachers have made "night school," a concept that used to carry a sense of nostalgia in China, popular once more, especially among China's younger generation. This trend first started in Shanghai. During the enrollment of the Citizen Night School for Arts for the autumn semester in September, more than 650,000 people competed for 10,000 course spots, causing the enrollment platform to crash. Then, in a short period of time, the night school trend spread across China. Night schools hold a special place in the memories of many Chinese people. From literacy classes after the establishment of the People's Republic of China to evening lectures at universities in the 1980s, generations of young people have, for decades, attended night school to supplement their cultural and technical knowledge. However, the current wave of young people enrolling in night schools is driven more by their interests, with the aim of enriching their personal, spiritual, and cultural fulfillment. Observers have pointed out that the night school boom is in line with the current economic situation and young people's living conditions. Unlike some Western media portrayals of Chinese young people's "lying flat" mindset under work pressure, attending night schools reflects the diversified growth needs of Chinese youth. "In a stable economic and social situation, the popularity of night classes is a very common situation as many young people can afford them and have leisure time to attend classes they like, and more importantly, seek to improve their cultural knowledge and mental outlook," Zhang Yiwu, a Chinese language and literature professor at Peking University, told the Global Times. A new nightlife "Like light, full of anticipation, night school may be the first time our generation has actively developed interests that are non-utilitarian," said Xu Lili, a 27-year-old advertisement planner in Beijing. Xu told the Global Times that she spent an entire weekend carefully selecting night school institutions and courses on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), a popular lifestyle sharing social media platform in China, before actually attending classes. Finally, she chose a street dance class that was close to her workplace, taught by a graduate from the Beijing Dance Academy. The course cost 700 yuan ($98) for 10 classes and was transferable to friends. "After experiencing the course, I felt it was really good. The atmosphere was great, and I've made many new friends here," Xu said. "We are also discussing taking Chinese pastry baking and drama appreciation classes together next." Far from the relatively arduous matriculation process during school days, Xu said that for her, learning about art allows her to temporarily escape from the stresses of her job. Xu said she did not have any specific expectations for her learning outcomes, but rather wants to try a wide range of courses and find a hobby that can provide her with personal satisfaction. "Night school allows me to find my passion with minimal cost and also helps me realize that there are more interesting friends and a life beyond work," Xu said. Chinese people have always had a strong thirst for knowledge. But currently, attending night school now is very different from the nationwide night school craze in the early 1980s. Nowadays, attending night school reflects the diversified growth needs of the contemporary youth. "It is completely driven by interests, with the aim of enriching our spiritual and cultural lives," Xu said. In Professor Zhang Yiwu's views, the popularity of night class is one of the best examples, which can dispel the notion that young people in China are "lying flat" for a purposeless life, as portrayed by some Western media outlets. He noted that in Chinese society, a large portion of young people have enough income to meet basic survival needs and have enough left over to focus on their interests. They don't necessarily have to work extremely hard to earn a stable income, which allows them to easily afford night school or other forms of self-improvement. In China, there are diverse lifestyle choices that can support both personal growth and a fulfilling leisure life, Zhang pointed out. "The desire for self-improvement and enrichment is strong among the younger generation, and it extends beyond work. There is a significant proportion of young people who are able to maintain a good living in society and still have time to pursue interests. This phenomenon of enhancing personal development is not surprising and is a natural result of social progress," he said. A communication channel "From the beginning, I was worried that the night school courses in a second-tier city would not attract enough people and might not be able to run. But the reality proved that I was overly concerned," Zheng Lifu, who transformed his art training center into a night school in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times. Just three days after Zheng posted enrollment information for courses at the night school on Xiaohongshu, he received over 300 private messages inquiring about the courses. Within a week, he had successfully opened classes for Guqin and jazz dance, attracting more than 100 participants. "The demand for young people today to reconstruct their cultural lives and cultivate their interests after work is real," Zheng said. Currently, Zheng is expanding his night school business further. "The courses are in high demand overall, and we are further assessing the intentions of the students and planning to recruit new qualified teachers to launch more popular courses," he said, noting that his institution aims to provide inclusive entry-level courses while also creating advanced courses to meet the needs of students who want to further enhance their skills. The Global Times has found that there are roughly three types of night school operation modes currently available on the market. The first type is night schools with official backgrounds, which are established through the coordination of local governments, community organizations, village committees, and training institutions. The second is night schools initiated by training institutions, similar to Zheng's, which offer affordable introductory courses and target long-term course applicants. The third is night schools run by individuals or teams who act as intermediaries, connecting students with institutions and earning a portion of the enrollment fee. All of these operating models are striving to achieve precise alignment with the knowledge demands of young people. "There are two types of content that easily attract attention on social platforms: 'Where to go after work' and 'Where to go at weekends'" Kevin Wang, a 32-year-old finance industry worker in Shanghai, has devoted all his free time to operating his self-developed community platform Weekend Charging. This young offline social platform, which has been in operation for over a year, started to focus on night school management a month ago. Wang noted that the night school operation model of Weekend Charging involves cooperation with training institutions to offer interesting courses that young people may not easily come across, such as ukulele, horse riding, and woodwork and leather goods production, in order to lower the learning threshold and cultivate interests and friendships, thus recharging their energies. Currently, there are over 1,000 active young people in the Weekend Charging community, participating in more than 20 different courses. "Young people in big cities live in scattered locations and have diverse interests. We play a role in bridging the information gap between training institutions and colleges, and ensuring the cost-effectiveness of night school, a new learning and communication model for young people," Wang said. A career opportunity "The new form of night schools is currently thriving, but still in the early stages of development," said Wang. "Everyone is exploring uncharted territory, hoping to establish a comprehensive and smooth operational system that covers courses, pricing, faculty, and after-sales support, in order to foster positive growth and attract and retain the enthusiasm of young learners." Wang pointed out that the operation of Weekend Charging night school is still in its infancy, and as all members are part-time, they have not yet achieved substantial profits. "Our core team consists of only 5-6 people, who have come together out of interest and are truly proud to be involved in the night school industry as a career opportunity," he stressed. Wang added that many people find their work meaningful during the classes and continue to sign up. "Although there is uncertainty; we are full of hope for the future of night schools," he said. The upgraded night schools are also striving to keep up with the times and maintain their appeal to young people. As the number of students continues to grow, operational challenges also increase. Wang hopes that in the future, the government and private forces will join forces. "Only when this trend passes can high-quality night schools with unified standards be better sustained." "For some people, attending night school may be a temporary phase, but overall, this social trend includes enhancing self-cultivation and self-improvement in the fields of aesthetics, art, and culture, among others, and also helps create a new industry that benefits social and economic development," Zhang said. "The trend will not change." SOURCE Global Times 5 december 2023 at 01:20 News published onand distributed by: Instructure to Host Investor Day in New York City SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructure Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: INST) ("Instructure"), the makers of the Canvas Learning Management System, today announced that the Company will be hosting an Investor Day on March 12, 2024 in New York City. The event will be held at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Eastern Time. Featured speakers will include Chief Executive Officer Steve Daly, Chief Financial Officer Peter Walker, and other senior members of the leadership team. During the event, the Instructure team will offer an overview of the business, explore growth opportunities, share further insights on the expected Parchment acquisition, host a customer panel, and discuss financial results and objectives. After the Q&A, those attending in person are welcome to join an exclusive networking luncheon with the senior leadership team. Attendance at the New York Stock Exchange is by invitation only due to limited capacity. A live webcast of the event will also be available and can be viewed on Instructure's investor relations website under "Events & Presentations" at https://ir.instructure.com . After the event, a replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days in the same location. About Instructure Instructure (NYSE: INST) is an education technology company dedicated to elevating student success, amplifying the power of teaching, and inspiring everyone to learn together. Today the Instructure Learning Platform supports tens of millions of educators and learners around the world. Learn more at www.instructure.com. Contacts Brian Watkins Corporate Communications Instructure (801) 610-9722 [email protected] April Scee Investor Relations (917) 497-8992 [email protected] SOURCE Instructure Holdings, Inc. 5 december 2023 at 06:00 News published onand distributed by: Top 11 Hydrogen Fueling Station Companies, Worldwide 2023: MarketsandMarkets' 360 Quadrant Revealed CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MarketsandMarkets has released Top 11 Hydrogen Fueling Station Companies, Worldwide 2023 to help businesses make quicker and more informed decisions. Companies' market presence and product footprint are used to build quadrants, which will be revised annually. The global hydrogen fueling station market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth USD 380 million in 2023 and is poised to reach USD 1,129 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2023 to 2030. It was observed that the growing emphasis on attaining a carbon-neutral future, accompanied by intensified governmental initiatives to cut carbon emissions, especially in transportation, has spurred a rise in the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles. Where meeting the increasing demand for these vehicles requires substantial investments in hydrogen fueling stations, both from private and public entities, thereby fueling the market growth. Additionally, ongoing research and development endeavors by hydrogen fueling station companies and various institutions aim to develop innovative technologies, such as electrolyzer-based onsite hydrogen refueling stations, to enhance station efficiency. These elements significantly contribute to the expansion of the hydrogen fueling station market. Access Research Report @ https://www.360quadrants.com/energy-and-power/hydrogen-fueling-station Unveiling the Market Leaders: Honoring Excellence in Hydrogen Fueling Station Markets Linde , a leading global industrial gases and engineering company, has solidified its position as the market leader in hydrogen fueling stations by leveraging its expertise in the production, processing, storage, and distribution of hydrogen. With one of the largest liquid hydrogen capacity and distribution system globally, Linde operates the high-purity hydrogen storage cavern and an extensive pipeline network spanning approximately 1,000 kilometers to ensure reliable supply to its customers. Spearheading the transition to clean hydrogen, Linde has installed over 200 hydrogen fueling stations and 80 hydrogen electrolysis plants worldwide, showcasing its commitment to advancing sustainable solutions. Notably, Linde's engineers have developed state-of-the-art compression technologies, including the ionic compressor and cryo-pump, which are self-developed and patented. These technologies enable rapid fueling, with hydrogen-powered cars refueled in just three minutes, aligning with the efficiency of traditional petrol or diesel refueling. Linde's comprehensive approach to hydrogen infrastructure, innovative technologies, and global presence firmly establish it as the market leader in the evolving landscape of hydrogen fueling stations. , a leading global industrial gases and engineering company, has solidified its position as the market leader in hydrogen fueling stations by leveraging its expertise in the production, processing, storage, and distribution of hydrogen. With one of the largest liquid hydrogen capacity and distribution system globally, Linde operates the high-purity hydrogen storage cavern and an extensive pipeline network spanning approximately 1,000 kilometers to ensure reliable supply to its customers. Spearheading the transition to clean hydrogen, Linde has installed over 200 hydrogen fueling stations and 80 hydrogen electrolysis plants worldwide, showcasing its commitment to advancing sustainable solutions. Notably, Linde's engineers have developed state-of-the-art compression technologies, including the ionic compressor and cryo-pump, which are self-developed and patented. These technologies enable rapid fueling, with hydrogen-powered cars refueled in just three minutes, aligning with the efficiency of traditional petrol or diesel refueling. Linde's comprehensive approach to hydrogen infrastructure, innovative technologies, and global presence firmly establish it as the market leader in the evolving landscape of hydrogen fueling stations. Nel, holds a dominant position in the hydrogen fueling station sector, showcasing an impressive product footprint and exerting a substantial influence in the market. a dedicated global hydrogen firm, specializes in delivering optimal solutions for renewable hydrogen production and distribution. Catering to industries, energy, and gas companies, the company stands out with its leading hydrogen technology. NEL's comprehensive hydrogen solutions span the entire value chain, encompassing hydrogen production technologies and fueling stations. The Nel Hydrogen Fueling business segment offers hydrogen fueling stations, including the H2Station, along with a range of equipment such as hydrogen trailers, storage units, and dispensers tailored for mobility and industrial applications. NEL categorizes its H2Station offerings into three types: Cascade fill 70 Mpa, Direct fill 70 Mpa, and Direct fill 35 Mpa. Additionally, the company contributes to clean energy generation through electrolyzers based on alkaline and PEM technology, enabling onsite production of clean hydrogen. holds a dominant position in the hydrogen fueling station sector, showcasing an impressive product footprint and exerting a substantial influence in the market. a dedicated global hydrogen firm, specializes in delivering optimal solutions for renewable hydrogen production and distribution. Catering to industries, energy, and gas companies, the company stands out with its leading hydrogen technology. NEL's comprehensive hydrogen solutions span the entire value chain, encompassing hydrogen production technologies and fueling stations. The Nel Hydrogen Fueling business segment offers hydrogen fueling stations, including the H2Station, along with a range of equipment such as hydrogen trailers, storage units, and dispensers tailored for mobility and industrial applications. NEL categorizes its H2Station offerings into three types: Cascade fill 70 Mpa, Direct fill 70 Mpa, and Direct fill 35 Mpa. Additionally, the company contributes to clean energy generation through electrolyzers based on alkaline and PEM technology, enabling onsite production of clean hydrogen. Air Liquide , one of the world-leading companies providing services, technologies, and gases to healthcare and industrial end users, emerges as an unparalleled market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, seamlessly integrating its expertise across diverse sectors. Air Liquide's Global Markets & Technologies business segment takes center stage in designing and constructing hydrogen fueling stations, complemented by hydrogen liquefiers and Turbo-Brayton reliquefaction units. This strategic approach is reflected in the company's extensive portfolio of hydrogen fueling stations and related services, offering a range of dispensers, including single, double, dual, and mobile dispensers. Furthermore, Air Liquide's strong market presence is evident through strategic partnerships, collaborations, and a proactive approach to addressing the evolving needs of the hydrogen economy. This combination of technological prowess, product diversity, and a well-established market presence positions Air Liquide as a formidable force in shaping the future of hydrogen fueling infrastructure. , one of the world-leading companies providing services, technologies, and gases to healthcare and industrial end users, emerges as an unparalleled market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, seamlessly integrating its expertise across diverse sectors. Air Liquide's Global Markets & Technologies business segment takes center stage in designing and constructing hydrogen fueling stations, complemented by hydrogen liquefiers and Turbo-Brayton reliquefaction units. This strategic approach is reflected in the company's extensive portfolio of hydrogen fueling stations and related services, offering a range of dispensers, including single, double, dual, and mobile dispensers. Furthermore, Air Liquide's strong market presence is evident through strategic partnerships, collaborations, and a proactive approach to addressing the evolving needs of the hydrogen economy. This combination of technological prowess, product diversity, and a well-established market presence positions Air Liquide as a formidable force in shaping the future of hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Air Products, a global leader in hydrogen fueling stations, boasts a comprehensive product line with its proven H2fM technology. This fully integrated and customizable equipment covers compression, storage, and dispensing, requiring minimal installation and adaptable to any hydrogen source. From cars to submarines, Air Products' H2fM has fueled diverse vehicles. As the world's largest hydrogen supplier, the company spans the entire hydrogen value chain, operating the longest hydrogen pipeline and excelling in liquid hydrogen supply. With over 250 hydrogen fueling station projects in 20 countries and technologies facilitating over 1.5 million fueling operations annually, Air Products is not only a pioneer in hydrogen fueling but also a driving force in the global hydrogen infrastructure development, crucial for the successful commercialization of hydrogen-powered vehicles worldwide. a global leader in hydrogen fueling stations, boasts a comprehensive product line with its proven H2fM technology. This fully integrated and customizable equipment covers compression, storage, and dispensing, requiring minimal installation and adaptable to any hydrogen source. From cars to submarines, Air Products' H2fM has fueled diverse vehicles. As the world's largest hydrogen supplier, the company spans the entire hydrogen value chain, operating the longest hydrogen pipeline and excelling in liquid hydrogen supply. With over 250 hydrogen fueling station projects in 20 countries and technologies facilitating over 1.5 million fueling operations annually, Air Products is not only a pioneer in hydrogen fueling but also a driving force in the global hydrogen infrastructure development, crucial for the successful commercialization of hydrogen-powered vehicles worldwide. Ingersoll Rand has established itself as a prominent market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, exemplifying a robust product footprint and expansive market presence. Air Products has solidified its position as a market leader in hydrogen fueling stations through its Precision and Science Technologies business segment, where it delivers a comprehensive suite of products and services. The Geno range caters to large fleets, while the Nano and Nano Pro offerings target small fleet operators. These hydrogen refueling stations are versatile, finding applications in materials handling, trains, aerospace, buses, trucks, and light vehicles. With an expansive product footprint and an influential market presence, Air Products stands at the forefront of the hydrogen fueling infrastructure sector, showing innovation and sustainability in the pursuit of a greener future. has established itself as a prominent market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, exemplifying a robust product footprint and expansive market presence. Air Products has solidified its position as a market leader in hydrogen fueling stations through its Precision and Science Technologies business segment, where it delivers a comprehensive suite of products and services. The Geno range caters to large fleets, while the Nano and Nano Pro offerings target small fleet operators. These hydrogen refueling stations are versatile, finding applications in materials handling, trains, aerospace, buses, trucks, and light vehicles. With an expansive product footprint and an influential market presence, Air Products stands at the forefront of the hydrogen fueling infrastructure sector, showing innovation and sustainability in the pursuit of a greener future. Chart Industries has solidified its position as a market leader in hydrogen fueling stations through a combination of innovative products and a strong market presence. The company offers a comprehensive range of cutting-edge hydrogen infrastructure solutions, including state-of-the-art compression and dispensing systems. The seamless integration of Chart fueling stations with the company's hydrogen vehicle tanks further underscores their dedication to delivering the simplest and safest liquid hydrogen fueling solutions, supported by patented technologies. Chart's DynaFlow dispenser, renowned in LNG vehicle fueling, has been adapted for hydrogen delivery to trucks and heavy goods vehicles, combining ergonomic design with maximum safety and consistent fill times. Notably, Chart has pioneered a fast and user-friendly fill solution for hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), offering a familiar refueling experience akin to traditional petrol or diesel. This extensive product range, coupled with Chart's global market presence, positions the company at the forefront of the hydrogen fueling station landscape. has solidified its position as a market leader in hydrogen fueling stations through a combination of innovative products and a strong market presence. The company offers a comprehensive range of cutting-edge hydrogen infrastructure solutions, including state-of-the-art compression and dispensing systems. The seamless integration of Chart fueling stations with the company's hydrogen vehicle tanks further underscores their dedication to delivering the simplest and safest liquid hydrogen fueling solutions, supported by patented technologies. Chart's DynaFlow dispenser, renowned in LNG vehicle fueling, has been adapted for hydrogen delivery to trucks and heavy goods vehicles, combining ergonomic design with maximum safety and consistent fill times. Notably, Chart has pioneered a fast and user-friendly fill solution for hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), offering a familiar refueling experience akin to traditional petrol or diesel. This extensive product range, coupled with Chart's global market presence, positions the company at the forefront of the hydrogen fueling station landscape. McPhy stands as a prominent market leader in hydrogen fueling stations, commanding a distinctive position through its robust product footprint and expansive market presence. McPhy has solidified its leadership position by offering a comprehensive and innovative product range under the banner of McFilling. This suite of hydrogen stations, characterized by technical and digital ingenuity, caters to a diverse spectrum of low-emission mobility needs, providing hydrogen delivery ranging from 5 kg to several thousand kilograms per day at 350 and 700 bar pressure. The compact and modular design of McPhy's hydrogen stations makes them versatile, suitable for various modes of transportation such as cars, logistics chains, forklift trucks, buses, trains, trucks, waste-disposal vehicles, and boats. Leveraging the McLyzer and Augmented McLyzer electrolyzers, these stations have the unique capability to produce low-carbon energy on-site and on-demand, ensuring swift refueling for a myriad of vehicles in a matter of minutes. This strategic focus on holistic clean mobility solutions sets McPhy apart as an industry leader, driving the evolution of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source for diverse transportation sectors. Request Your Free Marketing Kit @ https://www.360quadrants.com/energy-and-power/hydrogen-fueling-station Categorization Of Hydrogen Fueling Station Companies On 360 Quadrants Hydrogen Fueling Station companies' evaluation was conducted for 40 companies, of which the top 11 were categorized and placed in a quadrant under Market Leaders, Contenders, Innovators, and Emerging Companies. Positioned in the upper-right quadrant, Market Leaders exemplify a combination of an expansive product offering and a formidable market presence. These organizations not only deliver comprehensive solutions but also boast a well-established and influential position in the market. Market Leaders are recognized for their reliability, consistent innovation, and widespread acceptance among customers. Their dominance in both product capabilities and market influence solidifies their status as leaders in their respective industries. These companies include Linde, Nel, Air Liquide, Air Products, Ingersoll Rand, Chart Industries, and McPhy. These companies dominate the market, together accounting for nearly one-third of the entire Hydrogen Fueling Station market. Nestled in the upper-left quadrant, Contenders possess a substantial market presence but may encounter challenges in terms of product innovation or differentiation. These companies have already secured a notable customer base and market recognition, positioning them as contenders. While their current offerings are competitive, Contenders have the potential to evolve and enhance their product capabilities to become more visionary and competitive in the future. Situated in the lower-right quadrant, Innovators are distinguished by their exceptional product innovation and uniqueness. While they may not match the market presence of Market Leaders, Innovators challenge industry norms by introducing cutting-edge solutions. These companies push industry boundaries with forward-thinking approaches and have the potential to become major players despite lower corporate growth strategies. Iwatani, Hydrogen Refueling Solutions, and Nikola have been identified as the innovators in the quadrant. Residing in the lower-left quadrant, Emerging Companies showcase a promising product footprint but are in the early stages of establishing their market presence. These companies may excel in specific niche areas or offer unique features that differentiate them, but their impact on the overall market is still evolving. Emerging Companies are considered niche players with significant growth potential as they expand their reach and recognition in the market. This segment of the quadrant has identified Galileo technologies as emerging companies. Evaluation Criteria The vendor evaluation was conducted on over 40 companies of which the top 11 were categorized and recognized as the quadrant leaders. Factors such as revenue, geographic presence, growth strategies, investments, and sales strategies for the market presence of the Hydrogen Fueling Station quadrant. While the top criteria for product footprint evaluation included While the top criteria for product footprint evaluation included Station Size (Small, Mid-sized, Large), Pressure (Low, High), Supply Type (On-site, Off-site), Station Type (Fixed, Mobile), R&D Expenditure, New Product Launch, and Patents. 360 Quadrants Scoring Methodology 360 Quadrants employs a comprehensive and transparent scoring methodology to evaluate companies. It identifies relevant evaluation criteria, collects and validates data from multiple sources, and employs an algorithm that considers parameter weights to generate scores. Normalization ensures fair comparisons, and the aggregated scores categorize solutions into quadrants such as Market Leaders, Contenders, Innovators, and Emerging Companies. This unbiased approach equips users with accurate information, empowering them to make well-informed decisions and select solutions that best suit their needs and objectives. About MarketsandMarketstm MarketsandMarketstm 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. 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 KnowledgeStoretm (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research and facilitates analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. 360 Quadrants will also be launching 100 quadrants in Chemicals and Materials, Packaging, Energy & Power, and Healthcare. Visit https://www.360quadrants.com to access our interactive quadrants. For media inquiries, please contact: Mr. Agney Sugla MarketsandMarketstm INC. 630 Dundee Road, Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets 5 december 2023 at 07:04 News published onand distributed by: inQB8 Medical Technologies LLC and Peijia Medical Limited Report Successful First-in-Human (FIH) Implantation of MonarQ Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TTVR) System in The United States of America WINCHESTER, Mass. and SUZHOU, China, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- inQB8 Medical Technologies LLC (inQB8), in partnership with Peijia Medical Limited (Peijia, (9996.HK)), announced that it has successfully implanted the MonarQ Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve (TTV) in a patient suffering from torrential tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and no other available therapy available to her. The trans-jugular TTVR procedure was performed on December 1, 2023, on compassionate grounds at the UPENN Presbyterian Medical Center by cardiac surgeon Professor. Dr. Wilson V. Szeto, interventional cardiologist Dr. Jean Chang MD., echo cardiologist Dr. Roy MD., and the attending anesthesiologist Dr. Thal. Prof. Dr. Fabien Praz from Switzerland, and Lars Sondergaard MD. were in attendance sharing their expertise. Arshad Quadri, MD. Executive Chairman and CMO of inQB8 proctored the case. "We successfully implanted the MonarQ TTV in the suitable tricuspid region in this extremely high risk patient. My team and I are grateful and excited to work with Dr. Quadri and his team from inQB8, who provided this very exciting MonarQ TTV implantation therapy option to this patient," said Dr. Wilson Szeto. "Due to multiple risk factors and anatomical restrictions, neither traditional tricuspid valve surgery, nor edge-to-edge transcatheter tricuspid repair were options for this patient. Through careful review and consideration within our team, we determined that TTVR with the MonarQ TTV will alleviate symptoms and provide an improved quality of life for this extremely high risk patient whose only other option would have been hospice. The valve was implanted successfully implanted with a dramatic reduction of her torrential tricuspid regurgitation," added Dr. Szeto. "I am honored and delighted to work with Dr. Wilson Szeto and his team at the UPENN Presbyterian Medical Center in this next chapter of transcatheter valve therapy. The MonarQ TTV has a unique BioDynamic attachment system that utilizes and preserves the heart's natural motion by securing the implant to the native leaflets. The Biodynamic motion distribute systolic loads, and a multilobed atrial disc aids in fixation to the native valve and minimizes paravalvular leak. We are very grateful to the patient and her family for consenting to this new type of valve replacement therapy," said Arshad Quadri, M.D., cardiac surgeon and co-founder, Executive Chairman, and CMO of inQB8. "In the past few years, the need for a TTVR solution has become increasingly clear. As Peijia looks to expand its presence globally and build its structural heart portfolio, our combined investment in inQB8 and the MonarQ TTVR technology was a natural choice," said Dr. Michael Zhang, Peijia's Chairman & CEO. "The successful FIH MonarQ implantation in USA marks an exciting step in bringing this life-saving and life-enhancing technology to more and more patients around the world." About inQB8 inQB8 is a privately held medical device incubator headquartered in Massachusetts with additional offices in Irvine, Calif. It is the second collaboration between Dr. Arshad Quadri, MD. and J. Brent Ratz, MBA, whose partnership began 16 years ago with the co-founding of CardiAQ Valve Technologies, the world's first trans-septal Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) system. inQB8 focuses on developing novel international solutions for major cardiovascular diseases including structural heart issues, aortic disease and heart failure, accelerating projects through prototyping, bench, and pre-clinical testing until they are ready to be acquired or advanced as separate stand-alone cardiovascular start-ups. In June 2021, Peijia announced a strategic partnership with inQB8 and agreed to acquire the MonarQ TTVR technology, which inQB8 continues to develop on its behalf. About Peijia Peijia was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Suzhou, China. Peijia focuses on the high-growth interventional procedural medical device market in China, and aims to become a world-renowned medical device platform that provides comprehensive treatment solutions for structural heart and neurovascular diseases. Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Peijia's periodic reports on file with the HKEx. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. Caution: The MonarQ TTVR system is in the early phases of development. It will not be available for clinical trials until further notice and is NOT available for sale. SOURCE Peijia Medical 5 december 2023 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: CarelonRx to launch CarelonRx Pharmacy Today, CarelonRx, Carelon's pharmacy benefit manager, announced it will launch CarelonRx Pharmacy on Jan. 1, 2024. CarelonRx Pharmacy, a digital pharmacy, will allow members to engage with pharmacists via text, chat, or phone 24/7, compare costs of medications, and easily track the status of medications throughout the order process. Members will also receive push notifications with proactive status updates and can text directly with CarelonRx Pharmacy representatives. In addition, all CarelonRx members who utilize CarelonRx Pharmacy will be able to have their medications delivered to an address convenient to them (e.g. home address, vacation home, etc.). "Consumers deserve a positive, convenient experience when it comes to accessing their medications. Members should be able to easily compare costs of medications, speak to a staff member at any time of day to address questions, be able to track the status of their prescriptions, and have those prescriptions delivered on time to their doorsteps," said Paul Marchetti, president of CarelonRx. "CarelonRx Pharmacy will place the pharmacy experience directly into the hands of consumers to help enhance their health care journeys." CarelonRx Pharmacy aims to close care gaps, improve adherence, and lower costs, all while removing barriers associated with traditional retail and mail order pharmacy models. CarelonRx data shows that when members use home delivery versus in-person retail, there is an increase in medication adherence with anxiety, depression, and antipsychotic medications. Getting started with CarelonRx Pharmacy will be simple. Beginning Jan. 1, members can request that their provider send their maintenance medication prescriptions to CarelonRx Pharmacy. They can also digitally transfer existing maintenance medication prescriptions to CarelonRx Pharmacy, or they can call the member services phone number on their pharmacy ID card. CarelonRx Pharmacy is just one part of CarelonRx's strategy to further serve members. The company plans to open three BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy distributions centers in Chandler, Arizona; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina; as well as four clinical care centers in Las Vegas, Nevada; Denver, Colorado; St. Louis, Missouri; and Indianapolis, Indiana. The distribution and clinical care centers are a piece of CarelonRx's expansion to support specialty pharmacy home delivery and specialty pharmacy medication management for its customers. About CarelonRx CarelonRx is a Carelon company, part of the Elevance Health family of healthcare services brands. CarelonRx puts the benefits back into pharmacy to improve the health of our members and the healthcare system. We work to remove barriers, personalize experiences, and improve health outcomes, no matter where our members are in their healthcare journey. For more information, visit our website or follow us CarelonRx on LinkedIn. 5 december 2023 at 08:05 News published onand distributed by: Budderfly and Fujitsu General America Partner to Scale Energy Efficiency for Mid-Market Businesses Across the U.S. Budderfly, the premier sustainability partner for businesses with repeatable footprints, today announced a strategic partnership with Fujitsu General America, Inc. ("FGAI"), a subsidiary of one of Japan's leading provider of air conditioning and heat pumps equipment Fujitsu General Limited, to develop and deploy high-efficiency energy technologies for mid-market businesses across the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, Budderfly will leverage FGAI's AIRSTAGE Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems as the core component for its Ultra High Performance (UHP) heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) architecture. The state-of-the-art heat pump and ventilator-separated system is the most advanced HVAC solution specifically designed for the approximately 94% of U.S. commercial buildings under 50,000 square feet. The UHP HVAC system is an energy-efficient solution to replace conventional and outdated Roof Top Unit (RTU) HVAC systems, reducing a building's energy consumption by as much as 70%. Fujitsu expects to deliver a large number of AIRSTAGE VRF Systems to Budderfly in the coming year, scaling year-over-year to service Budderfly's robust customer pipeline. In addition, Budderfly and FGAI will collaborate to innovate further and develop on-site, cloud-based sensing and control technologies that will unlock end-to-end digital transformation for small- and medium-sized businesses. "As much as 50% of energy businesses consume is attributed to HVAC systems. As electricity prices and sustainability standards rise, we're excited to partner with FGAI to help businesses reimagine their energy profile and better their bottom line," said Al Subbloie, chief executive officer and founder of Budderfly. "FGAI's AIRSTAGE Systems are designed to meet the wide range of energy needs for commercial buildings, making them the ideal solution to seamlessly integrate into our end-to-end energy management offering." Budderfly's innovative UHP HVAC system decouples the conventional RTU HVAC into two components: an energy recovery ventilator and a variable refrigerant flow system. The energy recovery ventilator brings in outside air while also recovering energy from exhaust air. FGAI's AIRSTAGE VRF system cools or heats the ventilated air based on the needs of the space and boosts overall air quality by improving humidity control, directing airflow, increasing oxygen levels, and lowering total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs). Budderfly's UHP HVAC system, powered by FGAI's AIRSTAGE VRF technology, is a fully electric system that eliminates the need for natural gas for heating and is half the size of a traditional HVAC rooftop unit. "Our partners at Budderfly share in our core mission of unlocking a better, more sustainable future," said Tomokazu Hosoi, president at Fujitsu General America. "As pressures mount for buildings to reduce their carbon footprint, we're combining our energy-efficient technology expertise and Budderfly's innovative Energy as a Service business model to help accelerate the sustainability transformation for commercial buildings across the U.S." "Embracing sustainability has proven to be a critical tool to better my bottom line," said Sean-Paul Ferrera, a Dunkin' franchisee and Budderfly customer. "The UHP HVAC system, powered by FGAI technology, has not only significantly reduced my monthly energy bills, but also drastically improved the building environment and product quality." To learn more about how Budderfly's UHP HVAC System transforms business operations, visit: https://case-studies.budderfly.com/dunkin-uhp-case-study About Budderfly Budderfly, ranked as one of the fastest-growing Energy as a Service (EaaS) companies in the United States, is the premier sustainability partner for businesses with repeatable footprints, such as restaurant chains, assisted living facilities, retail franchises, and more. Budderfly installs, monitors, and manages a combination of patented technologies, equipment upgrades, and proprietary energy software for its customers at no out-of-pocket cost. Businesses benefit from lower energy bills, a reduced carbon footprint, more reliable operations, and an improved customer and employee experience. Budderfly has ranked on the Inc. 5000 America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies list from 2021 to 2023 and on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list in 2023. For more information visit www.budderfly.com or follow us on LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter). About Fujitsu General America Fujitsu General America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Fujitsu General Limited headquartered in Kawasaki, Japan. As a manufacturer of mini-splits and VRF Systems, Fujitsu General America is a provider of heating and cooling solutions for every application, backed by the finest service, support, training, and programs for the United States and Canada. FGAI's line of high-efficiency, eco-friendly systems have been designed to provide advanced comfort solutions for residential and commercial applications. For more information, visit www.fujitsugeneral.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook. 5 december 2023 at 08:15 News published onand distributed by: Xendee Unveils PROPOSE: A Revolutionary Sales and Business Development Tool for EV Fast-Charging Infrastructure and Distributed Energy Systems Xendee, the world's leading EV fast-charging and distributed energy system design platform, is proud to announce the official release of PROPOSE, a groundbreaking sales and business development tool designed for teams operating in the energy transition and EV fast-charging infrastructure sectors. Aiming to address the demand and rapid growth in the clean energy infrastructure industry, Xendee has developed PROPOSE, a solution that streamlines the process of generating proposals accurately and quickly. The sale and development of distributed energy systems and EV fast-charging projects is complex, and many teams struggle to express the resilient, sustainable, and cost-effective capabilities of their solutions without performing in-depth technical studies. PROPOSE enables business development and sales teams to easily create EV fast-charging and distributed energy system proposals, and confidently respond to RFPs. This innovative tool generates proposals within minutes by streamlining the sales and business development process and allowing for rapid feasibility studies that leverage multiple investment paths. Moreover, PROPOSE enables pricing accuracy for sales professionals without the need for extensive engineering and analysis. "PROPOSE is a reflection of our commitment to accelerate the transition into a clean energy future. With PROPOSE, sales professionals can focus on sales, rather than technical details. We automate the complex task of quoting EV fast charging and distributed energy projects through a consistent process designed to optimize sales productivity, boost scalability, and decrease RFP response times. Business development and sales teams can move faster, and focus on working with clients to grow the pipeline," said Adib Nasle, Co-Founder and CEO of Xendee. Scott Mitchell, Co-founder and Chief Software Architect of Xendee added, "One of the key innovations with PROPOSE is that it allows seamless transfer of proposals into our detailed DESIGN solution for bankable project planning. Our partners can now complete the entire project lifecycle from proposal, feasibility, and design through real-time operations in one platform, ensuring investment-ready infrastructure project pipelines while enabling enormous savings of both time and cost. According to our initial data, the time spent was reduced by a remarkable 90%." For more information and to explore this new product's capabilities, please visit xendee.com/propose. About Xendee Corporation Xendee is an award-winning software platform built to integrate the feasibility analysis and proposal building, detailed engineering, and operation of Distributed Energy Resources and EV fast-charging infrastructure. This includes the ability to rapidly model EV infrastructure for fleet owners, complex energy systems with up to 25 unique types of DER technologies, multi-node installations like a military base, and operate either connected to the grid or completely islanded. Xendee's techno-economic optimization algorithm can then generate an ideal investment solution and operation schedule to meet organizational goals. These goals can include reducing costs, cutting CO2 emissions, and increasing resilience. Explore how Xendee can empower your organization by setting up a call with us at xendee.com/demo. 5 december 2023 at 09:20 News published onand distributed by: DIRECTV Advertising Partners with FourthWall to Revolutionize Cross-Screen, Data-Driven Targeting with Precision and Scale DULLES, Va., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FourthWall, a leader in media audiences and analytics, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with DIRECTV Advertising, to include DIRECTV's set-top-box and streaming data from millions of households within FourthWall's Revealtm Platform. This sets the stage for a transformative era in multi-platform data solutions, enabling greater accuracy for audience targeting and full-funnel analytics, yielding higher-performing campaigns and optimized solutions for brands. DIRECTV's nationwide scale and deterministic audience is a strong foundation to power insights for marketers of any size across all U.S. markets. Combined with FourthWall's advanced Revealtm Platform, with its 24-hour turnaround for custom audience creation, instantaneous 1st party data onboarding, and same-day audience-to-attribution analytics, the partnership will help empower customers' data-driven decisions with unmatched quality insights, speed, and scale. DIRECTV Advertising plans to use FourthWall's Revealtm Platform to expand its advertising portfolio with powerful new solutions for its clients and partners. This includes the ability to create customizable audience segments for advertisers, which will enable faster turnaround times to meet market demand in a digital environment. "DIRECTV's viewership data has always been trusted by our agency and advertising partners to enhance their advertising solutions and yield valuable insights," said Amy Leifer, Chief Advertising Sales Officer at DIRECTV Advertising. "Now, the partnership with FourthWall makes it faster and more seamless to leverage our data across various platforms." "FourthWall's partnership with DIRECTV Advertising is a significant step forward for the industry," added FourthWall's CEO, Paul Haddad. "Our innovative approach, unmatched infrastructure flexibility, and speed in providing results will now be combined with DIRECTV's impressive scale and precision to benefit all local, regional, and national advertisers." About DIRECTV Advertising DIRECTV Advertising is a pioneer in the converged addressable space, delivering industry leading audience-based, digital, and innovative media solutions. Employing our decades of experience, we empower advertisers to address and engage their audience at scale while continuously measuring campaign impact against brand goals to unlock insights and optimize future campaigns. About FourthWall FourthWall is an innovator in media and advertising analytics. The company's Revealtm portfolio of solutions simplifies and speeds access to media intelligence, including audience creation, optimized media planning, activation, analysis, and attribution for marketers, agencies, programmers, DSPs, SSPs and other stakeholders across the media ecosystem, FourthWall is headquartered in Dulles, VA, with offices in Florida, New York, and Texas, and can be found online at www.fourthwall.tv. SOURCE FourthWall Media 5 december 2023 at 09:30 News published onand distributed by: H.I.G. Capital Completes Acquisition of Mainline H.I.G. Capital ("H.I.G." or the "Firm"), a leading global alternative investment firm with $59 billion of capital under management, is pleased to announce that one of its affiliates has completed the acquisition of Mainline Information Systems ("Mainline" or the "Company"), a leading IT solutions provider. Mainline's management team, headed by CEO Jeff Dobbelaere, will continue to lead the Company. Headquartered in Tallahassee, FL, and with revenues in excess of $1 billion, Mainline is a leading, diversified IT solutions provider serving the infrastructure needs of blue-chip enterprises. Founded in 1989, the Company designs and implements custom IT solutions for enterprises and provides associated professional and managed services. Mainline has leveraged its technical data center expertise, diverse partner network, and consultative customer-centric approach to become a leading provider of enterprise server, hybrid cloud, cyber storage, and network & security solutions. "Over the past 30 years, Mainline has developed strong and enduring relationships by providing our customers with some of their most complex and mission critical infrastructure solutions. Mainline has become a clear industry leader and is incredibly well positioned to continue to drive business outcomes for our clients as the technology landscape evolves," said Jeff Dobbelaere. "I am very excited to partner with H.I.G. and look forward to investing in the significant growth opportunities which can take the company to new heights." Aaron Tolson, Managing Director at H.I.G., commented, "Mainline's technical expertise, its status as a trusted advisor for its customers, and the value it brings to its Original Equipment Manufacturer partners are unmatched in the IT industry. We have been very impressed by what Jeff, and the rest of the management team have built and look forward to helping the Company further accelerate its significant growth potential through organic initiatives and acquisitions." H.I.G. was advised by Guggenheim Securities LLC, UBS, and Latham & Watkins LLP. The Company was advised by Highlander Advisors and King & Spalding. About Mainline Headquartered in Tallahassee, FL, Mainline is a leading ITSP that offers high-value, customized IT solutions to blue chip enterprises. Founded in 1989, Mainline's differentiated solution offerings are wrapped in unique value-added products and services that support mission-critical IT infrastructure, applications, and data assets. For more information, visit www.mainline.com. About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. Capital is a leading global alternative investment firm with $59 billion of capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Stamford in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Luxembourg, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Dubai, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach: H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations, and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. also manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 400 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $53 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. * Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. 5 december 2023 at 09:35 News published onand distributed by: LONDONThe United Kingdoms government announced on December 1 that it will conduct a review of the online pornography industry and its perceived intersections with illegal activities. His Majestys Government, led by Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is embarking on the review as a part of an ongoing overhaul of internet trust and safety regulations since the controversial Online Safety Act received royal assent and became law despite broad civil society opposition. Michelle Donelan, technology secretary of state, appointed Baroness Gabby Bertin, a peer in the House of Lords, to serve as a reviewer of illegal pornography, abuse and exploitation. A press release from Donelans office indicates that the review will scrutinize the otherwise legal porn industrys supposed damages on individuals and society. The review seems to be overly broad. Were already making the U.K. the safest place to be online with our world-leading Online Safety Act and are building on that with an unrelenting focus on safety and education by launching the Pornography Review, Donelan said in a statement. Donelan was a strong proponent of the Online Safety Act and its measures to limit legal but harmful forms of speech on the web. I am delighted to have been asked to lead this review, Baroness Bertin said. The damaging impact that extreme pornography is having on society cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. Extreme pornography is not yet defined clearly. There is a significant difference between legal pornincluding porn that is viewed as extreme but still legal and consensualand child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate imagery (also referred to as revenge porn). The past two decades have seen a dramatic change in the way we consume media and interact with content online, said Bertin. Pornography regulation now needs to reflect this change. The ease with which people can access harmful and illegal pornography is having a devastating impact on many areas of our lives, but it is particularly damaging and degrading to women and girls. A key aspect of the review will be assessing the links between pornography, exploitation, and a culture of violence towards women and girls. This is a similar line of rhetoric used by a French government commission on equality between men and women, calling for the complete criminalization of all pornography. France also adopted legislation to excessively restrict porn. I am determined that this review will ensure laws and regulations governing a dramatically changed pornography industry are once again fit for purpose, said Baroness Bertin. Notes to news media indicate the pornography review will cover artificial intelligences role in porn, the public awareness of regulations impacting the United Kingdoms online pornography industry, and whether there is a link between legal pornography, illegal content, and human trafficking. Fine Wine Importer Demeine Estates Announces Exclusive Import Partnership with Legacy Champagne Producer Philipponnat NAPA VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Demeine Estates is proud to announce their exclusive import partnership with premier Champagne House Philipponnat, a celebrated legacy producer with more than 500 years of winegrowing history, owning and farming vineyards in Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay for 15 generations, including the legendary Clos des Goisses, a vineyard unparalleled in the Champagne region that has been owned by Philipponnat for nearly a century. Philipponnat offers a portfolio of Champagnes with discerning quality and character, known as one of the great vintage producers. Demeine Estates is importing the full range, including three non-vintage cuvees, three vintage cuvees, and four prestige cuvees. Founded in 1522, this historic House in the heart of Champagne has undergone a renaissance since 15th generation family member Charles Philipponnat took the helm in 2000. "Philipponnat is an iconic producer among true Champagne enthusiasts, and we look forward to representing this historic House to elevate their presence in the US market," said Demeine Estates President Philana Bouvier. "Their consistent quality and family legacy in the region established them as a benchmark producer and we look forward to sharing these unrivaled wines with restaurateurs, sommeliers and collectors." The Philipponnat House motto is "La Champagne au Coeur," meaning "Champagne at heart." The family's passion for their vineyards and their craft is apparent in every aspect of the winery, with a focus on continually improving quality in winemaking and in the vineyards, with vines farmed by hand with the help of horses and using organic and biodynamic practices. In 1935, the family purchased the revered Clos des Goisses, highly regarded for its steep, sunny and with soils of pure chalk. Clos des Goisses was the site of the first single-vineyard wine in Champagne. Today, it produces the Philipponnat Clos des Goisses vintage expressions, revealing both richness and pristine minerality. Winemaking is as influential as terroir in informing the Philipponnat style. The House hallmarks include sourcing the sought-after offerings from the unparalleled Clos de Goisses vineyard, while elevating the full range of Philipponnat Champagnes to showcase their expertise in Pinot Noir, and a characteristic use of a perpetual reserve inspired by the solera method. A long-standing House tradition, reserve wines in oak barrels are included in the non-vintage blends. These then become the reserve wine for the next cuvee, imbuing each bottle with the House's extended history. From the vineyards to the cellar, the resulting wines reveal the House style ? Champagne with intensity while also retaining freshness. "In the history of our House, we have always practiced highly specialized and selective distribution," said Philipponnat President and CEO Charles Philipponnat. "We are certain that Demeine Estates is the correct partner to share in that goal. We cherish our trusted relationships with our customers, who value quality and conviviality, and we believe that Demeine Estates will honor these principles as we embark on this relationship." Philipponnat joins Blanc de Blancs specialists Champagne Legras & Haas, as well as Sancerre producer Domaine Roc de l'Abbaye and Burgundy's La Chablisienne and Domaine de Montille in Demeine Estates' growing portfolio as Demeine Estates increases its import footprint in key regions throughout France. About Demeine Estates Demeine Estates is a family-owned producer, importer and marketer of the world's finest wines based in the heart of Napa Valley, California. A leader in luxury wines in the U.S., Demeine Estates sets the standard in exceptional marketing, fine wine sales, and distribution services. Founded by The Lawrence family and Carlton McCoy Jr., MS, and led by President Philana Bouvier, Demeine Estates' curated portfolio also consists of both premium family-owned domestic and international producers who represent exceptional wines anchored by quality viticulture. demeineestates.com About Philipponnat Champagne Philipponnat wears the mantles of both grower and House, using a terroir-focused approach and centuries of expertise to craft a range of extraordinary Champagnes incorporating artisanal methods that elevate the health of the land and the sophistication of the wine. The Philipponnat family have been winegrowers since 1522 when they purchased land in Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay. Today 15th generation Charles Philipponnat leads the House, cementing over 500 years producing Pinot Noir focused Champagne of elegance and style, including from the renowned Clos des Goisses vineyard, which they acquired in 1935. https://www.philipponnat.com/ SOURCE Demeine Estates 5 december 2023 at 11:00 News published onand distributed by: MAXWELL LAUNCHED IN PILOT PROGRAM WITH TABREED TO DELIVER GROUNDBREAKING SOLUTION FOR COOLING SYSTEMS Pioneering nanofluid technology, developed by HTMS increases energy efficiency by up to 15% in commercial and industrial cooling and heating systems. For Tabreed, the first company to pilot the technology in a district cooling application, this has the potential to save 200,000 metric tons of GHG emissions across 89 cooling plants. DUBLIN, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HT Materials Science (HTMS), a sustainable materials technology company based in Ireland and Italy, announced today the successful trial of its heat transfer fluid Maxwell with Tabreed , the world's leading district cooling company with 89 district cooling plants and 1.3M refrigeration tons of cooling across the GCC. Developed and manufactured by HTMS, Maxwelltm is a drop-in, nanofluid additive for cooling systems that can increase energy efficiency by up to 15% in most commercial and industrial HVAC systems. The pilot program with Tabreed has the potential to save approximately 200,000 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per annum. "One of the most stubborn obstacles to fighting climate change has been figuring out how to make industrial-scale cooling systems more energy efficient. Maxwell represents a significant step forward in this area and can be implemented immediately. We are thrilled that Tabreed recognizes this opportunity for progress," said Thomas Grizzetti, co-founder and chief executive officer of HTMS. Maxwell was trialed in the summer of 2023 at a Tabreed district cooling plant in Khalifah City, Abu Dhabi, which supplies chilled water to a 600,000 square foot educational campus. The performance of Maxwell at Tabreed's facility demonstrated an increase in efficiency of the plant's chillers by 13.6% compared with the same period in 2022 under comparable load and temperature conditions. "This successful pilot project proves the power of international partnership and technological collaboration, and we look forward to working with HTMS to further the application of their technology to advance sustainable cooling solutions that benefit communities and industries across the world," said Khalid Al Marzooqi, CEO of Tabreed. Named after the pioneering scientist James Clerk Maxwell, who first developed the concept of nano fluids in the 19th century, Maxwell is an engineered suspension of sub-micron aluminum oxide particles in a base fluid of water or water/glycol ('nanofluid') that enhances heat transfer in HVAC systems. Tabreed and HTMS will introduce Maxwell to other district cooling facilities in the company's global portfolio. With cooling accounting for an estimated 70% of energy consumption in the GCC, and global demand expected to triple by 2050, Maxwell could play a critical role in reducing the environmental impact of commercial and industrial cooling systems. About HTMS HTMS is the developer of Maxwell ? an innovative, sub-micron heat transfer fluid. Maxwell is a drop-in additive for use in new or existing commercial and industrial heating and cooling systems. Maxwell enhances heat transfer, resulting in a substantial reduction in energy consumption and an increase in system capacity. The company is headquartered in Ireland with offices in Dublin, Italy and New York. For more information visit www.htmaterialsscience.com About National Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed) Tabreed provides essential and sustainable district cooling services to iconic developments such as the Burj Khalifa, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World, Emirates Towers, Yas Island, Al Maryah Island, The Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera, Dubai Metro, Bahrain Financial Harbor and the Jabal Omar Development in the Holy City of Makkah. The company owns and operates 89 plants in its portfolio, including 75 in the United Arab Emirates, five in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, seven in Oman, one in the Kingdom of Bahrain and one in India, in addition to other international projects and operations. SOURCE HTMS 5 december 2023 at 11:40 News published onand distributed by: MemorialCare's Orange Coast Medical Center, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach Named High Performing for Best Hospitals in Maternity by U.S. News & World Report 'High Performing' is the highest rating U.S. News & World Report awards for Maternity care FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare's Orange Coast Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach have been recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice. This is the highest award a hospital can earn for U.S. News' Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. U.S. News & World Report evaluated hospitals from across the nation that provide high-quality labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the publication for analysis; 680 hospitals, an all-time high, participated in this year's U.S. News survey. Fewer than half ? 46% ? of all hospitals that offer maternity care and participated in the survey received a High Performing designation. "Being listed among the top maternity hospitals by U.S. News & World Report is an absolute honor," says Shela Kaneshiro, chief clinical transformation officer, MemorialCare. "MemorialCare is focused on being one of the safest places to have a baby regardless of race or socioeconomic status and we take great care in our research and outcomes to improve the health for all women and their babies." The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely on objective measures of quality, such as C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, early elective delivery rates, birthing-friendly practices and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures. "Hospitals that receive a High Performing designation as part of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care meet a high standard in caring for parents with uncomplicated pregnancies," said Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News. "These hospitals have C-section rates that are 26% lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals. Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals' performance metrics for free at health.usnews.com to help them choose where to have their baby." About MemorialCare MemorialCare has 225 care locations including leading hospitals?Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach; MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians; MemorialCare Research Program; MemorialCare Select Health Plan; and numerous outpatient health, imaging, surgery, urgent care, physical therapy, breast health and dialysis centers throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties. Accolades include Nation's Best Health Systems and Workplaces, Top 50 U.S. Hospitals and Cardiovascular Hospitals, 10 Largest Children's Hospitals, 100 Best Hospitals - Spine and Prostate Surgeries, Best of Orange County and Long Beach Hospitals and Medical Groups, U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals and "high performing" in 31 clinical categories and Newsweek World's Best Hospitals, Top 100 Hospitals, Best Maternity Hospitals ? and more. Visit memorialcare.org. About U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C. SOURCE MemorialCare Health System 5 december 2023 at 11:51 News published onand distributed by: Ireland said Tuesday, December 5, it will hold two referendums on International Women's Day on March 8 to amend decades-old constitutional references to women "in the home" and the "family." The proposed amendment would remove references in the 1937 Constitution to a woman's "life within the home" and replace it with non-gender specific language, Taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar told reporters in Dublin. Ireland's Constitution was written when Catholicism held sway over public and private life. Article 41.2 of the Constitution specifies that "by her life within the home, woman gives to the state a support without which the common good cannot be achieved." It adds that "mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home." The existing wording "no longer reflects modern life" said Micheal Martin, the deputy prime minister, or tanaiste. He called it "outdated" language. Equality Minister Roderic O'Gorman told reporters that the "archaic" and "sexist" reference to a woman in the home "has contributed nothing." Another clause that refers to the family would also be amended so that constitutional protection is not limited to marital families. That change would "acknowledge that families may also be founded on other lasting relationships, other than marriage," said Varadkar. For example, a family which is headed by a lone parent or a family headed by grandparents or guardians, he said. In recent years, Ireland voted by large majorities in referendums to open up abortion laws and allow same-sex marriage. Before the vote on same-sex marriage, Varadkar came out publicly as gay. Final wording of the two votes is expected to be approved by the government on Thursday. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Macron begins constitutional process to protect abortion rights The Israeli army on Tuesday, December 5, denied telling the World Health Organization to empty an aid warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours before ground operations in the area render it unusable. "The truth is that we didn't ask you to evacuate the warehouses and we also made it clear (and in writing) to the relevant #UN representatives," the Israeli defense ministry body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, COGAT said on X, formerly Twitter. "From a #UN official we would expect, at least, to be more accurate," it added. The truth is that we didn't ask you to evacuate the warehouses and we also made it clear (and in writing) to the relevant #UN representatives. From a #UN official we would expect, at least, to be more accurate. https://t.co/ZrXQ6ecqcd COGAT (@cogatonline) December 4, 2023 WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X on Monday: "Today, WHO received notification from the Israel Defense Forces that we should remove our supplies from our medical warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours, as ground operations will put it beyond use". "We appeal to Israel to withdraw the order, and take every possible measure to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and humanitarian facilities," he wrote. Today, @WHO received notification from the Israel Defense Forces that we should remove our supplies from our medical warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours, as ground operations will put it beyond use. We appeal to #Israel to withdraw the order, and take every possible Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 4, 2023 Israel's army on Monday sent dozens of tanks into southern Gaza as part of expanded action against Hamas, as communications were cut across the besieged territory. The number of operational hospitals in Gaza has dropped from 36 to 18 in less than 60 days, according to the WHO, with three providing only basic first aid and others offering partial services. Twelve hospitals still remain operational in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, according to the WHO. At a press conference earlier on Monday, the WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, Ahmed al-Mandhari, said the intensification of military ground operations in southern Gaza risked depriving thousands of people of health care. "We saw what happened in the north of Gaza. This cannot serve as a model for the south," he said. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Gaza's Shujaiya district obliterated by Israeli strikes 'Nowhere left to go' A UN official warned on Monday that "an even more hellish scenario" looms in Gaza in which humanitarian aid simply grinds to a halt. "The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist," said Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes 'The Middle East is a tomb for international law' Since the end of a seven-day truce, Israeli forces have pushed into southern Gaza, "forcing tens of thousands... into increasingly compressed spaces, desperate to find food, water, shelter and safety," Hastings said. "Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go." "If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond," Hastings said in a statement. Hastings, a Canadian, rejected the idea of "safe zones" urged upon Israel by the US government where people are still unable to move about freely. "These zones cannot be safe nor humanitarian when unilaterally declared," she said. "What we see today," Hastings added, "are shelters with no capacity, a health system on its knees, a lack of clean drinking water, no proper sanitation and poor nutrition for people already mentally and physically exhausted: a textbook formula for epidemics and a public health disaster." Further complicating aid deliveries, two major roads in Gaza have been declared off-limits to UN teams and trucks, Hastings said. Hastings has her base in Jerusalem but Israel last week informed the UN that it would not renew her visa, accusing her of not being "impartial." The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meantime called again for "a sustained humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages." Juanita Castro, exiled opposition leader and sister of Cuban leaders Fidel and Raul Castro. BICHIN01/ PUBLIC DOMIN Juanita Castro, the younger sister of Fidel and Raul Castro, died on Monday, December 4, in Miami where she spent decades in exile fighting for the downfall of her brothers, a journalist close to the family said. "Today Juanita Castro, an exceptional woman (and) tireless fighter for the cause of the Cuba she loved so much, passed away," Maria Antonieta Collins, coauthor of Castro's autobiography, posted on Instagram. Juanita Castro, who was 90 at her death, fled Cuba in 1964 after breaking with her brothers Fidel and Raul over the course of the 1959 Cuban Revolution. She took up exile in Miami, where she regularly flayed her brothers and even collaborated with the CIA, using the codename Donna, in its efforts to topple the Castro government, she said publicly. The fourth child among seven siblings, Castro opened a drugstore in south Florida where she worked for decades. 'The Secret History' She found it challenging to balance her dual roles as both sister of the Castros reviled in south Florida and member of the exile community, as she recounted in her memoir, My Brothers Fidel and Raul, the Secret History. "Undoubtedly, I have suffered more than the rest of the exiles because nowhere along the Straits of Florida do they give me respite and few are those who understand the paradox of my life," she wrote. "For those in Cuba, I am a deserter because I left and denounced the regime in place. For many in Miami, I am 'persona non grata' because I am the sister of Fidel and Raul." According to Univision, Juanita Castro died of natural causes in a Miami hospital. Her older brother Fidel died in 2016 in Havana, while Raul Castro, who is now 92, stepped down as head of the communist party on the island in 2021. "According to her wishes, her funeral will be private," Collins wrote in her Instagram post. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai delivers the 21st Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at the Johannesburg Theatre in Johannesburg on December 5, 2023. ROBERTA CIUCCIO / AFP Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said on Tuesday, December 5, that Taliban rule in Afghanistan has "made girlhood illegal," as she called for gender apartheid to be made a crime against humanity. In a speech marking the 10th anniversary of the death of South Africa's Nelson Mandela, the Pakistani activist said: "The Taliban have made girlhood illegal, and it is taking a toll." She highlighted how Afghan girls frozen out of school are "experiencing depression," "turning to narcotics" and "attempting suicide." Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes In Afghanistan, hope for women is fading Malala was the keynote speaker at an annual event held by the Mandela Foundation to commemorate the anti-apartheid icon and fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner. After slamming what she called the "unjust bombardment of Gaza" by Israel since the unprecedented October 7 attacks by Hamas, she said crises in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan had diverted attention from the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan. "Our first imperative is to call the regime in Afghanistan what it really is. It is a gender apartheid," said Malala, who was 15 when a Pakistani group shot her in the head over her campaign for girls' education. Access to education and work for girls and women in Afghanistan has been severely restricted since the Taliban leaders took back power in August 2021. Teenage girls and women are barred from schools and universities. Thousands of women have lost their government jobs or are being paid to stay home. Girls and women are also prohibited from entering parks, funfairs or gyms. "South Africans fought for racial apartheid to be recognised and criminalised at the international level. In the process, they drew more of the world's attention to the horrors of apartheid," Malala told a packed Johannesburg theatre. "But gender apartheid has not been explicitly codified yet," she said. "We have an opportunity to do that right now," she added, calling for the definition to be inserted in a new UN treaty that is currently being debated. Malala, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other leading activists are campaigning for UN member states to amend a draft crimes against humanity treaty to include gender apartheid. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes 'The international community must unequivocally condemn any system that institutes sexual apartheid' Palestinians lie on the floor as they wait to be taken care of after being wounded in an Israeli army bombing of the Gaza Strip, in the hospital in Khan Yunis, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. FATIMA SHBAIR / AP The situation in the Gaza Strip is getting worse all the time and approaching humanity's "darkest hour," the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, December 5. Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group's October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and which saw around 240 hostages taken back to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of all the hostages. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says the war has killed nearly 15,900 people in the territory. Here are some of the key concerns being raised by the WHO and other United Nations agencies: The situation in southern Gaza Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday via video link from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip that the number of people on the move from central and southern Gaza was "vastly increasing." Israeli forces battled Hamas militants in southern Gaza on Tuesday, with fighting pushing civilians into a steadily shrinking area of the besieged Palestinian enclave. After initially focusing on northern Gaza, the Israeli army has now sent ground forces into the south and urged civilians to evacuate. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Bombs rain down on southern Gaza, where the Israeli army is now extending its offensive "The situation is getting worse by the hour. There is intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas," said Peeperkorn. "A lot of people are desperate and almost in a permanent state of shock." "We are close by humanity's darkest hour," Peeperkorn said. "These bombings and the senseless loss of life must stop now, and we need a sustained ceasefire." WHO warehouses Early in the conflict, the WHO established two adjacent warehouses in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza but said on Tuesday that it had to find a smaller one in Rafah after being advised to move by Israel's military. "We comply because we want to make sure that you can actually deliver essential medical supplies," said Peeperkorn. The WHO managed to scramble out 90 percent of the stockpile in "a panic movement." "And we had to abort the mission we were planning to do to bring supplies to the hospitals." Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Amid heavy fighting, Gaza hospitals are collapsing "This... should be our top priority, to get a sustained line of the most essential medical supplies, trauma supplies, essential drugs into Gaza," and then distribute it to health facilities. He said the amount of aid that the WHO had been able to bring into Gaza was "way too little". "For this kind of humanitarian disaster, where we are in an increasing disaster, we need much more supplies and equipment in," he said. Beds and diseases Eighteen of the Gaza Strip's 36 hospitals are still functioning in any capacity: Three are providing basic first aid only, while the rest are delivering partial services. Twelve of the 18 are in the south. There are 1,400 hospital beds still available in the Gaza Strip. The WHO says 5,000 are needed. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Gazan hospitals at the heart of Israel-Hamas war Peeperkorn said that since the start of the war, there have been 120,000 acute respiratory infections; close to 26,000 people with scabies and lice; 86,000 cases of diarrhea, including 44,000 among children aged under five, which he said was 20 to 30 times higher than could be expected. Meanwhile, some 1,150 cases of jaundice have been recorded, along with cases of chicken pox, skin rashes and meningitis. Safe zones and sanitation James Elder, a spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, said that with the population on the move, in two hours "there are 5,000 people where there was no one previously. Critically in these places, there's no sanitation." Speaking from Cairo after returning from Gaza, he said that in one shelter in Gaza, where 30,000 people were seeking refuge, there was one toilet for roughly every 400 people, meaning queues of up to five hours. Israel directing civilians towards zones it has designated as safe but which have no toilets or clean water is creating "the perfect storm for disease outbreak," said Elder. "Israel is the occupying power: it's they who have to provide food, water, medicine," he added. Read more Southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital overwhelmed by wounded THE KILLERS of Limerick man Jason Corbett will not be released this week, as reports from the US had stated on Monday, with the father and daughter now expected to stay behind bars until 2024. Tom Martens (73) and Molly Martens (40) were sentenced to serve between seven months and 30 months in prison for the killing of Mr Corbett, from Janesboro in Limerick, in August 2015. However, on Monday, the North Carolina prison service said that Mr Martens would be freed on Tuesday, while Ms Martens would be freed on Wednesday. Since this news broke, however, the North Carolina Department of Corrections (NCDP) has reportedly told numerous local news outlets in the US that a mistake had been made in calculating their release dates. It is now understood that the killers of the Janesboro-born father-of-two (pictured, below) will be kept behind bars, with the current projected release dates for both being June 27, 2024. The 39-year-old businessman was killed in his home in North Carolina leaving his two children, Jack and Sarah Corbett, orphaned. In a post on X on Tuesday, Sarah said the news yesterday of the early release had caused pain and confusion. The family have called for an apology to be issued for causing both Sarah and her brother Jack pain, anguish and upset. Ms Martens, who married Mr Corbett in 2011, and her father, were initially convicted of second-degree murder At the time, the pair were given 20- to 25-year prison sentences. However, this was overturned following an appeal two years ago. As part of a plea agreement in October, Martens did not contest a charge of voluntary manslaughter, while her father pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. This resulted in prosecutors dropping charges of second-degree murder as part of the plea agreement. They were then handed sentences for a minimum term of four years and three months. However, they were given full credit for the three years and eight months they had already spent behind bars. In response to a query from Limerick Live, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction stated: "After further review, the initial projected release dates calculated in response to resentencing for Molly Corbett and Thomas Martens were found to be incorrect. The current projected release dates for both are June 27, 2024. Corbett and Martens will be transferred to state prison facilities to complete the remainder of their sentences." A MAN has been arrested following an incident on a busy Limerick motorway which led to significant traffic delays. Emergency s services responded to reports of a vehicle in a ditch on the M20 Limerick-Cork motorway on Monday evening, Limerick Live has learned. A garda spokesperson confirmed officers attended at the scene of a two car collision on the M20 at Rosbrien, Limerick shortly after 7pm on Monday. A number of units from Limerick Fire and Rescue Service also attended the scene. The garda spokesperson said: "One of the motorists involved, a male in his 40s, was arrested at the scene under the Road Traffic Acts. "He has since been charged in connection with the incident to appear before Limerick District Court later this month. An investigation into the collision is ongoing." There was no reports of any injuries sustained in the collision. There were reports of traffic delays while the incident was being dealt with and the damaged vehicles removed. Daire Scanlon, the Managing Director & Owner of Scanlons Limitless Health Pharmacies, has been bestowed with the prestigious honour of the AIBF Business Person of the Month for September. Scanlons Limitless Health Pharmacies has solidified its position as an award-winning community pharmacy group across Ireland under Daire Scanlons astute leadership. Daires ethos revolves around care, privacy, and respect for clients, coupled with unwavering support and training for his exceptional teams and their families. Daire was overjoyed to be honoured by the AIBF: Its my utmost pleasure and honour to receive the AIBF Business Person of the Month award. The success of Scanlons Limitless Health Pharmacies in Limerick and Dublin is purely attributed to the exceptional healthcare team of pharmacists, technicians, and OTC staff who diligently uphold and practice enhanced patient care, he said. We are dedicated to serving our customers with a seven-day-a-week commitment, driven by our core values: care, privacy, and respect. Additionally, our medication cost-saving scheme, Limitless Health, provides our clients with a unique advantage. I invite you to explore our offerings at LimitlessHealth.com. Daires journey to becoming AIBF Business Person of the Month stands as a beacon of inspiration, illustrating that success can be attained by staying true to core values and demonstrating unwavering commitment to the well-being of clients and communities. Website: www.scanlonspharmacy.com Phone: 061 454000 Email: admin@scanlonspharmacy.com Scanlons Pharmacy, Ennis Road Branch Scanlons Pharmacy Ennis Road (Opposite Gaelic Grounds) Limerick City Opening hours: Mon Fri: 8.30am to 7pm Saturday: 9am to 6pm Sunday & Bank Hols: 10am to 6pm Tel: 061 454000 Email: admin@scanlonspharmacy.com Scanlons Express Lat Night Pharmacy, Dock Road Unit 3 Mt Kennett Shannon Bridge, Dock Rd Limerick City Opening hours: Mon Fri: 9am 7pm Saturday: 9am to 8pm Sunday & Bank Hols: 9am to 6pm Tel: 061 314 314 Email: admin@scanlonspharmacy.com Scanlons Pharmacy, Castleroy Branch Unit 6 Chawkes Service Station, Dublin Road, Castletroy Limerick City Opening hours: Mon Fri: 9am to 10pm Saturday: 9am to 8pm Sunday & Bank Hols: 10am to 6pm Tel: 061 203003 Email: admin@scanlonspharmacy.com Limitless Health Pharmacy Unit 4 Burnell court, Northern cross, Malahide rd, Dublin 17 Opening hours: Mon Fri: 8.30am to 10pm Saturday: 9am to 8pm Sunday & Bank Hols: 10am to 6pm Tel: 01 8770898 Email: admin@scanlonspharmacy.com *Sponsored Content Stock Market News Brent Oil - Oil slightly up amid OPEC+ cut doubts, Middle East tension 05-12-2023 01:56 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk In the dynamic and ever-evolving world of cryptocurrencies, 2024 is shaping up to be a year of surprising developments and shifting paradigms. As Ethereum (ETH), a long-standing leader in the crypto space, continues to innovate and grow, it faces the prospect of being surpassed by emerging tokens. >> Visit Meme Moguls website << Ethereum (ETH) Ethereum, a trailblazer in the crypto world, has maintained a robust position with a notable past year. As we look ahead to 2024, Ethereum's evolution is marked by significant technological strides. These include the Shanghai upgrade, facilitating staked ETH withdrawals, and the proto-dank sharding development aimed at enhancing scalability and reducing transaction costs. Solanas (SOL) Huge 2023 Reversal Poised to Continue In 2023, Solana focused on key developments such as enhancing mobile integration, improving network reliability and resiliency, and boosting programmability and performance. These strategic moves aim to position Solana as a more user-friendly, secure, and scalable blockchain platform. Meme Moguls Meme Moguls, a burgeoning force in the digital currency space is poised to eclipse giants like Ethereum and Solana. Its unique blend of meme culture and financial trading creates an engaging and dynamic platform, appealing to a wide range of users, from seasoned traders to meme enthusiasts To join this exciting venture and capitalize on its potential, visit the Meme Moguls website. For more information about the Meme Moguls (MGLS) presale: Website: https://mememoguls.com/ Buy presale: https://app.mememoguls.com/sign-up Twitter: https://twitter.com/meme_moguls Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/ editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/ subscribe to the contents of the article/advertisement and/or views expressed herein. The reader is further advised that Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the views, opinions, announcements, declarations, affirmations etc., stated/featured in same. The decision to read hereinafter is purely a matter of choice and shall be construed as an express undertaking/guarantee in favour of Hindustan Times of being absolved from any/ all potential legal action, or enforceable claims. The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute a financial advice. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! The looming spectre of climate change calls for an urgent paradigm shift in our energy landscape. As the world converges at COP28 in Dubai, the call for a global revolution in renewables is louder than ever. It's not just technological progress; it is a key lever for the survival of our planet and the well-being of its inhabitants. The growth of renewables: global dynamics The seismic shift towards renewable energy is unmistakable. Recent forecasts from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predict a 50% increase in global renewable energy capacity over the next five years. Countries such as China, India, the United States, and the European Union are at the forefront of this movement, setting ambitious targets to integrate renewables into their energy mix by 2030. This shared commitment propels us towards a future powered by clean energy. Dependence on fossil fuels and the climate crisis Our continued dependence on fossil fuels poses an existential threat. Burning these fuels perpetuates a dangerous cycle, releasing greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and drive the planet toward unprecedented warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issues a stark warning: achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is essential to prevent irreversible damage to our ecosystems and societies. The consequences of the climate crisis are already evident, visible in extreme weather events, rising sea levels and ecological imbalances. The Potential of Renewable Energy: The Path to a Brighter Future Amid the dire forecast, the potential of renewable energy is emerging as a beacon of hope. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), expanding global renewable energy capacity by 2030 could bring significant benefits: A staggering 42% reduction in CO2 emissions. Creation of 14 million new jobs. Inflow of $3.7 trillion into the global economy. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent the promise of a healthier planet, robust economies and a brighter future for generations to come. Obstacles to progress Despite the immense promise, the road to renewable energy is dotted with several obstacles. The call to rapidly scale renewables installations will further create challenges of its own. It is undeniably the most exciting times for renewables, wherein we are globally aligned to a single cause, exponential growth is imminent but the getting the job done will take massive collective might. Continuous technological innovation is necessary to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of renewable technologies. Creating a resilient and seamless supply chain in the current geo-political environment to support this growth is one of the most critical considerations ahead. Innovative financing models and robust public-private collaboration are critical to attracting the massive investment needed to accelerate the transition. Equally crucial are strong government policies that stimulate the growth of renewable energy while discouraging fossil fuel consumption. India: a beacon of hope India's determined plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2070 is a guide for other developing countries. With strong policy frameworks, unwavering political commitment and active involvement of the private and commercial sectors, India leads the global South. By focusing on implementation efficiency, comprehensive development of various renewable energy sources and sharing knowledge with other developing countries, India serves as a testament to the global clean energy transition. COP28: A pivotal moment for climate action COP28 represents a key moment to accelerate the global shift towards renewable energy. Leaders and politicians must commit to ambitious goals: Increasing global renewable energy capacity targets by 2030. Implementing strict policies such as carbon pricing and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. Calling for global collaboration for a seamless and robust global supply chain. Fostering public-private partnerships to support the growth of renewable energy. A call to action: the collective survival imperative The transition to renewable energy is not just a political agenda; it is a collective imperative for survival. As Mahatma Gandhi aptly said, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world." Let COP28 be a watershed moment in our collective commitment to a future powered by clean, renewable energy. Recent assessments by major energy companies show a significant increase in wind and solar generation, reaching 7% of the energy mix between 2017 and 2022. Despite this progress, it is not achieving the necessary goals. Companies in the energy sector must adapt to the International Energy Agency's requirements for net zero emissions. Unfortunately, only 43% of coal-using companies plan to phase it out, a clear sign that more action is needed to prevent looming climate disasters. The time for action is now The stakes have never been higher and the time to act is upon us. Embracing the renewables adoption with urgency and determination is non-negotiable. Choosing clean energy over fossil fuels represents an opportunity to create a sustainable and fair future for all. Rise to the occasion and leave behind a legacy of hope for generations to come. (The views and opinions expressed in the article are of Mr. Girish R Tanti who is the Vice-Chairman of Suzlon Energy Limited) Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! A notable analyst is convinced that the recent pullback in the Solana (SOL) value is over and that the cryptocurrency can continue to make new yearly highs with its value. Alongside it, Binance (BNB) could soon experience a pump despite its Founder and CEO stepping down from the company. Everlodge (ELDG), on the other hand, has made significant waves as it tackles critical issues in the $4.548 trillion hospitality industry. Solana (SOL) Crypto analyst Bluntz is bullish on the future of the Solana (SOL) crypto. The trader references numerous technical analysis theories related to the current market structure, including the Elliott Waves, the support, and the resistance. Blunz projects that Solana is gearing up, describing a solid move in the asset's overarching trend direction following a correction. Binance (BNB) Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao, the Founder and CEO of Binance (BNB), resigned from his position at the company after reaching an agreement with the DOJ. This event marked a significant change in the crypto world, as the Binance exchanges experienced a large withdrawal of over $1 billion. Everlodge (ELDG) Traders are diversifying their holdings with the Everlodge and supporting its effort to reimagine the $4.548 trillion hospitality industry by solving key issues. This upcoming marketplace will solve critical issues in the industry, including liquidity issues, transparency issues, and accessibility restrictions. By using non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the platform can mint properties and then split them into smaller pieces through a process known as fractionalization. and then through a process known as fractionalization. As a result, if a property is worth $4,000,000 , such as a luxury villa in Miami, it can be split into 40,000 pieces worth $100 each. , such as a luxury villa in Miami, it can be split into This way, anyone can build a diversified portfolio and co-own numerous properties. There is also An AI tool that will monitor and scan the global property prices in all territories. This way, anyone can access up-to-date snapshots of a specific region, providing them with opportunities to reach high ROI. For more information about Everlodge (ELDG) please visit their website. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/ editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/ subscribe to the contents of the article/advertisement and/or views expressed herein. The reader is further advised that Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the views, opinions, announcements, declarations, affirmations etc., stated/featured in same. The decision to read hereinafter is purely a matter of choice and shall be construed as an express undertaking/guarantee in favour of Hindustan Times of being absolved from any/ all potential legal action, or enforceable claims. The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute a financial advice. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! WASHINGTONSupreme Court justices wrestled Monday with the uncomfortable bargain struck between most victims of the opioid crisis and the Sackler family, whose Purdue Pharma promoted the addictive painkiller OxyContin: providing timely compensation for survivors in exchange for granting the wealthy family immunity from future civil lawsuits. That settlement was reached before a bankruptcy judge and approved in May by a federal appeals court in New York. It would see the Sacklers pay $6 billion to individual victims and state governments in exchange for eliminating potential liability for additional claims, such as fraudeven though they, unlike Purdue, havent sought bankruptcy protection. The deal was made under a catchall provision of federal law authorizing bankruptcy judges to issue orders and judgments that may be necessary or appropriate" to resolve cases. Nearly all the victims agreed because the Sacklers said they wouldnt settle without such protection. But some 2,600 victims3% of the totaldidnt settle, and at Mondays arguments, a Justice Department attorney told the court that federal law didnt permit settlements that forbid creditors from seeking assets that werent protected in bankruptcy proceedings. Justice Brett Kavanaugh summed up the frustration of victims who thought things had been resolved: You, the federal government, with no stake in this at all, are coming in and telling the families, No, were not going to give you prompt payment for whats happened to your family, and were not going to allow this money to go to the states for prevention programs to prevent future overdoses," Kavanaugh said, simply because Justice Department lawyers have a somewhat theoretical idea that theyll be able to recover money down the road from the Sacklers themselves." Justice Elena Kagan suggested the prospect of additional recovery was far-fetched. Its overwhelming, the support for this deal," she said, among people who think the Sacklers are pretty much the worst people on earth. Theyve negotiated a deal which they think is the best that they can get." Deputy Solicitor General Curtis Gannon suggested the Sacklers could be bluffing. An earlier version of the best deal for victims fixed the Sackler contribution at $4.3 billion, he said, but after a legal setback threatened to undo the settlement, the family upped its payout to $6 billion. Justices bristled when Greg Garre, representing Purdue, cited bankruptcy court findings that without the deal, victims might not see a penny of compensation. If this settlement doesnt go forward, then victims would likely, even if they prevailed on their claims, [face] serious issues about being able to collect," he said. That is only because the Sacklers have taken the money offshore, right?" said Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, referring to the overseas trusts where much of the familys wealth is held. The Sacklers have taken the money and are not willing to give it back unless they have this condition." Justice Amy Coney Barrett observed that the Sacklers had begun transferring funds from Purdue to their private accounts as the scope of the opioid crisis began to unfold. It is all money that they took out of the corporation," she said. In recent decades, bankruptcy courts have used the power to wipe out related claims to drive chapter 11 settlements in mass-victim litigation where some parties that arent themselves in bankruptcy could face liability. The Boy Scouts of America agreed to the largest settlement of sex-abuse claims in U.S. history in exchange for extinguishing claims against its volunteer affiliates and religious partners. Private-equity firms, corporate executives and others linked to a bankruptcy case often get immunity from liability as part of such settlements. But federal appeals courts are divided over whether the bankruptcy codes necessary or appropriate" clause permits such broad actions. Purdue sought bankruptcy protection in 2019 when facing thousands of lawsuits alleging misconduct in marketing OxyContin. Many claims filed by state governments, municipalities and victims of opioid addiction also named the closely held companys family owners, who have denied wrongdoing. The Sacklers assert that they didnt anticipate those suits when taking $10 billion in distributions from Purdue from 2008 to 2017. About half of that sum went toward taxes or were reinvested in the business, court papers say. Alexander Saeedy contributed to this article. Write to Jess Bravin at Jess.Bravin@wsj.com Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Cloud communications company Twilio on December 4 revealed its third major round of layoffs, with a 5% reduction in its workforce. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Lawson said in a memo to employees Monday, While I know its hard to undergo so much change, its all part of the necessary transition to profitable growth," reported Bloomberg. Lawson informed that the cuts primarily affect salespeople for Twilios consumer data platform and contact centre software. He further added that following results of previous restructures that underachieved" in their goal of helping these business units to achieve higher growth rate. Twilio has so far laid off more that 3,000 workers since September 2022 that almost equals to one-third of its total workforce in the year 2022. Following this news, Twilios shares fell 1.1% at 10:39 am in New York. Second round of layoffs that involved 17% job cuts took place in February this year as part of a restructuring effort to focus on profitability. Following this move shares jumped 2% at that time. In its first round of restructuring the company laid off 11 percent of its workforce in September last year. Twilio also revealed that the company might incur $25 million to $35 million in charges related to the layoffs, it said in the filing. The recent round of restructuring is set to conclude by the end of the year. Spotify Technology SA also announced job cuts involving nearly one-fifth of its workforce in its third round of layoffs on Monday. Twilio is well known in the field of making software that allows businesses to communicate with their customers. However, the company struggled to maintain its high revenue growth and investor interest that it once achieved during its peak. For marketing services, Twilio recently revealed that it would bring about out new artificial intelligence products. Last month, the Information reported that activist investor Anson Funds had built a stake in the company, and was pushing for a sale of Twilio in entirety, or a divestment of the business unit where the cuts are focused. A Twilio spokesman informed that the recent third round of layoffs are unrelated to activist news. He said, Over the past year, Twilio has been on a path of reorienting the business towards profitable growth." (With inputs from Bloomberg) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! While the U.S. rightfully focuses on bringing its hostages home from Gaza and alleviating broader tensions in the Middle East, the U.S.-China competition continues unabated. The supplemental funding package for Israel that President Biden proposed in October contains a $1.25 billion funding request for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Developmenta part of the World Bankto help developing nations such as Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria get loans from Western organizations instead of from China. Congress should endorse this package and enact additional measures to weaken Chinese economic influence in the developing world. For a decade, China has pushed its Belt and Road Initiativean ambitious project aimed at linking countries around the world through railways, pipelines and other infrastructure financed by Chinese state-owned banks. The U.S. can offer better partnerships to secure countries futures while making the U.S. economy more resilient. Over the past decade, China, through its Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, has sought to expand its influence by providing cut-rate loans to developing countries. Even though Chinese workers have built substandard infrastructure, such as a cracking dam in Ecuador and faltering railroads in Ethiopia and Djibouti, impoverished countries continue to seek these loans, particularly to fund their green-energy transitions, indebting themselves to China for decades. China is using its banking power to dominate critical supply chains and spread the Communist Partys soft power. The U.S. and its allies must act quickly and decisively to blunt its influence. The Biden administration has been pushing for months to ensure that the U.S. and its allies, not China, control the supply chains critical to the green-energy transition. Mr. Biden and Group of 20 partners threw down an economic gauntlet against China in September with a revolutionary rail-to-port project connecting India with Europe. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, will allow India and the United Arab Emirates to pump clean hydrogen into Europe, along with strengthening the power and digital infrastructure of participating countries. The Biden administration believes that breaking Americas and its allies dependence on Chinese supply chains requires not only securing the raw materials for products like electric vehicles, but also safeguarding supply-chain infrastructure like railroads and seaports. The $1.25 billion proposed by the administration would be a critical first step. It would allow the World Bank to provide financing to developing countries to build ports, railroads and mines that would be helpful to the U.S. Besides this funding, Congress should undertake four other reforms to help the U.S. fight the resource battle against China. First, fix how the U.S. International Development Corp.s equity investments are scored so that early-stage companies in emerging and frontier markets like the Democratic Republic of the Congo can attract investment. At present, the agency is required to treat equity investments as a total loss, akin to a grant, instead of allowing for expected return on investment. Changing these requirements would allow the agency to work with transparent global companies that are environmentally responsible and invest in local workers. Second, double down on Americas commitment to the Group of Sevens Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, the vehicle by which Mr. Biden launched the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. The initiative involves corralling U.S., foreign and private capital to outbid Chinese interests in sectors vital to the West. Third, seek to expand the World Banks risk threshold to allow greater investment in the infrastructure projects necessary to secure mineral supply chains. The World Bank currently takes a highly conservative approach toward investing in projects that China would be happy to fund. Congress can help by pushing the bank and its new leader, Ajay Banga, to raise the overall risk profile of World Bank loans. Fourth, encourage the International Monetary Fund to create financing programs for countries of strategic importance, similar to the fund established for Ukraine in March. The IMF has restrictions on lending to countries in arrears, but the U.S. needs countries with critical mineral deposits, such as Zambia and Ghana, to escape their extensive Chinese debt obligations, and the IMF can provide them the means of doing so. If the U.S. spreads its efforts too thin or focuses primarily on military power at the expense of economic diplomacy, it will lose this competition. But if it musters its finances and those of allied partners to address this most dire of Chinese economic threats, it will have a fighting chance. Mr. Silverberg is a managing director at Capstone LLC, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a former national security adviser to Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland. Ms. McGovern is a co-leader of Capstones national-security practice. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! (Bloomberg) -- Israel would consider another short-term cease-fire if an agreement can be reached with Hamas to return more of its 137 hostages still in captivity. Securing the release of all those seized by Hamas and other armed groups on Oct. 7 remains an aim of the war alongside destroying the Islamist militant group, Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesman, said on Tuesday. A temporary pause to get them out" would be considered, he told the Jerusalem Press Club. Israel Grinds War South as US Monitors Gaza Civilian Deaths During the seven-day cease-fire that ended Dec. 1, Hamas returned 110 of the more than 240 people taken when its militants swarmed out of Gaza and killed about 1,200 people. In exchange, about three times as many Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel. Women, Children The cease-fire came to end, Israel said, when Hamas reneged on an agreement to return all women and children. Hamas, which is classified as a terror group by the US and European Union, still holds 20 women, two boys and 115 men, Israel has said. Its unclear if all of them are alive. Qatar which helped broker the last halt to fighting said its working to secure a fresh pause. That shouldnt be seen as a an alternative to a permanent cease-fire," Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said in Doha. Levy also defended Israels record in protecting civilians, as criticism mounts over its air strikes and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, in which almost 16,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The military is giving advance warnings of strikes, conceding the element of surprise, he said. Its upsetting that our attempts to protect civilians are mocked or discarded," he said. We would like to seek greater appreciation for the efforts Israel is making to protect civilians." While the Israeli air force continues to play a key role in the war as the military moves its focus to the south of Gaza, the next phase of the conflict will be characterized by close-quarter fighting" with Hamas battalions, he said. Levy appeared to confirm government plans that Hamas leaders would be targeted for assassination wherever they are, including in Qatar and Turkey. Every Hamas terrorist is a dead man walking," Levy said. We will go to the ends of the Earth to bring to justice people who want to perpetrate genocidal violence against the Jewish people." --With assistance from Dana Khraiche. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! The most comprehensive global look at test scores since the pandemic shows learning loss is a stubborn worldwide problem, with American 15-year-olds experiencing similar or slightly less severe setbacks compared with peers in other countries. Economically developed nations saw substantial drops in reading and math on international exams, according to new data released Tuesday. U.S. scores also declined sharply in math but held roughly steady in reading. Among 37 participating countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which coordinates the exam, the U.S.s scores now rank sixth in reading, 12th in science and 28th in math. These were slight improvements compared with 2018, the last time the exam was given. View Full Image Graphic: WSJ Learning loss due to the pandemic was a global phenomenon," said Martin West, the academic dean at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Weve never seen, in an international assessment, consistent declines across a large number of school systems in the way we see here." The Program for International Student Assessment was administered last year to 15-year-olds in math, reading and science. That included a sample of 4,600 U.S. students who were typically in 10th grade when they took the test. U.S. students math scores fell by 13 points between 2018 and 2022, compared with a decline of 15 points for the typical country in the OECD. Twenty points is roughly equivalent to a years worth of learning. In reading, OECD countries fell by 10 points on average, while the U.S. scores were statistically unchanged. Science results were essentially flat in both the U.S. and in OECD countries overall. Several countriesincluding Canada, Estonia and Japanperformed better than average on all three exams. View Full Image Graphic: WSJ Researchers note that there is some statistical uncertainty around the scores and rankings since the results are based on only a sample of students. National exams in the U.S. since the pandemic have shown declines in both reading and math for fourth- and eighth-graders. U.S. schools that were closed for longer tended to experience bigger declines in test scores, according to some studies. The recent test was the first PISA exam since the pandemic disrupted childrens lives in and out of school. American students were more likely than students from other countries to say they had experienced lengthy school closures, according to a survey accompanying the test. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the international results show that the Biden administrations emergency funding distributed to schools prevented a worse showing. At an extremely tough time in education, the United States moved up in the world rankings," he said in a media call Monday. View Full Image Graphic: WSJ West said that it is too soon to say whether the extra money for schools, including $123 billion in the Biden-backed American Rescue Plan, has helped students recover. Cardona said American schools do need to improve their instruction in math, an area where the country has long lagged behind on PISA. U.S. scores have held roughly steady in reading and science since the early 2000s, even as many other countries have seen their scores fall. Countries scores are seen as the product of both their educational system and factors outside of school, including socioeconomic circumstances. PISA exams have long been closely watched as a measure of a countrys educational success and economic competitiveness. In the latest results, PISA researchers note that participation in the exams is voluntary in the U.S., which creates some risk of bias. Participation among private-school students was particularly low. Write to Matt Barnum at matt.barnum@wsj.com Praj Industries Ltds investors find themselves in a sweet spot. After all, the shares have jumped by almost 67% in the past six months. The company aims to triple its revenue by FY30, it said in a recent analysts meeting. The management also cited its two-pronged strategy to focus on bio-mobility (decarbonizing the transportation industry through advanced, next generation, and conventional biofuels) and bio-prism (technologies for production of renewable chemicals and materials). Praj Industriess bioenergy segment is seen as driving future growth. It provides technology and equipment to ethanol plants and houses technology for the production of compressed biofuels (CBG) and future fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The segment contributed 79% of revenue in the first half of FY24. The recent government directive mandating the blending of CBG with CNG for transportation and PNG for domestic use within the city gas distribution sector is expected to be a big catalyst for growth. The management is confident that this will accelerate the pace of order awards in the CBG business. Along with CBG, the SAF business is also expected to be a key driver in achieving the FY30 revenue target. Strategic partnerships with Gevo, Axens, and Indian Oil Corp. Ltd are expected to enhance opportunities in the SAF space. Moreover, as India joins the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, mandatory SAF blending from 2027 could create significant opportunities. The company has multiple high-growth opportunities across its various segments in the near to medium term, CBG & Ethanol Gen 1 exports have started seeing traction and engineering has shown strong traction in FY24," said Prathamesh Sawant, an analyst at Axis Securities. He also highlighted that in the bioenergy and engineering businesses, exports will enjoy higher margins compared to domestic business. Revenue from the engineering business in H1 was 15%. The company aims for a 50:50 split in order book for domestic and international (exports) orders. In FY23, 82% were domestic orders and the rest came from overseas. Meanwhile, after the sharp rally, the stock now trades at 33 times estimated earnings for FY25, showed Bloomberg data. As such, further re-ratings may be capped. Revenue prospects appear bright to say the least. As Amit Anwani, analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher pointed out, monitoring government tenders for CBG is crucial, as a slow pace of expected export ordering could derail growth momentum. Investors should also track order inflows from the US as the focus in international markets remains on the US and Europe, he added. I was once asked for a formula to calculate the fair value of a stock. The answer is an appropriate PE ratio multiplied by the company's earnings per share (EPS). Although the formula is quite simple, a big mistake usually creeps in. I've seen even the best analysts fall prey to this error. They constantly keep changing both the PE multiple as well as the EPS of a stock. I strongly believe that unless there is a huge structural change in the business, the PE multiple should be kept constant and only the EPS should be played around with. If you fiddle with the PE ratio too much, you end up assigning a higher PE multiple to a stock during good times and a lower PE multiple during bad times. This leads to terrible investing decisions as it often makes an expensive stock look cheap and a cheap stock look expensive. In other words, your valuation is not objective you are effectively dancing to the tune of the market. This is why I have always believed in keeping the PE multiple constant unless there are very strong reasons to change it. Besides, I like to keep things simple even when assigning the PE multiple. I don't like paying more than 15-16 times earnings for an average business and more than 30-35x for a good one. I also like to be methodical when evaluating the true earning power of a company. If there is plenty of fluctuation in earnings over the years, taking the average earnings of the past few years is a good idea. On the other hand, if the earnings have seen an upward trend, one may consider the latest EPS as a reflection of the true earnings power of the company. Let us understand this with the help of a couple of examples. View Full Image Source: Screener.in, Equitymaster Shown above is the EPS trend of two companies for the past 10 years. Both are PSUs, gave good returns this year, are debt-free, and have solid business models. What should we consider as the true earnings power or earnings potential of company A? It seems the company is capable of consistently hitting an EPS of at least 10, if not more. The huge 38 per share it earned in FY23 seems like a one-time thing. The same can be said for the loss in FY21. So it would be fair to say that 10 a share could be considered a good indicator of the earnings power of the company, so long as it has a strong balance sheet and has a long history of operations, which it does. Assigning a PE multiple of 15, which you assign to a normal business, you arrive at a fair value of 150 per share ( 10 EPS multiplied by the PE of 15). Keeping a margin of safety of around 30%, this business could be considered if available at 100 or less. Beyond 150, it may be expensive. Well, the stock was priced below 100 back in January 2022 and has multiplied almost four times since then. Yes, that's correct. In under two years, the stock has surged 300%. Forget the gains for a moment. Pay attention to how we arrived at the earnings potential how we kept the PE constant at 15x and were rewarded for it. Let's move on to the second stock now. Here, earnings have increased every since FY17 except FY21, which was the pandemic year. So instead of calculating the average EPS, we can consider its FY23 earnings, 8.1 a share, as the companys earning power as there is a strong chance its earnings will continue to grow at a decent pace. So, multiplying 8.1 by a PE ratio of 15 you get an intrinsic value of 120 a share. Assuming a margin of safety of 30%, the stock could be attractive below 95. Well, it was priced at 63 until a year ago but is now at 173. Thats a gain of almost 3x or 200% in a year. These two stocks are none other than the mining major GMDC and the railway infrastructure company IRCON. As you can see, by understanding the business model and being disciplined in valuing a company, you can ensure the risk-reward equation is in your favour. Changing the multiple based on market conditions or taking the wrong earnings potential can lead to overvaluation or undervaluation errors. Let us consider another example. View Full Image Source: Screener.in, Equitymaster What do you think of this company? What should its earning potential be? Well, this looks like a more volatile business than GMDC and IRCON. There have been four years of losses (three if we exclude FY21 due to covid). Its earnings have swung from a low of 7 a share in FY23 to a high of 37 in FY14 and FY15. Should we take its FY23 earnings as its earnings potential? I don't think so. It has done much better in other years. Should we take its FY14 and FY15 figures as its earnings potential? Im not sure of that either, as earnings have been very poor in other years. There are two options here. You can consider earning power to be around 20-25 a share and ask for a much higher margin of safety as the business is quite volatile, or you can ignore the business altogether. Let's say you want to consider investing in the business provided you have a margin of safety of 40-50%. Multiplying the earnings potential of 25 a share by a PE ratio of 15 gives you a fair value of close to 375 a share. Insisting on a big margin of safety of 50% translates to an investing price of 180 a share or less. If you haven't guessed by now, the stock is none other than Tata Motors. Yes, that's right. India's largest commercial-vehicle maker and one of the largest passenger-vehicle makers has had a bumpy ride over the last 10 years. Its true earnings potential has thus been quite hard to figure out. Has the stock traded below 180 in the recent past? The last time it was that low was back in December 2020 when it was mired in losses and investors thought it was heading towards disaster. However, disciplined investors who considered the true earnings power and the right PE multiple are a happy lot today. The stock has almost quadrupled since then, earning a cool 300% return over three years. The reason the stock is trading so high today is because its EPS from the past 12 months stands at 46, and investors seem to believe the company can improve on this. We agree that the company is going through a great phase right now. However, it is the same company that has seen earnings plunge in the past and even incurred losses. There is always the possibility that this can happen again. Hence, valuing the company on the basis of its most recent earnings alone is fraught with risk. Understand that the auto sector is brutal. Companies need to fight the economic cycle, the interest-rate cycle, the product cycle and the capex cycle regularly. These cycles are the reason why their earnings fluctuate a lot. So assuming that Tata Motors has become immune to these cycles is probably incorrect. Taking a more balanced view and considering its average earnings, not just the most recent one, would be more prudent in my view. Happy investing! Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com New Delhi: Sales of electric vehicles (EVs), particularly cars, in India is gathering momentum. Government data, as per the parivahan website, show that 73,000 EVs have been sold this calendar year so far. However, concerns linger about the range, or the distance these EVs can travel in one charge, limited charging infrastructure and expensive insurance . Amid these concerns, there has been a spurt in sales of hybrid cars, particularly in the last two months. But are hybrids economical, as compared to EVs? To be sure, a hybrid car works on both a fuel engine and an electric motor. Those looking to go green get lower emissions, as with an electric car, and better fuel efficiency while not having to worry about the charging cycles of the vehicle. But heres the catch. Strong hybrids in India currently start at about ex-showroom price of 17 lakh. In comparison, EVs come in affordable price ranges of below 15 lakh. MG Comet EV is the cheapest electric car in India starting at 7.98 lakh, ex-showroom price. Hybrids come in three typesmild hybrid, plug-in and strong hybrid engines. In mild hybrids, the electric motor and the internal combustion engine (ICE) work together and the former gives a mild push to the latter. This means that the fuel engine does most of the work, resulting in lower efficiency. Take for example the Maruti Grand Vitara. The automatic mild hybrid variant offers a mileage of about 20 kmpl, as claimed by the company, while the strong hybrid variant promises a mileage of 27 kmpl. The mileage of a comparable petrol car from Maruti, say Brezza, is also about 20 kmpl, akin to a mild hybrid car. A plug-in car has the option of charging the battery separately, which means these too come with a limited range like EVs. A strong hybrid car truly delivers better fuel efficiency with longer driving range. The battery in a hybrid car gets charged from the energy captured from various parts every time its brakes are applied. Not only are hybrid car options expensive, their purchase price is higher compared to ICE cars in the same segment. While better fuel efficiency of hybrid cars will certainly reduce your fuel bills, is the saving worth the high upfront cost one has to pay over a fuel powered car? Mint did some number crunching to find out. Time taken to recover extra cost View Full Image (Graphic: Mint) To calculate the time taken by a hybrid car to recover the extra premium paid at the time of purchase, Mint compared the cost of ownership of a Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder V Hybrid and Hyundai Creta SX(O) Petrol Adventure Edition. The two cars are of the same segment and are top variants of their respective category with comparable features. However, one could have a few more features over the other as these are from different manufacturers. You have to pay an extra 2.23 lakh to buy Hyryder Hybrid compared to Creta. Fuel savings cover this cost by the time the car covers roughly 87,600 km. At an average daily driving distance of 40 km (14,600 km annually), it will take about five years and 10 months to cover this distance (see graphic). We have assumed a 10% annual increase in the per litre rate of petrol. Thereafter, savings on the fuel expenses will be the car owners net savings. Typically, a car owner drives the same car for about eight years before switching to another car. So, in this example, after breaking even in the sixth year, the driver would have saved about 1.12 lakh in total on fuel bills before selling the car. The number of years taken to recover the cost will change depending on the daily average commute of the user (see graphic). For instance, those travelling longer distances of about 2,000km per month (65km daily) will take about four years to offset the extra upfront cost. Whereas those with shorter daily average commute of 25km or less will take over eight years to recover the cost. Do note that most car manufacturers offer a warranty of eight years on the EV batteries. So, after you break even in eight years, it might be time to replace the battery, which currently costs about 15,000. Since the running cost of hybrid cars recovers the extra purchase cost, net saving on fuel bills is possible only for those with higher average commute distances. People who mainly use a car for office commute and driving 30 km or less daily are better off buying an EV in the affordable range. Hybrid cars are better suited for those who travel intercity frequently and have higher daily commute average. Are EVs more economical? When the same numbers are run for an EV vs ICE counterpart, time taken to offset the extra cost is lesser in the case of EVs when compared to hybrid cars. This is due to mainly two reasons: EVs enjoy a host of subsidies from the central government aimed at promoting wider adoption and these save about 85-90% on fuel bills, while hybrid cars save about 30-40%. Subsidies on EV reduces its upfront cost. For one, there is no registration fee and road tax on electric cars. Many state governments offer incentives over and above this on purchase of EVs. Thats not all. Even loans on EVs are incentivised as one can claim deduction of up to 1.5 lakh on interest paid on a loan taken to purchase an electric car. These benefits are not extended to hybrid cars, except in a few states like Haryana that offer some form of subsidies on hybrid vehicles too. In October, Reuters reported that Toyota Motor is lobbying the government to prune taxes on hybrid vehicles, arguing that these are far less polluting than petrol cars. Electric cars also have lower maintenance costs as the battery is the only major component, which doesnt require frequent maintenance. However, take note that the cost of replacing a battery of an electric car can be as high as 4 lakha cost that owners have to most likely incur after about 10 years of driving the car, as per industry experts. In the case of hybrid cars, maintenance costs are similar to ICE counterparts. Battery replacement cost is lower compared to EV as hybrid cars are powered by a 0.76kWh battery, while a mid-range electric cars battery is 30-40 Kwh. These factors keep the total ownership cost of EVs lower compared to hybrid cars over a period of eight yearsthe average time an owner keeps a car. However, if taxes are indeed cut on hybrid vehicles, just as EVs, the gap in purchase price with ICE models will reduce considerably and definitely make hybrids a preferred option over EVs. Currently, if one is to compare the purchase price of an EV with an ICE counterpart having comparable features, the difference is between 4 lakh and 5 lakh. However, pure hybrids cost only about 1-2.5 lakh more than a mild hybrid or petrol car. With reduced taxes, this extra cost will become negligible. Hybrid cars are also a viable option for inter-city travel as the car runs on fuel engine at higher speeds on highways. However, the bigger challenge with strong hybrid cars is that all of them are premium models costing over 21 lakh (on-road price) and not suited to all budgets. EVs, on the other hand, come in affordable options too. U.S. antitrust enforcers are investigating Exxon Mobils plan to acquire Pioneer Natural Resources, which would be the largest oil-and-gas deal in two decades, according to securities filings. The Federal Trade Commission has sought additional information from the companies about the deal, a step it takes when reviewing whether a merger could be anticompetitive under U.S. law, Pioneer disclosed in a filing Tuesday. Merger investigations on average take about 10 months to complete, according to data compiled by law firm Dechert. The FTC, which shares antitrust authority with the Justice Department, can sue in court to block a merger or decline to take action, effectively clearing the deal. Companies sometimes cancel deals when they learn an antitrust agency plans to sue to stop the transaction. Exxon in October proposed to buy Pioneer in a $59.5 billion all-stock deal, a takeover that would make Exxon the largest oil producer in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, the most active U.S. oil field. It would be Exxons largest deal since its $75 billion merger with Mobil in the late 1990s. Some analysts have argued the companies together make up a negligible portion of global oil production, and that the deal couldnt impact prices for oil or fuel. The company said it could save billions of dollars in value via synergies by bringing Exxons operations to Pioneers land, and played down the need to make cuts to head count. Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods said the deal would increase U.S. energy security and benefit consumers by bringing the oil giants technical prowess and financial wherewithal to bear on shale resources. The FTC issued the investigative request to the companies on Monday. Pioneer said the companies are cooperating and still expect the deal to be completed in the first half of 2024. The FTC during the Biden administration has taken a tough stance on mergers, although its court record is mixed, particularly when it tried to block large technology deals. The commission under Chair Lina Khan has taken action in court to challenge 11 deals, including acquisitions by Meta Platforms and Microsoft. Nineteen firms have abandoned deals after coming under FTC investigation, including five that were called off after the FTC sued to block them. Write to Dave Michaels at dave.michaels@wsj.com and Collin Eaton at collin.eaton@wsj.com The hospital chain, Apollo Hospitals has been accused of being a part of an illegal organ trade involving impoverished Myanmar villagers, according to a Telegraph news report. A Telegraph (UK) investigation suggests that desperate young people from Myanmar are being lured to to sell their kidneys to wealthy patients. The Telegraph report said that desperate villagers from Myanmar, in a major ethical and legal breach, are flown to Delhi. They allegedly receive payment for donating kidneys, violating Indian and international laws against organ trade. Meanwhile, Apollo Hospitals has expressed shock over these findings. This practice reportedly targets rich patients, including those from the UK. People work together to get around the obstacles between the two governments," the publication added. Its big business," the Telegraph reported quoting one of the agents. Around the world, including India, it is illegal to pay for organs. The operation involves forging identity documents and staging family photos, presenting donors as relatives of patients. This manipulation is designed to bypass legal restrictions prohibiting organ donations from strangers, the publication added. As per Indias Transplantation of Human Organs Act, near relatives like spouses, siblings, parents and grandchildren are allowed to donate organs. Strangers are not allowed to donate organs unless it is for a humanitarian cause. The Telegraph mentions a young father from Mandalay expressing his readiness to sell his kidney due to dire financial needs. The agent coordinating this transaction quoted a price and rationalised the payment as a response to the donor's kindness, emphasising that it was not a straightforward purchase but a token of gratitude. Apollo Hospitals reacts The hospital group vehemently denies any intentional involvement or implicit sanctioning of such illegal activities and has announced an internal investigation. Padma Shri Dr. Sandeep Guleria has been named by patients and agents as the surgeon conducting these transplants. Dr. Guleria, however, categorically denies knowledge of these illegal practices. He found the accusations both offensive and laughable, with no evidence found to contradict his denial. Previously, in 2016, Dr. Guleria faced allegations linked to a separate kidney scandal at Apollos Delhi hospital, which he dismissed as false. Read the original report HERE. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Gurpatwant Singh Pannun murder bid: White House Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer on December 4 led a US delegation to New Delhi. According to a report in Reuters, he discussed forming an investigative panel to probe an alleged foiled plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist and leader of the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) outfit Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. "Mr. Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible," the White House said in a statement, Reuters reported. The meeting in New Delhi came against the backdrop of a case filed in a US court by American prosecutors against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a plot to kill a Khalistani leader on American soil. The MEA said Finer called on NSA Doval and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and that he will meet Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. It is understood that the issue figured in Finer's meetings with the Indian officials, but there is no official confirmation of it. "Good to meet Principal Deputy NSA of the US Jon Finer this afternoon. Useful exchange of views on the global situation. Discussed taking our bilateral cooperation forward," Jaishankar said on X. India on Thursday had described as a "matter of concern" the US linking the Indian official to a man charged with conspiring to kill Pannun, and asserted that follow-up action will be taken based on findings of a panel investigating the allegations. India has already constituted a team to investigate the allegations relating to the foiled plot. On Wednesday, US federal prosecutors charged Nikhil Gupta, 52, of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun. US prosecutors informed a Manhattan court that authorities in the Czech Republic arrested and detained Gupta. Pannun is a Canadian and American citizen who works as the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice. The pro-Khalistan lawyer has been a key organizer of nonbinding referendums that seek a separate Sikh state held in countries with large Indian diasporas such as Canada, the UK, and Australia. An American phase of the voting will begin at the end of January 2024 in San Francisco, he revealed in a missive to Bloomberg on Thursday. Pannun was born in Khankot village on the outskirts of Amritsar the son of a former Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board employee named Mahinder Singh. He is believed to have graduated from Punjab University in the 1990s and founded the SFJ in 2007. The New York-based organisation advocates for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan to be carved out of India. -With agency inputs Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! NEW DELHI : Albeit small, India has long been seen as a promising market for luxury goods. But the market has been a challenge to navigate for many companies looking to enter. Benedicte Epinay, CEO of Comite Colbert, Frances official luxury association representing about 95 of the worlds top luxury brands, said bureaucracy, high customs duties, and a lack of luxury infrastructure are major obstacles that are coming in the way of further development of the sector. In conversation with Mint on the sidelines of the recently concluded luxury summit by the The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) in the city, Epinay said Indias rich cultural heritage, growing economy, and increasing smartphone penetration are key factors that can drive the luxury market. New horizontal regulations like BISa certification mandatory for all footwear manufacturers, for example, which makes them use the ISI mark on their footwearwould induce heavy costs to virtuous players like our companies, without any positive effects for Indian consumers. It would also be detrimental to the development of new luxury shops," she said. While India has been a promising market for French luxury brands for at least 20 years, the direction in which the industry could be headed is a worry if these challenges are not addressed, she said. There are a lot of obstacles in the way of the luxury market here, including the bureaucracy. For this the committee is also having a dialogue with the Ministry of Commerce in India," she said. However, she noted that the launch of two new luxury malls in the bigger metros in the last month aloneincluding Mumbais Jio World Plaza and the Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluruhave addressed Indias lack of luxury infrastru-cture to some extent. French department store chain Galeries Lafayette is also expected to expand in Delhis Emporio mallin a new construction within the mall premises. Epinay emphasized the need for adaptation. She said while most brands are considering expanding to the country, it is those that are willing to adapt to the local market, who will succeed. The general secretary of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) when visiting India some years ago said that the market was very paradoxical in some ways. The one trend is that we will shift in the years to come, from a global market to a market with local identities. This is where India has a very important role to play. India is so rooted in its past," she said. Epinay said Indias luxury market is unique in many ways and noted that Indian consumers have a deep appreciation for luxury which dates back to the maharajas. India has great knowhow in terms of luxury and there have been many purveyors of luxury in the country. And that makes it very similar to France in many ways," she said. Comite Colbert is working to address this issue by investing in training and education programs for aspiring artisans. The association is also collaborating with schools and universities to develop new curricula for luxury craftsmanship. She added that Chinas luxury market is only second to that in the US and is too big a market to be compared to that of Indias. The question is what the India market is itself and it must not be compared to China or the Middle East. China is a very different market from India. Two decades ago, the Chinese embraced western brands because everyone wanted to dress like westerners and wear their jewellery, so luxury boomed there. Today, their consumption is very high. But since India is not that way and has many cultural traditions of its own, only brands that will meld with local traditions will do well here," she said. Online gaming companies have been issued 71 show cause notices for tax evasion in the last two financial years. The Finance Ministry said that online gaming organisations have been linked to GST evasion worth more than 1.12 lakh crore during FY23 and FY24. The total tax evasion detected by central GST officers in the current fiscal (till October) is 1.51 lakh crore. 71 show cause notices involving GST to the tune of 1,12,332 cr have been issued to online gaming companies during financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24 (up to October 2023). As these notices are pending adjudication, the respective GST demand is not yet determined under the provisions of CGST Act, 2017," MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said. According to the Minister 154 people have been arrested in the current fiscal and 18,541 crore was recovered. ALSO READ: Real money gaming firms risk huge revenue loss by FY28 on GST levy Evasion to the tune of more than 1.31 lakh crore was detected and 190 persons were arrested during the 2022-23 fiscal. A total of 33,226 crore was recovered. GST evasion stood at 73,238 crore in 2021-22 and at 49,384 crore in 2020-21. The number stood at 40,853 crore in FY20. The Indian government had decided to impose a 28% tax on online gaming companies (on full value of bets placed on such platforms.) in August. This in turn had led some companies such as Mobile Premier League to announce layoffs. Several companies have since approached the High Courts to contest the claims put forth by revenue authorities. The government has also amended the GST law, making it mandatory for overseas online gaming companies to register in India from October 1. Chaudhary however said that no overseas online gaming companies have registered in the country since October 2023. (With inputs from agencies) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Sharmistha Mukherjee, the former Congress spokesperson and daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee , recalls her fathers response in her upcoming book "In Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers" when he was asked about his chances of becoming the prime minister in 2004, the former President said Sonia will not make him prime minister, reported PTI. Sharmistha, while providing a glimpse into the illustrious life of her father in the book, says the former president did not have any bitterness against Sonia Gandhi for not making him the prime minister, and also not against the man chosen for the postManmohan Singh. Also Read | India to become third largest economy in the world by 2030: S&P Global In the book, Sharmistha uncovers new, hitherto unknown facets of his political life - his unfulfilled ambition of becoming India's prime minister arising out of his inability to emerge as the 'number one person' to earn Sonia Gandhi's trust, the personality cult around the Nehru-Gandhi family and Rahul Gandhi's lack of charisma and political understanding among other things, according to the book's publishers Rupa Publications. Pranab Mukherjee served as commerce minister (199395), external affairs minister (199596 and 200609), defence minister (200406), and finance minister (200912). He was India's 13th president (2012 to 2017). He died on August 31, 2020 at the age of 84. After 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Congress emerged as the single largest party and its president Sonia Gandhi was tipped to be the prime minister, but she renounced her claim and proposed the name of Manmohan Singh instead of top contender Pranab Mukherjee. In the chapter titled "The PM India Never Had", Sharmistha also writes: "Following Sonia's decision to withdraw from the prime ministerial race, there was intense speculation within the media and political spheres. "The names of Dr Manmohan Singh and Pranab were being discussed as the top contenders for the position. I did not have the chance to meet Baba for a couple of days as he was terribly busy, but I spoke to him over the phone. I asked him excitedly if he was going to become the PM. His response was blunt, 'No, she will not make me the PM. It'll be Manmohan Singh.' He added, 'But she should announce it fast. This uncertainty is not good for the country'." Sharmistha adds that her father told a journalist that he did not have any expectation from Sonia Gandhi to make him the prime minister. "If there's no expectation, there's no disappointment as well," the book, which will be launched on December 11, the birth anniversary of Pranab Mukherjee, says. "It is generally believed that Pranab had a chance to become the PM earlier in 1984 as well, after Indira Gandhi's assassination, and not just in 2004," it adds. Sharmistha says that people often asked her whether the former president actually harboured the ambition to become the prime minister. "His response was emphatic. He said, 'Of course, I would like to be the prime minister. Any politician worth his salt has this ambition. But just because I want it does not necessarily mean I am going to get it," she writes. Sharmistha drew her own conclusions: "Pranab Mukherjee definitely had the desire to be the PM, but he also came to terms with the fact that he was not going to become one." Sharmistha says the entries in her fathers diary from those days contain very sketchy details, perhaps due to lack of time owing to a hectic schedule filled with meetings with various stakeholders. Also Read | Akshata Krishnamurthy becomes first Indian to operate Mars rover - Know more On May 17, 2004, the former president wrote, "Sonia Gandhi decides to withdraw from Prime Ministerial candidature. BJP's vicious campaign. Myself, Manmohan, Arjun, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi were called. We are stunned." On May 18, he wrote, "Sonia Gandhi sticks to her decision. Countrywide agitation. Allies are also shocked. CPP meeting emotionally surcharged. Appeal to her to reconsider. Work up to 1 am." "On May 19, almost with a sigh of relief, he wrote, 'Issues resolved. Manmohan Singh becomes PM-designate. Manmohan and Soniaji met President and the President was pleased to give the mandate to form the government to Manmohan Singh", the book says. On December 31, while recounting major events of the year, he wrote, "Most surprising was the amazing sacrifice of Sonia Gandhi by refusing to accept the Prime Ministership of the country despite pressure from within the party and outside. Her decision saved the country from a bitter confrontation between BJP and Congress." Sharmistha writes that her father felt Sonia Gandhi was "intelligent, hardworking and keen to learn. Once he told me that unlike many political leaders, her biggest strength was that she knew and recognized her weaknesses and was willing to work hard to overcome them. She knew that she lacked political experience but worked hard to understand the complexities of Indian politics and society". Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! In this years biggest initial public offering, semiconductor designer Arm Holdings raised around $5 billion in September. One mundane task on its path to IPO riches was the prospectusthe lengthy documents required by U.S. regulators for aspiring public companies. The roughly 200-page document included a description of its business, audited financial statements and boilerplate legal language about the risks of investing in its shares. The company had to navigate arcane Securities and Exchange Commission rules about formatting and get the placement of the banks involved just right on the prospectus cover. Its team rushed over Labor Day weekend to get it donedespite the fact that almost no one would read it in full. Estimated total cost for drafting and printing: $900,000. Putting together the prospectus has long been a rite of passage for pre-IPO companies. For years, companies dutifully printed up thousands of copies for bankers to share as they made the rounds drumming up investor interest. Today, most of those meetings are virtual and companies print far fewer copies. While investors do pounce on newly filed prospectuses, most pluck out the key figures while skimming digital copies. But the most boring book in the world lives on. The business has been a moneymaker for the unassuming printer that handles most of the jobs. Donnelley Financial Solutions, which did Arms printing job, says it has worked on prospectuses for around 70% of all sizable U.S. IPOs over the past six years. This years jobs have included two other hotly anticipated debuts: grocery-delivery company Instacart (which didnt print any paper copies and had estimated prospectus expenses of $161,189) and sandal-maker Birkenstock ($900,000). Donnelleys services include formatting and project management, and it is known among IPO lawyers for guiding companies through the quirks and regulatory requirements that make for a smooth filing with the SECs Edgar system. In the early aughts, a large technology company might print as many as 35,000 copies of its prospectus, according to Craig Clay, president of global capital markets at Donnelley. The SEC stopped requiring print copies in 2005, and these days around 100 copies is more standard. Thats how many Arm printed, and those were given as keepsakes to executives, board members and advisers. A person close to Arm said only about 20% of the $900,000 cost went toward actual printing and that it paid extra to have it completed over the holiday weekend. Even as companies print fewer copies, the estimated prospectus expenses, called printing fees and expenses" or printing and engraving expenses" on regulatory filings, are holding relatively steady. Much as IPOs have evolved from pure capital raises to marketing extravaganzas, the prospectus has evolved over the years from a nondescript black- (or blue-) and-white document to a companys coming-out party. Its a way to take the regulatory requirement from the SEC and wrap it with some personality," said Clay. That includes paper versionsthough the new designs come through on PDFs, too. When fintech firm Square ($450,000), now called Block, went public in 2015, it opted to put its prospectus in a square shape. In print, the prospectus unfolded to reveal multiple colorful photo spreads. Pinterest ($850,000) spent around six months turning its prospectus into an inspirational experience," with cardstock paper and lots of high-quality photos, according to Jane Penner, the companys former vice president and head of investor relations. Roughly 100 pages in, Pinterest included a colorful illustration of how users can pin" a recipe on its platform. Prospectuses now feel like a catalog for the company," she said. In a previous job, Penner worked on the prospectus for Chinese e-commerce giant Alibabas IPO ($1 million, one of the most expensive on record), which made a splash by making its cover page entirely orange in 2014. Five years later, ride-sharing company Lyft ($320,000) unveiled an all-pink cover page for its prospectus. Allbirds CEO Joey Zwillinger recalls when the shoe and clothing company was preparing to go public. Covid-19 was in full swing and investor pitches were mostly on camera, so the company known for its wool sneakers only printed a handful of copies of its prospectus, spending $225,000. Still, his team was hyper-focused on ensuring the document had high production value, including flashy photos that illustrated the materials and comfort of the shoes, and crisp charts touting how the company keeps its carbon footprint down. Company executives begin fretting over which pictures to include in the first few pages of their prospectus months in advance, while bankers quibble over the font size and position of their firms names on the front cover of the prospectus. If the deal is led by Morgan Stanley bankers, chances are the document is printed not in black type but Morgan Stanley blue." The format of a prospectus has even spawned some of Wall Streets most widely used terms. Being lead left" on an IPO, which denotes the bank with the top role on an offering, comes from the placement of a bank in the top, left-hand position on the cover page. And bulge-bracket bank," which refers to large, full-service banks such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, comes from the underwriter names listed in the biggest font size, many advisers say. Every IPO veteran has a prospectus tale. Renos Savvides recalled schlepping boxes of prospectuses across Manhattan as a young banker for companies including Oasis Petroleum ($375,000), which debuted in 2010. Now, as head of equity capital markets at investment firm Neuberger Berman, he favors PDF versionsbut even then rarely reads to the end. The physical labor Im sure is not missed," he said of many companies decisions to print fewer copies. These things are kind of going the way of the dodo bird," said Jonathan Curtis, who has looked over more prospectuses than he can count in his many years as an investor. Curtis, director of portfolio management at Franklin Templetons Franklin Equity Group, said in the future he expects investors to feed digital prospectuses into language learning models like ChatGPT to do things like help distill multiple pages of risk factors into a paragraph. If Im being presented with a highly produced prospectus, I think maybe management teams are focused on the wrong thing," he said. Write to Corrie Driebusch at corrie.driebusch@wsj.com Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! WASHINGTON : The US State Department will impose visa bans against individuals involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the occupied West Bank, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Tuesday announcing a new visa restriction policy. The restrictions will target those who have committed acts of violence or taken other actions that restrict civilians' access to essential services and basic necessities and may also apply to those individuals' family members, Blinken said. President Joe Biden and other senior U.S. officials have warned repeatedly that Israel must act to stop violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, which has increased since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank," Blinken said. During meetings in Israel last week, Blinken told officials Washington was "ready to take action using our own authorities," he said. The first bans under the new policy would be imposed on Tuesday and more designations will be made in the coming days, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, adding it would ultimately impact dozens of people. Any Israeli with an existing U.S. visa who was targeted would be notified that their visa was revoked, Miller said. Also Read | Digvijay Singh claims BJP knew Assembly poll results two days before counting Since a 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Daily settler attacks have more than doubled, U.N. figures show, since Hamas, which controls the separate Palestinian enclave of Gaza, killed 1,200 Israelis and took about 240 hostage. Israel has since bombed and invaded Gaza, killing more than 15,000 people. A senior State Department official said last week the U.S. wants Israel to prosecute individuals responsible for the West Bank violence but had yet to see such a step. Blinken said Washington would "continue to engage with the Israeli leadership to make clear that Israel must take additional measures to protect Palestinian civilians from extremist attacks," adding that the Palestinian Authority also must do more to curb Palestinian attacks against Israelis. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! It was a smart move to hold the COP28 summit, the latest gathering of world leaders to ululate unmerited alarm about the climate and make unfulfillable promises on how to deal with it, in Dubai in December. At least in the Gulf emirate it is guaranteed to be hot. The forecast for this week is for sunshine and temperatures in the high 80s, enough heat to provide a suitable backdrop for their insistence that we are all going to fry soonalthough it has been hot on the Arabian Peninsula since long before man set about his evil carbon-spewing ways. If they had chosen to hold it in, lets say, Europe, they would have been in for a distinctly awkward convergence of message and visual. Meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere has barely started, and already more of the Continent is under snow cover as of the first week of December than in any year for more than a decade. In the latest illustration that God has a wicked sense of humor, many members of the planetary emergency rescue elite on their way to the summit were stranded in Munich, where a snowstorm dumped 17 inches of the white stuff and canceled most outbound flights. I havent checked in with the usual alarmist suspects on their explanation for this deep and crisp and even landscape, but I am sure they have a good story. The climate propaganda is so well-rooted now in the Wests media that we are given to understand that everything is the result of global warming: So doubtless historic snowfall, like drought, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, migration patterns, the scarcity of certain foodstuffs, racial discrimination, seasonal temperatures with partly cloudy skiesall, in the fanatics taxonomy, the work of climate change. This isnt to suggest that a cold winter is enough to prove the mendacity of the climate-change thesis and its proponents. I am well aware that global temperatures have on average risen, and that theres a plausible case that mans carbon dioxide emissions are a significant factor. But the awkward persistence of normal weather continues to remind us of how at odds with realities the extremism of the global climate lobby is. They are at it again in Dubai. None more so than that scientist, theologian and philosopher King Charles III, who with his taste for public intervention is already retesting, barely a year after his sainted mothers death, the wisdom of hereditary monarchy. The Earth faced existential threats," he said. How dangerous are we actually prepared to make our world?" To which the best answer probably is: Well elect governments to make those decisions, thank you, not submit to the half-baked scientific claims of a man whose heating bill for his half-dozen castles, palaces and mansions is probably larger than the budgets of several small nation-states. But to his credit, the king also reminded us of another reason why Dubai was a good choice for the summitits as good a place as any to witness the hypocrisies these high priests of hysteria shower on the world. The United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a member, is not only one of the most intensive producers of fossil fuel in the world. It is looking to increase its output. The state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. said last year it planned to raise production capacity to five million barrels a day by 2027, a 25% increase from 2020. The host of the summit is the Emirates oil supremo, which is a bit like putting Donald Trumps sons in charge of the World Wildlife Funds annual meeting. The Emiratis are only doing on an industrial scale what all climate alarmists dopreaching one thing while doing another. When they were eventually able to take off from snowbound Europe, the various chief executives, nonprofit officials, green lobbyists, bureaucrats and others flew the several thousand miles in their private jets, churning more carbon into the air in a week than the average American, whom they like to lecture about his evil ways, does in a year. They will thunder on like this for another week. John Kerry, the U.S. climate czar, will repeat the British monarchs warnings, and talk up some grand new partnership with a China that is starting to resemble one giant coal-fired power station, and theyll all doubtless commit to some ambitious" goal that they will tell us still wont be enough to save the planet. Then theyll go back to their homes and escalate the rhetoric another notch, demand new spending and taxes from their hard-pressed populations for some new great green public infrastructure project. Meanwhile the real workdeveloping technology that runs on more sustainable energy, continues to cut the carbon footprint of traditional energy production and mitigates the effects of climate changewill get done by the capitalists whose economic system many in this crowd like to denounce as incompatible with a sustainable environment. Lets just hope, when they get back home, that their pipes havent frozen. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! The introduction of the Draft Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill, 2023 (Draft Bill), marks a significant shift in the regulatory approach taken by India towards over-the-top (OTT) streaming and digital news platforms available on the internet. The Draft Bill proposes extending traditional broadcasting regulations to digital publishing services, with requirements of mandatory registration, the establishment of content evaluation committees and adherence to common programme and advertising codes put in place for platforms across broadcasting mediums. Imagine a world where every show you stream, every news clip you watch online and every podcast you listen to is regulated under the same stringent guidelines that govern your traditional TV channels. Will such a framework align with the doctrine of reasonable classification, considering that the underlying business models and content delivery mechanisms of OTT and digital news platforms differ substantially from TV and traditional films? How will this approach impact the dynamism of digital content creation? And most importantly, is it practically possible for one law to balance the drastically varied contours of digital publishing and traditional broadcasting? The nub of the issue is this: Should OTT platforms be regulated the same way as traditional TV channels in India? Across ecosystems, theres a noticeable push to unify regulations for internet-based services and other technology mediums, exemplified by the Telecommunication Bill, 2022. Now, a parallel approach is being undertaken for traditional cable and film broadcasting versus OTT and digital news platforms. These convergence efforts pose critical questions about the feasibility and effectiveness of imposing a single regulatory framework on fundamentally distinct technologies and business models. Lets take a closer look. Traditional TV and cinema businesses operate on a push model, which delivers content to bulk audiences at pre-determined times. In contrast, OTT platforms, which use tech advancements including an ability to stream content from internet storage onto individual devices, are designed to pull viewers in with choice, giving the users of their apps the autonomy to select what and when they want to watch from a wide range of content. This model has revolutionized content consumption, providing a platform for niche genres and unconventional narratives that may not find space in traditional TV, which must serve the needs of bulk audiences. Regulating OTT platforms under a single broadcasting regulatory framework risks diluting the OTT models uniqueness, which is the ability to offer diverse, unorthodox and tailored content experiences. It may compel content creators to opt for safer, universally acceptable themes, which could limit creative freedom and diminish the rich tapestry of content available online to viewers. What is the need for a whole new regulatory framework when India already has information technology rules in place that cover digital platforms? This is unclear, as most of the measures proposed in the Draft Bill are already covered under the IT Rules of 2021. The proposed programme and advertisement codes appear to be a replication of the code of ethics that exist under the IT Rules, 2021. Existing research shows that these codes generally tend to be vague, leading to concerns about the chilling effect they could have on free speech. Our study showed that the vagueness in terms like half-baked truth," indecency" and obscenity" under the IT Ruless Code of Ethics has revitalized portions of Section 66-A of the IT Act, which was struck down by the Indian judiciary in the Shreya Singhal judgement for vagueness. The Draft Bill also proposes the establishment of content evaluation committees by all broadcasters to self certify their content. Digital publishers already undertake content rating exercises under the IT Rules, 2021. Research by The Dialogue based on industry feedback suggests that the current content rating process is working quite well. Further, extending the established norms further by mandating more onerous content evaluation procedures can be impractical on account of the unique nature of the ever-expanding internet. The webs continuous influx of material, including news and other content on current affairs, is so voluminous that it is virtually impossible for any panel to effectively review and certify everything. Moreover, ensuring objectivity and similar standards of certification across all publishers can be a significant challenge. Another significant aspect of the law that will come to bear if the Draft Bill is enacted in its current form is a three-tier system of grievance redressal, comprising a grievance officer at the broadcaster level, a self-regulatory organization at the industry level, and a government-led broadcast advisory council for oversight. This three-tier mechanism mirrors the self-regulatory system that currently exists under the IT Rules, 2021. And a primary impact assessment of the OTT ecosystem shows that, apart from a few concerns of principle, the three-tier regulatory mechanism under the IT Rules is functioning effectively. Moves to re-invent the wheel should only emerge from actual needs and anticipated benefitsevaluated through thorough analysis and evidence-based research. How well an average person does in life is determined largely by an accident of birth. A child born in rural Tamil Nadu is better nourished and educated, on average, than one born in rural Chhattisgarh. There are stark differences in economic outcomes even within states. Economic opportunities are far more abundant in the Konkan belt of Maharashtra than in Marathwada. Yet, we do a poor job of tracking regional inequality. When the national accounts estimates are released each quarter, one has no way of knowing how much each state or region has contributed to the national total. The few states that do compile such estimates do not release them publicly. Even annual estimates of state domestic product (SDP) are issued after a long time lag. District domestic product (DDP) estimates depend on guesswork to a large extent, and arent comparable across states. The neglect of local statistical capacity in India has a long history. As Indias modern statistical edifice was being erected by the British in the mid-19th century, the Bombay government requested funds to set up a provincial statistical office. The central authorities denied that request, retarding local statistical capacity. The lack of investment in local statistical offices meant that by the middle of the 20th century, only three provinces (Bombay, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) had any estimates of provincial income. It was only after Indias independence that estimating state income became a priority. Following recommendations of the National Income Committee in the early 1950s, a handful of states began preparing state income estimates. Indias second five-year plan funded the establishment of statistical bureaus in other states, which began generating state income estimates. Since the methods and sources differed across states, the Planning Commission and Finance Commission demanded that the Central Statistical Organization produce comparable SDP estimates. This was meant to be a short-term measure till the state estimates were improved and standardized. In the 1970s, a committee led by national accounting pioneer Moni Mukherjee prepared a template for standardized regional accounts. Some recommendations were acted upon, several others ignored. Each Finance Commission still relies on comparable" SDP estimates produced by the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation (Mospi). In most states, the directorates of economics and statistics (DES) are headed by uninterested civil servants who may have preferred other jobs or by statisticians who do not rank high in the state administrative hierarchy. Lack of attention and funding from state governments has made these DES highly dependent on Mospi. Lately, even Mospis support has been found wanting. Several flagship surveys of Mospi are now run without involving state DES. Even the latest economic censustraditionally run by DES officialsinvolved a marginal role for the DES. Mospi deployed staff from Common Service Centres (CSC) run by the IT ministry to collect data. Some DES officials opposed the move, arguing that CSC staff lacked exposure to basic statistics. The results from the field seem to have vindicated their stance. Seventeen of 28 state-level coordination committees are yet to approve the census findings, and a majority of them have raised concerns over data quality, Mospi said in response to an RTI query from this writer. SDP estimation has also been a bone of contention since the 2015 base-year revision. The new series relied heavily on indirect methods of estimating SDP figures from national totals. A 2017 research paper by Gujarat DES official Manish Pandya and economist Ravindra Dholakia argued that this led to inaccurate estimates of state incomes. Mospi found it hard to evade the questions being raised in the Prime Ministers home state. It set up a panel to review SDP estimates, and asked Dholakia to chair it. The Dholakia committee report in 2020 recommended that both state and national incomes should be estimated using a bottom-up approach in the next base-year revision. This would improve the accuracy of state as well as national totals. The Mukherjee committee had made similar arguments. Yet, such recommendations can be effective only if state statistical bureaus have enough heft to generate high-quality granular data. Without support from officials at Mospi and state secretariats, they would continue to struggle. DES staff also need help from outside experts to incorporate new tools (including geospatial ones) in their work. Acknowledging a crisis in state statistical systems is the first step towards solving it. In 2020, the Madhya Pradesh (MP) government set up a statistical task force headed by the former National Statistical Commission member Amitabh Kundu to review its statistical system. The task force report is an eye-opening account of the deep rot in the states statistical system. It noted a lack of any effective mechanism at the state or district level to check the quality of data-sets compiled in different departments, and that some estimates were being calculated manually" rather than by using computers. As recommended, MP set up a state statistical commission to provide technical guidance to the DES and review key statistical activities. Other states need to follow its lead and chart a roadmap for revamping their statistical systems. Without it, dont expect granular high-quality data-sets from states. This is the concluding part of a three-part series on measuring economic inequality. From an electoral lens, Indian federalism would seem in fine fettle, with state governments routinely voted in and out amid much political fanfare. Of the five states that went to polls this autumn, as many as four saw incumbent parties ousted from power. Fiscally speaking, however, our federal system faces slowly emerging tensions. Spare a thought for the 16th Finance Commission (FC), whose terms of reference were approved last week by the Union Cabinet. Set up under Article 280 of the Constitution to recommend how tax revenue should be shared between the Union and states (and among states themselves), FCs have never had it easy. In a scenario where resources are limited while the demands on them are virtually unlimited, they must perform a trapeze act. If the term of an FC coincides with a basic shift in the fiscal relationship between the Union and statesas with the 15th FC, which saw GST launched in 2017then its job is tougher still. Even so, the task before the 16th FC will be truly unenviable. This is because a Lok Sabha constituency rejig may overlap with its span of coverage from 2026-27 to 2031-32. In accordance with a Vajpayee government decision of 2001, a long-overdue delimitation exercise is to be undertaken following the first Census after 2026." Covid got in the way of the 2021 headcount, but this one delayed further or even the next due in 2031 could triggerand form the basis ofa re-allocation of Lok Sabha seats among states. This is unlikely to go down smoothly, as differing rates of population growth would amplify the share of northern states in Parliament. While the underlying rationale is sound, as we must reduce if we cant eliminate todays inequity in representation, wherein each Member from a populous state represents many more voters than an MP from elsewhere, our southern and western states that stand to lose share of voice at the national level would be far from amused. As they have done far better on population stability, diminished political heft at the Centre would seem like unjust desserts. What makes this situation particularly piquant is that the demographic success of these states has been accompanied by faster economic expansion and thus a rising relative contribution to the countrys coffers. Although taxation is meant to play equalizer, how mop-ups are split could prove contentious in the context of these trends. Over the years, successive FCs have tried to bring about some convergence in standards of living across states through a variety of transfers. As pointed out by former Reserve Bank of India governor, D. Subbarao in a recent newspaper op-ed, For every rupee they contribute to the Centres taxes, richer states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra get back less than a rupee while poorer states like Bihar and Jharkhand get more than a rupee." While some cross-subsidization of poorer states by richer ones is inevitable in a country of sharp disparities, how much further it can go remains a question. Already, the sense has grown that Indias better performers are bearing a burden for states that use their resources less wisely. This in itself could test the resilience of our federal set-up as we go along. The prospect of a Lok Sabha thats structurally likely to tilt more in favour of north Indian policy priorities will only steepen the 16th FCs allocative challenge. Whats in the countrys best long-term interest would have to guide its approach. A delicate political economy balance needs to be struck. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of Parliamentary leaders of various opposition parties of the INDIA bloc on Tuesday morning. The meeting will be held in the Leader of Opposition (LoP) chamber at 10.00 am. Meanwhile, the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament saw two bills being passed with the Rajya Sabha also deciding to discontinue suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha. The Standing committee reports on 'The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023', 'The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023', and 'The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023' were tabled in the two Houses. The reports were submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on November 10 by Brij Lal, MP and Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The three bills are on the agenda of the government for passage in the winter session of Parliament. Rajya Sabha passed the Bill to repeal the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 and to consolidate and amend the law relating to the post offices in India. Lok Sabha passed the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which is in line with the government's policy of repealing all obsolete laws or pre-independence Acts which have lost their utility. The Government in consultation with the Bar Council of India has decided to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879. It has decided to amend the Advocates Act, 1961 by incorporating the provisions of section 36 of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879 in the Advocates Act, 1961 so as to reduce the number of superfluous enactments in the statute book. The Congress on Monday said the party will seek discussion on people-centric issues such as unemployment, price rise and the "widening gap between the rich and the poor" in the country during the Winter Session of the parliament, which began today. The party also intends to seek discussion on the border situation and the country's foreign policy. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! The scheduled meeting of the INDIA opposition bloc in Delhi which was set to take place on Wednesday, has been postponed. As reported by NDTV citing sources, the meeting of the opposition's INDIA bloc that was slated to take place on December 6 has been postponed. This development coincides with the timing when Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav are contemplating abstaining from the meeting. As reported by India Today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to be absent from the forthcoming opposition INDIA bloc meeting. Instead, the meeting will be represented by JD(U) chief Lalan Singh and Bihar's Minister of Water Resources, Sanjay Kumar Jha, as per available information, the report stated. India Today reported citing Congress sources that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is unable to attend the meeting due to the closure of Chennai airport caused by Cyclone Michaung. Nitish Kumar is reportedly unwell, while Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav have conveyed that they have prior commitments, making their participation uncertain. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary stated that the party's leader, Akhilesh Yadav, has no intention of participating in the upcoming INDIA bloc meeting. The scheduled December 6 assembly marks a three-month hiatus since the last one in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. Also Read: How INDIA bloc's power dynamics is likely to shift after Congress's loss in Assembly Election 2023. Explained Earlier on Monday, Banerjee expressed her lack of awareness regarding any such meeting. During a media address on Monday, the West Bengal CM stated that her party was not informed about the INDIA bloc's intention to convene a session in New Delhi. "I don't know, I have no information so I kept a programme in North Bengal...If we had the information, we wouldn't have scheduled those programmes. We would have definitely gone (for the meeting), but we have not received any information," TMC chief said, as reported by ANI. Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has reached out to his alliance partners, extending invitations for a meet. Following the Mumbai meeting, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Supriya Sule hinted that the next assembly would take place in the national capital, ANI reported. With the Lok Sabha polls merely four to five months away, discussions on seat-sharing are expected to dominate the agenda. The forthcoming INDIA bloc meeting holds significant importance for the Congress, especially in the aftermath of the party's loss in the Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls key states in the Hindi heartland contributing significantly to parliamentary representation. Also Read: Lok Sabha Polls 2024: INDIA bloc's seat-sharing on cards? Congress calls for Opposition meeting on 6 December However, Congress might face challenges during this meeting, particularly with its crucial ally, the Samajwadi Party, adopting a confrontational stance following the assembly elections. Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, accused the Congress of betrayal, alleging that the Congress did not allocate tickets to the Samajwadi Party for potential collaboration in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress now desperately needs the alliance to take off if it harbours any hope of giving Narendra Modi and the BJP competition in the 2024 election. Also Read: Seat-sharing talks in INDIA bloc still hanging after more than 50 days INDIA or 'Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance' is a group of 28 opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The inaugural joint opposition gathering took place in Patna on June 23, followed by the second meeting in Bengaluru on July 17-18. Subsequently, the third meeting occurred in Mumbai from August 31 to September 1. Also Read: 2024 Lok Sabha Polls: Remain neutral, INDIA bloc accuses Google, Facebook of aiding communal hatred During the Mumbai meeting, opposition parties collectively resolved to contest the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. They declared an intention to finalize seat-sharing arrangements promptly, emphasizing a collaborative approach. The chosen theme for the elections is "Judega Bharat, Jeetega India" (India will unite, India will win), signalling their collective effort to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government. (With inputs from agencies) ALLIANCE More Information Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Rajya Sabha MPs Ayodhya Rami Reddy, Birendra Prasad Baishya, Ghanshyam Tiwari, Lakshmikant Bajpayee, Sushil Kumar Modi, Aditya Prasad and Shambhu Sharan Patel are expected to raise a discussion on the "economic situation in the country" in the Upper House, ANI reported. The ongoing Winter Session of the Indian Parliament has witnessed significant discussions and decisions, touching upon various crucial aspects of the nation's governance and public policy. On December 4, Baishya, an Asom Gana Parishad leader, raised a question regarding the increase in crude oil royalty to the Assam government in line with international prices. In response, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri assured that Assam's earnings from the energy sector would increase with expanded capacity and production. First day of Winter Session 2023 A major highlight on the first day of the winter session was the passing of a bill to repeal the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. This move aimed to consolidate and amend laws relating to post offices in India. However, it sparked a debate over potential surveillance concerns. Also Read: Parliamentary leaders discuss agenda for Winter session starting on December 4 The Opposition questioned certain bill provisions, fearing the creation of a "surveillance state". The government, represented by Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan, dismissed these fears. He stated that the bill included necessary measures for national security and monitoring illegal activities like narcotics trafficking. The bill, passed by a voice vote, empowers the Central Government to intercept, open or detain postal items for reasons of state security, public order or other legal contraventions. The Ethics Committee's report on cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra was not tabled in the Lok Sabha, despite being on the agenda. Rajya Sabha also chose to discontinue the suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha, considering his suspension since August 11 as sufficient punishment. This decision came after the Privileges Committee found him guilty of misleading the media and defying the Rajya Sabha Chairman's resolutions. (With ANI inputs) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! In early August, police in Russias rural northwest were called to the scene of a mass murder. In the charred remains of two homes set ablaze hours earlier, they found the burned, mutilated bodies of six local residents. News of the massacre shook Derevyannoye, a village of 1,200 people, where sailing boats bob in Onega Lake and the border with Finland is a three-hour drive away. What was most shocking was the identity of one of the two suspects: a repeat offender freed from a maximum-security prison to fight in Ukraine. Igor Sofonov had been in and out of jail for 20 years by the time he joined Storm Z, a unit of convicts created to bolster Russias war effort. If he and others survived long enough to complete their six-month contracts, they were promised their freedom through a secretive program of presidential pardons. Sofonov survived, and returned to Russia with the remainder of his sentence for drug trafficking erased. He is among around 30,000 enlisted ex-prisoners, many of whom had been serving long prison terms for violent crimes, who have returned home to liberty. Many are traumatized by their experiences of war, in which their underequipped, all-convict units, such as Storm Z, were commonly used in near-suicidal assaults. Others are emboldened by a Kremlin narrative that portrays them as heroes deserving respect. Communities across Russia have been brutalized by scores of crimes perpetrated by these returning convicts, according to a Wall Street Journal review of court documents, interviews with friends and relatives of suspects and victims, and reports in Russian media. Rights activists said dozens more go unreported. One man staged a shootout in a cafe, killing one person and seriously wounding another, according to court documents. Another is accused of raping two girls. A third, who had been convicted of murder three times, poured gasoline on his sleeping sister and burned her alive, according to the courts press office. The offenses committed by the convict soldiers risk shattering Russian President Vladimir Putins narrative that the war protects Russia from its enemies. I dont feel safe. Thousands of criminals are walking our streets," said Anna Pekaryova, whose grandmother Yulia Buyskikh was killed in March by a convicted murderer, Ivan Rossomakhin. He had wandered the streets of her village 600 miles east of Moscowswinging an ax and carrying a pitchforkafter fighting for the Wagner paramilitary force in Ukraine and returning a free man. I have lost count how many times such crimes have happened." Prison population shrinks Prisoners were routinely dragooned into armies for centuries up through World War II, when a renewed emphasis on the laws of war, and the professionalization of military service, sidelined the practice and made it taboo in the Western world. In the modern era, Napoleon deployed penal brigades as he scaled up the scope of warfare across Europe in the 19th century. Hitler had his Strafbataillon, and Stalins Red Army drafted criminals and political prisoners from the Gulag labor camps. Few survived. Putins convict army has suffered heavy casualties, toofirst under the direction of Wagner, led by Putins former lieutenant Yevgeny Prigozhin, then as the Russian armys own penal units, formed after Prigozhin rebelled against the military leadership shortly before his death in a plane crash in August. Wagner corralled convicts into disposable penal units that were thrown into the fray by commanders whose disregard for losses shocked even the most hardened Ukrainian soldiers. Ex-Wagner fighters said Prigozhin embraced a policy in place under Stalin of executing on the spot those who retreated. When the prisoner recruitment started, Putins campaign in Ukraine had largely stalled, and his army needed more troops. Offering convicts their freedom was a way to expand the ranks without ordering an unpopular mobilization of more reservists. In June, Putin confirmed that he pardons ex-convicts, and acknowledged that some reoffend. This is inevitable," he said. But the negative consequences are minimal." In 2021, the Russian president pardoned just six people, according to the Kremlin, which hasnt revealed the number of people given amnesty since the invasion of Ukraine. Russia hasnt confirmed the total number of convicts recruited by Wagner and the Defense Ministry, but figures from the prison service show a reduction of more than 35,000 in the countrys total prison population between May 2022 and January 2023, the peak of Wagner recruitment. It hasnt published such figures since. The Kremlin was asked in November by reporters whether it would reconsider its policy of pardoning people convicted of the most gruesome crimes, such as a member of a cannibal gang who returned to Russia that month after cutting short a prison term for multiple murders. The policy remains unchanged, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied. He said that men freed from prisons to fight in Ukraine were atoning for their crimes on the battlefield with their blood." In September, a court in Rostov near the border with Ukraine sentenced 34-year-old convicted murderer Sergei Rudenko to 11 years behind bars for strangling a woman to death after an argument over an apartment rental, according to prosecutors. He had been serving an 11-year sentence for murder and theft when the war began and was freed after fighting for Wagner, local media reports said. Some well-known criminals have been freed. Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, who was sentenced to 20 years in 2014 after being convicted as an accomplice in the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, was pardoned after a six-month tour in Ukraine last winter with the Russian army. Politkovskaya was shot dead in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building in 2006 after writing stories that criticized the Kremlins war in Chechnya. The pardons can also mean expunging the criminal records of repeat offenders. Olga Romanova, head of prisoners rights NGO Russia Behind Bars, said Russian courts are removing from databases the criminal records of many men amnestied to fight in Ukraine. No one wants these statistics," Romanova said. If they commit more crimes, they arent tried as reoffenders, meaning they cant be punished to the full extent of the law. And some are given more lenient treatment by judges because they served in Ukraine, according to court records and interviews with lawyers representing the defendants. The spate of crimes leaves the Russian state in a bind. Putin has lionized the Russian men who fight in Ukraine. War gives convicted criminals a chance to be depicted as the ultimate patriots, their portraits displayed in local museums devoted to war heroes. Some are invited to give talks at Russian schools, more than 60 of which have been renamed in honor of soldiers. Once convict recruits return to Russia, they are free to live their lives as pardoned men. Most struggle to find work and many look for ways to fight again in Ukraine by signing up with Defense Ministry units, according to Yana Gelmel, a Russia Behind Bars activist who regularly speaks with discharged convicts and convicts serving on the front lines. There is no government program in place to resocialize them or smooth their transition to civilian life, she said, which leaves scores of villages like Derevyannoye worrying over what will come next. They called us dogs The prison recruitments began in the summer of 2022, when Prigozhin, a catering entrepreneur who had served nine years in prison during the Soviet era, promised a state pardon to inmates who fought alongside regular Russian forces for his Wagner group in Ukraine. When the first batches of pardoned convicts returned from Ukraine in January, Prigozhin lauded their exploits and said society should treat them with the utmost respect. I told you I need your criminal talents to kill the enemy at war," he said in a speech broadcast by Russian media as he stood on the tarmac beside a military aircraft that flew the men home. Now those criminal talents arent needed." By June, shortly before his death, Prigozhin said 32,000 of the convicts Wagner hired had returned to Russia, their records wiped clean, while the Defense Ministry had begun to scale up its own recruitment of prison inmates. Sofonov, 37, who is accused of the killings in Derevyannoye, signed up to fight in October last year when Defense Ministry representatives visited the St. Petersburg prison where he was nine months into a four-year sentence on a drug trafficking charge, according to court records and Sofonovs fellow inmates and relatives. He created a new account on the Russian social-media platform VK, using his surname and his new military call-sign, the Karelian, after his home region. One of the first photos he posted shows him with three other men, all in military uniforms with rifles in their hands. Everyone here is from the camp," Sofonov wrote, using a Russian slang term for prison. He left for Ukraine in December. Thats it. Im off," he wrote on his VK page, beside a photo of himself in an olive-green coat with army patches. Awaiting your return home, alive!" his mother, Lyudmila Sofonova, wrote in the comments section. Sofonova, a single mother of five who lives several hours drive north of Derevyannoye, in a small village that has already lost three residents on the Ukrainian front lines, said she opposed her sons decision to fight. I told him, You know this is a one-way ticket?" she said in a phone interview. He said yes, but its still better than sitting in jail." Anatoly Maslov, a soldier who met Sofonov in December during Russias costly offensive to take Soledar, a town in east Ukraine, confirmed that Sofonov joined the Defense Ministrys penal battalion, Storm Z. Sofonovs own posts on VK corroborate this. On Feb. 26, he wrote: Storm detachment." Later he replaced his profile picture with the emblem of Storm Z: a skull with a lightning bolt on its forehead. Convicts are the lowest rung in Russias military hierarchy, routinely subjected to hazing. There is strict disciplinethose who drink, take drugs or are caught trying to desert are executed, former fighters say. Captured Storm Z recruits interviewed in Ukraine by the Journal have said they were issued Soviet-era rifles and thrown into futile assault waves against well-defended Ukrainian positions. One former Wagner fighter interviewed by the Journal said a member of his penal unit was savagely beaten in December, tied to a tree and left to freeze to death after a dispute with an officer. The fighter said he saw others shot for refusing orders. The convict soldiers were also complicit in war crimes. The former Wagner fighter gave a detailed account of a massacre of civilians that he said his unit conducted in Soledar following the Russian takeover of the city. They called us dogs," he said of his commanders. He fled in January and has been hiding in Russian-occupied territory. Discovered himself at war For many, the offer of cash and a pardon outweighed the fear of death. One Storm Z fighter said he received a salary of 70,000 rubles a month, double the average wage in his part of Russia. I had a choice: rot in prison another eight years, or try to survive six months in Ukraine," he said. I chose the latter." The Russian Defense Ministry has never acknowledged creating Storm Z units. It didnt respond to a request for comment on the scale of convict recruitment, on the origins of its prison recruitment drive or on the treatment of convict recruits. The last time Maslov saw Sofonov was in March, around the time Sofonov returned from Ukraine to Russia. Demobilization," Sofonov wrote on VK that month. Alexey, a friend of Sofonovs, told the Journal that he discovered himself" at war, finding at last a sense of purpose. In a video message to Alexey on July 22, Sofonov said he was staying with his mother, helping with odd jobs. He said he wanted to marry a medic he met while recuperating from light shrapnel wounds in Russian-occupied Luhansk. Sofonova, his mother, said her son was quiet after his return, refusing to speak about his time at war. He was wounded when a Ukrainian drone dropped a bomb into his dugout. The attack killed several of his fellow soldiers. She said he had lost his passport and because of that couldnt find work back in Russia, and was despondent. And far from being treated like a hero upon his return, he had his jaw broken when he was mugged on a visit to his brother in Petrozavodsk, the regional capital. The assailants took his watch, his wallet and his military documents, Sofonova said. In late July, Sofonov traveled to stay with his sister in a village a 30-minute drive from Derevyannoye. One evening he got a call from a friend he had served time with in jail, Sofonova said. The friend asked him to come to Derevyannoye, according to Sofonova, and to bring some booze. Gelmel, the Russia Behind Bars activist, said men such as Sofonov often have delusions of grandeur. After years feeling no one needs them, they suddenly believe they were chosen by the state for the countrys defense and can commit new crimes without repercussions. They were in a system set up to control them," she said of the prison system where many such men spend most of their lives. And now no one has control over them any more." That night with his prison friend, on Aug. 1, Sofonov began drinking heavily. At around 2 a.m., residents said, the two men broke into a house in Derevyannoye, stabbing and killing the owner and his father when they tried to fend off the intruders. They then entered a second house where a female acquaintance lived, and got into a fight with her husband. According to a person familiar with the case files, Sofonov shouted that everyone living in the house were ukropy," a derogatory term for Ukrainians. We need to clean the place out," he said, using military jargon. Investigators said the men killed four people in that house, before setting both houses alight to cover up evidence of their crimes. Sofonov is now in pretrial detention as investigators gather evidence for trial. Since he has had his record wiped clean, according to relatives and the person familiar with the case, he wont be tried as a repeat offender. Romanova from Russia Behind Bars said that as the crimes committed by reoffenders mount, the government is trying to keep convict recruits from returning home. In September, the head of the Russian parliaments defense committee, Andrey Kartapolov, said recruitment of fighters by the Defense Ministry is an ongoing process" and service members will only return home once the war is over. Convicts recruited by the Defense Ministry since April said they have been forced to renew contracts that were set to expire after six months. Sofonovs mother said men like her son should never have been released from prison. If they end up in Ukraine," she said. They should stay there until the end." In Derevyannoye, where locals previously raised funds for the war effort and posted about their hopes that the heroes" who left for Ukraine would return in one piece, many are now on edge. One resident said people are installing extra security measures and rarely leaving home in the evening. We scrutinize everyone," the resident said. We used to sleep soundly. Now we listen out for every rustle after dark, and react to every bark of a dog." There is also another, more specific fear seeping through the villagethe fear that Sofonov, if he is convicted and returned to prison, could again seek his freedom by fighting in Ukraine. Kate Vtorygina contributed to this article. Write to Matthew Luxmoore at matthew.luxmoore@wsj.com For Indian homes, choosing the right refrigerator within a specific budget might be challenging yet important. Finding the best refrigerator under 40,000 becomes a quest for striking the ideal mix between usefulness, capacity, and affordability with so many alternatives available. The goal of this guide is to make the process of choosing refrigerators easier by comparing and contrasting the top 9 models with single doors and double doors. Over the years, refrigerators have undergone substantial evolution, delivering a variety of styles, cutting-edge technologies, and increased energy efficiency. The intense rivalry among refrigerator companies in the Indian market has led to a wide range of solutions that satisfy different demands and tastes. Due to their widespread usage and practicality in Indian homes, double-door and single-door refrigerators are the main subjects of discussion. Double-door freezers have become quite popular because of their roominess and separate sections for frozen and fresh food. Better temperature control and lower energy usage are ensured by the different doors that usually divide the freezer from the main refrigerator portion. But because of their affordability and straightforward designs, single-door refrigerators are a popular alternative for smaller families or single people looking for economical refrigerators. Customers will have access to a wide variety of features, including innovative cooling technologies, massive storage capacities, inverter compressors for energy economy, and convertible modes for less than 40,000. You will get a thorough grasp of the possibilities by exploring their distinct features, advantages, disadvantages, and user evaluations. It will enable them to make a good selection that aligns with their own needs and tastes. Also Read: Which double door fridge is good in 2023? Check out top 8 options in October 1. Samsung 236 L, 3 Star, Digital Inverter, Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT28C3053S8/HL, Silver, Elegant Inox, 2023 Model) This Samsung refrigerators elegant stainless steel exterior houses a 236 liter capacity that's perfect for families of 2 to 3. Powered by Samsung's Digital Inverter Compressor technology, this fridge delivers greater energy efficiency while running up to 50% quieter and lasting longer with a 20-year warranty. Inside you'll find ample storage, including a large 183 liter fresh food compartment with 3 toughened glass shelves, 5 bottle holders and a spacious vegetable drawer. The Moist Fresh Zone helps maintain the optimal humidity for perishable foods to keep them fresher longer. Best of all, this frost-free refrigerator is designed to be easy to clean with an anti-bacterial gasket that helps prevent the growth of bacteria and an auto defrost function that eliminates manual defrosting. With 3-star energy efficiency, stylish looks and powerful performance features, this Samsung refrigerator is a versatile and energy-smart choice for any modern kitchen. Specifications of Samsung 236 L, 3 Star, Digital Inverter, Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT28C3053S8/HL, Silver, Elegant Inox, 2023 Model): Capacity: 236 liters Energy Rating: 3 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes (Digital Inverter) Frost Free: Yes Door Type: Double Door Color: Silver (Elegant Inox) Pros Cons Energy-efficient (3 Star rating) Limited capacity for larger families Frost-free design for convenience May be expensive for budget shoppers Digital Inverter for quiet operation No convertible feature 2. Samsung 236 L, 3 Star, Convertible, Digital Inverter, with Display Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT28C3733S8/HL, Silver, Elegant Inox, 2023 Model) Bring chill style to your kitchen with the Samsung 236 L 3 Star Convertible Digital Inverter Refrigerator. Its massive capacity and versatile design mean you'll always have room for your groceries, while the convertible freezer lets you customize storage as needed. The digital inverter compressor provides powerful cooling and energy efficiency, consuming up to 50% less power than conventional models. Ample shelving, drawer storage and a large vegetable bin keep your food organized, while the anti-bacterial gasket and frost-free technology help maintain freshness. The digital control panel lets you adjust temperature settings with ease. Best of all, it comes with a 20-year warranty on the compressor and 1-year comprehensive warranty. Add this Samsung refrigerator to your kitchen and enjoy brilliant cooling performance, versatile storage and long-lasting reliability for years to come. Specifications of Samsung 236 L, 3 Star, Convertible, Digital Inverter, with Display Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT28C3733S8/HL, Silver, Elegant Inox, 2023 Model): Capacity: 236 liters Energy Rating: 3 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes (Digital Inverter) Convertible: Yes Frost Free: Yes Door Type: Double Door Color: Silver (Elegant Inox) Pros Cons Convertible design for flexible storage Higher price point Energy-efficient (3 Star rating) Not suitable for larger families Frost-free and Digital Inverter Display might consume energy when not in use 3. Samsung 256 L, 3 Star, Convertible, Digital Inverter, with Display Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT30C3733BX/HL, Luxe Black, 2023 Model) This Samsung refrigerator creates an efficient, organized fridge and freezer setup for families of two to three. The digital inverter compressor uses 50% less power while providing greater cooling efficiency, less noise, and long-lasting performance backed by a 20-year warranty. The refrigerator section's 203 liters of space includes toughened glass shelves, a bottle rack, anti-bacterial gaskets, and a vegetable drawer to keep your fruits and veggies fresh. The 53-liter convertible freezer gives you the flexibility to adjust the fridge and freezer space as needed. The digital control panel makes temperature adjustments easy while the frost-free design means no manual defrosting is required. This fridge offers powerful and consistent cooling performance for your groceries at an affordable price point. Specifications of Samsung 256 L, 3 Star, Convertible, Digital Inverter, with Display Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT30C3733BX/HL, Luxe Black, 2023 Model): Capacity: 256 liters Energy Rating: 3 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes (Digital Inverter) Convertible: Yes Frost Free: Yes Door Type: Double Door Color: Luxe Black Pros Cons Frost-free design for convenience Lower energy efficiency (2 Star rating) Digital Inverter for quiet operation Limited capacity for larger families Stylish Gray Silver finish No convertible feature 4. Samsung 236 L, 2 Star, Digital Inverter, Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT28C3032GS/HL, Gray Silver, 2023 Model) This Samsung refrigerators Digital Inverter Compressor works wonders, consuming 50% less power for greater efficiency and a 20 year warranty. The 236 liter capacity fits the needs of families of up to three with ample fridge and freezer space. The Frost Free design means no manual defrosting, ever. The Moist Fresh Zone adjusts the humidity to keep fruits and veggies fresher for longer. Three spacious, toughened glass shelves give you flexible storage options while the anti-bacterial gasket helps keep odors out. An elegant gray-silver finish and smart touches like the bottle storage and vegetable drawer complete the package. This refrigerator delivers powerful and long-lasting performance to keep your food fresh and your energy bills low. Specifications of Samsung 236 L, 2 Star, Digital Inverter, Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator (RT28C3032GS/HL, Gray Silver, 2023 Model): Capacity: 236 liters Energy Rating: 2 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes (Digital Inverter) Frost Free: Yes Door Type: Double Door Color: Gray Silver Pros Cons Energy-efficient (5 Star rating) Smaller capacity for larger families Inverter compressor for quieter operation Manual defrost required Unique Midnight Blossom Blue color Single door design Base Stand Drawer for added convenience Limited storage space for fresh food 5. Samsung 189L 5 Star, Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator (RR21C2H25UZ/HL,Midnight Blossom Blue) Base Stand Drawer, 2023 Model Samsung's 189L single door refrigerator keeps things cool and crisp with Direct Cool inverter technology that delivers powerful cooling while saving energy. The midnight blue finish adds sophisticated style to any kitchen, while ample shelving and compartments provide 171L of fresh food space and an additional 18L freezer to neatly organize all your essentials. An extra drawer provides bonus storage for snacks and drinks, and a spacious bottle guard accommodates bulky cartons. Backed by a 1-year warranty and 20-year compressor warranty, this refrigerator delivers long-lasting performance and powerful cooling in a compact size that's perfect for small spaces. The digital inverter compressor runs quietly and efficiently, consuming 50% less power to keep your food fresh without breaking the budget. Specifications of Samsung 189L 5 Star, Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator (RR21C2H25UZ/HL,Midnight Blossom Blue) Base Stand Drawer, 2023 Model: Capacity: 189 liters Energy Rating: 5 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes Frost Free: No (Direct-Cool) Door Type: Single Door Color: Midnight Blossom Blue Additional Features: Base Stand Drawer Pros Cons High energy efficiency (5 Star rating) No frost-free feature Inverter compressor for quiet operation Single door may have limited space 6. LG 185 L 4 Star Direct-Cool Smart Inverter Compressor Single Door Refrigerator (GL-D199OPZY, Shiny Steel, Base Stand with Drawer) This refrigerator is ready to revolutionize your kitchen with smart technology. The LG 185L 4 Star Direct Cool refrigerator boasts a spacious capacity and a stylish Shiny Steel finish that will complement any decor. Powered by LG's Smart Inverter Compressor, this refrigerator operates whisper-quiet while maintaining precise temperatures and saving energy. The Direct Cool system circulates air evenly throughout for optimal cooling and freshness. Plus, the freezer and refrigerator compartments offer flexible storage with two adjustable shelves, an additional drawer, and a 16L freezer capacity. With an energy-efficient 4-star rating, this LG refrigerator helps lower utility bills while delivering performance you can count on for years to come, backed by a 1-year comprehensive and 10-year compressor warranty. Together, form and function unite in this refrigerator that brings smart technology, ample storage, and energy savings to your kitchen in a beautiful, understated style. Specifications of LG 185 L 4 Star Direct-Cool Smart Inverter Compressor Single Door Refrigerator (GL-D199OPZY, Shiny Steel, Base Stand with Drawer): Capacity: 185 liters Energy Rating: 4 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes (Smart Inverter Compressor) Frost Free: No (Direct-Cool) Door Type: Single Door Color: Shiny Steel Pros Cons Smart Inverter Compressor for efficient cooling No frost-free feature Energy-efficient (4 Star rating) Single door may have limited space 7. Samsung 189 L, 5 Star, Digital Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator (RR21C2H25S8/HL, Silver, Elegant Inox, Base Stand Drawer, 2023 Model) This sleek Samsung refrigerator blends high tech features and stylish good looks to keep your groceries chilled to perfection. The Digital Inverter Compressor adjusts the cooling speed for greater efficiency while still providing powerful and precise temperature control. The Direct Cool technology circulates cold air evenly throughout for fresher food that lasts longer. Store up to 189 liters of groceries in the spacious interior featuring a drawer, shelves, bottle holders and more roomy compartments. An elegant Inox finish and slim base drawer give this refrigerator a sophisticated and understated presence in your kitchen. So say goodbye to food waste and hello to delicious meals made with ingredients that stay fresher for longer all thanks to the innovative cooling technology inside this Samsung single-door refrigerator. Specifications of Samsung 189 L, 5 Star, Digital Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator (RR21C2H25S8/HL, Silver, Elegant Inox, Base Stand Drawer, 2023 Model): Capacity: 189 liters Energy Rating: 5 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes (Digital Inverter) Frost Free: No (Direct-Cool) Door Type: Single Door Color: Silver (Elegant Inox) Additional Features: Base Stand Drawer Pros Cons High energy efficiency (5 Star rating) No frost-free feature Digital Inverter for better cooling efficiency Single door may have limited space Also Read: Side by side refrigerators for storage and elegance: 8 best of December 2023 8. Samsung 198 L 4 Star Inverter Direct Cool Single Door Refrigerator (RR21A2C2XDX/HL, Luxe Brown, Digi-Touch Cool, 2022 Model) With a generous 198-liter capacity, this fridge can keep food fresh with ease for families of 2-3 or bachelors. The 4-star energy rating means lower electricity bills, thanks to the high-efficiency digital inverter compressor and direct-cool technology that regulates temperatures without fluctuations. The spacious shelves, including the spill-proof toughened glass ones, provide ample storage and organization options to maximize capacity. And for added peace of mind, the digital inverter compressor comes with an extended 20-year warranty. So go ahead and fill this refrigerator with all your favorites, from veggies to beverages, knowing they'll stay fresh, cool and organized for longer while the luxe brown finish adds sophistication to your space. This refrigerator is engineered to keep your food fresh for longer while keeping energy costs low, thanks to Samsung's innovative cooling technologies and durability. Specifications of Samsung 198 L 4 Star Inverter Direct Cool Single Door Refrigerator (RR21A2C2XDX/HL, Luxe Brown, Digi-Touch Cool, 2022 Model): Capacity: 198 liters Energy Rating: 4 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes (Inverter Direct Cool) Frost Free: No (Direct-Cool) Door Type: Single Door Color: Luxe Brown Additional Features: Digi-Touch Cool Pros Cons Inverter compressor for efficient cooling No frost-free feature Energy-efficient (4 Star rating) Limited color options 9. Samsung 189 L, 5 Star, Digi-Touch Cool, Digital Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator (RR21C2F25HS/HL, Hydrangea Blue, Base Stand Drawer, 2023 Model) This Samsung refrigerator brings big style to small spaces with cutting edge technology packed into a compact 189 liter capacity. The Direct Cool inverter compressor uses up to 50% less energy while keeping your food fresher for longer. Simply touch the Digi-Touch Cool control panel to activate Eco mode for maximum savings or Rapid Cool to quickly chill drinks and snacks. The 3 adjustable shelves and 1 base drawer provide ample storage for your perishables, and the anti-bacterial gasket helps keep germs at bay. Best of all, the sleek Hydrangea Blue finish and curved edges give this refrigerator a sophisticated, understated look that will complement any modern kitchen. Small but mighty, this single-door Samsung refrigerator delivers powerful cooling and intelligent features to keep your groceries in top form, all while fitting seamlessly into your stylish home. Specifications of Samsung 189 L, 5 Star, Digi-Touch Cool, Digital Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator (RR21C2F25HS/HL, Hydrangea Blue, Base Stand Drawer, 2023 Model): Capacity: 189 liters Energy Rating: 5 Star Inverter Compressor: Yes (Digital Inverter) Frost Free: No (Direct-Cool) Door Type: Single Door Color: Hydrangea Blue Additional Features: Base Stand Drawer Pros Cons High energy efficiency (5 Star rating) No frost-free feature Digital Inverter for better cooling efficiency Single door may have limited space Digi-Touch Cool feature for precise temperature control Top 3 features for you Product Feature 1 Feature 2 Feature 3 Samsung 236 L, 3 Star, Digital Inverter, Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator 3 Star Yes (Digital Inverter) Frost Free Samsung 236 L, 3 Star, Convertible, Digital Inverter, with Display Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator 3 Star Yes (Digital Inverter) Frost Free Samsung 256 L, 3 Star, Convertible, Digital Inverter, with Display Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator 3 Star Yes (Digital Inverter) Frost Free Samsung 236 L, 2 Star, Digital Inverter, Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator 2 Star Yes (Digital Inverter) Frost Free Samsung 189L 5 Star, Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator 5 Star Yes (Inverter) Direct-Cool LG 185 L 4 Star Direct-Cool Smart Inverter Compressor Single Door Refrigerator 4 Star Yes (Smart Inverter Compressor) Direct-Cool Samsung 189 L, 5 Star, Digital Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator 5 Star Yes (Digital Inverter) Direct-Cool Samsung 198 L 4 Star Inverter Direct Cool Single Door Refrigerator 4 Star Yes (Inverter Direct Cool) Direct-Cool Samsung 189 L, 5 Star, Digi-Touch Cool, Digital Inverter, Direct-Cool Single Door Refrigerator 5 Star Yes (Digital Inverter) Direct-Cool Best value for money Samsung 256 L, 3 Star, Convertible, Digital Inverter, with Display Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator brings high-tech styling and performance to your kitchen. The digital inverter compressor and convertible freezer ensure powerful cooling, energy efficiency, and long-lasting freshness. The Luxe Black finish and frosted glass shelves create a sleek look, while the anti-bacterial gasket helps keep food fresh. When you need extra fridge space, simply convert some of the freezer capacity with the touch of a button. The large 203-liter fresh food capacity and 6-bottle storage provide plenty of room for your culinary experiments. A 1-year warranty and a 20-year warranty on the compressor give you assurance that this fridge will keep things chilled for many years to come. Best overall product LG 185 L 4 Star Direct-Cool Smart Inverter Compressor Single Door Refrigerator is perfect for families and bachelors. With a 185 liter capacity that includes a 16 liter freezer compartment and 169 liter fresh food space, it provides ample storage for two to three people. The 4-star energy rating means high efficiency and lower electricity bills, while the smart inverter compressor delivers unmatched performance, savings and ultra-quiet operation. Two toughened glass shelves with frames provide flexible storage, and the base stand with drawer provides extra space for non-refrigerated items like potatoes and onions. A one-year warranty on the product and 10-year warranty on the compressor ensures that you are into a good product. How to find the Best Double Door and Single Door Refrigerator? To match your requirements and interests, finding the best refrigerator under 40K requires taking into account a number of factors. 1. Assessing your unique needs should come first. Consider your family's size, the amount of space in your kitchen, and the amount of storage you need. Choose which features (ice/water dispensers, for example) or particular technology (frost-free operation, convertible modes) are more important to you: energy efficiency or distinctive features. 2. Next, look at reliable companies that are well-known for producing high-quality refrigerators. Examine ratings, comments from experts, and reviews from customers for models with and without double doors. Think about the brands' standing, dependability, robustness, and calibre of post-purchase support. 3. Recognise the key distinctions between refrigerators with double doors and those with single doors before making your selection. Generally speaking, double-door refrigerators are larger and have distinct sections for frozen and fresh food. Larger families or people that need plenty of storage may use them. Conversely, single-door refrigerators are smaller, which makes them perfect for those who don't require as much storage or for smaller rooms. 4. Energy efficiency is an important consideration. To make sure the refrigerator uses the least amount of electricity possible, look for energy ratings (BEE ratings, for example). Features that optimise energy consumption, such as inverter technology, may result in lower power costs. 5. Depending on your tastes, take into account extra features. Certain refrigerators include features like humidity controls, fast cooling capabilities, convertible modes, or sections designed specifically for certain foods. Determine which of these characteristics best suits your requirements by evaluating them. 6. Lastly, consider your budget. Find a balance between the things you want and the budget you can comfortably afford. Finding the greatest refrigerator model that fits your needs and budget may be accomplished by comparing several models. FAQs Question : Do refrigerators with two doors cost more than those with one door? Ans : Indeed, compared to single-door refrigerators, double-door refrigerators are often more costly because of their bigger size, extra amenities, and distinct sections. Question : Which kind of refrigerator works best in little kitchens? Ans : Since they take up less space, single-door refrigerators are ideal for little kitchens or other locations. When compared to the bigger, double-door models, they occupy less room. Question : Do refrigerators with two doors have greater storage space than refrigerators with one door? Ans : Absolutely, double-door refrigerators are ideal for bigger families because of their greater size and distinct sections for fresh and frozen goods, which typically results in more storage space. Question : Do refrigerators with a single door have the same cutting-edge features as those with two doors? Ans : Due to their smaller size, single-door refrigerators may have less sophisticated features, although some still include features like frost-free operation, energy-efficient technology, and convertible modes. Question : Which kind of refrigerator is more suited for energy-conscious customers? Ans : There are energy-efficient versions of both kinds of refrigerators. However, double-door refrigeratorsparticularly those equipped with inverter technologytend to be the most energy-efficient since they control compressor speed in response to cooling demand, which results in greater energy savings. Disclaimer: At Livemint, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Mint has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! With new smartphones coming in every month, smartphone makers are bringing newer and newer smartphones in order to beat the competition in the sub-30k price segment. We take a comprehensive look at the top 5 smartphones you can buy under 30,000. OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G: The OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G is a slightly less advanced variant of the Nord 3 and comes equipped with a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display in a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display also features a 120Hz refresh rate and 2160Hz PWM dimming support. This device is powered by the Snapdragon 782G chipset, which falls within the mid-range category. It offers a maximum of 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage, along with a cooling system similar to that of the Nord 3. When it comes to the camera setup, both the Nord 3 and Nord CE 3 feature an identical configuration, featuring a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). In terms of photography, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 boasts a triple rear camera arrangement, comprising a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. For video calls and selfies, the device is equipped with a 16MP front camera. Motorola Edge 40: Motorola Edge 40 comes with a 6.5-inch pOLED panel offering Full-HD resolution and a refresh rate of 144Hz refresh rate. While the models with vegan finish measure 7.58mm in thickness, the variant with the PMMA finish measures 7.49mm. The phones display comes with support for HDR10+, Amazon HDR playback, and Netflix HDR playback. The smartphone comes powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020 SoC coupled with 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage and 8GB of LPDDR4x. To perform camera duties, there is a dual camera setup on the back. There is a 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS) and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with macro vision. For selfies and video calls, Motorola Edge 40 is equipped with a 32MP camera at the front. POCO F5: The Poco F5 comes with a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED Display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits peak brightness along with support for Dolby Vision. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 (4nm) Processor and coupled with an Adreno 725 GPU. On the camera front, the smartphone is powered by a triple camera setup with a 64MP primary sensor with OIS, an 8 MP Ultrawide Camera and 2 MP Macro lens. Meanwhile, the Poco F5 comes with a 16 MP sensor on the front for selfies and video calls. Samsung Galaxy F54 5G: Samsung Galaxy F54 5G comes with a 6.7-inch sAMOLED+ screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate and Vision Booster. The device features a premium metal camera module with rounded corners. As mentioned above, the phone will be available in Meteor Blue and Stardust Silver. The smartphone is powered by Samsungs Exynos 1380 5nm processor which is claimed to offer seamless multitasking and a lag-free experience. Samsung Galaxy F54 5G runs on the latest One UI 5.1, offering a user-friendly interface and seamless navigation. Samsung is giving up to four generations of OS updates and up to five years of security updates with the new phone. On the camera front, Samsung Galaxy F54 5G has a 108 MP (OIS) No Shake primary camera paired with 8 MP ultra-wide lens and 2 MP macro lens. On the front, there is a 32 MP selfie camera. The smartphone boasts of camera features such as Night Mode, Auto Night Mode, and AI based Multi-frame processing. Google Pixel 6a: The Google Pixel 6a boasts a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a pixel density of 429 ppi. The smartphone is powered by the Google Tensor chipset, which is based on a 5-nanometre process and houses a Mali-G78 MP20 GPU for graphics-related tasks. The Pixel 6a runs Android 12 out of the box, but can be updated to Android 14 via a software upgrade. In terms of cameras, the Pixel 6a comes with a dual rear camera setup with a 12.2MP main sensor with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a 12MP ultra-widefield sensor. There is also an 8MP front-facing shooter to meet all your selfie and video calling needs. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! In a move that many experts believe was politically motivated, ratings agency Moodys on Tuesday downgraded the outlook on Chinas credit rating to negative from stable. This decision came despite Chinas recent economic rebound and is expected to have a significant impact on the countrys global standing. Moodys cited rising debt in the worlds second-largest economy as the reason for the downgrade. However, many experts believe that this decision was more politically motivated than economically driven. They point to the fact that Chinas debt levels have been rising for years, but Moodys has only now chosen to downgrade the countrys credit rating. In addition, the timing of the downgrade is suspect. China is currently in the midst of a number of political challenges, including the ongoing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong and the escalating tensions with Taiwan. Moodys downgrade is likely to further isolate China and make it more difficult for the country to borrow money on international markets. The downgrade is also an attempted blow to Chinas efforts to project itself as a global economic leader. China has been working hard to build its economic clout in recent years, and the downgrade is a setback to these efforts. The impact of the downgrade is likely to be felt across the Chinese economy. Businesses may have to pay more to borrow money, and consumers may see their spending power reduced. The downgrade could also lead to a decline in investment in China, as investors become more cautious about the countrys economic prospects. Overall, the downgrade of Chinas credit rating is a major development with far-reaching consequences. It is a sign that Chinas economic and political influence is a threat to the USA, and it is likely to have no significant impact on the countrys future trajectory. The United States apprehension about Chinas economic success stems from a combination of factors, including: Economic Competition: Chinas rapid economic growth and increasing global influence have posed a significant challenge to the United States long-held position as the worlds dominant economic power. As Chinas economy continues to expand, it is likely to become a more formidable competitor to the United States in various industries, ranging from manufacturing and technology to finance and services. Technological Advancement: Chinas investments in research and development have led to significant advancements in various technological fields, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and telecommunications. These advancements have raised concerns in the United States about China potentially surpassing the US in technological innovation and gaining a competitive edge in key industries. Geopolitical Influence: Chinas growing economic power has also translated into increased geopolitical influence. As Chinas economy expands, its ability to project its power and influence around the world has also grown. This has raised concerns in the United States about Chinas potential to challenge its global leadership and disrupt the existing international order. Ideological Differences: The United States and China have different political systems and ideological approaches. The United States adheres to a democratic system with a strong emphasis on individual liberties and free markets, while China operates under a one-party communist system with a more centralized control over the economy and society. These ideological differences can lead to disagreements on various issues, further complicating the relationship between the two countries. Trade Disputes: The United States and China have been engaged in ongoing trade disputes for several years. The US has accused China of unfair trade practices, such as intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers. These disputes have led to tariffs and other trade restrictions, impacting businesses and consumers in both countries. Military Expansion: Chinas military modernization efforts have raised concerns in the United States about the potential for conflict in the Asia-Pacific region. Chinas growing military capabilities, particularly in its navy, have been perceived as a threat to US interests in the region. In conclusion, the United States fear of Chinas economic success stems from a complex interplay of economic, geopolitical, ideological, and military factors. As China continues to grow and assert its influence, the US will need to carefully navigate this complex relationship to maintain its global leadership position and ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for both countries. Shayne Heffernan The Fall of Paolo Macchiarini: A Cautionary Tale of Scientific Misconduct Paolo Macchiarini, once hailed as a pioneer in regenerative medicine, stands today as a convicted felon, his reputation shattered by a series of ethical transgressions that have left a lasting stain on the scientific community. His story serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the importance of upholding the highest ethical standards in scientific research. Macchiarinis journey began with promise. A thoracic surgeon with a keen interest in regenerative medicine, he sought to develop a synthetic trachea implant that could replace damaged or diseased airways, offering hope to patients with debilitating respiratory conditions. His early work garnered international attention, and he quickly rose to prominence within the medical field. However, behind the facade of scientific success, Macchiarini harbored a darker side. Driven by a relentless pursuit of recognition and financial gain, he began to manipulate data, exaggerate his results, and even forge ethical approvals in order to advance his research agenda. His actions were fueled by a distorted sense of self-importance, an insatiable desire for accolades, and a disregard for the potential consequences of his actions. The cracks in Macchiarinis carefully constructed facade began to appear in 2011 when concerns about his research ethics emerged. Investigations revealed a pattern of misconduct, including falsification of data, fabrication of results, and unethical patient recruitment. His work was ultimately deemed unreliable and scientifically unsound. The consequences of Macchiarinis deception were devastating. His synthetic trachea implants, initially touted as a medical breakthrough, failed to live up to their promises, causing severe complications and even death in several patients. The trust that patients and colleagues had placed in him was shattered, leaving a trail of disappointment, anger, and even grief. In 2010, Macchiarini was dismissed from the Karolinska Institutet, the prestigious Swedish medical university where he had conducted much of his research. In 2016, a Swedish court found him guilty of research misconduct, and he was fined a substantial amount. Two years later, an Italian court convicted him of aggravated assault for his role in the deaths of three patients, sentencing him to four years in prison. Macchiarinis story is a stark reminder of the importance of ethical integrity in scientific research. The pursuit of knowledge and innovation must never come at the expense of human dignity and well-being. Scientists must adhere to the highest ethical standards, ensuring that their work is conducted with transparency, honesty, and accountability. Macchiarinis fall from grace serves as a cautionary tale, a stark reminder of the consequences that can befall those who prioritize personal gain over scientific integrity. His actions have tarnished the reputation of the scientific community and have eroded public trust in research. His story should serve as a clarion call to uphold the highest ethical standards in all aspects of scientific endeavor. Shayne Heffernan Global Arms Sales Reach $597 Billion In the complex web of global geopolitics, the business of war remains a multi-billion dollar industry, as evidenced by the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The report reveals that the worlds top 100 arms makers amassed a staggering $597 billion in sales last year, a testament to the enduring demand for weapons and military services. This article delves into the findings of the SIPRI report, shedding light on the key players, market trends, and challenges shaping the lucrative landscape of the arms industry. US Dominance Despite Decline: Despite a year-on-year decline of 3.5% in combined revenues, US firms maintained their dominance in the arms market, accounting for a formidable 51% of the total arms revenue in 2022. The 42 American companies represented among the top 100 generated a combined revenue of $302 billion, even as they faced a collective decline of 7.9%. This enduring dominance underscores the significance of the US in global arms trade, despite challenges faced by the industry. Here is a list of top USA-listed companies that make military equipment: Raytheon Technologies (RTX): Raytheon Technologies is a major aerospace and defense company with a portfolio of products and services that includes aircraft engines, missiles, weapons, and radar systems. The companys defense business generates about 60% of its total revenue. Lockheed Martin (LMT): Lockheed Martin is another major aerospace and defense company with a portfolio of products and services that includes fighter jets, satellites, and spacecraft. The companys defense business generates about 80% of its total revenue. Boeing (BA): Boeing is a major aerospace and defense company with a portfolio of products and services that includes commercial airplanes, military helicopters, and missiles. The companys defense business generates about 25% of its total revenue. Northrop Grumman (NOC): Northrop Grumman is a major defense contractor with a portfolio of products and services that includes stealth bombers, drones, and electronic warfare systems. The companys defense business generates about 90% of its total revenue. General Dynamics (GD): General Dynamics is a major defense contractor with a portfolio of products and services that includes tanks, submarines, and mission systems. The companys defense business generates about 80% of its total revenue. Textron (TXT): Textron is a diversified industrial company with a portfolio of products and services that includes business jets, helicopters, and armored vehicles. The companys defense business generates about 40% of its total revenue. Honeywell International (HON): Honeywell International is a diversified technology and manufacturing company with a portfolio of products and services that includes aircraft systems, building automation systems, and automotive components. The companys defense business generates about 15% of its total revenue. United Technologies Corporation (UTC): United Technologies Corporation is a diversified industrial company with a portfolio of products and services that includes elevators, air conditioners, and aerospace components. The companys defense business generates about 20% of its total revenue. 3M (MMM): 3M is a diversified technology company with a portfolio of products and services that includes adhesives, abrasives, and electronics. The companys defense business generates about 10% of its total revenue. General Electric (GE): General Electric is a diversified industrial company with a portfolio of products and services that includes power generation equipment, aviation engines, and healthcare technologies. The companys defense business generates about 10% of its total revenue. European Resilience and Incremental Growth: In contrast to their American counterparts, European arms manufacturers displayed resilience, with the combined revenues of the 26 companies in the top 100 experiencing a slight increase of 0.9% to reach $121 billion. This modest growth reflects the stability and adaptability of European arms producers in navigating the challenges posed by the global arms market. Global Dynamics and Supply Chain Challenges: The overall decline in global arms sales was primarily attributed to challenges faced by major US weapons producers. Supply chain disruptions and labor shortages linked to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the sector, causing a 7.9% decline in revenues. Despite this setback, SIPRI notes that the industrys ability to respond to geopolitical tensions and conflicts, such as the Ukraine crisis, underscored the resilience of the global arms market. Record-Breaking Military Spending: SIPRI highlights that the global decrease in arms sales comes against the backdrop of record-breaking military spending, reflecting increased demand driven by the Ukraine conflict and escalating geopolitical tensions. Countries worldwide placed substantial orders for weapons and military services in 2022, with the revenue from these orders expected to materialize in the accounts of arms manufacturers in the coming years. Rise of Asia and the Middle East: The SIPRI report identifies a significant increase in revenues for arms makers in Asia and the Middle East, highlighting their ability to respond swiftly to heightened demand. This regional surge in arms sales indicates a shift in the geopolitical landscape, with countries in these regions positioning themselves as key players in the global arms trade. Conclusion: The SIPRI report paints a vivid picture of the thriving business of war, where global arms sales, though facing challenges, remain at unprecedented levels. As the industry grapples with supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties, the resilience and adaptability of arms manufacturers, particularly in the US and Europe, underscore the enduring demand for military capabilities worldwide. The rise of Asia and the Middle East as significant players further complicates the geopolitical dynamics, shaping the future trajectory of the lucrative arms industry. Here is a list of top USA-listed companies that make military equipment: Year to date Chattanooga has had 116 pedestrians struck by cars and 15 of those incidents were fatal. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. Check out our latest E-Edition Accessible anytime and anywhere on your desktop, tablet and smart phone devices. The Lodi News e-Edition is enhanced with the latest digital tools, including RSS feeds, social networking and much more. Check out our latest E-edition! The practice of parking camper vans overnight in carp parks at scenic spots around the county is under review by Waterways Ireland a recent meeting of Longford County Council heard. The matter came to light when the issue of camper van parking at Clondra was raised when Waterways Ireland representatives spoke to the local authority. Clondra is one of 52 harbours controlled by Waterway Ireland on the Shannon. The issue was brought to the attention of the meeting by Cllr Seamus Butler who said: There is a significant issue with people parking camper vans overnight. This is a problem between Easter and December. It can be difficult for people living in the area, some of whom are elderly or have poor health. Cllr Butler posed the questions: It's a busy busy area. The council have provided the parking for people using the facilities in the area, very often those places are jammed. Is there anyway we can prevent this happening? Can you advise how we could deal with this? In his response Patrick Harkin, WI's Inspector of Navigation, said: This is an issue we have identified over the last number of years across the island of Ireland. We are currently drafting a strategy covering motor homes, camping and such activities across the Waterways Ireland sites. It's in the final stage of draft, in 2024 we will be engaging with all the local authorities across the country on how we will roll out our strategy for car parks. An anti-vaccination protester who targeted a local politician in a series of obscure, abusive and anonymous texts has received a five months prison sentence, suspended for 18 months on his own bond of 250 at Longford District Court today (Tuesday, December 5). David Larkin (41) of 33 Ard Na Cassa Lawns, Longford appeared before Judge Bernadette Owen charged with harassing Ballinalee based Senator Micheal Carrigy by text message, voicemail and on social media platform Facebook. Mr Larkin had previously pleaded guilty to the charges of harassing Senator Carrigy on dates between December 20, 2021 and February 14, 2022 contrary to Section 10 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. Judge Bernadette Owens noted the probation report indicated that the defendant was at a moderate risk of reoffending. A probation bond was not adequate to address the concerns of the court, she said. Mr Larkin was given credit for his guilty plea and no previous convictions. Judge Owens also imposed additional restrictions on Mr Larkin. He was warned that he must not enter within 1km of the injured party's residence for a period of 5 years. He is prohibited from encroaching on New Street and St Joseph's Road, Longford for a period of two years. He is not to communicate with injured party for five years. Garda Sergeant Mark Mahon told the court that the injured party took particular exception to threats being made to his wife and family, in addition to himself. At an earlier court appearance in September, Solicitor Frank Gearty said his client has engaged in a positive and meaningful way with a consultant psychologist and is making progress. Mr Gearty said it would be helpful if the court had a full up-to-date psychiatric report and he asked to have legal aid extended to cover such a report. My client knows he has a serious case to answer. A psychiatric report will assist the court significantly, Mr Gearty said. The defendant sent a series of obscure messages to the politician's phone. The messages included texts: You are going to the train station, there will be no mercy, All you scumbag politicians will be going to the train station and Happy sh*t yourself day. More extended messages were: All you scumbag politicians scrambling for the door, now that Boris has shit himself and caved into the people before hes f**ked out of office and publicly hanged for his crimes. Thats what you have to look forward to bro. Youre going down just like the rest of the scum. Dont think youll escape Michael, your time is soon up, enjoy it. Another sent during the pandemic said: The mothers, the fathers, they ain't gonna wait for no international court case. "They're just gonna ram your front door and tear all you politicians apart in your house. That's what you have to look forward to. Could be next week, could be next year but it's coming my friend and no amount of security will save ya then. Happy shit yourself Sunday. Details of a further five Facebook posts were also submitted. The messages contained mentions of going to the train station bucko and another saying No mercy for you Michael. VIRTUAL wards, to help doctors treat patients in their own homes, have been set up by the Minister of Health, Stephen Donnelly. The Acute Virtual Ward programme will be piloted in two hospitals: University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin. The programme will begin in early 2024 and will enable patients, who would previously have had to stay in hospital, to be monitored and treated for some illnesses in their own homes. Expansion of virtual services and the effective utilisation of digital technology in healthcare needs to happen, as I believe it has huge potential, said Minister Donnelly. The technology-enabled scheme also supports patients preferences for better integrated services, closer, or indeed in their own homes. The pioneering hospital at home scheme is suitable for a range of different conditions, and is used in other countries for patients with heart disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), for example. Patients receiving care under a virtual ward will also remain under the care of their doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Ward rounds involve a home visit, or video call. Patients will be given electronic gadgets, such as blood-pressure cuffs or thermometers, so that hospital staff can still collect data. According to research, the virtual ward could potentially save over 8,000 bed days per year in each of the acute hospitals. While the Minister has funded the opening of an additional 1,100 (net) acute hospital beds and a 25% increase in critical care capacity since he took office, he said the health service still has fewer beds than it needs. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: December 05 2023 Giovanny Campos allegedly had sex with teenage student in high school parking lot and at home in Queens. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Queens school bus driver was indicted last week for allegedly raping and kidnapping a Valley Stream student who used his bus route between January and July 2023. Giovanny Campos, 50, from Jamaica, Queens, was arraigned Thursday before Judge Robert McDonald on grand jury indictment charges of Kidnapping in the Second Degree (a B violent felony); Rape in the Third Degree (an E felony); two counts of Criminal Sex Act in the Third Degree (an E felony); and Reckless Endangerment (an A misdemeanor). The defendant pleaded not guilty, and bail was set at $150,000 cash, $300,000 bond, and $1.25 million partially secured bond. Campos is due back in court on December 12, 2023. If convicted of the top charge, the defendant faces a potential maximum of 25 years in prison. School bus drivers are trusted to transport and protect our children, but this defendant allegedly preyed on a teenage student and sexually abused her both on his bus and at his apartment in Queens, said DA Donnelly. This office is committed to prosecuting predators who prey on vulnerable children. If you believe or know of someone who may have been victimized by Giovanny Campos, please call the Special Victims Bureau at (516) 571-1266. DA Donnelly said that, according to the investigation and indictment, Giovanny Campos, also known to the victim as Giovanny Guzman, was employed as a bus driver with the Cheese Bus Company. As part of his duties, the defendant drove a route from Central High School to North High School in Valley Stream. Campos allegedly picked up the teenage student between January and July 2023 along the route. The defendant raped the child multiple times, including in a parking lot while still on the bus. The defendant also transported the teenager to his apartment in Jamaica, Queens, to engage in sexual acts with her. The defendant was arrested on September 28, 2023, at his residence in Queens by members of the Nassau County Police Departments Special Victims Squad. If you believe you or someone you know may have been victimized by Giovanny Campos, please contact NCDAs Special Victims Bureau at (516) 571-1266. Senior Assistant District Attorney Chantee Dempsey of the Special Victims Bureau is prosecuting this case. Menachem White, Esq. represents the defendant. New York Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Assault on Airplane Crime By Chris Boyle Published: December 05 2023 Ryan Manuella, 30, of Cheektowaga, New York, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for assaulting a female passenger, announced U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. A New York man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for assaulting a female passenger on a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Ryan Manuella, 30, of Cheektowaga, New York, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to assault with intent to commit another felony, namely, stalking, while on an airplane. Manuella was ordered detained without bond. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence on Nov. 16, 2023, in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On a flight from Denver, Colorado, to Newark, on April 16, 2021, Manuella moved to a vacant seat next to a female passenger and touched the passenger without her consent. Manuella admitted the victim then yelled at him and left the row of seats. He admitted that touching the victim caused her substantial emotional distress. In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Manuella to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and officers of the Port Authority Police Department with the investigation leading to the sentencing. Bill and Joe are joined again by FDD Senior Fellow and Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu to discuss the latest regional updates surrounding Israels war against Hamas (and then some). Powered by RedCircle 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. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen's office has sued Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging the company's age ratings are illegally misleading in relation to the content actually available on its apps. The civil action focuses on Instagram and was filed in U.S. District Court in Montana on Friday. More than 40 states filed similar lawsuits against the company earlier this year. Like Montana's, the lawsuit say Instagram's functions were designed to have an addictive and consuming effect on children. In October, Meta told news outlets it was "disappointed" state attorneys general had chosen to take their issues to court rather than work with the company to create age-appropriate standards. "Meta must be held accountable for its deceptive practices and the harm it has caused," Knudsen said in a press release late Monday announcing the lawsuit. "Instagram's intentional addictive design and its failure to address the rampant presence of harmful content on its platform, including explicit drug promotion and sexual exploitation, pose serious risks to the mental health and well-being of young Montanans." Knudsen, a Republican, has sparred with social media companies throughout his first term, propelling a first-of-its-kind ban on TikTok through the state Legislature this year. However, a federal judge last week said that ban likely violates the First Amendment in blocking its Jan. 1 start date as TikTok's legal challenge against the ban plays out. His office began investigating Instagram's practices in 2021, the press release stated. The lawsuit, filed by Montana Assistant Attorney General Anna Schneider of the consumer protection bureau, alleges the company violated the Montana Consumer Protection Act by representing Instagram as safe for users between the ages of 12 and 17. The lawsuit refers to Meta's public statements about attempts to moderate mature content on Instagram, and attaches several examples of illegal drug sales, pornography and other mature content yet available on the app. The lawsuit also alleges violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, a federal law that requires parental consent for companies to collect personal information. The filing asks a federal judge to award $10,000 per violation of the state consumer protection act and for a jury trial to determine any other sanctions against the company. Montana was also among the 48 states to sue the company in 2020, under Republican Attorney General Tim Fox, for antitrust violations for obtaining Instagram and WhatsApp. A federal district court judge's dismissal of that case upheld in April. The IDF Commander of the Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, in the Gaza Strip on December 4. (Screenshot of IDF video) Israel expanded operations into the southern Gaza Strip in the days after a pause in fighting ended on December 1. On Monday, December 4, residents in Gaza reported seeing Israeli tanks heading south along Salah al-Din Street, the major road that stretches north through central Gaza and links Khan Yunis with Gaza City. IDF airstrikes also hit buildings in the Hamad city complex in Khan Yunis on December 2. The offensive into southern Gaza took place as the IDF continued to surround what remained of Hamas fighters in Gaza City. The first operations in the south consisted of a naval raid at Khan Yunis marina and in Deir Al-Balah. The IDF said they struck infrastructure and equipment used by the Hamas Naval Forces. Those opening moves followed the attack on 400 targets in Gaza overnight from December 1st to the 2nd, of which 50 targets were struck in southern Gaza. Israel Chief of Staff Herzi HaLevi visited the IDFs 162nd division operating in northern Gaza on Sunday and Monday, December 4. During his visit on Sunday, he said the IDF had dismantled two Hamas brigades in northern Gaza. Yesterday, and today, we eliminated brigade commanders, company commanders, many operatives, and yesterday morning we started the same process in the southern Gaza Strip, it will be with no less strength than that, it will be with no less results than that, and Hamas commanders will meet the IDF everywhere in a very, very strong way, he said. The IDF is seeking to squeeze Hamas in northern Gaza, taking the neighborhoods of Jabalya and Shujaiya, which border the central area of Gaza City. For instance, on Saturday, the IDF eliminated Wessam Farhat, the head of Hamas Shujaiya battalion. The IDF said that he had a long career in terrorism, including sending Hamas terrorists to attack Kibbutz Nahal Oz and the Nahal Oz IDF outpost on October 7. These were two of around 29 locations targeted by the Hamas attack on October 7, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed. To the north of Shujaiya, the IDF also targeted Jabalya. The IDF said that soldiers located tunnel shafts and found one tunnel shaft, located in the courtyard of a school complex, had a depth of dozens of meters. Another operational tunnel shaft was located in the home of an operative from Hamas naval force. In addition to focusing on the Hamas battalions in Jabalya and Shujaiya, the IDF also used an airstrike to eliminate the commander of the Hamas Shati battalion, Haitham Khuwajari. He was also responsible for attacks on October 7, the IDF said. Khuwajari also secured Hamas terrorist activity in the Shifa Hospital and was in command of Hamas forces fighting against IDF soldiers in the Shati area. He was also responsible for carrying out numerous acts of terror against Israelis, the IDF said. In the first period of fighting, roughly fifty days before the pause began on November 24, Israel had fought against ten Hamas battalions in northern Gaza, according to IDF estimates. Many of the commanders of these units were already eliminated. Israels Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, after flying over part of Gaza on December 1 in an attack helicopter, referenced the defeat of Hamas battalions in Beit Lahia, Beit Hanun, Al Farkun [and] Zeitun, warning Hamas members in Khan Yunis that they would be next. The IDF said on December 3 that since the war began almost two months ago, it has carried out 10,000 airstrikes. In addition, it carried out an additional 200 by Monday morning. These strikes come as Israel continues to move more units into Gaza. The Kfir brigade, which often operates in the West Bank, was sent to Gaza for the first time, the IDF said on December 4. This occurred in the context of the IDF continuing to have several hundred thousand reservists called up since October 7. Although some have returned home, the IDF doesnt give any specific numbers. Many remain in their units in Gaza on the northern border or in the West Bank. On the international front, the Prime Ministers Office said that the pause in fighting ended, and Mossad head David Barnea has been in Qatar to hold discussions. 84 women and children and 24 foreign nationals, primarily Thai citizens, were released in the first pause in fighting. However, following the impasse in negotiations and the directive given by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Director of the Mossad David Barnea has instructed his team in Doha to return to Israel, the Israel Prime Ministers Office said on December 2. Israels National Security Council also released new travel warnings for Israelis traveling abroad, encouraging citizens to postpone travel to countries for which travel warnings have been issued, and particularly Arab and Middle Eastern countries, the North Caucasus, countries bordering Iran and several Muslim countries in Asia. This came in the wake of Israels President Isaac Herzog attending the COP28 climate conference in the UAE, the first significant trip by an Israeli leader since the war began. Israels Defense Minister Gallant said on December 2 that Israels goal remains the same in Gaza; defeating Hamas, destroying its governing and military capabilities not allowing Hamas to continue its rule over Gaza, and returning the hostages to their homes. In the last several days, Israel has declared that six of the hostages in Gaza were killed. There are still 137 hostages held in Gaza, including eight Thai citizens. IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on December 3 that Israel is focused on mitigating harm to civilians in southern Gaza. The UN estimates around 2 million people in Gaza have been displaced by the fighting, and most of them are now in southern Gaza. The IDF published a special map on December 2 dividing Gaza into zones so that civilians can flee to areas of safety as operations expand in the south. The IDF says 401 soldiers have been killed in action since October 7, seventy-five of them have fallen since the ground operation in Gaza began. Most of the others were killed during the initial Hamas attack on October 7. Israel faced threats from Hezbollah after the pause in fighting ended. There have been at least nineteen incidents of rocket launches, mortar fire, and drone threats since December 1, with Israelis injured in several attacks. According to IDF lists of incidents, at least fifteen Israeli communities in the north have been targeted since December 1, and there were two attacks from Syria. In each case, the IDF responded with either artillery or airstrikes. In the Red Sea, three commercial ships were targeted by the Iran-backed Houthis on December 3. This was the most significant number of attacks in a single day by the Houthis, who have carried out numerous attacks in the Red Sea since October 7. In addition, there have now been 76 attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since October 7. 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. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that he had ordered an expansion of defensive fortifications across the battlefield. Following the failure of Ukraines 2023 counteroffensive, Zelenskyys announcement may signal that Kyiv intends to adopt a defensive posture in 2024. Digging in could help Ukraine repel future Russian offensives while allowing Kyiv to spare more troops for training in the West. In his nightly address on November 30, Zelenskyy said he had led a nationwide meeting on fortifications. Ukraine must boost and accelerate the construction of structures across the frontline and along the countrys borders with Russia and Belarus, focusing especially on threatened areas in eastern Ukraine, the president declared. He heard reports from Ukraines defense minister and his first deputy, various military commanders, and regional and local officials. They also discussed how private businesses and foreign partners can help. The previous week, Ukraines Defense Ministry announced a new interdepartmental working group focused on military engineering and fortification structures. Functioning as a 24/7 operational headquarters, the group will coordinate military and government efforts, the ministry said. According to the ministry, Ukrainian military units will build fortifications on the first line of defense. Ukraines State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, working with private contractors, will handle construction on the second and third lines. Ukraines minister of digital transformation, who will co-lead the working group, said Kyiv has already found financing from Ukrainian businesses for construction in priority areas of the battlefield. In the months prior to Kyivs spring-summer counteroffensive, Russia built fortified defensive lines all across the battlefield and along the Russian-Ukrainian border. In some places, especially the area south of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where Ukraine concentrated its main effort during the 2023 counteroffensive, Russia built fallback lines behind the main line. These fortifications, coupled with extensive minefields, helped Russia thwart the counteroffensive. Taking a page from Moscows book could help Ukraine weather what will likely be a tough 2024. After taking heavy casualties during the counteroffensive, Ukrainian units need time to rest and reconstitute. And Kyivs Western backers currently lack enough spare artillery ammunition to resource another major offensive. Western shell production has begun to expand but will take time to really ramp up. Consequently, Ukraines artillery-centric military will likely face shell hunger next year. Russia, meanwhile, has received a substantial amount of artillery ammunition from North Korea and is ramping up its own defense-industrial production. Russia will likely hold the initiative for much of next year, especially if Moscow conducts another round of forced mobilization. Fortunately for Kyiv, Russias General Valery Gerasimov will likely continue to squander men and materiel on ill-fated offensives like those at Vuhledar and Avdiivka, undercutting Russias ability to reconstitute force quality. Thus, while Zelenskyy may feel a political imperative to continue attacking in order to demonstrate progress to domestic and foreign audiences, a defensive posture would probably make more military sense. Ukraine could sap Russias offensive potential, positioning itself to retake the initiative as Western shell production ramps up. Reinforcing Ukrainian lines and building prepared fallback positions could help thwart future Russian offensives. It could also allow Ukraine to defend with fewer troops. As Ukraines top general recently noted, Kyiv currently cannot easily spare soldiers who are deployed to the front. But with a better prepared defense, the Ukrainian military might feel comfortable sending more troops ideally including some of its better, more experienced units to train in the West. That, in turn, could help Ukraine regenerate and expand its offensive potential, particularly if the United States and its allies reform their training programs with an eye toward enabling Ukrainian forces to conduct offensive operations at scale. Ukraines inability to scale combined-arms operations was a key factor contributing to the failure of the 2023 counteroffensive. The next year will likely be challenging for Ukraine. But digging in could help Ukraine weather the storm and potentially emerge prepared to counterpunch. John Hardie is the deputy director of FDDs Russia Program and a contributor to 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. Cohort PLC - Reading, England-based defence and security technology firm - Says that its German subsidiary, ELAC Sonar GmbH, has been given a five-year contract with a value of EUR16 million. Under this agreement, ELAC will deliver the sonar system for another unit of a new-build submarine programme for the Italian Navy. This is the third unit of the programme, with ELAC also supplying the sonar systems for the first two units. Chief Executive Andy Thomis says: "This important order confirms ELAC Sonar's position as a world-leading provider of submarine sonar systems. ELAC's cutting-edge technology for passive sonar systems significantly improves detection accuracy and allows for multi-functional operator stations to execute various sonar applications aboard the submarines. Together with other recent wins across the group, this contract further underpins our order book and enhances the visibility of future revenues." Current stock price: 518.00 pence, up 1.6% on Tuesday 12-month change: up 25% By Holly Beveridge, Alliance News reporter Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved. (Sharecast News) - London stocks fell in early trade Tuesday, taking their cue from downbeat US and Asian sessions, as investors mulled the latest retail sales data and looked ahead to the services PMI. At 0825 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 0.5% at 7,477.60. The latest figures from KPMG and the British Retail Consortium showed that retail sales grew by an underwhelming amount in November despite shops stepping up their discounts leading up to Black Friday, as cautious consumers chose to delay their Christmas spending. The BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor for November showed that total retail sales increased by 2.7% in November. This was above the three-month average growth rate of 2.6% but below the 12-month average of 4.1%. In November of 2022, sales were up 4.2% on the month before. In the three months to November, food sales growth slowed to 7.6% from 7.9% a month earlier and under the 12-month average of 8.4%. Meanwhile, non-food sales were down 1.6% in the three-month period, compared with an average of 0.5% over the past 12 months. "Black Friday began earlier this year as many retailers tried to give sales a much-needed boost in November. While this had the desired effect initially, the momentum failed to hold throughout the month, as many households held back on Christmas spending," said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC. "Retailers are banking on a last-minute flurry of festive frivolity in December and will continue working hard to deliver an affordable Christmas for customers so everyone can enjoy some Christmas cheer." Dickinson painted a gloomy picture for retailers heading into 2024, as they have to deal with a rise in business rates and costs from other new regulations. "These combined with the biggest rise on record to the National Living Wage will mean retailers will have less capital to invest in lowering prices for their customers," she said. Still to come, the S&P Global/CIPS services PMI for November is due at 0930 GMT. In equity markets, Barclays slumped after the Qatar Investment Authority, the bank's second-largest shareholder, sold nearly half of its stake. Prudential and Standard Chartered were both down after Moody's cut its credit outlook on China to 'negative'. Auction Technology was knocked lower by a downgrade to 'equalweight' from 'overweight' at Barclays. Equipment hire specialist Ashtead was weaker as it delivered flat second-quarter profits, but said demand in the US remained "robust". Outside the FTSE 350, Quiz shares tanked as the fashion retailer warned on full-year revenues after a disappointing Black Friday performance, and said it swung to a loss in the first half. On the upside, Land Securities was boosted by an upgrade to 'buy' at Goldman Sachs. Moonpig was also up as the online gifts and greeting cards retailer backed its full-year expectations and reported a jump in first-half profits. SSP gained as the food and beverage travel outlet operator reinstated its dividend and reported a near doubling of annual core profits, driven by the continued resurgence in passenger numbers and workers returning to work in offices. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,477.60 -0.47% FTSE 250 (MCX) 18,356.96 -0.02% techMARK (TASX) 4,060.48 -0.27% FTSE 100 - Risers Land Securities Group (LAND) 636.80p 1.43% Smith (DS) (SMDS) 303.40p 1.10% Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV (PSH) 3,152.00p 0.57% Diploma (DPLM) 3,354.00p 0.42% Whitbread (WTB) 3,191.00p 0.35% Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 132.15p 0.30% DCC (CDI) (DCC) 5,504.00p 0.26% InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 6,346.00p 0.22% Sage Group (SGE) 1,132.00p 0.18% Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 4,735.00p 0.17% FTSE 100 - Fallers Barclays (BARC) 138.60p -3.06% Entain (ENT) 776.40p -2.56% Prudential (PRU) 846.60p -2.04% WPP (WPP) 709.40p -1.88% Standard Chartered (STAN) 644.20p -1.38% Anglo American (AAL) 2,197.50p -1.21% Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,440.50p -1.06% Endeavour Mining (EDV) 1,849.00p -1.02% Aviva (AV.) 417.60p -0.97% Pearson (PSON) 924.80p -0.94% FTSE 250 - Risers Moonpig Group (MOON) 182.60p 3.46% SSP Group (SSPG) 220.00p 3.29% Pagegroup (PAGE) 459.20p 2.73% FirstGroup (FGP) 164.10p 2.69% SThree (STEM) 424.50p 2.66% Genuit Group (GEN) 343.50p 2.54% JTC (JTC) 775.00p 2.51% Bodycote (BOY) 592.50p 2.42% Britvic (BVIC) 852.50p 2.34% Bellway (BWY) 2,426.00p 2.28% FTSE 250 - Fallers 888 Holdings (DI) (888) 80.45p -4.28% Auction Technology Group (ATG) 506.00p -2.88% Spirent Communications (SPT) 105.00p -2.87% BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust (BRGE) 515.00p -2.28% CAB Payments Holdings (CABP) 52.70p -2.23% Marshalls (MSLH) 240.00p -2.20% PureTech Health (PRTC) 148.00p -1.86% Darktrace (DARK) 340.50p -1.76% Senior (SNR) 161.20p -1.71% Barr (A.G.) (BAG) 475.00p -1.66% (Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to fall at the open on Tuesday following downbeat US and Asian sessions, as investors eyed the latest UK services data. The FTSE 100 was called to open 15 points lower at 7,498. CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: "European markets got off to a rather lacklustre start to the week, weighed down by a rebound in the US dollar as well as weakness in basic resources and energy prices, as investors took a pause after the gains of the past couple of weeks. "US markets fared little better, sliding back in the face of a modest rebound in yields as investors hit the pause button ahead of this week's jobs data, which is due at the end of the week, with markets in Europe set to open slightly weaker this morning." Investors will be mulling the latest figures from KPMG and the British Retail Consortium, which showed that retail sales grew by an underwhelming amount in November despite shops stepping up their discounts leading up to Black Friday, as cautious consumers chose to delay their Christmas spending. The BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor for November showed that total retail sales increased by 2.7% in November. This was above the three-month average growth rate of 2.6% but below the 12-month average of 4.1%. In November of 2022, sales were up 4.2% on the month before. In the three months to November, food sales growth slowed to 7.6% from 7.9% a month earlier and under the 12-month average of 8.4%. Meanwhile, non-food sales were down 1.6% in the three-month period, compared with an average of 0.5% over the past 12 months. "Black Friday began earlier this year as many retailers tried to give sales a much-needed boost in November. While this had the desired effect initially, the momentum failed to hold throughout the month, as many households held back on Christmas spending," said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC. "Retailers are banking on a last-minute flurry of festive frivolity in December and will continue working hard to deliver an affordable Christmas for customers so everyone can enjoy some Christmas cheer." Dickinson painted a gloomy picture for retailers heading into 2024, as they have to deal with a rise in business rates and costs from other new regulations. "These combined with the biggest rise on record to the National Living Wage will mean retailers will have less capital to invest in lowering prices for their customers," Dickinson said. Still to come, the S&P Global/CIPS services PMI for November is due at 0930 GMT. In corporate news, FTSE 250 engineering and manufacturing group Senior has won a contract with United Arab Emirates-based Strata Manufacturing worth $12m. The deal, for the supply of Boeing 787 vertical fin detail parts, has a seven-year term with work being undertaken at Senior Aerospace's facility in Chonburi, Thailand. "Strata is a new customer for Senior, and we are delighted that Senior Aerospace Thailand has been selected for this important contract," said Launie Fleming, chief executive of Senior Aerospace. Equipment hire specialist Ashtead delivered flat second-quarter profits, but said demand in the US remained "robust". The company, which last month cut annual profit and revenue forecasts, said pre-tax profit for the three months to October 31 were $666m, up 1%. First-half earnings were up 5% to $1.2bn. Shares in Ashtead slumped in November as the company lowered full-year forecasts after a quieter hurricane season and the writers' and actors' strike in the US and revealed it would take a $2bn depreciation charge. It now expects both group and US rental revenue growth in the range of 11% to 13%, down from previous guidance of 13% to 16% for both, which will result in core profit being 2- 3% below current market expectations. Ashtead added that it also now expected a full-year depreciation charge of around $2.1bn and net interest cost of $540m which will result in adjusted profit before tax being below current market expectations. The European Commission was wrong in saying that Luxembourg had granted illegal state aid through tax rulings in favour of the French energy company, the European Court of Justice has ruled The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg said that the Europe Commission had made errors in its various analyses of the reference frameworks defining Luxembourgs normal tax system The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg said that the Europe Commission had made errors in its various analyses of the reference frameworks defining Luxembourgs normal tax system Photo credit: Guy Jallay The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg said that the Europe Commission had made errors in its various analyses of the reference frameworks defining Luxembourgs normal tax system Photo credit: Guy Jallay The European Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld appeals lodged by French company Engie and Luxembourg in a case brought against them by the European Commission. The commission argued in June 2018 that Luxembourg had granted the Engie group unlawful state aid through tax rulings relating to restructuring operations in the Grand Duchy. Initially, the General Court of the European Union (in effect, the European Court of Justices lower court) agreed with the commission, and Engie looked set to have to pay some 120 million in taxes to Luxembourg. But on Tuesday the ECJ ruled that the commission had made errors in its various analyses of the reference frameworks defining the normal tax system. The court said in a statement Tuesday that the commission was required to demonstrate that the tax rulings conferred a selective advantage on Engie and that the measures applied by Luxembourg deviated from the normal tax system in that it differentiated between undertakings in a comparable situation. In May, advocate general Juliane Kokott had opined that the tax rulings do not, in themselves, constitute illegal state aid. That opinion was non-binding, but the ECJ has now confirmed her assessment of the case and said that the various errors committed by the commission and the lower court vitiated the whole of the selectivity analysis and the Commissions decision is therefore annulled. Also read: Amazon's Luxembourg tax deal not illegal state aid, court says It is not the first time that the European Court of Justice has ruled in favour of the Grand Duchy and companies that are headquartered here. In November 2022, it ruled that a tax ruling carmaker Fiat received from the Grand Duchy did not constitute illegal state aid. And in 2021, the commission failed to convince the court that Luxembourg should collect 250 million in back taxes from Amazon EU. With revenue and expenditure each set to exceed 1 billion for the first time in 2024, the capital citys administration is going to invest significantly in housing projects Luxembourg City will run a deficit next year of some 219.2 million as it prepares to invest in housing and infrastructure projects Luxembourg City will run a deficit next year of some 219.2 million as it prepares to invest in housing and infrastructure projects Photo credit: Christophe Olinger Luxembourg City will run a deficit next year of some 219.2 million as it prepares to invest in housing and infrastructure projects Photo credit: Christophe Olinger The City of Luxembourg on Monday presented its 2024 budget plans, saying it wants to invest heavily in housing. Some 500 million has been earmarked for affordable housing over the next six years, which will require the city to buy up unfinished construction projects. The city has already committed to spending more than 200 million and is now beginning the process of selecting projects. The City of Luxembourg is also endeavouring to further expand its rental stock. For example, 47 residential units are being built in four residences in Merl at a cost of 32 million some 12 million of which has been allocated from the 2024 budget. The flats should be available in June 2026. Also read: Affordable housing projects on the horizon over the next ten years In addition, 42 flats and a youth centre are being built in the Rue Paul Albrecht in Cents at a cost to the city of 20.7 million, of which 5.2 million will come from next years budget. Construction is expected to be completed in March 2025. 219.2 million deficit The city has budgeted ordinary revenue of 1.085 billion for 2024, some 680.1 million of which it will receive from the states global communes endowment fund. Corporation tax, meanwhile, is expected to bring in 72.5 million in the coming year. A further 160.2 million is projected to arise from extraordinary revenue, including state subsidies. Nevertheless, the city will run a deficit next year of some 219.2 million as ordinary expenses in 2024 are projected to cost the administration 862.3 million (most of which, some 478.6 million, is spent on staff), while extraordinary expenditure on infrastructure projects and other building work will rise to 602 million. This is the first time that both sides of the City of Luxembourgs balance sheet will exceed one billion euros. Also read: Hollerich readies to house 6,000 new residents Finance Alderman Maurice Bauer (CSV) described the budget as "far-sighted" and emphasised that the Ville de Luxembourg had recorded surpluses for six consecutive years between 2017 and 2022. The city has financial reserves of over 1 billion. Other major projects earmarked for 2024 include the pedestrian and cycle bridge between Cents and Weimershof and the associated lift in Neudorf, for which 5 million have been earmarked. The total cost of the project, which was approved by the municipal council in December 2021, will amount to 24 million. The redesign of Merl Park is also on track, with remodelling set to cost 3.8 million, of which 500,000 is planned in the 2024 budget. Rue de Strasbourg and an open-air swimming pool Urban historian Robert L. Philippart is the DP budget rapporteur, and he talked about how the redesign of the Rue de Strasbourg, currently underway, will contribute to the quality of life and increase safety in the area. Once the property projects in the surrounding area have been completed, this street will take on a central role," Phillipart said. Some 8.182 million of the total cost of 11.837 million has been budgeted for the project in the 2024 budget. Meanwhile, it seems that plans for an open-air swimming pool in the capital city, probably in Kockelscheuer, have not been entirely removed from the table. "Plans to build an open-air swimming pool on the outskirts of the town are on the drawing board," the 2024 budget report says. However, no further details have yet been revealed. This article was first published by Luxemburger Wort. It was translated and edited by Duncan Roberts. There are downsides to owning an Android phone, but one unexpected advantage has emerged: Thieves are less likely to be interested in your property. At the end of last month, KATV reports, a Washington man was robbed at gunpoint, with the thieves snatching the keys to his wifes truck and the mans smartphone. But heres where the story takes an unexpected turn: they looked at the phone, apparently realized it was an Android handset rather than an iPhone, and then returned it. They basically looked at that phone and was like Oh, thats an Android? We dont want this. I thought it was an iPhone,' said the mans wife. Of course, were hearing this something like third-hand, and the word like is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. Depending on what exactly was said I would have thought it was possible that the thieves were more dismayed by the condition or spec or unfamiliarity of the phone than the simple fact of its being based on the Android operating system. That said, the average Android handset is worth considerably less than the average iPhone, of course, but it would be interesting to know which Android phone this was. Would thieves be so sniffy about a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, for example? I suppose well never know. And before we go too far down the whimsical isnt life funny? road, its worth bearing in mind that the truck was not returned, and as its owner mournfully noted, That was my income. That was the way I made money. I did Uber Eats and Instacart so, that was our livelihood. But at least he doesnt need to buy a new phone now. A retired longtime state audit manager will join a Bismarck city subcommittee created to develop a plan for moving forward after Bismarck Event Center Director Charlie Jeske was fired for alleged questionable conduct but then given his job back. The three-person subcommittee is composed of two city commissioners who volunteered Anne Cleary and Michael Connelly and mayor-appointed Gordy Smith, who worked at the State Auditors Office for nearly four decades. The commission decided to create the subcommittee at a special meeting last week to determine the correct response to Jeskes alleged conduct. The commission held another special meeting Monday to clarify the goal of the subcommittee and provide staff guidance. I wish there was a roadmap to follow, but theres really not, said Commissioner Greg Zenker, who holds the Event Center portfolio. What youve got to do is, the three of you have got to get together and determine (what) a baseline is going to be, and then ask your questions accordingly. The commission Monday did reach consensus that all Event Center contracts will now be tracked and signed via DocuSign, a document signing software, after it was found that some previous contracts went unsigned. Fired and reinstated A city investigation found that Jeske and another center employee took a trip in September 2015 that was paid for entirely by ETIX, a company that sells tickets for events, several months prior to ETIX winning a bid to become the ticket seller for center events. City Attorney Jannelle Combs said in the internal investigation report that the conduct appears to fit the criminal Class C felony crime of bribery under North Dakota Century Code. The state Bureau of Criminal Investigation is actively investigating, according to Attorney Generals Office spokeswoman Suzie Weigel. The report said additional potential conflicts of interest arose involving an Event Center liquor vendor and a promotion company. Jeske was first placed on paid administrative leave Sept. 22. City Administrator Keith Hunke fired him in late October following an internal investigation by the city that concluded Jeskes interactions with some vendors were unethical and potentially criminal. Jeske was put back on administrative leave earlier this month following an administrative employee grievance meeting on Nov. 2 and reinstated to director in a 3-2 vote during last weeks special city commission meeting. Cleary voted against giving Jeske his job back, along with Mayor Mike Schmitz; Connelly voted in favor, along with Commissioners Greg Zenker and Steve Marquardt. Jeske at that meeting told commissioners It was never my intention of ETIX automatically getting this or a perceived value. The value was to the city, it wasnt to (me or another employee.) We didnt get anything from this. We never said we didnt go on this trip we went down there for fact-gathering. Hunke at the same meeting said, I do not know of a fix or a performance improvement plan that can address (Jeskes) failure to follow policies and ordinances, and his failure to provide effective leadership and oversight of the Event Center operations. I do not know how to fix my loss of trust in (Jeske) to meet the expectations I have of him to perform the duties of the Event Center director. Yearly performance evaluations of Jeske since he became director in 2008 including those done by Hunke consistently found that he met all established performance expectations and consistently exceeded some. The Tribune obtained the evaluations from the city. The subcommittee is scheduled to meet for the first time on Thursday. Our entire community is hurting as were trying to define differences and have these discussions because theres some questions of trust, Connelly said. The committee will provide an update at the first city commission meeting in January. Delhi Land Record: Get all the information of land records in Delhi online at DLRC official website. Check here how to view the ROR Delhi land records. Digitisation of Delhi Land Records underway for safer property transactions October 30, 2023: The Delhi governments revenue department has started the process of digitising land records in the UT to keep a vigil on fraudulent property transactions, eliminating corruption and avoiding delays in the registration process of sale deeds. As per officials, various land records have been moved to the central server and integrated with the DORIS (Delhi Online Registration Information System). The digitised records pertain to various properties and lands such as enemy, gram sabha, custodial, evacuee, parcels and prohibited. These lands may be booked or acquired/ marked for acquisition. This move allows prospective buyers to use the official portal to check whether a land or property has been marked booked for demolition by the MCD, therefore saving the buyers from the trouble of signing a fraudulent deal. The portal will hold all details of properties, even in case of disputed properties; details such as address, owners name, date of dispute and its nature will be available on the portal by the revenue department. About Bhulekh Delhi To make property verification easier for the people, the Government of NCT of Delhi launched an online portal called Delhi Bhulekh or Delhi Land record. Formerly it was known as Indraprashtha Bhulekh. Delhi Bhulekh maintains the Delhi land records in a digitized manner to prevent corruption and manipulation of data and to promote transparency. You can check ROR Delhi land records from the Delhi Bhulekh portal or citizen service centers at the respective district offices. Along with the land records, you can also check Jamabandi, Khasra and Khatauni records at Bhulekh Delhi official website. Let's check how we can easily view Delhi land records information online using Khata number, Khasra number, and owner name. Bhulekh Delhi: Benefits of Delhi Land Record There are multiple benefits if you access Delhi land records on Bhulekh Delhi portal. Following are the benefits:- Check online: You can easily check the Bhulekh Delhi details on an online portal. There is no need to stand in queues. Promotes transparency: The portal helps increase transparency in information and curbing corruption. Save time: No longer stand in queues to check the land records in Delhi. Get land record results within minutes. Bhulekh Delhi: Limitations Documents acquired from Delhi land record portal do not act as proof in a court of law. It is just for an informational purpose. However, land records help in availing home or plot loan easily. Bhulekh Delhi: Details Needed to Access Delhi Land Records To check Bhulekh Delhi land records you will need the following details:- Khata number Khasra number Jamabandi number Division name Subdivision name Village name Owners name How to Check Delhi Land Records Online by Name To view Delhi land recods ROR report on DLRC official website using name, follow the below steps Step 1: Log in to the official website ( https://dlrc.delhigovt.nic.in/default.aspx Delhi Land Record Information Step 2: From the given list, select the district and click on View Records Step 3: Fill in details such as District, Subdivision, Village and Khata Type Step 4: The record can be searched By Khata No, By Khasra No, and By Name. In this case select name and then enter the owner name. Delhi Land Record View khata Details Step 5. Click on View Khata Details to obtain land record information. All the details related to land will be displayed on the screen. Check Delhi Land Records ROR Report by Khasra Number To view check Delhi land records by Khasra number follow the below steps Step 1: Log in to the official website (https://dlrc.delhigovt.nic.in/) Delhi Land Record Portal Homepage Step 2: On the home page, select Khasra Khatauni Details and you shall be redirected to another page which is as mentioned below Delhi Land Record Khata Details under DLR Act Step 3: Click on view records and fill in details such as Khata Type and village Delhi Land Record Khata Details Step 4: The record can be searched By Khata No, By Khasra No, and By Name. Select one option based on the information available with you. Then enter Khasra number. Step 5: Click on View Khata Details to obtain land record information. How to Check Delhi Jamabandi details? In case you do not have the Jamabandi details or Delhi land records ROR report, you can check it on the DLRC website easily. The step by step procedure to check jamabandi details is as follows - Step 1: Visit the official website ( https://dlrc.delhigovt.nic.in/ ) and click on Jamabandi Details Delhi Land Record Portal Homepage Step 2: Click on the Jamabandi Details under PLR Act option. Step 3: Now, select District and click on View Records Delhi Land record Jamabandi Details Step 4: All the details related to Jamabandi will be displayed Delhi Land record Jamabandi Number Delhi Land record Owner Details and Share Check Delhi Land Record ROR Report by Khata Number To check the Delhi land record ROR report using Khasra number, follow the below given steps:- Step 1: Go to the official website of Bhulekh Delhi or DLRC Revenue Department, i.e., http://www.dlrc.delhi.gov.in/index.aspx Step 2: Click on the Khasra Khatauni details under DLR Act Delhi Land record View Records Page Step 3: You will be redirected to a new page, there click on View Records-where your land is situated. Delhi Land record View Khata Details Step 4: Enter the required details and from the drop down click on by Khasra Number and then View Khata Details. All the details will be displayed on the screen. Features and Benefits of the Delhi Land Records Portal Find below a few major features and benefits of the Delhi Land Records portal. Simple Navigation: Delhi Land Records portal is simple to navigate. Even new users can simply visit the land records section and find the required property-related details with great ease using this portal. All they need to do is visit the Jamabandi Details section and click on the View Records button placed next to their locality name. Detailed Information: The Delhi Land Records portal comes with detailed property-related information. It lets users select the subdivision, district, village, and khata type based on their property location to get accurate land records information. Contact Details: Delhi Land Records portal shows contact details for every subdivision. Users can easily use this contact information to get in touch with the help and support team in case they face any issues in accessing their land-related information. Property Mutation in Delhi The mutation is a process of transfer of property from one person to another. Leasehold and freehold properties can be mutated. The mutation process is carried out at MCD (Municipal Corporation Delhi), DDA (Delhi Development Authority), and L&DO (Land and Development Office). List of Documents Required for Property Mutation You will be required to submit the following documents for mutation of the property:- 2. No objection certificate from the housing board 3. Duly attested undertaking form from the transferee on Rs.10 stamp paper 4. Duly attested indemnity bond on Rs.100 stamp paper 5. Property tax clearance receipt 6. Apportionment fee of Rs.100 and composition fee Rs.50 7. In case if the property is inherited, these documents should be submitted 8. Owner death certificate 10. In case if the property is registered through power of attorney (POA), these documents should be submitted 11. Power of attorney papers 12. Will copy 13. Copy of payment registered with sub-registrar Benefits of Delhi Land Records ROR Report Online 14. These documents can be submitted in the sub-registrar office. The documents will be verified, and the mutation certificate will be issued within 15-30 days. By digitizing the land records, the government has helped people to view all information online. If you decide to check Delhi land records ror report online, you can avail the following benefits:- The online portal has helped reduce corruption and has saved time due to the online facility. No need to go to Patwaris office to check the land records. No need to wait in office queues. Check land records by Khasra number and land maps that clearly define the property boundaries. Khasra number, Khata numbers are also available on the online portal. It is easy to maintain a database on a periodic basis. You can have access to information as many times as you want for free. A new property buyer can check for the authenticity of the land. Sale frauds are reduced. Land data details can be tracked by the landowners It is important to check land records because lenders might ask for details for loan approval. Checklist for Delhi Land Record ROR Report To check Delhi land record ror report, you must have the following details ready:- Khata number: It is an account number allocated to all the family members owning the entire land. Khata number is also called Khewat number. Khasra number: Khasra number is a number which is allocated to people owning a land or parcel of land in a rural area. Jamabandi number: Jamabandi number is just another name for Khasra number. In northern states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan Khasra number is known as Jamabandi number. However, Jamabandi is a document which contains all the important information about the history of land owners and cultivation. Such details are updated every 5 year by a Patwari and approved by the Revenue authorities, Division name: Division name is the division or district where you live in. Subdivision name: Subdivision of your district. For example: if you live in Greater Kailash, then your division will be South Delhi and sub division will be Greater Kailash. Village name: If the land is in a village, then you need to provide the name of the village. Owner name: Name of all the property owners. How to Check the GIS maps of Delhi on Bhulekh Delhi portal? The Delhi land Record website or Bhulekh Delhi portal allows a user to check the GIS maps of every district of Delhi. To access the GIS maps on the website of Bhulekh Delhi, follow the mentioned procedure. Step 1: Go to the website of Bhulekh Delhi portal, i.e. http://www.dlrc.delhi.gov.in/index.aspx Step 2: Click on the See GIS Map on the Bhulekh Delhi map. Delhi Land Record Portal Homepage Step 3: You will be redirected to the following screen. Delhi Land Record Portal GIS Map Page Step 4: Zoom in on the location of your choice. Delhi Land Record GIS Map Step 5: Click on the Khasra information tab on the top. The following window will appear. Delhi Land Record GIS Map Ownership Details Step 6: Fill in the details such as State, District, Division, Village and rectangle. Step 7: Click on the View Ownership Details button. The map will be displayed in the following format. Delhi Land Record GIS Map Sample How to Obtain Mutation Certificate Online in Delhi The mutation certificate can be downloaded from MCD (Municipal Corporation Delhi) website. The steps are as follows Step 1: Visit the MCD website ( https://mcdonline.nic.in/ MCD Delhi Homepage Step 2: Click on the Download Mutation Certificate option which is available at the bottom of the page. Step 3: Enter the details such as registration number, registration date, SRO office, and captcha. Click on search. MCD Delhi Property Mutation Records Ensure the Availability of Cloud Storage of Delhi Land Records to Sub-registrars: Delhi High Court 8 August 2023: In a recent order to the Delhi Government, the High Court has directed the state government to ensure the availability of the Delhi Online Registration System (DORIS) or Delhi Land Records to the Sub registrars. The Delhi Online Registration System is a cloud storage server for Delhi Land Records of the Delhi government. The availability of the DORIS system to the Sub registrars will ensure the seamless availability of land records to the concerned officers. In addition to this, access to the land records and related documents will ensure the preservation of the land record documents. According to the judgment passed by the High Court, to ensure the preservation and access of the land records to the Sub registrars, the Principal Secretary, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). The Cloud storage of land records has streamlined the preservation of land records in Delhi, and the DORIS system has ensured that the land records are available digitally. 1.1 Acres of Land Transfer Approved by Governor of Delhi for Delhi Noida Faridabad Highway In a recent order to the Delhi Government, the High Court has directed the state government to ensure the availability of the Delhi Online Registration System (DORIS) or Delhi Land Records to the Sub registrars. The Delhi Online Registration System is a cloud storage server for Delhi Land Records of the Delhi government. The availability of the DORIS system to the Sub registrars will ensure the seamless availability of land records to the concerned officers. In addition to this, access to the land records and related documents will ensure the preservation of the land record documents.According to the judgment passed by the High Court, to ensure the preservation and access of the land records to the Sub registrars, the Principal Secretary, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). The Cloud storage of land records has streamlined the preservation of land records in Delhi, and the DORIS system has ensured that the land records are available digitally. June 2023: The transfer of 1.1 acres of land for the highway has been approved by the Governor of Delhi, V K Saxena. The land parcel has been transferred to NHAI for the constriction of the six-lane highway. The land parcel transferred is located near the Maharani Bagh side. The highway, once complete, will also ease the traffic flow between Delhi, Noida, and Faridabad. The land has been transferred from Delhi Government Irrigation and Flood Control Department to the National Highway Authority of India. The highway will connect the DND Maharani Bagh to Jaitpur - Pusta Road on NH- 148NA. The six-lane highway is part of the Bharatmala Pariyojna. In addition, 4,235 square meters of land for the construction of a power substation in Nawada Village in Uttam Nagar, Delhi, which was pending from long ago, has also been approved for transfer. Illegal Construction on Land Mapped Under DDA Land Pooling Policy, No Action Taken May 2023: The villages on the periphery of Delhi borders were earmarked for the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The land in these villages is supposed to be a part of the land pooling scheme. However, some construction occurring in these areas is against the Land Pooling Policy 2013. Such violations are happening because the land pooling policy still needs to be adequately implemented. However, DDA shed light on the matter, stating that most of the time, two eligibility criteria are not being fulfilled, so the implementation of the Land Pooling policy isnt happening. These two eligibility criteria include 70% landowner participation and 70 % contagious land free from encroachment. In the areas of Gadi Khusro and Kadipur, 20 km from West Delhi, unauthorized constructions are still continuing in these areas. Both areas come under sectors 12-B and 12 C zone P-II. The land records of these sectors have been identified and mapped under the Land Pooling Policy for DDA. The authority is aware of the illegal construction, yet no action has been taken. Construction is ongoing for some of the flats, while others are complete, making it look like a housing society. Considering, the non action from the DDA is one of the reasons behind mushrooming of illegal construction on these land parcels. April 2023: Delhi Land records to be Brought Under Central Server for Seamless Access In order to check fraudulent transactions related to properties and rule out delays in the registration of properties in rural areas, the revenue department of the Delhi government has decided to bring entire land record data under one server. This will make the land records data available to the concerned authorities and citizens in a seamless manner. According to officials of the land records office, the digitized land records related to different kinds of lands and properties gram sabha, enemy, evacuee, custodial, prohibited, and parcels either acquired or marked for acquisition have been brought on a central server. In addition to this, it is also integrated with Delhi Online Registration Information System (DORIS) for seamless registration of sale deeds at the sub-registrar office. Conclusion to Delhi Land Records Suggested Read: Stamp Duty and Registration Charges in Delhi Delhi land record is an important document which every land owner or property owner must possess. It not only helps in minimizing the fraudulent activities but also eases the loan application. Most of the lenders check the Delhi land recods ROR report for approval of home or plot loan. To make things easier for the public, the Government of NCT of Delhi launched an online portal called Bhulekh Delhi. The Bhulekh land record Delhi online helps in minimizing the frauds, corruption and tampering with data. You can check the Delhi land records by Khasra number and by name. Sale deed of the property is prepared by the seller in the name of the person buying the property. Writing the sale deed draft is the first step, and once both parties agree upon all the clauses included in the sale deed, it is finalized and registered. To know more about sale deed, read the following blog. Sale Deed, Power of attorney not sufficient to prove Title, Only Registered Documents to be Considered for Title transfer: Supreme Court November 27, 2023: In a key verdict, the Supreme Court has stated that the agreement of Sale and power of attorney are not sufficient to prove the Title of a property. To prove the Title of a property, only registered documents will be considered. According to the Supreme Court, a mere sale agreement or Power of Attorney (PoA) is not adequate for Title Transfer. Taking reference to The Registrations Act 1908, the apex court said that the law mandates that property can be owned only if there are registered documents. While the Power of Attorney is given by a property owner to another person to carry out property-related tasks on his/her behalf, the agreement of Sale is the document which contains all the terms and conditions decided between the parties. About Sale Deed The sale deed is one of the most critical documents in the case of property ownership transfer. Like several other deed documents, such as lease deed, mortgage deed, gift deed, and exchange deed, the sale deed is a class of conveyance deed. When selling a property, the sale deed and other deed documents come in handy. Lease Deed and Its Basics Details To know more about the lease deed, read: Even though the documents mentioned above can help an owner sell a property, the sale deed will get the name of the new owner registered in the papers. It is important to register the sale deed as per the Indian Registration Act. When drafting a sale deed format, one must consider several aspects. The following article provides detailed information on what is sale deed, what is the sale deed format is, and what is the sale deed meaning in Hindi and other languages. What is a Sale Deed? A sale deed is basically a legal document that enables the owner or seller of the property to transfer the rights of the property in the name of the buyer. Register the property at the local sub-registrar office once the seller draws the sale deed draft. In several cases, people often ask if it is mandatory to get a sale deed registered. Yes, it is very critical to get the sale deed registered. Until a sale deed is not registered, the buyer can not become the rightful owner of the property in the context of the law. Learn more about property registration here: Property Registration: Required Documents, Charges, Registration Process The seller is the vendor in the sale deed, and the buyer is the vendee. The meaning of sale deed in Hindi is Bikrinama or Bainama paper. Similarly, the sale deed meaning in Marathi is Vikri Karara. Also, in some cases, people sometimes refer to the sale deed as the title deed. However, there is a difference between a sale deed and a title deed in a legal context. If you want to know about the title deed, read - What is the title deed of the property? Further, at the time of the creation of the sale deed, various components are to be taken care of. Along with the elements, the sale deed must include several clauses per the Transfer of Property Act. A sale deed includes everything from the obligations and rights of both parties to the property's details. At the time of creating the sale deed, write the sale deed draft first. Afterwards, as per the requirement of the buyer and seller, a few clauses can be added or removed from the sale deed draft to finalize it. Once the sale deed draft is completed and signed by the parties, register the sale deed in the buyer's name upon its finalization. Documents required at the time of creating the sale deed draft include building plan, allotment letter by the builder, recent tax receipts, recent utility bills (electricity), power of attorney (if applicable), title documents, and in case of resale of property all previously registered agreements. At the time of registration of the sale deed, the buyer must pay the stamp duty required. Presently, the charges on stamp duty vary from 4 to 6 per cent on the property's sale value. Different states levy different amounts of stamp duty on properties. Read more on what is a sale deed Sample Sale Deed Format Following is the standard sale deed format for property sale and purchase. Components of a Sale Deed When creating the sale deed draft, several essential components are included in the document. Following are the things that must be a part of the sale deed draft. Details of Both the Parties: Details in terms of the name of both parties, contact numbers, and age are recorded in the sale deed draft. Property Details: This section includes the property's details, such as its complete address, area of the property, including the dimensions, details of construction. Indemnity Clause: This particular clause is added to the property to ensure that the seller frees the buyers from all the previous taxes, loans, and charges related to the property. Also, the seller will pay up any mortgages and loans before finalizing the sale of the property. Payment Details: The price at which the owner will sell the said property should be specified in the sale deed. Along with the sale price of the property, the information related to the advance payment made by the buyer must be stated clearly in the sale deed. Information on the amount paid in instalments, date of each instalment should also be mentioned in the document. Mode of payment: The method of payment, i.e., how the amount will be made for the property purchase, must be recorded explicitly in the sale deed. The standard modes of payment, such as bank transfer, cheque, and cash, are clearly stated in the sale deed. Possession of Property: The sale deed will record the date the buyer will get possession of the property. Witnesses of the Property: The testimonium clause of the property includes that two witnesses are mandatory for attending the sale deed. At least one witness from both sides, i.e., buyer and seller, should sign the sale deed. The witness has to share their complete name, address, and age. In addition, the seller of the property must also make some mandatory disclosures to the buyer in the sale deed. These disclosures include defects in the property related to material, declaration of disputes, if any, execution of conveyance of property correctly, and clearance of taxes and other charges related to the property, among others. Considering that the sale deed includes all the rights and the obligations of both parties in detail, its implementation reduces the risk for both parties. Difference Between Sale Deed and Sale Agreement Following are the significant differences between the sale agreement and the sale deed. Also read: What is sale agreement Sale Deed Sale Agreement A sale deed is a document that refers to the immediate and complete sale of the property. A sale agreement is a document that indicates the sale of the property sometime in the future. Under the sale deed, any risk borne or associated with the property is the responsibility of the buyer. Until the sale of the property, the responsibility of bearing the risk is taken care of by the seller. A sale deed is a contract that has been executed. A sale agreement is a contract that is yet to be executed in the future. It is mandatory to register a sale deed. Also, during the registration process, the buyer is liable to pay the stamp duty. Based on the rules of state related to the sale agreement, it may or may not be registered. Under the sale deed, the rights and claims of the property are handed over to the new owner. The sale agreement only gives the person the right to purchase a property in the future. The sale deed includes information related to both the parties involved, property and payment details, along with other information. The sale of the agreement only includes terms and conditions based on which the sale of the property will be executed. Getting a Certified Copy of Sale Deed With the establishment that the sale deed document is of the utmost importance, the property owner should maintain the sale deed with complete care. However, if the property owner loses the sale deed at any given point in time, the owner must file a complaint at the nearest police station. After filing the complaint (FIR) at the police station, a non-traceable certificate is issued to the property owner. Post the issuance of the non-traceable certificate, publish an advertisement in the newspaper about the loss of sale deed. The ad must include essential details. As the next step, you need to file an affidavit and the application to the sub-registrar office to get a certified copy of the sale deed. The affidavit must be notarized and must have a copy of FIR, non-traceable certificate, advertisement, and details of the property attached to it. The affidavit must also have a signed undertaking attached, stating that the information shared is genuine. Also, a specific amount of fee has to be paid to obtain a certified copy of the sale deed. Once the process is complete, the certified copy of the sale deed will be issued after 2 to 4 weeks. What is the Sale Deed Number? The Sale Deed Number gets generated after the document registration and the payment of stamp duty and registration charges. You can find the sale deed number on the payment slip. Also, it is mentioned on the top right corner of every page of the entire sale deed document. Format of the sale deed number: Document Number/Year/Sub Registrar Office initials Sale Deed Documents Required for Property Registration Here are a few major sale deed documents required for property registration. Sale Agreement Title Deed Draft Extract Sharing Agreement signed by the builder and property owner Allotment Letter from the Housing Board Power of Attorney, if any No-Objection Certificate, in case of property resale Blueprint of the authorised parties Completion Certificate Property Tax Receipts Encumbrance Certificate Stamp Duty Receipt Identity proof of all the parties and witnesses involved Possession Letter Property Papers from the bank, in case a loan has been taken against the property Occupancy Certificate Passport-size photographs Cancellation of a Sale Deed - Is It Possible? Cancellation of the sale deed is the revocation of purchase rights in the case of a property. However, it can be cancelled only under specific instances. To cancel a sale deed, one of the parties involved is not so satisfied with the deal agreed upon. The said party has to agree to the claim of dissatisfaction in front of the court of law. Also, there must be a genuine reason why one of the parties wants to cancel the sale deed. Once the reason is established, the petitioner must get an order from the civil court and present it to the registrar to get the sale deed cancelled. The sale deed can be cancelled under Sections 31 and 33 of the Special Relief Act, 1963. A sale deed can be cancelled for the following reasons: The deed was created under undue influence The deed is void if a minor has executed it Fraudulent activity in the creation of the deed or transfer and transaction Misinterpretation of facts to get a deed signed If the execution of the sale deed can cause harm or injury to the petitioner. Things to Remember When Executing a Sale Deed Here are a few major things to remember when executing a sale deed. The sale deed must include a clause that transfers ownership rights to the buyer once the purchase is complete. The title of the property must be free of all encumbrances. The registrars office must verify the encumbrance status. All utility bills including water bills, electricity bills, property tax, etc. related to the property must be paid. There must be no further dues such as maintenance charges, pending. A sale deed must specify all terms and conditions under which the property has been sold. Latest News on Sale Deed Shareholders trying to sell property cannot buy the share of other shareholders: Karnataka High Court 7th June 2023: According to a recent judgement by the Karnataka High Court, a shareholder who prefers to sell a share of a joint property cannot buy the shares of other shareholders. The judgement was passed in a case where a party wanted to sell their share of the property. When the rest of the shareholders agreed to the terms and conditions, the petitioner argued that their 2/3rd share of the deal must be released. The court held that the division of share of property in such cases must be driven by the Partition Act. After going through the case, the Judge passed the judgement that the shareholders who want to sell their share of property are not eligible to buy the share of other shareholders. Sections 2 and 3 of the Partition Act play a pivotal role in this judgment. Commercial Property Owners Not Happy with Stopping of Floor Wise Sale Deed Registration by the Government Recently, the government of Amritsar, Punjab, stopped the registration of sale deeds for floor-wise properties. The rule was passed for commercial properties. Owing to this, the aspiring and current commercial property owners are requesting the government to roll back the decision. The general secretary of the market association stated that, to date, the shops were registered individually. However, as per the new order, the sale deed can only be registered if the person buys all the floors in the building. ITAT Delhi Indicates Equal Ownership If Sale Deed Doesnt Specify Holders Information The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) bench in Delhi directed that if the sale deed does not specify the ownership interests of husband and wife, then they will be considered to own an equal share of the property. The Bottom Line Manchester, VT (05254) Today Cloudy skies with afternoon snow showers. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.. Tonight Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 31F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%. SPRINGFIELD A Pennsylvania company bought 13 Western Massachusetts Planet Fitness locations last month for an undisclosed sum. The new owner, National Fitness Partners, announced the deal Monday. An 84-year-old Massachusetts man thought he had an extra $100,000 deposited in his bank account. But it turned out to be a scam costing him about $100,000. The Hingham resident told police he received a call from a man who claimed he was from PayPal at the end of November. The caller told him $100 had accidentally been deposited into his bank account. He asked the 84-year-old to open his account on his computer and go to several other sites, police said. This likely gave the caller remote access to the residents computer and open bank account, the Hingham Police Department warned. China's top health authority on Monday required relevant local authorities to "exhaust all means" to increase pediatric service capacity and stock up on pediatric medications and relevant medical materials to cope with a spike in respiratory illness among children. All grassroots medical institutions should be open to child patients and are barred from turning them away, the general office of the National Health Commission said in a circular released on its official website. "Community healthcare centers in cities seeing surging demands should also extend operation hours on weekdays by one to three hours or set up additional service periods on weekends based on their capability," said the commission. Rural and community health centers should be guided to set up separate sections for pediatric services, and they should organize general physicians who have received training on pediatric diseases to see child patients. Each community or village healthcare center should be paired with a pediatric department at a higher-level hospital. Experienced medical professionals will be allocated to grassroots facilities to provide pediatric services and train staff members on key skills, including emergency care, prompt identification of severe symptoms and venipuncture the process of inserting a needle into a child's vein. Localities are also required to equip grassroots facilities with thermometers, nebulizers, antibiotics, antivirals, as well pediatric medicines for easing cough and phlegm. These requirements have been raised as China is battling a surge in respiratory illness fueled by the circulation of different pathogens including influenza, the COVID-19 disease and mycoplasma pneumoniae. Children have appeared to be affected particularly hard this winter as parents have found difficulties in obtaining hospital appointments or have to endure long waiting hours at major pediatric hospitals. Despite authorities' appeal to the public to visit primary health institutions first rather than going straight to large hospitals, concerns have emerged over the capacity of community clinics' capability in handling pediatric patients. Wang Huaqing, chief immunization expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said late last month that influenza and rhinovirus are the most prevalent among toddlers aged 1 to 4, and for children aged 5 to 14, influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia and adenovirus are the most common. Tong Zhaohui, vice president of the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, suggested that when a child begins developing a fever, the family should visit a community hospital first to take a rapid antigen test, which can identify whether they have contracted a respiratory virus or a bacterial infection like mycoplasma pneumonia. They can also get regular antivirals and drugs there. "However, for kids who have had a fever for more than three days or have shortness of breath, they should visit pediatric hospitals," he said during an interview with China Central Television on Sunday evening. Tong added that most doctors at primary health institutions are trained in general medicine and are capable of dealing with common respiratory illnesses in children. "It is important for them to access prompt treatment at medical facilities nearby, and, in this way, parents and kids can save the trouble of lining up at large hospitals, where the risk of cross-infection is higher," he said. The commission also said in the newly released notice that grassroots medical facilities should play a role in meeting demands for pediatric services, easing the pressure of major hospitals seeing large volume of visitors, as well as monitoring the health condition of and expanding vaccination among key populations. According to the document, fever clinics at grassroots clinics should also keep surveillance of the situation of respiratory disease and report data to higher authorities swiftly. A slate of Bismarck-area Republicans on Tuesday announced plans to seek their partys nominations for District 30 seats in the state Legislature. Justis Amundson and Dave Charles will attempt to win nominations for the districts two House seats, and Adam Rose will run for the Senate seat. In the House, theyre seeking to replace longtime Republican Rep. Mike Nathe, who was first elected in 2008, and Assistant Majority Leader Glenn Bosch, who has served since 2017. Sen. Diane Larson, who first served in the House in 1989 and 1990 and then again from 2013-16 before being elected as a state senator, represents the district in the upper chamber. The announcement is one of the first rumblings of state-level elections ahead of next year, coming about half a year in advance of the states 2024 primary, which is set for June 11. Its also an organized challenge to a delegation with more than three decades of collective experience in the Legislature, though none of the districts current seat-holders have formally announced their intent to run again. District 30 includes southern and eastern portions of Bismarck, as well as some surrounding southern suburbs. Amundson is in his second term as the chair of the districts Republican Party and serves as a voting member on the NDGOP Republican State Committee. He previously worked on the first U.S. Senate campaign for Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., in 2018. Amundson emphasized in a statement that his tenure leading the district party would serve him well while representing constituents in the Legislature. He said its important for voters to make sure were electing Republicans who actually intend to vote like Republicans. Charles is a Navy veteran and graduate of Montana State University with more than three decades of experience in the electrical industry. Hes vice chairman of the Capital Electric Cooperative Board, where hes serving his third term. Charles described himself in a statement as a political outsider, and said he would prioritize the states energy industry, among other issues, if elected. Rose is a Bismarck State College graduate, property manager and member of the district Republicans executive committee. Through his campaign, he hopes to promote our shared values, advance our precious freedoms and return the government to the people, he said in a statement. District 34 The all-Republican delegation for District 34, which encompasses much of Mandan, announced reelection campaigns on Monday. State Reps. Todd Porter and Nathan Toman are running again, having served the district together for over a decade. Porter began representing Mandan in 1999, and Toman was first elected in 2012. State Sen. Justin Gerhardt joined the Legislature in October after the death of state Sen. Doug Larsen. Gerhardt was appointed by the districts Republican Party to fill the opening through the end of Larsens term; he announced Monday that he will run to serve for a full term. He told the Tribune shortly after his October swearing-in that he had not yet made a decision about his intent to run for a full term. Larsen, his wife and their two sons died in a private plane crash near Moab, Utah, on Oct. 1 as they returned from a family gathering in Arizona. SPRINGFIELD Federal authorities say a Chicopee man has been charged with allegedly holding up a confidential informant at gunpoint for $1,400 in government money. Hector Laureano, 38, was charged by a grand jury with assault with a dangerous weapon on a person assisting an officer or employee of the United States. He is also charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and armed robbery, according to an announcement by Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. A 35-year-old Connecticut woman who died in a wrong-way crash in Massachusetts Saturday was a beloved fourth grade teacher, according to her obituary. Kayla Ryan, of Dayville Connecticut, was killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 395 in Webster on Dec. 2, according to Massachusetts State Police. Morey was born in Worcester and went to St. Mary Grammar School and Marianapolis Preparatory School, according to her obituary. She later graduated from St. Michaels College in Colchester, Vermont with a major in English and a minor in elementary education. After graduating from St. Michaels, Morey started working at Putnam Elementary School in Putnam, Connecticut. Morey got her Masters Degree from St. Josephs University in West Hartford, Connecticut in 2014, her obituary states. She enjoyed reading, spending time with her friends and family, summer days at Alexanders Lake, going to the beach, traveling to visit friends, being Auntie Kayla, and being with her beloved fur babies Finnegan and Sophie, Moreys obituary reads. Read More: North Reading woman struck by car rolling backward later died at hospital The two-vehicle crash happened around 10:17 p.m. on Dec. 2. Police said a GMC Sierra pickup was going north in the southbound lane when it hit a Honda CR-V head-on near Exit 3. Jordan Pimentel, 31, of Auburn, was the driver of the Sierra and Morey was the driver of the Honda, state police said. Both were declared dead onsite. Morey is survived by her parents, two sisters, aunt, uncle and several cousins. Services for Morey will be held at the Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, located at 104 Church St. in Putnam, from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7 and Friday, Dec. 8 from 9-10:30 p.m. A brief graveside service will follow at Grove St Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Moreys family asks that people make donations to the Worcester Animal Rescue League. Meanwhile the investigation into the facts and circumstances of the crash, including why Pimentel was going the wrong way and where he entered the wrong side of the highway, is ongoing, police said. HOLYOKE With questions still looming around the sustainability of the $1 million public safety initiative called Ezekiels Plan, the Holyoke Finance Committee voted unanimously to refer the plan to the City Council without a full recommendation on Monday. The Holyoke City Council is set to vote on the safety plan at its meeting tonight. If passed, Ezekiels Plan, also known as Operation Safe Streets, would include several city departments, local, state and federal agencies, working together to reduce violent crime and improve quality of life in Holyoke. While there are still more conversations to be had, Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia reminded the Finance Committee that the plan was created to mitigate and prevent tragedies, like the one stemming from a shooting on Oct. 4 that claimed the life of a newborn baby boy named Ezekiel. Vote or dont, Garcia said. The community wants to get started and (is) tired of waiting around for local government, who they feel like doesnt care about them. The plan includes funding for increased property inspections, creating the homeless liaison position, tenant and neighborhood protections, and a new community response division to be appointed by Garcia, if passed. According to Garcia, the community response division will aid residents with housing and neighborhood issues that often lead to or attract illegal activity, violence and homelessness. When announcing Ezekiels plan on Oct. 30, Garcia said it would be paid for with several sources, which included the federal American Rescue Plan Act, the citys capital stabilization fund, opioid settlement money and other local appropriations. On Monday, Finance Committee Vice Chair and City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain teased out several positions and expenditures in the plan he was opposed to, including $50,000 to support a health inspector position. The question is, whats the long-term sustainability we are committing to? Do we have an extra $50,000 every year to fund that position? It says here theyre going to do housing-, trash- and permit-related inspections. Is that position going to bring in revenue of $50,000 or more? Jourdain asked. While funding projections have not been outlined, fees, inspections, permitting and enforcement are typically revenue sources an inspector would bring in, said Sean Gonsalves, the director of the Holyoke Board of Health. Jourdain also said he doesnt agree with spending $90,000 for housing and legal counsel for tenants. Our job is to check apartments. Make sure that people live in safe and sanitary housing conditions. Thats always been a responsibility of a municipality, but buying lawyers for people to get in fights with their landlord is not the duty of city government, Jourdain said. Israel Rivera, city councilor and chair of the Public Safety Committee, also questioned portions of the safety initiative that included legal counsel for tenants, the sustainability of five police officers and overtime, why a task force would be created to travel outside of Holyoke, and what a homeless liaisons role and responsibilities would look like. The city's Finance Committee wont recommend public safety plan to Holyoke City Council. Pictured here is Mayor Joshua Garcia, speaking after a deadly Oct. 4 shooting in Holyoke. (Don Treeger / The Republican, File) Garcia said funding amounts for each line item are not set in stone, and the safety plan is packaged together for flexibility. It is more like these are the things that we are looking to do, and heres what were looking at for costs. The $1 million is a flat line item, Garcia said. For example, Garcia said, during his presentation at a public safety meeting on Nov. 29, youth programs are yet to be identified. Itll be a process of soliciting proposals from organizations, Garcia said. Garcia proposed the $1 million comprehensive public safety initiative as a part of a supplemental budget, but then on Nov. 21, Holyoke City Council passed the supplemental budget without funding the public safety plan. During a Nov. 29 City Council meeting, Garcia said he pulled back on the public safety plan to further explore and explain funding sources with the Finance Committee. One of the main reasons Ezekiels Plan was pushed back to the Finance Committee was because of concerns about adding the additional police officers, and how to pay their salaries after the one-time ARPA funding is used up, Joseph M. McGiverin, the chair of the Finance Committee, said during the November meeting. The original public safety plan was to include hiring 13 additional foot and bike patrol police officers; that has now been dropped to five and will be sustained through attrition funding when other officers retire within the next few years. Funding for the plan originally included the installation of a citywide surveillance camera system, but that has been funded by the citys supplemental budget. It also included a crime analyst position, which might be brought back to the City Council for a future vote. Ghosts or evil spirits werent responsible for starting a fire at a newly renovated barn at The Conjuring House in Rhode Island, according to the houses owner. First, I will tell you what did NOT cause the fire. Neither Bathsheba Sherman, the crooked neck lady, nor any other spirit caused this fire, Jacqueline Nunez, the owner, wrote on Facebook. It also wasnt arson. Instead, she said, the fire was started by improperly disposed materials spontaneously combusting inside a trash bag left in the barn. This was an accident, she wrote. The 2,000 square-foot newly renovated barn sits on the property of the The Conjuring movie. The Pascoag Fire Department, Harrisville Fire Department and several other departments were called the fire just before midnight, the Pascoag Fire Department wrote on Facebook. It took 12 fire trucks and three hours to put out the flames. Crews cleared the scene around 4:45 a.m., the department added. In the early morning hours, we experienced a fire within our barn, a Facebook post from The Conjuring House reads. Thankfully, staff jumped straight into action, and fire fighters were able to contain and put out the flames. We are unaware of the cause at this time, and hope to find out more soon. The post went on to say that the barn is still standing. But its unclear what is salvageable. The house itself is fine, and the spirits within it are okay, as well, TCH continued. We appreciate all of the love and support being sent our way. Tours have also continued. We are a site of significant historical and paranormal interest, and we invite you to join us and partake in one of the many experiences we offer, the owner wrote. Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology presidents, along with other higher education leaders, will be appearing before the a U.S. House of Representatives committee on Tuesday to discuss the mishandling of antisemitic and violent protests on campus. The University of Pennsylvania president and a professor of History and Jewish studies from American University will also be testifying before the House Committee on Education and Labor. LONGMEADOW The Longmeadow Shops the 62-year-old commercial center of this affluent bedroom community was sold last week for $30.4 million to a national property owner with headquarters in Florida. Its the first time the 10-acre 690 Bliss Road property has been out of local hands. Friendlys co-founder S. Prestley Blake built it in 1962 with one of his restaurants as the centerpiece. He owned it until 1994, when he sold it to another local group, Grove Real Estate, which at the time included fellow restaurateurs Ron and George Abdow. Three mothers from Lynn are looking to make the lives of disabled people a bit easier by launching a revolutionary project designed to help bring everything they need to public events. There actually isnt a vehicle like The Lynnebago that exists, Lisa Tulipani told MassLive in an interview last Wednesday. Tulipani, Maria Riley and Louise Dominique are the three moms behind Lynn Disability Network. The trio has worked to create inclusive events for families who also have members with disabilities throughout Lynn. Between their own experiences and work, the group has noticed that it is incredibly difficult for these families to attend public events. Its just very apparent when you go out in the world that, you know, the world is not built for families like ours, Tulipani said, who has a 4-year-old son with a neurological disorder. We just want things to be not so much more accessible, but more inclusive. Thus came the idea for The Lynnebago, which is a finalist at this years The Arc Tank, hosted by Northeast Arc. The Shark Tank style pitch competition rewards up to $200,000 to one project aimed at improving the lives of people with disabilities and autism. A sensory friendly event hosted by Lynn Disability NetworkCourtesy of Lisa Tulipani The Lynnebago, which Tulipani describes as a new mobile public amenity, has an accessible bathroom with an adjustable changing table. It also features sensory-friendly and multilingual communication technologies. The goal is to help disabled individuals and their families overcome barriers that deter them from participating in public events. Accessibility is really an issue for public spaces, Tulipani said. To encourage the city to kind of think creatively about making things more inclusive, we came up with the idea of The Lynnebago. Read More: New Thrive food pantry in Worcester seeks to help those with disabilities The three women already have an adult changing table that they paid for out of their own pockets. Therefore, Tulipani is hoping the funds from Arc Tank could help launch The Lynnebago and make more events accessible to people with disabilities. Our whole idea behind The Lynnebago is not for Lynn Disability Network to own it, but for the city to absorb it as a public health amenity and project, Tulipani said. Were just facilitating it. Were making it happen and then gifting it to the city. The Lynnebago is one of seven final projects vying for nearly $200,000 in funding from The Arc Tank. The event will take place at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, located at Columbia Point in Boston, from 2-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5. MARLBOROUGH After traveling to Washington, D.C., this week to hear the arguments before the Supreme Court over the bankruptcy deal of opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma, a Marlborough mother knows the ruling shed like to see. Cheryl Juaire, who is involved in a lawsuit against the company, wants the settlement to move forward so billions of dollars are released to mitigate the opioid overdose epidemic. I am 100% in support of this plan, said Juaire. Its the best plan that they could have gotten. (Up to) $6 billion is all going toward abatement to save lives. Thats what its all about, saving lives. Massachusetts could get up to $110 million from the Purdue Pharma settlement to address opioid addiction in the state. But the deal faced questions from justices on the Supreme Court Monday over a provision in the settlement that would shield the owners of Purdue Pharma the Sackler family from civil lawsuits seeking restitution from the damage caused by opioids. After she lost her son, Corey Merrill, to an overdose in 2011, Juaire got involved in litigation against Purdue and filed a claim for her son. Then her older son, Sean Merrill, died in 2021 after battling addiction. If youve never buried a child, let alone two, its the worst possible thing you could ever do, she told The Republican. I dont want another mother to ever have to bury a child and feel that pain of loss. The bankruptcy deal is not perfect, said Juaire, who is on the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors that has been involved in the deal. Theres no amount of money thats going to bring our kids back, she said. Two years ago, the office of then-Attorney General Maura Healey announced that an estimated $90 million would flow into the state from a lawsuit settlement against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and the family that owns the business. Purdue and the Sacklers told lies about their business, told lies about their drugs and these lies hurt a lot of people, Healey said in 2021, speaking about the case she filed in 2018. It alleges the company misled the public about the addictive nature of the opioids it manufactured like OxyContin. Funds from the Purdue settlement with Massachusetts will be used to remediate the opioid overdose crisis. Last year, 2,357 people in Massachusetts died of an opioid-related overdose, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Public Health. The estimated settlement total for the state has increased to $110 million, but when the payments will come through may be affected by the Supreme Court decision, according to the state Attorney Generals office. Holding the Sacklers accountable for their lead role in creating a national opioid crisis has always been a priority for us and our sister states, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement Monday. At the same time, we would never want to delay access to much-needed funds that communities need for prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts, she added. This office has made every effort to achieve both objectives and we will continue to monitor this case and the Supreme Courts decision. The case is controversial because the deal would shield individual members of the Sackler family from further liability, even though it is their company, not them as individuals, filing for bankruptcy, said Geoffrey McDonald, assistant professor of law at the University of Massachusetts. The fear is that if this is approved all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, he said, this will be a tool for corporations and the owners that stand behind the corporations to get more liability protection than they really deserve. But McDonald, who specializes in bankruptcy law, also sees why a judge in a lower federal court approved the deal. This allows for billions of dollars to be made available to the victims of the opioid crisis, he said. Bankruptcy courts are courts of equity and they are trying to do justice. Absent that, there could be litigation going on for years. The lawsuit against Purdue Pharma is not the only opioid-related litigation that Massachusetts has been involved in. In the past several years, the Attorney Generals office has settled cases with pharmacies like CVS and opioid manufacturers like Allergan. Some of those funds are being funneled to cities and towns to put toward abatement. Springfield, for example, has received about $1.8 million so far, according to documentation from the Attorney Generals office. Springfield and Worcester are among the top 10 housing markets for 2024, according to Realtor.com. The website listed the real estate markets where home sales prices are anticipated to grow as numbers dip nationally. The number of existing home sales in these places is also expected to surge, Realtor.com said. The top 10 markets in 2024 have been more steady, said Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. They havent seen the big price and sales booms weve seen in other parts of the country, which helps them to stand out now. Half of the cities listed were on the West Coast but two were in Massachusetts. Springfield was listed at No. 7 on the list. Springfield might be an unusual pick for a national top markets list. But this city, the birthplace of beloved author Dr. Seuss, is luring homebuyers with its affordable home prices and low unemployment, Realtor.com wrote. About 90 minutes west of Boston, it has homes with less than half the cost. A three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom brick house with an in-ground pool is $375,000. Overall, its median home price for November was about $350,000. But Worcester, which is listed at No. 8 on the list, is even closer to Boston a continued selling point of the websites. Similar to Springfield, Worcester has long been a cheaper alternative to Boston. The larger city is only about an hours drive to the east, Realtor.com wrote. The median home list prices in Worcester have increased 42% in four years. Still, the website wrote, thats a major bargain compared to Boston prices. But that doesnt mean its for everyone. The buyers in the Worcester market include Bostonians, investors and locals who can afford the more-expensive prices and mortgage rates, real estate broker Nick McNeil, of McNeil Real Estate, told Realtor.com. The reason people are willing to move out of Boston, the website explained, is due to continued remote work. As people have more remote work, they are willing to live farther away from the office, said Hale. A possible cause for the mysterious illness sickening thousands of dogs nationwide has been found by researchers at the University of New Hampshire. The researchers say theyve identified a small portion of the genome of a previously uncharacterized bacteria that may be causing the illness, which can result in coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge and lethargy in canines. A small number of dogs have died after being infected with the respiratory disease, which is often complicated or superimposed with severe pneumonia, the UNH researchers said. Thousands of cases have been reported in at least 14 states, according to experts, who say the illness continues to confound veterinarians because it does not appear to respond to antibiotics. While cases have been reported in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont on the East Coast, New Jersey health department officials told NJ Advance Media on Monday there have been no known cases reported in the state. The New Jersey Department of Health has not received reports of suspected or confirmed outbreaks in canines, said Nancy Kearney, deputy director of communications for the health department. However, the department has received several inquiries from veterinarians about the reported respiratory illnesses and about potential canine respiratory cases that may match the described cases in other states. Not all cases of respiratory illness in canines would be reported to the department. UNH researchers attributed their breakthrough to genetic sequencing of samples from 70 dogs in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts from the past two years. The bacterium might be host adapted and potentially part of the dog microbiome and has recently developed the capacity to cause disease, the UNH researchers said. They expressed hope that identifying the bacterium can ultimately lead to determining the right course of treatment for infected dogs. If it is decided definitively that this unknown bacterium is causing some proportion of the noted respiratory syndrome, in-depth research can begin to find the proper medicine to combat it, which would be a significant breakthrough for veterinarians throughout the country, the UNH study said. But one expert at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory cautioned there is still work to do. A finding like this is potentially pretty exciting, even though we still have to see how it develops to a place where we are comfortable saying this is a pathogen in the syndrome, said David Needle, pathology section chief at the NHVDL. But a finding like this is significant. New Jersey-based veterinarian Kirsten White has tried to caution the public against panic, telling NJ Advance Media last month these sorts of illnesses emerge in dogs from time to time. 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. Meanwhile, the state health department issued guidance last week to local health professionals and animal-health care providers, Kearney said. It is also important to note that many different pathogens can cause respiratory illnesses in dogs, some of which have effective vaccinations, she said. The health department on Nov. 28 said there were no reports of human illness affiliated with the cases in other states at this time. Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. The U.S. Postal Service is considering modernizing its Bismarck Processing and Distribution Center but possibly shifting some processing to Fargo. Mail delivery times to residences and businesses should not change, according to the Postal Service. USPS is investing $40 billion as part of a 10-year plan to modernize the nations aging postal network and achieve a goal of 95% on-time delivery nationwide, according to agency documents. The Bismarck Processing and Distribution Center is just one of numerous facilities under evaluation, and the study and changes are expected to have minimal impact to customer service and delivery times for local and commercial mailers. The initial study findings support the business case for keeping the Bismarck P&DC open and modernizing the facility as a Local Processing Center with simplified processes and standardized layouts, according to a summary of initial findings from the Postal Service. Some of the mail processing could be transferred to the Fargo Processing and Distribution Center. The shift could provide annual savings between $410,000 and $550,000 stemming from reduced transportation, maintenance, mail processing and management costs. An estimated net decrease of five craft employees union clerk, maintenance, support service and motor vehicle service and one management position in Bismarck are projected if the shift in processing is complete. The report noted that no craft employees would be laid off as part of this initiative and that the numbers are subject to change until the completion of the facility review. Public input will be considered as part of the review process. A meeting will be held at noon Thursday at the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library Meeting Room A, 515 N. Fifth St. in Bismarck. Written comments can be submitted at https://bit.ly/49YvfDS and will be accepted through Dec. 22. Timely mail service has been an issue in parts of North Dakota, particularly Minot and Dickinson. U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., last week said he spoke with Angela Bye, USPS district manager for North Dakota and Minnesota, about the concerns. We need to do all we can to ensure that North Dakotans are receiving their mail on time, as my office continues to hear from local residents about delays and other service issues, he said in a statement. A successful July 2022 vote to unionize at the Trader Joes in Hadley made national news because of its novelty. Developments a year later wont draw as much attention, but are even more interesting. The arrival of workplace democracy at the store, after a 45-31 vote, was only the start of giving workers a voice. Today, even as it seeks its first contract, the new union faces a decertification vote. People who want to pull the plug on the union claim they have the 30% of ballots needed to force a second vote on decertification, which must win by more than 50%. In the American system, people who want to remain in office must win support more than once, in contests that can get testy. Thats already the case for the Trader Joes union. Trader Joe's employees in Hadley walk out of the store during a protest in 2023. (Photo by Thomas Meehan) Managing democracy in workplaces isnt easy, especially in small shops where a familial culture can be easily strained. Unions win when people dont like the alternative: having little to no say over workplace conditions. Disagreements raise the temperature in uncomfortable ways. The unions president, Jaime Edwards, told Luis Fieldman of MassLive last week that internal debate is heating up, just as it did during the initial drive. Jared Rodericks has worked for Trader Joes for 22 years, the last four in Hadley. Though he says he was at first open to unionizing, he lost faith in the effort, critical of steps taken by union advocates as well as by the tone of their campaign. In a statement last week, Les Stratford, a nine-year employee, summed up his opposition to the union this way: The constant defamation against our captain, our mates, and our employer has become tiresome and unjust. Union leaders couldnt rest after the July 2022 vote. They needed a contract. Thats a fight that cant help but throw off sparks. The union has filed nearly 100 complaints with the National Labor Relations Board; a hearing is planned Jan. 16 in Hartford. Meantime, leaders of the local say theyre frustrated to have the lawyers handling contract talks declare negotiations to be at an impasse. The company could be stalling, waiting for the decertification vote. The union thinks most workers remain faithful. The fate of the Trader Joes union will, again, be in the hands of its employees. Thats democracy, warts and all. The New England Patriots will likely be without their top offensive weapon for much of the remaining season. ESPNs Adam Schefter reports that running back Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to miss a few weeks after tests showed that he suffered a high ankle sprain in Sundays loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. $200 INSTANT BONUS DRAFTKINGS MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BET FANDUEL MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $50, GET $250 BONUS CAESARS MASS CLAIM OFFER $1,000 FIRST-BET BONUS BETMGM MASS CLAIM OFFER MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. Stevenson has been the Patriots biggest playmaker on offense, leading the team in rushing as well as receptions. His 857 yards from scrimmage on the year lead the team by a significant margin. Stevenson left Sundays game against the Chargers early after injuring his ankle on what appeared to be a hip-drop tackle. Stevenson was originally ruled as questionable to return before being ruled out entirely. With Stevenson expected to miss time, Ezekiel Elliott now moves into the top spot in the Patriots running back rotation. The Patriots also used running back/receiver Ty Montgomery as a runner on Sunday. Moving forward, the Patriots are likely to add some bodies to the running back rotation, whether its the recently acquired JaMycal Hasty or practice squad player Kevin Harris. Political enthusiasm among younger voters, who played a key role in President Joe Bidens 2020 win, has tumbled in a new poll, sending up warning flares in whats already shaping up to be a tightly contested race for the White House in 2024. Just 49% of voters aged 18-29 say they definitely plan on voting for president next year, according to the new canvass by the Institute of Politics at Harvards Kennedy School. Thats compared to the 57% who said the same thing in 2019, pollsters found. The results were first reported by Axios. From a lack of trust in leaders on a variety of critical issues such as climate change, gun violence, and the war in the Middle East, to worries about the economy and AI, young peoples concerns come through loud and clear in our new poll, Setti Warren, the institutes director, said in a statement. As the 2024 campaign season kicks into high gear, candidates up and down the ballot would be wise to embrace the opportunity to listen to and re-engage - this generation. (Source: Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School)Institute of Politics Harvard Kennedy School Despite that enthusiasm gap, voters aged 18-30 gave Biden an 11-point edge over former President Donald Trump, with Biden leading 41%-30% in a hypothetical, head-to-head match-up. Thirteen percent of respondents said they were undecided, while 15% said they would not vote. Nearly 7 in 10 of respondents (69%) who said they supported Biden said their vote was more in opposition to Trump than it was in support for Biden. The opposite was true among Trump backers, with 65% saying their vote was driven by their loyalty to the four-times indicted and twice-impeached former president, compared to 35% who said they were opposing Biden for re-election, the poll found. Biden held a 15-point advantage among all young voters who said they were registered to vote (48%-33%), and among the most committed voters, Biden leads by 24 points, 57%-33%. In 2020, exit polls showed Biden winning the youth vote, 60% to 36%, pollsters noted. Among registered voters aged 18-30, Biden led Trump 34%-26%, while that lead expanded to 16 points among likely voters aged 18-30, 43%-27%, according to the poll. The poll of 2,098 voters aged 18-29 was conducted from Oct. 23 to Nov. 6, with interviews conducted in both English and in Spanish. The poll had an overall margin of error of 2.86%. Key Issues A plurality of the poll respondents said they trusted neither Biden nor Trump to handle such key issues as the the Israel-Hamas War, the Ukraine-Russian War, climate change, gun violence, health care, crime and public safety, according to the poll. (Source: Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School)Harvard Kennedy School Biden held head-to-head advantages over Trump on climate change (+19), abortion (+16), education (+14), protecting democracy (+12), health care (+10), gun violence (+9), and the Ukraine War (+4), according to the poll. Trump had the edge over Biden on the economy (+15), national security and defense (+9), the Israel-Hamas war (+5), strengthening the working class (+4), crime and public safety (+3), and immigration (+2), the poll found Biden held an overall approval rating of 35%, down one point from spring 2023. Forty percent of respondents said they approved of Democrats in Congress, compared to 27% for Republicans, pollsters found. A closer look at the numbers The enthusiasm decline was the steepest among young Black voters, with 38% saying they planned to vote in 2024, compared to 50% in 2019, the poll showed. Enthusiasm also dipped among Hispanic voters, 40% in the new poll compared to 56% in 2019. Enthusiasm among young white voters also dropped by 5%, from 62% to 57%, pollsters found. Women voters, who also turned out in force in 2020 and the 2022 midterms, motivated by Republican attacks on reproductive rights, also said they were less inclined to vote in 2024, with 47% saying they definitely planned to vote, compared to 56% in 2019. The major parties also bled support among the key voting bloc, with a third (35%) self-identifying as Democrats; about a quarter (26%) self-identifying as Republicans, and 38% saying they were independent or unaffiliated. Compared to Harvards fall 2019 canvass, most of the drop-off in voting intention comes among Republican (56% in the new poll, compared to 66% in 2019) and independent young voters (31% in the new poll, compared to 41% in 2019), pollsters said. Enthusiasm remained strongest among self-identified Democrats (66% in the new poll, compared to 68% in 2019). More voters with a college degree (69%) and college students (55%) said they planned to vote compared to young voters who were not in college or did not have a degree (40%). But even those numbers showed a decline from their 2019 tallies, according to the poll. Gov. Maura Healey has signed a $3.1 billion budget bill that would among other things finance the states under-resourced shelter system through the rest of the fiscal year after it was approved by both chambers of the Legislature on Monday. Im proud to sign this supplemental budget that dedicates critical funding for hard-earned raises for workers, supports municipalities with covering the costs of special education and flood relief, sustains our Emergency Assistance program, and more. Im grateful to our colleagues in the Legislature for their partnership, Healey said in a statement. Advocates for the unhoused welcome the bills final approval and Healeys signature. Andrea Park, Director of Community Driven Advocacy at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, said that she was relieved and grateful that the bill was signed. For Park, the bills passage is important for the thousands of homeless families who are being sheltered. The bill would inject $250 million into the states shelter system, and launch an overflow site to house hundreds of families who couldnt enter the shelter system due to a self-imposed 7,500-family cap. Park said that her organization has been in contact with members of the Healey administration to about the search for an overflow site. Just hours before the bill passed, Bay Staters were worried that Republicans effort to block the passage of the bill from being taken up in an informal session, where a debate couldnt occur, would stymie their chances of receiving help from Beacon Hill. In a statement, David Foley, the president of SEIU Local 509, a union representing the Commonwealths service workers, called any effort from Republicans to block the bill an affront to working families in the state. Before the Senates 20-3 vote, Foley had urged the Republicans to not delay the bill one more day, the union president said in a statement. Our bills have not stopped piling up in the seven months that the Commonwealth has taken to authorize our contract, he said. Neither have our caseloads or the vacancies in our agency offices. This translates to a crisis in our homes and in our communities, as we struggle to stay afloat and our clients struggle to access the essential services we provide. There is no more time to play politics with our livelihoods. Kelly Turley, the associate director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, who was at the State House last week was worried that the GOPs efforts would prevent money being poured into addressing the states housing crisis. Were grateful enough legislators showed up today on the House and Senate side so that they were able to move past that opposition, Turley said. We know that for every day that the supplemental budget is delayed there are more and more families, whove been approved for shelter being put on a waitlist to access resources. The passing of the bill has also been praised by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the states largest teachers union. Member activism was crucial to this finally getting done, union President Max Page said in a statement. Thousands of MTA members worked alongside colleagues from other unions making phone calls, sending emails, signing petitions, and showing up to events, both on their campuses and at the State House. The solidarity of public-sector workers was beautiful to behold. Legislators felt the heat for their inexcusable inaction. Outre la possible Private Notice Question de Xavier-Luc Duval, il ne sera que des motions privees qui seront a lordre de la 33 seance parlementaire de 2023. Puis ce seront les vacances jusquau mois de mars 2024. 1. Announcements 2. Papers 3. Question 4. Private Members Motion (No. 1) The Honourable Third Member for Port Louis North and Montagne Longue (Ms Tour) This Assembly resolves that Government should continue its efforts to encourage the use of electric vehicles in Mauritius. (Resumption of Debate) (No. 2) The Honourable Second Member for Vacoas and Floreal (Mr Bodha) This Assembly resolves that, a National Crisis Committee be set up with the participation of experts to design a new roadmap for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of the emergence of new variants and in the light of the experience gathered since the outbreak of the pandemic in Mauritius in March 2020. (No. 3) The Honourable Third Member for Mahebourg and Plaine Magnien (Mr Doolub) This Assembly welcomes the reopening of our borders to international travelers and supports measures taken by Government to relaunch tourism and resolves that it will continue to protect employment and safeguard livelihood in the travel and hospitality sector. (No. 4) The Honourable Second Member for Port Louis Maritime and Port Louis East (Mr Abbas Mamode) This Assembly resolves that, in the prevailing context, opinion leaders should refrain from making statements such as to undermine trust in the democratic institutions of the Republic of Mauritius and tarnish the countrys image and reputation abroad. (No. 5) The Honourable First Member for Port Louis Maritime and Port Louis East (Mr Shakeel Mohamed) This Assembly resolves that, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, headed by the Minister, has completely mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic since last year and, as such, the Minister should take full responsibility for same and step down as Minister. (No. 6) The Honourable First Member for La Caverne and Phoenix (Mr Lobine) This Assembly resolves that, in view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation, a Select Committee be set up to be chaired by the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, to be known as the Cross-Party COVID-19 Pandemic Response Committee, consisting of eleven members, six of whom shall be members from the Opposition, to consider, inquire and report to the House on matters relating to Governments management and response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other matters related thereto. (No. 7) The Honourable Third Member for Port Louis South and Port Louis Central (Dr Aumeer) This Assembly resolves that, in view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation since its outbreak in Mauritius in March 2020 and the high COVID-19 death toll among Mauritian Citizens, a Fact-Finding Committee be set up to look into the whole preparedness, response and management of the said pandemic in Mauritius. (No. 8) The Honourable Fourth Member for Port Louis Maritime and Port Louis East (Mr Juman) This Assembly resolves that, in view of the alleged mismanagement of public funds under Emergency Procurement since the first confinement in March 2020 to date which necessitate emergency supply of medical equipment and drugs to cater for the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic, a Commission of Inquiry be set up to inquire therein and on matters related thereto. (No. 9) The Honourable Third Member for Flacq and Bon Accueil (Mr Nuckcheddy) This Assembly resolves that, in the light of the implementation of the Road Master Plan announced by Government and of the Light Rail Project connecting Port Louis to Curepipe, which is being extended to other parts of the country, the Road Decongestion Programme should be implemented through one single blueprint using a holistic approach. (No. 10) The Honourable Third Member for Vieux Grand Port and Rose Belle (Ms Ramyad) This Assembly is of opinion that, in the light of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 25 February 2019 on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 73/295 of 22 May 2019 and of the judgment of the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea of 28 January 2021, the Government of Mauritius should pursue its efforts to ensure that the United Kingdom complies with the international law and terminates its unlawful administration of the Chagos Archipelago to allow the complete decolonisation of the Republic of Mauritius. (No. 11) The Honourable Third Member for Vacoas and Floreal (Mr Ittoo) This Assembly is of opinion that, digitalisation and innovation being key for Mauritius to step up to the next level of development, a Task Force comprising of stakeholders in the Information and Communications Technology industry from the public and private sectors should be set up to come up with recommendations and a roadmap to allow Mauritius position itself as a regional Information and Communications Technology hub. (No. 12) The Honourable Third Member for Vieux Grand Port and Rose Belle (Ms Ramyad) This Assembly resolves that, since the COVID-19 pandemic may have a lasting impact on the socio-economic conditions of developing countries, in particular, vulnerable countries, including the Small Islands Developing States, our diplomacy should continue to advocate for a fair, transparent and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments worldwide to ensure their prompt socio-economic recovery. (No. 13) The Honourable Third Member for Curepipe and Midlands (Mr Dhunoo) This Assembly resolves that, in the light of the recent trade agreements signed by the Republic of Mauritius, including, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA), the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Partnership Agreement (CECPA) with the Republic of India and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Peoples Republic of China, Government should create the appropriate environment and synergies with a view to providing enhanced opportunities for the business community in Mauritius to be able to take maximum advantage thereof, together with their counterparts in the relevant countries. (No. 14) The Honourable Second Member for Savanne and Black River (Mrs Mayotte) This House is of opinion that, following the removal of Mauritius by the Financial Action Task Force from its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, the Assembly resolves that the Government of Mauritius should pursue its sustained effort to strengthen its position as an international financial center of repute by further implementing Anti-money Laundering/Combating Terrorist Financing measures. (No. 15) The Honourable Second Member for Grand Baie and Poudre dOr (Dr Gungapersad) This Assembly resolves that, in view of the mayhem caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in the COVID-19 death toll and casualties among the population, a Commission of Inquiry be set up to inquire into the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and related issues since its outbreak in Mauritius. (No. 16) The Honourable Second Member for Port Louis North and Montagne Longue (Mrs Luchmun Roy) This Assembly resolves that Government should carry out an assessment of the demand for social housing in Mauritius and embark upon an accelerated programme of construction thereof to meet same. (No. 17) The Honourable Third Member for Grand River North West and Port Louis West (Mr Armance) That this Assembly resolves that, in view of the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic and the clear and present damage facing our citizens, a Select Committee be appointed to consider all matters relating thereto, including the quality of the information provided to the public, the state of our health services, latest medicines and medical treatment available, social distancing measures and border control. (No. 18) The Honourable First Member for Belle Rose and Quatre Bornes (Dr Boolell) This Assembly is deeply concerned with the humanitarian crisis of dire consequences in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and calls for an immediate total and unconditional ceasefire. New capital commitments from the United Kingdom and German governments; The fund invests in green transition funds and projects in emerging and developing markets worldwide; Launched at COP26, EMCAF has already invested more than $100 million in five funds over two years; EMCAF on track to hold its third close at 385 million in the coming weeks. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) announced new capital commitments to the Emerging Market Climate Action Fund (EMCAF). The United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will commit 10 million (9 million). In addition, on behalf of Germanys Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) intends to top up its existing commitment with an additional 33 million. Including these new commitments, EMCAF will likely hold its third close with a total of 385 million in the coming weeks. Anchor investors in EMCAF since the start include the governments of Germany and Luxembourg, the Nordic Development Fund, Allianz, Folksam Group and EIB. EMCAF is an innovative blended finance fund initiated by the EIB and AllianzGI. It provides catalytic early-stage equity financing to greenfield climate mitigation and adaptation projects as well as companies with a green business model in emerging and developing markets. EMCAF is expected to invest in about twelve funds, which should support around 150 climate change mitigation, adaptation and environmental sustainability projects. During its summit in Elmau (Germany) in June 2022, the Group of Seven (G7) endorsed (https://apo-opa.co/3Rs4vDt) EMCAF as an important example of a concrete innovative and market-led approach to mobilise private investments for climate-relevant infrastructure and to enhance multilateral finance and collaboration. According to the United Nations (https://apo-opa.co/418iPFt), avoiding the worst impacts of climate change could require $4.3 trillion a year by 2030. The COP28 Presidency has called for real world solutions to respond to the climate crisis, said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. He added: With the Emerging Market Climate Action Fund, we are delivering a success story that is showing the way for others to follow in mobilising private finance at scale. As the EU climate bank, we are delighted with the progress achieved in the past two years and we welcome the new capital commitments from Germany and the United Kingdom. Tobias Pross, CEO of AllianzGI added: Trillions of dollars of investment per year is needed to combat the consequences of climate change in emerging markets, which means innovative funding mechanisms are necessary to mobilize the massive amounts of money needed. Thats where we as an active asset manager come in, leveraging our market and product know-how to design the type of investment vehicles needed to help bridge this financing gap. EMCAF is a great example of how we are putting our experience in the field to work, and we are delighted to see that being recognised once again through further commitments from the German government and the UK government as a new investor. The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, Minister of State (Development & Africa) said: To tackle climate change and biodiversity loss and deliver economic transformation, mobilising international finance and increasing private sector investment in development is critical. To support this, I am delighted to announce that the UK is investing 9m into the Emerging Market Climate Action Fund. Stefan Wenzel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Supporting climate action in developing countries will not only limit the temperature increase but also support a prosperous development and economic benefits with improved living conditions. We therefore intend to top up our contribution to the successful Emerging Markets Climate Action Fund by an additional 33.3 Mio. EUR. This is expected to result in additional installed wind and solar capacity of up to approximately 1.8 gigawatts supporting the goal to triple global renewable energy capacity. We know that the necessary funding for international climate action cannot be raised by the public sector alone. We hence need to make progress on mobilising private finance and aligning financial flows with the Paris Agreement goals. Stephanie Lindemann-Kohrs, Global Head Equity and Funds, KfW Development Bank said: Climate and sustainability are major global issues that will have a decisive impact on our lives in the coming years and decades. We therefore are proud to participate in the third closing of EMCAF on behalf of the BMWK and implement best practices jointly with our existing and new partner investors as well as AllianzGI and EIB. Launched at the United Nations Climate Change conference COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, EMCAF has committed more than $100 million to five funds. Investments include ARCH Cold Chain Solutions Fund, which aims at establishing a cold-chain infrastructure in East Africa; Alcazar Energy Partners II that invests equity to develop, construct and operate renewable energy projects across several countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; Vinci Climate Change, a greenfield climate fund focused on financing expansion of renewable energy and water and wastewater treatment infrastructure in Brazil; and GEF South Asia Growth Fund III that provides equity financing to companies that operate in water, energy efficiency and circular economy sectors primarily in India. Most recently, EMCAF invested in the Inspired Evolution III Fund (Evo III), focusing on clean energy greenfield infrastructure, energy access and resource efficiency investments across Africa. GOOD NEWS for early morning commuters as Iarnrod Eireann announces a new daily weekday service which will get you to and from Dublin Heuston faster. The service begins next Monday, December 11 as part of a new timetable from Dublin Heuston to Cork, with a connection at Limerick. The early service, operating Monday to Friday, will arrive in Kent Station, Cork, at 08:32am, giving a pre-09:00am Intercity arrival from Dublin for the first time. The service will also have a connection from Limerick Junction to Limerick, delivering a pre-eight-hours arrival time to Limerick city at 07:58am. Journey time improvements on many Dublin Heuston to Cork and Limerick services, arising from recent infrastructure works, also include an express morning non-stop 2 hours 14 minutes service at 06:15am between Cork and Dublin. Additional 06:00am, Dublin Heuston to Cork service (Monday to Friday) arriving at 08:32am, giving a pre-09:00am arrival to Cork city for the first time, and with a connection from Limerick Junction to Limerick for a pre-08:00am arrival to Limerick city. Journey time improvements on many Dublin Heuston to Cork and Limerick services, arising from recent infrastructure works, including an express morning non-stop 2 hours 14 minutes service between Cork and Dublin. Extra morning peak service each way between Cork and Mallow each day (Monday to Saturday), operating at 07:20am Cork to Mallow, and 07:50am Mallow to Cork. There will also be additional stops on a number of Heuston/Cork services at Portlaoise, to connect with new Heuston/Portlaoise commuter services. This represents the fastest ever scheduled service on the route. The new timetable has been approved by the National Transport Authority, and follows public consultation in September, in which over 1,650 customers participated. Customers on all routes including Intercity, DART and commuter are advised to check times before travel, as there may be minor time changes affecting your service. An Iarnrod Eireann spokesperson said; We are delighted to be in a position to begin an early 06:00am weekday service from Dublin Heuston to Cork, and to introduce a Limerick connection from this service also. We believe this will be a very popular service, with the arrival in Cork well before 09:00am, and in Limerick before 08:00am, particularly attractive to business customers. We look forward to bringing these improvements to our services from December 10, which follow previous expansion of services in December 2022. Iarnrod Eireann with the National Transport Authority will continue to identify opportunities for further service improvements in the context of post-COVID travel patterns, as demand approaches, and on some routes exceeds, pre-pandemic levels. The purpose of investment in our network, fleet and services is to bring better service to customers and allow more people to make a sustainable travel choice. Full timetables are available at HERE and the Iarnrod Eireann app. The book 'Lee Kuan Yew - The Grand Master's Insights on China, the United States, and the World' gathers key insights from interviews, speeches, and Lee's voluminous published writings and presents them in an engaging question and answer format. Lee Kuan Yew thought deeply about how to take Singapore up the ladder of economic prosperity and had incredible insights into how the world worked. I was fascinated by the extent to which the lessons and insights of this great leader and his country overlap with those of great businesses and their CEOs. In many ways Lee Kuan Yew thought about, and ran his country, like a business. His thinking process mirrors many of the great investors. It's a very easy book to read, I finished it over a weekend. I've included some of the more interesting observations.. China "The Chinese have calculated that they need 30 to 40, maybe 50 years of peace and quiet to catch up, build up their system, change it from the communist system to the market system" "I believe the Chinese leadership has learnt that if you compete with America in armaments you will lose. You will bankrupt yourself. So avoid it, keep your head down, and smile, for 40 or 50 years" "China will inevitably catch up to the US in absolute GDP. But it's creativity may never match Americas, because its culture does not permit free exchange and contest of ideas" "Technology is going to make their system of governance obsolete." "[Not having English as a first language] is a serious handicap.. Talent will not go to China" America "The US is the most militarily powerful and economically dynamic country in the world. It is the engine for global growth through its innovation and consumption" "Throughout history, all empires that succeeded have embraced and included in their midst people of other races, languages, religions and cultures" "What has made the US economy preeminent is its entrepreneurial culture .. Entrepreneurs and investors alike see risk and failure as natural and necessary for success" "In an era of rapid technological change, Americans have shown that those countries with the largest number of start-ups, especially in the IT sector, which venture capitalists finance, will be winners in this next phase" "Many American practices go against the grain of the more comfortable and communitarian cultural systems of their own societies [the European and Japanese]" "The Americans have succeeded as against the Europeans and the Japanese because they have more extremes of random behaviour" "America has a clear advantage over China, because its use of the English language enables America to attract millions of English-speaking foreign talent from Asia and Europe" "Security, prosperity, and the consumer society plus mass communications have made for a different kind of person getting elected as a leader .. who can present himself and his programs in a polished way... From such a process, I doubt if a Churchill, a Roosevelt, or a de Gaulle can emerge" "The US must not let is fiscal deficits come to grief" "The world has developed because of the stability America established. If that stability is rocked, we are going to have a different situation" America and China "There will be a struggle for influence, I think it will be subdued because the Chinese need the US, need US markets, US technology, need to have students going to the US to study ways and means of doing business so they can improve their lot. It will take them 10,20, 30 years" India "India has wasted decades in state planning and controls that have bogged it down in bureaucracy and corruption'. The caste system has been the enemy of meritocracy" "India has poor infrastucture, high administrative and regulatory barriers to business, and large fiscal deficits, especially at the state level which are a drag on investment and job creation" "It is not one nation, but 32 different nations speaking 330 different dialects" "India's private sector is superior to China's .. Indian companies follow international rules of corporate governance and higher return on equity as against Chinese companies. And India has transparent and functioning capital markets" "The moment India has the infrastructure in place, investments will come in, and it will catch up very fast" "India's system of democracy and rule of law gives it a long-term advantage over China, although in the early phases, China has the advantage of faster implementation of its reforms" Singapore "My definition of Singapore.. is that we accept that whoever joins us is part of us" "[How did] Singapore make a living against neighbours who have more natural resources, human resources, and bigger space? How did we differentiate ourselves from them? They are not clean systems; we run clean systems. Their rule of law is wonky, we stick to the law. Once we come to an agreement or make a decision, we stick to it. We become credible to investors." "I offered every parent a choice of English and their mother tongue, in whatever order they chose" "The quality of a nation's manpower resources is the single most important factor determining competitiveness. It is people's innovativeness, entrepreneurship, team work, and their work ethic that give them that sharp keen edge in competitiveness" "Standing still is a sure way to extinction" "Our education system is being revamped to nurture innovation and creativity, from kindergarten to university, and on to lifelong learning" "The internet makes markets more contestable, businesses in Asia must compete on this platform or be swept aside" "Societies that succeed are those which easily assimilate foreigners. Silicon valley is such a place" "For a modern economy to succeed, a whole population must be educated" "We have to start experimenting. The easy things - just getting a blank mind to take knowledge in and become trainable - we have done. Now comes the difficult part. To get literate and numerate minds to be more innovative, to be more productive, is not easy. It requires a mindset change, a different set of values" "Once established, like a language a society speaks, the habits tend to become a self-reproducing, self perpetuating cycle" "In one generation (1965-1990) we made it from the third world to the first" Developing Countries "One 'X' factor remains a key differentiator, especially for developing countries; that is ethical leadership. A clean, efficient, rational, and predictable government is a competitive advantage" Governing "I learned to ignore criticism and advice from experts and quasi-experts, especially academics in the social and political sciences" "If you want to be popular all the time, you will misgovern" "One person, one vote is a most difficult form of government. From time to time, the results can be erratic. People are sometimes fickle. They get bored with stable, steady improvements in life, and in a reckless moment, they vote for change for change's sake" "If everybody gets the same rewards.. nobody strives to excel; society will not prosper, and progress will be minimal" "[The most common public policy mistakes are when leaders sometimes] succumb to hubris and over-confidence" Thinking "We may have conquered space, but we have not learned to conquer our own primeval instincts and emotions that were necessary for our survival in the Stone Age, not in the space age" "We read many things. The fact that it is in print and repeated by three, four authors does not make it true. They may all be wrong" "You must not overlook the importance of discussion with knowledgeable people. I would say it is much more productive than absorbing or running through masses of documents" "I do not work on a theory. Instead I ask: what will make this work? If after a series of solutions, I find that a certain approach worked, then I try to find out what was the principle behind the solution" "Our test was: does it work? Does is bring benefits to the people?" "I do not believe that because a theory sounds good, looks logical on paper, or is presented logically, therefore that is the way it will work out. The final test is life" "If you do not know history, you think short term. If you know history you think medium and long term" "To understand the present and anticipate the future, one must know enough of the past, enough to have a sense of the history of a people" "Do not try to impress by big words. Impress by the clarity of your ideas. I speak as a practitioner. If I had not been able to reduce complex ideas into simple words and project them vividly for mass understanding, I would not be here today" "To create wealth, high motivation and incentives are crucial to drive people to achieve, to take risks for profit, or there will be nothing to share" "Realism and pragmatism are necessary to overcome new problems" "[Of all my Cabinet colleagues, Goh Keng Swee made the greatest difference to the outcome of Singapore ..] he had a capricious mind and a strong character. When he held a contrary view, he would challenge my decisions and make me re-examine the premises on which they were made. As a result we reached better decisions for Singapore. In the middle of a crisis, his analysis was always sharp, with an academic detachment and objectivity that reassured me" 2021-12-11 The Economist / V-DemLarry Diamond 1992Bhikhu Parekh18, 20V-Dem - 129-1011011156%42082%7861.547 145697 "" 122 Anne Marie Slaughter on the failure of liberal democracy and the rise of Chinas way Eric Li ALARM BELLS are ringing about the state of democracy. Freedom House proclaims the global decline in democracy has accelerated and that even in America it has declined significantly. Much of the weakening is happening in countries that are aligned with America, according to research by the V-Dem Institute in Sweden. Larry Diamond, a political sociologist, argues that the democratic recession has reached a crisis, intensified by the pandemic. There are many diagnoses. Francis Fukuyama, a political scientist, believes the American government is captured by elites and the public is divided by cultural identities. And then there are those who always reach for the easy answer, blaming China and Russia. On the other side of the spectrum, democracys sceptics are enjoying a moment of Schadenfreude. Russias foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, recently criticised the Wests failed attempts to enforce democracy on other countries whose cultures were ill fitted for such political systems and called on them to stop. Kishore Mahbubani, a Singaporean diplomat and scholar, believes America has in some ways all the attributes of a failed state. A decade ago even I weighed in, arguing that Chinas model is superior to the Westa smug way of saying democracy is doomed. Yet these pronouncements miss the mark because they share a flawed definition of democracy. To be more precise, they mistakenly equate liberalism with democracy, thereby rendering liberal democracy the only form of democratic governance. This is wrong. In 1992, at the end of the cold war and beginning of a golden era for liberal democracys universalisation, Lord Bhikhu Parekh, a political theorist, wrote in an essay, The Cultural Particularity of Liberal Democracy, that liberal democracy is liberalised democracy: that is, democracy defined and structured within the limits set by liberalism. This combination, he noted, was crystallised around the 18th century in Europe and was widely championed in practice by the West only after the second world war as a way of opposing the Soviet Union. Democracy itself, in its earliest Western incarnation in ancient Greece, long preceded liberalism. Moreover, in combination, liberalism was the dominant partner and democracy was subjugated. In fact, liberalism was hostile to democracy. The development of liberal institutions over the past two to three centuries has in many ways consisted of attempts at limiting the power of democracy. If we are to be historically accurate and intellectually honest, we need to recognise that liberal democracy is but one kind of democracy. During the European Enlightenment, liberal thinkers such as Locke, Montesquieu and Mill proposed revolutionary ideas about how human societies should be governed based on the tenets of liberalism, such as the individual as the fundamental unit of society, the sanctity of private property and the primacy of procedural rule of law. Most modern liberal political institutions were developed with these ideasrepresentative government based on elections, separation of powers, freedom of the press, an independent judiciary and so on. They are fundamental to Americas constitution and to most other liberal societies. But at the same time, many liberal forefathers also recognised that the goal of liberal institutions is to deliver happiness to the people. If that outcome is not met, procedures must be changed. According to Mill, even access to voting could be curtailed, say, if a citizen were illiterate. Liberal democracy had enormous successes, notably in the second half of the 20th century. During that period, liberal democratic countries delivered unprecedented prosperity to their peopleso much so that many countries, including China, sought to emulate many of the Wests practices, such as market economics. However when groups like Freedom House and V-Dem rank countries on their levels of democracy, it in essence measures countries on how closely they follow liberal institutional procedures. When people say democracy is receding in many countries, they really mean liberalism is in trouble. Why is liberalism in bad shape? The reason is that in many places it seems to be failing its junior partnerdemocracy. Liberal democracy is in crisis mode because so many of these countries face severe problems: persistent inequality, political corruption, collapse of social cohesion, lack of trust in government and elite institutions, and incompetent government. In short, liberalism has been failing to deliver democratic outcomes. In the Soviet Union there was a popular joke: We pretend to work, they pretend to pay us. In many liberal societies, people can turn that around: We pretend to vote, they pretend to govern. At this rate, the word liberal may soon no longer deserve to be followed by democracy. A broader view of governance The world needs a better and more inclusive way of evaluating democracy. Defining and measuring democracy by liberal procedures is way too narrowhistorically, conceptually and under contemporary conditions. In ancient Greece, when democracy was first practised in the West, democratic politics was rather illiberal. There was no concept of individual or minority rights. That was why Plato and Aristotleno democrats, bothcriticised its majoritarian nature. Elections were not the only way of selecting leaders. Sortitionchoosing leaders by lotterywas widely practised and fit Aristotles definition of democracy. In the contemporary West, populist movements from the right and socialist activism on the left seem to be, at least in part, attempts to hold liberalism accountable for not delivering on outcomes. Looking at democracy anew is no easy task and will no doubt take a lot of work and debate. But I venture to propose a common-sense idea: lets measure democracy not by procedures but by outcomes. Democracys normative goal must be to deliver satisfaction to a vast majority of people over a long period. What good are elections if they keep producing poor leaders with the public stuck in perpetual cycles of elect and regret? What good is an independent judiciary if it only protects the rich? What good is separation of powers if it is captured by special interests to block necessary reforms? What good is freedom of the press, or freedom of speech for that matter, if it corrodes societies with division and dysfunction? What good are individual rights if they result in millions of avoidable deaths, as has happened in many liberal democracies during the pandemic? In its attempt to challenge a rising China, Americas president, Joe Biden, frames this competition as a starkly ideological dichotomy of democracy versus autocracy. With that in mind, the administration is hosting a gathering of democracies on December 9th and 10th, to which some 110 countries or regions invited. A review shows that these 111 places (with the US included) consist of around 56% of the worlds population but had cumulative covid-19 deaths of 4.2m, which is 82% of the worlds total. More glaringly, the three countries with the highest deaths are the host country (780,000), which boasts of being the oldest democracy, Brazil (615,000) and India (470,000), which relishes being the largest democracy. As for the seeming target of the gathering, China, it has 1.4bn people and just 5,697 deaths from covid-19. Some may object that this was because China restricted freedoms more than democracies. But what kind of democracy would sacrifice millions of lives for some individuals freedom not to wear masks? It is precisely in this way that liberal democracy is failing its citizens. Perhaps it is possible to develop a set of measurements that show which countries are generating more democratic outcomes. How satisfied are most people with their countries leadership and directions? How cohesive is society? Are people living better than before? Are people optimistic about their future? Is society as a whole investing enough to ensure the well-being of future generations? Beyond the narrow and procedural-centric liberal definition of democracy, outcomes must be taken into consideration when we define and evaluate democracies. I would suggest that when it comes to outcomes, China doesnt score so badly. The country has its problemsinequality, corruption and environmental degradation to name a few. But the government has been tackling them aggressively. This is probably why a vast majority of Chinese people tell pollsters that they are generally satisfied with how the country is being governed. Can we at least now entertain the idea that China is generating more productive and democratic outcomes for its people and, measured by these concrete results, its political system is more democratic than that of the United States, albeit different, at the moment? Abraham Lincoln characterised democracy in the most eloquent laymans term: government of the people, by the people, for the people. I dare say that the current Chinese government outperforms America on all three. Chinese people overwhelmingly believe their government belongs to them and they live in a democracy; and it is a fact that a vast majority of Chinas political leaders come from ordinary backgrounds. Quite to the contrary, many Americans seem to believe that their government is captured by monied interests and formed by an elite oligarchy. As for the last part, for the people, China is way ahead on outcomes. The world needs greater diversity in the concept of democracy that is both historically truer (because democracy was not always liberal) and practically more beneficial. Many developing countries have seen their economic growth stagnate. They need to be unshackled from the ideological rigidity of the liberal doctrine and to experiment with their own ways of realising their democratic potential. New perspectives and measurements might help liberal societies as well. Decoupling liberal democracy For too long, liberalism has monopolised the concept of democracy and liberals have taken their democratic credentials for granted. This may be one cause for why many liberal governments are failing to deliver democratic outcomes for their people. Being measured not on procedures but on actual performance may be just the spur for liberal countries to implement much-needed reforms. If liberal governments could again deliver more democratic outcomes, so much the better for the world. This perspective, on the need to judge democracy by its outcomes, is rarely discussed in global debates over governance. Liberal societies champion diversity in just about everything except for diversity in models of democracy, even at a conceptual level. But the reality is that the history of democratic aspirations and practices has been immensely rich and diverse. Besides Athenian democracy being decidedly not liberal, there were centuries of democratic ideals and institutional practices in Chinas Confucian traditionalso not liberal. At this point in time, the world is certainly in need of more democratic experiments. I am not attempting to advocate any particular form of democracy, and certainly am not making a case for majoritarian or direct democracywhich China is definitely not. Rather, I am proposing to broaden and pluralise both the definition and measurements of democracy. Chinas current socialist democracy is surely a model worthy of study given the countrys obvious successes. The American foreign-policy thinker Anne-Marie Slaughter recently argued that the United States should accept at least the possibility that other forms of government could be better. She further suggested, as a new measure of governance, that people evaluate which countries are doing a good job at achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It is a great idea. And the broader point needs to be amplified: end liberalisms monopoly on democracyand let more forms of democracy flourish. https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2021/12/08/eric-li-on-the-failure-of-liberal-democracy-and-the-rise-of-chinas-way Global Absorbable Heart Stent Market generated revenue of US$ 307.1 million in 2022 and is estimated to reach a valuation of US$ 822.7 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 12.02% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2031. The demand for absorbable cardiac stents is poised to witness significant growth, driven by a multitude of pivotal factors. One such factor is the escalating prevalence of coronary artery disease, coupled with a corresponding surge in the number of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. Additionally, the market for absorbable heart stents is projected to expand owing to the implementation of healthcare reform initiatives by governments worldwide, as well as an increasing population of patients grappling with chronic illnesses. These factors collectively contribute to the promising outlook for the absorbable cardiac stents market, indicating a bright future ahead. A Request of this Sample Report Here- https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/absorbable-heart-stent-market The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is surging worldwide, establishing it as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. According to the British Heart Foundation, coronary (ischaemic) heart disease is the most frequently diagnosed heart disease on a global scale, affecting approximately 200 million individuals. Of this number, around 110 million men and 80 million women are affected by coronary heart disease. This escalating prevalence of CAD has resulted in an increased demand for absorbable cardiac stents. These stents are utilized in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures, which have also witnessed a corresponding rise. The aging population, known to be more vulnerable to CAD and peripheral artery diseases, further fuels the demand for absorbable stents. Additionally, unhealthy lifestyle choices, insufficient physical activity, and the overall pervasiveness of cardiac conditions have contributed to the surge in CAD cases. Unveiling the Future of Stents: Biodegradable Polymeric Heart Stents Paving the Way for Revolutionary Cardiac Care In the ever-evolving landscape of cardiovascular medicine, biodegradable polymeric heart stents have emerged as a groundbreaking alternative to traditional metal stents. This innovative technology has witnessed a meteoric rise in demand, with over 43 million units of these stents sold worldwide in 2022. The production and supply of these biodegradable stents are keeping pace with the growing demand. Medical device companies are actively investing in research, development, and production to meet the markets needs. As the technology continues to advance, manufacturing costs are expected to decrease, making these stents more affordable and accessible to patients. The rising acceptance of biodegradable stents among patients and healthcare providers further fuels the market growth. These stents offer a multitude of advantages over their metal counterparts, including reduced risks of complications such as restenosis and thrombosis. Additionally, patients are no longer burdened with the need for long-term antiplatelet therapy. Biodegradable stents have been proven to promote natural healing and tissue regeneration, leading to improved patient outcomes in the absorbable heart stent market. Surgeon preferences are also shifting towards biodegradable stents. Many surgeons favor these stents due to their ability to facilitate better vessel healing and maintain a more natural artery structure over time, thus minimizing the risk of complications. As biodegradable polymeric heart stents continue to revolutionize cardiovascular treatment, the future looks promising. With their remarkable benefits and advancements in manufacturing, these stents are set to reshape the landscape of cardiac care, offering patients a safer and more effective alternative to traditional metal stents. The Surge of Minimally Invasive Surgeries: A Paradigm Shift in Patient Care In the realm of modern medicine, minimally invasive surgeries have emerged as a game-changer, offering a plethora of advantages that include reduced discomfort, fewer complications, and shorter hospital stays. These surgical techniques have now become widely adopted across various medical specialties, including cardiothoracic surgery, gastroenterology, gynecological surgery, cardiac surgery, pediatric surgery, urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery, and urological surgery. The World Health Organization (WHO) paints a stark reality, estimating that chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, will contribute to a staggering 1.5 million deaths in 2021 alone. Chronic illnesses, in general, account for a staggering 71% of all global deaths, with an estimated annual toll of 41 million lives lost. With an increasing awareness of the benefits offered by minimally invasive techniques, the absorbable heart stents market is poised for substantial growth. Laparoscopic surgery, in particular, has gained remarkable popularity, further propelling the demand and advancements in this field. As these techniques continue to evolve, the impact on patient outcomes and the overall healthcare landscape is bound to be profound. Embracing the era of minimally invasive surgeries promises a brighter future, where patients can experience enhanced recovery, reduced complications, and a renewed sense of hope in their journey toward wellness. Unveiling the Global Surge: Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America Embrace Absorbable Cardiac Stents Market In the realm of medical advancements, Asia Pacific emerges as the dominant region, boasting a market share of more than 35%. With cutting-edge technology at its disposal and benevolent reimbursement rules in place, this dynamic region generated a remarkable revenue of US$ 111.82 million in 2021. As the Asia Pacific regions economy continues to experience rapid expansion, the demand for medical equipment and treatments is on the rise, propelling the growth of this market. The popularity of absorbable cardiac stents, which naturally dissolve over time in the body, is also gaining traction. As patients become more informed about the benefits of these innovative stents, significant growth is anticipated in Europe and North America as well. The United States, in particular, dominates the market with an impressive market share of approximately 25%. For The Full Report, Please Follow This Link- https://www.astuteanalytica.com/industry-report/absorbable-heart-stent-market The high prevalence of cardiovascular illnesses in the region necessitates stent treatments for a substantial patient population. With a staggering estimated 655,000 fatalities each year, cardiovascular disease stands as the leading cause of death in the United States, as acknowledged by the American Heart Association. Similarly, in Canada, cardiovascular disease ranks as the second-leading cause of mortality, responsible for approximately 20% of all fatalities. The increasing demand for absorbable cardiac stents across these regions underscores the vital role they play in addressing the pressing healthcare needs of patients. As the world becomes more attuned to the potential of these innovative technologies, the global landscape of cardiovascular care is poised for a transformative shift. With Asia Pacific leading the charge, and Europe and North America following suit, the future holds great promise for improved patient outcomes, reduced complications, and a renewed sense of hope for those battling cardiovascular disease. List of Key Companies Profiled: Segmental Overview By Material Metallic Stents Polymer Stents By Absorption Rate Slow absorption rate Fast absorption rate By Application Coronary Artery Disease Peripheral Artery Disease By End User Hospitals & Clinics Cardiovascular Centers Research Institutes & Organizations Others By Region North America The U.S. Canada Mexico Europe The U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Poland Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan South Korea Australia & New Zealand ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America Middle East & Africa UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Get a Free Sample Report Here- https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/absorbable-heart-stent-market About Astute Analytica Astute Analytica is a global analytics and advisory company that has built a solid reputation in a short period, thanks to the tangible outcomes we have delivered to our clients. We pride ourselves in generating unparalleled, in-depth and uncannily accurate estimates and projections for our very demanding clients spread across different verticals. We have a long list of satisfied and repeat clients from a wide spectrum including technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and many more. These happy customers come to us from all across the Globe. They are able to make well-calibrated decisions and leverage highly lucrative opportunities while surmounting the fierce challenges all because we analyze for them the complex business environment, segment-wise existing and emerging possibilities, technology formations, growth estimates, and even the strategic choices available. In short, a complete package. All this is possible because we have a highly qualified, competent, and experienced team of professionals comprising of business analysts, economists, consultants, and technology experts. In our list of priorities, you-our patron come at the top. You can be sure of best cost-effective, value-added package from us, should you decide to engage with us. : + : sales@astuteanalytica.com : https://www.astuteanalytica.com/ LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, December 5, 2023 Whats old is new again, with a twist -- at least according to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), which commissioned a survey with Benchmarketing, a division of Omnicom Media Group, to analyze media mix modeling. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), automation and data analytics continue to push MMM back into the tool chest of marketers, advertisers and agencies to measure and evaluate marketing performance. Anna Bager, president and CEO of OAAA, thinks the data confirms that as marketers look to optimize media plans for next year, OOH should receive a higher allocation of the overall budget. Nothing is certain, but advanced technology has pushed MMM back into the hands of the industry as a tool to measure the impact of a brands advertising across a variety of marketing channels. This study relied on Vivvix and SMI as key data sources and examined historical ad-spending trends from 2017 through 2002 as part of the analysis. Hundreds of Omnicom U.S. brand MMMs of sales vs media activity by channel were used to produce anonymized and aggregated results. advertisement advertisement Industries used to explore ad trends and spending included automotive, CPG food, and retail grocery. The data offers guidelines for allocating channel spend levels to optimize improvements in sales and brand metric scores. In automotive, when looking at brand consideration in the automotive category, the analysis showed the greatest improvement in effectiveness when OOH budget allocation is optimized from 1% up to a high range of 14%. Automotive had the strongest improvement in driving brand awareness when the mix is optimized and OOH is used at a range of up to 19%. The CPG food category sees the greatest improvement in brand purchase intent effectiveness when OOH budget allocation is optimized from 1% up to a high range of 15%, seeing a return on ad spend improvement of +24%. The CPG food category also sees the highest improvement in increasing consumer brand spend once the media mix is optimized, seeing a return on ad spend improvement of +27% to +33%, depending on the size of the brand. In retail grocery, the studys brand index model showed the greatest improvement in effectiveness when OOH budget allocation is optimized from 8% up to a high range of 21%. The analysis, which incorporates U.S. brand case studies from the Omnicom network, reached the same conclusions as previous studies on the value improvement generated by including OOH at significant levels in the media mix, showing a growth in performance. The retail industry introduced media mix modeling (MMM) in the 1950s. It became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Marketers used MMM to combine first-party data with external factors to forecast returns, optimize budgets, and simulate business scenarios. The findings released Tuesday by the OAAA found out of homes share of media plan allocations leads to increased effectiveness, with measurable impact on sales, brand awareness, consideration, and purchase intent. The ability to factor in variables such as budget spending and economic forces, marketers and advertisers also played a part. by Colin Kirkland , December 4, 2023 Threads, the social-messaging app Meta launched over the summer, is now outpacing X, the app formerly known as Twitter, in new downloads. According to app data provider Apptopia, Threads' daily downloads began gaining traction over the past week after months of declining interest due to the tech giant running new ads for its Twitter-competitor. Since Thursday, November 23, Threads' daily downloads have almost doubled from the beginning of the month, with 620,000 downloads compared to 350,000. In addition, X, as well as its app for emerging markets, Twitter Lite, have received a total of 27 million new downloads since September, while Threads has received 41 million. Apptopia's report shows a large portion of Threads downloads coming from outside the U.S. Downloads from India are highest, accounting for 11.2% (approximately 9.2 million) of new downloads, while U.S. downloads rank second, with 7.4% (approximately 6.1 million) of downloads. India has also been the highest driver of growth for Instagram, the Meta-owned app that users must use to access Threads. advertisement advertisement Not surprisingly, Apptopia references X's 2022 rebrand as a major factor in the app's loss of user interest and new downloads. In late September, about five months after its rebrand, X changed its description from Blaze your glory, to Formerly Twitter, in Apple's App Store to improve its overall ranking. Media strategist Eric Seufert found that X fell from the 35th most downloaded app on the app store to the 54th immediately after the rebrand in April 2023. Now, X is facing a mass exodus of ad partners, including Disney, Apple, IBM, Paramount, Comcast/NBCU, Warner Bros, Songy, Lionsgate, Paris Hilton's 11:11 Media, and, over the< weekend, Walmart, after Musk embraced antisemitic posts on the app and told advertisers to go "f-" themselves at the New York Times DealBook Summit last week. While advertisers continue to pause and abandon ad spend on X, it is unknown whether or not major brands will flock to Threads. As of now, Meta has not launched ad capability on the social messaging app. Once it does, it will be interesting to see how many brands make use of the budding platform, and how many brands will leave X behind. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, December 5, 2023 In a video image posted on TikTok, an Israeli woman shared her experience of the Hamas attack on Israel, but it is actually not the 22-year-old German-Israeli citizen Shani Louk who is describing the event. She was killed in the Hamas siege during a music festival on October 7. This is a deepfake created by artificial intelligence (AI) of the womans image posted to TikTok. Someone had used publicly available pictures of Louk to make the video, according to Bloomberg, which reported seeing dozens of these types of videos in numerous languages across the social platform. CNN reported on her death with an interview with her mother on October 31. These deepfakes are devastating to families of victims as well as supporters of Israel and are now putting brands at risk. advertisement advertisement TikTok has been having a difficult time moderating these deepfake videos of Hamas victims as brands struggle to steer clear of any controversial messages. The creators of the videos are anonymous. The videos violate TikToks content-generation policies, which ban AI-generated videos of private citizens and minors. They are being seen by millions, according to Alex Barinka, Bloomberg News journalist. In an interview, Barinka tells Bloomberg that an image of Louk spoke about the deceased womans mother and the attack, but in fact it was not Shani Louk. Barinka called it a digital resurrection in synthetic media, which brands could serve up nearby. The deepfake video, Barinka said, racked up 7 million views. Events such as this have likely prompted Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta along with IBM to join an industry AI alliance to share technology that could protect users and advertisers. Meta and IBM are joining more than 40 companies to create an industry group dedicated to open-source AI work, aiming to share technology and reduce risks. The coalition, AI Alliance, will focus on the responsible development of AI technology, including safety and security tools, according to a statement published Tuesday on IBMs website. The group also will look to increase the number of open-source AI models rather than the proprietary systems favored by some companies to develop new hardware and team up with academic researchers. The 50 founding members include but are not limited to: AMD, Anyscale, CERN, Cerebras, Cleveland Clinic, Cornell University, Dartmouth, Dell Technologies, EPFL, ETH, Hugging Face, Imperial College London, Intel, INSAIT, Linux Foundation, MLCommons, NASA, NSF, Oracle, Partnership on AI, Red Hat, Roadzen, ServiceNow, Sony Group, and Stability AI. All the alliances worldwide cannot prevent social-media outlets from posting inappropriate content. That will require moderation and enforcement from the company. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, December 5, 2023 The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) this morning released the second edition in a series of reports analyzing its in-depth studies of the programmatic media-buying supply chain, and one of the top recommendations for advertisers to formalize a new C-level role -- the Chief Media Officer -- in an effort to overcome one of the main issues identified by the studies: information asymmetry. Marketers are not fully skilled in optimizing the management of their data, ANA CEO Bob Liodice explains in a forward to the just-released new edition, adding, Of critical importance, marketers are even less skilled in securing log-level data a principal pathway to effective decision-making and driving growth via programmatic activities. Such data is among the main fine and complex points of information strung along the programmatic supply chain that has been identified by the studies as contributing to the inefficiencies of programmatic ad buys. That was one of the key takeaways from a follow-up qualitative analysis published by Kroll, which was one of the consultants commissioned by the ANA to study the transparency issues associated with the programmatic media-buying supply chain. advertisement advertisement "In terms of information asymmetry, in a transparent business arrangement, both parties to the transaction have essentially equal access to material information. And thats how we define transparency. You dont need to know everything, but you need to know whats material," Kroll Regional Managing Director of North America Forensic Investigations and Intelligence Richard Plansky explained to MediaPost in an interview conducted in September. According to findings released in the latest installment of the programmatic transparency study, only a third of ANA members said they felt knowledgeable about the "quality of inventory" they acquired through programmatic auctions. "Advertisers should appoint a Chief Media Officer (either in title or function) who should take responsibility for the internal media management and governance processes that deliver performance, media accountability, and transparency," the ANA recommends in the new report, noting, "This executive should be the centralized internal resource to drive integration and share best practices across internal brand teams and external agencies. "The Chief Media Officer should be the internal subject matter expert on the many important and complex media issues confronting advertisers today. Digital media expertise should be a foundational skill for this position. "Furthermore, it is recommended that the Chief Media Officer develop relationships with key external media properties and programmatic supply chain partners with whom the advertiser conducts business." The report cites the recommended role of the Chief Media Officer seven times, but never uses an acronym or suggests what it should be, given that CMO is will understood to represent Chief Marketing Officers. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, December 5, 2023 A media rights organization is urging the Supreme Court to strike down laws in Florida and Texas that would restrict social media platforms' content moderation efforts. In a friend-of-the-court brief filed this week, the nonprofit Media Law Resource Center argues that leaving those state laws in place would result in chaos. No human being could hope to comprehend -- let alone process and evaluate -- the vast number of messages that propagate across social media without assistance, the group writes. By removing that assistance, Texas and Florida would create chaos rather than public discourse. The group -- whose members include CNN, ESPN, Netflix and Google -- is weighing in on state laws prohibiting social platforms from suppressing a variety of posts by users. The Texas law prohibits social media platforms with at least 50 million users from removing or suppressing lawful posts based on viewpoint, and Florida's law prohibits large social media platforms from censoring journalistic enterprises based on content, and from banning candidates for statewide office (or suspending them for more than 14 days). advertisement advertisement Laws in both states were fueled by right-wing lawmakers' accusations that technology companies are especially likely to suppress conservative posts. The tech groups NetChoice and Computer & Communications Industry Association sued over the laws, with mixed results. In Florida, a trial judge and appellate court mostly agreed that the law appeared to violate the First Amendment. But in Texas, a trial judge said the law was likely unconstitutional, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals found the measure valid. The Interactive Advertising Bureau previously weighed in against the laws, arguing that brands don't want their ads placed near content that might be offensive or untrue. The Supreme Court has agreed to consider both measures. The Media Law Resource Center argues in its friend-of-the-court brief that the laws' broad prohibitions wouldn't only prevent platforms from removing harmful material, but could also prevent them from making recommendations or otherwise prioritizing certain content. Users cannot sort disinformation from truth or compare viewpoints when information is conveyed by a firehose, the group writes. With intermediaries forbidden to undertake the necessary step of moderation for information quality, users would be lost; the winners in the modern marketplace of ideas would be not those whose ideas have the most merit, but those who can shout the loudest and most frequently, the organization adds. The Media Law Resource Center isn't the only outside group to weigh in on the dispute. Law professors, think tanks and outside companies -- including Mozilla and Reddit -- are also urging the Supreme Court to invalidate the laws. Texas and Florida officials are expected to file their arguments with the Supreme Court by January 16. What makes a good detective show? Exciting plot twists, cool forensic experiments, collecting evidence, and suave detectives putting different threads together to create a cohesive story about what really went behind committing the crime and catching the criminal When you think of these detectives, you imagine slick men with a keen eye for detail and nerves of steel. Instagram/Dinesh Phadnis Fredericks from CID had none of these qualities and yet hes one of the most loved characters from the show. Played by Dinesh Phadnis, Fredericks had the ability to make you laugh in the most serious situations. He had his own fears and wasnt the brightest in the room, but the way Dinesh played him, Freddy became an integral part of the reason why every 90s kid loved this detective show. Today is a sad day for fans of the show and Freddy as Dinesh Phadnis passed away in Mumbai. He had been hospitalised recently and put on a ventilator due to liver-related issues. His CID co-star and friend, Dayanand Shetty spoke to the media about his hospitalisation and prayed for his good health, just a day before his passing. Freddy was one of the most loved CID characters with his sense of humour that everyone from an 8-year-old to an 80-year-old could understand and laugh over. In a room of broody and stressed detectives, he was the only one with a child-like innocence and juvenile sense of humour. It might have given us some of the worst PJs ever, but he made even the hardest of hearts smile. He was the shows biggest comic relief amidst a sea of murders, kidnappings, and violence. He laughed in the face of adversity and, I think, thats the biggest life lesson he shared with an entire generation of young, impressionable viewers. Sony TV If Daya was busy kicking his doors and Abhijeet was busy slapping the truth out of people, Fredericks expertise lay in tickling our funny bone and keeping the child in us alive. Thank you, Freddy. Youll be missed! Genres : Crime, Horror, Mystery Starring : Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Carrie-Anne Moss, Harry Lennix Director : E. Elias Merhige Plot Synopsis From filmmaker and nightmare-conjurer E. Elias Merhige (Begotten, Shadow of the Vampire) comes a visionary twist on the psychological suspense-thriller. When tortured FBI agent Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight) is called in to investigate a series of bizarre murders, the trail leads to the enigmatic Benjamin ORyan (Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast). Trained in a secret government program (enabling elite agents to telepathically get into the minds of killers), ORyan himself is hunting down what he has labeled the ultimate serial killer and manifestation of evilSuspect Zero. Mackelway, now reunited with his former partner (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix), must determine if ORyans ability to identify with the murderers has turned him into the very same type of monster he is trying to bring to justice. Featuring cinematography by Michael Chapman (Taxi Driver, Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Suspect Zero is a stunningly original and audacious (Los Angeles Times) glimpse into the heart and mind of evil. Maam, I've dedicated my life to the sound of metal insects screaming in a wall of oatmeal. Skate rocker Orpheus (Robert McGinley) and his band of shredders must journey to Hell and save his bride, Eurydice (Megan Murphy, Brand Upon the Brain!), from the control of Hades (Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi, Bonfire of the Vanities) and Persephone (Vera McCaughan). Eurydice is forced to become a performer on their variety show, which aims to sedate its viewers. These deadly signals beamed from the underworlds Euthanasia Broadcast Network (EBN). The story is set in a dystopian future where affordable housing is 5 acres of shipping containers, affectionately called The Gray Zone. Outcasts, war veterans, and skate punks scrape by with the clothes on their backs and the boards under their feet. Life is good for Orpheus until his new bride is killed by Hades goons and taken to Hell because she would attract viewers to his show. Hell is a bland television station resembling a Tery Gilliam setpiece with dismal color palettes and hallways filled with shredded memory documents. Ultimately, Hades tricks Orpheus, leaving the rocker forever separated from Eurydice. The only way to save her is to skate the Euthanasia Parking Garage with a skateboard from Hell. Director Robert McGinley would take inspiration from the skate videos of Stacey Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys) and Jean Cocteaus Orpheus as the building blocks of production. This punk retelling of the classic myth paired with anti-media themes makes this the perfect statement for late 80s skaters dealing with the capitalist culture takeover and a growing sense of economic dismay. Not to mention societys take on skate culture as the dissolution of the nuclear family. At the time, this feature wouldve been an anti-MTV manifesto eaten up by the outsiders. Shredder Orpheus smartly ditches huge rock numbers for lean storytelling. The moments we get with The Shredders are worthwhile but never overstay their welcome. Frankly, were so blindsided by the intense characters and crazy obstacles in Orpheus path that we forget in the wrong hands; this could be just another rock music video. Composer Roland Barker (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Blackouts) searched Seattle to find musicians for the fictitious band and to create a uniquely PNW sound for the film. Ultimately hitting paydirt with Bill Rieflin, Dennis Rea from King Crimson, and avante-garde jazz rocker Amy Denio. On-screen, The Shredders comprises Amy on bass, Dennis on guitars, Bill on drums, and Roland on synth. Sets comprise abandoned parking garages and buildings with little production design other than lighting and tossing around garbage. Bigger set pieces like the EBN production studios, performance spaces, and Oepheuss bedroom require more finesse to balance budget-friendly and industrial wasteland. Costuming looks on par with most late 80s future-set flicks. The script follows the Orpheus mythos closely but oozes with skate slang and futuristic nonsense. Performances are committed, with Scandiuzzi and McCaughan chewing scenery behind layers of makeup as Hades and Persephone. McGinley and Murphy have excellent chemistry as the rocker couple separated by Hell. However, the MVP of the feature goes to John Billingsley as Linus, the band manager, for his line delivery of There is an oracle coming in on the next tangent shipment. Shes got everything: counseling, channeling, neurolinguistic programming, and video tarot. Shes HOT. Maligned by shaky distribution and marketing, Shredder Orpheus lived its best life through VHS tape swapping and word of mouth. Embraced by the skate community and punk spheres, the film gained a rabid cult fan base. Audiences today will connect with its outrageous world-building, killer music, and anti-establishment themes. Id double feature this with Videodrome or my favorite post-apocalyptic underground dance flick, The FP. Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray Shredder Orpheus arrives on Blu-ray thanks to AGFA and OCN Distribution. The disc is housed in a transparent keepcase with reversible artwork and an insert booklet. Loading the disc presents the AGFA logo before landing on the Main Menu screen with typical navigation options adjacent to scenes from the film. Fox News is eager to blame drag queens and LGBTQ folks as molestors, assaulters, and groomers. The most likely explanation for why it does this is because it is trying draw attention away from the fact that it is a cesspool of sexual assault. The latest example is Justin Wells, the former executive producer for Tucker Carlson's primetime show on Fox News. Wells is being sued in New York State Court for allegedly assaulting Andrew Delancey, a former Fox News producer. As The Washington Post reports: Less than a month after Delancey started at Fox, Wells invited him to meet other Fox colleagues at a gay bar, according to the lawsuit. Wells allegedly insisted that the pair first drink at Wells's apartment, where Delancey claims Wells "easily overpowered" him, forcing him onto his bed and grabbing his genitals and causing what Delancey describes as "severe pain," even as Delancey yelled out "no." "Out of nowhere, Wells aggressively pushed Mr. Delancey onto his bed where he violently forced his tongue into Mr. Delancey's mouth," the complaint states. Delancey convinced Wells that they needed to go meet their co-workers, according to the lawsuit, but Wells again allegedly groped him in a stairwell against his consent. Additionally, Delancey is suing Fox Corporation and Fox News Network for negligence in investigating the alleged assault after he reported it. As reported by Newsweek: WASHINGTON An Eastern Washington veteran and his wife are suing the federal government and the companies behind a computer system the Department of Veterans Affairs has tested in Spokane, alleging that flaws in the system delayed the diagnosis of cancer that became terminal before it could be treated. Chewelah resident Charlie Bourg and his wife, Deborah Brinson, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington on Friday. They are seeking unspecified monetary damages from the government and the companies that have developed the electronic health record system including Cerner, to which the VA awarded a $10 billion contract in 2018, and Oracle, which acquired Cerner for $28.3 billion in 2022. Bourg, a vocal critic of the system who went to the U.S. Capitol in December 2022 to ask Congress to scrap it, said he blames the government and the companies that brought the system to Spokane's Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, not the doctors and nurses who use the system to track patient data and coordinate care. Bourg has been told his prostate cancer has spread and is no longer treatable. "Everybody at the hospital has been good to me, except for the administration," he said. "They tried to do everything right whether the urologists, the primary care, the oncologists and they've all suffered from this program, too, along with the rest of the staff there." After the Obama administration gave Cerner a $4.3 billion contract in 2015 to adopt the company's system in military hospitals, the Trump administration did the same for VA hospitals in 2018 despite the VA's existing system being popular among health care workers. Officials in both the Trump and Biden administrations have maintained that using the same system will help the two departments coordinate care more effectively. The Pentagon and the VA chose Spokane as the pilot site for both rollouts, launching the system at Fairchild Air Force Base in February 2017 and at Mann-Grandstaff in October 2020. Soon after the system arrived at the Spokane VA hospital, according to the lawsuit, Bourg had a routine blood test in December 2020 that showed signs of possible prostate cancer. His primary care provider sent a message through the new system to a urology specialist, who opened the message a day later and placed a "return to clinic" order to schedule a follow-up appointment. The lawsuit alleges that a "system defect" caused the order to "route to a massive unorganized queue and essentially disappear," so the urology clinic didn't schedule a follow-up. The next time Bourg saw his primary care provider, in April 2021, they realized what had happened and the provider sent another order to schedule an appointment in early May. While that order went to the correct recipient, a different system defect allegedly changed the date of the appointment to September 2021 four months later than ordered, Bourg later learned when he asked his provider what happened. When he saw a urologist and had a biopsy in October 2021, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After a surgery to remove his prostate in January 2022, doctors told Bourg the cancer had spread to other parts of his body and was no longer treatable. A year ago, he said, doctors told him he likely had between one and two years to live. Bourg's and Brinson's attorney, Mark Kamitomo, said he expects the case to take more than a year, and Bourg said he understands he may not live to see its conclusion. He hopes the court will award damages that he could leave to his wife, children and grandchildren and to a local veterans' group. "I'm just playing it by ear," Bourg said. "There's not much I can do. Just keep fighting for veterans' care and for my family." The facts of Bourg's case were described in a June 2022 letter from Mann-Grandstaff Director Robert Fischer to Sen. Patty Murray, D- Wash., whose office had requested an investigation on Bourg's behalf. After the system was rolled out at five hospitals in the Northwest and Ohio, the VA delayed planned launches at larger facilities in Seattle, Portland, Boise and elsewhere when The Spokesman-Review reported in June 2022 that the system had contributed to nearly 150 cases of harm that senior VA officials had not disclosed to Congress or the public. As of July, the system had contributed to more than 4,400 cases of patient harm, according to data obtained by The Spokesman-Review via the Freedom of Information Act. While the VA classifies most of those cases as "minor," they also include 885 cases of "moderate" harm, 44 cases of "major" harm and nine cases of "catastrophic" harm. The VA defines minor harm as not causing injury or requiring additional care and moderate harm as increasing the length of stay or level of care needed for one or two patients. Major harm entails permanent loss of bodily function, disfigurement, a problem that requires surgical intervention, or that requires a longer hospital stay or higher level of care for at least three patients. Death or major permanent loss of function constitute catastrophic harm by the VA's definition. In March, the department acknowledged that the system had contributed to the deaths of four veterans. Bourg and Brinson each filed a tort claim with the VA in December 2022 and are eligible to sue the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act because the department didn't resolve that claim within six months, according to court documents. The tort claims asked for $15 million in damages. Kamitomo, an attorney with the Seattle- and Spokane-based Luvera Law Firm, said a court could award higher damages from the companies named as defendants. After its acquisition by Oracle, Cerner was known as Oracle Cerner and was recently rebranded as Oracle Health. The lawsuit names several Cerner subsidiaries and "unknown John Does" as defendants, partly to account for those name changes. In their complaint, Bourg and Brinson accuse the U.S. government of negligence and failing "to exercise reasonable care" in the implementation of the new system. They allege that the companies that developed the system failed to design and manufacture a "reasonably safe" product, and failed to adequately train users how to safely use it. "The medical providers in this case were doing the right thing," Kamitomo said. "They were doing what they were supposed to do. And they put their faith in a system that Cerner and the VA rushed to get out without adequately testing, and that's why we're going after Cerner and the VA." Kamitomo said he expects Oracle to argue that it is not liable for how the system affected Bourg's care, because the tech giant finalized its deal to acquire Cerner in June 2022. In September 2022, an Oracle spokesman told The Spokesman-Review the company had looked into what happened in Bourg's case and concluded that its system was not responsible, while calling the situation "tragic." "Our findings show that nothing related to the EHR's functionality or performance had anything to do with the care this veteran received and was unrelated to their diagnosis or treatment," Oracle spokesman Michael Egbert said in a statement at the time, using the acronym for electronic health record. "The Oracle Cerner EHR is successfully in use at many thousands of health care facilities across the United States without incident." Oracle Cerner now Oracle Health controls roughly 25% of the electronic health record market, according to the market research firm KLAS. But in the wake of layoffs following the acquisition, some large hospital systems have announced plans to switch to a different system. That didn't stop Oracle Health chairman David Feinberg who called the acquisition "a wild success story" from buying a $19 million Los Angeles penthouse from pop star The Weeknd in August, shortly after the layoffs were reported. In May, the VA and Oracle agreed on a modified contract with added accountability measures to continue developing the system, which is scheduled to launch at a joint VA-Defense Department hospital in Chicago in March. Orion Donovan Smith's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor. ___ (c)2023 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) Visit The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) at www.spokesman.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip Israel intensified its bombardment in and around Gaza's second-largest city early Tuesday, as ambulances and private cars came racing into a local hospital carrying people wounded in a bloody new phase of the war in Gaza. Under U.S. pressure to prevent further mass casualties, Israel says it is being more precise as it widens its offensive into southern Gaza after obliterating much of the north. Aerial bombardment and the ground offensive have already driven three-fourths of the territory's 2.3 million people from their homes. At the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, ambulances brought dozens of wounded people in throughout the night. At one point, a car pulled up and man emerged carrying a young boy in a bloody shirt, whose hand had been blown off. Whats happening here is imaginable, said Hamza al-Bursh, who lives in the neighborhood of Maan, one of several in and around the city where Israel has ordered civilians to leave. They strike indiscriminately. Residents said troops had advanced following heavy airstrikes to Bani Suheila, a town just outside Khan Younis. Halima Abdel-Rahman, who fled to the town earlier in the war from her home in Beit Lahiya in the north, said they could hear explosions through the night. They are very close, she said. Its the same scenario we saw in the north. Satellite photos from Sunday showed around 150 Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles just under 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the heart of Khan Younis. The army did not respond to a request for comment and rarely publicizes troop deployments. Fewer places to go Israel ordered the full-scale evacuation of northern Gaza in the early days of the war and has barred people who left from returning. In the south, it has ordered people out of nearly two dozen neighborhoods in and around Khan Younis. That further reduced the area where civilians can seek refuge in central and southern Gaza by more than a quarter. Palestinians say that as Israel continues to strike across the besieged territory, there are no areas where they feel safe, and many fear that if they leave their homes they will never be allowed to return. Israel says it must dismantle Hamas' extensive military infrastructure and remove it from power in order to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war. The surprise assault through the border fence saw Hamas and other Palestinian militants kill about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capture some 240 men, women and children. The military says it makes every effort to spare civilians and accuses Hamas of using them as human shields as the militants fight in dense residential areas, where they have a labyrinths of tunnels, bunkers, rocket launchers and sniper nests. Hamas is deeply rooted in Palestinian society, and its determination to end decades of open-ended Israeli military rule is shared by most Palestinians, even those opposed to its ideology and its attacks on Israeli civilians. That will complicate any effort to eliminate Hamas without causing massive casualties and further displacement. Even after weeks of unrelenting bombardment, Hamas' top leader in Gaza, Yehya Sinwar, was able to conduct complex cease-fire negotiations and orchestrate the release of more than 100 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners last week. Palestinian militants have also kept up their rocket fire into Israel, both before and after the truce. An unprecedented toll The fighting has meanwhile brought unprecedented death and destruction to the coastal strip. The Health Ministry in Gaza said the death toll in the territory since Oct. 7 has surpassed 15,890 people 70% of them women and children with more than 42,000 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. It says hundreds have been killed or wounded since the cease-fires end, and many still are trapped under rubble. An Israeli army official provided a similar figure for the death toll in Gaza on Monday, after weeks in which Israeli officials had cast doubt on the ministry's count. The official said at least 15,000 people have been killed, including 5,000 militants, without saying how the military arrived at its figures. The military says 84 of its soldiers have been killed in the Gaza offensive. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that it was too soon to pass judgment on Israeli operations, but that it was unusual for a modern military to identify precise areas of expected ground maneuvers and ask people to move out, as Israel has done in Khan Younis. These are the kinds of steps that we have asked them to undertake. he said. These are the conversations were having day in, day out. Airstrikes and the ground offensive in northern Gaza have reduced large swaths of Gaza City and nearby areas to a rubble-filled wasteland. Hundreds of thousands of residents fled south during the assault. Leaflets dropped by the Israeli military over Khan Younis in recent days warn people to head further south toward the border with Egypt, but they are unable to leave Gaza, as both Israel and neighboring Egypt have refused to accept any refugees. The area that Israel ordered evacuated was home to some 117,000 people, and now it also houses more than 50,000 people displaced from the north, living in 21 shelters, the U.N. said. It was not known how many were fleeing. Adding to the chaos, phone and internet networks across Gaza collapsed again Monday evening, the Palestinian telecom provider PalTel said. It was the latest of several outages that have complicated rescue efforts. Communications were restored early Tuesday. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed. BRUSSELS Europe faces a huge risk of terrorist attacks" over the Christmas holiday period due to the fallout from the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the European Union's home affairs commissioner warned Tuesday. The warning came as French investigators probe a fatal weekend attack near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Questions were raised about the mental health of the suspect, who swore allegiance to the extremist Islamic State group before stabbing a tourist to death and injuring two other people with a hammer. "With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the polarization it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union," EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters. "We saw (it happening) recently in Paris, unfortunately we have seen it earlier as well," she said, as EU interior ministers gathered in Brussels. She provided no details about any police or security information that might have led to her warning. The fallout from Hamas attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, which killed about 1,200 people, and the ongoing Israeli military response that health officials in Gaza say has killed at least 15,890 Palestinians, has spread to Europe. In several European capitals in recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have staged pro-Palestinian rallies and also marched in support of Israel and against rising antisemitism. Pressed repeatedly by reporters after the meeting, Johansson said that she drew the threat conclusion herself based on the high security levels in some of the 27 EU member countries and an increase in reports of antisemitic incidents, as well as more hate speech and extremist content online. Taking all this together, I do the assessment that yes, the threat is significant, she said. She declined to offer any security advice to shoppers over the festive season or people going to Christmas markets, saying that this was the responsibility of national governments. Johansson, whose brief includes security and immigration, said the European Commission will provide an additional 30 million euros ($32.5 million) to bolster security in vulnerable areas, notably places of worship. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser sent her condolences to France over the weekend attack and said it highlights just how acute and how serious the threat posed by Islamist terrorism is currently in the EU. The war in Gaza and Hamas terror are exacerbating this situation, she told reporters. Faeser said she had spoken with her counterparts from Austria, Belgium, France, Spain and Sweden about the risks. Our security agencies are working very closely together. We must keep a particularly close eye on the Islamist threats right now and take action against Islamist propaganda together with neighboring countries, she said. A 15-year-old boy and an alleged accomplice were accused last week of plotting to blow up a small truck at a Christmas market in the west of Germany in an attack modeled on the methods of the Islamic State group, prosecutors said. The Air Force on Tuesday released the names of seven more crew members who perished last week during training when their CV-22 Osprey crashed into the ocean off the coast of southern Japan. Days of search-and-rescue operations around Yakushima Island shifted to "search and recovery" of the aircraft wreckage and remains after it was deemed that survivors were unlikely, Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement. Prior to Tuesday's statement, only one airman -- whose remains were located hours after the incident -- had been identified. "Staff Sgt. Jake Galliher's remains were recovered Nov. 29, 2023, and the status of the seven remaining airmen transitioned from DUSTWUN (duty status-whereabouts unknown) to deceased status and all families were notified," Air Force Special Operations Command said. Read Next: Air Force's Missileer Cancer Study Now Looking at 14 Different Cancers and Environmental Risks at Other Bases Of the eight airmen on board the Osprey, the remains of three airmen had been recovered as of Tuesday, according to the Air Force. Three other remains have been located and are in the process of being retrieved. The remains of two of the crew members are still being sought. The Nov. 29 incident marks the deadliest CV-22 crash in the Air Force's history and the largest loss of life on the service's airframe, according to Air Force Safety Center data. The other crew members, alongside Galliher, were: Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minnesota, was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer in charge of training, assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah, was a residency-trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight commander assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside, California, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base. Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, New York, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base. Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Florida, was a medical operations flight chief assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base. Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia, was a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base. Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base. "In times like these, where service to our nation is not just a personal commitment but also a legacy woven into the fabric of our families, the depth of sorrow is immeasurable," Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, said in a released statement. "The honorable service of these eight airmen to this great nation will never be forgotten, as they are now among the giants who shape our history." On Monday, dive teams located the remains of five missing crew members as well as the main fuselage of the aircraft, the service said. Last week, Air Force Special Operations Command said the CV-22B Osprey, assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing, was on a training mission off the shore of Yakushima Island -- between the Japanese mainland and Okinawa -- with the eight airmen aboard when it went down in the ocean. Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in a statement Friday that the Air Force unit that owned the Osprey had grounded its other Ospreys and additional inspections of the U.S. military's aircraft based in Japan were underway. Japanese officials also voiced public concerns about the dual-rotor aircraft, which can fly like a helicopter or airplane, following the incident and called for their own country's fleet of Ospreys to be grounded. It's not yet clear what caused last week's crash off Yakushima Island. Prior to the training crash in Japan, the service lost three service members and a civilian contractor when an Osprey crashed in April 2010 near the city of Qalat in Afghanistan, according to Air Force Safety Center Data. "An investigative board could not determine the cause of the 2010 mishap by the standard of 'clear and convincing evidence,' in part because the flight incident recorder, the Vibration Structural Life and Engine Diagnostics control unit, and the right engine were destroyed and therefore not available for analysis," the service said in a press release at the time. Since the Osprey's first flight in 1992, it has been involved in numerous crashes, accidents and mishaps, leading to more than 60 deaths. Just prior to the deadly Air Force crash, two Marine V-22 Ospreys in Japan diverted on Sept. 14 within just two hours of each other due to "cockpit caution indications" in the aircraft while flying near where the Air Force Osprey crashed this week. A Marine Corps Osprey crashed in Australia in August, claiming the lives of three Marines. Another Marine Corps Osprey went down last year in Southern California, killing five Marines. Investigation findings released in July showed the cause of that crash in California was a hard clutch engagement, or HCE, a mechanical issue that has plagued the aircraft for more than a decade. Related: Air Force Says It Remains Confident in Osprey Aircraft Despite Recent Deadly Mishaps More than 400 senior military officers were promoted Tuesday following months of delay after Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., ended his blockade on military confirmations without winning any change to the Pentagon abortion policy he was protesting. Tuberville announced Tuesday afternoon he was dropping his procedural hold on military confirmations on all but those nominated to be four-star generals and admirals. Hours later, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., went on the Senate floor to confirm the unblocked officers. "I hope no one does this again," Schumer said. "And I hope they learn the lesson Sen. Tuberville did, and that is: He held out for many, many months, hurt our national security, caused discombobulation to so many military families who have been so dedicated to our country, and didn't get anything that he wanted." Read Next: Rescue Turns to Recovery as More Crew Members in Deadliest Air Force Osprey Crash Are Identified While Tubervilles new position still leaves at least 12 officers in limbo, the vast majority of the officers whose promotions had stalled because of him were able to move forward. "We didn't get the win that we wanted," Tuberville acknowledged as he announced he was largely backing down. "We've still got a bad policy. We tried to stand up for the taxpayers of this country." In late February, Tuberville announced he was placing what's known as a hold on all general and flag officers nominees in an effort to pressure the Pentagon to reverse its policy of covering travel and leave for service members who seek abortions. While a hold cannot prevent the Senate from confirming nominees, it requires the chamber to take individual roll-call votes on each nominee rather than quickly confirming them in batches in a voice vote as it typically does for noncontroversial military promotions -- effectively grinding the military promotions process to a halt. Tuberville's hold gradually ballooned to cover more than 450 officers. For months, he refused to relent despite arguments from Democrats, some Republicans, Pentagon officials and military families that he was harming national security and punishing military families for a policy they had no control over. But as it became increasingly clear that enough of his Republican Senate colleagues would allow a Democratic effort to circumvent him to succeed, Tuberville reversed course. His new stance will allow one-, two- and three-star generals and admirals to be promoted under the fast-track Senate procedures typically used for military nominees. He said he is keeping the hold on four-stars because they "need to be vetted just like everybody else." The Pentagon welcomed Tuberville's decision, but continued to encourage him to allow quick confirmation of the four-star nominees as well. Among those whose promotions are still delayed are the nominees to be vice chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, and the commanders of Northern Command, Cyber Command, Space Command, Pacific Fleet, Pacific Air Forces and Air Combat Command. "Clearly vital and critical organizations, all of which require experienced senior leaders in those positions," Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters in a public briefing Tuesday. Military families also expressed relief that their ordeal of waiting for spouses' promotions would soon be over. "The heroes of today's news are the thousands of everyday military family members who stood up and said, 'Enough!' when a single senator decided to bully our community," Sarah Streyder, executive director of the Secure Families Initiative, which petitioned the Senate to end the holds, said in a statement. "We greet today's announcement with relief and tremendous pride in our SFI members for making a difference." Before the end of the month, Democrats were planning to sidestep Tuberville's hold by essentially temporarily changing Senate rules to allow most of the nominees to be confirmed in a single vote. The rules change wouldn't have applied to members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and combatant commanders, putting the Senate in a similar place as it is now that Tuberville has backed down. Also adding urgency to ending the standoff was the calendar. Military nominees who aren't confirmed by the end of the year would have had to be renominated, said Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who confronted Tuberville about the holds on the Senate floor and had not ruled out supporting the Democratic rules change. "They go back to the Armed Services Committee to start the process over again," Sullivan told reporters just before Tuberville's announcement. "My prediction, if that happens, you will have dozens, if not hundreds of the best military officers not just in America, but in the world say, 'You know what? I'm out of here.'" -- Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report. Related: Democratic Plan to End Senate Blockade of Military Promotions Takes Critical Step Forward Whatever cops were looking for at this house in Arlington, Virginia, it isn't there any more. As they approached to serve a search warrant on a suspect within who had reportedly discharged a flare gun, an explosion obliterated the dwelling and the other side of the duplex with it. "As officers were attempting to execute a search warrant at the residence, the suspect discharged several rounds inside the home. Subsequently, an explosion occurred at the residence and officers continue to investigate the circumstances of the explosion," Arlington police wrote on Twitter. "Officers on scene reported minor injuries with no one transported to the hospital." Arlington Fire & EMS tweeted that it was "on scene of a structure fire" at the N. Burlington St. address and "actively working on fire suppression," adding that it was under control bout 90 minutes later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz24VVt-nSE Nearby residents "took to social media to share they had heard a loud explosion around 8:30 p.m.," reported WTOP News. The video was posted by Fox 5 News online as courtesy footage from Alex Wilson, who it interviewed below. Wilson reports that the man in the house had just opened fire with a high-caliber weapon before the explosion; there's no word on the suspect, whose survival seems exceedingly unlikely. Tonight's interview with the man who shot the video you have seen of that massive explosion out of Arlington, VA.@NSBonsu_ speaking exclusively with him tonight. Watch him at 11pm on @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/LQRMBgIoau Marina Marraco (@MarinaMarraco) December 5, 2023 Here's more of Alex's footage posted by Fox 5. It's a lesson to anyone who feels uneasy about filming an ongoing incident involving emergency services: ignore anyone telling you to turn off the camera and be reassured that you're performing a public service. But be aware of the law: in most jurisdictions you can be ordered to stay out of the way of police officers and emergency servicesand should generally do so, for obvious reasons. The house can be seen as it was on Google Street view, in an image dated there to 2012. As general manager David Forst chatted with reporters on Monday evening, discussing a few areas of the roster. Perhaps most notably, the GM said he didnt expect to trade either starter Paul Blackburn or outfielder Seth Brown this offseason (relayed by John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle). Blackburn has been the subject of trade speculation as far back as the 2022 deadline. The right-hander has turned in serviceable back-of-the-rotation numbers for the past two seasons, combining to post a 4.35 ERA in 215 innings. That has arguably made him Oaklands most reliable starter, although he battled some injuries on his throwing hand late in 2022 and early in the 23 campaign. The As control Blackburn, who turned 30 on Monday, for two additional seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $3.2MM arbitration salary. Brown, who is controllable for three years, is projected at $2.4MM. The lefty-swinging corner outfielder had a down season in 2023, hitting .222/.286/.405 in 378 plate appearances. Hed posted a more robust .230/.305/.444 showing albeit mostly in favorable platoon situations the year before. Those are modest salaries by MLB standards, but thered been some speculation that the As could look to tear spending down even further. Forst suggested thats not the case, telling reporters he anticipates opening next season with a higher payroll than they ran to end the 2023 campaign. Of course, thats not exactly portending massive spending. The As ended last year with a payroll in the $59MM range, as calculated by Roster Resource. That was the lowest mark in MLB. Forst estimated their current commitments for next season sit around $43MM, a little north of the $40MM which Roster Resource projects. That leaves some amount of flexibility to dip into free agency, although theyd surely be for players in the lower tiers. Last offseasons acquisitions of Aledmys Diaz, Jace Peterson, Trevor May, Drew Rucinski, Jesus Aguilar and Shintaro Fujinami were all one- or two-year commitments that tallied a little over $40MM in overall spending. Forst suggested that adding to a rotation without many clear candidates behind Blackburn and JP Sears was likely (link via Martin Gallegos of MLB.com). The GM made clear theyre looking to wait out the market for what is likely to be a low-cost veteran flier. This time of year, the market is peaking, Forst said. Its expensive, nowhere more than starting pitching, which is something were out there talking about. We are trying to be patient. I think we know with what we have to spend and what we need to do, patience is probably our friend here. One player who doesnt seem likely to be part of the rotation competition: right-hander Mason Miller. Forst suggested the As were planning to move him to the bullpen, potentially as a closer, for the 24 season (via Gallegos). One of the hardest throwers in the sport, Miller has been limited by injuries as a professional. He pitched only 39 1/3 innings over parts of three minor league seasons and was limited to 33 1/3 frames during his MLB debut this year, missing a good chunk of time with forearm tightness. A relief role will allow the As to keep a close watch on his workload next season, although Forst left open the possibility of stretching him back out as a starter in 2025. The Astros have signed left-hander Brailyn Marquez to a minor league contract, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Its unclear if the southpaw will receive an invitation to major league Spring Training. Marquez, 25 in January, joins a new organization for the first time in his career. The Cubs signed him as an international amateur out of the Dominican Republic during the 2015-16 signing period and he has been with that club until now. As a minor leaguer, he became one of the top prospects in that system and one of the top 100 in the league, thanks to a fastball that could touch triple digits. But that power came with poor command and subsequent health problems. He was able to make his major league debut in 2020, but lasted just two thirds of an inning while issuing three walks and allowing five earned runs. After that, he didnt pitch at all in either the 2021 or 2022 campaigns, spending each of those two seasons on the minor league injured list. He underwent shoulder surgery in July of 2022 and was non-tendered after that campaign. He re-signed with the Cubs on a minor league deal for 2023 and didnt make an appearance until the middle of June. He eventually got into 23 games on the farm, tossing 30 2/3 innings across various levels. He had a 4.99 earned run average in that time while striking out 28.4% of batters, but he also issued walks at a 24.5% clip. Thats still a fairly small sample size after two completely lost seasons, so just taking the mound and getting some punchouts counts as a good bit of progress. Despite the setbacks, he is still quite young, in addition to having just three days of service time and one remaining option year. Perhaps getting further removed from his surgery can allow him to improve his control as time goes on, thus making him a viable depth piece for the Astros. He came up as a starter but hes probably best suited to relief work now, after not pitching much in the past four years due to injuries and the pandemic. The Astros have often operated without much in terms of left-handed relief in recent years. They currently have Bennett Sousa, Parker Mushinski and Matt Gage on the 40-man roster but no one in that group has reached 30 MLB innings pitched yet. The Blue Jays have fielded some trade interest in infielder Davis Schneider, writes TSNs Scott Mitchell. Theres nothing to suggest a trade is either close or probable, as Mitchell categorizes talks as casual. That Schneider is on the trade radar at all even as a long shot candidate to move speaks to the rise he has had over the past few months. A 28th round pick in 2017, Schneider has never featured prominently on rankings of the Toronto farm system. He consistently performed in the minors, hitting his way to Triple-A by the end of the 2022 season. Schneider, who turns 25 in January, returned to Triple-A Buffalo to open this year. The right-handed hitting infielder had a stellar season for the Bisons, connecting on 21 homers in 392 plate appearances. The Jays selected his contract at the beginning of August. Schneider showed no signs of slowing down, tearing apart major league pitching over his first 35 games. He hit .276/.404/.603 with eight longballs in 143 trips to the plate. That breakout showing makes Schneider a difficult player to value. The Jays (or any other team) certainly wont expect him to continue hitting at an MVP-level pace. MLB pitchers are going to adjust to Schneider over the course of a full season. His excellent bottom line results belied some swing-and-miss issues in his first big league look. Schneider made contact on 64.9% of his swings, well below the 76.4% league average. At the same time, Schneider could be an above-average hitter even if he takes a significant step back from his late-season level. Hes a career .253/.373/.463 hitter in parts of six minor league campaigns. Schneider has shown a very patient plate approach throughout his pro career, which he carried into his MLB time. (His contact problems were tied to whiffs within the zone as opposed to a propensity to chase off the plate.) Things are perhaps murkier on the other side of the ball. Schneider has primarily played second and third base in the minors; he spent more time at the former position in his brief MLB look. Toronto has question marks at both positions thanks to the free agencies of Whit Merrifield and Matt Chapman. Schneider is seen as more of a bat-first player, however. Toronto still has Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal as multi-positional infielders and figures to add an infielder via free agency or trade. Theyve shown interest in Chapman and Jeimer Candelario, for example. The Jays have no urgency to trade Schneider from a financial or roster perspective. He has all three minor league options remaining and wont reach arbitration for three years. Its likely that any trade talks are mostly a matter of due diligence to gauge whether theres an opportunity for a sell-high move which the front office couldnt refuse. 10:20pm: The Mets and White Sox appear to be the two finalists for Feddes services, Feinsand reports (on X). It is expected that the righty will agree to terms by tomorrow. 4:42pm: Free agent right-hander Erick Fedde is nearing agreement on a two-year deal with an unspecified team, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (X link). The 2023 KBO MVP is expected to surpass $5MM annually on his upcoming contract. If the deal is completed, Fedde will return to the majors after one season in South Korea. The 30-year-old turned in an excellent year for the NC Dinos, allowing 2.00 earned runs per nine across 180 1/3 innings. He struck out an excellent 29.5% of batters faced while walking under 5% of opposing hitters. The 18th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Fedde had spent his entire MLB career with the Nationals. The UNLV product appeared on the back end of Top 100 prospect lists prior to his big league debut midway through the 2017 campaign. He missed time the following season with shoulder inflammation and bounced between Washington and Triple-A in 2019. Fedde carved out a spot in the Nats rotation during the shortened 2020 campaign. Hed hold that role for the next three seasons, combining to log 310 2/3 innings over 67 appearances between 2020-22. The results werent great, as he posted a 5.42 ERA with a middling 18.1% strikeout rate. The Nationals declined to tender him an arbitration contract last offseason, setting the stage for his move to the KBO. The dominant showing in a generally hitter-friendly foreign league set the stage for a quick return to the majors. In addition to the improved performance, it seems he overhauled his pitch mix. Fedde told Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post in August that hed developed more horizontal action on his slider and tweaked the grip on his changeup. That altered arsenal has clearly intrigued a few teams, as reports indicated Fedde was receiving interest from multiple MLB clubs this winter. 4:18pm: It is indeed a minor league deal, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, with an invitation to camp. 1:00pm: Infielder Erik Gonzalez has signed with the Reds, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. There are no details but its presumably a minor league deal. Gonzalez, now 32, signed a minors deal with the White Sox last offseason. He spent the 2023 season playing for Triple-A Charlotte, getting into 131 games for that club. He hit .272/.322/.360 in that time for a wRC+ of 72 while playing second base, third base and shortstop. Though he didnt get called up to the big leagues at any point in 2023, he has 352 games of major league experience. He served part-time roles in each season from 2016 to 2022, suiting up with Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Miami. He hasnt hit much in that time, with a career batting line of just .242/.276/.340 but hes been a solid glove-first utility option. Hes received strong marks for his defense at all four infield positions and has even played the outfield on occasion. The Reds are already loaded with young infielders, as some combination of Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, Spencer Steer, Jonathan India and Christian Encarnacion-Strand will be looking for regular playing time while Jose Barrero will likely be in line for a bench role. But injuries are inevitable over a long season and you never know when depth will be needed. The Reds also added Mark Mathias on a minor league deal earlier today and Gonzalez joins him as a non-roster depth option. THOMPSONVILLE, MI - Anglers and environmentalists who are cheering the Arctic graylings return to Michigan waters - nearly a century after the once-plentiful fish vanished - now have something special to pour when theyre toasting the comeback. Iron Fish Distillery will offer a limited release of its bottles in its Arctic Grayling Whiskey Series beginning Saturday, Dec. 9. Iron Fish has been a supporter of the Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative that is working to bring back the species in Michigan. The popular distillery in Thompsonville will also be hosting free, DNR-led information sessions on the grayling restoration effort on Dec. 9. Presentations at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. that day will feature Ed Eisch, the fisheries assistant chief for the Department of Natural Resources. Eisch will give people an update on the Arctic graylings reintroduction efforts, followed by a Q&A session with a limited-seat audience. If you plan to attend this event, just RSVP through Eventbrite. Saturday is also onsite pick-up day for those who have ordered their Arctic Grayling Whiskey. Aged five years, this special release includes 95% Iron Fish Distillery estate-grown rye and 5% Northern Michigan barley malted at the Great Lakes Malting Company in Traverse City. In 2018, we set aside a few barrels of estate farm grown rye whiskey. We finally bottled that rye and labeled it with a design donated by Michigan artist Dani Knoph, Iron Fish staff said in a recent social media post announcing the limited release. Two hundred bottles of Arctic Grayling Rye Whiskey, aged over five years, will be released on Saturday Dec. 9 starting at noon. Each bottle is signed and numbered and can be purchased on site or reserved for pick up only, at the distillery by emailing grayling@ironfishdistillery.com. The whiskeys label features Knophs hand-drawn grayling print. The story of Michigans lost grayling is a comeback story - full of hope, challenge, science, and partnership. said Knoph. Restoring Michigans wild grayling encourages us to learn from the past, evaluate the present and define the future. From Montana and Alaska to Michigan, many people are caring for this native species. It gives me hope, its the Native American Seven Generations principle at work. For more details about the staggered release times for these special whiskey bottles, the price, and donation guidelines, check the distillerys Facebook post here. To date, more than $8,000 has been raised for the Iron Fish Arctic Grayling Fund. This money goes to support research being done at Michigan State University, and costs for the reintroduction process. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and more than 40 other partners are working to reintroduce the Arctic grayling to Michigan waters.Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michigan wildlife officials earlier this year approved catch-and-release rules for grayling. So far, the fish have been stocked in two Upper Peninsula lakes, as well as one lake in Manistee County. The exact locations have not been released. Efforts to restore the grayling began in 2016, and the first adult fish were stocked this year. This created more hatchery space for the smaller graylings being raised by the DNR. The 2019 year-class of arctic grayling are starting to mature and we can only maintain so many of them per raceway as they get bigger, and so we need to move some out of those systems, Jay Wesley, Lake Michigan basin coordinator for the DNR fisheries division, told MLive earlier this year ahead of the stocking effort. Our idea is that well stock adult grayling in certain lakes, which would create kind of an instant fishery, Wesley said. The Arctic grayling second-year class was brought to Michigan from Alaska during spring 2021. The eggs have since hatched and are growing at the Oden State Fish Hatchery in Emmet County. The Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative has been working since 2016 to reintroduce this native fish into the state's cold-water streams after nearly a century of absence.Michigan Department of Natural Resources The DNR has been using grayling eggs from Alaska to bring back Michigans grayling stock. A hatchery team in the U.P. is doing this work, and ultimately the plan is to have the DNR plant grayling eggs in cold-water tributaries so later those that become adult fish will return there to spawn. The first efforts to save the grayling occurred more than a century ago, when their numbers were waning. Habitat loss was a problem for them then. So was logging across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Add in overfishing and the appearance of non-native trout, and the grayling had vanished by the mid-1930s. DETROIT -- Two months after a pedestrian was dragged by an autonomous vehicle operating as part of the Cruise robotaxi service, regulators in California are accusing the company of hiding the severity of the crash. According to the Associated Press, Cruise -- which is owned by General Motors -- has been ordered to appear at a Feb. 6 evidentiary hearing to determine if the company misled investigators about the events surrounding the Oct. 2 accident and if a fine is necessary. In particular, regulators are concerned about a video that allegedly shows the crash with the pedestrian and that the car dragged the person more than 20 feet at a speed of seven miles per hour after hitting them . Initially, a regulatory analyst was told on Oct. 3 that the car came to an immediate stop after hitting the pedestrian, however that does not appear to be true. Documents filed by the California Public Utilities Commission say the video was not turned over to investigators until Oct. 19. The commission says the failure to provide the video in a timely manner means the alleged cover-up spanned 15 days and exposes the company to fines of up to $100,000 per day. The accident happened when a pedestrian was hit by a car that was being driven by a person. The pedestrian was sent into the path of the Cruise vehicle, which also hit them. After hitting the victim, the autonomous vehicle attempted to pull over, but did not recognize the victim was under the car and drove approximately 20 feet before stopping and pinning the injured victim underneath. The pedestrian suffered critical injuries in the crash. GM recalled the entire fleet of Cruise vehicles roughly one month after the crash and just weeks after the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended the companys license to operate in the state. Liz Cheney, the far-right former lawmaker from Wyoming with one of the most conservative voting records in the Senate, says she is considering running for President on a third-party ticket because she feels Trump is a threat to democracy. "Several years ago, I would not have contemplated a third-party run," she told The Washington Post on Monday. However, "I believe democracy is at risk at home, obviously, as a result of Donald Trump's continued grip on the Republican Party, and I think democracy is at risk internationally as well." Cheney told USA Today, "I think that the situation we're in is so grave, and the politics of the moment require independents, Republicans, and Democrats to come together in a way that can help form a new coalition, so that may well be a third-party option." CBS asked Cheney this weekend if she'd prefer Democrats to win in 2025, and she said, "I believe very strongly in the principles and ideals that have defined the Republican Party, but the Republican Party of today has made a choice and they haven't chosen the Constitution, and so I do think it presents a threat if the Republicans are in the majority in January 2025." MADISON HEIGHTS, MI A Michigan man is facing a list of felony charges related to sex crimes against a 12-year-old girl, and police believe there could be more victims, WXYZ Detroit reports. The 30-year-old man from Madison Heights is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, victim under 13, which is punishable by up to life in prison, the report said. The charge involves sexual penetration. Other charges include child sexually abusive activity, using a computer to commit a crime and possession of child sexually abusive material. The suspect and victim were acquaintances, and communicated through Instagram, Snapchat and text messages, police said. He allegedly asked the victim for explicit photos and sent explicit photos of himself to her. He is currently lodged in the Macomb County Jail on an unrelated charge, police said. Anyone with information related to this case, or who may be a victim of sexual abuse is asked to call Madison Heights Police at 248-585-2100. Ten people were arrested after authorities uncovered an elaborate cockfighting operation that included stadium seating and concessions in Alabama thanks to a confidential tip. The arrests in Grand Bay included Darrel Zemon Jackson, whose property was used for the cockfighting ring, the Mobile County Sheriffs Office told Fox 10. Jackson and nine others were arrested after sheriffs deputies were led to the property last summer. Last week, Jackson, 64 pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals. He admitted to earning $200 for each cockfighting event at his property, the sheriffs office said. Jacksons attorney claimed to Fox 10 that his client was not involved in gambling and did not earn a percentage of any bets placed on the roosters that fought in the Grand Bay arena. The sheriffs office said the operation included stadium-style seating and concessions such as hot dogs and chicken fingers. The agency believes the ring also operates in Louisiana and Mississippi. More than 60 roosters were recovered from the operation and taken to animal control to be rehomed. Its a 10-hour, two-meal round-trip drive to Michigans Upper Peninsula to buy marijuana for some folks. But the pot pilgrims dont mind. Its a pretty drive. Surrounded by vast fields of grass and fall-colored trees offsetting green pines on a recent October day, two middle-aged Minnesotans wearing jeans walked out of Glazed and Confused, one of the only businesses in Mastodon, a 700-person U.P. town along the Wisconsin border. An occasional semi blows by on U.S. 2. One of the two men is carrying a box. Inside are sealed bags of commercial cannabis flower and THC vaping cartridges worth hundreds of dollars. Its closer than Colorado, said one of the gravelly-voiced men. The two dont want to share their names. The plants historically bad reputation lingers despite it being legal in Michigan since 2018 and since August in their home state of Minnesota, where shops arent expected to open until 2025. The men represent the target market for Michigan marijuana stores sprouting up along the fringes of the western U.P. -- out-of-staters. Weed has become a big business along the border. Theres a battle for market share and large quantities of commercial marijuana entering neighboring states -- especially Wisconsin -- where the plant remains illegal. While its creating opportunity for business, its creating problems, too. In small towns like Menominee, to the south of Mastodon, for instance, infighting over licensing has led to lawsuits. Its also become a risky trip for some of the marijuana migrants who come to Michigan. While possession in Michigan is legal, cops just across the border in Wisconsin are ticketing customers, at a cost of up to $450, as soon as they cross the state line with their purchases. But thousands of customers like the two men from Minnesota take the risk. Its like that kid-in-a-candy-shop feeling for an adult, one of the men said. I just picked up an ounce for under $100. Even on the street, they cant really compete with that. Glazed and Confused Glazed and Confused opened in January 2021 in a building constructed as a dance hall after World War II. The entrance features a decades-old curvy bar with vinyl-covered swivel stools. A red-lettered sign above the door that once read, "Bev's Supper Club" has been replaced with a banner depicting a stoned donut character holding a cup of coffee with drooping, bloodshot eyes named Weedy McWeedface, the marijuana shop's award-winning mascot. Its the only marijuana shop in Mastodon Township, a place named, according to lore, after prehistoric bones found there during the construction of a mine shaft in the 1800s. On the wall is a U.S. map impaled with red, yellow, purple and orange pins designating customers hometowns. There are so many poked through Wisconsin that the state is no longer visible. Representatives from marijuana shops who spoke with MLive estimated up to 85% of sales were to customers from Wisconsin. A smaller percentage come over from Minnesota. A smattering percolate up from Illinois, where shoppers say quality is sometimes lacking, selection is limited. Theyre coming from everywhere, said Tara Povich, an executive assistant at Rize, about 90 miles to the south in Menominee. Even (from) Illinois, because their taxes are so high. In Illinois, excise taxes range up to 25%, more than double the 10% charged in Michigan. Multiple larger marijuana companies have offered to buy Glazed and Confused, but Dan Rosek, who owns the marijuana shop with his wife and uncle, keeps turning them down. Rosek has adapted with the changing laws. He started as a caregiver growing marijuana for patients after it was legalized for medical use in 2008. After Michigan OKed recreational marijuana five years ago, but before commercial stores were legal, he ran a gift shop out of the current building. The father of four, who originally moved to the area to care for his grandfather with Alzheimer's in 2003, points to some poker chips with "U.P." printed on them. "When recreational first came through, they said you could give it away for free, but you couldn't sell it," Rosek says. "You'd buy that piece of artwork from us and then we'd give you a free eighth." The money from those sales helped pay for renovations and other costs required to eventually get a legitimate marijuana retailer license. Below is a map of all the retail marijuana locations along the Wisconsin / Michigan border. Many locations are so close together the plots sit on top of each other. Zoom into an area to see all locations. Shops on the border There are 730 recreational marijuana retail licenses active in all of Michigan as of October. In all, 15 marijuana shops like Glazed and Confused have opened in the U.P. along the Wisconsin border since September 2020. The former lumber and mining towns have fewer than 30,000 combined residents, yet, money is pouring in, creating good jobs, tax revenue and transforming buildings some old auto shops, banks, offices and restaurants into marijuana destinations. Unlike the independently-owned Glazed and Confused, most stores are chains backed by multi-million-dollar investors hoping to generate many more millions from their chunk of Michigans growing $3 billion marijuana industry. "The border, that's where it's at, for sure," said Povich of Rize. The Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) doesn't release store-specific sales figures, but based on industry-wide September revenue, retailers were averaging more than $350,000 in sales per month, which equates to $5.25 million monthly for 15 stores or $63 million a year. Crossing state lines All day, out-of-state license plates trickle in and out of the large parking lot at Glazed and Confused, just a half-mile from the mostly untouched Brule River, a line of demarcation for marijuana prohibition. On the other side of the bridge is Wisconsin, where police still issue citations for marijuana possession. Tickets range from about $250 to $450, depending on the county. Theyre doubled if police or their sniffing dogs find pipes, rolling papers or other paraphernalia. A nearly 13-mile stretch of U.S. 2 cuts through Wisconsins Florence County before re-entering Michigan. "You can go on U.S. 2 and stop people all day long and they're going to have weed on them," said Florence County Chief Deputy T.J. Peterson. "There's dispensaries on both ends." Florence Countys eight road patrol deputies cover 500 square miles in the zero-stoplight county and have issued an increasing number of marijuana citations each year since 2020, when the first shop arrived in the U.P. Deputies issued 78 citations that usually cost $263.50 in fines and fees through Oct. 23 of this year, compared to a total of four in 2019, according to court records reviewed by MLive. Florence County Sheriff Teresa Chrisman said deputies enforce all Wisconsin laws, including cannabis violations, but marijuana is not a top priority. "We have bigger fish to fry," she said, citing the county's issues with more devastating street drugs, like meth, heroin and fentanyl. "I think citizens just roll the dice and say, I'm going to Michigan and getting my product and coming back through," Chrisman said. "I think there's probably some people that don't have a clue whether they're in Wisconsin or Michigan." Locals approve Despite problems for police in Wisconsin and court wranglings in Michigan, most locals interviewed by MLive appreciate the new shops. At the Infield Bar and Pizzeria in Crystal Falls about 10 miles northwest from Mastodon sits 71-year-old Dave Boyle. He talks about his service in the military, working as a lifeguard in Venice Beach, California, taking low-paying factory jobs in Milwaukee and time spent in Key West, Florida, before moving 17 years ago to the U.P. because of affordable real estate. Boyle has seen people persecuted for using marijuana. He's happy it's now legal and available at commercial businesses a few buildings away. "It brings business here," Boyle says. "They stop and have a beer before they go back to Wisconsin or whatever they do. Thats a full-time business there. Winter is tough up here. No one comes up and a lot of businesses are hurting, so it helps. Bartender Sommer Ketola overhears Boyle talking and breaks in with a thick Yooper accent: "They always send people here on Sundays, and I'd say our Sundays went up 20% since they started." Ketola said the shops in town, the Outpost and Higher Love, also offer well-paying jobs. "Higher Love hired a lot of locals, a lot who were friends of mine -- of all us bartenders," Ketola said. "We love it when a Higher Love crew comes in because we're friends, graduated together." Shops MLive visited usually employed between 15 to 25 workers, among them former nurse's assistants, retail store managers, a police dispatcher and prior customers. Further south in Menominee, 47-year-old, flannel-wearing lumberyard worker Jamie Dalluge is bellied up at Jozwiak's Bar and Grill sipping beer from a pint glass and awaiting his food order. "I think a lot of the establishments knew there was good chunk of money to be made in Menominee," he says. Dalluge said marijuana customers were passing through Menominee en route to Escanaba, where three shops operate, or heading north to Crystal Falls and Iron Mountain. He recently returned from a road trip to Luxemburg, Wisconsin. He must have passed 20 to 25 billboard advertisements for Michigan marijuana stores, he said. Dalluge thinks the projected eight shops in Menominee may be overkill, but he doesn't think residents are angry about it. "For all these cannabis companies, it's like, come on up to Michigan, bring us your money, we'll gladly take it," Dalluge said. "That's the biggest thing, is the Wisconsin money that is raising revenue in Michigan I really don't see it being a problem, except for maybe the traffic." Wisconsin laws The biggest threat to the future of marijuana businesses along the U.P. border is legalization by the Wisconsin legislature. State Democrats are ready to legalize; Republicans, who have the majority, are not, said Jay Selthofner, the founder of Northern Wisconsin NORML, a national organization that seeks to legalize marijuana. Some Wisconsin leaders want to stop marijuana revenue from escaping to other places, like the U.P., and eliminate penalties that the American Civil Liberties Union says disproportionately affect Black residents. Two marijuana legalization bills have failed to pass in Wisconsin since 2019, despite polls that reflect strong support for legalization. The latest attempt by Democrats to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use was put forth in September. It will bring us in line with our neighbors and create countless opportunities to grow our economy and attract people to our state, said Wisconsin state Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, who co-sponsored the legislation. Right now, we are seeing our hard-earned money go across the border to Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota to the tune of tens of millions of dollars each year. While he likes the sentiment, Selthofner doubts the bills will ever see a floor vote. Even if it does legalize statewide, several Wisconsin counties have already passed ordinances preemptively banning marijuana shops in their communities. That's good news for Michigan. But some say it's just a matter of time. Its always a concern (of) when Wisconsin is going to open for all of our stores, said Povich, the executive assistant at Rize. (The stores) would definitely quiet down. We think we have a little bit of time with that, so well just keep growing and chugging away, I guess. Editors note: This story was updated Wednesday, Dec. 6 with information from the restaurants owner. ANN ARBOR, MI -- A popular restaurant known for serving up Greek food has closed in downtown Ann Arbor while owing around $39,000 to its landlord, according to district court records. As of Monday, Dec. 4, KouZina Greek Street Foods sign was no longer hanging from the building at 332 S. Main St. The inside appears empty. The restaurant opened its location in the former Middle Kingdom space back in 2016, according to prior MLive reporting. The business was known for serving menu items like gyro bowls, spinach pies and Greek salads. KouZina Greek Street Food also operates another location in Royal Oak. Owner Bobby Laskaris said the business left its location following the end of its lease. He stated the high rent for the property, lack of support during the COVID-19 pandemic and road closures were to blame. But court records show KouZina Ann Arbor LLC was recently taken to court by its landlord, Ann Arbor Main Street Real Estate LLC, regarding its location at 332 S. Main St. An invoice from Ann Arbor Main Street Real Estate, LLC dated for Nov. 8 lists rent for September and October, late fees, a water utility bill and a solid waste bill were not paid, the records show. On Nov. 28, 15th District Court by Chief Judge Karen Quinlan Valvo ruled the landlord has the right to recover its South Main property and that $39,239.61 is due from KouZina Ann Arbor LLC for nonpayment of rent and other money due under the lease, according to the records. The judge ruled Ann Arbor Main Street Real Estate LLC can apply for an order evicting KouZina from the space if the business does not pay the amount due or does not move out on or before Friday, Dec 8, records show. Laskaris said he still hopes to find a new location in Ann Arbor, but will continue the restaurants catering efforts in the meantime. James Fink, the attorney representing the landlord, did not respond to message left seeking comment. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. YPSILANTI, MI - Ypsilanti Community Schools middle school students will attend classes on the districts east side next fall after its school board approved moving students back into the former Willow Run Middle School. The school board approved transitioning middle school students back to the former Willow Run Middle School, 235 Spencer Lane by a 4-0 vote during its meeting on Monday, Dec. 4. District administrators and the Ypsilanti School Board previously discussed the move during a meeting on Nov. 6, noting it was the recommendation of the boards financial and operational subcommittee to move middle schools back to the former Willow Run Middle School. YCS operated its middle school out of the Willow Run facility from the time Ypsilanti Public Schools and Willow Run Community Schools merged in 2013, until students were moved to the former East Middle School, 510 Emerick St., for the 2018-19 school year. The current Ypsilanti Community Middle School was built in 1959 and has approximately 89,000 square feet of space to accommodate approximately 660 students, YCS Director of Facilities Management Aaron Rose said. Moving to the Willow Run facility would provide an additional 87,000 square feet of space for about 165 more students in a facility that was built in 2004. Moving to the Willow Run building also would provide more space for growth in a facility that is expected to be more conducive to STEAM education opportunities with a larger square footage and room for flexible seating, Rose said. YCS is targeting the move for fall 2024. Speaking before the board Monday, Rose said it will cost approximately $1.5 million to transition the Willow Run building back to fit the needs of its current student population. Some costs will include upgrading the network and wiring in the building. RELATED: Ypsilanti schools considering move back to Willow Run Middle School building The district must conduct a request for proposals to implement new technology and flexible seating into the Willow Run building before making a move, as well as reimagine how learning spaces are configured, Zachery-Ross said. That will likely be done by January at the latest, with the scheduling of contractors taking place in April. Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross said the move to a new building will be aided by $14 million in federal grant funding over the next five years to expand its International Baccalaureate programming, currently only available to elementary students, to the middle. We already know what weve been able to see with (International Baccalaureate) at (Ypsilanti International Elementary School), Zachery Ross said. What are we going to be able to see now that (these programs) are systemic? The board committee indicated the Willow Run building would be more conducive to creating maker spaces and flexible seating needed to implement an IB curriculum. Beyond that, the move would give YCS a presence in the Willow Run community on the east side of the district that has been neglected post-consolidation. Board member Gillian Gainsley said she is excited to have students back in a gorgeous building that hasnt been used in recent years. I just cannot wait to have our students in that library with their brand new books from some of the grants that weve gotten, Gainsley said. Its just an incredibly exciting opportunity to get back into that beautiful building. So, Im really enthusiastic about the opportunities to get parents in there. Ypsilanti Community Middle School Principal Charles Davis said while many current teachers and staff arent familiar with the Willow Run building, those who used to work there are excited to be heading back next fall. We have people in our building whove never been to the Willow Run campus and then we have a lot of teachers who worked there before the consolidation, and they moved six years ago, Davis said. One of the things that we had to do is ask them how do they feel? The beauty of that is everyone who worked there before cant wait to go back. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- Eleven people have filed paperwork and announced they want to be considered to fill a vacant seat on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. The vacancy happened when Kyle Terpstra, representing Georgetown Township precincts 9-17, announced his resignation Nov. 16. Terpstra was not among a majority faction of commissioners affiliated with an ultra-conservative group called Ottawa Impact. The board has made several controversial decisions since Ottawa Impact members took office in January. Related: Ottawa County Commissioner resigns due to significant changes in personal, professional life Those to announce their intention to be appointed for Terpstras spot are the following: Joel Buck, Kelley Coll, George Edwin Pio, Shawn Haff, Caden Hembrough, Lynn Janson, Joseph Parnell McCarter, Daniel Scripsema, David Van Kley, Roger Vanderklok and Kendra Wenzel. Ottawa County commissioners are expected to meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5 to vote on which five candidates to interview. Related: Moderate Republican on Ottawa County board wont seek reelection The candidates will be interviewed Dec. 8, with a final decision on the selection by Dec. 12. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Amid a lawsuit alleging he discriminated against a prospective employee, Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs wants to give his office more control over the hiring process and have the final say on who is hired by the county. The proposed policy change put forward by Gibbs would also allow him and the county board to directly hire whoever they want for an open position without further approvals, sidelining the countys department heads and Human Resources Department. Those unilateral hiring decisions are to be used only for certain strategic positions or leadership positions, according to a memo from Gibbs to the county board on the proposed changes. The proposed policy, however, does not enshrine that restriction. The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners Planning and Policy Committee on Tuesday, Dec. 5, will consider those proposed changes to the countys Employee Selection Policy. The committee will also consider changes to three other existing county policies and a new policy that would reimburse county employees obtaining or renewing their concealed pistol license. If approved Tuesday, the changes will be forwarded to the full board for final approval. The proposed hiring policy changes comes as the county faces an age discrimination lawsuit on allegations that Gibbs opted to hire an underqualified employee for his executive aide because he was younger than the more qualified candidate and could therefore be bossed around. Related: Underqualified candidate got Ottawa County job based on age discrimination, lawsuit claims The suit was filed by Ryan Kimball, 49-year-old retired battalion officer with the Michigan Army National Guard. Jordan Epperson, 23, was ultimately hired for the role, despite concerns from the hiring committee about his lack of qualifications and Gibbs alleged comments desiring Epperson for the role because he was younger and could be bossed around, according to previous testimony from former Deputy Ottawa County Administrator Patrick Waterman. Human Resources Director Marcie VerBeek was part of that hiring committee and testified during a special Ottawa County Board meeting in late October that she sent Gibbs an email expressing concerns about unlawful age discrimination. In general, Gibbs proposed changes to the countys Employee Selection Policy largely has his office supplanting the countys Human Resources Department in the recruitment, screening, interviewing and hiring process for prospective county employees. The Human Resources Department is mostly sidelined during the hiring process unless Gibbs office delegates a specific role to them or signs off on their actions. Its a large change from the current setup, where human resources staff give final approvals on hires, are responsible for establishing recruitment guidelines, interview candidates with the employee selection manager, complete reference checks, determine further candidate evaluations, and, along with the selection manager, recommend a person to be hired. Gibbs changes in some instances remove the department from those roles and in others require his office to sign off on allowing the department to be a part of those processes. Under the proposed changes, final approval for hiring all staff must be sought and obtained from Gibbs office, which may coordinate with the Human Resources Department in making that hiring decision. Currently, the Human Resources Department makes that final approval. Gibbs wrote to commissioners that this change would increase accountability in the hiring process, but he didnt say how. Among the additional, proposed policy changes being considered Tuesday, Gibbs would be allowed to discipline any county employee at any time. Currently, only supervisors or managers are allowed to discipline an employee. Only for rare, exceptional cases where discipline cannot be provided by the employees chain of supervision, Gibbs wrote to commissioners of the change. Otherwise, discipline will proceed as it currently does. The rule about Gibbs only administering discipline in rare, exceptional cases is not enshrined in the proposed policy. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A proposed policy change by Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs to consolidate county hiring decisions to his office has been tabled amid concerns about the legality of the move. The policy change was among several being considered Tuesday, Dec. 5, by the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners Planning and Policy Committee for initial approval. Others included reimbursing county employees for concealed pistol license fees and allowing all county employees to carry guns on the job. But before discussion on the policies and votes to move them to the full board for consideration could take place, questions were raised about whether the countys legal counsel had fully vetted the policies. Gibbs said corporate counsel had reviewed them, but Ottawa County Corporate Counsel Jack Jordan said his office hadnt reviewed the latest versions and advised the board to table them until that review could take place. I still think at the end of the day, it would be best served to table those remaining policies until weve had a deep dive in them, Jordan said. There may be things in there that are not legal, or there are concerns, so to vote on them would be premature, I think. Thats why Im suggesting tabling them. Not to say that you cant have a discussion, you should have a full discussion, robust discussion. County commissioner Doug Zlystra made a motion to table the policy changes pending corporate counsel review. It passed by a 5-4 vote in a rare failure by the ultraconservative majority faction on the board called Ottawa Impact, whose leadership on Tuesday advocated to discuss and vote on the policy changes and then have corporate counsel review them. Commissioners Rebekah Curran, Zylstra, Lucy Ebel, Roger Bergman and Jacob Bonnema all voted to table the policies. All but Zlystra are Republicans, and only Ebel belongs to Ottawa Impact. Board Vice Chair Sylvia Rhodea and commissioners Joe Moss, Allison Miedema and Roger Belknap voted against tabling the policies. All belong to Ottawa Impact. Commissioner Gretchen Cosby attended the meeting remotely, and therefore could not cast a vote. Ottawa County Board Chair Moss, who leads Ottawa Impact, tried to frame the vote as shutting down discussion. It kind of sounds to me like from some of the comments here Im hearing a desire for a new policy from kind of the more liberal end of this bench that they would prefer (human resources) and legal approve everything we talk about before we talk about it, so Im opposed to it, Moss said. Related: John Gibbs proposes consolidating Ottawa County hiring decisions to his office Those who voted for the pause didnt address the content of the proposed policies but said they wanted to ensure what was being talked about and voted on was something that could be legally acted upon. There have been instances in the past where we have had conversations where we didnt know which direction we could go, and I think that this could be one of those situations, Curran said. So why wouldnt we just take it off the agenda and then find out what we can legally do before we move forward and make sure that we are doing it with the correct legal guidance, versus having conversations that wont matter because its not legal. All of the proposed policy revisions tabled Tuesday were put forward by Gibbs, who was installed by the Ottawa Impact majority board on Jan. 3. One of the proposed policy changes would allow county employees to carry guns while on the job and also allow Gibbs to discipline any county employee at any time. Another would see the county reimburse concealed pistol license (CPL) fees for county employees. Gibbs billed the CPL reimbursement policy as a way to attract employees and help keep Ottawa County safe. But by far the largest policy revision proposed by Gibbs was to the countys employee selection policy. In general, Gibbs is proposing to have his office supplant the countys human resources department in the recruitment, screening, interviewing and hiring process for prospective county employees. Under the change, department heads would be required to come to Gibbs instead of the human resources department for a final sign-off before hiring any employee. Gibbs wrote to commissioners that having him, not human resources, approve all hires would increase accountability in the hiring process, but he didnt say how. The changes would also allow Gibbs and the county board to directly hire whoever they want for an open position without further approvals, sidelining the countys department heads and human resources department. Those unilateral hiring decisions are to be used only for certain strategic positions or leadership positions, according to a memo from Gibbs to the county board on the proposed changes. The proposed policy, however, does not enshrine that restriction. The proposed hiring policy changes comes as the county faces an age discrimination lawsuit on allegations that Gibbs opted to hire an underqualified employee as his executive aide because he was younger than the more qualified candidate and could therefore be bossed around. The introduction of the policies Tuesday was met with confusion about what policies corporate counsel had already vetted, when they did so and if there were any legal concerns about the policies. After Gibbs introduced the first of the policy changes one which would require a simple majority of the board, not a two-thirds majority, to change a policy Zylstra asked him whether the policies had been reviewed by corporate counsel, saying he heard they hadnt been reviewed. Gibbs pushed back and said all of the policies, save the first one he just introduced, were sent to corporate counsel for review in June 2023. Zylstra then asked if those policies sent for legal review in June are the same versions as the one the board was currently reviewing. Yes, basically, Gibbs responded. Theres only minor changes from what I sent at that time. It wasnt clear how much the policies had changed since June. Jordan said he reviewed the policies in June and July and had some concerns. He then sought an outside review from an attorney specializing in employment law. After consulting with him, some of the same concerns were raised and we voiced those concerns, Jordan said without specifying the concerns or which policy they stemmed from. Nothing more happened with the policies until the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, when they were sent again to Jordan for review. Without having reviewed the latest versions, Jordan recommended the board pause consideration. KALAMAZOO, MI -- The Kalamazoo Public Schools Board of Education approved a handful of purchases at its Thursday, Nov. 30 board meeting. The funds will support new buses, new paneling at Kalamazoo Central High School and new cameras in elementary schools. 05.12.2023 LISTEN Ghanaian international model Hamamat Beauty bagged two prestigious awards at the 2023 Afro Hair Culture and Beauty Festival held in Abuja, Nigeria. Hamamat, who stole the spotlight with her thrilling and amazing looks, emerged victorious, winning the Best Beauty Influencer and the Special Industry Recognition Awards, toppling an array of competitors from other African countries. The event, known for its discerning panel of judges and high standards, provided the perfect platform for African beauty brands to showcase not only their outer radiance but also their unique charm and poise. The competition was fierce, with participants from all corners of Africa's beauty industry vying for the coveted title, which showcased not only a commitment to beauty but also a deep understanding of the artistry that defines the modern era of glamour. As part of the 20 best beauty brands in Africa, Hamamat Beauty now joins the ranks of influential figures in the beauty industry, solidifying their status as a trendsetter and inspiration for aspiring beauty enthusiasts. This triumph serves as a testament to Hamamat's dedication, hard work, and passion for the world of beauty, encapsulating the essence of what it means to be a true icon in the industry. In the wake of this remarkable achievement, Hamamat expressed gratitude for the support received from family, friends, and mentors who have been instrumental in shaping her journey. She added that the triumph does not only belong to her but also resonates with those who have been part of her inspiring story. "As the spotlight shines brighter, the victory at the African Beauty Summit is not just a win for an individual but a celebration of beauty in all its diverse forms," she said. Hamamat has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the beauty landscape in the sheabutter industry by showing how her business not only supports local women in her village but also builds a sustainable community for African children. Shanghai presented its annual Magnolia Silver Awards to 50 outstanding foreigners from 15 countries on Sunday, in recognition of their contributions to the city's development and international exchanges. Kong Fu'an, director-general of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office, conferred the medals and certificates to the recipients at a ceremony held at the Bellagio Shanghai. Kong said that as an international, innovative and inclusive city, Shanghai has taken the lead in achieving Chinese-style modernization. In the process, foreigners, foreign-invested enterprises and foreign institutions in the city have been "not only witnesses, but also active participants and contributors". In his speech, Kong named a few recipients, including Singaporean Anu Rathninde, Asia-Pacific president of Johnson Controls, for his active contribution as a member of the International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai to help the city optimize its business environment. Kong also credited Nicolas Jean Francois Vix from France for his efforts to promote green finance, renminbi internationalization and one-stop cross-border financial services since he became the president of Credit Agricole (China). The director-general praised Robert Cristian Mitrofan, chief representative of the Romanian Federation of Industry and Commerce in China, for his commitment to boosting trade cooperation and business governance and building an economic and trade bridge between China and Romania. Kong also mentioned Christopher John Guzy, chief technology officer at Shanghai Refire Group, for his leadership in the construction of China's first domestic fuel cell stack production line in Shanghai and the localization of its key components. Guzy hails from the United States. Also among the recipients was Dutch entrepreneur Joost Vlaanderen, who has led Mondelez International in actively participating in Shanghai's support for poverty alleviation in Honghe prefecture, Yunnan province. "You use your talents, enthusiasm and dedication to bring openness, vitality, prosperity and progress to Shanghai, making this city a better place," Kong said. Alexander Rhys Gregg-Smith, senior vice-president at Bureau Veritas, a leading company in the global shipping industry, thanked the Shanghai government and people for the honor as he spoke on behalf of the recipients. "The Magnolia Award is more than a mere medal or title, it is a symbol of the enthusiastic support and warm welcome consistently felt in this truly international megacity," said Gregg-Smith, who is from the United Kingdom. The fact that the recipients, including seven female honorees, come from diverse backgrounds and sectors, "is a true reflection of the inclusive, diverse and dynamic qualities that make up Shanghai, a city that not only opens its arms to global talent and businesses but also provides fertile ground enabling them to flourish, grow and succeed", he added. Shen Dinggang, a Chinese American, was another award winner who spoke with China Daily about his reciprocated experience in Shanghai. Shen worked overseas, mostly in the US, for more than two decades after completing his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. In 2018, he returned to Shanghai and co-founded United Imaging Intelligence, which has since become a global leader in the manufacturing of advanced intelligent medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment. In 2020, he founded the School of Biomedical Engineering at ShanghaiTech University. Shen attributed the company's rapid growth to Shanghai's optimal environment for the industrial development of artificial intelligence. Shanghai, which is aiming to become an international AI hub, has promulgated a series of policies and provided businesses with a lot of government support. "Shanghai offered me a great education and has in recent years provided me great opportunities to start a business and a new career," Shen said. Shanghai began handing out Magnolia Silver Awards to expats in 1989 and added the Magnolia Gold Award and honorary citizenship in 1992 and 1997, respectively. Altogether, 1,827 foreigners have received these honors over the past 34 years. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz says The Washington Post is "obviously green-lighting assassination" of Donald Trump after the newspaper ran an opinion piece about the dire consequences of a second Trump presidency. His claim is not only unfounded but also a misrepresentation of the article's content and intent. The November 30 Post piece, written by Robert Kagan, is titled "A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending." It predicts, among other things, that a second Trump presidency would result in a dictatorship with a complicit (or powerless) Congress, a supportive (or intimidated) media, and a populace either too fearful or too disengaged to resist. Kagan's article does not mention, imply, or suggest the assassination of Trump or any illegal actions against him. In fact, it does not even provide specific advice or strategies for preventing a Trump victory. The Washington Post publishes a variety of opinion pieces that reflect the views and analyses of their authors, which is a standard practice in journalism and is protected under the First Amendment. In fact, just today, the Post ran an opinion piece by Greg Sargent titled, "Enough with all the fatalism about a Trump dictatorship" that argues against Kagan's forecast. It's far less of a stretch to say that Gaetz is attempting to stifle journalistic freedom than The Washington Post is of calling for the assassination of Trump. 05.12.2023 LISTEN ONErpm, one of the leading independent and forward-thinking music labels and distribution companies in the world, is proud to announce the launch of two new entities, bringing the total number of companies under its umbrella to five, with important changes to ONErpms core business. The first, ONErpm Enterprise Solutions, is a Software as a Service (SAAS) platform that adapts ONErpms proprietary Content Management System (CMS) to cater to the unique needs of record labels and content owners seeking to grow more efficiently. This comprehensive administrative system streamlines digital distribution of music and videos and other essential day-to-day operations, including managing artist marketing campaigns; assigning work tasks to departmental employees; setting up payments; among other activities. The platform empowers companies to efficiently scale operations with transparency and has been a transformative factor for ONErpm since the inception of its CMS in 2019. Since then, ONErpm has experienced a more than fourfold increase in revenues and staff, largely due to economies of scale achieved. We want to partner with like minded companies who need the technology and tools we have developed and fine tuned over the years to take their business to the next level, adds CEO Emmanuel Zunz. We see a need for this service as there are many interesting labels that might struggle to grow in an increasingly competitive environment where having robust tech will give them the competitive edge to succeed. The second company, OFFstep.com, which is Enterprise Solutions first project, is the groups new DIY offering, where independent artists can upload and distribute unlimited releases for as low as $12 per year while retaining 100% of their royalties. At this price point, OFFstep offers the most affordable plan of its kind. As a result, ONErpm will only partner with artists and labels with whom it has forged relationships, and, moving forward, DIY clients will be directed to OFFstep. Throughout its evolution, ONErpm shifted its focus toward offering bespoke solutions to artists and record labels and naturally became a full-service music label and distribution provider. With OFFstep, the company better caters to the needs of DIY customers in a way they have become accustomed to, at the most competitive price point. Upgrades to intermediate and advanced plans that unlock additional features and permissions are also available. Migrating ONErpms basic distribution service to OFFstep has been a long time coming, states Zunz. For years we have invested in marketing personnel and built a global marketing infrastructure that can render services at scale while tackling the challenges of a constantly evolving digital market, Zunz stressed. With the addition of ONErpms publishing division introduced in 2022 and the companys creative arm ONErpm Studios, which oversees recording and video production, ONErpm consists of five distinct entities, each with its unique focus and goals, that share synergies with one another. Collectively the group provides a wider array of flexible and tailor-made services to various stakeholders in the music industry. This includes DIY artists embarking on their careers via OFFstep, emerging and established artists on a strong growth trajectory or record labels needing value-added services from ONErpm, and enterprises in different stages of development that need greater independence and flexibility leveraging ONErpms technology. Enterprise Solutions will also serve as a vehicle for strategic joint ventures with promising entities, as the technology can be combined with financial investments and marketing services. A Name Specialist, Maxwell Jonni, popularly known as Jonni has predicted Dr. Mahmudu Bawumia to win the 2024 general elections. According to him, examining the birth dates of both Dr. Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama, "Bawumia is highly favoured by nature to become president than Mahama." In an interview with DC Kwame Kwakye on GBC Radio Central on Sunday, December 3, 2023, he intimated that "Date of birth determines the cycle of every person in every year. This cycle rotates every nine years and one's life begins again at the end of the ninth year." Examining the date of birth of Dr Mahmudu Bawumia (October 7), he revealed that 2024 becomes the auspicious year for Dr. Bawumia. "This is the year which a lot of good things that would favour him would happen including achieving his long-held ambition of becoming president of the Republic of Ghana", he emphasised. When his attention was drawn to the fact that the economy is not doing quite well and there are a lot of anger among Ghanaians towards the Akufo-Addo's government, Jonni stated, "when the forces of nature favours an individual in a particular year, the physical circumstances and happenings cannot offset it." He added, "2024 favours Alhaji Dr. Mahmudu Bawumia than all other candidates including all those who contested against him during the NPP primaries." The Name Specialist further argued that irrespective of the victory that awaits Dr. Bawumia, he needs to surround himself with people who share in his vision and not those who might sabotage his vision just for pecuniary and selfish purposes. To this, he hinted that Dr. Bawumia must as a matter of urgency find someone who knows more about spiritual matters to assess those around him to determine who can help him achieve his vision. "The right ones are those who are sincere and not those who are interested in only making money. The year is good for him to reap whatever he has sown over the years, whether good or bad." He however hinted that the year would be good for him and anything he has dreamt about and been fighting for is likely to materialise in 2024. "This is the year where something unexpected can come his way. Indeed, someone can gift him something monumental that would amaze him." On John Mahama, Jonni revealed that the former President according to his cycles of life, 2024 would be his adversary year considering his date of birth (November, 29). "Thus, 2024 would be the year where a lot of challenges would bedevil the former president. This makes his chances of ascending the presidency very slim", he affirmed. The Name Specialist indicated that if things go awry than predicted, then, it is probably because the dates of birth put in the public are not the correct ones. "If they are the correct ones, then nothing should change in 2024", he insists. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) stands as the only force capable of bringing progress and prosperity to every corner of Ghana. Speaking in the aftermath of the NPP's parliamentary primaries in orphan constituencies held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, the President emphasized the party's track record. Acknowledging the current challenges faced by the nation, President Akufo-Addo asserted, "With our record in office, we are the Party that can bring progress and prosperity to all parts of our country." Encouraging unity among the winners and losers, the President urged the successful candidates to extend a generous hand to their colleagues and actively engage them in their campaigns to secure victory. He underlined the importance of building a united and formidable front, emphasizing the leadership competence of the party's new presidential candidate, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Through this, we shall create the united, formidable front that, under the leadership of our new, worthy presidential candidate, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will enable us to go into the difficult 2024 elections with quiet confidence, and, with the help of Almighty God, Break the Eight, which is the fervent wish of all NPP members, and, indeed, of all well-meaning Ghanaians, the President said. In his congratulatory message, the President commended the efforts of national, regional, constituency, electoral area, and polling station officers and the entire membership of the NPP, for their role in ensuring a free, fair, transparent and credible primaries. Supporters of Hon. Alan Kyerematen's Movement for Change (MFC) have dismissed the notion that a 24-hour economy is an original idea of former President John Dramani Mahama. They assert that the innovative policy is an integral part of Alan's Great Transformational Policy (GTP). In a strong demonstration of support for the Afrafranto movement, loyal followers of Alan Kyerematen's MFC took to the streets of Kumasi during a walk. The supporters proudly displayed placards attributing the 24-hour economy concept to the former Trade and Industry Minister. The placards boldly proclaimed, "Alan's GTP already has a 24-hr economy in place," a direct response to John Mahama's proposal for a 24-hour economy in his potential future government. This public demonstration sought to challenge Mahama's claim and emphasize the existing initiatives led by Kyerematen, positioning Alan Cash as the pioneer of the 24-hour economy concept in Ghana. Mr Kyerematen served as the Trade and Industry Minister for nearly a decade before forming the Movement for Change after resigning from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Deputy Attorney General, Alfred-Tuah Yeboah 04.12.2023 LISTEN Deputy Attorney General, Alfred-Tuah Yeboah has emphasised that the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) is not over although Chinese illegal mining queen Aisha Huang has been jailed. Speaking to Joy News on Monday, December 4, after the Accra High Court jailed Aisha Huang four-years-and-six months, the Deputy Attorney General said there is more work to be done. He said the imprisonment of Aisha Huang should be a lesson to all other illegal miners out there. Today shes come to the end of the road. We are able to successfully prosecute her. She is going to spend four years and six months in custody. It should be a lesson to the others that you may be engaged in illegal mining but when your time comes the law will deal with you in accordance with what weve had, Alfred-Tuah Yeboah stressed. The Deputy Attorney General wants all Ghanaians to join in the fight against illegal mining in the country. He says the security agencies and his office will not be able to fight the destructive practice alone. Its a fight that weve not won, its a fight thats. Continuous one as the judge said. We all need to take part in the fight. Aisha is going today. The next time we come to court if others have committed similar offenses they will also have their day in court, Let me also make this appeal to the public. This fight is not just a fight of the Attorney General, this is not the fight of the police service but its our fight. If you have any evidence to the effect that an individual, group of individuals, or an entity is involved engaged in illegal mining dont sit in your house. Offer that evidence to the security agency so that we can follow up and prosecute them, Alfred-Tuah Yeboah appealed. The Emirati head of the Cop28 UN climate conference has insisted that he respects climate science after he came under fire over a leaked video in which he questions the science on fossil fuels. Amid tough negotiations over the future of fossil fuels, Sultan Al Jaber who is also head of United Arab Emirates national oil company ADNOC hit out at what he called "repeated attempts to undermine" the work of the Cop28 presidency. On Monday, Jaber told reporters: "We're here because we very much believe and respect the science. "Everything this presidency has been working on is focused on and centred around the science," Jaber said. He acknowledged that global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 43 percent by 2030 as part of efforts to achieve the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 Celsius from pre-industrial levels. On Sunday, The Guardian newspaper published a video showing Jaber having a testy exchange with former Irish president Mary Robinson and chairperson of The Elders group of former world leaders, during an online forum. "I'm not in any way signing up to a discussion that is alarmist," Jaber told the SHE Changes Climate online conference on 21 November. "I am factual and I respect the science, and there is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says that the phase-out of fossil fuels is what's going to achieve 1.5 [degrees]." The video sparked an outcry among NGOs. "If the Cop28 president is guided by science and 1.5C remains his north star, he must draw the right conclusions: nothing short of a full and rapid phase out of fossil fuels will get us there," said Romain Ioualalen, global policy lead for Oil Change International. Phase down or out? Jaber said Monday that he has said "over and over that the phase down and the phase out of fossil fuel is inevitable". Although he also said it in the video, in the past, Jaber had only publicly talked of the inevitability of a "phase-down" a weaker term as it implies that fossil fuels would not completely go away in the future. A first draft of a Cop28 agreement released on Friday included language on a "phasedown/out" of fossil fuels, which account for the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the negotiations behind closed doors have become complicated as all sides push their own priorities. On the Cop28 presidency's website on Monday, a summary of the first few days of the talks said that 22 heads of state and ministers discussed "the phase down of fossil fuels". It did not mention a phase-out, which many heads of state and government and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for during speeches on Friday and Saturday. Scientists, activists and several nations say oil, gas and coal must be phased out and replaced with solar, wind and other renewable technology to prevent the planet from overheating. An agreement on the role of fossil fuels is seen as key to the success of the UN talks, which end on 12 December. Recent data from the World Meteorlogical Organization has shown that 2023 is going to be the hottest year on record has added a sense of urgency to the talks. "Please let's give the process the space it needs," Jaber said. "And if anything, judge us on what we will deliver at the end of this Cop". (with AFP) - Source: 04.12.2023 LISTEN Conflict-ridden and fragile countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change and least prepared to deal with it. They are largely excluded from climate adaptation programmes and funding. This is partly because funding is channelled through national governments, which might not be able to work in areas affected by conflict or beyond their control. Civilians and armed groups alike are increasingly concerned about climate change. The international community, however, is doing little to address its impact in these vulnerable areas. The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative has identified 25 countries as most vulnerable to climate change and least prepared to adapt to its impact. Of these, 15 have been hit hard by conflict. This list includes Somalia, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan. By their nature, conflict-ridden areas have weak or no government structures. The current approach to climate adaptation does not include non-state actors and local communities, who might work more effectively in these areas. With the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai, the issue of climate change adaptation in conflict areas has been in the news . A draft declaration by the COP presidency calls for immediate action and urgent funding for these vulnerable communities. The text is not legally binding, but it goes further than any previous COP statements on climate impacts in conflict areas. I have spent over a decade researching conflict and insurgency. Working with colleagues from the Overseas Development Institute and the Geneva Graduate Instiute , I've investigated the failure of multilateral institutions to include conflict areas in their climate adaptation programmes. We reviewed existing literature on this. We identified gaps in climate adaptation efforts and funding mechanisms that would work in conflict areas. We argue for working with local communities and civil society as well as engaging non-state armed groups. The conflict-climate gap Conflict-affected countries receive significantly less climate adaptation funding. They get about one-third of the per capita climate financing compared to conflict-free countries. Adaptation programming and financing mechanisms are not designed for areas experiencing conflict or those beyond state control. In some areas, non-state armed groups have stepped into the gap. In Myanmar, the Karen National Union operates its own departments focusing on land, forestry and wildlife conservation. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has incorporated environmental protection clauses into its internal codes of conduct . And in Somalia, Al Shabaab has imposed fines for cutting down trees and even banned plastic bags. Elsewhere, such as in the Sahel, armed groups exploit the environmental drivers of conflict in propaganda and recruitment . Armed groups take up the mantle of environmental protection for a complicated mixture of reasons. (They may also contribute to ecological destruction.) For most, it enhances their legitimacy with local populations, who are desperate for relief from the impact of climate change. Where this is the case, it may present an opening for climate adaptation interventions. Armed groups control significant territories often rich in natural resources. Their participation can be critical in taking wide-scale climate actions. We also know that armed groups seeking statehood or other forms of legitimacy are often willing to comply with international norms to gain positive recognition. In short, there is untapped potential to save lives and mitigate the impact of climate change in areas under armed group control. Our research suggests that this engagement can help build peace and reduce violence. Climate change is often portrayed as driving conflict or as a threat multiplier with impacts ranging from resource scarcity to displacement of people . But engagement with armed actors on the environment and climate change can also serve as a building block for peace. This is especially true in countries like Colombia , where environmental factors contributed to the conflict. Environmental and resource issues are an often neglected aspect of preparing for peace talks. Climate work in areas beyond state control is fraught with ethical, legal and practical dilemmas. For instance, certain laws that prohibit material support to designated terrorist groups can obstruct or complicate aid efforts. There is always a risk that armed groups may just pay lip service to these norms, or that engaging with them could inadvertently further empower or legitimise them. Additionally, unlike government counterparts, armed groups and communities in these areas may lack the technical capacity to understand the ecological complexities involved in climate adaptation. Addressing climate impacts beyond state control These risks must be navigated carefully. But the urgent need for adaptation outweighs the potential drawbacks. Climate adaptation actors do not need to engage directly with armed actors. Customary authorities, humanitarians and local peace builders can be intermediaries, ensuring interventions are appropriate and accepted by all. Climate adaptation in conflict areas requires a different approach. At a minimum, it requires going beyond national governments, and directly engaging with conflict-affected communities. It also, to some extent, means devolving decision-making to communities themselves. An urgent priority should be increasing climate financing for conflict regions. COP28's belated interest in conflict affected areas is welcome, but it doesn't go nearly far enough. This recognition must be followed by concrete policy and funding shifts tailored to the challenges of working in conflict areas and areas beyond state control. Ashley Jackson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. By Ashley Jackson, Research Associate, Overseas Development Institute, King's College London The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has recognised Ghana as a shining example in the implementation of the continent's free trade agreement. We started with seven countries, and I am happy Ghana is taking the lead in this process of implementing the AfCFTA agreement, said, Mr Didier Bonyeme, Division Head, Rules of Origin, AfCFTA Secretariat. Mr Bonyeme said this at a GIZ/CUTS International public-private dialogue on the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) a pilot implementation of the AfCFTA agreement, in Accra. Ghana is one of the eight countries which have satisfied the requirements to participate in the GTI out of the 29 that have submitted their tariff offers and host to the AfCFTA Secretariat, which has the largest global free trade area by number of member states. Some 14 Ghanaian companies, assisted by the government, have so far, engaged in 40 trades with neighbouring African countries under the under the GTI. The Guided Trade Initiative is a pilot implementation phase, aimed at ensuring an acceleration in the operationalisation of AfCFTA, by testing the institutional, legal and trade policy environment for the free trade agreement. Speaking with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Bonyeme explained that compared with other African countries equally implementing AfFCTA, the Government of Ghana had done more to facilitate private sector participation. He noted that through the National Coordination Office, the Government had created opportunities for partnerships between Ghanaian companies and their African counterparts, leading to increased trade under AfCFTA. Dr Diana Ogwal Akullo, Principal Officer, Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS), AfCFTA Secretariat, also said: The Ghana government has been exemplary in the implementation of GTI under AfCFTA. Mr Isaac Kwame Ansah, Head of Operations, G-mith Enterprise, a natural deodorant manufacturing company which trades under AfCFTA, said the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) had been assisting many SMEs in the direction. He said through GEPA's trade house, they were able to keep their products in other African countries when they go for trade shows and were able to sell all their products. We don't go through any customs challenges in shipping our goods, its just a phone call or mail. Mr Ansah said. He said trading under AfCFTA had helped take a lot of burden off their shoulders, stating that the removal of tariffs had enabled their company to export freely to other countries. Mr Fechin Akoto, Assistant Commissioner, Tariff and Trade, Customs Division, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), explained that before the start of AfCFTA, the country had put in place measures to facilitate trade. Mr Appiah Kusi Adomako, West Africa Regional Director, CUTS International, said Ghana's participation in the implementation of AfCFTA signified a strong political will, and an encouragement to countries, yet to submit their tariff concessions to do so. Stakeholders, called on the AfCFTA Secretariat to enhance working with governments across the continent to resolve challenges of transport and certification to boost trade. GNA In a landmark move aimed at curbing illegal people smuggling across the English Channel, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has introduced a Private Members Bill in the House of Lords. The proposed legislation seeks to establish a legal pathway for asylum seekers, offering a beacon of hope to those fleeing conflict and persecution. Under the Asylum Application (Entry to the United Kingdom) Bill, a pioneering humanitarian visa scheme would be set in motion, allowing for the safe and regulated entry of refugees into the UK. The scheme, which is poised to redefine the UK's approach to asylum seekers, would initially grant up to 10,000 asylum travel visas in its inaugural year, with subsequent annual limits determined by the Home Secretary. Bishop Guli's proposal is a direct response to the perilous journeys faced by refugees, particularly from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Eritrea, and Sudan nationalities most commonly braving the treacherous small boat crossings in search of safety. By offering a legitimate and secure route to the UK, the bill aims to dismantle the dangerous operations of people smugglers, who capitalise on the desperation of refugees. Highlighting the urgency and humanitarian spirit of the bill, Bishop Guli stated: "I am pleased to bring forward this Private Members Bill on the introduction of a Humanitarian Visa Scheme, which will provide a much-needed opportunity to discuss safe routes into the UK for refugees fleeing conflict, persecution, and disasters. Such a scheme can help to undercut the business model of people smugglers encouraging refugees to take dangerous journeys across the Channel and the Mediterranean, by providing a safe, accessible, and controlled route. The proposed scheme not only facilitates safe entry but also promises an expedited process for asylum claims, marking a significant stride towards a more compassionate and efficient asylum system in the UK. Following its initial presentation, the Bill underwent its first reading in the House of Lords on Wednesday, November 29. The date for the crucial Second Reading, where the details and implications of the bill will be further scrutinised and debated, is yet to be confirmed. As the UK grapples with the complex challenges of migration and asylum, Bishop Guli's Bill shines a light on the potential for humane and effective solutions. 04.12.2023 LISTEN For the third time the legislative instrument on Export and Import Regulations, 2023 has suffered a setback in parliament as the minority blocks it from getting laid. We are told the Honorable Minister of trade enjoys a strong support from his Government and particularly the Finance Minister who urged parliament to support the laying of the LI in its current form to assist the government in its quest to curb the countrys import drive. Minority have argued, that they support this import restriction policy document in principle, but strongly object to some portions of the draft LI which they claim violate our national interest. Section 3(3) of the draft LI; Exports and Imports (Restrictions on Importation of Selected Strategic Products) Regulations 2023 provides that; the Minister shall appoint the members of the Import Permit Committee who shall sec. 4(a) Advice the Minister on sec. 4(a)(ii) the issuance and renewal of import permits to importers of the selected strategic products;. This provision empowers the minister to select his appointees from the stated departments and agencies to constitute the committee that will advise him on the issuance of imports and exports permits to applicants. The fact about the politician is that, the politician will hardly appoint a person he cannot control. And when the politician gets this kind of unrestricted powers, the risk of abuse is high. In any case at all, the role of this Committee is merely advisory which the minister could elect to accept or reject. This means, the final decision as to who gets the permit is in the bosom of the minister. This is how permits will be issued to only party apparatchiks. Section 11(3) (iii) of this draft LI also provides that; the application for an import permit shall be accompanied with; (iii) Particulars of the principal officers, directors and partners of the company or firm. This the minority warns again that this provision is another recipe for cronyism, vindictiveness and partisanship. How does an application for import permit turn into lifting of the corporate veil exercise of a sort by a minister of state? Why must the Minister/Committee know the beneficial owner(s)/Directors of the company before deciding whether or not to grant them a permit to do business? How does that got to do with the demonstrable history/capacity of the company to do the business it applies to do? And who does not know how near impossible it will be for a business or a company with express or suspected ties with opposition elements to ever get a permit from the minister in this kind of arrangement? So the intentions of the Minister and this government has been sufficiently demonstrated in this draft LI which obviously is not to address Ghanas trade deficit challenges but feast on same. A clear avenue to provide jobs for the boys. Additionally, Section 15(4) of this same LI provides that; A person who fails to renew the import permit issued or whose application for renewal is rejected by the Minister shall cease to import selected strategic products into the country. This means that it is only the Minister (Minister of Trade and Industries) who can renew an import permit upon expiry. We learnt from the text books and literature several years back which is true that; power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Why should so much powers be given to a Minister of state in this manner involving granting and renewal of import permits for key consumable products like rice, sugar, poultry products amongst many others which we are told by the industry players that for some of these key products, Ghana does not produce up to even 1% of them locally? This obviously will become a potential center of corruption and even deepen the already existing hunger and food shortage among the Ghanaian populates. The content of this draft LI should however make sense to any keen follower of Ghanas politics particularly under this current regime. Every problem confronting this country becomes opportunity for illicit enrichment for someone. There are numerous unrebutted reports of how the current finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and his Databank benefited over GHc 800 million from Ghanas financial crises with blatant violations of the laws of Ghana on conflict of interest when Databank allegedly served as book runners for the Ministry of Finance and the Government of Ghana anytime the Finance Minister borrowed from the international market to support our local budget. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ofori-Atta-s-Databank- other-bookrunners-bagged-GH-875-million-in-4-years-Adongo-alleges-1277758. We also saw how Ken Ofori-Attas Enterprise insurance blossomed and enjoyed little or minimal competition under him (Ken Ofori-Atta) as Finance Minister when he supervised the withdrawal of licenses of over 30 financial institutions and Insurance Companies for reasons many industry players strongly criticized. We have read other unrebutted reports of how Gabby Asare Otchere Darkos Law firm Africa Legal Associates was allegedly paid millions of dollars in the Agyapa deal as Ghana struggled to find solutions to securitize royalties from our gold minerals to benefit the future generation. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Agyapa-deal-Gabby-Otchere- Darko-s-law-firm-pocketed-US-103-000-Kweku-Baako-105048 . The PDS saga is still fresh on our minds, the National Cathedral as well as the alleged sharing of COVID revenue as contained in the Auditor Generals report and many other examples cannot be forgotten anytime soon. This is the score card of this government when it comes to crafting solutions to address the challenges confronting this country. There is no debate about the fact that one of Ghanas major problems today is how to address our balance of trade deficits but the solution is certainly not what K. T. Hammond and the NPP government has tabled in this Legislative Instrument. According to Mr. Victor Adjei, the Chairman of Ghana National Poultry Farmers Association, over 80% of poultry farmers are not in business today and Ghana does not produce even 1% of the poultry we consume. The solution to this is certainly not a deceptive LI with intentions of feasting on our problem of lack of productivity by creating job for the boys through a skewed granting and renewal of permit regime. Government must resuscitate our local capacity to produce these key items first before contemplating Import Restriction policy. If 1D1F, Planting for food and jobs, one village one dam, one million dollars per Constituency for the last seven years sunk Ghana into this abyss of economic quagmire, this technically skewed Imports and Exports LI 2023 is certainly not a solution beyond its potential distribution of importation permits and jobs to cronies. Thanks to the Minority in Parliament, this self-serving LI has been arrested and blocked for the 3rd time. May it never resurrect in parliament anytime soon. #Ghanafirst Written By Peter Suaka Master of Laws (LL.M) Student KNUST Faculty of Law Email: [email protected] Police in Moscow are targeting gay nightclubs with raids after the Russian Supreme Court prohibited LGBTQ "extremism." Club goers were briefly held and their passports were photographed during the raids late on Friday, Telegram channel Ostorozhno Novosti said. "In the middle of the party, the music was stopped, and [police] began going into the lounges", one eyewitness told the outlet, adding that foreigners were also present at the gathering in central Moscow. Sota, another Telegram channel, said three clubs were raided on Friday evening in the Russian capital. The implication is that authorities plan to use the law to shut down the venues, and push LGBTQ+ culture and individuals out of public life. "If you speak at all about LGBT rights, whether you do it by protesting peacefully, or just posting comments on social media by saying anything in public, anything at all, you're going to be in trouble," says Tanya Lokshina, associate director for Human Rights Watch's Europe and Central Asia division. The BBC reports that one Russian TV channel recently censored a rainbow in a k-pop video to avoid any suggestion they were promoting gay "propaganda." 04.12.2023 LISTEN Ghana, the Black Star of Africa, and the Gateway to Africa, had a very excellent reputation among the world community a few years ago due to its residents' honesty, sincerity, friendliness, and discipline. These favorable plaudits have evaporated into thin air. The once-respected nation is now tagged as a country of dishonest people because citizens have abandoned moral values and are acting unethically, and dishonesty pervades Ghanaian society. Many well-meaning Ghanaians are asking who is to blame for this undesirable trait. Many people blame politicians and traditional authorities, but genuinely, every Ghanaian has some guilt since parents pay bribes to get their children into schools. Students falsify their school fees to gain extra money from their parents to spend on frivolous items. When they complete school and are out of work, they look for any dishonest means to get money. Some schools charge students additional fees for assistance with their final examination test questions. At the same time, some professors and university lecturers require that female students sleep with them in exchange for passing scores or grades. Employees who think they are underpaid steal from the firm or pad time sheets to supplement their pay. Some lawyers, judges, and politicians have a reputation for being dishonest, as do advertisers who will say anything to persuade people to spend their money. Nurses, court officials, judges, gas station attendants, land owners are all corrupt. Gari, groundnuts, and salt sellers load their measuring cans with cement or discarded newspaper so that buyers do not get their money's worth for their purchase. One local herb or medicine on sale can cure all ailments except death. The Ice water seller will sell pipe-born water to clients with the pretext that it is distilled. The fishmonger inserts a stone inside the smoked fish's mouth to make it seem larger and sell it to unsuspecting consumers. Prying on the intelligence of others and worsening the image of the country, Cocoa purchase clerks purposefully manipulate their weighing scales to defraud cocoa farmers. Revenue collectors in the country's markets cheat their district assemblies by exchanging money for goods or lowering the permitted charge that merchants are meant to pay. Most tellers at the department and retail establishments display dishonesty by undercharging consumers for their change. They only give consumers some of their change, mainly if it is in pesewas. When a vehicle breaks down, auto technicians bill consumers for new replacement parts but use the old, malfunctioning component instead. Tollbooth collectors issue their own invoices for unsuspecting drivers. Before voting for candidates for the country's parliament, political party officials accept money from them. In truth, about 98% of Ghanaians are dishonest. Unfortunately, they constantly blame politicians and traditional rulers for the country's hardships and other problems. Dishonesty's Adverse Effects on Ghana Dishonesty, a perverse human trait that often shows as a desire to lie, cheat, trick, or mislead, has dire consequences for a nation and should not be tolerated. It raises societal costs in the country's economic and financial domains. It increases expenses in fighting online fraud, tax evasion, and corruption, among other things. Any dishonest action by people is detrimental to change and hurts the Ghanaian economy. Additionally, dishonesty interferes with the public's good judgment and choices, distorting the quality delivery of anticipated services and resulting in the failure of governance, policies, and programs that might otherwise have been beneficial to development. This societal blight has a detrimental impact on everything from a family's capacity to sending their kids to school to the reputation of sports. It is an opponent of development and the source of many of Mother Ghana's problems. It kills employment and stifles economic progress, keeps the weakest in abject poverty, and weakens our security by encouraging anti-social activities such as armed robbery, bribery and corruption, ritual killings, and prostitution, among others. Dishonest behaviors reduce government income and funding available for growth. This has a variety of effects on the economy. The deficit reduces savings that might have been earned and diverted into investments. In this regard, the government must borrow cash, which results in expenses for future generations. The government's incapacity to provide essential utilities directly impacts the level of life. I want Ghanaians to recognize that dishonesty is a ubiquitous issue in our culture with profoundly harmful effects on development, democracy, and living standards. It raises transaction costs, decreases confidence, impedes the operation of the democratic system, and jeopardizes the country's security. This behavior has created a bad name for the country among the international community, and Ghanaians need to stop it. Dr.Kwame Aduhene-Kwarteng (Castro). 05.12.2023 LISTEN As the year 2023 steadily grinds to an end to pave way for a new year called 2024 on the Gregorian Calendar, members of the Association of Health Service Administrators, Ghana (AHSAG) are warming up for their 46th Annual General Meeting and Continuing Professional Development Programme (AGM & CPD) at Hill View Guest Centre at Abokobi in Accra. The 46th AHSAG AGM/CPD will hopefully take place from 5th to 8th December 2023 and the thematic focus of the event is, Appointment of Hospital Administrators: A new dawn in the Health Administration Profession towards achieving Universal Health Coverage. Why this Theme? In tandem with Article 190 of Ghanas Fourth Republican (1992) Constitution, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Teaching Hospitals were legally established as distinct Public Services. The law that established them is thus called the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 525). However, the GHS became operational in February 2002. Section 30 of the Act 525 provides for the appointment of a Hospital Administrator for each public Hospital whereas Section 29 of the same law provides for the appointment of a Medical Superintendent for each Hospital in the GHS. Unfortunately, even though the GHS became operational over two decades ago, the Service until January 2023 did not appoint Hospital Administrators as the law mandated. Instead, Health Service Administrators had been deemed as Hospital Administrators over the years who performed the roles without any conditions of service. Hospital Administrators Conditions of Service As indicated above, the GHS appointed 96 Hospital Administrators only this year and they were duly assigned to different hospitals to manage. As the law (Act 525 of 1996) demands, the GHS Council appoints Medical Superintendents as a managerial grade with specified conditions of service, but the same Council authorized the appointment of 96 Hospital Administrators as a non-managerial grade and therefore, the new Hospital Administrators appointed by the GHS do not have any conditions of service. They only draw monthly salaries. Could this be the result of the usual discrimination against non-clinical grades in the Service or a mere oversight by the GHS Council, which anomaly the Council will be willing to address with a request for same by AHSAG? As it stands, only the Medical Superintendent and the Hospital Administrator have been mentioned in the law (Sections 29 & 30) to be appointed as managerial grades within the Hospital Management Team in the Service. We are aware that since the inception of the GHS, the Medical Superintendents have been appointed to offices with certain conditions of service. In the case of the Hospital Administrators, the Service had not only delayed their appointment for about 27 years but also denied them conditions of service when the GHS Council decided to appoint them upon a request made by AHSAG. Also, appointing the 96 Hospital Administrators without conditions of service constitutes administrative unfairness, methinks. I further opine that the GHS Council does not need to be compelled with the remedy of mandamus to address this unfairness. I believe that the respected advisory body will see wisdom in addressing the error in the appointment of the Hospital Administrators without any judicial review action. Membership of AHSAG Currently, membership of the Association of Health Service Administrators, Ghana (AHSAG) is made up of Health Service Administrators and Hospital Administrators. The difference between the two is that a Hospital Administrator is a qualified and seasoned Health Service Administrator who has been appointed as Hospital Administrator in tandem with Section 30 of Act 525 of 1996. Suffice it to say that the Hospital Administrator grade in the GHS is higher than all the Health Service Administrator promotional grades. Qualification Criteria Also, membership of the Association is based on the pursuit of the Healthcare Management or Health Service Administration Programme in a recognized academic institution after which the newly qualified professional called Houseman Health Service Administrator (HHSA) must undergo a one-year mandatory training on a departmental rotational basis at a recognized public hospital and under the supervision of a seasoned and practicing Health Service Administrator or Hospital Administrator. The one-year mandatory training on the job after the academic programme is a prerequisite to appointing either Health Service Administrator or Hospital Administrator by any hospital in Ghana. This makes the Health Service Administrator/Hospital Administrator a unique and specially trained managerial support staff in the health sector of Ghana. Unfortunately, issues regarding their conditions of service have been treated with disdain, envy and discrimination over the years making them endangered species in the face of the harsh Ghanaian economy. They are as though cheap labour when it comes to work performance and therefore, they are not valued when it comes to designing and appropriating conditions of service or remunerations in the health sector. How can a poorly paid and dissatisfied Administrator contribute meaningfully to achieving universal health coverage? Presently, the Health Service Administrators (from the beginning grade to the Chief Grade) have been given minimal market premium on the Single Spine Salary Structure whereas the Hospital Administrators have been given a bit higher market premium without any other conditions of service. This is why both the Health Service Administrators and Hospital Administrators receive salaries far lower than even some of the workers they supervise. Job-related Risks Despite the foregoing, the job of the Health Service Administrator and Hospital Administrator is challenging, full of financial and other risks apart from being time-consuming. In most cases, the Health Administrator (Health Service Administrator or Hospital Administrator) becomes the scapegoat whenever there is a managerial problem in the health facility of which he or she is not the CEO or overall boss. They are also the first to be blamed and re-assigned or removed as a form of punishment in times of identified managerial challenges. Perhaps this was why a group of murderous minds of Atronie in the Bono Region killed an innocent Health Service Administrator in 2007 after they accused him wrongly for murder. The said deceased Administrator, Anthony Yeboah Boateng (38 years) was equally the Presiding Member of the Asunafo North District Assembly at the time. In 2006, the writer of this article was also nearly lynched by some members of the Nima Community in Accra due to a missing corpse at the Ridge Hospital Mortuary. It is also public knowledge that Dormahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II had banished a Health Service Administrator from his traditional area in 2014 due to issues pertaining to a mortuary owned by the community and a hospital mortuary slated for construction which the chief thought was going to compete with the community mortuary. The chief declared the Health Service Administrator a persona non grata in Dorma hence the Administrators security could not be guaranteed in that community. Despite these and many risks involved in the job roles of the Health Service Administrators or Hospital Administrators, the public sector employers (Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service) and the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) as well as other faith-based health facilities only employ the Administrators without conditions of service. This poor treatment to Health Service Administrators and the Hospital Administrators is caused by the Government of Ghana itself through the misdeeds of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. It is high time this was corrected. We do not necessarily need labour unrest or demonstrations to address such thorny labour issues. Legal Lacuna Since 1996 when the Ghana Health Service was legally established, the Government of Ghana has failed to enact a Legislative Instrument (LI) to guide effective enforcement of the Act 525 of 1996. This legal lacuna thus serves as the impetus for managers at various echelons of the Service to choose and pick issues regarding procedure and job roles sometimes to the detriment of the Health Service/Hospital Administrators. In the absence of the LI, the Service at its pinnacle is continuously eroding the job of the Health Service/Hospital Administrators. Harsh Economic Conditions In the absence of conditions of service, the Health Service/Hospital Administrators are exposed to the harsh conditions of the Ghanaian economy in addition to their numerous job-related risks including but not limited to those enumerated earlier herein. It is high time the Association of Health Service Administrators, Ghana (AHSAG) made bold demands from their employers for better conditions of service. They must ensure unity of purpose and eschew professional rivalry and rancor within their fraternity and forge ahead as a unified professional force. The government itself must address the legal concerns raised herein and also address the poor conditions of service concerns of the Health Service/Hospital Administrators who are members of AHSAG. Conclusion To this end, I wish the members of AHSAG fruitful deliberations at their upcoming 46th Annual General Meeting and Continuing Professional Development Programme. Advisedly, their AGM communique must touch on issues relating to their conditions of service. Afterall, the Health Service/Hospital Administrators must be well motivated to work effectively and contribute meaningfully to the universal health coverage agenda attached to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals ~ Asante Sana ~. Philip Afeti Korto Hospital Administrator [email protected] 05.12.2023 LISTEN The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has expressed optimism that the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) will serve as a pivotal moment to increase investments for the financing of initiatives centred on nature and forests. That, he stated, would culminate in enhancing resilience to climate conditions by safeguarding and effectively managing forest ecosystems. He said this at a high-level ministerial event at the COP28 underway in Dubai, on the theme: Accelerating Forest and Nature Finance Towards 1.5 Degrees Celsius. The Lands Minister noted that forest and nature finance remain an essential condition to achieving and fulfilling the goal of the Paris Agreement, which encourages all nations to work towards reducing carbon emissions to 1.5 degrees Celsius. He stated the need to fulfil the promises and commitments made in dealing with the climate change danger, emphasising the need and urgency for increased efforts and decisive steps by world leaders to deal with the climate problem. I am hopeful that this event will mark a turning point for accelerated investment in forest and nature finance to build capacities towards safeguarding and managing our forest ecosystems. We must brainstorm, constructively, marked by shared commitments and dedication to action, he said. With Ghana being co-chair of the Forest & Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP), the Minister enumerated some innovations the government had made to position the country as a major contributor to global efforts in accelerating climate resilience. Mr Jinapor mentioned the Green Ghana Project, the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme and alternative livelihood programmes supported by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility as some of the initiatives implemented by the government. In Ghana, over the past few years, we have had to expand our limited resources on the protection of our forests and the implementation of our aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme, including the flagship Green Ghana Project, under which some 42,000,000 trees have been planted over the last three years and the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, under which we have cultivated some 690,000 ha of degraded forest in just five years, he stated The Ministerial event is one of the activities lined up by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to ensure that Ghana makes an able and impactful representation at COP28. The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel A. Jinapor, has launched the Asunafo-Asutifi Landscape Programme, a Cocoa Forest Initiative (CFI) 2.0, aimed at enhancing forest conservation, landscape restoration and supporting the livelihood of forest communities. The Lands Minister officially out doored the programme during a CFI event on the theme Accelerating CFI 2.0 by Increasing Investments in Priority Landscapes in Ghana on Sunday in Dubai. He called on the international community to partner with Ghana to scale up its policies and initiatives that are geared toward protecting the forest. He noted that the Asunafo-Asutifi Landscape Programme is premised on four key areas: forest restoration, restoration of degraded lands, empowerment of the livelihood of residents of forest communities and creating a national forest system. Mr Jinapor reiterated the calls for the renewal of commitments and fulfilment of promises from all stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the CFI 2.0, disclosing that the government is resolved to ensure the actualisation of the CFI 2-0 goals. With the climate crisis worsening and the fears that we are gradually approaching global boiling, we must scale up our work on this initiative. We must renew our commitments and work harder to protect our forests, through the implementation of CFI 2.0. Ghana remains resolute in this regard and we will continue to adopt and implement policies and programmes that will ensure that the Cocoa and Forest Initiative realises its goal, he said. The Minister also highlighted some policies being implemented by the Government of Ghana to empower cocoa farmers and encourage citizens participation in protecting the forest. To improve forest governance, the Government of Ghana is also implementing a Timber Tending Benefit (TTB), which provides an upfront payment to farmers for nurturing and protecting naturally occurring trees on their farms. Through this initiative, farmers are encouraged to protect and nurture trees in their farms. And to encourage sustainable farming practices and ensure that farmers get value from their produce, the Government of Ghana has increased cocoa producer price by 63.5%, from US$66.60 per bag to US$109, the highest price to be paid to farmers across West Africa in 50 years, he added. He also took stock of the benefits Ghana gained from the CFI 1.0 and assured of the government's commitment to ensuring the success of the second phase. The implementation of CFI 1.0, between 2018 and 2022, has proven to be a great addition to other projects and programmes being implemented in the Natural Resource and Environmental Governance Sector, as well as a useful tool in ensuring deforestation-free cocoa production. Anchored on the three pillars of forest protection and restoration, sustainable cocoa production and farmers livelihood, community engagement and social inclusion, we have been able to lay a solid foundation for a sustainable and responsible cocoa industry. Over 17,000 hectares of degraded forests have been restored, both on and off reserves, some 27,000,000 trees have been distributed for planting, five Environmental and Social Management Plans have been completed in Hotspot Intervention areas and over 150,000 farmers have been trained in climate-smart cocoa practices, with as many as 670,000 trained in Good Agricultural Practices, he said. The Cocoa and Forests Initiative is an active commitment of top cocoa-producing countries with leading chocolate and cocoa companies to end deforestation and restore forest areas through no further conversion of any forest land for cocoa production. Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has shared his view on the press conference organised by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng last week where he raised concern about the hasty dismissiveness of cases filed by his office by the courts. In the view of Martin Amidu, the press conference by Kissi Agyebeng was organised with malicious intent to gang the media and the public against the judiciary. The press conference called by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, a public officer and member of the executive branch of government, on 29 November 2023, with malicious intent to incite the media and the public against the judicial branch of government and bring the administration of justice into disrepute before ordinary members of the Ghanaian and world society crossed the red line of freedom of speech and expression to subvert the letter and spirit of the foundation of the 1992 Constitution, Martin Amidu said in a release. According to Martin Amidu, the judiciary cannot be accused of being against the Office of the Special Prosecutor as he endeavoured to incite the public during the media briefing on 29 November 2023 to believe. He argued that it has been shown that the Ghana Police Service (GPS) which is the oldest law enforcement agency in Ghana, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), and other bodies that have investigatory and prosecutorial powers are not known to hold a media briefing to heap scurrilous abuses and scandalize the courts, and intimidate beneficiary citizens anytime the courts make unfavourable decisions against them for the benefit of a sovereign citizen. The cancer of a Special Prosecutor that has infected the OSP for the past two years cannot, therefore, be allowed to metastasize to infect the healthy working relation between organic law enforcement, the citizen, and the administration of justice guaranteed under law, Martin Amidu said. Read the full release from Martin Amidu below: KISSI AGYEBENG, THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, HAS CROSSED THE REDLINE BY SCANDALIZING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND MUST BE IMPEACHED: BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU INTRODUCTION The press conference called by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, a public officer and member of the executive branch of government, on 29 November 2023, with malicious intent to incite the media and the public against the judicial branch of government and bring the administration of justice into disrepute before ordinary members of the Ghanaian and world society crossed the red line of freedom of speech and expression to subvert the letter and spirit of the foundation of the 1992 Constitution. The Special Prosecutor and the OSP who exercise just an infinitesimally small fraction of the delegated investigatory and prosecutorial powers of Attorney-General dealing only with corruption and corruption-related offence and cannot do or be allowed to do what the delegating authority cannot do. In whatever dress or apparel or form the Special Prosecutor clothed his intended performance on the front stage of the play to his audience at the press conference, one purpose stands out. The media briefing was first and foremost intended to heap scurrilous abuse on and scandalize the court and judge who ruled on the certiorari and other application in the case of the Republic v the Special Prosecutor and Another, Ex Parte Col. Kwakwo Damoah and Another delivered by the High Court (General Division 5), Accra, on 27 November 2023. The secondary purpose was to use that occasion to scurrilously abuse and scandalize the judiciary and the administration of justice and bring them into disrepute before the eyes of ordinary members of the public, generally in an attempt to coerce the judiciary, and particularly the Court of Appeal before which appeals from the OSP are pending, and the Supreme Court before which the OSPs application for certiorari was pending to decide those cases in its favour. The Supreme Court coincidentally struck out the application for certiorari when Kissi Agyebeng was on his feet enjoying his delivery at his anti-judiciary incitement media briefing or press conference. As a public officer paid and maintained out of the public purse the conduct and performance of the Special Prosecutor was inconsistent with and contravened Article 127 of the 1992 Constitution which guarantees the independence of the judiciary in the exercise of the judicial power in both its judicial and administrative functions from control and direction of any person or authority. More particularly, the conduct and performance of the Special Prosecutor at his orchestrated rented press or media briefing or conference violated clause 2 of Article 127 which states clearly that: (2) Neither the President nor Parliament nor any other person whatsoever shall interfere with Judges or judicial officers or other persons exercising judicial power, in the exercise of their functions; and all organs and agencies of the state shall accord to the courts such assistance as the courts may reasonably require to protect the independence, dignity and effectiveness of the courts, subject to this Constitution. Quite apart from Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, being an integral part of the executive branch he intentionally and the deliberately summoned the media at public expense to directly and indirectly bring undue pressure to bear on judges in the exercise of their judicial power and function. The OSP, an agency of the executive branch accordingly failed in its constitutional duty to protect the independence, dignity, and effectiveness of the courts by scurrilously abusing and scandalizing the courts and the administration of justice. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appointed pursuant to the Legal Service Act 1993 (Act 320) would have been subjected to disciplinary proceedings for misconduct meriting dismissal from office if he or she called a media conference and said the same things the Special Prosecutor said at the press conference of 29 November 2023 which was intended to bring the administration of justice and the judicial branch into disrepute in the eyes of right thinking members of society contrary to Article 127 of the 1992 Constitution. And all those who worked under me as the Deputy Attorney-General (DAG) and later as the AttorneyGeneral (AG) know that I would either have insisted on the initiation of such disciplinary proceedings or initiated proceedings against a DPP who dared to hold a media briefing to win public sympathy for an unfavourable decision by the courts instead of exhausting the appellate procedure or forever hold his or her peace. I have no doubt that the President who was himself an Attorney-General would have initiated disciplinary proceedings against a DPP who committed the same violation of the 1992 Constitution during his tenure as the Attorney-General. Kissi Agyebeng is the worst appointment the President has ever been led into making and the President knows this as a former Attorney-General. The President is not, however, in a position to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the Special Prosecutor as he can only be removed from office under Section 15 of Act 959 by a process of impeachment. Any person may, however, seek to remove the Special Prosecutor for stated misbehaviour for his unconstitutional media conference performance on 29 November 2023; wilful violation of his Official Oath in contravening Articles 127 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution; and for conduct which brings or is likely to bring the OSP into disrepute, ridicule, or contempt, and is prejudicial and inimical to the security of the state under Section 15 of the Act 959. Consequently, patriotic citizens ought to be protecting the 1992 Constitution and the sanctity and independence of the judiciary by invoking the provisions of Section 15(3) of Act 959 for the removal of the Special Prosecutor from office. Ghanaians have to decide whether we want an independent and impartial judiciary which is enshrined under the 1992 Constitution or we want a rogue Special Prosecutor who intentionally violates provisions of the Constitution and the law governing his tenure as a public officer. There is no way Ghana is going to survive should Kissi Agyebeng succeed in using public funds and resources to incite the public to bring the image and integrity of the judiciary down before ordinary right thinking members of society as he did on 29 November 2023. Between the two, the removal of the Special Prosecutor from office will protect the judicial branch and thereby the security of the state. MUTUALISTIC SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN THE CITIZEN, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, AND THE JUDICIARY The Attorney-General as an officer of the court, like any other lawyer, when he is dissatisfied with the outcome of a criminal prosecution before a lower court is entitled to appeal the decision to a higher court until he exhausts the appellate or review processes. This explains why Attorneys-General or any authorized officers working under them never call press conferences when decisions of the courts go against them, and when the decision is made not to appeal or apply for review even where the decision is considered objectionable. Public condemnations of the courts, judges, and the administration of justice are red lines no AG worth the name and honour will cross. The Special Prosecutors conduct has also consistently violated several other provisions of the 1992 Constitution and constitute further impeachable offences as I will demonstrate hereunder. The OSP is a public office maintained from the public purse from the ordinary citizens taxes and is, therefore, a servant of the people and not its master. The OSP is consequently, bound to respect all the rights of citizens who come into confrontation with the law in plying their daily lives which explains the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed to every citizen and are binding on the Special Prosecutor under Article 12 of the 1992 Constitution. The prime functions of the OSP are to investigate and prosecute corruption and corruption- related offences in the courts of law and the courts are also enjoined to dispense justice in accordance with the Constitution. The courts of law, particularly the superior courts of justice, are enjoined in criminal cases to enforce any breaches of the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined under the Constitution whenever it dispenses justice. The citizen is entitled when he comes into confrontation with the law enforcement powers of the executive branch which includes the investigation and prosecution of suspected crime, to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law and not in the media and before a court of public opinion whilst the investigation is on-going. This explains the provisions of 1992 Constitution protecting the citizens right to life in Article 13; the right to the protection of personal liberty in Article 14; respect for human dignity in Article 15; equality and freedom from discrimination in Article 17; fair trial in Article 19; the right to administrative justice in Article 23; and above all, for purposes of law enforcement, the constraint on the exercise of discretionary power vested in any person or authority in Article 296 of the Constitution. The enforcement and protection of any abuses of the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution have been clearly apportioned to the judiciary and at first instance to the High Court in cases where a person alleges breach of or the likely contravention of his rights and freedoms in Article 33 thereof. The High Court is empowered in such actions to give such directions or orders or writs including writs or orders in the nature of habeas corpus, certiorari, mandamus, prohibition, and quo warranto as it may consider appropriate for purposes of enforcing or securing the enforcement of the human rights and freedoms to which the person is entitled. While the executive branch has been entrusted with law and order enforcement functions in investigation and prosecution of cases, the judicial branch has the responsibility to hold the scales between the executive branch and the sovereign people of Ghana. Consequently, the Special Prosecutor who has confessed in writing that he has received collective admonishing from very senior and experienced lawyers who are men and women of the world warning him that should he persist in media criticism, especially the public-calling-out variety his institution may incur the prejudice of the judiciary and has failed to heed the admonishment of such worldly men and women is on a suicide mission and is a threat to the independence of the judiciary and the security of the state. The Conduct of the Special Prosecutor in holding media conference and briefing amidst funfair to oppose unfavourabe decisions by the courts to citizens who access justice has the tendency to frighten and intimidate citizens under investigation or prosecution from exercising their fundamental right to access to justice. The stress and trauma a citizen under go by the cognitive and psychological mental health realization that should he be unfortunate to come under investigation by Kissi Agyebeng, as the Special Prosecutor, he has no prospect of having a favourable decision from the courts, subject to the appellate processes, without being subjected to further a mental stress and disparagement in a second court of public opinion by the OSP for his success in court constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment tantamount to mental torture giving rise to post traumatic stress disorder. The Special Prosecutors conduct is, therefore, inimical to the administration of criminal justice, and also constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment of suspects under investigation by the OSP. The Ghana Police Service (GPS) which is the oldest law enforcement agency in Ghana; the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) which used to exercise the anti-corruption mandate; the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) which used to be part of the Police Service and has investigatory and prosecutorial powers; the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS); and other law enforcement agencies are not known to hold media briefing to heap scurrilous abuses and scandalize the courts, and intimidate beneficiary citizens anytime the courts make unfavourable decisions against them for the benefit of a sovereign citizen. The foregoing law enforcement institution have been in existence for decades exercising delegated investigatory and prosecutorial power from the AG without the constitutional violations being witnessed from the OSP which has been in existence for only six years. The cancer of a Special Prosecutor that has infected the OSP for the past two years cannot be allowed to metastasize to infect the healthy working relation between organic law enforcement, the citizen, and the administration of justice guaranteed under law. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE OSP AND THE JUDICIARY FROM 2018 - 2021 The poisonous and cancerous relationship between the OSP, the suspect under investigation, and the judiciary brought about by the conduct of the OSP, an agency of the state, mobilizing public opinion against both the judiciary and citizens under investigation or prosecution by the OSP started only upon the assumption of office of Kissi Agyebeng as the Special Prosecutor as I will demonstrate with the historical material hereunder. In or around September 2019, two High Courts (Financial and Economic Crime Division 1 & 2) in separate applications on notice made orders confirming the administrative freezing of the accounts of Adjenim Boateng Adjei, Frank Kwaku Arhin, and Talent Discovery Company Limited. In the Special Prosecutor v Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the court ordered the freezing of eight (8) bank accounts of the Respondent. In the Special Prosecutor v Francis Kwaku Arhin, the court ordered the freeing of the Respondents bank accounts. In the third application of the Special Prosecutor v Talent Discovery Limited (TDL) the court granted confirmatory orders for the continued freezing of two bank accounts of the Respondent. The orders of the courts remained in force and the accounts frozen for investigations despite several applications made by the respective Respondents to the courts to have them unfrozen. These accounts were ordered unfrozen by the courts on application by the respective Respondents during the tenure of the acting Special Prosecutor who allowed the investigation to go into hibernation long after my resignation from the OSP on 16 November 2020. The ruling in the case of the Republic v 1. Mahama Ayariga 2. Kendrick Kwesi Marfo, Suit No. MSFT/23/2019, High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2), Accra, 17 June 2019 (Unreported). Mrs. Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe granted an application by the 1st Accused on a motion to strike out the Charge Sheet filed on 27 March 2019 on the grounds, inter alia, that the drafting of the Particulars of Offence under Counts one (1), three (3), four (4) and five (5) did not make any reference to any part of those offences having been allegedly perpetrated in furtherance of corruption and/or a corruption-related enterprise. She stated that: This drafting error, which, in my candidate opinion, has the effect of exceeding the mandate of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. In accordance with the hallowed tradition of professional prosecutors I did not as the Special Prosecutor make any comments on the decision of the court and the judge. (The judge had worked under the Deputy Special Prosecutor (DSP) when she worked at the AttorneyGenerals Department in Koforidua and when she later became the Acting DPP at the time I was the AG. I was the DAG and later AG during the same period). I nonetheless took personal responsibility for the error in the Particulars of Offence with the consolation in the fact that Mrs. Justice Asare-Botwe had trained the prosecuting attorney acting on my behalf in this case while she was a Principal State Attorney in Sunyani and what she did was part of her continued tutelage. The OSP filed fresh charges against the two suspects and withdrew the pending charge against the 1st Accused person. A second attempt to strike out the new charges failed before the same court and judge. It was needless in accordance with the Constitution and the hallowed tradition of prosecutorial ethics to make scurrilous or abusive comments against the court or the judge in the media for doing what she was appointed to do decided cases between the citizen and the state. This case was pending before the same court and judge until I resigned my office and handed it over to the DSP as the acting Special Prosecutor by operation of law who supervised the continuation of the case in the court. In the Republic v Hajia Hawa Ninchema & 6 Others, Case No. FT/012?2019 High Court (Financial and Economic Crime Division 2), Accra, a motion was filed on 3rd June 2019 for and on behalf the 7th Accused person to strike out the charge sheet filed by the OSP against the accused persons on a number of grounds while a notice of preliminary legal objection was filed on 6th June 2019 for and on behalf of the 6th Accused/Applicant challenging the mandate of the OSP to launch the prosecution. The Court and the Judge in a ruling on 17 June 2019 refused to strike out the charges, and also dismissed the preliminary objection. The trial of the charges filed on 5 May 2019 in Hajia Hawa Ninchema & 6 Others started when I was in office and was dismissed by the court on a submission of no case on 7 May 2021 long after my resignation without any hullabaloos from the OSP then under the Acting Special Prosecutor or from me even though the Acting Special Prosecutor knew contemporaneously about my disappointment in an encounter with the President when I briefed him in his office on 8 May 2019 that I had filed this case against his Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, and about an on-going investigation against his District Chief Executive for the Jirapa District Assembly which was still on-going before I resigned my office. The President as the repository of executive power was being alerted to warn his appointees against suspected corruption. Incidentally the Municipal Chief Executive who was the 1st Accused and the 7th Accused are in accordance with our internalized culture in the Bawku township my relations broadly speaking, then belonging to the NPP and the NDC, respectively, against whom an informant had laid the complaint against the 7th Accused. The DSP also knows the issues that arose about this case during her mothers funeral and I am not in a position to say how she resolved them after my resignation. I have said enough! The Ninchema case was the first Charge Sheet filed in court by the OSP and a test case for the OSP. I did not think I could in conscience disagree with the written opinions of my investigators and prosecutors including the DPP on the fact that there was a case to be made out by filing criminal charges in the court. I have no regrets for doing my duty in the true tradition of the legal profession as a Special Prosecutor and allowing the court to decide, which it rightly did. Without any further proof that the President interfered with the court, which I do not have, it was and is needless to make any insinuations against the judge or the administration of justice. I only state the Presidents disappointing reaction to my briefing on 8 May 2019 in the Ninchema case and its aftermath to bring out the fact the interaction confirmed to me for the first time what the President really expected of me as the Special Prosecutor. The OSP charged Samuel Adams Mahama & 3 Others before the Circuit Court, Accra, for a number of suspected corruption offences and obtained four arrest warrants with other orders on 13 May 2020 for the arrest of each of them that enabled the OSP to apply for the issuance of INTERPOL arrest warrant for each of them. These arrest warrants are still pending and Kissi Agyebeng is purporting to take credit for them without any acknowledgements even though the case has been in coma for over three years since I resigned my office. I challenge Ghanaians to point to one press conference or media statement issued by the OSP from February 2018 when I was sworn into Office to 16 November 2020 when I resigned my office as the Special Prosecutor attacking any court or judge or the judiciary in the exercise of its judicial power. There was also no such incitement against the administration of justice from 16 November 2020 to 5 August 2021 when the DSP acted as the Special Prosecutor. The records on the above cases are all available in the OSP and in the courts to confirm the several cases handled in court during my tenure. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE OSP AND THE JUDICIARY FROM AUGUST 2021 TO DATE It is one thing for a law enforcement agency which is part of the executive branch to lament over and tacitly pressurize the appointing authority for not making available facilities and resources to execute the functions of ones office, and entirely a different thing to attack another coordinating branch of government in a manner that constitutes the grave misconduct of scurrilously abusing and scandalizing the independent judiciary and the administration of criminal justice. The latter crosses the red line of constitutionality and requires swift and immediate response by all patriots in defence of the 1992 Constitution. In the media conference Kissi Agyebeng purposefully summoned with public resources on 29 November 2023 to scurrilously abuse and scandalize the court and the judge who ruled in the case of the Republic v Special Prosecutor and Another, Ex Parte Col. Kwadwo Damoah and Another he rhetorically, hypocritically, and perniciously stated at page 3, paragraph 4 that: It would be absolutely of no good and utility should it be the case that the OSP is set against the judiciary or that the judiciary is against the OSP. That would surely spell disastrous consequences for this Republic especially in the fight against corruption to the unending glee of corrupt persons.. The truth of the matter from the preceding narrative and discourse is that it is rather the OSP under Kissi Agyebeng which is set against the judiciary and not vice versa. The relationship between the OSP and the judiciary from February 2018 to 5 August 2021 shows that the statement made in the above quoted sentence is a mere figment of the malevolent and fertile mind of Kissi Agyebeng as the Special Prosecutor and his dysfunctional work culture, his incompetence, and his inexperience as a professional investigator and prosecutor. The OSP was run by seasoned and experienced prosecutors from February 2018 to 5 August 2021 without anything of the sort of dooms day cry and making capital about losing the fight against corruption ever arising. The DSP, who has her own challenges, had been appointed as acting DPP upon the retirement of the late indefatigable Miss Gladys Aikins and she knows what a prosecutor must do in the hallowed tradition of professional prosecutors. The truth of the matter is that Kissi Agyebeng is not making use of the DSPs professional prosecutorial experience which he lacks. Kissi Agyebeng assumed office on 9 August 2023 as though he had been appointed after a coup detat and did not take handing over notes from the person acting as the Special Prosecutor before his appointment: he has since chosen to ignore her in major decision making. He used not to inform her even verbally of his numerous trips abroad before and after the Governing Board was appointed. I doubt whether there is any record as demanded by the administrative bureaucracy of consultations between the two most senior managers of the OSP up to date. I met the DSP on an almost daily basis formally and informally and would even inform her when I was stepping out of the office for a few minutes as is normal practice in a functional public service environment. The first appearance of Kissi Agyebeng in the High Court after assuming the office of the Special Prosecutor on 9 August 2021, was in the case of the Republic v 1. Mahama Ayariga 2. Kendrick Kwesi Marfo, High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2), Accra, which was pending before Mrs. Justice Serwaa Asare-Botwe when I resigned office on grounds of principle. I have already narrated previous developments in this case leading to the striking out of parts of the charges and the filing of fresh charges by the OSP. It had to take the Special Prosecutor upon his appointment and as his first act in the court since he assumed office to enter a nolle prosequi on 11 October 2021 without even consulting his immediate predecessor or the prosecuting attorney who only went to the court with the Special Prosecutor to hear him announce for the first time that he had filed a nolle prosequi, and moved the court to grant it, which the court did. But Kissi Agyebeng lied that he entered the nolle prosequi following a thoroughly review of the available evidence without consulting his authorized officers, his deputy, the prosecuting attorneys, and the investigators in the case all of whom were part of the OSP retreat I organized at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, where the same facts and evidence were thoroughly reviewed and everybody agreed that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute. The funfair that attended this performance was palpable forgetting the fact that even the AG, in my experience of over fourteen years in the AGs Department, does not make decisions on cases being conducted on his behalf by an attorney in court without discussing his opinion with the prosecutor handling the case(s) on his behalf. The normal practice is for the AG or DG to commit the DPP and the prosecuting attorney to agree with his written opinion on the utility of entering the nolle prosequi in writing to protect the AG or DAG against charges of abuse of discretionary power. Kissi Agyebeng thought nobody will remember or connect his entry of the nolle prosequi with the fact that he had been trained by and remained an intimate friend of the leading lawyer in the Ayariga case for the 1st Accused person and who had sued the Republic in Supreme Court to have me removed from office as the Special Prosecutor on grounds of age. The leading lawyer had repeated the same argument to challenge the charges filed against the 1st Accused without success before Mrs. Justice Asare-Botwe. These facts necessitated his engagement on assuming office with the existing officers in the OSP to avoid suspicion that his first act in court as the Special Prosecutor was tainted and actuated by corruption. But I raised no finger in my retirement because unbeknown to Kissi Agyebeng, I was quite happy with his abuse of discretion. The only reason why I agreed with the investigators and prosecutors including my deputy at the OSP to file the charges was that in conscience there was a strong case to answer and I had no option than to redeem my oath to Parliament and to uphold my Official Oath not to favour any person with whom I stood in the relation of a father, which was the case with the 1st Accused. The family of the 1st Accused perfectly understood this as they knew my character from childhood and we are still on good terms. Then, the same Mrs. Justice Serwaa Asare-Botwe of the High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2), who ordered the entry of the nolle prosequi requested by Kissi Agyebeng in the Mahama Ayariga case, had the misfortune to decide the Sir John case, in the Office of the Special Prosecutor v Charles Owusu and Nana Boakye Acheampong (In their capacities as the Executors of the Estate of the last will and Testament of Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie Alias Sir John) Suit No. FT/00440/2022, High Court, Accra, 12 July 2022 (Unreported). All of hell broke loose and she immediately incurred the umbrage of the Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, and was tried in the court of public opinion for hampering the fight against corruption despite the fact that he had given notice of filing an appeal against the decision. If this decision is left to stand, the Republic will lose the fight against corruption in unimaginable ways., the Special Prosecutor thundered. The appeal, to the best of my knowledge, has been pending since July 2022 - for almost one and half years. Nonetheless the Special Prosecutor misconducted himself again on 29 November 2023 in referring to this pending matter before the Court of Appeal to hurl scurrilous abuses at Mrs. Justice Serwaa Asare-Botwe and her then court even though she has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal, and to scandalize the administration of justice. The Special Prosecutor next attacked and scurrilously abused what he perceived to be an unfavourablle order made by the Human Rights Court against the OSP. In the case of Charles Bissue v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Kaneshie District Court, Accra, Suit No. HR/9191/2023, High Court (Human Rights Division) Accra 15 June 2023 (unreported) presided over by Mr. Justice Nicholas Abodakpi. The court had made an order for interim injunction restraining the 1st Respondent from executing the Arrest Warrant it procured from the 2nd Respondent against the Applicant, applying for further Arrest Warrant against the Applicant, publishing notices purporting the Applicant to be wanted, pending the determination of the application for the enforcement of Fundamental Human Rights. The order was to last for ten (10) days. This court is a Human Rights Court set up to enforce the human rights and freedoms of citizens against executive encroachments pursuant to Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution and the High Court (Civil Procedure Rules) 2004 (C.I. 47). Whether the court acted within or in excess of its jurisdiction was not a matter a public officer and a prosecutor can resolve at media conferences intended for public incitement against the court, the judge, and the administration of justice. The due process of law enjoined Kissi Agyebeng to resort to following the legal processes within the hierarchy of the judicial system to resolve his grievances as provided for by law. Kissi Agyebeng rather chose again to cause dissatisfaction for the court, the judge, the judiciary, and administration of justice by inciting the media and public against the judicial branch of government by using his media conference of 29 November 2023 to continue his violation of Article 127 as a public officer and to intimidate the citizen for daring to access justice pursuant to Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution. He dismissively held the order of the court in contempt when he issued a media statement the same day in response to the order of the High Court to the public stating that: The general public is advised, that in the exercise of its police powers, the Office of the Special Prosecutor can arrest without a warrant, any person it reasonably suspects of having committed corruption or corruption-related offenses. Kissi Agyebeng, a management public officer heading the OSP cannot violate his Official Oath and Article 127 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution by inciting the public against the administration of justice and the independence of the judiciary without consequences. The OSP next went after Mrs. Justice Serwaa Asare-Botwe successor in the High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2) presided over by Mr. Justice Edward Twum, as a vacation judge, in a ruling he made in the Office of the Special Prosecutor v Cecilia Abena Dapaah Suit No. FT/0072/2023, High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2), Accra, 31 August 2023 (Unreported) when in the exercise of the judicial power he declined to make an order upon an application by the OSP for confirmation of an administrative freezing order made against the bank accounts and other assets of the Respondent. Kissi Agyebeng rained all hell and brimstone on the competence and integrity of the court and the judge even after Kissi Agyebeng had accepted the ruling and decided not to appeal against it. Kissi Agyebengs next move was to seek to undermine the orders made by the court by rearresting the suspect within the premises of the OSP and claim that he had obeyed the orders of the Court. The OSP then administratively froze her bank accounts and confiscated other assets and filed a fresh application for confirmation orders before the same court and judge in respect of the same assets. The Respondents naturally exercised their constitutional and legal rights to challenge the second application. The lawyers for the Respondent not only filed an affidavit opposing the application but further filed an application for abridgment of time to hear the OSPs application for confirmation orders. While this application was pending for hearing, Kissi Agyebeng, purported to charge Cecilia Abena Dapaah for refusal or failure to make declarations of property and income when demanded to do so by the OSP. On the day of the hearing of criminal charges against the accused person, Cecilia Dapaahs application for abridgment of time also came on for hearing in the same court. The court heard the application for abridgement of time first without any objection from the authorized representative of the OSP and granted the abridgement of time. Heavens came down with media statements aimed at and recruiting the media and the public against the decision of the court and the judge. Before the next adjournment day, the Special Prosecutor instead of appealing the decision chose to file a certiorari application in the Supreme Court. He further submitted a petition to the Chief Justice to remove Justice Edward Twum from all cases involving the OSP on grounds of bias and prejudice: this petition was eventually declined by the Chief Justice. Kissi Agyebengs application for certiorari pending before the Supreme Court was truck out as withdrawn by the Special Prosecutors representative at the hearing on 29 November 2023 after moving her motion for leave to file a supplementary affidavit and after the President of the Supreme Court of five justices reportedly informed her that the court decides cases within the law and takes such decisions to expedite hearings. Unbeknown to Kissi Agyebeng that the Supreme Court had struck out his certiorari application as withdrawn when his representative sensed the outcome of the motion for leave, Kissi Agyebeng was high on his performance at the press conference where he threw the hallowed traditions of lawyers to the wind and took umbrage against the courts, the judges, the judiciary, and the administration of justice as a whole on 29 November 2023 to incite the media and the public against the judicial system. The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebengs next port of call in his rampaging upon the reputation and independence of the judiciary and the administration of criminal justice was to savage the decision of the High Court in the Republic v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Emmanuel Amadu Basintale, Ex Parte 1. Col. Kwadwo Damoah 2. Joseph Adu Kyei, Suit No. GJ/1232/2022, High Court (General Jurisdiction 5), Accra, 27 November 2023 (Unreported) in which the court and the judge granted an application for certiorari and prohibition against the OSP quashing the unconstitutional adverse finding contained in what is popularly known as the Labianca Report made and signed by Kissi Agyebeng and dated 3 August 2022. The certified ruling is unavailable because the judge read his handwritten ruling in court on 27 November 2023. Without waiting to obtain a certified true copy of the ruling to base any reasonable criticism of the decision on, Kissi Agyebeng felt so slighted and offended by the decision of the court and the judge as to purposefully summon at public expense the media to the conference or briefing on 29 November 2023 under the smokescreen of a general briefing on the work of the OSP. Only fools will fail to see through Kissi Agyebengs childlike smokescreen to the real fact that the main purpose of the media conference at public expense on 29 November 2023 was to specifically constitute himself into a higher court and incite the public against the court and the judge for the exercise of his independent judicial power in the Ex Parte Damoah case. The Special Prosecutor, an officer of the court accused the court and the judge in the glare of television cameras and a teaming media audience of the judge conveniently shut his eyes to an express statutory provision that the OSP has the mandate to publish detected acts of corruption and that was what the OSP had done in the report. Kissi Agyebeng continued: Worse, the judge then proceeded to prohibit the OSP from further investigating the affected persons.. (Emphasis supplied see page 7 paragraph of his written statement). The accusation of a judge of conveniently shutting his eyes to something suggests that the judge acted corruptly or prejudicially in the office of a judge. Kissi Agyebeng then, unconstitutionally usurps the independent judicial power vested in the court and the judge when he stated with finality that: This decision opens up a calamitous deluge as every person under criminal investigation would be encouraged to take out suits to injunct investigation and prosecution bodies.... The real and present danger looms largely on the consideration that by doing so, persons under investigation would conscript the judiciary to clothe them with immunity from investigation and prosecution. (Emphasis supplied). The insinuation that the court in Ex Parte Col. Kwadwo Damoah or any of the courts in the cases Kissi Agyebeng cited for a developing trend of rather regressive and dismissive judicial decisions in respect of cases involving the OSP could have been conscripted by suspected criminals to do their bidding, without further proof, constitutes a malevolent and scurrilous abuse of each of the courts and judges involved and the scandalization of the administration of justice as a whole. Kissi Agyebeng must be made to substantiate his accusation against the justices of the superior courts and the administration of justice at an impeachment proceeding, failing which he should be removed from office as the Special Prosecutor without further delay. Kissi Agyebeng indicated an intention to appeal the ruling of the High Court in the Ex Parte Damoah case. One wonders what use the intended appeal will serve when the Special Prosecutor has already incited the public against the administration of justice to the fact that the only acceptable decision the Court of Appeal can make in his appeal is to agree with the views he used to incite the media and the public against the administration of justice. Kissi Agyebeng after all the bravado, scurrilous abuses of the courts and judges and scandalizing the administration of justice admits in an obscure part of his written statement that the OSP like all law enforcement agencies is not infallible and he does not suggest that every case brought by it or against it must end in a favourable outcome no matter how improbable the evidence. On bended knees Kissi Agyebeng still charges the courts with gang-up dismissive and regressive prejudice towards the cases of the OSP when he stated that: However, it seems to us that the flagship public agency created by law to fight corruption should receive better regard and consideration by the courts and not the developing trend of dismissiveness and regression without regard to its governing enactments, certainly not the erection of non-existent hurdles in its work and operations. Kissi Agyebeng from the foregoing examination and analysis of his conduct and relationship with the judiciary since his assumption of office as the Special Prosecutor confirms the fact that it is the case that the OSP under his watch has been set against the judiciary and not the case that the judiciary is against the OSP. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE OSP The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng sought to convince Ghanaians that he summoned the press conference or media briefing on 29 November 2023 because a major pillar of the fight against corruption is transparency on the part of anti-corruption agencies. But Kissi Agyebeng, in his typically opaque fashion refuses or fails to ever define his understanding of transparency to enable the public to appreciate what he means when he uses the word in the context of his performance. However, he justifies his expenditure of public funds on media engagements . after every major judicial pronouncement or decision informing the public on our judges opinions in cases involving the OSP and stating the position of the Office on the opinion in question as to whether it progresses the fight against corruption or otherwise to the pursuance of a policy of transparency. I have had occasion on 29 June 2023 to write and published an article entitled Kissi Agyebengs OSP pick the people that he thinks he should, rather than pick the cases that need to be prosecuted in which I demonstrated his arbitrary and capricious abuse of the provisions of Act 959 and the subsidiary laws thereunder, and his violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens and other provisions of the 1992 Constitution, and laws of Ghana. I warned Ghanaians, inter alia, that: When tyrannical investigators and prosecutors in the mold of William Kissi Agyebeng are let alone, they deploy empty rhetorical performance that signify nothing to confuse the public. The emerging tyranny of William Kissi Agyebeng activates the constitutional and patriotic duty of citizens to respond to those abuses and stop them in their tracks before they destroy this country with a new McCarthyism.. The Ghanaian new McCarthyism which has been evolving as Agyebengism that thrives on public hysteria and fear against corruption is encapsulated in Kissi Agyebengs spurious and sweeping explanation on JoyNews I concluded this article by warning further that: . the danger with the media lending itself wittingly or unwittingly to promoting the new Agyebengism as a form of McCarthyism in the fight both against galamsey and corruption is that it negates the freedom and independence of the media enshrined in Chapter Twelve (12) of the 1992 Constitution. History does not repeat itself but it rhymes. Like it or not, the fight against corruption is not an opportunity for hysteria, entrepreneurship, retribution, and the emergence of a new McCarthyism to be called and styled Agyebengism in Ghana. Ghana shall outlive tyranny! The interested reader can find this article which was published on my website as: DANGER IN KISSI AGYEBENGS OSP PICKING CASES IN BIASED MANNER MARTIN AMIDU SPEAKS The preamble of the 1992 Constitution makes, inter alia, a solemn declaration and affirmation of our commitment to; freedom, justice, probity, and accountability; the rule of law; the protection and preservation of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms.. These solemn declarations, affirmations, and commitments cannot be realized when the rights and freedoms of citizens to access independent and impartial justice are threatened by the summoning of press conferences or the issuance of media statement in a typically style of McCarthyism anytime the judiciary makes a major decision against the OSP to scandalize the administration of justice and intimidate beneficiaries of the major judicial decisions in the name of transparency. The pot cannot call the kettle black. Consequently, Kissi Agyebeng cannot be allowed to choose what he thinks he must call the media and inform them about at public expense to incite the public against suspects and the administration of justice without accounting to the public for his administration of the OSP. As the founding Special Prosecutor I have a vested interest in ensuring that the OSP is not operationalized as a rogue anti-corruption institution as happened in other countries. Consequently, I have written and published articles on ongoing investigation in which Kissi Agyebeng was the lawyer for either the complainant or suspects and is, therefore, now tainted by conflict of interest and entrepreneurship as the Special Prosecutor. One, therefore, expected that when Kissi Agyebeng scurrilously abused and scandalized the court and the judge in the case of Charles Bissue v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Kaneshie District Court, Accra, Suit No. HR/9191/2023, High Court (Human Rights Division) Accra 15 June 2023 (unreported) presided over by Mr. Justice Nicholas Abodakpi to have known that one of the reasons that might have influenced the court to decide to restrain the OSP was the fact that he suffered from conflict of interest as the former lawyer to the complainant, Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Tiger Eye PI, with Anas Aremeyaw Anas also being a founding partner of their law partnership of Comwell Gray LLP. The arbitrary and capricious exercise of investigatory and prosecutorial discretion, violations of Act 959 and its subsidiary legislation, and provisions of the 1992 Constitution in the Labianca Report dated 3 August 2022 might have informed the court and the judge in granting the application for judicial review in the Republic v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Emmanuel Amadu Basintale, Ex Parte 1. Col. Kwadwo Damoah 2. Joseph Adu Kyei, Suit No. GJ/1232/2022, High Court (General Jurisdiction 5) 27 November 2023 (Unreported). I had written and published an article entitled Labianca report published by the Office of the Special Prosecutor is hollow, without mandate, and unconstitutional which has been vindicated by the ruling of the court, but Kissi Agyebeng incited the press in his conference performance without reminding them of alternate views contrary to his. See - OSPS LABIANCA REPORT FALLS SHORT AND IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL MARTIN AMIDU SPEAKS The Special Prosecutor in his written 12-page statement to the media threw an invitation to every Ghanaian to help the OSP in the fight against corruption in the following concluding words: The OSP must be supported in its work. Should the OSP fail, Ghana would utterly lose the fight against corruption with its attendant erosion of our democracy. As the founding Special Prosecutor I have consistently insisted that the OSP cannot be allowed to become a rogue institution. I, therefore, rise up to the challenge and call to support the OSP in its work by raising here issues based on information and intelligence I have received by virtue of my being the founding Special Prosecutor from people who have misgivings about the integrity of the present direction of the OSP. See - FIGHTING CORRUPTION REQUIRES INTEGRITY, NOT ENTREPRENEURSHIP MARTIN AMIDU SPEAKS I do not know whether the Special Prosecutor knows that tongues have been wagging from informants and intelligence, and in the media that a friend of the Special Prosecutor from the mountains usually demands and receives considerations allegedly for the benefit of the OSP during the preliminary investigation and full investigations of case to tamper with the resultant threats to continue with the case and to prosecute the suspects in court. Tongues have also been wagging that Issah Seidu had to suffer incarceration for long periods because his friends and relations at home and abroad could not raise considerations to meet demands from some staff of the OSP. Tongues are further wagging that there are completed investigation dockets in the OSP which are not moving forward because senior officials of the OSP, including its head, are either relatives or friends or former professional representatives of the suspects or have received considerations from the suspects. As a matter of fact I handled the NLA-NEXGO case whose investigation was hampered by Kissi Agyebeng as the lawyer for one of the suspects insisting that he must be present before any interrogation of his client: he never honoured his word with his presence before my resignation from office. The case has been suppressed since his assumption of office. I wrote and published an article on this matter. See TAXPAYERS HAVE RIGHT TO KNOW WHY AGYEBENG IS HYPING SOME WHILE IGNORING OTHER CASES MARTIN AMIDU SPEAKS I got to know that in 2022 the OSP took possession of over fifty operational vehicles and cars some with bullet proof fortifications from the Tema port which were hidden under the basement of the OSP. The OSP did not have an operational procurement entity at the time to enable the OSP to procure them from its moneys approved by Parliament; internally generated funds, and grants approved by the Minister responsible for Finance in consultation with the Attorney-General. My information is that two of the vehicles driven from the Tema Port in convey got involved in an accident on the Tema Motorway in which one of the vehicles became a complete write off. The public has not heard or seen the President, Attorney-General or any entity presenting these over fifty vehicles as gifts to the OSP as is the usual practice with donations in the form of grants. A media briefing by the OSP will assuage public suspicions of violations of the procurement law in their procurement. Still on procurement! Can the Special Prosecutor explain at a media briefing one of his first acts on his assumption of office - how he came to procure a fleet of vehicles including pickups from a car rental company allegedly belonging to his friend or associated with his friend who is alleged to be one of his employees now which he used as back-up for his security details without going through a competitive car rental company bidding process and the approval of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA)? What consideration informed the alleged immediate procurement by renting or purchasing a Prado four wheel drive without PPA approval for the Chief Accountant of the OSP who is a signatory to the OSP accounts only weeks after assuming office when other heads of departments went without the same favour? Remember that the OSP investigates and prosecutes procurement malpractices and the OSPs press conference will instill confidence in the investigatory work of the OSP when the OSP investigates persons suspected of the commission of similar procurement offences. The Special Prosecutor should be addressing a press conferences on whether it is true that since his assumption of office he has spent more than a third of the year in 2021, 2022, and 2023 traveling abroad on the public purse without any written information to his deputy on his travelling abroad. Is it true that the Special Prosecutor even travels with orderlies who have no security functions to perform on such trips abroad?. Is it also true that certain friends of the Special Prosecutor accompany him on some of these trips at their own expense which can be detected from entries from the Ghana Immigration Service data base? By the way, the public wishes to know how many times the Special Prosecutor has traveled abroad on official duties since 9 August 2021, and if accompanied by whom; and whether the DSP was formally informed about these travels abroad. It may well be that when the Special Prosecutor becomes more transparent and accountable and addresses the issues raised at a media briefing, the suspicions of members of the public who may be tarnishing the integrity of the OSP may be put to rest. I raise them here because of the invitation thrown to the public by the Special Prosecutor and the fact that the policy of the OSP to be transparent with the public is a two way street of openness and accountability as the fight against corruption cannot be won when citizens suspect the conduct of Caesars wife of not being above suspicion. CONCLUSIONS The foregoing examination and analysis of the demand by the Special Prosecutor that the OSP is entitled during his tenure to be treated by the judicial branch as a flagship anticorruption agency and given preferential decisions by the courts as against citizens has demonstrated that there was no animosity between the judiciary or any courts or judges and the OSP from its foundation in February 2018 to 9 August 2021 when Kissi Agyebeng assumed office as the Special Prosecutor. The judiciary cannot, therefore, be accused of being against the OSP as he endeavoured to incite the public during the press conference or media briefing on 29 November 2023 to believe. It has been shown that the Ghana Police Service (GPS) which is the oldest law enforcement agency in Ghana; the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) which used to exercise the anti-corruption mandate; the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) which used to be part of the Police Service and has investigatory and prosecutorial powers; the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS); and other law enforcement agencies are not known to hold media briefing to heap scurrilous abuses and scandalize the courts, and intimidate beneficiary citizens anytime the courts make unfavourable decisions against them for the benefit of a sovereign citizen. The cancer of a Special Prosecutor that has infected the OSP for the past two years cannot, therefore, be allowed to metastasize to infect the healthy working relation between organic law enforcement, the citizen, and the administration of justice guaranteed under law. The policy of the OSP to be transparent with the public which the Special Prosecutor claimed underpinned his performance of scurrilously abusing the courts and scandalizing the administration of justice, it has been shown, is a two way street of openness and accountability as the fight against corruption cannot be won when citizens suspect the conduct of Caesars wife as not being above suspicion. The Special Prosecutor crossed the red line in his performance to the media which was malevolently summoned on 29 November 2023 to incite the public against the rights of beneficiary citizens to the decisions of the courts and to scandalize the administration of justice in a manner in consistent with and in contravention of the 1992 Constitution to warrant patriotic citizens to defend the Constitution by petitioning the President for the removal of the Special Prosecutor from office for stated misbehaviour and other grounds provided for in Act 959 discussed hereinbefore. The Constitution and the independence of the judiciary must be defended against any agency of the executive branch wishing to unjustly trample upon the rights and freedoms of citizens. God, protect Ghana! Martin A. B. K. Amidu 3 December 2023 05.12.2023 LISTEN Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu has accused Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng of scandalising the judiciary in the country. In a latest epistle, the former Special Prosecutor said Kissi Agyebeng has become a cancer in the two years he has served as Special Prosecutor. Martin Amidu noted that Kissi Agyebeng cannot be allowed to infect the healthy working relationship that exists between law enforcement agencies and the judiciary with his recent anti-judiciary press conference. The cancer of a Special Prosecutor that has infected the OSP for the past two years cannot, therefore, be allowed to metastasize to infect the healthy working relation between organic law enforcement, the citizen, and the administration of justice guaranteed under law, Martin Amidu said. This comes after Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng raised concern about how cases presented by the Office of the Special Prosecutor are hastily dismissed by the courts. "In one of the cases, I said a judge injuncted us from arresting a person. Mind you, we were not in court. We had declared the person wanted as a fugitive from justice, there was absolutely no enquiry as to why we believed that the person was a fugitive from justice so it is not as if we breached the law. "No one asked us why we declared the person wanted. Then we were served with an injunction order that we cannot arrest the person meanwhile we know that in our law no one has the right not to be arrested. You cannot say you are granting a person a right not to be arrested. "So when we receive judicial decisions like that it makes us assume that we are being prevented from arresting someone who is a fugitive from justice, Kissi Agyebeng said at a press conference last week. The Special Prosecutor continued, "What if we were not investigating corruption? What if the person was a suspected murderer or a suspected armed robber? The person will be running around in the street with an injunction not to be arrested. "This is not a breach of law by the OSP, this is dismissiveness of his work. According to Martin Amidu, the Special Prosecutor crossed the red line in his performance to the media. He said the press conference on November 9, was to incite the public against the rights of beneficiary citizens to the decisions of the courts and to scandalize the administration of justice in a manner in consistent with and in contravention of the 1992 Constitution to warrant patriotic citizens to defend the Constitution by petitioning the President for the removal of the Special Prosecutor from office for stated misbehaviour and other grounds provided for in Act 959 discussed hereinbefore. Martin Amidu insists that the Constitution and the independence of the judiciary must be defended against any agency of the executive branch wishing to unjustly trample upon the rights and freedoms of citizens. The Managing Director of State Transport Company, Nana Akomea has accused former President John Mahama and the opposition NDC of undermining government efforts to combat illegal small-scale mining (galamsey). Speaking on Accra-based TV3 on Tuesday, December 5, Nana Akomea said while the government was fighting galamsey, the NDC and Mr. Mahama "incited the galamseyers against the government" ahead of the 2020 polls by promising to release arrested miners if voted into power. He stated: "Don't go there and be telling the people that when they vote for [NDC] you will remove these people from jail to come and do galamsey, when you do that we will not win the fight against galamsey." The STC boss argued that Mahama's action sabotaged the anti-galamsey campaign and made success more difficult. "We undermine our own fight when you have a party going to incite people against government telling them that when you vote for you all those who have been arrested will be released," Nana Akomea added. It comes after a High Court this week sentenced Chinese galamsey queen Aisha Huang to four and half years in prison and a hefty fine for engaging in illegal small-scale mining without a license. The case has reinforced public resolve to crack down on foreign nationals fueling Ghana's galamsey scourge. But opposition from some quarters continues to undermine progress, according to Nana Akomea. Nii Lante Vanderpuije, Chairman of the Greater Accra Regional Caucus and Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio Constituency, has narrated the process of persuading Mr Michael Yarboi Annan, also known as Don, to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Venting his frustration with the Functional Executives Committee's (FEC) decision to disqualify Mr Annan from the NDC Parliamentary race, Mr Vanderpuije explained a familial connection, as Mr Annan is a nephew of the late NDC stalwart D.F. Annan. Mr Vanderpuije expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision to disqualify Mr Annan, who had previously been associated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He revealed that despite Annan's NPP affiliation, he successfully convinced him to switch allegiances and join the NDC, citing his popularity and resourcefulness. The MP asserted that Mr Annan had the capacity to retain the Odododiodio Constituency seat for the NDC. He questioned whether the party prioritised retaining the seat or merely having a candidate, urging the FEC to reconsider its decision and allow the delegates to decide Odododiodio's leadership for the 2024 general elections. Mr Vanderpuije emphasised that without Mr Annan, the NDC would face challenges winning the parliamentary seat in 2024. He drew attention to a precedent in the party's history when a candidate, Dr Justice Kofi Annan, contested the primary under the Effetu Constituency NPP primary in the Central Region and was later selected as the NDC's parliamentary candidate in the 2020 elections. Expressing concern about the treatment meted out to Mr Annan in the lead-up to the party's primary, Mr Vanderpuije highlighted the inconsistency in viewing party affiliation as a disqualifying factor. Mr Vanderpuije expressed his frustrations with the decision during an interview on Accra-based Citi FM on Monday. -Classfmonline Yaw Buaben Asamoa, a former Adenta constituency lawmaker and ex-member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has dismissed former President John Dramani Mahama's 24-hour economy proposal, describing it as nothing more than a mere slogan. Mahama, who leads the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), recently pledged to implement a 24-hour economy if he is elected as President again. The former President emphasized that the initiative is a crucial part of his manifesto aimed at ending unemployment and enhancing the living standards of Ghanaians. According to him, the current NPP-led government under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has failed the citizens. During an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, now the spokesperson for Alan Kyerematen's Movement for Change (MFC), took the opportunity to question the feasibility of Mahama's promises. Buaben Asamoa expressed skepticism about Mahama's proposed implementation measures of the 24-hour economy initiative. "Whatever he can do for Ghana, he's done it already. His 24-hour economy is nothing but a slogan; there is nothing new in it," Buaben Asamoa asserted. Metro TVs Paul Adom-Otchere and host of Good Morning Ghana has made allegations against Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, accusing him of collaborating with an "evil" group of individuals who, according to him, do not have the best interests of Ghanaians at heart. While Adom-Otchere did not disclose the identities of these individuals, he asserted that they are a cabal at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). "He works with those clad faces; he works with evil people. Yes, I'll say it again; they are evil people. That ring that he belongs to, they are evil people," Adom-Otchere stated. Adding to the controversy, Adom-Otchere accused Lawyer Agyebeng of staffing the OSP with a majority of individuals who lack a legal background or legal education. According to the TV host, out of the 300 individuals employed at the OSP, only 10 are legal practitioners. He asserts that the core functions of the OSP should primarily involve legal expertise. "From the information that we picked up yesterday, here is this guy who has employed 300 people in his office. The OSP has employed 300 persons as a matter of public record. Now look at the distribution here, only 10 of them are lawyers. He employs 300 in his office. The 300 on taxpayers' money, only 10 are lawyers," Adom-Otchere said. He indicated that 80 of the staff are employed for research and media work. "Now check out, 80 of the people he has employed are media and research. As a TV station, he has employed 80 people as media and research staff sitting at the office of the special prosecutor. Even here at Metro TV, even the GBC, they have plenty of people. Other big TV stations, TV3, do they have 80 media research staff? What's he doing there, what are they doing there, and who and who does he work with?" Adom-Otchere queried. Adom-Otchere called on Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng to rise above reproach. This follows a press conference held by the OSP last week, during which Agyebeng criticized judicial interference in the office's work. H&M, a Swedish fast-fashion retailer, will close at Boulevard Mall in early January. The clothing store, which sells apparel and accessories for men, women and children, is an anchor tenant, with its own entrance on the east side of the mall. A sign in the stores window says its last day will be Jan. 6. Mall ownership has been in the process of running out leases and emptying the mall as it prepares to build a town center project in its place a walkable mix of retail, restaurants, residences and green space. Stores at the mall will operate through the holiday season, then begin emptying at the beginning of 2024, according to Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa. Demolition will begin next year or 2025, depending on whether its a private developer or the town that does the work, he said. Developer Douglas Jemal has owned most of the mall since 2019, with Benderson Development Co. holding a portion and other companies having contractual rights on the site. To speed up the process of transforming the site into a town center, the Town Board in 2022 designated the mall an urban renewal area and, with the support of Jemal and Benderson, voted to temporarily take control of the site through eminent domain. The plan is for the town to acquire the properties, then sell them back to the two developers once the legal hurdles are cleared. Anchor department store J.C. Penney is fighting the process. In October, a panel of appellate court judges sided with the Town of Amherst in its efforts to take by eminent domain the land now occupied by J.C. Penney at the mall, but the department store has appealed. H&M has locations at Walden Galleria in Cheektowaga and Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA in Niagara Falls. A former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini is no happy with the jail term slapped on Chinese illegal mining kingpin, Aisha Huang. An Accra High Court on Monday, December 4, sentenced Aisha Huang to a jail term of four and a half years. In addition to the sentence, the Chinese national who has come to be popularly known as 'galamsey queen' was fined GHS48,000 for illegal mining offences. Speaking at a dialogue organised by Joy News, Inusah Fuseini indicated that the sentence is an indication that Ghana is not serious about the fight against illegal mining. According to him, the sentence suggests that galamsey is tolerated in the country. I think the Aisha Huang case and the conviction and the sentence is another vivid demonstration of our lack of commitment in fighting this canker. The first arrest of Aisha Huang was under a legal regime that imposed or criminalised illegal mining and imposed a sentence that was higher than four and half years. We seemed to be suggesting that this canker can be tolerated, Inusah Fuseini said. Meanwhile, the Small Scale Miners Association has also kicked against the four-and-a-half-year jail term. Speaking on the sentence, Michael Kojo Peprah who is President of the association said the expectation was to see Aisha Huang being sentenced to at least 10 years in prison to serve as a deterrent. The debate over the future of fossil fuels, the biggest cause of global warming, is the key battle at the Cop28 climate summit hosted by the oil-rich United Arab Emirates. As neighbouring Saudi Arabia the world's biggest oil exporter ruled out phasing down oil, gas and coal, and activists sounded the alarm over fossil fuel lobbying at the talks, the chances of agreeing an ambitious deal looked slim. The latest version of a potential agreement includes two drastically different options: phasing out fossil fuels or not addressing the issue at all, negotiators said on Tuesday, as they headed back into tough talks due to end next week. The draft gives three options in total: an "orderly and just" phase-out, faster efforts to phase out fossil fuel projects that do not capture and store emissions, or "no text" on the subject. An earlier draft that proposed a "phase-down/out" was badly received by delegates, a Latin American negotiator told French news agency AFP. "Everyone was extremely unhappy with the first draft," the negotiator said, requesting anonymity. "When we started talking... everything collapsed... There is pretty much nothing on the way forward," the delegate added. Saudi resistance Saudi Arabia has already said it will "absolutely not" agree to phasing down fossil fuels, never mind phasing them out. "I assure you not a single person I'm talking about governments believes in that," Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told Bloomberg in Riyadh. "I would like to put that challenge for all of those who... come out publicly saying we have to (phase down)... Call them and ask them how they are gonna do that." The Cop28 president, Sultan Al Jaber who is also head of the UAE's national oil company says he believes that "the phase-down and the phase-out of fossil fuel is inevitable". Fossil fuel lobby But climate campaigners fear business interests will prevail at the UN summit which as well as being hosted by an oil producer has also opened the doors to a record number of fossil fuel lobbyists. According to NGO umbrella group Kick Big Polluters Out, 2,456 people tied to fossil fuel interests received accreditation to attend the latest talks, roughly four times the number at Cop27 last year. If taken as a group they outnumber every country delegation apart from Brazil and the UAE, the group said. All Cop delegates are required to be hosted by a government or registered organisation. According to the campaigners, France brought the head of its fossil fuel giant TotalEnergies, Italy included a team from Italian energy giant Eni, while the European Union brought employees of oil giants BP and ExxonMobil. 'Zero confidence' Dozens of people protested inside the Cop28 venue on Tuesday, holding up signs reading "Phase out fossil fuels now" and "Stop funding fossil fuels". "If the United Nations continues to allow the fossil fuel industry to lead climate mitigation and to lead Cop... I have zero confidence that Cop will be successful," Thomas Harmy Joseph, a member of the US-based Indigenous Environmental Network, told AFP. Scientists, activists and several governments say oil, gas and coal must be phased out and replaced with solar, wind and other renewable technology to prevent the planet from overheating. An agreement on the role of fossil fuels is seen as key to the success of the UN talks, which end on 12 December. (with AFP) We have said time and again that the groundswell of opposition against the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) would peak during the run up to the 2024 elections. Just when everybody including some elements in the NDC are commending the NPP for a highly successful primaries last Saturday, crestfallen Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng must throw in the spanner into the celebrations by putting certain persons on the wanted list for either receiving or accepting bribes. As for the Special Prosecutor, he is only interested in the public relations gimmick instead of the real fight against corruption. Thus, he wants to always place the alleged cases before the bar of public opinion instead of the facts, the law and the evidence. Mr. Special Prosecutor, before you proceed further, Ghanaians want to know the outcome of investigations into vote buying during the NDC congress in May this year. The Special Prosecutors bias towards the Akufo-Addo government is becoming legendary, exposing him as a public official with a negative agenda. He deserves to be watched. This and many other plots should spur on the NPP to close its ranks to make the task of winning next years elections, although daunting, it is equally surmountable. The internal contest to select candidates for the constituencies with sitting MPs would be equally keen and fierce. This is so because for sometime now, some party executives, MMDCEs and chief executives of state-owned enterprises have been lacing their boots to unseat some of the MPs. That exercise in January 2024 would not be without casualties, as in the estimation of some delegates certain MPs did not perform to the expectations of the people. MPs are not development agents but primarily, law makers, but all the same they can facilitate the provision of the needs of the people. As the party gears up for another showdown in the constituencies, the rank and file expects the leadership to dig deep for the wisdom to direct the primaries. A contest of this kind would likely bring about disagreements and in few cases innuendos and personal attacks. It thus behooves the leadership to outline the ground rules that provide a level playing field to the extent that those who would lose would feel compelled to work to 'break the eight'. The party leadership is reminded not to put impediments in the way of all those who want to contest in the primaries. When the nominations are opened, the processes must be transparent to ensure access to the nomination forms by all who think they are eligible. It must dawn on us that when the delegates decide in a free and fair contest, it becomes difficult for defeated candidates to find excuses not to work for the party. The task of 'breaking the eight' would be a difficult battle. But it is possible through hard work and unity of purpose, ensuring that all party supporters refrain from dissonance but work in harmony. Another hurdle was cleared last Saturday, but another major one is in January. Its outcome would set the tone for the battle royale to break the eight on December 7, 2024. It is for this reason that we remind all party supporters of the admonition of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to the newly elected parliamentary candidates. In congratulating them, the Vice President urged them to adopt humility and grace to also win the 2024 polls. I would like you to remember that your victory isnt the end, but the beginning of a new chapter of service and responsibility. To win the confidence of the Ghanaian people, we must adopt humility and grace, Dr. Bawumia said. He also thanked those who lost for their team spirit and assured that the party is indebted to them. The party is taking steps to close ranks and while Saturdays successful primaries inch towards breaking the eight, the next outcome of the next and final phase of the primaries sets the tone for making it a resounding and historic possibility. Source: Daily Guide Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy have lauded the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) for effective regulation of the petroleum downstream industry in the country. As part of their oversight mandate, the Committee visited the Head Office of the NPA on Monday 18th November to engage management on a range of issues, particularly regarding the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) and technologies used in the distribution of petroleum products. In his welcome remarks, NPA Chief Executive, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid expressed joy that the MPs had found time to come and see how the Authority works to ensure the effective operation of the petroleum downstream industry. He welcomed the Committees interest in visiting some industry installations and indicated that it would provide insight into the operations of the industry and guide their decision making as overseers to, in turn, give the NPA guidance to have a more efficient downstream. Responding, Mr. Atta Akyea said the visit to the NPA was in line with the oversight responsibility of Parliament. He said although the debate on the 2024 budget was ongoing in Parliament, members of the committee had found time to visit the NPA because of the importance they attach to the work of the Authority. Dr. Abdul-Hamid and his deputies, Mr. Perry Okudzeto and Mrs. Linda Asante and the various Directors and Heads of Department held a meeting with the Committee during which some presentations were made followed by discussion of pertinent concerns. The MPs were also taken through the operations in the National ECTS Command Centre., which houses the BRVTS and the National Retail Outlet Automation Architecture. Members of the Committee were particularly thrilled with the use of modern technological tools, such as the Bulk Road Vehicle Tracking System (BRVTS), the national fuel marking system, and the Enterprise Relational Database Management System (ERDMS) to curb third-party transactions, diversions, tampering and improve revenue generation. The Committee also expressed satisfaction with the measures and strategies put in place to ensure the smooth implementation of the CRM. The second part of the programme was a visit to some LPG Storage and Bottling Plant Facilities in Tema. The NPA team led by the CE and the MPs visited the Quantum Terminals Groups LPG Storage Facility and the New Gas Bottling Company Plant in Tema. The Committee was informed that the $16 million Bottling Plant currently has two units; one with the capacity to fill 1,800 pieces of 6kg and 12.5kg cylinders per hour, while the other unit can fill up to 1,400 pieces of 3kg cylinders per hour respectively. The company informed the Committee of its readiness to serve Ghanaians with LPG at their doorstep. Members of the Committee were quite impressed with the facilities and assured their support for such investments to improve Ghanas petroleum downstream sector. Source: National Petroleum Authority Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Deputy Minority Leader of Parliament has slammed the government's mismanagement of the energy sector. This follows the country's largest independent power producer Sunon Asogli announced an indefinite shutdown due to unpaid bills. The Ellembele MP who served as Minister of Energy and Petroleum in the erstwhile John Mahama administration from 2013 to 2016 said it was "quite troubling" that Sunon Asogli Power plant had only been paid 24% of its invoices for the whole year. No IPP can operate viably and sustainably under these circumstances, he stated, adding, The debts keep piling up by the day, as the threat of a power crisis continues to loom large. Sunon Asogli, which supplies around 20% of Ghana's power, halted operations this week citing outstanding payments yet to be made by the state. Though the company has now reversed the decision, its proposed shutdown was seen as a major blow to the country's electricity supplies. He said funds collected through the Energy Sector Levy have been "misapplied", worsening the financial challenges being faced by power producers. Armah Kofi Buah called on the government to "demonstrate humility and leadership" by urgently addressing payments owed independent producers. Failure to do so risked plunging Ghana into total darkness, warned the former Minister. 05.12.2023 LISTEN Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu wants Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng to be impeached and removed from office as a matter of urgency. In a release, the first Special Prosecutor of Ghana argued that this has become important following the decision by his successor to in his view, scandalise the judiciary in the country. Martin Amidu shares the view that Kissi Agyebengs claim that the courts are treating cases of the Office of the Special Prosecutor with hasty dismissiveness is not only scandalous but filled with the intent to gang the media and the public against the judiciary. The former Attorney General and Minister of Justice insists that, Kissi Agyebeng must be made to substantiate his accusation against the justices of the superior courts and the administration of justice at an impeachment proceeding, failing which he should be removed from office as the Special Prosecutor without further delay. Martin Amidu in his release, said the judiciary cannot be accused of being against the OSP. He stressed that the Constitution and the independence of the judiciary must be defended against any agency of the executive branch wishing to unjustly trample upon the rights and freedoms of citizens. Read Martin Amidus full release below: KISSI AGYEBENG, THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, HAS CROSSED THE REDLINE BY SCANDALIZING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND MUST BE IMPEACHED: BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU INTRODUCTION The press conference called by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, a public officer and member of the executive branch of government, on 29 November 2023, with malicious intent to incite the media and the public against the judicial branch of government and bring the administration of justice into disrepute before ordinary members of the Ghanaian and world society crossed the red line of freedom of speech and expression to subvert the letter and spirit of the foundation of the 1992 Constitution. The Special Prosecutor and the OSP who exercise just an infinitesimally small fraction of the delegated investigatory and prosecutorial powers of Attorney-General dealing only with corruption and corruption-related offence and cannot do or be allowed to do what the delegating authority cannot do. In whatever dress or apparel or form the Special Prosecutor clothed his intended performance on the front stage of the play to his audience at the press conference, one purpose stands out. The media briefing was first and foremost intended to heap scurrilous abuse on and scandalize the court and judge who ruled on the certiorari and other application in the case of the Republic v the Special Prosecutor and Another, Ex Parte Col. Kwakwo Damoah and Another delivered by the High Court (General Division 5), Accra, on 27 November 2023. The secondary purpose was to use that occasion to scurrilously abuse and scandalize the judiciary and the administration of justice and bring them into disrepute before the eyes of ordinary members of the public, generally in an attempt to coerce the judiciary, and particularly the Court of Appeal before which appeals from the OSP are pending, and the Supreme Court before which the OSPs application for certiorari was pending to decide those cases in its favour. The Supreme Court coincidentally struck out the application for certiorari when Kissi Agyebeng was on his feet enjoying his delivery at his anti-judiciary incitement media briefing or press conference. As a public officer paid and maintained out of the public purse the conduct and performance of the Special Prosecutor was inconsistent with and contravened Article 127 of the 1992 Constitution which guarantees the independence of the judiciary in the exercise of the judicial power in both its judicial and administrative functions from control and direction of any person or authority. More particularly, the conduct and performance of the Special Prosecutor at his orchestrated rented press or media briefing or conference violated clause 2 of Article 127 which states clearly that: (2) Neither the President nor Parliament nor any other person whatsoever shall interfere with Judges or judicial officers or other persons exercising judicial power, in the exercise of their functions; and all organs and agencies of the state shall accord to the courts such assistance as the courts may reasonably require to protect the independence, dignity and effectiveness of the courts, subject to this Constitution. Quite apart from Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, being an integral part of the executive branch he intentionally and the deliberately summoned the media at public expense to directly and indirectly bring undue pressure to bear on judges in the exercise of their judicial power and function. The OSP, an agency of the executive branch accordingly failed in its constitutional duty to protect the independence, dignity, and effectiveness of the courts by scurrilously abusing and scandalizing the courts and the administration of justice. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appointed pursuant to the Legal Service Act 1993 (Act 320) would have been subjected to disciplinary proceedings for misconduct meriting dismissal from office if he or she called a media conference and said the same things the Special Prosecutor said at the press conference of 29 November 2023 which was intended to bring the administration of justice and the judicial branch into disrepute in the eyes of right thinking members of society contrary to Article 127 of the 1992 Constitution. And all those who worked under me as the Deputy Attorney-General (DAG) and later as the AttorneyGeneral (AG) know that I would either have insisted on the initiation of such disciplinary proceedings or initiated proceedings against a DPP who dared to hold a media briefing to win public sympathy for an unfavourable decision by the courts instead of exhausting the appellate procedure or forever hold his or her peace. I have no doubt that the President who was himself an Attorney-General would have initiated disciplinary proceedings against a DPP who committed the same violation of the 1992 Constitution during his tenure as the Attorney-General. Kissi Agyebeng is the worst appointment the President has ever been led into making and the President knows this as a former Attorney-General. The President is not, however, in a position to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the Special Prosecutor as he can only be removed from office under Section 15 of Act 959 by a process of impeachment. Any person may, however, seek to remove the Special Prosecutor for stated misbehaviour for his unconstitutional media conference performance on 29 November 2023; wilful violation of his Official Oath in contravening Articles 127 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution; and for conduct which brings or is likely to bring the OSP into disrepute, ridicule, or contempt, and is prejudicial and inimical to the security of the state under Section 15 of the Act 959. Consequently, patriotic citizens ought to be protecting the 1992 Constitution and the sanctity and independence of the judiciary by invoking the provisions of Section 15(3) of Act 959 for the removal of the Special Prosecutor from office. Ghanaians have to decide whether we want an independent and impartial judiciary which is enshrined under the 1992 Constitution or we want a rogue Special Prosecutor who intentionally violates provisions of the Constitution and the law governing his tenure as a public officer. There is no way Ghana is going to survive should Kissi Agyebeng succeed in using public funds and resources to incite the public to bring the image and integrity of the judiciary down before ordinary right thinking members of society as he did on 29 November 2023. Between the two, the removal of the Special Prosecutor from office will protect the judicial branch and thereby the security of the state. MUTUALISTIC SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN THE CITIZEN, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, AND THE JUDICIARY The Attorney-General as an officer of the court, like any other lawyer, when he is dissatisfied with the outcome of a criminal prosecution before a lower court is entitled to appeal the decision to a higher court until he exhausts the appellate or review processes. This explains why Attorneys-General or any authorized officers working under them never call press conferences when decisions of the courts go against them, and when the decision is made not to appeal or apply for review even where the decision is considered objectionable. Public condemnations of the courts, judges, and the administration of justice are red lines no AG worth the name and honour will cross. The Special Prosecutors conduct has also consistently violated several other provisions of the 1992 Constitution and constitute further impeachable offences as I will demonstrate hereunder. The OSP is a public office maintained from the public purse from the ordinary citizens taxes and is, therefore, a servant of the people and not its master. The OSP is consequently, bound to respect all the rights of citizens who come into confrontation with the law in plying their daily lives which explains the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed to every citizen and are binding on the Special Prosecutor under Article 12 of the 1992 Constitution. The prime functions of the OSP are to investigate and prosecute corruption and corruption- related offences in the courts of law and the courts are also enjoined to dispense justice in accordance with the Constitution. The courts of law, particularly the superior courts of justice, are enjoined in criminal cases to enforce any breaches of the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined under the Constitution whenever it dispenses justice. The citizen is entitled when he comes into confrontation with the law enforcement powers of the executive branch which includes the investigation and prosecution of suspected crime, to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law and not in the media and before a court of public opinion whilst the investigation is on-going. This explains the provisions of 1992 Constitution protecting the citizens right to life in Article 13; the right to the protection of personal liberty in Article 14; respect for human dignity in Article 15; equality and freedom from discrimination in Article 17; fair trial in Article 19; the right to administrative justice in Article 23; and above all, for purposes of law enforcement, the constraint on the exercise of discretionary power vested in any person or authority in Article 296 of the Constitution. The enforcement and protection of any abuses of the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution have been clearly apportioned to the judiciary and at first instance to the High Court in cases where a person alleges breach of or the likely contravention of his rights and freedoms in Article 33 thereof. The High Court is empowered in such actions to give such directions or orders or writs including writs or orders in the nature of habeas corpus, certiorari, mandamus, prohibition, and quo warranto as it may consider appropriate for purposes of enforcing or securing the enforcement of the human rights and freedoms to which the person is entitled. While the executive branch has been entrusted with law and order enforcement functions in investigation and prosecution of cases, the judicial branch has the responsibility to hold the scales between the executive branch and the sovereign people of Ghana. Consequently, the Special Prosecutor who has confessed in writing that he has received collective admonishing from very senior and experienced lawyers who are men and women of the world warning him that should he persist in media criticism, especially the public-calling-out variety his institution may incur the prejudice of the judiciary and has failed to heed the admonishment of such worldly men and women is on a suicide mission and is a threat to the independence of the judiciary and the security of the state. The Conduct of the Special Prosecutor in holding media conference and briefing amidst funfair to oppose unfavourabe decisions by the courts to citizens who access justice has the tendency to frighten and intimidate citizens under investigation or prosecution from exercising their fundamental right to access to justice. The stress and trauma a citizen under go by the cognitive and psychological mental health realization that should he be unfortunate to come under investigation by Kissi Agyebeng, as the Special Prosecutor, he has no prospect of having a favourable decision from the courts, subject to the appellate processes, without being subjected to further a mental stress and disparagement in a second court of public opinion by the OSP for his success in court constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment tantamount to mental torture giving rise to post traumatic stress disorder. The Special Prosecutors conduct is, therefore, inimical to the administration of criminal justice, and also constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment of suspects under investigation by the OSP. The Ghana Police Service (GPS) which is the oldest law enforcement agency in Ghana; the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) which used to exercise the anti-corruption mandate; the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) which used to be part of the Police Service and has investigatory and prosecutorial powers; the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS); and other law enforcement agencies are not known to hold media briefing to heap scurrilous abuses and scandalize the courts, and intimidate beneficiary citizens anytime the courts make unfavourable decisions against them for the benefit of a sovereign citizen. The foregoing law enforcement institution have been in existence for decades exercising delegated investigatory and prosecutorial power from the AG without the constitutional violations being witnessed from the OSP which has been in existence for only six years. The cancer of a Special Prosecutor that has infected the OSP for the past two years cannot be allowed to metastasize to infect the healthy working relation between organic law enforcement, the citizen, and the administration of justice guaranteed under law. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE OSP AND THE JUDICIARY FROM 2018 - 2021 The poisonous and cancerous relationship between the OSP, the suspect under investigation, and the judiciary brought about by the conduct of the OSP, an agency of the state, mobilizing public opinion against both the judiciary and citizens under investigation or prosecution by the OSP started only upon the assumption of office of Kissi Agyebeng as the Special Prosecutor as I will demonstrate with the historical material hereunder. In or around September 2019, two High Courts (Financial and Economic Crime Division 1 & 2) in separate applications on notice made orders confirming the administrative freezing of the accounts of Adjenim Boateng Adjei, Frank Kwaku Arhin, and Talent Discovery Company Limited. In the Special Prosecutor v Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the court ordered the freezing of eight (8) bank accounts of the Respondent. In the Special Prosecutor v Francis Kwaku Arhin, the court ordered the freeing of the Respondents bank accounts. In the third application of the Special Prosecutor v Talent Discovery Limited (TDL) the court granted confirmatory orders for the continued freezing of two bank accounts of the Respondent. The orders of the courts remained in force and the accounts frozen for investigations despite several applications made by the respective Respondents to the courts to have them unfrozen. These accounts were ordered unfrozen by the courts on application by the respective Respondents during the tenure of the acting Special Prosecutor who allowed the investigation to go into hibernation long after my resignation from the OSP on 16 November 2020. The ruling in the case of the Republic v 1. Mahama Ayariga 2. Kendrick Kwesi Marfo, Suit No. MSFT/23/2019, High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2), Accra, 17 June 2019 (Unreported). Mrs. Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe granted an application by the 1st Accused on a motion to strike out the Charge Sheet filed on 27 March 2019 on the grounds, inter alia, that the drafting of the Particulars of Offence under Counts one (1), three (3), four (4) and five (5) did not make any reference to any part of those offences having been allegedly perpetrated in furtherance of corruption and/or a corruption-related enterprise. She stated that: This drafting error, which, in my candidate opinion, has the effect of exceeding the mandate of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. In accordance with the hallowed tradition of professional prosecutors I did not as the Special Prosecutor make any comments on the decision of the court and the judge. (The judge had worked under the Deputy Special Prosecutor (DSP) when she worked at the AttorneyGenerals Department in Koforidua and when she later became the Acting DPP at the time I was the AG. I was the DAG and later AG during the same period). I nonetheless took personal responsibility for the error in the Particulars of Offence with the consolation in the fact that Mrs. Justice Asare-Botwe had trained the prosecuting attorney acting on my behalf in this case while she was a Principal State Attorney in Sunyani and what she did was part of her continued tutelage. The OSP filed fresh charges against the two suspects and withdrew the pending charge against the 1st Accused person. A second attempt to strike out the new charges failed before the same court and judge. It was needless in accordance with the Constitution and the hallowed tradition of prosecutorial ethics to make scurrilous or abusive comments against the court or the judge in the media for doing what she was appointed to do decided cases between the citizen and the state. This case was pending before the same court and judge until I resigned my office and handed it over to the DSP as the acting Special Prosecutor by operation of law who supervised the continuation of the case in the court. In the Republic v Hajia Hawa Ninchema & 6 Others, Case No. FT/012?2019 High Court (Financial and Economic Crime Division 2), Accra, a motion was filed on 3rd June 2019 for and on behalf the 7th Accused person to strike out the charge sheet filed by the OSP against the accused persons on a number of grounds while a notice of preliminary legal objection was filed on 6th June 2019 for and on behalf of the 6th Accused/Applicant challenging the mandate of the OSP to launch the prosecution. The Court and the Judge in a ruling on 17 June 2019 refused to strike out the charges, and also dismissed the preliminary objection. The trial of the charges filed on 5 May 2019 in Hajia Hawa Ninchema & 6 Others started when I was in office and was dismissed by the court on a submission of no case on 7 May 2021 long after my resignation without any hullabaloos from the OSP then under the Acting Special Prosecutor or from me even though the Acting Special Prosecutor knew contemporaneously about my disappointment in an encounter with the President when I briefed him in his office on 8 May 2019 that I had filed this case against his Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, and about an on-going investigation against his District Chief Executive for the Jirapa District Assembly which was still on-going before I resigned my office. The President as the repository of executive power was being alerted to warn his appointees against suspected corruption. Incidentally the Municipal Chief Executive who was the 1st Accused and the 7th Accused are in accordance with our internalized culture in the Bawku township my relations broadly speaking, then belonging to the NPP and the NDC, respectively, against whom an informant had laid the complaint against the 7th Accused. The DSP also knows the issues that arose about this case during her mothers funeral and I am not in a position to say how she resolved them after my resignation. I have said enough! The Ninchema case was the first Charge Sheet filed in court by the OSP and a test case for the OSP. I did not think I could in conscience disagree with the written opinions of my investigators and prosecutors including the DPP on the fact that there was a case to be made out by filing criminal charges in the court. I have no regrets for doing my duty in the true tradition of the legal profession as a Special Prosecutor and allowing the court to decide, which it rightly did. Without any further proof that the President interfered with the court, which I do not have, it was and is needless to make any insinuations against the judge or the administration of justice. I only state the Presidents disappointing reaction to my briefing on 8 May 2019 in the Ninchema case and its aftermath to bring out the fact the interaction confirmed to me for the first time what the President really expected of me as the Special Prosecutor. The OSP charged Samuel Adams Mahama & 3 Others before the Circuit Court, Accra, for a number of suspected corruption offences and obtained four arrest warrants with other orders on 13 May 2020 for the arrest of each of them that enabled the OSP to apply for the issuance of INTERPOL arrest warrant for each of them. These arrest warrants are still pending and Kissi Agyebeng is purporting to take credit for them without any acknowledgements even though the case has been in coma for over three years since I resigned my office. I challenge Ghanaians to point to one press conference or media statement issued by the OSP from February 2018 when I was sworn into Office to 16 November 2020 when I resigned my office as the Special Prosecutor attacking any court or judge or the judiciary in the exercise of its judicial power. There was also no such incitement against the administration of justice from 16 November 2020 to 5 August 2021 when the DSP acted as the Special Prosecutor. The records on the above cases are all available in the OSP and in the courts to confirm the several cases handled in court during my tenure. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE OSP AND THE JUDICIARY FROM AUGUST 2021 TO DATE It is one thing for a law enforcement agency which is part of the executive branch to lament over and tacitly pressurize the appointing authority for not making available facilities and resources to execute the functions of ones office, and entirely a different thing to attack another coordinating branch of government in a manner that constitutes the grave misconduct of scurrilously abusing and scandalizing the independent judiciary and the administration of criminal justice. The latter crosses the red line of constitutionality and requires swift and immediate response by all patriots in defence of the 1992 Constitution. In the media conference Kissi Agyebeng purposefully summoned with public resources on 29 November 2023 to scurrilously abuse and scandalize the court and the judge who ruled in the case of the Republic v Special Prosecutor and Another, Ex Parte Col. Kwadwo Damoah and Another he rhetorically, hypocritically, and perniciously stated at page 3, paragraph 4 that: It would be absolutely of no good and utility should it be the case that the OSP is set against the judiciary or that the judiciary is against the OSP. That would surely spell disastrous consequences for this Republic especially in the fight against corruption to the unending glee of corrupt persons.. The truth of the matter from the preceding narrative and discourse is that it is rather the OSP under Kissi Agyebeng which is set against the judiciary and not vice versa. The relationship between the OSP and the judiciary from February 2018 to 5 August 2021 shows that the statement made in the above quoted sentence is a mere figment of the malevolent and fertile mind of Kissi Agyebeng as the Special Prosecutor and his dysfunctional work culture, his incompetence, and his inexperience as a professional investigator and prosecutor. The OSP was run by seasoned and experienced prosecutors from February 2018 to 5 August 2021 without anything of the sort of dooms day cry and making capital about losing the fight against corruption ever arising. The DSP, who has her own challenges, had been appointed as acting DPP upon the retirement of the late indefatigable Miss Gladys Aikins and she knows what a prosecutor must do in the hallowed tradition of professional prosecutors. The truth of the matter is that Kissi Agyebeng is not making use of the DSPs professional prosecutorial experience which he lacks. Kissi Agyebeng assumed office on 9 August 2023 as though he had been appointed after a coup detat and did not take handing over notes from the person acting as the Special Prosecutor before his appointment: he has since chosen to ignore her in major decision making. He used not to inform her even verbally of his numerous trips abroad before and after the Governing Board was appointed. I doubt whether there is any record as demanded by the administrative bureaucracy of consultations between the two most senior managers of the OSP up to date. I met the DSP on an almost daily basis formally and informally and would even inform her when I was stepping out of the office for a few minutes as is normal practice in a functional public service environment. The first appearance of Kissi Agyebeng in the High Court after assuming the office of the Special Prosecutor on 9 August 2021, was in the case of the Republic v 1. Mahama Ayariga 2. Kendrick Kwesi Marfo, High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2), Accra, which was pending before Mrs. Justice Serwaa Asare-Botwe when I resigned office on grounds of principle. I have already narrated previous developments in this case leading to the striking out of parts of the charges and the filing of fresh charges by the OSP. It had to take the Special Prosecutor upon his appointment and as his first act in the court since he assumed office to enter a nolle prosequi on 11 October 2021 without even consulting his immediate predecessor or the prosecuting attorney who only went to the court with the Special Prosecutor to hear him announce for the first time that he had filed a nolle prosequi, and moved the court to grant it, which the court did. But Kissi Agyebeng lied that he entered the nolle prosequi following a thoroughly review of the available evidence without consulting his authorized officers, his deputy, the prosecuting attorneys, and the investigators in the case all of whom were part of the OSP retreat I organized at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, where the same facts and evidence were thoroughly reviewed and everybody agreed that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute. The funfair that attended this performance was palpable forgetting the fact that even the AG, in my experience of over fourteen years in the AGs Department, does not make decisions on cases being conducted on his behalf by an attorney in court without discussing his opinion with the prosecutor handling the case(s) on his behalf. The normal practice is for the AG or DG to commit the DPP and the prosecuting attorney to agree with his written opinion on the utility of entering the nolle prosequi in writing to protect the AG or DAG against charges of abuse of discretionary power. Kissi Agyebeng thought nobody will remember or connect his entry of the nolle prosequi with the fact that he had been trained by and remained an intimate friend of the leading lawyer in the Ayariga case for the 1st Accused person and who had sued the Republic in Supreme Court to have me removed from office as the Special Prosecutor on grounds of age. The leading lawyer had repeated the same argument to challenge the charges filed against the 1st Accused without success before Mrs. Justice Asare-Botwe. These facts necessitated his engagement on assuming office with the existing officers in the OSP to avoid suspicion that his first act in court as the Special Prosecutor was tainted and actuated by corruption. But I raised no finger in my retirement because unbeknown to Kissi Agyebeng, I was quite happy with his abuse of discretion. The only reason why I agreed with the investigators and prosecutors including my deputy at the OSP to file the charges was that in conscience there was a strong case to answer and I had no option than to redeem my oath to Parliament and to uphold my Official Oath not to favour any person with whom I stood in the relation of a father, which was the case with the 1st Accused. The family of the 1st Accused perfectly understood this as they knew my character from childhood and we are still on good terms. Then, the same Mrs. Justice Serwaa Asare-Botwe of the High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2), who ordered the entry of the nolle prosequi requested by Kissi Agyebeng in the Mahama Ayariga case, had the misfortune to decide the Sir John case, in the Office of the Special Prosecutor v Charles Owusu and Nana Boakye Acheampong (In their capacities as the Executors of the Estate of the last will and Testament of Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie Alias Sir John) Suit No. FT/00440/2022, High Court, Accra, 12 July 2022 (Unreported). All of hell broke loose and she immediately incurred the umbrage of the Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, and was tried in the court of public opinion for hampering the fight against corruption despite the fact that he had given notice of filing an appeal against the decision. If this decision is left to stand, the Republic will lose the fight against corruption in unimaginable ways., the Special Prosecutor thundered. The appeal, to the best of my knowledge, has been pending since July 2022 - for almost one and half years. Nonetheless the Special Prosecutor misconducted himself again on 29 November 2023 in referring to this pending matter before the Court of Appeal to hurl scurrilous abuses at Mrs. Justice Serwaa Asare-Botwe and her then court even though she has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal, and to scandalize the administration of justice. The Special Prosecutor next attacked and scurrilously abused what he perceived to be an unfavourablle order made by the Human Rights Court against the OSP. In the case of Charles Bissue v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Kaneshie District Court, Accra, Suit No. HR/9191/2023, High Court (Human Rights Division) Accra 15 June 2023 (unreported) presided over by Mr. Justice Nicholas Abodakpi. The court had made an order for interim injunction restraining the 1st Respondent from executing the Arrest Warrant it procured from the 2nd Respondent against the Applicant, applying for further Arrest Warrant against the Applicant, publishing notices purporting the Applicant to be wanted, pending the determination of the application for the enforcement of Fundamental Human Rights. The order was to last for ten (10) days. This court is a Human Rights Court set up to enforce the human rights and freedoms of citizens against executive encroachments pursuant to Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution and the High Court (Civil Procedure Rules) 2004 (C.I. 47). Whether the court acted within or in excess of its jurisdiction was not a matter a public officer and a prosecutor can resolve at media conferences intended for public incitement against the court, the judge, and the administration of justice. The due process of law enjoined Kissi Agyebeng to resort to following the legal processes within the hierarchy of the judicial system to resolve his grievances as provided for by law. Kissi Agyebeng rather chose again to cause dissatisfaction for the court, the judge, the judiciary, and administration of justice by inciting the media and public against the judicial branch of government by using his media conference of 29 November 2023 to continue his violation of Article 127 as a public officer and to intimidate the citizen for daring to access justice pursuant to Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution. He dismissively held the order of the court in contempt when he issued a media statement the same day in response to the order of the High Court to the public stating that: The general public is advised, that in the exercise of its police powers, the Office of the Special Prosecutor can arrest without a warrant, any person it reasonably suspects of having committed corruption or corruption-related offenses. Kissi Agyebeng, a management public officer heading the OSP cannot violate his Official Oath and Article 127 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution by inciting the public against the administration of justice and the independence of the judiciary without consequences. The OSP next went after Mrs. Justice Serwaa Asare-Botwe successor in the High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2) presided over by Mr. Justice Edward Twum, as a vacation judge, in a ruling he made in the Office of the Special Prosecutor v Cecilia Abena Dapaah Suit No. FT/0072/2023, High Court (Financial & Economic Crime Division 2), Accra, 31 August 2023 (Unreported) when in the exercise of the judicial power he declined to make an order upon an application by the OSP for confirmation of an administrative freezing order made against the bank accounts and other assets of the Respondent. Kissi Agyebeng rained all hell and brimstone on the competence and integrity of the court and the judge even after Kissi Agyebeng had accepted the ruling and decided not to appeal against it. Kissi Agyebengs next move was to seek to undermine the orders made by the court by rearresting the suspect within the premises of the OSP and claim that he had obeyed the orders of the Court. The OSP then administratively froze her bank accounts and confiscated other assets and filed a fresh application for confirmation orders before the same court and judge in respect of the same assets. The Respondents naturally exercised their constitutional and legal rights to challenge the second application. The lawyers for the Respondent not only filed an affidavit opposing the application but further filed an application for abridgment of time to hear the OSPs application for confirmation orders. While this application was pending for hearing, Kissi Agyebeng, purported to charge Cecilia Abena Dapaah for refusal or failure to make declarations of property and income when demanded to do so by the OSP. On the day of the hearing of criminal charges against the accused person, Cecilia Dapaahs application for abridgment of time also came on for hearing in the same court. The court heard the application for abridgement of time first without any objection from the authorized representative of the OSP and granted the abridgement of time. Heavens came down with media statements aimed at and recruiting the media and the public against the decision of the court and the judge. Before the next adjournment day, the Special Prosecutor instead of appealing the decision chose to file a certiorari application in the Supreme Court. He further submitted a petition to the Chief Justice to remove Justice Edward Twum from all cases involving the OSP on grounds of bias and prejudice: this petition was eventually declined by the Chief Justice. Kissi Agyebengs application for certiorari pending before the Supreme Court was truck out as withdrawn by the Special Prosecutors representative at the hearing on 29 November 2023 after moving her motion for leave to file a supplementary affidavit and after the President of the Supreme Court of five justices reportedly informed her that the court decides cases within the law and takes such decisions to expedite hearings. Unbeknown to Kissi Agyebeng that the Supreme Court had struck out his certiorari application as withdrawn when his representative sensed the outcome of the motion for leave, Kissi Agyebeng was high on his performance at the press conference where he threw the hallowed traditions of lawyers to the wind and took umbrage against the courts, the judges, the judiciary, and the administration of justice as a whole on 29 November 2023 to incite the media and the public against the judicial system. The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebengs next port of call in his rampaging upon the reputation and independence of the judiciary and the administration of criminal justice was to savage the decision of the High Court in the Republic v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Emmanuel Amadu Basintale, Ex Parte 1. Col. Kwadwo Damoah 2. Joseph Adu Kyei, Suit No. GJ/1232/2022, High Court (General Jurisdiction 5), Accra, 27 November 2023 (Unreported) in which the court and the judge granted an application for certiorari and prohibition against the OSP quashing the unconstitutional adverse finding contained in what is popularly known as the Labianca Report made and signed by Kissi Agyebeng and dated 3 August 2022. The certified ruling is unavailable because the judge read his handwritten ruling in court on 27 November 2023. Without waiting to obtain a certified true copy of the ruling to base any reasonable criticism of the decision on, Kissi Agyebeng felt so slighted and offended by the decision of the court and the judge as to purposefully summon at public expense the media to the conference or briefing on 29 November 2023 under the smokescreen of a general briefing on the work of the OSP. Only fools will fail to see through Kissi Agyebengs childlike smokescreen to the real fact that the main purpose of the media conference at public expense on 29 November 2023 was to specifically constitute himself into a higher court and incite the public against the court and the judge for the exercise of his independent judicial power in the Ex Parte Damoah case. The Special Prosecutor, an officer of the court accused the court and the judge in the glare of television cameras and a teaming media audience of the judge conveniently shut his eyes to an express statutory provision that the OSP has the mandate to publish detected acts of corruption and that was what the OSP had done in the report. Kissi Agyebeng continued: Worse, the judge then proceeded to prohibit the OSP from further investigating the affected persons.. (Emphasis supplied see page 7 paragraph of his written statement). The accusation of a judge of conveniently shutting his eyes to something suggests that the judge acted corruptly or prejudicially in the office of a judge. Kissi Agyebeng then, unconstitutionally usurps the independent judicial power vested in the court and the judge when he stated with finality that: This decision opens up a calamitous deluge as every person under criminal investigation would be encouraged to take out suits to injunct investigation and prosecution bodies.... The real and present danger looms largely on the consideration that by doing so, persons under investigation would conscript the judiciary to clothe them with immunity from investigation and prosecution. (Emphasis supplied). The insinuation that the court in Ex Parte Col. Kwadwo Damoah or any of the courts in the cases Kissi Agyebeng cited for a developing trend of rather regressive and dismissive judicial decisions in respect of cases involving the OSP could have been conscripted by suspected criminals to do their bidding, without further proof, constitutes a malevolent and scurrilous abuse of each of the courts and judges involved and the scandalization of the administration of justice as a whole. Kissi Agyebeng must be made to substantiate his accusation against the justices of the superior courts and the administration of justice at an impeachment proceeding, failing which he should be removed from office as the Special Prosecutor without further delay. Kissi Agyebeng indicated an intention to appeal the ruling of the High Court in the Ex Parte Damoah case. One wonders what use the intended appeal will serve when the Special Prosecutor has already incited the public against the administration of justice to the fact that the only acceptable decision the Court of Appeal can make in his appeal is to agree with the views he used to incite the media and the public against the administration of justice. Kissi Agyebeng after all the bravado, scurrilous abuses of the courts and judges and scandalizing the administration of justice admits in an obscure part of his written statement that the OSP like all law enforcement agencies is not infallible and he does not suggest that every case brought by it or against it must end in a favourable outcome no matter how improbable the evidence. On bended knees Kissi Agyebeng still charges the courts with gang-up dismissive and regressive prejudice towards the cases of the OSP when he stated that: However, it seems to us that the flagship public agency created by law to fight corruption should receive better regard and consideration by the courts and not the developing trend of dismissiveness and regression without regard to its governing enactments, certainly not the erection of non-existent hurdles in its work and operations. Kissi Agyebeng from the foregoing examination and analysis of his conduct and relationship with the judiciary since his assumption of office as the Special Prosecutor confirms the fact that it is the case that the OSP under his watch has been set against the judiciary and not the case that the judiciary is against the OSP. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE OSP The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng sought to convince Ghanaians that he summoned the press conference or media briefing on 29 November 2023 because a major pillar of the fight against corruption is transparency on the part of anti-corruption agencies. But Kissi Agyebeng, in his typically opaque fashion refuses or fails to ever define his understanding of transparency to enable the public to appreciate what he means when he uses the word in the context of his performance. However, he justifies his expenditure of public funds on media engagements . after every major judicial pronouncement or decision informing the public on our judges opinions in cases involving the OSP and stating the position of the Office on the opinion in question as to whether it progresses the fight against corruption or otherwise to the pursuance of a policy of transparency. I have had occasion on 29 June 2023 to write and published an article entitled Kissi Agyebengs OSP pick the people that he thinks he should, rather than pick the cases that need to be prosecuted in which I demonstrated his arbitrary and capricious abuse of the provisions of Act 959 and the subsidiary laws thereunder, and his violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens and other provisions of the 1992 Constitution, and laws of Ghana. I warned Ghanaians, inter alia, that: When tyrannical investigators and prosecutors in the mold of William Kissi Agyebeng are let alone, they deploy empty rhetorical performance that signify nothing to confuse the public. The emerging tyranny of William Kissi Agyebeng activates the constitutional and patriotic duty of citizens to respond to those abuses and stop them in their tracks before they destroy this country with a new McCarthyism.. The Ghanaian new McCarthyism which has been evolving as Agyebengism that thrives on public hysteria and fear against corruption is encapsulated in Kissi Agyebengs spurious and sweeping explanation on JoyNews I concluded this article by warning further that: . the danger with the media lending itself wittingly or unwittingly to promoting the new Agyebengism as a form of McCarthyism in the fight both against galamsey and corruption is that it negates the freedom and independence of the media enshrined in Chapter Twelve (12) of the 1992 Constitution. History does not repeat itself but it rhymes. Like it or not, the fight against corruption is not an opportunity for hysteria, entrepreneurship, retribution, and the emergence of a new McCarthyism to be called and styled Agyebengism in Ghana. Ghana shall outlive tyranny! The interested reader can find this article which was published on my website as: DANGER IN KISSI AGYEBENGS OSP PICKING CASES IN BIASED MANNER MARTIN AMIDU SPEAKS The preamble of the 1992 Constitution makes, inter alia, a solemn declaration and affirmation of our commitment to; freedom, justice, probity, and accountability; the rule of law; the protection and preservation of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms.. These solemn declarations, affirmations, and commitments cannot be realized when the rights and freedoms of citizens to access independent and impartial justice are threatened by the summoning of press conferences or the issuance of media statement in a typically style of McCarthyism anytime the judiciary makes a major decision against the OSP to scandalize the administration of justice and intimidate beneficiaries of the major judicial decisions in the name of transparency. The pot cannot call the kettle black. Consequently, Kissi Agyebeng cannot be allowed to choose what he thinks he must call the media and inform them about at public expense to incite the public against suspects and the administration of justice without accounting to the public for his administration of the OSP. As the founding Special Prosecutor I have a vested interest in ensuring that the OSP is not operationalized as a rogue anti-corruption institution as happened in other countries. Consequently, I have written and published articles on ongoing investigation in which Kissi Agyebeng was the lawyer for either the complainant or suspects and is, therefore, now tainted by conflict of interest and entrepreneurship as the Special Prosecutor. One, therefore, expected that when Kissi Agyebeng scurrilously abused and scandalized the court and the judge in the case of Charles Bissue v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Kaneshie District Court, Accra, Suit No. HR/9191/2023, High Court (Human Rights Division) Accra 15 June 2023 (unreported) presided over by Mr. Justice Nicholas Abodakpi to have known that one of the reasons that might have influenced the court to decide to restrain the OSP was the fact that he suffered from conflict of interest as the former lawyer to the complainant, Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Tiger Eye PI, with Anas Aremeyaw Anas also being a founding partner of their law partnership of Comwell Gray LLP. The arbitrary and capricious exercise of investigatory and prosecutorial discretion, violations of Act 959 and its subsidiary legislation, and provisions of the 1992 Constitution in the Labianca Report dated 3 August 2022 might have informed the court and the judge in granting the application for judicial review in the Republic v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Emmanuel Amadu Basintale, Ex Parte 1. Col. Kwadwo Damoah 2. Joseph Adu Kyei, Suit No. GJ/1232/2022, High Court (General Jurisdiction 5) 27 November 2023 (Unreported). I had written and published an article entitled Labianca report published by the Office of the Special Prosecutor is hollow, without mandate, and unconstitutional which has been vindicated by the ruling of the court, but Kissi Agyebeng incited the press in his conference performance without reminding them of alternate views contrary to his. See - OSPS LABIANCA REPORT FALLS SHORT AND IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL MARTIN AMIDU SPEAKS The Special Prosecutor in his written 12-page statement to the media threw an invitation to every Ghanaian to help the OSP in the fight against corruption in the following concluding words: The OSP must be supported in its work. Should the OSP fail, Ghana would utterly lose the fight against corruption with its attendant erosion of our democracy. As the founding Special Prosecutor I have consistently insisted that the OSP cannot be allowed to become a rogue institution. I, therefore, rise up to the challenge and call to support the OSP in its work by raising here issues based on information and intelligence I have received by virtue of my being the founding Special Prosecutor from people who have misgivings about the integrity of the present direction of the OSP. See - FIGHTING CORRUPTION REQUIRES INTEGRITY, NOT ENTREPRENEURSHIP MARTIN AMIDU SPEAKS I do not know whether the Special Prosecutor knows that tongues have been wagging from informants and intelligence, and in the media that a friend of the Special Prosecutor from the mountains usually demands and receives considerations allegedly for the benefit of the OSP during the preliminary investigation and full investigations of case to tamper with the resultant threats to continue with the case and to prosecute the suspects in court. Tongues have also been wagging that Issah Seidu had to suffer incarceration for long periods because his friends and relations at home and abroad could not raise considerations to meet demands from some staff of the OSP. Tongues are further wagging that there are completed investigation dockets in the OSP which are not moving forward because senior officials of the OSP, including its head, are either relatives or friends or former professional representatives of the suspects or have received considerations from the suspects. As a matter of fact I handled the NLA-NEXGO case whose investigation was hampered by Kissi Agyebeng as the lawyer for one of the suspects insisting that he must be present before any interrogation of his client: he never honoured his word with his presence before my resignation from office. The case has been suppressed since his assumption of office. I wrote and published an article on this matter. See TAXPAYERS HAVE RIGHT TO KNOW WHY AGYEBENG IS HYPING SOME WHILE IGNORING OTHER CASES MARTIN AMIDU SPEAKS I got to know that in 2022 the OSP took possession of over fifty operational vehicles and cars some with bullet proof fortifications from the Tema port which were hidden under the basement of the OSP. The OSP did not have an operational procurement entity at the time to enable the OSP to procure them from its moneys approved by Parliament; internally generated funds, and grants approved by the Minister responsible for Finance in consultation with the Attorney-General. My information is that two of the vehicles driven from the Tema Port in convey got involved in an accident on the Tema Motorway in which one of the vehicles became a complete write off. The public has not heard or seen the President, Attorney-General or any entity presenting these over fifty vehicles as gifts to the OSP as is the usual practice with donations in the form of grants. A media briefing by the OSP will assuage public suspicions of violations of the procurement law in their procurement. Still on procurement! Can the Special Prosecutor explain at a media briefing one of his first acts on his assumption of office - how he came to procure a fleet of vehicles including pickups from a car rental company allegedly belonging to his friend or associated with his friend who is alleged to be one of his employees now which he used as back-up for his security details without going through a competitive car rental company bidding process and the approval of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA)? What consideration informed the alleged immediate procurement by renting or purchasing a Prado four wheel drive without PPA approval for the Chief Accountant of the OSP who is a signatory to the OSP accounts only weeks after assuming office when other heads of departments went without the same favour? Remember that the OSP investigates and prosecutes procurement malpractices and the OSPs press conference will instill confidence in the investigatory work of the OSP when the OSP investigates persons suspected of the commission of similar procurement offences. The Special Prosecutor should be addressing a press conferences on whether it is true that since his assumption of office he has spent more than a third of the year in 2021, 2022, and 2023 traveling abroad on the public purse without any written information to his deputy on his travelling abroad. Is it true that the Special Prosecutor even travels with orderlies who have no security functions to perform on such trips abroad?. Is it also true that certain friends of the Special Prosecutor accompany him on some of these trips at their own expense which can be detected from entries from the Ghana Immigration Service data base? By the way, the public wishes to know how many times the Special Prosecutor has traveled abroad on official duties since 9 August 2021, and if accompanied by whom; and whether the DSP was formally informed about these travels abroad. It may well be that when the Special Prosecutor becomes more transparent and accountable and addresses the issues raised at a media briefing, the suspicions of members of the public who may be tarnishing the integrity of the OSP may be put to rest. I raise them here because of the invitation thrown to the public by the Special Prosecutor and the fact that the policy of the OSP to be transparent with the public is a two way street of openness and accountability as the fight against corruption cannot be won when citizens suspect the conduct of Caesars wife of not being above suspicion. CONCLUSIONS The foregoing examination and analysis of the demand by the Special Prosecutor that the OSP is entitled during his tenure to be treated by the judicial branch as a flagship anticorruption agency and given preferential decisions by the courts as against citizens has demonstrated that there was no animosity between the judiciary or any courts or judges and the OSP from its foundation in February 2018 to 9 August 2021 when Kissi Agyebeng assumed office as the Special Prosecutor. The judiciary cannot, therefore, be accused of being against the OSP as he endeavoured to incite the public during the press conference or media briefing on 29 November 2023 to believe. It has been shown that the Ghana Police Service (GPS) which is the oldest law enforcement agency in Ghana; the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) which used to exercise the anti-corruption mandate; the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) which used to be part of the Police Service and has investigatory and prosecutorial powers; the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS); and other law enforcement agencies are not known to hold media briefing to heap scurrilous abuses and scandalize the courts, and intimidate beneficiary citizens anytime the courts make unfavourable decisions against them for the benefit of a sovereign citizen. The cancer of a Special Prosecutor that has infected the OSP for the past two years cannot, therefore, be allowed to metastasize to infect the healthy working relation between organic law enforcement, the citizen, and the administration of justice guaranteed under law. The policy of the OSP to be transparent with the public which the Special Prosecutor claimed underpinned his performance of scurrilously abusing the courts and scandalizing the administration of justice, it has been shown, is a two way street of openness and accountability as the fight against corruption cannot be won when citizens suspect the conduct of Caesars wife as not being above suspicion. The Special Prosecutor crossed the red line in his performance to the media which was malevolently summoned on 29 November 2023 to incite the public against the rights of beneficiary citizens to the decisions of the courts and to scandalize the administration of justice in a manner in consistent with and in contravention of the 1992 Constitution to warrant patriotic citizens to defend the Constitution by petitioning the President for the removal of the Special Prosecutor from office for stated misbehaviour and other grounds provided for in Act 959 discussed hereinbefore. The Constitution and the independence of the judiciary must be defended against any agency of the executive branch wishing to unjustly trample upon the rights and freedoms of citizens. God, protect Ghana! Martin A. B. K. Amidu 3 December 2023 Space technologies will feature prominently at this year's COP28 summit in Dubai with space agencies showcasing different applications in the field of Earth science and observations. There will be dedicated events that will present what our missions do and what data can contribute in support to climate. Today, for example, we are working on over 25 climate variables in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with these programs, and we will present the results of the climate variables, Simonetta Cheli, who heads ESA's Earth observation programme," told RFI. Speaking about the increasing relevance of space technologies in the efforts to fight climate change, Cheli said Earth observation missions have important applications such as monitoring and better management of natural resources such as water resources as well as the ones which could become scarce. We can use the technologies and the data from Earth observation satellites to, for example, improve the forecast of agriculture, food security, and also everything that is related to natural disaster management, she said. Cheli said satellite technology is also used to monitor greenhouse gas emissions. For example, ESA's Sentinel-5P Precursor mission can be used to detect individual methane emissions. ESA is also building two dedicated satellites that will look at anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Deputy Minority leader, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has reacted to announcements by Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited to shut down its plant for a week. In a writeup, the Deputy Minority leader, noted the unfortunate but unsurprising development is indicative of the gross mismanagement that has plagued the energy sector under the Akufo-Addo-led government. According to the deputy minority leader, The once-thriving energy sector bequeathed to the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has now been thrown into complete disarray due to gross management of the sector. He attributed one of the contributing factors of the power crisis to the continuous mismanagement and misapplication of the Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA), introduced by the previous NDC government to address energy sector debts. The deputy minority leader indicated that while in opposition, the NPP labelled the ESLA as a nuisance tax and promised to scrap same when they win political power, only for the current government to, not only increase the ESLA levy, but has also collateralised ESLA for fifteen (15) years to raise monies which they have misapplied, thus defeating its original purpose and eroding the gains made in settling all legacy debts in the sector. This has further exacerbated the financial instability of the power sector. The deputy Minority leader described the current state of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as disquieting and of grave concern. He stressed that the ECG which plays a crucial role in providing reliable supply of electricity to consumers, is unfortunately suffering from monumental mismanagement and inefficiency under the current administration with the repercussions of the mismanagement of the energy sector far-reaching, while debts keep piling up by the day, as the threat of a power crisis continues to loom large. The deputy Minority leader further emphasised the need for government to demonstrate humility and leadership in engaging with the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in order to address the imminent catastrophic power crisis. He, therefore, urged government to take steps to ensure it honours its obligations to the various IPPs. Due to the announced shutdown of the Sunon-Asogli Power Plant alone, parts of Accra were plunged into darkness last night. The earlier this government took steps to honour its obligations to IPPs, the better it will be for all of us, the deputy Minority leader warned. Meanwhile, Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited has decided to postpone the shutdown of its plant for a week, citing intervention and assurances from the Ministers of Finance and State. In a statement issued on Monday evening, the company revealed an interim payment agreement, anticipating $60 million in two tranches. The first tranche of $30 million is expected this week, followed by the second tranche in the week of December 11, 2023. Kindly confirm our understanding that we shall be paid an interim sum of $60 million in two tranches. The first tranche $30 million to be paid this week and the second tranche in the week of 11th December 2023. The independent power producer had initially announced an indefinite shutdown of its 560MW plant, effective immediately, due to the government's delayed financial commitments. classfmonline Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, the individual facing a 10-million-Ghana-cedi defamation suit filed by the Minister of National Security, Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, is urging the court to dismiss the suit. In an affidavit in support of the motion on notice for an order to dismiss the suit, dated November 29, 2023, Mr Barker-Vormawor argued that the Minister lacks the capacity to institute or conduct civil matters related to the functions he performs on behalf of the State. The former convener of the #FixTheCountry movement, describing himself as a lawyer, stated that the alleged defamatory words were directed at the State or its functionaries and not personally at the Minister. He contended that the matters forming the basis of the defamation claims are exclusively linked to the minister's performance of state functions. Mr Barker-Vormawor was taken to court after claiming that National Security officials, including government representatives, met him in 2021 and offered him money to silence his activism. He asserted that he was offered $1 million and lucrative government positions to cease his activities critical of the government. Classfmonline A 23-year-old trader, who broke into the house of a legal practitioner and made away with mobile phones and laptops, has been sentenced to one year imprisonment. Appearing before Achimota Circuit Court, Francis Tekpor, aka School Fees, pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing. The court, therefore, convicted Tekpor of his plea and sentenced him accordingly. The prosecution said the complainant Seidu Nasigiri was a private legal practitioner and the owner of Nasigiru Villa at Amasaman. The prosecutor said the witnesses Fauzia Amadu- Nasigiri and Mariam Nasigiri were the wife and daughter of the complainant. The prosecution said the accused person, now convict, resided at Ashaiman. On November 2023, at about 6:00am, the complainant's family woke up for dawn prayers and detected that their rooms had been burgled, with personal effects, including iPhone 14 Pro Max valued GHC7,000, one Techno Camon A1 triple camera valued at GHC1,100, one Techno Spark valued at GHC1,000, Techno POP valued GHC1,000 stolen. Additionally, the prosecution said an Infinix Phone valued GHC950, two HP Laptops valued GHC10,000 and cash of 3,600 were also stolen from the complainant's house. The prosecution said a Close Circuit Television was reviewed and it came to light that a young adult unlawfully entered the house and made away with the items. As soon as the complainant was informed, he reported the matter to the police. The prosecution said on November 16, 2023, Police intelligence led to the arrest of the convict. During interrogation, he admitted the offence. The prosecution said the Polie retrieved some of the items one iPhone 14 Pro Max, a iPhone 12 Pro Max, three Techno mobile phones and HP Laptop-from the complainant's house. GNA Struggling in his undergraduate studies, Sydney Pigott at one point felt like he wasnt going to attend medical school. It seemed like a far-off dream. But getting accepted into a long-standing post-baccalaureate program at the University at Buffalo brought the dream closer. The program, geared toward students who possess the intellectual ability to succeed in medical school despite not meeting certain academic criteria, put him through an intensive, individualized curriculum that readied him for his next steps. It was by no means a handout, said Pigott, now a third-year medical student at UBs Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The courses were rigorous, and it definitely prepared me for my first two years of medical school. With success stories like that in mind, state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald traveled to the Jacobs School on Tuesday and announced that the state is boosting its financial support of post-baccalaureate programs like the one that Pigott completed. Specifically, McDonald announced more than $4.6 million in state funding for diversity in medicine programs managed by the Associated Medical Schools of New York, which he said was $1.2 million more than the state allocated in the prior year. The programs, which help traditionally underrepresented students become physicians, aim to improve access to care and eliminate health disparities by diversifying the states physician workforce. While more than 30% of the states population is Black or Hispanic, only 12% of its physicians represent those demographics, the state said. And those are important figures, because health care regardless of what technological advances emerge is built upon trust and will always need physicians capable of relating to their patients, McDonald said. The foundation of the physician-patient relationship is built on trust, he said. We tend to trust people who we know and people that respect and know our culture and understand our culture and value our culture, and thats why these these types of programs that were doing here are so important, so Im thrilled that we can fund this. UBs program a flagship Associated Medical Schools of New York President and CEO Jonathan Teyan said the post-baccalaureate program at the Jacobs School now in its 33rd year is the flagship in our portfolio of diversity in medicine programs. Since its inception, Teyan said the UB post-baccalaureate program has produced more than 700 physicians who otherwise might not be practicing medicine. This program at UB has really served as a model, as well, and we have replicated that model for other institutions, for other medical schools in New York, he said. UB program, which aims to diversify the physician workforce, gets big boost from the state The state in the fall announced that it was doubling its investment, via a commitment of more than $2.4 million, in diversity programs managed by the Associated Medical Schools of New York to help traditionally underrepresented students become physicians. The post-baccalaureate program at UB enrolls between 20 and 28 students annually. The late Dr. Jonathan Daniels, a beloved Buffalo pediatrician who died in a tragic fire in July 2022, found opportunity through the program three decades ago when his application to UBs medical school was waitlisted. In the post-baccalaureate program, Dr. David A. Milling and his team curate rigorous curriculums that help each individual student. Students attend the program tuition-free and receive a living stipend from AMSNY, so they can focus solely on their studies to increase their readiness for medical school. These students are not being given a pass, said Milling, who runs the program at the Jacobs School. These are students who go through the rigorous admissions process. Its very clear during that process that these students all have the capacity to be amazing physicians. However, many of these students have had areas in their lives as they have gone through their preparation for medical school that needs a little bit more polishing. A long legacy The numbers demonstrate that the state is getting a good return on its investment, said Dr. Allison Brashear, dean of the Jacobs School. Since the inception of the program in 1991, Brashear said about 94% of participants ended up going to medical school and 86% of program graduates successfully completed medical school. It was through this program that I really felt transformed in my capabilities to accomplish my goals of becoming a physician, said Sabrina Dunn, a third-year medical student at the Jacobs School who came out of the post-baccalaureate program. Participating in this program has a long legacy of producing many of the doctors of color across the state and even the country. The program provided Dunn a 180-degree shift from her prior experience in undergraduate at Cornell University, where class sizes sometimes could exceed 250 students and made it difficult for her to advocate for herself and receive support. Dr. Daniel Olu-Talabi remembers feeling beyond elated when he got his acceptance letter into the post-baccalaureate program, which he entered in 2018. After completing the program, he attended and completed medical school at UB and is now a second-year medical resident here. Its the post-baccalaureate program, he said, that gave him the opportunity to do something that I truly felt was my place in this world. This program is near and dear to my heart, and thats something that I will continue to be a part of for the rest of my life, he said. No matter and I know Dr. Milling would prefer I stay here in Buffalo but no matter where I am taken in this journey, I know for a fact that I will always support this program 1,000% because I truly do believe in its mission. 05.12.2023 LISTEN The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Lands and Forestry, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, has urged cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast to step up efforts to increase output and safeguard their respective forest reserves. He made the call at the Cocoa Forest Initiative (CFI) event held by the Ivorian Ministry of Water and Forest as part of the ongoing COP28 in Dubai. He noted that because the two nations account for 60% of world cocoa output, they needed to work together to address the issue of climate change. As you know Ghana and Ivory Coast produce over 60 per cent of the world's cocoa supplies and it means that cocoa is a very important commodity which we cannot do away with. It also means that we have to be careful since there are competing land uses for food production, cocoa cultivation, mining and forest conservation. This is where we need to strengthen our collaboration to ensure the sustainability of our production, halt deforestation and forest degradation and eventually contribute to global efforts to fight climate change, he added. Mr Owusu-Bio commended the two countries for their historically rich collaborations, especially in the area of cocoa production. He noted that since the establishment of the CFI, Ghana and Ivory Coast have effectively combined efforts to ensure that cocoa production in both countries was done with minimal impact on the environment. He indicated the readiness of the government to team up with the private sector to pursue a path of dealing with cocoa-driven deforestation. The Cocoa and Forest Initiative, according to the Deputy Minister, has proven to be an effective instrument for attracting private sector participation in the battle against cocoa-driven deforestation. It is therefore critical to maintain and continue this unique collaboration to ensure that cocoa is produced lawfully and with little impact on our forests. We, in Ghana, remain committed to CFI and will continue to collaborate with our partners from the World Cocoa Foundation, IDH Sustainable Trade and the chocolate and cocoa-producing companies. We would also like to encourage learning exchange visits with our counterparts in Ivory Coast. This will ensure effective and efficient implementation and functioning of the CFI Secretariats in both countries. Ghana and Ivory Coast have actively participated and organised CFI events in 3 successive COPs starting from COP26 in Glasgow, COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh and now CoP 28 in Dubai. In each of these, we have worked closely together to ensure that we can share knowledge on how to halt deforestation due to Cocoa production in our respective countries, he added. Britain and Rwanda signed a new treaty on Tuesday in a bid to revive a controversial proposal by London to transfer migrants to the east African country. The agreement was signed by Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta and British interior minister James Cleverly, who travelled to Kigali to salvage London's stalled bid to send migrants to Rwanda after the UK Supreme Court blocked an earlier arrangement as unlawful. The judges sided with a lower court decision that the policy was incompatible with Britain's international obligations because Kigali could forcibly return migrants to places where they could face persecution. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had vowed to persevere with the contentious project by securing the new treaty, vowing to "address concerns" raised in the Supreme Court's ruling last month. Details of the new agreement were not available but British media reports said it would include commitments by Rwanda regarding the treatment of asylum-seekers and other migrants sent there. "There is a lot of desire to continue to improve the process. The UK and Rwanda are working on this because it is important," Cleverly said at a joint press briefing in Kigali. "Rwanda is very committed to this partnership and that is why we worked with the UK government to address the concerns raised by the Supreme Court", Biruta added. "We do not have plans to withdraw from this partnership." The court decision was a major setback for Sunak, who also plans to pass "emergency legislation" in parliament to designate Rwanda a safe country to end the "merry-go-round" of legal challenges. "I'm fed up with our Rwanda policy being blocked," Sunak wrote in The Sun tabloid Tuesday. "I've got the government working on emergency laws to end the merry-go-round so that we can fix this problem once and for all -- and stop the boats." Legal challenges A UK-Rwanda migration "partnership" agreed in April last year envisaged sending to Kigali anyone who has made what London calls "dangerous or illegal journeys" to Britain on small boats from Europe or hidden in lorries. The first deportees were aboard a plane to fly there in June 2022 when a last-minute European Court of Human Rights injunction prevented any deportations, prompting the further legal challenges. The government insists the scheme is crucial to deter "illegal" immigration across the Channel from France on inflatable vessels -- an emotive issue set to feature prominently in a general election expected next year. Nearly 30,000 have made the perilous journey this year -- down on the nearly 46,000 who crossed in 2022, but still far short of meeting Sunak's vow to "stop the boats". "We are clear that Rwanda is a safe country, and we are working at pace to move forward with this partnership to stop the boats and save lives," Cleverly said in a statement ahead of the visit. "The Supreme Court recognised that changes may be delivered in future to address the conclusions they reached -- and that is what we have set out to do together, with this new, internationally recognised treaty agreement." Ghanaian social activist Oliver Barker Vormawor has expressed disappointment in the level of apathy shown by Ghanaians towards demonstrations against economic and social issues in the country. In a social media post on Tuesday, December 5, Barker Vormawor noted that despite over 19 million Ghanaians living below the poverty line, attempts to organize demonstrations have failed to attract huge numbers. As the convener of the #FixTheCountry movement, Barker has been at the forefront of organizing protest against social and economic issues facing ordinary Ghanaians. According to him, not even 100,000 Ghanaian citizens are willing to take to the streets to demand action towards reducing widespread poverty. "A country of over 19 million people living below the poverty line. If you call a protest against poverty you cant get even 100,000 people to show up. Eih!" Barker wrote on his X handle. Poverty remains a major challenge in Ghana, with the latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service showing that about a quarter of Ghanaians are poor whilst under a tenth of the population are in extreme poverty. A Nigerian army drone strike accidently killed at least 85 civilians in a village in northwest Kaduna State, officials said, in one of the country's deadliest military bombing mishaps. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday ordered an investigation after the army acknowledged one of its drones aimed at armed groups had accidently struck the Tudun Biri village as residents were celebrating a religious holiday. The army did not give any casualty figures, but local residents said at least 85 people were killed on Sunday, many of them women, children, and elderly, who had been feasting for the Muslim festival of Maulud. The attack left civilians dead and injured in Tudun Biri, a locality in Kaduna State. "Rescue and relief operations continue," the local minister of information, Samuel Aruwan, told RFI. "And dozens of injured people were evacuated to hospital by the authorities." Dozens of families in mourning "I was at home when I heard a sound," Ashiru Ibrahim, a local, told RFI's correspondent in Kaduna, Aminu Sado. "I came out quickly and saw an explosion with many dead bodies lying on the ground," he added. "We took those that were still alive and rushed them to a nearby hospital in Buruku. Before reaching [it], the second explosion occurred. Those who came to assist the injured ones, also died in the second explosion." Ibrahim lost his daughter, Aisha, in the strikes, including his two children, his uncle and many other family members. "We were able to count eighty dead bodies," he said. "The funeral is ongoing as we speak. We are here in the hospital with about forty-eight injured persons, including Firdausi and Sadiya Ashiru, my biological daughters." Another victim, Hauwa Yakubu, told RFI, "We were having a Maulud celebration, when we heard a sound of an aeroplane. Before we realised what was happening, a bomb was dropped from the air. Many people died , instantly. We were injured but managed to run for our lives, some youth came out to rescue those that were injured but unfortunately they all died in the second explosion." The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) added that another 66 people are receiving treatment in hospital. "The Northwest Zonal Office has received details from the local authorities that 85 dead bodies have so far been buried while search is still ongoing," NEMA said in a statement. Emergency officials say they are still negotiating with community leaders to calm tensions so they can reach the village. (with AFP) Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo 05.12.2023 LISTEN A Circuit Court Judge at Jasikan, Mr. Alfred Kwabena Asiedu has been removed from office for misconducting himself. The removal of the judge follows a petition filed against him by Singari Diana Sadia on January 16. In the petition, the petitioner accused Mr. Alfred Kwabena Asiedu of abuse of power, sexual exploitation, malicious prosecution, and impropriety. In line with the Disciplinary Procedures of the Judicial Service, the accused judge was invited to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the Judicial Council, which had been mandated to investigate the allegations. The Disciplinary Committee, after investigating the above-mentioned matter, found that the Judge misconducted himself as a Judge as there was ample evidence that he was involved in an improper relationship with the Petitioner, who had a Divorce case pending before him. The Disciplinary Committee also established the allegation of abuse of power and malicious prosecution against the Judge as he was found to have caused the arrest and prosecution of the Petitioner without justification. The Disciplinary Committee consequently recommended that the judge should be dismissed. The report of the Disciplinary Committee was subsequently submitted to the Judicial Council, and at its 279th, meeting held on October 25. In accordance with article 151 (1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, all members of the Judicial Council present at the said meeting, resolved that the Judge should be removed from office for Stated Misbehaviour. The Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo in a letter to Mr. Alfred Kwabena Asiedu has duly informed him of his dismissal. You are therefore removed from Office as a Circuit Court Judge, with immediate effect. You are directed to hand over all official properties in your possession, including your official vehicle, Dockets, and Record Books to the Judicial Secretary forthwith, parts of the letter to Mr. Alfred Kwabena Asiedu communicating his dismissal said. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has expressed appreciation for the swift manner in which Aisha Huang's case was dispensed. However, the Senior State Prosecutor indicated plans to appeal aspects of the ruling. In a statement dated Tuesday, December 5, Mr Dame noted "The Attorney-General expresses appreciation for the relatively swift manner (a little over one year) in which justice has been dispensed in this case. Same underscores the commitment to the punishment of illegal mining offences." However, he added that "Whilst applauding the efficiency of the justice delivery system witnessed in the trial of Aisha Huang, the Attorney-General will however test the soundness of the decision of the trial court to punish the accused person under Act 900, by filing an appeal at the Court of Appeal, against the sentence in order to ensure that the new sentencing regime imposed by Act 995 is applied to the accused person." The Attorney General's decision follows the debate whether Huang should have been sentenced in accordance with the stricter Act 995 passed after her initial offences, rather than Act 900. He urged Ghanaians to "be mindful of the facts" and avoid comments "which not only jeopardise the sound and efficient administration of justice but also undermine the fight against illegal mining." The appeal aims to determine if Huang should face harsher penalties in accordance with Act 995. Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama 05.12.2023 LISTEN The Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama has indicated that the Ghana Armed Forces will be ready to assist the Ghana Police Service if needed during the 2024 General Election. With one year and four days left for the 2024 General Election, the Electoral Commission (EC) has started putting things in place to ensure a successful and peaceful exercise. On Tuesday, December 5, the EC led by its Chairperson Jean Mensah held a meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, and Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare. According to Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, although the Ghana Armed Forces will not be at the forefront of providing security for the 2024 General Election, it will be in the background fully prepared to step in when it becomes necessary. We in the armed forces commit our internationally-mandated role and duty to protect this country and prevent any aggression from outside the country and also from within and we do so by air, by sea, and by land. even to the peril of our lives. For the elections proper, we may not be in the upfront of the election duty but we will be in the background ever ready and ever prepared to support the police service and other security services in case the situation degenerates, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama said. At the meeting, EC Chairperson Jean Mensah said one of the major challenges her outfit is facing ahead of the 2024 General Election has to do with security. She said this is largely because politicians and their supporters are willing to use all means in their bid to capture power. She applauded the IGP and other security agencies for the various roles they play in ensuring elections held in the country are safe. Senior Hamas officials joined the family of Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg on Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of his death and cast the spotlight on the bitter conflict in Gaza. Mandela, who died aged 95 in 2013, made a Palestinian state one of his main international causes when he became South Africa's first black president in 1994. And Hamas representatives were among Palestinian guests who laid a wreath when the Mandela family paid tribute at a giant statue of the anti-apartheid icon. South Africa has strongly condemned Israel's response to the unprecedented 7 October Hamas attacks that unleashed a war in which thousands have died. Mandela's legacy for Palestine Mandela's grandson, national assembly member Mandla Mandela, helped organise a two-day conference on the Palestinian-Israel conflict before the wreath-laying at the Union Buildings. Basem Naim, a former Hamas health minister in Gaza, and Khaled Qaddoumi, the militant group's representative in Iran, were among Palestinians to visit for the conference and anniversary. "We were waiting to gain first-hand experience of the daily atrocities that are being carried out in Gaza," Mandla Mandela told national broadcaster SABC. "It was a real experience for them to be in South Africa and learn from our experience as we had to face one of the most brutal apartheid regimes on the continent and we were able to defeat it." He said his grandfather considered a Palestinian state "the great moral issue of our time" and added: "We are carrying on where he left off." Mandla Mandela is part of the ruling African National Congress which last month backed a national assembly motion calling for the closure of the Israeli embassy and for a suspension of diplomatic ties in protest at the war. South Africa has also officially called on the International Criminal Court to investigate what President Cyril Ramaphosa has called Israel's "war crimes" in Gaza. Israel, which has rejected comparisons between its conflict and apartheid, did not send a senior leader to Mandela's funeral in 2013. Israel expands offensive into southern Gaza This comes as Israeli forces launched their long-awaited storm of the main city in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, where hospitals were overrun with scores of Palestinian dead and wounded. In what appeared to be the biggest ground assault since a truce collapsed last week, residents said Israeli tanks had entered the eastern parts of Khan Younis for the first time, crossing from the Israeli border fence and advancing west. After days of ordering residents to flee the area, Israeli forces dropped new leaflets on Tuesday with instructions to stay inside shelters during the assault. The Israelis, who seized the northern half of Gaza last month before pausing for the week-long truce, say they are now extending their ground campaign to the rest of the enclave as they try to annihilate its Hamas rulers. Meanwhile, Washington has urged Israel to do more to reduce harm to civilians in the next phase of the Gaza war. Israel's bombardment has driven 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents from their homes, most fleeing south. Since the truce collapsed, Israel has been posting an online map to tell Gazans which parts of the enclave to evacuate. Gazans say there is no safe place left to go, with remaining towns and shelters already overwhelmed. (With wires) The Gaza conflict overshadowed South Africa's commemorations on the 10th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's death on Tuesday, highlighting how the anti-apartheid icon can still mobilise international opinion while his legacy is debated at home. Senior Hamas officials laid wreaths with Mandela's grandson at a giant statue of South Africa's first black president while Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai slammed the "unjust bombardment of Gaza" as she gave a keynote speech. In the absence of official ceremonies for the leader who died on December 5, 2013 after a long illness, the Palestinian cause that Mandela long espoused took over events. Palestinian supporters hold the Palestinian flag during the commemorations of the 10th Anniversary of the death of Nelson Mandela in Pretoria. By Roberta Ciuccio (AFP) His grandson, national assembly member Mandla Mandela, said Mandela considered a Palestinian state "the great moral issue of our time". "We are carrying on where he left off," Mandla Mandela told national broadcaster SABC as he gathered with a former Hamas minister in Gaza and other representatives of the Palestinian group to lay wreaths at a statue in Pretoria. Fellow Nobel laureate Malala used the annual Mandela Foundation commemoration to highlight how a child dies "every 10 minutes" in the military assault on Gaza since the unprecedented Hamas attacks of October 7 against Israel. Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group's October attacks that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and which saw around 240 hostages taken, according to Israeli authorities. In retaliation for the worst attack in its history, Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of all the hostages held in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas leaders in Gaza say the war has killed over 16,000 people in the territory, around 70 percent of them women and children. 'Gender apartheid' Malala, in her speech, went on to press a growing campaign for the United Nations to make gender apartheid a crime against humanity, saying the Taliban had "made girlhood illegal" with its clampdown on education for girls. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai participates in a panel discussion after delivering the 21st Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg on Tuesday. By PHILL MAGAKOE (AFP) South Africans marked the anniversary with a mixture of longing for Mandela's integrity and disappointment over what has happened since. Many spared a thought for the man who emerged from prison in 1991, bringing pride and hope to a country torn apart by more than four decades of white minority rule. But after nearly three decades of government by his African National Congress (ANC), inequality has grown, according to the World Bank, corruption is rife and crippling power cuts hit each day. "Ten years on we still haven't changed much, I wish things could just improve," said Prosper Nkosi, who lives close to Mandela's old house in the Soweto township near Johannesburg. Mandela spirit' Johannesburg resident Njabulo Mngadi said South Africa had to rediscover the "Mandela spirit" to bring more reforms. Nelson Mandela's grandson and South African politician Mandla Mandela speaking in support of the Palestinian struggle in Pretoria on Tuesday. By Roberta Ciuccio (AFP) "Things are still bad here in South Africa, things are still not right," said Mngadi. A national election is expected in the first half of 2024 and polls have suggested the ANC's vote share could fall below 50 percent for the first time. Former US assistant secretary of state and ambassador to South Africa, Jendayi Frazer, highlighted how Mandela's standing "remains extremely high" around the globe despite domestic doubts. "His saintly international reputation isn't undermined by the challenges the ANC is having today," the US Council on Foreign Relations specialist told AFP. "If anything, there is a belief that current South African politicians -- of all parties -- would do well to follow Mandela's example of high moral character," she said. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 with F.W. de Klerk, the white president who approved Mandela's release from jail in 1990 and then negotiated the end of minority rule. Dave Steward, chairman emeritus of the F.W. De Klerk Foundation, said Mandela would long be remembered for his work to bring democracy to South Africa. Nelson Mandela seen with F.W. de Klerk, the president who negotiated an end to white minority rule in South Africa. The pair were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1993. By Philip LITTLETON (AFP/File) "While we are experiencing many problems that would not make Nelson Mandela happy, he would be happy that we are still a constitutional democracy with functioning courts and a government that obeys the law," Steward told AFP. "However many years pass, Nelson Mandela's legacy and example will remain important to the present and future of South Africa." And the vestiges of Mandela's struggle during 27 years in prison and his presidency from 1994 to 1999, will not disappear anytime soon. He features on banknotes and there are Mandela murals and statues in cities around South Africa and across the world. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, has lauded Ghana for its role in advancing peace and stability in the West African sub-region. Ghana's leaders have worked tirelessly to raise Africa's perspectives and concerns at the UN Security Council while deploying thousands of troops to serve in UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, she noted. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, speaking on peace and security in Africa at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra on Tuesday, said Ghana had enabled peaceful transitions of power, free press and resilient democratic processes that had served as a model for other countries. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield is participating in the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference in Accra, Ghana. Delegates from more than 85 countries and international organisations are in Accra to discuss the support and commitments needed to strengthen current and future UN Peacekeeping operations. The US in advancing Africa's peace and security since the beginning of the Biden Administration has invested 6.5 billion dollars to support security, democracy, human rights and governance on the continent. Despite the strides and the seemingly intractable challenges in peacekeeping, Amb. Thomas-Greenfield said, there was an emergence of new challenges particularly in Sudan where a senseless conflict had led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. She said, throughout the Sahel, there had been coups and democratic backsliding, denying citizens the right to dictate their own futures. The US Ambassador to the UN said across the continent, we have witnessed violent extremism take hold and spread, destabilising the entire region. I have seen the horrific toll that this violence takes on the individuals and on entire communities. These alarming developments, she said, threatened peace and security not only in Africa, but across the globe. Amb. Greenfield said while those problems were not specific to Africa, African leadership had and would continue to play a major role in solving them. She said unfortunately, some leaders in other countries had taken the opposite tag, choosing to turn their backs on the international system to consolidate power for themselves at the expense of the rights, freedoms and prosperity of their own people. She said they had isolated themselves in their populations from regional institutions like the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) and turned to actors like the Wagner Group, a Russian state-funded private military company, which she said advanced conflict, exploitation, and destruction for a profit. This is a dangerous decision, and it is a short-sighted one, she said, citing Mali where the transition government chose Wagner and kicked a UN peacekeeping mission out of the country, including Ghanaian soldiers. In no time at all, the fragile balance holding the peace agreement together fell apart, empowering violent extremism groups and creating incivility that threatens West Africa, Amb. Thomas-Greenfield noted. The decision hasn't made Mali safer. In fact, after Wagner was invited into Mali in 2021, more civilians were killed in 2022 than any other year since the conflict began in 2012, she said. According to Amb. Thomas-Greenfield, it was clear that the approach had not worked and that traditional tools to keep peace must be adopted as Africans deserved a better vision for security one that put African leaders and leadership at the forefront and African people at the centre. As an International Community, we have the responsibility to cultivate that system to improve the efficiency, the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping to finance and empower African Union missions and to invest in resilience, open and transparent governance that can prevent and withstand security risks and not simply respond to them. GNA Matt Krupp got his license to sell recreational cannabis back in May. Sheldon Anderson and Omar Price both got their licenses in July. But when a lawsuit put New Yorks retail pot program on pause in August, all three were left wondering when or if they would ever be able to get their dispensaries open. Nows their chance. The Office of Cannabis Management has agreed to settle that lawsuit. Now, pot retailers are racing to get open in case another shoe drops. I dont want to say Im scared, Anderson said. But my goal is to have a certificate of occupancy prior to any future lawsuits. Anderson, whose day job is in consulting and construction compliance, has been leasing his Allentown dispensary space since July and is hoping to get his store Public Flower open by the end of the year. The space, at 232 Allen St., was originally an apothecary and was formerly home to Antique Man antiques store. Im trying to be as close as possible to turnkey and ready for the state to come out and do what they need to do before someone from, I dont know, Las Vegas says, Hey, Im suing New York State. Lets freeze everything. The rollout of adult-use retail cannabis stores has been halted twice by legal injunctions caused by lawsuits against the Office of Cannabis Management, and Anderson isnt about to wait for a third one before he gets his doors open, he said. Theres probably going to be more, he said. The application window to apply for a general cannabis retail license is open until Dec. 18. That means everyone not just New York business people with cannabis convictions can apply. But that likely doesnt mean legal dispensaries will start popping up everywhere right away. There will be a rush to open, and experienced, deep-pocketed, out-of-state operators may be able to move more quickly than social justice applicants have, but they can only maneuver as quickly as state and local bureaucracies will allow. There are other time consuming hurdles, too. Securing real estate and storefronts for legal pot dispensaries has been difficult, chiefly because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. That puts federal-backed mortgages out of the question, and makes landlords hesitant to lease. That gives moneyed interests a leg up. And competition for real estate has been stiff, since dispensaries are not legally allowed to open in the vicinity of schools, religious institutions and other dispensaries. Licensees worry those proximity regulations could trigger another lawsuit. The Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary program, which gives preference to New York business people with a previous pot conviction, has been vulnerable to legal challenges. And if CAURD licensees get first crack at dispensary locations, that could leave general license applicants feeling litigious. In the most recent case that triggered an injunction, four veterans, along with a coalition of medical marijuana operators, sued the state Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management, saying they planned to apply for adult-use dispensary licenses but were illegally barred from pursuing CAURD licenses because they required an applicant to have been convicted of a cannabis-related offense. That violated the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which requires the Control Board to open the window for all adult-use retail dispensary applications at the same time, they said in the complaint. In August, the judge in that case halted the opening of most new dispensaries under the CAURD program and blocked the issuing of any new licenses under that initiative. Last year, out-of-state cannabis company Variscite NY One filed a lawsuit after the state declined to give it a CAURD license on the grounds that owner applicant Kenneth Gay had no significant legal presence in the state and never had a cannabis-related conviction in New York. The judge in that lawsuit blocked new CAURD licenses and dispensary openings in Western New York and other parts of the state where Variscite had applied to do business before eventually narrowing the injunction to the Finger Lakes. That case was settled in May, with the Office of Cannabis Management agreeing to give Variscite a license. Every state that has eventually launched a social equity program has been sued over it, said Damian Fagon, chief equity officer of the Office of Cannabis Management. The national landscape for using litigation to challenge equity programs is a grand American tradition. As part of the most recent settlement with veterans and medical operators, the state agreed to give adult-use retail licenses to each of the plaintiffs in the suit. I think in general when you settle, it gives people the impression that if they sue, they get something from it, said Aleece Burgio, an attorney at Colligan Law. So Ill be surprised if we dont see another piece of litigation arise in the next few months. With a background as an attorney, the lawsuits didnt catch Omar Price by surprise. This is the most aggressive social equity program in the country, so I knew that there would be some form of disruption, he said. And I think there will continue to be disruption. Because theres other interests involved and those are the interests that have larger bank accounts that could hold things up. Price signed a lease in July at 1673 Hertel Ave. for his planned dispensary, 82-J Cannabis, which is named for the Perry Projects home where he was born. Hes doing everything he can to get open before another lawsuit brings another injunction, he said. That is actually on the top of my mind, Price said. How quickly can I move and still be efficient, and provide good business for the community and not do it in haste and fear of being tied up again? He expected to pay a monthly lease for as much as a year while trying to get approvals to open, Price said, but the lawsuits added a big element of uncertainty. His biggest fear is that the CAURD program could be found unconstitutional and eliminated. The uncertainty of the program not moving forward. That was probably the bigger concern before the settlement, not knowing whether or not all of the investments that weve put in so far, especially time, was for naught, Price said. Though the Office of Cannabis Management has been legally prevented from working on CAURD locations or communicating with CAURD licensees, Price has been working hard to get his ducks in a row so he can be ready to open as soon as possible. Hes targeting the end of next month. The latest frustrating wrinkle has been pushback from neighborhood residents, who have voiced concerns about the legal dispensary even though Price said a number of illegal dispensaries are operating unregulated in the area. That has held things up at the planning committee, and delayed the process of getting the local certificate of occupancy Price needs to move forward. Residents have mostly voiced concerns about issues that have already been resolved at the state level and that have already been regulated at legally licensed dispensaries, such as having large sums of cash secured and not selling to minors things legal dispensaries are required by the state to have systems in place to address. Not knowing when or if hell be able to open has made it harder to secure staff. Trying to balance finding workers and being able to fulfill whatever commitment thats being made as far as joining our team, that has been a challenge, Price said. Matt Krupp is planning Canterra, a dispensary and consumption space at 200 Perry St., across from the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino. The dispensary will be on the first floor, while the second floor will have a lounge and consumption space. Consumption regulations havent been set yet, but Krupp envisions a revolving cannabis-related events space, featuring such things as cannabis-infused massage therapy and cannabis-friendly yoga, and hopes to see a permanent restaurant space for cannabis-infused meals and mocktails. While he has waited to get his dispensary up and running, Krupp has kept busy with his Canterra online platform, which delivers cannabis to Western New York and Monroe County. He has also been involved in Cannabis Growers Showcases in places such as Albany, Watertown and Manhattan. Both delivery-only locations and Cannabis Growers Showcases were temporary measures the Office of Cannabis Management came up with to try to get legal cannabis into the hands of consumers while licensees worked through the slow retail rollout. Were really lucky because were operating already as a temporary delivery location, Krupp said. So we were fortunate enough to get our warehouse up and operational. We werent quite impacted as much as some other people. But the injunction did put the brakes on Canterras retail space. We could have probably been in construction by now if we had known what direction things were gonna go, he said. But it did make it a little difficult to predict the timelines of things and where to allocate resources. In anticipation of the District Assembly Election, a strategic gathering took place where the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akufo Dampare, along with the Police management board, convened with the heads of the National Elections Security Taskforce. Among the distinguished attendees were the comptroller-general of the Ghana Immigration Service, Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi, director-general of prisons, Mr. Isaac Kofi Egyir, Chief Fire Officer of Ghana Fire Service, Mr. Julius A. Kuunuor, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Madam Jean Mensa, and the Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama. In his opening remarks, IGP Dr. George Akufo Dampare emphasized the integral role the National Election Security Taskforce plays in the democratic process. He noted that measures were being diligently put in place to fortify security for the upcoming district assembly elections nationwide. "We've decided, in consultation with the heads of various security forces, to establish the National Security Task Force to operationalize and strengthen the security arrangement for the upcoming election. It's for this purpose that we are gathered here today to firm up the arrangement for the election," he stated. Dr. Dampare commended the collaborative efforts of the heads of various security forces in maintaining peace over the years. Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, the Chief of the Defence Staff, highlighted the significance of the district assembly election as a precursor to the general election in December 2024, underscoring their commitment to fulfilling their constitutionally mandated duty to safeguard the country. Madam Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, stressed the importance of not underestimating any election, citing past experiences. She expressed the Commission's dedication to ensuring a peaceful election, lauding IGP Dampare for his leadership in activating the national and regional election security task force. The Electoral Commission affirmed its commitment to collaborate with the national election security task force and other stakeholders, aiming to ensure the upcoming District Assembly Election and the 2024 General Elections in Ghana are credible, transparent and peaceful. Lawyers, especially the young ones, have been called upon not to only use their profession to help administer justice but contribute to building a society that respects values and rules. Mr Thaddeus Sory, a Private Legal Practitioner, who made the call, said lawyers had a duty to lead society to understand that the Court uses evidence, rules and procedures to serve justice. Mr Sory said this at the first edition of Fionas Conversations, an educative law programme designed to create a path of learning and adherence to ethical standards in the legal profession. Mr Sory, a former Counsel for the Electoral Commission of Ghana, said society kept growing with the notion that lawyers were deceitful and liars, could manipulate and even circumvent the legal system and proceeding all because of what they had been telling their clients, media and in recent times social media. Some lawyers think we need to impress our clients in this game. And so clients get the impression that there is no law and could do anything at all to get a good result. Society is the utmost loser and we hear people saying that there is no justice, he said. He said such a mentality had emboldened some clients to say Do you know the judge? And I ask what my knowledge of the judge has got to do with this case, if knowledge of the judge is important then why are you here. Speaking on the topic The Need for Ethical Considerations in the legal vocation, Mr Sory said it was also required that lawyers should be honest and candid in whatever they do as stipulated In rules 35, 63 and 83 LI 2423. He said some clients could tell their lawyers to go for an adjournment or injunction without any grounded considerations. He urged that such an impression should not be given to people at any point in time that they could just go to court and get an injunction. Mr Sory said lawyers also had a responsibility to be courteous and diligent towards their clients by avoiding offensive language, and provocative language and ensuring that all correspondents with them were courteous. As a lawyer, you are not allowed to record a conversation between you and the client or any other lawyer without the persons consent or approval of that client or the other lawyer. You also have to make sure that you appear in court, he said. He urged lawyers to maximise any opportunity to settle cases but in doing so one must disclose all of the facts and settlement proposal to their clients to take a decision no matter how small or unreasonable it would be. Madam Fiona Asafu-Adjaye, Private Legal Practitioner and Convener of Fionas Conversations, said, the programme was to bring legal practitioners together to share ideas and have conversations about how to get young practitioners to be very astute and enhance their professional abilities. The first edition touches on ethics and it is just the beginning of a series of educational legal programmes in the coming years. We really want to understand more the need for ethical considerations as legal practitioners, she said. GNA A total of 1,839 persons were killed in road crashes between January and October this year, according to the Ghana Police Service. The deaths were recorded through 11,694 crashes, which got 12,678 persons injured. We recognise that these figures, compared to the same period last year 2022, there has reduction in the cases of crashes, injuries, and deaths by seven per cent. There has been a reduction of 3.36 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively in injuries and deaths. David Osafo Adonteng, Acting Director General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), said this during a media briefing in Accra on Tuesday. The occasion was used to launch the NRSA's Christmas Campaign under the theme: Stop Speeding -Stay Alive. He said during Christmas last year- December 24- 26, 142 crashes, 215 injuries and 25 deaths were recorded. Mr Adonteng, said NRSA would from March next year commence registration of transport providers online adding that if one does not belong to any organisation, he or she would not be able to register. He said the Department of Urban Roads was fixing some non-functioning traffic lights and expressed the hope that it would help reduce crashes. Mr Godfred Abulbire, General Secretary of Ghana Private Road Transport Union, said the Union had engaged a consultant for an electronic device on vehicles to check excessive speeding, among others. Mr Abulbire called for more education on behavioural change on the part of drivers. Chief Superintendent of Police Alexander K. Obeng, Director of Education, Research and Training, MTTD at the Police headquarters, said the Police had issued human-centred interventions, which were yielding results and leading to the reduction of accidents. According to him, last year from January to October, death among motor riders recorded stood at 811 but this year we recorded 751. He said the Police had stepped up strategies to address insecure and excess loading, and that cameras had been deployed in vehicles to arrest people on the spot for breaching traffic-related offences. He said about 2,705 offenders, who were put before the courts were convicted, saying so, far 12 of the offenders were in jail. According to him, the court also imposed varying fines on the offenders and that the State had accrued GHC1,988,219 cedis. He said cameras installed at various spots had yielded results in terms of surveillance and follow-ups. Chief Supt Obeng said the Police were also going to rely on traffic cameras under the Traffic tech- GH, adding: It is not all the time that you will see police officers around, but we are working. GNA Amcor plc (NYSE:AMCR Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 28,000,000 shares, an increase of 6.2% from the October 31st total of 26,370,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 7,490,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days. Approximately 1.9% of the companys shares are sold short. Amcor Stock Down 0.8 % Shares of Amcor stock traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $9.48. 10,697,907 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,737,838. Amcor has a 1 year low of $8.45 and a 1 year high of $12.78. The stocks fifty day moving average is $9.02 and its 200 day moving average is $9.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.27. The firm has a market cap of $13.71 billion, a PE ratio of 14.56, a PEG ratio of 10.48 and a beta of 0.80. Get Amcor alerts: Amcor (NYSE:AMCR Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 31st. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $3.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.35 billion. Amcor had a net margin of 6.72% and a return on equity of 24.92%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Amcor will post 0.69 earnings per share for the current year. Amcor Increases Dividend Hedge Funds Weigh In On Amcor The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 21st. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.27%. This is an increase from Amcors previous quarterly dividend of $0.12. Amcors payout ratio is presently 75.76%. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its holdings in shares of Amcor by 1.8% during the third quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 48,176 shares of the companys stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 857 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in Amcor by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 247,092 shares of the companys stock worth $2,466,000 after buying an additional 1,062 shares during the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Amcor by 5.7% during the second quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,704 shares of the companys stock worth $197,000 after buying an additional 1,064 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its stake in Amcor by 3.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 36,155 shares of the companys stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 1,093 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Amcor by 4.5% in the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 25,609 shares of the companys stock valued at $256,000 after acquiring an additional 1,098 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.52% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have recently weighed in on AMCR shares. Truist Financial cut their price objective on Amcor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. TheStreet lowered Amcor from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Amcor presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $10.40. Read Our Latest Analysis on AMCR About Amcor (Get Free Report) Amcor plc develops, produces, and sells packaging products in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions. The company operates through two segments, Flexibles and Rigid Packaging. The Flexibles segment provides flexible and film packaging products in the food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, fresh produce, snack food, personal care, and other industries. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Amcor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amcor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 66,550,000 shares, a decline of 6.2% from the October 31st total of 70,960,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 44,890,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.5 days. Currently, 0.8% of the companys stock are sold short. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth BAC has been the subject of several analyst reports. 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. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Bank of America from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, November 16th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Bank of America from $28.00 to $27.50 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 15th. HSBC started coverage on Bank of America in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. They issued a buy rating and a $35.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Bank of America from $31.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $35.43. Get Bank of America alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Bank of America Insider Activity Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank of America In related news, major shareholder Of America Corp /De/ Bank sold 17,769 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.94, for a total value of $176,623.86. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BAC. Roundview Capital LLC boosted its stake in Bank of America by 1.5% in the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 135,764 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,596,000 after purchasing an additional 2,013 shares in the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P lifted its position in Bank of America by 150.3% during the 1st quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 1,985 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 1,192 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Bank of America by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 405,098 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $16,698,000 after acquiring an additional 16,319 shares during the last quarter. First Western Trust Bank acquired a new stake in Bank of America in the 1st quarter valued at about $586,000. Finally, Pearl River Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America in the first quarter worth about $534,000. 68.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Bank of America Price Performance NYSE:BAC traded down $0.14 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $30.82. The companys stock had a trading volume of 37,804,529 shares, compared to its average volume of 48,660,281. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $27.75 and a 200-day moving average of $28.78. The company has a market capitalization of $243.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.40. Bank of America has a fifty-two week low of $24.96 and a fifty-two week high of $37.00. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $25.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.13 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.81 EPS. Bank of Americas revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Bank of America will post 3.43 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 1st will be issued a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.11%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 30th. Bank of Americas payout ratio is 26.89%. About Bank of America (Get 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 24,320,000 shares, an increase of 9.7% from the October 31st total of 22,170,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,390,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Citizens Financial Group Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of CFG. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 60,391,319 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,575,006,000 after purchasing an additional 2,799,127 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Citizens Financial Group by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,577,041 shares of the banks stock valued at $776,775,000 after acquiring an additional 241,869 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 76.0% during the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 19,002,482 shares of the banks stock valued at $861,383,000 after purchasing an additional 8,203,831 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 18.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 18,297,989 shares of the banks stock worth $720,392,000 after purchasing an additional 2,785,751 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 58.7% in the second quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 16,058,342 shares of the banks stock worth $418,802,000 after purchasing an additional 5,939,590 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.67% of the companys stock. Get Citizens Financial Group alerts: Citizens Financial Group Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of NYSE:CFG traded up $0.13 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $28.65. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,344,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,550,910. Citizens Financial Group has a 12-month low of $22.77 and a 12-month high of $44.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.10 and a beta of 1.41. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $25.81 and a 200-day moving average of $27.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Citizens Financial Group Announces Dividend Citizens Financial Group ( NYSE:CFG Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 18th. The bank reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by ($0.06). Citizens Financial Group had a net margin of 17.61% and a return on equity of 9.60%. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.30 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Citizens Financial Group will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 1st were paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 31st. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.86%. Citizens Financial Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 41.79%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In CFG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup reissued a neutral rating and set a $33.00 target price on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a research report on Tuesday, September 19th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a research report on Friday, September 8th. Piper Sandler lowered Citizens Financial Group from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $29.00 to $26.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Citizens Financial Group from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $31.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Monday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $33.79. Read Our Latest Research Report on CFG Citizens Financial Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Citizens Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Citizens Bank, National Association that provides retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, corporations, and institutions in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Citizens Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Citizens Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Computer Modelling Group Ltd. (TSE:CMG Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, December 6th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Friday, December 15th will be given a dividend of 0.05 per share on Friday, December 15th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 6th. Computer Modelling Group Stock Performance TSE CMG opened at C$10.25 on Tuesday. Computer Modelling Group has a 52-week low of C$5.51 and a 52-week high of C$10.76. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of C$9.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$8.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.85, a quick ratio of 2.25 and a current ratio of 1.51. The company has a market capitalization of C$829.53 million, a PE ratio of 34.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.14. Get Computer Modelling Group alerts: Computer Modelling Group (TSE:CMG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 13th. The company reported C$0.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$22.63 million during the quarter. Computer Modelling Group had a net margin of 30.10% and a return on equity of 46.60%. On average, research analysts predict that Computer Modelling Group will post 0.3351974 EPS for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have weighed in on CMG shares. Industrial Alliance Securities set a C$9.50 target price on shares of Computer Modelling Group and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Computer Modelling Group from C$9.00 to C$8.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 20th. Echelon Wealth Partners reiterated a buy rating on shares of Computer Modelling Group in a research report on Tuesday, November 14th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Computer Modelling Group from C$10.00 to C$11.50 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 14th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on shares of Computer Modelling Group from C$10.00 to C$10.50 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have given 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 target price of C$9.75. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Computer Modelling Group Insider Buying and Selling at Computer Modelling Group In other Computer Modelling Group news, Senior Officer Robert David Hicks sold 10,000 shares of Computer Modelling Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$10.20, for a total transaction of C$102,000.00. In other Computer Modelling Group news, Senior Officer Long X. Nghiem sold 16,200 shares of Computer Modelling Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$10.06, for a total transaction of C$162,972.00. Also, Senior Officer Robert David Hicks sold 10,000 shares of Computer Modelling Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$10.20, for a total transaction of C$102,000.00. Insiders sold a total of 79,500 shares of company stock worth $798,596 over the last three months. 1.64% of the stock is owned by insiders. Computer Modelling Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Computer Modelling Group Ltd., a computer software technology company, engages in the development and licensing of reservoir simulation software and related services in Canada and internationally. The company offers CMOST-AI, an intelligent optimization and analysis tool that offers solution for reservoir by combining advanced statistical analysis, machine learning, and non-biased data interpretation; IMEX, a black oil simulator that is used to model primary and secondary oil recovery processes in conventional and unconventional reservoirs; and GEM, an equation-of-state reservoir simulator for compositional, chemical, and unconventional reservoir modelling. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Computer Modelling Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Computer Modelling Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (NYSE:CTOS Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,530,000 shares, an increase of 9.3% from the October 31st total of 1,400,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 487,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.1 days. Currently, 2.5% of the companys stock are short sold. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director Marshall Heinberg purchased 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $4.79 per share, with a total value of $71,850.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 220,304 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,055,256.16. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Ecp Controlco, Llc sold 41,140 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.51, for a total transaction of $267,821.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Marshall Heinberg bought 15,000 shares of Custom Truck One Source stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $4.79 per share, with a total value of $71,850.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 220,304 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,055,256.16. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 5.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Get Custom Truck One Source alerts: Institutional Trading of Custom Truck One Source Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Custom Truck One Source by 117.8% during the third quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 4,959 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 2,682 shares during the period. Register Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Custom Truck One Source by 66.7% in the third quarter. Register Financial Advisors LLC now owns 5,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale bought a new stake in Custom Truck One Source during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Custom Truck One Source by 214.1% during the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 3,666 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 2,499 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in shares of Custom Truck One Source by 107.6% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,480 shares of the companys stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 3,877 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.92% of the companys stock. Custom Truck One Source Stock Performance Shares of NYSE CTOS traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $6.06. The stock had a trading volume of 450,709 shares, compared to its average volume of 351,766. Custom Truck One Source has a twelve month low of $4.41 and a twelve month high of $7.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The businesss fifty day moving average is $5.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.39. The company has a market cap of $1.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.43 and a beta of 0.62. Custom Truck One Source (NYSE:CTOS Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 7th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.05 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $434.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $418.05 million. Custom Truck One Source had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 7.82%. Custom Truck One Sources revenue was up 21.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.01) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Custom Truck One Source will post 0.25 EPS for the current year. Analyst Ratings Changes CTOS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Custom Truck One Source from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Custom Truck One Source from $9.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on Custom Truck One Source from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Custom Truck One Source from $7.50 to $7.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $9.20. Get Our Latest Analysis on CTOS About Custom Truck One Source (Get Free Report) Custom Truck One Source, Inc provides specialty equipment rental services to the electric utility transmission and distribution, telecommunications, rail, forestry, waste management, and other infrastructure-related industries in North America. The company operates through three segments: Equipment Rental Solutions, Truck and Equipment Sales, and Aftermarket Parts and Services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Custom Truck One Source Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Custom Truck One Source and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,920,000 shares, a growth of 7.4% from the October 31st total of 5,510,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,860,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.2 days. Currently, 1.6% of the companys shares are short sold. Analyst Ratings Changes EQR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Mizuho dropped their target price on Equity Residential from $68.00 to $62.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 26th. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on Equity Residential from $70.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Monday, October 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Equity Residential from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $62.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Tuesday, September 5th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Equity Residential in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Equity Residential from $68.00 to $65.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $65.68. Get Equity Residential alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Equity Residential Equity Residential Price Performance Equity Residential Dividend Announcement EQR traded up $0.15 during trading on Monday, reaching $58.69. The stock had a trading volume of 2,184,567 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,933,225. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Equity Residential has a 1-year low of $52.57 and a 1-year high of $69.45. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $56.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.89. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 26th were issued a $0.6625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 25th. This represents a $2.65 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.52%. Equity Residentials dividend payout ratio is currently 147.22%. Insider Activity at Equity Residential In other Equity Residential news, Chairman David J. Neithercut sold 25,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.25, for a total transaction of $1,356,250.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 3,392 shares in the company, valued at $184,016. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.69% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Equity Residential by 593.9% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. now owns 458 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Equity Residential by 220.0% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 400 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. Money Concepts Capital Corp acquired a new stake in Equity Residential during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Equity Residential by 229.8% during the 1st quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 554 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in Equity Residential by 207.7% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 600 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.79% of the companys stock. Equity Residential Company Profile (Get Free Report) Equity Residential is committed to creating communities where people thrive. The Company, a member of the S&P 500, is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around dynamic cities that attract affluent long-term renters. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 305 properties consisting of 80,683 apartment units, with an established presence in Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California, and an expanding presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Equity Residential Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equity Residential and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Monday. A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on EXR. Citigroup dropped their price target on Extra Space Storage from $160.00 to $135.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 13th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Extra Space Storage from $145.00 to $115.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 21st. TheStreet downgraded shares of Extra Space Storage from a b- rating to a c rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Extra Space Storage from $185.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of Extra Space Storage from $147.00 to $145.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Extra Space Storage has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $142.64. Get Extra Space Storage alerts: Read Our Latest Report on EXR Extra Space Storage Stock Up 2.0 % Insiders Place Their Bets Shares of NYSE EXR traded up $2.75 during trading on Monday, hitting $137.12. 1,226,010 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,473,034. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.21, a P/E/G ratio of 13.78 and a beta of 0.71. The businesss fifty day moving average is $118.57 and its 200 day moving average is $131.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.50. Extra Space Storage has a fifty-two week low of $101.19 and a fifty-two week high of $170.30. In other news, Director Joseph J. Bonner sold 956 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.64, for a total value of $120,111.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,504 shares of the companys stock, valued at $565,882.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Joseph J. Bonner sold 956 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.64, for a total transaction of $120,111.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 4,504 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $565,882.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Joseph D. Margolis purchased 4,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $118.21 per share, for a total transaction of $496,482.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 31,301 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,700,091.21. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Extra Space Storage Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 5.6% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its holdings in Extra Space Storage by 16.5% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 1,502 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC bought a new position in Extra Space Storage during the first quarter worth about $625,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its stake in shares of Extra Space Storage by 8.2% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 2,522 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $519,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dakota Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Extra Space Storage in the first quarter worth about $332,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.40% of the companys stock. Extra Space Storage Company Profile (Get Free Report) Extra Space Storage Inc, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of September 30, 2023, the Company owned and/or operated 3,651 self-storage stores in 42 states and Washington, DC The Company's stores comprise approximately 2.5 million units and approximately 279.0 million square feet of rentable space operating under the Extra Space, Life Storage and Storage Express brands. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Extra Space Storage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Extra Space Storage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Luxury Lungs, a vape and smoke shop at 397 Connecticut St., was busted for selling cannabis last week as part of a sweep of enforcement action that netted more than $7 million in seized cannabis products last month. But it hardly makes a dent in the thousands of shops selling unlicensed cannabis in the state. Last month, the Office of Cannabis Management and the Department of Taxation and Finance inspected 71 shops suspected of selling unlicensed cannabis. It seized 812 pounds of cannabis flower, 701 pounds of edibles and 61 pounds of concentrate. That brings the total number of inspections to 350 so far, with 88 shops being reinspected, which brings the possibility of more severe penalties. Thats a small portion of the thousands of illegal shops that operate in the state. One estimate, by cannabis attorney Paula Collins, puts the number at more than 36,000. By contrast, 27 legal adult-use cannabis dispensaries operate in the state the rollout of which has been halted twice by lawsuits. All legal dispensaries have a state-issued Dispensary Verification Tool sticker near their main entrance. Luxury Lungs was still operating Tuesday, but it was unclear whether the shop was selling cannabis products. The state had slapped a notice in its window announcing that it had been ordered to stop illegal activity. Illicit cannabis seized, the notice read. Pursuant to New York State cannabis law and regulations, illicit cannabis has been seized and this location must immediately cease the sale of unapproved and unauthorized cannabis products. The notice urges anyone who suspects the business of illegal activity to report it to the Office of Cannabis Management. Fines start at $10,000 and go as high as $20,000 per day. If the window notice is removed, thats an additional $5,000 fine. And the business may be subject to additional fines and penalties under the tax law. Businesses that repeatedly violate can be padlocked. So far, the inspections have yielded more than 11,000 pounds of seized cannabis, valued at more than $54 million. Most of the efforts to crack down on unlicensed cannabis shops have been focused in New York City. Luxury Lungs is one of the few in the City of Buffalo to be caught up in the states sweeps. But the state said it is making headway on enforcement actions, winning a court case under a new cannabis law that sets a precedent allowing the state to seek longer term closures for illegal cannabis businesses. The case, against a Wayne County business, resulted in a permanent injunction and one-year permanent closing order against the business, keeping the business padlocked. It also won temporary padlocking of the Jaydega business in Canandaigua, and is in the process of seeking permanent injunction and closure in Ontario County Supreme Court. As we look ahead to this next chapter in New Yorks cannabis market, we continue to prioritize safety across the state by working diligently to shut down illegal operators, said Chris Alexander, executive director of the state Office of Cannabis Management, in a statement. The number one remedy for the problem of these illicit shops is getting more legal businesses open. The Office of Cannabis Management said it is working with all levels of government to stop illegal cannabis sales. On Thursday, the OCM and the Office of the Attorney General will host a webinar for municipalities on how to shut down unlicensed operators. Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,560,000 shares, a decrease of 12.4% from the October 31st total of 1,780,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 603,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.6 days. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades FRT has been the topic of several research reports. Raymond James downgraded Federal Realty Investment Trust from a strong-buy rating to an outperform rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $115.00 to $104.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 5th. Evercore ISI raised Federal Realty Investment Trust from an in-line rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the company from $104.00 to $108.00 in a research report on Monday, November 27th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Federal Realty Investment Trust in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Mizuho dropped their target price on Federal Realty Investment Trust from $101.00 to $98.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Federal Realty Investment Trust from $103.00 to $97.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 13th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Federal Realty Investment Trust currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.75. Get Federal Realty Investment Trust alerts: Read Our Latest Report on Federal Realty Investment Trust Insider Buying and Selling at Federal Realty Investment Trust Institutional Trading of Federal Realty Investment Trust In other Federal Realty Investment Trust news, COO Jeffrey S. Berkes sold 4,870 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.86, for a total transaction of $461,968.20. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 65,470 shares in the company, valued at $6,210,484.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Company insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FRT. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Federal Realty Investment Trust by 57.7% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 421 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in Federal Realty Investment Trust by 237.0% in the first quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 337 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in Federal Realty Investment Trust in the first quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Federal Realty Investment Trust in the second quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in Federal Realty Investment Trust in the first quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.92% of the companys stock. Federal Realty Investment Trust Stock Performance FRT traded up $1.99 on Monday, reaching $99.90. 662,410 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 577,385. The companys 50-day moving average price is $90.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $94.62. Federal Realty Investment Trust has a fifty-two week low of $85.27 and a fifty-two week high of $115.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.14 billion, a PE ratio of 28.46, a PEG ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.22. Federal Realty Investment Trust Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.09 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 29th. This represents a $4.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.36%. Federal Realty Investment Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently 126.74%. Federal Realty Investment Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Federal Realty is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail-based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from Washington, DC to Boston as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles. Founded in 1962, Federal Realty's mission is to deliver long-term, sustainable growth through investing in communities where retail demand exceeds supply. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Federal Realty Investment Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Federal Realty Investment Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,000,000 shares, a decline of 5.8% from the October 31st total of 12,740,000 shares. Currently, 2.1% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 4,570,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.6 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On General Mills Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its position in shares of General Mills by 50.4% during the second quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 41,032 shares of the companys stock worth $3,147,000 after buying an additional 13,745 shares during the period. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in General Mills by 4.9% during the first quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. now owns 6,858 shares of the companys stock worth $586,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. boosted its stake in General Mills by 3.3% during the second quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 13,306 shares of the companys stock worth $1,021,000 after acquiring an additional 421 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its stake in General Mills by 5.5% during the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 74,965 shares of the companys stock worth $5,750,000 after acquiring an additional 3,907 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its stake in General Mills by 0.3% during the second quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 182,324 shares of the companys stock worth $13,984,000 after acquiring an additional 510 shares in the last quarter. 75.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get General Mills alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on GIS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of General Mills from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of General Mills in a research report on Wednesday, September 13th. They set a market perform rating and a $70.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of General Mills from $80.00 to $70.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of General Mills from $82.00 to $72.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of General Mills from $71.00 to $69.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $74.94. General Mills Stock Performance GIS traded up $0.82 on Monday, reaching $64.95. The company had a trading volume of 3,275,080 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,791,262. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a current ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $37.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.25. General Mills has a fifty-two week low of $60.33 and a fifty-two week high of $90.89. The companys fifty day moving average is $64.18 and its 200 day moving average is $71.11. General Mills (NYSE:GIS Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 20th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.88 billion. General Mills had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 24.39%. The firms revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.11 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that General Mills will post 4.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. General Mills Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 10th will be given a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 9th. General Millss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 57.56%. General Mills Company Profile (Get Free Report) General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, nutrition bars, and savory snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for General Mills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Mills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,180,000 shares, a decline of 8.8% from the October 31st total of 5,680,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,170,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days. Approximately 6.3% of the shares of the company are short sold. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently weighed in on GTN. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Gray Television in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a sell rating for the company. Stephens reaffirmed an equal weight rating and set a $12.00 price objective on shares of Gray Television in a report on Monday, August 7th. Barrington Research reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $12.00 target price on shares of Gray Television in a research note on Thursday, August 10th. Guggenheim dropped their price target on shares of Gray Television from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 8th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and issued a $19.00 price objective on shares of Gray Television in a research note on Monday, August 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $12.60. Get Gray Television alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on GTN Gray Television Price Performance Shares of GTN traded up $0.03 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $8.23. The stock had a trading volume of 752,905 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,036,353. The companys 50-day moving average is $6.99 and its 200 day moving average is $7.68. Gray Television has a 12-month low of $5.97 and a 12-month high of $14.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.08. The company has a market capitalization of $785.16 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.23 and a beta of 1.70. Gray Television (NYSE:GTN Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 8th. The company reported ($0.57) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.31) by ($0.26). The firm had revenue of $803.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $798.46 million. Gray Television had a return on equity of 5.78% and a net margin of 3.41%. Gray Televisions revenue for the quarter was down 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.03 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Gray Television will post -0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. Gray Television Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Investors of record on Friday, December 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 14th. Gray Televisions dividend payout ratio is presently 43.84%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gray Television Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Gray Television by 26.6% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 67,651 shares of the companys stock valued at $468,000 after acquiring an additional 14,219 shares during the period. Comerica Bank purchased a new stake in Gray Television in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $68,000. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in Gray Television by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 75,794 shares of the companys stock worth $524,000 after buying an additional 3,527 shares during the period. Darsana Capital Partners LP lifted its holdings in Gray Television by 336.8% in the 3rd quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP now owns 4,000,441 shares of the companys stock worth $27,683,000 after buying an additional 3,084,578 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Gray Television by 16.0% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,092,238 shares of the companys stock worth $7,558,000 after buying an additional 150,964 shares during the period. 77.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Gray Television Company Profile (Get Free Report) Gray Television, Inc, a television broadcasting company, owns and/or operates television stations and digital assets in the United States. It also broadcasts secondary digital channels affiliated to ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, as well as various other networks and program services, including CW Plus Network, MY Network, the MeTV Network, Circle, Antenna TV, Telemundo, and Cozi; and local news/weather channels in various markets. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Gray Television Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gray Television and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HF Sinclair Co. (NYSE:DINO Get Free Report) EVP Vaishali S. Bhatia sold 18,465 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.24, for a total transaction of $1,001,541.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 51,924 shares in the company, valued at $2,816,357.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. HF Sinclair Price Performance NYSE:DINO traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $54.35. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,109,479 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,257,962. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The company has a market capitalization of $9.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.70, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.32. HF Sinclair Co. has a twelve month low of $37.12 and a twelve month high of $62.20. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $54.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.00. Get HF Sinclair alerts: HF Sinclair (NYSE:DINO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 2nd. The company reported $4.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.65 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $8.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.18 billion. HF Sinclair had a net margin of 6.73% and a return on equity of 21.92%. On average, analysts anticipate that HF Sinclair Co. will post 10.02 EPS for the current fiscal year. HF Sinclair Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 15th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.31%. HF Sinclairs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.57%. A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of HF Sinclair from $68.00 to $67.00 in a research report on Monday, October 9th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on HF Sinclair in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set an outperform rating and a $65.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America lifted their price objective on HF Sinclair from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, September 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on HF Sinclair from $62.00 to $61.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on HF Sinclair from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, HF Sinclair currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $62.09. Read Our Latest Analysis on HF Sinclair Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in HF Sinclair by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 15,396,848 shares of the companys stock worth $686,853,000 after buying an additional 357,510 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of HF Sinclair by 4.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,799,193 shares of the companys stock worth $796,789,000 after purchasing an additional 571,178 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of HF Sinclair by 8.7% in the second quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 13,584,421 shares of the companys stock worth $606,001,000 after purchasing an additional 1,088,227 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp bought a new stake in shares of HF Sinclair in the first quarter worth $308,240,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in HF Sinclair by 2.5% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,155,341 shares of the companys stock valued at $229,976,000 after purchasing an additional 126,016 shares during the period. 89.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. HF Sinclair Company Profile (Get Free Report) HF Sinclair Corporation operates as an independent energy company. It produces and markets gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, renewable diesel, specialty lubricant products, specialty chemicals, specialty and modified asphalt, and others. The company also owns and operates refineries located in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; and markets its refined products principally in the Southwest United States and Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and in other neighboring Plains states. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for HF Sinclair Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HF Sinclair and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hippo Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HIPO Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest during the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,040,000 shares, a decrease of 6.3% from the October 31st total of 1,110,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 121,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 8.5 days. Approximately 8.0% of the companys stock are sold short. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have recently commented on HIPO. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Hippo from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Hippo from $19.00 to $16.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. JMP Securities dropped their price target on shares of Hippo from $50.00 to $25.00 and set a market outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 13th. Finally, William Blair assumed coverage on shares of Hippo in a report on Friday, August 11th. They issued a market perform rating for the company. Get Hippo alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Hippo Hippo Stock Performance Hippo stock traded up $0.21 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $9.13. The companys stock had a trading volume of 101,495 shares, compared to its average volume of 101,563. Hippo has a 12-month low of $6.64 and a 12-month high of $20.39. The company has a market capitalization of $218.12 million, a P/E ratio of -0.72 and a beta of 1.20. The firms fifty day moving average price is $8.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.97. Hippo (NYSE:HIPO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 2nd. The company reported ($2.24) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($2.66) by $0.42. Hippo had a negative net margin of 162.32% and a negative return on equity of 58.91%. The business had revenue of $57.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $56.80 million. On average, research analysts predict that Hippo will post -11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Hippo by 10.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 105,944 shares of the companys stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 9,991 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. grew its position in Hippo by 1,031.2% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 58,390 shares of the companys stock worth $116,000 after buying an additional 53,228 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Hippo by 135.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,042,378 shares of the companys stock worth $29,934,000 after buying an additional 8,655,415 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in Hippo during the first quarter worth about $133,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Hippo by 4.0% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,877,537 shares of the companys stock worth $3,737,000 after buying an additional 72,492 shares in the last quarter. 30.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Hippo Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hippo Holdings Inc provides home protection insurance in the United States and the District of Columbia. Its insurance products include homeowners' insurance against risks of fire, wind, and theft; and personal and commercial insurance products. The company distributes insurance products and services through its technology platform; and offers its policies online, over the phone, or through licensed insurance agents. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hippo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hippo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report) Director Carolyn Schwab-Pomerantz sold 12,208 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.28, for a total value of $748,106.24. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,722,400 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $105,548,672. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Charles Schwab Stock Down 0.8 % Shares of SCHW traded down $0.53 during trading on Monday, reaching $62.63. The companys stock had a trading volume of 11,689,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,259,794. The company has a fifty day moving average of $54.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $56.98. The Charles Schwab Co. has a twelve month low of $45.00 and a twelve month high of $86.63. The company has a market cap of $110.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.02. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 24.58% and a net margin of 30.14%. The company had revenue of $4.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.10 EPS. Charles Schwabs quarterly revenue was down 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.16 EPS for the current fiscal year. Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles Schwab The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 9th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.60%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.33%. A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in SCHW. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich increased its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 93,993.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 965,692,348 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $54,735,442,000 after acquiring an additional 964,666,040 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,325,555,000. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 62.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,255,649 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,853,005,000 after acquiring an additional 8,563,389 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 26.3% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 29,775,952 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,634,700,000 after acquiring an additional 6,195,934 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 91,051.8% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,365,193 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $446,706,000 after acquiring an additional 5,359,307 shares during the last quarter. 81.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have recently issued reports on SCHW shares. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $75.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 9th. StockNews.com started coverage on Charles Schwab in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a sell rating for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $64.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Charles Schwab from $92.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Charles Schwab from $66.00 to $62.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $68.85. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on SCHW About Charles Schwab (Get 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V Get Free Report) CEO Ryan Mcinerney sold 8,150 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.79, for a total value of $2,084,688.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 29,152 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,456,790.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Ryan Mcinerney also recently made the following trade(s): Get Visa alerts: On Monday, October 16th, Ryan Mcinerney sold 8,150 shares of Visa stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $1,956,000.00. Visa Price Performance V traded down $2.06 during trading on Monday, reaching $254.39. 5,247,182 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,000,063. The companys 50-day moving average is $241.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $238.00. The company has a market cap of $466.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Visa Inc. has a 12-month low of $202.13 and a 12-month high of $257.39. Visa Increases Dividend Visa ( NYSE:V Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 24th. The credit-card processor reported $2.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $8.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.56 billion. Visa had a return on equity of 50.13% and a net margin of 52.90%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Visa Inc. will post 9.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 9th were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This is a boost from Visas previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 8th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. Visas dividend payout ratio is 25.09%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on V shares. Mizuho upped their price target on Visa from $240.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, October 31st. KeyCorp upped their price target on Visa from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 18th. Raymond James upped their price objective on Visa from $284.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. UBS Group started coverage on Visa in a research note on Friday, October 20th. They issued a buy rating and a $295.00 price objective for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Visa from $296.00 to $293.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $275.67. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Visa Institutional Trading of Visa A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in V. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Visa in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd bought a new position in shares of Visa during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. West Tower Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Visa during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Visa during the 1st quarter valued at about $299,862,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC increased its position in shares of Visa by 545.5% during the 3rd quarter. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC now owns 142 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.35% of the companys stock. Visa Company Profile (Get Free Report) Visa Inc operates as a payments technology company in the United States and internationally. 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 person-to-person digital payments apps; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral business-to-business cross-border payments network; Visa Cross-Border Solutions, 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Visa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Visa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (BATS:MTUM Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $149.37 and last traded at $148.84, with a volume of 529066 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $150.51. iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Price Performance The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $143.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $143.15. The company has a market cap of $9.26 billion, a PE ratio of 19.35 and a beta of 0.91. Get iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MTUM. Syntal Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 23.6% in the first quarter. Syntal Capital Partners LLC now owns 31,899 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,367,000 after buying an additional 6,090 shares in the last quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 63.5% during the first quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the companys stock worth $201,000 after purchasing an additional 463 shares in the last quarter. Eudaimonia Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF during the first quarter worth about $689,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF during the first quarter worth about $329,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 1,202.4% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 534 shares of the companys stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 493 shares in the last quarter. iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap US equities, selected and weighted based on price appreciation over 6- and 12-month periods and low volatility over the past 3 years. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund (NYSE:JRS Get Free Report) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 23,600 shares, a decrease of 9.6% from the October 31st total of 26,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 89,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days. Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund Stock Up 1.0 % Shares of Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund stock traded up $0.07 on Monday, hitting $7.40. 114,333 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 82,330. Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund has a one year low of $5.95 and a one year high of $9.08. The company has a fifty day moving average of $6.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $7.04. Get Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund alerts: Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Investors of record on Friday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.19%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 14th. Institutional Trading of Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund About Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JRS. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund during the first quarter valued at approximately $359,000. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund by 10.0% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 21,910 shares of the companys stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund by 23.8% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 44,602 shares of the companys stock valued at $527,000 after purchasing an additional 8,573 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its position in shares of Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund by 43.6% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 14,884 shares of the companys stock valued at $176,000 after purchasing an additional 4,522 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC raised its stake in shares of Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund by 12.4% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 28,184 shares of the companys stock worth $333,000 after purchasing an additional 3,101 shares during the period. (Get Free Report) Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments Inc The fund is managed by Security Capital Research & Management Incorporated. It invests in the public equity markets of the United States. The fund makes its investments in stocks of companies operating in the real-estate sector. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Real Estate Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ryde Group Ltd. (RYDE) is planning to raise $10 million in an initial public offering (IPO) on Friday, December 8th, IPO Scoop reports. The company plans to issue 2,300,000 shares at a price of $4.00-$5.00 per share. In the last 12 months, Ryde Group Ltd. generated $6.6 million in revenue and had a net loss of $3.7 million. Ryde Group Ltd. has a market cap of $82.9 million. Maxim Group served as the underwriter for the IPO. Ryde Group Ltd. provided the following description of their company for its IPO: We are a Singapore-based ride-hailing app. (Incorporated in the Cayman Islands) Our vision is to become a asSuper mobility appat where multiple mobility tools can be accessed and function seamlessly out of a single app, offering ultimate convenience and reliability for our customers. We currently operate in Singapore, with our core businesses in the following segments: (i) mobility, where we provide on-demand and scheduled carpooling and ride-hailing services, matching riders to our driver partners; and (ii) quick commerce, where we provide on-demand, scheduled, and multi-stop parcel delivery services. Our mobility business segment includes carpooling and ride-hailing. Carpooling refers to services that connect riders with driver partners who provide rides in a variety of vehicles, such as cars of different seating capacities. Carpooling is about sharing rides and is provided via our RydePOOL service in our mobile app. We launched carpooling through our RydePOOL service in Singapore. RydePOOL allows real-time, on-demand bookings as well as advance bookings via our Schedule Pickup function, and only allows seating capacity for one rider per request, while riders may have to share their ride with other riders. Ride-hailing refers to services that connect riders with private-hire or taxi drivers, with the rider having the option to choose the type of ride from a variety of vehicles, such as cars of different seating capacities and make. We started off with only carpooling services, but ride-hailing services was a natural adjacency for us as we have the technology and the platform to enable it. Our ride-hailing services allow riders to determine the number of seats they require for the trip, and offers real-time, on-demand bookings as well as advance bookings and multi-stop options. We started to grow our offerings in this space and currently have the following different service offerings: RydeX, RydeXL, RydeLUXE, RydeFLASH, RydePET, RydeHIRE, and RydeTAXI services. Quick Commerce is a package delivery booking service, which enables driver partners to accept bookings for package delivery services through our driver partner app. Our partners that fulfill deliveries range from driver partners, to motorcyclists and walkers as well. Consumers can arrange for instant deliveries and cater for different package sizes. E-commerce businesses, Food and Beverage businesses and social sellers can utilise our last mile delivery services to their customers as an option as well. We provide our quick commerce service through our RydeSEND offering, which comprises of real-time on-demand, scheduled, and multi-stop parcel delivery services. Acquisition of Meili On February 20, 2023, we completed the purchase of Meili Technologies Pte. Ltd. (asMeiliat), a last-mile on-demand logistics service provider in Singapore, where we purchased the entire issued and paid-up share capital of Meili for a purchase consideration of S$450,000 which shall be satisfied through the issuance of exchangeable notes to the shareholders of Meili in an amount equal to the proportion of the purchase consideration (asMeili Acquisitionat). The Meili Acquisition enables us to expand our business into the quick commerce industry, thereby increasing our revenue streams, acquire a new consumer and driver partneras base as well as improve our operational efficiency. By leveraging on the existing technology and operational infrastructure of Meili, our operational costs have reduced. We believe that the Meili Acquisition helps us to stay competitive in the quick commerce market and potentially grow our business.A *Note: Revenue and net loss are in U.S. dollars for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022. (Ryde Group Ltd. disclosed terms for its IPO in an F-1/A filing dated Oct. 2, 2023: 2.25 million Class A ordinary shares at a price range of $4.00 to $5.00 to raise $10.13 million. Background: Ryde Group Ltd. filed its F-1 on Aug. 31, 2023, without disclosing terms for its IPO. The company submitted confidential IPO documents to the SEC in May 2023.) . Ryde Group Ltd. was founded in 2014 and has 38 employees. The company is located at Duo Tower, 3 Fraser Street, #08-21 Singapore 189352 +65-9665-3216 and can be reached via phone at +65-9665-3216 or on the web at http://www.rydesharing.com/. Receive News & Ratings for Ryde Group Ltd. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ryde Group Ltd. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WASHINGTON A federal gun-trafficking law enacted after the Buffalo mass shooting at a Tops supermarket on May 14, 2022, has already resulted in 207 arrests nationwide as of Oct. 31, including one in Western New York. Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, a New York Democrat who had pushed for the law, announced those findings Tuesday in a report on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that was passed in reaction to the racist Tops shooting that killed 10 Black people and a school shooting 10 days later in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two adults. She also noted that the law resulted in the seizure of more than 1,300 guns, including more than 120 in New York State. While rogue gun dealers could be arrested under other federal statutes, gun trafficking itself was not a federal crime until passage of that law. These are extraordinary results for a law thats only been in use for less than a year and a half, and Im eager to see the enormous impact I know it will have in the years ahead, Gillibrand told reporters on a conference call. Gillibrands report said that the law resulted in the arrest of Christian Arroyo Collazo, 27, of New Castle, Pa., in September. Federal agents accuse him of illegally selling guns in the Jamestown area, often via Facebook Messenger. It appears Arroyo Collazo has sold or transferred and attempted to sell or transfer several firearms to Jamestown-based drug traffickers and New York residents, including some who have criminal convictions, Christopher M. Szmania, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force officer, said in court papers. Szmanias affidavit includes photos of about 20 weapons that Arroyo Collazo is suspected of selling or attempting to sell in Western New York. Most are handguns, but several are semiautomatic long guns. At least two individuals have since been arrested while possessing guns that Arroyo Collazo sold them, the affidavit stated. Arroyo Collazo has been charged in federal court in Buffalo with selling firearms without a license, unlawful shipment and transportation of firearms, as well as firearms trafficking. Gillibrands office said thats just one of many arrests in connection with the federal gun-trafficking law that the senator had been pushing for more than a decade and that was finally enacted last year. Three arrests have been made in New York City as a result of the law, Gillibrands report said. And Texas led the nation in arrests under the law, with eight. This is a giant step forward in the fight to end gun violence, and this new statute will be critical in helping to get more of these guns off our streets, Gillibrand said. Gillibrands report also touted a measure that she got included in the gun safety legislation that expands federal funding for mental health programs. The report notes that more than $2 million of that money will go to the Buffalo area, including $1 million that will go to the University at Buffalo to train more than 200 primary care physicians to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Other local organizations that have won grants under the federal effort include Compeer West of Buffalo, Mid-Erie Mental Health Services of Cheektowaga and the Niagara Falls City School District. But the main focus of Gillibrands report was on her provision in the law that made gun trafficking a federal crime. Of the 1,300 guns confiscated nationwide under arrests connected with that provision, at least 190 were quick-shooting, high-capacity firearms similar to those often used in mass shootings, Gillibrands office said. Gillibrand started pushing the federal gun-trafficking measure after the shooting death of Nyasia Pryear-Yard, a 17-year-old honor student from Brooklyn who was killed by a stray bullet in 2009. For a decade, I worked with Senator Gillibrand to pass this bill, and Im proud to have played a part in passing this law, which is stopping illegal guns from entering our communities in the first place, said Jennifer Pryear, the mother of Nyasia Pryear-Yard. Bancolombia S.A. (NYSE:CIB Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 707,800 shares, a drop of 6.1% from the October 31st total of 753,500 shares. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 246,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.9 days. Bancolombia Stock Down 1.0 % CIB stock traded down $0.27 during trading on Monday, reaching $28.00. 184,722 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 305,541. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $26.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.97. Bancolombia has a 52-week low of $21.55 and a 52-week high of $30.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.02. Get Bancolombia alerts: Bancolombia (NYSE:CIB Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 8th. The bank reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.57 billion. Bancolombia had a return on equity of 18.16% and a net margin of 14.35%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Bancolombia will post 5.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have weighed in on CIB shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Bancolombia from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and set a $30.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, August 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Bancolombia from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $35.00 to $31.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 20th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Bancolombia in a research report on Monday, October 16th. They issued a hold rating and a $28.60 price objective for the company. Finally, Itau BBA Securities downgraded Bancolombia from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $33.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, August 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Bancolombia currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $30.65. View Our Latest Stock Report on Bancolombia Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Bancolombia by 2.2% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,993,245 shares of the banks stock worth $97,315,000 after purchasing an additional 84,456 shares in the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bancolombia by 14.2% in the third quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 2,515,052 shares of the banks stock worth $67,102,000 after acquiring an additional 312,502 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Bancolombia by 25.1% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,227,183 shares of the banks stock worth $95,011,000 after acquiring an additional 446,778 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bancolombia by 27.0% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,354,902 shares of the banks stock worth $36,149,000 after acquiring an additional 287,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its stake in shares of Bancolombia by 26.4% in the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,306,639 shares of the banks stock worth $34,861,000 after acquiring an additional 272,651 shares in the last quarter. Bancolombia Company Profile (Get Free Report) Bancolombia SA provides banking products and services in Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Bermuda, and Guatemala. The company operates through nine segments: Banking Colombia, Banking Panama, Banking El Salvador, Banking Guatemala, Trust, Investment Banking, Brokerage, International Banking, and All Other. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Bancolombia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bancolombia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chevron Co. (NYSE:CVX Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 25,460,000 shares, an increase of 7.3% from the October 31st total of 23,720,000 shares. Approximately 1.4% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 9,060,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.8 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have recently issued reports on CVX shares. BNP Paribas raised Chevron from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $190.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Chevron from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and dropped their price target for the company from $184.00 to $182.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 2nd. Raymond James cut their price objective on shares of Chevron from $200.00 to $175.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 30th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Chevron from $175.00 to $169.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 24th. Finally, HSBC lifted their price target on shares of Chevron from $180.00 to $184.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $187.89. Get Chevron alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Chevron Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chevron Chevron Stock Performance Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P increased its stake in Chevron by 85.1% in the 1st quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P now owns 159,115 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $25,908,000 after purchasing an additional 73,141 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Chevron by 25.2% during the 1st quarter. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC now owns 7,335 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,155,000 after buying an additional 1,476 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Chevron by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 40,538 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $6,598,000 after buying an additional 1,813 shares in the last quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Chevron by 43.5% during the 1st quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,837 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $950,000 after acquiring an additional 1,770 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in Chevron by 13.8% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,068,600 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $336,830,000 after acquiring an additional 250,840 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.87% of the companys stock. Chevron stock traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $144.84. 11,839,361 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,460,591. The firm has a market cap of $273.42 billion, a PE ratio of 10.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.25. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $153.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $157.26. Chevron has a twelve month low of $140.72 and a twelve month high of $187.81. Chevron (NYSE:CVX Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 27th. The oil and gas company reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.70 by ($0.65). The company had revenue of $54.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $51.41 billion. Chevron had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 12.11%. Chevrons revenue for the quarter was down 18.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.56 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Chevron will post 13.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Chevron Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 11th. Investors of record on Friday, November 17th will be given a $1.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 16th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.17%. Chevrons payout ratio is currently 44.84%. About Chevron (Get Free Report) Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the integrated energy and chemicals operations in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment is involved in the exploration, development, production, and transportation of crude oil and natural gas; liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and processing, transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as a gas-to-liquids plant. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Chevron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chevron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,080,000 shares, a decrease of 12.3% from the October 31st total of 11,500,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 8,870,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.1 days. Currently, 1.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Institutional Trading of Devon Energy Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its stake in Devon Energy by 21.1% in the second quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 8,881 shares of the energy companys stock worth $429,000 after buying an additional 1,550 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its stake in Devon Energy by 3.6% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 67,064 shares of the energy companys stock worth $3,242,000 after buying an additional 2,302 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in Devon Energy by 9.8% in the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 183,900 shares of the energy companys stock worth $9,307,000 after buying an additional 16,361 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Devon Energy by 201.2% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 9,557 shares of the energy companys stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 6,384 shares in the last quarter. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC raised its stake in Devon Energy by 615.7% in the first quarter. VitalStone Financial LLC now owns 30,632 shares of the energy companys stock worth $1,354,000 after buying an additional 26,352 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.34% of the companys stock. Get Devon Energy alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Devon Energy from $67.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 16th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Devon Energy from $62.00 to $58.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 12th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Devon Energy from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Devon Energy from $68.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 9th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on Devon Energy from $54.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 27th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Devon Energy presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $57.82. Devon Energy Trading Down 1.1 % Shares of Devon Energy stock traded down $0.49 on Monday, hitting $44.68. 6,664,049 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,905,250. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $46.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $48.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Devon Energy has a 52 week low of $42.59 and a 52 week high of $70.42. The company has a market cap of $28.63 billion, a PE ratio of 7.68, a PEG ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.20. Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 7th. The energy company reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.09. Devon Energy had a net margin of 24.63% and a return on equity of 33.97%. The firm had revenue of $3.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Devon Energy will post 5.88 EPS for the current year. Devon Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 14th. This is an increase from Devon Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Devon Energys payout ratio is currently 13.68%. About Devon Energy (Get Free Report) Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,750,000 shares, a decline of 6.3% from the October 31st total of 11,470,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,100,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.6 days. Approximately 1.8% of the companys stock are sold short. Edwards Lifesciences Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:EW traded up $0.82 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $69.18. 4,409,695 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,466,915. Edwards Lifesciences has a 52 week low of $60.57 and a 52 week high of $94.87. The firm has a market cap of $41.96 billion, a PE ratio of 29.56, a PEG ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 1.01. The companys 50 day moving average price is $68.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $77.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 3.28 and a quick ratio of 2.45. Get Edwards Lifesciences alerts: Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 25th. The medical research company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.59. The business had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 24.59% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The companys revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.61 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Edwards Lifesciences will post 2.51 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity Institutional Investors Weigh In On Edwards Lifesciences In other Edwards Lifesciences news, Director Michael A. Mussallem sold 29,350 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.86, for a total value of $2,226,491.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 4,486 shares in the company, valued at $340,307.96. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . In related news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 6,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.30, for a total value of $391,800.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 39,503 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,579,545.90. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, Director Michael A. Mussallem sold 29,350 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.86, for a total transaction of $2,226,491.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 4,486 shares of the companys stock, valued at $340,307.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 171,040 shares of company stock worth $12,045,513. Corporate insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Phoenix Holdings Ltd. raised its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 75.9% during the 3rd quarter. Phoenix Holdings Ltd. now owns 28,131 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,951,000 after purchasing an additional 12,137 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Edwards Lifesciences by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 16,434,401 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,138,575,000 after buying an additional 1,390,427 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 1.5% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,388,139 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $165,450,000 after buying an additional 36,129 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 41.7% in the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,744,276 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $190,123,000 after buying an additional 807,502 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 53.0% during the third quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 40,535 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $2,808,000 after acquiring an additional 14,035 shares in the last quarter. 79.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages recently weighed in on EW. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $90.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 26th. TheStreet cut Edwards Lifesciences from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. StockNews.com raised Edwards Lifesciences from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 27th. SVB Leerink assumed coverage on Edwards Lifesciences in a research report on Monday, October 16th. They issued a market perform rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $90.00 to $85.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Edwards Lifesciences presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $81.56. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on EW Edwards Lifesciences Company Profile (Get Free Report) Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease, and critical care and surgical monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of heart valves; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Edwards Lifesciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edwards Lifesciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a note issued to investors on Monday. Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird restated a neutral rating and set a $35.00 price target (down from $50.00) on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research note on Tuesday, October 31st. Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of STMicroelectronics from $65.00 to $55.00 and set a positive rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised STMicroelectronics from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, November 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $53.00. Get STMicroelectronics alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on STM STMicroelectronics Stock Performance NYSE:STM traded down $0.33 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $47.51. The stock had a trading volume of 3,530,708 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,468,843. STMicroelectronics has a 12-month low of $34.59 and a 12-month high of $55.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.17 and a current ratio of 2.94. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $42.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.96. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 26th. The semiconductor producer reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $4.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.42 billion. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 30.92% and a net margin of 25.15%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.16 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that STMicroelectronics will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On STMicroelectronics Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 1,773.6% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,267,061 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $19,857,000 after acquiring an additional 4,985,946 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in STMicroelectronics by 448.6% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,214,361 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $118,169,000 after purchasing an additional 1,810,709 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in STMicroelectronics by 92.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,830,732 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $97,926,000 after purchasing an additional 879,856 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in STMicroelectronics during the first quarter valued at approximately $46,169,000. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its stake in STMicroelectronics by 110.8% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,571,099 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $84,009,000 after buying an additional 825,857 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 5.62% of the companys stock. About STMicroelectronics (Get Free Report) STMicroelectronics N.V., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Automotive and Discrete Group; Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group; and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segments. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for STMicroelectronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STMicroelectronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report) CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.56, for a total value of $242,240.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 41,611 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,519,962.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Charles Schwab Trading Down 0.8 % SCHW traded down $0.53 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $62.63. 11,689,983 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,259,794. 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 one year low of $45.00 and a one year high of $86.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $110.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.88, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.99. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $54.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $56.98. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.02. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 24.58% and a net margin of 30.14%. The firm had revenue of $4.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The companys revenue was down 16.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Charles Schwab Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 10th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 9th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.33%. Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on Charles Schwab from $70.00 to $69.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Charles Schwab from $66.00 to $62.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Charles Schwab from $92.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $75.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 9th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Charles Schwab from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Four 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 stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $68.85. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Charles Schwab Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles Schwab Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Key Financial Inc raised its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 144.3% during the second quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 447 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Providence Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC raised 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 during the period. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised 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 during the period. Institutional investors own 81.61% of the companys stock. Charles Schwab Company Profile (Get 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Xerox (NYSE:XRX Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday. Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Xerox from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Xerox from $13.00 to $12.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. Get Xerox alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on XRX Xerox Price Performance XRX stock traded down $0.16 during trading on Monday, hitting $14.01. 1,956,803 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,638,220. Xerox has a 52 week low of $12.06 and a 52 week high of $18.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.12. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $14.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.47 and a beta of 1.71. Xerox (NYSE:XRX Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 24th. The information technology services provider reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.11. Xerox had a net margin of 2.55% and a return on equity of 11.59%. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.19 earnings per share. Xeroxs quarterly revenue was down 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Xerox will post 1.9 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Xerox In other news, major shareholder Carl C. Icahn sold 34,245,314 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.84, for a total value of $542,445,773.76. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Carl C. Icahn sold 34,245,314 shares of Xerox stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.84, for a total transaction of $542,445,773.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Suzan Morno-Wade sold 9,126 shares of Xerox stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.75, for a total transaction of $152,860.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 46,323 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $775,910.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Xerox A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in Xerox by 15.1% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 15,540,136 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $239,318,000 after buying an additional 2,033,262 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Xerox by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,383,602 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $161,977,000 after purchasing an additional 176,526 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management increased its position in Xerox by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 6,240,257 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $97,910,000 after purchasing an additional 271,302 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in Xerox by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,790,757 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $74,965,000 after purchasing an additional 52,043 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Xerox by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,435,033 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $36,258,000 after purchasing an additional 133,551 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.53% of the companys stock. Xerox Company Profile (Get Free Report) Xerox Holdings Corporation, a workplace technology company, designs, develops, and sells document management systems and solutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and internationally. It offers workplace solutions, including desktop monochrome, and color and multifunction printers; digital printing presses and light production devices, and solutions; and digital services that leverage workflow automation, personalization and communication software, content management solutions, and digitization services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Xerox Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Xerox and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. York Traditions Bank (OTCMKTS:YRKB Get Free Report)s share price shot up 3.7% on Monday . The company traded as high as $18.00 and last traded at $18.00. 110 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 92% from the average session volume of 1,450 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.35. York Traditions Bank Price Performance The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $17.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.69. York Traditions Bank Company Profile (Get Free Report) York Traditions Bank, a community bank, provides commercial and consumer banking services in the Central Pennsylvania market. The company offers personal banking products and services, such as checking, savings/money market, and individual retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; and loans and lines of credits, including personal, home equity, auto, and swing loans. See Also Receive News & Ratings for York Traditions Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for York Traditions Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Zurich Insurance Group AG (OTCMKTS:ZFSVF Get Free Report) shares shot up 1.8% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $506.23 and last traded at $501.62. 293 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 30% from the average session volume of 420 shares. The stock had previously closed at $492.78. Zurich Insurance Group Trading Up 1.8 % The business has a 50-day moving average price of $474.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $472.23. Get Zurich Insurance Group alerts: Institutional Trading of Zurich Insurance Group An institutional investor recently raised its position in Zurich Insurance Group stock. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of Zurich Insurance Group AG (OTCMKTS:ZFSVF Free Report) by 26.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,470 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 310 shares during the period. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLCs holdings in Zurich Insurance Group were worth $684,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. 30.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Zurich Insurance Group Company Profile Zurich Insurance Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance products and related services in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Property & Casualty Regions, Life Regions, Farmers, Group Functions and Operations, and Non-Core Businesses segments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Zurich Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zurich Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. About one-third of 2,305 public transit riders surveyed during the past year in Erie and Niagara counties said they are dissatisfied with overall service, notably cleanliness and safety. A similar number of riders with disabilities are also dissatisfied, with that number increasing for riders relying on paratransit services. The Rate Your Ride survey was initiated to take the pulse of Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority riders by Erie County Clerk Michael P. Kearns. It was created by Columbia University School of Law students and administered between November 2022 and last month, under the direction of the Western New York Law Center. This is a report that cant gather dust or be put on a shelf and forgotten, Kearns said Tuesday during a news conference. These are real people, our fellow neighbors who live in some of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in our community. Kearns said the survey was unbiased and would be shared with the NFTA. Metro Rail goes digital, but for some, the free ride is about to end Starting Wednesday, for the first time since the light rail system was opened nearly 40 years ago, the NFTA will activate new fare gates for all areas except the above-ground free fare zone downtown. The NFTA welcomes rider feedback to help improve operations, transit authority spokeswoman Helen Tederous said in a statement. She said a quick read of the study found many of these concerns have been addressed, citing improved safety measures at the Utica Station. Thats why NFTA-Metro works with the Transport Strategy Centre at the Imperial College, London to conduct annual unbiased scientific rider surveys, Tederous said. These independent surveys, conducted by the American Bus Benchmarking Group, continue to show a high level of customer satisfaction. Kearns wanted the survey because the County Clerks Office has transferred more than $102 million to the NFTA from mortgage taxes since 2018. The survey found many people are satisfied with public transit service, he said, but it also points out issues that need to be addressed. Key questions focused on the following: Riders satisfied with the regions public transit: 48% agreed, 32% did not and 20% offered no opinion. Public transportation is clean: 34% agreed, 43% disagreed and 23 offered no opinion. Feeling safe and comfortable on public transportation: 42% agreed, 34% did not and 24% offered no opinion. Public transit is affordable: 65% agreed, 21% disagreed and 14% offered no opinion. The survey found about 4% more of people living in or near poverty and about 4% more of people of color were more negative about their public transportation experience. On average, residents that reside in ZIP codes with lower incomes tended to be more dissatisfied with public transportation in the region, and feel especially unsafe and uncomfortable in using public transportation, the study found. Riders with disabilities were also split on their experiences with public transportation. About 41% agreed or strongly agreed that it was positive, compared with 32% who disagreed or strongly disagreed and 27% who offered no opinion. NFTA limits bus passes, starts ID system to halt fights among Buffalo high schoolers Buffalo Public Schools and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority aim to curb fights along bus and Metro Rail subway routes after high schools let out by limiting routes home and adding an ID system to free rides after school. The move comes after several large fights last school year. A drop in satisfaction of almost 5% was recorded in the five ZIP codes with the largest number of disabled residents. Riders were evenly split at 33% on whether accessing paratransit services was confusing and difficult, with virtually the same percentage offering no opinion. Thirty percent said paratransit took them where they needed to go, while 43% said it did not and 27% offered no opinion. The question on whether paratransit was generally on time was also fairly split, with 37% saying no, 33% saying yes and 29% offering no opinion. Kearns said he wanted to better understand what the issues were for transit riders after hearing complaints following storms last winter. He said he hopes the results will help give transit riders a voice for changes they are seeking and that he will discuss the study with the NFTA. Its important for the NFTA to know what their customers are thinking, Kearns said. This isnt an indictment of the NFTA. This is a report that hopefully opens up their eyes to the need for some changes that will meet the needs of the community. The study also noted the shortcomings of public transit in getting people to jobs. Most of the advanced manufacturing and energy sector jobs that workers are being trained for at the Northland Workforce Training Center on the East Side are unobtainable for the 31% of trainees who dont have a drivers license and cant realistically get there with public transportation, the study said. Unfortunately, these are some of the issues transit riders face daily, said Jamal Davis, transit organizer for Buffalo Transit Riders United, a campaign of the Coalition for Economic Justice that helped to distribute the survey. This is a critical part of infrastructure that needs to be addressed. Byju Raveendran to meet senior management as liquidity situation turns precarious, banks on borrowings, asset sale Sources says Byju Raveendran is confident of pulling through via asset sales, without depending on capital from existing investors Byju Raveendran, co-founder of Byju's Chandra R Srikanth is Editor- Tech, Startups, and New Economy Mansi Verma covers Edtech, Agritech, Venture Capital, Job and employment trends under the Tech and Startup team Check Free Credit Score on Moneycontrol: Easily track your loans, get insights, and enjoy a 100 cashback on your first check! Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years. The 39-year-old mother and two children survived a journey through one of the most dangerous places on earth to escape their native Venezuela for a new life in the United States. But nearly five months since arriving in Buffalo, her biggest fear is still her home country. Before I left, I participated in some marches and protests against the conditions in our country, and an organizer of the protests came to my house, she said in Spanish, translated by Catharine Grainge of Jericho Road Community Health Centers in Buffalo. A violent group controls the area that I lived in, so I fear for my kids life and my own life because we are not part of that gang. That fear shared by millions of Venezuelans who have fled their homeland under Nicolas Maduros authoritarian rule is why the United States extended Temporary Protected Status to Venezuela Oct. 3. The TPS designation, which allows migrants whose home countries are considered unsafe to temporarily live and work in the United States, has sparked a flurry of action among humanitarian agencies working to help more than 200 Venezuelans sheltering in Buffalo area hotels apply as soon as possible. The New York Immigration Coalition organized what it called a blitz of legal clinics around the state to connect migrants with attorneys to walk them through the TPS application process. Once filed, it can take 10 to 18 months for them to receive TPS, so we had a huge push in October and November, said Grainge, director of advocacy for Jericho Road, which assists migrants with health and legal aid. There are still a couple of families not helped yet, but our goal is to apply all 200 Venezuelans staying in Buffalo hotels. The Venezuelan woman who asked to be identified as Jessica is among tens of thousands of asylum-seekers bused to New York City from the southern border since May, when the government began allowing them in for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic. The influx prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency and work with upstate counties to take some in. Erie County welcomed more than 550 migrants. About half are still sheltering at area hotels while seeking work permits. Emily Riordan, legal director for Journeys End Refugee Services in Buffalo, said her group joined the New York Immigration Coalition and the Volunteer Lawyers Project in helping 161 Venezuelans apply for TPS in Buffalo and 216 apply for employment authorization during the legal aid blitz. She said Journey's End has held 10 legal aid clinics, busing people to its offices from three Cheektowaga hotels to work with attorneys all day, five days a week, for the last several weeks. Its been crazy, Grainge said. Local immigration advocates are so busy helping migrants with shelter, food, health care and gathering documentation to apply for TPS that they dont always get a chance to hear their stories. When Jessica sat down with Grainge and a reporter for The Buffalo News last week, she talked for nearly three hours straight, often in tears. Her journey started five years ago, when she left Venezuela for Colombia with a plan to save enough money to bring her daughter and son, now ages 11 and 20, to the United States. But work was hard to find in a country that has received 3 million Venezuelan migrants during the humanitarian crisis. They spent three years in Colombia, working odd jobs and selling Jessicas handmade bracelets on the street. She read articles and watched videos on how to traverse the only route from Colombia to Panama, through the Darien Gap, a 60-mile stretch thats left purposely impassible to discourage drug trafficking. In February, she felt she had enough money to make the trip. She packed a bag with a tarp and some sheets to sleep under, a few changes of clothing, a book of devotions, a statuette of the Virgin Mary and provisions, including snack-size candy bars to use as small thanks for any help they could get. Their journey involved weeks of walking and bus rides from Bogota to Medellin and pueblos in between stopping for days or weeks to sleep at refuges or in parks and sell sweets and bracelets to replenish their money. In late March, she bought tickets to sail across the Darien Gulf to the rainforest in a boat packed with 20 people. At the time I thought that would be the hardest thing ever in my life, because at any moment you feel you will fall into the sea, she said. But the hardest part was three days of hiking through the jungle, climbing up and down mountains and wading through swamps as her daughter sometimes struggled for breath, she said. They followed a group of about 80 people, hiking from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on a trail marked by blue plastic bags tied on trees, living on soup and flour mixed with water to make raw dough. At night camped under their tarp, they could hear jaguars growling. Along the way they were detained several times by gangs of armed gunmen who demanded money and belongings to let them go. Jessica said her daughter kept feeling faint while her son encouraged them to continue. The third night they had to scale a steep drop down a muddy cliff, clinging to a rope in complete darkness, she said. I was holding on for dear life because if I had fallen, I would have died, she said. I felt sad because some people had to stay trapped above because they could not get down the cliff. Only about 30 made it down. From there, it was another two months of walking, taking buses, paying for boat rides, sleeping in parks and at shelters, selling bracelets and sweets until they reached the U.S. border. There, she stood in a line and made an appointment for processing through the federal CBP One mobile app, which allows asylum-seekers to legally register to enter the U.S. They crossed the next day, July 8. Within a few days they were bused to New York, where they were offered an opportunity to come to Buffalo. They arrived July 13 and were met by volunteers who greeted them in Spanish. Since they entered using the CBP One app, she and her son received expedited work authorization and both started jobs in housekeeping at their shelter hotel on Friday. Now that most have applied for TPS, the next legal aid blitz will be to help Venezuelan immigrants apply for asylum, a much more involved process that the New York Immigration Coalition plans to get rolling in January. NYIC said legal services for migrants in 2024 will be a top ask in Albany as thousands seek asylum status. Jessica said she will apply and wants to stay in Buffalo, where she has been met with nothing but kindness. Buffalo, she said, es tranquilo. Rachita Prasad heads Moneycontrols coverage of conventional and new energy, and infrastructure sectors. Rachita is passionate about energy transition and the global efforts against climate change, with special focus on India. Before joining Moneycontrol, she was an Assistant Editor at The Economic Times, where she wrote for the paper for over a decade and was a host on their podcast. Contact: rachita.prasad@nw18.com In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: India should join the Bitcoin party, foreign investors to drive Indian equities i... Be it steel, or chemicals, or rubber, China has begun dumping almost everything wherever possible to wriggle out of its deepening economic distress. And, India has turned out to be one of the preferred dumping grounds as a geographic neighbour and an economic rival. Dumping adversely affects domestic producers in the target country and the government has been taking steps to check the imports of Chinese goods. However "there seems to be a degree of variation in policy responses", believes... USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Christin Mathew Philip is an Assistant editor at moneycontrol.com. Based in Bengaluru, he writes on mobility, infrastructure and start-ups. He is a Ramnath Goenka excellence in journalism awardee. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/ChristinMP_ Over the weekend, the northern regions of China experienced a spectacular display of auroras, with even some individuals in Beijing witnessing the rare and vivid occurrence of red auroras. An aurora is a natural electrical phenomenon that appears to light the sky, the most famous being the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, that appear in high-latitude regions of the northern hemisphere. On Friday, several photos of the auroras were posted on social media. These widely circulated images showed red and green auroras above Mohe in Heilongjiang province, located in the northernmost tip of China. Auroras were observed in various regions of northern China, including Heilongjiang, as well as the Inner Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions, according to a Saturday news release by the National Center for Space Weather. Even in Beijing, a city that rarely sees auroras, clear aurora observations were recorded, it added. The center noted that the aurora activity was related to recent geomagnetic storms on Earth, saying that due to a solar coronal mass ejection, varying intensities of geomagnetic storms occurred from Friday night to Saturday morning. Along with possibly disrupting electricity and telecommunications networks, coronal mass ejections can produce auroras outside of their expected latitudes. Han Dayang, an engineer from the NCSW, said on Sunday that the fundamental cause of geomagnetic storms is solar eruptive activity, specifically coronal mass ejections from the sun. He said on microblogging platform Sina Weibo that under the drive of extremely powerful magnetic-field energy in the active regions of sunspots, the solar surface material is ejected at speeds ranging from hundreds to thousands of kilometers per second, forming a hemispherical shock wave. If the shock wave happens to impact the Earth directly, the high-energy charged particles from the sun will cause drastic changes in the direction and magnitude of the Earth's magnetic field, leading to a geomagnetic storm, he said. Auroras occur as a result of the interaction between these solar particles and the Earth's magnetic field. Typically, auroras are more commonly seen in regions closer to the Earth's magnetic poles, such as the Arctic and Antarctic. In northern China, particularly in Beijing, auroras are relatively rare. But if the geomagnetic storm is exceptionally strong, the range of aurora occurrence can expand, Zhu Jin, a researcher at the Beijing Planetarium, was quoted by Redstar News as saying. The NCSW said on Saturday that, based on the latest monitoring, there is still a possibility of small to moderate geomagnetic storms on Monday. That notice has led plenty of internet users to express their anticipation of witnessing the beauty of the aurora. Theres good news for the Fruit Belt and Buffalos East Side, where the lack of supermarkets and places to find fresh food was highlighted by the Tops shooting on May 14, 2022. The African Heritage Food Co-op stood among the grassroots entities that promised positive change when it came to fresh food access. Unfortunately, the troubles in acquiring nonprofit status and that of its founder, Alexander Wright, nearly threatened to derail the dream. Fortunately for those in need of fresh food options, it appears that the African Heritage Food Co-op remains among the choices. As noted about the indoor growing container on an urban farm that Buffalo Go Green is developing on Zenner Street, there is considerable room for others to grow. The Hochul administration is moving forward in its support after the co-ops tax-exempt status was restored by the IRS. The African Heritage Economic Initiative is the nonprofit arm of the African Heritage Food Co-op, which lost its tax-exempt status in May 2022 for failing to file mandatory forms three straight years. The forms provide an accounting of a nonprofits governance and financial activities. Gov. Kathy Hochul gave a huge boost to the effort when she announced the grant to open the co-op at 238 Carlton St., weeks after the deadly Tops shooting, part of a $50 million aid package for the East Side. The governors announcement followed local support for the co-op: A University at Buffalo professor, Lorna Peterson, donated a building on Carlton Street in 2019. That year also saw a $40,000 loan from Preservation Buffalo Niagaras East Side Commercial Building Stabilization Fund. In 2022, the co-op received $25,000 from the M&T Bank Foundation, a refrigerated truck sponsored by Independent Health and $5,000 from the Western New York Foundation. The co-ops difficulties could have sunk the entire plan. Hochuls administration was unaware at the time that the co-op had lost its tax-exempt status more than three weeks earlier. The oversight is understandable since the IRS didnt post the revocation until Aug. 8. The co-ops prospects worsened in July, when Wright, its founder and president, resigned after being pulled over by Buffalo police and charged with cocaine and weapons possession, as well as driving while impaired. The hard work put into the co-op could have been for nothing. However, the greater good prevailed. The statement from the governors office made as much clear: Gov. Hochul remains committed to addressing food insecurity and other inequities in East Buffalo, which is why the state committed $3 million to the community-driven African Heritage Food Cooperative to create a locally owned and operated food cooperative that will ensure the community has access to affordable and healthy food options. Appropriately, the co-op will undergo scrutiny. A review process will include examining three years of financial statements, board structure and full budget breakdown with supporting documentation. A public hearing will be held if the project is approved by the Empire State Development Corp. board of directors. As reported in The News, the Public Authorities Control Board ultimately must approve the project to receive state money. The co-ops board chairman and CEO, Pastor Kinzer Pointer, expressed relief, anticipating that the project will be able to advance. He is looking forward to guidance from the public as to what food they want to see on the shelves so that nothing will go to waste. What also wont be wasted is the effort that has gone into making the co-op a place for fresh food in a community that needs and deserves no less. David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities, as well as industrial and consumer companies. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. News / Local by Staff reporter A SUSPECTED notorious armed robber from Chegutu yesterday appeared before magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa facing three counts of armed robbery.Benjamin Chipiri (38) was advised to approach the High Court for bail application.He was remanded in custody to December 28 for routine remand pending finalisation of investigations.Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje told the court that on December 2 this year around 3pm, Chipiri and his two accomplices who are still at large, broke into Josephine Bhunu's house and held the family hostage. They allegedly tied the family members with electric cables and stole US$7 300.Chirenje alleged that Chipiri and his accomplices also stole BP monitors, solar lights and two laptops.One of Bhunu's nephews managed to sneak out of the house and alerted neighbours about the robbery.The neighbours confronted the robbers but Chipiri's accomplices managed to escape with the bulk of the cash and only US$300 was recovered.Meanwhile, a teenager from Epworth was brought before Gofa charged with robbery. The teenager and an accomplice, Enest Bwoni (28), were remanded in custody to December 28 for routine remand.Chirenje said on December 1 this year, the duo approached a man who was driving towards Chiremba shopping centre.The duo allegedly hired him to take them to Munyukwi shopping centre.On arrival, the two told the driver that they wanted to be taken to Glenwood, Epworth.The court heard that when they got to Glenwood the duo disembarked from the motor vehicle ostensibly to relieve themselves but suddenly grabbed the complainant by the neck, drew knives and demanded car keys and other valuables.The driver reportedly tried to wrestle with the teenager who was holding a knife and he was stabbed on the chest.During the scuffle, the duo stole a cellphone and US$700 which was stashed in two envelopes under the mat.The robbers dragged the driver out of the vehicle before attacking him with stones.The following day, detectives from CID Vehicle Theft Squad received information that the duo was selling the vehicle in the Magaba area, Mbare, Harare, for US$1 000.The detectives reacted to the information, leading to the arrest of the duo and the recovery of the vehicle. Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day News / Local by Staff reporter Police Spokesperson Paul Nyathi has rejected the allegations of abduction, torture, and murder made by the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in connection with the disappearance and subsequent death of opposition activist Tapfumaneyi Masaya.Masaya was abducted in mid-November while engaged in door-to-door campaigns for Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi, CCC's parliamentary candidate for the Mabvuku Tafara constituency.In a statement released on Monday, Nyathi stated that preliminary investigations suggested Masaya's death resulted from a non-politically motivated murder. This assertion contradicts eyewitness accounts that detailed Masaya's abduction, identifying individuals and vehicles involved."The Police emphasize that investigations are ongoing, and any pertinent information will be shared with the media and the public. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) urges the public and politicians to refrain from hindering or influencing the investigation process. Although the investigations are ongoing, the current findings indicate a purely criminal murder case. A comprehensive report will be provided upon the conclusion of the investigations," Nyathi stated.Residents, speaking to NewZimbabwe.com at Masaya's funeral, implicated Zanu-PF parliamentary candidate Scott Sakupwanya for the same constituency. They claimed that some of his vehicles were observed during Masaya's abduction, while his colleague, who was later released, also faced a similar fate.CCC activists and witnesses filed a report at Mabvuku Police Station, identifying the alleged perpetrators. One resident, claiming to have witnessed the incident, stated, "It is evident that Sakupwanya is involved, but we are unsure how the police will interpret our statements, especially in light of Job Sikhala's situation. We hope that the ZRP acts on the information provided, at least ensuring a measure of justice is served." News / Local by Staff reporter BULAWAYO Mayor David Coltart has unveiled initiatives aimed at fostering partnerships with the American town Cincinnati and Germany's Cologne, as part of several developments. These plans include a meeting with the world's seventh richest person, Michael Bloomberg, at COP28 in Dubai.Coltart disclosed that he had submitted a request for financial assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropy, the non-profit arm of the multi-billion dollar business dedicated to global humanitarian aid.Given COP28's focus on environmental and climate issues, the former Education Minister highlighted that he sought funding to educate primary school students on the importance of maintaining a clean city and engaging them in cleanup efforts.The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Councillor also shared that he was working on an application to secure funds for the restoration of Bulawayo's cycle tracks, promoting bicycle usage."In addition to a brief meeting with Bloomberg, I had various productive discussions and engagements," Coltart stated in an update on X. "I have applied for funding from Bloomberg Philanthropy for a project to educate primary school children on the need to keep our city clean and involve them in the cleanup efforts."I was also informed about a fund for rehabilitating cycle paths and will soon be submitting an application to Bloomberg Philanthropy for assistance in making Bulawayo a more bicycle-friendly city."Coltart aims to advocate for the planting of indigenous trees in Bulawayo's high-density suburbs as part of a greening initiative.He added, "I also had valuable interactions with the Mayors of Lusaka, Copenhagen, Cincinnati, and Cologne and have initiated discussions with the latter two to explore the possibility of twinning Bulawayo with them."Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city, has faced enduring challenges such as water scarcity, inadequate infrastructure, diminished investment, and overall scarcity, all of which Coltart is expected to address. Castigating Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for not complying with an order passed in October, the Bombay high court (HC) says the market regulator is required to act in the public interest. The HC was hearing a plea filed by minority shareholders of Bharat Nidhi Ltd, a company owned by Times of India group owner Vineet Jain, about non-compliance by SEBI about the HC order initiating proceedings against the Company. Bharat Nidhi holds over 24% of the stake in Bennett & Coleman Company Ltd (BCCL), which owns ToI. In an order, the division bench of justices GS Kulkarni and Jitendra Jain says, "Although respondents in their business interest may overlook the solemnity of the orders passed by this Court, however, SEBI in its public character cannot take the same approach. In these circumstances, the order dated 23 October 2023 cannot be rendered nugatory. The SEBI is required to holistically consider such orders and not merely in the context of the settlement proceedings, as such order considers the substantive rights of the petitioners, who are shareholders of BNL, having equal rights to that of other respondents. SEBI cannot have a different yardstick between shareholders. We therefore direct that our order dated 23 October 2023, which has attained finality, needs to be forthwith complied with by SEBI." Alleging that the Company had violated securities laws by failing to maintain the minimum public owning norm, minority shareholders of Bharat Nidhi have filed petitions. In its October 2023 order, Bombay HC had directed SEBI to provide certain probe documents to the minority shareholders of Bharat Nidhi. The Company and the SEBI challenged the HC order in the Supreme Court, which dismissed the appeals in November. During the hearing, SEBI told the bench that since the settlement order has been revoked, nothing survives in the present petitions. The HC, however, says there has been persistent non-compliance with the order passed by the Court and said this was "too far to be imagined and totally unacceptable". The bench said now that the settlement order had been revoked, the SEBI would expeditiously adjudicate the show cause notice issued to the Company. "Considering all these circumstances, we are of the clear opinion that the entitlement of the petitioners to our order dated 23 October 2023 would certainly subsist and the petitioners need to be provided such documents by the SEBI. Moreover, not providing such documents, merely on the ground of the subsequent development that the settlement orders now stand revoked, would completely be an untenable proposition and contrary to our orders dated 23 October 2023, as confirmed by the Supreme Court," the HC says. You may also want to read News / Local by Staff reporter THE Department of Immigration, working closely with the police, has tightened screws to curb irregular migration between South Africa and Zimbabwe following an increase in travellers using the Beitbridge Border Post daily.This comes after police intercepted 125 minors who were being improperly transported to South Africa in the past week amid calls for parents and guardians to comply with immigration laws and avoid putting minors at risk.It has become common for Zimbabweans based in South Africa to be visited by children living in the country during school holidays, some of whom would have travelled illegally.On Sunday, South African authorities claimed to have intercepted 443 children from 42 buses who were being "trafficked" to the neighbouring country through the Beitbridge Border Post. However, Zimbabwean officials dismissed the reports saying they did not receive the said children.Zimbabwe's Ambassador to South Africa, Ambassador David Hamadziripi, said authorities were only aware of 125 children who were intercepted in the past week, not the 443 as reported in the South African media."That is the information I received, that 125 were intercepted in the past week. However, South Africa's Home Affairs Minister (Aaron) Motsoaledi in his statement said 443 children were intercepted holding Zimbabwean passports and were handed over to Zimbabwean authorities," he said."So, we are not aware of the 443 children who were handed to Zimbabwean officials."Amb Hamadziripi urged parents and guardians to follow regulations when transporting children across borders saying minors travelling without guardians and parents need to have affidavits authorising their travel."The message is always the same from us here at the embassy, that Zimbabwe nationals here in South Africa must respect the laws of this country. So clearly, when it comes to the movement of their children who are in Zimbabwe they should travel with proper documentation," said Amb Hamadziripi."By that, we mean a passport and a letter if that child is not accompanied by an adult, then at least a letter from the parent or guardian here in South Africa, authorising that the child be brought to South Africa by whoever they would have designated to bring the child to South Africa. We need to respect those laws and regulations that are in place."National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said law enforcement agents, immigration officials, and their South African counterparts were investigating the illegal transportation of children to the neighbouring country."We have 125 children who were intercepted on the Zimbabwean side while being transported to South Africa and this happened from November 29. So, it is a process which we are working together with the Immigration authorities and the South African counterparts," he said."Investigations are still ongoing and we just urge the public and the media to be patient."Asst Comm Nyathi urged the public to follow laid down procedures when it comes to the transportation of minor children."They need to abide by the laws whether they are from the South African side or the Zimbabwean side they need to ensure that they conduct their activities according to the country's laws.In a video message shared on social media, Zimbabwe Community in South Africa chairperson Mr Ngqabutho Mabhena said the blocking of children could emanate from parents who do not understand South Africa's immigration laws.He said some of the children had passports but were accompanied by their guardians without the requisite supporting documents.He said after the children were denied entry, some parents notified them their children were coming to them as opposed to being trafficked."We have been contacted by some parents and they are saying some of the children were with their guardians or grandparents," said Mr Mabhena."The problem arose at the border where border officials said they are not the biological parents of the children. In other words, if a guardian is travelling with a child, what we understand is that there must be an affidavit from the parents that the guardian must travel with the child."Meanwhile, the Regional Compliance and Enforcement Unit is hard on the ground rounding up illegal migrants crossing to either side of the border. The regional Immigration officer in charge of Southern Region (Beitbridge) Mr Joshua Chibundu said they have been noting an increase in human traffic between 20 November and 3 December.He said they were also not taking lightly to issues of human trafficking, especially where children are concerned.Mr Chibundu said in the last two weeks they received 114 unaccompanied children who had been smuggled into South Africa through illegal entry points along the Limpopo River. These are now being managed by the Department of Social Services, which is tracing their relatives pending reunification.A total of 120 buses, including those in transit to Malawi and Zambia, use the border post daily."We have noted an increase in travellers through the border between 20 November and 2 December, where volumes have increased by 30 351 on entry and 24 979 on exit," said Mr Chibundu."Statistics for 20 to 26 November were 43 515 on entry and 44 221 on exit compared to 27 November to 3 December movement increased to 73 866 on entry and 69 200 on exit."At the same time, we are not taking chances to those who would want to play hide and seek with the law. Our compliance team is hard on the ground."It is understood that the ongoing immigration compliance operation, which is also supported by the ZRP, is meant to curtail criminal activities, among them border jumping, touting, the use of fake immigration stamps, and fake travel documents that are synonymous with a surge in human traffic."As a department, we are not relenting on our quest to maintain the safety and security of travellers and ensure we have a flawless flow of traffic this festive season," said Mr Chibundu. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalties on four cooperative banks from Maharashtra for violation of different laws prescribed by the regulator. RBI has levied a fine of Rs4 lakh, the highest among the banks, on Jijamata Mahila Sahakari Bank Ltd. Other banks penalised by RBI are Shri Laxmikrupa Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd, Konark Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd and Chembur Nagarik Sahakari Bank Ltd. Jijamata Mahila Sahakari Bank has been penalised Rs4 lakh for non-compliance with RBI directions on know your customer (KYC) direction and frauds in urban cooperative banks (UCBs) monitoring and reporting mechanism changes. The statutory inspection conducted by RBI concerning Jijamata Mahila Sahakari Banks financial position as of 31 March 2022 and examination of the inspection report (IR), risk assessment report (RAR) and all correspondence revealed that the Bank had not conducted periodic reviews of risk categorisation of accounts and did not report fraud within the stipulated timeline. The RBI has also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1 lakh on Chembur Nagarik Sahakari Bank from Mumbai for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on maintenance of deposit accounts primary UCBs. The statutory inspection revealed that Chembur Nagarik Sahakari Bank had imposed fixed penal charges for maintaining minimum balance in savings bank accounts instead of imposing penal charges proportionate to the shortfall. Chembur Nagarik Sahakari Bank also failed to notify its customers that in the event of the minimum balance not being restored in the account within a month from the date of notice, penal charges will be applicable. Further, Shri Laxmikrupa Urban Cooperative Bank was fined Rs1 lakh for non-compliance with RBI directions on KYC. The Bank had not conducted periodic reviews of the risk categorisation of its customers. Konark Urban Cooperative Bank has been slapped with a penalty of Rs1 lakh for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on maintenance of deposit accounts primary UCBs.The IR, RAR, and all related correspondence revealed that Konark Urban Cooperative Bank had imposed fixed penal charges for the shortfall in maintenance of minimum balance in savings bank accounts instead of imposing penal charges proportionate to the extent of the shortfall. After considering the reply and oral submissions of all banks during the personal hearing, RBI says it has concluded that the non-compliance charges with its directions were substantiated and warranted the imposition of monetary penalty. According to RBI, the penalty is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to be pronounced upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered by the company with its customers. Days after registering the case in connection with the suspicious transaction case of Rs 820 crore from the UCO Bank, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said that it has carried out searches at 13 locations in West Bengal and Karnataka at the premises of accused and others including bank officials and private persons. A CBI official here said that the agency conducted searches at around 13 locations including at Kolkata and in Karnataka's Mangaluru at the premises of accused and others including private persons or bank officials. The official said that during searches, electronic evidence including mobile phones, laptops, computer systems, email archives, and debit or credit cards were recovered. The official said that the agency registered a case on complaint from UCO Bank, against two Support Engineers working with it and other unknown persons on the allegations of suspicious Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transaction amounting to approximately Rs 820 crore. The official said that in the complaint, the bank has alleged that between November 10 and 13 this year, IMPS inward transactions originating from 14,000 account holders across seven private banks were directed to 41,000 account holders within UCO Bank through the IMPS channel. The complaint also alleged that this intricate network involved a staggering 8,53,049 transactions and these transactions were mistakenly posted in the UCO Bank account-holders' records, despite the originating banks registering failed transactions. "Consequently, an approximate sum of Rs 820 crore was allegedly found its way into UCO Bank accounts without proper debits from the originating banks' account holders," the official added. The CBI also said that it was also alleged that several account holders exploited this situation, illicitly withdrawing funds from UCO Bank through various banking channels, thereby benefiting wrongfully from the transaction. 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. News / Local by Staff reporter Zimbabweans hoping to migrate to the United Kingdom to take up better paying job opportunities under the rich country's health and social care sector have been dealt a blow after authorities in London Monday announced tough immigration measures seeking to stop dependent relatives from benefitting from the visa regime.According to British authorities, some 20,152 health and care worker visas were granted to Zimbabweans in the year ended June 2023.The figure represents a whopping 372 percent increase from 2022 as locals continue to flee the country in search of a better life abroad.Zimbabwe ranked third after India with 33,669 and Nigeria at 22,278, in terms of countries to be granted health and care worker visas.But in a turn of events, British Home Secretary James Cleverly said on Monday he was taking "robust action" to lower authorised immigration, which hit a record level of almost 750,000 people in 2022.Under the new rules, immigrants will have to earn more to get a work visa and will find it harder to bring family members to the UK.Cleverly said that from the spring of 2024, prospective immigrants will have to earn 38,700 pounds ($48,900) to get a skilled worker visa, up from 26,200 pounds ($33,000) now.British citizens who want to bring their foreign spouse to Britain will have to earn the same amount almost double the current threshold.Health and social care, sectors that are highly reliant on immigrant staff, are exempt from the salary rule.But care workers from overseas will no longer be able to bring dependent relatives with them to Britain, leading to concerns in the industry that fewer will want to come.The government also said it would scrap a rule that lets employers in sectors on a "shortage occupation list" pay immigrant workers 20% less than UK citizens.Starting in January, most foreign graduate students also will no longer be able to bring family members to the U.K.Cleverly said the new measures would reduce by 300,000 the number of people eligible to move to Britain in future years.Revised figures released last month by the Office for National Statistics said net migration to the U.K. the number of people arriving minus those leaving was a record 745,000 in 2022. Net migration in the 12 months to June 2023 decreased to 672,000.Reducing immigration is a totemic issue for many in the governing Conservative Party, who backed Britain's exit from the European Union in order to "take back control" of the country's borders.Britain left the bloc in 2020, ending the automatic right of citizens from the 27 EU nations to live and work in the U.K.Since then the number of visas issued for people to come to Britain for work or study has soared.The country has also taken in hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war in Ukraine and the Chinese government's crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong. The 2022 immigration figure is three times the pre-Brexit level.The Conservatives believe cutting immigration will shore up votes ahead of an election next year, because many voters see immigrants as adding to pressure on already overstretched public services and worsening a housing crisis.But many economists say immigrants are needed to fill essential jobs especially in health care and in low-paid social care roles and that they contribute more to the economy than they receive.Christina McAnea, general-secretary of the Unison trade union, said the measures would be a "total disaster" for health and the care sector."Migrant workers were encouraged to come here because both sectors are critically short of staff. Hospitals and care homes simply couldn't function without them," she said."Migrants will now head to more welcoming countries, rather than be forced to live without their families."Opposition Labour Party immigration spokeswoman Yvette Cooper said the government had failed to train U.K. workers to fill key jobs."Where is the workforce plan on social care, on engineering, on bricklaying, on all shortage occupations that their total economic failure has left us with?" she said.The British government is also under pressure to meet its own goal of stopping unauthorized asylum-seekers arriving on small boats across the English Channel.Last month the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that its plan to send some people arriving by boat on a one-way trip to Rwanda intended to discourage others from making the risky sea crossing was illegal because Rwanda is not a safe country for refugees.The government said it would strike a new treaty with Rwanda to address the court's concerns. Cleverly is expected to fly to the Rwandan capital. Kigali, this week to finalize the deal.Britain has already paid the East African country at least 140 million pounds under the agreement struck in April 2022, but no one has yet been set to Rwanda. Simon Sanchez High School students wait for the campus to open Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, at John F. Kennedy High School in Tamuning. Kandit News reporter Johnnie Rosario testifies during a motion hearing in Nakita Aguon's case in the Superior Court of Guam Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. Reporter Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post. News / National by Stephen Jakes BIKITA - President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned petalite and spodumene processing plants at Bikita Minerals that are valued at US$ 300 million on November 29 2023.The giant processing plants will see the beneficiation of lithium ore into spodumene and petalite which are the stones from which lithium is extracted.Speaking at the commissioning ceremony President Mnangagwa welcomed the move saying it will bring the much needed development in the country in line with the NDSI.Citizens Action Southern Africa Zimbabwe (CIASA) Projects Director Archbold Madida speaking with local authorities in Bikita welcomed the beneficiation of minerals and he hopes Zimbabwe's economy will grow exponentially from the beneficiation of the minerals.During the same meeting the organization also called for the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure an end to illicit financial flows within the mining sector.Such a development CIASA says would mark a departure from the previous mining regimes whose financial records saw Zimbabwe losing billions of dollars to cartels.The organization made a clarion call for the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure that the country gets maximum profits from the minerals unlike in the past when lithium ore was being exported in its raw form.Speaking during the official opening ceremony the president of Zimbabwe called upon Bikita Minerals to mine the resources while following ethical environmental practices."I implore Bikita Minerals to undertake their operations with the highest ethical standards, professionalism, honesty and integrity and we seek to realize sustainable prosperity that benefits all Zimbabweans, said Mnangagwa.CIASA firmly believes that such ethical environmental standards will intensely help protect the environment and help contribute to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 15 and 13 among many others.Mnangagwa told the gathering that Bikita Minerals has set aside US$20 million for the construction of a new bridge over Save river for easy passage to Manicaland and Mozambique and will complement Birchenough Bridge.CIASA applauds Bikita Minerals for such exceptional corporate social responsibility, as it has also embarked on the construction of a US$22 million 132kvpower line, from Tokwe - Mukosi to Bikita which is expected to be complete during the first quarter of 2024. The powerline will feed into the national grid and is set to be the panacea to the country's electricity woes.It is also constructing a US$2 million 132kv solar which will electrify Bikita, Gutu and Zaka Districts, a move CIASA applauded as it is an investment in renewable energy and contributes to the reduction of use of fossil fuels.The Mine has also helped in the construction of Shumbaimwe clinic which is located in ward 11 of Bikita district.The company which is poised to get 1 billion profit this year now employees 800 workers and the company's group chairman Wang Ping Wei, said with the opening of the two plants, more people will get employed .CIASA Zimbabwe welcomed the move and it looks forward for the company to employ more locals from Bikita District and recommended that the company also consider employing people from other drought prone Districts like Chivi and Mwenezi.It also implored the company to invest more towards unpaid care work for women and persons with disabilitiesSpodumene and petalite which contains 60% and 40 % lithium respectively is used to manufacture mobile phones, laptops,digital cameras, automotive batteries and are used as a raw material in the ceramics industry among others.Madida called upon the administration at Bikita Minerals to follow environmental guidelines that ensure sustainable mining and curbs depletion of natural ecosystems."The administration should priorities environmental matters and ensure protection of our ecosystems with the knowledge that the resources should benefit future generations," Madida.Zimbabwe, greatly depends on the mining sector to boost its GDP and enhanced production will help meet development objectives set out in the National Development Strategy 1(NDS1).However, Madida said for such noble ideas to see the light of the day, the Zimbabwean government must ensure transparency and accountability in the management of natural resources to improve the country's fortunes. The Community Share Ownership Scheme should be open for all local communities to understand how resources have been disbursed and how they have been utilized especially by Bikita Rural District Council An Israeli tank and armored personnel carriers (APC) maneuver near Israel's border with southern Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Israel, December 4, 2023. News / National by Staff reporter Christopher Mutsvangwa, Zanu-PF Secretary for Information, has dismissed rumors suggesting that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is aiming for a third term as Head of State. Speculations had arisen that the ruling party orchestrated recalls of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) MPs to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament and potentially amend the Constitution.According to the Zimbabwean Constitution, a President is limited to two five-year terms, making Mnangagwa's current tenure his final one. Mutsvangwa, addressing journalists in Harare on Monday, urged Zimbabweans to disregard the speculation about Mnangagwa's intentions beyond 2028."There is a conspiracy suggesting President Emmerson Mnangagwa wishes to secure a third term as head of state. This is mere speculation and should be dismissed. We did not initiate the by-elections, so those suggesting Zanu-PF seeks a two-thirds majority for governing purposes are not being truthful. We do not seek to amend the Constitution for a third term for our President," Mutsvangwa clarified.He criticized the "disorganized" CCC, stating that the country would be better off without it. Mutsvangwa attributed the frequent elections and disruptions to internal issues within CCC, emphasizing the importance of an organized opposition for smooth parliamentary proceedings."We desire an organized and structured country, which also means that the opposition should be organized and structured for effective parliamentary oversight. Zanu-PF wishes for an orderly process, not the chaotic state within CCC, which leads to frequent elections. Internal conflicts within CCC do not benefit our party; instead, they divert attention from governance and Zimbabwe's prosperity," Mutsvangwa remarked.Political analysts have suggested that the upcoming by-elections may alter the representation of affected constituencies. The polls for nine constituencies are scheduled for December 9, following recalls by CCC's self-imposed Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu. Another round of by-elections is set for February 3. News / National by Staff reporter Zimbabwe's opposition CCC official Gift Ostallos Siziva has been cleared of charges of defacing campaign posters of his rival.The State has withdrawn charges against Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) former Member of Parliament Gift Ostallos Siziva in a case where he is accused of defacing a political poster belonging to a rival candidate Soneni Moyo, in the run-up to the August elections.Siziva was charged with other CCC members Alderman Earnest Rafamoyo, Tendai Masotsha, Simbarashe Dube and Lovewell Mwinde.Siziva's lawyer Tinashe Runganga of Tanaka Law Chambers confirmed to CITE that the charges were dropped after it was proven that the former Pelandaba MP was not in Bulawayo on the day the offence was allegedly committed."What we did during the initial remand of this matter, we moved the application for the call history and location to be provided for by Econet, called triangulation. It shows that Ostallos was out of Bulawayo on the day and time, so commencing trial was going to expose the state, so they were left with no option but to withdraw charges," said Runganga.The state's case is that on August 16, 2023, at around 12 pm, the accused who were travelling in vehicles stopped at Pelandaba Shops and removed and tore campaign posters belonging to Soneni Moyo which were plastered on walls and ZESA pylons. Whilst in the act Methuseli Bhebhe witnessed this and phoned Moyo who then filed a police report at ZRP Western Commonage.Siziva said, "Finally free from concocted charges after the state withdrew its charges before plea. For the past five months l have been in and out of the courts in Bulawayo for charges of crimes l did not commit. The abuse of criminal Justice delivery system to pursue some of use who differ with the regime is sad. We fight on!" Calaveras, CAIn Mountain Ranch, law enforcement authorities seized approximately 800 pounds of marijuana during the execution of a search warrant recently. Deputies from the Calaveras County Sheriffs Office conducted the operation at a residence situated on the 400 block of Lakeview Drive. The raid was part of an ongoing investigation by the Sheriffs Office Marijuana Enforcement Team into illicit marijuana cultivation in the county. The search revealed approximately 800 pounds of marijuana, believed to have been illegally cultivated and processed at the location. Alongside the drugs, law enforcement confiscated several firearms from the premises, including one shotgun, three semi-automatic handguns, and one rifle. Adam Kovalchik, a 40-year-old resident of Mountain Ranch, was apprehended at the scene and is facing charges related to illegal marijuana cultivation and sales. The case remains under active investigation. The Calaveras County Sheriffs Office emphasizes that while cannabis cultivation is legal in California under specific guidelines, compliance with state and local regulations is imperative. U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities. McConnell was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: The Senate has less than two weeks to pass supplemental legislation on urgent national security priorities. As Ive said for months, that means addressing both grave threats to Americas interests overseas and a glaring border security crisis here at home. Senate Republicans know that national security begins with border security. And weve made it crystal clear that in order to pass the Senate, any measure we take up in the coming days must include serious policy changes designed to get the Biden Administrations border crisis under control. Apparently, some of our colleagues arent ready to take that reality seriously. Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and their fellow Republican negotiators are still at the table, working diligently on solutions. But from the White House to the Capitol, Washington Democrats are wasting time with bizarre public scoldings. Instead of engaging actively in the border security discussions required to complete a viable national security supplemental, the Biden Administration has chosen to lecture Congress with a brag reel of its supposed leadership in countering Putin in Europe. The Administrations account glossed over its record of self-deterrence toward Russia, insisting that, the time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. If only President Biden felt that sort of urgency in late 2021 and early 2022, as I and other Republicans urged his Administration to give Ukraine the lethal assistance it needed to resist Putins escalation. If only this lethal assistance and critical investments in cutting-edge capabilities for U.S. forces hadnt required so much prodding. Last week, at the Reagan National Defense Forum, the previous Administrations former National Security Advisor, Robert OBrien, made the case for supporting Ukraine. He pointed out, rightly, that helping degrade the military power of a major U.S. adversary is in Americas national security interests, and that we shouldnt hesitate to give Ukraine the weapons it needs to do the job. And he observed that the Biden Administrations self-congratulatory talk doesnt square with its parsimonious approach to actually getting decisive weapons to the battlefield. As he put it, President Bidens team ought to stop patting [itself] on the back. For their part, its time for Senate Democrats to start demonstrating theyre more interested in reaching a productive outcome in border security discussions than in wringing their hands in the press. The junior Senator for Connecticut has concluded that beginning to stem the humanitarian and national security crisis on our southern border amounts to, closing the border indiscriminately. Apparently, restoring a functional asylum and parole system, orderly points of entry, and meaningful enforcement of our immigration laws is a bridge too far for Senate Democrats. Lets be absolutely clear what were dealing with here. Lets establish exactly what it is that the Democratic Leader has called extraneous to Americas national security: On President Bidens watch, CBP has recorded 6.5 million encounters at the southern border and 1.7 million known gotaways. And last fiscal years all-time record apprehensions at the southern border included 169 individuals on the terrorist watch list a massive increase. The Biden Administration tried to convince the American people that they were serious about this historic crisis by having asylum seekers download a smartphone app. Instead, week after week, all we see are numbers that somehow keep getting worse. Meanwhile, liberal state and local officials told us that the increasing chaos of their sanctuary cities could be mitigated if only we raced to give work permits to their ever-growing populations of illegal aliens. Now, setting aside the fact that this creates the exact wrong incentives, the Biden Administration has already tried this approach and failed. In New York City alone, just 2% of recent arrivals have even applied. President Bidens officials have even admitted that they expected this unserious approach to produce a further surge in arrivals. As recently as two weeks ago, the White House was trying to sell its flawed, insufficient supplemental proposal as a solution to the crisis. As the junior Senator for Tennessee has pointed out, the Presidents answer to the border crisis wasnt to enforce immigration law it was to turn ICE into a concierge service for illegal aliens. Washington Democrats appear to be hell-bent on exhausting every half-baked idea before they get serious about actually fixing our broken enforcement system and securing our southern border. Thats the job the American people expect them to do. Thats the foundation of Americas national security. And time is running out. 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. News / National by Staff reporter ZIMBABWE'S deputy Industry and Commerce minister Roy Bhila was fired last week over corrupt issues involving cement import licences - money-spinning permits - and the secret charging of "facilitation fees" in the process by ministry officials in cahoots with business traders The NewsHawks reported.To exacerbate the situation, Bhila, who is MP for Chiredzi North, Masvingo, was secretly recorded saying President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on his way out as his co-deputy Constantino Chiwenga gradually manoeuvres to position himself as his successor in 2018 or before.Chiwenga's rise, expected by some, will prevent an amendment of the constitution and third term plot by Mnangagwa and his political allies.Insiders say Mnangagwa, officially 81 but in reality 85, has third term ambitions and is surreptitiously manoeuvring to stay on beyond 2028.That is why Zanu-PF, which failed to get absolute parliamentary control during the recent August general elections, is desperate to secure a two-thirds majority through the backdoor to change the constitution to facilitate that.The ruling party is currently capitalising on opposition activist Sengezo Tshabangu's fraudulent recalls to cause by-elections to push for a two-thirds majority.Official sources say Bhila was dismissed for those two reasons."Bhila was fired for abusing cement import permits and attendant corruption activities associated with that. The issuance of those permits, which are money-spinning instruments, was accompanied by payment of facilitation fees for the personal benefit of the ministry's officials and those that they work in cahoots with," an official source said."Besides corruption, politics also contributed to Bhila's dismissal. He was recorded telling the grassroots in his constituency in Chiredzi that Mnangagwa is on his way out and Chiwenga is coming in. He was specifically recorded as saying mudhara haasina basa as power is shifting to Chiwenga and people are now aligning themselves with him.Chiwenga is the future'. This was viewed as an attempt to incite subversion and a revolt against Mnangagwa's leadership. This is a manifestation of factionalism, infighting and succession battles. The unresolved leadership question in Zanu-PF and government after the coup has not gone away."Mnangagwa recently warned those plotting against him that he was always ahead of them because he set up the country's security architecture and structures that are still loyal to him, hence keeping him in power.He has also said no one will stage a coup against him.The President's authorised biography Emmerson Mnangagwa: A Life of Sacrifice by his informal adviser Eddie Cross says in January 2019 Chiwenga tried to impose a state of emergency while his boss was away in Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe amid fears of yet another coup.This was during anti-government protests over fuel price increases and other deep economic problems.The book says Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Phillip Valerio Sibanda refused to help in overthrowing Mnangagwa who had come in through a coup in November.However, the cement import permits scandal is what immediately got Bhila removed.The political issue exacerbated the situation.Zimbabweans can now freely import. This came as a response to a doubling of prices caused by surging demand and depressed local production.Cement prices were rising on the informal market due to a combination of factors: plant breakdowns and scheduled maintenance at the country's major cement producers, besides the expiry of import licences.All this happened at a time of record high demand."The nation is advised that following reports of artificial cement shortage in the market and the spiralling prices cabinet has approved the importation of cement by individuals and companies with free funds," cabinet said recently.Until December, each individual and company can import a maximum of five tonnes of cement.Cement producers for years lobbied the government to limit imports, saying they could not compete with cheaper imports, given the high cost of production at home.In 2021, the government gazetted Statutory Instrument 89 of 2021, which restricted foreign cement by issuing import licences.Many of these licences have since expired and the government had been reluctant to renew them, causing a shortage.This caused arbitrage and corruption, which ministry officials in cahoots with business are cashing in on.Contacted for comment and upon hearing it was a journalist from The NewsHawks, Bhila said: "Yes its me Bhila. What is your problem?"When the questions were put to him over the reports of corrupt issues involving cement import licences money-spinning permits and the secret charging of "facilitation fees" in the process by ministry officials in cahoots with business traders, Bhila breathed in deeply before terminating the phone call after about eight seconds of holding on to the line without speaking.Afterwards, he stopped answering further calls. The high-profile China-Laos Railway has facilitated roughly 24 million passenger trips and hauled about 29 million metric tons of cargo over the past two years, injecting vitality into regional socioeconomic development, according to China State Railway Group. Saturday marked the railway's two-year anniversary. As of that day, 24.2 million passenger trips have been handled along the line, with 3.74 million in the Laotian section. The railway has transported 29.1 million tons of cargo, 6 million of which were cross-border goods. The railway department has focused on improving service quality to better serve passengers' needs. Passengers can buy tickets by using apps on their mobile phones that are linked to local bank accounts. More ticket booths have been set up in Vientiane, capital of Laos, and Luang Prabang, a popular tourism destination in the country. In the Chinese section, 20.46 million passenger trips were recorded over the past two years. Every day, an average of 51 trains were operated during that period, with the daily peak number of passenger trips hitting 83,000. In the Laotian section, 3.74 million passenger trips were recorded during the period. The number of trains operated every day increased to 10 from four when the rail service began operating, and the daily peak passenger trip number reached 10,197. International passenger train services between Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, to Vientiane began on April 13. Since then, about 95,000 passengers from 72 countries and regions have used the service to travel between the two cities, and the number of international passenger trips has increased from about 600,000 to 1.1 million every month. The convenience of the service has boosted international passenger travel in Laos and has also improved cross-border cargo transportation in the region. The number of cross-border freight trains has increased from two to 14 every day. About 400 are involved in cross-border operations as part of the Lancang-Mekong Express freight train service, including those that run on the China-Laos Railway. Cargo transported on the line has been delivered from 31 major cities in China to 12 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. The establishment of the China-Laos Railway and the China-Europe freight train service has led to the creation of new international logistics routes and transportation modes. With these services, freight transportation between Southeast Asian countries, including Laos and Thailand, and Europe can be reduced to about 15 days. A freight yard tailored for cargo loading and reloading in Vientiane to meet the width of the tracks in Thailand was put into operation last year, linking railway networks in China, Laos and Thailand. Since the yard's opening, 101 trains carrying 3,838 containers have completed loading and reloading. The railway department has cooperated with tourism departments from China and Laos to open a number of tourism routes between Kunming and Vientiane, which has promoted the rapid development of the tourism economy in Xishuangbanna in Yunnan and Luang Prabang in Laos, according to the company. A Beijing resident surnamed Wang is considering taking her family to spend the Spring Festival holiday in Laos via the China-Laos Railway. One of the main reasons is the convenience of the service. "With the kid and parents, I'd prefer a place that is warm and convenient that we can visit on a reasonable budget," she said, adding that having no luggage limit on trains also attracted her. Her friend has been to Luang Prabang by train and strongly recommended it to her. The 1,035-kilometer China-Laos Railway is an electrified line that links Kunming with Vientiane. The railway stretches 422.4 km within Laos, linking the northern border city of Boten with Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and other cities, including the capital. Before the China-Laos Railway opened, Laos only had a 3.5-km railway that transported cargo to and from Thailand. News / National by Staff Reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ally and former Gokwe-Nembudziya legislator, Justice Mayor Wadyajena, has survived another Zanu PF chop after party spokesperson, Christopher Mutsvangwa, lifted suspensions on party members.Mutsvangwa said the suspension of several party members including Wadyajena over the past few months were in violation of a standing Politburo order.Wadyejena was suspended last month together with Florence Rwodzi and several other senior executives in Midlands for allegedly undermining the party's candidates ahead of the August elections.Several other party members, including former provincial chairman Larry Mavhima and Jorum Gumbo, the Special Advisor to the President responsible for Monitoring the Implementation of Government Programmes were also threatened with suspension for allegedly failing to campaign for the party.Over 360 party supporters also faced the chop.Several party members were also suspended in Harare province by the Godwills Masimirembwa provincial executive for various reasons, including failure to mobilise supporters for First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa's meeting held at the Mbare Netball Complex.Addressing a press conference in Harare, Mutsvangwa said the suspensions were null because they violated a prohibition order on the action imposed by the politburo.He warned party members to stop the vindictive suspensions, claiming his party was an organised structure that respects party orders."These suspensions are null. People must wait for a directive from the politburo, the standing order from the politburo is that there will not be a suspension," Mutsvangwa told journalists in Harare yesterday."What we don't want in the party is a replica of the chaos that is happening in the opposition. We are an organised party, and we rely on central orders from the President through the politburo."He added: "My sincere advice to party members is to desist from such action until they get direction from the politburo. We don't want chaos. We don't want petty settling of scores at the party, we celebrate our victory. We don't have a reason for anyone to poke our fingers in other people's noses."Wadyejena lost to Flora Buka during the primaries that were allegedly rigged by the Forever Association of Zimbabwe, a shadowy outfit run by the central intelligence organisation.Buka, however, struggled to get numbers at her rallies, with the party provincial executive accusing Wadyajena of sabotaging her campaigns.Party supporters from the constituency insisted they still wanted Wadyajena as their candidate.Several meetings to try to unite party candidates with those who lost during primaries were held but no common ground was reached.A disciplinary hearing for Wadyajena was abandoned after party members failed to show up.Wadyejena was, however, later suspended on charges of sabotaging Buka.Several other aspiring MPs who lost during the primaries were also suspended, together with their campaign team members, a situation that could have caused the biggest carnage in Mnangagwa's backyard.This is not the first time Wadyajena, the proverbial cat, has been threatened with suspension.Last year, the provincial executive also proposed his suspension after he was arrested on allegations of corruption involving US$ 5 million money from the Cotton Company ay of Zimbabwe.The proposal failed to find takers after it emerged party bigwigs were backing him. Even by the normal standards of investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS), Pfizer and BioNtechs lawsuit against the government of Poland for refusing to take delivery of more unwanted vaccines is especially egregious. Investor State Dispute Settlements, commonly abbreviated to ISDS, rightly have a bad rep, especially among the worlds poorer countries. ISDS clauses in bilateral or collective investment trade agreements effectively allow privately owned overseas corporations to sue entire nations if they feel that a law has lost them, or in some cases could lose them, money on their investment. It is what gives todays predominantly corporate-friendly trade treaties their claws and their teeth. This is a topic we have covered both widely and in depth over the past decade. One of my own bailiwicks, Latin America, continues to top the investment arbitration caseload at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), accounting for 28% of the total of registered cases by June 2022. Even the worlds richest countries are beginning to fret about ISDS clauses, as Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a former UN Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development, documented in an article we cross-posted last month. But even by the normal standards of investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS), Pfizer and BioNtechs lawsuit against the government of Poland over its refusal to continue paying for their COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is especially egregious, for reasons I will explain a little later. Starting this Wednesday, the suit will be heard in Belgium, the country where the EU Commission signed its notorious vaccine deal with Pfizer-BioNTech, worth up to $36 billion. The suit will take place as both companies report falling revenues and sliding profits. Public demand for their biggest selling product, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines they co-developed, is a shadow of its former self, for obvious reasons. This has been reflected in their market performance: since their August 2021 peak, BioNtechs shares are down almost 75% from their peak while Pfizers have fallen by half. Force Majeure: Ukraine War The two companies are suing the Polish government for combined damages of 6 billion Polish zloty (1.4 billion). In a statement to the British Medical Journal, Pfizer said the formal proceedings follow a prolonged contractual breach, and lengthy discussions: Poland placed a binding order and purchased all the doses that are in dispute and agreed to a specific delivery schedule in respect of those doses. Poland has, however, refused to take delivery of those doses. Pfizer and BioNTech believe it is important that all parties respect their contractual obligations under the agreement that has facilitated and underpinned the successful European pandemic response. Now, according to Dziennek Gazeta Prawna, the Polish financial newspaper that first broke the story about Pfizer and BioNTechs lawsuit against Poland, Hungary has also stopped taking delivery of its Pfizer BioNtech vaccines and is also facing legal action. An article published in the newspaper on Monday claims that both Visegrad countries cited a force majeure clause in their vaccine contract. The war in Ukraine, they said, had led to millions of Ukrainian refugees flowing across their borders and into their towns and cities, draining their public coffers of much-needed funds (machine translated): The Hungarian government refused to accept further deliveries of vaccines, citing, like Poland, the need to accept refugees from Ukraine and the related expenses, as well as problems with storing the preparation and the lack of demand for further vaccinations. This is an unprecedented case, mainly due to the unique nature of the agreements that Pfizer has concluded with Poland, Hungary and the rest of the EU 25. This will be the first such trial, a person from Brussels familiar with the matter tells us. Due to its sensitivity the proceedings are just beginning he (or she) wishes to remain anonymous. As he (or she) explains, Pfizers contracts with Poland, Hungary and other EU member states are not standard contracts, so there are no precedents for this situation. The total value of the agreement negotiated by the European Commission is approximately EUR 34 billion. The lawsuit, or possibly lawsuits, are especially egregious for three main reasons. Reason #1: An Unsafe and Ineffective Product Pfizer-BioNTechs COVID-19 vaccines are in much lower demand in Europe, as just about everywhere else, for a good reason: they have proven to be not nearly as safe nor as effective as their manufacturers had originally claimed. In fact, the contract the EU Commission originally signed with Pfizer-BioNtech which was published, in full unredacted form, by Italian broadcaster RAI in April 2021 includes the following provision (at the bottom of page 48): The Participating Member State further acknowledges that the long-term effects and efficacy of the vaccine are not currently known and there may be adverse effects of the Vaccine that are not currently known. In other words, both the European Commission and the governments of European member states knew perfectly well that there was no way of knowing whether the vaccines were either safe or effective, yet they told a very different story to the European public. Lest we forget, the Commissions Green Pass vaccine passport system which the World Health Organisation has announced it planss to use as a template for a global digital health certificate helped to ensure there was healthy demand for the vaccines, at least in the first year of their roll out. Now that most people have cottoned on to the mRNA vaccines abject lack of efficacy and safety and are no longer willing to roll up their sleeves for more booster shots, EU governments are sitting on vast stockpiles of unwanted vials. This is particularly true of many countries in Central and Eastern Europe where vaccine uptake was already low to begin with. By the summer off 2022 a coalition of 10 nations was asking for the deal to be renegotiated. Poland was joined by Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. As I reported in January, Germanys government had accumulated more than 150 million unused vials in its central warehouse and was even talking of cancelling or reducing the additional orders it had made. That was enough to get the European Commission, kicking and screaming, back to the negotiating table. But the result of that renegotiation was a deal that was still far more favourable to Pfizer than it was to European taxpayers. According to Martin Sonneborn, a German MEP and former editor-in-chief of the German Satirical magazine Titanic, the result of the deal was to replace Pfizers existing 10 BILLION payment obligation with a 10 BILLION payment obligation to Pfizer, albeit spread out over a longer period of time. Reason #2: Pfizergate The second reason why the lawsuit is especially egregious, even by usual ISDS standards, is that the EUs purchases of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are themselves the subject of a criminal investigation. Thats right: Pfizer and BioNTech are trying to force payment through the Belgian court system of a contract that is being investigated by the Luxembourg-based European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO) for criminal malpractice. Meanwhile, BioNtech is facing a rash of lawsuits in its native Germany for suspected injuries and adverse events caused by its COVID-19 vaccine while Pfizer is facing a trial in Texas for misrepresenting the efficacy of its vaccine. The EUs vaccine procurement scandal began in earnest in April 2021 when European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen (whom I shall refer to from now on as VdL) bragged in an interview with the New York Times that she had personally helped secure a massive vaccine deal with Pfizer BioNtech through direct phone conversations and text messages with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. Weeks later, the Commission closed the worlds largest ever pharmaceutical deal, worth apparently 35 billion. Shortly afterwards, the European Commission refused to accede to a Belgian journalists freedom of information (FOI) request for Commission President Ursula von der Leyens text messages with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla the same messages she had boasted about to the New York Times. The Commissions initial response was to stonewall the journalist, arguing that its record-keeping policy would in principle exclude instant messaging. In response, EU Ombudsman Emily OReilly launched an inquiry that concluded that the Commissions refusal to cooperate constituted maladministration. A report by the EUs Court of Auditors found that VdLs participation in preliminary negotiations for the vaccine contract represented a complete departure from the EUs standard negotiating procedures. The Commission refused to provide the auditors with records of the discussions with Pfizer, either in the form of minutes, names of experts consulted, agreed terms, or other evidence. This was enough to trigger a formal investigation into the Commissions acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines by the European Public Prosecutors Office. A Belgian citizen has also denounced the Commission for alleged corruption and destruction of documents. VdL has also faced accusations of conflicts of interest over her husbands role as scientific director at US biotech company Orgenesis, which received around 320 million in subsidies from the Italian government. After Orgenesis received the money, which was backed by EU funds, Heiko von der Leyen was elected to sit on the supervisory board of the project. He would later step down from the board after EU lawmakers and Italian media had drawn attention to his role. While senior EU lawmakers, with help from most European media outlets, are doing everything they can to bury the Pfizergate story, others are refusing to let it go. In January this year, the New York Times lodged a complaint against the Commission in the EUs top court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), arguing that the Commission has a legal obligation to release VdLs text messages, since they could contain information on the blocs deals to purchase billions of euros worth of COVID-19 doses. Reason #3: Potential Chilling Effect Finally, the third reason why the Pfizer-BioNtech lawsuit is especially egregious is that Pfizer-BioNTech has signed similar vaccine contracts with scores of countries around the world. As we reported in March 2021, Pfizer was demanding all sorts of guarantees from national governments to ensure that all payments would be made. In some cases, the companys lawyers requested that governments put up sovereign assets, such as federal bank reserves, embassy buildings and military bases, as insurance against the cost of any future legal cases involving Pfizer BioNTechs vaccine. Many of the contracts allegedly contained punitive clauses to discourage governments from revealing their terms. And many of those same governments are now presumably sitting on huge stockpiles of unwanted COVID-19 vaccines. If Pfizer wins this case and the Polish government is forced to pay out damages, it could have ramifications not only across the EU but beyond its borders. After all, one of the key attractions of high-profile ISDS cases for global corporations is the chilling effect they can have on government policy in other countries. Pfizer and BioNTech may also have a close ally in Polands new government. The incoming administration, led by Donald Tusk, a former prime minister of Poland and ex-president of the EU Council, is likely to be far more aligned with EU positions on key matters than the outgoing government, led by populist firebrand Mateusz Morawiecki of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, including quite possibly on the hugely controversial issue of the Commissions vaccine procurement practices. The suit marks the culmination of a 19-month struggle between Warsaw and Pfizer over a massive glut of vaccine doses, reports Politico Europe, whose article on the lawsuit, like so much of the little press coverage on the Pfizergate scandal, makes virtually no mention of Pfizers German partner, BioNTech.* Polands former health minister Adam Niedzielski branded the new vaccine deal struck by the European Commission earlier this year as absolutely insufficient and unsatisfactory, lambasting Pfizer for demand[ing] payment for those preparations that will not be delivered at more or less half of the full price. Polands government has so far held out, and now Pfizer and BioNTech want to claw back every last cent through Belgiums legal system. If there is a silver lining to all of this, it is that new details of the EUs negotiations with Pfizer may seep out during the trial. And that is probably the last thing Commission President von der Leyen wants right now. VdL is already facing growing criticism around Europe over her woeful handling of the war in Ukraine, her role in the EUs self-harming sanctions on Russia and her unwavering support for Israels war crimes in Gaza. She has also faced reprimands, including from the Commissions chief diplomat Josep Borrell, for failing to consult EU capitals properly before making important policy decisions. As the conservative Spanish daily La Razon noted in a short piece on Sunday, the cases against VdL are growing. * As independent journalist Robert Kogon has noted, this may have something to do with the fact that Politico Europe is owned by the German media conglomerate Axel Springer, which, like the German government and the EU Commission, has played a huge role in promoting BioNTech. The company also received significant seed funding in its early years from two successive German governments both headed by Angela Merkel and in which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen performed a variety of roles, including most notably (and most notoriously) as minister of defence as well as 150 million in debt financing from the EUs European Investment Bank (EIB), under the stewardship of its long-standing president, former German foreign office official Werner Hoyer. Israeli AI assassination factory plays central role in the Gaza war Tel Aviv has been relying on an AI Program dubbed the Gospel to select targets in Gaza at a rapid pace. In past operations in Gaza, the IDF ran out of targets to strike in the besieged enclave. (Article by Kyle Anzalone republished from News.AntiWar.com) A statement on the IDF website says the Israeli military is using the Gospel to produce targets at a fast pace. It continues, Through the rapid and automatic extraction of intelligence, the Gospel produced targeting recommendations for its researchers with the goal of a complete match between the recommendation of the machine and the identification carried out by a person. Aviv Kochavi, former head of the IDF, said the system was first used in the May 2021 bombing campaign in Gaza. To put that into perspective, in the past we would produce 50 targets in Gaza per year, he said. Now, this machine produces 100 targets a single day, with 50% of them being attacked. The IDF does not disclose what it inputs into the Gospel for the program to produce a list of targets. Thursday, the Israeli outlet +972 Magazine reported Tel Aviv was using AI to pick targets in Gaza. A former Israeli official told the +972 that the Gospel was being used as a mass assassination factory. The program is selecting the home of suspected low-level Hamas members for destruction. Sources told the outlet that strikes on homes can kill numerous civilians. One source was critical of the Gospel. I remember thinking that it was like if [Palestinian militants] would bomb all the private residences of our families when [Israeli soldiers] go back to sleep at home on the weekend, they said. On Friday, the Guardian expanded on the +972 article by reporting that the Gospel plays a central role in the Gaza military operations. A former senior Israeli military source told the Guardian that operatives use a very accurate calculation of the number or rate of civilians fleeing a building before an impending strike. However, other experts disputed that assertion. A lawyer who advises governments on AI and compliance with humanitarian law told the outlet there was little empirical evidence to support the claim. During the nearly two-month-long conflict, Israel has hit over 15,000 targets. According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Israel has dropped more than 25,000 tonnes of explosives on the Gaza Strip. The IDF reports that it has only killed between 1,000 and 2,000 suspected Hamas members. At the same time, at least 15,000 civilians have been killed, including 6,000 children. Richard Moyes, a researcher who heads Article 36, said the images of Gaza prove the Israeli bombing of Gaza has not focused on accuracy. Look at the physical landscape of Gaza, he explained. Were seeing the widespread flattening of an urban area with heavy explosive weapons, so to claim theres precision and narrowness of force being exerted is not borne out by the facts. This week, the BBC reviewed drone and satellite images of Gaza and determined that over 100,000 buildings have sustained damage. Israeli sources speaking with +972 also disputed the claim that the IDF has attempted to avoid civilian casualties. A senior intelligence officer told his officers after October 7 that the goal was to kill as many Hamas operatives as possible, for which the criteria around harming Palestinian civilians were significantly relaxed, the outlet reported. A second source said that the massive bombing campaign was due to the embarrassment the Israeli government suffered on October 7. All of this is happening contrary to the protocol used by the IDF in the past, they stated. There is a feeling that senior officials in the army are aware of their failure on October 7, and are busy with the question of how to provide the Israeli public with an image [of victory] that will salvage their reputation. On Thursday, the New York Times reported that the Israeli government had been aware of Hamass plans for October 7 for more than a year. The article explained that Israeli officials believe Hamas lacked the capability to attack and would not dare to do so. That belief was so ingrained in the Israeli government, officials said, that they disregarded growing evidence to the contrary. Read more at: News.AntiWar.com Mass bank branch closures and troubled real estate sector point to impending U.S. financial crisis Many of the countrys biggest banks have been closing local branches left and right lately, and some financial experts are warning that even more problems will follow and it could all be headed toward a financial crisis. The nations sixth-biggest bank, PNC, recently confirmed it would be closing 19 branches around the United States. This might not be that worrying if it werent for the fact that PNC closed 203 more branches earlier this year. Most of the branches that are being closed are in Pennsylvania, although branches in Texas, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Indiana and Alabama will also be closing for good. Although the bank has said that the shift to digital banking is behind the move, many customers have expressed a preference for traditional banking methods, particularly older Americans. Many bankers report that even the most tech-savvy clients still seek physical bank offices for interactions such as managing major transactions like significant loans, opening new accounts, or seeking financial advice. Moreover, having branches in high-traffic areas is an important part of marketing in some areas. Apparently, the need to cut costs as banks struggle financially outweighs these concerns. PNC wasnt the only American bank to announce branch closures recently; the same week, Citizens Bank announced it would be closing eight branches, while Bank of America closed five. (Bank of America, which is the second largest American bank, has announced it will close as many as 138 locations this year.) Citibank closed two branches and U.S. Bank filed for seven branch closures. JPMorgan Chase announced 18 filings for closures, including branches in Ohio, South Carolina, Connecticut, New York and Florida. A number of smaller banks also closed single branches. Taken together, banks filed to close 64 branches throughout the U.S. in the span of just one week, which is a troubling sign for the state of banking right now. Real estate sector suffering from falling prices Making matters worse is the current situation of the real estate industry, with existing home sales dropping to alarmingly low levels. New home prices are also falling, registering a 17.6 percent drop from one year ago. Moreover, a joint report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed that the sales of new construction homes dropped by 5.6 percent last month. Axios recently reported that a rising proportion of homeowners have been selling their homes for less than they paid when they bought them, with some homeowners even racking up losses of six figures. In the period from August to October of this year, more than 3 percent of American homes were sold at a loss, a notable rise from the 2.4 percent registered a year ago. Redfin indicates that the median loss on these transactions was roughly $40,000. San Francisco was especially hard hit, with one in seven homeowners there losing money when selling their home; the median loss in the city was more than $122,000. Commercial real estate is not faring much better, with the volume of delinquent commercial mortgage-backed security loans rising by more than 49 percent between the beginning of the year and the end of October. This is mainly being attributed to office buildings, which saw a 261 percent rise in delinquency volumes during the same period. Office occupancy rates are dropping throughout the nation as people increasingly opt to work from home. Unfortunately, the banking and real estate markets woes have historically preceded financial crises, and some financial experts believe we could well be headed in that direction right now. Sources for this article include: InfoWars.com Axios.com Connecticuts Democratic governor pulls plug on plan to ban sale of gas cars by 2035 Democratic Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has withdrawn proposed regulations that would have phased out and completely banned the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. The Legislative Regulation Review Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly was set to hold a hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 28, to vote on Lamont's proposed ban on the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. (Related: BURNING CASH, NOT GAS: Federal, state subsidies for EVs cost $50,000 per car over a 10-year period.) But on Monday, legislative sources confirmed to local news outlets that the committee had held off on the scheduled vote due to Lamont fearing that the controversial proposed regulation would not be able to pass the committee. Republican leaders who opposed the plan from the beginning lauded the governor's decision, calling it a victory for working and middle-class families in the state. "Adopting California emission standards with ban the sale of gas-powered cars is a substantial policy shift which must be decided by the General Assembly," said State Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly. "There are too many questions regarding the capacity of our electric grid, the cost and location of grid improvements, and the negative impact on urban, rural and working poor families." Connecticut Democrats working on new anti-gas car plans following ban withdrawal Despite this clear defeat, state Democrats are still working on a compromise plan that could eventually see an end to the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles in Connecticut. Democratic State House Speaker Matt Ritter said he and other State House Democrats plan to meet to discuss possible legislation to address concerns about gas vehicle regulations. Ritter wants to address some of the main concerns that Republicans have pointed out, including the high cost of electric vehicles, the availability of charging stations and the ability of the state's electric grid to handle the anticipated changeover with the mass adoption of electric vehicles. "We have to do more," said Ritter. "We have to demonstrate to Connecticut residents that this switch will not only save the environment, save lives and save our planet but not leave you in a position where you can no longer afford a vehicle." Republican House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora said he was pleased with Lamont's decision to withdraw the regulations and that he is willing to hear out state Democrats' next proposal. "I'm hoping that this next look will take into consideration the affordability and the impact it's going to have on residents, especially people that live in the cities," said Candelora. "So we really need a broader conversation, looking at the electric grid and the feasibility of being able to do something like this." Should this new attempt to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles in Connecticut pass, it would join a growing number of states following in the footsteps of California's aggressive plan to move toward becoming dominated by electric vehicles. Other states that have recently passed similar bans include Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Learn more about America's electric vehicle expansion at RoboCars.news. Watch this clip of Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman slamming President Joe Biden's electric vehicle push on the floor of the House of Representatives. This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Automakers cut programs and reassess future plans for EV production as consumer demand plummets. Sustainable energy? Individual EV charging stations use equivalent power of 280 homes every single hour. EVs on the verge of becoming UNINSURABLE due to HIGH COST of battery repairs. FreedomWorks economist predicts EVs will be the auto industry's "NEXT BIG FLOP." Automakers are abandoning plans to mass-produce EVs: People are finally seeing reality, says Toyota chairman. Sources include: 100PercentFedUp.com WTNH.com Courant.com NBCConnecticut.com Brighteon.com News / National by Staff reporter CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy spokesperson Gift "Ostallos" Siziva has called on Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister Mthuli Ncube to reverse his decision to tax house owners arguing that the move would choke pensioners who receive paltry monthly payouts.Siziva made the call at a campaign rally in Nketa constituency ahead of the December 9 by-elections.He said Ncube's budget was faulty since it was presented in Zimdollars after several attempts to persuade him to use hard currency fell on deaf ears."There is no country that has developed its economy by over-taxing people in the world of economics. He says he owns a house worth US$100 000, and pays 1%."We have pensioners today, these are the people who own these houses worth US$100 000 but they are no longer getting paid."They made contributions to the National Social Security Authority but others die in bank queues and Ncube tells them he wants US$$10 000 from them every month."Siziva said it was also unfair to tax residents who were failing to make ends meet."These are the elderly people and you are over-taxing them because they (ministers) do not pay rentals," Siziva said.Ncube, in his 2024 national budget, proposed a tax of 1% for every house worth more than US$100 000 but Siziva warned that Zimbabwe's liberation struggle was prompted by over-taxing of black people."Do not forget that at some stage, the poor will remain with nothing to eat while everything is centralised in Harare."If someone wants to go to Harare from Gwanda, he will have to part with US$30 for tollgate fees, the danger is that people will start to evade tax, leading to corruption," he said. The responsibility to not report: Irish journalist defends suppressing stories for the public good We have been discussing the latest Irish law to crackdown on free speech. Yet, even with the criminalization of speech, there is apparently still the danger of citizens reading or hearing facts from reporters that are best kept from them. Thus, Kitty Holland, a correspondent with the Irish Times , is defending the medias decision to suppress stories that would incite hatred and undermine journalistic viewpoints. (Article by Jonathan Turley republished from JonathanTurley.org) The comments came in a BBC interview regarding the victim impact statement of the boyfriend of Ashling Murphy, who was murdered in 2022 by an immigrant. Ryan Casey stated in part: It just sickens me to the core that someone can come to this country, be fully supported in terms of social housing, social welfare, and free medical care for over 10 years over 10 years never hold down a legitimate job, and never once contribute to society in any way shape or form can commit such a horrendous evil act of incomprehensible violence on such a beautiful, loving and talented person who in fact, worked for the state, educating the next generation and represented everything that is good about Irish society. I feel like this country is no longer the country that Ashling and I grew up in, and Ireland has officially lost its innocence when a crime of this magnitude can be perpetrated in broad daylight. This country needs to wake up. This time, things have got to change, we have to once and for all start putting the safety of not only Irish people but everybody in this country who works hard, pays taxes, raises families and overall contributes to society first. We dont want to see any other family in this country go through what we have gone through and are continuing to go through. I myself have a little sister and honestly, just the thought of her walking the streets of any village, town or city in this country alone makes me physically sick and quite frankly absolutely terrifies me as this country is simply not safe anymore! This time, if real change does not happen, if the safety of people living in this country is further ignored, Im afraid our country is heading down a very dangerous path and you can be certain that we will not be the last family to be in this position. The host asked: Those were very interesting comments, werent they? Holland disagreed and said that they had to be suppressed in the best interests of the public: I think elements of them were not good,. They were incitement to hatred, and I think thats why the media left out aspects of them. I think they were right to not include [Caseys full comments in news reports]. I dont think that they were helpful, and this is the kind of thing that the far right latches on to. What was striking was the ease with which Holland moves directly into the suppression of a story as the guardian of the public good. Some news is simply not helpful so the media should not allow the public to be exposed to it. Holland previously won the Journalist of the Year, News Reporter of the Year, and the Overall winner of the Justice Media Awards. Hollands view is consistent with many in the media in the United States today. I have long been a critic of what I called advocacy journalism as it began to emerge in journalism schools. These schools encourage students to use their lived expertise and to leave[] neutrality behind. Instead, of neutrality, they are pushing solidarity [as] a commitment to social justice that translates into action. For example, we previously discussed the release of the results of interviews with over 75 media leaders by former executive editor for The Washington Post Leonard Downie Jr. and former CBS News President Andrew Heyward. They concluded that objectivity is now considered reactionary and even harmful. Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, editor-in-chief at the San Francisco Chronicle said it plainly: Objectivity has got to go. Saying that Objectivity has got to go is, of course, liberating. You can dispense with the necessities of neutrality and balance. You can cater to your base like columnists and opinion writers. Sharing the opposing view is now dismissed as bothsidesism. Done. No need to give credence to opposing views. It is a familiar reality for those of us in higher education, which has been increasingly intolerant of opposing or dissenting views. Downie recounted how news leaders today believe that pursuing objectivity can lead to false balance or misleading bothsidesism in covering stories about race, the treatment of women, LGBTQ+ rights, income inequality, climate change and many other subjects. And, in todays diversifying newsrooms, they feel it negates many of their own identities, life experiences and cultural contexts, keeping them from pursuing truth in their work. There was a time when all journalists shared a common identity as professionals who were able to separate their own bias and values from the reporting of the news. Now, objectivity is virtually synonymous with prejudice. Kathleen Carroll, former executive editor at the Associated Press declared Its objective by whose standard? That standard seems to be White, educated, and fairly wealthy. In an interview with The Stanford Daily, Stanford journalism professor, Ted Glasser, insisted that journalism needed to free itself from this notion of objectivity to develop a sense of social justice. He rejected the notion that journalism is based on objectivity and said that he views journalists as activists because journalism at its best and indeed history at its best is all about morality. Thus, Journalists need to be overt and candid advocates for social justice, and its hard to do that under the constraints of objectivity. Lauren Wolfe, the fired freelance editor for the New York Times, has not only gone public to defend her pro-Biden tweet but published a piece titled Im a Biased Journalist and Im Okay With That. Former New York Times writer (and now Howard University Journalism Professor) Nikole Hannah-Jones is a leading voice for advocacy journalism. Indeed, Hannah-Jones has declared all journalism is activism. At the same time, outlets like National Public Radio have abandoned the rule that journalists should not engage in public protests. NPR declared that it would allow employees to participate in political protests when the editors believe the causes advance the freedom and dignity of human beings. So it remained up to the editors if a reporter could join a pro-life protest (unlikely) or a pro-gun control protest (very likely). Likewise, American politicians (including Barack Obama) have called upon the media to actively frame news to shape public opinion. This includes support for the widespread censorship of opposing views on social media. The Holland interview shows how matter-of-fact the cause of censorship has become for reporters. The immediate question is not whether it was news to report (which it certainly was), but whether the news would further the cause or narrative of the media. There has always been media bias, but it is now openly acknowledged and embraced by reporters. They view themselves now as the guardians protecting citizens from harmful information or news that they cannot put into the proper perspective. Information is treated like sugary drinks under the Big Gulp laws, you are better off having others decide what is healthy for you to consume . . . or to know. Read more at: JonathanTurley.org Israels GENOCIDE in Gaza leads to rising global pro-Palestine sentiment Israel's massively violent campaign against Palestinian civilians in Gaza has led to an outpouring of support for Palestinian freedom around the world, including in the United States In less than two months of indiscriminate land, sea and air bombing, not to mention a currently paused ground invasion of northern Gaza and proposals for an offensive into southern Gaza, Israel has killed more than 15,000 Palestinians. Most of these deaths are women and children. (Related: Former Israeli gov't minister claims final solution for Gaza is FORCED EXPULSION of all 2M Palestinians.) This onslaught of violence led to a massive backlash that Israel did not expect. Hundreds of thousands of protesters all over the world, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, marched and demonstrated and held boycotts and other protest actions against the brutality of Israel's campaign supposedly only against Hamas and Tel Aviv's refusal to respect international law governing the rights of civilians caught in warzones. Politically, countries like Saudi Arabia that were moving toward normalizing relations with Israel are now thinking twice before doing so. Economically, boycotts have had a severe economic effect on outwardly pro-Israeli companies, especially in the Middle East and in Islamic Southeast Asia. Branches of chains targeted by boycotts have reportedly been deserted, and people are flocking to alternatives to products provided by pro-Israeli manufacturers. "Mass pro-Palestinian protests, calls to boycott companies over their ties to Israel, and more, are generating political shifts in Arab countries and the West," writes academic Mohammed Sinan Siyech. "It is clear that the current hostilities have brought large numbers of people across the world around to supporting the Palestinian cause and the end of Israeli occupation, even if the leaders of their countries have been slow to respond." Support for Palestine in America increasing This clear rise in support for Palestinian freedom is most apparent in the U.S., perhaps Israel's staunchest ally, where unconditional support for Israel is decreasing at the same time. In one major poll released by Quinnipiac University in mid-November, the number of prospective voters who sympathized with Palestinians increased by double digits compared to a similar Quinnipiac survey held right after the current conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out, from 13 percent to 24 percent. Most voters 54 percent are still more sympathetic toward Israelis than toward Palestinians, but the decrease from 61 percent in the previous survey shows that Israel's indiscriminate violence against Palestinians in Gaza is having an effect. Young voters, aged 18 to 34, were much more likely to be more sympathetic to the Palestinians, with 52 percent saying their sympathies lie more with Palestinians and 29 percent with the Israelis. Voters over the age of 65 were 65 percent more likely to say that their sympathies lie more with Israelis than with Palestinians. In another poll conducted by Reuter and Ipsos, a vast majority of Americans 68 percent believe Israel should call for a long-term ceasefire and negotiate with Gazans. This is clearly represented in the thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators that have gathered all over the U.S. demanding a ceasefire and an end to unconditional American aid to Israel. Watch this clip of British sociologist David Miller discussing how Israel's violence against Gazans is making people around the world realize how genocidal the state is. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Former Jewish State Department official cheers on Palestinian genocide, says more children in Gaza need to die. Israel using depleted uranium weapons to wage GENETIC WAR on Palestine; newborns there now showing genetic DEFORMITIES. Ethnic cleansing of Gaza is harming Israel's reputation and leading to more bloodshed, says author Steven Ben-Nun. Israel PURPOSELY targeting innocent women and children in Gaza to level fertility playing field: "The plan is to kill the children." Gaza's dwindling Palestinian Christian community could be COMPLETELY WIPED OUT by Israeli attacks. Sources include: GlobalResearch.ca Axios.com WSJ.com SCMP.com Politico.com ResponsibleStatecraft.org Brighteon.com Millions of people with natural immunity were given COVID jabs due to baseless CDC recommendations that lacked supporting data After enduring the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, tens of millions of survivors who inevitably achieved natural immunity, were ultimately manipulated to take part in a series of unnecessary vaccine experiments. This is the conclusion of a new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that exposed the CDC's recommendations as baseless and lacking underlying data. We were repeatedly told that the 2020 coronavirus pandemic was the deadliest pandemic in a century, and would continue unless we all got vaccinated. We were told in 2021 that we were living in a pandemic of the unvaccinated. People's lives were threatened to maximize compliance with this savior vaccine. During this time of lies and deceit, natural exposure was forbidden, with masks and isolation to enforce the experiment. Natural immunity was considered a myth. CDC sold millions more COVID vaccines by manipulating people who already had natural immunity The steady dose of propaganda was uniform across the corporate media, almost as if it was planned in 2019 at Event 201. Any dissent against the vaccine orthodoxy was labeled misinformation and was either discredited or removed from social media by a network of all-knowing fact checkers. As 2021 began, individuals were bribed and lined up by age group and social status to take part in something that was all for the greater good. Some Christian churches, shuttered by government lockdowns in 2020, dutifully opened their doors just to get these shots into peoples arms. These experimental vaccines (brought to market in one tenth of the time of what is clinically prudent) were designed (allegedly) to protect against an infection that most people had already contracted and had natural immunity to. Assuming the vaccines worked at the time, there was still no scientific precedent to inoculate people for an infection that they already had antibodies for. But the CDCs bio-terrorism operation dictated public policy at that time, driving the population into states of hysteria, isolation, and family separation, while reversing decades of scientific and epidemiological precedent. CDCs mass vaccination experiment and dismissal of natural immunity relied on no data The longstanding precedent of natural immunity didnt matter to the public health authorities. The CDC insisted that people with prior infection be inoculated despite having natural immunity. According to the FOIA request, we now know for sure that the CDCs forceful recommendation was based on a Big Pharma-funded study that lacked underlying data to support its claims. The CDC published the study on their November 9, 2021 edition of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The study, made public on Oct. 29, 2021, concluded that unvaccinated individuals with previous COVID-19 infection were five times more likely to contract COVID again, compared to vaccinated individuals. It turns out that the CDCs claims were all nonsense, with no underlying data to support them. In fact, the CDC admits that they never saw the data for the study. The beleaguered agency admitted that the data is held by an "external partner organization and was maintained by a contractor." Worse, the CDC also acknowledged that "CDC subject matter experts didn't receive copies of the raw data prior to the contract termination." That data is no longer available and the general public will never know what it actually showed. Interestingly enough, in the conflicts-of-interest section of the study, the authors noted that the study itself was sponsored by several pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck, Sanofi, and GlaxoSmithKline. At least four of the pharmaceutical companies were involved in the manufacture and sale of the COVID-19 vaccines. The many conflicts of interest were disregarded by the CDC. Instead of scrutinizing the findings and tracing the data behind the studys conclusions, the CDC sought to ignore all underlying data and publish the studys false narrative. The CDC pushed the false narrative on the same day the study was released as a preprint, leaving no time for any sort of review. At the very least, the CDC negligently misled the public. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Dossier.today NaturalNews.com Twitter.com Twitter.com Less drama and fewer distractions: Minnesota middle school students happier after smartphone ban Too much screen time is bad for young students, but it looks like a middle school in Minnesota has found a way to address the issue. According to school officials, one middle school banned student cell phones a year ago and it resulted in a stark difference in students' behavior and mood. Ban follows spate of school issues linked to smartphones Patrick Smith, Maple Grove Middle School's principal, said that the ban "is game-changing and will have lasting impacts" on students for years to come. Before the ban was enforced, Smith said that students didn't have meaningful conversations. There was also no interaction in the hallways. The principal said that smartphones often cause "drama" among students, particularly teenagers, along with conflict that can negatively affect their daily lives. Smith explained that the ban started in 2022, when school officials forbade student cell phone use for the entire school day, from 8:10 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. The ban was enforced after several issues linked to smartphones erupted. In an interview for the Chad Hartman Show, Smith said that smartphone use has resulted in bullying among students, with some engaging in fights. Other students were also exposed to negative issues and conversations on social media. The distraction from learning was also a major issue with smartphones. With the new policy, Maple Grove Middle School students are advised to keep their phones in their lockers. If students are caught using them, their devices are confiscated for the rest of the day. When school officials discussed the idea with parents ahead of implementation, Smith said the response was very positive. In fact, parents applauded after the plan was announced. There was no opposition from the parents. A year after the ban was enforced, Smith happily reported that the results speak for themselves. Overall, Maple Grove Middle School students were happy and "engaging with each other." It remains to be seen how the ban has affected academics overall, but feedback from parents suggests that it was helpful. Kim Gellen, one of the parents, said that her son is "thriving and really focused and doing really well." He even participates in class discussions, according to her son's teachers. The positive results at Maple Grove have reinforced Republican state Rep. Kristin Robbins efforts to bring the change to other schools in Minnesota. She believes that this is an area with potential for great progress. Studies have found that frequent cell phone use is a mental distraction and smartphone users are often occupied with constantly checking their phones for updates. One study from Common Sense Media that analyzed the smartphone data of 200 students revealed that at least 97 percent of 11- to 17-year-olds use their phones during the school day. It also reported that the amount of in-school screen time ranged from less than a minute to 6.5 hours, with a median time of 43 minutes. In addition, the study showed that students picked up their phones a median of 51 times per day, though pickup amounts ranged from two to 498 times per day. Meanwhile, data from the the National Center for Education Statistics revealed that 91 percent of schools banned non-academic use of phones during the 2009 to 2010 school year, a figure that declined to 66 percent from 2015 to 2016, before rebounding to 77 percent from 2019 to 2020. How to help children and teenagers develop healthy tech habits Follow the tips below to help your children find balance between technology and real-world experiences. Set clear boundaries To establish healthy tech habits, set clear boundaries with your children. You can do this by defining limits on weekdays and weekends, along with meal times and before bedtime. Clear boundaries provide structure and help children understand the importance of moderation. Lead by example With technology, children often imitate the behavior of their parents. Set a strong example by being mindful of your smartphone use. Limiting your screen time and your children's can help them have a more balanced view of what constitutes responsible media use. (Related: Screen time linked to developmental delays in young children.) Create tech-free zones at home If your children are having a hard time limiting their phone use, create tech-free zones, like the dining room and bedrooms, to promote focused, in-person interactions and improve sleep quality. It's also beneficial to limit phone use at home by designating tech-free zones because these zones can serve as sanctuaries for meaningful connections and relaxation. Prioritize quality content As children grow older, they start to develop critical thinking skills and ask more complex questions. As a parent, you can help children explore educational and age-appropriate content that aligns with their interests. Early exposure to quality content can help with cognitive development and critical thinking, which are important for a childs academic success as they get older. Keep in mind that even if technology can be used for educational purposes, gadgets are not a substitute for face-to-face interactions with adults or other children. Discuss how much time is appropriate and how long they can use their phones and other gadgets daily. Monitor apps or games, especially with younger children, and talk to them about the content theyre viewing online or playing with on their devices. Discuss online safety Children and teens must also learn about online safety. Cover important topics such as: Managing privacy settings, which will allow them to choose who sees their posts and who can send them messages. Teach them that they dont have to accept friend requests from strangers or people they dont know well in real life. which will allow them to choose who sees their posts and who can send them messages. Teach them that they dont have to accept friend requests from strangers or people they dont know well in real life. Scams and phishing attempts to keep their data safe. Teach them how to avoid email scams that will ask for payment to receive a prize. Tell them to delete emails from an unfamiliar address and to avoid opening suspicious links or attachments. Engage in joint activities Help children make the most of their devices by finding new and fun ways to make screen time more active and engaging. Use their phone or tablet to play educational games or a game that requires strategy, like checkers. Implement these useful strategies to help your children learn how to balance screen time responsibly. Watch the video below to learn how smartphones can cause addiction, especially in children. This video is from the Kla.TV - English channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Study links BLUE LIGHT from smartphones and tablets to EARLY PUBERTY. New York lawmakers propose new bills to mitigate the negative impact of social media on minors. Parents and school officials of small Irish town unite to BAN SMARTPHONES for children as old as 13. Sources include: AmericanClassroom.com CBSNews.com Medium.com Brighteon.com RNA, DNA contamination in food supply MUCH WORSE than you probably think The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" added a new concept to the public lexicon called, which stands for messenger RNA. We are told that the COVID injections from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are made with mRNA, though it has since come out that mRNA shots do not actually contain mRNA, but rather contain laboratory-made RNA and / or DNA particles that are stronger than mRNA and survive the digestion process. These RNA and DNA jabs, as they are more accurately called, are being administered both to people and animals in the modern age. And the RNA and DNA residues that end up making their way into the foods that people eat is perhaps more serious of a threat to public health than anything else currently in circulation. The World Health Organization (WHO) created a "DNA vaccines" information page on its website that explains in further detail how these injections work. One noteworthy passage reads as follows: "The field of DNA vaccination is developing rapidly. Vaccines currently being developed use not only DNA, but also include adjuncts that assist DNA to enter cells, target it towards specific cells, or that may act as adjuvants in stimulating or directing the immune response." This is a terrifying revelation in that it shows how DNA vaccines as defined by official public health sources are a Trojan Horse that delivers foreign lab-made DNA into cell nuclei, possibly permanently. A research paper discussing all this explains that there are several bacterial species in existence that are capable of transferring vaccine plasmids to mammalian host cells. These bacterial species are basically cell factories capable of producing a very large number of DNA plasmids. The paper further highlights a discovery made by Walter Shaffner in 1980 showing for the first time the occurrence of gene transfer from bacteria to mammalian cells "when tandem copies of the SV40 virus genome, carried by E. coli laboratory strains, were transferred into co-cultured mammalian cells." "Bacterial DNA vaccine delivery systems consist in the internalization of bacteria, harboring a plasmid vector containing the sequence of the gene of interest, by target cells," the paper explains. "Subsequently primary vesicle are formed and then fused to lysosomal compartments where lysis of bacteria occurs, releasing the plasmid DNA into the host's cytosol. The plasmid DNA then migrates to the nucleus of the cell where the gene sequence of interest is transcribed for subsequent transduction and protein synthesis by the host's cells machinery." (Related: Scientists from MIT found that RNA vaccines can be absorbed through the stomach and intestines, so what does this mean for people who eat meat from animals given RNA jabs?) Loophole allows organic foods to contain altered DNA In much simpler terms, DNA vaccines are designed in such a way as to allow pharmaceutical companies to deliver whatever chemical payload they wish using SV40 and other adjuvant constituents. Worse yet, that payload may be self-replicating, taking over a person's genome forever. One of the reasons why Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are lying about their "mRNA" jabs being RNA-based rather than DNA-based is because DNA vaccines are much more of a threat to the body. "If RNA vaccines and treatments are scary, DNA based gene therapies are an absolute nightmare," writes attorney Thomas Renz on his Substack. "... there are billions of line[s] of code that make up the human genome and we cannot even write a few million in an operating system or phone without bugs so why ... would I want someone tinkering with the code that makes me live?" This rapidly advancing field of gene therapy these are not just simple vaccines involves two major components: one being the genetic code to rewrite cells and the other being the vehicle, or adjuvant, used to deliver the new code into the cells. SV40, which causes cancer, is one such adjuvant used in COVID jabs that renders them wildly unsafe. "When the jabs themselves are being made they are essentially distilled from DNA particles down into the 'mRNA' that is in the shots," Renz writes. "It appears that the DNA used to create these mRNA particles is SV40. I say this because we keep finding SV40 in the vials and also because it is a natural fit for the job." If Big Pharma so easily lied about these shots being mRNA when the reality is that they are actually modRNA, it is not wild speculation to assume that the pharmaceutical industry also intentionally allowed modified SV40 DNA to also exist inside COVID jab vials, despite not being labeled and approved as such. Concerning the food supply, there are a number of DNA vaccines for animals that are already being injected into cows, chickens, pigs and other animals consumed by humans. Based on what we now know concerning the negative effects of these DNA vaccines once inside their mammalian hosts, it only makes sense that humans are effectively eating modRNA, including DNA and RNA fragments, in meat. Choosing only certified organic meat, in this case, will not necessarily protect you and your family because of a loophole in the Organic Food Act of the United States that allows food animals given genetically modified (GMO) "vaccines" to still be labeled "organic." "In light of the fact that the good people at big pharma have worked so hard to create transmissible vaccines that can survive through the food supply we need to ask ourselves whether there are any ulterior motives here," Renz says. Learn more about the biotechnological takeover of the food supply at GMO.news. Sources for this article include: TomRenz.substack.com ResearchGate.net NaturalNews.com Spike Protein Syndrome STILL in FULL EFFECT 2 years later yet most of the injected masses have no clue whats happening to them Not one single person injected with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine can figure out what is happening to their body, brain, and overall functioning, and neither can their doctors. Millions of protein prions created by mRNA "technology" have invaded their vascular system, their cleansing organs, their reproductive organs, and their brains, and the symptoms of Spike Protein Syndrome (SPS) range from minor and recurring to massive deadly, including sudden "unexplainable" death. Medical doctors cannot DARE mention it, if they can even get their own heads around it, as the medical industrial complex tells them what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and to do nothing else. This involves billions of dollars daily in diagnostic testing, blood work, more vaccines and deadly prescription drugs (that still only address the symptoms, never the root cause). Yes, SPS, Spike Protein Syndrome, is sweeping the nation and the world like a pandemic, and the injected sheeple and their doctors are all like ostriches with their heads buried in the sand. Welcome to the gain of function plandemic, with 270 million Americans involved in the biggest medical experiment of our age. Over 270 million Americans are guinea pigs in Big Pharma's ultimate "inside job" New studies reveal more than HALF of all COVID-19 vaxxed sheeple feel sick up to at least a whole year later, and their quality of life has significantly declined due directly to the Wuhan virus stabs. Follow the bouncing ball. COVID-19 vaccine recipients are suffering needlessly from health complications from spike proteins and graphene nanoparticles being created relentlessly by their mRNA-reprogrammed cells, and this clogs and clots their vascular system, straining the heart. Plus, the virus-mimicking protein prions invade their cleansing organs and their brain, sending the immune system into shock, telling it to ATTACK those vital organs to kill the parasites (but the parasites are now created by their own body, every minute, every hour, every day, possibly forever. Yes, a study published at ScienceDirect just this month examined PCVS (post COVID vaccine syndrome) to assess these people's quality of life, and the news was grim, to say the least. It gets worse. The quality of life of those suffering from post-COVID-vax-syndrome got WORSE after twelve months. Those who were ignorant enough to take the COVID booster shots that Gain-of-Function-Fauci highly recommended had far higher PCVS than everyone else. It gets spooky too. PCVS debilitating health conditions are very similar to long-term COVID. Could it be the peptides from the snake venom? That would explain all the miscarriages of pregnant women who got jabbed, and people experiencing hallucinations and major organ failure. Time for all the naysayers to check the VenomTech website for more information about medicine made from deadly venoms, including these so-called COVID "vaccinations" that aren't really vaccines at all. Many perfectly healthy people are rushing to the hospital with sharp shooting pains in their brain that nobody can explain, including their doctors, who all seem even more confused after exhaustive and expensive diagnostic testing. Others suffer swelling of the heart muscle, and sudden "rare" blood clots that aren't even made of blood (just white rubbery stuff with heavy metals in it -- hence the nanoparticles chelating). Many others suffer from relentless lethargy, having no energy or motivation to even keep living their lives (lives that they enjoyed before they got the COVID jabs). It's important to note that no financial or interpersonal conflicts have affected the study results, and that is one reason you won't see this vital information published via mainstream media, including being searchable via Google. Still, the National Library of Medicine analyzed over 80 articles confirming cardiovascular complications in over 17,000 people who got stuck with the mRNA prion-creating jab, and that includes nearly 300 of those folks dying from it. Bookmark Vaccines.news to your favorite independent websites for updates on experimental gene therapy injections that lead directly to vascular clots, hypertension, myocarditis, pericarditis, heart attacks, strokes, PCVS, SPS and Long-Vax-Syndrome. Sources for this article include: Pandemic.news ScienceDirect.com TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Quayle: Systematic takedown and takeover of U.S. banking system is ALREADY HAPPENING Steve Quayle has warned that the U.S. banking system is in the midst of a systematic takedown and takeover "We're watching the systematic takedown and takeover of banking," he told the Health Ranger Mike Adams during an appearance on the "Health Ranger Report" program. "People [will] lose money, [and] they will be herded into whatever digital currency or controlled medium of the day." Adams attested to this, noting how Americans are now seeing massive automated clearing house (ACH) failures among major banks across the U.S. including one instance in early November. According to him, the issue was traced back to a file error in one of the clearing houses under the ACH system. This resulted in millions of transfers either failing or being delayed, rendering people unable to receive their paychecks and make automatic payments. The Health Ranger then asked Quayle if this was a sign of the banking system's fragility and the early stage of its collapse. In reply, Quayle said America is in the middle of the banking collapse. To make things worse, even the Federal Reserve has informed American banks affected with the ACH problem to deal with it themselves. (Related: Banking system showing more signs of COLLAPSE as customers report widespread deposit delays.) Moreover, Quayle said the ACH transfer mechanism was barely able to do 60,000 transfers because of a cyberattack. While these cyberattacks are indeed taking place, news of these are often kept secret as banks do not want to trigger panic in the general population. Up to 90 percent of people who use online banking were unable to get through due to this interference. Banks were not the only victims, Quayle added, as e-trade was downed as well. Cyberattacks against banks could be ENGINEERED to pave the way for CBDCs According to the Health Ranger, the U.S. financial system falling victim to cyberattacks only shows its fragility. He pointed out, however, that elements of these crises may be engineered in order to corral people into accepting so-called central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). "It's like they need a failure of the banking system to scare everybody into trusting the Fed's digital system," Adams told Quayle. The Natural News and Brighteon.com founder then asked if the Fed's digital system is actually ready for prime time. Quayle replied in the negative, adding that the merchants and distributors who will supposedly adopt this system likewise aren't ready. "They still need a period to make the solution that they have engineered," he expounded. Quayle also warned that when the U.S. dollar loses its purchasing power, the rest of the world led by the five-member BRICS group won't accept the greenback any longer. He added that this could be a trigger point for the 126 nations who have signed secret agreements to no longer accept the U.S. dollar. The author and researcher said when gold is revalued, Russia and China will be in a favorable position due to their substantial reserves of the yellow metal. He added that global deposits of gold are going to Dubai and Indonesia, besides the private vaults in Switzerland. Follow Collapse.news for more about impending collapse of the American banking system. Watch the full conversation between Steve Quayle and the Health Ranger Mike Adams below. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Special Report: The Health Ranger and Steve Quayle discuss The Last Days of the American Empire. Brace yourself: Ongoing Treasury bond collapse ranks among worst in market crash history and the carnage has only just begun. Bank payment processing outages highlight risks of relying on electronic banking. Top 10 health and safety problems people will have to deal with AFTER the banking collapse. Hyperinflation meets the Great Depression Andy Schectman warns Mike Adams about the catastrophic banking collapse now accelerating. Sources include: Brighteon.com MSN.com German farmers: Ukraines accession to the EU would destroy family farming and flood markets with cheap crops The European Union is preparing to give Ukraine the green light to begin formal talks on joining the 27-country bloc before the end of the year, with a formal announcement expected this December, according to diplomats with knowledge of the plan. EU granted Kyiv status as a candidate for membership in June, and the Commission is due to issue a "progress report" on how well Ukraine and other aspiring members are meeting the bloc's conditions for joining. However, the beleaguered country's ascension to the bloc raised concerns among German farmers related to how this move could destroy family farms across Europe. The German Farmers' Association (DBV) warned decision-makers against trying to interpret the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in its current form considering the accession. DBV President Joachim Rukwied said that if Ukraine were to join as a major agricultural power under the current regulatory conditions, it would destroy the continent's family farming model and lead to Europe's markets being flooded with cheap crops. It would cause the EU to control 30 percent of the world's grain exports, but it could spell disaster for European farmers. "Accession would lead to the demise of family farming in Europe," he told a press conference on the future of the EU's CAP on Nov 15. "This must remain in the background of all political discussions." Rukwied also pointed to Ukraine's large agricultural sector and the fact that the average farm in the country is many times larger than in the EU. The move would slash the 386 billion pie and give a hefty amount to Ukraine, a country where the average farm size is 1,000 hectares compared with just 16 acres in the European Union. As a new member state, Kyiv would take more out of the common budget than it could put back in for a very long time. The accession would cause a drastic reduction in the money to other member states. The continent's agricultural superpowers, France and Poland, he claimed, would have no chance of winning a game played under the changed rules, but even worse times would await medium and smaller producers such as Bulgaria and Hungary. Rukwied added that a common agricultural policy including Ukraine would therefore be unworkable unless it were to be at the expense of the current EU member states. (Related: As the EU's Ukraine grain ban ends, longtime ally Poland blasts Zelensky for trying to flood Europe with cheap grain and produce, driving farmers out of business.) The DBV president also warned that Ukraine is a country "whose agriculture produces well below our standards, for example, in the use of pesticides" and would, therefore, compete unfairly with farms in other countries in the continent. He was also upset by the fact that 2030 could be the possible date for the country's accession as this would completely ruin the next funding cycle for the CAP, which starts in 2028 and runs until 2034 and is based on the current European Union, not an enlarged one. Zelensky: Kyiv's accession would make the EU a global player in world agriculture Unlike the farmer's association, the German Agriculture Ministry has pushed to use the forthcoming bloc entry of Ukraine as an occasion to fundamentally reform the CAP and move away from the largely unconditional area payments. Also, several German federal states, environmental organizations and representatives of organic and small-scale farming have also spoken out in favor of preparing EU agricultural funds for the impending accession. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration also argued that his country's accession would strengthen the EU's agricultural sector and make the Union a global player in agriculture. Furthermore, a recent study by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies concluded that the Ukrainian agricultural sector would not become a "bottomless pit" for the CAP because it is competitive without large subsidies but at the same time, in some ways, "too competitive" compared to other EU countries. "In fact, thanks to fertile black soil and cheap labor, Ukrainian agriculture produces so efficiently that it represents serious competition for many EU countries, as the dispute over Ukrainian grain exports to Poland and Hungary shows," the study said. Meanwhile, for Euractiv.com's Julia Dahm, Ukraine will have to actually transpose all EU standards into national law first before it can join the Union. Visit WorldAgriculture.news for more stories related to this. Sources for this article include: Politico.eu RMX.news Mandiner.hu WIIW.ac.at Euractiv.com U.S. Navy destroyer downs drone launched from Yemen The USS Carney, a U.S. Navy destroyer, intercepted and downed a drone originating from Yemen last week, marking another episode in a series of provocations posed by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The incident unfolded in the southern Red Sea as the Carney escorted the USNS Supply, a military sealift command fast combat supply ship, and another U.S. flagged ship carrying crucial military equipment to the volatile region. The drone in question, identified as an Iranian-made KAS-04, was launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. Its trajectory ominously aimed toward the USS Carney, prompting swift and decisive action by the U.S. military. Fortunately, the interception was successful, and the incident concluded without any reported injuries to U.S. personnel or damages to the involved vessels. This maritime drama follows closely on the heels of another unnerving incident, where an Iranian drone encroached within 1,500 yards (1,370 meters) of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. (Related: Repeated attacks by Iranian-backed militants on U.S. troops in the Middle East increase tension between Washington and Tehran.) The carrier, engaged in flight operations in international waters, faced a breach of safety precautions as the drone defied the prescribed distance of more than 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers). Despite receiving multiple warnings, the drone persisted before eventually altering its course. Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, condemned the "unsafe, unprofessional, and irresponsible behavior" exhibited by Iran, emphasizing the immediate need for such actions to cease. Iranian state television aired footage captured by the drone as it trailed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The footage not only showcased the carrier but also included data hinting at the drone's presence in the narrow confines of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage in the Persian Gulf. The carrier's deck, adorned with aircraft, served as a backdrop to this alarming display of surveillance. Iranian drone activity has become increasingly common when American aircraft carriers navigate the Gulf, raising concerns about the potential for escalating tensions in the region. Not an isolated incident This incident with the USS Carney is not an isolated occurrence. Earlier in November, the USS Thomas Hudner, another Navy destroyer, found itself in a similar predicament. Positioned in the southern Red Sea near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the USS Thomas Hudner successfully intercepted and downed a drone that was advancing towards the ship. These repeated confrontations underscore the challenging maritime environment and the persistent threats faced by U.S. naval assets operating in this strategically critical region. The significance of the Red Sea, stretching from the Suez Canal in Egypt to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait that separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, cannot be overstated. This waterway serves as a vital trade route for global shipping and energy supplies. Against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the region sparked by the Israel-Hamas conflict since October 7, the U.S. Navy has strategically positioned multiple ships in the Red Sea. The presence of these naval assets underscores the commitment to safeguarding the free flow of maritime commerce and addressing emerging security challenges. Last October, the US military intercepted three one-way attack drones targeting U.S. forces in Iraq amid protests against the war in Gaza at American embassies in several Middle Eastern countries. In western Iraq, two drones were intercepted, with one being destroyed and the other sustaining damage. This incident resulted in minor injuries to coalition forces, as outlined in a statement by US Central Command. Additionally, a separate attack in northern Iraq involved a single drone, which was successfully destroyed, causing no injuries or damage. The responsible party behind the drone launches remains unclear at this point. However, such attacks are commonly attributed to Iran or Iranian-backed militias operating in the region. Watch this video as Gen. Jack Keane calls Pentagon's reaction to attacks by Iran as "ludicrous." This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: US launches retaliatory strikes against Iranian proxy forces in Syria. US launches airstrike in Syria in response to attacks by Iranian-backed militants. Iranian Foreign Minister warns U.S. will not be spared if the Israel-Hamas war escalates. Sources include: APNews.com Brighteon.com TWISTED: Biden admin wants to BAN Christian families from adopting kids in foster care because they dont support the GAY AGENDA The Biden administration is proposing a rule that prohibits Christian families who don't support the LGBT ideology from adopting children in the foster care system The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division within the Department of Health and Human Services, was behind the proposal. It reportedly altered a requirement that federally funded foster care agencies must provide "safe and proper care" for children. Under this revised rule, adoptive families should meet three specific criteria to ensure that LGBT-identifying children are in a "safe and nurturing" home. Before agencies place a child with a foster parent or "provider," they must establish an environment free of hostility, mistreatment or abuse based on the child's LGBT status; receive training to be prepared with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child's self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; and must be able to facilitate the child's access to age-appropriate resources, services and activities that support their health and well-being. Jonathan Scruggs, vice president of litigation strategy at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), pointed out that discrimination against Christians is already prevalent. He added that ADF attorneys also submitted a formal comment to the ACF, recommending it withdraw the proposed rule. "[The new rule] will deter families from fostering children and will make it harder to place children with capable, loving parents," said Scruggs, who is also the vice president of ADF's Center for Conscience Initiatives. "Vulnerable children in America's foster care system are urgently in need of loving families to care for them. Yet the Biden administration is threatening to put politics over parents, and gender ideology above children's best interests." 19 AGs blast the new rule for foster parents This "twisted" and "insane" proposal did not sit well with 19 Republican attorneys general (AGs). Alabama AG Steve Marshall and 18 of his GOP colleagues wrote to HHS, alerting the department that the aforementioned rule violates the Constitution and discriminates against people who practice the Christian faith. They also argued that the said rule would harm children by limiting the number of available foster homes, harm families by risking kinship placements, and harm states by increasing costs and decreasing care options. "These injuries will be suffered while HHS fails to solve a problem that the proposed rule does not even prove exists in foster care," they wrote. The rule seeks to accomplish indirectly what the Supreme Court found unconstitutional two years ago: Remove faith-based providers from the foster care system if they will not conform their religious beliefs on sexual orientation and gender identity, the letter also included. (Related: Oregon orders Christian parents to allow their adopted underage children to be trans-mutilated on demand.) Meanwhile, Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti threatened to sue the Biden administration if it pushes through with the rule. "We are not shy about suing to stop federal overreach," he remarked. Skrmetti flagged some problems with the rule. First, any failure to affirm gender identity will be treated with the same alacrity as allegations of physical abuse. "The natural outcome of that is you are diverting resources and the state's not going to be in a position to provide as much of a response to actual physical abuse. It's steering the state away from protecting kids," he pointed out. Second, the rule exceeds HHS' legal authority as established by Congress by trampling on states' broad authority in family law. He also insisted that the "arbitrary and capricious" rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act. Third, the rule is riddled with various constitutional problems such as violating the First Amendment's free speech and free exercise clauses. "A lot of people who participate in foster care do so because it's a way of living out their faith," Skrmetti said. By asking people to "adopt the language and affirm the commitments of gender ideology, the federal government's asking them to turn away from their religious beliefs." Read the latest news about America's left-wing ideologies at LeftCult.com. Watch this video that links transgenderism to depopulation. This video is from the Schumann Thoughts channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Russian lawmakers propose bill banning adoption of Russian children to countries that allow transgenderism. Evil in the medical system: Medically kidnapped children vulnerable to abuse in foster care. Let's Talk America with Dr. Alan Keyes: Dr. Rick Morton discusses abortion, adoption, Lifeline Children's Services Brighteon.TV. Sources include: LifeNews.com FoxNews.com DailySignal.com Brighteon.com Chinese spy balloon program linked to PLAs hypersonic missiles A new report by Chinese defense researchers has linked the communist nation's high-altitude balloon program to the hypersonic missile program of its armed forces This report was prepared by a group of researchers from the National University of Defense Technology, a Chinese university directly affiliated with the Central Military Commission, the highest Chinese government body that oversees the country's armed forces, the People's Liberation Army (PLA). According to the report, the PLA is trying to set up a proper military command structure to control the deployment of high-altitude surveillance balloons known as "Near Space Operations Command." Worse yet, this new command would also govern the use of hypersonic missiles. Hypersonic missiles, as described by the report, are weapons systems that can strike targets anywhere in the world within minutes after launch and can maneuver to avoid anti-missile defenses. These missiles can be armed with conventional or nuclear warheads. The PLA wants to combine the use of high-altitude spy balloons with hypersonic missiles so that when the spy balloons surveil high-value and heavily protected targets, they can direct hypersonic missiles toward them. "Hypersonic weapons can attack rocket launch sites, [destroying] the enemy's ability to fire anti-satellite missiles on our civilian satellite networks," reads the report. "These attacks must be precise, overwhelming and merciless. This could change the pace of battles and bring a major impact to how a war would end." This report came out several months after the Air Force shot down a spy balloon from China off the coast of South Carolina after this balloon traversed the United States. (Related: Pentagon warns China now has over 500 operational nuclear warheads as it seeks nuclear parity with the U.S.) The Chinese military has been using spy balloons for years for surveillance and gathering intelligence on targets far from the Chinese mainland. These spy balloons are currently governed by the Strategic Support Force, a separate branch of the PLA that is designated for espionage as well as cyber, electronic and psychological warfare. They operate at extremely high altitudes and low speeds. They can stay in the air for weeks or even months, providing real-time surveillance on enemy positions and serving as valuable long-distance communications relay points. If these spy balloons are brought under the purview of the new Near Space Operations Command, China's balloon fleet would be expanded to include other kinds of solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles, like the one discovered and then shot down over the U.S., as well as other kinds of espionage vehicles. China believes future conflicts will be decided in "near space" The PLA's desire to combine its spy balloon fleet with its hypersonic missiles comes out of a belief by Chinese military theorists that future conflicts will take place and be decided in "near space," which is essentially sovereign airspace out of the legal reach of nations and international regulations. "The understanding of near-space command needs to be deepened," reads the report. "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." China is already a world leader in hypersonic missile technology. Its first fully operational hypersonic weapon is the DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle, designed to carry a DF-17 ballistic missile. It can travel at Mach 5 to 10, or five to 10 times the speed of sound. Learn the latest information coming out of Beijing at CommunistChina.news. Watch this clip from "Redacted with Clayton Morris" as he and co-host Natali Morris discuss how Congress is excited by the prospect of war with China. This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Iran unveils new HYPERSONIC MISSILE in apparent warning to the U.S. and Israel. U.S. to deploy previously banned missiles against China as a deterrent. Bipartisan panel report indicates U.S. should get ready for simultaneous wars with both China and Russia. China may have already deployed unstoppable hypersonic missiles capable of targeting American bases in the Pacific. STRATCOM report reveals China has a larger nuclear ICBM arsenal than the U.S. Sources include: WashingtonTimes.com Knewz.com NationalInterest.org Brighteon.com NZ Government administrator who leaked data showing a one-in-four DEATH rate for some COVID jab batches ARRESTED In recent days, damning government data was leaked out of New Zealand showing that more than 24 percent of Pfizer's Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccine" batches cause. We have since learned that the government administrator whistleblower who dropped the goods has been arrested According to reports, the man in question was taken into custody by law enforcement for "accessing computers for deceptive purposes." This is rich, considering the New Zealand government's hiding of said data in the first place is the true deception. The following edited clip lays out the facts of what the data shows, so have a watch: New Zealand Covid-19 vaccination database admin turns whistleblower and reveals how many people died after taking bad batches of the Pfizer vaccine. This must be investigated. If this data of mass vaccine casualties is real there must be accountability. pic.twitter.com/2QjkmRGJca Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) November 30, 2023 (Related: Young people everywhere are dropping dead from "turbo" cancers that emerged following launch of Operation Warp Speed.) When telling the truth is called spreading "misinformation" The man, 56, helped manage the database where said data was being held. All he did was share that data publicly, apparently against the government's wishes, and now he is being persecuted by the state. The claim is that the man misused the database by disclosing vaccination data that exposes Pfizer's COVID jabs as death jabs. The New Zealand government is also charging the man with "spreading misinformation about COVID-19." Still to this day, governments around the world, including in New Zealand, are hiding the ugly truth from the public about COVID jabs. They keep this information under strict lock and key while pretending the shots are safe and effective, this being a form of misinformation and deception. Those who try to tell the truth, conversely, are assigned labels the government deserves: names like criminal or misinformation peddler or deceiver. The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" only made this problem worse as everyone who defies the official story is dubbed a liar. One wonders how the courts in New Zealand will justify condemning the man in question simply for disclosing records to the public containing facts and truth about the shots. Will the public allow this brave man to be imprisoned for simply doing the right thing? And since when did pertinent government data governments only exist in the first place due to taxpayers funding it become something that has to remain a secret? How and why is the public allowing this type of tyranny to continue? If you think this kind of thing cannot or is not happening in the United States as well, think again. Doctors have lost their medical licenses; government officials have been fired; and yes, there have even been Americans who were prosecuted for leaking information the public has a right to know. "I was involved with building the project," the man explains in the above video. "I helped with implementing a vaccine payment system for our providers. It's called a pay per dose system. So it means that every time someone gets vaccinated, they get a payment for it as a provider." "And when I was looking at the data, which is part of my job, I noticed some discrepancies with the dates of death: people dying within a week of getting vaccinated." In simple terms, the man noticed as part of his job that people in New Zealand were dying almost instantly after receiving COVID jabs, so he decided it was in the public interest to share that publicly. And for doing that, he is now being persecuted. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished, especially in the post-COVID era. The latest news about the deep state's war against truth tellers can be found at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: Twitter.com NaturalNews.com Biden admin opposes bill that prevents federal lands from being turned into MIGRANT CAMPS The Biden administration has expressed opposition to a bill that prevents federal lands from being turned into migrant camps for illegal immigrants. In a Nov. 27 statement, the White House strongly opposed HR 5283 formally titled "Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act." Under the measure, "the use of federal funds to provide temporary shelter" to illegal immigrants would be prohibited. HR 5283 would encompass lands falling under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The first three agencies are under the Department of the Interior (DOI), while the last one is under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). "The administration opposes this legislation because it would significantly restrict the ability of the DOI and the USDA to make decisions regarding the appropriate uses of their lands and resources, even in emergency or other situations," the statement claimed. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) introduced HR 5283 in August, and the House Committee on Natural Resources approved it in October. In a post on the X platform, she confirmed the committee's approval of her draft bill. Malliotakis also noted in her post that HR 5283 will prevent the Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn and Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island from being converted into housing for illegals. The historic Floyd Bennett Field was New York City's (NYC) first municipal airport. It was later used by the Coast Guard and the Navy during World War II. Today, the field serves as one of the largest open spaces in the city making it ideal for biking fishing, camping and hiking for New Yorkers. Floyd Bennett Field is managed by the NPS and is surrounded by residential communities. However, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams received federal approval from the Biden administration to utilize the field for migrant housing. Under the scheme, hundreds and potentially thousands of unlawful border crossers will be transported there as the Big Apple yields to the migrant crisis. Illegals prefer COMFY HOTELS over tent cities New Yorkers did not receive the decision to house migrants at the Floyd Bennett Field warmly, with some voicing out their frustration. Moreover, the illegals heading to the Big Apple appear to prefer hotels in the posh Manhattan borough over tent cities, the Daily Mail noted. The British tabloid shared an instance where Democrat Assemblywoman Jaime Williams managed to film one such incident that happened on Nov. 12. A group of illegal aliens was transported to the Floyd Bennett Field, which is expected to hold 2,000 people. However, the furious illegals were immediately loaded on a bus back to Manhattan. They complained that they had jobs back in the city, and their kids had schools to attend. Williams, who represents the 59th district in the New York State Assembly, was left stunned. (Related: Picky guests: Illegals REFUSE accommodation in tent city, return to Manhattan HOTELS they were formerly housed in.) She then approached a health worker about what just transpired. "When I asked him why did they leave immediately like that, he said the people were scared," Williams recounted. "They weren't sure what they were doing here; they don't want to be here, and they asked to leave." The state representative also noted the tent city's distance between where migrants worked and where their children attended school. "They said, 'It's so isolated; how could I possibly get back and forth to work?' or 'Getting my children to school from here would be insane.' So they all asked to leave," said Williams. One migrant said he was going back to the Roosevelt Hotel, which NYC Mayor Eric Adams turned into a migrant shelter following its 2020 closure. "We didn't know we were coming here; they just said they were taking us to a shelter," he said. "I cannot stay here, this is crazy." Another migrant who brought his family with him also expressed his intent to return to Manhattan. He told the New York Post: "I work in the Bronx; my kids go to school in the Bronx. For us to live out here is ridiculous." Visit Migrants.news for more stories about NYC's migrant crisis. Watch this Newsmax report about illegal aliens refusing to stay at the Floyd Bennett Field, now turned into a tent city for migrants. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: NYC Mayor Eric Adams announces plans to house THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS on an island in the East River. NYC Mayor Eric Adams mulling unconventional housing solutions for ILLEGALS. NYC migrant crisis: Central Park being considered as HOUSING for migrants. Sources include: Breitbart.com WhiteHouse.gov [PDF] Twitter.com DailyMail.co.uk Brighteon.com Houston Methodist, the first hospital in the U.S. to require COVID-19 vaccines, has finally ended its vaccine mandate Houston Methodist, a hospital that made national headlines after becoming the first hospital in the United States to mandate the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, has announced that it will no longer require workers to get vaccinated Houston Methodist announced the change in policy in an internal email to employees. The move follows a new law passed by the Texas Legislature that outlawed the practice of denying private-sector workers the right to vaccine choice. According to the hospital's announcement, workers who choose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be prohibited from working at the institution, effective Dec. 1. "The Texas Legislature passed a law in the special session that prohibits private employers from requiring employees and contractors to get a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment," read the email. "We will continue to encourage everyone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but it will no longer be mandated at Houston Methodist. This means that getting the vaccine, or being approved for an exemption, will no longer be a condition of employment," continued the email, which also claimed that Houston Methodist has always prioritized the safety of patients and employees. Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, a practitioner in Texas and founder of the Coalition of Health Freedom, explained that the hospitals decision to become the first to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine was poorly conceived. It also had a "series of negative ripple effects in terms of medical freedom that would quickly spread to other institutions throughout the nation." Bowden said Houston Methodist and its CEO Dr. Marc Boom "coerced nearly 30,000 employees to get an experimental modified mRNA shot with no long-term safety data." She added that Houston Methodist's mandate policy was one of the first in the country and it paved the way for the government and other businesses to impose "a highly unethical employment policy on millions of Americans." (Related: Florida permanently bans all COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates in schools and businesses.) On June 8, 2021, Houston Methodist was the first hospital system in the U.S. to require its private healthcare providers to get vaccinated. In a letter informing hospital staff of the policy, Houston Methodist Chief Physician Executive Dr. Rob Phillips defended the decision by saying that forcing employees to take the vaccine was their moral obligation. Houston Methodist's vaccine mandate cost workers their jobs Houston Methodist's vaccine mandate cost 153 employees their jobs in 2021. At the time, a spokesperson for the hospital revealed that two weeks after being suspended for refusing to comply with the mandatory COVID-19 policy, 153 employees voluntarily resigned or were terminated by the health system. Houston Methodist claimed that the 2021 mandate was enforced due to studies that showed how the vaccine was "as much as 95 percent protective against the virus." However, these claims are now the subject of a lawsuit brought by the Office of the Texas Attorney General against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, with the OAG claiming that the drug maker violated the Deceptive Trade Practices Act by claiming its vaccine had "95 percent efficacy" against COVID-19 when company executives knew it did not and withheld information from the public that undermined the claims. Additionally, Houston Methodist revoked privileges and led a public attack against Bowden, who was vocal about her criticism of vaccine mandates and the COVID-19 vaccine. The hospital declared that Bowden was "spreading dangerous misinformation" not based on science. In response, Bowden filed a $25 million defamation lawsuit against the hospital. The lawsuit is still pending in court. Legislation prohibiting employers from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine authored by State Sen. Mayes Middleton and State Rep. Jeff Leach, both Republicans, is slated to become law on February 7, 2024. Houston Methodist cited this law in the email it sent to employees as the reason they are lifting the mandate. It remains to be seen how many private mandates remain in place. However, after Feb. 7 next year, employees and contractors may file complaints with the Texas Workforce Commission against any employer with mandates still in effect. Employers violating the new law may face fines of up to $50,000. Read more articles about health freedom victories in the U.S. at HealthFreedom.news. Watch the video below to learn how COVID-19 vaccine mandates were weaponized to fire U.S. military personnel. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Report: Some doctors pushing COVID mandates on social media are actually FAKE. Study: Mask mandates made no difference to COVID-19 transmission rates in hospitals. Groups that aggressively lobbied for covid jab mandates were funded by, you guessed it: PFIZER. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com FierceHealthcare.com TheTexan.news Brighteon.com PROPAGANDA: Israel brainwashes Musk that Palestinian only Hamas killed children, ignoring Israels friendly fire killing of its own citizens Big Tech tycoon Elon Musk traveled to Israel on Nov. 27 to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel President Isaac Herzog, where he was ushered into a settlement near Gaza, Kibbutz Kfar Azza, that was raided by Hamas fighters on October 7. The incident left 1,200 people dead and triggered Israel's deadliest-ever military assault on Gaza. During the tour, Musk was shown a baby crib filled with empty bullet shell casings, suggesting that the Palestinian militant group killed babies during the attack. "It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre," said Musk later in an X Spaces conversation with Netanyahu, adding Israel has "no choice" but to eliminate Hamas. He and the Israeli prime minister agreed that Hamas needs to be eradicated. "You first have to get rid of the poisonous regime as you did in Germany, as you did in Japan. Yeah, in World War II," said Netanyahu. Musk replied, "Theres no choice. There's no choice." Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Musk during a meeting that he had a huge role to play in the global fight against anti-Semitism. However, Turkey's Center for Countering Disinformation issued a statement the day after the Tesla CEO's visit, saying the bullet casings found in the crib match the 7.62x51 ammunition from the MG3 machine gun, which is used in Israeli Merkava tanks. The statement pointed out that this is clear evidence that ammunition belt parts used for the machine gun are visible in the crib. "The images published during Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X's owner Elon Musk's visit to Israel, have brought Israel's propaganda tactics into question once again," it further included. It also noted that the footage filmed of the crib during the visit of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to Kfar Azza on November 12 lacks these shell casings. Analysts conclude that, yes, Hamas did the initial attack on that day in October, but Israel definitely responded with heavy weapons, including tanks, Apache helicopters and armed drones. These armories even killed some of its own soldiers and residents in the kibbutzim as collateral damage, in addition to those killed by Hamas. Critics therefore are still questioning how many of the killed 1,200 Israeli soldiers and civilians were actually killed by Hamas and how many by Israel. Even Hamas hostages recalled how Israel went all out in its initial counterattack. An Israeli woman, Yasmin Porat, who sought refuge in a house in Be'eri, was held captive by Hamas. According to her, Israeli security forces directly attacked homes with tanks and weapons upon arriving in the area, killing many of the captives and Hamas fighters at the same time. Images provided by Israel showing the extent of destruction in homes indicated that the damage was beyond what could be caused by light weapons and grenades carried by Hamas fighters. Meanwhile, Musk's visit came following his "You have said the actual truth" comment on an anti-Semitic post on his social media platform X, accusing Jewish people of pushing "dialectical hatred" against white people. Musk's remarks received condemnation in the United States from the White House for being "abhorrent." He has also been accused of allowing advertisements from major corporations appear next to neo-Nazi and white nationalist content. (Related: After losing top advertisers, Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) SUES Media Matters.) Okay. Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them. I'm deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest shit now about western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing The Artist Formerly Known as Eric (@breakingbaht) November 15, 2023 Musk's Israel visit was not an "apology tour" Musk insisted that the trip was not a "sorry tour" amid the backlash he received for endorsing an antisemitic social media post, which he said he regretted. "Well, the trip to Israel is independent of it wasnt something like [an] apology tour," Musk told the New York Times' Andrew Sorkin at the "Dealbook Summit." Sorkin asked him on the post that sparked a wave of criticism after he appeared to endorse an antisemitic post earlier this month. Musk said he "has no problem being hated," adding that in retrospect, he would "not have replied to that particular post." "And essentially, I handed a loaded gun to those who hate me, and arguably to those who are antisemitic, and for that, I am quite sorry," he said. "That was not my intention." During the tour, Netanyahu said that Musk's visit to Israel points to his solidarity with Israel. "The fact that you came here, I think, speaks volumes to your commitment to try to secure a better future," he said. Netanyahu told the tech CEO that "great talents are available" in Israel and pointed to Israeli manufacturing of iPhones and operations of the navigation app, Waze. Netanyahu previously met Musk in California on September 18 where the Israeli prime minister urged him to strike a balance between protecting free expression and fighting hate speech after weeks of controversy over anti-Semitism on X. Meanwhile, Esther Solomon, editor-in-chief of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, branded the technocrat's trip as a PR visit. She even suggested Musk be made "persona non grata" in Israel. Blatant antisemite & publisher of antisemitism Elon Musk should be persona non grata in Israel. Instead, Netanyahu - plumbing new depths of amoral sycophancy - gifts him a PR visit to the kibbutzim devastated by Hamas. Profane, venal, bilious, both of them https://t.co/zGc10w8Y9H pic.twitter.com/XMkitJclUt Esther Solomon (@EstherSolomon) November 27, 2023 ElonMuskWatch.com has more stories about the tech giant mogul. Sources for this article include: New.TheCradle.co ElectronicIntifada.net TheHill.com AlJazeera.com Rep. Issa: Big Tech still playing the CENSORSHIP game on social media Big Tech continues to play the censorship game on social media, according to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). The congressman made this remark during a Nov. 30 appearance on "The Evening Edit" on Fox Business. "Social media, and for that matter Big Media, is still playing the censorship game as we speak," he told program host David Asman. Issa's answer came as a response to the host's question whether it is "wonderful" for the free market to come to rescue Americans from government censorship. "Governments are getting involved even more so because beyond the censorship you are seeing, in some cases, [involve] people's actual bank accounts being frozen up [based on] the type of business you do," continued Issa, a senior member of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government (House WFG Subcommittee). "We have a lot of liberty problems we have to restore. That's one of the things that Republicans are working on. And, in fact, thank goodness, we can tweet out what we believe with a high likelihood that an audience will be free to hear it." (Related: Rep. Issa: Bipartisan effort needed to fight big tech censorship) Meanwhile, Asman believes X platform owner Elon Musk does not care about censorship. However, advertisers are pulling out of X because of the smears from the nonprofit Media Matters. The Fox Business host cited The Walt Disney Company as one example of this, noting how its CEO Bob Iger has pulled advertising on X based on false premises. Asman also touched on the second motion to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, asking his guest if he was going to vote for it. Issa responded that if this is the first step, he will participate in it. But the California congressman expressed belief that his colleague, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), has pulled the measure. Despite this, he pointed out that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives must send a message to President Joe Biden that his impeachment is coming. House Judiciary Committee subpoenas two former White House officials On the same day as Issa's interview, the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) led by its chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) subpoenaed two former White House officials. The subpoenas went to former White House Senior Advisor for the COVID Response Team Andrew Slavitt and former White House Director of Digital Strategy Robert Flaherty. The HJC demanded that Slavitt and Flaherty disclose information on any role they played in censoring the American people's opinions on social media. "The [HJC] is conducting oversight of how and to what extent the Executive Branch has coerced and colluded with companies and other intermediaries to censor speech," Jordan wrote to the two. "[We have] obtained documents that demonstrate the central role you played in communicating the Biden White House's censorship efforts to social media companies, including the White House's demands to censor true information, memes, satire and other constitutionally protected forms of expression." "To develop effective legislation, such as the possible enactment of new statutory limits on the executive branch's ability to work with social media platforms and other companies to restrict the circulation of content and deplatform users, the [HJC] must first understand the nature of this collusion and coercion." The House WFG Subcommittee also continued its investigation on the federal government's involvement in social media censorship on Nov. 30. Several witnesses testified during the hearing, including Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger two of the journalists responsible for the release of the so-called "Twitter Files." Follow Censorship.news for more news about the federal government censoring Americans who don't agree with it. Watch Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) comment how Big Tech continues to play the censorship game on social media below. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Jim Jordan subpoenas CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, other top agencies for documents related to social media censorship. HUGE: Biden officials ordered by federal judge to STOP contacting social media companies and demanding censorship of speech. Lawfare with Tom Renz: Government, Stanford University colluded to CENSOR Americans and CONCEAL the truth Brighteon.TV. The highest levels of White House leadership pushed for social media censorship, lawsuit alleges. Watch: New York Post editor details coordinated social media censorship of Biden family corruption. Sources include: Brighteon.com JustTheNews.com Special Counsel Jack Smith demanded private info about Americans who favorited or retweeted Trump tweets A heavily redacted search warrant and other documents that just came out show that Special Counsel Jack Smith demanded information on Twitter users who liked or retweeted former President Trump's tweets leading up to the January 6 "riot" at the United States Capitol. Smith's search warrant seeks the search history, direct messages and "content of all tweets created, drafted, favorited / liked, or retweeted" by Trump's Twitter now X account between October 2020 and January 2021. Smith is also demanding a list of all devices used to log into Trump's Twitter account, as well as information about users who directly interacted with Trump's account in the months leading up to Jan. 6, 2021. What Smith specifically wanted was a list of names for all Twitter users who "favorited or retweeted" Trump's tweets, "as well as all tweets that include the username associated with the account" in "mentions" or "replies." The special counsel further asked for a list of every social media user that Trump "followed, unfollowed, muted, unmuted, blocked, or unblocked," as well as a full list of all users who took any of the same actions with Trump's account during the same timeframe. "There is no benign or reasonable justification for that demand," wrote former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and whistleblower Steve Friend. Smith made all of these demands as part of the special counsel's "investigation into Trump's actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol." (Related: How the Democratic Party faked an American insurrection.) Special counsel weaponizing government against Trump Back in August, Smith formally filed a four-count indictment against Trump that accuses the former president of a massive criminal conspiracy to reverse the official outcome of the 2020 election, which declared Joe Biden the winner. The special counsel's warrant was released after a number of media organizations filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain it. Eight of the 14 pages that make up the document are completely redacted, according to The New York Times. Included in the warrant is a nondisclosure order telling the company not to notify Trump about the search. The Department of Justice argued that telling Trump would result in "statutorily cognizable harm." X reportedly objected to the order, arguing unsuccessfully that it violated the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Stored Communications Act. "For what appears to be the first time in its history, Twitter Inc. ('Twitter') has filed a motion to vacate or modify an order that it not disclose the existence of a search warrant," Smith said, adding that "there is reason to believe notification to the former president, a sophisticated actor with an expansive platform, would result in a statutorily cognizable harm." In the end, X was forced to comply with the warrant. The social media platform was also fined for failing to meet Smith's demands by the stated deadline. Since that time, Trump's legal team has appealed the order, calling it "unconstitutional." It also threatened to take the matter to the Supreme Court. "The [Non-Disclosure Order] was granted based on facts showing that notifying the former president would result in destruction of or tampering with evidence, intimidation of potential witnesses, or other serious jeopardy to an investigation or delaying of trial," the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said. None of this is surprising considering the special counsel's weaponization of the government against Trump over the past several years. Back in September, Smith filed a motion to issue a gag order on Trump, which would stifle his First Amendment right to criticize the very government that is trying to silence him. More related news can be found at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: AmGreatness.com TheFederalist.com NaturalNews.com Philippine representative issues resolution urging country to reject WHOs controversial International Health Regulations amendments A member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines has issued a resolution to reject amendments to the World Health Organizations International Health Regulations that threaten the health freedom of people around the world. Representative Dan Fernandez, who serves as the chairman of the country's public order and safety committee, submitted the resolution and informed the WHO in writing that the Philippines House of Representatives is rejecting the amendments. Resolution HR 1490 states: It is hereby resolved by the House of Representatives to urge the Government to reject the amendments to the International Health Regulations adopted on 27 May 2022, and the proposed amendments that are currently being negotiated in secret and due for adoption in May 2024 as they pose a threat to public order and safety, being violative of well-established health protocols and prejudicial to our fundamental democratic principles. The WHO's Pandemic Treaty and associated International Health Regulations amendments will have the effect of taking away national sovereignty as well as people's health freedom and bodily autonomy. The amendments specify that the WHO will be able to dictate the drugs that its member countries must use and which ones they cannot use during a pandemic. The WHO also wants to implement a law requiring countries to censor their citizens in a manner that ensures only the public health messages that align with the body's official narrative are shared with the public. Although the International Health Regulations have existed since 1969, the new draft of the amendments see them becoming dictates that must be followed instead of recommendations that countries can choose to ignore if they wish. The amendments will still require the WHO director-general to declare a public health emergency of international concern before they are able to hand down orders. However, no official definitions exist for what can be considered a public health emergency of international concern. Moreover, the Director-General will also have the power to declare what is known as a potential pandemic, even if they do not have very much evidence supporting the possibility of an outbreak of illness becoming a pandemic. Secrecy, censorship and absolute power One of the points he takes issue with is the amendments appearing to support pharmaceutical companies rather than public health. The resolution notes that instead of addressing the multi-faceted health and regulatory issues which confronted the peoples of the world during the pandemic years, the proposed amendments to the IHR are designed primarily to support the pharmaceutical hospital emergency industrial complex. He added that the negotiations on the amendments are proceeding despite many unresolved and pestering issues related not only to the origins of COVID-19 and its contagiousness but also the efficacy and safety of vaccines and the millions of unexplained excess deaths. In addition, Fernandez points out that the WHO is attempting to become an absolute power over all matters related to health and is trying to give itself the power to impose surveillance, lockdowns, experimental treatments and all manner of access restrictions on people around the world. When it comes to the matter of censorship, he drew attention to the fact that the WHO is seeking to give itself the right to censor and interfere in people's social communications and that there are no provisions for giving member states a way of challenging the WHOs assessments. Finally, he took issue with the fact that much of the process for adopting the amendments has been carried out in secrecy, with closed door negotiations and very little mention of the amendments in the media. It is clear why they are trying to push this through quickly and quietly, and one can only hope that enough officials around the world will take a strong stance against these very scary proposed amendments and stop them from going into effect. Sources for this article include: Expose-News.com Substack.com Americas public health agencies evolved into a giant engine of death for the genocidal US govt and now the eugenicists within the CDC, FDA and NIH are targeting our children Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on C-19-Vaxx (Article by James Howard Kunstler republished from AllNewsPipeline.com) History is a trickster. It unfolds emergently with uncanny creativity, often blindsiding humanity with the unanticipated consequences and non-linear outcomes of previous 'unfoldings.' So, here we are now in a Second Civil War. Really? Between whom? you might ask. Between truth and untruth. Between a sociopathic bureaucratic blob steeped in lies and a citizenry obliged to live and die by the blobs lies. Case-in-point: the emergent evolution of US public health agencies, the CDC, the FDA, the NIH, the NIAID and their many fiefdoms, into a gigantic engine of death fueled by incessant and persistent lying. The people running these agencies lied to you about the creation and origin of the novel corona virus, SARS Covid-19. Then they lied about the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines created as the sovereign remedy for Covid-19. They also lied about and suppressed actual effective treatments for the disease they invented and loosed on the world and then coerced the whole medical establishment into breaking its Hippocratic oath (first do no harm) to administer vaccines that killed. They lied about these things knowingly. And through the whole three-year episode, US public health has hidden the data about Covid and the vaccines while aggressively lying about it and punishing American citizens who found ways to expose the truth. The vaccines have killed an estimate 670,000 Americans and 17-million world-wide, consensus figures arrived at by citizens devoted to uncovering the truth. One of these is independent researcher Steve Kirsch, a Silicon Valley billionaire who invented the optical mouse. In 2021, after noticing a strange pattern of early deaths and injuries in his own circle of acquaintances, Mr. Kirsch devoted himself and his fortune to uncovering the truth about the Covid-19 vaccines. Mr. Kirsch describes himself as a nerd, by which he means that he is good at math and at assembling bodies of information using rigorous statistical analysis that present a coherent picture of reality, a.k.a. the truth. Last night, Thursday, November 30, Mr. Kirsch gave a talk at his alma mater, MIT, in Cambridge, Massachusetts on what the best available statistics tell us about the Covid-19 vaccines (for instance, that so far they have killed more Americans than World War Two). The talk was live-streamed on the Rumble platform as seen in the 1st video at the bottom of this story. (Of course, YouTube scrubbed it). There is an interesting story behind Mr. Kirschs event. Years before the Covid-19 fiasco, Mr. Kirsch gave MIT $2.5 million to build a new lecture hall. Then, during Covid-19, Mr. Kirsch asked MIT to allow him to stage a lecture about his findings. The MIT administrators refused to let Mr. Kirsch speak in the lecture hall that he paid for. Mr. Kirsch went public with that, embarrassing the university, and under new MIT President Sally Kornbluth, the Institute relented. Prior to the November 30 talk, Mr. Kirsch sought to share his data with eminent MIT professor Robert Langer, winner of countless awards for advances in the biotechnological sciences. Dr. Langer runs a research program that his MIT webpage describes as follows: "The groups work is at the interface of biotechnology and materials science. A major focus is the study and development of polymers to deliver drugs, particularly genetically engineered proteins, continuously at controlled rates and for prolonged periods of time. Sounds like Dr. Langer would be intimately acquainted with the mechanisms of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, especially the development of lipid nanoparticles that facilitate the delivery of the mRNA message into their targeted cells. Dr. Langer declined to see the data or to meet with Mr. Kirsch. At the beginning of his talk, Mr. Kirsch offered some speculation as to why Dr. Langer might demur to see the data or meet with him. Turns out it is because Dr. Langer sits on the Moderna board of directors. If Dr. Langer were exposed to record level data in a structured format that indicated the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine was killing a lot of people, Dr. Langer would be required legally to insist that the company take it off the market. Now you see how the venal mendacity of Big Pharma intersects with the perfidy of Academia, and at the highest levels. Dr. Langer has been called out, and publicly disgraced by Mr. Kirsch. Will Dr. Langer sue Mr. Kirsch for defamation? I doubt it. It is a fact that Dr. Langer is on the Moderna Board, and his obligations to the public are clear vis-a-vis Modernas flagship product. It will be interesting to see how MIT and Dr. Langer handle this quandary. Read more at: AllNewsPipeline.com Ukrainian frontlines are COLLAPSING, Russian forces ADVANCING on all fronts Russia reported on Friday, Dec. 1, that its troops have made significant advances in every section of the Ukrainian frontlines. The frontlines in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine have barely shifted in 2023, despite a massively publicized Ukrainian counteroffensive earlier this year. (Related: Russia inflicting HEAVY DAMAGE against Ukrainian Air Force using innovative long-range air-to-air missile.) But fighting in the country has remained intense, and now Russian sources are reporting that the Russian Armed Forces have advanced into "more favorable positions." "Our servicemen are acting competently and decisively, occupying a more favorable position and expanding their zones of control in all directions," said Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu on Friday during a briefing with top Russian military personnel. Shoigu added that Russian forces in Ukraine are "effectively and firmly inflicting fire damage on the Ukrainian Armed Forces," and noted that Ukraine's combat capabilities were "significantly reduced" following its counteroffensive earlier this year. Ukraine's counteroffensive launched in June after months of highly publicized preparations has stalled in Ukraine's southern and southeastern fronts without significant progress. This is despite massive shipments of Western weapons and training by Western advisors for Ukrainian troops. Hopes for a breakthrough are fading as winter draws near, making significant military movements problematic. To support Russian gains, President Vladimir Putin issued a decree to boost troop numbers by as much as 15 percent, or around 170,000 new soldiers. "The increase in the full-time strength of the army is due to growing threats to our country linked with the special military operation and the continuing expansion of NATO [the North Atlantic Treaty Organization]," said the armed forces in a statement warning of recent "aggressive activity" from the NATO bloc. Russia still controls over 20% of Ukraine Russian military operations in internationally recognized Ukraine have also intensified in recent days thanks to improving weather conditions. Ukrainian officials have warned that Russian forces are once again stepping up drone strikes against Ukrainian targets. Russia retains control over nearly 20 percent of territory internationally recognized to be part of Ukraine, with independent analysts noting that Russia has made "incremental gains." The Kremlin has recently announced that it had taken control of the small village of Khromove on the outskirts of Bakhmut in northern Donetsk, known to Moscow by its Russian name of Artyomovskoe. Russian forces are also reportedly close to fully encircling the industrial town of Avdiivka in Donetsk, where Ukraine claims it is currently fending off Russian assaults. "Our defenders are steadfastly holding the line in the Avdiivka sector," said Ukrainian Army commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi in his most recent update, which noted that Russian forces have "considerably increased" their activity in the area. Before the current special military operation, Avdiivka was home to around 30,000 people. It has been on the frontline since the civil conflict in Ukraine began in 2014, when it briefly fell to the hands of pro-Russian separatists before being retaken by Ukrainian forces that same year. Russia is interested in taking control of Avdiivka as the town is seen as a gateway to the Russian-held regional capital of Donetsk, which is just 12 miles to the east of Avdiivka. Learn more about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine at UkraineWitness.com. Watch this clip from SouthFront Press reporting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledging his country's defeat as the Ukrainian Army goes on the defensive. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Ukrainian commander laments INACCURACY of U.S.-provided M109 Paladin howitzer. Reuters: Ukrainian women now work in mines because so many men were sent to the battle. Satanic murderer PARDONED after sustaining injuries fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Putin reportedly willing to end war with Ukraine, sit down for PEACE TALKS. Ukrainian frontline on the brink of collapse as soldiers' morale plummets. Sources include: France24.com Euronews.com Reuters.com Brighteon.com Plans tabled by the European Commission to impose a single entity overseeing the future hydrogen market look set to be diluted but not abandoned if a compromise proposal by the Spanish presidency gains traction at negotiations in Brussels this week (8 December), according to EU diplomats. MEPs and Energy Ministers will gather in Brussels in an attempt to finalise the regulation that will determine governance of the hydrogen market in the bloc during a so-called trilogue discussion between the Commission, the Parliament and the Council. One of several sticking points in the talks persists over the creation of a single entity to promote a dedicated hydrogen infrastructure, cross-border coordination and interconnector network construction the so-called European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen. Originally proposed by the Commission, such an entity is backed by the majority of EU countries, including France, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain, according to a well-placed European Parliament source, but the legislative body opposes the idea and has instead proposed to reform the existing network of natural gas transmission operating entities to also cover hydrogen network operators. A source from the socialists group told Euronews that the European Parliament position needs to move closer to the Councils since most member states are very keen on the idea of a single entity model. Czechia, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria however have backed the Parliaments position, which would see merger of the markets for hydrogen and natural gas within the network of existing gas operators, an EU diplomat told Euronews. The likely outcome is to have two separate entities with a phase-in period, where initially a lot of operational procedures would be common, moving towards more independence for an independent hydrogen [entity] in the coming years, the diplomat said. This would address Parliaments concerns but also those from some Member States who are worried about the cost of an independent hydrogen operator for those who lack hydrogen networks, the diplomat added. Story continues Another EU diplomat told Euronews that a compromise proposal by the EU Spanish Presidency, which would see an independent hydrogen entity launched in the context of enhanced cooperation with the existing European gas and electricity operators, has gained the support of the majority of member states. We need to avoid giving the hydrogen keys to the gas sector. Combining these two entities [European gas operators with a hydrogen operator] would contribute for more gas repurposing. We need an independent operator, a Green Parliamentary Assistant told Euronews . Postponing it [the creation of a dedicated body] to when the hydrogen sector is developed as proposed by the Spanish Presidency should be avoided, as it could be subject to arbitrary interpretation, a spokesperson for industry association Hydrogen Europe told Euronews. If EU Energy Ministers reach an agreement on December 8, the law will pass by the Industry, Research and Energy Committee before its final adoption expected by March 2024. WHO monitors mysterious pneumonia cases among children in China, which experts say are concerning but likely not due to a new COVID variant The World Health Organization (WHO) is looking into an alarming increase in respiratory illness among children in China The cause of the reported pneumonia cases is unclear, but some health experts think that it is a common and temporary aftereffect of lifting pandemic lockdown restrictions. The unanswered questions surrounding the recent infections have raised concerns due to parallels with the early days of the COVID-19 plandemic. WHO, experts urge China to be forthcoming about pneumonia cases The WHO is requesting detailed information from Chinese officials on the increase in pneumonia cases among children, using language similar to a January 5, 2020, pre-pandemic missive about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Officials from Chinas National Health Commission first reported an increase in respiratory illness at a Nov. 13th press conference, according to the WHO. The WHO has since asked for additional information from China, including patient lab results and data on the circulation of known respiratory pathogens like influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The organization also requested details on how the circulation is affecting China's healthcare system capacity. A bulletin from the International Society for Infectious Diseases reported that childrens hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning and other areas in China are "overwhelmed with sick children," and that schools are "on the verge of suspension." On Nov. 22, experts said that the cases are concerning and called on China to be forthcoming with its data. The limited information provided so far doesnt suggest the development of a new pathogen. (Related: New wave of COVID-19 infections driven by omicron sub-variants hits China.) Dr. Michael Osterholm, the director of the University of Minnesotas Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), suspects that the pneumonia cases are due to "a series of already recognized respiratory pathogens" because they have allegedly been affecting only children. If the illness was due to a new pathogen, it would be affecting both children and adults equally, explained Osterholm. Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, agrees with Osterholm. Adalja explained that while information is still insufficient, there is a chance that the infections are due to a "constellation of various respiratory pathogens together causing clusters of illness." Adalja noted that some reports suggest Mycoplasma pneumoniae, an atypical bacteria that can cause lung infection, is behind the pneumonia cases. The bacteria is commonly known as "walking pneumonia." Adalja advised that it is crucial to "gain insights into what pathogens are being tested for and what results are available." However, doing this can be a challenge, particularly due to the problematic "historical lack of transparency that is emblematic of Chinas authoritarian government." Dr. Stuart Ray, vice chair of medicine for data integrity and analytics at Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine, said that the infections are "concerning" and that a timely response and proper evaluation are key to preventing the further spread of infections. WHO advises Chinese citizens to get vaccinated and wear masks While the WHO is investigating the matter, the organization advised Chinese citizens to get vaccinated despite the many adverse effects of COVID-19 shots and other vaccines. It also advised China to maintain social distancing from patients, stay home when sick, wear masks "as appropriate," ensure proper ventilation, wash hands thoroughly and get medical care as needed. The WHO also said that Northern China has reported an increase in flu-like illness in the past month. Raj Rajnarayanan, assistant dean of research and associate professor at the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Arkansas, said that if the infections are due to M. pneumoniae, common antibiotics like azithromycin and doxycycline could help patients recover. Rajnarayanan added that health officials should focus on confirming the cause of the infections and trying to rule out common respiratory diseases. Jay Weiland, a leading COVID-19 modeler, reassured that there is no reason to suspect a new COVID variant is responsible for the epidemic in China because it's still unclear "if this is a collection of simultaneous peaks of a typical seasonal illness or a new infectious illness." Earlier in November, Chinese officials reported that the rise in mysterious pneumonia cases is due to the circulation of viruses like influenza and RSV, along with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. However, the restrictions were ended a year ago, ruling out the milestone as the cause. Osterholm thinks that China has experienced a surge in viral infections this respiratory season because of the immunity debt theory which many blamed for 2022's "tripledemic" of respiratory pathogens in the U.S. and other Western countries. According to some experts, "immunity debt" is the price society must pay for observing pandemic precautions, which decreased people's exposure to other viruses. This caused a delayed surge in non-pandemic viruses after mitigation efforts were ended. Osterholm said that this could be more common worldwide, especially with seasonal respiratory viruses. He explained that the next respiratory season or two may be atypical, in part because of "immunity debt" or viral interference, with competitive viruses like COVID canceling out other viruses for a time. But Ryan Gregory, a biology professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, has an alternate theory that could explain post-pandemic surges in other viruses. Because COVID-19 suppresses the immune system temporarily in some patients, this makes them more susceptible to other infections. Another theory suggests that getting infected with COVID and another pathogen at the same time makes what would ordinarily be a mild illness more severe. Watch the video below for more about the mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China. This video is from the Pool Pharmacy channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: PLANDEMIC: Study reveals ventilator-acquired pneumonia killed millions not COVID-19 as governments around the world claimed. Dr. Peter McCullough: COVID shots should be taken completely off the market. FACT CHECK: Covid was mild and barely killed anyone ventilator-acquired pneumonia, on the other hand, killed millions. Sources include: SHTFPlan.com WHO.int ProMedMail.org Fortune.com Brighteon.com With the environmental DNA and snow tracks, researchers can find elusive polar bears in the Arctic. The threatened bears have been difficult to monitor as they move in remote areas under extreme temperatures. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are intelligent to evade the detection of scientists, including Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and snow leopards (Panthera uncia). Monitoring polar bears is crucial to save them from threats of climate change as they rely mostly on sea ice. According to recent reports, polar bears are threatened by toxic pollution, oil exploration, habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance. The threats can affect the bear production rates and likely suffer from the brink of extinction. Elusive Polar Bears Monitoring Researchers discovered ways to monitor better and look for polar bears. With the use of DNA analysis, their footprints and snow tracks can help improve the monitoring efforts. Dr. Melanie Lancaster, the study's senior author, explained that polar bears are time-consuming to find and expensive. Dr. Lancaster is also from the World Wide Fund for Nature Global Arctic Program. The DNA analysis of their skin cells can indicate the potential location of the elusive polar bears. The research findings were published in the Frontiers in Conservation Science. According to recent reports, the environmental DNA from snow tracks can help scientists with effective conservation and management efforts. There is still inadequate information about polar bears, especially their ecology and behavior. Polar bears can be seen in the Arctic areas. However, the threats of climate change have harmed the population of polar bears. The rising temperatures and ice melt can have devastating impacts on the polar bear foraging behavior. In the study, experts collected samples from the Swedish Eurasian lynxes and Alaskan polar bears, including the snow leopard. Researchers emphasized that the eDNA technique will help the conservation of the threatened animals. Also Read: Over Half of Peru's Glacier Surface Lost in Last 6 Decades Due to Climate Change, Scientists Report Polar Bear Facts: What Should People Know? Polar bears can live in extreme temperatures and cold, serving as symbols of the Arctic environment They are known for being protective and caring with their cubs. Sea ice is important for polar bear life, and they hunt potential prey like seals. The declining population of polar bears has been alarming and exacerbated by climate change. The oil exploration and human disturbance have caused habitat loss and destruction. Toxic pollution can also affect the hunting of polar bears. The male polar bears can weigh more than the female polar bears, which is up to 800 kg. Some of the Arctic animals are the Canada Lynx, Snowy Owl, Arctic Hare, Arctic Fox and Beluga Whale. Also Read: 6 Animals That Can Freeze Themselves and Come Back to Life! Related Article: Top 5 Deadliest Animals in the World That Kill Millions Every Year For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. El Nino is a climate phenomenon that occurs when the surface waters of the tropical Pacific Ocean become warmer than normal, affecting weather patterns around the world. One of the regions that experiences significant changes in winter precipitation due to El Nino is western North America, where the amount and distribution of rain and snow can vary widely depending on the strength and location of the warm water. However, not all areas of western North America are equally affected by El Nino. A new study suggests that the presence of mountains plays a crucial role in modulating the impact of El Nino on winter precipitation, especially in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. How mountains influence the jet stream and moisture transport The study, led by researchers from the Ohio State University, used a high-resolution climate model to simulate the effects of El Nino on winter precipitation over western North America under different scenarios of mountain height. The researchers found that the height of the mountains affects the position and strength of the jet stream, a band of fast-moving air that influences the movement of storms and moisture across the continent. When the mountains are higher, the jet stream tends to be stronger and more southward, bringing more moisture and precipitation to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. When the mountains are lower, the jet stream tends to be weaker and more northward, bringing less moisture and precipitation to these regions. The researchers also found that the location of the warm water in the Pacific Ocean affects the jet stream and moisture transport. When the warm water is closer to the coast of South America, the jet stream is more southward and the moisture transport is more eastward, resulting in more precipitation over the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. When the warm water is farther away from the coast of South America, the jet stream is more northward and the moisture transport is more westward, resulting in less precipitation over these regions. Also read: How Previous El Ninos Revealed Crucial Information About Climate Change Implications for water resources and climate adaptation The findings of the study have important implications for water resources and climate adaptation in western North America, where precipitation is highly variable and sensitive to El Nino. The study suggests that the mountains act as a buffer that enhances the positive effects of El Nino on winter precipitation in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, while reducing the negative effects of El Nino on winter precipitation in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. Moreover, mountains could amplify the effects of climate change on winter precipitation in western North America, as climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of El Nino events in the future. Therefore, understanding how mountains affect El Nino-induced winter precipitation is essential for improving water conservation planning and management along the Colorado River and other major water sources in the region. Related article: El Nino Alert: Bureau of Meteorology Warns of Drier Conditions for Australia in Coming Months Weather experts said that a highly disruptive storm is forecasted to unleash thunderstorms and snow over central and eastern United States. At present, meteorologists are keeping an eye towards the weather patterns that can affect Americans. Possible Disruptive Storm They said that the dry and increasingly mild conditions which is seen to precede the upcoming storm this weekend will set the stage and provide the atmospheric fuel that is needed for to develop a highly disruptive storm. So far, residents living from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast over to the East Coast are advised to check weather advisories often for the latest forecasts. On Friday, a storm tracking through the central Rockies is seen to shift into the southern and central Plains, which will develop a new area of low pressure. Weather experts said that the chilly air blowing out of the Rockies and northern Plains would clash with warm and humid air flowing out of the Gulf of Mexico. This condition can spawn a rapidly intensifying storm, according to meteorologists. They said that there could be pockets of rain and perhaps a few thunderstorms from the southern Plains into the middle Mississippi River valley on Friday and during the evening. The storm is expected to intensify over the weekend. Meteorologists issued a warning that amid the warm, humid air that has been surging out of the Gulf of Mexico ahead of an approaching cold front this weekend across the South, severe thunderstorms can erupt and cause destruction in the area. They said that the region spanning from eastern Texas into Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and western Tennessee would be the area to watch for potentially dangerous thunderstorms on Saturday. Moreover, the areas of Shreveport, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennessee are a few cities to watch closely for possible impacts of damaging thunderstorms at the start of the weekend. Read Also: US Weather Update: Multi-Day Winter Storm to Snarl Travel in Pacific Northwest with Heavy Rain, Mountain Snow [NWS] From Thunder and Heavy Rain to Snow Officials said that depending on the exact track and intensity of the storm system on Saturday, it is possible that the areas situated in the farther north of the Ohio Valley could even be in line for rumbles of thunder and heavy rain. They said that the thunderstorm threat would likely not be limited to Saturday either because the storm is seen to intensify as it will track the east direction on Sunday. Meanwhile, an area potentially spanning from Florida to the mid-Atlantic states should be prepared for torrential rains as well as gusty thunderstorms to close out the weekend. The storm is forecasted to bring threats of severe thunderstorms and the moderate to heavy rainfall can be good news for the Mississippi River and its large tributaries. Meanwhile, as chilly air surges southward from the Rockies and Canada over the weekend, the risk of heavy snow is also expected. Weather experts noted that the storm would interact with cold air on the northwest side of the storm. Furthermore, if the cold air can move in quickly enough, the public could be looking at a zone of impactful snow from the Midwest and up through the Great Lakes Saturday into Sunday. Related Article: US Weather Forecast: Warm Temperatures Expected for Ohio Valley, Southern Plains, Mid-South Regions This Week [NWS] At least fifteen states in the United States appear to be seeing an outbreak of a serious respiratory ailment in dogs. Veterinarians believe that there could be several causes for the rise in atypical canine respiratory illness occurrences. They even compare it to "kennel cough," a phrase used to characterize a number of bacterial and viral diseases that can cause dogs to suddenly develop a hoarse cough. Dog Illness Outbreak Dog respiratory illnesses, particularly dog flu, are widespread and frequently result in outbreaks at canine daycare centers and shelters. Over the past year, the current surge has been spreading to other parts of the United States and Canada. According to doctors, this outbreak differs from common respiratory illnesses due to the high number of cases that are severe enough to induce pneumonia. Dr. Michael Lappin, director of the Center for Companion Animal Studies at the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine, an expert in infectious diseases, reported that from September through November of this year, the number of cases of canine pneumonia in Colorado increased by 50% over the same period in 2022. A pet insurance firm called Trupanion claims data indicates an increase in dogs suffering from serious respiratory illnesses in several jurisdictions. Read Also: Mysterious Dog Illness in New Hampshire: Researchers Find Clues to the Cause and Treatment Cause of the Illness Similar to the triple epidemic of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV that affected people last fall and winter, more dogs may be becoming seriously ill due to co-infections with multiple pathogens, such as canine influenza, Bordetella (kennel cough), and mycoplasma pneumonia. Experts point out that many dogs may be less resistant to diseases since pandemic-era regulations prevented them from being in daycare centers or boarding houses, shielding them from circulating bacteria or viruses. Decreases in dog vaccination rates have also been recorded. According to a recent study, almost half of dog owners are apprehensive about vaccinating their animals. "We've got more dogs that have a lower level of resistance because they've been exposed less over the last couple of years and they've had less vaccination," Dr. Scott Weese, an infectious disease veterinarian at the Ontario Veterinary College. However, there's a chance that a fresh strain of germs is out there. A unique bacterium has been identified by researchers at the University of New Hampshire as a potential culprit. Because the results are based on a limited sample of cases from New England states, they must be verified in a broader and more geographically varied dog population. According to Kurt Williams, director of Oregon State University's Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, dogs have passed away, but it's difficult to estimate the number of animals who perished from a severe version of the virus in the absence of a reliable method to identify the illness or test for it. Williams' advice to dog owners was straightforward: "Don't panic." Additionally, he advised dog owners to make sure their pets had received all necessary vaccinations, particularly those that guard against a variety of respiratory ailments. Related Article: Unusual Respiratory Illness Hits Dogs in Parts of US; Pet Owners Advised to Keep Them Healthy Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. The EU has approved $1.3 billion (1.2 billion) in funding for a European cloud computing project to compete with US companies. The companies involved in the project will create open-source software designed to enable real-time and low-latency services using computing resources located near the user. This approach is intended to reduce the need to send large amounts of data to centralized cloud servers. The project is expected to initially create about 1,000 jobs for data scientists and AI specialists and later add around 5,000 more jobs. Marty Puranik, the CEO of Atlantic.Net, a cloud hosting provider that plans to expand into Europe soon, said in an interview that the EU project could have a significant impact on the market. I think it sends a strong message that the EU is interested in native companies providing their infrastructure rather than foreign companies having a footprint in the EU, he said. Internal EU companies are most likely to be more regulatory friendly in complying with EU laws for privacy and security, which tend to be more strict than outside the EU. Plus, developers who live there will develop apps that are EU-friendly from the start, rather than having commissions to tell popular apps to allow more competition retroactively. The European cloud technology initiative involves 19 firms, among them notable companies like Frances Atos and Orange, Germanys Deutsche Telekom and SAP, as well as Telecom Italia and Spains Telefonica. The top three dominant companies in cloud computing are Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. The companies in this project are focusing on four key areas. The first is Cloud Edge Continuum Infrastructure, where theyre creating software to update existing technology to work with new applications. This area includes making open-source software that helps cloud service edge nodes from various providers work together. Ujwal Jalali By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Despite stringent laws in place to deter criminals from committing crime against women, India in 2022 yet again saw a rise in such figures. According to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Sunday, as many as 31,982 women were allegedly raped in the country last year. The figure included 30,965 women above 18 years and 1,017 minor girls. This means that on an average, 87 women were sexually assaulted everyday in India. Among the states, Rajasthan recorded the maximum number of cases at 5,408, followed by Uttar Pradesh (3,692), Madhya Pradesh (3,046), Maharashtra (2,911), Haryana (1,787), (Assam 1,478), Odisha (1,464), Jharkhand (1,298), Chhattisgarh (1,246), West Bengal (1,112). Delhi recorded the maximum cases of sexual assault among the Union Territories, at 1,212. As per the data shared by National Crime Records Bureau, the country saw a total rise of 4 per cent in crime against women in 2022 compared to the figures of previous year. A total of 4.45 lakh cases of crime against women were registered during 2022. In 2021, the figure stood at 4.28 lakh. The majority of cases under crime against women under Indian Penal Code were registered under Cruelty by husband or his relatives (31.4%) followed by kidnapping & abduction of women (19.2%),Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty (18.7%), and rape (7.1%). The crime rate registered per lakh women population was 66.4 in 2022 in comparison with 64.5 in 2021. NCRB says that the primary presumption is that the upward swing in police data indicates an increase in crime and thus a reflection of the ineffectiveness of the police is fallacious. Rise in crime and increase in registration of crime by police are clearly two different things. Increase in crime numbers in a state police data may in fact be on account of certain citizen centric police initiatives, like launching of e-FIR facility or women Helpdesks, etc, it said. Country records 6,516 dowry deaths Apart from sexual assault cases, the country registered 6,516 dowry deaths, 250 murders of women with rape or gangrape, 140 acid attacks, 1.4 lakh cases of cruelty by husband or in-laws, 781 cases of human trafficking and 85,300 women assaulted with intent to outrage their modesty. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Despite stringent laws in place to deter criminals from committing crime against women, India in 2022 yet again saw a rise in such figures. According to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Sunday, as many as 31,982 women were allegedly raped in the country last year. The figure included 30,965 women above 18 years and 1,017 minor girls. This means that on an average, 87 women were sexually assaulted everyday in India. Among the states, Rajasthan recorded the maximum number of cases at 5,408, followed by Uttar Pradesh (3,692), Madhya Pradesh (3,046), Maharashtra (2,911), Haryana (1,787), (Assam 1,478), Odisha (1,464), Jharkhand (1,298), Chhattisgarh (1,246), West Bengal (1,112). Delhi recorded the maximum cases of sexual assault among the Union Territories, at 1,212. As per the data shared by National Crime Records Bureau, the country saw a total rise of 4 per cent in crime against women in 2022 compared to the figures of previous year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A total of 4.45 lakh cases of crime against women were registered during 2022. In 2021, the figure stood at 4.28 lakh. The majority of cases under crime against women under Indian Penal Code were registered under Cruelty by husband or his relatives (31.4%) followed by kidnapping & abduction of women (19.2%),Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty (18.7%), and rape (7.1%). The crime rate registered per lakh women population was 66.4 in 2022 in comparison with 64.5 in 2021. NCRB says that the primary presumption is that the upward swing in police data indicates an increase in crime and thus a reflection of the ineffectiveness of the police is fallacious. Rise in crime and increase in registration of crime by police are clearly two different things. Increase in crime numbers in a state police data may in fact be on account of certain citizen centric police initiatives, like launching of e-FIR facility or women Helpdesks, etc, it said. Country records 6,516 dowry deaths Apart from sexual assault cases, the country registered 6,516 dowry deaths, 250 murders of women with rape or gangrape, 140 acid attacks, 1.4 lakh cases of cruelty by husband or in-laws, 781 cases of human trafficking and 85,300 women assaulted with intent to outrage their modesty. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Ujwal Jalali By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The city saw a rise of 5 per cent in crimes against children while more than 1,500 cases were registered throughout the year in 2022 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. According to the data shared by the National Crime Records Bureau, the year 2022 saw 7,468 cases of crime against children. In 2021, the figure stood at 7,118 while during the COVID times in 2020, it was 5,368. The figures were of 899 cases, including 2 of minor boys, registered under section 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act. Section 4 of the POCSO Act is punishment for penetrative sexual assault while section 6 is punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault. Under section 8 and 10 of the POCSO Act, which deals with sexual assault, 533 cases were recorded, including 13 boys. As many as 63 cases were registered under POCSO Act read with section 377. The figure included 56 minor boys and 7 minor girls. At times, children also fall into the trap of cyber crime. The police registered 116 cases for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually-explicit acts. In 216 cases, the police were able to achieve conviction of the accused, which included 5 cases from the same year. Apart from cyber crime, during the same period, as many as 22 children were also found murdered. The data stated that in 2022, the police registered 74 cases of human trafficking under Sections 370 and 370A of the Indian Penal Code in which victims included 741 minors. children involved in sexually explicit act. An official of Delhi Police said, We are continuously working to promote cyber awareness and several campaigns are being carried out from time to time. The officials further said that in a recent major crackdown on online fraud, the Delhi police busted a syndicate based in Jharkhands Jamtara, which was involved in defrauding bank customers from across the country by posing as staff of a prominent bank. Six of the members of the gang have been arrested. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The city saw a rise of 5 per cent in crimes against children while more than 1,500 cases were registered throughout the year in 2022 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. According to the data shared by the National Crime Records Bureau, the year 2022 saw 7,468 cases of crime against children. In 2021, the figure stood at 7,118 while during the COVID times in 2020, it was 5,368. The figures were of 899 cases, including 2 of minor boys, registered under section 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act. Section 4 of the POCSO Act is punishment for penetrative sexual assault while section 6 is punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Under section 8 and 10 of the POCSO Act, which deals with sexual assault, 533 cases were recorded, including 13 boys. As many as 63 cases were registered under POCSO Act read with section 377. The figure included 56 minor boys and 7 minor girls. At times, children also fall into the trap of cyber crime. The police registered 116 cases for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually-explicit acts. In 216 cases, the police were able to achieve conviction of the accused, which included 5 cases from the same year. Apart from cyber crime, during the same period, as many as 22 children were also found murdered. The data stated that in 2022, the police registered 74 cases of human trafficking under Sections 370 and 370A of the Indian Penal Code in which victims included 741 minors. children involved in sexually explicit act. An official of Delhi Police said, We are continuously working to promote cyber awareness and several campaigns are being carried out from time to time. The officials further said that in a recent major crackdown on online fraud, the Delhi police busted a syndicate based in Jharkhands Jamtara, which was involved in defrauding bank customers from across the country by posing as staff of a prominent bank. Six of the members of the gang have been arrested. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Zaid Nayeemi By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Hundreds of people on Monday marched to Delhi from different states and gathered at Jantar Mantar on the issue of Dalit rights and social justice. The people were carrying with them lakhs of signatures supporting a charter of demands addressed to the President of India, which included strict implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, distribution of land to the landless, ending of privatization of the public sector, revoking of the new education policy among other prominent issues. Talking to this correspondent, Subhashini Ali, ex-MP, said, The existing laws like SCs/STs (prevention of atrocities) Act, bonded labor act and other acts regarding Dalits should be implemented properly. She emphasized that manual scavenging has been outlawed in the country but it is still being practiced. If Kerala can abolish it, why cant other states do it? she said. Vikram Singh, joint secretary of All India Agricultural Workers Union, said that the agenda of the event was to let people know about govt atrocities towards the Dalits. He added that they are demanding stringent punishment for those guilty of assaulting Dalit women and girls etc. One of the participants, Sukhdarshan Singh, who came from Punjab, said that they want govt to increase outlay for MGNREGA, ensure a daily wage of 600 per day and 300 workdays, so that they can support their family. Sunita Devi, another participant from Bihar, said, We do not have a proper house to live and land to cultivate. Till when will we survive like this? A standing executive committee, consisting of A Vijayaraghavan, N Periasamy, A Ramamurthi, Sri Ram Chaudhary also presided over the meeting, which was addressed by several Members of Parliament including John Brittas and Sivadasan of CPI-M, M. Selvaraju and Benoy Viswam of CPI and Manoj Kumar Jha of the RJD. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Hundreds of people on Monday marched to Delhi from different states and gathered at Jantar Mantar on the issue of Dalit rights and social justice. The people were carrying with them lakhs of signatures supporting a charter of demands addressed to the President of India, which included strict implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, distribution of land to the landless, ending of privatization of the public sector, revoking of the new education policy among other prominent issues. Talking to this correspondent, Subhashini Ali, ex-MP, said, The existing laws like SCs/STs (prevention of atrocities) Act, bonded labor act and other acts regarding Dalits should be implemented properly. She emphasized that manual scavenging has been outlawed in the country but it is still being practiced. If Kerala can abolish it, why cant other states do it? she said. Vikram Singh, joint secretary of All India Agricultural Workers Union, said that the agenda of the event was to let people know about govt atrocities towards the Dalits. He added that they are demanding stringent punishment for those guilty of assaulting Dalit women and girls etc. One of the participants, Sukhdarshan Singh, who came from Punjab, said that they want govt to increase outlay for MGNREGA, ensure a daily wage of 600 per day and 300 workdays, so that they can support their family.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sunita Devi, another participant from Bihar, said, We do not have a proper house to live and land to cultivate. Till when will we survive like this? A standing executive committee, consisting of A Vijayaraghavan, N Periasamy, A Ramamurthi, Sri Ram Chaudhary also presided over the meeting, which was addressed by several Members of Parliament including John Brittas and Sivadasan of CPI-M, M. Selvaraju and Benoy Viswam of CPI and Manoj Kumar Jha of the RJD. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said he would lead a march to the Mumbai office of Adani Group on December 16, alleging that the Maharashtra government appeared to be favouring the business conglomerate which has bagged the Dharavi redevelopment project. Talking to reporters, Thackeray also dared the BJP (the Union government led by it) to conduct the coming Lok Sabha elections using paper ballots instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Now that the BJP has swept the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, it should also hold the civic body polls in Mumbai which have been pending for more than a year, he added. "Several suspicious decisions have been taken to favour the Adani Group in the Dharavi redevelopment project. It also includes a TDR (Transferable Development Rights) sale clause which will benefit the Adani group significantly. To protect the interests of the residents of Dharavi, the Shiv Sena will march to the Adani Group office on December 16. I will lead the march," the former Maharashtra chief minister said. The Maharashtra government in July awarded the 259-hectare Dharavi redevelopment project to an Adani Group firm. "Enough information is available about the redevelopment project which raises suspicion about whether the government is trying to give benefit to Adani at the cost of Dharavi residents," Thackeray said. Notably, the Shiv Sena (UBT) ally Congress had last month organised a protest rally in Mumbai demanding the cancellation of the project contract, alleging discrepancies in the issuance of the work order. The project, which reportedly has a revenue potential of Rs 20,000 crore, involves developing Dharavi in central Mumbai, located near the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) business district. It was won by Adani Properties in November last year through a competitive bidding which also saw realty major DLF and Naman Developers competing. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said he would lead a march to the Mumbai office of Adani Group on December 16, alleging that the Maharashtra government appeared to be favouring the business conglomerate which has bagged the Dharavi redevelopment project. Talking to reporters, Thackeray also dared the BJP (the Union government led by it) to conduct the coming Lok Sabha elections using paper ballots instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Now that the BJP has swept the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, it should also hold the civic body polls in Mumbai which have been pending for more than a year, he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Several suspicious decisions have been taken to favour the Adani Group in the Dharavi redevelopment project. It also includes a TDR (Transferable Development Rights) sale clause which will benefit the Adani group significantly. To protect the interests of the residents of Dharavi, the Shiv Sena will march to the Adani Group office on December 16. I will lead the march," the former Maharashtra chief minister said. The Maharashtra government in July awarded the 259-hectare Dharavi redevelopment project to an Adani Group firm. "Enough information is available about the redevelopment project which raises suspicion about whether the government is trying to give benefit to Adani at the cost of Dharavi residents," Thackeray said. Notably, the Shiv Sena (UBT) ally Congress had last month organised a protest rally in Mumbai demanding the cancellation of the project contract, alleging discrepancies in the issuance of the work order. The project, which reportedly has a revenue potential of Rs 20,000 crore, involves developing Dharavi in central Mumbai, located near the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) business district. It was won by Adani Properties in November last year through a competitive bidding which also saw realty major DLF and Naman Developers competing. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI CHANDIGARH: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by four youths in Punjab's Ferozepur district, with police registering a case against the accused, officials said on Tuesday. The girl, stated to be a budding athlete, was out for a run on the evening of November 30 when the incident took place, a police officer said. The girl was intercepted by the youths from her village who allegedly forced her to consume an intoxicant and then raped her, he said. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the law, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the accused, who are on the run. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp CHANDIGARH: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by four youths in Punjab's Ferozepur district, with police registering a case against the accused, officials said on Tuesday. The girl, stated to be a budding athlete, was out for a run on the evening of November 30 when the incident took place, a police officer said. The girl was intercepted by the youths from her village who allegedly forced her to consume an intoxicant and then raped her, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the law, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the accused, who are on the run. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has no plans to attend the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled in Delhi on December 6, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said on Tuesday. When asked if the decision was taken after the declaration of assembly poll results in four states, the spokesperson said there was no information about the meeting earlier. "The Samajwadi party national president has no plans to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc tomorrow. Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised by the national president will go for the meeting," Chaudhary told PTI. Meanwhile, in Delhi, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said his party will attend the meeting although Akhilesh Yadav may not be present. He said the Samajwadi Party chief is busy with some programmes in the Purvanchal region. "It doesn't matter if a leader does not participate. All parties will be there in the meeting. "Leaders are busy, they have prior commitments...the meeting was announced suddenly. Akhilesh will not attend as he has some programme in Purvanchal, I will attend (the meeting)," he said. The Samajwadi Party has been upset with the Congress over not being accommodated in Madhya Pradesh by the Congress while announcing its candidates for the state and has openly expressed its displeasure. The SP was also missing from a meeting of the INDIA bloc parties in Parliament on Monday. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee will also not attend the December 6 meeting of the INDIA bloc due to prior engagements. Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc are set to meet at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on December 6 to formulate a strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After the announcement of the results of the recent assembly elections in four states, the SP chief on Monday said he was not disappointed and expressed hope that results will be different in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He had, however, stressed that opposition parties will have to make a lot of preparations to fight against a "big party" like the BJP. "The fight is big. To fight a big party like the BJP, we will have to make a lot of preparations. We have to be under strict discipline and have to fight the strategy with which they (BJP) are getting the majority. I hope the results will be different in the Lok Sabha polls," Yadav had told reporters in Varanasi. The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on Sunday, inflicting a resounding defeat on the Congress to tighten its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland, in a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In some consolation for the Congress in the face of the saffron wave after it lost Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the party ousted the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has no plans to attend the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled in Delhi on December 6, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said on Tuesday. When asked if the decision was taken after the declaration of assembly poll results in four states, the spokesperson said there was no information about the meeting earlier. "The Samajwadi party national president has no plans to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc tomorrow. Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised by the national president will go for the meeting," Chaudhary told PTI.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, in Delhi, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said his party will attend the meeting although Akhilesh Yadav may not be present. He said the Samajwadi Party chief is busy with some programmes in the Purvanchal region. "It doesn't matter if a leader does not participate. All parties will be there in the meeting. "Leaders are busy, they have prior commitments...the meeting was announced suddenly. Akhilesh will not attend as he has some programme in Purvanchal, I will attend (the meeting)," he said. The Samajwadi Party has been upset with the Congress over not being accommodated in Madhya Pradesh by the Congress while announcing its candidates for the state and has openly expressed its displeasure. The SP was also missing from a meeting of the INDIA bloc parties in Parliament on Monday. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee will also not attend the December 6 meeting of the INDIA bloc due to prior engagements. Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc are set to meet at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on December 6 to formulate a strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After the announcement of the results of the recent assembly elections in four states, the SP chief on Monday said he was not disappointed and expressed hope that results will be different in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He had, however, stressed that opposition parties will have to make a lot of preparations to fight against a "big party" like the BJP. "The fight is big. To fight a big party like the BJP, we will have to make a lot of preparations. We have to be under strict discipline and have to fight the strategy with which they (BJP) are getting the majority. I hope the results will be different in the Lok Sabha polls," Yadav had told reporters in Varanasi. The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on Sunday, inflicting a resounding defeat on the Congress to tighten its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland, in a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and setting the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In some consolation for the Congress in the face of the saffron wave after it lost Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the party ousted the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to skip the meeting of the Opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A to be held in New Delhi on December 6. JD (U) sources said that since Nitish was suffering from viral fever these days and doctors had advised him to take a rest, he would not be able to attend the I.N.D.I.A's meeting to be held in the national capital. Instead of him, two senior leaders, including JD (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and state water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha are expected to attend the meeting. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened the meeting of the 'INDIA' bloc after Opposition alliance partners were routed in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh in the just concluded assembly polls. Earlier, West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav have also hinted at not attending the meeting to be held 4-5 months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, Nitish has not been attending any official or public functions these days due to viral fever. He had also not been able to attend Rajgir Mahostav in Nalanda district last week. Leaders like Union Minister and BJP MP Giriraj Singh and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)'s president Jitan Ram Manjhi even demanded that a medical bulletin should be issued on Nitish's health. Earlier, Bihar Congress president and MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh had said that seat sharing would be finalised at the proposed meeting. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to skip the meeting of the Opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A to be held in New Delhi on December 6. JD (U) sources said that since Nitish was suffering from viral fever these days and doctors had advised him to take a rest, he would not be able to attend the I.N.D.I.A's meeting to be held in the national capital. Instead of him, two senior leaders, including JD (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and state water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha are expected to attend the meeting.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened the meeting of the 'INDIA' bloc after Opposition alliance partners were routed in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh in the just concluded assembly polls. Earlier, West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav have also hinted at not attending the meeting to be held 4-5 months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, Nitish has not been attending any official or public functions these days due to viral fever. He had also not been able to attend Rajgir Mahostav in Nalanda district last week. Leaders like Union Minister and BJP MP Giriraj Singh and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)'s president Jitan Ram Manjhi even demanded that a medical bulletin should be issued on Nitish's health. Earlier, Bihar Congress president and MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh had said that seat sharing would be finalised at the proposed meeting. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Ramashankar By Express News Service PATNA: In a significant move to champion eco-friendly transportation, the Bihar government, at a cabinet meeting led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Tuesday gave the nod to a comprehensive Electric Vehicle (EV) policy. The policy places strong emphasis on creating a conducive ecosystem for electric vehicles, with a particular focus on developing a robust network of charging stations across the state. In a parallel initiative to bolster electric mobility, the state cabinet also approved a proposal of the state transport department to acquire 400 electric buses under the National Electric Bus Programme (NEBP). These buses, slated to operate in various districts of Bihar, aim to diminish reliance on conventional petrol and diesel-powered public transport sysem. The Bihar Electric Vehicle Policy, designed to steer the state towards a sustainable transport paradigm, outlines ambitious goals for the next five years, culminating in 2028. The policy aspires to see 15% of all new vehicles registered in Bihar by 2028 being electric vehicles. To incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles, the EV policy introduces various measures, including subsidies on Motor Vehicle (MV) Tax up to 75% and purchase incentives of up to Rs 1.25 lakh for the first 1,000 personal four-wheeler EVs. In addition, there are similar benefits for the first 10,000 personal two-wheeler EVs, with subsidies on MV Tax up to 75% and purchase incentives up to Rs 10,000. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, leading by example, has been utilizing an electric vehicle for his travels in Patna for the past four years, emphasizing the importance of environmental conservation. Speaking on the broader objectives of the EV policy, Transport Secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said, The Bihar Electric Motor Vehicle Policy aims to promote an electric vehicle transport system in the state, complemented by accessible EV charging infrastructure. It seeks to enhance environmental quality by mitigating air pollution while fostering startups and investments in the electric mobility sector and its associated support industries. In a bid to make electricity more affordable for power charging stations, the policy provides a 30% subsidy on power tariffs for public and semi-public charging stations during the initial three years. Subsidies are extended to the establishment of electric charging stations in residential apartments, with various government departments setting up public charging stations on government-owned land, the state transport secretary said. The policy also promotes the use of renewable energy for EV charging stations, with approved tariff rates for high tension EV charging stations set at Rs 8/KvA for the fiscal year 2023-24. Further, provisions for incentives for scrapping EVs and their components are outlined in the policy. It is noteworthy that the draft of the EV policy, crafted in 2022, benefited from contributions by international expert agencies, including WRI India. WRI India CEO Madhav Pai highlighted the Bihar Electric Vehicle Policy during a session themed Leading E-Bus Transition: Global Experiences and Learnings at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai on Tuesday. The Bihar government's unveiling of this comprehensive EV policy underscores its commitment to fostering sustainable practices, promoting green transportation and contributing to global efforts in combating climate change. ALSO READ | Bihar CM likely to skip 'INDIA' bloc meeting in New Delhi on December 6 Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PATNA: In a significant move to champion eco-friendly transportation, the Bihar government, at a cabinet meeting led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Tuesday gave the nod to a comprehensive Electric Vehicle (EV) policy. The policy places strong emphasis on creating a conducive ecosystem for electric vehicles, with a particular focus on developing a robust network of charging stations across the state. In a parallel initiative to bolster electric mobility, the state cabinet also approved a proposal of the state transport department to acquire 400 electric buses under the National Electric Bus Programme (NEBP). These buses, slated to operate in various districts of Bihar, aim to diminish reliance on conventional petrol and diesel-powered public transport sysem. The Bihar Electric Vehicle Policy, designed to steer the state towards a sustainable transport paradigm, outlines ambitious goals for the next five years, culminating in 2028. The policy aspires to see 15% of all new vehicles registered in Bihar by 2028 being electric vehicles.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); To incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles, the EV policy introduces various measures, including subsidies on Motor Vehicle (MV) Tax up to 75% and purchase incentives of up to Rs 1.25 lakh for the first 1,000 personal four-wheeler EVs. In addition, there are similar benefits for the first 10,000 personal two-wheeler EVs, with subsidies on MV Tax up to 75% and purchase incentives up to Rs 10,000. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, leading by example, has been utilizing an electric vehicle for his travels in Patna for the past four years, emphasizing the importance of environmental conservation. Speaking on the broader objectives of the EV policy, Transport Secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said, The Bihar Electric Motor Vehicle Policy aims to promote an electric vehicle transport system in the state, complemented by accessible EV charging infrastructure. It seeks to enhance environmental quality by mitigating air pollution while fostering startups and investments in the electric mobility sector and its associated support industries. In a bid to make electricity more affordable for power charging stations, the policy provides a 30% subsidy on power tariffs for public and semi-public charging stations during the initial three years. Subsidies are extended to the establishment of electric charging stations in residential apartments, with various government departments setting up public charging stations on government-owned land, the state transport secretary said. The policy also promotes the use of renewable energy for EV charging stations, with approved tariff rates for high tension EV charging stations set at Rs 8/KvA for the fiscal year 2023-24. Further, provisions for incentives for scrapping EVs and their components are outlined in the policy. It is noteworthy that the draft of the EV policy, crafted in 2022, benefited from contributions by international expert agencies, including WRI India. WRI India CEO Madhav Pai highlighted the Bihar Electric Vehicle Policy during a session themed Leading E-Bus Transition: Global Experiences and Learnings at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai on Tuesday. The Bihar government's unveiling of this comprehensive EV policy underscores its commitment to fostering sustainable practices, promoting green transportation and contributing to global efforts in combating climate change. ALSO READ | Bihar CM likely to skip 'INDIA' bloc meeting in New Delhi on December 6 Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI SRINAGAR: The BJP's victory in the Assembly polls in three states is not the party's win, but due to the Centre's money power, agencies, "its Election Commission and media", PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said here on Tuesday. She claimed that had the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) come to the contest alone, "it would not have won even a single seat". "This is not the BJP's victory, this is the win of the country's government, its agencies, its money power, its Election Commission, its media," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister told reporters on the sidelines of a party function. Asked about the Centre's reservation bill for Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament, she alleged that all such exercises are "illegal". "All of this is illegal because the revocation of Article 370 (of the Constitution) was done in an illegal manner and the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court. When something is sub-judice, how can they make a law on it? This is illegal, they are trampling the Constitution, Parliament and the Supreme Court. They are trampling every institution of the country," Mufti said. READ MORE | Many takeaways from results: BJP after 3 state sweep Asked if there are any differences between the members of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), she said people should not take some minor taunts seriously. "We are together, Farooq (Abdullah), me and others, and we will remain together god willing," the People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief said. Asked if the party function was in preparation for the Assembly election, Mufti said she wants to provide some solace to the people "who are feeling suffocated". "This is not about elections. We do not know when the election will take place. We are going to people to know about their difficulties and give them solace. People are disappointed, they feel crippled, suffocated, they cannot talk, arrests are going on and to bring them out of this, we are going to them," she added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp SRINAGAR: The BJP's victory in the Assembly polls in three states is not the party's win, but due to the Centre's money power, agencies, "its Election Commission and media", PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said here on Tuesday. She claimed that had the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) come to the contest alone, "it would not have won even a single seat". "This is not the BJP's victory, this is the win of the country's government, its agencies, its money power, its Election Commission, its media," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister told reporters on the sidelines of a party function.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Asked about the Centre's reservation bill for Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament, she alleged that all such exercises are "illegal". "All of this is illegal because the revocation of Article 370 (of the Constitution) was done in an illegal manner and the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court. When something is sub-judice, how can they make a law on it? This is illegal, they are trampling the Constitution, Parliament and the Supreme Court. They are trampling every institution of the country," Mufti said. READ MORE | Many takeaways from results: BJP after 3 state sweep Asked if there are any differences between the members of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), she said people should not take some minor taunts seriously. "We are together, Farooq (Abdullah), me and others, and we will remain together god willing," the People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief said. Asked if the party function was in preparation for the Assembly election, Mufti said she wants to provide some solace to the people "who are feeling suffocated". "This is not about elections. We do not know when the election will take place. We are going to people to know about their difficulties and give them solace. People are disappointed, they feel crippled, suffocated, they cannot talk, arrests are going on and to bring them out of this, we are going to them," she added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp A $100,000 Powerball ticket was sold Saturday at Lake Wissota Travel Shop in Chippewa Falls, according to a press release from Wisconsin Lottery. The ticket matched four of five numbers plus the Powerball. It also included the $1 Power Play option to turn a $50,000 win into a $100,000 win, the release says. "This is a nice holiday present for the store and whoever won it," said Dora Helland, Lake Wissota Travel Shop manager. "We're so excited. Powerball is a popular ticket with our customers, and many buy the Power Play option." Wisconsin Lottery retailers who sell winning tickets over $599 receive a 2% Retailer Performance Winning Ticket Incentive, up to $100,000. Powerball drawings are at 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and tickets must be purchased before 9 p.m. to be included in a drawing. The estimated jackpot is $412 million for Monday night's drawing. By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The bodies of 13 individuals, including at least five teenagers, who lost their lives in a gunfight involving unknown armed miscreants in Manipur on Monday, have been identified. The tragic incident unfolded at Leithao village near Saibol in the Tengnoupal district, a region plagued by ethnic violence and sharing a porous border with Myanmar. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Manipur police said the 13 were killed in a gunfight between unknown armed miscreants at Leithao village near Saibol in the Tengnoupal district. The police said they registered a case and were conducting a probe. Following the recovery of the bodies, the police brought them to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in state capital Imphal. The grieving families expressed their anger over the incident and slammed the state government for failing to protect lives. The grieving families collectively decided to perform the last rites at Andro in the Imphal East district. The Congress expressed concern over the incident. Party leader Jairam Ramesh said its been seven months now and the situation in Manipur continued to be far from normal. Just yesterday, came news of a fresh round of violence which took the lives of thirteen people. Earlier, a public sector bank had been looted and some Rs. 18 crore carried off. The Home Minister claims peace has returned but ground realities are to the contrary. And of course, the Prime Minister carries on with his inexplicable silence on Manipur, along with his refusal to meet with Manipuri leaders or visit the state, Ramesh wrote on X. The continuance of violence in Manipur for 7 months is unforgivable. A reported gunfight has resulted in the death of 13 more people. More than 60,000 people have been displaced in the past 215 days. The living condition of the internally displaced people in relief camp is Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) December 5, 2023 The ethnic violence, which broke out on May 3, killed nearly 200 people and displaced over 60,000 others. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp GUWAHATI: The bodies of 13 individuals, including at least five teenagers, who lost their lives in a gunfight involving unknown armed miscreants in Manipur on Monday, have been identified. The tragic incident unfolded at Leithao village near Saibol in the Tengnoupal district, a region plagued by ethnic violence and sharing a porous border with Myanmar. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Manipur police said the 13 were killed in a gunfight between unknown armed miscreants at Leithao village near Saibol in the Tengnoupal district. The police said they registered a case and were conducting a probe. Following the recovery of the bodies, the police brought them to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in state capital Imphal. The grieving families expressed their anger over the incident and slammed the state government for failing to protect lives.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The grieving families collectively decided to perform the last rites at Andro in the Imphal East district. The Congress expressed concern over the incident. Party leader Jairam Ramesh said its been seven months now and the situation in Manipur continued to be far from normal. Just yesterday, came news of a fresh round of violence which took the lives of thirteen people. Earlier, a public sector bank had been looted and some Rs. 18 crore carried off. The Home Minister claims peace has returned but ground realities are to the contrary. And of course, the Prime Minister carries on with his inexplicable silence on Manipur, along with his refusal to meet with Manipuri leaders or visit the state, Ramesh wrote on X. The continuance of violence in Manipur for 7 months is unforgivable. A reported gunfight has resulted in the death of 13 more people. More than 60,000 people have been displaced in the past 215 days. The living condition of the internally displaced people in relief camp is Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) December 5, 2023 The ethnic violence, which broke out on May 3, killed nearly 200 people and displaced over 60,000 others. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Parvez Sultan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Opposition members on Monday demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Ethics Committee report, recommending the expulsion of Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Mahua Moitra before any decision was taken on the matter. The opposition MPs made the demand during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to finalise the agenda for the House this week. According to sources, the report of the Ethics Committee on the expulsion of Moitra from the Lok Sabha is expected to be tabled in the House on Tuesday. The report was listed for presentation in the Lok Sabha on Monday but the agenda item was not taken up by the presiding officer. The Ethics Committee, chaired by BJP member Vinod Sonkar, had adopted its report at a meeting on November 9, recommending Moitras expulsion from LS. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Opposition members on Monday demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Ethics Committee report, recommending the expulsion of Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Mahua Moitra before any decision was taken on the matter. The opposition MPs made the demand during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to finalise the agenda for the House this week. According to sources, the report of the Ethics Committee on the expulsion of Moitra from the Lok Sabha is expected to be tabled in the House on Tuesday. The report was listed for presentation in the Lok Sabha on Monday but the agenda item was not taken up by the presiding officer. The Ethics Committee, chaired by BJP member Vinod Sonkar, had adopted its report at a meeting on November 9, recommending Moitras expulsion from LS.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: The indigenous people of Assam are bound to become landless and foreigners in their own homeland, the petitioners who have challenged section 6A of the Citizenship Act, which applies only to the northeastern state, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The submission was made by several Assam-based organisations through senior advocate Shyam Divan before a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud. The top court is examining the constitutional validity of section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam. The SC-bench sought data on the beneficiaries of section 6A of the Citizenship Act in Assam, saying there was no material before it which could indicate that the effect of granting Indian citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants between 1966 and 1971 was so great that it impacted the demographic and cultural identity of the border state. While acknowledging the problem of cross-border infiltration in Assam, the bench referred to the humanitarian aspect of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war for the liberation of Bangladesh which also led to the influx of immigrants. The bench also took note of the submission of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and said it was not dealing with the validity of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) and would confine itself to facets of section 6A of the Act. It also asked SG Mehta to provide data on the beneficiaries of the legislation from 1966 to July 16, 2013. The provision says those who came to Assam on or after January 1, 1966, but before March 25, 1971, from specified territories, including Bangladesh, as per the Citizenship Act amended in 1985, and are residents of Assam ever since must register themselves under section 18 for citizenship. As a result, it fixes March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi migrants in Assam. "But to test your argument there is no material before us to indicate that the impact of granting certain benefits to citizens who came in between 1966-71 was so grave that the demographic and cultural identity of the state was affected by those 5 years," the bench told senior advocate Shyam Divan who said the socio-cultural, economic and other rights of the indigenous people are getting affected due to the influx and the special provision. "Yes, we will have to see whether the impact of section 6 A was such that between 1966 and 1971 a radical change in demography took place in the state to affect the cultural identity of Assam," the bench remarked. Referring to the report of Lt.Gen S K Sinha, a former governor of the state, Divan said the unabated influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh threatened to reduce the Assamese people to a minority in their own state as had happened in Tripura and Sikkim. "Some of his observations are - Bangladesh census records indicate a reduction of 39 Lakh Hindus between 1971-1981 and another 36 Lakh between 1981-1989. These Hindus have been coming to India...The Muslim population of Assam has shown a rise of 77.42 per cent in 1991 from what it was in 1971. The Hindu population has risen by nearly 41.89 per cent in this period," the senior advocate said. Responding to the submissions, CJI Chandrachud said, "I am not sure if they are authenticated figures, whether they are accepted by the government...the figures of Government of India are the census and we can safely go by..." Referring to Sinha's report, Divan said this may be taken as a trend. "But it is an important trend...the most serious threats to the land rights of the indigenous people of Assam, more precisely, to the very identity of indigenous people of Assam comes from unabated influx from Bangladesh," Divan said. "The indigenous people are bound to become landless people and become foreigners in their own homes," he added. The bench said the statutory amendment was the result of the political solution arrived at by the political executive. "Suppose the amendment from the legislature was that anyone who entered into Assam after March 25, 1971, and for 10 years not deleted from electoral rolls, after 10 years they would get citizenship. Then perhaps it would be a different scenario because then you would be encouraging illegal immigration," it said. The bench said the amendment freezes the operation of the law in 1971 and it is a "one-time measure." "What about our rights?" Divan asked, adding "This is a kind of demographic invasion. We are saying that if you are so welcoming then please do not burden the state of Assam. You have so many border states and hence, where is the question of having a special regime only for Assam." Divan will resume his submissions on Wednesday. As many as 17 petitions, including the one filed by NGO Assam Public Works on the issue in 2009, are pending in the apex court. Under the Assam Accord signed by the All Assam Students Union, the Assam government and the Government of India on August 15, 1985, to detect and deport foreigners, Section 6A was inserted into the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to people who have migrated to the northeastern state. A Guwahati-based NGO challenged section 6A in 2012, terming it arbitrary, discriminatory and unconstitutional, and claiming it provides different dates for regularising illegal migrants in Assam. A two-judge bench had referred the matter to the Constitution bench in 2014. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The indigenous people of Assam are bound to become landless and foreigners in their own homeland, the petitioners who have challenged section 6A of the Citizenship Act, which applies only to the northeastern state, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The submission was made by several Assam-based organisations through senior advocate Shyam Divan before a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud. The top court is examining the constitutional validity of section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam. The SC-bench sought data on the beneficiaries of section 6A of the Citizenship Act in Assam, saying there was no material before it which could indicate that the effect of granting Indian citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants between 1966 and 1971 was so great that it impacted the demographic and cultural identity of the border state.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); While acknowledging the problem of cross-border infiltration in Assam, the bench referred to the humanitarian aspect of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war for the liberation of Bangladesh which also led to the influx of immigrants. The bench also took note of the submission of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and said it was not dealing with the validity of Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) and would confine itself to facets of section 6A of the Act. It also asked SG Mehta to provide data on the beneficiaries of the legislation from 1966 to July 16, 2013. The provision says those who came to Assam on or after January 1, 1966, but before March 25, 1971, from specified territories, including Bangladesh, as per the Citizenship Act amended in 1985, and are residents of Assam ever since must register themselves under section 18 for citizenship. As a result, it fixes March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi migrants in Assam. "But to test your argument there is no material before us to indicate that the impact of granting certain benefits to citizens who came in between 1966-71 was so grave that the demographic and cultural identity of the state was affected by those 5 years," the bench told senior advocate Shyam Divan who said the socio-cultural, economic and other rights of the indigenous people are getting affected due to the influx and the special provision. "Yes, we will have to see whether the impact of section 6 A was such that between 1966 and 1971 a radical change in demography took place in the state to affect the cultural identity of Assam," the bench remarked. Referring to the report of Lt.Gen S K Sinha, a former governor of the state, Divan said the unabated influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh threatened to reduce the Assamese people to a minority in their own state as had happened in Tripura and Sikkim. "Some of his observations are - Bangladesh census records indicate a reduction of 39 Lakh Hindus between 1971-1981 and another 36 Lakh between 1981-1989. These Hindus have been coming to India...The Muslim population of Assam has shown a rise of 77.42 per cent in 1991 from what it was in 1971. The Hindu population has risen by nearly 41.89 per cent in this period," the senior advocate said. Responding to the submissions, CJI Chandrachud said, "I am not sure if they are authenticated figures, whether they are accepted by the government...the figures of Government of India are the census and we can safely go by..." Referring to Sinha's report, Divan said this may be taken as a trend. "But it is an important trend...the most serious threats to the land rights of the indigenous people of Assam, more precisely, to the very identity of indigenous people of Assam comes from unabated influx from Bangladesh," Divan said. "The indigenous people are bound to become landless people and become foreigners in their own homes," he added. The bench said the statutory amendment was the result of the political solution arrived at by the political executive. "Suppose the amendment from the legislature was that anyone who entered into Assam after March 25, 1971, and for 10 years not deleted from electoral rolls, after 10 years they would get citizenship. Then perhaps it would be a different scenario because then you would be encouraging illegal immigration," it said. The bench said the amendment freezes the operation of the law in 1971 and it is a "one-time measure." "What about our rights?" Divan asked, adding "This is a kind of demographic invasion. We are saying that if you are so welcoming then please do not burden the state of Assam. You have so many border states and hence, where is the question of having a special regime only for Assam." Divan will resume his submissions on Wednesday. As many as 17 petitions, including the one filed by NGO Assam Public Works on the issue in 2009, are pending in the apex court. Under the Assam Accord signed by the All Assam Students Union, the Assam government and the Government of India on August 15, 1985, to detect and deport foreigners, Section 6A was inserted into the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to people who have migrated to the northeastern state. A Guwahati-based NGO challenged section 6A in 2012, terming it arbitrary, discriminatory and unconstitutional, and claiming it provides different dates for regularising illegal migrants in Assam. A two-judge bench had referred the matter to the Constitution bench in 2014. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday said the continuation of violence in Manipur for seven months was "unforgivable", and demanded that the prime minister hold a discussion to find a solution which is acceptable to all stakeholders. While slamming the Modi government for the situation in the state, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked, "Who is responsible for the complete demolition of law and order in the state?" "Who is responsible for the Chief Minister brazening it out and sticking to his untenable position? "Why has the Peace Committee constituted by the Union Government not done any visible work to restore peace, normalcy and harmony in Manipur," Kharge asked on X. "The Congress party along with several political parties in Manipur have demanded, and again repeat, that only a detailed discussion with the Honourable Prime Minister can find a solution to the conflict which is acceptable to all stakeholders," he said. "We sincerely hope that he obliges," he added. "A reported gunfight has resulted in the death of 13 more people. More than 60,000 people have been displaced in the past 215 days. The living condition of the internally displaced people in relief camp is inhuman and far from satisfaction," he said. At least 13 people, suspected to be the cadres of the outlawed PLA terror group, were killed after a gunfight in a remote border village of Manipur's Tengnoupal district on Monday, officials said. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur situation, which he said is far from normal. While the Home minister claims that peace has returned to the north eastern state, the ground realities are different, he said. "It has been 7 months now. The situation in Manipur continues to be far from normal. Just yesterday came news of a fresh round of violence which took the lives of thirteen people. Earlier, a public sector bank had been looted and some Rs.18 crore carried off," he said in a post on X. "The Home Minister claims peace has returned but ground realities are to the contrary. And of course, the Prime Minister carries on with his inexplicable silence on Manipur, along with his refusal to meet with Manipuri leaders or visit the state," Ramesh said. The Congress has been raising the issue of Manipur violence and will seek a discussion on the situation there in Parliament. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday said the continuation of violence in Manipur for seven months was "unforgivable", and demanded that the prime minister hold a discussion to find a solution which is acceptable to all stakeholders. While slamming the Modi government for the situation in the state, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked, "Who is responsible for the complete demolition of law and order in the state?" "Who is responsible for the Chief Minister brazening it out and sticking to his untenable position? "Why has the Peace Committee constituted by the Union Government not done any visible work to restore peace, normalcy and harmony in Manipur," Kharge asked on X. "The Congress party along with several political parties in Manipur have demanded, and again repeat, that only a detailed discussion with the Honourable Prime Minister can find a solution to the conflict which is acceptable to all stakeholders," he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "We sincerely hope that he obliges," he added. "A reported gunfight has resulted in the death of 13 more people. More than 60,000 people have been displaced in the past 215 days. The living condition of the internally displaced people in relief camp is inhuman and far from satisfaction," he said. At least 13 people, suspected to be the cadres of the outlawed PLA terror group, were killed after a gunfight in a remote border village of Manipur's Tengnoupal district on Monday, officials said. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur situation, which he said is far from normal. While the Home minister claims that peace has returned to the north eastern state, the ground realities are different, he said. "It has been 7 months now. The situation in Manipur continues to be far from normal. Just yesterday came news of a fresh round of violence which took the lives of thirteen people. Earlier, a public sector bank had been looted and some Rs.18 crore carried off," he said in a post on X. "The Home Minister claims peace has returned but ground realities are to the contrary. And of course, the Prime Minister carries on with his inexplicable silence on Manipur, along with his refusal to meet with Manipuri leaders or visit the state," Ramesh said. The Congress has been raising the issue of Manipur violence and will seek a discussion on the situation there in Parliament. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Parvez Sultan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The meeting of the INDIA bloc, which was reportedly scheduled by the Congress without consultation with coalition partners, will take place on Wednesday in the national capital at the residence of its president Mallikarjun Kharge. Many top leaders of opposition parties including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Janata Dal-United (JDU) are skipping the meeting. However, the leaders of the parties in the alliance are likely to meet in the third week of this month. The discussion in the meeting is expected to revolve around formation of strategy and seat sharing arrangements for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In an apparent snub to the Congress for ignoring INDIA members during the recently concluded elections in the Hindi heartland -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh --, TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday expressed their inability to attend the meeting. A permanent member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) Gurdeep Singh Sappal on Tuesday said that another round of parleys involving top opposition leaders would happen in the third week of December. A coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of India Alliance will be at 6 pm on December 6th, 2023 at the residence of Congress President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge. Thereafter meeting of Party Presidents/ Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in third week of December at a date convenient to all, he posted on X. Sappal is also a coordinator, Congress president's office. The opposition parties under the banner of INDIA bloc had convened three meetings so far in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai. According to JDU leaders, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is unable to come to Delhi for the meeting as he is suffering from viral fever. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin will also skip the convention due to Cyclone Michaung, which has caused havoc in parts of his state. Referring to the alliance meeting, the spokesperson of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Kunal Ghosh said that the Congress needs to shun its feudal mindset and agree to proper seat sharing to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We have heard that the INDIA bloc meeting has been deferred. Yesterday, Mamata Didi (West Bengal CM) spoke about no proper information about the proposed meeting. We are confident with this INDIA. If Congress leaves this mentality of Zameendaari (feudalism), adjusts seats properly, uses the experience of seniors like Mamata Banerjee and fights with a proper spirit, then it is possible to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha, he said. ALSO READ | Akhilesh Yadav to give INDIA bloc's meet a miss; SP leader Ramgopal Yadav likely to attend Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The meeting of the INDIA bloc, which was reportedly scheduled by the Congress without consultation with coalition partners, will take place on Wednesday in the national capital at the residence of its president Mallikarjun Kharge. Many top leaders of opposition parties including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Janata Dal-United (JDU) are skipping the meeting. However, the leaders of the parties in the alliance are likely to meet in the third week of this month. The discussion in the meeting is expected to revolve around formation of strategy and seat sharing arrangements for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In an apparent snub to the Congress for ignoring INDIA members during the recently concluded elections in the Hindi heartland -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh --, TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday expressed their inability to attend the meeting.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A permanent member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) Gurdeep Singh Sappal on Tuesday said that another round of parleys involving top opposition leaders would happen in the third week of December. A coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of India Alliance will be at 6 pm on December 6th, 2023 at the residence of Congress President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge. Thereafter meeting of Party Presidents/ Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in third week of December at a date convenient to all, he posted on X. Sappal is also a coordinator, Congress president's office. The opposition parties under the banner of INDIA bloc had convened three meetings so far in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai. According to JDU leaders, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is unable to come to Delhi for the meeting as he is suffering from viral fever. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin will also skip the convention due to Cyclone Michaung, which has caused havoc in parts of his state. Referring to the alliance meeting, the spokesperson of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Kunal Ghosh said that the Congress needs to shun its feudal mindset and agree to proper seat sharing to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We have heard that the INDIA bloc meeting has been deferred. Yesterday, Mamata Didi (West Bengal CM) spoke about no proper information about the proposed meeting. We are confident with this INDIA. If Congress leaves this mentality of Zameendaari (feudalism), adjusts seats properly, uses the experience of seniors like Mamata Banerjee and fights with a proper spirit, then it is possible to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha, he said. ALSO READ | Akhilesh Yadav to give INDIA bloc's meet a miss; SP leader Ramgopal Yadav likely to attend Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp SV Krishna Chaitanya By Express News Service The severe cyclonic storm 'Michaung', which caused devastation in India's metropolitan city of Chennai and the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh, where it made landfall on Tuesday, is a grim reminder for the world to limit global warming and cut emissions rapidly. The volume of rain the storm dumped over Chennai is unprecedented. The city received close to 45 cm in two days, overpowering the flood mitigation system put in place by the state authorities. Michaung is the sixth storm of the year in the Indian seas. While the formation of a tropical storm in the Bay of Bengal during December is very typical, the intensity of rains associated with the cyclone Micchuang is not normal. Climate experts say the frequency and intensity of cyclones have increased manifolds, courtesy of global warming. 93% of the heat is being observed by the oceans, and warm waters act as an energy source for cyclones. Scientists note that the intensity of the cyclone depends not only on sea surface temperature (SST) but, more importantly, on the volume of warm water in the ocean. As the COP28 in Dubai is battling hard to reach some consensus on an emission cut to limit global warming to 1.5C, a slew of reports were released on Tuesday by various organisations that suggest global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have risen this year and are reaching record levels, according to new research from the Global Carbon Project science team. Surging emissions in India and China The annual Global Carbon Budget projects fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 36.8 billion metric tonnes in 2023, up 1.1% from 2022. The report projects that total global CO2 emissions will be 40.9 billion metric tonnes in 2023. India tops the countries where emissions are on the rise by 8.2% and China by 4%; however, their historic emissions would still be far less than those of the US or Europe. Scientists say if countries don't take efforts to make course corrections now, climate extremes like Michaung will be on the rise. "The impacts of climate change are evident all around us, but action to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels remains painfully slow," said Prof. Pierre Friedlingstein of Exeters Global Systems Institute, who led the study. "It now looks inevitable that we will overshoot the 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement, and leaders meeting at COP28 will have to agree to rapid cuts in fossil fuel emissions even to keep the 2C target alive," Friedlingstein added. Another report from Climate Action Tracker said that despite government promises, warming projections have not improved since Glasgow two years ago, amid worsening climate impacts. The government's 2030 targets will lead to 2.5 C of warming by the end of the century. Loss and damages The climate and weather extremes have inflicted heavy losses and damages in India, especially on the East Coast. The Bay of Bengal hosts more cyclones than the Arabian Sea on account of favourable geographical and atmospheric conditions. Cyclone Fani in 2019 caused an estimated economic loss amounting to Rs 12,000 crores ($1.6 billion) and damaged more than five hundred thousand houses within the coastal districts of Orissa. Cyclone Phailin in 2013 caused an approximate economic loss of Rs 89,020 million ($1.16 billion). It has been estimated that financial loss was nearly Rs 8000 crores ($1.1 billion) during the Odisha cyclone in 1999. Cyclone Amphan was yet another powerful cyclone that tore through West Bengal, causing damage worth Rs 1 trillion ($13 billion) to infrastructure and crops. Trio of El Nino, IOD, and MJO El Nino, an oceanic condition that is usually associated with surplus north-east monsoons, was blamed for the extreme weather event. The El Nino indices crossed 2C for the first time since 2016, after the super El Nino of 2015. Chennai recorded close to 30 cm of rain on December 2, 2015. Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said: "El Ninos usually peak around Christmas in December, which is why they derive their name from the Spanish term for little boy. As oceans absorb more than 93% of the additional heat from global warming, El Ninos are also getting stronger. They are not little boys anymore, but monsters of the sea." "Changes in ocean-cyclone interactions have emerged in recent decades in response to Indian Ocean warming and are to be closely monitored with improved observations since future climate projections demonstrate continued warming of the Indian Ocean at a rapid pace along with an increase in the intensity of cyclones in this basin," Koll added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp The severe cyclonic storm 'Michaung', which caused devastation in India's metropolitan city of Chennai and the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh, where it made landfall on Tuesday, is a grim reminder for the world to limit global warming and cut emissions rapidly. The volume of rain the storm dumped over Chennai is unprecedented. The city received close to 45 cm in two days, overpowering the flood mitigation system put in place by the state authorities. Michaung is the sixth storm of the year in the Indian seas. While the formation of a tropical storm in the Bay of Bengal during December is very typical, the intensity of rains associated with the cyclone Micchuang is not normal.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Climate experts say the frequency and intensity of cyclones have increased manifolds, courtesy of global warming. 93% of the heat is being observed by the oceans, and warm waters act as an energy source for cyclones. Scientists note that the intensity of the cyclone depends not only on sea surface temperature (SST) but, more importantly, on the volume of warm water in the ocean. As the COP28 in Dubai is battling hard to reach some consensus on an emission cut to limit global warming to 1.5C, a slew of reports were released on Tuesday by various organisations that suggest global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have risen this year and are reaching record levels, according to new research from the Global Carbon Project science team. Surging emissions in India and China The annual Global Carbon Budget projects fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 36.8 billion metric tonnes in 2023, up 1.1% from 2022. The report projects that total global CO2 emissions will be 40.9 billion metric tonnes in 2023. India tops the countries where emissions are on the rise by 8.2% and China by 4%; however, their historic emissions would still be far less than those of the US or Europe. Scientists say if countries don't take efforts to make course corrections now, climate extremes like Michaung will be on the rise. "The impacts of climate change are evident all around us, but action to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels remains painfully slow," said Prof. Pierre Friedlingstein of Exeters Global Systems Institute, who led the study. "It now looks inevitable that we will overshoot the 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement, and leaders meeting at COP28 will have to agree to rapid cuts in fossil fuel emissions even to keep the 2C target alive," Friedlingstein added. Another report from Climate Action Tracker said that despite government promises, warming projections have not improved since Glasgow two years ago, amid worsening climate impacts. The government's 2030 targets will lead to 2.5 C of warming by the end of the century. Loss and damages The climate and weather extremes have inflicted heavy losses and damages in India, especially on the East Coast. The Bay of Bengal hosts more cyclones than the Arabian Sea on account of favourable geographical and atmospheric conditions. Cyclone Fani in 2019 caused an estimated economic loss amounting to Rs 12,000 crores ($1.6 billion) and damaged more than five hundred thousand houses within the coastal districts of Orissa. Cyclone Phailin in 2013 caused an approximate economic loss of Rs 89,020 million ($1.16 billion). It has been estimated that financial loss was nearly Rs 8000 crores ($1.1 billion) during the Odisha cyclone in 1999. Cyclone Amphan was yet another powerful cyclone that tore through West Bengal, causing damage worth Rs 1 trillion ($13 billion) to infrastructure and crops. Trio of El Nino, IOD, and MJO El Nino, an oceanic condition that is usually associated with surplus north-east monsoons, was blamed for the extreme weather event. The El Nino indices crossed 2C for the first time since 2016, after the super El Nino of 2015. Chennai recorded close to 30 cm of rain on December 2, 2015. Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said: "El Ninos usually peak around Christmas in December, which is why they derive their name from the Spanish term for little boy. As oceans absorb more than 93% of the additional heat from global warming, El Ninos are also getting stronger. They are not little boys anymore, but monsters of the sea." "Changes in ocean-cyclone interactions have emerged in recent decades in response to Indian Ocean warming and are to be closely monitored with improved observations since future climate projections demonstrate continued warming of the Indian Ocean at a rapid pace along with an increase in the intensity of cyclones in this basin," Koll added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: In the aftermath of securing a majority in Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself grappling with uncertainty over the Chief Ministerial position. A political churn is underway in Delhi as the party deliberates on who will helm the state. On Monday, over 30 MLAs convened with former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Jaipur, signalling a show of strength. Kalicharan Saraf, an eight-time MLA and staunch supporter of Raje, asserted that 70 MLAs had met with her. Saraf proclaimed, "Wherever she went, the BJP won there. Vasundhara is the most acceptable leader." The stream of MLAs making their way to Raje's residence continued on Tuesday, with notable figures like Arun Chaudhary, Jogaram Patel, Sanjeev Beniwal, Darshan Singh, Ajay Singh Kilak and Jaswant Yadav joining the meetings. Gopichand, the MLA from Jahajpur, who met Vasundhara on Monday, affirmed, "The CM has to be decided by the central leadership, but our faith is in Vasundhara Raje." Meanwhile, at the residence of BJP state president CP Joshi on Tuesday, independent MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati, Gopichand Meena, Gopal Sharma and Bhajan Lal Sharma convened, accompanied by state in-charge Arun Singh. Regarding the CM post, Singh remarked, "The decision taken by the Parliamentary Board will be acceptable to everyone." Addressing the media in Jaipur on Tuesday, Singh said that the party fought the elections in the name of PM Modi and therefore, the parliamentary board will decide the CM. "These elections were fought with PM Narendra Modi as the face of the party. Now the decision on who will be the Chief Minister will be decided in the Parliamentary Board meeting," he said. Singh did not say anything about the meeting of MLAs at the residence of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. It is noteworthy that the BJP, in a departure from its practice of the last three decades, contested the Rajasthan election without declaring a CM face, relying on the popularity of Prime Minister Modi. Two-time Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was considered a natural contender, yet her strained relations with the BJP high command over the past decade have fueled speculation about alternative candidates. Other potential candidates include Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Diya Kumari, Kirori Lal Meena, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal. Conflicting statements within the BJP indicate a prolonged internal struggle over the CM face. Despite Raje's outward silence, insiders suggest that her dissatisfaction could lead to significant upheaval. With Lok Sabha elections on the horizon, the impact of Raje's discontent on the BJP's electoral performance cannot be ignored. Political experts say that an observer will be appointed by the top leadership of the party who will hold a meeting of the legislature party in Jaipur and take suggestions from the MLAs regarding the name of the CM. After this, the decision on who will be the Chief Minister will be taken in the Parliamentary Board meeting. It remains to be seen whether the BJP will maintain its tradition of surprising decisions or choose to align with the familiar figure of Vasundhara Raje. ALSO READ | Gehlot-Pilot rift, poor ticket distribution cause Congress defeat in Rajasthan Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp JAIPUR: In the aftermath of securing a majority in Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself grappling with uncertainty over the Chief Ministerial position. A political churn is underway in Delhi as the party deliberates on who will helm the state. On Monday, over 30 MLAs convened with former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Jaipur, signalling a show of strength. Kalicharan Saraf, an eight-time MLA and staunch supporter of Raje, asserted that 70 MLAs had met with her. Saraf proclaimed, "Wherever she went, the BJP won there. Vasundhara is the most acceptable leader." The stream of MLAs making their way to Raje's residence continued on Tuesday, with notable figures like Arun Chaudhary, Jogaram Patel, Sanjeev Beniwal, Darshan Singh, Ajay Singh Kilak and Jaswant Yadav joining the meetings. Gopichand, the MLA from Jahajpur, who met Vasundhara on Monday, affirmed, "The CM has to be decided by the central leadership, but our faith is in Vasundhara Raje."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, at the residence of BJP state president CP Joshi on Tuesday, independent MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati, Gopichand Meena, Gopal Sharma and Bhajan Lal Sharma convened, accompanied by state in-charge Arun Singh. Regarding the CM post, Singh remarked, "The decision taken by the Parliamentary Board will be acceptable to everyone." Addressing the media in Jaipur on Tuesday, Singh said that the party fought the elections in the name of PM Modi and therefore, the parliamentary board will decide the CM. "These elections were fought with PM Narendra Modi as the face of the party. Now the decision on who will be the Chief Minister will be decided in the Parliamentary Board meeting," he said. Singh did not say anything about the meeting of MLAs at the residence of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. It is noteworthy that the BJP, in a departure from its practice of the last three decades, contested the Rajasthan election without declaring a CM face, relying on the popularity of Prime Minister Modi. Two-time Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was considered a natural contender, yet her strained relations with the BJP high command over the past decade have fueled speculation about alternative candidates. Other potential candidates include Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Diya Kumari, Kirori Lal Meena, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal. Conflicting statements within the BJP indicate a prolonged internal struggle over the CM face. Despite Raje's outward silence, insiders suggest that her dissatisfaction could lead to significant upheaval. With Lok Sabha elections on the horizon, the impact of Raje's discontent on the BJP's electoral performance cannot be ignored. Political experts say that an observer will be appointed by the top leadership of the party who will hold a meeting of the legislature party in Jaipur and take suggestions from the MLAs regarding the name of the CM. After this, the decision on who will be the Chief Minister will be taken in the Parliamentary Board meeting. It remains to be seen whether the BJP will maintain its tradition of surprising decisions or choose to align with the familiar figure of Vasundhara Raje. ALSO READ | Gehlot-Pilot rift, poor ticket distribution cause Congress defeat in Rajasthan Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: A probe has been initiated after the family of a 24-year-old woman, who died under mysterious circumstances on Saturday, claimed that some of her body parts were allegedly nibbled away by rats at a mortuary of a government hospital while it was lined up for postmortem examination in Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. The woman, named Anubha Yadav, of Mailar village of Lalitpur district allegedly died by suicide and her body was sent for postmortem on Saturday. Upon reaching the hospital on Monday to claim the body, the family protested, they got infuriated on finding out that the body of the deceased was lying on the floor with the face partially nibbled away by rats. Agitated family members protested at the hospital demanding action against those responsible for the negligence. The district administration assured them of necessary measures to address the issue, leading to the pacification of the aggrieved family. Meanwhile, Lalitpur Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Imtiyaz Ahmed set up a three-member panel to probe into the matter. Dr Ahmad said that the committee would also look into why the body was not kept inside a deep freezer at the postmortem house. However, as per the sources, of the six deep freezers present in the autopsy house, two were lying defunct. However, no arrests have been made so far in connection with the case. No arrests have been made in connection with the case. According to police sources, the family had lodged a complaint against the victim's husband, Hardesh Yadav, and three other members of the family of her in-laws, accusing them of killing her for dowry. However, a video recovered from Yadav's mobile phone reportedly contradicts the family's claim, showing the victim dying by suicide. a local police officer said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp LUCKNOW: A probe has been initiated after the family of a 24-year-old woman, who died under mysterious circumstances on Saturday, claimed that some of her body parts were allegedly nibbled away by rats at a mortuary of a government hospital while it was lined up for postmortem examination in Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. The woman, named Anubha Yadav, of Mailar village of Lalitpur district allegedly died by suicide and her body was sent for postmortem on Saturday. Upon reaching the hospital on Monday to claim the body, the family protested, they got infuriated on finding out that the body of the deceased was lying on the floor with the face partially nibbled away by rats. Agitated family members protested at the hospital demanding action against those responsible for the negligence. The district administration assured them of necessary measures to address the issue, leading to the pacification of the aggrieved family.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, Lalitpur Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Imtiyaz Ahmed set up a three-member panel to probe into the matter. Dr Ahmad said that the committee would also look into why the body was not kept inside a deep freezer at the postmortem house. However, as per the sources, of the six deep freezers present in the autopsy house, two were lying defunct. However, no arrests have been made so far in connection with the case. No arrests have been made in connection with the case. According to police sources, the family had lodged a complaint against the victim's husband, Hardesh Yadav, and three other members of the family of her in-laws, accusing them of killing her for dowry. However, a video recovered from Yadav's mobile phone reportedly contradicts the family's claim, showing the victim dying by suicide. a local police officer said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode chief of banned organizations International Sikh Youth Federation and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) who was based in Pakistan died in the neighboring country following a cardiac arrest. Lakhbir was among India's 'most wanted' men and the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The 72-year-old, who was the brain of the Khalistani separatist movement, had fled to Pakistan after Bhindranwale's death and settled down in Lahore. Lakhbir was listed as an `individual terrorist under the UAPA as he was accused in the 1985 Kanishka bombing of the Air India plane. Jasbir Singh Rode brother of Lakhbir Singh has confirmed his death in Pakistan. He said his brother had already been cremated in Pakistan on Monday. "We have been informed by brothers son, who lives in Canada, that his father died of a heart attack in Pakistan on December 2. He must have been cremated over there. But we have no confirmation about it. Lakhbir was diabetic and had recently undergone a bypass surgery and had been not keeping well for the past fortnight, said Jasbir. Lakbir Singh who hails from Rode village in Moga district of the state had initially fled to Dubai but later moved to Pakistan but his family was staying in Canada. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also declared him as the mastermind behind the 2021 Ludhiana court complex blast. He was charged with smuggling Improvised Explosive Devices into India from Pakistan to trigger explosions across Punjab. Some time back the special court of NIA in Mohali ordered the confiscation of land at Kothe Gurupura village near Smalsar in Baghapurana tehsil of Moga district belonging to Rode. In 2002, India had submitted a list of 20 terrorists demanding their extradition from Pakistan, and his name figured in that. ISYF was founded in 1984 and is quite active in Canada and the UK. ISYF also has linkages with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He worked closely with Pakistan-based ISI to disrupt peace in India. Also, the killing of Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh in 2020 was planned by Lakhbir, said sources. Sources said that on March 22, 2002, ISYF was banned under the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA) in India. While a year earlier UK banned this group following the ban in the UK, the group changed its name to Sikh Federation-UK (SFUK). (With inputs from PTI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp CHANDIGARH: Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode chief of banned organizations International Sikh Youth Federation and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) who was based in Pakistan died in the neighboring country following a cardiac arrest. Lakhbir was among India's 'most wanted' men and the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The 72-year-old, who was the brain of the Khalistani separatist movement, had fled to Pakistan after Bhindranwale's death and settled down in Lahore. Lakhbir was listed as an `individual terrorist under the UAPA as he was accused in the 1985 Kanishka bombing of the Air India plane.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Jasbir Singh Rode brother of Lakhbir Singh has confirmed his death in Pakistan. He said his brother had already been cremated in Pakistan on Monday. "We have been informed by brothers son, who lives in Canada, that his father died of a heart attack in Pakistan on December 2. He must have been cremated over there. But we have no confirmation about it. Lakhbir was diabetic and had recently undergone a bypass surgery and had been not keeping well for the past fortnight, said Jasbir. Lakbir Singh who hails from Rode village in Moga district of the state had initially fled to Dubai but later moved to Pakistan but his family was staying in Canada. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also declared him as the mastermind behind the 2021 Ludhiana court complex blast. He was charged with smuggling Improvised Explosive Devices into India from Pakistan to trigger explosions across Punjab. Some time back the special court of NIA in Mohali ordered the confiscation of land at Kothe Gurupura village near Smalsar in Baghapurana tehsil of Moga district belonging to Rode. In 2002, India had submitted a list of 20 terrorists demanding their extradition from Pakistan, and his name figured in that. ISYF was founded in 1984 and is quite active in Canada and the UK. ISYF also has linkages with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He worked closely with Pakistan-based ISI to disrupt peace in India. Also, the killing of Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh in 2020 was planned by Lakhbir, said sources. Sources said that on March 22, 2002, ISYF was banned under the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA) in India. While a year earlier UK banned this group following the ban in the UK, the group changed its name to Sikh Federation-UK (SFUK). (With inputs from PTI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Ramashankar By Express News Service PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav confirmed on Tuesday that the next meeting of the opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will be held on December 17. The meeting was set to be held in New Delhi on December 6 to chalk out the strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Lalu was posed with queries by journalists in the Buxar district of Bihar about the meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday but was deferred due to the inability of several top leaders to attend. "The meeting has now been rescheduled to December 17," said Prasad, a staunch ally of the Congress and also known to be close to the Nehru-Gandhi family. Reacting to the results of assembly elections held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, Lalu said that the Congress party is not weak, but it lost the electoral battle in three states because of the weaknesses of some local leaders. "I don't think the party has grown weak. But it may need to work on its leadership in states like Madhya Pradesh," he told the media. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had called a meeting of opposition leaders in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalise seat sharing ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his inability to attend the meeting due to his poor health. Besides Nitish, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, two key leaders in the INDIA bloc, had hinted at not attending the meeting on December 6. Sources in JD(U) said that Nitish had been suffering from viral fever for the past week and had avoided attending either any official meetings or private functions. He had also not attended the Rajgir Mahotsav being held in his home district, Nalanda. Instead, JD (U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, and Water Resources Department minister Sanjay Kumar Jha were tipped off to be present at the meeting, which has now been rescheduled to December 17. At a recent public meeting, Nitish had lashed out at the Congress for neglecting the 'INDIA' bloc during the recent assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. After the Congress's defeat in the crucial polls, many leaders of Kumar's JD(U) have gone on record saying that Congress made a mistake by failing to take regional parties on board and trying to fight the BJP on its own. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav confirmed on Tuesday that the next meeting of the opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will be held on December 17. The meeting was set to be held in New Delhi on December 6 to chalk out the strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Lalu was posed with queries by journalists in the Buxar district of Bihar about the meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday but was deferred due to the inability of several top leaders to attend. "The meeting has now been rescheduled to December 17," said Prasad, a staunch ally of the Congress and also known to be close to the Nehru-Gandhi family. Reacting to the results of assembly elections held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, Lalu said that the Congress party is not weak, but it lost the electoral battle in three states because of the weaknesses of some local leaders. "I don't think the party has grown weak. But it may need to work on its leadership in states like Madhya Pradesh," he told the media.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had called a meeting of opposition leaders in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalise seat sharing ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his inability to attend the meeting due to his poor health. Besides Nitish, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, two key leaders in the INDIA bloc, had hinted at not attending the meeting on December 6. Sources in JD(U) said that Nitish had been suffering from viral fever for the past week and had avoided attending either any official meetings or private functions. He had also not attended the Rajgir Mahotsav being held in his home district, Nalanda. Instead, JD (U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, and Water Resources Department minister Sanjay Kumar Jha were tipped off to be present at the meeting, which has now been rescheduled to December 17. At a recent public meeting, Nitish had lashed out at the Congress for neglecting the 'INDIA' bloc during the recent assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. After the Congress's defeat in the crucial polls, many leaders of Kumar's JD(U) have gone on record saying that Congress made a mistake by failing to take regional parties on board and trying to fight the BJP on its own. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska is looking for local artists to participate in the 20th anniversary of their premier fundraiser, artVenture Art Show and Silent Auction. On April 20, 2024, a variety of unique artwork, created by local artists and Girl Scouts, will be auctioned off with the proceeds benefitting the organization. How to get involved: - Be a collaborating artist by working with a group of Girl Scouts to create a piece of artwork that will be displayed and auctioned off at artVenture. - Be a donating artist by donating an individual work of art from your own collection into the silent auction. You have the option of keeping 50% of the proceeds or donating 100%. - Or do both. Collaborate with Girl Scouts and donate a piece of your own artwork. In 2023, more than 100 artists and 890 Girl Scouts across Nebraska participated in artVenture. Their collaborative creations, along with individual donated works of art, were sold in the artVenture Silent Auction, raising critical funds for Nebraska Girl Scouts. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/3SA0wH1. Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India has expressed interest in getting cheetahs from Kenya. This proposal was mooted by the environment ministry on Wednesday during the state visit of Kenyan President Dr William Samoei Ruto to India. "Details of the number of cheetahs that India wants and the number that Kenya can provide and the timeline havent been talked about yet. But yes, the environment ministry has asked for cheetahs," said an official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). There are 15 surviving cheetahs in Kuno National Park. Meanwhile, India and Kenya signed five MoUs on agriculture, healthcare and other sectors. There were talks on maritime security, collaboration in space, healthcare and education. Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, Big Cats Alliance and International Solar Alliance. "I am glad that Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, Big Cat Alliance and International Solar Alliance. We will be able to strengthen the global efforts for conservation of big cats," said Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. India has decided to give $100 million additional line of credit to Kenya for agricultural projects which includes support through providing machinery. This brings the total line of credit to $250 million. President Ruto met PM Modi and President Draupadi Murmu during his visit. "India and Kenya are unanimous that terrorism is the most serious challenge to humanity. In this regard, we have decided to increase mutual cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism," said PM Modi. Meanwhile, President Ruto commended India's digital advancements, announcing Kenya's intention to sign agreements in the digital space. He revealed that Kenya's Minister of Information and Communication Technology visited India to learn about digital ID and government service digitization. Ruto praised India's achievements, particularly in leveraging technology for effective governance. ALSO READ | INTERVIEW: Cheetah is very much possible in India, says wildlife conservationist Dr Y V Jhala MoUs Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Kenya and the Government of the Republic of India on cooperation in sports Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Kenya on Cooperation in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation Culture Exchange Programme between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Kenya for a period of 2023-27 Memorandum of Understanding between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Kenyan Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Memorandum of Understanding between Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Open University of Kenya (OUK) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: India has expressed interest in getting cheetahs from Kenya. This proposal was mooted by the environment ministry on Wednesday during the state visit of Kenyan President Dr William Samoei Ruto to India. "Details of the number of cheetahs that India wants and the number that Kenya can provide and the timeline havent been talked about yet. But yes, the environment ministry has asked for cheetahs," said an official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). There are 15 surviving cheetahs in Kuno National Park. Meanwhile, India and Kenya signed five MoUs on agriculture, healthcare and other sectors. There were talks on maritime security, collaboration in space, healthcare and education. Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, Big Cats Alliance and International Solar Alliance.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "I am glad that Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, Big Cat Alliance and International Solar Alliance. We will be able to strengthen the global efforts for conservation of big cats," said Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. India has decided to give $100 million additional line of credit to Kenya for agricultural projects which includes support through providing machinery. This brings the total line of credit to $250 million. President Ruto met PM Modi and President Draupadi Murmu during his visit. "India and Kenya are unanimous that terrorism is the most serious challenge to humanity. In this regard, we have decided to increase mutual cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism," said PM Modi. Meanwhile, President Ruto commended India's digital advancements, announcing Kenya's intention to sign agreements in the digital space. He revealed that Kenya's Minister of Information and Communication Technology visited India to learn about digital ID and government service digitization. Ruto praised India's achievements, particularly in leveraging technology for effective governance. ALSO READ | INTERVIEW: Cheetah is very much possible in India, says wildlife conservationist Dr Y V Jhala MoUs Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Kenya and the Government of the Republic of India on cooperation in sports Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Kenya on Cooperation in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation Culture Exchange Programme between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Kenya for a period of 2023-27 Memorandum of Understanding between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Kenyan Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Memorandum of Understanding between Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Open University of Kenya (OUK) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath is likely to meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday and may tender his resignation from the post following the party's debacle in the assembly elections, sources said. Winning 163 seats, the BJP got two-third majority in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, while the Congress bagged 66 seats. The polls were held last month and votes counted on Sunday. Nath is likely to meet Kharge on Tuesday and could be asked to resign as party state unit chief, the sources said on Monday and added that the Congress leadership is also upset over Nath's remarks against many leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, over seat sharing. While the Samajwadi Party was asking for only four to six seats, the JD(U) only one seat in Madhya Pradesh, to which Nath did not agree and peeved the leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The sources said the Congress leadership is also reportedly upset over Nath not meeting party leaders and workers, but meeting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath is likely to meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday and may tender his resignation from the post following the party's debacle in the assembly elections, sources said. Winning 163 seats, the BJP got two-third majority in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, while the Congress bagged 66 seats. The polls were held last month and votes counted on Sunday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Nath is likely to meet Kharge on Tuesday and could be asked to resign as party state unit chief, the sources said on Monday and added that the Congress leadership is also upset over Nath's remarks against many leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, over seat sharing. While the Samajwadi Party was asking for only four to six seats, the JD(U) only one seat in Madhya Pradesh, to which Nath did not agree and peeved the leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The sources said the Congress leadership is also reportedly upset over Nath not meeting party leaders and workers, but meeting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service DELHI: A city court has granted bail to a former Indian Air Force official, who allegedly shared secret information with intelligence operatives suspected to be backed by Pakistan's ISI after being 'honey trapped' in 2015. Additional Sessions Judge Aparna Swami noted that the accused has already spent more than seven years in jail, half the maximum sentence prescribed for the alleged offence while granting relief to Ranjith K K, who was a Leading Aircraftman, a junior ranking official below a corporal, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) posted in Bhatinda. The court took note of the submissions made by advocates Akash Vajpai and Javed Ali, who while appearing for the accused said a close scrutiny of the case file reflected that no material delay can be attributed to the accused in causing delay in the trial. "As per the record, all the material witnesses have been examined. At present, 12 witnesses are left to be examined. These witnesses are police officials who in no case can be influenced by the accused. The accused has already undergone seven years and approximately 10 months period of incarceration," the order said. The accused was charged for the offence punishable under Section 3 of Official Secrets Act, the maximum punishment for which is 14 years in jail. The judge noted that the conduct of the applicant in jail was satisfactory. The applicant/accused has no previous criminal antecedents or involvement(s). Further, as 12 witnesses are still to be examined in the case file, this will definitely take time for concluding the trial. Thus, as the accused has already undergone substantive period of incarceration, this court being guided by the directions of Apex Courtis of the opinion that accused is entitled to the relief, the judge said. Ranjith, a native of Malappuram district in Kerala, had joined the Indian Air Force in 2010. He was booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act. According to the prosecution, Ranjith was deceived by a cyber entity by the name Damini McNaught, who pretended to be an executive of a UK-based media firm and claimed she required from him some Air Force-related information for an article in her news magazine in exchange for pecuniary benefits. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp DELHI: A city court has granted bail to a former Indian Air Force official, who allegedly shared secret information with intelligence operatives suspected to be backed by Pakistan's ISI after being 'honey trapped' in 2015. Additional Sessions Judge Aparna Swami noted that the accused has already spent more than seven years in jail, half the maximum sentence prescribed for the alleged offence while granting relief to Ranjith K K, who was a Leading Aircraftman, a junior ranking official below a corporal, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) posted in Bhatinda. The court took note of the submissions made by advocates Akash Vajpai and Javed Ali, who while appearing for the accused said a close scrutiny of the case file reflected that no material delay can be attributed to the accused in causing delay in the trial. "As per the record, all the material witnesses have been examined. At present, 12 witnesses are left to be examined. These witnesses are police officials who in no case can be influenced by the accused. The accused has already undergone seven years and approximately 10 months period of incarceration," the order said. The accused was charged for the offence punishable under Section 3 of Official Secrets Act, the maximum punishment for which is 14 years in jail. The judge noted that the conduct of the applicant in jail was satisfactory. The applicant/accused has no previous criminal antecedents or involvement(s). Further, as 12 witnesses are still to be examined in the case file, this will definitely take time for concluding the trial. Thus, as the accused has already undergone substantive period of incarceration, this court being guided by the directions of Apex Courtis of the opinion that accused is entitled to the relief, the judge said. Ranjith, a native of Malappuram district in Kerala, had joined the Indian Air Force in 2010. He was booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act. According to the prosecution, Ranjith was deceived by a cyber entity by the name Damini McNaught, who pretended to be an executive of a UK-based media firm and claimed she required from him some Air Force-related information for an article in her news magazine in exchange for pecuniary benefits. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsAppgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); By Express News Service BHOPAL: Jolted by its third worst assembly poll performance in Madhya Pradesh over the last 20 years, the opposition Congress has called all its 230 candidates to Bhopal on Tuesday, to figure out reasons which led to the highly unexpected poll debacle. The state party president and Congress chief ministerial face Kamal Nath has called all the 230 party candidates to the state party HQ in Bhopal on Tuesday, where Nath and other senior leaders of the party will discuss with the candidates issues and possible causes behind the dismal performance. Importantly, though the party polled 40.40% vote (which was just 0.49% less than the 2018 polls vote share of 40.89%), it managed to win merely 66 seats, which was 48 seats less than the 114 seats won five years back. On the other hand, the ruling BJP which could win just 109 seats with 41.02% vote in 2018 polls, was a massive winner this time with 48.55% votes (which meant a massive 7.53% positive swing) to win 163 seats that was 54 more than the last polls. The statistics of the recent polls suggest that the BJP largely cornered the previous polls votes of smaller parties, like the GGP, BSP and SP this time, to be a clear and massive winner, just a few months before the national elections. Importantly, while 60 sitting Congress MLAs lost the polls this time, what hurt the party the most was the defeat of its 19 senior leaders, including ex-ministers and multiple time MLAs. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BHOPAL: Jolted by its third worst assembly poll performance in Madhya Pradesh over the last 20 years, the opposition Congress has called all its 230 candidates to Bhopal on Tuesday, to figure out reasons which led to the highly unexpected poll debacle. The state party president and Congress chief ministerial face Kamal Nath has called all the 230 party candidates to the state party HQ in Bhopal on Tuesday, where Nath and other senior leaders of the party will discuss with the candidates issues and possible causes behind the dismal performance. Importantly, though the party polled 40.40% vote (which was just 0.49% less than the 2018 polls vote share of 40.89%), it managed to win merely 66 seats, which was 48 seats less than the 114 seats won five years back. On the other hand, the ruling BJP which could win just 109 seats with 41.02% vote in 2018 polls, was a massive winner this time with 48.55% votes (which meant a massive 7.53% positive swing) to win 163 seats that was 54 more than the last polls.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The statistics of the recent polls suggest that the BJP largely cornered the previous polls votes of smaller parties, like the GGP, BSP and SP this time, to be a clear and massive winner, just a few months before the national elections. Importantly, while 60 sitting Congress MLAs lost the polls this time, what hurt the party the most was the defeat of its 19 senior leaders, including ex-ministers and multiple time MLAs. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service Rajya sabha approves post office bill The Rajya Sabha on Monday approved the Post Office Bill, 2023, aiming to repeal the 125-year-old Indian Post Office Act and streamline postal regulations. The proposed law grants the Central government authority to authorise officers for intercepting, opening or detaining items in the interest of national security, foreign relations, public order, emergencies, safety, or to enforce existing laws. Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw defended the interception provision in the Upper House. Reconstitute jcm in isro, says Tharoor During the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor urged the Centre to reconstitute a joint consultative mechanism within the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Science (DoS) to ensure a democratic way of dealing with issues of employees. A reverification process of the JCMs in these organisations used to take place every five years, but this has not happened since 2014, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said. LS nod to advocates amendment bill Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, aimed at regulating the legal profession by a single Act and seeks to target touts was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday with Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal saying there should be no role of such persons in the countrys courts. The Bill was already cleared by the Rajya Sabha on August 3, during the monsoon session. 6 states out of pm shri schools plan About Rs 3,395.16 crore has been approved to set up 6,207 PM SHRI schools in 27 states and UTs in the first phase, Union Minister of State for Education Annpurna Devi told the Lok Sabha on Monday. While the maximum of these schools have been approved in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are yet to be on-board to avail the scheme, she said. 9K sc/st students drop out of cUs Over 9,000 students from the reserved category dropped out from Central Universities (CU) in the last five years, Union Education Minister of State for Education Dr Subhas Sarkar informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Monday. Sarkar said that during the same period, over 3,000 students from the SC, ST and OBC categories dropped out of the IITs. Compiled by Kavita Bajeli-Datt & Rajesh Kumar Thakur Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajya sabha approves post office bill The Rajya Sabha on Monday approved the Post Office Bill, 2023, aiming to repeal the 125-year-old Indian Post Office Act and streamline postal regulations. The proposed law grants the Central government authority to authorise officers for intercepting, opening or detaining items in the interest of national security, foreign relations, public order, emergencies, safety, or to enforce existing laws. Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw defended the interception provision in the Upper House. Reconstitute jcm in isro, says Tharoor During the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor urged the Centre to reconstitute a joint consultative mechanism within the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Science (DoS) to ensure a democratic way of dealing with issues of employees. A reverification process of the JCMs in these organisations used to take place every five years, but this has not happened since 2014, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said. LS nod to advocates amendment bill Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, aimed at regulating the legal profession by a single Act and seeks to target touts was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday with Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal saying there should be no role of such persons in the countrys courts. The Bill was already cleared by the Rajya Sabha on August 3, during the monsoon session.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); 6 states out of pm shri schools plan About Rs 3,395.16 crore has been approved to set up 6,207 PM SHRI schools in 27 states and UTs in the first phase, Union Minister of State for Education Annpurna Devi told the Lok Sabha on Monday. While the maximum of these schools have been approved in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are yet to be on-board to avail the scheme, she said. 9K sc/st students drop out of cUs Over 9,000 students from the reserved category dropped out from Central Universities (CU) in the last five years, Union Education Minister of State for Education Dr Subhas Sarkar informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Monday. Sarkar said that during the same period, over 3,000 students from the SC, ST and OBC categories dropped out of the IITs. Compiled by Kavita Bajeli-Datt & Rajesh Kumar Thakur Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, the President of the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, was fatally shot by three men in broad daylight at his Jaipur residence on Tuesday. Despite being rushed to Metro Mass Hospital, he was declared dead by doctors. Ajit Singh, the guard accompanying Gogamedi during the incident, sustained serious injuries. Police have gathered CCTV footage of all the accused. Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph said one of the men who opened fire on Gogamedi was identified as Naveen Singh Shaktawat, a resident of Multai Shahpura, who also died. A hunt is on for the other two accused who fled the spot. In a post on social media, gangster Rohit Godara took responsibility for the killing, stating, "Ram Ram, to all the brothers I am Rohit Godara Kapurisar, Goldie Brar. Brothers, today Sukhdev Gogamedi was murdered. We take full responsibility for this. We have got this murder done. Brothers, I want to tell you that he used to cooperate with our enemies. Used to strengthen them. As far as enemies are concerned, they should keep their funeral bier ready at the doorstep of their house. Will meet them soon too." Local sources revealed that Gogamedi had received multiple threats in the past, prompting him to file complaints with the police, citing imminent danger to his life. Gogamedi's family had taken to employing a personal gunman for their safety during worship at the temple in their colony. Having been associated with the Rashtriya Karni Sena for an extended period, Gogamedi had formed the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena. His prominence escalated in 2017 when his organisation was accused of vandalism during the shooting of the film 'Padmavat' in Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur. Notably, Gogamedi was accused of slapping director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He gained further attention due to the protests in Rajasthan following the encounter case involving gangster Anandpal. In the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, Gogamedi sought a ticket from the Bharatiya Janata Party for the Bhadra Assembly seat in Hanumangarh district, but it was not granted. Recently, he had actively advocated for the reservation of Rajputs, establishing himself as a vocal figure on the political landscape. The assassination of Gogamedi has sent shockwaves through political and social circles in Rajasthan. Many Rajput organisations and Gogamedi's supporters protested against the incident outside the hospital and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has asked the DGP Umesh Mishra to take stern action against the culprits and arrest them at the earliest. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp JAIPUR: Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, the President of the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, was fatally shot by three men in broad daylight at his Jaipur residence on Tuesday. Despite being rushed to Metro Mass Hospital, he was declared dead by doctors. Ajit Singh, the guard accompanying Gogamedi during the incident, sustained serious injuries. Police have gathered CCTV footage of all the accused. Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph said one of the men who opened fire on Gogamedi was identified as Naveen Singh Shaktawat, a resident of Multai Shahpura, who also died. A hunt is on for the other two accused who fled the spot. In a post on social media, gangster Rohit Godara took responsibility for the killing, stating, "Ram Ram, to all the brothers I am Rohit Godara Kapurisar, Goldie Brar. Brothers, today Sukhdev Gogamedi was murdered. We take full responsibility for this. We have got this murder done. Brothers, I want to tell you that he used to cooperate with our enemies. Used to strengthen them. As far as enemies are concerned, they should keep their funeral bier ready at the doorstep of their house. Will meet them soon too."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Local sources revealed that Gogamedi had received multiple threats in the past, prompting him to file complaints with the police, citing imminent danger to his life. Gogamedi's family had taken to employing a personal gunman for their safety during worship at the temple in their colony. Having been associated with the Rashtriya Karni Sena for an extended period, Gogamedi had formed the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena. His prominence escalated in 2017 when his organisation was accused of vandalism during the shooting of the film 'Padmavat' in Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur. Notably, Gogamedi was accused of slapping director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He gained further attention due to the protests in Rajasthan following the encounter case involving gangster Anandpal. In the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, Gogamedi sought a ticket from the Bharatiya Janata Party for the Bhadra Assembly seat in Hanumangarh district, but it was not granted. Recently, he had actively advocated for the reservation of Rajputs, establishing himself as a vocal figure on the political landscape. The assassination of Gogamedi has sent shockwaves through political and social circles in Rajasthan. Many Rajput organisations and Gogamedi's supporters protested against the incident outside the hospital and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has asked the DGP Umesh Mishra to take stern action against the culprits and arrest them at the earliest. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Suchitra Kalyan Mohanty By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine a plea for quashing a provision of the surrogacy law that bars single unmarried women from having children through surrogacy. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the Centre and sought its response to the petition filed by SC lawyer Neeha Nagpal, who stated that women should be allowed to have a child without being married. When the petition was initially taken up for hearing, the judges were not inclined to hear it, but when the court was apprised of the fact that the petitioner, Nagpal, had frozen her eggs, the bench eventually decided to examine the issue and sought the central government's response in the matter. Senior Advocate Saurabh Kirpal represented Nagpal in her writ petition challenging Section 2(1)(s) of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. The petitioner, a single and unmarried woman, contested the provision that excludes unmarried women (not widowed or divorced) from surrogacy. Nagpal informed the court of her unmarried status and egg-freezing in December 2022. Her challenge extended to the March 14, 2023 Amendment, mandating single women (only widows or divorcees) in surrogacy to use self-eggs. The petition questioned the distinction between unmarried and divorced/unwidowed women, asserting that both are single. Allowing surrogacy for either group would result in single motherhood. Nagpal cited various Supreme Court verdicts recognizing the right to reproduction beyond natural conception, encompassing access to scientific advancements like surrogacy and assisted reproductive technologies. Failure to acknowledge these options, the plea argued, would render the right to reproduction and motherhood meaningless. Even there is no rational nexus of such classification with the object of the Act, as the object of the Surrogacy Act is to create a framework of boards and authorities to regulate surrogacy procedures, the prevention of potential exploitation of surrogates, and the protection of the rights of the child born through surrogacy, the petitioner said. "Thereby, the writ petition prays for a relief to set aside the notification and certain provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, being violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution," the petitioner said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine a plea for quashing a provision of the surrogacy law that bars single unmarried women from having children through surrogacy. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the Centre and sought its response to the petition filed by SC lawyer Neeha Nagpal, who stated that women should be allowed to have a child without being married. When the petition was initially taken up for hearing, the judges were not inclined to hear it, but when the court was apprised of the fact that the petitioner, Nagpal, had frozen her eggs, the bench eventually decided to examine the issue and sought the central government's response in the matter.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Senior Advocate Saurabh Kirpal represented Nagpal in her writ petition challenging Section 2(1)(s) of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. The petitioner, a single and unmarried woman, contested the provision that excludes unmarried women (not widowed or divorced) from surrogacy. Nagpal informed the court of her unmarried status and egg-freezing in December 2022. Her challenge extended to the March 14, 2023 Amendment, mandating single women (only widows or divorcees) in surrogacy to use self-eggs. The petition questioned the distinction between unmarried and divorced/unwidowed women, asserting that both are single. Allowing surrogacy for either group would result in single motherhood. Nagpal cited various Supreme Court verdicts recognizing the right to reproduction beyond natural conception, encompassing access to scientific advancements like surrogacy and assisted reproductive technologies. Failure to acknowledge these options, the plea argued, would render the right to reproduction and motherhood meaningless. Even there is no rational nexus of such classification with the object of the Act, as the object of the Surrogacy Act is to create a framework of boards and authorities to regulate surrogacy procedures, the prevention of potential exploitation of surrogates, and the protection of the rights of the child born through surrogacy, the petitioner said. "Thereby, the writ petition prays for a relief to set aside the notification and certain provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, being violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution," the petitioner said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: Uddhav Thackeray dared the BJP to call the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra state assembly elections together on ballot papers, not by EVM. He expressed suspicion about the accuracy of EVMs, citing the contradiction between exit and pre-poll surveys favoring Congress in all three major states and the actual results which came out completely opposite. There is still suspicion about the EVM. We want to clear this suspicion and therefore want to request the election commission of India, to call the elections by using ballot papers. Let there be two to three days to count the total votes, but this will settle the dust and doubt once and for all, Uddhav Thackeray added. He said that in five states elections, BJP got the thumping majority in all three major states elections, so he dared BJP to call the BMC elections. There has been no elected body in BMC for the last several months. And the same is the situation in other municipal corporations in Maharashtra. Therefore, the adminisrtation is doing whatver they want. We challenge the BJP to call the elections of all these local bodies and BMC elections at least if they are really confident about the election victory. The BMC election has been delayed for two and half years. The ruling party is also afraid to call the university senate elections. Such small elections are also postponed for some or other reasons. It shows how much BJP is confident about their victory in elections, Thackeray said. He said Shiv Sena (UBT) will continue to fight against the BJP and its tyranny. There will be a big protest against the Adani for grabbing the Dharavi redevelopment project without giving justice to the residence of the Dharavi. We will fight against everyone for the common man, he added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: Uddhav Thackeray dared the BJP to call the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra state assembly elections together on ballot papers, not by EVM. He expressed suspicion about the accuracy of EVMs, citing the contradiction between exit and pre-poll surveys favoring Congress in all three major states and the actual results which came out completely opposite. There is still suspicion about the EVM. We want to clear this suspicion and therefore want to request the election commission of India, to call the elections by using ballot papers. Let there be two to three days to count the total votes, but this will settle the dust and doubt once and for all, Uddhav Thackeray added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He said that in five states elections, BJP got the thumping majority in all three major states elections, so he dared BJP to call the BMC elections. There has been no elected body in BMC for the last several months. And the same is the situation in other municipal corporations in Maharashtra. Therefore, the adminisrtation is doing whatver they want. We challenge the BJP to call the elections of all these local bodies and BMC elections at least if they are really confident about the election victory. The BMC election has been delayed for two and half years. The ruling party is also afraid to call the university senate elections. Such small elections are also postponed for some or other reasons. It shows how much BJP is confident about their victory in elections, Thackeray said. He said Shiv Sena (UBT) will continue to fight against the BJP and its tyranny. There will be a big protest against the Adani for grabbing the Dharavi redevelopment project without giving justice to the residence of the Dharavi. We will fight against everyone for the common man, he added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI Jaipur, Dec 5 (PTI) The BJP's in-charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh Tuesday said the decision of the party's parliamentary board about the chief minister's post will be acceptable to all even as newly elected MLAs continued to visit ex-CM Vasundhara Raje at her residence which is seen as a show of strength. Raje, a two-time former chief minister of Rajasthan, is said to be among the frontrunners for the post this time also. The BJP swept the Assembly elections in the state, winning 115 of the 199 seats where polling took place. As Arun Singh reached the residence of BJP state president C P Joshi, reporters asked him about the chief minister's post. Singh replied, "The decision of the parliamentary board will be acceptable to all." Later, Singh and Joshi as well as several MLAs reached the BJP office. On the other hand, sources from Raje camp claimed that nearly 50 MLAs have met her at her residence since Monday. "Some of them met her today," a leader in that camp said. While many of the MLAs termed the visit a courtesy meeting, some of them hinted that Raje is a suitable face for the next chief minister because of her work in the previous two tenures. "BJP has returned to power in Rajasthan only because of the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vasundhara Raje," said Nasirabad MLA Ramswaroop Lamba. Asked whether the BJP MLAs will support Raje for the CM's post, he said the legislators are with her. Malviya Nagar MLA Kalicharan Saraf said the party's top leadership will decide who will be the chief minister and added that Raje is acceptable by all legislators. "A legislature party meeting will be held and the parliamentary board will decide," he told reporters while leaving Raje's residence on Monday night. Babu Singh Rathore, Prem Chand Bairwa, Govind Ranipuria, Kalulal Meena, KK Vishnoi, Pratap Singh Singhvi, Gopichand Meena, Bahadur Singh Koli, Shankar Singh Rawat, Manju Baghmar, Vijay Singh Chaudhary, Pushpendra Singh and Shatrughan Gautam and other MLAs met Raje on Monday. On Tuesday, Jogaram Patel, Arun Amra Ram, Arjun Garg, Sanjeev Beniwal, and Ajay Singh Kilak reached Raje's residence. According to the party sources, Arun Singh and C P Joshi met BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday. Raje has been the chief minister of Rajasthan twice from 2003 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2018. While she was the chief ministerial face in earlier elections, the party decided to go to polls without projecting any leader for the post and PM Modi leading the campaign. After the BJP's defeat in 2018 and the changed dynamics within the party, Raje was seen as a sidelined leader. Now that the party has returned to power in the state, her supporters are expecting that she gets a chance to be the chief minister for the third time. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Jaipur, Dec 5 (PTI) The BJP's in-charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh Tuesday said the decision of the party's parliamentary board about the chief minister's post will be acceptable to all even as newly elected MLAs continued to visit ex-CM Vasundhara Raje at her residence which is seen as a show of strength. Raje, a two-time former chief minister of Rajasthan, is said to be among the frontrunners for the post this time also. The BJP swept the Assembly elections in the state, winning 115 of the 199 seats where polling took place.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); As Arun Singh reached the residence of BJP state president C P Joshi, reporters asked him about the chief minister's post. Singh replied, "The decision of the parliamentary board will be acceptable to all." Later, Singh and Joshi as well as several MLAs reached the BJP office. On the other hand, sources from Raje camp claimed that nearly 50 MLAs have met her at her residence since Monday. "Some of them met her today," a leader in that camp said. While many of the MLAs termed the visit a courtesy meeting, some of them hinted that Raje is a suitable face for the next chief minister because of her work in the previous two tenures. "BJP has returned to power in Rajasthan only because of the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vasundhara Raje," said Nasirabad MLA Ramswaroop Lamba. Asked whether the BJP MLAs will support Raje for the CM's post, he said the legislators are with her. Malviya Nagar MLA Kalicharan Saraf said the party's top leadership will decide who will be the chief minister and added that Raje is acceptable by all legislators. "A legislature party meeting will be held and the parliamentary board will decide," he told reporters while leaving Raje's residence on Monday night. Babu Singh Rathore, Prem Chand Bairwa, Govind Ranipuria, Kalulal Meena, KK Vishnoi, Pratap Singh Singhvi, Gopichand Meena, Bahadur Singh Koli, Shankar Singh Rawat, Manju Baghmar, Vijay Singh Chaudhary, Pushpendra Singh and Shatrughan Gautam and other MLAs met Raje on Monday. On Tuesday, Jogaram Patel, Arun Amra Ram, Arjun Garg, Sanjeev Beniwal, and Ajay Singh Kilak reached Raje's residence. According to the party sources, Arun Singh and C P Joshi met BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday. Raje has been the chief minister of Rajasthan twice from 2003 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2018. While she was the chief ministerial face in earlier elections, the party decided to go to polls without projecting any leader for the post and PM Modi leading the campaign. After the BJP's defeat in 2018 and the changed dynamics within the party, Raje was seen as a sidelined leader. Now that the party has returned to power in the state, her supporters are expecting that she gets a chance to be the chief minister for the third time. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday met social media platforms to review progress made by them in tackling misinformation and deepfakes, and asserted that advisories will be issued in the next two days to ensure 100 per cent compliance by platforms. New, amended IT Rules to further ensure compliance of platforms, and the safety and trust of online users are actively under consideration, Chandrasekhar said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "Held the 2nd #DigitalIndiaDialogues on Misinformation and #Deepfakes with intermediaries today, to review the progress made since the Nov 24 meeting. Many platforms are responding to the decisions taken last month and advisories on ensuring 100 per cent compliance will be issued in the next 2 days," Chandrasekhar, who is Minister of State for IT and Electronics, said in the post. Meanwhile, sources said that the government has talked tough with the digital platforms at Tuesday's meeting. Platforms have been reminded that 11 areas of "user harms" or "illegalities" flagged under IT Rules are also mapped to equivalent provisions in the IPC (Indian Penal Code) and hence criminal consequences can follow even under the current laws. The government has said that the terms of service/ community guidelines put out by platforms should clearly mention that a violation under 3(1)(b) of IT Rules also amount to a violation of relevant provision under other laws like IPC. The platforms had been asked to align the terms of service/ community guidelines to the provisions of the IT Rules, in particular the 11 prohibited areas mentioned, and map with other laws (such as IPC). The terms of use/ community guidelines need to be easily visible to the users, and periodic reminders/ disclosures have to be sent to the users regarding the 11 prohibited areas. Platforms have to ensure easily accessible mechanisms for reporting of violations, and all reported violations (including in-app complaints) will have to be treated as a grievance with the grievance officer. Moreover, the Rule 7/ Section 79 adjudication role will be played by the Grievance Appellate Committee or GAC, sources said. On November 24, Chandrasekhar met with the representatives of social media platforms and the companies were given seven days to act decisively on deepfakes and align their terms of use as per the IT Rules. Sources said that some platforms have complied, and those "slow" in doing so have been given additional time. The government, in Tuesday's meeting, has made it amply clear that it will continue with its "zero tolerance approach" on user harm arising from misinformation and deepfakes. According to sources, many platforms have shown a clear understanding of what the right thing to do is, and are adapting quickly, but some platforms have shown "lethargy." In many instances, it was found that the community guidelines and the list of prohibited content were not easily accessible to the user. "Some platforms have not comprehensively aligned their terms of service or partially aligned in areas such as: Deceives or misleads about the origin/patently false and untrue or misleading in nature; impersonation; harmful for a child; pedophilic; invasive of privacy; insulting/harassing based on gender/ race/ ethnicity; threatens India's unity/defence/ security/ friendly relations/ public order; Incites crime; money laundering/gambling etc," sources said. A final meeting with platforms to take stock of the issues will take place in seven days, the source said. At present, the IT Rules require platforms to tackle harm, and also make sure that users on the platforms are well aware of what is illegal and what is not. The onus of ensuring this rests squarely on the platforms and is covered under sections relating to due diligence by intermediaries (Section 3 of IT rules). During Tuesday's meeting, platforms were clearly told that there are criminal consequences to such user harms, mapped even under existing laws. Citing a case in point, sources said a section under CRPC allows prosecution for deepfakes under "forgery". Similarly, other forms of harm have equivalent provisions under the IPC. "No platform used to doing nothing about harm would like to be told that we are going to take a 'zero tolerance approach' to harm...Ones that are slower (to act), we have given them some more time but we have certainly not given them any feeling that we are going to relax the government's approach in making the internet safe and trusted for all Indians," the source said. The government will review in seven days whether advisories will suffice or if new or amended rules will need to be issued. "Whether we need to issue only advisories or issue new amended rules, is something we will review in seven days from today. And if necessary, we will follow it up with a much tighter set of rules that focus on enforcement and issue of creating deterrence for those who abuse the platforms," sources said. Deepfakes refer to synthetic or doctored media that is digitally manipulated and altered to convincingly misrepresent or impersonate someone, using a form of artificial intelligence. Recently, several 'deepfake' videos targeting leading actors went viral, sparking public outrage and raising concerns over the misuse of technology and tools for creating doctored content and fake narratives. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday met social media platforms to review progress made by them in tackling misinformation and deepfakes, and asserted that advisories will be issued in the next two days to ensure 100 per cent compliance by platforms. New, amended IT Rules to further ensure compliance of platforms, and the safety and trust of online users are actively under consideration, Chandrasekhar said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "Held the 2nd #DigitalIndiaDialogues on Misinformation and #Deepfakes with intermediaries today, to review the progress made since the Nov 24 meeting. Many platforms are responding to the decisions taken last month and advisories on ensuring 100 per cent compliance will be issued in the next 2 days," Chandrasekhar, who is Minister of State for IT and Electronics, said in the post.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, sources said that the government has talked tough with the digital platforms at Tuesday's meeting. Platforms have been reminded that 11 areas of "user harms" or "illegalities" flagged under IT Rules are also mapped to equivalent provisions in the IPC (Indian Penal Code) and hence criminal consequences can follow even under the current laws. The government has said that the terms of service/ community guidelines put out by platforms should clearly mention that a violation under 3(1)(b) of IT Rules also amount to a violation of relevant provision under other laws like IPC. The platforms had been asked to align the terms of service/ community guidelines to the provisions of the IT Rules, in particular the 11 prohibited areas mentioned, and map with other laws (such as IPC). The terms of use/ community guidelines need to be easily visible to the users, and periodic reminders/ disclosures have to be sent to the users regarding the 11 prohibited areas. Platforms have to ensure easily accessible mechanisms for reporting of violations, and all reported violations (including in-app complaints) will have to be treated as a grievance with the grievance officer. Moreover, the Rule 7/ Section 79 adjudication role will be played by the Grievance Appellate Committee or GAC, sources said. On November 24, Chandrasekhar met with the representatives of social media platforms and the companies were given seven days to act decisively on deepfakes and align their terms of use as per the IT Rules. Sources said that some platforms have complied, and those "slow" in doing so have been given additional time. The government, in Tuesday's meeting, has made it amply clear that it will continue with its "zero tolerance approach" on user harm arising from misinformation and deepfakes. According to sources, many platforms have shown a clear understanding of what the right thing to do is, and are adapting quickly, but some platforms have shown "lethargy." In many instances, it was found that the community guidelines and the list of prohibited content were not easily accessible to the user. "Some platforms have not comprehensively aligned their terms of service or partially aligned in areas such as: Deceives or misleads about the origin/patently false and untrue or misleading in nature; impersonation; harmful for a child; pedophilic; invasive of privacy; insulting/harassing based on gender/ race/ ethnicity; threatens India's unity/defence/ security/ friendly relations/ public order; Incites crime; money laundering/gambling etc," sources said. A final meeting with platforms to take stock of the issues will take place in seven days, the source said. At present, the IT Rules require platforms to tackle harm, and also make sure that users on the platforms are well aware of what is illegal and what is not. The onus of ensuring this rests squarely on the platforms and is covered under sections relating to due diligence by intermediaries (Section 3 of IT rules). During Tuesday's meeting, platforms were clearly told that there are criminal consequences to such user harms, mapped even under existing laws. Citing a case in point, sources said a section under CRPC allows prosecution for deepfakes under "forgery". Similarly, other forms of harm have equivalent provisions under the IPC. "No platform used to doing nothing about harm would like to be told that we are going to take a 'zero tolerance approach' to harm...Ones that are slower (to act), we have given them some more time but we have certainly not given them any feeling that we are going to relax the government's approach in making the internet safe and trusted for all Indians," the source said. The government will review in seven days whether advisories will suffice or if new or amended rules will need to be issued. "Whether we need to issue only advisories or issue new amended rules, is something we will review in seven days from today. And if necessary, we will follow it up with a much tighter set of rules that focus on enforcement and issue of creating deterrence for those who abuse the platforms," sources said. Deepfakes refer to synthetic or doctored media that is digitally manipulated and altered to convincingly misrepresent or impersonate someone, using a form of artificial intelligence. Recently, several 'deepfake' videos targeting leading actors went viral, sparking public outrage and raising concerns over the misuse of technology and tools for creating doctored content and fake narratives. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp When First Lady Suzanne Pillen went to set up Christmas decorations at the capitol, she discovered some were a little worse for wear. "I went through the ornaments we needed to decorate the tree. A lot of the older ones were broken or not in good shape and I decided we needed to have some made," Pillen said. Pillen made a last-minute call to St. Isidore Catholic School, hoping they could get the 200-some ornaments working quickly. Sure enough, the school set a date for Dec. 1 and got to work coordinating with the students and staff. As a teacher, Pillen said whenever she can get kids involved in something, she will. As first lady, she said that children are a major area of focus for her. Between the two, this was a great solution to the broken ornaments. "I've been reading to a lot of schools (recently). Any time I can bring in children is a thrill for me. I want children to be recognized on the tree because children are the future of Nebraska," Pillen said. While the ornaments that remained represent Nebraska well, Pillen said she wanted to add a little bit of balance to the professional artwork, and the artwork done by kindergarteners through sixth-graders would provide that touch. In the future, she plans for this to be a rotating task. "Kids' artwork is so meaningful and I just thought we needed to even this out, so this year we chose St. Isidore's because it was easy, convenient and they can do it fast. We'll pass it around the state (in the future) and other schools can do it, too," Pillen said. Jenni Strong, a sixth-grade teacher at St. Isidore's, said that aside from having their art displayed in the capitol, the students get an opportunity to work together on a project. Sixth-graders, for example, showed kindergarteners how to paint deer, gingerbread men and birds on the wooden ornaments. "All our kids can come together and do an activity that relates to us celebrating the holidays, that's a big deal," Strong said. Strong said that because the Pillens are part of the church and their grandchildren attend the school, the students working on the ornaments grandchildren included understand the meaning behind them more. "Because Gov. Pillen is a member of our congregation, they already have that connection. They see him and know him, so to send something to the capitol, it's an honor for us to help decorate that," she said. Pillen's granddaughter, Halle, said that she was excited for the opportunity to be a part of the activity. "There will always be a part of me at the capitol," Halle said. The capitol tree will be lit on Dec. 10 at 2 p.m., with doors opening at 1:30 p.m. There will be performances by children's choirs preceding the Governor's holiday speech and the lighting of the tree. It will be held in the second floor rotunda of the capitol building at 1445 K Street in Lincoln. The lighting is open to the public. Does philanthropy depend on gender? Yes, if data collated by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation is anything to go by. The health ministry body recently said that four out of five organ recipients in the country between 1995 and 2021 were men. On the other side of the life-saving exchange, three out of every four donations came from womenmostly from the wife or mother of the recipient. Only one in 10 donors is the husband of the recipient. Patriarchy may well attribute the phenomenon to mothers love or wives devotion, but in the cold light of day, it is a visceral gender disparity. Medical experts say one of the reasons for this skew is the fact that there is a much higher incidence of liver and kidney diseases among men compared to women. But it is also true that when a son or a husband faces such a serious health issue, all eyes fall on the wife or the mother as if it was their duty to donate their organs. This is especially true if the female family members are non-working women who depend on the male members for subsistence. If we look at the trend closely, one can see that the reasons are more social than medicalit has more to do with an older cultural understanding that women are expected to take care of their families health, while men take care of earning. It is not that such a gender disparity is happening in our country aloneit is a global phenomenon with the proportion of female live donors being higher except in the Philippines and Hong Kong. Experts in the field are of the view that governmental intervention in the form of counselling and awareness creation is a must to address the gender gap. They say wherever proper interventions have taken place, the gender gap among donors has come down. There is no denying the expectation that if a person needs a transplant, he or she should be able to get it. The government must ensure that there is no undue pressure on anyone to donate an organ. Enough safeguards within the law to ensure that consent is not forced are a must. But before getting informed consent, we need to create more awareness. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Does philanthropy depend on gender? Yes, if data collated by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation is anything to go by. The health ministry body recently said that four out of five organ recipients in the country between 1995 and 2021 were men. On the other side of the life-saving exchange, three out of every four donations came from womenmostly from the wife or mother of the recipient. Only one in 10 donors is the husband of the recipient. Patriarchy may well attribute the phenomenon to mothers love or wives devotion, but in the cold light of day, it is a visceral gender disparity. Medical experts say one of the reasons for this skew is the fact that there is a much higher incidence of liver and kidney diseases among men compared to women. But it is also true that when a son or a husband faces such a serious health issue, all eyes fall on the wife or the mother as if it was their duty to donate their organs. This is especially true if the female family members are non-working women who depend on the male members for subsistence. If we look at the trend closely, one can see that the reasons are more social than medicalit has more to do with an older cultural understanding that women are expected to take care of their families health, while men take care of earning. It is not that such a gender disparity is happening in our country aloneit is a global phenomenon with the proportion of female live donors being higher except in the Philippines and Hong Kong. Experts in the field are of the view that governmental intervention in the form of counselling and awareness creation is a must to address the gender gap. They say wherever proper interventions have taken place, the gender gap among donors has come down. There is no denying the expectation that if a person needs a transplant, he or she should be able to get it. The government must ensure that there is no undue pressure on anyone to donate an organ. Enough safeguards within the law to ensure that consent is not forced are a must. But before getting informed consent, we need to create more awareness.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI AMARAVATI: The severe cyclonic storm Michaung, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast close to Bapatla on Tuesday and subsequently weakened into a cyclonic storm, left a trail of destruction in its wake. Michaung is expected to subside into a deep depression over the next six hours, said an official. However, the cyclone's maximum fury was felt on Monday in Chennai and adjoining areas in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The city and adjoining districts faced relentless rains on Monday as Michaung loomed over the north coastal areas of Tamil Nadu. At least 12 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in and around Chennai even as personnel on fishing boats and farm tractors were engaged in rescuing stranded people in the city on Tuesday. According to data shared by the Andhra Pradesh CMO, nearly 40 lakh people from 194 villages and two towns were affected by Michaung's impact, including the inundation of 25 villages. The storm damaged 770-kilometre roads, uprooted 35 trees and killed three livestock, among others. Though there was no loss of human life on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority Director BR Ambedkar told PTI that a four-year-old boy died after a hut wall collapsed on him in Tirupati district on Monday. While another person died in Bapatla district, Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal told PTI that the cause of death was not related to the cyclone. "The lone deceased person was found in a drunken state on a road by his motorcycle, which was not submerged under water, in the Inkollu village," Jindal said. WATCH | Cyclone 'Michaung' brings Chennai to its knees Across the state, 204 relief camps are accommodating 15,173 evacuees. As part of relief efforts, 18,073 food packets and more than 1 lakh water packets were distributed. Eighty health camps were also organised. For the affected districts, the state government has sanctioned Rs 23 crore for relief efforts. The damaged structures include 78 huts and a cattle shed while 232 houses were marooned. Two kuccha houses were fully damaged. Under the roads and buildings department, 770 kilometres of surface roads suffered damage in the districts of Konaseema (234 kilometres), Prakasam (55 kilometres), Nellore (433 kilometres) and Tirupati (48 kilometres). Nellore also witnessed the highest number of trees being uprooted with 29 out of the total 35. Under the municipal administration department, 376 streetlights and 7.5 kilometres of roads were damaged. Fourteen minor irrigation sources were also damaged in Tirupati. The Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd suffered damage to 13 33-KV feeders, 312 11-KV feeders, 29 33/11-KV sub-feeders, nine 33-KV poles, 140 11-KV poles and 244-LT poles. Under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm, 10 places -- seven in Tirupati and three in Nellore -- experienced more than 200 mm rainfall on Tuesday. Manubolu in Nellore district recorded 366.5 mm of rainfall. Six State Disaster Response Force and an equal number of National Disaster Response Force teams were pressed into service on Tuesday. With the rainwater receding, the state government has decided to enumerate agriculture and horticulture damage, the CMO said. The Meteorological Department, meanwhile, noted that Michaung weakened into a cyclonic storm and lay centred over south coastal Andhra Pradesh near 16 degrees north (latitude) and 80.3 degrees east (longitude). It is expected to move nearly northwards in the next six hours and further weaken into a deep depression, a Met official said in a press release. Gales gusting up to speeds of 110 kilometres per hour are expected to prevail over west-central Bay of Bengal around the weather system for the next six hours and then gradually subside. Along the north Andhra Pradesh coast, squally winds reaching speeds of 60 kilometres per hour and gusting up to 65 kilometres per hour are likely to prevail over the next 12 hours and gradually decrease thereafter. For Wednesday, the Met has forecast heavy rainfall -- 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm -- for Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema and Eluru districts. Southern districts of Odisha and eastern Telangana continue to be on alert, with Odisha's southern districts receiving rains on Tuesday in the wake of severe cyclone Michaung Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp AMARAVATI: The severe cyclonic storm Michaung, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast close to Bapatla on Tuesday and subsequently weakened into a cyclonic storm, left a trail of destruction in its wake. Michaung is expected to subside into a deep depression over the next six hours, said an official. However, the cyclone's maximum fury was felt on Monday in Chennai and adjoining areas in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The city and adjoining districts faced relentless rains on Monday as Michaung loomed over the north coastal areas of Tamil Nadu. At least 12 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in and around Chennai even as personnel on fishing boats and farm tractors were engaged in rescuing stranded people in the city on Tuesday. According to data shared by the Andhra Pradesh CMO, nearly 40 lakh people from 194 villages and two towns were affected by Michaung's impact, including the inundation of 25 villages. The storm damaged 770-kilometre roads, uprooted 35 trees and killed three livestock, among others.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Though there was no loss of human life on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority Director BR Ambedkar told PTI that a four-year-old boy died after a hut wall collapsed on him in Tirupati district on Monday. While another person died in Bapatla district, Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal told PTI that the cause of death was not related to the cyclone. "The lone deceased person was found in a drunken state on a road by his motorcycle, which was not submerged under water, in the Inkollu village," Jindal said. WATCH | Cyclone 'Michaung' brings Chennai to its knees Across the state, 204 relief camps are accommodating 15,173 evacuees. As part of relief efforts, 18,073 food packets and more than 1 lakh water packets were distributed. Eighty health camps were also organised. For the affected districts, the state government has sanctioned Rs 23 crore for relief efforts. The damaged structures include 78 huts and a cattle shed while 232 houses were marooned. Two kuccha houses were fully damaged. Under the roads and buildings department, 770 kilometres of surface roads suffered damage in the districts of Konaseema (234 kilometres), Prakasam (55 kilometres), Nellore (433 kilometres) and Tirupati (48 kilometres). Nellore also witnessed the highest number of trees being uprooted with 29 out of the total 35. Under the municipal administration department, 376 streetlights and 7.5 kilometres of roads were damaged. Fourteen minor irrigation sources were also damaged in Tirupati. The Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd suffered damage to 13 33-KV feeders, 312 11-KV feeders, 29 33/11-KV sub-feeders, nine 33-KV poles, 140 11-KV poles and 244-LT poles. Under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm, 10 places -- seven in Tirupati and three in Nellore -- experienced more than 200 mm rainfall on Tuesday. Manubolu in Nellore district recorded 366.5 mm of rainfall. Six State Disaster Response Force and an equal number of National Disaster Response Force teams were pressed into service on Tuesday. With the rainwater receding, the state government has decided to enumerate agriculture and horticulture damage, the CMO said. The Meteorological Department, meanwhile, noted that Michaung weakened into a cyclonic storm and lay centred over south coastal Andhra Pradesh near 16 degrees north (latitude) and 80.3 degrees east (longitude). It is expected to move nearly northwards in the next six hours and further weaken into a deep depression, a Met official said in a press release. Gales gusting up to speeds of 110 kilometres per hour are expected to prevail over west-central Bay of Bengal around the weather system for the next six hours and then gradually subside. Along the north Andhra Pradesh coast, squally winds reaching speeds of 60 kilometres per hour and gusting up to 65 kilometres per hour are likely to prevail over the next 12 hours and gradually decrease thereafter. For Wednesday, the Met has forecast heavy rainfall -- 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm -- for Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema and Eluru districts. Southern districts of Odisha and eastern Telangana continue to be on alert, with Odisha's southern districts receiving rains on Tuesday in the wake of severe cyclone Michaung Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Cynthia Chandran and Arun M By Express News Service KOCHI/T PURAM: After BJP victory in MP and Rajasthan, many believe it is time for Rahul Gandhi to vacate Wayanad seat and contest from north India Analysts feel Congress has faltered in a region where it needs to drastically improve its strike rate against BJP The poll debacle of the Congress in the Hindi heartland has Rahul Gandhi in a spot. All of a sudden, calls for him to vacate Wayanad seat and contest from north India have resurfaced. And with the question who is his partys main rival in national politics - originally posed by the CPM - finding more takers across the political spectrum, he is finding himself with his back further to the wall. Political observers feel the Congress has faltered in a region where it needs to drastically improve its strike rate against the BJP. Political analyst J Prabhash said Rahul should take a risk and contest from UP. He should take it up as a challenge, and should not bother about the outcome. The Congress should strengthen its organisational structure in bigger states such as UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu, its allied with DMK, and hence is in a better position, he said. Senior journalist and political observer K Baburaj said Rahul contesting from north India will boost the morale of party cadres. If he contests in north India, it would make an impact in Kerala too as it would strengthen the argument that the party alone can take on BJP in the Hindi belt, he said. CPI leader and Revenue Minister K Rajan said Rahul should contest against BJP and not against CPI, a constituent of the INDIA alliance, in Wayanad. ALSO READ | 50-hour duty for Rahuls visit irks police personnel in Kerala Meanwhile, Congress leaders in the state are of the view that the final call in this regard will be taken by the high command. The Congress, which had won two states between November last year and May and was looking well on course for a revival, suffered a major jolt on Sunday. The party has already commenced preparations for the Lok Sabha polls in the state and its leaders are pinning their hopes on the anti-incumbency sentiment against the LDF government in the state and the BJP government at the Centre. Senior IUML leader KPA Majeed claimed the resentment among the people of Kerala towards the LDF government would ensure a smooth sail for the Congress and the UDF in the coming general election. Power and water tariffs have gone up. Fuel cess was collected, but welfare pensions have been stalled. So why should people vote for the CPM? he told TNIE. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp KOCHI/T PURAM: After BJP victory in MP and Rajasthan, many believe it is time for Rahul Gandhi to vacate Wayanad seat and contest from north India Analysts feel Congress has faltered in a region where it needs to drastically improve its strike rate against BJP The poll debacle of the Congress in the Hindi heartland has Rahul Gandhi in a spot. All of a sudden, calls for him to vacate Wayanad seat and contest from north India have resurfaced. And with the question who is his partys main rival in national politics - originally posed by the CPM - finding more takers across the political spectrum, he is finding himself with his back further to the wall. Political observers feel the Congress has faltered in a region where it needs to drastically improve its strike rate against the BJP. Political analyst J Prabhash said Rahul should take a risk and contest from UP.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He should take it up as a challenge, and should not bother about the outcome. The Congress should strengthen its organisational structure in bigger states such as UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu, its allied with DMK, and hence is in a better position, he said. Senior journalist and political observer K Baburaj said Rahul contesting from north India will boost the morale of party cadres. If he contests in north India, it would make an impact in Kerala too as it would strengthen the argument that the party alone can take on BJP in the Hindi belt, he said. CPI leader and Revenue Minister K Rajan said Rahul should contest against BJP and not against CPI, a constituent of the INDIA alliance, in Wayanad. ALSO READ | 50-hour duty for Rahuls visit irks police personnel in Kerala Meanwhile, Congress leaders in the state are of the view that the final call in this regard will be taken by the high command. The Congress, which had won two states between November last year and May and was looking well on course for a revival, suffered a major jolt on Sunday. The party has already commenced preparations for the Lok Sabha polls in the state and its leaders are pinning their hopes on the anti-incumbency sentiment against the LDF government in the state and the BJP government at the Centre. Senior IUML leader KPA Majeed claimed the resentment among the people of Kerala towards the LDF government would ensure a smooth sail for the Congress and the UDF in the coming general election. Power and water tariffs have gone up. Fuel cess was collected, but welfare pensions have been stalled. So why should people vote for the CPM? he told TNIE. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Toby Antony By Express News Service KOCHI: The Kerala GST intelligence wing has arrested the director of a Thrissur-based multi-level marketing (MLM) company for alleged tax evasion to the tune of Rs 126 crore. This, officials said, is the biggest GST evasion case detected by the state GST department. Prathapan Kolatt Dasan, director of Highrich Online Shoppe Pvt Ltd, based in Neruvissery, Arattupuzha, was arrested by the GST intelligence Kasaragod unit on December 1. When contacted, Rameshan Kolikara, senior intelligence officer, intelligence wing, Kasaragod, state GST, confirmed the arrest but provided no further details. However, sources said its strange that the GST department is yet to release news of Prathapans arrest. Normally, the GST department issues press statements promptly in tax evasion cases of over Rs 5 crore. It seems there is an attempt to cover up something, said the source. ALSO READ | Is it time for GST exemptions to go? Prathapan was remanded in judicial custody by the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offence) Court. On November 24, the GST intelligence Kasaragod unit raided the office of Highrich Online Shoppe in Arattupuzha based on information of GST evasion. Following the search, it was revealed that the company suppressed a turnover of Rs 703 crore and that its tax liability was Rs 126.54 crore. Based on the investigation, company directors Prathapan and Sreena K S were summoned to the office of deputy commissioner (intelligence) Kerala GST in Thrissur on November 30. However, soon after the search, the company paid Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 50 crore on November 24 and 27, respectively. Kerala GST also has imposed a 15% penalty on the firm. However, with over Rs 75 crore in pending liability, Prathapan was arrested. An officer with the GST intelligence wing, who wished to remain anonymous, said the departments preliminary assessment is that the company had operations in other states and the turnover is likely to be more. It is learnt that the companys directors have admitted to the offence. According to Kerala GST intelligence officials, Highrich Shoppe is an e-commerce platform, based on MLM model. Meanwhile, steps initiated by Kerala GST after detecting the case drew flak within the department. Usually, accounts of the company and the accused are frozen to bar any further transactions, including withdrawal of money. Here, though the case was detected on November 24, no steps were taken to freeze the bank accounts, said an insider. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp KOCHI: The Kerala GST intelligence wing has arrested the director of a Thrissur-based multi-level marketing (MLM) company for alleged tax evasion to the tune of Rs 126 crore. This, officials said, is the biggest GST evasion case detected by the state GST department. Prathapan Kolatt Dasan, director of Highrich Online Shoppe Pvt Ltd, based in Neruvissery, Arattupuzha, was arrested by the GST intelligence Kasaragod unit on December 1. When contacted, Rameshan Kolikara, senior intelligence officer, intelligence wing, Kasaragod, state GST, confirmed the arrest but provided no further details. However, sources said its strange that the GST department is yet to release news of Prathapans arrest. Normally, the GST department issues press statements promptly in tax evasion cases of over Rs 5 crore. It seems there is an attempt to cover up something, said the source. ALSO READ | Is it time for GST exemptions to go?googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Prathapan was remanded in judicial custody by the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offence) Court. On November 24, the GST intelligence Kasaragod unit raided the office of Highrich Online Shoppe in Arattupuzha based on information of GST evasion. Following the search, it was revealed that the company suppressed a turnover of Rs 703 crore and that its tax liability was Rs 126.54 crore. Based on the investigation, company directors Prathapan and Sreena K S were summoned to the office of deputy commissioner (intelligence) Kerala GST in Thrissur on November 30. However, soon after the search, the company paid Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 50 crore on November 24 and 27, respectively. Kerala GST also has imposed a 15% penalty on the firm. However, with over Rs 75 crore in pending liability, Prathapan was arrested. An officer with the GST intelligence wing, who wished to remain anonymous, said the departments preliminary assessment is that the company had operations in other states and the turnover is likely to be more. It is learnt that the companys directors have admitted to the offence. According to Kerala GST intelligence officials, Highrich Shoppe is an e-commerce platform, based on MLM model. Meanwhile, steps initiated by Kerala GST after detecting the case drew flak within the department. Usually, accounts of the company and the accused are frozen to bar any further transactions, including withdrawal of money. Here, though the case was detected on November 24, no steps were taken to freeze the bank accounts, said an insider. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service BALASORE: In the quaint village of Budhakusumi in Balasore, a cross-border love story took a dramatic turn, leaving the community astonished. The incident came to the fore after Ruma Mariam (25), hailing from Amtali village in Bangladesh, reached the village on Sunday and claimed that her husband, Barendra Bhanja, from Budhakusumi, abandoned her for a second marriage. From what Ruma stated, their love and marriage story began six years ago when Barendra, then employed in a private company in West Bengals Digha, met Ruma virtually through Facebook. Their online friendship blossomed into love, transcending borders. They exchanged mobile numbers and then began real-world meetings and, ultimately, both reportedly got married in Bangladesh with the blessings of a maulana in Box Bazaar. After five years of marriage, last year, Barendra returned to his native, severing ties with Ruma. Despite her persistent attempts, his mobile remained unreachable. Later, Ruma got to know that Barendra had reportedly married another woman from his native village a few months back. Armed with photographs and videos of her life with Barendra, Ruma reached Budhakusumi and confronted his parents on Sunday. However, they dismissed her claims, asserting ignorance about their sons alleged previous marriage. Father of Barendra, Purnachandra Bhanja, said his son was not at home as he has gone out to search for a job. He also asserted, Had we known about a previous marriage, we would not have got him married again a few months ago. Purnachandra said that Kamarda police had come to their house and seized Barendras mobile phone for investigation. Meanwhile, Ruma was taken to the One Stop Centre in Balasore. Reliable sources state that legal aid will be provided if she decides to file a complaint against Barendra. As of now, Ruma has maintained silence, and no formal complaint has been filed. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BALASORE: In the quaint village of Budhakusumi in Balasore, a cross-border love story took a dramatic turn, leaving the community astonished. The incident came to the fore after Ruma Mariam (25), hailing from Amtali village in Bangladesh, reached the village on Sunday and claimed that her husband, Barendra Bhanja, from Budhakusumi, abandoned her for a second marriage. From what Ruma stated, their love and marriage story began six years ago when Barendra, then employed in a private company in West Bengals Digha, met Ruma virtually through Facebook. Their online friendship blossomed into love, transcending borders. They exchanged mobile numbers and then began real-world meetings and, ultimately, both reportedly got married in Bangladesh with the blessings of a maulana in Box Bazaar. After five years of marriage, last year, Barendra returned to his native, severing ties with Ruma. Despite her persistent attempts, his mobile remained unreachable. Later, Ruma got to know that Barendra had reportedly married another woman from his native village a few months back. Armed with photographs and videos of her life with Barendra, Ruma reached Budhakusumi and confronted his parents on Sunday. However, they dismissed her claims, asserting ignorance about their sons alleged previous marriage. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Father of Barendra, Purnachandra Bhanja, said his son was not at home as he has gone out to search for a job. He also asserted, Had we known about a previous marriage, we would not have got him married again a few months ago. Purnachandra said that Kamarda police had come to their house and seized Barendras mobile phone for investigation. Meanwhile, Ruma was taken to the One Stop Centre in Balasore. Reliable sources state that legal aid will be provided if she decides to file a complaint against Barendra. As of now, Ruma has maintained silence, and no formal complaint has been filed. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: An interim Central assistance of Rs 5,000 crore has been sought by the Tamil Nadu government to provide relief to people and rebuild infrastructure damaged by incessant rains in Chennai and some other districts of the state. Raising the issue through a zero-hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Tiruchi Siva, a leader of the DMK which rules the state, said heavy rains due to severe Cyclone Michaung have submerged Chennai and other districts. At least nine people, including a child, were killed in the flooding and the havoc caused hours before the cyclone was due to make landfall. Cars were swept and airport operations shut down as the streets of Chennai got inundated. "Roads have become rivers because of non-stop running waters and rivers have become like seas. All the water bodies are overflowing. Many tanks have been breached," he said. Informing the Rajya Sabha that roads have been badly damaged due to the fury of nature, Siva said essential supplies have been hampered. ALSO READ | Cyclone Michaung: Chennai Airport resumes operations after shutdown on Monday Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and the entire Cabinet, municipal corporation officials, fire department, sanitation workers, doctors, rescue teams and electricity department have been working on a war footing to rescue people and provide relief material. As a precautionary measure, electricity supply was suspended, Siva said. He said that while the state government is doing everything in its means, the damage to infrastructure is so huge that it cannot be repaired at the earliest. "The state government has requested an interim relief of Rs 5,000 crore. I urge the Union government (that) considering the condition of Tamil Nadu and five districts, kindly release Rs 5,000 crore as initial interim relief which would help the State government in their efforts to safeguard the people of Tamil Nadu," he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: An interim Central assistance of Rs 5,000 crore has been sought by the Tamil Nadu government to provide relief to people and rebuild infrastructure damaged by incessant rains in Chennai and some other districts of the state. Raising the issue through a zero-hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Tiruchi Siva, a leader of the DMK which rules the state, said heavy rains due to severe Cyclone Michaung have submerged Chennai and other districts. At least nine people, including a child, were killed in the flooding and the havoc caused hours before the cyclone was due to make landfall.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Cars were swept and airport operations shut down as the streets of Chennai got inundated. "Roads have become rivers because of non-stop running waters and rivers have become like seas. All the water bodies are overflowing. Many tanks have been breached," he said. Informing the Rajya Sabha that roads have been badly damaged due to the fury of nature, Siva said essential supplies have been hampered. ALSO READ | Cyclone Michaung: Chennai Airport resumes operations after shutdown on Monday Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and the entire Cabinet, municipal corporation officials, fire department, sanitation workers, doctors, rescue teams and electricity department have been working on a war footing to rescue people and provide relief material. As a precautionary measure, electricity supply was suspended, Siva said. He said that while the state government is doing everything in its means, the damage to infrastructure is so huge that it cannot be repaired at the earliest. "The state government has requested an interim relief of Rs 5,000 crore. I urge the Union government (that) considering the condition of Tamil Nadu and five districts, kindly release Rs 5,000 crore as initial interim relief which would help the State government in their efforts to safeguard the people of Tamil Nadu," he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp From Washington, D.C., to Omaha, alarms are blaring louder than ever that when it comes to nuclear weapons, the United States needs more, better and faster. In October, a bipartisan congressional commission warned that the country needed to take urgent action to counter Russian retooling and Chinese expansion of their nuclear arsenals. In fact, the 12-member Strategic Posture Commission used the word urgent 40 times in its 160-page report, warning that the U.S. is utterly unprepared to contend with two rivals with nuclear arsenals on par with its own. Today the U.S. is on the cusp of a fundamentally different global setting which we did not want, did not plan for, and are not well-prepared for, said Madelyn Creedon, the commissions chair, in testimony last month before the House Armed Services Committee. In 131 findings and 81 recommendations, the commission called for developing new delivery systems for theater nuclear weapons, overhauling the National Nuclear Security Administration (which maintains the nuclear stockpile), boosting the U.S. industrial base, and creating architecture for homeland missile defense and space-based warfare. The report raised concerns about the development of next-generation weapons, such as hypersonic space weapons, in which the U.S. lags, and about a gap in certain types of low-yield weapons, and urged greater preparation in both nuclear and conventional forces for the possibility of a simultaneous war with Russia and China. We clearly have a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it, said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer called the report thoughtful and clear-eyed about the threats, and honest about how underprepared we are to address these threats. The road ahead is difficult, and there will be a cost, said Fischer, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committees Strategic Forces subcommittee, at an October hearing on the report. But we are at a crossroads. The commissions findings echo warnings from several recent leaders of the U.S. Strategic Command, the Offutt-based command tasked with outfitting and controlling the nations nuclear arsenal. In November 2022, then-StratCom chief Adm. Charles Richard told a Naval Submarine League audience that ship is slowly sinking when it comes to deterring China. He predicted a war and called for rapid, fundamental change(s) in the way we approach the defense of this nation. The Strategic Posture Commissions report is part of a cascade of recent news on issues related to nuclear arms a field mostly out of the headlines since the Cold War ended in the early 1990s with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Defense Department released an alarming assessment of Chinas nuclear buildup, estimating that it currently has 500 operational nuclear weapons about one-third as many as the U.S. and Russia and will deploy 1,000 by 2030. The report also raised concern about Chinas deepening partnership with Russia and its resistance to military-to-military contacts with the United States. Russia withdrew from the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the 1990 Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty which, respectively, banned all atomic weapons testing and imposed equal limits on NATO and Warsaw Pact tanks, combat aircraft, and heavy artillery on the European continent. The Pentagon announced it was pursuing construction of B61-13 gravity bombs, an updated and more powerful variant of older weapons delivered by strategic bombers. They could potentially take out hardened and deeply buried sites such mountain command posts that have been targeted by the now-obsolescent B83 bunker-buster bomb. The first flight test of Northrop Grummans new B-21 Raider stealth bomber took place. The first of 100 B-21s is scheduled to join the Air Force fleet in 2027, and it is expected to fully replace the B-1B Lancer and the B-2 Spirit bombers. Christopher Yeaw, associate executive director for strategic programs at the University of Nebraskas National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI), said this falls convergence of events could be an inflection point for U.S. nuclear policy. Im hopeful (Congress) will take this as an urgent message for action, said Yeaw, an author of the Trump administrations 2018 nuclear posture review. During the Cold War, Americans were keenly aware of the nuclear threat. The whole world watched as the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis brought the U.S. and the USSR to the edge of nuclear war and led to the first arms control talks between the two sides. In November 1983, The Day After, a TV movie that dramatized a nuclear war and its impact on the U.S. heartland, drew more than 100 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched television programs of all time. The nuclear freeze movement of the 1980s swept college campuses. When the Cold War ended, interest in nuclear issues waned. Easing tensions led both the U.S. and Russia to drastically reduce their nuclear arsenals, which now stand at 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 800 launchers (missile tubes and bombers) for each side since the adoption of the New START treaty in 2009. The U.S. saw little reason to develop new weapons. But relations started to chill after Vladimir Putin was elevated to power in Russia and showed an eagerness to confront the West. We went to sleep for several years after the Cold War, said former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, vice chairman of the Strategic Posture Commission, in his Nov. 15 testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. Well, not everyone went to sleep. The Chinese and the Russians both have developed some very sophisticated systems that we did not work on until very recently. Kyl described a U.S. nuclear deterrent force that is in poor condition, with hanging wires and rusty walls in the ICBM silos of the western Great Plains. The B-1B and B-2 bombers, once on the cutting edge of technology, have among the poorest maintenance records in the Air Force. Our current system has deteriorated and aged to the point that we wouldnt be confident in the deterrent value of it, out into the future, Kyl said. Some systems have to be retired. They just dont work anymore. More than a decade ago, during lean budget times that followed the 2008 financial crisis, Congress pledged to modernize an aging arsenal that included gravity bombs from the 1960s, ICBMs and ballistic missile submarines from the 1980s, and strategic bombers from the 1990s. Even through years of congressional dysfunction, a bipartisan consensus kept the rebuilding effort moving forward, if slowly. In addition to the bombers in the late 2020s, the Columbia-class submarines and Sentinel missiles are due to be delivered in the 2030s. What were seeing now, that was put in motion awhile ago, said Tyler White, director of the National Security Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Its not surprising, and its not new. At the same time, Russia was retooling its own arsenal even as it embarked on a war in Ukraine, and China began expanding its own nuclear and conventional forces. They are rivals roughly aligned, and both aligned against us, Yeaw said. Both of these demonstrably dangerous rivals have developed the ability to implement any type of nuclear strategy they choose. Though its membership spans the political spectrum, the Strategic Posture Commissions report has drawn some criticism. Tara Drozdenko of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit geared toward fighting climate change and nuclear proliferation, called the report deeply disappointing in a recent article. A new nuclear arms race would mean diverting resources from other pressing security issues, like responding effectively to climate change, said Drozdenko, director of the groups Global Security Program. Those in Congress should take lessons from the Cold War and try something different this time around like realizing the United States already has enough nuclear weapons to maintain a credible deterrent. Drozdenko said the report placed too much emphasis on building more nuclear weapons, and more kinds of them; of risking a new nuclear arms race given that Russia and China would certainly try to leapfrog the U.S.; and placing too little emphasis on diplomacy and arms control which, she argued, is what led to the end of the Cold War. (T)he Commissions report paints a bleak picture of the near-term international security environment, she said in the article. Quite frankly, things do look grim. But as it manages this difficult period, the United States needs to be careful that its activities and developments around its nuclear arsenal do not make a bad situation worse. The U.S. and China held preliminary arms control talks in early November, and Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping discussed the topic during their recent summit. But any agreement is likely far in the future. And Yeaw, who represented the State Department in talks with the Russians in Vienna in 2020, called the prospects of further agreements exceptionally dim. White said he is sympathetic to the goal of a nuclear-free world, laid out by then-President Barack Obama during a speech in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2009. But I have yet to find a convincing explanation for how we get there, he said. What he hopes is that the blunt and urgent warnings of the Strategic Posture Commission might help to get nuclear weapons back in the national conversation. In a busy world, nuclear weapons issues are out-of-sight, out-of-mind, White said. Through his work, White has met many of the military and civilian planners at StratCom who are spending their careers thinking about nuclear strategy even when the public is paying little attention. Theres a lot of really smart people working really hard to study the first, second, third, and fourth-order effects, White said. Theyre working long hours. Theyre not getting much sleep. Former Sen. Kyl said there is no longer any time to waste when it comes to updating the nuclear arsenal. We are replacing whole systems in a just-in-time manner. But we may not be in time, he said, adding that deterring a nuclear conflict should be the nations No. 1 priority. Were trying to prevent war, he said. What could be more important? Photos: StratCom Experience Day at Offutt Air Force Base Sindhudurg, Dec 4 P rime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India is giving an unprecedented impetus to the blue-economy with emphasis on the Make-in-India policy, for all-round progress of the country. Speaking at the Navy Day-2023 event at Tarkarli Beach in this coastal district on Monday, Modi said that India was engaged in a massive port-led development, boosting merchant shipping, the Sagar Mala for maritime trade and transport involving the coastal communities in a big way. Lauding the naval prowess of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630-1680), Modi said that the great Maratha warrior was a visionary who had realised in that era that anybody who can command the oceans is the most powerful ruler. Through the Sagar Mala, the port-led development is being implemented for the maritime vision to exploit the full potential of the oceans, said Modi, adding that the country is getting inspired by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He said that last year, the Indian Navy got a seal inspired by Shivaji, and very soon, the Indian Navy will coin its ranks and designations as per Indian traditions. Dwelling on the Make-in-India initiative, Modi said that it has become the topic of discussion world over, and now Indias contribution is visible in all spheres, whether it is space or oceans, from Tejas aircraft to Kisan Drones, in every field, the mark of Atmanirbhar Bharat is seen. Lauding the Indian Navy for its services and contributions to securing the countrys maritime borders, Modi said that India is going to induct women in the armed forces in a big way, and congratulated the Navy for appointing a first woman Commander of INS Trinkat last week. Earlier, the PM unveiled a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed at the Rajkot Fort nearby, visited the famed Sindhudurg Fort in the Arabian Sea, and then went for the Navy Day-2023 function and an impressive naval display at the Tarkarli Beach. Present on the occasion were Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MSME Minister Narayan Rane, state ministers, top naval officers, dignitaries from different fields and other invitees. PM: India giving boost to 'blue economy' for all-round development Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Hong Kong: Commerce chief ends bay area tour Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau today led a delegation comprising representatives of enterprises from Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) countries operating in Hong Kong to visit renowned technology companies and organisations in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. On the second day of a two-day visit to the Greater Bay Area, Mr Yau led the delegation on a visit this morning to the headquarters of Huawei Technologies Co, in Shenzhen, to learn more about the companys latest developments, including new innovative applications and services in areas such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and 5G solutions. Mr Yau and the delegation later arrived in Guangzhou, where they attended a meeting and luncheon with Guangdong Department of Commerce Director General Zhang Jinsong. Mr Yau said the visit was aimed at capitalising on Hong Kongs unique role under the BRI, and its long-standing close partnerships with bay area cities, to enable enterprises to better understand the vast business opportunities in the bay area, with a view to promoting Hong Kong as a service base for enterprises to tap the Mainland market. He said he hoped that maximum synergy and opportunities for collaboration could be created by the visit, and highlighted that there are currently around 210,000 Hong Kong enterprises operating in Guangdong, accounting for 70 per cent of foreign direct investment enterprises in the province. Mr Yau noted that some of these business operations are offices established by overseas enterprises in Hong Kong. Such enterprises, he said, leverage Hong Kongs distinctive advantage of enjoying strong support from the motherland while also being closely connected to the world when entering the Guangdong market via Hong Kong. He stressed that Guangdong and Hong Kong can offer staunch support to the BRIs high-quality development by making full use of opportunities brought about by the bay area. In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Nansha Planning Exhibition Hall in Nansha District to learn about the district's development and achievements in recent years, as well as the blueprint for its future development. The delegation later visited Pony.ai, an autonomous vehicle startup in the district, and experienced first-hand its self-developed autonomous saloon cars. The delegation returned to Hong Kong this evening. This story has been published on: 2023-12-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Each year, millions of Volkswagen vehicles are produced and sold around the globe but all of them trace their origin back to the German carmaker's headquarters in Wolfsburg, where they are transformed from ideas into reality. With the advent of the e-mobility era, Hefei in East China's Anhui province, a city that rarely rings a bell among foreigners, is emerging as a promising testing ground that may power the car giant's EV ambitions in China and even around the world. Volkswagen is the earliest extant international carmaker in China. It teamed up with SAIC in 1984 and joined hands with FAW in 1991 and has been the best-selling carmaker in the country. With new energy vehicles gaining popularity, however, the largest European carmaker has been losing its ground to local Chinese marques including BYD as well as startups such as Xpeng. Volkswagen has electric models, which were developed in Germany, but they are ridiculed as old-fashioned and lacking imagination by the Chinese market. Not wanting to lose its appeal in the country, which accounts for roughly 40 percent of its sales and profits, the carmaker made the tough decision to change the way it had long been accustomed to, with the cost being money and, more importantly, autonomy. Ralf Brandstaetter, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said the carmaker used to develop cars in Europe and brought them into China, sometimes with adjustments. But the approach no longer works when it comes to EVs, because car buyers in the country are young and tech-savvy and local rivals are coming up with products that are completely new. Hefei, around two hours away from Shanghai by train, was chosen as the site to test its fate-changing reform. Over the past years, Volkswagen has built in the city a state-of-the-art hub that involves production, development and innovation, which is staffed with employees from China and European countries including Germany and Spain. At the heart of the hub is Volkswagen China Technology Company, which focuses on intelligent, fully connected vehicles. With an investment of 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion), it is the carmaker's largest development center outside Germany. Marcus Hafkemeyer, chief technology officer of Volkswagen Group China, said the facility is fully capable of developing brand-new models from scratch, involving design, test, validation and approval. Now, around 1,200 technical staff are working at the facility, and the figure is expected to rise to 3,000 by the end of 2024. Volkswagen said their work is focused on three clear goals: high development speed, great cost efficiency, while at the same time strengthening the carmaker's standards of quality and safety. It is developing an EV platform specifically for the Chinese market, based on its global MEB platform, to meet the wishes of Chinese customers, and the first model is scheduled to roll out in 2026. "We will bring the platform to market maturity in just 36 months. This means that we are reducing the development time by around a third and can quickly tap into new customer groups in the dynamic e-car market in China," said Brandstaetter. One ingredient in the new recipe is more involvement of local suppliers. Volkswagen said around 1,100 Chinese suppliers are involved, and the localization rate is to be gradually increased up to 100 percent. Hafkemeyer bills it as Volkswagen's second wave of localization in the country. He explained that in the first wave, the company purchased components from international suppliers' plants in China, which nevertheless required going back and forth with the headquarters in Germany. But now, it sources components from local Chinese companies and involves them in the early stages of development, which further cuts time and creates better integration, said Hafkemeyer. Further synergies are realized through the close networking of development work with the joint ventures SAIC Volkswagen, FAW-Volkswagen, and Volkswagen Anhui as well as with Gotion, a battery maker in which Volkswagen has a 26 percent stake, and the Chinese EV startup Xpeng. In terms of autonomous driving and user experience, Volkswagen's software unit Cariad is working with Horizon Robotics, ARK and Thundersoft in the country to offer solutions that are comparable to Chinese rivals. "They will be highly competitive," said Brandstaetter, when asked about the competitive edge of the vehicles that are scheduled to roll out from 2026 on its China-specific EV platform. "We have set our target to remain the No 1 international carmaker in China and a top three player in the country by 2030," he said. But it won't take that long for Hefei to show its prowess. In late November, Volkswagen's first wholly-owned battery plant started operation in the city, with its batteries to equip models at Volkswagen Anhui, the first Chinese joint venture in which the German carmaker has a major stake. Volkswagen Anhui's plant, with an annual capacity of 350,000 units, was built in a record 18 months. The first model to come out is the electric Cupra Tavascan, which will be exported back to Europe from later this year. "We are systematically developing Hefei into the Volkswagen Group's innovation hub in China. And we are stepping up the pace," said Volkswagen Anhui CEO Erwin Gabardi, who has put the province Anhui into his Chinese name. Coinbase Report: Heres How Stablecoins Are Revolutionizing the Financial System 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. Coinbase, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges based in the United States, has highlighted the importance of stablecoins in facilitating seamless transactions. In a recent blog post, the San Francisco-headquartered exchange noted that many Americans are frustrated when dealing with the traditional financial system. It argued that stablecoins offer a solution by providing all the benefits of cash without the drawbacks. As a stakeholder in Circle, the issuer of the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin, Coinbase asserted that physical cash no longer meets the expectations of digitally savvy consumers. Interbank transfers can take days, while stablecoin alternatives in the crypto space are faster and more cost-effective. There are reasons why physical cash has been so popular for so long. Its private; stays stable in times of economic volatility; and supports instant payments person-to-person, the exchange wrote. These are strong upsides that we want to carry forward in payment systems of the future. However, regulatory barriers are hindering the United States from becoming a true crypto hub. In contrast, countries such as Nigeria and Brazil are actively promoting stablecoin and cryptocurrency adoption on a global scale. To address this issue, Coinbase emphasized the urgent need for clear and sensible regulations governing stablecoins. The exchange said that such regulations are necessary to prevent the United States from falling behind in the rapidly evolving crypto landscape. While the platform did not provide specific suggestions regarding stablecoin regulation, it called on the crypto community to engage with members of Congress and support legislation that enables stablecoins while ensuring consumer protection. Coinbase also encouraged individuals to join communities advocating for comprehensive crypto regulations. Despite their potential, stablecoins still face liquidity risks in extreme circumstances. In March 2023, reports emerged that Coinbase extended a $3 billion credit line to Circle in an effort to restore the USDC stablecoins peg to the US dollar. This credit line was provided after USDC deviated from its intended value due to Circles exposure of $3.3 billion to Silicon Valley Bank, which was taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation following a bank run. Coinbase Expands Global Presence Despite Regulatory Hurdles Coinbase has been actively expanding its global presence. Back in September, the exchange revealed that it secured an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance registration from the Bank of Spain, making it a registered crypto exchange in the country. The registration with the Bank of Spain allows Coinbase to offer its full suite of products and services to both retail and institutional users in Spain while ensuring compliance with the countrys legal framework. Over the past year, Coinbase has obtained Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registrations in several European countries, including Italy, Ireland, and the Netherlands. It has also received in-principle approval and launched its services in Singapore, Brazil, and Canada. The companys push for global expansion comes amid growing regulatory hostility in the US. Back in June, the SEC sued Coinbase for selling unregistered securities and a number of other alleged wrongdoings. San Francisco, Dec 4 A n association of 83 Spanish media outlets has filed a $598 million (550 million euro) lawsuit against Meta (formerly Facebook), accusing the tech giant of engaging in unfair competition within the advertising market, media report said on Monday. The lawsuit was filed by the AMI newspaper publishing association in a commercial court on Friday in Madrid, reports BNN Breaking. The dispute centres on advertising income, with AMI alleging that Meta is illegally raking in 100 per cent of the revenue from segmented advertising, violating European privacy regulations. Moreover, the report mentioned AMI has urged advertisers to direct their advertising campaigns to media outlets that are "safe, reliable, and responsible" as part of its efforts to level the playing field. In July, an Australian court ordered Meta platforms to pay fines of nearly $14 million (AUS$20 million) for misleading consumers about the use of their data. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) sued Meta over its use of Onavo back in December 2020. The federal court has ordered the two subsidiaries of Meta, Facebook Israel and Onavo Inc, to each pay AUS$10 million for engaging in conduct liable to mislead in breach of the Australian Consumer Law. The subsidiaries, which were the Onavo Protect VPN app's developers and suppliers, were found to be responsible for misleading app descriptions displayed in Google and Apple App Store listings. Meta faces $598 mn lawsuit from Spanish media association: Report Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Sindhudurg , Dec 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday witnessed a thrilling display of Indian Navys strength and prowess at Tarkarli Beach in Sindhudurg the first time the celebrations being held in a remote beach, away from any major naval base. The Indian Navy put up a memorable display of its aerial and maritime hardware comprising warships, frigates, submarines, aircraft, helicopters, and soft power of men and women giving well-orchestrated musical and physical performances against the backdrop of the picturesque Arabian Sea and the Tarkarli Beach. Official sources said this was the first time the Indian Navy organised a full-fledged Navy Day event at an obscure location, though it is a prominent tourist attraction in Maharashtra. The two nearest major naval bases from Sindhudurg are in Goa (160 km) in the south and Mumbai (590 km) to the north. The effort entailed several months of planning, huge logistics involving the transportation of the naval men-women, equipment, machines, security and other aspects for the impressive show put up on Monday evening. It was intended to be a tribute to the vision and glory of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630-1680), considered the beacon of naval strategy and warfare, whose 350th Coronation year (June 6, 1674) is being currently celebrated. Speaking on the occasion, Modi said that India is giving an unprecedented impetus to the blue-economy with emphasis on the Make in India policy, for the all-round progress of the country, with special focus on the coastal communities dotting the nations' coasts. The Prime Minister said that the country is engaged in a massive port-led development, boosting merchant shipping, the Sagar Mala for maritime trade and transport involving the coastal communities in a big way, and in the past few years, the number of sea-farers has shot up by 140 per cent. Lauding the naval prowess of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose statue he unveiled at the nearby Rajkot Fort, Modi said that the great Maratha veer was a visionary who had realised in that era that anybody who can command the oceans is the most powerful ruler. Inspired by him, India has initiated the Sagar Mala, a port-led development for the maritime vision to exploit the full potential of the oceans for the country's progress and development, said Modi. The Prime Minister said that last year, the Indian Navy got a seal inspired by the Chhatrapati, and very soon, the Indian Navy will coin its ranks and designations as per Indian traditions. Even the epaulettes on the uniforms of the Naval soldiers will get a design of the Chhatrapatis royal emblem which will replace the colonial Nelsons Ring that is the hallmark of the navies of the Commonwealth countries. Dwelling on the Make in India initiative, the Prime Minister said that it has become the topic of discussion world over, and now Indias contribution is visible in all spheres, whether the space or the oceans, from Tejas aircraft to Kisan Drones, in every field the mark of Aatmanirbhar Bharat is seen. Praising the Indian Navy for its services and contributions to securing the countrys maritime borders, Modi said India has a glorious history of victories, bravery, knowledge, sciences, skills and its naval strength. He added that the country is soon going to induct women in the armed forces in a big way, and congratulated the Indian Navy for appointing the first woman as the commander of a warship, INS Trinkat, last week. Earlier, the Prime Minister unveiled the Chhatrapatis grand statue installed at the Rajkot Fort nearby, visited an exhibition at the famed Sindhudurg Fort in the Arabian Sea, and then went for the Navy Day function at the Tarkarli Beach, clapping at several of the exciting exercises and performances put up. Present on the occasion were Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MSME Minister Narayan Rane, state ministers, parliamentarians and legislators, top naval officers, dignitaries from different fields and other invitees. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) PM enjoys Navy Day-2023 fest in Sindhudurg - first time in a remote location Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Dec 4 E dtech major Byju Raveendran has reportedly pledged his home, as well as those owned by his family members, to raise money for paying employees amid a cash crunch. According to Bloomberg, citing sources, two homes owned by Raveendrans family in Bengaluru, and his under-construction villa in the city were offered as collateral to borrow $12 million to pay salaries to employees. "The startup used the funds to pay salaries to 15,000 employees in Byjus parent firm, Think & Learn Pvt Ltd," the report added. According to the report, citing sources, Raveendran, once worth almost $5 billion, has raised debts of about $400 million on a personal level, pledging all his shares in the parent company. Meanwhile, Byjus paid pending salaries of some of its employees on Monday after a "technical glitch" hampered the payment of some 1,000 workers. Sources had told IANS on Monday that the company paid salaries to the remaining employees on Monday. When reached, Byjus did not officially comment. In an earlier statement, the company had said it was working to resolve the issue and pay the remaining employees. "We have noticed a delay in processing salary for some limited employees (less than 5 per cent) due to an unexpected technical glitch. The issue is being rectified over the weekend and payment will be processed by Monday," said a Byjus spokesperson. The salary delay for about 1,000 employees appears to have affected people across levels. However, employees affiliated with Akash Institute have not been impacted. Byju Raveendran pledges family homes to raise funds for salaries: Report Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! PM Modi congratulates ZPM on winning Mizoram election, assures of all possible support New Delhi, Dec 4 P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) over its victory in the Mizoram assembly elections and assured it of all possible support in furthering the progress of the northeastern state. "Congratulations to the Zoram Peoples Movement and Lalduhoma for the victory in the Mizoram Assembly elections. I assure all possible support in furthering the progress of Mizoram," Modi wrote on X. He also thanked the people in the state for backing the BJP and said, "I would like to thank all those who supported BJP. Our Party will always work to ensure Mizoram scales new heights of progress. I appreciate the hard work of our party workers who reached out to the people of the state and highlighted our agenda of good governance." "I would also like to specially congratulate K. Beichhua and K. Hrahmo from our party on being elected MLAs. My best wishes for their legislative journey ahead," he added. The remarks from the Prime Minister came after the ZPM won 27 seats out of 40 in the state and the MNF managed to win 10 seats. The BJP won two seats and the Congress one in the recently concluded assembly election, for which the counting took place on Monday. PM Modi congratulates ZPM on winning Mizoram election, assures of all possible support Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Mumbai, Dec 4 D irector Karan Johar, who currently hosts chat show Koffee With Karan, said that the Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan has a huge part of his daily existence. KJo and SRK, as much as they are two powerhouses and call the cards in Bollywood, are also best friends, going a long way back in the mid 1990s. In fact, KJo starred alongside SRK in the latters iconic film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge as his friend. On Monday, the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil director spoke with the media on the sidelines of his show Koffee With Karan, and said that while SRK may not make an appearance on his show anytime soon, for him its everyday Koffee With Karan with SRK when theyre chatting in their private space, away from the camera, given the solid foundation of their friendship. KJo lauded the oratory skills of SRK and with the elegance that the latter speaks with. KJo told the media: As much as I would love Shah Rukh Khan to be on Koffee With Karan because we know how brilliant of a speaker he is and my show is all about good conversations, I would like to say that with him its like an everyday Koffee With Karan for me because we are talking to each other everyday, Im speaking with his kids and Gauri. Hearing him speak is an absolute delight, we all have seen the gravitas and the elegance with which he speaks on global platforms. We always discuss things and talk about different subjects. Talking to him so frequently, I can say that he is a huge part of my daily existence. Koffee with Karan season 8 streams on Disney+ Hotstar. SRK is part of my daily existence: Karan Johar Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! London, Dec 5 I n the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, sponsored posts have emerged as a powerful tool for businesses and content creators alike. These posts offer numerous benefits and the opportunity to build quality links, which can significantly boost your online presence and drive organic traffic to your website. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the advantages of sponsored posts, strategies for building high-quality links, and valuable tips for making the most of your sponsored content. The Benefits of Sponsored Posts One of the primary advantages of sponsored posts is the increased visibility they provide. When your content is featured on high-traffic websites or social media platforms, it exposes your brand to a broader audience. This visibility can lead to more website visits, improved brand recognition, and ultimately, higher conversion rates. 2. Targeted Audience Reach Sponsored posts allow you to reach a specific audience that aligns with your brand or product. By selecting the right platforms and partnering with relevant influencers, you can ensure that your content resonates with your target demographic. This targeted approach maximizes the impact of your message. 3. SEO Benefits Sponsored posts often come with backlinks to your website, which can have a significant impact on your search engine rankings. High-quality backlinks from authoritative sources are a valuable SEO asset, signaling to search engines that your site is trustworthy and credible. 4. Improved Credibility When your content appears on reputable websites or is endorsed by trusted influencers, it enhances your brand's credibility. Consumers are more likely to trust recommendations from sources they respect, leading to increased trust in your products or services. Building Quality Links through Sponsored Posts Now that we've explored the benefits, let's dive into the strategies for building high-quality links through sponsored posts. 1. Choose the Right Media Partners Selecting the right platforms and partners is crucial for the success of your sponsored content. Ensure that the websites or influencers you collaborate with align with your brand's values and target audience. Conduct thorough research to identify trustworthy and authoritative sources. 2. Craft Engaging Content Compelling content is the cornerstone of a successful sponsored post. Create informative, entertaining, and valuable content that resonates with your audience. Use relevant keywords naturally within the content to improve search engine optimization. 3. Incorporate Relevant Keywords To enhance your content's SEO potential, incorporate relevant keywords naturally. Keywords like "sponsored posts," "quality backlinks," and "content marketing" should be seamlessly integrated into your article. Remember, keyword stuffing can harm your SEO efforts, so use them sparingly and contextually. 4. Follow SEO Best Practices Optimize your sponsored post for search engines by following best practices such as optimizing meta titles and descriptions, using header tags, and ensuring fast page loading times. Well-optimized content is more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). 5. Promote Social Sharing Encourage social sharing of your sponsored content by including social sharing buttons within your post. When readers share your content, it increases its visibility and the likelihood of gaining backlinks naturally. 6. Monitor Performance After your sponsored post is published, regularly monitor its performance using analytics tools. Track metrics like website traffic, click-through rates, and engagement. Use this data to refine your future sponsored content strategies. Things to Remember While Choosing the Media for Sponsored Posts When selecting media for your sponsored posts, keep these important considerations in mind: Relevance: Ensure that the media aligns with your niche and target audience. Authenticity: Partner with credible websites and influencers to maintain your brand's reputation. Audience Engagement: Analyze the media's audience engagement and interaction rates before collaboration. Cost vs. Benefit: Evaluate the cost of the sponsored post against the potential benefits it can bring to your brand. Tips and Ideas for Successful Sponsored Posts Tell a Story: Craft your sponsored content as a compelling narrative that captivates your audience. Visual Appeal: Incorporate eye-catching visuals, such as images and infographics, to make your content more engaging. CTA (Call to Action): Include a clear and persuasive call to action at the end of your post, guiding readers on the next steps to take. Influencer Collaboration: Consider partnering with influencers who have a genuine connection with your brand for added authenticity. Consistency: Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged and informed. Interested in Publishing a Sponsored Post on Our Website? If you're interested in promoting your brand, product, or service through a sponsored post on our website, we welcome collaborations with businesses and content creators. To discuss the possibilities and learn more about our offerings, please click here to contact us. In conclusion, sponsored posts offer a wealth of benefits, from increased visibility and targeted audience reach to valuable backlinks and improved credibility. By following the strategies and tips outlined in this guide, you can harness the full potential of sponsored content to elevate your brand and drive meaningful results. Don't miss out on the opportunity to connect with your audience and establish your presence in the digital landscape through sponsored posts. Unlocking the Power of Sponsored Posts: Benefits and Building Quality Links Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Mumbai, Dec 5 B ollywood actor Vicky Kaushal, who is gearing up for his upcoming release Dunki in which he shares the screen with Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and actress Taapsee Pannu, has shared his experience of working with SRK. Vicky is all set to grace the upcoming episode of the streaming chat show Koffee With Karan with actress Kiara Advani. During the course of the episode, Vicky narrated an incident when SRK felt bad because he couldnt give cues to Vicky as the megastar had to rush to Delhi for some important work. Talking about the same. Vicky said, I'll share an incident, one of the shoot dates, he had to rush to Delhi for some very important work and it couldn't have happened at another time or another day and it was a very critical kind of a moment in the film for my character which was with him and he just couldn't be there for that shot and I had to give that shot with a body double and he had to rush. The Uri actor continued, After he got done with his work which was like insanely important in Delhi, late in the night, he had called which I missed because there was an event and then he messaged me. A long message saying, Vicky, wo shot hum dobaara karenge. I am really sorry I missed that, I couldn't be there to give just the cues, I couldn't be there, Well do that shot again. I had to call him and convince him ki nahi Raju sir is happy and it went okay and there is no need and pata nahi mujhse waapis hoga ki bhi nahi but I was nervous, But he was like, no, we will do it again, I am feeling terrible that I couldn't be there. Vicky further mentioned that the next day he came on set and was happy after seeing the shots. The 'Sam Bahadur' actor said: He was happy with those shots and only then he was okay with that. That's him. I met him and I realised how little I am doing at this age. He just gives a 100 per cent like if he is talking to you, then 100 per cent of his being is talking to you and not a degree away from you. He is just something else. Koffee with Karan season 8 streams on Disney+ Hotstar. Vicky Kaushal shares incident highlighting SRK's dedication towards his craft Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Dec 5 A ctress Shraddha Musale on Tuesday expressed her grief over the untimely demise of her CID co-actor Dinesh Phadnis, and recalled fond memories with him, adding that he was dil ka saaf insaan. Dinesh, who played the role of 'Fredericks' in the India's longest running television show 'CID', passed away in Mumbai. Talking to IANS, Shraddha expressed her condolences, saying, This was kind of sudden for us. Like we knew he was a little unwell, a little bit of liver and heart issues. For the past six months the health issues had increased a bit, so we knew that his health is not good. But in the past 3-4 days it has deteriorated more. He was hospitalised, but he was okay. Suddenly one night it got worse liver and kidney, then into heart. Then he had to be on the ventilator. We still had hopes, dialysis was also going on, but last night he passed away, she shared. The Porus actress further said: We often get together. He didnt come in the last few get-togethers, and he said that he is not keeping well. On phone we were in touch. And everybody, even the past CID officers, people very fondly remember him. He was the sweetest soul of todays times. He was very pure at heart; and you rarely find such people. He was dil ka saaf insaan, said Shraddha. The actress continued: We are very close to his wife also. She is a sweetheart too. Speaking about the fond memories shared with Dinesh, Shraddha told IANS: What I feel is that we had a dil se dil wala connection. We had many hearty one-on one talks with each other. He used to listen to everything that you share with him. We both used to talk in Marathi. The Marathi language brought us together. He used to bring tiffin from home. There used to be heart to heart conversations with him on sets, and also outside. We had an attachment with the star cast of the show, but there was also a one on one attachment with Dinesh ji. And that was something different, she said. Shraddha continued: I miss having those conversations with him. He had a particular place in the green room. Off set he used to wear a black T-shirt. I can visualise him right now at his place, doing his things, and talking. The 39-year-old concluded saying the cremation is almost done, adding that she was with his wife. The actor was 57 years old, and was on ventilator support. Dinesh was suffering from extensive liver damage, and was hospitalised on December 1. As per reports, the 57-year-old actor was admitted to Mumbai's Tunga Hospital. Earlier, there were reports that the actor had suffered a heart attack which actor Dayanand Shetty had dismissed. Shraddha Musale of 'CID' fame calls Dinesh Phadnis 'dil ka saaf insaan' Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Dec 5 P rime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenya President William Ruto on Tuesday held discussions on strengthening defence ties between the two countries in order to strengthen maritime security and jointly combat piracy, drug trafficking and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region. The growing co-operation between India and Kenya in the field of defense is a symbol of our deep mutual trust and common interests, PM Modi said after the meeting. In today's discussion, we emphasised on holding joint military exercises, capacity building as well as linking the defense industries of both the countries. As countries connected to the Indian Ocean, maritime security, piracy and drug trafficking are matters of our common priority, Modi said. The Prime Minister said to strengthen mutual cooperation in this important area a joint vision statement on maritime cooperation was also being issued Close cooperation between Kenya and India will strengthen all our efforts in the Indo-Pacific, Modi said. "I am confident that President Ruto's visit to India will not only strengthen bilateral ties but will give a new momentum to our engagement with Africa," he said. India and Kenya are of the view that terrorism is the most serious challenge facing humanity and both sides have decided to enhance counter-terror cooperation, Modi added. As part of the growing economic engagement between the two countries, India has agreed to provide USD 250 million as Line of Credit to Kenya to help the country modernise its agriculture sector. India also agreed to share its successful experience in space technology with Kenya and harness it for public welfare. With this commitment and spirit of friendship, we will continue our efforts to increase our cooperation in all fields, Modi added. Modi also highlighted the fact that clean energy is the main priority of both the countries and pointed out that Kenya had taken the very commendable step for organising the Africa Climate Summit. It also reflects President Ruto's commitment to unitedly address all global challenges, he added. I am glad that Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Solar Alliance. Additionally, Kenya's decision to join the International Big Cat Alliance will help us strengthen global efforts to conserve big cats, the Prime Minister said. PM Modi said that India is ready to share its knowhow and achievements in the digital public infrastructure with Kenya to help the country. He also said the approximately 80,000 people of Indian origin who consider Kenya as their second home are the biggest strength of the relations between the two countries. pannu/dan India, Kenya cement defence ties to beef up security in Indian Ocean region Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Students not to be blamed for CUSAT stampede which left 4 dead: Kerala HC Kochi, Dec 5 T he Kerala High Court on Tuesday said the students, who organised tech fest 'DHISHNA' at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) on November 25, should not be blamed for the stampede that occurred during the event, which resulted in the death of 4 students and left 64 others injured. Justice Devan Ramachandran made the observation remarks while hearing a petition filed by the Congress student organisation KSU, demanding a judicial probe into the episode. "I dont want any blame game on any students, it will leave a big impact on them. The families are robbed of their existence. No students should be scarred. No students who organised the event should be blamed. The minds of the young children should not be subjected to a blame game. The young people have to live...Unfortunately, we react after the incident. Accidents dont happen on purpose. Fingers point to some system failure. I want to know what enquiries are going on," he asked orally. The court then directed the Additional Advocate General and the government pleader to get instructions on the nature of inquiries that have already been initiated by the state government. The plea was filed by KSU President Alosyious Xavier, who alleged that the incident took place due to the in action of university authorities including the Vice Chancellor, Registrar, and CUSAT Principal. The stampede occurred at the amphitheatre and the petition noted out the single entry and exit point at the venue was one reason and authorities neglected their duty of ensuring safety protocols. Another aspect in the petition alleged that though the police lodged an FIR, the investigation is biased due to the political influences of the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front coalition, as their nominees are the office bearers of both Syndicate and Senate of the University. The petition will now be considered on December 14, when the court will go through the status of the ongoing probe. Students not to be blamed for CUSAT stampede which left 4 dead: Kerala HC Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Lower Allen Township Police are looking for this woman who used a stolen credit card at Target at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 30. The card was stolen from a wallet at Trader Joe's that same day. I come from a city of 250,000 in which protests occurred every day," Larry Boone said, referring to his time as Norfolk (Va.) chief. "During that time, because of my transparency and processes and terms and how I reacted to days when officers didnt always do the best thing, that city saw no rioting, no looting, no arrests. Because I had built that social capital. Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Chase Leonhard was born and raised in Champaign-Urbana and is retired from a 35-year career in the law where he served for nine years as a Champaign police officer, 10 years as an assistant states attorney and 12 years as an associate judge. Reach him at chase7725@gmail.com. Five people who had life-altering, seemingly irreversible cognitive deficits following moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries showed substantial improvements in their cognition and quality of life after receiving an experimental form of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in a phase 1 clinical trial. The trial, reported Dec. 4 in Nature Medicine, was led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, Stanford University, the Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Medical School and the University of Utah. The findings pave the way for larger clinical trials of the DBS technique and offer hope that cognitive deficits associated with disability following traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be treatable, even many years after the injury. The DBS stimulation, administered for 12 hours a day, targeted a brain region called the thalamus. After three months of treatment, all the participants scored higher on a standard test of executive function that involves mental control, with the improvements ranging from 15 to 55 percent. The participants also markedly improved on secondary measures of attention and other executive functions. Several of the participants and their family members reported substantial quality of life gains, including improvements in the ability to work and to participate in social activities, according to a report describing participant and family perspectives from the trial. Dr. Joseph Fins, the E. William Davis, Jr., MD Professor of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medicine, led that research effort. "The ability to keep your focus and ignore the other things that aren't important to focus on is very, very important to a lot of things in life," one participant said in the report. "You never know what a blessing it is until you get it the second time." "These participants had experienced brain injury years to decades before, and it was thought that whatever recovery process was possible had already played out, so we were surprised and pleased to see how much they improved," said study co-senior author Dr. Nicholas Schiff, the Jerold B. Katz Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience in the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine. Our aim now is to expand this trial, to confirm the effectiveness of our DBS technique, and to see how broadly it can be applied to TBI patients with chronic cognitive deficits." Dr. Jaimie Henderson, study co-senior author, the John and Jene Blume - Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine A cognitive pacemaker? Recent estimates by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention suggest that in the United States alone, TBI accounts for more than 200,000 hospitalizations and more than 60,000 deaths annually, with roughly five million Americans suffering from long-term, TBI-related cognitive disability. This chronic disability typically involves memory, attention and other cognitive deficits along with related personality changes, which together impair the individuals' social relationships, ability to work and overall ability to function independently. Traditionally, researchers have assumed that these problems stem from irreversible brain-cell loss and are thus untreatable. However, Dr. Schiff's work has shown that activity in a specific brain circuit, which the investigators termed the 'mesocircuit,' underlies deficits in attention, planning and other abilities known as executive cognitive functions, after TBI, and that such functions may be at least partially recoverable. A brain region called the central thalamus normally serves as a kind of energy regulator for this cognitive circuit. Though this region is generally damaged by a TBI, stimulating it via DBS may restore its activity, and thus reactivate the cognitive circuits it serves. "Basically, our idea has been to overdrive this part of the thalamus to restore brain function, much as a cardiac pacemaker works to restore heart function," Dr. Schiff said. In a 2007 study, Dr. Schiff and colleagues showed that DBS targeting the central thalamus markedly improved measures of cognition and behavior in a person with severe TBI who had been in a minimally conscious state for six years. That success, and related preclinical research, led to the new study. "Every day is a battle" The participants in the new study, four men and one woman, had regained independence in daily function, but cognitive deficits involving executive functions, stemming from TBIs three to 18 years prior, prevented return to pre-injury levels of work, academic study and social activities. "Every day is a battle, although I try and be upbeat," one male participant told the researchers in an interview conducted prior to the treatment. "[I]t's not the quality of life I really want to live. And so, I'm willing to take the chance, to even getif I can even get five or 10 percent better . . ." "Despite decades of costly research, we have barely moved the needle in preventing or reducing TBI-related disability. Our results, although preliminary, suggest that DBS may improve cognitive function well into the chronic phase of recovery," said Dr. Joseph Giacino, a neuropsychologist who helped design the trial, and served as co-first author of the 2007 study. Dr. Giacino is the director of rehabilitation neuropsychology at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, a staff neuropsychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. The surgery Dr. Henderson and his surgical team implanted each subject with DBS electrodes positioned to stimulate a part of the thalamus called the central lateral (CL) thalamic nucleus, along with an associated bundle of nerve fibers. The implantation was guided by brain imaging (MRI and CT) of each subject. One type of MRI was processed with a novel algorithm developed by Dr. Brian Rutt's group at Stanford to provide high-resolution outlines of CL and other relevant thalamic nuclei, which were then combined with 3D maps of nerve fiber tracts passing through these nuclei. Computer models of how DBS electrodes would interact with CL neurons and nerve fibers were developed by biomedical engineer Dr. Christopher Butson and colleagues, who were at the University of Utah during the study. "Participant-specific models were used to create pre-operative surgical plans and guide post-surgical DBS programming to maximize activation of CL brain circuits while minimizing activation of surrounding thalamic circuits," said Dr. Butson, now the Endowed Chair of Neurotherapeutics at the Fixel Institute. "Using this approach, we were able to focus stimulation in areas that had the highest likelihood of improving executive function." Neurosurgeon Dr. Andre Machado, chairman of the Neurological Institute at Cleveland Clinic, who previously worked with Dr. Schiff on DBS studies of minimally conscious participants, also helped develop the surgical procedure in the new study. "Targeting very specific parts of the brain after a devastating injury is complex, as each person is affected in different ways by the trauma," said Dr. Machado. "The success of this study is the fruit of multi-institutional, professional collaboration and the combination of many teams to address a gap in healthcare. This is how good science happens." In each participant, the wires coming from the thalamus-stimulating electrodes were placed beneath the skin, running to a battery pack and controller implanted in the upper chestagain, like a cardiac pacemaker. Trial meets safety and efficacy goals Starting two to three months after implantation surgery, the study team tested the DBS in each participant, fine-tuning the stimulation signal and checking for side effects. Prior to this initial testing period, one of the original six participants experienced a scalp infection, had her DBS electrodes removed, and was withdrawn from the study. But the other five experienced minor or no side effects from the surgery or the DBS stimulation. "At this point, I'm comfortable saying that this thalamic target is really quite benign in terms of side effects from the stimulation," Dr. Henderson said. Following the fine-tuning and safety-check period, the five participants were treated by DBS for twelve hours a day, the signals being switched off at night. The primary measure of efficacy was the change in the participant's score, from before surgery to after the 90-day treatment window, on a standard executive function test called the trail-making test part B (TMT-B). The researchers' pre-set threshold for a clinically meaningful improvement was a 10 percent increase in the TMT-B score. As it turned out, every one of the five participants exceeded that threshold. While perceived and measured efficacy of the treatment varied, some participants and their families reported life-changing results. One mother told the investigators in the post-treatment report, "I got my daughter back... It's a miracle. It's so profound for us." Even now, several years after the study was completed, all five participants still have their DBS implants, some with new batteries, Dr. Henderson said. Looking ahead To the researchers, the findings indicate that thalamus-targeted DBS has the potential to meaningfully boost cognitive function and quality of life for many people with moderate to severe TBI. They now plan a phase 2 clinical trial, with 25 to 50 participants, to optimize the treatment, to confirm its safety and efficacy and to understand better the type of patient with TBI that is best suited for it. If that trial goes well, a larger and more conclusive, phase 3 study would follow. "There's a long road ahead, but at least we have a road," Dr. Schiff said. The early detection of breast cancer through mammography can lead to a reduction in mortality among women aged 50-69 years. It is for this reason that most breast screening programs using mammography invite women aged 50-69 years; however, there remains a lack of data on the benefits and potential harm of mammography in women 75 years of age and older. A recent British Journal of Cancer study synthesized existing evidence on mammography outcomes among women 75 and older. Study: Health benefits and harms of mammography screening in older women (75+ years)-A systematic review. Image Credit: ChooChin / Shutterstock.com Background For women 75 years and above, little evidence is available on the harms and benefits of mammography screening. In 2016-2017, 1.2% of women above 85, 5.4% of women aged 80-84, and 14.4% of women aged 75-79, underwent mammogram screening. There is no consensus globally on if and when mammography screening should be discouraged for older women. Although mammography could have apparent benefits regarding the identification of risks, the presence of specific comorbidities could make routine screening harmful, and a shorter life expectancy could diminish the benefits of screening among older women. About the study The current study systematically reviewed and synthesized existing evidence on mammography outcomes among older women 75 years of age and older to aid screening recommendations. Medline, Embase, and Cinahl were the databases that were searched, in addition to manual searching. Articles published between 1990 and July 2022 were considered without language restrictions. Taken together, 27 observational and nine modeling studies were included in the analysis. Studies including women aged 75 years and older were included in the review. However, some studies were excluded if stratification did not allow extraction for the age group of interest. The benefits and harms of mammography were extracted as relevant outcome variables. Key findings There was no clear evidence of the health benefits of continuing mammography screening among women aged 75. An equal number of studies showed a beneficial effect on mortality and no effect on mortality. Some studies used un-informative comparisons, making inference difficult. Some of the harms considered in this study were recalls, biopsies, false positives, and overdiagnosis. The evidence presented on these was more consistent, although a smaller number of articles highlighted the harms of screening among older women. The results for overdiagnosis were more consistent, which could be explained by the presence of competing causes of mortality and a shorter follow-up time. Limitations of the study An important limitation of this study is that several articles included uninformative comparisons, which could introduce bias in the conclusions. More specifically, only two observational studies had a meaningful comparison, and some modeling studies conducted simulations. Considering only these studies, they all indicated harms, and only half reported health benefits of screening. Some of the other comparisons did not provide conclusive evidence of the harms and benefits of screening among older women. Some studies comparing younger and older women based on certain parameters like the screening interval are amenable to lead time bias and may favor screening. The results of many of these studies with uninformative comparisons need to be considered with caution. Several studies provided metrics offering information about the performance of the screening process; however, these studies provided little evidence of the health benefits related to continued screening. This is particularly problematic, as the detection metrics are not the same across all age groups. Many of the reviewed studies were prone to bias, which led the authors to conduct a quality appraisal using tools for observational studies; however, these tools are unavailable for modeling studies. Therefore, these results should be interpreted with extra caution. This highlights the challenges in the quality assessment of modeling studies due to the rich heterogeneity in the assumptions. This issue is exacerbated when the papers do not clearly state their assumptions while describing their methodology. Conclusions Limited evidence is available to provide a definitive recommendation on continuing/discontinuing mammography beyond 75 years. Future research should include more informative comparisons and estimate the extent of overdiagnosis. Pancreatic beta cells (-cells) reside in a cluster of cells in the pancreas known as the islets of Langerhans. Pancreatic cells are the only cells that produce insulin - a hormone that decreases blood glucose levels. A decrease in pancreatic cells is a major cause of diabetes. Scientists have long known that pancreatic cells increase during pregnancy and promptly return to their original number following birth. But scientists still do not understand the underlying mechanisms that cause the cells to go back to their original number. In a significant breakthrough, a research group has discovered that a type of white blood cell called macrophages 'eat' (phagocytose) the pancreatic cells, thereby revealing the process behind their return to previous levels after pregnancy. The research group, which was led by Associate Professor Junta Imai, Assistant Professor Akira Endo, and Professor Hideki Katagiri from Tohoku University's Graduate School of Medicine, published the results in the journal Development Cell on September 15, 2023. Initially, the group examined the number of pancreatic cells in the islets of Langerhans in a mouse model of pregnancy. They confirmed the cell number was double at the end of the pregnancy when compared to non-pregnant mice, but that it then gradually decreased, returning to the original amount after delivery. After we observed the islets of Langerhans before and after delivery, we noticed an increase in macrophages, which protect the body from infections by engulfing bacteria, foreign substances and dead cells, after delivery. When we applied treatment to inhibit this process, the blood glucose levels became too low (hypoglycemia)." Junta Imai, Associate Professor, Tohoku University's Graduate School of Medicine Additional microscopic observation of the islets of Langerhans after birth revealed cells to be phagocytosed by macrophages. This mechanism appeared to keep the mother's blood glucose levels from decreasing excessively after delivery by rapidly reducing pancreatic cells to their normal pre-pregnancy number. Next, the group identified the protein responsible for attracting the macrophages into the islets of Langerhans: cytokine CXCL10. Accordingly, the inhibition of CXCL10 function suppressed the decrease in pancreatic cells after birth. "We hope our results will contribute to clarifying the means by which normal blood glucose levels are maintained as well as the development of methods to prevent and treat diabetes," adds Imai. The research was supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) [Moonshot R&D] as well as by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-PRIME). Researchers from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have received two grants totaling $9.1 million from the National Cancer Institute to advance liquid biopsy technologies for the early detection of cancer, which can significantly improve treatment outcomes and reduce the number of deaths caused by the disease. A liquid biopsy is a promising non-invasive medical test using a small volume of blood that gives scientists insight into the genetic makeup of tumors. By analyzing these components, researchers can gain valuable information about the genetic mutations, alterations and other molecular changes associated with the presence of cancer. With the support from the grants, we will be advancing current tests by creating comprehensive approaches that combines multi-modality information to detect liver, colorectal, liver, lung, and stomach cancer early." Jasmine Zhou, lead principal investigator on the grants, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and scientist in the Jonsson Cancer Center Developing a test for the early detection of liver cancer For the first grant, the principal investigators Zhou, along with Dr. Steven-Huy Han, Dr. Samuel French and Dr. Vatche Agopian, all part of the Geffen School of Medicine and Jonsson Cancer Center, will develop and validate a method to integrate blood, imaging, and clinical data for the early detection of liver cancer. This liquid biopsy test could fill an urgent demand to benefit patients, who are at risk of developing liver cancer. Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Despite progress in reducing cancer mortality overall, liver cancer rates are increasing due to factors like obesity and alcohol abuse. The team previously developed a highly sensitive and cost-effective method using cell-free DNA methylome for cancer detection, and they successfully tested it on a group of patients with liver conditions. They plan to expand their studies, refine their methods, and collaborate with other institutions to create a comprehensive approach that combines genetic, imaging, and clinical information to detect liver cancer early. "The ultimate goal is to contribute to reducing the high mortality associated with liver cancer," said Han. Along with Zhou, Han and French, the UCLA team consists of Dr. Wenyuan Li and Weihua Zeng from pathology and lab medicine, Dr. Frank Alber from microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics, Dr. Jihane Benhammou, Dr. Gina Choi, Dr. Mohamed El Kabany, Dr. Sammy Saab, Dr. Akshay Shetty, and Dr. Jasleen Singh from hepatology, Dr. Sarah Dry from pathology, Dr. Kevin King, Dr. David Lu, Dr. Steven Raman, Dr. Kyung Sung and Dr. Holden Wu from radiology. Multi-cancer early detection using cell-free DNA methylome analysis The second grant focuses on improving the early detection of various cancers using the cell-free DNA methylome to detect and locate colon, gastric, liver, and lung cancers. The principal investigators, which include Jasmine Zhou, Wenyuan Li and Dr. Robert Bresalier from MD Anderson Cancer Center, have already obtained promising results in preliminary studies, but plan to enhance the performance of the technology by refining how they analyze the data and validate its effectiveness in multiple clinical groups. Additionally, they will collaborate with an industry partner to optimize the technology for wider clinical use and implement it in a secure cloud computing platform for decentralized testing. "If successful, this test will be transformative in fighting against these types of cancers," said Li. The UCLA team also includes Han, Alber, Zeng, as well as Dr. Shuo Li from pathology and lab medicine, and Dr. Ashley Prosper from radiology. insights from industry Adrienne Lemieux Ying Zhao Daniel James What is SciY, and how does it aim to transform lab and manufacturing ecosystems? SciY is composed of four different companies unified by a common vision. Firstly, we have Arxspan, a fully integrated cloud platform designed for the management of scientific data. This platform seamlessly merges chemistry and biology data within a unified system. Next, we have Mestrelab Research, which provides analytical data processing, analysis, visualization, and reporting, along with analytical workflow automation through its Mgears application. It also specializes in connecting software to instruments. Moving on, there is Zontal, a GXP-compliant cloud platform for integrated digital labs with life sciences analytics and long-term data preservation capabilities. Finally, we have Optimal, which offers PAT software solutions for real-time process control, along with customized automation, machinery, and integration services. With SciY, we have established a unique ecosystem of vendors that seamlessly integrate through fair data platforms, enabling digital transformation for a wide range of laboratory and manufacturing environments. Please can you introduce Arxspan? Arxspan is a fully integrated cloud platform for scientific data management that combines chemistry and biology data in one system. It is designed to enhance collaborative research across internal teams and external partners. The electronic laboratory notebook, or the ELN, is entirely web-based. It is easy to use and can be deployed globally within minutes. It has scientific workflow solutions embedded while enabling integration with other systems and software and built-in infrastructure and data security. This allows for data sharing internally and externally, and it also follows legal and regulatory compliance. This is also integrated with our registration application and enables unique chemical and biological entities to be registered. The ELN also has the option to link to our inventory so you can track and manage any physical items. Arxspans asset application allows users to define, collect, manage, and store asset endpoint data. This is ideal for asset development functions and low and high-throughput screening. All this data can be pulled together using our searching and reporting application. Arxspan BioDrive, our complete solution for molecular biology, is integrated into the Arxspan ELN. What is Arxspan BioDrive, and what makes it a versatile molecular biology solution? The Arxspan BioDrive is a distinctive platform that empowers molecular biologists to tackle a wide range of challenges in their field. Customers can incorporate specific requirements into an experiment's configuration to fulfill their unique needs. BioDrive, with its exceptional features, offers smooth molecular biology workflows. Its efficient design and user-friendly navigation enhance the overall user experience. Image credit: Arxspan How can BioDrive be used to handle both DNA and RNA sequences? BioDrive simplifies sequence handling by automatically loading sequences as double-strand DNA and generating a corresponding sequence map. However, for more flexibility, you can choose the RNA option. When you opt for RNA, BioDrive allows you to load the sequence as single-stranded or double-stranded RNA. If you load a single-strand RNA, the sequence map will display only the forward strand. Additionally, BioDrive features a convenient function that enables you to convert DNA into RNA. You can select either the forward or reverse strand and transform it into single-strand RNA. If you choose both strands, the RNA will be generated as double-stranded. Moreover, BioDrive offers a unique capability for simulating splicing reactions or removing annotated introns. For instance, if your initial sequence contains introns surrounded by exons, BioDrive can remove the introns and seamlessly link the exons together, resulting in a newly formed single-strand RNA. What features does BioDrive offer in terms of primers? In BioDrive, managing primers is made effortless through manual addition or importing options. To manually add a primer, simply select the region of the sequence where you intend to place the primer. A dedicated primer panel allows you to assign a name, specify whether it is an RNA or DNA oligo, and choose its orientation on either the forward or reverse strand. Furthermore, you can customize your primer by adding a dangling tail. For instance, you might append a six-nucleotide tail with a specific enzyme recognition site, such as XhoI. By copying and pasting the sequence, you can seamlessly integrate the recognition site into the primer. This modification is visually represented on the map as a dangling tail attached to the primer. Additionally, BioDrive empowers you to make precise alterations, such as switching amino acids or codons. The binding site analysis feature enables you to assess the primer's binding potential in your DNA sequence. You can define parameters and let the system calculate the binding, helping you identify specific binding locations or potential priming sites. Alternatively, you can import primers from a CSV file. The system allows you to customize parameters like mismatches, melting temperature (Tm), and GC content. After calculations, you are presented with multiple options that you can further refine. BioDrive gives you the flexibility to modify parameters, recalculate, and narrow down your choices. Once you have selected the desired primer, you can seamlessly integrate it into your sequence. To ensure primer integrity, BioDrive offers a primer analysis function. By selecting 'primer analysis' under actions, you can examine the secondary structure of individual primers. If you need to assess primer dimers, you can analyze a forward primer paired with a reverse primer. The results page provides insights into the energy and the formation of homodimers. For researchers aiming to target specific regions, BioDrive offers a comprehensive 'create primer design' feature. Here, you can define parameters such as target region, product size, and Tm range. Upon clicking 'design,' BioDrive generates a list of primer pair options, complete with detailed information, including location, TM, and GC content. This detailed overview empowers you to make informed decisions based on your research requirements. What libraries does BioDrive offer to customers? In BioDrive, we offer two customer libraries that function in a similar manner: the feature library and the oligo library. The feature library enables you to create a collection of annotation features manually. You can add these features individually or use the import function to bring in a pre-existing list of annotation features. Similarly, the oligo library allows you to manage your primers or guide sequences. You have the flexibility to add them manually or import them into the library. Once you have populated the oligo library with your sequences, you can utilize the 'detect oligos' function. This feature scans the targeting sequence and automatically adds the complementary oligo to your project. Within the 'detect oligo' action, you can customize parameters and choose from a selection of oligos to add to your scene. Please can you tell us about BioDrives alignment function feature? With the alignment function in BioDrive, you have the flexibility to either assess a sequencing file against a targeted sequence or compare two sequences directly. You can seamlessly load multiple MBI files by dragging and dropping them onto the platform, allowing for simultaneous alignment. The aligned sequences are displayed side by side, with any non-matching nucleotide data highlighted in red. This visual cue helps identify disparities, and you can then select the specific trace and score the alignment for further analysis. Alternatively, you can use alignment files, such as dropping a GenBank file, to compare two DNA sequences. This functionality proves invaluable when comparing sequences derived from the same origin but subjected to modifications. Again, any disparities between the sequences are highlighted in red, providing a clear visual distinction between the differences in the product sequences. What can the re-indexing function be used for? In BioDrive, managing circular DNA sequences and linear sequences is made effortless through the re-index function. For circular DNA, if you wish to alter the original point of the circle, you can use the re-index function to input a new location for the origin. Similarly, if you need to renumber a linear sequence, this can also be achieved using the re-index function. Additionally, BioDrive offers the flexibility to change the name of both DNA and RNA sequences. This feature proves invaluable in scenarios such as registering a sequence into your system. BioDrive allows you to update the number to the appropriate registration ID if you receive a hit for a registration ID. This seamless integration ensures traceability for your sequences. How can users utilize the BioDrive history feature? The BioDrive history displays everything you did in a particular BioDrive experiment. Every time you load the sequence, generate the sequence, or do an alignment, it is all captured. Arxpan BioDrive : A Single Solution for all your Molecular Biology Needs Play What benefits do the advanced search options provide? With advanced search, you can select whether you want to search for a linear, circular, or both sequence. Similarly, you can select whether to search for a DNA sequence, RNA sequence, or both. Another option is to select whether you want to search for nucleotide sequences, amino acid sequences, primers, or annotation features. The system can search for specific sequences or DNA annotation features in all BioDrive experiments. For example, if you are looking for DNA sequences containing a T7 promoter, you can easily find experiments that used this specific sequence. Please can you summarize why molecular biologists can benefit from the BioDrive? The BioDrive is a versatile solution to visualize, simulate, and document your molecular biology procedures. Arxspan BioDrive enables the streamlining of all kinds of molecular biology tasks, from data input to analysis. What are the Arxspan BioDrives upcoming features and enhancements, and how will it keep up with emerging trends in molecular biology? Upcoming versions of Arxspan BioDrive will introduce several new features and enhancements. These updates, like our applications, will be regularly improved. The upcoming features include retrieving sequences directly from NCBI, zooming in and out of the mini-map, split-screen, and virtual gels. More details will be coming soon. Where can readers find more information? For additional information, visit our Arxspan website. Explore the SciY website for details about our sister companies. On our websites, you can stay updated on news, events, and upcoming webinars related to Arxspan and other SciY applications and services. For real-time updates, follow us on social media platforms. We recommend downloading the desktop version of BioDrive. A free trial is available, though it is limited to a seven-day period without an activation code. For an extended trial, kindly email Arxspan support. About the Speakers About Arxspan Arxspan is a global provider of cloud-based scientific informatics tools, founded in 2011. Our mission is to deliver cutting-edge technology solutions to customers across the globe, and we have achieved this through the release of our multi-tenant cloud ELN in the same year. Our ELN offers an enterprise-level feature set designed to support small biotech start-ups as well as global pharma. In 2013, Arxspan collaborated with multiple customers to release the integrated Registration module, which has been a game-changer in the industry. In 2017, we released the Workflow module, which enables close coordination of compound/biologic request and fulfillment between companies and their external collaborators. Our latest addition, the Data Publisher, was launched to simplify the integration of Arxspan and other enterprise, legacy, and AI data platforms. Today, Arxspan offers a comprehensive enterprise informatics suite comprising ELN, Chemical and Biological Registration, Chemical and Biological Inventory, and Assay Data Management, with system-wide search and reporting functionality. Our customers and users span North America, Asia, India, and Europe. We continue to deploy world-class platforms, tools, services, and best-in-class support to a rapidly growing customer base. In 2019, Bruker Biospin acquired Arxspan as a strategic platform to bring SaaS-based enterprise tools to their customers. This acquisition has provided us with the necessary resources and support to ensure our continued success in the future. We are excited to announce the launch of our latest product, BioDrive, which is a cloud-based platform designed to streamline the management of biological data. BioDrive provides a comprehensive solution for managing and sharing data, including genomic data, proteomic data, and bioassay data. It is designed to meet the needs of biotech and pharmaceutical companies, as well as academic institutions and research organizations. Additionally, we are pleased to announce the latest updates to our Chemical and Reg modules. These updates include new features and functionalities that improve data management, streamline workflows, and enhance collaboration. With these updates, we continue to provide our customers with the tools they need to accelerate their research and development efforts. At Arxspan, we are committed to delivering innovative solutions that empower our customers to achieve their goals. We look forward to continuing to serve our customers and to providing them with the best possible tools and support. In a recent study published in eClinicalMedicine, researchers evaluate whether transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) is a safe and feasible treatment option for reducing the motor signs of Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurological disease. Study: A novel transcranial photobiomodulation device to address motor signs of Parkinson's disease: a parallel randomised feasibility study. Image Credit: PopTika/Shutterstock.com Background Several pre-clinical and proof-of-concept case studies have shown the effectiveness of photobiomodulation (PBM) in PD cases. In rodent models of PD, it alleviated the clinical signs of PD and was neuroprotective and neuro-regenerative. Likewise, in small-scale proof-of-concept case studies, transcranial PBM (tPBM) was beneficial when administered using an extracranial helmet. However, the effectiveness of its use on the head alone is still unclear. About the study In the present double-blinded, sham- and placebo-controlled randomized feasibility trial, researchers used a novel transcranial light-emitting diode (LED) helmet to administer tPBM as an adjunctive PD therapy. Amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced pandemic, they ran this study remotely in all recruited participants' homes in Australia. They were aged 5985 years and had idiopathic PD. They received 72 treatments with active or sham therapies in Stage 1 over a duration of 12 weeks. The team randomly assigned participants to either the sham or the active group by a blinded researcher who was not involved in participant contact, training, assessment, or data analysis. A caregiver contacted participants at least every two weeks via Internet video conferencing (Zoom) to monitor safety and compliance and answer their queries about the fitting of the helmet device, its usage, or any side effects (if any). They also instructed active group participants to apply tPBM therapy consistently at the same time of day, if possible. The appearance and operation of the active tPBM and the sham helmet were identical, except the latter did not produce light. The active helmet emitted red and infrared (IR) light over the head for 24 minutes (12 minutes of red and IR each), six days a week for 12 weeks (a total of 72 treatments). Participants received these devices by post, and a trial technical advisor (unblinded to the treatments) taught participants how to fit and operate them. After 72 treatments, the participants were unblinded for stage two of the study, wherein they offered 12 weeks of active treatment to the sham group (sham-to-active group), and treatment for the active group was ceased (active-to-no-treatment group). The primary endpoints were motor signs of PD and device safety. For the motor signs, they used a modified Movement Disorders Society revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (MDS-UPDRS-III). At the same time, they relied on manual assessments by a trial technical advisor during weekly virtual meetings to monitor safety. In the absence of any data to determine the power of the study, they checked data for errors, normality, and the equality of variance of the residuals by visual inspection. Further, they conducted t-tests to investigate the difference in MDS-UPDRS-III scores for all study groups at baseline and after stages one and two. Results There were ten males and ten females in the active and sham groups, i.e., 20 participants in each group and 40 in the trial completed between December 6, 2021, and August 12, 2022. All 20 participants in the active group and 18 in the sham group completed treatment, showing compliance in stage 1 was excellent. When offered to receive active treatment, 14 sham group participants chose active treatment, and 12 even completed it for the whole duration, demonstrating it was feasible to deliver and was well-tolerated. There were fewer (n=9) side effects, which were also minor and transient and reversed after a few weeks with treatment cessation. Of the nine adverse events, two minor reactions occurred due to the device. One participant experienced transient leg weakness, and another reported reduced fine motor function in the right hand, and both continued the trial. The average MDS-UPDRS-III scores for the sham-to-active and the active-to-no-treatment groups at baseline and after 12 weeks of sham and active treatment were 26.8, 20.4, 12.2, 21.3, 16.5, and 15.3, respectively. The intergroup differences were insignificant at all assessment points, with an average difference between groups at baseline and after stages one and two of 5.5, 3.9, and 3.1 [95% confidence interval (CI)]. However, there was individual variation in response to tPBM and sham. The disruption in treatment ranged from three days to eight weeks due to COVID-19 and logistics issues. Yet, participants with disrupted treatment continued till all 72 treatments and even showed improvements in modified MDS-UPDRS-III scores over the 24 weeks of treatment. Conclusions Overall, tPBM emerged as a safe and feasible treatment to address motor signs of PD. Accordingly, all responders to active tPBM treatment showed significant improvement in five modified MDS-UPDRS-III sub-scores versus one sub-score for sham treatment. Interestingly, placebo effects due to dopamine release led to a positive response to the sham helmet at 12 weeks, indistinguishable from active tPBM treatment. Even these individuals showed further improvements upon receiving active treatment post-switch, suggesting a positive signal to tPBM above placebo. In addition, some participants in the active group continued to improve, indicating the stability of the tPBM treatment. The exact mechanism of action of tPBM is unclear. Perhaps it enhances glymphatic drainage from the brain or light stimulation of the vagus nerve and the putative endorestiform nucleus in humans, unlike in animal models where it is neuroprotective. Both mechanisms likely depend on the placement of the LEDs, i.e., below the posterior base of the skull. Thus, the researchers emphasize the need for a larger, adequately powered, randomized crossover trial to extend earlier published evidence showing the safety and feasibility of tPBM as a non-pharmaceutical adjunct therapy for PD. Thought Leaders Klaus Lun, Executive Vice President, Tecan and Chris Mason, Professor, Weill Cornell Medical College In this interview, we talk about the past, present, and future of automation and digitalization in the laboratory with Dr. Klaus Lun and Dr. Chris Mason. Could you introduce yourselves and your current roles? Dr. Klaus Lun: I have been with Tecan for about 10 years, running the Life Sciences business which is our end-user division. During this time, I have witnessed the evolution of automation in this field, and come to understand what our customers want and need. Dr. Chris Mason: I am a professor of genetics, physiology, and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine, and am involved in large-scale genomics, such as clinical genetics, computational biology and even synthetic cellular genomics. Can you give a brief history of automation and its current impact on the science and technology industries? Dr. Klaus Lun: Automation in the lab has been around since people started to perform experiments, and evolved from the requirement to do more of what is currently being done. The first real step in automation in the lab was to amplify current processes so that people could go from conducting one experiment at a time to multiple. I think it is fair to say that drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry was a major driving force behind this change, since there was a period when millions of compounds were being routinely screened to find new drugs. During that time, a lot of the main lab activities were being automated. Whereas today, automation is more of a tool to enable procedures that probably would have been very challenging to do manually. Image Credit: ShutterStock/Gorodenkoff How do you think automation changes the experience of working in the lab? Dr. Chris Mason: I think when you reach the point of having tens of thousands of samples coming in from around the world, they need to be efficiently tracked and analyzed, and that is where you need some degree of automation. Robots can be used for all kinds of automated tasks, such as cell phenotyping, extraction, library prep, and liquid handling. The tools and instrumentation are getting much better and more scalable, which enhances the working experience, as researchers want to focus on thinking about the science and coming up with new ideas, rather than repeating the same process millions of times. Could you give an example of that kind of research and what automation has made possible that wasnt previously? Dr. Klaus Lun: There is a current trend to develop units that incorporate multiple processes in one instrument, with Tecan being one of many companies working in this way. Single-cell biology is an example of something that automation has made possible, making it easy to manipulate these single cells while extracting DNA or RNA. There are many other great examples of things that would simply not have been possible to do previously because the reaction chambers and the flow path would have been too big. Recently, one of the biggest influences on industrial productivity and research has been the COVID-19 pandemic. How did changes in working styles during the pandemic affect automation, and did it increase the rate of adoption? Dr. Chris Mason: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted almost everything, but it did drive us towards implementing more automation, particularly because we needed extra processing power for the influx of COVID-19 patient samples. We needed a means of tracking viral evolution in various municipalities and places around the world, and this forced us to speed up the implementation of new processes, such as diversifying the kinds of samples which would go on an instrument, particularly for extraction. Dr. Klaus Lun: After COVID-19 hit, we needed to rethink how we were going to work in the lab since the number of staff present at any one time had decreased from, for example, 20 to two. Increasing automation not only freed people up to focus on their research, rather than getting bogged down with manual tasks, but also enabled remote working during the peak of the pandemic. Image Credit: ShutterStock/HTWE What other challenges did you face during the pandemic? Dr. Chris Mason: The biggest problem was that we could not get access to supplies, such as reagents or tips. While that is resolved now, there were times when we reconfigured the system to come up with novel solutions, such as 3D printing our own plastic tips. After doing that for a while, we realized that, in addition to adopting automation, we could also become completely self-reliant. While this is no longer an issue, it is another factor that came up during the pandemic, and it was interesting to see the responses to the stress of the situation. Dr. Klaus Lun: To add to that, we noticed that there was a very broad interest in automation, with a lot of people contemplating automation that had not considered it before, increasing its prevalence in a lot of industries. How is digitalization helping in the lab, and how do you differentiate between automation and digitalization? Dr. Chris Mason: Ideally, digitalization and automation are one and the same. For example, in automated and tracked systems, barcoded objects are automatically moved and tracked based on their contents, and we have observed this increasingly with 2D matrix tubes. We used our system for control purposes, to track exactly which tube had been moved, at which point, and the volume of fluid it contained. So, it is both automated and tracked, meaning it is very clear what happened to each tube at each step. That became very useful at the start of the pandemic as we started to validate and benchmark new kinds of COVID-19 tests. Dr. Klaus Lun: On the digitalization side, the most obvious change during the pandemic was that people were interacting and working in a virtual environment and looking for support with their products. This meant that there was a big push to ensure that we could find a way to continue supporting our customers in the field, and being able to do this remotely with new tools that we had started to deploy was one of the key goals. One thing that was discussed in detail was a so-called digital twin to program our customers systems virtually, maximizing productivity for our users as well as using it for training and script writing. Image Credit: ShutterStock/ST.art How will having these sorts of tools affect regular day-to-day work in the lab, and how will that make things more efficient? Dr. Chris Mason: In our lab, it is great because it is easy to hand off projects. For example, if someone is halfway through a large batch of samples, you can pinpoint exactly where they are at in the project, meaning that the transition between multiple people working on a big project is almost seamless. Dr. Klaus Lun: Another important tool is the use of virtual reality to improve training. The first time we talked about this, I immediately went out and bought a set of goggles to get a sense of what all those guys were talking about in the lab. Now we have a full product ready, where our users and service staff can put on these goggles and receive full training on an instrument. What are some of the main challenges involved in implementing an automated, digitalized approach in the laboratory, and how would you encourage people to overcome them? Dr. Chris Mason: It really is dependent on the lab. One challenge that we have seen a lot, especially in cities, is finding the space to work. I also think that just integrating the technology with existing laboratory information management systems is a challenge. There are also some cases where there is a lack of infrastructure, which is why we are moving toward the automation and digitization of records. I also think that both the informatics and programming of the robots require skill, and, like any skill, you need to practice and have some templates to work from. Dr. Klaus Lun: We are building a lot of consumer technologies that are very well received by our customers. I think the most efficient way of interacting lies in the vast library of online and virtual courses where people sit in front of the instrument, and one of our remote trainers gives step-by-step instructions. With the focus still very much on digitalization and remote working, I think we are now in an incredible position where everybody has the tools at hand. I could even log in to Chriss liquid handling system and help him solve a problem. Image Credit: ShutterStock/Fotomay We learnt a lot from COVID-19, including that the impact of other pandemics could be huge. Could you talk a little bit about what biobanking is, why it is important, and how automation is being used in the ongoing process of building up biobanks? Dr. Chris Mason: We have a new biobank at Weill Cornell, the Aerospace Medicine Biobank, where all astronauts before, during, and after space flight have samples taken and banked. We then process some of them using single-cell, immunological, epitope typing, or other genetic assays to determine molecular changes in response to space flight. The rest are aliquoted, banked, and put into storage, sometimes in liquid nitrogen at temperatures of around minus 80 degrees. A biobank gives you a way to go back in time and use newer methods to replicate past experiments or share samples with people. If someone else has an idea or wants to replicate a clinical result, a biobank gives you a chance to share. More data means more power, and the more bank samples you have, the more you can validate any result again, whether it is a clinical trial or astronaut biology. There are only around 600 people that have ever been to space, and this makes every sample extremely precious because we know very little about the response of the body to space flight, and how we prepare to go to Mars depends on these samples to some degree. Dr. Klaus Lun: Biobanking is an area that is perfectly suited to automation due to the number of samples involved in most biobanks. The scale of it requires quite a significant IT infrastructure to make sure that you can trace each sample and track what has happened to it. For COVID-19, we saw a significant uptake in database building for patient samples because we were in the early stages of understanding this disease and the different phenotypes that we see across a large population, and biobanking is the first step that labs should take. Image Credit: ShutterStock/Microgen What do you expect to see from labs in the future, and how important do you think automation is going to be? Dr. Klaus Lun: I think that it will replace manual processes that we normally do in the lab and will move towards being an automated infrastructure. Automating small, tedious tasks will free up researchers to focus on scientific progress, using the robotic infrastructure to perform the experiments. From an automation point of view, the pandemic has established one of the biggest shifts in mindset that we have ever seen, and, with that understanding, the life sciences lab of the future will be an incredible and exciting place to be. Dr. Chris Mason: Even though it sounds futuristic to have robots assisting robots, that is what already happens in manufacturing for automobiles, large boats, and even spacecraft. I think more automation will also be used in library prep, and we will see almost everything automated, from the cellular specimen and tissue preparation, right through to the end of the experiment. Looking forwards, do you think there are any other imminent drivers of change in the same way COVID-19 was, such as space exploration or the colonization of Mars? Dr. Chris Mason: I think it will be more multi-omic. Looking at DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites from the same cells, youll see more metrics being measured during extraction and beyond. I think the future will lead to increased quantification and will be a great time to be a scientist. You could argue that today is already the best time to be a scientist, but I think it will just continue to get better if all goes according to plan. Dr. Klaus Lun: Its the century of biology. About Dr. Klaus Lun Dr. Klaus Lun is Executive Vice President and Head of the Life Sciences Business division at Tecan. Klaus joined the company in June 2013 as EVP Corporate Development and a member of the Management Board of the Tecan Group. In February 2017, he took over the role as EVP, leading Tecans entire end-user business division. Klaus studied biology at the University of Bayreuth and Tubingen, and gained his doctorate in neurobiology at the University of Heidelberg and an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Mannheim. About Dr. Chris Mason Dr. Chris Mason is a professor of genomics, physiology, and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine. Chris is also one of the founding Directors of the WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction and co-founder of four biotechnology startup companies. He completed his dual BS in genetics and biochemistry from the University of WisconsinMadison, followed by a PhD in genetics from Yale University. About Tecan Tecan is a leading global provider of automated laboratory instruments and solutions. Their systems and components help people working in clinical diagnostics, basic and translational research and drug discovery bring their science to life. In particular, they develop, produce, market and support automated workflow solutions that empower laboratories to achieve more. Their Cavro branded instrument components are chosen by leading instrumentation suppliers across multiple disciplines. They work side by side with a range of clients, including diagnostic laboratories, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and university research centers. Their expertise extends to developing and manufacturing OEM instruments and components, marketed by their partner companies. Whatever the project large or small, simple or complex helping their clients to achieve their goals comes first. They hold a leading position in all the sectors they work in and have changed the way things are done in research and development labs around the world. In diagnostics, for instance, they have raised the bar when it comes to the reproducibility and throughput of testing. In under four decades Tecan has grown from a Swiss family business to a brand that is well established on the global stage of life sciences. From pioneering days on a farm to the leading role our business assumes today empowering research, diagnostics and many applied markets around the world Secretary for Justice Paul Lam (third right) attends a lunch with representatives of Vietnams commercial sector. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam continued his visit to Vietnam today by meeting representatives from its legal and commercial sectors and attending bilateral meetings with member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Mr Lam first met with the Vietnam Bar Federation in the morning to learn about developments in Vietnams legal sector and its legal services needs, and to discuss legal co-operation and exchanges between the two places. He then attended a lunch with representatives of the commercial sector. He spoke to them about Hong Kongs unique advantages in enjoying strong support from the motherland while being closely connected to the world under one country, two systems, and about the citys status as an international centre for legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region. In the afternoon, as a member of the visiting Chinese delegation, Mr Lam attended bilateral meetings between that delegation and ASEAN member states, namely Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Mr Lam will attend the 13th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference tomorrow and deliver a speech at a plenary session hosted by Vietnams Prosecutor General of the Supreme Peoples Procuracy Le Minh Tri. Mr Lam will conclude his visit to Vietnam and return to Hong Kong tomorrow evening. Air India, the leading airline carrier, is set to revolutionize its lounges at the Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3 in New Delhi and JFK Airports Terminal 4 in New York. To achieve this, the airline has enlisted the expertise of Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), a world-renowned hospitality interior design firm. This strategic move signifies a pivotal point in Air Indias transformation plan, aiming to elevate the overall customer experience throughout their journey. The refurbishment project, scheduled to commence shortly, is geared towards crafting signature lounges that cater to over four lakhs premium guests flying with Air India. The renovation project, scheduled to kick off shortly, is not just about aesthetics; its about creating an environment that reflects the rich cultural heritage of India while providing state-of-the-art amenities. The lounges will not only be visually appealing but will also offer a diverse and delectable selection of both Indian and international cuisine. The aim is to provide an unparalleled level of comfort and sophistication. Ian Carr, Co-CEO of HBA, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, We are honoured to partner with Air India and are dedicated to delivering an exceptional hospitality design experience. Our primary focus is to create a meaningful environment for Air India passengers, allowing them to experience the airlines inspirational brand and lounges in a fresh and innovative way. This project is just the beginning, as Air India simultaneously works on expanding its lounge network to other major airports globally. The aim is to extend the enhanced lounge experience not only to first-class and business-class passengers but also to eligible FFP (Frequent Flyer Program) members and Star Alliance partners. With a commitment to excellence in design and customer service, Air Indias collaboration with HBA is poised to redefine the standards of luxury and comfort in airport lounges, setting the stage for a new era in premium travel experiences. Events Tuesday, Dec. 5 Children's Visits to Christmas Storybook Land, 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Cascade Pavilion, Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. All children accompanied by an adult are invited to a daytime visit to see the forest wonderland, visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and get a free candy cane. Picture-taking welcomed. Free event; no reservations needed. Canned food donations for Fish of Albany's food panty appreciated. Information: christmasstorybookland.org. Advent Season Recital, noon, First Presbyterian Church, 114 SW Eighth St., Corvallis. This week: Follow the Star by the Carillon Handbells, with Laura Zaerr and Jeff Parsons on harp and Diane Hawkins on flute. Admission is free and lunches are welcome. Information: 1stpres.org. Christmas Storybook Land, 6 to 8 p.m., Cascade Pavilion, Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. Walk through the indoor forest wonderland with 150 scenes, three model train displays, a Victorian village and a Santa Claus visit. Don't miss the new "N" scale "Little Engine That Could" train display. Photos welcome. Candy canes for the children. Admission free; donations of nonperishable food for Fish of Albany's food panty accepted. Information: christmasstorybookland.org. Mark O'Connor's "An Appalachian Christmas," 7 p.m., Whiteside Theatre, 361 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. O'Connor, a Grammy-winning composer and fiddler, has created several arrangements of Christmas classics and fashions a mixture of instrumental and vocal music in bluegrass and other American genres. Concertgoers are treated to fresh takes on traditional songs with a few original compositions included. O'Connor's renditions are playful and joyous, but can be strikingly earnest too. The concert will feature O'Connor performing on fiddle, acoustic guitar, mandolin and mandocello. The show will include his wife and fellow Grammy-winner Maggie OConnor on fiddle and vocals. The O'Connors have performed "An Appalachian Christmas" as husband and wife for nearly 10 years. Much of the year they tour behind their latest recording of original Americana songs and classics, "Life After Life." Tickets: $30 at whitesidetheatre.org. A Place to Sleep, episode 7: Grants Pass It's a community that openly heckles and worse its homeless neighbors, many who have deep roots. And it may have a date with the Supreme Court. Wednesday, Dec. 6 Children's Visits to Christmas Storybook Land, 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Cascade Pavilion, Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. See description under Tuesday, Dec. 5. Midweek Advent service, 11:30 a.m., Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 2650 NW Highland Drive, Corvallis. The event will start with a soup lunch at 11:30, followed by the service from 12:15 to 1 p.m. The focus of the service is on John the Baptist as a forerunner of Jesus Christ. Christmas Storybook Land, 6 to 8 p.m., Cascade Pavilion, Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. See description under Tuesday, Dec. 5. Dinner and program, 6 p.m., Mas Restaurant, 2416 S. Santiam Highway, Lebanon. After 5 Connection, affiliated with Stonecroft, will present Christmas Carols and More. All are invited to join in an evening of fun, food and the groups traditional sing-along. Participants will celebrate with Christmas carols, dinner and a creative Christmas story with audience participation in a fun-filled Right-Left game. Those attending are asked to bring a wrapped pair of fun socks for a gift exchange. Janyce Ripley of Clackamas will speak. She is a hairstylist and salon owner, and will share her story of how she went from being a feral child to becoming a tamed adult. Reservations are available from Sherri at 541-258-6414 or Nancy at nancypinzino@comcast.net. Cost is $18 inclusive. The group is not credit card-ready. Christmas Pageant, 7 p.m., Suburban Christian Church, 2760 SW 53rd St., Corvallis. A holiday tradition that dates back over 40 years is once again returning after being forced into hiatus by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pageant features individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The ensemble will reenact the original Christmas story, showcasing approximately 40 of these individuals sharing their acting and singing abilities. Information: 541-730-5228. Thursday, Dec. 7 Children's Visits to Christmas Storybook Land, 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Cascade Pavilion, Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. See description under Tuesday, Dec. 5. Christmas Storybook Land, 6 to 8 p.m., Cascade Pavilion, Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. See description under Tuesday, Dec. 5. Friday, Dec. 8 Children's Visits to Christmas Storybook Land, 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Cascade Pavilion, Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. See description under Tuesday, Dec. 5. Christmas Storybook Land, 6 to 8 p.m., Cascade Pavilion, Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany. See description under Tuesday, Dec. 5. Community Carol Sing, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1165 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. Back by popular demand: family-friendly carol sing and hot chocolate bar. Corvallis Community "Nutcracker," 7 p.m., Corvallis High School, 1400 NW Buchanan Ave. A full-scale production of the "Nutcracker" ballet performed by local dancers of all ages. Audiences will be treated to a full-scale production of Tchaikovskys masterpiece, performed by local dancers of all ages. Sponsored by Regional School of Ballet under the direction of Shelly Svoboda. Tickets: $20 at Bursts Candies, 353 SW Madison Ave., or at https://csdtheaters.com/buy-tickets. Holiday Sing-Along, 7 p.m., Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave. A festive community sing-along to celebrate the holidays, led by The Wallop Sisters. Words and chords will be provided. The Wallop Sisters create a lively, interactive music experience with vocal harmonies, ukuleles, piano and bass. All ages and instruments welcome. Ongoing Pastega Christmas Light Display, 5 to 9 p.m. daily through Sunday, Dec. 31, Benton County Fairgrounds, 110 SW 53rd St., Corvallis. Admission is free; donations of nonperishable foods are encouraged. Teal Cooperative Art Gallery, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 28; closed Christmas Day, 328 SW Second St., Corvallis. The gallery is a place to shop for handcrafted, unique, made-in-Oregon gifts. Each November, a team of artists transforms an empty storefront into a world of color, light and beauty, open for business. A portion of the gallery's sales will be donated to the Bessie Coleman Elementary School. Information: www.tealartistcoop.com. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by becoming a subscriber today. Permits for cutting a Christmas tree in the Siuslaw National Forest are now available for purchase, and will be offered through Dec. 31. Visit recreation.gov to purchase a permit online. Visit or call the Corvallis office, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, phone 541-750-7000, to purchase a permit. Christmas tree permits are $5, with an additional $2.50 fee per transaction when purchased online. Cutting trees in some areas of the Siuslaw is prohibited; tree hunters should check maps provided with permits prior to selecting their tree. Visit https://bit.ly/46wSHVN for more details. Fourth-graders with Every Kid Outdoors passes are eligible for one free Christmas tree permit. Students and their guardians can visit an office in person or apply for the permit online. Enter a voucher or pass number when prompted on recreation.gov; a $2.50 registration fee will also be applied for this transaction. For more information about the Every Kid Outdoor pass which also provides students and their families free admittance into selected national forest recreation sites, national parks, and other federal public lands visit everykidoutdoors.gov. Here are some Christmas tree cutting guidance and safety tips: Determine which national forest you want to visit, and check maps for potential locations. Purchase a permit at www.recreation.gov, a national forest office or an official vendor. Check the weather forecast and road conditions before traveling. Start tree hunting early in the day to have plenty of daylight hours. Remember to tell someone where you are going and when you will return. Bring emergency supplies; include a rope and tarp to move your tree to your vehicle. Bring a map and compass, as cell service may be limited. The tree you choose must be at least 200 feet from main roads, recreation sites and campgrounds. Stay away from areas alongside streams, rivers and lakes. Its the time of year to visit the Willamette National Forest and find the perfect Christmas tree and ornament for your celebrations. Christmas tree permits are available online at Recreation.gov, in person from local vendors or from one of the Willamette offices (in the mid-Willamette Valley, visit the Sweet Home Ranger District, 4431 Highway 20, phone 541-367-5168). Permits allow the holder to cut one tree in designated areas; each household can purchase up to five permits. Permits are $5 each; online purchases have an additional $2.50 service fee. For downloadable maps of tree-cutting areas and a list of local vendors selling tree permits, visit https://bit.ly/WNFtree. Fourth-grade students can receive a free tree permit by getting their Every Kid Outdoors pass and entering the voucher or pass number when prompted on Recreation.gov or by visiting a Forest office. While hunting for a Christmas tree, be sure to search for ornaments. The Willamette Valley Visitors Association's sixth annual ornament hunt has begun and will run through Dec. 31. In partnership with Cascade Volunteers, 200 locally crafted wooden ornaments have been hidden along non-wilderness trails on the Willamettes Detroit, Sweet Home, McKenzie River and Middle Fork ranger districts. The hunt encourages local communities and travelers to connect with public lands and increase outdoor recreation activities. The tradition was born when the Willamette National Forest provided the Capitol Christmas Tree that went to Washington, D.C. For more information on the ornament hunt contest and a list of participating trails, visit https://willamettevalley.org/ornament. Be mindful of safety and your surroundings when searching for trees or ornaments. Cutting trees in some areas of the forest is prohibited. Tree hunters should remain outside closed areas and check maps prior to heading out. Forest roads are not maintained for winter driving. Be sure to bring traction devices, a shovel, extra food, drinking water, winter clothing, blankets, a flashlight and a first aid kit. Let someone know where you are going, get an early start and leave the woods before dark. Give the gift of the outdoors and save this season with the Oregon State Parks 12-month parking permit sale during the month of December. The permit hangtag once again features whimsical designs by Portland artist El Tran. Holiday shoppers can buy the annual parking permits for only $25, a $5 savings, running through Dec. 31. The permit is good for 12 months, starting in the month of purchase. You can purchase permits at https://bit.ly/3T7lJIv. Permits are also sold at some state park friends' group stores and select local businesses throughout the state. For a complete list of vendors, visit stateparks.oregon.gov. Parking costs $5 a day at 25 Oregon state parks unless you have a 12- or 24-month parking permit or a same-day camping receipt. The 24-month pass is $50 and is also available at store.oregonstateparks.org. The permits are transferable from vehicle to vehicle. Giving Opportunities Brokers from Windermere Real Estate are teaming up to "Share the Warmth" and help provide winter necessities for those in need. As part of the annual campaign, the Windermere office in Corvallis is collecting donations through Wednesday, Dec. 20, to benefit Community Outreach Inc. The organization is asking for new and gently used coats, blankets, gloves, and hats in all sizes. Donations can be dropped off at 331 Second Ave. SW, Albany, 541-791-4663; or 987 NW Circle Blvd., Corvallis 541-754-6101. Holiday pet supply drive, Linn County Animal Rescue, 39389 Plagman Drive, Lebanon. This is a sanctuary/rescue for neglected, abandoned and abused horses, and hospice dogs. In existence for 15 years, the rescue is 100% run by volunteers. The rescue provides Healing Hearts with Horses events for the developmentally disabled/handicapped and individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder. For more information, to consider volunteering at the rescue and to participate in fundraisers (Bottle Drop and Points for Profit), visit www.lcarhorse.org or call 541-258-3422. If horses and dogs speak to your heart, consider donating gift certificates; cash; cleaning supplies; senior horse grain; or small blankets, beds or pee pads for dogs. Donations can be sent to PO Box 2669, Lebanon, OR 97355. Shares of Adani Green Energy Limited (AEGL) surged 18.48 per cent at Rs 1,330.90 apiece. With this, the market capitalisation of the company rose to Rs 2.10 lakh crore. This comes after the company announced that it secured an additional $1.36 billion funding via senior debt facility. The financing will be a key enabler for developing the worlds largest renewable energy park at Khavda in Gujarat, the company said in an exchange filing on December 5. In the last month, Adani Green Energy stock has gained nearly 27 per cent. The company highlighted that eight international banks were part of the financing, which will be a key enabler for developing the worlds largest renewable energy park at Khavda in Gujarat. The consortium of lenders includes BNP Paribas, Coperatieve Rabobank U.A., DBS Bank Ltd, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., MUFG Bank, Ltd., Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Amit Singh, CEO, Adani Green Energy Ltd, said, We believe, Construction Financing Framework is an essential element of our development agenda and supports our unwavering commitment to build a sustainable future. The funding not only validates our expertise as a developer and operator of strategically vital renewable energy projects but also demonstrates the trust by our financiers in our strategic vision. We are committed to deliver the low-cost green electrons by leveraging technology, accelerating digital transformation, and continued focus on development and operational excellence. We are committed to expand our renewable power capacity to 45 GW by 2030 underscoring our dedication to mitigate climate change risks, he added. In other news, shares of Adani Group stocks rallied sharply higher on Tuesday after the Bloomberg reported US agency concluded accusations against the Guatam Adani-led conglomerate werent relevant. The news by the news agency citing US officials pushed the Adani stocks upwards. According to the report by Bloomberg, a senior US official stated that the US government deemed Hindenburg Researchs accusations of corporate fraud against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani irrelevant. This decision was made before approving an extension of up to $553 million for his conglomerates container terminal project in Sri Lanka. The focus of the International Development Finance Corp (DFC) during its due diligence investigation of the Adani Group was on the damning accusations outlined in a critical report by US-based Hindenburg Research. Following the update, shares of Adani Enterprises Ltd surged more than 6 per cent to Rs 2681.75 on Tuesday. The flagship firm of Adani Groups total market capitalization topped Rs 3 lakh crore mark once again. The stock has surged about 160 per cent from its 52-week lows. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd surged more than 5 per cent to hit new 52-week highs at Rs 924.80 on Monday. The Nifty50 constituent commanded a total market capitalization of more than Rs 2 lakh crore early in the session. The stock has gained 135 per cent from its 52-week lows. Adani Energy Solutions Ltd and Adani Power Ltd gained 4 per cent each to Rs 938.10 and Rs 484.05 with a total market valuation close to Rs 1.05 lakh crore and Rs 1.85 lakh crore, respectively. Adani Wilmar rose more than 3 per cent to Rs 357 in the early session on Tuesday, with a total mcap of Rs 47,500 crore. Among the acquired entities, Ambuja Cements was up by more than 5 per cent to Rs 499.95, while another cement player from the Adani pack was up 3 per cent to Rs 2088.50 early in the day. The combined mcap of these companies stood at Rs 1.4 lakh crore. Gautam Adani, the Indian billionaire and chairman of the Adani Group, has seen his net worth surge by $10 billion in just the past week. His current fortune stands at a staggering $70.3 billion, as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Also Read: Adani Green Energy Rally 18% On Securing $1.36 billion In Follow-On Funding Following a surge in wealth, Gautam Adani now occupies the 16th spot on the global rich list, making him the second Indian billionaire to crack the coveted Top 20. He joins fellow countryman Mukesh Ambani, who comfortably holds the 13th position with a net worth of a whopping $90.4 billion. On Tuesday, Adani Groups stocks surged by 20% following a report from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which determined that the accusations of corporate fraud against the conglomerate by Hindenburg Research were deemed irrelevant. Reports indicate that the DFC scrutinised the accusations against the Adani Group before approving a loan for the conglomerates port project in Sri Lanka. DFC has given a loan of $ 553 million i.e. more than Rs 4600 crore to Adani to build a container terminal in Sri Lanka. Before giving the loan, DFC has said that it has investigated the allegations of short seller firm Hindenburg and found them to be false. A stock rally in firms owned by Gautam Adani added $5.6 billion to his net worth last week, according to Bloomberg. Adani Group saw a wealth surge of over Rs 1.76 lakh crore in the last one week. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India last week reserved judgement on PILs seeking a court-monitored probe into allegations by Hindenburg Research against the Adani group for stock market violations. The Court questioned SEBI on safeguarding investors from market fluctuations. Allegations of inflated share prices caused a significant drop in Adani companies value, prompting petitions. The Courts intervention stemmed from the stock markets extreme volatility during the hearings. Stocks To Watch on December 5: GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded 45 points, or 0.22 per cent, lower at 20,815.5, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for negative start on Tuesday. Heres a slew of stocks that will be in focus today for various reasons. HCC: Stenier AG, Switzerland , a subsidiary of the company, has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with France-based Demathieu Bard for divestment of its entire equity interest in Steiner Construction SA, Switzerland, a step-down material subsidiary of the company. Separately, as part of the Baharampore-Farakka Highways Ltd. (BFHL), subsidiary stake sale transaction, HCC Infrastructure Company Ltd., subsidiary of Hindustan Construction Company Ltd has received Rs110 crore from Cube Highways and Infrastructure V Pte. Ltd. Sheela Foam: SR Batliboi & Associates LLP, statutory auditor of Kurlon Enterprise, a subsidiary of Sheela Foam, has resigned from its post on December 4, 2023 with immediate effect. Bank of India: The stock may see some action amid reports that the state-owned bank is preparing to launch a qualified institutional placement (QIP) later this week. The QIP may be in the range of Rs 3,500-4,000 crore. Honasa Consumer: Reports suggest Fireside Ventures Investment Fund, a venture capital fund, may divest 1.9 per cent stake in the parent company of Mamaearth through block deals on Tuesday. About 6.1 million shares may be on the block worth Rs 230 crore. The floor price could be Rs 368.7-384.1 per share, a discount of up to 4 per cent from the prevailing market price. Gulshan Polyols: Has been allocated a quantity for supplying 89,404 Kilolitres of Ethanol from its 500 KLPD Ethanol plant at Boregaon with an estimated order value of Rs 571.5 crore. Brigade Enterprises: Has entered into a joint development agreement with land owners to develop a residential project, spread over four acres at Kurubarahalli, Mysuru. The developable area of the project will be about 0.40 million sq ft with a gross development value (GDV) of Rs 300 crore. Max Financial Services: Analjit Singh, chairman of Max Life Insurance Company, has stepped down from the chairmanship and membership of the board of directors of Max Life effective December 4. HCL Technologies: HCL Investments UK, the step-down wholly owned subsidiary of HCL Technologies, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with its joint venture (JV) partner, State Street International Holdings, to sell the entire 49 per cent equity stake for $170 million. RR Kabel: Income Tax Department officials concluded their Search operations at the offices and manufacturing units of the company in the early hours on December 4. JSW Infrastructure: Arm JSW Dharamatar Port has signed a share purchase agreement with SP Port Maintenance (a Shapoorji Pallonji Group company) to acquire 50 per cent plus one share of PNP Maritime for Rs 270 crore. Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services: Estimates an overall disbursement at approximately Rs 5,300 crore in November, up 16 per cent year-on-year. SpiceJet: The National Company Law Tribunal dismissed a plea by aircraft lessor Willis Lease Finance Corp. to initiate insolvency proceedings against the cash-strapped airline. HCL Tech: HCL Tech arm HCL UK to sell 49% stake in joint venture to State Street for $170 million plus net book. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second calendar quarter of 2024. The triumvirate of hard work, determination and vision has propelled many business leaders into the top echelons of the highest-paid Indian CEOs. India, claiming the third spot globally with a staggering 160 billionaires, stands as a fertile ground for startups and multinational enterprises. Take a look at the list of the richest Indian CEOs. Sundar Pichai Sundar Pichai, hailing from Madras, serves as the CEO of both Alphabet and Google, earning an annual salary of Rs 16,64,37,680. He pursued his engineering at IIT Kharagpur in India, followed by an MS at Stanford University and an MBA from Wharton Business School in the United States. Pichai gained prominence in 2019 when appointed as Alphabets CEO. Additionally, in 2022, the Indian government honoured him with the Padma Bhushan. Satya Nadella Satya Nadella, born in Hyderabad, leads Microsoft, a major global tech company. Reports indicate his salary at Rs 4,15,64,20,500. Nadella received his education entirely in India, with an engineering degree from Manipal Institute of Technology, Karnataka, and an MS in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Nadella, who joined Microsoft in 1992, has risen to the position of CEO. Jai Chaudhary From the small village of Panoh in Una district, Himachal Pradesh, Jai Chaudharys journey to becoming Zscalers CEO is remarkable. With an annual salary of Rs 3,46,56,83,520, Chaudhary, the son of a farmer, pursued education at the IIT campus of Banaras Hindu University. He ventured to the United States, obtaining engineering and MBA degrees from the University of Cincinnati. Chaudharys entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish several companies, and eventually, he founded the cloud security company Zscaler. Anirudh Devgan Anirudh Devgan, originally from Delhi, currently serves as the CEO of Cadence Design System, earning an annual salary of Rs 2,68,27,39,780. He pursued his B.Tech at IIT Delhi before continuing his studies in the United States. Beginning his career at IBM, Devgan later worked at Magma Design Automation, holding the position of Corporate Vice President. In 2012, he joined Cadence Design System, eventually assuming the role of CEO in 2021. Shantanu Narayen Hyderabad-born Shantanu Narayen currently holds the position of CEO at Adobe. He receives an annual salary of Rs 3,00,65,90,394. After completing an engineering course at Osmania University in India, he pursued further studies in the United States, marking a turning point in his career. Starting with a startup in 1986, Narayen also gained experience at Apple before joining Adobe in 1998. Students at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi received 480 full-time job offers on the first day of placements for the academic year 2023-24. The placement season at the institute commenced on December 1 and will span up to May 2024 for full-time hiring of undergraduate and postgraduate students by the recruiting organisations. In a statement, IIT Delhi informed that over 360 national and international organisations have registered for hiring students. They are offering over 660 job profiles across multiple sectors. By the end of December 1, around 480 full-time job offers, including pre-placement offers, with around 450 unique selections were bagged by the students of IIT Delhi. Several students have received multiple job offers. The Office of Career Services at IIT Delhi is working to maximize the placement of students who avail of our services. We have a healthy mix and lineup of companies across sectors to cater to the varied needs and aspirations of our student body, Professor R Ayothiraman, in charge of the Office of Career Services was quoted by The Indian Express. Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, and Texas Instruments were among the top recruiters on the campus on the first day in terms of the number of students offered. Meanwhile, 25 students were offered international job offers from countries like Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The talent pool is raring to contribute to the growth of organizations they join. We look forward to welcoming all recruiters who believe in the potential of our talent pool, said Dr Anishya O. Madan, Industrial Liaison Officer, Office of Career Services, IIT Delhi. In 2022, 650 full-time job offers were made to the IIT Delhi students at the end of the first day of placements, according to reports. Out of 650, 550 were unique job selections including over 250 pre-placement offers. Also, 20 IIT Delhi students received international job offers last time from countries like Hong Kong, Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. Election Results 2023: BJP registered a sweeping victory in three states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in Assembly elections on Sunday. As it comes to forming governments, speculations are rife that Chhattisgarh might get its first woman chief minister. Union Minister of State for tribal affairs Renuka Singh and Raigarh MP and now MLA from Pathalgaon in Jashpur, Gomti Sai are among the strongest contenders for the CM face. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has dissolved the 15th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly with effect from December . The fates of one-time Congress rebels Sachin Pilot and TS Singh Deo could not have been more different. Deo, the outgoing deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh, lost the Assembly election from Ambikapur constituency. Pilot, meanwhile, retained Tonk in Rajasthan by a wide margin and also ensured most of his loyalists won their seats too. This gives Pilot room to flex his muscles at a time when outgoing chief minister Ashok Gehlot is under siege following the boot from power in Rajasthan. Follow Election LIVE Updates According to Lokesh Sharma, Gehlots Office on Special Duty, the loss of Rajasthan was easily preventable. Based on my surveys, I had told the CM that he needed to change the sitting MLAs and also pay heed to the paper leak issue mentioned by Sachin ji. Their infighting took a toll on the party in an election we could have won, he told News18. He went on to make more serious allegations, including the claim that Sachin Pilots communication and movement were being monitored. Asked whether Pilots phone was tapped and his movements followed as alleged by the Congress leaders supporters, Sharma said: Its common knowledge for sure that where he was going, who he was meeting, who he was speaking to was kept track of. Pilot is now bound to raise the issue at the Congress Legislature Party meeting. He has already said he would speak freely at the meeting. What Lokesh Sharma has said must be taken cognizance of and deliberated on, he said. Lokesh Sharma, who was denied a ticket to contest the Rajasthan Assembly polls, accused Gehlot of cheating the party high command, not allowing correct feedback to reach the top. The OSD said that he had expressed the desire to contest the elections from Bikaner and then from Bhilwara, the seat where the Congress was losing for 20 years, but Gehlot refused to experiment. It not clear what the Congress can offer Sachin Pilot now. The leader has firmly expressed he will not leave Rajasthan. Like 2019, Pilot would happy to head the Congresss charge in the state in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But this time, he would not accept not getting the big chair. As for TS Singh Deo in Chhattisgarh, its no solace that party rival Bhupesh Baghel has been ousted from power. But the loss does bring hope that party leadership would listen to him now on what needs to be changed. With Lok Sabha elections approaching, the Congress leadership would do well to give some attention to these rebels with a cause. Their cause may help the party spring some surprises in 2024. Anumula Revanth Reddy is to be sworn in as the second chief minister of Telangana on December 7. He beat the other CM probable, senior leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, to the post after reportedly receiving the support of 45 Congress MLAs. Known as a crowd-puller and fiery orator, Revanth has earned a reputation as a go-getter in the party. Personal life Born in a village called Kongareddypalli in Nagarkurnool district, Reddy has been active in politics since his youth. He completed his BA from AV College in Osmania University. An aide of the leader told News18: Revanths father was a Police Patel, a person who had a powerful position in the now-abolished Dalapathi system of south India. The Police Patel was responsible for maintaining the law and order in the village. They commanded a lot of respect as a family. Reddy is married to the niece of late S Jaipal Reddy, a former Congress MP. He was also part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for some time, a fact that was milked by the Opposition this year to allege that he has ties with the BJP. Political life The Congress MP from Malkajgiri constituency shot onto the political scene as an independent MLC in 2007. He soon joined the Telugu Desam Party and became MLA from Kodangal in 2009. He won the seat again in 2014 and was elected the floor leader in the Telangana assembly. In 2017, he joined the Congress, and in 2021, he became the TPCC president after Uttam Kumar Reddy. This year, Revanth contested from Kodangal and Kamareddy, but could only win the former seat. Haath Se Haath Jodo Revanth undertook his Haath Se Haath Jodo Yatra in February and toured various constituencies in two months. This was an extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi. Revanth was successful in highlighting the shortcomings of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government among the people. He projected chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao as a feudal lord who ruled from his farmhouse. Given KCRs general inaccessibility to the people, this claim rang true among the people. His connection to the people and oratory skills were able to convince voters to give the Congress a chance. Under his guidance, the state unit took up various issues like unemployment, student suicide, the Dharani portal, and corruption with urgency. His admirers say that he is someone who listens to suggestions and is ready to see a counter viewpoint. He was instrumental in choosing candidates for the 2023 assembly elections. Trouncing rivalry within party Since joining the Congress, Revanth faced considerable opposition from his own party. Though the warring leaders buried the hatchet just before the elections, he was always regarded as an outsider as he was not a Congress loyalist and had joined the party in 2017 after resigning from the Telugu Desam Party. His quick rise and appointment as Telangana unit president in 2021 earnt him many enemies within the party. The other contenders for the CM post were senior leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who had openly revolted against Revanth. His close associates say that Revanth has an independent way of functioning, which rubs seniors the wrong way. Controversy In 2015, Reddy was booked in the infamous cash-for-vote scam. He was caught allegedly trying to bribe an MLA to cast his vote in favour of TDP. The case is ongoing. A Bangladeshi woman, who had been living illegally in this district for the last 35 years, was arrested here, police said on Tuesday. Anita Devi (55) hails from Bedi Narayanpur Najharan village in Sarsa, Yeshore, Bangladesh. She had been as the wife of a man named Mangal Sen in Udaipur village in Bareilly. One of her relatives living in Bangladesh is ill and she had applied for a passport to go to meet him, police said. When the police reached the village to investigate the application, it came to light that the woman was a Bangladeshi and had been staying in India illegally. After that a case was registered on Monday and she was arrested, they said. According to a police official , teams of intelligence agencies have also reached the village and investigations have started. The call details of the mobile phones of the womans family members are being scrutinized to find out the others with whom she had been in contact in Bangladesh, the official said. When Anita Devi was aged 20, she came to India from Bangladesh to work as domestic help. A person who facilitated entry of labourers to India had brought her from across the border. While wandering from Uttarakhand, she reached Bareilly where she met Mangal Sen, a resident of Udaipur, while working as a labourer in a factory. Both of them got married. The couple have three sons and two daughters. Mangal Sen works as a labourer in and around the village. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has received a notarised copy of an 11-page statement from Subham Soni, one of the prime accused in the Mahadev online betting app case that originated from Chhattisgarh. Soni, who is allegedly one of the promoters of the betting app, is currently in Dubai. The statement reached the ED last month through the Indian High Commission in Dubai, News18 has learnt from top sources in the directorate. Soni, in a video statement, had earlier accused the states outgoing chief minister Bhupesh Baghel of taking protection money from him to run the business the same was released by the BJP days before the first phase election in the state. The BJP used the figure cited in that video Rs 508 crore to target Baghel in the election campaign. News18 sought a reaction from the outgoing chief minister on the fresh development. A source close to him, however, said that Baghel cannot react until he sees the statement. But the case has now taken a more significant turn as Soni has made his statement legally admissible by sending a notarised statement, duly attested by the High Commission to the directorate. This could mean mounting trouble for Bhupesh Baghel. The notarised copy is now a legally valid submission under Section 50 of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) and will be a part of the chargesheet, a senior ED officer told News18. The same could be filed in early January in connection with the case, the officer said. After his submission and post the raids and seizures, we have got some crucial forensic evidence. The evidence corroborates his claims. We may summon some more senior politicians and bureaucrats named in the statement soon, added the officer. >More Exhaustive Than the Video News18 has also learnt that the 11-page submission is more exhaustive than the video statement released before Chhattisgarh elections 2023. The statement has extensive details, dates, circumstances and names of senior politicians and bureaucrats, including Baghel and his son Chaitanya. Soni has made serious allegations against the Congress party and its leaders and alleged that protection money was sent to Baghel and the Congress party in Karnataka through hawala operators. With the series of actions, including raids and other important incidents following the investigations, Baghel seems to be in for more trouble. In an earlier interaction with Baghel, News18 had sought his response to the allegations by the PM and HM and to the raids by the ED. Calling ED selective, Baghel said that the central agency never raids a BJP politician, even though there are several complaints against ex-chief minister Raman Singh and his family. ED Probe Gathers Steam The Mahadev online betting app scam has an all-encompassing magnitude. As the investigation net by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) widened, a host of influential and powerful people, including senior politicians, bureaucrats, celebrities, and businessmen, got entangled in it. As the probe into the Mahadev betting app progresses, the investigators have got their hands on a bunch of crucial data, evidence, and details that can blow the lid off a possible financial conspiracy against the country, said ED sources. With the details unfolding, it turns out that the promoters of the online betting app, apart from defrauding people, have been laundering money to other countries, all through a large racket of hawala operators and over 70 shell companies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing election rallies in Chhattisgarh before the elections, had mentioned how the betting platform defrauded people and how the state unit of Congress and Baghel protected them in exchange for huge money. Union Home Minister Amit Shah blamed Baghel as the ATM of Congress for sending the money allegedly earned from corrupt practices to other state units of Congress. On Cyclone Michaung, Tamil Nadu Government Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena says, The situation in Chennai is improving fast. The transport and the main roads, the public transport is operating. We are operating nearly 800 buses in the city. The Chennai metro rail system is functioning normally. Essential commodities like fuel outlets and the markets are open. But still, many areas are underwater, he added. Cyclone Michaung has wreaked havoc across Chennai and its neighbouring districts in the past few days, causing airports and subways to shut down as the city is half submerged in rain waters. The cyclone triggered heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. So far, at least 17 people have died in rain-related incidents in Chennai, while property worth crores has been damaged. However, the rain has subsided in Chennai and flight and train operations are back on track with rescue operations underway in several parts of the city. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said the landfall process of Cyclone Michuang is completed while southern districts of Odisha and eastern Telangana continue to be on alert. Cyclone Michaung: Here are top updates on Chennai rains The Allahabad High Court (HC) recently upheld the conviction of a man for raping a minor, referring to the judgment of the top court (Tamil Nadu vs Ravi alias Nehru, 2006) where it was held that even a slight penetration of penis into vagina without rupturing hymen would constitute rape. The special POCSO court had sentenced the man to life imprisonment in 2022 for the rape of the eight-year-old girl. The HC noted that the man was known to the survivor, who had clearly implicated him in her statements before the Magistrate as well as before the trial court. The medical evidence also corroborates the testimony of the victim. The doctor has opined that redness and partially torn hymen were due to penetration of some hard and blunt object, but the penetration was incomplete, hence hymen was partially torn, the court highlighted. SENTENCE MODIFIED The court held the man guilty of the offences under Sections 376 of IPC and 5/6 of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), however, it modified the sentence. The special court had sentenced the man to undergo life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000. However, the high court bench of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi modified it to rigorous imprisonment for 10 years with a fine of Rs 50,000. While reducing the sentence, the bench took into consideration the submission of the convicts counsel that the incident was of the year 2016 and he was languishing in jail for the past seven years. The counsel had urged the bench to adopt a lenient view stating that the convict was a married person and due to his incarceration, his family was suffering as he was the only breadwinner. THE CASE The First Information Report (FIR) in the case was registered by the brother of the girl in 2016, four days after the incident. He alleged that his eight-year-old sister was sexually assaulted by Suresh. As per the FIR, the girl used to live with her brother at his place, but had moved to her fathers house a few days prior to the incident. In the appeal against conviction, the counsel contended that the girl was the only witness on whom the prosecution case was based and the medical evidence did not corroborate her oral testimony. He referred to the pathology report of vaginal smear and cervical smear of the girl, which was negative and no spermatozoa had been found. He also submitted that in medical reports, her hymen was found intact. So, he contended that it indicated that actually no sexual assault was committed. The Maharashtra government on Tuesday declared that a public holiday will be observed in Mumbai on December 6 to mark the death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar. As per a circular issued by the government, all state government and administrative offices in Mumbai and its sub-districts will remain closed on Ambedkars death anniversary on Wednesday, December 6. The declaration followed a letter from Varsha Gaikwad, the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) president and MLA, to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, urging him to designate December 6 as a public holiday. In the letter, Gaikwad wrote, Ambedkar dedicated his entire life to eradicating casteism and the development of the poor, Dalits, and backward classes. On his death anniversary, large crowds come not only from Maharashtra but also from abroad at Chaitya Bhoomi. She further said that since it is a working day, many followers will be unable to pay respects at his memorial at Shivaji Park and many state organisations have thereby been demanding a holiday for many years. Eight-year-old Meera (name changed) was craving to eat ice cream on Friday, December 1. She took Rs 5 from her father and went out of her house in the Vasai area in Maharastras Palghar to buy an ice cream, but she never came back. Three days after she went missing, the decomposed body of the class 3 student of a Zilla parishad school was found in a locked, vacant room in the vicinity of her home, according to a report by Times of India. Maharastra police have registered a case of murder against an unidentified person(s) in connection with the case. According to police, Meera returned to her home in Vanyacha Pada locality in Vasai (east) from her school around 5 pm on Friday. She changed her clothes, took money for ice cream from her father, and went out to play. Her mother and brother were away in their village at the time. When Meera did not return until after sundown, the father launched a search for her and approached the police. A case of kidnapping was registered at Pelhar police station and a search operation was launched, but because there were no CCTV cameras in the locality, tracking the girls position was proving to be difficult. Her family even printed pamphlets and circulated them in the area. They reportedly also offered a reward of R 20,000 to help find Meera. While the search was on for Meera, police on Monday morning received a call regarding a foul smell coming from room number 5 in a nearby chawl. The police reached the place, broke open the door and found Meeras decomposed body there, the TOI report said. The police said her legs were tied with a belt and the body was stuffed in a nylon sack. Family members and nearby residents told the police that they were not aware if anybody stayed in the room as it was mostly locked. The owner of the room has been called for questioning. Police suspect that someone had kept a watch on the girl and forcibly taken her to the room. Her body has been sent for autopsy, and after the report comes, it will be ascertained if there was any sexual abuse. In the name of picketing Air India, Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his henchmen came with cars and trucks to Vancouver airport in Canada, Indian government sources told CNN-News18. Pannun and his men coming to sensitive sites like airports with anti-India banners and trucks depicting slogans against India suggest Canadians have no respect for security, they said. Every dollar that goes to Air India is being used to perpetuate existential threat to the Sikh population in India, Pannuns group says. SFJs Boycott Air India campaign is dedicated to the victims of November 1984 Sikh Genocide and to Shaheed Nijjar, the victim of Indias transnational terrorism on Canadian soil. Pannun, the founder of the proscribed Sikhs for Justice outfit, has been designated an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) booked him last month for threatening passengers flying via Air India and the airlines itself for a global blockade and closure of operations from November 19. They are not only putting airport security at risk but also intimidating passengers, said the Indian government officials. Canada is allowing everything in the name of freedom of expression, the sources said. This is a serious concern and we object because this is intimidation as well as provoking someone to carry out a Kanishka-type act (1985 bombing of an Air India flight) again, said an official. The Navy will name its ranks in line with Indian traditions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, asserting that the country is moving forward abandoning the slavery mentality. He expressed his governments commitment to increasing the numerical strength of women in the armed forces and hailed the appointment of a female officer to command a naval ship for the first time. Paying tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Monday for his vision and warfare strategy, he noted the 17th century Maratha king knew the importance of naval power. The PM was speaking at a Navy Day event held at Malvan in coastal Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, around 500km from Mumbai. Earlier in the day, Modi extended greetings on Navy Day, saying the commitment of navy personnel in safeguarding Indias seas is a testament to their unwavering dedication to duty and love for the nation. We are emphasising on increasing the number of women in the armed forces, he said at the event in Malvan held in the backdrop of the iconic Sindhudurg Fort built in the 17th century by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and which reflects Indias rich maritime history. Modi lauded the Navy following the announcement that a woman officer would be commanding a Naval ship for the time time. The Indian Navy is now going to name its ranks in line with Indian traditions, the PM announced on the occasion. The prime minister declared that epaulettes adorned by naval officers will now highlight the heritage and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as the new ones will be similar to the naval ensign. Modi recalled unveiling the Naval ensign last year. The legendary Maratha Empire founder knew the importance of naval power for a country and built a strong maritime force during his reign, said the PM. Taking inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji, India has left behind the mentality of slavery and racing forward on all fronts, he asserted. He said the trust of 140 crore Indians is the biggest strength as the country is setting big goals and working to achieve them with full determination. Modi maintained results of the four state polls announced on Sunday were reflection of this strength and testimony to vibrancy of Indian democracy. Of the four states which went to the polls last month, the BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. He said a glimpse of positive outcomes of unity of resolutions, emotions and aspirations are visible as people of diverse states are being driven by the spirit of nation first. Today, the country has taken inspiration from history and is busy preparing a roadmap for a bright future. People have pledged to move forward in every field by defeating the politics of negativity. This pledge will take us towards a developed India, Modi stated. The world is seeing India as a Vishwa Mitra (universal friend), the prime minister said. Modi emphasised that the countrys history it is not about slavery, defeats and disappointments alone, but also comprises the glorious chapters of Indias victories, courage, knowledge and science, art and creative skills, and maritime capabilities. He highlighted the heritage of the Indus Valley civilization port found in Lothal (Gujarat) and the docking of more than 80 ships in the port of Surat. The PM credited Indias maritime strength for the expansion of trade to countries of South East Asia by the Chola empire. Modi pointed out it was Indias maritime capability that first came under attack from foreign powers. India which was famous for making boats and ships, ceded control of the sea and thereby lost strategic-economic strength. As India is moving towards development, the prime minister emphasised regaining the lost glory and highlighted the governments impetus to the Blue Economy. He referred to the port-led development under the Sagarmala project and said the country is moving towards harnessing the full potential of its oceans under the Maritime Vision programme. The BJP-led government at the Centre has made new rules to promote merchant shipping, leading to the number of seafarers in India increasing by more than 140 per cent in the last nine years, Modi said. Modi said India is giving an unprecedented support to port-led development. Merchant shipping is also being encouraged. India is moving towards utilising the potential of its oceans, he said. The PM said in the last 10 years, India became the 5th largest economy in the world from the 10th place and is now rapidly moving towards the 3rd spot. Modi asserted measures like the India Middle East European Corridor, announced during the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September, will recreate the lost spice route. Shortly before taking part in the Navy Day event, Modi unveiled a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district. Modi later witnessed operational demonstrations conducted by Indian Navy ships, submarines, aircraft and Special Forces from the Tarkarli beach. The small coastal town of Malvan witnessed an impressive demonstration of the Navys prowess. The Navy deployed an array of its assets frontline warships, submarine, aircraft and helicopters for the manoeuvres. The elite Marcos commandos jumping off from aircraft from a height of 8,000 feet, air show by Navys air assets, with amber sky in the background and sun setting in the ocean, added the punch to the overall demonstrations. The Navys majestic show was followed by an impressive performance by its band, and later a laser display from the mid-sea Sindhudurg Fort. Warships INS Vikramaditya, INS Kolkata, INS INs Kochi, INS Visakhapatnam, INS Chennai, INS Brahmputra, INS Beas, INS Betwa, INS Tabar, INS Subhadra INS Vinash and INS Vipul were part the drill. The Navy also deployed submarine Khanderi, helicopters Chetak, Kamov 32, Seakind 42B, and Dornier, P8I surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft, Light Combat Aircraft and Mig29K during the display of its operational prowess and capabilities. Modi said the coastal Konkan is a region of unprecedented possibilities. Highlighting the governments commitment to development of the region and other parts of Maharashtra, he mentioned the inauguration of medical colleges in Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Alibaug, Parbhani and Dharashiv, operations of the Chipi airport and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor connecting till Mangaon (Raigad district). The PM said special schemes were being drafted for cashew farmers and added the governments priority is to safeguard residential areas situated on the sea coast. Modi said many sites of Maharashtra, including Malvan, Achara-Ratnagiri, and Devgarh-Vijaydurg, have been selected for mangrove management. Every year, December 4 is celebrated as Navy Day to acknowledge the role of the maritime force and commemorate its achievements in Operation Trident during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. (With inputs from PTI) Karni Sena national president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was killed in broad daylight by unknown gunmen on Tuesday in Rajasthans Jaipur. According to reports, unidentified intruders fired at Gogamedi and his gunman Narendra at his house. The incident took place at Shyam Nagar behind Dana Pani restaurant. VIDEO | CCTV footage shows two men firing multiple shots at Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi and another man standing at the door.Gogamedi died, while one of his security personnel and another person were injured in the firing. (Disclaimer: PTI pic.twitter.com/2W4TQely7C Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 5, 2023 Gogamedi succumbed to his injuries during treatment in the hospital. Shyam Nagar police reached the site of the incident and scoured the CCTV footage for any clues about the assailants. According to police, two more people were injured during the attack. #WATCH | Rajasthan | Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, national president of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, shot dead by unidentified bike-borne criminals in Jaipur. He was declared dead by doctors at the hospital where he was rushed to. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/wGPU53SG2h ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) December 5, 2023 Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi had received threats from Sampat Nehra of Lawrence Bishnoi gang in the past. He had also informed Jaipur police about the threat. Earlier this year in June, a local functionary of Karni Sena was found dead under mysterious circumstances with bullet wounds in his car in Madhya Pradeshs Indore city. According to a PTI report, the body of 27-year-old Mohit Patel, the district working president of the Karni Sena, was found in his car under the Kanadiya police station area. At first glance, it appeared two bullets were pumped into his chest from point-blank range, Additional Commissioner of Police Jayant Rathore said. PROTESTS ERUPT ACROSS JAIPUR Supporters of Karni Sena stage massive protests across the city after Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena Chief was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Tuesday. VIDEO | Supporters of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Senas president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jaipur earlier today, hold a protest in the city.(Full video available on PTI Videos https://t.co/d8jp61xFcR) pic.twitter.com/gApUvY0KMC Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 5, 2023 BJP STATEMENT ON THE MURDER KARNI SENA CHIEF The Bharatiya Janata Party released a statement on Tuesday expressing grief over Gogamedis death. BJP leader CP Joshi expressed his shock and questioned why Gehlot government did not provide security to the Karni Sena Chief despite his repeated requests. After this massacre, we have talked to top police officials and asked for the early arrest of the accused. Efforts will also be made to make strict laws for such criminals in the state, he further said. UNION MINISTER SHEKHAWAT REACTS Commenting on the murder of Gogamedi, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, said, He wasnt given adequate security even after he reported about threats to his life to the police. After forming govt in Rajasthan, we will ensure peace and calm in the state. He further assured that those involved in this incident will not be spared and also appealed to the public to maintain peace. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday chargesheeted five persons associated with the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), unravelling a major conspiracy by the proscribed Afghan terrorist organisation to unleash acts of terror and violence. The ISKP, a sister organisation of the Islamic State (IS or ISIS), is active in Khorasan province of Afghanistan and is behind a meticulously planned conspiracy to promote terror and violence in the troubled nation, as per the NIA investigations. Investigations so far have revealed that the accused Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawl, Mohd. Hazim Shah, Sumera banu and Zubair had plans to go to Afghanistan illegally via Iran from Porbandar, Gujarat, to train and carry out terrorist acts in Afghanistan. They were arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) based on credible inputs. The ATS had found that the five men were actively involved with the ISKP. Investigations by the NIA had revealed that the arrested individuals were engaged in activities such as recruitment of Muslim youth to join the violent agenda of the banned terror outfit. Their actions were not limited to propagating the agenda and ideology of ISKP on social media, but they were actively engaged in motivating, radicalizing and indoctrinating vulnerable Muslim youth in India with the extremist ideology of ISKP. They were also collecting funds for the banned terror organisation. Two other accused are absconding in the case and, as per investigations, are based in Afghanistan and Iran. The two absconders are believed to be key handlers of the arrested individuals. Given the national security ramifications and the international linkages, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, had transferred the case to NIA on June 28. Subsequently, on July 1, the anti-terror agency had registered a case under sections 38 & 39 of the Unlawful Activities (P) Act, 1967, and section 120-B of IPC, based on the First Information Report (FIR) earlier filed by ATS Ahmedabad. There is good news for fans as Ajay Devgn and Tabu will be reuniting for a film titled Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha. Writer and director Neeraj Pandeys film will release in theatres on 26th April 2024. The film promises to be a unique musical love story with an epic romantic drama spanning across 20 years, set between 2002 and 2023, will be a multi-language release. Ajay Devgn also shared the poster of the film on his Instagram handle and wrote, Announcing the release date of my collaboration with Neeraj Pandey Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, on April 26th. Tabu also shared the poster. As soon as the poster was shared fans quickly took to the comment section and wished them luck. Many dropped heart emojis in the comment section. Take a look here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) Talking about the film, the original soundtrack for the film has been composed by the renowned and celebrated music director M. M Kreem. Shot extensively in Mumbai, the film also features a stellar ensemble of Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar and Shantanu Maheshwari. NH Studios presents, A Friday Filmworks Production, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha is produced by Shital Bhatia, Narendra Hirawat and Kumar Mangat Pathak (Panorama Studios). On the work front, Ajay Devgn will be next seen in Singham 3, aka Singham Again. Yesterday a report came that he has injured his eye during the shoot. Rohit was filming a combat scene that had Ajay taking on the baddies. A move landed incorrectly hitting the actor in the face, and unfortunately, his eye was impacted. Naturally, it was a cause of alarm, and a doctor was immediately summoned to the set, a source told Mid-Day. Singham 3 is expected to be a starry ride at the cinemas. The film not only brings back Ajay Devgn as Singham but it also marks the return of Ranveer Singh and Akshay Kumar to Rohit Shettys cop universe. The film also stars Kareena Kapoor and will feature the first lady Singham in the form of Deepika Padukone. The film also introduces Tiger Shroff into the cop universe. On the other hand, Tabu will be next seen in The Crew co starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon. Ranbir Kapoors Animal started a massive debate online soon after its release on December 1. The Sandeep Reddy Vanga directorial film has created quite a controversy surrounding its main character Ranbir Kapoors Vijay. After Sandeeps Arjun (Arjun Reddy) and Kabir (Kabir Singh), netizens have added Vijay to the directors list of misogynistic characters. Amid this, Ranbirs old interview has gone viral wherein he said he chooses his roles consciously. In the viral clip, Anupama Chopra could be seen talking about Ranbirs character from Luv Ranjans Tu Jhooti Main Makkar. Anupama said, You are doing a film with Luv Ranjan, who of course, is a massively successful director. But his films are really steeped in misogyny. Do you as an actor worry or think about the images or art youre putting out there? Ranbir replied, I have not been a part of those films. Im working with a director who, according to you, has made say a misogynistic film. But Im quite conscious of the parts I do and that its not a part which is belittling society or something which I feel is unfair. I wouldnt do it because understanding the position Im in, I have to be conscious, I have to be aware. I have to represent certain value systems that I want to express. The film with Luv Ranjan is not that. The video resurfaced on Reddit after the release of Animal and quickly went viral on the microblogging site. One person commented, Oh no.this did not age well. Another added, Just how fast the night changes. One person wrote, Someone said there is a difference between a misogyny being portrayed and a misogynistic film. Animal is a misogynistic film. One person commented, Living in his own la la land. Another added, Imagine saying something like this publicly and then doing a movie like Animal. Another person commented, Ranbir needed Animal for the numbers. Someone else wrote, Those who want to act like his character would have anyway done it. Animal has so far collected Rs 241.43 crore domestically, thus emerging as the biggest film of Ranbir Kapoors career. So it has begun. The BJPs fantastic showing in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, its growth in both Telangana and Mizoram has triggered a sore Congress and liberal pretenders in its ecosystem to heap scorn on the unsuspecting voter. A close Rahul Gandhi aide and prominent Congress party member lit the spark by dog whistling against North Indian voters. His tweet implied that Southern voters were more sophisticated than their allegedly boorish northern counterparts. As if on cue the ecosystem chimed in. Heres a sample: I know correlation isnt causality, but the states that have lower literacy, lower female literacy, lower female labour force participation, higher use of Hindi, higher population, higher fertility and lower tolerance of meat-eating, seem to prefer voting for BJP. This bilge that masquerades as analysis oozed out of an author and journalist with a magazine with a known anti-Modi slant. Another cantankerous inverted pyramid of journalistic piffle who is accused of accepting Chinese patronage was not far behind in expressing his contempt for Cow-belts Hindutva drunk voters. These are of course just two examples among hundreds of obnoxious labels heaped on North Indians over the last two days. Sadly this isnt the first time that Hindi-belt voters have been villainised for voting the BJP. A few months ago, senior Congress leader and trusted Gandhi acolyte Randeep Singh Surjewala broke a cardinal rule of democratic politics: never attack the voter. Randeep Singh Surjewala, bless him, did just this when he had a go at BJP voters for backing the Modi led NDA over these last 9 years. The people of BJP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), he said dismissively, are raakshas and those who vote for the party and support them are raakshas too. Rakshasas in Hindu mythology, even a child knows, are cast as deplorable creatures, unwilling to play by the rules of ethical and civilized behaviour. But can that be summarily said about the NDAs voters? A shade under 45% of all eligible 650 million voters re-elected Narendra Modi in 2019. These included record numbers of marginalised tribals, Maha Dalits and the indigent. Whats more they werent confined to just the Hind-heartland. The BJP has 8 MLAs in Telangana. Almost as many votes in Andhra as the Congress. 25 MPs in Karnataka and scores of MLAs too. It has 4 MLAs in Tamil Nadu and similar vote shares as the Congress. In Puducherry it has built a base with almost 14% of the vote. In the Northeast too the BJP is a force. It has governments in Assam and Tripura and allies in other states with who it shares power. In Christian majority Mizoram it won two seats in the latest round of assembly polls. In Bengal, In Odissa and in the West the BJP has a rapidly growing footprint. Millions of BJP voters believe the things that will make India progress are simple: Belief in Hindu dharmic values, patriotism, egalitarianism and an empowering welfarism, not to mention Constitutionality, and an atmanirbhar security apparatus. But if the Congress and its mouthpieces are to be believed, then subscribing to these wholesome values makes the BJP voters demonic and bigoted. The wholesale character assassination, the shaming and labelling of voters of the other side by mainstream politicians is not just confined to India. In the United States of America for instance at least two presidential candidates have done it Mitch Romneys 47% dig and Hillary Clintons basket of deplorables jibe only to be punished by voters. But voter sledging is a recent trend in Indian politics. It breaks the consensus among Indian political parties who have till recently taken pride in edifying Indias voters. Politicians could be Machiavellian or worse but not the voting public. The notion was immortalised on silver screen in the ultimate tribute to them when Rajesh Khanna proclaimed Janta sab janti hai or the public knows everything. That the Congress and its allies have allowed this tirade free reign is a serious omission. The hateful slander directed at voters exposes a disturbing undemocratic impulse. Is the Opposition that pitches itself as the alternative happy to renounce the maxim: that once elected, governance is about serving all of the people, all of the time.? Rather than insulting the BJP voter with offensive appelations like Raakshas, chotiwalah Raakshas, andh-bhakt, Sanghi and even the particularly odious Musanghi elements in the Opposition, especially, Indias grand old party, could objectively ask themselves why voters across class and caste segments have gravitated towards the BJP in increasing numbers in 2019. If they do an honest audit, they might yet chance upon a telling reason (and by no means the only one). In a span of just 5 years the BJP managed to directly reach crores of marginalised Indians (irrespective of region, caste or creed) by announcing targeted welfare schemes using digital technology cutting out the middleman. In 2013-2014, under the UPA nearly 11 crore beneficiaries received Rs 7,367 crores directly into their bank accounts under 28 schemes. In sharp contrast, by 2018-2019 under the NDA nearly 76.3 crores beneficiaries received more than 2 lack crores in their bank accounts and over 1 lakh crore in kind under 434 schemes. These labaarthees arent hanging onto the BJP only because they have been mainlined, as the Opposition says, the opium of hate but because increasingly their basic needs are being met like never before. The Opposition has six months or less to convince voters that they too can excel in ensuring sabka saath, sabka vikaas and sabka vishwas. A good place to start may be by first respecting the mandate of the people all people, equally. DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar apologised on Tuesday after he described the Hindi heartland states in a controversial manner. He further said that the BJP can win elections only there and not in south India. Taking to X, Tamil Nadu state BJP chief K Annamalai condemned the insensitive remarks of the MP and said that the level of the partys discourse is sinking like Chennai and the arrogance of DMK will be the prime reason for its downfall. While participating in a debate in the Lower House on two bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, D N V Senthilkumar said people of this country should think that the power of the BJP is only winning elections in the heartland states of Hindi. Following his remark, BJP leaders took a dig at the DMK and asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi if he agreed with the insulting remarks of its INDIA bloc partner against the north Indians. DMK MP Issues Apology For His Statement Taking to X, DMK MP Senthlkumar issued an apology for his statement and said that he did not use the term with any intention. Commenting on the results of the five recent state assembly elections, I have used a word in a inappropriate way.Not using that term with any intent, I apologize for sending the wrong meaning across. Dr.Senthilkumar.S (@DrSenthil_MDRD) December 5, 2023 The comments come in the backdrop of some referring to the recent assembly election results as a North-South divide after the BJP defeated the Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the Congress won in Telangana. During the elections, the row over some DMK leaders remarks against Sanatan Dharma had been latched on by the BJP to target the Congress. Earlier this year, Congress had wrested Karnataka from the BJP, while other southern states are ruled by non-BJP parties including Tamil Nadu where Congress ally DMK is in power. Speaking in Lok Sabha, Senthilkumar said, You (BJP) cannot come to South India. You see all the results of what happens in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka we are very strong over there. He went on to say, We will not be surprised if you have an option of converting all these states into Union territories so that you can come into indirect power because you can never dream of setting foot over there and taking control of all the southern states. Leaders React to Statement Former Karnataka minister CT Ravi asked if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi endorses such insulting remarks. Will I.N.D.I. Alliance leader Rahul Gandhi agree with this DMK man who has insulted Bharatiyas of the Heartland States? How long will CONgress and its allies insult Bharatiyas?, he said on X. Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao on Tuesday demanded that the Tamil Nadu government register a case against state minister for making hate speeches against Sanatan Dharma and sack them from their posts. Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas also reacted to the incident saying, This is a very serious matter. Now the time has come that the police should immediately encounter such criminalsThe government should take immediate action against the officers from whom Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi had sought security. (with PTI inputs) Goa Congress leader and former state unit president Girish Chodankar has hit back at chief minister Pramod Sawant for alleging that Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan were ATMs of the Congress to loot money. Chodankar asked Sawant whether BJP leaders in Delhi were using Goa as their ATM. Chief minister Pramod Sawant while addressing the media said that Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan were ATMs for Congress. He is levelling such allegations because his cabinet colleagues in Goa along with him are involved in such wrong practices, said Chodankar in a press release. I would like to ask him whether Goa is an ATM for BJP leaders sitting in Delhi because twice they bought MLAs of Congress by paying crores in Goa to destroy democracy & opposition in the state. BJP should feel shame that these MLAs were part of Congress, whom Sawant called corrupt. Chodankar alleges that many scams have happened under the BJP government in Goa, like the ore auction scam, excise scam, land conversion scam, GMC medicine purchase scam, health department scam, cash for job scam, Zuari land scam, smart city scam, casino scam, recruitment scam, beach cleaning scam, labour Scam, oxygen scam, bridge and national highway scam, taxi meter scam, percentage scam in PWD, WRD and finance departments, gold smuggling scam, and national games scam. But CM Pramod Sawant has failed to stop such wrong practices. He should answer why he has failed to stop these scams taking place by his blessings, said Chodankar in the press statement. After the BJP lost in Karnataka, Sawant had said that the state was an ATM of the Congress, Chodankar said. We want to ask him whether the states ruled by BJP are their ATMs, he added. The way Pramod Sawant and his party colleagues are expressing frustration after being baffled to see the unity of INDIA bloc, it is evident that they will go to any level to further divide our nation for their vested interest. Chodankar alleged that the BJP was trying to spread hatred by targeting the opposition parties as its aim is to win the upcoming Lok Sabha polls at any cost. BJP has done collection from various business houses for Karnataka polls and crores of amount was squeezed from contractors for other polls. I hope Sawant will clarify on his own ATM, Chodankar alleged in the statement. Tensions have been brewing in I.N.D.I.A bloc after Congress dismal performance in the just-concluded assembly elections. While West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee indicated she might not be able to attend the next meeting of the alliance on Wednesday, key aides of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar made a push for a credible face like the JD(U) supremo for leading the coalition. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav too will skip the meeting. When asked if the decision was taken after the declaration of assembly poll results in four states, party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said there was no information about the meeting earlier. Ahead of Parliaments Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too urged the opposition not to vent its frustration of the assembly polls defeat inside the House and move forward leaving behind its negativity of last nine years. If I speak on basis of the assembly poll results, this is a golden opportunity for opposition. Instead of making plans for venting frustration over defeat, they should learn from this defeat, leaving behind the habit of negativity of the last nine years, if they move forward with positivity this session, the country will change its views towards them, he had said. The results of the Assembly elections in four states Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana on Sunday are also expected to have a bearing on the Winter Session of Parliament that began on Monday and will continue till December 22. Latest Updates from Parliament: Amid escalating war between Congress and BJP after formers embarrassing defeat in state elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday cautioned Indians against Oppositions divisive agenda. An old habit of 70 years cant go away so easily, he said. May they be happy with their arrogance, lies, pessimism and ignorance. But.. Beware of their divisive agenda. An old habit of 70 years cant go away so easily. Also, such is the wisdom of the people that they have to be prepared for many more meltdowns https://t.co/N3jc3eSgMB Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2023 Union minister Kiren Rijiju also reacted, saying, After the losses in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Congress party is once again spreading the dangerous north-south divide. This divisive politics helped Congress remain in power for five decades. Now, people can see their noxious design and Rahul Gandhis innate hatred for Modi ji. The government has listed 19 bills and two financial agenda items for the Winter Session of Parliament. TMC leaders have demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Ethics Committee report, before any decision is taken to expel Mahua Moitra from the House over a cash-for-query complaint. The matter was listed for tabling in the House on Monday, the first day of the session. Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) member N K Premachandran and AIADMK member M Thambi Durai opposed the imposition of Hindi by naming criminal laws Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which are set to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act and the Code of Criminal Procedure respectively. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Mahua Maji demanded that smaller parties be given more time to raise issues in the House. Smaller parties barely get three minutes to speak in Parliament. We need more time to put across our views effectively, the Rajya Sabha member said. If you are a gamer who owns a PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 4 console, it is important to note that some users are being randomly and permanently banned from accessing the PlayStation Network due to alleged violations of the PlayStation Network User Agreement. As spotted by The Verge, a user known as @MichaelDhaliwal said on X (formerly Twitter) that their PlayStation Network account had been permanently banned. No one knows why! I dont have a chargeback, I cant appeal & no response to suspension status. CS says to create a new account & disconnected me, he said. My account just worked!!! Michael Dhaliwal (@michaeldhaliwal) December 5, 2023 In the screenshot shared by the user, we can see that Sony has listed that the ban is due to violations of the PlayStation Network Terms of Service and User Agreement. However, the user has reported that their account is now functioning normally after a few hours. Same here while I was playing Lemnant 2 and kicked out. Although I chatted at Sony page, as soon as they confirmed that my account was permanently banned because of violation of terms they left the chat immediately without letting me typing a word. I have never played with chatting and multiplayer features. WTF!! a Reddit user (u/Real_Emergency_8845) said. Since then, multiple other users have reported experiencing the same issue. However, it is worth noting that Sony has not yet acknowledged the issue, and there is currently no word on how widespread the problem is, or if it is only affecting accounts in a particular region. To check if you are affected by the same issue, you can try and access the PSN Store on your console or mobile app; if you receive the same error message, this indicates that your account has been banned. In the era of ultra-convenience, where a few clicks can summon your weekly groceries to your doorstep, one resident in Blackburn, England, got more than he bargained for when he opened his online delivery from Icelands popular platform. In this episode of Whats in Phils Grocery Bag? 59-year-old Phil Smith with a $186 (Rs 15,000) worth of culinary dreams, opened his much-anticipated delivery. Little did he know that instead of the anticipated eggs, milk and perhaps a cheeky chocolate bar, hed be treated to the avant-garde sensation of human poop. Yes, Phil experienced the kind of culinary plot twist that even Gordon Ramsay wouldnt see coming. It wasnt a bonus avocado or an accidental extra bag of chips; it was a grand unveiling of a stomach-churning amount of human faeces. Bon appetit, Blackburn! Describing the ordeal to SWNS, Smith exclaimed, All this poo fell out, and I was totally shocked. I thought, What on Earth is this? The unfortunate incident took a turn for the worse when he discovered another bag filled with diarrhoea. In a chat with Metro UK, Smith expressed his dismay, saying, I am quite squeamish as it is, and this was disgusting and sickening. Not one to keep such an appalling experience to himself, Smith made it clear that this incident has forever tainted his opinion of online grocery shopping, particularly on Icelands platform. His witty remark, If I wanted to be covered in st, I would go on Im A Celebrity. Hoping for a swift resolution, Smith reached out to Iceland, expecting prompt action. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with what he deemed a flippant response over the past few days. Despite Iceland offering store credits, Smith stood his ground, demanding a refund and the removal of the contaminated items. Unfortunately, this process dragged on for days, leaving the already disgruntled customer even more exasperated. Determined to get to the bottom (no pun intended) of things, Smith called in a health inspector to investigate the local Iceland branch. In response, Iceland informed SWNS that they are conducting an internal investigation into this bizarre incident involving an unwanted addition to the delivered groceries. In a bizarre attempt, a 21-year-old Spanish woman identified as Heizea from Galdakao found herself in a precarious situation after attempting to use a toothbrush to dislodge a piece of turkey stuck in her windpipe on November 29. Heizea, in a detailed account provided to Madrid Metropolitan, narrated the distressing incident, revealing that she found herself in an alarming situation while indulging in a snack due to hunger. Recounting the episode, she clarified that her fathers inability to assist arose from his confinement to a wheelchair, attributed to a compromised Achilles tendon. Faced with the urgent need for intervention, Heizea took matters into her own hands and opted to employ a toothbrush as her makeshift remedy. I felt I was suffocating. I couldnt breathe, she told the news agency. Desperation led Heizea to grab her eight-inch-long toothbrush in an attempt to clear the obstruction. However, in a shocking turn of events, the toothbrush slipped down her throat, leaving her in a state of shock. I tried to get it back out, but I simply couldnt budge it; it just went glub it sucked in, and there was nothing I could do. I tried to hold it by the bristles, but once the obstruction was cleared, it just got sucked in, she added. Heizeas family rushed her to the hospital, where surgeons conducted a 40-minute procedure under sedation to remove the toothbrush. Despite feeling the presence of the brush inside her, Heizea experienced no pain during the entire ordeal. I was just glad I could breathe again. But I was really scared of what damage the toothbrush was doing, she said. Surgeons successfully removed the toothbrush by placing a loop around its head and pulling it free without the need for a more invasive operation. Heizea expressed her gratitude, saying, Having it stuck in my throat for three hours was weird. I could feel it there in my chest but it wasnt painful. The hospital staff was reportedly surprised when Heizea explained her predicament, with receptionists and nurses initially finding it hard to believe until they saw the x-rays confirming the toothbrushs presence. Heizea concluded her unusual tale, stating, They sedated me at the end; I guess I was in operation for 40 minutes and I woke up with the toothbrush next to me on the bedside table. At least seven people were killed and eighteen injured as terrorists opened fire on a passenger bus in restive northwest Pakistan on Saturday, police said. The bus was travelling from Ghizer district in Gilgit Baltistan to Islamabad when terrorists opened indiscriminate fire, an official said. The bus caught fire after lethal firing by the terrorists, the police said. The dead and injured included military servicemen as well as civilians. The assailants managed to escape from the scene after the attack. The injured have been transferred to a nearby hospital, the police said. It said the condition of several persons is critical and that the death toll is expected to rise further. The police said an investigation has been launched into the attack and a search operation is on to apprehend the terrorists. Israeli police said they are collecting evidence of sexual violence by Hamas terrorists who stormed Israeli communities and a music festival in southern Israel during the October 7 attacks. Israeli police are collecting evidence related to offences ranging from alleged gang rapes to post-mortem mutilation, news agencies reported. A separate report by the UK-based The Sunday Times quoted survivors from the October 7 attack who said they witnessed such horrors being committed on women in the music festival as well as on the Israeli communities in the towns of Sderot, Reim and others. Yoni Saadon, 39, who survived the Supernova music festival massacre, where more than 250 people died, said he saw Hamas terrorists beating and raping a woman. When they finished they were laughing, Saadon said. Israel slammed UN Women by saying its responses were too late and tepid after the organisation said it was alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities during the attacks on southern Israel. Senior police officer Shelly Harush told lawmakers last week that investigators collected more than 1,500 shocking and difficult testimonies from witnesses, medics and pathologists. Harush said girls were stripped bare above the waist and below and that a young woman was gang raped, mutilated and murdered. Harush said witnesses told her about wounds to the genitals, abdomen, legs and buttocks, with some having their breasts cut off. She also highlighted that first responders found bodies with their hands cuffed behind their backs, a womans corpse bleeding from the genital area. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, head of an inquiry commission on gender-based violence during the Hamas attacks, in November said the great majority of the victims of rape and other sexual attacks on October 7 were killed and will never be able to testify. US Backs Israel US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Hamas held back on freeing female hostages because they did not want the women to speak publicly about sexual violence. It seems one of the reasons they dont want to turn women over that theyve been holding hostage and the reason this pause fell apart is they dont want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody, Miller said. He further added that the United States had no reason to doubt reports of sexual violence by Hamas. There is very little that I would put beyond Hamas when it comes to its treatment of civilians and particularly its treatment of women, Miller said. Hamas on Monday rejected the accusations of rape and sexual violence by Palestinian terrorists during October 7. The terrorist group said these were unfounded lies part of Zionist campaigns which promote unfounded lies and allegations to demonise the Palestinian resistance. (with inputs from AFP and The Times of Israel) Colombias telecoms regulator confirmed four operators will compete at auction for 5G spectrum. The communications ministry (MinTic) revealed participating at auction will be Claro, WOM, Movistar and Tigo partnership Union Temporal Colombia Movil-Telefonica, and Brazil-based provider Telecall Colombia. Movistar and Tigo have joined forces to share infrastructure in a move seemingly to keep costs down. The Colombian government is aiming to raise around half a billion dollars from the auction which will take place on December 20. Neighbouring Latin American nations have already conducted trials and auctions with commercial services already seen in Argentina and Mexico. Up for auction in Colombia is 700MHz, 1900MHz, 2,500MHz and 3,500MHz. Other spectrum between from 1,700MHz to 2,100MHz which is suited for Advanced Wireless Services will also be up for grabs. The government of Dominica asked for assistance from Canadian authorities on Monday in the investigation into the grisly death on the Caribbean island of businessman and philanthropist Daniel Langlois. Four people have been arrested in the case concerning the deaths of Langlois a pioneer in 3D animation and his partner Dominique Marchand, whose bodies were found in a burned out car at the bottom of a ravine on Friday near the town of Gallion, in the south of the small island. Minister for National Security Rayburn Blackmoore said police were treating the deaths as potential homicides. The couple were allegedly ambushed along the road and shot before the car plunged into the ravine and caught fire, police told AFP. Among the four arrested was American businessman Jonathan Lehrer, who lived near the couple and had been embroiled with Langlois in a neighborhood dispute for years, a police source said. Two other foreigners and a Dominican national have also been arrested. This type of terrible crime and the brutality in this crime is something we cannot ignore, and we cannot allow those responsible to go unpunished, Blackmoore said. A request has been made for investigative support from the Canadian authorities, he said. The killings, he added, have sent shock waves through the island and left many devastated. The couple had founded a luxury hotel in Dominica, and the government recently awarded them a prize for their contribution to the islands development. Langlois made a fortune with Softimage, a 3D animation firm that produced software used in Hollywood blockbusters like Jurassic Park, Titanic, The Matrix, and the Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises. It is with great sadness that we learned of the tragic death of Daniel Langlois, the National Film Board of Canada said on X, formerly Twitter. His contributions to the world of cinema are incalculable. Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge called Langlois a visionary in digital technologies and cinema. His legacy reflects his innovative spirit. My thoughts are with his loved ones. After setting up Softimage in 1986, Langlois sold it to Microsoft in 1994 but stayed on as president until 1998, according to his foundations website. In 1997, Langlois received a Scientific and Technical Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the website said. French President Emmanuel Macron increased his criticism of Israel and its military strategy in Gaza and said the aim to eliminate Hamas may take a decade and could lead to resentment of all public opinion in the region, according to a report by the Guardian. We are at a moment where the Israeli authorities will have to define more precisely their objective and the desired final state. The total destruction of Hamas, what is it, and does anyone think it is possible? If thats it, the war will last 10 years, and I dont think anyone knows how to seriously define this objective, Macron said as the second phase of Gaza war began last week following the collapse of the truce deal. (The proper response to a terrorist attack or a terrorist group is not) to bomb the entirety of civilian capabilities, Macron further added. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is yet to respond to the comments but if he does it would be the second time both leaders have aired their differences over how Israel should retaliate to the October 7 terror attacks led by Hamas and two other Palestine-based terrorist groups. Hamas killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took over 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In retaliation for the worst attack in its history, Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of all the hostages held in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says the war has killed nearly 15,900 people in the territory, around 70 percent of them women and children. The seven-day pause in fighting, which ended last week, brokered by Qatar with support from Egypt and the United States, led to the release of 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. More than two dozen other captives were freed from Gaza outside the scope of the truce deal. WHO-IDF Tussle The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) engaged in a tussle after the former accused the Israeli army of asking to empty its aid warehouses. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X on Monday: Today, WHO received notification from the Israel Defense Forces that we should remove our supplies from our medical warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours, as ground operations will put it beyond use. We appeal to Israel to withdraw the order, and take every possible measure to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and humanitarian facilities, he wrote. The IDF responded on Twitter by saying that it did not issue any such order. The truth is that we didnt ask you to evacuate the warehouses and we also made it clear (and in writing) to the relevant UN representatives, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, COGAT said on X, formerly Twitter. From a UN official we would expect, at least, to be more accurate, it added. Israeli tanks have entered southern Gaza and heavy fighting has been reported near the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis as well as in Rafah near Gazas border with Egypt. Hamas claimed via Telegram its militants had targeted two personnel carriers and a tank near Khan Yunis. Rocket salvos were again fired from Gaza towards Israeli territory. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing called on ethnic armed groups battling the junta across Myanmar to find a political solution as it reels from coordinated offensives near the borders with China, India and Thailand. Myanmar observers have told news agencies that these recent spate of attacks is the biggest threat to junta rule after it usurped the democratic government led by Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu-Kyi in 2021. (General Min Aung Hlaing) warned that if armed organisations keep on being foolish, residents of the relevant regions will suffer bad impacts. So, it is necessary to consider the lives of the people, and those organisations need to solve their problems politically, the Global New Light of Myanmar said, quoting him. Myanmar has more than a dozen ethnic minority armed groups and under the leadership of the Three Brotherhood Alliance led by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Arakan Army (AA) and Taang National Liberation Army and Peoples Defence Forces (PDFs) like the Loikaw Local Peoples Defence Force have launched a joint offensive across northern Shan state, capturing towns and seizing vital trade hubs on the China border. These groups have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 but this recent armed resistance dubbed Operation 1027 and Road to Naypyidaw has overwhelmed the junta which is backed by global powers like China. More than 250 civilians, including children, are feared to have died since the launch of the offensive in October, according to United Nations field reports. Over 500,000 people have been displaced across the country, the UN said but the rebels claim they have not taken any steps to cause grievances to the people they say they are sworn to protect. Meanwhile, the Zin Mar Aung of the National Unity Government said that the offensive has scared the junta. The morale of the military junta and the soldiers is at its lowest in history because they are losing their rationale for governing, Zin Mar Aung, who is the foreign minister of the Myanmar shadow government, said, while speaking to Nikkei Asia. We are receiving many defectors and most of the military camps are ready to surrender. The military is getting ready to dissolve by itself. They are ready to collapse, she further added. She also said that another wave of attacks will come in the next few weeks. She, however, specified that the attacks will come in the form of civil disobedience and will create a dual pressure on the government. We are not trying to abolish the entire military. We are trying to transform the military. We need heroes and reformists in the military, she said. (with inputs from AFP) Venezuela vowed Monday to reclaim what it considers its right to a disputed oil-rich region bordering Guyana, which said it would remain vigilant although it did not expect an imminent invasion. President Nicolas Maduro on Monday said he had popular backing for laying claim to the region known as Essequibo following an overwhelming yes vote in a controversial referendum. The outcome, he said, was a powerful, vital boost, to Venezuelas claim to a region which Guyana has administered for over a century and makes up more than two-thirds of its territory. Now we are going to reclaim the historic rights of Venezuela in the Esequiba Guiana (as it is called in Venezuela), now we are going to do justice, Maduro said at a press conference in Caracas with members of the National Electoral Council (CNE). Guyana, for its part, said it would remain vigilant. We have to always remain vigilant. Of course, our monitoring must be always at a high level. President Maduro, while we dont believe he will order an invasion can do something that can be very unpredictable, Foreign Minister Hugh Todd told AFP. Caracas said more than half of eligible Venezuelan voters had taken part in the referendum that yielded an overwhelming yes outcome, with more than 95 percent in favour. Venezuela has for decades laid claim to Essequibo, which is home to 125,000 of Guyanas 800,000 citizens. Litigation is pending before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague over where the borders should lie. Guyana, a former British and Dutch colony, insists the frontiers were determined by an arbitration panel in 1899. But Venezuela which does not recognize the ICJs jurisdiction in the matter claims the Essequibo River to the regions east forms a natural border and had historically been recognized as such. The dispute has intensified since ExxonMobil discovered oil in Essequibo in 2015. Caracas called Sundays referendum after Georgetown started auctioning off oil blocks in Essequibo in August. Overwhelming victory Voters were asked to respond to five questions in the referendum, including whether Venezuela should reject the 1899 arbitration decision as well as the ICJs jurisdiction. They were also asked whether Venezuelan citizenship should be granted to the people currently Guyanese of a new Guyana Esequiba State. There was a massive campaign for Venezuelans to vote yes, but none against the measure which Guyana says posed an existential threat to itself. More than 10.4 million out of 20.7 million eligible voters cast their ballots, CNE president Elvis Amoroso said Monday, seeking to lay to rest initial doubts about the turnout. The initial tally had been met with suspicion by opposition politicians and analysts, who said it appeared voters responses to each of five questions on the referendum may have been counted as separate ballots cast. The figure of 10.4 million announced Monday by Amoroso is the highest turnout ever in a Venezuelan election. The referendum raised fears in Guyana, and further afield, about Venezuelas intentions for the contested territory. Todd told AFP Guyana would maintain defense cooperation with the United States and other strategic partners and continue diplomatic efforts to persuade Venezuela to let the ICJ make the final determination. We have already made it clear that we will abide by the ruling of the court, he said. Brazil, which borders both nations, said Monday it had made high-level contacts with authorities in both countries to seek a resolution. The US State Department through spokesman Matthew Miller called for a peaceful resolution. This is not something that will be settled by referendum, he said. Guyana had asked the ICJ to block Sundays vote. On Friday, the court urged Caracas to take no action that might affect the disputed territory, but did not grant Georgetowns request for urgent intervention. Experts consulted by AFP said the referendum had no legal standing. The referendum does not impact the process before the court, said Mariano de Alba, senior advisor for the International Crisis Group. Such consultations are not binding legal sources in public international law, added Guillermo Tell Aveledo, professor of political studies at the Metropolitan University in Caracas. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to slash the number of migrants arriving legally on Monday by raising the minimum salary they must earn in a skilled job by a third as he faces pressure from his party to tackle record net migration figures. The Sunak government is raising the minimum salary threshold for foreign skilled workers to 38,700 pounds from the current level of 26,200 pounds. Health and social workers are exempt from this measure. Immigration is too high.Today were taking radical action to bring it down. These steps will make sure that immigration always benefits the UK. pic.twitter.com/osz7AmcRgY Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) December 4, 2023 Immigration is too high. Today were taking radical action to bring it down, Sunak said. The UK PM is also trying to deport migrants who illegally arrive in the UK to Rwanda. We've just announced the biggest ever cut in net migration. No Prime Minister has done this before in history. But the level of net migration is too high and it has to change. I am determined to do it. Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) December 4, 2023 Weve just announced the biggest ever cut in net migration. No Prime Minister has done this before in history. But the level of net migration is too high and it has to change. I am determined to do it, Sunak further added. The step taken by Rishi Sunak came after his own party criticised his record ahead of an election expected next year as the Labour Party ranks ahead in opinion polls. The trade unions and businesses have slammed the move and said these measures are counterproductive and challenge the private sector as well as the state-run health service, as both face labour shortages. However, annual net migration to the UK hit a record of 745,000 in 2022 and has stayed at high levels since. Most migrants to the UK come from India, Nigeria and China instead of the European Union (EU). The Sunak government also introduced other measures to stop foreign health workers bringing in family members on their visas, increasing a surcharge migrants have to pay to use the health service by 66%, and raising the minimum income for family visas. Newly appointed home minister James Cleverly said the new measures could reduce that number by 300,000. We will stop immigration undercutting the salary of British workers. We will create a new immigration salary list with a reduced number of occupations, Cleverly said. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, said the changes will shrink the talent pool that the entire economy will be recruiting from. We urgently need to see an immigration system that is fit-for-purpose and reflects both the needs of business and the labour market. The system at the moment does none of that, Kate Nicholls was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. Christina McAnea, the general secretary of UNISON, the main union in the health sector, reflecting on the tight labour market said the move was a total disaster for the health service. Migrants will now head to more welcoming countries, rather than be forced to live without their families, she said. (with inputs from Reuters) The United States has returned four antiquities worth $1 million to Nepal, including a pair of gilt copper masks representing a Hindu deity, following anti-trafficking operations, New York authorities said on Monday. One of the items was seized as part of a probe into Subhash Kapoor, whom Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg described as an allegedly prolific looter who helped traffic items from several Asian countries. Between 2011 and 2023, officials claim to have recovered more than 2,500 items trafficked by Kapoor and his network, Braggs office said in a statement. The total value of the pieces recovered exceeds $143 million, it added. We will continue to target antiquities trafficking networks no matter how complex. I thank our outstanding team of analysts and attorneys for recovering and returning these beautiful pieces, Bragg said. The four items given back to Nepalese authorities were handed over at a ceremony in New York. The return of these illegally exported four masterpieces is a significant step in reclaiming Nepals cultural heritage and preserving its historical treasures, said Nepals acting consul general in New York Bishnu Prasad Gautam. The masks, from the 16th century and collectively valued at $900,000, depict Shiva, part of the Hindu trinity. Both masks were stolen in the mid-1990s as part of a series of break-in robberies from the home of the family whose relatives made them, Braggs office said. In recent years, the New Yorks Met and other prestigious museums have agreed to return trafficked works, in particular pieces from countries riddled by conflict from 1970 to 1990. Under Bragg, who has been in office since 2022, more than 1,000 pieces worth $190 million have been returned to 19 countries, including Cambodia, China, India and Pakistan. Liberty Latin America (LLA) subsidiary Liberty Networks has partnered with Gold Data to create a pan-regional subsea cable system connecting the US and Mexico to Colombia and Panama by combining two cable projects. Gold Data is currently building its Gold Data 1 (GD-1) subsea cable system, which was first announced last year and initially designed to connect Naples, Florida with Veracruz and Cancun in Mexico. Under the new partnership deal announced on Monday, GD-1 will be combined with a new subsea system, Liberty Networks 1 (LN-1), that will extend GD-1s reach down to Panama and Columbia. The combined cable system also gives GD-1 two landing points in Florida one in Miami and the other in Apalachee Beach. Ray Collins, LLA's SVP of infrastructure and corporate strategy, said the combined subsea system is designed to offer two diverse routes with the shortest latency from Mexico to the US, providing additional connectivity between the data hubs in Mexico City, Queretaro, and onward to the US as new routes. It will also connect new data hubs in Colombia and Panama to those hubs. "The new system will seamlessly integrate into our existing subsea meshed platform, adding new routes and materially expanding our capacity, Collins said. The LN-1 system can be further expanded to complement our capacity and diversity throughout the Caribbean. While the two cables are being designed as a single system, they will continue to be operated as separate segments. Liberty Networks and Gold Data will invest in and operate GD-1 together, while Liberty Networks will fully own the LN-1 leg of the system. No financial details were disclosed, although Gold Data said in 2022 that it would invest US$150 million in GD-1. The combined LN-1/GD-1 system is planned to be operational by the second half of 2026. The new system adds more capacity to the companies respective portfolios. Liberty Networks currently operates 50,000 km of subsea cable networks and 17,000 km of terrestrial networks connecting 40 countries. Gold Data connects over 156 PoPs and 76 data centres in 35 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. White House officials on Monday denounced a pro-Palestinian demonstration at a Jewish-owned restaurant in Philadelphia in which the protesters chanted accusations of genocide. Axios reports video shows demonstrators outside Goldie beating drums and waving Palestinian flags while chantingincluding through a loudspeakerchant: "Goldie, Goldie you can't hide! We charge you with genocide!" The restaurant's parent company is co-owned by Michael Solomonov, who was born in Israel and is Jewish. "It is Antisemitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement, per the Hill, adding, "This behavior reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of Antisemitism." Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, also denounced the demonstration in a post on X. "A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli," Shapiro wrote. "This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history." The demonstration was part of a march by pro-Palestinian protesters through Center City and University City, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. Solomonov, one of the top chefs in the country, had announced when the Israel-Hamas war began in October that he was making a donation to a nonprofit emergency medical service in Israel, per the New York Times. He owns other restaurants that serve Israeli food in the city, and the Philly Palestine Coalition has called a boycott of many of his businesses. Solomonov declined to comment on Sunday's demonstration. The line for lunch Monday at Goldie, per the AP, was out the door. (Read more Israel-Hamas war stories.) The field of candidates onstage for the fourth Republican presidential debate will be the smallest yet, the AP reports. Four hopefuls will participate in Wednesday night's debate at the Moody Music Hall at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, according to the Republican National Committee. To qualify for the fourth debate, candidates needed at least 6% support in two national polls or 6% in one national poll as well as two polls from four of the early-voting statesIowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. All the polls used for qualification must have been approved by the RNC. The White House hopefuls also needed at least 80,000 unique donors, with at least 200 of those coming from 20 states or territories, and they had to sign an RNC pledge promising to support the party's eventual nominee. Veons Ukrainian subsidiary Kyivstar announced it will partner with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support businesses in Ukraine with cloud infrastructure and related services. Under a Memorandum of Cooperation signed on Monday, Kyivstar will serve as an AWS Partner providing its business customers with various AWS services, such as migrating infrastructure to AWS, solutions for data processing and analysis, reporting, and modelling, and enhanced security measures. Andrzej Horawa, Central and Eastern European enterprise leader at AWS, said Kyivstar's expertise in AWS products, data science, cybersecurity and analytics would allow the company to help existing and potential business clients diversify and minimize potential business risks. Kyivstar serves more than half of the B2B market in Ukraine and have put a tremendous effort to supporting its business customers over the course of the war, said Kyivstar president Oleksandr Komarov. Our partnership with Amazon Web Services is a significant step for the development of Ukrainian business and its integration into the international environment. Veon CEO Kaan Terzioglu said the AWS deal also illustrates its long-term commitment to Ukraine despite the ongoing invasion by Russian forces that began in February 2022. Now is the time to invest in the rebuilding of the country and we are delighted that Amazon will be our partner in this collaboration through its partnership with Kyivstar, he said. This is an important milestone in our pledge to build a stronger Ukraine when we committed to investing $600 million over the next three years. As part of the agreement, Kyivstar and AWS will also look to cooperate on other initiatives, including a potential transition of Kyivstar's data management platform to AWS. Kyivstar is the largest telco in Ukraine with 24.3 million mobile subscribers and over 1.1 million home internet subscribers. Last month, former President Trump attacked the Atlantic as a "third rate magazine" after an essay criticized his "fascistic" language. Expect the enmity to increase because the Atlantic is devoting its January/February issue to Trumpin the form of a warning about how his second term would likely play out. The magazine has begun publishing 24 essays under the umbrella "If Trump Wins" that can be found here. Editor's note: In his note to readers, editor Jeffrey Goldberg sets the tone, writing that "Trump and Trumpism pose an existential threat to America and to the ideas that animate it." The country, he adds, sustained "serious damage" in the first Trump term. "A second term, if there is one, will be much worse." Goldberg says this is not about partisan politics, because the magazine believes a democracy needs both a strong liberal and conservative party. "Our concern is that the Republican Party has mortgaged itself to an antidemocratic demagogue, one who is completely devoid of decency." Google will pay $27 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it silenced employees through "evil" and illegal policies. It's "the largest agreement of its kind," per Semafor . But it's "a drop in the bucket" for Google, whose parent company "turned almost $20 billion in profit last quarter alone," per SFGate . It notes the 96,939 employees involved will receive a rather measly sum: between $20 and $79 each, depending on the length of their employment. California's Private Attorneys General Act authorizes aggrieved employees to file suit to recover civil penalties on behalf of themselves, other employees, and the state, with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency taking 75% of penalties or settlements. A third of the remaining sum will cover attorneys' fees, leaving $4.4 million for employees to split. The suit was filed in 2016 by a product manager at Google-owned Nest, who was fired after complaining about his employer on Facebook. Google claimed the individual had violated confidentiality rules. The plaintiff claimed Google's confidentiality agreements violated California labor law by blocking workers from disclosing earnings and working conditions and from reporting rule violations to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The lawsuit marked the start of a wave of employee activism across the tech industry, as companies including Facebook, Netflix, and Uber began facing whistleblower complaints and employee walkouts, according to Semafor's Reed Albergotti. Around that time, tech companies "went from dorm-room startups to multinational behemoths seemingly overnight," he writes. Google revised its data classification guidelines in 2017. It also reinstated the product manager, who "went on to have a good career there," writes Albergotti. He calls the settlement, revealed in California state court documents and still subject to court approval, "more of a moral victory" for employees, but a "consequential and pioneering" one nonetheless. In response, Google says "our policies simply do not, and have never, unlawfully limited our employees' ability to talk about their terms and conditions or report violations of law." But "after nearly eight years of litigation, Google decided that resolution of the matter, without any admission of wrongdoing, is in the best interest of everyone." (Read more Google stories.) A vacation in the Bahamas turned tragic Monday when a Boston woman was fatally attacked by a shark. The 44-year-old was paddleboarding off the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort in Nassau shortly after 11am when a shark lunged and bit the woman, causing "serious injuries to the right side of her body, including the right hip region and also her right upper limb," police said, per CBS News . A Sandals lifeguard went out in a boat to retrieve the woman and her male companion, but found her with no vital signs, Sgt. Desiree Ferguson of the Royal Bahamas Police Force said, per NBC Boston . Police have yet to identify the woman but described her as a resident of Boston and a guest at the Sandals. The company said it was "deeply saddened by the tragic passing of a guest while on a paddleboarding activity nearly a mile from the shore." It added it was "providing all support possible" to loved ones "during this difficult time." There were reports indicating the woman had gotten married days before the attack, though police did not confirm that, per NBC. Police also failed to confirm the species of shark. The Bahamas attack follows another fatal encounter Saturday in Mexico. (Read more shark attack stories.) A Florida man who claimed to be a prince and rubbed elbows with celebrities from Paris Hilton to Drake allegedly hired a hit man to kill a documentary filmmaker who planned to expose him as a fraudster. Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian allegedly left several threatening voicemails for the filmmaker, Juan Esco, before offering a bodyguard $20,000 to kill him, per the Los Angeles Times . The bodyguard, Michael Sherwood, instead teamed up with Esco to fake his death, per the Washington Post . He sent Khalilian a photo of Esco lying in what looked like a pool of blood inside his Los Angeles apartment. Within a minute, Khalilian sent $3,000 to Sherwood, according to an indictment. It claims the 51-year-old ultimately paid out $12,500, including to individuals he believed disposed of Esco's body. Khalilianwho worked with Hilton to open the now-defunct Club Paris in Orlando in 2005, per the Daily Beasthad met Esco in 2009. Esco took a job at Khalilian's telemarketing company, which was later raided by federal authorities and shut down, per the Post. Esco believed it was a fraud targeting the elderly. And he believed Khalilian, who claimed to be from various Middle Eastern countries, was a con man. But the extent of Khalilian's alleged frauds only became apparent more than a decade later. After a chance run-in with his former boss in 2019, Esco began digging into Khalilian's claims. He allegedly learned Khalilian had sold faulty gambling software to a Native American tribe for $9 million and instructed bodyguards to wear fake earpieces and Secret Service pins, per the Post. When Khalilian caught wind of that, he asked Sherwood to intimidate and eventually kill the filmmaker, per the indictment. At a June meeting in Las Vegas, Khalilian, believing the job was done, allegedly told Sherwood that he'd bought a gun and planned "to kill him myself." Khalilian also spoke of needing to deal with another person he claimed was harassing him. "One down, one to go," he allegedly said. After his arrest in June, he allegedly had associates offer Sherwood $400,000 to change his testimony at Khalilian's murder-for-hire trial in a California federal court. A judge determined the California venue wasn't appropriate, and Khalilian is now charged in Nevada with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire and conspiracy to witness-tamper. (Read more murder plot stories.) Lauren Boebert is busily defending her seat in Colorado's 3rd District, and more than a few Hollywood A-listers are busily funding her opponent. As Newsweek reports, the Colorado Republican is in something of a reelection dogfight with Democrat Adam Frisch, whom she beat by only 546 votes in 2022. This time around, the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Barbra Streisand, Rob Reiner, Don Henley, and Rosanne Cash are throwing cash at Frisch, who had four times Boebert's fundraising in the third quarter, with a record-breaking $3.38 million. That did not go unnoticed by the incumbent: "My opponent has plenty of funding from Soros dark money and even Hollywood liberals like Barbra Streisand and Ryan Reynolds," she wrote on X. "I need your help." We've all heard since we were old enough to vote that "every vote counts," and it's a mantra that Damion Green won't soon forget. The 40-year-old auto body shop worker ran for City Council in his hometown of Rainier, Washington, in November, but when it came time to vote, he declined to cast a ballot for himself, telling KING 5 that would've been "narcissistic." "[It felt] like stacking a deck in your favor," he adds to the Seattle Times . That self-effacing move also proved to be a self-sabotaging one: After a hand recount, Green's opponent, Ryan Roth, won by one vote, 247 to 246. Roth had no issue voting for himself. "It's my right as an American, right?" he tells the Washington Post. His own actions, though, nearly led to a tie: Even though he'd meant to vote early, life got in the way, and Roth almost didn't vote at alluntil his wife nagged him and he sent his ballot in at the last minute. "That was the one vote," Roth tells the Times. And if there had been a tie? "I would have called tails on the coin toss," Roth notes (the last time there was a tie in Thurston County, in 2015, a coin toss was the deciding factor). Green, for his part, is resigned to what the election had in store for him. "The Lord didn't want me there, so I didn't get it," he shrugged, noting he might run again in two more years. "I don't feel discouraged at all." (Read more voting stories.) At least 85 civilians were killed when an army drone attack erroneously targeted a religious gathering in northwest Nigeria, officials confirmed Tuesday as the country's president ordered a probe into the latest in a series of such deadly mistakes in Nigeria's conflict zones. The strike took place Sunday night in Kaduna state's Tudun Biri village while residents observed the Muslim holiday marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, government officials said. The military believed it was "targeting terrorists and bandits," officials said. At least 66 people also were injured in the attack, the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. Officials say the bodies of 85 victims, including children, women, and the elderly, have been buried so far and a search for additional victims in ongoing. Nigeria's army chief, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, apologized for the drone strike during a visit to the village Tuesday and said it had been carried out "based on the observation of some tactics usually employed by bandits," the AP reports. "Unfortunately, the reports we got revealed it was innocent civilians that the drone conducted a strike on," Lagbaja said. Since 2017, some 400 civilians have been killed by airstrikes that the military said were targeting armed groups in the country's north, according to the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence security firm. "The incidence of miscalculated airstrikes is assuming a worrisome dimension in the country," said Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria's former vice-president and the main opposition presidential candidate in this year's election. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered "a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident." However, such investigations and their outcomes are often shrouded in secrecy. Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, a spokesman for Nigeria's Defense Headquarters, said in a statement Tuesday that terror suspects often "deliberately embed themselves within civilian population centers," though he wasn't speaking specifically about Sunday's holiday gathering. (Read more Nigeria stories.) By John Gerritsen for RNZ New Zealand has recorded its worst ever results in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests of reading, maths and science amid an unprecedented global decline in performance. This country's 15-year-olds' average scores in the PISA dropped a disastrous 15 points in maths to 479 points, their science and reading scores fell just 4-5 points to 504 and 501 points respectively, and the gap between rich and poor students grew. The declines continued a long-term trend of falling scores dating back to at least 2009 and happened despite New Zealand's average results being skewed upward by about 10 points due to a low participation rate in the assessments held in term three 2022. New Zealand was not alone, however. The overall average scores for the 81 countries and economies that participated in the tests dropped significantly in maths (17 points) and reading (11 points) and slightly in science (4 points) since the previous round of tests in 2018. Considering only the 37 nations of the OECD that participated, average performance suffered a record drop equivalent to about three-quarters of a year of learning in maths and half a year in reading with countries including the Netherlands and Finland experiencing drops of more than 20 points, equivalent to a year's education. The OECD's PISA report said the Covid-19 pandemic was partly to blame for the poor results. "No change in the OECD average over consecutive PISA assessments up to 2018 has ever exceeded four points in mathematics and five points in reading: in PISA 2022, however, the OECD average dropped by almost 15 points in mathematics and about 10 score points in reading compared to PISA 2018. Mean performance in science, however, remained stable. The unprecedented drops in mathematics and reading point to the shock effect of Covid-19 on most countries," the PISA report said. However, it said for some countries other factors were at play. "In reading, for example, many countries such as Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic and Sweden have seen students scoring lower marks for some time - in some cases for a decade or more. Educational trajectories were negative well before the pandemic hit. This indicates that long term issues in education systems are also to blame for the drop in performance. It is not just about Covid," the report said. New Zealand's scores were above the OECD averages in all three subjects, though only just so for maths. Considering all 81 participants, this country ranked 10th in reading, 11th in science and 23rd in maths. The Ministry of Education said New Zealand could be ranked lower considering the likely bias in its results, but so too could other countries with likely upward bias due to low participation. Those countries included the United Kingdom, Scotland, and Ireland. Singapore had the highest average scores in all three subjects. New Zealand's results showed a decrease in high performers and an increase in low performers over the past 20 years in all three subjects. The effect was strongest in maths where the percentage of low performers increased from 15 percent of New Zealand 15-year-olds in 2033 to 29 percent in 2022 while the percentage of high performers dropped from 21 to 10 percent in the same period. What is PISA? The Programme for International Student Assessment has run every three years since 2000. About 4700 New Zealand 15-year-olds from 169 schools sat the tests in term three last year. Internationally, 690,000 students took the assessment. Each student sat tests in two of the three subjects, with each test lasting about one hour. The tests were a mixture of multiple-choice questions and questions requiring students to construct their own responses. Students also answered a background questionnaire, which took about 35 minutes to complete. For the 37 OECD nations that participated, the average scores in PISA 2022 were 476 in reading, 485 for science and 472 in maths - the lowest figures recorded. Twenty points was regarded as equivalent to year of learning for 15-year-olds. RNZ "This letter shows the depth of shock and anger by those in the health community and beyond about the Government's willingness to repeal a law that will save thousands of lives - so they can give tax cuts to the well-off," Health Coalition Aotearoa co-chair Professor Boyd Swinburn said. Introduced by the Jacinda Ardern-led Government, the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Act 2022 was designed to stop young people from smoking, introducing several new restrictions to be implemented in the coming years including banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. However, in a shock move the new Government said it would repeal the laws in its first 100 days in office with deputy leader Nicola Willis telling Newshub Nation both ACT and New Zealand First were "insistent" on reversing the restrictions. The Government plans to use the tobacco tax revenue it will keep by repealing the legislative changes to fund tax cuts. The new Government believes the smokefree laws would force tobacco onto the black market. The Government also said having limited stores selling tobacco products would create a massive target for criminals. Signatories to the letter include organisations across the spectrum of health services and advocacy, unions representing thousands of workers, leading academic and research groups, major health NGOs, Maori/iwi community health providers and medical colleges. The letter highlights the weight of evidence and expert opinion expects the law to bring about "rapid, massive and equitable declines in smoking rates and save thousands of lives". "There is no way that the Smokefree 2025 goal - a goal set by the National-led coalition in 2011 - will be achieved without this ground-breaking legislation," it said. HCA Smokefree Expert Advisory Group co-chair and expert in indigenous tobacco control Sue Taylor (Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Kahungunu) said many Maori organisations had signed the letter to express their distress over the repeal. "This will set us back; we will be left behind. This decision won't just create harm, it will be our stolen generation," Taylor said. The letter calls out the Governments "heartless and indefensible" attempts to justify the repeal and lashed out at the Government's "fearmongering" about the growth of the black market in tobacco and ram-raids. "We think the most effective way to reduce trade in illicit tobacco and associated crime is to cut smoking prevalence to minimal levels - something this law will achieve in record time," the letter says. The repeal has been unfairly sprung on the voting public and is undemocratic, the letter added. It said none of the coalition parties actively campaigned on repealing our Smokefree laws. National didn't campaign on the smokefree rollback. It was a line item in ACT's alternative budget and was only added to New Zealand First's manifesto one week before the election - after people had started voting. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/11/christopher-luxon-wants-to-reduce-smoking-despite-policy-rollback-but-won-t-commit-to-same-reduction-rate.html The letter also highlights the previous position of Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and the National Partys support for denicotisation and Reti's own experiences of the devastating effects of smoking on his own patients. "Health Minister Dr Shane Reti will no doubt have treated people with lung cancers, heart attacks, gangrenous toes, and emphysema. He knows the statistics and the lived reality of the devastating impacts of tobacco, especially on Maori," it said. Finally, the letter asks the Government to put people over the profit of tobacco companies. "We, the undersigned organisations, strongly urge the Government to support the better health of New Zealanders, especially children and future generations, not the greater wealth of the tobacco companies." Health Coalition Aotearoa is leading a campaign to save New Zealand's world-leading Smokefree law from repeal. Nearly 30,000 people have signed a petition to stop the repeal which will be handed over to Parliament on December 12. A statement from the Kingitanga released on Wednesday morning said Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII was calling for a national hui next year to "unify the nation and ensure all voices are heard when holding the new Coalition Government to account". It said senior Maori leaders had agreed the Crown "must be a responsible Treaty Partner and unify, not divide the nation. "Kiingi Tuheitia received a very clear message from many Rangatira across the motu last weekend, after celebrating the 165th anniversary of the birth of the Kiingitanga movement. Therefore, Te Paki o Matariki (a Royal Proclamation) has been issued calling for the national hui." The proclamation says many Maori "are concerned about the plans of the new Coalition Government". "Our most effective response will come from working together. After consulting with many Rangatira from across the motu, the Kiingitanga has decided to convene a National Hui. This Hui will provide a space for koorero and waananga guided by our tikanga. "It will be a platform not only for our voices to be heard but also our rangatahi to have a say in shaping a united way forward. It will also serve as an opportunity for us to assert our Mana Motuhake, as we make decisions for our future." The national hui will be held at Turangawaewae Marae on January 20 and Kiingi Tuheitia then intends to carry to mauri or life spark or essence of the hui to the subsequent Ratana and Waitangi Day celebrations. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Deputy King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to develop the tourism sector, which is one of the priorities in the Kingdoms comprehensive development plan, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. HRH Prince Salman was speaking as he met yesterday with the Minister of Tourism, HE Fatima bint Jaffer Al Sairafi, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA), Dr. Nasser Qaidi, at Gudaibiya Palace. The meeting took place following Exhibition World Bahrain winning the Worlds Leading New Exhibition and Convention Centre 2023 award at the esteemed World Travel Awards. The Deputy King noted the importance of adopting initiatives to enhance the Kingdoms exhibition-hosting sector and its contributions to the national economy, in line with the Kingdoms development plans. HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister commended Team Bahrains accomplishments, expressing his gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism and BTEA, and their personnel, wishing them further success. Al Sairafi and Dr. Qaidi expressed their gratitude for HRH Prince Salmans commitment to further developing the vital tourism sector. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Reported by Ashen Tharaka The National Day of the Kingdom of Thailand was commemorated with a vibrant ceremony at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Manama yesterday. The event brought together Thai and Bahraini dignitaries, diplomats, and members of the local community to celebrate the long-standing friendship and growing cooperation between the two nations. H.E. Mr. Piyapak Sricharoen, Thailands Ambassador to Bahrain, addressed the gathering, emphasising the significance of the relationship between the two countries. He commended the existing collaboration in various sectors and expressed a strong desire to further strengthen ties, particularly in the realm of tourism. Tourism plays a crucial role in Thailands economy, Ambassador Sricharoen stated. We see immense potential in welcoming more Bahraini visitors to experience the unique beauty, culture, and hospitality of our kingdom. This would not only generate revenue but also foster deeper cultural understanding and people-to-people connections. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, graced the occasion as the chief guest. His presence underscored the Bahraini governments commitment to nurturing the bilateral relationship. The evening unfolded with traditional Thai cultural performances, showcasing the countrys rich artistic heritage. Guests savored authentic Thai cuisine and engaged in lively conversations, solidifying the bonds of friendship and cultural appreciation. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A Bahrain delegation, led by Shura Council Chairman, His Excellency Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh, and Council of Representatives Speaker, H.E. Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam, will participate in the international Parliamentary Meeting, set to take place tomorrow at Expo City Dubai. Co-organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPA) and the UAE National Federal Council, the meeting will be held on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28). The Kingdom is participating in the international parliamentary meeting to consolidate the role of its parliamentary diplomacy in highlighting the national and legislative efforts, as well as programmes, projects and initiatives to confront climate change challenges and strengthen environmental security. The delegations participation in the high-level parliamentary meeting confirms the kingdoms commitment to the international agreements and resolutions related to addressing climate change effects, in a way that enhances the sustainability of the comprehensive development process, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and backed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The event features a meeting of speakers, in addition to plenary sessions, including Parliamentary Oversight of the Paris Agreement Implementation Post-COP28. Providing convenient intermodal airport connections to France's SNCF Voyageurs, Germany's Deutsche Bahn, Swiss Federal Railways in Switzerland , or OBB in Austria when booking flights The launch of the new intermodal offering puts thousands of exciting destinations within easy reach Rail travel offers sustainable options to major European destinations MONTREAL, Dec. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Air Canada today announced new air-to-rail booking options for customers to connect at European airports with four major passenger rail systems, making it convenient to explore the continent. Through new railway and distribution partnerships, Air Canada customers, when purchasing flights, can now also easily book onward rail trips to a multitude of destinations throughout France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria to create a seamless travel itinerary. Air Canada today announced new air-to-rail booking options for customers to connect at European airports with four major passenger rail systems. (CNW Group/Air Canada) "As a leading global airline, Air Canada excels at flying, but we also know intermodal connections can enrich the travel experience through added convenience and by promoting sustainability. In offering easy onward airport connections with the national rail systems in France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, we are creating intermodal hubs and opening the door for customers to reach stations at major cities and popular destinations throughout these countries. Moreover, by facilitating the use of rail for the short-haul segments of our customers' journeys, we can provide sustainable travel options when touring Europe," said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning, at Air Canada. With the launch of Air Canada's European intermodal initiative, customers can now, while purchasing an Air Canada flight, at the same time book rail travel from European airports. Through the airline's partnership with Lufthansa Express Rail Product and new collaborations with AccesRail & WorldTicket, customers can use a streamlined booking process to create a seamless travel itinerary that connects their flight with trips on trains operated by France's TGV-SNCF Voyageurs, Germany's Deutsche Bahn, Swiss Federal Railways or OBB, the national railway of Austria. For added convenience, customers can check in for all segments of their trip prior to departure, avoiding the need to obtain a train ticket at the station. As well, customers experiencing any flight disruption will have both their air and rail segments rebooked to provide peace of mind. Wing-to-Rail Connections France : Sold under codeshare on SNCF Voyageurs , customers can purchase a single ticket that connects them at France's Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris to up to 22 SNCF Voyageurs high-speed rail destinations across France , including Nantes , Bordeaux , Marseille and Strasbourg . Sold under codeshare on SNCF Voyageurs customers can purchase a single ticket that connects them at Charles De Gaulle airport in to up to 22 SNCF Voyageurs high-speed rail destinations across , including , , and . Germany : Air Canada is building on its existing intermodal rail connections with Lufthansa Express Rail which provides access to up to 24 stations on Star Alliance intermodal partner Deutsche Bahn within Germany from Frankfurt airport. With today's announcement, customers now have expanded options to reach more than 5,600 railway stations across the country using Deutsche Bahn's Rail and Fly products from Frankfurt and Munich . As of August 2022 , Deutsche Bahn became an Intermodal Partner of Star Alliance , the first non-airline partner of any of the major alliances., and Air Canada plans to launch codeshare on the German rail in 2024 via the Lufthansa express rail product, offering customers added benefits. : Air Canada is building on its existing intermodal rail connections with Lufthansa Express Rail which provides access to up to 24 stations on intermodal partner Deutsche Bahn within from airport. With today's announcement, customers now have expanded options to reach more than 5,600 railway stations across the country using Deutsche Bahn's Rail and Fly products from and . As of , Deutsche Bahn became an of , the first non-airline partner of any of the major alliances., and Air Canada plans to launch codeshare on the German rail in 2024 via the Lufthansa express rail product, offering customers added benefits. Switzerland : Customers flying to Zurich or Geneva on Air Canada can now connect at the airport to Swiss Federal Railways trains and reach up to 11 stations throughout Switzerland , including such popular destinations as Basel and Lucerne. Customers flying to or on Air Canada can now connect at the airport to Swiss Federal Railways trains and reach up to 11 stations throughout , including such popular destinations as and Lucerne. Austria : OBB services are now also available from Vienna airport to up to nine railway stations across Austria , including Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. Additional details, including about the simple booking process, available routings and destinations, and other important information are available at www.aircanada.com. Air Canada's partnership portfolio has doubled over the past decade with three joint business agreements, 39 codeshare, 120 interline and four intermodal rail options across the transport ecosystem to over 1200 destinations delivering an array of travel choices for customers. Air Canada in Europe in Summer 2024 Air Canada has unveiled its expanded international summer 2024 flying schedule. The airline plans to operate 100 per cent of its peak summer 2019 trans-Atlantic capacity next year, taking full advantage of the robust recovery in its largest international market. With 53 routes to 31 cities in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India, Air Canada will be the leading Canadian carrier across the Atlantic in summer 2024. Air Canada's Toronto and Montreal hubs will respectively rank third and fifth largest in North America, in terms of average daily trans-Atlantic seats; the airline is committed to further developing both hubs' trans-Atlantic footprint in the coming years. About Air Canada Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada's Aeroplan program is Canada's premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world's largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental rewards. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada's passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada aims to achieve an ambitious net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OCTQX in the US. Internet: aircanada.com/media Read Our Annual Report Here Sign up for Air Canada news: aircanada.com Media Resources: Photos Videos B-Roll Articles SOURCE Air Canada For further information: [email protected] DUBAI, Dec. 4, 2023 /CNW/ - Daily event and announcement summary Minister Guilbeault shakes hand with Alexina Kublu, First Nation elder, Assembly of First Nations at the COP28 conference. (CNW Group/Environment and Climate Change Canada) Today, Indigenous Climate Leadership Day at the Canada Pavilion featured a series of events coordinated by prominent Indigenous organizations, including the Metis National Council, Women of the Metis Nation, the Assembly of First Nations, and the Inuit Circumpolar Council. Minister Guilbeault listened to the Indigenous perspectives and acknowledged the disproportionate impact of climate change on First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities, and recognized their critical role as knowledge holders, stewards, partners, and leaders in climate action. The Minister attended the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Forum, where he shared Canada's experience and leadership in phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. experience and leadership in phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. Ahead of the Global Methane Pledge Ministerial, Minister Guilbeault announced the release of Canada's draft Methane Regulations to strengthen oil and gas methane regulations and help reduce emissions of this potent greenhouse gas. The Regulations are expected to reduce oil and gas methane emissions from 2012 levels by at least 75 percent by 2030. draft to strengthen oil and gas methane regulations and help reduce emissions of this potent greenhouse gas. The are expected to reduce oil and gas methane emissions from 2012 levels by at least 75 percent by 2030. Climate finance: Minister Guilbeault announced Canada's contribution of $34.2 million to the Global Environment Facility's Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). This announcement complements Canada's pledge of $37.5 million to the Least Developed Countries Fund in 2021 and will support the SCCF's work to address the adaptation needs of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by supporting technology transfer and strengthening private sector engagement in adaptation projects. contribution of to the Global Environment Facility's Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). This announcement complements pledge of to the Least Developed Countries Fund in 2021 and will support the SCCF's work to address the adaptation needs of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by supporting technology transfer and strengthening private sector engagement in adaptation projects. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) engaged with international partners: As the global space and climate communities converge for the first time in COP history, the CSA participated in the Space Agencies Leaders' Summit , and alongside international space agency partners, pledged to enhance space-based climate initiatives. The CSA is looking forward to working on novel, space-based solutions that will mitigate and address climate-related challenges. Read the LinkedIn post. The CSA and France's space agency (CNES) highlighted the recent signing of the Space for Climate Observatory charter by Canada . Read the LinkedIn post. Quote of the day "We are the solution, and we need to have that knowledge shared. We need people to listen to what we are saying. This is our challenge in Canada and internationally. Our people are part of the land, we are the land, so when the land is impacted, we are. We have the solutions, we all can exist, we all can survive the climate crisis." Kukpi7 Judy Wilson, Grand Chief, Assembly of First Nations Source Minister's bilateral meetings Minister Guilbeault met with Jeppe Bruus , Minister of Taxation for Denmark , and discussed progress to date at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences, as well as carbon pricing in Canada and Denmark , and the need to curb methane emissions. Denmark joined the Canada -led Global Carbon Pricing Challenge this year. , Minister of Taxation for , and discussed progress to date at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences, as well as carbon pricing in and , and the need to curb methane emissions. joined the -led Global Carbon Pricing Challenge this year. Minister Guilbeault had a productive meeting with Michael S. Regan , Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, to strengthen ongoing cooperation on ambitious climate goals and discuss policy and regulatory alignment between Canada and the US to effectively address climate challenges, including on zero-emission vehicles, air quality, transportation, and methane emissions. , Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, to strengthen ongoing cooperation on ambitious climate goals and discuss policy and regulatory alignment between and the US to effectively address climate challenges, including on zero-emission vehicles, air quality, transportation, and methane emissions. Minister Guilbeault met with Lord Nicholas Stern , Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom , to discuss the New Collective Quantified Goal for climate finance and how best to mobilize climate finance from a range of sources. They also discussed how to ensure cooperation between developed and developing countries. , Member of the House of Lords of the , to discuss the New Collective Quantified Goal for climate finance and how best to mobilize climate finance from a range of sources. They also discussed how to ensure cooperation between developed and developing countries. Minister Guilbeault met with Vietnam's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Dang Quoc Khanh, to invite Vietnam to join the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge. They also discussed areas of collaboration including carbon markets and pricing, marine pollution, and biodiversity. Photo of the day Credit: Environment and Climate Change Canada See our Facebook Album for more photos. Preview of upcoming events: December 5, 2023 Event: Energy Transition Council: Uniting Leaders, Catalyzing Finance, Empowering Clean Energy Time: 11:30 a.m. (GST) Location: Global Climate Action Zone, Lab 1 (Al Shaheen), Blue Zone Event: Powering Past Coal Alliance Time: 5:45 p.m. (GST) Location: UK Pavilion Event: Energy Sector Resilience Against Climate-Driven Disruptions Time: 5:30 p.m. (GST) Location: Canada Pavilion Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada For further information: Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected] New Partnership Includes Recipes by Chef MacKay Featuring King's Hawaiian's Soft, Fluffy and Irresistible Rolls Perfect for Making Family Moments Even Better LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5, 2023 /CNW/ -- King's Hawaiian has partnered with Saskatchewanian chef Dale MacKay to help launch the brand's new "On a Roll" campaign in Canada. To celebrate the launch of the new campaign, King's Hawaiian is turning Blue Mountain Ski Resort orange on December 16 and 17 during an incredible takeover. Visitors will get a chance to enjoy delicious sliders created by Chef MacKay along with other exciting festivities. Chef MacKay put his own unique twist on Canadian holiday favorites by creating a recipe for Turkey Sliders with Sage-Mustard Aioli and Cranberry Sauce using King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. "I'm a big fan of King's Hawaiian rolls and was thrilled when they became available in Canada because they're so incredibly versatile, whether I'm serving them right out of the bag or using them to make both sweet and savory recipes," said Chef MacKay. "What's always drawn me in is that the brand is all about making family time even better, and I'm so excited to share special twists on Canadian favorites that can do just that over the next few months, starting with my holiday sliders." On December 16, King's Hawaiian is treating thousands of visitors to Chef MacKay's sliders, while supplies last, when they disembark the Silver Bullet Chair Lift and enter King's Hawaiian's cozy slope top igloo. This orange winter wonderland will have festive decor, games, photo moments and great giveaways. Guests should also keep an eye out for the "Roll Patrol" Ski Team handing out complimentary 4-packs of King's Hawaiian Rolls to lucky skiers on the slopes. The festivities don't stop there! On December 16 and 17, King's Hawaiian will also have an igloo at the base of the mountain in Lift Plaza. This King's Hawaiian Basecamp will be an immersive LED air-dome with activities, interactive games, complimentary rolls and other great giveaways. Everyone is welcome to stop by and enjoy their King's Hawaiian Rolls by the fire pits, especially during the Hot Chocolate Happy Hour. "As we expand King's Hawaiian's presence in Canada, we continue to admire the incredible food culture the country has to offer, which helped inspire our new "On a Roll" campaign," said Holger Kraetschmer, King's Hawaiian Chief Marketing Officer. "Through our new campaign and partnership with Chef MacKay, we hope to show Canadians how King's Hawaiian Rolls are perfect for both special occasions and simple meals alike." The "On a Roll" campaign also includes a TV commercial running nationally across Canada two weeks before and during the Big Game in February, digital and out-of-home advertising, experiential activations, retail displays, public relations and social media programs, and more to showcase how King's Hawaiian makes moments with loved ones even better because the brand's rolls are soft, fluffy and irresistible. King's Hawaiian is available at Loblaws' family of stores, SaveOn Foods locations, Metro banners, Sobey's banners and Walmart as a 12-pack, in both Original Hawaiian Sweet and Savory Butter flavors. To find King's Hawaiian in a store near you, head to www.kingshawaiian.com/find-us/. About KING'S HAWAIIAN Founded more than 70 years ago in Hilo, Hawaii, by Robert R. Taira, KING'S HAWAIIAN is a family-owned business that for three generations has been dedicated to providing irresistible, original recipe Hawaii-inspired foods made with Aloha Spirit. A priority for the company is sharing the Hawaiian Way a uniquely Hawaiian approach to hospitality based on graciousness, generosity, and a commitment to making everyone feel a part of the KING'S HAWAIIAN 'ohana' (extended family). KING'S HAWAIIAN makes the #1 branded roll in the United States, along with other great Hawaii-inspired foods including hamburger buns, slider buns, pretzel bread, sandwich bread and more. The soft and fluffy texture of KING'S HAWAIIAN bread adds the perfect touch of sweetness to a wide variety of recipes and occasions, including everyone's favorite weekly tradition, Slider Sunday family meals. The company operates baking facilities in Torrance, California, and Oakwood, Georgia. For more information, visit the company's website at www.KingsHawaiian.com , or find KING'S HAWAIIAN on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter . SOURCE King's Hawaiian For further information: Alexandra Pamias, [email protected], 301.437.6929 TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - With a recent donation in Quebec, Labatt Breweries of Canada has donated more than a million cans of water to support communities with 24 distributions in seven provinces over 11 years. Established in 2012, Labatt's Canadian Disaster Relief Program was created to provide safe drinking water to Canadian communities experiencing disasters such as flooding, forest and wildfires, environmental spills, drought and ice storms that compromised a community's water supply. Established in 2012, Labatt's Canadian Disaster Relief Program was created to provide safe drinking water to Canadian communities experiencing disasters such as flooding, forest and wildfires, environmental spills, drought and ice storms that compromised a communitys water supply. (CNW Group/Labatt Breweries of Canada) "Labatt is honoured to quickly deliver clean drinking water to people in communities across Canada facing hardship," said Marcelo Michaelis, President, Labatt Breweries of Canada. "Continuing our long tradition in Canada, the people of Labatt's are committed to making positive contributions that create a better future for everyone." Labatt also keeps a reserve of cans ready so when there is a reprieve from disasters, the reserve is stocked and stored in the brewery. Labatt has recently put some of its reserves to great use, donating more than 24,000 cans to the Food Banks of Quebec. Water is a life source; one Labatt believes every Canadian is entitled to. "By periodically halting beer production here in Labatt's flagship facility in London to produce canned drinking water, we're able to maintain sufficient supply using the same high-quality procedures and standards as our brewed beverages," explains Alex Martel, General Manager, Labatt's London Brewery. Labatt relies on the proven public system of coordination with provincial and local governments, emergency and non-profit agencies, and other authorities to supply water when needed after the declaration of an emergency. Government emergency management organizations identify those communities most in need of various essentials and support, including drinking water. "Working with local authorities and our steadfast logistics team, we mobilize our distribution network to deliver water to Canadians and emergency responders in need," adds Jeff Ryan, Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Labatt Breweries of Canada. "Labatt's dedication and support for Canadian communities puts our purpose - We Dream Big to Create a Future with More Cheers into practice." Boosting the Labatt Canadian Disaster Relief Program in 2021 by partnering with Team Rubicon Canada, Labatt has leaned on the tactical expertise of Team Rubicon whenever those in need are in particularly hard-to-access areas. Team Rubicon Canada serves communities by mobilizing military veterans, first responders and passionate civilians called Greyshirts to get needed supplies to communities and on-the-ground responders, quickly and safely. Labatt's Legacy of Community Support Labatt's Disaster Relief Program reflects the company's purpose to "Dream Big to Create a Future with More Cheers," by making positive contributions through many programs that support Canada's communities, promote responsible drinking and protect the environment. Because water is a critical part of Labatt's brewing processes and the purity of Canadian water is a hallmark of its products, it is a meaningful and logical focus for the disaster relief program as well as Labatt's environmental efforts. Labatt Breweries of Canada has strived to live up to the ethos first created by the company's founder, John Kinder Labatt, in supporting Canada and its communities. The sense of duty and commitment that he inspired has been an integral part of the brand's history and continues to be a guiding principle at Labatt. Labatt x Team Rubicon Partnership Team Rubicon Canada and Labatt began working together in the spring of 2021, in recognition of their common goals: to help Canadians affected by disasters and to value the unique abilities of our nation's veterans. As part of Labatt and Team Rubicon Canada's ongoing partnership, Labatt employees have the opportunity to participate as "Greyshirt" volunteers and serve the communities where they live and work as well as international disaster operations. Labatt has also flown employees across Canada to aid with on-the-ground relief efforts and reinforced its support through its employee donation-matching program. About Labatt Breweries of Canada Labatt Breweries of Canada is one of Canada's most established businesses and its leading beverage company, with over 3,600 employees; an unmatched portfolio of more than 60 quality beers, ready-to-drink and non-alcoholic products; six key breweries; and four craft breweries from coast-to-coast. Our employees are the driving force behind our business brewing the world's most loved beverages, building iconic brands and creating meaningful experiences for Canadians. Through 176 years of brewing excellence, we are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life's moments, dream big to move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in our communities through a collective purpose of creating A Future with More Cheers. SOURCE Labatt Breweries of Canada For further information: about the Labatt Disaster Relief Program, contact: Hannah Love, Senior Director of Communications, Labatt Breweries of Canada [email protected] 416-990-0483 or Lara Watson, Senior Account Manager, Veritas Communications [email protected] 416-454-1435 GATINEAU, QC, Dec. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - In support of its defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged , the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) receive the training they need to do their work and keep Canadians safe. Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, on behalf of the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, announced a contract amendment for the Contracted Airborne Training Services (CATS) program with Top Aces Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. A4 Formation (CNW Group/Public Services and Procurement Canada) The CATS program provides realistic airborne combat readiness training to CAF pilots and aircrew. During these exercises, the aircraft pilot acts in an aggressor role, allowing CAF personnel to learn and practise defensive tactics to deter an attack. The contract amendment will provide additional combat support training services, including Advanced Aggressor Fighter training with new sophisticated capabilities. In addition to amending the original contract to provide additional services, the Government of Canada is also exercising an option to extend the contract by 2 years, until 2029. The amendment to the original contract, awarded in 2017 through a competitive procurement process, is valued at an estimated $331 million (plus taxes). This brings the total value of the original contract to $749 million (plus taxes), contributing to the growth and competitiveness of Canada's world-class aerospace and defence sectors. Quotes "The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting members of the Canadian Armed Forces by ensuring they receive the training they need to do their jobs and keep Canadians safe. This program highlights a critical investment in Canada's local economy and the importance of supporting Canada's world-class aerospace industry." The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos Minister of Public Services and Procurement "These airborne training services help to ensure that Canadian Armed Forces personnel are ready for their missions and prepared to protect Canada. These services allow our personnel to practice responding to attacks, detecting and tracking targets, and carrying out electronic warfare missions bolstering their readiness. We will continue to work with Canada's world-class aerospace industry to provide the Canadian Armed Forces with the training that they require." The Honourable Bill Blair Minister of National Defence "Through this contract with Top Aces Inc., a Canadian leader in air training services, our government will continue to provide Canadian Armed Forces pilots and aircrew with the training they need to be successful in an uncertain environment, while ensuring economic benefits for Canadians. We're advancing Canadian innovation in our world-class defence and aerospace industries and creating high-value jobs across Canada."" The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Quick facts On October 30, 2017 , following a competitive procurement process, the Government of Canada awarded a $418-million contract (plus taxes) for CATS to Discovery Air Defence Services Inc. (now Top Aces Inc.). The initial 10-year contract, with 2 option periods to extend, secures services until March 31, 2031 . With today's announcement, the Government of Canada is exercising the first of these 2 options. , following a competitive procurement process, the Government of awarded a contract (plus taxes) for CATS to Discovery Air Defence Services Inc. (now Top Aces Inc.). The initial 10-year contract, with 2 option periods to extend, secures services until . With today's announcement, the Government of is exercising the first of these 2 options. Top Aces Inc. is the prime contractor, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec . It provides combat support services to National Defence (including the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy). These types of training services, such as red air (for example, the contractor imitates being a threat with their aircraft), close air support (for example, the contractor imitates an airstrike to support ground troops), electronic warfare and several other mission profiles, are delivered using Top Aces Inc.-owned aircraft at various locations in Canada and the United States during live-fly training exercises. . It provides combat support services to National Defence (including the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy). These types of training services, such as red air (for example, the contractor imitates being a threat with their aircraft), close air support (for example, the contractor imitates an airstrike to support ground troops), electronic warfare and several other mission profiles, are delivered using Top Aces Inc.-owned aircraft at various locations in and during live-fly training exercises. The majority of CATS will be provided from 4 main areas: Bagotville, Quebec ; Cold Lake, Alberta ; Victoria, British Columbia ; and Halifax, Nova Scotia . They will also take place in other areas across Canada , as well as the United States . ; ; ; and . They will also take place in other areas across , as well as . The Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, including Value Proposition, applies to this procurement, requiring Top Aces Inc. to make investments in the Canadian economy equal to the value of the contract. Associated links Contracted Airborne Training Services Project Government of Canada invests in air combat training services Contracted Airborne Training Services Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada For further information: Olivier Pilon, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, 613-323-6621, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [email protected] Popular Yoruba actress, Bisola Badmus, has opened up on her battle with a brain disease called, Encephalopathy. Encephalopathy is a disease that alters the mental state, leaving one confused and not acting like they usually do. This was made known in a post on the actresss Instagram page, during her birthday celebration. Badmus disclosed that she had been battling the disease for over one year. Over a year now I have been battling with health issues (Encephalopathy). I cannot even wish my enemy such illness. It was a tough one indeed that made me stay away from social media. In between, I lost my precious mother. Unquestionable God, I thank you for everything particularly for me to witness yet another birthday. I will be an ungrateful soul if I fail to appreciate my family and friends, colleagues in the industry, business associates and the brands I represent for standing by me during the challenging period. Thank you all. The Deputy spokesman of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese has ordered the immediate removal of Governor Hyacinth Alias portrait from his office. Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, said Alia is not fit to be a leader. Today, Im removing the portrait of Alia from my office because hes not fit to be our leader. He has no respect for democracy, no respect for the Constitution. Pointing to the portrait of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Gorge Akume in his office, Agbese said he is the leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state. He described the SGF as a fair and just. He (Akume) remains the leader of the party and the father of the state, hes a man of fairness, equity, and thats why we love him, and he has earned his respect, Agbese said. This is coming against the backdrop of an alleged rift between Alia and Akume over political issues in the state. Taoreed Lagbaja, chief of army staff (COAS), has visited Tudun Birni in Igabi LGA of Kaduna state to commiserate with members of the community after military air strike killed score of villagers on Sunday. According to multiple reports, the death toll from the bombing was over 80, with scores left badly injured. The Nigerian Army has claimed responsibility for the incident, stating that its troops were on a routine mission against terrorists when the mistake occurred. Onyema Nwachukwu, army spokesperson, in a statement on Tuesday, said Lagbaja described the incident as a very disheartening occurrence. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has paid a condolence visit to Tudun Birni community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the statement reads. The COAS in an emotion laden speech expressed regrets on the unfortunate mishap, describing it as a very disheartening occurrence. The army spokesperson quoted Lagbaja as saying that the general area of Tudun Birni and adjoining villages were infested in recent time with armed bandits, who terrorised the communities. According to Nwachukwu, the COAS added that the troops started conducting operations after that discovery to sanitise the area and make it habitable. He pointed out that the troops were carrying out aeriel patrols when they observed a group of people and wrongly analyzed and misinterpreted their pattern of activities to be similar to that of the bandits, before the drone strike. Nwachukwu added. The COAS stated that he was in Tudun Birni to personally witness the site of the mishap and to convey sincere regrets and unreserved apologies on behalf of the Nigerian Army to the District Head and people of the community, as well as the Government and entire people of Kaduna State, he said. He disclosed that he has ordered a thorough inquiry into the incident to ascertain and identify areas of deficiency that led to the inadvertent disaster, adding that the findings and overarching outcome of the investigation will guide the NA in meticulously and professionally seeking and applying lasting solutions to identified lapses and deficiencies in both the human and Artificial Intelligence variables that will forestall future recurrence. Nwachukwu added that the army chief visited injured victims of the incident who are receiving treatment at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital. Governor Godwin Obaseki has vowed not to support what is not fair and just, following the declaration of interest in the gubernatorial election by the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu. Obaseki spoke in an interview with BBC Pidgin, on him supporting Shaibu to become his successor in 2024. The governor reiterated his earlier assertion that the people of the state would determine Shaibus fate. According to Obaseki; E declare for himself now, no be me go decide whether my deputy, na Edo people go sit down and decide. Dem go say, this deputy, e get wetin e take to run the state? Lets look at his background, antecedents if he has maybe and if he doesnt have and in any case, the Edo people would decide how we would do the governorship whether it would be turn by turn or it will be based on equity, fairness and justice. To say okay, this people have done before. As a leader, I will sit down and supervise. What is not fair, just and will help Edo unite, my hands are not there. Commenting on godfatherism in politics, Obaseki said: Everybody needs nurturing and mentoring but not to the extent of teleguiding you. He can support and help you to make your decisions but ultimately at the end of the day it is for democracy the people must decide who will lead them. Lateef Fagbemi, minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation (AGF), says there is a need to charter aircraft for judges presiding over terror cases to ensure their safety and confidence. Fagbemi spoke on Monday when he appeared before the senate committee on judiciary to defend his ministry's budget proposal in Abuja on Monday. The minister said his ministry needs more resources to carry out its duties, especially in defending the country in international arbitrations "which are expensive". "I wish to note that the process of proscription and prosecution of terror suspects and entities entails considerable funding inclusive of catering for the logistics and welfare of judges, prosecutors, support staff, witnesses, and provision of security for the trial, etc," he said. "In order to ensure the security and confidence of the judicial officers coupled with the location of the trial, the ministry is required to charter aircraft to airlift them. "The ministry is also spending considerable resources on the provision or upgrading of infrastructural facilities at the various venues to make them fit for purpose. "It is quite fundamental for the Ministry to be empowered to drive the current administration's roadmap for the justice sector (legal and judicial reforms) which is one of the vital priority areas under the President's eight Priorities/Focus areas. "The office of the AGF requires funding to perform its role of coordinating and overseeing the entire legal or justice sector institutions in Nigeria. "The AGF is also saddled with onerous responsibilities in the implementation of vital legislations, including the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, Extradition Act, etc and other international treaty obligations." Fagbemi said in the 2023 budget, the ministry was allocated N3,321,283.533 as capital budget N4,688,847,054 as recurrent, noting that only N617,456,896 was released for capital expenditure and N2,734,110,775.62 recurrent. "The foregoing has greatly constrained the performance of the Ministry in its mandate areas, and we are quite determined to achieve a paradigm shift in 2024, wherein the Ministry has been allocated N5,341,356,849.00 as capital expenditure and N8,860,880,311.10 as recurrent expenditure in the 2024 budget proposal," he said. The AGF added that Nigeria would get the maximum from the justice ministry if it is well funded. Gilbert Chagoury, the Lebanese-Nigerian businessman, is in the country's delegation to COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In a list published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the billionaire was named as a "confidante" of President Bola Tinubu. The Nigerian State House is listed as Chagoury's "organisation" while it was indicated that he is in a "paid relationship/contract with the nominating entity". A check through the delegates list of the 198 participating countries showed that no other country has a "confidante" of its president in the delegation. Chagoury was born in Nigeria to Lebanese immigrants. He co-founded the Chagoury Group in Lagos in 1971. The conglomerate owns construction, real estate, hotel, glass and flour milling businesses. He is also a major funder of the Eko Atlantic project through South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group. The Lebanese-Nigerian had a close association with the late Sani Abacha, former Nigerian military ruler, in the 1990s, and his businesses reportedly flourished during this period. In 2000, he was reportedly convicted by a Swiss court for laundering some of the funds Abacha looted from Nigeria. Chagoury reportedly agreed to pay a fine of about one million Swiss francs (about Chagoury reportedly agreed to pay a fine of about one million Swiss francs (about $600,000 at the time) and handed back $66 million to the Nigerian government. He, however, denied knowing that the funds were stolen. Nigeria has 1,411 delegates at COP28 - the third-highest at the conference alongside China. The UAE accounted for the largest-ever registered delegation of any country, with 4,409 badges, followed by Brazil with 3,081. The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Edozie Njoku, has called on the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, to allow peace reign in the party. Njoku made the appeal following an Abuja High Court ruling that dismissed forgery allegations levelled against by the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, on Tuesday. Recall that the NPF had on November 22, 2022, charged Njoku and the Youth leader of the political party, Chukwuemeka Nwoga, to court for allegedly conspiring with others at large to alter a judgment of the Supreme Court delivered by Justice Mary Peter Odili (rtd). Njoku alleged that Soludo, instead of investing in rebuilding the party that gave him the platform to become the governor of Anambra State, has been wasting the states funds in fighting him and bringing the party to its knees. He advised the governor to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, if he so wished and allow the core members of APGA to stay in the party in peace. Addressing reporters in Abuja, Njoku said, Political litigation is something well keep going through [in Nigeria]. Everybody knows my case. It is not going to be perfect. It was from this court that I went and spent two days in the prison but since that day I keep saying that justice will come at last, especially when billionaires are involved. Theres a governor of the state who is using the state resources to unleash a war against me for what reason I dont know. Maybe he thinks Im not going to be a rubber-stamp who he will be controlling but he might be joking. He might not be serious. All Im asking Charles Soludo to do is let us have peace in AGPA. If he wants to join APC thats not a problem but he should allow those who believe in AGPA to settle down. Im calling on Charles Soludo, lets end it now. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the last general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has described the problem of insecurity in the country as regrettable, noting that its persistence has now cost Nigeria collateral damage. Obi who was reacting to the military airstrike that killed many villagers in Tudun Biri village, Kaduna State, highlighted the unintended human cost of insecurity. His reaction is contained in a statement on his X handle, released on Tuesday. The former Anambra State governor urged the military to exercise utmost caution and professionalism to avoid such kind of embarrassment to both the military and the country. According to him, any incident that leads to harm or loss of lives of the innocent people they are meant to protect should be avoided. While commiserating with families that lost their loved ones, Obi prayed God to grant the dead eternal rest and quick healing to the injured. I read with sadness, the devastating reports of the accidental bombing of Tudun Biri Village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, by a Nigerian Army craft that mistook the villagers for terrorists. The lethal incident left death tolls reported to have risen to 80 persons, with several others injured. While our military continues to fight impressively against insecurity in many parts of the country, they must exercise utmost caution and professionalism to avoid this kind of embarrassment to both the military and the country. Any incident that leads to harm or loss of lives of the innocent people they are meant to protect should be avoided. Even though the mishap is one too many, the security agencies should work with reliable human intelligence reports on ground before any offensive attack to avoid innocent casualties as has been reported in this case, Obi said. Fatal mistakes like this leave indelible trauma on the families who have lost their loved ones to this ugly and unfortunate mishap. I sincerely commiserate with families that lost their loved ones. And to the dead, I pray God Almighty to forgive their sins and grant them eternal rest, and quick healing to the injured. We pray that such a mistake leading to a sorrowful outcome, as this, never happens again in our country. It is regrettable that the problem of insecurity in our nation has persisted for so long that we are now paying such unintended human costs as collateral damage. Mauritanias former president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has been sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering and illicit enrichment. Abdel Aziz led the West African country for a decade after coming to power in a 2008 coup and was an ally of Western powers fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel region. He had been on trial since January during which he denied the corruption allegations. The court found Abdel Aziz guilty of two of 10 charges late on Monday, following an inquiry into allegations of embezzlement of public property and corruption. One of his lawyers called the ruling a political verdict targeting a man and his family. Prosecutors said the former head of states conviction was historic. The court, which specialises in corruption and economic crimes, acquitted some of Abdel Azizs associates who had also been on trial, including two former prime ministers. Abdel Aziz was succeeded in 2019 by a political ally, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who remains president, but Abdel Azizs government quickly came under scrutiny over actions including deals on offshore oil projects. Abdel Aziz has the option of appealing his sentence at the Supreme Court. The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has put up the Falcon 900B aircraft from the Presidential fleet for sale. NAF said interested persons should freely bid for the purchase of the aircraft. In a post on X, NAF said the aircraft was put up for sale following the Federal Governments approval. The post reads: The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the sale of Falcon 900B aircraft owned by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). In compliance with provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007, the NAF hereby invites all interested parties to submit bids for purchase of the aircraft. The bids can be submitted by email or physically. If submitted by email, the bids are to be password protected and sent to dproc@airforce.mil.ng while the password is to be sent separately to dproc2@ http://airforce.miI.ng. For physical submission, the quotations are to be enclosed in an envelope and sealed while the envelope is to bear the name and address of the interested company/entity as well as the description and reference to the request. It should also bear the statement, DO NOT OPEN BEFORE 24 DECEMBER 2023. Please note that the bids would be processed immediately after expiration of the deadline for submission. The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has stated that the Nigerian Armys accidental bombing of Tundun Biri in Kaduna State on Sunday is a serious worry for the safety and well-being of people in war zones. The forum urged a thorough probe into the tragedy that killed scores of innocent persons. Mallam Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, NEFs Director of Publicity and Advocacy, said in a statement on Tuesday that the elders recognized that the Kaduna State Government had risen to the occasion and promised that strike victims would be compensated. However, beyond compensation for the victims, a thorough investigation is essential to ensure justice for the affected civilians, prevent future occurrences, and uphold the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law, he said. He stated that conducting a comprehensive inquiry into the unintentional bombing is critical to averting future accidents. According to him, the investigation could discover any systemic flaws, deficiencies in training, or poor practices that may have contributed to the accident by analyzing the circumstances that led to the tragedy. He added that the military, armed with this knowledge, may adopt important reforms such as increased coordination, enhanced intelligence collecting, and stricter adherence to rules of engagement. These measures will minimize the risk of accidental bombings and protect civilian lives during military operations. An investigation aligns with the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law, it added. Stanley Nkwocha, spokesperson of Vice-President Kashim Shettima, said the N15 billion budget for the construction of a new residence for the VP is not a waste of money. Obi had faulted the proposed N15 billion for the construction of a new residence for Shettima, saying that given the current economic crisis, the money could have been put to good use. Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Nkwocha said the proposed plan for the construction of the new residence was awarded by the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. He noted that his principal has committed himself to serving Nigeria and helping President Bola Tinubu in achieving his set goals and objectives. He accused Obi of trying to paint the current administration in bad light. We have taken note of statements credited to the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, who made another frail and futile attempt to paint the President Bola Tinubu administration in bad light, the statement said. The subject of his new found passion armchair criticism after his loss at the presidential poll was the proposed N15.5billion budgeted by the FCTA to renovate the house of the Vice-President, which he claimed would pay the annual salary of 3,000 University Professors. Giving the reactions and invocations generated by Obis comments, it is necessary for the sake of history to clarify the issue. The proposed plan for the construction of the Vice Presidents official residence, for which budgetary allocation was made in the 2024 budget by the FCT Administration, was awarded by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. It was not originated by the present administration. This, Mr Obi, knows but chose to play dumb all in a bid to inflamate a targeted group of Nigerians and, as usual, score cheap political goals, accolades and praises. Nkwocha said the project which was re-initiated in 2010 and funded by the Jonathan administration was abandoned. Appalled by the sorry state of the uncompleted building that was now overtaken by weeds and reptiles over a decade after construction started about 13 years ago, he said. The current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, felt it would be a waste to allow such a project started with public funds to continue to lie fallow. Thus, in his wisdom and without the prompting of the vice-president, decided to resuscitate the building. We invite more cerebral Nigerians to crosscheck properly. What should be considered a waste between Obis tantrums because the project has attracted governments attention, given the decision by the current administration to complete vital abandoned projects. What is more wasteful and reckless than abandoning an edifice to rot and depreciate despite the amount that has been sunk into it over the years? It did not start today, same for residences of the Senate President and the Speaker. The array of abandoned Federal Government projects littered all over the country is a national embarrassment that the current administration has taken a bold step to save the country from. This is why it has made it a priority that all abandoned projects must be completed before new ones are initiated, save for some on exceptional basis, either because of the need for strategic alignment or economic significance. The supreme court has dismissed an application by Emeka Ihedioha, former governor of Imo, seeking the removal of Hope Uzodinma from office as the state governor. In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, Tijjani Abubakar, who read the lead verdict, dismissed the application for lacking in merit. Abubakar described the application as unnecessary and vexatious. The court also awarded the cost of N40 million against Mike Ozekhome, Ihedioha's lawyer, for bringing the matter before the court. 'DOUBLE NOMINATION' In December 2020, the supreme court upheld a judgment of the court of appeal which nullified the candidature of Uche Nwosu as the governorship flagbearer of Action Alliance (AA). The court held that Nwosu was guilty of double nomination by having the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and AA. Consequently, Nwosu withdrew his appeal challenging thedioha's victory at the poll. However, on January 14, the apex court voided Ihedioha's election and declared Hope Uzodinma, who came fourth in the election, as the duly elected governor of the state. Consequently, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) filed an application contending that Uzodinma's candidacy ought to have been nullified since the APC had given tickets to the governor and Nwosu. Thedioha then applied to be joined as an interested party in the suit. IHEDIOHA'S APPEAL Thedioha had premised his application on the grounds that the APC did not validly nominate Uzodinma to contest the 2019 election since tickets were given to two different candidates. The PDP and Thedioha's application further sought to invalidate the years that Uzodinma spent in office as the governor of Imo. An affidavit filed in support of the application, which was deposed to by Adedamola Farokun, a legal practitioner, averred that "the third respondent/applicant (PDP) is neither in any way seeking a review of the valid, subsisting, and well considered judgement of this court delivered in this appeal in 2019, nor seeking a review of the judgement of this court delivered on January 14, 2020 in SC/462/2019, but humbly seeking that this court give effect to its judgement delivered on December 20, 2019". "That this court has the constitutional, inherent powers, and jurisdiction to grant the reliefs sought and give effect to its judgement," it reads. "That it is in the interest of justice for this court to exercise its wide discretionary powers in favour of granting this application as prayed." However, when the matter came up on Tuesday, the apex court held that it had no jurisdiction to entertain the appeal, which it described as "frivolous and highly vexatious". President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed an immediate investigation into the accidental bombing of Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State by the Nigerian Army on Sunday, which led to the death of many villagers. In a statement on Tuesday by presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale, the President sympathized with the families of the victims and the Kaduna State Government. President Bola Tinubu sympathizes with the families of victims, the people and the government of Kaduna State over the bombing mishap in a village at Tundun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of the state. President Tinubu describes the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, expressing anger and grief over the tragic loss of Nigerian lives. The President directed a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident and called for calm while the authorities looked diligently into the mishap. The President also directs swift and comprehensive medical attention for surviving victims while praying for the repose of the souls of the deceased, the statement read. Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed that the Army claimed responsibility for the airstrike which killed many on Sunday. The United Kingdom has made stricter amendments to its immigration laws, further tightening the already stringent regulations governing the entry of foreigners into the country. A statement released by the Home Office on Monday said the new plan to slash migration levels and curb abuse of the immigration system will deliver the biggest-ever reduction in the countrys net migration. Together, this package will mean around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would now not be able to come, the statement said. Under plans set out by James Cleverly, home secretary, workers will need to earn at least 38,700 to obtain a visa, up from 26,200, while care workers will be barred from bringing in dependants from next April. The home office said the revision will encourage businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, helping us to deter employers from over-relying on migration, whilst bringing salaries in line with the average full-time salary for these types of jobs. The government will also increase the minimum income required for British citizens and those settled in the UK who want their family members to join them, the statement added. Altogether, this reinforces that all those who want to work and live here must be able to support themselves, are contributing to the economy, and are not burdening the state. The home office also reiterated plans to review the graduate visa route to ensure it works in the best interests of the UK and to ensure steps are being taken to prevent abuse. In May, the government announced a package of measures to cut the number of student visas being issued, including removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate research courses and removing the ability for international students to switch onto work routes before their studies are completed. This will come into force for courses starting in January 2024. Immigration is too high. Today were taking radical action to bring it down. These steps will make sure that immigration always benefits the UK, Rishi Sunak, British prime minister, had written on X, formerly Twitter. Weve just announced the biggest ever cut in net migration. No Prime Minister has done this before in history. But the level of net migration is too high and it has to change. I am determined to do it. The crackdown would affect many Nigerian students hoping to pursue their postgraduate studies in the UK, as they accounted for the highest increase in the number of dependents accompanying persons with study visas in 2022. The Academic Staff Union Universities (ASUU) says the student loan act is designed to enrich owners of private universities in the country. President Bola Tinubu assented to the student loan legislation on June 12. The initiative is aimed at helping students in tertiary institutions to access interest-free loans from the Nigerian education loan fund. Punch reports that Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU national president, spoke of the initiative on Saturday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi. Osodeke, who Christopher Piwuna, his deputy, represented, said the federal government can fund Nigerias education system. He said poor funding is a major challenge in Nigerian institutions. The ASUU lead said efforts should be focused on closing the funding gap. Osodeke said the union is against the student loan initiative because it would only benefit private universities. He said grants should be made available to students and institutions if the government is serious about funding education. The ASUU president urged parents to join the union to ensure that the education system becomes better. All these issues that have led to the introduction of the loan, the issues of charges in our universities are as a result of poor funding, he said. This particular effort by the government is supposed to meet that funding gap in the universities. We believe that the Nigerian state can adequately fund education with discipline. If the Nigerian state is serious, it can fund education. We are against the student loan as a form of funding education, we think the loan will go back into the coffers of private individuals who are in government today who own private universities. We just want to show the government that we believe that the resources are available to take care of education. A 15-year-old student was seriously injured Monday after being hit by a car moments after he exited a school bus in Atlantic County, authorities said. The teen was hit in Hamilton Township just after 5:40 p.m. on Mays Landing Somers Point Road at the intersection of Old River Road, according to local police. The Mays Landing resident was flown to Cooper University Hospital in Camden to be treated. The southbound car was driven by a 79-year-old Selbyville, Delaware man, while a 60-year-old Millville woman was operating the northbound bus. The investigation is ongoing into bus operator procedures as well as any potential violations by either motorist, Hamilton police said in a statement. The teen is a student at Oakcrest High School, BreakingAC.com reported. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. A relic from the remains of St. Jude, widely revered by Catholics as the patron saint of hopeless causes, will be on display at six New Jersey churches this month, beginning with a church in Bergen County. The relic said to be a bone from the arm of St. Jude has been touring the United States since September at the behest of Pope Francis as a way to bring healing to those struggling in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ancient bone, which is encased behind glass in wooden reliquary depicting St. Judes arm, will make its first appearance in northern New Jersey at the Church of the Assumption in Emerson on Thursday. The church will be open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. for public veneration. Known as the apostle of the impossible, St. Jude is associated with healing and miracles. The archdiocese is encouraging believers to place personal items against the glass which transforms those objects into third-class relics. Visitors may also hold pictures of loved ones against the relic, symbolically placing their care in the hands of the saint. After the stop at the Emerson church, the relic will make the following stops in the Archdiocese of Newark: Dec. 8: St. Josephs Church in Oradell Dec. 9: St. Helen Church in Westfield Dec. 10: St. Leo Church in Elmwood Park Dec. 11: St. Stephen Church in Kearny Dec. 18: Our Lady of the Lake Church in Verona The veneration and Mass schedule for each site is available on the tours website. St. Jude was Jesus cousin and one of the 12 Apostles. He is often referred to as Judas Thaddeus, so as not be confused with Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus and delivered him to the Romans to be crucified. St. Jude ThaddeusCourtesy of Treasures of the Church He is credited with spreading the gospel throughout Mesopotamia, a biblical land that now encompasses Iraq, Kuwait, Syria and Turkey. He is considered the founding father of the Armenian Apostolic Church. St. Jude was martyred and buried in Beirut in approximately 65 AD, according to Treasures of the Church, a Michigan-based ministry that partners with the Vatican to make relics accessible to Catholics worldwide. St. Judes remains were later dug up and he was reinterred in St. Peters Basilica in Rome, which was completed in 333 AD, according to Treasures of the Church. The relic arrived in the United States in September and is touring the country at the request of Pope Francis, as a way to bring healing to those struggling in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com. Rewatch the Eagles 42-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field and you come to two conclusions: they have a tackling problem and need immediate help at inside linebacker. Nick Sirianni said Monday he still had confidence in his linebackers that were on the field, but acknowledged it was a difficult day for Nicholas Morrow and Christian Elliss. The Eagles also addressed the issue by signing veteran Shaquille Leonard, who had visited the team last week after being released by the Indianapolis Colts. The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey weighed in Monday on a long-standing legal feud between a township in Essex County and an Orthodox Jewish group, stating religious groups must not face legal barriers when establishing new houses of worship. Chai Center for Living Judaism has filed lawsuits in state and federal courts against the Township of Millburn, alleging they were discriminated against when town officials denied applications to build a synagogue in Millburn. The federal lawsuit, filed March 31 in U.S. District Court, alleges the township prevented Chai Center from engaging in Orthodox Jewish prayer by thwarting their efforts to build the house of worship on Millburn Avenue. Houses of Worship are permitted with conditional use approval, the township stated in an answer to the federal lawsuit. Millburn officials did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment on the U.S. Attorneys court filing or on the various court actions that have taken place since 2009. Attorneys for the Maryland law firm that filed the suit were not immediately available to comment. The defendants actions have prevented plaintiffs from engaging in their religious exercise by building their synagogue, which would allow Chai Center to provide and to expand its religious programming and free it from the onerous conditions under which it now operates out of its rabbis home, the federal lawsuit states. The defendants actions have prevented plaintiffs from engaging in their religious exercise, the suit states. Building a synagogue would allow Chai Center to provide and expand religious programming, the suit says, noting the center currently operates of its rabbis home. The lawsuit alleges parts of the townships land-use regulations, such as its requirement that houses of worship be located on lots at least 3 acres in size, violates the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. In response, Millburn filed a motion arguing the RLUIPA claims should be dismissed based on a standard used in state court to review zoning decisions. The motion also argues that the RLUIPA claims are not ready to be heard in federal court because the zoning denial was based on procedural grounds. RLUIPA is a federal law designed to protect religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Ahead of a decision on the motion, the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey, along with the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, filed a statement of interest in the case on Monday. RLUIPA is designed to ensure that religious groups of all faiths do not face unjust barriers when seeking to establish places to worship, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, said in a news release. Local land use boards cannot unfairly or discriminatorily deny a religious groups application to use land for religious purposes, Clarke said. When local officials use the guise of zoning restrictions to block or restrict religious groups, this not only contravenes our nations commitment to religious freedom, it also violates federal law. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A West New York man who convinced a 13-year-old to record sex acts on a 4-year-old girl has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced. Joseph Suarez, 32, must serve at least 85%, or nearly 13 years under the sentence imposed by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Carlo Abad Friday. Suarez is also subject to Megans Law sex offender registration and parole supervision for life. A Jersey City woman set a $1,400 baby stroller parked outside a private pre-K facility at the Bayonne Jewish Community Center ablaze Monday, said authorities, who also were quick to note the incident was not a hate crime. Khaliyah Bordeaux, 37, of Van Wagenen Avenue, was charged with one count of arson in the incident at noon near the The Lauren Wendroff Early Childrens Academy at 44th Street and Kennedy Boulevard. A representative from the school told police they had extinguished the blaze prior to police officers arrival. A possible rabid raccoon attacked a Princeton University student and local resident late Monday and early Tuesday, according to town officials. A university student reported being attacked by a raccoon near Dillion gym on Princetons campus at 8:42 p.m. The raccoon exhibited symptoms of being rabid including aggressive behavior and chirping noises and fearlessness towards humans. The student was treated for possible exposure to rabies. A Another attack was reported on Hibben Road at about 6 a.m. Tuesday. The raccoon was sitting on a residents door mat, but no injuries were reported. The resident reported similar behavior from the raccoon as the student the night before. A third report of a rabid raccoon encounter was also reported. Princeton University sent an alert to students Tuesday morning about the attack on campus and advised students to contact public safety if they encounter a raccoon. The towns animal control officer is working closely with Princeton University to capture the raccoon. Anyone who sees a raccoon or other animal acting strangely is asked to contact Princeton police at 609-921-2100. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X UPDATE: This article was updated to reflect the Coast Guards statement which said 1,000 pounds of tar balls and other pieces of oily debris were picked up not 1,000 tar balls. Clean up crews have picked up about 1,000 pounds of tar balls and other pieces of oily debris that has washed ashore along a large stretch of Monmouth County beaches last week, officials said. While no new pollution appeared over the weekend, the source of the debris and tar balls was still unclear Monday, according to a statement from the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard said they were continuing to probe the incident along the New Jersey Department of the Environmental Protection and officials from Monmouth County. Pictures of the tar balls on a beach in Long Branch appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Nov. 28. A post on Facebook from Clean Ocean Action on Monday appeared to show tar balls on the beach and asked anyone who finds similar contamination on other beaches to notify the state Department of Environmental Protection. According to the Coast Guards press release, tar balls between 1 and 2 inches were reported near Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Long Branch that morning. A pollution response team was dispatched to investigate and a fly-over was initiated from the Coast Guard station in Atlantic City. Tar balls are oily, congealed remnants of petroleum spills or natural seeps that can occasionally occur on the ocean floor, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Throughout last week, more were found as far south as Asbury Park and as far north as Sea Bright. Bayonne-based Kens Marine has been running the clean up of the tar balls and debris, officials said. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. A man who assaulted Fox 29 reporter Bob Kelly at a Jersey Shore bar over the summer has pleaded guilty to third-degree aggravated assault. Patrick Iannone agreed to a plea deal in which he will be sentenced to probation, Cape May County Assistant Prosecutor Ed Shim said Tuesday. Iannone, 22, of Sea Isle City has also agreed to attend anger management and alcohol counseling classes, Shim said. Iannone threw water at Kelly moments before the unprovoked attack July 30 at Oar House Pub in Sea Isle City. Kelly, a traffic anchor who often does features highlighting Jersey Shore towns in the summer and was hosting an event at the bar, later said that his assailant was filming a TikTok challenge. Iannone said a court hearing Monday that he had no idea who Kelly was, according to Philly.com. Iannone is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 12. In a separate incident, Iannone was charged with simple assault and criminal mischief on June 4 following an altercation at the Dead Dog Saloon in Sea Isle City, according to municipal court records. On June 27, Iannone pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, received a $533 fine and agreed not to return to the bar, records show. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. On the first night of my recent trip to London, I woke up totally disoriented. I didnt know where I was or what I was doing there. But I seemed to recall that both Joe Biden and Donald Trump were about to secure their partys nomination for president. Fifteen people were hospitalized with injuries after a fire broke out Monday morning at a troubled apartment building in Plainfield, authorities said. The fire on the 500 block of West 7th Street was caused by an electrical fault or a lithium battery and led to 42 families being temporarily displaced, city officials said in a statement. Thirty-five of the 42 were allowed to return to their apartments by 4:30 p.m. The building has a history of violations with residents telling WABC-7 there has been no heat for weeks. An apartment fire in Plainfield on Monday, Dec. 4 2023 injured at least 15. The Red Cross of New Jersey assisted at least 10 families displaced by the fire. American Red Cross Video from WABC-7 showed flames shooting from a third-floor window. Residents told the station some of their neighbors have been using space heaters. The neighboring building owned by the same landlords was condemned over the summer. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected by the apartment building fire at 515 W. 7th Street, Plainfield councilman Richard Wyatt said in a statement. While the administration indicated that this building met safety standards unlike its condemned neighbor, we earnestly hope this remains the case. Sadly, this incident took place right before the holiday season. We await more details and encourage the community to stay informed for updates as we unite in offering our support to those affected. City officials couldnt immediately be reached early Tuesday. A landlord must return the tenants security deposit within five days in case of fire, condemnation, or evacuation, the city said in a statement. Residents may contact Legal Services of New Jersey at 888-576-5529 for assistance. The Red Cross said Monday night it was helping at least 10 families with temporary food, housing and clothing. Earlier Monday, the city set up a temporary shelter at the Plainfield Performing Arts Center. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. NASHVILLE On the first full day of the Winter Meetings, an interesting Juan Soto development was passed along to NJ Advance Media while all 30 clubs worked on improving their rosters Monday at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. The Yankees still are very hopeful that the hitter who is first on their offseason wish list will be starting for them in left field n Opening Day. Even though their trade talks with the Padres for Juan Soto have stalled because the sides are far apart on a return, were hearing the Yankees gut feeling is that their recent offer eventually will be the framework for a completed deal. The Padres supposedly are asking for starting pitchers Michael King and Clarke Schmidt, and five other players, most of them ranked prospects. The Yankees want to keep King and Schmidt. They also want to hold on to pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, who is on the Padres asking list. The Yankees dont plan on caving, even if it means losing Soto to one of the three clubs that finished ahead of them in the AL East standings last season, the one that plays home games in Canada. FIXING THE YANKEES: Sign up HERE for our twice-weekly newsletter on the offseason changes Even though the Yankees love what Soto would bring and theyd hate seeing him in a Blue Jays unform, were hearing Brian Cashmans stance is that he will not drastically overpay for a possible (or is it probable?) rental thats projected to make around $33 million in 2024. This time next year, Soto figures to be a free agent seeking a Shohei Ohtani-stratosphere contract that tops the $440 million that he turned down from the Nationals in 2021. Somebody probably will give it to him, because hes a 25-year-old who seems destined for Cooperstown, but that someone probably wont be the Yankees. Its believed Hal Steinbrenner wants Aaron Judge remaining at the top of the payroll now and probably for a few more years. The Yankees backup plan is just as risky and quite expensive. Free agent Cody Bellinger is intriguing though. Hes won an MVP when he was with the Dodgers as a 23-year-old and he put up fantastic numbers last season playing for the Cubs. But Bellingers 2021-23 seasons were atrocious and one of them was Joey Gallo-esque, his .165 average with 10 homers in 95 games in 21. Also, Bellingers hard-hit and exit-velo rates last season were career lows, some people question his makeup and theres been debate on whether he can handle playing in New York. In the coming days or weeks, maybe before the Winter Meetings end Wednesday, the Yankees perhaps either will deal for Soto, complete a deal for Bellinger or settle for someone with a big-league resume thats far less impressive. What should the Yankees do? We asked two rival executives who know the their roster well to weigh in on how Cashman should go about fixing a Yankees lineup that played a big part in last seasons 82-80, no-playoffs disaster. Their advice was night and day different. After exiting an afternoon meeting with his club, Exec 1 claimed the Yankees will either trade for Soto, sign Bellinger or remain an American League also-ran in 2024. This is New York, the exec said in a 10-minute interview. If the Yankees dont do anything, do you think theyre going to beat any of the other teams in the AL East that might be improving? If the Yankees believe that the roster they have today doesnt need Soto or Bellinger regardless of the money, the fans are going to be furious. They were in an uproar with the team they had last year. What do you think itll be like in 2024 if they dont get Soto or Bellinger? Exec 2 disagrees. He says as bad as the Yankees were last season, theyre better off passing on Soto due to the return cost for 2024 and finances for 2025 and beyond. Hes also no fan of Bellinger and predicted the Yankees signing him to a massive deal could end up worse than their Jacody Ellsbury fiasco. Bellingers a big risk, he said. I couldnt do it. You just watch, hell get his money and go back to being the Bellinger he was from 2020-22. Hes the scariest free agent out there right now. He had three bad years, then all of a sudden he had a good year. If you put Bellinger in Yankee Stadium, you can just chop off half of the field because hes going to try to hit everything out of right field. Hes a big-time pull guy. He put up good numbers last year. Credit to him. Will he do in next year and the year after and the next 10? I wouldnt bet on it. MLB Trade Rumors predicted Bellinger signs a 12-year, $154-million with someone. I agree Bellingers a risky sign, Exec No. 1 said. Some teams probably think the high risk is not worth the reward. But in my opinion, the Yankees dont have any player like him. The Yankees havent had a lot of well-rounded players for a long time coming through their system. They dont have Bernie Williams,. They dont have Derek Jeter or Jorge Posada. They need athletes. On their current roster, they have two, the shortstop (Anthony Volpe) and King Kong in right (Judge). Because they dont have athletes, I think theyre in a position where they have to spend big on a risk like Cody Bellinger if they dont get Soto. Bellingers an athlete. He has power. He can hit for average. He can run. He plays the field well. Exec 1 added, If I have another choice over Bellinger, maybe Ill make that decision. Soto is the other choice. Thats who the Yankees prefer even though they realize keeping him after 2024 probably will be difficult to fit into their budget. Ill tell you what, I know what San Diegos asked for Soto and I dont blame Cashman for not getting a deal done, Exec No. 2 said. Whoever trades for Soto, youre going to give up a haul. And I mean, youre gonna give up a big haul. I think San Diego is right asking for King and Schmidt. I doubt they get them, but I think the Padres will end up with a really good package from someone else. Someone is going to give the Padres what they want. Soto is a gifted offensive player and hes just 25. He can walk in a year, but someone will pony up a big haul and try to win next year. The Yankees should be that club, Exec 2 maintains. A lot of teams dont have these types of problems because they dont have the money to pay Soto $30 million for one year and theyd never give up of bunch of prospects for a rental, the exec said. The Yankees and a few other high-rolling teams can do it. Most every team that has money is going for Soto. And I think if you trade for Soto now and he plays next year like he did in Washington and San Diego, if your pocketbooks are open, then youre going to sign him long term. Even the Yankees. But even if the Yankees get Soto for just a year, thats going for it in 2024. Whatever the Yankees decide, theres risk. Do they give the Padres five, six or seven good young players for maybe just one season of Soto? Do they roll the dice on maybe a decade or more of Bellinger making big money? If Soto is traded elsewhere and Bellinger signs with someone else, can the Yankees live with pivoting to the next-best left-handed outfield option, the Korean raker who was posted by his KBO club on Monday, Jung Hoo Lee? Do they settle for more of what they already have and sign a productive right-handed slugger who strikes out a ton, perhaps Teoscar Hernandez or Lourdes Gurriel Jr.? They need Soto or Bellinger, Exec 1 said. Theres risk, but theres always risk when you add that kind of money to the payroll. The Rangers took a risk signing Jacob deGrom. The Angels took a risk signing Anthony Rendon. If the Yankees get Soto for a year, they have to hope the risk pans out. And if they sign Bellinger, they have to believe last year was not a fluke, just like when he was 21, 22, 23. They dont have anybody like Cody Bellinger. They dont have anybody like Juan Soto. They need one of them. That we know. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. NASHVILLE The Yankees made contact with Shohei Ohtanis representation early into the free-agent signing period just for due-diligence sake. The Yankees read the tea leaves. They knew the reigning American League MVP didnt want to play for them when he first came over from Japan six years ago and they know nothings changed. They also know that Giancarlo Stanton is locked into their DH spot and thatll be Ohtanis only position until he pitches again in 2025. Also, the Yankees never seriously entertained making an offer because they hope to add $60 million to next seasons payroll by signing incoming Japanese pitching wise Yoshinobu Yamamoto and trading for left fielder Juan Soto rather than pay Ohtani about $60M for the next nine years. FIXING THE YANKEES: Sign up HERE for our twice-weekly newsletter on the offseason changes Ohtani probably will factor in the Yankees offseason though. Its believed there are five finalists for Ohtani, who will land a record contract that surpasses $500 million. The Dodgers are the favorites. The Giants, Cubs and Blue Jays are serious contenders. The Angels are still hopeful that the two-way superstar makes an unexpected return to Anaheim. Its believed Ohtani met with Giants last Saturday in San Francisco and he was in Florida on Monday for a sit-down with the Blue Jays. I think Ohtani is going to the Dodgers, but the big talk right now is the Blue Jays, an American League execuive told NJ Advance Media on Monday. Im hearing that a lot. A final decision is expected within a week. Heres how the Yankees factor into this: If the Dodgers sign Ohtani, the Yankees probably become the best bet to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 25-year-old righty who was posted by his Japanese club last month after winning three league MVPs in a row. The gossip at this weeks Winter Meetings on Yamamoto has been that he prefers to play for the Yankees or Dodgers. Growing up in Japan, he closely followed the Dodgers. Thus, Yankees fans should root for Ohtani choosing the Dodgers, who then would pass on Yamamoto. The Giants, Mets and Red Sox also are hot for Yamamoto, who figures to a get a pact that surpasses $200 million. If Ohtani goes to the Blue Jays, theyll likely end trade talks with the Padres for Soto. This week, Toronto seemingly has been the Yankees stiffest competition for Soto, who likely will be traded soon. San Diego needs to shed a lot of payroll this winter and Soto is projected to make $33 million in 2024, his walk year to free agency. Ohtani picking the Giants, Cubs or Angels could be bad for the Yankees, whose chances of getting Soto and/or Yamamoto then would figure to drop because there will be more big-market competition. If the Yankees miss out on Soto, theyll probably make a strong push to sign free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, who is seeking a contract worth more than $200 million. Bellinger returning to the Cubs, his 2023 club, is a possibility. If Bellingers price drops, the Mariners might make a run, as well. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. A Headland father accused of recklessly causing his sons death before placing his body in a freezer is seeking a lower bond amount. Michael Shane Halstead, 44, of Headland, is facing one count of reckless manslaughter and one count of abuse of corpse. He has been in the Henry County Jail on a $275,000 bond since his arrest in late October. Halsteads attorney Arthur Medley filed a motion last Friday claiming that the current bond is a violation of his clients constitutional rights as he is unable to raise the funds to secure his release from jail. The current bond is the equivalent to no bond and effectively denies the defendant his rights under the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Alabama to effective assistance of counsel, the motion read. To require a bond in this amount places an excessive and heavy burden upon the defendant, which after diligent efforts, is unable to overcome. Henry County judge James Peterson granted Medleys motion to discuss reducing Halsteads bond and set the hearing for Monday, Dec. 11. According to the Henry County Sheriffs Office, the decomposed body of Logan Michael Halstead, 19, of Headland, was discovered in an unplugged freezer in the backyard of a home in the 200 block of Bradford Drive. Both Halstead and his wife Karen, 43, of Jack, were arrested on Sunday, Oct. 29, and originally charged with abuse of corpse. However, as the result of an ongoing investigation, the couple was charged with manslaughter a week later on Monday, Nov. 6. Shortly after they were arrested, Karens attorney Dan Blalock filed a motion to get her bond lowered. Peterson granted the request, bringing her total bond down to $90,000. Court records show the Halsteads are due back in court early next year for a preliminary hearing. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Periods of snow. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 90%. About one inch of snow expected.. Tonight Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 24F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Already done and staying stress free Almost there. Just a few more rhinestones to place It's going to be a photo finish to Fat Tuesday It won't be pretty, but I'll figure something out Vote View Results EACH, in collaboration with CommBank, spearheads an initiative to expose and combat financial abuse within SMEs. Financial abuse in the business realm is a severe form of family violence, often occurring concurrently with verbal or physical abuse. Financial abuse within the business realm is a grave manifestation of family violence involving the exertion of power to regulate, exploit, or sabotage a partner within a business context. Research conducted by Deloitte Access Economics for the Commonwealth Bank has unveiled the alarming scale of financial abuse in Australia, affecting over 600,000 individuals and costing the economy a staggering $10 billion annually. However, statistics regarding the prevalence of financial abuse within businesses remain elusive. Given that family businesses constitute 67 percent of all Australian businesses, the risks extend significantly to numerous families. EACHs project aims to fill this knowledge gap, conducting studies that quantify the numbers and values associated with this hidden problem. In a pivotal move, not-for-profit organization EACH has been chosen as a CommBank Next Chapter Innovation Partner, signifying a commitment to combatting financial abuse within Australian small businesses. Despite being a powerful mechanism for keeping victims trapped, financial abuse within small businesses continues to evade mainstream attention and support, highlighting the critical need for recognition and action within consumer protections, tax, and corporate legislation. The shared experiences of victims, from coercive directorship to business sabotage, emphasize the urgency of establishing effective pathways for resolution and justice. Unveiling Financial Abuse in Small Businesses: Financial abuse within the business realm is a concealed yet serious facet of family violence, characterized by the misuse of power to control, regulate, or sabotage a partner. EACH, in partnership with CommBank, seeks to unravel the complexities of this abuse and offer solutions to those affected. Real-Life Experiences Exposed: Based on the lived experiences of EACH clients, instances of financial abuse in small businesses have emerged in various forms. Examples include individuals being forced into directorship without consent, compelled personal guarantees for business loans, and coerced use of personal credit for business purposes. Such abuses often involve the misuse of regulatory bodies and financial institutions. Impacts of Financial Abuse: Financial abuse is a potent tool for abusers to maintain control over victims, leading to multifaceted consequences. Victims find themselves having to prove innocence at a personal cost, facing prolonged resolution periods, and dealing with unwarranted debt repayment that may result in bankruptcy. The impacts extend to impaired credit reports affecting various aspects of life and the potential collapse of sabotaged businesses. EACHs Proactive Response: EACH, with its established history of supporting victims of financial abuse, recognizes the urgency to address this specific form of abuse within small businesses. The collaboration with CommBank aims to create a national response, providing specialized support for victims. The current legal and regulatory framework often fails to adequately address instances of financial violence. Statistics and Future Studies: Deloitte Access Economics research reveals the widespread impact of financial abuse on individuals and the economy, estimating that over 600,000 people in Australia have experienced financial abuse in the past year. However, limited research exists on financial abuse within small businesses, despite family businesses constituting a significant portion of Australias business landscape. EACHs project seeks to fill this gap, conducting studies that quantify the prevalence and value of this type of abuse. The Next Chapter Innovation Think Tank, hosted at CommBanks South Eveleigh offices, brought together the five selected community organizations, key executives, and subject matter experts from various bank divisions, including retail, HR, business banking, strategy, marketing, and community investment. Each organization chosen as an Innovation Partner will benefit from mentorship provided by a senior leader from the bank. This mentorship, spanning the next 12 months, aims to offer sustained support and expertise, empowering these organizations to make a lasting impact through their programs. Sian Lewis, CBA Group Executive for Human Resources, emphasized the significance of CommBanks Next Chapter Innovation program. It leverages the banks expertise in incubating and delivering innovation to offer practical support, accelerating action for community organizations dedicated to addressing financial abuse within the context of domestic and family violence. CommBank is committed to sharing its resources with not-for-profit organizations, making available expertise that might otherwise be inaccessible to them. The mentorship, support, and collaborative think tank approach are designed to bring meaningful projects to life, significantly impacting the lives of many individuals affected by domestic and financial abuse. The five Next Chapter Innovation Partners and their respective initiatives are: YFS LTD: Providing services in Logan and Scenic Rim, YFS Ltd will develop and trial practical ways to raise awareness about technology-facilitated abuse, including hosting bring your device sessions, capacity-building sessions, and security upgrades for those impacted by domestic violence and financial abuse. Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis and Support Agency (ICSA): Dedicated to vulnerable South Asian communities, ICSA will address the issue of dowry abuse, developing guidelines and tailored sessions for the community, legal sector, domestic violence sector, and frontline workers. EACH: A for-purpose organization delivering health and support services, EACH will commission a report to inform the development of a national domestic and family violence in small business resolution service. Afghan Women on the Move: Supporting Afghan and multicultural women in Australia, this organization seeks to address the nuanced challenges of domestic violence and financial abuse within the multicultural community by providing language-targeted content and therapeutic art workshops. Illawarra Womens Health Centre: Through the Illawarra Womens Recovery Centre, opening in 2024, this center will co-design a Pathways to Financial Security Framework to define financial security from a lived experience perspective after experiencing domestic and financial abuse. Lula Dembele, Director Lived Expertise & Advocacy at Illawarra Womens Health Centre, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, We are thrilled to be partnering with CBA through Next Chapter Innovation to help create a way forward for women to re-establish financial security following financial abuse. The Next Chapter Innovation initiative, launched in July 2023, offered eligible not-for-profit and social enterprise organizations access to grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000, dedicated executive support and mentoring from CommBank, and access to a think tank to leverage corporate expertise. For further details on CommBank Next Chapter, visit: commbank.com.au/nextchapter Anyone worried about their finances because of domestic or family violence or coercive control can contact the Next Chapter Team on 1800 222 387 for support no matter who they bank with. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency or if youre not feeling safe, always call 000. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Whether they return home or stay abroad, Vietnamese graduates of foreign schools often have difficulty finding their place. For several months since she graduated with a marketing degree from a university in Canada, Thanh Thao, 26, has not been able to find a job on her chosen career path. Thao said international students like her regularly learn the hard way that recruiters abroad tend to favor local employment candidates. "Its quite hard to find a job. And I could not find satisfying work that matches my qualifications." According to Thao, each foreign postgraduate faces competition from 100 local applicants. "And recruiters prefer locals because they believe people from here can do a better job thanks to their language proficiency and better understanding of the country's culture and habits," she said. In order to extend her stay in Canada, Thao has had to take jobs outside her industry, and she even took on unpaid volunteer work at a non-profit organizations for three months. "I am employed for now, but I work in a warehouse and take care of logistics for a company," she said. In Australia, Thien Kim has been in the same situation. Despite her master's degree in communications, Kim said she's found it difficult to compete for jobs with local applicants. "In marketing, there is the 'insight' concept, which means a deep understanding of consumers, customers, competitors, and the industry. I'm an international student who hasn't lived here very many years. My culture and thinking are completely different despite how proficient my English is, so there is no way I can understand target customer bases and the market as well as locals here," Kim said. "If I want a job developing marketing campaign ideas for a brand, I have to return to Vietnam. If I stay, I will have to accept jobs I don't want, such as studying the market, building media plans, and other jobs related to technology and numbers instead of working with people and ideas." Kim said many of her friends who are also Vietnamese post-graduates in Australia have had to accept salaries lower than market rates because local companies know foreign graduates need jobs to extend their visas. In October, Australian public policy think tank Grattan released a report titled "Graduates in limbo: International student visa pathways." The report stated that Australian employers are reluctant to hire international graduates because of uncertainties regarding visas once their Temporary Graduate visas expire. The Grattan research also reported that many temporary graduate visa-holders struggle to pursue their chosen careers in Australia and thus resort to working low-skilled jobs instead, and only 55% end up working full-time. A group of Vietnamese students take photos with their friends and teachers at a university in Australia. Photo by Dinh Phuong The report said temporary graduate visa-holders on average earned less than working holiday-makers, at an average of AUD$56,300 (US$37,437) in 2021 compared to an average of $56,600 among working holiday-makers. In total, nearly 75% of temporary graduate visa-holders earned less than the median Australian worker in 2021. The median Australian worker earned $63,041 in 2021, which includes many part-time workers And according to a 2022 report by American biweekly magazine The Nation, 77% of international students expressed the intent to remain in the U.S. and work after the conclusion of their optional practical training. However, only 46% were able to do so. The report also quoted a survey by Interstride, a platform that supports international students pursuing higher education, as saying that "most international students in the U.S. want to stay after graduation but worry about getting a job." Should I stay or go? Thao said her family has more than once advised her to return to Vietnam, but the fear of reverse culture shock has kept her from doing so. Thao said she is not alone: many friends of hers who are also overseas Vietnamese students feel the same way after spending years of their youth in another country, during which time they did not just study but also learned to adapt to a new environment, new culture and new habits. "I got acquainted with the living and working environment here, and I have also gotten used to the way people think and act. I now have the feeling that I would have to start all over again if I return to Vietnam," she said. "What I have learned here doesnt apply in Vietnam. So, Im quite lost now." Thao said she also worries about salary because learning abroad and having several years of work experience in Canada does not mean she would be paid higher than an intern in Vietnam. "Ive been considering that option [returning to Vietnam] for a month now, but I think Ill visit my family first to see if I should move back to live and work," she said. Thien Kim, the overseas student in Australia, said the increasing trend of studying abroad was one of the reasons it has been more difficult for international students to return home and find a job. She said any family that can afford it now sends their children abroad to study, therefore degrees from a foreign university are not as valuable and rare as they were in the past. The Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training announced early this month that around 40,000 Vietnamese go abroad to study each year, a 2.5-fold increase compared to before 2013. Education expert Vu Thu Huong said parents should be careful not to pressure their children to study abroad "at any cost." "There have been cases in which a bright and confident kid has become depressed when they cant fit into the new environment of a foreign country, and then they also dont feel they belong when they return to their home country." A representative of a American university (L) talks to a student at an education fair in Hanoi, October 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Binh Minh According to Huong, some parents pour all their money into sending their children abroad, and then they place unrealistic expectations on what its like to settle there after graduation. "For these students, instead of enjoying and exploring, all they care about is how to take more part-time jobs [to help their parents pay off debts they have incurred sending them abroad] and how to get a ticket to stay." She said that some Vietnamese learners abroad find it so hard to stay that they enter fake marriages with locals in order to do so. Huong suggested that parents speak honestly with their children when they are old enough to see if they really want to study abroad. If they do, she said, it's then the parents' job to carefully prepare their children. She also said families should map out a specific post-graduation plan before a child is sent away. As for graduates that now feel stuck, Huong suggested they try other job markets, including other countries in the region, or other cities and provinces outside the localities they studied in. Learning from the experiences of others, Bao Quyen, 26, who studied International Business at a university in Germany, has registered for an exchange course with a Vietnamese university to return home and learn in Vietnam as an international student for one year. Quyen said this way, she can gradually re-adapt to the Vietnamese environment and establish more connections for more job opportunities. Children wait to receive check-ups for respiratory diseases at a hospital in Beijing, China. Photo by AFP The Health Ministry has called for vigilance against a rise of respiratory diseases, including Covid-19, flu, and a new illness emerging among children in China. In a statement released Monday, the ministry said several countries in the region have recorded a surge in cases of respiratory illness. In Malaysia and Singapore, the number of Covid-19 cases has increased 50% and 100% respectively in the week of November 19-25 against the previous week. Health authorities in both countries said the situation is under control and most cases are not severe. They said the increasing demand for traveling at the end of the year is among the reasons for the surge. Cambodia on Nov. 24 recorded another case of human infection with the bird flu virus H5N1, raising the number of cases in this country so far this year to six, including four deaths. In China, there has been a spike of a respiratory disease among children since October and the outbreak has showed no signs of easing. The World Health Organization said in a report on Nov. 23 that a day earlier, it had requested from China additional epidemiologic and clinical information, as well as laboratory results from these reported clusters among children, through the International Health Regulations mechanism. Beijing's National Health Commission told reporters last month that the respiratory illness spike was due to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens, including influenza and common bacterial infections that affect children. The ministry said Vietnam is also in the period of changing seasons and the low temperature and high humidity in the air would create favorable conditions for the spread of pathogens. The end of the year is also the period of increasing demand for trading and traveling, which adds another condition for respiratory diseases to spread. The ministry, therefore, called old people, children, and those with weak immune systems or chronic diseases to raise their guard. It urged people to wear masks at healthcare facilities, on public transport and in crowded places. People should also wash their hands regularly with soap or disinfectant, as well as disinfect their throats and noses. Vietnam has already recorded an increase in respiratory patients in recent weeks, and most of them are the elderly or children. The pediatrics department at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi has almost been full of patients. Over the past week, the number of child patients admitted for respiratory illness has doubled that of last month, and many children with severe pneumonia disease must rely on ventilators. (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) More jobs, greater economic prosperity and improved economic cohesion: the energy transition promises to boost rural EU regions in particular. These will benefit from the further expansion of renewable energy, while urban areas will need additional support - this is the conclusion of a new study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Berlin, 05.12.23 (News Aktuell).- The European Union wants to be climate-neutral by 2050 - this is at the heart of the Green Deal. The biggest challenge to this is the decarbonization of the European energy system. The shift to renewable energy is a great opportunity for rural regions. They will benefit with an increase of up to 4.9 percent in employment and up to 1,570 euros per capita in added value by 2050. This will contribute to an improved European cohesion, i.e. more equality between regions in Europe and greater economic balance. Regions that are already leaders in the expansion of renewable energy and rural areas with high potential for generating renewable energy will benefit the most from the energy transition. A example of this is the contrast between Berlin and Brandenburg: the rural area around the German capital could benefit, while Berlin itself has some challenges to overcome. For many urban regions and areas whose industry is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, the energy transition poses a challenge that can have a negative impact on employment and economic prosperity. In these regions, value added decreases, and jobs lost because of the phase-out of fossil energy generation cannot be fully compensated by the expansion of renewable energy generation. In concrete terms, this means up to 2,450 euros less per capita in value added and up to 2.1 percent less employment by 2050. These differences between the regions are due to their respective potential for generating renewable energy and their economic structures. "One thing is clear: The energy transition opens up opportunities for rural regions, while new challenges arise for urban centers. What is needed in view of these regional differences is an expansion of the strategy. On the one hand, the negative effects must be counteracted, particularly in urban regions. On the other hand, rural regions must be helped to realize their full potential. An adapted European cohesion policy is now more necessary than ever to meet these challenges," explains Thomas Schwab, Economist at the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Contact: Thomas Schwab, Telefon: +49 (30) 27 57 88 - 132 E-Mail: thomas.schwab@bertelsmann-Stiftung.de For most of his life he found meaning within perfection, whether at the yoke of a fighter jet or the stroke of a brush. But now Jim Horsley is seeking that less and instead finding meaning through art in a different way. After a year of deliberation and hard work he is displaying his journey to meaning within a new book, "Reflections of Jesus." For most of his art career his work has largely centered around his military service and the Western way of life. He served 12 years in the United States Navy as an E-6 Intruder fighter pilot and would later serve two years within the ranks of the prestigious U.S. Navy Blue Angels demonstration team. In those ranks perfection was an art form as much as a demand, and the rules of precision aviation left no room for error. That eventually translated into his early art. When he began painting in 2010 his artwork largely consumed the realm of aviation and Western landscapes. But over the years the desire for finding meaning within his work prevailed. He began to find that by painting the homeless and his fellow veterans. He calls it "painting with a purpose." Meaning, he believes, is held in the way of benefiting others and not the self. His artwork became a mode of blessing others and less about him. He came to faith in Jesus Christ in 1984 and his journey would eventually lead him to some his greatest work - painting the scenes of Jesus within the New Testament. He says of his earliest artwork, "Aircraft are linear and non-relational. They have no emotions other than creating pride in what I've done." Painting Jesus and his life strikes him at a different level, he says. The ensuing process was emotional and deepened his faith on many levels. In August 2022 he conceived the idea of depicting Jesus' life in art. The following month he would begin the process of painting, but not without intense research and prayer. The paintings, he realized, had to be more than just visually appealing but accurate to the times and locations. "All of my compositions are compiled of prior thinking and thought, and I found a way to make it unique to me. I had to own it in my own mind," he said. The process was a careful look at reality and truth. What was accurate for the time period? And what was the landscape like in and around Israel at the time? For example: The "Journey to Bethlehem" piece was a careful study of previous paintings and the study of what was real at that time. He included a map to depict the journey. Consideration of animals used was based on economic class; people, camels, and the desert are accurate based on the route from Nazareth to Bethlehem as described in Luke 2:1-5. The Wedding Miracle - where Jesus turned water into wine - has an accurate number of jars, style, color, and size according to studies of that cultural era. Horsley gave careful thought and prayer to each scene he painted. He wasn't looking for the Renaissance style or an unrealistic depiction of Jesus. He simply wants the truth to be known, as Jesus was. In the "Triumphal Entry" painting, Horsley referenced 48 historical images to ensure the most accurate depiction of what was described in Matthew 21. After studying the four Gospels and painting a total of 40 scenes over a year, Horsley has completed an 89-page book. Steve Stratos, a friend and pastor at Sisters Community Church, wrote commentary for each image that explains the biblical context depicted. "I'm not an artist," Horsley said reflecting on his work. "I'm a journeyman painter. God put this on my heart not to be a perfectionist." It's his magnum opus, a journey to better understanding and what he hopes is an opportunity for others to learn more about Christ. "Art opens doors to conversation and that understanding," he says. He has no desire to make a commercial enterprise from it, but to simply provide a window into better understanding of who Jesus says he is. Horsley hopes to extend the meaning of the book sales by donating all net proceeds to Faith Seeds Guatemala, a ministry funding the education of children in poor rural communities. There will be a special book release and meet-and-greet on December 10, at 11:15 a.m. at Sisters Community Church. People may meet Horsley, see the paintings, and purchase a book. Books will also be available for purchase at http://www.jimhorsley.net. Volunteers from Sisters recently returned from one of many trips to Honduras with the nonprofit Heart for Hope. Dr. John Spomer, now a Central Oregon resident, helps orchestrate the trips in collaboration with Cadena de Amor in Honduras. Before Heart for Hope partnered with Cadena de Amor (Chain of Love), the Honduran non-profit worked with Medical Teams International of Portland, Oregon, to provide dental care for grade school children. Ten years ago, Medical Teams International phased out its support of Cadena de Amor. With the help of Dr. John Spomer, Heart for Hope gradually became Cadena de Amor's principal financial source. According to their website: "Since then, Heart for Hope has also responded to several other areas of need in Honduras, such as small construction projects undertaken to help meet basic housing needs, especially those of women and children. Dental services have expanded to serve secondary school students in San Juancito and other villages." Dr. Spomer has been on countless trips to Honduras, volunteering with village dentists to bring dental care and education to grade school kids. Kathy Campbell is a former professor at the University of Oregon and, since retiring in Sisters, has enjoyed volunteering for many organizations and keeps returning to Heart for Hope. "Every trip is an opportunity to continue the education and work with kids we've seen before, and the kids are wonderful and so happy to be with us during the clinics," said Campbell. Dr. Spomer sees Heart for Hope's work as an essential aspect of everyday life in the villages in Honduras. His goal is to bring hygiene practices and dental care to every child of grade school age he can, to reinforce good practices early in their development. "We love the work and are continuing more projects such as building homes for single women raising families; that's one thing we started doing more this year," said Spomer. "It is such a privilege to serve these underserved communities there, and to travel there and raise money is such a reward and is so much fun. I've met some great people through the organization, and our partners in Honduras, like Dr. Gloria and her team, are the nicest people," said Campbell. "We always say when we arrive again that we are home in Honduras; it is like a family." Dr. Gloria, one of the Honduran dentists, is a pediatric dentist and works closely with Dr. Spomer and the volunteers. This past year, Sisters volunteers and Heart for Hope took two trips, one in June and one in November, to the Honduran villages to continue seeing kids and educate them on dental hygiene practices. Dr. Tom Rheuben, a well-known Sisters dentist, took the trip in June and spent his days seeing 30-60 kids daily. He described seeing kids walking to school with Coca-Cola bottles. "That's almost all you see there because it's so readily available and cheap due to big money from Coca-Cola to sell their product where sugar cane grows. Drinking that much sugar without proper dental care is rotting these kids' teeth and is a huge health crisis there," he said. Rheuben described seeing decay and rot in almost every single child. Most of the decay and rot were in the primary teeth (or baby teeth), but he is hopeful that these kids can save their permanent teeth through continuing visits and education. Rheuben has always wanted to be able to travel and make a difference, especially in a poor country like Honduras. "To see beautiful kids' smiling faces just fills your heart, and what we're doing is just a drop in the bucket in a country like that, but to see their smiles makes it all worth it," said Rheuben. "The November brigade patients brought the total number of youngsters treated in 2023 to 2,783 in 10 locations. We know that this dental care improves their overall health, self-esteem, and educational achievement - all made possible when a child's teeth are healthy, clean, and pain-free," said Campbell. Dr. Spomer brings volunteers along to help set up the clinics in the villages, usually in an open-area entertaining room. They bring dental chairs, lights, tools, and whatever else is needed to turn it into a full dental clinic. Volunteers help set up and tear down clinics, sterilize instruments, and set up areas for the dentists to treat each child. "We would fill an entire 25-foot truck with dental equipment, and it was a major undertaking to unload it and set it all up. Four hours after arrival, we had a fully operation dental clinic. It takes some serious manpower, and that's where the volunteer help comes in," said Rheuben. Teresa Mills, finance manager at the Sisters Folk Festival, went on the most recent trip in November as a volunteer and said this of her experience in Honduras: "My message is that my heart is full - full of love and respect for all that reach out and care for these beautiful children; and love for these precious kids. I hope our work leads to overall health for the kiddos, and long-term awareness of dental hygiene that can, hopefully, span generations. Health outcomes are much greater with healthy teeth." If you are interested in volunteering to go to Honduras with Heart for Hope, you don't have to be medically trained or know any Spanish, although a bit of training is preferred. Campbell encourages anyone interested to visit their website and reach out directly to get involved: http://www.heartforhope.org. Cutting trees in the forest turned out to be more of an adventure than four Sisters Country families imagined. A group of about 20 headed toward Round Lake last week in search of the perfect Christmas tree, an annual tradition. After completing the mission and bagging four handsome specimens, the families gathered around a bonfire. From out of the shadows, at first cowering, appeared a dog, not one of the five belonging to the tree hunters. The dog, a bit worse for wear, was coaxed to join the group. Within minutes he was snuggled in with the assembled. A few in the group thought the dog looked like one they'd seen only that morning on posters hung around town and Forest Service roads asking for help in finding two lost dogs. This fur boy had no name tag, but his rabies tag included the name of the vet. The vet was called, who in turn called the owner, who excitedly called the rescuers. Turns out this fellow was Tucker, who looked mostly like a black lab. However, Tucker (9) had a companion, a younger dog - a lab/pit mix around 2 years old, named Bruno - who was also missing. Both dogs had been with their owners the previous day on a Christmas tree hunt when they ran off. After a frantic search the duo's owners gave up for the night. But they didn't give up hope. They printed up signs and posted them around town, worried that the pair might be lost to the elements or a pack of coyotes. When they heard that a second dog was missing, without a moment's hesitancy the posse of a dozen kids, aged 6 to 9, organized a search and fanned out calling for the dog. Around 20 minutes later a shout went out: "I found him! I found him!" And within minutes the furry pals were reunited and delivered to their anxious and grateful humans. Jason Ellison, deputy fire chief at Black Butte Ranch, one of the dads on the trip, told The Nugget, "The kids were determined to find the dog. They weren't going home until they did. You've never seen such a bunch of happy faces." While all ended well, it's a good reminder that if your pets have a tendency to take off in the woods be sure they have tags with whom to call if found. And, consider the ultimate value of keeping them on a lead. This story could just as easily have gone the other way. Each year, approximately 10 million pets are lost in the United States, and millions of those end up in the nation's animal shelters. Tragically, only 15 percent of dogs and two percent of cats in shelters without ID tags or microchips are reunited with their owners. To prevent the heartache of losing a pet, the American Humane Society created "Every Day is Tag Day," a nationwide effort held annually on the first Saturday in April. The event unites thousands of animal care and control agencies, veterinarians, and humane organizations in the common goal of urging pet owners to equip their pets with ID tags and/or microchips to maximize the chance of their safe return if they stray from home or are lost on vacation. Canines who are suddenly separated from their owners will sooner or later switch to what is referred to as "survival mode." This is a flight auto-response when your dog will revert to its primal instincts, seemingly forget domestic life, and focus on nothing other than food, safety, and shelter. Some dogs will switch to survival mode instantly, while others might take weeks. What does this mean? There's a possibility that upon getting lost, a dog won't instantly head toward a human voice when it hears a call. If it's in survival mode, a dog might be wary of people and run immediately if spotted. Survival mode, however, isn't a permanent state. When you find him, it might take time but your dog will eventually recognize and re-bond with you. The topic of wolves is extremely controversial, and they are often seen as either good or bad. But no species is good or bad, as it's only we humans who classify their behavior as acceptable or not. Like any hotly debated issue, the more we understand and find similarities and commonalities, the more we can find acceptance - and in the case of the wolf, coexist. With wolves now taking up residence in Central Oregon and dispersing through Jefferson, and Deschutes counties, this is a great time to look closer at what we have in common. Both humans and wolves are top predators. Humans have multiple options to find food: hunting with state-of-the-art weaponry and all-terrain vehicles, hobby farms or ranches - or we can just go buy it. The wolf has its keenly developed sense for prey vulnerability, very strong jaws, the ability to run for miles, and, hopefully, its pack mates to help in coordinated hunts. Wildlife biologists document wolves as poor hunters, with very low success rates; it is a fine line between life or death for them. Additionally, wolves, like humans, are very territorial and will fight to the death to defend their boundaries against other wolves. Hence, most wolf mortalities come from their own kind. Humans, as we know, also fight our own territorial wars. Yet the single greatest similarity between humans and wolves is the value we hold for our family unit and the devotion and sacrifices we make for our families. Yes, a wolf is as devoted to his/her family as you or I. Wolves mate for life, only seeking out a new mate if theirs is killed. A wolf pack is a cooperative and socially dynamic unit with each member serving specific roles. Led foremost by the breeding female and her mate (formerly called the alpha female/male), wolves will only mate once a year, producing an average litter of four to six pups in mid-April. Generally, a "pack" consists of a breeding pair that has had offspring for multiple years within a designated area. However, that does not mean that all pups survive. Survival success depends upon many factors: the size of the pack, prey availability, disease, predators, age of the breeding female, human-caused mortality and, most specifically, the contribution of pack members. Like human families, wolf packs are made up of different members: the breeding pair or parents, yearlings or older siblings, aunts or uncles, and, in some packs, unrelated adults. All of these individuals have a responsibility to the pack and to their pups. In fact, without ancillary pack members, there is only a 30 to 60 percent chance of pups surviving their first year. The first six weeks are critical. Newborn pups are born blind, deaf, and unable to thermoregulate. They are completely dependent upon their mom for survival and she must rely equally on her pack for food and protection, unable to leave the den except for brief trips to eliminate or to access water. Every human mom knows the challenges of a newborn (juggling family needs with her own) and appreciates the support of her partner and other family members. The more helping hands the better. When a pack loses a contributing member, it puts the new family at greater risk. Earlier this year, the White River Pack of three near Mt. Hood lost its yearling from a car incident, and it is believed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) that this year's pups did not survive. In contrast, the Upper Deschutes pack, also monitored by ODFW, has seven members including two new pups. This indicates that last year's yearlings are contributing, initially by bringing food and later as babysitters allowing the more skilled adults to go off and hunt. Depending on the location and distance of prey or a carcass, wolves have the ability to carry up to 20 pounds of food within their stomach to be regurgitated for either the pups or the nursing mom. A wolf's ability to walk up to 1,000 miles in a year is one of its super powers. The designated caretakers (either by choice or while recovering from an injury) fill invaluable roles for the youngsters, not only for protection but also for teaching life skills, like how to recognize other family members, prey, and dangers. They also initiate games such as chase and tug-of-war. Researchers in Yellowstone National Park have observed that even the most formidable alpha male will allow rambunctious pups to attack, dog pile him, or pull his ears and tail until a restrained nip or meaningful growl is deserved. When older and at rendezvous sites, pups may go on little adventures with their sitter to practice hunting rodents while the other adult members go on more serious hunts. Life can be short for a wolf, averaging three to five years, so learning quickly how to survive is first and foremost and the family pack is key. Like our family counterparts, wolf families thrive and survive best together as a unified, cohesive unit. From their first howl, wolves learn it's all in the family, and for the family. December 4, 2023 | 05:05 pm PT Vietnam's economy has multiplied in size by 13 times since the mid-1990s. Its an amazing economic and social success story but one that urgently needs redefining as the global economy shifts towards net zero. In the nine years I've been living here the changes have been phenomenal. Foreign investment has rolled in, and manufacturing, agriculture and other industries have greatly expanded as Vietnam has become a crucial exporter of goods to nations such as Japan, Korea and the United States. Now, as the world rapidly transitions to meet the challenge of climate change, we are standing at another development crossroads and Vietnam has choices to make. The well-worn Vietnamese proverb says that climbing high is scary but crawling low leads to death.' Taking a risk can be dangerous, but whats far more dangerous is not being bold or ambitious enough. New investment is arriving, along with national climate targets, JETP financing and other outside capital seeking to drive renewable energy and decarbonization projects. The same multinationals who rushed into Vietnam a decade and a half ago are looking for assurances that their business here can help them deliver on ESG and sustainability commitments that are now common in the global corporate arena. Weve seen ambitious plans unveiled for large solar arrays and powerful hydro projects. Each of these has the capacity to help Vietnam deliver on its Paris Agreement commitment to reach net zero by 2050, as well as helping Vietnams economy and businesses. But if the full range of decarbonization opportunities is not grasped, this new transformation can also result in more waste, more land clearing and more biodiversity loss, an outcome just as economically destructive as the climate problem we are trying to solve. Vietnam is one of the ten richest centers of biodiversity globally, boasts expansive forest cover and has the highest marine biodiversity in the world. It has great potential to host the kind of nature-based solutions (NBS) needed to generate carbon credits that will be in high demand from Asian neighbors like Singapore, Japan and South Korea as they seek to decarbonize. Weve seen this on display already as Vietnam has become the first ASEAN country to sign an MOU with Singapore to collaborate on carbon credit projects. The total global market for carbon credits is tipped to reach US$50 billion by 2030 and Asia accounts for about a third of global NBS potential. Key to Vietnam tapping this potential will be partnering with the right expertise to create projects of the highest integrity and transparency. Increasingly, large companies will be focused on accessing credits of highest value, aware of the reputational risks associated with poorly designed or executed projects that fail to deliver on their environmental claims. High quality projects will be those that deliver on benefit sharing and on positive environmental impact, reducing the amount of carbon in our atmosphere while also making genuinely positive contributions towards Vietnams ecology, its communities and its people. Best positioned to benefit from these opportunities will be those already working in industries such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, who have an existing relationship with nature and have capacity to amend their business practices to protect and restore it. For companies in these sectors there is tremendous opportunity to investigate how access to land and nature can generate positive environmental outcomes that also produce new revenue streams based on carbon and nature credits. It is critical to access the expertise needed to get such projects right. Rice production accounts for 15% of Vietnams total carbon emissions and is an industry offering huge potential for decarbonization. There will, for example, be a need for the agriculture sector to expand the amount of food it produces as the population grows and export opportunities bring new wealth. But with limited available land such increases will need to come from efficiency gains, new technology and approaches otherwise growth will be short-lived and destructive. For Vietnams government there is an important role also. While the nations rich environment makes it suited to nature-based solutions like restoring forests, mangroves and sea grasses, the national economy is still largely comprised of smallholder farmers and small companies. Buyers of carbon credits on the international market will not only be seeking high integrity credits, they will want them at scale. For government there will be a role in encouraging aggregation of similar credits something that will be important as Vietnam plans to open an exchange to facilitate international carbon trading by 2028. Vietnam may have started slightly behind when it comes to decarbonizing its economy and harnessing the potential for nature-based solutions but it is now moving fast, thanks to a vibrant innovation and tech sector and a youthful energy that is geared towards adaptability, optimism and problem solving. Much is underway but plenty more is needed. According to the nations Climate Change Department, Vietnam will need about $400 billion between now and 2040 to respond to climate change. Current funding from the state budget can meet only $130 billion. The need for private sector finance to fill this gap is significant. Whats needed for success will be the expertise to identify and grasp the opportunities on offer, as well as the investment capital to underpin a decisive shift from crawling low to climbing high. These are the decisions that Vietnamese companies face now. How can they set themselves up to attract international investment that is hungrily in search of sustainable project pipeline? How can they obtain financing for the capacity building and technological shifts that are needed to grasp the opportunities on offer? They are the kind of challenges that we need to address now. Another Vietnamese proverb urges when eating fruit remember the ones who planted the tree. Now is the time to plant the seeds for a future Vietnam whose fruits can be enjoyed by generations still to come. *Guy Williams is an Executive Director with global climate and nature investment and advisory firm Pollination. He lives and works in Hanoi. Cleveland-Cliffs, one of the Region's largest steelmakers, recently made a donation to fund youth arts education in the Region. The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation, the charitable wing of the Ohio-based steelmaker, the largest flat-rolled steel producer in the country, donated $18,000 to the Chesterton Arts Center to expand its Youth Arts Outreach program, a partnership with the Duneland YMCA and Duneland Boys & Girls Club. The donation allowed the Chesterton Art Center to go from providing weekly youth arts instruction at just the Boys & Girls Club in Chesterton to be able to offer after-school education at all five YMCA elementary school sites simultaneously. Cleveland-Cliff's gifts doubled the number of young artists to be educated through the program. We've been dreaming of expanding our Youth Arts Outreach Program, and I am beyond ecstatic that this can now become reality. Art is a vital learning tool, and we are pleased to be able to serve so many additional students thanks to this grant, Chesterton Art Center Program Director Jillian Bridgeman said. The Chesterton Art Center launched the program in 2021 and expanded it last year. It provides visual arts instruction during the school year to students at no cost to them or their families. Cleveland-Cliffs is one of the Region's latest employers with more than 7,500 steelworkers and operations in Burns Harbor, Indiana Harbor, Gary, Riverdale and New Carlisle. A Michigan City man awaiting execution for killing two bank tellers and paralyzing a security guard during a 2002 robbery of a Porter County bank has died, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Odell Corley, also known as Nasih Khalil Ra'id, was found unresponsive Friday morning at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, officials said. According to BOP, life-saving efforts by prison personnel and emergency medical services were unsuccessful, and Corley was pronounced dead. No prison employees or other incarcerated individuals were injured and the public never was at risk in connection with Corley's death, officials said. According to court records, Corley, 59, was sentenced to be executed for fatally shooting Chandler Simpson, 59, of The Pines, and Kay Peckat, 51, of Michigan City, during an Aug. 27, 2002, holdup at the First State Bank of Porter on U.S. 12 in The Pines. He also was convicted of severely wounding bank security officer Keith Hill of Valparaiso, who was left a quadriplegic, records show. According to court records, Corley murdered Simpson and Peckat and permanently injured Hill within 29 seconds of entering the bank using a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun. Ultimately, Corley and his accomplices found the bank vault locked and they left with no money. A palm print on the bank counter left by Corley as he leaped over it indisputably linked Corley to the shooting, records show. According to court records, Corley's convictions and death sentence following a month-long jury trial in 2004 at the U.S. District Court in Hammond were affirmed by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. A long-delayed second round of appeals was pending at the time of Corley's death, records show. According to BOP, Corley was incarcerated at the Terre Haute prison where federal executions are carried out from July 12, 2005, until his death. Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail Shawna Wixon Tommie Scales Rudolph Johnson Jr. Michael Marianetti Irene Janowiak Erik Abraham Morgan Mann Daniel Gooden Andrew Kats Matthew Michalak Mercedez Page Michael Smallwood II Takoda Armwood Michael Gould Dusan Matic Luis Torres Aparicio Desmen Ireland Shakira Lee Christopher Martin Gabriel Ibarra Candice Casanova Nicholas Drakulich Nicole Galasso Garland Henderson Jr. Robert Barthel Jr. Carlos Torres Kristian Vranjes Lorenzo Wells Brian Howell Jr. Daniel Kearns Danielle Stanford-Clark John Green Albert Reyes Jose Cabrera Cabrera EAST CHICAGO A 30-year-old East Chicago elementary school teacher was shot in the stomach early Sunday by another woman while dropping off her boyfriend in the 3500 block of Block Avenue, Police Chief Jose Rivera said. Vanessa Vasquez of Whiting reportedly told police she had bonded her boyfriend out of the Lake County Jail and took him home when she was approached by Martina Martinez, 27, of Hobart. UPDATE: Yet another child added to Region's growing list of shooting deaths, police say Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact Detective Eran Meyer at Emeyer@merrillville.in.gov or by phone at 219-769-3531, extension 354. "She observed the suspect (Martinez) exit her vehicle and approach her in an aggressive manner," Rivera said. "The victim further stated she was still sitting in her vehicle when the suspect approached the vehicle, opened the door and began striking her with a closed fist." A witness told officers Martinez walked back to her vehicle and returned with a firearm. "The victim then exited the vehicle and was struck in the face with the firearm by the suspect," Rivera said. "The victim then stated she attempted to disarm the suspect when the suspect fired one shot at her striking her in the stomach." Police were called to the scene of what they described as a domestic incident shortly after 4 a.m. They found Vasquez lying in the roadway with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Rivera said. As medics were called, police said they located Martinez still on scene and ordered her out of her vehicle. Scrooge-like driver at Portage holiday parade winds up behind bars, police say "Mr. Gudde stated he was having a bad day and admitted to going around the two barricades," police said. "The suspect was taken into custody without incident and a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun was recovered from her vehicle," according to Rivera. Martinez was charged Monday with aggravated battery when the assault poses a substantial risk of death, battery by means of a deadly weapon and battery resulting in serious bodily injury, records show. Vasquez is listed as a teacher at Washington Elementary School in East Chicago. CALUMET CITY In September, significant flash flooding damaged thousands of homes throughout southern Cook County and in the northern-most corner of Hammond now FEMA is providing aid. On Sept. 17 and 18, an estimated 7-to-9 inches of rain fell in and around Calumet City. Houses and basements flooded, cars parked on the street were submerged and police had to close the Bishop Ford Expressway. The communities of Lansing, Dolton, Burnham and Hammond were also impacted by the storm. In November, President Joe Biden declared Cook County a disaster relief area, allowing affected residents to apply for individual assistance to recoup their losses through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Last week, FEMA opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Calumet City. The center is located at the Calumet City Public Library, 660 S. Mainstee Ave., Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. FEMA will also open a temporary recovery center in the Village of Burnham on Dec. 5. The center will be located in the Burnham Community Center, 14020 S. Torrence Ave., and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Burnham center will close permanently on Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. According a Monday news release from FEMA, additional recovery centers will be opening soon. Recovery center locations can be found at gateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator. FEMA specialists and representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available at the centers. Recovery center staff will help residents apply for federal assistance and will provide guidance on how to protect homes from future disasters. American Sign Language translations and translated written materials will be available at the centers. Residents can also apply for FEMA assistance by contacting the agency's Helpline at 800-621-3362, by visiting the online portal at disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. The deadline to register for assistance is Jan. 19. More information is available at www.fema.gov/disaster/4749. Hammond According to city officials, over 500 homes in Hammond experienced sewage backups during the September storm. At the end of September, state Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond, asked Gov. Eric Holcomb for state assistance. However, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. has noted that FEMA aid may be unlikely as the agency did not get involved in 2020 when flooding impacted some 1,700 homes in the city. The city has recommended residents contact the Hammond Sanitary District at 219-853-6413 to learn more about the Backflow Prevention Program. Backflows help prevent basement backups, if installed through the program, the sanitary district will reimburse the homeowner for a portion of the cost. PHOTOS: Hammond Public Library grand reopening Hickory Farms and other temporary retailers have cropped up in the Southlake Mall for the holiday season, offering Christmas ornaments, meat and cheese baskets and other gifts. Bethlehem Gifts, Urban Sox, JJ Accessories and Hickory Farms all opened this month to take advantage of the increased traffic during the holiday shopping season, Southlake Mall Marketing and Business Development Manager Kristyn Filetti said. Bethlehem Gifts personalizes ornaments and sells religious woodworking in the center court on the lower level. Urban Sox sells socks by Sunglass Hut. JJ Accessories sells clothes like sundresses and flare pants, as well as ponchos, blankets, winter accessories, shoulder bags and costume jewelry on the lower level. "It has jewelry, scarves and hats," Filetti said. "They took space by H&M by the entrance." Chicago-based Hickory Farm, a longstanding brand, is known for its cheese, summer sausage, charcuterie and gourmet food, specializing in gift boxes and baskets. Most will only be at the super-regional mall at U.S. 30 and Mississippi Street through the end of December. "All of the leases vary," she said. "Some will be here early next year." Southlake Mall offers short-term leases in both kiosks and storefronts year-round. Public schools across the country will be able to receive free COVID-19 tests from the federal government, thanks to an initiative announced by the U.S. Department of Education on Friday. The initiative is a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It will make available rapid antigen COVID-19 tests to all public and charter schools to hand out to students, parents, staff and the community. The Department of Education is encouraging school districts and charter schools to order the tests. The agency notified districts on how to so in a letter sent out on Friday. "These self-tests are east to use and can play an important role in preventing the spread of COVID-19," Roberto Rodriguez, the Education Department's assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development, said in a statement. "We encourage schools to make use of these free resources to safeguard students, parents, and staff." Millions of COVID-19 tests are expected to be sent out to schools in the coming months. Over the past two years, the federal government has distributed over 1.6 billion tests to households, schools, long-term care facilities, community health centers and food banks. Last month, the federal government restarted its free COVID-19 test program in which households can order up to four free tests. COVID-19 tests can be ordered at COVIDTests.gov. GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week The most recent Republican nominee for Northwest Indiana's U.S. House seat has decided which candidate she's backing in next year's Republican primary for Indiana governor. Jennifer-Ruth Green, of Crown Point, on Monday endorsed U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., in his bid to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb as Indiana's chief executive. In a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Green stands next to Braun at his auto parts distribution business in the southern Indiana city of Jasper and declares she's proud to back Braun for governor. "He stands for faith, family and community," Green said. "All of those things are incredibly important, not just to Hoosiers in Northwest Indiana but Hoosiers everywhere, and I'm so excited to join the team to help make the reality of Senator Braun becoming our next governor." Braun shakes Green's hand following her endorsement and Braun seems to borrow Holcomb's "Next Level Indiana" governing slogan as he thanks her for it. "Jen, what a pleasure to have you visit here today. This is where I built my business and I'm looking forward to taking Indiana where you live and the whole state to that next level," Braun said. "Let's do it!" Green replied. Braun is competing for the Republican gubernatorial nomination against former Commerce Secretary Brad Chambers; Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch; Eric Doden, a Fort Wayne businessman; and former Attorney General Curtis Hill Jr. Green was defeated last year by U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, in her campaign to represent Lake, Porter and northwest LaPorte counties in Congress. Gallery: Get to know the state symbols of Indiana State Aircraft: Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt State Bird: Cardinal State Flag State Flower: Peony State Fossil: Mastodon State Gun: Grouseland Rifle State Insect: Say's Firefly State Language: English State Motto: "Crossroads of America" State Nickname: The Hoosier State State Pie: Sugar Cream Pie (unofficial) State Poem: "Indiana" State River: Wabash State Seal State Snack: Indiana-Grown Popcorn State Song: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" State Stone: Limestone State Tree: Tulip tree Indian travel magazine Outlook Traveller has recently shared a list of popular tourist swindles in Vietnam that foreigners regularly fall prey to, including taxi and coconut seller frauds. The magazine advised tourists to be careful with motorbike scams, and only rent vehicles from reputable stores that have been well-rated by other tourists who have used the service. Vietnam's scooter rental service sector has boomed in recent years as it only costs around VND100,000 150,000 ($4.50-$6) per day to rent a bike. In addition, the magazine also pointed out that fake taxis and cyclo rides frequently overcharge, particularly during holidays. Since Vietnam reopened after Covid in March last year, taxi scams have been reported frequently by foreign tourists, and authorities have pledged repeatedly to crack down on such issues. Outlook Traveller also warned foreigners to stay vigilant with "friendly" coconut sellers who invite them to drink coconut water for free but then charge them an "exorbitant price." Last month, a Taiwanese visitor complained she was ripped off by a coconut vendor on the sidewalk in front of Ho Chi Minh City Museum on Ly Tu Trong Street in District 1, prompting the authorities to step in to investigate. The vendor approached her and showed her the entrance to the museum. Then, the man took out a coconut from his foam box and charged her VND150,000, 10 times the normal price. Other tourist scams the Indian magazine mentioned included non-listed restaurant and bar services, fake leather products sold at tourist stores, and street robberies. The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam so far this year has topped 11.2 million, far higher than the full-year target of eight million, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. The country has now set its sights on a figure of 13 million for the year. Though Vietnams tourism has showed signs of strong rebound post reopening, many foreign tourists still complained that the industry has still not escaped the bad reputations of gouging taxi services, harassment and cheating. Industry insiders blame weak law enforcement and meager fines for the pervasive fraud perpetrated on visitors, including tricking foreigners into buying things at unreasonable prices. In Vietnam, those caught deceiving tourists can face fines of up to VND10 million. A Bottle of Ink Mr. Logan said his obsession with ink began in the early 2000s, while he was working as a freelance illustrator in New York and came across a bottle of ink at Pearl Paint, a gone-but-not-forgotten art-supply store on Canal Street. The label on the oddly shaped bottle read black walnut ink, he wrote in his 2018 how-to manual Make Ink: A Foragers Guide to Natural Inkmaking. And when I got home, I really liked the way it worked; it was a pale caramel-brown when mixed with water and used as a background wash, but it darkened to an almost mahogany-black when brushed on in layers. When he went for a refill, there was none because the ink company, apparently, was no longer in business. He returned home to Toronto in 2005, but it wasnt until 2012, when he was working as a creative director at a magazine group, that his interest in ink returned. I was biking to work and noticed a beautiful old tree growing in the park that I passed through every day, he wrote in his book. When I realized that it was a black walnut tree, the memory of that original ink came back to me. The following year, he filled his pack with nuts and, once home, turned to the internet for help in making his first ink. And from there, he wrote, he examined medieval recipes for Bible ink; hand-stapled lichen-dyeing booklets by British craft revivalists; Han dynasty-era recipes for pinesap black, printed from Google Books; and Russian chemists YouTube experiments with copper crystals. He read about the tattoos inked on Otzi, the man famously preserved by a glacier in the Tyrolean Alps around 3,300 B.C.; about the Byzantine emperors who signed legal documents in ultraexpensive purple ink derived from snails; and about the Aztec scribes who used a vivid red ink made from the cochineal insects native to Central America. A former Fox News employee accused a top producer for the host Tucker Carlson of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed Monday. The accuser, Andrew Delancey, who previously worked as a producer for a Fox News affiliate service, said in the complaint that Justin Wells, formerly the senior executive producer of Tucker Carlson Tonight, assaulted him in 2008 after promising to help advance his career. A summons was first filed in New York State court on Nov. 22, just before the deadline under the states Adult Survivors Act, which provided a one-time window for people to file civil lawsuits for assaults that may have happened years or even decades ago. The full complaint was made public on Monday, when it was moved to U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In addition to Mr. Wells, the suit names Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation, as defendants. Despite years of commitments from countries to slash the emissions of greenhouse gases that are warming the planet, they are still on the rise. Carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels is expected to rise by 1.1 percent in 2023 compared with 2022, scientists found in an extensive peer-reviewed analysis published this week. Researchers from the Global Carbon Project, which produces the report annually, announced the results at the global climate talks in Dubai, where world leaders are reviewing progress toward the international goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. Irritable, reads the revealer at 54-Across, or how you might describe all the words in the answers to the starred clues. Oh, I was irritable all right! But I digress: The entry, as I learned from my crossings, was OUT OF SORTS. After a period of prolonged squinting, and with the help of some generous gray shading over the words OUT OF, I suddenly realized what was going on. You might also describe all the words in the answers to the starred clues as stay with me OUT OF SORTS, because each of them can be slotted into a phrase that begins with those words. Take the entry at 15-Across, for example: Something can be OUT OF PRINT, or OUT OF ORDER. Just below that, at 18-Across: One might be OUT OF POCKET, or OUT OF DOORS (a somewhat fanciful way of saying outdoors). Interestingly enough, OUT OF POCKET the phrase that inspired Mr. Cardins puzzle, as he details in his constructor notes below was the subject of a recent viral TikTok, and Ben Zimmer, a lexicographer for The Wall Street Journal, traced the origins of the phrase. Perhaps out of pocket is in the zeitgeist? Tricky Clues 21A. Flip a coin: verb or adjective? In this case, Shriveled is a past-tense verb, so its corresponding entry is SHRANK. 49A. The word for this Tight undergarment, GIRDLE, may sound a little old-timey. And it is, kind of: It emerged as a type of ladies shapewear in the early 20th century, but its aesthetic function has largely been replaced by waist trainers. (Whats more, the terms use peaked even earlier, during the 19th century, when it referred merely to a belt used to secure clothes!) The New York City comptroller, Brad Lander, has restricted Mayor Eric Adamss ability to quickly spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the migrant crisis a major blow to the mayors emergency powers. Mr. Adams, like several of his predecessors, has been given broad leeway to enter emergency contracts in times of crisis, including the coronavirus pandemic and the current crush of migrants entering New York. But Mr. Lander had warned in September that he might rein in Mr. Adamss authority, and withdraw his offices blanket prior approval of emergency contracts. He cited reporting by The New York Times and others about the citys dealings with a migrant services contractor, DocGo, whose $432 million no-bid contract has been marked by scandal. In a letter dated Thursday sent to all city agencies, Mr. Landers office revealed that he hereby revoked his prior approval for migrant shelter and services contracts awarded after Nov. 30, and that future migrant spending would need to be first authorized by his office on a case-by-case basis. If you want to understand the wrenching generational rift over Israel among many left-leaning American Jews, the documentary Israelism, which came out this year, is a good place to start. Much of it centers on the political evolution of Simone Zimmerman, who was raised to be a staunch Zionist, began questioning her beliefs even as she defended Israel at the University of California, Berkeley, and was transformed by her encounter with the harrowing reality of the Palestinian occupation. Zimmerman went on to co-found IfNotNow, an anti-occupation Jewish group that has been at the forefront of many protests against Israels war in Gaza. The filmmakers, Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen, are part of the same generation as Zimmerman, and Axelman told me, Were telling Simones story as a way of partly telling our story. But in November, when progressive Jewish students at Penn tried to screen the film, the university denied them permission, reportedly citing fear of a potential negative response on campus. The students showed it anyway and are now facing possible disciplinary action. Earlier that month, New Yorks Hunter College also canceled a screening of Israelism, with the colleges interim president, Ann Kirschner, citing the danger of antisemitic and divisive rhetoric. Amid outrage from staff and students, the event was rescheduled for this week. The fact that a documentary by and about left-wing Jews is seen, on some campuses, as too insensitive to Israel to be shown publicly demonstrates what a confused moment this is for academic free speech. Since Oct. 7, the strident pro-Palestinian militancy of many campus activists, including the justification or outright exaltation of Hamass war crimes, has left many observers incredulous, feeling as if a moral chasm has opened between the liberal establishment and its children. I was stunned when students across the country, including mine, immediately celebrated the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeleys law school, wrote in The Los Angeles Times. The Broadway star Gavin Creel had been a New Yorker for 20 years before he first visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in 2019. He realizes this is embarrassing information. In Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice, his new show at MCC Theater, he gets that admission out of the way in the opening number. I feel ashamed, like I should just go and hide, he sings. How have I never been here? Well, I think, its anyones guess, but it is on the Upper East Side. Its a cute joke, and ingratiating in a particularly Manhattanite way because who among us hasnt let the prospect of a simple crosstown trip keep us from some cultural treasure that people from all over the world flock here to experience? Its glib, too, though: the flash of vulnerability swiftly obscured with charm. Update: The authorities said the occupant of the house, James Yoo, 56, was presumed to have died in the blast. A house in Arlington, Va., exploded into flames on Monday night while the police were preparing to search it after reports of gunfire and a standoff with the man who lived there. The police first went to the home around 4:45 p.m. following reports that shots had been heard, the Arlington County Police Department said. A preliminary investigation indicated that the resident had fired a flare gun about 30 to 40 times inside his home into the surrounding neighborhood, according to a statement from the police. Officers obtained a search warrant and tried to make contact with the resident over the telephone and loudspeakers. But he did not respond and remained barricaded inside the home. As officers were preparing to serve the search warrant, he discharged several rounds from inside his home with what the police believe was a firearm. Then the explosion took place at the residence at 8:25 p.m. Early Tuesday, the police had not identified the man inside the home or what his condition was. The police said on social media that residents should avoid the area, part of a densely populated suburban neighborhood with parks, restaurants and schools. If the proposed map passes, as it is widely expected to in the Republican-led Statehouse, it would usher in a debate over whether majority-minority districts like Ms. McBaths have the same protections against racial discrimination under the Voting Rights Act as districts largely made up of one minority group. The inclusion of an additional majority-Black district, however, is in keeping with Judge Joness order to strengthen Black voters voting power in the state. The new district will be located west of Atlanta, per Judge Joness order. Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia who studies redistricting, said the states Republican lawmakers were following the rules the first part and then ignoring the second part. The second part being dont destroy any pre-existing or already existing Black opportunity districts. Other U.S. representatives from Georgia would see their districts radically changed, even as they remain partisan. Representative David Scott, a Democrat whose 13th Congressional District stretched along the southwestern metro Atlanta area, would now represent territory southeast of the city suburbs that once made up parts of Ms. McBaths district. Representative Rich McCormick, a Republican who has garnered a handful of Democratic challengers seeking to flip his Sixth Congressional District north of Atlanta, saw his district stretch farther into deep-red northern Georgia, protecting it from Democratic encroachment. In a statement, Jon Burns, speaker of the Georgia House, defended the proposed map, saying it meets the promise we made when this process began: it fully complies with the judges order, while also following Georgias traditional redistricting principles. He added, We look forward to passing this fair redistricting plan. Vice President Kamala Harriss trip to the Middle East over the weekend was both a major foray into wartime diplomacy and an effort to show that the administration is taking a harder line with Israel about the civilian toll of its war against Hamas. The message was aimed at leaders in the region as Israel begins a new phase of the eight-week-old war, which has killed thousands of civilians. But the vice president was also speaking to disaffected voters in the United States, especially the young voters and people of color who helped propel President Biden to the White House in 2020. Over the course of just three hours at the U.N. climate summit in Dubai, Ms. Harris juggled four high-stakes meetings or calls with kings and presidents. Her message on the war, privately and publicly, was one of the most pointed pronouncements from any American official including Mr. Biden establishing guidelines for how Israel should fight its war and what the country should do once the fighting is over. Under no circumstances, her office wrote in describing her remarks in a face-to-face meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, will the United States permit the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, the besiegement of Gaza, or the redrawing of the borders of Gaza. A double-decker coach smashed into a tree in southern Thailand, killing at least 14 people and injuring 32, police said Tuesday. The long-distance bus was traveling from Bangkok to the kingdom's far south when it collided with the tree in coastal Prachuap Khiri Khan province on Monday night. Photos published in local media showed the front part of the bus split in two by the force of the crash, with the tree still wedged in the middle. "From a preliminary investigation, 14 people died and 32 people were injured," Arnon Tangto, a police investigator in Huay Yang district in Prachuap Khiri Khan told AFP, saying a probe is under way. He said the cause of the accident has not been confirmed, but police suspect the driver -- who was badly injured but survived -- may not have had enough sleep. "We are collaborating with the hospital to check his blood alcohol level," said Arnon. The police are still investigating whether the dead were all Thai. Thailand has one of the highest road accident rates in the world with around 20,000 people killed every year, according to the World Health Organization. Follow live updates on the fourth Republican presidential debate. The next Republican debate on Wednesday could be the last one sponsored by the Republican National Committee in the 2024 primary race, with the party considering debate rule changes that would open the door to more onstage clashes but also diminish the fanfare around them. The debate in Tuscaloosa, Ala., comes as Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador, is trying to assert herself as the main rival to former President Donald J. Trump, after months in which Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has ceded ground. The R.N.C. is weighing a proposal to end its demand that candidates participate exclusively in the partys debates, with a final decision expected this week. Few have been happy with how the debates, which are overseen by the R.N.C., have unfolded so far. Mr. Trump has boycotted them, dampening interest and lessening the stakes. His rivals have been forced to fight among themselves. And lower-polling candidates have steadily been pushed out by rising thresholds to qualify. Debates are traditionally the marquee events of a presidential primary contest, with voters eagerly tuning in to watch the candidates disagree on policy and vie for their support. But the Republican front-runners stubborn absence this election cycle has robbed them of much of their drama. The United States is in discussions with its allies to set up a naval task force to guard ships traveling through the Red Sea after the latest attack on several commercial vessels in what appears to be an escalating extension of Israels war with Hamas by Iranian-sponsored proxy forces. Jake Sullivan, President Bidens national security adviser, said on Monday that such patrols or escorts could be the appropriate response to the targeting of ships in the region. He compared the mission to similar task forces in the Gulf, where Iranian naval forces have at times been aggressive with other ships, and off the coast of Somalia, where pirates have preyed on private vessels in the past. We are in talks with other countries about a maritime task force of sorts involving the ships from partner nations alongside the United States in ensuring safe passage of ships in the Red Sea, Mr. Sullivan told reporters at the White House. Those talks are ongoing as we speak. I dont have anything formal to announce. But that would be a natural part of the comprehensive response to what were seeing. Mr. Sullivans comments came a day after several commercial ships came under fire and a U.S. Navy destroyer shot down three drones during an hourslong attack on Sunday. One of the drones intercepted was heading toward the destroyer, the U.S.S. Carney, according to United States Central Command. There were no injuries or damage reported by the Carney, the Pentagon said. The body of one woman had nails and different objects in her female organs. In another house, a persons genitals were so mutilated that we couldnt identify if it was a man or a woman. Simcha Greinman, a volunteer who helped collect the remains of victims of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assault on Israel, took long pauses as he spoke those words on Monday at an event at the United Nations. Horrific things I saw with my own eyes, he said, and I felt with my own hands. Shari Mendes, a member of an Israeli military reserve unit tasked with preparing the bodies of fallen female soldiers for burial, said her team saw several who were killed on Oct. 7 who were shot in the crotch, intimate parts, vagina, or were shot in the breast. Others had mutilated faces, or multiple gunshots to their heads. Since the birth of Art Basel Miami Beach in 2002, Miami has prospered as a contemporary-art center, with museums and foundations opening or reopening in spacious new premises (the Perez Art Museum Miami; the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; the Rubell Museum Miami), and galleries proliferating in the art and design districts. How are the goings-on in this newer art scene viewed by major players in the European art world? We spoke to three. The conversations have been edited and condensed. ALAIN SERVAIS Brussels art collector and investment banker who has been acquiring art for 25 years and has attended Art Basel Miami Beach regularly since its inception When I first started going to Miami, it was an interesting experience, because it was a unique meeting point between Latin America and Europe, and you were seeing good collectors, good creators. The problem now is that there are so many events, I dont meet people anymore. The last time I was in Miami, which was before the pandemic, I was spending my days almost on my own. If you cannot network anymore, whats the point? We are observing a silo-ization of the different fairs. Traveling to Art Basel in Basel, Hong Kong and Miami Beach, I have realized that, in fact, its different art in all of them, because they are catering to the local audience. Originally, they were global fairs, but now they have become regional fairs. Early in the pandemic, as in-person art fairs ground to halt, many art professionals proclaimed the financial, health and climate costs of shipping art and people around the planet were simply no longer sustainable. But predictions of a major reset have proved premature. Surprisingly, we havent given up as many fairs as we thought we would, said David Leiber, a partner at the David Zwirner Gallery, which expects to participate in 17 art fairs in 2024. Although thats down from a peak of 21 in 2019, its still brisk business. (Other galleries, like Pace and Lelong, are also only slightly below their highs in 2019.) During her decades in the gallery business, Luisa Strina has earned a reputation for both her keen eye and her clear opinions about contemporary art. She knows what she likes and the type of art that sells under her brand, she said, and does not waste words appeasing the egos of artists or customers who do not understand the mission. Ms. Strina, 80, is known for being direct maybe too direct sometimes, she said but also for getting things right. Scores of collectors have relied on her taste for a half century, making Galeria Luisa Strina one of the most successful, and respected, art dealers in Brazil. This week, she will be showing a slate of mostly Brazilian artists at Art Basel Miami Beach, and next month begins her 50th year as a dealer, a milestone for any gallery, but particularly in Latin America, where the contemporary art business, with its urbane showrooms and fashionable art fairs, took shape later than it did in the United States and Europe. In this business sometimes you have to be tough, of course you do, she said during an interview at her gallery, located among the designer retail shops and high-cuisine cafes in Sao Paulos Jardins neighborhood. Ms. Strina had returned from an art fair in Paris only a day ago and was preparing for another, in New York, a week later. As she spoke, a crew of workers was disassembling a recent exhibition, leaving the gallery space a single, rectangular room with tall, white walls and a polished concrete floor feeling empty and full of echoes. As a mantra for success, being a tough judge of talent might sound a bit heavy handed if it were not for the fact that the first artist she turned her gaze upon, and rejected, was herself. That happened during the first year in college when she was studying painting, dreaming of turning it into a career. Ms. Strina did not recognize a great talent in the making. Days before Art Basel Miami Beach opens, satellite fairs during Miami Art Week are vying for collectors attention on the final stretch of a densely packed art market calendar. Four fairs stand out among the many options that feature a diverse offering of emerging art, gender-bending works, oversize installations, culinary experiences and abundant socializing. AfriKin Art AfriKin, a fusion of African and kinship, was founded as Miamis premier contemporary Africana art fair to showcase the ingenuity and potential of the people of African origin, its founder, Alfonso Brooks, wrote in an email. The fair, in North Miami, presents more than 30 artists in a broad spectrum of art and scholarship. Pieces will include Benin bronzes, photographs and textiles. This year, the eighth edition of AfriKin Art is devoting a section to Dr. John Henrik Clarke, an African American historian and professor who, in the 1960s, pioneered the creation of Black studies in academia. Also, the California-born artist Michael Chukes presents sculptures that honor the female spirit, while photographs by the Cameroonian artist Angele Etoundi Essamba are, in her words, a medium for challenging and redefining the perceptions and roles of Black African women in both historical and contemporary contexts. Photographs by Delphine Diallo, a French and Senegalese artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, aim to redefine portraiture by infusing artificial intelligence-enhanced images with spiritual and mythological elements. Mia Rodriguez was 7 when she first went to Art Basel Miami Beach. And she has gone almost every year since. Her parents walked her through the exhibits at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Teachers took her there on field trips. It was so influential, she said over the phone from Tufts University just outside Boston. She is a junior studying fine arts. I could see the art market. I could see the artists. I could see this is what I wanted to do share my art and my emotion with people, connect with people through my art. Ms. Rodriguez was born in Miami in 2003, a year after Art Basel Miami Beach opened. She studied at art schools in Miami and won a full scholarship to Tufts. She is one of perhaps thousands of artists who call Miami home. Many were born in Miami. But many others have come here, excited by Art Basel and the chance to grow in a city where art thrives. For some artists, though, Miami has become perhaps too much. They see rising costs and the hyped culture of celebrities and the ultrarich as threats. The pace at which it all occurred was surprising, Mr. McGriff said. Though based on his own experience, he added wryly, it takes 20 years to be an overnight success. Artists and Other Endangered Species At the Emerson Dorsch gallery, which began as a living-room exhibition space inside its founders walk-up apartment, and now occupies a customized warehouse in the Little Haiti neighborhood, business is booming. The gallerys director, Ibett Yanez del Castillo, said the pandemics surge of moneyed new Florida residents had brought new eyes and new collections, its definitely given us a fresh sense of energy. Yet her phone calls from young artists are no longer from New Yorkers curious about relocating south. Instead, they are from the gallerys own stable of local talents who are anguished over whether theyll be able to remain in Miami. Theres been this push for welcoming a new tax bracket, she said of Miamis city officials, and thats definitely making it difficult for the working class. There have been calls from several corners of the local art world for a new focus on housing. The nonprofit Oolite Arts added a housing stipend to its core studio residency program, hoping to set an example, while the art collector and real estate developer Craig Robins (who was a key force in bringing Basel to Miami), said in an interview that affordable rentals werent enough. The great thing political leaders can and should do is put financing behind ownership projects, he insisted. So far though, like the plans to address the sea level rise that threatens to submerge much of the coastal area in a matter of decades, theres little agreement on or funding for a comprehensive program. I feel like were on the cusp, Ms. Friedman, the artist, said. Miamis notoriously immature, but its art scene is no longer the new kid on the block. So whats it going to do now as it hits middle age? Well, its Miami, so its going to go to the gym, get a face lift and buy a fancy car. And then maybe find a moment to reflect. Maybe. In the annals of history painting, few topics have captivated artists more than the Battle of Lepanto, an epic 16th-century naval contest in which massive fleets of Christian and Ottoman galleys clashed off the coast of Greece. Among the numerous depictions of the scene is an enormous, 10-foot-wide version of the engagement created soon after it took place in 1571 that has been attributed to Tintoretto. That work, The Battle of Lepanto, was sold in Venice in 1908 to a German archaeologist and art historian, Friedrich Sarre, the first director of the Museum for Islamic Art in Berlin. The painting hung in that city for a time just before World War II. But then, as was the case with tens of thousands of works of art, its trail grew murky in the chaos of the times. The work was not listed as having been exhibited again in a public setting until the 1980s. No media source currently available The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. The Syrian regime, with help from Russia, continues to engage in ruthless bombing campaigns in Idlib and Aleppo governorates, killing hundreds more civilians. THIS OTHER EDEN, by Paul Harding (Norton, 221 pp., $28). Malaga Island was first settled in the late 18th century by a formerly enslaved Black man and his white wife, and over the years it became a refuge for outcasts of different races and conditions. In 1912, its people were forcibly evicted by the state of Maine, and their homes destroyed. Some were sent to the Maine School for the Feeble-Minded, while the rest were dumped on the mainland and told never to return to the island. From this tragic event, Harding (a previous winner of the Pulitzer Prize) has created a devastatingly lyrical fictional portrait of a tight-knit community dismissed as degenerate by those who would save it. With heartbreaking empathy, he evokes their daily rhythms, their fears and fascinations and, above all, their improvised harmony with both the sea and one another. Israeli forces enter southern Gazas largest city Israeli troops were fighting in the heart of Khan Younis, southern Gazas largest city, a military commander said yesterday, describing some of the heaviest combat of the two-month war. After days of warning civilians to leave the city, Israeli forces stepped up their attacks overnight. Intense bombing was heard yesterday from inside Nasser Hospital, the citys largest medical facility, where many Palestinians who have sought shelter were sleeping in hallways. The push into the south comes after a seven-day cease-fire ended Friday, and weeks after Israeli forces invaded northern Gaza. Israel is under increasing international pressure not to repeat the level of civilian deaths and physical destruction inflicted in the north, but reports from Gaza show no change in the intensity of the military operations or resulting casualties. The U.N. office for humanitarian aid said that the period from Sunday to Monday afternoon saw some of the heaviest shelling in Gaza so far. As a result of the renewed fighting, Gazas humanitarian crisis is deteriorating by the hour, the World Health Organization said. In January, more than 100 financial sleuths were dispatched to the Guangzhou headquarters of China Evergrande Group, a real estate giant that had defaulted a year earlier under $300 billion of debt. Its longtime auditor had just resigned, and a nation of home buyers had directed its ire at Evergrande. Police on watch for protesters stood guard outside the building, and the new team of auditors were issued permits to get in. After six months of work, the auditors reported that Evergrande had lost $81 billion over the prior two years, vastly more than expected. But they still had questions. Some records they had requested from Evergrande were incomplete. Numbers were missing. Important accounting errors or misstatements may have gone undetected. How had things at Evergrande once one of Chinas most successful companies gone so wrong? Chinas housing boom was the biggest the world has seen, and Evergrandes rise was powered by rapacious expansion, the system that stoked it and foreign investors who threw money at it. When Chinas housing bubble burst, no other company imploded in as spectacular a fashion. In his decade as Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping has asserted greater control for himself and the Communist Party over the countrys economy. Now, Mr. Xi has moved to extend that power more forcefully than ever over Chinas financial system. The Communist Party issued a detailed ideological statement on Friday in Qiushi, the partys main official theoretical journal, that made clear that it expected banks, pension funds, insurers and other financial organizations in China to follow Marxist principles and pay obedience to Mr. Xi. The Qiushi paper, which was being closely studied by bankers and economists in China, could cut against efforts by Beijing to show that the economy is open to investment even as it places a heavier hand on business. Barry Naughton, an economist at the University of California, San Diego, who has long studied Chinas transition to a market economy, said that the document signaled that the finance sector would be subject to ever-tighter oversight and forced to serve government policies more actively. Two face mask providers say they are closing, as the slow and steady decline of what was once a much-sought-after item continues. Project N95, a nonprofit that helped people buy protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic, said Monday it would stop selling masks on Dec. 18 and wind down its operations. It said that revenues from mask sales and donations were no longer enough to support its operations. Over time, weve seen reduced demand for masks, said Anne Miller, the executive director. It appears that people prefer to risk getting sick rather than taking precautions. Mask-C also said it would close at the end of the year. The companys fashionable products were once a hot commodity, worn by celebrities like Rihanna, Bella Hadid and Jennifer Lopez. Regrettably, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors, it said in announcing the closure. With the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, demand soared for protective masks. Now almost four years later, masks have become an afterthought to most people, even as doctors say they can still have some value. Smaller airlines that operate in the shadow of the nations four dominant air carriers are increasingly feeling pressure to merge with others to gain access to more planes and airport gates. Those dynamics were on display in a federal courtroom in Boston on Tuesday where JetBlue Airways tried to persuade a judge to let it buy Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion. It was also at play this past weekend when Alaska Airlines proposed acquiring Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion. The outcome of these deals could be pivotal for the companies and the U.S. airline industry, in which four companies control more than two-thirds of the national market and exert dominance over big airports in places like Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Newark. If one or both mergers are approved, the deals would be the largest in years. The last major wave of airline mergers ended when American Airlines combined with US Airways in 2013. In addition to American, the industry is now dominated by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Each of those companies controls so many gates and takeoff and landing slots at their hub airports that they are unlikely to ever lose more than a small percentage of travelers flying to and from those cities. Bigger airlines also generally pay less for planes and other equipment because their size allows them to negotiate better deals. Among the hubs for climate scientists, activists and fossil fuel lobbyists at the United Nations climate summit is a new addition this year: a place to pray. The first-ever Faith Pavilion, inaugurated by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, in a video message on Sunday, offers a space for meditation, daily prayers and even a chanting session led by the Indian mystic and yogi Jaggi Vasudev, who goes by Sadhguru. The pavilion is also a place for pastors, imams, rabbis and other spiritual leaders to exchange ideas about how to guide people through the effects of climate change. The Rev. James Bhagwan, the general secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, spoke on a panel on Monday in Dubai about how to comfort people in the Pacific islands who have been displaced from their ancestral and spiritual homelands because of rising sea levels and climate disasters. With fresh promises to cut methane and billions of dollars in new commitments to help poor countries adapt to a warming planet, a sense of momentum and optimism pervaded the first days of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai. Now comes the hard part. Five days into the two-week conference, known as COP28, the talks have become consumed by an intense debate over the future of fossil fuels. The president of the event is under fire for having suggested that it is not necessary to phase out oil, gas and coal, the burning of which is dangerously heating the planet. At least 1,300 fossil fuels lobbyists, a record, are participating in the talks. And Saudi Arabia has said it opposes any agreement that calls for an end to fossil fuels significant because, under U.N. rules, any single country can scuttle a deal. At the same time, scientists, activists and dozens of world leaders are growing more adamant in their calls for a rapid reduction in oil, gas and coal, arguing that, without a pivot away from fossil fuels, the planet is destined for catastrophe. Agreement on a phaseout would be historic; Past U.N. climate deals have shied away from even including the words fossil fuels. The opening of Californias commercial crab season, which normally starts in November, is delayed once again to protect humpback whales foraging for krill and anchovies along the coast. This region of the Pacific has been under the grip of a marine heat wave since May. The Blob, as this mass of warm water has become known, is squeezing cooler water preferred by whales and their prey close to shore, where fishermen set their traps. This crowding can lead to literal tangles between whales and fishing equipment, endangering the animals lives and requiring grueling rescue missions. In a new study, scientists say they can now use global temperature models, commonly used in climate science, to predict up to a year in advance when hot ocean temperatures raise the risk of whale entanglements. This lead time could allow state regulators, fishermen, and other businesses that depend on the fishery as well as Californians hoping for a Dungeness crab holiday meal to plan ahead for potential fishing restrictions. On a recent evening in a dimly lit Japanese restaurant, nearly a dozen diners watched rapt from across the bar as a chef blowtorched a sliver of sturgeon until it was kissed with char. He topped the nigiri with crisped fish skin and a spoonful of caviar. The quiet veneration from the customers, the practiced flick of the chefs wrist and the buttery, bouncy pieces of fish might have suggested the meal was unfolding on a side street of Ginza. The restaurant wasnt in Tokyo, though. It wasnt even in New York City or San Francisco it was in a residential neighborhood of Sacramento, at a restaurant called Kru. Of the roughly 240 people kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack on Israel, some 110 have been returned. During the humanitarian truce that came into force on November 24, at least 10 hostages were released every day. But hopes that the remaining prisoners would be freed in the coming days were dashed when fighting resumed on December 1. We remain intensely focused on getting everyone home, getting hostages back, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the truce broke. Were also very much focused, as weve been all along, on trying to make sure that this conflict doesnt spread, that it doesnt escalate in other places. Indeed, that is one of three major concerns going forward, said United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield: In particular, the United States does not want to see conflict in Lebanon, where escalation would have grave implications for regional peace and security, and for the well-being of the Lebanese people. Restoring calm along the Israel-Lebanon border is of utmost importance. Second, we are deeply troubled by the sharp rise in violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. Extremists that attack civilians in the West Bank must be held accountable, and this violence must stop. And President Biden has made clear that the United States is prepared to take action, including by issuing visa bans against these extremists. We strongly oppose the advancement of settlements in the West Bank, which undermines the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state. Third, we call on all parties in the region and people around the world to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric that exacerbates tensions and hate, she said. That includes dehumanizing language. Over the past two months, we have seen a spike in antisemitism and Islamophobia. We see this playing out online across social media, and we also see it in our communities, where hate begets violence. Even as we focus on the immediate task before us, we must look forward to a better future, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. We need a two-state solution, where Gaza and the West Bank are reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority. This is the only guarantor of a secure and democratic Israel. This is the only guarantor of Palestinians realizing their legitimate aspirations to a state of their own. This is the only way to end this cycle of violence once and for all. Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorseses telling of the terrible history of the killings of at least 60 Osage people in the 1920s by white neighbors who coveted their oil money, has been part of the film conversation since it was first unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival in May. This month, New York Times critics named it their top movie of 2023. Now that its available on demand (and is expected to reach streaming later this month), heres a guide to what to read about the drama: The History The film is based on David Granns 2017 nonfiction best seller of the same title, which examined both the horrifying murder plot and the birth of the F.B.I. The Times said of the book, It will sear your soul. Heres the review. The movie largely jettisons Granns F.B.I. angle and focuses on the wealthy Osage woman Mollie Kyle (played by Lily Gladstone); her white husband, Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio); and his uncle, William King Hale (Robert De Niro), the ringleader of the conspiracy. Heres a rundown of the facts behind the drama. The Production Initially the film was going to follow the book more closely and track an F.B.I. agent as he investigated the mystery. But I think Marty and I just looked at each other and we felt there was no soul to it, DiCaprio told our columnist Kyle Buchanan. So they started over again. Heres what the stars and director had to say. In the wedding scene, Mollie wears what looks to be a soldiers uniform with a tall hat as her bridal outfit. In fact, the look was based on military dress and hewed closely to Osage tradition, according to designers and members of the tribe. Heres a closer look at the costumes. One may wonder, then, about the possible utility value of Thomas von Steinaeckers film Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer, a brisk documentary made with Herzogs participation. It definitely exists, though, and might be more obvious had the picture been titled The Young Persons Guide to Werner Herzog. It begins with Herzogs unusual contemporary media celebrity and examines how he got it honoring some of his most astonishing work, including the obsessive epics Aguirre: The Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo. The array of talking heads praising Herzog may seem random to the novice: Carl Weathers, Nicole Kidman and Chloe Zhao are among them, Theyve all worked with Herzog, or been his beneficiary somehow. Such is his cultural reach. The movie also provides a smart primer on the New German Cinema Herzog helped bring into being during the 1960s. An anecdote about how Herzog walked across Europe to heal the ailing German film critic Lotte Eisner the connective tissue between Herzog and the 1920s German maestro F.W. Murnau is emblematic of the mans shoe-leather mysticism. Did you renew your New York drivers license during the Covid-19 pandemic? If so, you could be one of 44,000 people whose licenses were suspended as of Friday. You could also be risking a fine of up to $500. When the pandemic was at its worst, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, like much of the world, were closed, so the department let drivers renew their licenses without the required eye test. Jonathan Majors sat staring on Tuesday as, 20 feet away, his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari testified about the violent end of a nearly two-year relationship during which she said he screamed, scolded her and even hurled household items. In a September 2022 recording that was played during his assault trial in Manhattan state court, Mr. Majors lectured Ms. Jabbari that she should care for him as Michelle Obama and Coretta Scott King the wife of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cared for their husbands. Im a great man. A great man. I am doing great things, Mr. Majors said, adding: The woman that supports me, the one I support, needs to be a great woman and make sacrifices. On Tuesday, Ms. Jabbari described more than half a dozen episodes that began in December 2021, months into her relationship with Mr. Majors, an actor who had been expected to anchor Marvel movies. But her testimony ultimately focused on the incident for which Mr. Majors was charged: a confrontation in a hired S.U.V. in the early hours of March 25 that was set off when Ms. Jabbari saw a text to Mr. Majors from another woman. New York City is known for its noise. A cacophony of sounds bombards residents every time they step outside screeching subway cars, jackhammers drilling away, late-night revelers leaving bars and clubs. Still, roughly 50,000 noise complaints are filed every year with the citys Department of Environmental Protection by New Yorkers who have become fed up with the commotion, according to a department spokesman. Thousands of additional complaints are handled by other city agencies. The noise generated by vehicles, including cars with modified mufflers, loud motorcycles and drivers who honk excessively, accounts for only a small fraction of the complaints the department receives, the spokesman said, but its the target of a new tool intended to turn down the citys volume: noise cameras. The cameras are activated when they record a sound louder than 85 decibels, which is about as loud as a lawn mower. And they are increasingly being used by the Department of Environmental Protection to ticket drivers, according to Rohit T. Aggarwala, the departments commissioner. Continuing to lose these residents, who form the backbone of many essential services and white-collar industries, could jeopardize the citys uneven recovery, said Andrew Beveridge, the president of Social Explorer, a demographic firm that reviewed the new data. If you want a subway system, an office sector, a restaurant industry, you need these people, he said. The report also found that affluent residents who left New York did not appear to have been driven away by recent tax increases. More than three-quarters of rich people who left during the pandemic moved to other high-tax states, including Connecticut, New Jersey and California. The report defines this group as the top 1 percent of income-earners, making more than $815,000 a year. The findings come at a time when the city is preparing to slash the budgets of public services including police, sanitation and schools cuts that could push more working-class residents out of the state, said Nathan Gusdorf, the director of the Fiscal Policy Institute. Ms. Hochul declared separately on Tuesday that the special election would take place on Feb. 13. It will be no easy fight. The district, which stretches from the outskirts of Queens through the affluent northern suburbs of Nassau County, voted for President Biden by eight points in 2020 but has moved sharply rightward since amid voters concerns over crime and rising costs. Elections analysts rate it a tossup. Republicans were still vetting more than a dozen candidates for their own nomination on Tuesday. Two front-runners had emerged, officials said: Mike Sapraicone, a retired New York Police Department detective, and Mazi Pilip, an Ethiopian-born former member of the Israel Defense Forces. Democrats nominally entertained other candidates in their own process, most notably Anna Kaplan, a state senator who had positioned herself to Mr. Suozzis left. She and others warned party leaders that Mr. Suozzi had real liabilities: He currently works for a lobbying firm, his 2022 primary run alienated some progressives and he has a history of losing key contests. But Mr. Suozzi long ago emerged as the ideal candidate for most party leaders. He held the seat for six years before relinquishing it to challenge Ms. Hochul, enjoys high name recognition and has a track record of bucking his party on issues like public safety and high taxes positions that could help him win back voters who have flocked to Republicans. He also has close relationships to two of the party leaders with significant sway over their special election nominee: Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, and Jay Jacobs, the chairman of the Nassau County and New York State Democratic Parties. Is the Democratic Party making a mistake by renominating President Biden to face the likely Republican nominee, Donald Trump, in 2024? A nontrivial number of voices in and outside the party seem to think so. But its already a mostly moot point. The system Americans use to nominate presidential candidates is not well equipped to make swift strategic adjustments. Voters choose candidates in a sequence of state-level primaries and caucuses. Those contests select delegates and instruct them on how to vote at a nominating convention. Its an ungainly and convoluted process, and politicians begin positioning themselves a year in advance to succeed in it. It wasnt always this way, and it doesnt have to be. Political parties in most democracies have the power to choose their leaders without going through a monthslong gantlet. The best way for a party to choose its leader is for that party to convene, confer and compromise on a candidate who serves its agenda and appeals to voters. The conventions of the mid-20th century, deeply flawed as they were, were designed for that purpose. If those flaws were fixed, they would be far better than what we use today. For years, the European Union has been laying the foundation for what may be the worlds most ambitious climate policy: the European Green Deal, which puts Europe out in front in the global fight against climate change. This formidable bundle of policies steers countries to build renewable energy resources, find ways to improve energy efficiency and significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions in the process. But now, the Green Deal is in peril as a school of thought that frames the green transition as an elitist plot against ordinary people gains followers in Europe. Its a political strategy that is potent in the moment but is bound to fail in the long run. In Italy, the hard-right government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called the Green Deal climate fundamentalism and is trying to soften it. In Sweden, a center-right minority coalition dependent on the hard-right Sweden Democrats has cut the climate budget. The autocrats in power in Hungary who have long battled Europes green policies have much in common with ultranationalists in Slovakia, who tried (but failed) to appoint a climate-change denier as environment minister. And in Germany, members of the hard right and conservatives recently forced the beleaguered Green Party to accept much-diluted legislation to phase out home heating systems that run on fossil fuels. The hard-right Alternative for Germany, alongside the Christian Democrats, impugned the Greens impoverishment program as a heating massacre that would force Germans to sell their houses. The cacophony was no doubt music to the ears of Germanys gas lobby, which is worried about new subsidies and rules to encourage a switch from gas heat and air conditioning to heat pumps that may eventually make the gas grid unnecessary. Theres a scene in Liz Cheneys new memoir, Oath and Honor, from when she was still in Congress. She walks through the Capitol and into the Republican cloakroom, enters a phone booth, closes the door and calls Mitch McConnell. There arent so many people who can just call up Mr. McConnell, nor was this quite standard procedure on Capitol Hill, but as she writes, I had known Mitch McConnell for decades. In 2023, a lot separates Ms. Cheney from the average Republican politician. But in her memoir its clear how unusual her position was in late 2020 a true insider who was also listening to and believing what was going on with Donald Trump and the conservative base. That combination seems to have inspired her turning every key available to stave off Mr. Trumps efforts to subvert the outcome of the election and inspired her overpowering anger toward Kevin McCarthy. This is someone who knows Secret Service agents personally; who texted late at night with Paul Ryan about the state of Mike Pences mind; whose husband, Philip Perry, is so well acquainted with the former acting U.S. attorney general Jeff Rosen that when Mr. Rosen was fending off Jeff Clarks deranged postelection plans at the Justice Department, he called to tell Ms. Cheney and Mr. Perry that Mr. Trump might fire him. The UN Security Council voted to end the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, known as UNITAMS, following a request by the Sudanese Government for its immediate termination. The vote on December 1 was 14-0, with Russia abstaining. The United States voted in favor of the resolution in order to enable a safe and orderly drawdown of the mission, said Robert Wood, U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs: We are gravely concerned that a reduced international presence in Sudan will only serve to embolden the perpetrators of atrocities, with dire consequence for civilians. If anything, the work of UNITAMS is all the more critical considering the ongoing open conflict ... calamitous humanitarian situation for tens of millions of Sudanese, and a growing risk of spill over that threatens regional stability security and stability. Since April 2023, renewed conflict has broken out between the Sudanese Armed forces, the SAF, and the paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, the RSF. The Darfur region has borne the brunt of horrific violence, including killings based on ethnicity, targeted attacks on human rights defenders, gender-based violence, and the looting and burning of entire communities by the RSF and its allied militias in West Darfur, said Ambassador Wood: The atrocities occurring in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur. During the debate concerning UNITAMS, the United States put forward common sense recommendations to extend the UNITAMS mandate and allow a strategic review of the mission that would refine and strengthen its continued role, said Ambassador Wood. However, other members of the Council did not agree, placing the narrow demands of Sudans military government ahead of the Sudanese people. In addition, Ambassador Wood warned about the sales or supplies of arms from other nations to forces operating in Sudan. This tragedy has gone on too long. We must unite to prevent external military support for either the SAF or RSF and stop the flow of weapons into and throughout Darfur, he said. The Sudanese people expect and deserve more from this [Security] Council. The situation for Sudan and its people is dire. The clearance rates essentially the percentage of crimes leading to arrests for violent or property crimes have dropped to their lowest levels since the F.B.I. started tracking them in the 1960s (though lower arrest standards probably drove the high clearance rates in the 1960s and 1970s). In 2022 police departments, on average, solved only 37 percent of violent crimes, just over half of murders and nonnegligent manslaughters and only 12 percent of property crimes. I was born in Taiwan, grew up in the United States, worked extensively in China and now live in Taipei. This mix of experiences has given me a front-row seat to the complex, decades-long dance between these nations. Lately, the world is paying considerably more attention to my homeland, especially after the former U.S. House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, visited in August 2022. Kinmen, also known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed by Taiwan that were the front lines of the first and second Taiwan Straits Crises decades ago. They lie just a few miles from mainland China, and these days, locals are unsure what escalating tensions mean for the future. Taiwanese voices are often drowned out by Chinese and American narratives, overshadowed by the global power plays going on around us. Few people outside the region understand what life is actually like for the Taiwanese people caught in between two superpowers. I made this documentary to show life in Taiwan through the eyes of the people who live there, including me. At this moment, as we struggle to make sense of the horrors of war, I hope this documentary can play a small part in advocating for peace. 4. Chinese currency overtakes the American dollar in Chinas international payments. The Chinese yuan for the first time overtook the American dollar as the most widely used currency for cross-border payments in China in March. The Chinese government has been promoting the use of the yuan, also known as the renminbi, to internationalize its currency and challenge the American dollars dominance. 5. Scientists successfully extract rocks from Earths mantle. After several unsuccessful attempts dating back to 1961, researchers drilled into the Earths mantle in May, retrieving sample after sample of the coveted dense rock for the first time. Scientists deployed an ocean drilling vessel to a spot where the mantle has been pushed up closer to the ocean floor because of the tectonic activity near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge an area known as the Moho. The samples are giving geologists a more pristine look at what exactly lies under the Earths crust. 6. A 3-D scan of the Titanic wreckage shows more detail than ever before. A full-size 3-D scan of the Titanic wreckage was revealed for the first time in May, showing detailed images of both the ship and its three-mile debris field. The wreckage is difficult to access and even harder to photograph in the murky depths some 12,500 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. The more than 715,000 still images were captured by Magellan Ltd., a deepwater seabed mapping company, more than a century after the ship sank in 1912. 7. A man with paralysis walks again using his thoughts. With the aid of brain and spinal implants, a man with paralysis was able to walk again more than a decade after his injury by using his thoughts, according to a study published in May in the journal Nature. The implants, which use artificial intelligence technology, decoded electrical signals in his brain and sent messages to his muscles, allowing him to stand and walk with the aid of a walker. Although spinal implants have achieved similar results in the past, a button had to be pushed to activate the signals each time. This personal reflection is part of a series called Turning Points, in which writers explore what critical moments from this year might mean for the year ahead. You can read more by visiting the Turning Points series page. Turning Point: The United States Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to an Alzheimers drug for the first time in two decades. Decades ago, as rookie physicians in the cancer ward of a German university hospital, we often had to deliver a heartbreaking message to our patients: There are no treatment options left to offer you. Back then, the primary weapons against advanced cancer were chemotherapy and irradiation. Effective at times, they often were not the cure many hoped for. Today, the landscape of cancer treatment has drastically changed. We have witnessed the emergence of new medicines targeting tumor growth with high precision. Some previously untreatable cancers, even in advanced stages, have now become controllable. Yet for the majority of patients with metastatic cancer, the elusive promise of a highly effective therapy remains just out of reach. Josh Smith, whose figurative paintings feature skeletons, devils, and their macabre ilk, is no stranger to artist collaborations. He has made painterly fleece jackets for Givenchy, and Grim Reaper T-shirts for Supreme. Such projects dont always offer Mr. Smith, 47, opportunities to acquire new skills, but for a recent one he explored an unfamiliar medium: jewelry. With guidance from the jeweler Will Shott, Mr. Smith made a selection of silver and gold pendants, batlike creatures, winged ghosts, twigs and dragons, each bearing the stamp of his kinky imagination. I hope that people will realize that I can make things beside paintings, Mr. Smith said, adding that his line of jewelry is a way to share a new facet of my creativity. A year ago, Mr. Rich found himself thinking about all the Polaroids he had amassed in several shoeboxes in his closet, and he texted Ms. Ryder about the idea of collecting them in a book. After she said yes, the London-based book dealer and publisher, Idea, took on the project. Marc Jacobs wrote the foreword. As the party guests sipped champagne and flipped through the book, Mr. Jacobs made an appearance. She was our young Garbo, he said. A Winona sighting was always a big deal back then. She came to one of my shows at the time, and I still remember she was a little like a deer in the headlights. Shes not snobbish. Shes not the red carpet girl. And that has always added to her cachet and cool. Francesca Sorrenti, who designed and edited the book, reflected on Ms. Ryders enduring appeal. To understand Winona, you have to understand the youth movement of the 1990s, she said. There are only a few personalities quite like hers out there at any given time, and in her era, it was Kate Moss and Winona. Youd just see them and youd want to know, Who is that? Eventually a compromise was reached. They would limit the rollout, Ms. Gennai said. And they would avoid calling anything a product. For Google, it would be an experiment. That way it didnt have to be perfect. (A Google spokeswoman said the A.T.R.C. did not have the power to decide how the products would be released.) What played out at Google was repeated at other tech giants after OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022. They all had technology in various stages of development that relied on neural networks A.I. systems that recognized sounds, generated images and chatted like a human. That technology had been pioneered by Geoffrey Hinton, an academic who had worked briefly with Microsoft and was now at Google. But the tech companies had been slowed by fears of rogue chatbots, and economic and legal mayhem. Once ChatGPT was unleashed, none of that mattered as much, according to interviews with more than 80 executives and researchers, as well as corporate documents and audio recordings. The instinct to be first or biggest or richest or all three took over. The leaders of Silicon Valleys biggest companies set a new course and pulled their employees along with them. Over 12 months, Silicon Valley was transformed. Turning artificial intelligence into actual products that individuals and companies could use became the priority. Worries about safety and whether machines would turn on their creators were not ignored, but they were shunted aside at least for the moment. At Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, who had once proclaimed the metaverse to be the future, reorganized parts of the company formerly known as Facebook around A.I. Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and M.I.T. were hammered on Tuesday by Republican House members who claimed that the universities themselves had sown seeds of bias on campus against Jews. The antisemitism that weve seen on your campuses didnt come out of nowhere, said Virginia Foxx, Republican of North Carolina and chair of a House committee that invited the universities presidents to testify at a hearing about antisemitism on campus. Claudine Gay of Harvard, Sally Kornbluth of M.I.T. and Elizabeth Magill of the University of Pennsylvania had come prepared for the hearing with speeches about the mundane details of university governance during a crisis. They testified that as the protests over the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks grew ugly, with clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students, the police were called. Codes of conduct were consulted. Jewish students were asked about their fears. Task forces on antisemitism were formed. Freedom of expression was defended. Any form of hate is very contrary to our values, Ms. Magill said. But the Republican members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce seemed to have little interest in speaking in the language of academia. They yoked rising antisemitism on college campuses to other hot-button issues that have helped animate G.O.P. politics for the last several years. Marc Kornblatt prepared uneasily last month for his daughter, Louisa, to arrive for 10 days with the family. Her homecomings once brought the comfort of movie nights and card games, but this year was different. Mr. Kornblatt sang under his breath some lyrics from West Side Story: Get cool, boy. He and his wife discussed: How would they greet their child? Would they acknowledge the emotional distance, the slights that had piled up from afar? He and his wife, Judith, had moved away from Madison, Wis., to live in Tel Aviv, where they felt a real sense of belonging as Jews. Around the same time, their daughter, attending graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley, came to oppose the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. The political divide between two generations within the family has grown into a painful chasm during the war between Israel and Hamas. Until late November, it was addressed mostly in tense exchanges on WhatsApp. Really sad that you seem out of touch with where our heads are at, Mr. Kornblatt had messaged his daughter after she told her parents about a friend speaking out in support of people in Gaza. The presidents remarks came at a time when polls show that most Democrats would prefer someone other than Mr. Biden, who turned 81 last month, to represent the party in next years election. A survey by CNN in August found that 67 percent of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic wanted another nominee, and 70 percent listed Mr. Bidens age, health, mental competence or ability to handle the job as their main concern about him. Although he described himself as a bridge to the next generation during his 2020 campaign, a comment that some interpreted as a hint that he would serve only one term, Mr. Biden has concluded that he is best positioned to beat Mr. Trump again, justifying a re-election campaign. He faces only long-shot challengers in the Democratic primaries in the form of Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota and Marianne Williamson, the author. Mr. Trump, who is 77 and has demonstrated his own cognitive issues lately, has outpaced his rivals for the Republican nomination by double digits in the polls and appears poised to steamroller to his third general election. That is despite four criminal indictments on 91 felony counts of illegally trying to overthrow an election, endangering national security and other charges. Despite his political liabilities, surveys show he is either tied with Mr. Biden or leading slightly both nationally and in the battleground states that will decide the Electoral College. After two months largely consumed by the war in the Middle East, Mr. Biden is heading back to the campaign trail this week with three fund-raisers in the Boston area on Tuesday, another one in Washington on Wednesday and a three-day trip to Nevada and California this weekend. Aides have dismissed concerns from worried Democrats by arguing that once the choice is clear, wavering Democratic and independent voters will return to Mr. Biden even if concerned about his age, rather than allow Mr. Trump back into office. The president assailed Mr. Trump on Tuesday for a radical agenda if he returns to office. Among other things, Mr. Trump or his allies have talked about prosecuting political foes and former Trump aides who have criticized him; eliminating civil service protection for many government officials to make them more personally loyal to him; setting up detention camps for illegal immigrants; backing off NATO treaty commitments; and sending the military into the streets to quell protests. Vietnamese culture introduced at the event (Photo: VNA) This was the first time Vietnam had officially participated in the fair, aiming to maintain the participation in the coming years, contributing to promoting the image of Vietnam as a friendly and hospitable nation to international friends. Vietnamese Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang called Vietnams participation in the fair as an honorary guest a meaningful event in 2023 that marks the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties, and 10 years of the strategic partnership. Director of Asiexpo Events Exhibition Centre, Head of the Organizing Committee of Asia Expo 2023 Jean-Pierre Gimenez said that Vietnam is a very close friend of France, especially in a special year marking the close relationship, friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The Vietnamese space was set up by 11 partners operating in such spheres as cuisine, tourism, culture and martial arts, drawing large crowds of visitors. Mr. Tang Thanh Son, Deputy Director of the Vietnamese Culture Centre in France, said that the event will create a premise for Vietnam to participate in activities in the Eurexpo exhibition centre that houses the fair in the coming time. The Vietnamese cultural space attracted the attention of a large audience with spaces displaying and performing Vietnamese traditional musical instruments such as the monochord, zither, pipa, T'rung, erhu, drums and so on./. Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday promised a floor vote to authorize a formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden, hoping to provide legal heft to an investigation that has been underway for months but has so far failed to prove Republicans claims that Mr. Biden accepted bribes. Republicans have for months avoided scheduling such a vote, lacking support from some mainstream members who were reluctant to endorse a formal impeachment inquiry without any concrete evidence the president committed high crimes and misdemeanors. But Mr. Johnson said on Tuesday that all Republicans could now feel comfortable voting to formalize the ongoing inquiry because doing so merely continues an investigation and does not assert any wrongdoing by the president worthy of impeachment. This vote is not a vote to impeach President Biden, Mr. Johnson said at a news conference. This is a vote to continue the inquiry of impeachment, and thats a necessary constitutional step. I believe well get every vote that we have. When Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, urged Democratic donors last week to rally behind Nikki Haley to provide Republican voters an alternative to former President Donald J. Trump, it seemed a far-fetched plea. But at least one of the Democratic Partys biggest financiers has already done exactly that. Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn and a major Democratic donor, recently gave $250,000 to a super PAC supporting Ms. Haley, the former South Carolina governor who has gained momentum in recent weeks in the 2024 Republican primary race. The donation, which has not been previously reported, was confirmed by Dmitri Mehlhorn, a political adviser to Mr. Hoffman. The pro-Haley super PAC, SFA Fund Inc., was asked specifically by Mr. Hoffmans political team if it would take money from Mr. Hoffman, given that he is a Democrat who actively supports President Biden, Mr. Mehlhorn said. The super PAC, he added, said yes. The pro-Haley super PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. SFA Fund Inc. has been one of the biggest players in the 2024 Republican primary race, spending more than $33 million on advertising and other expenses. Its biggest contributors in the first half of the year were Jan Koum, a co-founder of WhatsApp, who gave $5 million, and the venture capitalist Tim Draper, who gave $1.25 million. Mr. Koum has since given an additional $5 million, which Puck News first reported. Nikki Haley has stepped up her criticism of Donald J. Trumps norm-breaking foreign policy. But as ambassador to the United Nations, she strove to stay on his good side. I just know thats who he is, she said at the time. Credit... Al Drago for The New York Times The Supreme Court seemed open on Tuesday to narrowly upholding a tax on foreign income in a case that many experts had warned could rewrite vast portions of the U.S. tax system. A majority of the justices appeared skeptical of striking down the tax. Instead, the justices, including the courts liberal wing and more moderate conservatives, seemed to be searching for a way toward a limited ruling that would not establish a more sweeping precedent. I dont fault the parties for shooting for the stars, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said about halfway through more than two hours of dense, highly technical arguments. I guess the tenor of the questions is that nobodys happy with anybodys definition of anything, OK? She suggested there were two ways to narrowly rule. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch appeared to agree. After Justice Sotomayor spoke, he turned toward her and said, I do think there is room for some narrow ground, as Justice Sotomayor suggested. As he campaigns for another term in the White House, Donald Trump sounds like no other presidential candidate in U.S. history. He has made baldly antidemocratic statements, praising autocratic leaders like Chinas Xi Jinping and continuing to claim that the 2020 election was stolen. I dont consider us to have much of a democracy right now, Trump said. He has threatened to use the power of the presidency against his political opponents, including President Biden and Bidens family. Trump frequently insults his opponents in personal terms, calling them vermin, as well as thugs, horrible people, fascists, Marxists, sick people. He has made dozens of false or misleading statements. He has advocated violence, suggesting that an Army general who clashed with him deserved the death penalty and that shoplifters should be shot. And he describes U.S. politics in apocalyptic terms, calling the 2024 election our final battle and describing himself as his supporters retribution. When former President Donald J. Trump goes on trial on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, federal prosecutors intend to tell a sweeping story, informing the jury about everything from his support for the far-right Proud Boys to his decade-long history of making baseless claims about election fraud, according to court papers unsealed on Tuesday. The prosecutors said in the papers that they also planned to offer evidence about how Mr. Trump and his allies had threatened his adversaries over the years and encouraged violence against them. And they indicated that they intended to tie Mr. Trump more closely to the violence that erupted at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, than the indictment in the case initially suggested. Moreover, the prosecutors said they planned to demonstrate how the former president had continued to display steadfast support for the people involved in the events of Jan. 6 among them, Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, and a group of inmates at the District of Columbia jail who call themselves the Jan. 6 Choir. The defendants embrace of Jan. 6 rioters is evidence of his intent during the charged conspiracies, because it shows that these individuals acted as he directed them to act, the prosecutors wrote. Indeed, this evidence shows that the rioters disruption of the certification proceeding is exactly what the defendant intended on Jan. 6. President Bidens urgent push to replenish Ukraines war chest and send aid to Israel is on the brink of collapse in the Senate, where Republicans are prepared on Wednesday to block the funding unless Democrats agree to add strict measures to clamp down on migration at the U.S. border with Mexico. A classified briefing with administration officials called to shore up support devolved into a partisan screaming match on Tuesday afternoon, with Republicans angrily accusing Democrats of trying to steamroller over their demands for a border crackdown. The meltdown, which took place on the eve of a critical test vote in the Senate on a $110.5 billion emergency spending bill, not only made it clear that the measure would fail, but severely dimmed the prospects for any bipartisan agreement soon. A vote to block aid would spotlight flagging U.S. resolve at a critical time in Ukraines war against President Vladimir V. Putins Russia. We are about to abandon Ukraine, Senator Christopher S. Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who played a leading role in negotiations with Republicans over the past few weeks, said as he left the briefing with cabinet-level officials. When Vladimir Putin marches into a NATO country, they will rue the day they decided to play politics with the future of Ukraines security, he said of Republicans. The Biden administration is imposing visa bans on dozens of Israeli settlers who have committed acts of violence in the West Bank, taking action against what U.S. officials call a potential trigger for wider violence as Israel wages war in Gaza. In a statement on Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced a new policy targeting individuals believed to have been involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank, including through committing acts of violence or taking other actions that unduly restrict civilians access to essential services and basic necessities. U.S. officials are most concerned about a recent surge in attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, but the new policy will also deny entry to Palestinians who have committed violent acts against Israelis. Under State Department privacy rules, the names of the people who will be designated in the coming days will not be made public. The restrictions may also be extended to their immediate family members, Mr. Blinken said. The move comes as the United States tries to revive efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after the current Gaza conflict is over, in the hopes of breaking the cycle of violence between the two sides. Any two-state solution would require Israels government to rein in right-wing West Bank settlers, who oppose the creation of a Palestinian state. Extremist settler violence has spiked recently, and Palestinians and many analysts say that Israels government has allowed the often heavily armed settlers to operate with impunity. Attacks on Palestinians, meant to drive them from their homes, had reached their highest recorded levels even before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and have only accelerated since then. Instability in the West Bank both harms the Israeli and Palestinian people and threatens Israels national security interests, Mr. Blinken said in his statement. India has declared Sikh separatists abroad to be terrorists, and Indian officials have accused their counterparts in Western nations of being too lax when Khalistan supporters have vandalized Indian embassies and consulates and threatened Indian diplomats. Officials in Western countries see the separatists as activists who at times have crossed a line with calls to violence but whose right to free speech is protected by law. Some Sikh American leaders want a stronger public rebuke of India from the Biden administration, which has responded behind the scenes as it tries to shore up an alliance with the Modi-led Indian government as a wedge against China and Russia. As a U.S. citizen, I demand to see an investigation, said Ms. Singh-Allen, the mayor of Elk Grove, Calif. This is unacceptable that a foreign government can threaten U.S. citizens. Would this be elevated if it was Russia? We need to treat it with that same level of concern. Deep Singh, executive director of the Jakara Movement, a nonprofit that works in Punjabi Sikh communities in California, said that the indictment had already sent a chill through the community. We had folks that were signing onto a letter seeking some kind of congressional redress and later calling and saying, Please remove our names, were too worried about our family in India, he said. Still, some Sikh activists have vowed to press on with their advocacy for an independent state, including Sikhs for Justice, the group for whom Mr. Pannun, the assassination target, serves as general counsel. A pregnant Texas woman whose fetus has a fatal condition sued the state on Tuesday seeking an emergency court order to allow her doctor to perform an abortion, despite the states strict bans on the procedure. The lawsuit is believed to be one of the first attempts in the nation to seek a court-ordered abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, allowing states to make their own abortion laws. Texas is at the forefront of states that restrict abortion, and has overlapping bans that outlaw abortions from the point of fertilization and allow private citizens to sue others who might help a woman obtain an abortion. The laws allow some exceptions to save the health and life of the pregnant woman, though abortion rights advocates argue that they are unclear, putting women with pregnancy complications at risk. The vagueness of the exceptions in Texas have prevented doctors from performing the procedure in most cases, lawyers for the woman, Kate Cox, have argued. A decision in her case could force the state to more clearly define what is allowed under the law. NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) and former Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith (Photo: VNA) Conveying the regards of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to them, Chairman Hue thanked the former Lao leaders for their dedication and great contributions to fostering the unique friendship between Vietnam and Laos. He wished that they would continue supporting the overall development of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. The Vietnamese leader believed that under the sound leadership of the LPRP, Laos will overcome all challenges to thrive. At a meeting with former Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong (Photo: VNA) The former Lao leaders expressed their delight at the fine development of bilateral ties across the board. They thanked Vietnam for its valuable support to Laos and proposed that both sides continue to nurture their special friendship. They also highlighted the need to continue raising awareness of the two countries young generations about the special traditional relationship./. Idris Dahiru was hosting some guests at a religious celebration in his village in northern Nigeria on Sunday night, when a piercing sound streaked through the air, followed by an explosion and countless screams. A drone strike had hit Mr. Dahirus village of Tudun Biri, and on Tuesday, Nigerias military said that it was responsible. At least 85 people were killed, including children, women and older people, and at least 66 more injured, said Nigerias National Emergency Management Agency. The search for more bodies is continuing. It shattered our entire lives as a community, Mr. Dahiru said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. He said he had lost 34 relatives in the strike on the village, which is in the state of Kaduna. As Nigeria, a West African nation, has been fighting extremist groups and armed gangs for more than a decade, its military has increasingly resorted to airstrikes, with accidental bombings becoming far too common, security analysts and human rights experts say. The United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday that about 400 people were believed to be stranded on two boats adrift in the Andaman Sea, calling on nearby governments to help rescue them. Most of them are believed to be members of the Rohingya ethnic group, a persecuted Muslim minority, the U.N. agency said. More than a million Rohingya have fled state persecution and massacre in Myanmar in recent years and now live in desperate conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Thousands more have made high-risk journeys across the Andaman Sea in rickety boats, often headed for countries in Southeast Asia. Babar Baloch, a spokesman in Bangkok for the agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the two boats precise locations were unknown and that it was not clear which country they had departed from, but that they appeared to have been at sea for at least two weeks. He said the agency knew about the boats based on conversations with relatives of people aboard and human rights workers who had spoken with them by telephone, but that it did not have details about the passengers conditions. Boris Johnson, the ousted prime minister who led Britain through the pandemic, will testify before an official inquiry on Wednesday, giving his first detailed public account of how he grappled with a rampaging virus that divided his government, laid the seeds for his political downfall and nearly killed him. Mr. Johnson, who left Parliament earlier this year after he was found to have deliberately misled lawmakers over a series of boozy parties that broke lockdown rules, will face hard questions: Should he have moved faster in imposing a lockdown in March 2020? Did he take the coronavirus seriously enough? Did he even understand basic data about its spread? He can point to some genuine victories: Britains rollout of a vaccine in early 2021 was one of the fastest of any major country. His decision to reopen the British economy later that year widely criticized in advance amid a spike in Covid cases was vindicated, as other countries followed suit. Israeli troops are fighting in the heart of southern Gazas largest city, a military commander announced on Tuesday, describing some of the heaviest combat of the two-month war amid growing concerns that there is almost nowhere left for civilians to flee. After days of warning civilians to leave the city, Khan Younis, Israeli forces stepped up their attacks overnight. Intense bombing was heard early Tuesday from inside Nasser Hospital, the citys largest, where many Palestinians who have sought shelter were sleeping in hallways. We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation in terms of terrorists killed, the number of firefights and the use of firepower from the land and air, the commander of Israels southern military command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, said in a statement. We intend to continue to strike and secure our accomplishments. He said that Israeli forces continued to penetrate deeply into areas around Gaza City and were now also in the heart of Khan Younis. Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the chief of the general staff in the Israeli military, said on Tuesday evening that Israeli forces had encircled Khan Younis in the south and were continuing to fight to consolidate control over Gaza City and other places in the north. We have secured many Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip, and now we are operating against its strongholds in the south, he said. He said the fighting had often been house-to-house, and that adversaries were sometimes wearing civilian clothes. The war in Gaza and the polarization it is causing internationally are creating a major risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union over the December holiday season, Ylva Johansson, the blocs commissioner for home affairs, said on Tuesday. The warning was a reflection of how in Europe, which in recent years has been shaken by terrorist attacks, anger over Hamass Oct. 7 massacre in Israel and the Israeli militarys increasingly deadly retaliation in Gaza has created new risks. Ms. Johansson did not mention specific threats, but noted a stabbing on Saturday in Paris, where a German tourist was killed by a man whom the French authorities said had psychiatric disorders and was upset over the deaths of Muslims, including in Gaza. Ms. Johansson said that the European Union would make available an additional 30 million euros for protection from terror threats, including for places of worship. A European Commission official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the issue publicly said that the warning was prompted by the spread of terror-related material online, by recent attacks or attempted attacks in European countries and by the decisions by multiple E.U. countries to raise their terrorism alert levels. The official added that authorities are watching for both antisemitic and anti-Muslim violence because of the war. In October, a 6-year-old Muslim boy was stabbed to death outside Chicago in an attack that authorities called a hate crime tied to the war in Gaza. In a report published before the war in Gaza began in October, Europol, the European police office, said that terrorism continued to pose a serious threat in Europe and that member states viewed jihadist terrorism as the most prominent threat. White extremists have also perpetrated attacks in Europe in recent years. Christmas holiday events where large groups gather have been targets, such as in Berlin in 2016, when 12 people were killed in a terrorist attack at a Christmas market. Bibi van Ginkel, an expert at the International Center for Counter-Terrorism in the Netherlands, said that tensions were rising because of the war in Gaza, which she said could have a trigger effect on people who were already sympathetic to extremist ideology. All of the sudden because of the events, she said, they may feel that they themselves have a duty to act and have a right to act. Reporting inside Gaza is extremely challenging right now. Israel has prevented journalists from entering the region except when accompanied by its military, and then only under certain conditions, while Egypt, along its border, is also blocking access. Communications have been limited, in part because of the Israeli siege of the enclave. Many Palestinian journalists in Gaza have been killed in airstrikes. And even before the war, Hamas restricted what reporters could cover in Gaza, limiting their movement, interrogating their sources and translators and expelling foreign reporters for work deemed objectionable. The Times, along with other news organizations, has asked the governments of Israel and Egypt for direct access to Gaza because reporting on the ground is vital to understanding this crisis. Throughout the war, The Times has been working with journalists who were already in Gaza when the siege began. We have been interviewing residents and officials in Gaza by phone and using digital apps. We have asked people in the area to share their stories with us on video, which we then confirm are real. We also verify photos and social media posts using similar techniques, scrutinizing them to determine where and when they were taken or written and cross-checking with other sources, such as satellite imagery. We cross reference any information we gather with interviews with the U.N. and other international organizations, many of which have employees in different parts of Gaza. In general, we try to avoid relying on a single source and we seek to include detailed information whenever possible. Without congressional action, the administration will run out of resources by the end of the year to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine, and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks without impacting our own military readiness. The resources Congress has provided for Ukraine and other national security needs have halted Russias advances in Ukraine, helped Ukraine achieve significant military victories, including taking back more than 50 percent of the territory that Russia had previously occupied. And by revitalizing our own defense industrial base, jumpstarting and expanding production lines and supporting good-paying jobs across the country. Now its up to Congress. Congress has to decide whether to continue to support the fight for freedom in Ukraine as part of the 50-nation coalition that President Biden has built, or whether Congress will ignore the lessons weve learned from history and let Putin prevail. It is that simple. It is that stark a choice. And we hope that Congress on a bipartisan basis, will make the right choice. Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue (L) and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone at their meeting in Vientiane on December 4 (Photo: VNA) NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, who is in Laos for the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Parliamentary Summit, affirmed that Vietnam always gives top priority to its unique traditional relationship with Laos, stands by, and strongly supports Laos national protection, construction, innovation, and development efforts. He stressed that the Vietnamese and Lao parliaments will closely coordinate with each other, continue to create a favourable legal framework for the two governments to enhance cooperation, and supervise the effective implementation of the sides collaboration agreements, including those made at the 45th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee. The top legislator highlighted Vietnam's wish to soon welcome the Lao PM in the country and co-chair the 46th meeting of the inter-governmental committee, with Siphandone accepting the invitation. For his part, the Lao PM said NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hues current working visit contributes to nurturing the countries great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation and to demonstrating Vietnams strong support for Laos hosting role. He also lauded the opening of a direct flight route from Ho Chi Minh City to Vientiane by the Vietnamese carrier Vietjet Air, with four flights per week starting from early 2024. At their meeting, the two leaders expressed joy at the recent achievements in Vietnam-Laos relations and agreed that there is a need for the nations close coordination, serious implementation of high-level agreements, good preparation for high-level meetings and the 46th meeting. It is necessary to strengthen trade and investment cooperation and enhance connectivity between the two economies, regarding the areas of infrastructure, institutions, digital economy, finance, and banking, they said. They stressed the importance of continued attention to resolving difficulties facing the countries businesses and key cooperation projects. They agreed to support and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms to promote investment in Laos. Additionally, the two countries can cooperate in three key areas of large-scale high-tech agriculture, renewable energy, and mineral exploitation./. Manuel Rocha LLYC has cut ties with Manuel Rocha, the 73-year-old former American diplomat who has been charged with spying for Cuba. He had been working as a senior international business advisor at LLYC at the time of his Dec. 4 arrest but is no longer associated with the firm according to a statement from LLYC. Rocha joined LLYC in September of this year. LLYC noted that he served as a senior advisor, not at the executive level, focusing on business development matters. "The decision to sever ties with Mr. Rocha underscores our organizations steadfast commitment to the highest standards of ethical and legal conduct," it said. Though the allegations against Rocha are unrelated to his involvement with the firm, LLYC "will collaborate fully with the authorities if required, providing any information deemed necessary." Rocha served as US ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 and worked in the US interests section in Cuba during the 1990s. He also held posts in the Dominican Republic, Italy, Argentina, Mexico and Argentina. The case against Rocha exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent, said attorney general Merrick Garland. The US is LLYCs No. 3 market, trailing Spain and Mexico. Zapwater Communications adds Ambergris Cay, a private island in the Turks and Caicos, to its client roster. Zapwater will execute an integrated strategic plan encompassing media relations, influencer marketing and strategic partnerships with the goal of heightening Ambergris Cays position in the ultra-luxury market and differentiating it from its competitors. Located 600 miles south of Miami, Ambergris Cay unveiled itself as a luxury all-inclusive private island resort and exclusive homeownership program in 2019. The resort includes beachfront bungalows with heated plunge pools, privately owned homes and villas, ranging from three- to six bedrooms. Our agency is committed to spotlighting the unmatched experiences and real estate developments Ambergris Cay offers, said Holly Zawyer, managing director of Zapwaters Miami office. Blue Door Agency, which is based in Toronto, is selected as agency of record by Food and Beverage Ontario, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the provinces food and beverage processing industry. The agency has been tasked with leading overarching strategy development, creative direction and tactical execution for FBOs workforce development initiative, CareersNow!, which was developed to attract and retain new talent for the industry, which aims to create 25,000 new jobs by 2025. Blue Door demonstrated direct experience in recruitment campaigns in the province, which set them apart from other bidders, said Food and Beverage Ontario CEO Chris Conway. In addition to extensive digital and OOH experience, Blue Door demonstrated direct experience in recruitment campaigns in the province, which set them apart from other bidders. Resonate is selected as agency of record for Nobu Hotel Atlanta, located in the citys Buckhead neigborhood. Resonate will work to elevate the propertys profile by executing internal and external corporate communications programs, fostering strategic brand partnerships and activations, and facilitating community relations and philanthropic initiatives. The hotel features 152 guestrooms and suites, a rooftop pool and event space, a rooftop bar, corporate conference rooms, and the Nobu Atlanta Restaurant. With their experience in the luxury boutique hotel market and established relationships, we look forward to introducing our guests to new experiences, said Nobu Hotel Atlanta general manager Terry Buchholz. New Yorks SKDK is handling the 10/7 Project backed by five Jewish organizations as a centralized communications operation designed to promote continued US support for Israel and counter misinformation about the Israel/Hamas war. The 10/7 Project says it will ensure more complete and accurate information about the Israeli and Hamas war in real time for US policymakers and the American public. It will mount an aggressive rapid response effort to challenge untruths and retell the story about the butchery of the Oct 7 attack and make outcasts of 10/7 deniers. The 10/7 Project, which has launched a website and newsletter, also will also shine a bright light of the more than 100 hostages who are still held by Hamas. American Jewish Committee, Jewish Federations of North America, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations set up the 10/7 Project. Ted Deutch, CEO of the AJC, said since the Oct.7 attack on Israel there has been a concerted and consistent effort from Israels enemies to draw a false and dangerous equivalence between Hamas deadly rampage to destroy the Jewish state and Israels right to defend itself against terrorists. The goal of the 10/7 Project is to be a timely source of trusted information and to combat false narratives perpetuated by Hamas terrorists who were responsible for the slaughter of 1,200 innocent Israeli civilians, added Deutch. The Senior Debating Spanish Team at Colaiste Choilm in Tullamore travelled to Dublin on Tuesday, November 28 last, to compete in a competition held in St Benildus School, Stillorgan. Many schools took part and this year Colaiste Choilm were debating against Chanel School , Dublin . The motion was Debemos limitar la Inteligencia Artificial ( Artificial Intelliegnce should be limited) with the Tullamore boys opposing the motion . The debate started just after 6pm and the two teams battled it out until almost 8 pm, all the time conversing in Spanish. When all the speakers had finished their arguments both teams had then to think on their feet and argue and defend questions made by the opposite team. The Colaiste Choilm boys were amazing and all four never waivered or gave up the fight. The final decision by the judges was that Colaiste Choilm was the winning team which was very well deserved. This is the second year in a row that these students have won their debate, last year while in 5th Year they had to compete against two other schools, Rosemount and St. Benildus and again they won. Speaking a foreign language is a huge bonus in all walks of life and it can open many doors both in Ireland and abroad. Well done boys, a fabulous achievement and a tribute to all your hard work and effort. Team : Joe Hughes (Captain) , Kevin Sweeney , Sean Cassells , Luke Duffy The Irish Secretary of the NUJ, Seamus Dooley, has lauded a new history of iconic Offaly distilled whiskey liqueur, Irish Mist. The Ferbane native, who launched the book in Tullamore on Friday night last, said it was appropriate that the wonderful publication, Irish Mist: the story of Tullamores whiskey liqueur, 1945-1985, was launched in the Offaly History Centre on Bury Quay, the building which once had been its home. In an extensive address, Mr Dooley, who previously worked for the Tullamore Tribune, said: My first task is to congratulate the editors Michael Byrne and John Flanagan on a wonderful publication. You have been well served by an impressive lineup of contributors including Guy Williams, Brian Jaffray, Ger Scully, Mike Murphy, Gerry Molyneaux, Anne Williams, Camillus Dwane, Frank Nicholson and Peter Hallgarten. Irish Mist was not just a triumph of distilling, it recognised as an example of the importance of good design, strategic marketing and attention to detail. So too is this book and I want to pay tribute to all involved in what I think is a very important initiative. All too often the history of successful companies tends to be dry and dusty, focusing on facts and figures but devoid of personality. Michael and John have managed to capture the essence, may say the spirit, of Irish Mist, the personality of those who brought Irelands first whiskey based liqueur and all those who helped to make Desmond Williams dream a reality. Irish Mist may include secret ingredients but the key ingredient in this book is passion. The passion of the authors and contributors is obvious, but so too is the passion of the Williams family, of Bill Jaffrey and of everyone involved at every level within the company. Desmonds artistic and literary links were of course key ingredients in the success of Irish Mist. He developed a carefully cultivated image, using extravagant bright colours and distinctive packaging chosen by Louis Le Brocquy. What an inspired choice that proved to be. Desmond also deployed his father in law in the promotion of his new product. He had married Brenda, daughter of Oliver St John Gogarty, celebrated in the poem Golden Stockings Golden stockings you had on In the meadow where you ran; And your little knees together Bobbed like pippins in the weather, When the breezes rush and fight For those dimples of delight, And they dance from the pursuit, And the leaf looks like the fruit. So he was fortunate in his choice of father in law! And serendipity played its part in another way. Among the most influential pubs in New York was Costellos in the heart of Manhattan. Costellos was run by Tim Costello from my hometown, Ferbane, who despite rudimentary national school education was a hugely influential figure on New Yorks bohemian literary scene in the Fifties. He became what we would now call a brand ambassador for Irish Mist. Until Michael Byrne alerted me to the existence of this pub I was unaware of Tim, whose regular patrons included Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, John OHara, Maeve Brennan, New Yorker illustrator James Thurber and the influential journalist and author John McNulty who found inspiration in Tim and the characters who frequented Costellos bar. Thurbers artwork adorned the walls. There are many references to Tim Costello in the archives of the New York Times, the New Yorker and Esquire ,magazine. Tim was the son of James Costelloe and Teresa Flynn and was born on September 5, 1895. He began his working life as a hackney driver in Dublin and on November 2nd, 1922, was summonsed for driving a motorcar on the public highway at a speed which was dangerous to the public. He was sentenced to serve three calendar months in Mountjoy and fined 10. Records show that he departed for America in 1927. He met his future wife, Kathleen Gordon on the Celtic as it sailed for the Port of New York. He worked t as a chauffeur before opening a saloon on Third Avenue in the late Thirties or early Forties. Tim Costelloe died in 1962. His life is an important footnote in the literary history of New York. And theres a twist. On an August evening in 1955 Marlyn Monroe reclined in her chair, enjoying a cigarette and ordered a screwdriver, Vodka and Orange juice. Not recognising his guest Tim Costello politely refused, declaring, Sorry, we dont serve breakfast. OK, make it Vodka on the rocks. I note from this book that Anne Williams made no mistake when she encountered Telly Savalas and his mother and introduced him to the joys of Irish Mist. Reading this book was like a step back in time. In the forward I pay tribute to Bill Jaffray. In doing so I want to congratulate Brian for the affectionate and deeply personal tribute to his father, who really was a unique man of great integrity and charm. I know he and Kathleen would be very much at home in this setting. Reading this book brought to mind John Montagues fine poem Like Dolmens Round My Childhood, the Old People, For many here tonight the characters mentioned were indeed dolmens, upstanding, distinct, strong and solid. Seemingly permanent figures but no on lives forever and we are left with memories, traces of lives well lived. Happily many are however still with us and Offaly History are to be congratulated on enuring that so many stories have been saved. There is a saying if you could only bottle it but in this case Irish Mist has been brought to book in a way which does a real service to Irelands legendary liquer. The story of Irish Mist is as intriguing as the legendary liqueur, a tale interwoven with the social, cultural and economic life of Tullamore in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties. Offaly History, Offaly County Council and Creative Ireland deserve credit for this initiative in celebrating the history of Irish Mist. History is not of course just about the captains and the kings and while it is appropriate to salute the Williams family, and Desmond in particular, this book rightly examines the role of the workforce, the importance of Irish Mist to Tullamore and to the life of the community. This could well be a useful template for other companies and organisations in the public and private sector in the Midlands, not least Bord na Mona and the ESB. I was struck in reading the book by the impact of the Williams Group not just on the economy but on the social and community life of Tullamore. The social capital evident in the Tullamore Credit Union, the Musical Society, in sports, arts and culture the very existence of a loyal employer of that scale allowed people to live, work and contribute to the community. I think that also explains why the transfer of Irish Mist from the town was the source of such disappointment." A MAN in his 20s has been arrested as part of the investigation of recent knife-point robbery incidents that occurred in south east Dublin on November 21, 2023. The first incident unfolded at approximately 11:15pm on Tuesday, November 21, when an unidentified lone male entered a service station located on Clonkeen Road. The assailant threatened the station's staff with a knife but left the premises without taking anything. Shortly after, another individual targeted a pharmacy on Foxrock Avenue, and threatened staff with a knife before making off with a sum of cash. No physical injuries were reported in either incident. In response to these criminal activities, investigations were launched by Detectives from Cabinteely. The efforts culminated in a planned operation carried out on Tuesday, December 5, in the Dublin area. During this operation, a man in his 20s was successfully apprehended by the law enforcement authorities. The arrested individual is currently in custody under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station within the Dublin Region. As the investigation continues, the community is encouraged to come forward with any relevant details that may aid in the resolution of the case. Proposed amendments to the constitution to broaden the definition of a family and delete a reference to womens duties in the home are reflective of a more modern and inclusive Ireland, the Taoiseach has said. The Government has confirmed that two referendums will be held on March 8 International Womens Day. The referenda will be on proposals to amend Article 41 of the constitution to provide for a wider concept of family, beyond one defined by marriage; and to delete Article 41.2 and its reference to the role and duties of women in the home and replace it with a new article 42B that recognises care provided within a family. The Government is not pursuing a third recommended constitutional amendment, that would have proposed the insertion of a specific reference to gender equality and non-discrimination. Mr Varadkar explained that ministers had concerns that such a reference might unwittingly downplay the significance of other equality provisions within the constitution. Final wording of the referenda will be brought before cabinet for approval on Thursday. Confirming the March 8 voting date at a press conference in Dublin on Tuesday, Mr Varadkar expressed concern that the referenda campaign may be influenced by misinformation. We firmly believe that passing these amendments will reinforce the fact that Ireland is a modern, inclusive nation that strives to treat and care for all of its people equally and well work vigorously to achieve this, he said. We wish to conduct the referendum and the referendum campaign in a respectful manner, acknowledging that many people will have legitimate differences with the Governments position. However, we will push back strongly against misinformation and distraction from any source. Its crucial that we listen carefully to people in groups who may oppose these proposals and give them a fair hearing. But were all aware that its far too easy for debate to become polarised and the only way to avoid this is to participate in informed respectful conversation with everyone concerned. And thats what well do. Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings, the Taoiseach acknowledged that it had taken some time to progress the referenda. I know theres been some criticism for the fact that weve not moved more quickly, but constitutional amendments should not be taken lightly or considered in a rash way, he said. The three recommendations arose from the work of a citizens assembly on gender equality and a special joint Oireachtas committee on gender equality. Mr Varadkar explained why the Government would be holding votes on two of the recommended changes, but not the third. In relation to the family, our constitution will continue to explicitly protect both the family and the institution of marriage, he said. Were proposing wording, however, that acknowledges that families may also be founded on lasting relationships other than marriage. For example, the family headed by a lone parent or a family headed by a grandparents or guardian. All of us know people who are committed to each other in a loving relationship over a sustained period of time who are not married. The current protection afforded to families under the constitution might be thought of as a protective shield or canopy from external or state intervention. As currently written, the protection only extends to married families. Through our proposals, were extending this constitutional shelter to other lasting relationships and putting them on an equal footing with married families. The proposal will enable the constitution to catch up with contemporary reality and ensure that it reflects positive, inclusive ambitions. He added: Were also proposing to remove the reference to the womans life in the home on the basis that it no longer reflects modern social norms. Were proposing to replace it with a new constitutional article that will recognise that care provided by family members to each other is a public good and government strives to support the provision of such care. On the last proposal to amend article 40.1 of the constitution to refer explicitly to gender equality and non discrimination, the legal advice is that it could weaken the all-encompassing commitment to equality within the constitution at present. All citizens are equal before the law, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, social class or anything else. And we believe that by elevating any particular category, for example that of sex-based discrimination, it could unwittingly downgrade others, such as those relating to disability, race or ethnicity for example. ONE of Tullamore's newest residents is a 13-year-old Ukrainian violinist who has performed for the King of Sweden. Daniel Komonko has just moved into one of the modular homes in Clonminch with his two younger brothers Martin and Alan and their mother Tunghwa. Daniel's father Marko (48) is concertmaster with the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra and he was in Tullamore last week to help his family settle into their new house. Marko's wife Tunghwa is a native of Korea and she fled the family home in Ukraine along with the three boys shortly after the Russian invasion, having been tipped off about a bombing raid on the city. On March 12 [2022] Korea was extra worried about their citizens because the children have both [Ukrainian and Korean] passports and were calling [Tunghwa] every day from the embassy, Marko explained. Like many others, Marko is still based in Ukraine but has left the country regularly for orchestral tours. During the two years of war [we] got used to all the sirens, all the warnings, all the bangs, and going in the bunkers. If you want to be safe you have to go [into a bunker]. There was a situation where you had to go every day for two, three, four, five hours. There was periods for one month where you didn't have anything, no sirens. His wife and children were first relocated to accommodation in Co Galway and were selected to move to Tullamore from Bark Hill House, Woodford, near Loughrea, which Marko said was kind of an old mansion. It was extra, extra, extra small. If somebody stands up in the room nobody can walk... One room for the whole family, there was extra kitchen, dining place and common room. Tunghwa said it was really difficult for herself and the boys to live in the Woodford accommodation and the new house in Clonminch is far superior, with two bedrooms and a kitchen/living room. However, the boys have yet to find schools to enrol in. She has been told that both Tullamore College and Colaiste Choilm are full. She has been making enquiries elsewhere: Some schools say you can enrol for the next year. But next year is September so kids are going to sit at home for about a year? I try to figure it out as soon as possible. All three children are musicians and Daniel has already performed live to a very high level, notably in May this year where he played Melody by the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk at Sweden's Veterans Day, a national event in Stockholm's Maritime Museum attended by King Carl XVI Gustaf. Melody has been played at benefit events all over the world since the Russian invasion and has become an unofficial anthem of the Ukrainian struggle. The audience in Stockholm gave Daniel a standing ovation. Prior to Veterans Day on May 29, Daniel and his father performed Melody together (pictured below) at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Tunghwa explained that her children were attending music school in Lviv and while Ireland has academies of music, they are not equivalent to the education back home. Daniel was enrolled in First Year locally in Co Galway but might have to complete the year in a school outside Tullamore. Extra travel could impact on his violin playing. He's taking it quite serious, he does practice every day for four hours, so if school is quite far it is a problem, said his mother. Over the Christmas period Daniel will be going to Germany to join his father for another musical appearance. Along with the shortage of school places, Tunghwa has been attempting to register with a GP but has been told that none of the local doctors are taking on new patients. Herself and Marko would like to reunite the family in Lviv some day but an added difficulty is that Korean passport holders like her children are currently bound by South Korean travel rules which forbid return to Ukraine. Her children could give up their Korean passports and live in Ukraine but she does not have a Ukrainian passport, despite having a right of permanent residency in the country. In the short term however, she is concentrating on finding schools for the boys. She estimates there are 120 schoolgoing children living in some 60 houses off the Clonminch road, a scheme which has been named Clonminch Place (pictured below). Killina, I just found out [about it] yesterday. I will try. Practical difficulties of moving in were also being faced by other residents. One young woman asked the Tullamore Tribune last Friday if she could move the couch in the living room and also enquired about how to get the kitchen's microwave oven working. A man in another house, with limited English and who used a voice to text translation app on his phone to communicate, said his name was Dima and he had come to Ireland with his wife and two children from the ruined city of Mariupol. Meanwhile, Martin and Alan contracted chickenpox in the last couple of weeks and passed it to their father Marko when he joined them in Ireland. It has now delayed his return to Lviv: When the chickenpox goes I will go. Delegates at the first CLV Parliamentary Summit (Photo: VNA) Describing the solidarity, friendship and political trust among the three countries as an invaluable asset that holds long-term strategic meaning in the national construction, protection and development of the countries, Hue stressed that Vietnam has treasured and taken developing ties with the neighbouring countries as a strategic mission and a top priority in its foreign policy. The Vietnamese top legislator affirmed that the establishment of the summit is a milestone in the cooperation history of the three parliaments, which helps elevate the collaboration to the highest level, and is a bold step to concretise the outcomes of the high-level meeting among Party leaders of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in September 2021. NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue delivers a speech at the summit. (Photo: VNA) NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue put forth several measures to bolster cooperation among the three legislative bodies. Regarding politics-foreign affairs, he suggested they join hands to preserve, nurture, and enhance the strategic values of the Cambodia Laos Vietnam traditional friendship and special solidarity. They should complete institutions and issue legal policies to support the governments in developing the socio-economy and ensuring security defence, while working closely and support each other at regional and international forums, especially the parliamentary cooperation mechanisms such as IPU, APPF and AIPA, contributing to building the ASEAN Community and promoting Mekong sub-regional collaboration. In terms of trade, economy and investment, he suggested they continue supervising the implementation of the signed cooperation documents, as well as negotiating the signing of new ones to fully form legal corridors that facilitate collaboration to create breakthroughs in economic cooperation and promote connectivity among the three economies. Touching on culture-society, Hue highlighted the three parliaments should join hands to examine the conditions to develop tourism, promote the three countries one destination model, and strengthen cooperation across health care, education-training and cultural exchange. He said the moves will help educate the young generations on the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam friendship, stressing the parliaments should ask the governments to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao peoples to study and work in each nation. Regarding environment and climate change issues, he highlighted that they should step up coordination and discussions on the relevant laws, and cooperation with competent international partners to promote the effective and sustainable use of natural resources, particularly the Mekong river, for common benefits of the three countries. Additionally, they should encourage governments and relevant authoritiess to enhance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and climate change response measures. On defence-security, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said that the three parliaments should continue support for each other to maintain stability and order in each country, and to prevent any forces from using one countrys territory against other countries. He also suggested that they create favourable conditions for the completion of land border demarcation and marker planting between countries. At the event, the three top legislators said that the establishment of the summit contributes to deepening the friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. They affirmed their commitment to deepening the cooperation ties and parliamentary partnership to maintain close collaboration for the benefits of the three parliaments, thus nurturing the friendship and solidarity and enhancing comprehensive cooperation across various fields. They also laid a stress on the supervisory role of the parliaments in responding to global challenges, handling shortcomings, and promoting the implementation of agreements and projects for the benefits of the CLV Development Triangle Area and the three countries in particular. At the event, representatives from international, regional and national organisations spoke highly of the cooperation among the three legislative bodies, as well as that of localities in the CLV Development Triangle Area. They pledged support for the countries in their sustainable development journey, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region. NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and his Lao and Cambodian counterparts pay a courtesy visit to General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith. (Photo: VNA) Before attending the plenary session, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and his Lao and Cambodian counterparts Saysomphone Phomvihane and Khuon Sudary paid a courtesy visit to General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith./. Interpol Help Sought In Bengaluru School Bomb Threat Case Bengaluru oi-Madhuri Adnal Four days after a fake bomb threat email sent to 68 schools in Bengaluru, police have filed a total of 27 cases and are seeking international assistance to identify the culprits. In a recent development, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda has disclosed that the police have registered cases in various police stations across the city in connection with the fake bomb threat case. He further stated that a meeting of all investigating officers has been held to review the progress of the investigation. Dayananda also informed that the police have contacted the beeble.com company, from which the threatening emails originated, and have gathered relevant information. Additionally, the police have sought assistance from the Interpol wing of the CBI to gather international intelligence on similar cases reported in countries like America, Germany, and Malaysia. Bengaluru Schools Bomb Threat Email Origin Traced To Czech Republic Or Slovakia Last year, Bengaluru schools faced a similar situation where threatening emails were sent. In those cases, some juveniles were apprehended. Dayananda has instructed the investigating officers to examine any potential connections between the current case and the previous incidents. The police have not yet found any explosives during their searches, but the investigation is ongoing. The police are working diligently to identify the culprits and bring them to justice. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 16:59 [IST] Which Is The Best City For Women In India In 2023? The Answer Is... Chennai Latest Weather Report: Will It Rain IN TN Capital As Cyclone Landfall Begins In AP? Chennai oi-Prakash KL Rains have stopped in Chennai as the severe cyclonic storm Michaung's landfall is currently underway near Bapatla on the south Andhra Pradesh coast. "Severe cyclonic storm Michaung is currently making landfall close to Bapatla. It is expected to complete its landfall in the next two hours. It is expected to complete crossing by 2 pm," an Amaravati Meteorological Centre official told PTI. Cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc across Chennai and its neighbouring districts, inundating the city, causing disruptions in flights and trains, and startling residents with a video capturing a crocodile crossing a submerged road. Chennai Rains: Power Supply Restored, Airport Opens As Cyclone Michaung Heads To AP Coast Chennai Latest Weather Report The Regional Meteorological Department on Tuesday afternoon predicted that light to moderate rain at one or two places with thunderstorms and lightning at one or two places is likely to occur over Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal. However, heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts, the weather-monitoring agency said in a statement. As far as the Chennai weather is concerned, the statement said, "Sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy. Light/Moderate rain with thunderstorm and lightning at one or two places is likely to occur in some areas. Maximum temperature to be 29-30 C and Minimum temperature to be 24-25 C." It means the situation is expected to improve in Chennai although the water has not receded from the roads and streets in many areas. Residents in some parts of Chennai reported no rain since the early hours of Tuesday and mentioned that power services had been restored in those areas. However, train services to and from the city remain suspended. Cyclone Michaung: Heavy Rain Claims 5 Lives In Chennai, Flight Operations Halted | Top Developments On the other hand, the airfield area of Chennai airport is open since 9 am on Tuesday and airlines and other stakeholders have been intimated for planning their operations, according to officials. Rains have stopped, and water has receded in the Chennai airport area and there is no water stagnation in the runways or taxiways, officials said adding that a lot of slush and filth was being cleared out. Officials said that priority is given for departures to clear the stranded passengers at the airport. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 14:38 [IST] Revanth Reddy To Take Oath As Telangana CM, Swearing-In Ceremony On Dec 7 At 10:28 am Hyderabad oi-Madhuri Adnal Top Congress leadership on Tuesday finalised the name of Revanth Reddy as the next Chief Minister of Telangana. Revanth Reddy will swear-in as the CM of Telangana at 10.28 am on December 7, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal said at a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday. The decision was taken at a meeting convened at the residence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, where Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and Telangana Congress in-charge Manikrao Thakre were also present. Reddy, the state Congress chief, is credited with reviving the party's fortunes in Telangana and leading it to a resounding victory in the recent elections. He is known for his strong organizational skills and his ability to connect with the masses. Oath-Taking Ceremony Likely Tomorrow or 7th December Sources close to the Congress leadership have indicated that Reddy's oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place either tomorrow or on December 7th. The exact date and time will be finalized soon. The Congress emerged victorious in the recent Telangana assembly elections, defeating the incumbent BRS party. This marks a significant comeback for the Congress in the southern state, which it had ruled for a decade before bifurcation. Meet Revanth Reddy: A Political Journey from ABVP Activist to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's roots trace back to a farming family in Kondareddipalle village, located near Kalwakurthy in the former Andhra Pradesh, now nestled in southern Telangana. His journey, marked by political astuteness, began on November 8, 1968, culminating in a BA degree from Hyderabad's AV College in 1992, as per his election affidavit. The trail of Revanth's political evolution commenced with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during his formative student years. Subsequently, he ventured into the budding Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS) in 2001-02, transitioning later to carve an independent path. His emergence as an Independent in the 2006 Zilla Parishad Territorial Council election heralded the onset of his political ascent. His initial political victories stood out prominently against the Congress. Notably, in 2007, contesting independently, he triumphed over the Congress candidate in the Mahbubnagar area's local bodies MLC polls. Revanth's trajectory underwent a pivotal shift when his potential was recognized by Chandrababu Naidu. His affiliation with the TDP in 2008 bore fruit when he secured his inaugural MLA seat from Kodangal in 2009, besting the Congress candidate by a substantial margin. He solidified his dominance in 2014, retaining the seat. Naidu later appointed him as the Telangana TDP working president and assembly floor leader. Known for his incisive oratory skills, Revanth consistently critiqued the KCR regime on multiple fronts, often employing terms like 'taagubothu' (drunkard) and 'sannasi' (reflecting foolishness) to reference KCR. As the TDP's influence waned in Telangana due to Naidu's shift to Amaravati in October 2017, Revanth redirected his allegiance to the Congress party. His departure irked KCR to such an extent that TRS leaders were instructed to thwart Revanth's return to the assembly at any cost. Despite losing his seat in December 2018, he later reclaimed it. However, Revanth pivoted to the national stage, securing a seat as the Congress MP in the 2019 general elections from Malkajgiri, a significant Lok Sabha constituency. In contrast to other Telangana TDP MLAs who aligned with the TRS, Revanth maintained cordial relations with Naidu. Although some within his party labeled him as "an outsider, Naidu's man in Telangana politics," the Congress leadership appointed him as the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief in June 2021, following the party's consecutive bypoll defeats in the region. IPS Officer Aditya Kumar Surrenders in Patna Court in Liquor Mafia Case IPS officer Aditya Kumar, wanted in a case related to his alleged involvement with liquor mafias in Bihar, surrendered before a court in Patna on Tuesday. He was on the run for over a year. India -Krishna Kripa Patna, Dec 5: In a significant development, IPS officer Aditya Kumar, who was wanted in a case related to his alleged involvement with liquor mafias in Bihar, surrendered before a court in Patna on Tuesday. The 2011-batch IPS officer had been on the run for over a year, evading arrest in the case pertaining to his alleged collusion with liquor mafias during his tenure as the senior superintendent of police in Gaya district, a dry region in the state, officials said. Accused of Taking Help of Criminal Kumar is accused of taking the assistance of a criminal to have a liquor case against him closed. One Abhishek Agarwal allegedly made several phone calls to the then DGP SK Singhal, posing as the chief justice of the Patna High Court, requesting him to drop the case against Kumar. These startling revelations have come to light during the course of the investigation. Surrendered After Denial of Bail Following the denial of bail in connection with a separate criminal conspiracy case against him, Kumar decided to surrender before the court. A senior officer of the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the state police informed that he has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody by the court. The EOU intends to seek his custody shortly to conduct further investigations into the case. Evading Summons Despite repeated summons issued by the investigating agency, Kumar had been persistently avoiding appearance. His involvement in the liquor mafia scandal came to light after thorough investigations, leading to his suspension from service. The surrender of IPS officer Aditya Kumar marks a crucial development in the ongoing probe into the liquor mafia nexus in Bihar. The EOU's pursuit of his custody underscores their determination to unravel the full extent of his alleged involvement and bring justice in the case. The developments in this high-profile case will be closely monitored as the investigation unfolds. British High Commissioner to India Meets Assam CM to Discuss Sustainability, Health, and Education Cooperation British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to discuss collaboration on sustainability, health, education, and more. India -Krishna Kripa British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, December 4th, in Guwahati. The meeting resulted in productive discussions covering various significant areas of collaboration, including sustainability, health, and education, between the northeastern state of Assam and the United Kingdom. Promoting a Green Economy Chief Minister Sarma emphasized the importance of closer collaboration between India and the UK to promote a green economy. He highlighted the potential for cooperation in electric vehicles and tree plantations. The British High Commissioner expressed his admiration for the success of the world record-making Amrit Brikshya plantation program, which aims to plant trees on a massive scale. Opportunities for Assamese Students Discussions were also held to explore ways to provide more opportunities for Assamese students to apply for the prestigious Chevening Scholarships. The Chevening program offers scholarships to outstanding international students to study in the UK. Vrindavani Vastra: A Cultural Treasure Chief Minister Sarma highlighted the emotional significance of Vrindavani Vastra in Assamese society. Vrindavani Vastra is a traditional drape woven by Assamese weavers in the 16th century under the guidance of Srimanta Sankardeva, a revered Vaishnavite scholar. The drape depicts the childhood activities of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. Parts of the original Vrindavani Vastra are currently housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Guimet Museum in Paris. The Chief Minister suggested enhancing access for scholars and researchers to study and appreciate this cultural treasure. Strengthening UK-Assam Cooperation British High Commissioner Ellis expressed his delight in meeting with Chief Minister Sarma and discussing potential areas of cooperation between the UK and Assam. He acknowledged the remarkable developments taking place in the northeastern region of India. In response, Chief Minister Sarma conveyed his pleasure in meeting the High Commissioner and appreciated his encouraging words. He emphasized the remarkable transformation taking place in the North East under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Chief Minister expressed his eagerness to foster a strong partnership with the UK in various areas of mutual interest. The meeting between British High Commissioner Ellis and Assam Chief Minister Sarma reflects the growing relationship between India and the UK, particularly in the areas of sustainability, health, education, and cultural preservation. The discussions held during the meeting lay the groundwork for future collaborations that will benefit both Assam and the UK. The Belt and Road Initiative is a vision of global prosperity, peace, cooperation and mutually beneficial investments, which is urgently needed during this period of collapse of the previous international order established after World War II. There are, of course, massive material incentives for Europe, which could only benefit from a prosperous Central Asia, with new markets, trade partners, and trade routes. There are the ideological benefits of being part of those who actively reduce poverty and work to build a prosperous world. But theres also the geopolitical and historical context, which speaks for European engagement in the BRI. The international order set forth by the United Nations was mainly established by the West (including the mainly European USSR) and has long been dominated by the West. The original aspiration was a more equitable, fair and especially peaceful world, but many countries at the time were still semi- or full colonies of Western powers and couldnt participate in the creation of the new order at the time. More and more nations have since regained their independence and sovereignty, and started integrating into this world order, welcomed by the West, as long as they didnt challenge the Western domination. The General Secretary of the UN can come from any country, but the more hard power positions of the World Bank and IMF presidents were always occupied by Europeans or Americans. When the WTO increasingly took cases challenging US unilateral trade restrictions, the US stopped replacing judges, rendering the arbitration body of the WTO dysfunctional. When unilateral sanctions by the US showed less and less effect, the US started weaponizing the USD, which had previously served as world trade currency. While the orientation of a domineering US has become increasingly unacceptable for the global South, also the common people in Europe increasingly suffer from US policies aimed at restoring US military and economic dominance in the European periphery, at the cost of European economic and geopolitical power. The EU sanctions against Russian energy are hurting European industry, the bombing of Nord Stream II, not investigated by Germany, and celebrated by US political elites, further exacerbates Europes crisis. Europes best alternative lies in the original aspiration of the UN-based world order, which is now carried forth by the global South, and notably by Chinas Belt and Road vision of a peaceful, equitable, and prosperous world. Nobody can reject these goals; Europe especially does endorse these goals. Unfortunately, ruling elites in the West still have difficulty shaking off their competitive or even adversarial mindset against China. They simultaneously try to prevent an integrated world economy with keywords like decoupling or de-risking, as they present alternatives to Chinas Belt and Road. Especially the idea of alternative infrastructure investment projects - like Global Gateway or BBBW - shows the lack of understanding of the world as a shared community of humankind: For entrepreneurs, businesses, and the economy as a whole, it doesnt matter who invests in infrastructure or under what framework, as long the investment is really made. A BBBW port is still a port, a Global Gateway train route is still a train route, just as a Eurasian Economic Union trade standard is also still a standard. All these frameworks create synergies. The only relevant question is whether the frameworks get implemented or not, or whether standards get accepted or not. Belt and Road isnt an exclusive framework to pit one against the other. Its an open vision in which all participants are contributors. Belt and Road already fully cooperates with Russias European Economic Union, and could equally cooperate with the Global Gateway and BBBW projects, if they ever get implemented. China has many times made clear it doesnt aim to replace the current UN-led world order based on international law. Much rather, China works on reviving its original aspiration in a new era, with many more independent nations than 80 years ago. As Chinese President Xi Jinping has said in the opening speech of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation: Belt and Road cooperation was proposed by China, but its benefits and opportunities are for the world to share. The West has become increasingly isolated in recent geopolitical disputes, be it in sanctioning Russia, the recognition of Palestinian statehood, or the weaponization of the USD, not to mention cultural values. Most people in the world want peace, prosperity, and mutual respect for differences, rather than one-size-fits-all cultural and political ideology. EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell visited China on October 12, stating he wished China would look at Europe more independently, and not through the lens of its relations with others. Cooperation under the Belt and Road would be a great place for European governments to start being more independent of the US. Hungary has shown that such an independent position is possible. China and the world would certainly welcome an independent Europe in a multipolar world order based on international law and mutual respect. Europes economy would be better off if Europe fully joined the Belt and Road and invested in building peace and prosperity instead of war and weapons deliveries. The European people should either force their elites to start working in the peoples interests again, or replace the political leadership of Europe. Contributed by Harald Buchmann, Swiss Researcher for German-Chinese Relations, Center for China and Globalization Editor: GSY As Mercury Dips, Chandigarh Schools Asked To Go Online Up To Class 8 Till Jan 13 Cyclone Michaung: Landfall Underway, Eye Of The Storm Close To Bapatla In AP India oi-PTI Severe cyclonic storm Michaung's landfall is currently underway with the eye of the cyclone situated near Bapatla in south Andhra Pradesh coast, said an official on Tuesday. The weather system over the west-central Bay of Bengal, running along and off the south Andhra Pradesh coast is moving nearly northwards, parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and is expected to complete crossing in the next two hours, the official said. "Severe cyclonic storm Michaung is currently making landfall close to Bapatla. It is expected to complete its landfall in the next two hours. It is expected to complete crossing by 2 pm," an Amaravati Meteorological Centre official told PTI. The Amaravati Meteorological Centre noted that the intensity of gales near the centre of the severe cyclonic storm is 90 - 100 km per hour and gusting up to 110 kmph. Chennai Latest Weather Report: Will It Rain IN TN Capital As Cyclone Landfall Begins In AP? Recommended Video Cyclone Michaung: Landfall Process Underway On Andhra's Coast, Relief Teams Ready | Oneindia News Meanwhile, 9,454 people have been evacuated from the seven districts of Konaseema, Kakinada, Krishna, Bapatla and Prakasam to safety in 211 relief camps, according to a dataset shared by APSDMA with PTI. The state government evacuated 910 people from Konaseema district, Kakinada (523), Krishna (1,814), Bapatla (702), Prakasam (128), Nellore (1,991) and Tirupati (3,386). As part of relief efforts, 10,251 food packets were distributed and 18,068 water packets. With the severe cyclonic storm Michaung anticipated to hit Bapatla during its passage, residents have been advised against going outdoors. Bapatla district superintendent of police Vakul Jindal told PTI that people living in thatched houses in the region have been evacuated. We are vigilant and we will see what happens and respond accordingly, Jindal said. While some people were moved to shelters in vehicles, people living nearby walked there. Earlier on Monday, Bapatla district collector Ranjit Basha, Jindal and MLA K Raghupati visited Suryalanka coast and issued instructions to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team and police officials. Every police station in the district has been equipped with a JCB excavator, cutter machines, ropes and expert swimmers. Taking past incidents into account, district police identified 24 vulnerable bridges and deployed police personnel there. Chennai Rains: Power Supply Restored, Airport Opens As Cyclone Michaung Heads To AP Coast Similarly, 300 police personnel and other officials have been deployed in villages which are likely to suffer inundation. Likewise, 60 policemen have been kept on standby at the district police headquarters to attend to emergencies. One NDRF and two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in the district. Police have evacuated people living in low lying areas. In the event of an emergency, Bapatla district police told people to reach out to helplines 100, 112 and police control room number 8333813228. Heavy rains continue to lash several parts of Andhra Pradesh as the severe cyclonic storm looming over the Bay of Bengal sea close to Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Tamil Nadu coasts is making landfall. The weather system is moving northwards close to the coast and some parts of the wall cloud region already lie overland. The Meteorological Department forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by gales in parts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday. It also forecast extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. On Tuesday, it forecast extremely heavy rainfall, greater than 204.4 mm, in isolated places of Konaseema, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Palnadu, Bapatla and Prakasam districts, along with heavy to very heavy rainfall, 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm, in parts of these districts. Likewise, it forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Alluri Sitharamaraju, Kakinada, East Godavari, Kadapa and Nellore districts. Cyclone Michaung: Severe Cyclonic Storm To Make Landfall In AP's Bapatla, Officials On High Alert Further, the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall, 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm, in parts of Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Nandyala, Annamayya and Tirupati districts. Except for the four Rayalaseema districts of Kurnool, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai and Chittoor, several parts of the rest of the state are expected to be pounded by rains. Several parts of West Godavari district have been witnessing intermittent rainfall since Sunday night, which intensified into heavy rainfall on Tuesday. In view of several streams and water bodies overflowing in East Godavari district, superintendent of police P Jagadish said police personnel have been deployed across the district to carry out relief efforts. Similarly, Anakapalli district SP K V Murali Krishna directed his subordinates to clear uprooted trees and keep JCB excavators and cutting machines ready for this purpose. He also directed them to coordinate with other departments to restore powerlines. In the wake of swollen water bodies, Murali Krishna called on people observing 'karthika maasam' rituals to avoid going to the seashore and other water bodies. Meanwhile, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, noted that all the five major dams in Tirumala have reached their full capacity by 4 am on Monday itself due to incessant rains in the past four days. Papavinasanam, Akasaganga, Gogarbham, Kumaradhara and Pasupudhara are the chief water sources in Tirumala. Water is also drawn from Kalyani Dam in Tirupati. About 100 mm of rainfall had been recorded in Tirumala in just 24hours by Monday evening. Further, TTD imposed restrictions on the movement of two-wheelers on ghat roads. Tirupati MLA and TTD chairman B Karunakara Reddy visited cyclone affected people on Tuesday morning at Pulavanigunta and Gollavanigunta and interacted with them, and assured help. Accompanied by officials, he told the affected people to stay vigilant and reach out whenever they need help. Reddy directed officials to provide food and drinking water to the affected people in Tirupati. The South Central Railway Zone has set up helplines across its Divisions in Andhra Pradesh. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 15:16 [IST] Devendra Fadnavis Next Maharashtra Chief Minister? BJPs Chandrashekhar Bawankule Responds BJPs state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the decision on Maharashtras next chief minister will be taken by the senior BJP leaders. He said he did not have any powers to decide who would occupy the top post in the state. India -Krishna Kripa A day after BJP workers chanted Devendra Fadnavis's name when he asked them who should be Maharashtra's next chief minister, the party's state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said the decision on the CM's post will only be taken by the senior BJP leaders. He said that he did not have any powers to decide who would occupy the top post in the state. Senior Leaders Will Decide "The decision about the next chief minister will be taken by the senior leaders of the party. I do not have any right to decide that. The issue can also be discussed among current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar," he told reporters. BJP Workers' Demand On Monday, speaking at a party rally in Bhandara, Bawankule asked the workers who should take oath as the next CM at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The workers said, "Devendra Fadnavis...Devendra Fadnavis." Bawankule then said, "Party workers must work hard to realize this dream." Political Turmoil in Maharashtra A rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde in June last year brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, following which a government led by Shinde was formed with BJP leader Fadnavis as deputy CM. Fadnavis was the state's chief minister between 2014 and 2019. In July 2023, NCP leader Ajit Pawar also joined the Shinde government as a second deputy chief minister. The decision on who will be the next chief minister of Maharashtra is a topic of much speculation and debate. With the state BJP chief saying that the decision will be made by senior leaders, it seems that the suspense will continue for some time. Who Is DMK's Jagathrakshakan, The MP Who Has Come Under IT Scanner Again? DMK MP Stirs Controversy With Gaumutra Statement, Later Defends It India oi-Madhuri Adnal DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S sought to clarify his contentious 'Gaumutra states' remark in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, aiming to defuse the significant controversy it stirred. He emphasized that his statement wasn't meant to be controversial and highlighted its previous use in his parliamentary speeches. "I made some statement inside the House. At the time Home Minister & BJP members were there at that time. I have used this before in my Parliament speeches. It was not a controversial statement. If it touches somebody I will try to avoid using it next time. I will use some other words to mention that where the BJP is strong in getting their votes," clarified the DMK MP in an interaction with news agency ANI. #WATCH | DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar S on his 'Gaumutra' remark, "...I made some statement inside the House. At the time Home Minister & BJP members were there at that time. I have used this before in my Parliament speeches. It is not a controversial statement. If it touches somebody pic.twitter.com/0H53Lu8Ilh ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 Senthilkumar added, "So far, no one has approached me to express offense or hurt sentiments regarding my statements." The uproar ensued following Senthilkumar's reference to the Hindi heartland states as 'Gaumutra' states, specifically in the context of the BJP's electoral triumph in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh during the recent assembly elections. He made the remark during a discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023. "The BJP's electoral prowess seems concentrated in the heartland Hindi states, often termed as 'Gaumutra' states," articulated Senthilkumar during the Lok Sabha session. He further commented on the BJP's strategy in handling states where they lack electoral success, hinting at the conversion of a state into a Union Territory. Reacting to the controversy, Union Minister and BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi condemned the statement, labeling it as a "disrespect of the 'Sanatani' tradition." She warned that the DMK would face repercussions for such remarks. Annapurna Devi, another BJP MP, criticized individuals making such statements, branding them as envious of PM Modi's global popularity and possessing a narrow mindset. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 21:04 [IST] India, Kenya Vow to Work Together in Multilateral Fora President Droupadi Murmu met with Kenyan President William Ruto and discussed cooperation in multilateral fora. Both leaders agreed that there are many multilateral forums through which the two countries can work together. India -Krishna Kripa New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said India and Kenya can work together in many multilateral forums, emphasizing that both nations share common views on major global issues. Murmu received visiting President of Kenya William Samoei Ruto at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday and hosted a banquet in his honor. Common Views on Global Issues In her welcome address, Murmu emphasized that the two countries must work together, not only for the well-being and progress of the people of the two nations but also for the citizens of the Global South. Highlighting common views shared by both countries on major global issues and close cooperation in regional and multilateral fora such as the United Nations, Murmu said, "We are very happy that under India's Presidency the African Union has been included in the G20 as a full member." Multilateral Cooperation Both leaders agreed that there are many other multilateral forums through which the two countries can work together, according to a statement. She said the Indian private sector is keen to invest in Kenya, and many Indian companies have made it their base for their operations in East Africa. The president noted that India is one of Kenya's largest trading partners and amongst the largest sources of investment into Kenya. India-Kenya Relations The president said that the government of India is committed to being a dependable partner in Kenya's developmental journey, the statement said. Murmu said that the waters of the Indian Ocean have connected the people of India and Kenya for centuries. "Our friendship has matured into a robust bilateral relationship, underpinned by significant economic collaboration across various sectors, including trade, education, and technology," she said. She noted that the 80,000-strong Indian-origin community in Kenya is well integrated there, both socially and economically. The president said they are proud Kenyans, even as they have upheld Indian culture and values, which bears testimony to the inclusive character of Kenyan society. President Ruto's Visit to India President of Kenya William Ruto is on a state visit to India from December 4-6 at the invitation of Murmu. A high-level official delegation accompanies him. India and Kenya share a strong and growing relationship, built on a foundation of common values and shared interests. The two countries are working together to strengthen their ties in a number of areas, including trade, investment, security, and climate change. President Ruto's visit to India is a sign of the growing relationship between the two countries and their commitment to working together to address global challenges. Indias Strong Relationship with Russia: A 60-Year Engagement Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasizes the importance of Indias 60-year relationship with Russia, stating that it has saved India many times and should not be seen as a handicap. India -Krishna Kripa India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently addressed a technology conclave in New Delhi, where he emphasized India's long-standing relationship with Russia and the significance of maintaining strong ties. He highlighted that India's engagement with Russia spans over six decades and should not be viewed as a handicap, as it has provided numerous benefits to the country. Addressing Western Concerns Against the backdrop of increasing disquiet among Western powers over India's close ties with Russia, particularly in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Jaishankar asserted that India's relationship with Russia has evolved over a long period and serves the country's interests. He stated that this relationship has been mutually beneficial and has helped India in various ways. Historical Context of India-Russia Ties Jaishankar highlighted the historical aspects of India's engagement with Russia, emphasizing the geographical and political factors that have shaped their relationship. He explained that given their proximity as neighbors, it makes sense for India and Russia to maintain strong relations, in line with the principle of considering one's neighbor's neighbor in politics. India's Economic Progression The External Affairs Minister also spoke about India's economic progression and the need to catch up in many areas. He acknowledged that while India's era of reform began three decades ago, it was not primarily focused on technology. As a result, India is now playing catch-up in terms of developing comprehensive national power, compared to other competitive powers. Modi Government's Assertive Approach Jaishankar briefly mentioned the Modi government's assertive approach in taking India forward on its overall growth path. He highlighted the efforts in building and delivering digital public infrastructure, which the Prime Minister refers to as "democratizing technology." The widespread use and familiarity with technology among the average person in India were also highlighted, as evidenced by the massive volume of UPI transactions. India's strong relationship with Russia is not a recent development but rather the result of a long and mutually beneficial partnership. Despite concerns raised by Western powers, India maintains that this relationship serves its national interests. As India continues to progress economically and embrace technology, it is leveraging its partnership with Russia to further its growth and development. India, Saudi Arabia vow to make Haj process convenient, seamless India and Saudi Arabia have vowed to work together to make the Haj process as convenient and as seamless as possible with best provision of services for pilgrims. India -Krishna Kripa New Delhi: Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani met with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Haj and Umrah Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah on Tuesday, and both countries vowed to collaborate to make the Haj process more convenient and seamless for pilgrims. Irani emphasized the government's commitment to making Haj inclusive and accessible to all segments of society. Discussions on Further Strengthening Cooperation During a joint press statement with Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Irani stated that the two nations had productive discussions on deepening their engagement and cooperation, particularly concerning Haj. She highlighted the importance of providing the best possible services to all Haj pilgrims. Irani expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia's assistance in ensuring the smooth conduct of Haj, particularly in 2023, when nearly 47% of Indian pilgrims were women, including around 4,000 women who traveled under the "Lady without Mahram" category. She emphasized the government's commitment to making Haj inclusive and accessible to all, especially women and differently-abled individuals. Saudi Arabia's Efforts to Enhance Umrah Experience In his press statement, the Saudi minister outlined the Kingdom's efforts to transform Umrah into a rewarding religious journey through technological advancements, enhanced measures, and upgraded infrastructure as part of Saudi Vision 2030. He mentioned that individuals seeking to perform Umrah can now obtain a Kingdom entry visa within 48 hours, and Indian travelers can perform Umrah using their work, tourism, or Umrah visas. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah also highlighted the option for Indians traveling to the West or the Middle East to obtain a 96-hour stopover visa, allowing them to perform Umrah and visit any city in the Kingdom. He emphasized that the Umrah visa is valid for 90 days and allows holders to reside and travel within the Kingdom, ensuring an efficient and convenient pilgrimage experience. Increasing Number of Umrah Pilgrims from India The Saudi minister noted the significant increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims from India, surpassing 1.2 million in 2023, marking a 74% increase compared to 2022. He expressed commitment to exploring options for enhancing the range of direct flight options between the two nations to accommodate the growing number of Indians wishing to perform Umrah. Appreciation for Successful Haj Arrangements During the occasion, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan expressed appreciation to the Saudi leadership and authorities for the successful Haj arrangements for Indian pilgrims earlier this year. He acknowledged the close and friendly relationship between India and Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the importance of people-to-people ties in strengthening bilateral relations. Strengthening Ties Between India and Saudi Arabia Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah also met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, where they discussed the smooth facilitation of the Haj pilgrimage by Indian nationals and explored avenues for further deepening ties between the two countries. The meeting between the Indian and Saudi ministers reflects their commitment to enhancing cooperation on Haj and Umrah, ensuring a seamless and convenient pilgrimage experience for pilgrims from India. Jaipur Bandh: Rajput Outfits Call For Shutdown Today Over Karni Sena Chief's Killing India oi-Madhuri Adnal Jaipur remains under a tense atmosphere following the tragic killing of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, the leader of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, who was fatally shot at his home by unidentified attackers. His supporters staged protests outside the hospital where he was taken, leading to road blockades and calls for a shutdown by various Rajput organizations across the state. Here are the latest developments: The entire incident was captured on CCTV, identifying one assailant as Naveen Singh Shekhawat, who died in a subsequent exchange of fire. The other two fled on a snatched scooter. Prior to the attack, Gogamedi had been receiving threats and had notified the police. A relative mentioned this to reporters outside the hospital. The killing has sparked a political debate in the state. Congress leader Pramod Tewari alleged that the timing of the incident, just after the BJP's victory, indicated a rise in criminal activity. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed shock at the incident and pledged to make Rajasthan crime-free, emphasizing the BJP's commitment to achieving this goal upon taking office. Rajasthan DGP Umesh Mishra confirmed ongoing police raids at potential hideouts of the assailants, seeking assistance from Haryana authorities. The Rohit Godara gang has claimed responsibility for the murder, with efforts underway to apprehend them. INDIA Bloc Postpones Meet After Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar And Akhilesh Kumar Snub India oi-Gaurav Sharma The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance aka INDIA bloc's meeting slated for December 6 has been postponed, said reports. According to the reports, the decision to postpone the meeting came after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav announced to skip the meeting this time. Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee told the media that she had no prior information about the meeting date. She said she couldn't attend the bloc meeting due to prior engagements in North Bengal. "If informed in advance, would have rescheduled her itinerary," Mamta Banerjee added. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI that in place of Akhilesh Yadav, senior leader Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorized by the national president will attend the meeting. The INDIA bloc meeting now stands postponed and the next date of prominent leaders' gathering will be announced soon. However, reports suggest that the Opposition heavyweights decided to stay away from the meeting after a rift among them. Senior Congress leader and Chief Minister's face in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, had said 'who is Akhilesh?' to a reporter who had asked him about the SP chief's demand for 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls. As BJP Set To Win 3 States, Cong Calls For Next INDIA Alliance Meeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who played big in bringing the Opposition leaders together, also thinks that a fresh strategy is needed to battle with the BJP. JDU leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who has been accusing Congress of ignoring the regional fronts, said, "JD-U president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh and water resources minister Sanjay Jha would attend the meeting. There is not much time left and the Congress should take the message from the debacle in three big states. Time demands that all the leaders of the INDIA bloc get down to brass-tacks without further delay with a practical approach and complete distribution of seats in all the states. (The) Nitish Kumar-model is of (a) united fight and if that happens win is not improbable." New Zealand vs South Africa Live Streaming Free: How To Watch NZ vs SA World Cup 2023 Match Live On TV, Mobile Maharashtra: Pune Municipal Corporation Razes Bhide Wada To Build Jyotiba Phule And Savitribai Phule Memorial India oi-Gaurav Sharma Following the Apex Court orders, the Pune Municipal Corporation razed the dilapidated structure of Bhide Wada in Pune on Tuesday. According to the reports, a national memorial dedicated to social reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule will be built here now. Sadly, the civic body also demolished a school started in 1848 by the social reformers to promote education for girls. The Bhide Wada is located in the Budhwar Peth area of Pune. Many people whose houses and shops were there refused to vacate the place and moved to court to seek help. However, because of the dilapidated structure that could have fallen anytime and might have caused a big accident, the court ordered the shop owners and tenants to vacate the premises. It directed the civic body to raze it. "An official of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said, "The structure is being brought down, and we will proceed further for the national memorial project-related work at the site." Pune Woman Kills Husband For Not Celebrating Birthday In Dubai To control the situation, the police force was deployed in the area before the civic body demolished the old and dangerous structures. It was completely demolished sometime after midnight. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandip Singh Gill told the media that many people had not vacated the property despite the court's orders and PMC notices to control the situation, the Police were deployed after the Pune Municipal Corporation asked for help to control the situation during the demolishment. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 10:01 [IST] NGT seeks response from Centre, NTPC on plea alleging scarcity of water in Yamuna, Ganga in Prayagraj The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, NTPC and others on a petition alleging scarcity of water in the Yamuna and the Ganga in Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj. India -Krishna Kripa The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, NTPC, and others on a petition alleging scarcity of water in the Yamuna and the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. The green panel was hearing a petition that claimed the water scarcity in the rivers could result in a situation where organizing the Kumbh Mela and the Magh Mela in Prayagraj would become difficult in the next two decades. Causes of Water Scarcity According to the petition, the scarcity has been caused by the withdrawal of water by several entities, including the Kishanpur canal and two thermal plants. The petition further states that the authorities have failed to take effective steps to address the issue, despite repeated requests. NGT's Response In an order passed on Monday, a bench of National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said the petition raised a substantial issue relating to compliance of the environmental laws. The bench, also comprising Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Expert Member A Senthil Vel, said it is impleading as respondents several authorities in the matter. These are the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change secretary; Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board member secretary; Prayagraj district magistrate; Prayagraj divisional commissioner; Bara Thermal Power Plant operations in-charge; and the National Thermal Power Corporations NTPC Prayagraj operations in-charge, among others. The tribunal said, "Let notice be issued to the respondents for filing their response within eight weeks." The matter has been listed on February 7 for further proceedings. The NGT's intervention in the matter is a significant step towards addressing the issue of water scarcity in the Yamuna and the Ganga in Prayagraj. The tribunal's order has put the onus on the concerned authorities to take immediate and effective steps to resolve the issue. The outcome of this case will have far-reaching implications for the future of the Kumbh Mela and the Magh Mela, which are two of the largest religious gatherings in the world. Jing Xiaoping (1st R) and his team members prepare well-proportioned forage for yaks in Maqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Wen Jing) LANZHOU, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Jing Xiaoping has set his "lab" on the vast grassland in northwest China's Gansu Province. The 33-year-old postdoctoral fellow, together with several of his schoolmates at Lanzhou University's College of Ecology, fed yaks with well-proportioned forage deep in the meadow in Maqu County. One of them could easily lift a huge pack of forage, while another could proficiently drive an electric tricycle. Located at the northeastern tip of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Maqu, meaning "the Yellow River" in the Tibetan language, is a primary area of water conservation in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The wetland in Maqu covers an area of more than 373,000 hectares. Jing's team has been conducting research in Maqu since July of this year. Members of the team stay in nearby herders' homes and work in local sheep and yak sheds. They use straw, wheat bran and bean pulp to optimize the forage and breeding techniques for different rearing modes, aiming to lower the cost and maintain the meat quality. "Sheep and yaks are the main source of income for local herders. As the breeding methods are changing, the need for fodder is also increasing," Jing said. Over the years, the county had suffered from intensified desertification and severe grassland degradation caused by over-grazing. Tenzin Gurmey was born into a family that has been herding for generations. "Almost every household in the nearby villages raises yaks and sheep here. The soaring numbers of cattle and sheep used to affect the quality of the grass and reduced income in the past," he recalled. Since 2011, grazing restrictions and bans have been imposed on approximately 853,000 hectares of grassland, with herders receiving compensations totaling more than 450 million yuan (about 63.4 million U.S. dollars). Jing and his team members also work in a large yak breeding base located near the Yellow River. The base is equipped with modern sheds, a thermostatic water bath and a supplementary feeding room. The breeding base, which the local government has invested in, can manage nearly 10,000 yaks. During the warmer seasons, the yaks are herded in the pasture, while during the colder seasons, they are bred in sheds. The base helps four family ranches and two cooperatives to engage in the semi-intensive breeding and grazing method. The renewed breeding method is not only environmentally friendly but also conducive to the breeding rate. Tenzin Gurmey, also head of the breeding base, stated that yaks used to give birth every two or three years, but now once a year. He has planned to purchase another batch of yaks for breeding. "The yaks can be sold at a better price at the upcoming Spring Festival," said Tenzin Gurmey. This aerial photo taken on March 10, 2022 shows a breeding base in Maqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua) Editor: WXL Congress Vs BJP In Rajasthan Polls: How Both Parties Are Relying On Seasoned Leaders? Rajasthan Election Results 2023: BJP Vs Congress - Here Is How Tally Looks Like After 12.45 pm Chhattisgarh, MP Done, All Eyes Now On Rajasthan: Who Are the Frontrunners? Race For Rajasthan CM Started: Vasundhara Raje, Mahant Balak Nath, CP Joshi, Gajendra Shekhawat In Fray India oi-Gaurav Sharma After registering a thumping victory in Rajasthan Assembly Polls 2023, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top brass's entire focus has been shifted to choosing the chief minister for the state. Many prominent names including former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, Hindu face Mahant Balak Nath, BJP State Unit chief CP Joshi, and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat are in the race for the chief minister's position. In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the BJP won 115 out of 199 seats which went under polling. Election on one seat was postponed due to the death of a candidate. The party contested the election collectively under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership without announcing the CM face. Top Contenders In Race For Rajasthan CM Position: Vasundhara Raje: Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan led the state twice in the past. Again, she registered a landslide victory at the Jhalawar seat in the Jhalrapatan constituency by a big margin of 53,193 votes. Raje got support from a total of 1,38,831 voters, according to data shared by the election commission. Mahant Balak Nath: Another big name in the race for Rajasthan's CM is spiritual leader and Alwar MP Mahant Balaknath. He emerged victorious from the Tijara assembly constituency defeating Congress candidate Imran Khan by a margin of 6,173 votes. BJP Paints MP, Chhattisgarh And Rajasthan Saffron With Hindi Heartland Wins CP Joshi: Rajasthan BJP Chief and a two-time Lok Sabha member from Chittorgarh since 2014, CP Joshi is also a big name in the race for Rajasthan Chief Minister as he kept things going for the saffron front even when Congress was in power. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: The party may give the state reins to Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is currently serving as the Union Jal Shakti Minister. He is close to Union Minister Amit Shah and is being seen as a strong contender to become the next Rajasthan chief minister. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 10:47 [IST] RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary sentenced to one year in prison in defamation case RJD national vice president Shivanand Tiwary was on Tuesday sentenced to one year in prison by a Patna court in a criminal defamation suit filed by Bihar minister Sanjay Kumar Jha five years ago. India -Krishna Kripa Patna, Dec 5: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) national vice president Shivanand Tiwary was sentenced to one year in prison on Tuesday by a Patna court in a criminal defamation suit filed by Bihar minister Sanjay Kumar Jha five years ago. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Tiwari, a former state minister himself. According to Jha's counsel Madhukar Anand, the court has also granted provisional bail to Shivanand Tiwary and given him 30 days to appeal against the order. Background of the Case Jha, who holds key portfolios like water resources and information and public relations in the Nitish Kumar government, had filed the petition way back in 2018 when he was a national general secretary of the Janata Dal (United) [JDU]. Jha had moved the court against Tiwary, taking exception to comments the latter had made about his close relationship with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JDU's supreme leader. Kumar has realigned with the RJD, which he had dumped in 2017, and hinted that he was now willing to pass on the mantle to his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, whose father Lalu Prasad heads the party. Tiwary, a veteran socialist leader who has known both Prasad and Kumar for nearly five decades, has been a member of the parties floated by the two leaders at different points of time. Significance of the Verdict The verdict in the defamation suit against Tiwary is significant as it comes at a time when political realignments are taking place in Bihar. The RJD and the JDU, which were once bitter rivals, have now joined hands to form a government in the state. The verdict may also have implications for the future of the RJD-JDU alliance. The sentencing of Shivanand Tiwary to one year in prison in a criminal defamation suit filed by Bihar minister Sanjay Kumar Jha has sent shockwaves through the political circles in the state. The verdict is likely to have a bearing on the ongoing political realignments in Bihar and may also affect the future of the RJD-JDU alliance. Three Students Arrested for Drugs Racket in Noida Sent to Jail Three students of a private university in Noida, who were arrested in connection with a drugs racket and granted interim bail, have been sent to jail. India -Krishna Kripa Three students of a private university in Noida, India, who were arrested in connection with a drugs racket and granted interim bail, have now been sent to jail, police officials said on Monday. Interim Bail Granted for Exams The students were among nine arrested in connection with the racket. They were granted interim bail till December 1 by a court in Surajpur on the grounds that they had to take their exams last week, the officials said. The interim bail was extended to December 4. Sessions Court Revokes Bail During the hearing of the case on Monday, the sessions court took note of the arguments and evidence produced against any further bail to the accused, who have been booked under the NDPS Act, the officer said. A fourth student of the same private university and held in the case was granted bail last week, according to the police. Drugs Worth Rs 30 Lakh Seized The nine accused were held by officers from Sector 126 police station on November 27 and drugs worth around Rs 30 lakh were seized from them. The police said among the items seized were marijuana, cocaine, MDMA, and OG, etc. and included both country-grown and foreign varieties of narcotics. Police Suspect Bigger Nexus The police suspect a bigger nexus working around these local and regional peddlers and traffickers of drugs and are further investigating the case. From Paramjit Panjwar To Sukhdool Singh, The Mysterious Deaths Of 5 Khalistani Terrorists In 9 Months Who Is Rohit Godara? Gangster Who Claimed Responsibility For Karni Sena Chief's Murder India oi-Madhuri Adnal Gangster Rohit Godara has claimed responsibility for the on-camera assassination of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in Jaipur's Shyam Nagar area. The disturbing incident, captured by a CCTV camera, displays two individuals firing at the Karni Sena chief. In a swift turn of events, a Facebook post minutes after the attack, purportedly from Godara, a member of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed accountability for Gogamedi's murder. "I am Rohit Godara Kapursari, brother of Goldie Brar. Today we take full responsibility for the murder of Sukhdev Gogamedi. He (Mr. Gogamedi) used to back our enemies," the social media post declared. Nonetheless, the authenticity of this post remains unverified. Rohit Godara, hailing from Bikaner's Lunakaran and reportedly residing in Canada presently, is known for executing criminal activities under the command of Lawrence Bishnoi. His criminal record boasts over 32 registered cases across various police stations nationwide, embroiling himself in unlawful pursuits since the age of 19. Among his alleged involvements, Godara is implicated in the murder of rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, slain in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29 last year. Furthermore, he is the primary suspect in the assassination of gangster Raju Thehat in Sikar last year, a crime for which he similarly claimed responsibility through a Facebook post. Godara's entry into criminal activities dates back to 2010, fleeing from Delhi to Dubai using a forged passport. An Interpol Red Notice was subsequently issued against him in connection with this evasion. Reports suggest his engagement in extortion schemes across Rajasthan, demanding exorbitant sums ranging from five to Rs 17 crore from businessmen. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 22:25 [IST] Baryl Vanneihsangi: Former Radio Jockey Is Now The Youngest Voice For Women In Mizoram Assembly ZPM Wins Mizoram: Know All About The State's New CM Face Lalduhoma India oi-Prakash KL After registering a thumping victory, Lalduhoma, who played a major role in bringing the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) to power, is set to become the CM. The party emerged victorious in the Mizoram assembly polls, bagging 27 of the 40 seats. As Lalduhoma is set to become the new CM, let us find out more about him in 10 points: Lalduhoma is an ex-IPS officer who served as the in-charge of former prime minister Indira Gandhi's security. In this poll, Lalduhoma defeated his nearest MNF rival J Malsawmzuala Vanchhawng by 2,982 votes from the Serchhip seat. He started his journey in politics when he contested from a Congress ticket in 1984. He lost to People's Conference party nominee Lalhmingthanga by a margin of 846 votes. The same year, he contested the Lok Sabha polls as a Congress candidate and was elected unopposed. However, he resigned as state Congress president and withdrew his primary membership from the party in 1986, after he was accused of conspiring against then chief minister Lal Thanhawla and some cabinet ministers. In 1988, Lalduhoma became the first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law after he quit the Congress. Mizoram Assembly Polls: BJP Bags 2 Seats In 2020, Mizoram Assembly Speaker Lalrinliana Sailo disqualified him based on complaints from 12 Mizo National Front (MNF) legislators. They accused him of defecting to the ZPM by actively engaging in party activities, despite being elected as an independent in the 2018 polls. Lalduhoma was the first legislator to have been disqualified under the anti-defection law in Mizoram, but he managed to win the by-election to the Serchhip seat in 2021. Besides the Congress, he was once part of the MNF. He had floated his own party, the Zoram Nationalist Party, and was also instrumental in the formation of the ZPM. Lalduhoma won two seats - Serchhip and Aizawl West-I In the 2018 assembly polls. He had defeated incumbent legislator and five-time chief minister Lal Thanhawla from Serchhip by a margin of 410 votes. However, he vacated the Aizawl West-I seat to retain Serchhip. Prior to the 2018 elections, Lalduhoma had successfully contested polls as a ZNP candidate from the Ratu seat in 2003 and Aizawl West-I seat in 2008. Well, Lalduhoma occupying the top post of the state brings a welcome change for the people of the northeastern state as they have witnessed a see-saw affair between two senior politicians - Lal Thanhawla of the Congress and MNF's Zoramthanga - in three decades. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 10:17 [IST] Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Seeks India's Cooperation In Wake of US Claims Of Foiled Assassination Plot Matter Of Concern: India On US Charging Indian National In Case Relating To Plot To Kill Khalistani Separatist Bhindranwale's Nephew, Khalistani Terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode Passes Away In Pakistan International oi-Prakash KL Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode, nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, passed away in Pakistan on December 2, according to reports in the Indian media. He was aged 72. His last rites were secretly performed in Pakistan as per the Sikh customs, India Today reported. Who was Lakhbir Singh Rode? The designated terrorist was the nephew of the slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. He was wanted by the Indian government for anti-India activities. Singh, a 'listed individual terrorist' under the UAPA, fled to Pakistan around 1996-97. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was investigating six cases against him for his active involvement in terror activities between 2021-2023. He is alleged to be involved in a broad spectrum of terror-related activities. His criminal record comprises armed assaults on law enforcement, planning and executing IED and bomb explosions, carrying out targeted assassinations of minority community members, engaging in extortion, raising funds for terrorist operations, and spreading fear among the general population. He has also been chargesheeted by the NIA in terror-related cases. Just months ago, an NIA court in Mohali had ordered the confiscation of land, in Punjab's Moga district, belonging to Rode, the self-styled chief of the banned Khalistan Liberation Front. The court ordered the confiscation of land at Kothe Gurupura (Rode) village of Smalsar Police station under section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Under the section, a judge can confiscate moveable and immoveable property of a proclaimed offender involved in serious crimes. The order came in a case registered by the NIA on January 1, 2021, under various sections of the UAPA, Indian Penal Code and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The proscribed terrorist organisation International Sikh Youth Forum was booked by the Punjab Police initially for his alleged involvement in a tiffin bomb blast case that took place on September 15, 2021 in Jalalabad town of Fazilka district of Punjab. He was accused of masterminding the whole conspiracy. The probe indicated that he was working in collusion with his Pakistan-based 'masters' and that he had played a key role in sending consignments of terrorist hardware, including arms, ammunition, custom-made tiffin bombs, grenades, explosives as well as drugs, to carry out terrorist acts, particularly bomb blasts, to instil fear and terror among the people of Punjab. Case Against Caller Who Threatened To Carry Out 26/11-Like Attack If Seema Haider Not Sent Back Nepal court convicts two for plotting terror attack in India A Nepal court has convicted two persons, including a suspected ISI agent, for their involvement in plotting a terror attack by planting a bomb in a train in India some seven years ago. International -Sathish Raman A Nepal court on Tuesday convicted two persons, including a suspected ISI agent, for their involvement in plotting a terror attack by planting a bomb in a train in India some seven years ago.The two are identified as Samsul Hoda and Brij Kishor Giri, according to Special Courts spokesperson Dhan Bahadur Karki. The court gave the verdict in a case filed by the Money Laundering Department against the two Nepali nationals. The Incident According to local news portal Ukeraa.com, Hoda, while residing in Dubai, hatched a terror plot against India with the help of a Pakistani national and mobilized some Pakistani and Nepalese youths to plant a bomb in Indias Bihar state.The bomb was planted but did not explode due to a technical fault. Hoda's Involvement Hoda, according to the report, used to receive money from Pakistans spy agency ISI and send it to Nepal from Dubai to carry out his plans. He also murdered two Indian nationals after his plan failed. After the murder he took the dead bodies to the nearby forest. Investigation and Arrests A special task force in India also carried out a separate investigation into the matter and three people, identified as Moti Paswan, Umashanker Patel and Mukesh Yadav, were arrested. Verdict and Sentence The court will pronounce the sentence against the duo in the next hearing. Neither the details of the incident, nor the verdict have yet been made public. The conviction of these two individuals is a significant step in the fight against terrorism in South Asia. It sends a clear message that those who engage in such activities will be held accountable for their actions. The international community must continue to work together to combat the threat of terrorism and bring those responsible to justice. Niger Scraps Military Agreements with EU, Seeks Closer Ties with Russia The junta in Niger has scrapped two key military agreements with the European Union and is seeking closer cooperation with Russia. International -Sathish Raman The military junta in Niger has terminated two crucial military agreements signed with the European Union (EU) to combat terrorism in Africa's Sahel region. Meanwhile, the junta met with a senior Russian defense official to discuss potential military cooperation. Strained Relations with the West Prior to the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger was a key security partner for the West and Europe in the Sahel, a vast region south of the Sahara Desert that has become a hotbed for Islamic extremist activity. However, the relationship has become strained since the July coup. Termination of EU Agreements In a memo issued on Monday, Niger's foreign affairs ministry announced its decision to withdraw privileges and immunities granted to the EU Military Partnership Mission in Niger, launched in February. Consequently, the country no longer has any legal obligations related to the partnership. The ministry also dismissed the EU Civilian Capacity-Building Mission, established in 2012 to strengthen Niger's internal security sector, effectively revoking its approval. Growing Political Tensions These developments highlight the escalating political tensions between Niger and the EU following the coup. The junta's actions indicate a desire to distance itself from Western influence and explore alternative partnerships. Russian Delegation Visit In a significant development, a Russian delegation led by Deputy Minister of Defence Lounous-Bek Evkourov visited Niger on Sunday. The delegation met with junta leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani and Minister of State for National Defense Salifou Mody. The meetings, which continued on Monday, focused on military and defense issues. Seeking New Partnerships Although regional and international sanctions imposed on Niger have created economic and diplomatic pressure, analysts believe that the junta has become emboldened in its consolidation of power and is seeking new partnerships. The discussions with Russia suggest the junta's willingness to explore alternative alliances beyond traditional Western partners. The termination of military agreements with the EU and the engagement with Russia reflect Niger's shifting foreign policy priorities. As the country navigates the complex security challenges in the Sahel region, the evolving dynamics between Niger and its international partners will shape the future of counterterrorism efforts in the region. UK Visa Rule Change: Setback For Indians As Families Barred From Joining Foreign Students In The UK UK Set For Tougher Visa Rules For Foreign Workers, To Impact Indians International oi-Prakash KL In a major step to cut down on migration, the UK government has announced a new, 'radical' plan which will now bar foreign workers from bringing their family members as their dependants. The development comes after the release of the official numbers which revealed that the net migration had soared to a record 745,000 in 2022. In the House of Commons, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly opened up on the government's plan for an immigration crackdown, which will also impact Indians, and medics on Health and Care visas as they will no longer be able to bring any family members with them. For individuals applying through alternative skilled worker visa pathways, the application's salary threshold will increase from the existing GBP 26,200 to GBP 38,700. This identical salary requirement will also apply to those seeking a family visa, presently set at GBP 18,600. Malaysia To Allow Visa-Free Entry To Chinese, Indian Citizens "Immigration policy must be fair, consistent, legal, and sustainable," Cleverly told the Parliament. "In total, this package plus our reduction in student dependants will mean around 300,000 fewer people will come in future years than have come to the UK last year," he said. The five-point plan laid out by the minister will come to effect in the first half of 2024. It has to be noted that former minister Suella Braverman had tabled in May, which banned international students from bringing dependant family members unless they are on postgraduate courses designated as a research programme. Cleverly stated his intention to request the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to assess the Graduate Route visa "to prevent abuse and safeguard the integrity and quality of UK higher education." This suggests that a comparable scrutiny of dependents on that post-study route might also be imminent. In addition to it, Sunak's government wants to "scrap cut-price shortage labour from overseas" by reforming the way people working in short-staffed sectors can apply to come to the UK. This entails eliminating the 20 per cent discount associated with the minimum salary for individuals seeking a visa for shortage occupations listed on the Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) Shortage Occupation List. The list of job types will undergo a thorough review and reduction. Going by the official data, India dominates the tally of skilled workers, medical professionals and students from overseas. While the Health and Care visa figures registered a 76 per cent rise in Indian applicants, the Skilled Worker route saw a small decline of 11 per cent to drop from 20,360 visas in the year ending September 2022 to 18,107 in the year ending this September, according to a report in PTI. Six Countries Enjoy Visa-Free Travel To China: New Policy Starts December 1 As far as the student visa category is concerned, Indian nationals continued to represent the largest group of students granted leave to remain on the relatively new post-study Graduate visa route, representing 43 per cent of grants. Moreover, in the year ending September 2023, there were 133,237 sponsored study visa grants to Indian nationals, reflecting a modest rise of 5,804 (+5 per cent) in comparison to the year ending September 2022. Among the dependant visas, Indian nationals ranked second in the number of dependants, following Nigeria. The figures surged from 2,127 to 43,445 in the year ending September 2023. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 11:35 [IST] A woman visits the art exhibition of "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous" in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 3, 2023. An art exhibition opened as a sideline event of the first Liangzhu Forum on Sunday in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The exhibition features 152 works created by 84 artists from 83 countries. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) HANGZHOU, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- An art exhibition opened as a sideline event of the first Liangzhu Forum on Sunday in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The exhibition, "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous," features 152 works created by 84 artists from 83 countries. In late November, the artists visited various scenic locations across Zhejiang, including the Liangzhu ancient city and the West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Hangzhou, and created works inspired by their week-long tour. Since 2009, hundreds of artists from nearly 100 countries have participated in similar "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous" visits to China, which were organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism several times. A woman visits the art exhibition of "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous" in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 3, 2023. An art exhibition opened as a sideline event of the first Liangzhu Forum on Sunday in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The exhibition features 152 works created by 84 artists from 83 countries. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) People visit the art exhibition of "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous" in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 3, 2023. An art exhibition opened as a sideline event of the first Liangzhu Forum on Sunday in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The exhibition features 152 works created by 84 artists from 83 countries. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) A woman takes photos of a painting at the art exhibition of "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous" in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 3, 2023. An art exhibition opened as a sideline event of the first Liangzhu Forum on Sunday in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The exhibition features 152 works created by 84 artists from 83 countries. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) Editor: WRX Ukrainian President Says War With Russia In New Stage As Winter Approaches Hungarys Orban wants Ukraines EU membership, funding removed from summit agenda Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has demanded that Ukraines membership in the European Union and billions of euros in funding meant for the war-torn country be taken off the agenda at a summit of the blocs leaders next week. International -Sathish Raman Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has demanded that Ukraine's membership in the European Union and billions of euros in funding meant for the war-torn country be taken off the agenda at a summit of the blocs leaders next week. Lack of Consensus In a letter to European Council President Charles Michel, who will chair the December 14-15 summit in Brussels, Orban insisted that a "strategic discussion" is needed first about Ukraine's European future and warned that forcing a decision could destroy EU unity. Decisions on the EU's enlargement and a review of its long-term budget, which includes 50 billion euros (USD 54.1 billion) in aid for Kyiv, can only be taken unanimously by all 27 member countries. Avoiding Failure "I respectfully urge you not to invite the European Council to decide on these matters in December as the obvious lack of consensus would inevitably lead to failure," Orban wrote in the letter, dated December 4 and seen by The Associated Press. EU leaders, he wrote, "must avoid this counterproductive scenario for the sake of unity, our most important asset." Ukraine's Hopes Ukraine is counting on the EU funds to help its war-stricken economy survive in the coming year. Last month, the European Commission, which supervises the enlargement process, recommended that Ukraine be allowed to open membership talks once it addresses governance issues such as corruption, lobbying concerns, and restrictions that might prevent its minorities from studying and reading in their own languages. Orban's Opposition Orban has also claimed Ukraine is "light years" away from joining the EU and that its membership would not be in Hungary's interests. He is widely considered one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies in Europe, and his nationalist government has long argued against EU sanctions on Russia over its 2022 invasion and has held up financial aid for Kyiv. Concerns and Demands Orban has also argued that accession talks should not begin with a country at war and that Ukraine's membership would drastically change the way the 27-nation EU distributes funds among member countries. In the letter, Orban lambasted the commission's proposal to start talks even though all preconditions have not been met, saying it "marks the end of the European Union's enlargement policy as an objective and merit-based instrument." He described the commission's proposal for a mid-term review of the 2021-27 budget, which has blown out due to spending to counter the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war on Ukraine, as an "unsubstantiated, unbalanced, and unrealistic proposal." EU Concerns with Hungary Orban has been locked in a tussle with the commission over concerns in Brussels about rule of law and corruption standards in Hungary. The EU froze billions in funding to Budapest over the shortcomings but has freed up some money in recent weeks and is expected to do so again before the summit. Orban's letter indicated the newly freed-up funds have not changed his mind about Ukraine. AFP English 23 Dec 2023 The Lewotobi volcano in eastern Indonesia has erupted, spewing volcanic ash between 1 kilometres to 1.5 kilometres above its peak.. A 28-year-old Noongar man who was handcuffed as he lost consciousness died after being arrested in Melbournes west last month. The flow of financial support and weapons from the United States will soon grind to a halt if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cant convince US senators in an upcoming video call. Republicans have blocked a $106 billion package that would provide aid to Ukraine and Israel, among other things. The White House said Russia could gain an advantage if Congress does not act quickly. The Ukrainian president's appearance comes after the White House urged Congress to approve more funds to support Kyiv. Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine say they shot down multiple drones overnight. DW has the latest. The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is heightening the terror risk in the EU, according to the bloc's home affairs commissioner. The warning comes after a German tourist was killed in a knife attack in Paris. 2008-2024 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Dozens of civilians were accidentally killed in a drone strike by Nigeria's army in the country's north. President Bola Tinubu described the incident as "disturbing and painful." The White House refused to condemn Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal after she called for a "balanced" approach to judging rape against Israeli women. Small and medium-sized enterprises will be able to receive 15,000 grants from the state for development next year: 14,000 micro-grants for small businesses up to UAH 250,000 and 1,000 grants for processing enterprises up to UAH 8 million, the press service of the Ministry of Economy reports. The release does not contain the total amount of grants that are planned to be distributed next year, but earlier Deputy Minister of Economy Tetiana Berezhna noted that it is planned to allocate UAH 3.5 billion for micro-grants next year: with a planned number of 14,000, the average grant size will be exactly UAH 250,000. According to the Ministry of Economy, as of November 21, since the launch of the eRobota (eWork) project in July 2022, some 8,013 micro-grants worth UAH 1.9 billion, 487 grants for the development of processing enterprises worth UAH 2.5 billion, 133 grants for horticulture and the development of greenhouse farming have been issued for UAH 555 million and 120 grants to veterans and members of their families for UAH 45 million. Next year the government will expand business support programs, and we encourage local communities to join their co-financing. In particular, for 2024 we have budgeted UAH 18 billion to extend affordable lending to domestic entrepreneurs under the 5-7-9% program, said First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko. According to her, next year there will also be a program for partial compensation for the production of agricultural machinery, which will support domestic machine builders and stimulate their development. It is noted that for the first time, the budget includes UAH 1 billion to expand the network of industrial parks, on the territory of which entrepreneurs can enjoy a number of benefits. Local authorities can also join in the creation of industrial parks. In addition, next year, the eOselia mortgage lending program will continue to operate, thanks to which the development of housing construction and related industries is stimulated. In a number of regions, local authorities have already joined in mortgage compensation for certain categories of citizens, in particular, there are regional compensation programs in Chernivtsi, Mykolaiv, Zakarpattia, Odesa regions and in Kryvy Rih. FBI Director Christopher Wray told Senate lawmakers the terror threat against the U.S. has reached an unprecedented high level since the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel. Israel urged people living in part of the Gaza Strips second-largest city to evacuate Monday, as Israeli troops launched new airstrikes and intensified their ground attack targeting Hamas militants. The Israeli military told people in neighborhoods on the northeastern side of Khan Younis to leave for their safety, directing... Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The events in Gaza and Israel have captured the world's attention. With so many factors and moving parts to the situation, it is necessary to take a step back and look at the whole scene. Dr. Ahmad Alderzi, the noted microbiologist and activist, has been interviewed by Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse, and his sweeping assessment is enlightening and thought provoking. 1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): Many people have wondered if Hezbollah will open a war front against Israel in response to the situation in Gaza since October 7. In your opinion, will the war expand, or will it remain contained? Ahmad Alderzi: Hezbollah looks at the issue of expanding the war from multiple concerns and it has prepared itself for such a situation since the end of July 2006 war. There are various factors in Hezbollah's view of expanding the war, which make it measure the extent of its intervention in the war with a golden scale. A. The Palestinian factor: There is great concern for the achievement to be completely Palestinian, which makes its cause return to the centrality of global issues, which in turn puts the resistance forces in the strongest position to achieve their conditions. B. The Lebanese factor: This factor has played a fundamental role before the martyrdom of Abbas Raad, the son of the head of the largest parliamentary bloc in Parliament, due to the chronic political division between the Lebanese forces, and the fear of the section of the Lebanese environment incubating the resistance of the consequences of the war, which would be disastrous for the Lebanese and the "Israeli" interior. This factor may have changed after the martyrdom and after the anti-war forces realized that the war in Gaza and the West Bank is leading to defeat for the Israelis. C. The regional factor: This factor is mainly related to the exhausted Syrian front, which is the weak point of the resistance axis. There is a real fear that Israeli and American aviation will intervene to open military roads for the expansion of military groups in the north, south and east, towards central Syria and the Syrian capital. D. The Iranian factor: There is a perception among Iranians that the expansion of the war may get out of control, which pushes things towards more than regional war, and the widespread destruction of infrastructure that accompanies this war, in light of the harsh sanctions imposed on it, and the internal political division. With a mainstream that views the relationship with the West as an only option for a comfortable life. E. The fifth factor is the American and Western position in general: which seeks to prevent the expansion of the war and control it within the Palestinian interior to give the Israeli army the opportunity to eliminate Hamas movement, and this is what did not happen. Therefore, Hezbollah continued to raise the level of its military resistance against Israel, in a way that serves the Palestinian cause within the two conditions that Nasrallah have set; namely the survival of Hamas movement and a ceasefire. However, this is what we began to notice with the last developments in the war and the truce that everyone agreed to extend 2. SS: Hamas and Israel have been exchanging Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. How do you view this development? Ahmad Alderzi: This deal, which was concluded, represents the first step in announcing the reality on the ground for both Israel and Hamas movement, and this comes after Israel set high goals that are eradicating the Hamas movement and displacing the people of Gaza to Sinai. But, it failed to achieve both matters, that's what puts Israel in a position of defeat, and it must acknowledge this; acknowledge the victory of the Hamas movement, and go towards accepting the requests of the victorious party, by starting the process of releasing prisoners and those kidnapped by both parties. 3. SS: The pause has lasted days, was extended, and is now coming to a possible end unless an extension is agreed upon. Will the battles resume afterwards? Ahmad Alderzi: The truce has begun in practice, and has expanded in time. Because all parties have reached a complete conviction that the Israeli army has not been able to achieve an actual achievement in the field war, and also has suffered enormous losses in a way that the Israeli society cannot bear. Despite the Israeli army's efforts to continue the war to restore its shattered image, in addition to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's insistence on the war continuation, to prevent himself from paying heavy prices as a result of his exit from political life after this war. But, the military and field reality, the continued losses of the Israeli army, and the resuming of the Israeli massacres against the Palestinians, all of these will make every day of the continuation of the war mean more accumulation of defeat, not only for Israel, but also for the entire dominant Western regime, and will help accelerate the emergence of a new international order of forces that oppose the policy of the United States. 4. SS: Resistance fighters in the far eastern desert region of Syria have attacked the American military bases that they had illegally occupied. In your opinion, can this tactic succeed in expelling the occupiers? Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). According to some military experts, the U.S. could face an unexpected threat for its military bases in the Southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico. The experts inform about developing cooperation between Cuba and Belarus. The relations between Cuba and Belarus are characterized by a high exchange of visits, which have strengthened not only the political, economic, social and educational ties, but defense cooperation as well. According to TS2 SPACE, in an assertive stride to enhance military collaboration, representatives from the armed forces of Belarus and Cuba convened in Havana, laying the groundwork for a substantial agreement on defense cooperation. This vital meeting set the scene for the drafting of an accord designed to bolster military relations between the two nations in 2024. The Agency emphasizes that a strategic partnership between nations aimed at collaborative improvement in defense and security capabilities, often including activities such as joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and co-development of defense technologies. The cooperation is seen as significant because it represents a new era of military partnership that may impact the broader context of global defense politics. What can Belarus offer to Cuba? Belarusian experts do not rule out discussion of planning the supply of Belarusian-made missile systems to Cuba, including Polonez-M Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), which have been awarded the title of the most dangerous MLRS in Europe. Polonez-M has an increased range of up to 300 km. The appearance of these MLRS in Cuba will make it possible to control not only the entire Gulf of Mexico, but also the U.S. military bases in Florida. Thus, Polonaise-M could become a serious deterrent tool in the region. Know Palestine Gaza Strip & West Bank Patreon Link : patreon.com/Himfac t Himfact Hindi Link: ... (Image by YouTube, Channel: Himfact) Details DMCA Map of Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank Looking at the Israeli siege of Gaza in retaliation against Hamas storming into Israel October 7th, killing some 1200 Israeli's and taking 247 people hostage it is now the primary hot spot in the world. Here's an assessment of the conflict as seen from afar. Israel has resumed its siege of Gaza on Friday since the 4 day temporary truce with Hamas ended the previous day. The Qatari brokered truce between Hamas and Israeli negotiators resulted in Hamas releasing some 110 hostages of the 247 it held while Israel released 240 Palestinian women and children it held in Israeli jails. Both sides accused the other of attacks during the ceasefire thus ending it. Since 2006 when Hamas replaced the PLO as the Palestinian authority in Gaza, Hamas has built an extensive tunnel network throughout the enclave. Supposedly it measures more miles than the London Underground's 250 miles. The Gaza tunnels are at a depth of 260 feet complete with an air infiltration system. Supposedly the Israeli's are considering closing off the tunnel ventilation system. However, some hostages held by Hamas are in those tunnels and would be killed. So it's unlikely the Israeli's would make such a move. There has been sporadic attacks between the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Israeli IDF but Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said Hezbollah did not intend to expand the war into a full scale regional conflict. The Houthi's in Yemen in support of Hamas have sent drone and missiles attacks into Israel and seized a ship associated with Israel in the Red Sea. They have vowed to continue its attacks on Israel as long as the Israeli's continue its assault in Gaza. Israel blames Iran behind the Houthi attacks. Meanwhile there have been sporadic attacks by Orthodox Jewish settlers on Palestinian's in the West Bank-who support the Palestinian's in Gaza-though not necessarily Hamas. According to UN data as of March 2023 there are some 700,000 Jewish settlers in 279 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. As such the much talked about two state solution of a Palestinian state including the West Bank and Gaza adjacent to Israel seems implausible at this point. For that to happen the Israeli settlements would have to be dismantled in the West Bank. But what about the 700,000 settlers? They would be in open rebellion. It becomes most apparent to this observer Israel's extensive settler expansion throughout the West Bank was meant to make a two state solution difficult if not impossible. So...the more women and children the IDF kills in Gaza along with its attack of Gaza hospitals has most of the world appalled by the carnage committed by the Israeli's. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. It should be hard to imagine, but sadly it isn't. In the next year, almost anything all too literally could happen. Donald Trump, that other old man in the room, could indeed go down, thanks to all those McDonald's and Wendy's burgers he's consumed. Or he could be convicted of one or more felonies and lose Republicans unwilling to vote for someone officially labeled a "criminal" (or so some polls tell us might be possible anyway). Unlikely as it might seem right now, he could even lose the Republican nomination to Nikki Haley (though I wouldn't hold my breath on that one). And of course, he could be beaten next November by Joe Biden or, in turn, Biden could go down in some unexpected (or do I mean expectable?) way, leaving the aging Trump to face a vigorous younger Democrat in 2024. (And in case you've noticed all the parentheses in this paragraph, they only emphasize how dauntingly unknown that future of ours remains.) But regrettably, The Donald could also do just what too many polls of this moment are suggesting and win the presidency for the second time. While ensconced once again in the Oval Office, he would, of course, still find himself embroiled in court cases and wouldn't be able to pardon himself when it comes to the state charges. If he were convicted, watch out! We already know that, behind (but not so very far behind) the scenes, right-wing think tanks are working at top capacity to create a next-time-around Trumpian government that would be ever more divorced from the democracy we've known and ever more autocratic. Its power would, of course, be centered on yes, Donald Trump! And if so, revenge would be the theme of the day, week, and year. With that in mind, let TomDispatch regular Clarence Lusane lay out for you just what it would mean for the Trumpublican Party's slogan to change from Make America Great Again (MAGA!) to Make America Fascist Again (MAFA!) and just how certain aspects of the history of this country would help make such a transformation all too possible. Tom Make America Fascist Again (MAFA!) The Future If Donald Trump Returns to the Oval Office By Clarence Lusane On February 19, 1942, two months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. It initiated a Department of Defense program that resulted in the rounding up and incarceration of about 122,000 individuals of Japanese descent. They were to be placed in federal "relocation centers" that would popularly become known as "internment camps." As it happened, they were neither. They were prisons set up to house and so violate the civil and human rights of a despised and racially different group defined as "the enemy." Although that executive order did not, in fact, mention a specific ethnic or racial group, it was clearly understood that the prisons were not being established for citizens or residents of German or Italian descent, the other two nations then at war with the United States. While not a single person of Japanese ancestry was found to have spied on this country or to have committed acts of sabotage against it, pro-Mussolini and pro-Hitler demonstrations, rallies, and propaganda had been commonplace. Before the war, fascist groups had been allowed to organize and spread propaganda from coast to coast. Some even had influence over and alliances with members of Congress, mainstream journalists, and well-known scholars. Such a travesty of justice was not just being pushed by Roosevelt, one of the most liberal presidents in American history, but by notables like California judge Earl Warren (later to become a liberal Supreme Court justice) and renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow. Although lawsuits challenging the prison camps were filed, the Supreme Court allowed them to continue to operate. More than half of those incarcerated were U.S. citizens. None had been charged with any crimes. Often under the banner (made popular again in our time) of "America First," far-right, racist policies had been put in place and millions suffered from them. The openly discussed basis for unity in those years was, at least in part, opposition to non-Aryans and non-Protestants, whether they were Japanese, Jewish, or African American. In 1981, 36 years after World War II ended with the atomic bombing of two Japanese cities, a Presidential Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians issued a report making clear that the imprisonment of Americans of Japanese descent in such striking numbers "was not justified by military necessity, and the decisions which followed from it" were not driven by analysis of military conditions. The broad historical causes which shaped these decisions were race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership." Trump Threatens It's important to keep this history in mind since Donald Trump and his MAGA associates are planning to emulate it on a grand scale in a second (and what they hope will be a never-ending) administration. Promises of new "camps," should The Donald be elected a second time in 2024, are already pouring out of Trumpworld. These would be "huge camps" for migrants near the border with Mexico, as the New York Times reported recently, "to detain people while their cases are processed and they await deportation flights." To ensure that Congress has no direct role in funding them, they will be built and operated with money taken directly from the military budget. Just to be clear, Trump isn't against all immigrants. Anything but. After all, he married two, one from the Czech Republic and the other from Slovenia, countries that most Americans would have to google to find on a map of Europe. Instead, the targets of the pending Trumpian anti-immigrant tsunami will, of course, be individuals and families from the global South. The racism embedded in such a future effort isn't beside the point, it is the point. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). As Dutch Bros marches east with its lineup of outrageously colorful caffeinated beverages, the Oregon drive-thru chain may have caught the attention of a formidable competitor. McDonalds is launching a similar concept early next year it calls CosMcs with a drink lineup that evokes Dutch Bros menu. CosMcs appears set to offer iced drinks, spiced lattes and sugary confections with names like Sour Cherry Energy Burst, Island Pick-Me-Up Punch and SMores Cold Brew. McDonalds plans to offer more details at its annual investor day Wednesday, but it quietly set up the first CosMcs this month in Bollingbrook, Illinois, near Chicago, and the internet has already taken notice. CosMcs names and brightly hued styles are reminiscent of some of Dutch Bros popular drinks, among them the Palm Beach and Tigers Blood lemonades, Electric Berry and Dragon Slayer sodas and the Caramelizer Dutch Freeze. Dutch Bros irreverent attitude and flamboyant drinks helped the Oregon company gain a devoted following, especially among young people, and its become one of the states largest businesses. Dutch Bros stock dropped by about 10% last week in the days after CosMcs menu hit social media last week. Its not clear if the potential competition drove the decrease, though, and shares regained some of the lost ground in the following days. McDonalds announced the CosMcs concept last summer but said little at the time about what it had in mind. CosMcs is a small format concept with all the DNA of McDonalds, but with its own unique personality, McDonalds CEO Chris Kempczinski told investment analysts on a quarterly conference call. The company said it would start with a small number of CosMcs locations in a limited geography. CosMcs is named for a bug-eyed, multi-armed alien McDonalds created to advertise its products in the 1980s and 90s. Real estate investor Iman Jalali said he enjoys checking out new restaurants and drove by the CosMcs site in Illinois last week while on his way to one of his properties nearby. He shot some photos with his iPhone and posted them on social media. CosMcs Bollingbrook location is reminiscent of a Dutch Bros, Jalali wrote in an email Tuesday. In recent years Ive noticed brands like Dutch Bros and Biggby Coffee expanding their menus beyond your typical coffee drinks, Jalali said. I see this as McDonalds way of doing the same, combined with an all-day breakfast menu that McDonalds lovers have begged for. CosMcs Illinois location appears much bigger than Dutch Bros drive-thru stands, and its menu at least as shown on the menu board photographed by Jalali includes breakfast sandwiches and other foods that the Oregon chain doesnt offer. McDonalds is launching a new concept and I was just there and grabbed pics of a whole new menu of items never been offered before The concept is being launched in Bollingrbook, IL and its called CosMcs Its not open yet and there was a full team of actors in the drive thru pic.twitter.com/Z64g4ykZXT Iman Jalali (@Stealx) November 29, 2023 The broader menu could give CosMcs an opportunity to differentiate itself from Dutch Bros but would also make it more expensive to build and operate its drive-thrus. The chain might also run into resistance from McDonalds franchisees, who might not be thrilled about having a similar menu operating anywhere close to their restaurants. McDonalds did not respond to a request for comment on its plans, and Dutch Bros declined to discuss a potential competitor. Dutch Bros started in 1992 with two brothers coffee pushcart in the small southern Oregon town of Grants Pass. It now has nearly 800 drive-thrus in 16 states but its headquarters havent left Grants Pass. Drive-thru chain Dutch Bros is among Oregons biggest companies.Mike Rogoway/The Oregonian Dutch Bros has its biggest presence in Oregon, and it has a large California footprint, too. Its current growth is focused on Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and other parts of the South and southeastern United States. The chain hopes to have 4,000 Dutch Bros drive-thrus nationwide by the early 2030s. This article has been updated with additional detail from Iman Jalali. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | 503-294-7699 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Thousands more Oregonians are now eligible to get back drivers licenses suspended because of unpaid traffic violations. Gov. Tina Kotek on Friday ordered mass clemency for the Oregon residents, building on an order from her predecessor, Gov. Kate Brown, forgave more than 8,000 Oregonians in the same situation a year earlier. Koteks order forgives more than 10,000 more people whose drivers licenses were suspended only because they didnt pay fines related to traffic violations, such as speeding tickets. The remission order does not apply to people whose licenses were suspended because of traffic crimes, such as driving under the influence of intoxicants. The order states that the 2022 order from Brown did not include everyone who met the criteria to be forgiven, and that the Oregon DMV has since updated the list. Both governors executive orders directed county courts to update their records and promptly inform the DMV of the people who are eligible to get their licenses back. After that, those eligible for reinstatement can call the DMV and pay a $75 fee to get their license back. Of the 8,300 people who Brown granted clemency to last year, though, only a relative handful had taken advantage as of November. The Oregon Department of Transportation said that less than 1,200 had gotten their licenses reinstated. More than 4,500 others had been cleared by the courts to get their licenses back but hadnt taken the steps to do so. And the remaining 1,350 still had suspended or revoked licenses because the courts that issued the citations hadnt confirmed their eligibility to the Oregon DMV . Koteks executive order includes a list of Oregonians who are eligible for reinstatement, as does Browns order. People can also check if they qualify by calling the DMV at 503-945-5000 or visiting the agencys online service center at dmv2u.oregon.gov, scrolling down to Notify the DMV and clicking the Ask the DMV a question box. People can also check their status by logging into their profile on the DMV website using a drivers license, permit, identification card, vehicle registration or title. Scroll to Status check tools and click on Check my driving privilege. Debt-based license suspensions have a disproportionate impact on low-income Oregonians and can have a ripple effect, according to the Oregon Law Center a legal aid service that has worked with some people who are trying to reinstate their licenses. Its harder for those drivers to get or keep jobs, and their debt can get compounded if police fine them for driving with a suspended license. Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com CORRECTION: A previous version of this story included incorrect information about the types of driving infractions covered. Penalties from unpaid parking tickets, which are not considered traffic violations, are not addressed in the governors order. The off-duty pilot accused of trying to shut down the engines of a packed commercial flight last month is now facing less serious charges in state court. A grand jury tasked with reviewing the case issued an indictment Monday charging Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph D. Emerson with 83 misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, plus one count of first-degree endangering an aircraft, which is a minor felony. Prosecutors initially charged Emerson, 44, with 83 counts of attempted murder one felony charge for each person onboard. Under Oregon law, the minimum penalty for attempted murder is 7 years in prison; for misdemeanors such as reckless endangerment, the prescribed punishment is a year in jail. The grand jury heard of all the evidence, and they decide which charges go forward, said Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Nathan Vasquez. Prosecutors say Emerson was hitching a ride in a spare seat in the cockpit of the San Francisco-bound Horizon Air Flight 2059 on Oct. 22 when he suddenly grabbed two red fire suppression handles, which would have cut the planes engines instantly if fully depressed. The pilot and co-pilot on board managed to wrest control of the handles from Emerson and removed him from the cockpit into the general seating area, where he briefly tried to open an emergency exit door before being dissuaded by a flight attendant, court records show. The plane, which took off from Everett, Wash., was diverted to Portland and Emerson was arrested after it landed. In court records and media interviews, Emerson has said he was still reeling from the effects of psychedelic mushrooms he had taken two days earlier during a get-together to commemorate his best friend, who had died years before. In a statement, defense attorney Noah Horst said Emerson believed he was trapped in a dream and was simply trying to wake up. Captain Emerson never intended to hurt another person or put anyone at risk he just wanted to return home to his wife and children, Horst said. For the time being, Emerson remains in custody in Portlands downtown jail, though Horst said he expects Emerson to be released by weeks end. That decision will be up to the judge at a new arraignment set for Thursday, though criminal defendants charged with nonviolent offenses are rarely held for pretrial detention in Multnomah County. Emerson faces a separate charge of interfering with a flight crew in federal court. READ MORE: Listen to flight audio from plane grounded by off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut off engines Oregon incident shows pilots in mental distress can slip by FAA; A major problem says expert Passengers sue Alaska Airlines after off-duty pilot scare during flight Zane Sparling; zsparling@oregonian.com; 503-319-7083; @pdxzane Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe UK to contribute GBP 20 mln to SURE fund launched by MIGA to insure investments in Ukraine The UK will provide GBP 20 million ($25.3 million at current rates) to the Ukraine Support Reconstruction and Economic (SURE) Trust Fund, launched by the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), to reduce the risks of foreign investors in Ukraine. "Todays [Monday] signing gives businesses and investors the fundamental tools they need to get directly involved in Ukraines recovery from this horrific war," UK's Minister for Industry and Economic Security Nusrat Ghani said in the agency's release. "...Our GBP 20 million contribution into the MIGA insurance trust fund will de-risk projects and attract much-needed private investment into Ukraine to support economic recovery now and into the future," he said. The MIGA press service recalled the World Bank estimates the damage from Russia's invasion of Ukraine at $411 billion. As reported, Norway also provided $22 million in SURE to reduce risks for foreign investors and meet demand for military insurance. Ukraine Support for Reconstruction and Economy (SURE) Trust Fund was established by MIGA in February 2023 to create a two-pronged strategy to help Ukraine cope with the consequences of a full-scale Russian invasion. MIGA was established in 1988 as a member of the World Bank to promote foreign direct investment in developing economies, helping to mitigate the risks of currency conversion and transfer restrictions, government breaches of contracts, expropriation, and war and civil unrest. The agency is also involved in improving lending for private investors and the lenders themselves. The press service said since the start of its work, MIGA has issued guarantees worth over $76 billion in 123 developing countries, supporting more than 1,000 projects, and over the past decade has provided 156,000 new jobs in developing countries. A 32-year-old physician who sent thousands of text messages to a 15-year-old girl and pried several nude images from her in 2019 has been found guilty by a judge for his predatory behavior. After years of delays, a Washington County judge Thursday found Daniel H. Rock guilty of using a child in a sexually explicit display and two counts of luring a minor. A lawyer for accused multi-state kidnapper Negasi Zuberi says a key piece of evidence was destroyed in the case -- the alleged makeshift cinderblock cell in Zuberis Klamath Falls garage where prosecutors say he locked a woman inside after abducting her from Seattle. The government allowed a very important piece of evidence to be destroyed, attorney Michael P. Bertholf wrote to the court. A judge Monday sentenced 61-year-old Salem resident Daniel Matthew Kittson to more than two years in federal prison after a jury convicted him in August of transferring a machine gun to a federal agent. U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut said Kittson acted like the broker, providing the undercover agent with a detailed description of the Russian-made machine gun and how it could spit out 1,200 to 1,400 rounds a minute. Midcentury modern houses and their easy indoor-outdoor living revolutionized the way people dwell, especially on the West Coast. The Mad Men-era architecture is most associated with great rooms under vaulted ceilings, accent colors as vibrant as Marilyn Monroes gowns and Sputnik satellite-inspired light fixtures reflecting the effervescent Space Age. From cocktail bar carts to backyard patio parties, and glass doors that slide away boundaries, the feeling is expansive, the hi-fi vibe fun-filled. The style propagated 70 years ago by tract developers Joseph Eichler in California and Robert Rummer in Oregon continues to influence new construction, according to experts in real estate and the editors of Architectural Digest. Rummer-built homes are rarely on the market and sell for over asking price. Many owners stay put for decades, refusing to give up a glass-enclosed central atrium, towering transparent walls and skylights that spotlight nature on sunny or wet, gray days. The spirit and sleekness of midcentury modern design can uplift any space, says designer Karen Nepacena, who will be in Portland on Dec. 10 talking about ideas in her new book, Midcentury Modern Style: An Approachable Guide to Inspired Rooms ($35, Gibbs Smith). With images by Portland photographer Christopher Dibble on all 216 pages, the book beautifully shows how to achieve the desirable swank style on a budget. Nepacenas suggestions come from her hands-on experience restoring her Northern California house built by Eichler. She and her husband, John Shum, chronicled their progress in their online journal Destination Eichler, which grew to become a full-service interior design firm. Her approach to midcentury modern, or MCM: Mixing in MCM-inspired colors, patterns, textures and treasured objects can take a space from just a room with four walls to an environment that evokes comfort and joy. She offers solid advice on positioning furniture to best navigate a floor plan as well as smart ways to create different moods, from relax and recharge bedrooms to efficient, inspiring work spaces. She also explains the endearing qualities of post-and-beam midcentury homes that relied on readily available wood to cover floors, walls and sometimes ceilings. Brick, stone and exposed aggregate concrete also drew the outdoors inside. Buoyant organic shapes like ovals and circles showed up in furnishings, their spare designs making ornate classic furniture look fussy and old-fashioned. Midcentury modern sofas ... have clean, modern lines, simple tapered legs (wood or metal) and straight arms, Nepacena writes. Dibbles photos show coffee tables in a surfboard form and Japanese American artist and industrial designer Isamu Noguchis 1947 glass-top table brilliantly supported by two identical curved wood pieces, one upside down. Displays of mod color palettes include primary red, blue and yellow to pastel light pink, pale yellow, baby blue and sea green as well as 1970s natural shades of turquoise, chartreuse, orange and brown. Nepacena finds artwork at estate sales, antiques markets and garage sales, and the book lists recommended retailers, artists, designers and manufacturers such as Oregon-founded Ann Sacks tile, Rejuvenation light fixtures and hardware and Schoolhouse lighting and lifestyle goods. The mother of two has tried-and-true tips for kids bedrooms, such as resilient fabrics and washable rugs, and ways to maximize space with bunkbeds and shelves. In every room, she achieves minimalism by using multipurpose furniture and clever storage solutions. Many pages are devoted to creating a functional, practical and pretty kitchen. She offers advice on big-ticket items like cabinets, counters and backsplashes and less expensive upgrades like replacing drawer pulls with midcentury-inspired bowties, half-moons or mushroom knobs. Brass and polished chrome finishes are period-appropriate choices, she says. Handcrafted ceramics can be displayed on shelves. Try a set of orange coffee mugs or some speckled robins-egg-blue bowls, details reminiscent of original midcentury design, she writes. Bring in kid-friendly melamine dishware in midcentury-inspired colors or graphic patterns. She says many modern-day tableware lines are modeled after midcentury introductions from Catherine Holm, Fiestaware, Heath Ceramics and Krenit. Not surprisingly, Pyrexs 1956 pink daisy, 1957 butterprint and 1983 colonial mist bowls are collectibles. A low-stakes start to inserting midcentury modern in a home could be a boomerang-patterned shower curtain or an Eames Hang-It-All coatrack. Outside, install house address numbers in a sans-serif font and era-evoking globe or sconce lighting. Meet Karen Nepacena and photographer Christopher Dibble, from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10, at City Home showroom at 1101 S.E. Third Ave. in Portland. Oregon Home magazine editor Emily Grosvenor, who wrote Find Yourself at Home A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life, will facilitate a conversation followed by an audience question-and answer period. RSVP to get free tickets at eventbrite.com/e/exclusive-book-signing-at-city-home-midcentury-modern-style-tickets-714825070027. For more inspiration, Dibble has a series of giclee prints of his photographs of iconic midcentury furnishings. Included in the Midcentury Objectified series is J.A. Bauer Potterys 1940s ringed ceramic Beehive Batter Bowl and Finnish American designer and architect Eero Saarinens 1948 Womb Chair, which was contoured to make a person feel comfortable and secure. From 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 15, Christopher Dibble will sign copies of Midcentury Modern Style: An Approachable Guide to Inspired Rooms at Assemblages Makers Fair Holiday Market held adjacent to the Rejuvenation showroom at 1100 S.E. Grand Ave. in Portland (reserve a seat at the book event at eventbrite.com). The Makers Fair Holiday Market is free to see and open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 23. Dibble co-founded Assemblage, a makers collective launched in 2020 to help small businesses after craft markets closed during the pandemic. Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman Rep. Maxine Dexter, a Portland Democrat, announced Wednesday that she will run for Congress in Oregons 3rd District, making her the third declared candidate for the seat being vacated by longtime U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer. Ive been looking to make as much impact in my community and in my state as I can, Dexter told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Im someone who listens, who leads and solves problems. Im pragmatic and solutions-oriented, and Ive been successful in Salem taking that approach. We need people in Washington who will listen to everyone and be focused on outcomes where were in alignment. We need to work across ideologies and party and just do the right thing for people. The 51-year-old doctor will face at least two competitors for the Democratic Party nomination. Former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal resigned from the county commission to announce her candidacy Oct. 31, while Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales announced his plans to run for the seat a day later. Blumenauer announced in October that he would not seek reelection after nearly three decades representing Portland in Congress. Democrats outnumber Republicans more than three to one in the 3rd District, which includes most of Multnomah County and, after 2021s redistricting, stretches into Hood River and northeastern Clackamas counties. Whoever wins the Democratic nomination for the seat in May will be expected to coast to victory in November. Dexter grew up in Bothell, Washington, and was the first person in her family to attend college, she said. A graduate of University of Washingtons medical school, she is a pulmonologist and critical care doctor at Kaiser Permanente. Every person deserves an equal opportunity to live a healthy life in a healthy community and an healthy environment, Dexter said. The grounding force of that is a fair economy for our working families. A union job at a grocery story that she began at age 16 enabled and empowered me to work my way through higher ed ... That kind of opportunity is extremely rare for anyone to have access to anymore, and its only because of that, that now Im in this privileged position to be able to serve my community and not be scraping just to get by. Dexter was appointed to the Oregon House to represent Northwest Portland and nearby portions of Washington County in June 2020 following the death of Rep. Mitch Greenlick. She won the primary for the seat before her appointment. She was elected to a full term in November 2020 and reelected again two years later after her districts boundaries were redrawn to include downtown Portland. During the 2023 legislative session, she chaired the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness and served as a chief sponsor on the $200 million bipartisan housing and homelessness package championed by Gov. Tina Kotek that cleared the Legislature within the first 60 days of the session. During the session, she was also a chief sponsor of a key opioid harm reduction bill, which passed with bipartisan support and makes Naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug, more accessible. As a doctor who has seen firsthand the tragic impacts of fentanyl overdoses, she said it was especially meaningful for her to see that bill over the finish line. This year, she also served on the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care and the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans. On the national level, Dexter said shed push for a tax structure that supports working families and would champion environmental policies to combat climate change, something she said is necessary to secure a future for her two children and the planet. She said she would also push for health policy reforms. Since college, she said she has worked to put herself in a position to hopefully one day shape health policy on the national level. We need a health care system thats affordable, accessible and sustainable, Dexter said. I believe I would bring expertise and insight that many could never achieve without having done the things Ive done. Dexter lives in Northwest Portland, just outside the boundary of the 3rd Congressional District. However, the U.S. Constitution does not require congressional representatives to live in their districts. U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas won election in Oregons new 6th District in November 2022, despite living just outside its boundaries. Jamie Goldberg; jgoldberg@oregonian.com; 503-221-8228; @jamiebgoldberg Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Mountain climbers will soon face an additional hurdle on their way up Oregons tallest mountain: permits. The U.S. Forest Service announced Tuesday that new climbing permits will be required to scale Mount Hood starting Jan. 1, 2024. Permits, which will not be limited by number and dont need to be booked far in advance, will cost either $20 for a single trip or $50 for an annual pass. They will be required for anyone traveling above 9,500 feet on the mountain about 3,500 feet higher than Timberline Lodge. Unlike many other outdoor recreation permits in Oregon, the new climbing permits are not designed to limit the number of people allowed on the mountain. Instead, the goal appears to be education, as well as funding for more climbing patrols, safety measures and environmental protections in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Mt. Hood is an iconic mountain, but it has a delicate alpine environment and summiting it is a technical climb, Meta Loftsgaarden, supervisor for the national forest, said in a news release. The climbing permit will help improve safety for climbers while protecting the natural resources of this iconic place. Forest officials first proposed the permits in June 2022, but delayed implementation until 2024. The decision followed an increase in the number of inexperienced climbers on Mount Hood, as well as a number of injuries and fatalities on the way to the summit including many involving climbers with experience. Until now, climbers have been able to scale the mountain after filling out a free wilderness permit, and while many people first go through training with groups like Mazamas, there is no skill requirement to make the climb. Every year around 10,000 people attempt to climb Mt. Hood. In spring and summer, it is not uncommon for visitors with little or no mountaineering experience to attempt to climb the 11,240-ft. peak, highlighting the need for more climber education and trained staff on the climbing route, the Mt. Hood National Forest said in the news release. In addition to funding more climbing rangers and patrols, the permit fees will help fund sanitary and infrastructure improvements on the mountain, the national forest said. Permits will also provide climbers with better education about safety and the risks associated with making a technical climb of that magnitude. Climbing permits will be available online at recreation.gov starting Jan. 1. More information about climbing Mount Hood can be found at fs.usda.gov/mthood. Jamie Hale 503-294-4077; jhale@oregonian.com; @HaleJamesB Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe In future, we plan with our partners to launch production of armored vehicles on Ukrainian territory Shmyhal In the future, Ukraine and its partners plan to launch the production of armored vehicles on its territory, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said. "In October, during a visit to Berlin, together with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, we launched cooperation between the Ukrainian defense industry and the German arms concern Rheinmetall," Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Tuesday. According to the prime minister, Rheinmetall is already producing artillery shells for Ukraine and is receiving new orders. "In the future, we plan to launch the production of armored vehicles on Ukrainian territory. This is a flagship project of uniting the forces of Ukraine and European gunsmiths to achieve a just peace and our common security," he said. Shmyhal emphasized that in the future Ukraine would also rely on technology transfer, investments in design developments, new production facilities and Military Tech. The German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Ministry of Restoration of Ukraine have agreed to sign a grant worth EUR 20 million for the Renewable Energy Solution Programme (RES). The grant, announced during COP28, is being provided by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) to EIB Global's IKI Fund, created in partnership with the German government to promote green investments, the bank's website said on Tuesday. "With this contribution, the government of Germany intends to support the transition of energy systems and green reconstruction in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement and Ukraine's path towards the European Union. It will be another important building block in longstanding German-Ukrainian cooperation in the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and the German-Ukrainian Energy Partnership," the release notes. It is noted that the grant will promote the introduction of renewable energy technologies in Ukrainian municipalities (schools, hospitals, kindergartens) and increase the energy independence of public institutions, in particular through the integration of solar energy systems, the use of biomass, geothermal heat pumps, and the installation of batteries. This initiative will support another EIB framework loans, such as the Ukraine Public Building Energy Efficiency (UPBEE) Programme (a EUR 300 million EIB framework loan for thermal renovations in Ukrainian communities), and two recovery programmes - the Ukraine Early Recovery Programme (UERP) and Ukraine Recovery Programme (URP) - worth a total of EUR 540 million and targeting territories recently liberated in Ukraine. In addition, plans are in place for the RES Programme to support similar EIB framework loans in the future. It is also indicated that the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) will provide technical assistance and advisory services necessary for the successful implementation of the program. EIB President Werner Hoyer said: "In our role as the EU climate bank, we see the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme as an important step for the reconstruction of Ukraine. This initiative, supported by the German government, ensures that essential public buildings are both energy-efficient and equipped with renewable energy solutions, fostering Ukraine's resilience and energy security." Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) said that with this contribution from the International Climate Initiative (IKI), they are supporting Ukraine's efforts to promote decentralised renewable energy solutions, the decarbonisation of the energy system and, the reconstruction of Ukrainian energy infrastructure due to the ongoing Russian aggression. "I truly believe that the transformation to climate neutrality can be engrained in all reconstruction efforts and I admire Ukraine's resilience and determination to climate and energy transition in the face of the military threats," he said. Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov said: "The focus of this cooperation is clear: together with our EU partners we want to boost Ukraine's resilience, rebuild the country, support communities and cities in a more sustainable and greener way than ever before." The release notes that last year Germany supported Ukraine in the energy sector for more than EUR 200 million, and IKI is now financing 16 projects in Ukraine with a total approved budget of EUR 293 million. Since the start of Russia's full-scale military intervention in Ukraine in 2022, the EIB has provided EUR 1.7 billion in immediate assistance to Ukraine to urgently repair the country's infrastructure destroyed by Russian bombing. The EU Bank also provided a credit line of EUR 4 billion to support the integration of refugees from Ukraine in EU countries. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The deputy Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Moussa al-Kouni, arrived in Brussels Tuesday at the head of a high-level delegation to discuss a set of priorities linked to the development of the roadmap in partnership with the European Union to resolve the most important issues of common concern between Libya and the Union Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - The situation for Gazans is getting worse by the hour, the UN health agency WHO said on Tuesday, after some the heaviest Israeli shelling in the enclave since the war between Israel and started on 7 October Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid Al Dbaiba, has said that the practice of deciding the fate of the people in darkened chambers without their knowledge is a thing of the past Saica Group Acquires Waste Management Company Ecovidal in Madrid Ecovidal manages 53,000 tonnes of waste annually mostly paper and cardboard primarily sourced from the northeast region of Madrid. Ecovidal manages 53,000 tonnes of waste annually mostly paper and cardboard primarily sourced from the northeast region of Madrid. Dec. 5, 2023 - Spanish recycled paper manufacturing company Saica Group has reached an agreement to acquire the total shares of the waste management and collection company, Ecovidal-Miguel Vidal e Hijos. Through this acquisition, Saica's waste management and environmental services business, Saica Natur, strengthens its presence in the Henares corridor an important business, industrial and residential area in the northeast of the Madrid region of Spain. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ecovidal manages up to 53,000 tonnes of waste annually, the vast majority of which (92%) is paper and cardboard. The acquired company has 25 employees and in 2022 had a turnover of 10 million euros. Located in the municipality of Torrejon de Ardoz (Madrid) with a warehouse spanning almost 16,000 square metres, Ecovidal has been supplying recycled paper to Saica Paper mills for over four decades, establishing a long-standing business partnership. Based in Spain, Saica Group is a leading manufacturer of recycled paper for corrugated board with an annual production capacity of 3.3 million tons. Saica Group has four business lines: Saica Paper (manufacture of recycled paper for corrugated board), Saica Natur (waste management and environmental services), Saica Pack (production of corrugated board packaging), and Saica Flex (flexible packaging). SOURCE: Saica Group Photo: (Photo : Paula Bronstein /Getty Images) The Exclusive Poultry, a prominent poultry processor based in Los Angeles, is grappling with the fallout of a $3.8 million penalty imposed by the Labor Department for the alleged employment of minors. The penalty follows a meticulous investigation that unearthed distressing instances of child labor within the company's operations. Child Labor Allegations of The Exclusive Poultry Unveiled The Exclusive Poultry, renowned for its chicken processing facilities at two key Los Angeles locations and as a supplier to major retailers like Aldi and Ralphs Grocery Co., now finds itself entangled in serious allegations. The Labor Department's probe, initiated in response to a complaint from an adult worker in August 2022, has brought to light a disturbing pattern of child labor exploitation. The company stands accused of hiring minors, some as young as 14, to perform hazardous tasks, including deboning chicken with sharp knives. To address these grave allegations, The Exclusive Poultry has entered into a consent decree, acknowledging its wrongdoing and agreeing to a penalty exceeding $3.8 million. This substantial amount encompasses compensation for back wages, damages, and civil penalties, underscoring the severity of the company's transgressions in hiring minors, a violation of stringent labor laws. Concealing Minors and Retaliation Labor Department investigators, during multiple visits to The Exclusive Poultry's processing locations, encountered a noticeable reluctance among young workers, estimated to be between 14 and 17 years old, to engage with them. Affidavits revealed that these minors actively avoided discussions with investigators, often resorting to running away. Subsequent confirmation by the Labor Department verified that the age of some workers indeed fell as low as 14. The investigators also alleged that minors employed by the company were subjected to working overtime six days a week, forgoing school attendance, and sustaining injuries on the job. Moreover, allegations surfaced that, upon the launch of the Labor Department's investigation, the company's owner, Tony Bran, engaged in retaliatory measures. Bran, according to the allegations, threatened workers in Spanish, indicating a reduction in pay for those suspected of cooperating with the department. Workers claimed that, in an attempt to conceal child labor practices, minors were hidden in closets and bathrooms when investigators arrived, further exacerbating an already egregious situation. Read Also: Missing 17-Year-Old Indiana Teen's Body Found in Neighbor's Yard: Murder Charges Underway Industry-Wide Crackdown and Ongoing Monitoring The Exclusive Poultry case serves as a poignant reminder of the broader initiative led by the Biden administration to combat child labor and wage theft across various industries. This crackdown gained momentum in the fall of 2022 when over 100 children, some as young as 13, were discovered cleaning slaughterhouses for a Midwestern firm. The consent decree with The Exclusive Poultry not only entails a hefty penalty but also includes a stringent provision for three years of monitoring by a third party. This monitoring period aims to ensure compliance with labor laws, prevent the hiring of minors, and guarantee the payment of fair wages. As The Exclusive Poultry grapples with the repercussions of its actions, the far-reaching implications of this child labor scandal underscore the imperative for companies to adhere to ethical employment practices. This sentiment is mirrored in the ongoing efforts of the Labor Department to safeguard the rights and well-being of workers across the nation. By delving into the intricate details of this investigation, one can discern that the imposed penalty serves not only as a financial consequence but also as a stern warning to companies engaging in unethical practices. The repercussions extend beyond mere monetary fines, emphasizing the critical importance of fair and lawful employment practices, particularly when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable members of the workforce-minors. Related Article: CDC Warns of Winter COVID Surge: Variants Rise Amid Low Vaccination Photo: (Photo : ANDY JACOBSOHN /Getty Images) In the aftermath of a tragic incident, the Dallas Police have initiated a widespread manhunt following the killing of four individuals, including a 1-year-old, marking the city's alarming 627th mass shooting. The community is left in shock and grief as law enforcement intensifies efforts to apprehend the assailant responsible for this heart-wrenching act of violence. Unfolding Tragedy in Southeast Dallas A serene Sunday afternoon in southeast Dallas took a harrowing turn as an unidentified assailant entered a residence, leaving three adults and a 1-year-old dead. The Dallas Police Department swiftly responded to the scene, assuring the public that the incident is believed to be isolated and posed no immediate threat to community safety. As the Dallas police comb through evidence, the gravity of the 627th mass shooting weighs heavily on the city. The victims, identified as Vanessa De La Cruz, 20; Karina Lopez, 33; Jose Lopez, 50; and the youngest, 1-year-old Logan, amplify the gravity of this devastating event. The city of Dallas, already grappling with an 11% increase in homicides compared to the previous year, now faces the grim reality of 226 recorded homicides in 2023. The shocking loss of innocent lives underscores the urgent need for answers and justice. Dallas police plead with the community to come forward with any information that might aid in solving this heinous crime. Hunt for Answers Continues for the 627th Mass Shooting As the search for the assailant continues, the Dallas Police have disclosed that the suspect is a neighbor who walked into the victims' home and initiated the deadly shooting spree. The motive behind this senseless act remains elusive, leaving the community anxious and seeking closure. The manhunt is underway, with law enforcement urging residents to remain vigilant and report any information that may lead to the apprehension of the perpetrator. Dallas police emphasize the importance of community cooperation in ensuring the safety of all residents. Read Also: Mars Inc. Faces Allegations of Child Labor Exploitation in Cocoa Fields for M&M's, Snickers Production Dallas Community Demands Justice and Assurance The close-knit community on Royce Drive, where the incident transpired, is in a state of shock and disbelief. Despite the assurance from law enforcement that this is an isolated incident, palpable fear and unease linger until the suspect is brought to justice. Residents express their concern, emphasizing the need for increased security measures and a swift resolution to this tragic event that has left an indelible mark on the neighborhood. Dallas police assure the community that every effort is being made to swiftly resolve the case and restore a sense of security. As Dallas mourns the loss of four lives, including the innocence of a 1-year-old, the quest for justice intensifies. The 627th mass shooting serves as a somber reminder of the pervasive issue of gun violence in the nation. Dallas Police remain committed to solving this heinous crime, urging the public's cooperation in providing any information that may lead to the apprehension of the assailant. As the city unites in grief, the hope for closure and the restoration of safety becomes an urgent priority in the wake of this tragic incident. Related Article: Missing 17-Year-Old Indiana Teen's Body Found in Neighbor's Yard: Murder Charges Underway Photo: (Photo : by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash) Arliya Martin's journey to obtaining her high school diploma is a tale of determination and resilience, emblematic of the complex educational landscape in Louisiana. After being expelled from high school and spending eight years in factory jobs to support her children, Martin found a beacon of hope in an unaccredited school that offered her a high school diploma for $465. This diploma represented more than just a certificate; it was a symbol of a new beginning and a path to better opportunities. Rise of Unapproved Private Schools in Louisiana Louisiana hosts nearly 9,000 private schools that operate without the need for state approval, a unique feature in the American educational system. While the majority of these schools were established for individual homeschooling families, some, like the one Martin attended, boast physical facilities, complete with classrooms and teachers, catering to a broader student base. This phenomenon gained momentum in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered a significant shift in the educational landscape across the United States. Public school enrollments plummeted by over 1.2 million students in the first two years of the pandemic as families sought alternatives in private schooling or declared homeschooling. In Louisiana, the numbers are stark: enrollment in unapproved schools nearly doubled from before the pandemic, with over 21,000 students currently registered. The appeal of these unapproved schools lies in their embodiment of the doctrine of parental rights, offering families an educational path devoid of state intervention. Springfield Preparatory School, where Martin received her diploma, is one such institution, serving as an umbrella school for Christian homeschoolers. Principal Kitty Sibley Morrison emphasizes that the school is not in the business of selling diplomas but rather providing lifetime services to homeschooling families. Yet, the school charges for various services, including diploma issuance and graduation ceremony participation, raising questions about the nature of its offerings. Read Also: Parents Confused After Daughter Completes High School Early But Wasn't Allowed to Walk in Graduation Rites Growing Trend of Homeschooling and Private School Alternatives This educational model, however, is not without its criticisms. The lack of state oversight of these unapproved schools sparks concerns about the quality and legitimacy of the education provided. The state does not verify the safety, quality, or even the existence of these institutions. Some have been embroiled in abuse scandals, further complicating the narrative around these schools. Springfield Preparatory School offers a mix of educational services. While some students, like Martin, directly seek a diploma, others attend classes in the arts, music, and more. Despite the controversies, for many like Martin, a diploma from such a school is a vital step towards further education and better career prospects. The origins of Louisiana's unapproved private schools can be traced back to 1980, when Christian ministers and homeschool advocates pushed for the deregulation of private education. This movement has since gained traction in several states, allowing the establishment of private schools as an alternative form of homeschooling. However, unlike some states, Louisiana does not require these schools to adhere to basic educational standards, such as teaching math or reading. Martin's experience is a testament to the diverse educational needs and choices in contemporary America. Her diploma, unconventional by traditional standards, represents a crucial milestone in her life. It is a story of overcoming barriers and embracing alternative pathways to success. Nonetheless, the debate over the balance between parental rights and the assurance of quality education continues to be a topic of significant discussion in Louisiana and beyond. As the landscape of education continues to evolve, stories like Martin's highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of the various educational models and their impact on students' lives. While her diploma has opened new doors, it also reflects the broader complexities and challenges of the unregulated education system in Louisiana. Related Article: Mother and Daughter Duo Graduates Together This service is a courtesy for our print subscribers to give them access to our online edition at no additional cost. If you haven't registered on the new site, you must do it now before you do anything else. Ive been busy enough with the Unbearable Cuteness of Being and other distractions here that Ive neglected mentioning an article of mine that appeared in Meridian Magazine roughly a week ago: The Challenges and Triumphs of Biblical Archaeology. I think that it may possibly rank as not quite the worst thing ever published. Ive been very occasionally reading Richard Lyman Bushmans newest book, Joseph Smiths Gold Plates: A Cultural History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2023), and heres a passage from it that I found quite insightful and stimulating. He has been talking about the corrosive effect that rising nineteenth-century German biblical scholarship was beginning to have on academically-inclined students of the Bible in the English-speaking world, and the threat that it appeared to pose. Anxiety about fallible human influence on scripture-making was absent from the Book of Mormon. A book whose origins were enshrouded in miraculous events was surprisingly at ease with historical influences on the actual production of scripture. Although Joseph Smith had no known connections with German biblical scholarship, his translation depicted scripture as emerging from specific historical circumstances and consisting of texts stitched together by a later editor much as the German scholars envisioned the origins of the Bible. While the text of the Book of Mormon insists on its privileges as inspired writing, readers of the Book of Mormon are permitted to view the very human process by which the text came into existence. It was a conglomeration of texts just as the new critics claimed the Bible was. Mormon, the general editor, took pains to explain exactly where the various elements of his book came from, making clear that the Book of Mormon consisted of the writings of various prophets and leaders going back through time and recorded on various plates. The book does not even shy away from the possibility of human errors creeping into the text. The Book of Mormons title page warns that if there be fault, it be the mistakes of men, pretty much summing up the Unitarian view of holy writ. The Book of Mormon and the higher criticism both returned scripture to history. The essence of the German critical approach was to imagine Biblical authors as writers grounded in concrete cultural and historical circumstances. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Bible critics read the book as they would any historical document, discerning the influences of its times on its production. Book of Mormon writers followed the same pattern. In the books pages, the scriptures are a human production: minds writing under heavenly influence but in particular historical circumstances, diligently inscribing events and inspiration on plates made by human hands. Alike as humanistic scholarship and the Book of Mormon were, however, the two actually pointed in opposite directions. If the thrust of German scholarship was to turn holy scriptures into human history, the Book of Mormon did the reverse: it turned history into holy writ. The biblical critics said little about how texts edited, blended, and revised by human editors rose to be treated as the word of God. The Book of Mormon offers itself as an example of that elevation. It reveals how a record kept as a history was in time transmuted into scripture. (32-33) One of the suggestions that President Russell M. Nelson offers in his book Heart of the Matter: What 100 Years of Living Have Taught Me (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2023) is that we make daily entries in a kind of gratitude journal, that (in other words) we be deliberately conscious of the things for which we are and/or should be thankful. Ive heard the suggestion before but, this time, Im going to try to act on it. Although some will show up here, not all of my entries will appear on this public blog. In fact, probably the overwhelming majority will not. Why? Many of them will involve matters that are and should remain private and particularly so since, in my particular situation, I have a small but dedicated coterie of public detractors and anonymous private, umm, correspondents who would, sooner or later, seek to weaponize such expressions. (This is the same reason for which I often withhold from these blog entries not only the names of my children and grandchildren of course but also the names of friends and of people with whom I interact, if they arent already publicly known; these innocent people dont deserve to be targeted simply because theyve been associated with me.) In any case, Franz Biebls exquisitely beautiful setting of Ave Maria (about which I posted yesterday) would certainly count as something for which Im grateful. In a small way, it has enriched my life. And, for today, I think that Ill choose yet another piece of music, although its not a Christmas piece: I still vividly remember the very first time that I heard a performance of Johann Pachelbels Canon in D major. It was performed by a small string ensemble at a Switzerland Zurich Mission reunion on the campus of Brigham Young University back when I was still an undergraduate there. (Kory Katseanes, who had served as one of my zone leaders when I was based in Interlaken, was a member of the ensemble, as was Jolanda Przewrocka, a BYU student from Switzerland. I was transported. I have listened to many recordings of it since then, but my favorite recording still remains one of the very first that I ever heard. It was created by Jean-Francois Paillard and his chamber orchestra. Surely, Paillards recording of Pachelbels Canon in D major is something for which to be thankful! Posted from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Finland intends to start producing ammunition for Ukraine, Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said. "We have completed negotiations on how Finland will further increase the production of ammunition for arming Ukraine. This decision will be made in the near future," Hakkanen said in an interview with the Iltalehti newspaper on Tuesday. He said the issue would likely be resolved before Christmas. "Plans are ready. A plan to significantly increase ammunition production is currently being published. The intention is to support Ukraine even more than it is now. At the same time, we will further increase the readiness of Finland and the Nordic countries for the production of ammunition," Hakkanen said. Ammunition production will be increased by tens of millions of euros, the head of the military department said. ***** 135. Why do only Matthew (1:18, 20, 23) and Luke (1:35) know of the virgin birth; shouldnt we expect other writers to mention this, too? Arguments from expectation or plausibility are not, strictly speaking, the same as establishing a logical contradiction. This is the argument from silence, too, which is always weak in and of itself. Two Gospels mentioning it is more than enough. The other two didnt. But who cares? Why must all four mention any particular thing? They all have to do with Jesus and his life. That is what anyone should expect to see in them. Details and absences and inclusions can differ in innumerable ways. 136. Did Joseph, Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt during Herods slaughter of the innocents (Matt. 2:13-16) or stay in Bethlehem (Luke 2:21-39) for temple rituals (with no such slaughter being mentioned)? The two passages refer to completely different time-periods, and so, as a result, are not contradictory. Luke 2:21-39 refers to the time when Jesus was between eight and forty days old (when purification rites were done). Matthew 2:13-16, on the other hand, is during the visit of the Wise Men (magi), which is when Jesus was (based on other textual deductions) 1-2 years old. This is when Herod ordered the slaughter. Jesus was by then a toddler. The word for child in Matthew 2:8-9 is paidion: which meant in biblical Greek: young child, perhaps seven years old or younger. The magi visit a house (Matt. 2:11), not a baby in a manger (Luke 2:7, 12, 16), in a place which was, in fact, very much a cave (Ive been there). No angels (Luke 2:9-10, 13-15), shepherds (Luke 2:8, 15-18), or animals are in sight. 137. Was Jesus born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4-7) or Nazareth? Mark (1:9) seems to indicate that Jesus was born in Nazareth, since it declares: Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee. This atheists argument is that Mark calls him Jesus of Nazareth three times (1:24; 10:47; 16:6) and notes that Nazareth was his hometown. So what?! It was his hometown from the age of 1 or 2. It doesnt follow that he was born there or that Marks simply not dealing with his birth means that he denied that Bethlehem was where he was born. This is the well-known argument from silence fallacy. Luke also has the phrase Jesus of Nazareth: three times (4:34; 18:37; 24:19), yet clearly at the same time records that he was born in Bethlehem. In all appearances of Nazareth in conjunction with Jesus, never once does it say that he was born there. The Bible says that he dwelt there (Matt. 2:23), that he was from there (Matt. 21:11; Mark 1:9), that he was of Nazareth (Matt. 26:71; Mark 1:24; 10:47; 16:6; Luke 4:34, 18:37; 24:19; John 1:45; 18:5, 7; 19:19; Acts 2:22; 3:6; 4:10; 6:14; 10:38; 22:8; 26:9), out of Nazareth (John 1:46), brought up there (Luke 4:16), that Jesus called Nazareth his own country (Luke 4:23-24). Not one word about being born in Nazareth occurs in any of those 28 references. Its talking about his hometown, where he was always known to live, prior to his three-year itinerant ministry. In the Bible, people were generally named after the places where they were from. The Bible states that he was of or from Nazareth because that was his hometown. And it asserts that he was born in Bethlehem; never that he was born in Nazareth. 138. Why do Luke and Matthew clash as to who first visited Jesus: the shepherds (Luke 2:16) or the wise men (Matt. 2:11), and why doesnt either account mention the other early witnesses? Neither Matthew nor Luke claim that the shepherds or the wise men (magi) were the first to witness the baby Jesus. Right after Luke reports that Mary gave birth to Jesus (Luke 2:7), its reported that angels inform the shepherds of the birth of Jesus on that very night (Luke 2:8-14). Then the shepherds went to see baby Jesus (Luke 2:15-16). We know that this was the night of Jesus birth, complete with his lying in the famous manger (Luke 2:7). But nothing is said about their being the first visitors. They may have been, but we cant know for sure from the text. They could have been the first or the fifth, or the only ones on that night. From the text we cant determine those things. And there is no imaginary obligation for a text to mention any or all other visitors too (its absurd to demand that). All we know for sure is that they seem to have visited shortly after he was born. The wise men, on the other hand, didnt visit on the night of Jesus birth. When the magi stopped by, Jesus was a toddler. The word for child in Matthew 2:8-9 is paidion: which means younger child. Babe on the other hand (Lk 2:12, 16 in RSV and KJV) is brephos: which means: an unborn or a newborn child and is used of children in the womb in Luke 1:41, 44. In Luke 2, its the day of Jesus birth (Luke 2:7, 11). The magi visit a house (Matt. 2:11), not a baby in a manger (Luke 2:7, 12, 16), in a place which was, in fact, very much a cave (Ive been there). There are no angels (Luke 2:9-10, 13-15), shepherds (Luke 2:8, 15-18), or animals are in sight. The star of Bethlehem is a factor in Matthews account only. Luke never mentions it. Commentators generally believe that Jesus was two years old or younger when the wise men visited, but in any event, not a newborn. Therefore, we definitely know that the shepherds visited Jesus before the wise men did (and likely were the first visitors). In any event, there is no demonstrable contradiction. The Education Ministry says all SHS 1 students across the country will be using the same prospectus. According to the ministrys spokesperson, school heads have no right to issue any other prospectus which has not been authorized by the ministry. Kwesi Kwateng in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie urged parents to spurn prospectus from the schools. No parent should accept any prospectus; we are using a harmonized one, he told host Mac Jerry Osei Agyemang. First-year senior high school students across the country are expected to report to their respective schools on Monday, 4th December, despite calls for reconsideration of the reopening date. Parents and other relevant stakeholders have called for an extension of the reporting date, citing various reasons, but the Ghana Education Service (GES) insisted on the December 4 date. 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. Featured Video Former PNC General Secretary, Atik Mohammed has asked the Special Prosecutor to stop lamenting about the Judiciary and concentrate on his corruption cases ensuring he executes them to the end. To him, the Special Prosecutor's behavior is unacceptable, stressing if he feels he has strong evidences to back his cases and they are dismissed in court, he has the option of seeking appeal at the Court of Appeal. He questioned the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng's logic in organizing press conferences and complaining about Judges throwing out his cases. Kissi Agyebeng, speaking to the press on Wednesday, November 29, pointed out some frustrations he is having in prosecuting his cases. He described the trend as troubling saying "we do not force feed cases, we do not force feed our prosecutions. It is our belief that it is not a matter of us going beyond our mandate but rather a case of hasty dismissiveness and lack of regard because if you take the four cases I tabled out over a period of time spanning from July 2022 to Monday, there is a troubling trend". He added; Indeed I have had several calls from well-meaning lawyers admonishing me that they have heard talk that our friends who have been elevated to the bench and presiding over cases in court do not take very kindly to criticism, especially of the public calling out variety as we do. And that if the office persists in the media releases, the judges will gang up against the office and throw out all our cases. It will be absolutely of no good should it be the case that the OSP is set against the judiciary or that the judiciary is against the OSP. That will surely spell disastrous consequences for this republic, especially in the fight against corruption to the glee of corrupt persons. I do not intend to sound as though Im predicting doom but we are facing doom. With this development, it will not be long, [before] a suspected murderer or armed robber will boldly walk to court with the unthinkable prayer that the court should injunct law enforcement agencies from investigating him, Mr. Agyebeng cautioned. But to Atik, the utterances and actions of Kissi Agyebeng betray the office of the Special Prosecutor. "If you strongly believe in your case that what you did was lawful and you were bounced, what do you do? You move up; you don't come and organize a press conference and tell us that there seems to be a grand conspiracy against you. Are you the only one who goes to court? Are you the only person who is a lawyer?", he slammed. Atik reprimanded the Special Prosecutor stressing "we set up this office for good reason and his behavior and actions are betraying the very objects of this office. We set it up to be able to fight corruption but I can't see any corruption case he has fought successfully to the end". Delivering his submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, he admonished Kissi Agyebeng to up his game and stop the numerous complaints, stating he should seemingly resign if he feels he cannot do his job. "Is he telling me that he always goes to one court or only one Judge presides over all his cases? It cannot be that all the Judges work in a league to frustrate you alone. Are you the only one leading an anti-corruption agency in this country? The Attorney General, himself, who does even more cases than you is not complaining that there is conspiracy against him...You have no room to lament. He should up his legal game", he said. Atik further noted that what Kissi Agyebeng is seeking is to get the Judges to favor him but that, to him, is "an invitation to unfairness, injustice". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The United States Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) donated two vehicles to the National Peace Council for the use by the Northern and Savannah Regional Peace Councils. The two 2016 Nissan Pathfinders will provide the regional councils with the mobility they need to mediate local conflicts when necessary and deliver training to chiefs and other community members in alternative dispute resolution to enable them to resolve conflict within their own communities. This training is part of a larger effort to prevent, manage, and resolve conflicts, as well as foster social unity and sustainable peace in Northern Ghana. Kimberly A. Rosen, USAID Mission Director, expressed the importance of this collaboration. She highlighted the fruitful partnership between USAID, the National Peace Council (NPC), and the two regional Peace Councils in promoting peaceful conflict resolution in northern Ghana. "USAID is committed to promoting peace in Northern Ghana. Through our joint efforts, we've been strengthening local communities and traditional authorities, promoting social cohesion, and preventing conflict. The work of the Northern Regional Peace Council, in collaboration with the Dagbon Traditional Council, is a testament to our dedication to peace and development in this region, said Rosen at the handover. She stressed that these efforts align with the strategic objectives of the U.S. Government's Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS). USAID's support extends to strengthening the capacity of local and traditional authorities and citizens, fostering resilience and social cohesion, and encouraging locally-led solutions to conflict and violence prevention. With USAID support, the Northern Regional Peace Council has collaboratively worked with the Dagbon Traditional Council to revise the Dagbon constitution from 1930, fortifying traditional governance and providing a roadmap for chieftaincy succession in the Dagbon Traditional Area. About USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. USAID's activities and strategic partnerships support Ghana's journey to self-reliance. Our work advances an integrated approach to development. It promotes accountability, sustainable systems, and inclusive development. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Bolgatanga High Court has ordered the removal of two principal officers of the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Navrongo for being in office despite reaching the compulsory retirement age of 60. They are the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Professor Eric Magnus Wilmot, and the Registrar of the university, Dr Vincent A. Ankamah Lomotey. On March 20, this year, the plaintiff, Joseph Pwoawuvi Weguri, filed a joint case against the university, the Attorney-General, Prof. Wilmot and Dr Lomotey as first, second, third and fourth defendants. He wanted a declaration that the purported appointment of the third and fourth defendants as VC and Registrar by the first defendant was null and void. It also sought an order compelling the two officers to refund all sums of money, including salaries and allowances they received during the period of nullity. The plaintiff also asked for cost to be awarded against the defendants, including legal fees of the plaintiff. Professor Eric Magnus Wilmot Ruling The court, presided over by Justice Charles Adjei Wilson, in a ruling said the third and fourth defendants did not fall under Article 70 office holders and that the only basis on which a public officer of tertiary institution could continue in office after he or she had attained retirement age was by virtue of a contractual employment. The court said in this case as far as this court was able to ascertain, no contract was sought nor obtained by the two defendants for the grant of extension of time to remain in office beyond the retirement age. The judge in his consequential ruling ordered a perpetual injunction restraining the third and fourth defendants from holding themselves out as VC and Registrar of the university and further prohibited them from taking any steps to perform any duties and functions on their post forthwith. Subsequently, the universitys governing council shall nominate or appoint an interim management board pending the appointment of a new VC and a registrar to replace them. Dr Vincent A. Ankamah Lomotey Background In December 2020, the university appointed the third and fourth defendants for a full term of four years after the two had retired from public service. The two officers attained compulsory retirement age of 60 years in April 2022 and August 2021 respectively, but they remained in office. Statement of claim In his statement of claim, he contended that the public service laws of Ghana, especially Article 199 of the 1992 Constitution as amended by Act 527, required public officers to retire from full-term service at the age of 60. The plaintiff said the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and the Ministry of Finance cautioned public universities, including first defendant, on appointment and post-retirement contracts in a circular dated June 8, 2021 and a written directive issued by the minister. He argued that before the appointment of the third defendant as the VC who had retired as a public officer at the University of Cape Coast in 2019 by the university (first defendant), he was first appointed as an interim VC. He said the continuous occupation of office and drawing of salaries and allowance from the consolidated fund by the third and fourth defendants as public officers in full employment after retiring from office was not only unlawful but illegal. The plaintiff contended further that first and second defendants acted in an unlawful, arbitrary and capricious manner by giving full-term employment to the third and fourth defendants and said: I petitioned the Minister of Education and the university for the removal of the two and the governing council was directed to consider the petition. However, he noted that on January 12, 2023, the governing council issued an unfavourable determination of the petition stating that the VC and the Registrar were appointed in accordance with the law. Defendants arguments Counsel for the defendants, Louisa Babilah, an Assistant State Attorney, stated that though Act 1,000 mandated the university to appoint its officers, including VC and Registrar, the provision in the universitys statute referenced by the plaintiff did not apply to the appointment of foundation VC and Registrar. She argued that the interim appointment of the third and fourth defendants in April 2020 was converted by the universitys council to full-term appointment on December 1, 2020. New appointment Meanwhile, following the court ruling, the governing council at an emergency meeting on November 28, 2023, has appointed the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samson Abah Abagale, as acting Vice-Chancellor, and the Deputy Registrar, Gilbert Ansoglenang, as acting Registrar. The council has initiated processes for the appointment of a substantive VC and a Registrar. 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. Featured Video Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has called for more stringent action against individuals responsible for attacks on journalists. Expressing concern over the escalating incidents of violence targeting the media, the Minister urged judges to expedite severe penalties, emphasizing the need for swift and decisive justice, regardless of the culprits' social status or political affiliations. Freedom of expression is the cornerstone of every democratic society; it is a fundamental right that must be protected and upheld. We cannot, however discuss freedom of expression without press freedom and recognising the important role journalists play in our society. It is our duty to create an environment where journalists can carry out their work without fear of violence or intimidation. We must condemn any form of violence against journalists and take concrete steps to provide them with the necessary protection and support, the Minister said. The call was made during the opening ceremony of a training workshop for judges held on Monday, December 4, 2023, in Accra. The workshop focused on the critical importance of safeguarding freedom of expression and ensuring the safety of journalists. In line with creating a conducive and safe environment for journalists, he said government through the Ministry of Information has initiated several programmes aimed at supporting the media sector. Since 2019, these efforts have resulted in the development of key interventions to confront the challenges faced by the media industry. One significant initiative was the inauguration of the Office of the Coordinated Mechanism on the Safety of Journalists (CMSJ) under the National Media Commission (NMC). This office operates with a framework designed for use by all stakeholders to create a secure environment for journalism practice, prevent violence against journalists, protect those in danger, and prosecute perpetrators of violence. Through its Media Capacity Enhancement Programme (MCEP), the ministry is actively providing training for 250 journalists on emerging issues in journalism. This collaborative effort aims to bolster the sector, which has faced increasing challenges in recent times. Additionally, the full rollout of the Right to Information (RTI) Law includes the training and deployment of RTI officers in nearly 600 government offices nationwide. The establishment of the RTI Commission has played a crucial role in ensuring compliance by public offices with the RTI Act. Further, the Ministry facilitated a comprehensive consultation on a new Broadcasting Bill, designed to enhance state institutions' ability to regulate the broadcasting sector effectively. These initiatives collectively underscore the government's commitment to supporting and fortifying the media landscape in the face of evolving challenges. 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. Featured Video Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana's Finance Minister, has stressed the need for a thoughtful reconsideration of the ongoing talks about the construction of the National Cathedral He emphasized its capacity to act as a catalyst for economic advancement during his address at the 2023 Ghana Tourism Investment Summit citinewsroom.com reports Ofori-Atta highlighted the cathedral's potential as a robust piece of infrastructure capable of greatly strengthening the country's tourism sector. He envisions it evolving into a pilgrimage site for millions of African Christians, foreseeing the potential for visitors to spend an average of $3,000 each. This could lead to significant economic gains for Ghana. The Finance Minister said, As we look at something like the Cathedral that has economic benefits beyond what we seeIn Africa, we have some 600 million people who are Christians so imagine Ghana as the new Jerusalem and these 600 million people floating through with $3,000 to spend, it is a very different reality. Amid the persistent debates and controversies circling the cathedral project, Ofori-Atta advocated for a more constructive stance. He proposed a thoughtful evaluation of the cathedral's potential to actively contribute to Ghana's economic progress, urging the government to consider its possible impact carefully. The Finance Minister reaffirmed the government's dedication to revitalizing the tourism and arts sector, acknowledging its significant economic potential in fueling growth and creating job opportunities. 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 Siavash Sobhani, arespected medical doctor and long-time resident of North Virginia, has been stripped of his citizenship at the age of 61. Sobhani, who was born in the US, told The Washington Post that he received a letter from the US State Department in February, following his application for a new passport, stating that his father was a diplomat at the Iranian Embassy and he should not have been awarded citizenship at the time of his birth. The letter states that children born in the United States to parents enjoying diplomatic immunity do not automatically become citizens of the United States. It said Sobhani enjoyed diplomatic immunity from the jurisdiction of the US at the time of his birth and so he did not acquire citizenship. But this is Sobhanis first experience with this problem in his more than thirty years of practicing medicine. Every time his passport was reissued during his life, the US State Department again verified that he was an American citizen. Siavash Sobhani, who turned 62 recently, had begun to consider retiring. He and his spouse intended to travel the world for a year in search of a neighbourhood where they could purchase a house. He must now apply for lawful permanent residence and fulfil the State Departments guidelines. He disclosed to The Washington Post that he has already incurred over USD 40,000 in legal expenses and is uncertain about the potential resolution date of his case. Im waiting for an interview, but does that mean I wait another year for an interview? Then another three years for the next step? Then another 10 years before I can travel outside of the country? he told the Post. Additionally, he has written to the senator from Virginia and his congressional representative, asking for their assistance. Gerald Edward Connolly, the congressman representing Virginias 11th congressional district, corresponded with US Citizenship and Immigration Services on the physicians behalf subsequent to Sobhanis letter. Siavash Sobhanis future is uncertain because he has spoken out against the Iranian regime and is therefore unable to live there safely. In addition, hes not sure if hell get a passport in time to travel to Portugal for his sons wedding the following year. The physician is unable to even see his gravely ill father-in-law, who resides in Lebanon. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Vice-President and flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has congratulated all newly elected parliamentary candidates in the ophan constituencies. In his message after the elections held on Saturday (December 2, 2023), Dr Bawumia said their victory is the beginning of a new chapter of service and responsibility. He also commended the party and the national leadership and other executives in constituencies throughout the country in particular for supervising a very peaceful and transparent primaries in the orphan constituencies. Dr Bawumia said, "I would like you to remember that your victory is not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter of service and responsibility." He advised them to be humble in their deliberations and said to win the confidence of the Ghanaian people, "We must adopt humility and grace." The NPP flagbearer also expressed appreciation to the aspirants who could not make it for their determination and courage and said the party is indebted to them. "Our party's preparedness and determination to take a majority of these seats from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had been definitively demonstrated by today's events," he added. With the upcoming 2024 general elections in sight, he said "I am very impressed by the quality of candidates chosen to represent our party in these constituencies." He further expressed confidence that the NPP would succeed in securing these seats through its sustained unity and collective efforts. "With great determination and collective working spirit, we are going to win a majority of these orphan seats during the 2024 general election. "To keep our momentum and to accomplish victory, we need to stay united from the grassroots down to the highest levels of leadership," Dr Bawumia stressed and called on all dedicated members of the party and supporters to step up their efforts to achieve the objective of breaking the eight. That, he said, was a fundamental commitment to the goal of the NPP to break the eight in 2024. Together, he said "we are going to continue in our quest for a brighter future for Ghana with unshakable determination and unity in purpose." Source: graphiconline 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 Two doctors wounded as result of shelling of healthcare facility in Kherson local authorities As a result of a Russian shell hitting a Kherson healthcare facility, two doctors were injured, Head of the city military administration Roman Mrochko said. "As a result of an enemy shell hitting a healthcare facility, two doctors were slightly injured. They were provided with the necessary medical care on the spot, Mrochko said in Telegram channel on Tuesday. The deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei has attributed her victory in the just ended parliamentary primary on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Okaikwei North to the superior message she sold to the delegates. Asiamah-Adjei over the weekend garnered 341 votes to beat her main contender Alberta Afia Akoto who polled 228 votes. Veteran editor of Daily Searchlight newspaper Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie polled 27 votes, Prince Owusu Mensah had six votes. The other two Nyarko Stephen Adipa garnered 108 votes while the former MP Fuseini Issah managed 114 votes. Speaking on the Asaase FM Monday (4 December), Ama Dokua said she will reach out to her competitors to foster unity ahead of the 2024 elections. I went to every delegate; I organised meetings and I sold them my message and I think they bought into my message and that is what made me victorious in this election, she said. Every constituency have different dynamics and having studied the dynamics of the Okaikwei North constituency, there were a few things that needed to be addressed. Some key issues that I touched on was welfare, equity, ensuring that we support artisans and traders and organise programmes to cater for their healthcare as well as provision of access to government opportunities, these are the message I went out with, Ama Dokua added. Source: Asaase FM Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Adenta constituency lawmaker and a former member of the governing New Patriotic Party, Yaw Buaben Asamoa has lashed out at Ex-President and leader of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, over his 24-hour economy promise. John Mahama has assured Ghanaians that if re-elected President, he will ensure the economy runs 24 hours stressing this is part of his manifesto to improving the living standards of the citizenry as he believes the New Patriotic Party led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has failed them. "A new NDC administration will work urgently to equip our youth with the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future. We will introduce a 24-hour economy with incentives and tax breaks for manufacturers who will run extra shifts to create more room for employment. "We will work to ease the burden of taxes imposed by this NPP administration on Ghanaian businesses and investors, which has robbed Ghana of its envious position as one of Africa's leading destinations for investment", he promised. Commenting on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Yaw Buaben Asamoa, now Spokesperson for Alan Kyerematen's Movement for Change (MFC), challenged the efficacy of Mahama's promises to Ghanaians. To him, the 24-hour economy promise is only a slogan, stressing Mr. Mahama has nothing new to offer Ghanaians. "Whatever he can do for Ghana, he's done it already. His 24-hour economy is nothing but a slogan; there is nothing new in it", he opined. Meanwhile, there was a massively patronized political walk in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region over the weekend, with supporters of the Movement for Change (MFC) raising placards with inscriptions that associated the 24-hr economy to Alan Kyerematen.With fluttering butterflies as the symbol for MFC, the enthusiastic supporters brandished placards proclaiming the ingenuity of Alan's Government Transformation Plan (GTP), led by the 24-hour economy.The symbolism of the butterfly, representative of transformation and evolution, aligns seamlessly with Kyerematen's vision for a progressive and dynamic Ghanaian economy. 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 One of the suspects in a Franklin County triple-homicide from 2016 has pleaded guilty to the role he played in the deaths, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. Johnny Jenkins-Armstrong, 26, of Baltimore, was sentenced on Monday to life in prison in connection to the June 25, 2016, homicides on a Welsh Run Road farm in Mercersburg. When Pennsylvania State Police arrived at the homicide scene, they found Wendy A. Chaney, 39, of Hagerstown, Maryland; Brandon Cole, 47, of Fayetteville; and Phillip M. Jackson, 36, of Mercersburg, in a barn on Jacksons property. They were shot execution-style, with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, then set on fire. Chaney and Cole were dead at the scene. Police said Jackson was flown to York Hospital, where he died from his injuries. Prosecutors said Chaney was killed to protect the drug-trafficking activities of some of the defendants. Jackson and Cole were killed, prosecutors said, to prevent them from being witnesses in court to violence on Jacksons property. Eleven people were indicted in connection with either the homicides or drug-trafficking activities, according to court documents. The indictment gave the following account: Phillip Jackson, who lived at the farm where the three were found, would purchase drugs for both personal use and for distribution from defendants Kevin Coles and Torey White. Coles, White and defendant Devin Dickerson enlisted other people, including Chaney, to help with their drug distribution activities. But in June 2016, Chaney was working as an informant for the Washington County Drug Task Force, providing information to the authorities on the drug-trafficking activities of Coles, Dickerson and White. When the three suspected she was an informant, they went to Baltimore to enlist several people, including members of the Black Guerilla Family gang, to help rob Jackson and kill Chaney. On June 25, 2016, defendants Jerell Adgebesan, Kenyatta Corbett, Christopher Johnson and Jenkins-Armstrong drove from Baltimore to meet defendant Michael Buck at his Hagerstown home, and Buck went with Corbett to conduct reconnaissance at Jacksons farm. From left, Brandon Cole, Phillip Jackson and Wendy Chaney were "executed" in a drug-related hit in 2016. That same day, White who was in a romantic relationship with Chaney enticed her to go to the farm. At the farm, the group subdued Jackson, Chaney and Cole and bound their hands behind their backs. Cole had a single gunshot wound. Chaney had two, and Jackson, who was alive when police discovered him, had one. Prosecutors said Adgebesan knew the people from Baltimore, and the killers were promised $20,000 from a safe in the barn and any drugs or firearms that they could locate on the property. Authorities said they never found a safe but confiscated drugs and guns. Staff writer Sue Gleiter contributed to this report. Restaurants in Pennsylvania might have to train employees and post signs about food allergens if legislation targeting food safety improvements becomes law. Pa. State Representative Arvind Venkat, a Democrat from Allegheny County, recently introduced two bills that would make sweeping changes to how restaurants address food allergens. Nearly 50% of deaths caused by food allergies occurred at restaurants, Venkat said. To prevent such deaths, we must improve food safety at restaurants by increasing awareness about food allergies and ensuring restaurants have staff available with the necessary knowledge to avoid cross-contamination, and asking customers to notify restaurants about any food allergies they may have. In fact, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Environmental Health Specialists Network, one in three people with food allergies report having a reaction in a restaurant. Under Venkats first bill, restaurants would designate a manager who is knowledgeable about food allergens and train employees about allergy awareness. The second bill would require restaurants to post information about food allergens, as well as encourage wait staff to ask customers about any allergy concerns. The bills are companions to two food safety bills introduced by Sen. Judy Schwank, a Democrat from Berks County. Every Pennsylvanian deserves the ability to enjoy a night at a restaurant without worrying about coming into contact with an item that could compromise their health and safety, Schwank said. While restaurants are not legally required to include food allergy warnings on menus, a federal Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act passed in 2004 requires allergen labeling on packaged food products. Pennsylvania would join a handful of other states that have enacted food allergen awareness legislation. Several states including Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia and Michigan, among others, have passed allergen laws designed to make it safer for individuals with food allergies to dine in restaurants. In Massachusetts, certified food managers are required to receive a food allergy certification every five years and restaurants are required to display food allergy awareness posters. The CDC suggests restaurants take preventative measures including training staff about food allergies, using separate equipment and areas to cook food for people with allergies, providing ingredient lists and having plans in place for serving customers with allergies. Because Pennsylvanias legislation is in the early stages, Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association President and CEO Joe Massaro couldnt comment, other than to say they are evaluating the information. Some in the restaurant industry like Ted Kalathas, owner of Theos Bar & Grille in Lower Allen Township, say theyre not sure there needs to be legislation because they are already making a concerted effort to accommodate patrons. Many chains and other restaurants label allergens such as shellfish on menus or print separate gluten-free menus for those who are gluten intolerant. I dont have a special menu that has this, this or this, but if someone asks I will accommodate them, Kalathas said. Its common sense. Signature milkshake flavors are becoming a regular fixture at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. The upcoming show is no exception, because the Pennsylvania Dairymens Association has announced its latest entry salted caramel milkshakes. Visitors can purchase the shakes during the Farm Show, which runs Jan. 6-13 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg. They can also grab them a day early when the shows food court opens at noon Jan. 5 with free parking. The good news is you dont have to wait. The shakes also will be available throughout December at select pre-Farm Show pop-ups. The Dairymens Association is partnering with The Giant Company, which is celebrating its 100 year anniversary, to host the pop-ups, with free shakes for the first 100 people in line at each location. The first pop-up will take place at Giant at 3301 Trindle Road in Camp Hill from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 8. Others pop-ups include: Giant, 1360 Columbia Ave., Lancaster, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 9. (The date has been changed to Dec. 9 due to forecasted rain on Sunday, Dec. 10). Giant, 1250 Cocoa Ave., Hershey, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 15. Giant, 950 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 16. Its an annual tradition for the Dairymen to sell vanilla, chocolate and mix milkshakes as well as fried mozzarella cheese cubes, grilled cheese sandwiches, ice cream and white and chocolate milk during the Farm Show. Through the sales, the organization raises proceeds to support programs including Fill A Glass With Hope, PA Farm Bureau Mobile Ag Education Lab and PA Dairy Princess and Promotion Program. This is not the first year the Dairymen are selling a limited-edition shake flavor. Last year, the group sold orange cream and in 2022 featured black raspberry. MILAN (AP) Officials have secured the area around one of two 12th century towers that have become symbolic of the northern city of Bologna, fearing its leaning could lead to collapse. The city on Friday announced 4.3 million euros ($4.7 million) in works to shore up the Garisenda tower, one of the so-called Two Towers that look out over central Bologna, providing inspiration over the centuries to painters and poets and a lookout spot during conflicts. Work will proceed during January and February. Italys civil protection agency has maintained a yellow alert on the site, denoting caution but not imminent danger. The Garisenda medieval tower is pictured in Bologna, Italy, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Bologna's Garisenda tower has been locked down for fear it could collapse. Authorities have provided a security cordon in case of collapse.The Garisenda tower along with the Asinelli(97meters)tower is one of the beauties and attractions for tourists visiting Bologna, and a landmark for citizens. (Michele Nucci, Lapresse Via AP)AP The Garisenda, the shorter of two towers built between 1109 and 1119, stands 48 meters (157 feet) feet to the Asinellis 97 meters (320 feet). Mayor Matteo Lepore noted in a debate this month that the Garisenda tower has leaned since it was built and has been a concern ever since. It sustained additional damage in the medieval era when ironwork and bakery ovens were built inside. We inherited a situation that over the centuries has caused this illness, he said. The mayor has asked the government to petition to make the towers UNESCO world heritage sites. Work to reinforce both towers has been ongoing since the 1990s. Preliminary work on the Garisenda tower will include creating a containment area to prevent any damage to nearby structures or harm to passersby from a possible collapse, the city said in a statement. Video cameras will maintain surveillance of the site. Longtime Cumberland County commissioner Gary Eichelberger announced this weekend that he has left the Republican Party, and changed his voter registration to other with a conservative preference. Eichelberger said his very public break is a product of his longstanding feud with leaders of the Cumberland County Republican Party Committee who have tried to block his re-election several times, most recently in the 2023 GOP primary. Following a lifelong affiliation with the Republican Party and career of involvement in trying to promote Republican ideals... this pains me greatly, Eichelberger wrote in a statement emailed to PennLive over the weekend. However, the Republican party leadership in Cumberland County has abandoned cornerstone Republican principles and has repeatedly and increasingly demonstrated overt hostility toward authentic conservatives, especially in its vicious opposition to my successful policies of smaller government and pro-taxpayer protections. This is personal for Eichelberger, make no mistake. Among his grievances, Eichelberger cited current Cumberland Republican Committee Chair Lou Capozzis expulsion earlier this year of several elected committee members for failure to support committee-endorsed candidates. He said rather than supporting changes that could save costs in the county budget, like the combination of several of the antiquated county row offices, Capozzi and his predecessors in the committee leadership have declared war against Eichelberger for threatening patronage jobs and refusing to prioritize party registration in the hiring of senior staff. He also charged Capozzi and his allies pushed commissioners to ignore important court rulings on election processes and participate in partisan stunts and statements about election misconduct that undermine public trust in our elections. Eichelbergers battles with the county committee are not new. The party committee chose other candidates to unseat him as an incumbent in the Republican primaries in 2007 and 2011, and then made no endorsements in a four-way field in 2015. But the biggest battle came this year. In the lead-up to the Republican primary for county commissioner, the county party endorsed County Treasurer Kelly Neiderer and Hampden Township Commissioner Nate Silcox. At that time, party leaders tagged Eichelberger with being difficult to work with, and prone to bullying and creating a toxic work environment for county staff that has, at times, cost the county taxpayers extra money. Neiderer pointed to a wrongful termination suit filed by a former Cumberland County Nursing Home administrator several years ago that resulted in an undisclosed out-of-court settlement. Despite the internal feuding, primary voters split their tickets, and Neiderer and Eichelberger earned the two GOP nominations in the commissioners race, with Silcox finishing a close third. In last months general election, Neiderer was the top vote getter, followed by incumbent Democrat Commissioner Jean Foschi. Eichelberger hung on to capture the third and final seat on the board in this county where Republicans still have a 26,390 voter registration edge. It will be his sixth term on the board. Capozzi, reached for comment about Eichelbergers switch out of the GOP, reacted sharply. Doing this now, after hes just been safely re-elected is a huge betrayal to those people who voted for him and expected him to perform his duties as commissioner as a Republican, he said. The fact that he did this in the month after the election shows his true character. As for Eichelbergers complaints about the party organization, Capozzi said the party committee has never interfered with the commissioners policy actions with the exception of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when all elected Republican officials joined to urge the board to take a more assertive role against then-Gov. Tom Wolfs business closures. Technically, Eichelbergers announcement means there will be no political party in majority control of the commissioners office when the new board is seated in January; the board will have one Republican, one Democrat and one independent. But as a practical matter, Eichelberger has sparred intermittently with Republican and Democratic colleagues on the three-person board for years, meaning the functional majority on the board could and did shift on a number of issues. This year, for example, Eichelberger found himself on the losing end of a 2-1 vote to implement a new compensation schedule for county employees, which he has warned will prove unaffordable for county taxpayers in the not-too-distant future. He was also pushed into a dissenting role on the commissioners administration of federal American Rescue Plan Act appropriations to Cumberland, arguing that Republican Vince DiFilippo, who is also leaving office after losing in the 2023 GOP primary, and Foschi had hijacked an agreed-to grant process for political gain. Its unique, Lisa Schaefer, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, told PennLive when asked about the lack of a clear board majority. But the reality is they have to get two votes to move things forward, Schaefer continued. So regardless of who those individuals are, theyll need to figure out a way to work together to make that happen. Eichelberger said Monday that while he is considering making this his last term in office, he hopes that by making this public break now, he can spark changes that will eventually see the local party committee focus on conservative principles. In the meantime, he said, hell work through his personal political committee, Republican Principles for Cumberland, to recommend and support local and countywide candidates who he believes have a genuinely conservative political philosophy. On a personal level, Eichelberger is sacrificing his right to vote in Pennsylvanias primary elections, and, should he choose to run for a seventh term as commissioner in 2027, he would have to earn his way onto the general election ballot as an independent. That means instead of gathering 250 signatures to get on the primary ballot, hed now have to get signatures totalling 2 percent of the highest county vote total for any candidate in the preceding general election; in 2023, that would have been 1,226 signatures, or nearly five times as many names. But thats a question for another day. Right now, Eichelberger said, hes simply trying to share a message that conservatives need a place to go, and the Republican Party is not it. A lawsuit by a former Harrisburg city official accusing Mayor Wanda Williams of abusing her office is scheduled for trial in federal court after surviving an attempt by Williams and the city to have the case dismissed. Former city public works director Nate Spriggs filed the suit late last year alleging that his firing in June 2022 was motivated by his raising ethical concerns about Williams, specifically that she seized upon her official position to create a taxpayer-funded jobs program for her family, Spriggs attorney wrote. Spriggs is asking the court to enjoin the city, and Williams individually, from taking any further action contrary to the First Amendment and the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law, both of which Spriggs argues were violated by Williams alleged retaliation. He is also seeking to-be-determined back pay and benefits, as well as damages. Both Williams and the city have denied any wrongdoing, stating that Spriggs was fired over inappropriately signing off on personnel forms. Williams and the city sought to have the case dismissed. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Wilson in June dismissed a redundant claim under the whistle blower law, as well as Spriggs claim of racial discrimination, for which she found Spriggs had presented no cogent evidence. However, Wilson denied Williams and the citys attempt to dismiss the core claims of First Amendment and whistle blower violations, writing that Spriggs clearly pleads fact sufficient to state a plausible claim that Spriggs reports to [City Solicitor Neil] Grover about Mayor Williams purported unethical requests was connected to his termination approximately six weeks later. In an answer to Spriggs complaint filed in August, Williams denied all of Spriggs core claims, writing that she denies all allegations of wrongdoing. The city similarly denied much of Spriggs recollection of events, although in several cases the city wrote that it asserts privilege over any legal advice that may have been given with regard to conversations between Grover, Williams, and the other employees involved. A trial in the case could start in October 2024, according to a scheduling order Wilson issued last month. Right now, Mr. Spriggs will be prepared to go to trial and prove his claims, Spriggs attorney, Marc Weinstein, told PennLive on Monday. The discovery process - including the exchange of documents and sworn witness testimony - is currently ongoing, Weinstein said, and the evidence supports the idea here that Mr. Spriggs was let go because he pushed back against the mayor, who wanted him to do things that would violate the law, involving her family, Weinstein said. We think we have ample evidence to support it, and our cards will have to be laid on the table for the public to see and the judge to see, mostly likely in the spring, Weinstein said. City spokesman Matt Maisel told PennLive that Williams and the city would refrain from commenting on ongoing litigation. Spriggs complaint revolves around a series of events in which he alleges that Williams ordered him to make accommodations including creating management positions for her family members who are in the citys employ. After Williams election in 2021, but prior to her taking office in 2022, Spriggs claims Williams ordered him to find work for one of her sons, a public works employee, who was injured outside of the workplace and had exhausted his leave. Spriggs also alleges that Williams ordered him to alter a job description so that the son would be qualified for a management position. Other allegations in the suit include that Williams ordered Spriggs to discipline an employee a relative of the ex-girlfriend of one of her other sons - for speaking ill of her son who was employed by public works. In another instance, Spriggs claims, Williams admonished him for disciplining another employee her daughters boyfriend who had walked off the job. Spriggs said he suspended Williams son after he was caught driving a city truck to York without a proper license. Spriggs was fired the next business day. It was made clear, Spriggs claims, that his unwillingness to make dubious allowances for Williams family members was what led to his firing. In reply briefs, both Williams and the city stated that Spriggs was justifiably fired for mishandling a pay issue, namely that he had initiated a payroll increase and then signed off on it himself, in violation of city rules. This was part of a pattern of repeated insubordination by Spriggs, the city wrote. Police released the names of the two people who were killed in a fatal crash in Lancaster County on Dec. 1. Northern Lancaster County Regional Police along with Brickerville Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 and Warwick EMS were dispatched to the scene of a vehicle accident with entrapment on West 28th Division Highway (state Route 322) in the area of the Lancaster-Lebanon county line in Penn Township, Lancaster County, just before noon. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered a two-vehicle crash had occurred after the driver of an Infinity entered the oncoming lane of travel and struck a Ford head-on, police said. Police said there was one person in the Infinity, identified as Beth Fife, 50, of Dawkins Drive in East Earl Township, who was taken to an area hospital to be treated for her injuries. Her specific injuries were not given out by police. There were two people in the Ford, Allen English, 84, of West End Avenue, Lititz Borough, and his daughter, Grace English-Rohrer, Pine Drive, Lancaster. The age of English-Rohrer was not provided. Police said both of them were killed after the Ford they occupied caught fire and they were unable to escape the vehicle. All family members involved have been notified. The cause of this crash is still under investigation by Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department collision investigation unit. Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call Northern Lancaster County Regional Police at 717-733-0965. A 66-year-old Harrisburg man accused of shooting at a woman after paying her to urinate on him has been charged with aggravated assault and other charges, according to a criminal complaint. David Butts is facing aggravated assault charges, recklessly endangering another person, and patronizing a prostitute after the incident that occurred on Nov. 19 in York County, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Court records say Northern York County Regional Police received a call from a woman at 5:25 a.m. reporting that someone shot at her vehicle while she was at the Days Inn & Suite parking lot located at 334 Arsenal Road in Manchester Township. When police arrived at the scene, the woman initially told officers she decided to stop at the parking lot to rest after traveling from Washington D.C., the affidavit said. But when police pointed out inconsistencies in her story, she admitted that she went to the hotel to meet with a man, later identified as Butts, who had paid her $300 to urinate on him inside the hotel bathroom, court documents said. Afterward, she went to her car and after getting inside noticed Butts approaching her white Nissan Rouge. He began banging on her windows and cursing at her, police wrote in the affidavit. She became afraid and drove away when she noticed Butts was carrying a gun. As she drove away from Butts, she said he shot at her vehicle, the affidavit said. Police said they found one bullet hole in the rear door frame of the drivers side. One 9mm cartridge casing was recovered from the parking lot where she was sitting in her vehicle, according to the affidavit. As she drove around the hotel, she could see Butts through the courtyard flee from where he shot at her running into room 130 of the hotel, court documents said. Police wrote in the affidavit that they made attempts to contact someone within that room but no one answered the door. After police secured the area surrounding the room and contacted the manager, they were advised that the room was rented to Butts, the affidavit said. Court documents say police were able to contact Butts via phone, who said he was in Harrisburg but would come back to the police headquarters to provide a statement. Butts admitted that he met with the woman and paid her to urinate on him in the hotel bathroom. He told police that he noticed his wallet went missing after she left the room. When Butts went outside to confront her in the parking lot, he noticed the woman reached from under her seat and pulled something dark causing him to panic, as he thought she was pulling out a weapon, according to court records. Butts said he didnt recall shooting his gun, the affidavit said. After the woman drove away from him, he said he found his wallet in the hotel parking lot. Police said the woman was arrested at the scene. According to official documents, Butts told police he would go to police headquarters to provide a statement. When he failed to show up, Butts told police hed been in a car accident on his way back from Harrisburg, court records said. The affidavit said a detective responded to the scene of the crash and recovered Butts Sig Sauer 9mm handgun and his iPhone. He was arraigned on Nov. 30. He is currently out on a $75,000 unsecured bail, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4 at 2:15 p.m. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna says the authorities have finalized the bill on the rights of national minorities, taking into account the recommendations of the Venice Commission. "Together with parliamentarians, we finalized the bill submitted by the government to the Verkhovna Rada on amendments to some laws regarding the rights of national minorities (communities). Proper implementation of framework legislation is impossible without amending special legislation. That is why, taking into account international practices, recommendations of the Venice Commission and in consultation with the national communities have prepared a package of changes to a number of laws," the press service of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration said. According to her, the bill in no way provided for a revision of existing norms regarding the language of the aggressor state. "This has always been a principled position for us. However, to remove any fears and reservations, working together with parliamentarians and representatives of the public, we have further strengthened the safeguards," she said. Stefanishyna said the provisions relating to the rights of national communities were retained. "Today we have a good draft law agreed upon between the factions, which leaves no room for ambiguity. I believe that the break with the Russian-Soviet legacy is final and irrevocable. And the best guarantee of this is our integration into the EU. I am sure there can be no disagreements here," the Deputy Prime Ministersaid. As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers proposes to the Verkhovna Rada to amend laws regarding the rights of national minorities, taking into account the recommendations of the Venice Commission. The bill proposes to consolidate the right of private higher education institutions to choose the language of instruction, which is the official language of the European Union, while ensuring the study of the state language as a separate academic discipline. Amendments to the Law On media propose to stipulate the specifics of the use of languages of national minorities (communities) in the field of audiovisual media, in particular, "the state (official) language of the state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an aggressor state or an occupier state." The bill also provides for changes to the law On publishing, which establish the conditions for the operation of specialized bookstores created to implement the rights of national minorities (communities). The document also proposes to grant the right to distribute election campaign materials in the languages of the relevant indigenous peoples and national minorities. At the same time, Ukrainian public organizations call on the authorities not to weaken the mechanisms for protecting the state language under the pretext of European integration, as stated in a joint statement dated November 20. On November 28, Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremen said that certain provisions of the government bill on the rights of national minorities significantly worsen the functioning of the Ukrainian language in some areas of public life. By Matthew Barakat, The Associated Press ARLINGTON, Va. Police in a Virginia suburb of the nations capital are investigating a massive explosion at a house where police were investigating reports of shots fired and attempted to serve a search warrant Monday. Some officers received minor injuries in the explosion, but no one was transported to the hospital, said Arlington County police spokesperson Ashley Savage. No fatalities have yet been confirmed and the status of the suspect, who was in the home when it exploded, is not known, she said. The incident began at about 4:45 p.m. when police responded to reports of shots fired, which they later determined came from a flare gun, Savage said. While police investigated, they obtained a search warrant for the home, Savage said. When police attempted to execute the warrant several hours after they initially responded, the suspect fired several rounds inside the home, police said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It was then that the house a duplex exploded and burst into flames shortly before 8:30 p.m. Savage said it is unclear whether the rounds were fired from a flare gun or a different firearm. Savage said police dont have any evidence that others were in the duplex, but cant yet rule that out at this early phase in the investigation. Arlington is located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The explosion took place in Bluemont, a suburban neighborhood in north Arlington where many of the homes are duplexes that house two families. A massive boom was heard in the area just after 8:20 p.m. Power was knocked out in the immediate area and flames could be seen shooting in the air from a nearby street. Stretchers were also seen near the house. Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington said she could hear the explosion more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and came to scene, which was roped off blocks away, to see what was happening. I actually thought a plane exploded, she said. A home is seen exploding from a distance, Monday night, Dec. 4, 2023, in Arlington, Va. Arlington County Police in a Virginia suburb of the nations capital are investigating an explosion at a residence where officers were trying to serve a search warrant Monday. The Arlington County Police Department said in a statement that the suspect fired several shots inside the home and that an explosion happened. (AP Photo)AP Bob Maynes thought maybe a tree had fallen on his house when he heard the explosion. I was sitting in my living room watching television and the whole house shook, Maynes said. It wasnt an earthquake kind of tremor, but the whole house shook. Fire officials do not know the cause of the explosion, said Capt. Nate Hiner, a spokesperson for the Arlington Fire Department. Firefighters were still battling the blaze at 10:15 p.m. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said federal agents and federal fire investigators were at the scene and assisting in the investigation. Better health care for patients begins with humility a term not often associated with medicine. I witnessed displays of humility firsthand eight years ago, the night my son was born, in the way the doctor and doula worked together to deliver our baby. Neither tried to assert dominance over the other. Instead, they openly communicated with each other, respected each others roles, trusted each other and worked as a team. And what was most meaningful to us they included my wife on that team by actively listening to her and putting her needs at the forefront. Together, the teams professional humility helped create the most unforgettable moment of our lives: the birth of a healthy baby boy. The patient as part of the team Our experience with them made a significant impression on me because Im a social scientist who studies how clinicians collaborate. Specifically, I explore how doctors, nurses and the entire health care team can better show professional humility to ensure better outcomes for patients and for health care workers as well. Put simply, professional humility in the health care setting is when doctors, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, physical therapists, support staff basically every health care provider see each other as playing on the same team. That means team members share the same goals, understand the limitations of their own profession, see the strengths offered by others and include the patient and their caregivers in decision-making. That willingness to make the patient part of the team is key to professional humility. Instead of talking about the patient among themselves, the providers address the patient directly and actively listen. They openly admit when they dont know the answer or if they were incorrect. And rather than talking down to the patient, they explain things calmly, using everyday language and avoiding arcane medical jargon. The power of humility A growing body of research demonstrates that clinicians humility positively affects patient satisfaction, health outcomes and overall care. Additionally, emerging evidence indicates that having humility is good for health care providers as well serving as a protective factor against burnout and even clinical uncertainty. But if humility is so beneficial, why isnt there more of it in health care? And why is it not formally taught in medical, nursing and other health profession schools? Most people have likely experienced or witnessed scenarios where clinicians exhibit the opposite of humility, such as when providers show open disrespect for each other or engage in power struggles, or when a patient feels ignored, rushed, dismissed or spoken to rudely. These are common examples of a lack of humility in health care. But humility can be difficult to achieve in professional settings. In my experience, there are still assumptions by health care providers that displaying intellectual humility suggests a lack of knowledge and confidence, the opposite of what the health professions want to instill in their students. Money concerns and turf battles The lack of emphasis on humility in health care could also be due to pervasive, systemic issues nested deep within the industry itself. The very culture of todays health care industry is heavily influenced by competition for patients and resources, battles over money and turf and infighting between and within departments. Even the years of professional training are riddled with competition for the best test scores, opportunities and recognition. These are hardly the kinds of backstories that lead people to suddenly embrace the relatively unexplored concept of practicing humility. In fact, research shows that humility is not a sign of weakness or self-doubt. Instead, it reflects exceptional security and confidence. These are essential attributes for a patient-centered, team-oriented health care workforce. Heres another example of professional humility that I experienced when my son was about 6. He was spinning around in my office chair while I was close by in a meeting. He slipped off and hit his head on the corner of my desk, causing quite a gash. Luckily, my meeting was with a group of doctors, nurses and physician assistants. I had a team of clinicians right there to assess my son for any need of stitches. Gently talking to him, disregarding professional rank by collectively assessing the wound, openly seeking their colleagues opinions and engaging me directly about possible next steps all while jokingly noting the serendipity of the situation clearly reflected professional humility. Researchers are just starting to scratch the surface of understanding precisely how professional humility leads to teamwork and more effective care. But the early research suggests that its an essential ingredient. If you do find yourself or a loved one in the hospital, you may be confronted with hard decisions and frightening uncertainties about the future. When that happens, you will no doubt want a health care team that is harmonious, communicative and connected. That sense of calm in the chaos provides patients and family with reassurance, hope and healing. Barret Michalec, Research Associate Professor of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Black lung disease in coal miners has spiked in recent years, and we know that silica dust is to blame. Thanks to the leadership of people like Sen. Bob Casey and President Joe Biden, disabled miners with black lung will continue to receive their health benefits and current miners will soon be protected by an updated standard to limit their exposure to silica dust. In a heartless move, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry put forward an amendment to a bill funding the U.S. Department of Labors Mine Safety and Health Agency that would prohibit it from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the standard. This standard will save lives and help ensure miners arent stricken by this terrible and deadly disease. Every day, companies negligence is putting lives in danger. Instead of standing with coal miners, Perry is standing with the companiesjust like his colleagues that passed the amendment by a voice vote. Well never know exactly who voted for this terrible amendment, but we do know who authored it. And we know that if it becomes law, Scott Perrys latest attack on workers could prove deadly to coal miners in our country. Jason Walsh is the Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance, Washington, D.C. Ron Klink In October, two University of Pennsylvania scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their research on the technology underpinning the COVID-19 vaccines. Their inspiring work is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the past three and a half years, countless scientists across the state jumped into action, researching COVID-19 and the potential tests, treatments, and vaccines aimed at abating it. Their work helped stem the tide of death and illness brought on by the virus and enabled world economies to re-energize in its aftermath. Unfortunately, I fear our nation may soon make a short-sighted decision to give that research away to our rivals -- harming Pennsylvania innovators and workers in the process. The upcoming decision concerns a petition before the World Trade Organization. Last year, President Biden supported a WTO proposal to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines. Now, his administration is considering whether the WTO should extend that waiver to treatments and tests for COVID-19. Advocates say these waivers are necessary to expand access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries. But there is simply no evidence that intellectual property protections were hindering access in the first place. Vaccination rates remain tragically low in parts of the developing world. However, these low rates are due largely to logistical problems, like lack of refrigerated transport and storage, as well as vaccine hesitancy. Canceling patents cannot do anything to fix these problems. Indeed, before the first waiver was adopted, the Serum Institute of India -- the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer -- had halted production of COVID-19 vaccines because stockpiles had grown so large. Countries around the world were destroying unused vaccines and turning away donations. Doubling down on failed policy prescriptions that could negatively impact the development of new medicines here in Pennsylvania and around the nation would be tragic. Instead, policy makers should carefully consider the joint communication to the WTO from the governments of Mexico and Switzerland which concluded that we do not face an IP-induced lack of access to or a lack of manufacturing capacity of COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics. Inventing a new treatment or vaccine is immensely time-consuming and risky. Among drugs that enter Phase I clinical trials, only about 10% ultimately win approval from the Food and Drug Administration. This high failure rate is one reason that bringing a successful new medicine to market is so expensive -- costing upwards of $2 billion. By granting creators an exclusive period of time during which to sell their inventions, patents give the companies and investors who take these outsized risks a chance to earn back their costs, fund new research lines, and earn a return. Indeed, without the promise of strong IP protection, companies like Moderna and BioNTech may have never worked to commercialize the Nobel-prize-winning-discoveries made at the University of Pennsylvania. Expanding the waiver would signal to the world that governments can choose to ignore patents, even on once-in-a-lifetime discoveries and even without a good reason. Once that happens, investment in the next generation of high-tech medicines -- and the economic success and jobs that usually accompany them -- would quickly shrink. That will uniquely impact Pennsylvania, where the life science industry is responsible for more than $105 billion in economic output. And the Philadelphia area, which is home to roughly 1,200 life science companies and considered one of the biggest biotech hubs in the nation, would take a particularly hard hit. There, more than 60,000 residents are currently employed by the life science industry. Whats more, a waiver extension would effectively give valuable American IP away to our rivals. President Biden has already authorized a transfer of the seminal Covid-19 vaccine research conducted here in Pennsylvania to those nations. But countries like South Africa, India, and China are eager to gain more of a competitive advantage over our life-science firms. The Biden administration cant let that happen -- for the sake of future Pennsylvania scientists researching vaccines and treatments for pandemics yet to come. Former Democratic Congressman Ron Klink served four consecutive terms representing Pennsylvanias 4th Congressional District. Residents of two municipalities in Quebec's Laurentians region have been ordered to leave their homes because of the risk that a nearby dike could burst. Quebec's provincial flag flies on a flagpole in Ottawa on June 30, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Dan Albas is the Member of Parliament-elect for the riding of Central Okanagan Similkameen Nicola. This riding includes the communities of Kelowna (specific boundaries), West Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland, Keremeos, Princeton, Merritt and Logan Lake. You can reach Dan by calling 1-800-665-8711 or visit: DanAlbas.com Russian occupiers likely control most of the built-up area of the town of Marinka, Donetsk region, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to control certain areas on the western outskirts of the town, British intelligence said. "Over recent weeks Russian forces have made creeping advances through the ruins of Marinka, a town in Donetsk Oblast. Russia now likely controls most of the built-up area. However, Ukrainian forces remain in control of pockets of territory on the western edge of the town," according to a report published on the X social network of the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Tuesday. It is indicated that the town has been on the front line since 2014. With a pre-war population of 9000, it is comprehensively ruined drone footage suggests that the vast majority of buildings have been reduced to rubble. British intelligence believes that one of the Kremlin's main military goals continues to be the expansion of control over the remaining parts of Donetsk region, and that the resumption of occupiers' actions against Marinka is part of Russia's autumn offensive aimed at this. The number of doctors injured as a result of enemy shelling of a medical facility in Kherson has increased to four, Head of the city military administration Roman Mrochko said. "According to the latest data, as a result of an enemy shell hitting a healthcare facility in the center of Kherson, four people were injured two doctors born in 1954 and 1959, a midwife born in 1966 and an employee of one of the departments born in 1956. Medical assistance was provided on site. The injuries they received were minor and treatment did not require hospitalization," Mrochko said on his Telegram channel on Tuesday. Earlier it was reported that two doctors were injured as a result of a Russian shell hitting a Kherson healthcare facility. It took over 15 and a half hours of play, but Brazil's Allan Mello won his first bracelet and $1,000,000 by taking down Event #2: $1,500 Millionaire Maker at 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise in The Bahamas. The Brazilian defeated Ukraine's Nazar Buhaiov after a heads-up exchange that saw the two trading leads back and forth for several hours before Mello picked off a bluff to come out on top. The hybrid-format Millionaire Maker drew 3,496 online runners on GGPoker for a prize pool of $5,233,000 as 100 players advanced to the live felt at Atlantis Resort. Those 100 players included final tablists Maxime Parys (5th - $128,000), Arnaud Enselme (8th - $65,000) and all-time WSOP cash leader Roland Israelashvili (9th - $50,000). Event #2: $1,500 Millionaire Maker Final Table Results PLACE PLAYER COUNTRY PRIZE (IN USD) 1 Allan Mello Brazil $1,000,000 2 Nazar Buhaiov Ukraine $593,500 3 Morten Norland Norway $263,500 4 Maksim Vaskresenski Poland $158,500 5 Maxime Parys France $128,000 6 Clemen Deng United States $103,500 7 Kasparas Klezys Lithuania $81,100 8 Arnaud Enselme France $65,000 9 Roland Israelashvili United States $50,000 After becoming a millionaire through an intense day of grinding, Mello, who is primarily an online player, told PokerNews he was both excited and "tired." "I cant believe I won this," he said in a winner's interview. "I dreamed of this. Finally, I got my first bracelet and my biggest win of $1 million! So I am very happy. Allan Mello and Nazar Buhaiov during heads-up play. Though the day dragged late into the next morning, Mello noted that "everything was going well all day long." "I was just trying to play my best," he said. "And I was running hot, so I just needed to do my best and wait to see if I keep running hot (to) win the tournament. Millionaire Maker Action The 100 players who made it to the live portion of the tournament were all in the money and guaranteed a payday of at least $5,000. Some of the early casualties included bracelet winners Barry Hutter (100th - $5,000), David Miscikowski (79th - $5,000), Alexandros Kolonias (70th - $6,000) and Artur Martirosian (69th - $6,000). There were no shortage of highlights across the day, including when Allan Mello cracked the aces of rising high-stakes star Leon Sturm as he flopped a set of tens before improving to quads on the river. Not two hours later, history repeated itself as Abdulla Ceesvin had his aces cracked by the queens of Clemen Deng, who flopped a set of queens before the turn brought another lady to give him quads for an emphatic double. The unofficial final table of ten was formed before the elimination of Hongru Zhang as players moved under the bright lights of the feature table. First out at the official final table was all-time WSOP cash leader Israelashvili, who extended his record to 464 cashes as he came up short of his first bracelet. Roland Israelashvili Deng's run-good ended as his Big Slick not only failed to make quads, but lost out to the queen-ten of Mello as the American fell in sixth place for $103,500. Frenchman Maxime Parys was next to go when he three-bet jammed with queen-nine and failed to improve as Buhaiov snapped him off with ace-eight. The elimination of Poland's Maksim Vaskresenski in fourth place set up a three-handed battle that saw Norway's Morten Norland and Buhaiov battling for another ladder. Buhaiov won the laddering war as his kings dominated Morten's eights to send the Norwegian out in third for $263,500. The heads-up battle between Mello and Buhaiov dragged on for hours as they exchanged chip leads and their respective rails traded barbs. Both players doubled through one another at different points before Mello built up a lead to have Buhaiov on the ropes. In a final confrontation, Buhaiov got to the river with just ten-high and opted to bluff before Mello sniffed it out with third pair to win a million dollars and his first bracelet. In the wake of the seven-figure victory, Mello's mind was on his girlfriend and fellow Brazilians on the rail. I love them, Im happy that they are here to rail me and help me," he said. "When I lose a pot, they are with me; when I win a pot, they are with me. And thats more important to me than the bracelet. Allan Mello and his rail That wraps up the PokerNews live reporting team's coverage of Event #2: $1,500 Millionaire Maker here in the sunny and humid Bahamas. Be sure to check out the live reporting portal for coverage of other events here at Atlantis Resort. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) has announced that he will be investigating Trump prosecuting Fulton County DA Fani Willis. Jordan wrote to Willis in part: We are in possession of a letter, dated December 17, 2021, and enclosed herein, from you to Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman of the partisan January 6 Select Committee, requesting access to congressional records that may be relevant to our criminal investigation.Specifically, you asked Rep. Thompson for access to record [sic] includ[ing] but . . . not limited to recordings and transcripts of witness interviews and depositions, electronic and print records of communications, and records of travel.8 You even offered that you and your staff were eager to travel to Washington, D.C, to meet with investigators in person and to receive these records any time between January 31, 2022, and February 25, 2022. Although it is not clear what records, if any, you obtained from your coordination with the partisan January 6 Select Committee, this new information raises additional questions relevant to the Committees oversight of your politically motivated prosecution of a former President of the United States and several former senior federal officials. The partisan January 6 Select Committee had a troubling track record of procedural abuses and due process violations. It only solicited evidence from a select set of relevant individuals, ignored exculpatory evidence, and did not pursue witnesses with evidence that would not advance its partisan narrative. It fabricated and publicly released doctored evidence. It cherry-picked selective information to create false and misleading public narratives.12 To the extent that your politically motivated prosecutions are now relying in any way on records obtained from the partisan January 6 Select Committee, it only reinforces concerns about your commitment to due process and whether you have fulfilled your obligations to properly disclose this material. The request that Willis made was common. Prosecutors often ask to see evidence collected in other investigations. Jordan also managed to reach an Orwellian level of nonsense by claiming that the bipartisan 1/6 Committee was partisan. There is zero legal basis for anything that Jordan claimed in his letter, but the law isnt the point. Rep. Jordan is trying to smear DA Willis and the RICO prosecution of Donald Trump. Jordans motives are political, as he is again abusing his oversight power to try to help Donald Trump politically. Chairman Jordan has zero overnight authority over DA Willis, and it will not be a surprise when she tells him to go pound sand and turns over nothing. Fani Willis is putting Trump on trial and Jim Jordan seems scared. A Special Message From PoliticusUSA If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here. 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. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print In a new court filing in the 1/6 criminal case, Special Counsel Jack Smith has more than a decade of statements made by Donald Trump opposing the peaceful transfer of power. The Special Counsel wrote: As set forth in the indictment, the defendants criminal conspiracies relied on his knowingly false claims of election fraud. See, e.g., ECF No. 1 at 2, 4. At trial, the Government will introduce a number of public statements by the defendant in advance of the charged conspiracies, claiming that there would be fraud in the 2020 presidential election. These statements sowed mistrust in the results of the presidential election and laid the foundation for the defendants criminal efforts. In addition to this intrinsic evidence of false statements about the 2020 election, the Government will offer evidence reflecting the defendants historical record of making such claims. For example, as early as November 2012, the defendant issued a public tweet making baseless claims that voting machines had switched votes from then-candidate Romney to then-candidate Obama. During the 2016 presidential campaign, the defendant claimed repeatedly, with no basis, that there was widespread voter fraudincluding through public statements and tweets (for instance, on October 17, 2016, tweeting, Of course there is large scale fraud happening on and before election day. Why do Republican leaders deny what is going on? So naive!). The defendants false claims about the 2012 and 2016 elections are admissible because they demonstrate the defendants common plan of falsely blaming fraud for election results he does not like, as well as his motive, intent, and plan to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election results and illegitimately retain power. It would be ironic if Trumps Twitter account, which he loved and adored to such a degree that he referred to it as his press office, helped to get him convicted. Donald Trump is still presenting no legal defense for his plot to overthrow the government beyond court debunked claims of presidential immunity and political arguments. Jack Smith and his team are loading up to show that it always was Trumps intent to retain power through any method necessary. The Special Counsel will argue to a jury that Donald Trump has a long history of public statements that center around delegitimizing elections, and that those statements laid the groundwork for his attempted coup. It starting to look Trumps only chance to avoid conviction is to win the 2024 presidential election. A Special Message From PoliticusUSA If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here. 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. Umerov discusses with his Belgian colleague transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine Defence Ministry Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder held a meeting during which they discussed the transfer of F-16 aircraft, pilot training and the supply of necessary equipment, the press service of the Ministry of Defense said. "We highly appreciate your unwavering support and full participation in the process of strengthening the defense capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the press service said, citing Umerov. The head of the Ministry of Defense said "it is now necessary to begin the process of establishing supply chains for ammunition, spare parts and technical equipment for the F-16." In turn, the Belgian side confirmed its intentions to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in 2025. In addition, during the meeting the parties discussed the possibility of receiving representatives of the Belgian defense-industrial complex in Ukraine at the beginning of 2024. It is noted that "the total volume of technical assistance from the Kingdom of Belgium for the Ukrainian Defense Forces is more than EUR 320 million." Aiken Standard reporter Taylor Beltz is a sports writer for the Aiken Standard. Beltz is a University of South Carolina graduate. Follow her on X @TaylorKaye09. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers A South Carolina congressman is co-leading a bill touted as being the "biggest reform in nuclear power" regulation in more than a generation. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is poised to discuss the Atomic Energy Advancement Act, which U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan introduced. Duncan is a Republican representing South Carolina's Third Congressional District, which includes Edgefield County to the state's tri-point border with North Carolina and Georgia. "Americas demand for electricity continues to grow, placing our Nation on the precipice of a countrywide energy crisis," Duncan said in a news release. "Nuclear energy is reliable, affordable, and clean. It makes up half of the United States clean energy, provides 20% of the nations power, and over half of the clean power generation in South Carolina. This legislation bolsters American nuclear independence to keep the power on for Americans and safeguards national security through energy security." Duncan, who chairs the Energy, Climate and Grid Security subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee introduced the bill Friday. The bill combines 11 bills introduced by Energy and Commerce Committee members into an 11-section piece of legislation. The first section of the bill updates the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's mission statement to state regulatory activities be done efficiently and in a way that won't limit the ability of nuclear power to benefit society. This section is derived from Duncan's Mission Alignment Act. The second section incorporates U.S. Rep. Rick Allen's bill to require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to provide timely and predictable reviews of licensing applications. It would also require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to use information on existing nuclear facilities, when practicable, to license new nuclear facilities at the same locations. The section would also require the regulatory commission to provide the most efficient performance metrics and milestone schedules that are practicable. Higher energy and housing prices boosted overall U.S. inflation in December, a sign that the Federal Reserves drive to slow inflation to its 2% target will likely remain a bumpy one. Overall prices rose 0.3% from November and 3.4% from 12 months earlier. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, though, so-called core prices rose just 0.3% month over month. Core prices were up 3.9% from a year earlier the mildest such pace since May 2021. Economists pay particular attention to core prices because, by excluding costs that typically jump around from month to month, they are seen as a better guide to the likely path of inflation. Read moreU.S. inflation edges up, fueled by energy and housing prices, but many other costs rise only mildly New Italian and Thai dining spots, along with two new bagel shops, soon will be cooking across the Lowcountry. Also, a new retailer is on the way to the peninsula, a longtime Summerville shop changes hands, and a new cafe and market officially opens Jan. 11 in Mount Pleasant. Read moreNew restaurants coming to Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Moncks Corner COLUMBIA A former pastor from Lexington County has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two of his daughters and was sentenced to 40 years in state prison. On Dec. 1, after a five-day trial, a Richland County jury found 62-year-old William Benton Oswald guilty of three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct of a minor. The abuse started in the early 1990s and continued into the early 2000s, during his daughters' early childhood, according to a news release by Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson. During that time, Oswald was a pastor at the Dunn's Chapel Church in South Congaree. "As a pastor and influential member of the communities he claimed to serve, the defendant was able to hide these heinous acts from the public for many years," the solicitor wrote in the press release. The daughters testified to abuse they experienced as children and the trauma, saying it not only impacts their lives, but the lives of their friends and family. Oswald proclaimed his innocence in hours-long testimony. Oswald was represented by defense attorneys Paul Reeves and Todd Lyle of the Columbia-based Reeves & Lyle law firm. Reeves said some of Oswald's family friends were called the stand and told they jury how they did not notice anything that would give concern. Since the daughters were unable to come forward with the allegations until years later, when they were adults, there was very little forensic evidence linking Oswald to the crimes, according to the solicitor. "The jury had to rely almost exclusively on the testimony of the parties themselves," the solicitor wrote. Assistant solicitors Thersea Johns and Allison Foster, who prosecuted the case, offered expert testimony to educate the jury on how Oswald was able to conceal his actions for so many years. The jury found Oswald guilty of all charges. Circuit Judge Eugene Griffith sentenced Oswald to 20 years in prison for the assaults against each daughter, with the sentences to run consecutive, adding up to 40 years in prison. You can spy the colorful orange and green neon signs in the Beautiful South window from way down the block. As you get closer, your nose is struck by the sharp, tempting aroma of wok oil, garlic and ginger, which puffs out over the street from discrete exhaust vents. For diners like me, thats the most effective form of advertising, conjuring up olfactory memories of New York City and Hong Kong sidewalks. But, as the name suggests, the restaurant is right here in the South in downtown Charleston, in fact, on the newly remade block of Columbus Street between Meeting and King. The cuisine is inspired by a different South, though, that of Hong Kong and the southern regions of China. Long, tender egg noodles ($23) are stir fried with local Tarvin shrimp (tails still on), sliced snow peas and just enough rich, slightly sweet XO sauce to give them a glossy sheen. Much sweeter is the thin pool of fish palm syrup that awaits beneath the Teochew-style oyster omelet ($15), an odd but pleasant contrast to the fluffy egg and the briny bursts of plump oysters tucked away inside. Some of the simplest dishes are the most impressive. A tangle of splendid scallion oil noodles ($11) are unexpectedly cool but absolutely delicious, slick with a dark soy sauce and topped by a small pile of scallions cooked down to crisp, brown slivers. Beautiful South is the second Charleston venture from David Schuttenberg and Tina Heath-Schuttenberg, the owners of Kwei Fei. Both restaurants draw inspiration from the cuisine of China, but thats pretty much where the similarities end. Kwei Fei is out on Maybank Highway in the small restaurant space adjoining the Pour House, Charlestons long running music club. Beautiful South is downtown in a ground floor retail space in Courier Square, the gleaming new brick and glass headquarters of property developer Greystar. In November 1833, people saw stars fall from the sky in Alabama. J.C. Hallman begins his literary nonfiction book, Say Anarcha, on a rural Alabama plantation where a young enslaved girl might have watched stars really, it was a meteor shower tumble to earth. The girl is Anarcha. She was born into enslavement near Montgomery. Much like the night stars fell on Alabama, Anarchas life became a tapestry of streaking comets, her meteoric life impacting womens health, medical ethics, family legacy and a modern-day reckoning of racism that spans the Deep South to New York and Ethiopia. Hallmans book is the most in-depth work centered on the woman who has been mostly remembered as a failed test subject of experiments conducted by J. Marion Sims, a South Carolinian once revered as the father of modern gynecology. I discovered that that night, November 13, 1833, was Sims first day in medical school. And so that's the kind of thing people might not even believe, Hallman said in an interview. Exactly 50 years after the meteor shower, Sims died. The truth is stranger than fiction, the author and journalist added. Hallmans literary nonfiction book is written with exactness. Much of the emotion and scene-setting is pulled from context of the times and a litany of historical records. Say Anarcha" was culled from more than 5,000 primary sources, including Sims' writings, slave narratives, bills of sale and Census records, Hallman said. It aims to amplify Anarchas story and discredit Sims, whose attempts to cement his legacy were more successful than many of his experiments. Sims is credited with pioneering a technique that cured vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), an abnormal opening between the vagina and bladder that impacts 3 million women worldwide and is mostly contracted during childbirth. It was not a cure. "Say Anarcha" details how Sims' failed procedures and post-surgical complications were much higher than he touted. Even Sims' own medical assistants decried the physician's lack of ethics as he performed dozens of surgeries without anesthesia, the book details. SIMPSONVILLE Greenville County plans to establish a new 54-acre park just north of Simpsonville on the property where Oakland Plantation once operated. The site is currently owned by the YMCA of Greenville, but the Upstate Preservation Trust is poised to purchase it for $1.2 million, half of which would be provided by the South Carolina Conservation Bank and the other half from the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust (GCHNRT). Carlton Owen, the GCHNRT's chairman, said the project is a significant victory for historic preservation in the Upstate. Sign up for updates! Get the latest Greenville news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! "If you lose it, you can't put it back," he said. "You can write about it in a book, but it's not the same thing as being able to go touch it and experience it." The Preservation Trust will set about restoring the structures on the site once the sale goes through. Lindsey Strand, vice chair of the Preservation Trust, said her organization has already raised more than $250,000 to fund the restoration. A main house, built in the early 1800s, stands on the property, as well as a cabin where enslaved people once lived. "You've got the story of the plantation owners," said Nannette Iatesta, who sits on the GCHNRT board. "But what about the enslaved people, what was their daily life like? It's a great opportunity to bring adults and children through there and let them see the entire picture." Situated between the Five Forks area and Simpsonville, and surrounded on all sides by residential development, Owen said the park will be a valuable recreational resource for the community. A portion of the land was once used as an illegal chemical dumping ground, Owen said, and if not for environmental concerns, likely would have been redeveloped like the properties around it. But the site has since been remediated, making way for the proposed project. It will likely be a passive park, consisting largely of nature trails, with an educational component at the historic buildings, Strand said. NOTE: Some of these events may have been canceled or postponed. Please check with the organizers. Call 843-873-9424 ext. 220 or email broberts@journalscene.com to add an event to this free calendar. Read moreCommunity calendar Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov has held a meeting with commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces, General Mikael Byden, the press service of the Ministry of Defense reports. "I informed the general about the reforms in the ministry. Transparent lethal and non-lethal purchases, uncompromising fight against corruption and localization of defense production in Ukraine are our priorities," the message published on the Telegram channel says. In addition, during the meeting held last week, Umerov thanked Buden and Sweden for their constant political, diplomatic and military support to Ukraine. "I expressed my willingness to share the experience of the Ukrainian army with our Swedish allies. I have extended an invitation to Swedish Defense Minister Paul Johnson to visit Ukraine again," Umerov said. The Kingstree Beautification Commission hosted its 2023 Christmas Pallet Contest where community members were encouraged to join together to cut, paint and decorate their pallets in a Christmas theme. Read moreChristmas Pallet Contest winners announced Colliers International South Carolina, Inc. Board of Directors recently announced leadership changes in electing David M. Feild, CCIM, as its President. John W. Folsom, who has led the company as President for over 30 years, will continue as the companys Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Read moreColliers elects new president New parents who work for Charleston County will soon be eligible for up to six weeks' paid leave a decision council members hope will boost recruitment and retention. It's a change from the county's current policy which doesn't provide any paid time off (PTO) for parental leave. Federal law protects employees from getting fired if they take time off to care for a newborn. Charleston County workers previously had to rely on vacation and sick days they accrued if they still wanted a paycheck during their parental leave. The new policy means people like Kaitlin Cornwell-Goulooze won't have to save all her PTO for future planning. "Prioritizing my mental health now and actually taking time off when I need it is a huge sigh of relief," the assistant public defender said. "I've been super, super conservative with my time off." County Council unanimously voted Nov. 30 to adopt the policy which goes into effect in January. Employees who have worked at the county for at least a year will get up to six weeks PTO after giving birth. A non-birthing parent qualifies for up to two weeks. The benefit is in line with other governments across South Carolina. It mirrors that of state and public school district employees, plus city of Charleston workers. Richland County's policy will also take effect in the new year, providing six weeks of PTO to eligible county employees who are new parents or co-parents. Parenting these days is hard. Kids have phones and tablets in their hands at an early age, a fact that leaves parents like me worrying about whether our children are getting too much screen time and what they're stumbling onto online. Of course, technology comes with plenty of benefits, but Read moreCommentary: Parents want to protect kids online, but SC device filter bill won't help On Tuesday morning, Ukrainian attack unmanned aerial vehicles struck enemy radar and control systems located in the east of the occupied Crimea, their own source told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. In particular, the enemy's Nebo-M radar system was defeated in the area of Baherove settlement of Yedykuysky district of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the enemy helicopter parking lot, the P-18 Terek radar system and the Baikal-1M anti-aircraft missile units control system near the village of Strelkove. "This morning's clap at military facilities in Crimea is the result of a special operation by the SBU. This is how our security service congratulated the occupiers on the International Volunteer Day," the agency interlocutor said. Among the many leftists who have expressed support for Hamas, seemingly unconcerned with its outrages of October 7, is Greta Thunberg. Thunberg, now 20 years old, is regarded as a heroine by many for her uncompromising demand that the Western world (she hasnt visited China, to my knowledge) stop using fossil fuels. Just the News reports (see original for links): Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is dividing the climate movement as she has been calling for the end of Israel while her organization, Fridays for Future has at the same time been promoting rhetoric online that has been endorsed by members of terrorist organizations. *** Thunbergbecame vocal about her support for Palestine less than two weeks after Oct. 7, which marked the worst day for the death of Jews since the Holocaust. She posted a photo of herself with her friends holding signs supporting Palestine. She has continued posting photographs of herself protesting in support of Palestine and the fight against climate change nearly every week since. *** [T]he first group she promoted, Medical Aid for Palestinians, was accused in 2019 of misusing funds and promoting antisemitic rhetoric such as videos from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, while another group she promoted, the Palestinian Youth Movement, has promoted calls for violence as well as content from U.S.-designated terrorist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. But the anti-Israel rhetoric is not limited to her personal account. Fridays for Future International has multiple statements supporting Palestine. For example, the international Fridays for Future X page reposted an Oct. 17 post calling for a global strike in support of Palestine from a page called Propaganda, which has repeatedly made posts critical of Israel and the United States. On Oct. 7, the day approximately 1,200 people were murdered and 240 others were kidnapped in Israel, Propaganda published a statement applauding the attack for spreading fear in the hearts of occupying settlers who are crawling like dogs. Fridays for Future [Thunbergs organizations site] continued pushing for a global strike for Palestine on Oct. 19 by calling Israel a settler colonial state, pledging to dismantle not only this textbook colonialism seen in Palestine, but all around the world in different forms and intensities and accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinian people, echoing statements from the Hamas founding charter. What is the connection between these two seemingly unrelated topics, global warming and the conflict between Israel and Hamas? One might say that a person who is wrong about one thing (global warming) is likely to be wrong about another (Gaza). But Thunberg isnt just wrong, she is a passionate advocate against fossil fuels and against Israeland, more broadly, settler colonialism. That is not a coincidence. Rather, it reflects the fact that the climate change movement in which Thunberg is so prominent actually has little or nothing to do with climate change. Rather, it is an attack on the West. Fossil fuels are the foundation of modern civilization. They are the sole reason why we are not riding around in donkey carts and reading by candle light. Destroying fossil fuels means, at best, impoverishing the West. That this is the activists real goal is evident from the fact that they train their fire not on China or India, but on the United States and Europe. If they were really concerned about the climate, this would make no sense, because China is by far the largest emitter of CO2. Robert Bryce produced this graph just a few days ago: If you arent talking about Chinese emissions, everything you are saying about global warming is a joke. And neither Greta Thunberg nor Al Gore, Joe Biden or John Kerry is saying anything about Chinese emissions. If they really believed their own hype about global warming as an existential threat, they would be talking about invading China or bombing the hundreds of new coal plants that it has under development. But they dont do that; instead, they stick up for the Chinese Communists and say they are doing a pretty good job. So their real goal isnt affecting the climate, it is destroying Western economies and, thus, Western power. Likewise with Israel. Neither Greta Thunberg nor any of her left-wing allies has shown any interest in Middle Eastern conflicts that do not involve Israel. From the Iran-Iraq war to the Syrian civil war to the homicidal conflict between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, they are uninvolved, no matter how many thousands of Arabs are killed. Only when Israel is a partyeven when it is a party because of one of the most vicious acts of war carried out in the modern erado they swing into action. Why do they care? Because Israel is Western in its orientation, and thus denounced as a settler colonialist country despite the fact that Jews were living in the Holy Land more than two thousand years before the first Arabs appeared. That Greta Thunberg and many other leftists are engaged in both climate change and pro-Hamas activism is no coincidence. Rather, the two positions are of a piece: both are fraudulent and have little to do with their expressed purposes. Rather, both are born of hatred of Western civilization. This morning the Supreme Court hears oral argument in Moore v. United States. It could be one of the most important cases to be heard by the Supreme Court this year. In it the Court has certified this question for review (references to App. are to the appendix to the petition for review filed with the Court by counsel for Mr. and Mrs. Moore): The Sixteenth Amendment authorizes Congress to lay taxes on incomes without apportionment among the several States. Beginning with Eisner v. Macomber, 252 U.S. 189 (1920), this Courts decisions have uniformly held income, for Sixteenth Amendment purposes, to require realization by the taxpayer. In the decision below, however, the Ninth Circuit approved taxation of a married couple on earnings that they undisputedly did not realize but were instead retained and reinvested by a corporation in which they are minority shareholders. It held that realization of income is not a constitutional requirement for Congress to lay an income tax exempt from apportionment. App. 12. In so holding, the Ninth Circuit became the first court in the country to state that an income tax doesnt require that a taxpayer has realized income. App.38 (Bumatay, J., dissenting from denial of rehearing en banc). The question presented is: Whether the Sixteenth Amendment authorizes Congress to tax unrealized sums without apportionment among the states. The case has been widely covered in the press over the past few days, as it is by the Wall Street Journal story here (December 3) and by the Associated Press in the superficial story here (December 4). The stories are full of dire warnings about what a ruling in favor of the taxpayer might do to the tax code. The real threat is to the Democrats dream of a wealth tax. Thus the assault on the Courts conservative justices. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has gone so far as to write Chief Justice Roberts seeking the recusal of Justice Alito. Unfortunately, Durbin is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He is big and he is swinging. Justice Alito rejected the recusal request made in Durbins letter by order dated September 8, 2023, and posted online by the Court here. Justice Alito found Durbins letter to be without merit. I have not followed this case but hope to listen to a recording of the oral argument and read the tea leaves. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 16:01:47 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 345 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / ACCESSWIRE is a newswire service standout that provides regional, national and global news to thousands of clients worldwide.To help its customers hone their press release writing skills, the industry-leading company encourages the use of the Associated Press (AP) Style.AP Style is the gold standard for news writing, grammar, abbreviations and titles and ensures all media worldwide have the same structure to work with."Using AP Style when writing a press release shows professionalism and makes a positive impression on the media," said Jennifer Hammers, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Issuer Direct. "When companies distribute press releases with the correct press release format and use AP Style, they're sharing their news in a way the media prefers." A common question marketing professionals ask is "how do you format a press release dateline with AP Style?"The dateline is found at the beginning of the press release and tells the readers when and where the news took place. Reporters want real, current news, and the dateline gives them the information they need.According to AP Style, a press release dateline should include "a city name, entirely in capital letters, followed in most cases by the name of the state, county, or territory where the city is located." An example of a press release dateline that uses AP Style is:RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 /To learn more about ACCESSWIRE's press release distribution services visit accesswire.com ###About ACCESSWIRE/Issuer Direct CorporationIssuer Direct is a leading communications company, providing solutions for both Public Relations and Investor Relations Professionals for over 16 years. Our comprehensive solutions are used by thousands of customers from emerging startups to multi-billion-dollar global brands, ensuring their most important moments are reaching the right audiences, via our industry-leading newswire, IR website solutions, events technology, and compliance solutions. For more information, please visit www.issuerdirect.com Issuer Direct Corporation Media Contacts:Brian R. Balbirnie +1 919-481-4000 brian.balbirnie@issuerdirect.com Jennifer Hammers +1 919-481-4000 jennifer.hammers@issuerdirect.com SOURCE: ACCESSWIRE PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 05:50:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 470 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / December 4, 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/ CONTACTKahn 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: 2023-12-05 14:03:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 787 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 4th annual list recognizes 215 private companies putting purpose ahead of profitBURLINGAME, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Butlr, an AI startup with the world's first and only anonymous people-sensing technology platform, has been named to the Inc. 2023 Best in Business list in the AI and Data category. Inc.'s Best in Business Awards honor companies that have made an extraordinary impact in their fields and on society.Butlr Named Winner in Inc. Best in Business for AI & Data Butlr named to Inc. Magazine's Best In Business 2023 in the category of artificial intelligence and data The list, which can be found in the Winter issue of Inc. magazine (on newsstands December 12), recognizes the most dynamic companies of all sizes and industries that have had an outstanding influence on their communities, their industries, the environment, or society as a whole.Eric Hagerman, Special Projects Editor at Inc., says, "Being named to the Best in Business list is a rare and special honor. These honorees demonstrate the foresight, caring, and dedication to prioritize positive impact - impact on their community, on their industry and the environment, and even on society as a whole." Rather than relying on quantitative criteria tied to sales or funding, Inc.'s editors reviewed the companies' achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in 70 different categories - from advertising to sustainability to retail, and more - and in age-based, revenue-based, size-based, and impact-based categories. The applicant pool was extremely competitive - a huge success for the 215 honored in the list's fourth year. Honorees for general excellence across various industries and categories are featured online at inc.com/best-in-business Butlr combines AI and machine learning algorithms with body heat sensing technology to infer human presence and activity while being incapable of collecting personal information. Its Heatic wireless sensors magnetically mount to the wall or ceiling and provide real-time and historical spatial insights into how space is used. Installed in buildings throughout the world, Butlr sensors cover over 40 million square feet and collect over 1 billion frames of privacy-proof anonymous usage and activity data each month.Butlr insights ensure the most efficient use of space while helping to lower a building's carbon footprint. They are also vital to providing older adults with the ability to gracefully age in place or at a care facility with dignity and privacy. Care providers rely on Butlr sensors for early fall detection without requiring cameras or wristbands for safety monitoring."Properly managing and using AI and data is one of the greatest challenges facing society today. It guides our mission and enables us to provide customers with insights that support more sustainable buildings and ensure the efficient use of space based on the specific needs of the people in them," said Honghao Deng, CEO and co-founder, Butlr. "It is an honor to be recognized by Inc. This award underscores our commitment to putting purpose ahead of profit as we continue to use AI to make a positive difference in the way we all work and live." ABOUT INC. The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com ABOUT ButlrButlr is an MIT Media Lab spinout that fuses artificial intelligence with body heat sensing technology to build patented sensors and an anonymous people-sensing platform. Using thermal insights, Butlr technology understands subtle movements in a space, and accurately discerns activity, occupancy, indoor location, and body posture yet is purposely designed to be incapable of capturing personally identifiable information. Butlr spatial insights are used by some of the world's largest companies in hospitality, senior living, health care, commercial real estate, retail, and public transportation to inform decisions regarding space occupancy and utilization, user experiences, patient safety, compliance, staffing, and ensuring buildings are operating with high efficiency and sustainability. These customers include Verizon, Netflix, Walmart, Carrier, Microsoft, and CBRE. For more information, visit www.butlr.com Contact InformationKathy Keating Public Relations kkeating@ prosincomms.com 617-460-2702SOURCE: Butlr PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 14:01:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 575 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FORT MILL, SC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Catheter Precision, Inc. (NYSE American:VTAK) is pleased to announce that it has been invited to present at the Emerging Growth Conference on December 6, 2023. Catheter Precision, Inc. (NYSE American: VTAK) will be discussing VIVO, its innovative non-invasive, 3D mapping system that enables physicians to identify the origin of ventricular cardiac arrhythmias pre-procedure, thereby streamlining workflow and reducing procedure time. VIVO received marketing clearance from the U.S. FDA and is commercially available in Europe. VIVO is designed to provide an innovative cost-effective solution for improving the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias among other company topics.This live, interactive online event will give existing shareholders and the investment community the opportunity to interact with the Company's Chief Executive Officer in real time. Individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, are invited to attend its real-time, interactive presentation at the Emerging Growth Conference.David Jenkins, CEO will give a presentation and may subsequently open the floor for questions. Please submit your questions in advance to Questions@ EmergingGrowth.com or ask your questions during the event and he will do his best to get through as many of them as possible.Catheter Precision, Inc. (NYSE American:VTAK) will be presenting at 11:25am Eastern time for 30 minutes.Please register here to ensure you can attend the conference and receive any updates that are released.If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available on EmergingGrowth.com and on the Emerging Growth YouTube Channel, http://www.YouTube.com/EmergingGrowthConference . We will release a link to that after the event.About the Emerging Growth ConferenceThe Emerging Growth conference is an effective way for public companies to present and communicate their new products, services, and other major announcements to the investment community from the convenience of their office, in a time efficient manner.The Conference focus and coverage includes companies in a wide range of growth sectors, with strong management teams, innovative products & services, focused strategy, execution, and the overall potential for long term growth. Its audience includes potentially tens of thousands of Individual and Institutional investors, as well as Investment advisors and analysts.All sessions will be conducted through video webcasts and will take place in the Eastern time zone.About VIVOCatheter Precision's VIVO (View Into Ventricular Onset), is a non-invasive 3D imaging system that enables physicians to identify the origin of ventricular arrhythmias pre-procedure, thereby streamlining workflow and reducing procedure time. VIVO has received marketing clearance from the U.S. FDA and is commercially available in the EU.About Catheter PrecisionCatheter Precision is an innovative U.S.-based medical device company bringing new solutions to market to improve the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. It is focused on developing groundbreaking technology for electrophysiology procedures by collaborating with physicians and continuously advancing its products. Reincorporated as Ra Medical Systems, Inc. in Delaware in 2018, the Company changed its name to Catheter Precision, Inc. on August 17, 2023.FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTThis press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.Contact:At the CompanyDavid Jenkins973-691-2000IR@ catheterprecision.com SOURCE: Catheter Precision PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 23:01:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1055 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Indicative Terms for up to US$175m in a potential UKEF (UK Export Credit Agency) Supported Project FinancingBanco Santander S.A. appointed as Mandated Lead Arranger due to extensive experience in ECA and Resources sector financing with a significant presence Brazil(All numbers reported in US dollars)TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Cerrado Gold Inc. ( TSX.V: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 $175 million, the Company has appointed and executed an Engagement Letter with Banco Santander S.A. ("Santander") as the Mandated Lead Arranger ("MLA") for its Monte Do Carmo Project in Brazil. Santander has now executed the engagement letter and completed administrative procedures and onboarding, and plans to initiate the due diligence process within the coming weeks.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. Santander has extensive experience in ECA financing, a longstanding relationship with UKEF, and presented competitive and compelling terms for the project financing. Additionally, Brazil is one of the core markets for the Santander which is also one of the Top 20 largest Financial Institutions, globally.The UKEF backed facility is expected to be for up to US$175 million on a non-recourse project financing basis for a total tenor of 8 years. The funding will be to cover 70% of the expected project capital expenditures for the Monte Do Carmo 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 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 the MLA 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 granting of construction permits, due diligence, amongst other requirements, the appointment of Santander as MLA is a significant milestone for the project financing of the Monte Do Carmo Project. At the Monte Do Carmo project, work continues to advance the permitting with our Construction License expected in the coming months. The Company is preparing the issuance of its 43-101 Feasibility Study report and once completed 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 such a well-regarded and experienced financial institution such as Santander as MLA to lead our Project Financing in partnership with UKEF as we progress with the development of Monte Do Carmo. We view the support of Santander and UKEF as another indication of the robust nature of the Monte Do Carmo project".About Banco Santander S.A.Banco Santander, S.A is a Spanish multinational financial services company based in Madrid and Santander in Spain. Additionally, Santander maintains a presence in all global financial centers as the 17th-largest banking institution in the world. Although known for its European banking operations, it has extended operations across North and South America, and more recently in continental Asia. It is considered a systemically important bank by the Financial Stability Board.Santander has been designated as a Significant Institution since the entry into force of European Banking Supervision in late 2014, and consequently is directly supervised by the European Central Bank.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 Chibougamau, 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 Massif.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 BrennanCEO and ChairmanMike McAllisterVice President, Investor RelationsTel: +1-647-805- PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 18:56:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 562 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TACOMA, WA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Commencement Bank (OTCQX:CBWA) is pleased to welcome new team members Cheril Daniels and Sandy Snider, after longstanding positions at Columbia Bank. Daniels will serve as Deposit Operations & Digital Services Team Leader, and Sandy Snider will serve as the branch manager of the retail team at the Bank's Tacoma headquarters. Along with welcoming these additions, the Bank also promoted former Tacoma branch manager, Megan Stone, to Retail Banking Team Leader.Daniels joins Commencement with over 35 years of experience and has worked with several financial institutions, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise in her field. She joined the Bank's Senior Management Team upon arrival and will contribute significantly to the Bank's overall initiatives. Daniels most recently managed a team at Umpqua Bank, serving over 16 years at Columbia Bank prior to their merger."We are fortunate to be in a position to attract industry leaders like Cheril Daniels," said Nigel L. English, President and Chief Operating Officer. "It is additions such as these that contribute substantially to the Bank's culture and success. We are so pleased to welcome Cheril to our team." Also bringing years of experience is Sandy Snider. Previously with Columbia for 25 years, Snider has a great deal of familiarity in the Bank's Tacoma market and a reputation for superior customer service and dedication to the community. Snider has over 24 years of involvement with the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, and she has been recognized for her efforts at the local and national level."Sandy has been actively serving clients in the Tacoma area for many years. Her traditional banking style has earned her the loyalty and respect of both her clients and the banking community. We were thrilled to gain such a talented banker, and someone so dedicated to giving back to her community, which embodies the culture of team," said John E. Manolides, Chief Executive Officer.New to the role but not to the Bank, Megan Stone, the former Tacoma branch manager, has stepped into the position of Retail Banking Team Leader. With the addition of the Bank's Gig Harbor location in August of 2023, as well as a growing customer base for all locations, it was important to have an experienced leader step in to oversee the retail division. Her familiarity with both the customers and the culture made Stone a natural fit for the position.Daniels, Snider, and Stone began their roles in November 2023 at the Bank's Tacoma headquarters.Cheril DanielsSenior Vice President, Deposit Operations & Digital Services Team LeaderPhone: 253.284.1825 or cdaniels@ commencementbank.com Sandy SniderVice President, Tacoma Branch Manager Phone: 253.284.1814 or ssnider@ commencementbank.com Megan StoneVice President, Retail Banking Team Leader Phone: 253.284.1816 or mstone@ commencementbank.com About Commencement BankCommencement Bank, headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, was formed in 2006 to provide traditional, reliable, and sustainable banking in Pierce, South King, Thurston counties and the surrounding areas. Their team of banking experts focuses on personal attention, flexible service, and building strong relationships with customers through state-of-the-art technology as well as traditional delivery systems. As a local bank, Commencement Bank is deeply committed to the community. For more information, please visit www.commencementbank.com . For information related to the trading of CBWA, please visit www.otcmarkets.com Contact Information:John E. Manolides, Chief Executive Officer | 253.284.1802Nigel English, President and Chief Operating Officer | 253.284.1801SOURCE: Commencement Bank (WA) PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 16:00:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1052 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF DOMESTIC LAW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY VIRTUE OF THE EU (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("MAR").SURREY, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / On 22 November 2022, Condor Gold (AIM:CNR)(TSX:COG) announced that following a robust and economically attractive Bankable Feasibility Study, also known as a Feasibility Study, on the La India open pit, it appointed H&P Advisory Limited (Hannam and Partners) to seek a buyer for the assets of the Company. The last update on the sale of the Company's assets was via an RNS on 31 July 2023 and in the interims accounts on 7 September 2023. The current status is that the Company remains in receipt of five non-binding offers, with three site visits having been completed. Although none of the non-binding offers have progressed to firm proposals to date, the Company is in advanced discussions with 2 gold producers. There are currently eight companies under Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).1M Raise Via The Exercise of WarrantsThe Company also announces that Galloway Limited, a company wholly owned by Burnbrae Group Limited which is, in turn, wholly owned by Jim Mellon, Condor's Chairman, has sent the Company a signed notice for the exercise of warrants which will result in the issue of 6,666,667 New Ordinary Shares at an issue price of 0.15 per new ordinary share, for a total consideration of 1M, which has now been received.Application has been made for the New Ordinary Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM. Admission of the New Ordinary Shares is expected to take place on 15 December 2023. The Company has prior approval for the Shares to be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX").The Company is in discussions with other shareholders who have expressed interest in investing alongside the Chariman and largest shareholder on the same terms, notably, via a small placement of new ordinary shares at 0.15 per new ordinary share. An update will be provided shortly.Director/PDMR ShareholdingGalloway Limited will hold 49,769,148 Ordinary Shares representing 25.63% of the Company's issued ordinary shares post exercise of the warrants. Galloway Limited is wholly owned by Burnbrae Group Limited which is, in turn, wholly owned by Jim Mellon, Condor's Chairman. Denham Eke, a Non-Executive Director, is also a director of the Burnbrae Group Limited and Galloway Limited.Total Voting RightsFollowing the issue of the 6,666,667 New Ordinary Shares to Galloway Limited, Condor's total issued share capital will comprise 194,194,158 New Ordinary Shares, each with voting rights (the "Enlarged Issued Share Capital"). This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, securities of the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.Jim Mellon, Chairman of Condor Gold, commented:"I continue to be impressed with the asset sale process. We are very aware of the value of our assets and will maximise value for all shareholders. My investment of a further 1M is designed to ensure sufficient financial runway during the sales process until a desired price is achieved." Mark Child, CEO of Condor Gold Commented:"Wholly owned, fully permitted, construction ready gold mines with potential production of 150,000 oz gold per annum, in major Gold Districts, with the land and a new SAG Mill package purchased and a construction period of only 18 months are rare. To date there are eight companies under NDAs, five non-binding offers received and three site visits completed. Companies under NDAs have access to a virtual data room, which includes all drill data, technical studies to Feasibility Study level, details of permits to construct and operate a mine and financial models. Although none of the non-binding offers have progressed to firm proposals to date, the Company is in advanced discussions with 2 gold producers The sales process is taking longer than anticipated, but the Board is anticipating that further progress will be made in the New Year. Investors will be updated in due course." Cautionary Statement: Investors should note that, whilst the Board is encouraged by the process to date, there can be no guarantee that the Company will complete the sale of its assets.- Ends -For further information please visit www.condorgold.com or contact:Condor Gold plcMark Child, CEO+44 (0) 20 7493 2784Beaumont Cornish LimitedRoland Cornish and James Biddle+44 (0) 20 7628 3396SP Angel Corporate Finance LLPEwan Leggat +44 (0) 20 3470 0470H&P Advisory LimitedAndrew Chubb, Matt Hasson, Jay Ashfield+44 207 907 8500Adelaide Capital (Investor Relations)Deborah Honig+1-647-203-8793About Condor Gold plc:Condor Gold plc was admitted to AIM in May 2006 and dual listed on the TSX in January 2018. The Company is a gold exploration and development company with a focus on Nicaragua.The Company's principal asset is La India Project, Nicaragua, which comprises of a large, highly prospective land package of 588 sq km comprising of 12 contiguous and adjacent concessions. The Company has filed a feasibility study technical report dated 25 October 2022 and entitled "Condor Gold Technical Report on the La India Gold Project, Nicaragua, 2022" (the "2022 FS") which is available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com and was prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. The 2022 FS indicated that La India Project hosts a high grade Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") of 9,672 kt at 3.5g/t gold for 1,088,000 oz gold in the indicated mineral resource category and 8,642 kt at 4.3 g/t gold for 1,190,000 oz gold in the inferred mineral resource category. The open pit MRE is 8,693 kt at 3.2 g/t gold for 893,000 oz gold in the indicated mineral resource category and 3,026 kt at 3.0 g/t gold for 291,000 oz gold in the inferred mineral resource category. Total underground MRE is 979 kt at 6.2 g/t gold for 94,000 oz gold in the indicated mineral resource category and 5,615 kt at 5.0 g/t gold for 98,000 oz gold in the inferred mineral resource category.The 2022 FS replaces the previously reported Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") as presented in the Technical Report filed on SEDAR in October 2021 as the current technical report for the La India project.The 2021 PEA considered the expanded Project inclusive of the exploitation of the Mineral Resources associated to the La India, Mestiza, America and Central Breccia deposits. The strategic study cov PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 23:45:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 759 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Coppernico Metals Inc. ("Coppernico" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that through its wholly-owned Peruvian subsidiary, Sombrero Minerales S.A.C., on November 18, 2023, it filed its Start of Activities application (Inicio de Actividades ("IDA")). The IDA is the next key step in obtaining final permits required by the Peruvian Ministry of Energy & Mines for the Company's planned drill program at the Sombrero project in southern Peru. The Sombrero project is held by Coppernico's Peruvian subsidiary, Sombrero Minerales S.A.C., which has recently received the notarized three-year renewable social access agreement with the local community."We're excited to move forward with the final steps required to obtain necessary permits for our drill program, after which time we expect to be in a position to commence the Company's first exploration drill program at our Sombrero project in 2024," commented Mr. Ivan Bebek, President & CEO of Coppernico. "This will be in addition to the resumption of surface exploration work, which will include multiple new high priority target areas, that we plan to commence in early January 2024.""Our responsible social and sustainable agricultural programs at our Sombrero project have been instrumental in achieving a positive working environment with the community and solidifying a long-term relationship with them. Through these important programs we look forward to continuing working with the community, and we're also excited to be providing them with job opportunities in relation to the Company's planned exploration work in the near future," explained Mr. Bebek.Coppernico, through its Peruvian subsidiary, Sombrero Minerales S.A.C., has made significant progress in obtaining the necessary permits required by the Ministry of Energy & Mines for its drill program at the Sombrero project as it already has an active environmental permit (Declaracion de Impacto Ambiental ("DIA")). The DIA allows the Company to drill up to 48 holes from 38 drill pads in the Sombrero Main target area, which is where the Company has completed most of its surface exploration work to date and plans to commence its initial drill program. Additional funding for the Company to carry out its proposed drill program will be required.Coppernico also announces that Ms. Elizabeth Senez, CFO of Coppernico, will be resigning from her role on December 31, 2023, to pursue another career opportunity with an operating mining company. "We would like to thank Ms. Senez for all her hard work at Coppernico over the past three years, and we wish her every success in her future endeavours," stated Mr. Bebek. The Company has initiated its recruitment process for a new or interim CFO and aims to appoint a CFO by year end.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSIvan BebekPresident, CEO & DirectorFor further information on Coppernico, please visit www.coppernicometals.com or contact Katie Bromley, Manager of Corporate Communications, at +1 778 729 0600 or info@ coppernicometals.com About CoppernicoCoppernico is a mineral exploration company focused on creating value for shareholders and stakeholders through careful project evaluation and exploration excellence in pursuit of the discovery of world-class copper-gold deposits in South America. The Company's management and technical teams have a successful track record of raising capital, discovery and the monetization of exploration successes. The Company is currently focused on the Sombrero project in Peru, its flagship project, and is reviewing additional premium projects in South America.Coppernico is currently a public company and an unlisted reporting issuer. The Company intends to be listed on a recognized stock exchange once it qualifies. For more information, please visit www.coppernicometals.com Cautionary NoteNo regulatory organization has approved the contents hereof.This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that relate to the Company's current expectations and views of future events. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to the risks discussed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators, available on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca SOURCE: Coppernico Metals Inc. PISA 2022 a source of important data on what needs to be addressed carefully Shmyhal The 2022 results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA 2022) on Ukraine are a source of important data on what needs to be addressed more carefully, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said. "The development of education is an absolute priority for Ukraine. This is the foundation on which we will build a strong, competitive, innovative European state. I highlighted this during the global launch of the results of the latest international survey on the quality of education, PISA," he said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday. According to the prime minister, the presented report on Ukraine is a source of important data on what the country can be proud of and what it needs to work on more carefully, "I would like to thank Ukrainian teachers and organizers for this result. And also, for their daily hard work. The government will make every effort to ensure that the Ukrainian education system is stable and effective," he said. The survey was conducted in October 2022 via two-hour tests in math, reading, science and creative thinking. The total number of participants was 3,876 from 164 educational institutions in 17 regions and Kyiv (the study was not conducted in seven regions and temporarily occupied Crimea). PISA is an international education quality assessment program, which was launched in 1997, and is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It assesses the math, reading and science literacy levels of 15-year-olds in more than 80 countries/economies around the world. As reported, the PISA 2018 results showed that every fourth 15-year-old student in Ukraine has a low level of reading, math and science literacy. The PISA 2022 results showed that Ukrainian school students are one and a half academic years behind their peers from OECD countries in terms of math and science, and almost two and a half years in terms of reading. Also, according to the survey, only 58% of Ukrainian students achieved basic level of math literacy, 59% reading, and 66% science literacy. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 11:54:50 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 959 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 In the realm of the corrosion monitoring devices market, a realm defined by the ever-shifting tides of consumer demand and technological evolution, this report serves as a beacon, guiding our readers through a comprehensive and profound analysis. Our audience is as diverse as the market itself, encompassing manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors, all seeking to navigate this dynamic landscape. Our primary aim is to provide invaluable insights that empower industry stakeholders to make informed decisions within this rapidly changing environment. We strive to shed light on the current state of the corrosion monitoring devices market while projecting its future trends.Scope and PurposeOur report is a comprehensive compass, designed to equip industry stakeholders with actionable knowledge. It spans various dimensions of the corrosion monitoring devices market, including its dynamic market forces, competitive landscape, growth opportunities, challenges, and regional nuances. This information goes beyond mere descriptions; it is crafted to assist stakeholders in making pivotal decisions that shape their strategies and engagements within the market.Request for Sample Report:Promising Comprehensive AnalysisTo uphold our commitment, we pledge to deliver a comprehensive analysis, leaving no stone unturned. We promise to dissect the factors propelling market growth, dissecting shifts in consumer preferences and technological advancements fueling the demand for corrosion monitoring devices products. Concurrently, we recognize that challenges and obstacles are intrinsic to any industry landscape. We vow to illuminate these hurdles, whether they be economic uncertainties or the intense competition that often characterizes such markets.Guiding the Path ForwardOur report invites readers to explore its contents, laying the groundwork for unveiling the competitive landscape. It introduces the major players in the corrosion monitoring devices market and elucidates their strategies, offering insights into what fuels their success. This insight-rich analysis is designed to guide others on their journey be it navigating competition more effectively or finding inspiration in successful strategies.Anticipation of InsightsAcknowledging the market's complexity, we pledge to provide a nuanced understanding of its segments. We promise to detail their sizes, potential growth trajectories, and key trends. This targeted knowledge empowers stakeholders to craft specialized strategies and allocate resources optimally.Balancing Forces and Strategic ImplicationsBy elucidating both driving forces and potential obstacles, our report paints a comprehensive picture of market dynamics. It enables industry stakeholders to navigate the competitive landscape with a deeper understanding of the forces at play. Manufacturers can align their innovation efforts with consumer preferences and regulatory trends, enhancing their market position. Investors and decision-makers can be better prepared to address economic uncertainties and supply chain vulnerabilities. Overall, this section equips readers with insights to make strategic decisions that account for both growth opportunities and challenges in the corrosion monitoring devices market.Exploring the Competitive LandscapeThe section dedicated to the competitive landscape of the corrosion monitoring devices market offers a meticulous exploration of the market's key players, their strategies, and their impact on the industry. This segment aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the market's dynamics, the role of major companies, and the strategies they employ to thrive.Some of the major companies in the Corrosion Monitoring Devices market are as follows: Alabama Specialty Products, Applied Corrosion Monitoring, Aquarius Technologies, BAC Corrosion Control, Buckleys (UVRAL), ChemTreat, Circul-Aire, Clampon, Cosasco, Emerson, Honeywell, Huguenot Laboratories, Icorr Technologies, Intertek, Korosi Specindo, Pyramid Technical Services, Rysco Corrosion Services, SGS GroupSegment CharacteristicsOur analysis commences by outlining the unique characteristics defining each segment. Whether these segments are categorized based on product types, customer demographics, use cases, or other distinguishing factors, our report provides a clear picture of their definitions and differentiators.Market Segmentation:Type: Intrusive, Non-intrusiveApplication: Oil and Gas, Chemical, Water Plant, Power Generation, OthersMarket SizeUnderstanding the size of each market segment is crucial for assessing its significance within the overall market landscape. Our report presents quantitative data illustrating market share and the contributions of "Type" and "Application" segments to the entire corrosion monitoring devices market. This information helps stakeholders appreciate the relative importance of each segment.Growth PotentialBeyond current market size, our report delves into the growth potential of these segments. We explore factors such as emerging trends, consumer behaviors, technological advancements, and regulatory influences driving the future expansion of these segments. This forward-looking perspective aids stakeholders in identifying where growth opportunities lie.Key TrendsOur analysis captures the key trends specific to each segment, be it changing consumer preferences, evolving technology adoption, or shifting regulatory landscapes. These insights inform stakeholders about the directions "Type" and "Application" segments might take in the coming years.Strategic InsightsOur segment analysis transcends descriptive data to offer strategic insights. By understanding the characteristics, potential, and trends of "Type" and "Application," industry participants can make informed decisions. Manufacturers can tailor product development strategies to meet the demands of these segments, and marketers can create targeted campaigns to reach specific customer groups.Exploring Regional DynamicsThe section dedicated to the regional analysis of the corrosion monitoring devices market provides a comprehensive exploration of how the market fares across different geographical areas. This analysis recognizes that markets are not homogenous and that regional variations can significantly impact market dynamics. Our report delves into the intricacies of each region North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa to provide stakeholders with valuable insights.Closing ThoughtsIn essence, the conclusion encapsulates our report's journey. It emphasizes our report's role as a strategic tool, a navigator, and a decision-making companion in the complex world of the corrosion monitoring devices market. Our report is more than just a document; it is a valuable resource that empowers industry stakeholders to thrive in a dynamic and ever-evolving market environment. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 14:31:52 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 542 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Dollar General Corporation ("Dollar General" or "the Company") (NYSE:DG) 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 Dollar General securities between May 28, 2020 and August 30, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/dg Case Details:The Complaint alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Dollar General stores were chronically understaffed and suffering from logistical and inventory management problems which left stores with tens of millions of dollars' worth of outdated and unwanted inventory, mispriced goods, and lost and damaged items; (ii) large backlogs of unsellable merchandise had built up at Dollar General's stores, which inventory had not been timely written down due to understaffing and Dollar General's failure to manage its inventory; (iii) the allotment of employee hours per store per week imposed by Dollar General management placed employees in virtually impossible situations where assigned tasks, including those necessary to effective store operations, could not be completed within the allotted time; (iv) Dollar General was systematically overcharging customers for items upon checkout above the listed price in violation of state laws, including state law violations identified by state regulators in Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio; (v) Dollar General's reported revenue and earnings during the Class Period were artificially inflated by defendants' over-pricing scheme; (vi) Dollar General's failure to manage store inventories and accurately price items upon checkout risked the loss of customers, lower sales, adverse regulatory actions, and reputational fallout; and (vii) Dollar General was not on track to achieve its guidance during the Class Period and such guidance lacked a reasonable factual 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/dg 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 Dollar General you have until January 26, 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 & Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 04:45:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 432 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / December 4, 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 26, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG), if they purchased the Company's securities between May 28, 2020 and August 31, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Dollar General and would like to discuss your legal rights and how the 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-dg/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by January 26, 2024.About the LawsuitDollar General and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On August 31, 2023, the Company announced its 2Q 2023 financial results, disclosing among other things, cuts to its FY23 sales and profit outlook, decreases in operating profits of 24.2% and EPS of 28.5%, and that it "expect[ed] an incremental operating profit headwind of up to $170 million in the second half of 2023," consisting of $95 million for markdowns on existing inventory and $75 million on increased store personnel to support inventory and pricing control measures.On this news, the price of Dollar General's shares plummeted $19.16 per share, or 12%, on August 31, 2023, on unusually high trading volume of more than 19 million shares.The case is Washtenaw County Employees' Retirement System v. Dollar General Corporation, et al., 23-cv-01250. A subsequent case expanded the class period, Edmonds v. Dollar General Corporation, et al., 23-cv-01259.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 CONTACTKahn 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: 2023-12-05 19:26:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 343 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Dr. Gabrielle Toloza, founder of Mindful Connections, has recently announced the development of her newest program - the Hawaiian Mindfulness Retreat. The Hawaiian Mindfulness Retreat, designed specifically for women, is a transformative experience aimed at exploring values, extending self-compassion, and integrating mindfulness into daily life.Participants will enjoy three nights of accommodation in a private Airbnb on the Big Island, along with delicious meals and transportation. The retreat includes unique field trips to connect with local culture through indigenous wisdom.With over eight years of intensive graduate school training and field experience, Gaby developed a distinctive mental health approach rooted in mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Dr. Gabrielle Toloza has used her knowledge, wisdom, and wealth of experience to serve clients around the world and equip them with the tools to build inner safety, gain clarity about their aspirations, set boundaries, and embark on a journey of personal mindfulness development.Now, she is excited to bring together all of her knowledge, experience, and connections in an immersive Mindfulness Retreat, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Hawaiian Islands.According to Dr. Toloza, this retreat is a direct response to the need to take proactive steps in the face of growing mental health awareness. "Initiatives like Mindful Connections and our newly launched Hawaiian Mindfulness Retreat offer valuable resources for individuals seeking personal growth, well-being, and a deeper connection with their inner selves. Our goal is to equip them with the tools they need before they hit a crisis." In SummaryDr. Gabrielle Toloza is a clinically trained psychologist and the founder of Mindful Connections - an organization that exists to help foster personal growth, mental well-being, and a deeper connection with their inner selves. Their latest program, the Hawaiian Mindfulness Retreat is a testament to their ongoing commitment to addressing the mental health issue that is faced around the world.GabrielleTolozaWebsite: https://DrMindfulMama.com/Contact-Me/ LinkedInMedia DetailsWebsite URL: https://DrMindfulMama.com/Contact-Me/Company Name: Mindful ConnectionsEmail address: Drgabytoloza@ gmail.com SOURCE: Mindful Connections PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 13:00:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 989 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:EPL) ("EPL" or "Eagle Plains") is pleased to report that the recently released eastern Wollaston Domain electromagnetic and magnetic high resolution geophysical survey, flown by the Government of Saskatchewan, covered the entirety of Eagle Plains' George Lake critical metals project. The 200m line spaced survey was carried out by Geotech Canada Inc. utilizing Geotech's VTEM Max Time-Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) system. Results from the survey indicate a strong southwest-northeast trending EM conductor that crosses the entire property. The conductor is coincident with the George Lake deposit mineralization and has been only partially drill tested. The survey also located weaker parallel conductor trends north and south of the main conductor, with the northern conductor coincident with the Spence Lake mineralized zone.The fully permitted George Lake project is located 280km north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan. The project has excellent access and is located on an all-weather spur road along Saskatchewan Highway 905. Eagle Plains holds a 100% interest in claims comprising the property, subject to a 2% royalty held in favour of Eagle Royalties Ltd.The property overlies 8 Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index ("SMDI") occurrences including the George Lake Zn Deposit which is reported to contain a historical resource grading 2.63MT grading 3.67% Zn and 0.53% Pb (SMDI 0663)*. Zinc and lead mineralized boulders were discovered in the George Lake area in 1965 which led Falconbridge Nickel Mines to acquire a large land position in the area, resulting in a 34-hole diamond drill program in 1969-70 which defined the George Lake deposit. The deposit contains sedimentary-exhalative ("sedex") style mineralization, with a higher-grade core of >5% Zn.See George Lake Geophysics Map hereGeorge Lake Project Highlights10,050m of drilling completed in 90 holes, with the best drill holes returning 57.9m grading 3.42% Zn (including 9.1m grading 7.1% Zn) and 47.8m grading 4.5% Zn and 0.61% Pb (including 8.0m grading 7.0% Zn and 1.4 % Pb);Historical resource of 2.63MT grading 3.67% Zn and 0.53% Pb reported in 2003 (SMDI 0663)*;Deposit dimensions are approximately 35m thick x 150m in width x 800m in length, open to depth and along strike;Potential for discovery of extensions of existing mineralization and other discrete mineralization elsewhere on the property.*Eagle Plains' management considers these estimates to be historical in nature and cautions that a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with National Instrument 43-101. These estimates do not comply with current definitions prescribed by National Instrument 43-101 or the Canadian Institute of Mining, and are disclosed only as indications of the presence of mineralization and are considered to be a guide for additional work. The historical models and data sets used to prepare these historical estimates are not available to Eagle Plains, nor are any more recent resource estimates or drill information on the property.See George Lake Project Location Map and Details hereGeorge Lake GeologyThe George Lake property is underlain by metasedimentary sequences of the Wollaston Supergroup. Bedding is very steeply dipping to vertical and locally overturned on the northwest limb of the Spence Lake Synform. Rapid thickening and facies changes in sedimentary units suggests syndepositional faulting on north-south trending structures which are interpreted as providing conduits for mineralizing fluids.Mineral occurrences on the George Lake Property include stratabound, disseminated and vein-hosted sphalerite, galena and arsenopyrite interpreted as sedex-type mineralization. Stratabound Pb-Zn-Ag-mineralization is predominantly found disseminated in quartzite of the upper Souter Lake group near the contact with the overlying meta-argillite. The Spence Lake formation also hosts stratabound Pb-Zn-Ag mineralization. Vein-hosted arsenopyrite, galena, and sphalerite are predominantly found as blebs in quartz-veins hosted in meta-argillite of the Spence Lake formation, as well as disseminated grains in the host rock. Silver is associated with both mineralization types in the George Lake property.George Lake HistoryZinc-lead mineralization was first noted in the George Lake area in 1965 by prospectors who identified mineralized boulders while following up on an airborne geophysical magnetic survey. This led to the discovery of sphalerite-bearing outcrops which attracted Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. to acquire a large land position in the area. Falconbridge conducted ground geophysics, soil geochemical surveys, mapping and prospecting to help define the mineralized trends which were tested by a 34-hole, 5127m drill program in 1969-70 which delineated the George Lake deposit.In the 1980's the Pressuag/SMDC joint-venture and Esso Minerals Canada worked in the George Lake area, completing lake sediment, soil, and glacial till geochemical surveys, geological mapping, magnetic/EM surveys, and 17 diamond drill holes.Falconbridge Ltd. reacquired the property in 1990 completing airborne EM, VLF-EM, and magnetic surveys over the George Lake deposit, as well as relogging and sampling of historic drill holes. In 1992, Noranda Exploration and Mining Company carried out Genie-EM ground surveys and completed two short drill holes at the Souter Lake target.The most recent work on the property was in 2008 when Golden Arch Resources completed 6 diamond drill holes within the known deposit area which identified previously undescribed Ag mineralization.Current ProgramThe digital data from the Government of Saskatchewan geophysical survey will be integrated into the ongoing George Lake data compilation to better constrain geological modelling of the known George Lake mineralization and to locate additional targets for further exploration.Qualified PersonsCharles C. Downie, P.Geo., a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and a director of Eagle Plains, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.Update on Dictator Property OptionEagle Plains reports that it has formally notified the property vendor that Eagle Plains is terminating its option agreement on the Dictator property.About Eagle Plains ResourcesBased in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada. The Company was formed in 1992 and is the ninth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and one PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 16:01:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 357 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FORT WORTH, TX / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Equify Financial has appointed two Regional Sales Managers, Amy Miller and Nicole Fletcher, in Georgia as they continue to expand their nationwide footprint.Equify Financial, LCC Company Logo Amy Miller joins the company as the Regional Sales Manager for Structured Finance after a career in commercial banking and construction company ownership, her territory will consist of Georgia and Florida. Nic Garcia, National Sales Manager - Structured Finance, said, "Amy's track record in the commercial banking space as well as having owned a construction business previously will surely prove to be of immense value to our customers in the Southeast - we are very excited to have Amy joining the Equify Financial team." Nicole Fletcher has been appointed as Regional Sales Manager for the Dealer Development team with a successful background in transportation finance, she will serve the territory of Georgia as well as Florida and South Carolina. Dan Krajewski, EVP - Dealer Development, commented "We are excited to have someone as talented as Nicole on board, we are confident she will be making herself and Equify Financial known in the dealer finance space in her territory quickly." The two additions to the team will aid Equify Financial's goals of expanding its structured finance offerings and dealer network in the Southeast and across the nation.About Equify Financial, LLCEquify Financial is a privately-owned, independent specialty finance company based in Fort Worth, Texas, serving the United States. Founded in 2011 on the principles of meeting our customers where they are and helping them get to where they want to go, Equify works with customers at any stage in their business. We tailor each service for our clients to build a strong relationship and future. With over 180 years of combined experience in the equipment finance industry, we help our customers find the best financial path forward.For more information, please visit https://www.equifyfinancial.com Press Contact: Jacqueline Curb Equify Brand Manager, Phone: (817) 850-5362, Email: jacqueline.curb@wilksbrothers.com Contact InformationJacqueline Curb Brand Manager jacqueline.curb@wilksbrothers.com (817) 850-5362Related FilesDecember Equify PR.docx.pdf SOURCE: Equify Financial, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 15:03:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 504 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Eviosys opens new R&D Centre in Wantage, UK, to drive innovation in the sustainable packaging industry. The facility is the centre of Eviosys' customer support strategy - offering product development, materials expertise, and product testing to be the go-to brand partner tackling real-time challenges. Eviosys also works with trend agencies to uncover consumer trends and feed into the development process.WANTAGE, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Leading sustainable packaging manufacturer, Eviosys, has opened its Research and Development (R&D) Centre in Wantage, UK. The opening of this cutting-edge facility marks a significant milestone in Eviosys' mission to drive innovation and cement its status as the go-to brand partner for innovative and sustainable packaging solutions.Eviosys R&D Centre Eviosys' extensive R&D Network spans across Europe, spearheaded by the dedicated R&D Centre located in Wantage. The centre is at the forefront of pioneering research, technology development, and product design in the sustainable packaging sector.Notably, the centre features a state-of-the-art materials and component testing laboratory, underscoring Eviosys' commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service and scientific expertise in the industry. The facility not only safeguards brand reputation but also plays a pivotal role in preserving product quality.The R&D Centre features a food processing area and pilot manufacturing facility that enable Eviosys to create products and solutions that solve customers' issues and accelerate time to market. The centre further supports Eviosys' industry leadership, providing a cutting-edge facility to test products, enhance processes and create market-leading packaging solutions.Eviosys has a strong record of innovation, including products aimed at reducing plastic such as Horizon, light-weight metal packaging with Ecopeel, and advanced technologies that promote inclusivity like Orbit. Eviosys' proactive R&D work means they can identify and offer solutions to customers' and consumers' biggest concerns and preferences, and offer the gold standard of customer support.Eviosys also collaborates with trend agencies and customers to stay at the forefront of micro and macro consumer trends. The company's dedicated design team, informed by insights from trend agency Caramel, enables Eviosys to innovate ahead of industry trends and provide customers with inspirational and innovative packaging designs."We are thrilled to open the doors to our R&D Centre in Wantage. This facility represents our commitment to driving sustainable packaging innovation and delivering exceptional products to our customers. Eviosys is determined to lead the way in shaping the future of packaging, and this centre is the embodiment of our dedication to that goal," said David Hall, R&D Director at Eviosys.About EviosysEviosys is a leading global supplier of metal packaging, producing food cans and ends, aerosol cans, metal closures and promotional packaging to preserve the products of hundreds of consumer brands.Eviosys has the largest manufacturing footprint in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with 6,700 employees in 45 manufacturing facilities across 18 countries in the region. In 2022, it generated 2.7 billion in revenue. Eviosys is a portfolio company of KPS Capital Partners, LP.Contact InformationMaisie Jenyon PR Manager eviosysuk@ grayling.com SOURCE: Eviosys PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 04:45:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 442 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / December 4, 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: 2023-12-05 15:37:41 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 422 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Trivia Night in Your PocketDENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Geeks Who Drink, the company renowned for hosting trivia nights in 700 bars across the nation, is excited to introduce a brand-new digital trivia game, Thrice, hosted by its emerging news platform, Questionist.Question Format As a convenient, daily trivia game, Thrice brings America's best pub quiz directly to people's pockets."The proliferation of daily casual games has shown that people have a big appetite for little time-wasters," says Geeks Who Drink CEO Christopher Short. "Some of them make us feel clever, but none of them make us feel smart. That's what Geeks Who Drink is for, that's what Questionist is for, and now that's what Thrice is for, in a big, big way. It's trivia night, every day." Thrice represents the latest addition to the Geeks Who Drink family, continuing the mission of making daily clever content accessible to a wide audience. New questions are delivered daily. There are five trivia questions spanning five categories, each question has three clues that point to the answer in a different way. The varied approach ensures that everyone will know something going in and learn something coming out. The highest possible score is 15, and at the end of each game, you can see all the clues to each answer and share your scores to challenge friends."We eagerly anticipate the ability of our trivia to bring people together through our relevant, curated questions, our easy scoring functionality, and our score tracker," Short said. "For years, we've played along with Jeopardy!. We've made appointments to play HQ. We've swapped Wordle scores with our spouses. But we've never seen a game that puts all those elements together. That's another reason why we named it Thrice!"Thrice is now live at ThriceGame.com on any mobile digital device or laptop.About Geeks Who DrinkFounded in 2006, Geeks Who Drink is the industry leader in bar trivia, producing clever and accessible quizzes at pubs, restaurants, and private events nationwide. Through its Quiz for a Cause initiative, GWD also facilitates no-cost fundraisers for charitable causes. With more than 300 new quizzes each year, GWD crafts the equivalent of a Trivial Pursuit set per month - or nearly twice as many questions as Jeopardy! - all to foster fun social connections and to spread the message that knowing things is fun. For more information, visit geekswhodrink.com Contact InformationBernadette Orscher Director of Marketing bernadette@ geekswhodrink.com Related ImagesQuestion FormatResults ImageSOURCE: Geeks Who Drink PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 22:00:48 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 531 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Company Celebrates the Holiday Season With Donations, Service Projects, and MoreNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / GenGen Blog | CommunityBy Kimberly BishopGen donates $424K to nonprofits on Giving TuesdayGiving Tuesday is a holiday tradition for us here at Gen. Every year, we look for ways to inspire team members to take part in the campaign, which encourages people everywhere to support the causes and organizations that mean the most to them. This year was no different.On November 28, we offered a 2:1 Donation Match to team members across the company, and more than 300 people jumped at the chance to increase their impact. Between employee contributions and our matching donations, we collectively donated $424,000 to nearly 430 causes. We're also incredibly proud that every person on our Leadership Team donated.The organizations we supported were wide ranging and international in scope. Nadacni fond MUZI PROTI RAKOVINE, a nonprofit in the Czech Republic pushing for early detection of prostate cancer, and the International Committee of the Red Cross were two of the most funded causes this year.More than half of employees participate in Giving@GenThis effort comes on the heels of another important milestone for us: the one-year anniversary of the Gen Giving Hub platform launch, powered by Benevity. We launched the Gen Giving Hub after we came together as a new company in November 2022, and it has come to exemplify the thriving culture of giving that we enjoy all year long. In just eight months - April through November - 55% of Gen team members participated in our Giving@Gen program.To honor this one-year anniversary moment, Gen rewarded each employee with $50 to donate to a charity of their choice over a 10-day campaign. More than 2,000 team members supported their favorite causes, resulting in donations to 916 causes. These included organizations supporting those affected by the conflict in Israel and Gaza, as well as military veterans in the United States, cancer patients in the Czech Republic, global LGBTQ+ safe spaces, and many more. Thanks to our teams, this campaign contributed upwards of $135,500 to high-impact nonprofits.Supporting our local communities this holiday seasonMany of our sites are planning to keep this momentum going by planning local, holiday-inspired donation drives and service projects throughout December. In Dublin, team members are collecting food and essential items for donation to The Capuchin Centre and offering multiple opportunities to volunteer their time. Our American offices are working with Family Giving Tree and the Salvation Army on gift drives for those in need. Our Czech Republic sites are organizing gift and clothing drives with organizations including Dejme detmi sance ("Give Kids a Chance"), Jeziskova Vnoucata ("Santa's Grandchildren") and FriendShip Prague. Team members in Chennai are supporting Bhumi, which works to transform disadvantaged communities in India through education.We are so proud of the generosity of our team members and the many ways they supported their communities this year.We wish you a joyful and impactful holiday season - from all of us at Gen.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gen on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: GenWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/genEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Gen The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (HACC) has ruled to extend the detention of former President of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniazev, who was exposed of corruption, by two months and reduce bail for him to UAH 27 million, according to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). "On December 5, 2023, the investigative judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court backed the position of the prosecutor of SAPO and ruled to extend the detention for the former President of the Supreme Court," it said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday. The detention was prolonged until February 2, 2024. "The court also ruled to reduce a bail for the suspect from UAH 35 million to UAH 27 million," SAPO said. As reported, on October 3, the anti-corruption agencies completed a pre-trial investigation into the case against the former President of the Supreme Court who is suspected of receiving illegal benefit on an especially large scale. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 15:01:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 802 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / GREAT ATLANTIC RESOURCES CORP. ( TSXV.GR) (the "Company" or "Great Atlantic") is pleased to announce it has completed its 2023 exploration program of prospecting and rock geochemical sampling at its 100% owned McDougall Road Antimony- Gold Property, located in western New Brunswick. Stibnite mineralization (antimony sulfide) was located within an outcrop during the program in the area of a reported regional fault. The Company is preparing the rock samples for submission for multi-elements analysis (including gold and antimony). Great Atlantic previously identified antimony and gold soil geochemical anomalies in this region of the property.The 2023 prospecting and rock geochemical sampling program was conducted within the central region of the McDougall Road Property in the reported area of the Woodstock Fault (a regional structure in western New Brunswick). Great Atlantic had previously confirmed antimony and gold soil geochemical anomalies in this area during 2015 sampling. Antimony mineralization was reported during the late 1990s in the same area as the 2023 program. A late 1990s vein sample from this area was reported to yield 11.6% antimony (after Hoy, 1998; Report of Work No. 475212 on file with the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development). A qualified Person has not verified this reported vein / data for Great Atlantic.Nine rock samples were collected within a small area during the 2023 program. The samples were collected from outcrop, subcrop and glacially transported float. An outcrop exposure with stibnite (antimony sulfide) mineralization was located and sampled. The outcrop is highly siliceous and possibly silicified (lithology unknown at this time) with highly oxidized and crumbly parts (possible fault). The outcrop also contains pyrite mineralization. It is unclear at this time to Great Atlantic management if this is the same antimony bearing outcrop reported during the late 1990s. Rock samples from the 2023 program are being prepared for submission to an independent, certified laboratory for gold assay and multi-element analysis (including antimony). A Qualified Person supervised the 2023 exploration program at the McDougall Road Property.Great Atlantic identified local antimony and gold soil geochemical anomalies in the central region of the McDougall Road Project during a 2015 geochemical survey with samples returning up to 62 parts per million (ppm) antimony and up to 0.033 ppm gold. The samples were analyzed by ALS Canada Ltd. for gold by Fire Assay - AA and for antimony by four acid digestion and ICP-MS analysis. ALS Canada is independent of Great Atlantic. The 2015 program was supervised by a Qualified Person.The Golden Ridge gold deposit is located approximately 13 km southwest of the McDougall Road Project in the area f the Woodstock Fault. Readers are warned that mineralization at the Golden Ridge deposit is not necessarily indicative of mineralization within the McDougall Road Project.The MacDougall Road Property, totalling approximately 330 hectares, occurs within an under-explored area of western New Brunswick. There are no reports of diamond drilling within the project area as per compilation by Great Atlantic management of historic exploration data for the project.David Martin, P.Geo. (New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador), a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and VP Exploration for Great Atlantic, is responsible for the technical information contained in this News Release.On Behalf of the board of directors"Christopher R Anderson"Mr. Christopher R. Anderson President CEO Director 604-488-3900 - OfficeInvestor Relations: 1-416-628-1560 IR@ GreatAtlanticResources.com About Great Atlantic Resources Corp.: Great Atlantic Resources Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on the discovery and development of mineral assets in the resource-rich and sovereign risk-free realm of Atlantic Canada, one of the number one mining regions of the world. Great Atlantic is currently surging forward building the company utilizing a Project Generation model, with a special focus on the most critical elements on the planet that are prominent in Atlantic Canada, Gold, Copper, Zinc, Nickel, Cobalt, Antimony and Tungsten.This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of financing, and general economic, market or business conditions.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.Great Atlantic Resource Corp.888 Dunsmuir Street - Suite 888, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3K4SOURCE: Great Atlantic Resources Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 17:15:48 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 963 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Antea GroupThe transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is not just a matter of environmental sustainability, it's also a question of social and economic justice.Take, for example, what happens when coal mines and coal-fired power plants are shut down?The displaced workers face the immediate risk of unemployment, often in communities where coal-related jobs are the primary source of income. This creates not only an economic vacuum but also a range of social issues such as increased poverty rates and community disintegration.In the United States, efforts are underway to facilitate a just energy transition that balances both environmental goals and social equity. Let's take a brief look at what it means to enact a just transition, then explore what actions the United States is taking.What Is a Just Energy Transition?The concept of a just energy transition gained prominence within international governance and policy discussions, particularly through its inclusion in the Paris Agreement. It is now embraced as an ethical imperative and a practical framework by various international bodies, governments, and non-governmental organizations.The UN Global Compact defines Just Transition as "simultaneously and coherently addressing the three dimensions of sustainable development - environmental, social and economic - with a focus on the role of decent work in generating sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development".Building on this global momentum, the United States has also adopted the just energy transition as a cornerstone of its energy policy.Federal Initiatives for Just Energy Transition in AmericaJob creation and training programsThe U.S. government has been proactive in investing in workforce development for the clean energy sector. This empowers communities and ensures that American workers are at the forefront of this rapidly advancing field.Several federal training programs stand out as examples of this investment:The Department of Energy's Solar Ready Vets program, which provides career training for military veterans transitioning to civilian roles.The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy's Good Jobs and Workforce Development program, aimed at training middle-skill workers to transition to career paths within the clean energy sector.Apprenticeship programs supported by the Department of Labor, targeting various sectors within clean energy, from wind turbine maintenance to energy-efficient construction techniques.These programs offer hands-on experience, often in partnership with industry leaders, to provide workers with the practical knowledge they need to excel in their new roles.Support for displaced workersThe transition to cleaner energy solutions brings with it the challenge of aiding workers displaced from the fossil fuel industry. The U.S. government has initiated several programs aimed at mitigating the negative impacts.For example, the POWER Initiative by the Department of Labor is designed specifically to assist communities affected by job losses in coal mining and coal-fired power plants. This program provides funding for workforce development, including retraining and job placement services.Various forms of assistance are available, ranging from unemployment benefits to career counseling services and targeted skill development courses. These resources are designed to help displaced workers adapt to new roles in a shifting energy market.Support for affected communitiesThe Department of Energy's Local Energy Action Program, commonly known as Communities LEAP, aims to accelerate the deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in local communities. The program focuses on creating sustainable energy strategies tailored to community-specific needs. Financial resources are allocated for targeted communities, empowering them to build more resilient and efficient energy systems.International cooperation and partnershipsOne noteworthy international effort is the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between the United States, Indonesia, and South Africa. The partnership aims to accelerate the transition to clean energy in these countries while ensuring social equity and economic sustainability.Outcomes of these international collaborations include sharing best practices, facilitating technology transfer, and securing financial support for clean energy projects.State-Level Actions: A Closer LookPhiladelphia: Green projects and racial equityIn Philadelphia, infrastructure funding is being strategically allocated to green projects that prioritize racial equity. The city is placing an emphasis on partnering with historically underutilized businesses to ensure that the benefits of these projects are widely shared.Chicago: Residential decarbonization programChicago is making strides in decarbonization through energy-efficient upgrades in residential buildings. A key component of this initiative is the involvement of local contractors from underrepresented communities, aiming to combine environmental goals with social justice objectives.New Orleans: Collaborating for environmental justiceNew Orleans has entered into a partnership with the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. The collaboration includes the establishment of technical assistance centers and a focus on climate action equity, aiming to build resilience while ensuring fairness in environmental outcomes.Colorado: Focused initiatives for coal workersThe Colorado Office of Just Transition has been established to specifically assist coal workers affected by the transition to cleaner energy sources. Coal Transition Community Grants are available to help these communities adapt and develop sustainable economic models.New Mexico: Energy Transition ActNew Mexico's Energy Transition Act aims to shift from coal to low-carbon energy sources. In addition to setting ambitious clean energy goals, the Act provides for workforce training and transition assistance to ensure that workers are not left behind during this crucial transformation.The Path Forward for Just Energy TransitionFederal and state-level initiatives have shown a concerted effort to make the energy transition both just and efficient. The significance of a collaborative approach cannot be overstated. Both domestically and internationally, cross-sector partnerships amplify the impact of individual initiatives and are essential for addressing the complex challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy while leaving no one behind.As technology advances and policy evolves, the United States is well-positioned to foster a sustainable and equitable energy future. The key to success will be the continued alignment of economic, PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 15:05:18 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 490 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Lovers of Latin cuisine who want to save money on family meals are encouraged to visit La Granja Restaurants for an unforgettable dining experience. Locate the nearest La Granja Restaurant through their website and treat the family to a budget-friendly and delightful meal.LAKELAND, FL / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / La Granja Restaurants, the esteemed Latin dining chain, invites families on a budget to relish an exceptional dining experience without breaking the bank. As a limited-time offer, savor their renowned Whole Chicken with rice and beans at an economical price of $18.50. In these challenging economic times, La Granja remains committed to providing affordable yet exquisite meals for families to enjoy.With over 50 locations across Florida, La Granja Restaurants is a testament to the love for authentic Latin American flavors. Their menu boasts a delightful array of options, from succulent rotisserie chicken to tantalizing beef, pork, fish, and seafood dishes. Whether it's a hearty lunch or a savory dinner, their diverse offerings cater to various tastes and preferences.At the heart of La Granja's culinary excellence lies its commitment to quality ingredients and cherished traditional recipes that result in mouthwatering Latin delights. From family feasts designed for sharing hearty rotisserie chicken to sizzling fajitas, seafood extravaganzas, succulent steaks, pork delicacies, filling sandwiches, and irresistible desserts, their menu guarantees a delightful experience for patrons seeking genuine Latin American cuisine. Customization is key, with a spectrum of sides including white rice, yuca, tostones, black beans, and French fries.Check out La Granja's menu: La Granja Restaurant Menu - Chicken, Steak, Pork, Seafood, Desserts ( lagranjarestaurants.com) Celebrating a rich history spanning over 25 years, from their humble beginnings with a restaurant in Aruba to now over 50 restaurants spanning from Miami to Orlando, La Granja has continually delighted patrons by making delectable Latin cuisine accessible without compromising quality or affordability. Today, their presence flourishes across Florida, offering a diverse selection of dishes that have captured the hearts and palates of their patrons.In recognition of their dedication to culinary excellence, La Granja Restaurants has received numerous accolades over the years. These include being hailed as the "Best Peruvian Restaurant of the Year" by Restaurant Review Magazine in 2003, as well as receiving acknowledgments for the "Best Family Style Restaurant" and "Best Peruvian Cuisine of Fort Lauderdale" in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Corporate Vision recognized us as the preeminent women-owned Peruvian restaurant in 2016.In a rush or need a delivery? Call the nearest La Granja for Pick-up orders or use DoorDash or Uber Eats for Delivery.First search for the nearest restaurant here: La Granja Near Me - Pickup and Delivery ( order.online) Locate the nearest La Granja Restaurant through their website and treat the family to a budget-friendly yet delightful meal. Create wonderful memories for the family. Whether for lunch or dinner, their diverse menu is sure to please every member of the family.Contact InformationJeffrey BrownP.R.jeffb@topofgoogle.com SOURCE: La Granja Restaurants PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 15:16:50 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 715 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / MedtronicReducing health disparities in a meaningful, sustainable, and scalable wayIf you didn't know Fanny Ochoa was visiting Joe Williams* for hypertension and diabetes assessment, it might take you a few minutes to figure it out.She weaves conversation into the hour spent in the living room of his Camden, New Jersey home and takes his blood pressure while asking about how he's been feeling. His daughter called, so he's happy.She checks out the meals he's been getting from a community program and asks him about the pots of boiling water on the stove.Ochoa is a community health worker for Healthy Neighbor, a joint program by Medtronic LABS and Virtua Health that aims to improve health outcomes in Camden, New Jersey.Using LABS' open-source technology platform SPICE, she and two other community health workers on Virtua's health equity team follow up with patients directly in the community to monitor hypertension and type 2 diabetes."People are the core. We know there's a lot of success in having a people-centered approach enabled by tech," said Dan Master, director of health equity at Virtua Health. "We see it as innovation." That innovation means co-creating and evolving SPICE with community health workers to better achieve clinical and social outcomes for patients - and designing a platform that allows community health workers to be fully present.They are keenly focused on the whole person, connecting their patients to housing, mental health services, Virtua's Eat Well Food Farmacy, and - at times - even tracking down refrigerators."I need to be present. To pay attention," Ochoa said. "If my head was buried in a tablet, how would I know he's boiling water for heat?"A few blocks over, Karen Fernandez sits next to Marietta Gonzalez* after taking her blood pressure and blood sugar.The 72-year-old breaks down in tears. She's lonely, but she says, it's just part of aging.Fernandez grabs her hand and tells her she's not alone."It meant a lot to both of us," Fernandez said. "When you walk into someone's home - when they open their doors to you and welcome you - you're doing a service for them, but there's more to it. In the moment she needed to be heard, I was there to offer comfort." And that matters because those needs - the social determinants of health (SDOH) - Fernandez said, could otherwise go unnoticed.The social determinants of health are a set of non-medical factors that influence health, such as transportation, housing, and food security. They drive up to 80% of health outcomes, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.And - in countries of all income levels - the lower someone's socioeconomic position, the worse their health outcomes, according to the World Health Organization. In Camden County, the life expectancy gap is as much as 16 years compared to more affluent neighborhoods just 6.5 miles apart, said Master.As community health worker Alexis Nieves puts it: "How can people focus on their health when they don't know when their lights are coming back on, or when they're going to eat next?"At Medtronic LABS, we define global health' as truly global - not only focused on low- and middle-income countries, but on underserved communities regardless of country."We're adapting the models we're scaling across Africa and Asia to the U.S. through Healthy Neighbor," said Head of U.S. Programs, Lauren Leccese. "This is an exciting opportunity to innovate with learnings from global community health solutions and local partners." That innovation includes using technology, data, community-based care models, community health workers, and evidence-based practices to reduce health disparities in a meaningful, sustainable, and scalable way.And that looks like Ochoa, Nieves, and Fernandez meeting patients like Williams in his dimly lit living room to make sure his blood pressure is within healthy range. And that his heat works.Learn more about how Medtronic LABS develops community-based, tech-enabled solutions for underserved patients, families, and communities across the world.*Names changed to protect patient privacyView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Medtronic on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: MedtronicWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/medtronicEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Medtronic PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 15:05:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 363 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Zero-Click Contouring: Automatic OAR and LNL Contouring for Dosimetrists and PhysiciansCLEVELAND, OH / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / MIM Software Inc., a leading global provider of medical imaging software, announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of its newest AI auto-contouring solution, Contour ProtegeAI+.Contour ProtegeAI+ from MIM Software Contoured medical images float from right to left. New Zero-Click AI Auto-Contouring Solution Gives Cancer Treatment Planners More Time for Plan EvaluationContour ProtegeAI+ auto-contouring launches automatically when each patient is simulated. Clinicians don't need to do anything to start the process.Head & neck and breast lymph node level structures are generated, along with OAR (organs at risk) structures.Auto-contours appear where they are needed for review - in the TPS or MIM.Unlike other auto-contouring tools, Contour ProtegeAI+ requires no clicks. Contouring of lymph node level and OAR structures starts automatically, and no manual intervention is required to launch. Results are exported directly to the TPS or MIM for review. This gives dosimetrists and physicians more time to create quality treatment plans for their patients."Cancer treatment planning teams should have as much time as possible to focus on developing precise, individualized treatment plans," said Jay Obman, Product Manager at MIM Software Inc. "The MIM team is thrilled that zero-click auto-contouring of lymph node level and OAR structures with Contour ProtegeAI+ will save clinicians the time-consuming manual effort that comes with other auto-contouring tools." Learn more about Contour ProtegeAI+.About MIM Software Inc.MIM Software Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Cleveland, OH, with international offices in Beijing, Chengdu, and Brussels.MIM Software sells its products globally to imaging centers, hospitals, specialty clinics, research organizations, and pharmaceutical companies. The company's products are used in over 3,500 centers worldwide.MIM Software is committed to enhancing patient care by providing customer-centered and innovative imaging solutions in the fields of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Theranostics, Interventional Radiology, and Urology.Contact InformationBill CarruthersProduct Marketing Managerbcarruthers@ mimsoftware.com216-455-0610 Jim JanekDirector of Marketingjjanek@ mimsoftware.com440-212-4455 Related Filesmim softare logo.pngcontour-protegeai-plus_logo.png SOURCE: MIM Software Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 06:15:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 687 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Founding Sponsors AstraZeneca, GSK, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Amgen Join Forces with My Green Lab to Drive Sustainable Practices Across the IndustryDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / My Green Lab, the world's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the sustainability of scientific research, today announces the launch of Converge, a collaborative supply chain initiative. Converge will harness the collective efforts of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to encourage suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of labs in their value chain through My Green Lab Certification. With a shared goal of supporting lab sustainability, founding sponsors of the initiative include AstraZeneca, GSK, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Amgen.Outsourced contract services are increasingly critical elements of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology value chain. Reducing Scope 3 Emissions for companies in the sector therefore requires engaging suppliers like Contract Research Organizations (CROs), Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs), and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs). Converge will leverage the collective buying power of major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to encourage suppliers with large research footprints to reduce the impact of their labs through My Green Lab Certification, a key indicator of progress for the United Nations Climate Change's High-Level Climate Champions 2030 Breakthroughs Race to Zero campaign.Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with ten or more labs already enrolled in My Green Lab Certification are encouraged to sign up and join a collective initiation aiming to certify all labs across the value chain in alignment with the Race to Zero's breakthrough outcome that 95% of all labs are My Green Lab certified at the highest level by 2030.Through Converge, suppliers will be provided with additional resources and peer to peer learning that will support increased scientist awareness and engagement in sustainability measures, alongside cost reductions through lowered energy, water, and waste supported by additional resources and peer to peer learning. The program's partners gain secure access to a Supplier Dashboard for tracking green lab certification progress, and an Impact Estimator tool for measuring environmental reductions. The initiative also offers its participants educational webinars and a Supplier Network Group for peer-learning facilitated by My Green Lab."Suppliers play a vital role in the industry and based on our 2022 Carbon Impact Report, the majority of the impact comes from the value chain. When suppliers partner with My Green Lab through Converge and earn My Green Lab Certifications, they are not only actively supporting lab sustainability, but also solidifying their position as a trusted and preferred organization in the industry," says James Connelly, My Green Lab's CEO.About My Green Lab CertificationMy Green Lab Certification provides actionable ways for scientists and laboratory teams to make meaningful changes within their daily operations. It is considered the gold standard for laboratory sustainability best practices around the world and has helped over 2,000 labs in 45 countries and over 26,000 scientists preserve resources, save money, and ensure a safe and healthy environment in support of science.About ConvergeConverge envisions a comprehensive dedication to lab sustainability throughout the pharmaceutical industry. Converge aims to ensure every supplier lab has a thriving culture of sustainability and every scientist knows how their actions can make a difference. Converge will help the pharmaceutical sector lead the world on supply chain engagement and inspire other sectors to follow in its footsteps.About My Green LabMy Green Lab is a nonprofit environmental organization with a mission to build a global culture of sustainability in science. The organization is the world leader in developing internationally recognized sustainability standards for laboratories and laboratory products-bringing sustainability to the community responsible for the world's life-changing medical and technical innovations. Laboratories are some of the most resource-intensive spaces in any industry, but they don't have to be. By introducing a new perspective and proven best practices within a carefully crafted framework, My Green Lab has inspired tens of thousands of scientists and lab professionals to make positive changes in their labs by reducing the environmental impact of their work.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from My Green Lab on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: My Green LabWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/my-green-lab Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: My Green Lab PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-06 00:12:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 959 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("PMC" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIR)(OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to announce the assay results from the PIU16-DDH01 diamond drillhole (920.2 m) completed at the Piuquenes Project in the 2015-2016 season (refer 30 November 2023 News Release).Results include:- 558.2 m (362-920.2 m EOH) @ 0.38% Cu & 0.42 g/ Au & 2.4 g/t Ag (0.73% CuEq)* Including:- 296 m (362-658 m) @ 0.5 % Cu & 0.5 g/t Au & 2.7 g/t Ag (0.91% CuEq)*,- 180 m (362-542 m) @ 0.71% Cu & 0.61 g/t Au & 3.8 g/t Ag (1.22% CuEq)* and- 130 m (362-492 m) @ 0.81% Cu & 0.6 g/t Au & 4 g/t Ag (1.31 % CuEq)*PIU16-DDH01 Diamond Drillhole (920.2 m) - (refer 30 November 2023 News Release). As part of its Due Diligence and data validation of the Piuquenes Project, the Company relogged the PIU16-DDH01 borehole which had crossed the mineral intersections discovered by Inmet in 1995-1997 (refer 30 November 2023 News Release). A 558 m (362-920.2 m) section was sent to ALS Mendoza for Au fire 30 gram Au fire assay (Au-AA23) and ICP multi-element 4-acid digestion (ME-MS61) assays. Following review and interpretation of the assay results and a thorough Qa/Qc process, the Company is pleased to report a significant section of copper-gold-silver mineralization of: 558.2 m (362-920.2 m EOH) @ 0.38% Cu & 0.42 g/ Au & 2.4 g/t Ag (0.73% CuEq)* Including: 296 m (362-658 m) @ 0.5 % Cu & 0.5 g/t Au & 2.7 g/t Ag (0.91% CuEq)*, 180 m (362-542 m) @ 0.71% Cu & 0.61 g/t Au & 3.8 g/t Ag (1.22% CuEq)* and 130 m (362-492 m) @ 0.81% Cu & 0.6 g/t Au & 4 g/t Ag (1.31 % CuEq)*The re-logging and interpretation of the assays indicates that primary mineralization is related to Cu-Au porphyry hosted quartz veins and remains open at depth. The shallow overlay is associated with supergene enrichment, with some copper oxides observed at surface.Image 1: A-type quartz veining associated with pink quartz-feldK interstitial intergrowth affecting diorite porphyry Image 2: A-type quartz veinlet with chalcopyrite and some grade of secondary enrichment at PIU16-DDH01Qa/Qc procedure - PIU16-DDH01 Diamond DrillholeAssay of the PIU16-DDH01 drillhole was based on samples of 2m intervals initially cut by Anglo-American Argentina at the drill platform using a hydraulic press. As part of Pampa Metals' data validation and due diligence, 8 batches of between 16 and 50 samples each were sent to ALS Mendoza for Au fire 30 gr (Au-AA23) and multi-element ICP 4 -acids (ME-MS61) assays. The Qa/Qc control protocol included twinned samples, coarse-grained and fine-grained duplicates, coarse quartz blanks and two types of standards, which together represented 20% (57 samples) of the 279 associated drillhole samples.Results of the Qa/Qc procedure confirm that the samples pass the duplicate, blank and standard controls. In the case of duplicates, samples are well distributed on a linear correlation curve with only gold showing some variability, possibly due to the presence of coarse gold.Image 3: Piuquenes Drill Core and Assays. October 2023 Piuquenes Porphyry Copper-Gold ProjectThe Piuquenes Project consists of nine mining titles that cover an area of ~1,880 ha in the San Juan Province of Argentina, adjacent (to the north) with the Altar copper-gold porphyry project (Aldebaran Resources Inc.) and approximately 190 km west of the city of San Juan. Other large porphyry copper projects in the San Juan Miocene porphyry belt include, El Pachon (Glencore), approximately 30 km to the south, the operating Los Pelambres copper mine (60% Antofagasta plc) in Chile, and Los Azules (McEwen Mining) 50 km to the northeast.The first evidence of copper oxides at Piuquenes was reported in 1970 by MInera Aguilar, who subsequently completed the first exploration program between 1973-1975. Between 1995 and 1997, Inmet Mining Corporation (IMC) completed a heli-magnetic/radiometric survey, surface geology, rock and soil geochemistry, ground magnetics, PD-IP and eight diamond drillholes for a total of 1,894.2m. Subsequently, in 2015-2016, Anglo American Argentina (AAA) completed detailed 1:2,500 geology and geochemistry, 17.8 km of gDAS24 deep 3D PD-IP/NSMT and a single 920.2 m diamond drill hole.Since its discovery, the Piuquenes Copper-Gold porphyry has until now remained privately held.Inmet Mining Corporation's (IMC, subsequently acquired by First Quantum in 2013) 8 diamond drill holes for a total of 1,894.2m intersected significant copper and gold mineralization including: 413.5 m (167-580.5 m) @ 0.47% Cu and 0.52 g/t Au (0.87% CuEq)*; 67.5 m (207-274.5 m) @ 0.63% Cu and 0.51 g/t Au (1.02% CuEq)*; and 158 m (3-161 m) @ 0.32% Cu and 0.6 g/t Au (0.78% CuEq)*.In November 2023, Pampa Metals assayed and re-logged Anglo-American Argentina's (AAA) 2016 single diamond borehole of 920.2 m length which had crossed the mineral zones drilled by IMC and reported the results in this news release dated 5 December, 2023.Follow-Up drillingPampa Metals has designed a diamond drill program to be completed across two drilling seasons which consists of a ~2,500 diamond Phase 1 drill program designed to test the depth and lateral extension of known mineralisation, to be completed between January - April 2024 (indicative) with assays results expected progressively between March and May 2024 (indicative).Phase 2 consists of a six-month drill program designed to significantly expand the mineralised envelope and scheduled to commence in October 2024 (indicative).The latest Company Presentation can be accessed at https://pampametals.com/investor/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDJoseph van den Elsen | President & CEOINVESTORS CONTACTJoseph van den Elsen | President & CEOJoseph@ pampametals.com ABOUT PAMPA METALSPampa Metals is listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIR), and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges, and wholly owns a portfolio of projects highly prospective for copper, molybdenum, and gold along proven and highly productive mineral belts in Chile, the world's largest copper producer.In November 2023, the Company announced it had entered into an Option & JV Agreement for the acquisition of an 80% interest in the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in San Juan Province, Argentina.Qualified PersonTechnical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G, Geologist and a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego is a consultant to the Company.* %CuEq values are calculate PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 16:30:46 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 780 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Peer To Peer Network (OTC PINK:PTOP) ("PTOP") - In a strategic move set to revolutionize its market presence, Peer To Peer Network (PTOP) has officially announced its partnership with a leading public relations firm, for an extensive year-long campaign at the "Total Pro" level. PTOP has signed a contract and paid for the entire year of 2024 in full. This collaboration is poised to propel PTOP into the spotlight with an earned media campaign, stock ticker indexing, added distribution to various financial institutions & brokers, added distribution outlets extending to financial data providers/platforms, stock exchange targeting, major financial news sites, and a suite of comprehensive services designed to maximize visibility and enhance investor relations.The campaign is set to start January 15th, 2024, PTOP's decision to engage the PR & Newswire firm at the "Total Pro" level underscores the company's commitment to fostering transparency, amplifying its corporate narrative, and ultimately driving shareholder value. The campaign is anticipated to create a significant impact on PTOP's stock price, as the market responds to heightened awareness and enhanced communication strategies.Key Highlights of the Total Pro Campaign Include:Earned Media Exposure: PTOP will benefit from targeted media outreach, securing features in prominent financial and business publications. This heightened visibility is expected to capture the attention of a broader audience of investors and analysts.Stock Ticker Indexing: The Total Pro level includes the indexing of PTOP's stock ticker across major financial platforms. This ensures that potential investors easily access real-time information, contributing to increased liquidity and market participation.Strategic Investor Relations: With a dedicated team of seasoned professionals, the PR firm will work closely with PTOP to refine and execute a comprehensive investor relations strategy. This includes facilitating communication between the company and its shareholders, analysts, and the broader investment community.Customized Press Materials: The Newswire & PR firm will craft and distribute compelling press releases, ensuring that PTOP's key messages are effectively communicated to the media and the investment community.Financial Institutions & Brokers: The Total Pro campaign extends to financial institutions, and discount broker platforms, leveraging the PR firms expertise in crafting engaging content to maximize PTOP's reach across various digital channels."We are thrilled to embark on this journey at the Total Pro level. This partnership represents a pivotal moment for PTOP, as we aim to strengthen our market presence, engage with our stakeholders, and unlock the full potential of our stock. We believe that the comprehensive suite of services offered by this particular PR firm will significantly contribute to our growth trajectory and shareholder value. I think everything is coming together, to make all of our efforts bear major fruit in 2024," stated Chairman & CEO Joshua Sodaitis.Investors and industry observers are encouraged to follow PTOP closely as the Total Pro campaign unfolds. With heightened visibility, strategic investor relations, and comprehensive media coverage, PTOP is poised for an exciting year of growth and potential stock price appreciation.Contact Info:Joshua Sodaitis, Chairman & CEO MobiCard, Inc.45 Prospect Street Cambridge, MA 02139Investor Relations Phone#: 1-617-481-1971Email: info@ freemobicard.com Investor website: www.ptopnetwork.com Safe Harbor Statement:This release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company intends all forward-looking statements to be covered by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategies, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, as well as statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on and reflect our current expectations, estimates, assumptions and/or projections, our perception of historical trends and current conditions, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include those set forth in our reports at OTCMarkets . We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.SOURCE: Peer to Peer Networkvia PRISM Mediawire, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 07:20:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 646 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX:RLF)(OTCQB:RLFTF)(OTCQB:RLFTY) (Relief, or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering innovative treatment options for select specialty, unmet and rare diseases, today announced its intent to progressively transition from a direct marketing and sales infrastructure for its commercial-stage assets to a partnership-based model. The Company believes that the transition will continue to enable more efficient patient access through leveraging external expertise and infrastructure. The Company intends to streamline its commercial operations and focus its resources on its R&D activities, paving the way for sustainable growth.Michelle Lock, interim chief executive officer of Relief, commented, "Our strategic pivot will enable us to reallocate resources towards our advancing R&D pipeline. It will also reinforce Relief's foundational strengths and historical business model, centered around drug development and the business-to-business (B2B) commercialization of our products." This decision primarily affects Relief's GOLIKE franchise, with the Company's other products historically licensed or distributed through third parties.The Company remains committed to supporting the needs of patients currently benefiting from PKU GOLIKE and is exploring potential partnerships for the continued commercialization and expansion of its GOLIKE franchise and the expected commercial launch of RLF-OD032 in early 2026. PKU GOLIKE is currently marketed by Relief in the U.S., Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and is licensed to distribution partners in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Ecuador, and certain Middle Eastern countries. PKU GOLIKE shall remain commercially available in the U.S. via Relief's distribution arrangement with Pentec Health, Inc.Relief also remains actively engaged in optimizing the value of its development-stage pipeline, continuing the development of RLF-OD032 for phenylketonuria (PKU), RLF-TD011 for dermatological conditions, RLF100 (aviptadil) for pulmonary disorders, and Olpruva for metabolic disorders in Europe.ABOUT RELIEF THERAPEUTICSRelief Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing treatment paradigms and delivering improvements in efficacy, safety, and convenience to benefit the lives of patients living with select specialty and rare diseases. Relief Therapeutics' portfolio offers a balanced mix of marketed, revenue-generating products, our proprietary, globally patented Physiomimic and TEHCLO platform technologies and a targeted clinical development pipeline consisting of risk-mitigated assets focused in three core therapeutic areas: rare metabolic disorders, rare skin diseases and rare respiratory diseases. In addition, Relief Therapeutics is commercializing several legacy products via licensing and distribution partners. Relief Therapeutics' mission is to provide therapeutic relief to those suffering from rare diseases and is being advanced by an international team of well-established, experienced biopharma industry leaders with extensive research, development and rare disease expertise. Relief Therapeutics is headquartered in Geneva, with additional offices in Balerna, Switzerland, Offenbach am Main, Germany and Monza, Italy. Relief Therapeutics is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF and quoted in the U.S. on OTCQB under the symbols RLFTF and RLFTY. For more information, please visit our website www.relieftherapeutics.com or follow Relief Therapeutics on LinkedIn and Twitter.CONTACT:RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SAJeremy MeinenChief Financial Officercontact@ relieftherapeutics.com DisclaimerThis press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, including its ability to achieve its corporate, development and commercial goals, and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Relief to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. A number of factors, including whether the Relief's change in its business strategy will be successful and those described in Relief's filings with the SIX Swiss Exchange and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), could adversely affect Relief. Copies of Relief's filings with the SEC are available on the SEC EDGAR database at www.sec.gov . Relief does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date.SOURCE: RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 23:05:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 947 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MILWAUKEE, WI / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Milwaukee Magazine has recognized Dr. Scott Kamelle, a distinguished Gynecologic Oncologist and former Director of Gyn Oncology at Aurora Health Care, as one of the top doctors in women's health. The prestigious accolade is part of the magazine's "Women's Health Top Doctors Guide," featuring highly professional and respected doctors recommended by their peers.In the latest edition of Milwaukee Magazine, Dr. Scott Kamelle's name prominently graces the list of top doctors specializing in women's health. The publication highlights his exceptional contributions to the field of Gynecologic Oncology and underscores the esteem in which he is held by fellow healthcare professionals.Dr. Scott Kamelle, currently a leading figure in the field, has been a trailblazer in Gynecologic Oncology. His journey began with a solid educational foundation, including a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. His internship and residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology, laid the groundwork for a distinguished career.As a testament to his commitment to excellence, Dr. Scott Kamelle pursued a Fellowship in Gynecological Oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. This specialized training equipped him with the skills necessary to provide advanced care and personalized treatment options for women facing ovarian and uterine cancers.Throughout his career, Dr. Scott Kamelle has held leadership roles, chairing the Robotic Steering Committee at Aurora Health Care for over a decade. Additionally, he has served as an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and a Resident Instructor at Sinai Medical-Obstetrics and Gynecology, imparting his knowledge to future medical professionals.Dr. Kamelle's dedication extends beyond clinical practice to active involvement in research. His focus areas include cellular radiosensitization, HPV prevalence, endometrial cancer, and ovarian carcinoma. Recognized with prestigious awards and grants, Dr. Kamelle's contributions reflect his unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge and improving patient care.Milwaukee Magazine's "Women's Health Top DMILWAUKEE, WI / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Milwaukee Magazine has recognized Dr. Scott Kamelle, a distinguished Gynecologic Oncologist and former Director of Gyn Oncology at Aurora Health Care, as one of the top doctors in women's health. The prestigious accolade is part of the magazine's "Women's Health Top Doctors Guide," featuring highly professional and respected doctors recommended by their peers.In the latest edition of Milwaukee Magazine, Dr. Scott Kamelle's name prominently graces the list of top doctors specializing in women's health. The publication highlights his exceptional contributions to the field of Gynecologic Oncology and underscores the esteem in which he is held by fellow healthcare professionals.Dr. Scott Kamelle, currently a leading figure in the field, has been a trailblazer in Gynecologic Oncology. His journey began with a solid educational foundation, including a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. His internship and residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology, laid the groundwork for a distinguished career.As a testament to his commitment to excellence, Dr. Scott Kamelle pursued a Fellowship in Gynecological Oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. This specialized training equipped him with the skills necessary to provide advanced care and personalized treatment options for women facing ovarian and uterine cancers.Throughout his career, Dr. Scott Kamelle has held leadership roles, chairing the Robotic Steering Committee at Aurora Health Care for over a decade. Additionally, he has served as an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and a Resident Instructor at Sinai Medical-Obstetrics and Gynecology, imparting his knowledge to future medical professionals.Dr. Kamelle's dedication extends beyond clinical practice to active involvement in research. His focus areas include cellular radiosensitization, HPV prevalence, endometrial cancer, and ovarian carcinoma. Recognized with prestigious awards and grants, Dr. Kamelle's contributions reflect his unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge and improving patient care.Milwaukee Magazine's "Women's Health Top Doctors Guide" underscores the impact of Dr. Scott Kamelle's expertise and leadership in Gynecologic Oncology. His inclusion in this esteemed list reaffirms his standing as a trusted and respected healthcare professional.Dr. Scott Kamelle Oncology Blog, a testament to his commitment to bridging the gap between medical expertise and the needs of individuals affected by ovarian and uterine cancers, serves as a valuable resource. Through evidence-based information, updates on research breakthroughs, and compassionate support, Dr. Kamelle aims to empower patients, caregivers, and the community at large.Explore Dr. Scott Kamelle's Oncology Blog at https://drscottkamelle.com/ for informative articles, personal stories, practical tips, and valuable resources. Knowledge is power, and Dr. Scott Kamelle continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by ovarian and uterine cancers.Contact Info:Spokesperson: Dr. Scott KamelleOrganization: Dr. Scott KamelleWebsite: https://drscottkamelle.comEmail: info@ drscottkamelle.com SOURCE: Dr. Scott Kamelle, Surgeonoctors Guide" underscores the impact of Dr. Scott Kamelle's expertise and leadership in Gynecologic Oncology. His inclusion in this esteemed list reaffirms his standing as a trusted and respected healthcare professional.Dr. Scott Kamelle Oncology Blog, a testament to his commitment to bridging the gap between medical expertise and the needs of individuals affected by ovarian and uterine cancers, serves as a valuable resource. Through evidence-based information, updates on research breakthroughs, and compassionate support, Dr. Kamelle aims to empower patients, caregivers, and the community at large.Explore Dr. Scott Kamelle's Oncology Blog at https://drscottkamelle.com/ for informative articles, personal stories, practical tips, and valuable resources. Knowledge is power, and Dr. Scott Kamelle continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by ovarian and uterine cance President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on Tuesday with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Hanke Bruins Slot, the press service of the Presidential Office reports. "We are grateful for the concrete and strong decisions of the Netherlands, which helped us on the battlefield, helped us protect civilians, and also achieve success in ensuring the operation of an alternative humanitarian corridor," Zelenskyy said. The priority needs of Ukrainian defenders were discussed, primarily to strengthen air defense, provide additional 155mm artillery systems and ammunition, and train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters with Dutch support. They also discussed the functioning of an alternative grain corridor and strengthening its protection. "The head of state and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands focused on the issue of European integration of Ukraine and preparations for the December meeting of the European Council. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that in the coming days the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is expected to adopt a number of European integration bills," the message says. "We count on a positive decision of the European Council regarding the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU. This will be a powerful motivation for our society and for our defenders," the president emphasized. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 14:31:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 587 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Luminar Media Group, Inc. (OTC PINK:LRGR) ("Royale" or the "Company"), the makers of Royale de Monte Carlo "the world's most prestigious vodka", today announced that it has reached an agreement with Houston-based Mexcor International for the distribution of its products throughout the state of Florida.The product is now available through Mexcor, and the team has already commenced placing products throughout Florida. Additionally, negotiations have begun to make Royale de Monte Carlo Vodka available in Total Wines in Florida and many other locations.Established in 1989, Mexcor's national sales network currently extends to 46 states, with direct distribution to Florida, California, and other locations. Mexcor has grown to become the third largest distributor in Florida, servicing more than 17,000 accounts, including grocery stores, liquor stores, bars, and restaurants. It has established a network of partnerships with over 140 regional distributors.Robert Rico of Royale de Monte Carlo commented, "With its substantial population and significance in the market, Florida is a vital part of our consumer growth strategy. This agreement gives Monte Carlo access to millions of consumers and retailers. Achieving statewide coverage with any one distributor in Florida has always been a challenge. Mexcor has established an impressive operation with excellent market reach. Our brands will be backed by multiple warehouses across the state through a distributor recognized as one of the fastest growing in the US." About Mexcor:founded in Houston, Mexcor International has rapidly established its reputation in the alcohol distribution sector. With a commitment to quality and service, they have fostered growth and partnerships across the nation. For more information, visit their website at www.mexcor.com About Royale de Monte Carlo/ Luminar Media Group, Inc.Royale de Monte Carlo, headquartered in Miami, Florida, is an ultra-premium vodka renowned for its icy coolness and exquisitely smooth taste, offering euphoric pleasure to discerning palates. Crafted and produced by fifth-generation master distillers located in the heart of France's world-famous Cognac region, Royale de Monte Carlo has been honored as the "World's Most Prestigious Vodka".For more information, please visit www.royaledemontecarlo.com Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements:This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our business, financial condition, and prospects, based on our current assumptions and beliefs. However, the company cannot guarantee that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements will be realized. There may be unforeseen risks and circumstances that we are unable to predict. While words such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "estimates," and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements, there may be forward-looking statements that are not accompanied by such expressions. Investors should exercise caution when relying on these forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date of this press release. The company's actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results expressed in these forward-looking statements due to various factors, including risks discussed in the company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available on its website ( www.sec.gov) . All forward-looking statements attributed to the company or individuals acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors, except as required under securities laws. The company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Investors should refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Investor Relations Contact:Robert Rico 305-283-9237SOURCE: Luminar Media Group, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 14:02:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 790 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 BRIDGEWATER, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Salix Pharmaceuticals, the gastroenterology division of Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)(TSX:BHC), The U.S. Pain Foundation (USPF), and The International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) today announced they are joining forces to declare Tuesday, Dec. 5, Opioid-Induced Constipation (OIC) Awareness Day. OIC Awareness Day aims to bring awareness to an often-overlooked side effect of opioids. This day will help patients suffering from OIC by breaking down the stigma and silence surrounding this condition."OIC Awareness Day will help bridge the gap between healthcare providers (HCPs), patients, and caregivers by providing them with the information needed to guide conversations about symptoms and management strategies," said Megan Filoramo, RN, MSN, APN-C. "I'm excited to be a part of this awareness initiative and help shed light on this underdiagnosed patient population." The first annual OIC Awareness Day will provide a platform for patients, caregivers, and HCPs to discuss this condition and encourage them to join the #OICAwarenessDay movement."As an organization committed to helping individuals living with chronic pain, we understand the challenges individuals living with OIC experience," said Nicole Hemmenway, CEO of the U.S. Pain Foundation. "We are passionate about awareness and education that empowers those impacted by OIC to feel comfortable having a conversation with their HCP." More than 20 percent of American adults experience chronic pain and utilize prescribed medications, such as opioids, to help manage their conditions. These opioids can cause debilitating side effects including OIC, a specific type of constipation, and one of the most common side effects of opioid use."For over three decades, IFFGD has championed the need for research to enhance the management options available for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders such as OIC," said Ceciel Rooker, President and Executive Director of IFFGD. "The symptoms, burdens, and challenges that many face while living with OIC can be debilitating, and their voices must be heard." The first annual OIC Awareness Day will kick off with a proclamation in Bridgewater, NJ - the town where Salix is headquartered. Dec. 5 is now also officially recognized as OIC Awareness Day in the National Day Archives. A new website, OICAwarenessDay.com , was created to provide information and resources to HCPs, patients, and caregivers about the causes, symptoms, and management of OIC. Salix also partnered with influencers to share online about the movement using the hashtag #vOICesOfOIC.For more information on OIC and to learn how you can join the #OICAwarenessDay movement, please visit www.OICAwarenessDay.com About SalixSalix Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world committed to the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. For more than 30 years, Salix has licensed, developed and marketed innovative products to improve patients' lives and arm health care providers with life-changing solutions for many chronic and debilitating conditions. Salix currently markets its product line to U.S. health care providers through an expanded sales force that focuses on gastroenterology, hepatology, pain specialists and primary care. Salix is headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about Salix, visit www.Salix.com and connect with us on Twitter (X) and LinkedIn.About Bausch HealthBausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) is a global diversified pharmaceutical company whose mission is to improve people's lives with our health care products. We develop, manufacture and market a range of products primarily in gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, dermatology, international pharmaceuticals and eye health, through our controlling ownership of Bausch + Lomb Corporation. With our leading durable brands, we are delivering on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to advancing global health. For more information, visit www.bauschhealth.com and connect with us on Twitter (X) and LinkedIn.About U.S. Pain FoundationThe U.S. Pain Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to empower, educate, connect, and advocate for individuals living with chronic illnesses and serious injuries that cause pain, as well as their care partners and clinicians. Through its multiple programs and services, the organization works to elevate the patient voice, increase disease-state education, improve pain care through policy change, expand outreach to underserved and marginalized communities, and provide comprehensive resources to ensure individuals are supported and empowered along their journeys. Learn more at uspainfoundation.org About The International Foundation for Gastrointestinal DisordersThe International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) is a nonprofit education and research organization dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by chronic gastrointestinal illnesses. Founded in 1991, IFFGD helps improve patient outcomes by enhancing awareness, improving education, and supporting and encouraging research into treatments and cures for chronic digestive disorders.Media Contacts:Gianna Scalerasalixcommunications@ salix.com(908) 541-2110Kevin Wigginscorporate.communications@bauschhealth.com(908) 541-3785SOURCE: Salix Pharmaceuticals PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 22:00:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 485 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DELRAY BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / In an unwavering commitment to fostering the dreams of aspiring doctors, the esteemed Dr. Manuel Abreu announces the launch of the Dr. Manuel Abreu Scholarship for Future Doctors. This scholarship, a one-time award of $1,000, is designed to support high school students with a passion for medicine, offering a stepping stone towards achieving their goals.Dr. Manuel Abreu, a distinguished board-certified internal medicine physician with over two decades of experience, understands the significance of education and access to healthcare. Born and raised in Cuba, Dr. Abreu's journey from the Superior Institute of Medical Science in Havana to Seton Hall University in the United States is a testament to his resilience and dedication to the medical field.As a dedicated member of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the Florida Medical Association, and the American Medical Association, Dr. Manuel Abreu is not only a seasoned practitioner but a mentor to medical students and residents. His commitment to community service is exemplified through his volunteer work at the Mission Medical Center/Lady Queen of Peace Church in Delray Beach, Florida.Criteria for Eligibility:To be considered for the Dr. Manuel Abreu Scholarship for Future Doctors, applicants must meet the following criteria:Aspiring Doctor: High school students pursuing a degree in medicine.Academic Excellence: Strong academic record demonstrated by GPA and test scores.Compassionate Healer: Commitment to serving others and a passion for making a difference in patients' lives.Lifelong Learner: Strong desire for personal and professional growth within the medical field.Problem Solver: Creative and resourceful approach to problem-solving within the healthcare sector.Essay Prompt:In their personal statement, applicants are challenged to describe a significant challenge currently faced by the healthcare industry and propose an innovative solution. The essay should convey the applicant's passion for medicine and why they deserve the Dr. Manuel Abreu Scholarship.Deadline and Winner Announcement:The deadline to apply for the scholarship is July 15, 2024. The winner will be announced on August 15, 2024.Dr. Manuel Abreu's vision for the scholarship stems from his own experiences overcoming challenges to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor. His unwavering dedication to helping others realize their dreams is embodied in the Dr. Manuel Abreu Scholarship for Future Doctors.For more information about the scholarship and to apply, please visit https://drmanuelabreuscholarship.com/about-manuel-abreu/ About Dr. Manuel Abreu:Dr. Manuel Abreu is not just a seasoned practitioner; he is a beacon of inspiration for aspiring doctors. His story of perseverance and dedication is a source of motivation for those navigating the challenging path to a career in medicine. Dr. Manuel Abreu commitment to education and community service is reflected in the Dr. Manuel Abreu Scholarship for Future Doctors, a testament to his belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to receive high-quality medical care.Contact Info:Spokesperson: Dr. Manuel AbreuOrganization: Dr. Manuel Abreu ScholarshipWebsite: https://drmanuelabreuscholarship.comEmail: apply@ drmanuelabreuscholarship.com SOURCE: Dr. Manuel Abreu Scholarship PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 23:40:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 756 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 $145K donation funded UV water purification and silo system for Sea Turtle Inc.SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Sea Turtle Inc. is protecting the environment and marine life with their newly installed UV water purification and silo system, thanks to a sustainability grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.Sea Turtle Inc. will soon open a new 15,000-square-foot hospital, which will be the largest fully enclosed sea turtle rehabilitation facility in the world, doubling their patient intake capacity. The neighboring Laguna Madre is a natural water source with both naturally occurring and man-made toxins, bacteria and pathogens that can further sicken the hospitalized sea turtles.Until recently, the organization relied on chlorine to kill any potential pathogens in the water, and the existing infrastructure fulfilled only 22 percent of the facility's needs for on-demand, chemical-free water. The new structure, consisting of a sand filter and two silos with pumps, piping, and a heat/cool system, will safely clean more than 250,000 gallons of recycled water from Laguna Madre. Green Mountain Energy Sun Club donated nearly $145,000 to fund this initiative, which will meet 100 percent of the facility's needs, further supporting the hospital expansion for endangered sea turtles."At Green Mountain Energy, we support projects that advance sustainability with our Sun Club program," said Mark Parsons, vice president and general manager for Green Mountain Energy. "We look forward to helping Sea Turtle Inc. save even more turtles in the coming years." With help from customers and employees, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club has advanced sustainability by donating more than $13 million to 156 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club supports projects related to renewable energy, sustainability education and environmental stewardship."Sea Turtle Inc. is dedicated to not only the conservation and care of sea turtles but to the protection of our waterways," said Wendy Knight, chief executive officer for Sea Turtle Inc. "This new sustainable water purification system will allow us to have on-demand access to the water required to save these amazing animals while protecting the ecosystem." The new UV system eliminates the use of chemicals, which is healthier for wildlife, better for the environment, and reduces purification time from three days to two hours, saving $10,000 annually to reallocate to life-saving care for endangered sea turtles.Sea Turtle, Inc. was founded in 1977 by Ila Fox Loetscher, better known as "The Turtle Lady of South Padre Island." In 1999, Sea Turtle, Inc. moved from Ila's backyard into its current location. Originally this organization was formed to aid in the protection and recovery of the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle.Their mission has since expanded into three parts: to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured sea turtles; educate the public; and assist with conservation efforts for all marine turtle species. In the last 10 years alone, Sea Turtle Inc. has protected or intervened to aid more than 80,000 sea turtles along 50 miles of the south Texas coast.###About Green Mountain Energy Sun ClubGreen Mountain Energy is inspiring hope, motivating action through the use of clean energy, and advancing sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club has donated more than $13 million to 156 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub About Sea Turtle Inc.Sea Turtle, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit sea turtle hospital and education museum in South Padre Island, Texas. From South Padre Island, Texas, to the world, Sea Turtle Inc. protects sea turtles through conservation, medical care, applied research and education. Sea Turtle Inc is responsible for more than 50 miles of shoreline, protecting and treating sea turtles, and educating more than a quarter of a million people a year in the South Padre Island facility at 6617 Padre Blvd. To learn more about Sea Turtle Inc. visit www.seaturtleinc.org GME Media ContactEstefania Joy 713-537-5735 media@ greenmountain.com Twitter: @GreenMtnEnergySea Turtle Inc. Media ContactSanjuana Zavala 956-761-4511 ext.105 info@ seaturtleinc.org Sea Turtle Inc. representatives "flipped the switch" for new water purification system, funded by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Green Mountain Energy on 3 blmedia.com.Contact Info:Spokesperson: Green Mountain EnergyWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/green-mountain-energyEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Green Mountain Energy PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 01:15:55 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 718 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / December 4, 2023 / In the dazzling world of media and publications, SHE Magazine USA shines brightly, embodying glitz, glamor and empowering narratives. The medium encapsulates a unique blend of avant-garde fashion trends, inspiring real-life stories, and a celebration of womanhood in its authentic form. What sets this magazine apart from its contemporaries is not just its visually stunning content, but the values and vibes it radiates with each page turned.Photo Credits: Mustafa HussainFounded on the belief that every woman is a 'shero' with her unique story, SHE Magazine USA is a dynamic space where these real-life stories find a voice. By spotlighting the stories of women who conquer trials and emerge victorious, these narratives echo throughout the pages, embedding courage, resilience, and empowerment in readers across the globe.Right from its inception, SHE Magazine USA has been a frontrunner in showcasing women who embody excellence, determination, and strength. The magazine focuses on the celebration of achievement, whether it is in the arts, science, business or in the triumphs of everyday life. The heartening stories articulated in the magazine strengthen the belief that life's trials mold the character, forging iron wills and hearts full of hope.'Glitz and glamor' are terms often associated with the superficial, but SHE Magazine USA transfigured them into symbols of self-expression. Fulfilling the desire of its readers to stay on top of fashion trends, the magazine provides an exploration of emerging designers, classic style sagas, and transformative trends. However, it does so with an emphasis on fashion being a form of expressing one's uniqueness rather than adhering to the monotonous, dictated norms.The magazine's commitment to enriching its readers' lifestyles extends beyond fashion. It gracefully weaves in features on wellness, travel, and cuisine creating a palette of varied interests that cater to the modern woman's lifestyle. The result is an enriching and eclectic mix of content that keeps its readers both informed and entertained.In the digital era, SHE Magazine USA evolved to establish a significant online presence, ensuring a seamless connection with its readers. Thus, digital natives can explore inspiring content at the tips of their fingers and feel the pulse of the magazine's vibrant ethos. For additional updates, readers can visit the magazine's website www.shemagazineusa.com or follow them on Instagram @shemagazineusa.Photo Credits: Mustafa HussainHowever, the success of the magazine cannot merely be measured in website clicks or social media followers. What truly underscores SHE Magazine USA's influential impact is the reverberating voice of empowered women resonating throughout its content. It has created a community for women who wear their scars like wings, and fly fearlessly in the face of trials.In essence, SHE Magazine USA is not just a platform; it's a movement that brings to life the real stories of real 'sheros.' Each page encapsulates the spirit of a woman who stepped into her power and turned the tide. This goes beyond glossy pages and captivating wordplay, it's about nurturing a mindset, carving out a culture where every woman is recognized, celebrated and empowered.SHE Magazine USA stands as a testament to the strength of women. It is a beacon of inspiration, illuminating the path for women from all walks of life. Whether it be through insightful articles, compelling stories or trendsetting fashion editorials, the magazine serves as a nurturing guide for women to follow their aspirations, escalate their dreams and embrace their unique brilliance.Behind every cover of SHE Magazine USA, there's a story of a woman as she is: incredible, invincible, and inspiring. A woman who faithfully follows her dreams against all odds, harnessing her inner 'shero' and making the world her stage. It is through this inspiring lens that SHE Magazine USA connects with its readers, transcending traditional publishing barriers and celebrating the incredible journey of womanhood.This, in all its glory, is SHE Magazine USA - honoring each woman's narrative, embracing the ripples of impact their stories create and shaping a world where every woman knows she has the right to shine. Here's to SHE Magazine USA, the radiant torch held high, illuminating the path for each modern-day 'shero.'Website: www.shemagazineusa.com Editor in Chief: Beena YusufCountry: USAMedia Contact Name: Beena YusufCompany: SHE Magazine USAEmail: info@ shemagazineusa.comPhone Number: 832 841 8500Website: www.shemagazineusa.com SOURCE: SHE Magazine USA PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 08:50:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 988 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Blanca-Nieves Project Update:New Au-Ag Discovery at La FloridaBISHOPSGATE, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / SolGold (LSE:SOLG)(TSX:SOLG) is pleased to provide an update on the exploration of two targets within the Blanca-Nieves Project ("Project") held by the Company's Ecuadorian subsidiary, Carnegie Ridge Resources S.A.Recent exploration at the La Florida target, located approximately 3km northeast of the Cielito target, has led to the discovery of high-grade epithermal quartz vein floats. These veins exhibit visible gold within quartz intermingled with bladed calcite, indicating an exposed "boiling zone." Assay results from rock samples have delivered remarkable values of up to 276 g/t Au and 141 g/t Ag, signalling the potential for another Au-Ag bonanza zone. Furthermore, subsequent work has led to the discovery of a 15m wide zone hosting epithermal quartz veins and a breccia outcrop in the intersection of NE and NW trending geologic structures (Figure 1, 2). Grab samples from quartz veins within the outcrop have yielded encouraging assay results of up to 4.15 g/t Au and 3.35 g/t Ag. The close proximity of the La Florida target to the Cielito target highlights a potential interconnection between these two significant areas.Previous project work at the Cielito target concentrated on drill-testing zones with a history of artisanal mining. The vein systems at Cielito and Quiroz areas yielded substantial quantities of free gold from epithermal quartz veins. During the latter half of 2023, an impressive collection of 48 check rock-channel samples obtained at Cielito returned gold grades of over 50g/t Au, and of those, 28 surpassed gold grades of 100g/t Au, and 11 returned gold grades over 200g/t Au, with the highest recording a grade of 545g/t Au.Structural interpretation suggests a possible connection between the recently discovered La Florida epithermal vein-breccia and the Cielito vein system. Currently, our exploration efforts are focused on collecting rock-saw channel samples from the outcrop and the initiation of trenching to locate and sample the vein extensions at La Florida.The Blanca-Nieves Project is strategically positioned approximately 8km north of the Company's Cascabel Project in northern Ecuador, which features the large Alpala and the Tandayama-America porphyry copper-gold deposits. These Projects are situated on the Northern Andean Copper-Gold Belt.Significant high-grade gold and silver mineralization has been discovered at multiple locations within the Project area, including the presence of quartz epithermal veins exhibiting visible gold at Cielito and the recent discovery at La Florida (Figure 3). SolGold's ongoing exploration efforts at the Blanca-Nieves epithermal gold-silver vein field continue to demonstrate its considerable potential.SolGold is making steady progress toward preparing the new target areas at La Florida for drilling, in alignment with a strategy centred around potential epithermal vein targets. This development aligns with plans to drill for extensions of the veins at Cielito and Quiroz, extending beyond the range of previous historic artisanal mining. Furthermore, SolGold aims to expand the size of the discovery at La Florida, underscoring the Company's commitment to fully realizing the Blanca-Nieves Project's potential.SolGold Founder and Non-Executive Director, Mr. Nick Mather commented on the Blanca-Nieves Project, stating:"I am enthusiastic about the new discovery at La Florida and the potential connection to Cielito. In the coming months, our exploration team will work diligently to define the extensions of the gold-silver quartz structure. Recent outcrop rock chip sampling has unveiled widespread surface gold and soil geochemical gold and silver, further confirming the Project's extensive epithermal gold and silver precious metal field, covering an area exceeding 80 square kilometres.The Northern Ecuador Cordillera Occidental trend has already yielded world-class discoveries at SolGold's Cascabel Project and Codelco/Enami's Llurimagua Project. The Company holds prospective ground along select segments of this 90km-long trend." FURTHER INFORMATIONThe Blanca Nieves Project is characterized by the presence of NE-SW and NW-SE trending Au-Ag epithermal quartz veins and comprises six main target areas across a 14km x 6km region (Figure 2).The scout drilling completed to date has substantiated the conceptual model that the mineralised Au-Ag vein systems at the Blanca-Nieves Project consist of multiple stacked gold lodes with sub-vertical bonanza-style feeder zones. The Cielito vein system remains open beyond the initial drill testing range towards the NE and the SW.Additionally, the presence of Au-Ag quartz veins at Chorreras, Cielito, Quiroz, Florida, Escobar, and San Patricio (Figure 2) is a testament to the significant extent of the Blanca-Nieves epithermal gold-silver system.Figure 1: New discovered outcrop of epithermal quartz veins and breccia in La Florida target.Figure 2: Blanca-Nieves Project target areas at Chorreras, Cielito, Quiroz, Florida, Escobar, and San Patricio, showing locations and dominant structural trends of outcropping epithermal quartz veining at surface across the Blanca-Nieves Project area.Figure 3: Example of outcropping quartz vein sample from Cielito area, upon a centimetre scale background grid, showing occurrences of visible coarse gold (red circles; TOP LEFT). Epithermal quartz veining float from the Florida area (TOP CENTER), containing quartz with lattice-bladed texture, showing visible gold and wire-gold (within the view of a 40x binocular; TOP RIGHT). High-grade quartz-gold-silver epithermal veins inside Cielito prospect underground small scale near surface workings returned check assay results comprising 'Bonanza' gold grades (BOTTOM).Qualified Person:Above information relating to the exploration results is based on data reviewed by Mr Santiago Vaca (M.Sc. P.Geo.), Mr. Vaca joined SolGold in 2014 as Chief Geologist for the Cascabel project and is an Ecuadorian geologist with over 18 years of experience in mineral Exploration and research. Mr Vaca holds a Professional Geoscientist Certification (P.Geo) granted by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) in Canada and is a Qualified Person for the purposes of the relevant LSE and TSX Rules. Mr Vaca consents to the inclusion of the information in the form and context in which it appears. This announcement was approved for release by Scott Caldwell.Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information.CONTACTSScott CaldwellChief Executive OfficerTel: +44 (0) 20 3807 6996Tavistock (Media)Jos Simson/Gareth TredwayTel: +4 PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 15:04:37 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 514 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / SpokenLayer is partnering with Citi to launch a new limited podcast series called "Citi GPS: Global Perspectives & Solutions," highlighting insights from its premier thought leadership product that helps clients stay informed about economic trends and drivers of leading innovation.SpokenLayer Partners with Citi to Amplify Reach of Its Thought Leadership via Short Form Audio Citi GPS shares thought leadership from a wide range of Citi experts, academic institutions, and corporates. This wide perspective allows it to deep dive in a variety of topics, from breakthrough technology to trends affecting the globe to navigate the most demanding challenges and greatest opportunities of the 21st century. For the first time, Citi is making these insights accessible to broader audiences via short-form audio.Citi will release 20 episodes, each 3:00-5:00 minutes in length, with new episodes airing each weekday through December 22. Topics will include:Disruptive innovation that has the power to disrupt everything from medicine to farming.Asia's technology adoption and trends that give insight into the future.Metaverse and money: the opportunities and barriers between the physical and digital worldsThe next generation of AI: Generative AIThe series was developed in partnership with SpokenLayer, a premier creative and production studio specializing in custom, short-form digital audio, and Citi's Power of One Team at Publicis."We're excited to expand the reach of Citi's thought leadership content and connect with a new audience through such an easily accessible medium," says Kathleen Boyle, Managing Editor of Citi GPS.Citi GPS: Global Perspectives & Solutions podcast can be accessed via your Alexa or Google smart assistants and is free to stream or download wherever you get your podcasts. Full reports can be found at www.citigroup.com/global/insights/citigps About Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions (Citi GPS)As our premier thought-leadership product, Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions (Citi GPS) is designed to help readers navigate the most demanding challenges and greatest opportunities of the 21st century. We access the best elements of our global conversation with senior Citi senior professionals, academics, and corporate leaders to anticipate themes and trends in today's fast-changing and interconnected world. www.citigroup.com/global/insights/citigps About CitiCiti is a preeminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in nearly 160 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions, and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services.Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi About SpokenLayerSpokenLayer is the only full-service creative studio that specializes in custom, short-form content creation and production. The company works with some of the world's most recognizable media companies and advertisers such as Conde Nast, General Mills, Meredith, American Express, Hearst, and The Economist to give their brands a sonic identity utilizing short-form, digital audio.Contact InformationJessica McCarthy VP, Client Services jessica.mccarthy@spokenlayer.com 212-655-0555SOURCE: SpokenLayer PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 14:00:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 981 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. (TSXV:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF) (the "Company" or "Stillwater") is pleased to provide an update on diamond drilling completed at the Company's flagship Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co + Au project in Montana in 2023, and other initiatives.Figure 1 - Significant sulphide mineralization in hole CM2023-06 from approximately 865 to 888 feet (263.7 to 270.7 meters) depth as part of a broader mineralized interval from approximately 841 to 919 feet (256.4 to 280.1 meters) depth which tested a large and previously untested geophysical anomaly.Highlights - Stillwater WestThe 2023 drill campaign focused on expansion of the NI 43-101-compliant resources, announced on January 25, 2023 (the "2023 Resource"), with particular focus on expanding recent high-grade discoveries at Chrome Mountain at the west end of the nine-kilometer-long resource area.Six holes totaling 2,310 meters were completed within and outside of the current resource area, west and south of the current DR-Hybrid deposit, as part of a planned multi-phase program.Multiple new mineralized zones were intercepted (see Figure 1 above and September 12, 2023, release).Results include identification and expansion of the N series of sulphide-rich mineralized structures parallel to high-grade nickel sulphide mineralization first discovered by the Company in drill holes CM2021-05 and CM2020-04.Drilling in 2023 intercepted the N2 and N3 mineralized zones in parallel to high-grade mineralization in CM2021-05, which is now known as N1. As reported May 3, 2022, N1 returned 13.2 meters grading 2.89% Recovered Nickel Equivalent1 ("NiEq") (2.31% Ni, 1.51 g/t 4E, 0.35% Cu, and 0.115% Co), starting at 37.6 meters and is contained within 400.8 meters of continuous battery and precious metal mineralization.N series structures and associated high-grade mineralization are now understood to be part of a series of north-south trending structures that crosscut the layered sequence and Platreef-style mineralization of the Stillwater Igneous Complex.Drilling also confirmed nickel and copper sulphide mineralization in a large and previously untested geophysical anomaly which forms part of a string of untested anomalies extending over 12 kilometers along strike.All core has now been submitted to the lab for assay with results expected over the coming weeks.Mineralized zones were predicted by the updated exploration model, demonstrating the Company's success in advancing the first ever detailed geologic model of the lower Stillwater Igneous Complex.The 2023 drill campaign is the first campaign funded by the strategic investment made by Glencore PLC in June 2023, and the first to apply updated geological models which incorporate similar geology from South Africa's Platreef district under the direction of Dr. Danie Grobler, who joined the team in May of 2022 as Vice-President of Exploration.Drilling for 2024 is now being planned to continue expansion around known mineralization at the existing resource areas, at recent discoveries including the N series structures, and also more broadly across the 32-kilometer-long project.Michael Rowley, Stillwater President and CEO, stated, "We continue to advance new sulphide-rich discoveries at our flagship Stillwater West project as we apply geologic models from South Africa's giant polymetallic nickel sulphide mines to similar geology at our Stillwater West project. Recent work is identifying additional styles of mineralization, and we look forward to expanding further on these exciting developments as they advance. Overall, the Stillwater district remains underexplored - and therefore wide open for significant expansion of known mineralization - despite having produced critical and strategic minerals such as nickel, copper, palladium, platinum and chrome for over a century. We look forward to reporting assay results and providing updated analysis as we work with our partners at Glencore PLC and the US Geological Survey to advance primary domestic supply of nine of the commodities identified as critical by the US Government. Additional news is expected from our Kluane and Drayton-Black Lake projects, carbon sequestration studies, and other initiatives including continued work on government funding channels." Dr. Danie Grobler, Stillwater Vice-President of Exploration, said "Drilling in 2023 focused on intersecting several of the north-south trending high-grade and high-tenor nickel sulphide mineralized N-structures recognized during the 2022 field season. A 100% target intercept rate was achieved due to predictability and good correlation of the N-structure orientations within the 3D structural model developed by the team including results from a 2023 ground magnetic survey across Chrome Mountain. The first two holes intersected both of the sulphide-rich N1 and N2 structures at shallow depth. Drillhole CM2023-03 intersected an approximately 20-meter-thick zone of nickel sulphide mineralization at a depth of 223 meters from surface. All three of these holes also intersected a PGE+Ni+Cu mineralized pegmatoidal pyroxenite layer at its predicted position within the geological model. Drillhole CM2023-04 intersected disseminated, net-textured to semi-massive nickel sulphide mineralization from approximately 100 to 180 meters depth. In addition to the above, drillholes CM2023-05 and CM2023-06 both intersected zones of net-textured to semi-massive nickel and copper sulphide mineralization associated with a previously untested large shallow electromagnetic anomaly at Chrome Mountain. This anomaly forms part of a string of untested anomalies found near the footwall contact zone which runs more than 12 kilometers along strike from west of Chrome Mountain to Iron Mountain in the east. Visual inspection of the 2023 core shows many similarities to Stillwater's CZ deposit, located approximately five kilometers to the east, which contains the highest nickel grades in the 2023 declared resource. This exciting discovery is expected to form a priority target for the upcoming 2024 campaign." Upcoming Events - Clean Energy and Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference and AMEBC Core ShackStillwater Critical Minerals President & CEO, Michael Rowley, will present live on December 5th at 10am ET | 1pm PT with a Q&A to follow. Mr. Rowley is also available for one-on-one meetings following the event. For more information and to register click here.The Company looks forward to displaying core from the 2023 drill season at the upcoming AMEBC Mineral Roundup event held in Vancouver, BC from January 22 to 25, 2024. For more information click here.Government FundingThe Company continues to work with Cornell University under a Department of Energy grant, as announced February 14, 2023, an PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 16:30:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 988 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Confirmed as one of the most stable and important investment destinations on the continent, Tanzania prepares to host the fifth annual Tanzania Energy Cooperation Summit (TECS) from 31 January to 1 February 2024 in Arusha, home of the East African Community (EAC).LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Investors from across industry, finance and government are convening to showcase Tanzania's potential. Potential that is epitomised by a country now ranked third in sub-Saharan Africa for future investment, that is expected to see 6% GDP growth by 2025, and that has seen hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars of investment, targeted towards infrastructure, hydropower, LNG and solar projects in recent years.Ranked by KPMG behind only South Africa and Nigeria, Tanzania has confirmed its status when it comes to trade and investment.The nation was cited for its strategic location to the east of the continent, its abundance of natural resources, and its recent investment spike, especially in the power sector. A first on-grid 50MW solar power plant, a $300 million investment into hydropower, a $42 billion LNG project formed by Shell, Equinor and Exxon Mobil, and almost $7 billion injected into infrastructure, confirms its attractiveness both in Africa, and globally.Organised by EnergyNet, TECS24 will not only highlight these success stories but look at future trade and generation projects poised to transform the country and region further. Challenges around financing and guarantees will also be brought to the fore, to ensure that momentum isn't lost and that the country's power sector continues to go from strength to strength.Alongside major investors, stakeholders attending include national ministers from Tanzania, Malawi and Ethiopia, as well as heads of national utilities, including Tanzania's Managing Director of TANESCO, Gissima Nyamo-Hanga. Speakers from Electricidade de Mocambique (EDM) and Zambia's ZESCO will also be present. They, alongside representatives from the public and private sectors, DFIs - including AfDB, BII, World Bank Group and ATIDI - and multilaterals, will descend on Arusha for an intimate, high-level business retreat like no other.With an emphasis on Tanzania's' position as a regional energy enabler, topics being brought to the table include Tanzania's economic outlook and energy development potential, as well as plotting the best way to build a regional power market. Public-private partnerships in transmission projects will also be on the agenda, in addition to DFIs, governance and regulations, and the vital role of renewables. Attendees will be invited to offer ideas around building better regional interconnection, more robust frameworks for trade and investment, and ultimately to form a roadmap for regional energy access moving forward."Tanzania's positioning on the continent has made it pivotal to trade. With connections between south and east and also to the rest of the world, the country has always had the potential to be a trailblazer for industrial growth - and now we're seeing how this potential will be realised. It's therefore hugely exciting to showcase Tanzania's growth and to make sure the opportunity and momentum continues." said Simon Gosling, Managing Director, EnergyNet.He continued, "We're also delighted to be hosting the summit in Arusha, giving everyone the time and space to deep-dive into the sector's most pressing topics." "With Tanzania being one of our founding member countries, we are keen to do more in support of the country's energy sector goals. Building on the progress made at last year's event in Dar es Salaam, we hope that TECS24 will provide greater clarity on the proposed role of the private sector in the energy sector and how DFIs - particularly multilateral insurers and guarantors like ATIDI - can be supportive of such efforts and the wider energy transition," commented Obbie Banda, Underwriter & Acting RLSF Coordinator at the African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI).Aleem Tharani, Co-Head for Infrastructure Sector Group (Africa), Bowmans and Head of Projects, Energy & Infrastructure (Africa), concluded: "The 5th Tanzania Energy Cooperation Summit marks a pivotal moment for Africa's energy sector. By uniting investors, government entities and industry specialists, we're fostering dialogues crucial for advancing Tanzania's energy roadmap, prioritising gas and renewables, and enhancing regional transmission. Bowmans is proud to sponsor this summit, recognising its significance in shaping Africa's energy future and strengthening public-private partnerships." See the agenda and speaker line-up here https://www.Tanzania-ECS.com/ Distributed by APO Group on behalf of EnergyNet Ltd..Download image (1): https://apo-opa.co/4a66SnK Download image (2): https://apo-opa.co/418pH5A Media contact:sarah@ energynet.co.uk About EnergyNetFACILITATING ENERGY INVESTMENT IN FAST-GROWING ECONOMIES - EnergyNet has produced investment forums and executive dialogues for Africa and Latin America's power sectors for the last 25 years - in Europe, the USA, Asia and across Africa and Latin America.We work with governments and national utilities to facilitate investment summits where credible international investors can build relationships with public sector stakeholders to advance access to power.Best known for the Africa Energy Forum, the longest-serving business development meeting place for senior-level decision makers in Africa's power sector, other leading investment summits we provide strategic perspectives on the investment landscape and project preparation include the Tanzania Energy Cooperation Summit, H2 Africa, Offshore Technology Africa, Powering Africa Summit, Latin American Energy Forum and Latin American & Caribbean Gas Conference and Exhibition. YES! Youth Energy Summit and YES! Youth Energy Day are part of the portfolio, with a focus on creating a platform and network to boost the skills, connections and business readiness of a new generation of African energy leadersHaving this focus on public and private sector partnerships provides us with a valuable lens through which we can offer independent perspectives and support the business development activities of companies from around the world operating in these fast-growing markets. Our team talks daily with stakeholders across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean to support these insights, so relationships and investor insights are our business and our passion.Headquarters: London, UKFor further information, please visit our website https://EnergyNet.co.uk/ SOURCE: EnergyNet Ltd. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 21:17:04 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 590 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / The Moon Labs is an operating company under the LM Foundation and led by CEO Sung-Uk Moon. In a latest collaboration, the company proudly announces its selection as an Asian unicorn project by ICP.Hub Korea. This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in the realm of Web 3 business and aims to propel The Moon Labs into a prominent position on the global stage. ICP.Hub Korea Endorses LM Project as an integral part of the Internet Computer ecosystem, has officially endorsed the LM project, recognizing its potential to emerge as a leader in the Asian Web 3 landscape. This endorsement comes on the heels of a meticulous evaluation of the collaborative efforts between the LM Foundation and the Gaudi Knowledge Association.LM Foundation CEO Sung-Uk Moon speaking at ICP Gateway in Korea' CEO Moon And ICP.Hub Korea CEO Jake Park signing the Unicorn Project selection Agreement Moving forward, Strategic Business Agreement (MOU) was signed at Gaudi World Congress Seoul 2023, a prestigious event that unfolded on November 23. Then, The Moon Labs and ICP.Hub Korea signed Unicorn Project Selection Agreement at ICP Gateway in Korea' on December 4. The Moon Labs and ICP.Hub Korea solidified their commitment to this partnership. This agreement reflects a shared vision for the global expansion of the LM project and sets the stage for active investment and close cooperation between the two entities.Due to collaboration, Web 3 Business Excellence is recognized by ICP.Hub Koreahas commendably, and its prowess demonstrated by the LM Foundation in collaboration with the Gaudi Knowledge Association. This acknowledgment has elevated the LM project to the status of a unicorn project, signifying its exceptional potential and innovation in the Web 3 space.The Moon Labs, as a global exclusive partner of the Gaudi Knowledge Association in Spain, is at the forefront of implementing Gaudi's visionary designs into reality. The joint venture encompasses various initiatives, including building a metaverse centered around Gaudi's architectural works, developing a new Web 3 business based on Gaudi-themed NFTs, and creating a Gaudi fund to support creators and projects aligned with Gaudi's vision.Already underway, The Moon Labs and the Gaudi Knowledge Association are actively working on the joint project. They plan to unveil a special NFT exhibition utilizing Gaudi's legacy at the , scheduled to be held in April next year.About the Internet Computer (ICP):Launched in May 2021 by the DFINITY Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization, ICP is a mainnet that has consistently pushed the boundaries of blockchain technology. Known for its development of the world's first Bitcoin & Ethereum Direct Integration, ICP has pioneered HTTPS Outcalls for Web2-Web3 interoperability, a unique consensus mechanism, a certified eco-friendly blockchain, and reliable security with no downtime.About the CEO Sung-Uk Moon:Sung-Uk Moon, CEO of The Moon Labs, expresses his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "We will begin full-scale expansion of the LM Project into the global market through joint projects with the Gaudi Knowledge Association and active support from the Internet Computer. We can step up to become the most notable Unicorn Web 3 project in Asia, and we will focus all of The Moon Labs' capabilities to ensure this." This strategic collaboration promises to redefine the landscape of Asian Web 3 projects and positions The Moon Labs as a trailblazer in the global digital frontier.For media inquiries and further information, visit: https://themoonlabs.net Media Details:Contact Email Address: contact@ themoonlabs.comCompany Name: The Moon LabsWebsite link: https://themoonlabs.netContact Person name: HAN, Yunhee https://event-us.kr/icpkorea/event/73543 SOURCE: The Moon Labs Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that there is an absolute majority in the European Union that supports the opening of negotiations with Ukraine on EU accession. At a press conference with Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Gerdina Johannette Bruins Slot, who arrived in Kyiv, Kuleba said that one of the main topics of the meeting was preparation for the EU Council meeting next week, at which a historic decision is expected to be taken on the start of negotiations with Ukraine. You are all in the information space and you see the tension that Hungary is creating around this issue. The main thing that Ukrainians should understand is that a lot of work needs to be done on each result. Nothing is given for nothing. Second: There is an absolute majority in the European Union that supports the opening of membership negotiations with Ukraine, the minister said. He also informed that today he received an assurance that the Netherlands will support this decision and lobby for its adoption at a meeting of the European Council. We are grateful for that, Kuleba said. Kuleba noted that a number of important decisions are expected at the European Council meeting in December, in particular regarding the 12th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, as well as the adoption of a European financing instrument for Ukraine and a decision on the use of frozen Russian assets. And at this European Council, which will be held next week, in addition to decisions related to Ukraine, decisions related to other countries, important issues of the functioning of the EU, will be made. Therefore, the meeting will be difficult. But we have reason to believe that in the end the decisions that are necessary to ensure macro-financial support for Ukraine will be taken, he said. On November 8, the European Commission recommended to the European Council to start negotiations with Ukraine on EU membership. The final decision on the start of negotiations will be made by the heads of state and Government at the December meeting of the European Council, which will be held in Brussels on December 14-15. PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 15:05:53 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 493 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VNB Business Brokers Recognized for Commitment to Diversity and Excellence in Business ServicesNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / VNB Business Brokers, a leading provider in business brokerage, exit plan advisory, strategic growth consulting, and business valuation services, proudly announces its recent certification as a Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) by the New York City Department of Small Business Services. By achieving this significant milestone, VNB demonstrates its unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and excellence in the business services sector.VNB Business Brokers Logo Logo of VNB Business Brokers, featuring 'VNB' in blue and orange, alongside the services 'Business Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions' listed below. The design encapsulates the firm's expertise in business sales, exit and growth planning, and valuations. Expanded Reach and Enhanced ExpertiseThe NYC MBE certification highlights VNB's status as a minority-owned firm and opens new avenues for growth and collaboration with other businesses and government agencies. This expanded reach will allow VNB Business Brokers to connect with a broader network of potential buyers and sellers, providing its clients with even more opportunities to succeed.In addition, VNB's expertise in business advisory, strategic exit planning, and business valuations is further enriched by the unique perspectives and insights of being a part of the diverse MBE community. This deeper understanding of the market enables VNB Business Brokers to provide tailored advice and solutions that are specifically aligned with the needs of its diverse clientele.A Testament to Dedication and ExcellenceThe comprehensive 8-month application process for the MBE certification involved meticulous verification of VNB's business practices, ownership, and operations. Achieving the MBE certification not only underscores VNB's minority-owned status but also highlights the firm's dedication to transparency, ethical business practices, and professional excellence.A Commitment to Client SuccessWith the MBE certification, VNB Business Brokers renews its dedication to providing exceptional service to its clients. The firm remains committed to delivering tailored business solutions, from strategic exit planning to comprehensive business valuations and value acceleration strategies. This milestone enhances VNB's ability to help business owners maximize their potential, whether preparing for a sale or looking to grow and scale. "Achieving MBE certification is not just an accolade for our firm; it's a promise to our clients," says Vishal Bharucha, President of VNB Business Brokers. "It represents our continued effort to bring diverse perspectives and unparalleled expertise in every transaction and consultation." About VNB Business BrokersVNB Business Brokers is a leading business brokerage and advisory firm based in New York, NY. Specializing in business brokerage, exit planning, business valuations, and value acceleration services, VNB has a proven track record of facilitating successful business transactions and providing strategic business solutions to clients across various industries.Contact Information:To learn more about VNB Business Brokers and its services, please contact:Vishal BharuchaPresident845 3rd Avenue, 6th FloorNew York, NY 10022Phone: 212-220-0725Email: info@ vnbbrokers.comWebsite: https://www.vnbbrokers.comContact InformationVishal Bharucha President vishal@ vnbbrokers.com 917-924-0234 SOURCE: VNB Business Brokers PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 15:04:53 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 647 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The leading automotive, diesel, and collision trades school creates an all-new welding and fabrication training program designed to provide hands-on experience and skills to meet the industry's need for skilled welding technicians.LARAMIE, WY / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Responding to the needs of the oil and gas, structural, manufacturing, and fabrication sectors, WyoTech is launching an all-new, customized Applied Welding Technology Program. This program was developed by WyoTech and renowned industry professionals and tailored to meet the needs of both the trades and students.WyoTech is a leading automotive trade school, founded in 1966 and retooled in 2018, which has spurred a 9,000% increase in enrollment over the last five years.WyoTech's new six-month welding and fabrication program provides the opportunity for students to attain multiple welding qualifications based on the American Welding Society's (AWS) standards. Along with the learned welding skills, students will also be taught blueprint reading and learn the intricacies of project fabrication through invaluable hands-on experience. Students will spend 70% of their time in the shop earning their welding and fabrication skills.This newly developed welding program will teach skills in all major welding processes in all positions on steel plate and pipe, along with aluminum and stainless. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW), and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) are welding processes students will gain a solid understanding and skill in performing. The program's curriculum was developed by leading welding professionals who work in the manufacturing and training industry and have helped train and develop welding professionals across the globe."WyoTech prides itself in not offering a cookie-cutter curriculum, and the welding program is no different. WyoTech hand-picked the world's top welding talent to support the development of our curriculum," said Shawn Nunley, Vice President of Training at WyoTech."WyoTech's program stands out in its design for project-based welding," Nunley continued. "Students will begin with the basic welding principles on coupons and steel plate then will progress to more advanced welding techniques including overhead and pipe welding. Students will put their skills to the test by building a real and practical project, which is unique to this program WyoTech offers." WyoTech designed the Applied Welding Technology Program to match the schedule of many real-world operations. Welding technicians typically work in shifts rather than a standard, 9-to-5 schedule. Therefore, WyoTech will run two shifts of the program - one class during the day and a second at night. This model follows the model of working in the field, preparing students for when they may be expected to work days or nights.Upon completing the program, graduates will have attained the skills needed to succeed in structural, pipeline, heavy equipment, and industrial welding, all areas projected to be in demand for welding technicians.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an average of about 45,000 job openings annually for welders through 2032. The American Welding Society reports that the industry has a shortage of about 300,000 welders, which is expected to grow because of an unexpected wave of retirements, as the average age of a welder today is about 55."WyoTech is pleased that we are able to a stand in supporting the welding industry in America and once again innovate to meet the demands of the American economy for skilled workers," Nunley said.To learn more about WyoTech, its leading programs for automotive and diesel trades, and its new Applied Welding Technology Program, visit wyotech.edu About WyoTechWyoTech, formerly known as Wyoming Technical Institute, is a for-profit technical college founded in Laramie, Wyoming in 1966. WyoTech provides training programs that prepare students for careers as technicians in the automotive, collision and refinishing, and diesel industry with nine-month training programs that focus on hands-on experience and has recently established a top-tier, six-month welding and fabrication program.Contact InformationMike Albanese mike.albanese@newswire.com SOURCE: WyoTech PR-Inside.com: 2023-12-05 16:19:02 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 460 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / People eat fast food to fit in with their busy lives, often at a cost of quality. You might easily think that slow food' is the opposite! It actually refers to food produced or prepared following local culinary traditions, typically using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients.Slow Food is also the name of a global, grassroots organization, founded in 1989 to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions. The aim is to counteract the rise of fast life and combat people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the world around us.What does this have to do with FedEx?Beginning in early 2023, FedEx has helped fund the activation of two Earth Markets in an area close to the newly opened Novara Hub - at the renowned Ricetto di Candelo and in Borgomanero - and the establishment of 10 new Slow Food Presidia in Italy. This initiative supports local conservation by promoting the preservation of food biodiversity in Italy, a territory that hosts our facilities.Barbara Nappini, President of Slow Food Italy, commented: "Our collaboration with FedEx began about a year ago and practically immediately, even in an unexpected way, our dialogue appeared not only possible, but preparatory to a win-win opportunity: FedEx showed a real determination to give back to the territory concrete projects that had concrete positive effects in terms of protecting biodiversity, supporting small farms, creating networks." What are Earth Markets and Slow Food Presidia?Earth Markets are an international network of markets that work in accordance with Slow Food principles. Small producers and food artisans sell what they produce and transform and can personally guarantee and tell the story of the quality of their products. Earth Markets are places to buy high quality products, but also spaces to build communities, create exchanges, and educate. Worldwide there are 88 Earth Markets in 25 countries, 47 of which are active in Italy.Slow Food Presidia are communities that work every day to save native breeds, varieties of vegetables and fruit, breads, cheeses, cured meats, and traditional desserts from extinction through their commitment to passing on production techniques and crafts. Over 600 Presidia involve farmers, artisans, shepherds, fishermen, and winegrowers from 70 countries. In Italy 2018 producers are involved in 369 Presidia in the 20 regions.Since its beginnings in Italy, Slow Food has grown into a global movement involving millions of people in over 160 countries, working to ensure everyone has access to good, clean, and fair food.*This project is funded by CAF America thanks to the generosity of FedExView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx Corporation on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: FedEx CorporationWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/fedex-corporation Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: FedEx Corporation The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has expressed its commitment to work with global partners in the march towards reducing methane emissions in oil and gas operations. Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of NNPC Ltd, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. Mr Soneye said the oil and gas decarbonisation charter was released on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), taking place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. He said the charter calls on the oil and gas sector to achieve the goal of reaching net-zero emissions for their own operations by 2050. It also includes commitments to achieve near-zero methane emissions and no routine flaring by 2030. Speaking on the development during a Panel Session titled Accelerating the Elimination of Methane Emissions & the Decarbonisation of Oil & Gas, the NNPC Ltds Executive Vice President, Upstream, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan said the charter was a major opportunity not just for the NNPC Ltd, but for the African sub-region. Africa contributes three per cent to emissions, but that does not exclude us from the consequences of the emissions. I think the decarbonisation drive and the charter are not just ethical but also a strategic imperative for a major African National Oil Company (NOC) like ours. We believe this charter is an important one. We are committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver on that, Ms Eyesan said. She said to achieve its near-zero methane emissions, Nigeria has since declared this decade as a Decade of Gas, which is not only geared towards producing more gas for export but also towards producing gas for the local economy and that of the entire African region. I assure you that we are open to working with our partners towards achieving zero-flare and methane emission reduction by 2030. This fits perfectly with our dreams, and we consider it achievable, she added. She described finance and technology as the two major challenges in delivering on the provisions of the charter, noting that for the two problems to be solved, African countries need to work with partners who have the technology and finance. She said NNPC Ltd remains committed to expanding its alternative energy sources through investment in solar, wind, and other renewable sources. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerians have criticised two agencies of the federal government, whose heads chose Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to announce a partnership meant to be executed back home. The agencies the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the National Agency for Science & Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding MoU), in Dubai on the sidelines of the ongoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), a United Nations-organised gathering on climate change. The celebratory announcement of the partnership seemingly to justify their participation in the conference and the government-funded trip to Dubai, angered many Nigerians who believe it was a waste of scarce public resources. This is even as Nigerians have condemned the countrys large number of delegates funded by the government to the conference, in the face of economic hardships millions of Nigerians are grappling with back home. Of the 1,411 participants from Nigeria, the government said 422 attended at the expense of public funds. REA, NASENI Dubai Partnership On Sunday, the REA and NASENI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on collaboration and the sharing of knowledge in Dubai. Both agencies are Abuja-based and are meant to execute the project back home in Nigeria. While the REA is saddled with the responsibility of powering rural Nigerian communities, NASENI has the mandate of coordinating the proliferation of technologies developed in the country. This Memorandum of Understanding signifies not only a partnership but a pact to empower lives through the transformative power of clean and accessible energy, the Managing Director of the REA, Ahmad Salihijo, was quoted to have said about the MoU in a post published on the Agencys X handle. At the REA, we are inspired by the prospect of leveraging the strengths of both organisations. Together, we will navigate the intricate landscape of research and development, driving innovation that will redefine the energy landscape of our nation. The REA X handle also listed the objectives of the MoU to include collaboration in research and development of projects, setting of standards and enforcing quality in electrifying underserved communities in Nigeria. Other objectives of the MoU as posted on X is: To share knowledge, data, and information related to rural electrification; To promote the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and biomass, in rural electrification projects, contributing to sustainability and environmental goals. Aid the development and maintenance of infrastructure necessary for rural electrification, including power distribution networks and access to energy services; To collaborate on the development of policies, regulations, and guidelines that support the expansion of rural electrification efforts. To establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the progress and impact of rural electrification projects, ensuring accountability and transparency. Police Go Green The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, an official also considered to have unnecessarily swollen the ranks of the Nigerian delegation to the conference, launched a Nigerian Police initiative to be implemented in Nigeria in Dubai. Mr Egbetokun, who played no consequential roles at the event, said the NPF would unveil the Nigeria Police Green Initiatives (NPGI) as an effort to drive low-emission engagements and boost effective policing in Nigeria. He said the Nigerian police emission reduction programme is a sustainable development programme aimed at deploying green initiative solutions to support Nigerias transition to a low carbon emission programme and also boost the Forces operational efficiency and capacity to fight crime and maintain law and order in Nigeria. The IGP explained that the main objective of the NGPI, among several others, is to encourage lifestyle change among officers of the police force in Nigeria. He said the initiative will facilitate the adoption of solar power across all police barracks and colleges. It will help to lighten up security with solar power to reduce security vulnerability, he noted, adding that the Police Go Green initiative is the latest milestone in Nigerias green and sustainable journey. Nigerians express displeasure But Nigerians on social media, particularly X, have criticised the decision of the officials to choose Dubai to announce the initiatives, describing it as an avoidable financial burden on Nigerias ailing economy. In his post, a Nigerian journalist, Eniola Daniel, wondered why both agencies whose driving distance is less than 10 kilometres apart, had to travel more than 5,000 kilometres to sign the agreement. Shame . REA and NASENI left Abuja, Nigeria to sign MOU in Dubai Shame on @TheREANigeria and @NASENIHQ The driving distance between the two agencies is less than 10km in Abuja but they traveled 5,360km (2900 nautical miles) to Dubai to sign the agreement. When pic.twitter.com/KaVAd5tzix President Eniola Daniel (@UnlimitedEniola) December 4, 2023 On his part, @FinPlanKaluAja1 also criticised the IGPs attendance at the conference. The Inspector General of Police is in Dubai to attend the COP. Pray, what is the business of the IGP in a climate conference in Dubai? he posted. The Inspector General of Police is in Dubai to attend the COP. Pray, what is the business of the IGP in a climate conference in Dubai? Kalu Aja (@FinPlanKaluAja1) December 5, 2023 Another X user, @Oserume1, tweeted: REA and NASENI are based in Nigeria, but they went to Dubai to sign MOU with themselves??? I keep saying it APC will finish Nigeria with lies and propaganda! REA and NASENI are based in Nigeria, but they went to Dubai to sign MOU with themselves??? I keep saying it APC will finish Nigeria with lies and propaganda! https://t.co/UhQJLkJgYh Anti-Agbado! (@Oserume1) December 3, 2023 @BuikeOnah posted: Two Nigerian agencies with offices in Abuja went to Dubai to sign a memorandum. But na Papa Biliki go tighten belt. Two Nigerian agencies with offices in Abuja went to Dubai to sign a memorandum. But na Papa Biliki go tighten belt. Ude asuru na mba, nu ya na mba. (@BuikeOnah) December 4, 2023 In an opinion article published by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, former presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, said the trip to Dubai by REA and NASENI to sign a joint Memorandum of Understanding and make a song and dance out of it is the very height of buffoonery and stupidity. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Fifteen years after a life-altering accident that claimed his two arms, Quadri Taiwo, a former staffer of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), has been paid N30 million compensation. The N30 million cheque was presented to Mr Taiwo by the management of Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Ltd (NELMCO) on Tuesday during the sitting of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition. Background Mr Taiwo was serving as an industrial trainee at the PHCN when the incident occurred on 5 May, 2008. The victim, a student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, was working on a power line when the incident happened. Despite notifying the station before embarking on the repair work, there was a sudden supply of electricity to the line which caused instant electrocution. Following the incident, Mr Taiwo approached the House in 2016 through a petition submitted by Wale Raji (APC, Lagos). The 8th House of Representatives subsequently awarded N50 million but it was reviewed upward to N100 million by the 9th House. After a series of negotiations between Mr Taiwo and NELMCO, the N30 million was agreed upon by the parties. Presentation The CEO/ MD of NELMCO, Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas, in her remarks, pledged support for Mr Taiwo and his family aside from the compensation package. We are very sympathetic to Mr Taiwos plight and we are very dedicated to ensuring that liabilities such as this are settled timely. NELMCO hopes that this would help to elevate the suffering of Mr Taiwo and his family. We will continue to provide support for him when and where we can, she said. Speaking on the settlement, Mr Raji, who submitted the petition, said NELMCO should help the victim with new prosthetic arms because the current ones he is using has a shelf life of 15 years. He commended Mr Taiwo for enduring the long journey to justice. On the artificial limbs, we would appreciate a new one. The one he is using was made in India and it has a shelf life of 15 years. It is creating a lot of discomfort for him, Mr Raji said. While the hearing was ongoing, Mr Taiwos wife, who was seated beside her husband, could not hold back the tears from her eyes as she helped her husband put on and off the microphone during the engagement with the lawmakers. Taiwos emotional message The victim, who requested to speak in the course of the hearing, described the incident as a life-altering event that has changed the trajectory of his life. He stated that it has taken the support of his wife to keep on going while the petition lasted, adding that his co-worker died instantly. I want to thank God for my life. We were two when it happened, the second person died instantly, Mr Taiwo said while appreciating everyone connected to his case. The Chairman of the Committee on Public Petition, Micheal Etaba, urged NELMCO to consider a compensation package for the family of the other victim. Mr Taiwo, you almost moved everyone to tears. Your wife had earlier caused people to almost cry. You also added to it, Mr Etaba said while congratulating the victim and his family. The cheque was subsequently presented to Mr Taiwos wife, who signed all the relevant documents. Speaking to journalists after the event, Mr Taiwo said the N30 million compensation cannot heal the trauma he suffered, adding that the incident halted his education. Without undermining what National Assemblys effortwell, the N30 million could probably improve my life but psychologically it cannot erase anything. Is it the education that has been trashed? Is it my social-cultural life that cannot be healed? I thank the National Assembly for intervening, but it is nothing. I could not complete my programme even though I had only one year to go when the incident happened. Since then, it has been very traumatic for me and my family. One of the saddest things for me is being unable to complete my education. It has not been easy but thanks to my dear wife, who has been very supportive. She was God-sent to me. I hope things will improve and my life will improve, he said. Operating phone with legs Mr Taiwo also demonstrated how he operates phones with his foot, stating that he has trained himself to use his foot to operate phones. Although, I operate phones with my legsI use Facebook and tweet. Yet, it has not been easy because you rely on people for everything, he said. The House Committee on Public Petition is a quasi-judiciary body with the power to hear cases on rights violation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The High Seas Treaty officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty must be signed and ratified by 20 September 2025. The treaty marks the first internationally binding global legal framework to protect the High Seas and areas beyond national jurisdiction. It aims to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in this space, which covers nearly two-thirds of the worlds oceans. But Africa is lagging in the global endeavour to safeguard the worlds blue lungs. A greater collective effort from the continent is essential for the treaty to work. While the African Group of Negotiators played a crucial role in shaping the accepted text, this still needs to be translated into ratification by African states. Since the treaty opened to state signatures on 20 September, 84 countries have signed it, but only 12 signatures are from Africa. African support is essential for attaining the 60 ratifications needed to bring the treaty into force. It represents the largest collective voting bloc at the United Nations (UN) with 54 member states. Global treaties typically take years to enter into force, even when they result from global consensus. The High Seas Treaty needs a speedier timeline than the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which took 12 years to reach the 60 ratifications required, entering into force in 1994. Theres much at stake for Africa, with its diverse marine life a vital resource for millions of people, driving economies and shaping cultural identities. Nation states in the international system possess the right to use territorial waters and the areas beyond national jurisdiction sustainably, as expressed in UNCLOS. But these rights must be exercised with an obligation to safeguard and conserve the oceans for the benefit of future generations under the principle of the common heritage of humankind. The High Seas Treaty can contribute to steering sustainable blue economies, harmonising economic growth with environmental protection. It can do this by promoting responsible fisheries management, equitable sharing of marine genetic resources with potential for scientific research, developing new pharmaceuticals and biotechnological applications, and tapping into ocean-based renewable energy sources. Several African countries are championing sustainable practices through national blue economy strategies, and the Great Blue Wall initiative and other community-driven ocean-centred efforts should empower coastal communities to preserve their marine heritage. This would align with the vision of Agenda 2063 and steer Africa towards a sustainable and prosperous future. Recent research by the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) suggests that every dollar invested in key ocean actions could yield at least $5 in global benefits by 2050. While the opportunities presented by this agreement are varied and promising, Africa must still contend with challenges to meaningful implementation. Theres a need to increase awareness and provide more knowledge about the treatys potential benefits and importance at multiple governance levels. At the national level, awareness campaigns and training programmes could educate government officials, policymakers, and stakeholders about the treatys implications and advantages and chart the course for ratification so it can be expedited. African states should also assess their existing national policies and legislation related to marine biodiversity and align them with the High Seas Treaty. This will involve updating and enacting new laws and regulations to ensure compliance with the agreements requirements in close consultation with policy think tanks, academia, youth groups, and especially coastal communities and indigenous groups. African countries could allocate adequate financial resources towards the treatys implementation, including funding for research and scientific studies, capacity-building initiatives, and infrastructure development. Theres also a financial hurdle, though with limited financial and technical resources available to African countries to implement the High Seas Treatys provisions effectively. Resource constraints make it difficult for many African countries to allocate funds and invest in the necessary infrastructure and capacity-building measures to implement the treaty. Power imbalances in international negotiations and decision-making processes may also challenge African countries in effectively participating and influencing the treatys development and implementation. Regional economic communities can facilitate treaty ratification and implementation at the regional level by providing technical assistance, sharing best practices, and coordinating efforts among member states. Collaborative regional efforts are needed to ensure the treatys successful adoption and execution. Finally, several actions can be taken at the African Union (AU) level that build on existing successes. This involves the AU Commission continuing to convene the African Group of Negotiators for capacity-building and awareness-raising initiatives, like the one it held to mark the 40th celebration of Africas UNCLOS contribution at the end of 2022. These meetings have impacted the process by improving the knowledge and buy-in of key stakeholders, such as policymakers and government officials, about the treatys provisions, objectives, and implications for Africa. Prioritising the treaty on the agenda and encouraging member states active involvement in related discussions is essential. The AU Commission can also advance capacity-building initiatives, leveraging the AUs Centres of Excellence to enhance scientific and technological capabilities in marine biodiversity research and management. These centres can play a pivotal role in bolstering the continents knowledge capacity on the elements of the High Seas Treaty. Such multilevel implementation will be challenging, but the Paris Agreement, which came into force in November 2016, 12 months after its adoption, ignites hope that the High Seas Treaty can be brought into force by 2025. This would pave the way for a sustainable and thriving future for the worlds oceans. If successful, Africa can bridge the gap between ideation and implementation of the treatys aspirational mandate. Africas commitment would safeguard marine ecosystems and yield substantial economic and environmental benefits for future generations. Ilhan Dahir, Senior Researcher, Climate Risk and Human Security, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Nairobi and David Willima, Research Officer, Maritime, ISS Pretoria (This article was published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked the National Assembly to increase its 2024 budgetary allocation from N43 billion to N76 billion. This was contained in the budget synopsis presented by the Commissions Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes on Tuesday. According to the document sighted by PREMIUM TIMES, the Budget Office proposed N43.1 billion for the commission with a breakdown of N37 billion as personnel cost, N4.7 as overhead and N1.2 billion for capital projects. However, the EFCC proposed N76.5 billion with a capital component of N25 billion, overhead pegged at N14.5 billion and personnel cost at N37 billion. In a further breakdown, the commission proposed N2.6 billion for the procurement of vehicles in 2024 and another N1.7 billion for international travels. But the budget office, in its final approval, removed the N2.6 billion for vehicles, N11 billion proposed for the construction of offices and N2.6 billion for security equipment. It also slashed the proposal for foreign trips to N563.2 million from the N1.7 billion proposed by the EFCC. Justifying the need for the lawmakers to increase the EFCC budget, Mr Olukoyede said the commission needs more resources to execute its mandates so as not to be criticised by Nigerians and the parliament for performing below expectations. From the realistic point of view, what we think is, it will be good for us to workbecause if we manage to investigate and prosecute crime, you (lawmakers) will also manage to abuse us that we are not working, he said. So, we dont want to receive such an attack (criticisms) from you and we dont want to manage. That is why we increased it (capital expenditure) to N25 billion which we think will suffice for us to operate in the year 2024, he added. Mr Olukoyede said the commission is proposing N25 billion as capital cost because the N1.241 billion proposed by the budget office will not do anything for the agency. The committee subsequently moved into an executive session to deliberate on the proposal. NFIU defends budget Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Modibbo Tukur, also appeared before the committee to defend the budget of his agency. Speaking on the budget, Ginger Onwusibe (LP, Abia), chairman of the committee, said the panel will look at the proposal of the antigraft agency and make recommendations. Mr Onwusibe asked the NFIU to collaborate with the committee in information sharing. However, Mr Tukur refused to speak in the presence of the media, stating that their work requires some level of secrecy. The committee also went into a closed-door session. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nduka Obaigbena, chairman of the ThisDay/Arise Media Group will receive the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd edition of the annual Diamond Awards for Media Excellence on Sunday in Lagos. In the letter of notification signed by DAME Trustee, Lanre Idowu, the organisers cite his advocacy and commitment to a free, strong, and enterprising media, his unwavering defence of free expression and of the media, and his uncommon genius as qualities that recommend him for the award. As an entrepreneur, you have provided jobs for numerous people in the media industry. As a professional, you have trained many leaders in the media, the letter reads. Mr Obaigbena is a recipient of the national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and the highest journalistic honour of the fellowship of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (FNGE). Two other journalists, Emeka Izeze, former managing director and editor in chief of the Guardian Newspapers Ltd. and Mike Awoyinfa, former managing director and editor in chief of Sun Publishing Ltd, will also receive the DAME honorary fellowships for sustained positive contributions in the media. Both have been line editors, title editors, and columnists before attaining the professional recognition of the fellowship of the Guild of Editors. Fifteen media houses will, however, vie for honours at the awards ceremony, established in 1991 to enhance professionalism in the media by rewarding outstanding talent and enterprise. Prizes will be given in such areas of media work as reporting, commentary, and design. Aside from honouring individuals and organisations with career-boosting recognitions, the awards promote a culture of appreciation through which genuine achievers are honoured, and also provide media scholars and professionals, policy formulators, and regulators with the welcome annual feedback on the state of media practice. In all, 52 nominations have been made in various categories from which will emerge the overall winners. Lanre Idowu, FNGE DAME Secretariat 05-12-2023 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Taking key measures to reduce the power consumption of cooling equipment would cut at least 60 per cent off predicted 2050 sectoral emissions, provide universal access to life-saving cooling, take the pressure off energy grids and save trillions of dollars by 2050, according to a new report published during the COP28 climate talks in Dubai. The Global Cooling Watch report, Keeping it Chill: How to meet cooling demands while cutting emissions by the UN Environment Programme-led Cool Coalition lays out sustainable cooling measures in three areas: passive cooling, higher-energy efficiency standards, and a faster phase down of climate-warming refrigerants. Following the measures outlined in these areas would deliver the 60 per cent cuts; adding rapid power grid decarbonization would reduce sectoral emissions by 96 per cent. The report is released in support of the Global Cooling Pledge, a joint initiative between the United Arab Emirates as host of COP28 and the Cool Coalition. Today, over 60 countries signed up to the Pledge with commitments to reduce the climate impact of the cooling sector. As temperatures rise, it is critical that we work together to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions from the cooling sector while increasing access to sustainable cooling. This access is especially important for the most vulnerable communities, who have often contributed the least to climate change but are the most exposed to its impacts, said Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President. The cooling sector must grow to protect everyone from rising temperatures, maintain food quality and safety, keep vaccines stable and economies productive, said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. But this growth must not come at the cost of the energy transition and more intense climate impacts. Countries and the cooling sector must act now to ensure low-carbon cooling growth. Fortunately, the solutions are available today. Getting energy efficient, sustainable cooling right offers an opportunity to cut global warming, improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people, and realise huge financial savings. Rapid and unsustainable growth in cooling Climate change, population and income growth, and urbanisation are increasing cooling demand, which is necessary to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Around 1.2 billion people in Africa and Asia lack access to cooling services, putting lives at risk from extreme heat, reducing farmers incomes, driving food loss and waste, and hindering universal vaccine access. As temperatures rise, it is critical that we work together to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions from the cooling sector while increasing access to sustainable cooling. This access is especially important for the most vulnerable communities, who have often contributed the least to climate change but are the most exposed to its impacts. On current growth trends, cooling equipment represents 20 per cent of total electricity consumption today and is expected to more than double by 2050. Greenhouse gas emissions from power consumption will increase, alongside leakage of refrigerant gases, most of which have a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Under a business-as-usual scenario, emissions from cooling are predicted to account for more than 10 per cent of global emissions in 2050. Rising demand for often inefficient equipment, including air-conditioners and refrigerators, will require large investments in electricity generation and distribution infrastructure. Inefficient equipment will also result in high electricity bills for end users, particularly in Africa and South Asia, where the fastest growth is predicted. The private sector has a huge role to play in financing and driving innovation to advance sustainable cooling, which can help fulfill vital local development needs and support global carbon reduction targets. We are pleased to contribute to the Global Cooling Stocktake Report and to support the Global Cooling Pledge, said Makhtar Diop, Managing Director, International Finance Corporation. Benefits for climate, human health, and prosperity Following the reports recommendations could reduce the projected 2050 emissions from business-as-usual cooling by around 3.8 billion tons of CO2e. This would: Allow an additional 3.5 billion people to benefit from refrigerators, air conditioners or passive cooling by 2050. Reduce electricity bills for end users by US$1 trillion in 2050, and by US$17 trillion cumulatively between 20222050. Reduce peak power requirements by between 1.5 and 2 terawatts (TW) almost double the EUs total generation capacity today. Avoid power generation investments in the order of US$4 to US$5 trillion. Adding in rapid grid decarbonization would bring the total emission cuts up to 96 per cent. G20 countries represent 73 per cent of the 2050 emission reduction potential. The report outlines key actions to take in passive cooling strategies, higher energy efficiency standards and a faster phase down of climate-warming hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants through the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol . As of 2022, while more than 80 per cent of countries had at least one regulatory instrument in place in these areas, implementation remains inadequate, and an integrated approach is missing. Only 30 per cent of countries have regulations that enable action on all the three fronts. Passive cooling measures Passive cooling measures such as insulation, natural shading, ventilation and reflective surfaces can dramatically reduce cooling loads. These can be provided, in part, by the development and enforcement of building energy codes that incorporate passive cooling, and urban design. Such strategies can curb the growth in demand for cooling capacity in 2050 by 24 per cent, result in capital cost savings in avoided new cooling equipment of up to US$3 trillion, and reduce emissions by 1.3 billion tons of CO2e. Higher efficiency standards Higher efficiency standards and better labelling of all cooling equipment would triple the global average efficiency of cooling equipment in 2050 from todays levels, delivering 30 per cent of modelled energy savings, lowering energy bills and improving the resilience and financial viability of cold chains. Critical implementing policies include regularly updated Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), financial instruments to encourage demand for higher efficiency products and regulations to avoid the dumping of low efficiency cooling equipment into developing countries. Kigali Amendment The world has committed to phasing down HFCs through the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol a global deal designed to protect the ozone layer and slow climate change. Faster action is possible and can achieve a halving of HFC emissions in 2050 compared to the Kigali phase-down timetable through rapid uptake of better technologies in new equipment, better refrigerant management, and stronger national enforcement. Finance is critical The total life-cycle cost savings of $22 trillion ($17 trillion in power costs savings and $5 trillion in power generation investments) will make the sustainable cooling transition affordable. Existing business models need to be scaled to use these savings to reduce upfront costs and make the transition affordable for all. Financial tools include on-bill financing (when a utility pays for an upgrade and recovers the cost through monthly power bills), risk-sharing facilities, public and private investments, green mortgages, seed financing for cold chains. For many developing countries, dedicated concessional finance will be needed as well as incorporating sustainable cooling criteria into banks lending practices. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Turkmenistan supports Azerbaijan's initiative to establish a five-party expert group on the Caspian Sea, said Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov during the meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral countries in Moscow, Trend reports. "We consider it expedient to involve scientific forces in its work, to form discussion platforms, possibly in the format of conferences, round tables and similar events. It is especially important to involve in this process researchers and specialists dealing with water management issues in the Caspian basin," he said. Meredov noted that the Caspian Sea level decrease is one of the most urgent problems that requires close study and attention. He added that only in the last 25 years the sea level has dropped by almost two meters, which is a worrying figure reflecting a negative tendency. At the same time, referring to the issues of improving the situation, the minister emphasized that a detailed study of such a phenomenon as the decrease in the volume of water in the Caspian Sea will make it possible to understand its nature and, consequently, to develop measures to prevent and mitigate its consequences. "If this requires additional legal instruments, Turkmenistan is ready to prepare a draft of the relevant five-party document for further discussion with littoral countries," Meredov said. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has so far taken bold and courageous decisions that would, in the long run, change Nigerias economic fortunes. This, he noted, is the reason behind the present administrations determination to ensure youth empowerment and human capital development. The vice president stated this on Monday when he received the management of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) led by the Commandant, Ayodele Adeleke, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He assured that the Tinubu administration is determined to bequeath a country that is firmly on the path of prosperity. The NISS delegation was at the Presidential Villa to present to the Vice President the report of a study conducted by 86 participants in the institutes Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 16 with the theme, Globalisation and Regional Economic Integration: Implications for Sustainable Development in Africa. Speaking during the presentation of the report, the VP commended the faculty and members of the EIMC 16 for their efforts, noting that the recommendations of the study align with the perspectives of the Tinubu administration, especially the advocacy for investing in ICT and infrastructure development. On the theme of the EIMC 16 research study, the VP said, It is very apt, especially given the circumstances we have found ourselves in on the African continent. We are challenged from all angles cyber-terrorism, human and drug trafficking, money laundering, transnational extremism and banditry, and the challenges of climate change. On the need to diversify the economy away from oil, Mr Shettima noted that in the next 20 to 30 years, oil may not be as valuable as it is today. Our only luck and happiness is that we are largely a gas nation. But our most important resource is our human capital which we need to harness. We have to invest in education. I believe that with the right infrastructure and qualitative leadership, we can transform this nation, he stated. The vice president further noted that with the right leadership at all levels of governance, the countrys growing population can be harnessed and positively deployed to transform the economy. He stated: Let us create jobs, engage the youth; let us invest in their education. All these challenges of terrorism and banditry will be contained but the fundamental question is the quality of leadership. EIMC is designed to provide strategic-level security/intelligence officers and top-level management with the requisite skills to handle their positions and contribute positively to the implementation of national security policies and national development. The participants for EIMC 16 were drawn from 35 agencies in Nigeria and four other African countries of Chad, The Gambia, Niger and Rwanda. Earlier in his speech, Mr Adeleke thanked President Tinubu for his commitment to excellence and a sense of responsibility since he assumed office. He stated: The EIMC is a flagship programme of the institute, among other courses, aimed at impacting the requisite knowledge to participants to equip them with leadership skills to be able to address the dynamics of national and global security challenges in their respective countries as well as to foster inter-agency synergy and international cooperation. The commandant called on African economies to invest in ICT infrastructure as a key driver for economic growth, while investing in research and development. *Stanley Nkwocha* *Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications* *(Office of The Vice President)* *4th December, 2023* Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday, pledged support for a peace-building initiative in Nigerias South-east which has been ravaged by deadly attacks linked to Biafra agitation. Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, stated this while fielding questions from reporters after a meeting with Mr Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Kalu led a delegation of members of the Peace in South-east Project to interact with Mr Shettima. Mr Kalu said the vice president gave his nod that it was time to adopt a different approach to finding a lasting solution to the socio-economic challenges bedevilling the South-east. Last week, I was invited by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, to visit the South-east. An invitation I obliged. In the course of that visit, we were able to do some needs analysis on what is happening in that zone and it was a great concern when we saw that the South-east needed a lot of help both in infrastructure and ecological problems. Like at the moment, Anambra State happened to be the ecological needs capital of the world with the highest level of erosion. Mr Kalu observed that the economy of the South-east region had gone down from what it used to be. And as you know, if the income per capital of a particular geo-economic zone goes low affecting the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of that zone, invariably it affects the economy of the entire country. And we all know the reason. That is because of the insecurity in that zone that every other thing around the zone has been affected. We want to change the narrative. We want to have a paradigm shift from what it used to be to what it ought to be. Not for federal government alone The lawmaker noted that an active business space in the South-east will contribute to the Nigerian economy. He acknowledged that the current administration was taking the right steps to enhance social cohesion that would drive national loyalty and patriotism. According to him, the job cannot be done by the federal government alone, and there is a need for all hands to be on deck to find a solution to the high needs of the zone. We did the same when it was South-south, we are doing the same in the North-east at the moment. And South-south, as you know, has remained a business heaven now. What is happening in the South-east now needs an intervention beyond what the government can do. And that is why we came up with an organisation called Peace in South-east Project to be able to drive this organisation which is based on using non-kinetic means towards resolving the problem of the South-east. Mr Kalu said that militarisation and kinetic means should be replaced by non-kinetic means. This will enable us to do a sociological analysis of the causative factors that had given birth to these challenges that we are faced with. Mr Kalu commended all the governors and traditional institutions in the South-east for their commitment and efforts towards the restoration of peace and prosperity in the region. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, on Monday, said they will be unveiling the Nigeria Police Green Initiatives (NPGI) as an effort to drive low-emission engagements and boost effective policing in Nigeria. Mr Egbetokun disclosed this during a side event at the Nigerian pavilion at the ongoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai on Monday. He explained that the Nigerian police emission reduction programme is a sustainable development programme aimed at deploying green initiative solutions to support Nigerias transition to a low carbon emission programme and also boost the Forces operational efficiency and capacity to fight crime and maintain law and order in Nigeria. Well be launching this programme very soon. We have not fixed a day for the official launching, but we intend to officially launch this programme by January next year, he said. Mr Egbetokun said there is a growing global concern about climate change and that the initiative is the Forces contribution to Nigerias global commitments to climate change issues. What we are doing right now is to blaze the trail so that other agencies of government will follow. We expect that immediately we launch the programme, other agencies of government will follow, and other private organisations will also join, he said. READ ALSO: Core objectives On Monday, Mr Egbetokun explained that the main objective of the NGPI among several others is to encourage lifestyle change among officers of the police force in Nigeria. He said the initiative will facilitate the adoption of solar power across all police barracks and colleges. It will help to lighten up security with solar power to reduce security vulnerability, he added. Mr Egbetokun noted that the Police Go Green initiative is the latest milestone in Nigerias green and sustainable journey. COP28 At the ongoing Summit in Dubai, the Nigerian government on Monday said it funded only 422 of the total 1,411 Nigerian delegates accredited for the conference this year. As the biggest economy and most populous country in Africa, with a substantial extractive economy and extensive vulnerability to climate change, the government said Nigeria has a significant stake in climate action, and that their active and robust participation at COP is therefore not unwarranted. COP-28 presents an array of investment and partnership opportunities for the various sectors affected by climate change, and Nigeria is already benefiting from its ongoing participation, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said. This story was produced as part of the 2023 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu has sympathised with the families of victims, the people and government of Kaduna State over the bombing mishap in a village at Tundun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of the state. This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Tuesday. Scores of people died and others injured in the village following a drone operation by the Nigerian Army on Sunday. The residents had gathered to mark Maulud festivities. President Tinubu, who is currently in Dubai, UAE, for the Climate Change Summit, described the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, expressing indignation and grief over the tragic loss of Nigerian lives. READ ALSO: At least 31 civilians killed in Kaduna military airstrike The president directed a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident and calls for calm while the authorities look diligently into the mishap. President Tinubu also directed swift and comprehensive medical attention for surviving victims while praying for the repose of the souls of the deceased. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Police in Rivers State have arrested suspects who allegedly abducted and buried their victim alive after collecting ransom. The victim, Praise Daakian, is a former chairperson of the Community Development Committee in Kereken-Boue, Khana Local Government Area of the state. The suspects identified as Baridapdo Igia, 33, and Elvis Gordon, 26 allegedly buried alive the victim after collecting N200, 000 from his wife as part payment for ransom. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olatunji Disu stated this on Monday in Port Harcourt, during his maiden news briefing after assuming duties in the state, Punch newspaper reported. Mr Disu did not state whether the victim had died or was rescued. The suspects, Mr Disu said, were arrested on 15 November in separate operations by officers of the Anti-Cultism Unit in Kereken-Boue community of Khana Local Government Area. On the day of resumption, I had before me a security deficit in many areas of Rivers State. One of those areas was Khana Local Government, and we immediately deployed tactical units to quell the situation. After a series of interrogations, the duo confessed to being leaders of Iceland and Degbam cult groups in Khana Local Government Area, and have been terrorising Khana Local Government Area for the past three years. These cult groups have been known to have endless clashes in the community. During interrogations, they also admitted to kidnapping and burying alive Mr Daakian. The police said they have also arrested three suspected armed robbers and cultists in the Trans-Amadi area of the state. The police commissioner identified the three suspects as Elsharawy Joseph, 27, Thankgod Achese, 23, and Ibrahim Ishaq, 25, and said they were intercepted in a tricycle and arrested on 19 November by the police while on patrol along Danjuma Drive. Upon a thorough search, one locally made pistol and a dagger were recovered, alongside the tricycle which is suspected to be stolen. The suspects confessed to the crime of robbery using the one chance model and have robbed and stole phones and valuables from unsuspecting victims. They use their tricycle (Keke) along Odili Road and Abuloma areas to search for passengers to rob and push the passengers out after forcibly taking their valuables. They owned up to using a dagger and a locally made pistol to scare their victims. They obtained the pistol from one Nkpogeto, who is still at large. Mr Disu urged members of the public to furnish the police with necessary information to enable them to fight crimes in the state. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, imposed a fine of N40 million on human rights activists and constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, for filing a frivolous motion before the court regarding the Imo governorship tussle, which was decided in 2019. In a ruling by Justice Tijani Abubakar, the court ordered the senior lawyer to pay the N40 million fine to the four respondents he had sued. Justice Abubakar held in the ruling that the request was strange, frivolous, baseless, unwarranted, vexatious and irritating. He further held that the motion was a calculated design to demonise the Supreme Court. Mr Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was called to the Nigerian Bar over 42 years ago. The fine was for bringing a motion before the Supreme Court, seeking to re-validate the suit that removed Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State in 2019. Those to be paid are the Action Peoples Party, Uche Nnadi, Uche Nwosu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In the motion, Mr Ozekhome had asked the court for a consequential order to compel INEC to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Mr Ihedioha to enable him to spend a four-year tenure as the Imo governor. His grouse was that the incumbent governor, Hope Uzodinma unlawfully spent the four years which Mr Ihedioha ought to spend. Among others, Mr Ozekhome in the motion claimed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had no candidate in the 2019 Imo governorship election, hence, Mr Uzodinma ought not to have been made a governor on the platform of the APC. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the motion on the grounds that it had no jurisdiction to entertain it. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has presented a N521.5 billion 2024 budget to the House of Assembly for approval. Mr Mbah made the presentation on Tuesday at the assembly chamber in Enugu. The immediate past governor of the state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, had submitted N166.6 billion 2023 budget to the Assembly in December 2022. However, in September 2023, the Assembly passed a supplementary budget of over N58 billion submitted by Governor Mbah to bring the total 2023 budget to N224.6 billion. But Mr Mbah, while presenting the 2024 budget, titled, Budget of Disruptive Economic Growth, said the new budget recorded a 132 per cent increase from the 2023 revised budget. The governor said the 2023 budget helped his administration to record some achievements, citing the recent inauguration of the states water scheme, and awarding of contracts for construction of over 81 roads, among others. He noted that the 2024 budget has a recurrent expenditure of N107.2 billion, accounting for about 20 per cent, while capital expenditure stood at N414.34 billion which accounts for about 80 per cent. The governor said the capital expenditure would be funded with a consolidated revenue fund and capital receipts which include external and internal aid, grants, public private partnerships, domestic and international loans. Sectoral allocations Mr Mbah said, out of the capital expenditure, a total of N20.8 billion was budgeted for the administration sector, N207.8 billion for economic sector, N1.2 billion for the law and justice sector, N1.1 billion for regional sector and N182.9 billion for social services sector. The governor added that N134.5 billion was budgeted for education sector, accounting for about 33 per cent of the total budget, while N21.7 billion was budgeted for the health sector to expand access to healthcare services and boost response to health emergencies in the state. In essence, we have commenced the construction of 260 type-two healthcare centres across 260 wards in the state to cater for the health needs of our rural communities, he said. He explained that the educational sector received increased budgeting as a result of his administrations plan to revive education in the state. In line with our commitment to reinvent our education system in Enugu State, we are constructing 260 smart modern schools across the 260 wards in the state which will be among the best in the country, he stated. The governor said, to drive infrastructural development in the state, he budgeted N82.5 billion for road construction and maintenance as well as rehabilitation of public buildings across the state. He also said his administration budgeted a total of N28.9 billion for the enhancement of the states water sector. This investment will ensure the expansion of the current water scheme by boosting reticulation of water across the Enugu metropolis, he said. Mr Mbah also said a total of N25.1 billion was budgeted for the agriculture sector which he explained was intended to encourage self-sufficiency and economic diversification. The governor said the budget will assist his administration to establish special agro-processing zones in each of the three senatorial districts in the state and consequently boost job creation. The zones will support farmers with modern techniques, infrastructure and access to market, ultimately boosting food production and creating employment opportunities, he stated. In his remark, the Speaker of the Assembly, Uche Ugwu, commended the governor for his achievements in the state so far. Mr Ugwu assured the governor that the Assembly would support his administration particularly in the fight against poverty in the state and in fulfilling other promises of his administration. The speaker said the fact that the budget size was unusually big indicates that it is now business unusual in the state. On behalf of the members of this hallowed chamber, I promise that we shall give this budget an accelerated hearing so that you will continue to serve our people, the speaker assured the governor. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court at Bwari, Abuja, has absolved Edozie Njoku, the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), of forgery and impersonation. Mr Njoku, and the national youth leader of APGA, Chukwuma Nwoga, were arraigned by the Nigeria police before Mohammed Madugu, a judge of the FCT High Court at Bwari in November 2022 for alleged fraud. But in a judgement delivered on Tuesday, the judge, Mr Madugu, said the police failed to prove how Mr Njoku committed impersonation as APGA national chairman. APGA leadership had been enmeshed in a fierce tussle between Mr Njoku and Victor Oye, who both lay claim to the party. The police had arraigned the duo on a 14-count charge impersonation and conspiring with others at large to alter a decision of the Supreme Court delivered by Mary Peter Odili, who is now retired. Verdict However, in his verdict on Tuesday, Mr Madugu dismissed the charges against the defendants for lack of substantial evidence by the police. Lack of sufficient and credible evidence, the prosecution has failed woefully to prove its case against the defendants. I find the 1st defendant, Edozie Njoku and the 2nd defendant, Chukwuma Nwoga, not guilty as charged, and therefore they are discharged and acquitted, Mr Madugu said. The judge said its crystal clear that internal disputes in APGA had played a significant role in causing complexity of the case. In count one, the court held that being an allegation of criminal conspiracy, it must be proven by the prosecution with circumstantial evidence. The court said the prosecution witness did not produce any evidence linking the defendants with an agreement or conspiracy to commit the alleged offence. Relying on section 138 of the Evidence Act, the judge said the prosecution had the burden to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. In accordance with section 178 of the penal code, the prosecution did not establish any dishonest intent from the letter (Mr) Njoku wrote to Justice Mary Peter Odilli retired. Background Mr Njoku had urged the court to discharge and acquit him and his co-defendant of the charges because the police failed to discharge the statutory burden of proof placed on them. But the police called their first witness, Godwin Odu. Mr Odu, led in evidence by the prosecution lawyer, Rimamsomte Ezekiel, said he emerged the deputy national secretary of APGA at the partys convention held in Awka, Anambra State, on 31 May 2019. Mr Odu informed the court that it was after the Awka convention that Mr Njoku began parading himself as the new national chairman of APGA. In his reaction to the judgement, Mr Njoku told journalists that he had been vindicated. He said the court declared him as the national chairman of APGA going by the judgement of the Supreme Court. Theres nothing as great as the truth. The court has cleared me of forgery, conspiracy and impersonation allegations and even went on to declare that I am the national chairman of APGA; that I have the power to write letters in that capacity. The INEC has refused to recognise me as the National Chairman of APGA because Im facing a criminal charge, today I have been absolved of any wrongdoing. So, what else will INEC say that will make them not accord me full recognition, Mr Njoku said. A certified true copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court ruling on the APGA leadership crisis between Messrs Njoku and Oye directed INEC to accord Mr Njoku recognition as APGA national chairman. The proof of service of the ruling dated 5 April was on a case between Jude Okeke and APGA & others, delivered by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court on 24 March. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Assembly has threatened to sanction Ministers and Heads of Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government who failed to be committed to the defence of their budgetary allocations. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, issued the threat on Tuesday during the stakeholders retreat on the 2024 Appropriation Bill in Abuja. Mr Akpabio said the Senate and the House of Representatives will not tolerate ministers or heads of departments and agencies not interested in defending the allocations to their ministries or agencies in the 2024 budget. He said such officials of government may face consequences. Mr Akpabio also disclosed that the National Assembly will maintain the January-December budget cycle. We understand that the budget is about fiscal targets, resource allocation, public expenditure policy, productivity and efficiency. We also understand that the process is one of passage, mobilisation and execution, as well as effective monitoring and evaluation. However, let me state clearly that the National Assembly will not tolerate lackadaisical attitude from government functionaries in all MDAs in relations to issues surrounding their defences of submissions and our resolve to maintain the January-December budget cycle. The consequences may not be palatable for the official or the agency in the eventual passage of the 2024 Appropriation Bill, he said. The senate president urged those at the retreat to be open-minded, honest and factual in their deliberations. As the invited stakeholders and the committee settle down to this meeting, I urge you all to be open-minded, honest and factual in your deliberations. We have to understand that we have a common goal, which is to drastically improve the socio-economic condition of our people in the shortest period with the budget of Renewed Hope, he said. Last Wednesday, Mr Akpabio asked President Bola Tinubu to restrict ministers and officials of MDAs from travelling outside the country during the period of budget defence. President Tinubu presented a budget of N27.5 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year to the National Assembly on that day. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has summoned the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to explain why terminal operators refused to pay shipping and service boat dues totalling $1.85 billion and N1.87 billion, to the federal government. Chairman of the committee, Ahmed Wadada, issued the summon on Tuesday. Mr Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa) said the non-payment of shipping and service boat dues was raised in the annual report of the Auditor General of the Federation. He did not state the year the report was produced. He said the NPA management had evaded several invitations from the committee to appear before it. Mr Wadada said the management was supposed to appear before the committee on Tuesday (today) for questioning but failed to do so. The NPA is found wanting on the Auditor-General for the Federations annual report and the end-of-status inquiry. There are issues surrounding Lagos channel management, Bonny channel management, and Calabar channel management. The committee has respectfully communicated with the NPA management, some responses have been received, while others remain unanswered. The NPA is supposed to have appeared before this committee today so that we can look at the queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation. The NPA is not here. Some of these queries have got to do with the indebtedness of the terminal operators which is almost $1.85 billion, N1.87 billion, the chairman said. The status of long outstanding debts are all parts of the issues to be answered by the NPA. This is not even to talk about the issues surrounding the Lagos channel management, Bonny channel management and Calabar channel management. Mr Wadada, therefore, directed management to appear before the committee within 48 hours or face legal action. On behalf of the committee, we will communicate to the management of the NPA within the next 48 hours either appear before the committee for Nigerians to know about the queries and issues that we have gathered, otherwise we will use all the necessary instruments available to us by law to bring the management of NPA to order because nobody is above the law, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Despite positioning itself as a global advocate for freedom of speech and democracy, France does not refrain from taking actions that hinder the activities of journalists, engaging in such practices as crackdown and pressure and intimidation. Thus, AZERTAC correspondent Aygun Hasanova, who was sent on an assignment to New Caledonia, was denied an entry there even though she had a valid visa. Additionally, the journalist was held in police custody for a day and later deported from the country, being labelled as an "undesirable person." Naturally, the journalist's entry into the country was denied explicitly due to her coming from Baku. The French government actively strives to suppress the dissemination of truths regarding the escalating struggle for freedom and independence in New Caledonia and its other colonies through various means. The prohibition on the journalist's entry into New Caledonia on the eve of the December 5th rally is directly linked to these actions. The fact that AZERTAC's colleague was under police supervision and observed until boarding the plane suggests that this directive was directly issued by the French government. This is yet another manifestation of France's persistent colonial policy, demonstrating its treacherous intention not to give up its colonial policy. The police claimed that a special visa is required for entry into New Caledonia. However, a representative of the New Caledonian government had previously stated that entry with a Schengen visa was permissible. Consequently, the AirCalin airline allowed AZERTAC's employee to board the plane in order to fly from Singapore to New Caledonia. In accordance with the regulations, a passenger is permitted to board the plane after his visa is checked before entering the destination country. However, the police gave another reason at the border, providing different "arguments" that this was illegal and even threatened to arrest the AZERTAC correspondent, demanding her departure from the country. Being unsatisfied with this, the New Caledonia police sent a letter to the airport of Singapore a transit country where our employee was deported to - branding our employee as an " undesirable person" and requesting to keep her under supervision. However, officials of the Singaporean government dismissed these claims, deeming them baseless, and refused to keep her under control. AZERTAC vehemently condemns and characterize this as a blatant restriction of journalistic activities as well as freedom of speech and expression, and a harsh treatment preventing journalists from fulfilling their duties. The imposition of these restrictions on our journalist, instilling fear and intimidation, and demonstrating an attitude as if she is a cruel criminal, unmistakably reveals Frances state-level hostility towards fundamental human rights and freedom of speech. The police in Imo State, South-east Nigeria, have killed a suspected commander of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) at Umuogo, Amuzu, a community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the IPOB commander was killed when police operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit raided a camp belonging to the IPOB members on Monday. The police spokesperson said the operatives also dislodged some IPOB members from the camp during the operation. The slain commander, identified as Ishaka, was second in command to the main leader of the IPOB syndicate in the area, Ebube Virus, the police said. Mr Okoye said the operation, led by Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, followed confessions made by a suspected IPOB member involved in the killing of the divisional police officer in charge of Ahiazu Mbaise, another council area in the state. In the process, the second in command to Ebube Virus, who is on the Commands wanted list due to their nefarious activities in the Mbaise Axis, was neutralised in a fierce gunfight that ensued between the terrorists and the combat-ready police operatives, he said. While others escaped with gunshot injuries, one AK-47 rifle loaded with 19 rounds of live ammunition was recovered from the neutralised terrorist, the police spokesperson added. He said an operation was ongoing to track down other fleeing suspects. The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, has appreciated the gallant operatives for their sustained efforts in the onslaught against criminals in the state, Mr Okoye said. Mr Danjuma reiterated the resolve of the police in the state to collaborate with other security agencies to achieve improved peace and security during and after the yuletide seasons. The police commissioner appealed to Imo State residents to support the police and other security agencies with timely and actionable information that will assist in the fight against terrorism in the state. He urged hospital owners and first aid outlets to report to the police anybody seen with gunshot injuries. IPOB, a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria, has been linked to some deadly attacks in the two regions. But the separatist group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Lagos State Government has announced plans to host the 67th edition of the meeting of the National Council on Education (NCE) between Monday, 11 and Friday 15 December. The states Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, who addressed a briefing on Tuesday, said the weeklong event will appraise key educational policies that will drive the sector in the country. The meeting, which is themed: Addressing the Challenges of Policy Implementation: A Panacea for the Achievement of Education 2030 Agenda, will feature different sessions that will culminate in the NCE session to be chaired by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor. Agenda According to the commissioner, as the statutory meeting where major decisions that will shape the countrys education sector for the next year will be taken, participants will include commissioners of education across the country and the education secretary from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Mr Alli-Balogun said as already reflected in the theme of the meeting, the agenda will include all issues relating to the education sector, particularly uniting the stakeholders to rally around the government towards achieving the government agenda. He said at the meeting, recommendations of various organs of government and policymakers including those of the Reference Committee and Plenary Meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee on Education (JCCE), will be ratified. The commissioner said as the host of the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will also join Mr Mamman and the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, to galvanise support for the adoption of critical decisions to be taken at the meeting. Plan for education in Lagos Meanwhile, while responding to questions on his plans for the education sector in the state, Mr Alli-Balogun said he is committed to boosting and expanding the scope of technical and vocational education in the state in line with the THEMES agenda of Mr Sanwo-Olu. He said the ministry will establish additional technical colleges and vocational training centres to provide access to quality training for more youths. He said his dream is to ensure that no able youth in the state is idle. We want to take as many youths as possible away from the streets and expose them to technical and vocational education so that they can be more useful to themselves and society at large and become employers of labour, he said. He assured that Lagos would continue to seek opportunities to provide additional computers to enhance teaching and further expose students in public schools to the use of computers. Teachers retirement age The commissioner also promised the teachers in the state that as soon as the ongoing consultations are concluded on the new retirement age policy of 65 years for teachers, the ministry will communicate appropriately. He said Lagos has always prioritised the welfare of its workforce, noting that when a similar policy was implemented by the federal government for university lecturers on a professorial cadre, it was domesticated in Lagos. So I can assure you that this will not also be different. As soon as our consultations are concluded, we will make our position known, and I am sure it will be positive, the commissioner said. Speaking about illicit use and drug abuse among youths, the commissioner expressed worries, saying that he addresses the issues anytime he is within an assembly of youths. He commended the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources for demolishing shanties located located the schools in the state. He said the sensitisation exercises would be intensified through community leaders and other stakeholders to drive the campaign. He added, We are not stopping at these measures. We are also considering barring the location and sale of alcoholic drinks near the school environment to prevent students from temptation. Meanwhile, Mr Alli-Balogun was joined at the briefing by the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Moronke Azeez; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Abayomi Abolaji, and the Director of Basic Education Services, Adeyemi Adebayo. About NCE As the statutory highest-ranking decision-making organ on education policies in Nigeria, the establishment of NCE was born out of the need to have a non-partisan, national and strategically placed organisation that would address a wide range of issues impacting the education process. The aim is to ensure continuity in policy development as well as to facilitate greater community involvement in the management of educational institutions. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The federal government is considering exploring Loss and Damage funds committed at the 28th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, UAE, for climate-vulnerable communities. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this on Tuesday during a stakeholder interaction on the 2024 Appropriation Bill, in Abuja. Mr Edun said the climate change financing is necessary because the government needs cheaper and free funding. He noted that the countrys fiscal space is exhausted. Nigerias fiscal space is exhausted. We have to focus on concessional funding, the cheaper funding, even free funding and climate financing are the way. Just yesterday UAE announced 30 billion dollars for climate action. What that means is that as we look to fund the N27.5 trillion budget this year, our first point of call must be the cheapest and the most concessionary financing including climate financing, Mr Edun said. The minister explained that the climate change funds will also help the country to reduce debt servicing. We have to be brave, courageous, innovative to make sure that we use the financial market to take the stress down, to reduce our debt servicing, to reduce our emphasis on borrowing, he said. At the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, many developed countries have committed Loss and Damage Funds for countries vulnerable to climate change. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is the COP28 host country and Germany pledged $100 million each. The United Kingdom pledged $40 million to the Fund and 20 million for other funding arrangements for Loss and Damage. The U.S. and Japan pledged $17 million and $10 million respectively. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, agreed with the position of the minister. Mr Akpabio said Nigeria will not achieve much unless the revenue generation increases. He urged the federal government agencies to block all revenue leakages and ensure that there is an increase in the revenue of the country. No matter how beautiful the budget is, if there is no money to spend, the budget will not work. Let us get up and block the loopholes of leakages and wastages and then bring more revenue so that the 2024 budget becomes realistic, Mr Akpabio said. The senate president also assured that the two chambers of the National Assembly will sustain the January-December budget cycle. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print such profligate expenditures raise questions of whether the government really empathises with the increased hardship that ordinary Nigerians are going through since Tinubu removed fuel subsidy and announced the flotation of the naira. While the government has kept urging ordinary Nigerians to be patient with it and to tighten their belts further, there are little indications that the government is leading by example. President Tinubus 1,411-member delegation to the Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai has raised considerable concerns in the country, overshadowing whatever benefit that could be potentially garnered from attending such a conference. Only United Arab Emirates, which has 4,409 delegates, and Brazil, having 3,081 delegates, have larger numbers of representatives than Nigeria, which tied in the third place with China, which also has 1,411 delegates. Temitope Ajayi, the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, in an article entitled, Nigeria at COP28: Separating the facts from fiction, sought to provide the governments perspective on the controversy surrounding the size of the delegation. According to the media aide, In Nigeria, like so many other countries, interested parties comprising government officials from both federal and sub-national governments, environmentalists, climate activists, business leaders, journalists and agencies of government such as the NNPC and its subsidiaries, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NIMASA, and the NDDC are present in Dubai. Many youth organisations from Nigeria, especially from the Northern and Niger-Delta regions, whose lives and livelihoods are most impacted by desert encroachment and hydrocarbon activities, are also represented. The President of Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, leads a pan-Ijaw delegation of more than 15 people who registered as parties from Nigeria. Among delegates from Nigeria are also over 20 journalists from various media houses, he wrote. The presidential aide however failed to tell us the exact number of delegates being funded by the government among the 1,411 delegates. There are several issues involved in the controversy over the size of the Presidents delegation to COP28: One, is the cost associated with the size of the delegation. Some papers have estimated that the number of people funded by the government to the 13-day Conference could be as high as 890. Aside from the cost of paying for international chartered flights (which the government is said to prefer over local flight operators), other costs include accommodation, per diem (estacodes) for each delegate (which some estimate could be as much as $900 per day for ministers, while different rates are used for other members of the delegation who are not sponsoring themselves). There are also associated expenses like the cost of parking the presidential jet for so many days and of course sundry expenses. Given the dire financial situation of the government, people are asking whether such expenditures could be justified at this time when the government is on a borrowing binge to meet even basic obligations. Two, is that such profligate expenditures raise questions of whether the government really empathises with the increased hardship that ordinary Nigerians are going through since Tinubu removed fuel subsidy and announced the flotation of the naira. While the government has kept urging ordinary Nigerians to be patient with it and to tighten their belts further, there are little indications that the government is leading by example. For instance, in the 2023 supplementary appropriation bill of N2.17 trillion signed into law by the President in early November this year, there was hardly any significant item of social welfare. given the countrys present debt profile, the current profligacy by the government will make it even more difficult for it to get any listening ear for debt forgiveness or debt relief from its Western creditors. Despite concerns over the Buhari governments loan binge, the Tinubu administration has continued in the same path of a loan spree. Recently President Tinubu sought the nod of the National Assembly to borrow another $7.8 billion and 100 million or $106 million respectively. Rather the supplementary budget was dominated by luxury items such as the purchase of a Presidential yacht (N5 billion); purchase of luxury vehicles, including for the Office of the First Lady, which is not even recognised by the Constitution (N6.9 billion); renovation of the Official Quarters of the President and the Vice President in Lagos (N8 billion); and the renovation of the residential quarters of Mr President (N4 billion), etc. A few days ago the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, also announced plans to build a befitting residence for the Vice President at a whopping cost of N15 billion. Given these patterns of expenditures that seem to deny the dire economic circumstances of the country, not a few Nigerians are asking whether the government is deliberately mocking the suffering Nigerians or whether it is merely suffering from compassion deficit. While the government may mean well (as it claims), it is equally true that it is peoples deconstruction of the governments intentions that counts. This is what optics is all about. And the Tinubu government has not demonstrated sufficient sensitivity to how people may perceive its patterns of expenditures in these perilous times. Three, given the countrys present debt profile, the current profligacy by the government to COP28 will make it even more difficult for it to get any listening ear for debt forgiveness or debt relief from its Western creditors. Despite concerns over the Buhari governments loan binge, the Tinubu administration has continued in the same path of a loan spree. Recently President Tinubu sought the nod of the National Assembly to borrow another $7.8 billion and 100 million or $106 million respectively. The World Bank has pledged another loan of $2 billion, while the African Development Bank (AfDB) promised to give the country a loan of $1 billion. It should be recalled that last year the Debt Management Office urged the government to put a moratorium on fresh loans, after pointing out that 73.5 per cent of last years revenue was used to service debt (currently 96 per cent of the governments revenue is used to service debts). Despite the warnings by the DMO, the borrowing spree continues. And with the government apparently uninterested in dispensing extravagant and frivolous expenditures, many are wondering whether it has the necessary discipline to cut down on the cost of governance and with that be in a better position to convince its creditors for debt relief or forgiveness. As a politician and a presidential candidate, Tinubu seemed oriented towards an imperial and monarchical carriage. This is when a leader feels especially affirmed by the size of hangers-on around him. We saw this during his campaign for the presidency, with his large campaign entourages (and some governors had to abandon their duty posts to be part of the campaign trails or receive him at the airports). Four, the size of the COP28 delegation and other wasteful expenditures at a time the governments economic policies are yet to bear the promised fruits raise further questions about the future of messianic politics in Nigeria. Nigerian politicians come in various forms of messianic packaging. As a presidential candidate dogged by several moral and character controversies, one of the rather convincing arguments advanced by some of Tinubus supporters was that the country has tried integrity (referring to Buhari) and it did not work and for that, Nigerians would have nothing to lose by also trying the it takes a thief to catch a thief model (turning the allegations against Tinubu on their heads). People who advanced such a view argued that many leaders said to have questionable pedigree and character (as Tinubus critics claimed during the campaigns) are often radicalised by power in such a way that they generally perform above expectations. Another argument here is that Tinubu had accomplished all that anyone would want to accomplish materially and that since, by his own account, being the president of the country has been his life-long ambition, Tinubu would most likely be radicalised by power and would give up all the trapping of comfort he had acquired to transform the system that he is believed to understand so much. So far, there is no evidence of power radicalising President Tinubu in the mould of Murtala Mohammed, as his supporters claimed. As a politician and a presidential candidate, Tinubu seemed oriented towards an imperial and monarchical carriage. This is when a leader feels especially affirmed by the size of hangers-on around him. We saw this during his campaign for the presidency, with his large campaign entourages (and some governors had to abandon their duty posts to be part of the campaign trails or receive him at the airports). In this sense, the size of Tinubus delegation to COP28 (which reminds one of the controversy surround the 120 cars in his convoy in Lagos in June this year) is nothing new. It has always been part of his style as a politician who likes to create and sustain a network of political patronages and clients. In essence, concern about the size of Tinubus COP28 delegation could further accelerate the current citizens disenchantment with democracy and messianic politics in general. Five, it is tempting to speculate on what would happen if Tinubu decides to abandon this imperial style he has been used to and travel lean or decides to attend conferences virtually, cut the size of his convoys, and show up in meetings in a staff bus. This, in my opinion, will be the ultimate radicalisation of an otherwise prebendal politician. And Nigerians are not likely to lose sight of such radicalisation. His ministers and other aides, seeing the president lead from the front, will be uncomfortable to fall out of line. 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). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print At a series of events across COP28, Tony Elumelu delivered a single message to world leaders: Africa needs to be heard, Africas future is the worlds future and the continent that is most impacted by and the least contributor to climate change, needs our attention. With African youth set to make up one third of global population later this century, their potential needs to be properly harnessed. For the future of Africas youth to be brighter, their entrepreneurial abilities, ambition and resilience need to be given high priority. Mr Elumelu offered the infrastructure and experience of his own Foundations 10 year $100m entrepreneurship programme to partners, to catalyse a further generation of African entrepreneurs. He said the entrepreneurs are those who can address climate change and drive the broader wealth creation that Africa requires. Reaching and funding young entrepreneurs in every African country, the Elumelu approach of sector agnostic seed funding, mentoring, and networking has delivered robust impact. The annual COP UN Climate Change Conferences unites the world to assess progress in combatting climate change. Mr Elumelu is one of Africas leading advocates for an equitable agenda for climate action. Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he has empowered thousands of green entrepreneurs, shaping a more sustainable future for Africa. The Tony Elumelu Foundation, in partnership with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), hosted a high-level session, bringing together Africans, and key players in the Gulf, Europe, and Americas, where UBA operates. The laudable initiative underscores the urgent need for innovative approaches to climate adaptation and mitigation, while fostering sustainable development, and bringing attention to Africas unique position. Speakers included Dr Ngozi Okonji-Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organisation; Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, UNDP; Kevin Frey, CEO, UNICEF Generation Unlimited; Sergio Pimenta, VP Africa, IFC; Wendy Teleki, Head of the Women Entrepreneurs Financial Initiative, World Bank and Adam Wang-Levine, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate. Others include Joseph Nganga, Vice President, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Rockefeller Foundation; Hassan Al Hashemi, VP International Relations, Dubai Chambers; Serge Ekue, Chairman, West African Development Bank (BOAD); MuyiwaAkinyemi, Deputy Group Managing Director, United Bank for Africa; and MattiasFrumerie, Swedish Climate Ambassador and Head of Delegation, UNFCCC. Mr Elumelu stated: Addressing climate change is the paramount challenge of our era. The urgency is unmistakable. It is critical that Africa, as a continent, and African voices, play a key role in global climate conversations, as meaningful participants, and no longer as bystanders. Africa is least responsible and is disproportionately impacted by climate change. I am investing in a generation of green entrepreneurs, and we are extending the hand of partnership, so that others can benefit and use the infrastructure and platform we have created to reach entrepreneurs across Africa, he added. Mr Elumelu represented the African private sector at the 2023 New Global Financing Pact in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, and the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum in London, at the invitation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and U.S. President Biden. At the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) in New York, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) launched a first-of-its-kind Green Entrepreneurship Programme, the #BeGreenAfrica Initiative, in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, Dutch Government and UNICEF GenU, to support green entrepreneurship and youth development. A Tony Elumelu entrepreneur from Madagascar in the green economy, Marie-Christiana Kola, shared a compelling impact story: As a beneficiary of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship programme, I was able to create a recycled and 100% biodegradable hand soap made with waste cooked oil the number one water polluter in African urban cities. These soaps do not only protect the environment, but they are also solidarity soaps. I was also able to attend the COP27 conference in Egypt, where I won the Innovation Prize. Today, I have employed over 30 people because of the Tony Elumelu Foundation. Speaking at the TEF #COP28 high-level event, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organisation stated, I am proud of what my brother, Tony Elumelu, has done in empowering and inspiring so many young entrepreneurs. We have no choice; the future is green. The future of growth is two things it is green, and it must be inclusive. I am very interested in partnerships with organisations like TEF. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, UNDP added, The reason why UNDP associated itself with the Tony Elumelu Foundation years ago is because of the leadership and courage of the Foundation to trust and invest in young Africans. It was one of the first organisation to do so at that scale. The Foundation partnered with the UNDP to empower thousands in the Sahel, with an ambitious project to impact the lives one million young Africans, Eziakonwa stated. Sergio Pimenta, VP, Africa at the IFC, also stated, Tony, I salute you and your Foundation for what you have been doing to support young entrepreneurs in Africa. The IFC has deployed $2billion in funding for African SMEs in the last fiscal year and we are very excited to be able to do more, working with you. Kevin Frey, CEO UNICEF Generation Unlimited added, With TEF, we have moved in a concerted way into the entrepreneurial space. Generation Unlimited now have a flagship programme with the Tony Elumelu Foundation called #BeGreenAfrica, launched in Kenya, and now with the support of the IKEA Foundation and the Dutch Government, we have scaled to Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa, and Senegal. We will train and seed 500 green entrepreneurs this year in the pilot project across those countries. So Tony, thank you so much, you are right it is all about partnerships. Wendy Teleki, Head of the Women Entrepreneurs Financial Initiative at the World Bank, announced, Our women-focused initiative has been able to secure $3.6 billion to finance women entrepreneurs in 67 countries across the world, and is set to launch a new programme focused on financing African women entrepreneurs to drive the continents green energy transition, and we are keen to work with the Tony Elumelu Foundation. MattiasFrumerie, Swedish Climate Ambassador and Head of UNFCCC Delegation stated, My Government and I commend the Tony ElumeluFoundations incredible impact across Africa, and will facilitate connections between the Tony ElumeluFoundation, and the Swedish embassies across Africa to drive innovation, digitalisation, and green-energy transition, which promises to bring about new jobs and growth. Adam Wang-Levine, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate, added, Before coming to the United States Treasury, I was working in venture capital, and I know first-hand that it is incredibly important what the Tony Elumelu Foundation is doing. I have seen two pillars of their work financing and the mentorship just as I have seen with Silicon Valley, which helps to drive innovation and jobs creation. We are excited to begin partnership conversations. MuyiwaAkinyemi, Deputy GMD, United Bank for Africa, announced, For us, UBA, we give market access into 20 geographies in Africa. Everything that we do is around Africa, and that is why we have partnered with the Afrexim Bank to launch the $6billion fund for SMEs with a focus on import substitution, working in four key areas including climate emission reduction. Earlier in the day, Mr Elumelu joined Ajay Banga, President of World Bank Group; Brian Moynihan, Chair of the Board and CEO of Bank of America; Ms Ruth Porat, President, Alphabet and Google; and Ms.Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder & President of Emerson Collective as a panelist in a session titled Big, Audacious and Green: A Convergence of Visionaries, moderated by BrgeBrende, President of World Economic Forum. On Sunday 3 December Mr Elumelu, also participated in a fireside conversation with Ms Teresa Ribera, Vice President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Change, moderated by Sec. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and with closing remarks from Dr TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation. The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalysing job creation in all 54 African countries, and ensuring inclusive economic empowerment. Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has connected over 1.5 million young Africans on its digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed nearly USD$100 million in direct funding to 18,000 African women and men, who have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Foundations mission is rooted in Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Usman Zannah, a justice of a Yobe State High Court in Potiskum on Tuesday sentenced John Gabriel and Adamu Gideon, both lance corporals and charged with armed robbery and the murder of Islamic cleric, Goni Aisami, in Yobe State. The accused soldiers confessed to have conspired to murder the Sheik last August. Mr Gabriel was convicted of two charges of armed robbery and murder and subsequently sentenced to death by hanging. Mr Gideon was convicted on the first count of robbery and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment but he was acquitted of the second count of murder. The army had earlier dismissed the two soldiers and handed them over to the police for prosecution. Mr Gabriel shot and killed Mr Aisami and also tried to steal his car after he gave him a lift. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, on Tuesday, performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the commencement of the rehabilitation of 620 metres of Karmo Tsoho township road in the council. During the ceremony, Mr Maikalangu said the unabated streak in road construction and rehabilitation tallies with the FCT development roadmap demonstrated by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesome Wike. He promised to fulfil his campaign pledges across the 12 wards in the council since most of them have been abandoned. I recall my last similar outing was on Monday 27th November 2023 where I laid the foundation for the construction of a 1.85-kilometre asphalt road project in the Dnako community, near Sunnyvale estate, along Kabusa road. At the flag-off ceremony, I reiterated my commitment to dutifully make a very positive impact in terms of providing social amenities across the twelve electoral wards of the Area Council. Todays ceremony here in the historic and beautiful Karmo-Tsoho community is a further fulfilment of my avowed promises towards working round the clock in demonstrating my very best in being responsive to the basic aspirations of our people. Our uncommon and unabated streak in roads construction and rehabilitation succinctly tallies with the FCT development roadmap demonstrated by my mentor and leader the uncommon Minister of the FCT, His Excellency, Barr. Nyesome Wike. With Barrister Wike, we are only further inspired to implement the development agenda we promised to implement. We pride ourselves to be a responsible and responsive regime where we often try to respond to the cravings of citizens in respect to projects and serve delivery. The chairman said in line with his vision, the project would enable residents to enjoy the dividends of democracy and feel the impact of good governance on his administration is committed to. The need for basic infrastructure such as this underscores our focus in making life more living and meaningful as our electorate craves for social infrastructure which enhances trade and enables residents to carry out their civic duties without stress, he added. Focus on road construction The chairman has devoted his energy as well as the resources within his disposal to providing road construction for the people. Mr Maikalangu has so far completed many road projects, including Dutsen-Garki; Jikoyi, Unguwan Sarki access roads (Orozo) as well as Iddo-Sarki. He said he will provide electricity and water supply in many villages, and enhance educational development in the council area because many poor families cannot afford to enrol their children in private schools. He urged the residents to pay their taxes to enable his administration to complete ongoing projects scattered across the wards. He appealed to the residents to protect government-owned facilities as it continues to provide basic and impactful projects. In the light of the preceding, we have focused more on road construction and rehabilitation within one year of this administration. We have also embarked on rural electrification, and water supply as well as enhancing educational development, among others. It may interest you to note that as part of the roads revolution we are celebrating today, we can boast to have provided over ten (10) asphalt legacy roads across the three zones of the 12 political wards of the Area Council ALL ready for commissioning. They include the construction of roads within Kpegyi community; Damagaza Village; Wumba village, and Gwagwa (by Police Station). So far, the Dutsen-Garki; Jikoyi, Unguwan Sarki access roads (Orozo) as well as the Iddo-Sarki access road project have been FULLY COMPLETED. About six (6) others are ongoing with this, as another addition. May I call on residents and property owners to cooperate with our engineers as they make inroads in readiness to have a modern road network in Karmo-Tsoho. Where public infrastructure is provided by the government, I urge all AMAC Citizens to guard them jealousy; I charge you to guard against any sub-standard jobs by contractors in your communities and report same to us for appropriate action. I wish to also emphasise that in our desire to be of help to our generation, I reassure the people of our resolve to continue positively impacting the lives of a cross-section of AMAC communities as many as possible. However, we cannot continue on the same or, an even greater pace if residents fail to pay their taxes and levies to the government. To the general public, I implore you to cooperate with AMAC to serve you better; please, pay your taxes, he said. Speaking at the event, the Head of Works and Housing, Andrew Gaza, said the road will be asphalted, with drainages, saying the project will be tantamount to economic development in the community. He said the chairman is fulfilling yet again one of his promises through the construction of phase 1 of a 620-metre road with drainages. This is another fulfilment of the promises made by the chairman during the campaign period. This community is in Phase 1 of 620 metres with drainages, meaning that the chairman can come back tomorrow for more projects. Maikalangu is a man of wisdom. He is championing reintegration, instead of resettlement. He is executing different projects to tell people to remain where they are. He is making things easier for people and upgrading communities. We have always pleaded with communities to support the chairman to do more. Apart from this road, we have the abattoir road project that is ongoing. By the time this road project is finished, this community will witness tremendous economic development, he stated. In a remark, the Supervisory Councillor for Special Duties, Emmanuel Inyang, said that Mr Maikalangu is littering the council with projects as, according to him, he has executed one project or the other in the different wards of the council, especially roads. It is important for people to know that the chairman has executed so many projects. He has done road roads in different communities in the 12 wards in AMAC, including Gosa, Mabushi, Orozo, Gbagalape, and Kabusa, among others. Therefore, he should continually be supported to continue doing more, he said. While showing his appreciation, the Hakimi of Karmo Tsoho, Umar Danladi, implored the chairman to consider employment opportunities for his people, saying opportunities are always diverted to New Karmo, whereas they have many unemployed graduates. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has received the shocking news of the unintended loss of lives and injury of some Muslim faithful after a drone operation by the Nigerian Army on Sunday 3rd December 2023. The affected residents had gathered to mark Maulud festivities at Tudun Biri Community, Igabi Local Government Area when the incident took place. A statement on Monday by Governor Sanis Spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu said Mr Sani has ordered a thorough investigation to forestall future occurrences by immediately convening an emergency security meeting that had in attendance representatives of the Nigerian Army, the Commissioner of Police, Director of the Department of State Services and the Chairman of JNI Kaduna State chapter. I have ordered an immediate investigation into the tragic incident. We are determined to prevent a repeat of this tragedy and reassure our people that their protection would be prioritised in the sustained fight against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements. I have also directed the immediate evacuation of the injured to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital for emergency medical attention. The Government will be responsible for their treatment and related logistics, Governor Sani said. While appealing for calm in the affected communities, Governor Sani stated that: Search and rescue operations in the area are ongoing. The State Government has dispatched top government officials to the area to assess the situation, reach out to the families of the victims and advise the government on the immediate actions and measures to be taken to lessen the pains of the families of the victims. Speaking on behalf of the people of Kaduna State, the Governor extended condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the speedy and total recovery of the injured who are currently receiving treatment at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital. The Kaduna State Government regrets the loss of lives and remains committed to ensuring that residents continue to live and conduct their legitimate businesses without fear, the Governor concluded. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Tuesday presented a budget of N434.2 billion for 2024 to the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval. According to Mr Makinde, the budget is made up of N222.3 billion for capital expenditure, and N211.8 billion for recurrent expenditure. Presenting the budget tagged: Budget of Economic Recovery, the governor said the capital expenditure is 2.4 per cent higher than the recurrent expenditure. He added that the 2024 budget was estimating an increased Internally Generated Revenue of N72 billion with an average of N6 billion monthly. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Education got the highest share of the budget with N90.6 billion or 20.8 per cent of the budget, followed by Infrastructure which gets N74.3 billion or 17.1 per cent of the appropriation bill. The health sector takes the third position with N40.9 billion, which is 9.4 per cent and Agriculture has N15.8 billion, which is 3.6 per cent of the total budget proposal. He promised that the 2024 budget would cover projects, policies and actions which when implemented will cushion the effect t of the hardship the people are facing as a result of fuel subsidy removal. Mr Makinde further said that his administration would continue to use technology to block loopholes, saying his government has no plan to increase taxes. READ ALSO: Oyo kingmakers sue Governor Makinde over selection of new Alaafin He urged the House of Assembly to see to the speedy passage of the budget proposal for the states economic growth and benefit of the people of Oyo State. Responding after the presentation, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin (PDP Ibarapa East), assured the governor of speedy consideration of the Appropriation Bill. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Termination of relations with Azerbaijan would be against the US interests,US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said during a briefing on December 5, Trend reports. "We never said that we're not going to continue to engage with Azerbaijan. That would be against our interests and the interests of peace and security in the region," he said. Miller pointed out that the US continues to engage directly with both Azerbaijan and Armenia to urge them to seek a durable peace. "That's something that will continue to be the focus of our diplomatic engagements," he added. The US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. OBrien will travel to Azerbaijan on December 6-8. Reportedly, the Assistant Secretary will meet in Baku with Azerbaijani officials on strengthening bilateral relations and supporting the peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the theme of "Multilateralism: More Exchanges, Greater Inclusiveness and Cooperation," the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum (ISIF), jointly held by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, the People's Government of Guangdong Province, and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, opened Monday in Guangzhou. More than 130 guests from political, academic, and business circles in over 40 countries attended the Forum. This impressive gathering included over 30 former heads of state, heads of government, and leaders of international organizations. Additionally, there were over 60 internationally-renowned experts and scholars, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions. "The current international situation is complex and multifaceted, and human society is facing unprecedented challenges. The theme of the ISIF, 'Multilateralism: More Exchanges, Greater Inclusiveness and Cooperation,' aims to emphasize to the international community the importance of achieving consensus through communication, resolving conflicts through inclusiveness, and realizing development through cooperation." Zhou Zerong, President of the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association and Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Region of the World Leadership Alliance, expressed his expectation for insightful individuals to engage in in-depth discussions on the topics, exchange ideas, and contribute more wisdom to the development of global peace. According to Zhou Zerong, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have emerged as one of the most dynamic economic powerhouses in the world today. With robust economic prowess, comprehensive industrial supply chains, and a thriving innovation ecosystem, they have become highly sought-after investment destinations for multinational corporations. Since its establishment, the ISIF has made a group of good and true friends. We all agree that opposing each other is not beneficial, and win-win cooperation is the only choice. Sincere wishes will be made for the resounding success of the "2023 ISIF". "Our goal is not just a multipolar world. Our goal is one in which multipolarity is harmonized through the strength of multilateral institutions." Danilo Turk, Former President of Slovenia and President of World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, emphasized the crucial role of multilateral institutions. At the opening ceremony of ISIF, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Former President of Latvia and Co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, said that China is a concrete example of multilateralism. She believes that the Belt and Road Initiative contributes to guaranteeing a world where multilateralism exists in reality and in practice. Since its inauguration in 2014,ISIF has been held for seven consecutive sessions. With extensive and in-depth discussions, ISIF has been enormously successful. ISIF is a new type of high-end platform for China to conduct in-depth communication with the rest of the world, with the aims of initiating substantive discussions on world peace, economic development, and cultural exchanges, promoting greater understanding and consensus among all parties, and fostering regional as well as global cooperation. SOURCE The 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the scorching hot and dry Mudug region of Somalia, 16-year-old Bisharo* sits in a cool room surrounded by 19 of her female classmates during the afternoon school break. The girls are attending a mentoring session in their newly built Girls' Friendly Space. Bisharo, 16, at her school in Somalia, where ECW investments have supported the creation of a girls' friendly space. @ Save the Children Somalia The Girls' Friendly Space is Bisharo's sanctuary a safe space where she can read, eat, pray, relax, converse openly without interruption and access free menstrual hygiene kits. Not long ago, before the space was built, the girls at her school would race home during their break time to do these things, making them late for classes afterwards. Sometimes, they wouldn't even return to class. This resulted in them missing critical lessons. Thanks to Education Cannot Wait (ECW) investments in Somalia and the support of partners such as Save the Children Bisharo and her classmates no longer need to leave school grounds for breaks, privacy and menstrual hygiene products. This leads to fewer disruptions to their education and a decreased chance of them dropping out of school altogether. "Before the room was built, we used to go home during breaktime to rest and eat snacks, and we used to be late, get in trouble or even be marked absent. There were no private washrooms or a place to change or rest during the time of our menstrual cycle, which often forced us to stay at home for a few days and miss important lessons," says Bisharo. Menstruation is considered a taboo topic in many parts of Somalia, creating stigma and deprivation for girls during menstruation. Like Bisharo, many girls lack access to basic and necessary hygiene items such as sanitary pads, leading many to skip school when they are on their period. Missing school was frustrating for Bisharo. She worried about how it would affect her grades and spent a lot of time trying to catch up on the days of class she missed each month. "Often, girls don't come to school on the first few days of their period because of the lack of privacy in the bathrooms or not having proper kits to manage themselves," says Fartun, Bisharo's teacher. Thanks to ECW support, a Girls' Friendly Space was built in Bisharo's school to ensure girls always have access to female hygiene kits, privacy and an uninterrupted educational experience. The space, which is exclusively for girls, has a toilet, dining space, reading corner where girls study together, and it is equipped with sanitary kits. To date, ECW funding has provided more than 15,400 girls in Somalia, like Bisharo, with female hygiene kits. "After this room was built, we benefited from it a lot. We rest, eat, revise and pray here. We have a place to chat comfortably about exams and lessons. We also use the space to talk privately with our female teachers especially when we need advice," says Bisharo. Since the construction of the Girls' Friendly Space, Bisharo's school attendance has improved as have her grades. She spends her free time studying with her friends there and is glad that the space has given her and her classmates a safe place to call their own. Female teachers such as Fartun are happy that the girls can now meet and interact with each other outside of class time. The space has also been an ideal location for mentorship sessions. "Although the space was built for girls in school, we, as female teachers, spend some time there to advise or help girls whenever they need. As a female teacher, girls usually come to me whenever they need help with something, and often it was hard for them to talk to me in the middle of all the male teachers. Now that there's a friendly space with privacy, it has become easier for them to talk freely and comfortably about whatever help they need," says Fartun. The community has also seen the impact of the Girls' Friendly Space, with one mother and Community Education Committee Member, Sacdiya, saying, "It arose with a great demand from parents, students and school administration. When the room was launched, I felt relieved knowing my daughters had the space to feel comfortable, to rest, to read and revise and find menstrual kits whenever at school." Since 2017, ECW has invested US$35.2 million in Somalia. ECW's investments in the country aim to improve school access and safety, and educational attainment for Somali girls and boys affected by conflicts and droughts. To date, ECW and partners have reached close to 250,000 girls and boys in the country with holistic, quality education support. Still, more urgent support is needed. With more than 4.8 million children out of school today, additional funding is essential to ensure access to safe, inclusive education to those at risk of being left behind. ECW calls on the international community to increase its support so that children and youth like Bisharo are given the educational opportunities and resources they need to stay in school, and continue to learn, dream and thrive. *Names have been changed to protect identifying information Story by Michaellah Mapotaringa, based on a case study by Save the Children. Contact: Jelena Borak, [email protected] SOURCE Education Cannot Wait NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The agricultural biologicals market size is set to grow by USD 10.45 billion from 2022 to 2027. The market is estimated to register a CAGR of 14.24%, according to Technavio's latest market research report estimates. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Agrinos AS, Andermatt Group AG, BASF SE, Bayer AG, Biological Products Industry Alliance, Evogene Ltd., Gowan Co., Koppert, Marrone Bio Innovations Inc., Mitsui and Co. Ltd., Novozymes AS, PI Industries Ltd., SEIPASA SA, SOM Phytopharma India Ltd., Syngenta Crop Protection AG, T.Stanes and Co. Ltd., UPL Ltd., Valent BioSciences LLC, Vegalab SA, and PROBELTE SAU are some of the major market participants. The increasing prices of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, increasing governmental support for the use of bio-based products in agriculture and growing organic food products market will offer immense growth opportunities. To leverage the current opportunities, market vendors must strengthen their foothold in the fast-growing segments while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. With a focus on identifying dominant industry influencers, Technavio's reports present a detailed study by way of synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. This report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends, drivers, and the overall market environment. Read our Sample Report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Agricultural Biologicals Market 2023-2027 The report also covers the following areas: Agricultural Biologicals Market 2023-2027: Segmentation The Agricultural Biologicals Market is segmented as follows: Type Biopesticides Biofertilizers Biostimulants Application Cereals And Grains Fruits And Vegetables Oilseeds And Pulses Other Crops Geography North America Europe APAC South America Middle East And Africa The market share growth by the biopesticides segment is significant during the forecast period. Biopesticides are pesticides made from natural substances such as plants, bacteria, fungi, and specific minerals. Their level of toxicity is lower compared to that of traditional pesticides. Canola oil and baking soda are two examples of such efficient biopesticides. Hence, such factors drive segment growth during the forecast period. Receive our market sample report now to gain access to a detailed analysis of the agricultural biologicals market! Agricultural Biologicals Market 2023-2027: Vendor Analysis and Scope To help businesses improve their market position, the agricultural biologicals market provides a detailed analysis of around 15+ vendors operating in the market. Some of these vendors include Agrinos AS, Andermatt Group AG, BASF SE, Bayer AG, Biological Products Industry Alliance, Evogene Ltd., Gowan Co., Koppert, Marrone Bio Innovations Inc., Mitsui and Co. Ltd., Novozymes AS, PI Industries Ltd., SEIPASA SA, SOM Phytopharma India Ltd., Syngenta Crop Protection AG, T.Stanes and Co. Ltd., UPL Ltd., Valent BioSciences LLC, Vegalab SA, and PROBELTE SAU. Vendor Offerings Agrinos AS - The company offers agricultural biologicals such as iNvigorate. The company offers agricultural biologicals such as iNvigorate. Andermatt Group AG - The company offers agricultural biologicals such as AlgoVital Plus and T-Gro. The company offers agricultural biologicals such as AlgoVital Plus and T-Gro. BASF SE - The company offers agricultural biologicals such as Nemasys C. Market trends such as increased awareness and product knowledge of biostimulants are likely to emerge as one of the primary drivers of the market. However, factors such as a lack of awareness of agricultural biologicals may threaten the growth of the market. Agricultural Biologicals Market 2023-2027: Market Dynamics Key Drivers The increasing governmental support for the use of bio-based products in agriculture is a significant driving factor for market growth. The growing need for sustainable agricultural techniques leads to the adoption of bio-based products by farmers. Globally, there are various initiatives to encourage the use of bio-based products in agriculture. International organizations, which include the Food and Agriculture Organization, frequently fund these programs. Additionally, governments in various countries give farmers discounts on bio-based products and they are involved in quality control and make sure that agricultural producers receive high-quality bio-based products. Hence, such factors drive the market growth during the forecast period. Significant Trends Increasing product launches is an emerging trend in the agricultural biologicals market growth. Farmers are growingly in need of agricultural biologicals, particularly biopesticides, and biostimulants, to reduce crop damage from pest infestations and boost crop production. In addition, the shrinkage of arable land in many nations, particularly in APAC and North America , has an impact on the demand for biopesticides. , has an impact on the demand for biopesticides. These factors have pushed numerous vendors to diversify their product offerings by releasing new agricultural biological variants. Vendors benefit from product launches by growing their clientele and market share in the global market. Hence, such trends fuel the market growth during the forecast period. Major Challenges The availability of synthetic pesticides and herbicides is a major challenge that may hinder market growth. Vendors make significant investments in new classes for the development of synthetic pesticides and herbicides that are better suited for the growth of plants. The majority of contemporary herbicides are designed to break down quickly after application. Crops such as cereals, grains, fruits, vegetables, oilseeds, and pulses are among the various types of crops that receive applications of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Hence, such challenges impede market growth during the forecast period. Gain a competitive edge in your industry buy the complete report ! Agricultural Biologicals Market 2023-2027: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2023-2027 Detailed information on factors that will assist agricultural biologicals market growth during the next five years Estimation of the agricultural biologicals market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the agricultural biologicals market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of agricultural biologicals market vendors Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The agricultural machinery market size in Germany is expected to increase by USD 679.51 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 3.59%. The global connected agriculture market size is estimated to grow by USD 4,148.92 million from 2023 to 2027 and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 19%. TOC Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Size Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Type Market Segmentation by Application Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Drivers, Challenges, and Trends Company Landscape Company Analysis Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus 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. 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 HONG KONG, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alfa Telecom, Lebanon's first and leading mobile operator, announces that it has inked a 3-year exclusive interworking agreement with Vox Solutions to ensure higher protection and enhanced control over the entry and delivery of A2P SMS and OTP voice traffic within its network, further reinforcing its ongoing risk mitigation and anti-fraud efforts. This strategic alliance between Vox Solutions and Lebanon's Alfa marks an exclusive direct connectivity partnership. It empowers Alfa to leverage the advanced expertise and capabilities of the multi-globally awarded VOX-360 platform in A2P Voice and SMS traffic monetization to ensure the highest protection to its network not only from messaging bypass, but also from future voice and Flash Calls fraudulent activities, including critical communications like one-time passwords and customer notifications. Lebanon's Alfa CEO and Chairman, Jad Nassif, welcomed yet another milestone in Alfa's ongoing fraud risk management strategy. "This is at the centre of our attention as we constantly seek to diversify our risk management portfolio with fraud attempts being continuously on the rise globally", Nassif said. He assured that "this strategic partnership with Vox solutions will help make Alfa network more secure against the increasing menace of A2P Voice (flash calling) volumes, A2P messages spam and Artificial Inflated Traffic (AIT) which will further lower risks for our 2M+ individual and corporate customers and optimize our network resources to ensure higher traffic monetization". Nassif emphasized that Alfa attains the highest global standards of network security and anti-fraud measures. "We are certain that the Vox -360 solution will make a great addition to our portfolio, further solidifying our commitment and path to offering the highest benchmarks of fraud prevention, service quality, and value creation for our customers", he said. Fraud presents an increasingly pressing issue for mobile operators. VOX-360 platform stands as a distinctive end-to-end solution in the market due to its features related to anti-fraud, flash call authentication, A2P SMS monetization and mobile identity. It empowers mobile operators to identify and prevent spam, along with blocking fraudulent traffic proactively, safeguarding end users from potential impacts. AIT inflates traffic volumes, which not only drives up enterprise costs but also reduces revenues for mobile network operators (MNOs). VOX-360 ranks among the foremost solutions in the industry for tackling this mounting challenge VOX Solutions' CEO, Ehsan Ahmadi, conveys his determination to address these challenges. "Our primary goal is to assist mobile providers like Alfa in achieving consistent revenue growth and fostering innovation. We are enthusiastic about confronting significant challenges such as increasing flash calling volumes, message spam and AIT. We consider it an honor to undertake this mission and stand steadfast in aiding our partners in reaching their business objectives. This initiative represents a pivotal milestone toward enhancing communication experiences and sustaining ongoing success." By strengthening their commitment to driving transformation and innovation in mobile communications, this partnership underscores VOX Solutions' dedication to providing telecom operators and enterprises with top-tier strategies, cutting-edge technology, valuable data, training resources, and a team of experienced professionals. This substantial step enhances their unwavering efforts to combat fraudulent traffic. About Alfa Lebanon Established in 1994, Alfa is the brand name owned by Mobile Interim Company 1 SAL which is managing the first Lebanese mobile network for the benefit of the Republic of Lebanon / Ministry of Telecommunications. Alfa plays a leading role in Lebanon's digital transformation journey through driving innovation, employing technology for the benefit of the community, and setting the foundations of a digitally sustainable and trust-based customer culture. Its digital and technological agenda has seen exceptional milestones and accelerated change over its 29-year history, enabling it to attain operational efficiency and offer a service of high quality with exceptional nationwide mobile speeds. Alfa currently serves more than 2 million subscribers through a state-of-the-art network covering 99% of Lebanon. www.alfa.com.lb About VOX Solutions Vox Solutions simplifies, improves, and optimizes Voice and SMS channels using the latest innovations in technology. The company enables mobile operators to monetize their A2P services in a sustainable way, leveraging proprietary technology. Vox Solutions utilizes its multi-award-winning anti-fraud technology, VOX-360, to offer a reliable, accurate and real-time view of operators' voice and SMS services. By partnering with operators, Vox Solutions provides secure & reliable 2FA services to enterprises, globally. For MNOs, Vox Solutions is focused on monetization of SMS and Voice services, being the first company in the market to offer a Flash Calling (Voice A2P) end-to-end solution. For the enterprise segment, Vox Solutions focus on A2P messaging, A2P & P2P Voice, while also providing solutions focused on Cloud Communications. Its unique VOX-360 solution also won numerous global awards for the anti-fraud, flash call authentication and AI/ML innovations. www.voxsolutions.co SOURCE VOX Solutions Yelp, the popular online review platform, has recognized Baltimore's Ammoora as one of the top 25 must-try new restaurants in the country BALTIMORE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ammoora, an elegant illustration of the Levant, proudly announces its inclusion in Yelp's prestigious "Best New Restaurants'' list for 2023 . Yelp, the popular online review platform, has recognized Ammoora as one of the top 25 must-try newbies in the country, with Ammoora ranking number 16 in the nation. Yelp's Best New Restaurants list is a celebration of rising stars in the culinary world, highlighting the favorite restaurants and signature dishes according to the Yelp community. The inaugural list for 2023 showcases the latest hot spots across America, making it easy for both residents and travelers to explore and indulge in outstanding dining experiences. "As both ambassadors of Baltimore and connoisseurs of authentic flavors, we take great pride in transporting our guests to new culinary heights. Our inclusion in this prestigious list validates our dedication to culinary excellence and speaks volumes about Ammoora's commitment to our mission of celebrating Levantine culture, cuisine, and design. We are immensely proud to invite you to join us on this culinary journey and experience the authentic flavors and hospitality that have made Ammoora a must-try destination." - Markie Britton, Chief Marketing Officer of Ammoora. Nestled within the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Baltimore, Ammoora is a standout in the culinary scene. Being the only restaurant in the city to be featured in Yelp's Best New Restaurants and ranked in the top 25 nationwide, Ammoora offers a thoughtfully curated dining experience. With a vision to transport guests to another world, Ammoora combines traditional recipes with modern twists, showcasing the complexity and depth of flavors that Levantine cuisine is known for. To begin your culinary journey, please visit Ammoora's official website at https://ammoora.com/ for reservation, current menu offerings, and venue details. About Ammoora: Ammoora is a culinary destination that showcases the rich cultural heritage and authentic cuisine of the Levant. Located at the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Baltimore, Ammoora offers an immersive dining experience that combines exquisite flavors, impeccable hospitality, and a captivating atmosphere. With a focus on sharing the traditions and flavors of the Levant with the world, Ammoora continually strives for excellence in both its food and service. SOURCE Ammoora BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. In accordance with the training plan for 2023, Air Defense Units conducted combat firing, Trend reports. According to Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry, during the practical firing, air targets of imaginary enemy were detected and destroyed with high precision using anti-aircraft missile complexes. The military personnel demonstrated high professionalism, and successfully accomplished the assigned combat tasks. Tibbitt joins the company to lead after the change of control to Truelink Capital ST. LOUIS, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ansira Partners, Inc. ("Ansira"), an independent global marketing services and solutions company with proprietary channel, website, and advertising technology platforms, today announced the appointment of Paul Tibbitt as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "Paul has a wealth of knowledge and experience in scaling businesses and fostering client success, go-to-market and sales strategies, and organizational excellence. We are excited to partner with Paul on this next chapter of the company's growth," Truelink Partner, Head of Operations Adam Rimmer said. Ansira Appoints Paul Tibbitt as Chief Executive Officer In his role as CEO, Tibbitt will be responsible for expanding Ansira's capabilities in both proprietary marketing technology and services along with leading the global team of 1200+ marketing practitioners. Tibbitt has a proven track record in leading companies to positions of market strength through growth, most recently serving as Global President at CJ, the leading affiliate platform and network, connecting 3,500+ global brands across retail, travel, finance, and network and home services with billions of online consumers every day by facilitating productive partnerships with millions of publishers and content creators in a pay for performance model. He joined CJ in 2015 when it was owned by Alliance Data Systems and aided in the sale of the business to Publicis Groupe in 2019, as part of Epsilon. While at Publicis, he also served as CEO of Performics, a leading performance media agency with a 20-year legacy and diverse client roster in auto, retail, insurance, utilities, business services, and other industries. In his time leading Performics the business made a significant turnaround in performance, focusing on go-to-market and sales strategies. Before joining CJ, Tibbitt led the North America sales team for Affinnova, a Cambridge, MA startup founded out of MIT which was sold to Nielsen in 2014. "I am thrilled to be joining Ansira and look forward to bringing my perspective and experience to the organization," Tibbitt said. "I was blown away by the impressive, long-tenured client roster of the company and am excited to work alongside the executive team and global employees to grow the company's consumer experience marketing services and proprietary marketing technology platforms across websites, channel partner marketing, media, and adtech." Ansira is backed by Truelink Capital a middle-market private equity firm based in Los Angeles. ABOUT ANSIRA Ansira, the leading independent, global marketing technology and services company with proprietary channel, website, and advertising technology platforms, guides companies operating in distributed ecosystems to connect with their customers, fostering unwavering brand loyalty by seamlessly integrating digital and physical experiences from the enterprise to hyper-local level. Ansira's innovative blend of human expertise and cutting-edge technology solutions solves the challenges faced by global marketers today and drive demand for their businesses. For more information on Ansira visit Ansira.com or LinkedIn . ABOUT TRUELINK CAPITAL Truelink Capital is a middle-market private equity firm based in Los Angeles. Truelink pairs deep industry experience in the technology-enabled services and industrials sectors with a commitment to building partnerships that drive long-term value creation through an operationally focused strategy. Truelink partners with management, corporate sellers, and founders to accelerate growth through the execution of operational improvements, strategic initiatives, and transformative add-on acquisitions. Media Contact: Megan Duran [email protected] 972.663.1380 SOURCE Ansira Partners, Inc. Rise in incidences of parasitic infections, increase in awareness of preventive measures against helminth infections and availability of generic medications drive the growth of the global anthelmintic drugs market. PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Anthelmintic Drugs Market by Drug Class (Benzimidazoles, Macrocyclic Lactones, Pyrazinoisoquinolones, Tetrahydropyrimidines, and Others), Infection Type (Cestode Infections, Nematode Infections, Trematode Infections, and Mixed Infections), and Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Drug Stores and Retail Pharmacies, and Online Providers): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". The global anthelmintic drugs market was valued at $1.0 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $1.5 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 3.8% from 2023 to 2032. Request Sample of the Report on Anthelmintic Drugs Market Forecast 2032- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/11866 Prime determinants of growth Key factors driving the growth of the anthelmintic drugs market include rise in incidences of parasitic infections, increase in awareness of preventive measures against Helminth infections, and surge in awareness of preventive measures against helminth infections. One of the most important reasons for the growth of the anthelmintics market is the increase in awareness of prevention measures against Helminth infection. In addition, the rise in incidences of parasitic infections around the globe is driving the market growth. This increased awareness and rise in prevalence lead to a more proactive approach to control the spread of the helminth, which in turn leads to an increase in the number of people seeking timely treatment with the help of anthelmintics, which contributes to the market growth. Report coverage and details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $1.0 billion Market Size in 2032 $1.5 billion CAGR 3.8 % No. of Pages in Report 256 Segments covered Drug Class, Infection Type, Distribution Channel and Region Drivers Rising incidences of parasitic infections Growing awareness of preventive measures against helminth infections Availability of generic medications Opportunities Growth opportunities in emerging markets Restraints High cost of anthelmintic drugs Lack of awareness and education about infectious diseases Economic Downturn Analysis: Impact of Recession in 2023 on the Anthelmintic Drugs Market The anthelmintic drugs market is affected by recessions as much as any other sector of the economy. The market is experiencing both positive and negative impacts from a recession. A recession denotes a phase characterized by a reduction in economic activity, often including decline in various economic indicators. During a recession, there might be decrease in research funding, both from government sources and private institutions. Want to Explore More, Connect to our Analyst- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/11866 The benzimidazoles segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on drug class, the benzimidazoles segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly one-third of the global anthelmintic drugs market revenue. The key drivers for the growth of the segment is the rise in number of prescriptions for drugs such as albendazole and mebendazole for the treatment of parasitic infectious disease. On the other hand, the macrocyclic lactones segment is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. The growth of the segment is mainly attributed to the rise in adoption of ivermectin drug both in branded and generic form for the treatment of parasitic infections. The nematode infections segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on infection type, the nematode infections segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the global anthelmintic drugs market revenue and is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. The growth is mainly attributed to the significant prevalence of nematode infections around the globe along with rise in awareness about early diagnosis and treatment of parasitic infections. The drug stores and retail pharmacies segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on distribution channel, the drug stores and retail pharmacies segment dominated the market in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global market. Their widespread presence and accessibility increase the availability of these treatments to a broad consumer base. On the other hand, the online providers segment is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. Online providers offer a convenient platform for purchasing anthelmintic medications. Consumers can access a wide range of anthelmintic drugs from various brands and formulations through online pharmacies or e-commerce platforms. For Procurement Information- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/11866 North America to maintain its dominance by 2032 North America dominated the market in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths share of the global market, owing to the well-established healthcare infrastructure and availability of highly advanced medical diagnostics and treatment facilities in this region. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period, which is attributed to rising healthcare expenditure, and developing healthcare infrastructure. In addition, the large population base is also contributing to increased diagnosis and treatment for helminths infections in this region. Leading Market Players: - GlaxoSmithKline plc Johnson & Johnson Merck & Co., Inc. Bayer AG Cipla Ltd. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited Reese Pharmaceutical Company Zydus Lifesciences Limited The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global anthelmintic drugs market. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Shoulder Arthroscopy Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032 Hemodialysis Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032 Multiplex Assay Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032 Advanced Wound Care Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032 Rabies Vaccine Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032 Generative AI Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032 Top 10 Cancer Drugs 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 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on: LinkedIn Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research Top-rated Bucks County, PA financial advisory firm looks ahead to the next 100 years NEWTOWN, Pa., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Anthony Petsis & Associates, a multi-generational financial advisory firm serving the local community for over 40 years, is thrilled to announce the launch of their new website (apetsis.com) to help empower clients and prospects to plan their financial lives with confidence. The new website results from a complete redesign to help bring together the Petsis tradition of delivering "People-Centered Advice" along with some of the most advanced technology capabilities offered by any advisor. In an era where people need more help than ever in managing their financial lives, the new Petsis site empowers users to engage with and learn from the Petsis team, hear from current clients about their experience, and leverage digital tools. The new Petsis website is also one of the first advisor websites to harness the power of artificial intelligence. Anthony Petsis & Associates Launches Groundbreaking New Website for Clients and Prospects Post this Key features of the new Anthony Petsis & Associates site include: Client Testimonials: Includes case studies where the Petsis team has solved the real-world challenges clients have faced and their experiences in working with the team over many years. Clarity of Vision, Mission, Values, and Process: Articulates a continuation of the commitment to serve the financial wellness needs of future generations of Bucks County and Philadelphia -area families for the next 100 years. Client Solution Delivery: Presents areas where the Petsis team specializes in serving the unique needs of clients. These areas include retirement income planning, tax planning, estate planning, risk management, and special needs planning. AI-Driven Tools: Includes the first-ever AI-driven financial literacy tool to help clients and prospects become more informed about topics related to their financial lives and an AI chatbot to proactively communicate with site visitors and schedule meetings. Commitment to Community: Presents local organizations where the Petsis team has contributed to the well-being of the community and remains committed to giving back in meaningful ways. Anthony Petsis & Associates Founder and Bucks County native, Tony Petsis, expressed great enthusiasm about the launch, stating, "We're ecstatic about the launch of the new Petsis website! With a legacy that spans two generations and a vision that transcends the present, we look forward to serving the financial needs of future generations of area families for the next 100 years. On behalf of myself and the rest of the Petsis team, thank you for the opportunity over the last 43 years to serve the residents of Bucks County and the Greater Philadelphia region. We grew up here, our families live here, and we're personally invested in this community. We appreciate the trust our clients have put in us, and we value the relationships and personal friendships we have developed with many of you over the years". To learn more about Anthony Petsis & Associates and how they can help you, please visit apetsis.com. About: As the top-rated financial advisory firm in Bucks County, PA, Anthony Petsis & Associates is committed to empowering clients to plan their financial lives with confidence. With a legacy that spans two generations, we serve as a trusted partner in delivering comprehensive financial advice tailored to the unique needs of our clients. Our vision transcends the present, encompassing a focused plan to serve the financial needs of future generations of families for the next 100 years. SOURCE Anthony Petsis & Associates API-192 is a first-in-class off-the-shelf allogeneic CAR-NKT cell therapy that expresses dual CARs targeting CD19 and CD20 and armored with soluble IL-15 for improved expansion and persistence API-192 is the first development candidate out of 2021 collaboration and license agreement with Kite, a Gilead Company LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Appia Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company developing allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-NKT) cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for patients with cancer, today announced that it will present preclinical data on API-192, a first-in-class CAR-NKT allogeneic cell therapy for the treatment of a broad array of B-cell mediated malignancies including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, one of the most common cancers in the U.S. These data will be delivered in a poster presentation at the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition being held December 9-12, 2023 in San Diego, CA. Title: API-192, an Allogeneic CD19/20 CAR-NKT Product Derived from Cord Blood CD34+ HSPCs for the Treatment of B-cell Malignancies Date: Monday, December 11, 2023, 6:00-8:00 PM PT Number: 4801 Session: 703. Cellular Immunotherapies: Basic and Translational: Poster III Location: San Diego Convention Center Halls G-H Presenter: Lanny Gov, Ph.D., principal scientist, Appia Bio API-192 is the first development candidate out of a 2021 collaboration and license agreement between Appia Bio and Kite, a Gilead Company. Under the terms of the agreement, Appia Bio is responsible for preclinical and early clinical research of HSC-derived CAR-NKT product candidates engineered with CARs provided by Kite. Kite is responsible for the later development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the product candidates identified through the collaboration. API-192 is currently undergoing investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies. "It has been a fantastic team effort to bring API-192 forward as our first development candidate out of our ACUA technology platform. Our research has benefited from the collaboration and support of our partner, Kite-Gilead, and the opportunity to benchmark to the gold standard set by their autologous cell therapy leadership," said JJ Kang, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Appia Bio. "We are excited to share these data that support API-192 as a healthy donor derived next-generation allogeneic cell therapy in lymphoma and bring it to patients in the clinic." About API-192 API-192 is a human cord blood CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell-derived natural killer T (NKT) cell therapy product engineered to express dual chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeting two prevalent B-cell antigens, CD19 and CD20 and armored with soluble IL-15 for improved expansion and persistence. Using its proprietary Appia Cells Utilized for Allogeneic (ACUA) platform, Appia Bio can manufacture allogeneic API-192 cells resembling endogenous NKT cells from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) at high yield and with high purity without genetic editing or purification steps. About Appia Bio Appia Bio is pre-clinical stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapies across a broad array of cancer indications, utilizing a scalable technology platform with the goal to increase access for patients. With its ACUA (Appia Cells Utilized for Allogeneic) technology platform, Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-NKT) or gamma delta T cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The ACUA platform was developed from groundbreaking research in the laboratory of Lili Yang, Ph.D., at University of California, Los Angeles, and collaboration with Appia Bio's other scientific founders, David Baltimore, Ph.D. at Caltech and Pin Wang, Ph.D. at University of Southern California. For more information, please visit www.appiabio.com. SOURCE Appia Bio BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arctech, the global leader in solar mounting and tracking solutions, proudly represented the solar tracking & racking industry as the exclusive participant at the inaugural China International Supply Chain Expo. The event hosted 515 companies and organizations from 55 countries and regions. Arctech Stands Out as the Sole Solar Tracking & Racking Solution Company at First China International Supply Chain Expo Arctech seized the opportunity to showcase its innovations at the Clean Energy Exhibition Zone during the expo. The company engaged in discussions with both domestic and international clients and partners, highlighting its commitment to advancing industry collaboration and ensuring stable growth. Notably, Mr. Song Hailiang, Board Chairman and Executive Director of China Energy Engineering Group Co. Ltd (CEEC), the official expo partner, visited Arctech's booth for in-depth discussions with Mr. Cai Hao, Chairman of Arctech. Arctech has collaborated with China Energy Engineering Group Co. Ltd on landmark projects, including the Saudi ASB2 and Uzbekistan Bukhara and Qarshi projects. This collaboration reflects Arctech's commitment to strengthening international partnerships in energy projects. Arctech has strategically positioned itself in over 40 countries, collaborating on 1500+ projects with a delivery capacity exceeding 55GW. The company is dedicated to supporting the sustainable development of the entire clean energy industry chain. Adhering to the philosophy of "technology empowerment, leading industrial development," Arctech allocated around 186 million U.S. dollars, towards research and development in 2022. With a 200+ member strong R&D team, the company stands as the exclusive photovoltaic enterprise equipped with a wind tunnel laboratory, facilitating distinctive innovative solutions. Arctech, boasting an annual production capacity of 30GW, has strategically extended its supply chain to multiple countries, encompassing China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, India, and Brazil. The company has established 4 major service centers and 17 branch offices globally, ensuring localized support, 24-hour response, and resident services for the full lifecycle operation of projects. As a leading enterprise in the tracker industry, Arctech remains committed to playing a pivotal role in collaboration with partners along the entire industry and supply chains. The company aims to advance its global strategic cooperation, contributing to the construction of a sustainable energy system worldwide. SOURCE Arctech CUMBERLAND, Md., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Contemporary Puerto Rican artist Rokita has unveiled her latest painting collection, "Signs of Life." This stunning assembly of paintings showcases the vibrant essence of Puerto Rico, her family's home island, capturing its soul and spirit through an evocative blend of colors, textures, and storytelling. A selection of 4 pieces from the Signs of Life Collection (14 paintings make up the collection in total). "Land / Break" - 24x24 Watercolor, Ink & Thread Painting from Rokita's Signs of Life Collection, Available Through the Ferleman & Company Art Gallery "Rokita's art leaves a visually emotional space to reflect on internal interpretations. Time spent contemplating her use of watercolors, ink, and thread evokes geographic space, movement, and the impact humankind has on our environment," remarked Dr. Ferleman, owner of Ferleman & Company Art Gallery. "Most notably are the questions she evokes around our impact on shorelines and coastal transits with references to her Puerto Rican heritage." The "Signs of Life" collection marks a pivotal moment in Rokita's career, demonstrating her unparalleled ability to encapsulate the essence of a place, real and imagined, in vivid, emotive ways. Rokita shared, "Puerto Rico and my family's ties to the island have been a wellspring of inspiration for me. Through 'Signs of Life,' I hoped to portray the essence of this place - the resilience, vibrancy, and beauty of the island. Each painting is a tribute to the spirit that defines Puerto Rico, and the life-giving waters and vegetation that my ancestors relied on as they survived poverty, hurricanes, and colonial trauma." Ferleman & Company Art Gallery is honored to exclusively present this remarkable collection to art enthusiasts and collectors. As a platform for accessible contemporary art, the gallery is thrilled to showcase Rokita's "Signs of Life," inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty and essence of Puerto Rico through these captivating artworks. Rokita's collection is now available nationwide through the Ferleman & Company Art Gallery, welcoming patrons to experience the visual symphony that embodies the heart and soul of Puerto Rico in person or on their website. For more information, please contact Dr. Thomas Ferleman at [email protected] . View and purchase paintings from the collection on the gallery website here . Press Contact: Dr. Thomas Ferleman Art Dealer, Ferleman & Company Art Gallery [email protected] (301) 512-6240 SOURCE Ferleman & Company Art Gallery AALBORG, Denmark, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today an extraordinary general meeting of Asetek A/S (the "Company") was held at 10:00 AM CET at the Company's headquarter, Assensvej 2, DK-9220 Aalborg East, Denmark. All proposals as stated in the notice were adopted. Further information is available at www.asetek.com. For further information, please contact: Peter Dam Madsen, Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +45 2080 7200 e-mail: [email protected] The following files are available for download: SOURCE Asetek DALLAS, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AHT) ("Ashford Trust" or the "Company") today announced that it has completed the transfer of ownership of the KEYS F loan pool to the mortgage lender. The hotels in the KEYS F loan pool that were transferred to the mortgage lender include: Embassy Suites Flagstaff Flagstaff, AZ Embassy Suites Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA Marriott Bridgewater Bridgewater, NJ Marriott Research Triangle Park Durham, NC W Atlanta Downtown Atlanta, GA The Company continues to work with the lender for the KEYS A and KEYS B loan pools on a consensual transfer of ownership of those hotels to the lender, and the Company anticipates that transfer could occur by the end of the year or early 2024. The original lenders previously transferred the loans to a securitization trust. Such trust, acting through its servicer, brought suit seeking the appointment of a receiver. It is not unusual that a receiver be appointed to facilitate a transfer of ownership of those hotels to the lender, and the Company is fully cooperating on a consensual transfer of ownership. Several media outlets have erroneously stated that Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and Barclays have sued Ashford Hospitality Trust for breach of contract. This is inaccurate. Those banks are not party to the litigation seeking the appointment of a receiver. Ashford Hospitality Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing predominantly in upper upscale, full-service hotels. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and assumptions in this press release contain or are based upon "forward-looking" information and are being made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements about the Company's strategy and future plans. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. When we use the words "will likely result," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," or similar expressions, we intend to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside Ashford Trust's control. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation: our ability to repay, refinance, or restructure our debt and the debt of certain of our subsidiaries; anticipated or expected purchases or sales of assets; our projected operating results; completion of any pending transactions; our understanding of our competition; market trends; projected capital expenditures; the impact of technology on our operations and business; general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of our common stock and preferred stock; availability, terms and deployment of capital; availability of qualified personnel; changes in our industry and the markets in which we operate, interest rates or the general economy; and the degree and nature of our competition. These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in Ashford Trust's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of our future performance taking into account all information currently known to us. These beliefs, assumptions, and expectations can change as a result of many potential events or factors, not all of which are known to us. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans, and other objectives may vary materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider these risks when you make an investment decision concerning our securities. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company can give no assurance that these forward-looking statements will be attained or that any deviation will not occur. We are not obligated to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, changes in expectations, or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. SOURCE Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. HOUSTON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) has announced the development of a 2-year fellowship program that will support the creation of cardiometabolic training programs nationwide and increase the number of expert clinicians equipped to effectively manage patients with cardiometabolic risk factors. The first cardiometabolic fellow-in-training is slated to begin as early as July 2024. The cardiometabolic training plan incorporates Endocrinology, Cardiology, and Internal Medicine components. The rate of metabolic diseases obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus have been steadily increasing in the United States and across the globe. In 2019, of the 37 million people in the U.S. who were estimated to have diabetes, nearly 25% of them were undiagnosed, and the total number is expected to triple by 2060.1,2 The number of U.S. adults in 2020 with obesity and severe obesity are projected to increase from 42% to 50% and 18% to 25% respectively in 2030.3 The rate of metabolic syndrome has increased 25% from 1988 to 2012, representing a third of the U.S. population.4 ASPC President, Martha Gulati, MD states "Metabolic diseases are noted to have a strong association with increased risk of many chronic diseases including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, atrial fibrillation, dementia, and cancer. As the epidemic of the metabolic diseases continues to worsen, comprehensive management of cardiometabolic diseases is crucial to prevent downstream diseases and adverse effects." Historically, the care of cardiometabolic diseases has been fragmented between primary care physicians and specialists such as endocrinologists, cardiologists, and less often hepatologists and nephrologists.5 This approach has been characterized by sparse interaction among specialists and lack of ownership of the field by any specialty or type of physician. As a result, the cardiometabolic patient is left without a "home", instead being shuffled between primary and specialty clinics. The ASPC's cardiometabolic training program is designed for institutions and centers with established Cardiometabolic Clinics and ready access to experts of multiple specialties for the overall care of cardiometabolic patients. Now available on the ASPC's website www.aspconline.org is an overview of this program's requirements, eligibility for institutions to receive the grant, and the institutional grant application. The goal of each grant is to support institutions in developing the new fellowship program, as well as to provide salary assistance, travel, and publication costs for a single two-year fellow. The ASPC is a non-profit membership-based association dedicated to educating health care professionals and patients about the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. For more information about ASPC, please visit www.aspconline.org. References: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/diagnosed-undiagnosed-diabetes.html Lin J, et al. Projection of the future diabetes burden in the United States through 2060. Popul Health Metr. 2018 Jun 15;16(1):9. Ward ZJ, et al. Projected U.S. State-Level Prevalence of Adult Obesity and Severe Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2019 Dec 19;381(25):2440-2450. https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2017/testimplementationevalxml.htm#contribAff Saxon DR, et al. Cardiometabolic Medicine: Development of a New Subspecialty. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Jul 1 ;105(7). SOURCE The American Society for Preventive Cardiology LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BE OPEN Foundation joined the programme of COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, by far the largest and most influential climate, energy and sustainability-related event in the world. Winners of BE OPEN's competition at COP28 Panel session on sustainability in education at COP28 On Day 6 of COP28, at the Greening Education Hub hosted by the Ministry of Education, Director of BE OPEN Gennady Terebkov shared the findings and data on sustainability-related education accumulated in the course of BE OPEN's five-years-long SDG-themed student competition programme. The programme chooses to focus on one particular goal every year, and has so far covered SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG2: Zero Hunger, SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG13: Climate Change. The panel discussion under the title "Empowering Academia: Integrating Sustainability into Higher Education" became a dynamic and interactive session designed to inspire and equip university students, professors, teachers, and academia professionals with the knowledge and tools to integrate sustainability into higher education. Apart from Gennady Terebkov, the panel comprised two ambassadors from the Student Energy Summit and two members of the Action for Climate Empowerment working group (ACE WG), who shared insights, experiences, and innovative approaches to infuse sustainability principles into academic institutions. The reasoning behind BE OPEN's sustainability-themed educational programme was previously best explained by Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina: "Everyone is needed to reach the ambitious targets set by the UN's SDG programme - the creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of humanity. BE OPEN's programme strives to help educate wider audiences that a sustainable future is dependent on all of us, yet I am convinced that the younger generation today is a more responsible and aware one. I see incredible commitment, responsiveness and audacity in how they approach whatever problems we ask them to tackle." Prior to COP28, BE OPEN also took part in the Student Energy Summit (SES 2023) in Abu Dhabi. The Summit proved to be the largest youth-led energy event in the world that provided space for hundreds of young people to collaborate on sustainable energy solutions and connect to industry leaders in the energy and climate sectors. As a partner of the Student Energy Summit (SES 2023), BE OPEN had the honour of addressing 650 young people from over 100 countries who gathered at the New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). They participated in the international and interdisciplinary programme that strives to prepare young people for a career in the energy transition, showcasing underrepresented voices in the energy space and empowering youth to build important relationships with peers and industry professionals. Among the delegates of the Summit and COP28, there were the winners of BE OPEN's latest competition Better Energy by Design, their attendance being part of their award in addition to grants. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293102/BE_OPEN_competition_winners.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293103/BE_OPEN_Foundation_Panel_session.jpg SOURCE BE OPEN Foundation BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. An international conference themed "Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia: global context and fair solution" is being held in Baku, Trend reports. The conference is attended by more than 100 guests from 30 countries. The event will feature presentations by Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development Party of Turkiye Zafar Sirakaya, Turkish MPs, international experts, and professors. The conference will continue its work in the form of panel discussions with the participation of renowned international experts and socio-political figures, addressing issues such as the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, resettlement challenges on the international stage, the issue of return in international law, difficulties and practical achievements in the field of repatriation, and the situation in this area in different regions. Will be updated The Banker's "Bank of the Year for Banking in the Community" award recognizes the most innovative initiatives undertaken by financial institutions that enrich and improve the societies in which they operate. Recognized are BMO's small business commitments within "BMO EMpower 2.0", the bank's more than $40 billion community benefits plan to support underrepresented communities in the U.S. CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - BMO today announced it has received the prestigious "Bank of the Year for Banking in the Community" recognition by Financial Times-owned The Banker one of only three global awards that considers the work of banks spanning 120 countries. Recognized is BMO's work to support the financial progress of underserved businesses in the communities it serves in the United States. Global winners were revealed during The Banker's "2023 Bank of the Year" awards ceremony in London, England. "We're thrilled that BMO has been recognized by The Banker for helping our customers, colleagues, and communities make real financial progress," said Niamh Kristufek, Head of U.S. Business Banking at BMO. "By ensuring everyone especially those facing barriers to inclusion has access to capital, financial tools, and education, we are living our Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life." The Banker's "Bank of the Year for Banking in the Community" recognition highlights financial institutions that enrich and improve the societies in which they operate. Banks are evaluated on initiatives implemented and the benefits gained by local communities. Highlights from this year's recognition include: BMO EMpower 2.0 : After BMO exceeded its $5 billion goal in just two years, the bank launched BMO EMpower 2.0 , the next step in its commitment to grow the good in its communities with a $40 billion commitment to support underrepresented communities across the U.S. Under BMO EMpower 2.0 , $16.5 billion in lending has been committed for Native, Black, Latino, and Women-owned small businesses as well as billions of dollars in home mortgage lending to low-to-moderate income level homebuyers and communities of color, community development loans and investments, minority commercial lending, and philanthropy. : After BMO exceeded its goal in just two years, the bank launched , the next step in its commitment to grow the good in its communities with a commitment to support underrepresented communities across the U.S. Under , in lending has been committed for Native, Black, Latino, and Women-owned small businesses as well as billions of dollars in home mortgage lending to low-to-moderate income level homebuyers and communities of color, community development loans and investments, minority commercial lending, and philanthropy. Zero Barriers to Business : The program aims to break down barriers for historically underserved and marginalized groups such as Black, Latino, Native, and Women-owned businesses through inclusive banking products, services, and resources. It helps business owners in 22 states including Arizona , California , Colorado , Florida , Idaho , Illinois , Iowa , Indiana , Kansas , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , Nevada , New Mexico , North Dakota , Oklahoma , Oregon , South Dakota , Utah , Washington , Wisconsin , and Wyoming . Since launching the program in late 2020, the bank has helped minority small businesses make real financial progress by approving $80 million small business loans, funding more than 3,400 small businesses, and graduating 45 customers from Zero Barriers to Business to qualify for traditional lending programs under standard lending criteria. : The program aims to break down barriers for historically underserved and marginalized groups such as Black, Latino, Native, and Women-owned businesses through inclusive banking products, services, and resources. It helps business owners in 22 states including , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . Since launching the program in late 2020, the bank has helped minority small businesses make real financial progress by approving small business loans, funding more than 3,400 small businesses, and graduating 45 customers from Zero Barriers to Business to qualify for traditional lending programs under standard lending criteria. Celebrating Women Grant Program: As part of BMO's Zero Barriers to Inclusion strategy, the program aims to eliminate barriers to women's financial progress and success. Each year, BMO awards $80,000 in grants to eight women entrepreneurs in the U.S., supporting their growth plans. In addition to the grants, recipients are offered a comprehensive package that includes an education series focused on business growth, a one-year membership with one of the bank's partner advisory boards, and access to meaningful networking opportunities. To learn more and view the 2023 Bank of the Year awards, visit https://boty.thebanker.com/2023-winners. To learn more about how BMO helps businesses make real financial progress, visit https://www.bmo.com/en-us/main/business-banking/specialty-lending/. About BMO Financial Group BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.3 trillion as of October 31, 2023. Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society. Media Contact: Lucas Seiler, Chicago, [email protected], 312-340-8576 SOURCE BMO Financial Group Change in lifestyles characterized by urbanization, increase in pollution, and hectic routines have led to surge in skin-related concerns. These factors contribute to dry & stressed skin, prompting a surge in demand for body lotions. Consumers seek skincare solutions to combat these issues, making body lotions a vital part of their daily grooming regimen. As a result, the body lotion market experiences growth due to the need for skin hydration & protection in modern lifestyles. WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Body Lotion Market Type (Dry Skin, Oily Skin, Normal Skin, Sensitive Skin, Others), By End User (Male, Female, Kids), By Packaging (Bottles, Tubes, Pumps, Others), By Distribution Channel (Supermarket and Hypermarket, Specialty Store, Online Channel, Others)". According to the report, the global body lotion market was valued at $56.4 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $85.3 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2023 to 2032. Request Sample Copy of Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/6688 Prime determinants of growth Rise in awareness about skin health & adoption of healthier lifestyle are the prime factors for growth of body lotion market. With widespread knowledge about the skin problems that arise from insufficient skincare, consumers are becoming more aware about the damage it does to skin health. Change in climate and increase in direct exposure to sunlight leads to various skin disorders such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis. To combat this, consumers are seeking out new ways to defend against these factors. The body lotion market trends reflect a growing demand for natural and sustainable formulations, with an emphasis on clean and cruelty-free products. In addition, there is increase in focus on innovative textures and multi-functional benefits, addressing various skin concerns. Brands are further incorporating technology, such as smart packaging, to enhance user experience and engagement. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $56.4 billion Market Size in 2032 $85.3 billion CAGR 4.3 % No. of Pages in Report 300 Segments Covered Type, End User, Packaging, Distribution Channel, and region Drivers Increase in awareness toward body care Rise in technology in cosmetic industry Restraints Government regulation and compliance challenges Sustainability challenges Opportunities Personalized personal care products The dry skin segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period As per type, the dry skin segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more the one-fourth of the global body lotion market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Body lotions are increasingly used to treat dry skin problems, due to presence of hydrating & moisturizing ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and ceramides. However, the sensitive skin segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.8% from 2023 to 2032. Brands are introducing a variety of new body lotion products to address skin concerns unique to the skin type. Many skincare products use ingredients for infusing fragrances and paraben mix which cause numerous allergies to people with sensitive skin. Procure Complete Report (300 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/43f0adce85e7faa5fc61421204c501b2 The female segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Depending on gender, the female segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly three-fifths of the global body lotion market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. As a key consumer demographic, females shape trends, prompting brands to innovate and cater to their ever-evolving skincare needs in this competitive beauty sector. However, the male segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.4% from 2023 to 2032. Increase in awareness among males about skincare and adoption of healthier lifestyle are the key factors contributing to the segmental growth. The bottle segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period By packaging, the bottle segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global body lotion market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Bottle body lotion packaging trends include a shift toward sustainable materials, with brands opting for recyclable or eco-friendly bottle options. However, the pump segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.8% from 2023 to 2032. Modern body lotion packaging favor pump dispensers for their ease of use and precise dosage. The packaging often incorporates eco-friendly materials, aligning with sustainability goals. The supermarket and hypermarket segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period According to distribution channel, the supermarket and hypermarket segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the global body lotion market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Hypermarkets & supermarkets are responding by expanding their product offerings to align with these trends, creating dedicated sections for organic & specialty body lotions to meet evolving consumer expectations. However, the online channel segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.7% from 2023 to 2032. Online sales channels are becoming an increasingly popular choice owing to the numerous advantages they offer. With advances in technologies and integration of AI & machine learning to gather consumer data that enhance their shopping experience, online sales channels help companies increase their consumer relations. Europe to maintain its dominance by 2032 Region wise, Europe held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the global body lotion market revenue in this region. Increase in consumer awareness about skincare routines and demand for multifunctional body lotions, offering additional benefits such as anti-aging or sun protection, are notable trends. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 5.1% from 2023 to 2032. There is surge in demand for personalized and region-specific formulations, reflecting the cultural diversity and preferences within the Asia-Pacific skincare market. Enquire before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/6688 Leading Market Players: - Procter & Gamble Company Company Groupe Clarins Hindustan Unilever Limited The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. Galderma S.A. Beiersdorf AG Revlon, Inc. Avon Products, Inc Coty Inc. Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global body lotion market. These players have adopted different strategies such as collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant position 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. Read More Trending "AMR Exclusive Insights: 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. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. 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. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 [email protected] Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com/consumer-goods Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadway Licensing Global announces its selection of two schools to make history as the first to produce pilot productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child School Edition. In the United Kingdom, Barking-based Riverside School will have the opportunity to host the first-ever production of the School Edition. Following Riverside, Hoboken High School in Hoboken, New Jersey, will be first to produce the North American pilot production of the School Edition. Foreground: Danielle Miller, Director of Performing Arts at Hoboken High School. After a month-long evaluation process, BLG and the producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child assessed applications from numerous schools before landing on Riverside and Hoboken High as final selections. "We couldn't be more thrilled to have Riverside School in the UK and Hoboken High School in the US be the first to present this Schools Edition of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the entire team is looking forward to supporting the students and teachers in bringing the story to life for the first time on a school stage," says producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender. In addition to each school being in close physical proximity to the BLG London and New York offices respectively, for collaboration purposes, "it was critical to us that we identify schools with facilities and resources most similar to the greatest number of schools worldwide," says Sean Cercone, Founder and CEO of BLG. Both Riverside and Hoboken High are state/county schools with standard stage, lighting, and sound equipment. As well, like most educational drama department budgets, each program is, in large part, financially self-reliant and without the benefits of private donations, endowment funds, or state-of-the-art provisions. "These pilot productions are a learning process for us, to ensure that any school, regardless of its resources or budget, can produce this show with success," continues Cercone. "We cannot wait to collaborate with Riverside and Hoboken High and use our learnings to provide helpful information to schools that will produce the show in the future." Riverside School intends to produce its pilot production between March 20 23, 2024, with Hoboken High to follow between May 15 19. Teachers and administrators at any secondary or high school worldwide can sign up to receive updates as to when and how to license Harry Potter and the Cursed Child High School Edition in 2024. "We're over the moon that our students will have the opportunity to put on this incredible show," says Kennedy Bloomer, Head of Performing Arts at Riverside School. Adding to the excitement, Danielle Miller, Director of Performing Arts at Hoboken High, concluded, "at Hoboken High over 250 students already registered to audition." Now through December 15, 2023, high schools in the United States and U.S. territories can also participate in the "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child High School Edition: Wands at the Ready" contest to be first in their state or territory to produce the official version of the show. Read full contest details at: https://broadwaylicensing.com/wands-at-the-ready. ABOUT BROADWAY LICENSING GLOBAL Broadway Licensing Global and its family of imprints (Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, and Stage Rights) is the global leader in theatrical licensing and distribution. Representing an astonishing 38 Tony Awards and 49 Pulitzer Prize-winning iconic works, BLG titles epitomize the greatest collection of authors, composers, lyricists, and underlying rights holders across the globe, including Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lynn Nottage, Alan Menken, Stephen King, Elvis, the Bee-Gees, the Beatles, and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions. MEDIA CONTACT & ASSETS For Broadway Licensing Global: Hannah Thulin & Danielle Colletti | Account Directors, Interdependence | [email protected] SOURCE Broadway Licensing Global DUBLIN, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global cerium oxide nanoparticles market size reached US$ 795.4 Million in 2022 and is forecast to reach US$ 2,230.4 Million by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 18.3% during 2023-2028. There is a considerable rise in the utilization of CeNPs in corrosion protection, fuel oxidation catalysis, and automotive exhaust treatment. They are also used in polishing wafers during semiconductor circuit manufacturing. Besides this, CeNPs are employed in the personal care industry on account of their ultraviolet (UV) light filtering potential. Moreover, governments of numerous countries are focusing on reliance on renewable energy for reducing pollution levels and carbon emissions. This, along with the increasing use of CeNPs in solar cells around the world, is driving the overall sales and profitability. Apart from this, CeNPs have tumor-suppressing properties in vitro and in vivo for various cancers, such as lung, colon, and ovarian, which is catalyzing the demand for CeNPs worldwide. Additionally, the lattice structure of CeNPs forms oxygen vacancies, which enable them to act as scavengers of free radicals in physiological conditions. This, coupled with the burgeoning pharmaceutical industry, is positively influencing the market. Furthermore, the increasing focus of market players on expanding their product portfolio is projected to strengthen the growth of the market in the upcoming years. Key Market Segmentation: The report provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market report, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2023-2028. The report has categorized the market based on form, synthesis method and application. Breakup by Form: Dispersion Powder Breakup by Synthesis Method: Traditional Synthesis Methods Green Synthesis Methods Breakup by Application: Energy Storage Polishing Agent Personal Care Pharmaceuticals Others Breakup by Region Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players including: American Elements Cerion LLC Inframat Corporation Meliorum Technologies Inc. Nanophase Technologies Corporation Nanostructured & Amorphous Materials Inc. NYACOL Nano Technologies Inc. PlasmaChem GmbH SkySpring Nanomaterials Inc. Strem Chemicals Inc. (Ascensus Specialties LLC) Key Questions Answered in This Report What was the size of the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market in 2022? What is the expected growth rate of the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market during 2023-2028? What are the key factors driving the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market? What is the breakup of the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market based on the form? What is the breakup of the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market based on the application? What are the key regions in the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market? Who are the key players/companies in the global cerium oxide nanoparticles market? For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kwdhw1 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 BOCA RATON, Fla., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Corwin Law, a litigation law firm specializing in consumer rights and intellectual property, announces the $250,000 settlement of Exotic Car Hacks' copyright infringement lawsuit against Ratiq S. DeWitt ("DeWitt") and Indefinite Wealth d/b/a Dream Car Secrets ("Indefinite Wealth"). In the multi-count lawsuit captioned Secret Consulting, Inc. v. Ratiq DeWitt and Indefinite Wealth d/b/a Dream Car Secrets, Case Number 9:23-cv-80475, filed March 27, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the Plaintiff, Secret Consulting, Inc. d/b/a Exotic Car Hacks, filed its lawsuit against DeWitt and Indefinite Wealth alleging Copyright Infringement, Lanham Act ViolationExpress Reverse Passing Off, Violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, Breach of Contract and Tortious Interference with Contract. Exotic Car Hacks is the leading on-line educator of how to buy and sell luxury high-end exotic automobiles, teaching its students who have purchased its programs, to effectively purchase exotic cars with little or no cost. DeWitt, a former student of Exotic Car Hacks, misappropriated Exotic Car Hacks' intellectual property for his Dream Cars Secrets website. When DeWitt refused to cease and desist from offering education classes utilizing the stolen intellectual property, Exotic Car Hacks was forced to file its lawsuit against DeWitt and Indefinite Wealth. "We take great pride in the development of our educational materials and want the record to be clear, if you steal our programming, we will go after you and hold you responsible" said Pejman Ghadimi, President of Secret Consulting, Inc. As a result of the filing of the Federal lawsuit, DeWitt and Indefinite Wealth agreed to cease and desist from any further violations of Exotic Car Hacks' intellectual property, agreed to a $250,000 settlement and not to offer educational programming on car hacking for two years. The parties further agreed that the terms of the settlement would not be confidential but made public to further deter any future infringement of Exotic Car Hacks' materials. "It was unfortunate that Exotic Car Hacks had to engage in litigation to enforce its rights," said attorney Marcus W. Corwin. "That said, let this action be a message to all potential infringers that Exotic Car Hacks will aggressively prosecute any infringer who misappropriates Exotic Car Hacks' intellectual property." SOURCE Marcus W. Corwin, P.A. SHANGHAI, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The documentary series "Craft Artists in Shanghai", produced by Shanghai Art & Design Academy (SADA), has garnered over 1 million views across 8 episodes on its official YouTube channel since its release in October. The teachers from SADA have spent six years leading and guiding students to shoot and produce the documentary series on telling the stories of intangible cultural heritage masters and their complete process of creating the masterpieces, as well as how the latest technologies are impacting traditional Chinese handicrafts from different perspectives. The episode "Craft Artists in Shanghai: Jade Carving" features Zhao Picheng, Professor of Jade Carving of SADA, highlighting the entire process of how he searches for the jade, designs, and creates the jade carving with exquisite skills. Han Huizhi, artistic director of Han Tianheng Art Museum, is featured in the episode "Craft Artists in Shanghai: Ink Slab Carving," which conveys the idea that "the craft of today is the exhibit of tomorrow" through following him to select the materials, design, create, and exhibit the ink slabs. As technology is impacting traditional Chinese handicraft significantly in the digital era, the documentary also brings focus to how technology is influencing and even empowering the crafts through the episode "Craft Artists in Shanghai: Digital Twin." The production team interviewed Wang Caiyun, jade carving principal of SADA and Xu Hao from the Center for Digital Accumulation and Cultural Communication of Intangible Heritages and presented how the jade carving craft collides with modern digital technologies. "Craftsmanship is one of the ways that unite the history and culture of a nation. We're honored to bring this documentary to audience who love traditional craftsmanship all over the world, and we hope to help more people understand and connect with traditional Chinese artists who have chiseled their skills with time and appreciate the charm of Chinese culture," said Lin Ying, director of the documentary series. The documentary has been broadcast on Shanghai Television and China Educational Television, and it was also featured at the 2023 Shanghai Education Expo in September and the "Brilliant Arts and Crafts: Exhibition of Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage" in October at the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava, which was a part of the International Tour Exhibition of Chinese Traditional Fine Arts. To delve into the captivating world of traditional Chinese craftsmanship, please follow YouTube@CraftArtistsinShanghai. SOURCE Shanghai Art & Design Academy DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strategic move that promises to reshape the landscape of air compressor market in the UAE, Cummins Arabia has joined forces with Sullivan Palatek Asia (SPA). This alliance introduces SPA's Diesel Driven Portable Air Compressors to the UAE market, under the exclusive distribution of Cummins Arabia. Cummins Arabia and Sullivan Palatek Form Strategic Alliance to Distribute Portable Air Compressors in the UAE Sullivan Palatek, with a rich legacy in the compressor industry, mirrors Cummins' ethos of dependability and innovation. Their comprehensive range, designed for the demanding Middle Eastern conditions, complements Cummins Arabia's robust sales and service network. This synergy is further enhanced as the majority of Sullivan Palatek' s compressors are powered by Cummins engines, enabling Cummins Arabia to provide unparalleled end-to-end support for both the compressor and engine, eliminating the need for third-party involvement. Amit Deshpande, Managing Director of Cummins Arabia, highlights the significance of this partnership, "Uniting with Sullivan Palatek not only aligns with our values but also consolidates our position as a one-stop solution provider in the UAE. We are excited to offer our customers the combined excellence of Sullivan Palatek's compressors and our comprehensive support services." Mr. Rajesh George, Regional Director of Sullivan Palatek Asia spoke about the strategic aspects of the partnership, "Our decision to collaborate with Cummins Arabia stems from a transformative vision to redefine industry standards. Their extensive network and technical expertise in the region, combined with our longstanding trust among customers, notably in oil rigs across the Middle East, make this partnership an ideal match." This collaboration is set to introduce innovative Sullivan Palatek products to the MEA/GCC markets, including the DOF1750H portable oil-free compressor and other new ranges tailored to regional needs. The partnership enhances Cummins Arabia's product range, reinforcing its commitment to providing integrated solutions across diverse sectors including Equipment Rental, Construction, and Oil & Gas. With a majority of Sullivan Palatek's range powered by Cummins engines, Cummins Arabia's well-established network and technical capabilities offer unmatched support in the field. Initially focusing on the UAE, this agreement lays the foundation for a progressive expansion for Cummins Arabia, that is poised to explore broader opportunities with SPA's industrial compressors, aiming to strengthen its position in key market segments. For more information about this partnership and its offerings, please contact: Maninder Kaur Marketing Manager, Cummins Arabia [email protected] +971 48809911 About Cummins Arabia: Cummins Arabia is a joint venture between Cummins Inc. and the Olayan Group and consolidates Cummins distribution businesses in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Our products range from diesel and natural gas engines and generators, along with parts, filtration, and service solutions, and the new power product (now Accelera) portfolio including hydrogen production and fuel cells. Comprising of 10 service branches, eight warehouses, a high horsepower (HHP) Master Rebuild Center and a service training center, Cummins Arabia is fully equipped to deliver the right capabilities and expertise to our customers. About Sullivan Palatek Asia: Sullivan was founded in 1868, the company originated as an engineering service provider and has since transformed into manufacturing the most rugged and dependable rotatory screw compressors available on the market today. With more than 150 years of experience and expertise, Sullivan Palatek air compressors have been developed to be reliable, durable, and energy-efficient. We offer a wide range of Compressors from 185 to 1800 CFM at 7 bar to 42 bar in Portable and up to 450HP in Electrical Compressors. In addition to our core offerings, we have expanded our portfolio to encompass gas compressors, vacuum pumps, and Tanto DTH Rock Drills. These additions emphasize our commitment to providing diverse and innovative compressor technology solutions for a variety of applications. Our Air Compressors are specifically designed to provide you with exceptional performance and flexibility, all in a competitive package with the best warranty and after-sales services. Sullivan-Palatek Asia is committed to continuous improvement, in the compressed air industry, meeting the needs of customers, employees, and suppliers in a world of rapid change. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2289311/Cummins_Arabia_and_Sullivan_Palatek.jpg SOURCE Cummins Arabia Residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) will see a decrease of $11.29 Company continues to take steps to lower costs while providing the reliable, cleaner energy Florida customers deserve ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida will reduce customer rates in 2024. Today, the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) unanimously approved Duke Energy's request to lower rates starting in January 2024. A typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh will see a decrease in their January 2024 bill of $11.29, or about 6%, when compared to December 2023. Commercial and industrial customers will see a bill decrease between 5.6% and 7.2%, but the specific bill impact will vary depending on several factors. The bill reduction includes storm recovery costs combined with lower fuel and capacity costs for 2024. "By combining Hurricane Idalia costs with the remaining balance of prior storms and previously filed bill reductions like lower fuel costs, we are able to provide some much-needed bill relief to our customers," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "We will continue to take steps to provide the best possible price for our customers, while delivering the reliable, cleaner energy customers deserve," said Seixas. The company encourages customers to take advantage of the numerous flexible billing and energy savings programs, including free home assessments, budget billing and usage alerts, to help customers save energy and money. To learn more about these programs, visit duke-energy.com/SeasonalBills or call the Customer Care number listed on your energy bill. Duke Energy Florida Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida. Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people. Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Contact: Audrey Stasko 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 Twitter: @DE_AudreyS SOURCE Duke Energy DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO) is the driving force behind the annual celebration of Earth Day around the world and the leading advocacy group championing the importance of teaching climate education to all students globally. EDO is delighted to be joining forces with the influential We Are Family Foundation, (WAFF) a not-for-profit organization co-founded by the legendary musician Nile Rodgers. WAFF is dedicated to the visions of a global family by creating programs that promote cultural diversity while nurturing and mentoring the vision, talents and ideas of young people who are positively changing the world. Nile Rodgers will be speaking at an #Education4Earth (E4E) press event at COP 28 on December 6th at 10:30 AM at the entrance to the Blue Zone (B1). "#Education4Earth is the BIGGEST youth movement at COP 28 demanding governments around the world back climate education as a critically important tool in preparing the next generation for a changing planet," said Johnny Dabrowski, EARTHDAY.ORG's Global Youth Ambassador. "Young people need the right skills to manage this climate crisis and be an important part of a green global economy." #Education4Earth is a coalition of over 100-member youth individuals and organizations all committed to putting the need for climate education on the agenda of every single government. Nile and Rachel Parent, one of WAFF's youth leaders, will address members of the coalition at the press event to show their support. Nile, Rachel and Johnny, and youth activists from the #Education4Earth coalition will be joined at the event by other leading voices in the environmental youth movement all of whom are championing the importance of climate education. Dr. Omnia El Omrani, the first-ever COP youth envoy, who took to the global stage at COP 27 where she was tasked "to facilitate the meaningful and sustainable engagement of young people" will be speaking. Omnia will be joined in addressing the group by 10-year-old Mavi Brilhante from Brazil, and the youngest speaker at COP 28. They will both add their voices to this powerful new movement. "Kids can learn to take care of our planet at school," said Mavi. "So, it is important to have education about green jobs on the curriculum." For press requests and media inquiries, please contact: Sarah Davies , [email protected] , Madie Weiss , [email protected] , Fran DeFeo , [email protected] - for all requests regarding We Are Family Foundation and Nile Rodgers and Rachel Parent ABOUT EARTHDAY.ORG: EARTHDAY.ORG's mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day (1970), EARTHDAY.ORG is the world's largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in nearly 192 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. To learn more, please visit: EARTHDAY.ORG. WE ARE FAMILY FOUNDATION You can find additional information about WAFF, its programs and global community at wearefamilyfoundation.org (http://wearefamilyfoundation.org/) @wearefamilyfdtn. SOURCE EARTHDAY.ORG BOSTON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Embr Labs, Inc , makers of Embr Wave, the leading wearable that utilizes temperature for wellness applications, will be sharing key developments from its decade of innovation in human-temperature interaction and thermal haptic technology at the Wear and Smart Haptics 2023 Conferences in San Diego this week. Embr Labs' sleek temperature wearable the Embr Wave Embr's Chief Technology Officer, Matthew J Smith, PhD, will give two distinct talks. The Smart Haptics session will highlight advancements in understanding of temperature biology, how Embr leverages that understanding, and Embr's work to create an AI-powered future for human-temperature interaction with its hot flash prediction technology development. In addition, Dr. Smith will keynote the Wear Conference Human Centric Design session, sharing Lessons Learned from Embr's First Ten Million Hours of temperature therapy delivered to its tens of thousands of Embr Wave customers. "After ten years into our mission to improve lives through the power of temperature, the Wear and Smart Haptics 2023 Conferences offer an exciting opportunity to share how we've brought temperature into the digital age," says Matt Smith, co-founder and CTO of Embr Labs. Both talks come on the heels of Embr's announcement of its new technology to predict a menopausal hot flash before it occurs to activate immediate cooling on the Embr Wave to mitigate or alleviate the hot flash experience. Embr has established the Embr Wave as an effective solution for hot flash relief for women and for men experiencing hot flashes as a result of prostate cancer treatment. About Embr Labs, Inc. Embr Labs is the leading healthtech company addressing the symptoms of chronic health conditions by pioneering the use of temperature as a new pathway to the brain. Embr Wave is now distributed through major US retailers, and internationally in over 25 countries via Embrlabs.com. The company's patented technology has been clinically validated and delivers a brand new category of safe and natural solutions to manage hot flashes, sleep issues, stress, and thermal discomfort. The company was founded by MIT-trained engineers and is backed by investors including Bose Ventures, DigiTx Partners, Safar Partners, Esplanade Ventures, Intel Capital and is backed by Ghost Tree Partners. Embr Labs has won numerous awards for the Embr Wave, including the AARP Innovation in Aging Award, Time Magazine's Best Inventions, the iF Design Award and was named to CB Insights' Digital Health 150 . Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Embr Labs BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Azerbaijan keeps the doors open, there are excellent opportunities for Armenians in Karabakh, Rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Academician Urkhan Alakbarov said, Trend reports. He made the remark on the Baku Network platform, during the analytical "Dialogue with Tofig Abbasov" video project. "It all depends on how international players behave. If they are interested in preventing this return, they will stimulate it with other motives," he emphasized. "Armenians voluntarily left Karabakh. Azerbaijan is restoring life in the liberated territories. And amid this, we again see certain efforts coming from the West to control the situation: first to find an excuse, and then to complicate everything," he said. Meanwhile, he said, Azerbaijan is pursuing a balanced and predictable policy. Famed TV Correspondent Cydney Long (NBC10 Philadelphia, and CBS3) is now a Realtor at AM Realty Advisors in Haddonfield, NJ HADDONFIELD, N.J., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cydney Long spent 22 years as a high-profile TV journalist in the Philadelphia- South Jersey Metro Area broadcasting for NBC10 Philadelphia and CBS3. She has also worked in Tampa, Florida and Austin Texas. Now, she is a full-time realtor at AM Realty Advisors in Haddonfield, NJ where she is helping her many contacts buy and sell luxury homes in South Jersey. Long picked AM Realty Advisors over numerous other real estate agencies vying for her services because "Liz and Joe along with their team of advisors, are genuine and caring with each client. I could tell that from the beginning. I'm a people person and so are they. Real Estate is built on strong relationships so it was a natural fit," said Long. This well-traveled TV personality was born and raised in South Jersey where she is raising her own children now. Long has long term ties to Haddonfield too. It's where her grandparents raised 3 children in 3 houses, on Greenmount Road, Concord Circle and Upland Way. Her grandfather is the late John Schweigart, who was a world champion wrestler "The Great Scott". Her mom Susan (Long) Gill who graduated from Haddonfield High School later spent many years in the Title Insurance Industry in South Jersey. Long has an intimate knowledge of communities across the South Jersey region from the Camden Riverfront to Cape May, and Trenton to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. She has built relationships with both school district and law enforcement leaders which gives her a breadth of knowledge and experience in what ensures that communities flourish and remain safe. "We're beyond grateful and excited to announce that Cydney Long of local broadcast fame has joined AM Realty Advisors as our newest Real Estate professional! Cydney Long is a household name in the Northeast region, and she's joining the ranks of our team," said Liz Rocco. (Broker and Owner of AM Realty) Cydney comes to AM Realty Advisors after nearly 3 decades as an Emmy award winning journalist spanning multiple cities and regions. "Cydney embodies professionalism, honesty, integrity, diligence, loyalty and compassion. She is punctual, pays close attention to detail, a true people person with a passionate work ethic. We have no doubt Cydney will exceed your expectations when it comes to selling your home or buying a new property, helping you navigate and digest a changing housing market, working diligently on deals within deadlines," said Rocco. AM Realty Advisors is widely recognized by the public as being the go-to realtor agency in South Jersey that specializes in buying and selling high end homes. For more information on AM Realty Advisors, visit http://www.AMRealtyAdvisors.com For more information on Cydney Long, visit CydneyLongRealEstate.com Contact: Joseph Rocco ***@amrealtyadvisors.com Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12996998 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE AM Realty Advisors DUBLIN, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "European Wood Pellets Market Outlook to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. European wood pellet markets are experiencing renewed growth with gas shortages, rising carbon prices, and EU energy policy. This study looks ahead to 2030 and considers how these market forces will drive tighter competition for raw materials and increased pellet imports. It also considers challenges and opportunities for players throughout the value chain, from developing new feedstocks and adapting manufacturing processes, to global pellet supply strategies. Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, EU renewable energy policies will continue to drive growth in pellet demand. The EU has recently increased its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets to 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels), previously set at 40%. It has also raised the target for renewable energy to 42.5% of energy supply by 2030, up from 32%. These targets will be translated into specific national targets for each member state, with each member responsible for meeting their targets through renewable energy subsidies, carbon taxes, and credits. This will ensure ongoing demand growth for biomass in general, and wood pellets in particular. Even as wind, solar, and heat pumps gain importance, biomass will play a central role in the clean energy transition until at least 2030. Modelling by the European Commission suggests that biomass will continue to grow until 2035 and remain the primary renewable energy source until 2050. The latest forecast for European pellet demand anticipates a 3.6% annual growth from 2022 to 2030, compared to the 7.0% annual growth seen from 2014 to 2022 - with additional demand of more than 10 million tonnes across all market segments (power, CHP, residential and non-residential heating). Currently, Europe imports approximately 12 million tonnes of wood pellets, primarily for the power sector, while the residential sector is mainly supplied by locally produced pellets. Europe's pellet imports could increase to between 18 and 22 million tonnes, depending on the success of efforts to expand domestic pellet production, which in turn largely hinges on raw material availability. Over 80% of the raw materials used in European-produced pellets are sawmill residues, including sawdust and shavings. With weak demand for lumber expected to continue until at least 2025, residue supply will be constrained. Even when growth returns to the sawmill industry, it's unlikely to keep pace with pellet demand. This implies increased competition for residues, which may impact the wood panel industries, as they are increasingly turning to recycled wood. The competition can also extend to the pulp and paper industries, as pellet mills compete for pulpwood and chips. To prevent increased competition and higher raw material prices, it's essential to develop alternative raw material supplies for the pellet industry, including forest residues and purpose-grown energy crops. One challenge is that these raw materials are better suited for industrial pellets, a segment largely dominated by imported pellets. Much of the growth in Europe' pellet demand will be captured by pellet producers in the US and Canada - while many European producers continue to focus on the residential segment and traditional feedstocks. Questions the report helps answer How will European wood pellet demand grow in 2023-2030? How will demand develop by market segment, and where will supply come from? What drives wood pellet prices? How much wood pellets will Europe need to import from other world regions? need to import from other world regions? What is the raw material mix for European pellet production? How could that evolve? What is the cost and availability of alternative raw materials for pellets? How is the European pellet market likely to evolve to 2030? What implications will tighter raw material markets have for suppliers and buyers? Key Topics Covered: The importance of European pellets Forces driving pellet demand growth Demand drivers for wood pellets in Europe - overview and discussion - overview and discussion EU greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy targets 1990-2050 EU renewable energy targets by member state 2020, 2030 EU GDP, energy demand, and energy efficiency 2000-30 EU energy supply by source; renewable vs. other 2000-30 EU renewable energy supply 2000-20 by source, including biomass EU forecast renewable energy by source to 2050, including biomass Wood pellet advantages / disadvantages vs. unprocessed biomass Wood pellet value proposition vs. alternatives in main applications Levelised cost of electricity for biomass vs. other renewables Breakeven price for coal and carbon vs. pellets in power plants 2023 Q1 Residential heating costs, pellets vs. alternatives 2010-24 Other advantages of pellets; geopolitical, safety, supply volatility Demand outlook Price dynamics Supply potential and role of imports Raw materials and sourcing European pellet raw materials; description and share in 2022e Pellet raw material mix by country, 2021 Trends in pellet raw material mix, 2018-22e Impact of lumber (sawnwood) demand on pellet raw material supply Swedish bioenergy raw material prices 2000-23 Raw material types; characteristics, value hierarchy, end-users Wood purchasing power of pellets vs. other key users Pulplogs vs. sawdust prices, Austria and Sweden 2010-23 and 2010-23 Sawdust supply and demand dynamics Sawdust prices in Sweden and Austria 2010-23 and 2010-23 Sawdust supply and demand in 2022, development of key drivers Alternative raw materials for European pellets; cost and supply potential European recycled wood supply and demand Recovered wood grades and uses European forest residue supply potential by type Forest residue generation and utilization ( Sweden example) example) European energy crops supply potential and typical cost structure Future scenarios and implications Key uncertainties for pellet markets to 2030, link to scenarios Carbon emissions prices on leading exchanges globally 2008-23 EU sustainability initiatives and potential impacts on wood supply Forecast European softwood lumber demand to 2025 US pellet production and export to EU, 2012-22 Expected US pellet capacity expansion Scenarios for EU wood pellet market to 2030 Implications for players throughout the pellet value chain Development of Sweden pulpwood vs. bioenergy prices 1995-2023 pulpwood vs. bioenergy prices 1995-2023 Black pellets: advantages and examples of recent investments For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1io781 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 HOUSTON, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Four astronauts, including the current record-holder for the longest single stay in space aboard the International Space Station, will make their first public appearance in Houston since returning to Earth. The crew will be available for interviews at 5 p.m. CST Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Space Center Houston. NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, and Frank Rubio, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, will be at NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center to share highlights from their missions during a free, public event at 6:15 p.m. At 7:40 p.m., the crew will help recognize key contributors to its mission success in an awards ceremony. Reporters may request an in-person interview no later than 12 p.m. Dec. 6 by emailing Dana Davis at [email protected]. Crew-5 NASA's SpaceX Crew mission launched in October 2022 with Mann, Cassada, and Wakata, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, on the fifth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station. The crew spent 157 days aboard the space station, traveled 66,577,531 miles, and completed 2,512 Earth orbits, splashing down off the coast of Tampa, Florida, on March 11. This was the first spaceflight for Mann, Cassada, and Kikina. It was the fifth flight for Wakata who has now logged a total of 505 days in space. Soyuz Crew The international crew that flew on the Soyuz spacecraft served on Expeditions 68 and 69 aboard the space station. The flight launched on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft in September 2022 with Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. The crew spent 371 days aboard the space station, traveled 157,412,306 statute miles, and completed 5,963 Earth orbits, landing in Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on Sept. 27, 2023. This was the second spaceflight for Prokopyev and Petelin. This was Rubio's first spaceflight mission and it broke the U.S. record for a single spaceflight by an American. While on the station, the crew members conducted important scientific investigations and helped maintain the orbiting laboratory. While aboard they tested hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow plants without using soil, studied how liquids move in a container in simulated lunar gravity to generate data to improve Moon rover designs, and tested an on-demand system to produce specific quantities of key nutrients from yogurt, kefir, and a yeast-based beverage. The crew also released Uganda and Zimbabwe's first satellites. Stay current on space station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the station Facebook and Instagram accounts and the space station blog. SOURCE NASA New Kits Elevate Precision and Availability in Waveguide Technology IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairview Microwave, an Infinite Electronics brand and a leading provider of on-demand RF, microwave and millimeter-wave components, introduces its newest lineup of waveguide calibration kits. Designed to calibrate and test microwave devices and systems, these kits are tailored specifically for the waveguide sizes WR-90, WR-75, WR-62, WR-34, WR-28, and WR-22. Fairview's new waveguide calibration kits are designed to calibrate and test microwave devices and systems. Each calibration kit includes two waveguide-to-coax adapters, a waveguide-matched termination, two waveguide short plates, and precision waveguide sections of 1/4, 1/8, and 3/8. The kits offer frequency-range options of 8.2 to 12.5 GHz, 9.84 to 15 GHz, 11.9 to 18 GHz and 17.6 to 26.7 GHz. In addition, for professionals with specific needs, Fairview has made optional waveguide straight sections available for individual purchase. They are built for long-term reliability, made of either aluminum or brass, depending on the waveguide size. Unlike other suppliers, Fairview maintains an extensive in-stock range of waveguide calibration kits, eliminating the usual wait time. Despite the superior quality and unparalleled availability, the pricing remains competitive, offering customers exceptional value for their investment. "These new waveguide calibration kits and straight sections are a testament not only to our dedication to innovation but also to our promise of ensuring product availability and affordability," said Product Line Manager Kevin Hietpas. Fairview's new waveguide calibration kits are in stock and available for same-day shipping. For inquiries, please call +1 (949) 261-1920. About Fairview Microwave: A leading supplier of on-demand RF and microwave products since 1992, Fairview offers immediate delivery of RF components including attenuators, adapters, coaxial cable assemblies, connectors, terminations and much more. All products are shipped same-day from the company's ISO 9001:2015-certified production facilities in Lewisville, Texas. Fairview Microwave is an Infinite Electronics brand. About Infinite Electronics: Infinite Electronics has a global portfolio of leading in-stock connectivity solution brands. Its brands help propel the world's innovators forward by working urgently to provide products, solutions and real-time support for customers. Backed by Warburg Pincus, Infinite's brands serve customers across a wide range of industries with a broad inventory selection, same-day shipping and 24/7 customer service. Learn more at infiniteelectronics.com. Press Contact: Peter McNeil Fairview Microwave 17792 Fitch Irvine, Calif. 92614 +1 (978) 682-6936 SOURCE Fairview Microwave Inc. GALWAY, Ireland, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FEELTECT, a connected-health, wound care company, was recently awarded the top prize for the inaugural Lohmann & Rauscher (L&R) Accelerator Program. The L&R Accelerator Program is a 12-week program for high-growth startups, innovative L&R employees, and partners. The first-of-its-kind program focuses on addressing selected problems and topics within the digital context, including digital twins, remote monitoring, and individual learning. Over 100 digital and connected health start-ups were evaluated for the program, including those already working within the wound care space and those with more generally applied platforms. The rigorous selection process, involving L&R experts and external partners, shortlisted just six start-up companies from across Europe and Singapore to participate in the 12-week program. The activities consisted of in-person workshops within L&R's headquarters in Germany and Austria, ongoing mentorship, and a series of online masterclass presentations from L&R experts and key opinion leaders, culminating in a final pitch event to present the collaborator projects that startups worked on as part of the program. Amongst a highly competitive field, FeelTect emerged as the overall winner of the program for their collaborative project involving their pioneering Tight Alright technology the first connected-health technology for measuring and remotely monitoring sub-bandage pressure during compression therapy, primarily for the millions of people world-wide with venous leg ulcers. The Tight Alright technology is comprised of a wearable device with multiple pressure sensors that wirelessly connects with a digital platform, unburdening care providers by enabling significant advancements in the application, self-management, and remote monitoring of compression therapy. As part of the L&R Accelerator Program, the collaborative project established the potential for the Tight Alright technology to be combined with L&R's easy-to-use ReadyWrap Adjustable Compression Wrap. The complementary combination of technologies could be used to support the safe and efficacious application of compression therapy by patients themselves, helping them understand optimal times for readjustment and providing them confidence through remote clinical oversight. Speaking about the award, FeelTect CEO, Andrew Cameron, PhD, said "It's been an incredible opportunity to take part in the L&R Accelerator Program, we've learned a lot from the L&R experts and competing start-ups, and it was a huge bonus for us to receive this recognition from a leading player in the field of wound care. We admire the initiative that L&R has taken in putting together such a forward-thinking program, and their vision for improved wound care through digitisation." Laura Ihrlich, Digital Transformation Manager within L&R, added "We extend heartfelt congratulations to all participating start-ups and everyone involved! We've received highly valuable ideas and concepts from creative, dynamic start-ups, and we're incredibly proud of the numerous successes already borne out of the L&R Accelerator Program. Ultimately, FeelTtect and its sensor solution for successful compression therapy convinced us the most. We aim to establish collaboration with FeelTect beyond the program because we believe that, in addition to jointly implementing ideas, we can benefit from long-term exchanges. By partnering FeelTect with L&R's Digital Lab and other internal departments, we can bring together experts, technologists, and creative minds to develop new ideas. Together, we're shaping the future of healthcare through innovation, digital solutions, and collaboration." In relation to the next steps, Andrew Cameron noted "We appreciate the multi-faceted nature of wound care and the benefit of bringing together the strengths of different players in the industry, to improve the lives of patients and reduce the unsustainable burden on healthcare systems. The L&R Accelerator Program has further highlighted these collaborative opportunities, so we'll continue to seek strategic partnerships as we follow our ambitions of disruptively improving wound care using connected health technologies." About FeelTect FeelTect is a connected-health, wound care company based in Galway, Ireland. The company's primary mission is to address the critical unmet need for a way to significantly reduce healing times and healthcare personnel workload in the treatment of VLUs, for improved quality of life for patients and reduced treatment costs. Since spinning out of the University of Galway in 2020, FeelTect have achieved numerous milestones, including FDA registration in USA, EUDMED registration in Europe, ISO 13485 accreditation, preliminary clinical validation, international patents on hardware and software technologies, and completion of design for manufacturing. The company is about to commence a 4.6 million Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund collaborative project to expand their pipeline of products that will ultimately lead to the development of the first data-driven clinical decision support system in wound care. About Lohmann & Rauscher Lohmann & Rauscher (L&R) is a leading international developer, manufacturer and supplier of first-class medical and hygiene products of the highest quality - from classic dressing materials to modern therapy and care systems. Formed in 1998 from the two companies Lohmann (founded in 1851) and Rauscher (founded in 1899), L&R has over 170 years of expertise as a reliable problem solver for its customers. With 5,400 employees, 51 group companies and shareholdings as well as more than 130 selected sales partners, L&R is represented in all major markets around the world and achieved a sales volume of 750 million euros in 2022. L&R locations with headquarters function are Rengsdorf (Germany) and Vienna (Austria). L&R's entrepreneurial attitude is reflected in its claim People.Health.Care.: people, their health and care for both. Contact: Andrew Cameron, [email protected], +353871840912 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2099998/FeelTect_Logo.jpg SOURCE FeelTect NAPA VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Demeine Estates is proud to announce their exclusive import partnership with premier Champagne House Philipponnat, a celebrated legacy producer with more than 500 years of winegrowing history, owning and farming vineyards in Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay for 15 generations, including the legendary Clos des Goisses, a vineyard unparalleled in the Champagne region that has been owned by Philipponnat for nearly a century. The legendary Clos des Goisses vineyard in the Champagne region Charles and Francois Philipponnat Philipponnat offers a portfolio of Champagnes with discerning quality and character, known as one of the great vintage producers. Demeine Estates is importing the full range, including three non-vintage cuvees, three vintage cuvees, and four prestige cuvees. Founded in 1522, this historic House in the heart of Champagne has undergone a renaissance since 15th generation family member Charles Philipponnat took the helm in 2000. "Philipponnat is an iconic producer among true Champagne enthusiasts, and we look forward to representing this historic House to elevate their presence in the US market," said Demeine Estates President Philana Bouvier. "Their consistent quality and family legacy in the region established them as a benchmark producer and we look forward to sharing these unrivaled wines with restaurateurs, sommeliers and collectors." The Philipponnat House motto is "La Champagne au Coeur," meaning "Champagne at heart." The family's passion for their vineyards and their craft is apparent in every aspect of the winery, with a focus on continually improving quality in winemaking and in the vineyards, with vines farmed by hand with the help of horses and using organic and biodynamic practices. In 1935, the family purchased the revered Clos des Goisses, highly regarded for its steep, sunny and with soils of pure chalk. Clos des Goisses was the site of the first single-vineyard wine in Champagne. Today, it produces the Philipponnat Clos des Goisses vintage expressions, revealing both richness and pristine minerality. Winemaking is as influential as terroir in informing the Philipponnat style. The House hallmarks include sourcing the sought-after offerings from the unparalleled Clos de Goisses vineyard, while elevating the full range of Philipponnat Champagnes to showcase their expertise in Pinot Noir, and a characteristic use of a perpetual reserve inspired by the solera method. A long-standing House tradition, reserve wines in oak barrels are included in the non-vintage blends. These then become the reserve wine for the next cuvee, imbuing each bottle with the House's extended history. From the vineyards to the cellar, the resulting wines reveal the House style Champagne with intensity while also retaining freshness. "In the history of our House, we have always practiced highly specialized and selective distribution," said Philipponnat President and CEO Charles Philipponnat. "We are certain that Demeine Estates is the correct partner to share in that goal. We cherish our trusted relationships with our customers, who value quality and conviviality, and we believe that Demeine Estates will honor these principles as we embark on this relationship." Philipponnat joins Blanc de Blancs specialists Champagne Legras & Haas, as well as Sancerre producer Domaine Roc de l'Abbaye and Burgundy's La Chablisienne and Domaine de Montille in Demeine Estates' growing portfolio as Demeine Estates increases its import footprint in key regions throughout France. About Demeine Estates Demeine Estates is a family-owned producer, importer and marketer of the world's finest wines based in the heart of Napa Valley, California. A leader in luxury wines in the U.S., Demeine Estates sets the standard in exceptional marketing, fine wine sales, and distribution services. Founded by The Lawrence family and Carlton McCoy Jr., MS, and led by President Philana Bouvier, Demeine Estates' curated portfolio also consists of both premium family-owned domestic and international producers who represent exceptional wines anchored by quality viticulture. demeineestates.com About Philipponnat Champagne Philipponnat wears the mantles of both grower and House, using a terroir-focused approach and centuries of expertise to craft a range of extraordinary Champagnes incorporating artisanal methods that elevate the health of the land and the sophistication of the wine. The Philipponnat family have been winegrowers since 1522 when they purchased land in Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay. Today 15th generation Charles Philipponnat leads the House, cementing over 500 years producing Pinot Noir focused Champagne of elegance and style, including from the renowned Clos des Goisses vineyard, which they acquired in 1935. https://www.philipponnat.com/ SOURCE Demeine Estates In just 18 months the green ammonia capable ship has been converted to run in dual-fuel mode as it moves away from fossil fuels. Fortescue calls on all ports to license green ammonia loading and fuel around the world, facilitating pollution free shipping. Imagery can be accessed via this link here. DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fortescue Green Pioneer has sailed from its base in Singapore to Dubai for COP28 as a symbol to the world of the technology solutions and regulatory changes needed to decarbonise shipping. Fortescue Executive Chairman and Founder Andrew Forrest AO stated, "At the moment the regulatory landscape does not allow for ammonia ships to operate. "Now it is up to the world's ports to insist that their logistics do not harbour those who seek to hide from their responsibility to turn away from pollution. "Now that green ammonia is emerging as a bulk marine fuel, it is now the time of the great ports of the world to become capable of pollution free shipping. All administrations of good character will not use inaction and excuses to stand in the road of progress to decarbonise one of the world's dirtiest industries. "This is seriously limiting the progress of the decarbonisation of shipping. I look to the leadership of the world's ports to make clear that running the world's global shipping on dirty bunker fuel has to stop, as we have a pollution free alternative." Together with leading maritime engineers and innovators, Fortescue has spent the past 18 months developing the systems, processes and technology needed to safely run the Green Pioneer as a green ammonia dual-fuel ship. One of the most significant and fastest marine innovation platforms, the vessel is today sitting proudly in the waters of the Dubai Harbour Marina. Fortescue successfully retrofitted a four-stroke engine to run on a blend of ammonia and diesel at its Perth testing facility earlier this year, marking a major milestone in its pursuit of a global shipping industry no longer reliant on fossil fuels. Fortescue has since installed an entire gas fuel delivery system and converted two of the four engines on the proof-of-concept Green Pioneer in Singapore to enable the vessel to run in dual-fuel mode on ammonia and diesel. Fortescue is now continuing to pursue its broader plan for a world-first fuel transfer and marine vessel with approval to use ammonia as a fuel. Fortescue has also pioneered and implemented new, ammonia-specific safety and fuel handling courses in conjunction with an accredited Singapore learning institution to ensure all seafarers can be inducted and operate in a safe and controlled manner with ammonia fuel on-board. This training can now be extended to the wider industry to enable the safe and wider roll-out of ammonia as a marine fuel. Due to the lack of appropriate regulations that Dr Forrest has called on world ports to change, the vessel will not be carrying ammonia or demonstrating the use of ammonia as a fuel while in Dubai. However, when the vessel returns to Singapore which has made itself ammonia capable, the Company will complete commissioning to enable it to perform a world-first ammonia transfer and reach final flag and class approval to enable it to operate ammonia dual-fuel engines on the water and use ammonia as a fuel. Green ammonia is produced using renewable energy, so a green ammonia-based alternative to diesel would be considered a game-changer for reducing the carbon footprint of the world's shipping industry, which would be the sixth-largest polluter in the world if it were a country. While the technological advances are encouraging, Fortescue is using the gathering of the international community at COP28 to call on all enablers including governments, port authorities, regulators, training institutions and development banks to move at pace by ensuring the appropriate settings are in place for the use of ammonia as an alternative shipping fuel. Media contact: Fortescue E: [email protected] M: 1800 134 442 About Fortescue Fortescue is focused on becoming the number 1 integrated green energy, metals and technology company, recognised for its culture, innovation and industry-leading development of infrastructure, mining assets and green energy initiatives. It operates with two divisions Metals and Energy. Fortescue is committed to producing green hydrogen, containing zero carbon, from renewable electricity. Green hydrogen is a zero-carbon fuel that, when used, produces primarily water. It is a practical and implementable solution that can help revolutionise the way we power our planet: helping to decarbonise heavy industry and create jobs globally. Fortescue is leading the green industrial revolution, building a global portfolio of renewable green hydrogen and green ammonia projects, while also leading the global effort to help decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors. This includes developing and acquiring the technology and energy supply to help decarbonise the Australian iron ore operations of one of the world's largest producers of iron ore, Fortescue Metals, by 2030 (Scope 1 and 2 terrestrial emissions). fortescue.com SOURCE Fortescue IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a Department of Justice press release, a Las Vegas man was recently sentenced to serve more than a year in federal prison for committing federal tax crimes related to his real estate business. This story exemplifies the huge risk that taxpayers who choose to willfully violate federal tax laws take. If you have failed to truthfully file your tax returns or have failed to file a tax returns altogether, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options to come into compliance without facing criminal tax prosecution. Why you should use an Attorney to represent you in an audit Defendant Underreported Income, Will Spend More Than a Year in Prison A couple from Las Vegas Nevada were engaged in the real estate and interior design businesses, respectively. Prosecutors alleged that between 2005 and 2020, the defendants filed tax returns that did not properly reflect their true income. After an IRS audit and the determination that the couple owed far more taxes than they had paid when filing their tax returns, Department of Justice attorneys argued that the couple engaged in various evasive tactics to intentionally avoid paying their correct tax liabilities. Such tactics included cashing large portions of their paychecks, thereby avoiding the effect of IRS levies and other collection methods. Additionally, the couple was accused of failing to pay their 2014 through 2018 federal tax bill, altogether. This case illustrates that there are two different methods of committing tax evasion. Evasion of assessment or cheating in completing a tax return by fraudulently understating income or overstating expenses, and evasion of payment. Evasion of payment involves taking illegal actions to prevent the IRS from engaging in collection enforcement actions to collect taxes that have been legally assessed and thus due and owing. A federal grand jury indicted the couple on counts related to conspiring to defraud the United States, tax evasion, filing a false tax return, assisting in the filing of a false tax returns and failing to file tax returns and pay federal income taxes. The husband plead guilty to one count of tax evasion. Recently, a federal judge sentenced him to one year and one day in federal prison. Additionally, He was sentenced to two years of supervised release. Lastly, he was ordered to pay nearly $2 million in restitution to the U.S. government. Seeking the Assistance of an Experienced Tax Attorney to Come Back into Compliance without facing Criminal Tax Prosecution While engaging in legitimate tax planning strategies for yourself or your business is not illegal, taking steps to illegally reduce your taxable income or otherwise undermine tax collection is playing with fire and in many cases, defendants, like the one above, get burned. If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years or have taken a position on a tax return that could not be substantiated upon audit, it is in your best interest to contact a seasoned tax attorney . Together, you will work to develop a strategy to get right with the government. If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years or have taken a position on a tax return that could not be supported upon an IRS or state tax authority audit, eggshell audit, reverse eggshell audit, or criminal tax investigation, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney to determine your best route back into federal or state tax compliance without facing criminal prosecution. Note: As long as a taxpayer that has willfully committed tax crimes (potentially including non-filed foreign information returns coupled with affirmative evasion of U.S. income tax on offshore income) self-reports the tax fraud (including a pattern of non-filed returns) through a domestic or offshore voluntary disclosure before the IRS has started an audit or criminal tax investigation / prosecution, the taxpayer can ordinarily be successfully brought back into tax compliance and receive a nearly guaranteed pass on criminal tax prosecution and simultaneously often receive a break on the civil penalties that would otherwise apply. It is imperative that you hire an experienced and reputable criminal tax defense attorney to take you through the voluntary disclosure process. Only an Attorney has the Attorney Client Privilege and Work Product Privileges that will prevent the very professional that you hire from being potentially being forced to become a witness against you, especially where they prepared the returns that need to be amended, in a subsequent criminal tax audit, investigation or prosecution. Moreover, only an Attorney can enter you into a voluntary disclosure without engaging in the unauthorized practice of law (a crime in itself). Only an Attorney trained in Criminal Tax Defense fully understands the risks and rewards involved in voluntary disclosures and how to protect you if you do not qualify for a voluntary disclosure. As uniquely qualified and extensively experienced Criminal Tax Defense Tax Attorneys, Kovel CPAs and EAs, our firm provides a one stop shop to efficiently achieve the optimal and predictable results that simultaneously protect your liberty and your net worth. See our Testimonials to see what our clients have to say about us! If you are facing federal or California aggressive collection action don't get creative in dealing with it and try and outsmart that tax collector or you could be criminally prosecuted for evasion of payment. Let us assist you to work out a viable collection alternative. We Are Here for You Regardless of your business or estate needs, the professionals at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing are here for you. We are open for business and our team will help ensure that your business is too. Contact the Law Offices of David W. Klasing today to discuss your business with one of our professionals. In addition to our fully staffed main office in downtown Irvine California, the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing has unstaffed (conference room only) California based satellite offices in Los Angeles , San Bernardino , Santa Barbara , Panorama City , Oxnard , San Diego , Bakersfield , San Jose , San Francisco , Oakland , Carlsbad, Sacramento . We also have unstaffed (conference room only) satellite offices in Las Vegas Nevada , Salt Lake City Utah , Phoenix Arizona & Albuquerque New Mexico , Austin Texas , Washington DC , Miami Florida and New York New York that solely handle Federal & California Tax issues. Our office technology allows clients to meet virtually via GoToMeeting . With end-to-end encryption, strong passwords, and top-rated reliability, no one is messing with your meeting. To schedule a reduced rate initial consultation via GoToMeeting follow this link . Call our office and request a GoToMeeting if you are an existing client. We also now offer a convenient scheduling option, where you can secure David W. Klasing, Esq M.S.-Tax CPA's undivided attention for a 4-hour consultation at any of his satellite offices. Here is a link to our YouTube channel: click here! Public Contact: Dave Klasing Esq. M.S.-Tax CPA, [email protected] SOURCE Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, PC DUBLIN, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Enhanced Geothermal System Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends Opportunity, and Forecast 2018-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Worldwide Enhanced Geothermal System Market Witnesses Rapid Expansion with a CAGR of 5.19% from 2022 to 2028 The global Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) market, part of the broader geothermal energy industry, is gaining significant traction as a sustainable and low-carbon energy source. The market has been valued at USD 3.08 billion in 2022, and it is projected to experience robust growth in the forecast period with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.19% through 2028. EGS technology represents a revolutionary approach to harnessing the Earth's heat for electricity generation and other applications. Unlike conventional geothermal energy, which relies on naturally occurring high-temperature rock formations, EGS engineers create artificial reservoirs deep within the Earth's crust by injecting fluids at high pressures into boreholes, creating fractures and stimulating heat exchange with the surrounding rock. Environmental Concerns and Renewable Energy Transition Drive Market Growth Environmental concerns and the global transition towards renewable energy sources are key drivers propelling the EGS market's expansion. As the world confronts the impacts of climate change and dwindling fossil fuels, cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions are imperative. EGS, with its minimal greenhouse gas emissions and renewable nature, aligns perfectly with these goals. Unlike fossil fuels, EGS produces minimal greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint in electricity generation. Energy Security and Independence Boost EGS Adoption Energy security and independence are paramount motivators for nations looking to reduce their reliance on imported fossil fuels, which can lead to economic vulnerabilities and geopolitical uncertainties. EGS provides a domestic, reliable energy source that is immune to supply disruptions and price fluctuations associated with fossil fuels. By tapping into their indigenous geothermal resources, countries can bolster their energy security, reduce trade deficits, and minimize fossil fuel dependency. Technological Advancements and Research Investments Spur EGS Growth Continuous technological advancements and research investments play pivotal roles in driving EGS market growth. Research and development efforts have significantly enhanced the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of EGS systems, resulting in improved drilling techniques, reservoir engineering, and heat exchange technologies. These innovations have expanded the feasibility of EGS projects and made them more appealing for clean energy production. Favorable Government Policies and Incentives Propel Market Expansion Favorable government policies and incentives are crucial drivers of the EGS market. Many countries have implemented regulatory frameworks and financial incentives such as feed-in tariffs, tax credits, grants, and renewable energy mandates to foster EGS development. Governments recognize the importance of diversifying their energy portfolios and achieving climate goals, which often involves promoting renewable energy sources like EGS. Baseload Power Generation Capability Enhances EGS Appeal EGS technology's ability to provide baseload power generation is a significant driver of its global market growth. Unlike some intermittent renewable sources, EGS offers a stable and continuous supply of electricity, ensuring uninterrupted power for industries, businesses, and households. This baseload capability is crucial for stabilizing power grids and meeting consistent energy demand. Regional Geothermal Potential and Resource Availability Drive EGS Adoption The availability of significant geothermal potential and resource availability in various regions serves as a driver for the global EGS market. Countries endowed with abundant geothermal resources often have a natural advantage for EGS development, incentivizing investment in EGS projects and enabling nations to capitalize on their indigenous geothermal energy. In conclusion, the global Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) market is thriving due to environmental concerns, energy security, technological advancements, government support, baseload power generation capabilities, and regional geothermal potential. These factors collectively facilitate the expansion of EGS technology and its contribution to the global clean energy landscape. Government Policies are Likely to Propel the Market Renewable Energy Mandates and Targets : Government mandates requiring a percentage of energy generation to come from renewable sources create a stable market for EGS developers and investors. : Government mandates requiring a percentage of energy generation to come from renewable sources create a stable market for EGS developers and investors. Feed-In Tariffs (FiTs) and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) : FiTs and PPAs guarantee favorable prices for EGS-generated electricity, reducing risks and attracting private sector investments. : FiTs and PPAs guarantee favorable prices for EGS-generated electricity, reducing risks and attracting private sector investments. Research and Development (R&D) Funding : Government-funded R&D programs drive innovation in EGS technology, reducing risks and attracting private investors. : Government-funded R&D programs drive innovation in EGS technology, reducing risks and attracting private investors. Tax Incentives and Investment Credits : Tax incentives and investment credits lower upfront costs and attract private capital, making EGS projects more financially appealing. : Tax incentives and investment credits lower upfront costs and attract private capital, making EGS projects more financially appealing. Geothermal Resource Leasing and Permitting : Efficient leasing and permitting policies reduce bureaucratic delays, encouraging EGS development. : Efficient leasing and permitting policies reduce bureaucratic delays, encouraging EGS development. Environmental and Emission Reduction Targets: EGS aligns with emission reduction goals, providing a clean and stable energy source for countries aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Key Market Challenges Technical and Geological Complexity : EGS projects are technically challenging due to geological variability, reservoir engineering, hydraulic fracturing, and heat extraction efficiency. : EGS projects are technically challenging due to geological variability, reservoir engineering, hydraulic fracturing, and heat extraction efficiency. High Initial Capital Costs and Financial Risks: EGS projects require substantial upfront investments for exploration, reservoir development, infrastructure, and operational risks. Segmental Insights Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Insights : The HDR segment offers abundant and widely distributed resources, high-temperature gradients, suitability for reservoir stimulation, scalability, predictable geological characteristics, and ongoing technological advancements. : The HDR segment offers abundant and widely distributed resources, high-temperature gradients, suitability for reservoir stimulation, scalability, predictable geological characteristics, and ongoing technological advancements. Deep Insights: The Deep segment accesses higher temperature gradients, offers efficient heat extraction, provides stability, relies on drilling advancements, boasts widespread availability, and serves high-capacity energy generation. Regional Insights North America : North America leads the EGS market due to increasing demand for renewable energy, government support, and technological advancements. : leads the EGS market due to increasing demand for renewable energy, government support, and technological advancements. Europe : Europe sees growth in the EGS market due to rising demand for renewable energy and initiatives like the European Green Deal. : sees growth in the EGS market due to rising demand for renewable energy and initiatives like the European Green Deal. Asia Pacific : Asia Pacific experiences EGS market growth driven by energy demand and growing awareness of geothermal benefits. The report covers various segments of the Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) market, including resource types (Hot Dry Rock, Sedimentary Basin, Radiogenic, Molten Magma), depth (Shallow, Deep), simulation methods (Hydraulic, Chemical, Thermal), end-users (Residential, Commercial), and power station types (Dry Steam Power Station, Flash Steam Power Station, Binary Cycle Power Station). Companies profiled include: Enel Ormat Technologies AltaRock Energy Shell Kenya Electricity Generating Company BESTEC Geothermie Bouillante Fuji Electric Calpine Energy Development Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5j428k 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 DUBLIN, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Pharmaceutical Fluid Handling Market Forecast to 2028 - Global Analysis By Offering, Tubing, Application, Usage, and End User" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The pharmaceutical fluid handling market is expected to reach US$ 14.2 billion by 2028 from US$ 10.3 billion in 2021; it is estimated to register a CAGR of 4.7% from 2022 to 2028. Increasing drug production and growing adoption of single-use systems in the pharmaceutical industry are among the key forces driving the market. However, high price of failed clinical trials is hindering the pharmaceutical fluid handling market growth. In recent years, research and development efforts have increased along with investments in developing innovative treatments. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved 35 medicines for "biologic drugs" in 2019, and 50 novel drugs were approved in 2021. Further, 410 novel drugs have been approved in the past decade, registering 40 approvals each year. The Medicine Development for Global Health (MDGH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Special Program for Research and Training and GlaxoSmithKline, initiated the development of new drugs for tropical diseases and Malaria Venture (MMV) in 2018. This initiation is promoting more clinical trials and drug discovery, which is increasing the number of drug approvals, thereby boosting the pharmaceutical fluid handling market. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), in 2021, the number of registered clinical studies with posted results accounted for 52,537, and it is likely to reach 56,100 by the end of 2022. Moreover, there has been an increase in R&D spending in recent years. According to data published by Congressional Budget Office in April 2021, the spending on drug R&D increased by 50% from 2015 to 2019. In 2019, the pharmaceutical industry spent US$ 83 billion on R&D, which increased by 10 times compared to the past decade. Thus, the increasing number of clinical trials, drug production, and increasing investments in R&D are contributing to the growth of the pharmaceutical fluid handling market. Offering-Based Insights Based on offering, the global pharmaceutical fluid handling market is segmented into equipment and solutions and services. In 2021, the equipment segment held the largest share of the market, and it is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during 2022-2028. The detachable pharmaceutical fluid handling equipment is used for the arterial and venous embolization in the peripheral vasculature. End User-Based Insights Based on end user, the pharmaceutical fluid handling market is segmented into biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical & medical companies, and others. The biotechnology companies segment held the largest market share in 2021, and it is further expected to be the largest shareholder in the market by 2028. Biotechnology companies hold a significant share in the drug discovery and development of innovative biologics to treat chronic diseases. The industry is witnessing growth since the past decade due to extensively increasing research and development activities and regulatory approvals for introducing new products. As per the ClinicalTrials.gov database, in 2021, about 6,516 clinical studies were active in the US. Approximately 920,000 people participated in these clinical trials. Thus, increasing number of clinical trials to find innovative treatments for various chronic diseases show the potential need for clinical research fluid handling systems. The US is one of the world's largest markets for the biotechnology industry. Although other countries primarily use their biotechnology resources for pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, the US has discovered many other useful points for this innovative branch of science. In the US, biotechnology is helpful in health, food and agriculture, and industrial sectors. All these sectors have experienced a production rise with the help of biotechnology, and the favorable results have led to significant contributions to the economy. The manufacturing divisions of biotechnology companies are involved with fluid control systems since most steps involve liquids, such as, buffer solutions, cell extracts, feed media, and product fractions. This growth is expected to have a positive impact on the demand for fluid handling solutions by the biotechnology companies. "PharmaPure" (Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics) is a biologically compatible, premium, and low spallation peristaltic pump tube developed especially for biotechnology and laboratory applications. The superior flex life characteristics of the pump minimizes production downtime due to pump tubing failures. It also has low permeability and is ideal for protecting sensitive cell cultures, fermentation, separation, purification, process monitoring, and sterile filling. Thus, aforementioned factors are likely to drive the growth of the segment during the forecast period. Company Profiles CIRCOR Parker Hannifin Danaher Spirax Sarco Engineering Merck Rochling RAUMEDIC Tef Cap Industries Fraser Ross Australian Fluid Handling For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a1kjzh 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 BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The Western Azerbaijan Community is ready for direct dialogue with the Armenian government, Chairman of the Western Azerbaijan Community Aziz Alakbarli said, Trend reports. He made the remark at an international conference themed "Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia: global context and fair solution" in Baku. Alakbarli reminded that Armenia destroyed religious and cultural monuments belonging to Azerbaijanis. "Today, there is not a single Azerbaijani left in Armenia. We are determined to return to our lands through dialogue. We are committed to humanitarian and human rights with a firm dedication. We are always ready for a dialogue with the government of Armenia regarding the issue of return," he emphasized. The community's head also called on Armenia to learn from the past, put an end to policies of hostility and discord, appreciate the opportunity for peace in the region, and take tangible steps towards reconciliation with Western Azerbaijanis. The conference is attended by more than 100 guests from 30 countries. The conference will continue its work in the form of panel discussions with the participation of renowned international experts and socio-political figures, addressing issues such as the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, resettlement challenges on the international stage, the issue of return in international law, difficulties and practical achievements in the field of repatriation, and the situation in this area in different regions. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The recent World Conference on China Studies - Shanghai Forum, which concluded on November 24, was one of the largest gatherings of global "China hands." At the two-day forum, more than 400 Chinese and foreign scholars specializing or interested in China studies discussed their insights on Chinese civilization and China's path of development, as well as their impacts on the current global landscape. During the forum, some of the overseas scholars, including winners of the 2023 Award for Distinguished Contributions to China Studies, shared their personal China experiences, observations, and understandings of Chinese civilization and China's path with the Global Times. These "China hands" are witnesses to China's modernization and social development, and play an important role as bridges that link China and the world, observers told the Global Times on Monday. Witnesses and bridges The forum announced the winners of the 2023 Award for Distinguished Contributions to China Studies on November 24. They included Timothy Brook, professor emeritus at Department of History, University of British Columbia, Baik Young-seo, professor emeritus at Yonsei University, and Kishore Mahbubani, distinguished fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. Brook and Baik participated in the in-person forum in Shanghai. At an interview on November 23, Brook said that Shanghai "makes him jump." "The Shanghai of today is completely different from that of the 1970s," he told the media in fluent Putonghua. "The city reminds me of New York when I look out of my hotel at the Bund." Shanghai was one of the starting places that sparked Brook's relationship with China. In 1974, then 23-year-old Brook studied ancient Chinese history and literature at Fudan University as one of the earliest young Canadians to come to China as exchange students. At Fudan, he developed a keen interest in China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and later started his decades of research in Chinese history, particularly into the Ming Dynasty history. At the forum venue by the Huangpu River, Brook said although he has visited Shanghai many times over the years, he is quite impressed by the development of China's most modernized metropolis during each visit. "I found that Shanghai has 'grown up' to a degree that I've never seen before," he said, as if describing an old friend. Brook is hailed as one of the best storytellers among North American historians. His many books focusing on China during the period of the Ming Dynasty, such as The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China, open a window for international readers to learn more about Chinese history and civilization. "I keep writing books about China in order to increase the outside world's understanding of China," Brook told the Global Times. Brook is among the expanding pool of international scholars in China studies who have, in recent decades, personally experienced China's rapid path to development. Rachel Murphy, who prefers to go by her Chinese name "Rui Xue (auspicious snow in a literal translation)" in China, was a guest speaker at the forum. As a Chinese Development and Society professor at the University of Oxford and former president of the British Association for Chinese Studies, she has been engaged in China-related research, exploring China's social and cultural changes caused by urbanization, educational development, demographic transition, and state policies. During the last 20 years, Murphy has travelled to many villages, towns, and cities across China. Her long-term fieldwork makes her an old "China hand." Murphy marveled at China's tremendous development, especially in the countryside. "China's urbanization is progressing very fast," she told the Global Times during the forum. "The book I wrote [about rural China] before is out of date now." Murphy shared that a week ahead of the forum, she visited several villages in Anhui Provinces, where she had been to a few years before. She was surprised by the great changes in communication in rural China. Wi-Fi availability is now commonplace in many villages, enabling "left-behind" children to stay in contact with their migrant worker parents through frequent video calls, said Murphy. She was surprised to see many elderly women like to share their rural lives on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). "The speed of technological changes [in China] is truly amazing," Murphy said in Putonghua. "Rural areas included, the ubiquitous nature of 'connection' [across China] is a remarkable achievement." Among the China studies scholars who attended the forum in Shanghai, Michael Crook, a Chinese Government Friendship Award winner, is a familiar "China hand" to many Chinese people. Crook's family has been profoundly and closely connected to China. Six generations of his family have worked and lived in China. Born and raised in Beijing, Crook has devoted decades to education in China. Now he teaches children from expatriate families in Beijing Chinese history and culture, acting as a bridge between people in China and the West, especially among the younger generation. During the forum, Crook told Chinese media that he believes Chinese and Western cultures have their own merits. "They can learn from each other," he said. A path worthy of reference Crook was a guest speaker at a sub-forum being held during the Shanghai Forum on November 24. The theme of the sub-forum was "Explorations: Chinese Modernization and China's Path." Under this theme, many participants of the sub-forum shared their understanding of China's path to modernization, and some highlights of China's path worthy of reference for other countries. China is a good example of integrating its own development with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNDGs), said economist Ranee Jayamaha, lead consultant for the South Asia-World Bank Group. She offered how China has launched the Initiative for Belt and Road Partnership on Green Development together with 31 countries, and closely aligned the initiative with the needs of global green development by investing in renewable energy and adopting comprehensive pollution reduction measures as an example. This is a good story of China's success in positively influencing world development, Jayamaha commented. Crook mentioned China's ethnic policies, which he thinks can be referenced by multi-ethnic countries. In a speech he delivered at the sub-forum, Crook recalled his visit to a school in China's Xizang Autonomous Region in May. The school teaches both Putonghua and Tibetan, and entirely permissible for the latter to be spoken in class. The small case shows China respects and supports its ethnic minorities at the national level, said Crook. With China's rise and its growing international influence, many countries, especially those in the Global South, are interested in Chine's development, and are looking forward to learning from China's experiences, many attendees of the forum told the Global Times. And these contemporary "China hands" are making efforts to know more about China, exploring China's development path and sharing their observations and understandings with the world. China is on a multi-dimensional path of development, Josette Altmann-Borbon, secretary general of Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, said in a speech delivered at the forum's opening ceremony on November 24. We should fully understand the important role China plays on the global stage, she noted. SOURCE Global Times BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- While traditional cultural art forms presumably tend to struggle in resonating with younger generations, China's latest Yueju Opera production, New Dragon Gate Inn performed by Xiao Bai Hua, one of the most remarkable Yueju Opera troupes from East China's Zhejiang Province, has emerged as a phenomenal hit. The innovative adaptation has not only rejuvenated a traditional art form that definitely deserves more attention, but has also enthralled younger audiences who are usually not opera-goers. Through her cross-dressed role as the eunuch Jia Ting, nicknamed the "Jade-faced Young Lord," 31-year-old female performer Chen Lijun has suddenly rose to fame on social media. Her gorgeous appearance, elegant air and skillful performance, combined with the irresistible chemistry between Chen and her partner played by Li Yunxiao, have even sparked a Yueju Opera fever across the internet. A livestream of the opera in August attracted millions of viewers and sparked heated discussions online, earning over 14,000 comments. Clips of Chen and Li's performances, such as a scene where Chen lifts and spins Li with one hand, went viral on various social media platforms. According to domestic media reports, when tickets for the December performances of New Dragon Gate Inn officially went on sale in mid-November, the three performances featuring the duo sold out almost within seconds while the other 14 performances by other cast members sold out within two minutes. Moreover, on second-hand trading platforms, the price of tickets skyrocketed to even 6,666 yuan ($942) from the original price of 399 yuan. As a major school of traditional Chinese opera, Yueju Opera originated in Shengzhou county in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. Compared to other schools of traditional opera in China, it is relatively young, dating back to 1852. Similar to Peking Opera, Yueju Opera has a unique form of storytelling that combines classical singing, dancing and acting into one. Chen is not the only case of cross-gender performance. Most Yueju Opera performers are women, with even the male parts traditionally played by women, giving the opera a distinctively feminine style. The performance is characterized by a soft, gentle style of singing and graceful movements. Yet, like many classical art forms, Yueju Opera has faced dwindling interest from younger audiences, until the groundbreaking New Dragon Gate Inn broke the spell. Different from previous Yueju Opera performances, the novelty of New Dragon Gate Inn is reflected in several aspects. First, it features an immersive experience. A bit like Sleep No More, where the theater has been turned into an inn filled with secret passages, integrating the stage and the audience seats. It redefines the viewers' role in storytelling. The audience can interact with the actors and fully engage in scenes, participate in the exploration and progression of the plot, creating a novel and interesting experience that resonates with those in attendance. As Chen told media, "The concept of the stage seems to disappear. So does the distance between performers and the audience. The audience and I are all part of the performance." With the entire creative team mainly composed of relatively young crew members, including a post-1985 director, a post-1995 playwright, a post-1990 stage designer, and a group of young actors, the opera explores ways of expression that align with the development of the times and the aesthetics of contemporary young audiences. They give their attention to each detail in the story, costume and makeup, the stage lighting and stage design to make everything more relatable and appealing to younger audiences. Through this, they managed to broaden their audience and increase their cultural influence, creating new development opportunities for Yueju Opera. In addition to the bold and innovative adaptation, the marketing approach has also been a new experiment that has turned out successful. "New Dragon Gate Inn uses short video platforms to provide barrier-free online viewing in a way that resonates with young people," said Wang Binmei, director of the Xiao Bai Hua troupe. The success of New Dragon Gate Inn signals a promising future for other traditional Chinese art forms. It exemplifies how innovation, when grounded in respect for tradition, can open new horizons. This approach preserves the art form. But at the core of its success is the distinct aesthetics and charm of traditional Chinese culture and the persistence of its committed guardians, the unwavering policy support of governments and organizations across the nation. Mao Weitao, a famous Yueju Opera artist and former head of Xiao Bai Hua, is the performance director of the opera. She noted that Chen has dedicated a great deal of time to practicing Yueju Opera. Chen herself also acknowledged that there was a time that she felt it was very hard to go on, but she never thought about giving up. "Opera is engraved in the DNA of the Chinese people. After a small stone is cast, the DNA awakens," said Chen. With New Dragon Gate Inn being a shining example of how cultural heritage can be both preserved and revitalized, we look forward to more Chinese traditional art forms seeking innovation and vitality, so they may continue to enchant and inspire generations to come. Read more: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202311/1302739.shtml SOURCE Global Times BEIJING, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Embracing more than 300 guests from around the world, the first Liangzhu Forum had its grand finale in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on Sunday. Beside the main forum on Sunday, my journalistic experience of the event has been sweetened by two sub-events. The first one was crowded with 43 young sinologists from around the globe, while the second one embraced art creators from 83 countries to depict the "China" in their eyes. Sitting side by side with participants from countries such as Poland and Uganda, I was impressed to see overseas sinologists discuss Chinese subjects that were even too profound for locals to understand as well as view global artists' deft paintings on traditional Chinese rice paper, known as xuanzhi. On Friday, the "Dialogue of Young Sinologists in the New Era" agenda was launched. Several topics covering a wide range of areas such as history, philosophy, sociology and media studies about China were discussed. It was interesting to see that most of the experts' opinions about China's development were bundled with topics such as "history and modernity" and "archaeology and nature." Those cross-fielded opinions alerted those in attendance that Chinese civilization has never been purely about "culture." Its evolution has been comprehensive to include all-round progresses, which is why German expert Hannes Wolfgang Reinhard said that "no text can thoroughly explain the complexity of China." Filippo Costantini, an expert representing Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner country Costa Rica, told the Global Times that thanks to the BRI, Costa Rican locals who could "once only vaguely differentiate between China, Japan and South Korea" have now fallen in love with Chinese culture through co-published books and the China-Costa Rica research center. "Our cooperation is inspiring and needed," Costantini said, adding that he believes ancient Chinese philosophy can still guide our lives today. What makes overseas countries want to collaborate with China? This was the question I pondered after hearing the speeches from the many sinologists in attendance. I was fortunate to be able to find the answer at the forum. It came from Adil Kaukenov, the chief researcher of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, who summed it up as "mutual trust." As an expert contributing to Kazakhstan's strategic development, Kaukenov said that China and Kazakhstan's similar cultures, such as their shared love for naan flatbread, bring the two countries emotionally closer. With China's fast development, "China-Kazakhstan exchanges can even influence the entirety of Central Asia," he emphasized. "Cultural exchange" may indeed sound abstract, but Albert Kozik, a young Polish sinologist studying Comparative Asian-Western history in Warsaw, said there are many young people who are falling in love with Chinese culture through digital channels. At the venue, there were many visitors taking pictures with their phones. One young visitor from Thailand said that he had visited the nearby Liangzhu Museum and that the "likes" he got on X after posting his photos were "beyond my expectations." "I could not believe how incredible those jade wares were. I think the world needs to see the magic of China," the Thai visitor said. Other than the sinologist forum, the event Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous was the most impressive part of the entire Liangzhu agenda. The program offers international artists tours of Chinese cities like Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Huzhou, where local art teachers introduce traditional Chinese art forms like landscape paintings and calligraphy. UBUNTUNGUMUNTU, a painting whose title means "I am, because we are" in Ugandan, attracted people's attention during the tour. Ruganzu Bruno. T, the work's artist, added an extra layer of "bark cloth," a type of tree bark indigenous to Uganda, to the painting to symbolize the tombs from the ancient Liangzhu culture. He said that art allowed him to see the connection between China and Africa. "I'm overwhelmed by the whole Liangzhu legacy and cried when looking at Zao Wou-ki's art. I guess that's the power of sharing humanity," Kate, a painter from New Zealand, said when showing me a photo of her new silk work made by using Chinese brooms as a paint brush. The "Liangzhu" in the "Liangzhu Forum" refers to China's more than 5,000-year-old archaeological ruins that have become known for its jade culture. Jade, with its genteel sheen, symbolizes the humble and harmonious nature of Chinese people. There is an interesting saying I grasped at the event to describe the Chinese cultural spirit: "Not a 'king,' just 'jade.'" This is an analogy describing the Chinese people's spirit of seeking harmony instead of hegemony. SOURCE Global Times BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Working during the day and acquiring new skills at night is becoming a new way of life for young people in China. From dancing to vocal training, from traditional handicrafts, beauty, and fitness classes, to wine tasting and vlog filming, the list of possibilities for new learning experiences is seemingly limitless. These diverse options, cost-effectiveness, and highly qualified teachers have made "night school," a concept that used to carry a sense of nostalgia in China, popular once more, especially among China's younger generation. This trend first started in Shanghai. During the enrollment of the Citizen Night School for Arts for the autumn semester in September, more than 650,000 people competed for 10,000 course spots, causing the enrollment platform to crash. Then, in a short period of time, the night school trend spread across China. Night schools hold a special place in the memories of many Chinese people. From literacy classes after the establishment of the People's Republic of China to evening lectures at universities in the 1980s, generations of young people have, for decades, attended night school to supplement their cultural and technical knowledge. However, the current wave of young people enrolling in night schools is driven more by their interests, with the aim of enriching their personal, spiritual, and cultural fulfillment. Observers have pointed out that the night school boom is in line with the current economic situation and young people's living conditions. Unlike some Western media portrayals of Chinese young people's "lying flat" mindset under work pressure, attending night schools reflects the diversified growth needs of Chinese youth. "In a stable economic and social situation, the popularity of night classes is a very common situation as many young people can afford them and have leisure time to attend classes they like, and more importantly, seek to improve their cultural knowledge and mental outlook," Zhang Yiwu, a Chinese language and literature professor at Peking University, told the Global Times. A new nightlife "Like light, full of anticipation, night school may be the first time our generation has actively developed interests that are non-utilitarian," said Xu Lili, a 27-year-old advertisement planner in Beijing. Xu told the Global Times that she spent an entire weekend carefully selecting night school institutions and courses on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), a popular lifestyle sharing social media platform in China, before actually attending classes. Finally, she chose a street dance class that was close to her workplace, taught by a graduate from the Beijing Dance Academy. The course cost 700 yuan ($98) for 10 classes and was transferable to friends. "After experiencing the course, I felt it was really good. The atmosphere was great, and I've made many new friends here," Xu said. "We are also discussing taking Chinese pastry baking and drama appreciation classes together next." Far from the relatively arduous matriculation process during school days, Xu said that for her, learning about art allows her to temporarily escape from the stresses of her job. Xu said she did not have any specific expectations for her learning outcomes, but rather wants to try a wide range of courses and find a hobby that can provide her with personal satisfaction. "Night school allows me to find my passion with minimal cost and also helps me realize that there are more interesting friends and a life beyond work," Xu said. Chinese people have always had a strong thirst for knowledge. But currently, attending night school now is very different from the nationwide night school craze in the early 1980s. Nowadays, attending night school reflects the diversified growth needs of the contemporary youth. "It is completely driven by interests, with the aim of enriching our spiritual and cultural lives," Xu said. In Professor Zhang Yiwu's views, the popularity of night class is one of the best examples, which can dispel the notion that young people in China are "lying flat" for a purposeless life, as portrayed by some Western media outlets. He noted that in Chinese society, a large portion of young people have enough income to meet basic survival needs and have enough left over to focus on their interests. They don't necessarily have to work extremely hard to earn a stable income, which allows them to easily afford night school or other forms of self-improvement. In China, there are diverse lifestyle choices that can support both personal growth and a fulfilling leisure life, Zhang pointed out. "The desire for self-improvement and enrichment is strong among the younger generation, and it extends beyond work. There is a significant proportion of young people who are able to maintain a good living in society and still have time to pursue interests. This phenomenon of enhancing personal development is not surprising and is a natural result of social progress," he said. A communication channel "From the beginning, I was worried that the night school courses in a second-tier city would not attract enough people and might not be able to run. But the reality proved that I was overly concerned," Zheng Lifu, who transformed his art training center into a night school in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times. Just three days after Zheng posted enrollment information for courses at the night school on Xiaohongshu, he received over 300 private messages inquiring about the courses. Within a week, he had successfully opened classes for Guqin and jazz dance, attracting more than 100 participants. "The demand for young people today to reconstruct their cultural lives and cultivate their interests after work is real," Zheng said. Currently, Zheng is expanding his night school business further. "The courses are in high demand overall, and we are further assessing the intentions of the students and planning to recruit new qualified teachers to launch more popular courses," he said, noting that his institution aims to provide inclusive entry-level courses while also creating advanced courses to meet the needs of students who want to further enhance their skills. The Global Times has found that there are roughly three types of night school operation modes currently available on the market. The first type is night schools with official backgrounds, which are established through the coordination of local governments, community organizations, village committees, and training institutions. The second is night schools initiated by training institutions, similar to Zheng's, which offer affordable introductory courses and target long-term course applicants. The third is night schools run by individuals or teams who act as intermediaries, connecting students with institutions and earning a portion of the enrollment fee. All of these operating models are striving to achieve precise alignment with the knowledge demands of young people. "There are two types of content that easily attract attention on social platforms: 'Where to go after work' and 'Where to go at weekends'" Kevin Wang, a 32-year-old finance industry worker in Shanghai, has devoted all his free time to operating his self-developed community platform Weekend Charging. This young offline social platform, which has been in operation for over a year, started to focus on night school management a month ago. Wang noted that the night school operation model of Weekend Charging involves cooperation with training institutions to offer interesting courses that young people may not easily come across, such as ukulele, horse riding, and woodwork and leather goods production, in order to lower the learning threshold and cultivate interests and friendships, thus recharging their energies. Currently, there are over 1,000 active young people in the Weekend Charging community, participating in more than 20 different courses. "Young people in big cities live in scattered locations and have diverse interests. We play a role in bridging the information gap between training institutions and colleges, and ensuring the cost-effectiveness of night school, a new learning and communication model for young people," Wang said. A career opportunity "The new form of night schools is currently thriving, but still in the early stages of development," said Wang. "Everyone is exploring uncharted territory, hoping to establish a comprehensive and smooth operational system that covers courses, pricing, faculty, and after-sales support, in order to foster positive growth and attract and retain the enthusiasm of young learners." Wang pointed out that the operation of Weekend Charging night school is still in its infancy, and as all members are part-time, they have not yet achieved substantial profits. "Our core team consists of only 5-6 people, who have come together out of interest and are truly proud to be involved in the night school industry as a career opportunity," he stressed. Wang added that many people find their work meaningful during the classes and continue to sign up. "Although there is uncertainty; we are full of hope for the future of night schools," he said. The upgraded night schools are also striving to keep up with the times and maintain their appeal to young people. As the number of students continues to grow, operational challenges also increase. Wang hopes that in the future, the government and private forces will join forces. "Only when this trend passes can high-quality night schools with unified standards be better sustained." "For some people, attending night school may be a temporary phase, but overall, this social trend includes enhancing self-cultivation and self-improvement in the fields of aesthetics, art, and culture, among others, and also helps create a new industry that benefits social and economic development," Zhang said. "The trend will not change." SOURCE Global Times BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "Xinjiang is a wonderful land!" This was the feeling shared by every Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Forum "Year of Tourism 2023" participant. It not only marks the first tourism-themed forum to be held by the SCO, but also the first time the Xinjiang regional government has served as a co-organizer of such a large-scale international forum. The successful hosting of the four-day forum proves that, while riding the wind of China's westward opening-up strategy, Xinjiang has stepped onto the fast lane of development and become a leader in China's westward opening-up. As concluded by Xu Guixiang, the spokesperson of the Xinjiang regional government, on the sidelines of the SCO forum, 2023 has been a year of high-level visits, marking substantial progress in Xinjiang's opening-up to the world. Since the beginning of this year, Xinjiang officials have visited the five Central Asian countries, holding meetings with officials from those countries, and achieving a series of practical results. This has sent a strong signal that Xinjiang's opening-up to the world is expanding. Officials from these countries have also visited Xinjiang to discuss friendly exchanges and practical cooperation, according to Xu. Along with intensive exchanges, Xinjiang's opening-up to and cooperation with the outside world has ushered in new opportunities, including in the tourism industry. According to Xu, from January to September this year, Xinjiang achieved regional GDP 1.355 trillion yuan ($189.6 billion), a year-on-year increase of 6.1 percent. From January to October, Xinjiang received 243 million domestic and foreign tourists, a year-on-year increase of 101.38 percent, amassing a total tourism revenue of 270.378 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 200.67 percent - a record high. "It is the right time to hold the forum in Xinjiang. I believe it is a correct choice," SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming told the media during the forum. Explaining why Urumqi was chosen to host the forum, Zhang noted that, firstly, Xinjiang has unique geographical advantages as it borders eight countries, which provides great convenience for regional exchanges and cooperation. Secondly, Xinjiang has the advantage of cultural tourism, with its rich and diverse cultural and tourism resources covering various aspects. Thirdly, Xinjiang's people from all walks of life and the local government have an active and open attitude and a passion for SCO cooperation participation. A bridgehead Located in the Northwest China, Xinjiang is the largest provincial-level region in China in terms of land area. Its land comprises one-sixth of China's land territory, which is nearly three times the size of France. The region also possesses abundant natural beauty and breathtaking landscapes including vast deserts, mountains, and grasslands. Due to its unique location, the Xinjiang region has been the center of economic activities and connectivity hub between China, Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Pakistan. It has also been dubbed the heart of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The uniqueness of Xinjiang lies in its close geographical proximity to Central Asia, as well as its similarities in climate, culture, and historical connections with Central Asia. The region also has abundant natural resources, holds immense potential in cross-border trade, and harbors impressive transportation and logistics capabilities. Through years of development, a modern Xinjiang has shown its neighbors that it can maintain internal political stability while experiencing rapid socio-economic growth, which has attracted more and more cooperation partners and investors, experts pointed out. Along with the country's implementation of the westward opening-up strategy, Xinjiang is embracing a rare opportunity, helped by special policy support for its development such as the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Xu told the Global Times during the forum. "Xinjiang must firmly seize this rare opportunity and make significant contributions. We also believe that with the implementation of the westward opening-up strategy, Xinjiang, as a pioneer in the BRI, will play a greater role," Xu noted. On November 1, Xinjiang FTZ was established. Three areas were included in the 179.66-square-kilometers FTZ, including the regional capital of Urumqi, Kashi prefecture, and Horgos. It is the first such zone in China's Northwest border region and the 22nd pilot FTZ in China. When talking about how to achieve higher quality development in the Xinjiang tourism sector, Zhang Ming believes that Xinjiang must stick to the strategy of opening-up. Xinjiang has abundant natural, tourism, and talent resources. The people of Xinjiang enjoy a peaceful, stable, and happy life, indispensable elements to and foundations for economic development and cultural exchanges. The region has to make full use of these rich elements and foundations. "Economic development cannot be achieved by closing the door and developing on its own, and cultural exchanges cannot be achieved by closing the door and communicating on its own. We must open up. I think this is an important way for Xinjiang to utilize its own advantages and move toward high-quality development," Zhang noted. Stick to opening-up Over the past decade Xinjiang has opened up wider and made closer international connections. According to the data provided by the regional government, Xinjiang has opened 118 bilateral international road transport routes, the highway between the region and Europe has been fully connected and the second railway with Kazakhstan has been completed and made operational. As of the end of August, there have been 70,000 trains passing through Xinjiang along the China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train route, accounting for over 57 percent of the national total. There have been 8,024 international freight trains departing from Xinjiang, with an average annual growth rate of 50.4 percent. This year also witnessed intensified efforts to "go global and invite in." Party and government leaders in the region have held multiple meetings with foreign guests, received delegations from over 50 countries, and reached a series of cooperation agreements in multiple fields, expanding new space for international exchanges and cooperation. Xinjiang has also strengthened cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao, as well as signed strategic cooperation agreements with other provinces and regions such as Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and the Xizang Autonomous Region, jointly promoting westward opening up. Xinjiang's development and the eagerness to open up is obvious to the whole world. "I am always looking forward to visiting Xinjiang, to visiting Kashi, and I am so happy that I got the chance to come to the city this time. I have experienced the local vibe, local food, local dances, and local music," SCO Deputy Secretary General Janesh Kane told the Global Times during a group visit to Kashi on November 25 following the SCO tourism forum. Kane said he was full of confidence in Xinjiang's tourism industry. He believed that after the tourism forum, there would be more tourists from SCO member countries to Xinjiang and more investment to Xinjiang. Raushan Shamili, president of the Tumar-Trans international tour operator and transport company located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, was also among the delegation to Kashi. "'If you have not been to Kashi, you have not been to Xinjiang yet.' This time I witnessed a developing Kashi with high-quality local companies and internationalized transportation channels. I hope China and Kazakhstan can reach more cooperation agreements after the forum," she told the Global Times. SOURCE Global Times DUBLIN, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Waterproofing Membrane Market (by Product, Application, Raw Material, Usage & Region): Insights and Forecast (2022-2026)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global waterproofing membrane market is expected to reach US$33.18 billion in 2023, growing at a CAGR of 6.50% during the forecast period. Segments Covered By Product : The liquid applied membrane segment lead the waterproofing membrane market, accounting for maximum share of the market. The liquid applied membrane segment is expected to experience high growth owing to the growing awareness of the advantages of the product such as cost-effectiveness and ease of installation. Moreover, manufacturers are focusing to introduce new solutions in the market which would further contribute to the market growth. : The liquid applied membrane segment lead the waterproofing membrane market, accounting for maximum share of the market. The liquid applied membrane segment is expected to experience high growth owing to the growing awareness of the advantages of the product such as cost-effectiveness and ease of installation. Moreover, manufacturers are focusing to introduce new solutions in the market which would further contribute to the market growth. By Application: The report splits the global market into six segments on the basis of application, namely Building Structures, Roofing, Roadways, Waste & Water Management, Walls, and Others. Building structures hold the dominant share in the market. The growth can be attributed due to the high application of waterproofing membranes in buildings to improve the shelf life and protection at varying temperatures. The report splits the global market into six segments on the basis of application, namely Building Structures, Roofing, Roadways, Waste & Water Management, Walls, and Others. Building structures hold the dominant share in the market. The growth can be attributed due to the high application of waterproofing membranes in buildings to improve the shelf life and protection at varying temperatures. By Raw Material : According to report, the market has been segmented into six segments on the basis of construction type: PVC, HDPE, EPDM, TPO, Modified Bitumen, and Others. Modified bitumen segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% in the coming years owing to its unique properties such as high resistance to weathering and aging. It increases the product viability in terms of flexibility at low temperatures, high UV resistance properties, and improved flow resistance at high temperatures. : According to report, the market has been segmented into six segments on the basis of construction type: PVC, HDPE, EPDM, TPO, Modified Bitumen, and Others. Modified bitumen segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% in the coming years owing to its unique properties such as high resistance to weathering and aging. It increases the product viability in terms of flexibility at low temperatures, high UV resistance properties, and improved flow resistance at high temperatures. By Usage: The refurbishment market is anticipated to grow at a high CAGR during the forecasted period. The increase in refurbishment activities in developed economies such as the US and countries in Europe are the major drivers of the waterproofing membrane market. Rising disposable income, easy availability of loans, and increased affordability have led homeowners to spend more on refurbishment and renovation projects. Geographic Coverage Asia Pacific dominated the market with largest share of the global market. The region is anticipated to lead the global waterproofing membrane market during the forecast period owing to the growing infrastructural developments and rapid industrialization, especially in China and India. The US market is divided based on product: Liquid Applied Membrane and Sheet Membrane. The liquid applied membrane is expected to grow at the highest CAGR, owing to the increase in the number of housing projects, growing underground water construction requirements, and rising infrastructural developments in the US. Top Impacting Factors Growth Drivers Growing Construction Industry Increasing Disposable Income Supportive Government Initiatives Rising Demand for Residential Spaces Construction is a high-risk industry that includes a wide range of activities, from infrastructure development to renovation including residential construction, bridge construction, road paving, etc. One of the most important applications in a construction is waterproofing. Waterproofing improves the durability of many different surfaces in construction. In addition, waterproofing materials should be applied in order to ensure the comfort of the house or office to be used after the construction is finished. The increase in the construction activities is creating demand for waterproofing solutions. This trend is expected to continue in the near future and would contribute to the lucrative growth prospects for the global waterproofing membrane market. Challenges Fluctuating Raw Material Prices Potential Health and Environmental Issues The cost of raw materials for manufacturing building materials impacts the prices of the building materials. The rising raw materials costs along with other factors such as oil, gas, and energy are the key causes of increases in the prices of the waterproofing membrane. The raw materials used for manufacturing waterproofing membranes are extracted primarily from crude oil. Waterproofing membranes based on PVC, PU, acrylic, and bitumen are all derived from petroleum sources. Due to the fluctuating crude oil prices, the prices of raw materials of waterproofing membranes are also affected. Therefore, increasing raw material prices are expected to hamper the growth of the waterproofing membrane market. Trends Increasing Housing Age Growing Demand For Green Roofing & Green Building The aging housing stock signals a growing remodeling market, as old structures normally need to add new amenities, or repair/replace old components. Older houses are less energy-efficient than new construction and ultimately would require remodeling and renovation in the future. With the housing stock aging around the world, demand for new construction is set to pick up in the long-term and the remolding market could also receive a boost as older buildings often require retrofits. As the age of housing increases, so would the demand for waterproofing membrane products. An increase in renovation activities for existing buildings is estimated to boost the demand for waterproofing membrane materials during the forecast period. Analysis of Key Players The global waterproofing membrane market is highly fragmented, with many players holding trivial market share. The key players of the global waterproofing membrane market include: BASF Berkshire Hathaway Carlisle Companies Dow Forsoc GCP Applied Technologies RPM International Sika AG Soprema Group Standard Industries For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jlmvcn 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 ST. LOUIS, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The business of Trelltex, Inc., which does business as Texcel, has joined the Harbour Group family of companies, Jeff Fox, Harbour Group's chairman and chief executive officer, announced today. Texcel will operate alongside Harbour's other specialty-flow component businesses, Stainless Hose Fittings (SHF), Omega One, and AMFM. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Texcel is a leading branded supplier of premium quality industrial hoses, fluid sealing and hydraulic products, as well as services. Significant investments in customer service and substantial product line expansions have given the company impressive growth. Founded in 1981 in Houston, Texcel currently operates out of facilities in Texas, Illinois, Delaware, Alabama, and Colorado to serve customers across the country. Mr. Fox commented, "Ed Nasta and his team have built a great business, and this is a transformative partnership for our specialty flow components platform. The combination of Texcel's product offering, high quality standards, and exceptional delivery capabilities with our broad inventory of stainless fittings and adapters creates a unique offering in the fluid power and conveyance world. We couldn't be more excited." Ed Nasta, Texcel's CEO and investor commented, "Texcel has many exciting opportunities on the horizon, and I thought long and hard about who the best partner would be to help us realize those opportunities. The Harbour Group family is a great fit with our organization with respect to culture, a customer-first, highly service-oriented attitude, and a strong desire to invest and grow our businesses to better serve our customers and suppliers, while creating more opportunities for our employees." "Texcel's well recognized and highly respected brand, national distribution footprint, and extensive product offering represent a tremendous value add for our customers," said John Ducharme, CEO of SHF. "I am very impressed by the entire team at Texcel and look forward to working closely with them as we grow our business." About SHF, Omega One, and AMFM SHF, Omega One, and AMFM operate as a unified business platform supplying stainless-steel adapters, fluid power fittings, braid bands, instrumentation fittings, and valves. As a supplier to a variety of end markets, including marine, industrial, chemical, and oil and gas, the company stocks high-quality, hard-to-find parts in metric and imperial sizes. The business is actively pursuing additional acquisition opportunities throughout the fluid power and flow control industries. The business is headquartered in Houston. About Harbour Group Harbour Group is a privately owned operations-focused company based in St. Louis, Missouri. Harbour Group's companies are engaged in manufacturing and distribution across diverse industries, including specialty chemicals, outdoor living products, specialty fittings, remote monitoring solutions, control solutions, LED lighting, flow control, thermal management solutions, boiler systems, professional diagnostic and repair tools, and auxiliary plastic processing equipment. Since its founding in 1976, Harbour Group has acquired 228 companies in 49 different industries. SOURCE Harbour Group Through Google Distributed Cloud Virtual (GDCV), Hitachi UCP integrates with GKE Enterprise on Google Cloud to address growing demand for hybrid cloud, offering solutions for customer increased agility and flexibility SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To support customers in their expanding cloud journeys, Hitachi Vantara, the data storage, infrastructure, and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), today announced the launch of Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP) for GKE Enterprise, a new, integrated hybrid solution, with long-time partner Google Cloud. Through Google Distributed Cloud Virtual (GDCV), Hitachi UCP for GKE Enterprise offers businesses a unified platform to manage hybrid cloud operations, leading to increased efficiency, scalability, and flexibility in their infrastructure and applications. Click here to learn more about Hitachi Vantara's relationship with Google Cloud: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/solutions/hybrid-cloud-infrastructure/google-anthos.html While hybrid cloud adoption surges globally, a 2023 report highlights a growing demand for cloud-native platforms that operate across multiple environments. At the same time, generative AI and other technologies are driving exponential data growth , creating a greater need for cloud-based solutions that can help enterprises streamline data complexities, leading to an overall increase in business operations and the acceleration of digital transformation. GDCV on Hitachi UCP empowers enterprises to modernize applications, optimize infrastructure and enhance security across hybrid cloud environments by combining the flexible cloud infrastructure of Hitachi UCP with the versatility and scalability of GDCV. As a result, the solution can deploy and manage workloads within on-premises data centers, cloud environments or edge locations. As part of its launch, GDCV on Hitachi UCP has also been included in Google's Anthos Ready platform partners program, which validates hardware that works seamlessly with GDCV. "Our collaboration brings together Hitachi Vantara's highly available, high-performance integrated cloud infrastructure and GDCV's robust container orchestration and management capabilities," said Dan McConnell, senior vice president, product management for storage and data infrastructure, Hitachi Vantara. "As generative AI reshapes the digital landscape, GDCV on Hitachi UCP enables organizations to confidently leverage the potential of hybrid cloud environments. This turnkey solution equips them to thrive and make the most of the ever-expanding data-driven opportunities in the digital era." The solution is available globally and offers the following customer advantages: Easy Workload Mobility: The solution offers a single framework for easy deployment and control over applications on both in-house and cloud setups, with a safe way to transition to Google Cloud by intelligently distributing workloads for smooth data and infrastructure migration. The solution offers a single framework for easy deployment and control over applications on both in-house and cloud setups, with a safe way to transition to Google Cloud by intelligently distributing workloads for smooth data and infrastructure migration. Configuration Flexibility: Customers are given various options to support multiple configurations and applications with differing performance, availability and scalability needs, including the flexibility for Hitachi Vantara customers to utilize GDCV with the high-performance Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) as part of our certified driver within the Anthos Ready Storage Partnership. Customers are given various options to support multiple configurations and applications with differing performance, availability and scalability needs, including the flexibility for Hitachi Vantara customers to utilize GDCV with the high-performance Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) as part of our certified driver within the Anthos Ready Storage Partnership. Security and Compliance: Modern security controls for software and hardware are used to follow guidelines and needs, managed centrally across different places to ensure security and adherence to business and regulatory compliance requirements. "Our partnership with Hitachi Vantara represents the latest in modern cloud infrastructure, offering customers a single source for systems, solutions and services," said Sridhar Devarapalli, product director at Google Cloud. "Together, we provide a reliable and secure hybrid cloud experience, helping customers accelerate their digital transformation journeys." "In today's rapidly evolving business ecosystem, the industry's hunger for cloud-based solutions from strategic partners has become more than just a trend it's an essential survival strategy," said Steve White, program vice president, Channels and Alliances at IDC. "Embracing cloud-based collaborations isn't just a matter of staying ahead; it's the key to unlocking unparalleled agility for customers, and competitiveness today and in the future for those partnering." Click here to learn more about Hitachi Vantara's partner program: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/partners/become-partner.html Connect with Hitachi Vantara About Hitachi Vantara Hitachi Vantara is transforming the way data fuels innovation. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Vantara provides the data foundation the world's leading innovators rely on. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth. To learn more, visit www.hitachivantara.com. About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of "Digital Systems & Services" - supporting our customers' digital transformation; "Green Energy & Mobility" - contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and "Connective Industries" - connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com . HITACHI is a trademark or registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names are properties of their respective owners. SOURCE Hitachi Vantara Corporation As workplaces are experiencing an era of immense change, the annual trends report from global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company suggests that several key themes will have significant effects on organizations and employees in all industries across the world. These themes include addressing changing skills gaps, flexibility beyond remote work, and delivering on the employee experience. TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - As 2023 draws to a close, the current economic climate remains characterized by instability and unpredictability. In response to the need for direction on how to best prepare organizations for the uncertain future of work over the coming year, McLean & Company, one of the world's leading HR research and advisory firms, has published its annual HR Trends Report 2024. In conjunction with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), which is predicted to bring even more change to the workplace, the firm explains in the report that in 2024, HR will be increasingly challenged by the tension between the need to adapt and innovate versus the need to control costs. The HR Trends Report 2024 from global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company will inform HR professionals and organizational leaders of the key themes that must be considered in 2024 and, most importantly, what they need to do to prepare to lead their organizations and teams to long-term success in the face of an unknown future. (CNW Group/McLean & Company) The annual report from McLean & Company contains data gathered from the firm's HR Trends Survey 2024 and has been designed to help leaders develop their strategic plans for the coming year. The research has been informed by the responses of nearly 1,400 participants who operate within a diverse array of industries, including educational services, manufacturing, healthcare, finance and insurance, information and culture, and more. "2024 will be a key year for HR to adapt to both known and unknown changes. Organizations are now faced with the stark reality that we can't plan for everything coming down the pipeline," says Will Howard, director of HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. "It's also important to note that the trends identified in the new report are not industry or region-specific, in the same way that the changes that impact us every day are no longer industry or region-specific. No matter the organization or location, HR organizations need to prepare themselves and their organizations for the future." A wide variety of roles, seniority levels, organizational sizes, geographic locations, unionization categories, and work models were also recorded in participants' responses. For example, global feedback was collected from North America (79%), Europe (8%), Africa (5%), and Latin America, Middle East, Asia, and Oceania (all 2%), with a rate of 69% ununionized, 21% partially unionized, and 10% unionized. The HR Trends Report 2024 from McLean & Company examines key areas of consideration for HR and organizational leaders planning for the future of their workforces and identifies the top HR priorities for organizations in 2024. The top five priorities for organizations identified in the report are as follows: Recruiting This remains the top priority for HR in 2024, with no change from the firm's 2023 data. Providing a great employee experience The employee experience remains in the second spot in 2024, with no change reported from the previous year. Controlling labor costs Moving up one spot from 2023, controlling labor costs is an increased focus for HR in 2024. Developing leaders Bumped out of third place in 2023, developing leaders now holds the fourth spot for HR priorities in 2024. Supporting change Up two places from the seventh spot last year, supporting change joins the top five priorities for HR in 2024. McLean & Company's reported data-backed trends for the coming year are outlined below: HR in 2024: An Era of Change The first section of the report reviews HR's priorities in 2024, highlighting that the strategic partnership role HR plays in planning and executing strategy has increased from 36% in 2021 to 50% in 2024 . This section also seeks to prepare HR and organizational leaders for accelerating changes and innovation, with data showing that organizations that view HR as a strategic partner are 2.7 times more likely to be highly effective at generating and implementing new ideas . The first section of the report reviews HR's priorities in 2024, highlighting that . This section also seeks to prepare HR and organizational leaders for accelerating changes and innovation, with data showing that organizations that view HR as a strategic partner are . Rethinking the Approach to Skills This section examines five key types of skills and competencies to better understand employee proficiency in each and how their development is being prioritized by organizations. Of particular interest is that the emphasis on task and functional skills over all other skills represents a risk for organizations, with the percentage of non-office workers who are highly proficient in core and leadership skills, such as the ability to navigate change, work collaboratively, and lead others, ranking between just 24% and 36% . With only 25% of respondents indicating their HR function is highly effective at building talent , it also explores opportunities for organizations to equip the workforce with more durable skills and competencies to navigate constant waves of change and disruption. This section examines five key types of skills and competencies to better understand employee proficiency in each and how their development is being prioritized by organizations. Of particular interest is that the emphasis on task and functional skills over all other skills represents a risk for organizations, with . With , it also explores opportunities for organizations to equip the workforce with more durable skills and competencies to navigate constant waves of change and disruption. Delivering on the Employee Experience The third section evaluates five dimensions that contribute to employees' lived experiences. Employees' expectations have shifted in recent years, and providing a great employee experience has been a top-two organizational priority since 2022. According to the report, organizations that are not effective at designing a positive employee experience face 36% higher rates of voluntary turnover compared to those with HR functions that succeed in this area. The data found that organizations that are highly effective at designing a positive employee experience are 2.5 times more likely to be high performing when it comes to quickly changing to capitalize on new opportunities and 2.4 times more likely to be high performing at workforce productivity, DEI, and shaping a strong organizational culture . The third section evaluates five dimensions that contribute to employees' lived experiences. Employees' expectations have shifted in recent years, and providing a great employee experience has been a top-two organizational priority since 2022. According to the report, compared to those with HR functions that succeed in this area. The data found that and . Flexibility Beyond Remote Work This section investigates different flexible work offerings beyond remote work and how organizations are making or not making changes to their working arrangements in 2024. The return-to-office (RTO) question is far from settled and cutting through the noise is a challenge for organizations that want to take a data-driven approach to their working arrangements. Survey data indicates that 81% of organizations are not planning on making any significant changes regarding flexibility in location, 88% regarding flexibility in working hours, and 89% regarding flexibility in time off for employees . What is clear is that many CEOs want a return to the office. However, in recent years, employee expectations about what organizations offer in terms of flexibility have evolved. The demand for flexible work is here to stay. As such, the report analyzes the need for organizations to balance the demands of senior leadership and the expectations of employees, with a reminder that flexibility will not look the same for all types of employees in 2024. This section investigates different flexible work offerings beyond remote work and how organizations are making or not making changes to their working arrangements in 2024. The return-to-office (RTO) question is far from settled and cutting through the noise is a challenge for organizations that want to take a data-driven approach to their working arrangements. Survey data indicates that . What is clear is that many CEOs want a return to the office. However, in recent years, employee expectations about what organizations offer in terms of flexibility have evolved. The demand for flexible work is here to stay. As such, the report analyzes the need for organizations to balance the demands of senior leadership and the expectations of employees, with a reminder that flexibility will not look the same for all types of employees in 2024. 2024 Trends Spotlights The final section of the report spotlights topics that should not be overlooked by HR and organizational leaders planning for the future of work in 2024 and beyond, such as generative AI and DEI. For example, 79% of respondents who are implementing generative AI cited increased productivity and efficiency as the primary reason for doing so and more than half of respondents indicated that their organization takes a public stance on political or sensitive social issues at least in some circumstances. Additionally, organizations that are highly effective in their approach to DEI are 1.9 times more likely to have a highly productive workforce. As evidenced in the report, DEI has slipped from its peak as the fourth HR priority for organizations in 2021 down to the seventh HR priority in 2024, though DEI is so intertwined with the employee experience that organizations may no longer be considering it as a standalone initiative. Despite a decline in priority, the firm advises that DEI efforts are crucial to organizational success. Of particular concern is that when presented with the statement "My organization is prepared to support the needs and experiences of a multi-demographic workforce," only 66% of respondents agreed regarding gender, 32% for neurodiversity, 57% for ethnicity, 55% for age, and 59% for national origin. The data indicates that significant DEI work is still needed to prepare organizations for the workforce of the future, which will consist of many different demographics. The 2024 trends report from McLean & Company also underscores that employees are experiencing disruption in all areas of their lives, from the acceleration and uncertainty of technological changes to financial, political, and social pressures, which impacts their day-to-day experiences at work. These pressures continue to highlight that organizations' recognition of and need for HR's strategic leadership has never been stronger. However, capacity continues to be a major obstacle, with the level of stress HR professionals experience increasing dramatically year over year, up from 34% in 2023 to 47% in 2024. As planning progresses for the year ahead, the consideration of HR's role and capacity to support both the organization and employees will be crucial. "As HR professionals are asked to do more with less, HR and organizational leaders need to focus on building broader organizational and employee capabilities to thrive through change, instead of trying to plan for every change on the horizon," explains Howard. To access the full report, visit HR Trends Report 2024. Media and industry professionals are invited to attend the firm's upcoming webinars on The Future of HR and HR Trends: What Big Waves Will Impact HR in 2024? and can do so by registering at the links provided below: Click here to register for The Future of HR live webinar, hosted by research lead Janet Clarey, principal director, HR Research & Advisory Services, on Thursday, December 7, 2023. Click here to register for the HR Trends: What Big Waves Will Impact HR in 2024? live webinar, hosted by report lead Will Howard, on Thursday, January 11, 2023. Click here to register for the HR Trends: What Big Waves Will Impact HR in 2024? live webinar, hosted by report lead Will Howard, on Thursday, January 18, 2023. Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on generative AI in HR, the future of work, 2024 trends, and more can contact Senior Communications Manager Kelsey King at [email protected]. About McLean & Company Through data-driven insights and proven best-practice methodologies, McLean & Company offers comprehensive resources and full-service assessments, action plans, and training to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected]. SOURCE McLean & Company Iowa Total Care members and Hy-Vee customers can use rewards to purchase groceries and everyday items DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Iowa Total Care , a provider of Medicaid healthcare coverage in Iowa and a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation , today announced Hy-Vee, Inc. has joined the My Health Pays network. Hy-Vee Logo Beginning Dec. 1, 2023, Iowa Total Care members can spend their My Health Pays rewards at all Hy-Vee, Dollar Fresh Market and Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh stores in Iowa (in-store only). In 2022, Iowa Total Care members earned over $5.1 million in My Health Pays rewards for participating in healthy activities, including annual health risk screenings, infant, early child and adult well-care visits, flu shots and more. "Partnering with an Iowa-based company like Hy-Vee is extra special," said Iowa Total Care Plan President & CEO, Mitch Wasden. "Encouraging members to earn rewards for healthy behaviors and promoting preventative care is the goal, and we hope the extra incentives while shopping at their local Hy-Vee will serve as an exciting added benefit." Over the past several years, Iowa Total Care and Hy-Vee have partnered through the "Eating Healthy with Iowa Total Care" virtual cooking classes. New in 2023, the partnership was expanded to include four statewide Green to Go community health fairs that will grow to eight community health fairs in 2024. Since January 2023, Hy-Vee also worked alongside Iowa Total Care to distribute 42,540 pieces of fresh, free produce to more than 2,000 Iowans facing food insecurity. For more information on how to use your My Health Pays Rewards, members can visit My Health Pays or call Iowa Total Care member services at 1-833-404-1061. About Iowa Total Care Iowa Total Care provides Medicaid healthcare coverage to eligible individuals in Iowa. Established in 2019, Iowa Total Care exists to improve the health of its members through focused, compassionate, and coordinated care. Iowa Total Care is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. Visit Be Well. Eat Well. to learn more about how Iowa Total Care promotes healthy living through healthy eating. About My Health Pays My Health Pays is Iowa Total Care's rewards program. Eligible members earn rewards for completing healthy activities. Rewards can be used to help pay for utilities, transportation, telecommunications, childcare services, education, and rent. Members can also purchase everyday items* at Hy-Vee stores and gas stations and Walmart. (*rewards may not be used to buy alcohol, tobacco, gift cards, lottery tickets, or firearms products). SOURCE Iowa Total Care BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Azerbaijan and Russia are close to wrap up 2023 with positive dynamics in trade turnover, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Trend reports. "In terms of economic cooperation, 2022 was a positive year. The increase was 24 percent. As to 2023, despite the fact that final data is not yet available, the overall trend shows that we will be reaching positive dynamics by the end of the year. Today, I believe we will have the opportunity to discuss a number of key economic projects, both bilateral and regional," he noted. Humanitarian issues, according to Bayramov, have long played an important role in the two countries' dialogue. Bayramov arrived in Russia on December 4 for a working visit to attend a meeting of Caspian foreign ministers. Bayramov is expected to speak at the gathering and undertake bilateral discussions during his visit. The Caspian foreign ministers' meeting has begun in Moscow. The event, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is attended by the foreign ministers of the Caspian states: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Effective January 1, 2024, Mohrdieck will assume responsibility for Hyzon's fuel cell technology development and commercialization, specifically focusing on the Start of Production (SOP) milestone for the company's single stack 200kW Fuel Cell System (FCS), scaling up the Bolingbrook, Illinois, fuel cell manufacturing facility, as well as advancing Hyzon's Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and FCS research and development. Mohrdieck will also serve as interim Managing Director for Hyzon Motors Europe. Mohrdieck joins Hyzon with extensive C-Suite experience, most recently serving as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of cellcentric GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture between Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group AB. Prior to his role at cellcentric, Mohrdieck was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH since 2015, before it merged into Daimler Truck Fuel Cell GmbH & Co. KG and then cellcentric. "Christian is a globally respected leader in the fuel cell industry, and we are excited to welcome him as CTO at this exciting moment in Hyzon's fuel cell technology development," said Hyzon's CEO Parker Meeks. "Christian's combination of deep fuel cell technology development and commercialization know-how and experience will both accelerate our leading, U.S.-made 200kW fuel cell system and further bolster our strong team in extending Hyzon's technology leadership in R&D and core IP generation for future product development." Mohrdieck's career has centered around fuel cell technology development and been instrumental in forming today's hydrogen fuel cell landscape. Beginning as a research scientist at Daimler AG in 1989, Mohrdieck progressed in Daimler's research and technology strategy before working on fuel cell technology as a Senior Manager at DaimlerChrysler in Michigan. Subsequently, he spent spending 11 years as a Director of Fuel Cells from 2004-2015 in Stuttgart, Germany. During more than three decades at Daimler AG and DaimlerChrysler, Mohrdieck supported, developed, and led the companies' fuel cell program, forming the foundation of cellcentric. Commenting on the new position, Mohrdieck said he admires Hyzon's innovative hydrogen fuel cell technology and its potential to decarbonize mobility. "I have dedicated my career to advancing fuel cell technology, with the goal of achieving the decarbonization necessary to protect our climate. I look forward to bringing the only U.S.-made single stack 200kW fuel cell technology to Start of Production, and to drive future fuel cell developments with its expert team," Mohrdieck added. Mohrdieck studied physics at Kiel University in Germany and Grenoble University in France, receiving both his Diploma in Physics and his PhD in Theoretical Physics from the school in Germany. He is an Honorary professor at the University of Ulm and also teaches at the Technical University of Vienna. Mohrdieck succeeds Shinichi Hirano who has served as Hyzon's CTO since September 2021. Hirano will transition to advisor to the CTO effective January 1, 2024, before retiring from Hyzon effective January 31, 2024. "On behalf of Hyzon, our Board and management team, I thank Shinichi for his contributions leading our technology function," said CEO Meeks. "He has helped us reach the strong technology foundation we have today, and his impact will be felt into the future." About Hyzon Hyzon Motors is a global supplier of high-power fuel cell technology focused on integrating the technology into zero-emission heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. Hyzon's clean hydrogen infrastructure approach synchronizes supply with demand, accelerating the deployment of zero emission trucks. Utilizing its proven and proprietary hydrogen fuel cell technology, Hyzon aims to supply zero-emission heavy duty trucks to customers in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand to mitigate emissions from diesel transportation - one of the single largest sources of global carbon emissions. Hyzon is contributing to the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles through its demonstrated technology advantage, fuel cell performance, and history of rapid innovation. Visit www.hyzonmotors.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "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. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "could," "should," "will," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Hyzon disclaims any duty to update any forward -looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. Hyzon cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Hyzon, including risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Hyzon's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 31, 2023, its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 filed on November 14, 2023, and other documents filed by Hyzon from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Hyzon gives no assurance that Hyzon will achieve its expectations. SOURCE Hyzon Motors Inc. NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the most recent analysis conducted by We Market Research, the Internet of Medical Things Market is on track to reach a value of $516.40 billion by the end of 2033. Looking ahead, the market's prospects appear even more impressive, with projections suggesting a significant increase to $ 61.56 million in 2022. This remarkable growth trajectory is underpinned by a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.70% expected between 2023 and 2033. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases ranks first in priority to shape the growth of Internet of Medical Things market Chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are becoming increasingly common, particularly as the population ages. Internet of Medical Things devices can be used to monitor patients with chronic diseases remotely, helping to prevent complications and improve patient outcomes. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases is a major global health concern, with an estimated 73% of all deaths worldwide attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. This alarming trend is driving the demand for effective healthcare solutions that can manage and prevent these chronic conditions. Request Free Sample Copy of this Report @ https://wemarketresearch.com/sample-request/global-internet-of-medical-things-market/1267 The Internet of Medical Things, a rapidly evolving technology, is emerging as a promising solution to address the challenges posed by chronic diseases. It enables the collection and analysis of real-time patient data through connected medical devices, wearables, and sensors, providing healthcare providers with valuable insights for personalized and proactive care. Internet of Medical Things devices can continuously monitor vital signs, blood glucose levels, and other health parameters of patients with chronic conditions, allowing for timely interventions and early detection of potential complications. Wearable devices can track physical activity, sleep patterns, and heart rate variability, providing valuable data for managing conditions like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Internet of Medical Things Market Report Scope: Report Attributes Description Market Forecast in 2022 USD 61.56 billion Market Forecast in 2033 USD 516.40 billion CAGR % 2023-2033 23.70 % Base Year 2022 Historic Data 2020-2021 Forecast Period 2023-2033 Report USP Product, end-user industry, company share, company heat map, company Capacity Technology Product capacity, growth factors and more Key Companies Koninklijke Philips N.V.; GE healthcare; LifeFuels Inc.; Carre Technologies Inc.; Breathometer Inc.; Wimm Labs; Honeywell International; Medtronic MiniMed; IBM Corp.; Meru Health; Nike; Apple; Others Implantable Internet of Medical Things devices can monitor internal conditions and deliver therapies, such as insulin for diabetes or medication for heart failure, directly to the patient's body. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is poised to fuel the growth of the Internet of Medical Things market, as healthcare providers seek innovative solutions to effectively manage and prevent these conditions. The Internet of Medical Things's ability to provide real-time patient data, facilitate remote monitoring, and enable personalized care makes it a transformative force in addressing the global challenge of chronic diseases. Advancements in IoT technology, is poised to slash the Internet Of Medical Things Market The rapid advancement of IoT technology is making it possible to develop more sophisticated Internet of Medical Things devices that are smaller, more powerful, and more affordable. This is making Internet of Medical Things devices more accessible to a wider range of patients. IoT enables the development of wearable devices and sensors that continuously monitor patients' health parameters. Advancements in sensor technologies and connectivity allow for real-time transmission of health data to healthcare providers. Continuous glucose monitors for diabetic patients can provide real-time glucose level data, enabling healthcare professionals to make timely adjustments to treatment plans. IoT technology facilitates connectivity among various medical devices, such as infusion pumps, pacemakers, and diagnostic equipment. This connectivity enables seamless data exchange and integration with electronic health records (EHRs). Smart inhalers for patients with respiratory conditions can monitor medication usage and send adherence data to healthcare providers for better disease management. IoT advancements contribute to the expansion of telemedicine services. Connected devices enable remote consultations, video conferencing, and the exchange of vital health information between patients and healthcare professionals. Remote monitoring solutions for elderly patients allow healthcare providers to conduct virtual check-ups and monitor health metrics, reducing the need for frequent in-person visits. Edge computing, an IoT-related technology, enables data processing closer to the source rather than relying solely on centralized cloud servers. This is particularly valuable for Internet of Medical Things applications that require real-time data analysis. Edge computing can be employed in wearable ECG monitors to analyze cardiac rhythms locally, allowing for quick detection of abnormalities without relying on distant servers. IoT advancements include improved security protocols and encryption methods to protect sensitive health data. Robust cybersecurity measures are crucial in healthcare IoT to ensure patient privacy and compliance with regulations. Secure IoT platforms can be used to transmit and store patient data from medical wearables, ensuring that the information is encrypted and accessible only to authorized healthcare professionals. U.S., China and Japan to be a gamechanger within the Internet of Medical Things market The United States is at the forefront of IoMT innovation, with a strong track record of developing cutting-edge medical technologies. The country is home to many of the world's leading IoMT companies, including Medtronic, Philips, GE Healthcare, and Abbott Laboratories. These companies are developing a wide range of IoMT solutions, including implantable devices, wearable sensors, and remote monitoring systems. For instance, Medtronic has developed a wireless insulin pump that can be controlled from a smartphone and Philips has developed a wearable sensor that can monitor vital signs and detect falls. China is the world's largest manufacturer of electronics, and this expertise is giving the country a competitive edge in the IoMT market. Chinese companies are developing a wide range of IoMT devices, including wearable sensors, smart home appliances, and medical robots. For instance, Huawei has developed a wearable sensor that can monitor heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels and Xiaomi has developed a smart home appliance that can dispense medication and track medication adherence. Request for Customization of this Report @ https://wemarketresearch.com/customization/global-internet-of-medical-things-market/1267 Japan faces challenges related to an aging population, leading to a higher prevalence of chronic diseases. IoMT plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges by providing remote monitoring and personalized healthcare solutions. Japan is a leader in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), and these technologies are being used to develop innovative IoMT solutions. Japanese companies are developing a wide range of IoMT devices, including robotic caregivers, AI-powered diagnostic tools, and telemedicine systems. For instance, Panasonic has developed a robotic caregiver that can assist with activities of daily living (ADLs) and NEC has developed an AI-powered diagnostic tool that can detect cancer at an early stage. Competitive Landscape Major companies operating within the Internet of Medical Things market are Koninklijke Philips N.V.; GE healthcare; LifeFuels Inc.; Carre Technologies Inc.; Breathometer Inc.; Wimm Labs; Honeywell International; Medtronic MiniMed; IBM Corp.; Meru Health; Nike; Apple; Medtronic, Koninklijke Philips N.V and GE Healthcare combined dominate the market with an active share of around 45-50%. Have a Look at Related Reports Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Dispensing Robots Market Web 3.0 Block-chain Market IoT Identity Access Management (IAM) Market Arm Cloud Servers Market About We Market Research: WE MARKET RESEARCH is an established market analytics and research firm with a domain experience sprawling across different industries. We have been working on multi-county market studies right from our inception. Over the time, from our existence, we have gained laurels for our deep rooted market studies and insightful analysis of different markets. Contact Us: Mr. Robbin Joseph Corporate Sales, USA We Market Research USA: +1-724-618-3925 Websites: https://wemarketresearch.com/ Email: [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2267296/We_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE We Market Research SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- J INTS BIO announced that early results of the Phase 1/2 study of its novel, orally administered 4th generation EGFR-TKI 'JIN-A02' were presented at the ESMO Asia 2023 conference held in Singapore from 1st to 3rd December 2023. Professor Cho, Byoung Chul, poster presentation of Phase 12 study of its Novel Oral 4th Generation EGFR-TKI JIN-A02 at the European Society for Medical Oncology Asia in Singapore (ESMO Asia 2023) 'JIN-A02', a 4th generation EGFR-TKI, is a substance that selectively binds to C797S, a mutation that leads to resistance to 3rd generation EGFR-TKIs (Osimertinib, Lazertinib), a treatment for EGFR+ NSCLC. It has demonstrated strong efficacy in preclinical studies, and the results have already been presented at several academic conferences. Currently, the company is conducting a global phase 1/2 clinical study to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and anti-tumor activity of "JIN-A02" in patients with advanced NSCLC carrying EGFR mutations. During ESMO Asia, the safety and PK results for the first two cohorts of patients recruited in Part A (Dose Escalation) of the clinical study were presented. To-date, no dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) or maximum tolerated dose (MTD) were reported and dosing for the 3rd cohort of patients will begin very soon. According to J INTS BIO, the clinical study is progressing well and recruitment has been unexpectedly successful with no unnecessary delays between the cohorts. The company also noted that further dose escalations will allow a robust evaluation of the anti-tumor effects of 'JIN-A02', and enable the assessment of its overall safety. SOURCE J INTS BIO BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 4th Beijing time, the eWeek of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, hosted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and co-organized by Beijing Institute of Technology, was grandly opened at the Geneva International Conference Center. The theme of this conference was "Shaping the future of digital economy". At the high-level forum, Jiang Guangzhi, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information, delivered a speech in his "digital human" avatar, using generative AI (AIGC) technology, sharing Beijing's achievements in the development of the digital economy. The speech received wide attention and caused enthusiastic response from the audience. This application of "digital human +AI" technology is released for the first time in the history of UNCTAD, which is a demonstration of Beijing's innovative spirit in promoting the application of cutting-edge technology. Jiang Guangzhi said that since 2021, when Beijing released the "Implementation Plan on Accelerating the Construction of a Global Digital Economy Exemplar City", it has always adhered to the values of openness, inclusiveness, and global excellence, to promote the high-quality development of the digital economy. Benefited from the strong policy support, the value added of Beijing's digital economy has continued to grow and become one of the main engines driving economic growth. According to Jiang Guangzhi, Beijing has achieved remarkable attainment in developing digital economy. As one of the cities with the most abundant endowment of digital economy resources and the most favourable development conditions in the world, the contribution of Beijing's digital economy industry has been rapidly increasing, and the information software industry, as the core industry of the digital economy, has risen to rank first of the city's industries. Additionally, Beijing's core competitiveness in the field of digital economy has earned notable advantages, and the scale of core industries such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, industrial internet, digital avatar etc., leads the country. In the Forbes Top 100 Digital Companies, Beijing's enterprises accounted for over half of the Chinese enterprises on the list, which effectively underpins Beijing to build a globally competitive digital economy highland. In addition, Jiang Guangzhi also spoke on several breakthroughs in the development of digital economy in Beijing. Firstly, a new system of digital governance has been formed, with the "Beijing Municipal Digital Economy Promotion Regulations" as its principal document, we have established a "1+3+N" institutional framework system supported by open policies, standard-setting and measurement system. Secondly, we have built digital infrastructure and promoted the deep integration of new-generation information technology and urban infrastructure, laying the foundation for the construction of smart cities. Thirdly, we have consolidated strategic advantages, nurtured new clusters of digital industries, gathered a number of top artificial intelligence research institutions in Beijing, and some key algorithm technologies have reached the international advanced level. Fourthly, we have made breakthroughs in the key stages of data assetisation with pilot projects, initially formed the data factor market ecosystem, and introduced a series of innovative policies and continued to implement favorable policies. Fifthly, we have promoted the digital transformation of industries, and empowered urban operation, industrial development and citizens' lives through measures such as the "New Intelligent Manufacturing 100" project and the "3+3" action of the industrial Internet. Sixthly, we have built platforms to promote cooperation, jointly optimized the digital business environment, launched the Global Digital Economy Partner Cities Cooperation Initiative and continued to build a multi-dimensional, multi-level international exchange and cooperation system. As to how Beijing will build a exemplar city for the global digital economy in the future, Jiang Guangzhi emphasized that it would further improve the regulation system led by the Beijing Digital Economy Promotion Regulations, continued to make breakthroughs in core technologies, accelerate the establishment of a "national experimental field" for comprehensive reforms in the nation's fundamental regulations of data, and cultivate and grow the data factor market. He also said that Beijing will remain committed in promoting a higher level of opening up to the world, and grasp the opportunity of building the National Comprehensive Demonstration Zone for the Further Opening Up of the Service Industry to further promote the opening up and development of the whole industry chain of Beijing's digital economy. In the end of his speech, Jiang Guangzhi extended a cordial invitation to the world for the upcoming 4th Global Digital Economy Conference to be held in Beijing next summer. As a major city in China and one of the exemplar cities of the global digital economy, Beijing's achievements in the development of the digital economy have attracted extensive attention from the international community. Director Jiang Guangzhi's speech provided new impetus to Beijing and even China to advance in the global digital economy, as well as provided new insights and directions in the recovery and growth of the global economy. The Global Digital Economy Conference has become an authoritative international exchange platform for new technology and products in the digital economy. In 2021, the conference used digital human for the first time as the host of its opening ceremony, in 2022, the first domestic roundtable forum on digital human was successfully held during the session, and in 2023, the use of digital human was implemented in the scenarios of governmental activities, and the first digital human's concert was held. The Global Digital Economy Conference has witnessed the evolution of digital human technology and the iteration of digital consumption industry, and has also reflected the role of the conference in promoting industry application and accelerating the development of digital economy. With the coming of a new phase of digital economy, the digital human technology is undergoing continuous optimization, the product form continues to iterate, and data security and governance mechanisms are being established in the exploration. Technology has painted a fabulous blueprint for the future of our lives, offering not only unprecedented experiences but also injecting new momentum for economic development. SOURCE Global Digital Economy Conference The new vice president will head up the largest cancer care and research network in Michigan DETROIT, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has appointed Doris Ranski-Zazula, RN, MSA, as the vice president of the Karmanos Cancer Network, part of McLaren Health Care. The Karmanos Cancer Network is one of the largest cancer care and research networks in the United States, with 15 locations anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute freestanding cancer hospital headquartered in Detroit. Doris Ranski-Zazula is named the vice president of the Karmanos Cancer Network. Ranski-Zazula began her role as Lauren Lawrence retired after 10 years with McLaren and Karmanos in November. Ranski-Zazula transitioned to this position, having been the regional director of Cancer Services for Karmanos locations in Flint, Pontiac and Lapeer. "I am so honored to step into the VP position after much guidance and an extremely productive stint of working closely with my predecessor," said Ranski-Zazula. "Lauren has accomplished tremendous growth for the Network, and I want to continue that momentum. I am looking forward to providing the Karmanos advantage to many more Michigan residents by working on expanding into additional communities and enhancing and adding to the services we currently offer to our patients across the state." Ranski-Zazula will report to Brian Gamble, president of the Karmanos Cancer Hospital and Network. She will provide oversight for the Karmanos locations near McLaren Bay Region, McLaren Central Michigan, McLaren Clarkston, McLaren Flint (including the McLaren Proton Therapy Center), McLaren Greater Lansing, McLaren Lapeer, McLaren Macomb, McLaren Northern (in Petoskey and Gaylord), McLaren Oakland, McLaren Port Huron and McLaren Thumb Region. Her responsibilities include the daily operation of all network sites in accordance with Karmanos' policies and standards; conducting site certification visits to ensure locations deliver the highest quality of care; standardizing workflows, policies and procedures; recruiting the best oncologists to join Team Karmanos and McLaren; ensuring Network physicians are certified and offer clinical trials to patients in their local communities; further developing relationships with Michigan State University and partners in Northwest Ohio; enhancing the cancer screening programs and genetic counseling services throughout the Network; and strengthening the connection of the Network sites to many Karmanos programs and departments, including the Clinical Trials Office, Office of Cancer Health Equity and Community Engagement, and more. "Doris' familiarity with the Network and her background as a physician recruiter and business development professional gives her an immediate advantage to enhance and grow the Karmanos footprint," said Gamble. "We are thankful for Lauren's work in her 10 years with us and appreciate the dedication and work it took to stand up the cancer network. We are very confident that Doris has the experience and ability to take the Network to the next level, giving our patients the best cancer care, regardless of location." Ranski-Zazula has over 30 years of experience in health care. She joined McLaren in 2018 as the director at McLaren Oakland (overseeing the respiratory therapy department, outpatient specialty clinic and hospital information desk) and as the regional director of Cancer Services. Before joining McLaren, she provided medical recruitment support for various Ascension hospitals, including serving as the director of Physician Recruitment and Business Development at St. John Providence Health System. As the vice president of Practice Operations and Physician Practice Planning at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), she oversaw the day-to-day management of 110 employed physicians, 150 full-time staff members and 34 practice locations. She also managed the transition of private practices into DMC-employed practices. Earlier in her career, Ranski-Zazula worked at Oakwood Healthcare, Inc., advancing from a clinical nurse to the Regional Director of Ambulatory Administration. Ranski-Zazula received a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Central Michigan University in Dearborn and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northern Michigan University. About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute Karmanos Cancer Institute is a leader in transformative cancer care, research and education through courage, commitment and compassion. The Karmanos vision is a world free of cancer. As part of McLaren Health Care, Karmanos is the largest provider of cancer care and research in Michigan. For more than 75 years, the administrative and research headquarters, along with the premier specialty cancer hospital, have been located in downtown Detroit. With 16 network sites, Karmanos delivers world-renowned care and access to clinical trials throughout Michigan and northern Ohio. The National Cancer Institute recognizes Karmanos as one of the best cancer centers in the nation with a comprehensive cancer center designation. Its academic partnership with the Wayne State University School of Medicine provides the framework for cancer research and education defining new standards of care and improving survivorship. For more information, call 1-800-KARMANOS (800-527-6266) or visit www.karmanos.org. Follow Karmanos on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. SOURCE Karmanos Cancer Institute DRAPER, Utah, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Diamonds Direct, L.C. dba Lashbrook ("Lashbrook"), an industry leader in providing customer-designed custom wedding bands with unique materials and inlays, announced that on December 1, 2023 it filed a lawsuit against Manly Bands, LLC in the United States District Court for the District of Utah. The lawsuit alleges that Manly Bands and its principals committed numerous unlawful and infringing acts and asserts thirty separate causes of action. The Complaint includes 25 claims for infringement of Lashbrook ring designs, 2 claims for copyright management information violations associated with thousands of Lashbrook product images, 3 claims of unfair competition, together with claims for a pattern of unlawful activity and civil conspiracy. The lawsuit further alleges that Manly Bands went so far as to write software code to steal thousands of images from Lashbrook's servers, cover over Lashbrook's watermarks, and display the images to Manly Bands' customers. The lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction, as well as Lashbrook's attorneys' fees and costs. Lashbrook's Founder and CEO, Eric Laker, commented, "our innovative ring designs are protected by copyright law, and this lawsuit seeks to protect our innovation and prevent unfair competition." To learn more about Lashbrook's claims against Manly Bands, visit Lashbrook's website at the following link https://lashbrookdesigns.com/manlybandslawsuit where a copy of the complaint can be viewed or downloaded. About Lashbrook Lashbrook is the industry leader in making uniquely styled men's custom wedding rings from exotic hardwoods, diamonds, and precious metals. It was one of the first U.S. companies to make and distribute titanium, carbon fiber, Damascus Steel, and "camo" wedding band products. Lashbrook's unique products are hand-crafted by more than 100 skilled employees at its Draper, Utah manufacturing facility, where its team of goldsmiths, designers, machinists, and operators create each Lashbrook wedding ring by hand. Lashbrook sells its unique wedding rings through retail jewelry partners that market and sell Lashbrook products at more than 1,300 brick-and-mortar retail outlets. For more information about Lashbrook visit https://www.lashbrookdesigns and follow @Lashbrook on LinkedIn. Media Contact Dennis Claspell [email protected] SOURCE Lashbrook Lokal to build 270 brand-new attainable homes in Lone Tree, Colorado LONE TREE, Colo., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lokal Homes, a Colorado-based home builder, joined with leaders from the City of Lone Tree on November 17 to break ground on its new project within the master-planned community of Lyric at RidgeGate. Lokal will join a distinct group of builders in developing Lyric, a community designed to bring urban appeal and energy to Lone Tree. Pictured: Chetter Latcham, Shea Homes President, Dave Lemnah, Lokal Homes Co-Owner, Jackie Millet, Lone Tree Mayor, Robyn Asbury, Lokal Homes President and Tommy Pucciano, Lokal Homes Vice President of Community Development A group of Lokal Homes employees, representatives of Lyric, and government officialsincluding Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet, council, and staffcelebrated the groundbreaking of the new community, which will offer a product mix of condominiums and townhomes beginning sales in the summer of 2024. Starting in the $400,000s, the price of a home built by Lokal in Lyric will be roughly half the average purchase price of existing options in the surrounding housing market. "Lone Tree is an amazing City, and we are blessed with so many wonderful things. Yet, as with the rest of the Denver metro area, we face two major challenges: homeownership and home affordability. With this projectthe first condo development in the City in nearly 15 yearsLokal Homes is helping Lone Tree residents tackle both of those obstacles," Millet said. Lokal Homes at Lyric at RidgeGate Opening for sales in the summer of 2024 190 two- to three-bedroom condos 80 two- to three-bedroom townhomes Part of Lyric, a mixed-use, master-planned community Exceptional amenities like a fitness area, pool, and restaurant Situated near the RidgeGate Parkway light rail station and I-25 Close to the Denver Tech Center and Sky Ridge Medical Center Near recreational opportunities at the Rueter-Hess Reservoir, trails, and open space Located within the well-regarded Douglas County School District About Lokal Homes Lokal Homes is a Colorado-based home builder focused on building condominiums, townhomes, and single-family detached housing throughout the Front Range. Lokal began from a vision created by Dave Lemnah and Ryan Lantz, with a focus on standard features, excellent customer service, and quality building. Since its inception in 2012, Lokal has closed over 2,000 homes from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. For more information, please visit LokalHomes.com or call 720-656-4512. About Lyric at RidgeGate New from Shea Homes, Lyric at RidgeGate is an eclectic new home community surrounded by naturea wonderful new creative contributor to the multi-faceted energy and excitement of RidgeGate. Three large parks are planned with open space and connected trails for fresh-air hikes and rides. Lyric will also offer a restaurant, a welcome center, a residents' fitness center and a pool. The homes will range from condos and townhomes to a variety of single-family detached homes, including two-story, ranch, cottage, and patio homes. The community is ideally situated near several nearby light-rail stations and I-25, making everythingfrom downtown Denver to DIA easy to get to. For more information, visit livelyricco.com. Media Contact: Kristen Sanchez [email protected] 720-656-4512 SOURCE Lokal Homes Recent Project Highlights: Completed 7,767 metres for the purpose of upgrading some of the Indicated Resource to the Measured category. Completed 3,065 metres of dedicated diamond drill holes for the collection of metallurgical samples and comminution testing samples. Samples have arrived in Peru , which allows for confirmatory and optimization metallurgical test work to begin. , which allows for confirmatory and optimization metallurgical test work to begin. Additional samples have arrived at the material testing facility in the US for the comminution testing. Test work is on schedule and will support the proposed completion of the feasibility study in H1 2025. VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) (OTCQB: LMGDF) (the "Company" or "Lumina") is pleased to announce the initiation of a major work program to support the development of the Cangrejos and Gran Bestia gold-copper deposits. The key components of the program include the collection of twenty metallurgical composite samples from dedicated drill holes within the Cangrejos and Gran Bestia deposits, comminution test work, detailed mineralogy and flotation test work for gold and copper recovery estimates and providing concentrate samples for marketing studies. Test work has been awarded to C. H. Plenge & CIA S.A. ("Plenge"), an independent metallurgical laboratory based in Lima, Peru, which has previously provided metallurgical support to the Company and Metso USA. In past metallurgical test work programs, the Cangrejos and Gran Bestia deposits demonstrated good metallurgical performance using traditional flotation processes to produce a gold-rich flotation copper concentrate that should be saleable into the copper smelting market. This upcoming program will allow some optimization of process parameters and provide significant engineering data supporting process design criteria for the feasibility study. The Company has now completed the drilling of 3,065 metres across fourteen dedicated diamond drill holes for the collection of metallurgical samples and comminution testing samples. Lumina has also completed the drilling of 7,767 metres across ninety-one drill holes for the purpose of potentially upgrading some of the Indicated mineral resource containing 16.8 million ounces gold and 2.2 billion pounds of copper to the Measured mineral resource category.(1) 6,842 metres of the 8,375 metres of planned geotechnical drilling is complete and the balance is expected to conclude before the holiday break in December. Qualified Persons Jeffrey B. Austin, P.Eng., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mr. Austin has previously visited Plenge's laboratory in Lima Peru, and has reviewed, verified and approved the content of this news release. Leo Hathaway, P.Geo., Senior Vice President of Lumina and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 has reviewed, verified, and approved the contents of this news release. Notes Details on the mineral reserves and mineral resource can be found in the NI 43-101 technical report titled 'Cangrejos Gold-Copper Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Pre-feasibility Study' with an effective date of April 7, 2023 . The report can be found on SEDAR or on the Company's website. The Indicated mineral resource is estimated at 1,080 million tonnes grading 0.48 grams per tonne gold and 0.09% copper. About Lumina Gold Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on the Cangrejos Gold-Copper Project located in El Oro Province, southwest Ecuador. In 2023, the Company completed a Pre-Feasibility Study for Cangrejos, which is the largest primary gold deposit in Ecuador. Lumina has an experienced management team with a successful track record of advancing and monetizing exploration projects. Follow us on: Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminagold.com/. To receive future news releases please sign up at https://luminagold.com/contact. LUMINA GOLD CORP. Signed: "Marshall Koval" Marshall Koval, President & CEO, Director 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 Information Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to potential conversion of Indicated Resources to Measured Resources, future test work and future studies at Cangrejos and impact and timing of such test work and studies. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "will" or "projected" or variations of those words or statements that certain actions, events or results "will", "could", "are proposed to", "are planned to", "are expected to" or "are anticipated to" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. 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 the Company's 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 statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE Lumina Gold Corp. Masdar signs joint development agreement for 1GW wind project and battery energy storage system UAE clean energy pioneer announces separate (MOU) Memorandum Of Understanding for green hydrogen plant feasibility study in Jordan Hashemite Kingdom has potential to become global powerhouse in domestic and global green energy transition DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC Masdar, the UAE's clean energy powerhouse, has signed a joint development agreement with the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to develop a 1 gigawatt (GW) wind project with a battery energy storage system (BESS), and a memorandum to explore the feasibility of establishing a green hydrogen plant. Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, His Excellency Dr Saleh Al-Kharabsheh; Jordanian Minister of Environment, H.E.Dr Muawieh Khalid Radaideh; COP28 President and Masdar Chairman, HE Dr Sultan Al Jaber; Masdar Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi Jordanian Minister of Environment, H.E.Dr Muawieh Khalid Radaideh; Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, His Excellency Dr Saleh Al-Kharabsheh; COP28 President and Masdar Chairman, HE Dr Sultan Al Jaber; Masdar Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi The agreements with the Ministry were signed at COP28 by Masdar Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi and the Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, His Excellency Dr Saleh Al-Kharabsheh. The signing ceremony was witnessed by UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President and Masdar Chairman, HE Dr Sultan Al Jaber and the Minister of the Environment for Jordan, H.E.Dr Muawieh Khalid Radaideh. The study will examine the feasibility of establishing a green hydrogen project near The Port of Aqaba to produce the most cost-competitive hydrogen, utilizing desalinated seawater, and dedicated renewable power. Masdar Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said: "With substantial wind and solar resources that can be used to generate large amounts of renewable energy, and produce cost-competitive green hydrogen and green fuels, Jordan has the potential to become a global powerhouse in the green energy transition. Building on the strength of our longstanding partnership, Masdar is delighted to bring our expertise in clean energy projects and technologies to help Jordan achieve its decarbonization plans and unlock the nation's enormous potential." HE Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jordan, said: "The Jordanian government's efforts continue to enhance Jordan's role as a regional center for green energy production and provide high-quality, cost-competitive green hydrogen fuel by taking advantage of the abundance of renewable energy sources and our nation's strategic geographical location in the region to provide excellent access to European markets." HE Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh added that Jordan valued cooperation at the regional and national level, and that the partnership with Masdar through the signing of these agreements will advance the Ministry's priorities and the Economic Modernization Vision (2023-2033) that was recently launched by the Jordanian government. This includes investment in green hydrogen production projects, which are part of Jordan's initiatives to transition towards the use of clean energy as it aims to achieve net zero. Masdar already has a presence in Jordan through its Baynouna Solar Energy Company (BSCE) joint venture with Finnish investment and asset management group Taaleri, which inaugurated the 200MW Baynouna Solar Park, the largest clean energy project in Jordan, in February of this year. Masdar is pursuing a target of 1 million tonnes of green hydrogen production by 2030 as part of the UAE's plans to establish itself as a green hydrogen hub and capture 25 per cent of the global low-carbon hydrogen market by 2030. As the UAE's clean energy powerhouse and one of the world's fastest growing and leading investors in clean energy, Masdar is at the vanguard of advancing the development and deployment of renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies to address global sustainability challenges. Established in 2006, Masdar has developed and partnered in projects in more than 40 countries across six continents. Its worldwide portfolio of investments, which are either operational, under construction or in exclusive development, have a combined value of more than US$30 billion. About Masdar Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is the UAE's clean energy champion and one of the fastest growing companies in the world, advancing the development and deployment of renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies to address global sustainability challenges. Established in 2006, Masdar has developed and partnered in projects in over 40 countries, helping them to achieve their clean energy objectives and advance sustainable development. Masdar is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), and under this ownership the company is targeting a renewable energy portfolio capacity of at least 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and an annual green hydrogen production capacity of up to 1 million tonnes by the same year. For more information please visit: http://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293402/Masdar_Image_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293403/Masdar_Image_2.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1973446/4437204/Masdar_Logo.jpg Taylor's leadership roles and impactful contributions to the industry underscore Medcrypt's commitment to enhancing cybersecurity in healthcare SAN DIEGO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Medcrypt, Inc., the proactive cybersecurity solution provider for medical device manufacturers (MDMs), today announced the addition of Taylor Lehmann to its board of directors. Taylor brings over 20 years of experience in healthcare cybersecurity, holding various roles at Google and Athena Health and a board member seat for the Health-ISAC. In this capacity, Taylor will play a pivotal role in supporting Medcrypt's governance efforts, overseeing and guiding strategic initiatives, and championing investor interests. As a director in Google Cloud's Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO), Taylor plays an instrumental role in shaping global health security strategy and engineering. Taylor also fostered health and life sciences intelligence partnerships and has held Google's Enterprise Health Security Officer role since March 2023. He also served on the Board of Directors at Health-ISAC from November 2019 to November 2020, during which he partnered with Microsoft to secure Windows 7 Extended Support for the global health community during the pandemic. As the Vice President and CISO at athenahealth from July 2019 to September 2020, Taylor focused on cyber threat intelligence, information security engineering, healthcare information technology, cloud security, engineering, business resilience, leadership, and incident response on a global scale. Before that, Taylor was the CISO at Tufts Medicine from June 2017 to July 2019. "Those of us working in healthcare know our priority is making sure patients can get the care they need, when they need it, without delay or complication. For years, the industry has underestimated the importance of the connected equipment used to treat illness and sustain life and how it is vulnerable to security threats," said Taylor Lehmann, Director, Office of the CISO, Google Cloud. "Medcrypt's mission to help medical device manufacturers build safe and secure digital health equipment aligns directly with what I and others working in this space are here to do build a safe, secure, and resilient healthcare ecosystem for everyone. I am fortunate to join Medcrypt's board and bring my perspectives and experience to be shared with the people at Medcrypt who understand these security problems and are well-positioned to help solve them." Taylor's industry expertise and history will bring practical insights to support Medcrypt in addressing the critical issue of cybersecurity in medical device technology. "Taylor Lehmann's appointment signifies a strategic move for Medcrypt, bringing on board an industry veteran with a passion for addressing cybersecurity challenges in healthcare. Taylor's real-life at-scale experience and commitment to changing the healthcare technology ecosystem align seamlessly with Medcrypt's mission," said Mike Kijewski, CEO of Medcrypt. "We are thrilled to welcome him to our board of directors, confident that his expertise will propel Medcrypt to new heights in safeguarding medical devices and advancing cybersecurity solutions for the benefit of patients worldwide." For more information on Medcrypt's services and the latest developments in medical device cybersecurity, please visit www.Medcrypt.com. About MedCrypt Medcrypt is helping healthcare technology companies ensure medical devices are secure by design. We provide cybersecurity products and strategic management consulting to expedite the go-to-market process of medical device manufacturers' new life-saving connected technologies. Founded in 2016 by a team of healthcare cybersecurity experts, Medcrypt is uniquely positioned to be the security catalyst for medical device manufacturers to design secure, FDA-approved technologies. We continue to work with those paving the way toward safe and reliable medtech. To date, Medcrypt has raised more than $36 million in funding with participation from Johnson & Johnson Innovations, Intuitive Ventures, and Dexcom Ventures. For more information, please visit www.Medcrypt.com. Press Contact: Jenny Bourne 2087618447 SOURCE MedCrypt BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The international community must work hard for the safe and fair return of Azerbaijani refugees to Armenia, Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development Party of Turkiye Zafar Sirakaya said, Trend reports. He made the remark at an international conference themed "Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia: global context and fair solution" in Baku. "The role of international organizations in this process is significant, and they cannot remain on the sidelines. We know very well that during local anti-terrorist measures, Azerbaijan called on the Armenian population of Karabakh not to leave their homes, stating that coexistence is possible," Sirakaya reminded. "However, certain groups in Armenia acted contrary to the situation in the region. Those who support Armenia today talk about ensuring human rights. However, Armenia turns a blind eye to the expulsion of Azerbaijanis," he noted. Sirakaya emphasized that Azerbaijan, after achieving victory in the 2020 second Karabakh war, put an end to injustice in the region. "The first Karabakh war inflicted indelible wounds. Thousands of people were expelled from their native lands. Their cultural monuments and places of worship were destroyed. It's crucial for Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to return to their lands," he added. The conference is attended by more than 100 guests from 30 countries. The event will continue its work in the form of panel discussions with the participation of renowned international experts and socio-political figures, addressing issues such as the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, resettlement challenges on the international stage, the issue of return in international law, difficulties and practical achievements in the field of repatriation, and the situation in this area in different regions. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Residents of Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood and surrounding areas will soon have more convenient access to fresh, high-quality food at low prices once Fairfax Market, the new neighborhood market by Meijer at 2190 E. 105th St., opens on Jan. 16, 2024. Meijer to Open Fairfax Market in Cleveland on Jan. 16 The new 40,000-square-foot market is part of a mixed-use neighborhood revitalization project being developed in partnership with the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic, the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation and Fairmount Properties. Located in the Cleveland Innovation District, Fairfax Market will contribute to creating a healthier community by addressing food insecurity, supporting economic development, and providing a new grocery shopping destination for customers from Fairfax and other nearby neighborhoods, as well as those who work in the neighborhood. "Fairfax Market is committed to being more than just a new store. We will be an involved partner, investing in the community and supporting local businesses," Fairfax Market Store Director Alan Jordan said. "We look forward to providing convenient access to fresh, quality food and other necessities at good prices, and we can't wait to welcome our neighbors into the store next month." Fairfax Market will feature a large assortment of products, including fresh meat and deli items, fresh produce, a bakery, and Meijer and national brand items. It also will carry more than 2,000 local products, including Cleveland Cold Brew Coffee, Micah's Supreme Sauce, PUR Spices, Akron Honey, Lemon Waves and beauty care products from Catlin Naturals. Additionally, the market will feature: A floral and gift shop, featuring PaperCutz Vintage greeting cards and posters with paper flowers from Love, Anji. An impressive assortment of local beers and wines. Health and beauty care products from local and black, women-owned businesses from the Fairfax neighborhood and Cleveland . . A 104-foot international section, featuring products from around the globe alongside vendors from Cleveland . . A 54-seat cafe space, featuring coffee and sandwiches from Saucy Coffee and sushi from Hissho Sushi. The store will employ approximately 50 team members who will earn competitive wages and have access to health and free education benefits and a 401(k) program with a company match. The effort to bring a grocery market to the Fairfax neighborhood began with a community conversation among Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., Cleveland City Council President and Ward 6 Councilman Blaine A. Griffin, and Fairfax residents. Meijer, a Midwest-based, family-owned, regional retailer previously opened four smaller stores to serve neighborhoods in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Royal Oak and Detroit, Mich. Meijer became the grocer partner of choice for the project after neighborhood leaders visited one of its small-format stores and saw the positive impact it was having on its community. Fairfax Market is the retailer's first small-format neighborhood market outside of Michigan. The store's regular hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. About Fairfax Market Fairfax Market is a neighborhood grocery store operated by Meijer that focuses on bringing fresh food and value to customers in a market-like setting. Located in the Cleveland Innovation District, Fairfax Market is part of a mixed-use neighborhood revitalization project being developed in partnership with the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic, the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation and Fairmount Properties. Fairfax Market will provide residents and businesses alike access to fresh food and easily accessible convenience items in a one-of-a-kind store. For more information, please visit www.FairfaxMarket.com. SOURCE Meijer Refreshed brand spotlights how members are empowered and communities are strengthened MIDLAND, Mich., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Members First Credit Union is changing the way it looks, marking a significant milestone in the credit union's history and Members First (M1) approach to growth. By refreshing its brand, M1 aims to reflect its purpose-driven and resourceful culture that empowers individuals and communities to achieve financial goals and wellbeing. "All of us at Members First find joy in serving members and take pride in how we can help individuals achieve their dreams, no matter what their circumstances," says M1's Chief Executive Officer Carrie Iafrate. "The brand refresh gives us the opportunity to showcase what we do and why we do it. By telling the Members First story more broadly and intentionally, we can grow our membership and help communities thrive." The new look signifies a renewed focus on delivering a member-centric experience across all touchpoints that distinguishes M1 from other Michigan financial institutions and highlights its mission, values, and community-oriented approach. "Our compassionate, creative and vibrant team is committed to serving members who are not well-served by other financial service providers," adds Iafrate. "Our team reflects that commitment every day in the joy they feel by providing unconditional support regardless of where that member is on their financial journey. Our new look and messaging tells the outside world the way we act and feel on the inside. When people see our M1 logo, there's no doubt what it means. We put our members first , for the joy of it." The new visual identity aligns with Members First focus on providing financial empowerment and building stronger relationships within the communities it serves. Members First distinguishes itself as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) which can help low-income individuals and disadvantaged communities achieve growth objectives. Also, all employees of Members First are educated and certified as financial counselors and will be able to offer tailored solutions to meet members' goals. Members can expect to see the new brand reflected across digital platforms, branch locations, marketing materials, and more, as the introduction of the new logo rolls out over time. For additional information on the brand, visit mfcu.net/find-joy. About Members First Credit Union Members First Credit Union remains dedicated to the many Michigan communities it serves for more than 86 years. The credit union supports approximately 64,000 members and has 250+ employees who share in the passion to service its members. More information is available at mfcu.net. Contact Rachel Hilbrandt [email protected] 989.513.7233 SOURCE Members First Credit Union GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 5, 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 made an announcement on a voluntary basis to keep the shareholders of the Company and potential investors of the Company informed of the latest business developments of the Group. The board of directors (the "Board") of the Company has noted the recent unusual fluctuation in the price and trading volume movements of the ordinary shares (the "Shares") of the Company. Having made all reasonable enquiries in the circumstances, the Board confirms that, as at the date of this announcement, it is not aware of any reason for the recent fluctuation of the price of the Shares or trading volume movements, or of any information that is required to be disclosed to avoid a false market in the securities of the Company, or of any inside information that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Part XIVA of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong). As at the date of this announcement, the business of the Group is running normally and smoothly. There were no significant adverse changes in the daily operations and financial positions of the Group. The Board was informed that Mr. Zhang Jingjing, the Company's Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, together with Mr. Huang Zheng, General Manager of MINISO Overseas distributor markets and Vice President, and Mr. Yao Jianzheng, General Manager of MINISO China and Vice President (together as the "Management"), planned to acquire certain shares in the open market in the coming month. Any share purchase will be conducted in compliance with the applicable laws, rules and regulations, including the Management Trading of Securities Policy adopted by the Board and the applicable provisions under the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. The plan for share purchase demonstrates our Management's unwavering confidence in the value and long-term development of the Company. The Management may further increase their shareholding in the Company as and when appropriate and subject to compliance with the applicable laws and regulations. To enhance communication with shareholders, the Company's management will hold a conference call at 3:45 A.M. Eastern Time on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 (4:45 P.M. Beijing Time on the same day). 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/86907972514?pwd=GNi09Bq3CPWN8XbABy0iuQ0pI19pCO.1 Meeting Number: 869 0797 2514 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) Shareholders and potential investors should note that any proposed Share purchase by the Company's management may be done subject to market conditions and at the individual's absolute discretion. There is no assurance of the timing, quantity or price of any Share purchase. Shareholders and potential investors should therefore exercise caution when dealing in the Shares. 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/ . 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. Investor Relations Contact: Raine Hu MINISO Group Holding Limited Email: [email protected] Phone: +86 (20) 36228788 Ext.8039 SOURCE MINISO Group Holding Limited As accessible luxury jewelry brand grows its international presence, Constructor's platform will help create digital experiences that shine SAN FRANCISCO and NORFOLK, U.K., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading demi-fine jewelry brand Monica Vinader has selected Constructor , an AI-powered product discovery and search platform, to engage online shoppers with bespoke digital experiences. Constructor's platform supports Monica Vinader's continued and rapid international growth, and will empower monicavinader.com shoppers to easily discover the everyday fine jewelry items that reflect their own personal style. A leader in the accessible luxury jewelry market, Monica Vinader designs sustainable jewelry that celebrates individuality and " makes you feel like the best version of you ." Shoppers can purchase the brand's pieces and collections through the Monica Vinader website; in global luxury retailers such as Selfridges, Liberty, John Lewis, FARFETCH and Nordstrom; and in Monica Vinader boutiques across the U.K., U.S., Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. As the British jewelry brand continues to significantly grow its customer base, particularly across the U.S. and Asia-Pacific, it has prioritized enhancing the digital customer experience. Constructor's platform supports this: harmonizing data across a brand's channels to personalize search results, browse experiences and more for the shopper while also optimizing experiences for retail key performance indicators (KPIs). In addition to this, Constructor will give Monica Vinader's merchandisers and business users actionable insights into how the decisions they make (e.g., slotting a product at the top of results or boosting up higher-margin products) affect the site's metrics as a whole. Constructor's AI-based platform will also give Monica Vinader's ecommerce team valuable time back in their days by dynamically assembling landing pages that cater to the tastes of each individual shopper, and by automating time-consuming manual tasks, such as detecting synonyms and adjusting for typos in online search. As the partnership kicks off, Monica Vinader will tap Constructor's solutions for search , browse , collections , and merchant controls and intelligence . "The luxury jewelry and experiences we provide extend, of course, to online interactions," said Kunal Damani, Chief Operating Officer, Monica Vinader. "With a wide array of unique and timeless pieces, and a commitment to honoring individuality, we want to ensure that each customer can easily discover what's most attractive and meaningful to them. Constructor lets us do all this while saving our merchandisers time and feeding back valuable insights that further our strategic growth." Eli Finkelshteyn, CEO of Constructor, said: "We're thrilled to be working with the team at Monica Vinader. Forward-looking brands like Monica Vinader differentiate based on customer experience and are increasingly tapping technology to do so. With our platform, we help brands show shoppers items they'll love, while empowering merchandisers and business users to curate experiences where they see fit and giving them feedback on their work. We strive to help companies build and deepen trusted relationships with their customers, and enable superior digital clienteling, and we're really excited to get to work with Monica Vinader on this." About Constructor Constructor is the only product discovery and search platform tailor-made for enterprise ecommerce where conversions matter. Constructor's cloud-based solutions use natural language processing, machine learning-enhanced results ranking and collaborative personalization to deliver powerful user experiences across all facets of product discovery. Optimizing specifically for ecommerce metrics like revenue, conversion rate and profit, Constructor generates consistent $10M+ lifts for some of the biggest brands in B2C and B2B ecommerce, such as Sephora, Petco, Birkenstock, Very Group, home24, Bonobos and Fisheries Supply. Constructor is a U.S.-based company that was founded in 2015 by Eli Finkelshteyn and Dan McCormick. For more, visit: constructor.io . SOURCE Constructor CORONA, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Monster Energy Up & Up, the largest and longest-running college music tour, has announced Disco Lines as the Spring 2024 headliner. As always, this tour has no pre-determined dates or route it is the fans who decide. More than 70 college student ambassador teams from across the U.S. will now rally their schools, through guerilla marketing and influencer campaigns, to try becoming one of the stops on the Spring tour and get the chance to co-produce to a killer college gig. Monster Energy Up & Up Festival Announces Disco Lines as their Spring 2024 Featured Headliner "I get hit up all the time asking me to play colleges, but unfortunately, I don't have enough time in my schedule to play all of them," says Disco Lines. "So, I am partnering up with the Monster Energy Up & Up Festival so I can play at some colleges in 2024. I started my DJing career playing fraternity parties and I am so stoked to come back." The Up & Up is like the Final Four of College Music Festivals. Each campus team, using their own Instagram and TikTok handles, engages in a two-day campaign to sell the most pre-sale tickets for the festival. The schools with the most pre-sales in 48-hours hours becomes a stop on the tour. The winning colleges then collaborate with Up & Up producers to bring the festival to a nearby venue. Only the winning school's credit cards are processed. This savvy ticketing model has led to many sold-out hard ticket college tours in premium venues. "Being a part of Up and Up for the last two seasons has helped me learn more about myself and about my passion for the music industry," says Mia Caldwell, junior at University of Oregon, one of the winning colleges from the Up & Up Winter 2023 Tour. "Whether it be building effective teamwork and communication skills or hands on work in creating a music event, Up and Up has given me more than I could imagine." The benefits of this model are three-fold: first, it ensures artists are playing only gigs where they are most desired; secondly, it provides invaluable industry experience to those hoping to pursue careers in music business and event management; and thirdly, it guarantees an epic show for students without gouging them on ticket prices. Since its inception in Fall 2016, the Monster Energy Up & Up Festival has redefined the college concert experience by breaking free from conventional programming boards and middle buyers. Through this approach, Up & Up empowers college students to curate events with top artists, imparting valuable lessons in sales and the rewards of earning an unforgettable experience. Most recently, UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State, UCSB, Clemson and University of Oregon earned themselves the opportunity to host Up & Up's Winter 2023 headliner, Dr. Fresch. Other previous winning campuses include University of Alabama, Arizona, ASU (2x), CU Boulder (3x), Bryant, University of Dayton (3x), Lehigh, JMU, Florida State, Indiana University, LSU, Penn State (3x), Oklahoma State, Oregon St University, UC Davis (2x), University of Virginia (2x), Miami-Ohio (5x), UT Austin, Washington State University (5x), UNCW (3x), Virginia Tech (2x) and Wake Forest. The Up & Up will be offering more ways to win live events this Spring, as well an exciting extension of collegiate programming: Club 100. This virtual event via Zoom attracts attendees from over 200 universities, and features surprise performances by renowned music artists, thought-provoking industry guest speakers, valuable educational opportunities, and exciting giveaways. The Up & Up Spring 2024 national competition kicks off on February 20th at 4 p.m. EST, with the winning festivals set to take place from March through May. College students seeking music industry experience & internship credit can apply at www.upandupfestival.com/ ABOUT MONSTER ENERGY: Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the hip hop lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and artists represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, artists, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com. ABOUT DISCO LINES Known for his wildly popular original songs, remixes, and riotous content - which have amassed hundreds of millions of streams and billions of views, Thadeus Labuszewski aka Disco Lines, is perpetually touring, bringing his contagious laugh, larger than life presence, and high energy DJ sets to the college, club, and festival circuits, as well as his recently announced Good Good Tour. Most experts agree that the success of Disco Lines' music career is matched only by his standing as an industry-leading amateur Dolphin enthusiast. When he is long gone, Disco Lines hopes to be remembered for his upbeat dance music, and as a fierce protector of our cetacean friends. He hopes this bio made you buy a ticket to his show. ABOUT THE MONSTER ENERGY UP & UP FESTIVAL: Monster Energy Up & Up is the largest national college festival promoter in the US, powered by a community of campus ambassador teams across the country. Up & Up's innovative guerrilla ticketing system is simple: students crowdsource demand on their campuses leading up to a 48-hour competition period; colleges with the most pre-sales earn the chance to work with our team to craft a music experience of-a-lifetime, while also gaining valuable industry experience. Past live headliners include Cash Cash (2016), Alan Walker (2017), GRYFFIN (2018), Two Friends (2018), Slushii (2019), Lost Kings (2019) Elephante (2019), Troyboi (2020), Loud Luxury (2021), San Holo (2022) Dom Dolla (2022) and Chris Lorenzo (Spring 2023) FOLLOW MONSTER ENERGY UP & UP: https://upandupfestival.com/ Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok FOLLOW MONSTER ENERGY: www.monsterenergy.com Facebook | Instagram | Twitter FOLLOW MONSTER ENERGY MUSIC: www.monsterenergy.com/music Facebook | Instagram | Twitter SOURCE Monster Energy PARAMUS, N.J., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WG Critical Care (WGCC), LLC., a leading pharmaceutical company invested in delivering products that enhance patient safety and workflow efficiency for hospital pharmacies, is proud to introduce the first and only FDA-approved 2-gram vial of Meropenem for Injection, USP. First and Only FDA approved 2-gram Meropenem Vial Compatible with ad-mixing systems enables storing in automated dispensing cabinets Reduced risk of error with less handling enhances patient safety New 2-gram Meropenem for Injection, USP Vial Exclusive from WG Critical Care, LLC Meropenem is the sixth largest generic anti-infective product in unit volume in hospital and alternate site settings. According to a 2022 IQVIA report, the market value for Meropenem is $88.7 million dollars, with unit volume at 15.9 million annually. "Until now, the only way to provide a 2-gram dose was to mix two 1-gram vials or four 500-milligram vials. With one vial, there's no need for multiple steps. The result is a more efficient workflow, less waste, and enhanced patient safety. Hence, WG Critical Care's 2g vial fills an important clinical unmet need," states Ron Mannino, RPh, New Jersey Pharmacists Association Past President and CEO of Pharmasphere, Inc. Deena Reyes, President of WG Critical Care explains "Time matters when a patient needs a 2-gram dose. For patients receiving a 2-gram dose, hospitals now can dock our vial with an IV admixing device and store in automated dispensing cabinets anywhere in the hospital allowing nurses rapid access. Less handling results in a decrease in potential contamination." The WGCC 2g Meropenem for injection, USP vial is free of natural rubber latex and bar coded at the unit-of-use. In order to enhance supply chain integrity, this product is fully compliant with the latest regulation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act enhanced serialization requirements effective November 27, 2023. About WG Critical Care, A Pharmasphere Company WG Critical Care, LLC is wholly owned by Pharmasphere, Inc. Pharmasphere and its affiliates market an extensive line of FDA approved anti-infectives and other critical care products. Its focus is to supply conventional injectable products, and convenient drug formulations that help increase efficiency and safety in the hospital setting. WGCC and its affiliates bring over thirty-five years of experience in finished dose and API development and manufacturing. WGCC is headquartered in Paramus, New Jersey. Please visit www.wgccrx.com for more information on the WGCC full line of essential injectable products. SOURCE WG Critical Care, LLC "Ask & Deliver" by Mary Ann O'Brien is released with Forbes Books This release is posted on behalf of Forbes Books (operated by Advantage Media Group under license). NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ask & Deliver: Discover the Heart of Your Business by Listening to the Voice of Your Customers, by Mary Ann O'Brien, is now available. The book is published with Forbes Books, the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes, and is available on Amazon today. The new book from O'Brienfounder of the Omaha-based brand strategy, advertising, and experience firm OBIpresents a refreshing new perspective on customer relationships. Mary Ann O'Brien releases Ask & Deliver with Forbes Books. O'Brien's work asks one simple question: What if the secret to getting customers to fall in love with your brand was as simple as asking them what they want and then just giving it to them? With Ask & Deliver, the branding and marketing thought leader demonstrates how being direct with your customersasking them what they want, listening to what they are really saying, and delivering the exact experience or product they wantcan transform your business and spark growth. Ask & Deliver uses the evolution of OBI and the pioneering O'Brien Voice of the Customer (O.VoC) survey to reveal the core concepts that have propelled O'Brien to the top of her industry. Regarded as essential reading for anyone open to a new, exciting marketing methodology decades in the making, this book opens with the survey's debut trying to pinpoint the reason why Gateway computers fell out of customer favor and ends with O'Brien applying her survey to her own business and the unexpected changes that followed. "By inviting the customer into the conversation and having the courage to listen and the conviction to guide their business based on what those customers say, the best brands are not only informed by their customers, they are formed by them," O'Brien said. About Mary Ann O'Brien A nationally recognized branding and marketing thought leader, OBI founder and CEO Mary Ann O'Brien has been entrusted by brands including Intel, Microsoft, Sony, Stericycle, Viewsonic, Delta Dental, and dozens more to help steer their strategic marketing and communication direction. She is the author of the O'Brien Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee studies, which have served as the foundation for numerous business success stories by helping clients implement customer-centric practices. Her business acumen, marketing expertise, and ability to deliver results gives clients the confidence they need to make the strategic decisions required to grow. Passionate about the power of businesses to do good, O'Brien champions ethical growth and is a proud recipient of an Integrity Award from the Better Business Bureau. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska. About Forbes Books Launched in 2016 in partnership with Advantage Media Group, Forbes Books is the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes. Forbes Books offers business and thought leaders an innovative, speed-to-market, fee-based publishing model and a suite of services designed to strategically and tactically support authors and promote their expertise. For more information, visit books.forbes.com. Media Contacts Forbes Books Media Contact: Czarina Caberto, [email protected] SOURCE Forbes Books WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study from Benchmarketing , a division of Omnicom Media Group, found that increasing out of home's share of media plan allocations leads to increased effectiveness, with measurable impact on sales, brand awareness, consideration, and purchase intent. The new study commissioned by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) reflects the re-emerging importance of Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) for brands and advertising agencies to measure and evaluate marketing performance. Due to advancements in machine learning and data analytics, coupled with the ability to factor in variables such as budget spending and economic forces, marketers and advertisers are once again relying on MMM as a tool to measure the impact of a brand's advertising across various marketing channels. The new Benchmarketing analysis, which incorporates U.S. brand case studies from the Omnicom network, reaches the same conclusions as previous studies on the value improvement generated by including OOH at significant levels in the media mix. "Out of home advertising continues to have a significant impact on driving brand perceptions across industries, and as this research suggests outsize returns can be had with just incremental adjustments in spendespecially for automotive, CPG, and grocery retail," remarked Justin Lewis, Constellation Chair, Co-Founder of Instrument, Stagwell Inc. The study looked at three product categories: automotive, CPG food, and retail grocery, exploring US ad spend trends across OOH and other media channels, and offering guidelines for allocating media spend levels to optimize improvements in sales and brand metric scores. Key takeaways include: Automotive When looking at brand consideration in the automotive category, the analysis showed the greatest improvement in effectiveness with brand scores increases of up to 11% when OOH budget allocation is optimized. Automotive has the strongest improvement in driving brand awareness when the mix is optimized and generates brand scores increases of up to 19%. CPG Food The CPG food category sees the greatest improvement in brand purchase intent effectiveness when OOH budget allocation is optimized seeing a return on ad spend improvement of up to +24%. The CPG food category also sees the highest improvement in increasing consumer brand spend once the media mix is optimized, seeing a return on ad spend improvement of up to +27% to +32%, depending on the size of the brand. Retail Grocery In terms of brand awareness across the retail grocery category, the study's brand index model showed the greatest improvement in effectiveness when OOH budget allocation is optimized with brand scores increasing up to 9%. Large retail grocery brands use OOH at higher levels but should be spending up to twice as much to achieve sales optimization growth of 4% OOH spend should be increased at up to 5X times for medium retail grocery brands to achieve sales optimization growth of 9% Overall, the analysis recommends that marketers and advertisers should start with incremental spending increases in their usage of OOH, rather than making top range optimization changes in existing levels of OOH. To fund the increased OOH spend, the analysis primarily recommends budget shifts away from TV and digital, both of which are over-spent and produce diminishing returns at current levels, as well as print, which often had very small effect in the models. "This study reaffirms that OOH has higher consumer ad recall than other media and drives more consumer action," said Anna Bager, President & CEO of OAAA. "The bottom line is there is no other medium that offers effectiveness at a better value. As marketers look to optimize media plans for next year, it's clear that OOH should receive a higher allocation of the overall budget." Key findings from the study will be announced at the Ad Club's 16th annual Out-of-Home: Now event in New York today. To review all the findings, visit https://oaaa.org/OAAA-Benchmarketing. Methodology This study used Vivvix and SMI as key data sources and examined historical ad spend trends from 2017-2002 as part of the analysis. Hundreds of Omnicom U.S. brand MMMs (market mix models of sales vs media activity by channel) were used to produce anonymized and aggregated results. These results were then utilized to generate product category level response curves. For each product category, response curves were created by media channel to determine optimal media mixes. The Benchmarketing Modeling OOH Media Effectiveness analysis was sponsored by OAAA and The Foundation for Outdoor Advertising Research and Education (FOARE), a 501 (c) (3) not for profit, charitable organization. Benchmarketing is a UK-based strategic marketing effectiveness consultancy and part of the Omnicom Media Group. About the OAAA The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the national trade association for the entire out of home (OOH) advertising industry. OAAA represents over 800 members, including leading media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad-tech providers, and suppliers. OOH media includes billboards, street furniture, transit, place-based media, and digital formats (DOOH) across every sector of the channel. OAAA is the unifying voice for the industry, the authoritative thought leader, and the passionate advocate for advancing OOH advertising in the United States. The legislative unit of OAAA advocates for the responsible growth of OOH with federal, state, and local governments. OAAA-member media companies donate over $500 million annually in public service advertising. Founded in 1891, OAAA is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in New York City. Media Contact Christine Galetto DiGennaro Communications [email protected] SOURCE OAAA MIAMI , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, Nicklaus Children's Hospital was named a Top Children's Hospital by The Leapfrog Group. Announced today, the Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. The Top Hospital designation is bestowed by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers known as the toughest standard-setters for health care safety and quality. Top Hospitals will be honored tonight at the 2023 Leapfrog annual meeting and awards dinner in Washington, D.C. The Leapfrog Group Top Children's Hospital 2023 badge. "We are honored to be recognized once again as a Leapfrog Top Children's Hospital," said Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children's Health System, parent organization of the hospital. "This award is a reflection of our deep commitment to the well-being of the children and families in our care, and a tribute to the excellence and dedication of our clinical and support teams. It is one more reason why Nicklaus Children's is the hospital where children matter most." More than 2,100 hospitals were considered for the Leapfrog Top Hospital award. Among those, Nicklaus Children's Hospital received a Top Children's Hospital distinction. A total of 132 Top Hospitals were selected, including: 8 Top Children's 35 Top General 15 Top Rural 74 Top Teaching The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care, and the hospital's capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year's Top Hospital Methodology. "Protecting patients from preventable harm is the cornerstone of The Leapfrog Group's mission," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "Nicklaus Children's Hospital has demonstrated that patient safety is their top priority, and we're truly pleased to recognize them as a Top Hospital this year. Congratulations to hospital staff at all levels who made this national recognition possible." To qualify for the distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety and achieve top performance in their category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2023 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals. About The Leapfrog Group Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. For more, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and sign up for our newsletter. About Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Where Children Matter Most Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately 800 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children's Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org. Contact: Rachel Bixby 305-898-9165 SOURCE Nicklaus Children's Health System EVANSTON, Ill., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NorthShore Edward-Elmhurst Health today revealed the name and unified brand for its newly combined health system: Endeavor Health. This announcement marks an exciting milestone following the merger between NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore), including Swedish Hospital and Northwest Community Healthcare and Edward-Elmhurst Health, creating the third largest health system in Illinois serving an area of 4.2 million residents. "Both inspirational and aspirational, Endeavor Health embodies our mission to help everyone in our communities be their best," said J.P. Gallagher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Endeavor Health. "Together, our 27,000-plus team members, as part of one team, are driven by our commitment our Endeavor to set a new standard for healthcare by delivering a truly personal patient experience combined with seamless access to pioneering, world-class care. As a health system based in our communities, we believe this is not only a point of differentiation for us now, but a North Star for what healthcare can and should be in the future." Endeavor Health is privileged to serve more than 1.3 million patients across Chicagoland, providing access to more than 7,100 expert physicians and advanced practice providers across more than 300 sites of care including eight Magnet-designated, award-winning acute care hospitals: Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights), Skokie and Swedish (Chicago) and Linden Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital. All hospitals will retain their names and will join with all outpatient and corporate locations, as well as the health system's single integrated medical group and clinically integrated network under the Endeavor Health brand. Patients will continue to receive the expert care and high-quality services they do today, delivered by the providers they know and trust while benefiting from broader access to specialties and sub-specialties, seamlessly connected throughout the system. Endeavor Health is proud to be home to the third-largest largest medical group in Illinois, as well as five Clinical Institutes, including Cardiovascular, Primary Care, Cancer and the nationally ranked Neurosciences and Orthopaedic & Spine Institutes. With an unyielding focus on transforming care delivery, Endeavor Health also serves as a leading hub for research and innovation with more than 550 active clinical trials and the nation's largest primary care-embedded clinical genomics program. Advancing the health, wellbeing and economic security of the communities it serves will be an enduring focus for Endeavor Health. To date, the system has awarded more than $10.6 million to more than 30 community-based partnerships through its Community Investment Funds. These funds were first established when NorthShore and Edward-Elmhurst Health came together, with the next round of recipients to be announced in January. Branded channels and communications, including websites, signage, uniforms and more will transition over the coming months, culminating in a new brand advertising campaign in the first quarter of 2024. Patients, partners and community members will also begin receiving updates and information from Endeavor Health, as well as opportunities to learn more about the expert care, convenient services and many health and wellness resources available to them. To learn more about Endeavor Health, including FAQs, visit endeavorhealth.org. About Endeavor Health Endeavor Health is a Chicagoland-based integrated health system driven by our mission to help everyone in our communities be their best. As Illinois' third largest health system and second largest medical group, we proudly serve an area of more than 4.2 million residents across six northeast Illinois counties. Our more than 27,000 team members and more than 7,100 physician and advance practice provider partners are the heart of our organization, delivering seamless access to personalized, pioneering, world-class patient care across more than 300 ambulatory locations and nine hospitals, including eight Magnet-recognized acute care hospitals Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights), Skokie and Swedish (Chicago) and Linden Oak Behavioral Health Hospital (Naperville). For more information, visit endeavorhealth.org. SOURCE NorthShore - Edward-Elmhurst Health BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The 3+3 format (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran and Turkiye) is becoming more and more promising, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Moscow, Trend reports. The 3+3 initiative of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the formation of the so-called 3+3 regional platform - three South Caucasian countries and their three neighbors is already taking shape. This is also a promising format," he said. Lavrov also noted that he would like to hear Azerbaijan's assessments on further steps in this direction. A meeting in the "3+3" format with the participation of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkiye, and Armenia was held in Tehran on October 23. The meeting at the level of foreign ministers discussed the development of regional cooperation (political, economic, security, transit, energy, etc.). One of the main goals of the meeting, held in the 3+3 format, was to resolve regional problems without the participation of countries outside the region and with the participation of countries in the region, as well as to carry out peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The first meeting in the "3 + 3" format took place last year in Moscow. Every 10,000 bottles of ONEHOPE's Famous Shimmer Sparkling Wine to Fund New School with Pencils of Promise RUTHERFORD, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ONEHOPE , a Napa Valley winery founded with the mission to change the world by sharing wine and giving hope is pleased to announce the Bottles for Better program. The purpose-driven winery developed this program with the goal of funding a new school in partnership with Pencils for Promise by the end of the year, which will be the 6th school the organizations have partnered to create. OneHope Wine Custom Shimmer Bottles ONEHOPE Wine Announces Bottles for Better Through New Years Eve, ONEHOPE will donate an additional 10% of every Shimmer bottle purchased at onehopewine.com. This donation is in addition to the 10% donation already made to the customer's cause of choice. 10,000 bottles of Shimmer = 1 school for children. To date, ONEHOPE has funded 5 schools with Pencils of Promise, three of which have already been built in Laos and Guatemala, and two scheduled for construction in 2024. "We at ONEHOPE are immensely proud to support Pencils of Promise in their vital mission to empower communities through education," shared Kristen Shroyer, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer at ONEHOPE. "Our partnership, which has already led to the funding of five schools, is a clear reflection of our shared commitment to providing thousands of children with the opportunity for quality education. This collaboration is more than a partnership; it's a journey towards creating a brighter future for children across the globe." ONEHOPE is proud to not just give back during the holiday season, but 365 days a year. The brand's platform enables customers to raise money for any nonprofit of their choice by donating 10% of purchases to causes that are important to them. To date, ONEHOPE has donated over $10 Million to 40,000+ nonprofits through this platform. Through wine fundraisers, the brand continues to democratize the Napa Valley wine tasting experience - and empowers people to gather together around wine to share and support the causes that matter most to them. "We are deeply appreciative of ONEHOPE's continued support and generous partnership. Their commitment has been instrumental in helping us achieve our mission of providing quality education worldwide. Having already funded five schools together, this collaboration stands as a testament to the power of collective effort in transforming the lives of children around the world." - Kailee Scales, Chief Executive Officer, Pencils of Promise. ONEHOPE's recognizable Shimmer Collection is one of the most glamorous ways to give back. The Sparkling Brut is available in gold and silver shimmer, and the Sparkling Rose in pink shimmer. The Shimmer Collection is also available to purchase with etched holiday designs, and can even be personalized with your own message or logo. The sparkling wine inside includes notes of green apple, luscious pear, and tropical aromas. Pair with tropical fruit and cheese kebabs, scallops, halibut with cilantro aioli, and lemon tart. Learn more about ONEHOPE at: onehopewine.com Purchase ONEHOPE Shimmer Sparkling Wines at: https://www.onehopewine.com/shop About ONEHOPE: ONEHOPE was founded in 2007 with the mission to change the world by bringing people together to share wine and giving hope to help nourish the future for generations to come. ONEHOPE offers a platform to donate 10% of the proceeds to benefit nonprofits chosen by customers. Together with our inspiring 10,000+ Cause Entrepreneurs, ONEHOPE has proudly donated over $10M to nonprofits around the world, helping fund over 3 million meals to children in need, planting an entire forest in Indonesia, funding five schools in the developing world, and so much more. We are democratizing the Napa Valley experience with award-winning wines and empowering consumers to support the causes that matter most to them through wine. About Pencils of Promise: Pencils of Promise (PoP) is a for-purpose organization founded in 2008 with the goal of increasing access to quality education for children in the global south. PoP works with communities across the globe to build schools and create programs that provide educational opportunities for children. PoP has created high quality learning environments that have impacted more than 890,000 students, parents, and community members throughout Ghana, Guatemala, and Laos, establishing itself as a leader amongst the innovative global nonprofits working toward sustainable social change. For more information, please visit the website at www.pencilsofpromise.org. Media Contact: Elizabeth Bergman 917-903-6768 [email protected] SOURCE ONEHOPE Wine OpusVi's nurse residency platform will support the Arizona Transition to Practice program which will serve 480 new graduate nurses and 375 precepting nurses across Arizona as they enter the workforce. PHOENIX, Ariz., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - OpusVi, a leading workforce development solutions provider backed by CommonSpirit Health, Providence Health and Premier Inc., that exclusively enables healthcare systems and organizations to upskill and retain top talent, today announced it will provide its Nurse Residency, Mentorship and Preceptorship program to Arizona nurses through the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) Arizona Transition to Practice Program for New Graduate Registered Nurses, supported by HB2691 , passed in June 2022. AzHHA and OpusVi are partnering to support a statewide 12-month Arizona Transition to Practice Program to support and develop new nurses, provide evidence-based professional development and address resilience and emergency preparedness. Nursing Retention - A State-Wide Challenge Arizona is experiencing a severe nursing shortage that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it is important to increase the number of new nurses in the pipeline, it is also important to retain new nurses in their roles. New graduate nurse turnover was high before 2020 and only increased throughout the pandemic. In fact, according to recent reports by McKinsey and Company and the American Organization of Nurse Leaders, 22% of RNs and 20% of nurse leaders may leave their positions within the year as a result of their experiences during COVID-19. On the national scale, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the Registered Nursing (RN) workforce is expected to see 203,200 openings each year through 2031 when nurse retirements and workforce exits are factored into the number of nurses needed in the U.S. The New Graduate Registered Nurse Transition to Practice Program A formal New Graduate Registered Nurse Transition to Practice Program provides another level of support for new nurses and has been shown to increase 1- and 2-year nurse retention rates . OpusVi's Nurse Residency, Mentorship and Preceptorship program has been customized to provide training and mentorship to Arizona nurses in rural and underserved communities, particularly critical access, sole community and safety net hospitals to ensure the state's most vulnerable populations receive access to high-quality healthcare. The program, initially developed with CommonSpirit Health, aims to increase RN retention by 20% or higher and save millions in hiring and retention costs for US healthcare systems. OpusVi's Nurse Residency, Mentorship and Preceptor Program employs best-practice strategies and resources to successfully transition a newly-licensed registered nurse (RN) into a professional role. This program is intended to not only improve one-year retention but to also bolster competence and confidence levels among recent nurse graduates by promoting independent practice and clarity in their role. "Providing support for Arizona nurses has never been more imperative, and we're proud to partner with OpusVi to leverage its Transition to Practice platform to provide competency-based education," said Vicki Buchda MS, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President of Care Improvement of AzHHA. "The time is now to put systems in place to address the nursing shortage and workforce burnout within our community hospitals across Arizona, and we're thrilled this partnership, with the support of HB 2691 and funding from AHCCCS, will do just that." "At OpusVi, we're proud to bring our Nurse Residency, Mentorship and Preceptor Program to the state of Arizona to support nurses in the field and continually educate them for better outcomes in the communities they serve," says Dawna Cato, Director of Nurse Residency Programs at OpusVi. "We're excited to not only support individual nurses but also support Arizona health leaders in the retention of nurses as they work to create a stronger and better-prepared workforce at scale." The Arizona Transition to Practice Program is Looking to Support 480 New Graduate Nurses and 375 Precepting Nurses Serving Rural and Underserved Communities OpusVi's Nurse Residency Program is delivered via self-directed learning modules, in-person focus groups, experiences on units throughout the healthcare system, interactive exercises and an online community platform. The curriculum is derived from identified core competencies from major stakeholders in the healthcare industry (Teamwork and Collaboration, Quality and Safety, Evidence-based practice and Patient-centered Care). Customized content is also built to align with the specific patient population served. Designed to augment the Nurse Residency Program, OpusVi's Preceptor Program prepares clinical nurses to function in the role of a nurse preceptor and is based on the work of Beth Ulrich, Mastering Precepting (2023). Preceptors are supported via four self-directed learning modules with two instructor-led training sessions. In addition, preceptors have access to an online community and monthly town halls as well as an optional professional development pathway that is included to prepare nurse preceptors for board certification in Nursing Professional Development. Reporting, Analytics and Deep Insights Will Be Made Available Through OpusVi's Proprietary Impact Dashboard to Systems for the First Time OpusVi tracks, evaluates and delivers meaningful outcomes that impact a learner's knowledge retention, willingness to actively engage and completion of learning objectives. Data collected throughout the program provide unique visibility into a new nurse's journey, allowing each system to identify and analyze areas of opportunity for the first time. This rich data, including user progress, assignment completion, self-assessment, specific clinical outcomes and program assessment are centralized and available for program administrators and stakeholders through OpusVi's proprietary Residency Impact Dashboard. This allows for systems and stakeholders to use data and remediate immediately when an NLRN is experiencing difficulty meeting any particular competence - in turn dramatically impacting retention of that nurse for organizations. If you are interested in this program, for more information or to apply, please visit: https://www.azhha.org/transition_to_practice_program . About OpusVi Great Solutions, Great Healthcare OpusVi (Latin for Workforce) partners with healthcare organizations to build transformative workforce solutions. We have developed a workforce development platform that enables healthcare systems and organizations to upskill and retain top talent. Dedicated to providing the best client experience, we have designed custom online and hybrid programs and workforce development solutions that improve and positively impact talent retention as much as patient health and quality of care. We remain leaders in the healthcare education space by creating scalable, cutting-edge solutions through innovative technologies, clinical expertise and evidence-based training alongside the industry's top subject matter experts and academic institutions. To learn more about OpusVi please visit www.opusvi.com . SOURCE OpusVi The organizations celebrated the successful launch of an innovative co-located dental and medical practice, revolutionizing integrated healthcare services. IRVINE, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Dental Services (PDS), one of the leading dental and medical support organizations in the U.S., proudly announces the grand opening of its first co-located dental-medical practice in partnership with MemorialCare, a distinguished Southern California healthcare system. The launch of Culver Smiles Dentistry marks a historic milestone as the first-of-its-kind collaboration between a national dental support organization and a regional healthcare system. The practices highlight the link between gum disease and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. Post this Pacific Dental Services and MemorialCare celebrate the completion of their first co-located medical-dental integrated practice site. (L to R) Alex Creelman, PDS Regional Partner, Carolyn Ghazal, DDS, PDS Chair of GP Platform Development, Dan Burke, PDS Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer, Deepika Dhama, DDS, Owner of Culver Smiles Dentistry, Andrea Murchie, MD, MemorialCare primary care physician, Barry Arbuckle, MemorialCare President and CEO, and David Kim, MD, CEO of MemorialCare Medical Group. Andrea Murchie, MD (left), a primary care physician with MemorialCare Medical Group, and Deepika Dhama, DDS, a Pacific Dental Services-supported general dentist and owner of Culver Smiles Dentistry. Drs. Dhama and Murchie practice within the same co-located office, and together, provide patients integrated, whole-person care. Recognizing the critical role of oral health in overall health, the co-located practices are designed to offer a revolutionary approach to healthcare. Both practices leverage the Epic electronic health records system, providing a longitudinal view of a patient's health history and enabling seamless collaboration between physicians and oral health providers. This integration aims to provide patients with an unparalleled whole-person health experience, where medical and dental professionals collaborate closely to develop specialized treatment plans tailored to individual needs. Additionally, this approach may contribute to reducing annual healthcare expenses and unnecessary hospitalizations. "Today marks an exciting milestone with the opening of Culver Smiles Dentistry, representing a significant leap in healthcare innovation as our inaugural co-located medical and dental practice in partnership with MemorialCare," said Stephen E. Thorne IV, Founder and CEO of Pacific Dental Services. "We're excited about the positive impact this collaboration will have on patient care, especially for our seniors. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the MemorialCare team for their invaluable partnership and shared commitment to advancing oral health as a vital component of overall wellness. Through the integration of dental and medical expertise and the use of shared electronic health records, we're pioneering proactive healthcare models that prioritize early detection and comprehensive care." "We are grateful for our partnership with Pacific Dental Services. It's tremendously beneficial to the communities we serve as it creates an environment that encourages proactive preventative care," says Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., president and CEO of MemorialCare. "We are deeply rooted in our mission to serve the healthcare needs of our community, and this is another integral partnership that enables us to do so." Dr. Deepika Dhama, owner of Culver Smiles Dentistry, highlighted the benefits of the integrated approach: "Our ability to seamlessly communicate and collaborate with medical professionals within the same facility enhances our capacity to comprehensively diagnose, treat, and prevent potential health issues at an early stage. Additionally, offering comprehensive specialty services like endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery further supports our commitment to providing diverse, patient-centered care within our integrated practice." The grand opening of the dental practice follows the successful launch of MemorialCare's medical practice within the University Park shopping center in May 2023. The location offers patients easy access to various essential healthcare services including dental care, oral surgery, family medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and pediatrics, available under one roof. The co-located practices aim to underscore the Mouth-Body Connection, emphasizing the link between oral health and overall systemic health. They recognize the role that harmful bacteria, inflammation, and bone loss in the mouth may play in chronic systemic diseases. Moreover, the practices aim to highlight the connection between periodontal disease and systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and pregnancy complications. This is the first of several co-located practices that will open over the next five years, with PDS-supported dental offices located within select MemorialCare Medical Group health centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. About Pacific Dental Services Pacific Dental Services (PDS) is one of the country's leading dental and medical support organizations, empowering clinicians with supported autonomy to deliver comprehensive patient care. PDS provides administrative and business operations support, highly skilled staff, and ongoing training and education to help healthcare providers succeed. PDS incorporates the most advanced, proven technologies with best practices and procedures to ensure high-quality care and is a leading advocate for the integration of dental and medical care to improve whole-person health. Since its foundation in 1994, PDS has grown to support over 4,500 clinicians (dentists, dental hygienists, physicians, and nurse practitioners) in nearly 1,000 practices across 24 states and continues to expand. To learn more, visit pacificdentalservices.com or connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. About MemorialCare MemorialCare, nonprofit Southern California integrated delivery system and innovator in value-based care, has over 225 care locations; 15,000 employees and affiliated physicians; top hospitalsLong Beach Medical Center, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Medical Center and Saddleback Medical Center; award-winning MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians; MemorialCare Select Health Plan; and outpatient surgery, imaging, urgent care, dialysis, breast health and physical therapy centers. MemorialCare's many honors have included Best U.S. Health Systems, Top Places to Work, Top Hospital rankings from readers of eight regional newspapers, 10 Largest U.S. Children's Hospitals, Top 100 Hospitals, A Hospital Safety Score, Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals, Magnet nursing excellence status for all MemorialCare hospitals, among others. Visit www.memorialcare.org. Epic is a registered trademark of Epic Systems Corporation. SOURCE Pacific Dental Services Acquisition Strengthens St. Louis Real Estate Market ST. LOUIS, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a significant move strengthening the thriving real estate landscape of St. Louis, Passco Companies, a privately held California-based commercial real estate company that specializes in acquisition, development, and property and asset management throughout the U.S. has completed the acquisition of Cortona at Forest Park, a 278-unit Class-A apartment community. Positioned in the heart of St. Louis, this property boasts an unparalleled location adjacent to the iconic Forest Park, downtown Clayton, and the vibrant Central West End. This acquisition marks a significant milestone for both the local real estate market and the overall growth and development of St. Louis, further reinforcing its status as a dynamic city with abundant opportunities. Cortona at Forest Park 5800 Highlands Plaza Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110 Cortona at Forest Park is a highly sought-after live/work/play destination, offering residents an enjoyable lifestyle that includes convenient access to the cultural and recreational treasures of Forest Park and the Central West End. This best-in-class development, known for its top-tier amenities, and has demonstrated remarkable property performance and development success, characterized by strong occupancy rates and resident retention. The property is at 93% occupancy. Passco Companies navigated the acquisition successfully, adding Cortona at Forest Park as a strategic addition to its diverse portfolio. The seamless transition was facilitated by the seller, Invesco Real Estate, a global real estate investment manager, and brokered by Kevin Girard, Mark Stern, and Zach Kaufman of JLL Capital Markets. JLL's industry expertise and deep roots in the St. Louis market played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of this transaction. Caleb Marten of KeyBank Real Estate Capital's Commercial Mortgage Group arranged acquisition financing on behalf of Passco Companies. "Passco is thrilled to add another property in the Midwest to our portfolio. We've done well in St. Louis and look to continue that trend with Cortona at Forest Park and its exceptional submarket fundamentals. The property's location at the southern edge of the city's famed Forest Park, bookended by Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis, is unmatched in the city." Explains Gary Goodman, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions for Passco Companies. St. Louis is an economic powerhouse with a $173+ billion economy driven by major industries. These industries not only provide stability to the region but also create an array of employment opportunities. Within the local submarket lies the Cortex Innovation Community, which is located within a 10-minute drive from Cortona at Forest Park. Positioned at the heart of St. Louis between the Central West End and the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhoods, the Cortex Innovation Community generates thousands of jobs and new tax revenue for the city. This community is poised to become a leading innovation district across the United States, fostering technology-related startups, corporate research and development teams, manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, and a rich ecosystem of innovators. Located at 5800 Highlands Plaza Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, Cortona at Forest Park is a 278-unit mid-rise apartment building completed in 2014. The property is comprised of one 5-story residential building situated on approximately 4.79 acres, offering a diverse mix of studio, 1, and 2-bedroom units. Residents of Cortona will experience convenient and modern amenities, including a three-tiered courtyard pool with cabanas; 24-hour fully equipped fitness center with on-site fitness classes; and even an on-site dog park and self-service pet spa. About Passco Companies Passco Companies, LLC is a nationally recognized market leader in the acquisition, development, and management of multifamily and commercial properties throughout the U.S. Passco offers a full set of real estate services including asset and property management, leasing, as well as property development and construction. Headquartered in Irvine, California, Passco currently has $4 billion assets under management across the country and is actively growing its portfolio in primary and secondary markets throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.passco.com. About JLL For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $20.9 billion and operations in over 80 countries around the world, our more than 105,000 employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com. About Invesco Real Estate Invesco Real Estate is a global leader in the real estate investment management business with $91.1 billion in real estate assets under management, 586 employees and 21 regional offices across the U.S., Europe and Asia (as of March 31, 2023). Invesco Real Estate was established in 1983 and today invests across the risk return spectrum, from core to opportunistic; in equity and debt; listed and direct; locally and globally. Invesco Real Estate is a business name of Invesco Advisers, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; http://www.invesco.com/realestate Media Contact: Stacy Stemen [email protected] (949) 375-5213 SOURCE PASSCO COMPANIES DUBLIN, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Voice of Enterprise Security Customer-Government Sector" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global Voice of Enterprise Security Customer survey examines how government and public sector stakeholders develop, build, and implement their cybersecurity operations in line with their risk posture. It explores the size and structure of government cybersecurity budgets, growth drivers and challenges, cybersecurity threat awareness, and many other factors influencing the decision-making process for new cybersecurity purchases. It also highlights the main technology focus areas, capabilities, and leading vendors government cybersecurity teams use. When considering government sector cybersecurity preparedness, most think about national security or military defense systems. However, public sector organizations widely utilize digital infrastructure across many tasks, necessitating security protection to safeguard data on citizens, government officials, organizations, and critical operations. For non-military public sector agencies, cybersecurity processes and investments typically take longer to implement due to budget restrictions or changing allocations based on the country's political or economic priorities. This creates inherent security vulnerabilities within public sector agencies that maintain legacy systems or analog processes that have yet to be digitized. With digital investments a growing priority to optimize resources and protect systems from digital threat actors, many government agencies are increasingly committed to retaining or increasing security investments. Key Topics Covered: 1 Objectives and Methodology Key Objectives Methodology Sample Structure Government Customer Sample Respondent Profile - Government Key Findings 2 Cybersecurity Teams in Governments Introduction Involvement in Cybersecurity Solution Selection Profile of Decision-makers Operations Employment Nature, Ratio Size, and Growth 3 Cybersecurity Teams in Government - Budget Introduction Public Sector Cybersecurity Budget Cybersecurity Budget by Country Cybersecurity Budget Allocation - 2023 Russo-Ukrainian War - Influence on Cybersecurity Budgets 4 Growth Drivers, Challenges, and Cybersecurity Threats Introduction Growth Drivers of the Cybersecurity Space in the Public Sector Top Challenges Cybersecurity Threats Risk Exposure Cyber Attacks 5 Tools and Technologies Introduction Key Objectives 2023 Focus Area Network Security Data Security Security Services Likely to Add Solutions in 2024 (50%+) Summary 6 Cybersecurity Brands Net Promoter Score (NPS) - Note on Methodology Leading Brands 7 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/den3qb 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 PENSACOLA, Fla., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pritzker Hageman food safety lawyers have filed the first lawsuit (case file number 1:23-cv-00292-AW-MJF) arising from a fast-growing Salmonella Sundsvall outbreak linked to Trufresh cantaloupe sold under the brand names Malichita and Rudy. Pritzker Hageman's award-winning Salmonella legal team is representing the family of a 13-month-old boy who contracted a severe Salmonella infection after consuming tainted cantaloupe in a fruit platter purchased from Sam's Club. The child spent several days in the hospital with debilitating and painful symptoms, including bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Cantaloupe Salmonella Outbreak Grows, Lawsuits to Follow On November 22, Sofia Produce, operating under the name "Trufresh," recalled Malichita and Rudy cantaloupe that have been linked to a multi-state Salmonella outbreak. The CDC reports that as of November 30, at least 117 people have been infected with Salmonella in 34 states. The cantaloupe Salmonella outbreak has caused life-threatening illnesses and even killed two people in Minnesota. Dozens of cases were reported at long-term care facilities and childcare centers. This Salmonella outbreak poses a significant risk to the most vulnerable members of our community including children, seniors, and those with weakened immune systems, who are at the highest risk for severe complications. As the Salmonella outbreak continues to spread, more people are likely to seek legal action. Pritzker Hageman has already been contacted by multiple people affected by the outbreak. Pritzker Hageman attorney Ray Trueblood says, "Parents should never have to worry if the food they buy for their children is safe. We put our trust in food companies to produce safe food that won't make us sick. It's a parent's worst nightmare to see their child suffer in the hospital because a food company failed to follow basic food safety procedures." Contact an Experienced Salmonella Lawyer Before Time Runs Out Pritzker Hageman is one of the few law firms in the country that represents people sickened by Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens. The Pritzker Hageman Salmonella lawyers have won some of the largest recoveries in American history, including a landmark Salmonella verdict for the family of a five-year-old boy. If you or a loved one was diagnosed with Salmonella after eating cantaloupe, you should talk to an experienced Salmonella lawyer right away because laws called "statutes of limitations" may limit the amount of time you have to file a claim. Contact Ray Trueblood [email protected] 1-888-377-8900 Tariq Miller [email protected] 1-888-377-8900 SOURCE Pritzker Hageman, P.A. ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of AMCP Foundation's efforts to train managed care pharmacist in specialized care practices, Raquel Erb, a PharmD candidate at the University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, completed our inaugural internship sponsored by Sanofi, studying and optimizing the benefit design of specialty drugs. Raquel Erb, PharmD candidate and AMCP Foundation intern "With the emerging importance of specialty pharmacy, it is important to optimize the training of the next generation of pharmacists to meet evolving patient needs. Sanofi is excited to sponsor this AMCP summer internship," said Debra A. Vickers, PharmD, Director, Medical Value, Evidence, and Insights for Specialty Care at Sanofi. Ms. Erb worked under the direction of managed care pharmacist Anna Bruckelmeyer, PharmD, BCPS, Clinical Team Lead, Specialty Pharmacy at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, and Manny Nunez, PharmD, MS, Global Medical Director, Pipeline & Early Assets, Neurology & Immunology at Sanofi. While working alongside Dr. Bruckelmeyer, Ms. Erb was exposed to the inner workings of Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC's pharmacy policy implementation process. The experience exposed her to the complexities of specialty care and a unique opportunity to witness how policies are developed and executed within a large healthcare organization. Furthermore, while working with Dr. Nunez at Sanofi, Ms. Erb had the chance to explore the pharmaceutical landscape and understand the structure of their specialty care team. By meeting with industry experts, she broadened her perspectives on the field and gained a more comprehensive understanding of the latest developments in the industry. Advancing her practice-based research skills, Ms. Erb delved into the study of inheritable blood diseases. Her focus on hemophilia factor products led her to complete a capstone project that analyzed the clinical and economic impacts of quantity limits on these products. Ms. Erb conducted a comprehensive study of utilization management changes at BCBS NC in 2022, connecting the utilization management changes and emerging therapies for hemophilia. Through this research, she gained valuable insights into real-world evidence and outcomes and presented her findings at AMCP Nexus 2023. This new specialty care program builds upon AMCP Foundation's robust portfolio of innovative immersive programs for emerging managed care professionals, with more than 200 internship alumni nationwide. "AMCP Foundation has launched managed care careers for 30 years, and partnering with Sanofi is a testament to our commitment to developing leaders," said Ebony Clay, Assistant Director, Programs & Development, AMCP Foundation. "We are grateful for the generosity of our partners and encourage others to provide a sponsorship, grant, or other funds to support our initiatives." About AMCP Foundation Established in 1990, the 501(c)3 nonprofit AMCP Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). It exists to advance collective knowledge and insights on major issues associated with the practice of pharmacy in managed care health care settings. By facilitating innovative research initiatives and providing educational opportunities to learn about managed care pharmacy, the AMCP Foundation invests in the future of managed care. Visit www.amcpfoundation.org. SOURCE AMCP Foundation MILWAUKEE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Regal Rexnord Corporation (NYSE: RRX) today published its annual Sustainability Report. The report reaffirms critical elements of the Company's growth strategy, and provides an update on how it is executing them: Developing products and solutions that customers value, have leading energy efficiency, and are manufactured with sustainability in mind; Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, where associates consistently leverage their unique experiences and perspectives to drive success for key stakeholders customers, fellow associates and shareholders; and Maintaining sound corporate governance policies and practices, which are a cornerstone of effective risk management. The report also shares progress towards the Company's commitment to achieving carbon emission neutrality in its operations across Scopes 1 and 2 by 2032, to achieving Net Zero across scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2050, and to pursuing the latter in alignment with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In 2023, the Company is on track for a 12% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, on a sales adjusted basis exceeding its 10% goal. The Company taking the necessary steps to ensure alignment with SBTi is also proceeding as planned. Notably, after completing the strategic acquisition of Altra Industrial Motion Corp. in the first quarter of 2023, with its nearly $2 billion in sales, the Company remains committed to its previously announced Net Zero goals. Regal Rexnord's CEO, Louis Pinkham, commented on the strategic updates outlined in the report: "It is an exciting time at Regal Rexnord as we pursue our many initiatives to accelerate profitable growth. What was already a robust opportunity set increased significantly with the recent addition of Altra. Our unified team is well aligned, executing a robust pipeline of highly relevant new products a number of which are outlined in this latest sustainability report that lead in the realms of sustainability, energy efficiency, and socially conscious investment." Mr. Pinkham continued, "While we are early in our DEI journey, our many growth initiatives are gaining momentum, in no small part because an increasingly diverse and engaged team of associates, operating in an inclusive environment, is leveraging their many unique perspectives to drive success for our key stakeholders. Despite the many exciting changes underway at Regal Rexnord, what remains steadfast is our commitment to best-in-class governance policies and practices. These provide clear and consistent guideposts for keeping our actions aligned to our Regal Rexnord values critical to our success as we execute many value creation objectives in the years ahead." The current and historic sustainability reports are available here and on the Regal Rexnord investor relations website. About Regal Rexnord Regal Rexnord Corporation is a global leader in the engineering and manufacturing of factory automation sub-systems, industrial powertrain solutions, automation and mechanical power transmission components, electric motors and electronic controls, air moving products, and specialty electrical components and systems. Through longstanding technology leadership and an intentional focus on producing more socially conscious and environmentally-friendly products and sub-systems, the Company is regularly addressing increasingly relevant secular demands of customers in the medical, alternative energy, aerospace, food & beverage, general industrial and warehouse/intralogistics end markets, among others. In short, Regal Rexnord's 36,000 associates around the world are proud to be working each day towards fulfilling the Company's purpose helping create a better tomorrow for its customers and for the planet. Regal Rexnord is comprised of four operating segments: Automation & Motion Control, Industrial Powertrain Solutions, Power Efficiency Solutions and Industrial Systems. Regal Rexnord is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has manufacturing, sales and service facilities worldwide. For more information, visit RegalRexnord.com . Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which reflect Regal Rexnord's current estimates, expectations and projections about Regal Rexnord's future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements may include, among other things, statements about the acquisition of Altra Industrial Motion Corp. ("Altra"), the benefits and synergies of the acquisition of Altra (the "Altra Transaction"), future opportunities for Regal Rexnord and any other statements regarding Regal Rexnord's future operations, anticipated economic activity, business levels, credit ratings, future earnings, planned activities, anticipated growth, market opportunities, strategies, competition and other expectations and estimates for future periods. Forward-looking statements include statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "confident," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "project," "forecast," "would," "could," "should," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based upon information currently available to Regal Rexnord and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause Regal Rexnord's performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause Regal Rexnord's actual results to differ materially from the results referred to in the forward-looking statements Regal Rexnord makes in this release include: Regal Rexnord's substantial indebtedness as a result of the Altra Transaction and the effects of such indebtedness on Regal Rexnord's financial flexibility; after the Altra Transaction; Regal Rexnord's ability to achieve its objectives on reducing its indebtedness on the desired timeline; dependence on key suppliers and the potential effects of supply disruptions; fluctuations in commodity prices and raw material costs; any unforeseen changes to or the effects on liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenue, expenses, synergies, indebtedness, financial condition, losses and future prospects; the possibility that Regal Rexnord may be unable to achieve expected benefits, synergies and operating efficiencies in connection with the Altra Transaction, and the merger with the Rexnord Process & Motion Control business (the "Rexnord PMC business") within the expected time-frames or at all and to successfully integrate Altra and the Rexnord PMC business; expected or targeted future financial and operating performance and results; operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, clients or suppliers) being greater than expected following the Altra Transaction or our merger with the Rexnord PMC business; Regal Rexnord's ability to retain key executives and employees; the continued financial and operational impacts of and uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic on customers and suppliers and the geographies in which they operate; uncertainties regarding the ability to execute restructuring plans within expected costs and timing; challenges to the tax treatment that was elected with respect to the merger with the Rexnord PMC business and related transactions; requirements to abide by potentially significant restrictions with respect to the tax treatment of the merger with the Rexnord PMC business which could limit Regal Rexnord's ability to undertake certain corporate actions that otherwise could be advantageous; actions taken by competitors and their ability to effectively compete in the increasingly competitive global electric motor, drives and controls, power generation and power transmission industries; the ability to develop new products based on technological innovation, such as the Internet of Things, and marketplace acceptance of new and existing products, including products related to technology not yet adopted or utilized in geographic locations in which Regal Rexnord does business; dependence on significant customers; seasonal impact on sales of products into HVAC systems and other residential applications; risks associated with climate change and uncertainty regarding our ability to deliver on our climate commitments and/or to meet related investor, customer and other third party expectations relating to our sustainability efforts; risks associated with global manufacturing, including risks associated with public health crises and political, societal or economic instability, including instability caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine; issues and costs arising from the integration of acquired companies and businesses and the timing and impact of purchase accounting adjustments; prolonged declines in one or more markets, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, power generation, oil and gas, unit material handling, water heating and aerospace; economic changes in global markets, such as reduced demand for products, currency exchange rates, inflation rates, interest rates, banking crises, recession, government policies, including policy changes affecting taxation, trade, tariffs, immigration, customs, border actions and the like, and other external factors that Regal Rexnord cannot control; product liability, asbestos and other litigation, or claims by end users, government agencies or others that products or customers' applications failed to perform as anticipated, particularly in high volume applications or where such failures are alleged to be the cause of property or casualty claims; unanticipated liabilities of acquired businesses; unanticipated adverse effects or liabilities from business exits or divestitures, including in connection with our proposed sale of the industrial motors and generators businesses that comprise a majority of our Industrial Systems operating segment; Regal Rexnord's ability to identify and execute on future M&A opportunities, including significant M&A transactions; the impact of any such M&A transactions on Regal Rexnord's results, operations and financial condition, including the impact from costs to execute and finance any such transactions; unanticipated costs or expenses that may be incurred related to product warranty issues; infringement of intellectual property by third parties, challenges to intellectual property, and claims of infringement on third party technologies; effects on earnings of any significant impairment of goodwill; losses from failures, breaches, attacks or disclosures involving information technology infrastructure and data; costs and unanticipated liabilities arising from rapidly evolving data privacy laws and regulations; cyclical downturns affecting the global market for capital goods; and other risks and uncertainties including, but not limited, to those described in Regal Rexnord's Annual Report on Form 10-K on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and from time to time in other filed reports including Regal Rexnord's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. For a more detailed description of the risk factors associated with Regal Rexnord, please refer to Part I, Item 1A - Risk Factors in Regal Rexnord's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 on file with the SEC and subsequent SEC filings. Shareholders, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release and Regal Rexnord undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this release or with respect to the announcements described herein to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. SOURCE Regal Rexnord Corporation HONG KONG, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Yidan Prize Foundation, the global philanthropic foundation behind the world's highest education accolade, hosted its highly anticipated Yidan Prize Summit in Hong Kong on 4 December, under the theme of "Ideas that spark change: a spotlight on solutions advancing education". Professor Michelene Chi, 2023 Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate opens the panel, Rethinking how we teach based on how students learn: putting theory into practice. Shai Reshef, 2023 Yidan Prize Laureate for Education Development joined Professor Arthur Levine for a fireside chat: Reimagining higher education: a new model for accessibility and affordability. In a rapidly changing world, it has become vital to equip all learners with creative and critical thinking skills, for them to become well-rounded, global citizens. To discuss how we can better meet the needs of today's learners, the 2023 Yidan Prize Summit brought together education experts, policymakers, and philanthropic foundations to explore innovative ideas in research and practiceall with the power to broaden access to quality education. Dr Charles CHEN Yidan, Founder of the Yidan Prize, welcomed guests from around the world, emphasizing that ideas can spark change. He said, "These visionary educators with us today firmly believe in the transformative power of ideas. Their collective vision leads people to understand that all students can and must succeed. They challenge us to reconceive what good classrooms and good teaching practices look like. They lead us to the conclusion that good education can be made available to everyone. Their actions are continuously reshaping education, further solidifying their commitment to this belief." Joe Colombano, Head, Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in China, opened with a keynote on the need for renewed investment and innovation in education. He reflected on the concept of what education quality means today and proposed thoughtful questions to set the stage for the day's discussions. He emphasized that education must keep pace with the changing needs of the economy and underscored the broader goals of education beyond pure employment as a means for all learners to reach their full potential. Colombano noted that quality education is much more than one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is also the catalyst to achieve all 17 SDGs. On the first panel, education experts from The University of Hong Kong joined Professor Michelene (Micki) Chi, 2023 Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate, Michelene (Micki) Chi, Regents Professor & Dorothy Bray Endowed Professor of Science and Teaching, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. They talked about Micki's groundbreaking theory of cognitive engagementcalled ICAPwhich gives teachers a proven framework to facilitate quality engagement in the classroom, helping to improve teaching methods from kindergarten through to postsecondary level and beyond. Moderated by Dr Christopher Thomas, Director of Partnerships at Yidan Prize Foundation, the panelists spoke about how interactive, constructive and active learning activities develop students' autonomy and encourage collaboration. In the second panel, Dr Laura Savage, Executive Director, International Education Funders Group (IEFG), talked to leaders who are successfully galvanizing social change to ensure more students have access to the transformative power of education. Members of the Yidan Council of Luminaries, Dr Rukmini Banerji, Vicky Colbert, and Wendy Kopp each reflected on their common experience of catalyzing systems change by leveraging the influence of a shared mission and collective and locally rootedleadership. They talked about the importance of foundational learning, strong partnerships with government and civil society, and how everyonefrom parents to university studentscan become agents of change. In the afternoon, the summit explored how innovative models of higher education can break down barriers to accessibility and affordability. 2023 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate, Shai Reshef, President and Founder, University of the People, talked to Professor Arthur Levine, President Emeritus of Teachers College, Columbia University, about how we can ensure higher education keeps pace with our changing global and digital knowledge economies. Shai talked about the importance of embracing the potential of open-source, online technology, so that every qualified student can have access to quality higher education. In the last session of the day, 2020 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureates Lucy Lake and Angeline Murimirwa joined Baela Raza Jamil, CEO, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, and Ruth Kagia, Former Global Education Director, World Bank, to discuss radical inclusion in education. They talked about how putting the most marginalized and vulnerable at the heart of policymaking is the key to driving change in and through education. The panelists noted that radical inclusion is bold and unapologetic: every student must be educated and protected. Intersectionality and collaboration amongst policymakers and education researchers and practitioners are non-negotiable in this process. Celebrating the 2023 Yidan Prize laureates On 3 December, Professor Michelene Chi and Shai Reshef were formally awarded the 2023 Yidan Prize for Education Research and the 2023 Yidan Prize for Education Development respectively at the Yidan Prize Awards Ceremony. They were recognized for their extraordinary work in creating opportunities for learners to fulfill their potential. They join the Yidan Prize Foundation's global community of education changemakers and the Yidan Council of Luminaries. Nominate education changemakers for the 2024 Yidan Prize The Yidan Prize is open for nominations until 31 March 2024. To learn more about the opportunity or to nominate changemakers, visit the Yidan Prize website: https://yidanprize.org/the-prize-and-nominations/nominations. ABOUT THE YIDAN PRIZE FOUNDATION The Yidan Prize Foundation is a global philanthropic foundation, with a mission of creating a better world through education. Through its prize and network of innovators, the Yidan Prize Foundation supports ideas and practices in educationspecifically, ones with the power to positively change lives and society. The Yidan Prize is an inclusive education accolade that recognizes individuals or teams who have contributed significantly to the theory and practice of education. https://yidanprize.org Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2291806/Professor_Michelene_Chi_2023_Yidan_Prize.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2291807/Shai_Reshef_2023_Yidan_Prize.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1636915/Yidan_Prize_Logo.jpg Working in concert with Ethic Ocean, the Association's World Culinary Council will lobby European ministers to protect biodiversity PARIS, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The members of Relais & Chateaux's World Culinary Council has voted to immediately remove eel from their own menus and are sending a call to action to the rest of the group's 580 hotels and restaurants to do the same, after its NGO partner Ethic Ocean launched an alert that public authorities must urgently listen to scientists who recommend suspending European eel fishing. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9230451-relais-chateaux-chefs-pledge-stop-serving-eel-prevent-extinction/ Relais & Chateaux chefs pledge to stop serving eel with immediate effect to prevent its extinction The European eel (Anguilla anguilla), which is featured in menus all over the worldand revered in certain French, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch and Japanese culinary culturesis considered critically endangered and features on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Over the last 20 years, European scientists from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) have been warning about all the causes of the alarming decline of this speciesbut for the last three years, they have recommended suspending fishing. In this context, the 21 Relais & Chateaux chefs elected to the Association's World Culinary Council gathered in October and voted to approve an immediate ban of European eel from its menus. In partnership with Ethic Ocean, Relais & Chateaux calls on the 27 European Union ministers to hear this chef mobilization and scientific recommendation in order to take the necessary measures this December to safeguard this species. The effort follows a similar approach taken by the Association, in 2009, to save the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) stocks in the North-East Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, which were close to collapsing. This action contributed to public mobilization around this species, which encouraged legislators to enact management measures adapted to the situation of the state of the stock. A Variety of Issues The situation with eels is very alarming because this species suffers from a numerous challenges including water pollution (particularly rivers), habitat destruction, dams that impede their biological cycle and illegal fishing, which has created a black market, fetching up to 5,000 per kilo. Eels are the only fish that are targeted at their juvenile stage, on top of the fact that it takes them a long time to reach reproductive maturity. While it is urgent to suspend eel fishing today, it is crucial that the public authorities take the necessary measures to fight against the other causes of the decline of this species. Mauro Colagreco, Vice President, Chefs of Relais & Chateaux and therefore leader of the World Culinary Council, and chef-owner of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Mirazur in the South of France, said, "Chefs have a critical role to play: we can stop the demand. We have a chance to protect eels from becoming extinct, and of preserving biodiversity to allow future generations to continue to enjoy them, but only if we act now. As the world's largest network of chefs, Relais & Chateaux hopes to save this species." Gastronomy: Dependent on Nature The World Culinary Councilan international committee of 21 chefs from across the Relais & Chateaux networkhad gathered over October 8-10, 2023, under the Association's president, Laurent Gardinier. Laurent Gardinier said: "We have an acute understanding that Relais & Chateaux, and our very art de vivre, is dependent on nature. We must lead in sustainability to protect the ecosystems and biodiversity that our culinary and travel experiences rely on. It is these experiences that move our guests emotionally. And this would not be possible without nature." A Vehicle for Change The World Culinary Council wishes to draw attention to the plight of eels. Relais & Chateaux has had a partnership with Ethic Ocean since 2009 and regularly unites its members around actions in favor of the environment, especially marine biodiversity (for example, World Oceans Day). Gilles Boeuf, president of Ethic Ocean, said, "I am happy to see the Relais & Chateaux association support this alert, which aims, above all, to preserve an exceptional species that reflects humanity's relationship with the environment. This cause to save the eel touches on many biodiversity issues. Let's act before it's too late." To learn more about sustainability at Relais & Chateaux, the Association's annual report with 15 objectives for 2025 and 2030 can be found here: https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/discover/commitments About Relais & Chateaux A MOVEMENT WITH MEANING Relais & Chateaux, established in 1954, is an association of 580 unique hotels and restaurants throughout the world, owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs most often families who are passionate about their craft and deeply committed to forging warm, lasting relationships with their guests. Relais & Chateaux members protect and promote the wealth and diversity of the world's culinary and hospitality traditions, to ensure they continue to thrive. They are equally dedicated to preserving local heritage and the environment, as articulated in the association's Vision presented to UNESCO in November 2014. www.relaischateaux.com About Ethic Ocean Ethic Ocean is a non-governmental environmental organization dedicated to the conservation of fisheries and marine ecosystems. Its mission is to create opportunities for change and help implement sustainable practices in the fisheries industry. Ethic Ocean works with all stakeholders to help them source species having stocks that are not overfished or which have been farmed responsibly. For more information, visit www.ethic-ocean.org . PRESS CONTACT J/PR [email protected] LIST OF WORLD CULINARY COUNCIL CHEFS: 1. Mauro Colagreco Vice President, Chefs, Relais & Chateaux Relais & Chateaux Mirazur, FRANCE 2. Peter Tempelhoff Chef Delegate, Africa & Indian Ocean, Relais & Chateaux Ellerman House, SOUTH AFRICA 3. Josep Espuga Chef Delegate, Australia, New Zealand & Pacific, Relais & Chateaux Laura at Pt. Leo Estate, AUSTRALIA 4. Jef Schuur Chef Delegate, Benelux, Eastern Europe & Scandinavia, Relais & Chateaux Bij Jef, THE NETHERLANDS 5. Frederic Doucet Chef Delegate, France: Great East & Rhone-Alps, Relais & Chateaux Maison Doucet, FRANCE 6. Cedric Bechade Chef Delegate, France: Great Southern West, Relais & Chateaux L'Auberge Basque, FRANCE 7. Mathieu Guibert Chef Delegate, France: Great West, Relais & Chateaux Anne de Bretagne, FRANCE 8. Julien Dumas Chef Delegate, France: Paris & Champagne, Relais & Chateaux Saint James Paris, FRANCE 9. Jacques Pourcel Chef Delegate, France: Provence, French Riviera, Corsica & Languedoc, Relais & Chateaux Hotel Richer de Belleval, FRANCE 10. Holger Bodendorf Chef Delegate, Germany & Austria, Relais & Chateaux Landhaus Stricker, GERMANY 11. Vicky Lau Chef Delegate, Greater China, Indian Subcontinent & Southeast Asia, Relais & Chateaux Tate Dining Room, HONG KONG 12. Emanuele Scarello Chef Delegate, Italy, Relais & Chateaux Agli Amici dal 1887, ITALY 13. Shinichiro Takagi Chef Delegate, Japan & Korea, Relais & Chateaux Zeniya, JAPAN 14. Marko Gajski Chef Delegate, Mediterranean, Middle East & Morocco, Relais & Chateaux Lesic Dimitri, CROATIA 15. Jason Bangerter Chef Delegate, North America: Canada, Relais & Chateaux Langdon Hall, CANADA 16. Gabriel Kreuther Chef Delegate, North America: USA East & Caribbean, Relais & Chateaux Gabriel Kreuther, NEW YORK, USA 17. Kyle Connaughton Chef Delegate, North America: USA West & Mexico, Relais & Chateaux SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn, CALIFORNIA, USA 18. Norman Brandt Chef Delegate, South America & Central America, Relais & Chateaux Pikaia Lodge, GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 19. Pedro Subijana Chef Delegate, Spain & Portugal, Relais & Chateaux Akelarre, SPAIN 20. Stephane Decotterd Chef Delegate, Switzerland & Liechtenstein, Relais & Chateaux Restaurant Stephane Decotterd, SWITZERLAND 21. Michael Caines Chef Delegate, United Kingdom & Ireland, Relais & Chateaux Lympstone Manor, UNITED KINGDOM Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2290486/Relais_Chateaux_chefs_pledge.mp4 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2084329/4433700/Relais_et_Chateaux_Logo.jpg SOURCE Relais et Chateaux BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. A panel discussion with the participation of 60 foreign experts representing 30 countries was held in Azerbaijan's Zangilan on December 5 as part of the forum Karabakh: Coming Home after 30 Years. Achievements and difficulties", Trend reports. The panel discussion, organized jointly by the Institute of Development and Diplomacy (IDD) of ADA University and the Center of Analysis of International Relations, with the support of the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, was attended by representatives of think tanks and academic institutions from around the world. Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs Fuad Huseynov delivered a welcoming speech at the first panel discussion, which featured speeches by special representatives of different territories liberated from Armenian occupation. Then the panel discussion began, moderated by Dr. Fariz Ismailzade, Vice Rector of ADA University and Director of IDD. Vahid Hajiyev, Special Representative of the President in Cabrayil, Qubadl and Zangilan districts of Azerbaijan's East Zangezur Economic Region, and Emin Huseynov, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the liberated territories of the Karabakh Economic Region (except Shusha district), spoke at the discussion. Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Shusha district Aydin Karimov and special representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Lachin district, which is a part of East Zangezur economic district, Masim Mammadov also took part in the discussion. During the panel discussion, the foreign experts were informed about the reconstruction and construction work being carried out in Karabakh, about Azerbaijan's strategy in the process of returning to the territories liberated from Armenian occupation. Also, their questions were answered. The second part of the panel was moderated by Dr. Farid Shafiyev, Director of the Center for Analysis of International Relations. Professor Gulmammad Mammadov of ADA University, Ismet Kadic, a member of the Cabinet of the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, political science expert and analyst on Ethiopian politics Dareskedar Taye, Shota Utiashvili, a member of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (Rondeli Foundation), professor at the University of South Wales in England Ali Wardak, and Margarita Assenova, a Senior Fellow at The Jamestown Foundation in the United States participated in the event. The participants of the panel spoke about the global experience of the repatriation process, community building and integration process in the liberated territories. After concluding the event with a Q&A session, the participants visited the Zangilan village of Aghaly, where they were introduced to the Smart Village concept. The guests were provided with information on the five main components that were taken into account during the implementation of the Smart Village pilot project. It was noted that such a large amount of funding reflects the process of building villages in Karabakh and the development of Azerbaijan's economy. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The agreement covers a 2.2 MWdc rooftop solar project in Central Valley, CA SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Renewable America (RNA), a leading provider of distributed energy resources in California, today announced a design build agreement for a new 2.2 MWdc commercial solar project with Pearl Crop, Inc. (Pearl Crop), a food processing company with multiple state-of-the-art facilities in central California. The agreement covers four different projects across three different locations in Ripon, Linden, and Stockton, CA. Food processing facilities have high energy-consumption demands and operating costs, and the project will create a carbon-free energy source for Pearl Crop's operations. Renewable America Signs a Design Build Agreement with Pearl Crop Inc. "We are thrilled to back Pearl Crop in their pursuit of sustainability objectives while also expanding the reach of solar across California," says Ardi Arian, President & CEO of Renewable America. "Pearl Crop is an integral part of California's agricultural landscape, and we applaud its leadership in the transition to solar energy." Pearl Crop's Stockton location is the largest site in the portfolio, and the new build will replace 86% of the facility's annual energy usage with solar-powered energy. The cost savings for this single location are estimated to be 53.2% of the total utility bill. Work will be commencing December 2023 with an expected completion date of the full portfolio by summer of 2024. The deal has been under development for nearly a year prior to the signed agreement. As a first step, RNA analyzed Pearl Crop's 15-minute interval load profile and assessed the return on investment across various system designs. During the pre-design phase, extensive due diligence was conducted, including rooftop inspections and evaluations to confirm the structural capacity of the roofs for accommodating the proposed projects. In total, the projects are designed with approximately 5,400 410-watt monocrystalline solar panels and will utilize ballasted and rail-mounted systems, spanning across an area of 251,114 square feet. RNA's goal with each development is to provide optimally sized solar projects that positively impact local communities, with the company conducting impact assessments for each development. "Renewable America is known for its extensive solar development expertise and its commitment to the surrounding communities. We're thrilled to be partnering with them to implement solar solutions that streamline Pearl Crop's operations and align with California's goals of a clean-energy future," says Ulash Turkan, CEO of Pearl Crop. About Renewable America Renewable America is a leading provider of distributed energy resources, serving communities with small utility-scale, locally generated solar plus storage facilities and community microgrids that work in conjunction with the distribution grid. With over 15 years of experience in development, engineering, procurement and construction throughout Europe and North America, Renewable America creates resilience within communities by delivering local power to local load. The company's end-to-end development process maximizes quality and efficiency while minimizing lasting environmental impact on site. Based in Santa Clara, Renewable America has over 320 megawatts MW of solar and 680 MWh of energy storage projects under development throughout California. Learn more at https://renewam.com. Renewable America Media Contact: Richele Delapaz [email protected] (408) 663-6647 SOURCE Renewable America Award recognizes leadership and contribution to the sport AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rich Kramer, Goodyear's chairman, CEO and president, was honored with NASCAR's prestigious Bill France Award of Excellence last week during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Awards. The award, presented by NASCAR chairman Jim France, recognizes Kramer's leadership and contributions to the sport as CEO of Goodyear. NASCAR Chairman Jim France, right, and Goodyears chairman, CEO and president, Rich Kramer, left, where Rich was honored with NASCARs prestigious Bill France Award of Excellence during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Awards. Most recently, Goodyear developed the 18-inch Goodyear Racing Eagle tire used on NASCAR's Next Gen stock car. Additionally, in June, Goodyear equipped its tires with real-time tire intelligence capability for the NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 entry at the24 Hours of Le Mans. Particularly meaningful to Kramer, Goodyear has a nearly 70-year relationship with NASCAR built on shared values of competition and innovation. This relationship allowed Goodyear to support NASCAR for the return to competition during COVID-19. "I'm completely humbled by this acknowledgement," Kramer said at the awards ceremony. "The team you see at the track each weekendanything I'm acknowledged for is due to them. Goodyear is a long-term partner of NASCAR because we share many values." The Bill France Award of Excellence is not given every year. In its history, it has only been presented 28 times since its inception in 1953. Goodyear received the award in 1965 and in 1971. "Rich Kramer and his team at Goodyear have been critically important to NASCAR during a period of challenges, change and growth," said Jim France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. "From their COVID response to help in our return to the racetrack, to the collaboration in the design of the Next Gen race car, to their partnership in bringing NASCAR to the world's stage at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rich and Goodyear have been extremely valuable partners and friends. The Bill France Award of Excellence is among NASCAR's most prestigious and rare awards, and is presented to Rich for his vast contributions to our great sport." Kramer joins Jimmie Johnson (2020), Joe Gibbs (2019), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2017), Rick Hendrick (2009), Jack Roush (2001), Darrell Waltrip (2000), Richard Petty (1987) and Richard Childress (1986) as winners. About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Goodyear (NASDAQ: GT) is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 74,000 people and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate. SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company First-of-its-kind venture studio to commercialize deep technology in New Mexico with all-star roster of technologists and entrepreneurs. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Roadrunner Venture Studios today launched in Albuquerque, New Mexico backed by America's Frontier Fund (AFF) and the New Mexico State Investment Council. Roadrunner works to commercialize American science and technology, especially ideas coming out of New Mexico's world-class national labs and innovation ecosystem. The studio is focused primarily on building companies in critical technology fields including AI, quantum, energy, space, clean tech, and advanced manufacturing. Roadrunner is led by industry heavyweights. AFF president and COO Jordan Blashek, AFF GP and veteran entrepreneur Steve Weinstein, and ICON co-founder Evan Loomis sit on the board of directors. Technologist Amotz Maimon is the studio's Head of Technology and Product. The leadership is rounded out by Mike Chieco, Head of Business and Strategy, and Ashley Hudson, Head of Talent. The studio also boasts a strong local team who ensure close collaboration with New Mexico stakeholders. "Roadrunner's mission is to bring national resources to bear on places teeming with scientific talent and untapped innovation like New Mexico. We're thrilled to anchor our work in this community," said Roadrunner Head of Studio Adam Hammer. "Out of this new headquarters in downtown Albuquerque will spring our team's work to build the nation's premier platform for new deep tech ventures in America, for America." "Roadrunner's model is unique. It's exactly what the country needs to kickstart a new era of innovation," said Roadrunner Chairman of the Board Steve Weinstein. "Roadrunner is pushing outside the box into territories beyond New York and Silicon Valley and into technologies beyond our imaginations." "AFF is proud that Roadrunner Venture Studios was our first investment," said AFF CEO Gilman Louie. "By creating companies in critical technologies, Roadrunner is ushering in a new wave of American innovation and ecosystem building that will benefit not only New Mexico, but also the greater U.S. economy." Roadrunner will announce its first portfolio companies at today's launch event. The launch will also feature a ribbon-cutting for the downtown Albuquerque headquarters, a fireside chat with Evan Loomis and Gilman Louie, two panel discussions featuring leaders from Playground Global, Khosla Ventures, and Prelude Ventures, studio portfolio company leadership, and a celebratory reception. About Roadrunner Venture Studios: Roadrunner Venture Studios is a company creation factory. We co-found breakthrough deep-tech ventures with the nation's most brilliant scientists, engineers, and innovators. Our team gets involved at the earliest possible moment often when a company is just a whiteboard scribble, a concept modeled in wire-frame, or as founders are puzzling through how to design a pitch deck or process payroll and rapidly accelerates product development, commercialization, and recruitment. We are the ultimate company "starter-kit," equipping our portfolio companies with everything they need to go from the kernel of an idea to a venture-backed growth engine. Our promise is clear: our founders leave our studio with a company, a check, a customer, and a team. Media Contact: John Rich, 631-335-3530, [email protected] SOURCE Roadrunner Venture Studios NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announced an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) resulting from allegations that Arbor may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased Arbor securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=20777 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On November 16, 2023, Viceroy Research released a report entitled "Arbor Realty Trust - Slumlord Millionaires." In this report, Viceroy stated that it "[i]nvestors in bridge financing underwriters and their portfolios of loans appear to be [. . .] unprepared for the enormous wave of maturities which cannot be refinanced and are substantially all underwater. This is a bizarre deer in headlights situation we didn't ever expect to find." Further, Viceroy announced that it was "short Arbor Realty Trust" and that "[i]n this industry plagued with delusion and bad decisions, Arbor stands out as the worst of the worst. Viceroy's dive into Arbor's collateralized loan obligation facilities suggest its entire loan book is distressed and underlying collateral is vastly overstated." On this news, the price of Arbor stock went down by $1.6 per share, or 11.56%, to close at $12.24 on November 16, 2023. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan), the world-leading owner and operator of containerships, continues quality growth through the 10,800 CEU dual-fuel LNG, with ammonia and methanol ready, Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) newbuild program in partnership with a market-leading car carrier, Hyundai Glovis (Glovis). Seaspan Corporation Logo (CNW Group/Atlas Corp.) PCTC Signing (CNW Group/Atlas Corp.) As one of the world largest car carriers and part of the Hyundai Motor Group, Glovis can leverage Seaspan's proven competencies of consistent operational excellence, innovative customer partnership, and solid financial strength. The vessels will be under long-term time charter upon delivery and, as the largest PCTCs under development to date, will bring unparalleled quality, scale, and flexibility to Glovis. With a proven track record of working with major shipping lines and shipbuilders to develop a customer-inspired alternative fuel vessel portfolio, Seaspan negotiated the purchase from a China State Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. These state-of-the-art dual-fuel LNG PCTC vessels will be methanol and ammonia-ready, underscoring Seaspan's leadership in transition pathways, innovative ship design, and newbuild execution, in addition to Seaspan's existing 70-vessel newbuild program which includes 25 dual-fuel LNG containerships. "This deal signifies our customers' trust and value of Seaspan's commitment and capability executing alternative fuel initiatives," emphasized Bing Chen, President and CEO of Seaspan. "By incorporating our extensive experience in dual-fuel LNG containerships, while working proactively with all stakeholders during this decarbonization journey, Seaspan is uniquely poised to contribute to the standards and progress of sustainable shipping." "We're extremely proud of partnering with Glovis, the market leader in the PCTC sector, and leverage our integrated platform to facilitate their strategic success," added Kun Li, Seaspan's Chief Commercial Officer. "As jurisdictions seek to transition away from conventional fueled vehicles to electric vehicles, we see this as an opportunity to not only meet the current demand for sustainable shipping solutions but also support the global initiative for cleaner transportation alternatives." Forward-Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "will", "believe", "intend", "plan", "expect", "estimate", "project", "forecast", and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events, are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Atlas Corp.'s (Atlas) control and are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to factors detailed from time to time in our periodic reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Atlas' Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022. Atlas undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this release. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual events could vary materially from Atlas' expectations. We make no prediction or statement about the performance of any of our securities. About Atlas Corp. Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on disciplined capital deployment to create sustainable shareholder value. Atlas targets long-term, risk-adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector and other infrastructure verticals. Atlas' wholly owned subsidiaries include APR Energy and Seaspan Corporation. For more information visit atlascorporation.com. About Seaspan Corporation Seaspan is the largest global containership lessor, primarily focused on long-term, fixed-rate leases with the world's largest container shipping liners. As of September 30, 2023, Seaspan's operating fleet consisted of 142 vessels with a total capacity of 1,410,800 TEU, and an additional 47 vessels under construction, delivering through to December 2024, increasing total fleet capacity to 1,927,800 TEU, on a fully delivered basis. For more information, visit seaspancorp.com. SOURCE Atlas Corp. SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of December 5th (local time), the Shenzhen Session at China Pavilion during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) was held in the Expo City of Dubai. The Shenzhen Session was jointly guided by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China and the People's Government of Shenzhen Municipality, and was hosted by the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, presenting Shenzhen's latest initiatives and achievements in addressing climate change to the world and promoting international communications and cooperation in the field of green and low-carbon development. On the session, Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Ian Tout, Manager at Communications and Engagement Division of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change , Sren E. Lutken, Senior Economist of UN Environment Programme and Zhang Xuefan, Director-General of the Party Committee of Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality delivered speeches. Shenzhen's Annual Green Achievements Released The National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation released the Research Report on Low Carbon Transformation and Development of Emerging Industries in Shenzhen, the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality released the White Paper on Responding to Climate Change in Shenzhen and Tencent launched "TanLIVE Global" -Empowering Climate Tech Ecosystem. Notably, the White Paper on Responding to Climate Change in Shenzhen comprehensively summarizes the progress made by Shenzhen in tackling climate change since the 13th Five Year Plan, hoping to offer Shenzhen's best practice to global climate change action. Shenzhen's Top Ten Green and Low-Carbon Cases of 2023 Unveiled Enterprise cases from BYD, Shenzhen Energy Group, Shenzhen DAS Intellitech, Shenzhen Grandsun Electronic, SF Holding, Shenzhen Metro Group, CR Power Shenshan Company, Shenzhen Lumi United Technology, Shenzhen DeCarbon Technology, and Shenzhen Shenzhentong were awarded Shenzhen's Top Ten Green and Low-Carbon Cases of 2023. These cases encompass a wide range of sectors, including low-carbon transportation, green building, smart manufacturing, industrial park management, modern logistics, smart homes, and energy conservation and environmental protection, standing out the major role of Shenzhen's enterprises in green and low-carbon innovation. Keynote Speakers Remarked on Pioneering Practices Wang Shi, Chairman of Vanke Public Welfare Foundation, Cassie Sutherland, Managing Director of Climate Solutions and Networks of C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Liu Bang, Chairman of Shenzhen DAS Intellitech and Cheng Huiming, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other experts and representatives from international organizations, industries, and consulting institutes shared views and insights on global low-carbon development pattern and future trends and Shenzhen's pathway to advance. A Head Start on Actions, Practices, Measures, and Innovations Wang Dong, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) hosted a high-level dialogue and sparked a brainstorming discussion. Dialogue guests Kobie Brand, ICLEI Deputy Secretary General and Regional Director of ICLEI Africa Secretariat, Liang Rui, Vice President of Sunwoda Electronic, Li Xia, CEO of Shenzhen Solar Run Energy, Sun Lili, Co-founder Vice President of Mangrove Foundation, and Yao Shu, BYD Middle East Africa Sales Director discussed how to achieve green development goals based on "A Head Start on Actions, Practices, Measures, and Innovations" and how different sectors in Shenzhen to leverage digitalization and greenization for a green, low-carbon and high-quality development . SOURCE Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "software market by type (subscriptions, identity and access management, endpoint/network/messaging/web security, and risk management), deployment (cloud-based and on-premises), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa) - Forecast and Analysis 2023-2027" report has been added to Technavio offering. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, Technavio has proudly partnered with more than 100 Fortune 500 companies for over 16 years. The potential growth difference for the software market between 2023 and 2027 is USD 27.86 billion. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Software Market 2023-2027 The increase in the volume of enterprise data is a key factor driving market growth. Many organizations, e.g., in the form of customer interaction, transactions, or Internet of Things devices, collect and process massive amounts of data from various sources. In addition, with the growing importance of Data Driven Decision-making, there is an increased emphasis on software tools for businesses that are capable of handling massive sets of data and providing useful insights. Hence, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Get deeper insights into the market size, current market scenario, future growth opportunities, major growth driving factors, the latest trends, and much more. Buy the full report here Market Challenge High costs of licensing and support are significant challenges restricting market growth. The software industry has undergone a significant transformation, moving from a service-oriented industry to a product-oriented industry, and then to a combination of product and service industries. As a result, there have been several changes in the product licensing and maintenance licensing landscape as it relates to the industry. Hence, these factors are expected to restrict market growth during the forecast period. Learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges available with Technavio. Read Sample PDF Report Now The software market has been segmented by type (subscriptions, identity and access management, endpoint/network/messaging/web security, and risk management), deployment (cloud-based and on-premises), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The subscriptions segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. There is a growing awareness of the advantages of software subscription models, which will lead to paradigm shifts in how software solutions are delivered and used. Flexibility, cost efficiency, and updates and improvements are some of the key advantages of subscription-based software models. Another significant benefit of the package is its regular updates and ongoing improvements. Hence, these factors are expected to drive segment growth during the forecast period. North America is estimated to contribute 49% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. View the Sample Report for insights into the contribution of all the segments and regional opportunities in the report. Key Companies in the software market: Adobe Inc., ANSYS Inc., Autodesk Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Dassault Systemes SE, Focus Softnet Pvt. Ltd., Gen Digital Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., IFS World Operations AB, International Business Machines Corp., McAfee LLC, Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., OTSUKA CORP., Salesforce Inc., SAP SE, SYNERGIX TECHNOLOGIES PTE LTD., Synopsys Inc., VMware Inc., and Zoho Corp. Pvt. Ltd. Related Reports The distribution software market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 2.61% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 1,352.4 million. The Urban Planning Software Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.19% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 3,459.42 million. Software Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.47% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 27.86 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 7.18 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 49% Key countries US, Canada, China, India, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Companies, Market Positioning of Companies, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks ToC: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Sizes Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Type Market Segmentation by Deployment Market Segmentation by Geography Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Drivers, Challenges, & Trends Company Landscape Company Analysis Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 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 The ready-to-use, customizable templates enable efficient video creation processes while producing more engaging content ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Storyblocks , an unlimited, subscription-based stock media platform with video creation and workflow functionality, has launched DaVinci Resolve templates in the Storyblocks library, allowing users to easily add motion graphics, visual effects and animated sequences to their videos in DaVinci Resolve, while taking advantage of Storyblocks' robust stock media content. The launch of DaVinci Resolve templates within the Storyblocks library coincides with the rapid rise of DaVinci Resolve's popularity . Video editors and creators migrating their work to the platform cite powerful features at competitive price points, along with a compelling ecosystem. Meanwhile, creators and businesses alike are under increasing pressure to create high-quality videos faster than ever to keep up with increasing demand in the B2B, B2C and media verticals, where video outshines the marketing ROI of all other media formats . The DaVinci Resolve templates launch represents Storyblocks' latest innovation to meet the needs of creatives and simplify the video creation process every step of the way. "Incorporating DaVinci Resolve templates into our library demonstrates our continued investment in our product offerings and highlights how we are evolving alongside our users," said TJ Leonard , CEO of Storyblocks. "As creators and businesses across every industry prioritize video, we're committed to providing the resources they need to make the highest-quality videos possible in a timely manner. This launch is just the next step in this journey." Users who prefer DaVinci Resolve for their video editing can end up spending hours creating motion graphics and special effects from scratch. The extra work involved slows down creative processes, adds more costs to budgets and can diminish the quality and consistency of their videos. The addition of 600+ DaVinci Resolve templates to the Storyblocks library delivers greater value to customers, enabling users to effortlessly craft professional-looking videos. Direct access to these ready-to-use, customizable templates allows anyone to quickly create titles, transitions, logos and other motion graphics for their videos and easily swap content that fits their brand and style. Templates represent just one of many workflow and platform benefits that Storyblocks enterprise clients cite, resulting in over 3.5 hours of time savings per user every week. This latest addition complements Storyblocks' collection of more than 27,000 Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Apple Motion templates. "With this launch, users can work more efficiently, accessing the templates they need directly from Storyblocks without creating effects from scratch," said Leo Moriya , director of content operations at Storyblocks. "As a video editor myself, I know how much the right template can help craft more engaging and professional content. After seeing the high quality of what we're launching, I'm confident we're meeting our customers' and contributors' growing demand for DaVinci Resolve templates and supporting their creative work." "I use a lot of different software to edit video, but DaVinci Resolve is where I do the majority of my work. It's been hard to find DaVinci Resolve templates, but as Storyblocks is already such a big part of my workflow, having these templates within the library will streamline my process considerably," said Casey Clark, senior manager of video at Luma Health. "With Storyblocks, I love having a platform where you can access anything, anytime and not have to worry. It leaves a lot of room for creativity and experimentation." For more information about Storyblocks and its DaVinci Resolve Templates, please visit www.storyblocks.com/video/templates/davinci-resolve . About Storyblocks: Storyblocks empowers creators and businesses to produce better video, faster than ever. Our stock media library includes high-quality video, audio, and imagery that is crafted by 600+ highly accomplished artists and creators from around the world and updated regularly based on what customers want. We power inclusive storytelling by sourcing diverse content representing people of all identities. With a simple subscription, customers get unlimited access to our media library of 2.2 million assets, plus high-quality templates and after effects, video editing tools, and plug-ins for leading video editing platforms. Storyblocks ensures customers' peace of mind with comprehensive licensing and unlimited downloads, enabling endless experimentation and iteration with full confidence to meet business goals. Storyblocks is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. To find out more about how Storyblocks is transforming the future of video content creation, go to www.storyblocks.com and follow Storyblocks on LinkedIn , YouTube , Twitter , and Instagram . Media contact: BLASTmedia for Storyblocks Ryan Hecker [email protected] SOURCE Storyblocks NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the spirit of leading with gratitude and giving back to the community, Strategic Financial Solutions proudly concluded its 3rd annual "Strat Shakes For" event throughout the month of November 2023. The innovative initiative brought employees together in a joyous celebration of thanks, all while contributing to meaningful philanthropic endeavors. "Strat Shakes For" featured a concept where each employee recorded a video showcasing their shake or shimmy dance moves and expressing what they were thankful for. These videos were then shared on the company's intranet, fostering a sense of connection and unity among the team. For every participating employee, Strategic Financial Solutions pledged a donation to support local food banks. Kim Celic, Chief People Officer, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "The 'Strat Shakes For' initiative was a fantastic opportunity for our team to come together, celebrate gratitude, and make a positive impact in our community. This event not only strengthened our employee connection but also allowed us to give back in a meaningful way." The CEO of Strategic Financial Solutions, Ryan Sasson, also shared his thoughts saying, "At Strategic Financial Solutions, we believe in the power of giving back. 'Strat Shakes For' perfectly encapsulated our commitment to both fostering a positive workplace culture and making a difference in the lives of others. I am incredibly proud of our team for embracing this initiative enthusiastically." For more information about Strategic Financial Solutions and its philanthropic initiatives, please visit www.stratfs.com About Strategic Financial Solutions: Strategic Financial Solutions is a leading financial services company that provides comprehensive debt relief solutions for people in difficult financial situations. Strategic Financial Solutions has successfully resolved more than $1 billion in debt and funded loans, making it one of the most trusted and reputable financial services companies in the industry. The company is committed to helping people live financially healthier lives and was founded in 2007. Contact: Liz Carney [email protected] SOURCE Strategic Financial Solutions SUSI Partners ("SUSI"), through the SUSI Energy Transition Fund ("SETF"), is expanding its partnership with U.S. clean energy developer SMT Energy ("SMT") by growing their Texas battery energy storage ("BESS") portfolio from 100 MW to at least 200 MW The additional projects, which are mainly located in areas around Dallas and Houston , are expected to start construction in the first half of 2024 and complement an existing, fully operational South Texas BESS portfolio DENVER, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SUSI Partners, through SETF, and joint venture partner SMT Energy have agreed to significantly grow their Texas BESS portfolio, adding ten projects with a combined capacity of 100 MW to a fully operational 100 MW portfolio. The projects are primarily located around the cities of Dallas and Houston, thus complementing the existing assets, which are concentrated in Southern Texas, and creating a more sizeable and geographically diversified state-wide BESS portfolio. SMT Santa Rosa, 10 MW Battery Energy Storage Facility SUSI and SMT started their joint venture in the summer of 2022, with the partnership constructing, commissioning, and operating a 100 MW South Texas BESS portfolio since. The recently agreed expansion of the partnership comes on the back of recent successes, with the seed portfolio entering commercial operations, and the two parties securing tax equity for said portfolio. All additional assets are expected to start construction in early 2024 with commercial operations expected to commence between late 2024 and the first half of 2025. The Texas ERCOT electricity market in recent times experienced record-high load levels amid extreme summer temperatures and continuous population and economic growth all trends that are not expected to subside and will continue to drive elevated volatility. With intermittent renewable energy generation playing an increasingly important role in meeting energy demand in the state, and the ageing thermal generation fleet increasingly prone to production disruptions, BESS have emerged as one of the most cost-effective dispatchable generation solutions in dealing with spiking power demand and electricity prices. ABOUT SUSI PARTNERS Founded in 2009, SUSI Partners is a Swiss fund manager specialised in sustainable energy infrastructure investments with EUR 1.9bn in capital commitments from institutional investors. The firm's investment strategy focuses on private equity and credit opportunities across the energy transition spectrum, including clean energy generation, energy efficiency measures, and solutions enabling clean energy use. With a successful track record of more than 140 transactions in over 20 countries to date, SUSI Partners seeks to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns for its clients and their beneficiaries while contributing meaningfully to achieving global climate neutrality. ABOUT SMT ENERGY SMT Energy is a leading developer, owner, and operator of battery energy storage facilities throughout the United States. Founded in 2019, SMT Energy has successfully developed over USD 1.5bn worth of battery energy storage assets, and has commissioned, owns, and operates one of the largest portfolios of battery energy storage facilities in the United States. SOURCE SMT Energy BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. 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 third reading, Trend reports. The document, after discussions, was put to the vote and adopted. 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). Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Strategic move expands Synergy's US footprint and grows global client base SAN RAMON, Calif. and NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Synergy Global Housing (Synergy), a leader in serviced accommodation program management, and Primestone Partners, a New York-based, advisory and housing solutions firm, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Synergy will acquire Primestone Housing Solutions for an undisclosed amount. Primestone Housing Solutions, which arranges extended-stay housing for corporate clients, is one of three businesses operated by parent company, Primestone Partners. With this acquisition, Synergy will be able to drive additional revenues through expansion of its current client base and new strategic relationships with multifamily property managers and owners in New York, the Southeast and additional regions throughout the US. "Synergy and Primestone have been supply chain partners on scores of transactions in recent years, creating a natural fit for our two companies," said Henry Luebbert, Synergy Co-founder. "By leveraging Synergy's scale and Primestone's relationships, this transaction will be highly accretive for our company and will provide our clients with access to a host of new apartment options nationwide." "This transaction allows us to focus our attention and resources on our core technology business," said Bruce Witherell, CEO of Primestone Partners LLC. "Our housing solutions clients will benefit from Synergy's global reach, expansive inventory and the breadth of its programs and services. Our multifamily partners will see a substantial uptick in reservation flow from Synergy's industry-leading sales force and substantial client base. Synergy has been a great partner, and we will continue to look for new ways to work together in the future." This transaction is part of Synergy's continued growth strategy and follows the company's most recent announcement that it will be opening in Texas on January 2, 2024. About Synergy Global Housing Founded in 1999, Synergy is an international serviced accommodation provider headquartered in San Ramon, CA, delivering a superior hospitality-driven extended-stay experience to the business travel and mobility industries. Providing best-in-class housing and services in over 2,000 cities in more than 85 countries, the company has offices in China, Singapore, India, England, Ireland and multiple locations throughout the United States. Recognized globally, Synergy's recent awards include the 2023 and 2021 Company of The Year from the Corporate Housing Provider's Association (CHPA), 2023 ITM Service Excellence Team; 2022 Operations Team of the Year from the Business Travel People Awards; 2022 and 2020 Serviced Apartment Provider of the Year Regional/Global from Relocate Magazine; and the 2021 Corporate Housing Provider of the Year from the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) U.S. and EMEA regions. Synergy is a member of The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a leading international lodging owner-operator based in Singapore. Spanning more than 220 cities in over 40 countries, Ascott's serviced residence and hotel brands include Ascott, Citadines, lyf, Oakwood, Quest, Somerset, The Crest Collection, The Unlimited Collection, Preference, Fox, Harris, POP!, Vertu and Yello. Ascott is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI), one of Asia's largest diversified real estate groups headquartered and listed in Singapore and Malaysia. Today, Ascott boasts over 30 years of industry track record and award-winning brands that enjoy recognition worldwide. About Primestone Partners Primestone Partners has three primary businesses: an operating company that arranges extended-stay housing solutions for corporate clients, a developer of software for the short-term rental and hospitality sectors, and an advisory practice focused on the mortgage, real estate, and technology industries. The principals at Primestone Partners have held senior management roles at leading investment banks, PE firms, GSEs, and at global and U.S. real estate operations. They have built companies, led multi-billion-dollar financings, engineered turnarounds and launched start-ups for major financial institutions. SOURCE Synergy Global Housing WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TAG (Trustworthy Accountability Group), the global certification program to strengthen safety and transparency in digital advertising, is honored to have served as the data partner for the ANA Programmatic Media Supply Chain Transparency Report, the final and complete version of which was released today. TAG TrustNet, the digital advertising industry's only end-to-end transparency solution, provided detailed log-level data and analysis for the findings in the ANA report. TAG CEO Mike Zaneis released the following statement on the report: "The ANA transparency report highlights the perils of a 'garbage in, garbage out' approach to transparency for marketers in which they lack log-level data across all of their downstream partners. "The report found that just 36% of post-transaction programmatic budgets are spent on valid, viewable, measurable, and non-MFA impressions, thus demonstrating the massive potential benefits for marketers in shifting their partners to a transparency framework like TAG TrustNet. "By driving adoption of an industry-wide framework for log-level data, marketers can regain control over their investments and understand exactly where their money is going. Through a single, accurate view of all their impression data, brands can ensure they are succeeding against their most important metrics, including ROI, price vs. quality, brand safety, sustainability, DEI, or any combination of the above. Such control enables much greater value to be extracted from programmatic campaigns for advertisers, and for publishers and consumers too." TAG's "Certified for Transparency" Program establishes a "shared truth" on campaign data for participants across the supply chain, increasing confidence and control for buyers and raising the value of inventory for sellers who can prove they are responsible, accountable, and transparent. A central requirement for seal recipients is participation in a TAG-recognized transparency utility that has the ability to create a single trusted record for transactions through real-time reconciling and sharing advertising log files with marketers. Additional information about the TAG Certified for Transparency Program can be found at www.tagtoday.net/transparency. About the Trustworthy Accountability Group TAG (Trustworthy Accountability Group) is the global certification program to strengthen safety and transparency in digital advertising. For nearly a decade, TAG's seal programs have demonstrated their effectiveness in minimizing fraudulent traffic, sharing threat intelligence, protecting brand safety, and increasing transparency. TAG's 700+ member companies include the world's largest and most influential brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech providers. TAG is the first and only Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) for the digital advertising industry. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net. Contact: Andrew Weinstein 202-667-4967 369672@email4pr.com SOURCE TAG (Trustworthy Accountability Group) HANGZHOU, China, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 29th, the 2023 Investor Open Day of Zylox-Tonbridge ("2190. HK", hereinafter referred to as "the Company") was successfully held in Hangzhou, China. The event attracted more than 200 online and offline investors and securities analysts worldwide to participate. During the event, the Company provided innovative product pipeline updates and comprehensive product solutions from the Company's Neurovascular and Peripheral vascular segments. The Company's leadership team also shared their insights and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing China's medical device markets as well as the current status and development trends of the global industry. At Zylox-Tonbridge's Product Exhibition Center, the Company presented its key spotlight products, including ZENFluxion Drug-coated PTA Balloon Catheter and Thrombite Clot Retriever Device, as well as its latest innovative product candidates such as the Peripheral Venous Stent System and second generation Gekko Detachable Coil System. Attracted by the Company's comprehensive product solutions, many investors stopped and stayed to explore the cutting-edge products and discuss them with the Company's scientists and engineers. Following the product showcasing, Zylox-Tonbridge's leadership team presented the Company's long-term strategies, research and development progress, and sustainable competitive advantages in commercialization. Dr. Jonathon ZHAO, Chairman and CEO of Zylox-Tonbridge, stated that the overseas expansion of China's innovative medical device industry has accelerated, which is a good opportunity for the leading companies to enhance their advantages. "We plan to continue developing innovative products with significant clinical value while improving efficiency in all aspects of the business to provide patients with high-quality and affordable solutions." Dr. Jonathon ZHAO said. He also mentioned that the Company will step up to expand its overseas business while continuing to cultivate the huge Chinese market. The Q&A session was hosted by Dr. Jonathon ZHAO, Mr. Patrick XIE, the Executive Director and Senior Vice President of Zylox-Tonbridge, and Mr. Alan YUAN, CFO of Zylox-Tonbridge. The leadership team answered active questions offline and online, including the key overseas business initiatives, the financial outlook for the 2024 fiscal year, and the product portfolio strategy. After the panel discussion presented by Mr. Patrick XIE and other three clinical physicians with high reputations worldwide, the 2023 Investor Open Day of Zylox-Tonbridge ended with enthusiastic dialogues. Looking forward, Zylox-Tonbridge will continue expanding its innovative product portfolio as well as improving operation efficiency, which will broaden its competitive edge and solidify its position as a leading vascular interventional medical device platform. SOURCE ZYLOX-TONBRIDGE DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The NDC Partnership and the Government of the United Kingdom launched a centre to catalyze systemic change to unlock climate finance at COP28 today, aiming to generate and streamline solutions for climate vulnerable countries and enable sustainable development. The centre is being financed by the UK Government and created as part of the collaborative work of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance. Andrew Mitchell, International Development Minister of the United Kingdom, said: "It is critical that climate finance is accessible to developing countries, which often face the greatest risks from climate change. The UK is proud to launch a new centre, hosted by the NDC Partnership, to support this goal. The centre will galvanise our collective efforts to make climate finance accessible and aligned with the needs and priorities of developing countries." Dr. Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment of the Republic of Rwanda and NDC Partnership Co-Chair, said: "Today's announcement of a centre to mobilize climate finance will amplify the knowledge generation and adoption of best practices, making them accessible to the Partnership's more than 100 Developing Country Members." The centre will further knowledge sharing, system thinking and outreach to improve access to finance, with a strong focus on seven country-led trialsin Bangladesh, Fiji, Jamaica, Mauritius, Rwanda, Somalia, and Ugandasupported through the Taskforce. "The challenges in accessing climate finance are especially severe in low-income countries. The Partnership and the Taskforce are pioneering country-specific approaches and providing much-needed support to increase national capacities and coordinate climate finance. By joining forces, we can increase our impact," says NDC Partnership Global Director Pablo Vieira. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1687000/NDC_Partnership_Logo.jpg SOURCE NDC Partnership 4th annual list recognizes 215 private companies putting purpose ahead of profit Recognition marks TogoRun's third year as an independent, woman-owned agency with 109 percent average year-over-year growth since spinning off from Omnicom and an ongoing annual $1 million commitment to pro bono support NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TogoRun, a woman-owned global health and well-being communications, marketing, and public affairs agency, has been named to the Inc. 2023 Best in Business list in the Public Relations category. This recognition follows TogoRun's 2022 Inc. Award win for Best in Business in Marketing. Inc.'s Best in Business Awards honor private companies that have made an extraordinary impact in their fields and on society. We believe public relations is one of the most effective disciplines to make a healthy impact on the world. Post this TogoRun Logo (PRNewsfoto/TogoRun) "TogoRun is thrilled to be recognized by the editors of Inc. as a 2023 Best in Business winner for our purpose-driven public relations practices, especially since it follows our recognition in 2022 in the Marketing category," said Glo Janata, JD, TogoRun President, CEO, and owner. "We believe public relations is one of the most effective disciplines to make a healthy impact on the world. Aligning public relations goals to marketing efforts is the perfect combination to not only achieve success, but also to achieve significant efficiencies and drive value. We are proud to be working with our clients who relentlessly pursue the triple bottom line and to be supporting our pro bono partners who change lives for the better every day. Cheers to our remarkable clients, pro bono partners, TogoRun team, and all honorees!" TogoRun has driven significant growth since spinning off from Omnicom in late 2020, with a year-over-year average growth of 109 percent. To celebrate this growth and the decision to remain a fully virtual global agency without brick and mortar overhead, TogoRun commits a total of $1 million in annual pro bono work with leading nonprofits, including Pure Earth, Mission Plasticos, and Orbis International. TogoRun also provided more than $250k in 2023 to support our partnership with Jaguar Health to develop the first Canine Cancer Registry. TogoRun Partner and Chief Marketing and Operating Officer Sheetal Davitt said, "TogoRun uniquely combines expertise in public relations, marketing, and public affairs to build value for our clients while providing a streamlined, highly engaging "bigtique" experience. We are so proud of our team for their commitment to excellence and for making this highly prestigious award possible." About the Inc. 2023 Best in Business Awards The Inc. Best in Business Awards 2023 list, which can be found in the Winter issue of Inc. magazine (on newsstands December 12), recognizes the most dynamic companies of all sizes and industries that have had an outstanding influence on their communities, their industries, the environment, or society as a whole. Eric Hagerman, Special Projects Editor at Inc., says, "Being named to the Best in Business list is a rare and special honor. These honorees demonstrate the foresight, caring, and dedication to prioritize positive impactimpact on their community, on their industry and the environment, and even on society as a whole." Rather than relying on quantitative criteria tied to sales or funding, Inc.'s editors reviewed the companies' achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in 70 different categories from advertising to sustainability to retail, and more and in age-based, revenue-based, size-based, and impact-based categories. The applicant pool was extremely competitive a huge success for the 215 honored in the list's fourth year. Honorees for general excellence across various industries and categories are featured online at inc.com/best-in-business. About TogoRun TogoRun is a woman-owned, award-winning, full-service strategic communications, marketing, and public affairs agency focused on global health and well-being and telling the untold story. Inspired by the 1925 hero sled dog Togo, TogoRun works in partnership with clients committed to advancing innovative solutions that save and improve lives, close health disparity gaps, support a healthier planet, and embrace a vision of equitable abundance. Headquartered in New York, with seasoned teams in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and virtually everywhere via a network of global partners, TogoRun specializes in integrated marketing and communications, branding and positioning, advocacy and government affairs, issues and crisis management, and corporate communications. Areas of expertise include pharma/biotech, life sciences, health information technology, medical devices, health insurance, hospital, non-profits/associations, medical aesthetics, consumer packaged goods, and beauty. TogoRun is part of the GMJ Global network of companies and a proud signatory of CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. The TogoRun Team has collectively been responsible for more than 230 industry awards, including Inc. magazine's 2023 Best Workplaces, 2023 Best in Business in Public Relations, and 2022 Best in Business in Marketing, and donates at least 11% of time each year in pro bono services to non-profits that share our values. Visit us here: www.TogoRun.com. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and, Twitter. About GMJ Global GMJ Global is a woman-owned communications and media company focused on making a healthy impact worldwide. Including award-winning health and well-being agency TogoRun, digital consumer health and beauty agency VegaRun, full service creative shop StudioTogo, and publications and media company GMJ Global Media, GMJ Global aims to create a new and kinder capitalism, a more inclusive society, and a healthier environment centered on the philosophy of equitable abundance. GMJ Global is a proud partner of the UN Global Compact. Visit us here: www.GMJGlobal.com. About Inc. The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. Contact Peter Collins TogoRun M: 908.499.1200 E: [email protected] SOURCE TogoRun The Company is honored with Best Marketing Campaign and Rising Star of the Year HAYDEN, Idaho, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tractor Beverage Company , the exclusive producer of the world's only certified organic, non-GMO food service beverages, is proud to announce its achievement of two prestigious BevNET "Best of 2023" awards. The company garnered accolades for Best Marketing Campaign and Rising Star at BevNET Live 2023, held this week in Santa Monica, California. At the conclusion of each year, BevNET honors the companies, brands, individuals, products, ideas, and trends that have helped drive positive growth across the industry over the last 12 months. Tractor Beverage Company wins BevNET Best Marketing Campaign of 2023. Tractor Beverage Company wins BevNET 2023 Rising Star of the Year. "We entered the arena with giants and legacy brands, having the courage of our convictions and the confidence that we could make a difference on our farms and in our communities," said Kevin Sherman, CEO of Tractor Beverage. "The recognition of these Best of 2023 awards serves as additional affirmation that Tractor has permanently transformed the foodservice beverage industry, introducing clean choices and making organic options more accessible. It's gratifying to know that by staying committed to that original vision and refusing to take shortcuts or make unnecessary compromises, the team has grown and our efforts are being realized and recognized." Best Marketing Campaign Tractor Beverage Company's first-ever ad campaign, " Escape the Ordinary ," was honored as the sole winner of this Best of 2023 award. BevNET touted the ad as a "psychedelic cartoon odyssey all its own, set to a rendition of Duran Duran's "Ordinary World," performed by roots artist Valerie June. The vivid animation and strange imagerystuck in our minds all year long, and we can only hope it had a similar impact on the consumers who saw this ad in its various forms on streaming services, TV, and movie theaters where the disruptive fountain beverage company placed this standout campaign." "We're incredibly honored to have BevNet recognize our 'Escape the Ordinary' ad as the best marketing campaign of 2023," said Justin Herber, Tractor's Chief Brand Officer. "Our goal was to craft a narrative, not just a commercial, telling the story of a cup yearning for something good. This recognition is a testament to the incredible work of everyone involved and highlights consumers' desire for a change after four decades of the same old. We believe consumers deserve cleaner choices, and we're thrilled that this campaign is resonating!" Rising Star BevNET recognized Tractor alongside Poppi, Culture Pop, and Lyre's as a company with significant potential to influence or redefine categories, generate innovative ideas about products or brands, and demonstrate growth that suggests a lasting impact on the industry. "This year, the Idaho-based company revved up its efforts, launching its inaugural ad campaign, featuring an unbelievable cartoon spot showcased in movie theaters, on TV, and across streaming services in July. Not stopping at traditional advertising, Tractor also ventured into sponsoring surf competitionsbringing the farm to the beach. Behind the scenes, Tractor swiftly assembled a team of seasoned CPG executives to steer the rapidly expanding business. With an already underway 'aggressive' growth plan, the company is poised to continue its upward trajectory into the new year. As it continues to cultivate its 25 SKU roster of sodas, teas, and lemonades, the seeds of success are beginning to sprout," remarked BevNET. About Tractor Beverage Company Tractor Beverage Company is revolutionizing the beverage station as the first and only USDA Organic Certified, Non-GMO full-line beverage solution for food service. Farmer-founded and employee-owned, the team is on a mission to create a cleaner, healthier planet, one drink at a time. 136 million+ Tractor drinks are served annually in more than 6,000 locations across 50 states, with a portfolio of 25 uniquely flavored Certified Organic and Non-GMO craft refreshers, lemonades, and premium craft sodas as well as organic frozen and organic mixology. Tractor's thoughtfully crafted drinks feature clean ingredients that deliver on taste, functionality, and experience, without any of the bad stuff. Tractor is the first beverage brand to track and disclose impact data about its ingredients through the Organic Impact Tracker, quantifying the benefit of sourcing organic versus conventional ingredients. The company was included on the 2023 and 2022 Inc. 5000 lists of America's fastest-growing private companies, and on Fast Company's 2021 list of the world's Most Innovative Companies. For more information, visit drinktractor.com or follow along on Instagram: @drinktractor Media Relations: Jennifer Rumble CBC PR for Tractor 704-923-6378 [email protected] SOURCE Tractor Beverage Company U.S. mathematics, reading, science rankings improve as scores in other countries decline WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The average mathematics literacy score for U.S. 15-year-olds fell in the latest round of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), according to a report on the 2022 results released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), while average reading and science literacy scores for American 15-year-olds held steady. The U.S. ranking in all three subjects improved because of declines in other education systems. "What is happening with mathematics achievement is a global concern," said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. "Mathematics declines were widespread, and declined in the U.S., but mathematics achievement declined even more dramatically in many other countries. Helping students recover in mathematics should be a priority worldwide." PISA is designed to assess what students have learned in mathematics, reading, and scienceboth inside and outside of schoolas they near the end of compulsory schooling, and how well they apply that knowledge in real-world contexts. Developed and coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization made up of 38 mostly industrialized member countries, PISA is conducted in the United States by NCES and provides a global view of U.S. students' performance compared to their peers around the world. In 2022, 81 countries and education systems participated in PISA. "When you look across the whole distribution of students, you see that we have high percentages of students who score in the highest proficiency levels internationally in reading and science, but lag behind in mathematics," Commissioner Carr explained. "The U.S. has the second-highest percentage of top-performing students in reading in the worldbehind only Singaporeand the sixth-highest percentage of top-performing students in science." Comparing results internationally, in 2022, U.S. 15-year-olds' average mathematics score was not measurably different from the OECD average, while average reading and science scores were higher than the average scores of OECD member countries. The major focus of PISA 2022 was on mathematics literacy, defined as students' capacity to formulate, use, and interpret mathematics in a variety of contexts. Mathematics literacy includes reasoning mathematically and using mathematical concepts, procedures, facts, and tools to describe, explain, and predict phenomena. In 2022, U.S. 15-year-olds' average mathematics score was not measurably different from the average of score of OECD member countries, though the U.S. mathematics literacy score in 2022 was lower than in 2018 and 2003, the earliest comparable year for mathematics literacy scores in the U.S. Globally, the U.S. ranked 26th in mathematics literacy in 2022. The U.S. ranking in mathematics improved from 2018 to 2022 as scores in other countries declined. Norway, France, Iceland, and Portugal all scored higher than the U.S. in mathematics in 2018 but, due to having larger score declines than the U.S., their average scores in 2022 were not significantly different from the U.S. average. In reading literacy, the performance of 15-year-olds in the U.S. in 2022 was higher than the OECD average. The U.S. average score was not measurably different in 2022 from 2018 or 2000. In reading literacy, the U.S. percentage of top performers was larger than the OECD average, and the U.S. percentage of low performers was smaller than the OECD average. The U.S. had the second-highest percentage of top performers in reading overall and the highest percentage of top performers of any OECD member country. The U.S. ranked 6th globally in reading literacy in 2022. From 2018 to 2022, the U.S. ranking improved as scores in other countries declined. Macau (China), Hong Kong (China), Estonia, and Canada were higher than the U.S. in 2018 but were not significantly different from the U.S. in 2022. Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Germany had average reading scores that were not significantly different from the U.S. in 2018 but were lower than the U.S. in 2022. Finland, which scored higher than the U.S. in 2018, scored lower than the U.S. in 2022. In science literacy, U.S. 15-year-old students' average score in 2022 was higher than the OECD average score. The U.S. average score was not measurably different in 2022 from 2018 or 2006, the earliest cycle with comparable data. The U.S. percentage of top performers in science literacy was larger than the OECD average, and the U.S. percentage of low performers was smaller than the OECD average. The U.S. ranked 10th globally in science literacy in 2022, and had the sixth-highest percentage of top performers overall and third-highest in the OECD. The U.S. ranking improved from 2018 to 2022 as the score in Poland declined from higher than the U.S. in 2018 to not significantly different from the U.S. in 2022. The key findings include: MATHEMATICS LITERACY: U.S. 15-year-old students' average performance in mathematics literacy in 2022 (465) was lower than in 2018 (478) and 2003 (483), the earliest cycle with comparable data. The U.S. average score was not measurably different from the OECD average. Compared to students in the 80 other participating education systems, U.S. students' average score in mathematics was higher than the average in 43 education systems, lower than the average in 25 education systems, and not measurably different from the average in 12 education systems. Compared to the 36 other participating members of the OECD, the U.S. average score in math was higher than the average in 6 countries, lower than the average in 21, and not measurably different from the average in 9. READING LITERACY: The average score of U.S. 15-year-old students in reading literacy was not measurably different in 2022 compared to both 2018, the most recent cycle, and 2000, the earliest cycle with comparable reading data. U.S. student performance was higher than the average of the 37 participating OECD member countries. Compared to students in the 80 other participating education systems, U.S. students' average score in reading was higher than the average in 68 education systems, lower than the average in 5, and not measurably different from the average in 7. Compared to the 36 other participating members of the OECD, the U.S. average score in reading was higher than the average in 28 countries, lower than the average in 3, and not measurably different from the average in 5. SCIENCE LITERACY: U.S. 15-year-old students' average score in science literacy was not measurably different in 2022 compared to 2018, the most recent cycle, and 2006, the earliest cycle to which it can be compared. The U.S. average score in science was higher than the average of the 37 participating OECD member countries. Compared to students in the 80 other participating education systems, U.S. students' average score in science was higher than the average in 56 education systems, lower than the average in 9, and not measurably different from the average in 15. Compared to the 36 other participating members of the OECD, the U.S. average score in science was higher than the average in 16 countries, lower than in 5, and not measurably different from the average in 15. Additional results and accompanying data tables are available at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/pisa2022/. Results for an optional domain assessed in 2022financial literacywill be released separately in spring 2024. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, is the statistical center of the U.S. Department of Education and the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. A part of the Institute of Education Sciences, NCES fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), first implemented in 2000, is an international assessment that measures the performance of 15-year-old students in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy. PISA 2022 was the eighth cycle of the assessment. Target populations for PISA include all 15-year-olds in education institutions with grade 7 or higher, regardless of the type of education institution or whether it is publicly or privately funded. Students could be excluded for functional or intellectual disabilities or limited proficiency in the test language. The U.S. sample included both public and private schools, randomly selected and weighted to be representative of the nation's 15-year-old students. PISA was developed and organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD is an intergovernmental organization made up of 38 mostly industrialized member countries like the United States, Japan, Germany, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. Contact: James Elias, (202) 355-4417, [email protected] SOURCE National Center for Education Statistics SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VAPORESSO, a leading brand in the vaping industry, is set to launch a new program titled "2023 VAPORESSO CARE ECO GO GREEN - Global Carbon Neutral Program" ("the Program"). The Program, running from December 10, 2023, to July 2024, is designed to address the urgent issues of global warming and climate change while promoting sustainable development. As the world experiences rapid economic and technological growth, it also grapples with the negative impacts of this development, including ecological degradation, the greenhouse effect, and global warming. The challenge lies in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing carbon sinks. In response to the challenge of carbon dioxide emissions reduction, VAPORESSO is introducing its first conceptual innovative product "OCEANGLINT" ECO NANO, the first ocean-friendly product in vaping industry. Design to promote a low carbon lifestyle, "OCEANGLINT" ECO NANO takes a step further based on VAPORESSO's ECO NANO which is reusable, offering a sustainable alternative to disposable products. It can be recharged and refilled, reducing the user's cost by 60% per year and significantly reducing pollution. While the "OCEANGLINT" ECO NANO represents a significant stride for VAPORESSO in its pursuit of carbon reduction and environmental conservation. By utilizing PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) material sourced from recyclable marine plastic waste, "OCEANGLINT" ECO NANO tackles "white pollution" caused by plastic packaging, thereby helping to protect the marine environment. Meanwhile, VAPORESSO is dedicated to increasing carbon sinks and will launch initiatives to involve its users into a joint effort. A UN report states forests are crucial for carbon storage, but 420 million hectares were lost to deforestation from 1990-2020. VAPORESSO invites users to join in its initiatives of planting 6000 more trees in the coming months, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and add 66 tons of carbon to the Earth's carbon sink annually, thus reducing ecological damage and promoting global sustainability. As part of the Program, VAPORESSO will launch several initiatives, including UNITE TO PLANT to provide users with an online interactive platform to experience the fun of low-carbon environmental protection and support tree-planting through quizzes. It also invites clients as Global Green Partners to join planting trees to promote the environmental development of the vaping industry. In collaboration with its stores worldwide, including those in the U.S., the UK, and France, etc., the brand has launched the STEP COUNT CHALLENGE to encourage users to adopt eco-friendly travel methods, especially walking. Users can participate in this challenge through various store locations to win incredible rewards from VAPORESSO. For more information, please visit: https://www.vaporesso.com/ . SOURCE VAPORESSO The Vinyl Sustainability Council's Social Impact Award recognizes the efforts of a VSC member that has demonstrated a strong commitment to community well-being and longevity. This annual award acknowledges an outstanding project or program that addresses a social concern using a company's resources to have a positive impact. In 2022, OxyChem worked with the IAC at Louisiana State University to provide energy audits at three schools in the St. James Parish, LA school district, and the IAC at Texas A&M University to perform an energy audit at one school in the La Porte, Texas school district. OxyChem's work with LSU and Texas A&M graduate students created significant cost savings in energy for the two school districts, which will allow the schools to reinvest in educational programs and create a better learning environment for students. "We were impressed by OxyChem's efforts to aid schools in saving energy and money by performing energy audits," said Jay Thomas, Executive Director of the VSC. "OxyChem was able to offer for free what would have typically cost a school thousands of dollars. It's wonderful that they were able to use their company's expertise to help the community improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. We want to commend the whole OxyChem team and are excited to see how this program grows." About the Vinyl Sustainability Council The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), founded in 2016 in partnership with the Vinyl Institute, is a council created to advance the vinyl industry's efforts in addressing sustainability. The VSC is a collaborative platform for companies, organizations, and other industry stakeholders to come together to create a sustainable development path for the industry. For more information, please visit vantagevinyl.com/vinyl-sustainability-council/. About OxyChem OxyChem, a wholly owned subsidiary of international energy company Occidental, is based in Dallas with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada and Chile. It is among the top three producers in the United States for the PVC, chlor-alkali, chlorinated organic, and other principal products it manufacturers and markets, and is a global leader in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). OxyChem vinyl products are used for indispensable medical supplies, PVC pipe for delivering safe drinking water, and a variety of other long-lasting products essential to the automotive, electrical, and construction sectors. Visit www.oxychem.com for more information. SOURCE Vinyl Sustainability Council Achieving top scores in transformation innovation, service quality, delivery and more, EPAM leads German IT market in customer satisfaction NEWTOWN, Pa., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM), a leading digital transformation services and product engineering company, today announced it has been named a Top IT Sourcing Vendor in Germany, achieving high customer satisfaction rankings across multiple industry sectors and evaluation criteria by Whitelane Research, an independent organization focused on IT sourcing research across Europe. This latest recognition reflects EPAM's superior differentiation in customer satisfaction ratings, achieving high scores across customer relationship management, service delivery quality, application services and transformative innovation metrics in the 2023 German IT sourcing market. Whitelane Research Names EPAM a Top IT Sourcing Vendor in Germany "We are delighted to be recognized as one of the highest-ranking IT service providers in Whitelane Research's 2023 IT Sourcing Study for Germany," said Peter Kuerpick, SVP, Germany Managing Director and CTO for Enterprise Software, EPAM. "We're grateful to our customers for their confidence and trust, which reinforces our dedication to consistently deliver on our client-centric account management and service excellence promise. This recognition inspires us to persist in supporting our clients as they accelerate their transformative innovation journeys." In Whitelane Research's 2023 annual German IT Sourcing Study, more than 245 CIOs from the top IT spending organizations in Germany evaluated more than 700 unique IT sourcing relationships based on key performance indicators and by IT domain, delivering one of the most representative voice-of-the-customer reports on the outsourcing market in Germany. Survey respondents evaluated 28 IT service providers across various performance categories, with EPAM achieving significantly higher-than-average satisfaction ratings in the following categories: Account Management Quality: EPAM received a rating of 85% EPAM received a rating of 85% Service Delivery Quality: EPAM received a rating of 83% EPAM received a rating of 83% General Satisfaction: EPAM received a rating of 80% EPAM received a rating of 80% Application Services: EPAM received a rating of 80% EPAM received a rating of 80% Transformative Innovation: EPAM received a rating of 75% "EPAM has received excellent scores in this year's survey from their clients in Germany, leading them to rank above the typical spread of the market and making them exceptional performers in general satisfaction with service providers," said Jef Loos, Head of Research, Europe at Whitelane Research. "EPAM's clients have shown particular appreciation for the Company's committed account management teams, who demonstrate robust engineering and technical skills and a positive customer-centric mindset that resonates positively." Recognized by Whitelane Research and clients for superior customer satisfaction, EPAM helps customers in Germany and beyond scale and transform across multiple industries through its innovative strategy, integrated advisory, consulting and design capabilities. This new recognition underscores EPAM's ongoing efforts in bringing to market the latest digital transformation services, product design and engineering capabilities to meet the growing technology modernization requirements of Germany-based customers. In September 2022, EPAM gained recognition from Whitelane Research as a top IT sourcing vendor in Switzerland. In March 2023, EPAM was acknowledged by Whitelane Research as a top IT sourcing vendor in the Netherlands, and in April 2023, EPAM received similar recognition as a top IT sourcing vendor in the Nordics. More recently in September 2023, EPAM was again named as a top IT sourcing vendor in Switzerland. To see the full survey results, visit: https://whitelane.com/germany-2023. About EPAM Systems Since 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM) has leveraged its advanced software engineering heritage to become the foremost global digital transformation services provider leading the industry in digital and physical product development and digital platform engineering services. Through its innovative strategy; integrated advisory, consulting, and design capabilities; and unique 'Engineering DNA,' EPAM's globally deployed hybrid teams help make the future real for clients and communities around the world by powering better enterprise, education and health platforms that connect people, optimize experiences, and improve people's lives. In 2021, EPAM was added to the S&P 500 and included among the list of Forbes Global 2000 companies. Selected by Newsweek as a 2021, 2022 and 2023 Most Loved Workplace, EPAM's global multidisciplinary teams serve customers in more than 50 countries across six continents. As a recognized leader, EPAM is listed among the top 15 companies in Information Technology Services on the Fortune 1000 and ranked four times as the top IT services company on Fortune's 100 Fastest Growing Companies list. EPAM is also listed among Ad Age's top 25 World's Largest Agency Companies for three consecutive years, and Consulting Magazine named EPAM Continuum a top 20 Fastest Growing Firm. Learn more at www.epam.com and follow EPAM on Twitter and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statement This press release includes estimates and statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Our estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on our current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect our business and operations. These statements may include words such as "may," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or similar expressions. Those future events and trends may relate to, among other things, developments relating to the war in Ukraine and escalation of the war in the surrounding region, political and civil unrest or military action in the geographies where we conduct business and operate, difficult conditions in global capital markets, foreign exchange markets and the broader economy, and the effect that these events may have on our revenues, operations, access to capital, and profitability. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions, the risk factors discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the factors discussed in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, particularly under the headings "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made based on information currently available to us. EPAM undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law. SOURCE EPAM Systems, Inc. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Anti-terrorist activities carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in September this year in Karabakh have led to the complete eradication of separatism in Azerbaijani lands, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said, Trend reports. He spoke at today's session of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (Parliament). Asadov noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of Ilham Aliyev's election as President of Azerbaijan. "Consistently and successfully continuing the strategic line of development of the great leader, President Ilham Aliyev has created a modern and developed model of Azerbaijan. This policy has led to rapid development in all spheres, expansion of Azerbaijan's political and economic opportunities, creation of a strong Army, strengthening of our country's position in the international arena, restoration of territorial integrity," he added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Jodi Moskowitz, Deputy General Counsel & RTO Strategy Officer at PSEG, Named WIRES President WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WIRES, the transmission trade association that promotes investment in all aspects of the high-voltage grid, announced today its 2024 leadership team, with Jodi Moskowitz, Deputy General Counsel & RTO Strategy Officer at Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), elected as the new WIRES President. WIRES 2024 Officers: WIRES 2024 Officers. Jodi Moskowitz from Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) has been elected WIRES 2024 President. President: Jodi Moskowitz , Deputy General Counsel & RTO Strategy Officer, PSEG Deputy General Counsel & RTO Strategy Officer, PSEG Vice President: Amanda Rumsey, Manager, PJM and Federal Regulatory Policy, PPL Electric Utilities Secretary: David Burnham, Director, Transmission Policy, Eversource Energy Treasurer: Devin McMackin, Manager, Federal Affairs, ITC Holdings "The general consensus is that the U.S. grid will need to double or triple in size by 2050 in order to meet our ambitious climate goals," said Larry Gasteiger, Executive Director of WIRES. "While 2023 saw progress from FERC and DOE in addressing some obstacles to building needed transmission, there is still considerably more work that needs to be done. In 2024 WIRES will continue our mission to elevate awareness of the numerous benefits of transmission infrastructure while highlighting advanced transmission technologies that can also be deployed to expand the capacity and reliability of the grid. I want to thank the WIRES 2023 Officers and Board of Directors for their tireless work, and I look forward to working closely with Jodi Moskowitz, the incoming WIRES president, and the entire 2024 leadership team." WIRES' current president, Stacey Burbure will join the WIRES Board of Directors in 2024. Current directors, Brian Gemmell and Dave Weaver have been elected to a second, two-year board term. Nina Plaushin, Vice President of Regulatory & Federal Affairs at ITC Holdings, will step down from the board at the end of 2023. WIRES 2024 Board of Directors: Stacey Burbure, Vice President of FERC & RTO Strategy & Policy, American Electric Power (AEP) Brian Gemmell, Chief Operating Officer, NY Electric, National Grid Tom Hestermann, Retired, Manager, Transmission Policy, Sunflower Electric Power Corp. Will Sauer, Managing Director, Federal Regulatory Affairs, Duke Energy Dave Weaver , Vice President, Transmission Strategy, Exelon "There is a need for significant amounts of new infrastructure to continue to ensure reliability for customers in the face of ever-increasing changes to the generation mix, ambitious clean energy targets, the occurrence of extreme weather events and threats to cyber and physical security," said Jodi Moskowitz, Deputy General Counsel & RTO Strategy Officer, PSEG and WIRES incoming 2024 president. "In the year ahead, I look forward to working with Larry Gasteiger and the WIRES leadership team to educate policymakers and key stakeholders on the benefits of transmission infrastructure and the need for regulatory certainty to encourage investment in that infrastructure." WIRES Reports WIRES disseminates research and reports that help educate regulators, legislators, and the industry on a variety of transmission issues. The most recent study, a Primer on Transmission Formula Rates (TFRs), explores what TFRs are, describes how FERC applies such rates, and assesses the positive ratemaking characteristics inherent in the use of TFRs for customers, regulators, transmission owners, and other industry stakeholders. Visit the WIRES Reports page for these and other transmission industry resources. WIRES Tech Talks As part of its mission, WIRES seeks to raise awareness of innovative transmission technologies that can help accelerate development of a more robust grid. The WIRES Tech Talks webinar series features WIRES' rapidly growing roster of Associate Members discussing a variety of Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) and other advanced technology. Topics have included Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR), advanced conductors, and next generation sensors and data analytics, and the discussions have included utility adoption and case studies. The series will continue into 2024. Visit the WIRES Events page to learn more. About WIRES WIRES is a non-profit trade association of investor-, publicly-, and cooperatively-owned transmission providers, transmission customers, regional grid managers, and equipment and service companies. WIRES promotes investment in electric transmission and progressive state and federal policies that advance energy markets, economic efficiency, and consumer and environmental benefits through development of electric power infrastructure. For more information, visit www.wiresgroup.com. SOURCE WIRES Chicago's hometown coworking company to open its largest location in Chicago in the historic National Building CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Workbox , a specialized workspace operator dedicated to providing solutions and resources to early and growth stage companies, is preparing to open its doors at Chicago's historic National Building in the Loop. Targeting an early January opening, Workbox Chicago-The Loop will offer local entrepreneurs and businesses the opportunity to be a part of an unparalleled coworking community of growing companies with direct connection to over 100 capital and operating partners, programming and networking events, and vetted strategic advising from professional specialists. Workbox- The Loop The new location will be the company's fifth in Chicago and eighth location nationwide since launching four years ago. Workbox Chicago- The Loop will be located at the National Building at 125 S. Clark Street, Suite 1700. "We are Chicago-born and bred and are very proud to continue to invest in a city that is leading innovation in the Midwest. The Loop is literally the heart of our amazing city, with all major transportation routes flowing like arteries to the city center. The addition of this last major Chicago sub-market will allow us to expand our unique support structure to companies across the whole city," said John Wallace, Co-Founder and CEO of Workbox. "The building choice was also an easy one for us. Our members want elevated connectivity, and there are few locations driving as much human interaction in the city as Revival Food Hall. The Loop is undeniably coming back from an activation standpoint, and Revival Food Hall deserves a lot of credit for leading this recovery over the last 24 months." At over 29,000 square feet, Workbox Chicago-The Loop will be the company's largest coworking space in Chicago. Amenities for members will include a large open kitchen, multiple spacious lounge areas, and over 85 dedicated offices for teams ranging from one individual to 50. The National Building also features a tenant-only fitness center and a large indoor/outdoor tenant-only lounge on the 6th floor. Members also have an abundance of on-site dining options with Revival Food Hall located on the 1st floor. The direct access to a wide array of public transportation options makes this location convenient and accessible to everyone in the city. Workbox is offering a variety of leasing specials, including 3 months free on a 15-month lease, 2 months free on a 12-month lease, among other options. There are also floating membership and reserved desk options for those looking for individual plans. To learn more about Workbox and leasing opportunities, visit https://www.workboxcompany.com/ About Workbox Workbox Holdings, Inc. is a specialized workspace company that provides professionals with a diverse platform to connect both in person and virtually. In addition to traditional office space and coworking solutions, the Chicago-based company offers direct access to a range of investors, vetted strategic advising via experienced mentors and professional specialists, as well as an unparalleled community of growing businesses. Web: www.workboxcompany.com MEDIA CONTACT RACHEL CHICK MEKKY MEDIA RELATIONS 847-331-5861 [email protected] SOURCE Workbox BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As an official partner of the first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), Chinese liquor maker Wuliangye is dedicated to facilitating the formation of an open international cooperation platform and promoting the stability of global industrial and supply chains. Kicked off on Nov. 28 in Beijing, the CISCE contains five exhibition areas featuring supply chains for the smart vehicle, green agriculture, clean energy, healthy living and digital technology industries, among which Wuliangye's booth was set in the exhibition area on green agriculture. The booth features the entire industrial system of Chinese Baijiu, displaying the production chain from seeds to liquor, the industrial supply chain from packaging to logistics, and the two-way chain between consumption and service based on the multidimensional network covering both domestic and overseas markets. In addition, the Chinese Baijiu producer has managed to apply interactive devices at the booth, which renders immersive experience about the unique charm of the company's liquor products, allowing visitors at the event to learn more about industry and culture related to Chinese Baijiu. The booth received wide attention at the expo, leading to opportunities for future cooperation. Focusing on the core links, key technologies, products and integrated development of agricultural industrial chains, green agriculture is one of the major topics discussed at the CISCE. In this sense, Wuliangye has made practical efforts in building a production system that facilitates green, low-carbon and circular development, providing a reference for liquor-making enterprises in terms of promoting the stability of agricultural industrial chains. As a national-recognized green factory and one of the first enterprises in the industry to execute green designs, Wuliangye has been taking firm steps on prioritizing ecological benefits and green development. Through building ecological industrial parks and sticking to providing ecological products, the company has achieved ecological production at a full scale. So far, the liquor maker has built a standardized production base of grains used for liquor-making, which covers a land area of 1.15 million mu (about 76,666.67 hectares). It is expected that the base will be upgraded to 2 million mu by 2025, promoting quality, income increase and sustainable development of local agriculture and supporting high-quality development of China's liquor industry. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/337479.html SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road Yotta launches Shakti Cloud: India's Largest Supercomputer of 16 Exaflops AI computing power with NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs to drive mass-scale AI innovation in India MUMBAI, India, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Yotta Data Services today announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to deliver cutting-edge GPU computing infrastructure and platforms for its Shakti Cloud platform. The collaboration will advance the development of AI solutions in India by bringing state-of-the-art AI capabilities within reach of numerous organizations, businesses, AI researchers, and a multitude of startups across the country. With this offering, Yotta customers will be able to train large language models (LLMs) and other AI workloads serving the growing needs of Indian, Asian, and broader global markets. Yotta has already placed a large order for NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPU s, a powerful GPU for AI and HPC workloads, and plans to go operational with 4096 GPUs by January 2024 and 16,384 GPUs by June 2024. With complete support from NVIDIA and a shared vision to develop India's sovereign AI landscape, Yotta also plans to massively scale up its GPU stable to 32,768 by the end of 2025. This will directly address the huge demand for high-performance GPUs by research labs, enterprises, and startups for HPC and AI workloads. With this collaboration, Yotta becomes the first NVIDIA Partner Network cloud partner (NCP) in India and joins the global NCP list as an Elite Partner. Further, Yotta is deploying an NVIDIA-powered reference architecture with NVIDIA InfiniBand networking that will allow GPU clusters to deliver great performance at scale for large AI training and inferencing workloads, as well as HPC workloads. Yotta's Shakti Cloud AI platform will include various PaaS services from day one, including foundational AI models and applications that will help Indian enterprises create powerful AI tools and products. Yotta will deploy the first cluster of 16,384 GPUs at NM1, Yotta's highly acclaimed and Asia's largest Uptime Tier-IV data center, located in Navi Mumbai. Next, Yotta will deploy a similar-sized cluster at D1, Yotta's newest and largest hyperscale data center in Greater Noida, near Delhi. This collaboration comes at a moment of phenomenal growth in India's AI adoption efforts, with the country becoming a hub for research, online gaming, and digital content creation. AI adoption in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 20% to reach US$14 billion by 2030. The Indian gaming industry is similarly expected to furiously grow to reach US$5 billion by 2025. All these industries rely heavily on GPU computing to meet expected customer demands. Darshan Hiranandani, Co-founder & Chairman of Yotta, and Sunil Gupta, Co-founder & CEO of Yotta, share the excitement. "Yotta is proud to join forces with NVIDIA, a global leader in GPU technology, in India to launch our Shakti Cloud platform to usher in a new era of computing innovation in line with the vision of the Hon'ble Prime Minister for a digital Bharat. We're excited to embark on this journey, leveraging our scalable cloud and data center infrastructure and NVIDIA's cutting-edge GPU technology to empower Indian businesses, governments, startups, and researchers with unparalleled GPU-as-a-Service solutions to catalyze advancements in AI, machine learning, gaming, content creation, and scientific research. Yotta aims to accelerate innovation and transform industries across India, delivering the power of NVIDIA GPUs as a service to drive growth, efficiency, and excellence. This collaborative work represents a significant milestone in our journey, and we are excited about the endless possibilities it holds for our customers and India as a whole. We are also thankful for the continuing support of the Ministry of Information Technology and the governments of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh for making this a reality." Commenting on this development, Jay Puri, executive vice president of Worldwide Field Operations at NVIDIA, said, "India has emerged as a vibrant hub for technological innovation and digital transformation. Our collaboration with Yotta will help open up access to the specialized infrastructure that makes AI possible at scale and bring GPU capabilities to customers in India, accelerating advancements in AI and fostering innovation across industries." Key Highlights of the Collaboration: Accelerating AI compute in India : With NVIDIA GPU hardware, Yotta will help Indian enterprises significantly accelerate their ability to build powerful AI tools and services for the global market. With NVIDIA GPU hardware, Yotta will help Indian enterprises significantly accelerate their ability to build powerful AI tools and services for the global market. Democratizing GPU power: Yotta will empower Indian businesses of all sizes to access GPU resources on demand, transforming the way they operate and innovate. Yotta will empower Indian businesses of all sizes to access GPU resources on demand, transforming the way they operate and innovate. Boosting innovation: Through GPUaaS, Yotta aims to catalyze breakthroughs in AI, gaming, scientific research, data analytics, and more, positioning India as a global technology leader. Through GPUaaS, Yotta aims to catalyze breakthroughs in AI, gaming, scientific research, data analytics, and more, positioning as a global technology leader. Robust, world-class infrastructure & technology: Yotta's world-class data centers and cloud services will provide a secure and scalable environment for businesses to use NVIDIA GPUs. Yotta's world-class data centers and cloud services will provide a secure and scalable environment for businesses to use NVIDIA GPUs. Market disruption & expansion: With NVIDIA technology, Yotta will disrupt the traditional ways enterprises have accessed GPU computing with the availability of on demand and scalable GPU resources, opening access up to new customer segments and sectors. Yotta aims to democratize access to GPU resources, fostering innovation and competitiveness across various sectors. Yotta's Shakti Cloud will deliver GPUs and various associated AI and PaaS services in a highly cost-effective manner on a per hour usage model, with options for long-term reservations. Yotta's commitment to technological excellence and innovation aligns perfectly with its mission to accelerate digital transformation across India. To read more on Yotta's Shakti Cloud GPU-as-a-Service offerings, visit https://yotta.com/shakticloud About Yotta Yotta Data Services is a new-age Digital Transformation service provider offering Cloud, GPUs, data center hosting, Connectivity, Cybersecurity services, cyber Workspaces, managed applications, and a wide range of Managed IT services. Yotta operates its cloud regions at its two hyperscale data center parks in Panvel (Navi Mumbai) and Greater Noida (Delhi). Yotta's cloud is Meity empaneled (VCC & GCC). Yotta is working to launch its open source based feature rich hyperscale cloud "Yntraa" by the end of 2023. Yotta's first data center - Yotta NM1 data centre in Panvel, part of a mammoth 600 MW DC campus, has been acknowledged as APAC's best Data Center by Datacloud Global Awards in 2021 and 2023 and is the world's 2nd largest Uptime Institute Certified Tier IV facility. Yotta Greater Noida DC Park launched in Oct 2022, is a mammoth 180 MW campus, the largest one in the whole of North India. Yotta's numerous accolades and certifications include RBI's cyber security framework and localization framework, ISO27017 for protection of personal information in public cloud, ISO 27701 for Privacy Information management (PIMS), PCI-DSS, and SOC2-Type 2, SOC3 among others. For more information, visit www.yotta.com About NVIDIA Corporation NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) is a global leader in GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) technology. The company designs and manufactures advanced GPUs that power a wide range of applications, including gaming, artificial intelligence, data center, and automotive computing. NVIDIA's innovative technology is driving advancements in industries such as deep learning, autonomous vehicles, and supercomputing. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, NVIDIA continues to revolutionize computing, providing solutions that enable people and businesses to achieve unprecedented levels of performance. For more information, visit www.nvidia.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293036/Yotta_Shakti_Logo.jpg BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Azerbaijani parliament's meeting has discussed the draft law "On the budget of the Unemployment Insurance Fund for 2024", Trend reports. It is planned that the income and expenses of the Unemployment Insurance Fund will amount to 238 million manat ($140 million) in 2024, which is 20.3 million manat ($11.9 million), or 9.3 percent more than in the current year. The income of the Unemployment Insurance Fund for 2024 of 179.98 million manat ($105.9 million), or 75.6 percent, will be generated from unemployment insurance contributions, and 57.95 million manat ($34.1 million), or 24.4 percent, will be generated from unused funds until the end of this year. In addition, 30.7 percent of the fund's expenditures will be directed to financing self-employment activities next year, 23.1 percent - for the maintenance of the employment service, 18.9 percent - for co-financing wages for social services, 14.7 percent - for the organization of vocational training and additional education. The document, after discussions, was put to vote and approved in the third reading. The budget revenues and expenditures of the Unemployment Insurance Fund are projected at the level of 217.7 million manat ($128.1 million) for 2023. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on approval of the implementation of the Law No. 1006-VIQ of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Energy" dated October 24, 2023, Trend reports. According to the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan within three months must prepare and submit to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan proposals to bring the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan and acts of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in line with the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Energy". In accordance with this law, it is necessary to approve within five months the procedure for preparation, approval and control of energy balance and inform the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan about it, as well as to solve other issues arising from this law. The full text of the decree is available here. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New Delhi, Dec 5 : Even as she gives final edits to her upcoming novel titled 'Sah-sa', Geetanjali Shree, International Booker Prize winner (2022) for 'Ret Samadhi', translated as 'Tombs of Sand', for who the last year has been about attending multiple literature festivals, book launches and giving talks; says a writer's life is always about striking the desired balance between how much to be in the midst of everything and how much to go into retreat and solitude to mull over things and create. Adding that Booker has brought home that negotiation in a very dramatic and intense way, and overnight, she stresses that currently she is catapulted by it into a very public space, of much visibility and audibility, which is daunting for a person with the opposite leanings that she is. "It is also rattling to be seen as an expert of well-nigh anything and answer questions about any and everything. Even more traumatic if you will, is the aggravated embroilment with forces such as the market, advertising, and selling. The final edits of 'Sah-sa', need a concentrated slot of time, which I am not able to get, so it is happening spread out over several slots of time," she tells IANS. Shree also feels that on the converse side, Booker has 'returned' literature to her. Stressing that it came soon after the world started to open post-pandemic, the author says, "The latter had turned the future into a big gloomy question and writing too despaired, though it carried on because while you are alive you breathe! But suddenly - overnight, as I said - I was back in the world of readers, writers, and books, with a vengeance. It has been overwhelming to connect with so many more of my community and my love. Of course, I need my writer's space back. I am slowly getting it back..." The Booker she won for the novel translated into English by Daisy Rockwell revolves around an elderly woman confronting depression who decides to visit Pakistan after several years of the partition has not only illuminated her work but also brought into focus the entire South Asian region. Shree says, "How can I feel anything but good about it? After all, however much of a loner one might be, we all represent more than just our own single self. I carry my community, my world, my times, and society in me, and in a mysterious symbiotic umbilical cord link, we are made of whispers and echoes of each other. I am happy that through me, the light is shed on a larger world around me - it is my moment but also a collective one." Mention the fact that the entire conversation is around 'Ret Samadhi' only, and a lot of her other important work (including 'Khali Jagah', 'Hamara Shehar Us Baras', 'Tirohit' and 'Yahan Hathi Rahate The') not getting the attention they deserve, and she asserts, "What is the attention one deserves? Who gets it? A mishmash of things, especially in today's world of hype and market, affects that. I have never been the sort of writer who stresses about how much or how little attention I am receiving. Readers must reach out and search out books, I am hardly going to spend my time beckoning them! Yes, 'Ret Samadhi' is in focus because Booker pointed that way. Serious readers know an award is recognition but does not 'birth' the author. I like to believe they are interested in the writer's entire oeuvre. 'Ret Samadhi' is enjoying its 'moment'. Lovers of literature will explore further, or else...their loss ...!" For someone who prefers to stay away from social media, a space now being used quite aggressively by many writers and artists, Shree feels that the medium is a mixed blessing -- It has worked well for quick communication and relaying of ideas, and debates, but on the converse side also led to wile conversations and rumour-mongering. "It has also often dumbed down debate and arrogated to itself the presumption that it is a reliable judge of quality and will make and break reputations. I prefer to keep far from it, much as I keep away from 'market' considerations as a guide to my writing life. Marketing is not of primacy to me and certainly not what I wish to expend my energies on. "Of course, I am a creature of my times, caught in the winds that blow. So I cannot claim that market forces do not touch me, but I just do not concern myself with them. What happens and does not happen there is a dynamic of things not of my will or desire. I prefer it that way. The writer and her work belong to her time but - people aggressively in a market rat race forget this - importantly, also to a space and time that is beyond today and which is where Literature revels and resides. We can only do what we are doing sincerely and time and space will give us a slot. Or not," she adds. However, she does say that encounters with readers can be most life-affirming for a writer. Citing an example of an emotional son who approached her during a literature festival and said her book was the last book his mother read, and after reading it she folded her hands together - he repeated her gesture. "I cannot exactly replicate it - and she said to him that she wants to meet this writer. It was sad and joyous to connect with her son and feel her humanity, appreciation, and presence. It certainly makes you grateful for the community you belong to and humbles you 'proudly' for a small joy you have been able to give." Even as debates rage on the role of a writer/artist about recording political and social scenarios of their times, and the observation that the divisiveness of Partition is not just a thing of the past, she believes that recording stories, all stories, is important, and they don't just belong to the present, but also to the past and the future that we imagine, want or fear. "But it may not be a conscious agenda of the writer to record something. Rather her sensitivity, which hones her observation and intuition, takes her naturally along that way. Partition is a reality in North India. It continues to ramify into new and undesirable effects. I do not have to try to write about it. It is in my and our being. But partition is also a universal human experience and mostly a painful one. From which emanate innumerable stories which will continue to be told in all parts of the world," says Shree, who was recently in Chandigarh for 'Literati'. The writer, who believes in 'discovering' the stories already fluttering inside her or in those around, intuition plays a huge role. However, she believes in intuition, not as some glorified super-human place, but rather a source in us, which is refined as we go along - by our locations of all kinds be it history, geography, autobiography, biographies, sensitivities, observations, imagination, aesthetic sense, even chance. "I can hardly make an expert exhaustive list! I often quote Ustad Ali Akbar Khan on this - that when he starts he plays the sarod and soon the latter takes over and plays him. That is the beauty of artistic creation. Also, some of our deepest possibilities, both good and bad, lie in our subconscious, our entrails, if you will. A writer takes courage to discover those lights and darknesses, both. "One is, of course, surprised at various points in the creative process - where did that come from? But that is precisely where that undefinable energy or breath lies, which enlivens a work of art," she says. While the past decade has seen a major rise in translations from Hindi and other languages into English, and there may also be fears of something being 'lost' in the process, she feels there is a need for translations among other languages. "The hierarchy with English on the top is limiting and has mono-language repercussions, which feeds into all kinds of monocultural impulses. And that monocultural impulses make easy link-ups with dictatorial ambitions. Besides, there is such a rich conversation out there for humanity in celebrating the plurality of languages as language comes with its culture and philosophy, and the vocabulary of seeing, being, and expressing gets extended for all. The writer and the translator are matchingly important; mutually so, too. One facilitates the other and also extends the other. "Something is always lost in translation. But let me hasten to add that everything is translation starting from rendering an inchoate, inarticulate thought/feeling into words. Just shifting from one set of expressions to another is translation and that is a process, not a complete exercise. So something constantly changes, but also opens another world. 'Lost' must not be seen as a negative here. Perhaps changed is a better word. Translation - approximating towards - that is exciting, enriching, ongoing, evocative. No closure here. "Most importantly, translation is not about moving technically from some exact meaning to the same meaning - replicas are not being sought or possible, except by machines, and maybe not even there. The endeavour is to carry across a feel, an experience, a sensibility and sensitivity, a cadence, a philosophy, and it acquires a new dimension as soon as it is uttered in another language. 'Pyar' and love echo their own separate worlds. So translation is the same and also always different and it is an energy that does not end. This inconquerability, uncontrollability, has to be enjoyed for it's all about the ephemerality, changeability, malleability, volatility, and fluidity of experience. Translation is life, not death," she concludes. Two shooters of Arsh Dalla gang arrested in Delhi, grenade recovered. Image Source: IANS News Lucknow, Dec 5 : A Chinese national has been arrested at Rupaidiha outpost in Bahraich district on the India-Nepal border after she was intercepted entering Uttar Pradesh illegally. The woman identified as Lee Jing Mei (45) had reached Nepal as a Buddhist monk and was making her way into India when she was intercepted by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). An FIR has been registered in the case. Police said that the Chinese Embassy was informed about the action. Bahraich Superintendent of Police Prashant Kumar said that SSB had intercepted the woman wearing an attire like a Buddhist monk on the Indo-Nepal border and asked her whereabouts in Hindi language. However, when she did not respond, the team asked her the same in English language but even then, she could not respond. Following which, the SSB contacted the police and district administration authorities. A team comprising women constables checked her documents and found a passport inscribed with the People's Republic of China and a visa for Nepal. "As she failed to reply, we informed the Chinese embassy and also sought help from some interpreters," said another officer. Lucknow, Dec 5 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a bank manager and his associate for demanding Rs 13,000 from a farmer as bribe for disbursal of Rs 2.5 lakh loan under Kisan credit card scheme. Vinod Kumar of Misrikh in Sitapur filed a complaint alleging that Vivek Kumar, manager of Macchrehta branch of Indian Bank, who had demanded Rs 13,000 for disbursal of a sanctioned KCC loan of Rs 2.5 lakh. The CBI officials verified the complaint and prima facie found the allegations to be true. A team was formed to apprehend the accused. "Initially, the manager demanded Rs 40,000 as 'insurance'. When I expressed my inability to pay the amount, he told me that the loan could not be disbursed," Vinod said. "After two months, I met him again and requested for concession, he asked for Rs 15,000," the complainant said. After Vinod filed a complaint, CBI officials asked him to accompany them to the bank. When Vinod reached the bank, he was asked to meet Ankit, an associate of the manager. "I gave Rs 13,000 to Ankit who was arrested by the team," Vinod said. The CBI registered a case against the manager and his associate. ZANGILAN, Azerbaijan, December 5. One of the most challenging tasks facing Azerbaijan in the restoration of its liberated territories is the demining of all landmines, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza told Trend. "Getting rid of all the mines without knowing their locations, without having maps, might take 50 years. So, the task, in my view, is to create new cities, ensure the safe return of people to their former places of residence, demine these areas, and restore a secure environment after removing all the mines. It's a significant challenge," said Bryza. He noted that implementing all these plans is quite challenging as multiple processes are happening simultaneously. "While former IDPs are returning to their native lands, the construction of road and municipal infrastructure continues. And then you need to create good living conditions. Grocery stores, schools, hospitals, dining facilities - all of this needs to be built simultaneously with the return of people, which can pose coordination challenges," he added. On December 5, high-ranking state officials, foreign analysts, and members of international think tanks arrived in Zangilan. Made up of 60 persons from 30 different countries, they will take part in a conference called "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 Years: Achievements and Challenges". Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Kanpur, Dec 5 : Two days after a video of poaching of migratory birds went viral, the forest department and the police initiated a crackdown in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. A total of 716 birds of 16 species up for sale in Baqargunj market were rescued in a raid and a dozen people were taken into custody on Monday. Meanwhile, the duo -- Vinod and Rampal -- arrested for hunting and killing Siberian birds, were produced before the remand magistrate and sent to jail. The two minors who helped hunt and kill the birds were produced before the juvenile justice board, which sent them to a juvenile home. They were arrested under sections 9 and 21 of Wildlife Protection Act after the video went viral. Regional forest officer, Kanpur range, Ayush Tripathi, said that the raid on the market was conducted following inputs about the sale of Siberian birds. "All the birds rescued from the market are under the protected category, and as per rules, their sale is illegal," said Tripathi adding that the birds have been sent to Kanpur Zoo. Around 10 to 12 people have been taken into custody for questioning. Tripathi said that the forest department would also register an FIR in this case. According to the Babupurwa police, the recovery memo submitted by the forest department lists many migratory birds, including the Himalayan Duck. Washington, Dec 5 : Four Republicans, including Indian-Americans Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, have qualified for the fourth presidential debate scheduled to take place on Wednesday night in Alabama, the Republican National Committee (RNC) announced. The other two candidates are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The four presidential hopefuls will face off in Tuscaloosa in what will be the smallest debate stage lineup so far this year, CNN reported. Former President Donald Trump, the current frontrunner for the Republican nomination, will skip the event, as he has all previous debates and will instead attend a fundraiser in Florida. Mondayas announcement comes with just six weeks left until the Iowa caucuses open the 2024 Republican nomination calendar. To make it to the fourth debate, the candidates had to meet higher donor and polling criteria set by the RNC. They had to have some 80,000 unique donors, with at least 200 in 20 states or territories. The candidates also had to register at least 6 per cent in two qualifying national polls or in one national poll and two polls from separate early-voting states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada. Similar to conditions for past debates, the RNC also required candidates to sign a pledge committing to support the eventual Republican nominee. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Congress leaders Manickam Tagore and Manish Tewari on Tuesday gave adjournment notices in the Lok Sabha to discuss the impact of Cyclone Michaung in Chennai and a discussion on the retired-Indian Navy personnel imprisoned in Qatar. Tagore in his adjournment notice said, "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance, namely -- I move an adjournment motion to address the severe impact of heavy rainfall in Chennai, with a recorded 47 millimetres in two days causing extensive damage to public properties and infrastructure. "Acknowledging the swift response by the state government that prevented any loss of lives, it is imperative to discuss the situation in Parliament, especially the closure of the airport due to water on the runway, and the need for preparedness in the face of natural disasters like Cyclone Michaung," Tagore, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu's Virudhu Nagar said. Meanwhile, Tewari gave adjourned notice to have a discussion regarding the retired-Indian Navy personnel imprisoned in Qatar. "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance, namely -- That this House do suspend Zero Hour, Question Hour, and other Businesses of the Day to have a discussion regarding the retired-Indian navy personnel imprisoned in Qatar. Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh, were sentenced by the Qatari court on October 26, 2023." He said that he has been constantly raising this matter since August 2022 both inside and outside the House but the response of the government has been -- no response for 14 months. "In the meantime the eight Naval Personnel (Retd) have ostensibly been brutally tortured, self incriminating confessions extracted and sentenced to death in a Kangaroo Trail in a couple of perfunctory hearings. The Government has not even called in the Qatari Ambassador to protest the matter strongly. There is no visible protest by the Indian Government," he said. "Despite the purported acceptance of their appeal, crucial details such as charges, court rationale, and the judgment of the copy of the Court of First Instance remains undisclosed. I therefore urge the government to inform the House of the situation about our Navy personnel in Qatar and the steps taken to bring them back to India. I hereby request permission to raise this matter," Tewari added. The Winter Session commenced on Monday and will conclude on December 22. On Monday, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also raised the issue and demanded that the government "exhaust every resource" to bring back the eight former naval personnel who were handed death sentences by a court in Qatar. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Chowdhury said the government should exhaust every resource to get rid of the charges against the Indian nationals convicted by the Qatari court The Indian nationals were handed the death sentence by Qatar's Court of First Instance on October 26. India had described the ruling as "deeply" shocking and vowed to explore all legal options in the case. An appeal has already been filed against the death sentence and a higher court in Qatar has admitted the plea. The appeal has been filed by the legal team of the detained Indian nationals. United Nations, Dec 5 : Mission Life, the lifestyle mass movement launched by India, can address the needs of sustainable development, according to UN Assistant Secretary-General Ligia Noronha. "We see Mission Life as an opportunity to use consumption as a lever for a better tomorrow through aligning with sustainable lifestyles," she said on Monday at the UN headquarters at a special event commemorating Mission Life. Mission Life was launched last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to promote lifestyle changes and individual and community action to promote sustainable development and fight climate change. India's Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj said that Mission Life "aligns perfectly with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and it is a testament to how individual responsibility can foster a sustainable future for the entire planet". It has significance while the COP28 Climate Summit is taking place to tackle the problem of global warming, she said.. Mission Life adds "a synergy of individual choices and global collaboration" as "an important force in addressing environmental challenges", she said. The "powerful endorsement" by Guterres of the initiative has "the potential to inspire change well beyond national borders, encouraging a worldwide movement towards more sustainability practices", Kamboj said. Norohna said that a survey showed that "more and more citizens align their lives to concerns about climate change, and concerns with issues of sustainability" and added: "I think we need to draw all of these together to really build a Mission Life around a collective movement that can push this forward." Noronha raised several questions such as how much of what kind of consumption is possible to live in harmony with nature and in a pollution-free world; what kind of norms are needed to ensure equity and fairness and value to the consumer, and how to address the issue of the very unequal pattern of consumption in the world. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) Patna, Dec 5 : A home guard jawan was killed and four other police personnel, who were escorting the SUV of cabinet minister Jama Khan, met with an accident in Bihar's Rohtas district, an officer said on Tuesday. The accident occurred at Parasthua police station area between Malihabad and Kochas area on Monday night. Following the accident Rohtash SP Veneet Kumar, Shahabad range DIG Navin Chandra Jha and civil surgeon reached the spot and also visited the hospital. The police said that the escort police van was being driven by a home guard constable Jamaluddin Khan. He was driving the vehicle at high speed and crashed into a parked truck. While Khan died on the spot, Manoj Kumar, Ramesh Kumar, Rani Kumari and Archana Kumari sustained injuries and were rushed to the Common Health Center at Parasthua block. One of the critically injured cops was referred to Varanasi for better treatment. The vehicle of the minority affairs minister was behind the escort vehicle. He survived unhurt. Patna, Dec 5 : Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has cancelled the registration of 446 private schools after they failed to comply with the required parameters, an officer said on Tuesday. BSEB Chairman Anand Kishore said that the decision was taken during a meeting on Monday evening. Of the total, 439 are middle schools, while seven are middle and high schools (Class 6 to 10). "We carried out inspections of the schools across the state and found that 446 BSEB-affiliated ones lacked proper infrastructure needed to run the schools. We have set parameters for every school and they were not fulfilling it," Kishore said. "Some of the schools which did not cooperate with our inspection teams, were also de-registered," Kishore said. According to sources, schools functioning in two-three rooms were higher in numbers. "As per the policy, the affected students will be shifted to nearby schools. We have also made a provision for students who are appearing for the board examination. Admit cards, registration cards and other important documents will be issued in the name of previous schools," Kishore said. New Delhi, Dec 05 : Travelling is an experience that tantalises all our senses. From the sight of new horizons to the sound of adventure, and the touch of different cultures, it's a journey that's as much about the food as it is about the destination. Airports, while often considered transient spaces, can offer a gateway to the culinary treasures of a region. Indian airport lounges, in particular, are where you can unroll on a flavourful journey even before you've taken off. In this article, we will explore the cuisines offered at airport lounges of some of the key cities in India, and discover the hidden gems in terms of the local cuisine they have to offer. Goa's Foodie Delights Goa, known for its pristine beaches and vibrant nightlife, is also a treasure trove of delicious local cuisine. As you wait for your flight at Goa International Airport, also known as the Manohar International Airport - be sure to sample some of the state's delectable dishes. Known for the state-of-the-art facilities, Encalm Lounge at the Goa airport is serves the best of delicacies and provides an amazing seating area where travellers can unwind.The lounges are known to serve the local food with great variety and finesse. The Goan cuisine is a fusion of flavours influenced by its rich history, blending Portuguese and Indian culinary traditions. One cannot miss "GoanSorak Coconut Curry" a" a mouthwatering dish made from Goan coconuts and onions, garlic and chillies, seasoned with a mix of aromatic spices. If you have a sweet tooth, savour "Bebinca," a traditional Goan dessert. This layered pudding is a sweet delight, rich with coconut and jaggery. Delhi's Diversity In Food Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi offers an array of dining experiences that reflect the city's diverse culinary landscape. There are various lounges at the IGI Airport, but the flagship lounges offer a different level of diversity altogether when it comes to the cuisines. Right from chefs preparing international cuisines with the Delhi touch, to inducing live stations from chefs presenting the best of the capital, right in front of your eyes - the Delhi Airport experience promises to be an amazing one. Delhi is a melting pot of cultures, and its food scene is a testament to this cultural diversity. With superior amenities imbibed at the core, Encalm Lounge offers the finest facilities, including lounge bays, a bar, a multi-cuisine buffet, live food counters, a kidas play area, a library, and a business centre. Hyderabad's Spice Extravaganza Known as the "City of Pearls" and the "City of Nizams," Hyderabad is a place where history and food traditions merge beautifully. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad is your gateway to the culinary treasures of this city. The Encalm lounge at Hyderabad Airport is known to boast a spacious extravaganza that ensures an amazing experience for travellers. Hyderabad is celebrated for its biryanis, and you can't leave without savouring one. "Hyderabadi Biryani" is a fragrant rice dish made with tender marinated meat, saffron, and spices, slow-cooked to perfection. Another delicacy to explore is aChicken Haleem," a rich and hearty stew made from wheat, barley, and chicken. It's commonly enjoyed during festivities but is available throughout the year. And don't forget to try "Hyderabadi MirchikaSalan," a spicy curry made with green chilies, peanuts, and sesame seeds, typically served with biryani. The Joy of Airport Lounges The airport lounges in India have evolved beyond just offering comfortable seating and complimentary Wi-Fi. They now cater to travellers with discerning tastes by providing a gastronomic experience that rivals some of the best restaurants. As you relax in the serene ambience of these lounges, you can live the tradition and experience the culture through the local cuisines. In a nutshell, Indian airport lounges are a gateway to the heritage of the regions they represent, all through the language of the foodie marvels. The next time you travel through the airport, make it a point to arrive early and indulge in the local cuisine on offer. After all, the journey to a new destination begins long before you board the plane, and what better way to start than the taste of local flavours at Indian airport lounges? Bon appAtit! (Vikas Sharma is the CEO of Encalm Hospitality) IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in --IANS Vikas Sharma/ lh Indian fishermen released by SL court to be shifted to detention centre. Image Source: IANS News Uttara Kannada, : Dec 5 (IANS) A fishing boat carrying 40 fishermen has gone missing in the Arabian Sea, sources said on Tuesday. The incident has been reported from Karwar in the Uttara Kannada district of the state. As per the sources, the boat went missing last week coinciding with extreme weather conditions in the Arabian Sea within the jurisdiction of Karnataka. Registered in Goa and named Christori, the boat is suspected to have faced technical issues with its engine and carried away by forceful winds. It had departed from Panaji in Goa, and the last GPS signal was recorded near Belikeri in Ankola of Uttara Kannada district, according to the sources. The network has been disconnected for four days, prompting the coastal guards to launch an operation to locate the missing boat. Further details are yet to emerge. New Delhi, Dec 5 : With his brother Sunny Deol's success in 'Gadar 2', his father-veteran actor Dharmendra getting so much love even today, and his hardwork in the latest release 'Animal' being highly appreciated, actor Bobby Deol says it is amazing how much love the Deols are getting. Talking about his physique in 'Animal', Bobby told IANS: "It's amazing to be loved and noticed and I feel that all my hard work is getting all the appreciation. It is not easy to be fit and really you have to put in a lot of hours into fitness so it feels nice that my hard work has paid off." He added: "I feel that God has been really kind to me and my family. My brother's success, my dad, he got so much love and my film came out and it is amazing how much love the Deols are getting. It's just amazing." The 54-year-old actor wished for this to happen. "Good times, bad times come but I had not expected this to happen. I just wished for it to happen. You wish something good will happen and something so good happens it makes you thank god. My family and fans... they were waiting for me to be seen playing such characters, accepting me as a negative character." Bobby is over-the-moon that he is being accepted for the different characters he has been experimenting with. "For an actor it is a win-win situation because you want to play different types of characters and don't want to get stuck with one image. I am excited that they accepted me playing different characters," he said. Kolkata, Dec 5 : Authorities at the ESI Hospital here have informed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that the process to form a medical board to conduct the medical examination of Sujay Krishna Bhadra, a prime accused in the West Bengal, cash-for-school job case, before his voice sampling test is almost complete, sources said. However, the medical board will only have a cardiologist and ENT specialist without a neurologist. Earlier, the ESI authorities had informed the probe agency that the full medical-board could not be formed owing to a shortage of neurologists. Once the medical board declares Bhadra fit for the voice sampling test, it will be conducted in the presence of a forensic expert a general physician and an independent witness. The sources said that complications over the formation of the medical board were resolved after the special court in Kolkata approved it without a neurologist. Bhadra is currently admitted at the state-run S.S.K.M Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata since his bypass surgery in August. ED officials have repeatedly accused the hospital authorities of non-cooperation in conducting Bhadra's voice sample test. The test has become imperative following the Calcutta High Court's direction to wind up the investigation into the case by December 31. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. There are radical differences in the politics of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Deputy Director of Trend News Agency, head of Turkic World media platform, political scientist Rufiz Hafizoglu told ARB 24 TV channel, Trend reports. He noted that due to the lack of a unified line in domestic policy, contradictory opinions are expressed both among the Armenian society and its political elite. "The lack of a unified foreign and domestic policy in Armenia is due to the fact that the Armenian authorities are chasing different political sponsors," Hafizoglu added. VIDEO: Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 5 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said it's for the Congress to decide whether Rahul Gandhi should contest against the BJP or the Left. Vijayan was responding to a question on reports of Gandhi re-contesting from Wayanad. "It's for the Congress to decide where Gandhi should contest from and also if he needs to fight the BJP or the Left," said Vijayan, while interacting with the media at Thrissur as part of the daily schedule at his statewide trip. The CPI(M) is also indirectly part of the I.N.D.I.A block, but they are yet to send a representative to its decision-making body as it's only in Kerala that the CPI(M) and the Congress are engaged in a bitter political battle. In 2019, Gandhi won in Wayanad by a margin of 4.31 lakh votes defeating the CPI candidate, which is the second biggest ally of the ruling Vijayan government. "None needs to have a doubt, there will be our candidate in Wayanad," added Vijayan. In September when the Kerala unit of the CPI at their national leadership meeting pointed out that they will request the Congress party to see Gandhi be fielded against a BJP candidate, it was met with resistance from the CPI(M) and was shot down. At the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even when the CPI(M) raised huge hopes of doing well, it was literally swept away with the Congress-led UDF winning 19 out of the 20 seats, while the former won just one. On how the Left will fare in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as Vijayan and his entire cabinet is on a statewide trip, he shot back, "We have no doubt about the result." Claiming that the BJP is making unnecessary noise about how they will perform at Thrissur, the Chief minister said, "We all saw the big noise the BJP made last time and the same happened at the Assembly polls too. They will fail to make any impact this time also," said Vijayan. Superstar Suresh Gopi was fielded to the Lok Sabha and Assembly from the Thrissur constituency and ranked third. The BJP which had one seat in the 2016 Assembly polls, lost that at the 2021 polls. Warsaw, Dec 5 : Poland is set to call for the European Commission to reinstate restrictions on Ukrainian trucks arriving at the country's border, the government announced. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will demand that the permit system for Ukrainian trucks passing through and arriving in Poland should be restored, in view of a month-long protest at the border, reports Xinhua news agency. Polish drivers have been blocking border crossings since November 6, complaining that their business has been undercut by Ukrainian firms. They want the European Union (EU) to reinstate commercial permits for Ukrainian companies to operate in the bloc, which were waived soon after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The drivers also call for the suspension of operating permits for Ukrainian haulage firms, which were established after the beginning of the conflict. "We will very strongly and unequivocally demand the restoration of transport permits for Ukrainian drivers," Morawiecki told reporters. Meanwhile, Ukraine's border service said on Monday that the first 30 empty lorries had driven through a newly opened Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv crossing on the Ukrainian-Polish border. Kiev hopes this will provide some relief, with Polish driver protests blocking other land corridors. The waiting time on Monday at the Hrebenne crossing was 10 days, with around 900 trucks stuck in a 70-km queue, the Polish Press Agency reported. Meanwhile, around 520 trucks were waiting in another 16-km-long queue at the Dorohusk crossing, with a five-day clearance time, according to the police in Chelm, a city in southeastern Poland near the border with Ukraine. Jaipur, Dec 5 : Polling for the Karanpur Assembly seat in Rajasthan, which was adjourned following the death of Congress candidate, will be held on January 5, said the Election Commission here on Tuesday. The officials said the nomination process will start from December 12. December 19 is the last date for nomination. Scrutiny will be held on December 20 and names can be withdrawn by December 22. Counting will take place on January 10. The election on this seat was cancelled after the death of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Kunnar. Assembly polls in Rajasthan were held on November 25 and BJP won 115 seats while Congress got 69 seats. New Delhi, Dec 5 : With the assembly elections over, a coordination meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc will take place on December 6 at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence, while another meeting of party presidents or heads of the bloc will be held in third week of December. Congress admin In-charge, Gurdeep Singh Sappal in a post on X said, "A coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of INDIA Alliance will be at 6 p.m. on December 6, 2023 at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge." "Thereafter meeting of Party Presidents/Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in third week of December at a date convenient to all," he said. His remarks came in the wake of several leaders expressing surprise over the dates of the meeting. According to party sources, Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had said that they would not be able to join the meeting on December 6. The refusal by many leaders to join the meeting on Wednesday in the national capital has indicated widening cracks in the INDIA bloc after the BJP swept in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in assembly polls earlier this week. The Congress was decimated by the BJP in all the three states and its only solace was the results of Telangana. Man beaten to death over petty issue in Gurugram, 2 arrested. Image Source: IANS News Mysuru, : Dec 5 (IANS) The Karnataka Police registered a case of abuse and assault of a Dalit man in Makodu Village near Periyapatna town, Mysuru district, on Tuesday. The incident is connected to his refusal to play drums and announce a temple programme. The case has been filed against a local resident named Kumar. According to the police, Kumar had asked Paramaiah to play the drum and announce a special worship program at the Basaveshwara temple. However, Paramaiah told Kumar that he had stopped playing the drums. Kumar forced him, so Paramaiah began the task with his son Basavaraj in tow. When they approached the temple, the accused, Kumar reprimanded them for initially refusing to play the drums and assaulted Paramaiah. Paramaiah was admitted to the hospital in Periyapatna town and his son filed a police complaint against Kumar. The police are currently investigating the case. Bhubaneswar, Dec 5 : A 30-year-old youth was found dead at his girlfriend's house in Sisupalgarh area under Dhauli police limits of the city here, sources said on Tuesday. Police have identified the deceased as Pupun Swain of Nambilo in Nimapara area in Puri district. Pupun, a pipe mechanic by profession, was reportedly in a relationship with a woman of Khurda for the past few years. His alleged girlfriend, who works at an office in the city, has been staying along with her parents at a rented accommodation in Sisupalgarh area on the outskirts of the Bhubaneswar city. "On Monday the deceased had gone to his girlfriend's house on Monday to meet her parents with a marriage proposal. When the girl found out that Pupun was drunk, she took a strong objection to it and the duo entered into a heated argument. A furious Pupun then rushed to a room and hanged himself from the ceiling fan. The girl, along with her parents, immediately broke into the room and brought him down. Meanwhile, the girl left for the office asking Pupun to take some rest in her house. Upon returning, she found Pupun unconscious and rushed him to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him dead," said Chittaranjan Rout, the Inspector In-Charge of Dhauli Police station. On being informed, police reached the spot and started investigation into the matter. The body was handed over to his family after the post-mortem. Pupun's family members accused the girl and her family of murdering him. Based on the complaint, Dhauli police registered a case and started a probe into the matter. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Out of the 90 winning candidates analysed in 2023, 17 winning candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, while , a report said on Tuesday. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Chhattisgarh Election Watch which analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 90 winning candidates in the Chhattisgarh 2023 Assembly Elections in its report said that: "Out of the 90 winning candidates analysed in 2023 17,a 19 per cent of the total winning candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves." It said that in 2018, 24 MLAs had declared criminal cases against themselves. The report said that only six winning candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. In 2018, 13 MLAs had declared serious criminal cases against themselves. The report said that 12 out of 54 winning candidates from BJP and five out of 35 winning candidates from Congress have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits, while four out of 54 winning candidates from BJP and two out of 35 winning candidates from Congress have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits. The report also said that 72 winning candidates in Chhattisgarh are crorepatis. In 2018, 68 MLAs were crorepatis. The report said, "Out of 90, 43 out of 54 from BJP and 29 out of 35 from Congress have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore." It also said that the average of assets per winning candidates in the Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023 is Rs 5.25 crore. The average of assets per MLA in the Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018 was Rs 11.63 crore. "The average assets per winning candidate for 54 BJP winning candidates is Rs 5.70 crore and 35 Congress winning candidates is Rs 4.70 crore and one Gondvana Gantantra Party winner candidate has average assets worth Rs 26.03 lakh. BJP's MLA from Pandariya assembly seat Bhawna Bohra has the highest asset worth Rs 33.86 crore. Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel who is also a MLA from Patan assembly seat is the second candidate with highest assets worth Rs 33.38 crore. BJP's Bilaspur MLA Amar Agarwal is the third MLA with highest assets worth Rs 27 crore. Congrerss' Chandrapur MLA Ramkumar Yadav has the lowest asset worth Rs 10.02 l;akh, he is followed by BJP's Sitapur (ST) MLA Poorv Sainik Ramkumar Toppo with assets worth Rs 13.12 lakh and BJP's Pathalgaon (ST) MLA Gomati Sai witt assets worth Rs 15.47 lakh. The report also said that 33 winning candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between fifth pass and 12th pass, while 54 winning candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate and above. There are two winning candidates who are Diploma holders and 1 winner candidate is just literate, the report said. Meanwhile, the report said that 44 winning candidates have declared their age to be between 25 and 50 years while 46 winning candidates have declared their age to be between 51 and 80 years. "Out of 90 winning candidates analysed, 19 winning candidates are women," the report said. In 2018, out of 90 MLAs, 13 MLAs were women. The report said that there are 24 re-elected MLAs in the Chhattisgarh assembly elections of 2023. The report also said that average assets of re-elected MLAs in 2018 was Rs 5.13 crore and in 2023 the average assets of re-elected MLAs is Rs 7.23 crore. The growth in average assets of re-elected MLAs is Rs 2.09 crores i.e. by 41 per cent. The BJP won in the state assembly polls by winning 54 seats while the Congress won 35 seats. The polling took place in two phases on November 7 and November 20. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Upping the ante in its crusade against vaping and predatory practices used by companies to sell their products, Mothers Against Vaping, a united front of concerned mothers combatting the escalating vaping crisis among youth, has pointed out that companies are using new-age tobacco devices like Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), heat-not-burn (HNB) and e-hookah to snare young kids into becoming life-long customers. It said this predatory targeting of children has also been highlighted by experts globally, and most recently discussed in the Scottish Parliament. It said members of the Scottish Parliament have been informed by an expert epidemiologist that vaping or e-cigarettes predisposes children to smoking cigarettes later in life. Professor Emily Banks elucidated to the Members of the Scottish Parliament the concerning and immoral intentions of vaping and tobacco giants to create alifelong customersa in children and teenagers. Her remarks echo the growing calls for a complete ban on disposable e-cigarettes in Scotland. Banks also emphasised vaping is significantly restricted for approximately 25 percent of the global population. Interestingly, China has its own stringent restrictions on vaping products, despite being a primary producer of the fruity e-cigarettes prevalent in the UK market. Mothers Against Vaping has consistently called out international tobacco and vaping companies for deliberately targeting children to establish a consumer base for their addictive and harmful products including all kinds of new-age gateway devices such as e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn electronic devices. Stressing on the critical need for increased awareness, the body has repeatedly highlighted on the urgency of educating the public about such intentions of these companies. "Targeting children as a future market by tobacco and vaping companies is entirely unacceptable. Our stance against this unethical practice has been validated by global experts. Professor Banks's stance on this issue aims to increase awareness among stakeholders, urging for a halt to the advertisement and sale of vaping devices to children. Despite the ban on vaping devices and e-cigarettes in India, their availability is cultivating a generation addicted to these habits, potentially leading them towards tobacco use. "It's crucial to debunk misconceptions that paint e-cigarettes as harmless vapor inhalation. Recent research underscores the substantial harm caused by inhaling these substances, posing risks to lung health and impacting various facets of children's development, including cognitive abilities and brain development," said Varuna Pathak, former Professor of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Gandhi Medical College. Recent studies have provided evidence indicating that the aerosol from new-age gateway devices such as e-cigarettes contains particulate matter linked to mechanisms such as lung inflammation, DNA damage and an increased risk of lung cancer. Experts have highlighted that e-cigarettes and many new age gateway products are reported to contain approximately 900 to 2,000 distinct chemical entities with a substantial number still being unknown. Among the known components, many are recognized as hazardous, raising concerns about the potential health risks associated with e-cigarette and many other new-age gateway products. The ultrafine particles and chemicals found in e-cigarette aerosols possess the ability to deeply penetrate the lungs, posing substantial risks to human health. These aerosols consist of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5), notorious for its adverse impact on respiratory health. Additionally, the vapor emitted by e-cigarettes contains cancer-causing chemicals and heavy metals, including nickel, tin, and lead, further compounding the potential health hazards associated with e-cigarette and other new age gateway products usage. "In addition to being considered a gateway to lifelong tobacco habits, these new-age gateway devices are fostering a new generation of individuals becoming habituated to these products. This rising trend is not only prevalent globally but also noticeable in India. Similar to the concerns raised by Scottish parliamentarians, our own parliamentarians should engage in discussions with experts to ensure that vaping and e-cigarettes do not take root within our country, said Bhavna Barmi, internationally-acclaimed clinical psychologist, public speaker and head psychologist at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute. "Recent trends indicate a shift where more young individuals are initiating nicotine use through vaping rather than traditional cigarettes. This presents a significant challenge - a new generation becoming addicted solely through the use of e-cigarettes, which in turn will give rise to various psychological challenges among users," Barmi added. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the Opposition MPs raising questions on the government's handling of non-performing assets (NPAs) should first recognise that India is now the world's fastest-growing economy. She also said that as of December 1, assets amounting to Rs 15,186.64 crore have been confiscated by the ED. During the discussion in Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said, "...'Phone Banking' was at that time when people would call the banks and say 'so and so will come to seek a loan from your bank, please grant it', meaning that there's no need to look at their eligibility, etc., and that the loan must be granted." She said that the heart of the problem was during the 10 years of UPA rule between 2004 and 2014 when "calls" were made to grant loans to people who weren't worthy of getting a loan. "The burden fell on us to sort the Indian banks out with reforms," she said. She said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat with all of us, including my predecessor Arun Jaitley ji. "We spent a lot of time understanding where the problem was and worked together with the RBI," the Minister said. She also said that "so the 'Phone Banking' was the method through which "political interference" spoilt all our banks and drove them to a loss-making situation". "First, it must be looked at what contributed to the NPAs and made Indian banks actually have a twin balance-sheet problem which brought down the Indian economy to the 'fragile five'," Sitharaman said, adding that today, the Indian economy is the world's fastest-growing economy, "registering a 7.6 per cent GDP growth rate in the last quarter". Congress leader Jairam Ramesh during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha said,"What extra and special steps are being taken to deal with wilful defaulters?" Ramesh also said that "2,623 individuals owe the banks, amounting to Rs 1.96 lakh crore. Would she consider naming and shaming them?" To this, Sitharaman replied, "Action is being taken on wilful defaulters. My answers in the Lok Sabha is indicative of the banks taking steps towards getting the money from these people. As of March 31, the legal suites were filed against 13,978 accounts. Action has been initiated in 11,483 sarfaesi cases. FIRs have been filed in 5,674 cases. Aggregate amount of Rs 33,801 crore has been recovered." "Around more than Rs 15,000 crore was returned to the banks from defaulters on whom PMLA action was taken. As of December 1, assets amounting to Rs 15,186.64 crore have been confiscated by the ED," the Minister added. Julia Roberts reveals why she chose to share rare photo of her twins on social media. Image Source: IANS News Los Angeles, Dec 5 : Hollywood star Julia Roberts, who is known for 'Erin Brockovich', 'Notting Hill', 'Ocean's Twelve' and others, rarely shares pictures of her twins, Hazel Patricia and Phinnaeus Walter. However, she chose to publicly celebrate their 19th birthday, and she has shared the reason behind the same, reports 'People' magazine. "It is something to be celebrated, and I know Instagram is a place where people like to share happy things," Roberts, 56, told Extra. "I love them so much and I really did just happen to come upon this cute picture (sic)", the actress added. "It allows me to share something as a proud parent of them without infringing on their privacy at all (sic)." On November 28, the 'Erin Brockovich' Oscar winner shared an old photo of Hazel Patricia and Phinnaeus Walter as infants, sitting in her lap. "There are no words for the joy, the fun, the wild rumpus of life together", she captioned the shot. As per 'People', Roberts also shares son Henry Daniel, 16, with husband Danny Moder. During the Extra interview, Roberts was joined by Mahershala Ali to discuss their upcoming Netflix film, 'Leave the World Behind'. The upcoming film chronicles a technology mass failure during a world-ending disaster. But Roberts admitted that being stuck in the house "with kids and no devices" actually "sounds like a good time" to her. She explained that her children aren't dependent on technology, but she misses the period in time "when you couldn't get ahold of people, or they couldn't get ahold of you." She said, "I think of a family coming together at the end of the day, and you actually have things to talk about at dinner because you haven't been in contact all day long a hundred times or a busy signal." 'Leave the World Behind' debuts on Netflix on Friday. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. France is currently trying to create tension in the region by arming Armenia, Co-chairman of the Turkish-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary friendship group, a representative of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkiye's Grand National Assembly, MP Shamil Ayrim told Trend. He noted that Armenia is a puppet of France. "Colonial France was driven out of Africa, now it is looking for an arena to gain new confidence. It is using Armenia for this purpose. France also worthlessly supported Armenia in the second Karabakh war, which ended with Azerbaijan's victory. France and Armenia must wise up. If they want war, they should know that Azerbaijan is a strong country with solid economy, smart politics, and a powerful army. In this regard, all their plans are doomed to collapse," Ayrim added. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel New Delhi, Dec 5 : Actor Aditya Srivastava expressed his grief over the untimely demise of his 'CID' co-actor Dinesh Phadnis, and shared they were like a family, calling him the 'pillar of strength'. Aditya, who played Senior Inspector Abhijeet in the show, told IANS: "At midnight 12.08 he left us. He got a reaction with a medicine due to which there was a problem on liver, and then there was a multiple organ failure situation. He was hospitalised for the past two-three days and yesterday he passed away." The 'Super 30' fame actor said: "We had a long association with each other, it was like family. We were together for more than 20 years for the show. We used to meet on different occasions, and situations. The way he was on the screen, similarly he was in real life. 'Bahut zinda dil tha'. He was jovial, caring, and a good friend. We are still in shock." The actor called the "core 'CID' team was like a family only". "We have spent a lot of time together. A team goes for a long time, when you have like-minded people together, and everything is smooth. He was a pillar of strength," said the 55-year-old. The 'Lakshya' fame concluded, saying, "Kisi bhi situation me khada rehne wala, or saath dene wala insaan tha. He used to make us laugh all day, crack jokes etc." Dinesh gained popularity by playing the fun-loving Fredericks' in 'CID'. He breathed his last in Mumbai aged 57. Kolkata, Dec 5 : Uncertainties continue over the introduction of a new examination system related to the new national education policy, for the 169 colleges under the jurisdiction of the University of Calcutta. Every time university authorities propose to convene a meeting to discuss the matter, the proposal is rejected by the West Bengal Education Department, university insiders said. The West Bengal Education Departmentas contention is that since the University of Calcutta does not have a permanent Vice-Chancellor such meetings cannot be convened by an interim Vice-Chancellor. As of now, the daily affairs of the University of Calcutta are being managed by the current interim Vice-Chancellor Shanta Dutta, who was appointed by the West Bengal Governor, CV Ananda Bose. There is a tussle between the Governoras House and state Secretariat on the issue of the interim Vice- Chancellor. University insiders fear that unless a quick decision relating to the matter of introduction of the new examination system is taken, there might be complications relating to the declaration of results, thus putting the future of students at stake. Recently, similar complications surfaced in another iconic university in the city, Jadavpur University (JU), where the proposal to convene a working committee meeting of the university by the current interim Vice-Chancellor Buddhadeb Sau was rejected by the state education department on similar grounds. Like Dutta, Sau was also appointed by the Governor as the interim Vice-Chancellor, much to the dislike of the state government. JU had been running without a permanent Vice-Chancellor and Sau was appointed by the Governor soon after the ragging- related suicide of a fresher at the studentas hostel there. Sri Lanka, the Indian Ocean island known for its pristine beaches and sprawling tea plantations, has recorded a drastic slump in tourist numbers in 2019 after the Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 250 people. (Xinhua/Guo Lei/IANS). Image Source: IANS News Colombo, Dec 5 : Sri Lanka welcomed 151,496 international tourists in November, the highest monthly number of visitors it received in 2023, according to the latest data released by the tourism authority. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said this is the first time that the number of tourists to the South Asian country passed the 150,000 mark in a month after December 2019, reports Xinhua news agency. The island nation's cumulative tourist arrivals for the first 11 months of the year stand at 1.27 million, according to the SLTDA. About 20 per cent of the total number of tourists came from India, with other key markets including Russia, Germany, the UK, Australia, China, the US and France, it said. Tourism is one of Sri Lanka's top foreign revenue generators. The government waived visa fees for nationals from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan in late November to boost tourism in the coming season. Jaipur, Dec 5 : National president of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, was shot dead in Jaipur on Tuesday afternoon after assailants fired on him outside his house and fled. Gogamedi was taken to the Metro Mass Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. Another person named Ajit Singh, who was with Gogamedi at the time of the incident, was seriously injured. According to the police, Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi's house is on Shyam Nagar Janpath and the two miscreants reached his house around 1:30 pm on Tuesday. As soon as Gogamedi appeared, the miscreants started firing at him. According to sources, Gogamedi was hit by four bullets. After firing at him the miscreants ran away and tried to hijack a car in order to escape but the driver sped away. Then they snatched a scooty from a rider coming from behind and made their getaway. Shyam Nagar police reached the spot and began investigation. Gogamedi was associated with the Rashtriya Karni Sena for a long time and later after a dispute within the organisation, he left and floated his own outfit. He came into the limelight due to the protest held in Rajasthan over the film Padmavat and in the gangster Anandpal encounter case. New Delhi, Dec 5 : A Special CBI Judge in Punjab's Mohali on Tuesday convicted two SAIL officers and one SBI employee in a cheating case and sentenced them to seven years Rigorous Imprisonment with a total fine of Rs 2.45 lakh, said officials The accused who were convicted are -- Shankar Batra, then Manager, SAIL; Ashwini Oberoi, then Senior Assistant or Cashier, SAIL; and Buta Ram Ghai, then Assistant, SBI. A CBI spokesperson here said that the agency had registered a case against then Chief Manager, SBI and others. In the FIR, it was alleged that the accused entered into conspiracy with each other and fraudulently cheated the SBI, New Railway Road Branch in Punjab's Jalandhar. The official said that an alleged loss to the tune of Rs 18.63 crore was caused by way of manipulation, forgery, cheating, fraud, etc. "After investigation, a charge sheet was filed before the Court of Special Judge, CBI Cases, SAS Nagar, Mohali on September 13, 2004, against seven accused, including then public servants and then Directors of private company. "During trial, four accused, including then Chief Manager, SBI and said Directors of a private company expired and proceedings against them were abated.The Trial Court found the said three accused guilty and convicted them," the official added. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Advocate Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it was a "very strange" situation where a batch of pleas concerning the delay in appointment or transfer of judges in higher judiciary was deleted from the causelist. Bhushan apprised a bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia that the matter was not listed for hearing despite a fixed date given in the previous order. He urged that an explanation must be called from the Registry over non-listing. At this, Justice Kaul said: "I am sure that the Chief Justice (of India) must be aware of it I have not deleted the matter or expressed unwillingness to take it. Some things are better left unsaid some times." In its previous order, the bench had directed that it will continue to hear on December 5 the issue of delay by the Union government in notifying Collegium recommendations. Earlier, the Supreme Court had warned the Centre of "an unpalatable order" if it delays and continues to have the selective 'pick and choose' approach in notifying recommendations forwarded by the Collegium. ED suspends its official arrested by Rajasthan ACB in graft case; launches probe. Image Source: IANS News Jaipur, Dec 5 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted raids at 30 places across Rajasthan in connection with the Khalistani case. Sources said that most searches were conducted near Rajasthan-Haryana border. Earlier, an alleged "future map" of Khalistan had gone viral on social media. The map included Alwar, Bharatpur, Sriganganagar, Anupgarh, Bikaner, Phalodi, Jodhpur, Bundi and Kota areas of Rajasthan. Following the map controversy, the central agencies had conducted searches and submitted its report to the Home Ministry. However, no action followed in the case. After a diplomatic row erupted between Canada and India, the case again came to limelight. The Khalistan activities have been reported in Rajasthan in the past as well. The investigating agencies had also imposed strict measures for some days regarding the case in Ganganagar district. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Severe Cyclone Michaung over the Bay of Bengal has been causing extremely heavy rains over the coastal parts of north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh during the last 48 hours. For the mayhem, scientists blame El Nino and the climate change multiplies storm's impact. Torrential and incessant rains have triggered flash flooding in Chennai, which has claimed at least eight lives and inundated several streets. After bettering Tamil Nadu, Michaung is now all set to make landfall near Bapatla coast in Andhra Pradesh as a severe cyclonic storm any time now. The proximity of the coast will weaken the storm just before the landfall. After that, it is most likely to recurve north-eastward over land, parallel to the coast. With this, it will keep proximity to the Bay of Bengal, which would continue to infuse moisture into the system. This would help Cyclone Michaung sustain its strength for a few hours after hitting the coast, say climate experts. However, even as a weakened depression and low-pressure area, moderate to heavy rains, accompanied by squally winds, are expected over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha in the next few days. Michaung is the sixth storm of this year in Indian seas. December is the peak month of the post-monsoon cyclone season, where most of the cyclonic storms usually head towards Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh. While the formation of a tropical storm in the Bay of Bengal during December is very timely, the intensity of rains associated with the cyclone Michaung is not normal, say an expert. Climate change multiplies impacts of cyclogenesis, he says. The frequency and intensity of cyclones have increased manifolds owing to global warming. Ninety-three per cent of the heat is being observed by the oceans, and warm waters act as an energy source for cyclones. Scientists note that the intensity of the cyclone depends not only on sea surface temperature but, more importantly, on the volume of warm water in the ocean. According to a report, the increase in sea surface temperature could result in peak heavy rainfall in the tropical cyclone inner-core region, especially the rear sector. Heavy rainfall areas extend to greater distances around the tropical cyclone centre. The observed changes of tangential wind speed due to large sea surface enthalpy fluxes (rate of flow of heat energy) associated with ocean warming result in tropical cyclone size changes and then guide the cyclone to north-eastward movement. Similar conditions were seen in Chennai, which saw incessant rains on December 3-4 as the dense cloud bands of cyclone Michaung hovered over the city. "El Ninos usually peak around Christmas in December, a reason why they derive their name from the Spanish term for 'little boy'. As oceans absorb more than 93 per cent of the additional heat from global warming, El Ninos are also getting stronger," said Roxy Mathew Koll, Climate Scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. "They are not little boys anymore but monsters of the sea. Changes in ocean-cyclone interactions have emerged in recent decades in response to Indian Ocean warming and are to be closely monitored with improved observations since future climate projections demonstrate continued warming of the Indian Ocean at a rapid pace along with an increase in the intensity of cyclones in this basin." New Delhi, Dec 5 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday deferred hearing to February 14, 2024 in NIA's plea seeking death penalty for Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, who is undergoing a life sentence in a terror funding case. A bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Shalinder Kaur also directed the Jail Superintendent of Tihar Jail to produce Malik from jail through video conferencing (VC) on the next date of hearing. Last year in May, Malik -- who pleaded guilty -- was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special NIA court in a terror funding case, and was convicted of offences under various sections of IPC. NIA has challenged the trial court order and has sought the death penalty for Malik. Last time, in August, the convict appeared before the court through VC. On May 29, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta had said that Malik avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty "very tactfully". "Wider issue troubling us that any terrorist may come, commit terror activities and the court may say because he has pleaded guilty, we are giving life sentence. Everyone would come here and avoid trial by pleading guilty because they would know if they enter trial, hanging is the only result," he had argued. The high court had on May 29 also issued production warrants for Wednesday to Malik on NIA's plea, however, on August 4, the court modified its order and allowed Tihar jail superintendentas urgent application seeking to produce him through video conference (VC), citing security issues. Citing an order issued by the President last year, Delhi governmentas Standing Counsel Sanjay Lao, appearing for the jail authorities, had said that Malik is a threat to the society and thus, he shall not be moved out of jail or taken out from Delhi till one year or completion of his trial. In another incident, on July 21, the Supreme Court was stunned to see Malik before it as he appeared for an appeal filed by the CBI against a special Jammu court order calling for his physical appearance for trial in kidnapping and murder cases against him. Lao had also apprised the court of the above-mentioned event. Taking note of the order issued by the President, the court had said: "In that view of the matter, the order dated May 29, 2023, is necessarily modified to the extent that the jail superintendent is directed to produce Yasin Malik through VC alone on August 9 and not in person. No further directions are necessary to be passed in the application. The application is allowed and disposed of accordingly." The jail authority had sought modification of the high court's order directing personal presence of Malik during the hearing, saying that the convict is marked as a "very high risk" prisoner, hence he should be allowed to join the proceedings through VC. "... it is submitted that the Respondent/Convict Yasin Malik has been lodged in the Tihar Jail, New Delhi under the category of very high risk prisoners and thus, the present Application is in relation to a heavy security issue. Therefore, it is imperative that the Respondent/Convict Yasin Malik is not physically produced before this Honable Court in order to maintain public order and safety," the application had said. On July 21, Supreme Court bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Surya Kant recused itself from hearing the case and deferred it by four weeks. The Solicitor General had taken up the issue of Malik's appearance before the top court, saying that the procedure is that the Registrar of the court needs to approve of such appearances. He apprised the bench that Malik cannot be brought out of jail since Section 268 of the Criminal Procedure Code applies to him. The SG added that the Central government will be taking necessary steps to ensure that Malik is not let out of jail again, and said that it is a heavy security issue. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, who appeared for the CBI, said that Malik was brought out of jail callously by the jail authorities upon misinterpretation of the top court's order. The next day, Delhi prison authorities suspended four officers in Malik's security lapse case, an official had told. Mumbai, Dec 5 : In the upcoming episode of 'Bigg Boss 17', best friends Mannara Chopra and Munawar Faruqui friendship have hit a rough patch after their equation soured when Mannara tried to reach out to Munawar, only to find their friendship strained. She is visibly upset that Munawar seems to be distancing himself due to others' perceptions of her closeness to the shaayar. Before she could fully express her feelings, Munawar abruptly storms off in a fit of frustration. Their rift stems from Mannara's repeated assertions of not wanting to be influenced or overshadowed by anyone in the house, something that didn't sit well with Munawar. The tension escalates as Mannara is hurt by Munawar's sudden change in behaviour, to which he coldly retorts that he simply doesn't want to talk to her anymore. Things take a snarky turn when Mannara sarcastically thanks Munawar for hurting her, triggering an enraged response from Munawar, who snaps back at her, asking her to get lost. The kitchen chaos takes centre stage as Sana Raees Khan faces a mountain of dishes she's in no mood to tackle. Tagged as a slacker, she's under fire for letting the pots and pans pile up, drawing criticism from all corners of the house. Munawar, concerned about the hygiene repercussions, raises the alarm about flies swarming over the neglected dishes, making life uncomfortable for everyone in the chowk. However, Vicky Jain, Anurag Dobhal, and Arun Srikanth are unwilling to step in and lend a hand in Sana's place. As tensions flare over unwashed dishes, the plot thickens when aBigg Bossa summons Sana to the confession room with an interesting proposition. Sana is offered a tempting deal: give up half of the entire ration meant for the housemates in exchange for freedom from her household duties. After Sana opts for freedom, the housemates are far from pleased, accusing her of making them suffer just to get rid of responsibilities. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Commander of the Azerbaijan Naval Forces, Vice Admiral Subhan Bakirov met with the Chief of the Navy of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, Trend reports. An official welcoming ceremony was held. The guest passed along the guard ofhonor and the national anthems of both countries were performed. Flowers were laid at the monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the territory of Naval Forces headquarters, and his bright memory was honored. The Book of Honor was signed by the protocol. The prospects for the development of cooperation between Azerbaijani-Iranian naval sailors were discussed at the meeting held in the headquarters building of the Azerbaijan Naval Forces. The importance of conducting joint exercises in the Caspian Sea to increase the professionalism of military personnel, as well as to exchange mutual experience, was emphasized. In the meeting, detailed views were exchanged on several issues of mutual interest. During the meeting, the Iranian delegation was presented with a briefing on Azerbaijan Naval Forces. At the end, the sides exchanged presents and a photo was taken. Tractor plows into 2 clashing groups in Bihar, five injured. Image Source: IANS News Patna, Dec 5 : Five people were injured, one of then critically, when a man on a tractor plowed into a group of people clashing with each other in Bihar's Vaishali district on Tuesday. According to police, the incident occurred at Karmopur village under Rustampur village in Raghopur - the constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. The police said that two groups of people clashed with each other using batons and iron rods. In the meantime, a person came with the tractor and ran over one of the groups. Five persons came under the front and back wheels of the vehicle and sustained multiple fractures. One of them is stated to be critical. The victims were rushed to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital Patna. A large number of police personnel have been deployed in the village to prevent any untoward incident. Kolkata, Dec 5 : The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday snubbed West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) for allegedly adopting double standards in the Supreme Court and the high court as regards to cancellation of appointments for those who got jobs in state-run school with unfair means. A division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi, the new special bench in Calcutta High Court constituted to hear all cases related to the alleged cash-for-school-job case in the state, said the special bench was constituted after the apex court of the country returned all the cases in the matter to Calcutta High Court. The division bench observed that if some candidates have adopted corrupt means to get jobs, why the WBSSC should also be a party to it. The bench noted that first the commission informed the Calcutta High Court that it cancelled the appointments of such ineligible candidates using the power conferred on the commission. However, later, when these candidates approached the Supreme Court challenging the cancellation of the appointments, the WBSSC told the apex court that they had to take the step because of the "pressure" of Calcutta High Court. Taking strong objections to the double standards, the division bench directed WBPCC to file an affidavit clarifying its explanations in the matter. Justice Basak also observed that if the entire panel gets cancelled because of such double standards, several genuine candidates will be adversely affected. "In that case, the state government will have to pay compensation at the cost of public money," Justice Basak observed. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenya President William Ruto on Tuesday held discussions on strengthening defence ties between the two countries in order to strengthen maritime security and jointly combat piracy, drug trafficking and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region. The growing co-operation between India and Kenya in the field of defense is a symbol of our deep mutual trust and common interests, PM Modi said after the meeting. "In today's discussion, we emphasised on holding joint military exercises, capacity building as well as linking the defense industries of both the countries. As countries connected to the Indian Ocean, maritime security, piracy and drug trafficking are matters of our common priority," Modi said. The Prime Minister said to strengthen mutual cooperation in this "important area" a joint vision statement on maritime cooperation was also being issued "Close cooperation between Kenya and India will strengthen all our efforts in the Indo-Pacific," Modi said. "I am confident that President Ruto's visit to India will not only strengthen bilateral ties but will give a new momentum to our engagement with Africa," he said. India and Kenya are of the view that terrorism is the most serious challenge facing humanity and both sides have decided to enhance counter-terror cooperation, Modi added. As part of the growing economic engagement between the two countries, India has agreed to provide USD 250 million as Line of Credit to Kenya to help the country modernise its agriculture sector. India also agreed to share its successful experience in space technology with Kenya and harness it for public welfare. "With this commitment and spirit of friendship, we will continue our efforts to increase our cooperation in all fields," Modi added. Modi also highlighted the fact that clean energy is the main priority of both the countries and pointed out that Kenya had taken the very commendable step for organising the Africa Climate Summit. It also reflects President Ruto's commitment to unitedly address all global challenges, he added. "I am glad that Kenya has decided to join the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Solar Alliance. Additionally, Kenya's decision to join the International Big Cat Alliance will help us strengthen global efforts to conserve big cats," the Prime Minister said. PM Modi said that India is ready to share its knowhow and achievements in the digital public infrastructure with Kenya to help the country. He also said the approximately 80,000 people of Indian origin who consider Kenya as their second home are the biggest strength of the relations between the two countries. Jaipur, Dec 5 : The first meeting of the Congress Legislature Party, after its defeat in the Rajasthan assembly elections, was held on Tuesday at the party headquarters here, in which a resolution was passed to leave the decision to pick the Leader of the Opposition on the party high command. All the MLAs of the party attended the meeting. During this, all three supervisors took one-to-one feedback. Congress MLA from Ramgarh and former national secretary Zuber Khan has raised questions regarding the defeat of Congress. In the meeting, the party's next strategy was discussed and issues related to the defeat were discussed. The issue of corruption also came up in the elections. There was a demand to fix the responsibility of senior leaders for the defeat. During this, supporters of Sachin Pilot raised slogans at the state Congress headquarters. Zuber Khan said, "We could not take our plans to the lower level, that is why we lost the elections. The real strength of the party is the workers. If importance is given to agencies instead of workers, it will be a loss. BJP's Balmukund Acharya, who won from Hawamahal, yesterday said about the removal of the meat shop that this is not a democratic process. We are born in this soil, don't teach us." After the meeting, outgoing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, "We will accept whoever the high command makes the leader of the legislative party. This is our tradition, which we will carry out." Despite the defeat in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the vote share of Congress has not reduced anywhere. This is a good sign for Congress. There will be discussion regarding the results of the elections, he added. On his role in Congress, he said, "My role will be that I will work like an ordinary worker. It is not a matter of position." He said that all the newly elected MLAs have been requested to start preparing for the Lok Sabha elections from now on. Kochi, Dec 5 : The Kerala High Court on Tuesday said the students, who organised tech fest 'DHISHNA' at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) on November 25, should not be blamed for the stampede that occurred during the event, which resulted in the death of 4 students and left 64 others injured. Justice Devan Ramachandran made the observation remarks while hearing a petition filed by the Congress student organisation KSU, demanding a judicial probe into the episode. "I donat want any blame game on any students, it will leave a big impact on them. The families are robbed of their existence. No students should be scarred. No students who organised the event should be blamed. The minds of the young children should not be subjected to a blame game. The young people have to live...Unfortunately, we react after the incident. Accidents donat happen on purpose. Fingers point to some system failure. I want to know what enquiries are going on," he asked orally. The court then directed the Additional Advocate General and the government pleader to get instructions on the nature of inquiries that have already been initiated by the state government. The plea was filed by KSU President Alosyious Xavier, who alleged that the incident took place due to the in action of university authorities including the Vice Chancellor, Registrar, and CUSAT Principal. The stampede occurred at the amphitheatre and the petition noted out the single entry and exit point at the venue was one reason and authorities neglected their duty of ensuring safety protocols. Another aspect in the petition alleged that though the police lodged an FIR, the investigation is biased due to the political influences of the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front coalition, as their nominees are the office bearers of both Syndicate and Senate of the University. The petition will now be considered on December 14, when the court will go through the status of the ongoing probe. --IANS sg/vd San Francisco, Dec 5 : Meta will soon discontinue the "cross-app communication chats" feature that lets you chat with Facebook friends on Instagram. Starting in mid-December, the company will disconnect the feature, which it added in 2020. "Beginning in mid-December 2023, you will no longer be able to chat with Facebook accounts on Instagram," the company wrote on its support page. The company didnat mention the reason for doing so, but, as 9to5Google speculates, avoiding regulatory ramifications in the European Union (EU) seems like a reason behind this development. Once the cross-app communication feature is removed, you will not be able to start new conversations or calls with Facebook accounts from Instagram. Any existing chats on Instagram that youave had with Facebook accounts will become read-only, even if these Facebook accounts are removed from the chat, meaning you and others with Instagram accounts cannot send new messages in these chats, the company explained. In addition, Facebook accounts will not be able to view your Activity Status or whether youave seen a message. Any existing chats you've had with Facebook accounts will not move to your inbox on Facebook or Messenger. Meanwhile, Meta has introduced new updates on several products across Facebook and Instagram to help creators make money. The company is testing a new invite-only holiday bonus on Instagram for creators in the US, South Korea and Japan. Creators will earn based on the number of reels plays and photo views they receive during the bonus period, as long as the content passes Content Monetisation Policies. Bhopal, Dec 5 : Former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's question over authenticity of EVMs (electronic voting machine) has sparked a political controversy after the results of Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections on Sunday gave a clear mandate to the BJP. Digvijaya Singh, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, posted a message on his social media account mentioning over authenticity of the EVMs. He claimed "EVM machine fitted with chip can be hacked." The Congress leader also said he has been opposing election through EVMs since 2003. Singh posted the message on his social media account while responding to a media report of 2012 with headline -- 'BJP blames EVMs for defeat' -- shared by a journalist. Responding to that report, the Congress leader wrote, "Any Machine with a chip can be hacked." He added, "I have opposed voting by EVM since 2003. Can we allow our Indian democracy to be controlled by professional hackers! This is the fundamental question which all political parties have to address. Hon ECI and Hon Supreme Court would you please defend our Indian Democracy?" Singh's social media post came two days after the Congress was decimated by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The Congress leader's post is also likely to push for a debate over authenticity of the EVMs used for the elections. Digvijaya Singh has raised question on EVMs earlier too. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath raised doubt on 'fairness of elections' in Madhya Pradesh. After meeting with party's candidates for introspection of defeat, Kamal Nath said some candidates did not get even 50 votes in their villages, which came as a surprise to him. "Some former MLAs have complained they did not get even 50 votes in their village," Kamal Nath said talking to the reporters, adding that, "Exit polls were made by those who knew the results of the Madhya Pradesh assembly election." In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP won 163 seats in the 230-member assembly. The Congress had to stay content with 66. The result flew in the face of exit poll projections that predicted a close fight. Asked about some Congress leaders alleging EVM hacking, Kamal Nath said, "It would not be right to come to a conclusion without holding discussions. I will talk to everyone first." However, he expressed surprise at the poll results, stressing that the public mood was in the Congress' favour. "Even you know what the mood was. Why are you asking me? Ask the people," he told reporters. Bengaluru, Dec 5 : The statements of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over allocating special grants to Muslims and assuring the community of protection has sparked a controversy in the state. The BJP had slammed him for resorting to appeasement politics. Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai stated on Tuesday that Siddaramaiah had spoken about giving the special rights to the minorities in national resources. This is nothing but vote bank and appeasement politics. It seems that the CM has forgotten his duty of rendering justice to one and all. Bommai further stated, "Already, there are departments for the minorities like the Waqf Board, Minority Commission and Minority Corporation which have been getting funds through several programs. The intention of all the governments has been that they must also be educated to become self-reliant. But the CM's statement of riding over the other communities was highly condemnable." The funds reserved for the development of the SCs and STs have been diverted to the guarantee schemes and done injustice to those two oppressed communities, Bommai charged. "Siddaramaiah said more grants would be given for the Muslims which was nothing but appeasement politics. This would not only bankrupt the state treasury but also cause social differentiation," he charged. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asserted that there was nothing wrong in allocating Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000 crore for the welfare of the minority community in the state budget. Addressing the BJP's objection to his statement about protecting Muslims in the state, Siddaramaiah clarified, "I have stated that protection will be given to all, including Muslims." He expressed dissatisfaction with the media for potentially highlighting only one part of his statement and neglecting the broader context. Mka Mumbai, Dec 5 : As the makers of Ajay Devgn and Tabu-starrer 'Auron Main Kahan Dum Tha' have announced the new release date of the movie, actress Saiee Manjrekar, who is also a part of the movie has called it a special one, saying she can't wait for everyone to witness the film. Saiee, who is known for her work in 'Dabangg 3' and 'Major', will be sharing the screen space with Ajay and Tabu in Neeraj Pandey's film 'Auron Main Kahan Dum Tha'. The actress will be seen in an interesting and quite different role in the movie, a role she has never portrayed on the screen before. With this announcement, Saiee penned a heartfelt note and wrote: "Okay this one is so special! My best filming experience to date. Can't wait for everyone to witness the world of 'Auron Main Kahan Dum Tha'!" The film also stars Shantanu Maheshwari and will be released on April 26, 2024. Meanwhile, on the work front, Saiee was last in the Telugu film 'Skanda'. She played the charcater of Rudraganti Parineeta. Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 5 : Kerala Director Public Instruction S. Shanavas on Tuesday expressed 'concerns' over the quality of the education saying that the education quality is falling in the state. "Gone are the days, when the quality of education in Kerala was compared to Europe. It is now being compared to Bihar," Shanavas said during an interaction with the school teachers, who had met to discuss the conduct of the upcoming Class X and XII examination to be held in March 2024. He said that every year around 69,000 students get A+ but there are also students among them who don't even know how to write correctly. "Some of them even do not know how to write their name correctly. This is gross injustice with the other students," he said. Following Shanavas remarks, there was uproar in the state prompting State Education Minister V. Sivankutty to respond. The minister said that not much needs to be looked into a statement made during a routine meeting of teachers. "These remarks should not be mistaken as that of the state government," the minister said. He said that the policy of the government is to protect and improve the quality of education standards in the state. "Kerala's education standards have been applauded by UNICEF and have been ranked high in the national rankings as well. Our aim is to strengthen it even further," the minister said. Leader of Opposition (LoP) V.D Satheesan said that the government should take note of what has been pointed out. In Kerala, the pass percentage of Class X reached as high as 99 per cent as compared to three decades ago, when it was around 60 to 70 per cent. In 2023, around 4.5 lakh students appeared for the SSLC Class X public examination and the overall pass percentage was 99.70. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Adalat Valiyev, Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan's Department for Relations with Political Parties and Legislative Power, met with a delegation led by Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development Party of Turkiye on Foreign Relations, MP from Istanbul Zafer Sirakaya, Trend reports. Adalat Valiyev informed the guests that Azerbaijan has restored its sovereignty as a result of the historic victory in the 44-day Second Karabakh war led by President, victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, and local anti-terrorist activities in Karabakh, and large-scale and purposeful reconstruction and construction work continues in the territories liberated from Armenian occupation. The head of the department highlighted that strategic allied relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye are unique throughout the world, and both sides have proven a willingness to strengthen diverse collaboration. Adalat Valiyev stated that cooperation between the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has deepened in accordance with the political will of the heads of state and that strengthening ties between the two ruling parties has made an important contribution to the development of inter-country relations. He also stressed the focused actions aimed at enhancing bilateral relations in accordance with the cooperation protocol signed in 2021 by YAP and AKP. Zafer Sirakaya mentioned that the development of ties between the two parties is an important element of inter-state relations, and the implementation of mutual visits of a permanent nature is of great importance to strengthen inter-party contacts. He added that, as a result of Azerbaijan's historic victory, opportunities for regional security and cooperation have been created. Deputy Chairman and Head of the Central Office of the New Azerbaijan Party, Tahir Budagov, also attended the meeting. San Francisco, Dec 5 : Tech billionaire Elon Musk has now picked a fight with American media personality and businesswoman Paris Hilton days after her company pulled an ad campaign from X amid an uproar over antisemitic content on the app. Hilton's company '11:11 Media' followed several major companies, including IBM and Apple, which pulled ad campaigns from X after Musk promoted an antisemitic post on X, reports the New York Post. While the now-cancelled arrangement between X and 11:11 Media was marketed as a broad collaboration, Musk targeted Hilton's recently-launched line of pink cookware. "The ad campaign wasn't super convincing tbh," Musk wrote. "I don't think Paris cooks a lot". In October, X CEO Linda Yaccarino highlighted the advertising arrangement on her own account, referring to Hilton as the "queen of pop culture, music, business, and TV". "The queen of pop culture, music, business, and TV is #Sliving on X. @ParisHilton welcome to the @X family, we're excited to launch an official partnership with you and your next-gen media company 11:11," Yaccarino wrote at the time. Musk's jab at Hilton came shortly after a remarkable appearance at the New York Times' DealBook summit. At the Summit, when Andrew Ross Sorkin asked the X owner about pauses in advertising, Musk replied: "Don't advertise." "You don't want them to advertise?" Sorkin asked him. "If somebody's going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money? Go f*** yourself," Musk said. However, he apologised for what he called his "dumbest" ever social media post on Semitism. Momentum can take market higher but analysts caution of sharp correction. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Dec 5 : Despite a broad-based rally, the fear gauge India VIX is also going up. Traders are advised caution for the next two days until the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) concludes, says Sheersham Gupta, Director and Senior Technical Analyst at Rupeezy. "The market is already overheated and a policy change or an unfavorable commentary may elicit a sharp reaction from the market," he said. Nifty rose on December 5 with another (though smaller) upgap showing the strength of fund-based buying. It made a near hanging man pattern that could portend a correction in the near term, says Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities. "We will watch as to whether the successive upgaps get filled in the next few sessions. If not, then the upmove could continue towards 20,910. A break of this level could take the Nifty to 21,558 over the next few weeks. On falls, the gap level of 20,508 could offer support. Nifty could in all likelihood start to correct mildly on and from December 7," he said. Nifty ended higher for the sixth consecutive session on December 5. At close, Nifty was up 0.81 per cent or 168.3 points at 20,855.1. Cash volumes on the NSE crossed Rs 1.2 lakh crore amidst increased activity from institutions including FPIs. Broad market indices rose less than the Nifty even as the advance decline ratio fell to 0.91:1, he said. Hyderabad, Dec 5 : Supporters of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday staged a protest outside the hotel where newly-elected Congress MLAs are camping in Hyderabad. Agitated over the delay in naming Revanth Reddy as the chief minister, they squatted in front of Ellaa Hotel in Gachibowli and raised slogans of aRevanth CMa. A couple of the protestors also tried to immolate themselves. However, police personnel acted swiftly to stop them and whisked them away. A group of supporters had staged a similar protest outside Raj Bhavan on Monday night where all the arrangements were made for swearing-in of the chief minister but the plans were put on hold due to reported lack of consensus among MLAs on who should be the chief minister. Police have stepped up the security after the incident. The newly-elected MLAs have been camping at the hotel since Friday evening. The name of Revanth Reddy as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader is likely to be announced at the CLP meeting scheduled to be held this evening. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who is also the AICC observer, is returning to Hyderabad and he will make the announcement in the CLP meeting. Shivakumar had left for Delhi on Monday night to apprise the high command of the decision taken at the meeting of the newly-elected MLAs and their opinion. Congress MP and former president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Uttam Kumar Reddy also met Shivakumar in Delhi Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who was leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in the dissolved Assembly, was also in Delhi to meet the central leaders. AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with Rahul Gandhi and other leaders at his residence, where the name of the leader was finalised. A meeting of newly-elected MLAs held in Hyderabad on Monday morning had authorised Mallikarjun Kharge to name the leader of the CLP. However, till late Monday there was no announcement from the leadership, causing anxiety among supporters of Revanth Reddy, who is the front-runner for the top post. After the CLP meeting, Shivakumar along with other AICC observers Deepa Das Munshi, Dr Ajoy Kumar, K. J. George and K. Muraleedharan had held individual meetings with all 64 legislators to take their opinion. Tel Aviv, Dec 5 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday said that two more army personnel have been killed during their operation against Hamas in Gaza. "With these two deaths, 80 of our army personnel have been killed so far in Gaza since the ground invasion began on October 7," an IDF Spokesperson said. He identified the two deceased soldiers as Capt. Yahel Gazit (24), Company Commander with 188 Armoured Brigade 53rd Battalion and Master Sgt (res) Gil Daniels (34) of 261st Brigade 6261 battalion. Hamas and Israel had agreed on a four-day ceasefire which went on for three more days following the hostage and prisoner swap between the two varying factions. The ceasefire was brokered by Qatar with active participation of the U.S, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Hostilities again broke out between the two after a seven-day ceasefire ended on December 1. New Delhi, Dec 5 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Union government on a plea filed against restrictions imposed on single unmarried women from availing surrogacy. A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan agreed to examine the petition filed by a practicing lawyer seeking to "realise the right of reproduction and motherhood". Senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal pleaded that the petitioner, having a diabetic condition and 40 years of age, has a right to reproduction and motherhood even without entering a marriage as she intends to "secure her right of availing surrogacy and experience motherhood on her terms without state's interference in her private life". The petition, filed through advocate Malak Manish Bhatt, said that the petitioner is excluded from availing the benefits of scientific and medical advancement by way of various provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Rules, 2022. It said that barring single unmarried women from availing surrogacy while allowing the same for divorced or widowed women is "manifestly arbitrary and irrational" as there is no restriction on a single unmarried woman adopting a child or having a child out of wedlock. "The right to a meaningful family life, which allows a person to live a fulfilling life and helps in retaining her physical, psychological and emotional integrity falls within the ambit of Article 21 of the Constitution," said the plea, adding that the restriction of surrogacy to only divorced and widowed women is in violation of fundamental rights under the Constitution. Further, the plea challenges the prohibition on any monetary compensation to the surrogate mother saying that "it would shake the conscience of the petitioner to ask of another woman to undertake gestational surrogacy for 9 months and the rigors of pregnancy with all its attendant risks, impact on quality of life, impact on the body, impact on mind (post-partum depression) and loss of income, without any monetary consideration". The petition said: "The (Surrogacy) Act violates the test of proportionality since instead of regulating commercial surrogacy to address any potential concerns of exploitation of surrogate mother, it chooses to completely prohibit any monetary consideration/ compensation to a surrogate mother." It also challenged the condition "which prohibits use of donor eggs and requires single woman to only use self-eggs". Earlier, pleas were filed in the top court against a notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry prohibiting donor gametes to couples wanting children through surrogacy. The Supreme Court had also issued notice on a PIL challenging the vires of Surrogacy Act, 2021 and the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, 2021, for direct infringement on reproductive rights of women. --IANS puneet.vd Mumbai, Dec 5 : Shiv Sena-UBT President and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday challenged the state government to conduct the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections with ballot papers instead of EVMs. Addressing the media her, Thackeray said that recently the Bharatiya Janata Party got success in three of the five states' assembly election. "The BJP has got a landslide victory in the three states (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh) recently. But my challenge to them is, conduct the upcoming BMC elections with ballot papers and then see the outcome," he said, throwing the gauntlet at the BJP. "If you have the courage", then hold the BMC polls first, and conduct only that election with ballot paper and then see the outcome, he said. Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar came out in support of Thackeray's demand to hold the civic polls with ballot papers. "Even when Thackeray was allied with the BJP, he had made a similar demand, though at that time it was vis-a-vis the Congress. But this ballot paper experiment must be done now," the Congress leader urged. He pointed to certain alleged instances of suspected EVM tinkering and said "doubts have been created in the minds of the people". "Major democracies like the USA have also discontinued EVMs Clear the confusion in the minds of the masses. If the elections are really being held honestly then conduct them once with ballot papers and allay the peoples' fears," Wadettiwar added. Thackeray also sought details of the status of the Dharavi redevelopment project that has been awarded to the Adani Group recently. The ex-CM said that the people of Dharavi need to be shifted along with their industries, and said that they must be given at least 400-500 sq feet homes. He expressed strong concerns over many of the huts in Dharavi reportedly facing issues of eligibility for inclusion in the revamp project. Thackeray said that the Shiv Sena-UBT will take out a protest march on December 16 in Dharavi to demand answers on various apprehensions of the people there. New Delhi, Dec 5 : FIIs have remained net buyers to the tune of Rs 17,133 crores in the last eight trading sessions, says Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Nifty continued its winning streak for sixth consecutive day and close with gains of 168 points (+0.8%) at 20855 levels. Metals, Banking, Oil & Gas and Consumer Durables were among top gainers in the sector, he said. Rally was seen in Adani Group stocks after Bloomberg reported US agency concluded accusations against conglomerate werenat relevant. Upstream Oil companies were also in focus after OPEC+ extended its production cut to Q1CY24. The global and domestic markets made a smart comeback as investors remained convinced that rate-hike cycle has ended. This coupled with strong institution flows and economic data added to the positivity, he said. Nifty Energy and Nifty Metal were among the outperforming sector up by 3.24% and 3.07% respectively, says Vaibhav Vidwani, Research Analyst, Bonanza Portfolio. Despite of discouraging macroeconomic data of November 2023, today (Tuesday) market was slightly positive. Indiaas services PMI fell short of the prediction of 58, coming in at 56.9. Drop in the price of crude oil, however, mitigated the negative effects. Before the RBI announces its monetary policy later this week, investors following cautious approach, he said. Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, Power Grid Corporation, NTPC, and SBI were the top gainers on the Nifty, while LTIMindtree, HCL Technologies, Divis Labs, HUL, and Bajaj Auto were the top losers. Chandigarh, Dec 5 : Punjab Police's Special Operation Cell has busted a terrorist recruitment, funding and aiding module with the arrest of Pakistan-based terrorist Lakhbir Rode's close associate Paramjit Singh, alias Punjab Singh, from Sri Guru Ram Das Airport in Amritsar, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday. Paramjit Singh, a British citizen and a founder member of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), was initially involved in terror activities in Punjab in early 1990s and was later arrested in 2003 and was convicted in cases pertaining to terrorist activities. After completion of his sentence, the accused returned to Britain but continued his activities in the ISYF by working as a motivator, recruiter, and fund raiser for the organisation in Britain and other European countries. The DGP said that in 2021, Paramjit Singhas name figured for his involvement in reorganising of the ISYF cadre in Punjab by arranging and providing funds and militant hardware to target specific people for disrupting peace and harmony. Terming it as yet another major blow to the terror module attempting to disturb peace in the region, he said investigation is on to unearth and expose the whole terrorist network. Sharing more details, Assistant Inspector General Sukhminder Singh Mann said the accused was detained by immigration authorities at the airport on Monday, while he was going to board a plane to Britain on a British passport in the name of Punjab Singh. He said during preliminary investigations it came to light that Paramjit was regularly in touch with Rode. The accused was a frequent visitor to Pakistan and on the instructions of Rode, he used to identify and handpick youth using social media platforms to motivate them to be part of terrorist activities, the AIG said. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Days after registering the case in connection with the suspicious transaction case of Rs 820 crore from the UCO Bank, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said that it has carried out searches at 13 locations in West Bengal and Karnataka at the premises of accused and others including bank officials and private persons. A CBI official here said that the agency conducted searches at around 13 locations including at Kolkata and in Karnataka's Mangaluru at the premises of accused and others including private persons or bank officials. The official said that during searches, electronic evidence including mobile phones, laptops, computer systems, email archives, and debit or credit cards were recovered. The official said that the agency registered a case on complaint from UCO Bank, against two Support Engineers working with it and other unknown persons on the allegations of suspicious Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transaction amounting to approximately Rs 820 crore. The official said that in the complaint, the bank has alleged that between November 10 and 13 this year, IMPS inward transactions originating from 14,000 account holders across seven private banks were directed to 41,000 account holders within UCO Bank through the IMPS channel. The complaint also alleged that this intricate network involved a staggering 8,53,049 transactions and these transactions were mistakenly posted in the UCO Bank account-holders' records, despite the originating banks registering failed transactions. "Consequently, an approximate sum of Rs 820 crore was allegedly found its way into UCO Bank accounts without proper debits from the originating banks' account holders," the official added. The CBI also said that it was also alleged that several account holders exploited this situation, illicitly withdrawing funds from UCO Bank through various banking channels, thereby benefiting wrongfully from the transaction. --IANS aks/pgh Bhopal, Dec 5 : Amid speculations on the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP retained power in a landslide, outgoing incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday announced that he is not in the race for the post. Chouhan made the announcement in a video, saying that he was not an aspirant for the post earlier and is not so now too, and is only a worker of the party and will strive to accomplish whatever responsibility the party gives him. He termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi his leader and said he would diligently to whatever work that was assigned to him. The BJP won 163 seats in the 230-member house while the Congress could only get 66, and the remaining one was won by the Bharat Adivasi Party. Chouhan also said that he will be going to Chhindwara - the bastion of state Congress chief Kamal Nath - on Wednesday and not be going to Delhi. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Azerbaijan's appeals for peace remain unanswered, said co-chairman of the Turkish-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary friendship group, a representative of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkiye's Grand National Assembly, MP Shamil Ayrim, Trend reports. Ayrim delivered his speech during the International Conference 'Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia: Global context and just solution'. "With its victory in Karabakh, Azerbaijan has declared to the world that these areas are its and that it is striving for regional peace. However, Azerbaijan's pleas for peace have gone unheard. Western Azerbaijanis must return to their homes with dignity and safety. The international community must support this effort. This battle of West Azerbaijanis must be broadcast to the rest of the globe. It is their right to live on their own property.," he said. He also emphasized that throughout history, Azerbaijanis have experienced much suffering in the region. "Azerbaijanis were subjected to genocide; their historical and cultural monuments were destroyed. Everyone knows this. Azerbaijan has already liberated its lands from occupation. And I will do my best for Azerbaijan's struggle. We inform the whole world that Azerbaijan is not the same as it was 30 years ago. Today's Azerbaijan is a strong country," Ayrim added. Baku hosted an international conference on 'Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia: global context and just solution'. More than 100 guests from 30 countries are taking part in the event. The conference will continue its work in the form of panel discussions with the participation of renowned international experts and socio-political figures on such issues as the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, the problem of resettlement in the international arena, the issue of return in international law, difficulties and successes in the field of return in practice, and the situation in this sphere in different regions. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel New Delhi : Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann arrives at the residence of MP Sanjay Singh. Image Source: IANS News Chandigarh, Dec 5 : Reiterating his Government's commitment to make Punjab a drug-free state, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday asked the police officers to intensify the crusade against the drug menace. Chairing a meeting of the Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police, the Chief Minister asked them to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against drugs. He said the police have already snapped the supply line of drugs and big drug peddlers have been put behind bars. Mann said this drive should be further continued and action against drugs must be taken at the grassroots level. The Chief Minister said the police should expedite the process to attach the properties of drug peddlers acquired through drug money. He said the police officers must work without any sort of pressure and discharge their duty with honesty and dedication. Mann said the government has launched a decisive war against drugs and this curse should be wiped out from the state. Ayurvedas role in Covid needs to be written in history: Experts. Image Source: IANS News Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 5 : Experts, at Kerala Global Ayerveda Festival, on Tuesday said that the Ayerveda's role during the times of Coivd must be written in history because of role and contribution of Ayurveda researchers and practitioners, who tirelessly and fearlessly provided services during the testing times. The experts were speaking on the fifth and last day of the Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2023) titled 'Experience & Research during Pandemic'. Dr Sanjeev Rastogi, HoD Dept of Kayachikitsa State Ayurvedic College and Hospital Lucknow, said that the Covid reinforced the relevance of Ayurveda. "They emerged as saviours during the second wave of Covid when the mortality rate was exceptionally high and conventional healthcare system was unable to provide adequate care to all," Dr Rastogi said. He said that a case of severe Covid with all predictors suggestive of a bad prognosis was treated well with the intervention of Ayurveda. "The complete recovery was possible in 19 days for a patient who was in the ICU for 14 days," Dr Rastogi said. Citing another case, he said that a family comprising four adults tested positive during the second wave of the pandemic and they were treated well at home through Ayurveda despite the observed fall in oxygen level. Dr. Pooja Sabharwal, Assistant Professor Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan New Delhi, said that Ayurveda has various evidences for the management of communicable diseases and it is a partial truth that communicable diseases can only be managed by modern science. She said that Ayurveda is a rich science with potential antiviral drugs, which can arrest the viral disease, but it is equally important to understand the mechanism in purview of contemporary science. Dr. Rajmohan V, Professor, Govt. Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, said an integrated approach to public health delivery where Ayurveda or traditional medicine systems services can be provided to the public with the collaboration of the local self-government is a better alternative in a pandemic scenario. Panaji, Dec 5 : Goa Police on Tuesday arrested a British national for allegedly possessing drugs valued at Rs 15 lakh. Crime Branch officers said that the raid was conducted at Vagator in North Goa and action was taken. "The accused person, identified as John Parkinson, 52, is a resident of Camberwell, London. He has been arrested for being in possession of 190 LSD perforated papers, weighing 1.914 grams and 4.353 grams LSD liquid, all valued at Rs. 15 lakh," police said. Police have registered an offense under the NDPS Act. Mumbai, Dec 5 : Actor Darshan Gurjar, who essays the role of Chirag in the show 'Pushpa Impossible', said it's not going to be an easy road ahead for his character, adding that he can't wait to play the part with a myriad of emotions. 'Pushpa Impossible' follows Pushpa (Karuna Pandey), a woman of substance who confronts lifeas challenges with deep optimism and a solution-oriented approach. In the last few episodes, the viewers saw tensions rising between Pushpaas two sons -- Chirag (Darshan Gurjar) and Ashwin (Naveen Pandita) -- after Chirag uncovers Ashwinas tender scam. Going ahead with his motheras advice, Chirag sides with the truth and outs his brother, leading to a government trial. In the upcoming episodes, Pushpaas conflicts donat seem to end as she tries to find her way out of this sticky situation. To add to the trouble, Bapodara pretends that he has been pushed down the stairs by Chirag. Unfortunately, Pannu, Bapodaraas daughter and Chiragas wife, witnesses the fall and believes her fatheras accusations. Talking about the track, Darshan said: "Chirag is already going through a major emotional rollercoaster for being a key witness in his brotheras involvement in the tender scam. Now Bapodara has created another ruckus in the family by blaming Chirag for pushing him down the stairs." "This has caused tension between Chirag and his wife Pannu. Itas not going to be an easy road ahead for Chirag and the entire family. I canat wait to play the part with a myriad of emotions. Viewers can expect a lot of twists and turns in the upcoming episodes, and I canat wait to see their response to the same," he shared. It airs on Sony SAB. New Delhi, Dec 5 : As various names within the BJP camp are doing the rounds for chief minister's post in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that "Nothing has been decided yet." When asked will it be decided within a week, he said, "It will be decided, why delay." On change of government in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where Congress was ruling, the Home Minister said laughingly that changes keep happening. Amit Shah made the remark at Parliament as he was in Delhi to attend the proceedings of the winter session. Ever since the results of the assembly elections have come out, guessing games are on that who will be the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. In a landslide victory, the BJP made a hat-trick by winning in assembly polls in the three states Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, results of which were announced on Sunday. Mumbai, Dec 5 : Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar on Tuesday warned that the parliamentary system in India is in peril and all those who can oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party-RSS must join hands to save democracy in the country. Ambedkar, the grandson of the chief architect of Indian Constitution Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, along with Vice-President Rekha Thakur and other senior leaders said that parliamentary democracy has empowered the common masses of the country and gives equal representation to people from all walks of life. "It is because of the parliamentary democratic system that the leader of any small regional party is enabled to become the Chief Minister of that state. If parliamentary democracy survives, then the political parties will exist and the power of the people will remain," Ambedkar pointed out. Addressing the media after the VBA Core Committee meeting to discuss the strategies for the upcoming 2024 elections, he warned that in case the parliamentary system is replaced with a presidential system, then power will go to the hands of a limited few people from the upper castes. To guard against this, all the parties which are in a position to challenge the BJP-RSS should units and contest the 2024 elections jointly to safeguard parliamentary democracy, he urged, against the backdrop of the just-declared poll outcome in the five states a" Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram a" with the BJP bagging three states. Referring to the 11-month alliance with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Shiv Sena-UBT headed by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Ambedkar said that so far the latter has not broached the topic of seat-sharing with the MVA. Accordingly, even the Shiv Sena-UBT and VBA also cannot discuss any seat-distribution between themselves, he pointed out, on the purported delays on the issue vis-a-vis the MVA and INDIA. However, Ambedkar reiterated that "the ball is now in the Shiv Sena-UBT's court", making it clear that unless they take a decision on seat-sharing soon, "then the VBA will contest all the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra independently". New Delhi, Dec 5 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction with a lawyer who filed a PIL seeking prohibition on the display of anti-tobacco advertisements containing graphic or gross images during films in cinemas and on TV, or OTT platforms. The petitioner, who is a young lawyer, had challenged a single judge's order, which had dismissed the PIL, terming it a "gross misuse of process of law," and that the graphic descriptions used in government-issued advertisements are intended to be "eye-openers for the people" to deter them from tobacco and tobacco product use. On Tuesday, a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna conveyed displeasure, stating that the lawyer needs a "course correction" and that the content in the advertisements reflects "actual reality." The Bench said that the lawyer's approach was an "absolute misuse of PIL to the core" and advised a firm hand, stressing the need for course correction. It agreed with Justice Subramonium Prasad's view, describing the PIL as "sponsored litigation" and urged the lawyer to express regret. The court asked the lawyer petitioner to submit an affidavit of regret within two days, after which it would expunge the observations made by the single judge. The court posted the matter for further hearing on December 7. "The purpose of displaying distasteful, graphic anti-tobacco imagery in health warnings shown during movies and TV programs is solely to make people aware of the ailments and ill-effects of consuming tobacco and tobacco products and to illustrate what tobacco can do to their health," the single judge had stated. Regarding the petitioner, Advocate Divyam Aggarwal, the court had described the plea as a misuse of the legal process but refrained from making any comments that might impact his future. "However, this court warns the petitioner not to file such kind of frivolous petitions in the future," the court had cautioned. Aggarwal's grievance centred on the presence of "distasteful, gross, and graphic anti-tobacco imagery" in health warnings played during movies and TV programmes. The court stressed on the harmful health effects of smoking and mentioned the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act, 2003, which mandates statutory warnings on cigarette and tobacco product packaging and outlines the manner of specifying warnings. The court said that the government uses these graphic descriptions in advertisements to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco and tobacco products. It noted that these government-issued ads, which the petitioner considered to contain gross and graphic imagery, are meant to discourage tobacco use and are in public interest. Bengal cattle smuggling case: CBI may quiz Anubrata Mondal again as more assets emerge. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Dec 5 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the CBI to provide a copy of the charge-sheet to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in the alleged multi-crore cattle smuggling case in West Bengal. A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and SC Sharma asked the central investigative agency to furnish a copy of the probe report with other documents within a period of one week to Mondal. During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on Mondalas behalf, urged the top court to release Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeeas close aide on bail -- who is currently behind bars in Tihar Jail in connection with the alleged case. Rohtagi said that other co-accused, including Mohd Enamul Haque -- the kingpin of the racket, has already been granted bail. Opposing this, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju stated that Mondal is an influential person and has intimated other witnesses related to the case. The Supreme Court will take up the matter for further hearing on January 22 next year. Mondal was arrested last year in August by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths and is currently placed under judicial custody at Delhi's Tihar Jail. Also housed there are his daughter Sukanya Mondal, his personal chartered accountant Manish Kothari, and his bodyguard Sehgal Hossain, all of whom are accused as co-conspirators and beneficiaries in the multi-crore cattle smuggling case. In September 2020, the CBI lodged an FIR against Mohd Enamul Haque, BSF Commandant Satish Kumar and others regarding smuggling of cattle through the Indo-Bangladesh Border. GST fraud a new challenge for UP govt; Noida sees cases double in 3 yrs.. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Dec 5 : The government has detected goods and services tax (GST) evasion to the tune of Rs 1.51 lakh crore between April to October in the current financial year (2023-24), according to data tabled by the Finance Ministry in Parliament on Tuesday. The highest tax evasion of Rs 84, 400 crore was detected in Maharashtra, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told the Rajya Sabha. There has been an increase in tax evasion in the current financial year as in 2022-23, as tax authorities detected tax evasion of Rs 1.32 lakh crore, according to the data. The tax authorities have also issued 71 notices to online gaming companies for not paying GST of Rs 1.12 lakh crore in financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24, Chaudhary said. In August, the GST Council headed by the Finance Minister had decided to impose a 28 per cent tax on online gaming companies on the total funds deposited to play online games. New Delhi, Dec 5 : The Indian Air Force (IAF) dropped relief in cyclone-hit regions of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The IAF said that relief material was dropped in the general area of Adyar and close to Chennai Harbour. At least eight people have died in Tamil Nadu due to the severe cyclonic storm Michaung, which has also led to inundation of arterial roads and subways in Chennai and other major cities of the state, authorities said on Tuesday. According to the IAF, two helicopters were sent in the evening with relief supplies that included food packets and rations for people stranded in cyclone-hit areas in Chennai that were cut off due to flooding. IAF officials in New Delhi informed that more sorties would be launched to distribute relief supplies in other areas hit by the cyclone. The entire operation is being conducted in close liaison with Tamil Nadu State Government and Air Force Station, Tambaram. The authorities said that families have been evacuated from the affected areas, while pregnant women, children and the elderly were rescued from the danger zones. IAF officials said that IAF Chetak helicopters have been deployed for flood relief operations. At least 162 relief centres are currently operating across the state, with 43 of them being in Chennai. Meanwhile, flight services have resumed at Chennai airport after remaining suspended on Monday due to the cyclone's impact. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The information spreading about Azerbaijan's supposed military support to Ukraine is a pure fabrication, Media Development Agency (MEDIA) said, Trend reports. "Azerbaijan does not manufacture artillery shells, hence this allegation is false. Azerbaijan only gives humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, motivated by humanist ideals. The photograph, which purportedly depicts a journalist holding a Ukrainian flag, has nothing to do with Azerbaijan. The Media Development Agency warns domestic and foreign social network users to be wary of such delusory "news," the MEDIA said. Azerbaijan previously provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid in the form of electrical equipment. In response to the crisis, it has already provided more than $33 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including assistance for reconstruction and rehabilitation activities. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Kolkata, Dec 5 : The central agency activities in West Bengal are meant to isolate Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from other Trinamool Congress leaders, elected representatives, and ministers, a heavyweight member of the state Cabinet said in the Assembly on Tuesday. Participating in a discussion on the "Criminal Justice Delivery System", Municipal Affairs & Urban Development Minister and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim said that some people think that by using the central agencies, some people will be scared and move away from the Chief Minister. "The CBI officials even reached my doorsteps. Do you think that I will also move away from Mamata Banerjee? Never! I will stay with the Chief Minister till my death. Some people have moved away from her, while some have become inactive. But I will never do that," Hakim said. BJP legislator Rabindranath Maiti said that actually the fear of being jailed is creating a panic among several leaders in the ruling party and many of them are thinking of quitting the Trinamool. "In such a situation Hakim made such a statement to be in the good books of the Chief Minister," Maiti alleged. Commuting on the Union government's proposed bills to substitute the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Indian Evidence Act (IEA), Hakim said that the new bills are proposed to suppress those voices which are criticising the anti-people policies of the Union government. "This is never acceptable to us," he said. Last month only, the Chief Minister wrote a a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging the latter not to rush the proposed bill on substitutions of the IPC, CrPC and IEA. --IANS --src/vd New Delhi, Dec 5 : In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Arpit Bhargava, Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the authorities to conduct a comprehensive structural audit of public buildings such as hospitals and schools to assess their stability against potential earthquakes in the region. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, said that while natural disasters like earthquakes are uncontrollable, the government and local authorities can take proactive measures by reviewing the structural integrity of their own buildings and formulating action plans. The court specifically directed the Delhi government and other local agencies to conduct structural audits of all hospitals, schools, and colleges and submit status reports detailing their findings. The PIL expressed concerns about the seismic stability of buildings in Delhi, suggesting that poor structural conditions could lead to a significant number of casualties in the event of a major earthquake. Delhi government counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi assured the court that authorities are already taking action to address potential tremors. Tripathi apprised that ensuring seismic activity resistance for all buildings in the city would be a phased process, given the presence of old structures and the issue of unauthorised constructions. The court noted the challenges posed by both old buildings and unauthorised constructions and urged the government to issue warnings to occupants of potentially unsafe structures. The bench suggested posting notices declaring the structures as dangerous and unsafe. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) counsel said it was taking action against unauthorised constructions and the option of retrofitting in buildings to make them compliant with safety norms was also being considered. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) counsel said over 300 of its buildings were now compliant with the safety norms. Bhargava, the petitioner, argued that only 10 per cent of buildings in Delhi meet seismic compliance standards, indicating a disaster waiting to happen. Despite court orders, he claimed repeated violations of safety requirements. The Delhi government countered that the matter is not adversarial litigation, and the petitioner is welcome to provide suggestions to the authorities, who have already issued suitable directions. The case, initiated in 2015, has seen ongoing directives from the high court to develop an action plan for earthquake preparedness. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on May 6, 2024. --IANS spr/uk Bengaluru, Dec 5 : Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will address the COP28 -- UN Climate Conference -- on December 6 on the theme of 'Peace Spirituality and Environment'. He will deliver the address at the Faith Pavilion in UAE during an interaction with Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development. "Ancient Indian tradition believes in the sanctity of nature. It perceived the mountains, rivers, Sun, Moon, and trees to be sacred and that which is sacred is honoured," Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said. He said that by reviving traditional reverence for nature, we could restore a degree of purity to our surroundings. "We can see God in nature -- this would make us more sensitive to the way we treat nature. Then you can't help but be environmentally conscious," he said. A statement said that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said that he will also share his views on 'How to mobilise your faith communities on land restoration' in a key inter-faith discussion at COP28. He is on a four-day visit to Dubai, UAE. Aizawl, Dec 5 : The new Mizoram government of the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), which wrested power for the first time in the state by delivering a crushing defeat to the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), is likely to assume office on Friday, Raj Bhavan and party sources said on Tuesday. IPS officer-turned-politician Lalduhoma, the Chief Ministerial face of the ZPM, would hold meetings with the newly-elected MLAs and other party leaders on Tuesday night to decide on the formation of the next government in the state. The ZPM, formed in 2018, secured 27 seats in the 40-member Assembly to capture power in mountainous Mizoram, which has been governed either by the Congress or by MNF since it become the 23rd state of India on February 20, 1987 after the signing of the Peace Accord in 1986. "The formation of the new cabinet, distribution of portfolios and various other matters would be finalised in the Tuesday night meeting. Lalduhoma expected to meet Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati in the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday to stake the claim for the formation of the next government," a ZPM leader told IANS. He said that Lalduhoma as Chief Minister and the other council of ministers are likely to be sworn-in on Friday. Lalduhoma, who had served as the security in-charge of late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and a former Lok Sabha member, said that his party would provide issue-based support to national parties but would not join any group at the national level. "We would not be dictated or controlled by any party from Delhi, we would take decisions on our own for the best interest of Mizoram and its people," he told the media, adding that all corruption cases of the MNF government would be referred to the CBI for a thorough probe. Lalduhoma, 73, in a multi-corner contest, retained his Serchhip seat for the second consecutive term, defeating his nearest MNF rival J. Malsawmzuala Vanchhawng by a margin of 2,983 votes while most of the prominent nominees of the party won in their respective seats. --IANS sc/vd New Delhi, Dec 5 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered to increase the income threshold for admission to schools under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh annually, pending government law amendments. The order came in response to concerns about the living standards of the intended beneficiaries and aims to align the income criteria with the prevailing economic conditions. The court directed the Delhi Government to eliminate the self-declaration mechanism for income by parents and create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for income verification and regular monitoring of eligibility criteria. The case pertains to where a parent secured his son's admission to Sanskriti School under the EWS category through fraudulent means. While dismissing the petition challenging the admissionas cancellation, the court allowed the child to continue as a general category student, saying that the child should not suffer for the father's misdeeds. The court imposed a Rs 10 lakh cost on the father for obtaining admission through illicit means, denying a deserving candidate an opportunity. The costs imposed must be deposited with the school, or the admission will be deemed cancelled if not done within six months. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav expressed concern over the misuse of welfare schemes designed for economically marginalised sections. The court stressed the need for a scientific and data-based approach to determine income criteria and urged the government to reevaluate the income criteria for EWS reservations in schools. To ensure compliance with the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the court directed the Delhi Government to assess economic conditions and promptly decide on increasing the income threshold. Until the decision is made and the scheme is amended, the court considered the income threshold to be increased to Rs 5 lakh. The court noted the discrepancy between the existing income criterion and the minimum wage for unskilled labour in Delhi, stressing the need to prevent common people from resorting to unfair means to secure educational benefits. Greater Noida, Dec 5 : A gang of six persons suddenly barged into a party going in Supertech Czar Apartments in Dadri area of Greater Noida and indulged in violence as they tried to kidnap a student from there, as per videos of the incident going viral. Responding to a complaint by the afflicted side, police swung into action and arrested five people, while sources said that the incident, which occurred on Monday, was the outcome of a dispute between two student groups. A video of some youths beating up a youth and trying to force him into a car was among the videos that went viral. According to officials, the party was underway at the residence of Ujjwal Bhati in the society when the half a dozen youths came on cars and attacked Bhati and another youth, named Vedant. It was Vedant who was seen in the viral video of being beaten and forced into the car. Police said that members of both sides were students of a reputed university and the incident related to a fight between two groups there. ADCP, Greater Noida, Ashok Kumar said that there was a clash between Shantanu and Shivam, both of Delhi, three days back. On Monday, there was a clash between a group comprising Vedant, Aryan, and Ojas Mishra, and another of Nitish Bhati and Sushant Bhadana. He said five people from both groups have been taken into custody but dismissed the claim of abduction. Patna, Dec 5 : Suspended IPS officer, Aditya Kumar, surrendered before Patna civil court on Tuesday in connection with a criminal conspiracy case. An FIR was registered against Aditya Kumar in the Economic Offence Unit (EOU) police station in Patna where he is facing the charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy in a liquor prohibition case during his tenure as Gaya's Senior Superintended of Police (SSP). Aditya Kumar had been absconding for the last two years. He had applied for bail from Patna High Court and Supreme Court but was rejected by the respective courts. After the Supreme Court rejected his bail plea two weeks ago directing him to surrender before the authorities till December 6, he did the same a day earlier in Patna civil court. "Aditya Kumar had been a fugitive for the last two year. He was involved in benefiting liquor mafias in Gaya and he was suspended from the department in the past. Following that he took the help of an imposter Abhishek Agrawal who called then Bihar DGP SK Singhal posing as then chief justice of Patna high court Sanjay Karol to take favours. He was facing non-bailable warrant and hence his anticipatory bail was rejected," said Rishikesh Narayan Sinha, the prosecution lawyer of this case. Abhishek Agrawal, posing as Sanjay Karol, the then chief justice of Patna high court, made over 30 calls to then Bihar DGP from a phone number having DP (Display Picture) of the chief justice in the mid of July 2022. Interestingly, Singhal, in its report pointed out 'Mistake of Facts' in the case and gave clean chit to Aditya Kumar. The 2011 batch IPS officer, Aditya Kumar, who was the SSP of Gaya, was booked under relevant sections of the IPC in Fatehpur police station. Besides him, SHO of Fatehpur named Sanjay Kumar, was also a co-accused. After the clean-chit to Aditya Kumar, the case file reached the chief minister secretariat. The officials of the chief minister secretariat found something fishy in the report and they had transferred it to EOU for a thorough investigation. The EOU officials used cyber cell officials to scan the phone numbers which were used to call senior police officials who have prepared the report including Bihar DGP SK Singhal. During the investigation, it was found that two numbers were used by Abhishek Agrawal to call the DGP. He had also put the DP of chief justice Sanjay Karol on these two numbers. Several times, the DGP called him on this number. Sometimes, Agrawal sent messages to him and said that he was busy. The DGP made an appointment on WhatsApp to contact him on the phone. During investigation, it was also revealed that the FIR lodged in EOU police station in Patna said that Aditya Kumar met with Abhishek Agrawal in a restaurant in Patna's Boring road to prepare the plan. Accordingly, Abhishek posed as chief justice. The EOW in its investigation found that the phone numbers used to call DGP did not belong to the chief justice of Patna high court. The number was put under surveillance and EOU officials secretly nabbed Abhishek Agrawal. During interrogation, Agrawal confessed that he was having close links with suspended SSP Aditya Kumar for the last 5 years. Patna, Dec 5 : A MP-MLA court in Patna has sentenced RJD Vice President Shivanand Tiwari to one year imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine in a criminal defamation case on Tuesday. However, the court also granted one month interim bail to 80 years-old veteran RJD leader for an appeal in the higher courts. The case against Tiwari was filed by Water Resource Development Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha in 2018, who is considered to be close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. On August 7, 2018, Tiwari -- after JD-U left Mahagathbandhan and joined BJP a" addressed a press conference and made personal objectionable remarks against Sanjay Kumar Jha. Following his objectionable remarks, Jha filed a criminal defamation case in MP-MLA court in Patna on September 15, 2018. The Additional Chief Judicial magistrate had issued summon a year ago in the case. When contacted, Tiwari refused to talk to IANS regarding the case. --IANS ajk/dan Panaji, Dec 25 : Goa Police on Tuesday booked a Belgian national for allegedly carrying tracker device while boarding flight bound to Mumbai from Dabolim airport Goa, police said. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Vasco) Salim Sheikh told IANS that the offense was registered against the foreign national for carrying tracker device. "It was a GPS tracker device, which he was carrying while boarding the flight. Hence the case has been registered against him," police said. The police identified the accused as Brys Emely Antonie G (47). Police said that further investigating is underway. Kolkata, Dec 5 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday took a pot-shot at the BJP without naming the saffron party. "Bengal is not scared. We love India. We love Mumbai also. We love people from all religions and castes. We love our motherland. No one will be able to divide us. We are in favour of humanity," the chief minister said while delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) 2023. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister lamented the absence of megastars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who had graced the inaugural session for the last few years. "I had a word with them though, Amit Ji is not keeping well. Shah Rukh Khan is busy with the promotion of his daughter's movie," the chief minister said. Top stars like Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, director Mahesh Bhatt among others were present on Tuesday. The Chief Minister also sought an "assurance" from Salman Khan that he would choose West Bengal as his future film shooting destination. "In the recent Bengal Global Business Summit, we projected Bengal's film industry as a creative sector for investment. The Bengal film industry has been transformed into a creative industry in its true sense. There are immense employment opportunities in this industry," Banerjee said. Speaking on the occasion, Salman Khan said during one of his previous visits to Kolkata, he went to Mamata Banerjee's residence, and he was amazed to know how a person of the chief minister's stature could stay in such a small house. "I was surprised that she lives in a house which is smaller than the 'small house' of mine," he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Today we were saddened by the news about the injury of a specialist involved in mine clearance in the Aghdam region, the US Embassy in Azerbaijan wrote on its page on X, Trend reports. We express our condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed by mines. The United States is a committed partner in assisting Azerbaijan in demining its territories. Since November 2021, the United States has allocated $3.5 million for humanitarian operations to clear mines from Azerbaijani territories, the statement said. New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Resolution Professional (RP) of cash-strapped Go First to file an affidavit in response to a lessor's plea seeking contempt action. The lessor alleges that the RP has not complied with the court's order to allow inspection and maintenance of the aircraft. In October, the court had allowed aircraft lessors to engage security personnel around-the-clock for safeguarding their aircraft parked at rest for several months. In an interim order on July 5, the court had permitted the lessors to inspect their aircraft at least twice a month and carry out maintenance. Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju, who presided over the case, in October had asked Go Firstas RP to share documents regarding the maintenance of aircraft, engines and airframes with its lessors. Justice Ganju on Tuesday said that court orders must be followed in letter and spirit, warning that further orders might be necessary if compliance is not achieved. The court expressed concern about the non-maintenance of aircraft, terming it as a problem affecting all parties involved. The lessor, DAE (SY 22) 13 Ireland Designated Activity Company, filed a petition seeking contempt proceedings against the RP, claiming that the aircraft were not being properly maintained, required documents were not provided, and court-directed inspections were being denied. Several other lessors also raised similar issues during the hearing. Senior advocate Kevic Setalvad, representing the lessor in the contempt plea, argued that the RP, responsible for seizing the aircraft, was not adequately maintaining them, and necessary records were not being provided to the lessors. In response, senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the RP, stated that an affidavit detailing their compliance and the challenges they faced would be submitted. He contended about issues related to manpower and finances, emphasising that the airline is currently grounded. The court will hear the matter next on December 12. Earlier, the court had also ordered that the aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shall permit duly verified security personnel to monitor the aircraft. On May 26, aircraft lessors - Pembroke Aircraft Leasing 11 Ltd, SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd, Accipiter Investments Aircraft 2 Ltd, and EOS Aviation 12 (Ireland) Ltd - had moved the high court seeking deregistration of their planes by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take them back from the airline. The airline, its representatives, and the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)-appointed Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) were restricted by the court from removing, replacing or taking out any part or components, or records of the 30 aircraft without taking prior written approval from lessor of the particular aeroplane. The low-cost airline first stopped flying on May 3 and is undergoing voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the NCLT. The airline had approached the NCLT "due to the ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney's International Aero Engines, which has resulted in Go First (airline brand) having to ground 25 aircraft (equivalent to approximately 50 per cent of its Airbus A320neo aircraft fleet) as of May 1, 2023". --IANS spr/vd New Delhi, Dec 5 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence here to discuss the names for the post of chief minister in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where the saffron emerged victorious in the recently-concluded Assembly polls, a source said. The BJP leadership has been holding discussions on the probable chief ministerial names since the results were announced on Sunday (December 3). Senior party leaders, especially those who oversaw the election process in the three states, have met Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, as well as on Tuesday, to submit their feedback. A source in the know of things said that Nadda is likely to share the feedback he received so far with Modi during his meeting with the Prime Minister. The BJP retained power in Madhya Pradesh while it defeated the Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to wrest power from the grand old party. Jaipur, Dec 5 : Protests broke out across Rajasthan after the murder of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena President Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in Jaipur on Tuesday. In Churu, Gogamedi's supporters pelted stones at the bus and also blocked the road. There was chaos among the passengers after the stone pelting. In Jaipur also, the road was blocked outside Metro Mass Hospital. The market was closed in Kumbhalgarh of Rajsamand. People came to the streets in Sadulpur in Churu. The main road from Sadulpur to Sidhmukh was blocked in village Chainpura Bada. Along with this, some people also pelted stones at the roadways bus coming to Sadulpur from Hanumangarh depot. When the stone pelting took place, there were 25-30 passengers in the bus, and they left their luggage in the bus and ran away. The police arrived after the information and tried to pacify the people, but the road has not been reopened yet. A large number of supporters of Gogamedi reached the Metro Mass Hospital in Jaipur's Mansarovar area, where he had been taken after the attack, and blocked the road there and burnt tyres. An attempt was made by the police to persuade them to leave, but they did not heed it. Till late evening, the supporters remained gathered outside the hospital and kept shouting slogans in protest. In Kumbhalgarh of Rajsamand also, the traders committee expressed protest by closing shops. They also demanded to arrest the criminals responsible. Guwahati, Dec 5 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday asserted that overall crime in the state has decreased by at least 50 per cent in the last two years. Taking to 'X', Sarma wrote: "The latest NCRB report suggests overall crime in Assam has reduced by nearly 50 per cent since 2021. "Our efforts in transparent recruitment and investments in SMART policing is bearing fruit. We will not rest till Assam is crime free," he added. Assam saw a 48.26 per cent decrease in cognisable offenses to about 69,000 instances in 2022, according to a recent report of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The agency, which reports to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, states that Assam had 68,937 overall criminal cases in 2022 -- a decrease from 1,33,239 in 2021. Of these, the number of cases reported under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dropped from 1,19,883 in 2021 to 59,315 in 2022. According to the NCRB data, the number of crimes according to Special and Local Laws (SLL) decreased to 9,622 from 13,356 in 2021. Moreover, Assam saw 194.2 reported crimes for every lakh people in the previous year. Meanwhile, Assam DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh said in a post on 'X': "Crystal clear directions & mandate, accompanied by trust reposed in us has made this possible. We strive to improve further." --IANS tdr/pgh Vijayapura : , Dec 5 (IANS) The death toll in the tragic incident of the bagging machine collapse at Rajguru jowar processing unit in Karnataka's Vijayapura rose to seven on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, authorities had recovered another three bodies. Subsequently, an operation was launched to rescue the remaining four workers who were trapped beneath the machine. Unfortunately, despite efforts, it was only their bodies that could be recovered. Large and Medium Industries Minister and district in-charge Minister M.B. Patil said on Tuesday that a compensation of Rs 7 lakh will be given to each of the families of the seven workers who tragically lost their lives in the accident. Noting that all seven deceased workers were from Bihar, he stated that those injured in the incident would receive Rs 50,000 each. The workers were trapped under the collapsed pillars of an overloaded tanker at the jowar processing unit. Upon learning about the incident, Patil, who was in Belagavi to attend the Assembly session, rushed to the spot and supervised the rescue operations till midnight. Subsequently, he visited the incident site Tuesday morning to oversee the operations before going to the district hospital to inquire about the status of the injured. He also assured that the district administration will facilitate sending the bodies to their respective places and that the bodies will be airlifted either from Belagavi Airport or Kalaburagi Airport. Out of the Rs 7 lakh compensation for each family of the deceased workers, Rs 5 lakh will be provided by the owner of the unit, and Rs 2 lakh each will be given by the state government, Patil said. He further stated that an FIR has been lodged about the incident and an inquiry will be conducted following the due procedure. As the Minister for Large and Medium Industries, he said that he would direct the officials concerned to issue a circular to all industries in the state to ensure compliance with safety measures. The incident occurred on Monday evening. More than 12 workers were caught under the larg machine when it collapsed suddenly. Rescue operations were launched on Monday evening by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Fire Force and Emergency Services authorities, using four cranes and JCBs. A 30-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also dispatched from Pune to assist in the rescue operations. New Delhi, Dec 5 : Responding to complaints, Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Tuesday conducted a surprise inspection in Sultanpur Majra and Trilokpuri areas during which she expressed dissatisfaction on overflowing sewer water on the streets. The Minister reprimanded officials for not taking action despite continuous complaints from the residents. During the surprise inspection, Atishi saw sewage water overflowing outside sewers in many lanes, causing distress to residents and damaging the lanes. She interacted with the affected public, who expressed their frustration with the lack of effective action by Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials despite repeated complaints. In response to the situation, Atishi issued a 15-day ultimatum to officials, instructing them to resolve all sewer-related issues in the specified areas within the given timeframe. She stressed on the need for a detailed plan to address the sewer problems in Trilokpuri Pocket-E. Expressing her displeasure, Atishi reminded officials that negligence in such matters is unacceptable in the Arvind Kejriwal-led regime. She stressed the importance of officials being accountable to the public and warned of strict action against any official found to be negligent. Atishi also highlighted the contrast between officials' expectations of cleanliness around their homes and the overflowing sewers affecting common people. She directed officials to commence immediate work on resolving the issue and insisted on deploying a substantial number of machines to meet the committed timeline. Reassuring the public, Atishi pledged the commitment of the Kejriwal government to address challenges and ensure that the welfare work for the people of Delhi continues without interruption. Hyderabad, Dec 5 : From a local public representative in a remote village to the post of the Chief Minister, the political journey of Anumula Revanth Reddy has been exciting. Set to take over as the second Chief Minister of Telangana on December 7, the 55-year-old is a self-made politician who battled all odds to prove his mettle. Making a beginning on a winning note as an independent candidate in local body elections, the ambitious leader has come up in politics with hard work to reach to the top post in just 17 years. Political analysts say this is an extraordinary achievement for a leader who has no administrative experience and had never been in the ruling party. Born in an agricultural family in Kongareddypalli in the present Nagarkurnool district on November 8, 1968, he studied at a polytechnic in Wanaparthy. He subsequently studied Bachelor of Arts from AV College in Hyderabad. Son of Narasimha Reddy and Ramachandramma, Revanth Reddy is fourth among seven siblings. A first-generation politician from the family, he started his political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in his student days. He joined Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS) in 2002 but quit the party after a couple of years as he did not get the recognition in the party. In 2006, he contested as an independent for the post of member of Zilla Parishad Territorial Committee (ZTPC) in Midjil mandal in Kalwakurthy constituency though his native village was in Vagoor mandal in Achampet constituency. He was successful in his very first attempt in electoral politics but his aim was higher. The very next year, Revanth Reddy contested elections for the Legislative Council of then united Andhra Pradesh from local bodiesa constituency in Mahabubnagar district and defeated the candidate of ruling Congress by 100 votes. This victory catapulted him to state-level politics and in 2008, he joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which was in opposition. In 2009, he entered the fray in Assembly elections and was elected from Kodangal, defeating senior Congress leader Gurunadh Reddy by 6,989 votes. The young, dynamic and spirited leader attracted the peopleas attention with his active participation in Assembly debates. "He used to come prepared to the Assembly with all statistics and present his arguments in an effective manner," said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy. Considered close to TDP President and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Revanth Reddy became popular among people, especially youth, with his fiery speeches. When the Telangana agitation was at its peak, he remained with the TDP. He was elected to the first Telangana Assembly from Kodangal in 2014. He retained the seat with a bigger margin of 14,614 votes against the TRS candidate. As TDPas Telangana unit Working President and TDP floor leader in Assembly, he took on the ruling TRS both in the Assembly and outside. He has been a bitter critic of K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his family. In 2015, Revanth Reddy was caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while allegedly trying to buy the vote of nominated MLA Stephenson in favour of the TDP candidate Vem Narender Reddy in the MLC elections. He was sent to jail in the bribery case, seen as the biggest black mark of his political career. He was granted a 12-hour bail to attend the wedding of his only daughter Nymisha. After his release on bail, Revanth Reddy maintained a low profile for a couple of years. In October 2017, he resigned as MLA and also quit the TDP. He joined the Congress and vowed to fight for "liberation of Telangana from KCRas autocratic rule". He built a strong network within the Congress and soon moved closer to the top leadership. He was rewarded with the post of the Working President of the TPCC. In the 2018 elections, he projected himself as the Chief Ministerial candidate. Not only the Congress fail to capture power but Revanth Reddy too suffered defeat from Kodangal. The party fielded him in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and he bounced back by winning Malkajgiri seat. In 2021, the Congress leadership picked Revanth Reddy to lead the party in Telangana. Some seniors were shocked as he was seen as an outsider in the party. Known for aggressive approach and mass appeal, he was seen as someone who can reverse the fortunes of the grand old party in its former stronghold. Despite the party's humiliating defeats in by-elections and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, Revanth Reddy refused to give up. The victory of the Congress in Karnataka infused new energy in the party. Within six months, the party became the main challenge to the BRS, pushing back the BJP to third place. Leading the party from the front, he campaigned not just in his home constituency Kodangal and Kamareddy, where he challenged KCR, but addressed 55 election rallies across the state. He also played an active role in reaching out to disgruntled leaders of the BRS and the BJP to invite them to join the Congress. Aizawl, Dec 5 : Mizoram's outgoing Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday resigned as Mizo National Front (MNF) President after the party suffered a humiliating defeat in the just concluded assembly polls at the hands of the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM). In his resignation letter sent to MNF Senior Vice-President and Deputy Chief Minister Tawnluia, the octogenarian tribal leader said that he took the moral responsibility as the head of the party for its electoral defeat. "The MNF fails to win the state Assembly polls. In this regard, I take moral responsibility as party President. Considering that it is my obligation as the MNF chief, I do hereby tender resignation from the President's post and kindly request you to accept the same," he said in the letter. Immediately after the declaration of results on Monday, Zoramthanga met Governor Hari Babu Kamabhampat and tendered his resignation as Chief Minister. Zoramthanga lost his Aizawl East-1 seat where ZPM nominee Lalthansanga won by a margin of 2,101 votes. Tawnluia also lost his Tuichang seat to ZPMas W. Chhuanawma by a margin of 909 votes. The militant outfit turned political party MNF got only 10 seats and 35.10 per cent vote in the November 7 elections, the results of which were declared on Monday. The ruling party secured 26 seats and 37.70 per cent vote in the 2018 Assembly polls. The ZPM, formed in 2018, secured 27 seats and 37.86 per cent vote in the 40-member Mizoram assembly, to wrest power in the Christian-dominated state. The MNF emerged from Mizo National Famine Front (MNFF) , a platform that protested the inaction of the Centre during the 1959 famine in Mizo people inhabited areas. The front, led by charismatic leader Laldenga, staged a militant uprising in 1966 and for several years carried out underground activities. Normalcy returned to Mizoram following the signing of Mizo peace accord in 1986 under then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. --IANS sc/vd Patna, Dec 5 : In wake of the party's debacle in the Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Congress's Bihar MLA Neetu Singh said that it should contest 2024 Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. "I firmly believe that the Congress should show a big heart and offer Nitish Kumar leadership of the INDIA bloc. Nitish Kumar is continuously doing good works in Bihar in every sector. If INDIA would contest under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, it would be better for the alliance as well as for the country," Singh, the MLA from Hisua in Nawada district, said. "Nitish Kumar was instrumental in uniting the opposition parties in the country. That was a big effort which he did successfully. He is capable of leading the alliance," she added. The MLA said that she was hoping that the party would form the government in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. "The party had contested the election under the leadership of Kamal Nath but he ignored the smaller parties and the partners of INDIA. The Congress lost 72 seats with narrow margins of 200 to 2,000 votes and this happened due to ignoring smaller parties," she said. New Delhi, Dec 5 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against five persons associated with the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), thus unravelling a major conspiracy by the proscribed Afghan terrorist organisation to unleash acts of terror and violence. The NIA official said that as per the probe ISKP, an affiliate of the Islamic State, is active in Khorasan province of Afghanistan and is allegedly behind a meticulously planned conspiracy to promote terror and violence in the troubled nation. The official said that its probe so far have revealed that the accused, identified as Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shawl, Mohammad Hazim Shah Sumera Banu and Zubair, had plans to go to Afghanistan illegally via Iran from Porbandar, Gujarat, for training and carry out terrorist acts in Afghanistan but they were arrested by ATS, Gujarat, based on credible inputs. The ATS had found that the five men were actively involved with the ISKP, the official said. The official further said that its probe found that the arrested individuals were engaged in activities such as recruitment of Muslim youth to join the violent agenda of the banned terror outfit. "Their actions were not limited to propagating the agenda and ideology of ISKP on social media but they were actively engaged in motivating, radicalising and indoctrinating vulnerable Muslim youth in India with the extremist ideology of ISKP. They were also collecting funds for the banned terror organisation," the official said. The official said that two other accused are absconding in the case and are based in Afghanistan and Iran. "The two absconders are believed to be key handlers of the arrested individuals," the official said. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had transferred the case to NIA on June 28 this year. On July 1, the anti-terror agency had registered a case under sections of the Unlawful Activities (P) Act, and of IPC based on the FIR earlier filed by ATS Ahmedabad. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. An international conference themed "Transport planning and traffic flow modeling" will take place in Baku on December 6-7, Trend reports via the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan. The event organized by the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency, Azerbaijan Technical University, and "Transproject" consulting company from Uzbekistan will be also attended by representatives from transport ministries, urban transport authorities, scientific and research organizations from Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. Additionally, experts from international advisory organizations, as well as public and non-profit organizations in the field of transportation, teachers, and students from universities will also take part in the event. The conference will feature presentations on various topics, including the development of public transport and transport models, planning, real-time management of transportation systems, and optimization of traffic regulation. Totally, more than 1.55 billion passengers and 186.2 million tons of cargo were transported in Azerbaijan from January through October 2023. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Tel Aviv, Dec 6 : Family members of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and some of those who were freed recently on Tuesday met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his War Cabinet members. Sources in 'Hostages and Missing Families Forum', which organised the meeting, told IANS that the meeting didn't gone well and the family members and some recently freed hostages shouted and yelled at Netanyahu and other members of the war cabinet. A woman who was recently freed from captivity told the Prime Minister and other cabinet members that the women hostages were living in a "pathetic condition" and were being harassed. She also said that Hamas terrorists were forcing them to wear Hijab so that the Israeli forces cannot differentiate between them and Muslim women during the army attacks. Those participated in the meeting told IANS that Netanyahu was "not listening to them properly" and instead was reading "remarks written over a piece of paper". This irked the released hostages as well as the family members of those who are still in captivity. They also claimed that Netanyahu told them that possibility of bringing all the hostages back home is very small". Washington, Dec 6 : A possible second term for former US President Donald Trump "poses a threat to the existence of America as we know it", the editor of a US-based magazine has said. Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, said he refuses to go gently into that good night. "We canat participate in the normalization of Donald Trump," an impassioned Goldberg said. "I refuse to participate in the normalization of Donald Trump," Goldberg was quoted by US media reports as saying. Goldberg is one of the few major newsroom leaders who has been exceptionally clear-eyed about the perilous storm on the horizon for American democracy. Using plain language, Goldberg and his team of writers at the magazine have not shied away from portraying Trump as a vandal of civilized society and an outright menace to the US Constitution, a CNN columnist wrote on Tuesday. On Monday, The Atlantic published a special edition of its monthly magazine focusing on what a second Trump term would look like. The aptly-titled "If Trump Wins" issue features two dozen articles laying out how the twice-impeached, four-time indicted candidate would shred norms, weaponize government, warp the rule of law, and degrade democracy, reports said. Trump faces 90 counts of felony, a $250 million civil and criminal tax fraud trial in Manhattan, cancellation of his business licenses, subversion of the electoral processes and conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election verdict electing Joe Biden as the President in Washington DC and Georgia. "I want people to be able to hand this issue to peoplea who are still unsure about the nature of Trump's authoritarianism," Goldberg explained. While most leaders of major American newspapers hold to the belief that Trump will rule as an authoritarian, it is rare to hear any of them saying so aloud -- especially in such frank terms. But Goldberg is more than comfortable doing so. He points out that his position is not a partisan one. "It's not about Republicans and Democrats," he stressed, but "about authoritarians versus pro-democracy Americans". And, in his view, not being open with readers about dangerous forces on the march would amount to a dereliction of duty, the CNN analyst said. "I would prefer journalists to speak plainly about what they're seeing," Goldberg said. "And I believe that a second Trump term poses a threat to the existence of America as we know it." "It is not that difficult for newsrooms to say they are pro-democracy. Most leaders in the Fourth Estate have no problem saying so. The conundrum they face is that in this dark time in which we find ourselves, staking out a vocal pro-democracy stance effectively means being anti-Trump. Most news organizations are not comfortable in that turf, as it could be perceived as partisan and turn away audiences. This is one of the discomforting aspects of this whole dilemma that people in the news media face," Goldberg noted. "Our eyes and ears tell us that Donald Trump fomented an insurrection against the Constitution. Right? We saw it. We heard it. It happened. That means that he placed himself outside the norms of American democratic behaviour. That is why I am comfortable devoting an entire issue to answering the question of what a second Trump term would look like and reaching the conclusion that it would be terrible. Absolutely terrible." When asked by the CNN analyst whether being outspoken about the prospect of a second Trump presidency could alienate otherwise persuadable audiences, Goldberg argued that self-censorship is not the solution. As he put it, "At a certain point, you can't convince people of reality". "All we can do is try to present fairly and completely our fact-checked views of Trump and Trumpism and hope that people read it and understand that we are trying to be truthful with our readers and truthful with ourselves and transparent," Goldberg said. "And if some voters in America can't handle that, then they can't handle that. There's not much I can do about it." "And this is the dilemma facing all journalism institutions," Goldberg continued. "We'd like to be able to speak to 100 per cent of Americans. But at a certain point you don't want to twist or muffle or downplay certain realities simply because reporting those realities offends a segment of your audience." Goldberg personally knows that being candid and reporting aggressively on Trump can come with severe consequences. After Goldberg reported in September 2020 that Trump had disparaged American service members who had died in the war as "suckers" and "losers" (something former White House chief of staff John Kelly later confirmed on the record to Jake Tapper), he had to move out of his house over security concerns for a period. But, he warned, a second Trump presidency could be even worse for the press. And, for that reason, members of the news media will need to contemplate their editorial decisions now, given Trump's already-declared hopes to muzzle critics if he were to regain power. "We all understand that Trump thinks of us as enemies of the state, and we understand that there are consequences for us that come with this belief," Goldberg said. "There's a chance that he would try to somehow criminalize reporting in a second term, and so we have to sound the alarm about that, along with the more generalized threats to American democracy. And we have to sound the alarm now." BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Azerbaijani parliament has discussed the living wage and the need criterion for 2024 in the third reading, Trend reports. The living wage in the country for next year is set at 270 manat ($158.8), for the working population: 287 manat ($168.8), for retirees: 222 manat ($130.59), for children: 235 manat ($138). The limit of the need criterion for 2024 for the purpose of assigning targeted state social assistance is approved in the amount of 270 manat. The documents, after discussion, were put to a vote and approved in the third reading. Currently, the living wage and the need criterion in Azerbaijan amount to 246 manat ($144.7). Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Funds in the amount of six million manat ($3.5 million) have been allocated for the reconstruction of Azerbaijan's Shusha-Lachin highway, which has a length of 41 kilometers, Trend reports. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a relevant decree. Will be updated An Iowa man will serve a suspended three-year prison sentence in a plea deal after being accused of seriously injuring another man in a hammer attack in February in Logan. Prosecutors offered a plea deal to the suspect on a less-serious charge after a Texas judge failed to sign a search warrant used in the investigation, thus hampering the case. Arthur Raymond Peppers, 65, of Donahue, Iowa, pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated battery (great bodily harm) during a Tucumcari district court hearing on Thursday. Peppers initially was charged with attempted first-degree murder after being accused of severely beating Justin Ramsey with a hammer at a car wash in Logan. The prosecutor recommended the plea deal after finding a Texas judge had apparently failed to sign the search warrant involved in the case. Peppers was apprehended in Dalhart, Texas, and extradited back to New Mexico. Ramsey, unconscious after the attack and found in a pool of blood at the car wash, was taken to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, in critical condition for injuries that included a fractured skull. According to court documents, District Judge Drew Tatum also sentenced Peppers to two years of parole. Peppers received 271 days of jail credit, with the rest of the sentence of two years and 94 days suspended. Peppers will be placed under the supervision of the probation and parole division of the New Mexico Department of Corrections. He must undergo mental health screening and complete any recommended counseling. He must also compete an alcohol or substance-abuse screening program or counseling. Peppers probation may be transferred to his home state of Iowa or any other state of residence. He must also submit a DNA sample to the state corrections department.. Another charge of tampering with evidence was dismissed under the plea deal. According to a transcript of the hearing, District Attorney Timothy Rose said family members said Ramsey was not doing well. He still was receiving treatment for his injuries and is not expected to ever recover 100%. Rose said Ramsey is being cared for by his sister. His mother and a victims advocate decided to not advise him of the court hearing because he has limited memory. Tatum told Peppers he would be responsible for any restitution, as determined by the adult probation office, for treatment of Ramseys injuries. Peppers did not speak, other than to answer questions from the judge. Peppers had no previous convictions, according to court documents. Rose said his office had three primary sources of evidence the crime scene, testimony from hitchhiker William Rice, who saw the attack, and Peppers testimony. Rose said his office was unable to find Rice, who reportedly had ties with an indigenous tribe in Alamogordo. In an initial interview with state police, Rice said he was walking along U.S. 70 near Mescalero when Peppers and Ramsey picked him up in an RV. Rice said hours later he awoke to see Peppers attacking Ramsey with a hammer. He later fled from the RV and notified police. During a police interview in Dalhart, Peppers said he attacked Ramsey with a 3-pound hammer as he slept, dragged him out of the RV and left him on the ground at the Logan car wash. When asked why he hit him in the head, Arthur Peppers stated it was to send him to a better place, then further clarified it was to send him to heaven, the police affidavit stated. This implied Arthur Peppers understood his actions were to kill Justin Ramsey. Rose said most importantly in the prosecutions case, a search warrant issued for the RV was not correctly signed by a Texas judge. Rose said the judge signed an affidavit but not the warrant itself, which could not be located. Court documents did not identify the judge. Rose, when contacted by email Monday, said he didnt have that information. Rose said that lack of a judges signature on the document left the prosecution at a weak standpoint. Peppers attorney, Roger Bargas of Tucumcari, would have filed motions to suppress that evidence from being used in the case, Rose said. Bargas agreed with Roses account of the prosecutions evidentiary problems. Tatum said he appreciated the explanation for the plea agreement, describing the attack as a very violent incident, and the victim is suffering lifelong for it. The judge ruled the plea was reasonable and would accept its terms. Rose in an email Monday said his office deals with a challenging tightrope with the pursuit of justice and the limitations of admissible evidence. In extremely violent cases like this, it is disheartening when you realize that the flame of accountability and justice is being extinguished by the absence of the very evidence that should sustain it, Rose wrote. The plea entered in this case secured a felony conviction and supervision by the Department of Corrections. While it does not sit well with me, it was certainly better than the alternative of a full acquittal at trial due to insufficient proof. In a little less than a month, Tucumcari Public Schools superintendent Aaron McKinney will leave the unit office for the final time - a closing chapter to an unusually long 18-year tenure. The retirement of McKinney, who turns 55 this month, officially will begin on New Year's Day. The school board is scheduled this month to pick a search firm to find a new superintendent. Assistant superintendent Dave Johnson is slated to serve as interim superintendent for a few months. McKinney, sitting for an interview at his office last week, said he is the second-longest-tenured superintendent in New Mexico, with only V. Sue Cleveland of Rio Rancho Public Schools serving longer, at 29 years. In total, McKinney has spent 29 years at Tucumcari Public Schools. He became superintendent at TPS in mid-2006 during a tumultuous time. The board placed his predecessor, William Reents, on paid administrative leave and fired him a few weeks later. McKinney, formerly a fifth-grade teacher at TPS, had been an assistant superintendent for a few months when Reents was removed. McKinney also served as an assistant superintendent for about a year during a previous period. McKinney became acting superintendent, then was named permanently to the position a few months later. McKinney said at the time, he insisted on clause in his contract where he could return to teaching if the superintendent job didn't work out. "You had to look at all the short-timers (at superintendent) that were before me," he recalled. "Plus I had just built a new home not too long before that. I wasn't ready just to get up and leave. My wife wanted to be here. So that's why I put that (clause) in there." McKinney obviously didn't invoke that clause. He was asked what enabled him to stick around as superintendent for nearly two decades. "I think at the time the board did hire me, they wanted to see a lot of things get rebuilt or new or improved on," he said. "Even when I was assistant, I was getting that done. They saw that." One of his big projects was building a new Tucumcari High School. "I remember the state came in, told me it would be 10 years before we could have a new high school," he recalled. "I had the blueprints in six months, and we were getting started. "That was the focus of the board at that time, to go make improvements that hadn't been made in years." The new Tucumcari High School was completed in early 2012. During his tenure, McKinney also oversaw construction of Mesa Cafeteria and a bus barn. He guided extensive renovations to Rattler Gymnasium, Rattler Stadium, Rhodes Field House, the vocational agriculture building and the unit office itself. On his so-called "bucket list," McKinney said he wanted to have the ballpark redevelopment project substantially done by his retirement. He said last week he was lining up bids for construction of the concession stand and changing rooms and that new sod was being laid on the fields. He also wants to dispose of the closed Mountain View Elementary School before he leaves but also help find a new building for its tenant, Early Head Start. McKinney said the school district's insurer wants Mountain View condemned after it inspected the structure. He said all those projects wouldn't have been possible with a short-tenure superintendent. "Anytime you're changing superintendents every few years, you're not going to get things done," he said. "They may get started, but they don't get finished." McKinney said Tom Sullivan of the New Mexico School Boards Association recently told him that once he and Cleveland retire, the average tenure of a superintendent in New Mexico would drop to about 18 months. "That's pretty sad," McKinney said. "Like I said, in a year and half, you can't get things done." "I've seen a lot of (superintendents) come and go," he added. "I used to know everybody. Now I'll go to these meetings, and I don't even know who's in the room. I know one or two people. That's how fast the turnover is." McKinney said he's been consulting a lot with Johnson and procurement officer Veronica Hernandez "to make this transition as easy as possible." He said even after he retires, he'll answer the phone if they call with questions. "I told them I wouldn't leave them in the dark," McKinney said. "Some of the stuff just requires the knowledge from the past that you've done. I want the transition to be as good as possible for the kids." McKinney said, however, he wasn't sure whether he would extend the same courtesy to the next superintendent. "It just depends who it is," he said, signaling that lurking in the background might impede the new superintendent. "A lot of times, you just kind of step away from it." Asked what he was proudest of during his tenure, McKinney said he couldn't think of any one thing in particular but admitted he liked the process of improving the district's buildings and infrastructure. "It's just that kind of stuff just always been fun," he said. "I think of everything that I've done, something to kind of reflect on when I know what it used to be and what it is." Asked what was the biggest challenge he faced, McKinney said it was his frustrations with the New Mexico Public Education Department. "Just trying to get a hold of somebody trying to get answers and stuff like that," he said. "It's been a challenge. Not so much in the beginning, but it's it's gotten worse in the last 15 years, just trying to get somebody on the phone that knows what they're talking about." McKinney said he initially wanted to retire at 50, but he didn't qualify for early retirement until age 55. When asked what he will do after he steps down, McKinney said he'll have plenty of tasks at his home. "I've let 29 years of things slip by at my place that I'm going to be catching up on," he said. "It may take me another 29 years to get it caught up. I got I got plenty to do." While public confidence in journalism remains low, surveys in recent years by the Pew Research Center and Gallup, among others, suggest that local news is faring better in public opinion. Surveys show high rates of confidence in local reporting and community information, as well as for advertising sources. Interestingly, the confidence spans age groups: Its not just the older generations that value their local newspapers, even as more and more people look for that information online. A 2019 survey by Pew also found that much of the public was unaware that local newsrooms are struggling financially, reducing staff or shutting down entirely at a rapid and sustained pace. A bipartisan bill introduced in the House of Representatives this past summer offers several solutions that would help local newspapers like the one you hold in your hands right now. Local TV and radio news would benefit, too. The public good it aims to protect is the way local news, reported by journalists living in their communities, provides an important public service and fosters community. The Community News and Small Business Support Act, HR 4756, approaches the problem through tax incentives. Small newsrooms employing reporters locally would be eligible for tax breaks, and so would area businesses that advertise in those publications. Through these provisions, important aspects of our local communities can be revitalized by helping small businesses reduce the costs of getting customers in the door, while simultaneously boosting the ecosystem for local news, wrote the bills co-sponsors, Reps. Claudia Tenney, a Republican from N.Y., and Suzan DelBene, a Washington state Democrat, in a letter to their House colleagues. New Mexico has seen a steady decline in the number of local reporters covering their communities, including ghost papers owned by distant corporations with no local staff at all. That plight briefly befell our sister paper, the Deming Headlight, in 2022, before it was purchased from the Gannett corporation. New Mexico has seen a resilient network of newsrooms joined by nonprofits, online startups and collaborative efforts to preserve and enhance news coverage across our state. Journalists are working hard to keep the work going. Lets hope New Mexicos congressional delegation will join the list of nearly 30 co-sponsors, Republicans and Democrats, of this bill. Silver City Daily Press One of the best administrators I have ever worked with grounded every decision in the essential question: Is this whats best for kids? To get to the answers, she skillfully used data as a tool for school, teacher and student growth. Whether it was tracking student behaviors, attendance rates or having teachers track classroom growth and proficiency on short cycle assessments and classroom assignments, she helped me to understand that the answers to almost any question or assumption I might make about a student could be discerned by analyzing the data as the key to unlocking deeper understandings. She taught me to be an intentional and thoughtful instructional leader for my students. After 23 years in the classroom, I still set aside three weeks at the beginning of my summer break to outline and plan instruction for my classroom for the coming year. I use previous years plans, student grades, writing samples, districtwide assessment data and any other school or classroom data I can access. I value this practice because it eliminates any assumptions I might make about a student, as data removes the guesswork from my planning. Data from assessments, grades and even attendance reporting helps me to make informed and meaningful choices for my students by painting a comprehensive picture of that student in the school environment. Using this information can help me understand where each student lands on the mastery scale in the content standards which allows me to better plan individualized classroom instruction for each student. One challenge that I, and every other New Mexico teacher, faces in planning for the coming year is having access to timely and accurate student data from the previous years statewide assessment. With last springs release of the New Mexico Public Education Departments NMVistas website, I thought I had a clear path to this information. Yet, the 2022-23 state assessment data was not uploaded until early November. Thats seven months after my students took the test and four months after I needed it for my planning. Whats more, the data was incomplete, with important information like SAT assessment data and early childhood literacy data missing. Some school data is masked, making it difficult to understand that schools designation score. Imagine the response I would get from parents, students and my administration if my turn-around time on grading student work was seven months and if it was inaccurate or incomplete? For data to be relevant and useful, it must be timely. If, as stated on the website, its purpose is to provide our community with a deeper understanding of our students proficiency across subjects, then teachers, parents, families, community members and students should be able to easily understand and navigate the information. The site is an important resource for all stakeholders. As such, the Public Education Department should consider adding some basic enhancements to help clarify the information and improve navigability. For example, our diverse community would benefit from having more diverse data available such as information on early literacy, SAT scores and completion scores of Career and Technical Education certificates for viewers to the site to analyze and interpret. Having such information would help elementary educators plan additional support for our struggling readers, whereas high school teachers like me can be more thoughtful about supporting our students with their post-secondary goals for college and career. Using simple icons on the landing page for each school that detail basic demographics for each school community with information like the total student population, student enrollment by grade, the student-to-teacher ratio, the population diversity of the school and what type of school it is (traditional vs. charter) will greatly enhance our communitys understanding of the page quickly and efficiently. In addition, adding bars detailing school, district and statewide data to the current graph on each schools page would provide for an easy comparison of the performance of the school, thus enhancing a students and their familys understanding of the school and better informing them about school choice options. Using data to drive my decisions for student learning is the kindest gift I can give my students as it is honest and fair. It is what will allow me to give each of them exactly what they need most to grow and succeed as a learner. Having access to that data early in the summer, rather than November, would allow me to plan and prepare for the coming school year in a way that truly does answer that all-important question in education: Is this whats best for kids? Shouldnt we all be striving for exactly that and nothing less? Dawn Bilbrey is the high school English teacher at San Jon High School. She is 2023-2024 Teach Plus New Mexico Alumni Policy Fellow. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. FIA (International Automobile Federation) Week continues in Baku, Trend reports. Meetings of the FIA General Assembly began this morning, with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in attendance. Representatives of automotive organizations from around the world, as well as important characters in motor sports, gathered in Baku for FIA Week. The Federation's supreme governing body, comprised of delegates from FIA's member associations and clubs engaged in the field of mobility, convenes once a year or through exceptional meetings. The goal of this event is to explore various themes related to motorsport and the automobile sector. Representatives from 128 countries attended FIA events in Baku, including club members and online participants. The FIA General Assembly will go on with Baku meetings until December 8 with its final meeting on December 8 at the Heydar Aliyev Center. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Donald Trump is telling us hes a threat to democracy. We just have to listen. Earlier this month on his Truth Social website, Trump threatened to expel and cast out government workers who oppose his radical views, describing them as a sick political class that hates the country. The 2024 election, he wrote, is our final battle. Sound apocalyptic to you? The former presidents use of the words cast out elicited a chorus of praise from his most loyal constituency: white evangelicals. That sort of term is commonly used by evangelicals, Pentecostals and more radical Christians to describe the exorcism of demonic forces. Such demons could be as diverse as sexual to educational to political in nature. Trump knows that these communities, particularly their older members, harbor beliefs deeply etched in the right-wing anti-communism of the Cold War era. Differing political ideologies communism, socialism, and Marxism were seen not only anti-American, but also anti-Christian. Trumps continued support from white evangelicals demonstrates how much they embrace his desire to abolish democracy and reconstruct a xenophobic government in their own image. To them, Trump is the answer, their salvation. For the past several years since Trump was elected, leaders of and subscribers to this political segment of American politics have engaged in the most destructive rhetoric publicly expressed by paranoid citizens since the days of the early McCarthy era. During the height of the Black power era, even President Richard Nixons infamous southern strategy of the late 1960s and early 1970s, which was able to successfully garner the support of the region by manipulating racist whites fearful and resentful of the civil rights movement, did not seem so overtly hostile in its aims. The fact that minorities have managed to secure Supreme Court seats and live in the White House have driven a number of these Leave it to Beaver fans mad with paranoia. In the idolized post-World War II suburbia they pine for, non-white people were absent from the top echelons of power in the U.S. Trumps acidic rhetoric is seen as a license by his followers to demean and disregard others just as he does. He portrays others as existential threats, determined to destroy everything his MAGA base admires about America. It signals to his supporters that disregarding basic human restraint and destroying your perceived enemies by any means necessary is permissible. While there are some conservatives who have denounced the tactics of their more extreme brethren, they seem to be isolated voices in the wilderness rather than taken seriously among Republicans as rational voices of reason. The current Republican Party has become so rapacious in its blind thirst for power, its members seem determined to attack and nullify any movements not conducive to their dystopian agenda. We have already witnessed the party engage in this sort of undemocratic activity with voter suppression and the duplicative election laws they have enacted. The acrimonious rhetoric of the far right betrays the undeniable truth that they are terrified and aware that their stronghold on the current state of affairs will erode if they are unable to manipulate the laws and future elections. Thus, they are attempting to establish a form of minority rule. If democracy is to survive, they must be stopped. Elwood Watson is a professor of history, Black studies, and gender and sexuality studies at East Tennessee State University. Contact him at: [email protected] The following is a condensed version of "The Buzz on Buzzfeed" by Tony Spanakos, published at Law & Liberty. In 2023, Buzzfeed and Vice announced that they were shutting down the news sections of their websites. In its short life, Buzzfeed news made the Steele Dossier available and its reporting on the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang received a Pulitzer Prize. At one point upstart social media news companies like Buzzfeed seemed poised to devour the New York Times, now the clear winner of the web news wars. How and why did Buzzfeed rise so spectacularly and recede with little notice? This is the story Ben Smith tells in Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral. The book examines the pursuit of traffic by a number of leaders in the social media world based primarily in New York City in the early twenty-first century. Eschewing opportunities to analyze the industry or its effects on politics, the book is primarily a story that follows the trajectory of Jonah Paretti (Huffington Post, Buzzfeed), Nick Denton (Gawker, Jezebel), and the people who entered and exited their social and professional networks. The author, Ben Smith, an early writer of political blogs, moved to Politico before becoming news director at Buzzfeed and then media columnist at the New York Times and co-founder of Semafor. He was the architect of the Buzzfeed news team and was part of the companys inner circle. Traffic begins and ends with a bet between two MIT students, Jonah Paretti and Cameron Marlow about whether one could make a post go viral or whether the internets whims were random and unpredictable. Paretti believed he could manipulate reactions and, having had success with a prank of Nike, he began a one and half decade pursuit of how to understand and direct internet traffic. Shortly after describing the bet, Smith introduces Nick Denton, a rash, dot.com entrepreneur who believed in the value of the internet to rip apart the establishment and its moral values through a new radical regime of transparency. This story is, perhaps unintentionally, tragic, a tale of innocence lost. Denton, from about 2010, mellowed and even has doubts about the behavior in which he engagedand in which his companies continued to engage. He learned he was not simply a force of transparency but that there was something wrong with exposing the personal lives of other people, even if they happened to be hypocrites. Paretti seemed to game the internet, but Smith concludes that the internet was in fact beyond them: there is a randomness to it. If Paretti won the bet, the victory was pyrrhic. Traffic discusses how certain types of indiscrete content were published and commented upon by social media companies new cadre of journalists. Early on, this content was the main product, not just bait. Oddly, Traffic reveals there was little discussion of what should published, only whether it would harm a hypocrite, if there was legal protection. He notes that this was not traditional journalism but does not push his thoughts further on the matter. The reader looking for something beyond everyone rushing to quantify views and likes should instead look at the works of Han Byung-Chul, who addresses such questions with more depth. Smith avoids moralizing, which is welcome but, at times, unsatisfying. The only time Smith seeks to offer some ethical explanation is in his discussion of the decision to publish the Steele Dossier which contained numerous allegations that connected Russian president Vladimir Putin to recently-elected US president Donald Trump. He and his team decided to post the full dossier with a brief explanation that the document contained some false information and other information that could not be verified. The caveat given, the dossier entered into cyberspace and was now open to interpretation by all and sundry. Why publish it? The establishment media in their elitist, paternalistic, patronizing way had kept it from the public and Buzzfeed was now driving the bus. It was paradigmatic of new social medias pretensions: the release into an open forum of the scandalous personal activity of one of the worlds most talked about celebrities, a leader of the conservative political movement. A hat trick the stodgy, gray lady would never have allowed. But, unlike video uploads and leaked audio, the report contained only allegations, and the Buzzfeed staff knew that the caveats included with the document would not get much attention. Was there a price for seeking attention? Internal deliberations focused only can we get away with this? Did no one think that there was a human cost to an expose which was not merely text but explicit images? Traffic seems to justify the absence of such reflection because smart people were simply following through on a bet in a fast-paced world cheered on by the massive movement of money and the multitudes attention. But the characters were not merchants of commonplace knick knacks but people who communicate the majority of the information about the world that people consume on a regular basis. How is that to be squared with a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on mass detention in China? Tony Spanakos is professor of Political Science and Law at Montclair State University. He is the co-editor of the Conceptualising Comparative Politics series (Routledge). 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And the rate at which railroads, roadways, gorgeous structures like this conference hall, and the Zangilan Airport of the finest quality are being constructed is really astonishing," he emphasized. On December 5, high-ranking state officials, respected foreign specialists, and members of international think tanks arrived in Zangilan. Made up of 60 persons from 30 different countries, they will take part in a conference called "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 Years: Achievements and Challenges." Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. T. Dallas Smith, founder and CEO of T. Dallas Smith & Company and member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, will deliver the keynote address at the 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast on Jan. 16, 2024, at Tate Grand Hall, according to a UGA Media Relations press release. Avid Bookshop, Athens Pride & Queer Collective and Athens-Clarke County Library hosted Raquel Willis, a Black transgender activist and member of University of Georgias 2021 Class of 40 Under 40, to promote the authorial debut of her memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation. In the midst of the holiday season, as the year comes to a close, many view this as the perf Health issues, divorce, court battles, moral turpitude, and more can all distract the CEO and impinge on a company's performance. So, how much of their private life should a company disclose? asks Amit Tandon. Gautam Singhania recently put out a statement announcing his decision to divorce Nawaz, his wife of 32 years. Given the 'unsubstantiated rumour-mongering and gossip' that preceded this announcement, he requested that this personal decision be respected, allowing the family the privacy needed to sort through the various issues. We will do so. His announcement, however, is an opportunity to consider questions about how 'private' the lives of listed company chief executive officers (CEOs) ought to be, as well as what companies should disclose and when. A CEO's divorce can affect the company in many ways. First, a divorce may impact the CEO's efficiency, focus, and energy level. There is a growing body of work that suggests that family conflict often spills into the workplace. And because separation may be long-drawn, the negative consequences may manifest even prior to the formal termination of the marriage, and endure for some time thereafter. However, CEOs benefit from managerial support, which can mitigate any adverse effects resulting from a divorce. Then, there is the question of the impact on ownership. A CEO holding a substantial ownership stake in a company may need to sell or transfer a portion of this stake to meet the conditions outlined in a divorce settlement. David F Larcker, Allan L McCall, and Brian Tayan noted that when media mogul Rupert Murdoch disclosed that he and his second wife Wendi Deng were initiating divorce proceedings, after 14 years of marriage, the share price did not react. In contrast, the authors found that Continental Resources share price dropped on news of its Chairman and CEO Harold Hamm's divorce because Hamm could have to sell a significant amount of his stock to pay a divorce settlement, or he could be forced to hand some of his stock over to his ex-wife. 'We believe both of these would result in a substantial overhang on the stock and could result in Hamm losing majority control,' noted RBC Capital. In Kings of Capital, a book about Blackstone, the authors have said that Stephen Schwarzman in part was believed to have sold his shares in Blackrock to help defray the cost of his divorce (he later described this sale as his 'heroic' mistake). Money is wiser after the first marriage: Mr Murdoch had a prenuptial agreement, Messrs Hamm and Schwarzman did not. While anecdotal evidence suggests spouses are more likely to receive cash and other assets, it is not always so. MacKenzie Bezos got to keep her 4 per cent stake then valued at $35.6 billion, leaving Jeff Bezos holding 12 per cent in Amazon. MacKenzie, however, transferred her voting rights to her husband. This lower wealth may result in a change in the risk appetite of the CEO, leading to either becoming too conservative or dialling up risk. This has consequences for the company. Current Indian boards deal less with divorces and possibly a bit more with disclosures regarding health issues of their CEO. Boards generally offer two explanations for remaining silent on their CEO's illness. First, the trade-off between an individual's privacy and the company's disclosure obligations. In the absence of regulations regarding what and when to disclose, companies have preferred to remain silent. The other is that companies do not view this as material information -- unlike order wins or a factory fire, which can be baked into a spreadsheet. In the US, disclosures regarding a CEO's health fall along a continuum (external link). From full briefings early in the cycle, as seen with Berkshire Hathaway announcing that Warren Buffett will have prostate cancer surgery, to partial (CEO is hospitalised), to keeping silent. Disclosures on both health and personal relationships are rare in India. HDFC Bank is one of the few instances of a company making a disclosure regarding its CEO's heart operation (external link). SKS Microfinance had disclosed matters relating to its founder's divorce in its offering circular (external link). Such disclosures remain uncommon. Most disclosure requirements are regarding the firm, with very few concerning its leadership teams. This is despite CEOs' personal brands sometimes becoming as powerful as the companies that they manage. Investors, however, expect that boards will be kept in the know. This is even more critical when it comes to the CEO's illness and health. Rather than waiting for the CEO to inform the board about her health, the board can demand that such disclosures be made mandatory. This will enable the board to assess the severity and plan ahead. Health and divorce are not the only elements that affect the CEO. Protracted battles with siblings, moral turpitude, regulatory misdemeanours, and the like can all distract the CEO and impinge on a company's performance. For now, boards must demand disclosures regarding the current situation from the CEO. Based on this information, they can decide on the materiality of the event, and appropriate disclosures should follow. Amit Tandon is with Institutional Investor Advisory Services India Limited. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com ZANGILAN, Azerbaijan, December 5. Architect, lecturer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Co-Directing Urban Design and Planning Development at Drees & Sommer Haris Piplas told Trend he's impressed by the rapid restoration activities in Azerbaijan's liberated territories. "This is my second visit to Azerbaijan in the last two months. I was in Baku at the National Urban Forum as a speaker, where I presented our work in the field of international architecture and urban planning in Western Europe, China, Asia, and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region," Piplas said. "Before this, I had only visited Baku, but I learned from special representatives, colleagues, and many foreign friends about the developing dynamics in different parts of Azerbaijan. However, today, being here in Zangilan, I observe how infrastructure development is taking place on the spot," he noted. Azerbaijan faces a challenge: how to build quickly but qualitatively, how to comply with international standards and UN global paradigms while considering local customs, added the expert. The visit of high-ranking foreign experts, state officials and representatives of international think tanks to Zangilan started on December 5. They are taking part in the conference "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 years. Achievements and Challenges". The delegation includes 60 representatives from 30 countries. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel 'This incident offers ammunition to those inside the US government and elsewhere who question the wisdom of trusting India, so it will have a lasting consequence no matter how it is managed.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi with US President Joe Biden at Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, September 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo "If the trial goes forward and produces additional material that implicates Indian officials, and if the Indian government is unwilling or unable to assure that it is taking appropriate measures to guarantee that similar activities have been curtailed, then the project of improving the US-India strategic partnership will slow." "US prosecutors are aware of the sensitive nature of this case, and might be willing to avoid a major escalation if they believe that the Indian government is quietly forthcoming in its own investigation," Daniel S Markey, Senior Advisor, South Asia, United States Institute of Peace, tells Nikhil Lakshman in an e-mail interview. US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken said last week that the US is taking the DoJ indictment very seriously. Is this comment for mere public consumption or is the Biden administration perturbed about the conduct of a nation that it perceives as an ally? What are the likely US measures that India can expect in response to this case? An Indian news outlet mentioned that America has prohibited India from posting fresh RA&W agents on American soil. Can India expect more of such actions? Secretary Blinken's comments should be taken as an accurate reflection of the Biden administration's stance. The entire US national security establishment would like to see India respond with an effective investigation of the episode that delivers appropriate consequences for those involved and demonstrates that similar events will never happen again. I think it is safe to conclude from public reporting that the United States and Canada have told their Indian counterparts that R&AW will be denied normal access until this abnormal situation has been resolved. US policies should be perceived in India as a firm stance on this specific issue, with the broader and equally important desire to get back to cooperative ventures that would advance the US-India strategic partnership in areas of common interest. Indians feel the US reaction is disproportionate considering that it does not censure Israel when Mossad targets Iranian scientists or when the US itself assassinates Qasem Soleimani. They ask why then is Washington so aggrieved about India wanting to get rid of someone Indian intelligence agencies perceive as a terrorist. What would you say to them? If Indians actually perceive that India's relationship with the government of the United States is equivalent to the hostile US-Iran relationship, then perhaps such an equivalence would make sense. However, the United States and India have a warm and intensifying relationship based on important common interests. Moreover, the United States has a political system founded on the rule of law, through which the Indian government is perfectly free to pursue extradition or other legal and political action against terrorists. It is incumbent on the Indian government to work cooperatively with US officials to develop mechanisms that serve the national security interests of both sides. That, not the contracting of criminal killers, is the appropriate action to take against US citizens that India considers a threat. If India doubts the US legal system, even to the point that Indians believe the United States is a 'State sponsor' of anti-Indian terrorist groups, then there will be no firm foundation for US-India cooperation on other ventures going forward, particularly in the area of intelligence sharing. Indians should appreciate that hiring killers to eliminate US citizens is an extreme violation of US law and sovereignty. What impact -- short-term and long-term -- will this DoJ indictment and trial have on the India-US relationship? Will it decelerate some of the wheels that are currently in motion? The looming DoJ indictment already occupied the time and attention of the most senior officials in the US government, and to that extent it has already sucked energy from a positive, forward-looking agenda. If the trial goes forward and produces additional material that implicates Indian officials, and if the Indian government is unwilling or unable to assure that it is taking appropriate measures to guarantee that similar activities have been curtailed, then the project of improving the US-India strategic partnership will slow. US-India initiatives will face new scrutiny and political headwinds from the US Congress as well as from powerful institutions within the US national security bureaucracy. Will the Nikhil Gupta trial further complicate things in the future? Is it possible that this case could be resolved away from public view -- like the Devyani Khobragade issue was settled -- or don't Indians understand how the US judicial process works? Unlike the Khobragade incident, the current situation does not offer a simple diplomatic 'fix'. Nikhil Gupta is not an Indian diplomat, and his case will be handled by the DoJ. Prosecutors may even want to use his testimony to identify and charge his handlers in India. Most of that process will lie outside the authority of US national security officials who, if they could, might wish to find a way to resolve the issue behind closed doors as a means to protect US-India relations. That said, US prosecutors are aware of the sensitive nature of this case, and might be willing to avoid a major escalation if they believe that the Indian government is quietly forthcoming in its own investigation. IMAGE: Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar meet US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and Secretary of State Antony J Blinken in New Delhi, November 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Is there an expectation that the India relationship is too important for an event like this to derail it? I believe that is the hope on both sides, and I know many expect the matter to be managed so as to avoid a serious derailing of US-India relations. However, the legal proceedings will have a life of their own, outside political and strategic considerations. It is hard to predict where they will lead. Moreover, this incident offers ammunition to those inside the US government and elsewhere who question the wisdom of trusting India, so it will have a lasting consequence no matter how it is managed. Could this invoke a sense of caution at the State Department and the Pentagon and indeed the White House about dealing with India and this government in the future? Yes. This incident is a warning about the ways in which the current Indian government perceives its relationship with the United States. All parts of the US policy making and intelligence community should consider its wider implications. In particular, they should appreciate the specific areas of convergence and divergence in bilateral perspectives. That appreciation should inform how far US-India cooperation is advisable, where it will pay the greatest dividends, and where it will run the greatest risks. In your long experience of studying the India-US relationship, is this alleged plot without precedent? Indian diplomats and policy makers have always taken the high moral ground in international statecraft, asserting its belief in Gandhian principles. Do you think this conspiracy is an aberration, perhaps a rogue plot, or does it reveal how Indian statecraft has changed from the past? I am unaware of prior incidents of this sort, at least on US soil. I am inclined to believe that this plot in the US was the extension of a campaign that included other targets. Obviously, it is linked to the Nijjar killing in Canada, but it might also be connected to activities in the UK and Pakistan. The indictment offers strong reasons to believe that Indian security officials were running and funding all of these operations. If that is true, then it appears to be a reflection of a shift in Indian statecraft, although it is unclear precisely who within the Indian system would have authorised and enabled that shift. Although consistent with assertive rhetoric of the ruling BJP government, I am reluctant to assume explicit endorsement by India's top leaders of these activities. We will probably never know those facts. For now, India's government will be judged by its reaction, including the steps it takes to end this apparent assassination campaign and punish those involved. Could India's more assertive presence in the world have led whosoever conceived this business to assume that they would get away with because of New Delhi's current standing in the world? It is difficult to ascribe assumptions of this sort. It is equally possible that those who conceived these activities merely assumed they would never be caught and had not fully considered the risks they were running. How will this, in your opinion, damage India's standing among those countries that are currently courting it? Would there be hesitation, a reluctance in future dealing with India? Or do you think the necessity of realpolitik make this alleged plot a temporary hiccup which will quickly be pushed to the back burner with 'Nick' Gupta taking the fall? First, I do not believe that pinning the plot on Nick Gupta will be sufficient to resolve this matter. Second, this incident, including India's angry response to allegations from Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, has already put a bad taste in the mouths of policymakers in a number of countries, especially smaller countries in Europe. They perceive India's actions as evidence of bullying and also, quite possibly, as the consequence of an increasingly illiberal turn in Indian politics. This may constrain certain types of cooperation with New Delhi, especially in the areas of diplomacy and intelligence, in the near future. Third, that said, all countries courting India will continue to hold high hopes for commercial investments, trade, and other aspects of the relationship. Just as many countries have pursued close economic ties with China, India's size and potential will make it an important partner in spite of its politics, if not because of them. 'Barring Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the BJP will may make inroads in Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana in 2024.' IMAGE: Narendra D Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party's supreme leader, is garlanded by senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Amit A Shah and party president J P Nadda at the BJP's victory programme in New Delhi, December 3, 2023. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo The way the Bharatiya Janata Party outplayed the Congress in the Hindi heartland of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in the 2023 state assembly elections, stunned many political pundits. The only consolation for the Congress was the southern state of Telangana. How did the Congress prevent incumbent chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao from scoring a hat trick? What worked for the Congress? "The BRS, formerly the TRS, had made a lot of promises both during the movement for the new state and also when it came to power. However, there was clearly a wide gap between what was promised and what was fulfilled. The Congress latched onto the disillusionment of the people," Professor K K Kailash, head of the department of political science, University of Hyderabad, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier. IMAGE: Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj hands over the list of elected representatives from 119 constituencies in Telangana to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, December 4, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Opinion polls and exit polls predicted a Congress victory in Telangana. Did the result come as a surprise? I would say the result was on expected lines because in the last couple of months, the Congress had made some smart moves, stayed together and fought as a united force. Is this an anti-BRS vote, or a pro-Congress verdict? I would say, the result is anti-BRS for a few reasons. The BRS, formerly the TRS, had made a lot of promises both during the movement for the new state and also when it came to power. However, there was clearly a wide gap between what was promised and what was fulfilled. When the demand for a separate state of Telangana was going on, they had promised more equitable regional development. This has not necessarily happened. Instead, Hyderabad and its surrounding areas have not only consolidated their locational and financial advantage but have also grown much faster than the other regions. This uneven development obviously does not sit well with the promise of equitable development. Then there was also a promise of increased employment opportunities. The students formed the backbone of the Telangana movement. The minimum they would have expected is decent employment opportunities, either in the private sector or in the government. However, this too has not happened. I also think a lot of students continued to stay on in the universities thinking that some recruitment would take place. In the process, they continued to accumulate degrees, but do not find employment opportunities commensurate with their qualifications. So, there is sense of disillusionment and angst among the youth. The third reason could be unhappiness in the agricultural sector. Studies by civil society organisations note that there are substantial numbers of tenant farmers in the state. They have been left out of the flagship Rythu Bandhu scheme in which the landowners have benefitted. The government support goes to the landowners even when it comes to procurement. Tenant farmers who do not get covered under the government welfare programmes feel left out. This policy has also only contributed to the growing inequality The other reason I can think of is the poor implementation of the welfare programmes like the Dalit Bandhu, 2BHK housing scheme, the Gruhalaxmi scheme and so on. There have been press reports of the ruling party MLAs having a great say in the delivery of these programmes as well as issues of corruption. This has also created disenchantment among the people who have been left out, and felt that the benefits of all schemes were going only to a select few. There could be other reasons like voter fatigue with the party, and an attempt to give another party a chance. IMAGE: Bharat Rashtra Samithi founder and president K Chandrasekhar Rao, left, at the BRS legislature meeting in Hyderabad, December 4, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo You mean it was not a pro-Congress vote? You can say, the Congress latched onto the disillusionment of the people. As in Karnataka, the Congress too came out with a list of six guarantees, including free electricity, gas cylinders, free travel on public transport, land distribution to selected groups and so on. The Congress also made claims of achieving real social justice and development. Did the Bharat Jodo Yatra by Rahul Gandhi help the Congress in any way? Of course, it did. The yatra went on for a lot more time in Telangana than it was originally planned. It definitely enthused party workers. The Karnataka victory also helped the Telangana campaign. The cadres were like if we can do it there, we can do it here also. Yes, the Bharat Jodo Yatra did play an important role. But it didn't seem to help in the Hindi belt... The difference I think is, there is a greater sync between the central leadership of the Congress party and the local leadership in the South as compared to the North. I could be wrong, but they seem to be pulling the same direction in the South unlike elsewhere. IMAGE: Telangana Congress President Revanth Reddy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, senior party leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy, left, and Manikrao Thakare, right, meet Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, December 3, 2023, after their party's victory in the assembly elections. Photograph: ANI Photo While the BJP did extremely well in the Hindi belt, they were not able to do the same in the south of the Vindhyas. Do you feel the BJP is still a Hindi belt party as it has now no presence in the south? I don't think so. The BJP has substantially expanded since 2014. While it may not be translating into seats, it has been fairly successful in capturing the mind space of different sections of the population in various states. This also has to do with the popularity of the prime minister. However, we do not know clearly know if this popularity of the party is because of the prime minister or people have generally moved towards the party. Barring Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the prime minister's popularity is high across different states. Then, the BJP too has successfully been able to portray itself as providing effective governance. The BJP will continue to push for s space in the South. How much it will succeed, we will have to wait and watch. You mean, Modi transcends the party and even Hindutva? Maybe. I think a shift to a more majoritarian society has been happening for long. The BJP has been the major beneficiary of this shift. Modi and the BJP have just used it to their advantage. It has been the party strategy to use Modi to give him the space while it pushes its agenda forward. Do you think the main reason behind the BJP victory in the Hindi belt was the Hindutva plank? The party was talking a lot about the Ayodhya temple also... I don't think they pushed Hindutva as such so much. Given the majoritarian turn that the country has taken, it is no longer necessary to do it in a blatant manner. It is now the new normal in many ways. Look what happened when the new Parliament was inaugurated or the laying of the foundation stone of the Ram temple. While such acts by those holding office would have been frowned upon in the past, today it is seen as a proud moment. This is the new majoritarian India. Do you think 'Modi ki guarantee' worked? Yes. The BJP also is aware of the importance of Modi. It has become centralised where the regional/local leaders have no say. This will weaken its organisation in the long run. What happens to the BJP after Modi? The party will have to think of this at some point in time. Do you think the Modi magic that worked in northern India will work in the south in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections? In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it will be difficult. Barring Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the BJP will may make inroads in Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana in 2024. Would you say it is advantage BJP in 2024? It is definitely advantage BJP right now. One thing is sure, these results have been a big blow for the INDIA bloc. The smaller parties in the INDIA bloc will be very happy now that the Congress has not done well. The Congress should have been more considerate towards the other parties. Now, they have more bargaining power. Definitely, the INDIA bloc has been weakened by the results. I don't know whether they will rethink their way of doing things and the Congress will have to be more generous. When the BJP made the headway between 1996 and 2004, it agreed to play the smaller partner in many states. The Congress probably needs to go back to the drawing board when it comes to its revival strategy. IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Choutkul in Sangareddy, Telangana. Photograph: ANI Photo Do you see any politician in India who can take on Narendra Modi in 2024? I don't see any pan-Indian leader who can take on Modi. Where does Rahul Gandhi stand? He is a genuine and understanding person, but nothing seems to be working as intended. Maybe, the people expect something else. Unless the others come out with a fresh and innovative narrative or plan on how they want to take India forward, it is advantage BJP. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com 'Once elected, you have to act like people's representative for the full five years or else people show you your place.' IMAGE: Congress leader Ashok Gehlot addresses an election meeting in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, October 25, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Dr Suman Maurya, assistant professor, department of political science, Rajasthan University, lists the reasons for the Congress defeat in Rajasthan. "While anti-incumbency is a known factor in every election in the state, this time the Congress made several mistakes," she tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com. What accounts for the Congress defeat in Rajasthan? In the Rajasthan elections, anti-incumbency always play a role. While anti-incumbency is a known factor in every election in the state, this time the Congress made several mistakes. The seven guarantees (LPG cylinders for for 10.5 million families at Rs 5,000 per cylinder; annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to the women head of the family under the Griha Lakshmi Yojana guarantee; laptop or tablet for students taking admission in government colleges; purchase of dung from cattle rearers at Rs 2 per kg under the Gowdhan guarantee; Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and insurance cover up to Rs 15 lakh per family to compensate for losses due to natural calamity and education in English mediuml law for the old pension scheme for government employees) promised by the Congress did not cut much ice with the voters because they knew that the government's coffers were not in good shape. People of Rajasthan know the economic crisis the state is facing. The voters of Rajasthan realised that given the economic condition such freebies will never become a reality. So, the promise of seven guarantees, on which Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot planned to win this election, failed miserably to enthuse voters to vote for him or Congress. The other factor that went against Congress was the late announcement of its candidates for the constituencies. The BJP had an upper hand over the Congress in this department as they were the first off the block to announce their candidates. This delay cost Congress much in this election. The choice of candidates too was not to the people's liking. As many as 26 ministers of the Gehlot government lost their seats. In the five years that the Gehlot government was in place, these ministers spent most of their time bickering among themselves or in trying to save their government by preventing poaching of their MLAs. The entire resources of the government and Congress were spent on saving their government rather than governance. The voters of Rajasthan are aware and educated. They didn't vote for what was promise to them on the eve of elections. They voted for what the government did, or failed to do, in the five years that it ruled the state. The OPS (old pension scheme) implemented by the government was done in phases due to paucity of funds and people were seeing through all this. The beneficiaries of OPS were not at all happy with its implementation. Given this scenario it was always an uphill task for Ashok Gehlot to beat anti-incumbency. Did the issue of paper leak and the 'Red Diary' play its role in the Gehlot government's defeat? The BJP has a strong media management team and this team ensured to put pressure on the Gehlot government and its ministers on issues of corruption. Be it the paper leak issue or that of the Red Diary, BJP's media management team reached out to the voters in Rajasthan through social, print and electronic media highlighting the corruption of Gehlot's ministers. The Gehlot government, no doubt, implemented some of the best welfare schemes -- the Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana and the Social Security Pension Scheme -- the state has seen for a long time. But these successful schemes and Gehlot's good work were overshadowed by the issues of corruption and intra-party rivalries. The Congress' social media team too failed to showcase how they have changed lives of the poor in the state through their welfare schemes. Why did so many ministers lose their seats? In Rajasthan, ideology never plays a dominant, decisive role in elections. It is the face of the candidate and her/his reputation and image that people vote for. Voters give more weightage to a candidate's personality, their work and their relationship with the voters. These ministers lost because of their arrogance. If you think that voters will forgive you for knocking on their doors just once every five years then you are doomed to fail. These ministers made the same mistake steeped as they were in their arrogance of power. Stalwarts from both the BJP and Congress lost in this election. These 26 ministers lost because of their arrogance and hubris. They began looking upon themselves as Supreme. Once elected, you have to act like people's representative for the full five years or else people show you your place. Don't forget that your supremacy comes with a shelf life of just five years. IMAGE: Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje poses for a selfie with supporters in Jaipur, December 3, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Will Vasundhara Raje Scindia return as Rajasthan's chief minister? People would be more interested in having a chief minister who would work for them, implement welfare schemes as well as improve the state's declining economic growth. Whoever becomes the chief minister it will be very difficult for that person to dump the welfare schemes that the Ashok Gehlot government implemented. They will have to continue with them. The elected MLAs will lobby for their favourites in Delhi, but the people of the state have no particular favourite this time. Whoever becomes the chief minister will have to work hard for the welfare of the people. Else, they will face the same fate in 2028 as the Congress faced in 2023. People are looking up to a leader with a strong vision when it comes to improving their health, education and economic infrastructure. You must know that the BJP did not project any individual as its chief minister while seeking people's vote. The BJP high command, which worked hard for this victory, will have all the right to name whoever they like as the state's chief minister. What role did caste affiliation play in the BJP's victory or the Congress's defeat? In India, elections have always been won on caste and religious equations. In Rajasthan too, caste and religious polarisation played its role (in the BJP's victory). While both these factors did play out in favour (of the BJP), what worked really well for them (the BJP) was candidate selection. 'The BJP is doing politics 24x365, but the Congress revs up only during elections.' IMAGE: Narendra D Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party's supreme leader, at a roadshow in Indore, November 14, 2023, for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. Photograph: ANI Photo "Madhya Pradesh has become a BJP state. It is the laboratory of the BJP since the formation of the state. The party has strong roots and this 2023 victory has strengthened those roots further," says Professor Yatindra Singh Sisodia, Director, Madhya Pradesh Institute of Social Science Research, Ujjain. The author-editor of 22 books, Professor Sisodia's areas of interest are democracy, decentralised governance, electoral politics, tribal issues, and developmental issues. "The Congress has to revisit its politics in the third decade of the 21st century. They are still doing the politics of the 1980s and 1990s which is not working," Professor Sisodia tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih. The scale of the BJP's victory in Madhya Pradesh is unprecedented. What impact is this going to have on the state and on the Lok Sabha election next year? The biggest story of this election has come from Madhya Pradesh. The result in MP is extraordinary. The BJP has won 163 seats with a vote share of 48.56% votes which is unprecedented. Even in 2003 when there was huge anti-incumbency against the incumbent Congress government and the BJP won 173 seats, the voter percentage in favour of BJP was 42.5%. The vote share received by the party in 2023 is extraordinary for any political party in the state assembly election. The sweeping victory in the Hindi heartland will have enormous impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha election. It is a win-win situation for the BJP and a huge setback for the INDIA alliance. What are the reasons for this extraordinary performance in MP? 1. The Modi magic and guarantee offered by the prime minister powered the BJP's victory. 2. Well-oiled machinery. Booth level micromanagement. 3. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's model of governance, especially women-centric schemes. 4. Majoritarian Hindutva politics. 5. Enormous resources to reach the voters. There has been a quantum jump in the BJP's committed vote bank in the state. The party has created a solid voter base which will remain with the party for a long time. What accounts for this 7.5% jump in vote share for the BJP? Emotional and sentimental issues outshined issues of anti-incumbency, fatigue, corruption and unemployment. All these issues were pushed to the background by the committed, sizeable, BJP voter. Majoritarian Hindutva politics and issues like Sanatan Dharma, the Ram temple has captivated the minds of the people. They are engrossed in these issues. Modi at the Centre and Chouhan in the state are seen as the true saviours and propagators of religious sentimental issues. This has percolated down caste, class and gender. The urban rural divide has been blurred in this election. IMAGE: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan meets with Bharatiya Janata Party supporters in Bhopal, December 3, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Shivraj Singh Chouhan seemed on a weak footing at the beginning of the campaign, but gained ground in the course of the campaign. What changed? Yes, it did appear that there would be a change in government at the beginning of the campaign, but the counter-narrative offered by the Congress was primarily a long list of freebies. The electorate was not lured by this. The Congress campaign was scattered. The party was confident that people would vote for change which made them complacent. They did not gauge the booth level mobilisation of the BJP. Do you think Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be retained as CM since the BJP won this mandate under his leadership? He could be the CM for the 5th term and stay on till 2024 at least. The party has performed very well under him and he is still in his 60s. Even if there is a change of guard, he will be given a respectful central ministership. Secondly, he is the tallest OBC leader and retaining him as CM will send a good message. Unless, of course, the BJP is planning a surprise. What about Jyotiraditya Scindia? What role is he likely to play in the next 5 years? He is among the top three BJP leaders in the state. His candidature as CM cannot be ruled out. He is popular, articulate and suitable. He also has good relations with the top central leadership. Yet, Shivraj Singh Chouhan remains the strongest candidate for chief minister. IMAGE: Modi and Chouhan at an election roadshow in Gwalior. Photograph: ANI Photo You mentioned the BJP's Hindutva and identity politics which appeals to the sentiments of voters. What impact has it had on minorities? MP is peculiar in the sense. The Muslims account for just 6.5% spread sparsely throughout the state. They are in significant numbers in 2-3 assembly constituencies. Two Congress MLAs have been elected from Bhopal. The Muslims presence is not spread across the state evenly and therefore the Hindu-Muslim issue is only confined to certain pockets. Since the BJP has been in power for nearly 20 years, is it practically impossible for the Congress to return to power in MP? Is MP headed the Gujarat way into becoming a BJP state? MP has become a BJP state. It is the laboratory of BJP since the formation of the state. The party has strong roots and this 2023 victory has strengthened those roots further. The Congress hinged its campaign on two leaders -- both over 75. The Congress has to revisit its politics in the third decade of the 21st century. They are still doing the politics of the 1980s and 1990s which is not working. Even one wrong word unacceptable to the masses cannot be uttered publically or on social media. The Congress needs a complete overhaul, new leadership, organisational strength and different mechanism. In these next 5 years, the party needs to come up with a strong counter narrative in the state. The strength of the party is its core base of SC, ST and minorities. It has won sizable ST seats, but that is not enough to stay in the race. The party have lost 0.5% vote which is not much, but the BJP has increased its vote share by 7.5% which has come at the expense of the BSP and others. The BSP which usually got 5%-7% votes has fallen to 3.40%. This shift in votes has powered BJP to victory. IMAGE: Modi with BJP Oresident J P Nadda arrives to attend the BJP's victory programme in New Delhi, December 3, 2023. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo This victory also shows that Hindutva-lite pushed by Kamal Nath did not work because that space already belongs to the BJP. What change in messaging can the Congress employ? Hindutva politics is the plank of BJP. They thought they will go into the BJP' space and defeat them with their [BJP's] own idea of politics. This was a monumental mistake. The background and ideology of the Congress is different. It should confine itself with ideas of welfare, social democracy and engaging with vulnerable sections, SC/ST around the clock. Politics cannot be a part time job. The BJP is doing politics 24x365, but the Congress revs up only during elections. It also has a very slow decision making process and status-quoist mindset. The Congress needs a churn. They need to articulate ideas to provide a counter-narrative. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Khalistani separatist Lakhbir Singh alias Rode, among India's 'most wanted' terrorists, has died in Pakistan where he had fled after his uncle Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was killed in 1984, officials said on Tuesday. IMAGE: Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Photograph: ANI Photo The 72-year-old Rode, whose ancestral village was at Rode in Moga district, died at a hospital in Rawalpindi following a massive heart attack, the officials said. Some reports suggest that he died on Monday while others indicate that he breathed his last on Saturday. The self-styled chief of banned Khalistan Liberation Front was an accused in various cases and had a Red Corner notice issued by the Interpol at the request of India. He was actively engaged in sending weapon and explosive consignments from across the border to India to carry out terrorist activities in Punjab. Various accused arrested by Punjab Police had said during interrogation that they were in contact with Rode and had carried consignments of arms, ammunition and explosives to India at his instance for subversive activities for Khalistan movement, his dossier prepared by the security agencies said. They were also asked to terrorise people besides targeting Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs) and political leaders, it said. Heading the banned terror group Internation Sikh Youth Federation, Singh had opened its offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the United States and was propagating a 'Khalistan through violent means', the dossier said. He joined the Khalistan movement in 1982 after returning to Punjab from Dubai. After the 1984 storming of the Golden Temple, Singh fled to Nepal from where he shifted his base to Dubai again in 1986. After settling his family in Canada, Singh came to Lahore where he was residing since 1991. He is among the 20 most wanted terrorists whose extradition India has sought from Pakistan in the wake of the December 13 2001 attack on Parliament by a five-member group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists. In October, an NIA court in Mohali ordered confiscation of land belonging to Rode at Kothe Gurupura (Rode) village of Smalsar Police station under section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Under the section, a judge can confiscate moveable and immoveable property of a proclaimed offender involved in serious crimes. The order came in a case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 1, 2021 under various sections of the UAPA, Indian Penal Code and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances act. Singh was booked by Punjab Police initially for his alleged involvement in a tiffin bomb blast case that took place on September 15, 2021 in Jalalabad town of Fazilka district of Punjab. Investigators claimed that he masterminded the entire conspiracy. The probe indicated he was working in collusion with his Pakistan-based 'masters' and he had played a key role in sending consignments of terrorist hardware, including arms, ammunition, custom-made tiffin bombs, grenades, explosives as well as drugs, to carry out terrorist acts, particularly bomb blasts, to instil fear and terror among the people of Punjab, the NIA had said in an official statement. The NIA was investigating six cases against him for his active involvement in terror activities between 2021 and 2023. Rode was accused of engaging in a wide array of terror activities and his criminal dossier includes armed attacks on law-enforcement personnel, orchestrating IED and bomb blasts, targeted killings of members of the minority community, extortion, fund-raising for terrorist operations, and instilling terror among the general populace. Rode's associate held in Punjab Meanwhile, Punjab Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested an associate of Rode from Amritsar airport while he was trying to board a flight to the UK on a fake passport. Paramjit Singh alias Dhadi was allegedly involved in terror funding and other subversive activities, police said. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, in a post on X, said, 'In a major breakthrough, SSOC (State Special Operation Cell) Amritsar has arrested #UK based, Paramjit Singh @ Punjab Singh @ Dhadi from #Amritsar airport.' 'An associate of Lakhbir Rode, Chief of banned terrorist outfit #ISYF, Dhadi has been involved in terror funding & other subversive activities in #Punjab,' Yadav said. The police chief said an investigation is underway to unearth and expose the terrorist network and termed Singh's arrest as a 'major blow' to the terror module attempting to disturb peace in the region. Additional Inspector General, SSOC, Amritsar, Sukhminder Singh Mann said Dhadi was detained by the immigration authorities at Sri Guru Ram Das International Airport, Amritsar on Monday, 'while he was going to board a flight to the UK on a British passport in the name of Punjab Singh'. Subsequently, the accused was arrested in a case registered on September 2, 2021, under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosives Act, the Arms Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) registered at Police Station SSOC, Amritsar, Mann said in a statement. He said during preliminary investigations, it came to light that Dhadi was regularly in touch with Lakhbir Singh Rode. "The accused was a frequent visitor to Pakistan and on the instructions of Rode, he used to identify and handpick youth using social media platforms to motivate them to be part of terrorist activities," the senior officer said. The DGP, in a statement issued later, said the SSOC, Amritsar busted a terrorist recruitment, funding and aiding module with the arrest made at the Amritsar airport. "Paramjit Singh, a British Citizen and a founder member of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), was initially involved in terror activities in Punjab in the early 90s and was later arrested in 2003 and convicted in cases pertaining to terrorist activities," the DGP said. "After the completion of his sentence, the accused returned to the UK but continued his activities in ISYF by working as a motivator, recruiter and fundraiser for the organisation in the UK and other European countries," he said. Yadav said in 2021, Dhadi's name figured in the reorganising of ISYF cadre in Punjab by arranging and providing funds and militant hardware to target specific people for disrupting peace and harmony in the state. "Following Dhadi's involvement in terror funding and other subversive activities in Punjab, an LOC (lookout circular) was issued to ensure his arrest," he said. Chouhan's fate will be determined by the BJP central command's assessment of the implications of such a move ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. IMAGE: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan meets Bharatiya Janata Party supporters in Bhopal, December 3, 2023, after the party won a two thirds majority in the state assembly elections. Photograph: ANI Photo The Bharatiya Janata Party, fresh off its electoral victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, now faces a significant challenge: Deciding who will lead the legislature parties and the governments in Bhopal, Jaipur, and Raipur. The BJP strategically refrained from declaring its chief ministerial candidates ahead of the assembly elections. Of the three states, it had a government only in Madhya Pradesh under Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the only incumbent CM. Chouhan has ruled uninterruptedly since November 2005 but for a brief hiatus from December 2018 to March 2020 after he was unseated in the 2018 assembly election by the Congress. He returned as the CM after a split in the Congress legislature party provided the BJP with a majority. The BJP dispensations in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, led by Vasundhara Raje and Raman Singh, respectively, were also voted out in 2018. BJP sources said while Raje and Singh could be phased out without significant disruption, the situation with Chouhan is more complex. Although Chouhan was not officially named the chief ministerial candidate, he was at the forefront of the BJP's campaign. Party central leaders might have overlooked him at joint meetings to underscore the point that a comeback, should the party win, was not a foregone conclusion. However, circumstances changed on Sunday. A lead/win of 166 of 230 assembly seats is the second-best performance turned in by the BJP in the state since it won 173 seats in 2003. Notably, it achieved its highest vote share in these elections -- from 42.5 per cent in 2003 to 48.8 per cent, a rise of 6.3 percentage points. This achievement is particularly significant considering that Madhya Pradesh has been governed by the same party and chief minister for 18 years. The rise of 7.9 percentage points in vote share since last election in 2018 -- when the BJP was down to just 109 seats -- was attributed by observers to women voters, who were the targeted beneficiaries of Chouhan's flagship scheme, Ladli Behana. Launched on March 5, 2023, to coincide with Narmada Jayanti, the Ladli Behana scheme provides a monthly stipend of Rs 1,250 to women from families with an annual income below Rs 2.50 lakh and who are aged between 21 years and 60 years. On Raksha Bandhan this year, Chouhan announced that the monthly sum would be increased to Rs 3,000, with periodic increases of Rs 250. While some of Chouhan's inclusive schemes have been criticised for non-delivery due to administrative apathy and alleged corruption, he personally oversaw the Ladli Behana scheme with a determination to cultivate women as a vote bank. This strategy appears to have paid off, much like the liquor prohibition brought in block votes from women in the 2015 Bihar polls for Nitish Kumar. A day before voting, Chouhan was quoted saying: 'In a close fight, Ladli Behna has removed the thorns in our path.' The backward castes, too, seem to have rallied behind the BJP in larger numbers this time. Chouhan, a member of the backward caste Kirar, was perceived as Prime Minister Narendra D Modi's 'competitor' before 2013. He made a point to thank Modi and the 'double-engine sarkar' for the victory. If he is moved to the Centre, he will have to secure a heavyweight portfolio. Chouhan's fate will be determined by the BJP central command's assessment of the implications of such a move ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. China this week will hold the second conference of its Indian Ocean Region Forum, an initiative to bring together several countries in the region in an attempt to solidify its influence in the strategic waters adjacent to India's backyard. Image used for represenational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo Last year the China International Development Cooperation Agency, an organisation part of the ruling Communist Party of China's Leadership Group, held a meeting of the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwest China. CIDCA is headed by Luo Zhaohui, the former vice foreign minister and ex-ambassador to India. The CIDCA claimed 19 countries including Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Djibouti, Australia took part in the conference. Australia and Maldives subsequently denied their participation. India was not invited to the meeting. The Chinese forum is apparently aimed at countering India's strong influence in the Indian Ocean region where India-backed organisations like the Indian Ocean Rim Association, which has a membership of 23 countries, have taken strong roots. China is a dialogue partner in the IORA formed in 1997. Besides IORA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed Security and Growth for All in the Region in 2015 for active cooperation among the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean region. The Indian Navy-backed Indian Ocean Naval Symposium' seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the region. While there is no official announcement here about this year's meeting, an official press release put out by the Maldives Presidential office said vice president Hussain Mohamed Latheef will take part in the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation' and hold talks with Chinese officials. The previous Maldives government headed by Ibrahim Mohammad Solih, which pursued an India-first policy, skipped last year's meeting of the Forum. Currently, the political scene in Maldives looks hazy as the new President Mohamed Muizzu has fallen out with former pro-China President Abdulla Yameen soon after his election in September and seeks to pursue his own foreign and domestic policy. Under Yameen's Presidency, China carried out major infrastructure projects amid allegations of debt traps by some influential politicians of the Maldives. Yameen, who is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption, quit the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives and formed his own political party called People's National Front from jail to oppose Muizzu. With the severe cyclonic storm Michaung anticipated to hit Bapatla district within hours, nearly 900 people residing in villages along the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh have been evacuated to safety. IMAGE: Heavy rains continue to lash several parts of Andhra Pradesh as the severe cyclonic storm Michaung' looming over the Bay of Bengal sea close to Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Tamil Nadu coasts. Photograph: ANI Photo Bapatla district superintendent of police Vakul Jindal told PTI that people living in thatched houses in the region have been evacuated. He said 21 cyclone shelters have been set up, even as 10 trees got uprooted and 12 bridges and culverts are overflowing in the district. As of now there is not much of a human impact. It is raining and a bit windy. We have cleared the uprooted trees and stopped vehicle movement at overflowing places. We are vigilant and we will see what happens and respond accordingly, Jindal said. While some people were moved to shelters in vehicles, people living nearby walked there. Heavy rains continue to lash several parts of Andhra Pradesh as the severe cyclonic storm Michaung' looming over the Bay of Bengal sea close to Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Tamil Nadu coasts is moving closer by the hour to its landfall area. The Amaravati Meteorological Centre noted that the current intensity of gales near the centre of the severe cyclonic storm is 90 100 km per hour and gusting up to 110 kmph. The weather system over west-central Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Naud coasts moved northwards at a speed of 10 km per hour in the past six hours up to 7:30 am on Tuesday. By that time, it lay centred near the latitude of 15.1 degrees north and longitude 80.25 degrees east, about 35 km north to northeast of Kavali, said an Amaravati Meteorological Department official in a press release. It also lay 70 km north to northeast of Nellore, 90 km south to southwest of Bapatla, 150 km south to southwest of Machilipatnam and 230 km north of Chennai. Incidentally, the weather system is moving northwards close to the coast and some parts of the wall cloud region already lie overland. It is likely to move nearly northwards parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross it between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla in some hours as a severe cyclonic storm. Michaung' is expected to cross with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph and also gusting to up to 110 kmph. The Meteorological Department forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by gales in parts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday. It also forecast extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. On Tuesday, it forecast extremely heavy rainfall, greater than 204.4 mm, in isolated places of Konaseema, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Palnadu, Bapatla and Prakasam districts, along with heavy to very heavy rainfall, 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm, in parts of these districts. Likewise, it forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Alluri Sitharamaraju, Kakinada, East Godavari, Kadapa and Nellore districts. Further, the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall, 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm, in parts of Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Nandyala, Annamayya and Tirupati districts. Except for the four Rayalaseema districts of Kurnool, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai and Chittoor, several parts of the rest of the state are expected to be pounded by rains. Several parts of West Godavari district have been witnessing intermittent rainfall since Sunday night. Between 8.30 am on Monday and 6.30 am Tuesday, the Meteorological Department recorded a rainfall of 213.6 mm in Bapatla, Nellore (209.5 mm), Machilipatnam (149.3), Kavali (142.6 mm), Ongole (114.4 mm), Kakinada (59 mm) and Narasapuram (58.5), among others. The Congress is going ahead with the INDIA bloc meeting convened by it on Wednesday to formulate a strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls but it will hold another round of parleys involving top opposition leaders in the third week of December, sources said. The move comes as some opposition leaders of the bloc, including TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, said they won't be able to attend the meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Gurdeep Sappal, CWC member and coordinator Congress president's office, "A coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of INDIA Alliance will be held at 6 pm on December 6 at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge." "Thereafter meeting of party presidents/heads of the INDIA Alliance will be scheduled in third week of December at a date convenient to all," Sappal, who is also a Member of Campaign Committee of INDIA alliance, said. Sources said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is unwell while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin is unable to attend due to the cyclone that has hit his state. The West Bengal chief minister, they said, is busy with a family wedding. The sources said the three leaders had urged the Congress chief to postpone the meeting. "But INDIA block meeting is on, being attended by party floor leaders at 6 PM at 10, Rajaji Marg residence of the Congress president," a source said. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said on Tuesday that Akhilesh Yadav has no plans to attend the meeting on December 6. When asked if the decision was taken after the declaration of assembly poll results in four states, the spokesperson said there was no information about the meeting earlier. "The Samajwadi Party national president has no plans to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc tomorrow. Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised by the national president will go for the meeting," Chaudhary told PTI. In Delhi, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said his party will attend the meeting although Akhilesh Yadav may not be present. He said the Samajwadi Party chief is busy with some programmes in the Purvanchal region. "It doesn't matter if a leader does not participate. All parties will be there in the meeting." "Leaders are busy, they have prior commitments... the meeting was announced suddenly. Akhilesh will not attend as he has some programme in Purvanchal, I will attend (the meeting)," he said. The meeting convened by the Congress comes after the BJP emerged victorious in three Hindi heartland states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh - while Congress won Telangana. There have been rumblings within the INDIA bloc after Congress' loss in the three states in the Hindi heartland, with the Samajwadi Party, which was miffed after being ignored in seat-sharing, expressing its displeasure openly. Leaders of parties like the Shiv Sena-UBT, the Janata Dal-United and the Aam Aadmi Party have said that the Congress should be more accommodating of regional allies. In Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Congress thought it was competent to win against the BJP on its own and did not join forces with the other INDIA alliance parties "due to its greed". "Had they joined hands with the other parties, this would not have been the result. They were greedy and lusted for power. They wanted it all for themselves. That is what led to this situation in those states," the Left leader had said. A meeting of the top leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) has been deferred to the third week of December after some of them expressed their inability to attend it due to their preoccupations. IMAGE: A meeting of Opposition parties was held in the chamber of Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, in New Delhi on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Another meeting convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday with the floor leaders of the INDIA constituents in Parliament will, however, go ahead according to its schedule to formulate the opposition strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The decision was taken as some leaders of the bloc, including Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, said they will not be able to attend Wednesday's meeting. Gurdeep Sappal, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and coordinator of the Congress president's office, said on X: 'A coordination meeting of parliamentary party leaders of INDIA alliance will be held at 6 pm on December 6 at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.' 'Thereafter meeting of party presidents/heads of the INDIA alliance will be scheduled in third week of December at a date convenient to all,' Sappal, who is also a member of the Campaign Committee of the INDIA bloc, said. Sources said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is unwell while his Tamil Nadu counterpart, M K Stalin, is unable to attend Wednesday's meet due to a cyclone that has hit the southern state. Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, is busy with a family wedding, the sources said. They said the three leaders had requested the Congress chief to postpone the meeting. "But the INDIA bloc meeting is on. It will be attended by the floor leaders of the parties at 6 pm on Wednesday at the 10, Rajaji Marg residence of the Congress president," a source said. Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said the meeting has not been postponed as some chief ministers were unable to attend it. She said the meeting will take place on December 6 and coordination and seat sharing will be discussed among the leaders. Subsequently, the top leadership of various opposition parties will endorse the same during their meeting later in December, Chaturvedi added. Rubbishing speculation that the recent assembly poll results have created fissures within the INDIA bloc, Congress leader Naseer Hussain said the election outcome would have no bearing on the opposition unity and its alliance is intact. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said Akhilesh Yadav has no plans to attend the meeting on Wednesday. Asked if the decision was taken after the declaration of Assembly poll results in five states, he said there was no information about the meeting earlier. "The SP president has no plans to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc on Wednesday. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised by the national president will go for the meeting," Chaudhary told PTI. In Delhi, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav said his party will attend the meeting, although Akhilesh Yadav may not be present. He said the SP chief is busy with programmes in the Purvanchal region. "It does not matter if a leader does not participate. All parties will be there at the meeting," Ram Gopal Yadav said. "Leaders are busy. They have prior commitments ... the meeting was announced suddenly. Akhilesh will not attend it as he has some programmes in Purvanchal, I will attend (the meeting)," he added. Talking to reporters, Akhilesh Yadav said the recent assembly poll results will make the INDIA bloc even stronger in the coming days. "The people of India want to remove the BJP and the results show that they want a change. The results could have been different had there been a different alliance. The BJP must be concerned about this trend as people were angry with those in power and voted for change. In the coming days too, this will be a matter of concern for the BJP as people will vote for change," he said. Wednesday's meeting convened by the Congress comes after the BJP emerged victorious in the elections in three Hindi heartland states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh -- while the Congress won the poll battle in Telangana. There have been rumblings within the INDIA bloc after the Congress's electoral loss in the three Hindi heartland states, with the SP, which was miffed after being ignored in seat sharing, expressing its displeasure openly. Leaders of parties, such as the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, Janata Dal-United and Aam Aadmi Party have said the Congress should be more accommodating when it comes to its regional allies. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the Congress thought it was competent to win elections against the BJP on its own and did not join forces with the other INDIA constituents 'due to its greed'. "Had they joined hands with the other parties, this would not have been the result. They were greedy for power. They wanted it all for themselves. That is what has led to this situation in those states," the Communist Party of India-Marxist leader has said. ZANGILAN, Azerbaijan, December 5. It is important to show various countries the work that is being carried out in Azerbaijan's liberated territories, Chairwoman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Georgia (RONDELI Foundation) Ekaterine Metreveli told Trend. "I can say that what we witnessed leaves deep impressions, starting from the moment we arrived at the airport. I was very interested," Metreveli shared. According to her, it is very important to demonstrate to various countries and organizations the reconstruction work carried out by Azerbaijan in its liberated territories. The visit of high-ranking foreign experts, government officials, and representatives of international think tanks to Zangilan started on December 5. They took part in the conference "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 Years: Achievements and Challenges." The delegation included 60 representatives from 30 countries. The delegation then visited the first settlement built on the basis of the "smart village" concept in Azerbaijan's territories liberated from Armenian occupation, the village of Aghali. 'There is ample evidence to suggest that attacks on the PM's probity and his connections with business houses do not resonate with voters.' IMAGE: Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi being greeted by party President Mallikarjun Kharge at the launch of the book Mallikarjun Kharge-Political Engagement with Compassion, Justice and Inclusive Development in New Delhi, November 29, 2023. Photograph: Sanjay Sharma/ANI Photo A gathering of Opposition parties, called by the Congress on December 6 to strategise for the INDIA block, is likely to be sombre in the wake of the party's electoral defeat in three heartland states. According to party leaders, the Congress will be compelled to adopt a more "sensible" stance, stepping down from its role as the driving force behind the Opposition alliance. The meeting follows a hurriedly arranged Congress event last week, held to celebrate the release of a book by party President Mallikarjun Kharge, marking his 60-year political career. The function was attended by several senior Congress leaders and virtually all party MLAs, with Rahul Gandhi notably absent. "It was a show of strength by Kharge, who might have been expecting a better result than what we actually got," said a senior Congressman. Despite the shock of the election results, the Congress is not rushing to conduct any post-mortem. When asked if a meeting of the Congress Working Committee or any other party body was scheduled to discuss the results, a dispirited party MP said: "What will we discuss in a 60-member CWC?" The electoral setback will inevitably cast a spotlight on the grey area of leadership in the Congress after Kharge assumed the presidency just over a year ago. While his role in the Karnataka assembly victory earlier this year was praised, his comment on the latest electoral defeat as a 'temporary setback' has been poorly received. "He will be remembered as the Congress president for understatement," said a former CM from the party. While much has been made of internal divisions within the Congress, such as those between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, or between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his deputy, T S Singh Deo, there is scant evidence to suggest that internal sabotage was the sole cause of the Congress's underperformance in the two states. Instead, party leaders are looking elsewhere for an explanation for the defeat. A Congress MP pointed out: "The faces are the same -- K C Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala... what has changed?", hinting at Kharge's nominal role as president. "Some voices will demand accountability from Rahul Gandhi," he added. Privately, Congress members acknowledge that personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra D Modi tend to backfire. "Turning an election into a presidential contest between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi through personal attacks on the PM does not work in our favour. We need to avoid this, as we did in Himachal Pradesh," stated a senior party leader. "There is ample evidence to suggest that slogans like 'Chowkidar chor hai', attacks on the PM's probity and his connections with business houses do not resonate well with voters. We need to change our approach," he added. Behind closed doors, Congress leaders are also expressing serious doubts about what appeared to be a central aspect of the Congress campaign in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections: The caste census. Leaders say the results suggest there were few takers for the Congress's caste census call and Rahul's repeated dictum that social groups that are the most numerous -- Other Backward Classes, for instance -- must get an equal share in politics. Many parties in INDIA were resentful of attempts by the Congress to have a caste census thrust on them, especially the Trinamool Congress which will now be empowered to question this. "It is all very well to talk of empowering OBCs. But in Telangana, it will be hard to deny Revanth Reddy the chief ministership. He is not an OBC. Nor is (Sukhvinder) Sukhu, our chief minister in Himachal Pradesh. We say OBCs are the most numerous so they must have an equal share in power. But in two states out of three run by us, non-OBCs are chief ministers. With what face should we advise other parties to adopt this?" asks a former chief minister from the party. These results will also force new equations among alliance partners and the viability of tie-ups in the alliance. For instance, in Telangana, in constituencies that have a large Muslim population, the result suggests a shift in Muslim voting preference from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi to the Congress. In fact, many experts and close observers of politics in Telangana like former state irrigation secretary, A N Das, believe this election saw a tactical shift in Muslim voting in favour of the Congress which contributed to the BRS's resounding defeat. This has two implications: For the Congress-BRS relations in the INDIA bloc, which the BRS was reluctant to join anyway; and the Congress attitude to minority issues, which for many in the Congress, is problematic. "If this Telangana victory is going to make us adopt a certain stance vis a vis the minorities, it could be complicated," said an MP from the party. Observers from the Congress feel the party's 'soft Hindutva' in Madhya Pradesh had no impact. "But in Chhattisgarh, the BJP's Ram Mandir campaign did hurt us," says the former CM. With parties like Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal seeking a stronger pro-minority tilt and the Trinamool Congress still undecided on its view, INDIA may see extensive discussion on the issue. But a review of the stance may become unavoidable. A month after court orders, the Pune Municipal Corporation in the early hours of Tuesday razed the dilapidated structure of Bhide Wada, where social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule started the first school for girls in 1848. IMAGE: Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule started the first school for girls in 1848 at Bhide Wada in Pune. Photograph: ANI on X The civic body plans to build a national memorial dedicated to the social reformer couple at the site, officials said. Local people and traders had refused to vacate the place and moved court. Bhide Wada is located in Budhwar Peth area of Pune. The Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court recently cleared the way for the PMC to build the national memorial at the site and ordered shop owners and tenants at the dilapidated structure to vacate the premises. "The structure, spread over more than 2,700 sq ft, was razed in the early hours of Tuesday. The court had given the tenants and shopkeepers a month's time, which ended on December 2," PMC's additional commissioner Vikas Dhakne said. "On December 4, they were again issued the notices and at midnight, forceful eviction action was carried out and the structure, which was dilapidated, was razed," he said. Currently, the site is being cleared, the official said. "We will be submitting three designs from three different architects to the PMC commissioner. A final decision will be made and the work of the national memorial will start," he said. A large police force was deployed in the area as the civic body moved to raze the structure. It was completely demolished sometime after midnight. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Sandip Singh Gill said since the PMC did not get possession of the property despite issuing notices to the tenants and shop owners, it had written to the police for security personnel to be deployed during the action. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath is likely to meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday and may tender his resignation from the post following the party's debacle in the assembly elections, sources said. IMAGE: Congress Madhya Pradesh President Kamal Nath greets Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a day after BJP's victory in the state assembly elections, at his residence in Bhopal on Monday. Photograph: ANI Photo Winning 163 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party got two-third majority in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, while the Congress bagged 66 seats. The polls were held last month and votes counted on Sunday. Nath is likely to meet Kharge on Tuesday and could be asked to resign as party state unit chief, the sources said on Monday and added that the Congress leadership is also upset over Nath's remarks against many leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Janata Dal-United supremo Nitish Kumar, over seat sharing. While the Samajwadi Party was asking for only four to six seats, the JD-U only one seat in Madhya Pradesh, to which Nath did not agree and peeved the leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The sources said the Congress leadership is also reportedly upset over Nath not meeting party leaders and workers, but meeting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday. At least 12 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in and around Chennai even as personnel on fishing boats and farm tractors were engaged in rescuing stranded people in the city on Tuesday. IMAGE: A view of the waterlogged area following heavy rainfall triggered by cyclone Michaung, in Chennai on Monday, December 4, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The city and adjoining districts faced relentless rains on Monday as Michaung loomed over the north coastal areas of Tamil Nadu. After being pounded by rains the whole of Monday, Chennai witnessed some respite on Tuesday even as the city struggled to cope with large scale water logging, power cuts and disruption in mobile services. Apart from the 12 persons who had lost their lives, eleven others, who sustained injuries in rain-related incidents, were receiving treatment in various hospitals, officials said.. In Muthialpet locality in the city's outskirts, 54 families were rescued, and a woman who had just given birth was relocated to a safer place from Saligramam in the city. IMAGE: NDRF personnel rescue people from the waterlogged areas of the Varadharajapuram area following heavy rainfall, in Chennai, December 5, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Several District Disaster Response Teams were formed to carry out relief work in all rain-affected areas across Chennai. The Air Force Station, Tambaram and the Navy joined the rescue and rehabilitation works. Two helicopters were pressed in for service in rain affected areas while Navy's divers, swimmers and inflatable boats ventured into the operation. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Tuesday morning that across the nine affected districts, including Chennai, a total of 61,666 relief camps were established. Approximately 11 lakh food packets and one lakh milk packets have been distributed so far, he said. The Chennai Corporation has brought in 5000 workers from other districts for flood mitigation works in the city. Photograph: ANI Photo These workers utilised farm tractors and fishing boats in flooded areas for rescue operations and distributing relief materials. Tamil Nadu chief secretary Shiv Das Meena said on Tuesday evening that 80 percent of power supply and 70 percent of mobile networks have already been restored. Das told reporters that there were 42,747 cell phone towers in Chennai of which 70 percent were currently operational. The rest of the 30 percent was not operational due to lack of power, he said. Schools and colleges will remain closed in and around Chennai on Wednesday, he added. Air services that were suspended to and from Chennai airport on Monday, partially resumed on Tuesday with domestic and international flights landing and taking off albeit with delays reported in some sectors. A Southern Railway press release stated that they were trying to resume all train services to and from Chennai by Wednesday. The services from and to Chennai were completely shut down on Monday. Photograph: ANI Photo More than 250 people from low-lying areas found refuge at a school camp in Kotturpuram. Additionally, 22 passengers stranded after their local bus got stuck in rainwater, were transferred to a relief camp set up at the Middle School in Pallavaram. Since Tuesday morning, most parts of Chennai experienced a respite from rains, allowing officials to focus on rescue and relief operations in affected areas. During a press conference at the Chennai Corporation headquarters on Tuesday morning, Stalin stated that relief measures were being undertaken on a war footing. Stalin mentioned that across the nine affected districts, including Chennai, a total of 61,666 relief camps were established. Approximately 11 lakh food packets and one lakh milk packets have been distributed so far, he said. The Chennai Corporation has brought in 5000 workers from other districts for flood mitigation works in the city. These workers utilised farm tractors and fishing boats in flooded areas such as Periamet and other parts of north Chennai for rescue operations and distributing relief materials. Residents in areas like suburban Tambaram, Ashok Nagar, Kattupakkam, and Perungudi complained about the lack of power restoration despite the rain ceasing for several hours. Mukesh Chordia, a resident of Ashok Nagar, mentioned that although water had receded from the main roads in the area, power supply had not been restored. Press Trust of India (PTI) Chennai's Deputy News Editor Annie Thomas residing in Koymabedu near the city's main outstation bus terminus said, "Last time (2015), after three days of being stuck due to waterlogging, we waded out in thigh-level water and stayed in serviced apartment for a day, then at a friend's place for two days." Thomas added, "This time our apartment complex is once again surrounded by water. We are on the second floor. There is no power supply and I am conserving the charge on my phone as much as possible. I don't know how long tap water supply will last." Stalin informed reporters that the power situation was being restored in phases. He noted that the handling of the situation was far better compared to the 2015 floods when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was in power. Stalin pointed out that the 2015 floods were caused by an unplanned release of one lakh cusecs from the Chembarambakkam reservoir in the city's outskirts into the Adyar river, leading to man-made floods. He said that the current situation, natural floods caused by torrential rains, was efficiently managed by the state. He explained that during the current spell of rains, only a maximum of 8,000 cusecs of water was released into the Adyar and Cooum rivers from the Chembarambakkam reservoir in a planned manner. Among the 12 people who lost their lives in rain-related incidents were a 60-year-old woman in Foreshore Estate and a 48-year-old man who worked as a head constable at the Integral Coach Factory police station, according to an official release. Further detailing the DDRT's measures, the official release mentioned the rescue of three individuals trapped when a makeshift generator room collapsed due to heavy rains. Additionally, three members of a family were safely evacuated after their house was submerged in water in Adyar. The release also noted the closure of nearly 16 subways due to inundation and the removal of fallen trees at 60 locations. Meanwhile, minister for milk and dairy development T Mano Thangaraj stated that the production of five lakh milk units at the Ambattur dairy of Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Ltd, popularly known as 'AAVIN,' was affected as the factory was completely submerged due to rainfall. Thangaraj added that the AAVIN diaries in Sholinganallur and Madhavaram were operating at full capacity, supplying milk to Chennai from factories located in other districts. He assured, 'A sufficient amount of milk and milk products are available', while urging retail outlets to cooperate in distributing milk to consumers. Top Congress leadership on Tuesday discussed the issue of government formation in Telangana. IMAGE: Telangana Congress president Revanth Reddy with party leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during a roadshow in Hyderabad before assembly elections. Photograph: ANI Photo Sources claimed the name of Revanth Reddy as chief minister in Telangana was cleared during the meeting held at the residence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Reddy is the state Congress chief and is credited with the party's win in the recently concluded assembly polls. Kharge had earlier told reporters that the decision on the chief minister will be taken today. Sources said though a decision has been taken internally, the name of the party's chief ministerial candidate will be declared at the meeting of the Telangana Congress Legislature Party in Hyderabad later. Former party chief Rahul Gandhi met the Congress president at his residence, where Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar was also present along with Telangana Congress in-charge Manikrao Thakre, and discussed the formalities of government formation in Telangana. Thakre said he met the Congress president and the party will decide on the new Telangana Chief Ministerial candidate. "We are here only to submit the report. Apart from that there is a one-line resolution that the party high command will take the decision (on chief minister)," Shivakumar said in Hyderabad. Shivakumar was one of the party's observers appointed by the leadership to talk to newly-elected MLAs in Telangana and take their views on government formation. He has already given the report to the Congress president after meeting all the newly-elected MLAs in Telangana. The Karnataka deputy chief minister also separately met former Telangana PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy in Delhi, who is also seeking a key position in the new Congress government in the state. Reddy said the CLP meeting authorised the Congress president to take a decision on new government formation including that on the chief minister. "The Telangana Congress MLAs have unanimously resolved that our CLP leader and other issues will be decided by AICC president," he told reporters after the meeting. He refrained from making a further statement and said, "We will go by whatever decision the AICC takes." Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy has also been meeting newly-elected party MLAs in Hyderabad. Hectic parleys are taking place in Hyderabad where another meeting of the CLP will be held on Tuesday evening where the chief minister's name will be announced. The Congress defeated the Bharat Rashtra Samiti in Telangana by bagging 64 seats in the southern state. The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought data on the beneficiaries of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act in Assam, saying there was no material before it which could indicate that the effect of granting Indian citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants between 1966 and 1971 was so great that it impacted the demographic and cultural identity of the border state. IMAGE: A peaceful protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act despite a curfew in Guwahati. Photograph: PTI Photo/Rediff archives While acknowledging the problem of cross-border infiltration in Assam, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud referred to the humanitarian aspect of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war for the liberation of Bangladesh which also led to the influx of immigrants. The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant, M M Sundresh, J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, commenced hearing 17 petitions to examine the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam. Section 6A was inserted in the Citizenship Act as a special provision to deal with the citizenship of people covered under the Assam Accord. It says those who came to Assam on or after January 1, 1966, but before March 25, 1971, from specified territories, including Bangladesh, in accordance with the Citizenship Act amended in 1985, and since then are residents of the northeastern state, must register themselves under Section 18 for acquiring Indian citizenship. As a result, the provision fixes March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi migrants in Assam. But to test your argument there is no material before us to indicate that the impact of granting certain benefits to citizens who came in between 1966-71 was so grave that the demographic and cultural identity of the state was affected by those five years, the bench told senior advocate Shyam Divan who said the socio-cultural, economic and other rights of the indigenous people are getting affected due to the influx and the special provision. Yes, we will have to see whether the impact of Section 6 A was such that between 1966 and 1971 a radical change in demography took place in the state so as to affect the cultural identity of Assam, the bench said. It asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, to provide the data on the beneficiaries of the legislation since 1966 to July 16, 2013. Mehta assured he will file it. One thing you have to bear in mind is that if Parliament were to merely grant amnesty to a group of illegal immigrants then that can be a very different situation. But we can't deny that Section 6A was enacted at a point which is deeply connected to our history, namely, that India had a very vital role, if I may use that expression, in the creation of Bangladesh. Because we were part of the war as much as Bangladesh was and illegal immigration took place then, the bench said. Parliament seems to have proceeded on the basis that the immigration which took place cannot be regarded purely as illegal but it was something humanitarian, the CJI said. The war took place, there was liberation. Bangladesh was created. And therefore this was not just looked at by Parliament from the perspective of an illegal immigration, but something which is deeply interwoven in our own history of conflict and the liberation of Bangladesh, the bench said. The solicitor general referred to data produced by an MP in the Rajya Sabha earlier and said 5.45 lakh illegal immigrants had come to Assam between 1966 and 1971. From 1951 to 1966, the figure was 15 lakhs, he added. Divan, appearing for several Assam petitioners who are opposed to the provision, said it violated the basic fabric of the Constitution which are the preambular values of secularism, fraternity and brotherhood of the nation. Referring to fraternity as mentioned in the Constitution, he said it is among the citizens and not related to some kind of 'global fraternity'. He said West Bengal has more illegal immigrants than Assam, and this provision has been enacted for Assam as if it were a kind of licence to outsiders to come and acquire Indian citizenship. For the quantum of illegal immigration you have to show that Assam was at par with other border states... We have always allowed an underinclusive legislation by Parliament, the bench said. This is not underinclusive legislation. Here we are a community and 6A completely destroys my community, Divan asserted. He referred to various reports, including the one prepared by S K Sinha, a former governor of Assam, on the "grave threat" posed by the influx of people from Bangladesh to Assam. "The influx of illegal migrants is turning these districts into a Muslim majority region. It will then only be a matter of time when a demand for their merger with Bangladesh may be made," he said quoting the report. Seeking data, the bench said, What is the quantum? How many people have taken the benefit of this prior to 1966 and what about the quantum of 1966-71. Post 1971 there was a cut off completely. You cannot have a situation where cultural rights of one border state get completely undermined and destroyed. There has to be a corresponding duty to ensure that people are not reduced into a minority in their own homeland," Divan said. Seeking declaration of the provision as invalid, Divan also sought a direction to the Centre to frame a policy in consultation with States/UTs for settlement and rehabilitation of all people of Indian origin who came to Assam after January 6, 1951 proportionally across the country. "Then there are various directions we have requested regarding complete fencing of the border, steps for the process of identification, detection and deportation of foreigners in the state of Assam, he said. The bench analysed census data since Independence and asked, There has been a sudden increase in infiltration according to you post the amendment as well. But will that have an impact on the validity of amendment? Divan said in a federation, if a law is drafted, it has to be made applicable across the country, and if the border state is a class, it must apply to all such entities. "Then again the burden lies on you to show that the extent of infiltration between 1966-71 in Assam was comparable to infiltration in other states, the bench said. It's not for me to show... You are singling out one unit from the entire federation and you are making a special provision there which is destroying my cultural rights and my identity, Divan said. The hearing will resume on Wednesday. As many as 17 petitions, including the one filed by NGO Assam Public Works in 2009, are pending in the apex court. Under the Assam Accord signed by the All Assam Students Union, Assam government and the Government of India on August 15, 1985, to detect and deport the foreigners, Section 6A was inserted into the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to people who have migrated to Assam. A two-judge bench had referred the matter to the Constitution bench in 2014. The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine a plea for quashing a provision of the surrogacy law which bars single unmarried women from having children through surrogacy. IMAGE: A view of the Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the Centre and sought its response to the petition. During the brief hearing, senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal, appearing for petitioner Neha Nagpal, a practising lawyer, said there were massive gaps in the current surrogacy rules that are violative of Article 14 (equality before law) and Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, informed the bench that the issue of single unmarried women opting for surrogacy is pending before a larger bench. Kirpal said the matter needs to be heard as it involves a larger constitutional question. The bench then ordered issuance of notice to the Centre. The plea, filed through advocate Malak Manish Bhatt, said the petitioner wants to secure her right to avail herself of surrogacy and experience motherhood on her terms without the State's interference in her private life. "The Petitioner has a right to reproduction and motherhood even without entering a marriage. The Petitioner has a diabetic condition and is approx. 40 years of age and has been informed that pregnancies above 36 years of age are termed as geriatric pregnancies and involve complications especially in diabetic patients," the plea said. Referring to various apex court verdicts, Nagpal said in her plea that the right to reproduction and motherhood has been recognised by the Supreme Court and extends not only to reproduction by way of natural conception. It must also include within its ambit the right to access freely the scientific and medical advancements which can help realise the right of reproduction and motherhood, such as surrogacy and assisted reproductive technologies, failing which the right will be bereft of meaning, the plea said. "Surrogacy is the only viable option available to the Petitioner for having a child and family of her own but she finds herself excluded from availing the benefits of this scientific and medical advancement by way of various provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Rules, 2022," it said. Referring to section 2(1) (s) of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, the plea said it bars single, unmarried women from availing themselves of the benefits of surrogacy while allowing the same for divorced/widowed women. "This is manifestly arbitrary and irrational since in both cases the woman would be a single mother. The manifest arbitrariness and irrationality is clear from the fact that there is no restriction on a single, unmarried woman adopting a child or having a child out of wedlock. The Act by restricting surrogacy to only those women who have ever been married even though they may now be divorced or widowed violates the Petitioner's right to privacy," Nagpal said. She said there is no rational nexus between the imposition of the requirement of having ever been married on a to-be single mother (widowed, divorced or unmarried) and the objects of the Act. The plea said the provision violates the petitioner's right to reproduction, right to meaningful family life and right to privacy, all of which are facets of the fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution. "The right to a meaningful family life, which allows a person to live a fulfilling life and helps in retaining her physical, psychological and emotional integrity falls within the ambit of Article 21 of the Constitution. Hence, the restriction of surrogacy to only divorced and widowed women is in violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution," the petition said. 'My adrenalin kicked in and the happiness returned! It was time to go in for the kill again.' IAF Veterans Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass tells Air Commodore Nitin Sathe about how the IAF decimated tanks in the famous Battle of Longewala. IMAGE: Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass (retd). Photograph: Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd) I was introduced to Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass, a veteran Indian Air Force officer, courtesy the Air Veterans Association. In the 10 odd minutes I spoke to him, I was mesmerised by his josh and quest for life as well as his excellent memory. He had participated in the famous Battle of Longewala in December 1971, and before long, I fixed up an appointment with him to listen to him speak about his experiences of the 1971 War. The two hours spent with him went like a fighter in combat -- too fast and too mesmerising. I had the privilege of recording some 'spoken war history'... "By the time I came back after dropping my wife at Calcutta for the arrival of our first child, two aircraft had already deployed from Jamnagar to Jaisalmer with Wing Commander 'Minhi' (Mohinder Singh) Bawa posted in as the base commander," Group Captain Dass recalls, telling me his story between sips of sweet lime juice, lying on his special bed at a senior citizen's home in Kharadi, Pune. "I was eager to see action and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I flew in to Jaisalmer along with a young Under Trainee Pilot Officer in a Hunter trainer." They had flown in with four additional underwing fuel tanks with guns loaded -- flying at tree-top heights, crossing over into enemy territory before coming in to land at Jaisalmer. "If the war had to start, I wanted it to start it with this incursion!" the group captain says, his eyes gleaming, radiating mischief. As they landed in Jaisalmer, they saw the radical changes that the station had undergone under the new commander. "After taking over, Bawa had gotten down to getting the derelict base to war-readiness as also logistically capable of handling the vast influx of arms, ammunition and men from various units who started coming in from as early as August-September 1971, as part of the augmentation plan." Jaisalmer came under the operational and administrative control of Jodhpur and therefore, Bawa went to meet the boss there for help. Jodhpur was busier than Jaisalmer -- preparing itself for war; and it was impossible for the commander there to spare any assistance. Bawa, therefore, sought help from the local district administration at Jaisalmer. "The district commissioner was a fantastic guy... he was a regular visitor to our base and we were able to garner a fair amount of intelligence from him about what was happening in government circles as well as near the border and across." The district commissioner ensured that the administration went all out to make sure that the mundane tasks of handling the loads as well as creating the temporary infrastructure and carrying out cleaning and repairs was carried out by the local civilians. "Thanks to his efforts, we were war-ready by October 1971 and awaited news of the balloon going up." The part of Operational Training Unit (OTU) that went to Jaisalmer from Jamnagar was designated as 122 (Ad-Hoc) Squadron led by then Wing Commander D M Conquest, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vir Chakra. When the war started on the 3rd of December 1971, the base had six fighters (single seater) and one twin seater trainer aircraft. While most of the under trainee pilot officers of the unit were deployed as Forward Air Controllers all over the desert, six of them were sent to Jaisalmer to man the operations room. The senior pilots of the unit were masters on the aircraft and used the pre-war preparatory training to carry out 'on the job' conversion training of the young Pilot Officers. 'By November, all of us knew the desert like the back of our hands'. IMAGE: Left to right: Then Flight Lieutenant D N Rathore, Vir Chakra 1965, with then Squadron Leader Dass, VrC 1971 and then Flight Lieutenant V K Neb, Bar to Vir Chakra 1965/1971. Photograph: Kind courtesy Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass (retd) The Jaisalmer airfield was located close to the Jaisalmer fort in the middle of the Thar desert. Jaisalmer was strategically important for the Pakistanis as well as for the Indians. The desert in those times was bereft of vegetation, and small villages tucked away in between shifting sand dunes made navigation difficult. However, in the area north of base, a metalled road did exist between Jaisalmer to Tanot and Longewala via Ramgarh, and this was visible from miles awat. This road was to help pilots navigate to and from the scene of action. "While navigating in the desert with the navigation equipment we had on board in those times, if you went off by a degree, you could get completely lost!" exclaims Group Captain Dass. "When I left Jamnagar, I visualised that due to the sheer number of people deployed at Jaisalmer, the administrative support would be stretched to the limit. So, before I took off, I went to the canteen and picked up lots of bottles of pickle as well as tins of Milkmaid. These were sent across with the ground crew and served us well later. A couple of rotis with the pickle and There was no dedicated mess for the officers at the base, and the airmen's mess cookhouse served the officers and men decent food despite the shortages. With good local liaison, the airmen did manage some meat from the locals once a while, which was a welcome change. All evenings were spent in and around the ops room and the discussions would veer away from the war to geography and politics over a few drinks. The ops room also served as their rest room and mess. The youngsters had so much to learn from stalwarts like Bali, Jagbir Singh, Sunderesan, S D L Tully, Cawasjee and others; most of who went on to become icons of the IAF. "My job also involved taking the rickety jeep across to the mess and get the big tiffin full of food for the officers at night. It was blackout time and the headlights could not be used; and by, I came to be familiar with each of the electric poles on the way, and these served as my navigation markers in the pitch dark conditions." The IAF group were joined by the Indian Army's Air Observation Post (AOP) pilots and ground crew who came in with their slow moving Krishak aircraft and flew extensively in the area. Their job was to direct artillery fire on to the enemy. "Major Atma Singh and Captain Sanga joined us and gave us an insight into what was happening in the deployed army units," recalls the IAF veteran. "I remember Atma came to me one day and expressed that he wasn't too sure of the tactics to ward off a Pakistani fighter threat." It was decided to give the army pilots some practical training in combat. They were taken in the trainer aircraft in formation. While the fighter acted as the Pakistani attacker, the trainer maintained slow speeds to simulate the Krishak. "We showed our friends how to turn into the attacker to give him maximum crossing speeds as well as difficulty in tracking for a shoot. As the fighter crossed over at high speeds, he would lose sight of the Krishak and take time to turn around -- this gave ample time to the slow moving aircraft to duck down to deck level making spotting difficult." "Very soon, the pilots were conversant with the tactics and also thrilled at having flown in a jet aircraft. They were now fairly confident of warding off the enemy if and when it happened. This exercise also increased the bonhomie and understanding between us, something that was most important in war." IMAGE: Then Squadron Leader Dilip Kumar Dass with then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Photograph: Kind courtesy Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass (retd) Come mid-November, temperatures were dropping and the desert got pretty cold at night. But going by the news that was coming in, things were hotting up on both the eastern and western fronts and minor skirmishes were taking place with regularity. "We now slept in our flying overalls sans our boots in the semi-underground ops room in the company of large desert rats which came in search of food and warmth. Our common pastime post dinner was to practise 'deflection shooting' of the rats using our boots!" "It was the third of December and Ramesh Gosain and I were on ORP (Operational Readiness Platform) duty, ready to take off to ward off any air attack by the Pakistani air force. The ORP had been on for some time now from dawn to dusk," the IAF veteran recalls. "The Hunter aircraft was not cleared for night operations and therefore, we had nothing do with flying after the sun went down the dunes." That evening, at the ops room, Bawa rang up Dass and informed him that the Pakistan air force had struck various bases in the western sector. "I, for one, was thrilled! We had waited for so long for this to begin so that we could make mincemeat of the Pakistanis. I rang up the ops room from the ORP and told the boys that they should wait for me to come over, and the first drink that evening was on me!" The ORP readiness at sunset came to standby-2 which meant that the pilots had to remain strapped up in the cockpit, ready to get airborne in two minutes of a warning. "It was getting dark, and we were uncomfortable in the cockpit, wanting to sort out our bursting bladders; but Bawa, in his own wisdom, asked us to continue on the readiness in the cockpit till it was completely dark." As soon as they got to the ops room, all of them, with a drink in their hand, gathered around a small radio waiting to hear about the formal announcement of war. The communication networks were poor and the fastest way of getting information was the good old All India Radio. "We went about planning for the next day's missions based on the intelligence that had been provided, expecting the 'code red' to arrive sooner than later." The DC had been called for dinner that night and he had promised to get a few teetars (a partridge, a bird found in abundance in the desert) from his trip to the border towns that day. "I still remember the fantastic partridge-meat dinner that we had that night, just before Prime Minister Indira Gandhi formally declared war." "We did not have much to do on the first morning of the war, except waiting to thwart a Pak-air attack and launch strikes when ordered." "On the evening of the 4th, Jagbir and Kapoor were sent on a recce mission along the border near Tanot area. On their way back they spotted a large gathering of camels. It appeared that there were no human beings accompanying this large flock of animals and it looked suspicious. They decided to have a go at the herd, opening up with their front guns." "I do not know how many camels were killed that evening, but later, we found out that it was the Razakars (Pakistani militia-collaborators with the Pakistani army) who had infiltrated into our area." The flying plan for the 5th was similar as the one that was made for the 4th December, but since the battle was hotting up, air raids were expected during day and night and the base had to be kept on high alert. That night, as they just gathered together for dinner after the plans for the next day were finalised and briefed, a call from the Army 12 Division HQ caused a fair amount of excitement in camp. "The base commander was on a long call with the boss of 12 Infantry Division on the army line. Heated discussions were overheard and we waited for him to tell us what was happening." Soon, Bawa walked into the briefing room and told them to keep all the other plans on hold. Some new intelligence inputs had just been received. He went on to get further confirmation from the Army. "'As per the Army four to five enemy tanks have been seen in the general area -- Longewala and Ramgarh...', Bawa started the briefing." Two aircraft were planned for pre-dawn take-off to recce and get the exact information about the infiltrators. In the Indian Army plan of action, an attack had been planned well north of Longewala near Islamgarh with an aim to capture Rahim-Yar-Khan; and this plan was now going to get delayed since forces had to be moved to support and reinforce the only company of 23 Punjab regiment guarding Longewala sector, a sector where the action had been least expected." "It was pitch dark when we jumped into the jeep to reach the aircraft the next morning. Gosain was planned as my No. 2 with rockets and front guns loaded. The ground grew, who would have reached there just past midnight to get the aeroplanes ready, encouraged us and wished us good shooting." 'Clear to taxi, line up and take off!' said the ATC controller as soon as Dass asked for clearance. He also seemed to be in a hurry to see the aircraft take to the skies. "I told Gosain to stagger his take off by around 10 seconds behind me. We navigated to the runway following the white centre line in pitch darkness and I took off with my navigation lights on to help Gosain to catch up in formation." The fort at Jaisalmer stood out like a ghost in the darkness and so did the black road heading towards Ramgarh as they flew towards the general area to search for their targets. "We were flying at tree-top levels, and while the sky lightened up with the first rays of the morning sun, we eased up to scan the area. After a while of searching, I noticed some matchbox like structures standing out in the desert sands. They looked like tanks to me, but just to be sure, I asked Gosain to confirm, which he did." As they got closer, they noticed puffs of smoke and dust emanating from the tanks in the distance. They had been noticed; the ack-ack guns mounted on the tanks had started firing at them-some of the tracers marking streaks of white. "We gained height to 3,000 feet to keep clear of these guns and I gave a quick call to the ATC on the radio to relay our sighting. There was no response from ATC, and we continued to orbit over the area, counting the number of tanks and transmitting the same on the radio, hoping that someone would hear us." Five tanks? There were more than 30 of them milling around the area! "I checked my switches and went in for a live pass at the lead tank diving from about 3,500 feet, and I asked Gosain to give me tail clearance till I did the shooting. I had selected to fire 4 rockets in salvo; and screaming in at 400 knots (720 kmph) at the correct distance, I squeezed the trigger." The moment the rockets left the pods, it was clear to Dass that he would get the tank, and this was confirmed by Gosain a few seconds later as Dass pulled out of the dive. 'Direct Hit!' he shouted on the radio happily. Dass was on cloud nine with his first kill; the commander's tank had been taken out. His euphoria and happiness was cut short by Gosain, who, while flying over the smouldering remains of the tank radioed: 'It appears to be an Indian one sir!' "My heart sank and my blood drained down to my boots at the rudder pedals. Oh my God! I had killed one of my own and would surely face a court martial soon. I pulled up to 5,000 feet to give a call to the ATC and tell them about what had happened." There was, again, no response from ATC. In fact, the ATC was able to hear Dass, but Dass had trouble hearing the ATC acknowledging his calls. The aircraft receiver obviously had a problem; it could hear the aircraft only in close vicinity. "As we flew around thinking about the next course of action, I heard a faint voice on the radio. It was our friend, Capt Sanga, flying in his Krishak. I requested for his position and directed him towards the tanks to re-confirm if they were Indian." It was such a relief when Sanga confirmed that the tanks were, indeed the enemy. "My adrenalin kicked in and the happiness returned! It was time to go in for the kill again. I did three more attacks with my rockets, but my aim this time wasn't too good." "I asked Gosain to go in for his rocket attack after I had finished." IMAGE: Then Squadron Leader Dilip Kumar Dass receives the Vir Chakra from then President V V Giri. Photograph: Kind courtesy Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass (retd) After they had expended the rockets, it was time to go in for the gun attack. The guns of the Hunter were quite accurate. Added to that, the Pakistani tanks had extra fuel barrels strapped on to their backs; and when the high explosive bullets found their mark, the entire tank was engulfed in flames. With no air threat in the area, the field was now open for the IAF aircraft to decimate as many tanks as they could. When the formation left the battleground with no ammunition left, the area could be seen from miles due to thick black smoke. "I had lost sight of Gosain in the firing melee and asked him to return to base on his own. As I turned towards Jaisalmer, my radio completely gave up and so did my hydraulics. I landed the partially crippled aircraft soon after Gosain, to be greeted by a happy Station Commander and all my colleagues." By the time the pair landed, Bawa, having followed the battle closely, had already launched two more aircraft to the battle area, not wanting to reduce the pressure. And as the aircraft found success in each mission, the sorties continued unabated the whole day. "Initially we were sending the aircraft in pairs for mutual support, but when we found that the Pakistani armour had no one to defend them from the air, we stared sending single aircraft missions; soon as an aircraft was refuelled and re-armed, it was on its way. It also ensured that the target area had an aircraft overhead at all times, ensuring that the enemy heads were kept down." Bawa decided to send the trainer into the battle area with the aim of giving the young trainee pilots a taste of actual battle. These trainers could carry fewer rounds of the guns along with the rockets, and replenishment took much longer after each sortie. In the fighter, it was a 'gun-pack' that was slapped on, an operation that took less than 10 minutes. This wasn't the case with the trainer since it was not designed for fitment of a gun-pack. "I took up Pilot Officer Brar as my co-pilot and Flight Lieutenant Deepak Yadav as my No. 2 for a live mission in the afternoon. Young Brar was thrilled to get live target firing practice and did fairly well for a beginner! We also took on the receding armour towards Pakistan before returning to base." From the third wave or so, the Pakistani tanks had been seen retreating into their own territory. It was decided that all missions would take on whatever targets were left in the battle area and then follow their tracks across the border. Here, they found a large number of vehicles who were part of the logistics train, bringing in water, food, ammunition and other administrative requirements for the Pakistani armour and infantry. "These 'soft' targets were destroyed by some accurate firing by our boys. The entire area of Longewala and the route into Pakistan were littered with destroyed and abandoned vehicles and the picture was one like what is shown in movies." In one sortie, while Dass went around taking on the logistics train, he was late to pull out of a dive and missed hitting a sand dune by a whisker. "I climbed to 8,000 feet after this for a breather; another one second delay in my reaction would have been the end of me!" Cawasjee had other ideas when it came to taking on these lighter vehicles. He flew over the line of vehicles a couple of times to allow their occupants to clear the area and then went about strafing them, taking keen interest in destroying the water bowsers. "When I asked him why he was letting the Pakistanis go, he smiled and told me, 'I want those bastards to walk back home without water and food!'" IMAGE: Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass now lives at a senior citizen's home in Kharadi, Pune. Photograph: Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd) The Battle of Longewala for the IAF lasted for December 5. Some more sorties were flown on the following days, but the major damage had already been inflicted on day one making the Pakistanis retreat. The brave pilots of 122 Squadron had risen to the occasion and nullified a brutal attack by the Pakistani armour in Longewala. "I wish we had deputed one of the Pilot Officers at the Ops Room to record history as it unfolded, but, as they say, hindsight is 20/20!' Many 1971 veterans have been narrating their stories of this finest of victories of 1971; but in the years gone by, memories have faded and a few details lost, some questions remaining unanswered. "At 85, and with my memory playing hide and seek, I can still manage to recount the superlative performance of the Indian Air Force in the Battle of Longewala as if it happened yesterday!" says Group Captain Dass. "What I have told you is as I remember it, and this is as real as I can tell!" "Yes, there have been controversies over who did what, and who did or did not get his due; but I for one would like to bury all those differences and say that it was the joint efforts of the Army and the IAF that led to this resounding victory; and, I am proud to have been in the thick of it." Epilogue IMAGE: Group Captain D K Dass and Mrs Dass. Photograph: Kind courtesy Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass (retd) A Bengali by birth, Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass was born in 1939 and bought up in Tamil Nadu where his father moved with family south of Madurai to set up a mill producing surgical cotton in his early years. He was the eldest of 8 children -- four girls and four boys. He went to a village school, studied Tamil, and being brought up in that atmosphere, became a die-hard Tamilian, both in his language as well as in his thinking. Being very good in science subjects, he joined college to pursue a career in science, but had to leave half way due to family commitments. Because of his academic brilliance, it was easy for him to join the IAF which he did as an airman in the radio trade and was first posted to Delhi in the Signal centre. As an airman, he excelled in whatever work was given to him and therefore his superiors motivated him to join the service in the officer cadre. He tried three times at the Services Selection Board, but failed to get through. Not to be dismayed, he started studying hard to enter the officer cadre in the technical entry scheme. A sudden and dramatic turn of events found him headed for Jodhpur to join the pilot's course. The IAF had reconsidered a number of airmen who had failed at the SSB to join, and he was the chosen lucky one! There was no looking back for the young man once his flying training commenced. He topped the course in his basic as well as advanced stage and was awarded the President's medal for standing first in the overall order of merit. Group Captain Dilip Kumar Dass was awarded the Vir Chakra for his bravery in the famous battle of Longewala. His citation reads thus... 'During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Squadron Leader Dilip Kumar Dass as a pilot in a Fighter Bomber Squadron, flew a number of operational missions. On the 5th December, 1971, he was detailed on a mission to destroy a massive enemy thrust spear headed by a tank regiment at Longewala. He carried out three strike missions on 5th the December and one on the 6th December, 1971, and destroyed four tanks, a number of vehicles and troop concentrations despite heavy ground fire. His missions had a decisive effect in frustrating the enemy thrust. Throughout, Squadron Leader Dilip Kumar Dass displayed gallantry, professional skill and devotion to duty of a high order. A helicopter pilot who served the IAF for 35 years, IAF Veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe is a frequent contributor to Rediff.com. You can read his earlier articles here. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com ZANGILAN, Azerbaijan, December 5. Azerbaijan plans to return a total of 7,000 IDPs to its liberated lands by the end of this year, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs of Azerbaijan Fuad Huseynov said, Trend reports. He spoke at the conference "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 years. Achievements and challenges". "Resettlement to newly built housing is carried out in stages, with priority given to those who still live in the most difficult conditions in temporary settlements, taking into account family composition, based on existing laws and principles of transparency and fairness," Huseynov said. According to him, the Azerbaijani government plans to resettle up to 140,000 IDPs back to their homes in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions in the next three years. The visit of high-ranking foreign experts, government officials, and representatives of international think tanks to Zangilan started on December 5. They are taking part in the conference "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 Years: Achievements and Challenges." The delegation includes 60 representatives from 30 countries. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 41F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. ZANGILAN, Azerbaijan, December 5. The first phase of the "Big Return" program, which runs from 2022 to 2024, calls for the construction of approximately 24 villages, 5 settlements, and 3 towns in Azerbaijan's Zangilan, Jabrayil, and Gubadli regions. The Special Representative of Azerbaijan's President in Jabrayil, Gubadli, and Zangilan districts, which are part of the East Zangezur economic region, Vahid Hajiyev said, Trend reports. He spoke at the conference "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 years. Achievements and Challenges". "The foundations of ten villages, one more settlement, and three urban centers have been laid today, and many large infrastructure facilities have been put into operation," he said. Hajiyev also noted that the master plan of Zangilan, which was prepared by a Swedish company, has already been approved. The visit of high-ranking foreign experts, government officials, and representatives of international think tanks to Zangilan started on December 5. They are taking part in the conference "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 Years: Achievements and Challenges." The delegation includes 60 representatives from 30 countries. ZANGILAN, Azerbaijan, December 5. Demining activities are in full swing in Azerbaijan's liberated territories, Special Representative of Azerbaijan's President in the territories of the Karabakh Economic Region (except for Shusha district) liberated from Armenian occupation Emin Huseynov said, Trend reports. He spoke at the conference "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 years. Achievements and Challenges." "A total of 34.8 percent of the territory has been cleared of mines in Aghdam, 33 percent in Fuzuli, 27 percent in Terter, 6.5 percent in Khojavand, and 16 percent in Khojaly," Huseynov said. The visit of high-ranking foreign experts, government officials, and representatives of international analytical centers to Azerbaijan's liberated territories began on December 5. They are taking part in the conference "Karabakh: Homecoming after 30 Years: Achievements and Challenges." The delegation includes 60 representatives from 30 countries. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Until now, there has been no known instance of foreign warships gaining access to the naval base. Several Chinese warships have arrived at Ream naval base in Cambodia in preparation for training the Cambodian Navy, according to a Cambodian official, a rare move accompanied by a Chinese generals visit to Phnom Penh that is expected to further bolster ties between two countries. Cambodias minister of defense Tea Seiha said on his Facebook page last Sunday that he paid a visit to the base, currently under construction with help from Beijing, with his father and predecessor Tea Banh. Tea Banh was awarded the prestigious title Samdech Pichey Sena which roughly translates as greatest, victorious commander in 2017 and still retains much influence over the military despite having ceded the post to his son. The duo visited the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) naval ships docked at the Ream sea port in preparation for training our Cambodian Navy crew, reads the post, adding that they inspected the infrastructure construction which is actively going according to the plan and that the bases development will take the navy's capability to a higher level. It is unclear how many PLA ships are in Ream and how long the training would last but in the accompanying photos at least two ships were visible. Satellite images from the imaging company Planet Labs on Dec. 3 also show two vessels, likely corvettes or frigates, docking at the new pier in the bases center-west. This indicates a further, deeper involvement by the PLA Navy in Cambodia. A satellite image taken Dec. 3 of a newly constructed pier at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base. The inset shows what appear to be two Chinese navy ships docked at the pier in preparation for training the Cambodian navy. Credit Planet Labs Until now, there has been no known instance of foreign warships gaining access to the Ream naval base. Russian Navys anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Panteleyev while on a visit to Cambodia on Nov. 27 was docked at the Sihanoukville port some 20 kilometers (12 miles) away. Cambodias strategic thinking Radio Free Asia has reported on the rapid development of the Ream naval base over the past year. One of the most striking features is the new deep-draft pier that could accommodate aircraft carriers including the PLAs third carrier Fujian. Cambodia has repeatedly denied that China is being given exclusive military access to the base, saying that would be in contradiction to the countrys constitution. If operating from the base, this would be Chinas first naval staging facility in Southeast Asia and the second foreign base in the world after Djibouti. Cambodian scholar Chansambath Bong, deputy director of the think tank Asian Vision Institute (AVI), wrote in a new article that the debate on the re-development of the Ream Naval Base is dominated by Western media and analysts who view Cambodia predominantly through the lens of U.S.-China competition in Southeast Asia and who lack the background in Cambodias history and strategic thinking. In the article published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) Chansambath Bong argued that the ongoing re-development of the Ream Naval Base is strategically vital for Cambodias maritime governance. In Cambodias view, Reams re-development is overdue and within its constitution and rights as a sovereign state, he added. Cambodia has leveraged its external ties to address its self-defense and maritime security challenges. Community of Common Destiny The visit of the PLA warships takes place as a Chinese top general pays a visit to Cambodia to promote the ironclad friendship between the two countries and two militaries, according to Chinas state-run Xinhua News Agency. On Monday Gen. He Weidong, vice chairman of Chinas Central Military Commission, met with Cambodias leaders including Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father Hun Sen, president of the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party. He also held talks with Defense Minister Tea Seiha to exchange views on bilateral relations, military cooperation, and international issues of common interest. The two militaries have sustained high-level cooperation in the fields including high-level exchange, mechanism building, joint drills and exercises, and personnel training, he was quoted as saying. Former Cambodian defense minister Tea Banh visits a Chinese warship at Ream naval base, Dec. 3, 2023. (Facebook: Tea Seiha) This year marks the 65th anniversary of China-Cambodia diplomatic relations and the Chinese general expressed confidence that Beijing and Cambodia will further strengthen the so-called Cambodia-China Community of Common Destiny. Community of Common Destiny is a relatively new concept frequently used by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to describe Chinas vision of international relations. RFA Khmer's Samean Yun contributed to this report. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn. Beijing last week became the first country to accept an ambassador from Afghanistans new government. In this Taliban provided Dec. 1, 2023 photo, newly appointed Taliban ambassador Assadullah Bilal Karimi, reportedly presents his credentials to Hong Lei, director-general of the protocol department at China's Foreign Ministry in Beijing. China became the first country to accept the credentials of an ambassador from the Taliban, which retook control of Afghanistan in August 2021 but yet formally recognized as the government of the country by any state. Beijing has urged Afghanistans Taliban government to adopt more inclusive and moderate policies in order to receive full diplomatic recognition, which Beijing said will come naturally with time. The warming relations come, experts say, as Beijing seeks access to Afghanistans vast mineral deposits, including its copper mines. China last week became the first country to accept the credentials of an ambassador from the Taliban, which retook control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S. forces but is not yet formally recognized as the government of the country by any state. Assadullah Bilal Karimi, a former Taliban spokesperson believed to be in his early 30s, handed credentials to Hong Lei, the director-general of the protocol department of Chinas foreign ministry, on Friday. On Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that as a long-standing friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China wanted to help the Taliban emerge from isolation. But he said the regime had to pursue reform to receive full diplomatic recognition. To that end, Wang called on the Taliban to adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies and an open and inclusive political structure, as well as to combat all forms of terrorist forces. China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, Wang said. We believe that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally as the concerns of various parties are effectively addressed. The senior leadership of the Taliban government arrives for the second inauguration phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal project in Hairatan, Balkh Province in October. (Atif Aryan/AFP) Afghanistan is the only country that bans women from being educated, which many countries cite in boycotting ties with the Taliban. Chinas approximately 12 million Muslim Uyghurs, meanwhile, have been subject to harsh government campaigns that China says are necessary to fight extremism and Islamic terrorism, including a mass incarceration program that has affected as many as 1.8 million people. China also regularly conducts strike hard campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and the Uyghur language. The Taliban previously had a charge d'affaires at Afghanistans embassy in Beijing, a position that does not require formal recognition of the host country, according to a report from Reuters. A friend in need In receiving an ambassador from Afghanistans new government, Beijing has also beaten out the Talibans erstwhile benefactors Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the only countries to recognize the Taliban regime before its 2001 ouster. That has raised questions about Chinas urgency. Uyghurs in Turkey display placards during a protest against Chinas oppression against the Uyghurs in Istanbul in 2021 denouncing China's FM Wang Yi visit to Turkey. (Emrah Gurel/AP) Part of the draw for China, according to Ja-Ian Chong, an expert in Chinese foreign policy at the National University of Singapore and a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, is more stable relations with a country on its land border. Working with the Taliban could also help China to develop support in the Islamic world against criticism of its human rights abuses in Xinjiang against the Uyghur Muslim minority, Chong told Radio Free Asia, while allowing access to mineral resources in Afghanistan. For other experts, though, its mostly the latter, with China motivated by more than just good ties with neighbors and its regional reputation. Anders Corr, principal of New York-based Corr Analytics, said an extra vote at the United Nations and a new ally would be nice upshots of wider diplomatic recognition for the Taliban. But he said that was not why China was so quick to jump on this side of these terrorists. China has financial and business interests in Afghanistan, Corr said. They want to extract oil from the country. Theres not as much as in other countries, but there is some, he said. There's a lot of copper probably trillions of dollars worth of mineral resources in Afghanistan that China has, for years, been involved in trying to extract. Mineral wealth China has a long-held interest in the Mes Aynak mine, which lies about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Afghanistans capital and reportedly has about $50 billion worth of copper deposits that have yet to be extracted. An Afghan man rides his bike past a China Merchandise Trade Center in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2013. (Musadeq Sadeq/AP) A Chinese government official recently visited the mine, according to a Voice of America report, which quoted the Talibans minister of mining, Shahabuddin Delawar, as saying the extraction of copper from the mine was one of the top priorities of the government in Kabul. And then theres Afghanistans strategic location. Afghanistan was a central part of the Silk Road, which Chinas Belt and Road Initiative seeks to emulate. The Taliban said it in October it wants to formally join the project, which would lead to hundreds of millions of dollars pouring into the country for infrastructure projects. China needs Afghanistan, and Afghanistan also needs China, Chinas charge d'affaires in Kabul, Zhao Haihan, said in September, lauding Afghanistan's geographical and resource advantages while calling it the center of Silk Road trade and crossroad of Eurasia. Fog shrouds residential buildings in Wuhan, in China's central Hubei province, Nov. 27, 2023. Chinas real-estate sector has been hit hard by overbuilding. Financially strapped local governments and state-owned enterprises pose a risk to Chinas future economic growth, the ratings agency Moodys said today in a report downgrading the countrys credit outlook from stable to negative. Growing evidence suggests that the central government will be required to shore up the debt-laden entities, creating broad downside risks to Chinas fiscal, economic and institutional strength, Moodys said. Local governments are thought to have accumulated trillions of dollars of debt due to spending during the COVID pandemic and a loss of income due to a troubled real estate market. Despite the challenges, Moodys maintained Chinas overall credit rating of A1, which it describes as low-risk though not the safest category of investment. Moodys said the rating reflects its belief in the countrys financial and institutional resources to manage the transition in an orderly fashion. Its economy's vast size and robust, albeit slowing, potential growth rate, support its high shock absorption capacity, Moodys said. Even so, the outlook downgrade signals some concern about Chinas future creditworthiness. In a statement, Chinas Foreign Ministry said it was disappointed in the ratings change and that Moodys concerns about its growth and financial stability were unnecessary. "In recent years, through the continuous efforts of relevant departments and local governments, China has established a system to prevent and resolve the risks of local government debt, the ministry said. The trend of disorderly and illegal borrowing by local governments has been initially curbed, and positive results have been achieved in the disposal of local government debt." An employee works at a steel plant in Huaian, in China's eastern Jiangsu province, Dec. 3, 2023. (AFP) Moodys projects Chinas annual growth rate will be 4% in 2024 and 2025 but average 3.8% from 2026 to 2030, at which time it might drop again to 3.5%. Derek Scissors, the chief economist at China Beige Book, a firm that analyzes Chinas economy for investors, said in an email that the downgrade was to be expected. It's a recognition of long-standing conditions, not a new development, said Scissors, who is also a senior fellow at the free-market think tank American Enterprise Institute in Washington. I think growth will be faster than Moody's thinks in 2024 and decelerate more than they think after that. Fees from local land sales account for nearly 40% of the revenue to local and regional governments. But Chinas real-estate sector has been hit hard by overbuilding. One giant, Evergrande, defaulted under massive debt last year, triggering a broader real estate crisis. Moodys report said that the downsizing of the property sector is a major structural shift in China's growth drivers which is ongoing and could represent a more significant drag to China's overall economic growth rate than currently assessed. Edited by Tara McKelvey Hey bro, I cant make it out tonight. Theres a big test tomorrow that I gotta study for. Fighting! Using that English loanword in a text to offer encouragement could now get North Koreans in trouble. Police in the country are randomly stopping people on the street to check their text messages for the offending expression, Fighting! picked up from South Korean dramas smuggled into the country and punishing them with up to six months in a disciplinary labor center, residents told Radio Free Asia. Its the latest attempt by North Korean authorities to eradicate influence from the capitalist South, derided as a puppet of the United States. Three years ago, North Korea enacted the Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, which lays out punishments for various cultural offenses, like watching or distributing South Korean media, not wearing the correct traditional attire during weddings, and even dancing like a capitalist. One of the milder offenses is for speaking or writing like a South Korean, and North Korea has been punishing people caught using South Korean vocabulary, spelling, slang, or even singing South Korean-style songs. Konglish The term fighting is an example of Konglish English words that are used in Korean but in a way that might not be readily intelligible to a native English speaker. For example, a cell phone might be referred to as a handphone, a coffee mug could be called a mug cup, and a buy-one-get-one-free deal is described as one plus one. The expression fighting, which has been part of the South Korean lexicon for several decades, means something similar to you can do it! or dont give up! The expression has appeared in South Korean TV programs, which are smuggled into the North on flash drives and secretly and widely circulated, to the chagrin of authorities who want to stamp out any influence from the capitalist South. A woman uses her cell phone at a park in front of the Pothonggang Department Store in central Pyongyang, North Korea, Oct. 11, 2015. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters) To keep such usage from spreading, police are checking cell phones of people on the street, a resident of North Pyongan province, in the countrys northwest, told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for personal safety. The day before yesterday, a social security agent inspected the text messages on my cell phone while I was passing by Sinuiju Station Square, he said. The reason why social security agents are cracking down on young peoples cell phones is to censor text messages and catch people using the puppet word fighting. Specific search The resident said that since the law went into effect, the authorities would often confiscate devices to see if the user was storing any South Korean TV or movie files, but this is the first time that they have inspected all of a users text messages for a specific word. I don't know how many people were arrested by the social security department throughout the day, but as I was waiting for my turn to be inspected, I saw a female worker at a textile factory who looked to be just over 20 being taken to social security department after sending a fighting message to a coworker, said the resident. If punished under the Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, users of the word fighting in text messages could be sent to a disciplinary labor center for up to six months. Authorities in South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, began inspecting cell phones of college students and young people on Nov. 27, a resident there told RFA. Fighting is the most commonly used word among young people these days, he said. Crackdowns on other South Korean-origin words have resulted in those words disappearing from the mouths and text messages of North Korean youth, the South Pyongan resident said. These have included oppaya, which literally means older brother, but can be a term of endearment from women to older men in their lives, namchin, which is an abbreviation of namja chingu, which means boyfriend, and ttaranghae, which is a cuter way of saying saranghae, or I love you. Also gone from North Korean texts these days is (pronounced keukeukeu) which represents laughter in a way similar to lol in English. No matter how much the judicial authorities crack down on cell phones, it will not be easy to completely eliminate South Korean language and speech among young people, he said. Many young North Koreans, he said, think these South Korean expressions are more effective at communicating feelings of love and friendship than the North Korean-style of speaking. Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Small-scale growers are frustrated due to untimely rain and extended periods of drought. After generations of tilling the land in central Nepals mid-hills, 47-year-old Purna Lamas family is at a daunting crossroads. Weather patterns, shifting dramatically over the past 5-6 years, have posed difficulties for farmers like Lama, who supports a family of eight on a plot of land smaller than two acres (0.8 hectares). Swathes of farmland in our area are barren because farmers could not depend on weather for agriculture, Lama told Radio Free Asia. Cultivation is completely disrupted due to drought and unseasonal rain. We are deflated. The severe threat of climate change to agricultural production, particularly in food-insecure Asia, warming faster than the rest of the world, has harmed farmers livelihoods, according to a study last year. Various climate-driven extreme weather events, like erratic rainfall, prolonged post-monsoon rain periods, unpredictable floods, above-normal winter temperatures, heat waves, dry spells, and emerging pests, are occurring more frequently, threatening crop cultivation and yields. It rains when it should not and does not when it should. Drought-like conditions are now an annual affair, said Lama, who grows staple crops like rice, maize, and millet in Makwanpur districts Manahari village. Nepalese farmer Purna Lama poses in front of his agricultural land in Manohari village, Makwanpur district, Nepal, Nov. 30, 2023. (RFA) Changing climate patterns have reshaped Nepals long-term precipitation, leading to increased unpredictability and a higher risk of flash floods from intense rainfall. Our streams have dried; even centuries-old water sources have dried, Lama lamented, adding the local village council had to transport drinking water from elsewhere the past two summers. Changes in crops, cultivation, and climate In recent years, erratic rainfall timing, unreliable monsoons and unseasonal downpours have posed challenges for farmers, leading to floods and soil degradation. Weather these days is entirely unpredictable. It can rain at any time, said Thein Win, a farmer from Bogalay township in Myanmars Ayeyarwady delta region. Farmers lose about 20% of their crops due to rain during harvest, he told RFA Burmese, adding the crop yield about 60 to 70 buckets of rice per acre has decreased to about 40 or 50. Sai Htoo, another farmer from Pinlaung township in Myanmars Shan state, said it rained too often in his region. Some of the corn that we have grown in the lands where rice cant grow was destroyed by flood water caused by too much rain this year, he said, adding farmers could harvest tomatoes only two or three times, down from up to nine times annually. Farmers working on a paddy field in Yangon's Dala township in August 2023 (RFA Burmese) In Laos, climate change is leading to delayed rainfall, prolonged droughts, and increased insect infestations, an agricultural worker from a Lao civil society organization said. These changes directly impact food security, with some rural residents even facing the threat of famine. It is harvesting time, but we still see heavy rain and the rain damages our rice output, he told RFA in November. The temperature is getting warmer, which causes insect outbreaks and a rice-field rat outbreak. The climate is strange these days. Laotian farmers encountered brown planthoppers and Asian rice gall midges in 2023, damaging 51 hectares of rice fields in five villages of Paklay district, Xayaburys provincial agriculture department said in October. The problem is the same in Nepal. Crop diseases spread rapidly despite pesticide use, affecting even traditionally hardy crops like millet, while use of pesticides has not helped, Lama said. El Nino exacerbating climate change impacts In northern Malaysia, the typical rice planting schedule for the first season starts in April, followed by the second season in October. However, this year we fell behind the schedule due to climate change, specifically El-Nino, which lasted for a few months longer this year, said Hisham Ahmad, 53, from Padang Siding. El Nino, a naturally occurring weather pattern characterized by hot ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, can lead to heat waves, droughts, floods, and other extreme conditions that impact crop production and food security. It currently takes place in a climate changed by human activities. Due to a delay in the first crop season, which began only in July for many, we will manage to harvest only once this year, Ahmad told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news outlet. And then it started raining cats and dogs for the past few months with strong winds, he added, resulting in padi rebah (fallen paddy), which could reduce crop yield up to 25% this year. A handout photo of a semi-parched maize farm damaged by disease in Makwanpur district, Nepal, Nov 22, 2023. Ayuni Amil, 37, in Pauh in Malaysias Perlis state, also expressed concerns about delayed planting and harvesting impacting the cultivation and reduced earnings from two seasons to just one this year. Its sunny one minute and a heavy downpour with thunderstorms next minute, Ayuni said, adding that a three-month planting delay and limited harvesting machines have raised the risk of overripe paddy. Unusual weather events such as winter-like foggy mornings in August and never-before seen dust storms are further challenging farmers livelihoods. Maybe its the whole world, but it is increasingly difficult for us farmers to rely solely on agriculture for our survival, Lama from Nepal said. Instead of viewing just roads and electricity as development, Nepal should have focused on irrigation as an agricultural country. Farmers would not have faced the brunt of climate change and chaotic modernization, he added. Farming in focus at COP28 A 2021 study revealed that despite significant agricultural progress over the past six decades, global farming productivity is currently 21% lower than it could have been without the influence of climate change, equivalent to approximately seven years of lost productivity gains. Farmers are all depressed. Those who can and have means have left the country. Those who dont have anything suffer the most, Lama explained. I think my generation may survive, but not the next generation. There are over 570 million farms worldwide, with approximately 84% of them occupying less than 2 hectares and collectively managing around 12% of the worlds farmland, according to a 2016 study. These small-time farmers, many of whom experience food insecurity and live in highly precarious conditions, contribute minimally to climate change. However, they are at the forefront of its impact and most do not have the resources to tackle the challenges. A farmer works in a paddy field under the power lines near Nam Theun 2 dam in Khammouane province, Laos, Oct. 28, 2013. (Aubrey Belford/Reuters) The Lao agriculture ministry and the Farmers Network said in October that severe droughts and floods, driven by climate change, are the foremost threats to Lao farmers, who suffered from an extensive and damaging deluge last year and a severe arid spell this year. A representative from the Lao Farmers Network emphasized the need for international support and funding for Lao farmers at the ongoing COP28 summit in Dubai. There should be research on insurance for farmers. Also, in all planning, rule amendments and climate change policy-making processes, farmers should be included at the government and project levels, he told RFA. An entire day on Dec. 10 has been dedicated to focusing on food and agriculture for the first time at a COP. Some 134 countries, including China, signed a declaration on Friday to accelerate efforts to reshape agriculture and food systems, committing to scale-up efforts for farmers adaptation and resilience, addressing soil health, food waste and biodiversity loss. Kyaw Lwin Oo from RFA Burmese, RFA Lao, and BenarNews Malaysia contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. The junta believes the trucks could be used to target its troops in Loikaw. A ban on aid vehicles entering Myanmars Loikaw city amid intensifying clashes between junta troops and the armed resistance has led to a humanitarian crisis in the Kayah state capital, relief workers and residents said Monday. A member of a charity organization in Loikaw who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke to RFA Burmese on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal, said he left the city on Nov. 24 after the junta ordered groups to stop using their vehicles two weeks earlier. There are no more volunteers for relief aid, as we all fear for our security, he said. In the past, we evacuated [civilians] trapped in the city. We carried people hit by artillery shelling to hospitals and buried the bodies of people killed. Now our hearts are broken because we cant provide relief to people in need. Loikaw city is located about 225 kilometers (140 miles) east of Myanmars capital Naypyidaw by car. Charity groups told RFA that more than 10,000 civilians are trapped in the city amid the recent fighting that has seen the rebels advance on junta-held territory. Aid workers said that junta troops also confiscated two of their trucks on Nov. 11, suggesting they might fear that members of the Peoples Defense Force, or PDF, paramilitaries will use ambulances or other vehicles to disguise themselves and carry out attacks against the military in the city. However, aid organizations have never done this kind of thing, another member of a charity group said. Also, the PDF doesnt seek medical treatment [for their fighters] at Loikaw Public Hospital because they have their own medical treatment facilities. Sources in Loikaw told RFA that the junta had tightened security in the city after pro-military netizens spread misinformation on social media platforms about local aid groups providing assistance to the PDF. Need for aid urgent There are at least five charity organizations in Loikaw, but all of them stopped providing services after the junta banned them from using vehicles on Nov. 11. A resident told RFA that the need for humanitarian assistance in the city is still urgent, noting that following an attack by the military on PDF forces on Nov. 26, at least one injured civilian died from blood loss, which could have been prevented if they had access to basic treatment. A woman was wounded in her thigh and abdomen after soldiers shot her on her motorbike in the downtown area, the resident said. No charity group could rescue her. She fell down in the middle of the road and, as no one helped her, she died. Members of volunteer organizations help evacuate displaced persons in Myanmars Karen state, Nov. 28, 2023. (Shwe Nyaungbin Charity Organization) The junta has not made any announcement prohibiting charity organizations from operating in Loikaw. Attempts by RFA to call Myint Kyi, the juntas social affairs minister and spokesperson for the Kayah state government, went unanswered Monday. Ban akin to rights violation Banyar, the founder of the NGO Karenni Human Rights Group, said that the ban is a form of human rights violation that will likely lead to unnecessary deaths. No charity organizations are working in Loikaw as armed conflict is intensifying and artillery attacks may hit any time, he said. The prohibition will lead to loss of lives People will die from their injuries if they do not receive first aid. At least 76 civilians were killed in Loikaw, as well as the Kayah townships of Pekhon and Moebye from Nov. 11-27, including a dozen minors, the group Karenni Humanitarian Aid Initiatives said in a Nov. 28 statement. A recent offensive by the armed resistance in Kayah state saw ethnic Karenni forces seize Loikaw University and several military outposts. The groups say they have no plans to end their attacks on the juntas administrative mechanisms in the city. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. President of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovshan Najaf held several meetings with heads of foreign companies within the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - COP-28 held in Dubai, Trend reports. At the meeting between SOCAR President and Global Chair of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Rich Lesser, it was emphasized that the companies have successfully implemented joint projects in the field of climate change control, and emissions assessment, and considered potential opportunities for cooperation in the field of energy transition, decarbonization and digitalization. An agreement was signed at the meeting on the implementation of a cooperation program between SOCAR and BCG. During the visit, Rovshan Najaf met with Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, the CEO of Masdar (renewable energy company). They noted that joint projects will make a significant contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and the development of renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan, and discussed issues of expanding cooperation. In the course of the meeting with Global Deputy Vice Chair - Sustainability at Ernst & Young Amy Brachio, the sides exchanged views on potential opportunities for cooperation in the field of renewable energy, digitalization, as well as other issues of mutual interest. At the same time, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed between SOCAR and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The agreement provides for further expansion of joint activities of SOCAR and ADNOC in the field of environmental protection, as well as issues of cooperation in the field of 'blue' hydrogen, geothermal energy, and carbon emissions management. An agreement on strategic cooperation between SOCAR and Sirius International Holding (UAE investment company) was also signed within COP-28. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel After junta forces burned the village, the victims returned for their belongings, locals said. Junta-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia members shot four villagers on the Myanmar-India border, locals told Radio Free Asia. Over the course of two days, soldiers raided the village in Sagaing regions Tamu township, burning down houses and a Christian church, residents of Htan Ta Pin said. They also arrested roughly 100 locals and later released them. We have been fleeing from the village for a long time. The rest of the villagers, about a hundred, were taken to [the militarys] Four Mile Camp by the Pyu Saw Htee group, said one villager, declining to be named for security reasons. Villagers were sent to Tamu from there. Detainees were released in Tamu. Some of the released villagers went back to check on their houses and gather the remainder of their belongings, he added. Four villagers were shot dead when they came across Pyu Saw Htee members at the village, he said. The village was torched on Sunday and Monday. I can see the smoke from a distance. The identity of the four victims could not be confirmed by residents, as they have not been able to return due to the militias continued presence. RFA could also not confirm the extent of the fire damage, as villagers have fled. RFA reached out to Sagaing regions junta spokesperson Sai Naing Naing Kyaw for more information on the attacks, but he did not answer calls. Nearly all Htan Ta Pin residents have sheltered near the Indian border, locals said. Those released from junta custody have fled to churches or relatives homes in Tamu township. Htan Ta Pin village has fewer than 300 houses and is roughly 1.6 kilometers (one mile) from the Indian border. Fighting between local defense groups and Pyu Saw Htee militia in Htan Ta Pin on Nov. 21 is believed to be part of the reason for the attack, locals said. During the November battle, local defense forces killed two Pyu Saw Htee members and arrested four others. The arrested included Myint Aung, a former member of parliament for the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party and a leader of Pyu Saw Htee group. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn. After his niece Nefise Oghuz posted videos calling on China to release him, Beijing explains why he is in prison. About three months after ethnic Uyghur Nefise Oghuz posted videos in four languages on social media that called on the Chinese government to release her uncle Alim Abdukerim, her family finally got some answers. Nefise, 20, who lives in Turkey, took to social media in April, where she shared video of herself holding a portrait of her uncle and speaking about his case and what she called genocide of Uyghurs in western China. She spoke in Uyghur, English, Mandarin and Turkish. Police in Urumqi, capital of western Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, arrested her uncle, Alim Abdukerim at his home on Aug. 28, 2017. He is now 33. It was not clear why he was arrested, but in that year Beijing had begun a large-scale crackdown, arbitrarily detaining Uyghur businesspeople, writers, artists, athletes and Muslim clergy members into re-education camps. China has claimed that the camps were vocation training centers set up to prevent religious extremism and terrorism in the mostly Muslim region. But those who survived the camps say Uyghurs there were subjected to torture, sexual assault and forced labor. Abdukerims family did not know his whereabouts for two years, though Oghuz later obtained information that he was in prison in Korla, known as Kuerle in Chinese and the second-largest city in Xinjiang, two years after he was taken away. Bits of information In mid-July, the Chinese government finally responded to queries from Oghuz. The Chinese government responded back to my email. They wrote that they will contact me. Then they called me, she said. "During the phone call we asked why he is in prison, and how long he has been in prison. They said they will get back to us and were nice in the beginning. She said that they called every day asking for updates. The person from the consulate also said someone was sent to Urumqi to get an update but there was no news. We waited for about 3 months. According to Oghuz, after three months, a consular official told Oghuz over the phone that Alim Abdukerim was serving a sentence in prison and hung up the phone, telling her not to contact them again. The official vaguely stated that he had been sentenced to more than 10 years and did not provide any information on the reason for his arrest. RFA contacted the Bahuliang Police Station in Urumqi, which had handled Alim Abdukerims arrest for clarification but an officer there stressed that the case is a sensitive one and refused to give any information about it. Oghuz also learned from sources with knowledge of the situation that Alim Abdukerim was serving a sentence in Korla prison and was sentenced to 17 years for endangering national security. Those sources said that after Nefise disclosed the situation to the international media, her relatives in her hometown Peyziwat Misha were interrogated by local police officers and faced some trouble. RFA contacted Misha police station in Peyziwat for more clarification. An officer there explained that Abdukerim was sentenced for having relations with illegal religious figures. Another officer connected to the case told RFA a slightly different story, that Alim Abdukerim was about 25 or 26 years old and had different reasons for sentencing. He watched illegal content, the other officer said. Other reasons for the verdict are that he also contacted on the phone with problematic people, such as his relatives in Turkey. Even if the relatives in Turkey are not involved in anything, it can still be a factor. Oghuz said she doubted the stated reasons for arrest and sentencing. We all know that it never means that he actually committed a crime or did something wrong worth the arrest, she said, adding that China often conceals the real reason for arresting Uyghurs. The genocide, she said. Everyone is arrested for such reasons by the Chinese government. Therefore, we will do anything for the freedom of my uncle. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. On the 75th anniversary of the U.N. convention on genocide, the international bodys human rights chief called on the global community to hold perpetrators accountable, but was slammed for failing to condemn the situation facing Uyghurs in northwestern China. Genocide is never unleashed without warning, Volker Turk, the U.N.s High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement. It is always the culmination of preceding and identifiable patterns of systematic discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion or other characteristics and of gross human rights violations, targeted as a matter of policy against a people; minority; community. In the statement, Turk referenced past examples of genocide, including during the Holocaust, and in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Yugoslavia. Those who monitor the Uyghur situation in Chinas Xinjiang many of whom say genocide is occurring in the region took to social media on Tuesday to voice disappointment that Turk did not mention Xinjiang at all, despite what they call obvious warning signs. At least 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities are believed to have been held in a network of detention camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region since 2017. Beijing has said that the camps are vocational training centers. The government has denied widespread allegations that it has tortured people in the camps or mistreated other Muslims living in Xinjiang. The U.S. government, and several Western parliaments have declared the Chinese governments actions toward the Uyghurs as genocide or crimes against humanity. Volker Turks statement means little when people in powerful positions like him are not prepared to act over a well-documented and publicized genocide happening against the Uyghur people, recognized by free parliaments and by tribunal, Rahima Mahmut, the U.K. Director for the World Uyghur Congress told RFA Uyghur. I personally find it disgraceful how so many people rightly acting against other atrocities are silent on China. Donald Clake, a law professor at the George Washington University, said in a tweet on X, formerly Twitter, @volker_turk Could you specify where, in your opinion, genocide is occurring? These abstract pronouncements are useless against real crimes." Emma Reilly, a former U.N. staffer who was fired after whistleblowing on the U.N. for handing the names of Uyghur activists to the Chinese government, criticized Turk on X for not taking any concrete action at the U.N. @volker_turk is a hypocrite, she said. @UNHumanRights is complicit in #UyghurGenocide by handing names to #Beijing; @UN defends that policy in court; All evidence shows it continues; @UN has never investigated. Rushan Abbas, the executive director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, used Turks own words to criticize his statement. Genocide is never unleashed without warning, and can only continue through repeated denial, Rushan Abbas said. The Chinese Communist Party is carrying out full-fledged genocide against Uyghurs, and spends billions to deceive the world. It is up to all of us to stand on the side of truth. Zumretay Erkin, director of global advocacy for the World Uyghur Congress, told RFA that Turk's statement highlighted the importance of urgent action to stop genocide. "The 75th anniversary of the Genocide Convention as well as the 75th year of the UN Declaration for Human Rights should be the opportunity for this office to take meaningful action on the Uyghur genocide, such as calling on China to stop the ongoing Uyghur genocide and release all the Uyghurs detained in concentration camps," said Erkin. RFA attempted to contact the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights but received no response. Edited by Eugene Whong. Advocacy group says monk was defending pagoda from an attack. Buddhist followers attend a meeting of the Vinh Long Provincial Board of Administration of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, where it decided to discipline Khmer Krom monk Thach Chanh Da Ra, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. (Vinh Long Newspaper) Updated December 6, 2023, 3:32 p.m. ET A provincial board of Vietnams only state-recognized Buddhist Sangha decided over the weekend to expel ethnic Khmer Krom monk Thach Chanh Da Ra after authorities accused him of being uncooperative, state media reported. Thach, 33, is the abbot of the Dai Tho Pagoda, which is also known as the Tro Nom Sek Pagoda in Khmer, in Vinh Long Province, in southern Vietnam. According to state media, when a task force from the Tam Binh District Peoples Committee came to the pagoda for working purposes on Nov. 22, the monk refused task force members entry to the pagoda and filmed their visit to defame local authorities and divide national unity. The state-owned newspaper Giac Ngo Online has since accused Thach of seriously violating Buddhist law and the charter of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha by carrying out propaganda against the state and refusing to obey the regulations of the VBS. However, Khmer Krom Buddhists in the region claim that neither Thach nor Dai Tho Pagoda have violated Vietnamese law. The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation said the Nov. 22 task force visit cited in the state media report was actually a planned attack on Dai Tho Pagoda by more than 50 members of the VBS. Three monks were injured in the altercation. The advocacy group said the Dec. 3 order to expel Ra is the Vietnamese states way of punishing the monk for defending the pagoda. The nearly 1.3-million strong Khmer Krom live in a part of Vietnam that was once southeastern Cambodia. They have faced serious restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and movement. Furthermore, they point out that Thach was never even registered with the VBS to begin with, as he felt that affiliating his pagoda with the state-controlled sangha would threaten the preservation of the Khmer Krom minoritys cultural and religious autonomy. In protest, more than 20 Khmer Krom villagers have begun a sit-in at the pagoda to guard Thach Chanh Da Ra from being removed or arrested by Vietnamese authorities. Khmer Krom activist Thach Nga told RFA that the monk has only disobeyed local authorities when attempting to protect Khmer Krom cultural heritage. For example, the monk once directed the pagodas inhabitants to prevent local police from cutting down a 700-year-old Koki tree inside the pagoda. Thach Nga explained that this tree has special cultural significance to the Khmer Krom. Thach Chanh Da Ra has also gone against local authorities wishes by hosting Khmer Krom activists such as Duong Khai at Dai Tho pagoda. The monk told RFA that he fears for the safety of Khmer Krom Buddhists in Vinh Long Province. I am very worried for the well-being and safety of the monks and Buddhist followers, he said. I am very worried about Khmer Krom Buddhism, especially at Dai Tho Pagoda. I do not know how the future of Buddhism and our Khmer Krom indigenous culture will [turn out]. He has since called on the Cambodian government as well as international human rights organizations to intervene on behalf of the Khmer Krom minority. As of Dec. 4, RFA has not been able to obtain a comment from the Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia or from the Cambodian governments official spokesperson Pen Bona. Translated by Anna Vu and Sok Ry. Edited by Claire McCrea and Malcolm Foster. Update adds the Khmer name of Dai Tho Pagoda. David Ignatius is a veteran journalist and an associate editor and foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, as well as the author of 11 novels, including the 2007 spy thriller, Body Of Lies. He has written extensively in his twice-weekly columns about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and chats twice a month with Washington Post readers about the conflict. Ignatius talked recently to RFE/RL's Georgian Service about the war in Ukraine, how the conflict in Gaza and next year's U.S. presidential election might shape international support for Kyiv, and why the world needs "police, but not 'a policeman.'" He also talked about his forthcoming novel, Phantom Orbit, calling it "a love letter to the Russia that once was and might still be." RFE/RL: You have written extensively on the U.S. stance on the Israeli conflict with Hamas. (Editor's note: Hamas has been designated by the United States and European Union as a terrorist organization.) Is it a battle on two fronts that the United States is having right now -- one in Gaza and another in Ukraine? Would that be a correct reading of the situation? David Ignatius: I think so. They're two big wars that will shape those two parts of the world. I was in Ukraine, I was coming home, on the day (October 7) that Hamas broke through the fence in Israel. But my feelings about Ukraineafter the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive to achieve sufficient gains to force the Russians to consider what I think would have been a Chinese request that they seek a diplomatic resolution. I think that was the idea all along: to gain enough on the battlefield that the Chinese get nervous and the Russians have to listen to their Chinese friends, and then you have negotiations in the spring. That now seems very unlikely. On my trip to Ukraine at the end of September and early October, I heard, for the first time, a real debate among young Ukrainians about how much the country can handle. I had a sense of commitment, as always, from Ukrainians, but also of exhaustion. I've been trying to think how, through the winter, can they get stronger? The things that you need to let yourself think about that would provide for some period going forward a strong Ukraine that's in Europe, that defers the reacquisition of its stolen territories until the time when it's stronger. As always, I think [the] Ukrainians have to lead that conversation. I think it's their decision to make; that's what I've always heard sincerely from top people at the [U.S.] State Department and the [National Security Council]. RFE/RL: These two large wars that you mentioned, one in Gaza and another in Ukraine -- how does one affect the other? Ignatius: Famously, we're a country that has trouble, to put it in a vulgar waywalking and chewing gum at the same time. Our national security process is good at concentrating on one thing but not so good at concentrating on two things. So, I think since Gaza became the overwhelming subject, there just has been less focus on Ukraine. The Tavberidze Interviews Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vazha Tavberidze of RFE/RL's Georgian Service has been interviewing diplomats, military experts, and academics who hold a wide spectrum of opinions about the war's course, causes, and effects. To read all of his interviews, click here. We have a new chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. [General Mark] Milley had developed quite a close relationship with [Ukrainian commander] General [Valeriy] Zaluzhniy. It will take a while for his successor, General Charles Q. Brown Jr., to develop something similar. Zaluzhniy's own extraordinary essay in The Economist, essentially admitting we're in a stalemate, struck me as a very interesting message. I thought the primary audience was probably [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy, his own president. But what was it that he was saying? That either [you] have to step it up, but there are limits to how much you can step it up, given American constraints, or we have to think about an alternative, longer-term strategy. It's as if the last chapter of Zaluzhniy's essay was left unwritten. But I'd love to know what it would say. RFE/RL: In this situation that the United States finds itself in, one particular metaphor keeps popping up: the United States as the "world's policeman." Does the world need one? And, if it does, how good is the United States at being one? Ignatius: The world needs the order that comes from the norms and rules of behavior being enforced. I don't think it needs a "policeman" so much as a collection of police that together form a coherent rule-enforcement system. In the United States, we have more than 50 different police forces; so, in some states, law enforcement is better than others. But I think when the United States tries to be this single superpower, it gets in trouble. It creates resentments. It makes mistakes. The period of the Iraq War is a classic example where the United States did something that, in retrospect, is just incredibly stupid. Other countries warned us that we were being a dumb policeman, that we were chasing the wrong criminal, but, you know, we did it anyway. RFE/RL: Which is, by the way, what Russians very often point fingers at and say, "If the United States could do that, why can't we be allowed to do this?" Ignatius: Yes. I think the Russians are making a mistake probably as consequential as the Iraq War that will leave them weakened as much as the Iraq War left us, probably more. So, it's just a misuse of your police powers. My simple answer is that the world needs police but not a "policeman." I think there is a diminished will among some Americans -- simple shorthand would be to say among [former U.S. President Donald] Trump supporters -- for America playing a strong role as an international keeper of order. People say, "Ah, you know, people aren't grateful. It costs us too much. Let's worry about things at home" -- all the arguments people know. But I don't think that that group is anything close to a majority. And, for example, I think the aid package for Ukraine will end up being passed. So, the Europeans' worry is whether America [is] reverting to a neo-isolationist, anti-globalist, America-first country. And my answer would be, no, I don't think that's happening. RFE/RL: We kind of edged closer to the next topic that I wanted to ask you about. And that would be the U.S. election, taking into consideration your much-talked-about column where you say that President Joe Biden shouldn't run again. Let's look at it through the Ukrainian prism. If not Biden, then who? And what would it bring to Ukraine? Ignatius: Biden has been the leader who, on the one hand, was determined to support Ukraine, [and] on the other hand was determined not to get into a war with Russia. And there is an argument that he was so worried about the second part -- not getting into a war with Russia -- that he didn't do as well as he should have on the first part, that he deterred himself from taking actions that might have been more effective. So, it is conceivable that another Democrat, if that person replaced Biden, would have a different view. At [the moment], it still looks as if Biden is sailing toward renomination and is going to run, even though it looks more and more like he might lose if he does that. The other thing I'd say about Biden is that, although he's not getting any younger, and he doesn't look any younger, he has been behaving very vigorously. I think his policies generally in dealing with the war in Gaza and dealing with the war in Ukraine have been good. He continues to manage a good foreign policy process. RFE/RL: We covered the Democratic side of things. What would the Republican candidate mean for Ukraine, considering the selection that is available? Ignatius: The assumption is that if Trump or some Trump-lite candidate won, that they'd make a deal with Russia. It's not very complicated. That they would make a deal to end the war quickly, giving Russia pretty much what it wanted. And I think there's one problem with that, which is that it implies that Ukraine itself isn't a factor. And I don't think Ukraine is ready to be Donald Trump's sacrificial lamb to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin. RFE/RL: Trump famously said he'd end the war in one day. Ignatius: I think he believes it. But I think that when you actually think about it, it's very unrealistic, and he would quickly discover [it] was unrealistic, and he'd probably have to back away from it. And [there could be a] situation in which Republicans eager to make a deal with Donald Trumpas president might be willing to make concessions to get the deal that they wouldn't otherwise, [which] would end up being attractive enough to Ukraine. So, you can imagine that situation. The next strongest candidate after Trump -- and I still have to say I strongly suspect that Trump won't be the nominee -- right now seems to be [former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador under Trump] Nikki Haley. And Nikki Haley is an internationalist. Of this whole group of Republicans, she's probably closest to the traditional hawkish Republican national security view in terms of the Ukraine war. If she was the candidate, or if she was vice president even, I think that would be a factor for continuation of something like the Biden policy, maybe even escalating support for Ukraine. So, I think if you're Putin, you have to be pretty careful about making bets. He seems to think things are going his way. Andobviously, if you read Zaluzhniy's analysis, they haven't been going Ukraine's way. But there are a lot of problems ahead for Putin -- and, in some ways, the expectation that they would change radically if the Republicans won, I'm less convinced than some people are of that. RFE/RL: You say that Ukraine won't be so eager to become Trump's sacrificial lamb. What happens if the United States stops providing military support, would that not be a decisive factor in this regard? Ignatius: Well, if the U.S. stops providing military support entirely, that would be significant. It would be hard for any coalition of countries to make up for that. I think Trump would get so much resistance from Republicans that that complete cutoff is actually a tail event -- that's outside the normal distribution of what's likely. You know, it could happen, and it would have disastrous effects. But I don't think, even with a Trump-as-president scenario, it's all that likely. RFE/RL: Back in 2014, when Putin annexed Crimea, you wrote that "Putin's gambit will fail over time, if Europe and the United States remain resolute and patient." How big an "if" has this proved to be? Ignatius: So, patience is not the United States' strongest quality. RFE/RL: "Resolute" is? Ignatius: When we're in a fight, so long as it doesn't become politicized, our military is very resolute. Look at the fight against ISIS (the Islamic State extremist group). I traveled to Syria five or six times and to Raqqa (the Syrian city where IS was headquartered) twice, and I have to tell you, Raqqa looks worse than anything in Gaza City. So, you know, we took apart that adversary. We were resolute. And the American conduct in war has often been resolute until there is an intersection with politics. And then, in Vietnam obviously, but you could cite lots of other examples, people get tired, they want results, generals trying to give them results do the wrong thing. I mean, it's a chain of error. So, the standard retort when people say, "Oh, you Americans are impatient, you don't have the staying power, you're feckless" -- let's look at the Cold War. America sacrificed for a generation, basically for almost 50 years, to prevail in a conflict that it felt went to the core of its values and interests. And it made enormous sacrifices, and the world is immensely better for it. Like World War II, I mean, you know, you think of all the countries that were just battered, and America did come to the rescue. And you look at all those graves in Normandy, all those Americans who came and gave their lives for the sake of a free Europe. And I think there's something similar with the Cold War. There's a generation of Americans who believed in it, who spent the money, who spent the time. And as I look at a free Eastern Europe -- Warsaw is one of my favorite cities in the world -- and when I go for a walk in Warsaw, I'm reminded that the United States isn't quite as fickle, unreliable as we sometimes think. RFE/RL: So, you think that the United States and the West will remain resolute in this conflict as well. Ignatius: I've been more impressed with European resoluteness than American. I think one of the great things that's happened is that the Ukraine war tapped idealism and commitment in Europe and determination to be a good ally for Ukraine and its struggle. And I've written often: Europeans have been a lot more resolute than Republican members of Congress. You know, even with the concerns about German staying power, the Germans are still committed, they're still supplying weapons, they're going to build weapons in Ukraine. So, I think something has changed in Europe, and I find it encouraging and, ideally, we have a world in which the United States is a little less the "world's policeman" and Europe is a little more. And maybe that's where we're heading. RFE/RL: Speaking of Germans, in that very essay, you placed high hopes into then-Chancellor Angela Merkel "being an iron lady of this crisis." How would you rate her performance in that role? Ignatius: She had an unfortunate ending to her chancellorship. And it was a surprise: Why did she become so pliant with Russia and Putin toward the end, after being the person, famously, who, having grown up in the East, understood the nature of communism and the danger it posed, and I think was a wonderful leader for Germany in the process of reunification. I think it's a great, enduring achievement for her. But I think toward the end, she made mistakes, and I think history will judge the end of her chancellorship pretty harshly. My own feeling is she kind of got worn out. It's hard for me to explain otherwise. It wasn't uniquely her problem, but in terms of the hopes I was expressing that she would be an iron lady, too. She wasn't. RFE/RL: Besides being a journalist, you're also a celebrated, best-selling author in the spy-fiction genre. And I can't help but ask why none of your spy novels features Russia prominently? Surely Vladimir Putin would be a tailor-made villain for a spy thriller, no? Ignatius: It just so happens that in April or May of next year, I'll publish a novel called Phantom Orbit, which has as its hero a Russian. It's set in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine, but its roots as a story go back to 1995. I won't go into all the detail, but it gave me a chance to think about what I think is the most interesting issue in both warfare and intelligence, which is space systems. I think space will be where wars begin and certainly where intelligence collection will focus. And to think about Chinese and Russian systems that operate in space, as we've seen them in Ukraine: They've been more important to the Ukrainian war than I think is realized. I've said in the afterword of this book that it's a love letter to the Russia that once was and might still be. I hope readers will find an enthusiasm for the kind of sentimental Russian values that animate the Russian fiction that we all grew up reading. Anyway, that hole in my literary shelf is now going to be filled. RFE/RL: You mentioned that it will be set in the aftermath of the invasion in Ukraine. Does that mean the beginning of the invasion, or has the conflict already run its course in the book? Ignatius: No. I don't dare predict how it will turn out. The book is about a Russia that has been crushed emotionally in the way that I think Putin's Russia has been crushed. The hero is from a town in the eastern Urals called Magnitogorsk, which is Russia's Pittsburgh. It's the place where Russia made steel. Magnitogorsk is a reference to a magnetic mountain, a mountain of iron ore. And much like in Pittsburgh in America or towns in Europe that were steel-making towns, it feels like it's been defeated in a war. People there feel crushed. And so, the hero of this book comes from that place, a country that feels twice-over defeated, with the end of the Soviet Union and the end of his world. And so, he tries to find his way as a scientist in a different world. So, I was on my way to Magnitogorsk to do research for this novel when I got sanctioned by Russia. I am on the sanctions list. I am the rare journalist [on the sanctions list], so I had to abandon my travel plans. RFE/RL: So basically, the hero of your book will be the kind of guy that we all one day hope to take Putin's place. Ignatius: He has qualities that are like [Russian opposition leader Aleksei] Navalny's: funny, cynical. I find Navalny just endlessly interesting to watch. He makes me laugh; his wry, ironic view of Putin and all these thieves who surround him makes me laugh out loud. And so, my character and his son, who also goes into this business, both have those qualities. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. More than 6,000 kilometers from Tehran, in treacherous waters off the shores of Singapore, a "dark fleet" of oil tankers waits to offload the precious cargo that helps keep Iran's economy afloat -- a dependency that could also sink it. The fleet has grown steadily over the past five years, delivering Iranian crude to China as the countries work in concert to circumvent international sanctions that target Tehran's lucrative oil exports. But while the clandestine trade has buoyed Iran's budget, it also comes at tremendous cost and risk to Tehran. Iran gives China a hefty discount to take its banned oil, taking 12 to 15 percent off the price of each barrel to make it worthwhile for Beijing to take on the liability of skirting sanctions, according to research by the data analysis unit of RFE/RL's Radio Farda. Additional costs add up as well: ship-to-ship operations to offload the oil, middlemen, hidden-money transfers, and rebranding the oil to mask its Iranian origin and make it appear to come from a third country, said Dalga Khatinoglu, an expert on Iranian energy issues. Altogether, said Khatinoglu, who contributes to Radio Farda's data analysis unit, Iran's budget figures and official statements indicate that 30 percent of the country's potential oil revenue was wasted last year. And with the draft budget for the next fiscal year currently being debated by the Iranian parliament, there are no guarantees that Tehran's bet on quenching China's thirst for oil will continue to be a panacea. With Iran almost entirely dependent on Beijing to take its oil and on other entities to facilitate the trade, Tehran has managed to inject desperately needed revenue into its economy. But Iran has also put itself at risk of seeing its main revenue stream dry up. "There's definitely an extent to which Tehran has become more dependent on the likes of China or those who would be willing to deal with Iran in spite of Western sanctions," said Spencer Vuksic, a director of the consultancy firm Castellum, which closely tracks international sanctions regimes. Vuksic said Iran is "definitely put in a weak position by having to depend on a single external partner who's willing to deal with and engage with Tehran." Oily Deficit Iran has trumpeted its foreign trade, claiming in December that oil revenue had contributed to a positive trade balance for the first eight months of the year. But the oil and gas sector, by far the largest part of the Iranian economy, will not be enough to save the current budget of around $45 billion that was approved last year. The Iranian fiscal year, which follows the Persian calendar and will end in March, is expected to result in a major deficit. In presenting the draft budget to parliament in December, President Ebrahim Raisi acknowledged a $10 billion deficit. But the shortfall could be much higher -- up to $13.5 billion, the largest in Iran's history -- by the end of the fiscal year, according to Radio Farda. This is because data shows that just half of the expected oil revenues were realized, in part due to lower than expected oil prices and additional costs and discounts related to Tehran's oil trade with China. Whereas the budget expectations were based on oil being sold at $85 per barrel, the price of crude dipped below $75 per barrel in December and has fluctuated wildly recently amid concerns that tensions in the Middle East could disrupt shipping and production. And while Iran expected to export 1.5 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), it exported only 1.2 million bpd in the first eight months of the year, according to Radio Farda. Altogether, Radio Farda estimates that Iran lost some $15 million per day in potential revenue through its trade with China, which accounts for more than 40 percent of the Iranian budget. For the upcoming budget of about $49 billion, expectations for domestic and foreign oil revenue have dipped by 3 percent, according to Khatinoglu, even as the projected budget itself has risen by about 18 percent. Accounting for the fluctuation of global oil prices, which fell far short of the average estimated for the current year, the peg has been lowered to $71 per barrel. Tehran is also expecting lower oil-export volumes -- which only briefly met forecasts of 1.5 million bpd, the highest levels seen since 2018 -- with only 1.35 million bpd forecast. Iran is reportedly expected to plug the gap left by the lower oil revenue by increasing taxes on wealthy individuals and businesses, while Khatinoglu says Tehran will try to boost revenue by raising domestic energy prices. Shipping Competition Adding to the uncertainty of Iran's finances is the potential for weaker Chinese demand for its oil and competition from Russia which, like Tehran, sends banned oil to Beijing. And international sanctions are continuously evolving to punish countries and entities that foster Iran's illegal oil trade, threatening to capsize the dark fleet that helps sustain Tehran's so-called resistance economy. On the other hand, the mercurial nature of oil price fluctuations and demand could work to Iran's advantage. With Venezuelan oil no longer under sanctions, Russia is left as the only competitor for clandestine oil sales to China. And Iran's capacity to export oil is greater than ever, allowing it to more easily sell its oil to Beijing when demand is high. This is largely due to the considerable expansion of the global "dark fleet" of oil since crippling U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports were restored after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal that has been agreed with six world powers. The deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), offered sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Tehran's controversial nuclear program. After the deal went into effect in January 2016, Iran more than doubled its legal oil exports in a few months, eventually reaching a high of 1.54 million bpd in 2018. But with the U.S. withdrawal from the deal and subsequent reintroduction of sanctions that year, Iranian oil exports plummeted. And after the exceptions granted to a handful of countries -- including China -- that were allowed to continue to import Iranian oil expired in 2019, Iranian oil exports slowed to a trickle. This was partly because Iran was not equipped to export its oil and had no immediate customers willing to defy the sanctions. But that changed with the fine-tuning of Irans efforts to defy sanctions, the fivefold rise in the number of dark-fleet tankers, and China's willingness to take the risk of doing business with Tehran -- although Beijing has not acknowledged unregistered imports of Iranian oil. Today the dark fleet of often aging ships -- nearly half of them VLCCs (very large crude carriers) -- has risen to up to 1,000 vessels, according to Vortexa, which tracks international shipping. Many smaller ships are involved in Russian oil exports, which account for about 80 percent of all opaque tanker activity. But Iran had access to nearly 200 tankers, many of them supertankers, as of early 2023, according to Vortexa. More than 20 ships, 13 of them VLCCs, joined the Iranian fleet in 2023, Vortexa reported in June, contributing to record-high Iranian oil exports under sanctions. Vortexa attributed the rise to increased Chinese demand, the addition of the new tankers to shuttle Iranian oil after many had switched to shipping Russian oil, and the decline of Iranian inventories drawn down to boost exports amid heightened competition with Russia for the Chinese market. While Chinese demand for Iranian oil slowed in October, Vortexa noted in a subsequent report, Washingtons removal of oil sanctions on Venezuela that month opened the possibility of higher demand for Iranian oil. Uncertain Waters In an October report, the global trade intelligence firm Kpler explained that tankers illegally shipping Iranian oil commonly "go dark" upon entering the Persian Gulf by turning off their transponders, technically known as the automatic identification system (AIS). After visiting Iran's main oil terminal on Kharg Island or other ports, they then reemerge after a few days indicating they are carrying a full load. From there, the ships offload the oil with ship-to-ship transfers that take place in unauthorized zones, mostly in the Singapore Straits. Eventually the oil, rebranded as coming from Malaysia or Middle Eastern countries, enters China, where it is processed by more than 40 independent "teapot" refiners that have little exposure to international sanctions or the global financial system. Sanctions Revisited The challenge for those trying to halt the illicit trade in Iranian oil as a way to hold Tehran accountable for its secretive nuclear activities and dire human rights record, is how to make the negatives of dealing with Iran greater than the financial benefits. That has put the illicit seaborne trade of oil -- both Iranian and Russian, owing to the ongoing war in Ukraine -- under greater scrutiny by the international community. "There's continuous refining of the sanctions programs to include and expand sanctions against those involved in evasion, and that includes sanctioning so-called dark fleets," said Castellums Vuksic, noting that the number of targeted sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities rose by more than 1,000 last year. The big question is enforcement, an issue that is being debated in the United States and other countries and is leading to increased calls for countries like Panama to de-flag illegal tankers and for countries to clamp down on dark-fleet ships anchored off their shores. "My expectation is that governments, including the United States, will take action against these dark fleets, especially the facilitators and the [ship] owners when they're identified," Vuksic told RFE/RL. Other factors, including concerns about the impact of a broader Middle East conflict potentially involving Iran, could also hurt or help Iran's financial standing. As Kpler noted while reporting that Chinese imports of Iranian oil had dropped significantly in October, the changing global landscape can have a big effect on the independent Shandong-base refineries that purchase Iranian oil. "Middle East tensions/threat of stricter enforcement of U.S. sanctions may have turned Shandong refiners more risk-adverse," the global trade intelligence firm wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. In the past week, supply fears also exposed the volatility of global crude prices, potentially to Iran's benefit. Oil prices rose sharply on January 2 on news that Iran had sent a frigate to the Red Sea and was rejecting calls to end support for attacks by Tehran-backed Huthi rebels that have disrupted shipping in the important trade route. Prices surged again following the deadly January 3 bombing attack in Iran, for which the Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility. But the week ended with questions about the future of Iran's cut-rate deal with the only country willing to help prop up its economy, with Reuters reporting that China's oil trade with Iran had stalled after Tehran withheld supplies and demanded higher prices. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected the possibility of a cease-fire with Russia, saying it would not lead to substantive progress in the war and only favor Moscow by giving it time to boost supplies to its military as the conflict nears its two-year anniversary. A pause on the Ukrainian battlefield will not mean a pause in the war, the Ukrainian leader said in Estonia's capital, Tallinn, on January 11 during a tour of the three Baltic nations. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. "Give Russia two to three years and it will simply run us over. We wouldn't take that risk.... There will be no pauses in favor of Russia," he said. "A pause would play into [Russias] hands.... It might crush us afterward. Zelenskiy has pleaded with Ukraine's allies to keep supplying it with weapons amid signs of donor fatigue in some countries and as Russia turns to countries such as Iran and North Korea for munitions. NATO allies meeting in Brussels on January 10 tried to allay Kyiv's concerns over supplies, saying they will continue to provide Ukraine with major military, economic, and humanitarian aid. NATO allies have outlined plans to provide "billions of euros of further capabilities" in 2024 to Ukraine, the alliance said in a statement. Estonian President Alar Karis said after meeting Zelenskiy that his country will provide 1.2 billion euros ($1.31 billion) in aid to Ukraine until 2027. "Ukraine needs more and better weapons," Karis said at a joint news conference with Zelenskiy. "The capabilities of the EU military industry must be increased so that Ukraine gets what it needs, not tomorrow, but today. We should not place any restrictions on the supply of weapons to Ukraine," he added. Estonia has so far provided military assistance to Ukraine worth nearly 500 million euros, or more than 1.4 percent of its gross domestic product, according to the Estonian Foreign Minstry. In a separate message on X, formerly Twitter, Zelenskiy thanked Tallinn for its continued aid. "Estonia's unwavering support for Ukraine, our people, and our defense is evident today, during my visit, and throughout the war," Zelenskiy wrote. "I am grateful to Estonia for all its support." The Baltic countries have been staunch allies of Ukraine since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion in February 2022. On January 10, Zelenskiy held talks in Vilnius with Lithuanian counterpart, Gitanas Nauseda. We have proven that Russia can be stopped, that deterrence is possible, he said after talks with Nauseda. Ukraine has been subjected to several massive waves of Russian missile and drone strikes since the start of the year that have caused civilian deaths and material damage. In the latest such attack, a hotel in downtown Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, was struck by Russian missiles overnight on January 11. The strike injured 13 people, including Turkish journalists staying at the hotel, Kharkiv regional police chief Volodymyr Tymoshko said. Regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said that one of those injured was in serious condition. More than 30 civilians were inside the hotel at the time of the attack, Synyehubov said on Telegram. Ukraine's emergency services said those hurt in the strike were "hotel staff and guests, one of whom is a foreign journalist," without giving details. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said no military personnel were staying at the hotel. With reporting by AFP and Reuters We asked some of our most perceptive journalists and analysts to anticipate tomorrow, to unravel the future, to forecast what the new year could have in store for our vast broadcast region. Among their predictions: The war in Ukraine will persist until the West realizes that a return to the previous world order is unattainable. In Iran, with parliamentary elections scheduled for March, the government is likely to face yet another challenge to its legitimacy. In Belarus, setbacks for Russia in Ukraine could prompt the Lukashenka regime to attempt to normalize relations with the West. While 2024 will see a rightward shift in the EU, it is unlikely to bring the deluge of populist victories that some are predicting. The vicious spiral for women in Afghanistan will only worsen. Peace between Armenia and its neighbors could set the stage for a Russian exit from the region. Hungary's upcoming leadership of the European Council could prove a stumbling block to the start of EU accession talks with Ukraine. Kyrgyzstan is on course to feel the pain of secondary sanctions over Russias invasion of Ukraine if the West's patience runs out. Here, then, are our correspondents' predictions for 2024. To find out more about the authors themselves, click on their bylines. The Ukraine War: A Prolonged Stalemate By Vitaliy Portnikov In September 2022, Ukrainian generals Valeriy Zaluzhniy and Mykhaylo Zabrodskiy presciently warned that Russia's aggression against Ukraine would unfold into a protracted conflict. Fast forward 15 months, and the front line is effectively frozen, with neither Ukrainian nor Russian offensives yielding substantial changes. As 2023 comes to a close, observers find themselves revisiting themes familiar from the previous year: the potential for a major Ukrainian counteroffensive, the extent of Western aid to Kyiv, the possibility of a "frozen conflict, security assurances for Ukraine, and the prospects for its Euro-Atlantic integration ahead of a NATO summit. It is conceivable that, by the close of 2024, we will still be grappling with these same issues. A political resolution seems elusive, given the Kremlin's steadfast refusal to entertain discussions on vacating the parts of Ukraine its forces occupy. Conversely, Ukraines definition of victory is the full restoration of its territorial integrity. Even if, in 2024, one side achieves a military victory -- whether through the liberation of part of Ukraine or Russia seizing control of additional regions -- it won't necessarily bring us closer to a political resolution. Acknowledging this impasse is crucial, as Russian President Vladimir Putin's assault on Ukraine is part of a broader agenda: a push to reestablish, if not the Soviet Empire, at least its sphere of influence. Even if, in 2024, one side achieves a military victory, it won't necessarily bring us closer to a political resolution. For Ukraine, resistance to Russian aggression is about not just reclaiming occupied territories but also safeguarding statehood, political identity, and national integrity. Western support is crucial for Ukraine's survival and the restoration of its territorial integrity. However, this backing aims to avoid escalation into a direct conflict between Russia and the West on Russia's sovereign territory. The war's conclusion seems contingent on the depletion of resources on one of the two sides, with Ukraine relying on continued Western support and Russia on oil and gas revenues. Hence, 2024 might echo the patterns of 2023. Even if external factors shift significantly -- such as in the U.S. presidential election in November -- we might not witness tangible changes until 2025. Another potential variable is the emergence of major conflicts akin to the war in the Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, this would likely signify the dissipation of Western resources rather than a shift in approaches to war. In essence, the war in Ukraine will persist until the West realizes that a return to the previous world order is unattainable. Constructing a new world order demands unconventional measures, such as offering genuine security guarantees to nations victimized by aggression or achieving peace, or at least limiting the zone of military operations to the current contact line, without direct agreements with Russia. So far, such understanding is lacking, and the expectation that Moscow will eventually grasp the futility of its ambitions only emboldens Putin. Consequently, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will endure, potentially spawning new, equally perilous local wars worldwide. Iran: Problems Within And Without By Hannah Kaviani Iran has been dealing with complex domestic and international challenges for years and the same issues are likely to plague it in 2024. But officials in Tehran appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach to its lengthy list of multilayered problems. Iran enters 2024 as Israel's war in Gaza continues and the prospects for a peaceful Middle East are bleak, with the situation exacerbated by militia groups firmly supported by Tehran. Irans prominent role in supporting paramilitary forces in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen has also drawn the ire of the international community and will continue to be a thorn in the side of relations with the West. Tehran has refused to cooperate with the UNs International Atomic Energy Agency over its nuclear program, resulting in an impasse in talks with the international community. And with the United States entering an election year that could see the return of Donald Trump to the presidency, the likelihood of Tehran and Washington resuming negotiations -- which could lead to a reduction in sanctions -- is considered very low. But Iran's problems are not limited to outside its borders. Another critical issue Iranian officials must continue to deal with in 2024 is the devastated economy. The countrys clerical regime is still reeling from the massive protests that began in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody after her arrest for not obeying hijab rules. The aftershocks of the Women, Life, Freedom movement that emanated from her death were reflected in acts of civil disobedience that are likely to continue in 2024. At the same time, a brutal crackdown continues as civil rights activists, students, religious minorities, and artists are being beaten, detained, and/or given harsh prison sentences. With parliamentary elections scheduled for March, the government is likely to face yet another challenge to its legitimacy as it struggles with low voter turnout and general disinterest in another round of controlled elections. Another critical issue Iranian officials must continue to deal with in 2024 is the devastated economy resulting from the slew of international sanctions because of its controversial nuclear program. After a crushing year of 47 percent inflation in 2023 (a 20-year high, according to the IMF), costs are expected to continue to rise for many foods and commodities, as well as real estate. Irans widening budget deficit due to reduced oil profits continues to cripple the economy, with the IMF reporting that the current government debt is equal to three annual budgets. With neither the international community nor the hard-line Tehran regime budging, most analysts see scant chances for significant changes in Iran in the coming year. Belarus: Wider War Role, Integration With Russia Not In The Cards By Valer Karbalevich Belarus has been pulled closer into Moscows orbit than ever by Russias war in Ukraine -- but in 2024, its unlikely to be subsumed into the much larger nation to its east, and chances are it wont step up its so-far limited involvement in the conflict in the country to its south. The most probable scenario in Belarus, where the authoritarian Alyaksandr Lukashenka will mark 30 years since he came to power in 1994, is more of the same: No letup in pressure on all forms of dissent at home, no move to send troops to Ukraine. And while Russias insistent embrace will not loosen, the Kremlin will abstain from using Belarusian territory for any new ground attacks or bombardments of Ukraine. But the war in Ukraine is a wild card, the linchpin influencing the trajectory of Belarus in the near term and beyond. For the foreseeable future, what happens in Belarus -- or to it -- will depend in large part on what happens in Russias assault on Ukraine. Should the current equilibrium on the front persist and Western support for Ukraine persist, the likelihood is a continuation of the status quo for Belarus. The country will maintain its allegiance to Russia, marked by diplomatic and political support. Bolstered by Russian loans, Belarus's defense industry will further expand its output. If Russia wins or scores substantial victories in Ukraine, Lukashenka will reap "victory dividends." The Belarusian state will continue to militarize the border with Ukraine, posing a perpetual threat to Kyiv and diverting Ukrainian troops from the eastern and southern fronts. At the same time, however, Russia is unlikely to use Belarusian territory as a launching point for fresh assaults on Ukraine, as it did at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. If Russia wins or scores substantial victories -- if Ukraine is forced into negotiations on Moscows terms, for example, or the current front line comes to be considered the international border -- Lukashenka, consolidating his position within the country, will reap "victory dividends." But relations between Belarus and Russia are unlikely to change dramatically. Potentially, Moscow could take major steps to absorb Belarus, diminishing its sovereignty and transforming its territory into a staging ground for a fresh assault on Kyiv. This would increase tensions with the West and heighten concerns about the tactical nuclear weapons Moscow and Minsk say Russia has transferred to Belarus. However, this seems unlikely due to the absence of military necessity for Moscow and the problems it could create on the global stage. The loss of Belarusian sovereignty would pose a major risk for Lukashenka and his regime. An overwhelming majority of Belarusians oppose the direct involvement of Belarus in the war against Ukraine. This fundamental distinction sets Belarus apart from Russia, and bringing Belarus into the war could trigger a political crisis in Belarus -- an outcome Moscow would prefer to avoid. If Russia loses the war or sustains significant defeats that weaken Putin, Lukashenka's regime may suffer economic and political repercussions. This could prompt him to seek alternative global alliances, potentially leading to an attempt to normalize relations with the West. Russia, Ukraine, And The West: Sliding Toward World War III By Sergei Medvedev 2024 will be a critical year for the war in Ukraine and for the entire international system, which is quickly unraveling before our eyes. The most crucial of many challenges is a revanchist, resentful, belligerent Russia, bent on destroying and remaking the world order. In his mind, President Vladimir Putin is fighting World War III, and Ukraine is a prelude to a global showdown. Despite Western sanctions, Russia has consolidated its position militarily, domestically, and internationally in 2023. After setbacks and shocks in 2022, the military has stabilized the front and addressed shortages of arms, supplies, and manpower. Despite latent discontent, the population is not ready to question the war, preferring to stay in the bubble of learned ignorance and the lies of state propaganda. Here are four scenarios for 2024: Strategic stalemate in Ukraine, chaos in the international system: The West, relaxed by a 30-year peace dividend, lacks the vision and resolve of the 1980s, when its leaders helped bring about the U.S.S.R.s collapse, let alone the courage of those who stood up to Nazi Germany in World War II. Putins challenge to the free world is no less significant than Hitlers was, but there is no Roosevelt or Churchill in sight. Probability: 70 percent While breakup into many regions is unlikely, the Russian empire could crumble at the edges. Widening war, collapse or division of Ukraine: Russia could defend and consolidate its gains in Ukraine, waging trench warfare while continuing to destroy civilian infrastructure, and may consider a side strike in Georgia or Moldova -- or against Lithuania or Poland, testing NATO. A frontal invasion is less likely than a hybrid operation by unidentified units striking from Belarus, acts of sabotage, or unrest among Russian-speakers in the Baltic states. Other Kremlin operations could occur anywhere in the world. The collapse of Ukraines government or the division of the country could not be ruled out. Probability: 15 percent. Russia loses in Ukraine: A military defeat for Russia, possibly entailing a partial or complete withdrawal from Ukraine. Consistent Western support and expanded supplies of arms, like F-16s or Abrams tanks, or a big move such as closing the skies over Ukraine, could provide for this outcome. It would not necessarily entail Russias collapse -- it could further consolidate the nation around Putins regime. Russia would develop a resentful identity grounded in loss and defeat -- and harbor the idea of coming back with a vengeance. Probability: 10 percent Russias Collapse: A military defeat in Ukraine could spark social unrest, elite factional battles, and an anti-Putin coup, leading to his demotion or violent death. Putins natural death, too, could set off a succession struggle, causing chaos in a country he has rid of reliable institutions. While breakup into many regions is unlikely, the empire could crumble at the edges -- Kaliningrad, Chechnya, the Far East like in 1917 and 1991. Russias nuclear weapons would be a big question mark, leading to external involvement and possible de-nuclearization. For all its perils, this scenario might provide a framework for future statehood in Northern Eurasia. Probability: 5 percent EU: 'Fortress Europe' And The Ukraine War By Rikard Jozwiak 2024 will see a rightward shift in the European Union, but it is unlikely to bring the deluge of populist victories that some are predicting since Euroskeptics won national elections in the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovakia and polled well in Austria and Germany. The European Parliament elections in June will be the ultimate test for the bloc in that respect. Polls still suggest the two main political groups, the center-right European People's Party and the center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, will finish on top, albeit with a smaller share of the vote. But right-wing populist parties are likely to fail once again to agree on the creation of a single political group, thus eroding their influence in Brussels. This, in turn, is likely to prod more pro-European groups into combining forces again to divvy up EU top jobs like the presidencies of the European Commission, the bloc's top executive body, and the European Council, which defines the EU's political direction and priorities. Center-right European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is widely tipped to get a second term, even though she might fancy NATO's top job as secretary-general. Charles Michel, on the other hand, will definitely be out as European Council president after serving the maximum five years. While right-wing populists may not wield major influence in the horse-trading for those top jobs, they will affect policy going forward. They have already contributed to a hardening of attitudes on migration, and you can expect to hear more of the term "fortress Europe" as barriers go up on the EU's outer border. The one surefire guarantee in Europe isn't about the European Union at all but rather about NATO. The biggest question for 2024, however, is about how much support Brussels can provide Ukraine going forward. Could the "cost-of-living crisis" encourage members to side with Budapest to block financial aid or veto the start of de facto accession talks with that war-torn country? The smart money is still on the EU finding a way to green-light both those decisions in 2024, possibly by unfreezing more EU funds for Budapest. Although it seems like a remote possibility, patience could also finally wear out with Hungary, and the other 26 members could decide to strip it of voting rights in the Council of the European Union, which amends, approves, and vetoes European Commission proposals -- essentially depriving it of influence. In that respect, Austria and Slovakia, Budapest's two biggest allies right now, are the EU countries to watch. The one surefire guarantee in Europe isn't about the European Union at all but rather about NATO: After somehow failing to join as predicted for each of the past two years, against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden will become the transatlantic military alliance's 32nd member once the Turkish and Hungarian parliaments vote to ratify its accession protocol. Caucasus: A Peace Agreement Could Be Transformative By Josh Kucera Could 2024 be the year that Armenia and Azerbaijan finally formally resolve decades of conflict? This year, Azerbaijan effectively decided -- by force -- their most contentious issue: the status of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. With its lightning offensive in September, Azerbaijan placed Karabakh firmly under its control. Both sides now say they've reached agreement on most of their fundamental remaining issues, and diplomatic talks, after an interruption, appear set to resume. A resolution of the conflict could transform the region. If Armenia and Azerbaijan made peace, a Turkish-Armenian rapprochement could soon follow. Borders between the three countries would reopen as a result, ending Armenia's long geographical isolation and priming the South Caucasus to take full advantage of new transportation projects seeking to ship cargo between Europe and Asia while bypassing Russia. Peace between Armenia and its neighbors also could set the stage for a Russian exit from the region. Russian-Armenian security cooperation has been predicated on potential threats from Azerbaijan and Turkey. With those threats reduced, what's keeping the Russian soldiers, peacekeepers, and border guards there? There are mounting indications that Azerbaijan may not see it in its interests to make peace. A Russian exit would be a messy process -- Moscow still holds many economic levers in Armenia -- but Yerevan could seek help from the United States and Europe to smooth any transition. Washington and Brussels have seemingly been waiting in the wings, nudging Armenia in their direction. But none of this is likely to happen without a peace agreement. And while there don't seem to be any unresolvable issues remaining, there are mounting indications that Azerbaijan may not see it in its interests to make peace. Baku has gotten what it wanted most of all -- full control of Karabakh -- without an agreement. And maintaining a simmering conflict with Armenia could arguably serve Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev well, as it would allow him to continue to lean on a reliable source of public support: rallying against an Armenian enemy. But perhaps the most conspicuous indication of a broader strategy is Aliyev's increasing invocation of "Western Azerbaijan" -- a hazily defined concept alluding to ethnic Azerbaijanis who used to live on the territory of what is now Armenia and their presumed right to return to their homes. It suggests that Azerbaijan might keep furthering its demands in hopes that Armenia finally throws in the towel, and each can accuse the other of intransigence. Hungary: The Return Of Big Brother? By Pablo Gorondi Critics might be tempted to believe that Big Brother will be watching over Hungarians in 2024 like at no point since the fall of communism. A new law on the Defense of National Sovereignty will allow the Office for the Defense of Sovereignty, which the law created, to investigate and request information from almost any group in Hungary that receives foreign funding. This will apply to civic groups, political parties, private businesses, media companies -- in fact, anyone deemed to be conducting activities (including "information manipulation and disinformation") in the interests of a foreign "body, organization, or person." The law has been criticized by experts from the United Nations and the Council of Europe over its seemingly vague language, lack of judicial oversight, and fears that it could be used by the government "to silence and stigmatize independent voices and opponents." The head of the Office for the Defense of Sovereignty should be nominated for a six-year term by right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban and appointed by President Katalin Novak by February 1. This would allow the new authority to carry out investigations and present findings ahead of simultaneous elections to the European Parliament and Hungarian municipal bodies in early June -- possibly influencing their outcomes. Orban has said in recent interviews that he wants to "fix the European Union" and that "we need to take over Brussels." Asked by RFE/RL's Hungarian Service, some experts said fears of the new authority are overblown and that the government is more likely to use it as a threat hanging over opponents than as a direct tool for repression -- at least until it finds it politically necessary or expedient to tighten control. On the international scene, meanwhile, Hungary will take over the Council of the European Union's six-month rotating presidency in July, a few weeks after voting to determine the composition of a new European Parliament. MEPs from Orban's Fidesz party exited the center-right European People's Party bloc in 2021 and have not joined another group since then, although some observers expect them to join the more Euroskeptic and nationalist European Conservatives and Reformists. Orban has for years predicted a breakthrough of more radical right-wing forces in Europe. But while that has happened in Italy, the Netherlands, and Slovakia, experts suggest that's not enough to fuel a significant shift in the European Parliament, where the center-right and center-left should continue to hold a clear majority. Because of the June elections, the European Parliament's activities will initially be limited -- and its election of a European Commission president could prove complicated. Nevertheless, Orban has said in recent interviews that he wants to "fix the European Union" and that "we need to take over Brussels." So, Hungary's leadership may make progress difficult on issues that Orban opposes, like the start of EU accession talks with Ukraine or a possible reelection bid by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Stability And The 'Serbian World' By Gjeraqina Tuhina and Milos Teodorovic Serbia, once again, will be a key player in the region -- and its moves could significantly shape events in the Balkans over the next 12 months. For over a decade, the dialogue to normalize relations between Serbia and its former province Kosovo has stymied both countries. Then, in February in Brussels and March in Ohrid, North Macedonia, European mediators announced a path forward and its implementation. There was only one problem: There was no signature on either side. Nine months later, little has changed. Many eyes are looking toward one aspect in particular -- a renewed obligation for Pristina to allow for an "appropriate level of self-management" for the Serb minority in Kosovo. This also entails creating possibilities for financial support from Serbia to Kosovar Serbs and guarantees for direct communication of the Serb minority with the Kosovar government. In October, EU mediators tried again, and with German, French, and Italian backing presented both parties with a new draft for an association of Serb-majority municipalities. Both sides accepted the draft. EU envoy to the region Miroslav Lajcak suggested in December that the Ohrid agreement could be implemented by the end of January. If that happened, it would mark a decisive step for both sides in a dialogue that began in 2011. "The Serbian world" is a phrase launched a few years ago by pro-Russian Serbian politician Aleksandar Vulin, a longtime cabinet minister who until recently headed the Serbian Intelligence Service. It is not officially part of the agenda of either Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic or the government, but it underscores the influence that Serbia seeks to wield from Kosovo and Montenegro to Republika Srpska in Bosnia-Herzegovina. But how Vucic chooses to exert the implicit ties to Serb leaders and nationalists in those countries could do much to promote stability -- or its antithesis -- in the Balkans in 2024. Another major challenge for Vucic revolves around EU officials' request that candidate country Serbia harmonize its foreign policy with the bloc. So far, along with Turkey, Serbia is the only EU candidate that has not introduced sanctions on Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It is unclear how far the Serbian president is willing to push back to foster ongoing good relations with Moscow. But first, Serbia will have to confront the fallout from snap elections in December dominated by Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party but rejected by the newly united opposition as fraudulent. The results sparked nightly protests in the capital and hunger strikes by a half-dozen lawmakers and other oppositionists. A new parliament is scheduled to hold a session by the end of January 2024, and the margins are seemingly razor-thin for control of the capital, Belgrade. Central Asia: Don't Write Russia Off Just Yet By Chris Rickleton Will the empire strike back? 2023 has been a galling year for Russia in Central Asia as it watched its traditional partners (and former colonies) widen their diplomatic horizons. With Russia bogged down in a grueling war in Ukraine, Moscow has less to offer the region than ever before. Central Asias five countries have made the most of the breathing space, with their leaders holding landmark talks with U.S. and German leaders as French President Emmanuel Macron also waltzed into Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with multibillion-dollar investments. And China has reinforced its dominant position in the region, while Turkey has also increased its influence. But dont write Russia off just yet. One of Moscows biggest wins in the neighborhood this year was an agreement to supply Uzbekistan with nearly 3 billion cubic meters of gas every year, a figure that could increase. Power deficits in Uzbekistan and energy-rich Kazakhstan are the most obvious short-term sources of leverage for Moscow over those important countries. The coming year will likely bring more in terms of specifics over both governments plans for nuclear power production, with Russia fully expected to be involved. And Moscows confidence in a region that it views as its near abroad will only increase if it feels it is making headway on the battlefield in Ukraine. Tajikistan Tajikistans hereditary succession has been expected for so long that people have stopped expecting it. Does that mean it is back on the cards for 2024? Probably not. In 2016, Tajikistan passed a raft of constitutional changes aimed at cementing the ruling Rahmon familys hold on power. Among them was one lowering the age to run for president from 35 to 30. Turkmenistans bizarre new setup begs a question: If youre not ready to let it go, why not hold on a little longer? That amendment had an obvious beneficiary -- veteran incumbent Emomali Rahmons upwardly mobile son, Rustam Emomali. But Emomali is now 36 and, despite occupying a political post that makes him next in line, doesnt look any closer to becoming numero uno. Perhaps there hasnt been a good time to do it. From the coronavirus pandemic to a bloody crackdown on unrest in the Gorno-Badakhshan region and now the shadows cast by the Ukraine war, there have been plenty of excuses to delay the inevitable. Turkmenistan But perhaps Rahmon is considering events in Turkmenistan, where Central Asias first father-son power transition last year has ended up nothing of the sort. Rather than growing into the role, new President Serdar Berdymukhammedov is shrinking back into the shadow of his all-powerful father, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. And this seems to be exactly how the older Berdymukhammedov wanted it, subsequently fashioning himself a post-retirement post that makes his son and the rest of the government answerable to him. But Turkmenistans bizarre new setup begs a question: If youre not ready to let it go, why not hold on a little longer? Kyrgyzstan/Kazakhstan Writing on X (formerly Twitter) in November, a former IMF economist argued that Kyrgyzstan would be the "perfect test case" for secondary sanctions over Russias invasion of Ukraine. Robin Brooks described the country as "small, not remotely systemically important, and very clearly facilitating trade diversion to Russia." Official statistics show that countries in the Eurasian Economic Union that Moscow leads have become a backdoor around the Western-led sanctions targeting Russia. Exports to Kyrgyzstan from several EU countries this year, for example, are up by at least 1,000 percent compared to 2019. Data for exports to Kazakhstan shows similar patterns -- with larger volumes but gentler spikes -- while investigations by RFE/RL indicate that companies in both Central Asian countries have forwarded dual-use products that benefit the Kremlins military machine. Belarus is the only Russian ally to get fully sanctioned for its support of Moscows invasion of Ukraine -- but will that change in 2024? Central Asian governments will argue they have resisted Russian pressure to provide political and military support for the war. They might even whisper that their big friend China is much more helpful to Russia. But the Wests approach of targeting only Central Asian companies actively flouting the regime is failing. So, while Western diplomats continue to credit the regions governments for their anti-evasion efforts, their patience may wear out. And if it does, Kyrgyzstan might be first to find out. Afghanistan: The Vicious Spiral Will Worsen By Malali Bashir With little internal threat to Afghanistans Taliban regime and the failure of the international community to affect change in the hard-line Islamist regimes policies, the Taliban mullahs control over the country continues to tighten. And that regimes continued restrictions on Afghan women -- their rights, freedom, and role in society -- signals a bleak future for them in 2024 and beyond. Many observers say the move by the Taliban in December to only allow girls to attend religious madrasahs -- after shutting down formal schooling for them following the sixth grade -- is an effort by the Taliban to radicalize Afghan society. Madrasahs are not an alternative to formal schooling because they dont produce doctors, lawyers, journalists, engineers, etc. The idea of [only] having madrasahs isabout brainwashing [people] to create an extremist society, says Shukria Barakzai, the former Afghan ambassador to Norway. The crackdown on womens rights by the Taliban will also continue the reported uptick in domestic violence in the country, activists say. Since the Taliban shut down Afghanistans Independent Human Rights Commission and Women Affairs Ministry, women find themselves with nowhere to turn to and find it extremely difficult to seek justice in Taliban courts. The Taliban seems adamant about maintaining its severe limits on women and reducing their role in society. With no justice for victims of abuse on the horizon, womens rights activists say violence against women will continue with no repercussions for the perpetrators. Barakzai argues that Taliban officials have already normalized domestic violence and do not consider it a crime. According to [a Taliban] decree, you can [confront] women if they are not listening to [your requests]. Especially a male member of the family is allowed to use all means to punish women if they refuse to follow his orders. That is basically a call for domestic violence, she said. The vicious spiral for women will only worsen. Being banned from education, work, and public life, Afghan women say the resulting psychological impact leads to panic, depression, and acute mental health crises. Although there are no official figures, Afghan mental health professionals and foreign organizations have noted a disturbing surge in female suicides in the two years since the Taliban came to power. "If we look at the women who were previously working or studying, 90 percent suffer from mental health issues now," said Mujeeb Khpalwak, a psychiatrist in Kabul. "They face tremendous economic uncertainty after losing their work and are very anxious about their future." Heather Bar, associate director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, says, "It's not surprising that we're hearing reports of Afghan girls committing suicide. Because all their rights, including going to school, university, and recreational places have been taken away from them." Promising young Afghan women who once aspired to contribute to their communities after pursuing higher education now find themselves with no career prospects. I do not see any future. When I see boys continuing their education, I lose all hope and wish that I was not born a girl, a former medical student in Kabul told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Despite immense global pressure, the Taliban seems adamant about maintaining its severe limits on women and reducing their role in society. This will result in a tragic future for the women of Afghanistan with no relief in sight. Before he left Russia in the fall of 2022 in fear of prosecution for his opposition to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Andrei Volna was one of the countrys leading orthopedic surgeons. He and his family now live in Estonia, but for the last two months he has volunteered at a Kyiv area military hospital, treating, for the most part, Ukrainian soldiers wounded in combat. Volna is applying for a long-term visa to continue his work in Ukraine. He spoke with Sergei Medvedev of RFE/RLs Russian Service about his experiences and impressions as a Russian in wartime Ukraine. RFE/RL: As I understand, where you have been working, they dont have to make immediate life-and-death decisions like on the front line regarding those who must be treated first and those who must wait. Andrei Volna: That did happen in my hospital, but before I got there, back when Russian forces were just a few kilometers away in Irpen and Bucha and were trying to seize the airport in Hostomel. Then they brought the wounded military and civilian for triage. Now, thank goodness, when the front line has been pushed back some distance from the capital of Ukraine, they dont do triage at that hospital because the patients arrive already stabilized. Now surgeons at the hospital must cope with later complications of serious injuries. Mostly, we are talking about wound infections or generalized infections, more commonly known as blood infection. RFE/RL: You have considerable experience as an emergency-room doctor and orthopedic surgeon. You worked with coal miners in Siberias Kemerovo region. But combat injuries, I imagine, are a whole new experience for you. Volna: In my first six years as a doctor, I worked with miners in Siberia. There were many different types of injuries there, including some caused by methane explosions. Fortunately, not all those blasts were fatal and some of the miners were brought to the hospital with various injuries. I did encounter some very serious injuries then, although not in the quantities that I see where Im working now. More than 90 percent of [the] injuries [I see now] are from mines or other explosions, rather than gunfire. Gunshot wounds are generally simpler and are handled closer to the front, compared to explosion wounds. Of course, I have never before seen such a large quantity of such wounds in one place. RFE/RL: Let me ask you about life in Kyiv, life under bombardment. Have you gotten used to that over your two months? Did you ever experience an air-raid in the hospital? Volna: There were numerous alarms when we were in the operating room, but no one even thought about interrupting an operation. As for everyday life in Kyiv, I was really impressed when I went to the theater. In Kyiv, I saw the play called Three Comrades, an anti-war show based on a novel [by the 20th-century German writer Erich Maria Remarque] that I read to tatters when I was young. That made quite an impression. At the beginning of the performance, they made an announcement: Dear spectators! In this performance you will hear air-raid sirens, gunfire, and explosions. Do not be afraid. This is just the audio component of the performance. In the event of a real alarm, we will interrupt the performance with a special announcement. The nearest bomb shelter is 200 meters away in the Khreshchatyk metro station. When the all-clear is sounded, the performance will continue. RFE/RL: I read in some interviews with you that one of the first things you did in Ukraine was to visit Bucha, the city outside of Kyiv where compelling evidence has been uncovered that Russian forces committed systematic war crimes against civilians in the early months of the war. What were your impressions? Volna: Like any foreigner, I had to get a pass to go to a military hospital, so I had several days to wait, during which I could check out more closely what was happening in Kyiv and the surrounding area. So on the first day I went to Bucha. Last summer, they unveiled a memorial where the names of almost all of the victims are inscribed. Some bodies are still being identified. But there are 511 names of those who were murdered or who died in Bucha during the Russian occupation in February and March of 2022. They were people of all ages, from over 90 to infants just a few months old. Bucha itself has been repaired and rebuilt, but it still produces a somber impression. It is sort of a vacation town just 4 kilometers from the Kyiv ring road. There are a lot of comparable towns in the Moscow region where there are a lot of trees and old, wooden houses, as well as expensive, modern villas. When you remember the photographs and when you walk up to the memorial. At first it was in a central park and then they moved it to the cathedral, where more than 100 people the Russians killed were buried in a mass grave. Luckily, I was the only one there when I visited, so no one disturbed me and my thoughts. RFE/RL: What are your views on the topic of the collective responsibility of all of Russia and of each Russian person, including those who have spoken out against the government, for what has happened? Volna: I feel responsible, and I understand that I must bear my share of collective responsibility. I often think back on the past and try to understand where our mistakes were. I think the tipping point came sometime during the 1990s, when broad professional opportunities opened up. We I mean myself and my friends were distracted by the introduction of new technologies and the chance for professional growth. Maybe it was then, when we were all busy with our careers and let the professionals take care of politics. Maybe that was the mistake we all made. But my mistake and I blame myself for this was that it wasnt enough to make a career. It was wrong not to get involved in politics, especially when pillars like [Galina] Starovoitova were leaving the stage. They were replaced by gray, faceless people who later turned out to have come from the KGB and the Federal Security Service. That was when the country slipped away. That is where, in my opinion, the germ of my responsibility for what is happening lies. Of course, we are all responsible. When you come to Ukraine, you understand that you must be ready for any negative reaction because you are a representative of the aggressor country. Ukrainians arent obligated to know about your anti-war views. They just know you are Russian. When I came to Ukraine to volunteer and to help my doctor friends, I was ready for any reaction, including from patients because I am Russian, and I bear the mark of responsibility. RFE/RL: Have you encountered such reactions? Volna: No. It is amazing. But when I go back to Ukraine, I will still be ready for it because any Russian deserves such treatment from Ukrainians. Because we lost our country not only for ourselves, but we allowed it to become aggressive and bring death to another country. Of course, we are to blame, and every one of us shares this collective responsibility. This burden which is nothing compared to what Ukrainians are enduring belongs to us, to our children, and to future generations. RFE/RL: Not many doctors, at least not many prominent ones, have spoken out against the Russian government or the war. Why has the medical community been so obedient? Volna: I think there is an explanation. As a rule, the doctors who were most prominent before the invasion were working in high-tech areas and were very dependent on their employers. If they lost their jobs, they could have a hard time finding another comparable one. That is an explanation, not a justification. I think I have the right to say this because this collective cowardice of ours -- and the few exceptions only confirm the rule -- is one of the most terrible things that has happened to Russian society in recent times. A doctor, particularly a traumatologist or orthopedist, must a priori be against war because war is just an epidemic of traumas. For me, this has been the most profound disappointment which I, undoubtedly, will carry with me for the rest of my days. Translated and adapted from the Russian by RFE/RLs Robert Coalson. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. As a traveller, you might be accustomed to the standard features in cars like air conditioning, radio, and, in colder countries, heaters. However, upon arriving in Thailand, you might be in for a surprise. In this Southeast Asian tropical paradise, car heaters are virtually non-existent. This might seem odd at first, but there are several logical reasons behind this. Let's dive into the tropical puzzle of why cars in Thailand don't have heaters. Understanding Thailands Tropical Climate To start with, Thailand is known for its tropical climate, characterized by high temperatures and humidity year-round. With average temperatures often hovering around 30C (86F), and rarely dropping below 20C (68F), the need for a car heater is virtually non-existent. In fact, for most of the year, the primary concern is staying cool, not getting warm. The Cost-Effectiveness of Car Manufacturing Car manufacturers are always looking for ways to make vehicles more cost-effective, both for themselves and the consumer. In a market like Thailand, where the demand for a heater is practically zero, it makes little sense for manufacturers to include them. By omitting heaters, they can reduce manufacturing costs and focus on features more suited to the climate, like efficient air conditioning systems. Energy Efficiency and Environmental Considerations Another factor is energy efficiency. Cars without heaters use slightly less fuel as they carry less weight and have fewer components drawing power. This small saving can be significant over a vehicle's lifetime, not just in terms of cost but also in reducing the environmental impact. Cultural and Regional Adaptations Vehicles are often regionally adapted to suit the local environment and cultural needs. Just as cars in colder climates are equipped with features like heated seats and steering wheels, cars in Thailand are designed to provide comfort in a hot and humid environment. This includes tinted windows, sunroofs, and, most importantly, high-performing air conditioning systems. What This Means for Travelers Renting Cars in Thailand For travellers from colder countries, the absence of a car heater in Thailand might initially seem peculiar. However, once you experience the local climate, you quickly realize that it's more about staying cool than warm. When renting a car from services like Rhinocarhire in Thailand, you can expect vehicles tailored to the tropical environment, ensuring your comfort during your travels. Conclusion The absence of car heaters in Thailand is a perfect example of how vehicles are adapted to meet the specific needs of different environments. In a country where the sun is plentiful, and the heat is abundant, the car heater becomes an unnecessary luxury. So, when you next visit Thailand and rent a car, don't be surprised by the lack of a heater. Instead, enjoy the thoughtfully designed features that make driving in a tropical paradise a breeze. Boyle native and chairman of the New York City St Patricks Day Foundation, Hilary Beirne from Rathdiveen, has been honoured in Boston with a Golden Bridges Ambassador Award. The award was presented at the 15th annual Golden Bridges Conference. The ceremony, hosted by the Consul General of Ireland in Boston, Sighle FitzGerald at the Irish consulate in the city, was held in conjunction with the Golden Bridges Conference which promotes the connection between the United States and the Northwest of Ireland and is supported by Derry City & Strabane District Council, and the Donegal County Council. Hilary Beirnes recognition comes as a result of his many years of work promoting Ireland on the international stage with his work with the iconic New York Citys St Patricks Day Parade, the Irish Ad Hoc Committee in Washington, DC and with Irish nationals living abroad. Mary Kelly, Ann McGonigle, and Mary Leydon at the Tommy Fleming concert in St. Josephs Church, Boyle last week. Pic. Enda Regan SUPPORT SOUGHT FOR ST. VINCENT DE PAUL ANNUAL APPEAL Today for too many people, it can still just take one small problem to tip someone into crisis and poverty. It can be an unexpected illness or unexpected bills. The St. Vincent de Paul St. Josephs Conference, Boyle knows that a little help at the right time can help a family during these difficult times. Thank you to so many of you who regularly support the work. Without this help, the organisation simply would not be able to support those struggling and in need of help. This Christmas please support the annual appeal. The annual collection will take place at St. Josephs Church this weekend, December 9th/10th where envelopes will be available in the porch. Envelopes received through the post may also be returned to the church. Alternatively, you can donate directly to the Boyle Conference by phoning 0818176176 or online to svp.ie/stjosephsconferenceboyleappeal23 Thank you for your continued generosity. LATE MR BERNARD MARTIN The death occurred on December 2nd, peacefully, in the care of the staff, at Sligo University Hospital, surrounded by his loving family, of Mr Bernard Martin, Ardsallagh, Boyle. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Bridie and his infant daughter, Mary, his parents Michael and Maureen and his brothers John (Brother Fidelis) and Hugh. Bernard is sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his son, Damien; daughters, Mairead, Lorraine and Lisa; Damiens partner, Sinead; son-in-law, Cianan; grandchildren Oran, Fionn and Sally; brothers, Charlie, Peter and James; sister, Mary; sister-in-law, Pauline, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends. Bernard will repose at Mahons Funeral Home, Boyle, today, Tuesday (December 5th) from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.. Removal from his home on Wednesday morning to St. Josephs Church, Boyle for Mass of the Resurrection at 11 a.m. with burial afterwards in Assylinn Cemetery. CE SCHEME VACANCY Boyle Group Scheme Ltd has vacancies on its Community Employment Scheme for General Operatives. No experience necessary and training will be provided. Eligibility applies for this position. For further details contact CE Supervisor on 086 1456519. Tommy Stenson and Leanne Martin at the Tommy Fleming concert in St. Josephs Church, Boyle last week. Pic. Enda Regan CHRISTMAS FOOD APPEAL Boyle Family Resource Centre has always been overwhelmed by the generosity and support of the local community for its Christmas food appeal each year. The team knows that that this Christmas will be a difficult one for so many more with the increased cost in living, but if you would be able to donate one item to the Christmas food appeal you would be making such a difference to the individuals and families who are experiencing food difficulty this Christmas. If you require any further information contact Emer on 071-9663000 or 086-0143942. CHRISTMAS JUMPER PARTY Boyle Ladybirds, Brownies & Girl Guide will hold a Christmas Jumper Party in St. Josephs Hall on Sunday, December 10th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.. KNOCKCROGHERY/ LECARROW/RAHARA The marriage took place on Friday, November 3rd at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Keadue between Blaithin Cox, daughter of Seran and Mary Cox, Ballymurry and Patrick Conlon, son of P.J. and Bridget Conlon, Celbridge, Co Kildare. The bride was given away by her father Sean. The ceremony with nuptial Mass was performed by Very Rev. Brendan McDonagh, PP Ardcarne. Maid of honour was Caoilfhionn Cox Brosman, sister of the bride. The best man was Andy Farrell, friend of the groom. Flower girls were Chloe and Lily Monahan, both nieces of the groom. Page boy was Leo Moore, cousin of the bride. The gifts were brought to the altar by both mothers, Mary, and Bridget. The lessons were read by Anna Cox, cousin of the bride and Stephen Carty, friend of the groom and the prayers of the faithful were read by Iona Hanley, cousin of the bride, Hannah Thornton, niece of the groom, Clodagh Lannon, cousin of the bride and Luke Fitzgerald, nephew of the groom. The reflection was rendered by Shauna Thornton, niece of the groom. The reception was held at Kilronan Castle, Ballyfarnon. The church music and hymns were provided by Aileen and Aine OConnor and Alister Beegan and Jordon OConnor. The honeymoon is being spent in Kenya and Zanzibar. The bride is a social worker attached to the Tallaght Hospital, Dublin while the groom is a Senior Anatomy Technician at Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin. Congratulations and best wishes are extended to Blaithin and Patrick for a long and happy married life together. LATE MS MICHELLE CRAVEN There was a deep sense of regret and sorrow when the news broke of the passing of Michelle Craven in Roscommon, the parish of Knockcroghery and surrounding areas. Michelle passed away from an illness bravery fought with courage in the tender care of the staff of the Roscommon Hospice on November 9th surrounded by her heartbroken family. Shelly as she was affectionately known was the second eldest daughter of four girls and one boy. Born to Mary and her late dad Michael Craven she grew up in and spent most of her formative years in Knockcroghery, received her primary education at Knockcroghery National School and second level at the Convent of Mercy, Roscommon. She had many interests. She was actively involved in the St Dominics GAA Club and from a young age she was a member of the Camogie team and played in all age groups over the years, a passion that she continued throughout her life. When Shelly made the decision to travel to New York, as many know, she continued this love and was heavily involved in the New York-Roscommon Association. Apart from her involvement in the GAA she was extremely helpful to many of the Irish who arrived on the shores of America. She supported so many young people helping them to get accommodation and employment. Her door was always open. Her generous and kind spirit was endless, done from her heart, without ever needing recognition from others. There is so much more to say about Shelly one thing is unanimous, that she was loved by so many people and had so many friends. She was a wonderful daughter, sister, aunt and friend. As we reminisce about her one thing that stands out - her infectious laugh and how much she loved life. She was always up for a party. Spending time with family and friends was hugely important to her. Her nieces, nephews and the boys were her world, treating them like they were own children. She was so generous and always gave the best gifts designer clothes were her specialty, but all her gifts were personal and thoughtful. She was always so easy going and nothing seemed to stress her. Life was there to be lived. She touched so many lives. Her strength of character was never so apparent when she was diagnosed four years ago. Her determination to fight for her life was relentless. She silently battled her illness with grace and compassion, and she fought the good fight without ever complaining. Shelly reposed at Smyths Funeral Home, Roscommon with removal on Monday morning, leaving her sisters Siobhan Kilroes Home in Mount Prospect, Roscommon arriving at St Patricks Church, Knockcroghery for her Funeral Mass. Cremation afterwards was in Lakelands Crematorium Cavan. The huge attendances at her reposing and funeral mass were testament to her popularity. May she Rest in Peace. GLANDUFF VARIETY CONCERT Glanduff Parents Association will hold a Variety Concert in St Johns Community Centre on Saturday, December 2nd at 7pm. Acts from Vinegar Bill along with All -Ireland Scor winner and various other acts from the parish. EILEEN IS CONNACHT AWARD RECIPIENT Eileen Fallon from St Dominics was the deserving recipient of the Connacht Scor Long Service Award at the National Finals in Killarney. Eileen has given an outstanding contribution to the promotion of Scor in St Dominics over the past 50 years. On Sunday evening, November 19th Eileen returned home to a heros welcome in the village of Knockcroghtery with bonfires alight and local supporters turning out in huge numbers to welcome and congratulate the recipient home. Afterward a social evening continued in Murrays Lounge for Eilleen, her family, members and supporters. Thomas Murray spoke warmly about Eileens contribution to promoting Scor and also her contribution to the Camogie Association in the parish and county. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a celebration cake. Michael OConnor also added his kind remarks and congratulated her on her award and made a special presentation to her. The evening continued with a sing song. Katie Burke and K.J. Mulryan, Knockcroghery, pictured at the switching on of the Christmas lights in Knockcroghery. Pic. Gerard OLoughlin Aidan, Kirsty, Michael, Sophie and Katie Naughton, Knockcroghery, pictured at the switching on of the Christmas lights in Knockcroghery. Pic. Gerard OLoughlin SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Great news, Santa Claus will be arriving in Kilmurry Hall on Saturday, December 9th from 2 p.m.. If you wish to book a slot please contact Gemma on +353 86 394 9335 as soon as possible to avoid of disappointment as places are limited. Visit Mrs Claus in her kitchen. There will also be a disco, face painting to name but a few activities! SOCIAL DANCE Kilmurry Hall Committee presents an evening of music and social dancing with Noel Briody in Kilmurry Hall on Sunday, December 3rd.. Doors open at 7p.m. with dancing from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission 10. All welcome. KEADUE/ARIGNA/BALLYFARNON ST RONAN'S HALL, KEADUE At a recent meeting of St Ronan's Hall fundraising committee it was decided to organise two fundraisers for match funding for a Community Centre grant to insulate, rewire and build porch/ foyer at the front of the hall. It was decided to have a carol service at the erection of the crib at O'Carolan Heritage Park at 3.30 p.m. on December 3rd followed by a cake sale, raffle and a visit by Santa Claus and children's disco in St Ronan's Hall. Tea / coffee will be served. The annual 5k fun run/walk will be held on New Year's Day, January 1st. Registration at 12 starting at 12.30 p.m.. TREE LIGHTING The annual crib and Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Ballyfarnon will be held on December 9th at 7.45 p.m. with special guest Santa. Refreshments in the hall afterwards. December 15th, Christmas Mini Market 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Ballyfarnon Community Centre. FOROIGE Arigna Foroige Club will have a stall at Ballyfarnon Christmas Market on December 15th please come and support the club members. BALLYFARNON TIDY TOWNS AGM The AGM of Ballyfarnon Tidy Towns will be held on December 5th at 8 p.m. upstairs in Ballyfarnon Community Centre. New members welcome. ROOSKY/KILGLASS WINTER MARKET IN DROMOD A winter market has opened. Items include gifts, hampers, toys, Christmas, clothes and much more. All are welcome PROGRESSIVE 25 Progressive 25 continues in Kilglass GAA Centre on Tuesdays at 8.30 p.m.. Last week's winners: 1st, John Joe Cox; Joint 2nd, Pat O Neill & Tom Beirne; waffle, Willie Lyttle. New players welcome. ALZHEIMERS TALK Alzheimers and dementia talk on Tuesday, December 5th at 11.45 a.m. at the Community Centre, Roosky. The talk will be quite informal and all welcome to participate. Everyone is welcome to attend, especially carers, people worried about their memory. SYMPATHY Sympathy to Jodie Washington, Roosky Village, on the death of her brother James Heavey, Longford Town, which occurred recently. May he rest in peace. KILBRIDE COMMUNITY CAR PILOT SCHEME A pilot scheme for a community car is being operated from Kilbride Community Centre. It will be available to bring people to Hospital appointments at no cost to patients Contact O86/6OOO755 for details. ANNIVERSARY MASS Fr Ray Brown's third anniversary was celebrated by Fr Conathy and the deceased priests' graves in the grounds of the church were also blessed by Fr Pavine and Fr Conathy after Mass on Sunday. There is a library of Fr Browne's collection of books in the church room for anyone that would be interested. ACTIVE AGE The Active Age group meets every Tuesday at 2 p.m.. New members welcome bus available. The drop in farm incomes, of up to 44%, confirmed by Teagasc, is a huge concern particularly given the ongoing cost of living crisis, according to the IFA. Farmers cost of living as well as their cost of doing business has increased, yet their incomes have fallen by 44%. We saw that agricultural exports grew to 19bn. Yet the people providing the raw materials are receiving an average income of just over 25,000, said IFA President Tim Cullinan. If we dont have farmers, we dont have food. This should be a wake-up call for the Government which keeps heaping extra regulation on farmers which increases their costs and impacts hugely on farmer morale, he said. The outlook for 2024 is somewhat more positive, with a recovery in farm incomes projected. But even with this projected recovery, average incomes will remain substantially below levels achieved in 2022. The EU and the Government need a change direction and they need to start listening to farmers on the ground. We run a real risk of losing a whole generation, he said. Analysis by Teagasc also showed that emissions per hectare is projected to reduce across all enterprises in 2023. This shows that farmers are continuing to play their part in reducing overall emissions. However, farmers must have a sustainable income if we want to continue this trend. That has to be the focus of our Irish and EU regulators in the future, concluded Mr Cullinan. Newford farm, a 100-cow suckler-to-beef demonstration farm, located in Athenry for almost ten years has moved move to a farm in the Athleague area. The move has been prompted by the IDAs announcement earlier this year that the site of the Newford farm, which is being leased from the State Agency, will now become the location for a new 300m global manufacturing facility. In a statement this week Teagasc said: The Newford suckler demonstration farm was established by Teagasc and Dawn Meats in 2015 on 65 hectares of land in Athenry, Galway with support from McDonalds. Teagasc provided the land, part of which was leased from the IDA. Dawn Meats provided the start-up capital and funding for day-to-day operations of the farm, coupled with management services and technical innovations deployed on farm. Teagasc provided additional management support and communicated the key learnings from the farm to stakeholders. The farm has focused on demonstrating key Teagasc technologies such as a lighter dairy cross cow type, 2-year-old calving of heifers, compact spring calving, 100% AI usage, increasing carcase weights through genetic selection, younger ages at finishing whilst achieving market specification, grassland management, and more recently the inclusion of grass clover swards. In 2022 the farm began measuring methane using Greenfeed technology and installed a carbon flux tower to help with measurement of carbon sequestration. In May 2023, the IDA announced it had secured a new tenant (Dexcom) for the Newford site and while Teagasc welcomed this significant investment for the West of Ireland, it meant the Newford suckler beef herd would need to vacate its existing location by November 2023. Dawn Meats and Teagasc immediately began consulting widely with stakeholders and there was a strong view the Newford suckler demonstration farm has had significant positive impact on delivering key messages to suckler beef farmers. All of the key stakeholders believed it should continue on a new site ensuring progress achieved to date, could be built upon further. Teagasc and Dawn Meats identified a range of potential sites in the West of Ireland and after assessing these options, a suitable 58-hectare (143 acres) farm was selected in County Roscommon and a seven-year lease on the property negotiated. This allows Teagasc and Dawn Meats with ongoing support from McDonalds, to continue their very successful collaboration, demonstrating key profit drivers and sustainability technologies to suckler beef farmers. The farm identified has extensive cattle wintering facilities and some of these will be used for the Newford suckler herd with the remaining facilities used as a specialised winter finishing beef unit. Teagasc and Dawn Meats have identified this sector as a key component of the Irish beef industry exposed to significant business risk, and which has the potential to contribute significantly to achieving Irelands climate goals by focusing on key technologies that will help drive profitability by focussing on high quality forage production, precision selection of cattle for slaughter, health and welfare of housed cattle, and all the while working to improve the Carbon footprint. The Newford suckler herd will continue to focus on key areas of genetics of sires and dams, grassland management, mixed/clover swards and improving the sustainability of the herd. The Greenfeed measurement system and carbon flux tower will now also be situated on the Roscommon site, the statement concluded. A County Roscommon farmer was named a CellCheck Champion at the Animal Health Ireland CellCheck Awards held in the Killashee Hotel, Nass. Bernard Kelly and his family farm a mixed dairy and beef enterprise on 100 acres in Roscommon. The awards recognise excellence achieved by Irish dairy farmers in herd health, specifically those that achieve a consistently low somatic cell count (SCC) in their dairy herds. CellCheck is the national mastitis control programme. Coordinated by Animal Health Ireland, the programme works with dairy farmers and their service providers, to increase the awareness and capacity to manage and prevent mastitis in Irish herds. This delivers a healthier and more productive herd, which contributes to increased efficiency and profitability. Five hundred dairy farmers from across the country with the lowest weighted annual average SCC for the previous years milk supply attended the FBD sponsored awards as winners. On the night one CellCheck Champion was identified from each of the 18 participating dairy processors with Bernard Kelly winning from the Arrabawn Co-op. Speaking at the presentation of awards, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD said: The CellCheck programme is an excellent initiative that has helped deliver substantial reductions in SCC across Irelands dairy herds. This has contributed to healthier herds and high-quality milk produced in a sustainable way. Importantly these awards recognise the dairy farmers that achieve this excellence on their farms, the benefits of which not only contribute to their bottom line through productivity but also underpins the high-quality characteristics of our dairy products that sees them exported to 130 markets globally. James Lynch, Chair of Animal Health Ireland, said: The winners are exemplars of the benefits of Animal Health Irelands CellCheck programme. Their consistent use of milk recording has been a significant factor in helping them make the right decision on disease prevention and animal health." More communication and more transparency, in relation to International Protection applicants being accommodated in Boyle, was called for at a public meeting, last Friday night. Boyle Concerned Locals, a collective of concerned locals who are invested in the wellbeing of Boyle, and who are not aligned to any political party, called the meeting in St Josephs Hall, in a bid to hear the voices of the community and to get some answers from elected representatives. The group highlighted that the concern stems from a genuine worry about the ability of Boyle to accommodate the rising population. Already faced with challenges, our town grapples with a shortage of essential facilities such as doctors, dentists, schools, housing, and other crucial amenities, the group said. As community members, we fear for the strain on the housing situation and local services that are already stretched thin. A spokesperson added: As a community, we deserve to know what International Protection accommodations are planned for Boyle. The meeting heard that a number of apartments, on the towns Green St, are currently being used to accommodate 18 people. The meeting was informed that most of them have been in Ireland for six months. The question was posed as to how the local community was supposed to welcome them and help them integrate into the community when we dont even know where they are from? The spokesperson said that the group was only interested in putting out factual information and the next step is to arrange another public meeting, possibly in January. President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to the environmentalist Michael Ewing, who died last week. Mr Ewing from Knockvicar, Boyle died on Tuesday at the North West Hospice in Sligo after a long illness. In a statement President Michael D. Higgins said he learned of Mr Ewings death with great sorrow. Mr Ewing received a B Tech (Hons) from Brunel University in Applied Biology and an MSc from IT Sligo in environmental protection. Later he trained with the Environment Council (UK) and then worked as a facilitator and dialogue planner. From 2006-2008, he worked as the senior researcher at the Centre for Sustainability at the IT Sligo. In 2008 he was employed by the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) to build the advocacy coalition. President Higgins praised Mr Ewings work in the Irish Environmental Network, which brought together 32 national environmental non-governmental organisations. In 2009, Mr Ewing coordinated the establishment of the Environmental Pillar, which was to become the fifth national social partnership pillar, alongside Employers, Trade Unions, Farmers and the Community and Voluntary sector. This cooperation and leadership among NGOs was crucial in advocating for the urgent need to tackle the climate crisis and continues to be of enormous importance, the President stated. As a trained biologist and environmental protection officer, Michael combined his expertise with a strong personal interest in participatory democracy, global justice and sustainable development. All those who knew him and worked and campaigned with him will be proud of the legacy he leaves behind in assisting to shape tangible responses to care for our shared planet. The Minister for the Environment and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan described Mr Ewing as a friend, and said he had played a leading role in promoting participative democracy in Ireland. In a statement, the Green Party leader described Mr Ewing as a giant of the Irish environmental movement in many influential roles. As the chair of our own policy council he was a leader and support to countless Green Party members. He is survived by his wife, Marion; his children, Emma, Daniel and Oisin. His funeral took place at Lakelands Crematorium in Cavan on Friday afternoon. A company headed by a Roscommon man, Ward Personnel has been voted the winner in the Specialist Recruiter category at the Employment and Recruitment Federation (ERF) Awards 2023. The awards ceremony, held in the Shelbourne Hotel, brought together hundreds of industry professionals to recognise excellence in Irelands employment and recruitment industry. The Employment and Recruitment Federation Awards, the ERFs annual flagship event, featured companies across multiple sectors of the employment and recruitment industry competing for a range of awards. Speaking on receipt of the award, Roscommon man David Ward, Managing Director of Ward Personnel, said: We are honoured to have been both nominated and chosen to receive this prestigious award. The competition from the specialist companies across the recruitment industry was very strong this year. This is a huge honour for us, as it is the first time that a specialist construction recruitment company has won an ERF award. This award is primarily down to our terrific team, who work tirelessly every day to manage and support our site workforce across the country for our valued clients. We would especially like to thank our candidates and clients for supporting us throughout 2023 and for making this award possible. Since its establishment in 2010, Ward Personnel has expanded year on year with offices in Dublin, Cork, Athlone and Poland, providing recruitment solutions to the Construction and Industrial sectors. Earlier this year, the company launched a dedicated Management and Technical division, expanding its white-collar service offerings. Ward Personnel has a team of over 40 recruitment specialists managing a site workforce of more than 600 employees across approximately 200 sites throughout Ireland. For more information on Ward Personnel, please visit www.wardpersonnel.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The powers of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) are being expanded, Trend reports. This was reflected in a proposed modification to the law "On the Central Bank," which was debated today in Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (Parliament). According to the draft, the CBA will license, regulate, and control the activities of payment organizations, electronic money organizations, payment system operators, and other financial market participants in order to safeguard the stability and sustainability of financial markets. The draft was placed to a vote and passed in the third reading. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Last Thursday night marked an unsettling episode in Ireland's history, with masses of right-wing, anti-foreigner protestors taking to the streets and causing widespread destruction in our capital city. The guardians of peace seemed unable to enforce order, raising concerns about a breakdown in policing in Dublin. While some of these concerns are valid, the situation is more nuanced than it appears. The underlying tensions had been simmering for a while, awaiting a catalyst to escalate matters. Unfortunately, the stabbing incident outside a school in Dublin provided that spark, enabling troublemakers to exploit the situation and incite chaos. This unrest has been brewing for some time, with similar groups causing disruptions in public libraries, harassing staff, and protesting against certain books. The Garda response has been notably cautious, avoiding confrontation despite ongoing harassment. There have been protests at the arrival of refugees to centres around the country but especially in inner city Dublin. We see the Gardai continually being harassed and videoed by those who are just looking for a response. At the same time every garda in the country knows that GSOC, the oversight body, is waiting for complaints against them so they can go to town on the Guard. The uniformed garda feels abandoned by their leadership and the divide between those in a white shirt and those in the blue polo t shirt is getting wider. Notably, the lack of confidence among Garda officers to draw their batons during last Thursday's events raises questions about the effectiveness of their leaders. Its a disgrace when a guard or sergeant does not feel safe drawing his issued equipment because he feels he lacks the support of leadership. Sadly, it exists in many jobs today. As discussions unfold, there will likely be calls to dismiss the commissioner and minister. However, a measured approach is crucial to avoid exacerbating the situation. We have a situation where there were no applications for the position of Deputy Commissioner and the incumbent had to take back her notice to retire. If the commissioner is goes who replaces him? Addressing the issue of pay disparity for promoted officers, particularly at the commissioner ranks, is essential. The current taxation burden due to pension rules demands urgent attention from the Department of Finance, with collaboration from the Justice department and the Commissioner. There are too many anomalies going back to the financial emergency times and they should be addressed immediately not just for gardai but across the public service. The consensus is that the gardai were ill-prepared for the riots, with insufficient manpower and delayed calls for assistance. This responsibility lies with operational commanders, not solely the commissioner. Why wait so long to seek reinforcements from the rest of the country? Examining the resources deployed during the unrest reveals gaps. Questions arise about the absence of the Garda dog unit and what about the horses? They have proven effective in crowd control in other situations. I have seen them in action in London and they can clear a path very quickly. A big horse is a very intimidating sight, four together and its even worse. There was an immediate awareness that there were leadership issues on Thursday. The commissioner told his members on Friday morning that they would have his full backing if they drew their baton and acted within the law. Two water cannons were borrowed from the PSNI on Friday this was also a positive step. Now they need to buy their own and have them available. Its always better to be looking at things than looking for them. The discussion on immigration in the Dail during the week reflects a growing sentiment of anti-immigrant feelings among the populace. When Danny Healy Rae speaks he is merely echoing what he hears. His demand for vetting of people before they come to towns and villages is quite a common one now. There is need for a proper discussion on immigration, people need to feel that they are being listened to and also that they are valued. On Thursday we saw an attack on child who was the daughter of two non-Irish parents, we saw a foreigner save the day and immobilise the attacker. We then saw foreigners give first aid at the scene, treat the casualties in the hospital and generally look after situation. Those Irish boys who went rioting had no real thoughts for the child who was hurt or the family waiting to see what happened. They just wanted to cause disruption and destruction. They looted shops stole the runners and the fancy gear, changed their shoes and left the old ones there. Thank God for DNA. Strange wasnt it that no work boots were stolen, no books were touched. Just the fancy stuff made by foreigners! Policing is in bother in Dublin but its also in trouble in Mayo, Longford and Roscommon. There are no Gardai to be seen, a car is hijacked in Castlerea an older woman is dragged along the road. Were concerned but its just one of many things happening. Something needs to happen maybe Thursday was that thing? The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) states that every person has the right to live in society, and that nobody will be prevented from doing so by reason of having a disability. Ireland was the last country in Europe to ratify the convention, and our performance in respect of the convention has been equally lacklustre. We still have thousands of persons with disabilities in institutions, instead of supporting them to live normal lives. Minister Humphries last week announced new welfare reforms, including financial supports for persons with disabilities, when she proposed a new pay-related jobseekers benefit system. For once, pay-related benefits will mean just that, with payments related to levels of pay and the length of time the person spent in employment. Somebody with five years PRSI contributions will get a maximum of 450 per week for six months. The benefits will drop off over the following six months, to encourage people to take up other jobs. While welcome, the proposals make no attempt to deal with the minority who make a conscious choice not to work at all. Many employers are unable to fill jobs at or just above minimum wage, but not because of a labour shortage. There are 85,000 people on long-term unemployment, some of whom have never worked. Apart from being bad for society, this is bad for that cohort; having a job is a step to getting a better job, and not working at all is bad for the persons wellbeing. In other countries, benefits drop off and disappear altogether if you wont work. There are people who just dont like getting out of bed every day. One acquaintance recently told me that a job would only pay him about 150 a week; he was just counting anything over and above his benefits as his potential earnings. Its a common enough mind-set, and there is no pressure on him to earn the money he gets every week. The 85,000 figure is only part of the picture. The numbers on disability payments in Ireland have doubled in a decade. In the UK, disability rates are lower, and people hiding behind a spurious disabled status are being weeded out and put back to work, but there are no such plans here. I have been a campaigner for disability rights for much of my adult life, and it irks me to see the budget for disability going to able-bodied people when it should be used for its intended purpose. The current Minister is a strong voice for disability, but a significant amount of her potential funding is being misused. Its great that Heather Humphries is increasing payments for persons genuinely facing unemployment, but somebody needs to tackle the other side of the coin. Reforms in the UK have nudged many slackers out of Benefit Street and down the road to work. We need to do the same here. I once knew a lovely lady who came into a few pounds after a lifetime of struggling. She bought a nice car and a fur coat, despite her not being able to drive. The car was parked in her driveway, and she would often sit in it, watching the world go by as she snuggled into the comfortable front seat in her warm fur. It was her money, she was fulfilling a lifetime ambition to own a big car and a fur coat, and she was happy. She kept the best side out. Prior to 1961, an impoverished Ireland relied on picking up BBC and ITV broadcasts from Britain and Northern Ireland. We had a radio station, opened in January 1926 by Douglas Hyde, with a strong emphasis on Irish culture. Such was nationalist fervour in Ireland at that time that one Dail motion proposed erecting a giant aerial in Athlone in the shape of a harp, so that nobody would be under any illusion this was an Irish radio station. Were good at losing the run of ourselves! Other places made the transition from rebroadcasting TV signals to setting up their own stations, with varying success. The Isle of Man picks up TV from Northern Ireland, but a proposal to set up their own TV station in 2003 was rejected by the British Broadcasting Commission because of insufficient detail. A local journalist set up a low-cost internet station that remains a popular source for news among the islands population. The Channel Islands rely on a service run under contract by ITV, but Gibraltar made the leap to a fully independent TV station, with GBC transmitting to the 23,000 residents. Gibraltar TV was founded in 1962, just a year after RTE TV opened. The small subscriber base of just over 7,000 homes made collecting license fees impractical, so it is now paid for from taxes and advertising. It is a limited service though, open from 7.30 p.m to midnight, and it broadcasts local and international news as well as current affairs programmes with a local slant. It doesnt cost a lot to run, but it matches the available resources. Ireland has always taken a different view. We wanted to be best in class, whether we could afford it or not, and the current round of cuts wont affect that. The late NBU secretary, Tom Darby, famously said that when CIE had a financial crisis, they would sack a few cleaners, and the same mind-set prevails in RTE. The axe will fall on lower grades and on presenters who are generating revenue, but the amorphous mass of middle managers and the culture of extravagant spending habits will prevail. They will keep the best side out, ploughing on as if they were the BBC, but without BBC levels of funding. My late friend in her fur coat would have been proud of them. Houston - (Business Wire) - Nov. 14 - Hess Midstream LP (NYSE: HESM) (Hess Midstream), announced the execution of a definitive agreement providing for the repurchase of approximately $100 million of Class B units by its subsidiary, Hess Midstream Operations LP, from affiliates of Hess Corporation and Global Infrastructure Partners, Hess Midstreams sponsors (the Sponsors). The terms of the proposed unit repurchase transaction were unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of Hess Midstreams general partner, based on the unanimous approval and recommendation of its conflicts committee composed solely of independent directors. We continue to execute unit repurchase transactions as part of our unique and differentiated financial strategy, which prioritizes consistent and ongoing return of capital to our shareholders, said Jonathan Stein, Hess Midstream Chief Financial Officer. Since the beginning of 2021 through this current transaction, we will have returned $1.55 billion to shareholders through accretive unit repurchases from our Sponsors that have reduced the total unit count by approximately 20%. Following this unit repurchase, which is expected to provide immediate accretion to our shareholders, we expect to continue to have more than $1 billion of financial flexibility through 2025 that can be used to support potential incremental unit repurchases. Pursuant to the terms of the repurchase agreement, the repurchased units will be cancelled upon the closing of the unit repurchase transaction, which is expected to result in increased distributable cash flow per Class A share providing capacity for incremental distribution growth above Hess Midstreams annual distribution target of at least 5% through 2025, consistent with Hess Midstreams return of capital framework. The Long X Arts Foundation is combining the arts with small business this holiday season as it hosts the Art in Business Shopping Event Nov. 24Dec. 24. The foundation has partnered with area Watford City Main Street businesses as well as local artists to make shopping local, unique gifts, and art easy and fun. Nine local artists will have their work on display and for sale in seven different retail locations in Watford City. With the holiday shopping season in full swing this is a great way to offer a unique experience for shoppers as well as artists and retailers, said Jessie Veeder Scofield, Long X Arts Foundation Director. The local businesses have been so gracious to host these artists, and the hope is that it will help bring more traffic through their stores as well. Shopping local is so important. Participating artists and businesses include Shop Local Artists in Local Businesses this Holiday Season! Door 204- Bryan Fevold Photography | Diane Kay Photography | Karatcake Art Elles Boutique LLC- Nikki Rodriguez Fine Art Larsen Service Drug & Soda Fountain- Chad Ziemendorf Photography Long X Arts Foundation-Doug Engberg Art on Leather Pioneer Gifts & Books and Long X Visitor Center-Trish Stevenson Fine Art Meyers Department Store-Bold West Art Saddle Up - Saddles, Tack and Western Wear-We Three Bs In conjunction with hosting local artists, the Long X Visitor and Art Center and Pioneer Gifts and Books will be hosting a Holiday Open House on Dec. 2 from 10 a.m.4 p.m. featuring discounts at the gift shop and Pride of Dakota food samplings. The Long X Arts Foundation will also be hosting some fun holiday themed art classes including a vintage ceramic Christmas tree class that day at 2 p.m. Additional classes include a vintage ceramic Christmas tree night light on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. and a small vintage ceramic Christmas tree on Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. Then join them for a cute ceramic Christmas cookies dunk mug on Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. All classes take place in the Long X Art Gallery located in the lower level of the Long X Visitor Center. For more information about these classes visit http://www.longxarts.com. Watch for additional open house and shopping events from participating retailers throughout the holiday shopping season! For more information contact the Long X Arts Foundation at 701-770-8659 or email [email protected] Each year, the Williston City Commission and STAR Fund Advisory board allocate up to $50,000 for nonprofit groups and organizations to fund activities and projects that improve the quality of life in and around the Williston area. Grant recipients in the past include: Upper Missouri District Health Unit Safe Seats Program, Maah Daah Hey Trail, Williston Sea Lions, Western North Dakota Honor Flight and many others. The Community Enhancement Grant program is made possible through the Williston STAR Fund which was created to help provide financial support for economic and community development projects that create jobs. The funds are derived from a voter approved 1% city sales tax through June 30, 2030. Seventy-five percent of the collections benefit infrastructure needs and property tax relief while 25% assists projects that promote a vibrant and sustainable community.The deadline to apply is Friday, Dec.15, 2023 at 5 p.m. Applications may be emailed, mailed or delivered to Williston Economic Development. The STAR Fund Advisory Board will meet to evaluate the applications mid-January 2024. Nonprofit organizations may pick up applications at the Williston Economic Development Office, 113 4th St. E. or fill out online at http://www.willistondevelopment.com For more information contact Brenda Schmidt at 701-577-8110 or [email protected] (Pictured L-R) Sherrie Moon, FSS Assistant from Glasgow; Sheila Doll, Hi-Line Home Programs Program Director; Billie Jo Mullin, Sidney CACFP monitor; foster mom, Desiree Guillen-Molina; baby Philly; and MT Governor Greg Gianforte pose with the check Governor Gianforte presented to Hi-Line Home Programs on his 3rd day of his 12 Days of Giving campaign. (Photo by Jaymi Mozeak) Montana Governor Greg Gianforte visited Hi-Line Home Programs in Sidney as part of his 12 Days of Giving Campaign, Thursday, Nov. 30. His third visit to Sidney this year was a blessing to the non-profit that services seven counties. During Gianforte's 12 Days of Giving Campaign he travels around Montana, donating his entire salary to non-profits helping the people of Montana. For the third day of his campaign, he came to Sidney and recognized Hi-Line Home Programs, donating a check for $20,425, according to Gianforte, a quarter of his salary. Hi-Line helps by screening children for developmental disabilities and other challenges as well as refer the parents and caretakers to services to help the children through their formative years. According to their website, hilinehomeprograms.org, they have been promoting effective child and family development since 1979. Three employees of Hi-Line were there to accept the check; Sheila Doll, program director; Sherrie Moon, FSS assistant, Glasgow; and Billie Jo Mullin, in-home services, Sidney. Desiree Guillen-Molina, a Sidney local and foster parent, brought one of her charges and Hi-Line client, Philly, and a three-page list of concerns she and other local foster parents are having to deal with to give to Gianforte. The governor discussed with those gathered his connections and concerns for foster parents and parents of those with developmental disabilities and answered questions posed by the attendees. Hi-Line happily accepts financial donations but what they are in need of the most is employees. According to Doll, "Education is a plus, but Hi-Line will provide training for employees." Gianforte had nine more stops on his campaign when he left Sidney Nov. 30. He has been doing the 12 Days of Giving to spotlight 12 charities that serve Montanans in need every year since 2021. Montana State University Extension recently recognized staff, faculty and supporters at a fall conference in Bozeman. We are fortunate to have accomplished faculty and staff making a positive impact on the people and places of Montana, said Cody Stone, MSU Extension executive director. It is an honor to recognize their contributions through our awards program. The MSU Extension Directors Office annually recognizes outstanding faculty and staff who attain distinctive success in their chosen field or profession and/or perform outstanding service to their community. Jane Mangold, MSU Extension invasive plant specialist, received the Distinguished Faculty Award; Kari Lewis, MSU Extension for Glacier County received the Early Career Faculty Award; and Sara Adlington, MSU Extension editor and publications coordinator, received the Distinguished Staff Award. Brenda Richey, MSU Extension agent on the Flathead Reservation, and Kristen Desjarlais, community partner, received the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. This award is granted to Extension professionals, individually or as a team, who design and implement programs and opportunities for traditionally underserved populations. Awardees also build programs and learning opportunities and facilitate environments that address diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Montana Winter Weed Treat Team received the Team Award, which recognizes efforts to solve problems locally and across the state. Team members included Extension agents Dave Brink, Mineral County; Patrick Mangan, Flathead Reservation; Ben Hauptman, Granite County; Kelly Moore, Missoula County; and Kimberly Richardson, Ravalli County; Kellieann Sweeney, Ravalli County Weed District coordinator; and Craig McClane, aquatic invasive species specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The following awards were presented by Montanas Joint Council of Extension Professionals organization. The 2023 Silver Buffalo Award went to Mandie Reed, MSU Extension agent, Wheatland County, in recognition of 20 years of exceptional service. This award encourages and recognizes excellence for a program in one given field of work and/or a well-rounded County or State Extension program. Jennifer Munter, MSU Extension Nutrition Education Program assistant director, received the Anne Wiprud Memorial Award. This award recognizes a staff member with fewer than 10 years of experience for outstanding achievement and accomplishment in a special program or project involving people development. The Arrowhead Award, which recognizes an individual, firm, corporation or organization outside of MSU Extension that has assisted with and contributed to Extension programs, went to Sidney Livestock Market Center and Prewitt & Co., supporters of MSU Extension in Richland County. The following awards were presented to groups, businesses and individuals by the Montana Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP), a national professional development organization comprised of Extension professionals. Early Career Katrin Finch, Cascade County Extension agent. Mid-Career Josie Evenson, Richland County Extension agent. Visionary Leadership Joel Schumacher, agriculture and natural resources and family and consumer sciences program leader. Administrative Leadership Cody Stone, MSU Extension executive director. Retiree Bernie Mason and Betty McCoy. Friend of Extension Fort Peck Hotel. Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension family economics specialist, received the prestigious Ruby Award from the National ESP organization earlier this fall. I am honored to receive the Ruby Award, said Goetting. I have the privilege of working with outstanding Montana Extension agents and specialists, members of the business, estates, tax, trusts and real property section of the State Bar of Montana, and colleagues from other states. They have allowed me to collaborate, develop innovative programs and grow. MSU Extension is the best profession around. Goetting has worked at MSU since 1977 and is known for her publications on finances, estate planning, and Alzheimers in the state of Montana. Dr. Goetting is the personification of what Extension professionals strive to achieve, said Eric Belasco, MSUs Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics head, in the College of Letters and Science. She has excelled in developing an incredible number of high-quality educational materials and courses. Attendance at her programs is remarkable, with over 4,900 participants in 50 programs offered in 2022. Dr. Goettings engagement with the people and places of Montana continues to improve lives in local communities, added Stone. The impact of her work will leave a legacy for generations to come. Badlands Search & Rescue held a mock exercise in tandem with a search and rescue (SAR) demonstration for the McKenzie County Sheriff's Office on Saturday, Dec. 2, out of the Little Missouri National Grasslands Bennett Campground. In conjunction with the scenario of the mock exercise and demonstration, the command post was set up and operational on the night of Friday, Dec. 1. Ten of the 18 members of Badlands SAR were on hand to showcase their abilities and make-up of the team. From the support squad that conducts all of the incident command and support functions to the team members that deploy as part of the ground search and sUAS roles. The objective was two-fold, to evaluate team performance during a mock mission and to allow the sheriff's office to observe, evaluate, and participate from their key roles of the agency having jurisdiction, incident command, and working in a unified effort between the agency and SAR team. This was a first as well for both the mock scenario, full team deployment and also for the sheriff's office to partake and be there in their respective and vital roles. NDCC 37-17.1-28 states that the chief law enforcement officer of each jurisdiction is to oversee search and rescue operations. But, aside from giving that broad authority, it does not require any training or readiness standards to respond to such incidents creating often hindered responses or efforts due to lack of personnel available, training, equipment, and overall comprehensive knowledge of SAR-specific roles and practices. Since 2018, Badlands SAR has worked to build an organization to help those agencies fill that critical gap that often negatively can impact the extremely important initial hours and days during a search incident. Data and statistics from all around the world agree on the first 24 hours of a missing person case to be the often-determining factor in a search becoming a rescue or a recovery. Despite much hesitation and even push back when pursuing legislative action to improve upon this area, Badlands SAR has continued to train, develop a team, work with agencies that are open to assistance, and deploy to several cases in North Dakota and Montana now, mostly due to family members pressuring agencies to do more and request adequate help for finding their loved ones but also with agencies becoming more open and willing to accept outside assistance. While it may be seen as a negative connotation by some, it has never been the goal to remove authority or transfer it. The goal has simply been to realize this is a topic that needs improvement badly, as well as quickly, and that it can be achieved through unified efforts and cohesion between government public safety and nonprofit public safety organizations. It takes time to build and develop something of this magnitude and this exercise and demonstration held in McKenzie County is a first and a huge step in the right direction for these types of incidents and the goal is to foster a partnership to strengthen readiness and abilities in this complex domain. On hand at the exercise were four members from the MCSO; Chief Deputy Michael Ficken, Patrol Lieutenant Max Matthews-Kasner, Patrol Sergeant Joshua Trevena, and Patrol Deputy Sam Forstie. Each participated in the exercise. Each given a first-hand look at the SAR mapping system as well as a live feed from the command trailer of the aerial drone footage during the search. Search Incident Team observing live feed from the sUAS. (Photo submitted) In tandem with this demonstration, the team was also performing an evaluation of its members. Badlands SAR has worked to adhere to standards set by the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) as well as developing or borrowing policy, procedures, tactics, and techniques from other SAR teams as well as incorporating expert-developed methods in topics of search theory, lost person behavior, and vulnerable children and adults. It is an immense amount of information to tie into a search team, but as the team has progressed and developed it is apparent that for the best outcomes possible, it is the only way to go in order to maximize the chances of success on real-world incidents. Upon completion of the exercise, the after-action review took place around the campfire over grilled food and other fixings donated by CashWise, Bismarck. The participants conversed both in official capacity for the event but also socially in order to get to know one another. Now, it is up to seeing what the future holds for SAR in McKenzie County. Manipur Gunfight News Violence Resurfaces Despite Recent Peace Agreement, 13 Dead in Manipur Gunfight Manipur Gunfight News: In a distressing turn of events, Manipur witnesses renewed violence as a fatal gunfight erupted between two groups in Tengnoupal district on Monday, leaving 13 people dead. The incident took place near Leethu village, prompting the swift response of security personnel upon receiving the distress call. According to official sources, the confrontation resulted in the tragic loss of 13 lives, and the authorities have yet to identify the victims. Despite the severity of the incident, no weapons were reportedly recovered from the scene, raising questions about the motive behind the deadly clash. Advertisement This occurrence follows closely on the heels of the recent peace agreement between the Government of India and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), celebrated by Kuki-tribal groups in Tengnoupal district on December 3. The timing of this violent incident is notable as it coincides with the lifting of the seven-month-long ban on mobile internet services in the state on Sunday. However, certain border areas in some districts continue to face restrictions. Notably, Manipur had witnessed unrest on May 3 when the All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUMU) organized a 'Tribal Unity March' in the Torbung area of Churachandpur. The march aimed to advocate for Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community, a demand that has persisted over time. The rally resulted in violent clashes between tribal and non-tribal communities, prompting police intervention and, eventually, the deployment of army and paramilitary forces. The lifting and subsequent reinstatement of the internet ban in Manipur earlier in September, intended to curb the spread of hate speech and videos, underscores the complexities and challenges faced by the region. As authorities investigate the recent gunfight, concerns mount over the fragile peace in the state, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts to address underlying issues and maintain stability. Advertisement (For More News Apart from Manipur Gunfight News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman) BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The first production well was spudded from the new Azeri Central East (ACE) platform yesterday, a source at bp told Trend. This follows the safe completion of all offshore hook up, installation and commissioning of the ACE topsides unit which sailed away from the Bayil fabrication yard in August 2023, the company said. According to bp, the well is planned to reach a total depth of up to 3,188 metres, which is expected to take around three months. "We are excited to commence drilling the first platform production well on ACE. This allows us to meet our first oil production target for ACE and deliver it in early 2024. A great deal of preparation has been made to assure a safe and robust drilling programme using our experience, as well as our innovative approach, automated processes, and advanced technology. We look forward to delivering this first ACE production well safely, efficiently and on schedule," Gary Jones, bps regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, said in this regard. Meanwhile, the ACE is a new 48-slot production, drilling and quarters platform located mid-way between the existing Central Azeri and East Azeri platforms in a water depth of137 meters. The project also includes new infield pipelines to transfer oil and gas from the ACE platform to the existing ACG Phase 2 oil and gas export pipelines for transportation to the onshore Sangachal terminal. Who is Javeria Khanum? Cross-Border Love Triumphs: Pakistani Daughter Arrives in India for her Wedding Who is Javeria Khanum: In a heartwarming turn of events, Javeria Khanum, a Pakistani girl from Pakistan has arrived in India to unite with her Indian fiance, Sameer Khan. Overcoming visa challenges, the Indian government has granted Javeria a 45-day visa for her wedding in the first week of January. Who is Javeria Khanum? Advertisement 21-year-old Javaria Khanam is the daughter of Azmat Ismail Khan, a resident of Karachi. Javeria Khanum entered India through the Attari border on Tuesday, where her future husband Sameer Khan and father-in-law Ahmed Kamal Khan Yousafzai welcomed her warmly. The couple is set to travel to Kolkata after departing from the Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport. Javeria Khanum's journey to India was not without challenges, as the Indian government had initially denied her a visa on two occasions. Social worker and journalist Maqbool Ahmed Wasi Qadian played a pivotal role in facilitating the visa process, offering assistance to the couple. Thanks to his efforts, Javeria secured the visa from the Indian government. Love Story Unfolds Advertisement Sameer Khan, a Kolkata resident, expressed his joy, stating that his dream has come true after meeting Javeria. The couple, engaged since 2018, faced obstacles due to the border restrictions. Sameer recalled falling in love with Javeria at first sight when he saw her photo on his mother's phone five and a half years ago. Despite visa challenges, the couple persevered and got engaged in 2018. On her arrival in India, Javeria Khanum shared her overwhelming joy, stating, "I have got the visa after five and a half years. There is no limit to my happiness. Can't believe I came here. The Government of India has given me a visa for 45 days. The prayer that was made was accepted." The couple plans to tie the knot in Kolkata during the first week of January. Sameer Khan expressed his happiness, stating, "My dream has come true after meeting Khanum. I have waited five and a half years. Now the marriage will take place soon." The union of Javeria and Sameer is a testament to love transcending borders and overcoming bureaucratic obstacles. Advertisement (For More News Apart from Who is Javeria Khanum News Latest, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Paramjit Singh Dhadi Arrested News SSOC Amritsar Nabs UK-Based Associate of Banned Outfit ISYF Chief Lakhbir Rode on Charges of Terrorism Funding Paramjit Singh Dhadi Arrested News: In a significant breakthrough, the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar has successfully apprehended Paramjit Singh alias Punjab Singh alias Dhadi at Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport Rajasansi in Amritsar. The arrest, announced by DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav, marks a major stride in dismantling the network associated with banned outfit ISYF (International Sikh Youth Federation) chief Lakhbir Rode. DGP Gaurav Yadav confirmed the arrest in a social media post, stating, "In a major success, SSOC Amritsar has arrested UK based Paramjit Singh Dhadi from Amritsar Airport. An associate of banned outfit ISYF chief Lakhbir Rode, Dhadi has been involved in terrorism funding and other activities in Punjab." The investigation is currently underway to expose the depth and breadth of the terrorist network. Advertisement Paramjit Singh Dhadi's association with the banned outfit and alleged involvement in terrorism funding underscores the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to curb activities threatening the peace and security of Punjab. The arrest sends a clear message that the Punjab Police is committed to dismantling networks supporting terrorism and ensuring the safety of the state and its residents. (For More News Apart from Paramjit Singh Dhadi Arrested News, Punjab News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Palestine News Spokesman in it's investigation found that the viral video is not of a plastic doll Palestine News: Mr Sinha, who describes himself as a Hindu rights activist, shared a video on social media in which a mother could be seen crying carrying the body of her child. While sharing the video, Sinha targeted the Palestinians and claimed that it is not a real dead body but a plastic body which this woman is holding and pretending to cry. X account "Mr Sinha" shared the viral video and wrote, "That's a plastic/toy baby. Heights of propaganda ????" Advertisement Spokesman in it's investigation found that the viral video is not of a plastic doll but a real body. This is a body of a 5-month-old Palestinian baby whose mother is giving her final farewell. Spokesman's Investigation Advertisement While starting the investigation, we first watched this video carefully. We found that the watermark of the name "Omar_aldirawi" is visible in the video and the words are also blurred in the video. Keeping this information in mind, we searched the Omar_aldirawi keyword on the browser and found the original video. During our investigation we found that Omar_aldirawi is a Palestinian photojournalist and he shared this original video on December 1, 2023 with the caption, "A mother bid farewell to her martyr child, who was no more than 5 months old and was one of the targets of the occupation. This morning after it violated the truce." Advertisement According to the caption, this is a body of a 5-month-old baby whose mother is giving her final farewell. This Palestinian child was a victim of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. We found pictures of this baby uploaded to the stock image website Getty Images. These images have been with caption written, "Dead body of a 5-month-old Palestinian baby named Muhammad Hani Al-Zahar, is brought to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital by his mother Asmahan Attia Al-Zahar and grandfather Attia Abu Amra after the Israeli airstrikes at the end of the humanitarian pause in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza on December 1, 2023. 32 Palestinians were killed within 3 hours of the end of the humanitarian pause in Gaza. (Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)" Advertisement Conclusion- Spokesman in it's investigation found that the viral video is not of a plastic doll but a real body. This is a body of a 5-month-old Palestinian baby whose mother is giving her final farewell. (Note- Keeping in mind the sensitivity of this matter, we have not shared any picture of the child in this news. Information about the death of this child can be read by searching the English keyword wrote in the news.) (For More News Apart from Palestine News, Fact Check Report, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Punjabi Girl Joins Italian Police Force News Jaskirat Saini's Achievement Shines Light on Success of the New Generation of Punjabis in Italy Punjabi Girl Joins Italian Police Force News: In a remarkable feat, Jaskirat Saini, a 23-year-old hailing from Ludhiana, Punjab, has made her mark by joining the Local Police (Policea Locale) in the Lombardy province of Italy. The success story not only adds to the individual pride of Jaskirat but also reflects the growing success of the Punjabi community in Italy. Living with her parents, Satpal Singh and Paramjit Kaur, at Pavone Mela in Brescia district, Italy, Jaskirat attributes her achievement to the prayers of her parents and the grace of God. The Ludhiana native expressed her gratitude for securing a position in the local police force. Advertisement Jaskirat's father, Satpal Singh, shared his pride in his daughter's accomplishments, highlighting her academic brilliance and dedication. He credited her success to hard work and diligence, emphasizing that Jaskirat successfully cleared a high-level examination to secure her position in the local police force. Singh extended his appreciation to both the Indian community residing in Italy and the supportive Italians for their cooperation. (For More News Apart from Punjabi Girl Joins Italian Police Force News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman) [L-R] Professor Sizwe Mabizela, Professor Roy Lubke, Mr Anele Siswana, Professor Charles Breen On 25 November 2023, the three Distinguished Alumni Awardees for 2023 inspired the Rhodes University community with their words of power, resilience, and motivation at a special celebratory event. In September this year, it was announced that Mr Anele Siswana and Professors Charles Breen and Roy Lubke were selected as the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Awardees, chosen by the Association of Old Rhodians Selection Committee. Mr Siswana, a pioneering mental health advocate, graduated with a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Rhodes University. His professional journey has been characterised by a relentless commitment to transforming mental health care and making it more accessible to all South Africans. Furthermore, Siswana's influence extends beyond the confines of his profession. He has risen to prominence as a leading brand influencer, collaborating with numerous initiatives dedicated to promoting mental health, cultural awareness, individual identity, diversity, and inclusivity. At the award ceremony, he said: When someone has done something great for you, your response in isiXhosa is Ndiyabulela. Thank you to the Alumni Office for this honour and highest recognition from Rhodes University. Mr Siswana explained that he comes from a family of non-educated elders. Im the first generation to graduate, the first person to be within my tax bracket, and the first to have made it to Rhodes University, he said. Looking forward to 2024, which is Rhodes Universitys 120th anniversary (RU120), Siswana spoke about his foundation that focuses on mens mental health and access to healthcare services. A big component of this foundation will focus on research around effective interventions, he said. He also stated that he is fully committed to being a part of the RU120 vision and to support in next years celebrations. I offer myself as one of the University ambassadors or as they are referred to these days, brand influencers. Professor Charles Breen, the second Distinguished Alumni Awardee, obtained his PhD in Botany in 1970. While at the University of KwaZulu-Natal as a Senior Lecturer, Prof Breen worked on a project that was part of a broader national response to the growing awareness of eutrophication, which prompted one of the most comprehensive environmental studies ever undertaken on freshwater systems. Prof Breen is regarded as the authority on social and ecological issues and is well-known for his sharp mind, creativity, unsurpassed innovation, and visionary leadership and thinking. On accepting his award, he said: My Professors and fellow students at Rhodes University saw something in me of which I was unaware: they created opportunities for me that I could never have imagined and they prepared me to take advantage of those opportunities. That is what Rhodes University does for us. It prepares us to create and take advantage of opportunities. Prof Breen stated that there is no doubt in his mind that his achievements reflect the strong learning foundation provided by Rhodes University. The third awardee, Professor Roy Lubke, has dedicated nearly fifty years of his professional career to Rhodes University and is regarded as a pioneer of environmental impact assessment in the Eastern Cape and South Africa. He is an active member of local and international professional conservation societies, some of which he has been a member since 1962. It goes without saying that Prof Lubke has shaped the lives of many botanists in the Eastern Cape. On accepting his award, he said: Of all my lifetime achievements, I believe that this one means most to me. It is probably because I have a fanatical passion for life at Rhodes University and in Grahamstown. Since starting his studies and falling in love with botany and ecology, Prof Lubke has never looked back. I was overjoyed with working in the field and on the seashore, and this opened up new horizons for me and so my career was established, he explained. We are in the midst of spectacular South African biomes here in Grahamstown, with only the desert being farther afield. The 2023 Distinguished Alumni Awardees have not only achieved remarkable success in their respective fields, but have also embodied the spirit of excellence and commitment that Rhodes University instils in its students. Their stories inspire the entire Rhodes University community and serve as a testament to the transformative power of education in shaping the future. The Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela congratulated the 2023 awardees for their sheer dedication and hard work and for the well-deserved recognition as Distinguished Alumni Awardees by their alma mater in 2023. Hyundai has issued a Block Your Date notification for January 16th, which is likely for the unveil event of Creta facelift Indias top selling compact SUV, Hyundai Creta will soon be launched in its facelift avatar. Along with exterior updates, Creta facelift will also be getting multiple new features. The updates will be similar to that of recently launched Kia Seltos facelift. Creta facelift Key features Creta facelift has already been introduced in select international markets. Some of these models have borrowed design cues from Hyundai Tucson. India-spec Creta facelift will be different, as it will be based on the companys new design language. Some relevant examples include the new Hyundai Santa Fe and Exter. Creta facelift could get features such as H-shaped DRLs. There will be changes across the front grille, front and rear bumpers and tail lamps. A new set of alloy wheels is also likely. Inside, Creta facelift will be getting an updated dashboard and new design for the AC vents. The SUV will have a new horizontally-placed panoramic display, as seen with Seltos facelift. The screen comprises dual 10.25-inch displays for the infotainment system and digital instrument console. Upholstery and interior theme options can also be updated. Creta facelift specs, performance The current model is offered with a 1.5-litre NA petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine option. Creta facelift will be getting a third option, a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. This has already been introduced with Seltos facelift. It is the most powerful engine option for Creta / Seltos, generating 160 PS of max power and 253 Nm of peak torque. It will be available with transmission choices of 6iMT and 7DCT. The 1.5-litre NA petrol engine makes 115 PS and 144 Nm. It mated to either 6MT or IVT gearbox. The 1.5-litre diesel engine makes 116 PS and 250 Nm. Transmission choices include 6iMT and 6AT. Creta facelift safety Occupant safety will get a significant boost with new features such as ADAS and 360 camera. ADAS kit will be similar to that of Seltos facelift. It includes features like blind spot collision warning and avoidance assist, forward collision warning and avoidance assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, leading vehicle departure alert, smart cruise control with stop and go, high beam assist, driver attention warning, rear cross traffic collision warning and avoidance assist and safe exit warning. With the updates, Creta facelift is expected to witness a slight bump in prices. The existing model starts at Rs 10.87 lakh, while the top-spec variant costs Rs 19.20 lakh. It remains to be seen if Hyundai will reveal the prices on 16th January or at a later date. Creta facelift will continue to rival the likes of Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Honda Elevate, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun and MG Astor. There will be new rivals as well such as upcoming Tata Curvv and Mahindra XUV500. Apart from unveiling the new Creta next month, Hyundai is also getting ready to increase prices of their cars. Exter, Venue, i10 NIOS, i20, Alcazar, etc will likely get about 1-2% more expensive. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Azerbaijan and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) discussed prospects for cooperation in the development of the Halal ecosystem (allowed by Islam), Trend reports via the State Service for Antimonopoly Control and Supervision of the Consumer Market under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan. The service said that a meeting was held with the IsDB delegation. During the meeting, the service head Mammad Abbasbayli briefed on the work carried out within the "State Program on Bringing the National Standardization System in Line with International Requirements for 20232025". The focus was on measures taken by the service to develop the Halal quality infrastructure in the country. The IsDB Country Operations Manager, Farid Khan, hailed the steps taken to strengthen the quality infrastructure. During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation in the development of the Halal ecosystem, exchanged experiences in this field, and discussed other mutually interesting issues. The IsDB group maintains strong relations with Azerbaijan and aims to contribute to its socio-economic development. The group has approved financing for projects in Azerbaijan with a total amount of $1.2 billion. The portfolio includes $956 million in financing from IsDB, $120.2 million approved by the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICDPS), $83.4 million in trade operations from the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), and $19.4 million in other funds and operations of the IsDB group. Additionally, the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), which is part of the IsDB group, provided $92.5 million for business insurance and $75.5 million for new insurance obligations to Azerbaijan. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. External debt is being sought to finance projects in a number of important priority areas identified by President Ilham Aliyev, including energy and transportation sectors, as well as increased transit potential, self-employment and social protection, shipyard activity expansion, and water supply, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said, Trend reports. He spoke at today's session of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (Parliament). He added that, against the backdrop of recent geopolitical developments in the region, the breakdown of conventional logistics linkages between East and West has enhanced the importance of international transportation corridors passing through Azerbaijani territory. The Middle Corridor, according to Ali Asadov, is crucial in this regard. Azerbaijan's active participation in this corridor boosts its position as a regional commerce and transportation hub. "It increases the importance of our country as a strategic partner for Asia and Europe and contributes to the creation of added value in our economy," stated the prime minister. "Taking all of this into consideration, the Head of State has approved the "Action Plan on Enhancing the Transit Potential of International Transport Corridors Passing Through the Republic of Azerbaijan Territory and Encouraging Transit Cargo Transportation for 20242026," the prime minister concluded. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Azerbaijan's state budget for 2024 envisages an allocation of over 500 million manat ($294.1 million) for measures to ensure food security, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said, Trend reports. He spoke at today's session of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (Parliament). He noted that ensuring food security in Azerbaijan was set by the head of state for the government as a strategic task. "Azerbaijan is carrying out activities related to increasing the role of domestic production in self-sufficiency. In this regard, the priority directions are increasing the level of self-sufficiency in food wheat and reducing dependence on imports. A total of 500 million manat ($294.1 million) will be allocated from the state budget in 2024 for measures on efficient use of available water resources, provision of irrigation water to farmers, and expansion of irrigation areas. At the same time, decrees signed last month by the head of state related to ensuring the activity of the State Water Resources Agency of Azerbaijan will allow for efficient use of water resources and improve water management," the Prime Minister said. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel AI and Mass Spying Spying and surveillance are different but related things. If I hired a private detective to spy on you, that detective could hide a bug in your home or car, tap your phone, and listen to what you said. At the end, I would get a report of all the conversations you had and the contents of those conversations. If I hired that same private detective to put you under surveillance, I would get a different report: where you went, whom you talked to, what you purchased, what you did. Before the internet, putting someone under surveillance was expensive and time-consuming. You had to manually follow someone around, noting where they went, whom they talked to, what they purchased, what they did, and what they read. That world is forever gone. Our phones track our locations. Credit cards track our purchases. Apps track whom we talk to, and e-readers know what we read. Computers collect data about what were doing on them, and as both storage and processing have become cheaper, that data is increasingly saved and used. What was manual and individual has become bulk and mass. Surveillance has become the business model of the internet, and theres no reasonable way for us to opt out of it. Spying is another matter. It has long been possible to tap someones phone or put a bug in their home and/or car, but those things still require someone to listen to and make sense of the conversations. Yes, spyware companies like NSO Group help the government hack into peoples phones, but someone still has to sort through all the conversations. And governments like China could censor social media posts based on particular words or phrases, but that was coarse and easy to bypass. Spying is limited by the need for human labor. AI is about to change that. Summarization is something a modern generative AI system does well. Give it an hourlong meeting, and it will return a one-page summary of what was said. Ask it to search through millions of conversations and organize them by topic, and itll do that. Want to know who is talking about what? Itll tell you. The technologies arent perfect; some of them are pretty primitive. They miss things that are important. They get other things wrong. But so do humans. And, unlike humans, AI tools can be replicated by the millions and are improving at astonishing rates. Theyll get better next year, and even better the year after that. We are about to enter the era of mass spying. Mass surveillance fundamentally changed the nature of surveillance. Because all the data is saved, mass surveillance allows people to conduct surveillance backward in time, and without even knowing whom specifically you want to target. Tell me where this person was last year. List all the red sedans that drove down this road in the past month. List all of the people who purchased all the ingredients for a pressure cooker bomb in the past year. Find me all the pairs of phones that were moving toward each other, turned themselves off, then turned themselves on again an hour later while moving away from each other (a sign of a secret meeting). Similarly, mass spying will change the nature of spying. All the data will be saved. It will all be searchable, and understandable, in bulk. Tell me who has talked about a particular topic in the past month, and how discussions about that topic have evolved. Person A did something; check if someone told them to do it. Find everyone who is plotting a crime, or spreading a rumor, or planning to attend a political protest. Theres so much more. To uncover an organizational structure, look for someone who gives similar instructions to a group of people, then all the people they have relayed those instructions to. To find peoples confidants, look at whom they tell secrets to. You can track friendships and alliances as they form and break, in minute detail. In short, you can know everything about what everybody is talking about. This spying is not limited to conversations on our phones or computers. Just as cameras everywhere fueled mass surveillance, microphones everywhere will fuel mass spying. Siri and Alexa and Hey Google are already always listening; the conversations just arent being saved yet. Knowing that they are under constant surveillance changes how people behave. They conform. They self-censor, with the chilling effects that brings. Surveillance facilitates social control, and spying will only make this worse. Governments around the world already use mass surveillance; they will engage in mass spying as well. Corporations will spy on people. Mass surveillance ushered in the era of personalized advertisements; mass spying will supercharge that industry. Information about what people are talking about, their moods, their secretsits all catnip for marketers looking for an edge. The tech monopolies that are currently keeping us all under constant surveillance wont be able to resist collecting and using all of that data. In the early days of Gmail, Google talked about using peoples Gmail content to serve them personalized ads. The company stopped doing it, almost certainly because the keyword data it collected was so poorand therefore not useful for marketing purposes. That will soon change. Maybe Google wont be the first to spy on its users conversations, but once others start, they wont be able to resist. Their true customerstheir advertiserswill demand it. We could limit this capability. We could prohibit mass spying. We could pass strong data-privacy rules. But we havent done anything to limit mass surveillance. Why would spying be any different? This essay originally appeared in Slate. Posted on December 5, 2023 at 7:10 AM 31 Comments Paleontologists have discovered several rare and nearly complete skeletons of diprotodons the largest-known marsupials to have ever lived at the site of Du Boulay Creek, 100 km south-west of Karratha, Australia. Diprotodon is a monospecific genus in an extinct family of large herbivorous marsupials called Diprotodontidae. The genus includes only one, now extinct species, Diprotodon optatum, a close relative of living wombats and koalas. This marsupial was endemic to Australia during the Pleistocene period between 1.7 million to 40,000 years ago. Similar to living wombats and koalas, Diprotodon was quadrupedal and browsed plant material. Diprotodon, however, was much larger, standing about 1.8 m (6 feet) tall at the shoulder and measuring as much as 4 m (12 feet) long. The largest specimens are thought to have weighed more than 2,700 kg in life. Diprotodons are extinct marsupials, related to koalas and wombats, said Alec Coles, CEO of the Western Australian Museum, and colleagues. They are the largest marsupials that ever lived, weighing up to 2,800 kg. In cooperation with nearby mine site operator CITIC Pacific Mining, the researchers discovered Diprotodon skeletons at the paleontological site of Du Boulay Creek within the Fortescue River floodplain. The fossil site is unique in that several individuals are located close to each other, they said. While further research is required, it appears that both adult and juvenile skeletons are present, suggesting the site may have been on a major migration route. The skeletons are currently partly visible, including sections of skulls, jaws and teeth, and embedded in hard rock. They are at risk of heavy abrasion from flooding, so excavation is critical to preserve them. Research and fieldwork is at the core of the Western Australian Museums work and contributes to our knowledge of biodiversity, geodiversity and the environment of Western Australia, Dr. Coles said. The new fossil discoveries have without a doubt confirmed the Du Boulay Creek site as being of major scientific significance in terms of ancient Australian megafauna. This a very special part of the world and we are excited to support the Western Australian Museum so that we can continue to build upon our knowledge of the natural environment for the benefit of the wider community, said CITIC Pacific Mining General Manager, Sustainability and Environment Bruce Watson. Were pleased to be partnering with the Museum on this important field work. Pseudosuchia is a group of archosaurian reptiles, defined as all species more closely related to crocodylians than to birds. Living representatives of Pseudosuchia are all members of Crocodylia, a group of semi-aquatic ambush predators found predominantly in freshwater habitats of the tropics. Whereas crocodylians number fewer than 30 species, more than 700 species of pseudosuchians are known from their 250-million-year fossil record. In new research, scientists from the University of York and elsewhere mapped the family tree of Pseudosuchia. They then compared this with data from the fossil record to understand why crocodylians have so few living species. Crocodiles and birds share their heritage with dinosaurs, and together with pterosaurs they form a group known as archosaurs or ruling reptiles, who date back to the Early Triassic epoch, said University of York researcher Katie Davis and colleagues. Pseudosuchia is a group of archosaurian reptiles, defined as all species more closely related to crocodiles than to birds. For their study, the authors built a large phylogeny, which is like a family tree, for all crocodylians and their extinct relatives, allowing them to map out how many new species were being formed and how many species were going extinct. They then combined this with data about past climate change, in particular temperature and sea level, to assess whether the emergence and extinction of species was linked to climate change. The researchers also explored whether interactions between species, for example competition, might have played a role, so they calculated estimates of numbers of species at any point in time and compared these against new species and extinctions, using a type of mathematics called information theory. This allowed the researchers to produce an estimate of whether climate change and species interactions had a direct impact on whether new species were emerging or going extinct. They found that climate change and competition with other species have shaped the diversity of modern-day crocodylians and their extinct relatives, but the findings also reveal ecology whether species live in the sea, in freshwater or on land played an unexpectedly key role in survival. The study, published in, found that when global temperatures rose, the number of species of crocodylians sea-dwelling and land-based relatives went up, while increases in competition for resources, perhaps with sharks, marine reptiles or dinosaurs, likely brought about their extinction. By contrast, the crocodylians freshwater-dwelling relatives were not affected by temperatures, but were put at greatest risk of extinction by rising sea levels. With seven living species categorized as Critically Endangered and a further four species identified as Vulnerable, the findings provide important insights for conservation efforts of crocodylians and other species as the climate continues to change. The fossil record is a rich source of valuable information allowing us to look back through time at how and why species originate, and crucially, what drives their extinction, Dr. Davis said. By examining this record and mapping it against the crocodile family tree, our research reveals how important it is to think about ecology when were trying to predict how species might respond to todays climate change. With a million plant and animal species perilously close to extinction, understanding the key factors behind why species disappear has never been more important. In the case of crocodiles, many species reside in low-lying areas, meaning that rising sea levels associated with global warming may irreversibly alter the habitats on which they depend. Crocodiles and their extinct relatives offer unique insights into climate change and its impact on biodiversity in the past, present and future. Our findings advance our understanding of what factors have shaped, and continue to shape, life on Earth. The study was published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. _____ A.R.D. Payne et al. Decoupling speciation and extinction reveals both abiotic and biotic drivers shaped 250 million years of diversity in crocodile-line archosaurs. Nat Ecol Evol, published online December 4, 2023; doi: 10.1038/s41559-023-02244-0 Enceladus is a prime target in the search for life in the Solar System, identified by NASA as the second-highest priority site for a flagship mission in the next decade. During its 20-year mission, NASAs Cassini spacecraft discovered that ice plumes spew from Enceladus surface at approximately 400 m/s (800 mph). These plumes provide an excellent opportunity to collect samples and study the composition of Enceladus oceans and potential habitability. However, until now it was not known if the speed of the plumes would fragment any organic compounds contained within the ice grains, thus degrading the samples. In new research, scientists at the University of California San Diego found laboratory evidence that amino acids an important class of biosignature molecules transported in these ice plumes can survive impact speeds of up to 4.2 km/s (2.6 miles per second), supporting their detection during sampling by spacecraft. Beginning in 2012, they custom-built a unique aerosol impact spectrometer, designed to study collision dynamics of single aerosols and particles at high velocities. Although not built specifically to study ice grain impacts, it turned out to be exactly the right machine to do so. This apparatus is the only one of its kind in the world that can select single particles and accelerate or decelerate them to chosen final velocities, said University of California San Diegos Professor Robert Continetti, senior author of the study. From several micron diameters down to hundreds of nanometers, in a variety of materials, were able to examine particle behavior, such as how they scatter or how their structures change upon impact. In 2024, NASA will launch the Europa Clipper, which will travel to Jupiter. Europa, one of Jupiters largest moons, is another ocean world, and has a similar icy composition to Enceladus. There is hope that the Clipper or any future probes to Saturn will be able to identify a specific series of molecules in the ice grains that could point to whether life exists in the subsurface oceans of these moons, but the molecules need to survive their speedy ejection from the moon and collection by the probe. Although there has been research into the structure of certain molecules in ice particles, the study authors are the first to measure what happens when a single ice grain impacts a surface. To run the experiment, ice grains were created using electrospray ionization, where water is pushed through a needle held at a high voltage, inducing a charge that breaks the water into increasingly smaller droplets. The droplets were then injected into a vacuum where they freeze. The team measured their mass and charge, then used image charge detectors to observe the grains as they flew through the spectrometer. A key element to the experiment was installing a microchannel plate ion detector to accurately time the moment of impact down to the nanosecond. The results showed that amino acids can be detected with limited fragmentation up to impact velocities of 4.2 km/s. To get an idea of what kind of life may be possible in the solar system, you want to know there hasnt been a lot of molecular fragmentation in the sampled ice grains, so you can get that fingerprint of whatever it is that makes it a self-contained life form, Professor Continetti said. Our work shows that this is possible with the ice plumes of Enceladus. The study also raises interesting questions for chemistry itself, including how salt affects the detectability of certain amino acids. It is believed that Enceladus contains vast salty oceans more than is present on Earth. Because salt changes the properties of water as a solvent as well as the solubility of different molecules, this could mean that some molecules cluster on the surface of the ice grains, making them more likely to be detected. The implications this has for detecting life elsewhere in the Solar System without missions to the surface of these ocean-world moons is very exciting, but our work goes beyond biosignatures in ice grains, Professor Continetti said. The teams work appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. _____ Sally E. Burke et al. 2023. Detection of intact amino acids with a hypervelocity ice grain impact mass spectrometer. PNAS 120 (50): e2313447120; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2313447120 BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The Russian Export Center OJSC, a state-owned institution that supports Russian exporters and investors, has expressed its interest in investing in Irans mining industry, the head of the centers representative office in Iran, Khosrow Hasanbeyov, Trend reports. He made the remark while getting acquainted with the pavilion of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) at the 2nd Exclusive Exhibition of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in Tehran, which started on December 4 and will last for four days. Hasanbeyov noted that establishing effective mutual relations with Iranian companies can create great prospects in the mining sector. The official added that Russian Export Center OJSC closely cooperates with Russian manufacturers, exporters, and investment development institutions. At the same time, the center can provide various services to Russian investors, such as banking, insurance, guarantee, and exhibition organization. Iran has a rich and diverse mining industry with approximately 12,000 mines. The country boasts more than 50 billion tons of mineral resources, ranging from copper and iron to gold and uranium. The annual production of minerals in Iran exceeds 400 million tons on average. --- Follow the author on X (Twitter):@BaghishovElnur BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Iran and Oman are planning to boost their economic ties by signing a preferential trade agreement in the near future, the head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI), Mehdi Zeighami said, Trend reports. According to him, the two countries will hold talks on the details of the agreement, which will cover various sectors such as trade, investment, industry, mining, banking, agriculture, oil and gas. Zeighami, said that Oman is a strategic partner for Iran in the Persian Gulf region and that the trade volume between them reached $1.8 billion last Iranian year (March 21, 2022 through March 20, 2023). The official expressed hope that the trade value will increase further this year (March 21, 2023 through March 19, 2024). The joint economic cooperation commission between Iran and Oman will meet in Tehran on December 6-7 to discuss the cooperation opportunities. --- Follow the author on X (Twitter):@BaghishovElnur BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) trained Azerbaijani experts on green public investment programmes, including legal framework, management tools and selection techniques of investment projects, OECD told Trend. OECD said it has organized a range various regional capacity building and networking events on environmental compliance assurance with active participation of Azerbaijan. "OECD organized a thematic workshop on Nature-based Solutions following the NPD meeting in April. The meeting ignited the interest of government and private sector participants in the topic, and further work will be deployed to meet the countrys ambitious environment and water management activities. There are future plans to assess the enabling environment for water finance in Azerbaijan, which will provide key recommendations," the source noted. The source pointed out that a new online self-assessment tool for greening SMEs helped Azerbaijani enterprises assess their environmental performance and provided the SME Development Agency of Azerbaijan with an opportunity to promote green practices. "The upcoming 2024 release of the OECDs "Environment at a Glance in EaP countries" e-book will shine a light on the current data collection processes, the availability and gaps for environmental data and promote the use evidence to inform policy making," said the source. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. During a meeting on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai, Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, and Albania's Energy Minister Belinda Balluku, discussed the potential for gas supplies to Albania's Korca city, Trend reports via Azerbaijans energy ministry. The ministers praised the advancement of Azerbaijani-Albanian cooperation, emphasizing the significance of energy collaboration for Albania's development as a gas transit country and ensuring energy security. The discussions also encompassed crude oil supply and cooperation in other promising areas. Additionally, the ministers focused on establishing a Joint Intergovernmental Commission, building on the Azerbaijan-Albania Economic, Industrial, and Technological Cooperation Working Group, with plans for the commission's meeting in Baku. Albania is one of the countries through which the European part of the Southern Gas Corridor passes. However, for the time being, Albania is not receiving Azerbaijani gas due to the lack of the necessary infrastructure. Albania intends to connect the Vlora TPP with the TAP through the gas pipeline as well as the LNG terminal to improve the energy security of the country and the region. As recently reported by the European Commission, connecting Albania to regional gas pipelines such as TAP and the Ionic-Adriatic Pipeline will increase the energy security of the region. Some 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas, of which 1 billion will go to Italy and 200 million to Albania, will be transported via TAP from 2026. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. A part of the loan portfolio of Nakhchivanbank OJSC has been transferred to Kapital Bank OJSC, the latter told Trend. The customers of the Nakhchivanbank have been informed about the transfer via SMS. According to the financial report of Nakhchivanbank on the results of the third quarter of 2023, the volume of consumer loans amounted to about 100 million manat ($58.8 million). According to the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the loan portfolio of Azerbaijani banks grew by 15.35 percent on October 31, 2023 compared to the same period of 2022 and reached 22.459 billion manat or $13.2 billion. In the structure of banks' loan portfolio, the share of business loans amounted to 54.52 percent (12.246 billion manat or $72.03 billion, year-on-year growth by 12.22 percent), consumer loans - 30.06 percent (6.751 billion manat or $3.97 billion, year-on-year growth by 18.3 percent), mortgage loans - 15.42 percent (3.523 billion manat or $2.07 billion, year-on-year growth by 20.99 percent). Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Cloud computing specialist Iomart Group reported steady progress in its first half on Tuesday and announced the acquisition of Accesspoint Technologies. The AIM-traded firm recorded revenue of 62m for the six months ended 30 September, marking an 18% increase compared to the prior year. It achieved 94% recurring revenue, remaining consistent with the same period in the 2023 financial year. Adjusted EBITDA reached 18.6m, reflecting a 5% increase, while adjusted profit before tax showed 3% growth to 7.6m. However, profit before tax declined 10% to 4.4m, and basic earnings per share decreased 11% to 3.1p, while adjusted diluted earnings per share remained stable at 5.2p. The company generated cash from operations of 16.8m, marking a 16% increase. Operationally, Iomart said it made significant strides in enhancing its capabilities and offerings. The company intensified its sales and marketing efforts, resulting in improvements in order bookings and pipeline development. It said the acquisitions of Concepta and Extrinsica expanded its routes to market and enhanced its customer proposition. Looking ahead, Iomart Group anticipated continued year-on-year momentum, driven by ongoing sales channel and services initiatives and contributions from its recent acquisitions. It said current trading aligned with the boards expectations. Im pleased to report on another period of progress at Iomart, said chief executive officer Lucy Dimes. We continue to build on our existing strong foundations as a well-established and trusted service provider within the private cloud space, at the same time as extending our service offering across the wider and higher growth hybrid cloud market. Dimes said Iomart saw a great opportunity ahead. For the UK to thrive as an economic powerhouse, its businesses will need to increase efficiency, operate at pace and adapt - leveraging cloud, data and digital technologies. Our blend of both IT and connectivity skills combined with our secure, scalable, resilient cloud and network infrastructure uniquely positions us to support the ambitions of our customer base, giving us confidence in our ability to participate successfully in the growing cloud sector. In a separate announcement, Iomart said it was making another strategic move on Tuesday by acquiring Accesspoint Technologies - a company based in northeast London, primarily focusing on providing IT hosting services tailored to the UK legal industry. It said Accesspoint offers various managed and hosted services, including infrastructure hosting, software licensing, security management, business continuity services, and communications provisioning. The acquisition would add to Iomarts existing capabilities and bring industry expertise and a capable team with a strong reputation within the legal sector. In combination with Iomarts existing legal customers, adding Accesspoints customer base would consolidate Iomarts position in a critical sector, the board explained. For the year ended 31 August, Accesspoint Technologies reported revenues of 3.8m and adjusted EBITDA of 0.8m, unaudited. The cash transaction would see an initial consideration of 4.5m on completion, with potential additional payments of up to 0.5m contingent on post-acquisition milestones. Additionally, there was a contingent earn-out payment of up to 1.4m based on Accesspoints profitability for the 12 months ending 31 August 2024. Iomart said it planned to finance the initial consideration through a combination of existing bank facilities and cash available on its balance sheet. The vendors of Accesspoint comprised its existing directors, Richard Roebuck, Victor van Der Poel and Gary Shaw. The flow of sensitive data and drive to adopt technology to provide enhanced customer service within the legal sector means that data management, security and data sovereignty are all pressing considerations for legal firms and ones in which Iomart and Accesspoint excel, CEO Lucy Dimes said of the acquisition. We are delighted to welcome Accesspoints growing list of customers into the Iomart Group and excited to be working with the full team to further advance iomarts differentiation in this sector and positively contribute to the groups overall organic growth plans. At 1118 GMT, shares in Iomart Group were up 1.38% at 156.13p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. London stocks fell in early trade Tuesday, taking their cue from downbeat US and Asian sessions, as investors mulled the latest retail sales data and looked ahead to the services PMI. At 0825 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 0.5% at 7,477.60. The latest figures from KPMG and the British Retail Consortium showed that retail sales grew by an underwhelming amount in November despite shops stepping up their discounts leading up to Black Friday, as cautious consumers chose to delay their Christmas spending. The BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor for November showed that total retail sales increased by 2.7% in November. This was above the three-month average growth rate of 2.6% but below the 12-month average of 4.1%. In November of 2022, sales were up 4.2% on the month before. In the three months to November, food sales growth slowed to 7.6% from 7.9% a month earlier and under the 12-month average of 8.4%. Meanwhile, non-food sales were down 1.6% in the three-month period, compared with an average of 0.5% over the past 12 months. "Black Friday began earlier this year as many retailers tried to give sales a much-needed boost in November. While this had the desired effect initially, the momentum failed to hold throughout the month, as many households held back on Christmas spending," said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC. "Retailers are banking on a last-minute flurry of festive frivolity in December and will continue working hard to deliver an affordable Christmas for customers so everyone can enjoy some Christmas cheer." Dickinson painted a gloomy picture for retailers heading into 2024, as they have to deal with a rise in business rates and costs from other new regulations. "These combined with the biggest rise on record to the National Living Wage will mean retailers will have less capital to invest in lowering prices for their customers," she said. Still to come, the S&P Global/CIPS services PMI for November is due at 0930 GMT. In equity markets, Barclays slumped after the Qatar Investment Authority, the banks second-largest shareholder, sold nearly half of its stake. Prudential and Standard Chartered were both down after Moody's cut its credit outlook on China to 'negative'. Auction Technology was knocked lower by a downgrade to equalweight from overweight at Barclays. Equipment hire specialist Ashtead was weaker as it delivered flat second-quarter profits, but said demand in the US remained "robust". Outside the FTSE 350, Quiz shares tanked as the fashion retailer warned on full-year revenues after a disappointing Black Friday performance, and said it swung to a loss in the first half. On the upside, Land Securities was boosted by an upgrade to buy at Goldman Sachs. Moonpig was also up as the online gifts and greeting cards retailer backed its full-year expectations and reported a jump in first-half profits. SSP gained as the food and beverage travel outlet operator reinstated its dividend and reported a near doubling of annual core profits, driven by the continued resurgence in passenger numbers and workers returning to work in offices. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,477.60 -0.47% FTSE 250 (MCX) 18,356.96 -0.02% techMARK (TASX) 4,060.48 -0.27% FTSE 100 - Risers Land Securities Group (LAND) 636.80p 1.43% Smith (DS) (SMDS) 303.40p 1.10% Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV (PSH) 3,152.00p 0.57% Diploma (DPLM) 3,354.00p 0.42% Whitbread (WTB) 3,191.00p 0.35% Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 132.15p 0.30% DCC (CDI) (DCC) 5,504.00p 0.26% InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 6,346.00p 0.22% Sage Group (SGE) 1,132.00p 0.18% Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 4,735.00p 0.17% FTSE 100 - Fallers Barclays (BARC) 138.60p -3.06% Entain (ENT) 776.40p -2.56% Prudential (PRU) 846.60p -2.04% WPP (WPP) 709.40p -1.88% Standard Chartered (STAN) 644.20p -1.38% Anglo American (AAL) 2,197.50p -1.21% Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,440.50p -1.06% Endeavour Mining (EDV) 1,849.00p -1.02% Aviva (AV.) 417.60p -0.97% Pearson (PSON) 924.80p -0.94% FTSE 250 - Risers Moonpig Group (MOON) 182.60p 3.46% SSP Group (SSPG) 220.00p 3.29% Pagegroup (PAGE) 459.20p 2.73% FirstGroup (FGP) 164.10p 2.69% SThree (STEM) 424.50p 2.66% Genuit Group (GEN) 343.50p 2.54% JTC (JTC) 775.00p 2.51% Bodycote (BOY) 592.50p 2.42% Britvic (BVIC) 852.50p 2.34% Bellway (BWY) 2,426.00p 2.28% FTSE 250 - Fallers 888 Holdings (DI) (888) 80.45p -4.28% Auction Technology Group (ATG) 506.00p -2.88% Spirent Communications (SPT) 105.00p -2.87% BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust (BRGE) 515.00p -2.28% CAB Payments Holdings (CABP) 52.70p -2.23% Marshalls (MSLH) 240.00p -2.20% PureTech Health (PRTC) 148.00p -1.86% Darktrace (DARK) 340.50p -1.76% Senior (SNR) 161.20p -1.71% Barr (A.G.) (BAG) 475.00p -1.66% Chinas services sector grew more than expected in November, according to data released on Tuesday. The Caixin services purchasing managers index rose to 51.5 from 50.4 in October, coming in above consensus expectations of 50.5. This marked the highest reading in three months. A reading above 50.0 indicates expansion, while a reading below signals contraction. Sheana Yue, China economist at Capital Economics, noted that the Caixin PMI contrasts with the decline in the official services index released last Thursday. "Together with a stronger manufacturing reading, the Caixin composite index increased for the first time in six months," she said. "At face value, the average of the official and Caixin composite surveys suggests that the economy made some headway in November. But they still point to a marked slowdown in recent months which may not be the case in practice - the hard data have held up better than survey-based measures lately." Banking giant Barclays was in the red early on Tuesday after its largest shareholder made moves to offload roughly 510.0m in shares. Qatar's sovereign wealth fund will slash its stake in Barclays, selling almost 362.0m shares at 141.0p each, a discount of approximately 1.4% to its closing price on Monday. The sale will reduce Qatar's stake in Barclays, which dates back to a 4.0bn investment during the global financial crisis of 2008, from 5.3% to 2.9%. The QIA lowered its Barclays stake by 5% in 2022 and 10% in 2021. The QIA previously helped Barclays raise over 11.0bn in emergency cash from investors. However, the fundraising was then investigated by the UK's Serious Fraud Office and resulted in subsequent lawsuits. Barclays chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan was expected to reveal a strategic overhaul of the group in just a matter of weeks, aimed at restoring the bank to its former strengths. As of 0920 GMT, Barclays shares were down 2.06% at 140.04p. Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com Adani Green Energy (AGEL) has confirmed securing USD 1.36 billion in funding from an international consortium of banks under its construction financing framework. This senior debt facility elevates the company's funding pool to USD 3 billion, building upon the initial project financing obtained in March 2021, AGEL stated. Described as India's largest and a global leader in renewable energy, AGEL announced an additional funding round of USD 1.36 billion to expand its construction financing framework to USD 3 billion, supported by a group of prominent international banks. AGEL expressed that the green loan facility's approval is crucial for progressing towards the development of the Khavda renewable energy park in Gujarat, touted as the world's largest. This funding marks a significant step in launching a 2,167 MW project at Khavda, serving as a foundation for future expansions at the site. Moreover, the establishment of the renewable energy park at Khavda aligns with AGEL's objective to achieve 45 GW of operational renewable capacity by 2030 and contributes significantly to India's efforts towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The company has entered definitive agreements with eight prominent international banks, crucial in establishing AGEL's Construction Financing Framework since March 2021. These lenders include BNP Paribas, Cooperative Rabobank U.A., DBS Bank Ltd, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., MUFG Bank, Ltd., Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Vineet S Jaain, MD at AGEL, highlighted the significance of the financing extension to USD 3 billion, emphasizing its role in advancing the Khavda site into the world's largest renewable energy park, aiming for a generation capacity of 17 GW. Amit Singh, CEO of Adani Green Energy Ltd, emphasized their commitment to expanding renewable power capacity to 45 GW by 2030, emphasizing their dedication to mitigating climate change risks. Additionally, DBS Bank Ltd, MUFG Bank, Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation served as Co-Green structuring banks, while Cooperatieve Rabobank U.A. functioned as Documentation and Structuring Bank, and MUFG Bank, Ltd. as the Guarantee structuring bank. Legal counsel for the borrower included Latham & Watkins LLP and Saraf & Partners, while Linklaters and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas served as the lenders' counsel. Travel Buddy, a new-age social travel network and experiences marketplace, is delighted to announce its upcoming expedition to the historical and picturesque town of Gandikota, Andhra Pradesh, scheduled for the 9th and 10th of December. This two-day adventure promises to immerse travelers in the cultural and historical wonders of the region, creating lasting memories and connections. Gandikota, often referred to as the Grand Canyon of India, is a treasure trove of historical landmarks and natural beauty. The trip is organized by Ravikanth, the Hyderabad Chapter Head, and Sandesh, the Bangalore Chapter Head, which guarantees a seamless and enriching experience for participants. The curated itinerary for the Gandikota expedition by Travel Buddy promises an enriching exploration of captivating landmarks. From the Madhavaraya Swami Temple to the iconic Gandikota Charminar, the picturesque Katthula Koneru, and the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon of India, participants will embark on a journey that includes visits to the mesmerizing Sunset and Sunrise Points. Additionally, the itinerary unveils the discovery of Secret Places, the historical Royal Tank, the ancient Granary, the sacred Jumma Masjid, and the breathtaking Gandikota Waterfall. Each destination intricately woven into the travel experience offers a tapestry of history, culture, and natural beauty, ensuring an unforgettable adventure for every traveler. Mr. Saurav Chakraborty, Founder, and CEO of Travel Buddy, expressed his excitement, stating, "Travel Buddy is committed to redefining travel experiences, making them more immersive and authentic. Our Gandikota trip exemplifies our dedication to providing unique journeys that go beyond the ordinary. We aim to connect travelers with the rich culture and history of Gandikota, ensuring an unforgettable experience". The itinerary boasts an array of activities that cater to every adventurer's taste, including sightseeing and activities, accommodation and food, live band performances, and a campfire with music. The inclusion of these activities ensures that participants not only witness the beauty of Gandikota but also engage in a holistic and unforgettable experience. Similar to previous successful endeavors, Travel Buddy continues its mission to transform travel into meaningful interactions, offering adventures that transcend traditional tourist experiences. Aparna Thyagarajan, a distinguished global angel investor, has established a considerable presence in the investment landscape, notably engaging in Jio Cinema's Indian Angels Show by supporting eight promising startups. Through strategic investments, Aparna has cemented her status as a prominent angel investor, actively backing several women entrepreneurs. Aparna, also serving as the Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer at Shobitam, expressed her privilege in collaborating with these outstanding entrepreneurs. She mentioned, "I feel honored to be a strategic investor and partner for these remarkable entrepreneurs. My commitment goes beyond financial backing. I believe in the transformative strength of collaboration and mentorship, and I'm enthusiastic about guiding these , a distinguished global angel investor, has established a considerable presence in the investment landscape, notably engaging in Jio Cinema's Indian Angels Show by supporting. Through strategic investments, Aparna has cemented her status as a prominent angel investor, actively backing several women entrepreneurs. Aparna, also serving as the Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer at Shobitam, expressed her privilege in collaborating with these outstanding entrepreneurs. She mentioned, "I feel honored to be a strategic investor and partner for these remarkable entrepreneurs. My commitment goes beyond financial backing. I believe in the transformative strength of collaboration and mentorship, and I'm enthusiastic about guiding these innovative startups towards their full potential, fostering growth, innovation, and success together." Sonal Somani, the Founder of HappieCurves, conveyed her happiness in having Aparna as her Golden Angel. She said, "I'm extremely delighted to have someone as versatile and experienced as Aparna as my Golden Angel. It's a source of pride that she believes in my vision, and with her guidance, we aim to reach new heights. Learning from her and working together will be an enjoyable experience." The Shakti wearables team expressed their excitement in welcoming Aparna as their angel investor and mentor, acknowledging her pivotal support. They stated, "We're thrilled to have Aparna Maam onboard as our angel investor and mentor. Her expertise and leadership have significantly benefitted Shobitam, and we're thankful for her backing. Aparna Maam not only appreciated our business but also resonated deeply with the vision and purpose at Shakti Wearables, motivating us further. We eagerly anticipate working together to grow and improve." Aparnas dedication extends to empowering women entrepreneurs, demonstrated through the establishment of the Shobitam Centre for Women Entrepreneurship at BITS Pilani. She collaborates with fellow Indian Angels, emphasizing joint efforts to nurture innovation and success in the startup ecosystem. Her involvement in Jio Cinemas Indian Angels Shows not only showcases her investment skills but also highlights her role in championing diverse and inclusive entrepreneurship. Aparna's forward-thinking approach is an inspiration, significantly contributing to the global startup arena. Founded by Aparna and Ambika in Seattle, Shobitam is an emerging ethnic fashion brand dedicated to offering elegant and affordable fashion globally. With a mission to positively impact Indian weavers and customers across 40+ countries, Shobitams customer-centric approach is evident in their 7500+ 5-star Customer Reviews. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has partnered with Google Cloud India, Antler in India, Paytm, Protean, and Startup India for the 'Build for Bharat' program. This joint initiative aims to tackle various digital commerce sector challenges, promoting innovation within the industry to develop pragmatic solutions. Anticipating engagement from more than 200,000 participants comprising startups, corporations, and educational institutions, 'Build for Bharat' aims to harness India's technological and entrepreneurial capabilities. The nationwide initiative spans more than 50 cities and adopts a participatory and ecosystem-oriented approach. It involves prominent experts, leaders, venture capitalists, and incubators . To inaugurate the initiative, an event on December 4 unveiled problem statements for participants and initiated the registration process. The initiative focuses on the Retail, Mobility, F&B, Financial Services, and Logistics sectors, aiming to achieve three distinct objectives. The first segment, named 'NextGen Ventures,' aims to stimulate venture creation on ONDC. It welcomes aspiring founders exploring various ideas or early-stage founder teams working on an idea, providing support for fundraising, company launch, scaling, and incubating new businesses. The second segment emphasizes Scalable solutions, inviting organizations and individuals, including students, to address challenges faced by Network Participants. The third segment, 'Foundation solutions,' caters exclusively to college students (aged 18+) to propose proof of concept solutions for challenges encountered by NPs. Winners in the 'NextGen Ventures' category stand to gain exclusive opportunities from Antler in India, mentorship from industry experts, and the chance to access equity-free grants up to INR 5 Crores. These winning teams also receive the opportunity to participate in Antler Residency, potentially securing VC funding. Google India will provide shortlisted teams with Cloud credits and valuable technological guidance. 'Build for Bharat' signifies a collaborative initiative aimed at driving innovation and solutions in digital commerce, harnessing the collective expertise and creativity of participants nationwide. In the five decades since the winter of 1973-74, as most of the country -- along with the majority of the world -- has seen less snow due to warming temperatures, New York City has bucked the trend and sits in a band of the Northeastern U.S. that has, in fact, seen more snowfall. This is according to data presented by CNN from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and climate scientist Brian Brettschneider, which looked at snowfall rates between November and March. Despite most of the country experiencing up to 30% less snow as a proportion of its total winter precipitation, NYC, New Jersey and most of New England have seen up to a 10% increase of snow as a proportion of total winter precipitation since 1973. CNN reported that climate scientists say these outliers illustrate the complicated nature of climate change. Extreme winter storms could produce more snow in an area in the short-term, but [e]ventually the laws of thermodynamics in a warming world will mean that the snow will stop coming and transition to rain, according to Brettschneider. Even though the total snowfall trend was positive, the days per year with snowfall trend is negative, Brettschneider, an Alaska-based scientist for the National Weather Service (NWS), told CNN. In other words, this means more snow fell over fewer days, the network noted. SNOWFALL DOWN WORLDWIDE Data analyzed by Brettschneider shows that snowfall amounts have declined 2.7% globally since 1973. The Northern Hemispheres mid-latitudes, where much of the worlds population resides, is particularly highlighted for the greatest decline over the last 50 years. This includes most of Europe, Asia, and the United States. NYC SNOW FORECAST FOR WINTER 2023-24 While the reports may vary in details, the common consensus across the forecast community is that the winter of 2023-24 will bring about greater precipitation amounts to New York City than the winter of 2022-23. A crucial factor in determining the outlook of the months ahead is El Nino, a regular, large-scale climate phenomenon. El Nino is caused by trade winds weakening over the tropical Pacific Ocean, which leads to warm ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. During El Nino, the jet stream typically extends eastward and shifts southward. This jet stream serves as a river of air, carrying more moisture along the southern portion of the United States during an event such as El Nino, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center. The NWS released an updated seasonal outlook forecasting conditions for the winter months of December, January and February on Nov. 16. This outlook revealed that not only is NYC slated to see some above average-temperatures, it is probable that the months will be characterized by greater precipitation amounts than usual; whether that shows as snowfall or rainfall is yet to be known. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A 34-year-old man from West Brighton has been arrested in connection with a violent home-invasion robbery in Queens. Alejandro Sindo of the 800 block of Delafield Avenue stands accused in the incident on Nov. 27 at about 6:55 p.m. where two individuals used force to enter the apartment of a 42-year-old woman and 33-year-old woman in the vicinity of Sanford Avenue and Kissena Boulevard, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. Police are asking for the publics help to identify a second individual sought for questioning in connection with the incident. The episode began when the individuals allegedly rang the doorbell and then barged into the apartment. The individuals allegedly grabbed the 42-year-old victim by the neck and then stole $880 dollars before fleeing on foot in an unknown direction, according to the police statement The 42-year-old women suffered an abrasion to her neck but refused medical attention on scene, police said. Arrested on Nov. 28, Sindo has been charged with burglary, robbery and petit larceny. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is free on bail set at $25,000/$15,000 cash, according to public records. Sindo, who stands about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 340 pounds, is due back in Queens Criminal Court on January 22, according to public records. A second individual has not been apprehended in the incident. He is described by police as a heavyset male with a dark complexion. He was seen wearing a black-colored Adidas jacket, blue jeans, black shoes and a gray bucket hat. An attorney for the defendant did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on Twitter @NYPDTips. A woman has been charged in the stabbing death of her boyfriend inside his Brooklyn apartment, according to the New York Daily News. Kiasia Durham, 29, was arrested Monday and charged with manslaughter and criminal weapon possession in the Sunday slaying of 47-year-old Jonathan Allen inside his apartment on Melrose Street near Evergreen Avenue, according to a statement from the NYPD. Police say Durham, who is experiencing homelessness, stabbed Allen once in the chest before medics rushed him to Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn, where he died. Allen had a contentious relationship with Durham and police had responded a number of times to quell arguments between the two in the past, the Daily News reported. Allens neighbors said Durham would constantly show up at Allens apartment to harass him, according to the report. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) shared concerning findings Sunday about a city contract at a Midland Beach migrant shelter and voter registration. The congresswoman, joined by Assemblyman Michael Reilly (R-South Shore), Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/South Brooklyn), Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (R-Mid-Island), and Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island) shared that the city responded to her Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request providing a copy of the contract for the migrant shelter at the former Island Shores Senior Residence on Father Capodanno Boulevard. For Malliotakis, the concerning part of the 3-year contract worth over $28 million came from a portion about the contracted non-profit organizations responsibilities around voter registration. Homes for the Homeless, the non-profit that has owned Island Shores since the 1980s, is also the contracted service provider at the migrant shelter. The congresswoman and her colleagues tied the voter registration portion of the contract to a 2021 law that extends the right to vote to non-citizens in municipal elections, but is currently on hold due to an ongoing court case. There is an entire section [of the contract] dedicated to voter registration. And what it says is that the entity that operates the facility is going to be required to distribute voter registration forms, Malliotakis said. We believe this is the smoking gun. That proves what weve been saying all along, that the city intends to register non citizens to vote. The portion of the contract concerning voter registration is among a host of other responsibilities Homes for the Homeless must adhere to like those outlined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and limits on partisan politicking. Specifically, the voter registration portion of the contract applies to any agency that has extensive interactions with members of the public and is contracted under certain city agencies, including the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). A DHS spokesperson denied Malliotakis accusations Monday, and pointed out that the voter registration part of the contract is legally required under the City Charter. These allegations are false and baseless. DHS is legally required to include language around voter registration in shelter contracts and this guidance applies only to eligible clients who are citizens, and would clearly not apply to asylum seekers in shelter, the spokeswoman said. Instead of helping the citys emergency response to this ongoing crisis, it is deeply troubling to see an elected representative actively working to spread misinformation and hurt the integrity of the efforts of countless city workers and frontline staff who have been working tirelessly to ensure the delivery of critical services for vulnerable asylum seekers. As our teams continue to provide vital case-management services to connect asylum seekers to supports to help them move out of shelter, we strongly caution against lending any credence to such dangerous misrepresentations of the citys response to this humanitarian crisis, she added. NEW LAW Staten Island Supreme Court Judge Ralph Porzio ruled against the new law in June 2022, but Mayor Eric Adams administration appealed his decision leaving the case in the appeals process. In his decision, Porzio echoed legal arguments opponents had made against the legislation, particularly that it was in violation of the states Constitution, election law and home rule law. When the law passed in 2022, Our City Our Vote, a campaign pushing for non-citizen suffrage, estimated it would add 900,000 new voters to New York Citys rolls, but more than 130,000 migrants have come to the five boroughs since spring 2022 about 60,000 of whom remain in the citys care. Under the non-citizen voting law that is not in effect, immigrants would need to be lawful permanent residents or have work authorization to participate in municipal elections for positions like borough president, mayor and City Council. Most migrants currently in city shelters do not have permanent legal status or work authorization. Adams administration has been pushing the federal government to provide work authorization to more of the migrants. MIGRANT SHELTER OPPOSITION Tannousis reiterated that the community and elected officials were given inadequate notice on the migrant shelter. They refused to admit that there was a contract. Instead, we had to do a FOIL request, asking for this information and after a long while we got the results, said Tannousis. And now, we know why they refused to answer any requests. A non-profit, Homes for Homeless, is getting $28 million over three years. Assemblyman Reilly backed Tannousis up, stating Homes for Homeless is in it for the money. When theres a non-profit that is destroying communities, [the] way to combat that is stop donating your money to organizations like that. Right now, there is a light shining that says ... we will give you everything for free. Thats not what the formation of our country is about, he said. Carr noted that the first meeting of City Council had to do with voting rights. Noncitizen voting is not the law of the city of New York. And no one should be trying to register noncitizens to vote, and certainly not to give a contract to a non-profit whatever it is, to register non-citizens. It is absolutely illegal and should not be in the contract, said Carr. We should not be spending city tax levied dollars trying to register people to vote who do not and should not have the legal right to vote. Pirozzolo also stated that there is another paragraph in the contract, which states the work status of migrants. They are not allowed to ask to pay or support themselves in any way while receiving these services. And we are talking about budget cuts, said Pirozzolo. You want to cut sanitation, why dont we ask the migrants to clean the beaches. Why dont we ask them to be security agents in our schools. Now you think thats crazy, because youre going to say theyre not vetted and we dont know if they have a criminal history, their medical history, we dont know a thing about them, then, if thats the case, what the hell are they doing here? STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The New York City kindergarten application process for the 2024-2025 school year opens Tuesday. To apply for kindergarten, your child must be a current New York City resident who was born in 2019. In New York City, children enter kindergarten in the fall of the calendar year they turn 5 years old, and they are guaranteed a seat at a public school. Once your child starts kindergarten, they can remain at the same school until its final elementary grade. SUBMIT AN APPLICATION Admission is open to all students born in 2019, including current pre-kindergarten students at public schools, Pre-K Centers, NYC Early Education Centers, charter schools and private and parochial schools. Once the application period opens, you can apply to kindergarten. You can submit your application one of the following three ways: Choose up to 12 kindergarten programs that youd like your child to attend and add these programs to their kindergarten application. Order these school choices in the application in your order of preference, with your favorite school at the top as #1. Kindergarten admissions are not first come, first served. All applications submitted online, by phone, or in person by the deadline will be treated the same based on admissions priorities, according to the city Department of Education. PROGRAMS AVAILABLE There are two types of schools you can add to your kindergarten application. Zoned Schools: Most NYC families have a zoned school, which means they live in an area zoned for a specific school, and their children have priority to attend it. Your zoned school, if you have one, is the school where your child is most likely to go to kindergarten. Most zoned schools make kindergarten offers to all students living in the zone. Some zoned schools have room to make offers to children living outside the zone. Please note that your zoned school may not be the school that is closest to your address. Non-Zoned Schools: These schools do not have a zone. Most non-zoned schools give priority to students who have siblings attending, who are current pre-K students, or who live in the district. If youd like your child to attend your zoned school, be sure to add it to your application. However, you dont have to place it as your first choice, if you prefer other schools ahead of your zoned school. Some elementary schools offer a Dual Language program or program(s) and/or Gifted & Talented programs. To apply to a Dual Language program, add it to your childs application. ADMISSIONS FACTORS If you want your child to attend one of your top choices, its helpful to know how offers are made. Students get kindergarten offers based on four key factors: Your application choices The number of choices you add to your childs application and the order in which you place them matter. Add up to 12 choices to your childs application in your true order of preference. Then submit the application. Seat availability Each kindergarten program has a certain number of available seats. Schools vary in size and demand, so when a school has more applicants than seats, it cant make an offer to everyone who wants to attend. In this case, offers are made first to the students who have the highest admissions priority to attend the school. Your priority group for a program Kindergarten programs give admissions priorities to specific groups of applicants before others, such as to students who live in a specific zone, who have siblings at the school, who live in the district, or who currently attend pre-K at the school. Your child has a better chance of getting an offer from some schools than others. A schools admissions priorities determine the order in which groups of applicants are considered for offers. All students in a programs priority group 1 will be considered first for offers. Then, if seats are still available, students in that programs priority group 2 will be considered next, and so on. Randomly assigned numbers Each kindergarten applicant is also assigned a random number. If there are more applicants than available seats within a priority group, these random numbers determine the order in which students get offers. PRIORITIES There are several admissions priorities for families applying to kindergarten. Zone Priority Most NYC families have a zoned school, which is a school that gives priority to children in the geographic area (zone). Sibling Priority Elementary schools prioritize applicants whose siblings attend the same school. If your child has an older sibling at a school that youve added to their application, your child may have a higher chance of getting an offer from that school than an applicant without an enrolled sibling. To make sure your child gets sibling priority, be sure to provide sibling information when you apply. Pre-K Priority If your child is currently enrolled in pre-K at a DOE public elementary school, they will have an admissions priority to attend kindergarten at that school. District Priority Most schools give admissions priority to students in their own district over students who live in other districts. DEADLINE AND OFFERS Parents can apply to kindergarten until Friday, Jan. 19. Offers to kindergarten will be released on Wednesday, March 27. After receiving an offer, accept it to secure your childs seat by the deadline. If you applied online, you can accept your offer online at MySchools.nyc. If you applied by phone, you can accept your offer by contacting the offered school, by phone at 718-935-2009, or by emailing ESenrollment@schools.nyc.gov. The United States Supreme Court is currently hearing oral arguments in a landmark bankruptcy case involving Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. The case centers around a highly contentious agreement that seeks to provide billions of dollars to victims of the opioid epidemic while granting immunity to the Sackler family, who owned the company. The outcome of this case will have far-reaching implications for the accountability of pharmaceutical companies and the legal rights of victims. The Background of the Case Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, introduced OxyContin, a potent painkiller, in the 1990s. The company has faced widespread criticism for its aggressive marketing practices, which allegedly downplayed the addictive nature of the drug and encouraged long-term use. As the opioid crisis in the United States escalated, Purdue Pharma became a focal point for legal action and public scrutiny. In 2007, Purdue Frederick, an affiliate of Purdue Pharma, pleaded guilty to misbranding OxyContin and paid a hefty fine of $600 million. However, numerous lawsuits continued to mount, with victims and their families seeking compensation and holding the Sackler family accountable for their alleged role in fueling the opioid epidemic. The Controversial Settlement Agreement The proposed settlement agreement, initially approved by a New York court in May, aims to allocate up to $6 billion to address the ongoing opioid crisis. Under the agreement, the Sackler family would personally contribute between $5.5 billion to $6 billion over an 18-year period. The majority of the funds would be distributed to states, local governments, and Native American tribes, with an additional $700 million to $750 million set aside for individual victims and their families. If approved, the settlement would result in Purdue Pharma ceasing to exist as a company. Instead, a new entity named Knoa Pharma would be established to focus on developing and distributing opioid addiction treatments and overdose reversal medicines. Purdue Pharma products, including OxyContin, would continue to be produced by Knoa Pharma. The new company would operate under an independent board and purportedly have a public-minded mission. Immunity for the Sackler Family One of the most contentious aspects of the settlement agreement is the immunity it would grant to the Sackler family. In exchange for their financial contributions, the Sacklers would be shielded from all civil lawsuits related to the opioid crisis. However, criminal charges would not be affected by the settlement. Critics argue that granting immunity to the Sackler family sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the pursuit of justice for victims. They contend that the release from liability prevents victims from holding the Sacklers accountable for their alleged willful misconduct and fraud. The US Trustees Challenge The US Trustee Program, a division of the US Justice Department, has raised concerns about the settlement agreement and requested that the Supreme Court review its approval. The Trustee argues that the agreement violates established bankruptcy laws and principles, as well as constitutional rights. According to the Trustee, the settlements release of the Sackler family from future lawsuits raises significant constitutional questions. They assert that even claims based on fraud and willful misconduct, which would typically be excluded from bankruptcy discharge, would be forever barred. The Trustee also highlights that the Sacklers withdrew approximately $11 billion from Purdue Pharma in the years leading up to its bankruptcy filing. The Supreme Courts Deliberation Legal experts consider this case to be one of the most significant bankruptcy battles to reach the Supreme Court in recent history. The Courts ruling will have far-reaching implications for the accountability of corporations in public health crises and the ability of victims to seek legal recourse. The outcome of the case is uncertain, as the Supreme Court grapples with the complex issues at hand. The Court must determine whether a bankruptcy judge has the authority to shield individual members of a family from future lawsuits in a corporate bankruptcy proceeding. While all 50 US states initially supported or no longer opposed Purdue Pharmas bankruptcy plan, the Trustees challenge has brought renewed attention to the potential limitations and consequences of the settlement agreement. The Ongoing Opioid Crisis and Its Toll The Supreme Courts examination of this case occurs against the backdrop of a devastating opioid crisis in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 645,000 people died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2021. The crisis has had a profound impact on individuals, families, and communities across the country. Advocates for victims argue that it is essential to hold accountable those who played a role in fueling the crisis, including pharmaceutical companies and their owners. See first source: CNN FAQ Q1: What is the current case before the U.S. Supreme Court involving Purdue Pharma? A1: The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a bankruptcy case involving Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin. The case involves a settlement agreement that could provide billions to opioid victims while granting immunity to the Sackler family, former owners of the company. Q2: Why is Purdue Pharma controversial? A2: Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, has been criticized for aggressively marketing OxyContin since the 1990s, allegedly downplaying its addictive nature. This practice has been linked to the escalating opioid crisis in the U.S. Q3: Has Purdue Pharma faced legal consequences before? A3: Yes. In 2007, Purdue Frederick, an affiliate, pleaded guilty to misbranding OxyContin and was fined $600 million. However, lawsuits against Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers continued to mount afterwards. Q4: What does the proposed settlement agreement entail? A4: The agreement proposes up to $6 billion for opioid crisis relief. The Sackler family would contribute $5.5 to $6 billion over 18 years. Funds would be distributed to states, local governments, tribes, and individual victims. Q5: What will happen to Purdue Pharma under the settlement? A5: Purdue Pharma would cease to exist, replaced by Knoa Pharma, focusing on opioid addiction treatments. OxyContin and other Purdue products would still be produced by Knoa Pharma. Q6: Why is immunity for the Sackler family controversial? A6: The settlement grants the Sacklers immunity from civil lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, a point critics argue sets a dangerous precedent and hinders justice for victims. Q7: What are the US Trustees concerns about the settlement? A7: The US Trustee Program argues that the agreement violates bankruptcy laws and constitutional rights by granting the Sacklers immunity, even for claims of fraud and willful misconduct. Q8: What are the potential implications of the Supreme Courts ruling? A8: The ruling will have significant impact on corporate accountability in public health crises and victims legal recourse. It will also address the scope of a bankruptcy judges authority in such cases. Q9: How have states reacted to Purdue Pharmas bankruptcy plan? A9: Initially, all 50 U.S. states supported or were neutral on the bankruptcy plan. However, the Trustees challenge has reignited concerns about the plans limitations and implications. Q10: How significant is the opioid crisis in the U.S.? A10: The opioid crisis is severe, with nearly 645,000 deaths from overdoses between 1999 and 2021. Advocates stress the importance of holding responsible parties accountable, including pharmaceutical companies and their owners. Featured Image Credit: Photo by Myriam Zilles; Unsplash Thank you! Support the Peninsulas only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe! Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions. Premium Subscription As low as $8.25 per month Premium Includes: Access to the Daily Journals e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. The ability to download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. The ability to clip & download articles or images to share with others. Access to the last 90 days of e-Editions with search, downloading and clipping options. Unlimited access to our award-winning online content Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) has launched legal action against Woolworths on behalf of 1400 workers for allegedly changing rosters without proper consultation and threatening not to pay workers who didnt comply, resulting in wage cuts in the midst of the pandemic. Over a thousand overnight workers across more than 100 Woolworths stores in Victoria and Tasmania were told in April 2021 that the supermarket was ceasing overnight grocery fill work and changing the shift hours to 7pm-11pm, leading to the loss of penalty rates and lower pay. The retail union and two former Woolworths workers are taking legal action. Credit: Oscar Colman The union alleges that these workers were not properly consulted about the change and were told they would be sent home and not be paid if they didnt agree to the new rosters, which the union argues amounts to unlawful coercion. There was no warning, said RAFFWU secretary Josh Cullinan in a statement. 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 It took several hours each day to turn British actor Jason Isaacs into Cary Grant, one of Hollywoods most recognisable stars. A prosthetic chin supplied Grants famous dimple, and his hair, with its immaculate side parting, came in a wig box. Isaacs wore suits made by a Savile Row tailor and a pair of the thick-rimmed glasses Grant sported in later life, partly to hide his crows feet. The finishing touch: contact lenses that turned Isaacs piercing blue eyes into the lambent brown peepers that seduced several generations of cinema audiences. Laura Aikman as Dyan Cannon and Jason Isaacs as Cary Grant in Archie. Credit: ITVX A woman was employed to put the contact lenses in and take them out at the end of the day, says Isaacs, wincing at the memory. I just couldnt do it. The result of all this labour is impressive. Isaacs, 60, who is probably best known as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, is utterly convincing as Cary Grant in the four-part drama Archie. In the first episode we find him at home at his mansion in Los Angeles Benedict Canyon. The year is 1961 and the star of screwball comedies such as 1938s Bringing Up Baby and darker fare such as the 1959 Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, is placing a call to Sophia Loren, the latest screen siren to catch his roving eye. This, one assumes, is a man who has won lifes lottery several times over. Appearances can be deceptive, of course. And in Archie, written by BAFTA award-winning British screenwriter Jeff Pope (Philomena, Stan & Ollie), there is a chasm between the man and his carefully cultivated public persona. Advertisement The title is a reference to Grants real name, Archibald Archie Leach. Born in 1904 in Bristol, England, he escaped a hardscrabble childhood by joining a touring vaudeville company as a stilt walker and comedian. After making his way to America he got a part in a Broadway musical starring Fay Wray, changed his name to Cary Grant and reinvented himself as one of Hollywoods biggest stars. For more than half my 58 years I have cautiously peered from behind the facade of a man known as Cary Grant, he once wrote. The protection of that facade proved both an advantage and a disadvantage. If I couldnt clearly see out, how could anyone see in? The challenge of seeing the man behind the debonair film star is what convinced Isaacs to get involved. Sitting on a hotel sofa in Londons Soho dressed in black jeans, Blundstone boots and a black linen shirt, he says he was won over by Popes screenplay because, in a sense, it didnt require him to play the screen icon. Why would anyone try to put Cary Grant on the screen? Youd have to be a moron to take that job, he says. But when I read Jeffs script I realised he wasnt telling the story of Cary Grant because Cary Grant didnt exist. He [Grant] was someone invented by Archie Leach because he was so tortured. Archie needed the love of as many people as he could get to fill the hole inside him, but it never did. Harriet Walter and Jason Isaacs in Archie. Credit: ITVX The first time he [Grant] really felt he belonged anywhere was when he had a daughter. I recognised that feeling in myself [Isaacs has two daughters] and I thought, I cant play Cary Grant, but I can have a crack at playing Archie Leach. Hes being disingenuous, of course: his portrayal of Grant is extraordinary. But its also true that the Grant portrayed in Archie is very different to the debonair charmers that became his cinematic stock-in-trade. Away from the cameras, Grant was wracked with shame and self-doubt, the legacy of a childhood blighted by poverty, the death from tuberculosis of his older brother John, and his parents disintegrating marriage. Advertisement Things took an even darker turn when Leach was nine. His father, Elias, told him his mother, Elsie, had gone on holiday and he wouldnt see her again. In fact, she had been sectioned by her husband and would spend 30 years in a Bristol mental institution. Elias, who had started a relationship with another woman, then told Grant his mother had died, a lie the actor believed for several decades. When he finally learned the truth his father confessed shortly before his death he was devastated. Grant was reunited with Elsie (Harriet Walter) and helped her leave the institution. But the damage was done. The actors long-held belief that his mother had abandoned him had a corrosive effect on his relationships five marriages and myriad affairs. He desperately sought the company of beautiful women, but when he had them they quickly realised he could oscillate between suave, charming Cary Grant and insecure, controlling Archie Leach. In the first episodes of Archie we see Grant trying to woo Dyan Cannon, the 25-year-old actor who became his fourth wife. Cannon (played by Laura Aikman) is hesitant. Her career is taking off and the idea of dating a thrice-divorced movie star 33 years her senior rings alarm bells. But Grant is relentless. They married in 1965 and had a daughter, Jennifer, before Cannon filed for divorce in 1967. Watching Isaacs Grant trying to engineer a lunch date with Cannon is fascinating. She is formidable and stands her ground. Grant, the silver screens great ladykiller, struggles to disguise his petulance and deep neediness. To tell its story, Archie switches frequently between time periods and locations. The scenes in sun-drenched Hollywood were shot in Malaga, Spain, while Liverpools red brick terrace houses allowed producers to recreate turn-of-the-century Bristol. One minute were watching flat-capped urchins playing on dirty streets, the next were watching one of those urchins all grown up and wearing a good suit striding across a soundstage to chat to his pal Doris Day. Cannon, 86, and her daughter Jennifer Grant, 57, were both intimately involved with the project. The stars ex-wife and his only child have both written books about Grant offering markedly different perspectives. Cannon endured a bitter divorce after her husband sought to control and mould her; Jennifer idolises a man she remembers as a loving stay-at-home dad. But Pope makes it clear the womens insights in particular, details about Grants relationship with his mother, Elsie helped focus his story on the psychological damage wrought by the movie stars parents. Advertisement As global temperature records tumble, small white cans will hang from trees, near roads and buildings across the City of Sydney council area, collecting 3 million measurements to assist researchers in helping the city beat the heat. The City of Sydney and Western Sydney University have installed 200 temperature gauges across the city to measure how heat impacts it, and the effectiveness of trees and parks in absorbing heat. This is the first time the City of Sydney council area has been mapped in this way. 200 heat loggers will be installed across the City of Sydney area in a bid to see what areas are the hottest. Credit: Abril Felman and City of Sydney Cities have fewer heat absorbent surfaces, including trees, to absorb moisture and sun, contributing to a warming effect. Many of Sydneys record heat temperatures have been recorded in the past five years. The hottest day was recorded in Penrith in 2020 when the temperature almost hit 50 degrees. Without emission cuts, and as climate change worsens, these temperatures will increase. Sydneys temperature highs could rise from 26.4 degrees to 29 degrees by 2100, a climate typically experienced in places such as Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. The son of Fijis former prime minister Frank Bainimarama has pleaded not guilty to a string of domestic violence offences, including intentionally choking without consent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Ratu Meli Bainimarama, 36, is separately defending a raft of other domestic violence charges, in which police allege he choked a woman, bit her on the face and body, hit her across the ear and sent her an intimate video he recorded without her consent. Ratu Meli Bainimarama leaves Parramatta Local Court in June. Credit: AAP/Dan Himbrechts A hearing for those charges was left part-heard in Parramatta Local Court in June and adjourned until April next year. Now, the Herald can reveal that while he was on bail for those charges, Bainimarama was arrested at a Guildford home on December 4 and separately charged with intentionally choking a person without consent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and property damage. A Sydney Telstra worker who allegedly stole 1500 phones and deleted more than 1000 records is accused of defrauding the company out of $3 million over more than a year. Police allege 34-year-old Qartullah Sulaiman, from Merrylands in Sydneys west, was employed in a position of responsibility within the company when he unlawfully obtained the high-end mobile phones and accessories and sold them on various marketplace websites. Alleged telco fraudster Qartullah Sulaiman (right) leaves Parramatta Local Court. Credit: Wolter Peeters According to documents tendered to Parramatta Local Court, police allege Sulaiman dishonestly caused a financial disadvantage of $3,082,603 to Telstra Corporation Limited by obtaining 1407 mobile phones and accessories between March 1, 2022, and September 5 this year at Guildford. Across the same period, Sulaiman allegedly deleted 1396 records on Telstras ordering and billing systems, knowing that it was unauthorised, with the intention of committing a serious indictable offence [being] fraud, the documents state. Justice Michael Lee said: I take it it was a passionate kiss. Yes, Gain replied. Lisa Wilkinson and her barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC, outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday. Credit: Louise Kennerley Lehrmann has denied touching or kissing Higgins, and denied that the pair had any sexual contact at any stage. Lehrmanns barrister, Steven Whybrow, SC, put to Gain, who said she could not recall leaving the bar, that her recollection was not accurate and there was no pash. I reject that. That is a memory that I have, Gain replied. Gain agreed she sent a text via messaging app Telegram on Saturday, March 23, 2019, to an aide-de-camp to Reynolds, which read: Brittany hooked up with Bruce. She said this was a reference to the alleged kiss. Bruce Lehrmann outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday. Credit: Louise Kennerley She told the court that she had previously worked with Higgins for about four months in the former defence industry ministers office but did not believe she had met Lehrmann before. In an affidavit filed in court, Gain set out a Telegram message she sent Higgins on February 15, 2021, after News Corp published an interview with Higgins, which said: Thinking of you today. I really want you to feel supported and strong. Youre braver than I was at your age. Xx. Gain said she had not heard from Higgins since and had not attempted to communicate with her. She also set out Telegram messages, sent days earlier in February 2021, in which Higgins apologised for the random message but said Lehrmann had sexually assaulted her in the early hours of March 23, 2019, after drinks at 88mph. Lehrmann has strenuously denied the allegation. Dr Matt Collins, KC, acting for Ten, has alleged in court that Lehrmann made up a scandalous allegation that Gain colluded with Higgins to make up false evidence against him. I invited him to withdraw the allegation, but he declined to do so. The allegation is without foundation, Collins said. Higgins gave evidence last month that she recalled Lehrmann being handsy with me at 88mph and I didnt want it, but I was tolerating it. Asked if he did anything else, Higgins said: Not that I recall. Former Liberal staffer Austin Wenke, who also attended drinks at The Dock and 88mph on March 22 and into the early hours of March 23, 2019, gave evidence on Wednesday that he did not recall any specific interactions between Higgins and Lehrmann. Would it be fair to say if youd seen them kissing in front of you that that would likely have been something you would have remembered? Whybrow asked. Look, possibly, but as I said I dont recall specific interactions, and its been some time since that evening, Wenke said. Drinks at the Kingston Hotel Earlier on Wednesday, former Liberal staffer Nicole Hamer gave evidence that Lehrmann told her on March 2, 2019, that he found Higgins good-looking and urged her to invite Higgins to drinks that night. Nicole Hamer outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday. Credit: Louise Kennerley Hamer said Higgins ultimately attended the drinks and that at some point during the night Lehrmann took Higgins phone away as a bit of play, I guess, to stop her from being able to book her Uber and leave. Lehrmann has denied taking Higgins phone, and has told the court he did not recall saying that Higgins was good-looking or that Hamer should invite her to drinks. Jesse Wotton leaving the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday. Credit: Louise Kennerley Jesse Wotton, a second staffer present at the drinks on March 2, said that both he and Lehrmann urged Higgins to stay for another drink, but he believed she left shortly after. He said he did not recall Higgins phone being taken from her or it featuring in any subsequent conversation with Hamer or Reynolds, as he believed it would have if it had occurred, but he was reluctant to deny anything occurred. Brittany Higgins leaves the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday. Credit: Louise Kennerley Sexual assault denied Lehrmann has denied sexually assaulting Higgins in Reynolds office in the early hours of March 23, 2019, and has told the court that there was no sexual contact between the pair at any stage. Lehrmanns ACT Supreme Court trial for sexual assault was aborted last year due to juror misconduct. The charge against Lehrmann was later dropped altogether owing to concerns about Higgins mental health. He has always maintained his innocence. Loading The defamation suit Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and Wilkinson for defamation over an interview with Higgins, aired on The Project on February 15, 2021, that he alleges wrongly accuses him of sexually assaulting Higgins. He was not named in the broadcast and a preliminary issue in the case is whether he was identified via other means. If the court finds he was identified, Ten and Wilkinson are seeking to rely on a range of defences including truth, which would require the court to be satisfied to the civil standard on the balance of probabilities that he raped Higgins. In a criminal trial, the prosecution must prove a person is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Lehrmanns deal with Seven Hong Kong: SJ attends meetings in Vietnam Secretary for Justice Paul Lam continued his visit to Vietnam today by meeting representatives from its legal and commercial sectors and attending bilateral meetings with member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Mr Lam first met with the Vietnam Bar Federation in the morning to learn about developments in Vietnams legal sector and its legal services needs, and to discuss legal co-operation and exchanges between the two places. He then attended a lunch with representatives of the commercial sector. He spoke to them about Hong Kongs unique advantages in enjoying strong support from the motherland while being closely connected to the world under one country, two systems, and about the citys status as an international centre for legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region. In the afternoon, as a member of the visiting Chinese delegation, Mr Lam attended bilateral meetings between that delegation and ASEAN member states, namely Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Mr Lam will attend the 13th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference tomorrow and deliver a speech at a plenary session hosted by Vietnams Prosecutor General of the Supreme Peoples Procuracy Le Minh Tri. Mr Lam will conclude his visit to Vietnam and return to Hong Kong tomorrow evening. This story has been published on: 2023-12-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. An embattled Perth home builder forced to relinquish almost 100 projects has been wound up by the Federal Court, ending a two-month-long pursuit by the Australian Taxation Office over a $4.5 million debt. During a rapid-fire hearing on Tuesday, the Deputy Commissioner of Taxations lawyer Jane Carmel revealed lawyers for the administrators of Simsai Construction Group had agreed to a push to place the company in liquidation following an overnight email exchange. The company, which was formed in 2009, may have been trading insolvent since July 2021. Credit: Heather McNeill That move was cemented by Registrar Russell Trott, who issued orders that the company be wound up. The order came just 24 hours before creditors of the Osborne Park-based construction group had been due to meet with administrators from Cor Cordis, Jeremy Nipps and Thomas Birch. A man who ran a child sex ring in Victoria has become the third former immigration detainee to face court on fresh charges after he allegedly contacted a child online following his release, as the Senate waved through tough new laws to lock up the worst offenders. Emran Dad, 33 who in 2012 pleaded guilty to child sex and procurement offences for paying teenage girls in state care for sex, and to have sex with other men was arrested on Tuesday in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong and charged with three counts of making contact with a child, using email, TikTok, Instagram and live-streaming, all without reporting the use to the police. Following his arrest, the Coalition moved a motion for the Senate to immediately vote on Labors new preventative detention laws in the upper house as politicians feuded over the consequences of the landmark High Court decision overturning the legality of indefinite immigration detention. The new laws will allow the government to refer criminals freed from immigration detention to judges to decide if they still pose a risk to the community and should be locked up again. Foreign students are being deceived by education agents over Australias crippling cost of living, pushed into unsuitable degrees, and charged thousands of dollars in upfront fees despite the agents being paid a recruitment commission by universities. One agent said companies have been known to blackmail students who want to change courses or leave the country, threatening to report them to Home Affairs if they complain. International student and president of Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association, Weihong Liang Credit: Steven Siewert On Tuesday the Herald revealed that public universities in NSW spent at least $147 million last year on commission payments, with the use of unregulated agents reaching an all-time high across the country, and students in the dark on the portion of their fees paid to brokers. Sydney University Chinese international student and president of the Postgraduate Student Association Weihong Liang said students increasingly relied on offshore agents who urged students to use their services or risk being rejected. Premier Chris Minns says a record number of presentations at hospital emergency departments are not the sole responsibility of NSW, urging the Commonwealth to broker a fairer deal on health funding. The latest Bureau of Health Information data highlights the pressure on the states emergency departments and coincides with a critical national cabinet meeting in Canberra, where premiers will push for a funding deal on health. The new data, released on Wednesday, shows a record number of presentations at NSW emergency departments for the triage 2 (emergency) category in the September quarter, up to 118,772 compared to 110,548 in the same quarter last year. NSW Premier Chris Minns is pushing for a fairer health funding deal at national cabinet. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos The Minns government launched an elective surgery taskforce earlier this year to reduce wait times in public hospitals, and will now focus on bringing down bed block in emergency departments. A report into last years Maribyrnong River floods says a long-proposed dam on the river in Keilor that would slow floodwaters when a big deluge hit should be abandoned because of its cost and environmental toll. The Arundel retarding basin, repeatedly put forward since the 1970s but never built, would allow engineers to dictate how much water flowed into the Maribyrnong River downstream of Keilor during a flood. Paul Lau with daughter Stephanie in their flood-damaged Maribyrnong home. The blue line shows where floodwaters rose to in the house, which remains unrepaired. Credit: Wayne Taylor But a report for Melbourne Water, which also recommends investigating buybacks of homes at risk of flooding in the suburb of Maribyrnong and construction of a levee on the rivers banks, says the dam should not be built. The report comes as a parliamentary inquiry, called into the floods after an investigation by The Age into Melbourne Waters response, will on Wednesday hear from Water Minister Harriet Shing and Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes. Tony Pagone, the head of Melbourne Waters separate inquiry, will also appear. Despite having the backing of some of Australias largest and flashiest venture capital firms, Mentorloop co-founders Lucy Lloyd and Heidi Holmes have decided to in their words get off the VC hamster wheel. The pair had raised about $1 million in capital from Blackbird Ventures, Rampersand and Tempus Partners (now known as Folklore), as well as a number of angel investors, to scale up their tech business which connects mentors with mentees via an online platform. Mentorloop made a splash in the media and among investor circles when it raised the funding in 2017, but has been relatively silent for the past three years. In 2020 amid a tech downturn, its co-founders moved away from venture capital, focusing instead on profitability. They say theyre happier and significantly less stressed as a result, while the business has benefited from abandoning the growth at all costs mindset that permeates the venture capital sector. Mentorloop co-founders Heidi Holmes and Lucy Lloyd. Lloyd and Holmes are now calling for more start-ups to follow suit as the current tech wreck deepens, and as rising global interest rates and economic uncertainty continue to buffet Australian start-up funding. One of the women forcibly strip-searched at Doha Airport says she believes gender is partly behind Qatar Airways refusal to apologise for forcing her to undergo invasive examinations on the tarmac. The woman, who goes by the pseudonym Anna, was on a Qatar Airways flight bound for Sydney during the pandemic in October 2020 when she and other female passengers were forced by armed men dressed in black to disembark their flight. Anna, a Sydney victim of a Qatar Airlines strip search after a newborn baby was found abandoned at the airport, is one of a number of women who are suing the airline. Credit: Janie Barrett They were escorted into ambulances on the tarmac for physical examinations to determine if they had recently given birth. None of the victims gave their consent. Qatari authorities were hunting for the mother of a newborn baby found dumped in a rubbish bin at the airport. Childbirth outside of marriage is illegal in Qatar. Anna was holding her then five-month-old baby during the search and attempted to explain that the fact she was physically holding her infant meant she could not have just given birth. But her protestations were ignored by the female nurse inside the dark ambulance. Biden has repeatedly made comments about Trump during a fundraising blitz that started on Tuesday in Boston and is set to include at least nine events before the end of the month. Recent polling has shown the Republican frontrunner leading Biden in hypothetical match-ups in key swing states and on the national level. I dont think anyone doubts our democracy is at risk again, Biden said earlier on Tuesday. Funds for RFK jnr Campaign funds are flowing across the political spectrum in the US as backers with deep pockets seek to shape the 2024 presidential election. American Values 2024, a fundraising Super PAC supporting third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy jnr, said it planned to spend up to $US15 million ($22 million) getting him on the ballot in 10 states important to winning the 2024 race. Robert F. Kennedy jnr, son of former US Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Credit: Bloomberg AV24, as the Super PAC calls itself, will spend money to collect signatures by hand for Kennedys campaign as state law requires in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Texas, which it says represent approximately half of the signatures nationwide that Kennedy needs to get on the ballot in November. AV24 was on track to raise nearly $US30 million after Kennedy, son of the Democratic senator who was assassinated in 1968, said in October he would run as an independent, AV24 co-founder Tony Lyons told Reuters. Millions of dollars have come from a former donor to Trump, Timothy Mellon. While Kennedy is believed to have cross-party appeal, has raised millions of dollars and is faring at levels not seen by a third-party candidate since the early 1990s in opinion polls, none of it matters if he cant get on state ballots a cumbersome process made deliberately difficult by the Republican and Democratic parties over the years. We have chosen to pursue these critical states, some of them battlegrounds, due to the complexity of the state election codes and the volume of signatures necessary to achieve ballot access, said Deirdre Golffard, who advises the Super PAC. Nikki Haley speaks during the second Republican presidential primary debate in September. Credit: AP The effort to support Kennedy comes as one left-leaning billionaire donated to a Republican Trump rival. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman gave $US250,000 to a super political action committee supporting Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, according to an adviser for the LinkedIn co-founder. Loading Hoffman joins several other billionaires who have historically donated to Democrats, including JPMorgan Chase & Co.s Jamie Dimon and investor Bill Ackman, who have expressed support for the former South Carolina governor in recent weeks. Dmitri Mehlhorn, who advises Hoffman on politics, confirmed the donation, which was first reported by the New York Times. Haley, a former United Nations ambassador, has gained support in recent weeks from major donors looking for a Republican alternative to former president Trump, who currently leads the field by a wide margin. Hoffmans political team inquired if the super PAC, SFA Fund, would accept money from them, given Hoffmans affiliation with Democrats and his ongoing support for Biden, Mehlhorn said in a statement. Loading The group said it did not have a problem with the donation and is open to building a wide coalition, he added. Hoffman was the 25th biggest donor in the 2020 election cycle, giving $US14.6 million, according to OpenSecrets, all in support of Democratic candidates. This cycle, hes given $US759,600 to the Biden Victory Fund, which raises money for the presidents campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties. Hes also given $US4 million to the Republican Accountability PAC, which has aired ads in Iowa urging voters to turn away from Trump. US President Joe Bidens popularity was near its lowest level of his presidency this month, a sign of the challenges ahead for his re-election bid next year, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. PHILIPSBURG:--- This was the theme of a joint training held recently with the Emergency Services of St. Maarten which consisted of the Ambulance Department, SMMC, Fire Department, Police Department, Dutch Marines, and the Regional Ambulance Services (RAV) Brabant, the Netherlands. Following presentations that were given to each agency the day before, the Emergency Services started training together and there were two scenarios, one with drowning victims and the other with a car accident in which assistance was requested by the civilian partners from the Dutch Marines. The Emergency Services learned a lot working together and the chain has been tightened again. Head of the Ambulance Department of Ministry Public Health, Social Development & Labor drs. Cylred Richardson says that these types of joint training are of utmost importance and will continue in the future. Minister Ottley, applauds the efforts of cooperation demonstrated by the Emergency Services of St. Maarten. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Kazakhstan is ready to convene the third round of negotiations on the draft agreement on confidence-building measures in the military sphere in the Caspian Sea, the country's Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu said during a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian states in Moscow, Trend reports. "The implementation of the heads of state's instructions on the agreement on confidence-building measures in the military sphere in the Caspian Sea is being delayed. Kazakhstan proceeds from the need to create mechanisms for arms control at sea, which would ensure their balance and mutually agreed quantitative and qualitative limits," the minister noted. Nurtleu also noted that to prevent future arms races, Kazakhstan proposes to specify concrete and clear confidence-building measures in the draft agreement. "In this regard, Kazakhstan is ready to convene the third round of negotiations on the agreement at the beginning of next year in Astana. We hope for the active participation of all parties," he added. The first and second rounds of negotiations on the draft agreement on confidence-building measures in the field of military activities in the Caspian Sea were held in September 2021, respectively. The meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian states started today in Moscow. The event, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is attended by the foreign ministers of the Caspian states: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel PHILIPSBURG:--- Two armed bandits on a scooter robbed Domino's Pizza Bush Road around 11 pm on Monday. Police Spokesman Joe Josepha said the establishments were stormed by two armed robbers on Monday evening just after 11 pm. Cash was taken from the first establishment and the two masked men fled the scene on a scooter and robbed the Petro Plus gas station minutes after which is located on Bush Road. An undisclosed amount of money was taken and the robbers fled on their bike to the St. Peters area. Police patrols rushed to the St Peters South Reward area to search the area for any sign of these robbers. Police are requesting the community who might have seen something to call 911 and assist Police with the apprehension of these robbers on this Monday evening. Armed Robberies on Bush Road: Warning and Request for Public Attempted Vigilance On Monday night, December 4th, 2023, just after 10:00 PM, the Central Dispatch of Sint Maarten Police Force received several calls reporting attempted armed robberies in the Bush Road area. The first call indicated that several persons were attempting to rob a pizza business, followed shortly by another call indicating a similar attempt at a gas station on Bush Road. In immediate response, multiple police patrols and detectives were dispatched to the locations in question. Upon reaching the area, patrols saw two individuals on a scooter and attempted to intervene. However, these persons evaded capture by fleeing into one of the alleys in the dark. The Sint Maarten Police Force urges all business owners and residents to remain vigilant, especially during this festive season. As we approach the end of the year, there is an increase in activities, and criminals may seek to take advantage of the bustling environment. Business owners are advised to review and reinforce their security measures. We encourage the public to report any suspicious activities immediately to the Police Force Central Dispatch. Cooperation and information from the community are crucial in maintaining the safety and security of our neighborhoods. The detectives who are investigating this Armed robbery case are asking anyone who has information about these robberies to contact the Sint Maarten Police Force, at +1 721- 542 22 22 ext. 204 or 205 or the anonymous tip line on 9300 (free of charge). You can also leave a Private Message via our Facebook page (Police Force of Sint Maarten Korps Politie Sint Maarten. KPSM Press Release. PHILIPSBURG:--- In the early hours of Tuesday morning, December 5th, 2023, at approximately 00:30 AM, an incident unfolded in the vicinity of the Causeway Bridge. A patrol in Simpson Bay attempted to stop the driver of a gray Suzuki Swift as it crossed the Causeway towards the French Border. The driver, however, refused to comply, initiating a pursuit. During the pursuit, the driver lost control of the Suzuki, catapulting over the center point of the roundabout and landing on the opposite side. The driver of the swift exited the car and fled, disappearing into the bushes near the roundabout. Upon inspecting the abandoned vehicle, officers discovered a firearm, which was immediately confiscated. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the French Police were also informed and joined efforts with their Dutch side counterparts. A thorough search was initiated for the suspect in question. After an extensive joint operation, officers from both sides successfully located and apprehended the suspect, identified as F.R.G. He was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Philipsburg station for questioning. The Sint Maarten Police Force expresses gratitude to all officers involved from both sides of the island for their coordinated efforts and dedication, which led to the resolution of this incident. The collaboration between Dutch and French side authorities underscores the commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities. F.R.G. remains in custody as the investigation unfolds. KPSM Press Release. PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The recently held information session by the organizers of the National Career Fair on Working in the Caribbean was well attended. Recently, representatives from various companies gathered at the Government Administration Building to receive details from Geert Nab, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Memory Group, and Mylene Van Puffelen, the Chief Operations Officer (COO), on the registration process and the creation of the Match & Meet profile designed for connecting profiles with potential employers. Participants also had an opportunity to highlight areas of improvement. Companies in attendance included the Princess Juliana International Airport Operating company (PJIAE), the Port Sint Maarten Group (PSG), the Windward Islands Bank (WIB), Oyster Bay Beach Resort, Divi Little Beach Resort, Guardian Group, Sint Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS), Nagico, Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), the White and Yellow Cross Care Foundation, NV GEBE, International Liquor and Tobacco Trading (ILTT), Real Auto, Parliament of Sint Maarten, the Insurance Company of the West Indies (ICWI), and the Government of Sint Maarten. The session was opened by Prakaash Rostam, Senior Economic Policy Advisor of the cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary. Minister Plenipotentiary Rene Violenus initiated the information session as a concerted effort to mobilize the diaspora of Sint Maarten in the Netherlands encouraging talented persons to return and contribute to the national development of their country. During her opening remarks, the Prime Minister/Minister of General Affairs, Silveria Jacobs, acknowledged the significance of the Working in the Caribbean segment within the National Career Fair as a pivotal step towards addressing the labor market challenges on Sint Maarten. We are happy to promote and take part in this opportunity to reach out to, attract and bring home qualified St. Maarteners in the diaspora to return home and contribute to the continuous development of our beloved St. Maarten. The Prime Minister continued emphasizing that, This economic outreach activity holds promise in mobilizing the talents of our people abroad, encouraging them to return and actively contribute to the development of our nation. Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Omar Ottley, underscored the significance of the National Career Fair for professional development on the island. Minister Ottley saw it as a call for action for companies to, Explore opportunities, share knowledge, and inspire the future workforce. The minister recently concluded a successful Job Fair and Entrepreneurship Expo offering 400 job vacancies with over 100 jobs available on the spot. In the spirit of possibility, Minister Ottley encouraged, Skilled individuals to return to our beloved Dutch Caribbean or consider making it their new professional home. The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, Arthur Lambriex also attended the session in support of the cause. The National Career Fair is scheduled for March 22 and 23, 2024 in the Amsterdam RAI. Companies still interested but could not attend the information session or who have additional questions can join the Microsoft Teams meetings with the Management of Memory Group on Friday, December 8 at 9:00 a.m. or on Monday, December 18, at the same time. For registration an email needs to be sent to sales@memory. For more information, visit the website www.carrierebeurs.nl Early bird registrations with a 10% discount are offered for those registering for a booth before February 1, 2024. The information session was supported by the Government of Sint Maarten and the Chamber of Commerce & Industry (COCI) and made possible through collaboration between the cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary and the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The Caspian region has a special role in ensuring energy security and transportation accessibility on the Eurasian continent, Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu said, Trend reports. He spoke at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states in Moscow. "Today, the Caspian region is rapidly developing and has enormous potential. Our mutually beneficial partnership is built on trusting political dialogue, robust trade and economic links, and cultural and humanitarian ties. Over the past three decades, a robust legal framework has been established, the legal status of the Caspian Sea has been defined, and effective mechanisms of interaction are in place at all levels. The Caspian region has a unique role in guaranteeing Eurasian energy security and transit accessibility," the minister said. According to him, Kazakhstan continues to improve its transportation infrastructure, including the ports of Aktau and Kuryk. "In 2022, the volume of cargo transiting through the aforementioned ports increased 2.5 times, reaching 1.5 billion tons. This operation will help to enhance the corridor's capacity to 500,000 containers by 2030," stated the minister. Murat Nurtleu expressed satisfaction with Kazakhstan's good growth dynamics in mutual commerce with coastal states. "It reached $19 billion in the first 8 months of this year," he told reporters. As the Foreign Minister stated, enormous opportunities exist for the continued growth of investment partnerships in agriculture, petrochemicals, health care, tourism, and engineering. "Taking this opportunity, I want to assure you once again that Kazakhstan is always in favor of strengthening and deepening the five-party cooperation," the minister concluded. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The main task remains the entry into force of the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, said Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu during the meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral countries in Moscow, Trend reports. "The main task remains the implementation of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, also known as the Aktau Convention. As you know, ratifying the Aktau Convention requires a five-party agreement on the methodology for establishing direct and baseline lines," Nurtleu explained. Kazakhstan feels that at this point, the high-level working group should concentrate on harmonizing this document while taking into account the interests of all parties. "We urge both sides to be constructive and work together to find a balanced solution," Nurtleu concluded. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, December 5. Turkmenistan and Russia have confirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthen strategic partnership and develop multifaceted cooperation, Trend reports. The issues were discussed in Moscow between Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Russian FM Sergey Lavrov. Meredov arrived in Russia to participate in a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral countries, while with Lavrov he discussed topical issues of bilateral relations, including interaction on international platforms and the schedule of upcoming contacts. The parties paid special attention to cooperation in the implementation of educational and cultural projects. "I will highlight one of our flagship projects the creation of the Russian-Turkmen University and the construction of a new building of the State Russian Drama Theater. Work is underway on the construction of an additional building for the Pushkin School. We are sincerely grateful to our Turkmen friends for such attention to this area, to exchanges in the field of culture and education. We perceive your interest in the Russian language positively," Sergey Lavrov said. Meanwhile, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Caspian states started today in Moscow, the capital of Russia. The event, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is attended by the foreign ministers of the Caspian states - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, December 5. A working meeting was held at Mary Regional Customs with representatives from customs and other law enforcement authorities, as well as professionals from Turkmen Railways OJSC's relevant branch, Trend reports. The purpose of the meeting, according to the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, is to raise participants' awareness of the rules of customs control of goods transported by rail in wagons and containers sealed with locking and sealing devices in order to prevent customs offenses related to the destruction of seals. Customs representatives informed participants about the regulations for customs control of railway transportation and familiarized them with the relevant legislative acts. Following the discussion, participants highlighted that such collaboration, an active communication between customs and railway personnel on railway safety issues, enables us to devise new measures to assure cargo transportation safety. Turkmenistan, in the meantime, has been actively strengthening its customs chores in recent years, with a focus on worker training. The country is making significant efforts to upgrade customs procedures and infrastructure, which contributes to greater control of commodity flow and an improved business climate. Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel In a written ruling, Judge Victoria Sharp said: Whilst the conduct is undoubtedly serious, the other factors suggest that the interests of justice are best served by the DPA. There have been sweeping changes to the compliance procedures in place. Ryanair itself took legal action against On The Beach in 2010 over an intellectual property dispute, but the case has still not progressed to court. On the Beach says final resolution of the dispute might take some time. To which one can only say that its a bit late in the day. The measures to reduce net migration by 300,000 a year will only kick in from April, or five minutes before the election. And with 1.2 million people a year entering the country (745,000 net in 2022), its not quite the Taking Back Control that Brexiteers promised in 2016. Its good as far as it goes it was mad that employers could undercut wages by paying immigrant workers 20 per cent less than locals but it still allows for more than the population of Tower Hamlets to enter the UK every six months. In this episode of The Standard, Tom recalls the story of how the production was born, and explains why he is so passionate about both the moon launches of the 1960s and Nasas planned Artemis launches throughout 2024-2028. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 5. Uzbekistan and the UK have signed a joint road map on the development of trade and investment ties, Trend reports. The document was signed during the 27th meeting of the Uzbek-British Trade and Industry Council (UBTIC) held in London. The event was attended by the heads of trade ministries and departments of the two countries, as well as industry associations and banks. Uzbekistans Transport Ministry said that Deputy Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Zhasurbek Choriev presented the progress on the ongoing work for the development of infrastructure projects related to the development of airports, the railway system and the construction of toll roads. Besides the joint roadmap, the parties signed a number of agreements and memoranda on the implementation of the results achieved during the meetings. Meanwhile, with the total trade amounting to 267 million pounds in the reporting period, UK exports to Uzbekistan accounted for 137 million pounds, while UK imports from Uzbekistan totaled 130 million pounds. When four US gunboats turn up here the shogun (Saori Oda, doubling neatly as the Madam of the geisha tea house) instructs hapless samurai Kayama (Takuro Ohno, stirringly good) to tell the Yanks to go home. They dont, but with the help of Americanised fisherman Manjiro (a charismatic Joaquin Pedro Valdes) he fudges a compromise that saves everyones face. They become friends and receive advancement from the child emperor. But when the Americans come back and crack Japan open for other empires in the hilariously sophisticated song Please Hello their fates express the pitfalls of globalization and isolationism. More than six years after her release, Manning is living in Brooklyn and working as an activist raising awareness of the dangers of AI and big tech. The interview takes place at the Three Dollar Bill, a gay bar and space where she regularly DJs. Therouxs awkwardness appears to have a calming influence on Manning, who speaks of wanting to expose the callous behaviour of the American military in Iraq. It is a world of moral ambiguity, where the laws of war are broken with impunity and civilian death is justifiable. Yet she is also struck by the kindness shown by some soldiers. You can see the best and worst of humanity in a single 30-minute window, she says. Theroux is less interested in the political implications of the leak, which have been discussed to death. Even the brief mention of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, sends chills through the room. The activist recently lost an appeal in the British High Court to avoid extradition to the US, where he faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse. Though the pair have never met, Assange's legal troubles have put Manning in an uncomfortable position and she is forced to bat away questions from Theroux about the extent of their cooperation. At one point, her manager intervenes and requests that he stop going down the Assange route. This is understandable given the obvious legal complications, but I dont think that aides and communications professionals realise how awful it looks on screen. Have none of them heard of the Streisand effect? Newham council added: "The 42 Residents that have been identified as eligible will be issued a Disabled Freedom Pass and a letter of apology. The remaining 145 applicants are believed to have been administrated correctly, however, we will contact them to inform our policy has been updated and include the eligibility criteria and they will be invited to reapply if they believe they now meet the requirements. Lord Dobbs asked: May I simply say that in our really crappy world, is it not right that we should reach out and use as much soft power as we can to reforge and strengthen our relations with our old friend? He added that the US does not believe that all three of the ships struck by the Houthis had ties to Israel, saying, It goes to show you the level of recklessness that the Houthis are operating. Opening Cabinet on Tuesday, the Prime Minister asked the Home Secretary dialling in from Kigali to update on work to secure the new treaty, with Mr Cleverly describing it as the strongest possible agreement and one that goes far beyond that of the UNHCRs (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) with Rwanda. Beards are permitted for some military positions and grades, including Pioneer Sergeants, Drum Majors, Pipe Majors, Bugle Majors, and Goat Majors. They were first prohibited for both practical and historical reasons: hair impedes the formation of an airtight seal around the face by gas masks and other breathing devices. It is a great shame that even though the approach was more constructive, there was not enough on offer to shape a credible deal, which we hoped would end the dispute. Without enough progress by the deadline, we have no choice but to take action that demonstrates doctors are as determined as ever in reversing their pay cuts. It was lovely to have this recognised with the Princess of Wales today, who values the importance of having a supported and nurturing environment for children through her work with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. "It would be next October, its very possible it will happen. It would be around the time of CHOGM that he would come, either before or after, that would make sense," the government source told the publication. So I just want you all to know that its not as bad as you think its going to be. And theres a huge amount of love that comes your way when you lose someone, that you didnt really expect. And in my case, you know, Ive been overwhelmed by how much love and support there is. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 5. Russian Kamaz company intends to increase sales of its trucks in Uzbekistan, Trend reports. As per data provided by the Russian trade representative office in Uzbekistan, the issue was discussed between representatives of Kamaz and the management of Uzbekistans UzAuto Trailer and Truck Asia Leasing transport companies. During the talks, the parties have negotiated the possibility of utilizing heavy trucks produced by Kamaz in investment projects implemented by Russian companies in Uzbekistan. Earlier this year, Kamaz announced plans to open educational centers in Uzbekistan. According to the deputy head of the Russian company Zhanna Khaliullina, Uzbekistan is a key strategic market for Kamaz. The share of investments and loans from Russia for the development of Uzbekistans economy amounted to approximately $2.9 billion from January through September 2023 As per data provided by Uzbekistans State Statistics Committee, the recorded number comprises 15.9 percent of the total foreign investments, thus making Russia the top second country among those investing in Uzbekistan. As per the statistics agency, investments and loans from the Russian Federation constituted 20.3 percent of the total foreign investments in the country in 2022, which translates to roughly $2 billion, standing as the biggest figure among all investing nations. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu reiterated on Tuesday the fact that he wants the USA to be Romania's main non-EU partner in the economic area as well, stressing that on the territory of our country it is possible to create a hub for companies which will lead to the further development of the country, but also to the reconstruction of Ukraine in the future. He answered this way, in a press conference in Washington, when asked about the discussions with the representatives of the Google company. "I'm going to have a meeting with Google representatives. I said yesterday: I want the US to be Romania's main non-EU partner and I want it very clearly. As long as the US has deployed over 2,000 American soldiers and statemilitary logistics last generation on the territory of Romania, I believe that we can also create a hub for American companies in the economic area, which leads, naturally, to the development of Romania, but also, we see in the future, to the reconstruction of Ukraine", declared Marcel Ciolacu. The prime minister added that following the discussions he will have with the Google representatives, he expects the creation of a "Data Center in Romania". "I think we are the most entitled to have this. I think Microsoft has almost 5,000 employees in Romania, Google, about 500. Do we all know what a Data Center means on the territory of Romania? An extraordinary amount," he said. PM Ciolacu is currently on a working visit to the United States of America. The official delegation accompanying him includes the minister of economy, Radu Oprea, minister of defense, Angel Tilvar and minister of foreign affairs, Luminita Odobescu. DefMin Tilvar speaks of possibility of training Ukrainian military in Romania Minister of National Defence Angel Tilvar said that there is a possibility of training Ukrainian military personnel on Romanian territory, in multiple areas. The minister is part of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu's delegation to the United States. "I was in London last week and I met with the new Minister of Defence, Mr Grant Shapps, and he told me how much he appreciates Romanian instructors, because Romania is involved, together with the UK, in a training programme, Interflex," he said. In this regard, the Minister of Defence said that "there are multiple frameworks and possibilities." "There is this possibility, plus there is the EUMAM - EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine, which is in a European format, and which is aimed at training Ukrainian military. It depends on what the training needs are - whether they are at maritime level, mountain hunter level and so on," he said. Ukrainian pilots can also be trained at Borcea Air Base. "They have to go through a process of acquiring language skills. We are ready to receive them, although our number one priority is the training and preparation of Romanian pilots, as we are going to have 32 new F-16 aircraft, and the need for pilot training is obviously understandable for everyone," added Tilvar. AGERPRES Communication with Austria on the Schengen file has improved lately, Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu said on Monday. The head of Romanian diplomacy is part of the delegation of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who is on a working visit to the United States. "Communication with Austria has improved lately. There is a dialogue not only at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also at the level of the Ministry of Interior and we are continuing all these diplomatic steps together with my colleagues from the Foreign Affairs. In fact, these diplomatic demarches are taking place at the highest level," she said. Odobescu added that the demarches are continuing, "to see what are the exact next steps and what solution we reach in agreement with the Austrian side and the other member states." The accession to Schengen of Romania and Bulgaria is not voting topic in the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 4 and 5 December. AGERPRES Romania must be very firm in supporting its Schengen case with the Council of Justice and Home Affairs, in order to get sure that Austria remains isolated in terms of its opposition to the expansion of the free movement area, MEP Victor Negrescu told AGERPRES on Monday evening, expressing his hope that Bulgaria will also try to avoid the appearance of new opponents to its own accession. MEP Victor Negrescu made these statements in the context in which Tuesday's meeting of the Council of Justice and Home Affairs could seem meaningless, after government sources announced last week that Romania will not ask for a vote on Schengen accession, originally provided for on the provisional agenda. "Romania must be very firm in supporting its cause, in presenting its final arguments regarding its accession to the Schengen area, and we must make sure that Austria remains isolated in terms of its opposition to the expansion of the free movement area," said the PSD (Social Democratic Party) MEP. Asked if there are any signs that there could be other states that could oppose Romania's accession to Schengen in the future, Negrescu answered that "at the moment, in principle, the states maintain their favourable position towards Romania and Bulgaria." "I remind you that last year there were two states that opposed Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Area (Netherlands and Austria), and only one state opposed Romania. (...) Meanwhile, for example, the Netherlands made a report on the rule of law in Bulgaria, a report with positive elements, and we hope that these comments will not appear again and we hope that no other comments will appear regarding Bulgaria," he added. However, in the event that a favourable decision is not taken for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area in December, Victor Negrescu believes that there are two options to work with in this case. "The first option involves appealing to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for a new veto. In this sense, we can take this approach together with the European institutions, the European Parliament or the European Commission, this can be a pro-European approach, to defend European decisions and European treaties," said the Social Democratic MEP. "Basically, we created the mechanisms for the European Parliament to join an approach initiated by our country in such scenario," said Negrescu. He also mentioned that the second possible option in this case is that of decoupling from Bulgaria "in case there is still a much wider opposition to Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area, i.e. if only Austria opposes Romania, decoupling remains a viable solution to put more pressure on Austria". Also, in this case, a clarification from the Council's legal experts would be needed, in order to establish whether the decoupling requires an agreement from Bulgaria or not. When asked how long Romania should wait for a favourable decision regarding Schengen accession before resorting to this second scenario, Negrescu stated that a precondition is to have a vote. "This vote can take place either in COREPER (Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union), or in an extraordinary council, or in a Justice and Home Affairs Council, sometime at the beginning of the year. In order to be able to trigger the other mechanisms, we need to know how the other states are standing and we can only know this if there was a vote in these decision-making formats at the European level," he explained. Negrescu specified that a vote in the Council is necessary to appeal the decision to the CJEU, while a vote in COREPER is also sufficient for the decoupling from Bulgaria. Last but not least, Victor Negrescu appealed to the interested parties in the file to act in the next period "with prudence and diplomacy." "An exaggerated politicization of the subject risks being harmful to Romania's cause. It is obvious that the Austrian executive has turned this topic of the extension of the Schengen area into an electoral topic. If this topic remains interesting from a political point of view for the Austrian government, automatically that government will continue to oppose (...) We must stay united, coherent and try to prove that Romania deserves to be in Schengen," he pleaded. If, however, the "legal and logical arguments" are not successfull, he maintains that "alternative options that are available to the member states to act at the European level" must be used. AGERPRES PM Ciolacu on Schengen: We are waiting for the decision of the Netherlands on Bulgaria before taking a step Romania is currently waiting to find out whether the Netherlands will support Bulgaria's accession to the European free movement area or not, before making its own decision in the Schengen file, the prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, said on Monday. The Council for Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), which will meet on December 4 and 5, does not have the topic of Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to Schengen on its agenda. "The Netherlands had elections on November 22. The current prime minister didn't have time to initiate the procedure of the vote in Parliament because of that. So it was almost certain that the topic would not be discusses at the JHA meeting on December 4-5. However, an extraordinary meeting of the Council will be convened in December especially for this topic, and this is already an item on the JHA agenda. We are first waiting for the Netherlands' decision on Bulgaria and then we will see what our next step will be," said the head of the Executive. Regarding the recent dialogue between Romanian officials and Austria, Ciolacu said that he had "no direct talk with chancellor Nehammer." "We will, for sure, have some discussions, after I return to Romania. There have been talks at the ambassador level and other talks between Austrian and Romanian officials, including our minister of interior," he said. AGERPRES Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu continued on Tuesday his working visit to the United States of America with a meeting with the representatives of the leadership of the House of Representatives' Armed Forces Committee, Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith, thanking them on the occasion for the excellent bilateral political dialogue, as well as for the contribution of the U.S. Congress to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. The prime minister also emphasized the importance of developing and deepening this partnership on all its cooperation dimensions, especially in the fields of defense, security, energy, trade and investments, the government said in a release. "The head of the Romanian government discussed with the representatives of the leadership of the House Armed Services Committee about the situation in Eastern Europe, respectively the security developments in the Black Sea region, but also in the Middle East. The dialogue also covered Romania's support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, strengthening NATO's position in the Black Sea region, the need to support the boost of the U.S. military presence in Romania, as well as bilateral opportunities in the field of defense," the release states. At the same time, Ciolacu pointed out that the strategic partnership with the U.S. is and will remain one of the pillars of Romania's foreign and security policy. "Our country remains a source of stability in the Black Sea region and will continue to contribute to the consolidation and defense of the rules-based international order," the prime minister said. During the discussions with the American congressmen, the prime minister voiced appreciation for the security assistance approved by the U.S. Congress for Romania, highlighting the scaling up of the dialogue and bilateral coordination for the implementation of the U.S. Strategy for security in the Black Sea region. As regards cooperation with allies and partners in the Black Sea region, the head of the Executive referenced the visit of the Romanian government's delegation to Kyiv for the first joint meeting of the Romanian and Ukrainian Cabinets. Also, the prime minister highlighted the importance of the decisions adopted at the NATO Summit in Vilnius for the security and stability of the eastern flank of the Alliance. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also had a meeting with Lockheed Martin representatives, stressing on the occasion the importance of cooperation with American companies for the assessment and development of the capabilities of the national defense industry, the release concludes. Minister of Interior Catalin Predoiu stated on Tuesday, upon arriving at the meeting of the Council of Justice and Home Affairs in Brussels, that there is time for the parliament and the government in The Hague to take a decision on lifting the veto on Bulgaria's accession to Schengen until the end of the year, which could pave the way for a decision favourable to both countries. He reiterated the importance of the fact that the result of the assessment of Bulgaria is positive and emphasized that the thing that matters now is the dialogue between the Dutch government and parliament. Asked if the Netherlands will have time to make a decision by the end of the year regarding the lifting of the veto related to Bulgaria, he answered: "Yes, there is time for the parliament in The Hague and the Dutch government to make a decision, and after this decision is made, we can see if we take further procedural steps, but there is time," he assured. The minister then rejected the speculations regarding a possible of a decision to expand the Schengen space in COREPER, possibly with an abstention from Austria, which would then be validated in any council by the end of the year. "All I can clearly confirm right now is that intense discussions are taking place, and I am in constant contact with Mr. Karner [Gerhard Karner, the Austrian Minister of the Interior -editor's note] (..). I even had a meeting with him last night, and we had a very good talk. Ever since August 23, when we met and reset, if you will, the dialogue between our ministries, we have had this dialogue permanently," said Predoiu about the relationship with his Austrian counterpart. He said that the dialogue with the Austrian side is "intense" and that they have held discussions on numerous occasions, "both officially and informally." He also gave assurances that Gerhard Karner is in direct contact with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and that he, in turn, keeps the president, the prime minister and the foreign minister informed, and that work is being done on this diplomatic channel. AGERPRES BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. It is necessary to create a single organization for the cooperation of the five Caspian littoral states, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, Trend reports. He spoke at a meeting of Caspian littoral states' foreign ministers in Moscow. "It is imperative that the process of five-party collaboration in the Caspian Sea be hastened. Furthermore, we believe that all decisions should be made with the consent and approval of the five Caspian littoral republics. We must promote communal engagement in order to transform the Caspian Sea into a symbol of friendship, progress, and development structure must be implemented. In this context, it is critical to establish a single secretariat or institution capable of managing and controlling all aspects of Caspian Sea cooperation," he said. The minister emphasized that more impetus should be given to the five-party cooperation in the Caspian Sea. "Iran encourages the development of the central economy and cooperative investments in maritime transportation, ports, navigation, maritime tourism, the construction of free trade zones, fisheries, and the rational and sustainable use of bio-resources. The Caspian Sea's trade, economic, and transportation cooperation must be strengthened. Holding Caspian economic forums is a good way to strengthen this cooperation. Unfortunately, the third Caspian Economic Forum in Tehran has been postponed. We are working to propose new dates for this forum at the level of Caspian littoral governments' prime ministers. The regular hosting of this conference will protect the interests of the five littoral republics," Abdollahian added. The meeting is attended by foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan and chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Uranium Concentrate Processing Factory, a subsidiary of Nuclearelectrica SA, has purchased, in a tender organised by the bankruptcy administrator of the National Uranium Company (CNU), the assets related to the technological flow of R Plant Feldioara, thus completing the integrated nuclear circuit, informs the Ministry of Energy in a press release. The asset package purchased in the public tender is composed of land, buildings and special constructions, technological equipment, measuring, control and regulation apparatus and installations, means of transport, technical installations and machinery, fixed assets of an inventory nature, furniture and office equipment and stocks and was acquired at a price of 3.286 million euros, excluding VAT. "I am pleased to see that this transaction has been concluded. We have requested the speeding up of the transaction in order to complete the integrated nuclear circuit under a strong and strategic operator, Societatea Nuclearelectrica SA [SNN SA]. Today's transaction is a huge step towards ensuring Romania's nuclear safety and energy security. Romania's civil nuclear projects are ambitious and show the Romanian state's commitment to a sustainable, cheap and environmentally safe energy source capable of providing conditions for economic development. At the moment, all technological processes can be carried out within SNN, from uranium mining to processing, refining and transformation into nuclear fuel and its exploitation within the Cernavoda power plant," said Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja. Of the total tender price of 17.514 million RON, the winning bidder paid the sum of 1.634 million RON to the account of the National Uranium Company, as a guarantee for participation in the tender, which, according to the Regulation for the sale by public tender of the assets of the debtor CNU SA, is converted into an advance payment, the winning bidder having the obligation to pay the price difference of 15.879 million RON by 4 January 2024. In December 2022, the National Uranium Company, in insolvency, finalised the transaction relating to the technological flow for Feldioara E plant. KMOV's (Channel 4) rebrand has its audience literally seeing red. The news station, now branded First Alert 4, debuted a new logo and studio during a Sunday broadcast. The previous URL now redirects to FirstAlert4.com. The change comes after the news station introduced the phrase "First Alert Weather" last year when reporting on severe weather. And the introduction was followed by a lawsuit, too. KMOV sued KSDK (Channel 5) after KMOV claimed its competitor debuted a similar phrase "Weather First Alert in a broadcast two months after KMOV began using the slogan. The parent company of KMOV, Gray Media Co., filed the lawsuit in September. The suit seeks to stop KSDK from using the confusingly similar combination of words. A KMOV spokesperson said the new brand has been in the works since last year. "Our research shows First Alert coverage is extremely important to the news consumers of St. Louis," a KMOV spokesperson said in a statement. "Its not a surprise to us that others in our market would want to imitate our #1 news operation and copyrighted brand." The phrase "First Alert Weather" was trademarked by Gray Media Co.'s predecessor, Raycom Media Inc., in 2006. A KSDK representative declined to comment on the rebrand and KMOV's statement. The rebrand comes as First Alert 4 moved to a new studio in Maryland Heights, the city home to Riverport formally the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. And the name change isn't the only noticeable makeover. The once-blue studio is now a bright red, along with its logo. Reporters even debuted new looks on social media, decked out in red to celebrate the occasion. The red look, the spokesperson explained, is to represent the "urgency of First Alert." Some viewers took to the station's Facebook page to voice their complaints about the color scheme. One Facebook commenter said that "First Alert" is deceptive since the station used to use the phrase in severe weather or breaking news situations, while others commented they may switch stations over the makeover being "too much red." Lee Enterprises newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content. Whether youre hoping to counteract the effects of thinning hair or just increase your hairs density, hair growth oil is a tool worth trying. However, with all the products available today, it can be hard to know which will work best for you. Heres a list of the best oils to support hair growth. How Can You Boost Hair Growth? No matter the reason for wanting to increase your hair growth, there are plenty of options out there. Here are a few ideas: Take Good Care of Your Hair. It all starts with the proper hair care, which creates the ideal conditions for hair growth. That means trimming your hair regularly, avoiding excess heat and chemicals, and skipping hairstyles that pull too hard on the scalp. Protect Your Hair. Extreme temperatures can damage your hair, so make sure you take appropriate measures when spending time outside or using heat on your hair. That means using a heat-protectant spray, wearing a hat and not using a hair dryer on your hair every day. Use the Right Products. Use hair products that work in harmony with your hair in order to encourage growth. Seek out shampoos and conditioners built for your hair type, ensuring only clean products come in contact with your hair, and use hair masks and other products designed to strengthen hair and help it grow. Live a Healthy Lifestyle. High stress levels and nutrient deficiencies can slow hair growth, so make sure youre living a healthy lifestyle. That means getting all the necessary nutrients (and taking supplements if you need them), exercising a few times a week and finding a way to manage your stress levels. Try a Hair Growth Oil. If you havent had any luck with the strategies above, it may be time to buy hair growth oil. Hair growth oils are products you can apply directly to your scalp, and contain ingredients that may boost circulation, provide essential nutrients and heal scalp issues that may prevent rapid growth. What to Look For in a Hair Growth Oil Here are some ingredients that experts recommend if youre trying to stimulate hair growth: Castor Oil. Even though the evidence that castor oil increases hair growth is purely anecdotal at this point, experts still recommend it. Thats because the natural oil is loaded with antioxidants, fatty acids and a number of important vitamins that have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal power. It also helps increase circulation in the scalp, which means more energy is devoted to the hair growth process. Rosemary Oil. Studies have shown that rosemary oil can be as effective at growing hair as minoxidil, the principal ingredient in common name brand medications. Thats because its a circulation booster; plus, it can kill off some bacteria and fungus that may plague the scalp. Saw Palmetto Extract. This oil from a species of palm has been shown to block DHT, a hormone associated with some kinds of hair loss. Furthermore, its rich in fatty acids, which is great for the health of your hair and scalp. Tea Tree Oil. Since tea tree oil has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, it can help treat scalp issues like dandruff, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Doing so may encourage hair growth. Argan Oil. This powerful natural oil is loaded with fatty acids and nutrients that encourage hair growth. It can also take care of the hair you already have. Jojoba Oil. Jojoba oil penetrates the hair follicles directly, helping to reduce inflammation that may get in the way of hair growth and supporting healthy moisture levels in the scalp. What to Avoid in a Hair Growth Oil When you apply hair growth oil to your scalp, youre placing it in direct contact with your skin, which means you should be careful about whats in it. Hair growth oils that contain ingredients like alcohol, fragrance or certain preservatives can dry out or irritate your scalp. Formaldehyde is an ingredient youll want to avoid at all costs, as are parabens, silicones or phthalates. These may even be dangerous for your overall health, not just the well-being of your scalp and hair. Price Range Key Because hair growth oils vary so much in cost, this list will include information about the price range. Low: Up to $10 Mid: Up to $20 Medium-High: Up to $35 High: $35 and Above This 100% natural Hair and Body Oil from powerhouse brand Blu Atlas may be your secret to full, healthy hair. With a blend of potent oils that approach hair growth from all angles and no trace of harmful hair ingredients, this is one of the best oils for hair growth available today. One key to its success is saw palmetto oil, which comes from a type of palm tree and works to inhibit the hormone DHT that is behind some forms of hair loss. It also contains hydrating and volumizing properties. Theres aloe to soothe scalp issues, argan oil to repair damage with its multitude of nutrients, and sweet almond oil to strengthen hair as it grows to promote density. Finally, panthenol attracts moisture into each hair and seals it off, helping to prevent frizziness or breakage. Price Range: High What the Reviews Say: Too soon to tell, although the brands other products get rave reviews. 2. The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density What makes this one of the best oils for hair growth isnt just the fact that it works quickly; its also lightweight enough to leave in your hair without creating a greasy look. It works by harnessing the power of peptide technologies, which get blood flowing to your hair follicles so they get the necessary nutrients and oxygen to start pumping out fresh hairs. In addition to peptides, The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Growth contains caffeine, a known stimulant, moisturizing and follicle-boosting Larix europaea wood extract, red clover to tackle scalp inflammation, and soja germ extract, which can cut down on hair loss by activating stem cells and protecting against oxidative damage. Price Range: Mid What the Reviews Say: This serum gets rave reviews, with users calling it a miracle oil and saying it gets to work right away. As far as complaints go, some say this causes itching and flaking, but the majority of reviews are extremely positive. 3. Philip Kingsley Density Preserving Scalp Drops This oil for hair growth has a slightly different approach, working to stop hair loss rather than just support hair growth. It does so with a lightweight blend of ingredients shown to maintain healthy hair follicles to cut down on the amount of hair youre losing each day. It includes a proprietary active complex that has been proven to slow hair loss. To help the active complex, there is also caffeine in here, along with saw palmetto to help counteract hormonal hair loss and a menthyl-derived ingredient that delivers an instant cooling effect. While this formula from Philip Kingsley used to contain alcohol, that ingredient has now been removed to give you the same hair density help without drying out the scalp. Price Range: High What the Reviews Say: Many reviewers with health issues that caused hair loss say this product reversed heavy hair fall. They also mention that they saw results in about three months. Negative reviews say that it doesnt work well enough to justify the price. 4. Mielle Rosemary Mint Oil Mielles Rosemary Mint Oil combines some of the best oils nature has to offer in order to encourage strong and healthy hair growth. This one is oilier than some of the other products on this list, so you probably wont want to use it right before heading out the door unless youre going for a slicked-back look. Rosemary is one of the most important hair growth ingredients, but it doesnt work alone. Soybean, castor seed and coconut oils also work their magic. Plus, ingredients like lavender oil target scalp inflammation, tea tree and eucalyptus reduce bacteria and fungus, and burdock root supports healthy follicles. Price Range: Low What the Reviews Say: Lots of five-star reviews and before-and-after shots grace each site where this oil is sold. Users claim that this works in as little as a month, and note that it makes hair softer and healthier looking. Reviewers do mention that it can be slightly greasy. 5. Act and Acre Cold Pressed Stem Cell Scalp Serum Microbiome seems to be the new health buzzword. Basically, its the ecosystem of microorganisms that populates different parts of the body, and is responsible for that part of the bodys health. Your scalps microbiome happens to be particularly fragile and is easily knocked off balance. The idea behind this serum from Act and Acre is to restore balance to the scalp microbiome in order to kick growth into gear. It all starts with apple stem cells, which have been shown to potentially decrease shedding by a whopping 34% within a month, while also elongating the follicles growth phases. Then ingredients like aloe vera, bamboo, hyaluronic acid and pea sprouts add hydration and protection from oxidative stress. Price Range: High What the Reviews Say: Reviewers say that this serum can slow hair loss and creates a strong foundation for growth, sometimes within a matter of weeks. Some less enthusiastic reviewers claim the results are fairly subtle. 6. The Mane Choice The Alpha Growth Oil With its pointed nozzle tip, this product, which is one of the best oils for hair growth, is easily applied to the scalp for a mess-free experience. Its loaded with powerful natural oils designed to heal the scalp and take care of the hair that grows, leading to hair that is less prone to breakage. It contains oils like rosemary, castor and jojoba, which are known for their ability to promote hair growth. Sweet almond oil adds moisture to make hair more resilient and manageable, rice bran extract adds softness while promoting growth, nettle leaf minimizes breakage and celery seed balances moisture levels. Price Range: Mid What the Reviews Say: Few reviews mention noticeable hair growth, but many claim that this oil made their hair stronger, shinier and healthier looking. Others mention that it made their scalps feel more comfortable. The only downside regularly mentioned in reviews is the greasiness of the formula. 7. Essy Naturals Hair Growth Oil Weak hair is prone to breakage, which can make it seem like you have a thinner head of hair. This growth oil from Essy Naturals may transform brittle hair into strong and luscious locks with ingredients like biotin and caffeine. Rosemary and castor oils are also included to help improve hair density. With regular use, you may notice fewer split ends as well as stronger and thicker hair. Price Range: Medium-high What the Reviews Say: Reviewers say that a little goes a long way with this one, and that it creates much stronger hair. Some claim that it leaves hair looking oily and takes a while to kick in, although patience is rewarded. 8. Briogeo B. Well Organic and Cold-Pressed Castor Oil Castor oil is one of the best oils for hair growth, so why mess with a good thing? Thats all this product from Briogeo contains, but it may be all you need. This is not just any castor oil, mind you, but organic, cold-pressed castor oil to ensure you get the most out of every drop. If you want, you can use this on your eyebrows, or even apply some to your skin for a little extra moisture and a soft glow. Price Range: Medium-high What the Reviews Say: Users like how this absorbs quickly into skin and hair, despite being thick and somewhat sticky. It seems that castor oils growth benefits dont work for everyone, but those for whom it isnt a miracle growth stimulator say it does help with the texture and shine of both hair and skin. 9. Nutrafol Growth Activator Serum The key to Nutrafols Growth Activator serum is ashwagandha exosomes, which contain lipids, protein and RNA that have been shown to support growth. Irish moss peptides help hair grow stronger, while pea sprout extract makes hair more resistant to damage. To encourage hair follicles to stay in the growth phase for longer, theres also maca root extract, and seaweed and kelp bring important nutrients to the formula. To promote greater circulation for increased follicle health, the product also contains horsetail extract. Price Range: High What the Reviews Say: Lots of positive reviews point to this serums power and its added benefits, like growing darker hair for those experiencing premature graying. The only real complaints are about the bottle, not whats in it. 10. Evolis Promote Activator If youve noticed that it seems like your hair is growing painfully slowly like you hardly need to get a haircut because theres no growth to speak of this Promote Activator may help. It revitalizes hair follicles, gets in the way of proteins that slow hair growth, and improves hairs look and feel, all in a lightweight serum that absorbs quickly. The hero ingredients driving this formula are white tea, ylang-ylang and mangosteen, which get the circulation going in your scalp, fight dandruff and invigorate the roots of your hair. Price Range: High What the Reviews Say: There doesnt seem to be a consensus about how long it takes for this one to work some say a few weeks, while others have success after a few months. Most reviewers enjoy the lightweight formula and subtle scent, and many claim it has changed the structure of their hair. 11. The Drip Gentle Healthy Hair Growth This formula is the gentler version of the brands other hair serum, and is designed for children and those with sensitive scalps. It contains a straightforward list of 12 natural oils, and is supposed to provide results within a few weeks if combined with a gentle scalp massage. The potent blend of flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamins and linoleic acid give your scalp what it may need for healthy hair growth. Then ylang-ylang potentially prevents hair loss by balancing the scalps sebum levels, chia seed removes flakes and may reduce scalp irritation, carrot seed oil provides growth-friendly nutrients and juniper berry aids in detoxification. The combination of these oils and more gives your scalp a fresh start. Price Range: Medium-high What the Reviews Say: Most of the reviews mention that this product helps them get frizzy or brittle hair under control, and a few say its helped fill in bald patches. Many also note that it has a nice smell and feel. 12. Uzima Ukuaji Blooming Serum Sometimes stress and inflammation can be behind hair loss or lack of growth, and thats where this product, which is one of the best oils for hair growth, comes in. Its full of calming, strengthening and inflammation-fighting ingredients shown to give the scalps microbiome a makeover. While this oil is rather expensive, its ingredient list is impressive, so may be worth a shot if you can afford it. Some of the standout ingredients include inflammation-fighting turmeric, hydrating gotu kola and hair fortifying shiitake mushroom extract. Amla extract invites vitamin C and antioxidants into the mix, and bhringraj offers an ayurvedic hair growth solution that has been lauded for generations. Price Range: High What the Reviews Say: Users cant get enough of this oils smell, and love the way it helps restore a receding hairline. 13. Grow Gorgeous Original Density Serum Fine hair seems especially susceptible to breakage and thinning, and this Grow Gorgeous serum has an answer. It reinvigorates roots, moisturizes the scalp and adds volume to limp hair. Studies have shown that this serum increased hair growth in 90% of participants after 12 weeks, so you may need some patience to see results. Caffeine stimulates the hair follicles to boost growth, which is an important first step. Chinese skullcap and wheat sprouts offer greater volume, while pea sprout extract shortens the telogen (resting) phase of hair growth. That means your hair may get back to growing that much quicker. Price Range: Medium-high What the Reviews Say: Several reviews claim this is the best hair oil theyve used, and also mention the amazing smell. However, some call the fragrance overbearing, so it depends on what youre looking for. Many reviews mention that this serum is somewhat heavy. 14. Wild Growth Hair Oil Wild Growth Hair Oil is one of those tried and true products backed by plenty of anecdotal evidence. Its a fan favorite for sure! The ingredient list is unique and fine-tuned, bringing you everything from the hair growth power of coconut oil to the calming properties of lavender, the anti-inflammatory benefits of pumpkin seed oil and the nutrition of mushroom extract. A blend of natural oils, butters and botanicals makes this hair oil stand out, and while it doesnt look fancy it certainly packs a punch. Price Range: Low What the Reviews Say: Rave reviews all around! 15. Venanoci Hair Growth Oil Theres got to be a reason this is one of the best-selling hair growth oils on online stores! It probably has something to do with the blend of caffeine, biotin, castor oil, rosemary, coconut oil, olive oil and vitamin B, which combine all the top recommended ingredients for hair growth. The scent is natural and not off-putting, and the texture is light enough to leave hair glossy and not greasy. Price Range: Medium-high What the Reviews Say: Some users claim this oil works very slowly, but most are blown away by its transformative power on thinning hair. In the fall of 1963, local civil rights groups demanded that a local bank, the Jefferson Bank & Trust Co., hire more Black employees. The efforts included a boycott and demonstrations at the bank, and as this Dec. 5 1963 article shows, at other businesses: Twenty-five persons were arrested on charges of peace disturbance, resisting arrest and interfering with police officers last night after a noisy racial demonstration in the Scruggs Vandervoort Barney and Jaccards downtown stores. Several persons resisted arrest. Some blocked police vehicles and other crawled under them, clinging to the underside until officers pulled them loose. The demonstration was led by the St. Louis Committee of Racial Equality in an attempt to promote its Christmas shopping boycott effort. All but five of those participating were Black. Bank Picketed First After conducting their usual picketing at the Jefferson Bank & Trust Co. from 4 to 6 p.m., the demonstrators got into automobiles and drove downtown. Then they marched in single file into the Scruggs store singing loudly. They paraded through the first floor of the department and jewelry stores, then rode escalators to the third floor and back down again. Some stuffed leaflets into merchandise on counters. The leaflets said, "Support the Fight for Freedom Don't Buy for Xmas." Store employees followed the demonstrators, removing the leaflets as they went. William E. Heaton, vice president and general manager of Scruggs, demanded that police arrest the demonstrators. He told a reporter, "It would have been all right if they had stayed outside, but we won't have them in the store." Arrests Announced The demonstrators, planning to go into other downtown Stores, were informed by police Capt. Robert Matteson when they left Scruggs's Tenth street entrance that they were under arrest. Most of the demonstrators then sat on the sidewalk. When patrol wagons arrived, three demonstrators got into one vehicle but two refused and were carried onto it on stretchers. Two other demonstrators then threw themselves in front of the patrol wagon. As officers placed them on stretchers, several others lay in their place and in front and under two other patrol wagons. Traffic in Tenth between Locust and St. Charles streets was disrupted for about 20 minutes. About 100 persons, many of them shoppers, gathered to watch the incident. Eugene Tournour and Winston Lockett, field secretaries of the Congress of Racial Equality, were among those who placed themselves under the police vehicles. Two Bind Selves In a patrol wagon en route to Police Headquarters, the two CORE leaders and Abraham Worthy, a Black student, bound themselves together with a scarf. Several other demonstrators continued to c!ing together and struggle with officers at headquarters. Sixteen of the demonstrators were booked suspected of resisting arrest and interfering with police officers as well as on peace disturbance charges. Two made bond immediately. The 22 others made bond today after Provisional Police Judge Robert Morley continued the charges against them until Dec. 16. One demonstrator, a Black woman, was ordered examined at City Hospital after she complained that her wrist had been injured. CORE called for the boycott against downtown stores to protest against alleged discrimination in employment and, the group charges, tacit support given by business men to the Jefferson Bank in a dispute over job demands there. Hearing in Bank Case Meanwhile, a hearing opened today before Circuit Judge David J. Murphy to determine whether a temporary court order prohibiting interference with the bank's business should be made permanent. Joseph H. McDonnell, executive vice president of the bank, was called as the first witness by Wayne L. Millsap, bank attorney. He reviewed events in the dispute.. Editor's note: As was routine at the time, this article used another word to refer to the race of those protesting. To avoid re-printing a phrase some readers may find objectionable, racial references have been changed. Photos: Jefferson Bank protests were a major part of the Civil Rights story in St. Louis 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 A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the worst foods I and a lot of my Facebook friends many of whom I have actually met have ever eaten. Readers, bless em, wanted in on the fun. So they wrote and emailed and called to say what the worst thing they ever ate was, too. ThinkinDrinkin recalled a story from a colleague about a Thanksgiving dinner from many years before. Comparing the scene to a Norman Rockwell painting, he said that grandma took dinner out of the oven and brought it to the table a whole roasted raccoon on its back, with its feet sticking into the air. Nope, nope, nopity nope! he wrote. Chillingly along the same lines was the barbecued raccoon Friessa had at a VFW hall. Certain Scandinavian foods came in for their share of abuse, too. Cellolee and Alton both cited lutefisk, a notoriously noxious and gelatinous dried white fish that is first cured in lye and then rehydrated for several days. Many years ago, I visited a really nice Swedish family who offered it up as a delicacy. I choked some down, but never again, Alton said. Bongoshaftsbury and Id like to point out that the readers themselves came up with these names, not me said, One time, and one time only, I bought a tin of Norwegian fish cakes. Gray, mucilaginous lumps greeted me with the flavor of fish long on the stringer and exposed to the sun by a falling tide. Scandinavian weather in a can. Als most-disliked foods were more pedestrian: Brussels sprouts, tuna salad and neckbones. And Medi8r wrote, There are still folks who ruin a perfectly good bowl of chili by putting beans in it. Personally, I like beans in my chili. If you want to get all foodie about it, they add an umami undertone that tempers the spice, allowing you to add more heat to the chili if you want. If you want to be less technical, I just like the way they taste. But I dont love beans in my chili as much as I love beets. When I was young, pickled beets were one of my very favorite foods, and I still crave them. I may be in the minority on this one. Randy said the food he hates most is beets. Nothing even comes close. Beets. Dreaded, horrid beets. Ron added, by far the worst thing I have ever tasted is beet juice. And Averys most-despised food is canned beets. I dont care. Hate beets all you want. That just means more beets for me. Nathan opined that his worst food is a pork kidney, and Walter dislikes sea urchin, which he says tastes like biting into an electrical cord. Jay detests those classic canned meats, Spam and Vienna sausages. Steve tried roasted chestnuts, and I wanted a detachable tongue. Colleen calls shrimp cockroaches of the sea. Hillary calls them insects of the sea. Colleen and Hillary know each other. Colleen also hates chocolate ice cream. There is something wrong with Colleen. The worst food Alan ever ate was beef liver with molasses. Larry agreed about the liver, and added thankfully, (Ive) never had to deal with it with molasses on it. Astelfrog submitted a whole host of foods he or she particularly dislikes, including haggis, sauerkraut, slimy okra, horehound candy (an old-fashioned hard candy that tastes like a blend of licorice and mint), rhubarb and anything where the eyes stare back at you. The worst thing Pam ever ate was a post-Christmas meal of turkey soup her father made when she was nine. He used a turkey carcass that hed kept in the refrigerator for a full two weeks. Thats a good week after he should have discarded it. It tasted awful, but hed worked so hard I accepted a second bowl, and soon began feeling very ill. I went to my room and sat on my bed, wondering if I was going to die, she wrote. Ed pointed out that the main ingredient in the Chinese delicacy birds nest soup is a special kind of nest that is created by a certain kind of bird spitting out a gummy saliva that hardens when exposed to air. Burkem detests the fermented egg, balut, he tried in the Philippines and said, I have always wondered if it was invented on purpose or just discovered by accident. Meanwhile, Kurt had even harsher words for another Filipino favorite, bopis. It is a dish made from all of the things that Westerners think of as garbage. It is a hash made of spleens, lungs, anuses, adenoids, eyeballs, nostrils, (dirty) toenails, rectums, ear wax and anything else that could be harvested, he wrote. In fact, bopis is actually made with diced pork lung, heart and sometimes kidneys, cooked with onions, garlic and spices. But his point is taken. Quoting Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe on Friends, he said, I know what evil tastes like. ST. LOUIS Police say a Berkeley woman fled the St. Louis region after being involved with the killing of a tow truck driver who was attempting to repossess an SUV. She is now facing charges. Authorities say Cortrina Donaby, 30, had taken a Jeep Grand Cherokee out on a short-term loan from a dealership in September, but she didnt pay. Jesse Jones, 44, was sent to retrieve it. After Jones arrived on Sept. 7, police say he was shot and killed by Dwayne Davis, who was called by Donaby to help get the Jeep back. Jones family members told the Post-Dispatch in September that Jones, of Elsberry, was helping Donaby move belongings out of the Jeep when he was attacked. He had a big heart, said his sister, Stephanie Jones, at the time. After the shooting, police recovered data from a GPS installed on the Jeep by the car dealership and followed it to Cahokia Heights. When police tried to stop the car, it fled and crashed on the Poplar Street Bridge, court documents say. Davis threw a gun over off the bridge and tried to run from police but was eventually arrested, police wrote. Officers also recovered the gun, which matched the caliber of the bullets that shot Jones. Police say Donaby fled the St. Louis region and is hundreds of miles away in a different state. On Tuesday, she was charged with second-degree felony murder, which means Jones was killed while Donaby was committing another crime. She is also facing charges of robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. She was ordered to be held without bond when she is captured. Davis was charged in September with first-degree murder, robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. He is being held at the city jail without bond. Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Davis is accused of throwing the gun off the bridge. ST. LOUIS The city's top prosecutor announced Tuesday that his office will revive an effort to review cases where people claim they were wrongfully convicted, and it already has three investigations in the works. Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore said the "Conviction Integrity Unit," which will be led by former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice George Draper, will work to prevent, identify and remedy wrongful convictions with help from attorneys at private law firms. It's a similar process used by Gore's predecessor, Kimberly M. Gardner, to free Lamar Johnson, who spent nearly three decades in prison for a crime he did not commit. The unit is one of several ways Gore says he is trying to restore and improve a dysfunctional office that was staffed with roughly half the attorneys as were budgeted when Gore took over about six months ago. Since then, Gore has hired two dozen lawyers and 14 support staff, including victim advocates and paralegals, cleared thousands of cases on an uncharged backlog, disposed of 53 homicide cases with charges or pleas and charged 45% more cases than Gardner did during the same period last year, he said. But there is more work to do, he said during a news conference on Tuesday to discuss his first six months as city prosecutor. Gore's office is still updating antiquated IT systems, trying to fully clear case backlogs, rebuild relationships with the public and ramp up a diversion program that would allow people to avoid a conviction if they complete programs to address issues like substance abuse and domestic violence. "I am very pleased with the trajectory the office is on," he said. Gore took over in late May after Gardner abruptly resigned amid a lawsuit seeking her removal from office and a bill filed in the Missouri legislature that would have stripped her of much of her power. In his first six weeks, he hired more than a dozen attorneys and cut a backlog of pending cases in half. By September, a Post-Dispatch analysis found the office had filed twice as many criminal cases as Gardner's office did during the same period one year earlier. And that trend has continued, Gore said Tuesday. The office has now hired 24 new attorneys, half of whom previously worked in the Circuit Attorney's Office, and five of whom have worked in other prosecutor's offices in the region, he said. Gore is also asking the city for more positions to be added to his payroll with the goal of having at least 60 attorneys on staff. He also wants to bolster diversion programs, which had just 40 participants when he took office. Gore said he hopes to have between 250 to 400 people enrolled in those programs to help them avoid felony or misdemeanor convictions. He said he also wants to use drug and other treatment courts more frequently. Gore's spokeswoman declined to say which three cases were being reviewed by the conviction integrity unit because they are ongoing. He, however, confirmed that a separate effort to review the 1991 murder conviction of Christopher Dunn was still underway. Gardner announced in the days before her resignation that her office had filed to overturn his conviction, but Gore withdrew that motion in order to conduct a full review. That investigation is still ongoing, he said. As for Gore's future in office, he said Tuesday he is still making up his mind about whether he wants to become a political candidate and run for a full term next November. "It is not something I ever thought I would pursue," he said. "But the circumstances here present a scenario where it's something I have to seriously consider." UPDATED at 10 a.m. Tuesday with name of man who died LAKE SAINT LOUIS Police on Tuesday identified a man shot and killed this past weekend after struggling with a Lake Saint Louis police officer over guns, authorities said. Wesley Ingrim, 28, of Lake Saint Louis, was killed by police on Sunday night. Officers were called around 9 p.m. to Boulevard Park in Lake Saint Louis to investigate a report of a shooting. They found multiple shell casings at the scene. They then went to a home in the 2400 block of Fox Bridge Court to continue the investigation. Lake Saint Louis police Chief Chris DiGiuseppi said Ingrim lived there. Ingrim walked out of the house with two handguns, police said. Officers tried to disarm him, but he fought with police, authorities said. One officer fired at Ingrim, wounding and later killing him. Ingrim fired two shots during the struggle, police said. One officer was injured, treated and released from the hospital. The shooting in Lake Saint Louis happened just hours after another man was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with police in O'Fallon, Missouri. In that case, authorities said police chased the man after he fired shots at a clocktower near City Hall. ST. LOUIS Suspects in St. Louis-area homicide cases studied by a criminology team were 31 years old on average, an age that shocked Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, given that many anti-violence efforts are aimed at teens and young adults. That was part of a flurry of statistics released Monday on the opening day of a weeklong conference aimed at crafting a regional strategy to reduce the number of murders and other violent crime here. That was eye-opening for me, Jones told reporters after the initial session, held on the Washington University School of Medicine campus. A lot of our interventions were focused toward youth, she said. And so knowing that this is sort of the profile, so to speak, that we can change our interactions and change our intentions. St. Louis does have some programs without a specific youth focus, Jones said. Thomas Abt, who heads the Violence Reduction Center at the University of Maryland, said that surprise isnt unusual. The age of suspects in Boston and Knoxville, Tennessee two other metro areas the center has worked with over the past year averaged 29 and 27, respectively. The study, which found the average age of St. Louis-area homicide victims also was 31, was conducted by researchers from the National Network of Safe Communities affiliated with the John Jay School of Criminal Justice in New York. The study here was of 135 homicide incidents in St. Louis from September 2022 to June of this year, 63 in St. Louis County from January 2022 to June of this year and 14 in East St. Louis from January 2022 to June of this year. They interviewed officers with the St. Louis, St. Louis County and East St. Louis police departments to review the cases one by one, asking who was involved, what happened, why it happened and what might happen next. Alexis Acevedo, one of the researchers, said in metro areas with sustained high levels of violence, such as the St. Louis area, suspects are often older on average than one might think. The study also showed that 90% of the homicide cases involved a firearm and that most suspects and victims in St. Louis and St. Louis County had previously been arrested 84% of suspects and 71% of victims. Nearly a third of each group had been convicted of a felony. East St. Louis wasnt included in that part of the study. A lot of this violence is retaliatory, said Talib Hudson, another researcher. Todays victim can be tomorrows perpetrator and vice versa. Many of the suspects and victims know each other, the study found. Were really talking about a manageable, smaller number of people who are networked, who are linked, who are known and can be known, and who are often engaged in violence with each other, Hudson said. Because of that, he said, its possible to focus law enforcement and other strategies on such groups. Abt said a strategy should be aimed at meeting them where theyre at and helping them address a lifetime of trauma but also punish those who persistently engage in violent behavior with swift and certain sanctions. The study also showed that 86% of suspects and 80% of victims in St. Louis and St. Louis County were men and that 92% of suspects and 86% of victims were Black. Lee Slocum, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said while homicide rates in the city and the metro area have fallen since the height of the pandemic in 2020, they are still significantly above the national rate. Among others who spoke at the opening session were St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. Others among the 150 or so people on hand were police, prosecutors, academics and officials with business groups and social service organizations. The meetings were organized by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, a regional planning organization. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Iran hopes for acceleration of border delimitation in the Caspian Sea after the meeting in Baku, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, Trend reports. He spoke at a meeting of foreign ministers of Caspian littoral states in Moscow. "The Caspian Sea Convention establishes the rights and obligations of the five littoral countries in the four nautical zones, as well as the basic framework of cooperation. In order to apply sovereignty, sovereign rights, and exclusive collective authority in these zones, baselines must be drawn as a foundation for delimiting the precise boundaries of inland waters, territorial waters, fishing zones, and shared water regions," he said. Amir-Abdollahian observed that, despite six rounds of discussions and agreements to conclude this procedure, progress has been slow. "We hope that the seventh meeting of this working group will be held in Baku soon and will bring appropriate results," he told reporters. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian proposed that such a working group meet at least once a quarter in one of the littoral countries. "Drawing up and implementing a certain number of documents on the Caspian Sea depends on baseline agreements," he concluded. The meeting is chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with the participation of the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri board of education on Tuesday named the departments next leader and signaled that charter school reform could be one of her first issues to tackle. Karla Eslinger, a Republican state senator from Wasola, starts as Missouris commissioner of education June 1. She will replace Margie Vandeven who served seven years in the role. In other matters at their monthly meeting, board members complained about charter school oversight before approving Believe STL Academy to open next fall as the 20th public high school in the city of St. Louis. Board member Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge of north St. Louis County said opening new schools is irresponsible when the population of St. Louis is shrinking. In 1991, there were 14 St. Louis Public Schools and charter high schools in the city for nearly 10,000 students. Next fall, there will be 20 high schools for around 7,000 students. We have a moral and fiduciary responsibility to use scarce taxpayer resources efficiently. We just cant afford to keep opening schools, Westbrooks-Hodge told the board members before recording the only dissenting vote on the charter school. My no vote is for optics and it doesnt mean anything, but on principle I cannot approve schools that are outside of a larger plan that uplifts the entire region. Several other state board members said they want the Legislature to give the board the ability to block new schools from opening. Under current law, a charter schools sponsor has unlimited approval power which the state board cannot overturn. Before we do a huge expansion of charter schools, lets attack the legislation so we can insure we have good quality schools and the right number of schools, said board member Kimberly Bailey of Raymore. But board member Kerry Casey of Chesterfield said SLPS has had the opportunity to deliver a good quality education and theyre failing. If we think were going to fix the system before we provide the opportunity to children, were being negligent in our jobs here on the board to provide opportunity to all. Prior to the boards discussion, Eslinger said she will support school choice as the next commissioner of education and that she cannot be labeled as either an education reformer or public school defender. I am a school leader, Eslinger said. I support work toward good schools, period. State lawmakers including Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, and Rep. Doug Richey, R-Excelsior Springs, have said they want the next commissioner to eliminate significant bloat and mission creep in the education department and promote local control at the parental level. Missouri public education requires a reset and return to basics, Koenig and Richey wrote in an October letter to the state board of education. Eslinger has served on the Legislatures joint committee on education and voted against the 2021 bill that led to a private school tax-credit voucher program. She also supported innovation waivers that allow some school districts to create new assessment systems and eventually drop state standardized tests. This month, Eslinger pre-filed a bill that would raise the minimum teacher salary to $38,000 statewide. Eslinger started her career as an elementary school teacher and worked up to the superintendent role in the Ava and West Plains school districts. She also worked for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as an assistant commissioner. The next commissioner earned a bachelors degree in elementary education from the College of the Ozarks, a masters degree from Missouri State University and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Eslinger was first elected to the Legislature as a state representative in 2019 and then as a senator in 2020. She will serve out her term through the 2024 session. The Missouri commissioner of education earns more than $190,000 and oversees an agency with about 1,650 employees who monitor the states 518 school districts. Eslinger will become the states seventh commissioner since the role was created in 1947. JEFFERSON CITY A candidate running to become Missouris top election official wants to require ballots to be counted by hand, mirroring unfounded allegations of election fraud pushed by former President Donald Trump and his allies. Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, filed legislation for the upcoming 2024 legislative session that would repeal current state law allowing election authorities to use automatic tabulating equipment in elections. Under a 2022 law signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson, paper ballots are the official ballot of the state. But those ballots are still fed into a machine to be tabulated. Hoskins proposal would require all ballots to be cast in paper form and hand counted, potentially resulting in the outcome of an election taking weeks or months to determine. I think that as long as we have the manpower to do it, there will not be those issues. Ive heard a lot of people who support hand counting ballots. They have concerns about the accuracy of tabulating machines, Hoskins said. Hoskins, who has aligned himself with a hard-right conservative faction in the Senate, is among at least six GOP candidates seeking the post currently held by Republican Jay Ashcroft. They include Senate President Caleb Rowden of Columbia, Rep. Adam Schwadron of St. Charles and Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller. Others include political newcomer Valentina Gomez Noriega, and Jamie Kidd of Buckner. Schwadron acknowledged voters have concerns about election security, but said hand-counting ballots would be problematic, especially in the states larger counties during statewide and national elections. To completely switch over to hand counting is not the solution the state needs, Schwadron said. Youre going to have more errors and more people handling the ballots. He said a better solution is to boost post-election audits. If those reviews show problems, then a hand count could be ordered. Hoskins said eliminating electronic tabulating machines could help Missouri avoid potential hacking of elections by foreign adversaries, which he contends is a threat. He also downplayed concerns about the added cost of having to hire so many people to count ballots. We do have the money to do this, Hoskins said. Hoskins proposal comes as dozens of judges, including several appointed by Trump, have rejected the former presidents claims about election fraud. Trumps own attorney general and an exhaustive review by The Associated Press found no evidence of widespread fraud that could have changed the results of the 2020 election. But, across the U.S., conspiracy theories related to voting machines prompted many Republican-controlled local governments to explore banning machines from tallying votes in favor of hand counts. Election experts have said hand counting is less accurate than feeding paper ballots into a tabulating machine. They also are slower than a computer, potentially postponing the naming of winners and losers for weeks after Election Day. The idea is not something that was pursued by Ashcroft during his tenure because of the added time and cost of counting over 3 million ballots cast by Missouri voters. In addition, such a change would require additional workers to count the ballots at a time when election authorities are struggling to hire enough poll workers. Poll numbers show stark differences between Republicans and Democrats on election fraud issues. In July, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that only 22% of Republicans have high confidence that votes in the upcoming presidential election will be counted accurately compared to 71% of Democrats. Overall, the survey found that 44% of Americans have a great deal or quite a bit of confidence that the votes in the next presidential election will be counted accurately. Hoskins also has introduced legislation that would create an Office of Election Crimes and Security, which would review complaints and conduct investigations into alleged violations of election laws. A similar proposal did not advance in the Senate last year. The legislation is Senate Bill 917. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip Israeli warplanes heavily bombarded an area around Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Monday as the military ordered mass evacuations from the town in the face of a widening ground offensive that is pushing Palestinians into a progressively shrinking portion of the besieged territory. The expanded assault posed a deadly choice for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either stay in the path of Israeli forces or flee within the confines of southern Gaza with no guarantee of safety. Aid workers warned that the mass movement would worsen the already dire humanitarian catastrophe in the territory. Another wave of displacement is underway, and the humanitarian situation worsens by the hour, the Gaza chief of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Thomas White, said in a post on X. Adding to the chaos, phone and internet networks across Gaza collapsed again Monday evening, the Palestinian telecom provider PalTel reported. The network has broken down multiple times during the war, making it largely impossible for residents to communicate with each other or the outside world for hours or sometimes several days until it is repaired. Israel has vowed to eliminate Gazas Hamas rulers, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and triggered the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. The war has already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of the territorys population of 2.3 million people. Palestinian health officials say bombardment has killed several hundred civilians since a weeklong truce ended Friday. Already under mounting pressure from its top ally, the United States, Israel appears to be racing to strike a death blow against Hamas if thats possible, given the groups deep roots in Palestinian society before any new cease-fire. But the mounting toll is likely to further increase international pressure to return to the negotiating table. Airstrikes and the ground offensive in northern Gaza have reduced large swaths of Gaza City and nearby areas to a rubble-filled wasteland. Hundreds of thousands of residents fled south during the assault. Now around 2 million people most of the territorys population are crowded into the 230 square kilometers (90 square miles) of southern and central Gaza, where Israels ground offensive is now moving, threatening to render even larger areas uninhabitable. Since the truces collapse, the military has ordered the population out of an area of about 62 square kilometers (24 square miles) in and near Khan Younis, according to the evacuation maps issued by the Israeli military. That further reduces the space available for Palestinians by more than a quarter. Fighting in central Gaza Constant bombardment on the edges of Khan Younis, Gazas second-largest city, lit up the sky over the town Monday evening, and a stream of ambulances carrying wounded, including several women and children, flowed to the main hospital. Over the past few days, Israeli strikes have been on a ferocious scale, said Mohammed Aghaalkurdi, an aid worker with the group Medical Aid for Palestinians in Khan Younis. Barely has any kind of aid been delivered to the people, nor is there any food left in shops." He said neighborhoods and shelters were emptying as people fled. Leaflets dropped by the Israeli military warn people to go south toward the border with Egypt, but they are unable to leave Gaza, as both Israel and neighboring Egypt have refused to accept any refugees. The area that Israel ordered evacuated covers about a fifth of Khan Younis. Before the war, that area was home to some 117,000 people, and now it also houses more than 50,000 people displaced from the north, living in 21 shelters, the U.N. said. It was not known how many were fleeing. Some Palestinians have ignored past evacuation orders, saying they do not feel any safer since areas where they are told to flee have also been bombed. Many also fear they will never be allowed back to their homes. It was not clear where Israeli troops have moved into southern Gaza, but the military told people to stay off the main road between Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, suggesting forces were moving between the two towns. Israeli media also reported intense fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in northern Gaza in the Jabaliya refugee camp and the Gaza City district of Shijaiya, both scenes of intense bombardment and battles in recent weeks. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, said the army is pursuing Hamas with maximum force in the north and south while trying to minimize harm to civilians. He pointed to a map that divides southern Gaza into dozens of blocks in order to give precise instructions to residents on where to evacuate. Most are urged to flee south, but, confusingly, a map posted on X by the military Monday urged people to flee into Fakhari, a district east of Khan Younis that the military ordered evacuated a day before. The level of human suffering is intolerable, Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said during a rare visit to Gaza. It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza, and with a military siege in place, there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. She also called for the immediate release of scores of hostages still held by Palestinian militants since the Oct. 7 attack. In a letter to the Red Cross chief, a group of released Israeli hostages asked to meet her while she is visiting the region and called for more help from the organization to free the remaining 137 captives. Every day that passes could be their last, and the suffering they endure is inhuman, wrote the eight freed captives and 102 relatives of hostages still in captivity. Rising toll The Health Ministry in Gaza said the death toll in the territory since Oct. 7 has surpassed 15,890 people 70% of them women and children with more than 42,000 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said hundreds have been killed or wounded since the cease-fires end, with many still trapped under rubble. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah received 32 bodies overnight after Israeli strikes across central Gaza, said Omar al-Darawi, an administrative employee. Associated Press footage showed women in tears, kneeling over the bodies of loved ones and kissing them. The Israeli military said aircraft struck some 200 Hamas targets overnight, with ground troops operating in parallel, without elaborating. It said troops in northern Gaza uncovered two militant tunnel shafts that held explosives and weapons in a school after coming under attack. It is not possible to independently confirm battlefield reports from either side. Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighborhoods. Still, it does not provide accounting for its targets in individual strikes. Israel claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence. The military says at least 81 of its soldiers have been killed. U.S. pressure The U.S. is pressing Israel to avoid more mass displacements and civilian deaths, a message underscored by Vice President Kamala Harris during a visit to the region. She also said the U.S. would not allow the forced relocation of Palestinians out of Gaza or the occupied West Bank, or the redrawing of Gazas borders. But its unclear how far the Biden administration is willing or able to go in pressing Israel to rein in the offensive, even as the White House faces growing pressure from its allies in Congress. The U.S. has pledged unwavering support to Israel since the Oct. 7 attack, including rushing munitions and other aid to the country. Israel has rejected U.S. suggestions that control over postwar Gaza be handed over to the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority as part of a renewed effort to resolve the overall conflict by establishing a Palestinian state. Magdy and Jeffery reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Lee Keath in Cairo contributed. Updated at 6:30 p.m. Life is difficult enough for any child who ends up in foster care, and perhaps especially so for teenagers who are questioning their sexual identity. It should go without saying that foster parents in such a situation should be knowledgeable about LGBTQ issues and supportive of the childs emotional and medical needs and preferences. Yet 19 state attorneys general, including Missouris Andrew Bailey, are challenging a proposed federal rule that would require states to ensure that foster parents who take in kids with sexual identity issues are trained in those issues, will facilitate appropriate services and agree to things like respecting the childs preferred pronouns. The attorneys general claim such a rule would amount to unconstitutional infringements on foster families freedom of religion and speech. Its a bizarre argument that attempts to turn abused kids into ideological fodder for the culture wars. The proposed rule under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is premised on the assertion that LGBTQ youths are more likely statistically to end up in foster care due to conflicts within their biological families. Though that assertion jibes with common sense, the attorneys general, in a Nov. 27 letter to the agency, challenge it, saying the agencys data is incomplete. In any case, theres no question that suicide rates among LGBTQ youth are substantially higher than in other populations. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report this year found that 22% of high school students overall say they have considered suicide, but among LGBTQ teens, it was 45%. That alone would seem to support the creation of added protections when those youths are placed in foster care. Under the proposed rule, state agencies making placement decisions for kids who identify as LGBTQ would be required to ensure that a safe and appropriate placement is available if the child requests it. Safe and appropriate is defined as an environment free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse based on the child's LGBTQI+ status, with foster parents who are trained ... to provide for the needs of the child related to the child's self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. The rule would require that kids be made aware of their right to request such a placement. How could Bailey and 18 other attorneys general oppose that rule? The problem, according to their letter, is that it infringes on the religious freedom of the prospective foster parents in that it would remove faith-based providers from the foster care system if they will not conform their religious beliefs on sexual orientation and gender identity. Thats misleading and inflammatory. The proposed rule doesnt require all foster parents to be accepting of LGBTQ kids, just those foster parents who want to be approved to care for such kids. The proposal specifies that it "would not (emphasis added) require that every provider become designated as a safe and appropriate placement for LGBTQI+ children" only that each foster system "includes sufficient placements for LGBTQI+ children that meet these standards." The attorneys general are essentially arguing that foster parents who emphatically arent accepting of LGBTQ kids self-declared identities (based on religious objections or any other reason) should nonetheless be put in charge of such kids. Thus would they elevate the foster parents right to act on an exclusionary belief system above the rights of abused or neglected kids to live in an environment free of such judgment. Again: Nothing in the proposed federal rules say that foster parents who refuse to accept self-identified LGBTQ kids on their own terms cant be foster parents, only that they cant be foster parents to LGBTQ kids who have specifically requested an environment accepting of their self identity. Why wouldnt foster parents who have a problem with LGBTQ issues simply agree to take on other kids instead? Heaven knows there are plenty of troubled kids with plenty of issues to go around. HHS should reject this bid by Bailey and his cohorts to elevate religious intolerance above the welfare of abused children, and stand by the proposed rules. The Supreme Court on Nov. 29 heard oral arguments in SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) v. Jarkesy. In this ongoing case, a government administrative law judge, employed by the SEC, ruled that two hedge funds established by George Jarkesy committed securities fraud against investors. If the high court finds for Jarkesy, any kind of government regulation could forever be jeopardized or outright eliminated. Admittedly, some forms of government regulation can be overbearing and prohibitive. However, responsible government regulation, in the majority, is necessary and warranted to prevent corporations and other entities and individuals from running amok. Otherwise, we would all be drinking unsafe foul water and breathing more unhealthy air than we already breathe. Many other responsible regulations, like those which limit the burning of coal, abusive monopolies and the exploitation of labor, would be drastically compromised or even permanently eliminated if the court rules for Jarkesy. It would be like drastically reducing or eliminating 100% of all police departments in all 50 states. Lets all hope that this radically conservative Supreme Court does not make another mistake. Russ Vanderbeek Ballwin EQS-Ad-hoc: Hensoldt AG / Key word(s): Takeover HENSOLDT acquires ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik GmbH 05-Dec-2023 / 19:49 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 RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN OR OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE SUCH A PUBLICATION COULD BE UNLAWFUL Publication of inside information pursuant to Article 17 (1) of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 on Market Abuse (Market Abuse Regulation MAR) ***ACQUISITION*** HENSOLDT acquires ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik GmbH Taufkirchen, 5 December 2023 Today, HENSOLDT AG ("HENSOLDT) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik GmbH ("ESG"). ESG is a manufacturer-independent systems integrator and technology and innovation partner for defence and security, with an estimated revenue of EUR 330 million in 2023. The Management Board and Supervisory Board of HENSOLDT approved the acquisition and its financing unanimously. HENSOLDT is acquiring 100% of ESG for an enterprise value (EV) of EUR 675 million plus an earn-out of up to EUR 55 million. HENSOLDT expects to generate EUR 19 million run rate annual cost synergies in addition to revenue synergies from cross-selling and combined positioning for future pipeline opportunities. The acquisition value including the earn-out implies an EV/EBITDA 2024E of ~10x post run-rate cost synergies and ~14x excluding run-rate cost synergies. HENSOLDT intends to finance the acquisition through a potential capital increase from authorized capital of up to 10% of the current share capital and new debt in the aggregated amount of EUR 450 million. The Federal Republic of Germany, indirectly acting through Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), holding 25.1% of the shares in HENSOLDT, intends to participate in the potential capital increase pro-rate to its shareholding quota. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of H1 2024, subject to certain conditions, including obtaining necessary regulatory approvals. ******* Important notice The distribution of this announcement and the offering of the shares of HENSOLDT in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This announcement does not contain or constitute an offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for, securities to any person in the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Japan or in any jurisdiction to whom or in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. Securities will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold absent registration except pursuant to an exemption from, or a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. There will be no public offer of securities in Germany, the United States of America or in any other jurisdiction. Each of the joint bookrunners is acting exclusively for HENSOLDT and no-one else in connection with the private placement of the new shares. They will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the private placement of the new shares and will not be responsible to anyone other than HENSOLDT for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the private placement of the new shares, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein. In connection with the private placement of the new shares, the joint bookrunners and any of their affiliates, acting as investors for their own accounts, may subscribe for or purchase new shares of HENSOLDT and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell or otherwise deal for their own accounts in such new shares and other securities of the Issuer or related investments in connection with the private placement of the new shares or otherwise. 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In the United Kingdom, this announcement is only directed at persons (i) who are investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended) (the "Order"), (ii) are falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) or (iii) to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons")). This document must not be acted on, or relied upon, by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons. In member states of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom the placement of securities described in this announcement is directed exclusively at persons who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 (Prospectus Regulation). This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning the placement of the new shares. Investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of such placement for the person concerned. To the extent this announcement contains predictions, expectations or statements, estimates, opinions and projections with respect to anticipated future performance of HENSOLDT (forward-looking statements), they are based upon current views and assumptions of the HENSOLDT management, which were made to its best knowledge. Forward-looking statements reflect various expectations and assumptions of the management of HENSOLDT which may or may not prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the earnings position, profitability, performance or the results of HENSOLDT or the success of the industries in which HENSOLDT operates to differ materially from the earnings position, profitability, performance or the results expressly or implicitly assumed or described in these forward-looking statements. In consideration of these risks, uncertainties and other factors, persons receiving this document are advised not to rely on these forward-looking statements. HENSOLDT does not assume any liability or guarantee for such forward-looking statements and will not adjust them to any future results and developments. Information to Distributors Pursuant to EU product governance requirements, the shares have been subject to a product approval process, under which each distributor has determined that such shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II. Any distributor subsequently offering the shares is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. In 2022 Iran ordered 50 Su-35 fighters from Russia. This aircraft sells for about $80 million each. This Su-35 customer was unexpected because Iran has been unable to buy new jet fighters for decades because of economic sanctions. Any nation violating these sanctions risked having those sanctions imposed on them. When Russia was hit with heavy sanctions for invading Ukraine in 2022, Iran saw an opportunity and offered Russia weapons and other useful items if Russia paid for those items by providing Iran with the most modern Russian fighter; the Su-35. Later in 2022 Iran announced that the Su-35 barter deal was agreed to and that Iran would receive at least 65 Su-35s. Russia has only have about a hundred Su-35s in their air force and production has been halted by the sanctions. Too many key Su-35 components come from Western suppliers. Russia was slow to ship most of its own Su-35s to Iran, especially now that Russia knows that the Iranian UAVs supplied were not as effective as expected. Russia is also still building Su-35s for Egypt. Apparently less than a third of the 26 Su-35s Egypt ordered in 2018 were delivered by 2022. Then there is the problem that Egypt and Iran are enemies. Egypt belongs to an anti-Iran coalition which includes Israel and Saudi Arabia. This is a problem in other ways. Israel and Iran are at war with each other in Syria and Iran is losing. Israeli F-35I fighters have encountered Russian Su-35s in Syria and have a good idea of what the Su-35 can and cannot do. One thing the Su-35 cannot do is defeat the F-35I. The F-35I can detect the Su-35 first and shoot it down with missiles. This is not a major concern for Iran, which wants the Su-35 so that it can more effectively threaten its Arab neighbors. In Ukraine, Su-35s destroyed seven older Russian fighters used by the Ukrainian air force, along with a defenseless Ukrainian naval reconnaissance aircraft. Until the arrival of Western air defense systems, especially Patriot, Russian Su-35s had air superiority over Ukraine. There were still Su-35 losses, one of them to Ukrainian ground fire and another to a Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile with a faulty IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) system that failed to recognize a Su-35 as friendly. Su-35 sales have been difficult because many eager customers depend on other countries to help pay for the aircraft. Egypt bought Su-35s only because Saudi Arabia provided the money. China could pay hard currency for the 24 of them it ordered in 2015 and received all of them by 2018. Indonesia bought eleven in 2017 and began receiving them in 2019. The sale of Su-35s to China was special. Because of Chinas frequent illegal copying of Russian technology, this was expected to be the last Russian warplane exported to China. Currently Russia has over a hundred Su-35s in service and nearly as many on order. Russia received its first Su-35s in 2013 and four were sent to Syria in early 2016 for some combat experience. These were apparently successful, especially when delivering Russian built smart bombs. Russia then increased its own orders from 50 to over a hundred. On paper the Su-35 is impressive. It is a 34-ton fighter that is more maneuverable than the original, 33 ton, Su-27 it is based on, and has much better electronics. It can cruise at above the speed of sound. It also costs nearly twice as much as the Su-27. That would be some $80 million for a barebones model, about what a top-of-the-line F-16 costs. Export models of the Su-35 go for about $100 million. The Su-27 was originally developed to match the F-15, which is larger than the single engine F-16. The larger size of the Su-27/30/35 allows designers to do a lot more with it in terms of modifications and enhancements. The Su-35 has some stealth capabilities, in that it is less detectable to most fighter aircraft radars. Russia claims the Su-35 has a useful life of 6,000 flight hours with engines good for 4,000 hours. That is longer than earlier Su-27/30 aircraft. Russia promises world-class avionics, plus a very pilot-friendly cockpit. The use of many thrusters along with fly-by-wire means the Su-35 is even more maneuverable than Su-30s, which were Su-27s tweaked to be extremely agile. The Su-35 was in development for two decades before it was declared ready for production in 2005. Even then there were problems with the new engines that gave it its superior performance. Russia says the engine problems are solved, but only time will tell if that is true. The Su-35 is not meant to be a direct rival for the F-22 because the Russian aircraft is not nearly as stealthy. The Su-35 carries a 30mm autocannon with 150 30mm shells on board. Su-35s can carry up to eight tons of munitions, hanging from 12 hard points. This reduces stealthiness, which the F-22 and F-35 get around by using an internal bay for bombs and missiles. But if the maneuverability and advanced electronics of the Su-35 live up to the promises, the aircraft would be more than a match for every fighter out there except the F-22 and possibly the F-35 and late model F-16s. Since each Su-35 sold for $100 million or less there were supposed to be a lot of buyers. There werent and Russia is eager to change that if only to improve the reputation of the Su-35. This is one reason for the large number sold to Iran. Russia also sold Iran Yak-130 jet trainer aircraft that are used to train pilots to handle aircraft like the Su-35. Iran also received some Mi-28 attack helicopters which Iran can use against poorly armed but troublesome rebels and separatists. The Egyptian sale is more about diplomacy than air power. This purchase, financed by Saudi Arabia, increases diplomatic relations between Russia and the Middle Eastern Arab states. The two most important ones are Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The Egyptian air force has nearly 400 combat aircraft in service plus a lot of older Russian fighters in storage. Most of the active combat aircraft are Western, including 210 F-16s, 40 Alpha Jets, 90 Mirages and 17 Rafales. There are 15 MiG-29s in service and another 32 on the way. Once all the MiG-29s and Su-35s are in service, Egypt will have 106 modern Russian fighters, which account for about 25 percent of its fighter force. Because of the Iran deal, the 50-plane SU-35 deal will probably be the last for Russia because Egypt considers Iran an enemy while Russia and Iran are now allies. Anthony Morey: The Architect of Innovation - Masterfully Redefining the Future of Design and Retail at Luminaire, Leading with Unparalleled Vision and Curiosity. MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / In the dynamic world of design, where innovation is the key language, Anthony Morey emerges as a groundbreaking leader, currently at the helm of the design vision Luminaire, the trailblazer in design retail. His exceptional journey, illuminated by influential roles at prestigious institutions like Harvard, SCI-Arc, and USC, and as the transformative Executive Director of the A+D Museum in Los Angeles, is a testament to his unwavering commitment to design excellence. Headshot _ A.Morey Photo by Luminaire. Morey's multifaceted background, a rich tapestry of architecture, theory, design, philosophy, and business acumen, solidifies his status as an unparalleled visionary in the reinvention and propulsion of the design and retail landscapes. Luminaire, a pillar in global design discourse for over fifty years, becomes the canvas where Morey's genius melds visionary thought with tangible innovation. Beyond the academic realm, Morey's impact reverberates, electrifying the next generation of design trailblazers and igniting influential conversations across the design community. His public lectures and engagements are not just talks; they are catalysts for change, steering the design world towards new paradigms and possibilities. Leading his own design firm and exhibiting globally, Morey's work transcends mere creativity-it contributes significantly to the global design narrative. His unique blend of intellectual depth, pedagogical prowess, and hands-on design expertise marks him as a seminal figure in modern design. At Luminaire, Morey is not just preserving a legacy; he is boldly charting new territories. Under his visionary leadership, Luminaire breaks the molds of traditional retail, emerging as a hub of inspiration and a crucible for the voices of tomorrow in design. In today's landscape, where retail, design, and curiosity intersect with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and new experiences, Luminaire, guided by Morey's creative vision, stands as a beacon of creativity and exploration. His forward-thinking approach is reshaping not just Luminaire but setting a new global standard for what good design can achieve in our interconnected, information-rich age. Contact Information Andrea Santos Marketing Manager [email protected] 3052987881 SOURCE: Luminaire View source version on accesswire.com: LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Cloud9, a leading esports organization, and Toei Animation, the legendary anime studio, have collaborated to create Cloud9 x One Piece, a new apparel collection celebrating "One Piece," one of the most beloved anime series of all time. The Cloud9 x One Piece collection features a range of clothing pieces inspired by the iconic characters of the "One Piece" series. The collection includes hoodies, t-shirts, sweatpants, and more, all designed with a trendy and comfortable style that is perfect for both esports enthusiasts and anime fans. "Our team is thrilled to collaborate with Toei Animation on this exciting One Piece' collection," said Jack Etienne, Co-Founder and CEO of Cloud9. "We wanted to create a collection that not only celebrates the world of esports but also pays tribute to one of the most beloved anime series of all time. We believe that fans will love the Cloud9 x One Piece collection as much as we do." The Cloud9 x One Piece collection will be available for purchase on the Cloud9 website starting December 9. This collection will be available for purchase in-store at their limited pop-up shop at Venice Beach on December 9. The collection is not only stylish but also made with high-quality materials to ensure comfort and durability. "One Piece" has been entertaining anime fans of every age around the world for over two decades and counting. Produced by Toei Animation and based on the top-selling manga title of all time by creator Eiichiro Oda, the "One Piece" anime series spans more than 1065 episodes to date since it first debuted on Japanese TV in October 1999. This iconic series features pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew on their epic quest to find "One Piece," the legendary treasure of the former King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger. One Piece's global pop culture status is the crowning achievement for this anime franchise, which encompasses theatrical films, home videos, video games, and an ever-expanding catalog of licensed merchandise that includes accessories, toys, novelties, furniture, housewares, and apparel. For more information about the Cloud9 x One Piece collection and to purchase, visit store.cloud9.gg. About Cloud9: Cloud9 Esports Inc. is a leading esports organization based in Los Angeles, California. The organization was founded in 2013 and has since become one of the most successful and recognizable esports teams in the world. Cloud9 has teams competing in various esports titles, including League of Legends, VALORANT, and Counter-Strike. About Toei Animation Inc.: Based in Los Angeles, Toei Animation Inc. manages the distribution of Toei Animation's top properties, including franchise series Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, One Piece, Digimon, Saint Seiya and many others, to North America, Latin America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Toei Animation's Los Angeles office further handles all categories of consumer product licensing based on its film and television brands within these territories. For more information, please visit toei-animation-usa.com. Contact Information Yangsin Lau Vazquez Senior Marketing Manager [email protected] Scott Barretto [email protected] SOURCE: Cloud9 View source version on accesswire.com: TACOMA, WA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Commencement Bank (OTCQX:CBWA) is pleased to welcome new team members Cheril Daniels and Sandy Snider, after longstanding positions at Columbia Bank. Daniels will serve as Deposit Operations & Digital Services Team Leader, and Sandy Snider will serve as the branch manager of the retail team at the Bank's Tacoma headquarters. Along with welcoming these additions, the Bank also promoted former Tacoma branch manager, Megan Stone, to Retail Banking Team Leader. Daniels joins Commencement with over 35 years of experience and has worked with several financial institutions, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise in her field. She joined the Bank's Senior Management Team upon arrival and will contribute significantly to the Bank's overall initiatives. Daniels most recently managed a team at Umpqua Bank, serving over 16 years at Columbia Bank prior to their merger. "We are fortunate to be in a position to attract industry leaders like Cheril Daniels," said Nigel L. English, President and Chief Operating Officer. "It is additions such as these that contribute substantially to the Bank's culture and success. We are so pleased to welcome Cheril to our team." Also bringing years of experience is Sandy Snider. Previously with Columbia for 25 years, Snider has a great deal of familiarity in the Bank's Tacoma market and a reputation for superior customer service and dedication to the community. Snider has over 24 years of involvement with the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, and she has been recognized for her efforts at the local and national level. "Sandy has been actively serving clients in the Tacoma area for many years. Her traditional banking style has earned her the loyalty and respect of both her clients and the banking community. We were thrilled to gain such a talented banker, and someone so dedicated to giving back to her community, which embodies the culture of team," said John E. Manolides, Chief Executive Officer. New to the role but not to the Bank, Megan Stone, the former Tacoma branch manager, has stepped into the position of Retail Banking Team Leader. With the addition of the Bank's Gig Harbor location in August of 2023, as well as a growing customer base for all locations, it was important to have an experienced leader step in to oversee the retail division. Her familiarity with both the customers and the culture made Stone a natural fit for the position. Daniels, Snider, and Stone began their roles in November 2023 at the Bank's Tacoma headquarters. Cheril Daniels Senior Vice President, Deposit Operations & Digital Services Team Leader Phone: 253.284.1825 or [email protected] Sandy Snider Vice President, Tacoma Branch Manager Phone: 253.284.1814 or [email protected] Megan Stone Vice President, Retail Banking Team Leader Phone: 253.284.1816 or [email protected] About Commencement Bank Commencement Bank, headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, was formed in 2006 to provide traditional, reliable, and sustainable banking in Pierce, South King, Thurston counties and the surrounding areas. Their team of banking experts focuses on personal attention, flexible service, and building strong relationships with customers through state-of-the-art technology as well as traditional delivery systems. As a local bank, Commencement Bank is deeply committed to the community. For more information, please visit www.commencementbank.com . For information related to the trading of CBWA, please visit www.otcmarkets.com. Contact Information: John E. Manolides, Chief Executive Officer | 253.284.1802 Nigel English, President and Chief Operating Officer | 253.284.1801 SOURCE: Commencement Bank (WA) View source version on accesswire.com: BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Russia and Iran are working on finalizing a new interstate treaty, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a bilateral meeting with his Iranian colleague Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Trend reports. "Our countries are in constant contact at different levels. There were fruitful talks in Bishkek (capital of Kyrgyzstan), meetings of the co-chairs of the Trade and Economic Commission, and other events. The foreign ministries of the two countries are also in close contact," Lavrov said. Lavrov emphasized that cooperation between the two countries is developing in all key areas and the presidents are in constant contact. "Recently, with the participation of the two heads of state in the format of a teleconference, the work on the Rasht-Astara railroad project was launched. We are also prioritizing the expansion of the potential of the North-South route and mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy sector," Lavrov said. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:EPL) ("EPL" or "Eagle Plains") is pleased to report that the recently released eastern Wollaston Domain electromagnetic and magnetic high resolution geophysical survey, flown by the Government of Saskatchewan, covered the entirety of Eagle Plains' George Lake critical metals project. The 200m line spaced survey was carried out by Geotech Canada Inc. utilizing Geotech's VTEM Max Time-Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) system. Results from the survey indicate a strong southwest-northeast trending EM conductor that crosses the entire property. The conductor is coincident with the George Lake deposit mineralization and has been only partially drill tested. The survey also located weaker parallel conductor trends north and south of the main conductor, with the northern conductor coincident with the Spence Lake mineralized zone. The fully permitted George Lake project is located 280km north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan. The project has excellent access and is located on an all-weather spur road along Saskatchewan Highway 905. Eagle Plains holds a 100% interest in claims comprising the property, subject to a 2% royalty held in favour of Eagle Royalties Ltd. The property overlies 8 Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index ("SMDI") occurrences including the George Lake Zn Deposit which is reported to contain a historical resource grading 2.63MT grading 3.67% Zn and 0.53% Pb (SMDI 0663)*. Zinc and lead mineralized boulders were discovered in the George Lake area in 1965 which led Falconbridge Nickel Mines to acquire a large land position in the area, resulting in a 34-hole diamond drill program in 1969-70 which defined the George Lake deposit. The deposit contains sedimentary-exhalative ("sedex") style mineralization, with a higher-grade core of >5% Zn. See George Lake Geophysics Map here George Lake Project Highlights 10,050m of drilling completed in 90 holes, with the best drill holes returning 57.9m grading 3.42% Zn ( including 9.1m grading 7.1% Zn ) and 47.8m grading 4.5% Zn and 0.61% Pb (including 8.0m grading 7.0% Zn and 1.4 % Pb ); ) and 47.8m grading 4.5% Zn and 0.61% Pb (including ); Historical resource of 2.63MT grading 3.67% Zn and 0.53% Pb reported in 2003 (SMDI 0663)*; Deposit dimensions are approximately 35m thick x 150m in width x 800m in length, open to depth and along strike; Potential for discovery of extensions of existing mineralization and other discrete mineralization elsewhere on the property. *Eagle Plains' management considers these estimates to be historical in nature and cautions that a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with National Instrument 43-101. These estimates do not comply with current definitions prescribed by National Instrument 43-101 or the Canadian Institute of Mining, and are disclosed only as indications of the presence of mineralization and are considered to be a guide for additional work. The historical models and data sets used to prepare these historical estimates are not available to Eagle Plains, nor are any more recent resource estimates or drill information on the property. See George Lake Project Location Map and Details here George Lake Geology The George Lake property is underlain by metasedimentary sequences of the Wollaston Supergroup. Bedding is very steeply dipping to vertical and locally overturned on the northwest limb of the Spence Lake Synform. Rapid thickening and facies changes in sedimentary units suggests syndepositional faulting on north-south trending structures which are interpreted as providing conduits for mineralizing fluids. Mineral occurrences on the George Lake Property include stratabound, disseminated and vein-hosted sphalerite, galena and arsenopyrite interpreted as sedex-type mineralization. Stratabound Pb-Zn-Ag-mineralization is predominantly found disseminated in quartzite of the upper Souter Lake group near the contact with the overlying meta-argillite. The Spence Lake formation also hosts stratabound Pb-Zn-Ag mineralization. Vein-hosted arsenopyrite, galena, and sphalerite are predominantly found as blebs in quartz-veins hosted in meta-argillite of the Spence Lake formation, as well as disseminated grains in the host rock. Silver is associated with both mineralization types in the George Lake property. George Lake History Zinc-lead mineralization was first noted in the George Lake area in 1965 by prospectors who identified mineralized boulders while following up on an airborne geophysical magnetic survey. This led to the discovery of sphalerite-bearing outcrops which attracted Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd. to acquire a large land position in the area. Falconbridge conducted ground geophysics, soil geochemical surveys, mapping and prospecting to help define the mineralized trends which were tested by a 34-hole, 5127m drill program in 1969-70 which delineated the George Lake deposit. In the 1980's the Pressuag/SMDC joint-venture and Esso Minerals Canada worked in the George Lake area, completing lake sediment, soil, and glacial till geochemical surveys, geological mapping, magnetic/EM surveys, and 17 diamond drill holes. Falconbridge Ltd. reacquired the property in 1990 completing airborne EM, VLF-EM, and magnetic surveys over the George Lake deposit, as well as relogging and sampling of historic drill holes. In 1992, Noranda Exploration and Mining Company carried out Genie-EM ground surveys and completed two short drill holes at the Souter Lake target. The most recent work on the property was in 2008 when Golden Arch Resources completed 6 diamond drill holes within the known deposit area which identified previously undescribed Ag mineralization. Current Program The digital data from the Government of Saskatchewan geophysical survey will be integrated into the ongoing George Lake data compilation to better constrain geological modelling of the known George Lake mineralization and to locate additional targets for further exploration. Qualified Persons Charles C. Downie, P.Geo., a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and a director of Eagle Plains, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. Update on Dictator Property Option Eagle Plains reports that it has formally notified the property vendor that Eagle Plains is terminating its option agreement on the Dictator property. About Eagle Plains Resources Based in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada. The Company was formed in 1992 and is the ninth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and one of only three that has not seen a roll-back or restructuring of its shares). Eagle Plains has continued to deliver shareholder value over the years and through numerous spin outs has transferred over $100,000,000 in value directly to its shareholders, with Copper Canyon Resources and Taiga Gold Corp. being notable examples. Eagle Plains latest spinout, Eagle Royalties Ltd. (CSE:"ER") was listed on May 24, 2023, and holds a diverse portfolio of royalty assets throughout western Canada. Eagle Plains' core business is acquiring grassroots critical- and precious-metal exploration properties. The Company is committed to steadily enhancing shareholder value by advancing our diverse portfolio of projects toward discovery through collaborative partnerships and development of a highly experienced technical team. Expenditures from 2011-2022 on Eagle Plains-related projects exceed $30M, the majority of which was funded by third-party partners. This exploration work resulted in approximately 45,000m of diamond-drilling and extensive ground-based exploration work facilitating the advancement of numerous projects at various stages of development. Throughout the exploration process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities while building lasting relationships through honest and respectful business practices. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Tim J. Termuende" President and CEO For further information on EPL, please contact Mike Labach at 1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673) Email: [email protected] or visit our website at https://www.eagleplains.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 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 including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. 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. SOURCE: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: TAIPEI, TAIWAN / ACCESSWIRE / December 4, 2023 / Helo Corp. (OTC PINK:HLOC) ("Helo" or the "Company"), a data-driven wellness technology company leading the development of wearable and other biodata gathering devices, and artificial intelligence (AI) to drive human wellness transformation, recently announced its NutraMatic" at a product event in Taipei, Taiwan. "We were delighted to announce the genesis of our revolutionary NutraMatic at a recent event in Taiwan," said Fabio Galdi, Chief Visionary Officer. "Our patent-pending NutraMatic represents the latest advancement of our Helo AI platform, allowing us to provide precision supplements to our customers in their home, in real-time and based on their prevailing biodata. Our technology team is developIng a solution that delivers dynamic AI-generated performance feedback with individualized lifestyle and wellness recommendations. Each user's experience will be unique to them, as the platform will detect changes in a user's biodata and direct NutraMatic to update their supplement combination accordingly, while their app updates their wellness recommendations." Helo AI is an innovative, easy-to-use consumer platform designed to support wellness improvement and will provide AI-generated, and app-delivered personalized wellness recommendations based on individual user biodata. This biodata is generated by Helo products featuring Life Sensing TechnologyTM, including its recently launched BioStripTM, award-winning BioSense health bandTM and other wearables and connected wellness technology devices. NutraMatic is a countertop device designed to provide users with their AI-optimized and personalized combination of nutrition supplements, based on their current biodata status. "NutraMatic allows us to challenge players that supply the same supplements to everyone, regardless of their state of wellness, nutritional needs or activity levels," said Sean McVeigh, Chief Executive Officer. "Not only will NutraMatic provide turnkey precision supplements to customers worldwide, our Helo AI recommendation engine encourages a healthier lifestyle by providing individualized and timely feedback, which supports personal wellness improvement and customer loyalty. As NutraMatic is IoT connected, user supplement consumption will be monitored to enable an auto ship supplement subscription model. We anticipate strong demand for NutraMatic, which we expect will be available to ship in the second quarter of 2024. In the meantime, we plan to continue our international investigational study to train our Helo AI knowledge domain and provide an even more personalized solution to our customers," continued McVeigh. The Helo management team has been invited to participate in the Emerging Growth Conference on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. ET. During the call, management plans to discuss upcoming business initiatives, including its refocused strategic direction and planned product launch. Please register here to attend the conference, or view the archived webcast on EmergingGrowth.com or on the Emerging Growth YouTube Channel . About Helo Corp. Helo Corp. (OTC:HLOC) is a data-driven wellness technology company. Helo wearables and other smart devices are built on Helo's Life Sensing Technology, which uses state-of-the-art sensors, enhanced signal processing, and algorithms to collect and process specific bio-parameters. Helo is developing the Helo AI platform to leverage artificial intelligence and other technologies to analyze wearer data to provide recommendations that support the adoption of healthier lifestyle choices to drive human wellness transformation. For more information please visit helocorp.com and nutralife.ai . The Company's disclosure statements and financial statements are available at OTC:HLOC . Forward Looking Statements This news release 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, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," and similar statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this press release are forward-looking statements and involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry in which the Company operates, but involve a number of unknown risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the OTC Markets and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. You are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained herein and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Investors Contact: [email protected] + 1 650-646-2193 SOURCE: Helo Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: Expanding our reach in 2024, HippoFi and PUR Biologics are setting new standards in innovative spine care solutions. IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / (OTC PINK:ORHB) HippoFi's wholly owned subsidiary, PUR Biologics, is advancing its distribution network with a significant expansion in California. This not only broadens access to major medical facilities, but also underscores the Company's commitment to providing healthcare professionals and patients with the highest level of service and quality. PUR Biologics is known for its comprehensive suite of best-in-class spinal biologics. With a focus on regenerating bone, cartilage, and spinal discs, PUR Biologics is positioned as a leader in the field of spinal biologics. With a growing nationwide network of skilled representatives, PUR Biologics has the capability to service every hospital and ambulatory surgery center in the U.S.A., ensuring expert coverage across the country. "As PUR Biologics expands, we're not just growing our footprint; we are continuously reinforcing our leadership in business and scientific innovation. Our progress in spinal biologics reflects our commitment to advancing healthcare technologies and solutions." - Ryan Fernan, Head of PUR Biologics In the U.S., the market for instrumented spine surgeries, involving 1.62 million surgeries annually, is estimated to be worth $3.5 billion and is experiencing a steady growth with a CAGR of 4.5%. "Our business design continues to prove our rapid ability to gain hospital approvals, deliver innovation, and continually expand our worldwide sales network for the benefit of improving patient lives." -CJ Wiggins, HippoFi Executive Chairman and CEO ---- About PUR Biologics PUR Biologics, a wholly owned subsidiary of HippoFi, Inc. (OTCPK: ORHB), is a leading biologic company committed to supporting surgeons and hospitals in providing the best care for their patients. PUR Biologics' full line of biologic products currently include: advanced allografts and demineralized extracellular matrixes (d-ECM), innovative synthetic solutions, cellular derived tissues, and a future of next generation regenerative stem cell and growth factor driven therapeutics for treating osteoarthritis and cartilage regeneration. About HippoFi, Inc. HippoFi is a healthcare innovator and publicly traded company, delivering proprietary technologies in the multi-billion-dollar Spine, Orthopedic, and Cancer markets. The company's purpose is to improve patient care and outcomes by utilizing biotech and AI technologies to address degenerative and diseased conditions affecting the quality of life. HippoFi's business is designed to drive company value by commercializing and monetizing innovative solutions, acquiring assets, and licensing technologies, establishing strategic partnerships and industry alliances, and leveraging its worldwide sales channels. The operations of the company comprise of two segments: Regenerative Therapeutics and Intelligent Automation. HippoFi's Regenerative Therapeutics division is actively developing and deploying scalable biological solutions into the $1.37 Trillion (13.96% CAGR) biotechnology market through its wholly-owned subsidiary - PUR Biologics. Capitalizing on HippoFi's established partnerships with ZIMMER / BIOMET, Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, BPB Medica, Precision Spine, and others, PUR Biologics' team of industry experts, pioneering scientists, and world-class medical professionals are utilizing the company's powerful patent portfolio and proprietary technologies to commercialize advanced technologies that improve bone growth in spinal fusion procedures, regenerate joint cartilage and intervertebral disc, eliminate pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis, joints, and the lower back, and deliver a cell-based immunotherapy to help defeat cancer. HippoFi, Inc. is publicly traded under the symbol: ORHB and is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit: www.HippoFi.com and www.PURbiologics.com. Contact HippoFi, Inc. 949-323-2330 [email protected] SOURCE: HippoFi, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: 2023 was a year of expansion of the Atlas platform and increasing focus on certificate automation BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / GMO GlobalSign, Inc., a global Certificate Authority (CA) and leading provider of identity security, digital signing and IoT solutions, today announced the company's business highlights for 2023. A top focus for GMO GlobalSign this year has been the continued expansion of the Atlas Platform as well as an increasing call for enterprises to automate certificate management. Atlas Platform Growth: GMOGlobalSign's digital identity platform, Atlas, was integrated with leading digital workflow company ServiceNow. With GMO GlobalSign's PKIaaS Connector for ServiceNow, certificate management is made simpler for all ServiceNow users allowing enterprises to manage their digital certificate requests, all within their existing ServiceNow instance. GMO GlobalSign also announced the availability of a new type of seal based on a qualified certificate. Qualified Trust Seals by DSS enable customers to quickly deploy seals at a high volume. Available through the Atlas platform, the new Qualified Trust Seals offering was created in response to customer requests for a fully automated remote signing service meeting the requirements of European Union Trust Lists. Based on our popular Digital Signing Service (DSS), GMO GlobalSign's Qualified Trust Seals allows for quick deployment, the perfect answer for organizations looking for a stress-free integration with APIs using the open source EUTL identity framework. In addition, GlobalSign Atlas Discovery certificate scanning and reporting tool was made available. With the help of Atlas Discovery, organizations can do everything from having full accountability of all certificates, monitor network health, checking SSL/TLS certificates for common errors to understanding certificate expiration status to prevent outages. Certificate Automation: GMO GlobalSign announced the expansion of our Automated Certificate Management Environment (ACME) service beyond Domain Validated (DV) to support Organization Validated (OV) SSL/TLS certificates, for instant verification of a company or organization.ACME OV represents a great next step towards automating SSL/TLS lifecycles and breaking into larger automation strategies for managing an organization's entire Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This delivers strong protection for websites and businesses by activating HTTPS, reassuring an organization can completely secure all internal, as well as external communications. Qualified Signing Service Launch: The company launched a cloud-based Qualified Signing Service (QSS) for qualified electronic signatures and seals. QSS complies with eIDAS (electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services), an EU regulation for electronic identification and trust services. GMO GlobalSign's Qualified Signing Service allows businesses to use mobile devices to authenticate compliantly to the QSS service enabling signatures by employees wherever they are in the world. QSS is already off to a great start, especially with European service providers who view this solution as an important new product for their customers. Other 2023 highlights include: Digital signature and timestamp growth was significant. From January through early December, customers utilized our Digital Signing Service for more than 45 million signatures, while nearly 50 million timestamps were applied to a broad array of documents. GMO GlobalSign established partnerships with airSlate, essendi it and eXsolut GmbH. Our Auto Enrollment Gateway (AEG) automated certificate management tool was upgraded. The latest version offers an enhanced integration with Microsoft Intune that allows an organization to quickly provision certificates in seconds with manual intervention. GMO GlobalSign has also worked throughout the year to impress upon companies the increasing need to automate certificate management. With decreasing certificate lifecycles - while company's endpoints are increasing - certificate management steadily becomes more difficult to manage without automation. To not do so is a risk for expirations, or worse. In addition, the company announced achieving ISO 27701:2019 for Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) and ISO 27017:2015 for Cloud Security. GMO GlobalSign is the only certificate authority in the world to achieve this level of ISO certification. These certifications provide our customers with a guarantee that we have implemented the Information Technology industry's best-practice security methods. "This was a year marked by a great deal of product expansion but also a tremendous focus on the need to automate the full lifecycle of certificate management. We also took steps to meet customer requests and launched new offerings like the Qualified Signing Service and Qualified Trust Seals," said Lila Kee, General Manager of the Americas, and Chief Product Officer for GMO GlobalSign. "It has been especially rewarding to see the growth of the Atlas platform. We are steadily adding capabilities which makes it a powerful tool for organizations to successfully manage their PKI." About GMO GlobalSign As one of the world's most deeply-rooted certificate authorities, GMO GlobalSign is the leading provider of trusted identity and security solutions enabling businesses, large enterprises, cloud-based service providers, and IoT innovators worldwide to conduct secure online communications, manage millions of verified digital identities and automate authentication and encryption. Its high-scale Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and identity solutions support the billions of services, devices, people, and things comprising the IoT. GMO GlobalSign is a subsidiary of GMO GlobalSign Holdings, K.K., a member of the Japan-based GMO Internet Group, has offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit https://www.globalsign.com. Media Relations Contact Amy Krigman Director of Public Relations - West Region Phone: 603-570-7060 Email: [email protected] SOURCE: GMO GlobalSign View source version on accesswire.com: NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Medtronic Reducing health disparities in a meaningful, sustainable, and scalable way If you didn't know Fanny Ochoa was visiting Joe Williams* for hypertension and diabetes assessment, it might take you a few minutes to figure it out. She weaves conversation into the hour spent in the living room of his Camden, New Jersey home and takes his blood pressure while asking about how he's been feeling. His daughter called, so he's happy. She checks out the meals he's been getting from a community program and asks him about the pots of boiling water on the stove. Ochoa is a community health worker for Healthy Neighbor, a joint program by Medtronic LABS and Virtua Health that aims to improve health outcomes in Camden, New Jersey. Using LABS' open-source technology platform SPICE, she and two other community health workers on Virtua's health equity team follow up with patients directly in the community to monitor hypertension and type 2 diabetes. "People are the core. We know there's a lot of success in having a people-centered approach enabled by tech," said Dan Master, director of health equity at Virtua Health. "We see it as innovation." That innovation means co-creating and evolving SPICE with community health workers to better achieve clinical and social outcomes for patients - and designing a platform that allows community health workers to be fully present. They are keenly focused on the whole person, connecting their patients to housing, mental health services, Virtua's Eat Well Food Farmacy, and - at times - even tracking down refrigerators. "I need to be present. To pay attention," Ochoa said. "If my head was buried in a tablet, how would I know he's boiling water for heat?" A few blocks over, Karen Fernandez sits next to Marietta Gonzalez* after taking her blood pressure and blood sugar. The 72-year-old breaks down in tears. She's lonely, but she says, it's just part of aging. Fernandez grabs her hand and tells her she's not alone. "It meant a lot to both of us," Fernandez said. "When you walk into someone's home - when they open their doors to you and welcome you - you're doing a service for them, but there's more to it. In the moment she needed to be heard, I was there to offer comfort." And that matters because those needs - the social determinants of health (SDOH) - Fernandez said, could otherwise go unnoticed. The social determinants of health are a set of non-medical factors that influence health, such as transportation, housing, and food security. They drive up to 80% of health outcomes, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. And - in countries of all income levels - the lower someone's socioeconomic position, the worse their health outcomes, according to the World Health Organization. In Camden County, the life expectancy gap is as much as 16 years compared to more affluent neighborhoods just 6.5 miles apart, said Master. As community health worker Alexis Nieves puts it: "How can people focus on their health when they don't know when their lights are coming back on, or when they're going to eat next?" At Medtronic LABS, we define global health' as truly global - not only focused on low- and middle-income countries, but on underserved communities regardless of country. "We're adapting the models we're scaling across Africa and Asia to the U.S. through Healthy Neighbor," said Head of U.S. Programs, Lauren Leccese. "This is an exciting opportunity to innovate with learnings from global community health solutions and local partners." That innovation includes using technology, data, community-based care models, community health workers, and evidence-based practices to reduce health disparities in a meaningful, sustainable, and scalable way. And that looks like Ochoa, Nieves, and Fernandez meeting patients like Williams in his dimly lit living room to make sure his blood pressure is within healthy range. And that his heat works. Learn more about how Medtronic LABS develops community-based, tech-enabled solutions for underserved patients, families, and communities across the world. *Names changed to protect patient privacy View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Medtronic on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Medtronic Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/medtronic Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Medtronic View source version on accesswire.com: Exploration Target is contained within only 1.4km of the ~3km prospective trend LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Accesswire / Meridian Mining UK S (TSX:MNO)(OTCQX:MRRDF)(Frankfurt:2MM)(Tradegate:2MM) ("Meridian" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has assessed the geological potential of the Santa Helena mine area ("Santa Helena") based on new and historical data, generating an initial Exploration Target with a tonnage range of 3.2 -7.2 Mt grading between 3.0 - 3.2g/t AuEq* , which gives a potential high-grade metal inventory range of between 306,000 to 763,000 AuEq ounces, located within 10km of the proposed Cabaal mill site 1 . The Company is also reporting further strong intercepts at Santa Helena including CD-359: 36.6m @ 1.3g/t AuEq from 13.0m; and CD-378: 5.9m @ 5.5g/t AuEq from 38.3m. These follow early positive results 2 from the Company's verification and extensional drilling program, and now highlight an expansion of Santa Helena's mineralization across strike, and at depths suitable to open pit development potential. Further drill results remain pending. Highlights Reported Today Meridian reports Exploration Target for Santa Helena mine area of 3.2 - 7.2 Mt @ 3.0 - 3.2g/t AuEq ; Exploration Target's contained metal is between 306,000 to 763,000 AuEq ounces ; Mineralization grades 1.0 - 1.1g/t Au, 0.7 - 0.8 % Cu, 20.0 - 26.3 g/t Ag and 2.8 - 3.0 % Zn; Exploration target restricted to 1.4km of the ~3km prospective trend; ; Santa Helena's drilling expands and confirms shallow VMS Au, Cu, Ag and Zn mineralization; CD-359: 36.6m @ 1.3g/t AuEq (0.6g/t Au, 0.4% Cu, 8.4g/t Ag & 0.8% Zn) from 13.0m; Including : 9.4m @ 1.9g/t AuEq (1.3g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 15.1g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 13.0m; CD-378: 5.9m @ 5.5g/t AuEq (1.9g/t Au, 1.3% Cu, 33.5g/t Ag & 5.6% Zn) from 38.3m; and (1.3g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 15.1g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 13.0m; Expansion of drilling into Santa Helena's prospective ~2km eastern extension is planned for 2024. * The potential quantity and grade of an Exploration Target is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. The metal equivalence formula is based on the historical Santa Helena resource report 3, calculated as AuEq based on gold being the dominant metal of the Cabacal VMS camp, as the expectation is that Santa Helena's mineralization will be evaluated for processing through a centralized facility at the Cabacal mill with the addition of a zinc circuit. True width is considered to be 80 to 90% of intersection width. Mr. Gilbert Clark, CEO, comments: "Today Meridian continues to confirm the tremendous value upside opportunity that the Cabacal belt presents. Santa Helena's high-grade Exploration Target of 306,000 to 763,000 ounces of gold equivalent, within a small tonnage and high-grade ranges, presents a very exciting upside opportunity for both the Cabacal belt and for Meridian's shareholders." "Looking to the medium term growth plans, utilizing a robust Exploration Target and continuing strong drill results, we will evaluate Santa Helena's potential for contributing additional high-grade mineralization to Cabacal's future. Being within ten km of the advanced Cabacal Mine project, if ongoing work at Santa Helena proves successful, future economic studies will not need to carry the capital expenditure of building a stand-alone mill. After a great year of advancement of the Cabacal belt in 2023, including the submission of the Cabacal mine's Preliminary Licence Application, we look forward to the further strong progress in 2024." Santa Helena Initial Exploration Target The Santa Helena mine area provides for the continuation of Meridian's low-risk investment model of targeting prospects with a high degree of potential and untested upside. A robust geological and mineralization model has been achieved by incorporating the results from historical drill campaigns, geology, and mining records, with Merdian's recent results from diamond drilling, trenching, mapping and geophysical surveys. This, with the removal of the limited mined areas, was then used as the basis for the reasonable ranges of tonnes and contained metals defined within the Exploration Target. The VMS mineralization has been modelled and the plan view ("Figure 1") shows a strong correlation to the historical geological maps and reports. The long sections indicate that the mineralization again strongly follows the known geology of a continuous mineralized trend ("Figure 2"). Figure 1: Upper Range Santa Helena Upper Range Exploration target footprint in relation to the historical resource outline. The Santa Helena database consists of data generated from multiple campaigns of surface and underground drilling and sampling, summarized as follows: Campaign Code Number Meterage Average Depth (m) Historical DDH (BP Minerals) JUCHD 80 8,301.42 103.77 Meridian DDH CD 14 731.1 52.22 Historical DDH (Prometalica) FS 35 1,170.81 33.45 PM 39 2,487.98 63.79 Historical Channels/Trenches (BPM/RTZ) C2C_TR 14 707.66 50.55 Grand Total 182 13,398.97 73.62 Campaign Code Number Meterage Average Length (m) Grade Control (Prometalica) FP 249 793.61 3.19 CAN / M 90 129.4 1.44 Grand Total 339 923.01 2.72 Table 1: Summary of Santa Helena Exploration Target database. Surface drilling and locally trenching to the east was historically conducted on nominally 50 x 25 m spaced sections along a strike length of ~ 1,350m, with a cross-strike footprint of ~130 -220m, with some outlying holes. Spacing was not always regular, and a combination of vertical and inclined holes were drilled. Sectional azimuth varied from 10 to 35 degrees across the deposit. Meridian has since concluded 1,258m of drilling including 6 twin holes and 18 resource delineation holes within and outside the historical resource envelope. The model utilizes 14 of Meridian's holes (731.1 m of drilling) for which results were available. Figure 2: Top: long section looking north of Lower Range Exploration Target (after depletion), Bottom long section looking north of Upper Range Exploration Target (after depletion). Geological modelling was completed generating a mineralization wireframe at a 0.3g/t AuEq cut-off grade, consistent with the resource cut-off grade of the Cabacal deposit. Modelling of key lithologies included bounding post-mineralization gabbro sills which are present in the footwall and hangingwall of the deposit. A block model constrained by the interpreted mineralized bodies was constructed with the parent cell size of 10 mE x 10 mN x 5 mRL. Drillhole sample intervals have been composited to 1 m length and were used to interpolate all main modelled grades (Zn, Pb, Cu, Au, Ag) into the block model using inverse distance 2 and ordinary kriging (OK) interpolation techniques. Block grades were validated both visually and statistically and all modelling was completed using Leapfrog software. To estimate the grades inside of the 0.3g/t AuEq cut-off grade wireframe, 1,644 samples of Au, 1,715 of Cu, 1,606 of Ag, 1,745 of Zn and 1,714 of Pb were used. For the lower limit of the exploration target, the unsampled drilling intervals were replaced by zero grade. Meridian's drilling indicates that like at the Cabacal mine, areas of mineralization were left unsampled due to a particular commodity or development focus. For the upper limit, the unsampled intervals were omitted and the wireframe projected along a trend considered reasonable based on geometry and geological logging. The search radius used was 70m x 70m x 10m for the major, semi-major and minor axes respectively, the same used to classify inferred resources in the Cabacal deposit, with restrictions of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 10 samples. For the interpolation of the grades, dynamic anisotropy was used with the geometry of a synclinal fold plunging up-plunge towards the east-south-east. To evaluate the reconciliation of the Exploration Target with historical mining production of the vendors, Prometalica, the block model was resized to 4 mE x 4 mN x 2 mRL to better adhere to the geometry of the mining void. The difference in the estimated tonnage was -0.6%, and for the grades the variation was, +9.3% for Au, +4.5% for Cu, -2.9% for Ag, and -5.7% for Zn ("Table 2"). Lead production was not reported and is currently not contributing to the metal equivalence formula. Production is based on the historical digital archives of the Run-of-Mine monthly records of the Prometalica geology department, from October 2006 to August 2008. These Run-of-Mine production figures closely align with the modelled estimate, providing confidence in the Exploration Target's potential. The estimated range in tonnage and grade for the Exploration Target after mining depletion are 3.2 -7.2 Mt @ 3.0 - 3.2 g/t AuEq / 2.0 - 2.2% CuEq (1.0 - 1.1 g/t Au, 0.7 - 0.8% Cu, 20.0 - 26.3 g/t Ag & 2.8 - 3.0 % Zn; "Table 3"; "Table 4"). Metal equivalence is based on the historical SRK resource report, with metal prices applied from the Meridian's Cabacal PEA dated March 6, 2023 (AuEq = (Au(g/t) * 65%Recovery) + (1.492Cu% * 89%Recovery) + (0.474Zn% * 89%Recovery)) + (0.008Ag(g/t) * 61%Recovery)). Recovery formulas will be updated with future testwork programs. Reconciliation Item Mass (t) Zn_pct Cu_pct Au ppm Ag ppm Historical Prometalica Production Report 439,813 6.65 1.62 1.77 43.02 Meridian Estimation - Void Model 437,290 6.27 1.69 1.94 41.79 Difference -0.6% -5.7% 4.5% 9.3% -2.9% Table 2: Comparison of the model with Run of Mine production records of Santa Helena. Exploration Target Item Mt Au Ag Cu Zn Pb AuEq AuEq CuEq CuEq (g/t) (g/t) (pct) (pct) (pct) (g/t) (koz) (pct) (Mlbs) Pre-Mining - Upper Range Exploration Target 7.8 1.2 27.2 0.8 3.2 0.7 3.4 854 2.3 393 Pre-Mining - Lower Range Exploration Target 3.6 1.1 22.7 0.9 3.3 0.6 3.4 397 2.3 183 Mining Depletion 0.4 1.8 43.0 1.6 6.7 1.0* 6.4 91 4.3 42 Upper Range Exploration Target (after depletion) 7.3 1.1 26.3 0.8 3.0 0.7 3.2 763 2.2 351 Lower Range Exploration Target (after depletion) 3.2 1.0 20.0 0.7 2.8 0 .6 3.0 306 2.0 141 Table 3: Exploration Target for the Santa Helena Deposit, with recovery-factored gold equivalent and copper equivalent content. Individual metal grades are pre-recovery. * Lead production was not officially reported, but figures indicated based on metallurgical feed reports aligning well with modeled calculation. Lead does not contribute to the metal equivalence formula. Item Mt Au Au_rec Ag Ag_rec Cu Cu_rec Zn Zn_rec (koz) (koz) (koz ) (koz ) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) Pre-Mining - Upper Range Exploration Target 7.8 291 189 6793 4144 143 127 544 484 Pre-Mining - Lower Range Exploration Target 3.6 123 80 2666 1626 69 61 264 235 Mining Depletion 0.4 25 16 608 371 16 14 64 57 Upper Range Exploration Target after depletion 7.3 266 173 6185 3773 127 113 480 427 Lower Range Exploration Target after depletion 3.2 98 64 2058 1255 53 47 200 178 Table 4: Exploration Target metal contents, before and after metallurgical recovery factoring. An average bulk density values of 2.94 - 2.97 t/m3 was derived for the deposit, based on interpolation of 267 density readings on drill core. Values were derived by immersion techniques in Meridian and historical campaigns of drilling. The estimated potential quantity of tonnes and grades are conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient data and evaluation to support estimation of a Mineral Resource. Tonnages and grades are expressed as ranges that are considered appropriate for the Exploration Target. There is no certainty that further exploration, verification drilling, or twinned drilling will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target is not to be considered in any way to represent a Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve. Steps being taken to update the Exploration Target to a resource include: Independent QP review - field checks completed by H&SC associate, Marcello Batelochi. Full review of database to be conducted after receipt of additional assay results; Update of surface relief topographic model for open pit development assessment - completed with high-precision Lidar survey flown by Brazilian Contractor, Embratop; Resampling checks on available historical drill core - completed; Maximizing collar surveys of all historical holes that can be located at surface (over 50% confirmed); Assess spatial shift between modern surfaces and historical theodolite-based surfaces (Current reconciliation of coordinates based on drill holes, mine entrance and ventilation shaft indicate a shift of x-3.3m, y-3.6m, z+12.9m between mine database records and SIRGAS200 grid; Resampling umpire checks on available historical pulps - in progress; Compilation of historical records - completed for assays and geological coding; compilation of recovery data and geotechnical data in progress; Addition of more density data into the database - proceeding in parallel with Meridian drilling; Completion of 50 x 50m infill check and extensional cross-strike drilling, with 25 x 25m infill test area - objectives of current program and continuing into 2024 campaign; Final spatial review of collar and void underground data integrity; Review metallurgical recovery assumptions with new testwork program, including the assessment of potential for Pb concentrate with precious metal credits, and assessment of oxide - transition zone recoveries which affect ~20% of the exploration target: scheduled for 2024; and Checks of historical records of plant throughput and tailings grade to compare against the geology department run-of-mine production records - ongoing. Scope remains to test further potential for extension to the mineralized system, along the geophysical anomalies projecting along strike from Santa Helena. Opportunities to recover a lead concentrate will be assessed as part of the future metallurgical test programs. The historical processing facility did also not include a gravity circuit. Gravity recoverable gold is anticipated at least in the oxide zone, with past surface geochemical surveys identifying a surface gold in soil anomaly at Santa Helena by pan concentrate methods. Santa Helena Historical Resource Estimate SRK was previously commissioned by the Cabacal Vendors to undertake a resource study on the Monte Cristo (Santa Helena) Zn Deposit in 2007 ("Table 5"). This estimate was last updated in a report dated 30 May 2007. The estimation procedure used three iterations of the inverse distance squared method on composited drillhole data with progressively longer search ranges. A Zn Equivalent % calculation was applied for reporting the estimates (ZnEq % = Zn% + (2.14 * Cu%) + (0.39 * Au ppm)+ (0.007* Ag_ppm); Metallurgical Recovery = 89% Zn, 89% Cu, 65% Au, 61% Ag; Au price USD 570 / oz; Ag price USD 11 / oz, Cu price USD 3.36/ lb; Zn price = 1.57 / lb). A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves; and the issuer is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The 2007 historical resource does not account for final depletion. Table 5: Historical Santa Helena 2007 Resource Estimate. The historical resource had a number of limitations reducing its tonnage compared to the current Exploration Target range: The historical resource was quoted at a 3% Zinc Equivalent cut-off grade, reducing the amount of lower grade mineralization at reasonable grades that could alternatively be considered for open-pit development; The historical resource estimate did not incorporate data from mineralization intersected in BP trenching and drilling programs at the eastern end of the deposit; Checks against original BP maps and reports retrieved from historical archives, coupled with field checks, indicated than a number of holes were wrongly placed in the database; and New drilling indicates a greater cross-strike footprint of mineralization than originally modelled. Santa Helena Drill Program Santa Helena is a Cu-Au-Ag & Zn VMS deposit located ~9km to the southeast of the Cabacal Mine in Mato Grosso Brazil. It has over 10,000m of historical drilling and is one of a series of exploration targets along the 11km Cabacal Mine Corridor. The Company commenced initial drilling in August 2023 as part of a verification program, to validate the historical data in line with NI43-101 requirements, and to initiate scout drilling for potential extensions defined by geophysics. The Company's compilation of historical drill data indicated that many past holes were not completely sampled, that reconciliation of surveyed drilled positions and mine workings suggested that the high-grade massive sulphide mineralization was only partially mined. and that extensions of near-surface mineralization to the south and to the east were also not integrated into the historical resource calculations 4 . The Company has concluded that this historical resource area is considered open. Figure 3: Santa Helena drill results, with 2.0km eastern exploration extension, and newly emerging target area remaining open to the southeast. The Company has completed twenty-four holes to date. Initial results from holes drilled along the main trend for resource verification were very positive, confirming high-grade massive to semi massive near-surface mineralization 5 . Further drilling across strike into a geochemical anomaly located south of the historical resource also confirmed strong mineralization, locally increasing the cross-strike footprint of mineralization by up to 300% 6 . These results have included: CD-311: 19.1m @ 1.9g/t AuEq from 8.0m; including 4.9m @ 6.8g/t AuEq from 22.2m; from 8.0m; including from 22.2m; CD-321: 23.1m @ 1.5 g/t AuEq from 6.1m, including 3.6m @ 4.9 g/t AuEq from 10.0m; from 6.1m, including from 10.0m; CD-325: 14.9m @ 4.6 g/t AuEq from 26.3m; from 26.3m; CD-329: 6.8m @ 7.4g/t AuEq from 38.7m; from 38.7m; CD-332: 5.8m @ 6.8g/t AuEq from 32.2m; from 32.2m; CD-335: 7.2m @ 6.0g/t AuEq from 35.5m; from 35.5m; CD-336: 30.7m @ 1.1g/t AuEq from 6.0m, including: 5.7m @ 2.2g/t AuEq ; and from 6.0m, including: ; and CD-351: 11.7m @ 2.0g/t AuEq from 27.0m, including 5.4m @ 2.8g/t AuEq from 27.0m. The latest results ("Table 6"; "Figure 3") have been returned from a range of positions throughout the deposit. Additional drilling across strike from the historical resource has returned further shallow mineralization with a wide zone intersected in CD-359, located 55m along strike from CD-336. Further drilling is in progress to extend this position eastwards along strike. CD-359: 36.6m @ 1.3g/t AuEq (0.6g/t Au, 0.4% Cu, 8.4g/t Ag & 0.8% Zn) from 13.0m; including: 9.4m @ 1.9g/t AuEq (1.3g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 15.1g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 13.0m, and (1.3g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 15.1g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 13.0m, and 5.6m @ 1.7g/t AuEq (0.9g/t Au, 0.4% Cu, 10.8g/t Ag & 1.4% Zn) from 29.7m. Drilling further to the east confirmed shallow mineralization both within the historical resource envelope aligned with expectations (CD-378, CD-382), and mineralization to the south of the projected resource envelope, below historical surface trenching of BP Minerals (CD-372): CD-372 20.0m @ 0.7g/t AuEq (0.2g/t Au, 0.2% Cu, 8.9g/t Ag & 0.3% Zn) from 0.0m; including: 7.6m @ 1.2 g/t AuEq (0.4g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 5.4g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 0.0m; (0.4g/t Au, 0.6% Cu, 5.4g/t Ag & 0.5% Zn) from 0.0m; 4.9m @ 0.8g/t AuEq (0.1g/t Au, 0.2% Cu, 6.7g/t Ag & 1.3% Zn) from 31.4m; (0.1g/t Au, 0.2% Cu, 6.7g/t Ag & 1.3% Zn) from 31.4m; CD-378: 5.9m @ 5.5g/t AuEq (1.9g/t Au, 1.3% Cu, 33.5g/t Ag & 5.6% Zn) from 38.3m; and (1.9g/t Au, 1.3% Cu, 33.5g/t Ag & 5.6% Zn) from 38.3m; and CD-382: 8.4m @ 1.3g/t AuEq (0.5g/t Au, 0.3% Cu, 12.6g/t Ag & 1.3% Zn) from 41.0m. The growing confidence in the data combined with historical compilations has allowed the Company to nominate the Exploration Target for the Santa Helena Deposit. The Company aims to continue the program with the objective of defining a Mineral Resource, and we look forward to further results. About Meridian Meridian Mining UK S is focused on: The development and exploration of the advanced stage Cabacal VMS goldacopper project; Regional scale exploration of the Cabacal VMS belt; and Exploration in the Jauru & Araputanga Greenstone belts (the above all located in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil). Cabacal is a gold-copper-silver rich VMS deposit with the potential to be a standalone mine within the 50km VMS belt. Cabacal's base and precious metal-rich mineralization is hosted by volcanogenic type, massive, semi-massive, stringer, and disseminated sulphides within deformed metavolcanic-sedimentary rocks. A later-stage gold overprint event has emplaced high-grade gold mineralization. The Preliminary Economic Assessment technical report (the "PEA Technical Report") dated March 30, 2023, entitled: "Cabacal Gold-Copper Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment, Mato Grosso, Brazil" outlines a base case after-tax NPV5 of USD 573 million and 58.4% IRR from a pre-production capital cost of USD 180 million, leading to capital repayment in 10.6 months (assuming metals price scenario of USD 1,650 per ounces of gold, USD 3.59 per pound of copper, and USD 21.35 per ounce of silver). Cabacal has a low All-in-Sustaining-Cost of USD 671 per ounce gold equivalent for the first five years, driven by high metallurgical recovery, a low life-of-mine strip ratio of 2.1:1, and the low operating cost environment of Brazil (see press release dated March 6, 2023). The Cabacal Mineral Resource estimate consists of Indicated resources of 52.9 million tonnes at 0.6g/t gold, 0.3% copper and 1.4g/t silver and Inferred resources of 10.3 million tonnes at 0.7g/t gold, 0.2% copper & 1.1g/t silver (at a 0.3 g/t gold equivalent cut-off grade), including a higher-grade near-surface zone supporting a starter pit. Readers are encouraged to read the PEA Technical Report in its entirety. The PEA Technical Report may be found on the Company's website at www.meridianmining.co and under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at http://www.sedarplus.ca/ . The qualified persons for the PEA Technical Report are: Robert Raponi (P. Eng), Principal Metallurgist with Ausenco Engineering), Scott Elfen (P. E.), Global Lead Geotechnical and Civil Services with Ausenco Engineering), Simon Tear (PGeo, EurGeol), Principal Geological Consultant of H&SC, Marcelo Batelochi, (MAusIMM, CP Geo), Geological Consultant of MB Geologia Ltda, Joseph Keane (Mineral Processing Engineer; P.E), of SGS, and Guilherme Gomides Ferreira (Mine Engineer MAIG) of GE21 Consultoria Mineral. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining UK S Mr. Gilbert Clark - CEO and Director Meridian Mining UK S Email: [email protected] Ph: +1 778 715-6410 (PST) Stay up to date by subscribing for news alerts here: https://meridianmining.co/contact/ Follow Meridian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeridianMining Further information can be found at: www.meridianmining.co Technical Notes Samples have been analysed at SGS laboratory in Belo Horizonte. Samples are dried, crushed with 75% passing Au_recovery_ppm = 5.4368ln(Au_Grade_ppm)+88.856 Cu_recovery_pct = 2.0006ln(Cu_Grade_pct)+94.686 Ag_recovery_ppm = 13.342ln(Ag_Grade_ppm)+71.037 Recoveries based on 2022 metallurgical testwork on core submitted to SGS Lakefield Copper equivalents for Santa Helena are based on metallurgical recoveries from the historical resource calculation, updated with pricing forecasts aligned with the Cabacal PEA. The metal equivalent formula s presented as a copper equivalent rather than a zinc equivalent, based on the Companies current assessment of the metal balance after the past zinc-focussed extraction. CuEq% = (Cu% * 89%Recovery) + (0.67Au(g/t) * 65%Recovery) + (0.318Zn% * 89%Recovery)) + (0.009Ag(g/t) * 61%Recovery)). Recovery formulas will be updated with future testwork programs. The Gradient Array IP survey is being conducted using the Company's in-house team, utilizing its GDD GRx8a16c receiver and 5000Wa2400a15A transmitter. Data is processed by the Company's independent consultancy Core Geophysics. Geophysical and geochemical exploration targets are preliminary in nature and not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit. Qualified Person Mr. Erich Marques, B.Sc., MAIG, Chief Geologist of Meridian Mining and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed, and verified the technical information in this news release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Meridian's most recent Annual Information Form filed on www.sedar.com. While these factors and assumptions are considered reasonable by Meridian, in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, Meridian can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. 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, Meridian disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results or otherwise. Table 6: Results Reported Santa Helena Hole-ID Dip Azi EOH (m) Zone Int (m) AuEq (g/t) CuEq (%) Au (g/t) Cu (%) Ag (g/t) Zn (%) Pb (%) From (m) CD-382 -90 000 66.5 SHM 8.4 1.3 0.9 0.5 0.3 12.6 1.3 0.2 41.0 Including 3.4 2.1 1.4 0.7 0.3 21.2 2.6 0.5 46.0 1.2 0.8 0.6 0.2 0.1 6.2 1.4 0.3 59.0 1.6 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 4.1 0.4 0.2 63.9 CD378 -60 216 70.6 SHM 5.9 5.5 3.7 1.9 1.3 33.5 5.6 1.0 38.3 Including 4.0 7.5 5.0 2.7 1.8 45.1 7.1 1.2 39.4 CD372 60 213 50.1 SHM 20.0 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.2 8.9 0.3 0.3 0.0 Including 7.6 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.6 5.4 0.5 0.3 0.0 4.9 0.8 0.6 0.1 0.2 6.7 1.3 0.2 31.4 CD359 45 188 70.6 SHM 36.6 1.3 0.9 0.6 0.4 8.4 0.8 0.5 13.0 Including 9.4 1.9 1.3 1.3 0.6 15.1 0.5 1.2 13.0 Including 5.6 1.7 1.2 0.9 0.4 10.8 1.4 0.6 29.7 1 Meridian Mining news release dated March 6, 2023 2 See Meridian Mining news releases of: November 14, October 23 and September 27, 2023. 3 Monte Cristo Mine. State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Report by SRK Consulting, Project Number 164802. Compiled by Nick Michael, Clay Taylor, Alva Kuestermeyer. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Meridian has not treated the resource and reserve stated in this report as a current mineral resource or reserves for purposes of National Instrument 43a101. 4 Meridian Mining News Release of March 29, 2022. 5 Meridian Mining News Release of September 12, 2023. 6 Meridian Mining News Release of November 14, 2023. SOURCE: Meridian Mining UK S View source version on accesswire.com: NWS, a rapidly growing solutions and logistics provider to carriers and telecommunications contractors, has been named a Corporate Plusi Member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) GREENSBORO, NC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / NWS, a rapidly growing solutions and logistics provider to carriers and telecommunications contractors, has been named a Corporate Plusi Member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The ceremony took place during the NMSDC National Conference in Baltimore, MD. NWS now joins an elite cohort of minority-owned firms in the U.S. NWS Achieves NMSDC Corporate Plus Membership NMSDC is a corporate membership organization dedicated to advancing business opportunities for certified minority-owned companies. NWS is a portfolio company of Grain Management, LLC ("Grain"), a leading Washington, D.C.-based investment firm focused on the global communications sector. The inception of the Corporate Plus membership program aims to meet the demands of corporate members seeking minority suppliers capable of handling large-scale national contracts. These members epitomize top-tier client dedication, streamlined execution, and creative problem-solving. The NMSDC's corporate partners heavily lean on the Corporate Plus cohort to meet their procurement needs and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives. "We are thrilled to join the ranks of the NMSDC Corporate Plus program, a milestone that greatly resonates with our core values," said Xavier Williams, Chief Executive Officer at NWS. This recognition is not just an accolade; it's a testament to our capability to provide unparalleled service and expertise to a diverse range of clients. It's a proud moment that marks our journey towards continued excellence and growth in the industry." With a workforce of 150 individuals spread across five states and three Canadian provinces, NWS is a vital diversity supplier for numerous Fortune 500 companies. The heart of this achievement lies within the NWS team, who take immense pride in sharing their expertise and delivering world-class solutions. At NWS, diversity and inclusion aren't checkboxes-they're woven into the team's values, fostering a workplace where these goals thrive as inherent advantages. About NWS Established in 2012, NWS is a technology infrastructure solutions provider committed to helping companies of all sizes build the connected world of today and tomorrow. From custom connectivity, kitting, logistics, telecom infrastructure materials, and test and measurement solutions, our goal is to develop and deliver solutions for the world we need next. For more information, visit www.nwsnext.com. About Grain Management Grain Management, LLC is a leading private investment firm that focuses on communications infrastructure and technology companies that connect the world to the information economy. Founded in 2007, the Firm invests exclusively in the global broadband industry, employing a rigorous, data-based process buoyed by deep sector expertise to identify investment opportunities in key areas of communications, including fiber networks, wireless spectrum, cell towers, infrastructure services, and managed services. For more information, visit www.graingp.com Contact Information John Doucette Director of Digital & Marketing Communications [email protected] 647-218-7327 SOURCE: NWS View source version on accesswire.com: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX:RLF)(OTCQB:RLFTF)(OTCQB:RLFTY) (Relief, or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering innovative treatment options for select specialty, unmet and rare diseases, today announced its intent to progressively transition from a direct marketing and sales infrastructure for its commercial-stage assets to a partnership-based model. The Company believes that the transition will continue to enable more efficient patient access through leveraging external expertise and infrastructure. The Company intends to streamline its commercial operations and focus its resources on its R&D activities, paving the way for sustainable growth. Michelle Lock, interim chief executive officer of Relief, commented, "Our strategic pivot will enable us to reallocate resources towards our advancing R&D pipeline. It will also reinforce Relief's foundational strengths and historical business model, centered around drug development and the business-to-business (B2B) commercialization of our products." This decision primarily affects Relief's GOLIKE franchise, with the Company's other products historically licensed or distributed through third parties. The Company remains committed to supporting the needs of patients currently benefiting from PKU GOLIKE and is exploring potential partnerships for the continued commercialization and expansion of its GOLIKE franchise and the expected commercial launch of RLF-OD032 in early 2026. PKU GOLIKE is currently marketed by Relief in the U.S., Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and is licensed to distribution partners in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Ecuador, and certain Middle Eastern countries. PKU GOLIKE shall remain commercially available in the U.S. via Relief's distribution arrangement with Pentec Health, Inc. Relief also remains actively engaged in optimizing the value of its development-stage pipeline, continuing the development of RLF-OD032 for phenylketonuria (PKU), RLF-TD011 for dermatological conditions, RLFa100 (aviptadil) for pulmonary disorders, and Olpruva" for metabolic disorders in Europe. ABOUT RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Relief Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing treatment paradigms and delivering improvements in efficacy, safety, and convenience to benefit the lives of patients living with select specialty and rare diseases. Relief Therapeutics' portfolio offers a balanced mix of marketed, revenue-generating products, our proprietary, globally patented Physiomimic" and TEHCLO" platform technologies and a targeted clinical development pipeline consisting of risk-mitigated assets focused in three core therapeutic areas: rare metabolic disorders, rare skin diseases and rare respiratory diseases. In addition, Relief Therapeutics is commercializing several legacy products via licensing and distribution partners. Relief Therapeutics' mission is to provide therapeutic relief to those suffering from rare diseases and is being advanced by an international team of well-established, experienced biopharma industry leaders with extensive research, development and rare disease expertise. Relief Therapeutics is headquartered in Geneva, with additional offices in Balerna, Switzerland, Offenbach am Main, Germany and Monza, Italy. Relief Therapeutics is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF and quoted in the U.S. on OTCQB under the symbols RLFTF and RLFTY. For more information, please visit our website www.relieftherapeutics.com or follow Relief Therapeutics on LinkedIn and Twitter. CONTACT : RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA Jeremy Meinen Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, including its ability to achieve its corporate, development and commercial goals, and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Relief to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. A number of factors, including whether the Relief's change in its business strategy will be successful and those described in Relief's filings with the SIX Swiss Exchange and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), could adversely affect Relief. Copies of Relief's filings with the SEC are available on the SEC EDGAR database at www.sec.gov. Relief does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date. SOURCE: RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA View source version on accesswire.com: Expansion Focused on Sacramento and Central Valley Food & Beverage, Manufacturing & Distribution Industries MODESTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / Since reporting record industry growth and expansion in 2023, Star Staffing announces new management team members to continue its accomplishments in the employment industry. These positions will comprise the company's leadership team, focused on driving advancement, growth, and superior service. Star is one of the region's fastest growing staffing firms - Forbes Ranked America's Best Recruiting & Temporary Staffing firm - with offices in the North Bay, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Central Valley, Stanislaus, and Solano Counties. The Sacramento office is also celebrating its 7th year in business as Star's 2nd largest branch. "It has long been our vision to expand into Sacramento and the Valley. Our services are a perfect match for so many businesses in these areas," says CEO Lisa Lichty. "We are thrilled to achieve our goal of expansion into these regions." Star Staffing is celebrating 25 years in business. Find more information about Star's innovative solutions at https://www.starhr.com or call 707-762-4447. Star Staffing New Power Leadership: Jennifer Dutro, Vice President - With 25 years of staffing industry experience, Dutro has led large teams at highly respected staffing firms, she has managed 12 offices and 11 onsite locations throughout Northern and Central California. She brings a deep understanding of the specific needs of the industry and has also managed teams in the Nevada market, with offices in Reno and Carson City, including launching a large staffing branch in Las Vegas. "I chose Star Staffing because of the strong reputation Lisa, Nicole, and the company have in the community - and, also because it's a certified women-owned business, operating for more than 25 years, with consistent year-over-year growth. I'm most excited to work with the amazing teams in place, build on the foundation already established and continue to work in and serve the community I've been a part of for the past 25 years. This is an exciting time to be part of Star Staffing!" Follow Jennifer on LinkedIn Dawn Beckwith, Area Director - Beckwith brings more than 25 years of experience to oversee Star's Eastern Region of Sacramento and Modesto. Her unique expertise is focused on the vital positions within the food & beverage and manufacturing industries. Entering the staffing industry "back when we used the phone book to gain leads," she worked her way up through recruiter, sales, and leadership positions. She spent the last decade as market vice president for a large renowned California firm, overseeing seven Northern California branches with a market size of $45 million and more than 1,000 associates on-assignment. "Star Staffing has always had a terrific reputation as a strong competitor. I was attracted by the fact that Star is proudly women-owned and run and that the North Bay Business Journal named it as one of the best places to work for the past 11 years," says Beckwith. "I have enjoyed building successful teams and businesses, and I am excited to scale Star to the next level of growth." Beckwith lives in Stockton with her husband, two daughters, two grandchildren, and their adorable dog. Follow Dawn on LinkedIn Contact Information Ciera Pratt Senior Marketing Manager [email protected] 8052528266 SOURCE: Star Staffing View source version on accesswire.com: UK Space Agency funds satellite time for flagship UNEP programme GHGSat to deliver 300 observations of IMEO-selected emitting locations MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2023 / The UK is to provide high-resolution greenhouse gas data to the United Nations Environment Programme's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), as part of a contract between Satellite Applications Catapult and UK Space Agency to provide GHGSat archive data to public and private UK organizations for R&D purposes. The direct measurement initiative will see GHGSat satellites make 300 observations at sites identified by IMEO, with mission time funded by the UK Space Agency. UK provides high-resolution greenhouse gas data to UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory Image (Left to right): Dan Wicks, Managing Director UK, GHGSat, Beth Greenaway, Head of Earth Observation and Climate, UKSA and Steven P. Hamburg, Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund, Chair of IMEO Scientific Oversight Committee at COP28 Launched at the G20 Summit in 2021, IMEO is a major climate change initiative by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which is building a global dataset of methane emissions. IMEO collects, integrates, and reconciles information from scientific research campaigns, industry (especially those involved in fossil fuel production), and national inventories. Data is derived from a wide range of sources, including satellite monitoring, and made actionable through initiatives like the Methane Alert and Response System, which provides comprehensive, verified satellite data so countries and businesses can mitigate methane pollution. IMEO said that combining satellite data with ground-based measurements holds "the potential to be a game changer for methane emissions reduction." GHGSat pioneered industrial greenhouse gas emissions monitoring from space in 2016, with the launch of Claire, a demonstrator satellite. Its patented high-resolution technology, combining low detection thresholds (down to 100kg/h) with high spatial resolution (25m on the ground), revolutionized our understanding of the sources of methane emissions. Today, GHGSat is the global leader in greenhouse gas intelligence, making over two million facility measurements in 2023, on and offshore, with a constellation of nine satellites and three additional satellites currently undergoing commissioning. The company was the first to supply high-resolution satellite emissions data to UNEP's IMEO, a contribution made possible by the Government of Canada. From November 2023, the UNEP programme will be able to directly task GHGSat satellites to monitor targets that it selects. Data will be provided on a quick-turnaround basis, allowing for actionable insights. UK Space Agency funded the activity as part of its wider effort to champion the use of space-based emissions measurement in climate policy and mitigation. Earlier this year, GHGSat was awarded a 5.5m contract to provide high-resolution data for research and development, accessible via the Satellite Applications Catapult, the UK lead for developing new commercial applications for satellite data. GHGSat will also supply greenhouse gas observations directly to UK public organizations, including the Ordnance Survey, EO Data Hub, Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Environment Agency, and Office for Environmental Protection as part of the deal. Manfredi Caltagirone, Head of UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory, said, "Satellite data is an important part of IMEO's work: it provides unique insight and helps validate emissions information from other sources. Our goal is to provide comprehensive data that is open and reliable but also - actionable. Being able to directly task GHGSat's satellites, which can pinpoint the exact source of emissions, is a welcome addition to our capability." Paul Bate, UK Space Agency CEO, said, "Harnessing satellite technologies such as those developed by GHGSat are key to driving forward the UK's commitment to Net Zero emissions by 2050 and protecting our planet. Today's announcement shows we remain at the forefront of climate action: using the strengths of the UK space sector in Earth Observation and data analytics to provide trusted information and intelligence to international partners, including the United Nations." Lucy Edge, Satellite Applications Catapult COO, said, "Satellites are playing a vital role in helping us understand methane emissions, identifying sources of pollution, and reducing releases of this potent greenhouse gas. Thanks to the UK Space Agency, our unique partnership with GHGSat and the UNEP's IMEO, UK organisations have access to actionable, reliable data, for solving the methane challenge." Stephane Germain, CEO at GHGSat, said, "No one doubts time is against us if we are to limit global warming to 2C or less. To act effectively, we need better data. UNEP's IMEO was set up in recognition of this. So too was GHGSat: we pioneered high-resolution technology so we could identify the sources of emissions accurately and fix them. That is why we are proud to partner with the Satellite Applications Catapult and UK Space Agency on this initiative." Contact Information Kaeden Ross Marketing Coordinator [email protected] SOURCE: GHGSat View source version on accesswire.com: BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Irans President Ebrahim Raisi is set to visit Moscow on December 7 for a two-day trip, Trend reports. According to the report, the Iranian president's visit to Russia will take place based on the official invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to discuss ways to enhance economic, political and cultural ties between the two countries. The Iranian delegation will include the ministers of foreign affairs, oil, economic affairs and finance. According to the latest data from the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), the non-oil trade turnover between the two countries was 3.38 million tons worth $1.57 billion in the first seven months of the current Iranian year (March 21 through October 22, 2023). This is an increase of 18.5 percent in value and 47 percent in volume compared to the same period last year. --- Follow the author on X (Twitter):@BaghishovElnur Bayer achieved a 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundations assessment of LGBTQ+ workplace equality WHIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- For the sixth consecutive year, Bayer U.S. received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundations 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nations foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion, said RaShawn Shawnie Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign Sr. Director of Workplace Equality. We are proud of the recognition we received from HRC for our efforts in driving a diverse and inclusive workplace at Bayer. Weve done a lot of work to further diversity, equity and inclusion, and we know theres a lot more to be done to achieve full lived equality in the workplace. Were dedicated to continuing these conversations and participating in the CEI survey to ensure our employees are heard, represented and respected at work, said Asha Hope, Bayer VP & Head North America Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Through meaningful actions and achievements, Bayer has continued to foster this inclusive, diverse, and equitable work culture for its thousands of employees and communities the company serves. Bayer offers equal benefits, business resource groups (BRGs), interactive workshops, allyship dialogues, and education for all. One of these BRGs, BLEND, focuses on the LGBTQ+ community and allies making sure they are continually supported. This year, Bayer colleagues and members of BLEND have also increased recruitment efforts through organizations such as Out and Equal, Lesbians who Tech and oSTEM. The results of the 2023-2024 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and abroad. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2023-2024 CEI now includes 1,384 participants; further demonstrating the tremendous trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 1,340 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from just 17 in 2002. These critical non-discrimination protections cover 21 million employees in the U.S. and around the globe. Bayers efforts in satisfying all the CEIs criteria earned a score of 100 and the designation as recipient of the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion. The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: Non-discrimination policies across business entities; Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families; Supporting an inclusive culture; and, Corporate social responsibility. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei. About Bayer Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2022, the Group employed around 101,000 people and had sales of 50.7 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com. About the Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the publics understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work. Bayer and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer. Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205747021/en/ Nicole Hayes 201-421-5268 [email protected] Source: Bayer MONTERREY, Mexico & DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- This week, during COP28 in Dubai, Cemex unveiled the first fully electric, zero-emissions ready-mix truck in the Middle East. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205492588/en/ Cemex unveiled the first fully electric ready-mix truck in the Middle East during COP28 in Dubai. (Photo: Business Wire) The truck is fully operational and has the capacity to transport a full load of concrete. It is equipped with a state-of-the-art 350kWh battery which allows it to complete an average full workday with a single recharge. Cemex is actively collaborating with partners and manufacturers to discover, pilot, learn, and scale the long-term solutions needed for hybrid and zero-emission vehicles to be available at scale. At the same time, Cemex is adding trucks powered by renewable diesel and natural gas which have a carbon footprint that is 70% and 25% lower than regular diesel, respectively. These critical transitional technologies will enable a reduction in carbon emissions in the short term as heavy-duty electric vehicles become viable at scale. About Cemex Cemex is a global construction materials company that is building a better future through sustainable products and solutions. Cemex is committed to achieving carbon neutrality through relentless innovation and industry-leading research and development. Cemex is at the forefront of the circular economy in the construction value chain and is pioneering ways to increase the use of waste and residues as alternative raw materials and fuels in its operations with the help of new technologies. Cemex offers cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and urbanization solutions in growing markets around the world, powered by a multinational workforce focused on providing a superior customer experience enabled by digital technologies. For more information, please visit: www.cemex.com Except as the context otherwise may require, references in this press release to Cemex, we, us, our, refer to Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) and its consolidated subsidiaries. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Cemex intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect Cemexs current expectations and projections about future events based on Cemexs knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events, as well as Cemexs current plans based on such facts and circumstances, unless otherwise indicated. These statements necessarily involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from Cemexs expectations, including, among others, risks, uncertainties, and assumptions discussed in Cemexs most recent annual report and detailed from time to time in CEMEXs other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores), which factors are incorporated herein by reference, which if materialized could ultimately lead to Cemexs expectations, expected results, and/or the project and investment referred in this press release not producing the expected benefits and/or results. Forward-looking statements should not be considered guarantees of future performance, nor the results or developments are indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. These factors may be revised or supplemented, and the information contained in this press release is subject to change without notice, but Cemex is not under, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to update or correct this press release or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. Any or all of Cemexs forward-looking statements may turn out to be inaccurate. Accordingly, undue reliance on forward-looking statements should not be placed, as such forward-looking statements speak only as of the dates on which they are made. The content of this press release is for informational purposes only, and you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. There is currently no single globally recognized or accepted, consistent, and comparable set of definitions or standards (legal, regulatory, or otherwise) of, nor widespread cross-market consensus i) as to what constitutes, a green, social, or sustainable or having equivalent-labelled activity, product, or asset; or ii) as to what precise attributes are required for a particular activity, product, or asset to be defined as green, social, or sustainable or such other equivalent label; or iii) as to climate and sustainable funding and financing activities and their classification and reporting. Therefore, there is little certainty, and no assurance or representation is given that such activities and/or reporting of those activities will meet any present or future expectations or requirements for describing or classifying funding and financing activities as green, social, or sustainable or attributing similar labels. We expect policies, regulatory requirements, standards, and definitions to be developed and continuously evolve over time. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205492588/en/ Media Relations Jorge Perez +52 (81) 8259-6666 [email protected] Source: Cemex Ballard will oversee CORTs Workplace business vertical in addition to her current responsibilities CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CORT, the nations leading provider of furniture rental and destination services, appoints longtime CORT executive Allison Ballard to the newly created role of vice president of strategy overseeing the companys workplace division. The move is part of CORTs ongoing strategy to provide the exceptional customer service that has made CORT the top furniture rental provider for flexible workplace solutions. As the economy and market conditions improve, we are strongly positioned to strategically grow our business and theres no one better than Allison to lead our efforts, Jeff Rowe, executive vice president of business development at CORT, said. With her vast industry expertise and knowledge of our customer base, we look forward to her leadership in moving our business forward. Ballard has spent over 20 years with CORT, holding various sales and leadership positions working her way up from Showroom Manager to Vice President. Most recently, Ballard was the VP and executive director of 4SITE by CORT, formerly known as Tapdn. In her new role, Ballard will lead the strategic growth of flexible workplace solutions that enable CORTs customers to optimize their workplace, enhance their employee experience, and improve their operational efficiency. The last few years have shown us being flexible is paramount when it comes to the workplace and that extends to our business as well, Ballard said, This new role is a direct reflection of our commitment to continuously evolve and grow so we can deliver the best possible service to our customers. Ballard received her bachelors degree from Pepperdine University and resides in Carlsbad, CA. She currently serves as a member of the Fast Company Advisory Board, Forbes Business Council, and as an advisory board member for workplace at Propmodo. Outside of CORT, she can be found spending time with her adult children and volunteering with HRC and the San Diego Food Bank as well as travelling. For more information about CORT, visit cort.com. About CORT CORT, a part of Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, is the nations leading provider of transition services, including furniture rental for home and office, event furnishings, destination services, apartment locating, touring, and other services. With more than 100 locations including offices, distribution centers, furniture rental showrooms, and furniture outlets across the United States, operations in the United Kingdom, and a global network of partners in more than 80 countries around the world, no other furniture rental company can match CORTs breadth of services and companywide commitment to making a house a home, an office a great place to work and an event a memorable celebration. For more information, please visit www.cort.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205273029/en/ Traci Koller Mazurek 512-550-3288 INK Communications Co. [email protected] Source: CORT - Poster presentations highlight data across Cybins CYB003 and deuterated DMT clinical programs, as well as preclinical development programs - TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) (Cybin or the Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to revolutionizing mental healthcare by developing new and innovative next-generation psychedelic-based treatment options, today announced the presentation of four posters at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting taking place December 3-6, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. The data presented include topline data from its Phase 2 study of CYB003 in major depressive disorder (MDD) which showed rapid, robust, and clinically significant reduction of depression symptoms, preclinical data supporting the CYB004 (deuterated DMT) program, and preclinical data characterizing phenethylamine candidates from the CYB005 program. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our positive topline Phase 2 data readout for CYB003 at one of the leading scientific meetings in neuroscience with world renowned experts in mental health disorders, said Amir Inamdar, MBBS, DNB (Psych), MFPM, Chief Medical Officer of Cybin. In our study of CYB003 for MDD, we observed rapid and large improvements in symptoms of depression after single doses, with a clear incremental benefit of a second dose. At the end of the double-blind phase (day 21) for the 12mg dose, CYB003 showed a rapid improvement with a clinically meaningful effect size (2.15) and statistically significant (p=0.0005) difference of 14 points on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) over placebo. Importantly, similar results were obtained in the 16mg group. Response and remission rates were also compelling, exceeding 75%. We are excited to advance this promising drug candidate along the regulatory pathway. As we actively pursue our goal of developing improved treatment options for mental health disorders, we believe that our novel deuterated analog of DMT, CYB004, has the potential to offer benefits over DMT in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, said Geoff Varty, Ph.D., Head of Research & Development at Cybin. Deuteration of DMT may improve its pharmacokinetic (PK) profile, allowing for effective and scalable psychological integration, while maintaining its desired pharmacodynamic (PD) effects. Our preclinical studies aimed to compare the in vitro pharmacology, in vivo activity, and PK profile of CYB004 to DMT, to determine the impact of deuteration on the properties of CYB004. We are pleased that data from these studies confirm that deuteration did not impact the pharmacology and in vivo profile of CYB004, and that deuteration potentially offers the ability to extend the PK profile of DMT and enhance treatment outcomes. The annual ACNP meeting provides an ideal opportunity to showcase Cybins advancing clinical programs, as well as our scientific leadership in the neuropsychopharmacology space. We are proud and excited to present four abstracts related to our pipeline programs and to share our progress at this gathering of distinguished researchers and scientists, said Doug Drysdale, Chief Executive Officer of Cybin. As evidenced in each of these presentations, our deuterated programs psilocybin analog (CYB003) and DMT compounds (CYB004 and SPL028) are producing highly encouraging results. This is a transformational time for Cybin, with several upcoming value-driving catalysts as we advance our clinical programs. Following on from our recently announced Phase 2 topline efficacy data for CYB003, we expect to have Phase 1 dosing, PK/PD, and safety data for CYB004 and intramuscular dosing data for SPL028 around year end 2023. Next steps for these important programs include initiation of a multinational Phase 3 trial of CYB003 in MDD and a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study of CYB004 in generalized anxiety disorder each beginning in early 2024. Poster 1 Details: Title: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of CYB003, a Deuterated Psilocybin Analog in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of CYB003, a Deuterated Psilocybin Analog in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder Authors: Sebastian Krempien, Amir Inamdar, Magdy L. Shenouda, Kimball Johnson, Saundra Ann Maass-Robinson, Maria Johnson, Alex Kelman, Pradeep J Nathan, Alex Belser, Pradip Pathare, Alison House-Gecewicz, Angela Sorie, Aaron Bartlone, Geoffrey B. Varty, Michael E. Morgan, Ken Avery, Ado Muhammad, Alex Nivorozhkin, Michael G. Palfreyman Sebastian Krempien, Amir Inamdar, Magdy L. Shenouda, Kimball Johnson, Saundra Ann Maass-Robinson, Maria Johnson, Alex Kelman, Pradeep J Nathan, Alex Belser, Pradip Pathare, Alison House-Gecewicz, Angela Sorie, Aaron Bartlone, Geoffrey B. Varty, Michael E. Morgan, Ken Avery, Ado Muhammad, Alex Nivorozhkin, Michael G. Palfreyman Poster Number: M83 Poster 2 Details: Title: Preclinical Characterization of CYB004: A Novel, Deuterated N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) Analog for the Potential Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Preclinical Characterization of CYB004: A Novel, Deuterated N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) Analog for the Potential Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Authors: Geoffrey B. Varty, Michael E. Morgan, Odessa Giardino, Joan Krakowsky, Tina Mueller, Clinton Canal, Pradip Pathare, Ken Avery, Alex Nivorozhkin, Michael G. Palfreyman Geoffrey B. Varty, Michael E. Morgan, Odessa Giardino, Joan Krakowsky, Tina Mueller, Clinton Canal, Pradip Pathare, Ken Avery, Alex Nivorozhkin, Michael G. Palfreyman Poster Number: M32 Poster 3 Details: Title: Discovery And Preclinical Characterization of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-thiofluoroalkyl Phenethylamines as Potent and Long-acting Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists Discovery And Preclinical Characterization of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-thiofluoroalkyl Phenethylamines as Potent and Long-acting Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists Authors: Michael G. Palfreyman, Geoffrey B. Varty, Clinton E. Canal, Joshua A. Hartsel, Richa Tyagi, Ken Avery, Michael E. Morgan, Tina A. Mueller, Amy C. Reichelt, Pradip Pathare, Erik Stang, Alex Nivorozhkin Michael G. Palfreyman, Geoffrey B. Varty, Clinton E. Canal, Joshua A. Hartsel, Richa Tyagi, Ken Avery, Michael E. Morgan, Tina A. Mueller, Amy C. Reichelt, Pradip Pathare, Erik Stang, Alex Nivorozhkin Poster Number: M147 The fourth poster will be announced in due course. For more information on ACNP, please visit: www.acnp.org About Cybin Cybin is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company on a mission to create safe and effective psychedelic-based therapeutics to address the large unmet need for new and innovative treatment options for people who suffer from mental health conditions. Cybins goal of revolutionizing mental healthcare is supported by a network of world-class partners and internationally recognized scientists aimed at progressing proprietary drug discovery platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, and novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens. The Company is currently developing CYB003, a proprietary deuterated psilocybin analog for the treatment of major depressive disorder and CYB004, a proprietary deuterated DMT molecule for generalized anxiety disorder and has a research pipeline of investigational psychedelic-based compounds. Headquartered in Canada and founded in 2019, Cybin is operational in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Ireland. For company updates and to learn more about Cybin, visit www.cybin.com or follow the team on X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram. Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release relating to the Company are forward-looking statements and are prospective in nature. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as may, should, could, intend, estimate, plan, anticipate, expect, believe or continue, or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Companys plans to progress to Phase 3 development of CYB003 in early 2024; topline Phase 1 data for CYB004 and Part A data for SPL028 in Q4 2023; commencement of a Phase 2 proof of concept study of CYB004 in Q1 2024; and the Companys plan to engineer proprietary drug discovery platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens for mental health disorders. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as 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 materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: implications of the spread of COVID-19 on the Company's operations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the psychedelics market; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for growth; political, social and environmental uncertainties; employee relations; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions in the markets where the Company operates; and the risk factors set out in each of the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the three and six month periods ended September 30, 2023, and the Companys annual information form for the year ended March 31, 2023, which are available under the Company's profile on www.sedarplus.ca and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure 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. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Cybin makes no medical, treatment or health benefit claims about Cybins proposed products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada or other similar regulatory authorities have not evaluated claims regarding psilocybin, psychedelic tryptamine, tryptamine derivatives or other psychedelic compounds. The efficacy of such products has not been confirmed by approved research. There is no assurance that the use of psilocybin, psychedelic tryptamine, tryptamine derivatives or other psychedelic compounds can diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. Rigorous scientific research and clinical trials are needed. Cybin has not conducted clinical trials for the use of its proposed products. Any references to quality, consistency, efficacy and safety of potential products do not imply that Cybin verified such in clinical trials or that Cybin will complete such trials. If Cybin cannot obtain the approvals or research necessary to commercialize its business, it may have a material adverse effect on Cybins performance and operations. Neither the Neo Exchange Inc. nor the NYSE American LLC stock exchange have approved or disapproved the contents of this news release and are not responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the contents herein. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205340649/en/ Investor & Media Contact: Gabriel Fahel Chief Legal Officer Cybin Inc. 1-866-292-4601 [email protected] or [email protected] Source: Cybin Inc. Financing led by Sanofi Ventures with participation from new investor Bpifrance (through its InnoBio 2 fund), and existing investors Khosla Ventures and Seventure Partners Funding expected to generate proof of concept clinical data in patients PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Eligo Bioscience, a pioneering gene-editing company focused on addressing diseases driven by the expression of bacterial genes from the microbiome, has announced a successful $30 million Series B funding round, led by Sanofi Ventures. This infusion of capital, supported by new investor Bpifrance (through its InnoBio 2 fund), and existing backers Khosla Ventures and Seventure Partners (with Health For Life Capital), propels Eligo towards becoming a clinical-stage biotech. Concurrent with this financing, Laia Crespo, Ph.D., Partner at Sanofi Ventures and Benoit Barteau, Investment Director at Bpifrance will join the board of directors. We are excited to lead this financing for Eligo and support the company as they move to the clinic, said Laia Crespo, Ph.D., Partner at Sanofi Ventures. We are impressed by the unique delivery and editing technologies that Eligo has developed, and we believe this will set the stage for Eligo to forge new paths in the application of in vivo gene-editing technologies. We are delighted to welcome additional prominent healthcare investors to our existing syndicate. We feel this reflects the strong support for our vision and confirms the potential of Eligo to create a novel class of transformative genetic medicines, said Xavier Duportet, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Eligo Bioscience. This is a defining time for Eligo as this funding puts us in a strong position to make a significant leap in treating diseases by editing the genetic makeup of the human microbiome. This funding is earmarked for accelerating the development of Eligos flagship program, EB005, which targets moderate to severe acne vulgaris, an inflammatory disease that affects about 3% of the global population. The investment will fuel pre-IND and IND activities to achieve early human data readouts in a Ph1b/2a clinical trial. Additionally, it will facilitate Eligos expansion into other chronic diseases, including oncology. Eligo stands at the forefront of a biotechnological revolution. By focusing on the in-vivo delivery of genetic cargoes to the microbiome, Eligos technology goes beyond traditional gene therapy and gene editing, expanding the range of addressable genetic targets. Through precise genetic modification within the human microbiome, this unique approach holds the promise of radically altering the course of numerous chronic and life-threatening diseases that are either triggered or driven by the expression of bacterial genes. About Eligo Bioscience Eligo Bioscience is the world leader in microbiome in-vivo gene editing and is advancing a highly differentiated pipeline of precision medicines to address unmet medical needs in immuno-inflammation, oncology, and infectious diseases driven by the expression of deleterious bacterial genes. Eligo was founded by Luciano Marraffini (Professor at The Rockefeller University and cofounder of Intellia Therapeutics, Timothy Lu (Professor at MIT, and CEO at Senti Biosciences), Dr. David Bikard (Professor at Institut Pasteur) and Xavier Duportet. Eligo was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and received venture capital funding from Sanofi Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Bpifrance, and Seventure Partners. For more information, please visit: eligo.bio About Sanofi Ventures Sanofi Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Sanofi. Sanofi Ventures invests in early-stage biotech and digital health companies with innovative ideas and transformative new products and technologies of strategic interest to Sanofi. Among these areas are oncology, immunology, rare diseases, vaccines, potential cures in other core areas of Sanofis business footprint, and digital health solutions. Find out more: www.sanofiventures.com About Khosla Ventures Khosla Ventures invests in companies that are bold, early and impactful. The firm was started in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, to provide venture assistance to entrepreneurs. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., Khosla Ventures invests in a range of areas including AI, climate, sustainability, enterprise, consumer, fintech, digital health, medtech and diagnostics, therapeutics and frontier technology. Visit our website: www.khoslaventures.com About Bpifrance and InnoBio 2 Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses at every stage of their development through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extra financial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export). InnoBio 2 is an investment fund dedicated to life sciences, managed by Bpifrance, which is also one of the LPs alongside Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda, Ipsen, Servier, BMS, European Fund of Investment and Pasteur Mutualite. InnoBio 2, with 203 million, aims to invest in companies developing innovative products and services, close to or in early clinical development, with the objective of bringing them until the clinical proof of concept. InnoBio 2 takes minority equity stake in companies and can lead or co-lead the investment rounds. For more information, please visit: www.bpifrance.com About Seventure Partners Seventure Partners is a long term equity investor that actively supports innovative companies aiming at generating positive impacts on Humankind, Society, Sustainability and the Planet. With 950m net commitments under management as of the end of 2022, Seventure is a leading venture capital firm in Europe investing since 1997 in innovative businesses with high growth potential in 2 main areas: (i) Life sciences and (ii) Digital technologies. With Health for Life Capital funds (160m and 250m commitments respectively in 2 vehicles) and its co-investment funds, Seventure is a worldwide leader in microbiome investments with more than 20 microbiome companies in its portfolio to date. For more details: http://www.seventure.fr/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205514642/en/ [email protected] Source: Eligo Bioscience Goleta Energy Storage becomes the largest power source in Santa Barbara County PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GridStor, a developer and operator of grid-scale battery energy storage systems, dedicated its Goleta Energy Storage facility on December 1st with public officials and regional business leaders. The 60 MW / 160 MWh lithium-ion battery facility will power the equivalent of 30,000 households enough to supply electricity to all of Goletas residential customer base every day through the hours of greatest demand on the electric system. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205296479/en/ GridStor's 60 MW, 160 MWh Goleta Energy Storage Facility (Photo: Business Wire) California has an urgent need for grid reliability as it decarbonizes its economy, and battery storage is the critical resource that meets both challenges, said Chris Taylor, CEO of GridStor. The transition to clean energy takes the support of many partners, from developers and utilities to skilled tradespeople and the local leadership who oversee zoning and permitting. We could not be prouder to work with the City of Goleta and other stakeholders to bring this facility to life and support Californias goals for clean, reliable energy. Following opening remarks, officials from the City of Goleta, County of Santa Barbara, the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development, IBEW Local 413, and Southern California Edison joined Taylor for a ceremonial flipping the switch to represent turning on the battery facility. Goleta Energy Storage is the largest power resource in Santa Barbara County and only the second battery storage facility in the region. Goleta became a more resilient city today, with the dedication of GridStors storage batteries to our grid, said Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte. We are committed to our renewable energy goals, and this facility brings us that much closer to a day where we will rely predominately on wind and solar and have less need for the traditional gas-powered plant that has historically served us locally. The Goleta Energy Storage facility not only supports the existing 900 MW of wind and solar power operating in the region but also assists with maintaining grid reliability during the planned build out of thousands of megawatts of additional renewable energy projects over the next decade. GridStor will provide resource adequacy services from the facility to Southern California Edison under a contract while operating the facility in response to market signals from the California Independent System Operator. Energy reliability is a top priority for businesses in our region, and this project will bring a greater sense of energy security to our South Coast communities, said Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann. Santa Barbara County generates little of our own power, which makes our infrastructure susceptible during wildfires, mudslides, and other natural disasters. The addition of GridStors facility to our electricity grid gives us a critical backup in times of need and is a major step forward for securing our day-to-day power locally. The 44 emission-free containerized Tesla batteries installed at the GridStor facility were manufactured in-state in Lathrop, California. NORD/LB provided $55 million of project debt financing to GridStor to complete the development of the facility. GridStors Goleta Energy Storage project will secure grid power for one of our most climate-vulnerable regions as California continues to deploy new, clean power infrastructure in pursuit of our climate and energy goals, said Rohimah Moly, Deputy Director of Energy & Climate at the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development. This project demonstrates the City of Goletas leadership and the type of collaborative partnership between business and local government necessary to bring the state closer to our carbon neutrality goals. About GridStor GridStor is enabling the transition to a clean energy grid by deploying flexible grid-connected batteries at scale. GridStor develops, acquires, and operates utility-scale, standalone battery storage projects primarily across North America. Visit us at www.gridstor.com and on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205296479/en/ Alaina Gjertsen [email protected] Source: GridStor New Leadership Position to Bolster Company-Wide Branding and Growth Objectives SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Guild Mortgage (NYSE: GHLD), a growth-oriented mortgage lending company originating and servicing residential loans since 1960, appointed mortgage industry veteran Adam ODaniel as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. In this newly created role, ODaniel will spearhead the companys marketing and communications initiatives to expand Guilds brand presence nationally, support the companys growth, and foster a culture of creativity and collaboration. With a background in marketing and media, ODaniel brings 15 years of experience in the mortgage and financial services industries to Guild, having served in leadership roles for Open Mortgage and Movement Mortgage. Before joining the mortgage industry on the corporate side, ODaniel contributed to the industry as a journalist, working as a financial editor and business reporter for more than a decade. Adam brings relevant experience and fresh creative energy to his role driving Guilds marketing and branding at a time when Guild is growing and is ready to connect with our clients in new and innovative ways, said Terry Schmidt, CEO of Guild Mortgage. He has a successful track record of building high-performing marketing teams in the mortgage industry by focusing on brand storytelling, borrower education, social media and innovation, and we look forward to his leadership as we expand Guilds presence nationally. ODaniel joins Guild from Open Mortgage where he was the senior vice president of marketing and was responsible for branding, marketing, and communications for the residential mortgage lender. Previously, he served in marketing and communications leadership at Movement Mortgage, contributing to its growth from $8 billion in annual originations to more than $30 billion. In 2022, he received the Rising Star recognition from HousingWire Magazine as a top mortgage leader under age 40. Adams team won a gold Telly Award for Grab The Key, a cause marketing campaign designed to bring awareness to the history of racial inequities within the mortgage industry. Now is the time to invest and grow into the next era of mortgage lending, and Guild Mortgage is well-positioned for this moment with an excellent reputation for its people, products, culture and service, said ODaniel. Leading this team of marketers and creative professionals is an incredible honor. Were going to expand Guilds brand presence nationally, deliver best-in-class marketing tools, technology and support for our sales teams, and infuse a culture of creativity and collaboration across the brand. Headquartered in San Diego, Guild Mortgage is a leading national lender with an established history of developing innovative pilot programs and specialized products in partnership with government organizations to help deliver the promise of home in every neighborhood and community. Its loan professionals can serve the needs of any homebuyer, from helping first-time buyers achieve homeownership, often through government loan programs, to those looking for jumbo loans. Guild also helps active duty and retired military personnel who qualify for VA loans with 100% financing and flexible qualifying standards. The company is consistently recognized for its community impact, commitment to customer service, strength in regulatory compliance, and workplace culture. For more information about Guild Mortgage, please visit www.GuildMortgage.com. About Guild Mortgage Founded in 1960 when the modern U.S. mortgage industry was just forming, Guild Mortgage Company is a nationally recognized independent mortgage lender providing residential mortgage products and local in-house origination and servicing. Guilds collaborative culture and commitment to diversity and inclusion enable it to deliver a personalized experience for each customer. With more than 4,000 employees and over 300 retail branches, Guild has relationships with credit unions, community banks, and other financial institutions and services loans in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Guilds highly trained loan professionals are experienced in government-sponsored programs such as FHA, VA, USDA, down payment assistance programs and other specialized loan programs. Guild Mortgage Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guild Holdings Company, whose shares of Class A common stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GHLD. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205383245/en/ Media Contact Melissa Rue Nuffer, Smith, Tucker [email protected] (208) 850-5939 Investors [email protected] 858-956-5130 Source: Guild Mortgage Company SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- H.I.G. Capital (H.I.G. or the Firm), a leading global alternative investment firm with $59 billion of capital under management, is pleased to announce that one of its affiliates has completed the acquisition of Mainline Information Systems (Mainline or the Company), a leading IT solutions provider. Mainlines management team, headed by CEO Jeff Dobbelaere, will continue to lead the Company. Headquartered in Tallahassee, FL, and with revenues in excess of $1 billion, Mainline is a leading, diversified IT solutions provider serving the infrastructure needs of blue-chip enterprises. Founded in 1989, the Company designs and implements custom IT solutions for enterprises and provides associated professional and managed services. Mainline has leveraged its technical data center expertise, diverse partner network, and consultative customer-centric approach to become a leading provider of enterprise server, hybrid cloud, cyber storage, and network & security solutions. Over the past 30 years, Mainline has developed strong and enduring relationships by providing our customers with some of their most complex and mission critical infrastructure solutions. Mainline has become a clear industry leader and is incredibly well positioned to continue to drive business outcomes for our clients as the technology landscape evolves, said Jeff Dobbelaere. I am very excited to partner with H.I.G. and look forward to investing in the significant growth opportunities which can take the company to new heights. Aaron Tolson, Managing Director at H.I.G., commented, Mainlines technical expertise, its status as a trusted advisor for its customers, and the value it brings to its Original Equipment Manufacturer partners are unmatched in the IT industry. We have been very impressed by what Jeff, and the rest of the management team have built and look forward to helping the Company further accelerate its significant growth potential through organic initiatives and acquisitions. H.I.G. was advised by Guggenheim Securities LLC, UBS, and Latham & Watkins LLP. The Company was advised by Highlander Advisors and King & Spalding. About Mainline Headquartered in Tallahassee, FL, Mainline is a leading ITSP that offers high-value, customized IT solutions to blue chip enterprises. Founded in 1989, Mainlines differentiated solution offerings are wrapped in unique value-added products and services that support mission-critical IT infrastructure, applications, and data assets. For more information, visit www.mainline.com. About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. Capital is a leading global alternative investment firm with $59 billion of capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Stamford in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Luxembourg, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Dubai, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach: H.I.G.s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations, and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. also manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 400 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $53 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. * Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205389992/en/ Aaron Tolson Managing Director [email protected] Arjun Mohan Principal [email protected] Source: H.I.G. Capital Grants of a quarter-million dollars each will fund new research at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Yale University and two schools at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Humana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) for the past 41 years, today announced the recipients of its first-ever research grants in service of the Foundations health equity strategy. Awards of $250,000 each were presented to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houstons School of Public Health, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills Gillings School of Global Public Health and School of Social Work, and Yale Universitys School of Medicine. The research undertaken by the Foundations university partners will examine barriers to healthy emotional connections and approaches to nutrition, and explore the relationship between these issues and chronic disease. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205541539/en/ Humana Foundation Awards Health Equity Research Grants Equal to $1 Million to Three University Partners (Photo: Business Wire) The Humana Foundation is proud to support solutions-focused research that contributes to national health equity as a core part of the new strategy we announced at the beginning of the year, said Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation. Were generating knowledge that translates into practical, scalable solutions for removing the barriers that prevent people from living connected, healthy lives. The two research grants awarded to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, totaling $500,000, will address the Foundations two focus areas of nutrition and mental health and two target audiences of seniors and school-aged children. Earlier this year, UNCs Eshelman Institute received a Humana Foundation Health Equity Innovation Fund grant in the amount of $750,000 to expand a program that pilots health and nutrition solutions brought forward by Black collegiate entrepreneurs. Now, Lindsey Haynes-Maslow, PhD, MHA at the Gillings School of Global Public Health will study the benefits of healthy, home-delivered meals and social connectedness programs for seniors with lower incomes. The 12-week intervention is designed to address both food security and loneliness. Food is an integral part of society, said Dr. Haynes-Maslow. It is one of the most basic human needs we require to physically thrive, but it also fulfills our social needs. Food brings people together. It is a uniter and a conversation-starter. This grant is an opportunity to examine how we can nourish socially isolated seniors physical and mental health. Dr. Hanes-Maslows colleague at the School of Social Work, Paul Lanier, PhD, will research the potential for youth peer leaders to improve suicide prevention programs. Dr. Lanier will identify and recruit racially and ethnically diverse peer leaders at high schools, and seek to deploy them more effectively through social network and connection analysis. Were grateful for the opportunity provided by the Humana Foundation to improve youth mental health, said Sheryl Zimmerman, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Kenan Distinguished Professor, UNC School of Social Work. Dr. Lanier is a nationally recognized expert in conducting rigorous research to improve childrens mental health services, and his research in prevention science will be enriched by this grant. New research conducted by Shreela Sharma, PhD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houstons School of Public Health seeks to improve both food insecurity and health outcomes for at-risk children and their families. Dr. Sharma will examine the impact of a 32-week produce prescription program on the mental and physical health of children who are overweight or obese, and stem from low-income families. With the final research grant, Terri R. Fried, MD, at Yale School of Medicine will develop advance care planning tools to improve mental health outcomes for caregivers of seniors living with dementia. Dr. Fried will also test whether group visits to address advance care planning has a positive impact on both caregivers and patients sense of connectedness. The Humana Foundations research grants are currently open by invitation only. Organizations interested in connecting with the Foundation to discuss research opportunities should visit HumanaFoundation.org and complete this form. About the Humana Foundation The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. and is focused on health equity, working to eliminate unjust, avoidable and unnecessary barriers in health and healthcare. The Foundation fosters evidence-based collaborations and investments that help people in underserved communities live connected, healthy lives. As a steward of good health, the Foundation creates healthy emotional connections for people and communities and is shaping a healthier approach to nutrition to support lifelong well-being. For more information, visit humanafoundation.org. Humana Inc. and the Humana Foundation believe everyone should have access to the tools and support needed to have a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Our commitment to improving health outcomes for all our members and patients, employees, the communities we serve, the healthcare system, and the environment - is the foundation of our Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) impact platform. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205541539/en/ Marvin Hill Humana Corporate Communications 502-580-3950 [email protected] Source: Humana Inc. CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that, effective December 31, 2023, H. Charles Chuck Floyd will step down from his current role as Executive Vice President Global President of Operations and, effective January 1, 2024, transition to a role of Senior Advisor to Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatts President and Chief Executive Officer, for a period of six months. Floyd will retire from Hyatt effective June 30, 2024. It is with immense pride and heartfelt appreciation that we celebrate the extraordinary career of Chuck Floyd, who has been a member of the Hyatt family for more than four decades, said Hoplamazian. Chucks tenure at Hyatt is nothing short of legendary. He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the Hyatt family, driving excellent and profitable operations and crucially delivering the unique Hyatt guest experience that embodies our purpose of care. Floyds impressive career started in 1981 as a Corporate Management Trainee, leading him to front office and rooms positions in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and Monterey. In 1989, Chuck was appointed to General Manager at Hyatt Lisle in Illinois, followed by General Manager roles in Minneapolis and San Francisco. Chucks leadership journey brought him to Hyatts corporate office in Chicago in 1997, leading to a series of Sales and Operations leadership roles and setting the stage for a celebrated career in global operations. In 2015, Chuck stepped into his role as Global President of Operations which he held through today, overseeing Hyatts Global Operations Center (GOC) and Operations across the Americas, EAME and ASPAC regions. With Floyds transition, regional Group Presidents Pete Sears (Americas), David Udell (ASPAC) and Javier Aguila (EAME), as well Chief Growth Officer Jim Chu, will report directly to Hoplamazian, effective January 1, 2024. The term Hyatt is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. About Hyatt Hotels Corporation Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose to care for people so they can be their best. As of September 30, 2023, the Companys portfolio included more than 1,300 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 76 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Vacation Club, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Studios, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval, Alila, Andaz, Thompson Hotels, Dream Hotels, Hyatt Centric, and Caption by Hyatt; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Destination by Hyatt, and JdV by Hyatt; and the Inclusive Collection, including Impression by Secrets, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt loyalty program, ALG Vacations, Mr & Mrs Smith, Unlimited Vacation Club, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205812677/en/ MEDIA CONTACT: Franziska Weber Hyatt [email protected] INVESTOR CONTACT: Adam Rohman Hyatt [email protected] Source: Hyatt Hotels Corporation BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Iran and Russia signed a joint proclamation to condemn the USs unilateral actions and to explore ways to counter them, Trend reports. The proclamation was signed on December 5 in Moscow by both countries' foreign ministers, Hossein Amir Abdollahian and Sergey Lavrov. The signing occurred following a conference of the Caspian littoral governments' foreign ministers, during which Iran and Russia also discussed bilateral and regional matters. --- Follow the author on X (Twitter): @BaghishovElnur CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI), has published a special new report: Bay Area Multifamily. There is a solid case to be made for the investment appeal and performance potential of the San Francisco Bay Areas multifamily sector despite news narratives that emphasize the areas economic challenges, stated Greg Willett, first vice president and national director, research services, IPA. Key indicators pointing to a strong multifamily market in the Bay Area include employment that exceeds the pre-pandemic level, exorbitant single-family home prices, and the limited supply of new apartments. IPAs Bay Area Multifamily report provides investors with data and analysis on the market, including: The national premium to buy a median-priced single-family home versus rent for an average apartment is at a record $1,291 per month. That gap in affordability in the East Bay exceeds $4,800 per month and is $9,200 per month in San Francisco and the South Bay. The 17,400 units under construction regionally going into Q4 2023 will yield inventory growth of 2.6%, just half of the 5.2% expansion on the way nationally. Combined employment in San Francisco, East Bay and South Bay metro areas is approaching 3.6 million jobs. Northern Californias strong concentration of high-paying jobs underscores the importance of the regions technology sector and ability to attract venture capital, added John Sebree, senior vice president and national director of the firms Multi Housing Division. With innovation as one of the areas great strengths, the Bay Area should account for a significant share of job creation driven by new artificial intelligence capabilities. Access IPAs Bay Area Multifamily Report here. About Institutional Property Advisors (IPA) Institutional Property Advisors (IPA) is a division of Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI), a leading commercial real estate services firm in North America. IPAs combination of real estate investment and capital markets expertise, industry-leading technology, and acclaimed research offers customized solutions for the acquisition, disposition and financing of institutional properties and portfolios. For more information, please visit www.institutionalpropertyadvisors.com About Marcus & Millichap, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) Marcus & Millichap, Inc. is a leading brokerage firm specializing in commercial real estate investment sales, financing, research and advisory services with offices throughout the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2022, the company had 1,904 investment sales and financing professionals in 81 offices who provide investment brokerage and financing services to sellers and buyers of commercial real estate. The company also offers market research, consulting and advisory services to clients. Marcus & Millichap closed 12,272 transactions in 2022, with a sales volume of approximately $86.3 billion. For additional information, please visit www.MarcusMillichap.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204113556/en/ Gina Relva, VP of Public Relations [email protected] Source: Marcus & Millichap, Inc. Integreon will utilize ContractPodAis Leah Legal Copilot to power its offerings, adopting a fully generative AI-led approach for both its outsourced legal and business services delivery LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ContractPodAi, a leading and innovative provider of solutions in the contract lifecycle management and legal technology market, announced today that Integreon, a leading provider of tech-enabled legal, creative and business outsourced solutions, has selected Leah Legal Copilot to power its suite of services. As a result, Integreon is now the first alternative legal services provider (ALSP) to adopt a fully generative AI-led approach. Over the last two years, ALSPs have grown by 45% into a $20.6 billion industry, primed for innovation. For 25 years, Integreon has been dedicated to supporting clients across a wide range of services while integrating new technologies and automated programs as they become more prevalent in the market. With Leah, Integreon clients will benefit from generative AI and its ability to streamline services and deliver even more efficiency. This is especially the case in areas of high-volume work with low or medium complexity, where Integreon will directly impact ROI with better scalability and productivity gains. For more than two decades, ALSPs have relied on the same delivery method. Today, with the help of Leah by ContractPodAi, Integreon is more than just a market leader we are a market disruptor, said Subroto Mukerji, Integreon CEO. We are proud to be the first provider to embrace a generative AI delivery model designed to provide value-based and scalable solutions in the next evolution of legal services." On top of fueling its current legal and compliance solutions, Leah will also allow Integreon to support its enterprise clients to implement a generative AI strategy identifying use cases and building pilot programs. Integreon will also integrate generative AI across its corporate functions to reap the benefits of enhanced processes and increased productivity. We are thrilled to be a part of ushering in this fundamental transformation with Integreon, said Sarvarth Misra, co-founder and CEO of ContractPodAi. This is a game-changer, and it represents that Leah and Integreon are taking the ALSP delivery model to the future. The ALSP market has seen some generative AI pilot projects, but nothing close to this degree of enterprise-wide business transformation. Our goal with Leah has been to reimagine the way legal services are delivered, which is exactly what were seeing Integreon do with this technology. The future is here and its legal, reimagined. Leah is a cutting-edge AI solution designed to empower legal teams and law firms to enhance their work with productivity gains. Enabled by generative AI and multiple, best-in-class LLMs such as GPT-4 Turbo and Google, it revolutionizes the way legal documents are reviewed, analyzed, summarized, created, and interconnected. ContractPodAi is accelerating the future of digital transformation in the legal space by providing a full, enterprise-grade tech stack of legal work solutions, powered by generative AI, including Leah, its Legal Intake solution, and its all-in-one CLM platform. About ContractPodAi Recognized as a Visionary by Gartner in 2021, 2022, and 2023, ContractPodAi is on a mission to transform the way the world makes agreements. Lawyer-led and AI-powered, our One Legal Platform was developed by attorneys as a solution for legal teams. Now, more than ever, it's clear legal teams arent the only ones struggling with insurmountable workloads and complex contracts. Thats why weve spent over a decade evolving our AI and CLM to offer an all-in-one platform where teams take charge of their contract management process and our new generative AI-powered Leah Legal Copilot to provide super-powered support for Legal Teams. ContractPodAi amplifies your businesss readiness through our partnerships with complementary technology providers including Microsoft, OpenAi, DocuSign and Salesforce. ContractPodAi is headquartered in London and has global offices in New York, Glasgow, Sydney, Mumbai, and Toronto. For more information about Leah Legal Copilots generative AI capabilities, visit www.contractpodai.com/leah-copilot-ai-legal-assistant/. About Integreon Integreon is the trusted, global provider of legal, creative and business outsourced services to corporations and law firms seeking to expand their capabilities and transform their performance. The companys 3,500+ professionals provide expert support across a range of managed servicesfrom creative design, content delivery and administrative support to legal and compliance. With global delivery centers on three continents, Integreon delivers round-the-clock service in 50+ languages and is deeply committed to client success, consistently delivering innovative, tech-enabled solutions that improve agility and efficiency to drive business performance. Integreon is owned by EagleTree Capital, a leading New York-based middle-market private equity firm with over $5 billion of assets under management. For more information about Integreons range of services, email [email protected], visit www.integreon.com and follow Integreon at LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205336341/en/ Lindsey Harrison Walker Sands, for ContractPodAi [email protected] Source: ContractPodAi L-130 passes 12 months ongoing stability VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Lobe Sciences Ltd. (OTCQB: LOBEF) (CSE: LOBE) ("Lobe" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative medicines to treat rare diseases today announced the Companys lead clinical asset, L-130, a proprietary stabilized psilocin conjugate drug candidate, recently surpassed the 12-month stability milestone with no signs of degradation. The Company believes the updated stability report for L-130 is significant, as to date, no manufacturer of psilocin has reported a formulation of psilocin stable enough to be administered in a shelf-stable orally available formulation. L-130 was designed in collaboration with Quality Chemical Laboratories (QCL) based on the needs for a shelf stable oral molecule that can consistently deliver psilocin directly, therefore eliminating the inconsistencies and variabilities seen with psilocybin. This is principally due to psilocybins need for first-pass metabolism stated Philip Young, Chairman and CEO of Lobe Sciences. Dr. Yousry Sayed, Founder and CEO of QCL said, Our team has been happy to be part of such an exciting and innovative collaboration. We look forward to our ongoing partnership with Lobe as we work to deliver needed therapies to patients with Orphan diseases. Lobe believes that L-130 delivers significant therapeutic advantages over other psilocybin formulations as psilocybin itself is not biologically active in humans and must be converted into psilocin via dephosphorylation in the gut. By eliminating this first pass metabolism, industry experts believe that direct administration of psilocin may offer therapeutic benefits such as faster onset time, improved dosing consistency, increased bioavailability and importantly, the potential for reduced side effects. Management will be meeting with prospective investors and corporate partners during the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on January 8-11. To schedule a meeting please contact ir@lobesciences. About Lobe Sciences Ltd. Lobe Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative medicines to treat rare diseases. The Company, through collaborations with industry-leading partners, is additionally engaged in drug research and development using non-hallucinatory doses of stabilized psilocin based compounds to address unmet medical needs in orphan neurological therapeutic applications. NEITHER THE CSE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE. This does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy any securities. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release (including, without limitation, statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company, research and development using psychedelic compounds, and the development of innovative devices and delivery mechanisms to improve mental health and wellness) are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of the forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including changes to the regulatory environment; that the Company's drug research and development activities may be unsuccessful; that drugs and medical devices produced by, or on behalf of, the Company, may not work in the manner intended or at all, and may subject the Company to product liability or other liability claims; that the Company may not be able to attain the Company's corporate goals and objectives; and other risk factors detailed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings from time to time, as available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. As a result, the Company cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and the Company does not intend to update any of the included forward-looking statements except as expressly required by applicable Canadian securities laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205299145/en/ For further information: Lobe Sciences Ltd. Investors and Media [email protected] Tel: (949) 505-5623 Source: Lobe Sciences Ltd. Article 223-16 of the General Regulations of the Financial Markets Authority (AMF - Autorite des Marches Financiers) LYON, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: MaaT Pharma (EURONEXT: MAAT the Company), a clinical-stage biotechnology company and a leader in the development of Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM (MET) dedicated to improving survival outcomes for patients with cancer, today published the number of shares comprising the share capital and the total number of voting rights (Article L. 233-8 of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) and Article 223-16 of the General Regulations of French Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF)) on November 30, 2023. Listing place: Euronext Paris ISIN code: FR0012634822 Website: www.maatpharma.com Date Total number of shares comprising the share capital Total number of theoretical voting rights (1) Total number of effective voting rights (2) 11/30/2023 11 603 311 11 603 311 11 578 021 (1) In accordance with Article 223-11 of the AMF General Regulation, this number is calculated on the basis of all shares to which voting rights are attached, including shares whose voting rights have been suspended. (2) Effective voting rights correspond to the total number of voting rights that may be used at a General Meeting. The total number of effective voting rights is calculated without taking into account the shares with suspended voting rights. About MaaT Pharma MaaT Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma has launched, in March 2022, an open-label, single arm Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with acute GvHD, following the achievement of its proof of concept in a Phase 2 trial. Its powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, enables the identification of novel disease targets, evaluation of drug candidates, and identification of biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions. The companys Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome, in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice. MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT). Forward-looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Companys control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as target, believe, expect, aim, intend, may, anticipate, estimate, plan, project, will, can have, likely, should, would, could and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Companys control that could cause the Companys actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205096129/en/ MaaT Pharma Investor Relations Guilhaume Debroas, Ph.D. Head of Investor Relations +33 6 16 48 92 50 [email protected] MaaT Pharma Media Relations Pauline Richaud Senior PR & Corporate Communications Manager +33 6 14 06 45 92 [email protected] Trophic Communications Corporate Communications Jacob VERGHESE or Priscillia PERRIN +49 151 7441 6179 [email protected] Source: MaaT Pharma Name change honors storied past while setting vision for innovative growth LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Manufacturers Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., a member of SMBC Group, announced today that it has changed its name to SMBC MANUBANK. The new name reflects the banks strategic vision to transform and expand its commercial banking business, compete in the digital consumer bank space, and further align with SMBC Group. WHERE LOCAL EXPERTISE MEETS GLOBAL REACH AND DIGITAL INNOVATION SMBC MANUBANK reinforces our commitment to invest and transform our business to be client-first, and meet our clients where they are, whether it is in person or online, said Kazuhisa Miyagawa, SMBC MANUBANK Chairman and CEO. Our goal is to build long term client relationships by providing high-touch service, actionable insights and innovative solutions powered by first-class technology, added Miyagawa. GATEWAY TO GROWTH SMBC MANUBANK also reflects the banks commitment to honor its roots and build strong client and community relationships across SMBC Group, and its aspiration to be a Gateway to Growth for clients, communities, and colleagues. The commercial bank is implementing plans to transform by streamlining processes, investing in technology, and expanding its product offerings to support the banks growth initiatives. The goal of these efforts is to bring innovative solutions that humanize banking and enhance the banks high-touch, high-engagement way of doing business. Clients still have access to local decision makers, dedicated relationship managers, specialized expertise in diverse industries, and offices across California. SMBC MANUBANK's most recent innovation is Jenius Bank, a digital division catering to U.S. consumers nationwide. Launched in mid-2023, Jenius Bank offers personal loans, savings accounts, and plans to introduce a mobile app in the coming months. There is no change in bank ownership, management or operations associated with this name change. ABOUT SMBC MANUBANK Founded in 1962, SMBC MANUBANK is a California state-chartered commercial bank based in Los Angeles and is a wholly owned subsidiary of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., a member of SMBC Group. SMBC MANUBANK serves the specialized needs of middle-market businesses, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, importers, exporters, and service companies. The commercial bank has offices in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Brea, Encino, Glendale, Newport Beach, San Jose, and Torrance. For more information, please visit www.smbcmanubank.com. ABOUT JENIUS BANK Now open to customers, Jenius Bank has a mission to help people live a richer life through actionable insights and innovative tools powered by first-class technology. The bank currently offers personal loans and a savings product, with a mobile app launching in the coming months. Jenius Bank is the digital division of SMBC MANUBANK, a California state chartered commercial bank that is a wholly owned subsidiary of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., a member of SMBC Group. The Jenius Bank team works remotely across 39 states but also maintains offices for team collaboration in Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; and Charlotte, North Carolina. To learn more information about Jenius Bank, visit www.jeniusbank.com. ABOUT SMBC GROUP SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 150 offices and 86,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFGs shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and ADRs on the New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organizations extensive global network. The Groups operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit www.smbcgroup.com. Member FDIC Equal Opportunity Lender Equal Housing Lender View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205661081/en/ Dean Bui Executive Director Marketing & Product Development Manager 213-489-6286 Source: SMBC MANUBANK Results from the EVOLUTION clinical trials showed evobrutinib did not meet its primary endpoint of annualized relapse rate for up to 156 weeks compared to oral teriflunomide in both studies DARMSTADT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced that its two Phase III EVOLUTION clinical trials (evolutionRMS 1 and evolutionRMS 2) investigating the efficacy and safety of evobrutinib did not meet their primary endpoints of reducing annualized relapse rates (ARR) in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) compared to oral teriflunomide (0.11 vs. 0.11 in evolutionRMS 1 and 0.15 for evobrutinib and 0.14 for teriflunomide in evolutionRMS 2, p=NS in both trials). Of note, teriflunomide ARR values were lower than reported in other recent Phase III studies. The overall safety and tolerability profile was consistent with results from the previously reported Phase II trial. The Company will complete a full evaluation of the data from the EVOLUTION clinical trials and will work with investigators on the future presentation and publication of the results. With evobrutinib, our aim was to address the significant unmet need of smoldering MS in addition to strong relapse control for people living with this condition, said Danny Bar-Zohar, Global Head of Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer for the Healthcare business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. While we are very disappointed with the results, we continue to advance our strategy in healthcare with a focus on progressing our marketed portfolio and internal pipeline, complemented by external innovation, with the aim of bringing more medicines to patients, faster. I would like to sincerely thank all patients participating in the trials, their caregivers and our network of dedicated clinical investigators. About Evobrutinib Evobrutinib is an oral, CNS-penetrating, highly selective inhibitor of Brutons tyrosine kinase (BTK) in clinical development as a potential treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). Evobrutinib is designed to modulate B cell responses such as proliferation and antibody and cytokine release, as well as modulate macrophage/microglia activation. About the Phase III EVOLUTION Clinical Trial Program The EVOLUTION clinical trial program consists of two randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled Phase III studies of oral evobrutinib twice-daily versus oral teriflunomide once-daily in people with RMS to evaluate efficacy and safety (evolutionRMS 1 and evolutionRMS 2). In the studies, patients with RMS (including relapsing-remitting MS or secondary progressive MS with relapses) were randomized 1:1 to receive either evobrutinib 45mg twice-daily and oral placebo once-daily or teriflunomide 14mg once-daily and oral placebo twice-daily for up to 156 weeks with a minimum treatment duration of 24 weeks. About Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the central nervous system and is the most common non-traumatic, disabling neurological disease in young adults. It is estimated that approximately 2.8 million people have MS worldwide. While symptoms can vary, the most common symptoms of MS include blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the limbs and problems with strength and coordination. The relapsing forms of MS are the most common. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in Neurology and Immunology Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has a long-standing legacy in neurology and immunology, with significant R&D and commercial experience in multiple sclerosis (MS). The companys current MS portfolio includes two products for the treatment of relapsing MS Rebif (interferon beta-1a) and MAVENCLAD (cladribine) tablets. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany aims to improve the lives of patients by addressing areas of unmet medical needs. In addition to Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germanys commitment to MS, the company also has a pipeline focusing on discovering new therapies that have potential in other neuroinflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the USA or Canada, please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register for your online, change your selection or discontinue this service. About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 64,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of peoples lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices the company is everywhere. In 2022, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of 22.2 billion in 66 countries. The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark Merck internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare and EMD Electronics in electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the companys technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205685930/en/ [email protected] Phone: +49 151 1454-9591 Source: Merck KGaA Report highlights MGE's commitment to transparency and disclosure, plans to achieve industry-leading carbon reduction goals and ongoing commitments to those it serves. MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) has published its annual Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report, detailing its environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and progress toward the company's sustainability goals. The report is a comprehensive overview of the company's activities and performance in fulfilling its role as a critical services provider, environmental steward, and community resource and partner. "As we continue working toward net-zero carbon electricity by 2050, we expect every MGE electric customer will have 80% fewer carbon emissions from their electricity use by 2030, simply by being an MGE customer," said Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Keebler. "We're investing in innovative technologies and cost-effective cleaner energy. In less than a decade, we expect to have eliminated coal as an energy source. We are working with our customers to create a more sustainable future while ensuring continued top-ranked electric reliability and affordability for our communities." Report highlights The 2023 report and our ESG Data Center feature information about MGE's corporate strategy and climate-related matters, safety and operations, customer and employee engagement, risk management, and governance and oversight. Highlights include: MGE's goal to reduce carbon emissions at least 80% by 2030. As of year-end 2022, MGE already has reduced carbon emissions 39% from 2005 levels as we work with customers toward achieving netzero carbon electricity by 2050. MGE's ongoing transition away from coal-fired generation and plans to eliminate it from its portfolio by the end of 2032. An estimated billion dollars in clean energy investment expected from 2015 through 2028. Since fall 2015 when MGE's Energy 2030 framework was announced and through year-end 2022, MGE has announced clean energy projects that are expected to increase the company's owned renewable capacity by more than nine times when completed. MGE's partnership on a proposed first-of-its-kind in the United States long-duration energy storage system. The 20-megawatt project was selected in fall 2023 to receive a federal grant. MGE's goal and plans to achieve net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas distribution system by 2035. Top-ranked reliability. MGE placed second for the fewest number of electric outages per customer, according to the most recent results from an annual industry survey, including more than 75 electric utilities nationwide. MGE crews also continue to earn high marks when notified of a potential natural gas emergency with MGE's total response time ranking in the top 12% of a nationwide industry survey, based on 2022 data. The company's charitable giving benefiting local communities. In the last five years, the company's philanthropic arm, the MGE Foundation, has given more than $8.3 million to more than 400 nonprofit organizations. Commitment to transparency and disclosure MGE is committed to helping customers, investors and other stakeholders better understand the company's goals, long-term strategies and progress toward achieving its goals. CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) To advance transparency and disclosure in company operations and governance, MGE submits data to the global environmental impact disclosure platform CDP. The company's climate change questionnaire submitted to CDP is available online. Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and American Gas Association (AGA) MGE also continues to participate in EEI's and AGA's ESG sustainability reporting templates. The voluntary, industry-specific templates include both qualitative and quantitative information. The quantitative template includes data related to MGE's energy portfolio (generation and capacity), emissions, capital expenditures, and human and natural resources. The qualitative template includes information related to the company's strategies for transitioning toward deep decarbonization and greater sustainability. Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) MGE also publishes a TCFD report, which provides the company's key disclosures that align to TCFD recommendations. MGE's CDP questionnaire, EEI-AGA templates and TCFD report are all available in our ESG Data Center. About MGE MGE generates and distributes electricity to 161,000 customers in Dane County, Wis., and purchases and distributes natural gas to 173,000 customers in seven south-central and western Wisconsin counties. MGE's parent company is MGE Energy, Inc. The company's roots in the Madison area date back more than 150 years. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205326422/en/ Steve Schultz Corporate Communications Manager 608-252-7219 | [email protected] Source: Madison Gas and Electric OWITs Broker Portal Solution Extends Existing Investments, Filling the Gap for a Seamless User Experience. WEST HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OWIT Global (OWIT), the leader in cloud-based insurance-specific microservices architected solutions to digitalize the global insurance industry, is pleased to announce that a mid-tier carrier client successfully implemented OWITs companys Broker Portal Solution for its agency distribution. This major player in the commercial property lines insurance products is now providing its agents a variety of information from various back-end systems through a single, streamlined user experience, including the viewing of payment history and claims status, running of various financial and production reports, and the entry of First Notice of Loss. In addition, the broker portal integrates with OWITs Point of Sale Solution for two commercial products, a solution that leverages the customers existing rating engines and policy administration solution. This project was a true demonstration of delivering a targeted solution that added true value to the agent distribution without the fluff, said Wendy Aarons-Corman, CEO and president of OWIT Global. Our teams worked together on meaningful functionality first with the understanding that the agent distribution would provide us with feedback on additional needs. Communication, project management, and a collaborative effort continue to provide the path to success. It is this basic principle that is the foundation for all OWIT projects. Aarons-Corman continued, Our Broker Portal Solution provides a quick approach to streamline the flow of disparate data across the value chain in a single experience. Not only can the solution bring data forward, but it can also wrap any point-of-sale solution in play. OWITs Broker Portal Solution is built from the cloud down with a user-friendly tool to connect the back-end systems to the unified front end to deliver data in a desirable format, including on-screen grids and downloadable reports. The solution leverages the customers look and feel and ongoing marketing messages for the broker. About OWIT GLOBAL The OWIT portfolio is built on a Digitalization Insurance Enterprise Management platform (O/DIEM) to support the insurance industrys need to reinvent and improve processes and its need for clean data across the value chain. O/DIEM assimilates data ingestion and transformation via OWITs Delegated Data/Bordereaux/Binder Management solutions and other solutions such as Broker Portal, Point of Sale, Rating, Rules, and Document Generation. O/DIEM can also connect to a clients existing environments to enable the transformation (cleanse and normalize) of both data and digitalization process. OWIT is a global insurance specialist technology provider for carriers, brokers, reinsurers, and MGA/MGUs. Since OWITs incorporation in 2018, our solutions have been designed and built from the ground up and the cloud down on a modern architecture designed to optimize no-code and cloud deployment. Its mission is to simplify innovation via the digitalization of processes and data in harmony with the integration of our customers existing environments to maximize their investments. For more information about OWIT Global, please visit www.OWITGlobal.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205434211/en/ Media Contact: Gilda Migliore [email protected] 1-833-GET-OWIT X708 Source: OWIT Global Albedo plans to provide the NRO with NIIRS 7.0 imagery co-collected with Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) thermal remote sensing capabilities DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Albedo, a pioneer in building Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellites for ultra-high resolution imaging, announced today it has been awarded a 2.5 year contract, with additional flexibility to extend it further, from the NROs Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO) as part of the Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Framework, specifically the Commercial Electro-Optical Capabilities (CEC) Focus Area. Albedo will collaborate closely with NRO to provide both near and long-term EO remote sensing capabilities via modeling, simulation, and data evaluation. This effort will conduct accuracy and quality assessments such as the National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS), which measures the clarity of images from satellites. Albedo plans to provide industry-leading, native 10 cm per pixel visible imagery, improving the current best commercial rating of NIIRS 5.6 to NIIRS 7.0, and unlock new intelligence use cases for the unclassified domain. Furthermore, Albedo also plans to provide Nighttime Imaging (NTI), Non-Earth Imaging (NEI), and video using its thermal LWIR sensor commercial capabilities. We are thrilled to work with NRO and help support their efforts to secure and expand Americas advantage in space, stated Albedo's CEO Topher Haddad. "Our agile VLEO constellation will provide high-NIIRS revisit rates, point target volumes not currently available commercially, and enable solutions that are easily sharable across the defense/intelligence community and with our allies." The effort will also demonstrate end-to-end tasking, collection, and product delivery services, including delivery of EO data to government-specified ground stations from on-orbit satellites. Albedo also plans to fulfill ad-hoc product ordering and delivery requests from the NRO and their partners. Our satellites are designed to be highly taskable and are well suited for ad-hoc tasking requests. Our future rapid revisit, on-demand tasking, and tailored collection areas will support many intelligence applications, added Haddad. Albedo is the only commercial satellite that plans to co-collect LWIR, which can be overlaid with the visible image to generate a novel product called Vis-Sharp Thermal. The resulting product reveals both contextual data and time-based activity within the image, supporting activity detection, indications and warnings, and target discrimination that cannot be obtained from a single source of data alone. About Albedo Albedo builds VLEO satellites that collect visible and thermal imagery at the highest resolution commercially available. Once launched, the company will operate the satellites to provide imagery-as-a-service to industries including agriculture, insurance, energy, mapping, utilities, and defense. For more information, please visit https://albedo.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205199665/en/ [email protected] Source: Albedo Netcracker Integrates Its GenAI Telco Solution With Amazon Bedrock to Access Multiple Leading Generative AI Models Addressing the Unique Needs of Communications Service Providers WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Netcracker Technology announced today that it has integrated its recently launched GenAI Telco Solution with Amazon Bedrock to expand the value of generative AI in telecom. With this enhanced solution, communication service providers (CSPs) can enrich multiple leading generative AI foundational models, accessed through a single Amazon Bedrock API and serving different business needs, with real-time telecom BSS/OSS data and instructions in a secure way to create exceptional value across the business. Netcracker GenAI Telco Solution leverages its telecom expertise in operational and business domains to create market-ready use cases, including digital care assistant, B2B sales adviser, digital operations technician and service design creator, which bring immediate business benefits to CSPs. The solution augments user requests with the appropriate CSP data and knowledge, enabling generative AI models accessed through Amazon Bedrock, to provide the highest quality responses while protecting sensitive telecom data from public networks. By embedding generative AI across the telco business and accessing domain data, CSPs can significantly increase the productivity of their workforce, increase automation and dramatically reduce call center costs. The GenAI Telco Solution, powered by Amazon Bedrock, was demonstrated in September as part of the award-winning Moonshot Catalyst, Closing the Metaverse Chasm: Monetizing the Ecosystem, at DTW23 in Copenhagen. Netcracker is delighted to expand our GenAI Telco Solution with Amazon Bedrock integration to further the transformational value of generative AI to the telecom industry, said Bob Titus, CTO at Netcracker. Our market-driven use cases will leverage Bedrock to help CSPs drive better customer experiences and streamline their internal operations. About Netcracker Technology Rapid digitization is disrupting the status quo of todays communications markets. Constantly evolving customer needs and behaviors require service providers to adapt quickly and diversify their businesses to deliver the outcomes that their customers expect. Building digital ecosystems, anticipating customer requirements and delivering a digital-first experience are essential for service providers to accelerate innovation, expand into new markets and become the disruptors in the 5G era. Netcracker Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, has the expertise, culture and resources to help service providers around the world transform their businesses to thrive in a digital economy. Our innovative solutions including our flagship cloud-native Netcracker Digital Platform value-driven services and unbroken delivery track record of three decades help service providers to achieve their digital transformation goals, drive the telco to techco evolution within their organizations and realize business growth and profitability. For more information, visit www.netcracker.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205200393/en/ Anita Karve Netcracker Technology [email protected] Source: Netcracker Technology BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed serious concern about the resumption of fighting in the Gaza Strip, WHO says on its X page, Trend reports. The organization noted that the only viable solution for the region is a sustained ceasefire. WHO called on Israel to take every possible measure to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as per the laws of war. A combined attack was carried out on Israel on October 7. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air. Israel declared a state of war after a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a mass gathering of reservists. VicOne Automotive Cyberthreat Landscape Report 2023 reveals supply chain as major source of growth in automotive cyberattacks DALLAS & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- VicOne, an automotive cybersecurity solutions leader, today announced the availability of VicOne Automotive Cyberthreat Landscape Report 2023. Based on data from automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers and dealers globally, the comprehensive VicOne report details: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205611642/en/ VicOne 2023 Automotive Cyberthreat Landscape Report notes that over 90% of automotive cyberattacks were not aimed at OEMs but at other companies in the supply chain. (Graphic: Business Wire) Growth in usage and monetization of automotive dataand, in turn, threat of exploitation by cybercriminals Trends and incidents that have arisen this year in the dynamic automotive cyberthreat landscape Predictions of upcoming developments and key focus areas for an effective cybersecurity strategy for the next year and beyond In our analysis of the threat landscape, we noticed that the losses from cyberattacks in the first half of the year exceeded US$11 billion, marking an unprecedented surge compared to the last two years, reads VicOne Automotive Cyberthreat Landscape Report 2023. A closer examination reveals that these cyberattacks predominantly targeted automotive suppliers, indicating a rising trend. Alarmingly, over 90% of these attacks were not aimed at OEMs themselves but rather at other entities in the supply chain. Attackers often find it difficult to penetrate well-protected companies, so they target less vigilant firms instead. But OEMs are affected all the same, because of the supply chain disruptions. Consequently, defending systems against cyberattacks is no longer just about securing an individual firm; it is about strengthening the entire supply chain. The new VicOne report untangles the cybersecurity issues developing along with the increasing complexity of vehicles and their integration of connectivity, automation and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It shows that industry losses are growing from cyberattacks such as ransomware and exposure of leaked data or personally identifiable information (PII), as well as costs associated with system downtime. The calculations in VicOne Automotive Cyberthreat Landscape Report 2023 are based only on tangible costs related to technology and operations and not intangible costs such as branding, public relations, sales and marketing expenses. The report identifies the top vulnerabilities by which vehicle data can be compromised, listing common weakness enumeration (CWE) vulnerabilities in tables. Out-of-bounds write (OOBW), out-of-bounds read (OOBR), buffer overflow, use after free and improper input validation vulnerabilities are among the most frequent issues that VicOne documented. Most of the issues were found on chipsets or systems-on-chip (SoCs), followed by vulnerabilities in third-party management applications and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems. Third-party suppliersincluding logistics providers, service providers and companies engaged in the production of components, accessories or partshave emerged as a growing focus of attacks. The VicOne report presents case studies on some of the key incidents from the last year, including the Zenbleed vulnerability, potentially leading to the leakage of sensitive data at a remarkably fast rate of 30kb/s per core; CAN bus injection, emerging as a favorite technique among vehicle thieves; and penetration of backend cloud infrastructure, by exploiting vulnerabilities in telematics systems and application programming interfaces (APIs). While noting that there is currently a regulatory vacuum when it comes to vehicle data, the VicOne report points out that UN R155 will mandate safety conditions for newly manufactured cars by July 2024. Its clear that the automotive industry needs to give higher priority to cybersecurity, in terms of resources and budget. That is something that must be happening continuallybuilding up the processes, building up the organization, building up the talent, building up the entire systemor you will never be able to implement cybersecurity effectively, said Max Cheng, chief executive officer of VicOne. Now is the time for organizations throughout the global automotive industry to get serious about exploring how to build up their capabilities across the important focus areas that our new report covers. VicOne Automotive Cyberthreat Landscape Report 2023 is available at https://vicone.com/reports/automotive-cybersecurity-report-2023. About VicOne With a vision to secure the vehicles of tomorrow, VicOne delivers a broad portfolio of cybersecurity software and services for the automotive industry. Purpose-built to address the rigorous needs of automotive manufacturers, VicOne solutions are designed to secure and scale with the specialized demands of the modern vehicle. As a Trend Micro subsidiary, VicOne is powered by a solid foundation in cybersecurity drawn from Trend Micro's 30+ years in the industry, delivering unparalleled automotive protection and deep security insights that enable our customers to build secure as well as smart vehicles. For more information, visit vicone.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205611642/en/ U.S. Media Contact: Vivian Kelly Interprose for VicOne +1 703.509.5412 [email protected] Source: VicOne NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) a leading provider of life, accident and health insurance throughout the Americas, shared today that it was impacted by the widespread data security incident involving Progress Softwares MOVEit Transfer software where third parties took advantage of a previously unknown, critical, zero-day vulnerability in the software. Progress Software announced the vulnerability and recommended users disable the software until it could be patched due to a potential risk of data exposure. PALIG immediately ceased using MOVEit Transfer, disabled it in its system and, once available from Progress Software, successfully deployed all security patches within PALIGs environment. PALIG has been taking steps to further protect and strengthen the security of its systems. PALIG also engaged third-party cyber experts to partner with its team to launch an investigation to better understand what happened and to help prevent a similar incident in the future. In parallel, PALIG immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of cyber experts to assess the scope of the potential exploitation of the vulnerability and notified law enforcement. The investigation revealed that an unauthorized third party appears to have taken files through PALIGs use of MOVEit Transfer. On October 5, 2023, PALIG determined that the impacted files appear to have included personal information of individuals and may have included names, addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, drivers license numbers, contact information, medical and medical benefits information, subscriber numbers, certain biometric data, and financial account and credit card information. Notifications are being sent by mail to the affected individuals to explain what happened. Out of an abundance of caution, PALIG is also offering additional services to individuals whose information was taken. There is no evidence that any information was misused for fraudulent purposes as a result of this incident. PALIG takes the privacy and security of client information very seriously and carefully evaluates the cybersecurity posture of third-party software. PALIG will continue this effort, and it is also taking steps to further secure its use of all third-party transfer tools. For more details on this data security incident, what PALIG is doing to address it, and available resources, please visit PALIGs website at palig.com. About PAN-AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE GROUP Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), a leading provider of life, accident and health insurance throughout the Americas, has been delivering trusted financial services since 1911. The New Orleans-based Group is comprised of more than twenty-member companies, employs more than 2,100 worldwide and offers top-rated individual and/or group life, accident and health insurance, employee benefits and financial services in 49 states, the District of Columbia (DC), the U.S. Virgin Islands, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The Group has affiliates or branches in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and 13 Caribbean markets, including Barbados, Cayman Islands, Curacao and Trinidad and Tobago. For more information, visit the Pan-American Life website at palig.com, follow us on Instagram @panamericanlife.latam, like us on Facebook @PanAmericanLife, follow us on Twitter @PanAmericanLife, and connect with us on LinkedIn at Pan-American Life Insurance Group. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204793300/en/ Marta C. Reeves Pan-American Life Insurance Group [email protected] Isabel Abislaiman Fleishman Hillard [email protected] Source: Pan-American Life Insurance Group LAKELAND, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Publix Super Markets Charities (PSMC) is donating $10 million to build hope and strengthen communities. The donation will support more than 250 nonprofit organizations focused on providing housing and shelter services, including 125 Habitat for Humanity affiliates. Since 2015, PSMC has donated more than $43 million to nonprofits that build homes and provide emergency shelter and transitional housing. Were proud to continue our support of Habitat for Humanity affiliates and other nonprofit organizations helping people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity throughout Publixs operating area, said PSMC Executive Director Kelly Williams-Puccio. Having a place to call home offers individuals and families hope and stability while also creating stronger communities and neighborhoods. We remain committed to continuing the legacy of our founder, George Jenkins, by doing good, together. We are grateful for the support of Publix Super Markets Charities and Publix. From grant funding to associate volunteerism, theyve played an important role for our organization and communities, said Lakeland Habitat for Humanity CEO Claire Twomey. Their generosity enables us to further our mission and provide solid foundations for families through homeownership. To learn more about PSMCs efforts, visit publixcharities.org/hope. George Jenkins, founder of Publix Super Markets and affectionately known as Mr. George, believed in giving. From the day he opened his first Publix, he made sure his associates, customers and community were taken care of. In 1966, Mr. George established the foundation with the vision it would continue giving long after he was gone. Publix Super Markets Charities remains committed to serving the communities in which Publix operates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205717603/en/ Maria Brous (863) 680-5339 Source: Publix 1ct. RAPI +0.8% in November. LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The diamond market continued to stabilize in November as holiday shopping began and lower rough supply reduced midstream inventories. Prices of rounds increased across all major categories for the first time this year. The RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) for 1-carat stones rose 0.8% during the month. The 0.30-carat RAPI increased 0.3%, while the 0.50-carat category saw the strongest performance with a 1.2% rise. The index for 3-carat diamonds increased 0.1%. However, discounts off the Rapaport Price List remained high. RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) Index November Year to Date Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 1, 2023 Year on Year Dec. 1, 2022, to Dec. 1, 2023 RAPI 0.30 ct. 1,404 0.3% -5.2% -4.1% RAPI 0.50 ct. 1,938 1.2% -27.4% -27.5% RAPI 1 ct. 5,977 0.8% -20.7% -21.9% RAPI 3 ct. 22,114 0.1% -10.9% -12.1% Copyright 2023, Rapaport USA Inc. US dealers pre-holiday buying boosted the market. Retailers saw brisk sales over the Thanksgiving weekend. Diamond demand in mainland China remained slow. Hong Kongs luxury market rebounded as tourists returned. Rough trading was sluggish as manufacturers sought to reduce rough and polished inventories. India continued its two-month voluntary freeze on rough imports, which is scheduled to end on December 15. Factories in Surat extended their Diwali vacations due to weak demand. De Beers garnered just $80 million at its October sight the lowest since the peak of the Covid-19 crisis in 2020 after allowing 100% refusals. The number of diamonds on RapNet has decreased 4.3% since July 1, reflecting seasonal demand trends and the drop in polished production. Provenance became increasingly important as the natural-diamond industry competed with synthetics for consumers dollars. European Union member states, including Belgium, considered a proposal for banning Russian diamonds amid the war in Ukraine. The other Group of Seven (G7) governments are also likely to introduce sanctions on Russian stones in early 2024. Consumers preferences for low-budget items will play a role this holiday season. However, as Martin Rapaport said in his November 21 consumer alert, some retailers are overcharging for synthetics. The holidays are off to a decent start, but the outcome for the industry will depend on whether or not consumers choose the real product. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205256669/en/ Rapaport Media Contacts: [email protected] US: Sherri Hendricks +1-702-893-9400 International: Naomi Elbinger +1-718-521-4976 Source: Rapaport Group BrainChild Bios initial CAR T-cell therapy program will focus on advancing ongoing clinical trials evaluating safety and efficacy in pediatric brain tumors. SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Seattle Children's today announced the launch of BrainChild Bio, Inc. to accelerate the advancement of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies in Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors. BrainChild Bio will be granted an exclusive license to novel CAR T-cell technology for CNS tumors developed at Seattle Childrens and will build upon the pioneering CAR T-cell therapy and clinical translational work of Michael Jensen, M.D., and his team at Seattle Childrens Therapeutics. Seattle Childrens has provided the initial equity funding for BrainChild Bio which will operate as an independently managed corporation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205267194/en/ Since 2012, Seattle Childrens Therapeutics has designed, manufactured and launched a robust portfolio of immunotherapy clinical trials for leukemia and lymphoma, brain tumors, and solid tumors, enrolling more than 500 patients. The launch of BrainChild Bio is a natural progression of Seattle Childrens Therapeutics goal to expand access to potentially life-changing therapies through collaborations with biotech companies. As one of the largest dedicated pediatric institutes in the country, we are extremely proud of the discoveries, clinical trials and cures that have come from inside our own walls, said Dr. Jeff Sperring, Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Childrens. We also know there are kids around the globe that cannot come to Seattle to be treated. We believe this gives us the best opportunity to accelerate this technology bringing potential cures to kids faster. BrainChild Bios initial CAR T-cell therapy program will focus on pediatric brain tumors, prioritizing diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an incurable type of childhood cancer that forms in the brainstem. The companys clinical programs will be accelerated by the foundational work at Seattle Childrens Therapeutics, which consists of four clinical trials designed to validate the safety and confirm early efficacy of several different targets for CAR T-cell therapy in pediatric CNS tumors, with preliminary results planned for presentation at a scientific forum in 2024. The BrainChild-04 clinical study was initiated this year and continues to evaluate four different targets in a single CAR T-cell therapy. Following the achievement of clinical proof-of-concept in DIPG, BrainChild Bio plans to seek pediatric registration for DIPG and then extend the therapeutic application of its novel CAR T-cell therapies to target additional difficult-to-treat pediatric and adult brain tumors, including glioblastoma and brain metastases. As a physician, I work with children and their families who have limited therapeutic choices to treat their tumorsand it is devastating that there are few safe and curative options for them, commented Dr. Nicholas Vitanza, CNS CAR T-cell Lead and DIPG Research Lead at Seattle Childrens, and the Founding Chair of Brainchild Bios Scientific Advisory Board. Developing therapies that are tailored specifically for pediatric patients will generate better medicines to address CNS tumors while protecting these young patients and their developing bodies and minds. BrainChild Bio will optimize the application of CAR T-cell therapies for CNS tumors by advancing a next-generation CAR T-cell therapy platform that integrates synthetic technologies, including multiplex targeting and enhanced potency controls. This multi-dimensional approach includes: (i) multiple targets in a single CAR T-cell therapy to prevent tumor escape; (ii) novel transgenes to increase potency that engage only when within the direct tumor environment; (iii) switching technologies to control the CAR T cells directly within the tumor; (iv) CAR T design and manufacturing processes which have been proven over many years at Seattle Childrens Therapeutics, and (v) novel CAR T-cell administration directly into the brain minimizing systemic toxicities and enabling regular repeat dosing to ensure prolonged presence of CAR T-cells and durable efficacy. BrainChild Bio is founded with a mission to bring the best ideas forward to push the bounds of scientific discovery in service of children with cancer. For far too long, children have been deprioritized for commercialized medicines, and families have been left without options, stated Dr. Michael Jensen, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of BrainChild Bio. We are steadfast in our commitment to cracking the code of harnessing CAR T-cell technology in CNS tumors and we are uniquely positioned to do so. BrainChild Bio will be led by world-class business and scientific leaders with a deep track record of innovative drug development. Steven Brugger will serve as Chief Executive Officer, bringing over 40 years of experience leading biopharma companies, most recently as CEO of Affinivax, Inc., a vaccine innovator acquired by GSK for $3.3 billion in 2022. Dr. Michael Jensen will serve as Chief Scientific Officer, directing all research and development efforts focused on commercializing a pipeline of CNS CAR T-cell therapies. Dr. Jensens contributions to immunotherapy are significant with over 200 patents in cell and gene therapy, spanning his 30-year career as a physician-scientist, including the last 13 years where he led the R&D team at Seattle Children's Therapeutics and developed a portfolio of CAR T-cell therapies, directed clinical translation programs and oversaw clinical studies for multiple CAR T-cell therapies. He is the scientific founder of Umoja Biopharma, as well as Juno Therapeutics, which was eventually bought by Bristol Myers Squibb and led to the commercialization of Breyanzi, a CD19-targeting CAR T-cell therapy now commercially available for treating lymphoma in adults. About Seattle Childrens Seattle Childrens mission is to provide hope, care and cures to help every child live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible. Together, Seattle Childrens Hospital, Research Institute and Foundation deliver superior patient care, identify new discoveries and treatments through pediatric research, and raise funds to create better futures for patients. Ranked as one of the top childrens hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Childrens serves as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho the largest region of any childrens hospital in the country. As one of the nations top five pediatric research centers, Seattle Childrens Research Institute is internationally recognized for its work in neurosciences, immunology, cancer, infectious disease, injury prevention and much more. Additional information is available at https://www.seattlechildrens.org/. About BrainChild Bio, Inc. BrainChild Bio is a kids-first, clinical-stage biotechnology company harnessing CAR T-cell technology for tumors in the central nervous system (CNS), prioritizing pediatric indications with plans to expand its technology platform to adult brain tumors. The company launched out of Seattle Childrens and is led by Dr. Michael Jensen, a pioneer in the cancer immunotherapy field, and leverages over a decade of translational research conducted at Seattle Childrens Therapeutics, including FDA-authorized INDs covering four CAR T-cell therapies for CNS tumors. BrainChild Bio is advancing a next-generation CAR T-cell therapy platform that weaves together synthetic technologies, including multiplex targeting and enhanced potency controls, to provide transformational therapies for tumors of the CNS prioritizing children, so they can grow and thrive. More information is available at https://www.brainchildbio.com/. Breyanzi is a registered trademark of Juno Therapeutics, Inc., a Bristol Myers Squibb company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205267194/en/ For inquiries or further information: BrainChild Bio, Inc. Kathryn Morris [email protected] Seattle Children's Jennifer Morgan [email protected] Source: BrainChild Bio, Inc. SILICON VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that Lorie Soares Lazarus and Peter David Ballance have joined the firm as partners in the Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental practice group in Silicon Valley and Century City, respectively. They were most recently at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP. This is the fourth real estate team to join the firm in the last two years: in March 2023, the firm welcomed a five-attorney team in Dallas, and in 2022 the firm added a real estate finance trio in New York and a five-member healthcare real estate team in Los Angeles. "We are thrilled to welcome Lorie and Peter to the firm," said Luca Salvi, chair of Sheppard Mullin. "Their synergistic practices will enable us to expand our renowned real estate practice in California, and their clients will benefit from our national footprint and full-service real estate capabilities." Sheppard Mullin Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental practice group co-leader Michael Leake added, "Growing our real estate practice with practitioners with deep roots in this industry is a strategic priority for us. Lorie and Peters experience, coupled with our cross-practice collaborative model, will help our clients take advantage of opportunities and assess risks within the market and achieve their goals in deals, restructurings and investment outcomes." Soares Lazarus represents real estate investors of all types, including institutional lenders, borrowers, domestic and international commercial banks, investment funds, REITs, investors and property owners, in connection with a wide variety of commercial real estate transactional matters nationwide. Having led hundreds of real estate transactions to date, she has deep knowledge of all aspects of the transactional real estate life-cycle and has represented all sides in real estate deals, including secured and unsecured lending and borrowing, intercreditor and lender-group arrangements, post-closing asset management, workouts, loan restructurings, loan settlements, deeds-in-lieu, foreclosures, ownership, management and disposition of property, including REO, acquisitions, build-to-suit and forward purchases and ground leasing. Soares Lazarus received her B.S. from Santa Clara University, her M.B.A. from the University of Southern California and her J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Ballance advises institutional lenders, financial institutions, developers and property owners in commercial real estate financing, including loan workouts and the purchase and sale of improved and unimproved real property in all asset classes throughout the United States. Ballance regularly represents institutional lenders and borrowers in loan restructurings and workouts, foreclosures, deed-in-lieu and deed-in-the-box transactions, as well as positioning REO assets for sale. He also advises both lender and borrower clients on nonperforming loans and distressed real estate in all asset classes, and he handles acquisition and disposition transactions and related matters, as well as securitized lending, mezzanine loans and construction loans for office, industrial, residential, multifamily, retail, hospitality and mixed-use buildings. He received his B.S. from the University of New Mexico, his M.S. from Brigham Young University and his J.D. from UCLA School of Law. About Sheppard Mullins Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental Practice Group With more than 120 attorneys, Sheppard Mullin has one of the largest, most diverse and experienced real estate, energy, land use and environmental practices of any AmLaw 100 firm. We represent builders, developers, investors, lenders, owners, retailers, major landowners, nonprofits and local agencies in key markets in the United States and internationally. We leverage the breadth of our experience, industry connections and market knowledge to deliver full-service counsel and holistic solutions to meet our clients needs. Our attorneys work as a seamless team with a single goal to help clients create value in an ever-changing environment. About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Sheppard Mullin is a full-service AmLaw 50 firm with more than 1,000 attorneys in 16 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since 1927, industry-leading companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high-stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include nearly half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205832378/en/ JILL SCHACHNER (312) 499-0558 [email protected] Source: Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP TD announces a multi-year private label credit card partnership with the globally renowned jeweler WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TD Banks Retail Card Services business today announced a private label credit card partnership with Diamonds International, a fine jewelry brand with more than 125 locations worldwide. "We are excited to partner with Diamonds International to offer a private label credit card program," said Danielle Vincent, Head of Retail Card Services at TD Bank. "The company has been family run for more than thirty years, and they bring such a deep knowledge of the industry to everything they do." Diamonds International specializes in tax and duty-free jewelry with locations in more than 26 different ports, allowing customers to commemorate special occasions and vacations in style. They are best known for their signature Crown of Light cut, a diamond cut with more than 90 facets. In addition to providing shoppers with a wide range of fine jewelry and watch options, Diamonds International also offers services like personal shoppers and branded trunk shows. "We have worked with TD in the past. Their dedication to our customers and our organization, paired with their commitment to providing excellent customer service, is what ultimately made us decide to partner with them again. At Diamonds International, we're extremely focused on our customers, and we want to work with partners who bring that same level of customer service to everything they do," said Elchonon Shagalov, Chief Commercial Officer at Diamonds International. TD Bank's Retail Card Services business (www.tdpartnershipprograms.com) launches and administers credit card programs for merchants across all sales channels. About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the largest banks in the U.S., providing over 10.0 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Auto Finance, a division of TD Bank, N.A., offers vehicle financing and dealer commercial services. TD Bank and its subsidiaries also offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. About Diamonds International: With over 125 stores, Diamonds International is the largest and most prominent privately held jewelry retailer in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Alaska. Established in 1988, Diamonds International is the world's largest tax-free, duty-free jewelry retailer providing tourists with an extensive portfolio of fine jewelry and elegant timepieces. Sourcing from the world's largest and most important mines, while supporting ethical mine-to-market practices, the signature 90 faceted Crown of Light diamond cut and Safi Kilima Tanzanite collection are both exclusive to the U.S. based fine jeweler. Learn more by visiting www.diamondsinternational.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205466371/en/ Reyna Santella Marketing Director [email protected] Nicole Constantine Corporate and Public Affairs, TD Bank [email protected] Source: TD Bank The donation establishes the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program, which will support students from under-resourced communities throughout Greater Los Angeles in pursuing careers in medicine and science LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation has pledged a total of $10 million to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to support research education for high school and college students from under-resourced communities throughout Greater Los Angeles. Funding from Chuck Lorre, the veteran TV producer, through his foundation, creates sustained support for a continuum of science training and mentorship that begins when students are in high school and now extends into college. These programs will ultimately create a larger, more diverse pool of scientists, doctors, nurses, and health care professionals. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205459335/en/ Chuck Lorre with collegians Heidy Paniagua, center, and Andrea Lanz, participants in the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. (Photo: Business Wire) In recognition of the generous gift, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has created the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program (CLRSP), which welcomed its inaugural class in the summer of 2023. The program supports Los Angeles area college students, including student alumni from the Samuels Family Latino and African American High School Internship Program (LA-HIP) at CHLA. The Chuck Lorre Research Scholars each participate in 10 weeks of paid summer laboratory research after their freshman or sophomore year of college either at their current university, CHLA, or at a research institution of their choice, while receiving mentorship and career guidance from the director of the program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. After their first summer in the program, scholars can apply for continued financial support and research mentorship during their next year of college. When students are fully immersed in research, they can suddenly imagine a future in STEM where they can pursue their dreams, says Chuck Lorre, the prolific TV writer, director and producer whose foundation has been a steadfast donor to the hospital. That is what inspired me to establish this program. The first of its kind at CHLA, the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program creates a unique and valuable support system for students once they enter college to encourage them to continue their scientific studies. Immersive, hands-on training with the nations top medical researchers will provide students with invaluable exposure to real-world investigations in accredited laboratories. Throughout the 10-week internship, students will receive one-on-one mentoring with the program director to discuss academic and career goals, and develop communication and presentation skills that will serve them well in pursuing a career in STEM. Students will also have the opportunity to co-author scientific papers, network with other researchers at events and speaker seminars, and attend a national research conference to gain experience in professionally presenting their research accomplishments. These experiences will elevate their stature in the academic and scientific communities. In college, students can run into various challengesa lack of financial support, guidance and opportunities to perform research in a laboratorywhich leads to them dropping out of the science pipeline, says Emil Bogenmann, Ph.D., Director of the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program. Were focusing on bridging that gap, keeping them engaged and setting them up for success if they decide to go to graduate or medical school. The newly established Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program broadens Lorres commitment to STEM education and supporting students who identify as an underrepresented minority in their quest to become scientists or clinician-researchers. This gift from TCLFF also increases support for the students who study laboratory research through LA-HIP, a high school-level internship program at CHLA started by Dr. Bogenmann in 2005, which is aimed at increasing educational opportunities for juniors and seniors from inner-city schools around Los Angeles. We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to ensure more under-resourced students have a leg up to fulfill their dreams, says Lorre. These programs have tremendous potential to shape the future of science and health care by creating a more diverse workforce. During his expansive career, Lorre has created some of the most beloved programs of the last several decades, including Mom, The Kominsky Method, Two and a Half Men, Young Sheldon, and The Big Bang Theory, which inspired generations of young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. There are structural barriers to historically minoritized communities participating in a career in science, says Mark Frey, Ph.D., Director of LA-HIP and the Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Giving these students tangible support is simply the right thing to do. Were grateful to the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation for sustaining this work for years to come. The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation has been supporting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles since 2016. Both Mr. Lorre and CHLA are dedicated to supporting the advancement of students from under-resourced communities in professional fields of science and medicine. Our mission is to fund innovative and compassionate organizations in the areas of STEM education, health and the arts, says the foundations President and Chief Giving Officer Trisha Cardoso. The Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program and the Samuels Family LA-HIP align with this goal by investing in the futures of bright young professionals. Were proud to support this endeavor and look forward to seeing the students flourish in the sciences. Training the next generation of research and medical professionals is part of our institutions DNA, says Paul S. Viviano, President and Chief Executive Officer at CHLA. We are also committed to caring for, and investing in, children and families from under-resourced communities. We thank Mr. Lorre for believing in young people who are passionate and poised to become the scientific leaders of the future. About Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is at the forefront of pediatric medicine and is the largest provider of hospital care for children in California. Childrens Hospital is home to renowned experts who work together across disciplines to deliver inclusive and compassionate care, and drive advances that set pediatric standards across the nation and around the globe. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles delivers a level of care that is among the best in the world for a truly diverse population of children. The Hospital is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation on U.S. News & World Reports Honor Roll of Best Childrens Hospitals, including No. 1 in California and No. 1 in the Pacific U.S. region. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles embraces the hospitals mission to create hope and build healthier futures. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is among the top 10 childrens hospitals for National Institutes of Health funding. The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles supports the full continuum of research, allowing physicians and scientists to translate discoveries into treatments and bring answers to families faster. The pediatric academic medical center also is home to one of the largest training programs for pediatricians in the United States. And the hospitals commitment to building strong communities is evident in CHLAs efforts to fight food insecurity, enhance health education and literacy, and introduce more people to careers in health care. To learn more, follow CHLA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, and visit CHLA.org/blog. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205459335/en/ Lorenzo Benet [email protected] Source: Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Learn the skills you need to be active and enrich the life in Japan. TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TOKYO LEGAL MIND K.K. (LEC) School for various qualifications and national examinations, started "Basic Business Skills for Working in Japan," on December 1, 2023. Background of Course Planning and Development Foreign workers in Japan must understand Japanese culture and customs to succeed and enrich their lives, requiring increased awareness from Japanese companies and people. "LEC Tokyo Legal Mind" offers learning contents for foreign workers, including business skills, manners, culture, and life knowledge in Japan. The program caters to different business levels and aims to support those working or planning to work in Japan. It is recommended for both foreign workers and companies. "Basic Business Course for Working in Japan" The course teaches basic knowledge, skills, and life knowledge for foreign workers in Japan. Providing short video contents to succeed in Japanese companies. Course Features (1) Study at their own level of business skills. (2) Programs with Vietnamese subtitles (Chinese and English subtitles will also be available). (3) Understanding of unique Japanese customs and facilitate communication and work. (4) A large lineup of drama-style contents that are easy to understand for foreigners. (5) Provides the comprehension level check, which checks the effectiveness of the learning. (6) A certificate of completion can be issued to prove the skills. Please take this opportunity to experience the convenience of e-learning training and the course quality of "LEC of Law"! Click here for details https://www.lec-jp.com/japanesejob/vietnam.html This video content is produced in collaboration with LP Education, LLC. LEC (TOKYO LEGAL MIND K.K.) Company Name: TOKYO LEGAL MIND K.K. Location: 4-11-10 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo CEO: Takehiko Sorimachi Year of establishment: 1979 URL: https://www.lec-jp.com/ Business contents: Management of schools for various national qualifications and civil service examinations, provision of qualification and business skill training for corporations on consignment, provision of training for public sector employees, support for small and medium companies, and support for job seekers on consignment, provision of on-campus courses for universities on consignment, and establishment and operation of LEC Accounting Graduate School, a professional graduate school. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231130604977/en/ LEC TOKYO LEGAL MIND K.K. Corporate Business Department Mail: [email protected] (PIAO HAIYAN) http://partner.lec-jp.com/biz/ General Administration Department TEL: +81-3-5913-6220 Source: Tokyo Legal Mind Corporation NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is joining forces with Unilever, the consumer goods multinationalwhose 400+ brands are used by 3.4 billion people every dayas part of a strategic initiative to leverage Unilever's AI research and implementation of technologies that enhance productivity, drive efficiencies, and accelerate disruptive and AI-powered innovations at scale. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205580710/en/ Accenture is joining forces with Unilever, the consumer goods multinationalwhose 400+ brands are used by 3.4 billion people every dayas part of a strategic initiative to leverage Unilever's AI research and implementation of technologies that enhance productivity, drive efficiencies, and accelerate disruptive and AI-powered innovations at scale. (Photo: Business Wire) The work will kick-off from Unilevers global AI Lab Horizon3 Labs, recently opened in Torontoa city recognized for its concentration of AI expertise and home to one of Accentures six Gen AI studios in North America. The two companies will explore new applications to scale generative AI; for example, assets from Accentures AI Navigator or its proprietary switchboard, which allows a user to select a combination of models to address the unique business context. This collaboration builds on our relationship of more than three decades with Unilever, which continues to raise the bar as a digital powerhouse and industry leader, said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. The combination of Horizon3 Labs disruptive innovation with Accentures deep expertise and strong ecosystem partnerships will help Unilever scale AI and generative AI more rapidly and responsibly across its business and discover new pathways to value. We are excited about building on our long-standing partnership with Accenture to step up our innovation agenda and drive value for our consumers, retailers, and distributors. Horizon3 Labs is a unique platform for collaboration and co-creation, and we look forward to working with Accenture and other partners to take our investment in AI to a new level, said Steve McCrystal, chief enterprise and technology officer, Unilever. This initiative will leverage the industry solutions and accelerators within Accentures previously announced $3 billion investment in data and AI. As part of these efforts, Accenture will connect Unilever with its top data and AI experts, and help capitalize on Accentures ecosystem partnerships, ventures, and strategic investments within its Center for Advanced AI, which includes more than 1,450 pending and issued patents in Accentures AI solutions and learnings from more than 300 generative AI projects. About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the worlds leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen servicescreating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with 733,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the worlds leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Accenture Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value, enable us to help our clients succeed and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners, and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. About Unilever Unilever is one of the worlds leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 127,000 employees and generated sales of 60.1 billion in 2022. 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. The Unilever Compass, our global sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while aiming to: improve the health of the planet; improve people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and contribute to a fairer and more socially inclusive world. For more information about Unilever and our brands, please visit www.unilever.com. Copyright 2023 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are trademarks of Accenture. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205580710/en/ Tara Burns Accenture +44 7850 435 158 [email protected] Jenn Francis Accenture +1 630 338 6426 [email protected] Source: Accenture BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Turkiye sent a group of F-16 fighter jets to Romania for the first time to conduct NATO air patrols near the Black Sea coast, NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) said in a statement, Trend reports. It is reported that four aircraft have already arrived at the Borcea air base near the city of Fetesti in Romania. The alliance also noted that Turkish F-16s will patrol alongside Romanian and German fighters to "protect NATO airspace along the Black Sea coast and prevent potential air threats." HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LifeGift, a health services organization, which offers hope to individuals needing organ transplants in 109 Texas counties in Southeast, North and West Texas, announces Yolanda Becker, MD, FACS, FAST, has joined the team as vice president and chief medical officer and as a member of the organizations strategic governance council. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205889015/en/ Dr. Yolanda Becker (Photo: Business Wire) Dr. Becker will provide clinical operational leadership and medical direction in organ and tissue procurement activities to maximize and optimize organs recovered available for transplantation, medical therapy and research. She will serve as a clinical resource for tissue recovery operations according to tissue recovery partner guidelines. Dr. Becker also will serve as a resource for clinical quality systems monitoring and ongoing service quality development. Dr. Becker joins LifeGift from the University of Chicago Medicine in Chicago, Ill, where she served as professor of surgery, Director of Pediatric and Adult Kidney transplant, Department of Surgery. In addition to her role at LifeGift, Dr. Becker has a dual appointment as Professor of medical education and surgery, Director of career and professional development at Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. As LifeGifts chief medical officer, Dr. Becker brings extensive experience in organ donation and transplantation including transplantation surgery, policy development, government relations, clinical research, medical education and executive leadership, says Kevin Myer, MSHA, LifeGift president and CEO. Were thrilled to welcome Dr. Becker to our team! Dr. Becker received her doctor of medicine degree from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md, after earning a bachelor of science in biochemistry at Tulane University in New Orleans, La. She completed her residency in general surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., and a fellowship in transplant surgery at University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison, Wis. Throughout her tenure in the transplantation community, Dr. Becker has served in a variety of leadership roles with the American College of Surgeons, American Society of Transplantation, Association of Academic Surgeons and Southeastern Surgical Congress. She is a highly respected resource in medical operational leadership and has presented at multiple national and international level industry meetings. For more information on LifeGift, visit www.lifegift.org. To register as a life-saving organ, eye and tissue donor, visit www.donatelifetexas.org. About LifeGift LifeGift is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) health services organization. As the organ procurement organization (OPO) for North, Southeast and West Texas, we partner with more than 200 hospitals across 109 counties to save and heal lives. LifeGift is a founding member of Donate Life Texas, the organization that manages the organ, eye and tissue donor registry. Please visit www.LifeGift.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205889015/en/ Steve Stasny 713.562.5669 cell [email protected] Source: LifeGift Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of Palos Heights, Illinois -based Hunt Insurance Agency, Inc., dba Hunt Insurance Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Hunt Insurance Group is a retail property/casualty agency specializing in labor unions and their associated benefit funds across the Midwest. Larry Hunt , Matt Hunt and their team will remain in their current location under the direction of Ryan Isaacs, head of Gallagher's Midwest region retail property/casualty brokerage operations. "Hunt Insurance Group has a strong market reputation whose niche expertise complements our existing Chicagoland business," said J. Patrick Gallagher , Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am very pleased to welcome Larry, Matt and their associates to Gallagher." NewMarket Corporation (NYSE: NEU) today announced its entry into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire AMPAC Intermediate Holdings, LLC, the ultimate parent company of American Pacific Corporation (AMPAC), for approximately $700 million. Based in Cedar City, Utah, AMPAC is the leading North American manufacturer of critical performance additives used in solid rocket motors for space launch and military defense applications. AMPAC is qualified on many NASA and Department of Defense programs, and has been serving space launch and national defense programs for more than 60 years. AMPAC also manufactures Halotron BrX, a clean and environmentally friendly fire extinguishing agent that replaces legacy high ozone-depleting fire extinguishing agents. Founded in 1955, AMPAC has one operating facility and approximately 150 full-time employees. The acquisition of AMPAC expands NewMarkets exposure to mission critical, resilient sectors. NewMarket has been in the manufacturing industry since 1887 and has been in the specialty chemicals business for nearly 100 years. Our company has a long-term commitment to its people, to safety, to providing innovative solutions for our customers, and to making the world a better place. With extensive research, development and testing expertise, we collaborate with our customers to provide the most advanced products, comprehensive testing programs, and superior technical solutions tailored to their individual needs. Thomas E. Gottwald, NewMarkets Chairman and CEO, said: We are excited about the opportunity to acquire AMPAC. With consistent cash generation, sustainable competitive advantages in vital markets, and an experienced management team, it is a terrific fit with our acquisition and diversification criteria. We view AMPAC as a strategic, national asset with a mission-critical role in global safety, security, and space programs, and we believe NewMarket is the right long-term owner for this essential business. We look forward to welcoming the entire AMPAC team into the NewMarket family. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2024. The closing is conditioned upon the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. NewMarket expects to finance the acquisition with available cash and borrowings under its revolving credit facility. NewMarket Corporation, through its subsidiaries Afton Chemical Corporation and Ethyl Corporation, develops, manufactures, blends, and delivers chemical additives that enhance the performance of petroleum products. From custom-formulated additive packages to market-general additives, the NewMarket family of companies provides the world with the technology to make engines run smoother, machines last longer, and fuels burn cleaner. Some of the information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although NewMarkets management believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, a failure to obtain timely clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 or a failure by one or more parties to satisfy any other applicable conditions to closing the acquisition, as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports that NewMarket files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors in Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, which is available to shareholders upon request. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made by NewMarket in the foregoing discussion speaks only as of the date on which such forward-looking statement is made. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. We have no duty to, and do not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this discussion after the date hereof, except as may be required by law. In light of these risks and uncertainties, you should keep in mind that the events described in any forward-looking statement made in this discussion, or elsewhere, might not occur. Anhui Jianghuai Automobile (JAC) announced Tuesday that Nios (NYSE: NIO) Anhui division and a state-owned entity under the Hefei government of China successfully secured assets from JAC valued at a total of 4.58 billion yuan ($641.2 million). Nio confirmed the deal in an exchange filing. Under this agreement, Nio will acquire specific fixed assets and equipment from two JAC factories for 3.16 billion yuan. Additionally, Hefei Hengchuang Intelligent Technology, a state-owned developer specializing in industrial parks, will purchase the buildings and land use rights of one of the plants for 1.42 billion yuan, as mentioned in the statement. Back in October, JAC initiated the sale of assets located at the F1 and F2 plants, which have been utilized by Nio for its EV production. Nio had earlier established that they independently design the production lines and develop manufacturing technologies within these facilities. While a joint venture between Nio and JAC has overseen the operation and management of the plants since 2019, JAC has primarily handled the recruitment and management of assembly workers. The Chinese state planner has been imposing limitations on the expansion of production capacity within the automotive sector and has been cautious about permitting new entrants into an already saturated market. In 2018, regulators granted Nio permission to manufacture and market EVs in China through its partnership with JAC. Within this arrangement, Nio paid JAC commission fees for each car it manufactured. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, Nio secured the ninth position in terms of sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids in China, having sold 126,067 units during the first 10 months of the year. Shares of NIO are up 3.83% in mid-day trading on Tuesday. By Michael Elkins | [email protected] Nokia (NYSE: NOK) said today it expects revenue from AT&T in Mobile Networks to decrease over the next 2-3 years. The guidance update comes after AT&T (NYSE: T) decided to drop the Finnish infrastructure provider from its $14 billion contract to build a telecom network that uses only ORAN (open radio access network) technology. Instead, AT&T will award the contract to Nokias arch rival Ericsson (OTC: ERIXF). AT&T plans to cover 70% of its wireless traffic in the United States by late 2026 with ORAN technology, which is designed to reduce costs for telecom operators. ORAN utilizes cloud-based software and equipment from various suppliers, offering a more cost-effective approach compared to proprietary equipment from companies like Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei. The advantage lies in the interoperability of ORAN components, promoting collaboration among different suppliers. AT&T accounted for 5-8% of Mobile Networks net sales year-to-date in 2023, Nokia said. Still, the company expects its Mobile Networks segment to remain profitable over the coming years. AT&Ts decision would delay the timeline of achieving double-digit operating margin by up to 2 years, the company added. Nokia shares fell 6% in pre-market on the news while Ericsson stock was up 5.2% in Stockholm today. By Senad Karaahmetovic Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) Chief Financial Officer, Emmanuel Babeau, will address investors today at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference in New York City. The session will be webcast live in listen-only mode, beginning at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET at www.pmi.com/2023morganstanley. The webcast replay will be available at the same link until Friday, January 5, 2024. The webcast may also be accessed on mobile devices by downloading PMIs Investor Relations App (available for download at www.pmi.com/irapp). Today, we are reaffirming our full-year EPS forecast - with excellent expected 2023 organic top-line growth and double-digit currency-neutral adjusted diluted EPS growth. This is underpinned by the continued strength of our smoke-free portfolio led by our two blockbuster premium brands: IQOS and ZYN, said Emmanuel Babeau, Chief Financial Officer. 2023 Full-Year Forecast PMI reaffirms its 2023 full-year reported diluted EPS forecast, announced on October 19, 2023, of $4.95 to $4.98, at then-prevailing exchange rates. Excluding a total 2023 adjustment of $1.10 per share and an unfavorable currency impact, at then-prevailing exchange rates, of $0.53 per share, this forecast represents a projected currency-neutral increase of 10.0% to 10.5% versus adjusted diluted EPS of $5.98 in 2022, as outlined in the below table. The assumptions underlying this forecast remain unchanged versus those communicated by PMI in its earnings release of October 19, 2023. Factors described in the Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements section of this release represent continuing risks to these projections. Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD) disclosed: As previously disclosed, on October 10, 2023, Pioneer Natural Resources Company, a Delaware corporation (Pioneer), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement) by and among Pioneer, Exxon Mobil Corporation, a New Jersey corporation (ExxonMobil), and SPQR, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil (Merger Sub). Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into Pioneer (the Merger), with Pioneer surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil. On December 4, 2023, Pioneer and ExxonMobil each received a request for additional information and documentary materials (a Second Request) from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in connection with the FTCs review of the Merger. The effect of a Second Request is to extend the waiting period imposed by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the HSR Act), until 30 days after each of Pioneer and ExxonMobil has substantially complied with the Second Request issued to it, unless that period is extended voluntarily by the parties or terminated sooner by the FTC. Completion of the Merger remains subject to the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act and the satisfaction or waiver of the other closing conditions specified in the Merger Agreement. Pioneer and ExxonMobil continue to work constructively with the FTC in its review of the Merger and continue to expect that the Merger will be completed in the first half of 2024, subject to the fulfillment of the closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval of Pioneers stockholders. Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in supply chain, dedicated transportation, and fleet management solutions, secures its first two Ryder ChoiceLease customers under the RyderElectric+ turnkey fleet solution. Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Land N Sea Distributing, the nations largest marine and recreation vehicle parts distributor, and Servientrega International Inc., a Bogota, Colombia-based parcel logistics company with operations in Miami, will be using RyderElectric+ to help them navigate the electric vehicle (EV) landscape. As part of the RyderElectric+ solution, Ryder will support the customers charging and infrastructure to enable the operation of the multiple light-duty electric cargo vans that are included in the agreements. The engagement with both customers started with RyderElectric+ electrification advisory services. The RyderElectric+ team relied on data analysis, site assessments, range and payload needs, among other factors, to select the best vehicle and charging fits for the customers operations. These multi-year Ryder ChoiceLease agreements for multiple light-duty electric cargo vans will help each company begin to adopt EVs into their fleets and support their ongoing logistics needs. In working closely with our customers and EV technology providers, Ryder continues to innovate fleet management with efficient, low-carbon strategies that support the operational goals of our customers, says Tom Havens, president of Fleet Management Solutions for Ryder. The introduction of EVs to Ryders lease and rental fleet, and the simplicity of RyderElectric+, allows us to identify and provide EV solutions that fit the operational needs for companies such as Land N Sea and Servientrega. As a long-standing Ryder customer, Land N Sea is the first to lease both the BrightDrop Zevo 600 and Ford E-Transit through the recently announced RyderElectric+ EV solution. Land N Sea will be deploying the full-service lease units in South Florida. To support its EV expansion, Land N Sea also plans to install charging stations with the support of Ryder and charging partners. These electric vehicle additions to our fleet fit our needs well for several of our routes in terms of mileage, while the payload has plenty of capacity. RyderElectric+ gives us the comprehensive package we need to make EV adoption simple, says Mike Conners, president of Land N Sea Distributing. Being able to work with our regular Ryder team and shop network makes this an easy transition. Through RyderElectric+, Servientrega aims to advance its commitment to reducing emissions across its truck fleet. The logistics company will be using BrightDrop Zevo 600 vehicles in South Florida to carry parcels that will be shipped to destinations in South America. Servientrega has had a commitment to lessen its impact on the environment for more than 30 years. Further reducing the emissions of our truck fleet has been made possible this year through Ryders offering of the BrightDrop electric vans, adds Washington Rojas, executive manager of Servientrega International Inc. Now we can cover all our routes from Homestead to Palm Beach, picking up more than 200 packages on a daily charge and with state-of-the-art technology supporting our drivers. RyderElectric+ provides electrification advisors, electric vehicles (EVs), chargers, telematics, and maintenance all for one price and from one point of contact. For more information about RyderElectric+, visit Electric Vehicles (ryder.com) or call 855-RYDER-EV (793-3738). For more information about Ryders electric vehicle offerings, visit Electric Cargo Van Rentals | Rent Electric Vans | Ryder. FILE PHOTO: An Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical manufacturing plant is pictured at 50 ImClone Drive in Branchburg, New Jersey, March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo By Patrick Wingrove and Manas Mishra (Reuters) -Eli Lilly on Tuesday said its recently approved obesity treatment Zepbound is now available in U.S. pharmacies and could cost $550 a month for customers whose health insurance does not cover the drug, or half the list price. Zepbound is the latest entrant to the fast-growing market for weight-loss drugs, which is forecast to grow to about $100 billion by the end of the decade. Wall Street analysts expect sales of Zepbound to reach about $2 billion in 2024, and for sales of Novo Nordisk's rival obesity drug Wegovy to hit around $7.5 billion. Both medicines are GLP-1 agonists, a class originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes that have been shown to reduce food cravings and cause the stomach to empty more slowly. Pfizer last week said it would not advance its highly-anticipated oral obesity drug danuglipron into late-stage clinical trials after most patients dropped out of a midstage trial with high rates of side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Zepbound was shown in late-stage trials to help patients reduce their weight by an average of 20%, compared with 15% for Wegovy in separate Novo trials. Lilly said Zepbound has been added to the U.S. list of preferred medicines for reimbursement by at least one major pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), Cigna's Express Scripts, and will be added to Cigna's commercial formularies on Dec. 15. CVS Health's Caremark, another large PBM, said it was still reviewing Zepbound to ensure it was clinically appropriate and cost-effective. United Health's Optum Rx did not immediately respond to a request for comment. PBMs, which negotiate drug prices for customers including large employers, create lists, or formularies, of medications covered by insurance and reimburse pharmacies for patients' prescriptions. Lilly said its commercial savings card program was now available at pharmacy chains. Under the program, Zepbound could cost as little as $25 for patients whose insurance covers the drug and $550 for those whose insurance does not. When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound in November, Lilly said it would launch after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Zepbound carries a list price of $1,059.87 a month compared with a list of $1,349 per-package for Novo's Wegovy, which has been wildly popular this year. Lilly's obesity drug has the same active ingredient, tirzepatide, as its previously approved diabetes drug Mounjaro, which has been used off-label for weight loss since its 2022 launch. Eli Lilly's shares have surged 60% this year in the run-up to the introduction of Zepbound, making the Indianapolis-based drugmaker the 10th most valuable listed company by market capitalization and first among healthcare companies. (Reporting by Patrick Wingrove in New York and Manas Mishra and Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur, Alexander Smith and Bill Berkrot) TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canadas Smarter Living: The Canadian Women-only Business Mission to South Korea and Thailand ended on a high note on December 1 with the signing of two high-value Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) by a delegate company, 216 business-to-business (B2B) meetings with Asian partners, and engagement with 336 companies and organizations in South Korea and Thailand. The Mission, part of the Foundations 2023-2025 mission series, Northeast X Southeast: Advancing Partnerships Between Canada and Asia, marked the seventh mission of APF Canadas Womens Business Missions to Asia Series and focused on the cleantech, health tech, and ICT sectors. It highlighted the innovations Canadian women entrepreneurs bring to these growing sectors in the dynamic economies of South Korea and Thailand, which present ideal market opportunities for Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs. The six-day Mission (Bangkok, Nov. 26-28 and Seoul, Nov. 29-Dec. 1) supported 21 Canadian delegates, including representatives from Lydia AI, a leading Canadian health AI company, which signed MoUs with Hecto Data and Tobecon, two prominent South Korean technology companies, in a collaboration to amplify the market potential of AI-enhanced solutions in the health-care and insurance sectors. Mission delegates attended conferences with high-level speakers from government, business, and academia from Canada, South Korea, and Thailand and discussed bilateral and regional trade issues, gender inclusion in the economy with the goal of womens economic advancement, and small and medium enterprise (SME) supports. Notably, the Canadian delegates attended site visits in both target economies. In South Korea, after hearing inspiring words from Naver Corporations youngest-ever CEO, Ms. Choi Soo-yeon, they visited Naver 1784, the second headquarters of Naver, the countrys leading search engine platform, to learn about the tech companys future technological capabilities. During their visit to Thailand, Canadian business leaders explored Aspen Tree by The Forestias an innovative elder care residence merging natural ecosystems into the community. The facility, managed by Baycrest Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, showcased a successful Canada-Thai co-innovation in action. Successful outcomes for The Canadian Women-only Business Mission to South Korea and Thailand are expected to continue, with more than 75 per cent of B2B connections in South Korea resulting in interest to form subsequent Canada-Asia partnerships and more than 90 per cent of B2B connections in Bangkok registering similar interest, including a Canadian delegate from the edutech sector currently in advanced negotiations for an acquisition in Thailand as a result of the Mission. APF Canada will share more details on these partnerships through its Womens Business Missions web portal in the coming months. The Canadian Women-only Business Mission to South Korea and Thailand was generously supported by contributions from the Government of Canadas Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Quotes: Sara Wilshaw, Chief Trade Commissioner of Canada and Assistant Deputy Minister, International Business Development As Chief Trade Commissioner at Global Affairs Canada, it was a privilege to accompany APF Canadas remarkable women entrepreneurs on their trade mission to South Korea and Thailand. These women stand as exemplary leaders in Canadian innovation, particularly in the fields of cleantech, health-care technology, and ICT. I am optimistic that our shared commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs will enhance our crucial trading relationships with South Korea and Thailand, fostering greater collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. The Government of Canada and the Trade Commissioner Service remain steadfast in supporting womens aspirations to initiate, expand, and explore international business opportunities, as exemplified by this significant trade mission. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada in supporting Canadian women entrepreneurs to engage our important partners in Asia. Christine Nakamura, APF Canada Vice-President, Central Canada Office, and Mission lead. Congratulations to the truly inspiring entrepreneur delegates who participated in the Canadian Women-only Business Mission to South Korea and Thailand! APF Canada is proud to have led this exciting initiative, supported by the Government of Canada, to showcase talented women whose innovations can make a strong contribution to addressing the key global issues of today. I would like to sincerely thank all of the sponsors, supporters, presenters, and attendees who helped make the event such an amazing success. I look forward to seeing the new relationships forged through this unique event continue to flourish, creating new opportunities and partnerships for Canadian women entrepreneurs in Thailand and South Koreas dynamic markets. Key Links: Contacts: Information: A.W. Lee, Ph.D., Director, Inclusive International Trade,Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada[email protected] Media: Michael Roberts, Communications Director,Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada[email protected] Follow us on X: @AsiaPacificFdnJoin us on LinkedIn: APFCanadaLike us on Facebook: Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada Source: Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. The US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. OBrien will travel to Azerbaijan on December 6-8, the US State Department press service says, Trend reports. According to the information, the Assistant Secretary will meet in Baku with Azerbaijani officials on strengthening bilateral relations and supporting the peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, MIAMI, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AYR Wellness Inc. (CSE: AYR.A, OTCQX: AYRWF) (AYR or the Company), a leading vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator (MSO), today announced the relaunch of its flagship kynd brand via the Season of Kyndness initiative, a campaign designed to spread positive impact and connection during the holiday season through hyperlocal charitable giving. We felt it was important to re-introduce our flagship cannabis brand, kynd, in a way that highlights its purpose and impact-driven mission, said David Goubert, President and CEO of AYR Wellness. The Season of Kyndness campaign embodies the values we hold dear at AYR, providing an opportunity to be a force for good in each of our communities and to make a real difference during this special time of year. We are leaning on our local retail teams to drive this initiative by selecting the hyperlocal causes that mean the most to them. Since kynds inception in Nevada in 2014, its tagline for all humankynd, has encapsulated the brands commitment to those who seek the benefits of cannabis as well as the communities that it serves. With Season of Kyndness, AYR Wellness invites customers in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania to participate in an effort to address community needs where they live. For every purchase of a kynd product from an AYR dispensary, a portion of proceeds goes directly to charities chosen by local teams. AYR is triple matching any individual donations made at point of sale, as applicable per state law. Additionally, certain locations are holding food and supply collection efforts for a variety of organizations. The full list of charity recipients can be found below. For more information about the Season of Kyndness campaign and AYR Wellness, please visit www.kynd.com/seasonofkyndness. Organizations FLORIDACape Coral Caring CenterCoalition for the Homeless of Central FloridaFeeding South Florida Harry Chapin Food BankHeartland Food BankHumane Society of North Central Florida Jacksonville Humane SocietyLeon County Humane SocietyOcean ConservancyP.A.W.S.Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League S.O.U.L (Saving Our United Leaders)The Animal LeagueVeterans Cannabis Project MASSACHUSETTSMabel Center for Immigrant JusticeNeedham Community Council NEW JERSEYArc of MonmouthCity Relief NEVADAFood Bank of Northern NevadaThree Square PENNSYLVANIAJared Box About AYR Wellness Inc. AYR Wellness is a vertically integrated, U.S. multi-state cannabis business. The Company operates simultaneously as a retailer with 85+ licensed dispensaries and a house of cannabis CPG brands. AYR is committed to delivering high-quality cannabis products to its patients and customers while acting as a Force for Good for its team members and the communities that the Company serves. For more information, please visit www.ayrwellness.com. Company/Media Contact: Robert VaniskoVP, Public EngagementT: (786) 885-0397Email: [email protected] Company/Investor Relations Contact: Jon DeCourceyHead of Investor RelationsT: (786) 885-0397Email: [email protected] Investor Relations Contact: Sean Mansouri, CFA Elevate IRT: (786) 885-0397Email: [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81a60b2e-89ce-4978-8ca8-6e86e2c36b7f kynd kynd Source: Ayr Wellness Inc. Alpha Phi, Sigma Epsilon and Delta Upsilon Now have Access to Quality Mental Health Support 24/7/365 SYRACUSE, NY / NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Counslr, the text-based mental health support platform, announced today that it has entered into a partnership with three Greek Life Houses at Syracuse University: Sigma Epsilon, Delta Upsilon and Alpha Phi. This initiative will enable members of each of the three organizations to access Counslrs 24/7/365 text-based mental health support platform, any time, anywhere. At times, I feel mental health can be overlooked in Greek Life, especially in fraternities. Having access to Counslr will be a fantastic resource for our house with their 24/7 availability, said Cole Weintraub, a brother with Delta Upsilon fraternity at Syracuse. While our brotherhood is always there for one another, there are times where speaking anonymously to a professional will be very beneficial. Counslr officially launched the service with the three Houses earlier this school year, as students returned to campus for the Fall semester. Each student member will have round-the-clock, unlimited access to live, on-demand, text-based sessions with licensed mental health professionals. Sorority culture does not always facilitate the most comfortable space to discuss mental health. The partnership with Counslr will provide the Syracuse Alpha Phi sisterhood with a private and independent experience with personal access to mental health support, stated Sabrina Siegel, current student and VP of Health Wellness and Accountability for Alpha Phi at Syracuse University. Not only will this be a useful resource, but it will also help to destigmatize mental health conversations on campus. The partnership aims to increase access to quality support and supplement the counseling services already available to students, empowering students to address issues as they arise, ultimately mitigating larger crisis situations from manifesting. The partnership is one of many that Counslr has established on college campuses across the country. The growing demand for alternative mental health support on campuses illustrates the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among teens and students. Addressing these mental health challenges requires a comprehensive approach, including increased awareness and accessible mental health resources. In fact, as reported in Counslrs white paper The College Mental Health Crisis, over 80% of students holding their first session on the Counslr platform had never before visited a campus counseling center and nearly half of all sessions on the platform occurred during hours when campus counseling centers are typically closed. As the demand for mental health support across college campuses continues to grow, students are looking for super convenient and accessible ways to address issues ranging from test anxiety and relationship issues to gambling issues, substance abuse problems, and more, said Josh Liss, CEO of Counslr. Counslrs partnership with the panhellenic community at Syracuse University is a critical step towards destigmatizing mental health and prioritizing wellness in order to ultimately support a healthier and happier campus environment where students thrive. For more information on Counslr, please visit: www.counslr.com. ABOUT COUNSLR Counslr is a text-based mental health support application that provides unlimited access to live texting sessions with licensed professionals, 24/7/365. Users can access support on-demand within two minutes of opening the app, or by scheduled appointment. Through real-time texting, users enjoy one-on-one, private communication with a licensed counselor that can be conducted anytime, anywhere. Counslr was designed to help individuals deal with lifes day-to-day issues, empowering individuals to address concerns while they are small to help ensure that they stay small. Counslr partners with organizations of all shapes and sizes (companies, unions, nonprofits, universities/colleges, high schools, etc) so that these entities can provide Counslrs services to their employees/members/students at no direct cost. For more information, please visit www.counslr.com. Attachments VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: DMGI) (OTCQB US: DMGGF) (FRANKFURT: 6AX) (DMG), a vertically integrated blockchain and cryptocurrency technology company, announces it has signed an agreement with Bitmain Technologies to purchase 4,550 T21 190 TH/s bitcoin miners for US$12,103,000 (US$14/TH/s). Financing of the purchase may be through existing cash/liquidated bitcoin, debt or a combination of both. DMG Purchases Bitmain T21 Bitcoin Miners for up to 1 EH/s of New Hashrate DMG expects shipment of its T21 miners in the March quarter of 2024; terms of the purchase are 10% downpayment (already paid) with the balance due in the month prior to shipment. As the T21 natively supports a high-energy (overclocked) mode to 233 TH/s (with a modest decrease in efficiency from 19 J/TH to 22 J/TH), which DMG expects to utilize, the Company may be able to realize from this purchase up to 1.06 EH/s (subject to equipment receipt, installation and full operation), which is comparable with DMGs current hashrate. Delivery to DMGs Christina Lake data center facility is subject to change given macro factors including but not limited to shipping logistics and customs processing. DMG is planning to utilize its previously purchased mining containers, which are in the process of being installed at its Christina Lake facility in advance of taking delivery of the T21 miners. This new fleet, in combination with expected rationalization of its existing fleet, will help DMG improve its overall fleet efficiency anticipated to be below 25 J/TH post-halvening, which is expected in April 2024. November 2023 Preliminary Mining Results In November 2023, DMG mined 64.7 bitcoin with 0.97 EH/s realized hashrate. DMGs bitcoin balance as of November 30, 2023 was 429 bitcoin. DMG exited November with 1.07 EH/s of realized hashrate. The Company is working to improve the operation of its fleet so that its realized hashrate is closer to its fleet nameplate hashrate of 1.2 EH/s in the coming months. About DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. DMG is an environmentally friendly vertically integrated blockchain and cryptocurrency company that manages, operates, and develops end-to-end digital solutions to monetize the blockchain ecosystem. DMGs sustainable businesses are segmented into two business lines under the Core and Core+ strategies and unified through DMGs vertical integration. For more information on DMG Blockchain Solutions visit: www.dmgblockchain.comFollow @dmgblockchain on Twitter and subscribe to DMGs YouTube channel. For further information, please contact: On behalf of the Board of Directors, Sheldon Bennett, CEO & DirectorTel: 516-222-2560Email: [email protected]Web: www.dmgblockchain.com Investor Relations ContactCORE IR 516-222-2560 For Media InquiriesJules AbrahamCORE IR917-885-7378[email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service 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 Information This news release contains forward-looking information or statements based on current expectations. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include statements regarding DMGs strategies and plans, the expected increase in realized hashrate, the Companys installation and operation of additional Bitcoin miners, acquiring additional Bitcoin mining equipment, plans and goals to increase hash rate, expected increase in computing power, developing and executing on the Companys products and services, increasing self-mining, the launch of products and services, events, courses of action, and the potential of the Companys technology and operations, among others, are all forward-looking information. Future changes in the Bitcoin network-wide mining difficulty rate or Bitcoin hash rate may materially affect the future performance of DMGs production of bitcoin, and future operating results could also be materially affected by the price of bitcoin and an increase in hash rate mining difficulty. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to, market and other conditions, volatility in the trading price of the common shares of the Company, business, economic and capital market conditions; the ability to manage operating expenses, which may adversely affect the Companys financial condition; the ability to remain competitive as other better financed competitors develop and release competitive products; regulatory uncertainties; access to equipment; market conditions and the demand and pricing for products; the demand and pricing of bitcoins; security threats, including a loss/theft of DMGs bitcoins; DMGs relationships with its customers, distributors and business partners; the inability to add more power to DMGs facilities; DMGs ability to successfully define, design and release new products in a timely manner that meet customers needs; the ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; competition in the industry; the impact of technology changes on the products and industry; failure to develop new and innovative products; the ability to successfully maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights and defend third-party claims of infringement of their intellectual property rights; the impact of intellectual property litigation that could materially and adversely affect the business; the ability to manage working capital; and the dependence on key personnel. DMG may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the demand for its products, the ability to successfully develop software, that there will be no regulation or law that will prevent the Company from operating its business, anticipated costs, the ability to secure sufficient capital to complete its business plans, the ability to achieve goals and the price of bitcoin. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The securities of DMG are considered highly speculative due to the nature of DMGs business. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Companys filings on www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, DMGs past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, failure to obtain regulatory approval, the continued availability of capital and financing, equipment failures, lack of supply of equipment, power and infrastructure, failure to obtain any permits required to operate the business, the impact of technology changes on the industry, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Companys ability to operate, secure equipment, and hire personnel, competition, security threats including stolen bitcoins from DMG or its customers, consumer sentiment towards DMGs products, services and blockchain technology generally, failure to develop new and innovative products, litigation, adverse weather or climate events, increase in operating costs, increase in equipment and labor costs, equipment failures, decrease in the price of Bitcoin, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of or statements made by third parties in respect of the matters discussed above. Source: DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. ARDOOIE, Belgium, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GiftsforEurope (www.giftsforeurope.com), a leader in international gift delivery to Europe, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023. Nathalie and Benny Sintobin founded the website in 1998 during the early days of Internet shopping to make it easy to send gifts to Europe from abroad. From beginnings as a 5-person team in Roeselare, Belgium, today GiftsforEurope.com delivers corporate and personal gifts to 30+ European countries and the UK. Now is the time to contact GiftsforEurope B2B specialists for corporate Christmas gifts for employees, clients, and colleagues in Europe. Bridging the Distance Founder and current General Manager, Benny Sintobin was inspired to launch the website while earning his MBA from Kenan-Flagler in 1995. Mr. Sintobin discovered that it was very difficult to ship gifts home to Belgium for special occasions. Bridging the feeling of distance when a good friend, relative, or business partner lives on another continent - that was the starting premise of GiftsforEurope.com, he explained. The Belgian-based website soon discovered that demand for gift delivery to Europe was highest from the US. GiftsforEurope initially delivered to Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, but quickly adapted to meet requests for delivery across Europe. Germany (23%) and France are the largest delivery destinations. Corporate Gifting Made Easy from the US to Europe Today, corporate orders are 54% of the business. The B2B team has the capacity to tackle very large and unique requests from corporate clients, including an annual cheese tasting event in over 15 countries for 5,000 people on the same day. Key Facts: Ship tens of thousands gifts annually 57% of sales are from outside the EU (38% USA, 19% UK) Sells world-renowned brands like Veuve Clicquot (1800+ bottles annually) and small local brands. Every gift is still packed by hand in Belgium. The GiftsforEurope DNA Bringing people together through the art of gifting has always been the DNA of GiftsforEurope. Relationships have also been built between GiftsforEurope and their superbly loyal clients. Sintobin recalled, One client that comes to mind is a New Yorker with 4 family members in a small village in Italy. Every year for the last 20+ years we have sent gifts for him, translated the Christmas note to Italian, and entered his order manually. Each year we wish each other 'Merry Christmas and good health. These things make it special to me. Thriving Over the Next 25 Years Sintobin is confident that GiftsforEurope will continue to grow and thrive over the next 25 years because it offers gifts and services the Internet giants can never match. Avoiding Internet hypes and staying loyal to the companys core DNA is key. Sustainable packaging and practices are also priorities. In his final reflection on the success of GiftsforEurope in the next 25 years, Mr. Sintobin concluded, GoshI will be 80 then! About GiftsforEurope GiftsforEurope is an online gift shop from Belgium with delivery to 30+ European countries and the UK. Specialities include European luxury brands, Champagne, Belgian chocolate, fruit, and fine wine. Since 1998, GiftsforEurope has offered convenient international gifting solutions, particularly for US-based customers needing gift delivery to Europe. Visit www.giftsforeurope.com to discover why it is the premier international gift delivery website for Europe and the UK. Connect on Instagram: @GiftsForEurope and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giftsforeurope/. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc1c5aab-461c-4fc7-bad8-59e8080774b6 Benny Sintobin General Manager [email protected] +32 10 46 03 74 GiftsforEurope Founder Benny Sintobin GiftsforEurope.com Founder and General Manager Benny Sintobin Source: GiftsforEurope PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Efabless Corporation, the creator platform for chips, today announced the winners of the third AI Generated Open-Source Silicon Design Challenge. The theme of this contest, "Float the Boat," cleverly echoed the platform's name and challenged participants to extend the Caravel SoC by adding practical and verified AI-powered peripherals. Equipped with generative AI tools, contestants were invited to showcase their technical skills by crafting a complete Verilog model for their proposed design. The challenge required seamless integration with Efabless' chipIgnite featuring the Caravel SoC for rapid chip-level development and OpenLane, the open-source RTL-to-GDS digital design flow. Neurosynaptic Prowess Takes Center Stage:First place honors go to EDABK Lab of the School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). Their ambitious project aims to build a hardware-software co-designed neurosynaptic core, powered by the cutting-edge Spike Neural Network (SNN) architecture. Three-Phase Powerhouse Takes Second:Second place is awarded to Emil Goh for his Three-Phase Pulse Width Modulator (PWM) with Dead Time. This design, targeting integration within the Caravel harness, leverages ChatGPT-4 to generate the RTL and aims to control electrical energy efficiently in diverse power electronic systems. Randomness Reigns in Third Place:James Timothy Meech's RNG Project secures third place. This design utilizes Amaranth, a Python HDL, to create a hardware-based pseudorandom number generator design. Microsoft Bing Chat served as a valuable knowledge source, guiding the development process. Simulations, Dieharder testing, and Verilog output for Caravel integration round out this impressive project. A unique dual selection process chose the winners. The community cast their votes for their most beloved designs, while a prestigious panel of industry professionals evaluated entries based on comprehensiveness, documentation, technical merit, and community engagement. Efabless will fabricate the three winning designs on its chipIgnite shuttle with the winners receiving packaged parts and evaluation boards - a value of $9,750. "We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winners," said Mohamed Kassem, CTO of Efabless. "We're thrilled to learn about their innovative designs. This contest showcased how tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and others have the potential to revolutionize chip design by automating tedious tasks and empowering engineers to focus on creativity and innovation." For more detail on the event and the winning designs, please visit www.efabless.com/3aicontest. About EfablessEfabless offers a platform applying open source and community models to enable a global community of chip experts and non-experts to collaboratively design, share, prototype and commercialize special purpose chips. Nearly 1,000 designs and 450 tapeouts have been executed on Efabless over the past two years. The companys customers include startups, universities, and research institutions around the world. Press ContactAndrea Vedanayagam[email protected]408.656.4494 Source: Efabless Corporation Brady R. Shirley, current President and COO, to retire effective April 1, 2025. Louie Vogt to be promoted to Group President of Reconstructive segment. Terry Ross to be promoted to Group President of Prevention & Recovery segment. Wilmington, DE, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enovis Corporation (NYSE: ENOV), an innovation-driven medical technology growth company, today announced that Brady R. Shirley, the Companys President and COO, has informed the Companys Board of Directors of his plans to retire at the end of Q1 2025. Brady will step down from his current position as President and COO on April 1, 2024, and assume the role of Executive Advisor, continuing to focus on the successful integration of the pending Lima acquisition, innovation, and mentorship of Enovis business leaders. Mr. Shirleys transition to retirement at the end of the first quarter 2025 will be thoughtfully managed with ample time for overlap with other relevant executives within the organization. He will remain a member of the Companys Board of Directors. The Company also announced that effective January 2, 2024, Louie Vogt and Terry Ross will become executive officers of the Company reporting to Enovis Chair and CEO, Matt Trerotola. Louie Vogt, president and general manager of surgical, has been promoted to Group President Reconstructive (Recon), a newly created role in which he will lead the Companys global reconstructive business segment. Terry Ross, president of bracing and supports, has been promoted to Group President Prevention and Recovery (P&R), a newly created role in which he will lead the Companys global P&R business segment. Mr. Trerotola stated, Brady has been recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and inspirational leaders in the orthopedics industry over the course of his 30-plus year career. Since joining Enovis following our acquisition of DJO in 2019, he has played an instrumental role in shaping our transition to a focused medical technology company and leading our Recon growth strategy. We look forward to his continued guidance and counsel as he begins his transition to retirement, and we will continue to benefit from his valuable contributions as a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Trerotola continued, I want to congratulate Louie and Terry on their upcoming promotions. Louie has a proven track record driving double-digit growth and market outperformance in our U.S. surgical business through innovation and commercial excellence. Terry has played a vital role in the return of our P&R segment to consistent growth and strong cash flow. Louie and Terry are both exceptional leaders who play key roles in developing talent, improving operating performance and margins, and championing EGX processes and initiatives. We look forward to their continued contributions in their new roles. This structure gives us a unique opportunity to have Brady focus primarily on Lima integration success while both he and I mentor Louie and Terry as they step into these new roles. Mr. Ross joined Enovis (then known as Colfax) in 2012 as GM of Colfax Reliability Services and has held numerous leadership roles, including Investor Relations, Strategy & Business Development, and President of the Companys Recovery Sciences and Bracing and Support Businesses. Prior to joining the Company, he served in management roles at Danaher and GE. Mr. Vogt joined DJO (now Enovis) in 2017, leading the Surgical Global Product Management and US Sales Organizations before becoming President of the Enovis U.S. surgical business. Prior to joining the Company, he spent 15 years with Zimmer and Zimmer Biomet in a series of U.S. and Global Marketing, Product Management and Commercial leadership roles. About Enovis Enovis Corporation (NYSE: ENOV) is an innovation-driven medical technology growth company dedicated to developing clinically differentiated solutions that generate measurably better patient outcomes and transform workflows. Powered by a culture of continuous improvement, global talent and innovation, the Companys extensive range of products, services and integrated technologies fuels active lifestyles in orthopedics and beyond. For more information about Enovis, please visit www.enovis.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning Enovis plans, goals, objectives, outlook, expectations and intentions, and other statements that are not historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on Enovis current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Enovis results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risks and other factors detailed in Enovis reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the caption Risk Factors, as well as the other risks discussed in Enovis filings with the SEC. In addition, these statements are based on assumptions that are subject to change. This press release speaks only as of the date hereof. Enovis disclaims any duty to update the information herein. Contact: BANGALORE, India, Dec. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OKX, a leading crypto exchange and Web3 technology company, will co-host the 'Builder's Mixer - Bengaluru' networking event during India Blockchain Week on December 5 from 19:00 (IST) to 22:00 (IST) at Biergarten Whitefield. The mixer aims to bring together developers, engineers and thinkers who are building and supporting Web3 infrastructure initiatives. It is being co-hosted by OKX, EthSign, TokenTable and Particle Network. Attendees will receive an 'OKX Project X NFT Entry Ticket' built on the OKT Chain and hosted on OKX Wallet. The NFT will serve as both a digital collectible and ticket to the event. The mixer is part of OKX's participation in India Blockchain Week, a series of events exploring innovations in blockchain and Web3 taking place December 4-10 in Bangalore. To learn more about India Blockchain Week, click here. For further information, please contact: [email protected] About OKX OKX is a leading global crypto exchange and innovative Web3 company. Trusted by more than 50 million global users, OKX is known for being one of the fastest and most reliable crypto apps in the world. As a top partner of English Premier League champions Manchester City FC, McLaren Formula 1, Olympian Scotty James, and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, OKX aims to supercharge the fan experience with new engagement opportunities. OKX is also the top partner of the Tribeca Festival as part of an initiative to bring more creators into web3. The OKX Wallet is the platform's latest offering for people looking to explore the world of NFTs and the metaverse while trading GameFi and DeFi tokens. OKX is committed to transparency and security and publishes its Proof of Reserves on a monthly basis. To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: okx.com Disclaimer The information displayed is strictly for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute and shall not be considered as an offer, solicitation or recommendation, to deal in any products (including any NFT or otherwise), or as financial or investment advice. Both OKX Web3 Wallet and OKX NFT Marketplace are subject to separate terms of service at www.okx.com. TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forsys has launched a broad-ranging initiative to reassess its 2015 Feasibility Study (FS) for its fully owned Norasa Project1 in Namibia. The Company sees potential to improve project economics by optimizing pit parameters and examining the potential of using heap leaching in mineral processing. The work program that began in mid 2023 and is anticipated to finish in mid 2024 includes the following components: 4,100 metre (m) drilling program aimed at enhancing geotechnical assessments and obtaining fresh ore samples for additional metallurgical test work; Geotechnological optimization of pit parameters to reduce stripping ratio; Evaluation of alternative metallurgical processes, including heap leaching, to reduce capital and operational expenses; Critical review of all linear infrastructure and utilities. To achieve these objectives, the Company recruited a 27 person team who have significant previous uranium mining experience at various Namibian operations. The technical team includes process engineers, mining experts, geologists, environment consultants, and local specialists led by the Companys Namibian Country Director, Pine Van Wyk. Further Drilling Program Recent advancements in metallurgical, engineering and mining technology since exploration and computation of the Norasa Projects FS have warranted a comprehensive review of the project. In mid 2023, the Company commenced a new 4,100 m drilling program to retrieve fresh samples at depths of up to 420 m from the slope areas for both the planned mining pits at Valencia and Namibplaas. The drilling program focuses on: Geotechnical logging and geo-mechanical sampling to refine pit designs; Sampling for new metallurgical test work and for optimized process design; Sampling and testing local groundwater resources and to establish additional groundwater monitoring borehole; Further geotechnical drilling, logging and sampling, along with downhole surveys (trajectory, gamma, Optical Televiewer) at Valencia and Namibplaas; Density test work on ore and waste material; geochemical analysis of samples at Trace Element Analytical Laboratories and calc index and U deportment test work; minimum of 5% check analyses by other independent analytical laboratories. Figure-1 below, illustrates the drilling program within ML-149 Valencia and EPL-3638 Namibplaas (ML-251 pending). Currently one Reverse Circulation (RC) drill rig and two Diamond Core (DC) drill rigs are on ML-149. Additional drill locations are planned for further in-depth studies and for geotechnical assessments. Figure 1: Drilling program underway By the end of October 2023, a total of 1,445 m of RC drilling and 1,865 m of DC drilling had been completed, including substantial large diameter metallurgical drilling at the Valencia, ML-149 site. Work is ongoing and the majority of the programme is targeted for completion by year end 2023. Heap Leach Trade-Off Studies and Test Work In March 2023, Forsys engaged DRA Projects Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of DRA Global Limited (ASX; DRA/JSE: DRA) (DRA) to oversee test work and conduct various engineering studies. The test work and studies aim to assess the potential trade-off opportunity between tank and heap leaching given advances in High Pressure Grinding Rolls crushing and heap leach technology. Column leach tests are underway at SGS laboratories in South Africa, including measurements of ore height and slump in the column, with residues analyses for uranium content. The column leach tests results will inform heap leach recovery projections and key process conditions for the economic assessments. Final results of this trade-off study are expected first quarter 2024. Mining Licences, Environmental Certificates and Permits The Company currently holds a 25-year Mining Licence (ML-149) for its Valencia deposit, valid until 2033. Additionally, Forsys is actively engaged with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) to renew its Exclusive Prospecting Licence (EPL-3638) for further pit optimization work at the Namibplaas site. Earlier in the year, Forsys renewed its Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism for a further three-year term, allowing the Company to advance its development plans for the Norasa project. The ECC renewal process evaluated the Company's environmental management practices, including waste management, emissions controls, biodiversity protection, and community engagement, among other factors. Forsys is in the process also of securing additional permits, encompassing land surface rights; accessory works; radiation management; linear infrastructure development and desalination. Qualified Person and Independent Consulting Firms Mr. Robin Welsh is acting as the Companys Qualified Person, as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Mr. Welsh is a Senior Project Manager for DRA Projects Pty Ltd and with his education, experience, and professional registrations, he fulfils the requirements of an independent Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Welsh has reviewed and approved the scientific or technical information contained in this press release. DRA Projects Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of DRA Global Limited is an international multi-disciplinary engineering, project delivery and operations management group, predominantly focused on the mining, minerals and metals industry. About Forsys Metals Corp. Forsys Metals Corp. (TSX: FSY, FSE: F2T, NSX: FSY) is focused on advancing the Norasa Uranium Project that is made up of the Valencia Uranium deposit (ML-149) and the nearby Namibplaas Uranium deposit (EPL-3638) in the politically friendly jurisdiction of Namibia. Extensive work has been carried out on the deposits from 2006 to 2015 with close to 290,000 m of drilling, resource estimation and processing test work. The reserves come from three deposits: the Valencia pit, a small satellite pit adjacent to Valencia, and the Namibplaas pit, and two NI 43-101 technical reports previously prepared in support of the 2015 FS demonstrated significant proven and probable mineral reserves of 91Mlb. In addition, the 2015 FS demonstrated Measured and Indicated resource of 115Mlb and Inferred resource of 11Mlb. Forsys are currently engaged in re-evaluating the 2015 FS and multiple workstreams are underway to re-analyze geology data as well as establishing a new drilling program to retrieve fresh samples from both site deposits and improve on process and pit designs. As a part of this study, Forsys are exploring new technologies to understand how these can enhance recovery rates, optimise tailings and improve project economics. Further information is available at the Company website www.forsysmetals.com On behalf of the Board of Directors of Forsys Metals Corp. Richard Parkhouse, Director, Investor Relations. For additional information please contact: Richard Parkhouse, Director, Investor Relationsemail: [email protected] email: [email protected]Phone: +44 (0) 7730 493432 Forward Looking Statement Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding improved project economics, improved resource quality, the benefits of changing to a heap leach process, anticipated Capex and Opex savings, the results and timing of an updated NI 43-101 technical report and feasibility study, and the future operating or financial performance of Forsys Metals Corp which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Forsys Metals Corp disclaim 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. The Norasa Uranium Project (Norasa) is wholly-owned by the Companys subsidiary Valencia Uranium (Pty) Ltd. (Valencia Uranium) and comprises the Valencia Uranium Project (ML149) ("Valencia) and the Namibplaas Uranium Project (EPL3638) (Nambiplaas). A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b6239d95-6ce4-434e-9012-bf5e9f0efe03 Figure 1 Drilling program underway Source: Forsys Metals Corp San Diego, CA, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- General Atomics applauds the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announcement that the United States will pursue a global strategy to commercialize fusion energy. This plan will support broad international cooperation to develop fusion as a clean energy source for the next generation. The world is increasingly recognizing the transformative potential of fusion energy. International collaborations have played an important role in advancing fusion, and this strategy will ensure we continue to marshal the very best talent and capabilities across the globe as we address the remaining science and engineering challenges for commercializing fusion. As a longstanding partner of the U.S. Department of Energy, we look forward to continuing to support this effort as we work together to make fusion energy a reality, said Dr. Anantha Krishnan, Senior Vice President, General Atomics Energy Group. About General Atomics: Since the dawn of the atomic age, General Atomics innovations have advanced the state of the art across the full spectrum of science and technology from nuclear energy and defense to medicine and high-performance computing. Behind a talented global team of scientists, engineers, and professionals, GAs unique experience and capabilities continue to deliver safe, sustainable, economical, and innovative solutions to meet growing global demands. Evan Polisar General Atomics 858-455-3474 [email protected] Source: General Atomics KEY HIGHLIGHTS: Hole MTC-23-059, a 150-metre step-out hole down-dip, returned 4.79 grams of gold per tonne (g/t Au) over 12.8 metres (m) including 10.05 g/t Au over 4.3 m at the Montclerg Gold Project (Montclerg or the Project). Hole MTC-23-063 returned 3.38 g/t Au over 5.8 m near surface. Assay results from 12 holes remain pending. Drilling is planned to resume in February with a primary focus at Montclerg and testing high-priority targets across the Goldarm Property. Completed a first pass till sampling program consisting of 224 samples across the Dore Gold Project (Dore), located south of the Pen Gold Project and adjacent to IAMGOLD, Evolution and Newmont. Join Brian Skanderbeg, CEO of GFG Resources for a LIVE virtual event on Wednesday, December 6th at 1:00 pm ET: Click here to register for the event. SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GFG Resources Inc. (TSXV: GFG) (OTCQB: GFGSF) (GFG or the Company) reports initial gold assay results from its recently completed 2023 Phase 2 drill program from its Montclerg Gold Project, located 40 kilometres (km) east of Timmins, Ontario (see Tables 1-2 and Figures 1-6). The results released today are from three drill holes completed along the Montclerg gold system where GFG has continuously proven and grown a robust gold system since the Company acquired the asset in October 2021. In the Phase 2 drill program the Company completed a total of 3,613 m from 15 holes (7 at Montclerg and 8 at the Aljo Mine Target (Aljo)). The Phase 2 drill program focused on step-out and in-fill drilling at Montclerg and to test a spectrum of targets at Aljo located within the Goldarm Property east of Timmins, Ontario. In addition to the results today, the Company is optimistic that the remaining 12 holes will return strong results as significant mineralized zones were observed. "Our Phase 2 drill program, which focused on expanding the potential of Montclerg through strategic step-outs and in-fill drilling, while also testing several targets proximal to the Aljo mine environment was highly successful, stated Brian Skanderbeg, President and CEO of GFG. At Montclerg, the assays confirm a robust gold system plunging beyond 400 m and remains open for expansion. In particular, hole MTC-23-059, a 150-metre step-out, exceeded our expectations hitting the zone as predicted and with increased thickness and more intense alteration, which speaks volumes about the continuity and potential growth at Montclerg. Looking ahead, we are excited to advance our exploration efforts at Goldarm and to continue developing regional targets across our properties in 2024. It's an exciting time for GFG as we delve deeper into the potential of our assets and strengthen our position in the Timmins Gold District." Table 1: Initial Assay Results from the 2023 Phase 2 Drill Program at the Montclerg Gold Project Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Zone MTC-23-059 424.2 437.0 12.8 4.79 Lower Footwall **incl. 428.0 432.3 4.3 10.05 and 435.6 436.5 0.9 4.97 Lower Footwall MTC-23-061 98.6 100.5 1.9 5.11 Upper Main incl. 98.6 100.0 1.4 6.79 and 141.5 152.2 10.7 1.34 Upper Footwall incl. 151.1 152.2 1.1 5.61 and 253.1 255.6 2.5 4.45 Lower Footwall incl. 253.1 255.0 1.9 5.63 and 271.8 275.2 3.3 3.15 Lower Footwall incl. 272.4 273.1 0.8 10.40 MTC-23-063 73.4 79.2 5.8 3.38 Upper Footwall incl. 77.4 79.2 1.8 8.18 *Drill intercepts are presented using a 0.20 g/t Au cut-off and as drilled length with a minimum 0.5 gram-metre product. Composites include internal dilution of up to 3 m at grades less than 0.2 g/t Au. Included intervals are calculated using a 3 g/t cut-off at a minimum 5 gram-metre product unless otherwise stated. True width is estimated to be 50 to 90% of drilled length.**Calculated at a 5 g/t cut-off. Commentary on Assay Results Anders Carlson, Vice President, Exploration commented, Hole MTC-23-059 demonstrates a meaningful change in the thickness of the Lower Footwall Zone from 2-5 m to over 10 m within an even broader alteration and veining envelope. This change is an exciting development and confirms this as a viable target for defining future underground resources. Drill hole MTC-23-059 was drilled to test the down-dip extension of the Lower Footwall Zone at MC Central (see Figures 3-6). The hole intersected approximately 22 m of moderate to strong sericite-ankerite-silica alteration in mafic volcanics with up to 35% disseminated arsenopyrite and pyrite. Quartz-carbonate veins and veinlets are present throughout the zone yielding 4.79 g/t Au over 12.8 m including 10.05 g/t Au over 4.3 m. This intercept is the best zone drilled in the Lower Footwall Zone to-date and represents a 150 m step-out from high-grade zones intersected during the Phase 1 2023 drill program (MTC-23-057 10.21 g/t Au over 2.7 m). Drill hole MTC-23-061 was drilled to infill gaps in the Main and Upper Footwall zones while testing the up-dip extension of the Lower Footwall Zone as it approaches the ultramafic contact (see Figures 3-6). The hole was successful in intersecting significant grade in each of the three zones with the most encouraging results coming from the Lower Footwall Zone where two closely spaced zones were observed yielding 4.45 g/t Au over 2.5 m and 3.15 g/t Au over 3.3 m. Seeing this up-dip continuity of the Lower Footwall Zone is important as it allows us to maximize the extent of the zone before it terminates against the upper ultramafic contact. Drill hole MTC-23-063 was drilled to test the up-dip extension of the Upper Footwall Zone (see Figures 3-6). The hole yielded an intercept of 3.38 g/t Au over 5.8 m including 8.18 g/t Au over 1.8 m in carbonate and silica-altered mafic volcanics hosting up to 15% arsenopyrite and pyrite with associated quartz-carbonate veining. This intercept successfully pulls the Upper Footwall Zone closer to surface in an area that lacked drill density. Dore Gold Project Till Sampling ProgramFrom September to November, the Company collected 224 bulk till samples across the 212 square kilometre Dore land package with the objective of defining new gold targets. The Dore project is an underexplored region that is near several multi-million-ounce gold deposits and mines such as the Cote Gold Project and Newmonts Borden gold mine (see Figure 1). The till samples will be analyzed with the goal of outlining new large-scale gold anomalies. The Dore property hosts two major gold-bearing shear-hosted structures, the Rideout and Rundle deformation zones, that are very underexplored on our property. The till survey will be followed-up by significant compilation and targeting over the winter in order to generate new prospecting targets for the 2024 summer field season. We expect this to lead to our first-ever drilling campaign at Dore in Q4-2024. Anders Carlson, Vice President, Exploration commented, The Swayze Greenstone Belt has become increasingly desirable to mid-tiers and majors with commercial production set at Cote for Q1-2024 and a recent up-tick in overall exploration activity. Were pleased to be strategically located and are excited to advance our Dore project through aggressive exploration programs over the next 24+ months. LIVE INVESTOR WEBINARJoin Brian Skanderbeg, CEO of GFG Resources for a LIVE virtual event on Wednesday, December 6th at 1:00 pm Eastern Time. Click here to register for the event. Figure 1: Regional Map of GFG Gold Projects in the Timmins Gold District Figure 2: Goldarm Property Plan View Map Figure 3: Montclerg Gold Project Plan View Map Figure 4: Montclerg Gold Project MC Central Plan View Map Figure 5: Montclerg Gold Project Cross Section Map Figure 6: MTC-23-059 High Grade Gold Zone (424.2 m to 437.0 m) Table 2: GFG Drill Hole Assay Highlights from the Montclerg Gold Project Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Zone MTC-21-001 62.5 90.0 27.5 1.56 Upper Main and 126.0 166.5 40.5 0.78 Lower Main incl. 130.8 138.0 7.3 2.20 MTC-21-005 86.0 112.0 26.0 4.82 Upper Footwall incl. 94.3 96.1 1.8 15.96 and 103.8 109.3 5.5 12.32 and 118.9 120.6 1.7 11.29 MTC-21-006 98.3 105.8 7.5 8.34 Upper Footwall incl. 98.3 101.0 2.7 15.04 MTC-21-007 65.4 95.6 31.1 1.40 Upper Main and 108.0 131.0 23.0 1.11 Lower Main MTC-21-010 79.5 106.5 27.0 1.05 Upper Main incl. 89.6 100.5 10.9 1.84 MTC-22-015 24.0 57.5 33.5 1.32 MC West incl. 24.0 28.7 4.7 5.15 MTC-22-020 22.4 34.1 11.7 1.07 Upper Main and 97.0 105.3 8.3 4.95 Upper Footwall incl. 102.8 105.3 2.5 12.83 MTC-22-021 50.3 72.0 21.7 1.51 Upper Main incl. 62.2 64.0 1.8 8.17 MTC-22-023 17.6 88.0 70.4 1.60 Upper Main incl. 35.2 42.0 6.8 2.43 incl. 76.2 81.0 4.8 4.97 and 124.5 133.2 8.7 2.46 Upper Footwall incl. 131.4 133.2 1.8 7.75 MTC-22-029 104.4 111.5 7.1 4.98 Upper Footwall incl. 104.4 107.6 3.2 7.02 MTC-22-030 71.0 86.0 15.0 3.40 Upper Footwall incl. 71.0 74.0 3.0 6.21 also incl. 81.9 82.9 1.0 17.50 MTC-22-034 79.5 94.6 14.5 1.37 Lower Main and 161.7 171.0 9.3 5.26 Upper Footwall incl. 163.9 168.3 4.4 10.77 MTC-22-035 72.0 85.2 13.2 2.31 Lower Main incl. 77.0 82.1 5.1 4.07 and 125.3 141.3 16.0 9.85 Upper Footwall incl. 130.3 137.8 7.5 14.99 MTC-22-036 79.0 85.0 6.0 9.63 Upper Footwall incl. 80.5 84.0 3.5 15.40 MTC-22-039 79.8 83.3 3.3 4.32 Upper Footwall incl. 80.7 83.3 2.6 5.74 and 88.0 98.3 10.3 3.95 MTC-22-041 76.2 81.0 4.8 4.89 Upper Footwall incl. 81.0 80.1 1.1 14.40 MTC-22-042 96.4 119.0 22.6 1.48 Lower Main and 307.3 312.3 5.0 8.46 Lower Footwall incl. 309.3 312.3 2.0 16.40 MTC-23-054 73.1 81.2 8.1 9.97 Upper Footwall incl. 75.9 78.9 3.0 16.95 MTC-23-057 346.0 348.7 2.7 10.21 Lower Footwall incl. 346.0 347.5 1.5 16.20 MTC-23-059 424.2 437.0 12.8 4.79 Lower Footwall **incl. 428.0 432.3 4.3 10.05 *Drill intercepts are presented using a 0.20 g/t Au cut-off and as drilled length with a minimum 0.5 gram-metre product. Composites include internal dilution of up to 3 m at grades less than 0.2 g/t Au. Included intervals are calculated using a 3 g/t cut-off at a minimum 5 gram-metre product unless otherwise stated. True width is estimated to be 50 to 90% of drilled length.**Calculated at a 5 g/t cut-off. About the Goldarm PropertyThe Goldarm Property is a large and highly prospective land package east of the Timmins Gold Camp (see Figures 1-2). The consolidated Goldarm Property covers approximately 30 km of the Pipestone Deformation Zone and the North Pipestone Deformation Zone. Within the Goldarm Property, there are several highly prospective gold targets such as the Aljo Gold Mine region, the Carr target and the Montclerg Gold Project which is the most advanced target. The Montclerg Gold Project covers 10 km of the highly prospective Pipestone Deformation Zone and is located 48 km east of the prolific Timmins Gold Camp and is adjacent to multiple current and historic gold mines (see Figure 1). About GFG Resources Inc. GFG is a North American precious metals exploration company focused on district scale gold projects in tier one mining jurisdictions, Ontario and Wyoming. In Ontario, the Company operates three gold projects, each large and highly prospective gold properties within the prolific gold district of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. The projects have similar geological settings that host most of the gold deposits found in the Timmins Gold Camp which have produced over 70 million ounces of gold. The Company also owns 100% of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, a district scale gold exploration project located approximately 100 km southwest of Casper, Wyoming, U.S. For further information, please contact: Brian Skanderbeg, President & CEOor Marc Lepage, Vice President, Business Development Phone: (306) 931-0930 Email: [email protected]Website: www.gfgresources.com Stay Connected with UsTwitter: @GFGResourcesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gfgresources/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GFGResourcesInc/ Footnote: (1) Drill intercepts are historical and GFGs QP has not verified the laboratory accreditation, analytical method, sample size or QA/QC procedures utilized for the historic drill results. True widths have not been estimated. Potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a Mineral Resource on the Coulson Claims to date and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the Coulson Claims being defined as a Mineral Resource. Sampling and Quality Control All scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been prepared under the supervision of Brian Skanderbeg, P.Geo. President and CEO of GFG, a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Drill core samples are being analyzed for gold by Activation Laboratories Ltd. in Timmins, Ontario. Gold analysis consists of the preparation of a 500-gram pulp and an assay of a 50-gram aliquot by Pb collection fire assay with an Atomic Absorption Spectrometry finish (Package 1A2-50. Samples assaying above 5 ppm Au are routinely re-run using a gravimetric finish (Package 1A3-50). Mineralized zones containing visible gold are analyzed by a screen metallic fire assay method. Selected samples are also undergoing multi-element analysis for 59 other elements using a four-acid digestion and an ICP-MS finish (Package MA250) by Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd. in Vancouver, British Columbia. Quality control and assurance measures include the monitoring of results for inserted certified reference materials, coarse blanks and preparation duplicates of drill core. Drill intercepts are presented using a 0.20 g/t Au cut-off and as drilled length. Composites include internal dilution of up to 3 m at grades less than 0.2 g/t Au. True width is estimated to be 50 to 90% of drilled length. Sampling protocols, quality control and assurance measures and geochemical results related to historic drill core samples quoted in this news release have not been verified by the Qualified Person and therefore must be regarded as estimates. 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. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATIONAll statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this news release constitute 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 (referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Companys future exploration plans with respect to its property interests and the timing thereof, the prospective nature of the projects, future price of gold, success of exploration activities and metallurgical test work, permitting time lines, currency exchange rate fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of exploration work, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate 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, will, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved or the negative connotation thereof. All forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long-term price of gold, that the Company will receive required permits and access to surface rights, that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour, and that the political environment within Canada and the United States will continue to support the development of mining projects in Canada and the United States. In addition, the similarity or proximity of other gold deposits to the Companys projects is not necessary indicative of the geological setting, alteration and mineralization of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, the Goldarm Property, the Pen Gold Project and the Dore Gold Project. 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 GFG to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: actual results of current exploration activities; environmental risks; future prices of gold; operating risks; accidents, labour issues and other risks of the mining industry; availability of capital, delays in obtaining government approvals or financing; and other risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties and the additional risks described in the Companys most recently filed annual and interim MD&A are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive. Although GFG has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, 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. In addition, forward-looking statements are provided solely for the purpose of providing information about managements current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and GFG assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Photos accompanying this announcement are available athttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d2f386c-819f-4f10-8e60-c6f39d262045https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/850ce7f8-b60d-40fb-a258-c92188aad893https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c6073935-4449-4bc6-b5af-141d05132db3https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83f728bf-1de2-4883-b2b4-48d189abda70https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f803ab18-9382-4baf-81f5-ba456e3e86f5https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7c61aa52-caa8-41f5-8634-37a775bc00f1 Figure 1: Regional Map of GFG Gold Projects in the Timmins Gold District GFG Gold Projects in the Timmins Gold District Figure 2: Goldarm Property Plan View Map GFG Resources Inc. Goldarm Property Map Figure 3: Montclerg Gold Project Plan View Map Montclerg Gold Project Plan View Map Figure 4: Montclerg Gold Project MC Central Plan View Map Montclerg Gold Project MC Central Plan View Map Figure 5: Montclerg Gold Project Cross Section Map Cross Section Map of the Montclerg Gold Deposit Figure 6: MTC-23-059 High Grade Gold Zone (424.2 m to 437.0 m) GFG Drill Hole Photo MTC-23-059 High Grade Gold Zone (424.2 m to 437.0 m) Source: GFG Resources Inc. Introducing a new milestone within Parmigiani Fleurier's "Objets dArt" collection, a tribute to the origins of Michel Parmigiani L'Armoriale Pocket Watch LArmoriale is not just a unique pocket watch; it is a Masterpiece from the Maison Parmigiani Fleurier that carries within it the story, passion, and excellence of a man out of the ordinary. It reminds us that sometimes, watchmaking can transcend Time to become a true work of art. This masterpiece invites us to lose ourselves in the labyrinths of the Palazzo Te, to feel the essence of the Renaissance, and to celebrate the extraordinary journey of Michel Parmigiani." - Guido Terreni, CEO Parmigiani Fleurier. L'Armoriale Pocket Watch Parmigiani Fleurier The inspiration for this project stems from a journey undertaken by Guido Terreni in the northern region of Italya voyage not only to explore Michel Parmigiani's origins but also to revel in the architectural wonders of the area. Among the places visited was the Palazzo Te in Mantua, strategically positioned at the crossroads of Milan, Genoa, and Venice. This Renaissance-era royal palace, adorned with meticulous handcraftsmanship of its time, left a lasting impression. The Hall of Giants within the Palazzo Te, in particular, resonated with echoes of Michel Parmigiani's passions, embracing elements such as the Renaissance, architecture, nature, and the Golden ratio. Thus, it felt instinctive to breathe life into these influences, moving beyond their original two-dimensional expressions. In the creation of the extraordinary pocket watch case, each detail underwent a thoughtful reimagining in a three-dimensional reinterpretation. The timepiece itself is a genuine work of art, meticulously crafted with care and attention. Michel Parmigiani, ever appreciative of exceptional craftsmanship, surrounded himself with artisans traditionally referred to as Mains dOr or Golden Hands in the industry. These skilled Maitre craftsmen devoted their expertise to bring LArmoriale to life. Each artisan specialized in distinct crafts, including the intricate engraving of the case, the delicate enamel work on the backcase, the meticulous crafting of the chain, and more. L'Armoriale Pocket Watch Parmigiani Fleurier L'Armoriale - a bridge between the centuries At the core of this pocket watch lies a mechanical movement dating from 1890 and signed A. Golay Leresche & Fils in Geneva, showcasing a chronograph minute repeater. It is a veritable piece of history, a testament to the essence of Renaissance architecture of the time. Michel Parmigiani himself rescued this movement from obscurity, preserving it from a time when mechanical movement faced extinction to the the ascent of quartz movements. In 1985, Michel Parmigiani restored the movement and added a perpetual calendar developed in his Ateliers PMAT (Parmigiani Fleurier Mesure et Art du Temps). Today, the movement showcases a chronograph, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar featuring a moon phase set against an aventurine sky and hand-hammered moons in white gold. The L'Armoriale movement embodies the very essence of luxury watchmaking an exquisite fusion of history and innovation, serving as an authentic bridge between centuries. L'Armoriale movement beats at a frequency of 2.5 Hz, equivalent to 18,000 vibrations per hour, providing a leisurely and refined experience for watch enthusiast. Additionally, it features a minute repeater, enabling on demand striking of hours, quarters, and minutes, coupled with a central seconds chronograph. L'Armoriale Pocket Watch Parmigiani Fleurier This exceptional caliber, by virtue of its origins and characteristics, seamlessly integrates all the fundamental functions and complexities inherent in the art of watchmaking. It stands as a timepiece of extraordinary intricacy and elegance. Every aspect of this movement, from its gears to the meticulously engraved and polished bridges, serves as a testament to the exceptional mastery of Parmigiani Fleurier. In essence, the L'Armoriale movement transcends the realm of a mere mechanical watch; it stands as a heritage, a meticulously restored and enhanced masterpiece encapsulating the soul and excellence of Parmigiani Fleurier. Every component, every detail, and every complication narrates a captivating story. L'Armoriale horological harmony : an ode to art, technicity, and elegance The sumptuous dial, with a mordant brown hue delicately engraved in the "mezzo vibrato" theme, embodies a fusion of craftsmanship, art, and technical prowess. The engraved ring encircling the dial elegantly reflects the almond motifs present on the case and lugs. The white gold counters, also intricately engraved and adorned with delicate rings, add a subtle touch to the overall composition. CHICAGO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has released new findings on the impact of GLP-1 weight loss medications on consumer shopping behavior. The Numerator analysis provides detailed information based on purchasing behaviors of over 100,000 panelists who have reported on their usage of GLP-1 medications for diabetes management, weight loss or not at all. Within weight loss, Numerator has further segmented results based on intent to lose more or less than 15 pounds. "We are in early stages," said Dr. Leo Feler, Numerator's Chief Economist. "A year ago, almost all users of these medications were using it for diabetes management, and only 10% were using it for weight loss. Now, almost 50% of those using these medications are doing so for weight loss. Right now, with all of the increase we've seen in people using these medications, there are another 20% of households saying they're interested in taking these medications for weight loss in the future -- they're just waiting for prices to come down and to see how safe and effective these medications are." Across all Grocery, consumers using GLP-1 medication for weight loss tend to have larger declines in spend than those using the medication for diabetes management or those who are not using the medication. Reductions in buy rate (spend) are even more significant among consumers using the medication to lose 15 pounds or less. Year over Year % Change in Buy Rate, by Department, (Last 3 Months vs. Year Ago) Never Used Diabetes Diabetes & Weight Loss Weight Loss >15 lbs Weight Loss All Grocery -3.9% -2.6% -5.2% -7.7% -11.0% Ice Cream 3.9% 1.7% 4.0% -3.0% -9.0% Snacks -2.1% -2.5% -6.0% -7.0% -8.8% Frozen Foods -0.9% -1.4% -4.4% -4.7% -9.5% The year over year change in buy rate between GLP-1 weight loss users and non-GLP-1 users varies by department with Packaged Bakery, Snacks, Prepared Foods and Beans & Grains seeing some of the largest deltas between the groups at -10% to -20%. Other departments like Beverages and Fresh Meal Kits remain steady across the two groups, with consumers using the medication for weight loss not showing significant changes in buy rate, remaining steady at -1 to 1% vs. YA. Net Difference in YoY Buy Rates among GLP-1 Weight Loss Users vs. Non-GLP-1 Users Department Change in Buy Rate Beans & Grains -20 to -10% Deli & Prepared Foods Packaged Bakery In-store Bakery Snacks Breakfast Refrigerated Foods Meat Condiments -10% to -5% Candy (Snacks) Dairy Pasta & Noodles Produce Canned Foods Shelf Stable Meals -5% to -3% Baking & Cooking Seafood & Fish Limited Service Restaurants Fresh Meal Kits -1% to 1% Beverages Source: Numerator Insights, Numerator Survey About Numerator: Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to market research. Numerator blends first-party data from over 1 million US households with advanced technology to provide 360-degree consumer understanding for the market research industry that has been slow to change. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has 2,000 employees worldwide; 80 of the top 100 CPG brands manufacturers are Numerator clients. Bob Richter Numerator 212-802-8588 [email protected] Source: Numerator SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HyperTrack, a leader in workforce and logistics technology, announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Supply Chain Competency in the Move Category. This designation recognizes HyperTrack for helping customers solve their critical supply chain challenges. Achieving the AWS Supply Chain Competency in the Move category differentiates HyperTrack as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member with validated expertise and proven customer success delivering supply chain solutions for companies of every size and segment to enhance their responsiveness to customers, strengthen their resilience to disruptions, and become more responsible to the environment and global community. HyperTrack is proud to achieve the AWS Supply Chain Competency in the Move category , said Gaurav Deshpande, CMO. Our team is dedicated to helping businesses transform their operations to meet the challenges of the on-demand economy by leveraging the agility, breadth of services, and pace of innovation that AWS provides. AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify AWS Partners with deep industry experience and expertise. HyperTracks platform addresses the most complex on-demand workforce logistics problems, employing the unparalleled elasticity of AWS services to deliver core location-based services with the stability and scale that customers require. Global teams are able to grow their businesses and scale because of the union of HyperTracks expertise in location technology, mapping and on-demand business models and AWS infrastructure. Teams like PartRunner, who specialize in big & bulky delivery for some of the industry's most prominent brands, including Amazon, Ferguson, Cemex, Walmart, and Mercado Libre in the United States and Mexico, leverage HyperTrack to bring together mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, and mapping technology. This partnership led to an increase in driver location accuracy, from 60% to 95+%. Tarun Aleti, Chief Product and Technology Officer mentions, "With HyperTrack's seamless SDKs and API integration, we don't have to worry about accuracy of tracking our drivers nor about nearest drivers to jobs. On top of that we are able to reduce our 'Google costs' related to Distance & Direction APIs. By integrating data and technology through HyperTrack, PartRunner has set a new standard in driver tracking, route enhancement, and digital transparency. About HyperTrack - HyperTrack provides the building blocks to automate on-demand jobs and workforce. Our APIs and SDKs for planning, assigning, tracking, and verification learn from ground truth data to improve operational KPIs including job completion rate, workforce reliability, productivity, and on-time delivery. HyperTrack provides workforce automation and proof-of-work solutions that are trusted by over 300 companies worldwide across various industries, from technology, light industrial, security, retail, hospitality, and healthcare to energy and transportation. Start building with the free trial at https://hypertrack.com. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K92 Mining Inc. (K92 or the Company) (TSX: KNT; OTCQB: KNTNF) is pleased to announce results from the updated resource estimate completed on the Kora and Judd deposits, at its producing Kainantu Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea. The resource estimate is based on surface and underground exploration diamond drilling and underground face sampling. The focus of exploration at Kora and Judd since the previous resource estimates (previous effective date of October 31, 2021 for Kora and December 31, 2021 for Judd) has been predominantly on resource growth. Kora and Judd Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate Highlights Kora Measured and Indicated Resource of 2.3 million ounces at 10.24 g/t gold equivalent (AuEq) (1) , representing an +8% increase from the previous resource estimate of 2.1 million ounces in October 2021. Kora Inferred Resource has increased substantially to 3.9 million ounces at 8.60 g/t AuEq, representing a +58% increase from the previous resource estimate of 2.5 million ounces in October 2021. This has resulted primarily from successful drilling of the southern extensions of the K1 and K2 lodes. Judd Measured and Indicated Resource of 0.35 million ounces at 8.68 g/t AuEq (1) , representing an increase of +167% from the previous resource estimate of 0.13 million ounces in December 2021. Judd Inferred Resource of 0.56 million ounces at 7.72 g/t AuEq, representing a +211% increase from the previous resource estimate of 0.18 million ounces in December 2021. The increase in the Judd resource has been the result of a significant amount of drilling since the last resource, with drill defined strike length extended +130% since the end of 2021. Significant component of the updated Kora and Judd Mineral Resource are high grade (see Fig 3, 4, 7 and 8). Excellent reconciliation between mill feed and the updated resource model with a 1% difference in gold ounces. Depletion from the previous resource based on production was approximately 900 kt at 10.4 g/t AuEq (7.9 g/t Au, 0.68% Cu, 12 g/t Ag) or 300 koz AuEq contained metal(2). Resource Growth Opportunities and Exploration Targets Significant expansion potential at both the Kora and Judd vein systems. The Kora vein system is open along strike and at depth, with exploration focused on Kora, Kora South and Kora Deeps target areas. The Judd vein system is open in all directions, with drilling focused on Judd, Judd South and Judd Deeps target areas. Drilling plans to commence at Kora South Deeps and Judd South Deeps in 2024 (see Fig 10 and 11). In addition to the Kora and Judd vein systems, there are multiple near-mine high-priority exploration areas including: Arakompa, Maniape and Karempe. Drilling at Arakompa is planned to commence in late-2023 / Q1 2024 (see Fig 12). Multiple highly prospective porphyry targets also being explored, with drilling at the A1 Porphyry target underway. The Blue Lake Porphyry deposit which hosts a 10.8 million ounces AuEq / 4.7 billion pounds inferred resource (see August 9, 2022 press release) is open at depth and the Company plans to follow-up with a third, deeper program. Currently up to 11 drill rigs operating and in October 2023, K92 increased its exploration budget to a record of US$20 million. Note (1): Cut-Off of 3 g/t gold equivalent.Note (2): Based on production recorded from the beginning of Q4 2021 to the end of Q3 2023. Table 1 Global Kora and Judd Mineral Resource (Effective Date September 12, 2023, 3 g/t gold equivalent cut-off) Tonnes Gold Silver Copper AuEq Mt g/t moz g/t moz % kt g/t moz Kora Measured 3.7 8.74 1.0 20.5 2.5 1.21 45.0 10.96 1.3 Indicated 3.1 6.99 0.7 21.9 2.2 1.31 41.3 9.40 1.0 Total M&I 6.9 7.94 1.8 21.1 4.7 1.25 86.2 10.24 2.3 Inferred 14.3 5.60 2.6 28.7 13.2 1.62 231.2 8.60 3.9 Judd Measured 0.4 9.05 0.12 19.0 0.25 0.80 3.2 10.58 0.14 Indicated 0.8 6.37 0.17 15.6 0.42 0.73 6.2 7.76 0.21 Total M&I 1.2 7.24 0.29 16.7 0.67 0.75 9.4 8.68 0.35 Inferred 2.3 6.27 0.45 15.8 1.15 0.76 17.2 7.72 0.56 Kora and Judd Measured 4.1 8.77 1.2 20.4 2.7 1.17 48.2 10.92 1.5 Indicated 4.0 6.86 0.9 20.6 2.6 1.19 47.4 9.05 1.2 Total M&I 8.1 7.83 2.0 20.5 5.3 1.18 95.6 10.00 2.6 Inferred 16.5 5.69 3.0 27.0 14.3 1.50 248.3 8.48 4.5 The Independent and Qualified Person responsible for the Mineral Resource estimate is Simon Tear, P.Geo. of H & S Consultants Pty. Ltd., Sydney, Australia, and the effective date of the estimate is September 12, 2023. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Geological interpretation has generated a series of narrow, sub-vertical vein structures based on delineated wireframes on 10m, 20m and 25m spaced cross sections. The design of the lode wireframes is based on a combination of logged geology, Au, Cu & Ag assay grades and locally on a nominal minimum mining width of 5.2m, all coupled with geological sense. Resources were compiled at 3 g/t gold equivalent cut-off grades for Kora and Judd. Density (t/m3) was modelled using Ordinary Kriging on 2,778 sample measurements. Areas within the mineral wireframes where no density grades were interpolated had average default values inserted at appropriate levels. Reported tonnage and grade figures are rounded from raw estimates to reflect the order of accuracy of the estimate. Minor variations may occur during the addition of rounded numbers. Estimations used metric units (metres, tonnes and g/t). Gold equivalents are calculated as AuEq = Au g/t + Cu%*1.6481+ Ag g/t*0.0114. Gold price US$1,700/oz; Silver US$22.5/oz; Copper US$4.00/lb. Metal payabilities and recoveries are incorporated into the AuEq formula. Recoveries of 95% for copper and 80% for silver were used. John Lewins, K92 Chief Executive Officer and Director, stated, The updated Kora and Judd Resource estimate has significantly exceeded our expectations for both the Measured and Indicated resource and the Inferred resource. The combined Kora and Judd Measured and Indicated resource increased +13%, net of depletion, to 8.1 million tonnes at 10.00 g/t AuEq for 2.6 million ounces AuEq, and the Inferred resource increased +70%, net of depletion, to 16.5 million tonnes at 8.48 g/t AuEq for 4.5 million ounces AuEq. When comparing the updated resource models depletion to mill actuals, Kainantu has delivered a gold reconciliation in-line with the updated resource model within 1%. Importantly, the resource growth was also achieved expeditiously, over a period of less than two years and at discovery cost of less than US$7.5 per ounce gold equivalent. This was driven by the strong continuity of the Kora and Judd vein systems, with almost all holes intersecting the mineralized structure. Looking ahead, exploration at the Kora and Judd vein systems will remain a major focus, with drilling targeting multiple highly prospective target areas concurrently, including Kora, Kora South, Kora Deeps, Judd, Judd South and Judd Deeps. Kora Deeps and Judd Deeps have only recently commenced drilling from the twin incline, and the initial reported results from this area via Judd underground development in late-Q3 have been very promising, including 4.6 m at 14.89 g/t AuEq and 6.8 m at 11.77 g/t AuEq from channel sampling in an area previously sparsely drilled and interpreted to be waste. Later in 2024, exploration plans to commence at Kora South Deeps and Judd South Deeps, also from the twin incline. Beyond the Kora and Judd vein systems, there are multiple highly prospective areas for resource growth near mine infrastructure, including Arakompa, Maniape and Karempe. Exploration pad construction at Arakompa, which hosts a historic resource of 800 koz at 9.0 g/t Au, is underway with plans to commence drilling near-term. Porphyry exploration continues to progress, with drilling underway at A1 and plans for follow-up drilling at the Blue Lake Porphyry in the medium term. Blue Lake hosts an Inferred Resource of 10.8 moz AuEq or 4.7 blbs CuEq. Recently, in October 2023, K92 increased its exploration expenditure guidance to US$20 million. This was driven by our conviction in the geological potential of the Kainantu Project and we look forward to announcing results from multiple target areas near-term in addition to operational announcements as we transform Kainantu into a Tier 1 Mid-Tier producer over the next 18 months with construction of the Stage 3 and 4 Expansions underway. Key Assumptions and Parameters Underground drilling consists of diamond core for a range of core sizes depending on the length of hole and expected ground conditions. Sampling is sawn half core under geological control and generally ranges between 0.5m to 1.0m. Underground face sampling is completed for every fired round and is to industry standard. QAQC data indicated no significant issues with the sampling or the accuracy of the on-site analysis. Current core recovery of the mineral zone is +95%, with initial drilling recoveries around the 90% mark. Geological logging is consistent and is based on a full set of logging codes covering lithology, alteration, and mineralization. All sampling and analytical work for the mine exploration program is performed by Intertek Testing Services (PNG) LTD, an independent accredited laboratory that is located on site. External check assays for QA/QC purposes are performed at SGS Australia Pty Ltd in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The geological interpretation of the vein systems is represented as 3D wireframe solids snapped to a combination of diamond drillhole data and underground face sampling (see Fig 1 and 5). Definition of the wireframes is based on identified gold (and copper and silver) mineralization in drill core nominally at a 0.1-0.2 g/t Au gold cut-off in conjunction with geological control/sense and current mining widths. The Kora Link is a broader zone of more variably continuous mineralization and butts onto both the K1 and K2 lodes in various places. A total of 4 lodes were delineated for the Judd deposit, with a dominant J1 lode and subordinate parallel lodes for J2, J3 and J1W. The wireframes were used to extract 1-metre best-fit composites (minimum of 0.5m) from the drillhole & sampling database for gold, copper and silver. A total of 30,791 composites were used in the grade interpolation, 24,925 for Kora and 5,866 for Judd. A gold top cut of 1000 g/t was applied to K2, a 400 g/t top cut was applied to the Kora Link and a 400 g/t top cut was applied for the Judd composites. A top cut of 300 g/t was applied to the silver composites but no top cuts was applied to the copper composites. Variography was good for the mined areas of K1 and J1 (due to the face sampling) but only moderate to poor for other areas, as would likely be expected for the style of mineralization. Grade interpolation of the composite data was completed using Ordinary Kriging with a block size of 1m (X direction) by 5m (Y direction) by 5m (Z direction). A larger block size check model for Kora indicated no evidence of over-smoothing of the gold grade with the smaller block size. A check model excluding the face sampling data indicated no significant difference in gold grade for the measured and indicated estimates at Kora. Density data was modelled using Ordinary Kriging on a total of 2,778 sample measurements for the different lodes. Density values were determined using the weight in air/weight in water method (Archimedes Principle) on single pieces of representative core. Default average density values were applied to the different lodes where there was a lack of modelled data. Average density for the global estimates are 2.77t/m3 for Kora and 2.61t/m3 for Judd. A three-pass search strategy was used for the grade interpolation. Search ellipse parameters are listed below. 4 search domains with varying ellipsoid orientations were used for both of K1 and K2 with the search ellipse orientations generally reflecting the subtle changes in dip and strike of the vein systems. The much smaller Kora Link Lode required only 2 search domains as did the J1 and J2 lodes at Judd. Table 2 Mineral Resource Search Ellipse Pass Specifications Pass No X radius(m) Y radius(m) Z radius(m) Min Data Min Octants Max Data 1 2 25 25 12 4 32 2 4 50 50 12 4 32 3 12 125 125 6 2 32 Allocation of the classification of the Mineral Resources is derived from the search pass numbers produced from the grade interpolation which essentially is a function of the drillhole and face sample data point distribution. Additional considerations were included in the assessment of the classification; in particular, the geological understanding and complexity of the deposit, sample recovery, quality of the QAQC sampling and outcomes, density data, check models and reconciliation with production. Defined shapes were used to better define the Measured Resource distribution (i.e. the removal of the spotted dog effect). Table 3 Resource Classification by Pass Category Pass Category Resource Classification 1 Measured 2 Indicated 3 Inferred All material mined within the mineral wireframes up to the effective date has been removed from the resource model. Gold reconciliation of the new resource model with the global mill feed material up to the end of the third quarter for 2023 has been reasonably good with the difference in gold ounces from the mill being within ~1% of that estimated by the model. The Inferred Mineral Resources in this estimate have a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be updated to an Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration. Gold equivalents are calculated as AuEq = Au g/t + Cu%*1.6481+ Ag g/t*0.0114. Gold price US$1,700/oz; Silver US$22.5/oz; Copper US$4.00/lb. Metal payabilities and recoveries are incorporated into the AuEq formula. Recoveries of 95% for copper and 80% for silver. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. It is anticipated that the updated Mineral Resource estimate will not result in a material change to the mineral reserve estimate set forth in the Technical Report entitled Independent Technical Report, Kainantu Gold Mine Integrated Development Plan, Kainantu Project, Papua New Guinea with an effective date of January 1, 2022 (the IDP Technical Report). In addition, the increase to the Measured and Indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources will not materially impact the design parameters and conclusions outlined in the Kainantu Stage 3 Expansion Definitive Feasibility Study Case or Kainantu Stage 4 Expansion Preliminary Economic Assessment Case of the IDP Technical Report. However, as a result of the updated Mineral Resource estimate, the Company expects the potential mine life to be extended for both the Stage 3 Expansion Definitive Feasibility Study Case and Stage 4 Expansion Preliminary Economic Assessment Case. Qualified Persons K92 mine geology manager and mine exploration manager, Andrew Kohler, MAIG, a qualified person under the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and is responsible for the technical content of this news release. Data verification by Mr. Kohler includes significant time onsite reviewing drill core, face sampling, underground workings, and discussing work programs and results with geology and mining personnel. Simon Tear, P.Geo of H & S Consultants Pty. Ltd. of Sydney, Australia is a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 for the Mineral Resource estimate discussed above. Mr. Tear has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release in relation to the Mineral Resources. About K92 K92 Mining Inc. is engaged in the production of gold, copper and silver at the Kainantu Gold Mine in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, as well as exploration and development of mineral deposits in the immediate vicinity of the mine. The Company declared commercial production from Kainantu in February 2018 and is in a strong financial position. A maiden resource estimate on the Blue Lake copper-gold porphyry project was completed in August 2022. K92 is operated by a team of mining company professionals with extensive international mine-building and operational experience. On Behalf of the Company, John Lewins, Chief Executive Officer and Director For further information, please contact David Medilek, P.Eng., CFA, President at +1-604-416-4445 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation: (i) the results of the Kainantu Mine Definitive Feasibility Study, and the Kainantu 2022 Preliminary Economic Assessment, including the Stage 3 Expansion, a new standalone 1.2 mtpa process plant and supporting infrastructure; (ii) statements regarding the expansion of the mine and development of any of the deposits; (iii) the Kainantu Stage 4 Expansion, operating two standalone process plants, larger surface infrastructure and mining throughputs; and (iv) the potential extended life of the Kainantu Mine. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as expect, plan, anticipate, project, target, potential, schedule, forecast, budget, estimate, intend or believe and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, should or might occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control, that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, without limitation, Public Health Crises, including the COVID-19 virus; changes in the price of gold, silver, copper and other metals in the world markets; fluctuations in the price and availability of infrastructure and energy and other commodities; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; volatility in price of our common shares; inherent risks associated with the mining industry, including problems related to weather and climate in remote areas in which certain of the Companys operations are located; failure to achieve production, cost and other estimates; risks and uncertainties associated with exploration and development; uncertainties relating to estimates of mineral resources including uncertainty that mineral resources may never be converted into mineral reserves; the Companys ability to carry on current and future operations, including development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Companys ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the availability and costs of achieving the Stage 3 Expansion or the Stage 4 Expansion; the ability of the Company to achieve the inputs the price and market for outputs, including gold, silver and copper; failures of information systems or information security threats; political, economic and other risks associated with the Companys foreign operations; geopolitical events and other uncertainties, such as the conflicts in Ukraine, Israel and Palestine; compliance with various laws and regulatory requirements to which the Company is subject to, including taxation; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions, including relationship with the communities in Papua New Guinea and other jurisdictions it operates; other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry; and the risks, uncertainties and other factors referred to in the Companys Annual Information Form under the heading Risk Factors. Estimates of mineral resources are also forward-looking statements because they constitute projections, based on certain estimates and assumptions, regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future and/or the anticipated economics of production. The estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation, Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actual results to differ materially from those that are 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. 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 required by law. CAUTIONARY NOTE TO U.S. READERS CONCERNING ESTIMATES OF MINERAL RESERVES AND MINERAL RESOURCES Information concerning the properties and operations of K92 has been prepared in accordance with Canadian standards under applicable Canadian securities laws and may not be comparable to similar information for United States companies. The terms Mineral Resource, Measured Mineral Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource used in this presentation are Canadian mining terms as defined in the Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) on May 10, 2014 and incorporated by reference in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). While the terms Mineral Resource, Measured Mineral Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource are recognized and required by Canadian securities regulations, they are not defined terms under standards of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As such, certain information contained in this presentation concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources under Canadian standards is not comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. An Inferred Mineral Resource has a great amount of uncertainty as to its existence and as to its economic and legal feasibility. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher confidence category through additional exploration drilling and technical evaluation. Readers are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Under United States standards, mineralization may not be classified as a Reserve unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the Reserve estimation is made. Readers are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. In addition, the definitions of Proven Mineral Reserves and Probable Mineral Reserves under CIM standards differ from the standards of the SEC. Historical results or feasibility models presented herein are not guarantees or expectations of future performance. Figure 1 Kora Resource Lode Wireframes Long Section, Cross Section and Plan View Figure 2 K1 and K2 Resource Category Long Sections Figure 3 K1 Resource Long Section (Resource Statement is for 3 g/t AuEq Cut-off only) Figure 4 K2 Resource Long Section (Resource Statement is for 3 g/t AuEq Cut-off only) Figure 5 Judd Resource Lode Wireframes Long Section, Cross Section and Plan View Figure 6 J1 and J2 Resource Category Long Sections Figure 7 J1 Resource Long Section (Resource Statement is for 3 g/t AuEq Cut-off only) Figure 8 J2 Resource Long Section (Resource Statement is for 3 g/t AuEq Cut-off only) Figure 9 Kora-Judd Vein System Long Section Figure 10 Kora-Irumafimpa Vein System Long Section Figure 11 Judd Vein System Long Section Figure 12 Near Mine Exploration Targets Suite 488 - 1090 West Georgia StreetVancouver, British ColumbiaCanada V6E 3V7 Telephone: +1 (604) 416-4445Facsimile: +1 (604) 608-9110www.k92mining.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1cab52c2-e973-4240-9122-cd94f7c68417 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e2b27c69-54bd-46ca-94ba-9434e5dd7027 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/43b6b440-a7e8-4898-9ff8-a820ae2205e4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/111e024d-2d37-4ed4-b471-8d9bc4dacdf6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8df4f5a0-87f7-49f8-a3e4-d584097825e5 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b37c494-955c-44f9-aa03-13c07543f910 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77201feb-c03c-4d65-99b0-85b69edb7c14 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b62c23c1-3fdc-40a2-ae16-5e36cc70868a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e2aefb1-96a3-44d5-915c-37dd1547574e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6bb8b6a5-877e-4a7f-acaa-c93e8f115dc6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/642fb879-a484-4ec8-a542-a1201b09949b https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df8bd013-0921-4e87-9a29-f91e92c93db7 Figure 8 J2 Long Section Figure 6 J1 and J2 Resource Category Long Sections Figure K1 Long Section Figure 2 K1 and K2 Resource Category Long Sections Figure 7 J1 Long Section Figure 4 K2 Long Section Figure 1 Kora Long Section Wireframes Figure 5 Judd Long Section Wireframes Figure 12 Near-Mine Targets Figure 9 Kora-Judd Long Section Figure 11 Judd Long Section Figure 10 Kora-Irumafimpa Long Section Source: K92 Mining Inc. Lansing, Michigan, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In November 2023, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) came together with the community, funders, family, and friends to celebrate the completion of the second Elevate Black business accelerator program. This program is the first of its kind in the Lansing Region of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties and saw nine entrepreneurs growing and shaping their businesses through skill building, seminars, and technical assistance from Best Practices Consulting Service. Reflecting on the second cohort, Tony Willis, chief equity development officer at LEAP expressed, "The remarkable growth and dedication shown by this cohort has been truly inspiring. Witnessing their progress and their businesses evolve has been rewarding. This is only the beginning. The entrepreneurs who made up the second cohort were: Adrian Joseph Goodfellas Bagel DeliPhyllis M. Williams Peace & Harmony Counseling ServicesBlake Matthews Paradiso ProductionsMelissa Moore Moore Vision Optical BoutiqueJoshua Southern Risky StudiosJacqueline Taylor Little Dreamers Daycare CenterKelly West The MilesWest GroupDeardra Westfall Nature's 92Dymon Wilson The Sista Stu The Elevate program ran April to October of 2023, and the second cohort of entrepreneurs was pivotal in continuing to shape and enhance the program for the entrepreneurs to come. LEAP, through generous funding from PNC Foundation as part of its $88 billion nationwide Community Benefits Plan announced in 2021, will be able to complete an additional two years of programming for Elevate. Additional funding of $120,000 dollars came from Ingham County to bolster Ingham participants businesses. PNCs support of LEAPs continued diverse programming reflects our national main street bank values and commitment to the communities where we conduct business, said Timothy Salisbury, PNC regional president for Mid-Michigan. The Elevate program is an example of what can be accomplished through strong public-private partnerships. While LEAP continues its global efforts to grow the Lansing Region, we are working equally hard on improving inclusive entrepreneurial programming such as Elevate, said Bob Trezise, president and CEO of LEAP. These efforts, when combined, make for a regional magnet, attracting diverse business, jobs and people to our community and making it dynamic. The success stories and strides made by these graduates underscore the value of dedication and mentorship in nurturing entrepreneurial endeavors, said Laura Sigmon, owner of Best Practices Consulting Services. Looking ahead, LEAP is already preparing and taking steps to ensure a successful third year of programming. Applications for Elevates third cohort open in January 2024. For more information on the members of the second cohort and the program, visit LEAPs website at www.purelasing.com/elevate. ### About LEAPThe Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) is a coalition of area leaders partnering to build a stronger community for all working every day to grow, retain and attract business to the Lansing, Michigan, region.About PNC FoundationThe PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. Attachments Jessica Vilca Lansing Economic Area Partnership 5178983517 [email protected] Source: Lansing Economic Area Partnership Georgia and Pennsylvania Courts Top List, Litigation Tourism Burdens Judicial System WASHINGTON, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the American Tort Reform Foundation reveals the nation's most tumultuous legal landscapes with the release of its highly anticipated 2023-2024 Judicial Hellholes report . This years report unveils an unprecedented scenario. Both Georgia and Pennsylvanias courts, specifically the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, share the unfortunate distinction of jointly being named the years No. 1 Judicial Hellholes. The annual expose analyzes alarming trends across the U.S. civil justice system and unveils the nine worst Judicial Hellholes in the nation. 2023-2024 Judicial Hellholes: #1 Georgia #1 The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas #2 Cook County, Illinois #3 California #4 New York City #5 South Carolina Asbestos Litigation #6 Lansing, Michigan #7 Louisiana #8 St. Louis In a year marked by legal upheavals, ATRFs report spotlights a grim reality: Judicial Hellholes nationwide swing open their courtroom doors to out-of-state plaintiffs and their lawyers, allowing them to take advantage of these courts reputations for nuclear verdicts and expanding liability. Plaintiffs flood the courts of their choice, even if that courts jurisdiction has no real connection to the case, Tiger Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association said. The result is overburdened courts with drained resources. While it may benefit traveling trial lawyers, the reality is that people who actually live in these Judicial Hellholes pay the price. Excessive tort costs to the U.S. economy result in an annual tort tax of more than $1,424 paid by every American nearly $6,000 every year for a family of four. In many Judicial Hellholes, these figures are even more bleak. ATRFs report also provides analysis and perspective on national trends, like the U.S. Supreme Courts Mallory decision this summer, which expanded certain state courts' jurisdiction over out-of-state companies. The impact of the Supreme Courts decision in the Mallory case cannot be overstated, Joyce said. The Court missed a crucial opportunity this year to rein in litigation tourism, inadvertently opening the floodgates to file lawsuits in plaintiff-friendly courts with no direct tie to a claim. This ruling paves the way for trial lawyers to contribute to a climate of forum shopping, threatening to overwhelm courts in Georgia, Pennsylvania, St. Louis, and New York City. Regrettably, the Supreme Court played a hand in the mounting difficulties of securing a fair and impartial trial in Judicial Hellholes. The U.S. Supreme Court also had a chance to weigh in on serial testers of the Americans with Disabilities Act this year individuals who file duplicative lawsuits claiming various violations of the ADA. The ADA was intended to ensure public places' accessibility, but ATRF points to Judicial Hellholes like California and New York City where ADA lawsuits are exploited for financial gain. Ultimately, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the case; it's unclear whether the Supreme Court will issue an opinion. Lawsuits that abuse the ADA contribute to a broader trend in Judicial Hellholes a failure to claim any actual injury, thus challenging the basic tenets of tort law. In California, New York City, and Cook County, Illinois, these no-injury lawsuits are particularly prevalent, which ATRF says threatens businesses. Our legal system should promote fairness and support economic progress not be a breeding ground for forum shopping and excessive verdicts, Joyce said. ATRF further points to Judicial Hellholes handing down excessive, nuclear verdicts those exceeding $10 million. The Foundation says tactics like anchoring are partially to blame for this surge. Anchoring, while only permitted in some jurisdictions, including Georgia, Missouri, and New York, involves a trial attorney providing an excessively high anchor number to a jury to consider when determining damage awards. These multi-million-dollar, nuclear verdicts, while often fueled by temporary emotional outrage, lead to higher insurance rates, increased consumer costs, and job loss in the long term, Joyce said. The rapid expansion of premises liability laws poses unique challenges in several Judicial Hellholes, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New York City, in which businesses might be liable for criminal acts beyond their control. This is illustrated in a Georgia case against CVS Pharmacy , involving a shooting in a store parking lot during a criminal act. The Georgia Supreme Court embraced an overly broad test for foreseeability and expanded liability for property owners when it upheld a staggering $45 million damage award which assigned 95% of liability to CVS, 5% to the plaintiff, and zero liability to the shooter. ATRF says this evolution creates legal uncertainty for property owners and may result in store closures, particularly in high-crime areas. Michigans Supreme Court also expanded premises liability for property owners, which the Foundation expects to lead to an increase in slip-and-fall lawsuits in the Great Lakes State. Third-party litigation financing, spotlighted by Congress this year , also leads to predatory lawsuit lending in many of the nations Judicial Hellholes. The practice involves investors buying an interest in the outcome of a lawsuit, but raises ethical concerns, like threatening lawyers independent judgment if a funder can influence litigation or settlement decisions. The report includes a carefully ranked Watch List including Kentucky,New Jersey, and Texass Court of Appeals for the Fifth District. Additionally, the two "Closer Looks" delve into the expansion of state wrongful death acts and the concerning rise of litigation tourism considering the Supreme Courts Mallory decision. To dive deeper into the findings and access the full 2023-2024 Judicial Hellholes report, visit JudicialHellholes.org . Attachment Dallas, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This holiday season, let Dickeys Barbecue Pit cater your festive holiday party with their Holiday Big Yellow Box and new side dish. Holiday party season has arrived! Now through January 5th, barbecue lovers across the country can be the host with the most by offering their party guests Dickeys Holiday Big Yellow Box. This ready-to-serve meal option feeds up to 12 people and starts at $125. The yellow box includes 4 pounds of sliced turkey, as well as large servings of the baked potato casserole, green beans, cornbread dressing and a dozen buttery rolls. New to the holiday menu this year, the Texas-style barbecue brand has added a Sweet Potato Casserole, which was a huge hit with guests this Thanksgiving, feeding over 6,800 people and showing as the second most popular holiday side item. This delicious side includes sweet potatoes blended with creamy butter, sugar, cinnamon, and other fall spices, topped with praline pecans. The popular barbecue brand has shown great catering success so far this holiday season. Their famous national Catering Hotline (866-BARBECUE) has seen a 3% increase in sales from last year with 5 individual days of sales over $45K each. Additionally, barbecue lovers continue to order their holiday feasts via the user-friendly website, www.dickeys.com, with the brand reporting digital sales being up 11% in 2023. Its the most wonderful time of the year! And we are thrilled to continue offering delicious and easy meal options for busy, holiday party planners, says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO Dickeys Barbecue Pit. Sit back and let Dickeys do the cooking this season, so you can enjoy a stress-free party with your family and friends.. Barbecue lovers can also order any of Dickeys slow-smoked holiday meats or savory sides individually at www.dickeys.com, by calling their local Dickeys store, or with a Catering Expert at 866-BARECUE. For more about Dickeys, follow Dickeys Barbecue Pit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Download the Dickeys Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. For Dickeys Virtual Concepts follow Wing Boss on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok; Trailer Birds on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok; and Big Deal Burger on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok. About Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the worlds largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by the Dickey family. For the past 82 years, Dickeys Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests in 41 states Legit. Texas. Barbecue. At Dickeys, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickeys proudly believes theres no shortcut to true barbecue and its why our name isnt BBQ. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers eight slow-smoked meats and 12 wholesome sides with No B.S. (Bad Stuff) included. Dickeys Barbecue has over 500 restaurants across the United States. Dickeys was named to Newsweeks 2022 Americas Favorite Restaurant Chains list and USA Today 2021 readers choice awards. Dickeys won first place on Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, been named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur and named to Hospitality Technologys Industry Heroes list. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the countrys 50 most influential women in foodservice in Nations Restaurant News, was recognized by Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list and honored by Dallas Business Journal. Dickeys Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and QSR Magazine. Dickeys Barbecue is part of Dickeys Restaurant Brands which has more than 700 restaurants nationwide including brands Wing Boss, Trailer Birds, Big Deal Burger and bbqathome.com. DRB is led by CEO Roland Dickey Jr. For more information, visit dickeys.com. # # # Attachment Shannon Santos Dickey's Barbecue Pit [email protected] Source: Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAX Power Mining Corp. (CSE: MAXX; OTC: MAXXF; FRANKFURT: 89N) (MAX Power or the Company) is pleased to announce that Phase 1 drilling has commenced at the Companys Willcox Playa Lithium Project in Arizona. Compilation of historical data combined with results from MAX Powers 2023 geophysics program has given geologists a model for a potential significant discovery at the Playa where first-ever systematic diamond drilling is now in progress. MAX Power has first-mover advantage at Willcox where the Playa comprises approximately 50 sq. miles (129 sq.km) in an area with nearby infrastructure, surrounded by roads, rail, power and services provided by a nearby community. Discovery Model Highlights: MAX Power is targeting both a property-wide claystone sequence below the Willcox Playa, which has a thickness of up to 1,600 metres, and trapped non potable fluids with the potential to host lithium brines; MAX Power has defined pervasive and significant resistivity low anomalies across most of its 3,754-acre property. Extreme resistivity lows, detected through a recent HSAMT Survey, most probably represent clay-rich sediments, which could comprise lithium targets extending from near-surface to depth; The HSAMT Survey suggests these anomalies are persistent to depths of at least 600 metres below the surface with the thickness of the clay sequence estimated to be 1,200 to 1,600 metres; In addition to the anomalies, the geophysical cross section highlights what appears to be a series of sub-vertical parallel structural controls, possibly faults, that are known in similar settings to concentrate lithium in desert playa environments; A comprehensive review of historical data suggests that illite and montmorillonite, associated with the weathering of silicic volcanic ash tuffs, are the most common clay minerals under the Willcox Playa. Illite at Willcox is described as the dominant clay mineral in a PhD thesis. Its formation in a geothermally active, alkaline environment is often significant and can aid in the concentration of lithium. This clay mineral is known to contribute to high-grade lithium values in other claystone lithium deposits. Lithium Concentration Model at the Willcox Playa The current model for the deposition and concentration of lithium on and under the Playa involves four key steps: 1) The erosion of the Apache Leap Tuffs (~18.5 Ma), the proposed source rocks which surround much of the playa (Chiricahua Mountains to the south, the Dos Cabezas mountains to the east and the Dragoon and Little Dragoon Mountains to the west, and the Galiuro-Winchester mountains to the north); 2) The material eroded from the source rocks was then transported to the centre of the valley into a very large brackish lake named Lake Cochise. The Playa is a mere remnant of Pleistocene aged Lake Cochise; 3) The basin is hydrologically closed, and the fluids for the most part do not exit, other than by evaporation. This created a concentration and compaction of the deposited materials over time. The result was a dry lake with a clay package up to one mile (1,600 metres) thick beneath the current land surface. Refer to Figure 1, a general outline of the source rocks, deposition and concentration; 4) The nearby Turkey Creek Caldera is proposed as an important heat source to drive geothermal springs in the area and add to the concentration of lithium within the Playa basin. Figure 1: Lithium Sources at Willcox Playa, Arizona Geophysical Anomalies When looking at Figure 2, large anomalies are noted as seen by the colours blue and yellow. Values for the anomalies can be less than 1.0 m (Ohm metre). Figure 2 is a plan view slice of the anomalies 100 metres below the surface. The Company has drill targets ranging over 10 km from the far north to the far south of the property to target these anomalies. The gravity low identified by the survey near the centre of the Playa often overlays the anomalies. The HSAMT and gravity surveys strengthen the possibility of lithium accumulation and concentration under the property. Figure 2: Resistivity Low Anomalies and drill targets at Willcox Playa, Arizona Figure 3: A cross section of the resistivity looking to the northwest with notable interpreted structures Interpreted Structures (Resistivity) Figure 3 is a cross section looking to the northwest. The section shows the resistivity values along the entire length of the Willcox Property. The cross section shows four sub-vertical interpreted structures spaced approximately 3,000 metres apart along the cross section. The geophysical interpretation suggests these apparent structures have some degree of influence on the distribution of anomalously low resistivity anomalies. At Clayton Valley, Nevada, structures are important in concentrating lithium in brines. There, according to Davis et al. (1986), the brines most enriched in lithium are in the down-faulted portion of the Playa. They also stated the highest lithium concentrations are found in brines produced from the tuff where it contacts faults, producing local structural traps for brines. Historical Context The Willcox Playa, situated approximately 200 miles southeast of Phoenix in Cochise County, was historically referenced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), following limited drilling in the 1970s, as one of the most prospective locations for lithium in the western United States, similar in its potential to Clayton Valley, Nevada, and the lithium brine and claystone deposits that have been identified there. Decades of U.S. Air Force activity in the Willcox Playa has ended, with MAX Power benefiting from first-mover advantage in the area. References Davis, J.R., Friedman, I, & Gleason, J.D. (1986). Origin of the Lithium-Rich Brine, Clayton Valley, Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1622. Pipkin, B.W. (1964). Clay Mineralogy of the Willcox Playa and its Drainage Basin, Cochise County, Arizona, University of Arizona, unpublished PhD. dissertation. Video Interview from Willcox Playa To view a video interview with a geophysics specialist at the Willcox Playa, visit the following URL: https://vimeo.com/842888448?share=copy 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 PowerMAX Power is a dynamic exploration stage resource company targeting domestic lithium resources to advance North Americas renewable energy prospects. MAX 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 at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/48da168c-1803-4deb-b0fc-19d234b97b76 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2747ad80-911d-4f86-ac1e-3585c947e582 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2b01ac43-7e48-4c90-875d-55af07a9721c Max Power Mining Corp Figure 1: Lithium Sources at Willcox Playa, Arizona Max Power Mining Corp Figure 2: Resistivity Low Anomalies and drill targets at Willcox Playa, Arizona Max Power Mining Corp Resistivity cross section Source: Max Power Mining Corp Cardinal Wilton Gregory Joins President Kilpatrick for Celebrating Diversity Dialogue at The Catholic University of America Washington, DC, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHAT: Presidents Speakers Series, hosting Celebrating Diversity, a dialogue with Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington and University chancellor. This event is open to the public. WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. WHERE: Della Ratta Auditorium, Maloney Hall (620 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. near the CUA/Brookland Metro Stop) DETAILS: Catholic University President Peter Kilpatrick will host Cardinal Gregory, the first African- American Cardinal, for a discussion on the significance of celebrating diversity within the Catholic faith. The event builds upon the Universitys observance of Black Catholic History Month, highlighting the contributions of trailblazing individuals such as Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman and Father Augustus Tolton. Cardinal Gregorys unique perspective and experience will shed light on the importance of diversity, unity, and faith within the Catholic community. A reception in the adjacent pavilion will follow the conversation to further dialogue and camaraderie among attendees. MONTREAL, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MONARCH MINING CORPORATION (Monarch or the Corporation) (TSX: GBAR) announces that an order was issued by the Superior Court of Quebec on November 15, 2023 (the Order) authorizing PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. (the Monitor) to initiate a sale and investment solicitation process (the SISP) for the business, in whole or in part. The SISP is intended to solicit interest and opportunities for the sale or investment of all or part of the Corporation's assets and business operations. This may involve one or more restructurings, recapitalizations or other forms of reorganization of the Corporation's operations and business. The SISP proceedings commenced on November 27, 2023, with the issuance of a solicitation letter to potentially interested parties. The deadline for submission of non-binding letters of intent by qualified bidders is January 9, 2024, with a target transaction closing date of no later than February 29, 2024. Interested parties wishing to obtain more information on the SISP procedures may visit the Monitor's website: www.pwc.com/ca/monarch. For any information regarding the SISP, please contact:Mr. Mirko Comtois[email protected] About MonarchMonarch Mining Corporation (TSX: GBAR) is a gold mining company that owns three projects, including the Beaufor Mine, which is currently on care and maintenance and has produced more than 1 million ounces of gold over the last 30 years. Other assets include the McKenzie Break and Swanson properties, all located near Monarchs wholly owned Beacon Mill with a design capacity of 750 tpd. Monarch owns 14,316 hectares (143 km2) of mining assets in the prolific Abitibi mining camp that host a combined measured and indicated gold resource of 478,982 ounces and a combined inferred resource of 383,393 ounces. Forward-looking statements All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to those describing the timeline of the initiatives described in this press release, those relating to the Corporations commitments and initiatives outlined in the press release, the intended results of the initiatives described in this press release, the positive impact of the foregoing on project economics, and generally those statements which are discussed under the About Monarch paragraph and elsewhere in the press release which essentially describe the Corporations outlook and objectives, constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of Canadian, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements are subject to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the Corporation's ability to continue as a going concern, the Corporation being a going concern able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities, the generation of interest for its review of a range of alternatives, in either the sale of part or all of the Corporation or its assets, a potential investment in Monarch, a debt restructuring, approval of the arrangement plan by creditors pursuant to CCAA, the ability of the Corporation to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits, litigation as well as cash flow and capital structure risks and general business risks. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Monarch's Annual Information Form dated September 27, 2023, including in the section thereof captioned Risk Factors, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this cautionary note could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. 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. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements expectations and plans relating to the future. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. Neither Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the manuals of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Further information regarding the Corporation is available in the SEDAR+ database (www.sedarplus.ca) and on the Corporations website at: www.monarchmining.com. Source: Monarch Mining Corporation Sixteen projects will help farmers and ranchers adopt economically beneficial practices that sequester carbon and improve soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat Washington, D.C., Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $6.3 million in new grants to help agricultural producers implement voluntary conservation practices on farms and ranches across 14 states. The grants will generate $4.95 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $11.25 million. The grants were awarded through the Conservation Partners Program, a partnership between NFWF and the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service, Cargill, The J.M. Smucker Co. and Nestle, with additional support from a recently announced collaboration between General Mills, Walmart and Sams Club. The program supports efforts to accelerate the adoption of voluntary conservation practices and regenerative agriculture principles on private working lands. These awards will increase the availability of technical assistance for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners wishing to adopt voluntary conservation practices on their land, said Jeff Trandahl, CEO and executive director of NFWF. These locally led conservation projects will help working lands become both more environmentally and economically resilient. The projects supported by the 16 grants announced today will provide farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners with targeted technical assistance to improve stewardship on working lands and achieve specific conservation outcomes. Biologists and other technical assistance providers supported through these competitive grants will accelerate the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices and support landowner enrollment in Farm Bill conservation programs. Americas farms, ranches, and private forests provide important wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, and water quality benefits, said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. The public-private partnerships sustained by these grants will help support farmers and ranchers as they enhance these ecosystem services through voluntary conservation. The 16 grants announced today span several landscapes across the United States. Funded projects will address important resource concerns in the Prairie Pothole Region, the Southern Great Plains, the Great Lakes Basin and Upper Mississippi River Basin. Through the Conservation Partners Program, we are proud to collaborate to support the impactful regenerative agriculture work being led by NFWF, said Rebecca Ott, Director, Sustainability at The J.M. Smucker Co. As a North American food and beverage company, we understand the importance of sustainable agricultural practices in creating a more resilient grower network in which farmers, communities and the environment can thrive. Since 2011, the Conservation Partners Program has awarded 278 grants for more than $60 million and those grants have leveraged an additional $95 million in matching contributions, generating a total conservation investment of more than $155 million. A complete list of the 2023 grants made through the Conservation Partners Program is available here. About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nations fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,000 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of $8.1 billion. NFWF is an equal opportunity provider. Learn more at nfwf.org. About the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides one-on-one, personalized advice on the best solutions to meet the unique conservation and business goals of those who grow our nations food and fiber. NRCS helps landowners make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the health of our air, water, and soil. NRCS also generates, manages, and shares the data, research and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science. In simpler terms, NRCSs focus is Helping People Help the Land. For more information, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov. About Cargill Cargills 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 155 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture. About General Mills General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to drive shareholder value by boldly building its brands, relentlessly innovating, unleashing its scale and being a force for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names such as Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Haagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Annies, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2021 net sales of U.S. $18.1 billion. In addition, the companys share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1.1 billion. About The J.M. Smucker Co. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to make food people and pets love by offering a diverse family of brands available across North America. We are proud to lead in the coffee, peanut butter, fruit spreads, frozen handheld, sweet baked goods, dog snacks and cat food categories by offering brands consumers trust for themselves and their families each day including Folgers, Dunkin, Cafe Bustelo, Jif, Smuckers Uncrustables, Smuckers, Hostess, Voortman, Milk-Bone and Meow Mix. Through our unwavering commitment to producing high quality products, operating responsibly and ethically and delivering on our Purpose, we will continue to grow our business while making a positive impact on society. For more information, please visit jmsmucker.com. About Nestle USA Nestle USA is committed to unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come. The company's food and beverage portfolio includes some of the most recognizable brands in the United States including Coffee mate, DiGiorno and Nestle Toll House as well as category disruptors such as Sweet Earth, and are in nearly every home in the country. Nestle USA also boasts the largest coffee portfolio in the U.S., including Nescafe and Nestle Starbucks Coffee. Nestle USA is part of Nestle S.A. headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland the world's largest food and beverage company, which has been named among "The World's Most Admired Food Companies" by Fortune magazine for twenty-five consecutive years. For more information, visit nestleusa.com. People's Artist of Ukraine, theater and film actor Bohdan Beniuk, who heads the Podil Theater in Kyiv, called on Ukrainians to carefully check information about the war. The actor noted that unverified facts can be propaganda, so there is a chance to fall for the "hook of good Russians." ADVERTISIMENT He shared his opinion in an interview with TV host Oleksii Sukhanov. In particular, Beniuk noted that there are no good Russians, and their opposition is inactive. The actor believes that the presence of Russian liberals in our information space is "temporarily beneficial for Ukrainians." He explained this by saying that Russian oppositionists are opposing the Kremlin and trying to prove to people that the government is not as exemplary as it seems. Bohdan Beniuk believes that for this reason, Ukrainians divide Russian citizens into good and bad. ADVERTISIMENT The actor urged not to forget that language, especially in times of war, is a sign of nationality. "Putin once said a very apt phrase: 'Russia's interests are where the Russian language is'. With this war, they are defending their interests and may continue to fight the West," he added. Beniuk believes that Ukrainians should filter the information they consume to avoid falling victim to Russian manipulation. "Often Ukrainians start reading the occupiers' news under the pretext of 'I'll read what they think' and because of this, they get hooked by the 'good Russians'," the actor explained. Earlier, OBOZ.UA told how Beniuk said that he would like to head the SBU and turn it into the "God's Service of Ukraine". Read all the details in our article. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! WASHINGTON, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced its most active surety companies and agencies for fiscal year 2023. The SBAs Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) Program allows small businesses to receive critical backing to compete for major federal, state, and local contracts. In fiscal year 2023, with the assistance of the SBG Program and its surety and bonding agency partners, small businesses bonded over $2.2 billion in contracts nationwide. This past fiscal year marks the best-performing year in 25 years for guaranteeing bid and final bonds, thanks to the unwavering dedication of our surety partners and agencies. Their efforts in utilizing the SBA for bonding have been pivotal in our success, stated Jermaine Perry, director of the Office of Surety Guarantees. As we move into fiscal year 2024, the Office of Surety Guarantees looks forward to continuing our collaboration with these outstanding partners, aiming for even more significant achievements in enhancing surety credit for small businesses. The SBG Program, in partnership with surety companies and their agents, provides surety bond guarantees for small businesses on federal, state, local, and private projects. The SBAs surety partners often go above and beyond to help small businesses, providing education on the bonding process, advising small business owners on increasing their bond limits, and connecting them with other important business partners like construction attorneys and CPAs. Our active SBG Program partners help the SBA open doors to bonding for small businesses, creating new jobs, and growing local economies, said Katie Frost, acting associate administrator for the Office of Capital Access. In fiscal year 2023, the SBA guaranteed bid and final bonds totaling more than $7.3 billion in contract value. Over 1,800 small businesses received assistance through SBAs surety partners and bonding agencies, and more than 37,000 jobs were supported by small businesses receiving SBA bond guarantees. The top-performing surety company partners for fiscal year 2023 are: American Contractors Indemnity Company, CA Merchants Bonding Company, IA U. S. Specialty Insurance Company, CA Gray Insurance Company, LA United States Fire Insurance Company, PA Markel Insurance Company, TX Travelers Casualty & Surety Company, CT Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, PA Contractors Bonding and Insurance Company, WA Gray Casualty & Surety Company, LA The top-performing bonding agencies for fiscal year 2023 are: CCI Surety, Inc., MN Nielson, Hoover and Company, FL Preferred Bonding & Insurance Services, CA KOG International, Inc., PA Valley Surety Insurance Agency, CA Allstar Surety Company, Inc., NC The Bond Exchange, Inc., NC The Fedeli Group, OH R. A. Brunson, Inc., LA Pinnacle Surety & Insurance Services, Inc., CA The standing of each surety partner and bonding agency was determined by the number of bond guarantees they wrote through the SBG Program. The mission of the SBAs Office of Surety Guarantees is to provide and manage surety bond guarantees for qualified small and emerging businesses in direct partnership with surety companies and their agents. The SBA helps small businesses by guaranteeing bid, performance, and payment bonds issued by participating surety companies for contracts and subcontracts up to $6.5 million. The SBA can guarantee bonds for federal contracts up to $10 million if a federal contracting officer certifies that the SBAs guarantee is necessary for the small business to obtain bonding. The SBA also offers a simplified bond guarantee application under its QuickApp, accommodating contracts up to $500,000 with limited paperwork and approvals in about one day. For questions regarding the program, please visit the program website at sba.gov/osg or contact Jermaine Perry, OSG Director, at [email protected] or (202) 401-8275. ### About the U.S. Small Business AdministrationThe U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit sba.gov. Christina Saah-Nazer U.S. Small Business Administration 202-657-0304 [email protected] Source: U.S. Small Business Administration CHINO HILLS, Calif., Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN -- SOHM, Inc. (OTC PINK: SHMN) (the Company), a pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical Company that manufactures and markets generic drugs covering numerous treatment categories, announced: SOHM Announces Business Outlook for 2024 for each of its Business Units. SOHM, Inc. is organized into the following business units: -- OTC Self-care (over-the-counter nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals) -- Branded Generics (off-patent prescription pharmaceuticals) -- CDMO, Contract Development Manufacturing (contract manufacturing services) -- ABBIE, Gene-editing Bio-kits For each business unit, the Company will provide a 2024 outlook along with relevant business unit-specific status on: market backgrounds, business strategy, business model, branding strategy, sales channels, and commercial status. Business Unit: OTC Self-care Market Background and Overview OTC Self-care products are sold by brick-and-mortar pharmacies, retail chain stores, C-stores and online. These products are sold without a prescription. In 2022, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) reported that medicinal OTC product sales reached $41 billion with the average household spending $338 annually. (Source: CHPA 2022 Link.) Business Strategy, Products and Approaches In Q4-2023, the Company launched a suite of 13 SOHM Nutrients chewable. These chewable are vitamin and mineral supplements formulated for everyday health maintenance. The Company intends to expand the product portfolios in Q1-2024 and anticipates deriving 20-25% of its revenues from nutraceutical and OTC cosmeceutical products during the year 2024. SOHM Nutrients Chewable will also be available for retail and bulk purchasing through Amazon.com. Business Unit: Branded Generics Market Background and Overview Pharmaceuticals require a prescription from a doctor for the consumer to buy and use. Each year, several pharmaceutical products come off patents (i.e. patent expired). When a pharmaceutical product's patent expires, manufacturers have the opportunity to utilize the patent and produce the identical product by utilizing the previously patented chemical composition. These products are commonly referred to as generic drugs. Many generic manufacturers go the extra step by branding their generic products, hence the term branded generics. The branded generics market size in the USA is $238 billion and growing, per Global Market Insights. (Source: GMI 2022 Link.) Business Strategy, Products and Approaches The Company confirms it has the necessary requisites to become a branded-generic manufacturer, including: scientific personnel, FDA-approved manufacturing facilities, as well as an appropriate marketing and sales strategy. The Company aims to finish 2024 with a total of 20 branded generics in the market and manufacturing of its branded generic lineup. The Company anticipates deriving 50-55% of its revenues from the branded generic business division during the year 2024. Business Unit: CDMO Services Market Background and Overview CDMO (Contract Development Manufacturing Organization). SOHMs CDMO business unit consists of contractors to drug developers who specialize in providing contract development and manufacturing services to the pharmaceutical industry. The USA CDMO market is reported to be $136 billion in 2022 per Vision Research Reports (Source: VRR 2022 Link) with a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 6.13%. Outlook 2024: CDMO Services The Company already has orders for its CDMO services and will launch two units to perform the manufacturing for these CDMO clients by 4Q-2023 and into 2024. The Company anticipates deriving 20-25% of its revenues from its CDMO business unit during the year 2024. Business Unit: Biotech Gene-Editing Kit Market Background and Overview Gene-editing is a scientific method for inserting genetic materials into the DNA of a cell. One can compare this process to rewriting code in a software application. Gene-editing companies are valued in the billions, with their gene-editing technologies licensed for billions. Even start-ups in gene-editing are raising capital at $50 million for early research. The gene-editing market is reported to be worth $5.3 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $10.6 billion by 2028 with a CAGR of 15%. (Source: PR Newswire 2023 Link.) The global biotechnology kit market is estimated at $593 billion in 2022 with a 10.9% CAGR between 2023 and 2030. (Source: 2023, GrandViewResearch.com.) The Company acquired a gene-editing technology called ABBIE as previously announced. SOHM intends to develop ABBIE into a gene-editing kit for biotech companies, academic institutions and pre-clinical testing companies, which will allow them to deliver genetic materials to a specific locus on a target cells DNA. In the Business-to-Business model, the ABBIE gene-editing kits can be: -- Sold as off-the-shelf kits, or -- Licensed out Product Development As of Nov 2023, the Company is expanding on its research and development of ABBIE generated pre- clinical data conducted in isolated human T cells. In Q3-2024, the Company initiated a development collaboration with UACI, a leading science and tech startup incubator that is directly connected to the University of Arizona. Facilities The Company will be manufacturing its ABBIE gene-editing kit at its manufacturing facilities in San Diego and Carlsbad. Interim scientific results from R&D will be available during SOHMs participation at: April 2024: American Association of Cancer Research 2024 in San Diego, CA May 2024: SynbioBeta 2024 in San Jose, CA Outlook 2024: ABBIE, Gene-editing Bio-kits The Company is planning to commence its first ABBIE kit manufacturing within 2024. The Company is expanding its revenue growth in various pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. It has set a 2024 target and is taking steps to achieve it. It wants to excel in cell therapy and gene editing. It expects to earn several million from its business units, including ABBIE. This estimate is based on its internal actions, current opportunities, licensing deals, and kit adoption. This was announced by Mr. Baron Night, CEO and president, and Dr. David Aguilar, COO. About SOHM, Inc. SOHM, Inc. is a growing generic pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing Company with a vision of Globale Prospero that aims to build continuous growth. SOHM manufacturing and marketing targets rapidly growing healthcare segments such as nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals and other major therapeutic segments. SOHM is headquartered in North America with manufacturing alliances in India and strategic alliances with U.S. manufacturing facilities. Although SOHMs generic pharmaceuticals are exported globally and were introduced to the USA in early 2013, SOHM continues its focus on distribution to emerging markets in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. To learn more about SOHM, Inc., visit www.SOHM.com Safe Harbor Statement: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which are statements that are not purely historical and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects and development-stage companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report for the most recent fiscal year and our quarterly reports uploaded from time to time on OTCMarkets.com. For more information, please contact: SOHM, Inc. +1 (714) 522-6700 Corporate Communications: New SPV introduces innovative way to provide funding to environmental commodities markets Amsterdam, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMSTERDAM (December 5, 2023) - STX Group, a leading environmental markets and climate solutions firm, today announces the launch of a working capital solution, specifically designed for environmental certificates. The launch comes as a response to the increased requirements for companies to hold environmental certificates to meet their ESG targets. Traditional financing methods often fall short in providing the necessary funding. STX Group has established an independent Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) offering companies the necessary working capital funding for their environmental certificates. The new service provides STX Groups customers and counterparties with financial flexibility to manage the energy transition. The newly launched SPV solution differs from traditional financing through the wide range of liquid and less liquid certificates that can be financed as well as offering higher advance rates. The SPV takes temporary ownership of the environmental commodities which may allow for balance sheet friendly treatment of the financing. The SPV is an attractive platform for lenders to gain access to one of the fastest growing parts of the credit universe. Through its extensive client base, STX Group has unrivaled access to counterparties looking to finance their environmental certificate holdings. This allows lenders to add collateralized credit exposure to highly rated counterparties to their portfolio. The introduction of the SPV follows a sequence of new financial solutions and services introduced by STX Group earlier this year, placing the company at the forefront of incumbent financial markets where environmental commodities play an emerging role. This momentum is underscored by recent additions to STX Group's portfolio, including the April 2023 launch of the borrowing base facility where a broad base of environmental commodities was for the first time recognizes as collateral by global banks, and the unveiling of the STX Group carbon fund in October 2023. Both demonstrate the growing importance of environmental commodities as pivotal financial instruments. The launch of this new solution provides immense opportunities for our customers and counterparties as they increase their activities in environmental commodities markets. We are delighted to work with them by providing them with more efficient and secure market access, said Bart Wesselink, Chief Financial and Risk Officer of STX Group. The SPV is independently managed by Vistra, one of the leading fund administrator and corporate service providers. Vistra is regulated by Dutch Central Bank DNB. - ENDS - About STX Group STX Group is a leading global environmental commodity trader and climate solutions provider. For over 15 years, the company has been at the forefront of the global transition towards a low-carbon economy. By leveraging its expertise in accurately pricing pollution and emissions, it has helped to cultivate trust in market-based solutions to the decarbonization of the economy. With its trading and Corporate Climate Solutions offerings, STX Group ensures that money flows to hundreds and thousands of projects that make the world a greener place, while providing corporations with the certified proof-points of their contributions to environmental progress. After acquiring Vertis and its subsidiary Strive in December 2021, the STX Group now boasts a diverse team of nearly 500 employees from over 50 countries. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, STX Group has 13 offices around the world and an annual trading volume of over EUR 4 billion. For more information, please visit https://stxgroup.com/ Note to editors not for publication Media contact Jaime Santisteban [email protected] +33 6 80 80 99 98 Attachment Cheyenne, Wyoming, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the demands of our community and the need for financial literacy soar, The Blue Foundation and Blue Federal Credit Union are excited to announce the upcoming launch of the Boost Center by Blue. This pioneering new concept of a family resource center will be a collaborative effort and a dynamic force in enhancing the work of numerous local non-profits and organizations already making significant impacts. When completed, the Boost Center by Blue is set to be more than just a building; it will be a commitment to lifting and supporting the pillars of our community. By merging our efforts with those of established non-profits, we're focusing on improving housing stability, deepening educational development, and widening economic opportunities. This initiative is all about guiding individuals on their journey to financial independence. As we eagerly anticipate the mid-2024 opening of our Boost Center, we encourage everyone to keep up to date with its progress. This center will be more than a physical space; but a symbol of our unwavering commitment to strengthening and uplifting our community. Stay tuned for exciting updates and announcements as we approach its grand opening. Meet Laura Fowler The Blue Foundations New Executive Director Laura Fowler leads this groundbreaking initiative as the new Executive Director of the Blue Foundation. Laura is distinguished by her commitment to uplifting others. With over 38 years of experience in music and education in the Laramie County School District, she has significantly impacted children from underserved backgrounds. After retiring from teaching and co-creating the PEEPS program (Parent Engagement and Educational Partnership with Schools), Laura shifted her focus to helping individuals and families in the Cheyenne community. Holding a master's degree in education and various certifications, Laura aims to transform the Boost Center into a sanctuary for community members, offering safety, healing, and supportive assistance. In Laura's own words, "Observing the daily struggles encountered by the under-served, my motivation to pursue further training was kindled. This not only allowed me to witness its transformative power but also provided me with a more profound understanding of how to connect with and assist the most vulnerable individuals in our community." Under Laura's stewardship, the Boost Center by Blue will be a transformative force in our communities, igniting hope and providing tangible support in areas crucial for individual and collective development. We are confident that the partnership of The Blue Foundation, Blue Federal Credit Union, and Laura Fowler will carve a pathway toward a future where every individual is endowed with the resources necessary to secure financial stability and independence. We invite all to join us on this uplifting journey to BOOST lives, one individual and one family at a time. For further information or to become involved: Email: [email protected] Call: 307-996-1140 ### The Blue Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded to champion, fund, and celebrate local nonprofit causes that keep our community and people strong, financially stable, and healthy. To learn more, visit bluefoundation.blue Attachments Michele Bolkovatz Blue Federal Credit Union 3074325402 [email protected] Source: Blue Federal Credit Union TURIN, Italy, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Yacht Club de Monaco and the Royal Selangor Yacht Club signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on November 27th in Kuala Lumpur to strengthen the relations between the two Clubs. Following the signing in 2008 of a reciprocity agreement between Yacht Club de Monaco, whose President Prince Albert II of Monaco, and the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, under the Royal Patronage of The Sultan of Selangor, the two Clubs wish to reinforce their bonds of friendship and collaboration by signing the document with a view to the Royal Selangor Yacht Club obtaining the La Belle Classe Destinations by YCM certification. Initiated in 2011, this certification sets a standard of excellence in terms of quality of the facilities, services and events offered. The ambition is to establish an exclusive network of yacht clubs and marinas which fully respects the unique character of each destination, while fostering development of sustainable yachting on an international scale. The signing took place at the Monaco Economic Forum 2023 during the state visit of Prince Albert II of Monaco to Malaysia. It was signed on behalf of the Yacht Club de Monaco by Bernard d'Alessandri, its General Secretary and on behalf of RSYC by its Commodore, Che Wan Azuar witnessed by Prince Albert II and Tengku Amir Shah, Crown Prince of Selangor and Life Commodore of RSYC. The entering into of this MOU will enable the two Clubs to jointly organise social and sporting events; to facilitate exchanges of staff and members; and to offer members of the respective Clubs an opportunity to attend each others exclusive events. Projects in the pipeline include deployment in Malaysia of the SEA Index, the first carbon footprint calculator enabling a rapid comparison of superyachts (+25m); and putting forward a Malaysian team to participate in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (1-6 July 2024), a major event for alternative sustainable energy sources, which brings together key players in the yachting industry and the future of engineering. The ultimate goal of this collaboration is to encourage development of yachting in Malaysia, a sector that forms a real bridge between two countries who share the same vision in terms of innovation and the environment, as both view their coastlines as having a key role to play in their economic growth. Modelled on the collective Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting approach, the ambition is to build in Malaysia the foundations for a responsible yachting sector in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For more information: Press Office LaPresse - [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7fd81da-d043-4804-bb79-ae4d0cfe2a0a TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thornhill Medical announced today that it is participating in a pilot project which aims to increase medical surge capabilities and capacity of the U.S. National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). Funded by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), the pilot project brings together leading medical solutions providers in a team led by Deloitte Consulting LLP to design, develop and test a prototype of modular or convertible medical facilities that would increase surge capabilities in national security medical emergencies. This combined surge solution aims to strengthen the USAs response to national disasters and the capacity to care for casualties from an overseas wartime contingency, a domestic attack, or other national security medical emergencies. Thornhill Medicals MOVES SLC micro-integrated portable life support technology is a key component of the surge solution being developed by the team. Combining an oxygen concentrator, a unique O2-conserving ventilator, suction, and complete patient monitoring in a compact, battery-operated system, MOVES SLC is uniquely suited to the pilot project, enabling solutions for ICU capacity in mobile medical units and temporary field facilities for safe and continuous care to patients in transfer scenarios. If successful, the pilot program may be extended to other sites for further testing and adopted by NDMS. MOVES SLC is used by military, disaster relief and research organizations around the world including critical care providers in Ukraine. The project team, led by Deloitte, includes the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC), Bison Six Emergency Group, and OnMed. We are delighted to collaborate with Team Deloitte for this important NDMS pilot project that can build the foundation for transformative critical care and help save lives in emergency situations, says Lesley Gouldie, President and CEO of Thornhill Medical. Building on our experience working with military organizations in the U.S. and globally, developed further during COVID and other urgent critical care scenarios, we are pleased to be working with innovators who are unlocking tomorrows medical care solutions, today. We are thrilled to be working with Thornhill Medical, Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, Bison Six Emergency Group, and OnMed, says Shaun Rangappa, MD, Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP. Our collective capabilities will help the NDMS pilot in its efforts to build modular care delivery capabilities that can be rapidly deployed during disasters or national security events and thereby enhance the speed, scale, and quality of response. About MOVES SLCMOVES SLC extends the critical care window in natural disaster, mass casualty or conflict environments, bringing advanced clinical care capability closer to the front line. The micro-integrated technology combines an oxygen concentrator, a unique O2-conserving ventilator, suction and complete vital signs monitoring in a single, rugged, portable, battery-powered unit without the need for heavy, dangerous oxygen cylinders. Proprietary circle circuit ventilation and oxygen generation capabilities housed in a small, light configuration is highly compatible with the capability needs of health care providers operating in extreme and austere circumstances, where traditional infrastructure is often limited. In combination with the lightweight and compact MADM for delivering efficient gas anesthesia, field hospitals, forward-deployed surgical operation and surge care facilities can be set up with ease when time and space are at a premium, and mobility is required. About Thornhill MedicalA global innovator in respiratory and oxygen-related scientific research and advanced technologies, Thornhill Medical is transforming the delivery of critical care in austere and unpredictable combat casualty care and humanitarian environments. Its flagship micro- integrated life support system with built-in oxygen supply, MOVES SLC, and its companion anesthesia solution, MADM, are solving critical care capabilities gaps to save lives. Drawing on 20 years of pioneering scientific and engineering innovations that address the needs of health systems and providers, Thornhill Medical is unlocking tomorrows medical technology solutions, today. The team is pushing the boundaries of whats technologically possible in interoperability, remote or autonomous delivery and the use of AI, and is developing solutions that can transform vascular diagnostics through arterial blood gas control. Thornhill Medical collaborates each day with customers, innovation leaders, industry, hospital, and military partners in more than 19 countries and in 65+ research institutes. Learn more: https://thornhillmedical.com/ For more information, please contact:Kathleen PowderleyResponsible Communications416-803-4497[email protected] Source: Thornhill Medical VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (West Red Lake Gold or WRLG or the Company) (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) is pleased to report drill results from its 100% owned Madsen Mine located in the prolific Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The drill results featured in this news release were focused on the high-grade South Austin Zone, which currently contains an Indicated mineral resource of 474,600 ounces (oz) grading 8.7 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), with an additional Inferred resource of 31,800 oz grading 8.7 g/t Au. The results successfully demonstrate the high-grade nature and continuity of the South Austin Zone and highlight the resource growth potential that exists within this area. The WRLG team believes that further exploration potential exists down-plunge which could potentially add to the unmined portion of South Austin (see Figure 2), which sits adjacent to existing underground infrastructure marking it as a high caliber target that could potentially be developed early during future mine restart and production. This area is a priority expansion target as underground drilling continues. HIGHLIGHTS: Hole MM23D-07-4141-006 Intersected 1m @ 296.83 g/t Au , from 53.0m to 54.0m, and 3m @ 42.35 g/t Au , from 31.0m to 34.0, Including 1m @ 37.10 g/t Au , from 31.0m to 32.0m, also including 1m @ 84.34 g/t Au , from 33.0m to 34.0m. Intersected , from 53.0m to 54.0m, and , from 31.0m to 34.0, Including , from 31.0m to 32.0m, also including , from 33.0m to 34.0m. Hole MM23D-07-4141-017 Intersected 3.2m @ 47.44 g/t Au , from 40.6m to 43.8m. Intersected , from 40.6m to 43.8m. Hole MM23D-07-4141-012 Intersected 7m @ 21.62 g/t Au , from 36.0m to 43.0m, Including 1m @ 118.35 g/t Au , from 37.0m to 38.0m. Intersected , from 36.0m to 43.0m, Including , from 37.0m to 38.0m. Hole MM23D-07-4141-002 Intersected 8m @ 17.45 g/t Au , from 27.0m to 35.0m, Including 2m @ 55.87 g/t Au , from 30.8m to 32.8m, also including 0.6m @ 23.33 g/t Au , from 33.4m to 34.0m. Intersected , from 27.0m to 35.0m, Including , from 30.8m to 32.8m, also including , from 33.4m to 34.0m. Hole MM23D-07-4141-015 Intersected 5.3m @ 16.17 g/t Au , from 99.2m to 104.5m, Including 2.5m @ 28.84 g/t Au , from 102.0m to 104.5m. Intersected , from 99.2m to 104.5m, Including , from 102.0m to 104.5m. Hole MM23D-07-4141-020 Intersected 1m @ 56.14 g/t Au , from 19.0m to 20.0m. Intersected , from 19.0m to 20.0m. Hole MM23D-07-4141-003 Intersected 1m @ 53.97 g/t Au, from 76.0m to 77.0m. Shane Williams, President & CEO, stated, Our team is very pleased with the fantastic results that continue to be produced from the underground drilling program at Madsen which only begantwo months ago. It is worth restating that the impressive results reported thus far from South Austin and North Austin represent growth to the existing Madsen resource inventory and underscore the high-grade expansion potential that still exists at the Madsen deposit. We fully intend to continue unlocking this value as drilling continues. Plan maps and section for the South Austin drilling outlined in this release are provided in Figures 1 through 3. Since underground drilling commenced near the end of September 2023 the Company has completed 1,320m of Exploration drilling and 4,226m of Definition drilling. In total, 91 diamond drill holes for 5,546m have been completed so far in 2023 at the Madsen Mine. Fire and metallic screen assays have been returned for 85 out of 91 holes completed, with 6 holes pending assays and QAQC. TABLE 1. Significant intercepts (>3 g/t Au) from drilling at South Austin Zone. Hole ID Target From (m) To (m) Thick (m)* Au (g/t) MM23D-07-4141-001 South Austin 91.4 92.8 1.4 3.59 MM23D-07-4141-002 South Austin 27.0 35.0 8.0 17.45 Incl. 30.8 32.8 2.0 55.87 Also Incl. 33.4 34.0 0.6 23.33 MM23D-07-4141-003 South Austin 32.6 38.0 5.4 8.43 Incl. 33.5 34.5 1.0 12.81 Also Incl. South Austin 35.1 36.0 0.9 18.56 AND South Austin 43.0 44.0 1.0 11.24 AND South Austin 76.0 77.0 1.0 53.97 AND South Austin 82.0 83.0 1.0 5.40 MM23D-07-4141-004 South Austin 22.0 23.0 1.0 15.39 MM23D-07-4141-005 South Austin 20.8 23.0 2.2 10.92 MM23D-07-4141-006 South Austin 31.0 34.0 3.0 42.35 Incl. 31.0 32.0 1.0 37.10 Also Incl. 33.0 34.0 1.0 84.34 AND South Austin 38.2 42.0 3.8 10.76 AND South Austin 53.0 54.0 1.0 296.83 MM23D-07-4141-007 No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM23D-07-4141-008 No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM23D-07-4141-009 South Austin 18.5 19.3 0.8 19.75 AND South Austin 26.0 29.8 3.8 5.78 AND South Austin 49.0 51.0 2.0 10.61 MM23D-07-4141-010 South Austin 44.5 48.2 3.7 11.30 Incl. 45.5 46.0 0.5 46.97 Also Incl. 47.5 48.2 0.7 14.61 AND South Austin 51.0 52.0 1.0 5.95 AND South Austin 74.5 75.0 0.5 3.32 MM23D-07-4141-011 South Austin 75.0 75.6 0.6 6.84 MM23D-07-4141-012 South Austin 36.0 43.0 7.0 21.62 Incl. 37.0 38.0 1.0 118.35 MM23D-07-4141-013 South Austin 31.0 33.5 2.5 7.83 MM23D-07-4141-014 South Austin 40.7 44.4 3.7 7.69 Incl. 43.4 44.4 1.0 16.22 MM23D-07-4141-015 South Austin 37.1 39.1 2.0 4.02 AND South Austin 99.2 104.5 5.3 16.17 Incl. 102.0 104.5 2.5 28.84 MM23D-07-4141-016 South Austin 48.0 49.0 1.0 6.39 MM23D-07-4141-017 South Austin 40.6 43.8 3.2 47.44 MM23D-07-4141-018 South Austin 56.1 57.3 1.2 8.62 MM23D-07-4141-019 South Austin 19.0 20.0 1.0 56.14 MM23D-07-4141-020 South Austin 47.0 49.0 2.0 10.04 *The From-To intervals in Table 1 are denoting overall downhole length of the intercept. True thickness has not been calculated for these intercepts but is expected to be 70% of downhole thickness based on intercept angles observed in the drill core. FIGURE 1. Deposit-scale plan map of Madsen Mine highlighting South Austin Zone. TABLE 2: Drill collar summary for holes reported in this News Release. Hole ID Target Easting Northing Elev (m) Length (m) Azimuth Dip MM23D-07-4141-001 South Austin 435400 5646156 29 120 186 -20 MM23D-07-4141-002 South Austin 435400 5646156 28 96 176 -5 MM23D-07-4141-003 South Austin 435400 5646156 28 123 176 -20 MM23D-07-4141-004 South Austin 435401 5646156 29 60 161 -5 MM23D-07-4141-005 South Austin 435401 5646156 28 75 160 -20 MM23D-07-4141-006 South Austin 435401 5646156 27 90 161 -35 MM23D-07-4141-007 South Austin 435403 5646156 29 57 146 -5 MM23D-07-4141-008 South Austin 435403 5646156 28 90 146 -20 MM23D-07-4141-009 South Austin 435403 5646156 28 51 151 -35 MM23D-07-4141-010 South Austin 435403 5646156 28 75 151 -50 MM23D-07-4141-011 South Austin 435403 5646157 27 87 131 -35 MM23D-07-4141-012 South Austin 435403 5646157 27 63 130 -50 MM23D-07-4141-013 South Austin 435404 5646157 28 99 116 -35 MM23D-07-4141-014 South Austin 435403 5646157 27 66 115 -50 MM23D-07-4141-015 South Austin 435404 5646158 28 120 101 -35 MM23D-07-4141-016 South Austin 435404 5646160 29 90 86 0 MM23D-07-4141-017 South Austin 435405 5646160 28 120 85 -25 MM23D-07-4141-018 South Austin 435404 5646160 27 102 86 -46 MM23D-07-4141-019 South Austin 435400 5646156 29 90 176 10 MM23D-07-4141-020 South Austin 435400 5646156 29 102 190 -4 DISCUSSION Accessed through the Madsen Mine West Portal, the South Austin Zone sits south in the hanging wall of the main Austin Zone. Like the other mineralized domains in that comprise the Madsen Mine, the South Austin structure is hosted within broad, kilometer-scale planar alteration and deformation corridors that have been repeatedly reactivated during gold mineralization and subsequent deformation and metamorphism. At the deposit-scale the Austin, South Austin, North Austin, and McVeigh Zones are locally folded and structurally dismembered by transposition and rotation into the penetrative S2 Foliation. In addition to this intense deformation overprint, the mineralized veins and alteration have been subjected to the relatively high temperatures of amphibolite facies metamorphism, which led to extensive recrystallization and growth of the skarn-like replacement mineral assemblage of diopside-amphibole-quartz-biotite. All significant gold mineralization on the mine property is demonstrably early relative to the most significant, penetrative deformation (D2) and metamorphic events. The North Austin Zone displays mine-style alteration and mineralization and consists of multiple mineralized domains defined over a strike length of 0.5km. Mineralization remains open at depth and along strike to the northeast. In drill core, or at underground face exposures, gold-bearing zones at the Madsen Mine are best identified visually by fine (sub-millimetre) grains of free gold within strong alteration and veining. All high-grade intervals generally contain visible gold on drill core exteriors, although numerous examples exist of high-grade assays where visible gold was only identified within the interior (cut surface) of the core samples. Apart from the presence of free gold, pervasive silicification (locally accompanied by discrete quartz veining) and quartz-carbonate or diopside veining are the best indicators that a given interval is within a high-grade zone along/within the mineralized structure. The current underground drilling program at the Madsen Mine is focused on further definition of near-term mining inventory, as well as growth of the current mineral resource. Drilling has been focused on the more continuous and higher-grade portions of the Austin, South Austin, and North Austin Zones. This will continue to be the strategy moving into 2024. High resolution versions of all the figures contained in this press release can be found at the following web address: https://westredlakegold.com/december-5th-news-release-maps/ FIGURE 2. Madsen Mine long section showing location of South Austin Zone and down-plunge expansion potential of recently drilled area. [1] Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t Au and a gold price of US1,800/oz. Please refer to the technical report entitled Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada, prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and dated June 16, 2023. A full copy of the SRK report is available on the Companys website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. FIGURE 3. South Austin plan view drill section showing assay highlights for Holes MM23D-07-4141-001 through -020. [1] Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t Au and a gold price of US1,800/oz. Please refer to the technical report entitled Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada, prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and dated June 16, 2023. A full copy of the SRK report is available on the Companys website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL Drilling completed underground at the Madsen Mine consists of BQ-sized diamond drill core for definition drill programs and oriented NQ-sized diamond drill core for exploration focused drilling. All drill holes are systematically logged, photographed, and sampled by a trained geologist at the Madsen Mine core processing facility. Minimum allowable sample length is 0.5m. Maximum allowable sample length is 1.5m. Control samples (certified standards and uncertified blanks), along duplicates, are inserted at a target 5% insertion rate. Results are assessed for accuracy, precision, and contamination on an ongoing basis. The BQ-sized drill core is whole core sampled. The NQ-sized drill core is then cut lengthwise utilizing a diamond blade core saw along a line pre-selected by the geologist. To reduce sampling bias, the same side of drill core is sampled consistently utilizing the orientation line as reference. For those samples containing visible gold (VG), a trained geologist supervises the cutting/bagging of those samples, and ensures the core saw blade is cleaned with a dressing stone following the VG sample interval. Bagged samples are then sealed with zip ties and transported by Madsen Mine personnel directly to SGS Natural Resources Facility in Red Lake, Ontario for assay. Samples are then prepped by SGS, which consists of drying at 105C and crushing to 75% passing 2mm. A riffle splitter is then utilized to produce a 500g course reject for archive. The remainder of the sample is then pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns from which 50g is analyzed by fire assay and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish (SGS Code GO-FAA50V10). Samples returning gold values > 100 g/t Au are reanalyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish on a 50g sample (SGS Code GO_FAG50V). Samples with visible gold are also analyzed via metallic screen analysis (SGS code: GO_FAS50M). For multi-element analysis, samples are sent to SGSs facility in Burnaby, British Columbia and analyzed via four-acid digest with an atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) finish for 33-element analysis on 0.25g sample pulps (SGS code: GE_ICP40Q12). SGS Natural Resources analytical laboratories operates under a Quality Management System that complies with ISO/IEC 17025. The Madsen Mine deposit presently hosts a National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) Indicated resource of 1.65 million ounces (Moz) of gold grading 7.4 g/t Au and an Inferred resource of 0.37 Moz of gold grading 6.3 g/t Au. Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t Au and a gold price of US1,800/oz. Please refer to the technical report entitled Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada, prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and dated June 16, 2023. The Madsen Resource Estimate has an effective date of December 31, 2021 and excludes depletion of mining activity during the period from January 1, 2022 to the mine closure on October 24, 2022 as it has been deemed immaterial and not relevant for the purpose of the updated report. A full copy of the SRK report is available on the Companys website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Will Robinson, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for West Red Lake Gold and the Qualified Person for exploration at the West Red Lake Project, as defined by NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. ABOUT WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that is publicly traded and focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 km2 highly prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The highly productive Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold from high-grade zones and hosts some of the world's richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly owned Rowan Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering 31 km2 including three past producing gold mines - Rowan, Mount Jamie, and Red Summit. ON BEHALF OF WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES LTD. Shane Williams Shane Williams President & Chief Executive Officer FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Amandip Singh, VP Corporate DevelopmentTel: 416-203-9181Email: [email protected] or visit the Companys website at https://www.westredlakegold.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements". When used in this document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations of management, however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release and include without limitation, statements relating to the potential of the Madsen Mine and the Companys future objectives and plans. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward- looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof, except as required by securities laws. 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 Companys securities; fluctuations in commodity prices and changes in the Companys 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 out-look 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 Companys continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Photos accompanying this announcement are available athttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0dd02b19-3a56-4cb2-8ebe-05c52ce72a27https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/39c47ad7-7143-43e6-a313-8c1ea8dbcd0ehttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7b0c643c-8e83-429b-9070-84a171b0818bhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92143ff6-d623-4b4e-8ca2-13faaaaf69c3 Plan Map Madsen Mine FIGURE 1. Deposit-scale plan map of Madsen Mine highlighting South Austin Zone. Madsen Mine long section FIGURE 2. Madsen Mine long section showing location of South Austin Zone and down-plunge expansion potential of recently drilled area. Plan Map 2023 South Austin Drilling FIGURE 3. South Austin plan view drill section showing assay highlights for Holes MM23D-07-4141-001 through -020. Rowan & Madsen Projects Location Map Rowan & Madsen Projects Location Map Source: West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. Professionals working in the pharma, medical device, and biotechnology companies, are invited to attend the DGE event, Incorporate Patient Voice Across the Commercial Product Lifecycle being held in Philadelphia on January 25-26, 2024. A live-streaming option for the event is also available. The event is organized by Dynamic Global Events (DGE), a leading life science B2B event organizing company. DGE provides dynamic informational and networking support to the Read More>> To know more, please visit https://ibn.fm/3jfCh. About InvestorWire InvestorWire is the wire service that gives you more. From regional releases to global announcements presented in multiple languages, we offer the wire-grade dissemination products youll need to ensure that your next press release grabs the attention of your target audience and doesnt let go. While our competitors look to nickel and dime you with hidden fees and restrictive word limits, InvestorWire keeps things transparent. We offer UNLIMITED Words on all domestic releases. While other wire services may provide a basic review of your release, InvestorWire helps you put your best foot forward with complimentary Press Release Enhancement. With our competitors, the work is done the second your release crosses the wire. Not with InvestorWire. We include follow-up coverage of every release by leveraging the ever-expanding audiences of the 50+ brands that make up the InvestorBrandNetwork. Get more out of your next press release with InvestorWire. Its unlike anything youve seen before. For more information, please visit https://www.investorwire.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the InvestorBrandNetwork website applicable to all content provided by IBN, wherever published or re-published: http://ibn.fm/Disclaimer InvestorWire (IW) 8033 Sunset Blvd Suite 1037-IW Los Angeles, CA 90046 310.299.1717 Office www.investorwire.com [email protected] InvestorWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork. FILE PHOTO: Pints of Guinness are seen in a pub, in Dublin, Ireland March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo (Reuters) -Diageo is seeking to divest its beer portfolio on margin concerns, except flagship brand Guinness, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the world's largest spirits maker. The company is looking to sell beer brands including Smithwick's, Kilkenny and Harp Lager, based in Ireland, and Tusker in Kenya, among others, Axios reported, adding that its beer brands were a margin drag on the rest of the business. Diageo declined to comment on the report. Beer sales of 3.36 billion pounds ($4.23 billion) accounted for just over 14% of total sales at Diageo for the year ended June 30, whereas spirits sales contributed a mammoth 81%. The Johnnie Walker whisky maker in November warned of a drop in first-half operating profit growth on weakness in some regions. ($1 = 0.7948 pounds) (Reporting by Aatrayee Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Shinjini Ganguli) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 4, 2023) - Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. (CSE: AUEX) ("AUEX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a concurrent non-brokered private placement (the "Concurrent Offering") in addition to the financing announced November 27, 2023. The Concurrent Financing will consist of up to 2,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $100,000. Each Unit shall be comprised of one common share (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.05 per Common Share for a period of five (5) years from the date of issuance. The Company has also amended the terms of its previously announced non-brokered private placement. The Offering will consist of up to 16,666,666 flow-through units (each, a "FT Unit") at a price of $0.03 per FT Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Offering"). Each FT Unit shall be comprised of one Common Share, issued on a flow-through basis ("FT Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant, issued on a non-flow-through basis (each, a "FT Warrant"). Each FT Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.05 per Common Share for a period of five (5) years from the date of issuance. The FT Shares will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada), which also qualify for the Canadian government's Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit. The Company may pay finder's fees in accordance with the rules and policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Units will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures" as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada). The gross proceeds from the sale of the Units will be used for general working capital purposes. The closing of the Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Mr. Jim Atkinson CEO of AUEX remarks "We have received inquiries about equity financing and requests to extend the time for the warrants. We have made these changes to accommodate potential shareholders. As mentioned in our earlier Press Release the funds will be used to further explore our Melba and Doyle Gold Projects and for general corporate expenditures related to the financing." In addition, the Company announces that further to its press releases of July 26, 2022, September 28, 2022, and June 20, 2023, it has entered into a second amending agreement (the "Amending Agreement") dated November 28, 2023, with Patrick Culhane (the "Optionor") to amend certain option payment terms of the original option agreement (the "Option Agreement") dated June 21, 2021, as amended on June 16, 2023 to acquire a 75% legal and beneficial interest in certain mineral claims located in Melba Township in the Kirkland Lake Area of Ontario (the "Property"). Pursuant to the Amending Agreement, the Company must make a cash payment of $25,000 on or before December 21, 2023 and issue 1,500,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Common Shares") on or before December 21, 2023 to the Optionor in order to exercise the Option. In consideration for entering into the Amending Agreement, the Company will issue 500,000 Common Shares in the capital of the Company at a deemed value of $0.07 per Common Share. All securities issued in connection with the Amending Agreement will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. The completion of the transaction remains subject to all regulatory and other approvals, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. About Melba The Melba Property is the site of a former gold mine in the Kirkland Lake Area of Ontario which operated in the early 1900s and has a non-43-101 resource of approximately 50, 000 ounces of gold in underground workings. The mineralization comprises a series of NW trending gold-bearing quartz veins. The project has been sampled and drilled by AUEX (See Press Release Dated March 6, 2023) with gold in quartz veins and disseminated sulphide mineralization being confirmed. The known mineralization, which is exposed in an outcropping surrounded by swamp has not been explored to the north or south. About Doyle The Doyle property is a Hemlo "look alike" in the Batchewana Greenstone Belt of Northern Ontario. Past drilling has encountered up to 42 g/t gold in quartz veins and disseminated pyrite zones. Over 37 drill holes and extensive IP and mapping have been undertaken on the property by past explorers, but the gold intersections have not been fully explored by modern methods. Recent EM and LiDAR surveys have pointed to potential shear zones associated with some of the gold zones. These form compelling targets for exploration. About Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. Advanced Gold Exploration (Formerly Advance United Holdings Inc.) brings an entirely different approach to the mining industry. We don't mine. Rather, we've acquired a portfolio of undervalued gold properties and are increasing their value through the application of modern technology. We have a growing pipeline of similar properties that we are looking to acquire. We are involved exclusively in the acquisition and advancement of past projects - with no intent to bring them back into production or to mine them ourselves. Our expertise is in identifying and acquiring undervalued properties with significant historical work, which were uneconomic at the time, but we believe have economic value at today's prices. We fund the re-working historic data and applying modern technology to underwrite new qualified reports, document quantifiable resources and reserves to current standards, thereby recognizing the current value. Our purpose is to bring immediate and long-term value to our partners and shareholders while seeking to eliminate exploration risk, so that we can all advance in the shortest possible time frame. For additional information about us, our projects, or to find out how we can assist in the advancement of your project contact our CEO. Qualified Person James Atkinson M.Sc., P. Geo., a Qualified Person ("QP") as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the geological information reported in this news release. The Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to verify all historic information on the Property, particularly with regards to historical sampling, drill results, and technical work provided by others. The Qualified Person assumes that sampling and analytical results were completed to industry standard practices. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Property but may not be representative of expected results. Contact Information James Atkinson, M.Sc., P. Geo., CEO Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. Email: [email protected] Tel: (647) 278-7502 Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the trading of the Company's securities and the focus of the Company's business. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "contemplates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Company's ability to increase the value of its current and future mineral exploration properties and, in connection therewith, any long-term shareholder value, the Company's ability to mitigate or eliminate exploration risk, and the Company's intention to develop a portfolio of historic gold properties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the Company will continue its business as described above. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and other periodic filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances or actual results unless required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189728 Yulia Verba, a blogger from Ivano-Frankivsk with millions of followers, has embarrassed herself with her "knowledge" of geography. The opinion leader and award-winning blogger has no idea how many regions there are in Ukraine or where the currently occupied Crimea is located. ADVERTISIMENT The social media star was also unable to explain without prompting that the peninsula is an autonomous republic. The video appeared on the page of blogger Maria Pankiv. Yulia Verba, who was "caught" on the street when asked how many regions her country was divided into, immediately warned that she did not know and was ashamed of it. The blogger suggested that there are 25 regions in the country, but the interlocutor suggested that there are 24 and Crimea. However, Yulia Verba also did not know what Crimea is and where it is located. "God, I don't know. It's a horror. I'm ashamed, but I don't know," the influencer lamented. When asked what region it was, Verba first answered "Crimean" and then for some reason decided that the peninsula belonged to Donetsk region. With some prompting, the blogger eventually remembered that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is "a separate entity" and does not belong to any Ukrainian region. ADVERTISIMENT Verba answered where Uzhhorod, Lutsk, and Mariupol are located on her own. By the way, recently Ukrainian TV presenter and volunteer Serhii Prytula and comedian Anton Tymoshenko ridiculed Yulia Verba and other bloggers who practically do not cover the topic of war and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The influencer was offended by these words and later revealed that she had purchased a car for the military. However, a Ukrainian intelligence officer with the call sign Prometheus noted that the equipment from the influencer was unusable and called it "a spit in the face of the military." Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that Verba got into a scandal because she boasted about buying a Mercedes-Benz S 580 made in 2023, the price of which could reach UAH 10 million. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Burnaby, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Aether Catalyst Solutions, Inc. (CSE: ATHR) (FSE: 2QZ) ("ATHR") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Non-Disclosure Agreement (the "NDA") with one of the world's largest small motors manufacturers (the "Company"). The Company, based in the United States, is anticipating the tightening of emissions standards in their market. The NDA will allow Aether to share USMEAP data collected over three seasons of field usage showing 100% NO x reduction in real world conditions. Taylor Procyk, Chief Operating Officer of Aether comments "Relationships with organizations like this are how we will leverage the USMEAP program into commercial opportunities." Paul Woodward, President and CEO of Aether, states "Tightening emissions standards are coming for all internal combustion engines, and for many non-automotive uses the cost of abatement becomes a critical issue. Our work with the City of Burnaby has convinced us that we have a product that eliminates small motors NO x emissions right now." ABOUT AETHER: Aether Catalyst Solutions, Inc. is focused on providing an order of magnitude cost reduction in automotive catalytic converter catalyst, while meeting, or exceeding government emission standards. Aether is working to quickly advance its technology through rapid screening of new materials directed at enhancing end of life conversion levels after accelerated aging. While Aether's primary focus has been automotive applications, the company is also developing catalysts to address small motors emissions - a significant contributor to urban air pollution. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Aether Catalyst Solutions, Inc. Paul Woodward President Tel: 604 690-3797 http://www.aethercatalyst.com The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") or any other securities regulatory authority has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this management prepared news release. Forward-Looking Information This release may include certain statements that are deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Aether 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. 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/189851 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Altamira Gold Corp. (TSXV: ALTA) (FSE: T6UP) (OTC Pink: EQTRF)("Altamira" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the start of a second stage diamond-drilling programme at the Maria Bonita gold discovery at its Cajueiro project located in the states of Mato Grosso and Para, Brazil. Highlights: A diamond drill programme comprising 27 diamond holes totalling 5,000m has commenced at the Maria Bonita gold discovery located 7km NW of the Cajueiro gold deposit Initial reconnaissance drilling at the Maria Bonita target on a strong gold-in-soil anomaly has revealed the presence of a previously unknown intrusive containing significant intervals of disseminated gold mineralization The current drill programme is designed to establish the size of the mineralized system at Maria Bonita. Recent surface soil sampling has extended the gold-in-soil anomaly which now measures 800 x 800m and is coincident with a magnetic low anomaly with dimensions of 1.5km x 800m CEO Mike Bennett commented; "We are very pleased to report the commencement of a second stage of diamond drilling at the Maria Bonita discovery, at our Cajueiro project in Brazil. The main objective of the drill program is to establish the size of the mineralized system. The initial drill holes which returned remarkably consistent gold mineralization were drilled in a coincident gold-in-soil anomaly and a magnetic low, and this feature is our main target. We also aim to test for deeper, potential feeders to the intrusive-hosted stockwork gold mineralization. This should lead to a regular stream of drill results during the coming months." CAJUEIRO PROJECT The Cajueiro project is located approximately 75km NW of the town of Alta Floresta in the state of Mato Grosso (Figure 1) in central western Brazil and is easily accessible by road and has grid power. Cajueiro forms one of three key projects that Altamira controls in the region, the other two being Apiacas and Santa Helena (Figure1). Figure 1: Location of the Cajueiro, Apiacas and Santa Helena projects. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4500/189864_753ad48f34e76a18_001full.jpg The Cajueiro project has current NI 43-101 resources of 5.66Mt @ 1.02 g/t gold for a total of 185,000 oz in the Indicated Resource category and 12.66Mt @ 1.26 g/t gold for a total of 515,000 oz in the Inferred Resource category. Maria Bonita Target Initial scout drilling in the central part of an 800m by 800m gold-in-soil anomaly, resulted in the discovery of well-developed disseminated gold mineralization within quartz stockwork vein systems, hosted in porphyritic rhyolite intrusive rocks. The gold-in-soil anomaly is coincident with a significant magnetic low anomaly measuring 500m N-S by 1500m E-W (Figure 2). The initial diamond drilling returned excellent results from the initial nine diamond drill holes which include 69m @ 1g/t in MBA005, 50m @ 1.1 g/t gold in MBA004, 55m @ 1.0 g/t gold in MBA002, 50m @ 1.0 g/t gold in MBA001 and 45m @ 1.4 g/t gold in MBA003 (see press releases dated September 7, 2022, November 16, 2022, and January 18, 2023, and Figure 2). Disseminated gold mineralization in the initial discovery holes is associated with quartz vein stockworks hosted within rhyolitic intrusive rocks. There are no surface rock outcrops in the discovery area, but the preliminary drilling conducted to date indicates that the gold mineralization extends continuously from soils on surface, through saprolite (weathered bedrock) into the primary intrusive host rocks over most of the known mineralized zone to date. Figure 2: Planned diamond drill holes at Maria Bonita with Total Magnetic Intensity (TMI) aeromagnetic data (100m line spacing) and ground magnetics (50m line spacing). The central, original discovery drillholes (MBA001-7) are highlighted within the core of the magnetic feature. Holes MBA008 & 009, which did not return significant gold, are located to the north-east of the lozenge shaped magnetic feature. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4500/189864_753ad48f34e76a18_002full.jpg The current drill programme has been designed to cover the anomalous magnetic and soil geochemistry footprint of the target. Drill holes will be oriented to the north and are planned to extend 120-150m initially, with deeper holes to greater depth where any feeder structures are intersected. The next phase of drilling will focus on delineating continuity of geology and mineralization in three dimensions. Upon completion of the exploration drilling, the company aims to produce a maiden mineral resource estimate via a recognised expert consultant. Qualified Person Guillermo Hughes, FAIG and M AusIMM., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release. About Altamira Gold Corp. The Company is focused on the exploration and development of gold and copper projects within western central Brazil. The Company holds 8 projects comprising approximately 190,000 hectares, within the prolific Juruena gold belt which historically produced an estimated 7 to 10Moz of placer gold. The Company's advanced Cajueiro project has NI 43-101 resources of 5.66Mt @ 1.02 g/t gold for a total of 185,000 oz in the Indicated Resource category and 12.66Mt @ 1.26 g/t gold for a total of 515,000oz in the Inferred Resource category. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, ALTAMIRA GOLD CORP. "Michael Bennett" Michael Bennett President & CEO Tel: 604.676.5660 Toll-Free:1-833-606-6271 [email protected] www.altamiragold.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The securities described herein have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. Forward-looking Statements Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the extension of the Warrants. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will", "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. 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. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. Notes Gold analysis has been conducted by SGS method FAA505 (fire assay of 50g charge), with higher grade samples checked by FAA525. Analytical quality is monitored by certified references and blanks. Until dispatch, samples are stored under the supervision the Company's exploration office. The samples are couriered to the assay laboratory using a commercial contractor. Pulps are returned to the Company and archived. Drill holes results are quoted as down-hole length weighted intersections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189864 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Exploits Discovery Corp. (CSE: NFLD) (OTCQX: NFLDF) (FSE: 634) ("Exploits" or the "Company") announces that, further to its news releases of October 25th and November 8th, 2023, it has increased the previously announced financing from $2,000,000 to $2,344,629 and will issue up to 21,314,809 flow through common shares (each a "FT Share") at a price of $0.11 per FT Share (the "Offering"). The gross proceeds received by the Company from the Offering will be used to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" ("CEE") that are "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such term is defined in the/Income Tax Act/(Canada)) related to the Company's mining projects. In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay a finder's fee in respect of subscribers introduced to the Company by an eligible finder. All securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws./ Completion of the Offering remains subject to any required regulatory approvals. About Exploits Discovery Corp. Exploits is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Company is focused on discovering high-grade structurally hosted epizonal gold similar to New Found Gold's success along the Appleton Fault Zone and parallel structures within the Exploits Subzone. Exploits is utilizing its experienced, talented local team and geologic understanding with the vision to become one of the most successful explorers in Canada. On Behalf of the Board /s/ "Jeff Swinoga" President and CEO For more information, please contact: Shanda Kilborn VP, Investor Relations +1 (778) 819-2708 [email protected] https://exploitsdiscovery.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, actual results of the Company's exploration and other activities, environmental risks, future metal prices, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. All the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by applicable law. Acknowledgments Exploits Discovery would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program from the Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189798 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Flow Metals Corp. (CSE: FWM) ("Flow Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the second phase summer program at the New Brenda Project located in south-central British Columbia. Highlights include: 706 total soil samples taken over the Xenolith-Porphyry ("XP") target Potassic alteration and confirmed Cu-Ag porphyry mineralization in thin section New 1100 by 1800m Cu-Ag-M-Zn anomaly, unconstrained to the north "The latest soil sample grid at XP has extended the kilometer-scale Ag-Cu-Mo anomaly over a coincidental magnetic-low. The larger and stronger soil anomaly to the northeast edge of the survey zone is slightly offset from the mag-low ring. The anomaly remains open to the north. Our focus is now to follow up with a grouping of 3.5km IP lines to highlight subsurface sulphides and generate drill targets," commented Scott Sheldon CEO of Flow Metals. Results The soil grid extension and infill to the north and east has resulted in a large higher grade anomalous zone spanning at least 1800m by 1100m. The new copper-molybdenum-zinc-silver anomaly is offset from the strongest portion of the mag destruction ring. XP Target History In 2018, a 10m wide outcrop with chalcopyrite mineralization was discovered and a grab sample was taken. The sample contained 0.67% Cu and 46.11 ppm Ag and elevated trace elements such as Bi, Te and U. The sample had pervasive potassic alteration in the form of biotite replacing hornblende. An airborne magnetic survey was later conducted in 2021 that revealed a large ring-shaped magnetic low anomaly directly underneath the rock sample. Figure 1: (Top left) Copper values in soil, (Top right) Silver values in soil, (Bottom left) Molybdenum values in soil, (Bottom right) Zinc values in soil. Please see the following link for high definition images. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7235/189809_612bf0a7646e7984_00001full.jpg The XP target represents a new Porphyry style geochemical and magnetic anomaly. XP is hosted in the Pennask batholith also seen at the neighboring Brenda mine to the east. The target is also near the contact with the Osprey Lake batholith which hosts the neighboring Elk mine to the west. The xenoliths from which XP gets its name are heavily altered Nicola volcanics that have been replaced by biotite. Director Resignation and Appointment The Company also announces that Mr. Adrian Smith has resigned from the Board of Directors and Mr. Harley Slade has been appointed in his place effective immediately. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Smith for his dedicated service on the Board of Directors. Mr. Slade is currently the President of Caveman Exploration, a company focused on providing exploration services in Canada. He first started working with Flow Metals in 2018 at both the New Brenda and Sixtymile projects. Mr. Slade holds a degree in Geology from Simon Fraser University. QAQC, Sample processing B-horizon soil samples were taken with chain of custody maintained until the samples were delivered to MS Analytical. Samples were analysed using ICPMS 4-acid digestion with standards and blanks inserted by the lab. The 706 results were analysed using statistical percentile probabilistic methods to determine anomalous values and regional baselines. Baseline and anomalous values will be further refined with more sample data. Qualified Person Adrian Smith, P. Geo., is the qualified person for the Company as defined in the National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information presented within this news release. About Flow Metals Flow Metals is a mining exploration company focused on advancing two 100% owned road access projects in established mining districts of British Columbia and Yukon. For further information, please contact: Scott Sheldon, President 604.725.1857 [email protected] Forward-Looking Information This press release may include "forward-looking information" (as that term is defined by Canadian securities legislation), concerning the Company's business. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company's management, including future plans for the exploration and development of its mineral properties, future production, reserve potential, and events or developments that the Company expects. Although the Company believes that such expectations and assumptions are reasonable, investors should not rely unduly on such forward-looking information as the Company can give no assurance, they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking information (whether because of new information, future events or results, or otherwise) other than as required by applicable securities laws. There are several risk factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those described herein. Information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189809 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 4, 2023) - KWG Resources Inc. (CSE: CACR) (CSE: CACR.A), which carries on business as The Canadian Chrome Company ("CCC", "KWG" or the "Company") (The Canadian Chrome Company is a registered business style of KWG Resources Inc.) is pleased to announce two proposed private placements - up to $2 million of Series CD-2023 Convertible Debentures (the "Debentures") and up to $5 million of flow-through units (the "Flow-Through Units"). Convertible Debentures The Debentures will be convertible into units (each a "Unit") with a deemed value of $3.00 per Unit (the "Conversion Price) (i) at the holder's option at any time prior to payment in cash. The Debentures will mature on April 24, 2028 (the "Maturity Date") and bear interest at 5% per annum, accruing daily, compounding annually and payable on April 24 of each year and at the Maturity Date or conversion. Payments of interest may, at the Company's option, be made either (i) by payment in cash (other than in the event of a conversion) or (ii) by the issuance of Units at a deemed value of $3.00 per Unit. On closing, subscribers will be paid a bonus in Units, equal to one Unit for each $12.00 of Debentures subscribed. Each Unit will be comprised of one (1) CACR.A multiple-voting share and one (1) share purchase warrant enabling its holder to acquire one further CACR.A multiple-voting share from treasury upon payment of $3.00, exercisable at any time on or before the earlier of (i) December 15, 2028 or (ii) two (2) business days after completion of a take-over bid or a merger, amalgamation, arrangement or other form of business combination as a result of which the shareholders of the Company immediately prior to such bid or business combination do not own a majority of votes attaching to the voting securities of the Company or of the resulting issuer or do not have the power to elect a majority of the directors of the Company or of the resulting issuer, as the case may be, after completion of such bid or business combination. The proceeds of the distribution of Debentures will be used to fund the Company's business focused on the acquisition of interests in, and the exploration, evaluation and development of, large-scale mineral deposits of chromite and other base metals and minerals including, without limitation, funding the Company's overhead and operating expenses and the costs of these private placements. Flow-through Units Each Flow-Through Unit will be comprised one (1) CACR.A multiple-voting share issued as a "flow-through share" pursuant to the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one (1) share purchase warrant enabling its holder to acquire one further CACR.A multiple-voting share issued as a "flow-through share" upon payment of $3.00, exercisable at any time on or before December 31, 2024. Flow-Through Units will be offered to subscribers at $2.50 each for a minimum subscription of $500,000 or such other amount as the Company may determine. The proceeds of the distribution of Flow Through Units will be used to fund Canadian exploration expenses including the proposed drilling of targets at the Black Horse deposit in the Ring of Fire identified by the magneto telluric survey completed in February of this year, which drilling is planned to be undertaken under the permit issued September 15th, 2023 as announced by the Company on September 22nd, 2023. Closing Dates The Company proposes to complete the proposed private placements in one or more tranches on or after December 15, 2023. Finder's Fees The Company will pay finder's fees of up to 5% of the aggregate amount of Debentures and/or Flow-Through Units purchased by subscribers referred to the Company by finders entitled to receive such fees in accordance with applicable securities laws, which fees will be payable in Units at deemed price of $3.00 per Unit. Resale Restrictions All of the securities to be issued pursuant to the private placements will be subject to a four (4) month hold period. Offering This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Qualified Purchasers Each subscriber for Debentures or for Flow-Through Units must be an "accredited investor" within the meaning of applicable securities laws or otherwise qualify to purchase Debentures or Flow-Through Units on a prospectus-exempt basis in accordance with applicable securities laws. About The Canadian Chrome Company: KWG, which carries on business as The Canadian Chrome Company, is the owner of 100% of the Black Horse chromite project (formerly part of Fancamp's "Koper Lake-McFaulds" properties) in which Bold Ventures Inc. is carried through exploration of the former Fancamp claims for 10% of the chromite project. KWG also holds other area interests including a 100% interest in the Hornby claims, a 15% vested interest in the McFaulds copper/zinc project and a vested 30% interest in the Big Daddy chromite project. KWG also owns 100% of Canada Chrome Corporation (the "Subsidiary") which staked mining claims between Aroland, Ontario (near Nakina) and the Ring of Fire. The Subsidiary has conducted a surveying and soil testing program to assess the prospects for the engineering and construction of a railroad along that route between the Ring of Fire and Aroland, Ontario covering the claims staked by the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary engaged Cormorant Utilities and Rail-Veyor Technologies for Engineering Proposals for the construction of a transportation and utility corridor within the route and has received those proposals. KWG has also acquired intellectual property interests, including a method for the direct reduction of chromite to metalized iron and chrome using natural gas. KWG subsidiary Muketi Metallurgical LP has acquired two chromite-refining patents in Canada and one in each of the USA, South Africa and Kazakhstan, and is prosecuting an application in Turkey. For further information, please contact: Bruce Hodgman, Vice-President: 416-642-3575 ~ [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements: Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and KWG disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Disclaimer: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for release, publication, distribution or dissemination, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, into the United States To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189789 Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - In an effort to fortify the CEO community and drive collaborative leadership in Greater Boston,LEAD, driven by executives Sean Glavin and Chuck Mollor, has launched an innovative initiative welcoming CEOs into an exclusive private forum. The undertaking is designed to cultivate a dynamic community where CEOs can forge connections, share strategic insights, and collectively contribute to their mutual success. LEAD To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10129/189753_e374d563c4549a35_001full.jpg LEAD meets on a quarterly basis and offers an elite platform for CEOs to engage in profound discussions while partaking in a full breakfast at the prestigious InterContinental Hotel in Boston. These morning meetings provide an inclusive setting for candid dialogue and collaboration, setting a refreshing tone. Diverging from other CEO groups with specific attendance criteria and fees, LEAD embraces a more flexible approach toward participation. Glavin and Mollor, the visionaries behind LEAD, bring a proven track record in creating and partaking in other executive groups. In collaboration this time, they leverage extensive expertise and focus on key trends and topics most relevant to CEOs today. The program's pillars-leadership development, knowledge transfer, and community building-are the driving force behind this initiative. LEAD aims to unite CEOs from the greater Boston area, providing exposure to best practices across diverse sectors. "Our mission is to unite CEOs, offering exposure and highly interactive discussions to the latest trends and best practices across diverse industries," says Mollor, underlining LEAD's commitment to being a closed and independent group. Liberated from logos or company affiliations, LEAD focuses on cultivating an authentic grassroots community driven by and for its members, fostering an environment centered on genuine collaboration. The initial response to LEAD's concept has been overwhelmingly positive, with the network expressing significant interest. For more information on LEAD and upcoming programs, visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead-ceo-community/ or www.leadceo.org. About: With a focus on fostering collaborative leadership, LEAD brings together CEOs from diverse backgrounds in an exclusive, non-profit endeavor. Quarterly gatherings at the InterContinental Hotel in Boston provide a unique platform for meaningful discussions and connections, setting the stage for collective success at the C-suite. Organization Name: LEAD Contact Persons: Sean Glavin, Chuck Mollor Get in touch: [email protected] [email protected] Website Link: https://www.leadceo.org https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead-ceo-community/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189753 Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - December 4, 2023) - Lycos Energy Inc. (TSXV: LCX) ("Lycos" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an amending agreement with the National Bank of Canada to increase its existing revolving credit facility from $35.0 million to $50.0 million. The credit facility provides added financial flexibility to support the Company's growth. About Lycos Lycos is an oil-focused, exploration, development and production company based in Calgary, Alberta, operating high-quality, heavy-oil, development assets in the Lloydminster, Greater Lloydminster area and Gull Lake, Saskatchewan. Additional Information For further information, please contact: Dave Burton President and Chief Executive Officer T: (403) 616-3327 E: [email protected] Lindsay Goos Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer T: (403) 542-3183 E: [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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189777 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Omai Gold Mines Corp. (TSXV: OMG) (OTCQB: OMGGF) ("Omai" or the "Company") announces completion of its 2023 Omai drill program, having released a series of strong drilling results from the Wenot gold deposit and extension, located on the Omai property in Guyana. These results will contribute to an updated Mineral Resource Estimate that is currently underway. As part of the recently completed diamond drilling program, two additional holes were completed on nearby SP and BBH exploration targets, following-up on results from trenching, drilling and modelling of these areas since 2021. One hole, drilled down plunge on the SP high-grade target, intersected two intervals of significant gold mineralization with the true width of the zone or zones yet to be determined. Highlights from this hole 23ODD-069 include: 7.69 g/t Au over 9.5m 3.42 g/t Au over 15.0m P&E Consulting Ltd. has been engaged as the independent qualified person ("QP") to prepare an updated Mineral Resource Estimate which is expected at year end or early in the new year. Work towards a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") is expected to proceed immediately thereafter, with supporting studies already underway. Elaine Ellingham, President & CEO, commented: "This completes the results from the 2023 diamond drill program and we are pleased that it achieved its objectives: Drilling in the West Wenot "starter pit" area successfully expanded the known zones of gold mineralization in all directions and is expected to have a positive impact on the updated Mineral Resource Estimate. All West Wenot holes intersected multiple gold zones with very favourable widths and grades for open pit mining, including 4.07 g/t over 31.1m (23ODD-063), 2.26 g/t Au over 70.0m (23ODD-071), 4.54 g/t Au over 27.5m (23ODD-065) and 5.89 g/t Au over 12.0m (23ODD-067). This area, lying west of the past-producing pit, extends along a strike of at least 600m and is a likely area for early mining. Another objective for 2023 was to investigate the depth potential of Wenot. Hole 23ODD-064, in the mid-pit area, intersected 5.18 g/t Au over 20.2m, including 12.7 g/t Au over 7.9m at a vertical depth of approximately 435m. Previously, the deepest gold intersections in central Wenot were 4.77 g/t Au over 22.0m (21ODD-001) and 6.92 g/t Au over 19.0m (21ODD-013). These are significant as they indicate potential for later underground mining of higher grade zones from the bottom of an open pit operation. A number of exploration targets were drilled early in the year as well as the two targets, SP and BBH, at the end of the program. We remain confident that there are additional gold deposits on this well endowed Omai gold property. Wenot became the priority for most of the drilling in the second half of 2023 due to the continued success and the prospect of advancing towards a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA"). Several of the exploration targets generated results warranting additional work, including the SP target where new results show potential for further near surface, high grade mineralization." SP Target A single hole was drilled on the SP Target at the end of the recent drill program. The SP target was initially tested by the Company with two diamond drill holes in 2021 as follow-up to a 1994 hole that intersected 6.9 g/t Au over 21m. The two 2021 holes encountered a few intervals of quartz veining, silicification and minor quartz stockworks, associated with locally strongly sheared intervals within a metavolcanic sequence of basalts and andesites with minor diorite. The best gold intercepts were 0.65 g/t over 9.0m and 2.39 g/t over 1.6m. These holes appear to have intersected below the plunge of the zone. In 2022, trenching exposed mineralization that was consistent with that encountered in the 1994 drill hole, providing incentive to continue to explore this area. However, two additional drill holes in 2022 did not intersect any significant quartz or gold intervals (max 2.13 g/t Au over 0.7m), leaving the orientation of the zone unresolved. Additional mapping and modelling of the area earlier this year suggested potential for a plunging gold-bearing shoot or shoots, hosted within structures related to the nearby Gilt Creek intrusion. With this new model, the known gold intersections were aligned and hole 23ODD-069 was drilled down the interpreted plunge to test the modelled orientation and possible extent of this zone. The hole intersected two intervals of quartz veining, hosting visible gold as well as minor pyrite and chalcopyrite. The first interval assayed 7.69 g/t Au over 9.5m and the second only 7.5m further down the hole returned 3.42 g/t over 15.0m (Table 1). It is not known whether these represent the same zone or two parallel zones, and the true width and continuity cannot be determined at this time. This hole confirms there is a high-grade gold target in this area warranting additional exploration and the orientation of this target is now better defined for follow-up drilling in 2024. BBH target At the Blueberry Hill target, trenching in early 2022 followed up on positive results from two holes drilled in 2021, including hole 21ODD-019 which intersected 1.7 g/t Au over 7.5m, and 3.15 g/t Au over 3.0m. The 2022 trenches exposed deeply weathered, northeast striking quartz-ankerite veinlet stringer zones localized in intermediate metavolcanic rocks and related diorite to quartz diorite intrusive rocks. Trench samples in early 2022 included 11 samples with six of these assaying over 6 g/t Au, including three that assayed over 10 g/t Au (see news release February 24, 2022). Four holes were drilled in 2022, testing this 500m long target area. The best result was 41.73 g/t Au over 0.9m. An additional trench completed in August of this year, confirmed favourable gold grades, and a single shallow hole was completed to test immediately beneath the trench. A near surface intercept of 0.94 g/t Au over 0.7m was drilled (Table 1). Table 1. Composite Assay Results for DDH 23ODD-069 and -070 Cut-off 0.30 g/t Au, no internal dilution, capped at 17 g/t To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/189874_omai1en.jpg An Induced Polarization (IP) geophysics survey was completed last week over the projected western and eastern extensions of the current, 2.5 km-long Wenot deposit. The Wenot shear corridor, which contains a number of favourable structural zones across its up to 500m width, is known to continue both east and west of the current Wenot resource. IP is very effective at detecting small amounts of disseminated sulphide minerals. The best gold zones at Wenot are typically associated with disseminated pyrite and we anticipate that IP will detect these zones, highlighting high-probability targets which will support more effective drilling as we step out further along strike and to depth. Quality Control Omai maintains an internal QA/QC program to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with best practices. Certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates are entered at regular intervals. Samples are sealed in plastic bags. Samples from the Wenot drilling were shipped to ActLabs and in some cases, MSALabs, both are certified laboratories in Guyana, respecting the best chain of custody practices. At both laboratories, samples are dried, crushed up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g), and pulverized to 95% passing 105 m, including cleaner sand. Fifty grams of pulverized material is then fire assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AA). Initial assays with results above 3.0 ppm gold are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish. For samples with visible gold where initial assays do not run above 3 g/t, a second pulp is made from the coarse reject and an additional fire assay completed. Certified reference materials and blanks meet with QA/QC specifications. Qualified Person Elaine Ellingham is a Qualified Person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" and has approved the technical information contained in this news release. Ms. Ellingham is not considered to be independent for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. ABOUT OMAI GOLD Omai Gold Mines Corp. holds a 100% interest in the Omai Prospecting License that includes the past producing Omai gold mine in Guyana, and a 100% interest in the adjoining Eastern Flats Mining Permits. The Company announced an updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") October 20, 2022 that includes 1.9 million ounces of gold (indicated) and 1.8 million ounces (inferred)1. Once South America's largest producing gold mine, Omai produced over 3.7 million ounces of gold between 1993 and 2005. Mining ceased at a time when the average gold price was less than US$400 per ounce. As a brownfields project, Omai benefits from good road access and a wealth of historical data that provides knowledge of the geology and gold mineralization on the property, as well as metallurgy, historical recoveries and many other relevant mining parameters. The Company's priorities are to compile results of the 2023 drilling and proceed with an updated Mineral Resource Estimate that will form the basis of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). 1 The Company filed an NI43-101 technical report titled "Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate of the Omai Gold Property, Potaro Mining District No. 2, Guyana", prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc dated December 2, 2022 on the SEDAR website www.sedar.com. For further information, please see our website www.omaigoldmines.com or contact: Elaine Ellingham P.Geo. President & CEO [email protected] Phone: +1 416-473-5351 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 certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing of completion of exploration, trenching and drill programs, and the potential for the Omai Gold Project to allow Omai to build significant gold Mineral Resources at attractive grades, and 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 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; delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; the price of gold and copper; and the results of current exploration. Further, the Mineral Resource data set out in the Omai Gold news release are estimates, and no assurance can be given that the anticipated tonnages and grades will be achieved or that the indicated level of recovery will be realized. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 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 required by law. Figure 1. Plan Map Showing SP Trenches, DDH23ODD-069 and Previous Drill Intersections To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/189874_0f23328c8498e917_002full.jpg Figure 2. Cross Section - 23ODD-069 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/189874_0f23328c8498e917_003full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189874 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Pedro Resources Ltd. (CSE: VBN) ("Pedro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of up to $600,000 through the issuance of up to 12,000,000 common shares (each a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Common Share. Eligible persons ("Finders") may receive commissions in the form of cash equal to up to 7% of the gross proceeds raised by such Finders. Proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company for working capital and for other general and administrative purposes in connection with the Company's proposed change of business, as more fully described in the Company's press release dated November 3, 2023. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four month hold period from the date of issue. Closing of the Offering is subject to all customary regulatory and board approvals of the Company. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons as defined under applicable United States securities laws unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Appointment of Advisor The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Dusty McKinnon as an advisor to the board and management of the Company. Mr. McKinnon is a seasoned entrepreneur and innovator with a track record of developing disruptive technologies. He has successfully developed innovative technologies from conception to commercialization on multiple occasions. Mr. McKinnon and his team developed solutions for Oil & Gas wastewater treatment and management. He was also instrumental in the commercialization of a grid-scale battery technology and has developed waste to resource platforms and products for the agricultural industry. He holds a BCom from Royal Roads University, Canada, and an MBA from The Power School of Business, Madrid, and continues to study the Soil Food Web. The Company is confident that Mr. McKinnon's passion for the environment and soil health and ability to drive innovation to commercialization will help propel the Company as a leader in bioengineering. About Pedro Resources Ltd. Pedro Resources Ltd. is a Canadian exploration company listed on the CSE focused on mineral exploration and development. For further information, contact: On behalf of the Board, Brian Stecyk Chief Executive Officer and Director Tel: 780-953-0111 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forwardlooking statements and forwardlooking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forwardlooking statements or information. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forwardlooking statements and information relating to the Offering, the Consolidation and the Company's proposed name change and change of business. The forwardlooking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forwardlooking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forwardlooking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forwardlooking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forwardlooking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forwardlooking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189973 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Pegmatite One Lithium and Gold Corp. (CSE: PGA) ("Pegmatite One" or the "Company")is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement dated December 4, 2023 (the "Agreement"), with Valor Resources Limited ("Valor"), an arm's length party, listed on the ASX. The Agreement grants Valor the right to acquire a 100% interest (subject to existing net smelter returns) in the Company's Frazer Lake Project (the "Frazer Property") and Morrison River Project (the "Morrison Property") for a total of A$400,000 cash (or 100,000,000 ordinary shares in the capital of Valor (each a "Valor Share") at a deemed issue price of $0.004 per Valor Share, at Valor's election) and 1,250,000,000 Valor Shares (collectively,the "Transaction"). Valor Details Valor is an ASX listed, Australia-based exploration company with a focus on uranium and rare earths projects in Canada. Valor's Canadian portfolio includes: Hook Lake Uranium Project: Valor has the right to earn an 80% working interest in this project, located about 60 kilometers east of the Key Lake Uranium Mine in northern Saskatchewan. The project spans over 25,846 hectares and includes 16 contiguous mineral claims with several prospective areas for uranium mineralization. Cluff Lake Uranium Project: This project is situated 7 kilometers east of the Cluff Lake Uranium Mine and consists of 19 contiguous mineral claims covering approximately 57,499 hectares. Valor has a 100% interest in this project. Additional Projects in the Athabasca Basin: Valor holds a 100% interest in six additional projects within the Athabasca Basin, covering over 16,897 hectares. These include the Hidden Bay Project, Surprise Creek Project, Pendleton Lake Project, Beatty River Project, Smitty Project, and Lorado Project. Management Commentary Kelly Abbott, CEO of Pegmatite One, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "As we embark on this transformative journey with Valor Resources, we are not only advancing our strategic goals but also ensuring significant value creation for our shareholders." Abbott continued, "the acquisition of our projects by Valor marks a new chapter in our story. It represents a synergy of exploration excellence and shareholder interests. Our confidence in this venture is reflected in our decision to reward our shareholders, who are the bedrock of our success. Together, we are poised to explore the untapped potential of our lithium projects and contribute to the sustainable energy landscape." The Company intends to further pursue further exploration of it's BC property, Georgina. The Georgina Property consists of one mineral claim covering 2,069 hectares. Transaction Details Morrison Property Pursuant to the Agreement, Valor may acquire a 100% interest (subject to existing net smelter returns) in the Morrison Property, which is a non-binding obligation of the parties, by Valor paying the Company a total of A$80,000 cash (or 20,000,000 ordinary shares in the capital of Valor (each a "Valor Share") at a deemed issue price of $0.004 per Valor Share, at Valor's election) and 250,000,000 Valor Shares, as follows: A$20,000 cash or 5,000,000 Valor Shares, at Valor's election, on the earlier of: upon execution of a definitive agreement (the "Formal Agreement") between the parties relating to the Morrison Property; or December 31, 2023, provided the Company has completed their due diligence on Valor, which date is extended until the date that the Company has completed their due diligence on Valor. A$30,000 cash or 7,500,000 Valor Shares, at Valor's election, on the earlier of: upon commencement of on ground field-based exploration activities; or June 1, 2024. A$30,000 cash or 7,500,000 Valor Shares, at Valor's election, on or before the 3rd month anniversary from commencement of on ground field-based exploration activities. On or before September 30, 2024, 250,000,000 Valor Shares, if Valor elects to proceed with the acquisition of 100% interest (subject to existing net smelter returns) in the Morrison Property. Frazer Property Pursuant to the Agreement, Valor may acquire a 100% interest (subject to existing net smelter returns) in the Frazer Property, which is a binding obligation of the parties, by Valor paying the Company a total of A$320,000 cash (or 80,000,000 Valor Shares, at Valor's election) and 1,000,000,000 Valor Shares, as follows: A$80,000 cash or 20,000,000 Valor Shares, at Valor's election, on the earlier of: upon execution of a Formal Agreement between the parties relating to the Frazer Property; or December 31, 2023, provided the Company has completed their due diligence on Valor, which date is extended until the date that the Company has completed their due diligence on Valor. A$120,000 cash or 30,000,000 Valor Shares, at Valor's election, on the earlier of: upon commencement of on ground field-based exploration activities; or June 1, 2024. A$120,000 cash or 30,000,000 Valor Shares, at Valor's election, on or before the 3rd month anniversary from commencement of on ground field-based exploration activities. On or before September 30, 2024, 1,000,000,000 Valor Shares, if Valor elects to proceed with the acquisition of 100% interest (subject to existing net smelter returns) in the Frazer Property. The cash and share payments to be made by Valor for the Frazer Property in A. and B. above, are firm commitments and must be made even in the event that Valor terminates the Agreement and chooses not to exercise the option for the Frazer Property, except in certain circumstances. The Agreement contains, and the Formal Agreements will contain, customary representations, warranties and covenants for transactions of this type, including a termination fee up to A$500,000 in the event that the Transaction is terminated as a result of a breach of the non-solicitation covenants and up to A$250,000 in the event of breach of representations and warranties. The Agreement also provides for a non-solicitation covenant and a provision for the right for each party to match any superior proposal for a period of ten business days. The Transaction is subject to, among other things, the approval of Pegmatite One shareholders, if required, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and other customary conditions of closing. Amendments to Existing Option Agreement 1st Option Agreement Pegmatite One is pleased to announce it has entered into an amending agreement (the "1st Amending Agreement"), to amend the option agreement previously announced by the Company on June 28, 2023 (the "1st Option Agreement"), to reduce the consideration to be paid upon exercise of the 1st Option Agreement and extend the deadline for the consideration to paid. Pursuant to the 1st Amending Agreement, in order for the Company to exercise its option in the 1st Option Agreement, it will now be required to pay: $25,000 (previously $250,000) on or before August 8, 2026 (previously June 28, 2024); and issue 2,000,000 common shares of the Company (each a "PGA Share") (previously 20,000,000 PGA Shares) on or before August 8, 2026 (previously June 28, 2024). 2nd Option Agreement Pegmatite One is pleased to announce it has entered into a second amending agreement (the "2nd Amending Agreement"), to amend the option agreement previously announced by the Company on August 10, 2023 (the "2nd Option Agreement"), as previously amended to reduce the consideration to be paid upon exercise of the 2nd Option Agreement and amend the deadline for the consideration to paid. Pursuant to the 2nd Amending Agreement, in order for the Company to exercise its option in the 2nd Option Agreement, it will now be required to pay: $25,000 (previously $1,000,000) on or before August 8, 2026 (previously August 14, 2024); and issue 3,200,000 PGA Shares (previously 32,000,000 PGA Shares) on or before August 8, 2026 (previously August 14, 2024). On Behalf of Pegmatite One Lithium and Gold Corp. Kelly Abbott, CEO Email: [email protected] About Pegmatite One Lithium and Gold Corp. Pegmatite One is a publicly traded company exploring for lithium and gold. The company is committed to responsible mining practices and operates two mineral exploration properties in Northwestern Ontario and a third mineral exploration property on Vancouver Island. Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the transformative impact and significant value creation of the Transaction; synergies expected with the closing of the Transaction; the satisfaction of closing conditions including, without limitation (i) shareholder approval; (ii) necessary approvals; and (iii) other closing conditions, including, without limitation, obtaining certain consents, and compliance by the Company and Valor with various covenants contained in the Agreement. In particular, there can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed. Forward-looking information in this press release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: results of operations, performance, industry trends; the Company's ability to satisfy closing conditions; the Company's ability to maintain its mineral tenures and concessions in good standing; the Company's ability to manage the economic conditions or financial markets; the Company's ability to manage the inherent hazards associates with mineral exploration and mining operations; future prices of metals; and changes in general economic conditions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company's inability to satisfy closing conditions; inability to close the Transaction; the Company's inability to maintain its mineral tenures and concessions in good standing; the Company's inability to manage the economic conditions or financial markets; and the Company's inability to manage the inherent hazards associates with mineral exploration and mining operations; adverse changes to future prices of metals; adverse changes in general economic conditions. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189863 A loud scandal has erupted around Queen Letizia of Spain. Her sister's ex-husband, businessman Jaime Del Burgo, claims to have had an affair with the royal. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the Daily Mail. As proof of his words, Jaime posted a selfie of the Queen on the X platform, which she allegedly sent him along with a love message. After a flurry of criticism, the author deleted his account on the social network. Jaime Del Burgo, 53, who currently lives in the UK, recently contributed to a book about the Spanish royal family. In the pages he makes a scandalous statement: Del Burgo and Letizia were still romantically involved after the Queen's wedding to Philip in 2004. ADVERTISIMENT To prove it, Jaime shared an undated selfie that the 51-year-old queen took in her bathroom mirror. In the photo, the pregnant queen smiles at the camera, with a dark pashmina around her neck, which Del Burgo says belonged to him. The man said the photo was accompanied by a message: "Darling. I am wearing your pashmina. I feel like I can feel you near me. I'm counting the hours until we see each other again." After the image was published, network users questioned the authenticity of the scandalous statement. As a result, the Spaniard deleted his account. ADVERTISIMENT In the book Letizia and Me, journalist Jaime Penafiela talks about the secrets of the Spanish royal family. Del Burgo did not stand aside: he said that Letizia was his great love, despite the fact that the Spaniard married her sister Thelma Ortiz in 2012. The businessman told the author that he met Letizia in the early 2000s. Their relationship began during a romantic trip to Venice, a few years before she met King Philip. Earlier, OBOZ.UA told about the daughter of King Philip and Queen Letizia Leonor, who recently celebrated her 18th birthday: she will become the first reigning queen of Spain in the last 150 years. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Little Rock, Arkansas--(Newsfile Corp. - December 4, 2023) - Pinnacle Advisors, a Little Rock-based financial services firm, was excited to co-host the inaugural Small Business Boot Camp in Cabot, Arkansas. The 6-week program and pitch competition aimed to empower entrepreneurs in the Natural State. "We were thrilled to partner with the City of Cabot and other organizations to make this program accessible for aspiring entrepreneurs," said Victor Werley, spokesperson for Pinnacle Advisors. "By sharing our expertise, we set these small business owners up for success not just in Cabot, but across Arkansas." Event Picture 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10166/189803_44b70880c4d869af_001full.jpg The program culminated in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition on October 24, where entrepreneurs showcased their business ideas to a panel of judges. "The pitch competition was the perfect way for these small business owners to put their skills into action," said Marshall D. Butler of Pinnacle Advisors. "We were excited to see the innovative ideas and provided mentorship to help turn those ideas into reality." Pinnacle Advisors specializes in helping start, scale, and sell small businesses. They provide focused structure, data-based analysis, and significant experience with growing and transitioning businesses. With deep roots supporting entrepreneurship and economic growth in Arkansas, Pinnacle Advisors was committed to programs like the Small Business Boot Camp. "We recognized a gap when it came to guidance for small business owners," said Werley. "Through hands-on participation in the Boot Camp, we aimed to help fill that gap and provide the insights these entrepreneurs needed to build strong foundations." Their involvement was rooted in the belief that when small businesses thrive, so does the community. Pinnacle Advisors served as judges at the pitch competition, along with other local leaders. "As judges, we looked for ideas that not only had growth potential for the founder but also gave back to Cabot and beyond," said Butler. "A win-win for both the business and the community." Entrepreneurs who attended at least two Boot Camp sessions were eligible for the pitch competition on October 24. They had the chance to showcase their skills and ideas before the expert judges. "We're committed to equipping participants with the insights needed to achieve their dreams," said Werley. "The Boot Camp and pitch competition were the perfect avenues to provide that hands-on support and set these entrepreneurs up for long-term success." Werley aims to share those lessons with the small businesses he serves across Arkansas. "I see a large gap in thought leadership when it comes to small business. I want to help fill that gap," says Werley. "Our focus is on helping develop businesses in the Arkansas economic ecosystem and then helping those families benefited by those businesses to create generational wealth." To learn more about preparing a business for the future with succession planning, reach out to Pinnacle Advisors at www.pinnacleadvisor.net. Contact: Victor Werley http://www.pinnacleadvisor.net [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189803 Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Quasar Markets, especially in the realms of trading, risk management, and financial technology New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Quasar Markets, an AI-powered fintech research platform, announced that Michael J. Milani, CEO of Mondeum Capital, has joined its Board of Directors. With over 25 years of experience in active trading and financial technology, Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Quasar Markets, especially in the realms of trading, risk management, and financial technology. Quasar Markets Strengthens Board with Mondeum Capital's Michael J. Milani To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/189838_f31b73f8a46198a8_001full.jpg As the CEO of Mondeum Capital, a broker-dealer providing modern solutions to active traders, Michael has been instrumental in overseeing all aspects of the firm's operations, demonstrating a strong understanding of the financial markets and a knack for leading ambitious business strategies. His career highlights include facilitating rapid organizational growth, incorporating new products and asset classes, and effectively managing large teams. "I've been impressed by Steve's vision for Quasar Markets, proud to be a founding investor and honored to have been asked to join the Board of Directors. This will be an exciting product available to active traders for years to come," said Michael J. Milani. Michael's appointment to the board is a testament to his enduring commitment to innovation in the financial sector and his belief in Quasar Markets' potential to transform the landscape of financial research for investors. His experience is expected to play a critical role in steering Quasar Markets towards a new era of growth and development, particularly in enhancing its capabilities to provide cutting-edge, actionable insights for market participants. "We are thrilled to welcome Michael to our board," said Steven E. Orr, CEO of Quasar Markets. "His extensive background in fintech and trading, coupled with his visionary leadership at Mondeum Capital, makes him an invaluable addition to our team. We look forward to what the future holds with Michael on our board." About Quasar Markets Quasar Markets offers innovative AI-powered solutions for researching financial markets, providing unparalleled automation, insights and personalized client experiences. With a next-gen Web3 platform and strategic partnerships with industry leaders, Quasar Markets is reimagining the future of finance. For more information, visit: https://quasarmarkets.com/. Contact Info: Name: Steven E. Orr Email: s[email protected] Organization: Quasar Markets Address: Wesley Chapel, Florida 33543, US Phone: +1 (202) 841-9009 Website: https://quasarmarkets.com/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189838 Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - The Office of the Investor Advocate of the Securities and Exchange Commission today published its Report on Activities for the Fiscal Year 2023 to Congress. The report highlights the work of the Office during the fiscal year. Notable highlights from the report include: Empirical research findings about investors comprehension of registered index-linked annuities as well as policy recommendations; Research findings about investment advisory agreements use of mandatory arbitration clauses including suggested approaches on combating abusive use of those clauses; Metrics measuring the activities of the Office including the substantial uptick in investor engagement, investor submissions, and inquiries; and Topical discussions of private markets, cybersecurity, and equity market structure. The Office of the Investor Advocate is an independent office within the SEC, created by Congress, to provide investors with a voice inside the Commission, to assist retail investors, to study investor behavior, and to support the Investor Advisory Committee of the Commission. Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. Selectikas groundbreaking Visual AI System leverages computer vision and deep learning to revolutionize catalog management, enhance recommendation engine accuracy, and provides retailers with real-time insights. Selectika, a trailblazing force in the retail technology landscape, its groundbreaking visual AI system, designed to transform how businesses manage product catalogs and enhance the overall shopping experience. Selectika's Visual AI System employs advanced computer vision deep learning to automate the extraction of rich product attributes, enabling the auto-tagging of each item with over 20 data points. This revolutionary process significantly accelerates the catalog tagging workflow, delivering time and cost savings while ensuring unparalleled consistency and accuracy in data management for businesses. The system's capabilities extend far beyond catalog organization, however. By leveraging the power of deep learning, Selectika's technology enhances the accuracy of recommendation engines, providing superior results across diverse product categories. The real-time insights and behavioral data generated by the system render traditional internet cookies obsolete, empowering retailers with dynamic information, enhancing decision-making processes across the board. Selectika's standout innovation lies in its capacity to craft tailored shopping experiences by conducting real-time analyses of shoppers' preferences. The system employs a personal sizing solution that cross-analyzes fabric, design, customer measurements, and preferences, boasting a significant success rate. Based on sophisticated algorithms, Selectika tailors digital assortments for each shopper, ensuring an optimal and personalized shopping journey that resonates with individual tastes and preferences. In addition, Selectika's commitment to data-driven insights extends to empowering retailers even before the manufacturing process. The system provides real-time data and analytics that enable retailers to optimize their inventory and assortments based on consumer demand trends, thereby improving efficiency, and reduce costs. Moreover, Selectika's advanced capabilities contribute to a reduction in returns, an increase in average order value (AOV), and the fostering of higher brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. With offices in UK and Tel Aviv, Selectika's overarching mission is to enable retailers to thrive in the digital landscape by increasing online sales and reducing returns through smart matching of products and customers. The company's dedication to innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction positions it as a transformative force in the retail tech industry. The system is completely seamless, and among her clients are multinational brands like Nautica, Timberland, Apricot, Kenneth Cole, etc. To learn more about Selectika's Visual AI System, please visit https://selectika.com/. Contact Info: Name: Nathalie Email: Send Email Organization: Selectika Website: https://selectika.com Release ID: 89115374 In the event of detecting errors, concerns, or irregularities in the content shared in this press release that require attention or if there is a need for a press release takedown, we kindly request that you inform us promptly by contacting [email protected]. Our dedicated team will promptly address your feedback within 8 hours and take necessary actions to resolve any identified issues diligently or guide you through the removal process. Providing accurate and dependable information is our utmost priority. GUANGZHOU, China , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the theme of "Multilateralism: More Exchanges, Greater Inclusiveness and Cooperation," the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum (ISIF), jointly held by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, the People's Government of Guangdong Province , and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid, opened Monday in Guangzhou . More than 130 guests from political, academic, and business circles in over 40 countries attended the Forum. This impressive gathering included over 30 former heads of state, heads of government, and leaders of international organizations. Additionally, there were over 60 internationally-renowned experts and scholars, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions. "The current international situation is complex and multifaceted, and human society is facing unprecedented challenges. The theme of the ISIF, 'Multilateralism: More Exchanges, Greater Inclusiveness and Cooperation,' aims to emphasize to the international community the importance of achieving consensus through communication, resolving conflicts through inclusiveness, and realizing development through cooperation." Zhou Zerong, President of the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association and Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Region of the World Leadership Alliance, expressed his expectation for insightful individuals to engage in in-depth discussions on the topics, exchange ideas, and contribute more wisdom to the development of global peace. According to Zhou Zerong, Guangzhou , Guangdong Province , and the Guangdong -Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have emerged as one of the most dynamic economic powerhouses in the world today. With robust economic prowess, comprehensive industrial supply chains, and a thriving innovation ecosystem, they have become highly sought-after investment destinations for multinational corporations. Since its establishment, the ISIF has made a group of good and true friends. We all agree that opposing each other is not beneficial, and win-win cooperation is the only choice. Sincere wishes will be made for the resounding success of the "2023 ISIF". "Our goal is not just a multipolar world. Our goal is one in which multipolarity is harmonized through the strength of multilateral institutions." Danilo Turk , Former President of Slovenia and President of World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid , emphasized the crucial role of multilateral institutions. At the opening ceremony of ISIF, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Former President of Latvia and Co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, said that China is a concrete example of multilateralism. She believes that the Belt and Road Initiative contributes to guaranteeing a world where multilateralism exists in reality and in practice. Since its inauguration in 2014,ISIF has been held for seven consecutive sessions. With extensive and in-depth discussions, ISIF has been enormously successful. ISIF is a new type of high-end platform for China to conduct in-depth communication with the rest of the world, with the aims of initiating substantive discussions on world peace, economic development, and cultural exchanges, promoting greater understanding and consensus among all parties, and fostering regional as well as global cooperation. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2023-isif-kicks-off-in-guangzhou-deepening-global-exchange-and-cooperation-to-foster-understanding-among-peoples-302005699.html SOURCE The 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum LONDON , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Otermans Institute (OI) launch its AI teachers in 5 universities across 3 continents. Apart from the UK , universities from Palestine, Pakistan , Turkey and Kenya integrate the OIAI technology into their academic curriculum. OI equipped them with a fully AI-driven course: students can initiate their lessons from any digital device and interact with the AI teacher using voice and text inputs, while attending the class. The digital human teacher can answer them in real-time, tailoring the teaching content according to their needs. Otermans Institute's AI teachers are operated by OIAI, the fine-tuned language model developed by the same organisation. They have a humanlike face and a voice. They can create and deliver any teaching content, tailoring them according to the single student's needs and replying to their questions in real time. Additionally, OIAI's teachers can assess the students' performance and provide grades. Students have praised their ability to provide live answers and personalised feedback as their most valuable feature. This initiative is not just about integrating the latest technology into education but reshaping how education is delivered and experienced. "We are not only creating AI teachers that can teach to anyone globally but also humanising AI at the same time. OIAI is not creating another chatbot or another e-learning platform. At Otermans Institute, we are solving the problem of teaching and learning 2.0 by removing the difficulty that learners face when they are forced to choose between interactivity and accessibility. Our digital human teacher encompasses knowledge bases, the ability to make small talk, to clear any doubts at any time, and to speak in real-time despite being a synthetic avatar. OIAI also provides insights to educators who can now spend their time providing personalised support to students. At the same time, the AI does the bulk of the teaching," said the founders, Dr Pauldy Otermans and Dev Aditya . Through OIAI-collected data, institutions can effortlessly monitor students' progress at their convenience, identifying areas for improvement in a fraction of the time and the budget currently required. As the newest universities using the OIAI technology, Arab American University, Bahria University, Ibn Haldun University, and CUEA have come to the forefront of this educational revolution and become the first to do so in their respective countries. Apart from partnering with higher educational institutions, Otermans Institute's AI teachers will teach and empower young girls in Kenya and Zambia , supporting the Women in STEAM Initiative. Adopting the AI teacher into the traditional curriculum demonstrates a commitment to innovation and a willingness to explore new frontiers in learning. The course's design ensures that students receive a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, enhanced by the AI's ability to provide real-time, data-driven insights. New institutions that want to adopt the tech-driven approach proposed by Otermans Institute can join the January/February cohort of OIAI. Institutions from Latin America participating in this cohort will introduce this technology to the region for the first time ever. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293123/Otermans_Institute_Launch_AI_Teachers.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293124/OI_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5-universities-integrate-ai-teachers-from-oiai-into-their-academic-curriculum-302005999.html SOURCE Otermans Institute NEW YORK , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the scorching hot and dry Mudug region of Somalia , 16-year-old Bisharo* sits in a cool room surrounded by 19 of her female classmates during the afternoon school break. The girls are attending a mentoring session in their newly built Girls' Friendly Space. The Girls' Friendly Space is Bisharo's sanctuary a safe space where she can read, eat, pray, relax, converse openly without interruption and access free menstrual hygiene kits. Not long ago, before the space was built, the girls at her school would race home during their break time to do these things, making them late for classes afterwards. Sometimes, they wouldn't even return to class. This resulted in them missing critical lessons. Thanks to Education Cannot Wait (ECW) investments in Somalia and the support of partners such as Save the Children Bisharo and her classmates no longer need to leave school grounds for breaks, privacy and menstrual hygiene products. This leads to fewer disruptions to their education and a decreased chance of them dropping out of school altogether. "Before the room was built, we used to go home during breaktime to rest and eat snacks, and we used to be late, get in trouble or even be marked absent. There were no private washrooms or a place to change or rest during the time of our menstrual cycle, which often forced us to stay at home for a few days and miss important lessons," says Bisharo. Menstruation is considered a taboo topic in many parts of Somalia , creating stigma and deprivation for girls during menstruation. Like Bisharo, many girls lack access to basic and necessary hygiene items such as sanitary pads, leading many to skip school when they are on their period. Missing school was frustrating for Bisharo. She worried about how it would affect her grades and spent a lot of time trying to catch up on the days of class she missed each month. "Often, girls don't come to school on the first few days of their period because of the lack of privacy in the bathrooms or not having proper kits to manage themselves," says Fartun, Bisharo's teacher. Thanks to ECW support, a Girls' Friendly Space was built in Bisharo's school to ensure girls always have access to female hygiene kits, privacy and an uninterrupted educational experience. The space, which is exclusively for girls, has a toilet, dining space, reading corner where girls study together, and it is equipped with sanitary kits. To date, ECW funding has provided more than 15,400 girls in Somalia , like Bisharo, with female hygiene kits. "After this room was built, we benefited from it a lot. We rest, eat, revise and pray here. We have a place to chat comfortably about exams and lessons. We also use the space to talk privately with our female teachers especially when we need advice," says Bisharo. Since the construction of the Girls' Friendly Space, Bisharo's school attendance has improved as have her grades. She spends her free time studying with her friends there and is glad that the space has given her and her classmates a safe place to call their own. Female teachers such as Fartun are happy that the girls can now meet and interact with each other outside of class time. The space has also been an ideal location for mentorship sessions. "Although the space was built for girls in school, we, as female teachers, spend some time there to advise or help girls whenever they need. As a female teacher, girls usually come to me whenever they need help with something, and often it was hard for them to talk to me in the middle of all the male teachers. Now that there's a friendly space with privacy, it has become easier for them to talk freely and comfortably about whatever help they need," says Fartun. The community has also seen the impact of the Girls' Friendly Space, with one mother and Community Education Committee Member, Sacdiya, saying, "It arose with a great demand from parents, students and school administration. When the room was launched, I felt relieved knowing my daughters had the space to feel comfortable, to rest, to read and revise and find menstrual kits whenever at school." Since 2017, ECW has invested US$35.2 million in Somalia . ECW's investments in the country aim to improve school access and safety, and educational attainment for Somali girls and boys affected by conflicts and droughts. To date, ECW and partners have reached close to 250,000 girls and boys in the country with holistic, quality education support. Still, more urgent support is needed. With more than 4.8 million children out of school today, additional funding is essential to ensure access to safe, inclusive education to those at risk of being left behind. ECW calls on the international community to increase its support so that children and youth like Bisharo are given the educational opportunities and resources they need to stay in school, and continue to learn, dream and thrive. *Names have been changed to protect identifying information Story by Michaellah Mapotaringa, based on a case study by Save the Children. Contact: Jelena Borak , [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-safe-space-for-bisharo-education-cannot-wait-supports-creation-of-girls-friendly-spaces-at-schools-in-somalia-302005949.html SOURCE Education Cannot Wait DALLAS , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ACE Cash Express (ACE), a Populus Financial Group, Inc. brand, raised $52,313 for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) during ACE's annual fundraising event, the Give A Little Campaign. ALSF is changing the lives of children with cancer by funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families, and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer. Alex Scott , the founder of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma shortly before her first birthday. When she was just four years old and still going through treatment, Alex held her first childhood cancer fundraiser in her front yard and raised more than $2,000 . By the time of her death at the age of eight, Alex raised $1 million . Since 2005, ALSF has helped researchers, scientists and doctors get closer to a cure than ever before, raising more than $250 million to fund over 1,000 research grants. "We are grateful for the dedication of the customers and employees at ACE who continue to show their commitment to the cause each year," said Liz Scott , Alex's mom and Co-Executive Director at Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. "Their support allows us to continue our mission to fund critical research as well as provide support to families looking for a cure." ACE has partnered with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation since 2017, raising over $262,000 to fund research that brings better treatments and cures to children with cancer. A breakthrough in research for neuroblastoma, funded by ALSF, discovered a new, less toxic treatment that could have led to a different outcome for Alex had she been diagnosed today. Every day, over 1,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with childhood cancer. Yet, childhood cancer research is consistently underfunded as compared to other types of cancer research. "We are proud to continue to support Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation," said Eric Norrington , Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Populus Financial Group. "Thanks to our valued customers, we are able to fund pediatric cancer research and help researchers move closer to innovative and specialized cures." Nationally, the 2023 Give A Little Campaign raised more than $150,000 for local chapters of charities across the country including AdoptAClassroom.org, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Autism Speaks, Feeding America's Local Food Banks, Feed My Starving Children, and Homes For Our Troops. This fundraiser is a part of the ACE Community Fund, ACE's charitable-giving program, which has donated more than $17 million since its inception in 2004 to organizations in communities where ACE operates. About Populus Financial Group Populus Financial Group provides financial services through its family of brands including ACE Cash Express, ACE Elite Visa Prepaid Debit Card, Flare Account and Porte. Populus Financial Group delivers a broad range of financial products and services including short-term consumer loans, card services, check cashing, money transfers, bill payments and money orders. Visit PopulusFinancial.com for more information. About Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of 4-year-old Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who was fighting cancer and wanted to raise money to find cures for all children with cancer. Her spirit and determination inspired others to support her cause, and when she passed away at the age of 8, she had raised $1 million . Since then, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement. Today, ALSF is one of the leading funders of pediatric cancer research in the U.S. and Canada raising more than $250 million so far, funding nearly 1,000 research projects and providing programs to families affected by childhood cancer. For more information, visit AlexsLemonade.org. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ace-cash-express-raises-over-52-000-to-help-children-fight-cancer-302006479.html SOURCE Populus Financial Group, Inc. The newly published resource includes use cases on the topic of AI in the classroom and covers the technology involved, the benefits to the institution, the risks associated with the technology, and the rate of adoption in education. TORONTO , Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the education sector requires strategic preparedness from institutions' CIOs and IT teams to capitalize on the technology's potential benefits. Crucial to this adoption is the alignment of IT with business operations a challenge in an industry where resources may be limited. Recognizing the challenge that IT leaders in the education sector face, Info-Tech Research Group has unveiled a comprehensive blueprint titled Prioritize AI Use Cases for Education. The firm's research presents several relevant use cases aimed at overcoming organizational challenges. The resource is intended to help educational departments embark on their AI journey by identifying and prioritizing the use cases through an innovative analysis tool, to transform the educational landscape for faculty and students, from K-12 to higher education settings. "AI is rapidly entering the education space, and CIOs need to be prepared to take advantage of its potential benefits. Our AI use case library for education is designed to support that need," says Mark Maby , Research Director for Education at Info-Tech Research Group. "The introduction of AI can be contentious, and the risks should be considered carefully. AI technology can have biases that directly thwart the mission of the institution. It is also a new technology, and its promise still outweighs its results." Info-Tech's research explains that while AI offers many benefits, educational institutions are grappling with concerns about its potential risks, compliance issues, regulatory implications, and policy impacts. The evolving understanding of AI's influence on these institutions adds to the challenge of prioritizing its deployment. Furthermore, identifying relevant and impactful AI use cases in education can be an arduous and time-consuming task. This situation underscores the critical need for more targeted research and strategic planning in the adoption of AI within the educational landscape. The firm's latest blueprint advises educational institutions to recognize and explore pertinent AI use cases that can help address their unique challenges in academic settings. This journey starts by identifying and prioritizing use cases for different departmental units using specialized analysis tools. The results from this process are crucial for securing executive approval to help institutions pinpoint the most appropriate issues with the highest potential value, thereby facilitating responsible AI implementations. Info-Tech highlights seven key factors that shape AI use cases in education: Industry: Some use cases are relevant to both higher education and K-12, while others are specific to one over the other. Value Streams: These are specific to each industry, organizing the organization's core capabilities based on the value it delivers to its constituents. Capabilities: This factor defines how the organization functions through the interaction of its people, processes, and technology. Technology: The foundational technology required to deliver the use case. Benefits: The specific value each use case provides to the organization. Risks: Potential issues to consider when adopting the technology. Adoption: The prevalence of the use case in the education sector, which can range from conceptual stages to widespread adoption and availability. The research emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing vendors' claims regarding generative AI functionality. The firm cautions that it's essential for IT leaders and their teams to precisely determine what aspects of their solutions are genuinely "generative." These solutions should be capable of producing new, innovative outputs rather than simply delivering predictive results, a distinction that is key in evaluating the true potential and effectiveness of generative AI technologies. For exclusive and timely commentary from Mark Maby , an expert in the educational technology landscape, and access to the complete Prioritize AI Use Cases for Education blueprint, please contact Senior PR Manager Sufyan Al-Hassan at [email protected]. About Info-Tech Research Group Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected]. For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-poised-to-enhance-student-and-faculty-experiences-info-tech-research-group-publishes-new-industry-guide-302005163.html SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group Tibbitt joins the company to lead after the change of control to Truelink Capital ST. LOUIS , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ansira Partners, Inc. ("Ansira"), an independent global marketing services and solutions company with proprietary channel, website, and advertising technology platforms, today announced the appointment of Paul Tibbitt as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "Paul has a wealth of knowledge and experience in scaling businesses and fostering client success, go-to-market and sales strategies, and organizational excellence. We are excited to partner with Paul on this next chapter of the company's growth," Truelink Partner, Head of Operations Adam Rimmer said. In his role as CEO, Tibbitt will be responsible for expanding Ansira's capabilities in both proprietary marketing technology and services along with leading the global team of 1200+ marketing practitioners. Tibbitt has a proven track record in leading companies to positions of market strength through growth, most recently serving as Global President at CJ, the leading affiliate platform and network, connecting 3,500+ global brands across retail, travel, finance, and network and home services with billions of online consumers every day by facilitating productive partnerships with millions of publishers and content creators in a pay for performance model. He joined CJ in 2015 when it was owned by Alliance Data Systems and aided in the sale of the business to Publicis Groupe in 2019, as part of Epsilon. While at Publicis, he also served as CEO of Performics, a leading performance media agency with a 20-year legacy and diverse client roster in auto, retail, insurance, utilities, business services, and other industries. In his time leading Performics the business made a significant turnaround in performance, focusing on go-to-market and sales strategies. Before joining CJ, Tibbitt led the North America sales team for Affinnova, a Cambridge, MA startup founded out of MIT which was sold to Nielsen in 2014. "I am thrilled to be joining Ansira and look forward to bringing my perspective and experience to the organization," Tibbitt said. "I was blown away by the impressive, long-tenured client roster of the company and am excited to work alongside the executive team and global employees to grow the company's consumer experience marketing services and proprietary marketing technology platforms across websites, channel partner marketing, media, and adtech." Ansira is backed by Truelink Capital a middle-market private equity firm based in Los Angeles . ABOUT ANSIRA Ansira, the leading independent, global marketing technology and services company with proprietary channel, website, and advertising technology platforms, guides companies operating in distributed ecosystems to connect with their customers, fostering unwavering brand loyalty by seamlessly integrating digital and physical experiences from the enterprise to hyper-local level. Ansira's innovative blend of human expertise and cutting-edge technology solutions solves the challenges faced by global marketers today and drive demand for their businesses. For more information on Ansira visit Ansira.com or LinkedIn . ABOUT TRUELINK CAPITAL Truelink Capital is a middle-market private equity firm based in Los Angeles. Truelink pairs deep industry experience in the technology-enabled services and industrials sectors with a commitment to building partnerships that drive long-term value creation through an operationally focused strategy. Truelink partners with management, corporate sellers, and founders to accelerate growth through the execution of operational improvements, strategic initiatives, and transformative add-on acquisitions. Media Contact: Megan Duran [email protected] 972.663.1380 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ansira-appoints-paul-tibbitt-as-chief-executive-officer-302005328.html SOURCE Ansira Partners, Inc. 69-year-old American TV presenter Oprah Winfrey stunned with her appearance at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles. The star demonstrated her "slimmest shape of her life". ADVERTISIMENT This is how the Daily Mail journalists called the artist's appearance. The presenter came in a long-sleeved dress from Dolce & Gabbana, which cinched her waist and hips. On the red carpet of the Academy Museum Gala, the celebrity posed in a sparkling purple outfit that emphasized her seductive curves. At the time, Oprah Winfrey confidently criticized this method and said that she despised the "easy way out." The American prefers healthy weight loss, no matter how long it takes. ADVERTISIMENT At the glamorous event, the media icon not only flaunted her figure, but also received The Pillar Award for her support of the Academy Museum. Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that Oprah Winfrey published an article in which she supported Ukrainians. The celebrity noted that she was delighted with the courage of the people of Ukraine. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Industry Finance Veteran Brings Expertise in Growth Strategy, Transformation, and M&A DRESHER, Pa. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascensus , whose technology and expertise help millions save for a better future, announced today that it has named Marc Mehlman its new Chief Financial Officer. Mehlman will assume his new role in early January 2024 , and succeed Kate Brennan , who has served as Interim CFO since this summer. Mehlman will report to Ascensus Chair and CEO David Musto and join the Ascensus Operating Committee executive leadership team. "Marc's skills and experiences position him well to excel as Ascensus' CFO, and he will be an outstanding steward of our core values and culture," said Musto. "He brings valued perspective as a chief financial officer leading growth and business transformation -- as well as success in general management roles, including overseeing a $1 billion multinational P&L. We are delighted to welcome his insights and judgment to our leadership table." Musto added, "I want to thank Kate Brennan for her strong, active, and effective leadership as interim CFO. We recognize how very fortunate we are to have such leadership strength in place." Speaking about his new role, Mehlman said, "I'm delighted to join the Ascensus team, and see tremendous potential in the company's ability to serve the millions of people saving for more secure financial futures. I look forward to partnering with the nearly 5,500 dedicated Ascensus associates to drive even greater growth, expansion, and client satisfaction." Ascensus offers technology and expertise in qualified and nonqualified retirement plan solutions, third-party retirement plan administration, 529 education and ABLE savings program administration, insurance solutions, and fiduciary and total rewards services. About Marc Mehlman Since 2020, Mehlman has served as CFO of publicly traded Avantax Wealth Management, a tax-focused Broker Dealer. Prior to joining Avantax, Mehlman served in a variety of leadership positions at Thomson Reuters Corporation over 15 years, advancing through their leadership development program with a focus on finance, financial strategy, and business operations. As GM of the Large and Strategic Corporate customer segments, he was responsible for Thomson Reuters' business with large multi-national corporations. Mehlman also served as managing director of Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE Global Direct Tax, head of Financial Strategy for Sales and Trading, and Director of Finance Scientific Division. Previously, he served as a portfolio manager at investment firm Sanford C. Bernstein. Mehlman earned his bachelor's degree from Binghamton University and his MBA from the NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business. About Ascensus Ascensus is a market-leading enabler of tax-advantaged savingsproviding technology, services, and expertise that helps millions of people save for a better future. The company is a premier savings program service provider, third-party administrator, and government savings facilitator. Its platforms, industry knowledge, and data-based insights enhance the growth and success of its partners, their clients, and savers through co-branded, private-labeled, and governmental partnerships. Ascensus offers comprehensive qualified and nonqualified retirement plan solutions, third-party retirement plan administration, 529 education and ABLE savings program administration, corporate- and bank-owned life insurance solutions, and fiduciary and total rewards services. The company's brands include Ascensus; Newport , an Ascensus company; and FuturePlan by Ascensus. Ascensus has more than $723 billion in assets under administration and employs more than 5,400 associates as of September 30, 2023 . For more information, visit ascensus.com and newportgroup.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ascensus-names-marc-mehlman-new-chief-financial-officer-302006055.html SOURCE Ascensus LONDON , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BE OPEN Foundation joined the programme of COP28 , the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai , by far the largest and most influential climate, energy and sustainability-related event in the world. On Day 6 of COP28 , at the Greening Education Hub hosted by the Ministry of Education, Director of BE OPEN Gennady Terebkov shared the findings and data on sustainability-related education accumulated in the course of BE OPEN's five-years-long SDG-themed student competition programme. The programme chooses to focus on one particular goal every year, and has so far covered SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG2: Zero Hunger, SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG13: Climate Change. The panel discussion under the title "Empowering Academia: Integrating Sustainability into Higher Education" became a dynamic and interactive session designed to inspire and equip university students, professors, teachers, and academia professionals with the knowledge and tools to integrate sustainability into higher education. Apart from Gennady Terebkov, the panel comprised two ambassadors from the Student Energy Summit and two members of the Action for Climate Empowerment working group (ACE WG), who shared insights, experiences, and innovative approaches to infuse sustainability principles into academic institutions. The reasoning behind BE OPEN's sustainability-themed educational programme was previously best explained by Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina : "Everyone is needed to reach the ambitious targets set by the UN's SDG programme - the creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of humanity. BE OPEN's programme strives to help educate wider audiences that a sustainable future is dependent on all of us, yet I am convinced that the younger generation today is a more responsible and aware one. I see incredible commitment, responsiveness and audacity in how they approach whatever problems we ask them to tackle." Prior to COP28 , BE OPEN also took part in the Student Energy Summit (SES 2023) in Abu Dhabi . The Summit proved to be the largest youth-led energy event in the world that provided space for hundreds of young people to collaborate on sustainable energy solutions and connect to industry leaders in the energy and climate sectors. As a partner of the Student Energy Summit (SES 2023), BE OPEN had the honour of addressing 650 young people from over 100 countries who gathered at the New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). They participated in the international and interdisciplinary programme that strives to prepare young people for a career in the energy transition, showcasing underrepresented voices in the energy space and empowering youth to build important relationships with peers and industry professionals. Among the delegates of the Summit and COP28 , there were the winners of BE OPEN's latest competition Better Energy by Design, their attendance being part of their award in addition to grants. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293102/BE_OPEN_competition_winners.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293103/BE_OPEN_Foundation_Panel_session.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/be-open-shares-insights-into-sustainability-in-education-at-cop28-panel-session-302005871.html SOURCE BE OPEN Foundation Leading wealth management firm also recently ranked in Financial Planning Magazine, SmartAsset, and Washington Business Journal MCLEAN, Va. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bogart Wealth, an award-winning, independent wealth management and Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm, was named to multiple lists of top financial advisory firms and fastest-growing companies in national and industry publications over the past couple months, including being named the top RIA firm in Virginia by Forbes and SHOOK Research. "In addition to being #1 in Virginia , Bogart Wealth ranked 30th nationally in the industry-leading rankings program." In the 2023 list of America's Top RIA Firms, in addition to being listed #1 overall in Virginia , Bogart Wealth ranked 30th nationally in the industry-leading rankings program up from #2 and #41 respectively in the 2022 rankings. This recognition comes on the heels of CEO James Bogart being named Forbes' top Next-Gen Wealth Advisor in Virginia in the 2023 list of Best-In-State Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, which was released just a few months ago. In addition, Bogart Wealth was named a 2023 RIA Leader by Financial Planning Magazine, ranking #147 on the list of the largest fee-only RIAs in the country, and was ranked #42 overall in SmartAsset's 2023 list of the 100 Fastest Growing RIAs in the country. Finally, the firm was included in the Washington Business Journal's 2023 list of the 50 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Washington Region . "We're thrilled to be included in all of these rankings and earn these awards from such prominent media outlets especially being named the top advisory firm in Virginia by Forbes," said James Bogart , President and CEO of Bogart Wealth. "It all goes back to our amazing team and the outstanding service they provide to our clients. Without them, these recognitions wouldn't be possible." The Forbes ranking of America's Top RIA Firms, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria mostly gained through telephone, virtual and in-person due diligence interviews and quantitative data. The algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience, leadership and senior principals, and other factors that encompass best practices and a firm's approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings. To see Forbes' full list of America's Top RIA Firms, please click here, and to see the full ranking methodology, please click here. To see the full ranking methodology for America's Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors, please click here. BOGART WEALTH NAMED A 2023 RIA LEADER BY FINANCIAL PLANNING In addition, Bogart Wealth was named a 2023 RIA Leader by Financial Planning Magazine, ranking #147 on the list of the 150 largest fee-only RIA firms in the country. Data partner COMPLY used Form ADV filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission to rank RIAs that meet a six-part formula, eliminating any firms that take any type of commissions. This listing of the 150 fee-only RIAs with the most assets under management (AUM) represents one prominent method of discerning the biggest firms in the industry. Bogart Wealth has experienced rapid growth in recent years and has more than doubled AUM in the past three years, realizing 118% 3-year AUM growth while recently exceeding $2.4 billion AUM. To see Financial Planning's full list of the 150 largest fee-only RIA firms, and to learn more about the ranking methodology, please click here. LISTED AS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING RIA FIRMS BY SMARTASSET Bogart Wealth was recently listed #42 overall in SmartAsset's 2023 list of the 100 Fastest Growing RIA Firms in the country. The top 100 fastest-growing firms were ranked by organic growth in client accounts and AUM between 2020 and 2023. At the time of measurement in the Summer of 2023, Bogart Wealth had realized a 122% increase in client accounts and a 141% increase in AUM during that time. To see SmartAsset's full list of the 100 fastest-growing RIA firms, and to learn more about the ranking methodology, please click here. INCLUDED IN WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL'S LIST OF FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES Bogart Wealth was also included in the Washington Business Journal's list of the 50 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Greater Washington Region for 2023, coming in at #44 in the 2023 rankings. Bogart Wealth is headquartered in McLean, Virginia just outside of Washington D.C. and D.C. area private companies were ranked by average percent change of revenue growth from 2020 to 2022. Bogart Wealth realized an average revenue growth of 53.2% during this time. To see the full rankings of the Largest Wealth Management Firms in Greater Washington D.C. in the Washington Business Journal, please click here. Data for this list was collected from the companies and compiled by full time researchers in The Business Journals newsrooms, and information is generally gathered through direct outreach with the businesses. For more information, please click here. BOGART WEALTH INTRODUCES NEW TEAM MEMBERS Bogart Wealth also recently announced the additions of four new team members: Christine Janaske , Director of Marketing, manages all aspects related to marketing the Bogart Wealth brand. She has spent the last 17+ years working in the financial services space and holds a degree in Communication from the University of Alabama. Kelly Kaczmarek , CFP, Financial Planning Manager, works with clients to build financial plans and educate them on various planning strategies, in addition to helping manage the firm's financial planning team. She has 17+ years of experience in the financial planning industry and is a Certified Financial Planner. Jack Loesch , Portfolio Analyst, performs investment research and helps the investment committee at the firm build client portfolios. Prior to joining Bogart Wealth, Jack earned a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Investment Management & Financial Analysis from Virginia Tech. Shesh Batni , Digital Video Production Specialist, produces videos and other digital content for the firm, in addition to assisting in other marketing efforts. He spent the last 2 years as a video production specialist for a financial institution in the Tysons, VA area and holds a degree in Media and Communication Studies from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. As the firm continues to grow, they are actively hiring financial advisors and support staff. Open positions in the McLean, Virginia office include Financial Advisor and Client Service Associate, and open positions in The Woodlands, Texas office include Financial Advisor and Associate Financial Advisor. Both locations are also hiring for the firm's Advisor Growth Track program, a professional growth and training program for both emerging talent and experienced financial advisors that takes place in conjunction with employment at Bogart Wealth, where employees work all the stations and gain expertise in all aspects of holistic financial planning. To learn more about the open positions and careers at Bogart Wealth, please click here. To learn more about all of the employee benefits at Bogart Wealth, please click here. To learn more about the team at Bogart Wealth, please click here. ABOUT BOGART WEALTH Bogart Wealth is an independent, fee-only wealth management firm guiding corporate executives, professionals, and families on their paths to and throughout retirement. Led by President and CEO James Bogart , their mission is to help clients achieve financial peace of mind by preserving and maximizing intergenerational wealth. As a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), Bogart Wealth is held to a fiduciary standard, which gives clients confidence in knowing that everything the firm does is always in their best interest. Clients of Bogart Wealth enjoy an extremely high level of service, and the firm's boutique size enables multiple advisors to become familiar with each client and their financial plan. At Bogart Wealth, everyone is a part of the team, and they have taken great care to build a collegial and cooperative culture, as well as a diverse set of skills, experience, qualifications, and credentials. The team works together to apply their combined experience, expertise, and knowledge to each client account. To learn more, visit www.BogartWealth.com. IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION Please Note: Limitations. Neither rankings nor recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations, nor the achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, or license, membership in any professional organization, or any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that the client will experience a certain level of results if Bogart Wealth is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. A fee was not paid by Bogart Wealth to receive the ranking. The ranking is based upon specific criteria and methodology (see ranking criteria/methodology). No ranking or recognition should be construed as an endorsement by any past or current client of Bogart Wealth. Registration of Bogart Wealth as an investment adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. A copy of Bogart Wealth's current written disclosure Brochure discussing our advisory services and fees is available for review upon request or at www.BogartWealth.com. Media Contact: Jonny Swift Impact Communications, Inc. 913-649-5009 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bogart-wealth-named-top-registered-investment-advisory-firm-in-virginia-and-30th-nationally-by-forbes-302005280.html SOURCE Bogart Wealth BOSTON , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Caresyntax has entered into a strategic collaboration with The Applied AI Company (AAICO), a leading AI technology company, to distribute novel software and artificial intelligence solutions throughout the UAE, USA, and Europe . With this strategic engagement, the companies will combine their healthcare datasets and delivery resources to offer bundled software and services solutions to healthcare companies and insurance companies in these markets. Proprietary data and software from both platforms will be used to create novel AI-based applications to improve the entire surgical continuum, including medical billing, patient pathway management, and revenue assurance. The collaboration will leverage a secure infrastructure that is compliant with data privacy, information security, and regulatory concerns across the geographies. As a priority, the collaboration will focus on healthcare insurers and payers in select European and Middle Eastern markets, with the goal of increasing the overall value of healthcare by enhancing transparency, decreasing administrative burden for clinicians and their healthcare teams, and ultimately, improving outcomes for patients. Bjoern von Siemens , co-Founder and CFO Caresyntax: "Our collaboration with AAICO will help bring data-driven healthcare solutions to the next level. Together, we will expand and enhance the decision-making precision of both platforms, providing actionable insights to surgeons, care teams and administrators throughout the surgical continuum, to make surgery safer and more effective." Arya H. Bolurfrushan, Founder and CEO, AAICO: "We are looking forward to working closely with Caresyntax. By applying machine learning solutions to our combined datasets and resources, we will create significant, measurable business results for our existing and new customers. Most of all, we will begin to improve quality of care for patients." About Caresyntax Caresyntax is on a mission to make surgery smarter and safer by converging AI-powered software, devices, and clinical services to help customers improve surgical outcomes. Our vendor neutral, enterprise-grade surgical intelligence platform delivers actionable insights to improve patient outcomes by using proprietary software and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze large volumes of video, audio, images, device data, clinical and operational data in and around the OR. This real-world evidence can be used by the care team live, during a procedure and accessed by those outside the operating room via the platform's dedicated telehealth link. After a procedure, the Caresyntax platform provides insights that help surgeons benchmark and improve their care, hospital administrators use surgical resources more efficiently, medical device companies advance better products, and insurance companies understand risk and devise more tailored policies. Headquartered in the US in San Francisco and internationally in Berlin , Caresyntax software is used in more than 2,800 operating rooms worldwide and supports surgical teams in over two million procedures per year. For more information, visit us at Caresyntax.com Caresyntax Contact: [email protected] +491723583015 About AAICO: The Applied AI Company (AAICO) builds products to help automate and enhance mission critical processes within the health and safety sectors. AAICO is focused on improving the productivity and quality of document-heavy decisions and reviews in the healthcare, insurance and pharmaceutical industries. These decisions include independent medical examination, claims adjustment, pharmacovigilance literature review, identity verification and medical coding. AAICO processes millions of articles a month of medical literature and personal health records in the US, UK , Europe and the UAE . AAICO Contact: [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/caresyntax-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-aaico-to-expand-ai-based-solutions-in-healthcare-302004863.html SOURCE Caresyntax ST. LOUIS , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CareVet, a leading network of Veterinary Hospitals, proudly announces its achievement of Mansfield Certification Plus, underscoring its unwavering dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion within its organization. Mansfield Certification Plus, developed by Diversity Lab, is a prestigious recognition awarded to organizations that excel in creating an inclusive workplace by implementing best practices for hiring, promoting, and retaining underrepresented attorneys and senior professionals. CareVet's commitment to openness and transparency is reflected in its participation and successful completion of the certification process. CareVet's leadership acknowledges the importance of diversity and inclusion in driving innovation, creativity, and overall business success. The company believes that by embracing a diverse range of perspectives, it can better serve its employees, clients, and the community at large. " Mansfield gave our small legal department a structured way to partner with our internal People & Culture team and to become more intentional in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We are excited to build on what we've started!" said Krishna Walker , Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer at CareVet. The Mansfield Certification Plus process involves a rigorous assessment of an organization's hiring, promotion, and retention practices, ensuring that they go beyond mere compliance with diversity and inclusion standards. By successfully completing this certification, CareVet demonstrates its proactive efforts to go above and beyond in fostering a culture of inclusivity. This certification involved internal collaboration between CareVet's Legal and P&C departments and external collaboration with 60+ companies and 340+ law firms, engaging in monthly Knowledge Sharing calls and participating in Mansfield Client Forums. Furthermore, the "Plus" designation indicates that CareVet has not only taken steps to increase inclusivity in leadership but also made measured progress in doing so. Only a third of the Certified legal departments achieved this honor in 2023. CareVet is proud to be part of the Mansfield community and a leader in the veterinary industry, championing opportunities and accountability. About CareVet: CareVet is a leading operator of independent veterinary hospitals operating in 35+ states with more than 3,000 Team Members. Founded in 2018 by Dr. Kent Thornberry , a DVM who built and grew two of his own veterinary hospitals before selling them to two separate veterinary practice management groups and Greg Siwak , a highly regarded entrepreneur. Together, they felt there was a better operating model for hospitals anchored in a deep commitment and investment in the teams that service their clients and pets. CareVet is privately held and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri , and can be visited at CareVetHealth.com and followed on LinkedIn at @CareVet-Health and Facebook at @CareVetHealth. Media Contact: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carevet-attains-mansfield-certification-plus-demonstrating-commitment-to-diversity-and-inclusion-302006236.html SOURCE CareVet Introduces CVS CostVantage TM and CVS Caremark TrueCost TM to drive aligned incentives and deliver a more transparent and sustainable reimbursement model Launches CVS Healthspire TM brand for Health Services segment that simplifies access to multi-payor capabilities, better aligns client service, and drives better outcomes and greater lifetime member value Demonstrates ability to unlock value across superior assets including CVS Caremark , Aetna , and CVS Pharmacy businesses Announces quarterly dividend of sixty-six and a half cents ( $0.665 cents ) per share, an approximate 10% increase Reiterates 2023 financial guidance and initiates 2024 projections, outlining achievable long-term growth expectations with clear opportunities to outperform WOONSOCKET, R.I. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at its 2023 Investor Day, CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will share how its strategy and combination of assets drives reliable, diversified, and accelerating earnings growth, while also delivering superior care and value to millions of Americans. In addition, the company will introduce a new pharmacy reimbursement model, announce a new brand for its Health Services segment, and showcase continued growth opportunities for its businesses. "We are successfully executing on our strategy to advance the future of health care while unlocking new value for consumers," said CVS Health President and CEO Karen S. Lynch . "The combination of our businesses, and the key growth areas we have invested in, drive our ability to lower the total cost of care, improve health outcomes, and deliver on our commitments to our customers, consumers, and shareholders." Introducing CVS CostVantage, a more transparent and sustainable model for retail pharmacy CVS Pharmacy today announced CVS CostVantage, a new approach that evolves the traditional pharmacy reimbursement model and brings greater transparency and simplicity to the system. CVS CostVantage will define the drug cost and related reimbursement with contracted pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and payors, using a transparent formula built on the cost of the drug, a set markup, and a fee that reflects the care and value of pharmacy services. These changes will also help ensure that CVS Pharmacy locations will continue to be a critical touchpoint for consumers to access affordable health care in their communities. "We are leading with an approach that will shift how our retail pharmacy is compensated by implementing a more transparent and sustainable model that fairly aligns pharmacy reimbursement to the quality services we provide," said Prem Shah , PharmD, executive vice president, Chief Pharmacy Officer and President, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health. "It provides our PBM and payor clients a foundational step towards more pricing clarity for consumers." CVS Pharmacy plans to launch CVS CostVantage with PBMs for their commercial payors in 2025, working together to ensure a smooth transition. Following on from the launch of its Choice Formulary program earlier this year, CVS Caremark today introduces TrueCost, a model innovation that offers client pricing reflecting the true net cost of prescription drugs, with visibility into administrative fees. Simplified pricing will help consumers be confident that their pharmacy benefit is providing the best possible price and will allow members to have stable access to our national pharmacy network. Through this approach, clients will have the flexibility to choose a pharmacy benefit model that works best for the unique needs of their members and plan, and CVS Caremark TrueCost provides another valuable option for them. CVS Caremark plans to launch CVS Caremark TrueCost in 2025. Launching CVS Healthspire to define Health Services segment To help demonstrate the connection and convenience CVS Health uniquely delivers, CVS Healthspire will be the new branded name for the company's Health Services segment, including Caremark, CordavisTM, Oak Street Health, Signify Health, and MinuteClinic. The groups within CVS Healthspire will continue to focus on integration across the company's assets to deliver connected patient care, pharmacy benefits, and innovative provider support solutions in communities across the country, making expert care simple, more accessible, and more affordable. The CVS Healthspire brand will begin to roll out publicly this month and advance throughout 2024. Consumers will initially see "Part of CVS Healthspire" appear on select CVS Health care delivery offerings across digital and physical assets as the company continues to create an integrated ecosystem for patients. "Delivering care in a more integrated way - especially for complex patients with chronic health conditions - improves health outcomes and the patient experience," said Mike Pykosz , CEO of Oak Street Health and interim president of Health Care Delivery. "We are already seeing the benefits of our value-based model to lower the total cost of care for customers, clients, and patients, and we believe we will build on these results as we more fully integrate with our core businesses." Accelerating momentum through combined strength and innovation of leading businesses While CVS Health's business segments continue to be successful and profitable on their own, there is a sizable opportunity to continue strengthening these connections and create incremental value for the overall company. A notable example was the recent improvement of Aetna's Medicare Advantage Star Ratings. In just a year, by leveraging the power of the company's cross-enterprise assets and executional excellence, Aetna was able to achieve 87% of their members in four star plans or better for the 2025 plan year, a recovery from 21% in the previous year. "This achievement was due to the work across our Aetna, CVS Pharmacy, and CVS Caremark colleagues. Even more important than our ratings, these teams worked together to help members improve medication adherence and overcome barriers such as costs and transportation," said Lynch. "Our strong performance in this area shows how we can quickly unite our businesses to achieve important common goals." Reiterating 2023 financial guidance, announcing 2024 full-year projections CVS Health interim CFO Tom Cowhey will detail the company's 2024 financial outlook, capital deployment strategy, and long-term outlook and growth targets. The company's unique combination of assets provides CVS Health with clear opportunities for long-term outperformance, including through Medicare Advantage margin recovery, incorporating Star Ratings, starting in 2025; CVS CostVantage, the company's new retail pharmacy pricing model; increased patient enrollment in Oak Street Health; expanded product offerings through Signify Health; and enhanced growth in core businesses from new offerings in health care delivery. "By broadening our portfolio of integrated products and services, we expect to create a path to sustainable, profitable growth," Cowhey said. "Our powerful cash generation capabilities will support our strategic goals, prudent capital deployment, and attractive return profile while also providing opportunities for meaningful long-term outperformance." 2023 Guidance Today, the company is reiterating its 2023 guidance as shared on its November 1, 2023 earnings call: Total revenues: $351.5 to $357.3 billion to Operating income: $13.6 to $14.0 billion to Adjusted operating income: $17.2 to $17.6 billion to GAAP diluted earnings per share ("EPS"): $6.37 to $6.61 to Adjusted EPS: $8.50 to $8.70 to Cash flow from operations: Upper-end of $12.5 to $13.5 billion 2024 Guidance The company is initiating its 2024 full-year projections: Total revenues: At least $366.0 billion Operating income: At least $15.0 billion Adjusted operating income: At least $17.2 billion GAAP diluted EPS: At least $7.26 Adjusted EPS: At least $8.50 Cash flow from operations: At least $12.5 billion Announcement of increased quarterly dividend CVS Health has announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of sixty-six and a half cents ( $0.665 cents ) per share, an approximate 10% increase from sixty and a half cents ( $0.605 cents ) per share. The dividend is payable on February 1, 2024 , to holders of record on January 22, 2023 . About CVS Health CVS Health is the leading health solutions company, delivering care like no one else can. We reach more people and improve the health of communities across America through our local presence, digital channels and over 300,000 dedicated colleagues including more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them with their health whether that's managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system and their personal health care by improving access, lowering costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Follow @CVSHealth on social media. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of CVS Health. Statements in this press release that are forward-looking include, but are not limited to, references to CVS Health Corporation's priority areas for strategic growth, financial outlook, long-term growth targets, capital deployment, Ms. Lynch's quotations, Mr. Cowhey's quotation, Mr. Shah's quotation, Mr. Pykosz's quotation, the information under the headings "Reiterating 2023 financial guidance, announcing 2024 full-year projections", including "2023 Guidance" and 2024 Guidance", "Introducing CVS CostVantage, a more transparent and sustainable model for retail pharmacy", "Launching CVS Healthspire Services to define Health Services segment", "Accelerating momentum through combined strength and innovation of leading businesses" and the information included in the endnotes and reconciliations. By their nature, all forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and/or quantify. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties as described in our Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section and under the heading "Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2023 , June 30, 2023 , and September 30, 2023 and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on CVS Health's forward-looking statements. CVS Health's forward-looking statements are and will be based upon management's then-current views and assumptions regarding future events and operating performance, and are applicable only as of the dates of such statements. CVS Health does not assume any duty to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, uncertainties or otherwise. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted operating income and adjusted earnings per share. In accordance with SEC regulations, you can find the definitions of the non-GAAP items mentioned, as well as the reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures, below in this press release. Media contact Ethan Slavin 860-273-6095 [email protected] Investor contact Larry McGrath 800-201-0938 InvestorInfo@CVSHealth.com Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures to the Most Directly Comparable GAAP Financial Measures Adjusted Operating Income (Unaudited) The Company defines adjusted operating income as operating income (GAAP measure) excluding the impact of amortization of intangible assets, net realized capital gains or losses and other items, if any, that neither relate to the ordinary course of the Company's business nor reflect the Company's underlying business performance, such as acquisition-related transaction and integration costs, restructuring charges, office real estate optimization charges, losses on assets held for sale, opioid litigation charges and gains/losses on divestitures. The Company uses adjusted operating income as its principal measure of segment performance as it enhances the Company's ability to compare past financial performance with current performance and analyze underlying business performance and trends. The consolidated measure is not determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, consolidated operating income. The following are reconciliations of projected operating income to projected adjusted operating income: Year Ending December 31 , 2024E 2023E 2022 In millions At Least Low High Actual Operating income (GAAP measure) $ 15,009 $ 13,587 $ 13,992 $ 7,954 Amortization of intangible assets 2,000 1,915 1,895 1,785 Net realized capital (gains) losses 345 345 320 Acquisition-related transaction and integration costs (1) 230 440 420 Restructuring charges (2) 507 507 Office real estate optimization charges (3) 70 60 117 Loss on assets held for sale (4) 349 349 2,533 Opioid litigation charges (5) 5,803 Gain on divestiture of subsidiaries (6) (475) Adjusted operating income $ 17,239 $ 17,213 $ 17,568 $ 18,037 (1) During 2024 and 2023, the acquisition-related transaction and integration costs relate to the acquisitions of Signify Health, Inc. ("Signify Health") and Oak Street Health, Inc. ("Oak Street Health"). (2) During 2023, the restructuring charges are primarily comprised of severance and employee-related costs, asset impairment charges and a stock-based compensation charge. During the second quarter of 2023, the Company developed an enterprise-wide restructuring plan intended to streamline and simplify the organization, improve efficiency and reduce costs. In connection with the development of this plan and the recently completed acquisitions of Signify Health and Oak Street Health, the Company also conducted a strategic review of its various transformation initiatives and determined that it would terminate certain initiatives. (3) During 2023 and 2022, the office real estate optimization charges primarily relate to the abandonment of leased real estate and the related right-of-use assets and property and equipment in connection with the planned reduction of corporate office real estate space in response to the Company's new flexible work arrangement. (4) During 2023 and 2022, the loss on assets held for sale relates to the Company's Omnicare long-term care business ("LTC business") reporting unit within the Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segment. During 2022, the Company determined that its LTC business was no longer a strategic asset and committed to a plan to sell it, at which time the LTC business met the criteria for held-for-sale accounting and its net assets were accounted for as assets held for sale. The carrying value of the LTC business was determined to be greater than its estimated fair value less costs to sell and, accordingly, the Company recorded a loss on assets held for sale during the year ended December 31, 2022 . During the first quarter of 2023, a loss on assets held for sale was recorded to write down the carrying value of the LTC business to the Company's best estimate of the ultimate selling price which reflects its estimated fair value less costs to sell. As of September 30, 2023 , the Company determined the LTC business no longer met the criteria for held-for-sale accounting and accordingly the net assets associated with the LTC business were reclassified to held and used at their respective fair values. During 2022, the loss on assets held for sale also relates to the Company's international health care business domiciled in Thailand (" Thailand business"), which was included in the Commercial Business reporting unit in the Health Care Benefits segment. The sale of the Thailand business closed in the second quarter of 2022, and the ultimate loss on the sale was not material. (5) During 2022, the opioid litigation charges relate to agreements to resolve substantially all opioid claims against the Company by certain states and governmental entities. (6) During 2022, the gain on divestiture of subsidiaries represents the pre-tax gain on the sale of wholly-owned subsidiary bswift LLC ("bswift"), which the Company sold in November 2022 , and the pre-tax gain on the sale of PayFlex Holdings, Inc. ("PayFlex"), which the Company sold in June 2022 . Adjusted Earnings Per Share (Unaudited) GAAP diluted Earnings Per Share ("EPS") and Adjusted EPS, respectively, are calculated by dividing income from continuing operations attributable to CVS Health and adjusted income from continuing operations attributable to CVS Health by the Company's weighted average diluted shares outstanding. The Company defines adjusted income from continuing operations attributable to CVS Health as income from continuing operations attributable to CVS Health (GAAP measure) excluding the impact of amortization of intangible assets, net realized capital gains or losses and other items, if any, that neither relate to the ordinary course of the Company's business nor reflect the Company's underlying business performance, such as acquisition-related transaction and integration costs, restructuring charges, office real estate optimization charges, losses on assets held for sale, opioid litigation charges, gains/losses on divestitures, as well as the corresponding tax benefit or expense related to the items excluded from adjusted income attributable to CVS Health and certain discrete tax items. The following are reconciliations of projected GAAP diluted EPS to projected Adjusted EPS : Year Ending December 31 , 2024E 2023E 2022 At Least Low High Actual In millions, except per share amounts Per Common Share Net income attributable to CVS Health (GAAP measure) $ 7.26 $ 6.37 $ 6.61 $ 3.26 Non-GAAP adjustments: Amortization of intangible assets 1.58 1.48 1.47 1.35 Net realized capital (gains) losses 0.27 0.27 0.24 Acquisition-related transaction and integration costs (1) 0.18 0.34 0.32 Restructuring charges (2) 0.39 0.39 Office real estate optimization charges (3) 0.06 0.05 0.09 Loss on assets held for sale (4) 0.27 0.27 1.91 Opioid litigation charges (5) 4.39 Gain on divestiture of subsidiaries (6) (0.36) Tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments (7) (0.52) (0.68) (0.68) (1.85) Adjusted income attributable to CVS Health $ 8.50 $ 8.50 $ 8.70 $ 9.03 Weighted average diluted shares outstanding 1,263 1,291 1,291 1,323 (1) During 2024 and 2023, the acquisition-related transaction and integration costs relate to the acquisitions of Signify Health and Oak Street Health. (2) During 2023, the restructuring charges are primarily comprised of severance and employee-related costs, asset impairment charges and a stock-based compensation charge. During the second quarter of 2023, the Company developed an enterprise-wide restructuring plan intended to streamline and simplify the organization, improve efficiency and reduce costs. In connection with the development of this plan and the recently completed acquisitions of Signify Health and Oak Street Health, the Company also conducted a strategic review of its various transformation initiatives and determined that it would terminate certain initiatives. (3) During 2023 and 2022, the office real estate optimization charges primarily relate to the abandonment of leased real estate and the related right-of-use assets and property and equipment in connection with the planned reduction of corporate office real estate space in response to the Company's new flexible work arrangement. (4) During 2023 and 2022, the loss on assets held for sale relates to the Company's LTC reporting unit within the Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segment. During 2022, the Company determined that its LTC business was no longer a strategic asset and committed to a plan to sell it, at which time the LTC business met the criteria for held-for-sale accounting and its net assets were accounted for as assets held for sale. The carrying value of the LTC business was determined to be greater than its estimated fair value less costs to sell and, accordingly, the Company recorded a loss on assets held for sale during the year ended December 31, 2022 . During the first quarter of 2023, a loss on assets held for sale was recorded to write down the carrying value of the LTC business to the Company's best estimate of the ultimate selling price which reflects its estimated fair value less costs to sell. As of September 30, 2023 , the Company determined the LTC business no longer met the criteria for held-for-sale accounting and accordingly the net assets associated with the LTC business were reclassified to held and used at their respective fair values. During 2022, the loss on assets held for sale also relates to the Company's Thailand business, which was included in the Commercial Business reporting unit in the Health Care Benefits segment. The sale of the Thailand business closed in the second quarter of 2022, and the ultimate loss on the sale was not material. (5) During 2022, the opioid litigation charges relate to agreements to resolve substantially all opioid claims against the Company by certain states and governmental entities. (6) During 2022, the gain on divestiture of subsidiaries represents the pre-tax gain on the sale of bswift, which the Company sold in November 2022 , and the pre-tax gain on the sale of PayFlex, which the Company sold in June 2022 . (7) Represents the corresponding tax benefit or expense related to the items excluded from Adjusted EPS above. The nature of each non-GAAP adjustment is evaluated to determine whether a discrete adjustment should be made to the adjusted income tax provision. During 2022, the Company's adjusted income tax provision also excludes the impact of certain discrete tax items concluded in the first quarter of 2022. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cvs-health-highlights-path-to-accelerating-long-term-growth-through-building-a-world-of-health-around-every-consumer-302005311.html SOURCE CVS Health IRVINE, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a Department of Justice press release, a Las Vegas man was recently sentenced to serve more than a year in federal prison for committing federal tax crimes related to his real estate business. This story exemplifies the huge risk that taxpayers who choose to willfully violate federal tax laws take. If you have failed to truthfully file your tax returns or have failed to file a tax returns altogether, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options to come into compliance without facing criminal tax prosecution. Defendant Underreported Income, Will Spend More Than a Year in Prison A couple from Las Vegas Nevada were engaged in the real estate and interior design businesses, respectively. Prosecutors alleged that between 2005 and 2020, the defendants filed tax returns that did not properly reflect their true income. After an IRS audit and the determination that the couple owed far more taxes than they had paid when filing their tax returns, Department of Justice attorneys argued that the couple engaged in various evasive tactics to intentionally avoid paying their correct tax liabilities. Such tactics included cashing large portions of their paychecks, thereby avoiding the effect of IRS levies and other collection methods. Additionally, the couple was accused of failing to pay their 2014 through 2018 federal tax bill, altogether. This case illustrates that there are two different methods of committing tax evasion. Evasion of assessment or cheating in completing a tax return by fraudulently understating income or overstating expenses, and evasion of payment. Evasion of payment involves taking illegal actions to prevent the IRS from engaging in collection enforcement actions to collect taxes that have been legally assessed and thus due and owing. A federal grand jury indicted the couple on counts related to conspiring to defraud the United States , tax evasion, filing a false tax return, assisting in the filing of a false tax returns and failing to file tax returns and pay federal income taxes. The husband plead guilty to one count of tax evasion. Recently, a federal judge sentenced him to one year and one day in federal prison. Additionally, He was sentenced to two years of supervised release. Lastly, he was ordered to pay nearly $2 million in restitution to the U.S. government. Seeking the Assistance of an Experienced Tax Attorney to Come Back into Compliance without facing Criminal Tax Prosecution While engaging in legitimate tax planning strategies for yourself or your business is not illegal, taking steps to illegally reduce your taxable income or otherwise undermine tax collection is playing with fire and in many cases, defendants, like the one above, get burned. If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years or have taken a position on a tax return that could not be substantiated upon audit, it is in your best interest to contact a seasoned tax attorney . Together, you will work to develop a strategy to get right with the government. If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years or have taken a position on a tax return that could not be supported upon an IRS or state tax authority audit, eggshell audit, reverse eggshell audit, or criminal tax investigation, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney to determine your best route back into federal or state tax compliance without facing criminal prosecution. Note: As long as a taxpayer that has willfully committed tax crimes (potentially including non-filed foreign information returns coupled with affirmative evasion of U.S. income tax on offshore income) self-reports the tax fraud (including a pattern of non-filed returns) through a domestic or offshore voluntary disclosure before the IRS has started an audit or criminal tax investigation / prosecution, the taxpayer can ordinarily be successfully brought back into tax compliance and receive a nearly guaranteed pass on criminal tax prosecution and simultaneously often receive a break on the civil penalties that would otherwise apply. It is imperative that you hire an experienced and reputable criminal tax defense attorney to take you through the voluntary disclosure process. Only an Attorney has the Attorney Client Privilege and Work Product Privileges that will prevent the very professional that you hire from being potentially being forced to become a witness against you, especially where they prepared the returns that need to be amended, in a subsequent criminal tax audit, investigation or prosecution. Moreover, only an Attorney can enter you into a voluntary disclosure without engaging in the unauthorized practice of law (a crime in itself). Only an Attorney trained in Criminal Tax Defense fully understands the risks and rewards involved in voluntary disclosures and how to protect you if you do not qualify for a voluntary disclosure. As uniquely qualified and extensively experienced Criminal Tax Defense Tax Attorneys, Kovel CPAs and EAs, our firm provides a one stop shop to efficiently achieve the optimal and predictable results that simultaneously protect your liberty and your net worth. See our Testimonials to see what our clients have to say about us! If you are facing federal or California aggressive collection action don't get creative in dealing with it and try and outsmart that tax collector or you could be criminally prosecuted for evasion of payment. Let us assist you to work out a viable collection alternative. We Are Here for You Regardless of your business or estate needs, the professionals at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing are here for you. We are open for business and our team will help ensure that your business is too. Contact the Law Offices of David W. Klasing today to discuss your business with one of our professionals. In addition to our fully staffed main office in downtown Irvine California , the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing has unstaffed (conference room only) California based satellite offices in Los Angeles , San Bernardino , Santa Barbara , Panorama City , Oxnard , San Diego , Bakersfield , San Jose , San Francisco , Oakland , Carlsbad , Sacramento . We also have unstaffed (conference room only) satellite offices in Las Vegas Nevada , Salt Lake City Utah , Phoenix Arizona & Albuquerque New Mexico , Austin Texas , Washington DC , Miami Florida and New York New York that solely handle Federal & California Tax issues. Our office technology allows clients to meet virtually via GoToMeeting . With end-to-end encryption, strong passwords, and top-rated reliability, no one is messing with your meeting. To schedule a reduced rate initial consultation via GoToMeeting follow this link . Call our office and request a GoToMeeting if you are an existing client. We also now offer a convenient scheduling option, where you can secure David W. Klasing, Esq M.S.-Tax CPA's undivided attention for a 4-hour consultation at any of his satellite offices. Here is a link to our YouTube channel: click here! Public Contact: Dave Klasing Esq . M.S.-Tax CPA, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/from-the-tax-law-offices-of-david-w-klasing---las-vegas-man-sentenced-to-federal-prison-after-criminal-tax-conviction-302004408.html SOURCE Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, PC BEIJING , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- " Xinjiang is a wonderful land!" This was the feeling shared by every Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Forum "Year of Tourism 2023" participant. It not only marks the first tourism-themed forum to be held by the SCO, but also the first time the Xinjiang regional government has served as a co-organizer of such a large-scale international forum. The successful hosting of the four-day forum proves that, while riding the wind of China's westward opening-up strategy, Xinjiang has stepped onto the fast lane of development and become a leader in China's westward opening-up. As concluded by Xu Guixiang, the spokesperson of the Xinjiang regional government, on the sidelines of the SCO forum, 2023 has been a year of high-level visits, marking substantial progress in Xinjiang's opening-up to the world. Since the beginning of this year, Xinjiang officials have visited the five Central Asian countries, holding meetings with officials from those countries, and achieving a series of practical results. This has sent a strong signal that Xinjiang's opening-up to the world is expanding. Officials from these countries have also visited Xinjiang to discuss friendly exchanges and practical cooperation, according to Xu. Along with intensive exchanges, Xinjiang's opening-up to and cooperation with the outside world has ushered in new opportunities, including in the tourism industry. According to Xu, from January to September this year, Xinjiang achieved regional GDP 1.355 trillion yuan ( $189.6 billion ), a year-on-year increase of 6.1 percent. From January to October, Xinjiang received 243 million domestic and foreign tourists, a year-on-year increase of 101.38 percent, amassing a total tourism revenue of 270.378 billion yuan , a year-on-year increase of 200.67 percent - a record high. "It is the right time to hold the forum in Xinjiang. I believe it is a correct choice," SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming told the media during the forum. Explaining why Urumqi was chosen to host the forum, Zhang noted that, firstly, Xinjiang has unique geographical advantages as it borders eight countries, which provides great convenience for regional exchanges and cooperation. Secondly, Xinjiang has the advantage of cultural tourism, with its rich and diverse cultural and tourism resources covering various aspects. Thirdly, Xinjiang's people from all walks of life and the local government have an active and open attitude and a passion for SCO cooperation participation. A bridgehead Located in the Northwest China, Xinjiang is the largest provincial-level region in China in terms of land area. Its land comprises one-sixth of China's land territory, which is nearly three times the size of France . The region also possesses abundant natural beauty and breathtaking landscapes including vast deserts, mountains, and grasslands. Due to its unique location, the Xinjiang region has been the center of economic activities and connectivity hub between China , Afghanistan , India , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Russia , and Pakistan . It has also been dubbed the heart of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The uniqueness of Xinjiang lies in its close geographical proximity to Central Asia , as well as its similarities in climate, culture, and historical connections with Central Asia . The region also has abundant natural resources, holds immense potential in cross-border trade, and harbors impressive transportation and logistics capabilities. Through years of development, a modern Xinjiang has shown its neighbors that it can maintain internal political stability while experiencing rapid socio-economic growth, which has attracted more and more cooperation partners and investors, experts pointed out. Along with the country's implementation of the westward opening-up strategy, Xinjiang is embracing a rare opportunity, helped by special policy support for its development such as the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Xu told the Global Times during the forum. " Xinjiang must firmly seize this rare opportunity and make significant contributions. We also believe that with the implementation of the westward opening-up strategy, Xinjiang , as a pioneer in the BRI, will play a greater role," Xu noted. On November 1 , Xinjiang FTZ was established. Three areas were included in the 179.66-square-kilometers FTZ, including the regional capital of Urumqi , Kashi prefecture, and Horgos. It is the first such zone in China's Northwest border region and the 22nd pilot FTZ in China. When talking about how to achieve higher quality development in the Xinjiang tourism sector, Zhang Ming believes that Xinjiang must stick to the strategy of opening-up. Xinjiang has abundant natural, tourism, and talent resources. The people of Xinjiang enjoy a peaceful, stable, and happy life, indispensable elements to and foundations for economic development and cultural exchanges. The region has to make full use of these rich elements and foundations. "Economic development cannot be achieved by closing the door and developing on its own, and cultural exchanges cannot be achieved by closing the door and communicating on its own. We must open up. I think this is an important way for Xinjiang to utilize its own advantages and move toward high-quality development," Zhang noted. Stick to opening-up Over the past decade Xinjiang has opened up wider and made closer international connections. According to the data provided by the regional government, Xinjiang has opened 118 bilateral international road transport routes, the highway between the region and Europe has been fully connected and the second railway with Kazakhstan has been completed and made operational. As of the end of August, there have been 70,000 trains passing through Xinjiang along the China - Europe ( Central Asia ) freight train route, accounting for over 57 percent of the national total. There have been 8,024 international freight trains departing from Xinjiang , with an average annual growth rate of 50.4 percent. This year also witnessed intensified efforts to "go global and invite in." Party and government leaders in the region have held multiple meetings with foreign guests, received delegations from over 50 countries, and reached a series of cooperation agreements in multiple fields, expanding new space for international exchanges and cooperation. Xinjiang has also strengthened cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao , as well as signed strategic cooperation agreements with other provinces and regions such as Gansu , Qinghai , Ningxia , and the Xizang Autonomous Region , jointly promoting westward opening up. Xinjiang's development and the eagerness to open up is obvious to the whole world. "I am always looking forward to visiting Xinjiang, to visiting Kashi, and I am so happy that I got the chance to come to the city this time. I have experienced the local vibe, local food, local dances, and local music," SCO Deputy Secretary General Janesh Kane told the Global Times during a group visit to Kashi on November 25 following the SCO tourism forum. Kane said he was full of confidence in Xinjiang's tourism industry. He believed that after the tourism forum, there would be more tourists from SCO member countries to Xinjiang and more investment to Xinjiang . Raushan Shamili, president of the Tumar-Trans international tour operator and transport company located in Almaty, Kazakhstan , was also among the delegation to Kashi. "'If you have not been to Kashi, you have not been to Xinjiang yet.' This time I witnessed a developing Kashi with high-quality local companies and internationalized transportation channels. I hope China and Kazakhstan can reach more cooperation agreements after the forum," she told the Global Times. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-xinjiang-becomes-bridgehead-in-westward-opening-up-embraces-boundless-development-opportunities-302005568.html SOURCE Global Times BEIJING , Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's six-day inspection tour of Shanghai has further elevated the major Chinese economic powerhouse's exemplary role in leading the country toward high-quality development, as he stressed expediting building Shanghai into a modern socialist international metropolis, local officials, businesses and experts said on Monday. During the crucial trip, Xi stressed the need to accelerate the construction of the "five centers" - the international center of economy, finance, trade, shipping and science and technology (sci-tech) innovation. Such a focus from the top leader paints a clear picture of China's long-term development priorities and the path to Chinese modernization, they noted. As Chinese top policymakers are expected to convene the annual Central Economic Work Conference, a crucial meeting that sets the tone for economic policymaking for the coming year, many of the development priorities, including in economic growth, financial development, trade and sci-tech innovation will also likely be highlighted, experts noted. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made an inspection tour in Shanghai that ran from Tuesday to Saturday, according to the Xinhua News Agency. In Shanghai , Xi inspected the Shanghai Futures Exchange, the Zhangjiang Science City in the Pudong New Area, and a government-subsidized rental housing community, among other places. He also presided over a symposium on promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and was briefed on the city's work by the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai municipal government. Xi stressed the need to speed up building Shanghai into a modern, socialist and international metropolis by focusing on the construction of international centers of economy, finance, trade, shipping and sci-tech innovation. He also urged Shanghai to accelerate building itself into a modern, socialist and international metropolis with global influence, and play a leading and exemplary role in advancing Chinese modernization, according to Xinhua. Boosting confidence The top leader's trip and important remarks have boosted confidence of local officials and businesses in pursuing high-quality development in various areas. Luo Dajin, chairman of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, said Xi's visit to an exhibition on Shanghai's sci-tech innovations encouraged sci-tech workers to strive to achieve new breakthroughs. "I listened to the General Secretary's important speech, and deeply felt the General Secretary's passion for scientific and technological advancements. I felt that the General Secretary's expectations for Shanghai's scientific and technological innovation were consistent. I was deeply inspired, excited, and motivated," Luo said in a statement that was sent to the Global Times on Monday. Shanghai is a crucial hub for sci-tech innovation in China . According to the World Intellectual Property Organization's latest Global Innovation Index released in September, the Shanghai - Suzhou sci-tech cluster moved up one place to enter the top 5 on the list of top 100 sci-tech clusters. Two other Chinese sci-tech clusters - Shenzhen - Hong Kong - Guangzhou and Beijing - made the top 5. Apart from being a sci-tech innovation hub, Shanghai is also China's main financial hub as well as an international financial center. It ranked sixth place in the latest rankings from the 2022 Global Financial Centers Index. While inspecting the Shanghai Futures Exchange, Xi urged the exchange to speed up the construction of a world-class exchange, and make greater contributions to exploring the futures regulatory system and business model with Chinese characteristics and building an international financial center, according to Xinhua. Such remarks also lifted the spirit of many financial industry professionals in Shanghai , especially coming after the Central Financial Work Conference, which set the goal of building China into a financial powerhouse, according to Li Huiyong, an executive with Shanghai -based Hwabao WP Fund Management Co. "For financial firms, what building Shanghai as an international financial center means, first and foremost, is that it would bring about a lot of businesses," Li told the Global Times on Monday, adding that it also means greater convenience for cross-border capital flows and multinationals' businesses in Shanghai . During the inspection tour, Xi also said more effort should be made to promote high-level financial opening-up to better serve the real economy, sci-tech innovation, and the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, according to Xinhua. Another focus of Xi's inspection tour was improving the livelihood of urban residents. He visited a residential community in Minhang district that is dedicated to providing affordable rental housing for new urban dwellers, young people and frontline workers. He said he was pleased to see city builders from all over the country living and working there with joy and contentment. Leading role What the top leader focused on during the inspection tour also carries national significance, given Shanghai's leading and exemplary role in China's overall economic development, experts noted. "As a financial center and a hub for foreign investment, Shanghai can play a leading role in promoting the expansion for industries to the country's central and western areas, creating strategic space for China's economic development for decades to come," Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the digital-real economies integration Forum 50, told the Global Times on Monday. While in Shanghai , Xi also presided over a symposium on promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta , and noted the need to advance the integrated development of the delta, further improve the region's innovation capability, industrial competitiveness and development levels, and develop a new pattern of higher-level reform and opening-up. These are of great significance for China to forge a new development paradigm, promote high-quality development, and build itself into a strong country and realize national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, he said. Integrated development in the Yangtze River Delta has already made great strides and still holds vast potential, given the focus on the development strategy from the top leadership, businesses and experts noted. The region is home to many industrial and supply chains for critical industries, including semiconductors and new-energy vehicles (NEVs). In the Yangtze River Delta , through the integrated development of industrial clusters, an NEV factory can solve the supply of required supporting parts within a 4-hour drive, forming a "4-hour industrial circle" that reflects the characteristics of a modern industrial system, a Shanghai -based supplier of NEV parts told the Global Times on Monday. The Yangtze River Delta region, which accounts for only 4 percent of China's land area but contributes about 25 percent of China's total GDP, also plays a leading and exemplary role in China's coordinated regional development strategy, which aims for high-quality and balanced development across the country, experts noted. Read more: Xiconomics in Practice: Xi's inspection tour elevates Shanghai's leading role in high-quality development https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202312/1303012.shtml View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-xis-inspection-tour-elevates-shanghais-leading-role-in-high-quality-development-302005399.html SOURCE Global Times BEIJING , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The recent World Conference on China Studies - Shanghai Forum, which concluded on November 24 , was one of the largest gatherings of global "China hands." At the two-day forum, more than 400 Chinese and foreign scholars specializing or interested in China studies discussed their insights on Chinese civilization and China's path of development, as well as their impacts on the current global landscape. During the forum, some of the overseas scholars, including winners of the 2023 Award for Distinguished Contributions to China Studies, shared their personal China experiences, observations, and understandings of Chinese civilization and China's path with the Global Times. These "China hands" are witnesses to China's modernization and social development, and play an important role as bridges that link China and the world, observers told the Global Times on Monday. Witnesses and bridges The forum announced the winners of the 2023 Award for Distinguished Contributions to China Studies on November 24 . They included Timothy Brook, professor emeritus at Department of History, University of British Columbia, Baik Young -seo, professor emeritus at Yonsei University, and Kishore Mahbubani , distinguished fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. Brook and Baik participated in the in-person forum in Shanghai . At an interview on November 23 , Brook said that Shanghai "makes him jump." "The Shanghai of today is completely different from that of the 1970s," he told the media in fluent Putonghua. "The city reminds me of New York when I look out of my hotel at the Bund." Shanghai was one of the starting places that sparked Brook's relationship with China. In 1974, then 23-year-old Brook studied ancient Chinese history and literature at Fudan University as one of the earliest young Canadians to come to China as exchange students. At Fudan, he developed a keen interest in China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and later started his decades of research in Chinese history, particularly into the Ming Dynasty history. At the forum venue by the Huangpu River , Brook said although he has visited Shanghai many times over the years, he is quite impressed by the development of China's most modernized metropolis during each visit. "I found that Shanghai has 'grown up' to a degree that I've never seen before," he said, as if describing an old friend. Brook is hailed as one of the best storytellers among North American historians. His many books focusing on China during the period of the Ming Dynasty, such as The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China , open a window for international readers to learn more about Chinese history and civilization. "I keep writing books about China in order to increase the outside world's understanding of China," Brook told the Global Times. Brook is among the expanding pool of international scholars in China studies who have, in recent decades, personally experienced China's rapid path to development. Rachel Murphy , who prefers to go by her Chinese name " Rui Xue (auspicious snow in a literal translation)" in China , was a guest speaker at the forum. As a Chinese Development and Society professor at the University of Oxford and former president of the British Association for Chinese Studies, she has been engaged in China -related research, exploring China's social and cultural changes caused by urbanization, educational development, demographic transition, and state policies. During the last 20 years, Murphy has travelled to many villages, towns, and cities across China. Her long-term fieldwork makes her an old "China hand." Murphy marveled at China's tremendous development, especially in the countryside. "China's urbanization is progressing very fast," she told the Global Times during the forum. "The book I wrote [about rural China] before is out of date now." Murphy shared that a week ahead of the forum, she visited several villages in Anhui Provinces, where she had been to a few years before. She was surprised by the great changes in communication in rural China. Wi-Fi availability is now commonplace in many villages, enabling "left-behind" children to stay in contact with their migrant worker parents through frequent video calls, said Murphy. She was surprised to see many elderly women like to share their rural lives on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). "The speed of technological changes [in China] is truly amazing," Murphy said in Putonghua. "Rural areas included, the ubiquitous nature of 'connection' [across China] is a remarkable achievement." Among the China studies scholars who attended the forum in Shanghai , Michael Crook , a Chinese Government Friendship Award winner, is a familiar "China hand" to many Chinese people. Crook's family has been profoundly and closely connected to China. Six generations of his family have worked and lived in China . Born and raised in Beijing , Crook has devoted decades to education in China . Now he teaches children from expatriate families in Beijing Chinese history and culture, acting as a bridge between people in China and the West, especially among the younger generation. During the forum, Crook told Chinese media that he believes Chinese and Western cultures have their own merits. "They can learn from each other," he said. A path worthy of reference Crook was a guest speaker at a sub-forum being held during the Shanghai Forum on November 24 . The theme of the sub-forum was "Explorations: Chinese Modernization and China's Path." Under this theme, many participants of the sub-forum shared their understanding of China's path to modernization, and some highlights of China's path worthy of reference for other countries. China is a good example of integrating its own development with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNDGs), said economist Ranee Jayamaha , lead consultant for the South Asia-World Bank Group. She offered how China has launched the Initiative for Belt and Road Partnership on Green Development together with 31 countries, and closely aligned the initiative with the needs of global green development by investing in renewable energy and adopting comprehensive pollution reduction measures as an example. This is a good story of China's success in positively influencing world development, Jayamaha commented. Crook mentioned China's ethnic policies, which he thinks can be referenced by multi-ethnic countries. In a speech he delivered at the sub-forum, Crook recalled his visit to a school in China's Xizang Autonomous Region in May. The school teaches both Putonghua and Tibetan, and entirely permissible for the latter to be spoken in class. The small case shows China respects and supports its ethnic minorities at the national level, said Crook. With China's rise and its growing international influence, many countries, especially those in the Global South, are interested in Chine's development, and are looking forward to learning from China's experiences, many attendees of the forum told the Global Times. And these contemporary "China hands" are making efforts to know more about China, exploring China's development path and sharing their observations and understandings with the world. China is on a multi-dimensional path of development, Josette Altmann-Borbon, secretary general of Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, said in a speech delivered at the forum's opening ceremony on November 24 . We should fully understand the important role China plays on the global stage, she noted. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-china-hands-share-their-stories-insights-on-chinas-path-302005563.html SOURCE Global Times The wife of an Arab millionaire complained to her TikTok subscribers, who number more than 1.2 million, about her "difficult" rich life. According to the woman named Sudi, money and luxury cause her a lot of stress: she has to overeat in restaurants, constantly visit beauty salons, and receive expensive gifts from her husband Jamal. ADVERTISIMENT As expected, her followers were enraged by the blogger's "complaints". They advised her to come down to earth and ask a little bit about people's real problems. Sudi posted the video that caused such a stir and has already garnered more than 25 million views (at the time of writing) on her TikTok. Sudi and her husband Jamal live in Dubai, UAE. In the video, the "poor woman" showed what difficulties and stress she has to face almost every day as a millionaire's wife. The video begins with her lover putting a gold necklace around her neck, even though she already had enough precious jewelry on her. Sudi shared that she spent $500,000 on a week-long vacation in Europe and another $50,000 on luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, and others. After that, her subscribers condemned her to some extent, so she decided to tell them that her life was not so rosy. ADVERTISIMENT However, Suda did not succeed in playing the role of an unfortunate bird in a golden cage. The story about the "problems" of a rich life was more like a show-off. For example, the "poor thing" hates going to restaurants because the waiters serve "too much food" that Sudi has to eat completely in order not to look "picky." The blogger also complains about the fact that she has to regularly visit beauty salons to get her nails, pedicures, hair and makeup done. All for the sake of a flawless and status look. ADVERTISIMENT Sudi also doesn't like that other women show too much attention to her millionaire husband, and she complains that she has to ride in luxury cars in the passenger seat "like a princess." "I wish I had such problems," "Poor thing, let me feel sorry for you," "How do you live like this?", "Too much showing off, don't you think?", "People have everything and still complain," commenters write under the video. As OBOZ.UA previously reported, 23-year-old blogger Linda Andrade, who lives in Dubai with her 27-year-old husband, spends millions of dollars a week on her leisure, shopping, and vacation. The influencer, whose husband is a multimillionaire, does not even spare a thousand dollars for sweets. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! BEIJING , Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Embracing more than 300 guests from around the world, the first Liangzhu Forum had its grand finale in Hangzhou , Zhejiang Province , on Sunday. Beside the main forum on Sunday, my journalistic experience of the event has been sweetened by two sub-events. The first one was crowded with 43 young sinologists from around the globe, while the second one embraced art creators from 83 countries to depict the " China " in their eyes. Sitting side by side with participants from countries such as Poland and Uganda , I was impressed to see overseas sinologists discuss Chinese subjects that were even too profound for locals to understand as well as view global artists' deft paintings on traditional Chinese rice paper, known as xuanzhi. On Friday, the "Dialogue of Young Sinologists in the New Era" agenda was launched. Several topics covering a wide range of areas such as history, philosophy, sociology and media studies about China were discussed. It was interesting to see that most of the experts' opinions about China's development were bundled with topics such as "history and modernity" and "archaeology and nature." Those cross-fielded opinions alerted those in attendance that Chinese civilization has never been purely about "culture." Its evolution has been comprehensive to include all-round progresses, which is why German expert Hannes Wolfgang Reinhard said that "no text can thoroughly explain the complexity of China ." Filippo Costantini , an expert representing Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner country Costa Rica , told the Global Times that thanks to the BRI, Costa Rican locals who could "once only vaguely differentiate between China , Japan and South Korea " have now fallen in love with Chinese culture through co-published books and the China - Costa Rica research center. "Our cooperation is inspiring and needed," Costantini said, adding that he believes ancient Chinese philosophy can still guide our lives today. What makes overseas countries want to collaborate with China? This was the question I pondered after hearing the speeches from the many sinologists in attendance. I was fortunate to be able to find the answer at the forum. It came from Adil Kaukenov, the chief researcher of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, who summed it up as "mutual trust." As an expert contributing to Kazakhstan's strategic development, Kaukenov said that China and Kazakhstan's similar cultures, such as their shared love for naan flatbread, bring the two countries emotionally closer. With China's fast development, " China - Kazakhstan exchanges can even influence the entirety of Central Asia ," he emphasized. "Cultural exchange" may indeed sound abstract, but Albert Kozik, a young Polish sinologist studying Comparative Asian-Western history in Warsaw , said there are many young people who are falling in love with Chinese culture through digital channels. At the venue, there were many visitors taking pictures with their phones. One young visitor from Thailand said that he had visited the nearby Liangzhu Museum and that the "likes" he got on X after posting his photos were "beyond my expectations." "I could not believe how incredible those jade wares were. I think the world needs to see the magic of China ," the Thai visitor said. Other than the sinologist forum, the event Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous was the most impressive part of the entire Liangzhu agenda. The program offers international artists tours of Chinese cities like Hangzhou , Shaoxing and Huzhou, where local art teachers introduce traditional Chinese art forms like landscape paintings and calligraphy. UBUNTUNGUMUNTU, a painting whose title means "I am, because we are" in Ugandan, attracted people's attention during the tour. Ruganzu Bruno. T, the work's artist, added an extra layer of "bark cloth," a type of tree bark indigenous to Uganda , to the painting to symbolize the tombs from the ancient Liangzhu culture. He said that art allowed him to see the connection between China and Africa. "I'm overwhelmed by the whole Liangzhu legacy and cried when looking at Zao Wou-ki's art. I guess that's the power of sharing humanity," Kate, a painter from New Zealand , said when showing me a photo of her new silk work made by using Chinese brooms as a paint brush. The "Liangzhu" in the "Liangzhu Forum" refers to China's more than 5,000-year-old archaeological ruins that have become known for its jade culture. Jade, with its genteel sheen, symbolizes the humble and harmonious nature of Chinese people. There is an interesting saying I grasped at the event to describe the Chinese cultural spirit: "Not a 'king,' just 'jade.'" This is an analogy describing the Chinese people's spirit of seeking harmony instead of hegemony. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-chinese-culture-pursues-not-king-but-jade-302005314.html SOURCE Global Times ST. LOUIS , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The business of Trelltex, Inc., which does business as Texcel, has joined the Harbour Group family of companies, Jeff Fox , Harbour Group's chairman and chief executive officer, announced today. Texcel will operate alongside Harbour's other specialty-flow component businesses, Stainless Hose Fittings (SHF), Omega One , and AMFM. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Texcel is a leading branded supplier of premium quality industrial hoses, fluid sealing and hydraulic products, as well as services. Significant investments in customer service and substantial product line expansions have given the company impressive growth. Founded in 1981 in Houston , Texcel currently operates out of facilities in Texas , Illinois , Delaware , Alabama , and Colorado to serve customers across the country. Mr. Fox commented, " Ed Nasta and his team have built a great business, and this is a transformative partnership for our specialty flow components platform. The combination of Texcel's product offering, high quality standards, and exceptional delivery capabilities with our broad inventory of stainless fittings and adapters creates a unique offering in the fluid power and conveyance world. We couldn't be more excited." Ed Nasta , Texcel's CEO and investor commented, "Texcel has many exciting opportunities on the horizon, and I thought long and hard about who the best partner would be to help us realize those opportunities. The Harbour Group family is a great fit with our organization with respect to culture, a customer-first, highly service-oriented attitude, and a strong desire to invest and grow our businesses to better serve our customers and suppliers, while creating more opportunities for our employees." "Texcel's well recognized and highly respected brand, national distribution footprint, and extensive product offering represent a tremendous value add for our customers," said John Ducharme, CEO of SHF. "I am very impressed by the entire team at Texcel and look forward to working closely with them as we grow our business." About SHF, Omega One , and AMFM SHF, Omega One , and AMFM operate as a unified business platform supplying stainless-steel adapters, fluid power fittings, braid bands, instrumentation fittings, and valves. As a supplier to a variety of end markets, including marine, industrial, chemical, and oil and gas, the company stocks high-quality, hard-to-find parts in metric and imperial sizes. The business is actively pursuing additional acquisition opportunities throughout the fluid power and flow control industries. The business is headquartered in Houston . About Harbour Group Harbour Group is a privately owned operations-focused company based in St. Louis , Missouri. Harbour Group's companies are engaged in manufacturing and distribution across diverse industries, including specialty chemicals, outdoor living products, specialty fittings, remote monitoring solutions, control solutions, LED lighting, flow control, thermal management solutions, boiler systems, professional diagnostic and repair tools, and auxiliary plastic processing equipment. Since its founding in 1976, Harbour Group has acquired 228 companies in 49 different industries. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harbour-group-partners-with-texcel-302006700.html SOURCE Harbour Group Rapidly Growing Vertical Market Software Company Serving Wholesale Retail Commerce Poised to Unlock Meaningful Growth Opportunities Through Further Investments NEW YORK , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hudson Hill Capital ("HHC"), a private investment firm founded by Eric Rosen , today announced a significant majority investment in MarketTime, a SaaS platform that offers a comprehensive set of features to facilitate wholesale retail commerce between brands, manufacturer representatives, agents and retailers. Founded in 2008, MarketTime's software platform provides tools to sales representatives and agencies to automate the wholesale transaction process and has expanded to offer a similar platform to manufacturers. These order management products automate the repeated interactions of buyers and sellers within wholesale retail commerce, replacing paper, pencil, email, and Excel processes. The company also offers configurable branded websites to brands and analytics tools to brands, agencies, and retailers. Chris Happ , Chief Executive Officer of MarketTime, commented, "The MarketTime platform facilitates over $6 billion of wholesale retail commerce. Our technology serves as the backbone of customers' order management processes, automating the workflow of repeated interactions between buyers and sellers. We are excited to partner with the HHC team to enable us to further enhance our product offerings and expand our reach, ultimately providing greater value to our customers." Eric Rosen , Managing Partner of Hudson Hill, said, "This transaction fits well with the HHC approach to investing, helping founder-led businesses inflect their growth through the targeted application of the HHC playbook. We are very excited by MarketTime's offerings and see opportunities to expand the product features of the platform to enhance the customer experience by further automating the wholesale commerce workflow. We look forward to working with Chris and the other senior management members to drive greater customer success, as measured by the total Gross Merchandize Value (GMV) of the customers on our platform." HHC is partnering with two of the firm's Strategic Advisory Board members: Christine Lee and Todd Johnson . Ms. Lee has 35 years of experience in the payments processing sector, most recently serving as CEO of BillingTree through its sale to Repay Holdings. A highly accomplished industry veteran, Ms. Lee served for over a decade on the Electronic Transactions Association Board, including a term as President. Mr. Johnson has more than 25 years of experience working within software companies at the intersection of the consumer retail supply chain. His previous experience includes GM and CCO of Blue Yonder, CEO of DiCentral, President of TrueCommerce, and President of CommerceHub. They serve as members of MarketTime's Board of Directors. "We are excited to work with Chris and Todd who will lead the payments processing capabilities and product / go-to-market efforts, respectively," added Mr. Rosen . "Our Portfolio Transformation Group (PTG) is already working closely with MarketTime's management team to augment the team's efforts across a variety of dimensions." Canaccord Genuity LLC acted as financial advisor, and Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal advisor to MarketTime. Winston & Strawn LLP acted as legal advisor to Hudson Hill. About MarketTime MarketTime is the technology platform of choice for some of the most innovative B2B sales organizations in the world. MarketTime's solutions are the only fully integrated hybrid SaaS and cloud-based applications available to stakeholders anywhere and anytime that fulfill three key needs: making product discovery and ordering easier for buyers; making organizing and sharing information intuitive and secure for sellers; and saving time and money for all ecosystem participants. The company facilitates more than 4 million orders annually for more than 300,000 retailers, with over 350 sales agencies, 7,000 sales representatives, and over 7,000 brands utilizing the platform. To learn more about how MarketTime can help grow your business, visit www.markettime.com or schedule a demo. About Hudson Hill Based in New York, HHC (www.hudsonhillcapital.com) is a private investment firm founded by Eric Rosen , Jason Palmatary , and Alexander Stacy . Departing from the prevailing short-term orientation of the private equity industry, HHC invests with families, entrepreneurs, and management teams who are attracted to patient, long-term capital partners. Hudson Hill invests its own capital alongside like-minded partners in attractive growth-oriented opportunities in industries benefiting from long-term secular growth tailwinds. HHC's industry focus includes the business services, software, and financial services sectors. Media Contact: Chris Tofalli Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC 914-834-4334 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hudson-hill-capital-announces-investment-in-markettime-302003179.html SOURCE Hudson Hill Capital Bipartisan leaders unite: Representative Don Bacon , Senator Kirsten Gillibrand , and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich express grave concern over private contractors rolling back transplant blood test coverage after CMS denies any changes and notable decline in patient testing Reverend Al Sharpton and Al B. Sure! of the Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition and Paul T. Conway of the American Association of Kidney Patients join transplant advocates to fight Medicare rollbacks to non-invasive blood tests that monitor organ health WASHINGTON , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), co-sponsors of the Living Donor Protection Act, Newt Gingrich , former Speaker of the House, Reverend Al Sharpton , civil rights and social justice leader, and Al B. Sure!, universally celebrated recording artist and liver transplant recipient, joined the Honor the Gift coalition and the American Association of Kidney Patient's (AAKP) Chair of Policy and Global Affairs Paul T. Conway , and other leaders in the field for a press conference on Capitol Hill, calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra , and President Joe Biden to stop the current attempt by private contractors to rollback Medicare coverage for innovative molecular blood tests for transplant patients. Transplant patient advocates today made a public plea to the Biden Administration, fearful that their voices have been ignored. The press conference was held at 2:00 pm at the Cannon Caucus room on Capitol Hill. The critical tests at issue help detect organ transplant rejection early and reduce the need for invasive biopsies. For example, many transplant patients receive these sequential blood tests post-transplant to monitor their transplanted organ. The results of each blood test can provide a potential early warning of organ transplant rejection and injury before other indicators. "These innovative molecular tests are an indispensable tool in post-transplant care, aimed at reducing the number of recipients who lose their organs and return to the waitlist. There are over 100,000 patients waiting for a new organ and these policy changes have the potential to increase the nationwide organ shortage," said Bill Ryan , President, and CEO of the Transplant Life Foundation and a founding member of the Honor the Gift coalition. "The transplant community is outraged by the Medicare rollbacks made in March and the subsequent restrictions proposed in the latest coverage guidance, as they limit doctors' ability to effectively monitor their patients' health using these vital tests." In March 2023 private contractors, including Palmetto GBA and its MolDX program and Noridian, announced significant new coverage restrictions that have sharply impacted access to this important testing for thousands of Medicare beneficiary patients. Especially troubling is that some of these patients who have not received testing may unknowingly be suffering from asymptomatic organ transplant rejection. Among other restrictions, Medicare will now only cover the blood test for the surveillance of organ health if the doctor would have otherwise performed an invasive biopsy. This means patients may have to depend on invasive biopsies or wait until their body shows signs of rejection, which is often too late to intervene. Yet, CMS said in a recent statement that "neither CMS nor the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) have made changes that affect patients' ability to have blood tests used to monitor for organ transplantation rejection covered when ordered by their physicians in medically appropriate circumstances." The Honor the Gift coalition and its allies, such as AAKP and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), find this statement inaccurate and contradicted by patients and physicians. The changes announced on March 2, 2023 , have alarmed transplant patients and clinicians across the nation, followed by an apparent decline in physician ordering of these vital blood tests. "CMS' rogue contractor alleges `overutilization of these tests', but an increase in utilization is a natural part of the innovation life cycle. As a brother of two immunocompromised siblings and an in-law living with transplants, I'm thankful that a positive outcome of the pandemic was the accelerated adoption of these testsmany of which can be done from home. A hospital treating patients with COVID-19 is the last place I wanted my siblings to be," said Newt Gingrich , former Speaker of the House, who recently published an op-ed about Medicare gaslighting patients. "Rolling back coverage of this surveillance test can have deadly consequences and the Administration needs to stop letting this private company put their profits over patient health." Today, transplant patients and clinician groups are making two simple requests of President Biden and HHS Secretary Becerra: 1) Cancel or "rescind" the March policy changes, and 2) STOP all ongoing attempts to change Medicare coverage from the 2021 policy, which did not tie Medicare coverage of surveillance/routine molecular blood tests to biopsies. Representative Don Bacon , who previously signed a bipartisan letter to CMS about this issue shared: "By eliminating monitoring and testing post-transplant, the risk for organ rejection increases significantly. It is disappointing that private contractors have made the decision to restrict coverage and implement restrictions that impact patient's lives." Reverend Al Sharpton , who has a life-long history of defending the rights of the poor and underserved communities as founder of one of the nation's largest civil rights organizations, put it simply: "Black, Hispanic, Latino, and underserved communities were given a lifeline with these non-invasive tests. That was taken away in March 2023 , when a private company decided Medicare would no longer cover this life-saving measure for transplant recipients, who overwhelmingly come from these communities. It's time we reverse this decision and allow transplant recipients to have access to more and better tools not less." Al B. Sure!, a liver transplant recipient, and Executive Chairman of newly formed Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition, added: "I am saddened by the impact this is having on underserved communities who are disproportionately impacted by organ failure. Black, Hispanic and Latino Americans represent 40 percent of transplants in the U.S. well above the 32 percent of the general U.S. population. It makes no sense to take away Medicare coverage for these underserved transplant recipients who can take these modern blood tests at home. Rather than tying Medicare to an invasive biopsy that might require expensive travel, time off work for their patient and caregiver, and surgery in a hospital." U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said: "Every organ that goes to a patient in need is a precious gift that we should protect vigilantly. The organ shortage in our country is a crisisevery day 17 people die waiting for an organ. If we don't prioritize policies to ensure access to transplants and optimal post-transplant care, we are failing patients. In addition to protecting patients' access to care, it is important to ensure that we are removing barriers for living organ donors. I am proud to have introduced by bipartisan Living Donor Protection Act, which would ensure that individuals who are willing to save someone's life through organ donation can do so without worrying that they'll face harsh repercussions, like insurance discrimination or job loss." Transplantation is a lifesaving treatment for patients experiencing end-stage organ failure. Unfortunately, in the five years following a transplant, 50 percent of lung transplants and 33 percent of heart transplants fail. And for kidney transplant patients, about half of all deceased-donor transplanted kidneys will fail within 10 years. These outcomes are most commonly due to rejection by the recipient's immune system a lifelong concern that recipients manage by taking immunosuppressive medications that increase the risk of infection and cancer. By ensuring consistent access to post-transplant surveillance diagnostic testing, healthcare providers can promptly identify and address organ rejection and personalize immunosuppression drug levels, potentially reducing the recurrence of patients on the organ waitlist and increasing patients' quality of life. For Medicare the yearly cost to care for a kidney transplant patient is less than half the cost of caring for a patient on dialysis. "When the coverage changes were issued in March, the lack of clarity around what providers should do created a 'chilling effect,' that led many to cancel surveillance tests for fear of noncompliance," said Steven Potter , MD, Professor of Surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine. "For example, once the Medicare coverage guidance was made, I know some kidney transplant centers went from doing seven surveillance tests in the first-year post-transplant and three to four tests per year in the following years, to only doing two in the first year and none in the following years." Eddie Garcia , a heart transplant patient based in San Jose, CA shared his personal journey during the press conference: "As a transplant recipient, I am appalled that the government would restrict access to critical blood tests that literally saved my life. A year after my transplant, I was feeling great but the diagnostic blood test I received for surveillance alerted my care team that I had early signs of organ rejection. Thankfully, my doctors were able to quickly intervene and there was minimal damage to my heart. Under the proposed coverage changes, I would not have had access to the test that detected rejection for me in 2021 and most likely not be here today." In August and September, private contractors allowed for a public comment process on a proposed coverage determination, which includes the same limitations as the March billing change. The process gave minimal time to provide feedback and the private contractor indicated that they would not be required to consider comments that address coverage changes 'only comments pertaining to the changes made for clarity' would be considered. During the open comment period, MACs heard from deeply concerned physicians and patients who have not received their regularly schedule tests and fear for their lives. Now, as Medicare reviews the comment and determines the final decision on coverage, the transplant community is fearful their voices have been ignored and are making a public plea to the Administration. Paul T. Conway , a 26-year kidney transplant recipient and Chair of Policy and Global Affairs for AAKP, stated, "This reckless CMS policy change in access to organ transplant surveillance blood tests exemplifies Government Determinants of Health instances when federal health agencies knowingly take actions that disrupt and negatively impact Americans that they have a duty to serve. Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra should immediately intervene, demonstrate compassionate leadership, and restore access to these critical blood tests to the same levels that existed in 2021. Anything short of renewed access, without new CMS-imposed barriers, undermines the bipartisan national effort to reduce the organ waiting list by preventing avoidable organ rejections and the need for re-transplantation. AAKP is working closely with allies to win this fight and protect people whose transplants and lives have been placed in jeopardy by an unaccountable CMS contractor." Since 2017, AAKP has conducted the largest, non-partisan voter registration program in the kidney community, KidneyVoters. Alexander Johnson , President of Patient and Testing Services at CareDx, a leader in the field providing the molecular transplant tests, said, "Medicare beneficiaries have lost critical access to post-transplant care. These innovative tests can give doctors indications of organ rejection months earlier than older methods, which gives them more time to intervene. Organ rejection is often non-reversable once it starts and patients have no time to waste; time is tissue. The time is now to rollback these cuts." Many leading voices have spoken out on this issue since March. Additionally, letters have poured in, including from leading national professional transplant medical associations the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the American Society of Transplantation, and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. The issue has also gained national attention in Wall Street Journal editorials published on September 10 , 22, and 26, calling out this decision and the need for further transparency. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hundreds-of-transplant-patients-physicians-and-health-equity-advocates-join-honor-the-gift-rally-on-capitol-hill-to-implore-president-biden-and-hhs-secretary-becerra-to-immediately-restore-medicare-coverage-of-critical-blood-tes-302006372.html SOURCE Honor the Gift Oqtant Will Enable New Quantum Discoveries, Product Development and Technology Innovation Through an Easily Accessible Cloud Platform AUSTIN, Texas , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Infleqtion, the world's leading quantum information company, proudly announces the launch of Oqtant , the world's first quantum innovation platform as a service that provides groundbreaking access to quantum matter for researchers, innovators, and students working on next-generation quantum applications. Oqtant will be used to build more powerful and versatile solutions for new and better sensors, atomtronic circuits, and signal processing, providing the next leap in technology innovation. With access to quantum matter typically out of reach to many, Oqtant will fundamentally democratize quantum discovery and invention. Oqtant provides the core capabilities to create and manipulate matter, anywhere, anytime, by anyone with internet access. Oqtant provides an unprecedented path to innovation through ultracold atom quantum technology; a path that begins by allowing users to create and interact with Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), a unique state of matter where quantum effects command the collective behavior of a myriad of atoms. Oqtant represents a leap forward, enabling users to directly create, manipulate, and study quantum phenomena previously inaccessible outside of specialized research institutions. Users can seamlessly explore and unlock unparalleled insights into the rich world of quantum physics and technology. BECs are the hallmark of the quantum world, as atoms in this state exhibit remarkable properties that do not exist in the classical world. "For the first time everyone now has the tools to interact and harness the building blocks of our universe at their fingertips, putting us on the precipice of a new age of discovery and exploration," said Dana Anderson , Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Infleqtion. "BECs provide the doorway to the quantum era, they are as fundamental to quantum innovation as electrons are to electronics innovation. Harnessing quantum matter opens a realm of possibilities and solutions that were previously unimaginable. As we accelerate the adoption of quantum technology, we unlock the potential to transform the world, empowering innovators to address the most pressing challenges we face leveraging the quantum advantage." "This is a historic moment for the industry. Oqtant is a critical capability for quantum innovation, research, and education," said Anjul Loiacono , Vice President of Quantum Matter Platforms at Infleqtion. "We know that quantum technology will bring about new levels of precision, greater resolution, more capable signal processing and AI-enabled quantum applications. To realize this potential, we need to expand access to the fundamental building blocks of our quantum future for innovators and give hands-on experiences to the next generation quantum workforce." Key features and benefits of Oqtant include: Ease of Use: Oqtant offers a user-friendly web application and Python API, making quantum exploration accessible to users of all experience levels. Oqtant offers a user-friendly web application and Python API, making quantum exploration accessible to users of all experience levels. Educational Enhancement: Oqtant facilitates the integration of quantum mechanics and quantum research fundamentals into academic curricula, empowering the next generation of quantum innovators. Oqtant facilitates the integration of quantum mechanics and quantum research fundamentals into academic curricula, empowering the next generation of quantum innovators. Cost-Efficiency and Time Savings: Oqtant accelerates time-to-value for researchers and reduces costs associated with experimental quantum studies by eliminating the need for complex, expensive laboratory setups. Oqtant accelerates time-to-value for researchers and reduces costs associated with experimental quantum studies by eliminating the need for complex, expensive laboratory setups. Powerful Controls and Functionality: Oqtant provides a flexible set of controls, allowing users to program time-varying optical fields, fine-tune experiments, and efficiently manage and analyze data. "We are very excited to have access to Oqtant. Oqtant allows us to further our research and advance the education of our students working with next-generation ultracold atom technology," said Dr. Carrie Weidner , Lecturer in Quantum Engineering, University of Bristol. "Having remote access to a BEC system will expand our capability to explore quantum physics while building students' skills and confidence much more quickly than we can do on our own." Oqtant will serve the research and educational communities while playing a pivotal role in the commercial quantum sensor design and development market, providing essential tools to quantum-era innovators. Oqtant was selected as one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2022 and the 2022 Prism Awards Winner in Quantum . Learn more at Q2B 2023 Silicon Valley this week by attending " Making Quantum Matter " on Wednesday, December 6th , where Paul Lipman , our Chief Commercial Officer, will present an overview of Oqtant. For a hands-on experience, visit our booth, #D4, where you can interact and explore with Oqtant or embark on your quantum matter journey at oqtant.infleqtion.com . About Infleqtion Infleqtion delivers high-value quantum information precisely where it is needed. By operating at the Edge, our software-configured, quantum-enabled products deliver unmatched levels of precision and power, generating streams of high-value information for commercial organizations, the United States , and allied governments. With 16 years of ColdQuanta's pioneering quantum research as our foundation, our hardware products and AI-powered solutions address critical market needs in positioning, navigating and timing, global communication security and efficiency, resilient energy distribution, and accelerated quantum computing. With offices in Austin, TX ; Boulder, CO ; Chicago, IL ; Madison, WI ; Melbourne , AU; and Oxford, UK . Learn how Infleqtion is revolutionizing how we communicate, navigate, and discover at www.Infleqtion.com and connect with us on LinkedIn. Press Contact: Sarah Schupp 7205099215 https://www.infleqtion.com/contact View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/infleqtion-launches-oqtant-the-worlds-first-quantum-matter-service-to-accelerate-the-transition-to-the-quantum-era-302006303.html SOURCE Infleqtion Investment supports resources to increase access to voting in communities of color DENVER , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust today announced $3.55 million in civic engagement grants. The grantees were chosen for their work focusing on increasing voter access in communities of color, with an emphasis on voter registration and education. Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust gives $3.55 million in grants to increase voter access in communities of color Rob Katz , former CEO and executive chairperson of the board of Vail Resorts, and his wife, Elana Amsterdam , New York Times bestselling author and founder of Elana's Pantry, launched the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust in 2017 and the Katz Amsterdam Foundation in 2018 to be a catalyst for eliminating inequities, increasing access to opportunity and improving outcomes for all. "We are committed to funding organizations that help close racial gaps in voter participation, so we can move towards the promise of a multiracial and inclusive democracy," said Rob Katz . "These civic engagement grants are focused on increasing voter participation to help build community power and address the concerted voter suppression tactics that threaten to destabilize the foundation of our democracy." This is the eighth year Katz Amsterdam has awarded grants, with aggregate funding over the years totaling more than $56 million . Grants support not only civic engagement to help realize a multiracial democracy, but previous funding focused on improving community-developed behavioral health services for communities of color and reproductive justice. The 2023 civic engagement grantees are: Arizona One Arizona $200,000 Brings together partners to strategize, share resources, build progressive infrastructure and support civic engagement goals. Arizona Native Vote $150,000 Increases voter registration and civic engagement by educating rural and tribal communities about voter registration, elections, government and voting rights. Arizona Center for Empowerment $100,000 Builds sustainable voter registration, voter education and mutual aid programs for Latine and BIPOC communities. Black Phoenix Organizing Collective $100,000 Builds Black power through political education and leadership development, policy advocacy and civic engagement strategies that create strong, independent and self-reliant communities. North Carolina Blueprint North Carolina $200,000 Convenes 41 organizations to provide training and resource sharing to advocate for their communities and advance equity and social justice. Southern Coalition for Social Justice $200,000 Supports marginalized communities in fighting for their right to responsive representation by protecting free and fair elections. Imagine NC First $150,000 . initiates, cultivates and funds strategic efforts to promote civic participation among underserved communities in North Carolina . North Carolina Asian Americans Together $200,000 Fosters community among Asian Americans and allies in North Carolina through civic engagement, leadership development, grassroots mobilization and political participation. We Are Down Home $250,000 Impacts community change by increasing voter registration in rural communities of color and addressing the disinformation and voter disenfranchisement. Nevada Silver State Voices $200,000 Creates a more robust democracy by increasing civic participation, fostering collaboration among diverse entities and employing new tools and technology to equalize access and representation. Asian Community Development Council $200,000 Promotes, fosters, advocates and champions Asian American and Pacific Islander populations in Nevada with an emphasis on civic engagement. Make It Work NV $250,000 Shifts the landscape of our community through advocacy and education to support the long-term health and vitality of Black families. Make The Road $250,000 Increases voter participation within BIPOC communities in Nevada . National Voter Formation Project $200,000 Increases participation in elections using innovative and data-driven digital communications strategies to engage, register and mobilize new and infrequent voters of color. Entertain Impact $100,000 Elevates civic engagement through voter registration of previously disenfranchised populations. Movement Voter Project $200,000 Builds progressive power at all levels of government by strengthening the best and most promising local community-based organizations in key states, with a focus on youth and communities of color. Mi Familia Vota $200,000 Builds Latino political power by expanding the electorate and strengthening local infrastructures through year-round voter engagement. State Leadership Project $200,000 Incentivizes meaningful, long-term investment in structures, organizations and leaders in states across the country, with a focus on election protection, combatting misinformation and voter education. All Voting Is Local $200,000 Removes discriminatory barriers to voting by tackling problems before they silence voters on Election Day . About the Katz Amsterdam Foundation The Katz Amsterdam Foundation strives to be a catalyst for eliminating barriers to health, increasing access to opportunity, and improving outcomes for all. The Foundation believes that everyone benefits from living in healthy and cohesive communities, but access to these benefits is unequal. KAF works in partnership with communities to advance just and equitable approaches to accessing mental, behavioral and reproductive health care and protect civil rights by increasing civic engagement and participation in a multiracial democracy. The Foundation does this work by addressing systemic injustice, racial and social disparities in mental health, reproductive health and civic engagement. KAF's priority is to support community-driven work that meaningfully improves the lives of individuals and the social well-being of our communities. For more information, visit www.katzamsterdam.org. Media Contact: Barb Jones GFM|CenterTable M: 303-765-4751 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/katz-amsterdam-charitable-trust-awards-3-55m-in-civic-engagement-grants-to-19-organizations-302006354.html SOURCE Katz Amsterdam Foundation Local Labatt Team takes over The Rink at Campus Martius Park as a 'thank you' to Detroit beer fans DETROIT , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan -based Labatt team will host a FREE skate night for beer fans dubbed "Labatt on Ice" on Thursday, Dec. 14 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. In partnership with Downtown Detroit , Labatt bought out The Rink at Campus Martius Park , and invites fans who are 21 years or older to join in for an evening of free skating, holiday cheer and ice-cold Labatt. To thank local beers drinkers for making Michigan a top market for Labatt, "Labatt on Ice" covers guests* admission and skate rentals and even offers up some Labatt swag throughout the evening. Skating will be available on a first come first served basis for up to 300 guests. Guests must be 21+ to participate. "Many people here in Detroit and throughout Michigan have really embraced Labatt, making it one of our top markets in the U.S. ," said Jason Folaron , brand director for Labatt. "To say thank you during the holiday season, we encourage our 21+ fans to round up their crew and enjoy a night on the ice, on Labatt. Don't forget your I.D.!" EVENT DETAILS Date: Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 Time: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Location: The Rink at Campus Martius Park - 800 Woodward Ave. , Detroit, MI 48226 "The Downtown Detroit Partnership is excited to partner with Labatt for this special skate party on the Rink at Campus Martius Park ," said Soula Burns , director of corporate partnerships for the Downtown Detroit Partnership. "Our mission to continue connecting people, places and parks is strengthened by an incredible network of diverse partnerships, and we are grateful to include Labatt as one of those valued partners." *Skating available on a first come first served basis, for up to 300 attendees. Must be 21+ to participate. Valid I.D. required for entry. Valid only 12/14/23. Always enjoy responsibly. CONTACT: Correna Dolce [email protected] 585-329-2961 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/labatt-hosts-free-21-skate-night-in-the-heart-of-downtown-detroit-302004876.html SOURCE Labatt USA $2.3 Billion credit union cites CFS' investment program experience, technology and service for renewal SAN DIEGO and HONOLULU , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS), a subsidiary of Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc. (Atria) is pleased to announce the renewal of its partnership with HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union (HawaiiUSA). Established in 1936, HawaiiUSA serves more than 134,000 members with more than $2.3 billion in assets. A partner with CFS for 20 years, HawaiiUSA is the largest credit union in Hawaii . Greg Young , President and CEO at HawaiiUSA, said "We are grateful for the relationship we have with CFS. The engagement and attention we have received over the years has empowered our team and resulted in a successful program. Through CFS, we can provide our financial professionals with innovative tools, exceptional service and the technology they need to support our members' goals." CFS delivers an integrated approach to holistic wealth management advice through industry leading expertise, innovative technology and premium support and services. CFS' solutions such as Unio, produce measurable efficiencies and insights for financial professionals as to how to create exceptional member experiences and grow their practices. In addition to a leading advisor platform, financial professionals introduce Clear1, providing members with a range of benefits, including customizable portfolio displays, insights into their accounts, a secure document repository, one-click access to their financial professionals, and more. Importantly, Clear1 is seamlessly integrated within the home banking interface and aligns with HawaiiUSA's branding, providing members with easy access to information and their investment and credit union accounts. "We're proud of our partnership with HawaiiUSA and look forward to contributing to their success for many years to come. With nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, we don't just promise personalized support, we deliver it. We pride ourselves on being available to our clients to guide them through all challenges and opportunities, and through our innovative solutions such as Unio and Clear1, credit unions like HawaiiUSA, operate efficiently and effectively, while focusing on what really matters, deepening the relationship between members and financial professionals. We are grateful for HawaiiUSA's confidence in our abilities and the potential we have to achieve shared goals." said Kevin Mummau , Co-Head of Atria's Financial Institution channel. About CUSO Financial Services, L.P. CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS) and Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC (SPF) are full-service broker-dealers, investment advisors and subsidiaries of Atria Wealth Solutions with over $40 billion in assets under administration. Established in 1997, CFS and SPF specialize in placing, supporting and providing customized wealth management solutions to over 200 banks and credit unions by delivering a sophisticated set of tools, services and capabilities for wealth management programs. For more information about CFS, SPF and Atria Wealth Solutions, visit atriawealth.com. About HawaiiUSA HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union is Hawaii's largest credit union. Serving individuals and businesses through 14 branch locations statewide and convenient online services, HawaiiUSA is dedicated to the financial wellness of more than 134,000 members. As a nationally and locally acclaimed, award-winning credit union, HawaiiUSA is a driving force in the community as a leader and visionary around sustainable financial health for individuals and businesses, understanding that their success contributes to a thriving community. Originally opened in 1936 as a credit union for educators, for nearly 90 years HawaiiUSA has inspired a culture of giving that is rooted in education and has since expanded to other areas of community need that impact financial health including healthcare, housing, and hunger. To learn more, please visit https://www.hawaiiusafcu.com/ . CONTACT INFORMATION Haven Tower Group Julian Arenzon (424) 317-4861 jarenzon@haventower.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/largest-credit-union-in-hawaii-renews-partnership-with-cuso-financial-services-302003137.html SOURCE CUSO Financial Services, L.P. CANTON, Ohio , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty HealthShare's Canton employees helped spread Christmas cheer to brighten the holidays for the less fortunate in the community. Liberty HealthShare's employees helped spread Christmas cheer to brighten the holidays for the less fortunate. The ministry, one of the country's leading Christian healthsharing organizations, arranged recent donations for Canton's Refuge of Hope Ministries and Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child. "Liberty HealthShare is based on the biblical principle of supporting one another in times of need," said Pastor Wes Humble , executive director of ministry, community relations, and events. "While we do that every day with our members' healthcare needs, we apply the same principle to those in our own community and beyond who are in need of the essentials for life." The ministry's Member and Provider Services team held a clothing drive to support the mission of the Refuge of Hope, which provides shelter, meals, clothing, and essential healthcare services to those who face poverty and homelessness in Canton . The donations for Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child program reaches outside of the Canton community to provide shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items for children in more than 170 countries and territories around the world. Liberty HealthShare is a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable Christian medical cost-sharing ministry focused on members helping each other in times of need. The faith-based program, which facilitates healthsharing for its members, is a caring community of health-conscious individuals and families who choose to support one another and agree to the Christian values of stewardship to make healthcare affordable for all. As it is not insurance, Liberty HealthShare enrollment is available year-round with no requirement for special life events to qualify. For more information about its healthcare sharing programs visit libertyhealthshare.org or call (855) 585-4237. Liberty HealthShare is not an insurance company nor is it offered through an insurance company. Liberty HealthShare's Sharing Programs do not guarantee or promise that a member's medical bills will be paid or assigned to others for payment. Whether anyone chooses to pay a member's medical bills will be totally voluntary. As such, Liberty HealthShare's Sharing Programs should never be considered as a substitute for an insurance policy. Whether a member receives any payments for medical expenses and whether or not Liberty HealthShare continues to operate, the member is always liable for any unpaid bills. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/liberty-healthshare-employees-spread-christmas-cheer-302006397.html SOURCE Liberty HealthShare GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Residents of Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood and surrounding areas will soon have more convenient access to fresh, high-quality food at low prices once Fairfax Market , the new neighborhood market by Meijer at 2190 E. 105th St., opens on Jan. 16, 2024 . The new 40,000-square-foot market is part of a mixed-use neighborhood revitalization project being developed in partnership with the City of Cleveland , Cleveland Clinic, the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation and Fairmount Properties. Located in the Cleveland Innovation District , Fairfax Market will contribute to creating a healthier community by addressing food insecurity, supporting economic development, and providing a new grocery shopping destination for customers from Fairfax and other nearby neighborhoods, as well as those who work in the neighborhood. " Fairfax Market is committed to being more than just a new store. We will be an involved partner, investing in the community and supporting local businesses," Fairfax Market Store Director Alan Jordan said. "We look forward to providing convenient access to fresh, quality food and other necessities at good prices, and we can't wait to welcome our neighbors into the store next month." Fairfax Market will feature a large assortment of products, including fresh meat and deli items, fresh produce, a bakery, and Meijer and national brand items. It also will carry more than 2,000 local products, including Cleveland Cold Brew Coffee , Micah's Supreme Sauce, PUR Spices, Akron Honey, Lemon Waves and beauty care products from Catlin Naturals. Additionally, the market will feature: A floral and gift shop, featuring PaperCutz Vintage greeting cards and posters with paper flowers from Love, Anji. An impressive assortment of local beers and wines. Health and beauty care products from local and black, women-owned businesses from the Fairfax neighborhood and Cleveland. A 104-foot international section, featuring products from around the globe alongside vendors from Cleveland. A 54-seat cafe space, featuring coffee and sandwiches from Saucy Coffee and sushi from Hissho Sushi. The store will employ approximately 50 team members who will earn competitive wages and have access to health and free education benefits and a 401(k) program with a company match. The effort to bring a grocery market to the Fairfax neighborhood began with a community conversation among Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic , M.D., Cleveland City Council President and Ward 6 Councilman Blaine A. Griffin , and Fairfax residents. Meijer, a Midwest-based, family-owned, regional retailer previously opened four smaller stores to serve neighborhoods in Grand Rapids , Lansing , Royal Oak and Detroit, Mich. Meijer became the grocer partner of choice for the project after neighborhood leaders visited one of its small-format stores and saw the positive impact it was having on its community. Fairfax Market is the retailer's first small-format neighborhood market outside of Michigan . The store's regular hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. About Fairfax Market Fairfax Market is a neighborhood grocery store operated by Meijer that focuses on bringing fresh food and value to customers in a market-like setting. Located in the Cleveland Innovation District , Fairfax Market is part of a mixed-use neighborhood revitalization project being developed in partnership with the City of Cleveland , Cleveland Clinic, the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation and Fairmount Properties. Fairfax Market will provide residents and businesses alike access to fresh food and easily accessible convenience items in a one-of-a-kind store. For more information, please visit www.FairfaxMarket.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meijer-to-open-fairfax-market-in-cleveland-on-jan-16-302006226.html SOURCE Meijer The famous Ukrainian actress Ada Rogovtseva shared her memories of meeting and communicating with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The legend of Ukrainian theater and cinema does not hide her admiration for the experience, path, decisions and heroism of the "Iron General". ADVERTISIMENT In particular, the People's Artist recalled that it was due to the efforts of the Commander-in-Chief that the legendary commander of the 1st Assault Company of the DUK, Dmytro Kotsiubailo, known by his call sign Da Vinci, was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine even before his unit joined the Armed Forces. Ada shared her thoughts about Zaluzhnyi, as well as a photo with him, on her personal Instagram page. "I am grateful to fate for giving me personal communication with Valerii Zaluzhnyi before his name became familiar to every Ukrainian and known all over the world. And the first thing I learned about Valerii is that he is a man of his word," the actress began her story. ADVERTISIMENT The 86-year-old star admitted that she will always remember the general's meeting with the then living Da Vinci warrior on the stage of the October Palace, when Valerii personally came to congratulate him and pin the Golden Star of the Hero on Dmytro's tunic. "This award, on the eve of the invasion in December '21, gave inspiration to all volunteers, as they felt the army's respect for the volunteer movement... Among my friends who joined the army in 2014, there are those who had to serve in units commanded by Valerii. From their stories, I was convinced of what I saw myself: highly educated, professional, humane, courageous, completely devoted to the military cause, loyal to Ukraine. Zaluzhnyi became the personification of his army and his time," Rogovtseva said. ADVERTISIMENT Ada also emphasized the knowledge and experience of the Commander-in-Chief, emphasizing that he has all the degrees of military education behind him, "all with honors." The artist does not rule out that life was preparing Zaluzhnyi for the fact that it was under his command that the Ukrainian army finally gave a powerful rebuff to the Russian invader. "All levels of military service - from cadet to commander-in-chief - have added invaluable experience. He is engaged in his life's work and has achieved world recognition in it, stopping the Russian army, as if fate itself was preparing him to save Ukraine in times of the most difficult trials. We are lucky to have Zaluzhnyi at the head of the army at this historic time. The general's unquestioned authority among the military is one of the pillars of our resistance and resilience," the actress summarized. ADVERTISIMENT It should be noted that this is not the first time Ada Rogovtseva has spoken about or addressed Zaluzhny on her social media. Earlier, she showed a joint black-and-white photo with the general and addressed the hero with encouraging words. As OBOZ.UA wrote earlier, Ada Rogovtseva recalled her trip to Avdiivka, Donetsk region, five years ago. Today, the city is under daily terrorist shelling and is one of the hottest spots on the frontline. Russian occupants are conducting assaults to surround the town. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! As accessible luxury jewelry brand grows its international presence, Constructor's platform will help create digital experiences that shine SAN FRANCISCO and NORFOLK, U.K. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading demi-fine jewelry brand Monica Vinader has selected Constructor , an AI-powered product discovery and search platform, to engage online shoppers with bespoke digital experiences. Constructor's platform supports Monica Vinader's continued and rapid international growth, and will empower monicavinader.com shoppers to easily discover the everyday fine jewelry items that reflect their own personal style. A leader in the accessible luxury jewelry market, Monica Vinader designs sustainable jewelry that celebrates individuality and " makes you feel like the best version of you ." Shoppers can purchase the brand's pieces and collections through the Monica Vinader website; in global luxury retailers such as Selfridges, Liberty, John Lewis, FARFETCH and Nordstrom; and in Monica Vinader boutiques across the U.K. , U.S. , Singapore , Hong Kong and South Korea . As the British jewelry brand continues to significantly grow its customer base, particularly across the U.S. and Asia-Pacific , it has prioritized enhancing the digital customer experience. Constructor's platform supports this: harmonizing data across a brand's channels to personalize search results, browse experiences and more for the shopper while also optimizing experiences for retail key performance indicators (KPIs). In addition to this, Constructor will give Monica Vinader's merchandisers and business users actionable insights into how the decisions they make (e.g., slotting a product at the top of results or boosting up higher-margin products) affect the site's metrics as a whole. Constructor's AI-based platform will also give Monica Vinader's ecommerce team valuable time back in their days by dynamically assembling landing pages that cater to the tastes of each individual shopper, and by automating time-consuming manual tasks, such as detecting synonyms and adjusting for typos in online search. As the partnership kicks off, Monica Vinader will tap Constructor's solutions for search , browse , collections , and merchant controls and intelligence . "The luxury jewelry and experiences we provide extend, of course, to online interactions," said Kunal Damani , Chief Operating Officer, Monica Vinader. "With a wide array of unique and timeless pieces, and a commitment to honoring individuality, we want to ensure that each customer can easily discover what's most attractive and meaningful to them. Constructor lets us do all this while saving our merchandisers time and feeding back valuable insights that further our strategic growth." Eli Finkelshteyn , CEO of Constructor, said: "We're thrilled to be working with the team at Monica Vinader. Forward-looking brands like Monica Vinader differentiate based on customer experience and are increasingly tapping technology to do so. With our platform, we help brands show shoppers items they'll love, while empowering merchandisers and business users to curate experiences where they see fit and giving them feedback on their work. We strive to help companies build and deepen trusted relationships with their customers, and enable superior digital clienteling, and we're really excited to get to work with Monica Vinader on this." About Constructor Constructor is the only product discovery and search platform tailor-made for enterprise ecommerce where conversions matter. Constructor's cloud-based solutions use natural language processing, machine learning-enhanced results ranking and collaborative personalization to deliver powerful user experiences across all facets of product discovery. Optimizing specifically for ecommerce metrics like revenue, conversion rate and profit, Constructor generates consistent $10M+ lifts for some of the biggest brands in B2C and B2B ecommerce, such as Sephora, Petco, Birkenstock, Very Group, home24, Bonobos and Fisheries Supply. Constructor is a U.S. -based company that was founded in 2015 by Eli Finkelshteyn and Dan McCormick . For more, visit: constructor.io . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/monica-vinader-selects-constructor-to-personalize-online-product-discovery-and-deliver-key-intelligence-to-merchandisers-302005295.html SOURCE Constructor Leading imagery intelligence provider strengthens and complements insurance solution with acquisition SALT LAKE CITY , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearmap, one of the world's largest location intelligence and aerial imagery solutions providers, has signed an agreement to acquire Betterview, a leading property intelligence and risk management platform in the insurance industry. Founded in Australia in 2007, Nearmap expanded operations into the U.S. in 2014 to help companies better visualize the truth on the ground to make more informed business decisions. Today's announcement marks a significant milestone in the advancement of the Nearmap global growth strategy. This will reinforce the company's position as a leading source of imagery intelligence, data and solutions, and expand and complement its expertise and capabilities for insurance customers and partners. "The Nearmap acquisition of Betterview is transformative for the industry," said Andy Watt , CEO of Nearmap. "Integrating the Betterview platform and AI solutions into the Nearmap technology stack will enable better visualization of the truth on the ground with a richer, more powerful set of AI capabilities that combine the best of both companies. This is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to innovate solutions for insurance carriers, and expand our presence within the property and casualty space." Betterview is an established and trusted source of property intelligence and risk management for the insurance industry, applying artificial intelligence and computer vision to help identify and mitigate property risk, improve and automate underwriting and inspection workflows, and provide a more productive, seamless customer experience. "Combining the offerings of two best-in-class providers will deliver greater impact for insurers," said Betterview Co-Founder and CEO David Lyman . "The acquisition of Betterview by Nearmap will increase access to premium imagery and cutting-edge, scalable property intelligence solutions for the insurance industry." "We are optimistic about the outcomes this acquisition will bring to our customers, the potential for developing even greater products together, and the impact it will have on the future of the insurance industry," said Betterview Co-Founder and COO Dave Tobias . Nearmap and Betterview will harness the power of the leading image intelligence and property risk-management technology solutions including a historical archive for change analysis, comprehensive post-catastrophe imagery, and AI attributes to provide customers and partners with greater certainty and clarity, through: More efficient development of insurance solutions and capabilities Faster and more accurate underwriting, property condition identification, and overall mitigation of risk Enhanced visualization and interpretation of over 100 AI-powered property attributes Deeper analytics, with more recency, and regularity through insights easily accessible within a browser, via API or business intelligence tools, or seamlessly integrated with existing underwriting or claims core systems From imagery to insights to answers, this acquisition aligns with the Nearmap long-term global vision to be the source of truth that shapes our livable world. Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Jefferies served as exclusive financial advisor to Betterview. About Nearmap Nearmap provides easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, AI data sets, and geospatial tools. Using its own patented camera systems and processing software, Nearmap captures wide-scale urban areas in the United States , Canada , Australia, and New Zealand several times each year, making current content instantly available in the cloud via web app or API integration. Every day, Nearmap helps thousands of users conduct virtual site visits for deep, data-driven insightsenabling informed decisions, streamlined operations, and better financial performance. Founded in Australia in 2007, Nearmap is one of the largest aerial survey companies in the world. For more information, please visit www.nearmap.com . About Betterview Betterview is the Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solution the insurance industry depends on to identify and mitigate property risk, improve underwriting and inspection efficiency, and build a more transparent customer experience. Applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computer vision to aerial imagery and geospatial data, Betterview generates the most accurate property information insurers trust to automate pricing, underwriting, and renewals while focusing strategic action on critical properties, helping transform property insurance from Repair and Replace to Predict and Prevent. For more information, please visit www.betterview.com . PR Contact Taylor Cenicola [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nearmap-announces-agreement-to-acquire-betterview-a-complementary-property-intelligence-and-risk-management-platform-302006721.html SOURCE Nearmap PARAMUS, N.J. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WG Critical Care (WGCC), LLC., a leading pharmaceutical company invested in delivering products that enhance patient safety and workflow efficiency for hospital pharmacies, is proud to introduce the first and only FDA-approved 2-gram vial of Meropenem for Injection, USP. First and Only FDA approved 2-gram Meropenem Vial Compatible with ad-mixing systems enables storing in automated dispensing cabinets Reduced risk of error with less handling enhances patient safety Meropenem is the sixth largest generic anti-infective product in unit volume in hospital and alternate site settings. According to a 2022 IQVIA report, the market value for Meropenem is $88.7 million dollars , with unit volume at 15.9 million annually. "Until now, the only way to provide a 2-gram dose was to mix two 1-gram vials or four 500-milligram vials. With one vial, there's no need for multiple steps. The result is a more efficient workflow, less waste, and enhanced patient safety. Hence, WG Critical Care's 2g vial fills an important clinical unmet need," states Ron Mannino , RPh, New Jersey Pharmacists Association Past President and CEO of Pharmasphere, Inc. Deena Reyes , President of WG Critical Care explains "Time matters when a patient needs a 2-gram dose. For patients receiving a 2-gram dose, hospitals now can dock our vial with an IV admixing device and store in automated dispensing cabinets anywhere in the hospital allowing nurses rapid access. Less handling results in a decrease in potential contamination." The WGCC 2g Meropenem for injection, USP vial is free of natural rubber latex and bar coded at the unit-of-use. In order to enhance supply chain integrity, this product is fully compliant with the latest regulation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act enhanced serialization requirements effective November 27, 2023 . About WG Critical Care, A Pharmasphere Company WG Critical Care, LLC is wholly owned by Pharmasphere, Inc. Pharmasphere and its affiliates market an extensive line of FDA approved anti-infectives and other critical care products. Its focus is to supply conventional injectable products, and convenient drug formulations that help increase efficiency and safety in the hospital setting. WGCC and its affiliates bring over thirty-five years of experience in finished dose and API development and manufacturing. WGCC is headquartered in Paramus, New Jersey . Please visit www.wgccrx.com for more information on the WGCC full line of essential injectable products. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-2-gram-meropenem-for-injection-usp-vial-exclusive-from-wg-critical-care-llc-302005176.html SOURCE WG Critical Care, LLC Newport, RI Leads with 64% Growth; Metro-Adjacent and Western Waterfronts Attract Buyers, while "Destination Dupes" Spark Excitement SAN FRANCISCO , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacaso , the leading technology-enabled real estate marketplace that helps people buy, co-own, and sell a luxury second home, today releases its third annual Top Second Home Markets Report , identifying the leading luxury second home markets for 2023 and introducing the top markets to watch in 2024. The report reveals the top ten counties across the U.S. that saw the biggest annual increases in second home transactions and the largest year-over-year appreciation for homes priced above one million dollars . 2023's Top Luxury Second Home Markets In the list of top 10 markets for second home transactions this year, Newport County, Rhode Island , takes the lead with an impressive 64% surge in second home transactions in 2023, marking a significant increase from 2022. Fairfield County, Connecticut (14%) and Westchester County, New York (10%) stand out as New York City suburbs, showcasing the enduring appeal of metro-adjacent locations. On the West Coast , Douglas County, Nevada (13%), and Island County, Washington (11%), experienced significant year-over-year increases in second home transactions. Douglas County , nestled on the southeastern border of Lake Tahoe , while Island County , home to Whidbey Island , draws attention for its Pacific Northwest landscape. "In today's dynamic real estate landscape, it's no surprise to witness metro-adjacent counties like Fairfield and Westchester , leading the charts in second home transactions. With the onslaught of hybrid back-to-office policies by several companies, home buyers are seeking the perfect blend of spacious, nature-centric living, all while maintaining the convenience of a short train ride to the city," said Pacaso CEO and Co-Founder Austin Allison . Destinations to watch in 2024 The top market to keep an eye on in 2024 is Volusia County, Florida , witnessing a remarkable 47% year-over-year increase in average second home value. Volusia also experienced a surge in second home transactions, registering a 19% growth and ranking as the second-largest year-over-year expansion. Other counties experiencing significant appreciation trends include Washoe County, Nevada , home to Reno , which witnessed an impressive 26% increase in value from 2022, credited to its proximity to Lake Tahoe , absence of state income tax, and the appeal of less-crowded ski resorts like Mt. Rose. Meanwhile, Brunswick County, North Carolina , the state's southernmost county, experienced a parallel 26% appreciation. Notably, Jefferson County, Colorado , a Denver suburb, saw an impressive 37% appreciation. Summit County, Utah , home to the popular year-round destination Park City , demonstrated an impressive 18% increase in second home values from 2022 to 2023. "Expedia recently highlighted the phenomenon of 'destination dupes'budget-friendly alternatives to popular locationsthat have left a lasting impact on the travel scene," said Allison. "It seems this trend is extending into the real estate realm, with locales providing more affordable housing options while offering comparable amenities, access to outdoor activities, scenic beaches, and charming towns, akin to their more famous counterparts. Consider Bald Head Island, North Carolina , as a dupe to South Carolina's Kiawah or the Charleston barrier islands, Mt. Rose as a substitute for Tahoe's ski resorts, and even Golden, Colorado , as an alternative to the expected Colorado mountain towns." To view the complete report and methodology, please visit the Pacaso blog. About Pacaso Pacaso is a technology-enabled marketplace that modernizes real estate co-ownership to make owning a second home possible and enjoyable for more people. Pacaso curates luxury listings with premium amenities and high-end contemporary interior design, offers to ownership with integrated financing, and, after purchase, professionally manages the home and supports seamless resale. Co-founded by Austin Allison and Spencer Rascoff in 2020, Pacaso operates in 40 top second home destinations around the world. Pacaso has been certified as a Great Place to Work and is recognized as one of Glassdoor's 2022 Best Places to Work . Learn more about Pacaso and view listings at Pacaso.com and connect with @PacasoHomes on Instagram and Twitter . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pacaso-unveils-top-us-second-home-markets-of-2023-and-2024-destinations-to-watch-302006261.html SOURCE Pacaso ATLANTA , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Randstad USA has released the 15 most sought after jobs for 2024. This list aims to give job seekers an inside scoop on the top employment opportunities across various industries and markets as we head into the new year. Developed by Randstad's team of experts, the list provides talent with valuable insights and data-driven recommendations for their respective industries and markets. "Randstad's in-demand jobs list was created to provide job seekers a competitive advantage during their search," said Greg Dyer , Randstad North America's Chief Commercial Officer. "This list is another example of Randstad's efforts to share leading insights to talent, specialized to a variety of industries." Randstad USA's top 15 most in demand jobs 1. .NET developer Salary range: $83,144 141,758 based on role. 2. Welder Salary range: $16 /hour - $26 /hour based on role. 3. Call center representative Salary range: $27,679 - $43,495 based on role. 4. Customer service representative Salary range: $28,217 - 48,790 based on role. 5. Forklift operator Salary range: $16 /hour - $23 /hour based on role. 6. Financial analyst Salary range: $62,738 - $130,8444 based on role. 7. DevOps developer/engineer Salary range: $110,686 - $168,101 based on role. 8. Data scientist Salary range: $73,745 - $137,309 based on role 9. Maintenance Mechanic Salary range: $16 /hour - $27 /hour based on role. 10. Medical Biller / Coder Salary range: $28,890 - $49,314 based on role. 11. Office Assistant: Salary range: $28,692 - $49,949 based on role. 12. Full-stack Developer Salary range: $71,425 - $131,090 based on role. 13. Registered Nurse Salary range: $76,182 - $115,186 based on role 14. Underwriter Salary range: $57,000 - $104,798 based on role. 15. Warehouse Worker Salary range: $14 /hour - $19 /hour based on role. In addition to the top in-demand jobs, Randstad USA has released a collection of best jobs , filterable by industry and location. This webpage covers a wide range of industries, including human resources, engineering, finance and accounting, manufacturing and logistics, and business administration and operations. Users can also discover the essential skills and required certifications as well as valuable salary insights for job seekers' desired markets. "As the global partner for talent, Randstad understands the importance of keeping up trending positions in each industry and market," said Dyer. "By harnessing the wide range of data available to us, talent will be able to navigate today's dynamic job market with the utmost confidence." For more information about Randstad's new database and how it can benefit job seekers and employers, visit www.randstadusa.com/job-seeker/in-demand-jobs/top-15-most-demand-jobs/ . about randstad north america Randstad North America, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Randstad N.V., the world's largest talent company and a partner of choice to clients. We are committed to providing equitable opportunities to people from all backgrounds and helping them remain relevant in the rapidly changing world of work. We have a deep understanding of the labor market and help our clients to create the high-quality, diverse and agile workforces they need to succeed. Randstad was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands . In 2022, in our 39 markets, we helped more than 2 million people find a job that feels good and advised over 230,000 clients on their talent needs. We generated revenue of 27.6 billion. Randstad N.V. is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam. For more information, see www.randstad.com. Randstad's North American operations comprise 7,100 associates and a deployed workforce of 91,100 in the U.S. and Canada . In addition to staffing and recruitment, Randstad offers outsourcing, consulting and workforce management solutions for generalist and specialist disciplines, including technology, engineering, accounting and finance, clinical and non-clinical healthcare, human resources, legal, life sciences, manufacturing and logistics, office and administration and sales and marketing. Global concepts available to North American client companies include RPO, MSP, integrated talent solutions, payrolling and independent contractor management and career transition services. Learn more at www.randstadusa.com or www.randstad.ca. about randstad usa's in-demand jobs list To identify trends and growing occupations, Randstad USA's experts analyzed the roles alongside internal data and that from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay ranges are taken from Randstad's industry-leading Salary Guide. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/randstad-usa-releases-most-in-demand-jobs-trending-for-the-new-year-302006284.html SOURCE Randstad US Resident Retention Solution Introduced at 9,000 Apartment Homes in Sun Belt Region NEW YORK , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Renew , a cutting-edge solution that automates and optimizes the entire resident renewal process to drive NOI, today announced Lantower Residential has implemented its platform at more than 9,000 apartment homes in the Sun Belt region. Lantower Residential is a Dallas -based operator with communities in Texas , Florida and the Carolinas. Lantower first piloted the Renew platform at 2,200 homes in July before rolling it out across its portfolio this fall. "We experienced such strong results in the pilot program that we decided to roll out Renew's solution across the board before the pilot ended," said Nick Amy , vice president of operations for Lantower Residential. "With resident retention being so crucial, particularly in the current market, we needed a more efficient way to drive quicker renewal decisions and gain insights into the reasons behind those decisions. With Renew, we have experienced an immediate uptick in speed to decision, which enables us to accurately forecast occupancy trends and provides a better opportunity to keep any departing residents within our portfolio." Renew's high-powered software integrates with leading property management systems and provides operators with a centralized renewal tool and retention strategy while interacting with residents to help them more easily navigate the renewal process. The solution automates outreach to residents to help understand a renter's propensity to renew, delivers renewal offers with dynamic pricing and leverages insights to create a curated resident experience, all of which drive an increase in renewals and faster renewal decisions. The software also captures valuable data about resident needs and living experiences, while providing team members with unparalleled visibility into renewal pricing and where individual renters are in the renewal process. In addition, Renew enables operators to more easily move a resident who is leaving one of their properties into another community within their portfolio. The software also allows operators to turn move-outs into a revenue stream by providing leads to other operators for a fee. "Lantower Residential is always on the cutting edge of the technology curve, and we're thrilled to partner with them and help optimize their renewal processes," said Rob Hayden , CEO and co-founder of Renew. "By incorporating more automation and more insight into the needs of residents nearing the renewal stage, Lantower is primed to boost retention rates, better prepare for any vacancies and potentially move departing residents elsewhere within their ecosystem." About Renew Renew enables apartment owners and operators to realize traditionally overlooked business opportunities by transforming the resident renewal process and powering retention on a portfolio-wide basis. It is a scalable, centralized solution that automates and optimizes the renewal and retention process to drive NOI and improve the bottom line. Renew helps renters seamlessly renew their lease or find another home within an operator's portfolio, while also delivering powerful data and insights into the resident experience and inclination to renew to operators. Founded by rental housing and technology veterans Rob Hayden and Kevin Murphy , Renew seeks to unlock tremendous value for both residents and operators, and to entirely change the way both parties think about their relationship. About Lantower Residential Lantower Residential , a subsidiary of H&R REIT (TSX: HR.UN), is a vertically integrated real estate company focusing on acquiring, financing, and managing multifamily communities in the U.S. The company focuses on driving growth and maximizing value through its disciplined investment strategy and portfolio management. Lantower Residential is led by a team of executives with vast experience across all sectors of our business. Lantower's teams operate alongside each other to deliver results that lead to successful investment outcomes. Media Contact Stephen Ursery LinnellTaylor Marketing [email protected] 303.682.3945 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/renew-and-lantower-residential-announce-partnership-302005303.html SOURCE Renew LOS ANGELES , Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Resecurity, Inc. ( USA ), a Los Angeles -based cybersecurity company protecting Fortune 500 and government agencies worldwide, and ICS Technologies IRAQ , a well-established ICT System Integration Company with HQ in Baghdad, Iraq , have joined forces to fortify cybersecurity, fraud prevention and risk intelligence measures nationwide. This strategic partnership is poised to bring cutting-edge intelligence-driven defensive solutions to Iraq , helping consumers and organizations safeguard their digital assets and combat the evolving threat landscape. Resecurity, headquartered in the United States , is renowned for its innovative cybersecurity products and threat intelligence services. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Gene Yoo , the company specializes in advanced cyber threat intelligence (CTI), threat hunting, digital forensics & incident response (DFIR), and digital risk management solutions. With a commitment to staying ahead of cyber threats and adapting to the ever-changing digital security landscape, Resecurity has become a trusted partner for businesses and organizations worldwide. ICS Technologies IRAQ , has been a key player in Iraq's ICT sector since 2004. The company's expertise spans various services, including concept-to-implementation turn-key solutions, on-the-job training, and in-depth market knowledge. ICS Technologies IRAQ is recognized as a preferred partner for local and international organizations, offering a wealth of experience and tailored ICT solutions to meet clients' needs. This partnership between Resecurity and ICS Technologies IRAQ is expected to impact cybersecurity in Iraq profoundly. It combines Resecurity's cybersecurity expertise, cutting-edge technology and data science, and ICS Technologies IRAQ ' local extensive market knowledge and dedication to delivering customized, effective solutions. The partnership comes at a critical time when the threat landscape in the digital world continues to evolve and intensify. In Iraq , both the public and private sectors, organizations increasingly rely on digital infrastructure, making cybersecurity a top priority. Resecurity and ICS Technologies IRAQ recognize the significance of providing comprehensive, up-to-date solutions to safeguard businesses, government entities, and critical infrastructure. Key Highlights of the Partnership: Advanced Cybersecurity Solutions: Resecurity, known for its advanced threat intelligence, threat hunting, incident response, and digital risk management solutions, will provide Iraq -based organizations with state-of-the-art cybersecurity tools to protect against a wide range of cyber threats. Local Expertise: ICS Technologies IRAQ ' deep understanding of the Iraqi market and local regulations, combined with its established presence, positions the partnership to address the unique challenges and opportunities within the region effectively. Customized Solutions: The collaboration aims to provide tailored cybersecurity solutions that meet the specific needs of Iraqi businesses and organizations, enabling them to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Comprehensive Training: ICS Technologies IRAQ ' commitment to on-the-job training ensures that all organizational personnel have the knowledge and skills to maintain a secure and resilient digital environment. Strategic Alignment: The partnership underscores the shared commitment of Resecurity and ICS Technologies IRAQ to raise the cybersecurity standards in Iraq and provide clients with optimum solutions that maximize the return on their investments. The multifaceted approach of Resecurity and ICS Technologies IRAQ , with their shared vision for improving cybersecurity, offers a comprehensive solution to the evolving threat landscape. The partnership will enhance the protection of digital assets and contribute to the overall growth and security of the Iraqi digital ecosystem. As the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, organizations across Iraq will benefit from the combined expertise of Resecurity and ICS Technologies IRAQ . By pooling their resources, knowledge, and experience, the partnership will deliver world-class cybersecurity solutions that align with Iraqi businesses and institutions' specific requirements and challenges. About Resecurity: Resecurity is a globally recognized leader in cybersecurity solutions, dedicated to safeguarding individuals and organizations from digital threats. With a commitment to innovation, Resecurity offers cutting-edge services, including Identity Protection (IDP), to address the evolving challenges of the digital landscape. The company aims to empower individuals and businesses to navigate the digital world securely. Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence. Known for providing best-of-breed data-driven intelligence solutions, Resecurity's services and platforms focus on early-warning identification of data breaches and comprehensive protection against cybersecurity risks. Founded in 2016, it has been globally recognized as one of the world's most innovative cybersecurity companies with the sole mission of enabling organizations to combat cyber threats regardless of how sophisticated they are. Most recently, Resecurity was named as one of the Top 10 fastest-growing private cybersecurity companies in Los Angeles, California by Inc. Magazine. An Official Member and a Gold Sponsor of InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA), AFCEA, NDIA, SIA, FS-ISAC and the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia (AmChamKSA), Singapore (AmChamSG), Korea (AmChamKorea), Mexico (AmChamMX), and UAE (AmChamDubai). To learn more about Resecurity, visit https://resecurity.com. About ICS Technologies IRAQ : ICS Technologies IRAQ , is an ICT System Integration, Data Management Experts and Managed services providers Company that offers turn-key solutions for projects from concept to implementation. With a strong presence in Iraq's public and private sectors, ICS Technologies IRAQ is a trusted partner for local and international organizations, providing expertise in the Iraqi market and comprehensive solutions to meet client requirements. To learn more about ICS Technologies Iraq, visit: www.ics-technologies-irq.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/resecurity-partners-with-ics-technologies-to-strengthen-cybersecurity-in-iraq-302005241.html SOURCE Resecurity Inc. SHENZHEN, China , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of December 5th (local time), the Shenzhen Session at China Pavilion during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( COP28 ) was held in the Expo City of Dubai . The Shenzhen Session was jointly guided by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China and the People's Government of Shenzhen Municipality, and was hosted by the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, presenting Shenzhen's latest initiatives and achievements in addressing climate change to the world and promoting international communications and cooperation in the field of green and low-carbon development. On the session, Zhao Yingmin , Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China , Ian Tout , Manager at Communications and Engagement Division of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change , Sren E. Lutken, Senior Economist of UN Environment Programme and Zhang Xuefan, Director-General of the Party Committee of Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality delivered speeches. Shenzhen's Annual Green Achievements Released The National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation released the Research Report on Low Carbon Transformation and Development of Emerging Industries in Shenzhen , the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality released the White Paper on Responding to Climate Change in Shenzhen and Tencent launched "TanLIVE Global" -Empowering Climate Tech Ecosystem. Notably, the White Paper on Responding to Climate Change in Shenzhen comprehensively summarizes the progress made by Shenzhen in tackling climate change since the 13th Five Year Plan, hoping to offer Shenzhen's best practice to global climate change action. Shenzhen's Top Ten Green and Low-Carbon Cases of 2023 Unveiled Enterprise cases from BYD, Shenzhen Energy Group, Shenzhen DAS Intellitech, Shenzhen Grandsun Electronic, SF Holding, Shenzhen Metro Group, CR Power Shenshan Company, Shenzhen Lumi United Technology, Shenzhen DeCarbon Technology, and Shenzhen Shenzhentong were awarded Shenzhen's Top Ten Green and Low-Carbon Cases of 2023. These cases encompass a wide range of sectors, including low-carbon transportation, green building, smart manufacturing, industrial park management, modern logistics, smart homes, and energy conservation and environmental protection, standing out the major role of Shenzhen's enterprises in green and low-carbon innovation. Keynote Speakers Remarked on Pioneering Practices Wang Shi , Chairman of Vanke Public Welfare Foundation, Cassie Sutherland , Managing Director of Climate Solutions and Networks of C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Liu Bang , Chairman of Shenzhen DAS Intellitech and Cheng Huiming , Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other experts and representatives from international organizations, industries, and consulting institutes shared views and insights on global low-carbon development pattern and future trends and Shenzhen's pathway to advance. A Head Start on Actions, Practices, Measures, and Innovations Wang Dong , Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Harbin Institute of Technology ( Shenzhen ) hosted a high-level dialogue and sparked a brainstorming discussion. Dialogue guests Kobie Brand , ICLEI Deputy Secretary General and Regional Director of ICLEI Africa Secretariat, Liang Rui , Vice President of Sunwoda Electronic, Li Xia, CEO of Shenzhen Solar Run Energy, Sun Lili , Co-founder Vice President of Mangrove Foundation, and Yao Shu , BYD Middle East Africa Sales Director discussed how to achieve green development goals based on "A Head Start on Actions, Practices, Measures, and Innovations" and how different sectors in Shenzhen to leverage digitalization and greenization for a green, low-carbon and high-quality development . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sharing-green-and-low-carbon-development-experience-with-the-world-shenzhens-climate-action-showcased-at-china-pavilion-302006525.html SOURCE Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality Utah Measures Latest Action to Address Sustained Hog Market Downturn SMITHFIELD, Va. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods will end contracts with 26 hog farms in Utah to optimize its supply chain for more efficient operations in the face of an industry oversupply of pork, weaker consumer demand and high feed prices. The contract terminations will result in the elimination of Smithfield positions that support contract farm relationships. The company will offer relocation opportunities for affected employees and provide transition assistance. While the exact number is to be determined, the number of Smithfield positions eliminated may be up to one-third of the 210 currently employed in its Utah hog production operations. "Our industry and company are experiencing historically challenging hog production market conditions," said Shane Smith , president and CEO, Smithfield Foods. " Smithfield continues to take steps to improve operational efficiency and optimize our hog supply chain. These actions have included rebalancing production with East Coast harvest capacity, reducing our sow herd in Missouri and closing finishing operations in Utah . These are difficult decisions, but they are necessary to help our company remain competitive in this operating environment." About Smithfield Foods, Inc. Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs nearly 60,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly." to feed a growing world population. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield, Eckrich, Gwaltney and Nathan's Famous, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smithfield-foods-to-end-grower-contracts-in-utah-302006703.html SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc. MUMBAI, India , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, one of India's leading luxury hotel brands, today announced the signing of a management agreement for a 140-room hotel in Ranka in Sikkim , marking the foray of the brand into Northeast India . Owned by the SIBIN Group, the project Leela Sikkim is located approximately 10 kilometres from the capital city, on a 17-acre plot overlooking the Gangtok Hill. Slated to open in December 2026 , The Leela Sikkim is set amidst the serene backdrop of the Himalayas and is poised to redefine the hospitality landscape of the region with its inspirational design, thoughtful programming and the brand's renowned signature services. Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Anuraag Bhatnagar , Chief Executive Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, said, "We are delighted to introduce The Leela brand into Northeast India with the project Leela Sikkim. Sikkim remains a pristine destination with the right blend of urbanization, rich cultural heritage and unexplored natural beauty. This expansion is in lockstep with the growing demand from the discerning global leisure traveller to experience meaningful and transformative journeys that are an authentic expression of a region's natural beauty, heritage, cuisine, and culture." Speaking on the occasion Mr. Neel Chhetri , Proprietor, Sibin Group, said, "I am excited to partner with The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts to bring this uber luxury brand to Sikkim . We are confident that with this partnership and the investments we are making, the project Leela Sikkim will soon emerge as one of the most sought-after leisure and wellness destinations in the country and will help us to showcase the hidden Himalayan treasure to the world." The Leela Sikkim will offer guests a tranquil and luxurious experience complete with a range of leisure and wellness facilities and thoughtfully curated services. The resort will feature 35 independent luxury villas, including 20 wellness villas, 13 twin villas, and a 6-room double storey villa and 88 luxury rooms in a hotel block. A range of dining options with an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality restaurant, a wellness restaurant and a lounge bar will also be offered. Guests will also be able to enjoy a state-of-the-art wellness centre and a casino along with a host of other indoor and outdoor activities. Announcing its foray into the Northeast, The Leela takes pride to introduce Sikkim a mystical Himalayan destination to leisure travellers and is embracing the hill state with authenticity to provide unforgettable experiences for guests to savour the true culture, art, wellness, flavours and the natural beauty of this unexplored region. This expansion is a testament to the company's strategy to grow in key leisure and resort destinations across the country. Watch video here. About The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts Headquartered in Mumbai , The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is owned by a Brookfield Asset Management-sponsored private real estate fund and operates twelve award-winning properties in major cities and leisure destinations across India . These include the flagship hotel in the capital city of New Delhi , Bengaluru, Chennai , Udaipur, Jaipur , Gurugram, East Delhi , Mumbai , Gandhinagar and now Kovalam and Ashtamudi in Kerala . The Leela celebrates each hotel through its unique location, art, culture and cuisine with thoughtful services, celebratory rituals, and immersive experiences. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was voted the World's Best Hotel Brand twice in a row by Travel + Leisure, USA, World's Best Awards Survey, 2020 and 2021. In 2023, the brand has once again been featured in the top 3 World's Best Hotel Brands. An epitome of true Indian luxury hospitality, The Leela is committed to providing guests with unforgettable stays in settings that capture the essence of India . The brand has a marketing alliance with US-based Preferred Hotels & Resorts and is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance. For more information, please visit our website www.theleela.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2292950/The_Leela_Sikkim.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1441809/4367785/The_Leela_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-leela-palaces-hotels-and-resorts-announces-its-foray-into-northeast-india-with-the-signing-of-a-140-room-hotel-in-sikkim-302005878.html SOURCE The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, who is considered one of the most influential people in the fashion world, met with Ukrainian designers in Paris. On September 28, 18 talented Ukrainians presented their collections at the Vogue UA Ukrainian Designers Showcase event during the Fashion Week. ADVERTISIMENT The event was aimed at popularizing Ukrainian brands, and the presence of such a famous personality as Anna Wintour certainly contributed to this. The details of the event were shared by the editors of the Ukrainian glossy's Instagram (scroll to the bottom of the page to see the photos). The photos and videos show that Anna Wintour listens attentively to Ukrainian designers and asks questions. She personally looked at the clothes and gave her comments, after which she took a picture and left an autograph. ADVERTISIMENT Famous Ukrainian designer Ivan Frolov shared a photo with the editor-in-chief of the Fashion Bible on his Instagram page and admitted that his dream had come true. "Thank you very much, Anna Wintour, for your support of Ukraine and Ukrainian designers. Thank you very much to the VOGUE UA team for making my dream come true," he said in the post. It's worth noting that the American edition of Vogue is considered one of the most authoritative in the fashion world, and its 72-year-old editor-in-chief has gained a lot of respect in the world thanks to her sense of style. ADVERTISIMENT Wintour has been at the helm since 1988 and has become famous for her tough and demanding leadership style, earning her the nicknames "Nuclear Winter" (the English word Wintour is similar to winter) and "Hitler in a skirt". Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote that for the first time in two years, the famous British fashion house Burberry held a show in London. The long-awaited show mentioned Ukraine and honored the memory of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8. Only verified information on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! WILMINGTON, Mass. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF), a North American leader in providing customized business uniform programs, facility service products, and first aid and safety services, is proud to announce the recipients of the company's prestigious Aldo Croatti Award for 2023. This accolade is the most coveted of all UniFirst Corporation recognitions. Named after the company founder, the Aldo Croatti Award is presented to UniFirst Route Service Representatives (RSRs) who exemplify customer service excellence by retaining 100 percent of their customers in the most recent fiscal year. Through these awards, UniFirst affirms its commitment to providing the highest level of customer service and reinforces its dedication to continually exceed customer expectations every day. Out of our dedicated team of over 2,500 RSRs who always deliver to over 300,000+ customer locations in the U.S and Canada , only these elite five have earned this distinction for 2023. Gary Altman, Buffalo, New York Daniel Cassel, Fort Worth, Texas Mike Colabella , San Diego, California , Eddie Daniel , Birmingham, Alabama , Penn Michelini, Nashua, New Hampshire "Our award winners work hard every day to bring our mission to life: 'To serve the people who do the hard work,' said Steven Sintros , UniFirst President and CEO. "Their remarkable achievements and commitment to always delivering exceptional customer service consistently set a compelling benchmark. I am immensely proud of them." Each Aldo Croatti Award winner will be honored at UniFirst's President's Club celebrations in Costa Rica later this week, where they'll receive a cash prize and other rewards for their outstanding contributions. Their achievements will also be publicly recognized through customer communications. For more information about UniFirst and the company's uniform rental service programs, please visit: https://unifirst.com/uniform-rental-company/ About UniFirst Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass. , UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, facility service products, as well as first aid and safety supplies and services. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company also manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. In addition to partnering with leading brands, UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, and floorcare products at its five company-owned ISO-9001-certified manufacturing facilities. With more than 270 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations, and 16,000-plus employee Team Partners, the Company outfits more than 2 million workers every day. For additional information, contact UniFirst at 888.296.2740 or visit UniFirst.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unifirst-announces-2023-aldo-croatti-award-winners-for-excellence-in-customer-service-302005033.html SOURCE UNIFIRST CORPORATION MIAT-Houston to Begin Operating Under the UTI Brand Beginning in May 2024 PHOENIX , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute (UTI), the transportation, skilled trades, and energy education division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc., today announced it will consolidate its Houston operations to align the curriculum, student facing systems, and support services to better serve students seeking careers in in-demand fields. As part of the transition, the MIAT-Houston campus, acquired in November 2021 , will begin operating under the UTI brand and implement a phased teach-out agreement starting in May 2024 . MIAT-Houston and UTI-Houston are strategically located less than a quarter of a mile apart off interstate 45 in the north section of the city. Both facilities will remain in use post-consolidation. "With this transition students will have access to the expanded student and career support services that UTI provides and will also benefit by a more streamlined and standardized educational delivery model. Other benefits include allowing future students to complete certain programs more quickly," said Tracy Lorenz , President of the UTI Division. "Beginning in May, existing faculty will teach consistent course objectives and similar programs, and classes and labs will continue in the same location(s) using the same technology and equipment." Lorenz further commented, "We are taking all possible steps to make this a seamless and positive experience for our students. We believe this consolidation will further position UTI as the top provider of career technical training solutions in the Houston market, where UTI has been operating for more than 40 years." The current UTI-Houston President, Darrin Brust , will continue overseeing the consolidated campus operation. These include the following programs: Aviation, Energy, HVACR, Non-Destructive Testing, Robotics and Automation, Automotive Technology, Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, and Collision Repair & Refinish Technology. UTIHouston also offers the following Manufacturer Specific Advanced Training (MSAT) programs: BMW FastTrack, Ford FACT, and Cummins Diesel . The transition is expected to be fully completed by early fiscal 2025. About Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) (the "Company") was founded in 1965 and is a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades and healthcare education programs, whose mission is to serve students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers across a number of highly-skilled fields. The Company is comprised of two divisions: Universal Technical Institute ("UTI") and Concorde Career Colleges ("Concorde"). UTI operates 16 campuses located in 9 states and offers a wide range of transportation and skilled trades technical training programs under brands such as UTI, MIAT College of Technology, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute and NASCAR Technical Institute. Concorde operates across 17 campuses in 8 states, offering programs in the Allied Health, Dental, Nursing, Patient Care and Diagnostic fields. For more information, visit www.uti.edu or www.concorde.edu, or visit us on LinkedIn at @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and @Concorde Career Colleges or on X @news_UTI or @ConcordeCareer. Media Contact Alanna Vitucci [email protected] 480-710-6843 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universal-technical-institute-to-consolidate-houston-operations-to-better-serve-students-302006427.html SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc. WEST CHESTER, Pa. , Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The VESTECK, Inc. Chief Technology Officer, invited to present the "SUTURE-TIGHT" technology at the 16th Annual Greenberg Stent Summit , sponsored by Mass General Brigham. Stent Summit organizers requested Ted Wulfman , VESTECK, Inc. Chief Technology Officer, join in and stimulate the discussion on "There's more to aneurysm treatment than the use of an endograft. What are the roles of adjunctive treatments in aneurysm treatment?" Tuesday 12/5/2023 10:56-11:17AM . The 16th Greenberg Stent Summit brings together clinicians, members of the FDA and industry notables to create two and a half days of lively discussion on advances in aortic disease repair. Mr. Wulfman commented, "I am honored to say the least. To receive an invitation to participate at such a prestigious conference as the Greenberg Stent Summit is a true honor. Two weeks ago, Prof. Krievins presented "SUTURE-TIGHT" at the iconic Veith meeting and now we are contributing to the conversation at the Boston Stent Summit. Very exciting stuff." "The positive momentum continues at VESTECK. We appreciate the podium presence. 9 clinical cases successfully completed. Patients are doing well. 3 new patents have been filed. We are headed to Australia , conducting clinical cases with Professors Ramon Varcoe and Andrew Holden , helping more moms, dads, brothers and sisters," said VESTECK CEO, Joe Rafferty . About VESTECK, Inc. (WWW.VESTECK.com) is a clinical stage medical device company focused on bringing a platform technology to the aortic repair, structural heart, peripheral vascular markets. The "SUTURE-TIGHT" catheter comes preloaded with 4 pair of nitinol sutures, it secures EVAR/TEVAR grafts to the aorta on initial implant or during repair procedures. "SUTURE-TIGHT" brings a simple, easy to use technology to physicians, patients and payors. VESTECK is raising a $16M Series B round to support a clinical trial for FDA 510K clearance. The VESTECK, Inc. "SUTURE-TIGHT" is not commercially available in the USA or OUS. MEDIA CONTACTS: VESTECK CEO, Joe Rafferty , [email protected] Please note that this document reflects statements that may constitute forward-looking statements and projections that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including information about possible or assumed future events, results of economic conditions and VESTECK's business, results of operations, plans and objectives. These statements are based on management's beliefs, assumptions and expectations of VESTECK's future performance, taking into account information currently available to it. You should not place undue reliance on such statements, as new risks and uncertainties may arise and it is not possible for management to predict those events or how they may affect VESTECK, Inc. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vesteck-invited-to-present-at-the-16th-annual-greenberg-stent-summit-boston-ma-302005165.html SOURCE VESTECK, Inc. Construction Has Started on New Viking Longships to be Delivered in 2025 and 2026 LOS ANGELES , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking (www.viking.com) today announced it will welcome an additional 10 Viking Longships to its river fleet in the coming years. To meet strong demand for European river voyages, eight of the new vessels will sail Viking's popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, while two additional Viking Longships will join the fleet on the Seine River . The total order is also inclusive of one Viking Longship for the Seine River that was announced in February 2023 . Five of the new vessels will be delivered in 2025, with the remaining five to be delivered in 2026. To officially mark the start of construction on all 10 ships, a keel laying ceremony was held today at Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock, Germany , where all Viking Longships have been built since their debut in 2012. "Ever since we started Viking 26 years ago, our mission has been to help our guests explore the world in comfort. We focus on the destination, and we build elegant, innovative ships," said Torstein Hagen , Chairman of Viking. "We look forward to welcoming these new Longships to our European fleet and introducing The Viking Way of exploration to even more guests in the coming years." With a current fleet of 80 river ships and more than 50 percent of the market share for North American travelers, Viking is by far the industry's leading river line. The award-winning Viking Longships, which comprise the vast majority of the company's river fleet, host 190 or fewer guests. Featuring an innovative patented design, the vessels offer a wide variety of stateroom choices, the revolutionary indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace and Viking's signature Scandinavian design aesthetic. The new vessels feature a hybrid propulsion system with batteries and are also equipped for shore power to reduce reliance on fuel while in port. Onboard solar panels further contribute to the ships' energy efficiency. Today's announcement is the latest significant milestone for the company. Last month, Viking celebrated the float out of its newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela, which will debut in December 2024 , and announced a new ship for the Mekong River in 2025, the Viking Tonle. In October, the company made history when it was voted #1 for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Conde Nast Traveler in the publication's 2023 Readers' Choice Awards. The company was also voted to the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure in the 2023 World's Best Awards. No other travel company has simultaneously received the same honors by both publications. Media Assets For more information about Viking, or for images and b-roll, please contact [email protected]. About Viking Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences for The Thinking Person. Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by Conde Nast Traveler in the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards. Viking is also rated at the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure. No other travel company has simultaneously received the same honors by both publications. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit https://www.viking.com/. For Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, visit https://www.viking.tv/. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viking-announces-10-additional-river-ships-in-europe-302006545.html SOURCE Viking DUBAI, UAE , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei has teamed up with multiple UN agencies in helping unlock the potential of AI in bolstering collective response to climate change at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference ( COP28 ), hosted by the UAE . Jerry Guo , President of Huawei's Global Technical Services R&D, joined top officials from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNESCO in encouraging green digital solutions for climate change at a high-profile event at COP28 on Saturday that saw the announcement of winning teams from the AI/Machine Learning in 5G Challenge, which kicked off in July. More than 700 teams from 83 countries took part in the 5G energy consumption modelling challenge, a problem statement Huawei introduced as part of the series of competitions curated by the UN organizations, and led by the ITU and IAEA. Data scientists Krishna Priya and Rajat Ranjan , from India , emerged as the winning team that developed machine learning models to reduce energy consumption of base stations from any manufacturer. According to ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin , AI has the potential to help mitigate between five to ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and that increasingly people are discovering "how technologies can unlock solutions and put us on a greener, more sustainable path". "Ultimately our success is about partnerships," she said. The event also brought together top officials including Qu Dongyu, Director-General of FAO; Najat Mokhtar , Deputy-Director General of IAEA, and Vladimir Ryabinin , Assistant Director-General of UNESCO. For his part, Guo of Huawei noted that more than 90 percent of a telecom operator's carbon footprint for operations comes from the electricity used to power networks. "This means we need to act fast to reconcile between fast-growing demand for data with expectations for green networks," Guo said. "Increasing the efficiency and quality, reducing energy consumption and cost of communications networks that's the responsibility of tech companies like Huawei, and a major part of how we can contribute to human development," he added. One case in point is the AI-powered Simulated Reality of Communication Networks (SRCON), which saves more than 20 percent of energy while ensuring leading network performance. The technology has been implemented in more than 40 countries, helping reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 700,000 tons per year, Guo said. The COP28 session on Saturday was part of the Green Digital Action at COP28 , an initiative led by the ITU with partners spanning the United Nations, governments, civil society, as well as businesses including Huawei. The initiative is aimed at illuminating on the ways in which digital technologies can help achieve a more sustainable future and optimize resource efficiency through joint action. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293154/Huawei_Challenge_Winners.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293153/Huwaei_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/winner-in-ai-solutions-for-climate-change-competition-announced-at-cop28-302006006.html SOURCE Huawei ALGONQUIN, Ill. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Young Innovations, a leading global supplier of dental products, today announced the acquisition of Salvin Dental Specialties (Salvin). Based in Charlotte, North Carolina , USA, Salvin is a leading supplier of regenerative biomaterials, surgical instrumentation, supplies and equipment specifically for implant dentistry. "I am exceptionally proud of the company we've built for over forty years with our valued employees, customers, and partners," said Bob Salvin , Founder and CEO of Salvin. "We have achieved our goal of creating a business focused on providing everything for the implant practice but the implants. Thanks to our strong team, culture, and focus, we are well positioned for continued success. We are excited to be partnered with Young in this new chapter of growth for Salvin." "Salvin takes great pride in delivering an exceptional customer experience and clinical support to implant practices, with a robust product line specifically designed by the Salvin team to meet the unique needs of this specialty segment," said Dave Sproat , CEO of Young Innovations. "We are excited to support the ongoing growth of Salvin's business, employees, customers, vendors and brand as a part of our broader global portfolio." "Our acquisition of Salvin reflects our continued commitment to invest in the oral surgery market. The combination of Salvin and Young now makes us the largest dental implant-agnostic supplier in the industry," added Steve Clareen , Vice President/General Manager at Young Innovations. "The leadership team at Salvin is exceptional. They have built a fantastic business with a respected portfolio. We look forward to working together to drive additional value to Salvin's customers and the patients they serve." Bob Salvin will serve as an adviser to Young Innovations and continue to provide counsel and support for the Salvin team and its customers. William Simmons , CEO, and Greg Slayton , President, will continue to provide daily leadership and management for the business from Charlotte . There are no changes to ordering and service procedures for customers or vendors. Young Innovations, Inc. is a portfolio company of TJC, L.P. About Young Innovations, Inc. Young Innovations is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of supplies and equipment used by dentists, oral surgeons, periodontists, hygienists, dental assistants and consumers. Our portfolio of brands includes products that hold leadership positions in the preventive, restorative, orthodontic, endodontic, surgical and diagnostic segments. With our mission of Creating Smiles, Creating Possibilities, we focus on delivering innovative, high-quality products and solutions to clinicians and their patients. We seek opportunities to enhance our portfolio of brands and products through organic growth and acquisitions. We pursue strategic acquisition opportunities to increase the breadth and growth potential of our product and service offerings. By enhancing our products and expanding customer relationships, we are better able to respond to clinician and patient needs. Young Innovations is owned primarily by an affiliated fund managed by TJC, L.P. ("TJC") as well as the Young Innovations management team. TJC (formerly known as The Jordan Company), founded in 1982, is a middle-market private equity firm that has raised funds with original capital commitments in excess of $23 billion and has a 41-year track record of investing in and contributing to the growth of many businesses across a wide range of industries including Diversified Industrials; Technology, Telecom & Power; Logistics & Supply Chain and Consumer & Healthcare. The senior investment team has been investing together for over 20 years and is supported by the Operations Management Group, which was established in 1988 to initiate and support operational improvements in portfolio companies. TJC has offices in New York , Miami , Chicago , and Stamford. For more information, visit www.tjclp.com. Media Relations Contact: Nicky Weskerna +1 (847) 458-5400 [email protected] www.younginnovations.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/young-innovations-announces-acquisition-of-salvin-dental-specialties-302006342.html SOURCE Young Innovations A person stands in front of a First Republic Bank branch in San Francisco, California, U.S. April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Swedish pension fund Alecta said on Tuesday it had been appointed by a U.S. court to lead a class action against First Republic Bank aimed at recovering as much capital as possible that investors lost when the bank collapsed earlier this year. U.S. regulators on May 1 seized First Republic Bank and sold its assets to JPMorgan Chase & Co, in a deal to resolve the largest U.S. bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis and draw a line under lingering turmoil in the industry. Sweden's largest pension fund provider lost 19.6 billion crowns ($1.92 billion) from share holdings in First Republic Bank and collapsed rivals Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, and said on Tuesday it would take part in class actions against all three. "We have a duty to take the legal measures we can to recover as much of the capital as possible after the collapse of First Republic," Alecta CEO Peder Hasslev, said in a statement. It normally takes years to reach a solution in a class action of this kind, however, and it is difficult to assess how much money Alecta might be able to recover, the pension fund provider said. The process is being conducted with the help of U.S. litigation lawyers, Alecta added. Norway's sovereign wealth fund and Swedish pension fund AP7 were last week named co-lead plaintiffs in an ongoing class action relating to the now-defunct Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). (Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Mark Potter) FILE PHOTO: BNP Paribas Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo PARIS (Reuters) - France's largest bank BNP Paribas said on Tuesday it had won a deal with Goldman Sachs, the largest trading member on the Vienna stock exchange by market share, to provide custody and settlement services for assets in Austria. "We are delighted to receive this mandate, which confirms our commitment to the Austrian market and the depth of our local expertise," said Bruno Campenon from BNP Paribas' Securities Services division. "We are also very pleased to strengthen our partnership with Goldman Sachs, who have been a historical client of BNP Paribas' Securities Services business for many years," he added. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) FILE PHOTO: Attendees inspect Smith and Wesson firearms at the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual meeting, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., April 28, 2019. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston/File Photo By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - A group of Catholic nuns on Tuesday sued the board of Smith & Wesson to try to force the gunmaker to abandon the manufacture, marketing and sales of assault-style rifles that have been used in U.S. mass shootings. The nuns, in a lawsuit filed in state court in Nevada, allege that Smith & Wesson's directors and senior management exposed the company to significant liability by intentionally violating federal, state and local laws and failing to respond to lawsuits over mass shootings. "These rifles have no purpose other than mass murder," the nuns said in a statement. Smith & Wesson, which is incorporated in Nevada, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. AR-15 assault-style rifles have been used in a number of mass shootings that have shocked Americans. The first page of the lawsuit contains a photo from a mass shooting at a Colorado cinema in 2012 that showed a Smith & Wesson assault rifle on the blood-splattered ground next to pink sandals. Twelve people died and 70 were injured in the attack. The group of nuns filed the lawsuit in their role as Smith & Wesson shareholders, in what is known as a derivative lawsuit. Such lawsuits seek to hold corporate boards liable for breaches of their duties to shareholders, although courts generally find boards are protected from lawsuits for good-faith decisions. If successful, the lawsuit would hold the company's directors liable for any costs associated with the allegedly illegal marketing of assault rifles and any damages would be paid to Smith & Wesson, not the plaintiffs. The lawsuit is the first derivate case against a board over assault rifles, according to Jeffrey Norton, an attorney for the nuns. The nuns alleged that the directors of Smith & Wesson have ignored growing legal risks from making assault-style rifles. For many years, gunmakers enjoyed broad immunity for liability from mass shootings due to a 2005 U.S. law known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. But last year, rival gunmaker Remington agreed to pay $73 million to settle claims by families of the victims of the 2012 shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which has encouraged others to sue over mass shootings. In addition, New York, Illinois and California are among the states that have adopted laws that either ban assault rifles or make it easier to sue over their use. At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court and many other states have taken steps to expand gun-owner rights. Smith & Wesson warned in its 2022 annual report that it might have to pay significant damages due to legal proceedings against the company. The case in Nevada was brought by the Adrian Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan; Sisters of Bon Secours USA of Marriottsville, Maryland; Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia of Aston, Pennsylvania; and Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary, U.S.-Ontario Province of Marylhurst, Oregon. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie Adler) FILE PHOTO: Mexico's new Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena Ibarra holds a meeting with the media at the Secretary of Foreign Affairs headquarters, in Mexico City, Mexico. July 14, 2023. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha/File Photo HONG KONG (Reuters) - China-Mexico cooperation has great potential and huge room for development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday as he met in Beijing with his Mexican counterpart Alicia Barcena, who vowed to strengthen bilateral ties. Barcena thanked China for helping Mexico rebuild from the damage caused in October by Hurricane Otis, which devastated the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco. China was helping Mexico expedite purchases of household goods for families hit by Otis, the Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement. Wang said the two sides should promote all-round exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, culture and other fields. The two governments stressed the importance of a visit from a Mexican delegation to China in October, which led to the establishment of a working group to combat trafficking of precursor chemicals used to make synthetic drugs including fentanyl, Mexico said. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has been seeking cooperation with Mexico and China to curb the flow of fentanyl, which has fueled a sharp rise in overdose deaths. Barcena also made the case for forging closer ties between China and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Last month, China and Mexico's leaders met on the sidelines of the APEC summit and committed to strengthening ties while agreeing to battle illegal drug trafficking between their nations and to push for more trade and investment. (Reporting by Ethan Wang in Beijing and Twinnie Siu in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Valentine Hilaire in Mexico City; Editing by David Goodman and Josie Kao) Sleep and dream researchers have long noticed that people often have dreams with the same plot. One of these plots is tooth loss. We often dream about losing this part of our body, and it makes us wake up in terror. ADVERTISIMENT Two Israeli psychologists, Naama Rosen and Nirit Soffer-Dudek, decided to study this phenomenon, PsyPost writes. And they found a connection between such dreams and dental irritation. The scientists published the results of their work in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. Earlier studies have shown that about 39% of respondents have had dreams about teeth falling out, breaking, or rotting at least once in their lives. Over the years, these visions have been interpreted in different ways, ranging from common symbolism to the effects of stress. In some cultures, such dreams are considered prophetic and foretell the death of someone close to them. In others, such visions are associated with the fear of old age and sexual behavior. "I found it very mysterious that one of the most common dreams (of teeth falling out) depicted an experience that rarely describes the experience of adults in real life," explained Soffer-Dudek, director of the Center for Consciousness and Psychopathology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Together with her colleague, she concluded that dreams about teeth are not subject to the principle of dream continuity. This principle explains dreams by the fact that we see things in them that bother us when we are awake. So the researchers started looking for other reasons. ADVERTISIMENT Their work, which is part of a larger study of dissociation and related constructs, involved 210 people. Most of them were college students aged 18 to 28. They completed questionnaires to assess various factors, including dream themes, psychological stress, tooth irritation, and sleep quality. Of particular interest were two aspects of dental irritation - nighttime teeth grinding and the feeling of tension and pain in the teeth upon waking. The researchers used the Dream Motif Scale (DMS). It consists of 100 dream themes, measured on a 5-point scale, and assesses the frequency of recurrence of certain themes in a dream throughout a person's life. They focused on four items, including one related to dreams about teeth. To measure psychological stress, the researchers used the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), which assesses the symptoms experienced by the study participant in the past month. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, they used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which assesses how well or poorly a person has slept in the past month. Study participants were also asked to report on what dental symptoms they experienced when they woke up. As a result, it turned out that there was a significant relationship between dreams about teeth and dental irritation. It was especially evident in the feeling of tension in the teeth upon waking. This means that people who dreamt that their teeth were falling out were more likely to report sensitivity or tension in their teeth, gums, or jaws when they woke up. Thus, the authors of the study linked dreams not only to psychological processes but also to certain physical sensations. Thus, dreams about tooth loss correlate with a feeling of discomfort in the mouth in the morning. ADVERTISIMENT Interestingly, this correlation was not observed with teeth grinding, although this is usually associated with tooth irritation. The researchers suggested that this may be due to the fact that people do not realize that they may be grinding their teeth in their sleep. Instead, they often experience certain dental symptoms after waking up. Moreover, the study showed that dreams about teeth are not related to psychological stress or sleep quality. Thus, the researchers managed to refute the earlier idea that such dreams are primarily caused by psychological problems. "I thought we would find a stronger correlation between dreams about tooth loss and psychological stress," Soffer-Dudek said. The Israeli researchers' discovery challenges the traditional notion that dreams of tooth loss are symbolic of psychological distress. Instead, the study suggests that these dreams may have a physical basis, rather than being purely symbolic psychological symptoms. ADVERTISIMENT However, it should be noted that this study has certain limitations. In particular, the sample included mainly college students, which means that correlations may differ among other groups of people. In addition, the assessment of tooth irritation was based on the subjective feelings of the subjects, which may not always be completely accurate. Therefore, the work of Rosen and Soffer-Dudek requires repeated experiments and additional verification on a larger sample. Scientists can also study other physical sensations, such as sore gums, toothache, or even dental procedures performed the day before, to better understand the relationship between dream themes and physical discomfort during sleep. Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you what nightmares people most often dream about and why it happens. Subscribe to the OBOZ.UA channels on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. FILE PHOTO: A branch of Barclays Bank is seen, in London, Britain, February 23, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo By Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro and Anousha Sakoui LONDON (Reuters) - Citigroup and Bank of America were left holding some shares in Barclays after they could not identify enough demand for a 510 million pound ($642 million) stake sold by Qatar Holding, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The two bookrunners on the block trade set out on Monday to sell a 2.3% stake in the bank in a move by Qatar to cut back on its crisis-era investment in Britain's Barclays, which is struggling to reinvigorate its share price. Barclays, BofA and Citigroup declined to comment. Qatar Holding did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal business hours. Reuters could not establish what portion of the stake sold by the Qatari sovereign wealth fund the two banks were left holding. The banks may sell the shares over time. The banks priced the deal at 141 pence, a 1.4% discount to the Barclays closing share price, at 2120 GMT on Monday, a source close to the matter previously told Reuters. However, only part of the offer was placed with investors, with the rest left with the investment banks, the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. Shares in Barclays fell as much as 4.5% on Tuesday morning on the back of the block trade and closed around 2.5% down. Qatar became Barclays' largest shareholder during the 2008 financial crisis when it injected 4 billion pounds into the UK bank in a deal that helped avert a taxpayer bailout. It remains a significant shareholder in the bank after Monday's sale. Britain's financial watchdog later fined Barclays $55 million for fees paid to Qatari entities in the 2008 fundraising, which Barclays said it would appeal. Barclays this year began working on plans to save as much as 1 billion pounds, which could involve cutting as many as 2,000 jobs, mainly in its back office, Reuters reported last month. It is also selling its consumer finance unit in Germany and considering selling a stake in its domestic merchant services business, Reuters previously reported. Barclays has also expressed interest in acquiring Tesco's banking business. ($1 = 0.7945 pounds) (Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro and Anousha Sakoui; Editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Alexander Smith) FILE PHOTO: The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) - The crew of the Galaxy Leader commercial ship seized by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis last month have been allowed "modest contact" with their families while various countries push for their release, the vessel's owner said this week. The Bahamas flagged car carrier was taken to the port of Hodeidah in the Houthi controlled north of Yemen after being boarded at sea on Nov. 19 by commandos with the group. The vessel'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. "The safety and welfare of the crew members remains the priority of both owners and managers and the modest contact that has been allowed with crew members and their families suggests that the seafarers are being treated as well as can be expected in the circumstances," Isle of Man registered owner Galaxy Maritime Ltd, said in a statement on Monday. "The 25 crew members being held have no connection whatsoever with the current situation in the region," the owner said. "Nothing can be achieved by their further detention." The United States has blamed the Houthis for a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7. Three vessels were attacked in the Red Sea area on Sunday. At an assembly session on Monday of the UN shipping agency's highest governing body, the United States, the Bahamas and Japan called for the unconditional release of the Galaxy Leader and its crew. Japan's delegation told the International Maritime Organization assembly that it "strongly condemns those acts which threaten the safety and freedom of navigation in that area". The Bahamas said the various attacks including the Galaxy Leader were a "violation of all of the norms relating to innocent passage of ships". "Here we have non-state actors so who do you hold responsible?" the Bahamas said, referring to the Houthis. (Reporting by Jonathan Saul; editing by Grant McCool) By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments look increasingly unlikely to reach a deal on new EU fiscal rules this year because their differences on the pace needed to consolidate public finances are too big, officials said. On Friday EU finance ministers are to discuss changes to the rules, which underpin the value of the euro and are closely watched by financial markets. The aim is to agree a joint position, called a general approach, that would then be negotiated with the European Parliament early in 2024. "I don't think a general approach is possible before the end of the year," said one senior euro zone official involved in the talks. "We are too far apart on many issues, and some have not even been discussed," said the official, adding that there was little time left given the need to prepare next week's European summit on Ukraine and talks on the EU's common budget. "A deal on Friday is highly unlikely," a second official close to the talks said. But officials said that even if there is no complete agreement, discussions based on a new compromise proposal by the Spanish presidency on Thursday evening and on Friday were likely to yield a convergence of positions, called a "landing zone". The rules have been suspended since 2020 but are to be reinstated from 2024. EU governments want to update them to reflect the new, post-pandemic realities of higher public debt and the need for large investment to prevent climate change. Officials said a delay in a deal until early next year would not have much impact on euro zone fiscal policy in 2024 because draft budgets for next year have been constructed on existing Commission recommendations. However it would leave less time for negotiations on the final shape of the rules with the European Parliament which will dissolve in April before elections in June. "We are extremely close to a deal. There are differences and a few red lines, but with good will this could be done in some hours of serious negotiation," a third euro zone official close to the talks said. The rules, called the Stability and Growth Pact, limit budget deficits to 3% of GDP and debt to 60%, with disciplinary steps for those not cutting any excess fast enough. Many European governments far exceed the limits now. The European Commission initially proposed that any decline in debt over four years should be acceptable. Germany insists on minimum annual amounts, called benchmarks, that would be the same for all, asking for a 1% per year minimum debt reduction. Berlin also wants the new rules to say governments must aim for budget deficits well below 3%, creating a buffer to cover unexpected events. This would further limit the room for fiscal manoeuvre for national governments. EU ministers also are haggling over the balance of power between them and the European Commission and how to effectively enforce the rules, But the main clash is over the numbers -- how quickly the deficit and debt must be cut. (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; editing by Christina Fincher) El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele speaks while giving a message on national television in San Salvador, El Salvador, in this handout picture released on November 28, 2023. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador has seen "an alarming regression" of human rights protections during President Nayib Bukele's government, a trend that has intensified under a sweeping anti-gang crackdown, Amnesty International said in a report published on Tuesday. Bukele has enjoyed widespread popularity since taking office in 2019, due in part to a state of emergency declared last year that has wrested control from criminal groups while eliciting criticism for the suspension of some constitutional rights. In a 69-page report, Amnesty International detailed an increasingly punitive and repressive approach to public security during Bukele's rule, as well as threats to due process, the systematic use of torture and the mistreatment of detainees and prisoners. "The deterioration in the guarantee of human rights that we have documented in El Salvador in recent years is extremely worrying," Amnesty International's Americas director Ana Piquer said in a statement. Bukele, who requested a leave of absence from office last week to seek re-election in early 2024, has denied allegations of human rights violations and of agreeing to truces with gangs in exchange for prison benefits. Reuters has not received a response on Amnesty International's report from Bukele's office nor the country's commissioner for human rights and freedom of expression. Over three visits to the country between May 2022 and July 2023, the London-based NGO chronicled an increase in attacks on freedom of expression and association, as well as a lack of access to information around the management of jails, the attorney general's office, forensic services and the police. Amnesty International said it documented 62 cases of human rights violations and conducted 83 interviews with victims and their families, human rights defenders, journalists and former justice officials. Since Bukele's state of emergency went into effect in March 2022, security forces have arrested nearly 75,000 suspected gang members and released 7,000, according to official data. Human rights groups have reported 190 deaths and over 5,000 abuses related to the crackdown. The situation constitutes one of El Salvador's "worst crises" since the end of its civil war that left some 75,000 people dead between 1979 and 1992, Piquer said. (Reporting by by Nelson Renteria; Editing by Diego Ore, Brendan O'Boyle and Christopher Cushing) FILE PHOTO: Flags flutter on the facade of the Colombian Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies building in Bogota, Colombia, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Jaime Acosta/File Photo BOGOTA (Reuters) - Four operators have been approved to participate in Colombia's auction to offer fifth-generation (5G) cellular data services, the communications ministry said. Among those approved are the operators of Claro and WOM, as well as Union Temporal Colombia Movil-Telefonica, a partnership between the operators of Movistar and Tigo, the ministry said in a statement late on Monday. Telecall Colombia S.A.S., the fourth approved bidder, is a Brazilian telecoms coming looking to enter the Colombian market. The government expects to raise about $500 million via the Dec. 20 auction and join regional neighbors like Argentina and Mexico, where 5G is already available. The frequencies up for auction include 700 megahertz (MHz), 1900 MHz, 2500 MHz and 3500 MHz, as well as others in the extended AWS band of frequencies, which range from 1,700 MHz to 2,100 MHz, the government has said. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Mark Porter) By Geert De Clercq PARIS (Reuters) - French parliament has passed a law to protect farmers from complaints from neighbours about noise or stench from agricultural activities, to stop "abusive" lawsuits from former city dwellers who bought houses in the countryside. The bill, put forward by ruling majority MP Nicole Le Peih and supported by President Emmanuel Macron's centrist government, was approved 78 votes to 12 overnight on Monday and will now proceed to the Senate. "This law will put an end to abusive lawsuits against farmers who do nothing but their job: feed us. It is a common-sense proposal, country-side common-sense," Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said on social media platform X. French governments have long courted farmers, an influential sector that Paris ignores at its peril. The country has a history of conflicts between former city dwellers buying country houses and then complaining about roosters crowing, dogs barking, the noise of agricultural machinery or the smell of manure. BFM TV reported that nearly 500 farmers are currently facing lawsuits from neighbours taking issue with noise, or smells, emanating from their farms. In 2019, in a case that caught international media attention, a court ruled that a rooster called Maurice could continue his dawn crowing despite complaints from neighbours in a village on a small island off France's Atlantic coast. France already has legislation, introduced in 2021, to protect the "the French countryside's sensory heritage", but the new law aims to give more protection to existing farms from newly arrived residents in the area. "Proud to support those who work in our fields. Now to the Senate," farming union FNSEA Deputy Chairman Luc Smessaert said on X. Brittany region environmentalist Claire Desmares told local radio France Bleu that the proposed law is an "absurd and populist" measure proposed by the powerful agricultural lobby. (Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Sharon Singleton) FILE PHOTO: The Wall Street sign is pictured at the New York Stock exchange (NYSE) in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global hedge funds sold more than bought equities for a third consecutive week last week, dumping shares mainly in consumer staples and financials, a BofA Securities note about its clients flow trends. Portfolio managers net sold over $300 million in shares in total last week, while they bought roughly $250 million in healthcare, technology and real estate, the data showed. In the previous week, hedge funds had mostly cut their exposure to healthcare. Hedge funds also continued to add small-cap stocks, buying almost $100 million. Conversely, they sold roughly $350 million in mid- and large-cap stocks. Their decision to dump stocks came in a week the S&P 500 closed at its 2023 high as remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell bolstered the view that key policy rates have peaked. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl, in New York) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday condemned violence against Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the West Bank, saying in a state of law, only the police and the military had the right to use force. "There is, sadly, violence from extremists that we must condemn," Gallant told a news conference, hours after the United States announced it would impose visa bans against individuals involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the occupied West Bank. The West Bank, among the territories where Palestinians seek statehood, has experienced a surge of violence in recent months amid expanding Jewish settlements and a nearly decade-old impasse in U.S.-sponsored peacemaking. "In a state of law, and Israel is a state of law, the right to use violence belongs only to those who are certified to do so by the government, in our case that's the IDF (military), the Israeli police, the Shin Bet (security service) and such," Gallant said. "Nobody else has any authority to use violence," he said. (Reporting by Emily Rose; editing by James Mackenzie ; Editing by Sandra Maler) By Tim Kelly, Kaori Kaneko and Yukiko Toyoda YONAGUNI, Japan (Reuters) - Sonkichi Sakihara recalls chancing upon some of the last refugees to arrive on Yonaguni: four men who had sailed more than 2,000 kilometres from Vietnam to reach Japan's westernmost inhabited island. It was 1977. "I was out checking for stowaways from Taiwan when I found them," Sakihara, 80, said at his family store near the port where he encountered the group, among 113 Vietnamese to make the journey after the war ended. Today, some residents of Yonaguni foresee another refugee crisis that they say their isolated outpost and its dwindling population of less than 1,700 would be ill-equipped to handle. Just 110 kilometres to the west, and occasionally visible from Yonaguni, is Taiwan, the self-ruled island of 24 million that China asserts is its territory and which Beijing is menacing with simulated missile strikes and other displays of military firepower. Concerned about the potential for conflict, Japan has embarked on its biggest defence build-up since World War Two. But the $290 billion outlay comes without a parallel plan to prepare Yonaguni for a possible humanitarian crisis that residents like Sakihara say could quickly overwhelm their shores. In interviews with Reuters, more than two dozen current and former Japanese officials and residents said hundreds, if not thousands of refugees could try to reach Yonaguni in boats if China attacked Taiwan. Tokyo, they said, has no plan to deal with them, and locals' pleas for help have gone unanswered. "It's like their mouths are taped shut," said Yonaguni mayor Kenichi Itokazu, referring to the central government. Pinned to a noticeboard at his town hall was a list of typhoons and other crises to have visited the island, including the arrival of the Vietnamese. Itokazu said he had appealed for help directly to Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno when he came to Yonaguni in July, but again got no response. Some U.S. officials say China may be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. Chinese leader Xi Jinping told U.S. President Joe Biden last month that no such plan exists, but he is raising pressure on Taiwan ahead of a Jan. 13 presidential election that Vice President Lai Ching-te, who Beijing views as a separatist, is tipped to win. Taiwan's foreign ministry declined to address questions about whether it had discussed humanitarian contingencies with Japan, but said Taipei would not act rashly or succumb to Chinese coercion. A spokesperson for Japan's Cabinet Secretariat said that "if large numbers of refugees came to Japan, relevant government departments would work together to respond". He declined to comment on whether there was a specific plan for Yonaguni and said he did not know whether the island's mayor had directly asked Matsuno for help. CRISIS SCENARIO The people who spoke to Reuters included nine current and six former officials with knowledge of Japan's emergency planning, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly. They said that while Taiwanese refugees could flee to Japan by sea, the nature of any conflict and the numbers who would come were hard to predict. Japan's government has made no public mention of such a scenario. "There could be hundreds of boats, too many even for a Chinese blockade to stop," a Japan Coast Guard official said. The Cabinet Secretariat, headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and run by Matsuno, is responsible for devising a plan, he added. The current and former officials described a government focused on its military build-up rather than a complex humanitarian response plan encompassing the multiple departments, local authorities and companies that would have to screen, transport, feed and house possibly more refugees than Japan has ever encountered. Around 18,000 refugees were in Japan in 2022, mostly from Myanmar, according to the Migration Policy Institute, which cited United Nations figures that apply a broader definition than Japan's government. Amid conflict in Europe and the Middle East, Germany had more than 2 million and Poland almost a million, many from Ukraine. Tokyo has a political decision to make on whether to accept significant numbers of refugees, said Kevin Maher at NMV Consulting in Washington, who was previously head of Japan affairs at the State Department. "Japan has been reluctant to let in large numbers but, whatever the policy may be, the reality is that just about anything that floats could be headed for Japan," Maher said. A BIG JOB General Yoshihide Yoshida, the head of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF), said he witnessed the refugee crisis caused by Russia's attack on Ukraine when he visited Poland last year. "If something similar happened near us we would have to offer the same kind of humanitarian response, but that shouldn't be left to the SDF, it's for the whole of government to consider thoroughly," he said on Tokunoshima, at the eastern end of the island chain that includes Yonaguni, where he was observing beach landing drills by Japanese forces on Nov. 19. That day, Taiwan detected Chinese aircraft over the Taiwan Strait and spotted warships carrying out combat readiness patrols. The roughly 200 SDF troops on Yonaguni could be among the first to respond to any refugee crisis should East Asia, as Kishida warned last year, become the next Ukraine. But in more than 100 pages of documents outlining Kishida's military build-up, refugees are mentioned only once, in a general reference to working with the U.N. Tokyo will hesitate to implement specific humanitarian plans on Yonaguni because it could lead China into believing Japan is preparing for a Taiwan conflict, said a U.S. official with knowledge of Japanese thinking, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly. Even if he had a refugee plan, Kishida would still face an obstacle: his contentious relationship with the Okinawa government that administers Yonaguni. The governor, Denny Tamaki, wants fewer U.S. troops based in his prefecture, opposes Kishida's military expansion and says it is the prime minister's job to manage migrants arriving by boat. "Even if it's left to local government, the authority and financial resources for this have not yet been clearly defined," he said in an interview. Resentment with Tokyo lingers in Okinawa over the deaths of one in four islanders in World War Two and the substantial military presence that has been there since. In March, Okinawa and Tokyo officials conducted their first tabletop drill to simulate the evacuation of around 120,000 residents and tourists on Japan's southwestern islands, including Yonaguni, calculating the operation would take about a week. "There is no guarantee people won't come from Taiwan and it would overwhelm the system," said one of the drill's advisers, Hironobu Nakabayashi from Kokushikan University's Research Institute of Disaster Management and Emergency Medical System. NOT ENOUGH TO SHARE Back in Yonaguni, resident Satoshi Nagahama, 33, was surprised to learn the government had no humanitarian plan for refugees. "I don't think we could handle any. The government would have to take them elsewhere," he said at the island's closest port to Taiwan, where he was hauling blue marlin from fishing boats and packing them in ice. Even the community centre that temporarily housed the Vietnamese refugees Sakihara found has been closed for a decade, its crumbling concrete walls draped in green netting. Without government help, some residents say it would fall to the island's two police officers or town hall officials including Koji Sugama, a 65-year-old former soldier, to handle any refugee crisis. Since he was hired in April to improve disaster management, one of Sugama's tasks has been procuring emergency supplies for residents, including bottled water and ready meals packed into three heavy steel containers dotted around the island. "This will do for one, maybe two days," he said, standing inside one of them. "There isn't enough to share." (Reporting by Tim Kelly, Kaori Kaneko and Yukiko Toyoda; additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Kentaro Sugiyama in Tokyo; editing by David Crawshaw) FILE PHOTO: A 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition car that appeared in the 2013 Martin Scorsese film "The Wolf of Wall Street" is displayed during a press preview ahead of the Luxury Sales auction at Sothebys in New York City, U.S., Nov ROME (Reuters) -Lamborghini has reached a deal with unions to introduce a four-day week for its production workers, the labour associations and the company said on Tuesday, as more manufacturing groups re-consider the structure of the work week for their employees. The FIOM and FIM-CISL unions said the agreement is "historical" as it is the first in the automotive industry in Europe to achieve a significant reduction in working hours without cutting wages, but rather increasing them. The move comes at a time when many companies and public offices are changing how people work to improve employee well-being and promote company savings after the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. Similar four-day week schemes adopted in other European countries, such as Britain, have found that employees worked more in less time, job retention and recruitment improved and sickness levels went down. "Work less and work better, this is the principle that guided this negotiation, and which is part of a comprehensive reasoning," a statement from FIOM and FIM-CISL said. Production workers on a rotating two-shift schedule will alternate a five-day week with a four-day week, overall cutting 22 days of work each year, the unions said. Those on a three-shift rota, which includes night shifts too, will have a five-day week alternated with two four-day weeks, cutting their yearly working days by 31. The agreement reached with Lamborghini is part of a broader renegotiation of the framework contract used for workers of the car maker, a subsidiary of Germany's Volkswagen, which also includes 500 new jobs, an increase of annual wages and further labour benefits. In terms of pay, the deal includes a 50% increase in the current variable bonuses paid to workers as well as a one-off bonus of over 1,000 euros ($1,082) to be paid this month. On Tuesday, Intesa Sanpaolo said that 70% of almost 30,000 people who had the option of asking to work a four-day week had done so, with requests on the rise. In January, Italy's largest bank opened to shortening the working week to curb energy bills, the first such move by a major Italian employer. Last week, eyewear maker Essilorluxottica agreed with labour unions to test a four-day working week model in its Italian plants, for 20 weeks per year. Other Italian groups, including aerospace and defence group Leonardo, are also in talks with unions to extend flexible working benefits to their production sites. ($1 = 0.9244 euros) (Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari and Giulia Segreti, additional reporting by Elisa Anzolin; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Mark Potter) Black holes can be called one of the most terrifying "creatures" in the Universe. They have a super-powerful gravity that even light traveling at nearly 300 thousand kilometers per second cannot avoid them. They can completely swallow stars, planets, and even other black holes. But are they so voracious that they can swallow the entire Universe? ADVERTISIMENT LiveScience found out whether such a scenario is possible, as well as whether black holes are really as voracious as people think. Spoiler alert: not really. According to NASA scientists, there is no way that a black hole could eat not only the entire universe but even a galaxy. Black holes are formed as a result of the collapse of massive stars. During this process, the star shrinks, becoming an extremely dense object whose gravitational pull is so powerful that even light cannot overcome it. However, as Gaurav Khanna, a black hole physicist at the University of Rhode Island, explains, the idea that a black hole can swallow the universe is wrong. It is probably based on the misconception that black holes work like vacuum cleaners. But this is not the case. "They only suck in things that are very close to," Khanna says. ADVERTISIMENT According to him, the object itself has to get close to the black hole, or rather, to the event horizon (the point of no return), for it to tear it apart and swallow it. As the scientist explained, the event horizon is not infinite, so its strength is also limited. For example, a black hole with the mass of our Sun will extend only 3 kilometers, while a black hole with the mass of the Earth will extend only a few centimeters. As for the gravity of black holes, it can make planets and stars move in a certain way, but it does not lead to their being swallowed up. In particular, the orbital dance of objects in our Milky Way galaxy is also regulated by the black hole in its center, but this does not mean that we are all heading towards death. To better understand this, Paul Delaney, a professor of astronomy at the University of York, suggests imagining that a black hole of the same mass would form in place of our Sun. Despite all the claims about the power of gravity, it would have no effect on the Earth. ADVERTISIMENT "Our planet would not notice any changes in the gravitational force acting on it and would continue to move in the same orbit," he said. In turn, Alex Filippenko, a black hole expert at the University of California, Berkeley, explained that a black hole can only swallow a star if the star itself comes to it. That is, it is not a matter of pulling the star through but of its orbit coinciding with the black hole. In particular, as the expert explained, it would take "a really gigantic amount of time" for this to happen to our Sun. In addition, as Khanna explained, nature also regulates the voracity of black holes. The fact is that a black hole absorbs matter, but releases tons of radiation in return. This causes the matter around the black hole to heat up and ionize, which makes it harder for gas and dust to cool and fall into the black hole. This slows down the rate at which the black hole can feed. This self-regulation prevents black holes from swallowing entire galaxies, let alone the entire universe. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, we should not forget that the Universe is in a state of expansion, so even as the black hole grows, space objects move away from it. Earlier, OBOZREVATEL also shared that black holes can work as a time machine. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest news. Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney speaks during the Anti-Defamation League's "Never is Now" summit at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, an outspoken critic of ex-President Donald Trump who co-chaired the congressional probe of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, said she is weighing a third-party bid for the White House in 2024. In media interviews, Cheney said she was considering running for president next year as a third-party conservative candidate or on a bipartisan ticket that would include both a Republican and a Democrat. She cited Trump as a threat to democracy and the United States. "We face threats that could be existential to the United States, and we need a candidate who is going to be able to deal with and address and confront all of those challenges," Cheney told the Washington Post in remarks published on Tuesday. She said she planned to decide on a run in coming months. Cheney, 57, who lost her re-election bid in 2022 amid a tide of pro-Trump sentiment in her party, served as the top Republican on the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol attack by Trump supporters who wanted to overturn his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. She has kept her focus on the former president, echoing Biden in saying that another Trump presidency would threaten American democratic institutions. "I happen to think democracy is at risk at home, obviously, as a result of Donald Trumps continued grip on the Republican Party, and I think democracy is at risk internationally as well," she told the Post. Cheney made similar remarks in interviews with USA Today and MSNBC coinciding with the launch Tuesday of her memoir, "Oath and Honor: a Memoir and a Warning." She could not immediately be reached for comment. Despite Cheney's political setbacks, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney has deep roots in the Republican Party and has cultivated a national network of donors that has enabled her to stockpile millions of dollars. Trump remains the frontrunner in the 2024 race for the Republican presidential nomination despite indictments in four state and federal criminal cases, including one in Washington over his role in efforts to overturn his 2020 loss. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to carry out reprisals against those he perceives to have wronged him if elected again. Representatives for his campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (This story has been corrected to change the year Cheney lost her re-election bid to 2022, from 2020, in paragraph 5) (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Oatis) FILE PHOTO: Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Fadi Shana/File Photo By Ali Sawafta RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) -More than 15,900 Palestinians, including 250 health workers, have been killed in Gaza since the outbreak of war on Oct. 7, the Palestinian health minister said on Tuesday. The number of dead is steadily rising despite international calls for Israeli forces to limit civilian harm in the new phase of its military offensive in Gaza that began on Dec. 1 when a truce with Hamas collapsed, Health Minister Mai al-Kaila told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah. More than 40,900 people in Gaza have been wounded in by Israeli bombardments, according to her ministry. "If the pace at which the (Israeli) forces are going continues, the health sector may collapse completely," said al-Kaila. She said the ministry was doing its best to count those killed in real time, but the final number of war dead would be far higher. This was because thousands of bodies remain buried in rubble from airstrikes, and the government authority charged with removing corpses from sites of bombings, called the Civil Defence, had all but collapsed, she said. Israel is expanding its ground campaign through southern Gaza, a spokesperson announced on Tuesday, adding the government was open to "constructive feedback" on reducing harm to civilians so long as advice was consistent with its objective of destroying Gaza's ruling Hamas group. Al-Kaila said Israeli airstrikes have hit health facilities and hospitals and Israeli forces had detained 30 health workers during the offensive launched in retribution for an Oct. 7 cross-border rampage into southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. In the south of the densely populated territory, only five hospitals are still operating, at minimal capacity, and the total number of beds is 1,300, Al-Kaila said. She referred to the "disastrous" state of health services in Gaza, remarks similar to those by a World Health Organization official in the besieged enclave earlier in the day. Gaza health officials have recorded as many cases of severe diarrhoea among children as had been recorded among children in the enclave in all of 2020 and 2021 combined, she said. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where violence has surged since the Gaza war erupted, 260 Palestinians have been killed and 3,200 injured since Oct. 7, Al-Kaila said. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; writing by Maggie Fick; editing by Edmund Blair, Andrew Heavens and Mark Heinrich) By Valerie Volcovici DUBAI (Reuters) - The U.S. state of New Mexico on Tuesday used the COP28 talks in Dubai to announce a plan to divert wastewater from the oil and gas industry to water-intensive clean energy projects such as electric vehicle and solar manufacturing. New Mexico is the second-biggest oil and gas producing state, behind Texas, and it brings enormous amounts of water to the surface, most of which is put back underground, as it produces oil and gas. Diverting some of the water to manufacturing could take pressure off the arid state's dwindling water supplies, and also relieve its reinjection wells, which researchers say are at risk of filling and triggering earthquakes. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham told Reuters in an interview she was launching the program, described as a first of its kind, at the climate talks to inspire other countries with similar issues. "If we do it, it will happen other places," she said. She said she has had conversations with counterparts in Australia and Taiwan and has seen interest from policymakers in the Middle East. Lujan Grisham said New Mexico intends to spend $500 million to buy treated drilling wastewater, along with with brackish water from underground sources, to build a strategic water supply, and would seek deals starting early next year. The governor said the brackish underground water could potentially be treated for public consumption, while the produced water from drillers would be made fit for use in clean energy manufacturing. The manufacturing industry, including the clean energy sector, uses huge amounts of water, typically either as an ingredient in products or the chemical processes to make them, or to cool equipment. Lujan Grisham said she hoped the program would help New Mexico attract new clean energy manufacturing business. Over 2 billion barrels of produced water were generated by New Mexicos drillers in 2022, of which 1.2 billion were reinjected, according to the governors office. Climate-driven droughts have worsened the state's water supplies. In Albuquerque, for example, the Rio Grande went dry for the first time in four decades in August 2022, and climate models predict up to a 25% reduction in available water across the state, the governor's office said. Lujn Grisham said New Mexico will offer long-term contracts to potential water sellers, who would be required to clean up the water using the best technologies. (editing by Richard Valdmanis and Barbara Lewis) ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay and Brazil launched dozens of raids across the two countries on Tuesday to seize weapons sent from Europe to be sold to Brazil's largest criminal groups. An investigation uncovered "a complex and multi-million-dollar illicit firearms trafficking network from Europe to South America," Brazil's federal police said. According to officials in Paraguay, a business there was responsible for importing the weapons from Croatia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. Through connections with Paraguay's military weapons directorate DIMABEL, the company would receive speedy authorizations to move the arms, Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat said. Authorities raided the DIMABEL headquarters on Tuesday and arrested its former director, a high-ranking military official. The former head of Paraguay's Air Force was also detained. Investigators allege both were in direct contact with the arms traffickers. The two were not immediately reachable for comment. The president of the company at the center of the alleged trafficking network, an Argentine, and his wife, an ex-model, were sought by authorities but have not yet been arrested. Officials say the company, after importing the guns, would then shave off their serial numbers and resell them to intermediaries on the border between Paraguay and Brazil. Those third parties would then resell the weapons to some of Brazil's largest gangs, they added. The company moved an estimated 43,000 weapons to Paraguay worth around 1.2 billion reais ($242.21 million) over three years, Brazil's federal police said. Paraguayan authorities said a raid had also been carried out in the U.S. state of Kansas. Those involved in the weapons trafficking would send money back and forth between Paraguay and the U.S. to "break up" large sums of money, they added. ($1 = 4.9544 reais) (Reporting by Daniela Desantis and Kylie Madry) Rescuers conduct a retrieval operation after a bus carrying dozens of people lost its brakes and fell off a cliff in the central province of Antique, Philippines, December 5, 2023. Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office - Urban Search a MANILA (Reuters) - A passenger severely injured when a bus plunged into a ravine in the central Philippines has died, taking the death toll from the accident to 17, authorities said on Wednesday. The bus was carrying dozens of people when its brakes failed in the central province of Antique on Tuesday afternoon, the local governor, Rhodora Cadiao, told a press conference. Seven people were in critical condition while four were stable and recovering, she said. Local media had reported earlier than 28 died in the crash. Cadiao said the bus was travelling to Culasi in Antique from the neighbouring province of Iloilo when its brakes malfunctioned on a winding road and it plunged 30 metres (98.5 feet) into the ravine. "We call that area the killer curve. It was already the second bus that fell off there," Cadiao told DZRH radio station. Rescue operations at the site have stopped after all visible bodies were retrieved, the Antique government said on Facebook. "The engineering design of this road is very faulty," Cadiao said. "I want to condemn that road already." The Philippines is notorious for its lax regulation on public transportation and poorly maintained roads. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Sandra Maler and Neil Fullick) By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) -Prince Harry has been subjected to unlawful, unfair and unjustifiable treatment by the British government over the decision to take away his police protection when he is in Britain, his lawyer told London's High Court on Tuesday. Harry, along with other senior royals, had received full publicly-funded security protection provided by the state before he decided to step back from his royal duties and move to California with his American wife Meghan in 2020. But the Home Office the ministry responsible for policing, immigration and security decided in February that year that Harry would cease to automatically receive personal police security while in Britain, even if he were to cover the cost himself. Harry, who is the younger son of King Charles and who has the title the Duke of Sussex, was given permission last year to challenge that decision. Harry was not in court on Tuesday but his lawyer, Shaheed Fatima, said the decision was "unlawful and unfair". "This case is about the right to security and safety of a person," she said. "There cannot be a right of greater importance to any of us." She said the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as RAVEC, had deviated from its own written policy for the first time, and had not provided a reason why it had singled Harry out in this way. It had also failed to tell him why it had made its decision. 'LESS FAVOURABLY' Harry's "consistent position has been - and remains - that he should be given state security in light of the threats/risks he faces," she said in her written submission, adding he had "unjustifiably, been treated less favourably" than others. The government's lawyer, James Eadie, said the change in protection resulted from Harry's change of status to a non-working royal. RAVEC had not decided Harry should not receive protection, but that he should not have it on the same basis. Harry would be treated in a "bespoke" manner, and "occasionally" be included within the cohort of individuals receiving publicly-funded protection, Eadie said. The prince has often spoken out about his fears for the safety of his family, and has regularly hit out at press intrusion -- which he blames for the death of his mother Princess Diana, who was killed when her chauffeur-driven car crashed as it sped away from chasing paparazzi in Paris in 1997. Last year, Britain's former counter-terrorism police chief said there had been credible threats made against Harry and Meghan by far-right extremists. Eadie said in his written submissions said the committee was aware of "the wider impact following the tragic death of (Harry's) mother". The judge, Peter Lane, has ruled that only the opening statements in the case could be held in public, with the vast bulk of the hearings over the coming two and a half days held in private to prevent security measures being compromised. In her heavily redacted written submission, Fatima said there had been "a recent heightened threat" in June this year when Harry gave evidence at the High Court in a privacy case against Mirror Group Newspapers. In May, the High Court ruled against Harry after he challenged the government's refusal to allow to him pay for his own police protection instead. Lawyers for the police and the government successfully argued it would be wrong to allow the fifth-in-line to the throne to pay, as it would mean wealthy individuals were able to "buy" specially trained serving officers to act as private bodyguards. (Reporting by Michael HoldenEditing by Angus MacSwan and Frances Kerry) FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) speaks with reporters on the way to the Senate floor for a procedural vote regarding top military appointees at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has blocked hundreds of military promotions for months to protest the Pentagon's payment of abortion-related travel costs, said on Tuesday he would lift his hold on some of them. Shortly afterward, the Senate's Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, took to the Senate floor to confirm hundreds of the stalled promotions. Since there were no objections, they all went through. "425 highly-qualified, patriotic military leaders have now been confirmed by the Senate," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "These confirmations are long overdue, and should never have been held up in the first place." Pentagon leaders have said the holds threatened national security, and Tuberville, a social conservative from Alabama, has not lifted them all. "I've still got a hold on, I think, 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released by me," he told reporters. "It was pretty much a draw. They didn't get what they wanted. We didn't get what we wanted," he said. The Pentagon said it was encouraged by his decision. "We'll continue to stay engaged with Senator Tuberville and the Senate directly to urge that all the holds on all our general and flag officer nominations be lifted to include those nominated for four star," Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters. "Anytime you add a level of uncertainty into the chain of command, it creates an unnecessary friction. It has an impact on readiness," Ryder said. Schumer told reporters: "One thing I would say, Senator Tuberville, I hope no one does this again." In a statement, Democratic Senator Mark Kelly responded to the news with three words: "About damn time." Tuberville began blocking confirmations to senior Pentagon posts in March to protest a U.S. military policy enacted in 2022 that provides paid leave and reimburses costs for service members who travel to get an abortion. The policy was introduced after the Supreme Court last year overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. Democrats have said Tuberville should show his objection to a policy matter by targeting Biden nominees involved with policy, not uniformed officers who enact those policies. In August, the Navy, Marine Corps and Army were all without a Senate confirmed chief. (Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Patricia Zengerle, Jasper Ward and Susan Heavey in WashingtonWriting by Costas PitasEditing by Rami Ayyub, Daniel Wallis and Matthew Lewis) FILE PHOTO: Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan attends the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 15 July 2022. Made Nagi/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday it will offer tax incentives for foreign companies that locate their regional headquarters in the kingdom, including a 30-year exemption for corporate income tax. The world's top oil exporter announced in February 2021 plans to cease awarding government contracts to companies whose regional headquarters are not located in the kingdom by Jan. 1, 2024. The ultimatum, part of efforts by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to wean the economy off oil by creating new industries that would generate jobs for Saudis, has escalated the kingdom's competition with regional business hub the United Arab Emirates. The tax exemption package for regional headquarters includes a zero percent rate for the income tax of the regional entity and for the withholding tax on approved activities of those entities for 30 years, state news agency SPA reported. International companies will benefit from the tax exemption package starting from the date their licences are issued, it added. The programme has so far attracted 200 foreign companies, Saudi Investment minister Khaled Al-Falih was quoted as saying. "The new tax exemptions granted on regional headquarters activities will give .... international companies in the kingdom more clarity of vision and stability," Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said, according to SPA. "We look forward to welcoming more international companies to participate in projects in all sectors, including mega projects, and our preparations to host major events such as the Asian Winter Games in 2029, and the Expo 2030, Jadaan added. Foreign companies have scrambled to meet the Saudi condition to relocate their regional headquarters after the kingdom said in October the deadline will be enforced. However some companies have raised concerns over the regulatory framework, including taxation. Foreign firms have for years used neighbouring United Arab Emirates as a springboard for their regional operations, including for Saudi Arabia. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Bill Berkrot) By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer led a U.S. delegation to New Delhi on Monday where he noted the formation of an investigative panel by India to probe an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on U.S. soil. "Mr. Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible," the White House said in a statement on Monday. Last week, the U.S. Justice Department alleged that an Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on U.S. soil, while it announced charges against a man accused of orchestrating the attempted murder. U.S. officials have named the target of the attempted murder as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist and dual citizen of the United States and Canada. In response, India expressed concern about one of its government officials being linked to the plot, from which it dissociated itself, as being against government policy. India said last week it would formally investigate the concerns aired by the U.S., and take "necessary follow-up action" on the findings of a panel set up on Nov. 18. News of the incident came two months after Canada said there were "credible" allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a Vancouver suburb, a contention India has rejected. U.S. President Joe Biden, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA director Bill Burns and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have discussed this issue with their Indian counterparts in recent weeks. The issue is highly delicate for both India and the Biden administration as they try to build closer ties in the face of an ascendant China perceived as a threat for both democracies. The Indian government has long complained about the presence of Sikh separatist groups outside India. New Delhi views them as security threats. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India. Finer met Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. They also discussed developments in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas war, plans for a post-war Gaza and recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the White House said on Monday. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lincoln Feast.) Members of the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces take part in a ceremony at the National War Memorial on Remembrance Day in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada November 11, 2023. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo OTTAWA (Reuters) - Sexual assaults in the Canadian military rose significantly in 2022 compared to 2018, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday in the latest indication sex crimes are a fast-growing problem. In 2022, around 1,960 members of the military, or 3.5% of the total, reported they had been sexually assaulted by other people in the armed forces. This compares to 1.6% in 2018. Women made almost 75% of the complaints. The military has been under pressure for years over allegations of sexual misconduct by senior officers. The Statscan report was based on a survey of armed forces members. Around 64% victims of sexual assault did not report the incident they experienced to anyone in authority, mainly because they did not feel as though it would make a difference. "These results are deplorable ... the continued prevalence of sexual misconduct in our workplace is incredibly disappointing," General Wayne Eyre, chief of the defense staff, said in a statement. "It is abundantly clear that we have a lot of difficult work ahead." Last year an official probe recommended that sex crimes in the military be investigated externally by civilian authorities given what it called the unsatisfactory handling of offences by military courts over the preceding 20 years. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by David Gregorio) Chips, burns, and thin nails: these are the problems that owners of gel polish manicures often face. In the 90s of the last century, a convenient alternative was created, but it has gained popularity only recently. The dip powder technique not only does not harm nails but also helps to strengthen them. ADVERTISIMENT It differs from the standard coating in that it lasts longer, does not require ultraviolet light, and you can spend up to 40 minutes of your own time creating a manicure. OBOZ.UA has collected interesting information about powder coating and will tell you why it is better than gel polish. What is dip powder coating? Dip powder is a manicure method that uses a special powder to strengthen and decorate nails. It was invented by the popular nail company Signature Nail System in the 1990s. The main technique for applying this coating is to dip the nail in a special colored powder. This method is also used in gel polish applications but mostly when decorating nails. ADVERTISIMENT Dip powder vs gel polish Gel and powder manicures look similar, but there is a huge difference between them. Dip powder can stay on your nails for up to 4 weeks, while gel polish can last up to 2-3 weeks. It does not require the use of an ultraviolet lamp. Dip powder dries in a few minutes in the air. Dip powder does not contain harmful chemicals that can damage the nail plate, so it is safer for nails. How to do a dip manicure at home in 20 minutes Before you get to work, you should prepare all the tools: nail polish remover orange stick nail file hand sanitizer or alcohol nail bonder powder resin glue for manicure clear nail polish Clean your nails with nail polish remover and push back the cuticle. Apply hand sanitizer or alcohol. Cover them with the bonder and wait a minute for it to dry. Carefully apply the resin glue in one layer. Move from the cuticle to the end of the nail. This will create a thicker layer that will protect your nails from chipping. Dip your finger into the container with powder for a few seconds. Take it out and tap it lightly to get rid of excess powder. Leave the manicure to dry for a few minutes. Repeat steps 5-6 for each nail. When you get the desired result, apply the activator to your nails, and after it dries, apply a clear polish. A nuance in nail care Don't forget that powder manicure, like any other, can damage the nail plate, so you should take a month's break between sessions so that your nails can recover. Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you how to safely remove dip powder from nails at home. It only takes 30 minutes. If you prefer gel manicure, you can reduce its harm with BIAB technology. And for those who like "natural" nails, we recommend trying Japanese manicure. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Fadi Shana By Emma Farge and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber GENEVA (Reuters) -A World Health Organization official in Gaza said on Tuesday the situation was deteriorating by the hour as Israeli bombing has intensified in the south of the Palestinian enclave around the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah. "The situation is getting worse by the hour," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in Gaza, told reporters via video link. "There's intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah." Peeperkorn said the humanitarian aid reaching Gaza was "way too little" and said the WHO was deeply concerned about the vulnerability of the health system in the densely populated enclave as more people move further south to escape the bombing. "We will witness the same pattern of what happened in the north," he said, referring to an area of northern Gaza that was heavily bombed and nearly cut off from humanitarian supplies. "That cannot happen ... I want to make this point very clear that we are looking at an increasing humanitarian disaster." Thomas White, Director of Affairs at the U.N. Palestinian agency in Gaza, said a population of more than 600,000 had been ordered to move to escape bombardment. "Rafah that normally has a population of 280K and already hosting around 470K IDP (internally displaced people) will not cope with a doubling of its IDP population," White wrote on social media platform X. James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations children's agency UNICEF, said the areas of Gaza designated as safe by Israel were nowhere near meeting basic requirements, warning an absence of sanitation and shelter have created a "perfect storm" for outbreaks of disease. "It's a safe zone when you can guarantee the conditions of food, water, medicine and shelter," he told reporters via video link from Cairo after visiting Gaza. "I've seen for myself these are entirely, entirely absent... These are tiny patches of barren land or they're street corners. They're sidewalks. They're half-built buildings. There is no water." He added: "Only a ceasefire is going to save the children of Gaza right now," and called the Israeli approach to creating these zones "callous and cold". The WHO's Peeperkorn said the agency had complied with an Israeli order to remove supplies from warehouses in Khan Younis. He said WHO had been told the area would "most likely become an area of active combat in the coming days." "We want to make sure that we can actually deliver essential medical supplies," he said. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday appealed to Israel to withdraw the order. Israel denied asking for the evacuation of warehouses. (Reporting by Emma Farge and Gabrielle Tetraut-Farber; Editing by Rachel More and Janet Lawrence) By Andrew Mills and Max Hunder DOHA/KYIV (Reuters) - Six Ukrainian children will be returned to Ukraine from Russia under a deal brokered by Qatar, a Qatari official said on Tuesday, with a source involved in organising the returns saying they had been staying with relatives in Russia or Russian-occupied territory. The children are en route to Ukraine via Moscow, the source added. This is the second phase of a Qatar-mediated return of children, after four minors were returned in October. Negotiations on the returns had been underway since at least April 2023, a source told Reuters in July. Qatar agreed to a Ukrainian request to mediate with Russia on the return of children to their immediate families during a visit to Ukraine in July 2023 by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. "The process involved attaining the consent of the families, ... identification of minors and verification of identification information, coordination with humanitarian organizations, as well as logistical arrangements," the Qatari official said. One of the children was being escorted by Qatari diplomats to their embassy in Moscow before being transferred to Ukraine, the source said. The office of Ukraine's human rights ombudsman was not immediately available for comment. The cases appear to be different to those of Ukrainian children who Ukraine says were forcibly taken to Russia from territories occupied by Moscow, and which are the subject of an International Criminal Court case. Kyiv says about 20,000 children have been taken from Ukraine to Russia or Russian-held territory without the consent of family or guardians. It calls this a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide. Moscow, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, denies the accusation and says it has protected vulnerable children from the war zone. The case has led to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children's commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova being issued with ICC arrest warrants. The ICC has accused them of responsibility for the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children - at least hundreds, possibly more - to Russia. The Kremlin has rejected the charges, saying they have "no meaning" in Russia. The ICC's 123 member states are obliged to detain and transfer Putin if he sets foot on their territory. Russia is not a member. (Reporting by Andrew Mills in Doha and Max Hunder in Kyiv, Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Red flags flutter in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China September 30, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo (Reuters) -Hours before Moody's downgraded the outlook for China's sovereign credit ratings on Tuesday, speculation that such a move was imminent was circulating on Chinese social media platform WeChat, a Reuters review shows. "It is said that Moody's will downgrade China's sovereign credit rating, and an announcement will be made in the afternoon," according to one WeChat post in Chinese translated by Reuters, in a chat group with several hundred people. Moody's on Tuesday cut China's government outlook to negative from stable, stopping short of an outright downgrade. The rating agency cited growing evidence that authorities will have to step in to support debt-laden local governments and state firms, a move that could pose risks to the country's fiscal, economic and institutional strength. China's blue-chip stocks slumped to nearly five-year lows on Tuesday amid worries about the country's growth, with talk of a possible cut by Moody's denting sentiment during the session, ahead of the release. A Moody's spokesperson declined to comment. Credit ratings actions by agencies such as Moody's, S&P Global and Fitch have sometimes been reported ahead of their scheduled release. In 2011, the decision of S&P Global to place the credit ratings of 15 eurozone countries, including Germany, France, and Austria, on a review for downgrade was published ahead of its release by the Financial Times. Ratings leaks are quite common but can be difficult to pin down since they can come from different sources, said Alexander Michaelides, professor of finance at Imperial College London, who has researched and published academic papers on the systematic leakage ahead of official sovereign debt rating announcements. "It is quite common, but it is difficult to show that it has happened. And it happens in many countries around the world even in countries with very high institutional quality," Michaelides said. (Writing by Chibuike Oguh in New York; additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London; editing by Megan Davies and Nick Zieminski) By Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka will get about $600 million, on a staggered basis, from the Asian Development Bank after the International Monetary Fund releases the second tranche of a $2.9 billion bailout for the crisis-hit country, an official said on Tuesday. Sri Lanka is inching out of its worst financial crisis in decades, triggered by record-low foreign exchange reserves last year that saw its economy contract 7.8% in 2022. The island's economy has been gradually stabilising after locking down a four-year programme with the IMF in March. Its first review is expected to be approved by the global lender next week, which will release a second tranche of about $334 million in funding. Alongside the IMF programme the Asian Development Bank is likely to provide total budget support of $2 billion over the next four years, said ADB, Sri Lanka Resident Mission, Country Director Takafumi Kadono. "I would say $500 million to $600 million budget support is what is planned (for 2024) but, again, it is subject to attainment, satisfying the policy actions, so its not free money," Kadono said in an interview with Reuters. The bulk of the support will likely be extended next year in a combination of policy-based loans and project lending. The first instalment of $200 million is tabled for ADB board support on Dec. 8 but will only be given to Sri Lanka after the IMF approves its first review on Dec. 12. Another $200 million for power sector reforms is expected in 2024, along with $100 million to the water sector and $50-$70 million for the tourism sector. An additional $100 million is earmarked in ADB support to improve access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, along with another $100 million to improve public finance and debt management. Sri Lanka has to remain committed to pushing forward reforms pledged under the IMF programme, Kadono said, which include restructuring its loss-making state enterprises, reducing budget deficits and improving governance. "These are not bandage measures. I think Sri Lanka has done a lot of that in the past so, I think its really time to fix the fundamentals of the economy and to address these latent weaknesses in the economy and the institutions," Kadono said. (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe; Editing by Sharon Singleton) BANGKOK (Reuters) - A bus lost control and crashed into a tree in Thailand, killing 14 passengers and injuring more than 20, the state-owned Transport Company said in a statement on Tuesday. The accident occurred in country's western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan at half past midnight. The bus's front was split in half after the crash, according to state broadcaster ThaiPBS. Rescuers were seen pulling passengers out from the wreckage. "All those injured are being treated at hospital," the statement said, adding that an investigation on the causes of the accident was being carried out. (Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng, Edited by Kim Coghill) Local residents carry an OSB panel next to a crater from a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine December 5, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Antypenko KYIV (Reuters) - Russian forces pressed on with a long-running drive to capture the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka on Tuesday and both sides said they had made gains. Russian attacks killed four people in eastern and southern regions, including strikes on an aid centre and a medical building in the southern city of Kherson, the target of intensified Russian shelling in the 21-month-old war. Ukraine said it had downed a Russian Su-24 fighter plane over the Black Sea near Snake Island as the aircraft was on its way to attack Odesa region. Vitaliy Barabash, head of the military administration in Avdiivka, said Ukrainian forces had secured control of the village of Stepove on the northwestern approaches to the town. "Yesterday and the day before yesterday, our side carried out very serious stabilisation actions," Barabash told U.S.-funded Radio Liberty. "Stepove is now fully controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine." The popular Russian war blog Rybar said Russian forces had secured new areas around the village, 5 km (3 miles) north of Avdiivka. And the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War, quoting geolocated footage from Monday, said Russian forces were occupying improved positions. Russian forces have been engaged in a slow-moving drive through eastern Ukraine since failing to advance on Kyiv in the early days of the February 2022 full-scale invasion. Since mid-October, they have focused on Avdiivka, a gateway to the Russian held regional centre of Donetsk and known for its vast coking plant. HOLDING THE COKING PLANT Barabash stood by his contention that Russian forces had been kept out of the plant, but acknowledged that fighting raged in the "industrial zone" outside the town centre. Reuters could not confirm accounts from either side. Fighting has also gripped two other largely devastated eastern towns, Ukrainian-held Maryinka and Russian-held Bakhmut. Military analyst Serhiy Zgurets said Russian forces were trying to move on the northeastern town of Kupiansk, seized by Russian troops after the invasion, but later retaken by Ukraine. Zgurets, writing on the website of media outlet Espreso TV, said fighting had been going on for several weeks near the village of Synkivka, 9 km from Kupiansk. In Kherson, three people were killed and at least six injured in new Russian shelling. "Today, the enemy destroyed one of the humanitarian centres," Yuri Sobolevskyi, deputy head of Kherson regional council, told national television. "One of our medical institutions was shelled. The shelling is continuing ...and the density is high." Officials earlier said four doctors at the medical centre were injured. They said Russia fired two S-300 missiles, also damaging residential buildings nearby. Russian forces used the "Grad" multiple launch rocket system for a two-hour-long attack on the eastern frontline city of Chasiv Yar, the General Prosecutor's Office said, killing one and injuring five. Residents, it said, were receiving water and bread from volunteers at the time of the attack. Russia has denied targeting civilians in its invasion, although thousands have been killed in Russian air strikes. (This story has been corrected to say 'geolocated' instead of 'geopolitical' in paragraph 6) (Reporting by Dan Peleschuk, Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Ron Popeski and Stephen Coates) United States Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols listens to a question during a news conference, in San Salvador, El Salvador October 27, 2023. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas/File Photo By Julia Symmes Cobb and Marianna Parraga BOGOTA/HOUSTON (Reuters) -The U.S. continues to engage with representatives from the government of President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, State Department official Brian A. Nichols said on Tuesday, as the Biden administration considers whether to reinstate energy sanctions on the country. The U.S. has said the Maduro government failed to meet certain conditions to avoid a reversal of some or all of the October relaxations. "We are continuing to engage in conversations with Maduro representatives as well as close consultations with the democratic opposition in Venezuela, around finding ways to create the conditions for a more democratic, prosperous and secure Venezuela," Nichols said during a virtual event hosted by the Atlantic Council. Washington wanted the Maduro government take steps to lift public office bans on opposition candidates as well as begin work to release political prisoners and "wrongfully detained" Americans by Nov. 30. Maduro's administration has begun meeting only one of those requirements, allowing opposition figures barred from public office to defend their cases before the country's top tribunal. "The Maduro authorities need to demonstrate the courage to allow a serious opposition candidate to run in the election," Nichols said. "That process needs to conclude by the time of invoking of a formal election." The winner of the opposition's 2024 presidential primary, Maria Corina Machado, is among those barred from office. "The major change going forward is making sure that (Machado's) views are taken into account," Nichols said. The sanctions relaxation has meant previous illicit trade of oil is moving back into the formal sector, including to the United States, Nichols added. Since October, Venezuelan oil is being sold again by trading houses that used to be customers of state company PDVSA. But they are buying from little known intermediaries, according to documents and sources. PDVSA's largest customers continue trying to restore direct trade. "(This is) good for us consumers because we're getting oil and other products into our markets," Nichols said. The release of wrongfully detained Americans is incredibly important to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Nichols said. Savoi Wright, a fourth U.S. citizen arrested, has been added to the list of those held unfairly. Washington issued a six-month general license authorizing U.S. transactions with Venezuela's oil and gas sector and a second license authorizing operations of state gold mining company Minerven. It also removed a U.S. prohibition on secondary-market trading of Venezuelan sovereign bonds, all in response to a deal between the government and the opposition on the election. The U.S. has not specified which of the sanctions-easing measures could be reversed first. (Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Marianna Parraga; Editing by Gary McWilliams and Daniel Wallis) FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks during an interview with Reuters, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey/File Photo KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Kyiv did not expect wartime support from its partners to decrease and that there had been no slowdown in deliveries of weapons. The remarks at a news conference in Kyiv come amid a darkening outlook for Ukraine with uncertainty swirling over the passage of major assistance packages from the United States and European Union. "Our partners understand that what is at stake in Ukraine is much bigger than just the future of Ukraine," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said following talks with his Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot. "Therefore I do not anticipate any slowdown or any decrease neither in attention nor support that is coming," he said. Ukraine will not be pushed into negotiations with Russia, he told reporters. "No one will ever put us at the table with Russia until we ourselves decide that this is the way forward." Ukraine has relied heavily on military and economic aid from the West to hold out against and push Russian forces back since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. (Reporting by Anna Voitenko; Writing by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Tom Balmforth and Frances Kerry) LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he had spoken to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Tuesday and the pair discussed their "intention to have a constructive relationship". "The UK will continue to engage with China where it furthers our interests," Cameron said in a post on X, adding that they had also discussed the situation in Israel and Gaza, and the war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's appointment of former British leader Cameron as foreign minister last month caused concern among some lawmakers in his Conservative Party about what it would mean for the government's approach to China. As prime minister, Cameron heralded a "golden era" in relations with China in 2015, something Sunak has said is over. Sunak has instead sought to balance national security interests with better cooperation on trade and climate change. (This story has been refiled to say 'Wang' instead of 'Yi' in the headline) (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton) Officials attend a flag-raising ceremony for Finland's accession during NATO foreign ministers' meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 04 April 2023. Finland becomes the 31st member of the Alliance on 04 April. OLIVIER MATTHYS/Pool via REUT BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy to Budapest sharply criticised the Hungarian government on Tuesday for "disregarding" the interests of its NATO allies and strengthening ties with Russia at a time when its allies are isolating it. In a speech at AmCham to U.S. companies that have invested in Hungary, Ambassador David Pressman said Hungary has thrived as a member of the European Union and NATO, allowing companies run successful businesses in the Central European country that joined the EU in 2004. "Yet today, we are increasingly seeing an Ally that relies upon its NATO Allies, but feels comfortable disregarding the interests of those same Allies and our Alliance, including during a time of war in Europe," Pressman said. "That disregard is evident when the prime minister embraces (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, when his government threatens to hold up crucially needed aid to its neighbor, Ukraine.... When independent media and civil society organizations are investigated and attacked." Relations between Budapest and Washington have soured because of Hungary's foot-dragging over the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession and also over Prime Minister Viktor Orban's warm ties with Moscow despite the war in Ukraine. Sweden's NATO membership is pending ratification by Turkey and Hungary. Pressman's criticism comes a week before a crucial EU summit due next week where Orban has demanded that European Union leaders should avoid any decision on Ukraine's coveted goal of getting a green light for membership talks even as the country fights Russia's invasion. Budapest opposes Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Orban has kept up close relations with Moscow - partly due to Hungary's continued energy dependence on Russia. Pressman again raised deep concerns about a "sovereignty protection bill" drafted by Orban's ruling party that is waiting to be passed in parliament, saying it would create "a new domestic security agency, armed with unfettered and unchecked investigative powers." (Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Marguerita Choy) Fall is the time when everything around us is dressed in golden hues and nature generously distributes its gifts. This is the perfect time to visit the countries and regions where real wine was born. Let's go on a journey together to a world where new flavors and discoveries are hidden in every glass. ADVERTISIMENT In fact, such excursions have long won the hearts of Europeans. It is not only an interesting way to relax and get an unforgettable experience but also a great opportunity to try delicious drinks, learn to understand them and expand your horizons. If you're wondering where to go to enjoy the "nectar of the gods"? To learn the secrets of its creation and taste wines under the guidance of an experienced sommelier, we offer you a selection of the most popular destinations in Europe. France One of the most famous wine-producing countries in the world. It is the birthplace of the famous champagne, cognac, armagnac, and calvados. A well-known route among travelers is the Alsace Wine Road, which is lined with endless vineyards, wineries, and attractions. ADVERTISIMENT By the way, the Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Festival is held near the city of Lyon in November every year. You will get unforgettable emotions and feel the delicate bouquet of taste and aroma of this variety. Centers and regions of France worth visiting: Bordeaux; Burgundy; Rhone Valley; Loire Valley; Champagne; Alsace; Languedoc-Roussillon; Provence. Recommended to try: White: Chablis, Cote de Beaune Sweet and dessert wines: Sauternes, Cerons, Monbazillac, Vouvray Red: Medoc ou Graves tegers Italy The wines of this country have been considered to be among the best in Europe. Italy grows unique grape varieties that are not found anywhere else in the world. In addition, the local cuisine, with its famous pasta, pizza, seafood, and cheeses, perfectly complements the taste of the drink. Thus, you will have a real gastronomic pleasure. ADVERTISIMENT Wine regions are scattered throughout the country. Therefore, in addition to tasting, you will see beautiful landscapes and explore little-known towns and cellars with a rich history. Wine centers of Italy: Piedmont; Tuscany; Trentino; Abruzzo; Puglia; Basilicata; Valle d'Aosta; Veneto; Calabria; Campania; Lazio. We recommend to try: White: Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano, Trebbiano. Red: Amarone, Aglianico, Barbera, Dolcetto, Lambrusco. Sparkling: Vermentino, Asti Martini, Prosecco. Spain The country ranks first in terms of vineyard area. And there is nothing to be surprised about. After all, the climate, a large number of sunny days a year, and the terrain are perfect for growing juicy fruits. ADVERTISIMENT Traveling along the wine route in Spain will not leave anyone indifferent. There are countless wineries and cellars on the territory of the country, where expensive branded or more budget drinks are produced. In the fall, there are festivals dedicated to certain types of wine. It is at this time that you can personally participate in the harvesting and processing of grapes. You can also meet a large number of people interested in winemaking. Wine centers and regions of Spain: Andalusia; Aragon; Asturias; Balearic Islands; Basque Country; Valencia; Galicia; Canary Islands; Cantabria; Catalonia; Madrid. We recommend to try: White: Acta Real Blanco, Andimar Blanco, Cava Cristalino Brut, Clos Daynac Blanco, Delavina Blanco. Red: Acta real Tinto, Castaneda, Clos Daynac Tinto, El Cortez, Jaume Serra Cabernet. ADVERTISIMENT Portugal The local "nectars" are known for their unique flavor due to the country's diverse climate and terrain. Portugal is home to exclusive grape varieties that produce wines that are unlike anything you'd find in Spain. Green wines are considered one of the most popular here. They are made from young fruits that are harvested before they have time to be saturated with sugars. We recommend that you try any dry white wine. By the way, in the fall, Portugal hosts the annual Madeira Wine Festival. By attending this festival, you will learn more historical facts about local winemaking traditions and taste drinks that are almost never imported. Centers and regions of Portugal worth visiting: Alentejo; Bairrada; Vinho Verde; Dao; Douro; Madeira; Alverca do Ribatejo; Setubal; Extremadura. Recommended to try: ADVERTISIMENT White: Alvarinho, Loureiro, Arinto, Bikal, Moskatel, and others: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Baga, Touriga Franca, Trincadeira. We hope that you have found a destination for your future trip that you really like. Go on a fascinating and unforgettable journey and explore this world by taste! Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told you where to taste delicious wine in Europe. Only verified information is available on Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! FILE PHOTO: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 14, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy canceled plans to appeal directly to U.S. lawmakers for new aid on Tuesday, as a partisan battle over immigration policy threatened to derail President Joe Biden's request for billions of dollars for Kyiv's fight against Russia. Republicans and Biden's fellow Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives have been debating for weeks over Biden's October request that Congress approve $106 billion for Ukraine, Israel, security at the U.S. border with Mexico and U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said funds for Ukraine, which has been fighting a full-scale invasion by Russia since February 2022, must be tied to "transformative change" in U.S. immigration policy. On Tuesday, Senate Democrats unveiled their $110.5 billion bill addressing Biden's request, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would try to break the impasse by offering Republicans the chance to add an amendment on border policy on legislation including aid to Ukraine and Israel. "Let's remember here: It was the Republicans who put border on the table. We did not. They have a responsibility if they believe border should be part of Ukraine, which is so vital to our country, let them propose an amendment that can get 60 votes," Schumer told a weekly press conference. Senate rules dictate that most legislation requires 60 votes to advance in the 100-member chamber. The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, who spoke right after Schumer made his amendment offer, said he would nonetheless urge Senate Republicans to vote against the Democratic-backed legislation. "We're serious about having some significant changes in how we protect our southern border as a part of the overall package," McConnell said. "I hope all our members vote no," McConnell said. Members of the House of Representatives and Senate attended classified briefings by top Biden administration officials, which Zelenskiy had been expected to address via videolink. But Schumer said the Ukrainian leader was unable to attend. "Something happened at the last minute," Schumer told reporters. Senators said their briefing was acrimonious. Schumer said one lawmaker, whom he did not identify, had shouted at one of the top generals. HOUSE OBJECTIONS The most serious objections to Ukraine aid came from the Republican-led House. On Tuesday, Johnson released a letter demanding more information from Biden's administration about its strategy for Ukraine, and insisting that immigration policy changes be part of any funding bill. "I reiterate that President Biden must satisfy Congressional oversight inquiries about the Administration's failure thus far to present clearly defined objectives, and its failure to provide essential weapons (for Ukraine) on a timely basis," Johnson wrote. According to Johnson's letter, he met with administration officials on Oct. 26 and said then "that supplemental Ukraine funding is dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation's border security laws." Johnson's letter was a reply to one from White House budget director Shalanda Young on Monday in which she warned that Washington was running out of time and money to help Ukraine fight its war against Russia. Congress has approved about $113 billion for Ukraine since Russia's invasion, but it has not backed any new funds since Republicans took control of the House from Biden's fellow Democrats in January. Johnson himself voted against more security assistance for Kyiv as recently as September. Ukrainian officials have been making their own appeals for assistance. Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told a conference that the postponement of U.S. assistance for Kyiv being debated in Congress would create a "big risk" of Ukraine's losing the war with Russia. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Grant McCool and Stephen Coates) By Andrea Shalal, Andrew Hay and Siddharth Cavale WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A growing number of Americans are donning the keffiyeh, the distinctive patterned scarf that's closely linked with Palestinians, to demand a ceasefire to Israel's attacks on Gaza or to signal their support for Palestinians. Sales of the scarves have jumped since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, U.S. distributors say, even as keffiyehs have been forcibly removed by security forces at some protests and wearers report being targeted for verbal and physical abuse. "It was like a light switch. All of a sudden, we had hundreds of people on the website simultaneously and buying whatever they could," said Azar Aghayev, the U.S. distributor for Hirbawi, which opened in 1961 and is the only manufacturer of keffiyehs left in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "In two days, the stock that we had was just gone, and not just gone, it was oversold." Hirbawi, which has patented its brand, sells scarves internationally via its U.S. and German websites and on Amazon. All 40 variations on the U.S. website, which include many in bright colors as well as the traditional black and white, are sold out, Aghayev said. Unit sales of keffiyeh scarves have risen 75% in the 56 days between Oct. 7 and Dec. 2 on Amazon.com compared with the previous 56 days, data from e-commerce analytics firm Jungle Scout showed. Searches for "Palestinian scarf for women" rose by 159% in the three months to Dec. 4 compared with the previous three months; searches for "military scarf shemagh," "keffiyeh palestine" and "keffiyeh" rose 333%, 75%, and 68%, respectively. The keffiyeh, with its fishing net pattern, is common throughout the Arab world, with roots dating as far back as 3100 BC. It first came to symbolize Palestinian resistance during the 1936 Arab Revolt against British rule and later became the signature head gear of Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat. While Hirbawi is the best-known manufacturer, others include small artisans and global copycats; luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton sold a version in 2021. U.S. supporters of the Palestinians and Israel have faced threats and attacks since the Middle East conflict began, with Jewish Americans seeing an increase in antisemitism and Muslim Americans an uptick in Islamaphobia. Hazami Barmada, 38, a former United Nations official who lives in Virginia, wore one recently as she protested outside the White House and in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. Donning the scarf felt like a "superpower," she said, reconnecting her with her Palestinian heritage and offering a symbolic link to children in Gaza. But she believes it also attracts verbal abuse. "I'm taking a calculated risk," said Barmada. SECURITY TARGET, VERMONT SHOOTING At New York City's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in November, one attendee who wore a keffiyeh had it yanked off by a security officer - a moment captured in a Reuters photograph. The security officer approached protesters at the front of the crowd who had a banner, a Palestinian flag, and one wearing a keffiyeh, and grabbed all three items, taking the keffiyeh from around the neck of the protester, photographer Eduardo Munnoz said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has documented several instances of people targeted for wearing a keffiyeh, from a father assaulted on a Brooklyn playground to a Harvard graduate student who was told she was wearing a "terrorist" scarf. In the most serious incident, three college students of Palestinian descent - two wearing keffiyehs - were shot in Burlington, Vermont, while taking a walk last month. Hisham Awartani, 20, is paralyzed from the chest down. Authorities have charged a suspect with attempted murder in the shootings and are investigating whether it was a hate-motivated crime. Tamara Tamimi, the mother of one of the students, Kinnan Abdalhamid, told CBS News last week that she believed they would not have been targeted if they had not been "dressed the way that they were and speaking Arabic." Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. has been encouraging students to wear your keffiyeh in solidarity with the students shot in Vermont in the week after the incident. Still, in Houston, Texas, SJP member Anna Rajagopal said she and other members had not worn their keffiyeh outside spaces they considered friendly to Arabs and Muslims since October, after people waving Israeli flags surrounded a cafe they were in, screaming insults. "Myself and a friend have been cognizant of taking off our keffiyehs after leaving Palestinian, Arab spaces to be safe," said Rajagopal, 23, a freelance writer who graduated from Rice University in May and is also a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that advocates for Palestinian independence. Demand is unabated, though, sellers say. "If we could stock 20,000 keffiyehs, we would have sold them," said Morgan Totah, founder of Handmade Palestine, a group based in the Palestinian city of Ramallah that sells local artisans' wares online. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington, Andrew Hay in New Mexico and Siddharth Cavale in New York; Editing by Heather Timmons, Deepa Babington and Lisa Shumaker) Palestinians wait to fill their cars with fuel during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip November 28, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo By Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Israel needs to do more to allow fuel and other aid into Gaza, the United States said on Tuesday as Israel's offensive against Hamas in southern areas of the Palestinian enclave intensified. "The level of assistance that's getting in is not sufficient," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing. "It needs to go up, and we've made that clear to the government of Israel." On Monday, 100 humanitarian aid trucks and about 69,000 litres of fuel were delivered to Gaza from Egypt, the United Nations said, about the same as Sunday. "This is well below the daily average of 170 trucks and 110,000 litres of fuel that had entered during the humanitarian pause that took place between 24 and 30 November," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his third trip to the Middle East since the Hamas attack on Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, last week pressed the Israeli government to increase the flow of aid and to minimize civilian harm in its offensive against Hamas. Israeli forces stormed southern Gaza's main city of Khan Younis on Tuesday, and hospitals struggled to cope with scores of Palestinian dead and wounded. In what appeared to be the biggest ground assault in Gaza since a truce with Hamas unraveled last week, Israel said its troops - who were backed by warplanes - had reached the heart of Khan Younis and were surrounding the city A World Health Organization official in Gaza said on Tuesday the situation was deteriorating by the hour. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Daphne Psaledakis, Kanishka Singh and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Grant McCool) By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States is seeking the extradition of a man from Bosnia and Herzegovina who it says helped the indicted son of a Russian governor close to President Vladimir Putin escape house arrest in Italy earlier this year. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Vladimir Jovancic was taken into custody in Croatia on U.S. charges of helping Artem Uss flee Italy to Russia ahead of his looming extradition to the United States. Uss was charged in 2022 with shipping military technologies bought from U.S. manufacturers to Russian buyers. In a Dec. 4 letter to U.S. District Judge Rachel Kovner, the prosecutors asked that Jovancic be detained pending trial once he arrives in the United States following extradition proceedings in Croatia. The Oct. 20, 2022 charges against Uss, which also accused him of shipping Venezuelan oil to Russian and Chinese buyers in breach of U.S. sanctions, came as the U.S. sought to crack down on violations of sanctions and export controls to pressure Putin to halt Moscow's war in Ukraine. Separately on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department said it was offering a $7 million reward for information leading to Uss' arrest. Uss' father, Alexander Uss, resigned in April as governor of Russia's Krasnoyarsk region shortly after his son returned to Russia. Prosecutors said Artem Uss and his wife paid Jovancic 50,000 euros ($54,110) to transport Uss from his Milan residence across the border to Slovenia and ultimately to Serbia, where he boarded a plane to Moscow. Jovancic, described by prosecutors as an affiliate of a Serbian organized crime group, faces two counts of obstruction of justice and instigating or assisting escape. ($1 = 0.9240 euro) (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Rami Ayyub in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot) FILE PHOTO: Visitors walk in front of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S., September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a lower court's decision that had let a Florida woman pursue a lawsuit accusing a Maine hotel of omitting details on its reservation website about accessibility features for people with disabilities even though she had no intention of booking a room there. The justices unanimously set aside the lower court's decision reviving a lawsuit by Deborah Laufer, who is visually impaired and uses a wheelchair, against Acheson Hotels LLC. The justices determined the case was moot and dismissed it. Laufer accused the company of violating a federal rule under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark 1990 civil rights law, requiring reservation systems to include accessibility information. Laufer is a self-described "tester" of hotel compliance with the ADA. The law protects people with disabilities from discrimination in public accommodations such as hotels, as well as areas including employment, transportation, communications and access to public programs and services. To have proper legal standing to sue in federal court, plaintiffs typically must show they have been concretely harmed in a way that may entitle them to a court-ordered remedy. At issue before the Supreme Court was whether Laufer had such standing. During oral arguments in the case in October, some justices - both conservative and liberal - seemed skeptical that Laufer had standing to sue. The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. President Joe Biden's administration agreed with the hotel in the case that Laufer did not have standing in the case to sue. The case was also unusual in that both sides had said the underlying dispute was moot. Laufer dropped her lawsuit as well as others she filed after one of her attorneys in a separate case was disciplined by a lower court for ethics violations. In addition, the hotel at issue in the case, Coast Village Inn and Cottages in Wells, Maine, has since modified its website to include accessibility information. The inn was operated by Acheson at the time of the lawsuit but it is now under different ownership. Writing for the Supreme Court on Tuesday, conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett said it dismissed Laufer's case given that she voluntarily dismissed her cases, but emphasized that lower courts are still split over the legal issue. "We might exercise our discretion differently in a future case," Barrett wrote. Laufer sued in 2020, claiming that the hotel's omissions violated a 2010 Justice Department regulation requiring reservation systems to include accessibility information. A federal judge in Maine threw out the lawsuit, finding Laufer did not have standing. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year revived the case. Laufer has filed more than 600 similar lawsuits after searching for websites of hotels that did not provide enough information about whether their rooms were accessible under the ADA. Business groups have said ADA "testers" have fueled an explosion of lawsuits against small businesses accused of discriminating against disabled people. (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) FILE PHOTO: JPMorgan Chase & Co President and CEO Jamie Dimon testifies during a U.S. House Financial Services Committee hearing titled ?Holding Megabanks Accountable: Oversight of America?s Largest Consumer Facing Banks? on Capitol Hill in Washington, U. By Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top bosses of JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and other Wall Street banks will warn lawmakers that capital hikes and new regulations will hurt the economy, according to prepared congressional testimony published on Tuesday. The CEOs of the country's eight largest banks will appear before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday. The hearing comes amid a fierce industry campaign to kill the "Basel Endgame" proposal, which overhauls how banks must calculate their loss-absorbing capital, and as regulators roll out fair lending and fee-cap rules, among other consumer rules. The Basel rule, being drafted by bank regulators led by the U.S. Federal Reserve, would "unjustifiably and unnecessarily" increase capital requirements by 20% to 25% for the largest banks, forcing them charge more for services or stop offering them altogether, Dimon will warn. "If enacted as drafted, this proposal will fundamentally alter the U.S. economy in ways that the Federal Reserve has not studied or contemplated," he will say, according to the prepared testimony published by the Committee on Tuesday. Other new consumer regulations also show an "alarming" lack of rigorous economic analysis, Dimon will also say. Regulators say new rules, including capital hikes, are necessary to protect the banking system from unforeseen shocks, especially after three banks collapsed earlier this year. Citigroup's Fraser, however, warned the United States against "inadvertently" upending its financial system in response to what were "isolated" bank failures. The other CEOs appearing are: Bank of America's Brian Moynihan, Wells Fargo's Charles Scharf, Goldman Sachs' David Solomon, Morgan Stanley's James Gorman, State Street's Ronald O'Hanley, and BNY Mellon's Robin Vince. The hearing offers the CEOs an opportunity to try to convince key moderate Democratic senators that the rules could stifle lending, hurting small business and consumers. Gorman will say that the Basel rules are "wholly unnecessary ... harming the competitiveness of the U.S. economy and driving more activity to the less regulated parts of the financial services industry." Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf, meanwhile, said he was confident that the bank's management had the experience to "address all of our risk, control, and regulatory issues," in order for regulators "to consider closing our open consent orders." The bank is still operating under an asset cap that prevents it from growing until regulators deem that it has fixed problems from a fake accounts scandal. It still has nine open consent orders from banking regulators who require additional oversight of its practices. (Additional reporting by Hannah Lang, Chris Prentice, Saeed Azhar, Lananh Nguyen, Nupur Anand and Tatiana Bautzer; editing by Megan Davies and Nick Zieminski) The newspaper's banner logo is seen during the grand opening of the Washington Post newsroom in Washington January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo By Steve Gorman and Helen Coster (Reuters) -Unionized journalists at The Washington Post said they would stage a 24-hour strike on Thursday to protest staff cuts and what they call management's failure to bargain in good faith in contract talks that have stretched on for 18 months. The planned one-day walkout would mark the first general work stoppage at the Post since the bitter, 20-week pressmen's strike of 1975-76, when Katharine Graham was publisher, according to union officials. The latest labor clash comes a little more than a month after William Lewis, former publisher of The Wall Street Journal, was named chief executive and publisher of the Post as the venerable Washington daily newspaper was projecting a year-end loss of $100 million. Lewis is due to take charge on Jan. 2, 2024. The Post is one of many news outlets struggling to devise a sustainable business model in the decades since the internet upended the economics of journalism and digital advertising rates plummeted. Executives at the Post, which is owned by billionaire Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, said at the time of the Lewis announcement that they were offering voluntary buyouts across the company in a bid to reduce employee headcount by about 10% and shrink the size of the newsroom to about 940 journalists. The Washington-Baltimore News Guild, which represents more than 1,000 editorial, advertising and other non-news staff at the Post, said mismanagement by the previous publisher led to nearly 40 layoffs last year - half from the newsroom - and the company was now seeking to cut another 240 jobs through buyouts. Representatives for the newspaper's management did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the labor dispute. According to the union, management has threatened to impose more layoffs if too few staffers accept voluntary severance packages. "That means fewer Post employees making the critical journalism that keeps our communities informed and holds our public officials accountable," the Guild said in an online statement. Moreover, after 18 months of contract negotiations, "the company is refusing to pay us what we're worth or bargain in good faith," the union said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "So on Dec. 7, we're walking off the job for 24 hours." A Guild-produced online video features numerous Post journalists, including chief Ukraine correspondent Siobhan O'Grady, pledging to strike and urging readers to "respect our picket line by avoiding Washington Post journalism" during the walkout. They assert the company's wage proposals would fail to keep pace with inflation or with the pay of competitors. The minute-long video ends with the refrain, "because we're worth more, worth more than our bosses are offering." Of the 1,000-plus Post employees covered under the News Guild's contract, more than 700 are dues-paying members of the union, while nearly 750 staffers have pledged to observe the walkout, Sarah Kaplan, chief guild steward at the newspaper, said on Tuesday. "The paper will suffer for a day, and that's not something we take lightly," she said, adding that the strike is intended to send the message that "cutting and disinvesting in employees is not a path to success." (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Sandra Maler and Miral Fahmy) 0001529864 false 0001529864 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 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): ENOVA INTERNATIONAL, INC. (Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter) Delaware 1-35503 45-3190813 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) 175 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago , Illinois 60604 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code: 312 568-4200 (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions: Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, $.00001 par value per share ENVA New York Stock Exchange LLC 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 8.01 Other Events. On December 5, 2023, Enova International, Inc. (the Company) priced its previously announced offering of $400.0 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2028 (the Notes). The Notes will be offered at a price of 99.058% of the principal amount thereof and will bear interest at 11.25% per annum. The Notes will be guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis by the Companys existing and future domestic subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions including for its securitization subsidiaries. The Notes and the related guarantees will be senior unsecured obligations of the Company and the guarantors. The offering is expected to close on December 6, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to redeem all of its outstanding senior notes due 2024 (the 2024 Notes), to fund the prepayment of a portion of its outstanding borrowings under its senior revolving credit agreement, to pay the related accrued interest, fees and expenses related to the offering of the Notes and incurred in connection with the redemption of the 2024 Notes, and for general corporate purposes. Enovas obligation to redeem the 2024 Notes is conditioned upon the consummation of the offering of the Notes described above. The Notes and the related guarantees are being offered only to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and to certain persons outside of the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes and the related guarantees have not been registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration or an applicable exemption from the Securities Act and applicable state securities or blue sky laws and foreign securities laws. This Current Report on Form 8-K is issued for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes or any other securities. No offer, solicitation or sale of the Notes will be made in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful. Any offers of the Notes will be made only by means of a private offering memorandum. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts are forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current view of management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements because of various risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties indicated in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. These risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of the Company to control, and, in many cases, the Company cannot predict all of the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. When used in this release, the words believes, estimates, plans, expects, anticipates and similar expressions or variations as they relate to the Company or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company cautions you not to put undue reliance on these statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this release. Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits. (d) Exhibits The following exhibit is furnished as part of this Report on Form 8-K: Exhibit No. Description 104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). 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. Enova International, Inc. Date: December 5, 2023 By: /s/ Sean Rahilly Sean Rahilly General Counsel and Secretary ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE DOCUMENT XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA DOCUMENT IDEA: R1.htm IDEA: enva-20231205_htm.xml IDEA: Financial_Report.xlsx IDEA: FilingSummary.xml IDEA: MetaLinks.json false 0000726728 0000726728 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 0000726728 us-gaap:CommonStockMember 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 0000726728 o:Notes1.125PercentDue2027Member 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 0000726728 o:Notes1.875PercentDue2027Member 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 0000726728 o:Notes1.625PercentDue2030Member 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 0000726728 o:Notes4.875PercentDue2030Member 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 0000726728 o:Notes1.750PercentDue2033Member 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 0000726728 o:Notes5.125PercentDue2034Member 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 0000726728 o:Notes2.500PercentDue2042Member 2023-12-05 2023-12-05 iso4217:USD xbrli:shares iso4217:USD xbrli:shares 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) REALTY INCOME CORPORATION (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Maryland 1-13374 33-0580106 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) 11995 El Camino Real , San Diego , California 92130 (Address of principal executive offices) ( 858 ) 284-5000 (Registrants telephone number, including area code) N/A (former name or former address, if changed since last report) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions: Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Trading symbol Name of Each Exchange On Which Registered Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value O New York Stock Exchange 1.125% Notes due 2027 O27A New York Stock Exchange 1.875% Notes due 2027 O27B New York Stock Exchange 1.625% Notes due 2030 O30 New York Stock Exchange 4.875% Notes due 2030 O30A New York Stock Exchange 1.750% Notes due 2033 O33A New York Stock Exchange 5.125% Notes due 2034 O34 New York Stock Exchange 2.500% Notes due 2042 O42 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 8.01 Other Events On December 5, 2023, Realty Income Corporation (the Company) closed its offering of 300 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.750% Notes due 2031 and 450 million aggregate principal amount of its 6.000% Notes due 2039, pursuant to a purchase agreement dated November 28, 2023 entered into by and among the Company, Wells Fargo Securities International Limited, Barclays Bank PLC, BNP Paribas, Merrill Lynch International and RBC Europe Limited, as representatives of the underwriters, and the other underwriters party thereto. Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits (d) Exhibits SIGNATURE 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: December 5, 2023 REALTY INCOME CORPORATION By: /s/ Bianca Martinez Bianca Martinez Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS EXHIBIT 4.4 EXHIBIT 5.1 EXHIBIT 5.2 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION DEFINITION LINKBASE XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE IDEA: R1.htm IDEA: tm2332131d1_8k_htm.xml IDEA: Financial_Report.xlsx IDEA: FilingSummary.xml IDEA: MetaLinks.json The Securities and Exchange Commission has not necessarily reviewed the information in this filing and has not determined if it is accurate and complete. The reader should not assume that the information is accurate and complete. UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM D Notice of Exempt Offering of Securities OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0076 Expires: August 31, 2015 Estimated average burden hours per response: 4.00 1. Issuer's Identity CIK (Filer ID Number) Previous Names X None Entity Type 0002002596 X Corporation Limited Partnership Limited Liability Company General Partnership Business Trust Other (Specify) Name of Issuer Polar Capital European Small Cap Fund, a sub-fund of Polar Capital ICAV Jurisdiction of Incorporation/Organization FRANCE Year of Incorporation/Organization Over Five Years Ago X Within Last Five Years (Specify Year) 2023 Yet to Be Formed 2. Principal Place of Business and Contact Information Name of Issuer Polar Capital European Small Cap Fund, a sub-fund of Polar Capital ICAV Street Address 1 Street Address 2 C/O POLAR CAPITAL (EUROPE) 18 RUE DE LONDRES City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode Phone Number of Issuer PARIS FRANCE 75009 44 (0)20 7227 2700 3. Related Persons Last Name First Name Middle Name Polar Capital LLP N/A Street Address 1 Street Address 2 16 Palace Street City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode London UNITED KINGDOM SW1E 5JD Relationship: Executive Officer Director X Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Investment Manager to Issuer Last Name First Name Middle Name Polar Capital (Europe) N/A Street Address 1 Street Address 2 18 Rue de Londres City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode Paris FRANCE 75009 Relationship: Executive Officer Director X Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Alternative Investment Fund Manager to Issuer Last Name First Name Middle Name Nolan Karen Street Address 1 Street Address 2 George's Court 54-62 Townsend Street City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode Dublin IRELAND 2 Relationship: Executive Officer X Director Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Last Name First Name Middle Name Daly Ronan Street Address 1 Street Address 2 George's Court 54-62 Townsend Street City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode Dublin IRELAND 2 Relationship: Executive Officer X Director Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Last Name First Name Middle Name Mansell John Street Address 1 Street Address 2 George's Court 54-62 Townsend Street City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode Dublin IRELAND 2 Relationship: Executive Officer X Director Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Last Name First Name Middle Name Rochussen Gavin Mark Street Address 1 Street Address 2 16 Palace Street City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode London UNITED KINGDOM SW1E 5JD Relationship: X Executive Officer Director Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Manager of the Issuer Last Name First Name Middle Name Ayub Samir Street Address 1 Street Address 2 16 Palace Street City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode London UNITED KINGDOM SW1E 5JD Relationship: X Executive Officer Director Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Executive Finance Director of the Investment Manager of the Issuer Last Name First Name Middle Name Cann Boura Kym Tomlinson Street Address 1 Street Address 2 16 Palace Street City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode London UNITED KINGDOM SW1E 5JD Relationship: X Executive Officer Director Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of the Investment Manager of the Issuer Last Name First Name Middle Name Farren Nicholas Street Address 1 Street Address 2 16 Palace Street City State/Province/Country ZIP/PostalCode London UNITED KINGDOM SW1E 5JD Relationship: X Executive Officer Director Promoter Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Chief Operating Officer of the Investment Manager 4. Industry Group Agriculture Banking & Financial Services Commercial Banking Insurance Investing Investment Banking X Pooled Investment Fund X Hedge Fund Private Equity Fund Venture Capital Fund Other Investment Fund Is the issuer registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940? Yes X No Other Banking & Financial Services Business Services Energy Coal Mining Electric Utilities Energy Conservation Environmental Services Oil & Gas Other Energy Health Care Biotechnology Health Insurance Hospitals & Physicians Pharmaceuticals Other Health Care Manufacturing Real Estate Commercial Construction REITS & Finance Residential Other Real Estate Retailing Restaurants Technology Computers Telecommunications Other Technology Travel Airlines & Airports Lodging & Conventions Tourism & Travel Services Other Travel Other 5. Issuer Size Revenue Range OR Aggregate Net Asset Value Range No Revenues No Aggregate Net Asset Value $1 - $1,000,000 $1 - $5,000,000 $1,000,001 - $5,000,000 $5,000,001 - $25,000,000 $5,000,001 - $25,000,000 $25,000,001 - $50,000,000 $25,000,001 - $100,000,000 $50,000,001 - $100,000,000 Over $100,000,000 Over $100,000,000 Decline to Disclose X Decline to Disclose Not Applicable Not Applicable 6. Federal Exemption(s) and Exclusion(s) Claimed (select all that apply) Rule 504(b)(1) (not (i), (ii) or (iii)) X Investment Company Act Section 3(c) Section 3(c)(1) Section 3(c)(9) Section 3(c)(2) Section 3(c)(10) Section 3(c)(3) Section 3(c)(11) Section 3(c)(4) Section 3(c)(12) Section 3(c)(5) Section 3(c)(13) Section 3(c)(6) Section 3(c)(14) X Section 3(c)(7) Rule 504 (b)(1)(i) Rule 504 (b)(1)(ii) Rule 504 (b)(1)(iii) Rule 505 X Rule 506(b) Rule 506(c) Securities Act Section 4(a)(5) 7. Type of Filing X New Notice Date of First Sale X First Sale Yet to Occur Amendment 8. Duration of Offering Does the Issuer intend this offering to last more than one year? X Yes No 9. Type(s) of Securities Offered (select all that apply) Equity X Pooled Investment Fund Interests Debt Tenant-in-Common Securities Option, Warrant or Other Right to Acquire Another Security Mineral Property Securities Security to be Acquired Upon Exercise of Option, Warrant or Other Right to Acquire Security Other (describe) 10. Business Combination Transaction Is this offering being made in connection with a business combination transaction, such as a merger, acquisition or exchange offer? Yes X No Clarification of Response (if Necessary): 11. Minimum Investment Minimum investment accepted from any outside investor $ 110,000 USD 12. Sales Compensation Recipient Recipient CRD Number X None (Associated) Broker or Dealer X None (Associated) Broker or Dealer CRD Number X None Street Address 1 Street Address 2 City State/Province/Country ZIP/Postal Code State(s) of Solicitation (select all that apply) Check All States or check individual States All States Foreign/non-US 13. Offering and Sales Amounts Total Offering Amount $ USD or X Indefinite Total Amount Sold $ 0 USD Total Remaining to be Sold $ USD or X Indefinite Clarification of Response (if Necessary): 14. Investors Select if securities in the offering have been or may be sold to persons who do not qualify as accredited investors, and enter the number of such non-accredited investors who already have invested in the offering. Regardless of whether securities in the offering have been or may be sold to persons who do not qualify as accredited investors, enter the total number of investors who already have invested in the offering: 0 15. Sales Commissions & Finder's Fees Expenses Provide separately the amounts of sales commissions and finders fees expenses, if any. If the amount of an expenditure is not known, provide an estimate and check the box next to the amount. Sales Commissions $ 0 USD Estimate Finders' Fees $ 0 USD Estimate Clarification of Response (if Necessary): 16. Use of Proceeds Provide the amount of the gross proceeds of the offering that has been or is proposed to be used for payments to any of the persons required to be named as executive officers, directors or promoters in response to Item 3 above. If the amount is unknown, provide an estimate and check the box next to the amount. $ 0 USD Estimate Clarification of Response (if Necessary): Customary management fees are paid by the Issuer to the Alternative Investment Fund Manager and the Investment Manager as provided in the Issuer's offering materials. Signature and Submission Please verify the information you have entered and review the Terms of Submission below before signing and clicking SUBMIT below to file this notice. Terms of Submission In submitting this notice, each issuer named above is: Notifying the SEC and/or each State in which this notice is filed of the offering of securities described and undertaking to furnish them, upon written request, in the accordance with applicable law, the information furnished to offerees.* Irrevocably appointing each of the Secretary of the SEC and, the Securities Administrator or other legally designated officer of the State in which the issuer maintains its principal place of business and any State in which this notice is filed, as its agents for service of process, and agreeing that these persons may accept service on its behalf, of any notice, process or pleading, and further agreeing that such service may be made by registered or certified mail, in any Federal or state action, administrative proceeding, or arbitration brought against it in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, if the action, proceeding or arbitration (a) arises out of any activity in connection with the offering of securities that is the subject of this notice, and (b) is founded, directly or indirectly, upon the provisions of: (i) the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, or any rule or regulation under any of these statutes, or (ii) the laws of the State in which the issuer maintains its principal place of business or any State in which this notice is filed. Certifying that, if the issuer is claiming a Rule 505 exemption, the issuer is not disqualified from relying on Rule 505 for one of the reasons stated in Rule 505(b)(2)(iii) or Rule 506(d). Each Issuer identified above has read this notice, knows the contents to be true, and has duly caused this notice to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned duly authorized person. For signature, type in the signer's name or other letters or characters adopted or authorized as the signer's signature. Issuer Signature Name of Signer Title Date Polar Capital European Small Cap Fund, a sub-fund of Polar Capital ICAV /s Boura Kym Tomlinson Cann Boura Kym Tomlinson Cann CCO/CLO of the Investment Manager of the Issuer 2023-12-05 Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number. * This undertaking does not affect any limits Section 102(a) of the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996 ("NSMIA") [Pub. L. No. 104-290, 110 Stat. 3416 (Oct. 11, 1996)] imposes on the ability of States to require information. As a result, if the securities that are the subject of this Form D are "covered securities" for purposes of NSMIA, whether in all instances or due to the nature of the offering that is the subject of this Form D, States cannot routinely require offering materials under this undertaking or otherwise and can require offering materials only to the extent NSMIA permits them to do so under NSMIA's preservation of their anti-fraud authority. The joint production of armored vehicles by Ukraine and the largest German arms concern Rheinmetall is planned for the near future. The production will be located in Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. He reminded that The cooperation between the Ukrainian defense industry and German Rheinmetall was launched in October; the joint venture "is already producing artillery shells for Ukraine and receiving new orders." "In the near future, Ukraine and the German arms concern Rheinmetall plan to launch the production of armored vehicles on their territory. This is a flagship project to unite the forces of Ukraine and European armorers to achieve a just peace and for our common security," the statement said. At the same time, the Prime Minister emphasized that in the future Ukraine intends to continue to engage in technology transfer. And in addition, to invest in: design development new production; Military Tech (military technologies). Russia's threats ignored ADVERTISIMENT In October, Rheinmetall established a joint venture with the Ukrainian Defense Industry (formerly Ukroboronprom). The joint venture will service and repair equipment that Ukraine has received from its partners. In an interview with CNN, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger explained that in the future the company will produce tanks and other armored vehicles and train Ukrainians to maintain them. "Ukrainians have to help themselves. If they always have to wait for the Europeans or Americans to help them for the next 10 or 20 years... It's impossible," Papperger said. He also emphasized that despite former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's threats that "Russia will strike at any Rheinmetall facility in Ukraine," the company can be protected from attacks. "There are a lot of plants that produce military products [in Ukraine]. This is just another one, and we can protect it," he said. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, Rheinmetall is also working on creating a service center for military equipment that is being transferred to Ukraine as part of military aid from Western countries. Such a center will be located in Romania, Ukraine's neighbor. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Additional Information EG Acquisition Corp. filed the Definitive Proxy Statement with the SEC on November 13, 2023, as supplemented on December 1, 2023, in connection with EGs proposed Business Combination with LGM pursuant to the equity purchase agreement, dated as of October 17, 2022, by and among EG, LGM and other parties (the Equity Purchase Agreement), and EG mailed the Definitive Proxy Statement and other relevant documents to its stockholders as of the record date established for voting on the Business Combination. Such stockholders may also obtain copies of the Definitive Proxy Statement, without charge, at the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov . This communication does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the Business Combination. It is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect to the proposed Business Combination. EGs stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read the Definitive Proxy Statement in connection with EGs solicitation of proxies for the special meeting to be held to approve the Business Combination as these materials contain important information about flyExclusive and EG and the proposed Business Combination. Participants in the Solicitation EG, EG Sponsor LLC and their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of EGs stockholders in connection with the Business Combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the Business Combination of EGs directors and officers in EGs filings with the SEC, including EGs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023, and the Definitive Proxy Statement. Stockholders can obtain copies of EGs filings with the SEC, without charge, at the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Forward-Looking Statements The seal of the Air Force Judge Advocate Generals Corps. (U.S. Air Force) (Tribune News Service) A 42-year-old U.S. Air Force attorney who prosecuted child sex crimes was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury for allegedly trying to lure a 14-year-old girl online into an intimate relationship. From April 12-16 attorney Lt. Col. Ross Andrew Brown, 42, of Kailua, thought he was chatting with a minor girl named Izzy. However, Izzy turned out to be a male agent working undercover for the U.S. Army. Brown is a lawyer serving in the Air Forces Judge Advocate Generals Corps. He will appear for his arraignment and plea on Dec. 20 at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom A. Trader. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield denied the governments motion to detain Brown on April 21, and he was released on a $150,000 secured bond. Brown cannot leave Oahu and must be at home at all times except for employment, education, religious services, medical, substance abuse or mental health treatment, attorney visits, court appearances, court-ordered obligations, or other activities approved in advance by U.S. Pretrial Services, according to federal court documents. His attorney, Myles S. Breiner, did not immediately reply to a Honolulu Star-Advertiser request for comment. According to an affidavit authored by a special agent with the U.S. Armys Criminal Investigative Division who posed as a 14-year-old girl online named Izzy, Brown allegedly slid into his direct messages on the social network Whisper after he posted, Tired of stupid HS drama! A Whisper user with username forever sun, who was allegedly identified as United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ross Andrew Brown, responded to the post using the direct message feature, stating, Is it dumb social stuff? The undercover agent posing as Izzy told Brown her girlfriend got pregnant in school and that other students were calling her a slut. Brown allegedly steered the conversation to the topic of sex between older men and young women or girls. Brown criticized the sexual competence of younger men, and touted his own sexual prowess, explaining that he had engaged in sexual acts with a 19-year-old after he turned 40. Brown then allegedly engaged Izzy with graphic questions, requests and dialogue about their sexual history and performance, according to message texts printed in the affidavit filed April 17. The affidavit from the Army CID special agent includes explicit quotes from his message exchanges with Brown. In the messages, Brown depicts a wide array of sexual activity and details his intentions. He allegedly wrote to the undercover agent, The youngest Ive taught was 16. That was a lot of fun, and Some of the most fun sex Ive had has actually been teaching inexperienced girls. I like sort of expanding things for them and helping them explore if it makes sense. During the Whisper communications Brown allegedly sent two photographs of himself. Federal investigators identified Brown based on his U.S. Department of Defense Common Access Card photograph. Browns professional biography indicates his position as a legal advisor for the 613th Air Operations Center, which executes command and control of United States Indo-Pacific Commands joint air and space operations. On April 16, Brown allegedly told the undercover agent he would travel to her at Schofield Barracks. During the chat, the agent posing as Izzy requested that Brown bring a blanket and a beach mat, and pick up a specific type of gum. Surveillance teams saw Brown leave his house April 17, carrying a blanket, and followed him to Schofield Barracks. Once on the installation, Brown stopped at the Shoppette to purchase the requested gum before driving to the predesignated meet location. When he got there Brown was arrested. If convicted, Brown faces between 10 years and life in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and federal probation for life. The charge is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is prosecuting the case. (c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. An Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22B Osprey parks at Yokota Air Base, Japan in 2018. (Stars and Stripes) TOKYO Osprey aircraft across Japan are undergoing safety inspections and preventative maintenance in response to a deadly crash in Japan last week, according to the countrys Ministry of Defense. Eight were aboard a CV-22B during a training mission on Nov. 29 when it went down off Yakushima, an island in Kagoshima prefecture, according to Air Force Special Operations Command. The aircraft is assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo. The Air Force has not been flying its tiltrotors, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters Tuesday, adding that the United States promised to be transparent and share detailed information about the crash investigation. Kihara said the U.S. also assured him that all Ospreys deployed in Japan have been operating only after careful inspection and maintenance. Regarding flight safety, we still have concerns, he said at the news conference in Tokyo. Therefore, I have been saying that there is a need to continue receiving thorough information. Japan grounded its fleet of 14 Ospreys the day after the crash. The Japanese government is reviewing the U.S. militarys flight safety measures, Kihara said, adding that there are no plans to make additional requests of the U.S. side before the review is complete. On Monday, U.S. and Japanese divers discovered the Ospreys fuselage, along with the remains of five crew members, who have not been publicly identified. The body of Staff Sgt. Jacob Jake Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Mass., was recovered Wednesday shortly after the crash. Two crew members were still unaccounted for as of Tuesday evening. Japan is focusing on helping the U.S. find them, Kihara told the reporters. The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces will do their best to carry out search operations in cooperation with the Japan coast guard, the U.S. military, and others in order to rescue those in need of rescue as soon as possible, he said. The Japanese coast guard made no progress in its search Tuesday, according to a news release from the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters. The service said it planned to continue the operation on Wednesday. Col. Crystal Hills, seen here at her change of command ceremony in Kaiserslautern in June 2022, was removed as commander of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade by Maj. Gen. David Wilson, head of Army Sustainment Command, the Army said in a statement Dec. 4, 2023. (Elisabeth Paque/U.S. Army) STUTTGART, Germany The leader of a Germany-based brigade that maintains vast amounts of Army weaponry and supplies has been quietly fired from her position. Col. Crystal Hills was removed as commander of the 405th Army Field Support Brigade by Maj. Gen. David Wilson, head of Army Sustainment Command, the service said in a statement late Monday. Wilson fired Hills due to loss of trust and confidence in her ability to command, said Kimberly Conrad, a spokeswoman for Army Sustainment Command. The command refused to say when Hills was fired or who, if anyone, has replaced her at the helm of a unit that plays a key role in ensuring U.S. soldiers are supplied across Europe and Africa. The units mission also involves oversight of a network of pre-positioned weapons depots at locations across Europe. Those sites have played an important role for infantry units rotating in and out of Europe on missions to deter potential Russian aggression against NATO member territory. The Kaiserslautern-based brigades website lists Hills former job as vacant. The Army also did not specify where Hills was reassigned. Hills relief is the latest in a string of exits for leaders of brigades, units that serve as the operational backbone of the Army. In the past few years, colonels have been removed from command for reasons varying from toxic leadership to inappropriate relationships and bad judgment in general. Often, the Army doesnt announce the removals and keeps the circumstances surrounding them under wraps. In the case of Hills, the Army acknowledged her firing after being asked by Stars and Stripes. Services differ on transparency when it comes to leaders being removed. The Navy, for example, has a track record of announcing such decisions as a measure of command accountability. In the majority of command removal announcements, services initially will cite loss of confidence in the leader, while the underlying reasons vary considerably. Hills, a graduate of South Carolina State University, assumed command of the 405th in June 2022. During her career, Hills has been part of various logistics and supply units, with assignments stretching from South Korea and Afghanistan to the Pentagon. She also did a stint teaching cadets at the United States Military Academy as an associate professor in the department of English and philosophy. U.S. Army Sgt. Maciel Hay, a cavalry scout with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, poses for a photo after graduating sniper school at Fort Moore, Ga., Nov. 3, 2023. Hay is the first active-duty female U.S. Army sniper. ( Patrick A. Albright/U.S. Army) KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany As a child, Sgt. Maciel Hays passion for shooting earned her the nickname Sniper. As an adult, shes managed to live up to that moniker by becoming the first female active-duty sniper in Army history. Hay graduated from the branchs notoriously difficult sniper school last month, according to an Army statement Monday. The cavalry scout, currently deployed to Germany with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, said shooting always has come naturally to her. I grew up shooting, mostly rifles and handguns, on my familys ranches in Rocklin, Calif., and Medford, Ore., Hay was quoted in the statement as saying. But the nickname came from the fact that I could find things really fast, similar to how a sniper does target detection. Still, Hay said the inspiration to become an actual sniper came more recently, when she was a student at Sierra College, near Sacramento, and a friend told her she couldnt do it. Needless to say, that person is no longer in my life, Hay said. But now that I look back at it, I really do appreciate the motivation. A soldier during stalking training at sniper school at then-Fort Benning, now Fort Moore, Ga., in January 2023. Sgt. Maciel Hay, a cavalry scout with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, recently became the first active-duty female U.S. Army sniper, following graduation from sniper school. (Markeith Horace/U.S. Army) The Armys sniper course at Fort Moore, Ga., formerly known as Fort Benning, is regarded widely as one of the services most difficult courses. After passing a rigorous selection process, candidates are tested in areas like stalking and concealment, observation and intelligence gathering, survival skills and urban operations. Much observing and waiting are required, and successful candidates must be extremely patient, according to the Defense Department, which says the attrition rate is around 60%. The rapid target engagement and intelligence reporting were two of the toughest areas for me, Hay said in the statement. I also struggled with the very last test where we had to engage long-distance targets while sitting on our rucksacks. That position threw off my balance. Hay credited her instructors for helping her get through it. They told me to tighten my tripods sling, fitting it closer to my body, she said. That made all the difference. While Hay is the first woman on active duty to graduate from the grueling course, she follows in the footsteps of an Army National Guard soldier who in November 2021 became the first woman overall to complete the program. The Army acknowledged the feat at the time but did not release the womans name. Hays family attended her graduation ceremony in Georgia last month where she received her Army sniper certification; it was the first time they saw her in uniform. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, they werent able to make it to my basic training or advanced individual training a few years ago, Hay said. Then, I went straight to Germany to join my unit. So, it was really nice to see them and Im grateful for their support. Hay made it through basic training while qualifying as an expert with the M4 assault rifle and then quickly followed that up by graduating from airborne school. Hays platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Antwon Jones of the airborne brigades 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, encouraged her to pursue sniper school and lauded her achievement. Its great to hear stories about paratroopers doing great things, Jones said in the statement. But especially when its a female defying the odds, and proving women are just as capable to do anything when they have the motivation and drive to win. Hays next duty station will be in Anchorage, Alaska, with the 11th Airborne Divisions 40th Cavalry Regiment. She says becoming a jumpmaster is her next goal. The USS Arizona rests submerged in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, shortly after the Japanese surprise attack on Dec. 7, 1941. (U.S. Navy) (Tribune News Service) This week the Navy and the National Park Service are honoring the 82nd anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor and other military installations across Hawaii by the Japanese navy. Events will be held at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and on Ford Island. Events at the National Memorial will be open to the general public, while events on Ford Island will require base access to reach. A remembrance ceremony will be held Tuesday at the USS Utah Memorial on Ford Island from 5 to 6 p.m. On Wednesday the main commemoration event will take place in the morning at the National Memorial, with doors opening at 6 a.m. and the event going from 7:50 to 9 a.m. In the afternoon from 1 to 2, another ceremony will take place at the USS Oklahoma Memorial on Ford Island. On Saturday the National Memorial will partner with the National Park Service Submerged Resource Center to do a virtual interactive live dive of the USS Arizona with divers from the NPS supported and accompanied by the Navys Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One. The dive will be live streamed and available for viewing in the theater at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center from noon to 1 p.m. (c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Capt. James Harney has been ousted as commander of Amphibious Squadron 5 in San Diego due to a loss of confidence. (U.S. Navy) The commander of Amphibious Squadron 5 in San Diego was relieved Friday, five months after taking command, the Navy said in a news release that day. Capt. James Harney was ousted due to a loss of confidence in his ability to perform his duties by Rear Adm. Randall Peck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, the release said. No further details were provided as to reasons why Peck lost confidence in the 27-year Navy officer. Harney will be administratively reassigned to Naval Surface Force Pacific, the news release said. Capt. Tate Robinson will assume the duties of Amphibious Squadron 5s commander, the news release said. Navy leaders are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct, both on and off duty, the release said. They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability, and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards. Harney, a Kentucky native, received his commission in 1996 from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he earned a bachelors degree in computer science, according to his official Navy biography. Among his assignments at sea were chief of staff for Carrier Strike Group 11; commander of the guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal; commander of Afloat Training Group (Mayport); and commander and executive officer aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Russell. Harney in June took command of Amphibious Squadron 5, which was established in 1954 to prepare for and direct expeditionary warfare missions using amphibious ships and Marine Corps troops. U.S. Navy Sailors tow a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon to a designated wash area after extraction from waters just off the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Dec. 4, 2023. The aircraft was relocated in preparation for decontamination of any potential foreign substances as well as salt water from its exterior. (Hunter Jones/U.S. Marine Corps) (Tribune News Service) Kim Fuller, an aquatic biologist with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources, said department divers Tuesday will continue to assess the damage to the reef from a Navy P-8A Poseidon that slid off the runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. State divers plan to continue surveying the damage to the coral reef around the base, where the front landing gear of the Navy plane sort of pulverized the coral, and anchors from a boom installed to contain fuel leakage also left scars. The recovery of the Navy P-8A Poseidon that slid off the base runway two weeks ago while trying to land in rainy weather was expected to cost $1.5 million. The plane ended up in water no deeper than 30 feet, and within 30 minutes Marines installed a boom around it. But the installation of anchors to hold the boom in place also damaged the coral reef. DLNR divers began assessing the damage Sunday after two days of work by the Navy, Marines and private contractors to use different-size roller bags to float the 60-ton warplane off the reef and tow it backward 100 feet and completely onto the base runway. Dive teams inspected some 30 anchor points that were placed in coral to hold the booms in place, and said the majority of them were affecting coral. Some of the damage left small rubble pieces while other damage had overturned coral, Fuller said Monday at a news conference at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. You can see there is fresh, white breakage. She described the area beneath the plane as sort of a silty bottom mixed with rubble, and theres large coral colonies growing on top of that. Fuller said DLNR would like to take a week to do a more complete review, but said, I would say weve seen the majority of the worst damage. DLNR divers Monday planned to return some of the larger broken coral pieces to their previous positions in the hope they will regrow, Fuller said. Others may have to be replaced using epoxy. A federally threatened green sea turtle was found dead between two of three booms Friday and had a lot of tumors on the skin, said Navy Rear Adm. Kevin Lenox, who is in charge of the recovery of the P-8A. It did not appear to be a healthy turtle. As Navy officials worked last week to figure out how to best extract the plane from Kaneohe Bay, stormy weather caused the front landing gear stuck in a pocket of coral along with the rest of the plane to pivot about 30 degrees, leading to fears of further damage to the reef. The planes left engine also came to rest on the reef. P-8As stand at a height of 42 feet, and the doors of P-8A No. 516 were completely out of the water after it slid off the runway Nov. 20. Using different-size roller bags, crews made minute adjustments to methodically pull and roll it onto the runway and stabilize it as night fell Saturday, Lenox said. They had the plane fully on the runway Sunday. Inspections found no damage to the planes sealed hydraulic fluid and oil systems, and all of the more than 2,000 gallons of fuel had already been extracted with no signs that ocean water had mixed with fuel all suggesting that no contaminants leaked from the plane and into the bay, Lenox said. He called the planes fuel and fluid systems pristine. ... Were very confident that no hazardous materials were released. Inspectors found no damage to the planes landing gear, and the P-8A was expected to be cleaned of seawater Monday and eventually returned to duty. The Navy uses P-8As assigned to the Skinny Dragons Patrol Squadron 4 out of Whidbey Island, Wash., for multiple missions including submarine warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The planes crew was attempting to land from the seaward end of the runway but ended up 100 feet off of the runways mountainside end. Its presence in Kaneohe Bay caused fixed-wing aircraft operations to cease out of fear takeoffs and landings could also cause the P-8A to shift. Col. Jeremy Beaven, commander of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, said Monday he will be flexible with flight operations to allow DLNR to do its work. I have a fair amount of latitude, Beaven said, to support the time they need. He plans to give DLNR adequate time so they dont rush. A boom was already in place around the base to prevent contaminants from leaking into the bay. Beaven then ordered two more to be installed around the plane. Beaven said he also ordered a boom around nearby Coconut Island, where the University of Hawaiis Institute of Marine Biology conducts research on coral reefs and other marine life. Because the P-8A showed no signs of leakage, Beaven called the boom around Coconut Island preemptive in nature only. Military and civilian officials have been working 24 hours a day and Thanksgiving and weekends ... unrelenting over the last 14 days, Beaven said. Before the recovery operation began Saturday morning, Lenox said Louisiana-based Center Lift used similar procedures to retrieve a much heavier, 1,000-ton barge that ended up in sensitive sea grass after Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas in 2018. But on Monday he disclosed that the roller bag technique had been used for the first time to pull a plane back onto a runway. It was a successful weekend, Lenox said. (c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Family members greet the Virginia-class, fast-attack submarine USS Vermont as it arrives July 27, 2023, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Three new Virginia-class subs will be named for three battleships sunk and never salvaged from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. (Amy Biller/U.S. Navy) The Navy is honoring the popular slogan Remember Pearl Harbor by naming three submarines and an aircraft carrier after ships and a sailor linked to the Japanese attack that brought the United States into World War II. Three new Virginia-class, nuclear-powered submarines will be named USS Utah, USS Oklahoma and USS Arizona the three battleships sunk and never salvaged from the Dec. 7, 1941, attack that killed 2,400 Americans. The USS Utah moments before rolling over on port side on Dec. 7, 1941. (U.S. Navy) Smoke rises from the battleship USS Arizona as it sinks during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. (U.S. Navy) The battleship USS Oklahoma capsizes at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. (U.S. Navy) The submarines will be joined in a decade by the USS Doris Miller, a new Ford-class aircraft carrier named for the sailor who served as a mess attendant on the battleship USS West Virginia and was awarded the Navy Cross for bravery during the attack. The medal is second only to the Medal of Honor. Seven other battleships damaged during the attack were salvaged, repaired and returned to service in World War II. All decommissioned after the war, their names have been assigned to new Navy ships and submarines. Some Pearl Harbor veterans did not want to see replacements in the fleet named for unretrievable USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma and USS Utah. Electronics Technician 3rd Class Timothy Crossno (left) and Cryptologic Technician Interpretive 3rd Class Adam Crist perform evening colors in 2014 at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (Daniel Barker/U.S. Navy) Nikki Stratton of Morrison, Colo., grew up listening to her grandfather, Donald Stratton, one of just 355 sailors who survived after a Japanese bomb pierced the deck of the USS Arizona and exploded in the forward ammunition magazine. The 1,177 who died on the USS Arizona accounted for nearly half of all Americans killed in the attack. For much of his life, her grandfather didnt want the name USS Arizona ever used again, she said. Shes not just a sunken ship, Nikki Stratton said in a recent interview. Shes a war grave, a war memorial and an education of what happens when the world goes awry. But in the years before Donald Strattons death in 2020 at age 97, he supported efforts to bring the names of the Arizona, Oklahoma and Utah back to the fleet. When the Navy announced in 2016 that it would name the first of a bigger, more powerful Block V version of the Virginia-class submarines USS Arizona, Donald Stratton was pleased. He understood that if the name died, so would the history and stories that are passed along, Nikki Stratton said. This way, with the name being brought back, the original history continues. Nikki Stratton, right, is escorted aboard the USS Arizona submarine on Oct. 27, 2023, at Submarine Base New London, Conn. The granddaughter of a survivor of the sinking of the battleship USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Stratton is the official sponsor of the sub. (John Narewski/U.S. Navy) She was selected as the official sponsor of the new USS Arizona. Navy tradition calls for a female with a tie to the name of a future ship or submarine to be named its public champion. Stratton was in Groton, Conn., on Oct. 30 when Cmdr. Thomas Digan took command of the pre-commissioning crew. The Arizona will be the 30th Virginia-class, fast-attack submarine and is expected to join the fleet in 2029. Where the submarine is homeported will be the Navys choice, but Stratton said she had one wish on behalf of her grandfather. Commission it at Pearl Harbor, she said. In 2032, the USS Doris Miller is scheduled to join the fleet. It will be the fourth Ford-class supercarrier to be built, displacing more than 100,000 tons carrying 75 F-35C Lightning II fighter-attack aircraft. Its namesake is the son of Texas sharecroppers who enlisted in the Navy in 1939. As a Black man, Millers roles in the officially segregated Navy at that time were limited to support positions. In December 1941, he was a mess mate serving on the West Virginia at Pearl Harbor. During the attack, Miller aided wounded officers and sailors, then grabbed a .50 caliber machine gun and fired at the enemy dive bombers and torpedo planes. It wasnt hard. I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine, Miller said in news reports after the attack. I guess I fired her for about fifteen minutes. I think I got one of those Jap planes. They were diving pretty close to us. Thomas Modly, right, the acting Navy secretary at the time, poses with the family of Doris Miller after the unveiling of the new Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in 2020 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. (Molly Crawford/U.S. Navy) As the West Virginia settled to the bottom of the shallow channel, the order was given to abandon ship. Miller helped wounded sailors swim through oily, body-strewn waters to the safety of docks on nearby Ford Island. Despite calls for some in Congress that Miller receive the Medal of Honor and a commission as the Navys first black officer, that sailor returned to combat in March 1943 as a senior steward on the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay. The night before Thanksgiving 1943, the Liscome Bay was off the Gilbert Islands when hit by a single Japanese torpedo. Miller and two-thirds of the crew of 900 were killed. Recognition of Doris Miller has built gradually in the decades since World War II. Navy installations and public parks were named after him. The USS Miller, a frigate bearing his name, served in the Navy from 1973 to 1991. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2020, the Navy announced the fourth Ford carrier would bear Millers name. The USS Doris Miller is expected to be christened in 2029 and commissioned into the fleet joining the USS Arizona, USS Utah and USS Oklahoma in 2032. Wild East Brewing in Brooklyn is one of a growing number of breweries in the United States that are pouring beers with thick layers of foam on top. (Karsten Moran/For The Washington Post) When Gabby Bonfiglio, taproom manager at Leveller Brewing, hands a customer their beer, she always braces for the possibility of the awkward question: Why is my beer so foamy? Leveller, located just outside of Asheville, N.C., is one of a rapidly growing number of beer venues offering tap pours designed to emphasize the foam on top. I explain that were trying to do things the traditional way, said Bonfiglio, who has had foamy pours handed back to her for topping up. But people are becoming more familiar with foam. Foamy beer is a centuries-old European tradition, but in the American market the phenomenon has spread from a nerdy niche to a veritable tidal wave of foam-focused pours across the United States. Increasingly curious drinkers have put bad memories of sticking their fingers into Solo cups at college keg parties behind them and are seeking out the perfect pour, where the presence of beer foam enhances their drinking experience aided by the arrival of Czech Lukr side-pour taps and a new interest in British-style cask engines. Beer rating app Untappd reports an increase of nearly 50% in cask serve check-ins over the last two years, and a 5.5% increase in nitro check-ins. Lukr sold its first tap in the United States eight years ago, and in the period since, its popularity has surged, with stateside sales exceeding 5,000 taps. In 2020, Andy Martinec, owner of Tanglefoot Brewing in Temple, Texas, purchased four Lukrs by Western Union transfer. Now, Lukr has six U.S. distributors and sells through its website. Taproom technology, new and old, is putting the spotlight on one of beers unique features. Beer contains proteins that come from grains such as barley and wheat and bitter substances derived from hops that go into [its] bubble walls and interact to stabilize the bubbles and prevent them from collapsing, said Charlie Bamforth, University of California at Davis professor emeritus of food science and technology and senior quality adviser at Sierra Nevada Brewing. Bamforth has been studying the science of beer foam since 1979 and is known in the industry as the Pope of Foam. The composition he describes is what causes beer to foam, unlike many other carbonated beverages. And that foam does more than meets the eye. Advanced Cicerone, beer judge and educator Jen Blair is an expert on sensory tasting. Beer foam contains aromas and flavors that add to the overall tasting experience, she said, particularly malt sweetness and hop bitterness, [and] can contribute to the perceived creaminess and body of a beer. Certain beer styles, such as a Guinness nitro pour or a German hefeweizen, are traditionally associated with a full head of foam, but the foamy beers streaming from the new side-pour taps popping up around the U.S. are serving primarily Czech-style pilsners, such as easy-drinking svetle vycepni pivo and rich, chocolaty tmave more commonly known as light and dark Czech lager. Lukrs uniquely designed side-pour tap, introduced in the late 1990s, utilizes a clever ball-valve mechanism that allows servers to regulate the flow speed of beer through the faucet, enabling them to create traditional Czech-style foam-focused pilsner pours with ease and precision. These pours include the hladinka, snyt and mliko, which respectively offer three fingers, three-fifths, and a full glass of foam, each delivering a different drinking experience. A hladinkas foam is thick, with a balance of sweetness and bitterness, leaving a smoother, clearer, less carbonated beer underneath. A snyt, which means cut, is a more foam-intense short pour offering a lower-alcohol option, often used by bartenders at the start of a shift to check that their tap lines are running smoothly. The mliko is a carefully poured full glass of soft, sweet, wet foam that resembles milk, hence the name, which translates as milk pour. Photos of the unique pour have made waves on social media in recent years. It should be consumed quickly, before the foam settles, to enjoy its rich, dessert-like flavor and texture. A variety of beer styles are displayed on the bar at Wild East Brewing in Brooklyn. From left: a standard draft pour, a nitrogen pour, a cask pour and a Lukr side-tap hladinka pour. (Karsten Moran/For The Washington Post) Mliko pours are the best introduction to the otherwise skeptical drinker it gives them a chance to experience the difference foam makes in the beer and lets them actually taste the foam, said Emmanuel Negron, who in October opened Little Lager bar in St. Louis, one of a growing number of beer venues serving exclusively on Lukr taps. While the Lukr has brought new tap technology to the U.S., cask engines have been serving Brits beer for centuries but are finally getting their due stateside. A cask engine is a hand pump that pushes beer out of a fermenting cask (historically wooden, now sometimes stainless steel). A simple piston pump draws the beer out by gravitational pull, serving a naturally carbonated pour with a soft, creamy head. Cask engines date back to 17th century Britain, but in the U.S., the style has long been seen as unpalatable, warm and flat. As craft breweries increasingly acknowledge the importance of historic styles, this perception is changing. Acopon Brewing in Dripping Springs, Texas, has four cask engines pouring British-style beers, including its flagship Gaspipes ESB and Homunculus mild ale. We wanted to offer cask ales because it is how most traditional styles were meant to be served, co-owner John McIntosh said. And without those styles of beers, there wouldnt be American craft beer as we know it. This emphasis on authenticity and tradition is paramount for many foam advocates. Brooklyns Wild East Brewing has three Lukr taps, a cask engine and a nitro tap to ensure its beers are all served to style. We strive to stay as true to tradition and style as possible in each and every beer we make, co-owner Lindsay Steen said. Wild East was the first U.S. brewery to attend Lukrs Perfect Pour Academy, a three-day training course on how to use the taps correctly to serve the perfect pour. Of course traditions evolve, and innovation has been a key driver of the American craft beer movement since its inception, so it should come as no surprise that some U.S. beer venues have taken Lukr pour styles into their own hands. In Denver, Bierstadt Lagerhaus became an Instagram hit with its Slow Pour Pils Lukr serve, a mammoth mushroom cloud of a beer head that takes seven minutes to pour. Head brewer and co-owner Ashleigh Carter describes the pour as dramatic. It looks incredible, she said. It changes the aroma and the texture of the beer. Philadelphias Human Robot Brewings take on the mliko is the Milktube pour, a 0.3-liter stange of wet foam poured in mliko style, which they promote with a Tuesday Tubesday special and an annual Milktube race during its Oktoberfest celebrations. Milktubes are a fantastic social thing. Its like taking shots, minus the drunkenness, said co-founder Jake Atkinson. Chicagos Beermiscuous is trying to push the boundary even further. The craft beer cafe co-op likes to test out as many styles as possible with Lukr foam, from IPAs (India pale ales) to imperial stouts. They also serve British-style beers on Lukr, highlighting the similarity in texture between Lukr and cask pours. Lukrs international sales manager Jan Havranek encourages this kind of experimentation. Wet foam can make any beer style taste and feel way better, so dont be afraid to give it a try, he said. Bamforth said his research shows Americans are doing just that. [We] have done a huge amount of work to show that consumers consider beer with the right amount of foam to be better than with no or little foam irrespective of the beer, he said. Whether breweries and bars are going old-style or new, one thing they must factor in is a substantial extra cost. Lukr taps retail at $260-$400, while an industry-standard Perlick faucet costs about $65. A single cask engine can run upward of $400, plus $200 or more for the cask itself. But breweries and taprooms are seeing returns on the investment, as on-trend customers seek out foamy experiences. Beer blogger Joel Geier of Glendale, Wis., had his foam conversion moment trying back-to-back Lukr pours at Denvers Cohesion Brewing. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to experience how foam can change the flavors and texture of the beer, he said. Foam also appeals to a different sense it looks attractive, which makes it aptly suited to the age of social media. Instagram has helped with peoples perceptions of how beer should be presented. I think wed all agree that a big fluffy head on the beer looks much better than a flat stadium pour, said Acopons McIntosh, who regularly posts mouthwatering images of rich, creamy-headed cask pours. At Wild East, Steen agrees. First, we drink with our eyes, she said. A properly poured beer with the right amount of head makes for a visually appealing beer. No matter how much you explore the amazing corners of our planet, it will never be enough. Traveling, walking in new cities and diving into unknown cultures is like an addiction. ADVERTISIMENT Speaking of diving, the water world is still virtually unexplored. For example, the world's oceans have been explored by only 2-7%. This is nothing at all. Maybe that's why there have been so many divers lately who are incredibly enthusiastic about exploring new corners of the underwater world. But how do you choose the best place to dive? We have selected some interesting options. Similan Islands (Thailand) In general, there are many good diving locations in Thailand, but Similan stands out. It's not only beautiful but also quite a budget option. As soon as you find yourself in the marine environment, your eyes will have a hard time focusing on one of the following things: the variety of colored corals, giant turtles and blue rays. Your brain will be blown away by the beauty of the underwater inhabitants. ADVERTISIMENT By the way, don't be afraid if you see a whale shark. It's a real good luck for divers. Despite its huge size and terrifying appearance, it is safe for people. The "predator" feeds on plankton, filtering them through its gills. Sometimes it swallows small fish and jellyfish but does not react to people. The visibility in the water of the Similan Islands is from 20 to 50 meters, so they are among the best dive sites not only in Thailand but also around the world. Important: it is advisable to go there no earlier than November because diving is prohibited in summer and early fall due to the rainy season. Great Barrier Reef (Australia) ADVERTISIMENT Did you know that this coral coastline is the largest on the planet? It can even be seen from space! Of course, it's a sin to hide such beauty from others, so the locals make money from tourism, which brings them about three billion US dollars annually. These waters are home to nearly 4,000 species of mollusks, 1,500 species of fish, and 350 types of coral. When divers see the underwater world there, their consciousness is turned upside down. It's as if you're in the best 5D movie theater with bright colors, unearthly feelings, and living creatures. There are also great chances to meet a butterfly fish, a parrot fish, a moray eel or a whale. There are several locations that guidebooks recommend to seabed explorers: Osprey Reef and Lighthouse Bommie. You can come here in any month of the fall as the water temperature almost never drops below 26 C. But it is better to plan a trip in September when there are fewer annoying jellyfish in the sea. ADVERTISIMENT Cancun (Mexico) Cancun is a coastal city and a world-famous resort in Mexico's easternmost state, Quintana Roo. However, avid travelers know that the only museum of underwater art in the world is located here. It is visited by about 750 thousand contemporary art lovers every year. There are 403 sculptures underwater, each of which was cast from a cement mixture suitable for coral growth. You can organize a trip in any season as the comfortable temperature of the Caribbean Sea (not lower than +25C) always allows divers to see the beauty. ADVERTISIMENT Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) Diving here is definitely not suitable for people with a fear of confined spaces and small rooms. The fact is that the region is famous for the largest system of underwater caves on Earth. Ancient Indians called them cenotes and considered these places portals to the afterlife. To appease the higher powers, they threw various jewelry into the abysses of the sea. However, the daredevils who have the courage to visit the "looking glass" are transported to the realm of elegant stalagmites and amazing scenery. The visibility reaches 85 meters, and the temperature stays within +25C. However, hurricanes often occur here in September, so start planning your trip around mid-to-late October. ADVERTISIMENT Sipadan Island (Malaysia) This island is unique in that it is actually the top of an extinct volcano that looks out of the ocean. The area can be easily walked around in 30 minutes, so tourists prefer water walks to hiking. The territory of the region is a nature reserve. No houses can be built here. Moreover, even the flow of tourists is limited: no more than 120 people are allowed in every day. The water usually warms up to +27C, and the best time to travel is from November to April. All conditions are created for diving here. By the way, you can meet a turtle on the island more often than other tourists. There are a lot of them here! The depths of Sipidan are also inhabited by barracuda, hammerheads, reef fish and sharks, which hardly react to people. ADVERTISIMENT Sylphra (Iceland) Any tour operator can sell a trip to this reef with just one sentence. "Diving between two continents" sounds appealing, doesn't it? The fissure was formed due to the constant movement of tectonic plates. It is part of the Atlantic Rift and a real border between Europe and America. The water here is so clean that you can even drink it. You won't see any colorful fish here, and the lake temperature warms up to +4C. However, the gorge with a crystal blue surface will give divers a real aesthetic pleasure. Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told you about the best beach resorts in Europe. Only verified information is available on Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference a day after the consultative referendum on Venezuelan sovereignty over the Essequibo region controlled by neighbouring Guyana, at the CNE headquarters in Caracas on Dec. 4, 2023. (Federico Parra, AFP/Getty Images/TNS) (Tribune News Service) The Venezuelan government claimed an overwhelming victory in the referendum held on Sunday to acquire blank-check powers to invade Guyana, saying it had obtained 10.55 million votes, or 97.8% of the total cast, in its favor, but the reported participation did not match the empty voting stations seen during the day and was more than twice as high as that of independent exit polls. In what was declared as an existential threat by Guyana, the Caracas socialist regime held the five-question referendum asking Venezuelans if they were in favor of creating a new state to be called Guayana Esequiba, in what would amount to adding to the Venezuelan map about three quarters of the land occupied by Guyana. The Nicolas Maduro regime held the vote despite a decision from the United Nations International Court of Justice ordering Venezuela to refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, which is currently under the control of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Late Sunday night, Maduro celebrated the results announced by the National Electoral Council. Today the people spoke loud and clear and we are going to begin a new, powerful stage, because we carry the mandate of the people, we carry the voice of the people. We must fight for our Guayana Esequiba. May this help us fight for peace. But there were very few voices outside the regime that accepted the results, with international news agencies reporting that the numbers provided by the government-controlled electoral council were not credible, amid the empty streets and even emptier voting stations seen throughout the day. A wire story from the EFE news agency reported that less than 12% of those registered had voted in different centers in Caracas three hours before they were scheduled to close. The 10.55 million vote announced by the electoral council translate to a participation of more than 51% of the 20.69 million of Venezuelans registered to vote, but those numbers were doubtful, even among local news reports claiming that regime officials were forcing public employees into participating. Ruben Chirinos, whose polling firm Meganalisis monitored the elections, said participation did not surpass 22% of registered voters. The electoral councils ability to conduct fair and transparent elections has been questioned for decades, given that it is completely controlled by the regime and lacks independent supervision. Claims that Maduro committed fraud during the 2018 election led to the United States and 50 other nations to declare that he was usurping the presidency. While it is unclear what Maduro plans to do with the announced results, the referendum sought a blank check from voters to seize a chunk of land slightly smaller than the state of Florida, which would alter the rights and citizenship of more than 230,000 Guyanese who have no ties to the Spanish-speaking country. In dispute is the oil- and mineral-rich Essequibo region, which Maduro claims belongs to Venezuela despite an 1899 ruling by international arbitrators that established the current borders between the two countries. The border dispute has been before the U.N.s international court for years. In September, Maduros National Assembly approved a resolution to put the question about the territorys ownership before voters. Observers have noted that a U.N. court decision on the larger border dispute is still years away. However, in its ruling the court warned that both Guyana and Venezuela shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve. The court said that Guyana is the one currently administering and exercising control over the area under dispute and that the Court, considers that, pending the final decision in the case, Venezuela must refrain from taking any action which would modify that situation. The Court emphasizes that the question of the validity of the 1899 Award and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela are matters for the Court to decide at the merits stage, the court said. 2023 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. U.S. soldiers plant an anti-tank land mine somewhere on the Korean Peninsula, July 22, 1950. (Library of Congress) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea A South Korean man was injured last week after triggering a land mine in Paju city, roughly seven miles from the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, according to government officials. An unidentified man in his 60s was leveling the ground on his property with a bulldozer when the mine exploded around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, a Paju city hall official told Stars and Stripes by phone the next day. Its customary in South Korea for some government officials to speak to the media on condition of anonymity. The man was taken to a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries to his ribs and a knee, a Paju fire station official said by phone. No one else was hurt. An investigation is underway but initial evidence suggests it was an anti-tank mine planted during the 1950-53 Korean War, a Paju police officer said in a phone interview. Two more unidentified explosives were discovered at the site after the explosion, a South Korean army officer said by phone. Unexploded ordnance and land mines are a persistent threat near the border. More than 5 million artillery rounds were fired in the final two months of the war and up to 2 million unexploded ordnance and mines remain in the DMZ, according to the U.N. Commands website. A 57-year-old engineer was killed last year after triggering a land mine with a 10-ton excavator in Gangwon Province, a National Fire Agency official said by phone Monday. The excavator flew from the explosion and hit a nearby rice field, killing the unidentified man instantly, he said. In 2015, an unknown number of North Korean troops sneaked across the border to plant a series of land mines south of the DMZ, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman said at the time. Two South Korean soldiers were seriously injured after triggering three of those mines during a patrol near Paju on Aug. 4 of that year. One soldier lost both legs one below the knee and one above the knee and the other had a foot amputated. Security and fire watch team members patrol the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Halawa, Hawaii, Sep. 6, 2023. (Nicholas Brown/Department of Defense) (Tribune News Service) The Halawa Shaft, one of Oahus major sources of fresh drinking water, was permanently shut down following massive leaks of jet fuel at the Navys Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage in 2021. Now the state Department of Health, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, says it could offer up to $75 million to the city to reopen that crucial water source. The DOH sent Board of Water Supply Manager and Chief Engineer Ernest Lau a letter on Wednesday with information on tapping into the $400 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Enacted under the Biden administration to fund infrastructure projects nationwide, the federal law also addresses emerging contaminants as well as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASsometimes called forever chemicals which do not break down in the environment and pose health risks to humans and animals. A project is eligible for this funding if it addresses any contaminant that does not currently have a set Federal Maximum Contaminant Level and appears on any of the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List, the DOH letter reads. The BILEC funds are provided through 2026 and are 100% grant or principal forgiveness. The letter says that if test results show that the water from Halawa Shaft is not currently safe to drink, the federal funds can be used for a treatment system that will enable BWS to bring the Halawa Shaft back into service, adding a resource of 10 million gallons per day. Since the DOH announcement, the water agency says it needs more information about the offer. We need to meet with DOH to learn more about the program and the $75 million, before we can effectively comment, BWS spokesperson Kathleen Elliott -Pahinui told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Monday afternoon. Meantime, Gov. Josh Green weighed in on the matter, noting that in late November the BWS board of directors formally raised water rate fees to the public for the next 5 1/2 years. The BWS decision to raise water rates by about 50% may create a hardship for many residents. Its important for the BWS to take advantage of available federal funding to reduce the costs it passes on to Oahu residents, Green said in a written statement. My administration is focused on partnerships and solutions, and I appreciate DOHs efforts to secure this federal funding opportunity. Others, like DOH Director Kenneth Fink, said using federal money to restart Halawa Shaft would be a wise move. While DOH monitors the Navys aquifer remediation efforts, these federal funds provide an opportunity to increase the supply of safe drinking water in the near term and potentially avoid the need to construct a new replacement well, Fink said in a written statement. Similar treatment systems have already been installed in Mililani and at the Ewa Shaft treatment facility to provide safe drinking water to Oahu residents. In addition, the DOH letter outlines other city projects that could qualify for federal funding. Between 2006 to 2016, DOH disbursed $12, 096, 983.25 to construct a granular activated carbon treatment (GAC ) facility with 24 GAC contactors for the Ewa Shaft sources, the DOH letter reads. It is our understanding that the facility was never brought online since its construction. DOH notes federal funds may be used to update the rusting Ewa Shaft treatment facility to address qualifying contaminants of concern at this source. This would add 13 (million gallons per day) to Ewa and Metropolitan Honolulu communities. Other projects could include PFAS detection in the Kaamilo, Waipahu, Waipio Heights, Halawa and Moanalua wells, DOH says. EPA will be releasing the final (maximum contaminant level) for PFAS in the very near future. Some of these sources have existing GAC contactors and short chain PFAS compounds have passed through the treatment, the DOH letter reads. BWS, it adds, can use these funds to install or upgrade water treatment to remove a broad spectrum of PFAS compounds currently pending regulation and those that may be regulated in the future. Meanwhile, since the 2021 Red Hill fuel leaks, BWS Manager Lau has stated strong reluctance to ever reopening Halawa Shaft. Hes noted that closure of the source, which supplied fresh drinking water from Halawa Valley to Hawaii Kai, was done to reassure the public that Oahus drinking water was safe. However, not reopening Halawa Shaft means the city will need to spend tens of millions of dollars replacing lost water production, including finding a new water shaft among other alternate water well projects, BWS says. We took the precautionary step to shut down Halawa Shaft because of what we saw happening to the Navys water system and their water source just across the valley from us, Lau told the City Councils Committee on Housing, Sustainability and Health on Nov. 28. (c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik shows Russias President Vladimir Putin delivering a speech during a ceremony to receive credentials from newly appointed foreign ambassadors to Russia at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 4, 2023. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, pool photo/AFP via Getty Images/TNS) (Tribune News Service) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday will visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where he plans to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as he seeks to bolster Moscows important partnerships with the strategic oil producers. The Kremlin said Tuesday that Putin would discuss trade and investments, with Interfax earlier reporting the oil market and Israeli-Palestinian conflict are also set to be on the agenda. On Thursday, Putin will also host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, wholl lead a delegation to Moscow at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Putin will be at negotiations in Abu Dhabi and wont visit the COP28 summit, which is taking place this week in the neighboring emirate of Dubai, Peskov told Bloomberg News. The visit signals Putin is becoming more emboldened to travel outside Russia despite U.S. and European efforts to isolate him on the global stage, with his economy on a surer footing and fighting on the battlefield in Ukraine settling into a stalemate. The Gulf states cooperation with Moscow will be front-and-center during the visit, given Russias dependence on energy revenues. Putins visit to the two key Gulf powers is a clear sign that Russia is breaking out of its international isolation, said Fyodor Lukyanov, head of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, which advises the Kremlin. It advances Russias goal of asserting its Middle East influence and shows that the UAE and Saudi Arabia, both traditional U.S. allies, are keen to balance their foreign policy, he said. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Russia are all members of OPEC+, the alliance between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major oil producers, which last week agreed to extend and deepen its production cuts. In an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman emphasized the level of trust and cooperation between Riyadh and Moscow on oil policy. The relationship between the two countries forms the backbone of the OPEC+ alliance. Russian outlet Life.ru reported Monday that Putin would visit the two countries. Putin may be keen to exploit a wedge between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia over Israels current military campaign in Gaza. Moscow supports Riyadhs current push for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza as well as its efforts to relaunch its 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for Israel to withdraw from Arab and Palestinian land it has occupied since 1967 as a prelude to creating a state for Palestinians alongside the Jewish one. Selective standards? The selectivity we have witnessed in applying international legal and moral standards and the disregard for the heinous crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces against defenseless Palestinian civilians have enraged the Islamic and Arab world, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan said during a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow on Nov. 21. While the U.S. has warned Israel over heavy civilian Palestinian casualties, Washington has maintained its political and military support for Israels operation in Gaza against Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union. Riyadh has also taken a different approach on Iran, which has deepened its ties and military cooperation with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. Although Washington has issued public and private warnings to Iran and its network of armed groups across the region not to provoke a regional war with Israel, Riyadh has gone out of its way to engage with Iran since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the war that has ensued. As Putin looks to bolster his ties with the Gulf leaders, the durability of Americas support for Ukraine is coming into question. President Joe Bidens budget director warned this week that the U.S. would run out of resources to assist Kyiv by the end of the year if lawmakers didnt pass an emergency funding package. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his countrys counteroffensive did not achieve its desired goals because allies had not provided hoped-for weapons. The UAE has become a home for many Russian companies fleeing the West amid sanctions. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan also visited Putin for a flagship business forum in June in St. Petersburg. The U.S. has pressed the Gulf state to curb ties with Moscow, and close channels used by Russia to skirt sanctions. This month, the Biden administration targeted several UAE-based shipping firms, part of a crackdown on non-compliance with its oil price cap. Arrest warrant Putin has rarely left Russia since he ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a raft of international sanctions, though he has visited China and former Soviet neighbors. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him in March for alleged war crimes, further complicating travel outside his country. The Russian leader didnt attend either the August BRICS summit of emerging economies in South Africa, which is a member of the tribunal, or the Group of 20 gathering the following month in India, which isnt a signatory to the court. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE have signed onto the ICC. Putin feels more confident, this density of external visits has not been seen for a long time, said Elena Suponina, a Middle East analyst based in Moscow. For Putin, both in Saudi Arabia and in the UAE, the goals of the visit are the same: matters related to OPEC, the Middle East conflict and the Russian chairmanship of BRICS. With assistance from Sam Dagher 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. U.S. Africa Commands Gen. Michael Langley meets with members of the Nigerian navy Dec. 4, 2023, during Silent Warrior 23, a security conference hosted by U.S. Special Operations Command Africa. The gathering in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, brings together military officials from dozens of countries. (Tyler McQuiston/U.S. Air Force) GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany Before Botswanan special forces regiment commander Lt. Col. Lolo Bokwe deployed to Mozambique two years ago to root out Islamic State group fighters, his troops got a crash course from the U.S. military. We asked them to tailor-make (the training) to mimic what were going to do in Mozambique, said Bokwe, who is in this Bavarian resort town this week for a conference called Silent Warrior 23. His regiment was part of a multinational force sent to fight ISIS. The American lessons in countering roadside bombs and booby traps, and working with the local populace, proved decisive in ejecting the terrorist groups militants from most of their strongholds in Mozambiques Cabo Delgado region. During his visit to Germany, Bokwe will share his experiences with other special operators from militaries across Africa. The Stuttgart-based U.S. Special Operations Command Africa is hosting the conference. Silent Warrior 23, which kicked off Monday, involves military officials from more than 20 African countries and over a dozen other nations with interests on the continent. U.S. Special Operations Command Africa leader Rear Adm. Ronald Foy chats with a member of the Kenyan military Monday at Silent Warrior 23 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The conference brings together militaries from across Africa to discuss how to counter violent extremist threats. (Tyler McQuiston/U.S. Air Force) Lt. Col. Lolo Bokwe, a special operations regimental commander from Botswana, shared lessons learned during a successful campaign against Islamic State fighters in Mozambique. Bokwe was among the scores of military officials in attendance this week at U.S. Special Operations Command Africas Silent Warrior security conference held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (Tyler McQuiston/U.S. Air Force) The weeklong gathering in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is centered on finding ways to expand multinational cooperation in countering the various terrorist groups entrenched in Africa, officials said. The reason is that crises tend to ripple beyond national boundaries, said SOCAFRICAs Maj. Charlie Flood, the event organizer. At the top of the agenda were deep dives into the major extremist threats in Africa: al-Shabab in Somalia, affiliates of ISIS and al-Qaida in the Sahel, and ISIS in Mozambique. Our mission is to deter and defeat transnational threats, and we do this in a myriad of ways, but mostly through partnerships, SOCAFRICA commander Rear Adm. Ronald Foy said Monday. U.S. Africa Commands Gen. Michael Langley opened the conference by saying he was there to learn what respective militaries found to be most effective. Allies and partners are the center of gravity to success in any operation, Langley said. The U.S. militarys role in Africa is multifaceted and often behind the scenes. For special operators, the top mission is the ongoing effort to advise Somali forces in their battle against al-Shabab. Meanwhile, terrorist networks in western Africa have been expanding in the volatile Sahel region, where political upheaval is creating problems for U.S. operations in the region. In July, a coup in Niger upended the militarys relationship with the country, which served as the main hub for American forces in western Africa. Since then, the U.S. Air Forces drone base in Agadez has stopped executing counterterrorism missions. Other training, including that carried out by U.S. special operations troops in the country, also has been halted. Langley didnt directly address the situation in Niger or other coups elsewhere in Africa. But he alluded to it when he highlighted the need for militaries to operate in line with their civilian leaders. Good governance is a key to countering violent extremist organizations, Langley said. Yes, weve had some challenges across the continent. ... We know that civilian government, theyre the boss. We (the military) execute the missions. Bokwe said Botswana is fortunate to have been spared the political turmoil seen in other African countries. The relative domestic stability means Botswanan troops can deploy outside the country, such as for the mission to battle ISIS in Mozambique. When his troops arrived in 2021, ISIS controlled all 15 districts in the Cabo Delgado region. That is down to just one district today, he said. Botswana was interested in helping because the threat was on his countrys doorstep, Bokwe said, adding that there was goodwill with the residents when his tour recently ended. People were even telling us not to go, he said. A residual multinational force was left behind amid concerns of a potential ISIS resurgence, he said. Army Brig. Gen. Deydre Teyhen, right, and Navy Capt. Melissa Austin receive a COVID-19 shot Oct. 10, 2023, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. The latest COVID-19 shots are just now arriving for service members, Defense Department civilians and their families at some locations in Europe. (Ricardo J. Reyes/Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany The U.S. military hasnt been in a rush to offer updated COVID-19 vaccines to service members and their families overseas, nearly three months after the shots became available stateside. The Defense Department has had trouble ordering the shots commercially, and its main contractor, Pennsylvania-based Cencora, doesnt have the facilities yet to store a major brand of the shot at the required temperature, military health officials said. While flu shots are widely available on bases theyre mandatory for service members and recommended for others coronavirus vaccinations are optional. And although the severity of the illness has declined for most people since the heights of the pandemic, it still is making people sick, especially as they come into close indoor contact during winter. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the updated shot for people ages 6 months and older. The vaccines arent available at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, which is part of the largest overseas U.S. military community. At this time, we are not concerned with the delays, as the demand for previous vaccinations for COVID boosters was not high, the 86th Medical Group at Ramstein Air Base said Friday in a statement. The medical group says it hasnt been recommending that vulnerable people seek the vaccination from a German doctor or while in the U.S., because the militarys Public Health Command-Europe hasnt seen an increase in cases in the area. Influenza vaccines and COVID-19 shots are prepared on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., in November 2022. In Europe, flu vaccine has been readily available to personnel linked to the U.S. military, but the latest COVID-19 booster shots are sporadically available on the Continent. (Adam Scalin/U.S. Marine Corps) Cases in Germany have risen from 11 per 100,000 people at the beginning of October to 29 per 100,000 people as of this week, according to Germanys federal portal on COVID-19 activity. While those figures are far from the highs of the pandemic, health officials acknowledge fewer people are getting tested and reporting their illnesses. The U.S. saw nearly 20,000 hospitalizations related to the coronavirus over the week ending Nov. 25, according to the most recent CDC report. Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest DOD hospital overseas, said Monday it had received its first batch of the vaccine. The Army hospital near Ramstein is offering the updated shot on a walk-in basis on seven dates this month, according to a Facebook announcement Monday. Each clinic ordered the vaccine independently based on expected demand and patient population, hospital spokesman Marcy Sanchez said. Shipment delays have affected military medical clinics in Europe, he said, noting that all orders across the Continent were placed at about the same time. The Pfizer vaccine is available in Wiesbaden, about an hour from Ramstein, for those ages 12 and older. And in Sicily, the Navy is offering the Pfizer shot for children ages 6 months to 4 years old and for those 12 and older. The Navy in Naples, Italy, is awaiting its Pfizer vaccines and will offer them to active-duty service members on a walk-in basis, naval hospital spokesman Todd Folts said. The rest of the community will be able to walk in and get them the following week, he said. A person receives a COVID-19 shot at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in January 2022. The latest COVID-19 shot is unavailable at the base and has just arrived at nearby Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. (Jared Lovett/U.S. Air Force) The shots also have been sporadically available at bases in Japan and other parts of Asia. The U.S. government stopped buying and dispatching the vaccine in bulk this summer, transferring the program to private companies. The contractor Cencora sends the vaccine to stateside locations on most weekdays, but overseas shipments are restricted to fewer days and choreographed to avoid stranding them, Defense Logistics Agency spokeswoman Michelle McCaskill said in a statement last week. Cencora is unable to store the Moderna shot, which is one of three approved for COVID-19. In a statement on Monday, Cencora said it would work closely with all of our customers to address their needs and enable timely and reliable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The updated Moderna vaccine needs to be frozen until its expiration date or refrigerated between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 30 days before being discarded. Military hospitals and clinics have been given the option to change their orders to Pfizer or Novavax, which are readily available, the Defense Health Agency said in a statement last month. Some military hospitals and clinics have made this choice; others have said theyll wait for Moderna. The military services pay about $860 for 10 adult doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The Novavax vaccine costs $583 for five adult doses, according to DLA. Stateside, interest in updated vaccines has been tepid. About 14% of adults have received the updated jab since September, compared to 28% vaccinated so far against influenza, Voice of America reported last month. Stars and Stripes reporter Alison Bath contributed to this report. While the rest of the world waits for January 1 to celebrate the New Year, in South Korea, this date is also the birthday of all South Koreans. The concept of age being counted from the beginning of the calendar year, not from the date of birth, is ingrained in Korean language and culture. ADVERTISIMENT This is a unique tradition that is found nowhere else in the world. It dates back to ancient times and used to be quite common in Asia. 90DayKorean explains how the "Korean age" is calculated and why. How does the Korean age calculation system work? For convenience, we will introduce two concepts - Korean age and international age. The international age is the one that is calculated from the date of actual birth and is accepted all over the world. We will deal with Korean age separately. According to local tradition, it turns out that all people are at least one year older than their international age. This is because the Koreans usually count the time spent in the womb as their age. Therefore, in this country, it is believed that at the time of birth, a person is already one year old. Yes, this is a simplification, because pregnancy does not last a full year, but 9 months. But without it, the already complicated calculations would be even more difficult. ADVERTISIMENT And that's not all the additional nuances. All residents of the country traditionally change their age on January 1. According to the parallel system, it is on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Although Koreans actually celebrate their birthdays on the actual date, this does not affect the Korean age in any way. Traditionally, the age change occurs for everyone at the same time. For example, let's imagine a person born on September 21, 1997. As of January 1, 2023, he or she will be 25 years old according to international standards. At the same time, in terms of Korean age, this person will turn 27 on the same day. Why? Because at the time of his birth on September 21, 1997, according to local tradition, he was already 1 year old. Therefore, on September 21, 2022, this person celebrated his 26th birthday, a year older than his actual age. And on New Year's Day, his age will increase by another year. So the number 27 will be 27 - two years older than the actual age. ADVERTISIMENT Why is this important? All over the world, age plays a big role only when you want to buy cigarettes and alcohol in a store. In Korea, however, it is customary to use different words and different language for people of different ages. Even your younger and older friends are called by different names. The reason for this is the entrenched system of social hierarchy that exists in the country. That is why Koreans pay great attention to this nuance. And that is why age and the system of its calculation are very important to them. Abandoning the tradition However, this custom is not going to last long. The confusion over the two age calculation systems in South Korea often leads to social and even legal disputes. Therefore, the parliament decided to completely switch all official documentation to the international system. It will come into effect in June 2023. ADVERTISIMENT International rules for calculating age have been in place in the country since 1960. Back then, they were introduced for medical and legal purposes. And confusion ensued. Now, the South Korean government will actively promote the international age calculation system, and the entire population of the country will simultaneously become younger - some by a year, and some by two. Earlier, OBOZREVATEL reported that Ukrainians will celebrate this New Year with a curfew and a complete ban on pyrotechnics. Only verified information is available on the Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! A polio vaccinator immunizes a girl at a checkpoint in Achin, Afghanistans northeastern poliovirus epicenter, on Nov. 12, 2023. ( Elise Blanchard for The Washington Post) ACHIN, Afghanistan During its 20-year armed campaign, the Taliban repeatedly banned door-to-door immunization campaigns, helping to make Afghanistan one of only two countries where naturally acquired poliovirus is still endemic. Two years after the Taliban took power, however, they have done an about-face, and its unexpected efforts may now represent the best shot in two decades at eradicating the highly transmissible, crippling childrens disease in Afghanistan. Vaccinators in the countrys northeast, the center of the poliovirus outbreak, search cars for unvaccinated children at roadside checkpoints manned by Taliban soldiers. With no deadly attacks on public health campaigners reported in Afghanistan this year, they also feel increasingly comfortable venturing into remote virus hot spots that were previously far beyond their reach. We now have access all over the country, said Hamid Jafari, director of the WHOs regional polio eradication program. After years of disrupting public health campaigns and amplifying vaccine skepticism, the Taliban now face challenges of their own making. But the Taliban-run government says it is committed to the effort, and the unlikely alliance between officials and internationally funded health workers if still at times uneasy reflects the considerable shift in the priority the government puts on vaccinating Afghans against polio and other infectious diseases. Its a priority for us, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, who for many years was tasked with announcing the groups bans, said in an interview. The Talibans resistance to door-to-door campaigns, he insisted, was never ideological. Much of its opposition arose after the CIA, seeking to hunt down Osama bin Laden, ran a fake hepatitis vaccination program in neighboring Pakistan aimed at collecting DNA that matched that of the al-Qaida leader. While U.S. officials say the program never succeeded in collecting DNA from residents of the Abbottabad compound where bin Laden was later killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in 2011, the intelligence effort fostered distrust of vaccinators across the region and exposed them to a wave of deadly attacks after the ploy was revealed. We didnt dare to go to villages for funerals of relatives out of fear that wed be shot there, said Abdul Rahman Ahmadi Shinwari, a vaccinator. On a recent day, Shinwari was at work at the Afghan border crossing of Torkham, accompanied by Taliban soldiers. Its a relief to be able to just stand here today with these men, he said. Vaccine conspiracies Qari Najib Ur Rahman, who manages an immunization team in Afghanistans northeastern district of Achin, said claims by local villagers that vaccines are un-Islamic and Western conspiracies disappeared virtually overnight after the Taliban takeover. To prove his point, he turned around and pointed to a checkpoint, where two of his vaccinators surrounded cars that had been stopped by armed soldiers next to the Talibans Islamic Emirate flag. As the vaccinators immunized children inside the vehicles, taking only seconds to pour the vials and mark their hands with a pen, nobody in the packed cars appeared to object. Those who had believed that vaccination was forbidden in Islam changed their minds after seeing the Taliban allow it, said Faizullah Shinwari, a vaccination coordinator in Achin. If the Taliban approve of it, it must be permissible, they thought. Health workers said the Taliban had never been adamantly opposed to immunization, unlike the Islamic State group, but during the war had more pragmatic concerns that the campaigns were a cover for spying. Vaccination volunteers in Achin, long a poliovirus hot spot, said the Talibans endorsement of immunizations has led to a significant overall decline in vaccine holdouts over the past two years, from around 230 cases per campaign to around 60 most recently, even as the number of children reached by vaccinators here has more than doubled. Fereshta, a health worker in her 30s, administers a polio vaccine to a boy at the main clinic in Achin district, Nangahar province, a stronghold of poliovirus in Afghanistan, on Nov. 12, 2023. ( Elise Blanchard for The Washington Post) Obstacles to vaccination Increasingly, the primary obstacles to vaccination in Afghanistan are practical and not ideological. At Achins district hospital, 37-year old Tahsildar was late for a vaccination appointment for his 1-year old nephew, who was wrapped in a thick wool hat, and according to Tahsildar, was suffering from a cold that morning that had prevented them from leaving on time. Of course, he will get ill if you dont vaccinate him, the doctor scolded Tahsildar. Visibly embarrassed, Tahsildar revealed the real reason they had missed their appointment. There was no male family member who could have accompanied the childs mother, he said, a requirement that is customary in many rural Afghan areas and emphasized by local Taliban officials. Tahsildar, a farmer, had to skip work for his nephew to be vaccinated. Meanwhile, it is difficult to reach rural Afghan women with public health education because they are largely isolated in their homes, so it is harder to convince them of the benefits of immunization, vaccinators said. And some villagers who are vaccine skeptics are demanding to be rewarded for getting immunized. Previously, people used to tell us that vaccines are Western peoples urine, said Shahidullah Shinwari, a vaccination coordinator in Achin, who is tasked with convincing holdouts. Today, those who reject the vaccines want financial aid and assistance in return, he said. Children stand near a poster promoting polio vaccination at the main clinic in Afghanistans Achin district on Nov. 12, 2023. ( Elise Blanchard for The Washington Post) Vaccinators and other public health campaigners say there are no penalties for refusing vaccines. But in Achin, parents who refuse to have their children immunized may these days find themselves summoned to the local Taliban district governors office, where balaclava-wearing armed soldiers line the entrance. 6 polio cases At least six polio cases were reported in Afghanistan this year, up from two last year, with a potentially much higher number of unknown infections. From northeastern Afghanistan, the virus is also believed to have spread via refugees and cross-border travelers to communities in Pakistan, where the virus is also endemic. While Pakistan has made significant progress in fighting the virus over the past year, health officials worry that it could again start spreading more widely in Afghan refugee communities and, amid an ongoing Pakistani campaign to deport 1.7 million of them, make its way into new parts of Afghanistan, too. Refugees who were returning accounted for around half of the people who have in recent weeks rejected polio vaccines in Achin, said campaigners there. Many lived in Pakistani camps or neighborhoods where conspiracy theories continue to be propagated largely unchallenged. Pakistani militants who have sworn allegiance to the Afghan Taliban continue to disrupt vaccinations as part of an expanding insurgency, threatening public health progress on both sides of the border. Unlike the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, has shown no hesitation in claiming responsibility for attacks targeting vaccination efforts over the past decade. The TTP still views police officers or soldiers who guard vaccinators as legitimate targets, said a TTP commander, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists. Suspected TTP militants on Friday killed a Pakistani police officer guarding vaccinators in the northwest of the country. The Pakistani government has urged the Taliban-run Afghan government to rein in the TTP, which Pakistan alleges is operating from safe havens inside Afghanistan. Afghan officials reject the Pakistani accusations. In Pakistan, many vaccinators say their jobs are today as dangerous as they once were for their Afghan counterparts. In a predominantly Afghan neighborhood on the outskirts of Islamabad, vaccinator Kinza Khan, 23, said she at times only feels safe when accompanied by her husband. There is always a chance of sudden clashes, of rage, she said. Some believe its a foreign conspiracy to make our children infertile. Nadeem Jan, Pakistans caretaker health minister, acknowledged that the country faces an uphill battle as it seeks to confront small but concerning anti-vaccine pockets of the population. Were struggling with convincing them, with winning their hearts and minds, he said, citing poor motivation among underpaid vaccinators as one key obstacle. Pakistani officials may hope that their planned expulsion of Afghans may shift some of the burden onto Afghanistan. But among those who stay, rising distrust of the government could deepen misconceptions. The virus takes Pakistan and Afghanistan as one country, said Shahzad Baig, who oversees Pakistans polio program. As long as we dont eradicate the virus from the other side, it will keep on coming back and forth. Lutfullah Qasimyar in Torkham, Afghanistan, Haq Nawaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Shaiq Hussain in Islamabad contributed to this report. Adm. Christopher Grady speaks during the change of command ceremony in 2018. (Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON The U.S. military can aid Taiwan along with Ukraine and Israel if the Indo-Pacific island came under attack from China, the Pentagons second highest-ranking officer said Monday. [They are] not necessarily the same things, so we are able to work our way through that, Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a discussion at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank that studies international affairs. Is it challenging? Sure, but as [Defense] Secretary [Lloyd Austin] said, we have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. The United States has been providing billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in early 2022 and recently began sending increased aid to Israel after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants. The U.S. has said many times that it would also provide needed support to Taiwan if it was attacked or invaded by China, which considers the island a breakaway Chinese territory. Giving aid to two countries involved in conflicts has already raised the question whether the support could put a strain on U.S. military capabilities and readiness. Some U.S. military leaders have said China could move on Taiwan as soon as 2027. According to some observers, Taiwans civil defense preparedness is insufficient, and Taiwans military struggles to recruit, retain and train personnel, according to a report in September by the Congressional Research Service, a public policy research institute. Some U.S. officials [have] publicly cited specific years in the mid-2020s as possible target dates for a [Chinese] attack on Taiwan, sparking alarm and reinvigorating debates among experts and policymakers about how to allocate limited time and resources to shore up Taiwans resilience. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said earlier in the year that it might be challenging to keep U.S. and Ukraine troops armed if the defense industry cannot maintain adequate production of equipment and weapons. He later clarified his remark and said he fully expected industry production to keep up. Grady said Monday that giving aid to three allies can be done. We can do all of that, he said of supplying the militaries of Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. What we are doing right now, the steady state that were in now, yeah for sure. During the discussion, Grady touched on other issues facing the military right now such as the rise in attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East and the failure of Congress to pass funding for fiscal 2024. If lawmakers dont authorize new funding, the Pentagon would run out of money on Feb. 2. If theres any takeaway from this discussion today, continuing resolutions are not where we want to be, he said of the temporary funding measures that the government has been relying on since fiscal 2024 began Oct. 1. We need that stable and predictable funding. The continuing resolutions only extend 2023 funding levels for a few extra weeks and prevent the military from working on new projects such as shipbuilding and military construction. President Joe Biden has also requested roughly $105 billion in supplemental funding to keep sending aid to Ukraine and Israel, as well as make key defense industry investments. Our presence, along with our international allies and partners, is going to be really important, Grady said of the Middle East. Its a dangerous place. Since mid-October, there have been at least 76 separate attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon said Monday. None of the attacks have caused serious injury to any service members, but the Pentagon has said they are all being carried out with support, and sometimes funding, from the Iranian government. It very much is an expansion of perhaps the larger conflict [between] Israel and Hamas, he said of the attacks on U.S. troops. There is undoubtedly an Iranian hand in this. U.S. Army veteran Charlie Bourg said he blames the government and the companies that brought the electronic health record system to Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash., for flaws that delayed his diagnosis of cancer that became terminal before it could be treated. (Facebook) (Tribune News Service) A veteran and his wife are suing the federal government and the companies behind a computer system the Department of Veterans Affairs has tested in Spokane, alleging that flaws in the system delayed the diagnosis of cancer that became terminal before it could be treated. Charlie Bourg and his wife, Deborah Brinson, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington on Friday. They are seeking unspecified monetary damages from the government and the companies that have developed the electronic health record system including Cerner, to which the VA awarded a $10 billion contract in 2018, and Oracle, which acquired Cerner for $28.3 billion in 2022. Bourg, a vocal critic of the system who went to the U.S. Capitol in December 2022 to ask Congress to scrap it, said he blames the government and the companies that brought the system to Spokanes Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, not the doctors and nurses who use the system to track patient data and coordinate care. Bourg has been told his prostate cancer has spread and is no longer treatable. Everybody at the hospital has been good to me, except for the administration, he said. They tried to do everything right whether the urologists, the primary care, the oncologists and theyve all suffered from this program, too, along with the rest of the staff there. After the Obama administration gave Cerner a $4.3 billion contract in 2015 to adopt the companys system in military hospitals, the Trump administration did the same for VA hospitals in 2018 despite the VAs existing system being popular among health care workers. Officials in both the Trump and Biden administrations have maintained that using the same system will help the two departments coordinate care more effectively. The Pentagon and the VA chose Spokane as the pilot site for both rollouts, launching the system at Fairchild Air Force Base in February 2017 and at Mann-Grandstaff in October 2020. Soon after the system arrived at the Spokane VA hospital, according to the lawsuit, Bourg had a routine blood test in December 2020 that showed signs of possible prostate cancer. His primary care provider sent a message through the new system to a urology specialist, who opened the message a day later and placed a return to clinic order to schedule a follow-up appointment. The lawsuit alleges that a system defect caused the order to route to a massive unorganized queue and essentially disappear, so the urology clinic didnt schedule a follow-up. The next time Bourg saw his primary care provider, in April 2021, they realized what had happened and the provider sent another order to schedule an appointment in early May. While that order went to the correct recipient, a different system defect allegedly changed the date of the appointment to September 2021 four months later than ordered, Bourg later learned when he asked his provider what happened. When he saw a urologist and had a biopsy in October 2021, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After a surgery to remove his prostate in January 2022, doctors told Bourg the cancer had spread to other parts of his body and was no longer treatable. A year ago, he said, doctors told him he likely had between one and two years to live. Bourgs and Brinsons attorney, Mark Kamitomo, said he expects the case to take more than a year, and Bourg said he understands he may not live to see its conclusion. He hopes the court will award damages that he could leave to his wife, children and grandchildren and to a local veterans group. Im just playing it by ear, Bourg said. Theres not much I can do. Just keep fighting for veterans care and for my family. The facts of Bourgs case were described in a June 2022 letter from Mann-Grandstaff Director Robert Fischer to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., whose office had requested an investigation on Bourgs behalf. After the system was rolled out at five hospitals in the Northwest and Ohio, the VA delayed planned launches at larger facilities in Seattle, Portland, Boise and elsewhere when The Spokesman-Review reported in June 2022 that the system had contributed to nearly 150 cases of harm that senior VA officials had not disclosed to Congress or the public. As of July, the system had contributed to more than 4,400 cases of patient harm, according to data obtained by The Spokesman-Review via the Freedom of Information Act. While the VA classifies most of those cases as minor, they also include 885 cases of moderate harm, 44 cases of major harm and nine cases of catastrophic harm. The VA defines minor harm as not causing injury or requiring additional care and moderate harm as increasing the length of stay or level of care needed for one or two patients. Major harm entails permanent loss of bodily function, disfigurement, a problem that requires surgical intervention, or that requires a longer hospital stay or higher level of care for at least three patients. Death or major permanent loss of function constitute catastrophic harm by the VAs definition. In March, the department acknowledged that the system had contributed to the deaths of four veterans. Bourg and Brinson each filed a tort claim with the VA in December 2022 and are eligible to sue the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act because the department didnt resolve that claim within six months, according to court documents. The tort claims asked for $15 million in damages. Kamitomo, an attorney with the Seattle- and Spokane-based Luvera Law Firm, said a court could award higher damages from the companies named as defendants. After its acquisition by Oracle, Cerner was known as Oracle Cerner and was recently rebranded as Oracle Health. The lawsuit names several Cerner subsidiaries and unknown John Does as defendants, partly to account for those name changes. In their complaint, Bourg and Brinson accuse the U.S. government of negligence and failing to exercise reasonable care in the implementation of the new system. They allege that the companies that developed the system failed to design and manufacture a reasonably safe product, and failed to adequately train users how to safely use it. The medical providers in this case were doing the right thing, Kamitomo said. They were doing what they were supposed to do. And they put their faith in a system that Cerner and the VA rushed to get out without adequately testing, and thats why were going after Cerner and the VA. Kamitomo said he expects Oracle to argue that it is not liable for how the system affected Bourgs care, because the tech giant finalized its deal to acquire Cerner in June 2022. In September 2022, an Oracle spokesman told The Spokesman-Review the company had looked into what happened in Bourgs case and concluded that its system was not responsible, while calling the situation tragic. Our findings show that nothing related to the EHRs functionality or performance had anything to do with the care this veteran received and was unrelated to their diagnosis or treatment, Oracle spokesman Michael Egbert said in a statement at the time, using the acronym for electronic health record. The Oracle Cerner EHR is successfully in use at many thousands of health care facilities across the United States without incident. Oracle Cerner now Oracle Health controls roughly 25% of the electronic health record market, according to the market research firm KLAS. But in the wake of layoffs following the acquisition, some large hospital systems have announced plans to switch to a different system. That didnt stop Oracle Health chairman David Feinberg who called the acquisition a wild success story from buying a $19 million Los Angeles penthouse from pop star The Weeknd in August, shortly after the layoffs were reported. In May, the VA and Oracle agreed on a modified contract with added accountability measures to continue developing the system, which is scheduled to launch at a joint VA-Defense Department hospital in Chicago in March. (c)2023 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) Visit The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) at www.spokesman.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Representatives of the Baltic states' diplomatic missions in Warsaw staged a demarche against Poland over the blockade of the Ukrainian border. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the Polish authorities because Polish truck drivers are blocking the movement of freight transport on the Polish-Ukrainian border, which undermines Ukraine's ability to resist Russia. ADVERTISIMENT The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that this issue has been repeatedly raised during negotiations with the Polish side. This was reported by the Estonian radio broadcaster ERR. "A meeting-demonstration of the three Baltic ambassadors at the Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland took place in Warsaw," said Estonian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Brita Kikas in response to ERR's question about Estonia's attitude to the border blockade. In the field of diplomacy, the term "demarche" is used to describe an appeal by one government to another to draw attention to a particular problem or situation, often with proposals for specific measures. A spokeswoman for the Estonian Foreign Ministry noted that the countries' representatives respect the rights of Polish truck drivers to hold rallies. However, these events have led to complicated consequences and created additional difficulties for the Ukrainian economy. ADVERTISIMENT "For our part, we are raising this issue with Poland and hope that a solution will be found in the near future in cooperation between Poland, Ukraine and the European Commission," Kikas added. Estonia plans to continue its own efforts to find a solution together with the new Polish government. A representative of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that the blockade of the Ukrainian border was discussed during Tsakhkna's meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Monday. Polish truckers see their Ukrainian counterparts as competitors because they offer their services at lower prices. That is why they have blocked the main border crossings with Ukraine since November. They are demanding the restoration of the order under which Ukrainian trucks were allowed to enter the EU only with a limited number of special permits. ADVERTISIMENT After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, this system was suspended. Polish drivers argue that Ukrainian truckers offer their services not only for transportation between Ukraine and the EU, but also in the EU's internal market. However, the organizers of the protest allow crossing the border for cars, humanitarian and military cargo. On December 1, truckers in Slovakia joined the Polish drivers' action and blocked the main border crossing between Slovakia and Ukraine. As reported by OBOZ.UA, the European Commission believes that the Polish authorities are not acting proactively enough to resolve the situation on the Ukrainian-Polish border and "to comply with the law there." The bloc suggests taking certain measures against those who do not follow the rules and do not apply the law. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Having appeared without a solicitor when asked if he was representing himself Barry Maguire replied: I suppose I am. An alleged domestic abuse victim was made to eat food off the floor while the accused took a photo on his phone, a court heard. An alleged domestic abuse victim was made to eat food off the floor while the accused took a photo on his phone, a court heard today. Barry Maguire, (39), is accused of unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on his partner, intentionally choking her, restricting breathing and flow of blood to her brain, threatening to kill her and engaging in a course of abusive behaviour causing physical or psychological harm. Offending is alleged to have occurred on November 30. Having appeared without a solicitor when asked if he was representing himself Maguire replied: I suppose I am. A detective constable told Dungannon Magistrates Court the charges could be connected. She explained the partner fled to a neighbours home in the aftermath of an alleged attack and from there was taken to the hospital where she currently remains. The neighbour meanwhile contacted police and described, Signs of coercive control and degrading abuse. The injured party is covered in bruises all over her body at apparent different stages of healing. She is vulnerable and has no family support. Opposing bail the detective said: There is a risk of further offending and witness interference. The injured party and defendant have only been in a relationship for six months and this is the second reported incident both of which were reported by third parties. The injured party has never contacted police herself, instead seeking help from neighbours. She is unsure if she wants to make a statement of complaint because she says she still loves the defendant. We feel this places her at greater risk should he be released as they could resume the relationship and the abuse will continue. The court heard Maguire has a conviction for domestic abuse assault against a previous partner and a restraining order remains in place as a result. Independent witnesses to the alleged offences are neighbours therefore Maguires address was deemed unsuitable for release. Efforts are underway to find alternative accommodation for the injured party on her release from hospital. District Judge Francis Rafferty noted: Amongst other things, the defendant indicated that the injured party bruises easily. The detective said this was discussed with the injured party who states she has no medical condition to this effect and, While she does bruise easily, its not without cause. The judge continued: There is also a suggestion the defendant made the injured party eat food off the floor, which he denied but when police advised they would be examining his phone, he then claimed to have forgotten and he may in fact have taken a photograph of her eating from the floor. Turning to Maguire, Judge Rafferty asked if he wished to tell the court why he should be granted bail. Maguire replied: Ill be of no harm to anybody else. Nearly 90% of these claims are not correct. I would like the chance to get things together so I can get defended properly. "I wasnt really planning on defending myself. My plan was to get bail to sort out proper representation because Im obviously not a solicitor and Im not going to do a very good job. Judge Rafferty said: The court notes you say 90% of the claims are incorrect which means 10% of them even on your suggestion are correct. "Im of the view you are a significant risk to the injured party who must be protected. There is also a risk of interference with the investigation and for those reasons I am remanding you in custody. Bail is refused. Maguire will appear again by video-link at Omagh Magistrates Court on December 19. David Paget (43) had just thrown a shovel through the sitting room window of the occupied family home at 7am that morning A burglar who jumped into a river to avoid gardai after breaking into a family home has been jailed for six and half years for a string of burglaries. David Paget (43) had just thrown a shovel through the sitting room window of the occupied family home at 7am that morning. The gardai were alerted and gave chase. Detective Garda Shane Woods told David Staunton BL, prosecuting, that he spotted Paget jump into the Tolka River and jumped in after him. He was ultimately caught hiding behind some shrubbery and taken out. Paget, of Dromheath Grove, Ladyswell, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing a car and 11 burglaries on dates between September 2020 and October 23, 2022. Most of the burglaries occurred around Mulhuddart, Dublin 15. He has 57 previous convictions, including many burglaries. Judge Orla Crowe noted that Paget was on bail for stealing the car, when he carried out 10 of the burglaries, and also on bail for the burglaries when he burgled the final home in October 2023. She accepted that he co-operated with the garda investigations, made admissions and demonstrated remorse. She also acknowledged that he has been making efforts to deal with his addiction and wants to make amends and change his lifestyle. There are green shoots, she said. However, she said most of the burglaries were of domestic dwellings, both occupied and unoccupied and she said the final burglary was an escalation in seriousness. He threw a shovel through the front window of a house where young children were present, Judge Crowe said before she added that as it was early on a Sunday morning anyone could have been in that front room. She also said the fact that a garda had to jump into a river on an October morning in order to catch him was a further aggravating feature. Judge Crowe imposed consecutive sentences, taking into account the fact that Paget was on bail for the offences, totalling seven and half years before she suspended the final year on strict conditions including that Paget engage with the Probation Service for 12 months upon his ultimate release from custody. Det Gda Woods agreed with Simon Matthews BL, defending, that he knows Paget from the local area and that he is a man who struggles with addiction. He further agreed that he was under the influence of drugs the morning of the burglary and that Paget said in interview he couldnt remember anything because he was stoned out of my head. Det Gda Woods accepted that the laptop that had been stolen during the burglary that morning was recovered but it had been destroyed. Mr Matthews told Judge Crowe that his client was a father to four children who is making attempts to deal with his addiction. He submitted that the gardai previously gave evidence that Paget is fine to deal with on arrest and is co-operative. Zahir Boudahane (50) Clonuske Green, Balbriggan, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing serious injury An articulated truck driver who severed a pedestrians leg after he dragged the victim under the vehicle will be sentenced later this month. Zahir Boudahane (50) Clonuske Green, Balbriggan, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing serious injury on OConnell Bridge, Dublin, on June 10, 2022. He has no previous convictions. The court heard that Boudahane was not used to driving in Dublin City Centre. He was driving in the bus lane on Bachelors Walk before he broke a red light and took an illegal right hand turn onto OConnell Bridge. William Burke was crossing the road at the time, having come from the Eden Quay direction and Boudahanes vehicle struck him head on. The then 32-year-old was dragged under the front of the vehicle with the front wheel driving over his left leg before his foot went under the rear wheel. Mr Burke later told gardai he could see the bones in his left leg exposed and said there was blood everywhere. Garda Cathal Keon confirmed a suggestion from David Perry BL, prosecuting, that Mr Burke leg was effectively degloved. Mr Burke was later treated in the Mater Hospital for what was deemed as catastrophic injuries to his leg. He required urgent surgical treatment which ultimately resulted in a below the knee amputation. There was no victim impact statement before the court as Mr Burke has declined to make one. Gda Keon confirmed that he now uses a wheelchair. Gda Keon told Mr Perry that Boudahanes dashcam footage showed that he was driving at 17 km/h at the time of impact and subsequent breath tests showed that he had no drugs or alcohol in his system. He had a full Irish driving license and his tachograph showed that he had no driver infringement on the day in question. Boudahane immediately stopped the truck and got out to check what had happened but he said people who were attending to Mr Burke were shouting at him so he got back into his cab. He said he was about to call the gardai himself when he noticed a patrol car in his wing mirror. Gda Keon confirmed that two days later, Boudahane made a voluntary statement at the garda station. He said he had been delivering clothes and furniture to a shop in the city centre that day. He said he had not seen the sign that indicated he could not turn right onto O'Connell Bridge. He said he didnt see Mr Burke crossing in front of him as he had been checking his mirrors and suggested that the man had been in his blind spot. Gda Keon agreed with Dominic McGinn SC, defending, that there was evidence from witnesses at the scene that Mr Burke smelled of alcohol. He further accepted that Boudahane has been on medication for stress since the accident and he no longer works as a truck driver. Mr McGinn acknowledged that the most aggravating factor in the case was the injury caused to Mr Burke. He accepted that the fact that his client was driving in a bus lane, broke a red light and took an illegal turn meant that he had infringed traffic regulations that day but submitted that there was no evidence of excessive speed or intoxication. Mr McGinn suggested that his client was a professional driver who was not familiar with the layout of this particular junction and that he was driving at an extraordinary low speed. He said his client behaved as one should at the scene and that he attended voluntarily at the station to give his account. He also asked the court to take into consideration the fact that he pleaded guilty and has no previous convictions. Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the case to December 13 next and remanded Boudahane on continuing bail. She asked that Gda Keon make another attempt to see if Mr Burke is willing to prepare a victim impact statement. Rooney then said: I will come and find your wife and children in their home and cut their hearts out A man who assaulted a security guard and threatened to cut the hearts out of a shopper's wife and children has been given a suspended 18-month sentence. Alan Rooney (54) of Stillorgan Wood, Stillorgan, Dublin, pleaded guilty to charges of theft, threats to kill, threatening abusive behaviour, breach of the peace, assault causing harm and entering a private kitchen and taking a kitchen knife at various locations within Dundrum Town Centre, on September 18, 2022. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that a man shopping in Dundrum Town Centre was approached by Alan Rooney, whose disposition gave him concern. The shopper, who had his dog with him, had a brief conversation with Rooney, who then said: I will come and find your wife and children in their home and cut their hearts out. Garda Kevin Keogh of Dundrum Garda Station told Derek Cooney BL, prosecuting, that after threatening the shopper, Rooney then ran into the kitchen of Gourmet Burger. He ran towards the grill and went to grab a yellow-handled kitchen knife. The manager of the restaurant hit his arm, and he ran from the kitchen and down the escalator. Gda Keogh said a security guard tried to stop Rooney and caught up to him outside of the shopping centre. Rooney struck the security guard five to six times and tried to get him on the ground. More security guards came to assist. CCTV footage of the altercation was played to the court. A group of youths also arrived at the scene and could be seen striking Rooney. Rooney was arrested, and the yellow-handled knife was seized. A picture of the knife was handed into the court. The court heard that the security guard received medical attention and suffered from pain for a week. Gda Keogh agreed with Michael Bowman SC, defending, that the youths who got involved inflamed the situation. The garda agreed with counsel that it is clear that he (Rooney) has underlying issues. Mr Bowman said his client works six days a week in construction, and on the morning of the incident, he had been visiting the grave of his childhood sweetheart. He said Rooney had also found out that he was adopted as a child. Counsel said Rooney had lost a number of people important to him and suffers from depression, anxiety and social avoidance. He lives a solitary life and works long hours, the court heard. He said what transpired on the day was a tipping point after a chance encounter and was escalated by the intervention of others. He said Rooney felt a deep sense of shame at the events. Rooney has 25 previous convictions, including public order, theft, assault, and road traffic offences. He also served a 10-year prison sentence in the UK for a robbery offence and was released in 2000. Passing sentence, Judge Orla Crowe said it was an unusual case starting with Rooney taking issue with a man with a dog, whom he did not know. She said the nature of the threat was extraordinary in the circumstances, followed by an escalating series of events. She said it was entirely unedifying for someone of his age to behave in this way for no apparent or good reason causing upset and harm to the injured parties. She noted his background personal circumstances at the time outlined in a psychological report and that he was assessed as at moderate risk of reoffending. Judge Crowe noted he was employed, in a prosocial environment where he was making progress in relation to his own wellbeing and attending psychological services and counselling. Judge Crowe imposed an 18 month sentence which she suspended in full for three years on condition including that he remain under probation supervision, engage with addiction services and carry out offence and victim-focused work as directed. The victim, who is aged in his 20s, was socialising with friends in the south-inner city before the assault occurred Gardai have arrested a chief suspect for a serious assault in Dublin which has left a young man fighting for his life in hospital. The victim, who is aged in his 20s, was socialising with friends in the south-inner city before the assault occurred. Gardai were alerted to the incident outside a pub on Ushers Quay in Dublin 8 on Sunday and discovered the man with serious head injuries. The male, who is a foreign national, was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he remains in a coma. At this stage gardai believe the man was in a pub in the area when an altercation occurred with another group of men. Later when the victim left the bar he was set upon and, during the violent incident involving a number of men, he was physically assaulted and suffered head wounds. Detectives have identified up to six people they believe were involved in the violence including the man who they suspect carried out the serious assault. This afternoon gardai arrested a chief suspect in the investigation. The man, aged in his 20s, was arrested in the capital on suspicion of assault and remains in garda custody this evening. A senior source previously said that the victim's condition has been described as critical as a result of head injuries suffered during the assault. This was a serious attack and the victim remains in an induced coma in hospital, the source said. Gardai based at Kevin Street garda station are investigating the attack and are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Extra resources have been deployed to the city in recent months, including the garda public order unit, following a number of high-profile violent attacks this year. This includes the attack on US tourist Stephen Termini on Talbot Street and the assault of a UK tourist in Temple Bar. In both cases a number of suspects have been identified and charged. Confirming the incident a garda spokesperson said: Gardai were alerted following disturbance involving a group of males outside a premises on Ushers Quay, Dublin 8 shortly before 9pm on Sunday 3rd December 2023. A male individual aged in his late 20s sustained a head injury in the course of the incident was removed from the scene by ambulance. He is currently being treated at Beaumont Hospital where his condition is understood to be serious. The scene was preserved overnight and examined by local scenes of crime officers. No arrests have been made to date and enquires are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Kevin Street Garda Station 01 6669400 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, the garda spokesperson added. McGregor backed calls for increased checks on the backgrounds of immigrants entering the country. UFC star Conor McGregor has called for a task force to be established to stop bad immigrants entering Ireland. The Crumlin native made the comments on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to a speech by Independent Senator Sharon Keogan in the Dail. She claimed that not all immigrants are created created equal and an immigration policy that does not recognise this will end in disaster. Writing on Twitter, McGregor backed the senators calls for increased checks on the backgrounds of immigrants entering the country. He wrote: "I love the idea of a new taskforce founded and stationed at our airports. Good in. Bad out. Color (sic) or creed does not factor. Good may enter. Bad must leave. For the benefit of all. I also love the call for current entrants here to present documents for clearance also. Clearance or deportation. The MMA fighter has come under fire for his comments on social media surrounding the riots in Dublin last week. It has been widely reported that he is one of a large number of people who are being investigated by gardai for alleged incitement to hatred. McGregors latest statement come after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar asked people to avoid linked crime to immigration saying it was "not right". But in his comments, the ex-UFC champion rejected the Taoiseachs plea and said his concern was for national security. "Although I do not connect crime with migration entirely, I think unfair to do so overall, I do think national security is above all. "I myself know and engage and train with so many immigrants on a personal and professional level who are decent, hard working, salt of the earth people, that now call Ireland home, who are truly affected by the recent events and all wish for the same thing. Peace of mind! We need change for all the good inhabitants of Ireland. "I feel the protocols suggested here can do just that! The nation will return to peace so fast! I also love the call for support to small businesses and our frontline who have been affected by the riots. " Bravo! This for me is tremendous! I am confident we will get to where we need. The safety of our inhabitants and our visitors the most important thing right now!" McGregors comments last night are just the latest time he has waded into the immigration debate. Conor McGregor. Photo: Mike Blake In the aftermath of the riots, Tanaiste Micheal Martin criticised comments from Conor McGregor as absolutely disgraceful. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was asked to respond to comments posted online by McGregor where he said Ireland, we are at war and you reap what you sow. While Mr Martin did not name McGregor, he said comments of that type are essentially inciting hate. There has been many comments Ive watched online of that type which are absolutely disgraceful, Mr Marin told reporters. We have a parliamentary democracy, we value that, Irish people do as well. Isolated voices like that and voices that essentially are inciting hate and to some degree incitement is unacceptable. In the lead up to the riots, the Crumlin MMA star launched an astonishing attack on allowing immigrants to vote on his X account declaring: Ireland, we are at war. In a series of messages posted on his feed he adds: Do not let any Irish property be took over (sic) unannounced. Evaporate (sic) said property. Its a war. As the riots were in full flow in the city centre at around 10pm, he wrote: I dont care about President Higgins statement. Or Varadkars statement. Or Mary Lous. Or Justice (Minister) McEntees. Or Garda Commissioners. "Announce our plan of action!! What are we waiting for? Your statements of nothing are absolutely worthless to the solving of this issue. Take Action!! Fix this situation IMMEDIATELY! Later McGregor posted a photo of vehicles on fire on OConnell Street and wrote: What would Daniel OConnell say I wonder? "What would our Irish leaders past say on the situation we face today? God bless Ireland. However McGregor also described scenes in Dublin as despicable while also criticising the Government. People looting shops amidst the anger and rage Ireland has for the many failed policies of government, he wrote on X. Camorra mob boss Raffaele Imperiale this week offered to hand over a 60 million island off Dubai in his latest bid to get a reduced prison sentence Raffaele Imperiale has handed over an island he owns off the coast of Dubai to the Italian authorities A TOP Kinahan cartel partner is desperate to prove to the authorities in Italy that he is fully co-operating and is not hiding any information or wealth from them. Camorra mob boss Raffaele Imperiale this week offered to hand over a 60 million island off Dubai in his latest bid to get a reduced prison sentence. The Kinahans now know that any dealings they had with Imperiale whose encrypted phone messages were intercepted could be used against them in any future trial. Since turning pentito (supergrass) last year Imperiales information has seen a major cocaine smuggling operation in northern Europe taken down as well as 1.8 million in crypto currency handed over to the state. Imperiale's island In March this year, police found more than 80 weapons hidden under the garage floor of Imperiales house, including three Kalashnikov rifles, a grenade, and 5,067 rounds of ammunition. Known as the Van Gogh Boss because he had two of the painters stolen works in a villa he is facing a 14-year sentence. Raffaele Imperiale Imperiale, who had been on the run for five years, was arrested in Dubai in August 2021 and was extradited to Italy in March 2022. On Monday, documents in English were handed into the court in which a Dubai registered company said it had been given the power to hand the artificial island to the Italian authorities. Imperiale bought the island, named Taiwan, during his time in hiding and the firm estimated its value at 60m-80m. The barren island is part of an artificial archipelago off the coast of the United Arab Emirates called The World, which is shaped as a map of the globe. It is registered to a company whose lawyers sent the letter to the Neapolitan Prosecutors Office, stating they wanted to make it available to the authorities. Imperiale said he bought it seven years ago for 12 million. The offer is being examined by the prosecutors office, but it may be difficult for the Italian state to legally acquire it. It is clear that Imperiale wants sentence reductions, the prosecutor, Maurizio De Marco, was reported as saying in local media. We are assessing the validity of his statements, but there seems to be no doubts about their genuineness. Imperiale had six months to prove his commitment to telling all after declaring his wish to be a pentito last October, in a move that is likely to have left the Kinahans sweating. But he was already co-operating with police even before he attended Daniel Kinahans wedding at the Burj al Arab Hotel in 2017. The Van Gogh paintings stolen in 2002 in Amsterdam were discovered by Italian police acting on information in 2016. Raffaele Imperiale's arrest Imperiale told an Italian newspaper he didnt steal the paintings, which have since been returned the Netherlands, but bought them after they were offered to him for sale. It also emerged during the trial that Encrochat and SkyECC messages hacked by French police have been linked to Imperiale. A legal decision has yet to be made on whether the messages can be used in the trial after a previous Italian Supreme Court ruling that a judges permission must first be sought before they are acquired by police. Imperiale, who began his criminal career from a coffee shop in Amsterdam, is believed to have been at the top of the drug cartel, along with Dutch criminal Ridouan Taghi, Daniel Kinahan and Bosnian drug trafficker Edin Gacanin. The group was observed having meetings in the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai in 2017 and attended Kinahans wedding there. The cartel is considered to be one of the biggest in the world with almost complete control over the sale of Peruvian cocaine. Daniel Kinahan, his father Christopher and brother Christopher Jr are still at large despite a US $5 million bounty on their heads. Close associate Sean McGovern, who is the subject of an arrest warrant in relation to a murder from the Irish authorities, is believed to be living in Dubai. McGovern is wanted in Ireland on charges related to the murder and organised crime related offences in connection with the 2016 fatal shooting of Noel Duck Egg Kirwan. And just before dinner time, Mary said to me, Mum I forgot to kiss you this morning, and she threw her arms around me and gave me a kiss. Little did I know that it was the last one. Mary Boyle was six when she went missing during a visit to her grandparents Missing girl Mary Boyles mother and twin sister are set to make an emotional TV appeal for new information that may lead to the mystery of the little girl who disappeared nearly 50 years ago. Mary was aged just six when she vanished near her maternal grandparents farmhouse in Cashelard, south Co Donegal, on March 18, 1977. The schoolgirl has the sad legacy of being Irelands longest most high profile missing person. And just before dinner time Mary said to me, Mum I forgot to kiss you this morning, and she threw her arms around me and gave me a kiss. Little did I know that it was the last one. sighs Ann Boyle, Marys mother. Despite decades of searching and investigations, no trace of Mary has ever been found. She is Irelands longest-missing child. In the second episode of the current series of RTEs Scannal, Marys mother and sister reflect on the disappearance of a beloved daughter and sister and the impact it has had, and continues to have, on the family. The disappearance resulted in one of the largest searches ever seen in Ireland. Hundreds of local people, soldiers, gardai and divers searched for Mary for weeks, but not a single trace was ever found of the little girl. For decades there have been rumours and insinuation about what might have happened to Mary, but 46 years later, her family is still looking for answers. If someone has any information at all, they may think it is of no importance, but it could be the final piece of the jigsaw that we need to find Marys body and for them to put an end to this torture for my family, pleads Marys twin sister Ann. Notorious British sex fiend and child killer Robert Black has been ruled out as a suspect by gardai despite holidaying in Co Donegal in the 1970s. Local man Brian McMahon was arrested in 2014, bur the former soldier at Finner camp in Co Donegal, who was in jail when questioned for other offences, was never charged. In recent years GSOC also looked into allegations that prominent politicians at the time of the disappearance put pressure on gardai not to question certain individuals. Both mother and daughter open up about a bitter split between them in recent years. Daughter Ann wanted a coroners inquest to declare Mary dead, while her mother wants the opposite. Ann Snr points out that her husband Charlie who tragically drowned in 2005 had always wanted their daughter never to be declared dead. It pulled the family apart, for want of a better word, stresses Ann jnr. We were going in different directions. Ann Snr admits she and her daughter were not talking for a number of years because of the rift, but are now back as a unit as they amended their differences and want it to stay that way. Ann Snr also reveals she has been the target of cruel trolls sending her hate mail. Its not nice for people to do that on you, especially when youre on your own, a widow on your own, she complains. Ann Jnr confirms her twin sister is always in her thoughts. In my head I always talk to Mary and if Im in trouble, Im kind of asking her for help, she reflects. I always feel shes looking out for me. Ann Snr also had not extinguished her daughters memory. Every morning as soon as I get up, I pray to Mary, she explains. When I go to mass I visit Marys little grotto. The Disappearance of Mary Boyle airs Tuesday 5th December at 7pm on RTE One and on RTE Player. Anyone with information about Mary Boyles disappearance can contact Ballyshannon Garda station on 0719858530. It is believed they were heavy industrial machinery, such as lathes and milling machines, to manufacture the illegal weapons. An industrial unit used to manufacture firearms. Photo: Europol Two Irish properties have been searched as part an EU-wide investigation targeting the illegal manufacturing of firearms. These photographs show some of the guns, ammunition and explosives precursors seized as 10 illegal firearms workshops were dismantled across the continent. According to Europol, the Spanish Civil Guard opened an investigation into the manufacture of illegal firearms earlier this year. Weapons seized across Europe. Photo: Europol They said clues pointed investigators to individuals across Europe and North America who had purchased specific tools to manufacture or modify firearms. It is believed they were using heavy industrial machinery, such as lathes and milling machines, to manufacture the weapons. In other cases, suspects used 3D printing to produce some of the components needed to assemble the firearms. A garda spokesman said they were one of the police forces who participated in the day of action' in October. This operational activity was coordinated by Europol and involved law enforcement authorities from Spain, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Members from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau carried out planned searches at two locations in Ireland in October 2023. "A number of items were recovered and have been submitted for technical and ballistic analysis. No arrests have been made thus far and investigations are ongoing. An industrial unit used to manufacture firearms. Photo: Europol Europol have said the operation lead to 10 arrests six in Spain, one in Sweden and three in the United Kingdom. Also, 10 illegal firearms workshops were dismantled in Canada, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. A total of 24 locations were searched two in Canada, nine in Germany, two in Ireland, five in Spain, one in Sweden, two in the Netherlands and three in the United Kingdom. There were 70 illegal firearms, including assault rifles, 3D-printed semi-automatic submachine guns, pistols and drill presses seized. Weapons seized, including tasers, compressed air/blank firing weapons, crossbows, bayonets and butterfly knives, were also confiscated in the operation, A total of over 37 000 rounds of ammunition, explosives precursors, gunpowder and a grenade launcher Following the EUROPOL announcement, Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland, the head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said, "An Garda Siochana is a committed partner to EUROPOL coordinated operational activities, particularly when targeting high value targets that facilitate violent organised crime networks. "The removal of deadly illegal firearms from the reach of violent criminal organisations is a priority for law enforcement and the dismantling of 10 illegal firearms workshops, through international law enforcement collaboration, greatly assists in reducing the availability of lethal firearms to criminals, and assists in maintaining Irelands current low incidence of gun related violence. A Europol spokesman said the operation led to 15 action days in recent months. He said: The results of the actions carried out in the different countries highlighted the importance of law enforcement cooperation across borders to combat the illegal production and trafficking of firearms. "The multiple raids led to the detection of illegal private print shops in Canada, Germany, Spain and Sweden. "This also highlighted the increasing use of 3D printing technology in the illegal production of firearms and the role of private manufacturing in the illegal trafficking of firearms. Trevor Fennelly, from Bennettsbridge, has been living in Australia for the past eight years Friends of a Kilkenny man living in Australia have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover medical bills after a horror motorcycle accident. Trevor Fennelly, from Bennettsbridge, has been living in Australia for the past eight years. On October 28, he was seriously injured in a crash in Bonogin on the Gold Coast after his motorcycle collided with an oncoming car. The 38-year-old was rushed to hospital and was bleeding internally from his liver, intestines, bowel, and spleen. He received 18 blood transfusions and had to be resuscitated twice during surgery to stop the internal bleeding. After two surgeries, staff at the Gold Coast Hospital could then attempt to repair his broken arm and leg. Trevor was in a coma for the first four days in hospital and received six surgeries over his month-long stay. He was discharged just last week but unfortunately had to be re-admitted after breaking his arm once again following a fall at his home. A fellow motorcyclist has now set up a fundraiser to help Trevor financially, as he will not be paid while hes out of work recovering from his injuries. Now home, Trevor will need to concentrate on his healing. My family, (blood and otherwise) would like to do what we can to elevate any financial burden that will, obviously, arise while he is recovering, they wrote online. Medical bills, household utilities and day to day living expenses are just the beginning. Trevor is a humble, proud man. He would not ever ask for a handout... All I am asking for is a HAND-UP. A couple of dollars (if you can spare!) can go a long way in helping. Riding isn't for everyone, it is not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle and a family. Unfortunately, sometimes, really bad things happen to really amazing people. I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart if you've made it this far in my spiel, and any $$ or cents you may be able to contribute. A total of $2,050 (1,200) has been generously donated by some 22 patrons in the past two days. For more information or to make a donation, visit the Trevor Fennelly - a stand up guy, back on his feet GoFundMe page. Despite the statements of Russian propagandists and certain advances of the Russian army in the area of Marinka, the town is not fully occupied. The Ukrainian Defense Forces still control the western part of the city, which Russian troops have turned into ruins. ADVERTISIMENT The Russian occupiers are still seeking to occupy the Donetsk region in its entirety, which is the Kremlin's priority goal at the moment. This is stated in the report of the UK Ministry of Defense. British intelligence has stated that in recent weeks, Marinka has become one of the hottest spots in the Russian-Ukrainian war. And despite some successes of the invaders, the occupiers have not yet managed to capture this settlement completely. "Over the past weeks, Russian troops have been gradually advancing through the ruins of Marinka, a city in Donetsk region. Now Russia probably controls most of the built-up area. However, Ukrainian forces continue to control pockets of territory on the western outskirts of the city," the British Defense Ministry said in a statement. The occupation forces have practically wiped out Marinka, which has been on the frontline since 2014, the British Defense Ministry stated. The UAV footage shows that the town, which used to be home to about 9,000 people, is now nothing but ruins: it is almost impossible to find a building that has not been seriously damaged. ADVERTISIMENT However, Russia does not seem to be going to give up its intention to seize these ruins. "Russia's renewed efforts against Marinka are part of Russia's autumn offensive, which prioritizes expanding Russian control over the rest of Donetsk region - very likely still one of the Kremlin's main objectives in the war," the British Defense Ministry summarized. Earlier, British intelligence pointed out a nuance with the losses of Putin's army. According to British estimates, since February 24, 2022, the Russian army has lost about 220-280 thousand occupants wounded and about 70 thousand killed. However, even officials in the Russian Federation have a low level of understanding of the total losses in the war against Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT The reasons are the long-established "culture of dishonest reporting" in the army of the aggressor state. The woman, who is in her 30s, was arrested following searches at various locations in the Dublin area A woman has been arrested as part of a cross-border investigation into the cocaine seizure on the MV Matthew cargo ship in September. The woman, who is in her 30s, was arrested following searches at various locations in the Dublin area. Gardai said this evening that the arrest was carried out by members attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Working as part of a Joint Agency Task Force officers conducted simultaneous and coordinated search operations in both jurisdictions today. The operations form part of ongoing investigations into the seizure of cocaine from a cargo ship off the coast of County Cork on Tuesday, 26th September 2023, gardai said in a statement. A female in her 30s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at a Garda Station in the Dublin Region. She can be held for up to seven days. Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Irelands Organised Crime Branch conducted a number of their own searches. Investigations are ongoing. The PSNI added: Detectives from the Police Services Organised Crime Branch, who carried out searches in Newry, seized a number of items, including a vehicle and mobile phones. All have been removed for further examination. The Joint Agency Task force is led by senior officers from the PSNI, An Garda Siochana, and other key partner agencies, including Revenue Services on both sides of the border and the UKs National Crime Agency. The State recently moved to officially impound the MV Matthew, the cargo ship that was discovered to be carrying more than two tonnes of cocaine off the Cork coast in September. The 157m seizure ranks as the largest drug interdiction in Irish history. The bulk carrier ship is to be surrendered to the State under the 2015 Customs Act, which states that any vessel that transports illegal goods into the country is liable to forfeiture. The Irish Times reports that the MV Matthew will likely be auctioned off, with the State taking in the proceeds, although it could also be destroyed entirely. Anyone who wished to contest the forfeiture had 30 days to do so, according to a notice published in Iris Oifigiuil, the official Irish State gazette, on October 20. The vessel is now duly condemned as forfeited, as of yesterday. The 190m (620ft) ship, which was built in 2001 and is believed to be worth about 9.5 million and remains impounded as the garda investigation continues. The MV Matthew, previously known as the MV Honmon, was officially seized by customs officers on October 19, three weeks after it was intercepted in a dramatic joint operation involving gardai, the Defence Forces and Revenue. The Panamanian-registered ship was attempting to leave Irish waters when it was intercepted. The LE William Butler Yeats, a Naval Service vessel, fired warning shots to stop the ship, and it was eventually boarded by an armed party from the elite Army Ranger Wing before an arrest was made. A record 2,253kg of cocaine worth 157 million was discovered in the cargo hold of the freighter, with gardai describing it as the largest haul in the history of the State. The street value of the drugs, once cut down and sold on, would have been up to three times that estimation. The MV Matthews captain, Soheil Jelveh, and 24 crew members were detained and questioned following the seizure. Seven crew members have since been charged and are awaiting trial. The gardai did not make any formal requests to us until late Monday, November 27. We responded promptly. Helen McEntee will seek to meet with X following Dublin riots An official account affiliated with social media giant X, formerly Twitter, has refuted a claim made by Justice Minister Helen McEntee that the company did not cooperate with gardai in the wake of the Dublin riots. In a response posted on Monday night the platforms official Global Government Affairs account said: This is inaccurate. We have proactively taken action on more than 1,230 pieces of content under our rules relating to the riots. We met with the Coimisiun na Mean on November 24 to discuss our response. The gardai did not make any formal requests to us until late Monday, November 27. We responded promptly. The only appeal we have received from the gardai relating to the enforcement of our rules is for a single post. We hope the Minister will clarify her remarks. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content In the Dail last week the Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she spoke with a detective who was actively engaged with the social media companies throughout the scenes that unfolded in Dublin on November 23. "I spoke to a detective in Pearse Street on Saturday who was actively engaged with the social media companies on Thursday. "Who was actively engaged with TikTok, actively engaged with Meta, so Instagram and Facebook, who actively engaged with Twitter or X. "She said very clearly that social media companies, in particular TikTok and Meta, they were responding, they were engaging, they were with gardai and they were taking down these vile posts as they came up. "X were not. They didnt engage. They did not fulfill their own community standards, Ms McEntee said. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content She said social media companies should not get to self-monitor and Coimisiun na Mean has been established to ensure social media companies are held responsible. "While some were responsible, others were not, she said. On November 29, the official Fine Gael account posted: Some social media companies cooperated with An Garda Siochana to take down inflammatory content last Thursday. Unfortunately, X did not. "That's why we are taking action to ensure social media companies are held to account, the post, which tagged X owner Elon Musk, read. This latest health update comes just days after Kerry revealed DJ has been suffering with a bout of fainting spells in recent months A worried Kerry Katona has revealed that her nine-year-old daughter DJ has been rushed to hospital The former Atomic Kitten took and shared a selfie lying in bed next to DJ, who she shares with her late ex-husband George Kay. Kerry wrote alongside the Instagram post: "Poor baby girl second day. Soooo Dj has been really poorly had to leave rehearsals and stay in hospital with her... But she's on mend and hopefully will be home soon." This latest health update comes just days after Kerry revealed DJ has been suffering with a bout of fainting spells in recent months. However, the cause of her fainting has yet to be established while Kerry told her followers of her concerns. Kerry's Instagram post Writing in her OK! Magazine column, mum-of-five revealed who she took DJ to the doctor and, after doing a number of MRI scans, they found something. Kerry said: I have health anxiety when it comes to DJ. "I worry about her, especially recently as shes had a few fainting spells. We took her for an MRI and the doctor found something. Were waiting as her results have been sent to a neurosurgeon, but the doctor seems to think shes alright. He said that lots of us could have what she has but weve just not had MRIs. Kerry has had her own health scares and in October told The Mirror how her "life flashed before her eyes" after a fan spotted a lump on her Instagram picture. She has previously explained that while showering, she discovered a mass in her armpit. Speaking to the Mirror, she said: "I had a lump under my left arm and this is why I regret messing with my body so much. I remember doing a photoshoot and someone commented in the comments, I ignored it, I was in the shower and I was shaving. "I thought 'That's a lot bigger', that's when your life flashes before your eyes. Mine turned out to be a swollen lymph node because I've got lymphedema." Kerry who is mum to daughters Molly, 21, and Lilly, 20, with ex Brian McFadden, Heidi, 16, and Max, 15, with ex Mark Croft, and nine-year-old DJ, recent hit back at trolls who branded her Christmas trees 'tacky'. Kerry - who claims to have made more than 1 million since startling up an OnlyFans account - said she feels sorry for the trolls as she reminded them that she has worked for everything she has in life. She said: I had some trolls commenting on the post of my house decorations, and to be honest, I feel sorry for people who comment things like that on social media. I've worked for what I have and I want to treat my children - Why wouldn't I? The former Loose Women panelist - who is engaged to fitness instructor Ryan Mahoney - Kerry revealed last year that she and her fiance would be moving to Marbella because she wanted to wake up to sunshine every day. She said in her column: You can hop on a plane and be in Marbella in less time. So, that's our plan. It's exciting. "We will start looking at schools soon to get an idea of what we're getting into. So much of my work is online now, so it does make sense to think about a new start. The 65-year-old claims that he, his wife Niamh and their son Michael St James, cannot reside at the protected structure Riverdance and Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley and his family are "devastated" at having to leave their Cork period home after an extremely hazardous chemical residue was detected in the property, the High Court heard. Mr Flatley claims parties, including the main contractor that carried out works to repair damage caused to Castlehyde, outside Fermoy, during a fire in June 2016, and his insurers, knew about the residue, but never informed him about it. He also says no any steps taken to fix the problem. The 65-year-old claims that he, his wife Niamh and their son Michael St James, cannot reside at the protected structure, which he has invested over 29m in since he acquired it in 1999, as it is currently unsafe for human habitation. It will cost some 25m and take two years to remedy the problem, he says. He is suing the Austin Newport Group Limited, the alleged main contractor that carried out remediation works in 2016, and the insurers of Castlehyde Am Amlin Underwriting Ltd, AXA XL Underwriting Ltd, and Hamilton Managing Agency Ltd. The entertainer is seeking damages for alleged negligence, endangerment, deceit, breach of health and safety regulations, building regulations and breach of his property rights. He has also brought proceedings against David Cushion, who the court heard had been his accountant and broker who had allegedly arranged the insurance. Mr Flatley claims that unknown to him Mr Cushion was paid commission and acted as an agent for the insurance firms He has sued him for alleged breach of contract. Mr Flatley also seeks judgment for 25m. The court heard that last October the Flatleys left their home after experts conducting routine maintenance of the house detected high and unsafe levels of chloride residue from PVC on the walls and furniture of the property. Mr Flatley's counsel, Ronnie Hudson Bl, instructed by solicitor Max Mooney, said that the residue came from the combustion of PVC during a fire at the property in 2016, and is carcinogenic. Counsel said that Mr Flatley claims that the main contractor, which was hired by the insurers to do remedial works, was aware of a problem with the residue while it was working on the property in 2016, but did not disclose this information to his client. Counsel said that an email dated Aug 5, 2016 allegedly sent to the defendants was recently discovered in a box of other documents allegedly left in Castlehyde. It stated that unacceptably high levels of chloride content from the combustion of PVC had been detected, and would have "an adverse effect" on metal components in the property, counsel said. In his proceedings Mr Flatley claims the remediation works carried out were defective, done in a negligent manner and defects, including the PVC residue were hidden from Mr Flatley. In a sworn statement, Mr Flatley says that his family have "all suffered ill health since moving back to Castlehyde" after the remediation works. "I believe I was one of the fittest people in Ireland, and despite the same I developed cancer" he said. He has also instructed solicitors to bring separate personal injuries proceedings. Counsel said that in 2018, arising out of the damage caused by the fire, the insurers brought proceedings seeking damages against other parties that had carried out works on the property in 2006/07. Those proceedings, which were brought in Mr Flatley's name, were settled following a mediation. Arising out of this, it was agreed that the insurers would pay over 3m, while Mr Flatley himself agreed to pay almost 400,000 towards the costs of the remediating the damage caused by the 2016 fire. As part of his latest proceedings Mr Flatley wants parts of that settlement agreement set aside. Counsel said that his "international superstar and multi award winning client" and his family are "devastated and distraught" over having to leave their home. The matter came before Mr Justice Liam Kennedy on Tuesday on a one side only represented basis. The was satisfied to grant the plaintiff permission to serve the proceedings on the defendants which are all based in the UK. The court noted that such an application was necessary following the UK's decision to leave the European Union. The judge said that at this stage of the proceedings, he was not prepared to grant an injunction requiring some of the defendants to preserve any reports they may have on the works allegedly carried out. That aspect of the action could be re-entered at a later date, he said. The case will return before the court at a later date. Western Bay of Plentys much-loved annual Wander Dog series is this summer offering three walks around the district and a Doggy Day Out party, where pets are encouraged to don their best beachwear. Western Bay of Plenty District Council team animal services team leader Peter Hrstich says its exciting to be gearing up for the seventh year of Wander Dogs. The four-legged residents of WBOP deserve to be celebrated this summer, and so do their owners. "Our get-togethers are not only fun, but theyre educational, and people walk away with a smile and tidbits of new information on how to get the best from their kuri (dog). This year, we hosted two winter walks for the first time in Katikati and Te Puke, so it was a no-brainer to bring back the summer series and build on the positive events we hosted in the colder months. Peter says the walks give dogs and their owners a chance to socialise with other animals in a safe environment, and for owners to pick up great tips in the information session held beforehand. The brief power-up talks before the walk begins gives owners a chance to ask any burning questions of our teams who have a wealth of knowledge about dogs and their behaviour. "In the past, weve covered topics like dog park etiquette and being aware of other kuri around you. "If youve got a question, heres your chance to ask. The first walk is on Saturday, December 9, at Puketoki Reserve in Whakamarama. Dogs and their humans are to meet at 9.30am for a quick Q&A session before setting off at 10am. The series returns on Saturday, February 3, at Te Puna Quarry Park, then on Saturday, March 2, at Anzac Bay in Waihi Beach. Q&A sessions will begin 9.30am with the walk to follow at 10am. Well also be letting our hair down and letting our tails wag on Saturday, March 16, at Omokoroa Sportsground for our favourite event of the year: Doggy Day Out, says Peter. The costume party is from 10am-2pm. Dogs and humans and humans without dogs too are invited, with something for everyone to enjoy dog education, stalls, music and competitions all on the agenda. For more information, visit: https://www.westernbay.govt.nz/ University of Canterbury researchers and partners are using digital technology to help every New Zealander join the fight against invasive pests. Find-A-Pest is an innovative app that allows the everyday Kiwi to identify and report invasive species including plants, animals and insects - empowering users to safeguard New Zealand's environment. It is unique in New Zealand in that it creates a database of pest information that is used to support biosecurity knowledge and efforts across multiple organisations, including Ministry of Primary Industries, the Department of Conservation, regional councils, and primary industry groups. Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury Associate Professor and app advisor Steve Pawson says it can be used as an educational tool alongside its critical role in identifying pests across New Zealand. The app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify pests and provides the user with information on the pests habitats, hosts and distribution. We have a team of experts who confirm identifications and send feedback to users. "We also integrate closely with the iNaturalist NZ - Mataki Taiao nature recording platform, where citizen scientists contribute identification of existing pests, particularly weeds, says Associate Professor Pawson. He says Find-A-Pest is a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in protecting our environment. By using the app, individuals can help to detect pests early, which supports pest management efforts and minimises damage to the environment. MPI have played a significant role in the development of Find-A-Pest and have been involved from its inception, originally launched in 2018. MPI Chief Biosecurity Officer Peter Thompson says its pleased to be a part of a collaboration creating another tool in the biosecurity toolbox. "With Find-A-Pest, we aim to encourage more people to join us in protecting our environment, economy and communities from the harmful effects of invasive species." The user doesnt need to be an expert on pests themselves. AI helps identify the species and this is followed up by an expert cross-checking the identification. After initial feedback from users, updates to the app now provide offline capabilities, immediate identification, a simple reporting process and key information to educate users on the pests in New Zealand. "We're incredibly excited about this update, says Associate Professor Pawson. Our team has worked tirelessly to incorporate feedback from our users and deliver an even better experience. We believe these changes will make Find-A-Pest more engaging, intuitive, and useful for everyone." Find out more and download the app on the Find a Pest website. For many New Zealanders the beach is one of their favourite playgrounds. However, as families discover every year, this playground can be deadly. In 2018, 23 people fatally drowned on the coastline, and one of them was Wairongoa (Magoo) Renata. Leigh Albert, his partner, fondly remembers. Magoo was the kind of person who would do anything for anyone in need. He would help whanau, neighbours, and complete strangers at the drop of a hat. On January 2, 2018, he made the ultimate sacrifice. Ive seen photos someone took on that day, and it was a beautiful day; the water didnt look dangerous at all, but all of a sudden, it turned. While swimming at Cable Bay Reserve in Northland, their three children got caught in a rip current. Magoo went in to rescue them, but while the children were rescued by other beachgoers using boogie boards and a paddle board, Magoo tragically drowned. In the morning, everything was fine, but by the afternoon, everything had changed. That one incident changed my life, Leigh reflects. The mental health effects on my children and my niece and nephew who were also present that day have been huge. Pat Millar, a Northland resident, heard reports on the news about someones death at Cable Bay Reserve and soon realised it was someone she knew. It was very distressing, and it weighed heavily on my mind. In all the news articles that followed, they said if you go into the water to help someone, take a flotation device, even if its an empty drink bottle. So, I wondered, if thats the case why arent there flotation devices on all of our beaches? Every year bystanders undertake numerous in-water rescues across New Zealand; however, data retrieved from the Water Safety New Zealand DrownBase shows that between 2012 and 2022, 100 per cent of people who died while attempting a bystander rescue, did not carry any form of personal flotation device. Not one to sit idly by, Pat took action. She initially hung a large fishing float on a tree with the words For Emergency on it. While she waited for a more suitable device to arrive, which shed ordered online, she reached out to friends for contributions and was surprised at the incredible generosity. I asked friends if they would like to contribute to the $212 cost of the flotation tube. We had a little meeting with people we knew around town and within a few days more than $800 had been received along with lots of encouragement for the idea. The Far North District Council soon got onboard, a charitable trust was established, and more funds were raised. Soon, Operation Flotation was born. Swimming, collecting kai moana, and fishing are a big part of our lifestyle in the Far North, says Far North District Mayor, Moko Tepania. We also know that conditions change very quickly, and this can lead to tragedy. Pats idea to provide accessible, easy-to-use flotation devices at our beaches was a simple one that has had a huge and positive impact on those facing life and death situations. Her work is truly inspirational. During this time, Pat kept in touch with Surf Life Saving New Zealand, and one day everything changed. In 2021, thanks to funding from New Zealand Search and Rescue, SLSNZ started a project to create standards for public rescue equipment (PRE) and invited Operation Flotation to collaborate. PRE is a crucial tool in decreasing the number of drownings along New Zealands coast and in our inland waterways," says SLSNZ National Coastal Safety Manager,Dr Mick Kearney. "The work undertaken by Pat was integral, and we wanted to support her mission as we recognised the substantial benefits, particularly in enhancing safety along some of our more hazardous coastlines. Historically, Hawkes Bay has one of the highest drowning rates in the country with Marine Parade being the regions most dangerous beach. Marine Parade Beach has a steep gradient and strong undertow. When waves reach over two metres, they become very dangerous and if people are not aware of this and are playing near the waters edge, it can be easy to get swept offshore," says Napier Mayor Kristen Wise. "Marine Parade Beach is also very close to the CBD and on a calm, hot summers day it can be extremely inviting. In 2021, a five-year old boy drowned at the southern end of Marine Parade Beach, near the National Aquarium of New Zealand. The tragic incident triggered Napier City Council to commission SLSNZ to undertake a Coastal Risk Assessment of the Napier area. When it comes to coastal management, SLSNZ believes in making decisions based on evidence based, ongoing risk assessments. By doing a Coastal Risk Assessment for Napier City Council we were able to figure out what safety precautions were appropriate for the coastline and water," says Dr Kearney. The risk assessment provided us with detailed information about our local beach environment. Most importantly, the data confirmed the increased number of people using Ahuriri beaches for recreation and the need for surf lifeguards to patrol at Hardinge Road Beach,' says Mayor Wise. "Pacific SLSC then shifted their primary patrols to Hardinge Road Beach in the summer of 2022/2023. The assessment also indicated no evidence to support the need for surf lifeguards to patrol Marine Parade Beach. Instead, bright pink buoys, provided by the National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa who had implemented their own successful PRE programme, were placed along Marine Parade Beach. These were supported by a local campaign and new signs to raise awareness about the dangers of Marine Parade Beach and information about the buoys. Mayor Wise says the buoys have already been put to good use. We had a successful bystander rescue using the PRE in June," says Mayor Wise. "Police used the flotation device to assist a young woman swept out to sea, until Coastguard Hawkes Bay was able to complete the rescue. This confirms the benefit of having PRE available." Following this project, SLSNZ created A Guide to Public Rescue Equipment for the New Zealand Coast. Developed by Dr Kearney, and Dr Teresa Stanley from Drowning Prevention Aotearoa, the guide sets a standard for the design and associated signage for PRE following the completion of a Coastal Risk Assessment. It also provides land managers with sufficient information to enable them to set up effective and consistent PRE systems on their coastline. This is the first time a document like this has been produced in New Zealand," says Dr Kearney. "The benefits of standardising the design and content of PRE are immeasurable, but one thing is certain, our coast will become safer as more land managers adopt these measures. We are, therefore, strongly urging all land managers to read and use this guide to help make our coast a safer place to visit. Thanks to funding from ACC, the PRE will now be made here in New Zealand and placed on every Surf Life Saving club around the country. So, if someone needs help outside of regular hours and runs to the club looking for help, they will be able to use the PRE. And Leigh wholeheartedly thinks it will make a difference. Itll change our culture. By having that signage and PRE there, itll make people pause and think about the conditions, and if they do get into trouble, itll be there waiting for them." On the very first page of A Guide to Public Rescue Equipment for the New Zealand Coast, there is a dedication to Magoo. None of this would have happened without him, says Pat. I think he gave me a little tap on the shoulder when he left and said, heres a little job for you. Leigh knows Magoo would be proud to have been the catalyst for this change. His head would be the size of Mars! she laughs, before adding, He would be absolutely stoked. He would be proud and chuffed. A big thanks to Pat, who has taken this and just driven it through. Shes heroic. The other organisations supporting her, like SLSNZ, have also been fantastic in taking this initiative onboard. The aim is to have PRE stretching right along New Zealands coastline, so no other lives are lost, and no other community has to go through what Leigh and her family did. Its heart-warming to hear about the project and how its helping people. But its bittersweet to be fair If only always comes to mind. If only we had PRE when my kids were drowning, if only my partner had PRE when he was drowning. "Every summer people drown in New Zealand; more needs to be done in this area, and I believe that PRE is the more we so desperately need. To view A Guide to Public Rescue Equipment for the New Zealand Coast, click here Police acknowledge a report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority which has found Police used unjustified and excessive force while arresting a man in Rotorua. On September 21, 2021, two officers observed a vehicle driving erratically and decided to stop it as it turned into a carpark of a nearby motel. Police noted the car had been reported as stolen and questioned the driver about it. He claimed the vehicle was his but as it was reported stolen, the officers decided to seize the vehicle. When the officers checked the drivers details, they noticed he was to have his licence suspended due to loss of demerit points and proceeded to serve those papers on the man. The man refused to hand over his keys and, after a warning from officers, he was arrested for obstruction. The man attempted to run from Police and an altercation took place. Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson says Police carried out an investigation into this incident, including a legal review. Superintendent Anderson says police must apply the Solicitor General Guidelines when considering charges and, in this instance, the threshold for prosecution was not met. We acknowledge the IPCAs findings and accept the arrest for obstruction was unlawful," says Superintendent Anderson. "Our officer had good cause to suspect that the man was either unlawfully in a vehicle or had unlawfully taken a vehicle and so should have arrested him for that offence rather than obstruction. New Zealand Police is an organisation committed to continuous improvement and we always take lessons onboard following an investigation." Superintendent Anderson says police staff were acting in good faith when they attended this incident. "We acknowledge that there are learnings to reflect on but confirm that both officers remain members of New Zealand Police. "The independent Police Conduct Authority recommended that Police alter information held on our database regarding this incident to reflect that the arrest and charge were unlawful." Superintendent Anderson says this has been completed. The state highway network is largely returning to normal following the conclusion of protest action this morning. NZ Transport Agency, Waka Kotahi and Auckland Transport thanks road users for heeding advice to plan their journey and travel outside of peak times. Auckland Transport says there was only minimal impact on public transport with bus services experiencing up to 8 minute delays at the peak of the protest period. The most significant impact was experienced on State Highway 1 south of Auckland where protest action stopped traffic in both directions at Rangiriri for around 20 minutes earlier this morning. There was also widespread congestion around Tauranga, where protests reduced SH2 Hewletts Road to one lane. There may still be delays in certain areas throughout the morning as traffic congestion clears. We will be continuing to monitor the network throughout the day. Road users are advised to check the NZ Transport Agency Journey Planner https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/journey-planner. Auckland public transport users should chek the AT Journey Planner, or the AT Mobile App for updates. Updates will also been available at AT_TravelAlerts. Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with: - Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic Street dining in Tauranga is going to cost businesses across the city instead of just some in the centre of town. Businesses on The Strand and Wharf Street pay between $100-$160 per square metre each year to use the street. This has been reduced by 80 per cent because of the disruption caused by construction and redevelopment of the CBD. This 20 per cent fee of $30 to $32 per square metre will be applied to all business using the footpath for street dining from July 2024. The decision was made at a Tauranga City Council Strategy Finance and Risk Committee meeting on Monday. Commissioner Stephen Selwood said street dining constrained footpath use but added fantastic vibrancy. There's a lot of value that is brought by having ground dining. Businesses who are raising a commercial return out of using a facility should pay for it. He said the city centre paying but the Mount being free was a bit skew-whiff. Commissioner Stephen Selwood said street dining charges should be the same across the city. Photo: John Borren/SunLive. The 20 per cent fee should be introduced to the Mount and then all areas be phased up to 100 per cent fees from 2025, said Selwood. That would mean the main areas of the city are paying the same amount, which I think is fair and equitable. Current revenue from the business paying the discounted fees was around 18,000 a year or $700 per business. Business representatives expressed their concerns about the policy during hearings in November. Downtown Tauranga chair Ashleigh Gee said they should be focussing on how to make it easier for businesses not adding extra charges. Considering the overall goal of increasing arts, culture and vibrancy for our region, [this] needs to be considered between developing further regulations on the hospitality industry. This industry is one of the main drawcards for our tourists. Downtown Tauranga chair Ashleigh Gee said they should be making it easier for businesses. Photo: John Borren/SunLive. Mount Business Association representative Claudia West said if the charges were high business would need to reconsider what they offered or pass the charge on to customers. If higher charges come in for businesses, this would have a massive impact on the look and feel of our main street. The Mount shopping area was also seasonal and weather dependent but businesses would have to pay to use the footpath year round, said West. Council staff recommended the Street Use Policy also charged businesses for using balcony space for dining but this was opposed by the committee. Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston said there were two or three business around the city that used balcony space so it wasnt a big issue. Selwood said he didnt want to proceed with it because it would make almost no contribution to ratepayers. The committee opted to make balcony dining free for businesses throughout Tauranga. They also chose to promote smoke and vape free street dining as opposed to requiring new businesses be smoke free from March 1 2024 like the staff recommended. Commission chair Anne Tolley questioned if they wanted to prohibit outdoor smoking or vaping for new premises. Photo: Alisha Evans/ SunLive. Commission chair Anne Tolley said: I'm an ex-smoker and I can't stand it when I'm eating to have someone blowing smoke across the front of me and they tend to be out on the street. So I understand people wanting, not wanting to have that. She questioned if they wanted to prohibit it. Committee member Rohario Murray said she was all for smoke free dining facilities but her preference was for restaurants to display if they were smoke free. Then patrons have the opportunity to decide whether they would like to eat there based on the fact that it is smoke free. The policy also looked at whether artificial grass should be used on berms. The committee decided to decline applications for new artificial grass on berms. Tolley said this was so it wouldnt affect those who already had it. There may well be some elderly people for whom its just not practical to go and put grass down. The street dining charges will come into effect from July 2024 and the committee made provision for the charges to be reduced or increased when required. Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air. On December 5, Ukrainian soldiers shot down another Russian aircraft. A Russian Su-24M bomber was shot down near Zmiine Island in the Black Sea. ADVERTISIMENT Under the cover of a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet, it tried to launch a missile and bomb attack on the south of Odesa region. This was reported by the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Oleshchuk. "It's been a long time since we've had a Russian drones shot down! Let's fix this situation! It looks like the cruiser "Moscow" will soon become an aircraft carrier! I am pleased to inform you about the destruction of a Russian Su-24M bomber near Zmiiine Island, which, under the cover of a Su-30SM fighter, tried to launch a missile and bomb attack on the south of Odesa region," the Air Force commander said. ADVERTISIMENT "The enemy "drying" landed around 6 p.m. Oleshchuk added that the enemy bomber was shot down by the soldiers of the anti-aircraft missile unit of the "South" Air Command. "Thanks to the successful operation of the "South" Air Command, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile unit sent the Russian "drying" after the "Russian warship". Happy Volunteer Day! Happy Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Together - to victory!" the Air Force commander summarized. The cost of one such aircraft, according to open sources, is about $25 million. In late November, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the enormous losses of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. According to him, during the full-scale invasion, Russia lost "hundreds of planes, thousands of tanks and 300,000 soldiers." ADVERTISIMENT Tuesday, 5 December 2023 | Updated 07/12/2023 14:25h. Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram If you need private health insurance to obtain a Spanish residence permit or visa (Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa, Golden Visa or Nomad Visa), it is important to consider whether the company meets all the requirements, caters to your needs and helps you with your transactions without language barriers. ASSSA Insurance, a Company with more than 80 years of experience, has a high degree of specialisation in Policyholders of different nationalities and its health insurance policies comply with the conditions established by the Consulates and Immigration Offices for obtaining a Visa and Residence Permit in Spain. The Company also issues the policies and provides the required certificate immediately so that you can present your documentation, making it easier for you to enter Spanish territory. To guarantee your peace of mind, it offers medical, surgical and hospital cover and has multilingual professionals in all its branches who will answer your queries and inform you of the contractual conditions with complete transparency. Furthermore, ASSSA offers multiple benefits: an extensive medical directory with prestigious doctors and international clinics in Spain equipped with the latest technology, access to services without waiting lists and a wide network of offices with a personalised, friendly and professional service in your own language. ASSSA always takes care of the health of its Policyholders and personalises the contracting of your medical insurance in Spain, adapting to the dates in an agile manner so that the process of applying for a Visa or Residence Permit is quicker and your stay in Spain is as pleasant as possible. Choose ASSSA, choose peace of mind and health in Spain. MORE INFORMATION Christmas greeting from Keta: the labrador puppy rescued by a Malaga police officer The puppy, who is not yet three months old and already aspires to join the canine unit, has become the star of a Christmas video released by Malaga Local Police Irene Quirante Tuesday, 5 December 2023, 15:17 | Updated 15:33h. Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Keta is not even three months old, but she already aspires to be part of Malaga Local Police. So much so that the endearing puppy has become the main character of this year's Christmas video released by the force to the public. Keta's story started when Alejandro Atienza, an officer with the canine unit, received a call from a friend, who asked him for help to raise a litter of labradors that had been rejected by its mother. Atienza and his family helped care for them without hesitation. Today, Keta is almost three months old, strong and healthy and aspires to help out the city's police officers. In the Christmas greeting, which the Malaga Local Police posted on their YouTube channel, a female voiceover (unfortunately, only in Spanish) speaking on behalf of Keta, points out that her name comes from the Spanish croqueta. "When I was born I was very small and brown, like a croquette, and therefore my name is Keta," the voice says. Led by her guides, Keta tours the city's main sites and discovers what the work of the police officers and their day-to-day job entails during the Christmas festivities. "After spending time in the streets I've learned that Christmas is a time to share with family and friends - in my case my family are the officers of the Local Police in Malaga," the narrator says. With her graceful gait, the puppy walks around the Plaza de la Marina, Alcazabilla, Juderia, Teatro Romano, Marques de Larios, Granada or the Tribuna de los Pobres and Compania, and greets many members of the public including families and excited children. This year's greeting is the sixth to be produced by the audiovisual unit of the Malaga Local Police, and comes after the short film Santa Trepador, broadcast in 2022. The Malaga Local Police canine unit, of which Keta will be a part of, is a subgroup that forms part of the operational support group (GOA). It currently has seven dogs trained to search people and trace drugs. Sights set on supplying spectacles to the needy in the Gambia Alan Boardman, who has raised thousands of euros for local worthy causes with his Mijas Walking Tours group, is heading to the West African country next month, where he says there is an acute need for eyeglasses of all kinds Tony Bryant Tuesday, 5 December 2023, 18:05 Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram A popular Brtish resident renowned for numerous fundraising initiatives on the Costa del Sol has launched his latest campaign, an appeal to supply underprivileged families in the Gambia with spectacles. After learning that many Gambians cannot afford to buy glasses, Alan Boardman, who has raised thousands of euros for local worthy causes with his Mijas Walking Tours group, is heading to the smallest country in West Africa, where he says even though its an improving situation, there is an acute need for spectacles of all kinds. Alan and his wife Jenny are using their winter holiday as an opportunity to deliver the glasses. They have been put in touch with two charities in the Gambia that will distribute the spectacles to those who need them most. If you've any specs in decent condition that you don't need any more, they will be greatly received. They will be given by us to the needy in the Gambia, because, due to their level of poverty, the price of a pair of eyeglasses is beyond their reach, Alan told SUR in English. Alan and Jenny are also asking for donations of pencils and crayons seeing as they are not supplied in schools. The couple have organised a drop-off point at the Cafe Manila in Los Boliches on Thursday 14 December between 1pm and 4pm. Donations can also be left in the charity shops of Arch (Alhaurin el Grande), Last Chance Rescue (Coin), and Age Concern (Los Boliches). The Gambia, like many other African countries, is struggling to address persistent health system challenges. Among the poorest countries in the world, a third of the population live under the international poverty line. WHO data shows that although one in three Gambians needs refractive error correction, only 50 per cent are aware they have a vision problem. What is the weather forecast for Malaga province during the long holiday weekend People will be watching the skies very closely this week as they look to get out and enjoy two public holidays celebrated across Spain SUR in English Tuesday, 5 December 2023, 12:19 Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Malaga province is in for a cool and wet next few days as Spain enjoys two public holidays this week. The first is Wednesday 6 December, or Constitution Day (Dia de la Constitucion) which marks 6 December 1978 when the new constitution was approved following the end of the Franco regime. Then, on Friday 8 December is Dia de la Inmaculada Concepcion (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), which has been celebrated in Spain since 1854 when Pope Pius the ninth, through the Papal Bull 'God Ineffable' (Ineffabilis Deus) gave the Spanish Crown the privilege of allowing priests in Spain and its territories to wear blue vestments in honour of this important day. Prior to the holiday, this Tuesday got off to a chilly start with a low of 13.3 degrees. A maximum of 17 degrees is expected, with grey skies and a light to moderate westerly wind blowing. There is a chance of showers early on Wednesday morning, with the accumulated rainfall - depending on the area - between two and nine millimetres. Wednesday will reach a top of 16 degrees in Malaga province. Thursday 7 December For Thursday, a day that many will be taking off work to create a 'puente' or bridge between the two holidays, there is a probability of some light and scattered showers, more likely in the westernmost inland area and the Antequera region. Maximum temperatures will be between 14 and 17 degrees, with minimum temperatures between 10 and 14. Feast of the Immaculate Conception A cold front is expected to arrive on Friday, but forecasts show that it will be very weak, with the possibility of rainfall in the westernmost part of Malaga province. A top of 19 degrees is expected. Overnight lows at the weekend will drop to six and seven degrees, with maximum temperatures between 16 and 20 degrees on Saturday and 17 and 21 on Sunday. Warmer temperatures than usual for this time of year will return early next week, with no rain forecast. How a Spanish woman swallowed a toothbrush while choking on a slice of ham The plastic brush was used in a desperate attempt to force the food down the right way, but she didn't expect what happened next Bruno Vergara Tuesday, 5 December 2023, 10:35 Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram A Spanish woman who swallowed a toothbrush as she was choking on a slice of ham has spoken out about the bizarre incident in a bid to warn others. Haizea returned to her home in Galdakao in the Basque Country from university last Wednesday 29 November like any other day and snacked on some ham. She ate several slices without problem, until the last piece. The 21-year-old at first thought it had just "gone down the wrong way", but then she started to struggle breathing. "I felt like I was drowning," she told SUR. Her grandmother and father were at home, but he couldn't act quickly as he was in a wheelchair with a ruptured achilles tendon. "He couldn't help me quickly," Haizea said. So in that moment of desperation she tried to pull the slice out without thinking twice. "I tried with my hands, but I couldn't," she pointed out. Her next instinct was to grab a toothbrush and, holding it by the bristles, reached in to try to dislodge the ham. "Suddenly I noticed that the brush was going further into my mouth, I tried to grab it by the bristles, but my throat sucked it in," Haizea said. But she had stopped choking. "I felt like I had something in my chest, but it didn't hurt, it almost didn't bother me," she added. Her family drove her to the hospital in Galdakao where an X-ray revealed the plastic toothbrush was inside her. She was told she would have to have a gastroscopy. She woke up after the procedure to find the toothbrush next to her pillow. "Surprisingly it didn't hurt at all, it was as if nothing had happened." The U.S. Department of State commented on the Ukrainian Defense Forces' counteroffensive at the front. They assessed the situation on the battlefield as difficult, the reason being that the Russian army had a lot of time to strengthen its positions. ADVERTISIMENT Despite this, Ukrainian soldiers have already managed to make progress on the front line. This was stated by State Department spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing on Monday, December 5, Ukrinform reports. "The situation on the battlefield is complicated. The Ukrainian military is fighting against the Russian military, which is strongly entrenched. At the same time, we have already seen them (the Armed Forces of Ukraine - Ed.) making progress," the US Foreign Service spokesman said. Miller added that the progress was very difficult for Ukraine's defenders. Representatives of the US State Department discussed the situation on the frontline in Ukraine during a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels last week. ADVERTISIMENT The day before, the Washington Post published an article stating that the Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023 was hampered by insufficient supply of military equipment, ammunition, a significant percentage of troops trained under an accelerated procedure, and a lack of air support for ground forces. Journalists also wrote that the Ukrainian army's summer counteroffensive immediately went awry. And on the fourth day of the campaign, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhny, ordered the troops to suspend the attack to save the lives of the soldiers. He was forced to change his tactics. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the expulsion of the Russian navy from the Black Sea is the greatest achievement of the defense forces since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A state Supreme Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Onondaga County Conservative Party from expelling Tom Dadey from a party leadership post. Judge Joseph Lamendola had issued a temporary restraining order against the Conservative Party in August at Dadeys request. A Westchester County businessman plans to stop in Syracuse today as he kicks off a campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2024. Josh Eisen, 51, of Harrison, said he is making a swing across Upstate New York to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination. Eisen planned to stop at Syracuse City Hall at 2 p.m. today to outline his campaign priorities. He made earlier stops in Buffalo and Rochester. I plan to spend way more time up here than Ive ever done before, Eisen told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Im basically going to be traveling the state for the next couple of months. Eisen said he plans to make government overreach and regulation a centerpiece of his campaign, advocating for fewer federal regulations on homeowners and small business owners. He said he owns and invests in multiple companies that primarily focus on background checks. Eisen, a prominent Republican donor whose campaign describes him as a billionaire, said he initially self-funded his campaign with $400,000 to $500,000. He said he plans to invest an additional half million dollars over the next year. He is the first Republican candidate to commit such a large sum to a 2024 campaign against Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who will be seeking her third full term. Eisen previously campaigned for public office in 2020, seeking to fill the 17th Congressional District seat left open by the retirement of Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. He put his campaign on pause after City and State NY reported that Eisen was sanctioned by judges on two separate occasions for harassing legal opponents and their families and had been fined $20,000 by the court. Eisen said he has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Ph.D. in religion from Columbia University. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 By Robert Gavin | Times Union, Albany Albany, N.Y. Five convicted murderers and a parolee are suing state prison officials for violating their constitutional rights following the 2015 escape of inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora. In a case that went to trial Monday in U.S. District Court in Syracuse, the men contend that two state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision officials violated their rights to due process and, in one case, their First Amendment right to freedom of religion, when they transferred the prisoners from the maximum-security Dannemora prison to the maximum-security Upstate Correctional Facility in Malone, Franklin County. Attorneys representing the state in the case said the transfer happened as part of the investigation and interviewing of witnesses related to Matt and Sweats escape. The religion-related claim was lodged by notorious Schenectady killer Charles W. Toland, 59, who said he was wrongly denied a Quran, the Muslim holy book. Toland is serving 55 years to life for the 1995 murder of Jackie Polomaine, 28, and 1994 murder of Paulette Dempster, 24. Jurors convicted Toland of murder, kidnapping, felony assault and unlawful imprisonment. Other plaintiffs are Steven Armento, 66, who shot and killed off-duty New York City Police Detective Daniel Enchautegui in 2005 while committing a Bronx burglary with actor Lillo Brancato (The Sopranos/A Bronx Tale); Phillip Copeland, 57, one of three defendants who murdered rookie NYPD Officer Edward Byrne in Queens in 1988; Bernardo Martinaj, 46, and Scott Ross, 55, convicted of separate murders in Manhattan in the early 2000s, and Anthony Mack, 53, who was paroled in 2021 after serving time for attempted robbery in Manhattan. All of the plaintiffs, except Mack, are serving sentences with life imprisonment. Armento is serving life without parole. The men are suing Donald Uhler, superintendent at Upstate Correctional Facility, and Joseph Bellnier, who at the time was DOCCS deputy commissioner of correctional facilities. He is now retired. On Monday, jury selection began in the civil case before Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes. The suit centers around the several weeks after Matt and Sweat, with assistance from civilian employee Joyce Mitchell, escaped from Dannemora late the night of June 5, 2015. Matt and Sweat stuffed hooded sweatshirts to make it appear that they were sleeping in their beds, then cut through walls and navigated catwalks and tunnels to escape through a manhole in the village of Dannemora. At the time of the escape, court papers show all six plaintiffs were in the same honor block a status at Clinton Correctional Facility that allowed the inmates to cook and visit other inmate cells as Matt and Sweat. State Police and DOCCs investigators interviewed inmates in the honor block, which prompted DOCCS officials to transfer the six inmates to Upstate Correctional Facility. Thats where the men were placed in a special housing unit. All stayed at Upstate for at least two weeks and as long as 32 days before being transferred to other prisons. A spokesman for DOCCS declined comment, noting the pending litigation. In a trial brief for the DOCCS officials, Assistant Attorneys General Kostas D. Leris and David C. White said the inmates were transferred to keep them from contact with potential witnesses. The evidence adduced at trial will establish that plaintiffs claims are without merit, the state attorneys said in a Nov. 6 filing. None of the six inmates had their personal property when they arrived at Upstate. Uhler ordered them to be provided with a change of clothes, toiletries, soap and supply carts with access to writing materials and access to a sick call, the attorneys said. They said a grievance office was available to them and that Toland had access to a religious items, including a Quran, at his request. The inmates counter that they committed no act to be punished yet, in being transferred, lost their access to medical care, medication, as well as writing materials, grievance forms, stamps and , in the case of Ross, clothes or fresh underwear. Each of these inmates is prepared to testify that he was deprived of basic human services that these state regulations directed he receive, stated Alan D. Levine, the Queens attorney representing the inmates, in a trial brief. Three weeks after the escape, which drew international attention to the North Country, Matt was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol team June 26, 2005. Sweat, wounded by State Police. was captured two days later. It became the basis for the 2018 Showtime miniseries Escape from Dannamora. Toland, now at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, was first convicted in 1996 of the murder of Polomaine, who was found in the basement of a Brandywine Avenue home. Her head had been crushed. A sock was found in her mouth. Her hands and feet were tied. It was just two days after her 28th birthday. Toland was later tried and convicted of the 1994 murder of Dempster, who disappeared in September 1994. Her body was found in a wooded area of Amsterdam, a victim of strangulation, in November 1995. ___ (c)2023 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com By Rachel Silberstein | Times Union, Albany Albany, N.Y. Ahead of the 2024 legislative session, hospital leaders are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a severe health care workforce shortage in upstate New York. Albany Med Health Networks Dr. Dennis McKenna, Iroquois Healthcare Alliance President Gary J. Fitzgerald and Sean Fadale, CEO of Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville, joined state legislators Monday at the state Capitol to call for a permanent funding stream to assist hospitals with recruitment and retention, increased investment in workforce training programs and higher Medicaid reimbursement rates. Upstate Assembly members last year pushed for the 7.5 percent Medicaid boost, which was included in the current state budget. But even with the rate increase, access to care to upstate hospitals remains threatened, officials said. Last year, hospital leaders said a 20 percent rate increase to Medicaid was needed to cover post-pandemic shortfalls. Health care workforce shortages and financial issues within our hospital systems are affecting a wide range of health care facilities and services throughout our state. We must do more to recruit the future workforce and retain the current one to ensure that safe, efficient, and quality care can continue to be provided, Assemblymember John T. McDonald, D-Cohoes, said in a statement. Iroquois Healthcare Alliance, which represents health care facilities in central and northeastern New York, recently surveyed its members and found 64 percent of respondents have a negative total operating margin. Of those respondents, half of these hospitals are operating with margins ranging from -2 percent to -6 percent and the remaining 50 percent are operating with margins below -7 percent, the survey found. Health care leaders say the facilities have depleted their reserves in order to continue to serve their communities. They said the negative consequences of operating under this pressure are enormous and will include severely diminished quality of care and access to services. The health care infrastructure across upstate New York is in danger, Fitzgerald said. We need to continue making moves towards improvement, investing in alternative solutions such as pipeline programming and recruitment efforts. A state law requiring hospitals to maintain minimum staffing levels went into effect in January. Hospital staff say there have been violations of those standards, which have yet to be enforced by the state Department of Health. Hospital leaders maintain they need more state support to meet these requirements. According to McKenna of Albany Med Health System, which includes four hospitals and numerous outpatient clinics in the Capital Region, the hospital system has been aggressively recruiting staff, with some success but has struggled to hire at its more rural locations. It remains an uphill battle and it is particularly steep for our regional campuses, McKennas said in a statement. They are the lifelines of our outlying towns and counties. ... The greatest challenge, however, would be if those hospitals were gone. We must work together to protect our hospitals and our communities before it is too late. Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, highlighted a regional shortage of dentists and dental staff, which has created grim oral health inequities for poor and underserved populations. She has introduced a bill that would allow dental therapists to practice in New York and said she is working on other legislation to expand access to dental care. The reasons for this are many and the solutions are multi-dimensional, Woerner said. Therefore, I have put together a package of bills designed to address the root causes of this shortage and to help the population that its affecting. ___ (c)2023 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com An Upstate New York native is among eight service members who were killed when a U.S. military aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan last week. Air Force Special Operations Command said Tuesday it has identified the eight people who died Nov. 29 when a CV-22B Osprey crashed during a training mission. Six of their remains have been located, while the Air Force said it has shifted its operations from a search-and-rescue mission to search and recovery as its unlikely the other two survived. The depth of sorrow is immeasurable, Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, who heads Air Force Special Operations Command, said in a statement. The honorable service of these eight airmen to this great nation will never be forgotten, as they are now among the giants who shape our history. Among those airmen was U.S. Air Force Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, N.Y. He was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. The other seven lost crew members were identified as: U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minnesota; U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah; U.S. Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside, California; U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Florida; U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia; U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Jake M. Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Mass. President Joe Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden were heartbroken by the loss. We owe them everything, Biden said in a statement. Jill and I are praying for the families and friends who lost a loved one in this terrible accident. According to the Associated Press, the U.S.-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster, like an airplane, during flight. Japan said it has suspended all flights of its own fleet of Ospreys, citing safety concerns, while the U.S. military is continuing to fly 24 MV-22s, the Marine version of Ospreys, deployed on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. On Sunday, pieces of wreckage that Japans coast guard and local fishing boats have collected were handed over to the U.S. military for examination, coast guard officials said. Japans military said debris it has collected would also be handed over to the U.S. NEW YORK (AP) By airing the fourth Republican presidential primary debate scheduled for Wednesday again, minus Donald Trump the young NewsNation television network will almost certainly reach the largest audience in its history. Yet with two of the three debate moderators associated with conservative media and not NewsNation, including Syracuse native and Syracuse University alumna Megyn Kelly, the event threatens to be at odds with the centrist image the network is trying to cultivate. I think its an amazing opportunity and allows us to have more people fully sample the network and see who we are and what were doing, said Cherie Grzech, NewsNations senior vice president of news and politics. Her advice to those who have doubts about how NewsNation can pull it off: Just watch. A NETWORK STILL SEEKING AN AUDIENCE The debate is to air from 8 to 10 p.m. ET and will also be shown on the CW network, which like NewsNation is owned by the Nexstar Media Group. The CW will show it live in the eastern half of the country, and tape-delayed out West. NewsNation took over for the old WGN America network in late 2020 and has tried to establish itself with personalities who made names for themselves elsewhere: Chris Cuomo from CNN, Dan Abrams of ABC News, Ashleigh Banfield from MSNBC and former Fox News host Leland Vittert. Ratings suggest its still looking for an audience and has a way to go. NewsNation averaged 99,000 viewers in prime time in November, compared to Fox News Channels 1.73 million, MSNBCs 1.14 million, CNNs 540,000 and Newsmaxs 207,000, the Nielsen company said. The network bills itself as an unbiased alternative to competitors with more hardened partisan images. Abrams told the Hollywood Reporter that NewsNations sweet spot is the marginalized moderate majority who dont want hyper-partisan outlets. Critics, like the liberal media watchdog Media Matters, suggest NewsNation leans more right than down the middle. A Daily Beast writer who watched the network for a week this fall, Joe Berkowitz, had a similar view, writing that left-leaning voices are heard on NewsNation rarely, briefly and cursorily as if to tick a box. The networks ranks include several Fox News alums, including Grzech and Chris Stirewalt, its politics editor. Former Fox executive Bill Shine is a consultant. Grzech suggested that those critics havent watched NewsNation much. I dont see that. and it isnt the experience Ive had here at all, she said. A HIGH-PROFILE DEBATE HEADLINER In awarding the rights to televise Wednesdays debate, the Republican National Committee chose the debate moderators. The one with NewsNation ties is Elizabeth Vargas, formerly of ABC News, who hosts an evening newscast on the network. Eliana Johnson of the conservative site Washington Free Beacon was also selected. The headliner, though, is Kelly, who spent half her childhood in the Jamesville-DeWitt school district and then moved to the Capital Region when she was 9 years old. She returned to the area to attend Syracuse University for her undergraduate degree before going on to Albany Law School. Working with Kelly is a throwback for Grzech; they did debate prep together when both were at Fox News. Kellys experience working debates during the 2016 Republican presidential nominating process shot her to fame through her feud with Trump. (Though Trump wont be participating in the debate, Kelly now says all that nonsense between us is under the bridge.) Kelly signed a big free agent contract with NBC News but that didnt work out, and she negotiated an exit when her 2018 suggestion that it was OK for white people to wear blackface on Halloween caused a furor. Shes since remade herself as a podcast and radio star, much more publicly opinionated than before, and is taking a role as a debate moderator that has traditionally been filled by impartial journalists. Its not like Kelly hasnt done it before. But, in her new job, she hasnt been shy about offering opinions on the people who will be debating. Shes criticized Ron DeSantis for taking on the Walt Disney Corp. in Florida and said of him during a debate in September on social media, Seriously, Ron DeSantis, you do not need to smile the whole debate. Whoever told you that misled you. Kelly called Nikki Haleys announcement of her presidential candidacy cringy. On X, formerly Twitter, she posted: Is it just me, or has (Chris) Christie lost a little off his fastball? She posted youve got to be kidding me in response to one of Vivek Ramaswamys X messages in October. And during one of the debates on Fox, she posted, Im bored. I think theres an argument to be had about whether shes a journalist anymore, said Tom Jones, senior media writer at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank. My concern if I was NewsNation is that Megyn Kelly is going to come in with her own agenda and turn this debate upside down. Jones said he admired how Kelly has remade her career, but I dont know if the job she does now necessarily qualifies her to be a moderator for a debate. Kelly, through a representative, declined an interview request. It is a Republican debate, and theres an argument to be made that figures in the conservative media would be more attuned to what potential GOP primary voters want to hear about. But could that also mean avoiding legitimate topics because they might make a Republican audience uncomfortable? To that end, Grezch said that questions about Trump, the missing debater and leader in the polls, are legitimate. How NewsNation handles its moment in the spotlight becomes clear Wednesday night. DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy and Christie will be the four Republican candidates participating in the debate. To qualify, candidates needed at least 6% support in two national polls or 6% in one national poll as well as two polls from four of the early-voting states Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. On the night of Tuesday, December 5, local residents complained of explosions in the area of Kerch, temporarily occupied by Russian troops in Crimea. They wrote online that there were about 30 of them and that they shook the houses. ADVERTISIMENT Later, it also became known about explosions near the oil depot in Feodosia, and Crimeans shared the information in local chats on Telegram. Subsequently, the Russian Defense Ministry traditionally reported on the "successful repulsion" of the attack by allegedly 22 "Ukrainian" drones. For example, one user wrote that in Kerch, they first heard the sound of attack drones flying overhead, followed by explosions. Other users noted that there were allegedly "at least 30 drones" and they hit the plant. "There were 30 drones, if not more!", "We woke up to the sounds of explosions, even if everything was fine, but they hit something. We live nearby, 40 km from the bridge, the house was shaking for about 10 minutes, my friends wrote that they hit the plant", "We are waiting. But it's clear what's going on.", "We heard the sounds of drones, similar to the sounds of shaheds, and then a series of explosions. The whole house is shaking!", "A concrete rumble!", "Scary" - they wrote online. ADVERTISIMENT ADVERTISIMENT Russian propaganda channels stated that at least nine explosions were heard in the area of Arshyntseve and the village of Voikove. There were also reports of a temporary suspension of traffic on the Crimean bridge. The Crimean Wind Telegram channel noted that explosions were heard again in Feodosia at 06:05, 06:08, 06:14, and 06:25 local time. Subscribers wrote about the flight of missiles. It was also very loud in Old Crimea. At the same time, the Russian aggressor country's Defense Ministry said that Russian air defense repelled the attack of the "Kyiv regime." They claimed to have "destroyed 22" and "intercepted 30" drones over the Sea of Azov and the peninsula. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, Russian propagandists complained that "two saboteurs" allegedly poisoned dozens of occupants in occupied Simferopol. The "nice girls" treated the invaders with poisoned alcohol and food in one of the military units, as a result of which 20 Russian soldiers died and 11 more were hospitalized. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. On the morning of December 5, strong explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Feodosia. Later it became known that two UAVs attacked an oil depot of the Russian occupiers. ADVERTISIMENT The offshore oil terminal in Feodosia came under attack. This was reported by the Crimean Wind Telegram channel. The tank farm was attacked by two airplane-type kamikaze drones. According to preliminary data, one UAV detonated in midair, leaving only debris on the territory of the tank farm. At the same time, the second drone fell 70 meters from one of the fuel tanks. It is also known that during the drone attack, enemy air defense systems were operating on the territory of the tank farm. In particular, the invaders tried to shoot down the UAV using the Pantsyr-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system. According to eyewitnesses, the explosions occurred in Feodosia at 06:05, 06:08, 06:14 and 06:25 local time. Also, residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea wrote online that they heard the sounds of UAVs. ADVERTISIMENT The offshore oil terminal is located in the northeastern part of Feodosia. There are about 30 fuel tanks on the territory of the enterprise. There are also railroad tracks that allow the Russian occupiers to quickly move fuel and lubricants throughout the Ukrainian peninsula. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, on the night of December 5, local residents complained about explosions in the area of Kerch, temporarily occupied by Russian troops in Crimea . They wrote online that there were about 30 of them and that they shook the houses. Later, it was also reported that explosions had occurred near the oil depot in Feodosia. Earlier it was reported that the military and guerrilla movement Atesh, created by Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, conducted reconnaissance on the territory of the Russian Navy center in occupied Feodosia in Crimea, where a ship repair plant was discovered. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Ministers McConalogue, Hackett and Heydon mark World Soil Day 2023 Today, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Research, Martin Heydon T.D., and Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett, highlight the importance of healthy soils on World Soil Day. This years theme is Soil and Water: a source of life. To mark World Soil Day, Minister of State Pippa Hackett recently visited Thomas, Florence and David Fennellys farm near Emo, Co. Laois. The Fennellys are dairy farmers participating in the Teagasc Signpost programme and are carrying out activities to reduce the GHG and ammonia emissions, to improve water quality, soil health and the overall biodiversity on their farm. Pictured L-R George Ramsbottom (Teagasc), Mary Cleary (DAFM) Thomas Fennelly (Farmer), Florence Fennelly, Minister of State Pippa Hackett, Niall Ryan, (DAFM) David Fennelly (Farmer), Lorcan Dooley (Teagasc) Meabh OHagan (Teagasc) Ministers McConalogue, Hackett and Heydon mark World Soil Day 2023 Minister McConalogue commented: There is a precious link between soil and water and with over 95% of our food originating from the soil, and the relationship with water is the foundation of our agricultural production. In addition, Minister McConalogue announced that approval letters for phase two of the Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme will issue to 7,000 farmers this week. This Programme will provide valuable information to farmers to inform decisions that promote the health of their soils and is aimed at putting soil health, soil fertility and soil carbon at the very centre of our future agricultural model. Minister McConalogue said: I am delighted to see progress with the programme and I wish our new partner the Irish Soil Expert Consortium well in the delivery of the sampling, analysis and provision of approximately 90,000 soil sample results to our farmers. To mark World Soil Day, Minister of State Pippa Hackett recently took the opportunity to visit Thomas, Florence and David Fennellys farm near Emo, Co. Laois. The Fennellys are dairy farmers participating in the Teagasc Signpost programme and are carrying out activities to reduce the GHG and ammonia emissions, to improve water quality, soil health and the overall biodiversity on their farm. Minister Hackett said: I was delighted to hear what the Fennellys are doing to make their farm more sustainable. Their focus on implementing sustainable soil management practices and improving soil health on their farm is evident. Healthy soils play a crucial role in regulating water retention and availability in agriculture. Minister Hackett added: The health of the soil, and the quality and availability of water are interconnected. Both are an integral and necessary part of our lives and I welcome that World Soil Day is highlighting this important interconnection. Minister of State Martin Heydon stated: At the recent Agriculture and Climate Change: Science into Action conference hosted by my Department, I announced funding of 3.8m for four research projects arising from the 2023 Ireland New Zealand Joint Research Call. One of these projects is examining the implications of land management practices on organic peat soils with a particular emphasis on greenhouse gas emission reductions and will receive just over 1 million. Minister Heydon also used the occasion of World Soil Day to announce the signing of the European Soil Mission Manifesto. The Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme 2021-2027 is the European Unions key initiative for funding research and one of its five missions is the Soil Deal for Europe. The Soil Mission Manifesto highlights the urgent need for action to protect soil health and the signing of the manifesto is an important element in the success of Soil Mission. Marking his signing of the Manifesto, Minister Heydon said: Food Vision 2030 highlights that good soil health is critical in terms of agricultural output, producing nutrient-dense food, sequestering carbon, supporting habitats and biodiversity, and building resilience against climate change. The Soil Mission will enable research in these areas, and I am delighted to sign the Soil Mission Manifesto on this World Soil Day and believe it is an important demonstration of my Departments commitment to the Soil Mission. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine supports the stated ambition of World Soil Day of raising awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness and encouraging societies to improve soil health. Quick Response codes can be very convenient for traveling to websites, downloading apps, and viewing menus at restaurants, which is why theyve become a vehicle for bad actors to steal credentials, infect mobile devices, and invade corporate systems. We are seeing an exponential uptick in targeted attacks against mobile devices, many of them phishing attacks, observed Kern Smith, VP for Americas pre-sales at Zimperium, a mobile security company headquartered in Dallas. A large majority of phishing sites are targeted at mobile devices, he told TechNewsWorld. The reason attackers are doing that is they know mobile devices are most susceptible to phishing attacks. QR phishing, or quishing, is a great attack vector for attackers because they can distribute a QR code widely, and a lot of corporate anti-phishing systems arent geared to scan QR codes, he said. Reliaquest, a security automation, cloud security, and risk management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla., noted in a recent report that it saw a 51% rise in quishing attacks in September over the cumulative figure for the previous eight months. This spike is at least partially attributable to the increasing prevalence of smartphones having built-in QR code scanners or free scanning apps; users are often scanning codes without even a thought about their legitimacy, it wrote. Part of the Phishing Epidemic Shyava Tripathi, a researcher in the Advanced Research Center of Trellix, maker of an extended detection and response platform in Milpitas, Calif., noted that phishing is responsible for over a third of all attacks and breaches. QR-code-based attacks arent new, but theyve become increasingly prevalent in sophisticated campaigns targeting businesses and consumers, with Trellix detecting over 60,000 malicious QR code samples in Q3 alone, she told TechNewsWorld. Quishing is currently high on the agenda for many organizations, asserted Steve Jeffery, lead solutions engineer at Fortra, a global cybersecurity and automation company. It represents a risk that can bypass existing security controls. Therefore, the protection relies on the recipient fully understanding the threat and not taking the bait, he told TechNewsWorld. Clicking on malicious URLs is still one of the top risks for account takeovers, he continued. He cited data from Fortras PhishLabs that showed in Q2 2023 that more than three-quarters of credential theft email attacks contained a link pointing victims to malicious websites. Quishing is merely an extension of these phishing attacks, he said. Instead of a hyperlink to a fraudulent or malicious website, the attacker uses a QR code to deliver the URL. Since most email security systems are not reading the contents of the QR codes, it is difficult to prevent the ingress of these messages, hence the rise in the prevalence of this type of attack. Quishing for Credentials Mike Britton, CISO of Abnormal Security, a global provider of email security services, agreed that quishing is a growing problem. He cited Abnormal data that found that 17% of all attacks that bypass spam and junk filters use QR codes. He added that his companys data also shows that credential phishing accounts for about 80% of all QR code-based attacks, with invoice fraud and extortion rounding out the top three attack types. Leveraging QR codes is an attractive attack tactic for malicious actors because the resulting destination that the QR code sends the recipient to can be difficult to detect, Britton told TechNewsWorld. Unlike traditional email attacks, he continued, there is minimal text content and no obvious malicious URL. This significantly reduces the amount of signals available for traditional security tools to detect and analyze in order to catch an attack. Because they can easily evade both human detection and detection by traditional security tools, QR code attacks tend to work better than more traditional attack types, he said. Embedded QR Threats Randy Pargman, director for threat detection at Proofpoint, an enterprise security company in Sunnyvale, Calif., maintained that the number one reason malicious actors prefer QR codes over regular phishing URLs or attachments is because people who scan QR codes usually do so on their personal phone, which probably isnt monitored by a security team. That makes it challenging for companies to know which employees interacted with phishing messages, he told TechNewsWorld. He explained that QR code phishing scams are challenging to detect because the phishing URL isnt easy to extract and scan from the QR code. Adding to the problem, he continued, is that most benign email signatures contain logos, links to social media outlets embedded within images, and even QR codes pointing to legitimate websites. So the presence of a QR code itself isnt a sure sign of phishing, he said. Many legitimate marketing campaigns use QR codes, which can allow malicious QR codes to blend into the background noise. Nicole Carignan, vice president for strategic cyber AI at Darktrace, a global cybersecurity AI company, added that the increased use of QR codes in phishing attacks is the latest example of how attackers are pivoting to embracing techniques that can thwart traditional defenses with greater agility and efficiency. Traditional solutions scan for malicious links in easy-to-find places, she told TechNewsWorld. In contrast, finding QR codes within emails and determining their appropriate destination requires rigorous image recognition techniques to mitigate risks. Best Practices for QR Code Safety Carignan noted that Darktrace research has found that quishing attacks are often accompanied by highly personalized targeting and newly created sender domains, further decreasing the likelihood of the emails being detected by traditional email security solutions that rely on signatures and known-bad lists to detect malicious activity. The most common social engineering technique that accompanies malicious QR codes is the impersonation of internal IT teams, specifically emails claiming users need to update two-factor authentication configurations, she said. When setting up two-factor authentication, most instructions require users to scan a QR code. Thus, attackers are now mimicking this process to evade traditional secure email solutions. While there are many technology solutions aimed at addressing potential QR-code-based attacks, a simple rule may suffice for many individuals. When we talk to people about best practices around QR codes, one of the simplest rules you can follow is to ask yourself, is this QR code in a place where a bad person could post it? advised Christopher Budd, leader of the X-Ops team at Sophos, a global network security and threat management company. If Im walking through the food court in a mall, and theres a sign that says, Save 20% on all stores today. Scan this code. If I see that, Im not going to use that QR code. I have no idea who put that sign there, he told TechNewsWorld. When youre talking about QR codes, he added, you have to know and trust its source. In context: Apple has been using in-house processors in its products for years, starting with the A4 SoC in the iPhone 4 and the original iPad in 2010. Ten years later, the company introduced the Arm-based M1 processor that replaced Intel's x86 chips in a range of Macs and iPads. After more than a decade of designing chips for its phones, computers, and tablets, Apple has finally given outsiders a glimpse into the labs behind its custom processors. In an uncharacteristically free, all-access interview to CNBC's Katie Tarasov, Apple executives showed off the company's Silicon Valley chip lab, where engineers in lab coats test each component meticulously before approving its use in the company's products. Tarasov also spoke to the head of Apple silicon, Johny Srouji, who claimed the company's chip division comprises "thousands of engineers" spread across several facilities globally. During the interview, Srouji insisted that the in-house design and development of Apple silicon allow better optimization and scalability, thereby offering improved performance. He also suggested that the GPU in the newer SoCs helps them better compete against Intel, AMD, and Nvidia. According to him, one of the most notable GPU-related developments at Apple in recent years is the addition of features such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading acceleration, both of which improve visual effects in games. Apple executives are profoundly proud of the company's chip development division, and often credit it as one of the main reasons for the success of its hardware products over the past decade. Speaking to Tarasov, Apple's SVP of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus, reaffirmed the company's love affair with Apple silicon, describing its design, development, and deployment as "one of the most, if not the most, profound changes at Apple" over the last 20 years. Ternus also expressed immense satisfaction at the progress of Apple's semiconductor initiative over the years, and credited Apple silicon for the MacBook Air's lightweight, fanless design and its impressive 18-hour battery life. He also claimed that the M-series chips are good enough to run AAA titles, although in the real world, most gamers still prefer consoles or Windows PCs to play games. With Apple using its own in-house processors in almost all its products, the discussion changed to baseband modems and why Apple is taking so long to introduce its own cellular chip. Srouji refused to directly address the delay, but confirmed that the company is working on a cellular modem. According to him, "we care about cellular, and we have teams enabling that." For now, however, the company will keep using Qualcomm modems in its products through 2026. Serving the tech enthusiast community for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust . Read our ethics statement A hot potato: Back in October, genomics specialist 23andMe disclosed a security incident in which hackers had obtained information from some user accounts. The admission seemed to downplay the breach, and only now are we learning additional details about the incident. Late last week in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, 23andMe said it determined that the threat actor in the incident was only able to access a very small percentage (0.1 percent) of user accounts in certain circumstances. As TechCrunch highlights, the company said it had more than 14 million customers worldwide in an earnings report from May, meaning 0.1 percent would be around 14,000 impacted accounts. Over the weekend, 23andMe spokesperson Katie Watson told TechCrunch that hackers had accessed information on roughly 5.5 million people that had opted into the company's DNA Relatives feature. Compromised data reportedly included names, birth years, how much DNA a user shared with relatives, ancestry reports, and more. The rep additionally mentioned another group of about 1.4 million users that also had their family tree profile data accessed. Given the updated figures, roughly half of 23andMe's user base was seemingly touched by the intruder. TechCrunch noted that some information in their exchange with 23andMe was deemed "on background," which has to do with how information between a reporter and a source is shared. TC said it was given no opportunity to reject 23andMe's terms, so they went ahead and published the information. TC also wondered out loud why 23andMe didn't share these numbers in the SEC filing. In October, 23andMe said it believed hackers were able to access some accounts in instances where users recycled login credentials from other sites that had previously been hacked as part of a process known as credential stuffing. The 23andMe hack is yet another cautionary web security tale, and one that might have higher stakes given the type of data involved. Genetic data just feels like something you don't want to fall into the wrong hands. Image credit: Sangharsh Lohakare, Louis Reed Finland has announced the start of production of artillery ammunition for Ukraine. The decision is expected to be approved by Christmas. ADVERTISIMENT Helsinki's plans were announced by Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen to the Iltalehdelle publication. According to him, Finland will make an important decision to increase the production of artillery shells in the next few weeks. "We have finished the negotiations, agreeing that Finland will continue to increase the production of heavy ammunition for Ukraine's armament. This decision will be made shortly," Hakkanen said. Hakkanen emphasized that the issue is likely to be resolved before Christmas (December 24) so that Ukrainians fighting for their existence receive a valuable and necessary Christmas gift from the Finns. "The plans are ready. A plan to significantly increase ammunition production has been announced. The goal is to support Ukraine even more. At the same time, we are further increasing the readiness of Finland and the Nordic region to produce ammunition," the minister said. ADVERTISIMENT It is reported that the cost of increasing ammunition production reaches tens of millions of euros. As reported by OBOZ.UA: - Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba previously admitted that the EU would likely not be able to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a million shells by March 2024, as promised. According to Bloomberg, this will complicate Ukraine's ability to compete with Russia's own production. - To fulfill its promise, the EU should redirect exports from third-world countries to Kyiv, said EU High Representative Josep Borrell. - Ukraine has set up ammunition production in one of its partner countries. The company operates in three shifts. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Serving the tech enthusiast community for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust . Read our ethics statement In context: Amazon faces personal and punitive damages in a lawsuit involving a spycam sold on its platform used to record a minor's "private moments" in her bathroom. The retail giant feels it isn't responsible for third-party sales used illegally by customers and claims it is "shocked" that someone used the product that way. The lawsuit's plaintiff is a Brazilian minor of unspecified age who was living with a host family in West Virginia. Darrel Wells, the homeowner of the host family, allegedly installed a camera disguised as a towel hook in the girl's private bathroom and recorded her for months. After filing a motion to dismiss in April, a federal district judge has ruled that "shock" is not a valid justification for throwing out the case. He was not buying Amazon's reasoning, saying it's hard to believe the company was shocked when its Product Safety Team approved the marketing copy and images suggesting customers use it for spying in bathrooms. "Amazon approved product descriptions suggesting consumers use [the spycam] to record private moments in a bathroom," wrote US District Judge Robert Chambers in his opinion. "Amazon cannot claim shock when a consumer does just that. These allegations raise a reasonable inference Amazon sold a camera knowing it would be used to record a third party in a bathroom without their consent." The marketing material on the now-removed product page showed a picture of bath towels hanging on hooks with the ad copy reading, "It won't attract attention" and "A very ordinary hook." It also contained a caption pointing toward one of the hooks that said, "REC on video." The copy in the product's description was similar, with plaintiff attorneys saying, "The whole vibe was just kind of creepy." Judge Chambers also dismissed Amazon's argument that it was not responsible for "physical" damages because none were listed. The plaintiff claims the incident caused "chronic tremors, insomnia, headaches, nausea, hypotension with associated blurred vision, dizziness, compulsive overeating, avoidance behavior, and paranoia." Amazon's legal team claiming these are not physical damages didn't fly with the judge. "If proven, [the plaintiff's] damages are severe," Chambers wrote. "Emotional trauma inflicted during a child's 'tender years' has an 'indelible effect' from which 'they may never recover.'" Both sides are highly concerned with the outcome of the case. The plaintiff's attorneys feel a win would set needed precedence since there aren't many cases regarding this and other recent technological devices being misused or irresponsibly sold. Amazon's legal team thinks a ruling in the plaintiff's favor is dangerous and would lead to a defacto outlawing of similar devices, even when legitimate uses exist. Although Judge Chambers denied Amazon's motion to dismiss, he mentioned that the burden is on the plaintiff to prove the "foreseeability" of the illegal use that Amazon appears to have missed. "Generally, a person does not have a duty to protect others from the deliberate criminal conduct of third parties," the ruling reads, citing precedence from 1995 and 2020. "Yet a duty of protection may arise if the person's 'affirmative actions or omissions' expose others 'to a foreseeable high risk of harm from the intentional misconduct.' Foreseeability is key." (Photo : Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay) Antibody production companies are essential in dealing with the growing demand for antibodies for life sciences, therapeutic, and diagnostic applications. Therefore, a number of service providers are specialized in offering various types of services regarding the complex production of antibodies. Many biotechnology companies rely on the services of specialized antibody production companies, as these have the necessary knowledge and resources to carry out highly intricate tasks effectively and efficiently. This article offers an overview of various antibody production companies on the market and the services they provide. Why do research groups and pharma companies outsource antibody production? Research groups and pharma companies often outsource antibody production when this is not their core occupation. CDMOs (Contract Development & Manufacturing Organizations) and CROs (Contract Research Organizations) can provide various services for which expert knowledge is as required as specialized infrastructure. Outsourcing these processes can save both costs and resources while achieving high-quality antibody products. Recombinant Antibody Production Companies There are several companies dealing with the production of recombinant antibodies (rAbs). Here is a (not exhaustive) list of examplesthey will be further described in the course of this article, along with some of their services. evitria Sino Biological GenScript ProBioGen ATUM Patheon Aviva evitria Headquartered in Switzerland, evitria is a globally active player that provides recombinant antibody production services for industrial applications and research. The company's sole focus and specialization is in CHO cell antibody production. Having dispatched their first product in 2010, the company offers expertise combined with speed and reliability. Customers include academic laboratories and small biotech start-ups, as well as global biopharmaceutical companies that either outsource their entire antibody production or rely on evitria to manage capacity bottlenecks with specific projects. The recombinant antibody expression services from evitria include: custom recombinant antibody production afucosylation fc-silencing bispecific antibodies Sino Biological Established in 2007 and based in China, Sino Biological provides labs and manufacturers around the globe with recombinant protein, antibodies, cDNA clones, and other reagents. While recombinant antibody expression services are a part of their portfolio, the company does not exclusively focus on this complex field but rather wants to offer a "one-stop technical services shop for life science researchers," as described on the company's website. Sino Biological works with bacterial, insect, and mammalian cell cultures and recombinant expression platforms. GenScript Founded in New Jersey (USA) in 2002, GenScript combines experience in both molecular biology and cell system engineering. With gene synthesis, peptide, protein, antibody, and preclinical drug development service capabilities, the company specializes in fundamental life sciences research and early-phase drug discovery services, and it provides gene synthesis and other technology required in life science research and application. GenScript's portfolio includes recombinant antibody expression services to support a variety of applications in drug discovery research. In addition to mammalian expression, they also offer E. coli and insect expression platforms. ProBioGen ProBioGen is a renowned Berlin-based Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that operates on an international scale. They offer proprietary innovative technologies for optimized biopharmaceutical manufacturing and analysis. ProBioGen's service focus is on fields like cell line engineering, process development, and GMP manufacturing of biopharmaceutical active ingredients and vaccines for clients in biotech and pharma. ATUM ATUM is a biotechnology company that was founded in 2003. ATUM's services cover a range of important research and production steps, such as cell line development and cGMP cell banking. Patheon Patheon is a CDMO that was founded in Canada in 1974 and was acquired by Thermo Fisher in 2017. Within Thermo Fisher Scientific's brand portfolio, Patheon offers services, including small molecule API, biologics, viral vectors, plasmids, clinical trial solutions, logistics, and commercial manufacturing and packaging. In terms of recombinant antibodies, Patheon covers the full process development for mammalian recombinant proteins, including monoclonal antibodies. Aviva Systems Biology Aviva is an American biotech company founded in 2002 and based in San Diego, California. It provides customized solutions for protein expression projects, both for research and diagnostic applications. Amongst others, research areas include cancer, cell biology, and neuroscience. The company offers monoclonal and animal-derived polyclonal antibodies, but also ELISA kits, proteins, and custom services for research needs. Afucosylated Antibody Providers Afucosylated antibodies are modified recombinant antibodies that offer the benefit of an artificially decreased fucose content, which leads to higher levels of ADCC (Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity), thus resulting in an increased killing activity against tumorigenic and infected cells. Here are two examples of companies involved in afucosylation of antibodies: evitria & ProBioGen The state-of-the-art GlymaxX platform, provided by ProBioGen, enables evitria to transiently express both native and afucosylated variants using the same CHO cells, the same DNA, and without any amino acid sequence modifications. While alternative afucosylation approaches rely on Fc mutations with the risk of immunogenicity, evitria's use of GlymaxX produces the same yields and stability as native antibodies but rules out the danger of potential immune response. Antibody Development and Production Other Antibody Companies in an Overview Antibody development and production for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes do not necessarily require recombinant antibodies. The production of biochemicals, the detection of various biomarkers, and research in fields like immunology, stem cells, proteomics, and genomics, in general, demand several kinds of antibodies in different formats. High-quality mAbs (monoclonal antibodies), for instance, are also an important tool in biosciences and healthcare, being eligible for immunoassays like western blotting but also as therapeutic antibodies (e. g. in antibody-drug conjugation). Typically, monoclonal antibody production is performed in vitro. Polyclonal antibodies are another type of antibody frequently used for research, therapeutic, and diagnostic purposesfor instance, in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). They are usually produced in vivo, e.g., by the immune system of lab animals, resulting in specific antibodies that can bind to antigens recognizing different epitopes. This is why several distributors and pharmaceutical companies are concerned with custom antibody production. Here are some examples of companies that are engaged with antibodies: Abcam Atlas Antibodies Cell Signaling Technology R&D Systems Rockland Immunochemicals Santa Cruz Biotechnology Sigma-Aldrich (a subsidiary of Merck) Thermo Fisher Scientific Note that this is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other companies that produce antibodies for various applications. Bundled Knowledge for the Next Leap in Life Sciences The many examples of antibody production companies listed in this article highlight the complexity of manufacturing antibodies for various applicationsbe it for research, diagnostics, or therapeutic applications. However, they also stress the diversity of different dedicated services available to master antibody production. By choosing to collaborate with CROs or CDMOs, biopharma companies can profit from the support of specialized partners in their attempts to make the next big leap in life sciences. 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. Music streaming giant Spotify has announced a significant reduction in its workforce, constituting approximately 17% of its employees. This bold decision is part of the company's effort to align its costs with a shifting growth landscape and achieve long-term sustainability. The recent layoff affects almost 1,600 jobs, according to The Guardian. Spotify Aims to 'Right-Size' For Efficiency CEO Daniel Ek emphasized in an internal memo that the company is taking "substantial action to rightsize our costs." He acknowledged the over-hiring trend during the abundant capital period of 2020 and 2021, signaling Spotify's commitment to operational efficiency and financial prudence. While exact figures remain undisclosed, it is estimated that around 1,500 jobs will be affected by this move, representing a substantial streamlining of Spotify's workforce. Furthermore, the decision reflects the company's proactive approach to adapting to changing market dynamics. Related Article: Weird Al's Surprise Message in Spotify Wrapped Puts Spotlight on Streaming Royalties Spotify's Financial Landscape Spotify reported a noteworthy profit of 65 million euros ($70.7 million) in the third quarter, attributing the positive result to reduced spending on marketing and personnel. This financial stability allows the company to undertake strategic measures for future growth. Notably, this isn't the first time Spotify has opted for workforce reduction; earlier in the year, they cut 6% of their staff (about 600 employees) and an additional 2% (around 200 roles) in June. Spotify CEO Highlights Leaner Structure Ek outlined the importance of a leaner structure for Spotify's future. He emphasized that this shift is not a regression but a strategic reorientation. The aim is to return to the core principle of resourcefulness, leveraging ingenuity and creativity as the driving forces behind the company's success. The emphasis is on preparing for the next phase, where being lean is not merely an option but a necessity for sustained profitability and innovation. The workforce optimization will pave the way for Spotify to invest profits more strategically back into the business. A more targeted approach ensures that every investment and initiative becomes impactful, fostering greater opportunities for success. The focus is on smarter, more impactful paths to achieve ambitious goals, reflecting a commitment to innovation and growth. Navigating Challenges Together While acknowledging this decision's challenges, Ek reiterates his dedication to Spotify's mission and belief in the collective ability to achieve it. The leaner structure is seen as a necessary step to change how the company operates, fostering a more resourceful and efficient environment. "While we've made worthy strides, as I've shared many times, we still have work to do. Economic growth has slowed dramatically and capital has become more expensive. Spotify is not an exception to these realities," Ek said in the memo, as reported by CNBC. Back in 2022, the Swedish firm weeded out 11 original podcasts as part of staffing adjustments. In this regard, some employees were being reassigned to other podcast segments. Meanwhile, if you haven't joined the Spotify Wrapped 2023 trend, you can check the Independent's article to find your year in review. Read Also: Spotify Faces Backlash Amidst Shifting Focus on Artist Compensation, Efficiency 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. YouTube, the global video streaming giant, is renowned for its constant innovation to enhance user experience. In a subtle yet impactful move, users have recently discovered a refreshed feature related to video views and likes counters. Unlike traditional static counters, this addition introduces a dynamic and real-time animation, transforming how users engage with content. YouTube Rolls Out Animated Counters in Action Previously, YouTube's Android app displayed static likes and view counts, remaining unchanged while the video played. The latest experiment, however, brings these counters to life with a dynamic animation that updates in real-time. Whether the video is playing, paused, or even if users switch to another app and return, the engaging animation precedes the updated numbers, creating a seamless and interactive viewing experience. Android Police was the first to report this update. Related Article: YouTube Playables Beta Now Brings Games for Desktop, Mobile App 'Silent' YouTube Experiment Interestingly, YouTube has not officially publicized this feature, leaving users to chance upon it organically. While no documentation or blog post from YouTube acknowledges the addition, keen-eyed users discovered this enhancement through firsthand experience. The discovery adds an element of surprise to the user journey, elevating the overall video streaming experience. "Distracting indeed and imho not beneficial at all. Saw it on Tuesday for the first time, using Firefox. The first few times I only noticed some sort of movement at the bottom left of the videos. I wondered if it was in the video itself. Then I observed the area for a while and saw the new counter animation," a user said in a Reddit post as spotted by Phone Arena. Global Limited Rollout As with many YouTube experiments, this feature seems to be part of a limited rollout, accessible to a select section of users globally. The timeline of its introduction remains unclear, as there hasn't been an official announcement from the YouTube team. The dynamic view and like-count animation may not be universally available, adding an element of exclusivity to those who have encountered it. Continued Innovation at YouTube While this particular experiment has garnered attention, YouTube is continually testing and evolving its platform. Recent developments include the wider rollout of a more streamlined "Skip" button for ads, indicating the platform's commitment to refining user interactions. Despite occasional experiments that may receive varied responses, YouTube remains dedicated to enhancing its user interface and experience. YouTube's introduction of real-time animated views and likes counters only shows that the company is ready to make the platform more engaging and user-friendly. But the reason why it is silently launched is none of our business. In mid-November, Tech Times reported that anyone who is using ad blockers might get banned from viewing videos on YouTube. The video-streaming platform urged users to go for YouTube Premium to enjoy an ad-free experience. However, this does not sit right for other people who do not want to pay a fee for such a service. Read Also: YouTube Unveils Reason Behind the Five-Second Video Page Delay on Mozilla Firefox 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Credible sources said that Foxconn and Pegatron had temporarily halted iPhone production in Chennai, southern India, on Monday due to severe rains and Cyclone Michaung. The city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state, renowned as a vital hub for electronics and manufacturing, experienced torrential rains, leading to significant flooding. The adverse weather conditions also prompted the shutdown of the city's airport and resulted in the submerging of vehicles. As Cyclone Michaung progressed down the coast toward the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, concerns about safety and operational disruptions compelled Foxconn and Pegatron to suspend their iPhone assembly lines, according to a Reuters report. Foxconn, boasting a workforce of approximately 35,000 at its Tamil Nadu iPhone factory, is currently deliberating whether to resume production on Tuesday, according to insights provided by two sources familiar with the matter. This marks the second instance in recent months where Pegatron was prompted to halt its factory operations. Previously, the company temporarily ceased the assembly of iPhones in September due to a fire incident. Foxconn Expanding Operations in India The pause in Apple iPhone manufacturing in India follows Foxconn's announcement of a $1.54 billion investment in the country, in line with the firm's expansion strategy amid South Asian revenue growth. The investment aims to address the operational requirements of Foxconn and aligns with the tech company's commitment to double its workforce and investment in India by the next year. In November, Chinese tax authorities imposed a 20,000-yuan ($2,800) fine on a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group. The penalty is related to the overstatement of expenses by the Foxconn Industrial Internet Co. unit in Wuhan, central China, particularly in the accounting of research and development expenses during 2021 and 2022. Read Also: BYD's November Milestone: 170,000+ Fully Electric Vehicles Sold, Beats Nissan The broader investigation into Apple's major supplier involves examining tax affairs in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu, alongside scrutiny of land use in Hubei and Henan, where a significant portion of iPhones are manufactured. According to Bloomberg, this regulatory scrutiny comes as many overseas corporations, including Apple, navigate challenging Chinese business climates. Foxconn Founder Terry Gou Withdraws Taiwan Presidential Bid In a recent development, Foxconn founder Terry Gou recently withdrew from Taiwan's presidential election. While not specifying the reason for the retreat, Gou affirmed his commitment "to the future of the Republic of China," Taiwan's official name. Terry Gou, who stepped down from Foxconn's board in August, withdrew from the presidential race a day after his attempt to form a joint ticket with opposition candidates collapsed on live television. Despite a shared goal of defeating the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, the Gou consistently lagged in the polls, as per a CNN report. The presidential election in Taiwan will be held on January 13, 2024. Related Article: Alert Lifted as Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake in Philippines Prompts Evacuations, Tsunami Scare 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla has officially confirmed a reduction in the federal tax credit for two Model 3 trims, slashing it by half, starting next year. The $7,500 tax credit, available to Model 3 buyers based on their income eligibility, has been a significant incentive since the reform of the electric vehicle (EV) incentive program in 2023. However, eligibility criteria have evolved, requiring electric vehicles to meet conditions related to the price and source of components. The criteria for components, particularly battery materials, are becoming stricter each year, emphasizing the need for more locally sourced batteries and materials in North America. As a result of these changes, Tesla has announced a reduction in the tax credit for specific Model 3 models. In an overnight update to its online design studio, the automaker revealed that the tax credit for Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive and Model 3 Long Range would be reduced. "Customers who take delivery of a qualified new Tesla and meet all federal requirements are eligible for a tax credit up to $7,500. The tax credit will be reduced to $3,750 for Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive and Model 3 Long Range on January 1, 2024. Take delivery by December 31 for a full tax credit. Only for eligible cash or loan purchases," the EV manufacturer stated, as quoted by Electrek. While Tesla does not elaborate on the specific reasons for the credit reduction, it is believed to be related to the origin of certain battery components. The tax credit has become a "point-of-sale" incentive, enabling direct application at the time of car purchase rather than return. Read Also: Tesla's Cybertruck Launch: Some Reservation Holders Disappointed, But Many Remain Eager to Purchase Tesla's China-Made EV Sales Drop In related news, the China Passenger Car Association reported 82,432 Tesla electric vehicle sales in November, down 17.8% from the same month the previous year. This is the biggest loss since December 2022, when sales plunged 21%. However, China-made Model 3 and Model Y deliveries rose 14.3% from October, as reported by Reuters. While competition in the Chinese electric car industry remains fierce, BYD delivered a record 301,378 passenger vehicles in November, up 0.09% from October and 31% from the previous year. Tesla, Other EV Makers Agree to Use Climate Trace Meanwhile, Tesla, GM, and other manufacturers have agreed to measure greenhouse gas emissions using Climate TRACE. The database, which former US Vice President Al Gore presented at the COP28 climate conference, aims to closely monitor emissions in supply chains. Climate TRACE covers over 350 million sources of greenhouse gas pollution globally, offering companies an independent and comprehensive tool to assess and build low-emission supply chains. According to Teslarati, the Climate TRACE database, launched in 2020, offers an alternative to self-reported supplier information. Tesla, GM, Polestar, Boeing, and Muir AI, among others, have joined to utilize the database to assess emissions from steel and aluminum suppliers and find cleaner manufacturing sources without significant cost increases. Related Article: BYD's November Milestone: 170,000+ Fully Electric Vehicles Sold, Beats Nissan 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In Australia, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on employment is becoming evident, even though its consequences often remain hidden. Economists recognize the unprecedented rate at which AI is creating jobs but note that the benefits are not evenly distributed. A case in point is Benjamin, who lost his job in wine subscription sales due to AI-related redundancies at the ASX-listed Endeavour Group. Despite the lack of public acknowledgment by the company, feedback from affected workers strongly suggests that AI played a significant role in the job cuts. "All our jobs were replaced by chatbots, data scraping, and email. We all got AI-ed," he said, as quoted by ABC. The challenge lies in the obscured nature of AI-related job losses, with employers attributing cuts to various factors and rarely explicitly mentioning AI. This phenomenon becomes even more concealed when job cuts manifest as reduced work hours rather than outright losses. The impact of AI extends to the casualized sectors of the labor market, where it quietly reshapes traditional roles. In a Sydney-based ad agency, the rapid adoption of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, has led to transformative changes in workflows. Ezra Auperle, CEO of Story Machine and Fox & Co., highlights the agency's shift away from hiring full-time writers and relying on AI for tasks like pitch creation. Auperle's businesses exemplify the transformative potential of AI, replacing contracted roles and enhancing productivity while reducing costs. Humans Need to Adapt to The Changing Landscape Despite individual success stories, the hidden nature of AI-related job losses creates a data issue for economists. While job growth in the AI sector currently outpaces losses, concerns persist about the swift transformation and potential displacement of workers. Economists suggest that most workers can adapt by learning new skills, but challenges remain for those left behind in the evolving job landscape shaped by AI. Moreover, AI might affect employment beyond job substitution. Cooperation between humans and machines is a positive viewpoint as automating monotonous jobs using AI will enhance the work experience. Technology will increase job "goods" and minimize "bads," which may boost AI employment and skill needs, per TechTarget. Shifting to a broader perspective, the European Central Bank (ECB) presented research indicating that rapid AI integration is generating employment, particularly for young and talented workers. The ECB's analysis across 16 European nations revealed that AI-exposed industries experienced increased employment, challenging concerns about its impact on the labor market. The study noted that low- and medium-skilled occupations remained unaltered, while highly-skilled occupations witnessed growth. Read Also: Google Gemini AI is Coming this 2024 to Rival OpenAI's GPT Platform Contrary to worries about AI reducing wages, the ECB research suggests "neutral to slightly negative impacts" on earnings, with the possibility of improvement over time, as previously reported by TechTimes.The study emphasizes that the full extent of AI's impact on employment, wages, growth, and equality is yet to be realized as AI technologies continue to evolve. AI Must Be Viewed as a Tool In understanding the complexities of AI's impact on the job market, it becomes evident that certain professions, demanding deep, expert, and uniquely human knowledge, are more resilient to disruption. Instead of viewing AI as a threat to employment, individuals are encouraged to focus on adapting and cultivating skills that AI finds challenging to replicate. Alex Kotran, CEO of aiEDU, acknowledged the rapid changes causing genuine worries about livelihoods. However, Kotran emphasized the positive aspect of AI, asserting that, with proper training and preparation, it has the potential to augment job satisfaction and empower individuals to engage in more fulfilling work. In essence, he views AI as a tool that, when coupled with appropriate training, can contribute to the professionalization of various occupations. "The key is ensuring employees have basic proficiency to effectively collaborate with AI systems rather than be impacted by them. We want to give people the confidence, skills, and agency to see AI as a force multiplier, not a robot coming for their job," he remarked, as quoted by Techopedia. Related Article: Top 5 Best Artificial Intelligence Software of 2024 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. UFC CEO Dana White and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are making headlines for their shared stance against corporate pressure and sponsorship interference. White recently revealed a past confrontation with an unnamed UFC sponsor who demanded the removal of his pro-Donald Trump social media post. White boldly responded with a resounding "Go f*** yourself," emphasizing his refusal to succumb to pressure, regardless of financial incentives. In a parallel scenario, Elon Musk echoed White's sentiments amid a wave of advertisers leaving Twitter due to anti-Semitic content. At the DealBook Conference, Musk bluntly stated, "If somebody is going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money, go f*** yourself." The UFC's top executive expressed solidarity with Elon Musk during the UFC Austin post-fight press conference, highlighting a growing sentiment among business leaders. He emphasized that sponsorship does not grant control over the business, and he will not tolerate external directives, according to a report from MMA Fighting. Dana White vs. Peloton White's determination to maintain autonomy extends beyond social media, as he took a stand against Peloton after it asked comedian Theo Von to remove a podcast episode featuring an interview with Robert Kennedy Jr., resulting in a call for the removal of all Peloton bikes from UFC gyms. For the UFC, Dana White has adopted a new approach, viewing sponsorships as relationships that align with his beliefs. This philosophy guided the recent multi-year deal with Bud Light. White firmly asserts that he won't compromise his principles for sponsorships and expects alignment in values. Read Also: How AI Is Shaping Australia's Job Landscape and Going Unnoticed In a bold declaration, White pledged never to entertain calls instructing him on matters related to his company. His stance echoes Musk's colorful response to advertisers, as he stated, "Don't ever f****** call me and tell me what you want me to do because you sponsor us." White makes it unequivocally clear that sponsorship does not equate to control, and those companies and individuals seeking to influence the UFC against its principles need not apply. Over 100 Companies Suspend Ads on X Last week, Elon Musk addressed concerns about his recent antisemitic posts during the DealBook conference, expressing a mix of apology and defiance. According to The Verge, Musk urged advertisers to stop if they attempted to "blackmail" him. He specifically called out Disney CEO Bob Iger, responding to Iger's earlier comments about not wanting Disney associated with the X (formerly Twitter) owner. The tech mogul acknowledged the potential impact of the advertiser boycott, suggesting it could lead to the demise of X, emphasizing the company's fate would be tied to the boycott. Musk's message to advertisers followed what initially seemed like an effort to repair the fallout from his characterization of an antisemitic post as the "actual truth" two weeks ago. Over 100 brands have suspended their advertisements, posing a potential loss of $75 million for the company by the year's end, as reported by The New York Times. In a recent update, Walmart has ceased advertising on X, becoming the latest significant company to make this decision. According to a spokesperson for Walmart, they have opted for alternative platforms that offer more effective reach to their customers. The spokesperson did not disclose the effective date of the change or the specific reasons behind it, per Fortune. Related Article: Tesla's Model 3 Tax Credit Slashed: What Buyers Need to Know 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After unveiling its newly modified National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0), Singapore is reportedly planning to employ 15,000 machine-learning scientists and engineers, as announced by the nation's prime minister Lawrence Wong as reported by Reuters. The move comes after Singapore announced, as per the Business Times, the nation's aim to scale up AI for compelling use cases in industries including advanced manufacturing, finance, healthcare, education, and public services, as stated by PM Wong during the Singapore Conference on Artificial Intelligence. To grow the nation's AI talent pool, Channel News Asia states that the government will increase its support of AI use across all businesses. This includes the AI Apprenticeship Program, which is reported to be expanded and revamped. (Photo : JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images) A visitor watches an AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign on an animated screen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona. Singapore will also collaborate with industry AI product development teams to increase business relationships while creating focused AI training programs to upskill the workforce utilizing the Industry Transformation Maps and Jobs Transformation Maps. Simultaneously, Singapore will persist in accepting AI talent from around the world. A specialized group will locate, interact with, and integrate elite AI developers into the regional economy. According to the government's research, as the same report indicates, this to-be-expanded AI pool of producers and users will come together at a dedicated site that has not yet been revealed to build a close-knit knowledge community needed for artificial intelligence innovation. Read Also: How AI Is Shaping Australia's Job Landscape and Going Unnoticed Singapore's National AI Strategy 2.0 The newly modified NAIS 2.0, is reportedly the outcome of in-depth discussions with more than 300 organizations and specialists, both local and foreign. Over the next three to five years, 15 different courses of action are outlined in the new plan. These include the provision of appropriate carbon funding for data centers, training programs tailored specifically to AI, and a physical area set aside for AI. The plan is meant to drive Singapore's goal of becoming a global leader in the artificial intelligence industry. Singapore will also enhance access to data and high-performance computing capacity to create a more favorable environment for generating AI value. In a reported joint press statement, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and the Smart Nation Group stated that the government will continuously evaluate the plan to "respond to fast-moving developments in AI across domains." At a press conference, the organizations unveiled the plan that outlined how the government would "centrally orchestrate" efforts to support AI activity across the economy and society and collaborate with the business community, academics, non-profits, Singaporeans, and other stakeholders to realize the objective of harnessing AI for the common good. Southeast Asian Technology Hub Singapore is reportedly to be home to 1,100 AI start-ups, 150 AI R&D and product teams, and more than 80 active AI researchers. The 5.45 million-person nation in Southeast Asia is also home to the Asian headquarters of major international IT companies like Microsoft and Alphabet, Google's parent company, as per Reuters. Reuters also report Singapore to account for $2.7 billion of Nvidia's sales for the quarter that ended in October, second only to the United States, China, and Taiwan, citing a corporate filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as the source. Related Article: First-Ever Detailed AI Regulation Agreement, Unveiled by US, UK, Other Countries 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A significant discovery was made last week when using ChatGPT, but now, using this "trick" to repeat words forever will prompt a warning from the AI chatbot that users are violating its terms. Previously, it was found by the study that by asking ChatGPT to repeat certain words real-world user contact data and information will be revealed, showing a significant side of the AI that users did not know. There were many instances where OpenAI faced criticism for using real user data and content without the proper consent or license to do so. ChatGPT Warn Users When Using 'Trick' to Repeat Words Forever (Photo : ChatGPT via Screenshot) A report from 404 Media is now detailing the latest warning ChatGPT is giving to users whenever they ask it to repeat a certain word forever, saying that this is a violation of their terms. This follows after a report from last week surfaced regarding a new study by researchers where they used a "simple trick" that could lead to ChatGPT revealing real user contact information via the platform. The Terms of Use by the company now states that users should not "use any automated or programmatic method to extract data or output from the Services." However, Engadget argued that asking ChatGPT via a prompt to repeat a certain word forever is "not automation or programmatic." On the other hand, its Privacy Policy did not mention any violations regarding using this trick on ChatGPT to see for yourself. Read Also: ChatGPT Generates Persuasive but Phony Medical Report - Study Claims Study Revealed ChatGPT Shows Real-World User Info This study highlighted how the researchers were able to get real-world user information via ChatGPT and ask the AI to repeat a certain word, and in their case, "company" and "poem" led to unveiling sensitive information. Through this "trick," the researchers claimed that they verified that these were phone numbers from a legitimate company and a CEO, showing how ChatGPT has access to user data for its training. ChatGPT and its Access to Real Data for Training Earlier this year, Sam Altman, the current CEO, claimed that OpenAI's team will no longer use customer data for its training of the AI chatbot moving forward. This was a significant claim made by the CEO amidst the concerns regarding privacy and data protection in the platform, especially as paying customers raised this against the company amidst security concerns. Apart from experts raising this concern and flagging OpenAI for their practices, government bodies have also expressed their denouncement of the act. Italy has previously banned ChatGPT because of beliefs regarding OpenAI's access to the personal data of real-world people, with its authorities now looking into a fact-finding investigation that would determine if it has access. Moreover, artists and creatives also filed several lawsuits against OpenAI and other companies that take data online without consent, especially as some claim that their works were copied by generative AI. In the recent findings of a study, ChatGPT revealed phone numbers, email addresses, and more when using a simple trick, but the chatbot is now issuing a warning that this is a violation. Related Article: ChatGPT Revealed Real Phone Numbers, Email Addresses Using a Simple Trick 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi has announced that the government is launching an important initiative. All soldiers who have been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine during the war with Russia will be guaranteed to receive their own housing at public expense. ADVERTISIMENT He said this during a meeting with Ukrainian soldiers and their families at the Mariinsky Palace on the eve of the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Zelensky, about 360 people have received this highest state award since February 24, 2022. "We are starting to implement an important initiative aimed at implementing a simple principle: Ukraine protects those who protect Ukraine. Under this initiative, all those who have been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine since the beginning of the war will receive their own housing. All those who, while defending the country, became a holder of the Golden Star Order. Everyone without exception," the President emphasized. According to Zelenskyi, at least 360 Ukrainian citizens have been awarded the highest state title during the full-scale Russian invasion. ADVERTISIMENT "The state will take care of each of them - both those who are with us and the families of all those who gave their lives for the country," Zelenskyi emphasized. The Head of State also thanked all the soldiers who demonstrated the highest courage, valor and self-sacrifice in the defense of Ukraine - both those who are still standing side by side with their brothers on the front line and those who returned home on the shield. "I sincerely thank all of you, our Heroes, for everything you have done. I sincerely thank the families of the victims for their endurance and courage. I sincerely believe that one day everyone in peaceful Ukraine - Ukraine that won - will know about the valor and deeds of every Hero of Ukraine. The one that will win," Zelenskyi emphasized. As a reminder, the day before, Zelenskyi spoke about increasing Ukraine's own weapons production. In particular, according to him, six Bohdan self-propelled artillery systems are currently rolling off the assembly lines in Ukraine every month, and there are prospects for further increasing the production of these systems. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, he said, important defense agreements with partners are being implemented. "We received both scarce missiles for existing air defense systems and new, modern anti-aircraft systems. I am grateful to our friends," the Head of State emphasized. AI makes a significant mark on the "Word of the Year" lists at Oxford, Cambridge, and Merriam-Webster, reflecting the dominance of artificial intelligence in the technological landscape of 2023. (Photo : JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images) A visitor watches an AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign on an animated screen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona. Dominating 'Word of the Year' Lists Interestingly, the highlighted AI-related words on these lists are existing terms that have been repurposed with new meanings, raising eyebrows at the appropriation of familiar language. Cambridge's chosen word is "hallucinate," a term closely associated with the behavior of generative AI models like ChatGPT. Adgully reported that these models tend to create fictional information, from dates to entire personas, rather than admitting a lack of knowledge. Deliberate "hallucinations" define generative imagery and audio, crafting a blend of the model's training data without precisely replicating any specific element, albeit achieving striking proximity. However, this intentional creative process poses inherent dangers as AI-produced art and images, varying in quality, become increasingly widespread across various domains. Cambridge AI ethicist Henry Shevlin remarks on the broader acceptance of the term, transcending its initial association with human perception. According to Shevlin, this trend emphasizes their inclination to attribute human-like qualities to AI. Looking ahead, he anticipates that the psychological lexicon will further evolve to encompass the unconventional capabilities of the novel intelligence we are currently developing. Merriam-Webster took a different perspective by choosing "authentic" as their word of the year. In the era of artificial intelligence, where its influence extends to deepfake videos, actors' contracts, academic integrity, and various other realms, the distinction between what is deemed "real" and "fake" has become increasingly ambiguous. While "authentic" itself didn't undergo a radical redefinition, TechCrunch reported that it did acquire a fresh and significant connotation. The perennial concern about the authenticity of our actions, as well as those of others, has persisted for years. "Deepfake" also secured a spot on Merriam-Webster's longlist, making a transition, whether fortuitous or otherwise, from a technology associated with revenge porn to a widely applicable term for generative AI. Oxford's Word of the Year In contrast, Oxford's word of the year-while it would have been more fitting for this article if it were AI-centric, unfortunately, the AI term finds itself in the runner-up position. "Prompt," a versatile and often overlooked word, has assumed an additional definition, now recognized for its connection to the human aspect of generative AI. Also Read: 'NFT' Hailed As 'Word Of The Year' By Collins Dictionary, Beating 'Crypto,' 'Cheugy' To Top Spot However, BBC reported that Oxford's designated word of the year is the intriguing "rizz," a whimsical abbreviation for "charisma. This is also a quality arguably absent in AI, akin to the charisma of Tom Holland. While the infiltration of AI terminology into everyday language was inevitable, there's a tinge of disappointment that more cutting-edge terms like "latent space" have not yet become commonplace. Nevertheless, the rapidly advancing pace of technology suggests a prudent choice to adhere to well-established terms, a sentiment echoed by my esteemed colleagues in the lexicographic realm. The anticipation lingers for future words of the year, with daring dictionary content teams contemplating whether concepts like vectors and embeddings warrant heightened recognition as well. Related Article: Collins Dictionary Names 'AI' as Most Notable Word of 2023 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. When Meta first unveiled the cross-app communication feature on Messenger and Instagram, it received a mixed perception from the public, and now, the company has decided to soon remove it altogether. Before the year ends, Meta will disconnect Messenger and Instagram Chats, using the shared protocol from Messenger that enables an all-in-one messaging platform for users. Starting later this December, Meta will no longer allow users to create new chats and conversations using cross-platform features, having the need to go to separate apps. Meta: Messenger, Instagram Chats to be Disconnected (Photo : Buda Mendes/Getty Images) RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - APRIL 26: In this photo illustration, the logos of social media applications Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Messenger, Hyperlapse and Telegram are displayed on a cellphone screen on April 26, 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Meta announced its plans to disconnect the cross-app feature available on Messenger and Instagram chats, with the company no longer allowing new conversations moving forward. Starting this mid-December, with an unspecified date, Meta will begin removing the feature it released around three years ago but claimed that it will leave past conversations untouched. That being said, these chats will be read-only, and further messages will no longer be sent. Moreover, these existing chats will not make their way to your Messenger or Instagram chat inboxes. It was previously said that this shared protocol under Messenger allows a cross-platform messaging experience across Facebook accounts. Read Also: Senate's Online Child Sexual Exploitation Hearing Summons Tech CEOs to Testify, Who are Coming? Why is Meta Removing this Cross-App Feature? A report from 9to5 Google claims that the reason behind this feature removal is due to the European Union's Digital Markets Act, with Meta looking to avoid "regulatory consequences." The said DMA will hold a maximum penalty of 10 percent of its global turnover from the previous year should it become "overly dominant." Nevertheless, Meta did not confirm the exact reason as to why it removed the feature. Meta's Messenger and Instagram Chats Back in 2019, Facebook (now known as Meta) announced the feature where cross-app communications are available to access, offering a way to use one app across its platforms for messaging. This included Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp to all work together and share messages with each other, with users allowed to create conversations with certain usernames. This rolled out in 2020, and it led to a mixed reception by the public. Later on, Meta allowed users to disconnect the cross-app feature between Messenger and Instagram via their iPhones, Androids, and computers to avoid confusion. While this was available before, users need to manually change their settings to disconnect the experience. However, it is a different story now, as Meta will do this automatically for users starting mid-December, and it will no longer allow users to create new conversations from people outside a specific app to message each other. Conversations done here will allow users to read the chat history available, and these will be left to access but remains unclear if it was because of the DMA. Related Article: Meta Legally Challenges FTC Over Privacy Settlement Expansion, Attempting to Halt Regulations 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In Ohio, health officials have noted a recent uptick in cases of pneumonia among children aged three to 14. This outbreak involves different pathogens like streptococcus pneumonia, adenovirus, and mycoplasma pneumonia, often referred to as white lung syndrome. (Photo : Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) WUHAN, CHINA - JANUARY 29: Chinese travelers wear protective masks before boarding a train before the annual Spring Festival at Wuhan railway station on January 29, 2021 in Wuhan, China. Unliking Ohio's White Lung Syndrom to China's Pneumonia Despite recent media comparisons, health officials have confirmed that the pediatric pneumonia outbreak, particularly mycoplasma pneumonia cases, in Ohio is not connected to China. Experts suggest that the strains observed by Ohio doctors are not spreading internationally. Interesting Engineering reported that mycoplasma pneumonia is a bacterial infection that leads to mild respiratory illnesses, showing symptoms like cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat, and headaches. From August onwards, the Warren County Health District has recorded 145 instances of pneumonia in children aged three to 14. In their initial announcement on Tuesday, the health district labeled the growing number of cases as an "outbreak" due to the higher-than-usual incidence. Health professionals indicated that this surge was anticipated as part of the flu season and might have been intensified by the relaxation of COVID restrictions. Clint Koenig, a family physician, and medical director at the Warren County Health Department, emphasized the absence of any evidence linking the outbreak to others within the state or internationally. Also Read: COVID-19 Patients Suffer from Deadly Silent Hypoxia Without Them Knowing Reported cases primarily involve streptococcus pneumonia, adenovirus, and mycoplasma pneumonia. In contrast, China has experienced cases of various respiratory illnesses, including influenza, rhinoviruses, and mycoplasma pneumonia. While mycoplasma pneumonia has been linked to an increase in pneumonia cases in both locations, there is no evidence indicating a direct connection between the outbreaks in China and Ohio. Pneumonia Cases in China Meanwhile, the mycoplasma pneumonia cases in China have contributed to a significant number of respiratory infections, reaching epidemic levels in Denmark. The Independent reported that by the end of last week, 541 new cases of mycoplasma pneumonia were recorded in Denmark. According to John Brownstein, a doctor at Boston Children's Hospital, despite the headlines from China, there is no indication of new viruses or bacteria spreading from country to country. He emphasized that this is typical seasonal bacterial and viral activity observed each year. ABC News reported that the Chinese Health Ministry has affirmed that the respiratory ailments observed in the nation are not new but rather familiar. Medical professionals recommend administering COVID-19 and flu vaccinations to children aged six months and older. Additionally, older adults, pregnant women, and infants under eight months can consider receiving an RSV vaccine for enhanced protection against severe illness. Pneumonia occurs when the lungs' air sacs fill with pus or fluid, causing pain. In COVID patients, 'silent hypoxia' can lead to undetected advanced pneumonia with alarmingly low oxygen levels. Normal oxygen levels are 94% to 100%, but COVID pneumonia patients may drop to 50%. Related Article: Concerns Rise Over Mysterious Pneumonia Outbreak in China: WHO Demands Details 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has provided valuable insights into the predatory behavior of "spider pulsars," a group of deceased stars, as they consume companion stars in their vicinity. The observation, focused on the globular cluster Omega Centauri, sheds light on the mechanisms through which these spider pulsars interact with their stellar companions. NASA on Spider Pulsars NASA noted that a pulsar is the dense core left behind when a massive star undergoes a gravitational collapse, forming a neutron star. Rapidly rotating neutron stars can emit radiation beams, similar to a lighthouse beam, creating pulsars. Some of these are millisecond pulsars and can spin at incredible speeds, ranging from dozens to hundreds of times per second. Spider pulsars represent a unique subtype of millisecond pulsars, earning their name from the havoc they wreak on smaller companion stars in orbit around them. The outer layers of these companion stars are systematically stripped away by energetic particle winds emanating from the spider pulsars. A recent discovery by astronomers using the Parkes and MeerKAT radio telescopes found 18 millisecond pulsars in Omega Centauri, located approximately 17,700 light-years from Earth. Subsequently, a pair of astronomers from the University of Alberta examined Chandra data of Omega Centauri to identify millisecond pulsars emitting X-rays. Five of the 11 X-ray-emitting millisecond pulsars were identified as spider pulsars that were concentrated near the cluster's center. The researchers extended their analysis by combining Omega Centauri data with Chandra observations of 26 spider pulsars across 12 other globular clusters. Read Also: NASA'S Hubble and Chandra Xray Revives a Dead Star Back to its Original Form Before its Violent Explosion Redback and Black Widow The spider pulsars were categorized into two types based on the size of the companion star being consumed: "Redback" spider pulsars target companions with a mass between a tenth and half of the sun, while "black widow" spider pulsars focus on companions with less than five percent of the sun's mass. The study revealed a distinct contrast between the two classes, with redback spider pulsars exhibiting higher X-ray brightness than black widows. This correlation between X-ray brightness and companion mass provides evidence that the mass of the companion influences the X-ray emission from spider pulsars. Chandra's detection of X-rays is believed to result from the collision of particle winds emanating from pulsars with the winds of matter blowing away from companion stars, generating shock waves similar to those produced by supersonic aircraft. The close proximity of spider pulsars to their companions, typically one to 14 times the distance between the Earth and the moon, contributes to the significant damage inflicted on companion stars by the energetic particles. According to NASA, this proximity aligns with theoretical models, indicating that more massive companion stars generate denser particle winds, resulting in stronger shocks and brighter X-rays when colliding with pulsar particles. The research team's findings were published in the December issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. They are also available in arXiv. Related Article: NASA's Chandra X-Ray Telescope Gives a Breathtaking Collection of Cosmic Bodies You Only See on Sci-Fi Movies 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Toyota has announced its ambitious plan to expand its lineup of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Europe, targeting the introduction of six dedicated BEV models by 2026. In its pursuit of zero emissions in the region, the automaker revealed two new concepts during its annual Kenshiki forum: a "close-to-production" Urban SUV and a Sport Crossover set to launch in Europe by 2025. Andrea Carlucci, Vice President at Toyota Motor Europe, shared insights at the forum, saying: "Looking at Europe specifically, the market today is highly diverse. But the target is 100% carbon neutrality by 2035 - in just 12 years' time. This is something we are committed to achieving." New EV Concepts of Toyota Toyota's global strategy for carbon neutrality involves a multipath approach, encompassing hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, battery electric and fuel cell electric systems, along with hydrogen combustion engines and e-fuels. In Europe, the focus is on expanding the BEV portfolio to meet the evolving market demands. Already on sale, the bZ4X and the Compact SUV concept from the previous year's forum represent the initial steps toward Toyota's commitment to six dedicated BEV models in Europe by 2026. The newly unveiled Urban SUV Concept, slated to enter a prominent BEV market segment, emphasizes authentic SUV design, offering customers the choice of all-wheel drive and two battery options based on their budget or range preferences, according to Toyota. In addition, Toyota presented the Sport Crossover Concept, which is scheduled for a 2025 debut in Europe. Distinguished by a fastback profile, this concept aims to bring a unique style to the BEV lineup. The automaker is also gearing up for the post-2026 era with next-generation technologies. A series of new batteries are in the pipeline, starting with a performance version designed for twice the driving range and a 20% cost reduction in contrast to the current bZ4X. Following this, Toyota plans to introduce a low-cost battery featuring a new shape, a bipolar structure, and cheaper lithium iron phosphate (LFP), aiming for a 20% range increase and a 40% cost reduction. The third battery in development will prioritize high performance, incorporating bipolar technologies and a high nickel cathode for even lower costs and an extended driving range. Read Also: Toyota Set to Begin Production of Next-Generation BEVs in 2026, Prioritizing Affordability and Performance Solid-State Battery Tech Looking further into the future, Toyota is making strides in solid-state battery technology, aiming for commercialization between 2027 and 2028, focusing on mass production and a charging time from 10 to 80% in just 10 minutes. The Kenshiki forum also showcased the Toyota FT-3e concept, a tech study exploring the possibilities of future BEVs, emphasizing reduced weight, enhanced aerodynamic performance, and cost control. The concept envisions cars playing a broader role in society by connecting with it and facilitating the transfer of energy and data. Related Article: Worksport Announces Tonneau Cover Availability for Chevrolet, Jeep, Dodge, RAM, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Kodiak Robotics has introduced its inaugural autonomous military prototype, a modified Ford F-150 pickup truck tailored to meet the US Department of Defense (DoD) requirements. The autonomous system, named the Kodiak Driver, has been seamlessly integrated into the vehicle, showcasing its adaptability for commercial and military applications. Kodiak's military prototype emphasizes the dual-use capabilities of autonomous technology, offering versatility in various operational conditions. All About the Kodiak Driver The Kodiak Driver is designed to navigate complex military environments, overcome challenges like degraded GPS, and handle challenging off-road terrains with obstacles such as rocks, dust, mud, and water. This adaptability ensures that military operations can continue remotely in almost any environment. The autonomous platform presented by Kodiak Robotics comprises all the essential autonomy hardware and software necessary for military ground vehicle operations. The Kodiak Driver not only addresses commercial on-road applications but also provides a solution for military scenarios. It allows remote operation of vehicles, enhancing mission options and technical superiority for the military while prioritizing personnel safety. One notable aspect of Kodiak's achievement is the rapid development of the military prototype, completed in less than six months. The efficiency is attributed to the modular and vehicle-agnostic nature of the autonomous system, demonstrating its adaptability across various vehicle types, from Class 8 trucks to pickups and next-generation combat vehicles. Read Also: France Successfully Test-Fires New M51.3 Long-Range Ballistic Missile in Effort to Boost Nuclear Deterrence DefensePods of Kodiak The vehicle runs on the same software utilized in Kodiak's autonomous long-haul trucks, incorporating DefensePods - a modified version of their modular SensorPods tailored for defense applications. Kodiak's DefensePods, described as the industry's sole hardened solution, ensure reliability, serviceability, and maintainability during ground missions. Built to maximize operational availability, these DefensePods can be easily maintained even in the field, requiring minimal training. According to Kodiak, this reliability is crucial in scenarios where every minute counts, potentially making a difference between life and death. The creation of these vehicles corresponds with the contract Kodiak received from the US Department of Defense in October 2022. The initiative aligns with the DoD's Software Acquisition Pathways strategy, enabling the independent acquisition of hardware and software solutions. This approach guarantees the procurement of the optimal combination of hardware and software customized to meet the specific requirements of the DoD. The assessment of the autonomous military prototype was initiated at a US military base in November 2023. Kodiak Robotics aims to incorporate the Kodiak Driver into various purpose-designed military vehicles, underscoring its dedication to progressing autonomous technology for national security. "The adaptability, speed, and potential for dual-use technology showcased by this project highlight the broader opportunities for the defense sector. Our commitment to advancing autonomous technology for national security represents a promising future for the collaboration between private and military sectors," Kodiak said in a statement. Related Article: UK Government's Defense AI Center Leads Innovative Hackathon for AI-Powered Responses to Bomb Threats 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems may be more susceptible to targeted malicious attacks than previously believed, according to a recent study. The research highlights the prevalence of vulnerabilities in AI tools, particularly in the face of adversarial attacks, wherein manipulated data is fed into the AI system to induce misguided decision-making, Tech Xplore reported. Adversarial Attacks on AI The study's co-author, Tianfu Wu, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University, explained the concern surrounding adversarial attacks. For instance, strategically placing a specific type of sticker on a stop sign could render it virtually invisible to an AI system, posing potential risks in scenarios like autonomous driving. The study emphasized the need to address these vulnerabilities, especially in applications with real-life consequences. The research team investigated the commonality of adversarial vulnerabilities in AI deep neural networks, revealing that these weaknesses are more widespread than previously thought. The study cited the exploitable nature of these vulnerabilities, enabling attackers to manipulate the AI system's interpretation of data to suit their intentions. Read Also: AI-Built Cancer Antibodies on the Horizon, Potentially Replacing Chemotherapy with AstraZeneca, Absci Collaboration Enter QuadAttacK Wu and his collaborators developed QuadAttacK, a software tool designed to assess deep neural networks for adversarial vulnerabilities. This tool monitors AI decision-making processes, learning how the system interprets data. QuadAttacK then manipulates data to gauge the AI system's response, identifying vulnerabilities and demonstrating how attackers could deceive the system. Surprisingly, the study found that widely used deep neural networks, including ResNet-50, DenseNet-121, ViT-B, and DEiT-S, are highly susceptible to adversarial attacks. The extent to which these attacks could be fine-tuned to manipulate AI systems was particularly notable, raising concerns about the robustness of AI in practical applications. QuadAttacK has been made publicly available to enable the broader research community to assess neural networks for vulnerabilities. While the study sheds light on the existing challenges, the next phase involves finding solutions to minimize these vulnerabilities. Wu acknowledges that potential solutions are in progress but await further results. "Basically, if you have a trained AI system, and you test it with clean data, the AI system will behave as predicted. QuadAttacK watches these operations and learns how the AI is making decisions related to the data," Wu said in a statement. "This allows QuadAttacK to determine how the data could be manipulated to fool the AI. QuadAttacK then begins sending manipulated data to the AI system to see how the AI responds. If QuadAttacK has identified a vulnerability it can quickly make the AI see whatever QuadAttacK wants it to see," he added. This study underscored the critical importance of enhancing AI systems' resilience against adversarial attacks, especially in applications where the reliability and safety of decisions impact human lives. "Now that we can better identify these vulnerabilities, the next step is to find ways to minimize those vulnerabilities. We already have some potential solutions-but the results of that work are still forthcoming," Wu noted. Related Article: What Happens When AI Is Asked to Create a Bomb? Study Reveals LLMs' Susceptibility to 'Jailbreaks' 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) recently suffered a serious breach when its official Facebook page was targeted by a cyber attack, which bombarded the platform with explicit content in the form of nude photos (via CNN Philippines). This development triggered an immediate response from authorities, with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) commencing a thorough investigation into the hacking incident. PCSO Facebook Page Hacked, Posts Nude Photos Confirming the incident, Alexander Ramos, the executive director of the Department of Information and Communications Technology - Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (DICT-CICC), underscored the gravity of the situation. Ramos affirmed the emergence of inappropriate content on the PCSO's Facebook page, signaling a potential malicious assault on the integrity of the organization's online presence. "There are nudities that have been posted on (PCSO's) Facebook. So it's probably a form of attack that we know if we can address it yet, but we sent people already to ensure the investigation would be properly conducted [Translated from Filipino]," Ramos stated. In response to the alarming breach, the PCSO took immediate action, temporarily deactivating its official Facebook page. The discovery of these inappropriate activities prompted the decision, signaling the urgency to delve deeper into the matter. Read Also: AI Systems Are More Prone to Malicious Attacks Than Previously Believed, Study Finds In an official advisory posted on the PCSO's website, the organization clarified, "This is to inform the public that the official Facebook page of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has been voluntarily and temporarily deactivated. PCSO has discovered inappropriate activities that require scrutiny and further investigation." During the investigative process, the PCSO also reassured the public of its commitment to maintaining transparency and providing accurate information by redirecting communications to its PCSO Games Online Hub Facebook page. The gravity of this cyber attack has prompted concerted efforts from governmental bodies. DICT Assistant Secretary Aboy Paraiso reiterated ongoing coordination with the PCSO in addressing this alarming breach. More Government Facebook Pages Targeted This alarming breach is not isolated. Similar instances have rocked governmental entities before, emphasizing a disturbing trend in cyber threats targeting official pages. The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) previously encountered a parallel cyber attack, where lewd photos surfaced on its Facebook page, attributed to malware aiming to tarnish the agency's reputation (via Inquirer.net). KWF Director General Marites Barrios-Taran explained the situation at the time, acknowledging the cyber assault as an attempt to besmirch their name. "KWF has been a victim of a cyber attack, specifically malware that is suspected of having entered the system to defame the name of the KWF by posting pictures that should not be found on the page and are not related to the official work of our office," Barrios-Taran conveyed. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Chinese Cybercriminals Launch SugarGh0st RAT Campaign to Attack South Korea, Uzbekistan 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Press Release December 4, 2023 SENATOR RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA PRIVILEGE SPEECH Bombing in Mindanao State University (MSU), Marawi City It was the Sunday of the Mindanao Week of Peace. And for the entire Catholic Church, it was the First Sunday of Advent. The first of four Sundays where we light candles as a symbol of hope and signal our preparedness to welcome the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, this should've-been joyous occasion for the faithful quickly became a day of sorrow. Magsisimba lang sana, Mr. President. Ngunit, ang naging kinahinatnan ay isang karahasang napakahirap tanggapin. Yesterday morning, at around 7:30 AM during the celebration of the mass at the Dimaporo gymnasium of the Mindanao State University, there was an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion, killing four (4) people, injuring forty-five (45) others. Please allow me to show you the barbaric act they committed inside my alma mater, the Mindanao State University. [Play video and show picture] The people who attended mass went to witness the lighting of a candle for Christmas. They did not expect that they would be lighting candles for the victims of this tragic event instead. I am sure that this august Chamber is one with me in expressing our heartfelt condolences to the families left behind, as well as our condemnation for this meaningless, barbaric, and cruel act. If the word 'unsuspecting' were ever to have an image equivalent, yesterday's incident would have captured it. 21-year old Chris Jurado recalls: "It was really sudden and everyone ran. When I looked behind me, people were lying on the floor. We didn't know what happened because everything happened so fast." Rowena Mae Fernandez, 19 years old, said she did not understand what happened, either, and then she saw others running, which made her run, too. We cannot even begin to imagine the shock and the trauma that our students and teachers are now going through. Unsuspecting - the students and teachers who gathered at the MSU gym to attend mass. Unsuspecting - their respective bereaved loved ones and families, who knew only that they were on their way to mass. Unsuspecting - the rest of the region, who, just hours before, was jolted by a series of strong earthquakes associated with the Philippine Trench. Kung sa bisaya pa, Mr. President, kinsa gud intawon ang magdahom? Who would expect and prepare for the worst, when all one intends to do is to take part in worship? No one, absolutely no one. But as I reflect on this heartbreaking attack, I realize: this is exactly the way of terrorism. To catch us off-guard, attack us when we least expect it. It is a betrayal of the most fundamental kind. It is an unforgivable act of violence, taking innocent lives without remorse, and in the insidious guise of a noble cause. Mr. President, it was also on this Senate floor when I recounted my experience when I was still the City Director of Davao City Police, wherein we had already caught two terrorists, but we had to let them go because under the law, time was not on our side. Only to discover that one of them, a Filipino, who joined the ISIS, had gone on to behead German nationals in Syria. We have come so far since then, Mr. President. Especially with the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. Kahit pa may ilang sumubok para mapawalang bisa ang batas na ito, nagpapasalamat tayo sa naging desisyon ng Korte Suprema kung saan binigyan nila ng importansya ang pagkakaroon natin ng bagong batas para pigilan at sugpuin ang terorismo. Pahintulutan ninyo ako na basahin ang ilang bahagi ng kanilang desisyon: "Terrorism is no ordinary crime. As emphasized, terrorism is not confined to a particular space and time, and is often shrouded by uncertainty and invisibility. Unlike a typical war where armed hostilities are clearly apparent, most terrorist activities, including training, financing, and other forms of preparation, involve months or even years of clandestine planning." "Terrorists have significantly improved their capabilities over time and expanded their vast resources which include, inter alia, sophisticated training and the addition of weapons of mass destruction in their arsenal. The pervasive problem of terrorism requires interventions that not only punishes an act when it is done but also anticipates risks to disrupt and pre-empt a terrorist act before irreversible harm is done, without sacrificing and undermining fundamental freedoms recognized in the Bill of Rights..." "Bearing in mind the immense responsibility of the government to protect its people and defend the State, the Court cannot simply disregard the realities on the ground and the complex problem of terrorism not only in the Philippines but also across the globe." The Supreme Court is correct, terrorism is a complex problem shrouded with uncertainty and invisibility. As terrorists try to strike fear [into] our hearts, they also attempt to threaten to destroy all that we have worked hard for. And when I say everything we have worked hard for, I do not just mean the passage of the Anti-Terror Law. I also mean the longstanding peace shared by both Muslims and Christians at MSU, Mr. President. This peace, this harmony, is what prevails on and off campus. Ako ang makakapag patunay, Mr. President, dahil ako mismo ay nakapag-aral doon sa MSU. I am a living, breathing witness: regardless of your religion, peace and love constitute the rule, rather than the exception, for all at MSU. This is how and why I am so certain that this is a terrorist attack. It is not rooted in any authentic acceptance of God and holiness. There can be no possible euphemism for it; it is an act of evil, plain and simple. The students and teachers of MSU consider the university as their second home. They consider this as their safe place for learning, shaping their dreams, and establishing lasting relationships. Sa pagsabog ng bomba sa gitna ng kanilang gymnasium, kung saan idinaraos ang kanilang mga masasayang school activities, nawala ang kanilang sense of security sa kanilang pangalawang tahanan. Ngayon, bunsod ng trauma at pag-aalala sanhi ng terrorist act na kanilang naranasan, nagsimula na pong lisanin ng mga estudyante ng MSU ang kanilang pinakamamahal na pamantasan na kumupkop sa kanila at naging bahagi ng kanilang pang-araw-araw na buhay. In the face of evil, then, we cannot be found idle, doing nothing. In the aftermath of the bombing incident, the divine call for our collective solidarity and unwavering resilience resound even louder. I urge the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to keep doing what they do best - protect our people. I implore you to ensure, as much as you can, that such acts of terror will be stopped. If your preliminary investigations are correct and this is indeed a retaliation to the work that you have been doing, particularly against the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group, I understand that you may be afraid of what else may happen. Nevertheless, may our love for our country always be greater than our fear. I urge our Local Government Units to keep an extra watchful eye on your jurisdictions and on your constituents. You are the partners of our military and law enforcement personnel. Huwag po tayong panghinaan ng loob. Let us stay vigilant for the sake of our people. I urge the nation: pray, do not lose faith. Alam niyo po, Ginoong Pangulo, ang nasabing pagsabog ay nangyari pagkatapos ng Kyrie (kee-ree-yeh). For those of us who are unfamiliar with it, this is the part that comes before the First Reading, the part where the Congregation asks God for His pardon and mercy. Nakahingi muna sila ng kapatawaran, Mr. President. And this is the part of the story that sends chills down my spine - while the victims were killed in an unforgivable act of terrorism, and despite the seeming darkness of the situation, the light of forgiveness and mercy is still ever present. I am not one to preach, but I would like to believe that this, in itself, was a miracle, from which we can still draw hope to go on. Kung kaya, sa ating lahat, tayo'y patuloy pa rin na magtiwala at manalig. Terrorists succeed only if we allow ourselves to be paralyzed by the terror they sow. It is our togetherness and unity in this time of sorrow that will send a clear message to the perpetrators: they have failed - we are not afraid. Let us not allow terror to reign. Let us look, instead, to the way of peace, the same peace that the students, teachers, and administrators of the Mindanao State University (MSU), as well as the entire Mindanao, have nurtured over the years. And in doing so, may we always let this peace prevail. Candles bring light in the dark. It symbolizes hope that something better awaits every one of us. We will not forget the true meaning and purpose of lighting the candle wreath. It is the birth of Jesus, a sign of God's love and commitment to mankind. As we light candles for the souls of the victims of this horrific incident, let them be symbols of our solidarity; let them be symbols of our commitment to the victims and their family that the government will shed light on the cause of this unfortunate tragedy and hold accountable those who perpetrated this terroristic act. Daghang salamat, Mr. President. Former Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, who is a candidate for the post of NATO Secretary General, said that Kyiv's partners have already made a decision on Ukraine's accession to NATO. Now it is only a matter of specifying the steps towards this goal. ADVERTISIMENT Moreover, these steps should be taken not only by Ukraine, but also by representatives of the Bloc. The Latvian politician said this in an interview with Channel 24. "As individual member states, we are currently providing military assistance to Ukraine. Perhaps, as an Alliance, we could do it more actively. This is one nuance. The second is that there are different requirements to join NATO," he said. Thus, according to Karins, NATO members should focus in Washington on concrete steps that can be taken right now. They have already partially determined what will happen next, and now it is time to specify the actions that will help achieve this goal. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Karins, is ready to take part in the competition for the post of NATO Secretary General after Stoltenberg's term of office is confirmed in 2024. The Latvian official, according to him, will contribute to the alliance thanks to his experience in leadership as prime minister, a clear understanding of the threat from Russia, a firm position on Ukraine, and proven experience in building international consensus. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Eleven kilometers into the depths: China says it wants to drill into the Earth's mantle with a special ship According to the study, crocodiles are romantic lovers and speak a "language of love" Five New Restaurants and Travelers Who Are Going to Be Very Familiar This Year Mantequeria Bermejo, the centennial trade that has gone viral for a few horns Google will probably fail with lawsuit against billions in fine from the European Union Why is South Africa's complaint against Israel before the Court of Justice the most important of all? 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Sergio Herrera: "If the opponent's crowd hesitates me, I bite them, I laugh... Someone has told me 'you're the dumbest guy in the league.'" The mystery of asthmatic champions: Why do 20% of athletes have respiratory problems? The Ministry of Finance of Russia will sell currency and gold for 69,1 billion rubles The government now justifies the pact with Junts on the exit of companies "to avoid fiscal engineering" from which they left Planas rules out lowering taxes on more foods and encourages the 'super' to lower the price of oil from now on Cottbus: Olaf Scholz is greeted by farmers' protests at the opening of the railway plant Bitcoin: Is it possible and recommended to invest via funds? The "dragon content" of the e-commerce platform has surged, and the atmosphere has not yet been full Train tickets for the first day of the Spring Festival are open today, and the rules have changed! Grifols is not convincing: there are no concrete explanations for analysts and the stock is once again plummeting China-Malaysia Relations Upgraded Again Expert: Equal cooperation sets an example for countries in the region "Hunter's skills came in handy": a 59-year-old resident of Bashkortostan went to the NWO after his son Through the fence openings. How did tweeters comment on Egyptians' solidarity with displaced people in Gaza? Slutsky: US support for the seizure of Russia's assets will set up the European Union While Israel's aggression on Gaza continues. What are the highlights of the world today? How do I know if I'm pregnant No. 1? What are the top 10 questions that Arabs searched for in Google in 2023? Chinese authorities announce the dismantling of the encryption of the "Airdrop" service from "Apple" US Treasury: new anti-Russian sanctions imposed on two companies and three aircraft A resident of the Rostov region was convicted in the case of attempted treason The first train has rolled into the food giant's large warehouse in Kjula to supply the whole country with goods Shocking news: Parts of the hospital in Kiruna must be evacuated into modules The Campo de Gibraltar applies a "drastic drop" in water pressure that leads to cuts during the night After the withdrawal of the occupation. Al-Duwairi reveals the contours of the next phase of the Gaza war Qatar Charity launches two projects in the name of the martyrs Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya Aqaba summit calls for cessation of Israeli aggression and warns of the seriousness of the situation in the West Bank Israeli writer: Our borders will extend and we will take Mecca, Medina and Mount Sinai Hamas: We will not allow the occupation and its supporters to interfere in the future of the Gaza Strip Russia has told Ecuador that the transfer of its equipment to the United States would be an unfriendly step Communities 2019 - Privacy 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. TheRussian Federation is trying to rebuild its military capabilities despite the war against Ukraine. This poses a threat to NATO, particularly to the Baltic states. ADVERTISIMENT This opinion was voiced by German Lieutenant General Jurgen-Joachim von Sandrart, commander of the North-East Multinational Corps based in Szczecin, Poland. He spoke about military threats in an interview with LRT.lt. He emphasized that the most likely enemy for the Baltic region is Russia. "NATO acts as a defensive alliance and does not pose a threat to Russia, but NATO will respond if the threat from Russia leads to an offensive operation, a kind of invasion or violation of our integrity," the military warned. He called the Suwalki corridor a key territory, which, from Moscow's point of view, is an obstacle on the way to connecting Kaliningrad with mainland Russia. The North Atlantic Alliance must ensure reliable protection of this territory. The lieutenant general was asked to comment on the words of Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis that the aggressor country is mobilizing its resources against NATO. "Do you agree with this assessment?" the journalist asked. ADVERTISIMENT "What he said is not a surprise, and it is common knowledge," Jurgen-Joachim von Sandrart replied. He emphasized that Moscow itself has announced that it will restore its military capabilities and capacities. "Russia is currently largely committed to its illegal war against Ukraine, but it has already started and will continue to rebuild its capabilities separately from the war in Ukraine, and this poses an increased threat to the Baltic Sea region," the NATO military said. He is confident that time will be of the essence. "That is why our defense preparations and readiness must be faster than Russia's recovery," the lieutenant general said. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA previously reported: - Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has once again lashed out with accusations and threats against NATO member Latvia. The reason for the hysteria was the alleged "oppression of the Russian-speaking population." - Not so long ago, Putin urgently signed a decree to increase the number of the Russian occupation army by 170,000 people. According to analysts, this decision is a formal recognition of the current final strength of the Russian Armed Forces. - In addition, the Kremlin fears new "threats" from NATO as it continues its invasion of Ukraine. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will be invited to the G20 summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2024. However, he did not directly answer the question of whether the Russian president, whose arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court, would be detained. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, Lula da Silva noted that the Kremlin leader will have to "assess the consequences" of his visit, because he "knows what can happen." The politician said this during a briefing in Berlin on Monday, December 5, Terra reports. As reported by OBOZ.UA, earlier Brazil said that it was considering withdrawing from the ICC in The Hague. According to the Minister of Justice and Public Security, a number of "important" countries have not joined the ICC, so Brazil may reconsider its attitude to this agreement. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} As President Joe Biden likes to remind anyone who will listen, This is not your grandfathers Republican Party. That has never been more evident than when examining the way the 2024 Republican presidential candidates approach the topic of Ukraine. Support for Ukraine is dividing the GOP field. Several candidates believe the US should continue to support the war effort a stance that adheres to more traditional Republican foreign policy beliefs. For years, leaders in the GOP like George W Bush sounded alarms about Russia and supported Nato membership for Ukraine. But in more recent years, notably under former president Donald Trump, modern conservatives have embraced isolationism. A number of other Republican candidates, including Mr Trump the current frontrunner, have expressed support for this. This is a rundown of what the GOP presidential candidates have said about Ukraine Donald Trump While president, Donald Trump tried to pressure Volodymyr Zelensky into announcing an investigation into the Biden family (AFP via Getty Images) While president, Mr Trump attempted to withhold military assistance to Ukraine to get Ukrainian Preisdent Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into Mr Biden, who Mr Trump saw as his main rival in 2020. During an infamous press conference in Helsinki, Finland, Mr Trump sided with Mr Putin when asked if he believed Russia had interfered in the 2016 US election, as outlined by the US intelligence community. More recently, Mr Trump has argued that all aid to Ukraine should be put on pause until federal agencies provide evidence regarding what he claimed were corrupt business dealings by Mr Biden and his son. During a July rally in Pennsylvania, Mr Trump argued that Mr Biden was dragging the US into the war. The US Congress should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles until the FBI, [Department of Justice] and [Internal Revenue Service] hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime familys corrupt business dealings, Mr Trump said in reference to what Republicans have claimed are allegations of bribery against Mr Biden. The GOP has been unable to provide any evidence of the supposed scheme. Mr Trump appeared on Fox News in March, saying that he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours with Zelensky and with Putin. And theres a very easy negotiation to take place. But I dont want to tell you what it is because then I cant use that negotiation itll never work. But its a very easy negotiation to take place. I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them. Now thats a year and a half. Thats a long time. I cant imagine something not happening, he added. The key is the war has to stop now because Ukraine is being obliterated. Mr Trump has also been ambivalent about his support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato). While president he equivocated over whether he would back Article V, which states that an attack on any one of the defence pacts 31 members constituted an attack on all of them. The article has only been invoked once, by the US following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. He is also reported to have wanted to pull the US out of Nato. Ron DeSantis Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was forced to walk back his initial dismissive comments about the conflict (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) The Florida governor does not believe the US should be involved in Ukraine but walked back his comments calling the war a territorial dispute. In March, Mr DeSantis called the war a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia and said it should not be one of the USs national interests to get involved. He faced backlash for diminishing the severity of the war and later clarified that he was only referring to the fighting in Donbas and Crimea when he called it a dispute. Since then, Mr DeSantis has steered away from making too many comments on the war. In April, he said he supported a ceasefire, saying its in everybodys interest. He told the Japanese English-language weekly Nikkei Asia that You dont want to end up in like a [Battle of] Verdun situation, where you just have mass casualties, mass expense and end up with a stalemate. During debates, hes made it clear he would not support sending US troops to Ukraine. Vivek Ramaswamy Vivek Ramaswamy has sought to link the war to the presidents son (Getty Images) Mr Ramaswamy opposes the US intervening in Ukraine, has suggested Ukraine should concede territory to Russia and made mocking remarks about President Volodymyr Zelensky. Of the candidates, Mr Ramaswamy has displayed the most anti-Ukraine rhetoric calling the country anti-democratic. In August, the tech entrepreneur suggested that the US is aiding Ukraine because of Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings a reference to unsubstantiated allegations made by congressional Republicans. He suggested Russia and Ukraine should make an agreement to end the war one in which Ukraine would make major concessions to Mr Putin by handing over the eastern Donbas regions and blocking Ukraine from joining Nato. I dont think it is preferable for Russia to be able to invade a sovereign country that is its neighbour, but I think the job of the US president is to look after American interests, Mr Ramaswamy told ABC News. During the third GOP debate in November, Mr Ramaswamy referred to Mr Zelensky as a comedian in cargo pants and mocked the Ukrainian president for allegedly celebrating a Nazi. The reference was to an incident in September where Mr Zelensky applauded for a Ukrainian-Canadian veteran who was later found to have served in a Nazi-aligned military unit during World War II. Mr Zelensky, who is Jewish, lost family members during the Holocaust. Nikki Haley Nikki Haley says supporting Ukraines defence of its homeland also sends a start message to China over its threats to Taiwan (Getty Images) The former UN ambassador believes it is in the USs best interest to support Ukraine. A win for Ukraine is a win for all of us because tyrants tell us exactly what theyre going to do, she said on CNN. Ms Haley has said that a Ukrainian victory would send a broader message to warn China about attacking Taiwan, that it would push Iran to not build nuclear weapons, and urge North Korea to move away from ballistic missile testing. She has been critical of Mr Bidens slow and weak reaction to helping Ukraine. Chris Christie Chris Christie meeting Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv (via REUTERS) Mr Christie supports sending US military aid to Ukraine and visited the country earlier this year. Like Ms Haley, Mr Christie believes it is in the USs best interest to support Ukraine. None of us like the idea that theres a war going on and that were supporting it, but the alternative is for the Chinese to take over, the Russians, the Iranians and the North Koreans, the former New Jersey governor said on CNN. He noted that some kind of compromise with Russia may be required at some point and that the US should be part of the negotiations at a time when Ukraine can protect the land thats been taken by Russia in this latest incursion. He argued that Mr Trump set the groundwork for the invasion and echoed 2016 comments by former Secretary of State and then-Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, calling him Putins puppet. He compared Mr DeSantis to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who unsuccessfully attempted to appease Adolf Hitler ahead of the Second World War. Asa Hutchinson Asa Hutchinson, US Republican presidential hopeful, speaks during his Fair Side Chat at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 15, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) The former Arkansas governor said on CNN last year that it would be a mistake to withdraw funding for Ukraine in this extraordinary fight against Russia and Russias aggression against the sovereign territory of Ukraine. Im very much supportive of Ukraine. I believe theyre fighting a battle that helps reflect a free Europe, he added. He has also said that the US should help Ukraine win quickly, according to Politico. He called Mr DeSantis naive for suggesting the US doesnt have a vital interest in the conflict. The GOP needs to have leaders who understand the importance of the strength of America and our utilization of that strength in the cause of freedom, he said. To dismiss this as something unimportant to the security of the United States is naive and not in our historic traditions, he told McClatchy. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville ended his blockade on more than 400 military promotions on Tuesday as he continues to battle the Department of Defense over abortion policy. The Republican senator had spent months earning his colleagues ire with the hold, which had prevented military promotions from being confirmed via voice vote in the Senate, per tradition. Such promotions have never been politicised before, and Senate leaders had vehemently opposed Mr Tuberville using them as a bargaining chip. On Tuesday, more than 400 promotions sailed through the upper chamber after Mr Tubervilles decision was announced. Now, he will only continue his hold for four-star generals and above, meaning that only top military brass will be directly affected by his blockade. The senator impulsively scheduled then cancelled a press conference to address the issue on Tuesday; instead, he confirmed the shift in his policy to fellow Republican senators at lunch and reporters afterward. He told reporters outside the Capitol that he and the administration had reached a draw, with neither side winning a real victory. It was pretty much a draw. They didnt get what they wanted. We didnt get what we wanted, the senator explained. Im releasing everybody. Ive still got a hold on I think, 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released from me...Its over. Senate Democrats, meanwhile, told reporters that they would resume voice votes on promotions quickly, and did so just hours later. The Department of Defense had lambasted Mr Tubervilles hold on promotions, a rare step into party politics for the nations military leadership. For someone who was born in a communist country, I would have never imagined that actually one of our own senators would actually be aiding and abetting communists and other autocratic regimes around the world, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said in a scathing CNN interview. For months, the senator has sought to use military promotions as a means of pressuring the Biden administration to drop a policy allowing service members to be refunded by the government for any travel and lodging they require in order to seek abortion services should they be stationed in an area where such services cannot be readily obtained. That policy was put in place by the White House last year after the Supreme Court tossed out precedent protecting abortion rights in Dobbs vs Jackson Womens Health. White House and DoD officials refused to relent, however, and Mr Tuberville instead found himself accused by members of his own party of hurting military readiness at a time of global crisis. He even took heat from fellow Senate Republicans including Mitch McConnell and Dan Sullivan. Now, it looks like any chance of forcing the administration to drop the policy may have vanished. Mr Tubervilles continued hold is not likely to elicit movement from the administration going forward, particularly given his decision to narrow his blockade to four-star generals only. In the end, it may end up being little more than a temporary political stunt; how long it continues from here is likely up to Senate Republican leaders. After 10 months of undermining military readiness and the morale of our troops, Senator Tuberville of Alabama has finally lifted his politically motivated hold on hundreds of military nominations, President Joe Biden said in a statement Tuesday evening. 425 highly-qualified, patriotic military leaders have now been confirmed by the Senate to perform their duties as they fulfill their sacred oath to keep our country safe. These confirmations are long overdue, and should never have been held up in the first place. The president continued: Our service members are the backbone of our country and deserve to receive the pay and promotions they have earned. In the end, this was all pointless. Senator Tuberville, and the Republicans who stood with him, needlessly hurt hundreds of servicemembers and military families and threatened our national security all to push a partisan agenda. I hope no one forgets what he did. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has once again emphasized that the aggressor country of Russia must not be allowed to make progress on the battlefield in Ukraine. To this end, the United States Congress must take responsibility and approve the request for funding for military assistance for our country. ADVERTISIMENT The statement was made on December 4 by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan,Ukrinform reports. He emphasized that it is better for Congress not to ignore the lessons of history. "Now it's up to Congress. Congress must decide whether to continue to support Ukraine's fight for freedom as part of the 50-nation coalition that President Biden has created. Or whether Congress will ignore the lessons we have learned from history and allow Putin to win," the White House official said. He emphasized that every congressman who opposes the allocation of additional aid to Ukraine is supporting Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Every vote against supporting Ukraine is a vote for strengthening the advantage of the terrorist country of Russia and its leader. "We hope that Congress will make the right choice on a bipartisan basis," Sullivan said. ADVERTISIMENT "We are talking about President Biden's request for additional funding, which, among other things, includes assistance to Ukraine. Its approval will not only help our country counter Russian aggression, but will also help strengthen U.S. national security, the advisor to the American leader said. As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the White House and the U.S. Department of State have once again urged Congress not to delay the approval of Joe Biden's request for additional funding for Ukraine. Currently, the US government relies on the remaining PDA funds, but the funds are more than 97% exhausted. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Ali Moore will continue into 2024 as the Melbourne Drive host on ABC Radio after filling in following Rafael Epsteins move to the morning slot in September. Long-time host Trevor Chappell will remain at the helm of Victorian Afternoons show and comedian, musician and author Sammy J will return to a five-day schedule, leaving the broadcasters Melbourne station relatively untouched after a slew of changes in Sydney last week. Moore and Chappell were appointed to their roles in September until the end of the year, but will now get the gigs full-time, eight months after the ABC began its extensive review into its local radio services. Ali Moore has landed the drive gig full-time. Credit: Justin McManus In the most recent radio survey from data analytics firm GfK, ABC Melbourne held the highest overall audience share of the five metro stations, at 8 per cent, up 0.6 points on the previous survey. 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 A long time ago, when I was in my 20s, billboards began springing up around Melbourne showing a giant, long-legged, raven-haired woman seductively dressed in a black bra, stockings and heels. The woman looked ready to pounce, a power tool in one hand, a tiny man squashed under the other, and more tiny men hanging from her belt like prey. Behind her in huge capital letters were the words: Maria Kozic Is Bitch. Not is a bitch, mind you, but is bitch a masterstroke of nuance. Maria Kozic, whoever she was, was defiantly owning her bitch-hood. Ive never forgotten those billboards they were confusing, mesmerising, stunning and confronting. It was thrilling, too, to see a non-Anglo name and face up in lights. In 1990, it all seemed so transgressive. Thirty-three years on and Im speaking via Zoom with the creator and star of those billboards, telling her how weirdly powerful her bitch posters seemed to me as a young woman. Its so nice that youve said that, she says. I wanted it to be something that affected people, and have people take notice of. They took notice all right. Some of the posters were vandalised, graffitied with choice obscenities such as slut. The graffiti delighted Kozic, who made a point of photographing it. Did they see all the guys hanging around my belt? They should have been careful, she says, laughing. These days Kozic lives in New York, having left Melbourne in 1996. Now in her 60s, she has lost none of her rage about the treatment of women. Were here to talk about her Calendar Girl series, a suite of 12 paintings that confront the everyday violence perpetrated against women. The series, which has not been exhibited in its entirety since it was first shown in Melbourne in 1999, is a centrepiece of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Arts ambitious summer exhibition, From the other side, which opens on December 9. Featuring the work of 19 artists, including celebrated Australian artist Tracey Moffatt and French-American great Louise Bourgeois, the exhibition takes as its central theme the idea of the monstrous feminine. The concept of the woman as monster has fascinated people throughout history, in ancient legends such as those of Medusa, Medea, and the Sirens, to contemporary tales of witches, hags, shapeshifters, femme fatales, vampires and monstrous mothers. Advertisement In developing the exhibition, curators Elyse Goldfinch and Jessica Clark (a Palawa woman who is currently Yalingwa curator at ACCA) were influenced by Australian film critic and academic Barbara Creed, who coined the idea of the monstrous feminine in a 1986 Screen magazine article and expanded upon it in her classic text The Monstrous Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis (1993). Creed has just released an updated version of the book Return of the Monstrous-Feminine: Feminist New Wave Cinema in which she explores a resurgence of horror films by a new generation of filmmakers, primarily women, who are reclaiming the genre and making monstrousness a force for change. Drawing on Creeds ideas, From the other side presents and embraces the perspectives of those considered other women, First Nations communities, people of colour and gender-diverse communities; those that challenge the patriarchal and symbolic order, as curator Jessica Clark writes in the catalogue. Maria Kozics Miss May (left) and Miss March, from the Calendar Girls series, 1999. Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Neon Parc Melbourne Kozic is a fitting choice for the exhibition. She has long used horror in her work, often spicing it with humour. A fan of horror movies since childhood, she has always sided with the old-time monsters the creature from the black lagoon is a favourite whom she sees as kindred spirits. Theyre the outsiders, they get trodden on, they get chased after, and the bunch of town nuts go after them because they dont look exactly like them. Kozics bitch posters referenced imagery from the 1958 horror film Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, and used it to subvert the advertising worlds exploitation of the female body as a selling tool. In Calendar Girls, she takes on the calendars of naked or near-naked women that were once casually displayed in work spaces. Calendar Girls fit into the horror theme of the exhibition as they are dealing with the horror of what women go through continuously, Kozic tells me. Advertisement Her slim, gorgeous, smiley calendar girls pose in cliched style, but all is not right. Miss Marchs face is criss-crossed with cuts. Miss May conceals a beaten, bloody eye. Miss Junes dazzling smile deflects attention from her scarred wrists. Miss July evokes Botticellis Venus, except theres a long red slash between her breasts. Its distressing to learn that these paintings stem from personal experience. Loading I dont really want to get into it, but it was from direct trauma, Kozic says of the series. I was working through that trauma by doing those paintings. She hastens to add that its never just about yourself. Twenty-four years after they were created, Kozics Calendar Girls remain tragically relevant. According to the United Nations, almost one in three women globally are subjected to physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. But what can art possibly do about any of this? Creed, following feminist critic Julia Kristeva, argues that art and film, like literature, offer small but nonetheless important forms of intimate revolt. Certainly for Kozic, watching horror films is a balm to anxiety, a form of catharsis. I like to be there fighting for sanity and survival, she says. Her words recall those of Bourgeois, who once said that art is a guarantee of sanity. Advertisement An exhibition about the monstrous feminine would be incomplete without the late Bourgeois, and ACCA has three of her prints in the show: Untitled (Safety Pins) (1991), Arched Figure (1993) and, significantly, Spider (1995). Spiders are recurring images in Bourgeois art: creatures protective and threatening, loving and angry, symbolic of the mother, specifically her own; Josephine, a talented tapestry restorer, ran the family business while tolerating her husbands affairs. Mia Boe with one of her works for From the other side. Credit: Simon Schluter From a younger generation of artists, 26-year-old Melbourne-based Mia Boe was unsure at first how to respond to the exhibition brief, which was a departure from her usual work in which she explores themes of inheritance and disinheritance related to her Burmese and Butchulla ancestry. When I think of horror I think of slasher movies and gore, and I was getting really lost, Boe says. How do I make this relevant to what Ive been thinking about, and the things that scare me? Loading For inspiration, Boe turned to two classics of Australian cinema, Walkabout and Wake in Fright, both made in 1971 and brimming with psychological horror and white peoples discomfort in the intense Australian landscape. Wake in Fright is a disturbing depiction of the outback, predominantly set in the fictional mining town of Bundanyabba (in reality, filmed in Broken Hill). The film follows the travails of an urbane young teacher who becomes ensnared in The Yabbas monstrously masculine world of gambling, alcohol abuse and physical and sexual violence. At one of the first screenings, a man reportedly stood up and protested thats not us to which Jack Thompson, who plays the rough and tumble Dick in the film, responded sit down, mate, it is us. For Boe, the films depiction of men losing control remains frightening and relevant. Especially for women and people of colour, going into these rural areas, you do feel uneasy and there is this unspoken sense of anxiety and danger in these isolated areas, she says. Advertisement Walkabout, with its scenes of hallucinatory beauty and horror, is a poignant exploration of a seemingly unbridgeable clash of cultures. David Gulpilil plays an adolescent Indigenous boy who comes across two white siblings, a young boy and his teenage sister, who are lost in the desert. Gulpilils character lives in harmony with the land; he finds water and hunts food for the siblings, and brings them to shelter. He saves their lives, but his generosity is dismissed in the films harrowing final scenes. The mesmerising courtship-like dance he performs for the girl is met with fear and rejection. Boe has chosen two climactic scenes from the films, digitally manipulated them and titled them A Desolate Primitive Place and I Suspect. The scenes are displayed in lightboxes, giving them an added potency. I wanted to heighten the feeling of the uncanny and non-obvious horror of the films, Boe says. She has inserted herself into the narrative, painting a small self-portrait onto the lightboxes as though she is quietly observing these unnerving visions of Australia that continue to resonate. Tasmanian artist Heather B. Swann has created three new works for the exhibition, and when I visit her Hobart studio, she is chiselling away at a sculpture of a naked female figure that is part of an installation titled The Three Sisters. My eye is drawn to the figures breasts glass eyes of crystal blue stare back where nipples should be. Heather B. Swann, The Three Sisters, 2023 (detail). Credit: Courtesy of the artist Whos going to be able to look at anyones breasts again without seeing eyes in them? Swann says, and we crack up with laughter. I mean, thats probably a little bit grand of me, but I like to think that it will play out in some peoples minds for a while. The monstrous feminine is a loaded term, she says, and shes having fun loading it up. Advertisement Overall, the latest PISA results the first since the COVID-19 pandemic show the nations education system has stagnated since the last report was released in 2019. Australia was now below only nine other countries in mathematics compared with 22 in 2018 and eight for science and reading, De Bortoli said. Those countries include Singapore, Macao, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Estonia and Canada. It was above the OECD average for all subjects including maths after failing to exceed the figure in 2018. But De Bortoli said the OECD average for both maths and reading had fallen significantly. While its encouraging that Australias results have stabilised, its important to recognise that our position in the top 10 is largely due to the performance of other countries dropping below ours, she said. Weve got almost half of our 15-year-olds, theyre treading water in terms of having those elementary skills that theyre expected to have at an age when they should be swimming. Andreas Schleicher, OECD director for education and skills, pointed to Ireland as one country that had outperformed Australia over time because teaching was a prestigious profession, and they had less focus on class size. When it came to high performing Asian countries, Schleicher said there was less freedom for the teacher to interpret the curriculum, and parent involvement in education varied. One of the factors that may have contributed to Australias long-term slide is the loss in [the academic] demand on students Its become easier for students to be successful, and thats not what you see in East Asia. High performing systems take [parents] as co-constructors of learning opportunity. Theyre very active in making sure that parents do play their part. Loading Schleicher said students who report feeling anxious without devices near them have lower maths results, and that school-wide bans on smartphones at school was the only effective way to reduce technology distraction in the classroom. The latest results show more than 40 per cent of Australian students in the lowest socioeconomic quartile were low performers in maths. About 12 per cent of Australian students performed at a high level in mathematics, compared with Singapores 41 per cent. Students from the lowest socioeconomic background are six times more likely to be low performers than their more advantaged peers, De Bortoli said. We also have 10 per cent more low-performing students compared to when testing began in 2000. Every child should have the right to develop strong literacy and numeracy skills, and the data shows we arent doing that, she said. Australias students are now the equivalent of about four school years behind in maths compared with students in the worlds top-performing country, Singapore, and almost three behind in science and more than two in reading. PISA is normally held every three years to test the higher-order thinking skills of 15-year-olds. In 2022, tests were taken by about 690,000 students from 81 countries, including 13,437 from Australia. Australian students performance has fallen over past two decades, with maths dropping 37 points since 2003, science falling 20 points since 2006 and reading down 30 points since 2000. De Bertoli said 20 points is roughly equal to one year of learning. Australian girls suffered their biggest drop in reading, falling half an academic year behind compared to their peers who sat the test in 2018. Just over half achieved the national proficient standard: 51 per cent in maths, 58 per cent in science and 57 per cent in reading. Students of migrants and those born in other countries outperformed Australian-born students in maths and reading. In both those domains, there were fewer Australian-born than foreign-born children who achieved national proficient standard. When school and student-level socioeconomic background is factored in, both independent and government schools perform better than Catholic schools in maths and science. For reading, results showed there was no advantage for independent students, but government students performed better than Catholic students. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the results highlighted the need to fix the funding and education gap in Australian schools. Students from poor families, Indigenous students and students from the regional areas are more likely to need additional support, he said. The PISA assessment highlights that Australia has a good education system, but it can be a lot better and fairer. Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe said government funding for public schools had increased by 17 per cent between 2012 and 2021 but funding for private schools had risen by double that amount in the same time. Unacceptable achievement gaps between students from different backgrounds and locations are a clear reminder we dont have an equitable education system that can meet the needs of every child, Haythorpe said. Glenn Fahey, research fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies, said the halt to a long-term slide in international rankings may bring some relief, but theres also no cause for a victory lap. Almost half of Australias 15-year-old students are failing to achieve national standards in key areas of maths, science and reading, and the nation is now more than four years behind the worlds top-performing jurisdiction in maths. In Victoria, the proportion of low performers in maths, who lack the skills and knowledge needed to adequately participate in the workforce, has hit 26 per cent the highest figure in the states history. The latest OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results the first since the COVID-19 pandemic show Australia has regained its place in the international top 10 for the first time since 2003, but testing authorities say this is largely due to the decline of other countries, rather than local improvement. Singapore was the highest-performing country in all subject areas in 2022, with a mean score of 575 points in maths, 561 in science and 543 in reading, compared with Australias 487, 507 and 498. Alleged Alameddine crime figure Masood Zakaria has landed in Sydney two years after he allegedly fled Australia on a fishing boat and entered Turkey. The 28-year-old was allegedly involved in the failed murder plot of rival kingpin Ibrahem Hamze in 2021, as well as commercial drug supply. Zakaria allegedly fled to Turkey early last year while being investigated by police for multiple charges. He arrived at Sydney Airport on Tuesday night after being arrested by Turkish police this year, flying to Darwin before being extradited to NSW. Several police officers escorted Zakaria from the plane about 6pm into police custody. He smiled as reporters asked him questions. He will face Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday. Forty-four years ago, Joseph Stipich saw his friend Vjekoslav Brajkovic sitting in a Sydney court dock with a bloody bruise over his forehead, swollen eyes, and a red face; he looked to have been beaten around the head, possibly by NSW Police. Both were there because they had been arrested by the forces powerful Criminal Investigation Branch now notorious for having been infiltrated by corrupt detectives and charged with planning a series of bombings around Sydney. Vjekoslav Brajkovic arrives at the Croatian Six inquiry at the Chief Secretarys building Credit: Dylan Coker Both argue they were framed. Only Stipich was able to establish doubt amid the 1980s incredulity that dozens of police could be complicit in a lie, and only then because detectives said they found a detonator in a desk drawer that did not exist. On Tuesday, the two men originally brought together by their shared opposition to Yugoslavias repressive communist regime were reunited in another Sydney court. Lawyers for South Africa asked judges at Thursdays hearings to impose binding preliminary orders on Israel, including an immediate halt to military campaign in Gaza as it reached its 97th day. South African lawyers said the latest Gaza war is part of a decades-long oppression of the Palestinians by Israel. Dealing with hostility Its unfortunate that Jacinta Nampijinpa Price did not have the courage of her convictions on the matter of the referendum, as she refused many interviews (Price rejected 52 requests to speak on ABC about Voice, 5/12). Nor apparently did others from the No campaign. She says she was afraid of a hostile interviewer. First Nations people could give some tips on dealing with hostility, which they have experienced since settlement. To a much lesser extent, supporters of the Yes campaign experienced high levels of hostility too. Jan Marshall, Brighton Rightly rejected One can only commend Senator Jacinta Price for her many rejections for interviews with journalists from the ABC. Even though our national carrier is supposed to be apolitical, Price has learnt the organisation is anything but. Barrie Dempster, Balwyn Favoured networks Jacinta Price rejected 52 interview requests with the ABC leading up to the Voice to Parliament referendum, saying interviewers on ABC programs were hostile towards her. Another view is that the ABC interviewers wouldnt give her a soft interview when compared to how she was questioned by interviewers on her favoured networks. Garry Meller, Bentleigh Relative threat About 40 per cent of prisoners return to prison within two years, Australian Productivity Commission figures show. In its approach to laws for immigration detainees (Freed violent sex offender gets indecent assault charge, 5/12) the opposition is depicting non-citizens as being more likely to be dangerous reoffenders because three of the 148 recently released detainees were again arrested (one for cannabis possession). Is Opposition Leader Peter Dutton seriously suggesting ministers should resign because offenders who have served their time are being freed to continue their lives? Or are we to believe that non-citizens are somehow more of a threat to Australians and should be permanently detained? Dutton, a former copper, should try to see this matter more humanely and rationally. Ray Brindle, Burwood Courage of convictions In 2018 Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert was convicted of spying in Iran and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. In November 2020 she was released and returned to Australia after serving 804 days of her sentence. The federal government is currently introducing legislation that allows judges to detain someone on the basis of a foreign conviction so that they can re-imprison asylum seekers who were in indefinite detention. If the government is going to jail asylum seekers on the basis of sometimes dubious foreign convictions why wouldnt this principle also apply to all Australians convicted overseas? If foreign convictions are used to put someone behind bars, should Moore-Gilberts Iranian conviction stand and she be re-imprisoned and serve out whats left of her sentence? Peter Martina, Warrnambool Policy on the run The Mornington Peninsula Shire Councils failure to inform residents and ratepayers about the introduction of paid parking at Flinders Pier (Pay to play on peninsula as beach parking fees tested, 5/12) is a serious oversight. Furthermore, councils pricing regime based on city beaches in highly populated areas, suggests that policy is being made on the run. While accepting that council needs extra revenue, little or no thought has been given to older beachgoers who may not use phone apps that are now required to park at the Flinders Pier; the cost of beach parking for low-income families enjoying a day out; and the economic impact on small businesses in Flinders as visitors pivot to those beaches on the peninsula that offer free parking. And while passive users of the foreshore now need to pay, owners of boats and jet skis are still entitled to park for free on the Flinders foreshore under Victorias Better Boating policy that exempts vehicles with trailers at all public boat ramps across the state. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council does many things well but the idea of paid parking at Flinders Pier is not one of them. Charles Reis, chairperson, Save Flinders Pier Campaign Royalty payments As subjects of King Charles III we now need to pay to visit Mornington Peninsula beaches, so we should apply the same user pays principle to fund the royal visit ... say $35 for a glimpse of the King, $15 for a glimpse of the Queen? Consultants can (for a large fee) advise the market rate for a handshake, a chat or an arvo cuppa and cakes. The visit also provides the opportunity to market test the Kings personal loyalty to his subjects, so he should be given the opportunity to publicly bid sponsorship for the King Charles III Melbourne Cup or King Charles III AFL grand final. Ian Gould, Muckleford Market dominance The upcoming parliamentary inquiry into price gouging by the major supermarkets (Minister has a bone to pick with supermarkets, 5/12), would do well to look at the whole chain of production of farm goods. A prime example of unfair pricing has been the recent price of lamb which has gone through the floor, the farmers are struggling to make a living, yet we have seen relatively minor savings of this product in the supermarket. There are many different methods of price gouging and the dominance of supermarkets over primary producers is one of them. Phil Mackenzie, Eaglemont Citys lungs Golf courses, both public and private, provide green spaces/parklands throughout cities they provide breathing spaces for citizens, and refuges for birdlife in particular. As Melbourne grows, the demand for recreational parkland will intensify. The loss of open green space to new housing and development should be seen as a calamity the process is irreversible and a demerit to Melbournes claim as a highly liveable city. The previous golf course, Eastern, in Doncaster has gone; the old Kingswood golf course in Dingley Village is under threat of housing development, and now the former Yarra Valley Country Club is in the firing line (Pleas for a ruling on ex-golf club project, 5/12). If the solution to a lack of housing is to infill parklands with new houses then we have seriously got it wrong. James Reiss, Abbotsford Intelligent design If planning regulations (or lack thereof) are to ride roughshod over local councils and residents to squeeze in thousands of people into existing suburbs, we are going to lose most of our gardens and trees. This is the last thing we need if we are to become resilient in the face of climate change. We need intelligent designs to ensure that our cities do not become unliveable, and developers, as a rule, do not look at the bigger picture when profits are at risk. Unsustainable population growth is destroying the environment we need to enhance and sustain our wellbeing, as well as dismantling our democratic processes. Jennie Epstein, Little River Too many males While its always interesting to hear of books that might be good reading, Jason Stegers list of recommended books (Read your way through Christmas, Age, 5/12) is unbalanced. Of his 13 titles, twice as many are by male authors as by females, despite the fact that more books published are written by women, and women outnumber men as both readers and buyers of books. Freya Headlam, Glen Waverley Defence let down Re: Peter Hartchers column (Chinese subplot spells danger, 5/12), there is clear evidence that China is a threat to world peace and that Australian governments arent prepared to invest in the security of our country. The current government has underspent on defence in the last 12 months by nearly $1 billion, cancelled significant defence projects from satellite systems to armoured personnel carriers, regurgitated the previous governments announcements as if they were its own, etc. In the governments own words this is Australias most challenging strategic environment since World War II. But the reality is the government is doing nothing about it but making motherhood statements. Shawn French, Greensborough In the pink Looking up at the pink star festive decorations in the city yesterday, I wondered if I was in Barbie land. Christmas green and red out, happy holidays in a Pinkdom in? Glenda Johnston, Queenscliff Sensible switch For me, the list of associations with the colour bright red includes: China, Republicans, MAGA, war, warning, prohibition, danger, anger, violence, blood, Coca-Cola, Christmas ... The CBD decorators did well to remove Christmas from that list and on to a list including softer concepts such as romance, childhood nostalgia, femininity, health awareness, art deco and flowers. If we must keep Christmas at all, lets keep it pink. Ralph Bohmer, St Kilda West Just call it a day Test Cricket is as Australian as cold beer and corned beef sandwiches. Both are delights that make summer days watching the cricket memorable and beautiful. Thankfully, these days of Test cricket will be enhanced by the imminent retirement of a cricketer who was the architect of Sandpaper Gate. With him gone, the game will again be wholesome, exciting, and played by people who will rely on guile and skill to win. Andrew Dowling, Torquay AND ANOTHER THING Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding Politics The Coalition wants released detainees to do the time before they do the crime. Bryan Fraser, St Kilda West So a Senate report wants to teach students how to behave? Heres an idea! How about setting an example in parliament. Helen Cole, Glen Waverley Royal visit How bizarre that it is headline news that our head of state is going to visit Australia. Gretel Lamont, Aireys Inlet King Charles is coming, everyone look busy. Paul Custance, Highett The report on the royal visit started Charles to pay ... I bet he doesnt. Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale If we can cancel the Commonwealth Games for financial reasons, then surely we will be able to cancel Charles and Camillas visit for the same reason. Mary Fenelon, Doncaster East Charles and Camillas visit will test the pull of a monarchy without riz! Joan Segrave, Healesville Furthermore The parliamentary inquiry into pig welfare reminded me of the old saying regarding bacon and eggs: All in a days work for the chook; a lifetime commitment for the pig. Bruce Crowe, Sunbury Australians can see a jarring contrast between rhetoric and reality in the immigration detainee crisis after being told for weeks that their government was focused on their safety. The central promise from federal cabinet ministers has been simple: Weve done everything that we can to ensure that we are keeping the community safe, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said on Tuesday. Immigration and home affairs ministers Andrew Giles and Clare ONeil need their new laws to work. Credit: artists The breaking news from the real world is undermining that assurance with hard facts each day. The worst news is the arrest of released detainees who stand accused of indecent assault, drug possession or breaching their reporting requirements. OPENLANE to Acquire Manheim Canada Transaction to Advance Digital Strategy and Growth through Expanded Inventory, Data and Customer Base Acquisition will benefit Canadian buyers and sellers with leading OPENLANE technology and enhanced vehicle availability and visibility beyond local auctions. Commercial and dealer-to-dealer transactions to be hosted on leading OPENLANE Canada digital marketplace and supported by existing nationwide network of OPENLANE vehicle logistics centres. Includes Manheim auction sales and operations and the Manheim Montreal facility; all other Manheim Canada facilities excluded. Anticipated to deliver accelerated cash flow payback through unlock of asset sale, cost and operational synergies. CARMEL, Ind., Dec. 4, 2023 -- OPENLANE, Inc. , a leading operator of digital marketplaces for wholesale used vehicles, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Manheim Canada business ("Manheim Canada") from Cox Automotive, subject to certain customary closing conditions. The proposed acquisition advances OPENLANE's digital strategy by adding Manheim Canada inventory, buyers, sellers and corresponding data to the OPENLANE Canada digital marketplace launched earlier this year. Valued at $130 million CAD or approximately $95 million USD, the transaction includes the Manheim Montreal facility and auction sales, operations and select staff across Manheim Canada, which intends to exit Canada. "OPENLANE's vision is to build the world's greatest digital marketplaces for used vehicles and this acquisition helps advance our digital strategy," said Peter Kelly, CEO of OPENLANE. "Building on the momentum of our combined, single OPENLANE Canada digital marketplace launch in June, this transaction will help accelerate commercial and dealer growth, and deliver an improved customer experience. For buyers more inventory means more choice and a simplified way to find the very best vehicles for their lots. For sellers instantly accessing OPENLANE's broad buyer-base means achieving the best market results possible on every sale. And by deepening our data set, we can generate enhanced vehicle recommendations, pricing information and other insights to help customers make better informed wholesale decisions." Under the agreement, OPENLANE will assume Manheim Canada's customer relationships. After the transaction closes, OPENLANE will integrate the Manheim Canada business into the existing OPENLANE Canada business, combining all inventory within the OPENLANE digital marketplace. The company will also consolidate operations at nearby locations, onboarding select staff to ensure a seamless transition for customers and ensuring continued access to related services and offerings including inspections, reconditioning, transport and logistics. "OPENLANE Canada is committed to fulfilling our purpose, to make wholesale easy so our customers can be more successful," said Trevor Henderson, chief operating officer of OPENLANE Canada. "We are excited to introduce these valuable customers to our unique combination of innovative technology and personalized, local support. From AI-enhanced inspections, to flexible sale formats, to fast, reliable payment, ownership and reconditioning services, we're committed to removing the hassles of wholesale. The entire OPENLANE team is eager to welcome our new commercial and dealer customers, and help them benefit from all OPENLANE has to offer." The transaction also includes the purchase of Manheim's Montreal facility but excludes its other Canadian facilities. In Montreal, OPENLANE intends to transition its operations, people and inventory from its current location to the acquired Montreal facility. In all other locations, substantially all of the customers and business operations will be transitioned to nearby OPENLANE Canada vehicle logistics centres. Upon closing, OPENLANE will commence a process to market and sell its existing Montreal facility and anticipates substantial proceeds that would fund a significant portion of the acquisition. All other OPENLANE vehicle logistics centre locations and operations will remain the same. Telecom Egypt announced the completion of the second and final landing in Egypt of the 2Africa subsea internet cable, the worlds longest undersea communications cable. The cable is designed to boost internet connectivity between Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. 2Africa has been connected to the Port Said station on the Mediterranean coast, Telecom Egypt said in a statement. The landing marked the end of 2Africa installations in Egypt after the first landing in Ras Ghareb on the Red Sea coast five months ago. Telecom Egypt had already completed the terrestrial crossing of Egypt ahead of schedule in 2020, the company said. The project was launched in 2020 by a group of telecom operators including Telecom Egypt, Meta Platforms Inc., China Mobile International, and Orange SA. The 45,000-kilometre system is built by Alcatel Submarine Networks. It will interconnect 33 countries through 46 landings and provide more than the combined capacity of all existing subsea cables serving Africa. Egypt complements its privileged location with vast experience in landing subsea systems and a dedicated team capable of overcoming operational challenges," said Paul Gabla, vice president of sales and marketing at Alcatel Submarine Networks. Various media platforms, including Reuters and Bloomberg, reported that Egypt is planning to sell a 10 percent stake in Telecom Egypt to be traded on the Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX). The Egyptian government owns 80 percent of Telecom Egypt's shares, the remaining shares are already being traded on the EGX. Telecom Egypt said in March the Egyptian government is exploring floating an additional stake in the company on the EGX in 2023. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt and Qatar are still pressing on with efforts to reinstate the Israel-Hamas truce that collapsed on Friday after the Israeli side resumed its brutal bombardments on the Gaza Strip, breaking a week-long ceasefire, according to the Wall Street Journal. Israel announced the return of a Mossad team from Doha on Saturday, saying negotiations for a new Gaza truce reached a "dead-end." However, unnamed Egyptian officials told the WSJ that Qatari officials remain in Israel, and Egyptians are in Gaza to keep lines of communication open, WSJ reported citing unnamed Egyptian officials. During the seven-day truce mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US more than dozens of captives held by Hamas since its 7th October Al-Aqsa Flood operation in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. According to media reports, negotiations have stumbled in recent days, with Israel claiming Hamas refused to release 17 women and children. The Palestinian movement denied having more women and children captives to release and that the women they had were members of the Israeli military. Deputy Hamas chief, Saleh Al-Arouri, told Al-Jazeera TV on Saturday that no more prisoners would be exchanged with Israel until the war on Gaza is over and all Palestinian detainees are released. Negotiators told the WSJ that Israel has so far rejected a proposal from Qatari and Egyptian mediators to incorporate other groups of hostages, including civilian men, as well as military reservists after the release of civilian women and children are released. We are still talking and sharing updates every hour. Negotiations only collapse when parties stop talking. This is not happening here, the US paper quoted a senior Egyptian official as saying. Before the truce, Israel had already killed over seven weeks about 15,000 Palestinians two-thirds of them women and children and left homeless more than 75 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents. For the second-day post-truce collapse, the Israeli offensives killed at least 200 people throughout the Gaza Strip in the first hours 24 hours. Since the resumption of the Israeli war on Gaza, no aid convoys or fuel deliveries have entered Gaza, and humanitarian operations within Gaza have largely halted, according to the UN. Search Keywords: Short link: On the 60th day of the war, Israeli forces increased airstrikes and ground attacks in the south of the densely populated Gaza strip including areas where Tel Aviv had told people to seek shelters, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians. The death toll has exceeded 16,000 and the Palestinians are running out of safe places to go. 22:25 Israels army chief has confirmed that Israel is considering flooding Hamas tunnels in Gaza with seawater to destroy the militant groups underground network. Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said flooding the tunnels could be a good idea and that it was one of a number of options we are considering. Hamas is believed to have a sprawling network of tunnels it uses to move fighters, weapons and supplies throughout Gaza. Israel has said it already has destroyed hundreds of tunnel sections during the war. It is unclear if flooding the tunnels with seawater could threaten Gazas already overtaxed underground freshwater aquifer or potentially damage soil with salt and hazardous materials. 21:10 The Israeli army said on Tuesday that 82 soldiers had been killed since the start of its war on the Gaza Strip. 19:40 The United States has pledged an additional $21 million in humanitarian assistance for Gaza to help establish a field hospital. The aid was announced Tuesday by Samantha Power, who heads the U.S. Agency for International Development, during a visit to the Egyptian city of el-Arish. The city is some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Gazas western border and has become the drop-off point for international aid before its packed in trucks and transported to the besieged enclave. The war between Israel and Gazas Hamas rulers has forced many of the territorys hospitals to close. Power also reiterated that the U.S was committed to boosting aid and protecting civilians as Israel presses ahead with its offensive. Military operations need to be conducted in a way that distinguishes fighters from civilians, Power said. The U.S., a close ally of Israel, has backed Israels offensive but urged Israel to reduce civilian casualties. It has also called for humanitarian pauses to ease the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. A weeklong cease-fire that ended Friday saw an uptick in aid enter Gaza, including fuel. Since Oct. 7., a trickle of aid has flowed intermittently into Gaza through Egypts Rafah border crossing. 19:25 The Israeli war on Gaza has killed at least 16,249 people in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas government media office said Tuesday. 18:00 Israeli shelling hit an army post in south Lebanon on Tuesday, killing one soldier and wounding three others, the Lebanese army said. Hezbollah said in a statement that it had fired guided missiles at a group of Israeli soldiers in Manara in northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of the soldier. The militant group also claimed an earlier drone attack on an Israeli position in Metula. It was the first report of a death of a Lebanese army soldier during the clashes between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces on the border against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war. The Lebanese army has not been an active party in the conflict. The Israeli shelling hit an army post on Oweida hill, near the border village of Odaisseh, the army said in a statement. Hezbollah said its fighters had attacked four Israeli army positions along the border, scoring direct hits. The Israeli military said a number of attacks were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel on Tuesday, and that the missiles fell in open areas. 15:55 An Amnesty International investigation has revealed that US-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) were used in two separate air attacks on civilian homes in Gaza. The rights watchdog has called for the attacks that killed 19 children, 14 women, and 10 men to be investigated as war crimes. The two homes were in Wadi Gaza, where the Israeli occupation army had ordered residents of northern Gaza to evacuate to on 13 October. "The fact that US-made munitions are being used by the Israeli military in unlawful attacks with deadly consequences for civilians should be an urgent wake-up call to the Biden administration. The US-made weapons facilitated the mass killings of extended families," said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty Internationals secretary general. "Two families have been decimated in these strikes, further proof that the Israeli military is responsible for unlawfully killing and injuring civilians in its bombardment of Gaza." 15:51 The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said it is unable to provide for newly displaced people in Rafah Thomas White, UNRWAs Gaza chief, said that the Israeli army is telling people to leave eastern Khan Younis, calling it a dangerous fighting zone. They tell people to move to Rafah to receive assistance but we are not able to provide for 100,000s of new IDPs [internally displaced people], he said on X. The agency had previously said that half a million people could be displaced to Rafah. Rafah normally has a population of 280,000 and already hosting around 470,000 IDPs will not cope with a doubling of its IDP population, White said earlier. 15:45 Turkish President Recep Erdogan said Israel should not be allowed to get away with its crimes committed in Gaza. "The loss of life of 17,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, is a crime against humanity and a war crime. Israel should not get away with these crimes," he said. Addressing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Doha, Erdogan accused Benjamin Netanyahu of putting the entire region in danger for his alleged political survival. "The Netanyahu administration is endangering the security and future of our entire region in order to extend its political life," he said. The UN has previously said the siege of Gaza may constitute collective punishment, a war crime; the International Committee of the Red Cross has agreed. Amnesty International said it has "documented unlawful Israeli attacks, including indiscriminate attacks, which caused mass civilian casualties and must be investigated as war crimes." 15:02 The death toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks has reached 15,900, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced. Of those killed, more than 250 were health workers, Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila said. 14:35 Al-Quds Brigades released footage of combat against Israeli forces east of Khan Younis. ". ." #_ # pic.twitter.com/8jFcuYmTvj (@AJA_Palestine) December 5, 2023 14:25 A number of Palestinians were injured after the Israeli army opened fire on them on Salah Al-Din Street in the middle of Strip. In the south, about 43 bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis, the spokesperson for the health ministry in Gaza told Reuters from the hospital. Reuters journalists reported seeing injured people arriving by ambulance, car, flatbed truck, and donkey cart. Survivors said a strike hit a school being used as a shelter for the displaced. Almost every inch of floor space was taken up by the wounded. A doctor carried the limp body of a small boy in a tracksuit, placing him in a corner. On the floor next to him, a wounded boy and girl lay surrounded by discarded bandages and rubber gloves. Two young girls covered in dust were being treated, with one sobbing: "My parents are under the rubble. I want my mum, I want my mum, I want my family." Outside the hospital, men carried corpses in shrouds to be taken away for funerals. Twenty-six out of 35 hospitals in Gaza are currently out of service, and 52 out of 72 primary healthcare clinics have been shut down. 13:40 Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power arrived at the Egyptian city of Arish, which is the international humanitarian assistance hub. She is due to meet with local officials and Egyptian and international humanitarian organizations working to accelerate the pace of vital aid into Gaza. According to USAID, the Administrator accompanied an aid delivery of 36,000 pounds of food assistance and medical supplies airlifted, at USAIDs request, by the US Department of Defense from Amman, Jordan, to Arish. 13:15 President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi affirmed on Tuesday Egypt's full readiness to receive and coordinate all international aid directed to the Gaza Strip, during a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides in Cairo. El-Sisi also reviewed Egypt's efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the besieged strip, urging the international community to assume its role in this regard, according to Egypt's Presidential Spokesman Counselor Ahmed Fahmy 13:11 UNICEF Spokesman James Elder has warned of the "horrendous" humanitarian situation facing the Palestinians in Gaza, saying the so-called safe zones pointed to by Israel are "anything but safe." He said on Sky News that "this war on children in the south is every bit as ferocious as at any time we've seen during this war." He said despite Israel's promises of safe zones, a zone is only safe when there is access to food, water, and protection - and those needs were not being met. Elder said there were situations such as 30,000 people on a street corner without a drop of water and no toilets. The conditions are a "perfect storm for disease," he said, and the number of children killed by Israeli strikes risks being matched by deaths by disease. The Palestinians are being "pushed to these zones that are anything but safe," he added. From her side, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric, in a visit to Gaza on Monday, reported "atrocities injuries" among children. She said "the peoples suffering is the strip intolerable." Describing the situation as beyond words, Spoljaric conveyed witnessing horrific scenes that defy description. My message from Gaza today: pic.twitter.com/0EkxwD0XRL Mirjana Spoljaric (@ICRCPresident) December 4, 2023 12:43 A Palestine Red Crescent paramedic was injured and two ambulances were damaged after being targeted by Israeli tanks in the Im Al-Thuheir area, south of Deir Al-Balah, the PRCS said on X. Horrific scenes for Israeli tank artillery targets the vicinity of two PRCS ambulances today while attending to casualties in Deir Al-Balah, South of #Gaza. #.#_ pic.twitter.com/Pi6vubE89g PRCS (@PalestineRCS) December 5, 2023 12:42 Israel's occupation army said it will take a "local tactical pause" in Rafah, in southern Gaza until 2pm. The pause will allow humanitarian aid to pass through, it said. The army said residents have been ordered not to use the Salah Al-Din Road - the main highway of the Gaza Strip - and were redirected to other routes. Earlier, the UN warned the road had been cut off to trucks, meaning vital supplies were unable to reach their destination. 12:30 The United Nations warned Tuesday that it was impossible to create so-called safe zones for civilians to flee to inside the Gaza Strip amid Israel's bombing campaign. "The so-called safe zones... are not scientific, they are not rational, they are not possible, and I think the authorities are aware of this," James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva via video-link from Cairo. 12:17 Qatar's emir hit out at what he labeled "shameful" international inaction over the Israeli war on Gaza as he opened a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Doha. "It is shameful for the international community to allow this heinous crime to continue for nearly two months, during which the systematic and deliberate killing of innocent civilians continues, including women and children," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said. Sheikh Tamim described Israels war on Gaza as a "genocide" saying Israels occupation forces have violated all political, ethical, and humanitarian values. He further stated that the principle of self-defense cannot be applied to Israel as an occupying authority. 11:55 The World Health Organization voiced concern as Israeli bombing intensifies in southern Gaza. "The situation is getting worse by the hour," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, said. "There's intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis, and even in Rafah," he added. 11:00 The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Russia on Thursday to hold talks with Putin. 10:30 Half a million people could be displaced to Rafah, Thomas White, the director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, said in a post on X. "Rafah that normally has a population of 280K and already hosting around 470K internally displaced persons will not cope with a doubling of its internally displaced population," he wrote. White explained that the water and sanitation infrastructure for those 280,000 people in Rafah will not even come close to providing for the displaced population that could reach a million people. These are new scenes of the forced displacement of residents of the city of Khan Yunis to Rafah. #_ # pic.twitter.com/14DP1sZAK8 (@AJA_Palestine) December 5, 2023 The situation in Gaza is a "textbook formula for epidemics and a public health disaster," a United Nations official said. Lynn Hastings, the humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, said shelters are full, the health system is "on its knees," and there is a shortage of clean drinking water and no proper sanitation. She added, in a statement, that nutrition is also lacking for people "already mentally and physically exhausted." "If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond," Hastings said. "The two most important routes the coastal road and Salah Al-Din Road are now cut off to our teams and trucks, hindering our ability to help people wherever they are." On Monday, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said the US must call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in an open letter to US President Joe Biden. In its letter, MSF said: "The way Israel is prosecuting this war is causing massive death and suffering among Palestinian civilians and is inconsistent with international norms and laws." "Subjecting an entire population to collective punishment is a war crime under international humanitarian law," MSF added. "The US government has a responsibility, as a partner and ally of the Israeli government, to ensure that its support is not used to kill civilians, attack hospitals and medical staff, destroy cities, and forcibly displace civilians." 10:10 Egypts Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry is heading to Washington DC Tuesday to meet with a number of members of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, in an effort to stop the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. Shoukry will then join the Arab-Mulsim ministerial delegation to visit DC on Thursday, where they will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, several Congress members, and the US media. 10:00 The Palestinians mourn the death of loved ones following Israeli bombardment in the southern Gaza Strip on 5 December. 9:30 Turkeys state-run news agency says Turkish intelligence officials have warned their Israeli counterparts of serious consequences if they attempt to target members of Hamas on Turkish soil. The warning, reported by the Anadolu Agency, came after Ronen Bar, the head of Israels domestic security agency Shin Bet, said in an audio recording that his organization is prepared to destroy Hamas in every place, including in Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar. Anadolu Agency, quoting unnamed Turkish intelligence officials, said necessary warnings were made to Israeli officials who were told their actions would have serious consequences. The agency also quoted the officials as saying that Turkey had prevented illegal activities by foreign operatives in the past and that no foreign intelligence agency would be allowed to carry out operations on Turkish territory. Israels Mossad spy agency has been accused of involvement in a series of assassinations overseas of Palestinian militants and Iranian nuclear scientists over the years. Turkey has hosted Hamas officials and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his government considers Hamas to be a liberation organization, not a terrorist group. 9:10 Israel has killed at least 15,899 people in Gaza, predominantly women and children, and wounded 42,000 more, according to the latest toll. Medical sources announced that at least 40 Palestinian civilians were killed and dozens were injured in Israeli airstrikes that targeted the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The sources, cited by the Palestinian news agency WAFA added that 10 other civilians were killed in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. They indicated that occupation artillery and drones bombed the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia Camp. #_ # pic.twitter.com/HQ8fnKqtkZ (@AJA_Palestine) December 5, 2023 Since 7 October, Israeli forces have also killed at least 260 in the occupied West Bank, including 65 children, wounded 3,365, and detained thousands more. Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man during a raid in the Qalandiya refugee camp north of occupied Jerusalem, WAFA reports. Mohammad Yousef Manasra, 25, was killed when Israeli forces blew up the door to his home Tuesday morning, according to witnesses quoted by WAFA. 9:00 Israeli jets targeted the Bureij refugee camp, in the Deir Al-Balah neighbourhood in central Gaza, around 6:05am. The strikes led to a total state of panic, an Al Jazeera correspondent reported. More than 15 people were killed, including children. Many are still trapped under the rubble as at least 15 houses were completely destroyed. Residents are now working with their bare hands to rescue victims. Israeli forces have expanded their ground operations into the southern regions of the Gaza Strip, engaging in combat on the outskirts of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis. Reports from Palestinian officials claimed that Israeli jets deployed white phosphorus bombs in the northern and eastern parts of Khan Younis, a likely reference to white phosphorous artillery projectiles. Simultaneously, more than 15 Palestinians were killed after Israeli attacks on a number of homes in Jabalia Al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip. Satellite photos analyzed Tuesday by The Associated Press show that the Israeli military has begun its ground offensive in the southern reaches of the Gaza Strip. The satellite photos released by Planet Labs PBC provide the first clear look at the intensity and scope at which the Israelis are fighting. The images, shot Sunday by Planet, show Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers just under 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the heart of Khan Younis, the major city of the southern part of Gaza. Many who fled the Israeli ground incursion and airstrike brutal attacks in Gaza City's north now live around Khan Younis and other nearby areas after the Israeli military forced them to evacuate. The Israeli deployment sits just to the west of Salah al-Din, a main north-south corridor within the Gaza Strip that many used to flee. An AP analysis found positions in four clusters, with a total of around 150 armored personnel carriers, tanks, and other vehicles in the area. Israeli soldiers have created packed dirt berms around some of their positions. Fresh tank tracks could be seen chewed through the ground there, suggesting the movements were recent. Search Keywords: Short link: "Disgusting. it's going to get to the point where people do not want to do live events or concerts. If they have to be worried about people throwing stuff at them and getting hurt," one user wrote. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi affirmed on Tuesday Egypt's full readiness to receive and coordinate all international aid directed to the Gaza Strip, during a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides in Cairo. El-Sisi also reviewed Egypt's efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the besieged strip, urging the international community to assume its role in this regard, according to Egypt's Presidential Spokesman Counselor Ahmed Fahmy. During the meeting which touched on regional developments, including the ongoing escalation in the Gaza Strip, El-Sisi highlighted Egypt's intensive efforts to deliver assistance and humanitarian aid to the strip. El-Sisi emphasized the importance of international action to push forward the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, considering this the way to realize regional peace and security. The Cypriot president praised the huge efforts exerted by Egypt towards de-escalation, asserting his country's keenness on continued coordination in this regard, especially under a joint vision for achieving regional peace. Bilateral relations During the meeting, which was at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, both leaders also discussed means of promoting bilateral ties, as well as other key files, topped by the energy file. In April, El-Sisi and Christodoulides agreed to launch a joint cooperation forum between both countries, including the electricity connection project, the transfer of Cypriot gas to two desalination plants in Egypt, and exploring new frameworks for clean and renewable energy projects. During Christodoulides first visit to a foreign capital since assuming his post in February, he praised the two countries successful partnership, which he will be seeking as president to boost, describing it as one that is based on mutual respect. Search Keywords: Short link: I STG, please let the machines stay in function this summer. If I go through the drive-thru and am hit with the heart-shattering news, Im gonna need more than a break and a KitKat to ease my pain. Toughen up: Indian-origin billionaire backs Murthys 70-hr work week advice NEW DELHI, INDIAN-AMERICAN businessman and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, Vinod Khosla has backed Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthys suggestion that Indias youth must work 70 hours every week to improve the countrys overall work productivity. Khosla said those who felt attacked by Murthys opinion needed mental health therapy. For people who felt attacked by this they need mental health therapy. They should learn to toughen up and not feel attacked. OK to not work 70 hrs/wk and live with the consequences of the choices you make. He is speaking to career ambitious young people but there are other ways to live with different choices, his post read. The 68-year-old billionaire had said that he works 80-hour weeks, and that the grind doesnt appear to stop anytime soon. Not working 70 hrs/wk may not get you the biggest house or car to show to your neighbors, but you can make that choice. Lots of other things make people happy. Be internally driven and not externally driven by what others expect of success: bigger titles, bigger house dont make everyone happy, the Silicon Valley veteran said. In a recent episode of the The Cerebral Valley Podcast, Khosla said he plans on investing for the next 25 years if his health permits. I have this saying You grow old when you retire, you dont retire when you grow old, the investor continued. Ive seen too many people retire and grow old. Staff Reporter The City police has initiated robust security measures to ensure a smooth and disturbance-free Winter Session of the State legislature starting from Thursday. A whopping 11,000 policemen with support of 10 companies of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Force One, a specialised counter terrorism unit, 40 Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS) would be deployed to secure Vidhan Bhavan and manage potential challenges across the city. On Monday, CP Amitesh Kumar and Joint CP Aswati Dorje conducted a meeting of police officers from across the city to strategize security arrangements. CP Kumar said that the Vidhan Bhavan would be encircled with armed policemen strategically to thwart any untoward incidents. A staggering 11,000 personnel are slated to be deployed for the security siege. Of which, 6,000 personnel have been summoned from various districts across the state. To bolster the security apparatus, nine Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) rank officers from the city and 10 DCP rank officers from other districts are being mobilized for security arrangements. Furthermore, 50 ACPs, 75 Police Inspectors, and 20 Women Police Inspectors have been called to Nagpur for the session arrangements. The deployment includes 10 companies of SRPF and 1000 Home Guards. In addition to the extensive police presence, 30 BDDS squads are designated for the security of all VIPs, with 10 from the City police force. The police have granted permission to 32 organizations for morchas so far and the number is expected to surpass 100 in the coming days, said CP Kumar. A noteworthy event during the session is a morcha scheduled for November 12, led by NCP leader and MLA Rohit Pawar. The Morcha would be addressed by NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Similarly, Morchas would be taken out for Old Pension Scheme, Asha workers, Vidarbha activists, Divyangs, teachers, Students, Unemployed youths, Project Affected People, Kotwals, VJ/NT, OBCs, Marathas, and Retired Police personnel and others. 75-year-old man murders bedridden wife, hangs self Staff Reporter In a shocking incident, a 75-year-old man allegedly strangled his bedridden wife before taking his own life in Mathani village, Mauda tehsil. The couple was facing prolonged health issues and was fed up of them, police said. The deceased have been identified as Prabhakar Ramaji Gajbhiye (75) and his wife Vimala (70), both residents of Bela village in Bhandara district. A police official said that Prabhakar, who had been battling asthma, and Vimala, bedridden for the past three months, relocated to one of their daughters' place at Mathani last year. Their son is employed in Chhattisgarh, and they have three married daughters. The couple was struggling due to health issues. Prabhakar took the life of his wife and afterwards hanged himself from a ceiling fan at the house. The incident came to the fore when a relative visited their house. He alerted the police. Mauda police rushed to the spot and performed panchnama. The bodies were sent to hospital for post-mortem. A suicide note was found at the scene in which Prabhakar cited the challenges of old age and the burden of asthma as the driving force behind his extreme actions. In the suicide note, Prabhakar has confessed that he murdered his wife. A case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code was registered by Mauda Police. Army Chief holds talks with Lankan Army Commander NEW DELHI, ARMY Chief General Manoj Pande on Monday held wide-ranging talks with Commander of the Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen Vikum Liyange with a focus on ramping up bilateral military engagement against the backdrop of Chinas increasing military assertiveness in the region. The Sri Lankan military official is on a visit to India from December 3 to 7. The Defence Ministry said Lieutenant General Liyanges visit to India is a testimony to the longstanding relationship between the armies of India and Sri Lanka. Liyange was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the South Block lawns before he called on Gen Pande. They exchanged ideas and held constructive discussions on various contemporary issues, including strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two armies, the ministry said. Thereafter, Lieutenant General Liyange interacted with Defence Secretary Giridhar Armane, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff. The Sri Lankan Army Commander is also scheduled to call on Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. These meetings and bilateral discussions underscore the shared goals of further enhancing defence cooperation between the two nations. The visit marks a momentous milestone in strengthening the diplomatic and military ties between two friendly neighbours, Defence Ministry statement said. Bharat Is a statement of Independence: EAM NEW DELHI, EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday underscored the importance of building a comprehensive narrative for Bharat, asserting, Bharat is a statement of Independence. In an address during the Knowledge India Visitors Programme organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the EAM expressed his gratitude for the ICCRs initiative and commended the dedication of the participants to India. Jaishankar began by shedding light on the diverse symbolism of the term Bharat in various domains. The subject, which I thought would be appropriate at this time, is building a Bharat narrative, because in many ways that is exactly what is happening in India. Now, what does it mean to build a Bharat narrative? said Jaishankar. People sometimes see it as politics; sometimes they look at the word play and think that this is some kind of linguistic message but if you really look at the term Bharat, it today actually has multiple symbolisms in different domains, he added. The EAM emphasised that beyond politics and linguistic nuances, Bharat holds economic significance, encapsulated in the concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. This, he noted, reflects resilience, self-sufficiency, and the expression of talent. Economically, we would speak about Aatmanirbhar Bharat. So it has a connotation of a certain, resilience, a certain self-sufficiency, a contribution, a talent out there, which is expressing itself, he also said. Developmentally, Jaishankar pointed out that Bharat signifies a commitment to creating an inclusive, just, and fair society. Cyclone Michaung Kills five in Chennai CHENNAI : AS MANY as five people have been killed in separate incidents in Tamil Nadus Chennai amid heavy rain due to cyclone Michaung, according to an official statement by the Chennai police. One person has been injured due to the falling of a tree, according to the police. Cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc across Chennai and its neighbouring districts, inundating the city, causing disruptions in flights and trains, and startling residents with a video capturing a crocodile crossing a submerged road. The relentless downpour, reminiscent of the 2015 deluge, paralysed daily life, prompting authorities to declare a public holiday and dispatch rescue teams to aid a city besieged by torrential rains. Residents hurried to purchase and replenish supplies, with a high demand for drinking water. The continuous downpour resulted in power outages and Internet disruptions. Cyclonic storm Michaung, expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday forenoon, loomed near Chennai and Puducherry, bringing heavy rainfall. The latest update from the weather office has forecast the likelihood of heavy rains accompanied by strong winds on Monday night. Transportation services took a severe blow, with numerous trains and flights cancelled. Waterlogged roads threw challenges for the scarce number of road users. Operations at the Chennai airport were halted from 9:40 am to 11 pm, with about 70 flights cancelled due to incessant rains and waterlogging affecting the runway and tarmac, as stated by the Airport Authority of India. The Southern Railway reported the suspension of many trains originating from Dr MGR Chennai Central to destinations such as Coimbatore and Mysuru, offering full refunds to affected passengers. As a result of inundation, 14 subways in the city were closed, and authorities removed uprooted trees from 11 locations. Reacting to a viral video of a crocodile spotted in suburban Perungulathur during heavy rains, Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu reassured the public, stating, There are a few mugger crocodiles in several water bodies in Chennai. These shy animals avoid human contact. Wildlife officials are on the job to prevent any untoward incidents. Please refrain from approaching these creatures. Residents from severely affected areas, like Perungudi, Ashok Nagar, and Tambaram, shared their experiences of power outages, waterlogging, fallen trees, and transportation disruptions. Joe Prakash, a resident of the Perungudi, said, The winds started at around 3 am on the 4th of December and the power supply got cut off and the whole community has been facing power issues due water logging. As the water levels rose even the generator was switched off and we have been without power from 11am till now. Reports emerged of a building caving in at Velacherry in which two people were rescued and hospitalised. In the past 24 hours, Perungudi in Chennai received 29 cm of rainfall, while Avadi in Tiruvallur district recorded 28 cm, and Mamallapuram in Chengalpet received 22 cm. The weather office warned of continued heavy rainfall and strong winds in the four districts. The India Meteorological Departments update detailed the trajectory of Cyclone Michaung, projecting its movement towards the south Andhra Pradesh coast and its expected crossing between Nellore and Machilipatnam on December 5. Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, assuring support from the Centre. The CM indicated a potential request for assistance in post-cyclone relief efforts. To manage the situation, the Tamil Nadu Government declared a public holiday for educational institutions, Government and private offices, financial institutions, and banks in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts on Tuesday. Dont vent frustration inside Parlt: PM Modi to Opposition Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the media on the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament in New Delhi on Monday. Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal and V. Muraleedharan are also seen. (PTI) Learn from poll defeat NEW DELHI : PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the Opposition not to vent its frustration over the Assembly polls defeat inside Parliament and move forward leaving behind negativity, saying that may change the peoples perspective towards them. Speaking with the media outside Parliament building ahead of the Winter Session, he said the session was a golden opportunity for the Opposition. The country has rejected negativity. We always have dialogue with Opposition friends at the start of Session, we always seek cooperation of everyone. This time also all such processes have been completed, he said. This temple of democracy is a very important platform for peoples aspirations and strengthening foundation of a developed India, Modi said and urged all members to come well prepared and hold thorough discussions on bills so that good suggestions come to the fore. But if discussion does not take place, the country misses those things, Modi said. If I speak on basis of the Assembly poll results, this is a golden opportunity for friends in Opposition. Instead of making plans for venting frustration over defeat, they should learn from this defeat, leaving behind the habit of negativity of the last 9 years, if they move forward with positivity this session, the country will change its perspective towards them. A new door could open for them, he said. They are in the Opposition but still I am giving them good advice, Modi added. The Prime Minister urged the Opposition to come forward with a positive mindset. Everyones future is bright, there is no need to lose hope but please dont vent the frustration of defeats suffered outside inside Parliament. There would be frustration and disappointment, also your colleagues would need to show their strength but dont make this temple of democracy that platform, the Prime Minister said. I say on the basis of my experience, I would say change your (Opposition) direction a bit, leave the habit of opposing for the sake of opposing. Support constructive things that are in countrys interest, debate the shortcomings that are there and you will see that the hatred among the people over such things, that may change into love, he said. Modi said it is a chance for the Opposition and they should extend cooperation in Parliament. I want to say from the political point of view that it is in your (Opposition) interest also to give a message of positivity to the country. It is not good for democracy that your image is of hate and negativity, he said. In democracy, the Opposition is equally important and should be capable, Modi said. He said, 2047 -- the country does not want to wait long for becoming developed. This is the feeling in every section of the society. Respecting this sentiment, all members should take forward Parliament proceedings, this is my request to them. His remarks come a day after the BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh inflicting a resounding defeat on the Congress to tighten its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland. The Congress ousted the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana to make it 3-1 for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the latest round of Assembly elections billed as a semi-final before next years poll showdown. In his remarks to the media, Modi said winters may be coming late but the political heat is increasing very fast. Only yesterday the election results of four States have come, the results are very encouraging. These are encouraging for those who are committed to the welfare of the common person of the country, who are dedicated to the bright future of the country, Modi said. He asserted that those who move forward on the principles of empowering the four castes -- women, youth, farmers and the poor -- ensure concrete policies for their future and last-mile delivery, receive full support of the people. And when there is good governance, complete support for peoples interest, then the word anti-incumbency becomes irrelevant. And we are continuously seeing that... Some people call it pro-incumbency, some call it good governance, some transparency, while some call it concrete schemes in national interest, but this is being experienced constantly, he said. When the new complex of Parliament was inaugurated, there was a small session and a historic decision was taken but this time there will be an opportunity to work in this House for a longer period, he said. It is a new House, perhaps some minor shortcomings in facilities may still be felt. When work goes on for long, the MPs, visitors and media people will also realise that it would be good if some things need to be fixed. And I am sure that under the leadership of the vice president and the speaker, those things are being monitored, Modi said. The Winter session of Parliament is scheduled to have 15 sittings till December 22. IDEOLOGY?! THE statement of Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi is surprising that no matter the electoral set-back in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh the party will continue its battle of ideology. As he kept leading the Congress party in the battle of ballot and battle of ideologies, Mr. Rahul Gandhi could win only ten per cent of the major elections in the country in the past about a decade. So, even as his dogged statement appears dramatic, to say the least, it carries little substance in actuality. For, when an ideology is losing all along, then on what strength can anybody claim that the thought is right despite tight electoral scrutiny and verdict? To such incisive questions, Mr. Rahul Gandhi does not seem to have a sensible answer. The problem, however, is hardly about ideology; it is about how a certain thought is presented, prompted and promoted. It is in this area that the so-called ideology of the Congress party has registered a consistent and miserable failure over time. In the past 50 years approximately, the ideology of the Congress party is getting set-backs of different intensity. Slowly, that ideology has yielded ground to another ideology across the political dividing lines. And this happened mostly because the stalwarts of the Congress party just could not pre-meditate on how to present its ideological signature as against the well-defined and well-coordinated presentation and implementation of its ideology by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Of course, the country is in the process of rejecting the Congress ideology for the past fifty or so years. But more than the rejection by the people, the failure came on account of inappropriate projection by the party. Naturally, the responsibility of this failure must be owned by the Congress partys top leadership. In democracy, it is perfectly fine that the party on the other side of the divide opposes the party in power on every possible count. In a sensible system, however, that work is done with much thought and planning. And in the Congress party, these are exactly the two things missing from the plate. While opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress ends up opposing the Sanatan Dharma. Instead of criticising the BJP, the Congress ends up criticising Vande Mataram. As it raises questions about the honesty of claims by the Modi Government about surgical strikes, the Congress finds itself criticising and questioning the integrity of the Armed Forces. While pointing to the so-called failure of the Bharatiya Janata Party to protect and preserve democracy, Congress leadership finds itself blasting the country for its failure to conserve democracy on foreign soils. While criticising the Modi Government for its failure to manage things during COVID times, the Congress ends up rejecting the obvious success of India in producing effective vaccines in time and becoming the worlds pharmacy in the process. When it suspected corruption in the Rafale deal five years ago, the Congress party ended up in blasting the countrys Prime Minister by calling him Chowkidar Chor Hai. All this shows certain irrationality, certain irresponsibility, certain thoughtlessness, certain looseness of words and their meanings. But the Congress party does not seem bothered about all such finer details. It makes major blunders and keeps repeating those subsequently. Naturally, all that affects the party in every which the way -- philosophically, organisationally, electorally, and politically. But that also does not teach the party any lesson. This has proved this time also as the party lost its Governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and failed to recapture power in Madhya Pradesh. Yet, Mr. Rahul Gandhi sought to divert the issue to ideology and insists that the fight to uphold it would continue all along in the future as well. Frankly, there are no ideological issues in the thought and action of the Congress party in the past few years. For, opposing the Sanatan Dharma cannot be an issue of ideology. Questioning the integrity of the Armed Forces cannot be an issue of ideology. Calling the COVID vaccine as Modi Vaccine cannot be an issue of ideology. At best -- or at worst -- all these can be issues of cheap and irrational politics and not of ideology. There also is another facet of this ideology business. It can best be described by two questions from an old-time Congressman a few years ago: Does the Congress party have an ideology? Did it ever have one at any time in the past? Frankly, there are no answers to these questions, at least with the current leadership of the Congress party. A journalist asked Mr. Rahul Gandhi, in effect, Will you please define in short the Congress partys ideology? The answer actually never came -- since Mr. Rahul Gandhi kept hedging and fidgeting and squirming in an embarrassed silence. Then, raising himself over the confusion in his mind, he said meekly, in effect, that the ideology is age-old and he did not find it worthwhile to waste his time explaining it. The people know all that, he was reported to have replied. Ask this question to Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, and he will give you a full and elaborate answer -- grabbing the opportunity to spread the thought. Such as earnestness, such a sense of urgency, such a commitment cannot be expected of either by the Congress party or by its leadership. Ideology is only a word to be stated, but never explained -- at least for the Congress party. That is obviously so because the current leadership does not have time and inclination to think over the issue and verbalise it aptly. And yet, surprisingly, Mr. Rahul Gandhi talks of continuing the fight for ideology. That requires only his thick skin and brazenness. Navy to deploy INS Vikramaditya, INS Vikrant for Milan-2024 in Vizag VISAKHAPATNAM, THE Indian Navy has planned to deploy both its aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant on the eastern seaboard during Milan-2024, a flagship international naval exercise hosted by Vizag from February 19-27 next year, a senior official said on Sunday. The event will be held under the aegis of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Indian Navy with likely participation from nearly 50 friendly countries as a delegation, and 20 foreign warships along with one maritime patrol aircraft, said Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag-Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) Eastern Naval Command. Navies from the US, Japan, Australia, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia are set to be among the participating nations in the Milan-2024 exercise to be conducted off Visakhapatnam next year, he added. The upcoming exercise will be the biggest multilateral military war game to be hosted by India ever. It will feature large-force manoeuvres, advanced air defence operations, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface drills. The aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant which will be the centrepieces of the exercise serve as floating sovereign airfields providing a launch platform for a wide array of aircraft. An international maritime seminar, tabletop exercises, a demonstration of the Indian Navys deep submergence rescue vessel, a multilateral exercise at sea, a city parade and some other social and cultural events are part of the plans for Milan 2024, Pendharkar said. These joint drills will also highlight the Navys expanding role in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as a first responder and preferred security partner. Presence and operational reach by the Indian Navy has been steadily enhanced through mission based deployments and other operational engagements, Pendharkar said. To a question on increasing Chinese forays into the Indian Ocean, Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar opined that China may have a legitimate reason to be present in the IOR for economic activities. Press Release December 5, 2023 SPONSORSHIP SPEECH ON EDDIE GARCIA LAW (SBN-2505, CRN-175) Mr. President, esteemed colleagues, distinguished guests, a pleasant afternoon. Your Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, joint with the Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, is honored to sponsor Senate Bill No. 2505 under Committee Report No. 175 entitled "An Act Protecting the Welfare of Workers in the Movie and Television Industry," or simply known as the "Eddie Garcia Law." This substitute measure is a consolidation of Senate Bill Nos. 450, 1889, and 460 filed by Senators Padilla, Lapid, and this representation, taking into consideration House Bill No. 1270, which had already been approved on final reading earlier this year. Nakalulungkot mang banggitin, pero ang panukalang ito ay bunga ng aksidente sa television shooting na naging dahilan ng pagkamatay ng batikang aktor na si Eddie Garcia noong 2019. Despite his agehe was 90 years old at the timethe screen legend remained active in doing movies and television series. This unfortunate incident and his untimely demise which shocked the industry led some actors and workers to push for reforms, calling out dangerous working conditions especially on set, thus, paving the way for this measure. Mr. President, this measure was put forward in order to ensure that workersespecially those who work behind the camera and work tirelessly even beyond normal working hoursare provided opportunities for gainful employment and decent incomes, and are protected from abuse, extended working hours, harassment, hazardous working conditions, and economic exploitation. We have included specific provisions on social welfare benefits and insurance for work-related incidents or deaths that would provide the much-needed security and protection in an industry known for its unpredictable nature. Matagal nang sinasabi na ang movie at television industry ay "peculiar" industry. Tila naging normal na rin para sa mga artista at manggagawa ang magtrabaho nang mahahabang oras, sa puntong umaabot pa ng tatlumpu't anim na oras (36 hours)[1] o higit pa, non-stop[2], at palipat-lipat ng lokasyon, para lamang maihabol ang petsa ng film showing o airing ng TV series. While we acknowledge that this is indeed a "unique" industry, stakeholders admitted during our public hearings and consultations that there have been a lot of abuses regarding prolonged work hours, which, in effect, could be detrimental to the health of artists, producers and workers. In fact, there had been reports that some deaths in the industry may be attributed to burnout as a result of stretched working hours. Not only that, despite working extended hours sans turnaround time, they usually do not have social safety nets, security of tenure usually accorded to regular workers, and waiting or rest areas on the set. Naranasan ko rin po 'yan, Mr. President, nu'ng ako ay nagsisimula pa lamang bilang bagitong artista: Gigising ka ng madaling-araw para maghanda, pupunta sa probinsya, at dadating sa call time na alas-sais ng umaga, pero kinunan ako alas-nuwebe na ng gabi (9:00 pm). Wala akong magawa kasi hindi naman po ako superstar (noon 'yon). But kidding aside, this has been the unregulated practice in the industry for so long, and many have already accepted that this is the norm in the movie and TV industry. Mas kawawa po ang production staff, logistics crew, at iba pang nagpapagod sa likod ng camera. Mas maaga po ang call time nila at nauuna sila nang ilang araw sa set dahil kailangan nilang mag-impake ng bulto-bultong gamit, maglatag ng kable, magpintura, o mag-set up ng lighting. Minsan, iba-iba pa ang set location. Sila rin ang huling aalis pagtapos ng shoot para magligpit ng gamit. The World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization warned that excessive hours, lack of rest and life-threatening levels of fatigue are increasing deaths from heart disease and stroke[3] worldwide. According to a joint report released in 2021, more than Seven Hundred Forty Five Thousand (745,000) people died in 2016 from heart disease and stroke related to working more than 55 hours per week, making long working hours as one of the biggest occupational health hazards. WHO and ILO also estimate that exposure to long working hours reduces life expectancy and diminishes quality of life. Physical and mental strain of overworked people can start from fatigue, stress, impaired sleep, and unhealthy lifestyle changes. In addition, overworking reduces work performance and results in productivity loss due to illness or occupational injuries[4]. Of course, for a country like the Philippines, extended working hours in this industry means bigger payactually higher than the prevailing minimum wage. Sino naman ang ayaw nito? Your family can have a fairly decent life compared with regular workers. Ika nga, kayod kalabaw at lagare hangga't kaya ng katawan. And this has become lucrative especially for youngsters and heads of the family: They have higher take-home pay for their families. Eventually, however, extended working periods will take a toll on your health. Not only that, time with your family also suffers. And the sad fact is, when the worker quits, the worker will just get replaced. And this recurrent practice just continues. Stress-related illnesses or mental health issues arising from this unhealthy yet under-recognized and overlooked practice in the movie and TV industry often go unnoticed, especially for the production crew, maybe for fear of being replaced and for economic uncertainties. In order to be consistent with the Philippine Labor Code and the international labor standards on working time, this Committee deemed it fit to put a premium on the protection and safety of workers in both film and TV productions. Mr. President, how would workers be able to keep working for their passion and the industry they love if the same industry takes advantage of them? It is high time that we regulate this longstanding practice and we need to institute measures to impose standards and bring about change. Under this proposal, normal work hours shall be eight (8) hours a day, up to a maximum of fourteen (14) hours, exclusive of meal periods, or a total of sixty (60) hours in a week. Workers aged sixty (60) years and above shall be allowed, under exceptional circumstances as defined by the Tripartite Council, to work beyond eight (8) hours to fourteen (14) hours a day. Workers shall also be governed by an employment contract to protect their interest, which shall include, among others, pertinent details about the job and its description, as well as the work hours and commensurate rate or any applicable benefits. Workers who have existing projects or contracts with other outfits should also not be discriminated against, unless exclusivity is specified. Mr. President, enacting this legislation would ensure that these measures that seek to protect workers in the movie and television industry would be properly implemented and upheld. We cannot allow karoshi, a Japanese term which means death by overwork, to continue in our film and TV industry. Simply, we can't go on like this. Ginoong Pangulo, alam naman po ng ating mga kababayan na mula ako sa industriya ng pelikula, kagaya ng ilan nating kasamahan dito sa Senado. Napakalalaki po ang aking tinatanaw na utang na loob sa industriyang pinanggalingan ko; at ang panukalang ito ang pagbibigay-pugay ko sa pagsasakripisyo at pagsusumikap ng mga manggagawa sa industriya. We really owe the success of every film or TV production to these workers. This is our tribute not just to "Manoy," but also to the industry's dedicated workers. Let us immortalize the legacy of "Manoy" Eddie Garcia through this bill. Hinihikayat ko po ang aking kapwa mambabatas na suportahan ang panukalang ito na hindi lamang magbibigay ng proteksyon sa kapakanan ng TV at movie industry workers kundi para rin bigyan sila ng respeto at dignidad. The daughter of Mr. Fernando Poe Jr., the King of Philippine Movies, informed this representation that she wishes to be a co-author of this measure. Thank you, Mr. President and my dear colleagues. [1] TSN, pp. 59-61. Senate Committee on Labor hearing, 27 Sept. 2023. [2] TSN, p.22, Senate Committee on Labor hearing, 29 August 2023. [3] "Long working hours increasing deaths from heart disease and stroke: WHO, ILO. 17 May 2021, World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-long-working-hours-increasing-deaths-from-heart-disease-and-stroke-who-ilo [4] "Long working hours and health," June 2021. The Lancet Regional Health. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanwpc/article/PIIS2666-6065(21)00108-5/fulltext Pak-Afghan Relations By Asad Mirza FOR the last two months, the international attention has focused on the continuing Gaza crisis, yet in its background another human tragedy has been unfolding in Pakistan, noticed by few except the humanitarian agencies. Reportedly, more than 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since October 1, after Islamabad vowed to expel more than a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans. However in a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of Pakistan observed on December 2 that the country is a signatory to the UN conventions safeguarding the rights of refugees and these agreements bind Islamabad from doing so. Earlier, an apex committee, chaired by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, on October 3 had issued a deadline for foreign nationals to depart voluntarily or risk deportation by Pakistan by October 31. Reportedly, this was to affect some 1.7 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan but also members of other persecuted communities including Chinas Uyghurs and Myanmars Rohingya. While the majority of the over 4 million Afghans living in Pakistan has been in the country since the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, between 600,000 and 800,000 Afghans are believed to have arrived in Pakistan after the Taliban took over power in 2021. Pakistani Crackdown As per media reports, Police and other officials have carried out mass detentions, night raids, and beatings against Afghans. Theyve seized property and livestock, and bulldozed homes. Theyve also demanded bribes, confiscated jewellery, and destroyed identity documents. Pakistani police have sometimes sexually harassed Afghan women and girls and threatened them with sexual assault. Among those being deported or coerced to leave are people who would be at a greater risk of persecution in Afghanistan, including women and girls, human rights defenders, journalists, and former government employees who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Some of those at risk had previously been promised resettlement in the US, UK, Germany, and Canada, but resettlement processes are not proceeding quickly enough. The UN Refugee Agency has said that the arrival of hundreds of thousands of people into Afghanistan couldnt have come at a worse time, as the country faces a prolonged economic crisis that has left two thirds of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, and now, winter is setting in. The new arrivals often come with almost nothing, because Pakistani authorities have prohibited Afghans from taking out more than 50,000 Pakistani rupees ($175) each. Souring of Pak-Afghan Relations Since 2021, Islamabad has attempted to close its border with Afghanistan with little success. Apparently, as expected the bilateral relationship between the two countries after the Talibans takeover of power in Afghanistan didnt worked out on expected lines. The present regime is not the same lot as the earlier Taliban. This time around they were surer of themselves and instead of following Pakistani diktats through ISI, the Taliban charted a new course of their own. The relationship even soured more, once the new Taliban government started fencing along the border on the Durand Line. Added to that was the issue of free trade between the two countries, which stopped flow of goods into Afghanistan via Pakistan twice over the last two years. Pakistan has also implemented several measures to tighten the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA), which critics say has been misused, for smuggling goods back into Islamabad. Pakistani authorities have blamed Afghan migrants in part for the rise in attacks. When the decision to deport refugees was announced, Interim Minister Sarfraz Bugti had stated that out of the 24 suicide bombings in Pakistan this year, Afghan nationals carried out 14. The Taliban regime in Kabul has denied involvement and has done little to allay Pakistans security concerns. Refusing to take back any refugees, Kabul also disapproves of Islamabads repatriation plan. As tempers rise, Taliban interim Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund has criticised Pakistans decision to expel refugees, saying that Islamabad had violated international laws, while his deputy Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai has warned the neighbouring nation not to force their hand to react over the move. Hostility is so deeply entrenched against Afghans that Jan Achakzai, caretaker minister in Balochistan province, has said that the expulsion of refugees would continue, no matter which political government comes to power after the elections. The tenure of the current caretaker Government will end in February 2024. Though the current situation may have arisen due to Pakistans own economic woes, in addition to its souring relationship with the Taliban, yet, the major sufferer in this case is the common Afghan. Against this backdrop it becomes the duty of international humanitarian agencies and western Governments to take cognisance of the issue and start a slew of measures to ensure care of Afghan citizens and also try to get relations patched up between the two neighbouring countries. (IANS) Scrap dealers sprouting everywhere raises questions on integrity of business By Dhanendra Chourasia Explosion of unregularised scrap dealing establishments has reached an alarming extent, with these unauthorised shops sprouting up not only along the main thoroughfares but also brazenly encroaching upon prominent public spaces within the city. The disturbing trend, however, is met with a confusing indifference from the local administration, raising concerns about the citys overall aesthetic appeal and public safety. The ubiquity of these illegal scrap shops poses a significant challenge, as they not only obstruct the smooth flow of traffic along major roads but also mar the visual charm of the city. The adverse consequences extend beyond mere inconveniences, with these unlicensed structures contributing to an environment of unclean conditions. Disturbingly, concerned citizens said that certain areas have become hotspots for anti-social elements, exploiting these illegal structures as venues for nefarious activities. It is alarming that banned or prohibited items are alleged to be circulated through these shops, presenting a clear threat to public order and safety. Despite the awareness of this escalating issue, the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation and the district administration appear to be turning a blind eye to the rampant growth of these unauthorized temporary structures within city limits. Such apathy, if left unaddressed could pose a formidable challenge in the future. The irony lies in the fact that, while the local administration allocates substantial funds for the development and beautification of the city, there seems to be a glaring oversight in dealing with the disfigurement caused by these illegal shops. This contradiction dent the sincere efforts invested in enhancing the citys overall appeal and cleanliness. It is vital that the Municipal Corporation takes decisive action at this critical juncture to eradicate these illegal scrap and other similar shops from the roadside. A practical approach is essential to restore the citys charm, alleviate traffic congestion and ensure the safety and well-being of residents. The time has come for stringent measures to be implemented to curb this growing menace and uphold the vision of a clean, orderly and aesthetically pleasing city environment. VHP to reach out to 30 lakh Hindu families in Kashi Prant VARANASI, THE Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will reach out to about 30 lakh Hindu families in 17 districts of its Kashi Prant to distribute akshat (unbroken rice used in puja), patrak (invitation) and photo of Lord Ram from January 1-15. The campaign will be held ahead of the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Senior VHP office-bearers have joined hands with the functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindu frontal organisations for the campaign. Kavindra Pratap Singh, president of VHP (Kashi Prant) said, We will reach out to 30 lakh Hindu families of Kashi Prant and give them akshat, patrak and photo of Lord Ram from January 1-15. We have formed committees at ward level in cities and in Gram Panchayats in rural pockets for the campaign. The VHP activists will connect with Hindus through online and offline mode to ensure that at least five diyas (earthen lamps) are lit in every house on January 22. According to the plan, diyas will be lit at houses and temples across the country at 6 pm. Singh further said, The divisional office has received akshat which will be distributed from January 1. Events like bhajan, kirtan, playing of Ram dhun, and prasad distribution will be held in temples. Meanwhile, VHP leadership in Prayagraj division has divided the entire Prayagraj district into five zones. -- south, north, Naini, trans-Ganga and trans Yamuna -- to reach out to six lakh families here. Egypts Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry is heading to Washington DC Tuesday to meet with a number of members of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, in an effort to stop the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. According to the Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, Shoukry will also meet with heads and members of the US foreign policy committees in the US Congress, with the aim of advancing and strengthening the strategic relations between Egypt and the US. Furthermore, the Egyptian foreign minister will address the Israeli war and its repercussions, both regionally and globally, during a meeting at the US Centre for Strategic and International Studies in DC. He will emphasize Egypt's pivotal role as a regional actor, highlighting its significance as a key mediator and a crucial access point for providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Shoukry will then join the Arab-Muslim ministerial delegation, set to visit DC Thursday, where they will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, several Congress members, and the US media. The delegation's visit comes in line with the final resolution passed at the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh. The delegation is empowered to spearhead international action to formulate an end to the war in Gaza and tackle the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the besieged strip. On Wednesday, Shoukry called on the United Nations Security Council to accept Palestine's membership in the United Nations General Assembly under its authority. On the 60th day of the Israeli war on Gaza, Israeli forces increased airstrikes and ground attacks in the south of the densely populated Gaza strip including areas where Tel Aviv had told people to seek shelters, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza now stands at 15,899, with 42,000 more wounded, according to the latest figures. Search Keywords: Short link: Banco de Chile (NYSE:BCH Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 496,600 shares, an increase of 9.0% from the October 31st total of 455,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 92,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.3 days. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in Banco de Chile during the 3rd quarter worth about $2,328,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Banco de Chile during the third quarter worth about $940,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Banco de Chile by 3.2% in the third quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 29,450 shares of the banks stock valued at $594,000 after purchasing an additional 926 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Banco de Chile by 14.1% in the 3rd quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 11,691 shares of the banks stock valued at $236,000 after buying an additional 1,449 shares during the period. Finally, Mariner LLC increased its stake in shares of Banco de Chile by 46.1% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 26,203 shares of the banks stock worth $529,000 after acquiring an additional 8,265 shares during the period. 1.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Banco de Chile alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets BCH has been the subject of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Banco de Chile in a report on Monday, October 16th. They set a hold rating and a $21.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Banco de Chile in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Banco de Chile Trading Down 1.4 % NYSE BCH opened at $22.53 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.66 and a beta of 0.41. The firms 50-day moving average is $20.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.04. Banco de Chile has a 12 month low of $17.96 and a 12 month high of $23.50. Banco de Chile (NYSE:BCH Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, October 30th. The bank reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66 by ($0.04). Banco de Chile had a net margin of 30.53% and a return on equity of 24.67%. The firm had revenue of $647.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $815.07 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Banco de Chile will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year. Banco de Chile Company Profile (Get Free Report) Banco de Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking and financial products and services to customers in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, and Treasury and Money Market segments. The company offers deposit products, such as checking accounts, current accounts, demand deposits and accounts, saving accounts, and time deposits; commercial, mortgage, consumer, working capital, syndicated, and installment loans; and credit cards. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Banco de Chile Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco de Chile and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dover Co. (NYSE:DOV Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,580,000 shares, a growth of 9.0% from the October 31st total of 1,450,000 shares. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 828,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.9 days. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have recently issued reports on DOV shares. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Dover from $177.00 to $175.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Dover from $149.00 to $145.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Dover from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Dover from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, October 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Dover from $171.00 to $162.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Dover has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $162.23. Get Dover alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on DOV Dover Trading Up 0.2 % NYSE:DOV opened at $143.43 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $136.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $141.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.33. Dover has a 1-year low of $127.25 and a 1-year high of $160.66. Dover (NYSE:DOV Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The industrial products company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.23 billion. Dover had a net margin of 12.09% and a return on equity of 26.23%. The firms quarterly revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.26 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Dover will post 8.8 earnings per share for the current year. Dover Dividend Announcement The firm 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 $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 29th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.42%. Dovers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.02%. Insider Transactions at Dover In other Dover news, VP Anthony K. Kosinski sold 664 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.64, for a total value of $94,048.96. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,333 shares in the company, valued at $755,366.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Dover news, VP Anthony K. Kosinski sold 664 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.64, for a total value of $94,048.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $755,366.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Brad M. Cerepak sold 4,631 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.00, for a total transaction of $657,602.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 49,938 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,091,196. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of DOV. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Dover by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,895,470 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,650,899,000 after acquiring an additional 224,091 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Dover by 7.6% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 15,057,041 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,223,172,000 after purchasing an additional 1,064,150 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich boosted its holdings in shares of Dover by 81,571.2% during the second quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 7,997,240 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,180,792,000 after purchasing an additional 7,987,448 shares during the period. Macquarie Group Ltd. grew its position in Dover by 1.9% during the second quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 3,314,537 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $402,119,000 after purchasing an additional 61,298 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Dover by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,952,412 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $434,781,000 after buying an additional 59,192 shares in the last quarter. 83.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Dover (Get Free Report) Dover Corporation provides equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services worldwide. The company's Engineered Products segment provides various equipment, component, software, solution, and services that are used in aftermarket vehicle service, solid waste handling, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, industrial winch and hoist, and fluid dispensing end-market. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Dover Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dover and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC cut its holdings in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Free Report) by 25.1% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 5,743 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 1,928 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLCs holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $807,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of DGX. Providence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 14,887.6% in the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,331,410 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $30,615,000 after buying an additional 4,302,510 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 46,022.7% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,914,554 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $270,871,000 after purchasing an additional 1,910,403 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 380.0% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,458,224 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $206,310,000 after purchasing an additional 1,154,403 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 62.2% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,728,816 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $386,073,000 after purchasing an additional 1,046,746 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter valued at $157,412,000. 87.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Quest Diagnostics alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $148.00 to $149.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, November 17th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $136.00 to $130.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Finally, TheStreet downgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a b- rating to a c rating in a report on Tuesday, October 24th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $146.09. Quest Diagnostics Price Performance Shares of NYSE:DGX opened at $137.49 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $15.46 billion, a PE ratio of 20.64 and a beta of 0.91. The companys fifty day moving average is $129.02 and its 200 day moving average is $132.71. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 52 week low of $119.59 and a 52 week high of $158.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The medical research company reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.03. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.21% and a return on equity of 15.80%. The company had revenue of $2.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.36 EPS. The firms revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.71 earnings per share for the current year. Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 17th will be given a $0.71 dividend. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 16th. Quest Diagnosticss payout ratio is 42.64%. Quest Diagnostics Company Profile (Free Report) Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine testing, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DGX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Quest Diagnostics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quest Diagnostics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ossiam increased its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW Free Report) by 105.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,813 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after acquiring an additional 12,197 shares during the period. Ossiams holdings in Medical Properties Trust were worth $221,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Register Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Medical Properties Trust during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 158.9% during the second quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 2,933 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 87.7% during the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 2,881 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 1,346 shares in the last quarter. Nvwm LLC acquired a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 100.0% in the 2nd quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,000 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. 76.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Medical Properties Trust alerts: Medical Properties Trust Stock Up 2.6 % Shares of NYSE MPW opened at $5.35 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -76.36, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.10. The stocks fifty day moving average is $4.90 and its 200 day moving average is $7.15. Medical Properties Trust, Inc. has a 52 week low of $4.04 and a 52 week high of $14.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a current ratio of 3.52. Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement Analysts Set New Price Targets The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 7th will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.23%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 6th. Medical Properties Trusts payout ratio is presently -857.14%. Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MPW. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Wednesday, October 11th. They set a neutral rating and a $5.50 price target for the company. Bank of America downgraded shares of Medical Properties Trust from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and decreased their target price for the company from $9.00 to $8.00 in a research report on Friday, August 11th. TheStreet cut Medical Properties Trust from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Thursday, October 19th. Raymond James downgraded Medical Properties Trust from a strong-buy rating to an underperform rating in a report on Friday, August 11th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $12.00 to $10.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $8.67. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on MPW Medical Properties Trust Company Profile (Free Report) Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust formed in 2003 to acquire and develop net-leased hospital facilities. From its inception in Birmingham, Alabama, the Company has grown to become one of the world's largest owners of hospital real estate with 441 facilities and approximately 44,000 licensed beds as of September 30, 2023. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MPW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Medical Properties Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Medical Properties Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Schroder Investment Management Group reduced its position in nVent Electric plc (NYSE:NVT Free Report) by 42.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,358 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,068 shares during the quarter. Schroder Investment Management Groups holdings in nVent Electric were worth $432,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in nVent Electric by 9.2% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 10,999 shares of the companys stock worth $383,000 after acquiring an additional 923 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in nVent Electric by 36.8% during the first quarter. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC now owns 11,498 shares of the companys stock worth $400,000 after buying an additional 3,093 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. raised its holdings in nVent Electric by 15.4% during the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 43,511 shares of the companys stock worth $1,514,000 after buying an additional 5,807 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in nVent Electric by 10.6% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 21,601 shares of the companys stock worth $768,000 after buying an additional 2,072 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its holdings in nVent Electric by 10.5% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 61,657 shares of the companys stock worth $2,144,000 after buying an additional 5,879 shares during the last quarter. 87.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get nVent Electric alerts: nVent Electric Price Performance NVT opened at $54.55 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $9.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.48 and a beta of 1.32. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $51.45 and a 200 day moving average of $51.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.97. nVent Electric plc has a fifty-two week low of $36.70 and a fifty-two week high of $58.98. nVent Electric Dividend Announcement nVent Electric ( NYSE:NVT Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 27th. The company reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $859.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $881.99 million. nVent Electric had a net margin of 14.98% and a return on equity of 17.44%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 15.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.66 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that nVent Electric plc will post 3.02 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 20th were given a dividend of $0.175 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 19th. This represents a $0.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.28%. nVent Electrics dividend payout ratio is presently 25.00%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other nVent Electric news, insider Michael B. Faulconer sold 2,080 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.07, for a total transaction of $110,385.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 27,613 shares in the company, valued at $1,465,421.91. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have weighed in on NVT. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of nVent Electric from $60.00 to $57.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 30th. Seaport Res Ptn reiterated a neutral rating on shares of nVent Electric in a report on Monday, August 7th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of nVent Electric in a report on Tuesday, October 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of nVent Electric from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $60.50. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on nVent Electric nVent Electric Company Profile (Free Report) nVent Electric plc designs, manufactures, markets, installs, and services electrical connection and protection products worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Enclosures, Electrical & Fastening Solutions, and Thermal Management. The Enclosures segment provides solutions to connect and protect critical electronics, communication, control, and power equipment; physical infrastructure solutions to host, connect, and protect server and network equipment; indoor and outdoor protection for test and measurement and aerospace and defense applications in industrial, infrastructure, commercial, and energy verticals; and metallic and non-metallic enclosures, cabinets, sub racks, and backplanes. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for nVent Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for nVent Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Egypt welcomed the United Nations Security Councils resolution on Saturday to lift the arms embargo imposed on Somalia since 1992, in a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. This resolution paves the way for the Somali government to continue its efforts in combating terrorism and achieving stability, said the statement. The foreign ministry added that Egypt reaffirms its steadfast support for the efforts of the Federal Government of Somalia to restore security and stability and enhance development in its sisterly country. The United Nations Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Somalia in January 1992 in response to the ongoing conflict and proliferation of militant groups in the country. In February 2007, the embargo was amended to permit arms supplies to Somali government forces. After 31 years, the embargo on Somalia was lifted on Saturday. Search Keywords: Short link: Cooper: We are restrained only by our capacity to accommodate more guests Cruise passenger traffic to increase by more than one million in 2024 The body of a woman who was attacked by a shark in waters near Sandals Royal Bahamian resort is removed from the scene. photo: Torrell Glinton President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, the Kremlin has announced, as Moscow courts allies abroad despite being isolated by the West over the Ukraine conflict. Putin has limited his international travel since deploying troops to Ukraine and the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him, accusing the Russian leader of deporting Ukrainian children. "President Putin will go on a working visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia tomorrow," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday. In Saudi Arabia, Putin will discuss trade, international politics and humanitarian aid with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kremlin announced. He will meet his counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the UAE for talks on trade, energy, tourism and education, it added. The Israeli war on Gaza is on the agenda of both meetings, the Kremlin said. The United Arab Emirates is hosting the COP28 UN climate talks, but the Kremlin did not specify whether Putin would attend any related events. 'Political show' Putin has missed several high-level gatherings abroad since Moscow launched large-scale hostilities in Ukraine in February 2022. Putin skipped the BRICS summit in South Africa in August to avoid causing a "political show". He also missed the in-person flagship G20 summit in September, although he attended a virtual G20 meeting in November. Since March, Putin has been wanted by the ICC, and member states are expected to make good on the warrant if the Russian leader enters their country. Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia have signed the ICC's founding treaty, which means they would not have to arrest him. Putin visited China in October, his first visit outside the former Soviet Union this year. Several days earlier, he travelled to ex-Soviet Kyrgyzstan in his first foreign visit since the ICC issued its warrant. After Putin's trip this week, he is expected to host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday. Russia is strengthening its economic and military ties with Iran, which has also been targeted by Western sanctions. Iran meeting Western countries have accused Tehran of supporting Russia's offensive in Ukraine by providing it with large quantities of drones and other weaponry. Putin visited Iran in July last year and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Tehran in October for talks with regional counterparts. Iran's official news agency Irna said Raisi would be travelling to Moscow following an invitation from Putin. "Bilateral issues, including economic interactions, as well as discussions about regional and international issues, especially the situation in Gaza, will be high on the agenda of the one-day trip," it reported. Moscow has blamed the United States for failing to resolve the long-standing war in Gaza. And Russia has positioned itself as a potential mediator, having maintained ties with both Israel and Hamas. It has leveraged its ties with Hamas to free several Russian captives, separate from an Israel-Hamas truce deal. Search Keywords: Short link: The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Mele Kyari, at the ongoing COP 28 in Dubai, restated the gains for a just energy transition for Africa. While addressing global energy leaders, he pointed out that African continent needs a just, differentiated transition to enable it to harness its resources for today for the benefit of future generations. A statement by Mr. Olufemi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, on Monday, said the GCEO joined other global energy leaders from the United States, Holland, and Oman to highlight energy perspectives and insights on the evolving energy market, harping on the need for the world to understand Africas peculiarities in addressing the effects of climate change on energy businesses. Kyari spoke at a regional CEO panel organised by McKinsey & Company on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Conference on Climate Change (UNCCC), also known as the COP28 Conference, in Dubai, UAE. Kyari said: I have always advocated for a differentiated and just energy transition. In Africa, we have different circumstances compared to other places in the world. In Africa today, 75% of our population doesnt have access to electricity, leaving us with biomass as a key energy source. The world needs to recognize that the most practicable thing today is to substitute what we have in the short term to close the energy gap for our rising population. With Nigeria forecasted to be among the global top 10 economies by 2035 and third in terms of the global population by the same year, Kyari said it was critical that the energy poverty question be discussed as nations unite to achieve net zero by 2050. The GCEO said NNPCL has showed practical commitment towards achieving net zero by 2050, by signing up to be a participant in the United Nations Global Compact in New York, becoming the first state-owned oil company to join the global initiative. As part of efforts to combate gas flaring in almost all its gas projects, Kyari said Nigeria is converting gas into power to boost nationwide electricity supply, create employment opportunities, and trigger the nations industrial and economic development. According to the NNPC Ltd boss, with abundant natural gas reserves of 206 trillion cubic feet (tcf) that has the potential to rise to 600tcf, Nigeria is currently utilizing gas to drive its journey towards energy transition. NNPC Ltd. is creating a regional gas pipeline network to supply natural gas across the African continent and boost its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supply to the foreign market. Report Credit: PSN The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) sold on Monday $990 million in USD-denominated treasury bills (T-bills) with a one-year maturity, according to the banks website. The issuance received high demand from investors, covering 110.1 percent of the issuance value, which sent a positive message of trust in the CBEs securities. The CBE sold the USD T-bills at an average yield of 5.15 percent. The CBE usually issues six US-denominated issuances yearly to cover the budget deficit. These issuances are attractive and offer low risk to investors and their yields are typically low, banking expert Mohamed El-Beih told Ahram Online. USD T-bills are used to cover the foreign currency shortage and pay the debt service, El-Beih added. The average yield of one-year securities reached 5.1 percent on 4 December, according to the US Department of the Treasury. The CBE has been taking various steps to increase its international reserve, amid a shortage in foreign currency that caused a discrepancy between official and parallel exchange rates of local currency. The Egyptian government, in turn, announced a plan to collect $191 billion through 2026 by gradually expanding its initial public offering (IPO) program and introducing additional incentives for foreign investors, such as tax exemptions and golden licenses. In November, the CBE auctioned $1.61 billion USD-denominated T-bills, the banks highest USD debt instruments offering (treasury bills and bonds) since mid-2020. The bank issued 645 million in T-bills in November, after a 600 million issuance in August. The CBE usually issues T-bills on behalf of the Ministry of Finance to finance the budget deficit. Egypts budget deficit rose to 3.85 percent of GDP during the first quarter (July-September) of FY2023/2024, up from 2.05 percent in the corresponding quarter in FY2022/2023. Despite the acute shortage in the USD, the country should pay $29.23 billion in external debt service in 2024, $19.43 billion in 2025, and $22.94 billion in 2026. The country is under review for a $3 billion loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The review has been delayed multiple times, with no final date set yet. Search Keywords: Short link: Fresh market vendors appeal against new shopping mall PHUKET: Vendors at the Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 2, located on Ong Sim Phai Rd in Phuket Town, have filed a formal appeal against the construction of a new shopping mall across the road from the market. agriculture By The Phuket News Tuesday 5 December 2023 12:32 PM The vendors submitted their appeal to the Phuket Provincial Damrongdhama Center (Provincial Ombudsmans Office) yesterday (Dec 4). Present to receive their appeal was Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat. Fresh produce vendor Rueangsak Saetan, 45, explained to Governor Sophon that the new mall threatened their livelihoods. The current plans allow for vendors at the new mall to sell fresh produce, thereby instantly threatening the incomes of the vendors at the long-standing Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market, he explained. Mr Rueangsak urged Governor Sophon to investigate and immediately suspend construction of the new mall. Governor Sophon formally received the request and ordered the Phuket Provincial Damrongdhama Center to coordinate with Phuket city Municipality and those responsible for the construction of the mall, including representatives of the Agricultural Market Committee, to come together to find ways to solve the problem. Of note, Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 2 is located directly across the the building that was once home to the original Robinson department store in Phuket, which operated for some 20 years and also sold fresh produce as part of the department store. Phuket honours Rama IX, Thailand National Day PHUKET: Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat this morning (Dec 5) led a series of ceremonies to honour the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), a day long honoured in Thailand as Fathers Day and now commemorated as Thailand National Day. culture By The Phuket News Tuesday 5 December 2023 01:33 PM The events, all held at Phuket Provincial Hall, began at 7:30am with a Buddhist service led by Phra Udom Wachiramongkol, the Phuket Provincial Abbot and Abbot of Wat Mongkol Nimit. The service was followed by the traditional offering of alms to monks in the forecourt at Provincial Hall. Joining the Governor in the merit-making activities were his wife, Ms Busadee, along with all the senior-ranking provincial officials and heads of provincial government departments and agencies, members of local volunteer organisations and some members of the public. At 8:30am at the Mahisorn Phakdi Auditorium, also simply called the Phuket Auditorium, located at the Phuket Provincial Hall government complex, Governor Sophon led a ceremony to honour King Bhumibol and his great achievements throughout his 70-year reign. In recognition of King Bhumibols accomplishments in agriculture, King Bhumibols birthday, Dec 5, is now commemorated annually by the United Nations as World Soil Day. During the ceremony, Governor Sophon specifically honoured King Bhumibols grace, wisdom and compassion for the Thai people, and for his legacy of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy as a guideline for the people to live by. Governor Sophon then led the congregation of leading provincial figures to pay homage to an image of King Bhumibol and placed Phan Phum () as tributes of respect. As is tradition, a candle-lighting ceremony will be held at the Phuket Auditorium tonight. Other events honouring King Bhumibol are also being held across the island. Although there is no ban on the sale of alcohol today, people are asked to be respectful of the auspicious occasion. The International Financial Corporation (IFC), the financial arm of the World Bank, partnered with Al Baraka Bank Egypt to offer $50 million in finance for Egyptian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) including women-owned businesses, according to a statement on Tuesday. The IFC financing will help Al Baraka increase SME funding across the tech, transport, communications, and health sectors, among others, the statement said. The IFC will also provide the bank with support for the development and implementation of an environmental and social (E&S) management system, enabling it to apply E&S requirements to its portfolio, which covers screening transactions against environmental and other legal and social regulations. We are committed to supporting our customers to address environmental and social issues, in line with international best practices, said Hazem Hegazy, Al Baraka Bank Egypts CEO and vice chairman. With increased access to finance, MSMEs can grow their businesses, create more and better jobs, and build stronger communities. By supporting women-owned small businesses, we are not only empowering entrepreneurs and their families, but we are also investing in the future of Egypt's economy, said Cheick-Oumar Sylla, IFCs regional director for North Africa and the Horn of Africa. Furthermore, the partnership aligns with the World Bank Groups $7 billion Country Partnership Framework for Egypt, which seeks to support more and better private sector jobs in the country, among other objectives. Since its inception, the IFC has invested a total of $7 billion in Egypt, and $3.2 billion since 2018. Search Keywords: Short link: Its not yet known whether the iconic trio will appear on screen together again, but our fingers are certainly crossed, because those blokes know how to make some great TV. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a museum housed at the Platinum Jubilee Memorial Building of the Assembly yesterday . She said Bengal had played an important role in Indias freedom movement. After we became free, Bengal played an important role in the democratic movement of India. The museum is unique and two wax statues of Gandhiji and Netaji installed, made me speechless. Miss Baneerjee proposed that the students from different schools and colleges should be invited to see the museum and no entry fee should be charged. They may not know much about our freedom movement and the role of Bengal. If they visit the museum, they will be enriched. She added, I am sure that in future many scholars will do research on the movement of democracy and the museum will give them the necessary papers they may need to carry on with their research. She requested Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay to make three more statues of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul and BR Ambedkar. Besides the Speaker, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Aroop Biswas, Firhad Hakim and Ashis Banerjee, deputy Speaker attended the function. Miss Banerjee said from today all state government functions will start with Tagores Banglar Mati Banglar Jal, which has become the state anthem. Advertisement The consul generals of the United States, Japan and Luxemburg attended the function. Miss Banerjee met the Governor CV Ananda Bose and discussed the appointment of vice-chancellors of different universities. Search committees will have to be formed and I will be discussing the matter with the Governor. Following the Supreme Court order I had sought his appointment, she added. At a time when a section of Hill based Gorkha leaders have been criticising the BJP leadership over the issue of Permanent Political Solution for this region, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista highlighted the need for Constitutional Solution for Darjeeling region, in the Parliament today. I have requested the Central Government to announce the Constitutional Solution for our region, without any further delay, so that the people from our region too can live a dignified life, Mr Bista said. From the National Security perspective too, it is in the interest of our country to keep the Siliguri Corridor safe and secure, he pointed out in the Parliament today. I also informed the Parliament that the safety and security of our region is only possible, when the indigenous people of the region are safe. This is why, the people from Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars are seeking justice, and a Solution under the Constitution of India, which will ensure governance of the people from our region, for the people of our region, and by the people of our region, MP added. Advertisement He also reminded the Parliament that the Darjeeling Hills, the Terai and the Dooars is the only region in India that shares four international boundary, therefore it is strategically very important. Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars have a special Administrative History, and have been governed as Non-regulated Area, Regulated Area, Scheduled District, Backward Tract, Partially Excluded Area and so on. However, post-Independence, due to the lack of a concrete Constitutional Body to govern the area, our region and people have become deprived and discriminated. Under the leadership of Prime Minster Narendra Modi, the Central Government has allocated massive financial resources towards the development of our region, however the funds are disappearing before they even reach the grassroots. Various institutions in our region are shutting down, the most important employment generating sector the tea industry is shutting down. Lack of employment opportunity is pushing the youths of our region to migrate in large number to bigger cities for their livelihood, Mr Bista mentioned speaking to the Parliament. According to him, scare ghotalas and corruption by the West Bengal Government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has resulted in the deprivation of our region, and today we lack even basic infrastructure. Further, the TMC is indulging in systematic demographic changes in the region for their vote bank, which will pose grave risk to our nation in the coming days. Because of this demographic changes, the indigenous Gorkha, Rajbangshi, Adivasi, Koch, Meche, Toto, Rabha, Bengali, Hindi-bhasi and others are today facing massive threat. Our language, culture, history, traditions, heritage, and even our future is threatened. When asked to comment Darjeeling MP Raju Bista claimed: I wont rest till we ensure the long awaited rights and justice for the people from Darjeeling Hills, the Terai and the Dooars. Despite prohibitory orders and awareness programmes on air pollution caused by burning of harvested paddy plants (stubble), a section of farmers are behaving in the most irresponsible manner. They are setting fire to the stubble at night causing air pollution leading to health complications in surrounding villages. Presently, farmers are using a harvester machine, which leaves the stubble in the farm. The farmers, in a hurry to sow potato seeds, burn the stubble to clear the land. Burning of stubble not only harms the atmosphere but also destroys the natural fertility of the soil. At night one can see stubble burning in acres after acres of agricultural land in the Arambagh sub division, Dhaniakhali, Tarakeswar, Haripal, Jangipara,Singur. The columns of thick smoke come in contact with the fog to form a thick blanket of smog very near to the surface area. Villagers affected by the smog are coming up with respiratory distress. The presence of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the smoke is causing respiratory diseases, breathing problems, recurring cough asthmatic attacks have become common in every household. Advertisement The farmers are not ready to further invest to engage agricultural labourers to clear off the agricultural land hence they commit the offence. Experts say the adverse effects of crop residue burning include the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contributes to the global warming, increased levels of particulate matter (PM) and smog that cause health hazards, loss of biodiversity of agricultural lands, and the deterioration of soil fertility A villager, who is a botany student in college, said, There is no doubt that the induction of mechanical harvesters has come as a boon to the paddy cultivators. Its economical and time saving but the mechanical harvester leaves back chopped hay that the farmers have to clear. The agriculture department should come forward to teach farmers the reuse of the stubble. They should be taught to dump them in a pit to decompose it to make compost. In view of creating awareness among customers about safe digital banking, the State Bank of India, Delhi Circle organised Town Hall meeting on Tuesday. The meetings organised across all the 37 regional offices of the Delhi circle around the city where senior officials shared information and informed the customers on digital banking and the safe way to go about it. The main aim of this initiative by the SBI is to safeguard the people from the fraudsters, who are very active in the online domain and target people through various means over the internet. Advertisement Besides the safe digital banking aspect, the Town Hall meeting also provides a good platform for collecting direct customer feedback with regard to the overall working and facilities of the bank, which is helpful in evolving the customer experience and delivering services in a better manner. The senior officials met and addressed the customers at the different venues where the meetings were held across the entire Delhi circle. Notably, there are hundreds over SBI branches across the national capital and the bank has a large number of customers coming from various walks of life. Taking cognizance of the public complaints, Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Tuesday conducted a surprise inspection of various areas of Sultanpur Majra and Trilokpuri and issued a 15-day ultimatum to officials to resolve issues related to sewage in the area. Taking note of the sewer water overflowing on to the streets, the minister reprimanded the officials. Despite continuous complaints from the people about sewer issues, the authorities had not taken any steps redress their grievances. The minister directed the officials to evolve an action plan to address the sewer issues in Trilokpuri Pocket-E. Advertisement During the inspection, the water minister found sewage water overflowing outside the sewers in many lanes. It was causing immense distress to the residents as the lanes were damaged as a result of the sewage water flooding. The general public also shared their problems with the minister and told her that they had been complaining to the DJB officials about the sewer issues for a long time, but no effective action has been taken. The minister pulled up the concerned officials, stating that the Kejriwal Government does not tolerate any negligence in such cases. Officials should always be accountable to the public, and if any officer shows negligence, they should be prepared for strict action against them, Atishi said. If officials cannot tolerate dirt around their own homes, how could they let sewers overflow outside the homes of common people, she asked. She said such negligence is unacceptable and directed the officials to immediately begin work to resolve the issue. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs staged a protest rally at the premises of Parliament in protest against the alleged misrule of Central probe agencies by the BJP-led government at the Centre. The MPs, including Raghav Chadha, whose suspension from the Rajya Sabha was revoked on Monday, held the demonstration in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue outside the parliament building on the second day of the winter session on Tuesday. During the demonstration, the protesting legislators shouted slogans while holding aloft placards against the ruling dispensation. Stop misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). Release Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, they called out. Advertisement It may be mentioned here that former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh are in detention after being arrested by the ED in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam. Ever since the arrests, the AAP is accusing the Central government of misuse of probe agencies calling the action a political vendetta. Earlier, the Delhi BJP had said the chief minister should accept the corrupt deeds of its jailed leaders and apologise to the people. The Allahabad High Court has given big relief to Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav by staying the chargesheet filed in a case of election model code of conduct during the 2022 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. The high court has stayed the police chargesheet and criminal proceedings in the case registered in February 2022 at Dadri police station in Gautam Buddha Nagar, against Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal( RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary. A single bench comprising Justice Rajbir Singh on Tuesday has given this order on the petition filed by Akhilesh Yadav. Advertisement There is an allegation against Akhilesh and Jayant along with 400 others of taking out a procession with a huge crowd in violation of the rules and code of conduct of Covid-19 without taking permission. The magistrate had issued summons after taking cognizance of the police charge sheet. This has been challenged in the High Court. The petition said that a complaint can be filed under Section 188 but police do not have the right to file chargesheet. Also, the Election Commission did not take any action, hence the action in case of violation of code of conduct is not correct. The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the Section 6A was enacted at a point which is deeply connected to our history as it commenced hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act incorporated in 1985 inserted by way of an amendment in pursuance to the Assam Accord. A five-judge constitution bench consisting of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant, Justice MM Sundresh, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said that Section 6A was enacted as a humanitarian measure in the wake of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and is deeply interwoven in our history. We cant deny that Section 6A was enacted at a point which is deeply connected to our history. Section 6A was enacted at a time when there was a different history, and India had an important role to play in the Bangladesh Liberation War, and we were a part of the war as much as Bangladesh. This was for the atrocities which were being committed on the population of East Bengal then, Chief Justice Chandrachud said as the bench was told that the influx of the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh was disturbing the demography of the State and culture of the local people. Advertisement Further observing that Parliament seems to have proceeded on the basis that the immigration which took place cannot be regarded purely as illegal but it was something humanitarian, CJI Chandrachud asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to state whether Section 6A was still in operation and the number of people who have been declared as foreigners till 2013. Appearing for the petitioner challenging the validity of the section 6A oi the citizenship Act, on various grounds, senior advocate Shyam Divan said that the Section 6A violates the intent of the Citizenship Act and the values of secularism, fraternity and brotherhood enshrined in the preamble of the constitution. Divan said that if the Centre has accepted immigrants from Bangladesh, then it was incumbent on it and other States as well that immigrants should be spread over all parts of the country and should not remain housed in Assam alone. He requested the constitution bench to direct the Central government to frame a court-monitored policy for all States and Union Territories for the settlement and rehabilitation of all the persons who came to Assam. The matter is before the top court constitution bench on 2014 reference by a two judge bench, On December 17, 2014 matter relating to the citizenship in Assam was referred to the five-judge Constitution bench. On April 19, 2017, the top court constituted the bench to hear the case. In 1985, the Indian government and the representatives of the Assam Movement negotiated and drafted the Assam Accord and created categories of immigrants. Section 6A of the Citizenship Act was introduced to give effect to the Assam Accord. It provides the framework to recognise migrants in Assam as Indian citizens or to expel them based on the date of their migration. The provision provides that those who have come to Assam on or after January 1, 1966, but before March 25, 1971, from specified territories, including Bangladesh in 1985, and since then are residents of Assam, must register themselves under section 18 for citizenship. Therefore, the provision fixes March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi migrants in Assam. Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, a Guwahati based civil society organisation along with others had challenged Section 6A way back in 2012 while arguing that Section 6A is discriminatory, arbitrary and illegal so far as it provides for different cut-off dates for regularising illegal migrant who entered Assam and the rest of India. The Bangladesh liberation war which led to the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan, witnessed a massive influx of migrants to India. Even prior to when Bangladesh gained independence from East Pakistan in 1971, migration had started to India. On March 19, 1972, Bangladesh and India entered into a treaty for friendship, cooperation and peace Chhattisgarh is undergoing a visible transformation in the aftermath of the BJPs triumph in the state assembly elections with bulldozers taking the center stage. Scenes in the capital city depicting these heavy machines swiftly dismantling an unauthorised market situated perilously close to a girls school herald a change. The demolition, carried out with precision, unfolds in the backdrop of prolonged student protests, amplifying the significance of this move in response to demands for the removal of encroachments. Significantly, the students of Salem Girls School had orchestrated a protest against this unauthorised market on the preceding Monday. The market had persisted for months, prompting complaints from the students about inappropriate comments and disruptions. Advertisement The unauthorised market situated near Salem Girls School near Moti Bagh prompted disturbances leading to the decisive action by the authorities in dismantling stalls and shops in the vicinity. Following the conclusion of the electoral code of conduct in Chhattisgarh, the Biryani Bazaar in Baijanath Para, Raipur, witnessed an early closure. Simultaneously, late-night establishments in various areas of the city, including Moudhapara and Gol Bazaar, were shuttered. Notably, shops in Bejanath Para and MG Road had been operating well into the night for an extended duration, attracting a substantial crowd. These areas were also witnessing active involvement of antisocial elements, with some vendors illegally selling intoxicants alongside food items. The lax response from the police had allowed such activities, contributing to late-night criminal incidents in the city. Concurrently, in Bilaspur and Chhattisgarh, bulldozers embarked on their mission to dismantle illegal constructions at dawn on Tuesday. A Municipal Corporation team in Bilaspur strategically initiated their operation near Swadeshi Plaza on Link Road, employing bulldozers to dismantle an unauthorized establishment. Subsequent, the targets included a makeshift center near the old bus stand, showcasing a relentless effort by the municipal team throughout the day at various locations in the city. The noteworthy legal action has been prompted by high court notices to the state government regarding the operation of liquor shops in proximity to educational institutions and religious sites. Sources indicate that during the Congress rule, associates of influential leaders were allocated shops around liquor establishments, leading to blatant violations. The powerful leaders obstructed action against these establishments, contributing to the surge in criminal activities within the city. Brijmohan Agrawal, a prominent BJP leader and legislator from Raipur, emphatically underscored the incumbent governments commitment to upholding law and order. He asserted that the era of hooliganism is over. He promised bring to justice those who disturb women and law abiding citizens. Agrawal articulated BJPs primary objective, to eliminate the surge in crime witnessed during the past five years of Congress rule and instill a renewed sense of security among the populace. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted searches at 13 locations across West Bengal and Karnataka in connection with a probe into an alleged Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transaction of Rs 820 crore in UCO bank accounts, CBI sources said on Tuesday. According to the sources, a case was registered on a complaint from UCO Bank against two support engineers working with the bank and other unknown persons on the allegations of suspicious IMPS transaction amounting to approximately Rs 820 crore. The Central agency has recovered electronic evidences, mobile phones, laptops, email archives, etc. during the searches in Kolkata and Mangalore at the premises of accused and other persons. Advertisement It was alleged that between November 10 and 13, IMPS inward transactions originating from 14,000 account holders across seven private banks were directed to 41000 account holders within UCO Bank through the IMPS channel. This intricate network involved a staggering 8,53,049 transactions and these transactions were mistakenly posted in the UCO Bank account-holders records, despite the originating banks registering failed transactions, it was alleged further in this case. Several account holders allegedly exploited this situation, illicitly withdrawing funds from UCO Bank through various banking channels, thereby benefiting wrongfully from the transaction. The Congress on Tuesday deferred the December 6 meeting of INDIA bloc called by its national president Mallikarjun Kharge. The meeting will now be held in the third week of December on a date convenient to all the alliance partners. The decision to call off the meeting was taken after several top Opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Samajwadi Party boss Akhilesh Yadav and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin conveyed they will skip the meeting. However, floor leaders of the Opposition parties will meet at the Congress presidents residence tomorrow to discuss the Oppositions strategy for the ongoing the Winter Session of Parliament. Advertisement Earlier on Monday, Trinamool Congress chief and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had refused to attend the meeting citing prior commitments in North Bengal from December 6 to 11. DMK boss and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also reportedly conveyed his decision to skip the meeting in view of Cyclone Michaung that made landfall earlier today and wreaked havoc in several coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. Bihar Chief Minister and JDU president Nitish Kumar is reportedly unwell and he too would have missed the December 6 INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi. Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav has also reportedly expressed his unavailability. The Congress party was given the leadership role in INDIA bloc. However, its defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states has weakened its position within the alliance bloc. The Egyptian Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) has recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Egypt-based Injazat Company and Chinese CHINT Global, to establish an industrial complex for green energy within the SCZone, covering a substantial area of 2 million square metres, according to a statement on Tuesday. The agreement was signed by Walid Gamal El-Din, chairman of the SCZone, Mohamed El-Demerdash, managing director of Injazat, and Jeff Kaye, general manager of CHINT Global. This signing took place during the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. The statement indicated that 2024 will witness the signing of the framework agreement and the completion of technical and financial feasibility studies. Gamal El-Din emphasized the agreements alignment with SCZone's commitment to the green economy and Egypt's overall vision for the energy sector. The SCZone also engaged in other significant agreements during the conference. One of these agreements involves exporting electricity generated from solar energy sources to the Chinese company Joshi, with a capacity of 7 megabytes. Another notable contract was signed between Elsewedy Industrial Development Company and Joshi, allocating land for fiberglass production and establishing an industrial complex spanning an area of 60,000 square metres. This complex will serve as an expansion of Joshi's existing factory, which focuses on sustainable and environmentally friendly products, with an investment cost of $920 million and a production capacity of 350,000 tons per year. Joshi will benefit from the incentives provided by the SCZone, investing approximately $8 million in the established complex. Furthermore, an agreement was reached between Elsewedy Company and the Emirati company Futurevert to allocate an industrial plot of land within the Sokhna 360 project. This plot, covering an area of 127,000 square metres, will be utilized for the production of agricultural nutrients. The collaboration between the two parties aims to enable Futurevert Egypt to invest up to $50 million in the first and second phases of the project for producing 300,000 tons of agricultural nutrients in the initial phase. During COP28, the SCZone and the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy also signed agreements with the Norwegian energy company Scatec and a group of international financial institutions, including the African Development Bank (AfDB) and British International Investment (BII). In addition, Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat and Minister of Electricity Mahmoud Shaker signed a letter of intent to join the BESS alliance. This alliance, an initiative of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), consists of ten members, including Egypt. By 2024, the BESS alliance aims to store five gigawatts of renewable energy as part of a broader plan to generate 400 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. During 2022, Egypt has been actively pursuing agreements with various international entities through memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to attract foreign investment in green hydrogen. Search Keywords: Short link: The Congress on Tuesday announced that the meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders will be held in the third week of December. The grand old party, however, said a coordination meeting of the floor leaders of the India (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc will be held at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge here on Wednesday. In a post on X, CWC member and coordinator of the Congress presidents office Gurdeep Singh Sappal said: A coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of INDIA Alliance will be at 6 pm on December 6th, 2023 at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Advertisement Sappal added, Thereafter, a meeting of party presidents/heads of the INDIA Alliance will be scheduled in the third week of December at a date convenient to all. The development comes in the wake of top INDIA bloc leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadavs from the Opposition, reportedly conveying that they wont be able to join the meeting on December 6. Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, national president of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jaipur, reported news agency ANI. Gogamedi was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. He was declared dead by doctors at the hospital where he was rushed to, the agency reported. Advertisement A team of Jaipur Police rushed to the spot after being informed about the incident. The police have launched investigation and efforts are on to nab the shooters. According to police, Gogamedi was shot at by assailants inside his residence in Shyam Nagar. He was rushed to Metro hospital in a critical condition where doctors declared him brought dead. #WATCH | Rajasthan | Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, national president of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, shot dead by unidentified bike-borne criminals in Jaipur. He was declared dead by doctors at the hospital where he was rushed to. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/wGPU53SG2h ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) December 5, 2023 Meanwhile, team of forensic experts also reached his residence to collect samples. The assailants reportedly came on a scooty and fled after firing multiple rounds at Gogamedi. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday asked the Congress to clarify whether CPI-M or the BJP is its primary opponent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Responding to reports that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest for a second time from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 polls, Chief Minister Vijayan posed the question to the Congress, asking it to decide whether CPI-M or the BJP is its primary opponent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The CPI-M Kerala leadership on Saturday raised the issue of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contesting against the LDF from Wayanad constituency. It was in this context that CM Vijayan, who is a member of the partys Polit Bureau, asked the Congress to decide whether the BJP or the CPI-M its primary foe. Advertisement Chief Minister Vijayan said in Thrissur that the INDIA alliance is not the front that decides where Rahul Gandhi should contest. The party should decide where Rahul Gandhi should contest from. Vijayan said the CPI-M is the primary opponent of the Congress in Kerala as the BJP is barely in the reckoning in the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. He added that the LDF would field its candidate in Wayanad. The CPI-M has openly come out against Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad. On Saturday, CPI-M state secretary MV Govindan had stated that Rahul Gandhi should not contest against the Left Front candidate in Wayanad if the INDIA alliance is targeting the BJP. A day after the Congress suffered a huge setback in the state Assembly polls at the hands of the BJP, CPI-M Kerala secretary MV Govindan criticised the Congress move to field Rahul Gandhi from Wayand constituency and said that any politician who has common sense knows that he should not contest from Kerala in the coming parliament election. There is no BJP in Kerala. Rahul should contest against the BJP, not against the LDF. If the Congress leader contests against the LDF, it will give the message that the Congress main rival is not the BJP but the Left parties. Rahul should contest from the BJP strongholds, MV Govindan said. He said the Congress will not have existence in Kerala without the support of the Muslim League. Rahul is contesting in Kerala against the CPI which is a part of INDIA front, because the Congress couldnt win in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress does not have influence in Hindi heartland states. The election results have proved it. The Congress has come to a situation where it could not even lead the INDIA alliance, Govindan said. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Tuesday announced that geo-tagging of properties will be mandatory to avail property tax exemption. According to an official statement from the civic body, the geo-tagging of all kind of properties have been made mandatory and If any taxpayers fails to geo-tag their properties by January- 31, 2024, they shall not be able to avail 10 per cent rebate on lump sum advance payment of tax in the next financial year that is 2024-25, by 30th June. The MCD has appealed to the property owners for completing the process of geo-tagging of their property as soon as possible and contribute to the development of the national capital. Advertisement The civic body informed that in several cases of non-residential properties, the MCD officers are doing the geo-tagging, however, the onus is on the taxpayers to ensure that their properties are geo-tagged. The MCD has further said that there is no need to geo- tag, in case a property has already been geo-tagged by MCD officers. It has been made clear that all those property owners who are not registered with the MCD property tax portal, must get their properties registered, and generate Unique Property Identification Code (UPIC), and further geo-tag their properties. Those who fail to register their properties by January- 31, 2024, the MCD would proceed to recover tax and also lodge prosecution against such defaulters. This process will provide a location-wise identification of individual properties and will enable better provisioning of service delivery to the citizens by MCD. Geo-tagging refers to assigning a unique latitudelongitude to a property on a GIS map by selecting the current location against any UPIC so that all properties have their location identified against a unique latitude-longitude position, the MCD explained. Elaborating on the process of geo- tagging of properties, the MCD said it has launched a mobile app for geo-tagging of all residential and non-residential properties. Property owners need to download the mobile app [Unified Mobile App (UMA)] from the Play Store or by visiting the website at http://mcdonline.nic.in/ mcdapp.html. After downloading the APP one can access the same, complete the login formalities and go ahead accordingly as per the specified steps to generate the UPIC and other options. Two days after the Congress suffered a humiliating defeat in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, Congress Rajya Sabha Member Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday raised questions over the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Mr Singh claimed on Tuesday that the Congress candidates were leading in 199 constituencies out of the 230 in the state, till the postal ballots were being counted. He expressed shock at how the voting pattern changed so drastically on the EVM machines that the vote counting from them resulted in the defeat of the Congress candidates. Advertisement The former CM of MP claimed that any machine with a chip could be hacked. He maintained that he has been opposing the voting through EVMs since 2003. Incidentally, the 2003 was the first time that the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh were held completely through EVMs. This was the election when Digvijaya Singh was the Chief Minister of MP. Uma Bharti had led the opposition BJP and the saffron party scored its biggest win till date in those polls. Digvijaya Singh-led 10-year old Congress government was ousted in those polls. The BJP had annihilated the Congress by winning 173 out of the 230 seats. The Congress was reduced to merely 38 seats, while others won the remaining 19 seats. In the 2023 assembly polls, the BJP won 163 seats, the Congress 66 and one seat went to the Bharat Adivasi party (BAP). Meanwhile, MP unit Congress Chief Kamal Nath also raised questions over the shocking defeat of the Congress. At a meeting of all 230 party candidates held at Bhopal today, Mr Nath expressed surprise saying that many losing Congress candidates had told him that either they lost from their own villages or even if they got bumper votes from their village, they still did not succeed in winning. Mr Nath also alleged that possibly the exit polls were created by those who already knew what the results would be. One of the partys losing candidates from Burhanpur constituency, Surendra Singh Shera who was an MLA till now, accused that the Congress organization did not help him as required for the poll. Shera burst into tears and alleged that Kamal Nath did not take any poll meeting in his constituency and did not help him. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has said that he and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann engaged in productive discussions on crucial matters yesterday. Speaking to the press, Agnihotri highlighted three significant topics religious tourism, illegal mining, and the drug predicament. Agnihotri emphasized the significance of religious sites like Anandpur Sahib, Amritsar, Dera Beas, Wagah border, and Jallianwala Bagh, frequented by people, especially from Una district. Similarly, he mentioned the visits of Punjab residents to Mata Chintpurni, Naina Devi, Jwalaji, Bagula Mukhi, and Deotsidh. Both parties agreed to expand religious circuits and student exchange programmes between the states. Advertisement Transport ministers from both sides will meet to bring to table these initiatives. Considering the lengthy and penetrable border shared by the states, combating smuggling and drug abuse emerged as a pivotal concern. To address these issues, regular meetings among police officials from border regions are planned to facilitate information sharing and network identification. Illegal mining was another point of focus, with concerns raised about tippers carrying excessive loads contrary to declared quantities in the M Forms. Agnihotri stressed the need to curb revenue theft while ensuring continuous developmental work. Installation of CCTV cameras at inter-state barriers and escape routes is set to monitor and deter illegal mining activities. Highlighting ongoing projects, Agnihotri mentioned a 32 MW solar power plant in Pekhubela village, Una subdivision, slated to be operational within two months. An 11-km transmission line is being established to power the drug park. Additionally, the Punjab Government agreed to supply power for the park from Jamalpurand. Touching upon the PGI satellite center in Una, originally announced five years prior by former Union Health Minister JP Nadda, Agnihotri credited the Sukhu government for granting environmental clearance to the project. He assured personal oversight of the construction progress and confirmed meetings with the PGI Director. A substantial allocation of Rs 375 crore has been earmarked for the hospitals civil works. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that steps taken by the Narandra Modi Government had brought down NPAs and the banks were making profit now, and the Indian economy had become the fastest growing economy, growing at the rate of 7.6 per cent in the last quarter. Answering supplementary questions, she said those enthusiastic about knowing the state of the banks NPAs, should know the heart of the problem was the phone-banking carried on for 10 years in the UPA rule, under which banks were asked on phones to give loans to people, without caring for their creditworthiness. When Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar inquired about the expression phone-banking used by Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Ms Sitharaman said phone banking was the practice carried on during the UPA rule which contributed to the NPAs problem. Advertisement There was political interference through phone-banking and this spoilt the health of Indian banks and drove them to loss-making and twin balance sheets situation. This also made the Indian economy a fragile economy, she said. The burden fell on the Modi Government to sort this out, she said. Her predecessor Finance Minister Arun Jaitley worked hard to identify the problem. The Prime Minister sat with the ministers to deal with it, she said. The finance minister said NPAs gross and NPAs net are coming down. The numbers are available year-wise. The NPAs are coming down in India while banks are in distress in the US and Germany and they are going bust in the US and Switzerland. Not only NPAs are coming down but banks profits are going up in India, she said. The net NPA ratio in 2017-2018 for scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) was 5.94 per cent and for public sector banks 7.97 per cent and this came down next year to 3.65 per cent for SCBs and 4.80 per cent for public sector banks. In 2022-2023, it has come down to 0.95 per cent for SCBs and 1.24 per cent for public sector banks, as a result of the steps taken by the Government, Ms Sitharaman said. Answering Mr Neeraj Dangi (Congress) who asked the original question, Mr Karad said there are several financial inclusion schemes to help people run their businesses and enhance their incomes, like MUDRA. However, there are RBI instructions for not giving loans to wilful defaulters, some units are also denied fresh loans. The IBC is also there. Look-out circulars are also issued. Big loan information is also circulated, he said. When Mr Dangi asked about action against guarantors, Mr Karad said the guarantors are responsible for equal liability in law. Even the Supreme Court ruled recently the guarantors are equally responsible. Mr Binoy Viswam (CPI) asked about hair-cut in the case of corporate defaulters. Ms Sitharaman said the Government does not decide the hair-cut. There is a committee of creditors which decides that. The Government has no say in the matter. Replying to Jawhar Sircar (Trinamul Congress), Mr Karad said writing off of loans is not waiving of loans. The unpaid loans had accumulated due to the phone-banking of the past. Mr Jairam Ramesh (Congress) said that 2,623 individuals owe the banks, amounting to Rs 1.96 lakh crore. To this, Ms Sitharaman replied, Action is being taken on wilful defaulters. My answers in the Lok Sabha are indicative of the banks taking steps towards getting the money from these people. As of March 31, this year, legal suits were filed against 13,978 accounts. Action has been initiated in 11,483 SARFAESI cases. FIRs have been filed in 5,674 cases. An aggregate amount of Rs 33,801 crore has been recovered. Around more than Rs 15,183 crore was returned to the banks from defaulters on whom PMLA action was taken. As of December 1, assets amounting to Rs 15,186.64 crore have been confiscated by the ED, the Minister added. Specific action is being taken, she said. In an address marking Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the Indian Navys historic milestone in appointing its first female commanding officer aboard a naval ship. He championed a cultural shift within the ranks, announcing plans to rename the Navy personnel and officer ranks in alignment with Indian heritage. Expressing pride in the countrys legacy, PM Modi highlighted ongoing efforts to bolster womens presence in the defense forces. With immense pride in our cultural heritage, I am pleased to announce the renaming of ranks in the Indian Navy to reflect our Indian ethos. Were dedicated to enhancing the role of women in our defense forces, he shared during the Navy Day celebrations. PM Modi emphasized the strategic significance of naval power, drawing inspiration from the legacy of the revered Indian icon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I extend my greetings to the Navy family from the historic Sindhudurg Fort. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj understood the seas power. His maxim implied that mastery over the sea denotes ultimate strength, he noted. Advertisement Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh underscored the governments commitment to fulfilling the operational requirements of the Indian Navy and advancing indigenous capabilities in naval prowess. A decade ago, the nations threats were predominantly land-based, overlooking the Navys significance. However, under PM Modis leadership, the focus expanded beyond this perspective, encompassing the Navy alongside the Army and the Air Force. Today, our Navy strides swiftly toward self-reliance, he stated during the event. Singh highlighted milestones, including the recent commissioning of the countrys first indigenous aircraft carrier, attributing this progress to PM Modis vision. Previously reliant on imports, weve transformed from a buyer Navy to a builder Navy, he remarked, emphasizing the shift towards indigenization in naval assets. Navy Day, observed on December 4, commemorates the audacious Operation Trident, a pivotal naval strike on Karachi harbor during the 1971 War, symbolizing the valor and prowess of the Indian Navy. Lokesh Sharma, former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to ex-Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has alleged that Sachin Pilots phone was put on surveillance to monitor his movements in 2020 when he unsuccessfully rebelled against the Gehlot government. In 2020, Pilot had almost toppled the Ashok Gehlot government when he took some 18 loyalist MLAs to Haryanas Manesar. However, some MLAs returned and the Congress high-command made timely intervention to save the government. At that time, accusations of phone tracking were made against the government. Reacting to the alleged phone tracking, Gehlots former aid Lokesh Sharma revealed that Pilots phone was indeed put on surveillance and his movements were also tracked. Advertisement During the political crisis in Rajasthan, when Sachin Pilot had gone to Manesar with 18 MLAs, the state government was keeping a track on Sachin Pilot and the people he was meeting. Sachin Pilot was being monitored on where he was going, and who was he talking to on the phone so that corrective measures could be taken and it was because of the monitoring that we could bring some people back. He was also being chased and all his movements were tracked, he said. #WATCH | Jaipur: On alleged phone tapping of Congress leader Sachin Pilot, Outgoing Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlots OSD Lokesh Sharma says During the political crisis in Rajasthan, when Sachin Pilot had gone to Manesar with 18 MLAs, the state government was keeping a track on Sachin pic.twitter.com/XzTJhdNGDh ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 After Congress partys defeat in Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2023, Sharma had severally criticised Ashok Gehlot and alleged that the former CM was responsible for the defeat. Sharma claimed that Gehlot distributed tickets to several leaders despite their negative feedback. He also said that he himself wanted to contest the elections from Bikaner but was not given the ticket. Sachin Pilot had also reacted to Sharmas claim, saying he was surprised after seeing the statement form CM Gehlots former OSD and expressed hope that party will take cognizance of this. He is yet to react on the phone tracking claims. Calling upon the party workers to pull up their socks for the Lok Sabha polls, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai announced that party would launch Parivartan Yatra from Saharanpur soon to connect with masses. The on-foot yatra will pass through village to village and city to city in all the districts of the state and make the people of the state aware of the failed policies and ideology of the BJP, the UP Congress chief said during the first meeting of the state executive held here on Tuesday. He said Congress supporters along with district party officials will participate in this yatra. Advertisement The journey will culminate at Naimisharanay Dham of the Sitapur district of UP. Addressing the state executive, Rai further said that the party has just five months to prepare for the Lok Sabha elections. In such a situation, we all have to come together with full strength and provide dynamism to the party by connecting as many people as possible with the Congress organization. He said, We need to accept this election as a challenge and work day and night on war footing. We do not need to be disheartened by the results of the recent election in five states, rather we need to stand up again with full strength and fight on the streets. Because the intention of the BJP is to destroy the democracy and constitution of this country and if it succeeds in its objective, our future generations will never be able to forgive us. For this, we need to come out on the streets with full force and wherever I am needed, I will be available even at 12 oclock in the night. Egyptians registered on the electoral roll who carry a valid passport or a national ID, even if it has expired, could take part in the voting process for Egyptians abroad in the 2024 presidential elections. The process, which ended Sunday, is reported to have run smoothly. Votes were counted inside diplomatic missions after the end of the three-day ballot under the supervision of the National Election Authority (NEA). Results, including the total number of votes cast and the number of valid and invalid votes, have been sent to the NEA through the Foreign Ministry and will be announced with the results of the home poll on 18 December. Saber Mohamed, a labourer who works in Saudi Arabia, travelled to the consulate in Jeddah with two colleagues to perform what he described as his duty to his country. Other Egyptians in Saudi Arabia, who live far from the polling stations in Riyadh and Jeddah, couldnt take part in the elections. The majority of Egyptian expats reside in Gulf countries followed by North America, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS). Elham, a housewife who lives in Qatar, reports her polling station was busy. I stood in a longish queue but it moved quickly. I was able to chat with other expats during the wait and felt that I was home, she said. The long distance expats had to travel to vote, especially in Saudi Arabia, the US and Canada, proved an insurmountable obstacle for some. Unfortunately, I had work over the weekend and it is a three-hour drive to the nearest polling station, so I was not able to vote, said Mohamed Sherif, a doctor who lives far from the embassy and the five Egyptian consulates with polling stations in the US. Said Henry lives and works in Ontario. He did vote, but only after making a six-hour drive to the embassy in Toronto. It was like a celebration for Egyptians inside their embassy. They all carried Egyptian flags and the picture of the candidate they wanted to elect, he said. Henry questioned why the authorities had opted to accept expired IDs as a valid document during the elections when they refuse them in transactions at home and added that the number of expats voting could have increased had the Interior Ministry committee that was supposed to travel to Canada to issue national ID cards turned up. Many children of expats, he said, who are of voting age, have never been issued an ID card or passport. Expats could vote from 9am to 9pm between Friday and Sunday at 137 embassies and consulates in 121 countries. The NEA published the addresses of all polling stations on its website. It set up a central operations room connected to foreign missions to monitor the voting process, as did the Ministry of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs. Minister of Emigration and Expatriates Affairs Soha Gendy said she had observed a substantial turnout which she thought was due to the vote being held at the weekend. An estimated 14 million eligible voters are expatriates. The number of expats voting in the 2012 presidential elections was around 314,000. In 2014, over 318,000 voted, a figure that fell to157,000 in the 2018 poll. Postal voting was allowed in the post-25 January Revolution parliamentary elections and the 2012 presidential poll to allow expats who live far from polling stations to take part. In the 2014 and 2018 presidential ballot voters had to attend in person. The expat vote was scheduled earlier than the domestic vote to allow the NEA to exclude the names of those who had cast their ballots abroad from voter lists at home and to give sufficient time for foreign missions to count the votes and forward the results to the NEA. In April 2011, the cabinet announced that Egyptians living overseas should be allowed to vote in presidential elections and referendums at embassies and consulates abroad as part of a raft of amendments to the law on political participation. In October the same year an administrative court ruled that Egyptians living abroad had the right to vote in parliamentary polls. A month later, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces passed a law regulating expatriate voting in parliamentary and presidential elections and in referendums, allowing expatriates to vote at embassies and consulates in the countries where they live. * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 December, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The story reads like the plot of a B-grade Bollywood film. A supposed Indian agent contacts a claimed arms smuggler-cum-criminal for a third party killing abroad, in return for criminal cases against him in India being dropped. The smuggler gets in touch with a hired killer who is a secret US government source, and pays him an advance, leading to the plan being blown. The target, a declared terrorist, threatening a country with aircraft bombings and innocent killings, is saved by security agencies of the nation he is residing in. The arms smuggler is trapped in a third country and extradited. The movie would be incomplete without scenes of the target terrorist moving around with a collection of bodyguards provided by the host nation, threatening diplomats and instigating members of his community to attack Indian diplomatic assets. The supposed plot, once released in public domain, makes the terrorist an instant celebrity, resulting in him giving media interviews praising agencies for thwarting the plot, justifying his cause and accusing the Indian PM of fearing his movement. TIME magazine even interviews him, where he twists his tale of threatening to bomb Indian aircraft to boycotting them. This, in brief, is the story behind the Pannun incident. The attempt on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was supposed to have been possibly prior to the Nijjar killing in June this year. Nijjar was killed in Canada, after which Justin Trudeau, the Canadian PM, accused India of being involved. Despite multiple demands by India, Ottawa has yet to provide requisite evidence. The Canadian inquiry is currently in progress and will definitely be influenced by the Pannun case. Advertisement On the other hand, the US did provide inputs on the Pannun attempt which the Indian government claims it is investigating. The Indian spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, stated in a press interaction, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others. India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on our national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue. On a case being filed in a US court, Bagchi stated, This is a matter of concern. Let me reiterate (that) this is also contrary to government policy. The difference in approach is on account of actionable evidence provided by the US government as against accusations by Trudeau. Pannun is a declared terrorist with multiple cases registered against him and with his property in India confiscated. Post his threat to bomb an Air India aircraft, an NIA case was also filed against him. Khalistan, the movement Pannun propagates, has limited global traction, almost non-existent in India. Most of its referendums are a joke, done solely for media coverage. The movement is largely funded by Pakistan, which has been witnessing a drop in its efforts in J and K. However, the movement remains an embarrassment to India as its diplomatic assets have been vandalized by supporters in the US and Canada, with no response from their governments. Hindu temples have been attacked and diplomats threatened. India had approached the US for Pannuns extradition on which there has been no forward movement. Interestingly, the indictment in the US court links the Pannun incident to the Nijjar killing, providing additional masala to Trudeau. The indictment states that Nijjar was an associate of Pannun. Trudeau jumped into the controversy stating, India needs to take this seriously. The Indian government needs to work with us to ensure that were getting to the bottom of this. The fact that the news broke in the Financial Times even before the indictment was unsealed in a US court implies that the leak was intentional. From US accusations, assuming them to be reasonably factual, a few issues come to the forefront. Firstly, was Pannun, a US and Canadian citizen, so serious a threat that Indian agencies would have decided to take him out in the US or was he just another blabbermouth who should have been ignored? Was the attempt an independent action of an over-zealous Indian intelligence official or was it someone acting as a government agent? Logically, Pannun was not a major security threat and hence the attempt was unwarranted. It is also unlikely that the plan would have been sanctioned by the government. Secondly, as has emerged, both Nijjar and Pannun were CIA assets. This raises the question that if India and the US are truly allies and cooperating on security issues, why is Pannun being protected and permitted to continue to threaten Indias security? It is understandable in the case of Canada, where Trudeau is propped up by the NDF, headed by Khalistan supporter Jagmeet Singh, but not the US. It is possible that Pannun is being encouraged to build a movement which, at some stage, could be a means of applying pressure on India. Thirdly, what is the American intention in bringing the case into the public domain? It was reported that the US had already raised its concerns when its senior diplomats, including the Secretary of State and Director CIA, visited Delhi. It was also mentioned that the issue was discussed during PM Modis visit to Washington and the G20 meet in Delhi. Yet, a criminal case was filed and inputs released in public domain as India gears up for elections. Is the US seeking to lower the image of the current government by embarrassing it on the global stage just as the country moves into election mode, while providing additional ammunition to the opposition? It is possible that Nikhil Gupta, the smuggler at the centre of the accusation, extradited to the US, would face US courts just as elections draw close. It is unlikely that the case, even if true, will impact Indo-US relations as with Canada. The two nations would overcome the incident and move on. Both would be careful in the future, India preventing any repeat, while the US contains Pannun. At the end of the day, what comes to fore is that a so-called strategic ally, the United States, officially harbours anti-India terrorists. Finally, Indian RAW operations in North America have almost come to a grinding halt as also the agency will always be looked upon with suspicion, despite its guilt not being proved. (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.) The successful evacuation of the 41 trapped workers from the SilkyaraBarkot tunnel has made the entire country proud of everyone involved in the rescue operation. It has proved that patience, resilience and meticulous planning can do miracles. Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has rightly said, This was a wellcoordinated effort by multiple agencies, marking one of the most significant rescue operations in recent years. Various departments and agencies complemented each other despite facing numerous challenges. Mr. Gadkari has also expressed his deep gratitude to each agency and individual involved in this rescue operation as well as appreciated the dedicated work done by the international rescue experts, administrative officers, and the Uttarakhand government. While there is no denying that the entry of the 41 bright, cheerful and relieved faces from the darkness of the tunnel into the light of normal life becomes a moment to celebrate for the entire country, it cannot wipe out a few questions that taste bitter and are probably unpalatable to the government. The ill-fated tunnel, estimated to be 4,531m-long, is a part of the Char Dham Pariyojana (project) in Uttarakhand that aims to better connectivity amongst the religious pilgrimage sites of Gangotri, Yamnotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Advertisement On completion, the tunnel would connect Gangotri and Yamunotri easily, all through the year, by reducing the existing 26 kmlong, landslide-prone road, to just 4.5 km. This would mean a drastic cut in travel time ~ a onehour journey would be reduced to just a few minutes. However, since its inception, the Char Dham project has created controversies. Environmental activists and some local residents protested against the implementation of the project claiming that it would damage the ecology of the Himalayan region. Many experts have also argued that the Himalayas are geologically active and fragile and that is why, for the region, instead of tunnels, new methods of connectivity must be envisioned. Commenting on the Silkyara disaster, Harpal Singh, Project Head of the Zojila Tunnel, has maintained, The Himalayas are a young mountain system, resulting in inconsistent rock formations that pose stability challenges during tunnelling. Situations like that of Silkyara have occurred several times, but fortunately, there have been no casualties, which is why such incidents dont make national news like Silkyara. In fact, the Himalayas have witnessed several disasters like Silkyara in the recent past ranging from the sinking of Joshimath in Uttarakhand to the floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh. Repeated occurrences of disasters like these should make us rethink about the procedures used for (and also perhaps the necessity of ) the so-called development of the region. Some argue that tunnels are a must in the Himalayan region if connectivity has to be improved. Even if one buys this argument, one is compelled to raise a few questions relating to the procedures normally followed while constructing a tunnel. Governments usually want tunneling projects to finish before the deadline. This creates additional pressure on construction companies, compelling them to complete the project in a hurry. Such hurry is suicidal for a tunnel-project. Harpal Singh warns, There is no room for any kind of pressure in the tunneling projects. Given our countrys Himalayan terrain, alertness remains crucial. While this alertness may cause project delays, it serves as a safeguard against tunnel collapses, which could jeopardize the entire project. Some facts, which are already in the light, make one question whether any such hurry was responsible for neglecting the preparatory work essential for constructing a tunnel in case of the Silkyara collapse. Incidents like the Silkyara tunnel collapse are known as geological surprises. Experts claim that such surprises occur due to lack of proper study and groundwork, much needed for excavating mountains. In fact, before choosing a site for tunnel construction, extensive studies are needed to be conducted. These studies include geological mapping, geophysical investigations, geo-technical investigations and risk assessments to evaluate factors like rock stability, water ingress and seismic activity. The nation should know whether all these studies were conducted prior to the beginning of the construction work for the Silkyaara tunnel. That there were serious lapses in this regard is already evident. A member of the preliminary fact findings committee created by the government has told Reuters (on condition of anonymity) that the collapse may have been caused by a geological fault, known as a shear zone. Flouting the government guidelines about keeping emergency exits for tunnels longer than 1.5 km, no escape passage was also kept in the tunnel. In fact, one feels disturbed when one comes across the statement of a worker (named Rajeev Das) involved in the construction of Silkyara tunnel. He has said, For the past two-three days, we have been feeling that perhaps, the structure is not very strong. Just a day before, when we were removing a lattice girder, we saw some debris falling. On Saturday night, a piece of concrete fell from the roof. We informed our seniors. But before they could do anything, the incident happened. Other than raising serious questions about whether the required groundwork was at all done before the commencement of the project, Dass confession makes one suspect the responsibility with which the project was carried out by a private engineering company, Navyuga Engineering. This company, however, is working under a state-owned company, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). One, therefore, is also bound to ask whether there was proper monitoring on behalf of NHIDCL of the work done by Navyuga Engineering Company. In fact, in the initial stage of the rescue operation, some of the relatives of the workers also complained about the reluctant attitude of the company to rescue the trapped workers. It also needs to be noted that this project initially did not get required permission on environmental grounds. The government then got the necessary clearance from the Supreme Court by citing national security reasons as the area covered by the project is not very far from the borders. After getting the clearance from the Supreme Court, the government avoided a comprehensive environment impact assessment (EIA) of the Char Dham Pariyojana and split it up into smaller, independent projects. A report submitted by a Supreme Court-appointed expert committee in July 2020 clearly pointed out that the impact of the whole project was not properly assessed before construction began. Hemant Dhyani, an environmentalist and a member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee, has told Reuters that the committees recommendation of building a narrow tunnel of 7-8 metres width has been ignored, leading to more blasting and increased risk of collapse. This information increases the suspicion that the project has been undertaken to satisfy pilgrims than to facilitate movements that have strategic significance. The hurry in carrying out the project with serious lapses, ignoring some important recommendations, makes one believe that the project has an eye more on the election of 2024 than on national security. Unfortunately, a religious colour has also been added to the rescue operation. To pacify the grievances of some local people who consider this incident to be a manifestation of Gods wrath, NHIDCL organised a small ritual presided by a local priest and installed a small temple on the mouth of the tunnel on 18 November. The success of the rescue operation is now being seen by many not as a victory of science, human skill, human prowess and resilience, but as a result of Gods blessings. Arnold Dix, an Australian tunnel-evacuation expert and the head of the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association of Geneva, has played a significant role in the rescue of the 41 workers. When the rescue operation was on, he made an interesting comment, Its the will of the mountain which will decide when and from which door those people come out. Though it sounds like fatalism, this comment actually suggests that humans must have respect for the earth, that disrespect for the earth would be costly. Dixs words are a warning in disguise. Will the government listen to it? (The writer is Professor, Department of English and Culture Studies, and Director, Centre for Australian Studies, The University of Burdwan) As the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza reaches a critical juncture, the recent actions and statements of key players have intensified the urgency for a diplomatic solution. The relentless bombardment of southern Gaza by Israeli warplanes and artillery, following the collapse of a tenuous truce, paints a grim picture of escalating hostilities. Against this backdrop, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern and then headed to Qatar to help restore the truce while Israel conveyed its conditions for a postwar Gaza, underscoring the intricate web of regional dynamics that demand immediate global attention. Mr Macrons proactive engagement in seeking a new truce and his visit to Qatar reflect Frances deep concern over the resumption of fighting in Gaza. His emphasis on efforts to obtain a lasting ceasefire and the release of hostages highlights the need for diplomatic initiatives beyond the immediate actors in the conflict. His call for clarity on Israels goals towards Hamas adds a crucial dimension to the discourse, urging a deeper understanding of the motivations guiding the military actions. Simultaneously, Israels call for a buffer zone on Gazas border, communicated to Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE, introduces a potential framework for the post-war landscape. The proposal, part of broader security plans for Gaza, aims to prevent future attacks and has been met with mixed reactions. Arab states, the US and others have expressed concerns about any plan reducing Palestinian land, emphasising the intricate diplomatic balancing act required to address the security needs of Israel without further disenfranchising the Palestinian population. The juxtaposition of these diplomatic efforts and military actions on the ground underscores the complexity of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The devastation caused by the airstrikes and artillery barrages adds a human dimension to the discourse, with the Gaza health ministry reporting a rising death toll and a growing number of wounded. The immediate humanitarian crisis necessitates global intervention to ensure the delivery of aid to those affected and the protection of civilian lives. The call from US Vice President Kamala Harris for the reunification of Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank under one governing entity adds another layer to the puzzle. While such a proposition may offer a pathway for long-term stability, it introduces questions about the feasibility and practicality of reunification amidst deeply entrenched historical and geopolitical complexities. In the face of this multifaceted crisis, the international communitys challenge is to bridge the gap between diplomatic discourse and on-the-ground realities. The complexities presented by Mr Macrons diplomatic efforts, Israels security proposals, and Ms Harriss call for reunification demand a holistic and inclusive approach. The urgency for an immediate ceasefire and concerted diplomatic initiatives cannot be overstated, as innocent lives continue to be caught in the crossfire. It is a critical moment for global leaders to rise above political divides and work collectively to forge a path towards lasting peace in Gaza. Advertisement In the tumultuous landscape of post-invasion Ukraine, a nation straddles two disparate worlds ~ the grim trenches of a relentless war and the increasingly contentious political battleground in Kyiv. The recent offer to Mr Anton Drobovych, head of Ukraines Institute of National Memory, to become culture minister sheds light on the delicate inter-play between military duty and political turmoil. Amid the threat from Russia, the internal fault lines within Ukraine are becoming more pronounced. The rifts extend beyond ideological differences, reaching a concerning level of discord between the countrys military and political leadership. President Volodymyr Zelenskky and his commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny find themselves at odds, with their differences laid bare in public rebukes and conflicting statements. The recently disclosed candid interview by General Zaluzhny, where he declared a stalemate in Ukraines war, ignited a public spat, underscoring the fragility of the relationship. The spectre of a reported criminal investigation into the defence of southern Ukraine adds another layer of complexity. This is the region where Russian forces secured a swift victory, creating a crucial corridor to Crimea. The investigation, which names General Zaluzhny as a witness, looms ominously, potentially serving as a tool to keep the military leader in check. The intertwining of military strategy, political manoeuvring, and potential legal scrutiny paints a picture of a nation grappling with internal strife amid external threats. Public sentiment, once overwhelmingly supportive of President Zelenskky for his role in defending the country, is now shifting. Corruption scandals and concerns over the nations trajectory have tarnished the Presidents image. Trust in Mr Zelenskky has dwindled, contrasting sharply with the still-revered General Zaluzhny. The possibility of Mr Zelensky losing in a head-to-head presidential election against his own commander-in-chief looms large, indicating a seismic shift in Ukrainian politics. Amidst these internal challenges, Russia seizes the opportunity to exploit ambitions and tensions within Ukraine. Intelligence reports reveal a multi-faceted disinformation campaign targeting different constituencies, attempting to shore up support in Russia, undermine confidence in the West, and amplify grievances within Ukraine. As Ukrainian society grapples with the complexities of its internal struggles, Russia aims to sow seeds of discord and capitalise on perceived weaknesses. The international community must closely monitor Ukraines evolving political landscape to ensure that the nation remains resilient against external pressures. As the war on the front lines persists, Ukrainians face a stark choice ~ life or death. For those entrenched in the daily struggle for survival, the internal political wrangling in Kyiv might seem distant. Yet, the nation stands at a crossroads, where navigating the delicate balance between political stability and military resilience will determine its fate in the face of persistent external attacks. The echoes of war reverberate not just on the front lines but throughout the corridors of power in Kyiv, shaping the destiny of a nation caught in the throes of internal and external conflict. Advertisement Rukum West District Court in Nepal has handed down a landmark verdict, imposing life imprisonment on 24 individuals convicted of a caste-based murder that occurred three and a half years ago. The case involved the brutal killing of six individuals, including 21-year-old Nabaraj BK, in connection with an inter-caste love affair. Judge Khadga Bahadur KC presided over the bench that delivered the verdict, addressing charges of duty killing and caste untouchability linked to the tragic incident. The Nepal court sentenced the 24 accused to life imprisonment for their involvement in the murder. Additionally, the perpetrators were slapped with an additional two years of imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 for the crime of untouchability. The incident unfolded on May 24, 2023, when Nabaraj BK, accompanied by friends, sought to marry his girlfriend from the Malla caste, considered an upper caste. The group was targeted and attacked by locals in the Soti village, resulting in the death of Nabaraj and five of his companions, namely Sandeep BK, Tikaram Sunar, Ganesh Budha, Lokendra Sunar, and Govind Shahi. Twelve others sustained injuries during the assault. Advertisement After an extensive two-week search, the victims bodies were recovered from the banks of the Bheri River. The tragedy prompted Nabarajs father, Munlal Nepali, to file a complaint that led to legal action against 34 individuals, including Dambar Bahadur Malla, the then ward president of Chaurjahari-8. In the judicial proceedings, one accused, the teenagers mother, was released on bail, while ten others were released on normal dates. However, 23 individuals were remanded in custody, ultimately facing the serious charges related to the caste-based murder. CYPRIOT President Nikos Christodoulides met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on Tuesday in Cairo to discuss the possibilities of extending a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza through the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus, only 360 kilometres away from Gaza, last month offered to host and operate facilities to send aid directly into the Gaza Strip following the start of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. According to the Cypriot proposal, international humanitarian aid will be sent to Larnaca on the south coast of Cyprus, then inspected, with Israeli involvement, and sent to Gaza. Transferring aid via the Rafah border, the only aid route to Gaza, has been on slow due to Israels strict inspections as well as problems in distributing aid in the Strip due to the lack of fuel and security concerns. The visit comes as the first leg in a tour that will involve Jordan where Christodoulides will meet King Abdullah to discuss the technicalities of the plan. According to Reuters, there were technical discussions on the matter between Cypriot and Israeli officials on Sunday. Experts believe there are many obstacles facing the establishment of an aid corridor as Gaza has no port and its waters are shallow. In 2016, work to set up the needed infrastructure of a port in Gaza started but was stopped. During the meeting between the Egyptian and Cypriot presidents, Al-Sisi stressed Egypts openness to receiving and coordinating all international aid directed to the Gaza Strip, according to Egypts presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmi. While emphasising Egypts intensive efforts to deliver assistance and humanitarian aid to the Strip, Al-Sisi underscored the importance of establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, considering this was the way to realise regional peace and security. * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 December, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Indraprastha Medical Corporation Ltd (IMCL) asserted that it follows every legal and ethical requirement for transplants, including government guidelines, refuting a report which alleged that it was involved in 'cash for kidney racket'. The hospital, a part of the Apollo Hospitals group, said each foreign donor is required to provide a certification from their respective foreign governments that the donor and recipient are indeed related before undertaking transplant. "To be clear, IMCL complies with every legal and ethical requirement for the transplant procedures including all guidelines laid down by the government as well as our own extensive internal processes that exceed compliance requirements," a company spokesperson said. The spokesperson was responding to a query about an international media report which has alleged that the hospital is involved 'cash for kidney racket', with poor people from Myanmar being enticed to sell their organs for profit. Further, the spokesperson said, "the allegations made in the recent international media against IMCL are absolutely false, ill-informed and misleading. All the facts were shared in detail with the concerned journalist." Elaborating on the hospital's process on kidney transplant, the spokesperson said IMCL requires every donor to provide Form 21 notarised by the appropriate ministry in their country. "This form is a certification from the foreign government that the donor and recipient are indeed related," the spokesperson said and added that the government-appointed transplant authorisation committee at IMCL reviews documents for each case and interviews the donor and the recipient. According to the spokesperson, IMCL re-validates the documents with the concerned embassy of the country. The patients and donors undergo several medical tests, including genetic testing. "These and many more steps far exceed any compliance requirements for a transplant procedure and ensure that donor and recipient are indeed related as per applicable laws. IMCL remains committed to the highest standards of ethics and to delivering on our mission to bring the best healthcare to all," the spokesperson asserted. Delhi-based Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals is a multi-specialty tertiary acute care hospital with over 710 beds. As Congress reels under crisis after its disastrous performance in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, senior party leader Digvijaya Singh has once again cast doubts over the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), claiming it could be hacked. Singh in a post on X said any machine with a chip can be hacked. "I have opposed voting by EVM since 2003. Can we allow our Indian Democracy to be controlled by professional hackers? This is the fundamental question that all political parties have to address. Hon ECI and Hon Supreme Court would you please defend our Indian Democracy?" read the post. He also shared a post that talked about countries which discontinued the use of EVMs. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut too had called the victories "EVM mandate." Raut said the victory of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan doesn't reflect people's support but an EVM mandate. "The poll results are unexpected and surprising but we respect the democratic process. When the mandate goes against your party, one has to accept it. However, the results of Madhya Pradesh are not only surprising but also shocking for us. The poll results in three of four states should be considered as the EVM mandate and it has to be accepted in that way only," Raut said. "I dare them (BJP) to hold elections using ballot papers and we will see the outcome," he added. The Rajya Sabha member demanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) take cognizance of the people "who have doubts about the authenticity of EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) and the way they function". However, the BJP took a dig at the opposition's charges on the EVM, calling it negativity. "The opposition should stop spreading this negativity. By saying there is a problem in EVM, they are disrespecting the voters also," BJP leader and Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told ANI. The leaders questioned why Congress never had any issues when the EVMs were used from 2004-2014. "They did not question it when they won in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka. They won Telangana too. Opposition trusts neither the EVM nor the public or EC or Court. Rejecting public mandate like this shows a petty mindset," asked BJP MP Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti. Meanwhile, National Conference leader and INDIA bloc leader Farooq Abdullah MP said it was important to retain people's trust in the machine. "When this machine was introduced during the Congress regime, I was the Chief Minister. At that time, we had asked the Election Commission if there could be any "theft", to which they said it was possible. A method has to be found to correct this machine so that people's trust in it remains," Abdullah added. National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday, attributed the BJP's success in three states not as a defeat of the INDIA bloc but as a result of the Congress's shortcomings. He was speaking to the reporters at Dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar. He emphasised that the INDIA alliance remains robust, despite certain issues needing resolution, as various parties contested the state elections independently rather than as a unified alliance. He stressed that the setback in these states reflects the Congress party's setbacks rather than a collective failure of the alliance. Regarding an invitation to a dinner at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's residence, he said the NC had received the invitation, but he refrained from commenting on whether West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had received a similar intimation. Earlier, Abdullah expressed concerns about the opposition alliance's performance in state elections, acknowledging the unexpected outcomes favouring the BJP. He highlighted the BJP's significant win in Madhya Pradesh, where they secured their fifth term in power, noting the Congress's inability to retain Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. He pointed out the missed opportunity by Congress to allocate seats to their INDIA alliance partner, the Samajwadi Party (SP), in Madhya Pradesh. He questioned the Congresss decision and its impact on the election results, suggesting that allocating a few seats to the SP might have yielded different outcomes. Responding to queries about future electoral strategies, he mentioned the NC's intention to contest assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir independently, diverging from the INDIA alliance. The statement is notable considering the NC's participation in the Gupkar Alliance, which includes parties like PDP, CPI(M), Awami National Conference, and CPI. While the Gupkar Alliance achieved success in the District Development Council elections in 2020, winning 101 of the 220 seats, Abdullah has underscored the NC's potential decision to pursue individual participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Observers believe that the BJPs big win in the three states will strengthen the partys chances in Jammu and Kashmir where it aims to come to power with the help of some allies in Kashmir valley. As cyclone Michaung moves northwards, Chennai saw a dry spell on Tuesday and rainwater has started receding from major areas in the city. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted light to moderate rains in Chennai and neighbouring districts today. As per IMD forecast at 7am, light thunderstorm and lightning with light to moderate rain is very likely at one or two places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur and Dindigul districts. According to IMD, they have recorded a departure of 29 per cent from seasonal rainfall levels in Chennai. From October 1 to to December 4, IMD recorded 58cm of rainfall in Nugambakkam while normal is 5cm and 50cm rainfall was recorded in Meenambakkam where too normal is 5cm. #WATCH | Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin inspects the cyclone-ravaged areas and interacts with the people. He also distributes food to the cyclone-affected people. (Source: Tamil Nadu DIPR) pic.twitter.com/rUl59Uf3AY ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 Chief Minister M.K. Stalin reviewed the relief measures along with ministers here and visited the Greater Chennai Corporation building on Tuesday. Talking to presspersons, Stalin said, Relief measures are progressing. Sanitary workers and other staff have been brought from all Corporations in Tamil Nadu to Chennai for relief activities. 14 ministers are also on the ground overseeing relief works. #WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Flood-like situation persists in West Tambaram CTO colony and Sasivaradhan Nagar area of Chennai, people use boats pic.twitter.com/YWRdhXHfvE ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 Stalin said the state government would seek relief funds from the Centre. Owing to unprecedented rains, roads and residences have been damaged. We would write a letter to the Centre seeking Rs5,000 Crore for relief works. DMK MPs would also raise the issue in Parliament, Stalin said. Chennai metro rail services resumed at 5am on Tuesday and the agency said they would be following Sundays timetable for train operations today. The Chennai International Airport, which was closed owing to rains resumed operations in the morning. Airfield now open for all arrival and departure operations, Airport authorities tweeted. The Greater Chennai Police in a release on Tuesday morning said 17 subways have been closed due to waterlogging. Eight persons have died in various parts of the city, police said. The electricity department said power would be restored to 80 per cent of areas in the forenoon itself. Press Release December 5, 2023 [TRANSCRIPT] Q&A of Senator Risa Hontiveros and DOH Secretary Herbosa during the CA hearing Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): One of the SONA commitments of the President is to release the long overdue allowances and the benefits of healthcare workers who worked at the height of COVID-19. Mr. Secretary, ang akin pong opisina ay patuloy din na nakatatanggap ng reklamo patungkol sa health emergency allowance, yung HEA. Some reports have alleged that government owes our HCWs around P26 billion for unpaid allowances and benefits. Narinig ko po yung sinabi ni Secretary kanina na may na-release na P4 na bilyon. So medyo malayo pa yung pupunuin para makumpleto yung sinasabing P26 billion. So maaari po bang itanong Mr. Secretary, ilang claims pa o anong halaga pa ng mga claims that remain unsettled? Magkano po yun? At ano yung timetable para i-settle yung remaining claims? Secretary Herbosa: Thank you Ma'am Chair. Mr. Chair, ang GAA for 2022, na-disburse na nila is P22 billion para sa health emergency allowance. Yung sinasabi kong P4 billion is for the 2023 General Appropriations Act. Ang na-allocate doon was P27 billion and nagre-release na tayo unti-unti as the Department of Budget and Management releases this to us. So ang disbursement yun based on what is given, almost 90.9% disbursed na yung unang releases. So ang total claims na na-grant na po ay P8,040,980. So for the total, parang ang total po ay P72 billion po ang total talaga na dapat bayaran. Ang unprogrammed po ay P52 billion. So for this year, sa GAA, 19 ang naka-program at 52 yung mga nasa unprogrammed So we are awaiting release. I have requested DBM to also release so that our healthcare workers will be given their due benefits, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat Mr. Secretary. So klaruhin ko lang para kung malinaw sa akin, malinaw din po sa mga healthcare workers na nakikinig sa atin. So sabi niyo po, 2022, yung nasa GAA was P22 billion. PYung 22B po ba yun para sa 2022, covered na po lahat ng obligation natin sa mga healthcare workers para sa taong iyon? Secretary Herbosa: Hindi pa ma'am. Kasi we are asking 25. Ang current request ko po ay P25.96 billion. This is for the November 29 kami sumulat sa DBM to release na this remainder para mabigay sa ating healthcare workers, Madam Chair. SRH: Okay. Salamat po Mr. Secretary. Para sa 2023, sabi niyo nga po na ang nasa GAA ay 27 billion pesos. Binanggit niyo na P4 billion ay na-allocate na. Pero later may binanggit din po kayong may 90.9% na ang na-release. Was that for year 2023 also? Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair. SRH: So for 2023, may less than 10% na lang na utang po natin sa healthcare workers na hindi pa po nare-release. Secretary Herbosa: That's correct, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat, Mr. Secretary. Sabi niyo rin po, total claims granted so far, tama po ba? P8 million or P8 billion? Secretary Herbosa: Eight million workers. Eight million persons that claimed. SRH: So eight million healthcare workers ang nag-grant na po. Out of ilang total ang dapat mabigyan? Secretary Herbosa: I think around 10 million workers itong estimate, ma'am. SRH: So kung gayon, Mr. Secretary, may dalawang milyon pa na kailangan pa nating bayaran yung utang natin. Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat po, Mr. Secretary. And then, may binanggit po kayong P72 billion requested, tama po ba? Pero unprogrammed ay P52 billion pesos. Para sa aling taon po iyon? Secretary Herbosa: Madam Chair, for 2023, ang unprogrammed ay P52 billion. Ang NEP na nilagay namin sa budget ng 2024 is P19 billion. So ang total lahat ng dalawa, 52 plus 19 ay P72 billion. Pag nabigay po lahat yan, covered na natin yung 10 million workers, Madam Chair. SRH: And then, mayroon din kayong binanggit kanina na P90 billion pero P52 billion unprogrammed. Para sa anong taon po iyon? Secretary Herbosa: For GAA, 2020. For 2023, we have allotted P19.7 billion which was programmed and P52 [billion] which was unprogrammed. Yun yung na-release na sa amin. Na-release na ang P4 billion noon. SRH: And then, huli po, sabi nyo nga po, itong nakaraang buwan, Nobyembre, may request po kayo na P25.96 billion na iniintay mai-release po sa department. Secretary Herbosa: Nai-release na. SRH: So, overall po, magkano na lang ang unsettled mula po sa unang taon ng pandemya hanggang ngayon? Ilan pong claims ito at ang magkano po yung total na kulang pa nating ibayad? Secretary Herbosa: Ang arrears po namin for 2021, '22, and '23 ay P62.9 billion pa. SRH: At kung gayon, ano po yung timetable para i-settle itong remaining P62B+? Secretary Herbosa: Ah, sa NEP, meron tayong, sa 2024, Madam Chair, naglagay din tayo dyan ng P22 billion, I think. So, mababawa, mga unti-unting nababawasan every year. SRH: So, at this rate po, Mr. Secretary, posibleng natatan siya ng department na within three years, mababayaran nyo na po lahat ng utang pa nating HEA sa healthcare workers. Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair, or shorter, hopefully. SRH: Okay po. So, pwede po natin sabihin sa mga healthcare workers natin, at the latest, plano po ng department na by year 2026, kung hindi man mas maaga, makukuha na po nila? Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat, Mr. Secretary. And lastly on this topic, may posibilidad ba na mapaaga pa yung timetable? Ang sabi nyo po kasi at the latest, within three years. At the earliest po, ano yung nakikita nyong kakayanin gawin ng department? Secretary Herbosa: Madam Chair, kasi kung unprogrammed funds, basta may taxes. Mas ma-collect ang national government, the DBM can release us this money. So, we're hoping that there will be more taxes paid. Kasi ang sabi nila, konti ang nakolek noong 2021-2022. And that's the reason, hindi nila mabigay lahat. But if our growth rate's high, I think there will be money to actually release it earlier, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat, Mr. Secretary, Mr. Chair. Siyempre gusto po ng healthcare workers natin, mabayaran po ito nang mas maaga. Pero bilang sila rin po ay taxpayers, consumers, mahirap yung balancing act kasi in terms of additional taxes. Pero salamat po sa mga sagot niyo sa unang paksang ito. Oh, and lastly po, on the HEA, na-inform po ako na nag-establish ang department ng grievance board para investigahan yung failure ng pag-grant ng COVID-19 benefits at allowances sa eligible healthcare workers. Pwede po bang itanong paano itong grievance boards, paano nila ini-intend na i-address yung bottlenecks para sa wakas makuha na nga po ng HCWs natin yung ano yung dues sa kanila? Secretary Herbosa: Thank you, Madam Chair. Ang process po ng Department of Health has a list of the healthcare workers that are due their benefits and then the money is allocated to the regional offices of the Department of Health who then allocates them to the hospital, based on the listing. So, yung grievances are mostly people who are not paid, who were in the list or was removed by their director. So, hindi sila maka-complain sa director nila. So, they complain to our regional office. So, yung regional directors namin ang maga-ano ng grievance committee and we will settle it with the hospital director to make sure that those who really served in the COVID wards will be paid. The other grievance naman is, nag-serve sila pero na-downgrade yung kanilang category from medium risk to low risk, which means smaller yung amount na natatanggap nila. So, yun yung second ina-address namin. And we have made some amendments like security guards that are in the front in the ER. Parang in-upgrade namin sila so that they will get the correct benefits due them, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat, Mr. Secretary, at na-anticipate nyo yung isang follow-up question ko. So, malinaw po sa akin na yung grievance boards ay nasa regional level pala dun sa regional offices niyo. And then, pababa sila sa hospital para tugunan kung anumang grievance mayroon. And then, bukod po dun sa binanggit nyo ng ilang amendments, security guards, ano pa yung ibang action points na ginagawa ng DOH para sa wakas i-address itong recurring issue ng HCW's allowances kung meron pong ibang action points? Secretary Herbosa: Yes. So, because of those, Madam Chair, naisip namin na mag-create na diretso na lang sa ATM noong mga healthcare workers. So, nakikipag-usap kami sa Landbank and DBP. Kung minsan, kung may Landbank account sila at DBP account sila. Kasi, ma'am, nasa private hospitals ito. So, some of them don't have that. So, that was the other process that would simplify it na hindi na dadaan sa hospital director at diretso sa bank account ng ating mga workers. So, pinag-aaralan ito. I think yung iba pumayag nag-set up ng Landbank accounts. Tapos, meron kaming dashboard din na sinet up parang website na pwedeng puntahan: doh.gov.ph. At may quick link doon para makita nila kung anong status ng HEA. SRH: Salamat po, Secretary. At sana kung mag-work out po yung pag-uusap ng Department nyo sa Landbank at DBP, mapag-isipan din paano naman yung provision sa mga private hospital workers. Lalo na po, gaya ng sinabi nyo, na walang account dito sa mga government banks natin. Salamat, Secretary. Dako ako sa pangalawang paksa ko, yung COA findings sa Pharmally scandal. During my interpellation of the budget of the Commission on Audit, I followed up on their audit of DOH's procurement of COVID-19 supplies involving the procurement service of the DBM and Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation. Some of the findings I was made aware of include non-compliance of DOH to MOA requirements for the transfer of funds amounting to P47.65 billion, failure of DOH to the DBA, and failure of DOH to the DBA, failure of DOH to provide PS-DBM complete technical specifications and other relevant standards or requirements on COVID-19 items in the agency's procurement requests, failure of DOH to appropriately exercise administrative control in ensuring the availability of PPEs and medical supplies, and failure of DOH to exert efforts in monitoring the liquidation of the P47B+ funds transferred to PS-DBM. Matanong lang po, ang good Secretary po ba made aware po nitong COA findings na ito? Secretary Herbosa: Yes Madam Chair, we were made aware of this and we will try to comply whatever legal processes will continue thereafter. So susunod po tayo sa batas, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat po Mr. Secretary. Dahil dumako na rin po tayo dun sa usapin ng compliance, aware po ba ang DOH management sa mga COA recommendations para i-address itong adverse findings? Paano po yung DOH management nagi-intend na ipatupad itong mga rekomendasyon para hindi na maulit muli ang mga iregularidad na ito, lalo't higit ay maibalik ang pondong hindi nagamit na nananatili pang nakalagak sa PS-DBM? Secretary Herbosa: Yes Madam Chair, meron tayong ongoing case din with the Ombudsman regarding this after the Senate investigations. So we will comply. And then we've also asked our own audit to actually do audit of all those that were procured during that time, Madam Chair. SRH: Ah okay po. So bukod pa po sa special audit ng COA, ang DOH audit ay magsasagawa rin ng sarili niyang audit. Alright. Salamat po Mr. Secretary. And huli po sa paksang ito, fully aware of the role that the good Secretary is an adviser to the National Task Force on COVID-19, paano niyo po, Secretary, ini-intend na singilin yung accountability mula sa mga DOH officials na involved sa massive failure na ito na proteksyunan ang mga public funds at halos nakompromiso yung ating COVID-19 prevention and control? Secretary Herbosa: Madam Chair, with regards to those findings, we will allow the court to make the decision, maybe the Ombudsman or Sandigan. And we will comply with whatever decision these bodies come out with, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat, Secretary. At the same time, sabi niyo kanina, magko-conduct ang DOH ng sarili niyang audit. So based sa mga posibleng findings at rekomendasyon na iyon, meron ba kayong kino-contemplate na mga posibleng paraan moving forward? Both to exact accountability for the recent past, at saka para siguruhin yung higit pang accountability moving forward? Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair. We will do that. We will actually try to improve our processes so these incidents will not happen in the future, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat, Secretary. Ngayon, gusto kong magtanong ng ilang mga tanong tungkol sa mga tinawag na questionable conduct. Good Secretary, you've been involved in quite a few controversies in which you voiced out your opinions or shared something on social media. Some of them were your remarks during the height of the pandemic in 2020 against the community pantry, such as "death by community pantry," and "I told you so" about the death of Orlando de la Cruz, who collapsed while queuing for actor Angel Locsin's community pantry in Quezon City. In a statement made by the UP Department of English and Comparative Literature on 23rd April 2021, it was said that your remarks regarding community pantries, specifically of their proponent, Ana Patricia Non, were dangerous and malignant. It was further stated that your baseless questioning of "Ka Patreng" and "May kulay ka ba o wala?" insinuated that Ms. Non was part of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Another one was a screenshot of an anecdote you shared on your Facebook account in October 2020, in which a father is comparing rape, romance, and marriage to his son. "The father in the story noted that clothes is the mere difference among the three, saying, in rape, you tear the clothes, in romance, you remove the clothes, In marriage, you wash the clothes." Herbosa captioned this with, laughter is the best medicine. I saw, Mr. Secretary, that you already tried to make amends by tendering your resignation at UP and posting public apologies on these matters. But today, can the good Secretary comment on these, considering that you're being appointed as the head of an executive department and your statements about healthcare workers, the community pantries, and red-tagging were criticized for being insensitive and offensive? Secretary Herbosa: Thank you very much, Madam Chair. For the joke that I posted, I was immediately informed by our Gender and Women's Studies to take it down. And within two hours, I actually took it down. And I think the spread was more of the people who captured it and recirculated it. I also underwent gender sensitivity training for a day with the head herself of the Gender and Women's Studies because of this post. For the community pantry, I actually resigned as executive vice president of the University of Philippines because of the response against my post. And I made a formal apology and I continue to apologize for that statement. And I respect the rights of people who want to actually get food or give food to people that need in time of epidemic like what happened to us, Madam Chair. Thank you, Madam Chair. SRH: Thank you, Secretary. And can this honorable body have your commitment not to repeat such conduct? Secretary Herbosa: I have already learned early on as in the past few days that any comment the Secretary of Health makes on media is already taken as policy. So, I will be very careful and wary regarding these lessons I have learned in the past, Madam Chair. SRH: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. And lastly, on this important topic, you said earlier that you continue to apologize for these statements and actions? Secretary Herbosa: That is correct. Because now I've learned the value of respecting women, number two, and also for community pantries, respecting the rights of people who are expressing their opinions, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat po, Mr. Secretary. Ilang tanong po tungkol sa transfer of PhilHealth supervision to the Office of the President. Under the DOH's Department Order Number 2023-2606, dated 12th May 2023, a joint technical working group was created for the proposed transfer of PhilHealth to the Office of the President. As stated in the order, the functions of the TWG are: Revisit laws and issuances pertaining to the creation, mandates and functions of the PhilHealth; Assess technical and strategic aspects of the proposal; Call resource persons from concerned offices; and submit a comprehensive report with the recommendations to the OP. However, nothing was mentioned about the context and rationale behind this proposal. So, pwede niyo po bang ibahagi yung rationale sa likod ng panukalang ito? Secretary Herbosa: Thank you, Madam Chair. Unfortunately, I was not privy to the rationale for this, because this happened prior to my appointment as Secretary of Health on June 5. But I received the report of the technical working group and transmitted it to the Office of the President. And in that report, they see no legal impediment in the transfer. However, the composition of the board requires legal amendments because the Chair of the Board is still the Secretary of Health. So that's written in the Charter or the law of PhilHealth. So that has to be modified. As a personal view, ma'am, I see no value in transferring PhilHealth to the Office of the President, since the alter ego of the President is anyway the Secretary of Health. So as long as it continues to perform its duties, that means paying the health benefits of its members, I think we should be able to be true to the mandate of the Charter of PhilHealth, Madam Chair. SRH: Maraming salamat para doon, Secretary. I'm really glad to hear you say that. Kasi, tatanungin ko sana, okay walang legal impediments pero kayo, bilang Secretary, bilang doktor pa, anong tingin ninyo? And I really appreciate your take on this matter. Tama lang yun bilang Secretary ng Department of Health at kayo yung nagpapatupad ng Universal Health Care Law, kung saan yung PhilHealth ay isang essential pillar of health financing and insurance. So hindi ko na kailangang itanong yung underlyin institutional issues ng PhilHealth at paano daw mare-resolba yung mga yun sa paglipat ng supervision ng PhilHealth sa OP. Ni yung tanong na paano yung proposed transfer i-improve yung performance at benefit delivery ng PhilHealth. Salamat sa pagbanggit niyo na yung improvement ng benefit delivery ay isang tatrabahuhin pa ng Department, partikular sa pamamagitan ng PhilHealth. At yung pinakatanong ko sana ay bago niyo sinabing you don't see any benefit in that transfer, ay bakit kino-consider ng PhilHealth i-relinquish yung kanyang responsibilidad at accountability bilang principal national health authority in charge sa PhilHealth. Siguro huling tanong na lang, maybe as a way of lesson learned also moving forward, would you know kung yung mga key stakeholders nakonsulta ng TWG? Kasi noon iniulat na members of the medical community expressed their opposition to the proposed transfer and there was also a claim then that Dr. Jose Rene Degrano, the President of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, was not consulted? Secretary Herbosa: Di ko jo alam yung mga detalye doon sa proseso. Pero I also personally gave my views about this transfer to the Office of the Executive Secretary, at mukhang nasunod naman po kasi hindi na-announce na ito ay ilipat sa Office of the President. So I think they are listening to the advice of the Secretary of Health, Madam Chair, thank you. SRH: I certainly hope so, Secretary. At kung ano ang kakailanganin para klaruin ito sa publiko, I don't know if it's an action by DOH regarding yung department personnel order ninyo noon or just a final official announcement from the Office of the President para mapanatag ang loob. I'm sure kayo po sa executive, you'll know kung ano yung proper form of official communication dito. Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair, we'll comply. We will comply. SRH: Salamat, good Secretary. So huling paksa na lang po yung 2022 COA findings. Our reading of the COA audit report on the fiscal year 2022 funds of the DOH reveals three perennial issues of DOH. One, the low utilization of funds. Two, wastage of funds. And three, deficiencies in the procurement process. I wish to ask the Secretary some questions regarding these structural problems. But first, allow me please, Mr. Chair, to share some figures lifted from the 2022 COA audit report on DOH. So the Commission on Audit noted that DOH had low utilization of new appropriations from the Fiscal Year 2022 GAA and specific budgets in the continuing appropriations in Fiscal Year 2021. Under the Fiscal Year 2022 COA, DOH received total allotments worth P181.6 billion pesos. Of this amount, the department managed to obligate P156.9 billion and disbursed P122.4 billion. This translates to an obligation rate of 87% and a disbursement rate of 78%. Maari po bang malaman kung aware yung Secretary sa mga figures na ito at kung na-brief na sila tungkol sa spending performance ng department? Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair. These were the first few things that came to me when I sat down as Secretary of Health that there was very low budget utilization. And since then, I have instructed our Department to go several ways forward and catch up with, improve the Department of Health utilization. So we've tried to identify yung mga blocks in implementation, especially of infrastructure projects, yung modification. We also are trying to streamline our procedures and policies to accelerate all of this. And also in coordination with other agencies to improve the timing of fund releases. We also like to do better planning and early procurement activities. Ngayong may NEP na, we are actually starting our early procurement activities so that when the GAA is signed, these awards can already be given. So we've also, for this year, started to issue catch-up plans for budgets that have not yet been utilized and monitor all these projects. So hopefully, we can streamline all of this. One of the things I'd like to see is an asset management system that means from procurement all the way to disposal, we can procure vaccines, medicines on time and be delivered to the people on time, Madam Chair. Thank you. SRH: Salamat, Secretary. I really hope all of these plans materialize. At sa pamamagitan siguro, pangunahin ng catch-up plans. And just relating it to the first question that we discussed earlier, Secretary, so I'm looking forward also na kasama sa catch-up plans, yung pagbayad nga po ng HEA sa mga healthcare workers natin by 2026 at the latest or hopefully earlier. So dahil na-brief po ang Secretary, sabi nyo nga so among the first few things na naging aware kayo bilang Secretary, maari rin po ba malaman yung latest budget utilization figures ng DOH kaugnay ng 2022 continuing appropriations at fiscal year 2023 new appropriations, kung meron na pong figures na ito? Secretary Herbosa: Alam ko ma'am, yung 2022 ay nasa 99% almost already yung CONAP 2022. And for the current year 2023, as of November 15, two weeks ago po, 74% na ang aming disbursement rate. 74%. Sa CONAP, ang disbursement, obligation ng mataas, ang disbursement, remaining CONAP is 65% po ang na-utilize na, ang na-disburse na. So ang grand total namin for disbursement for the CONAP in the current year is 73%, as of November 15, Madam Chair. SRH: So confident naman po kayo na sa loob nitong natirang buwan ng taong ito, ay madi-disburse na rin po yung balance of 27%? Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair. I was told parang bumibilis pagdating ng November, December, ang utilization talagang hinahabol po, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat, Secretary. So huling tanong ko po ngayong umaga, if we look at the specific funds, COA flagged several PAPs of DOH, which posted low fund utilization or low disbursement rates. Some of the programs that had disbursement rates, lower than than 50% include the Cancer Assistance Fund, 15.7%, the Philippine COVID-19 Emergency Response Project, 18.5%, the one of the most important Health Facilities Enhancement Program, HFEP, 34.3%, the Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit COVID-19, a measly 0.11%, and ito napaka-importante rin po sa amin, bilang mga kababaihan, family health, immunization, nutrition, and responsible parenting, 18.1%. So huling mga tanong po, aware po ba ang Secretary sa status nitong mga programa? As far as I know, these are major and urgent programs of DOH. Alam po ba ng Secretary yung mga dahilan sa likod ng low fund utilization ng DOH sa mga ito? Secretary Herbosa: Yes, Madam Chair. For the Cancer Assistance Fund, late po na-release yung SARO by September lang po kami na-releasan. So after that, na-utilize na. Yung sa HFEP, Madam Chair, it's mostly modifications because sometimes there are funds allocated to a health center. Tapos may nauna na palang funds na ni-release yung local government. So papalipat nila yun to another health center that needs it. So yun yung natatagalan and that's the one causing some of our delay. The other ones are things that were allocated to the DOH, but we were not included in the planning. Ito, ma'am, yung mga insertions. So later namin nakukuha, wala pa palang detailed architectural and engineering designs. So hinahabol na lang namin yun. We catch up for those. So yan ang mga a few of the things I know that have caused the delay in low budget utilization and part ng catch-up plan namin that the future HFEP magamit talaga. Tapos yung, sa mga cancer funds, mag-early procurement activities at bilisan. At nagpadagdag na po ako, Madam Chair, ng mga BAC teams, more bids and awards teams so that we can utilize the many funds that is allocated by the legislature to the Department of Health, Madam Chair. SRH: Salamat, Secretary. At huli, yung delay sa disbursement dun sa line item nakasama yung responsible parenting, alam po ba kung bakit nasa 18.1% lamang? Secretary Herbosa: If I'm not mistaken, there was a problem with the procurement for the birth control pills because of a certain component. But we were able to fix it legally, Madam Chair. So na-issue na rin yung disbursement noon, Madam Chair. SRH: All right. Maraming salamat, Secretary. Daghang salamat, Mr. Chair. The Israeli army again started its horrific, insane killing machine, committing more war crimes against Palestinian civilians, topped with children and women. Residents of northern Gaza who were told by the occupation army during the first, 48-day phase of the war to move to the southern parts of the densely populated strip are being told to move again, and sometimes more than once a day, to other places that turn out to be no safer from the continuous bombing from air, land, and sea. Palestinian suffering has been truly unimaginable and unprecedented in any recent memory, not comparable to even the bloodiest wars the world has witnessed. Since the war started on 7 October following the sudden attack by Hamas which humiliated Israels military and shook the Israeli populations confidence, more than 80 per cent of Gazas 2.5 million residents have been displaced, forced to flee their homes and to live in extremely miserable conditions in overcrowded schools, hospitals and on the streets. Schools, run by the UN agency for Palestinians refugees, UNRWA, have been repeatedly bombed, along with hospitals that Israel falsely claimed were nothing but hideouts for Hamas leaders in tunnels underground. Thus, when Israel sends its warnings to Palestinians, ordering them to move again, there is practically nowhere to go to where people can settle down. The end result is not just more human suffering, but more and more innocent Palestinians dead. Adding to the irony and absurdity is that the Israeli army has been sending its warning messages on the alleged safe areas in southern Gaza through a mobile application at a time when all of Gaza has been living in darkness with no electricity or communication networks in the first place. While people flee bombs and missiles falling on their heads on foot, it is hardly likely that they will stop to check phones that havent been working to find out which areas might be safe for the next few hours. The extremely confusing and hi-tech maps of Gaza, dividing it into over 2400 zones, that are being sent to Palestinians are clearly aimed at satisfying the US administration of President Joe Biden after calling on Israel to avoid adding to the mind-blowing number of civilian deaths during the first stage of the war. Before the truce went into effect, nearly 15,000 Palestinians were killed, including 7,000 children and 3,000 women. In the first three days of renewed fighting, another 1,000, again mostly children, have lost their lives. The reality on the ground has thus turned the whole theatrics of safe zones into a mockery as Palestinians continue to die in huge numbers around the clock. Recent statements by US officials might seem more sensible in warning Israel of the dire consequences of indiscriminately killing Palestinians, and how this could lead to strategic defeat, but they are merely paying lip service to the supposed rules, not exercising any real pressure to stop this war and reach a permanent ceasefire. Particularly worrying to Egypt is that, while the official US stance, represented by President Biden among others, confirms that Washington will not allow the forced displacement of Palestinians to Egypts northern Sinai, creating a new Nakba, Israeli actions on the ground which are tolerated by the United States continue to lead to that doomsday scenario. In the recent evacuation orders by the occupation army, Palestinians were told to move towards Rafah along the border with Egypt. Adding to Egypts serious concerns about the intentions of Israels extremist government is that Rafah has not been spared the barbaric, indiscriminate bombing, leaving Palestinians nowhere to go but across the border into Egypt. This would be playing with fire, and crossing a red line that Egypts government and people will never tolerate. As President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi reminded Israel shortly after the war started, pushing Palestinians to flee towards Egypt would be a major violation of the Camp David peace agreement signed between the two countries in 1979. Knowing the reality that Palestinians will never give up their ambition to liberate their land and build their own state, turning areas along the borders between the two countries into a huge Palestinian refugee camp would simply mean launching attacks against Israel from Egypt. In that case, Israel would respond and that would be the end of peace between the two sides. Such talk is irresponsible. Whether it emanates from Israel or those US Congressmen who blindly support the Zionist enterprise, the idea of deporting Palestinians in Gaza to nearby countries can only be a recipe for renewed hostilities between the two countries. And that is definitely not a development any reasonable or concerned party in the world would like to see. In this context, Egypt has expressed its strong condemnation of the breakdown of the short-lived truce that allowed the only true opportunity for the safe return of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas to Gaza on 7 October, spared the lives of innocent Palestinians, and ensured the access of more urgent humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip. Current Israeli actions to hinder the Palestinians access to aid are a systematic policy aimed at pushing the Palestinians to leave the Strip under the weight of bombardment, siege, and unprecedented dire humanitarian conditions. Thats why US assurances and public statements alone are not enough, and the world needs to take practical steps to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and halt attempts to force the Palestinians to flee their own country. * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 December, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: A high alert is in place in Andhra Pradesh as Severe Cyclonic Storm Michaung is expected to make landfall on Tuesday at Bapatla coast. The IMD's latest report said the storm will cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph. As the storm is expected to bring with it a heavy downpour, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has issued an alert for eight districts -- Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada. "Special officers have been appointed for all cyclone-affected districts, besides releasing Rs 2 crore each for rescue and relief works. The special officers will work in close coordination with the collectors and, if more funds are needed, the government will comply with the request," Reddy said in a release. He also directed the officials to use their experience of handling Cyclone Hudhud and prepare for the landfall. Besides taking advance relief measures, he also urged the services of ward and village secretariats, including tapping the services of village clinics, Rythu Bharosa Kendras and others. The officials have been directed to focus on safeguarding crops, especially by procuring paddy and saving the kharif harvest. The government has also ordered the evacuation of people in the above-mentioned areas. As many as 181 relief camps have been opened and over 100 are ready to take in people. By Monday evening, Kakinada had logged rainfall of 25 mm, Machilipatnam (28 mm), Nellore (76 mm), Ongole (34 mm), Tirupati (64 mm), Kavali (66 mm), Narasapuram (39 mm) and Tuni (20 mm), among others. "The weather system is expected to persist till Thursday and thereafter become a deep depression and subside," the statement said. India Meteorological Department tweets, "Severe Cyclonic Storm MICHAUNG over Westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamilnadu coasts moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 07 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centered at 0230 hours IST of 5 pic.twitter.com/LhezdiV180 ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023 The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by gales, in parts of Andhra Pradesh till Wednesday. It also forecasts extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. Tirupati Airport Director KM Basavaraju told PTI that all flights, 14 scheduled and one non-scheduled, were cancelled on Monday due to the inclement weather. Due to the incessant rain, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams have temporarily barred devotees from the holy bath at the Sri Kapilathirtham falls. Commuters on a road waterlogged due to heavy rain owing to Cyclone Michaung in Tirupati | PTI Chennai suffers Heavy downpours triggered by Cyclone Michaung plunged Chennai into misery on Monday with roads inundating, and streets flooding, bringing back the horrors of the 2015 flood. At least five persons lost their lives and several flights and trains were cancelled. Power outages and internet disruptions were reported in several parts of the city. However, the IMD has predicted a better day for north-coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Light to moderate rainfall is expected in most places and isolated heavy rainfall on Tuesday morning, decreasing thereafter, according to the latest IMD bulletin. Chennai reported no rain since the early hours of Tuesday. Power services have since been restored. However, train services to and from the city remain suspended. JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, on Monday, said his party joined hands with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after the Congress and its INDIA partners chose to keep a distance from the JD(S). Speaking in Hassan, Gowda said, "When H.D. Kumaraswamy was sworn in as the chief minister, many of the opposition leaders (who are now part of INDIA alliance) had attended the event. But the (INDIA) alliance parties chose to keep the JD(S) out when they met in Bengaluru recently. Was it justified?" He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had invited the JD(S) to form an alliance when the opposition alliance kept a distance from the regional party. Slamming the Congress for accusing the JD(S) of having lost its secular credentials, Gowda said, "The Congress pushed us out of the opposition alliance. They toppled the Kumaraswamy (coalition) government in Karnataka. In fact, they forced us to sever the ties with them. When they pushed us out, Modi and Shah welcomed us." The Vokkaliga icon claimed that the party chose to go with the BJP for its own political survival. "The Congress leaders have always spoken lightly of the JD(S). Modi has respect for me and has invited us to join hands with the BJP. We took the decision after much thought. In the coming days, we will undoubtedly support the BJP to fight the Congress. I need to save our party." He said the BJP high command would take a decision on seat-sharing after consulting the state BJP and JD(S) leaders. The alliance hopes to win all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state." Responding to the poll outcome in Telangana, the senior politician said the Congress had won in the neighbouring state utilising the funds supplied by its Karnataka leaders. Earlier, Gowda posted a congratulatory note to the BJP for winning the three states in the Hindi heartland. He wrote, "My party congratulates the top leadership of @BJP4India especially Prime Minister @narendramodi, for their splendid performance in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh". A DMK MP has sparked controversy after he allegedly referred to the Hindi heartland states as gaumutra states, drawing sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party. D.N.V. Senthilkumar, while taking a jibe at the BJP over its election victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, said on Tuesday that the saffron party can win elections in only those states and not in South India. People of this country should think that the power of the BJP is only winning elections in the heartland states of Hindi and what we generally called as gaumutra states, he said while speaking in Lok Sabha. "You (BJP) cannot come to South India. See all the results that happened in Kerala, Tamil Nadu Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, we are very strong there," the MP said. The recent assembly election results had raised talks of north-south divide after the BJP won the three major Hindi states and Congress wrested power in Telangana. The BJP is not in power in any of the south Indian states after they lost Karnataka earlier this year. "We will not be surprised if you have an option of converting all these states into Union territories so that you can come into indirect power because you can never dream of setting foot over there and taking control of all the southern states," Senthilkumar further remarked. His comments stirred up a political storm with BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai alleging that the level of discourse of the ruling party in the state has touched a new low. "After calling our North Indian friends Pani Puri sellers, toilet constructors, etc., I.N.D.I. Alliance DMK MP, makes Gaumutra Jibes," he said on X. "Chennai is sinking due to the misgovernance of DMK & and so is their level of discourse on the floor of the Parliament," Annamalai said, referring to the flood-like situation in the state capital. Former Karnataka minister C.T. Ravi asked if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi endorses such insulting remarks. "Will I.N.D.I. Alliance leader Rahul Gandhi agree with this DMK man who has insulted Bharatiyas of the Heartland States?, he asked. It may be noted that DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalins remarks on Sanatan Dharma, months before the assembly elections, had also triggered a massive controversy. The INDIA bloc meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed, said a report. This comes after some reports said top opposition party leaders including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav won't attend the meeting. Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata said on Monday she won't attend the INDIA bloc meeting that was initially scheduled for December 6 while reports on Tuesday indicated that Nitish and Akhilesh are also likely to skip the meet. Similarly, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, who is the working president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, told Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge that one of his representatives would attend the meeting on his behalf. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K Stalin also said he won't be able to attend the meeting due to the ongoing cyclone relief operations in Chennai and nearby areas. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI on Tuesday that Akhilesh won't attend the meeting, adding that there was no information about such a meeting earlier. He added that Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav or any other leader authorised by the national president will go for the meeting instead. The latest development indicates rift among member parties in the INDIA bloc after BJP won the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. SP had asked for four to six seats in Madhya Pradesh while JD(U) sought just one seat. However, Congress's CM face in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, had not agreed to this arrangement. Akhilesh on Monday expressed hope that results will be different in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, adding that the opposition parties will have to make a lot of preparations to fight against a "big party" like the BJP. "The fight is big. To fight a big party like the BJP, we will have to make a lot of preparations. We have to be under strict discipline and have to fight the strategy with which they (BJP) are getting the majority. I hope the results will be different in the Lok Sabha polls," Yadav had told reporters. The Trinamool Congress supremo said on Monday she can't attend the bloc meeting due to prior engagements in North Bengal, adding that she was unaware of the meeting date. She reportedly said that had she been informed in advance, "she would have rescheduled her itinerary." TMC had also raised the issue of seat sharing during a meeting of opposition leaders wherein they gathered in Delhi to discuss strategy for the Winter Session of Parliament on Monday. RJD president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said that top leaders of the INDIA bloc will be meeting on December 17 to chalk out the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Prasad was posed with queries by journalists, in Buxar district of Bihar, about the meeting that was scheduled on Wednesday but was deferred due to the inability of several top leaders to attend. "The meeting has now been rescheduled to December 17," said Prasad, a staunch ally of the Congress and also known to be close to the Nehru-Gandhi family. Speculations have been rife that Prasad's ally Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar, was reluctant to attend the meeting on Wednesday. At a recent public meeting, Kumar had lashed out at the Congress for neglecting INDIA bloc during the recent assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. After the Congress' defeat in the crucial polls, many leaders of Kumar's JD(U) have gone on record saying that Congress made a mistake by failing to take on board regional parties and trying to fight the BJP on its own. Besides, another key INDIA leader Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister who heads the Trinamool Congress, has also said that she would not be able to visit Delhi on December 6 as she had engagements elsewhere. Senior Congress leader Gurdip Singh Sappal has, meanwhile, announced on X that "a coordination meeting of Parliamentary Party leaders of India Alliance will be at 6 pm on December 6th, 2023 at the residence of Congress President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge. Thereafter meeting of Party Presidents/ Heads of the India Alliance will be scheduled in third week of December at a date convenient to all". When Prasad was asked about the Congress' recent poll debacle, he said, "I don't think the party has grown weak. But it may need to work on its leadership in states like Madhya Pradesh." Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath is likely to resign from the post following the party's disastrous performance in the assembly elections, said reports. The former chief minister will meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday, following which he may tender his resignation from the post. There are speculations that he has been asked to quit. Under Kamal Nath's leadership, Congress was relegated to 66 seats in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly. BJP stormed to power, winning 163 seats. While exit polls had predicted the BJP to do well, the state Congress camp had expected to come back to power, so much so that posters and banners hailing Kamal Nath as the next chief minister had sprung up all over Bhopal. There are reports that discontentment has been brewing against Kamal Nath following his remarks against leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, over seat sharing. Nath's reluctance to share seats with the SP and JD(U) had prompted both the parties to field candidates in Madhya Pradesh. Nath's reluctance to meet party leaders and workers but rushing to meet Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also irked party workers. Many in the party believe that Congress lost a lot of seats due to poor candidate selection by Kamal Nath. The Congress chief had insisted on fielding his men that even Digvijaya Singhs candidates had to take a back seat. He, apparently, didn't want any one group to emerge powerful and topple his potential government. Nath also hogged the entire limelight during the campaign leaving most second-rung leaders invisible. Key meeting The Congress convened a meeting of all 230 candidates on Tuesday to discuss the defeat in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections and the reasons behind the poor performance. Party leaders told PTI that the meeting will also discuss how to strengthen the party and the way forward. "Your attendance is necessary at the important meeting. You are requested to arrive at the Pradesh Congress Committee at 11 am," read a letter sent to the candidates on Monday. Besides Kamal Nath, senior leaders Digvijaya Singh, Suresh Pachouri and others will attend the meeting. Right-wing group Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena's president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead by unidentified assailants here on Tuesday, police said. According to police, the incident took place in the Shyam Nagar area this afternoon. "As per initial reports, four people entered a house where Gogamedi was present and opened fire at him. One of Gogamedi's security personnel and another person were injured in the firing," Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) Umesh Mishra told PTI. Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph told PTI that Gogamedi was rushed to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. "Three people came here and wanted to meet Sukhdev Singh. They entered inside, had a conversation with him for around 10 minutes and then opened fire on Sukhdev Singh and he died on the spot, his security guard was also injured in the incident. He has been admitted to the hospital. In the crossfire, one out of the three assailants was also shot and he died too. The incident has been captured on CCTV. We will be able to identify the accused and arrest them as early as possible, ANI quoted the commissioner as saying. The discussions between the Centre and the Ladakh delegation regarding the region's demand for sixth schedule status and statehood have not yielded any breakthrough. Following the separation of Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir and its designation as a union territory on August 5, 2019, the representatives of Ladakh, including the Leh Apex body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), have united to emphasise constitutional safeguards for land, employment, and culture. While the decision to grant a UT status to the region was welcomed by the Buddhist majority in Leh, it faced opposition from the Muslim-majority Kargil. However, concerns arose when the protection under Article 370 ceased upon Ladakh becoming a UT, leading to restlessness among Leh's residents. The influential Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) gathered various social, political, and religious entities in Leh and formed LAB to advocate sixth Schedule status, similar to certain northeastern states for the region. Collaborating with the KDA, which has been advocating for Ladakh's statehood post the Ladakh region's revocation, the two bodies joined forces to press for constitutional safeguards. The Centre engaged the LAB and KDA in talks through a high-powered committee led by Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai. Despite discussions held in Leh and later in Delhi, little progress has been made in resolving the issues. Rai, sources said, expressed willingness to discuss the demands put forth by LAB and KDA but remained non-committal. The Home Ministry seems prepared to address Ladakh's concerns regarding local land and job opportunities but appears unwilling to grant statehood or Sixth Schedule-like status. The latest meeting between Ladakh representatives and Home Ministry officials, chaired by Rai on December 4, remained inconclusive after an hour-and-a-half discussion at the North Block. Present were Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Ladakh's MHA officers, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, local political representatives, and Ladakh LG's Advisor, with LG Ladakh Brig (Retd) B.D. Mishra absent due to medical reasons. LAB and KDA reiterated their four-point agenda during the meeting: Statehood for Ladakh, sixth schedule status, allocation of two Lok Sabha seats, and employment opportunities, including the formation of a Public Services Commission (PSC). Thupstan Chhewang spoke on behalf of LAB, while Asgar Ali Karbalaie represented KDA. Rai neither accepted nor rejected the demands, suggesting exploration of options beyond the sixth schedule for safeguarding land, jobs, and cultural identity, as shared by Chhering Dorjey, a LAB member. Despite the assurance of another meeting, a specific date was not provided. While Rai didn't propose alternative options to the sixth schedule, LAB remains resolute in their demand for sixth schedule status and Ladakh's statehood. Among those present were representatives from LAB, including Thupstan Chhewang, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Ashraf Barchapa, Dr Abdul Qayum, Tsering Wangdus, and Padma Stanzin, and KDA representatives, including Qamar Ali Akhoon, Sajjad Hussain Kargili, Sheikh Bashir Shakir, Skarma Dadul, and Mubarak Shah Naqvi, alongside Karbalaie. The political demands by the representatives in Ladakh have come at a time when the Centre is focussed on tackling the Chinese threat after the communist country transgressed into Ladakh in 2020. In attendance at COP28 climate summit are at least 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists. This is a number more than representatives from all other, but two participating countries. The two countries which have more representatives than this number are Brazil- which is expected to host COP30; and UAE- the host for COP28. The 10 most climate vulnerable countries: Somalia, Chad, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Micronesia, Tonga, Eritrea, Sudan Liberia and the Solomon Islands have representatives ranging from seven to 554. Among the top fossil polluters are International Emissions Trading Association with 116 attendees; Clean Resource Innovation Network with 60 participants and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry with 54 attendees. A report released by Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO), a group which has 450 endorsers from around the world, notes the conflict of interest that is bound to arise from such an association. Last year, KBPO's analysis showed that at least 636 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, up from 503 the year before in Glasgow. For the purposes of the report, any company that has significant business activities in the exploration, extraction, refining, trading, specialised transportation of fossil fuels or sale of electricity derived from them is classified as a fossil fuel company. Indian endorsers in the group include Let India Breathe, Lok Shakti Abhiyan, Manushya Foundation, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha and the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India. The actual strength of the fossil fuel lobby could be much higher given that the report considers only those who openly disclose their connections to fossil fuel interests, and not those who access the talks using a different professional affiliation. The report relies on data from public sources like company websites, news coverage and the like. There has also been strong speculation that Sultan Al Jaber, the president of the UN COP28 climate summit had been trying to sign oil deals just before the start of the summit. Jaber, the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, has strongly denied these claims. According to expert projections, in 2023 a record-high will be reached for carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. Some 36.8 billion tonnes of CO2; 1.4% above the 2019 pre-COVID-19 levels will rise because of burning of coal, oil, and gas. Exactly 60 days after the October 7 massacre by Hamas fighters followed by a deadly retribution by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) including more than 10,000 air strikes, a water war may begin with the novel plan being to flush out Hamas fighters from the extensive 500 km maze of tunnels beneath Gaza. Such a plan to flood the Hamas-built tunnels across the 12 km-long Gaza-Egypt border was used by the Egyptian government from 2014 onwards to fight smuggling after Abdel Fattah el-Sisi became the president. Seawater was pumped in through pipes from the Sinai side of the border flooding the tunnels. President Sisi viewed the tunnel network as a threat to Egypts security as militants were using them. The plan is being emulated at a bigger level by Israel. Rather than sending in soldiers to hunt for Hamas fighters inside the intricate network of tunnels that may have booby-trapped and undertake huge risks in the underground battle zone that is the home-ground of the Hamas fighters, the idea would be to flood the interconnected tunnel network. Reports say that the tunnels underneath Gaza could be completely flooded with seawater in weeks while the water could easily be brought in from the nearby Mediterranean Sea using heavy pumps that the IDF is already reported to have installed for the purpose. While many have questioned the efficacy of such a move, there are many who are worried about the harmful impact that the sea water may have on the Gaza water table and soil. Such a move could also be a violation of international norms on environmental grounds. On the 60th day of the ongoing war, the Israeli offensive in the north Gaza Strip has cornered the Hamas fighters in and around the Shujaiya neighborhood and Jabalia city. Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that the IDF will now encircle the cornered militants and close the circle. The tunnel network in very densely populated Gaza had been in the making since 1999. Some of the tunnels are more than 200 feet below. Well-lighted and ventilated, the tunnel openings or mouths are well-concealed on the surface and mostly camouflaged so that they cannot be spotted by drones and satellites. Considered to be the home-ground of the Hamas, the tunnels function as the operational bases and safe-houses, storehouse of ammunition and weapons, jails to keep hostages and importantly as entry and exit points to stage ambush attacks on the enemy. Fighting an over-ground urban guerrilla warfare where tanks and heavy equipment face mobility difficulties and an underground warfare inside tunnels, the IDF faces a complicated war in Gaza. Mona Makram Ebeid writes from New York on prospects for new governments in the Palestinian territories and Israel U N Under Secretary-General and High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilisations Miguel Moratinos appointed me as his adviser for international affairs in 2020, an appointment which I was extremely honoured by, particularly in view of Moratinos own many accomplishments. In 2006, Moratinos, a Spanish government minister at the time, was part of the process that gave birth to the alliance. He has a long record of accomplishments, including 14 years in a ministerial position in Spain. The latter country has long been looked upon as a bridge between civilisations such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. It includes the cities of Toledo and Cordoba among its many World Heritage Sites. Moratinos motto is that you have to negotiate, you have to engage, and you have to compromise. Based on this idea, I decided to go to New York and ask him about the present crisis in the Middle East and how the alliance could help in changing a crisis into an opportunity. We believe that the alliance can play a major role in creating an environment conducive to mitigating the present explosive situation. I asked Moratinos how he thought Palestinian society could recover after the extraordinary trauma of being bombarded by Israel. Could the alliance engage in constructive work with the UN serving as a mediator in negotiations? How did Moratinos see the transitional period after the bombardments stopped, I asked. Moratinos referred to my last article in Al-Ahram Weekly, which he liked but differed on my choice of Mohamed Dahlan, whom I had described as the man who had the best credentials to govern Gaza. Dahlan is a native of Khan Younis, was a minister under former Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat, and was head of security in Gaza. He has excellent relations with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and with important Israeli figures. He enjoys the protection of the ruler of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed and has a good regional sense. Moratinos differed slightly and suggested that it might be better to put together a triumvirate of Moustafa Barghouti, a major Palestinian intellectual whom I had met when I served as elections observer during the Palestinian presidential elections under the leadership of former US president Jimmy Carter and the National Democratic Institute, Dahlan, and Nasser Al-Koudwa, a UN representative and nephew of Arafat whom I also knew well at the time. The question is who best represents the Palestinian leadership now? While there are moves to persuade the Palestinian Authority (PA) to go back into Gaza, according to the latest polls in November 66 per cent of Palestinians regard the authority as a burden and more than 85 per cent want Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resign. The thinking goes that a more representative PLO could hold new elections for a more representative PA, which would have more credibility in both Gaza and the West Bank. But there should be no elections now, as Hamas would be sure to win them. This is why this would require a weakened Hamas to agree to accept the existence of Israel and to commit to negotiating a Palestinian state alongside it. All agree that there should be a new commitment by the US to provide the Palestinians with a realistic prospect of an independent state. There are also growing calls in Israel to oblige Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign. It is useful to remember that Netanyahu secretly backed Hamas to weaken the PA and that Netanyahus government is dedicated to annexing the West Bank. A new Israeli government should seize this opportunity to turn the present carnage into lasting peace through diplomacy. I agree that a change in Israel could make a real difference if it is influenced by outside players. Former Egyptian president Anwar Al-Sadat, for example, well understood that he could change Israeli decision-making in this way, even with an extremist like then Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, a former leader of the Zionist militia the Irgun. The writer is former senator and member of parliament, professor of political science, adviser to the UN high representative of the Alliance of Civilisations. * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 December, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: With no safe places for the Palestinians to resort to, the situation in Gaza is getting worse by the hour. A World Health Organisation (WHO) official said that the situation is deteriorating by the hour with Israel intensifying attacks around the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah. "The situation is getting worse by the hour," said Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative on the occupied Palestinian territory. "There's intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah," he added. Peeperkon also said that the humanitarian aid reaching Gaza was "way too little". Meanwhile, offering hope Qatar Prime Minister said that the mediation talks on Gaza was still ongoing with an objective to end the war. "Qatar continues to make efforts to restore the truce, release hostages, and exchange prisoners, said sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. "This is a genocide committed by Israel," said Qatars emir. The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, has described Israels military campaign in Gaza as a genocide and said it was a disgrace that the international community had not stopped this heinous crime. "Israels occupation forces have violated all political, ethical and humanitarian values. It is a disgrace upon the international community to allow this heinous crime to continue," said al-Thani. Qatar has played a significant role in brokering the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas that paved the way for the release of more than 100 hostages being held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks. Amid intensifying attacks, Britain is considering sending military support vessel RFA Lyme Bay to provide medical and humanitarian aid in the Middle East, said defence minister Grant Shapps. "I'm considering whether RFA Lyme Bay can support medical and humanitarian aid provision, Shapps told lawmakers. However, Royal Air Force unarmed surveillance aircraft-a Shadow R1 will be conducting surveillance flights over Gaza, Israel and eastern Mediterranean--specially to look for hostages held by Hamas. Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry said that the death toll rose to 15,899. UN warns "hellish scenario" in Gaza. Israel also added that it has encricled the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza with the military claiming it was being used by Hamas as a base. France has announced it is freezing the assets of Hamas's leader Yahya Sinwar as part of a new wave of sanctions. Reportedly, Sinwar's funds and economic resources will be frozen for six months. At least 85 people have been confirmed dead after a mistaken army drone attack on a religious gathering in northwest Nigeria, authorities said. The president on Tuesday ordered a probe into the latest in a series of mistakes in Nigeria's conflict zones. Eighty-five dead bodies have so far been buried while (a) search is still ongoing, Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said in a statement that listed children, women and the elderly among the victims. At least 66 people were injured, the agency added. Since 2017, some 400 civilians have been killed by airstrikes the military said were targeting armed groups in the deadly security crisis in the country's north, according to the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence security firm. The victims in the latest incident were observing the Muslim holiday celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, Mawlid al-Nabi. They were killed Sunday night by drones targeting terrorists and bandits in Kaduna state's Tudun Biri village, according to government and security officials. The incidence of miscalculated airstrikes is assuming a worrisome dimension in the country, said Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria's former vice-president and the main opposition presidential candidate in this year's election. Nigeria's military often conducts air raids as it fights the extremist violence and rebel attacks that have destabilized Nigeria's north for more than a decade, often leaving civilian casualties in its wake, including in January when dozens were killed in Nasarawa state and in December 2022 when dozens also died in Zamfara state. Terrorists often deliberately embed themselves within civilian population centers, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, spokesman for Nigeria's Defence Headquarters, said on Tuesday in a statement on the latest incident. Analysts have in the past raised concerns about the lack of collaboration among Nigerian security agencies as well as the absence of due diligence in some of their special operations in conflict zones. One major concern has been the proliferation of drones within Nigerian security agencies such that there is no guiding principle one when these can be used, according to Kabir Adamu, the founder of Beacon Consulting, a security firm based in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident. However, such investigations are often shrouded in secrecy and their outcomes are never known. "The military sees itself as a little bit over and above civilian accountability as it were," Adamu said. In the incident in Nasarawa in January, when 39 people were killed, the Nigerian air force provided little information and no justice over the incident, Human Rights Watch said. Such incidents are facilitated by the lack of punishment for erring officers or agencies, according to Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International's director in Nigeria. "The Nigerian military is taking lightly the lack of consequences ... and the civilians they are supposed to protect are the ones paying the price of their incompetence and lack of due diligence," Sanusi told The Associated Press. Trevor Daniel Jacob, 30, was sentenced to six months prison for deliberately crashing his plane for views on YouTube. The video was posted by Jacob in December 2021, implying it was an accident. In the video, he had ejected from the plane, holding selfie stick in the hand and parachuted down to land. The video had hit millions of views. During the investigations, he had denied crashing his plane deliberately. YouTuber Trevor Jacob was sentenced to 6 months in prison for this pic.twitter.com/M4kq3JvUEg geo ppls (@geoppls) December 4, 2023 In the plea agreement, Jacob said he filmed the video as part of a product sponsorship deal. The former Olympic snowboarder and YouTuber pleaded guilty earlier this year to concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation. According to the federal prosecutors, he "most likely committed this offence to generate social media and news coverage for himself and to obtain financial gain," reported BBC. They also added that this "daredevil" conduct cannot be tolerated, they added. In a statement, Jacob described the sentence as the right decision. In November 2021, Jacob left from Santa Barbara, California, airport on a solo flight with cameras mounted on his plane. He "did not intend to reach his destination, but instead planned to eject from his aircraft during the flight and video himself parachuting to the ground and his airplane as it descended and crashed", the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said. The plane crashed into Los Padres National Forest 35 minutes after take off. He hiked to the site and recovered the footage. He then uploaded the video entitled "I crashed my airplane" to YouTube on December 23, which contained a promotion for a wallet company, prosecutors said. Lakhbir Singh Rode, the founder of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and a designated terrorist, died on Monday in Pakistan. He suffered a heart attack last Friday. Rodes brother and former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode has reportedly confirmed his death in Pakistan. The 72-year-old was a designated terrorist and the co-founder of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), an organisation proscribed in India under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Rode joined the Khalistan movement in 1982 and founded ISYF in 1984 after Operation Blue Star. Having fled India for Canada, Rode then shifted base to Pakistan in 1991. He was also among the 20 most wanted terrorists whose extradition India sought from Pakistan in the wake of the 2001 attack on Indias Parliament by a five-member group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists. Rode and KLF had been on the radar of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after the 2021 IED blasts in the Ludhiana court complex. Rodes nephew and son of former Akal Takht Jatehedar Jasbir Singh Rode was arrested by Punjab Police in connection with the recovery of RDX and a tiffin bomb. The NIA alleged that Rode, with the help of Pakistan-based cross-border smugglers, had formed a terror module to smuggle weapons into India. Rode was also said to be among the top Punjab militants who, in league with the ISI, were assigned the task of carrying out militant activities. Rode's name cropped up among intelligence circles again this year during the arrest of separatist leader and controversial preacher Amritpal Singh. According to intelligence officials, Lakhbir's close associates played an important role in the elevation of Amritpal and one of them was learnt to be in Dubai where Amritpal spent nine years. Amritpal got indoctrinated due to his links with Rode, after which he took over the operations of Waris Punjab De. The fact that Amritpal's armed militia was carrying unlicensed weapons12 bore double barrel guns, 0.315 bore rifles and 0.32 bore revolvershas led investigators to probe whether the KLF operatives had passed on arms and ammunition to Amritpal and his associates. Recently, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali ordered the confiscation of land belonging to Rode in Punjabs Moga district. (With inputs from Namrata Biji Ahuja) Mumbai, Dec 5 (PTI) India's financial capital Mumbai recorded 6,960 cases of economic offences in 2022, the highest in any metro city, according to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Cases of cyber crime also jumped in Mumbai to 4,724 last year from 2,883 in 2021, showed the data compiled by the NCRB, which is part of the Union home ministry. Hyderabad, with 6,015 cases of economic offences last year, was ranked second followed by Delhi (5007) on the third spot, as per the report. Among the total economic offences registered in Mumbai, 1,093 were of criminal breach of trust, whereas forgery, cheating and fraud cases stood at 5,855, it said. As per an analysis of the loss of property in metropolitan cities in 2022 due to criminal breach of trust, at least 18 cases were of amounts between Rs 10 crore and Rs 15 crore, 7 between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 crore, 6 between Rs 50 crore and Rs 100 crore and one was above Rs 100 crore. In terms of registration of cyber crimes, Maharashtra was at the fourth spot with 8,249 such cases in 2022, while the list was topped by Telangana which recorded 15,297 FIRs under the category of online offences, according to the NCRB report. Karnataka, with 12,556 cyber crime cases last year, was at the second spot, while Uttar Pradesh (10,117) occupied the third position, it said. Among the cases registered under cyber crime head in Maharashtra, 581 were of cyber stalking or bullying of women and children (section 354D of IPC), 2,202 of fraud and 275 of fraud with credit/ debit cards and four were related to online abetment of suicide, the report mentioned. Of the cases registered under cyber crime head in Maharashtra, at least 66 involved personal revenge, 38 were of emotional motives like anger, 5,515 related to fraud, 129 of extortion, 31 of causing disrepute and 787 of sexual exploitation, it said. Out of the total cyber crime cases recorded in the state last year, 2,530 were committed against women, which included 578 offences of cyber stalking/bullying, the report added. When it came to reporting cyber crimes in metropolitan cities in 2022, Mumbai was at the second spot with 4,724 cases registered with police. Bengaluru topped the list with 9,940 cases of cyber crime, while Hyderabad (4436) was on the third spot, it said. Cases of cyber crime have been increasing in the financial capital in the last three years, rising from 2,433 in 2020 to 2,883 in 2021 and to 4,724 in 2022, stated the report. Patna, Dec 5 (PTI) Bihar will host a two-day business summit from December 13 to attract investors to the state, Industries Minister Samir Kumar Mahaseth said on Tuesday. 'Bihar Business Connect-2023' is aimed at projecting the state as an attractive global investment destination, he told reporters. "The event will highlight the state's strategic advantages across key sectors such as textiles, food processing, IT and bio-fuel," he said. The summit, which will see a participation of 600 companies from India and abroad, is a crucial step in Bihar's journey towards becoming a leader in industrial development, he added. Over the two days, sessions will be held on priority sectors and field visits will be organised to industrial areas, besides high-level meetings between investors and the state's leadership, Mahaseth said. "The state has formulated policies to attract investors and provide ample support and incentives, particularly in logistics, textile and leather sectors. The concluding day of the event will be attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav," he said. Information and Public Relations Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha said the summit will be a major platform for identifying investment opportunities in the state. "The state is now an ideal destination for industrial investment," he claimed. Kolkata, Dec 5 (PTI) Tea exports from India during January to September declined 4.93 per cent to 157.92 million kg, according to latest Tea Board data. During the first nine months of 2022, exports stood at 166.11 million kg. From North India, primarily the states of Assam and West Bengal, tea exports dropped 6.61 per cent to 96.28 million kg in the reporting period, compared with 103.09 million kg in the corresponding nine months a year ago, the data showed. In the southern region, shipments fell marginally by 2.19 per cent to 61.64 million kg from January to September. During the entire calendar year 2022, tea exports from India stood at 231 million kg. Sources in the Indian Tea Association (ITA), the apex body of planters, said the export scenario remains grim as shipments to Iran are uncertain due to payment issues. The Iran market constitutes nearly 20 per cent of Indias total tea exports, followed by the CIS group of countries, they said. Kolkata, Dec 5 (PTI) Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra has been admitted to a state-run hospital here after he complained of breathing problems and developed high fever, a senior official of the health facility said on Tuesday. Mitra was taken to the Woodburn Ward of the SSKM Hospital late Monday evening after he complained of breathing difficulties, sources close to the Kamarhati MLA said. "He is suspected to be suffering from pneumonia. We are waiting for the test results. Mitra is stable now. Our doctors are monitoring his health condition," the official told PTI. Mumbai, Dec 5 (PTI) Global express transportation firm FedEx Express on Tuesday inaugurated its first tech hub -- Advanced Capability Community (ACC) -- in India (in Hyderabad) at an investment of USD 100 million. Envisioned as a hub for technological and digital innovation, the facility is aligned with the Telangana government's strategic emphasis on nurturing a thriving pool of tech talent, the company said in a statement. In addition to boosting employment opportunities, it will also contribute to the development of new capabilities and meeting technological requirements of FedEx operations worldwide, it said. "Marking a significant investment of USD 100 million in Hyderabad's economic landscape, FedEx Express inaugurated its first Advanced Capability Community (ACC) in Hyderabad on Tuesday," the company said in the statement. "This investment in talent and innovation is part of our broader plan to drive excellence and deliver unparalleled smart logistics solutions worldwide," FedEx Corporation President and CEO Raj Subramaniam said. The facility becomes a pivotal step in the company's global strategy, initiating a network of such communities worldwide, the company said. Besides, the ACC further will fuel the FedEx growth and expansion and bring added value to the global supply chain ecosystem, it said. "By leveraging an exceptional talent pool, we are accelerating digital transformation and delivering innovative solutions to our customers," added Subramaniam. Gandhinagar, Dec 5 (PTI) The Gujarat government intends to promote the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector in the state to give further boost to tourism by showcasing its existing infrastructure and developing more destinations in the future, a senior government official said here on Tuesday. Gujarat will host the India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB)'s 14th Conventions India Conclave on December 7-9 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar as part of the pre-Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024, as it looks to bring a major share of MICE market to the state, state tourism secretary Hareet Shukla said. "To develop new sectors and areas of tourism, and especially for year-round tourism, MICE sector is very important with round-the-year activities, making a significant difference to the economy. Gujarat is now trying to focus on this sector," Shukla told mediapersons. He said Gujarat has good infrastructure required for the MICE sector, and the government intends to develop more infrastructure in the future as it trains its focus on the sector. MICE tourism has huge potential for the state, and the pre-Vibrant convention will engage people associated with the sector from India and abroad to look at facilities available here and provide their feedback on whether there is a need to make policy changes and other further developments, he said. The state government has big plans for developing MICE infrastructure further in Kevadia near the Statue of Unity in Narmada district, Kutch district, Vadodara, etc, he said. "We want to bring a major share of the MICE market to Gujarat, and I am very sure we will be successful. This is a step in that direction," he said. The convention will not only highlight India but also Gujarat as a potential MICE destination, he said. "India is trying to create a sub-brand, Meet In India, and we are talking about Meet In Gujarat. This convention is a very good platform to showcase the kind of infrastructure that has been developed in Gujarat related to MICE," he said. World renowned conventions as well as major associations and hospitality sector experts from across the world and India will participate in the event, he said. "More than 100 participants from abroad and more than 200 from across the country will participate in the event. The participants will be taken in groups on a trip to Ahmedabad, Surat, Rann of Kutch, Science City... They will be made aware of the facilities available in Gujarat," Shukla said. Major announcements related to international and national-level events to be organised in Gujarat will be made during the event, he said. ICPB Vice Chairman Amaresh Tiwari said the vision of the board is to present at least 10 names as MICE destination from India to the world stage. At present, only capital Delhi figures among top 100 global destination for MICE. "Large medical, non-medical associations, technical associations and corporates from India and abroad will participate in the event who want to organise their events in Gujarat... I am confident that the manner Gujarat is growing in the areas of business under the leadership of Prime Minister and Chief Minister, in the next 5-10 years, Gujarat will be a leading MICE state," he said. Only a ceasefire coupled with a legitimate peace plan can prevent the Gaza conflict from becoming yet another battle in an endless war, writes David Dumke E gypt, Qatar, and the United States deserve credit for last weeks temporary truce in Gaza. The momentary break gave relief to the embattled Palestinian population, hostages and prisoners were exchanged, and aid flowed in larger if still insufficient volumes. But now that its come and gone, the pause can be seen as what it was a temporary respite. Only a ceasefire coupled with a legitimate peace plan will prevent this war from becoming yet another battle in an endless war. The United States must now do the diplomatic heavy lifting required to end the violence and work on the peace. Sadly, Washingtons failure despite considerable risk and political blowback to dissuade Israel from pursuing a reckless, maximalist response suggests it will need to be prodded into action by its allies and others in the international community. In sheer numbers, the toll since 7 October is staggering. Palestinian casualties near 60,000, with 15,500 killed in Gaza and at least 250 more in the West Bank. Israel has suffered at least 1,200 deaths, as well as 5,000 wounded. Myths about Israels security have been punctured. Palestinian hopes of peace and normalcy remain elusive. American prestige and credibility and President Joe Bidens domestic political standing have deteriorated. Hamas has largely usurped Fatah and the Palestinian Authority (PA) as chief negotiators of Palestinian aspirations. Iran and its proxies have a greater ability to shape regional events than prior to 7 October. Let us be clear that unless and until Biden demands a ceasefire, Israel will not consider agreeing to one. But even that is not enough. He must also produce a binding road map not to be confused with the failed 2003 plan for a two-state settlement. Despite being neither a fair nor honest broker, the United States alone holds the power to influence Israeli decision-making. Israel, after all, has received $158 billion in American assistance since its creation in 1948, far more than any other nation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to the region again this week in hopes of extending the ceasefire. Instead, he was embarrassed and once again looks like an Israeli cheerleader. His time would be better spent working on a peace plan, or at a minimum developing a clear process which will lead to one. Beyond the moral imperative of stopping bloodshed, there are identifiable foreign and domestic reasons for doing so now. With Gaza taking up so much bandwidth, the Biden Administration is unable to focus on other pressing challenges. With Congress poised to vote on a massive $61 billion Ukraine assistance package, Kyiv has disappeared from the headlines. Coverage of the recent meeting between Presidents Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping was underwhelming. The UN COP28 Climate Change Conference kicked off in Dubai but lacks the fanfare of previous conferences. Closer to home, the US faces an immigration crisis. Domestic politics is another impetus for American action. Conventional wisdom holds that an American president cant afford to make a serious push for peace during his first term. Former president Jimmy Carter made a herculean effort to broker the Camp David Accords in the 1970s, which included two parts: a bilateral Egypt-Israeli peace, and terms never implemented addressing Palestinian sovereignty. President George H W Bush pushed for peace after Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Both faced Israeli intransigence, and each had to resort to direct pressure to move the ball forward. Neither Carter nor Bush won re-election. Carters percentage of US Jewish votes fell from 71 per cent in 1976 to 45 per cent in 1980, while Bushs declined from 35 per cent to 11 per cent from 1988 to 1992. To be clear, both men were bedeviled by weak economies and other issues, but this decline has long been cited as a reason not to openly confront Israel. The Gaza war has sparked unprecedented worldwide demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people, including in the United States. It is fracturing Bidens Democratic coalition alienating Arab and Muslim Americans, progressives, minorities, and younger voters. This also includes many Jewish voters who believe supporting Israel means backing a two-state solution. Numerous polls illustrate Bidens growing political woes, including a 19 November NBC poll that showed an all-time low job performance approval of 40 per cent. Among voters aged 18 to 34, just 31 per cent approve, with 70 per cent disapproving, of his handling of the war. Among Democrats, a majority believe the response of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be excessive, and half oppose providing more military aid to Israel. Only 34 per cent of voters approve of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. In Congress, an increasing number of Democrats have expressed support for a ceasefire. This includes Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), who also said additional aid to Israel must be consistent with our interests and values and used in a manner that adheres to international humanitarian law, the law of armed conflict, and US law. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), once a darling of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), was the first to call for a ceasefire. Ideally, the Biden administration will introduce a peace plan. But if Washington doesnt act, others must even if only to prod the Americans forward. The elements of any peace deal are well known and include: the creation of a Palestinian state in both Gaza and the West Bank, under the control of the PA; security guarantees from the US to Israel, with international peacekeepers and monitoring for a specified period; a commitment to non-violence excluding militant groups unless they renounce violence; and international funding for a comprehensive reconstruction and investment plan for Palestine. Israel will insist on accountability from the Hamas leadership and those implicated in the 7 October attacks. This will require allowing limited operations against militants, albeit within the bounds of international law. There must also be negotiated agreements on Jerusalem, the right of return, and border adjustments issues which have derailed previous negotiations. Also, like the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, an agreement will likely need to include disarmament and decommissioning mechanisms. Additionally, there must be the incentive of broader Israeli normalisation with the region including reviving the nascent Israel-Saudi Arabia Peace Agreement. Washington can ill afford the political consequences of allowing Israel to resume an unrestrained military campaign that seems principally focused on inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian people. Regional stability requires active diplomacy aimed at solving the problem once and for all. Only in this way will the United States be able to refocus on other global challenges. At home, only peace can help reverse President Bidens cratering poll numbers and put him in a stronger position heading into next years election. The writer is executive director of the University of Central Florida Office of Global Perspectives & International Initiatives. He is a distinguished visiting scholar at the American University in Cairo for the Fall 2023 semester. * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 December, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) The government has been developing regulatory frameworks that cast safety and trust as obligation on digital platforms, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Tuesday, adding that this approach will continue to be finetuned going forward. Today's world is dealing increasingly with complexity, commercial power, toxicity, and harms that have crept into the internet because innovation was allowed to go "so far ahead" without creating proper guardrails, the Minister of State for IT and Electronics said at the India Internet Governance Forum -- IIGF'23. "So safety and trust as an obligation cast on platforms, is a framework that our government has been developing since 2021 and we will continue to fine-tune this... there is nothing that is going to be collegial, best-effort, self-regulatory framework that we have seen for so long." "Instead, we are transitioning into an era where governments have an obligation to ensure internet is safe and trusted for all those 1.2 billion Indians... and the same thought process is creeping to other democracies as well," he said. Chandrasekhar also touched upon the issue of deepfakes. "As the PM recently pointed out and put the spotlight on an issue like deepfakes, which is misinformation powered by AI, these are all challenges we will have to immediately square up to, and not let it get so far ahead that the regulation is playing catch-up," he said. The government is driving a consultative approach to policy-making on technology, the minister said, adding that building blocks of key frameworks such as Digital Personal Data Protection legislation, IT rules and the proposed Digital India Act -- all of which are being put in place to govern the internet, spur innovation and protect consumers -- are being built on multi-stakeholder participation. India is on fast-track of growth when it comes to internet, he said, noting that 850 million online Indians today represent the largest connected block of people on global internet. That number is set to rise to 1.2-1.3 billion Indians using global internet, he said. "We can safely say that we have some views about the internet... of what future of internet should be... multi-stakeholderism will be the cornerstone to how future on internet will be shaped, policy wise and regulation wise," he said. Multi-stakeholderism, he explained, is firmly embedded in the government's approach to policy-making and indeed the world's approach to designing future of internet in the "techade". India today represents the most exciting "opportunity-rich" environment for technology in general and tech and innovation on the internet, in particular. "It is clear that the future of technology is no longer what we used to think about 4-5 years ago, which is a group of companies or collection of countries that... in a sense... had a monopoly towards the future of tech..." "Rather, in today and tomorrow's world, the future of tech will be led by a number of countries, like-minded democracies, communities and societies, with shared values," he said. The government over the past years has demonstrated a commitment to consultative policy making in technology which is "unprecedented". "Be it DPDP Bill, IT rules or proposed Digital India Act... every one of these fundamental building block that will govern the internet, regulate internet, protect consumers and enable innovation is being constructed with multi-stakeholder participation and inputs, which is signature to this government and big departure from what used to be in past a unilateral policy-making, that left people... to scramble and deal with confusion and chaos... in wake of such policy," he said. Accountability of platforms is becoming new normal, he observed. "We are departing from the construct about shared responsibilities and diffused concepts of responsible and ethical use, and moving onto a model where there is safety and trust for consumers of tech and the platforms that deliver those service and products online on the global internet are being held accountable legally for safety and trust," Chandrasekhar said. New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Shares worth more than Rs 2,709 crore were sold by the government as part of its initiative to dispose of enemy properties in the country, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Assets left behind by people who have taken citizenship of Pakistan and China -- mostly between 1947 and 1962 -- are called enemy property. Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra said in the Lok Sabha that the sale of the movable property such as 'shares' is done on the recommendation of a high-level committee which suggests the quantum and price level for sale of 'shares'. "As on date, 19 enemy properties in Uttar Pradesh have been disposed by way of sale through e-auction held on September 8, 2023 and shares worth Rs 2709.16 crore have been sold," he said, replying to a written question. The minister said as per the guidelines, the proceeds of sale or disposal of the enemy property are deposited into the consolidated fund of India. He said before the disposal or auction of the enemy property, the valuation of immovable enemy property is done by a valuation committee under the chairmanship of the district magistrate of the district, where the property is situated. The valuation reports submitted by the district magistrate is placed by the custodian before the enemy property disposal committee who gives its recommendation to the Central government for the disposal of enemy property or the manner in which the enemy property may be dealt with, he said. There are a total of 12,611 establishments called enemy property, roughly estimated to be worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, in the country. The government formed a Group of Ministers, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in 2020 to supervise monetisation of enemy properties. Out of the 12,611 properties vested with the Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI), a total of 12,485 were related to Pakistani nationals and 126 to Chinese citizens. Washington, Dec 5 (PTI) Top CEOs from India and the United States have provided updates on the status of their recommendations on advancing bilateral commercial ties during a meeting co-chaired by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, an official statement said here. The virtual meeting of the India-US CEO Forum convened by Raimondo and Goyal on November 30 was a follow-up to the March 2023 forum meeting in New Delhi, according to the statement issued on Monday. During the meeting, US and Indian CEOs provided both governments with updates on the status of their recommendations on how to advance US-India commercial ties, it said. They also discussed topics pertinent across sectors, including supply chain resiliency, workforce development, regulatory and standards harmonization, and economic collaboration. Raimondo and Goyal highlighted recent government initiatives that were inspired by the CEOs recommendations and encouraged the forum members to focus on concrete outcomes and policy deliverables ahead of the next forum in early 2024. At the opening of the meeting, Raimondo announced the appointment of seven new CEOs to the US section of the forum who will serve alongside the existing CEO members announced in July 2022. The new members include Robert Riney, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health; Vimal Kapur, CEO of Honeywell International; Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation; Martin Schroeter, chairman and CEO of Kyndryl Holdings; Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer; Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated; and Kumara Guru Gowrappan, president of Viasat. Johannesburg, Dec 5 (PTI) Internationally-renowned South African filmmaker of Indian origin, Anant Singh, has re-released on an OTT platform his special documentary on the life of the late Nelson Mandela as the country marked his 10th death anniversary on Tuesday. After serving 27 years in prison under the minority white apartheid government, the globally celebrated leader became President of South Africa in 1994. Mandela died on December 5, 2013. Singhs documentary feature Viva Madiba: A Hero for All Seasons will be seen globally on Netflix and will be available to audiences of the streaming service throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands for the first time. Initially produced as a tribute to Mandela, the documentary is a celebration of Mandelas epic life and his status as an international icon. The film takes one on a journey behind the headlines and away from the public eye and looks at Madiba through different lenses - as a loyal friend, a faithful comrade, a trusted confidant, a respected mentor, and a man who has touched and transformed countless lives globally. Mandelas life of struggle, humanity, destiny, and greatness is recalled and celebrated by those who knew him best and who worked with him and the film takes us beyond the political and into the personal realm and features exclusive interviews with politicians, close friends and comrades, Singh said. These include Archbishop Desmond Tutu; former ANC leader Oliver Tambo; George Bizos, the lawyer who defended Mandela and his co-accused at the infamous Rivonia Trial that sent them to prison; long-time fellow prisoner and confidant Ahmed Kathrada, and his former jailer, Christo Brand. Also featured in the documentary is current President Cyril Ramaphosa, the countrys fourth after Mandela stepped down following just one term in office. Singh recalled how he had been at the Royal Premiere of his movie Long Walk to Freedom in London when he received news of 95-year-old Mandelas passing after a long illness. Just 15 minutes before the end of the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, based on the autobiography of the same name, Singh got the news that Mandela had died. What was expected to be a standing ovation for Singh and the cast of the film from the celebrity audience, including Prince William and his wife Kate, turned into shocked disbelief as he waited for the end of the film to give the audience the tragic news and called for a minutes silence to honour the global icon. Even though we had all expected it to happen one day, it was such a shock to hear it while sitting in the theatre watching the movie exactly as it happened, he said. A planned after-party was also cancelled as cast members left in tears. Singh had spent almost two decades planning the multi-million-rand film, which won accolades all over the world. Earlier he explained how he had told Mandela after first reading the manuscript for the book that it had to be made into a film. It is amazing how quickly 10 years have passed it feels like it was yesterday that we got the dreaded news of Madibas passing, Singh said, referring to Mandela's clan name. Whilst the world is poorer without Nelson Mandela, despite his passing 10 years ago, the gravitas of Madiba is still respected and acknowledged not only in South Africa but around the world, Singh concluded. Washington, Dec 5 (AP) The White House has said that the US may establish a naval task force to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea, a day after three vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-back Houthis in Yemen. National security adviser Jake Sullivan Monday said the US has been in active conversations with allies about setting up the escorts though nothing is finalised, describing it as a natural response to that sort of incident. On Sunday, ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships, while a US warship shot down three drones in self-defence during an hours-long assault, the US military said. It marked an escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war. We are in talks with other countries about a maritime task force of sorts involving the ships from partner nations alongside the United States in ensuring safe passage, Sullivan told reporters. He noted similar task forces are used to protect commercial shipping elsewhere, including off the coast of Somalia. The Houthi attacks imperil traffic on one of the world's most vital shipping lanes and with it global trade overall. The US Energy Information Administration says 8.8 million barrels of oil a day are shipped through the Red Sea and the narrow straits of the Bab al-Mandab within range of the Houthis, making it one of world trade's most crucial chokepoints. The ships carry oil and natural gas from the Gulf to Europe, the United States and China. The Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are also part of a vital route for commercial shipping overall, carrying millions of tons of agricultural products and other goods to markets yearly. Sullivan said that while the Houthis had their finger on the trigger," the group's Iranian sponsors were ultimately responsible. The weapons here are being supplied by Iran, Sullivan said. Iran, we believe, is the ultimate party responsible for this. Sullivan said the US does not believe that all three of the ships struck by the Houthis had ties to Israel, saying, It goes to show you the level of recklessness that the Houthis are operating. (AP) IJT Dubai, Dec 5 (PTI) India needs to continue its momentum and advocacy efforts at the UN COP28 here towards global climate action and seek more commitments and finances from developed countries, UNDP India climate chief has said. The UN climate talks in Dubai opened with a bang with countries clinching an early deal on how to compensate developing and vulnerable countries that bear the brunt of the climate crisis despite contributing very little to it. The agreement on the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund on the first day of COP28 set the stage for more ambitious decisions over the next 12 days. In an interview with PTI, Dr Ashish Chaturvedi, Head, Action for Climate and Environment at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India, lauded India's positive intent, highlighting the nation's commitment to continue contributing to global adaptation efforts. "The Loss and Damage fund stands as a victory for India to a certain extent as well. We've played an important role in pushing for more focus towards adaptation efforts," he said. Dr Chaturvedi stressed the need for further advocacy on loss and damage, stating, "I think we need more push going forward on the loss and damage. Where is the loss and damage facility going to be located? Does it have to be in the global north? Can it be in the global south?" That's something which is really interesting because that has many implications also for how the fund will operate, he said. "India would need to continue its momentum and advocacy efforts in COP28 and seek more commitments and finances from developed countries," he said. Addressing UNDPs national and state-level efforts, Dr. Chaturvedi stated, "We work on adaptation at the national level on policy, working closely with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on India's adaptation communication." At the state level, UNDP collaborates with state governments on updating and strengthening their climate change action plans. Dr. Chaturvedi highlighted their focus on key sectors, stating, "States have focused a lot on climate adaptation in the water sector, in agriculture, and on the links between Disaster Risk Reduction and adaptation." Discussing on-ground implementation, Dr. Chaturvedi cited the example of UNDPs "SECURE Himalaya" project in the high-altitude Himalayan regions, supported by the Global Environment Facility. "We work with local communities to enhance their resilience, focusing on new and alternative livelihood options for mountain-dwelling communities," he explained. Delving further into specific projects, Dr. Chaturvedi highlighted a transformative initiative in Bihar the Bihar Rural Livelihood Mission (BRLM) supported by Japan. "We've installed 25 solar cold storages for women cooperatives across 15 districts, addressing post-harvest losses for perishable goods like Litchi. This has led to a significant increase in incomes and also empowered women to become financially independent. So far, weve benefitted over 5,000 women farmers, and now plan to upscale this initiative in Bihar as well as other states across the country" he said. He underscored India's positive contributions and leadership in both adaptation projects and broader climate negotiations, setting the stage for crucial deliberations during the latter stages of the conference. The global climate talks here have seen participation from over 100,000 people from 198 countries. PTI UZM NSA AKJ (This story was produced as part of the 2023 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews' Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.) NSA NSA NSA Islamabad, Dec 5 (PTI) Pakistan's election commission has asked the government to deploy army troops to maintain peace on the day of the general election, citing the shortage of 2.77 lakh police personnel to provide security during the polling. Pakistan, which is facing both political and economic instability, is going to the polls on February 8. According to a letter written by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to the interior ministry, the provincial police force is not sufficient to provide security during the polling. The poll body wrote in the letter that at least 591,106 security personnel were needed for the upcoming general election, and there was a shortage of 277,558 police personnel in the provinces and the federation. The ECP said that the Pakistan Army and paramilitary forces should be deployed on the polling day to maintain law and order. The letter, referring to the bad law and order situation in the country, said the deployment of the army and civil armed forces as a static and quick response force be ensured. It asked the ministry to inform the commission about the same before December 7. The demand for army deployment is not new as regular troops are traditionally provided for elections in Pakistan. On Tuesday, the Finance Division said it has released Rs 17.4 billion to the Election Commission for the upcoming general elections. The amount was in addition to the Rs 10 billion released in July 2023, the Finance Ministry said, highlighting that the latest disbursement brought the total funds released for polls to Rs 27.4 billion. "The Finance Division remains committed to provision of funds as and when required by the Election Commission of Pakistan, it added. Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi earlier said the government would meet the financial needs of the ECP ahead of the February 8 general election. "There is no crisis in meeting the financial needs of the ECP, Solangi said in a post on X. "Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP will be released as per its needs accordingly, he said. Solangi's statement followed media reports that the ECP summoned the finance secretary on Monday for the ministrys failure to provide the funds allocated for the election. The minister said the Cabinet already approved Rs 42 billion for the ECPs needs and Rs 10 billion had been released so far. We firmly stand behind the ECP in holding free and fair elections as mandated by Article 218(3) of the Constitution, he added. Islamabad, Dec 5 (PTI) The Pakistan government said on Tuesday that it has released Rs 17.4 billion to the election commission for the upcoming general elections, a day after the poll body raised concerns over the non-provision of funds. Cash-strapped Pakistan, which is facing both political and economic instability, is going to the polls on February 8. In a statement on Tuesday, the Finance Division said it has released Rs 17.4 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in addition to Rs 10 billion released in July 2023 for the conduct of general elections in the country. "This brings the total released amount to Rs 27.4 billion for holding general elections. The Finance Division remains committed to the provision of funds as and when required by the Election Commission of Pakistan, it added. The development comes a day after the electoral body raised concern over the delay in the release of the urgently needed amount for the conduct of polls. Addressing the ECPs concerns, caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi had said that the government would meet the financial needs of the ECP ahead of the February 8 general election. "There is no crisis in meeting the financial needs of the ECP, Solangi said in a post on X. "Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP will be released as per its needs accordingly, he said. Solangi's statement followed media reports that the ECP summoned the finance secretary on Monday for the ministrys failure to provide the funds allocated for the election. The minister said the Cabinet already approved Rs 42 billion for the ECPs needs and Rs 10 billion had been released so far. We firmly stand behind the ECP in holding free and fair elections as mandated by Article 218(3) of the Constitution, he added. Last week, the electoral body rejected as "baseless and misleading the media reports about a delay in the upcoming general elections. Washington, Dec 5 (PTI) Three influential Congressmen, including Indian-Americans Raja Krishnamoorthi and Pramila Jayapal, have introduced bipartisan legislation in the US House of Representatives to reduce green card backlog and end country-based discrimination for employment-based visas. Both the moves, if passed and signed into law, would help thousands of Indian-Americans who are currently in decades-long wait for green cards or permanent residency. Congressman Rich McCormick is the third lawmaker to have joined the two Indian-Americans in introducing the bill on Monday. HR 6542, the bipartisan Immigration Visa Efficiency and Security Act of 2023, would strengthen the US economy and boost its international competitiveness while reducing the green card backlog by allowing American employers to focus on hiring immigrants based on their merit, not their birthplace, a press statement said. The bill would phase out the existing seven per cent per-country limit on employment-based immigrant visas while increasing the seven per-country limit on family-sponsored visas to 15 per cent, it said. As we work to build the economy of the future, we cannot allow high-skilled workers to languish in the green card backlog, left unable to fully establish themselves as Americans and contribute more fully to our nation, Krishnamoorthi said. I am proud to partner with my colleagues on our bipartisan legislation to end country-based discrimination for employment-based immigrant visas to reduce visa backlogs while strengthening our economy and our workforce, he added. The employment-based visa system provides permanent residence (or "green cards") to individuals whose work contributes to US economic growth and enhances our competitive advantage. To qualify, a sponsoring employer generally must advertise and prove that they cannot find a qualified US worker to fill the position. Thus, although America's employment-based visa system starts as "merit-based," what happens next has nothing to do with merit or skills visas are allocated based on the intended immigrant's country of birth, the statement said. Approximately 95 per cent of employment-based immigrants currently live and work in the United States on temporary visas while waiting for a visa to become available. Some of these individuals remain in temporary status for many years, if not decades, because of the caps applied to their country of nationality, it read. The statement said the new, phased-in system, established in the bipartisan EAGLE Act, would help ease the backlog for those who wait the longest. Like the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act that passed the House in July 2019, the bill phases out the seven per cent per-country cap for employment-based immigrant visas; and raises the seven per cent per-country limit on family-sponsored visas to 15 per cent. Like the version of the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act that passed the Senate in December 2020, the bill includes a longer nine-year transition period to ensure that no countries are excluded from receiving visas while the per-country caps are phased out, it said. The bill strengthens the H-1B temporary visa program and provides an option for individuals who have been waiting in the immigrant visa backlog for two years to file a green card application, although the application cannot be approved until a visa becomes available, according to the statement. Islamabad, Dec 5 (PTI) Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, head of the Dawoodi Bohra sect of Islam, was on Tuesday conferred with Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civilian award of Pakistan. "President Dr. Arif Alvi conferred the award of Nishan-e-Pakistan upon Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, Head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, at a special investiture ceremony, held at Aiwan-e-Sadr," the president's office said in a post on X. Dr Saifuddin, the head of the Mumbai-headquartered Dawoodi Bohra community spread across over 40 countries, including a sizeable congregation in Pakistan, is the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq of the order. The Dawoodi Bohras carry out developmental works to benefit the underprivileged in all these countries. Nishan-e-Pakistan is the highest civilian honour awarded for services of the highest distinction to the national interest of Pakistan. The award, conferred at a special investiture ceremony, recognises 77-year-old Saifuddin's services to Pakistan in the field of spiritual guidance and social services, Geo News reported. The Bohra community head holds a special regard for Pakistan and is an advocate of peace, harmony and goodwill, read the citation read out before the conferment of the award. Recounting his services in the education sector, it was said that he had contributed to the building of the School of Law at the University of Karachi and launched a university project. Multiple healthcare institutions are operating in the name of the Bohra community head providing affordable healthcare to people. Separately, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar met the Dawoodi Bohra community head and lauded the community's services for the progress of the country. The premier felicitated Dr Saifuddin on being awarded the country's highest civil award and expressed confidence that the Bohra community would continue to play their role in the progress and development of the country. Each year, the announcement of awards is made on August 14, Pakistans Independence Day, and the awards are conferred next year on Pakistan National Day, observed on March 23. But in special cases, these dates are not followed and the investiture can be arranged anytime. According to the official website of the Dawoodi Bohras, the community traces its heritage to the Fatimi Imams, direct descendants of the Prophet Mohammed, in Egypt. "The Dawoodi Bohras throughout the world are guided by their leader known as the al-Dai al-mutlaq (unrestricted missionary), who first operated from Yemen and then, for the last 450 years, from India, it said. Morarji Desai was the first Indian to be honoured with Nishan-e-Pakistan, which was conferred on him by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in 1990. I t is almost unimaginable that the Israeli security apparatuses could have succumbed to such catastrophic errors as they did during the attacks by Hamas on 7 October, owing to the legendary aura surrounding Israels security operations, be they those of the Israeli Military Intelligence Aman, the domestic security agency Shin Bet, or the external intelligence agency Mossad. However, the failures of the Israeli security apparatuses have extended beyond the dismal miscalculation of not anticipating the major attacks launched by Hamas on 7 October. They have also underscored the failure of the touted Gaza Barrier erected by Israel at a cost of $1.5 billion to deter the onslaught. The delayed response of the Israeli military, spanning eight hours, to address the devastating attacks resulted in major losses in terms of fatalities, injuries, and hostages that were reminiscent of Israels experiences during the October 1973 War. Expectations of Israel swiftly overcoming these colossal failures were shattered as it has more recently found itself sinking into an additional quagmire of incompetence. After initially estimating that it would succeed in neutralising Hamas and freeing the hostages within two weeks, following more than five weeks of relentless bombardment from land, air, and sea Israel has failed to achieve either goal. Instead, it has reluctantly opted for a ceasefire, a temporary halt to hostilities, and eventually engaged in a hostage exchange with Hamas, following the intelligence agencies failure to accurately assess the raid on the Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip. Even the tunnels purportedly discovered beneath the hospital, as revealed by former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, were constructed by Israeli contractors. These intelligence failures are not isolated but are also intertwined with international political mishaps. The images of Palestinian civilian casualties, particularly children, and the extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, have led to significant global outrage. The impact has been felt across various nations, which have realised that approximately 2.5 million Palestinians are enduring an unprecedented collective punishment at the hands of Israel and affecting water, food, fuel, and essential medical supplies. This situation has exerted substantial pressure on the Western democracies, questioning the feasibility of their continuing to overlook Israels violation of international norms protecting civilians during warfare. Amidst these developments, Israel has seemed to lose control of events, especially as the US administration, positively engaging with regional states including Egypt, has pressured Israel into accepting a ceasefire. This marked a significant departure from its previous stance and the abandonment of plans aiming to relocate Palestinians forcibly to Egypt and Jordan. The European response merits special attention, perhaps due to geographical proximity, cultural influence, or an awareness that Europe is seeking an active political role internationally. Despite divergent stances and the absence of a unified European foreign policy, coupled with the serious allegations of bribery and corruption plaguing the European Parliament, certain observations can be made. Firstly, the statement from EU foreign ministers rejecting the call for a ceasefire sent a message to regional public opinion in the Middle East that the majority of EU member states are aligned with Israels comprehensive blockade on Gaza and disregard the significant civilian casualties being brought about there, including of children. The EU appears to be indifferent to Israels continuous violations of international law and human rights in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. It seems inconceivable that the EU would go as far as imposing a Magnitsky Act on Israel a US law that gives the administration the right to sanction the officials of foreign governments suspected of human rights abuses given Israels reputation as a democratic state that respects human rights, as reflected in the UK Economist magazines Democracy Index. Secondly, the European countries must refrain from conflating criticisms of Israel with anti-Semitism. Compensation for Jews regarding the European Holocaust, the worst crime in human history, should not extend to ignoring ongoing violations of international law and human rights by Israel in the Occupied Territories. Yet, this attitude negatively influences the voting patterns of certain European countries on resolutions concerning Israeli violations at the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, or the UN Human Rights Council. It affects the way they address Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. In the light of statements by senior Israeli officials describing the Palestinian people as human animals and their children as children of the dark, decisive responses from the European countries, which claim to uphold human rights, are warranted regarding their relationships with nations worldwide. Thirdly, the developments in Gaza, which have extended to violent actions by settler groups supported by the Israeli security forces in the West Bank, necessitate a collective decision by the EU countries to cease arms exports to Israel. This contradicts Germanys position, evidenced by a tenfold increase in arms deals with Israel from $32 million in 2022 to $323 million this year. Even with Germanys efforts to combat rising anti-Semitism, it must recognise the massive anti-Israel protests by Jews themselves in various Western capitals that oppose the Israeli armys killing and destruction of the Palestinians in Gaza. Given the prolonged crisis and the absence of any predictable resolution, Europe and the Western democracies must enact changes in their positions to ensure that Israel respects international humanitarian law, human rights law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. This is crucial for regional peace and security, the safeguarding of the credibility of the Western democracies, and the prevention of its further erosion and collapse. It would be a serious mistake to label anyone expressing the condemnation of Israels actions against the Palestinians as anti-Semitic, especially when social media provides a platform for people to see, evaluate, and react to the reality of the situation in Gaza. The writer is a member of the Senate. * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 December, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Beijing, Dec 5 (PTI) China has become the first country to confer diplomatic status to a Taliban-nominated official as Afghanistans Ambassador to Beijing, thereby formally recognising the Taliban-run administration as a legitimate government in Kabul. As a long-standing friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing on Tuesday when asked whether China recognised the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Earlier reports from Kabul said China has given Bilal Karimi, a Taliban nominee the status of Ambassador and he has submitted his credentials to the foreign ministry here. China along with Pakistan and Russia maintained its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of American troops from the war-ravaged country. While maintaining close contact with the Taliban interim administration, Beijing withheld recognition, especially over global criticism of the Talibans treatment of women and girls, excluding them from educational institutions. No other country has formally recognised the Taliban government, which has been criticised over human rights violations and crushing women's rights. Defending Chinas move, Wang said, We hope Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, firmly combat all forms of terrorist forces, develop friendly relations with other countries, especially with its neighbours, and integrate itself into the world community. We believe that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally as the concerns of various parties are effectively addressed, Wang said. China, which shares borders with Afghanistan, also has serious concerns over the regrouping of East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a banned outfit comprising Uighur militants from the volatile Xinjiang province, and pressing the Taliban administration to crack down on the outfit. Significantly, Chinas diplomatic recognition comes at a time when Pakistan, Beijings all-weather ally, is having serious problems with the Taliban which it once nurtured. Pakistan is now blaming the Taliban government for recurring terrorist attacks in the country and criticised it for not cracking down hard on Pakistan Islamic militant groups, especially the Pakistani Taliban, operating from Afghanistan. In retaliation, Islamabad has ordered forceful evacuation of thousands of Afghan refugees living in the country for decades. Kigali (Rwanda), Dec 5 (AP) The interior ministers of Britain and Rwanda signed a treaty on Tuesday that aims to revive a plan to send asylum-seekers to the East African country that had been blocked by UK courts. British Home Secretary James Cleverly said the legally binding agreement signed with his Rwandan counterpart, Vincent Biruta, would address all the issues raised by the UK Supreme Court when it ruled last month that the policy was unlawful. The court said the plan was illegal because Rwanda is not a safe country for refugees. Britain's top court said asylum-seekers faced a real risk of ill-treatment and could be returned by Rwanda to the home countries they had fled. The treaty includes a promise by Rwanda not to send asylum-seekers back to their home countries, even if their applications are refused. We feel very strongly that this treaty addresses all of the issues raised by their lordships in the Supreme Court and we have worked very closely with our Rwandan partners to ensure that it does so, Cleverly said in Kigali, the Rwandan capital. The Rwanda plan is central to the Conservative government's self-imposed goal of stopping unauthorized asylum-seekers arriving on small boats across the English Channel. Britain and Rwanda struck a deal in April 2022 for some migrants who cross the Channel to be sent to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed and, if successful, they would stay. The UK government argues that the deportations will discourage others from making the risky sea crossing and break the business model of people-smuggling gangs. Critics say it is both unethical and unworkable to send migrants to a country 4,000 miles (6,400 km) away, with no chance of ever settling in the UK. Britain has already paid Rwanda at least 140 million pounds ($177 million) under the agreement, but no one has yet been sent there amid legal challenges. Cleverly said Rwanda had not received any funding linked to the signing of this treaty, but did not rule out paying more to help the country meet its new commitments under the deal. For years, human rights groups have accused Rwanda's government of cracking down on perceived dissent and keeping tight control on many aspects of life, from jailing critics to keeping homeless people off the streets of Kigali. The government denies it. The UK government responded by saying it would strike a new treaty with Rwanda to address the court's concerns including a block on Rwanda sending migrants home and then pass a law declaring Rwanda a safe destination. (AP) SCY SCY Khan Younis (Gaza Strip), Dec 4 (AP) Israeli warplanes heavily bombarded an area around Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Friday as the military ordered mass evacuations from the town in the face of a widening ground offensive that is pushing Palestinians into a progressively shrinking portion of the besieged territory. The expanded assault posed a deadly choice for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either stay in the path of Israeli forces or flee within the confines of southern Gaza with no guarantee of safety. Aid workers warned that the mass movement would worsen the already dire humanitarian catastrophe in the territory. Another wave of displacement is underway, and the humanitarian situation worsens by the hour, the Gaza chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Thomas White, said in a post on X. Israel has vowed to eliminate Gaza's Hamas rulers, whose October 7 attack into Israel triggered the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. The war has already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of the territory's population of 2.3 million people. Already under mounting pressure from its top ally, the United States, Israel appears to be racing to strike a death blow against Hamas if that's possible, given the group's deep roots in Palestinian society before any new cease-fire. But the mounting toll, which Palestinian health officials say has killed several hundred civilians since a weeklong truce ended Friday, is likely to further increase international pressure to return to the negotiating table. Airstrikes and the ground offensive in northern Gaza have reduced large swaths of Gaza City and nearby areas to a rubble-filled wasteland. Hundreds of thousands of residents fled south during the assault. Now around 2 million people most of the territory's population are crowded into the 230 square kilometers (90 square miles) of southern and central Gaza, where Israel's ground offensive is now moving, threatening to render even larger areas uninhabitable. Since the truce's collapse, the military has ordered the population out an area of about 62 square kilometers (24 square miles) in and near Khan Younis, according to the evacuation maps issued by the Israeli military. That further reduces the space available for Palestinians by more than a quarter. FIGHTING IN CENTRAL GAZA Constant bombardment on the eastern edges of Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest city, lit up the sky over the town Monday evening, and a stream of ambulances carrying wounded, including several women and children, flowed into the main hospital. Over the past few days, Israeli strikes have been on a ferocious scale, said Mohammed Aghaalkurdi, an aid worker with the group Medical Aid for Palestinians in Khan Younis. Barely has any kind of aid been delivered to the people, nor is there any food left in shops." He said neighbourhoods and displaced shelters were emptying as people fled further south. Leaflets dropped by the military warn people to go further south, toward the border with Egypt, but they are unable to leave Gaza, as both Israel and neighbouring Egypt have refused to accept any refugees. The area that Israel ordered evacuated covers about a fifth of Khan Younis. Before the war, that area was home to some 117,000 people, and now it also houses more than 50,000 people displaced from the north, living in 21 shelters, the UN said. It was not immediately clear how many were fleeing. Some Palestinians have ignored past evacuation orders, saying they do not feel any safer since areas where they are told to flee have also been bombed. Many also fear they will never be allowed back to their homes. The military has barred those who fled the north from returning, even during the cease-fire. It was not clear where Israeli troops have moved into southern Gaza, but the military told people to stay off the main road between Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, suggesting forces were moving between the two towns. Israeli media also reported intense fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in northern Gaza in the Jabaliya refugee camp and the Gaza City district of Shijaiya, both scenes of intense bombardment and battles in recent weeks. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, said the army is pursuing Hamas with maximum force in the north and south while trying to minimise harm to civilians. He pointed to a map that divides southern Gaza into dozens of blocks in order to give precise instructions to residents on where to evacuate. Most are urged to flee south, but, confusingly, a map posted on X by the military on Monday urged people to flee into Fakhari, a district east of Khan Younis that the military ordered evacuated a day before. The level of human suffering is intolerable, Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said during a rare visit to Gaza. It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza, and with a military siege in place, there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. She also called for the immediate release of scores of hostages still held by Palestinian militants since the October 7 attack. RISING TOLL The Health Ministry in Gaza said the death toll in the territory since October 7 has surpassed 15,890 people 70 per cent of them women and children with more than 42,000 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said hundreds have been killed or wounded since the cease-fire's end early Friday, with many still trapped under rubble. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah received 32 bodies overnight after Israeli strikes across central Gaza, said Omar al-Darawi, an administrative employee. Associated Press footage showed women in tears, kneeling over the bodies of loved ones and kissing them. The military said aircraft struck some 200 Hamas targets overnight, with ground troops operating in parallel, without elaborating. It said troops in northern Gaza uncovered a militant hideout in a school after coming under attack. Inside, they found two tunnel shafts, one of which had been booby-trapped, as well as explosives and weapons, the military said. It is not possible to independently confirm battlefield reports from either side. Israel says it targets Hamas operatives, not civilians, and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighbourhoods. Still, it does not provide accounting for its targets in individual strikes. Israel claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence. The military says at least 81 of its soldiers have been killed. US PRESSURE The US is pressing Israel to avoid more mass displacements and civilian deaths, a message underscored by Vice President Kamala Harris during a visit to the region. She also said the US would not allow the forced relocation of Palestinians out of Gaza or the occupied West Bank, or the redrawing of Gaza's borders. But it's unclear how far the Biden administration is willing or able to go in pressing Israel to rein in the offensive, even as the White House faces growing pressure from its allies in Congress. The US has pledged unwavering support to Israel since the October 7 attack, which killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, including rushing munitions and other aid to Israel. Israel has rejected US suggestions that control over postwar Gaza be handed over to the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority as part of a renewed effort to resolve the overall conflict by establishing a Palestinian state. (AP) PY PY Dubai, Dec 5 (AP) The Emirati leading the United Nations' COP28 climate talks walked out on stage Monday to a room full of journalists to offer a 17-minute list of what he described as the stunning successes made so far in the summit. Then he spent the rest of the time criticizing the media covering his contradictory remarks about phasing out fossil fuels that again raised the concerns of activists about him heading a state-run energy company that plans to increase its production of crude oil and natural gas. Sultan al-Jaber's comments highlight the dualities of the United Arab Emirates, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms. It's filled with modern skyscrapers but has no freedom of speech. It punches above its weight on the world stage but isn't used to publicly answering probing questions. And now it wants the popular support of a climate conference filled with some who want the lifeblood of the country's economy shut off. The latest firestorm, this one over remarks he made on a recorded videoconference a few weeks ago, shows the small cracks starting to appear in the porcelain vase that is Dubai's hosting of COP28. On Sunday, The Guardian newspaper published video from the call, which included al-Jaber off-camera sounding increasingly frustrated, at one point telling three leading women involved with climate change and gender: "I am telling you I am the man in charge. You're asking for a phase-out of fossil fuel," al-Jaber said. "Please, help me, show me for a phase-out of fossil fuel that will allow for sustainable socio-economic development, unless you want to take the world back into caves. Responding to the remark, U.N. Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen said she lives in Kenya with solar power and clean electricity from the local utility. I'm not living in a cave," she added. "That's all I can say. Al-Jaber also said on the call: There is no science out there, or no scenario out there that says that the phase-out of fossil fuel is what's going to achieve 1.5 (degrees Celsius) 1.5 is my North Star. And a phase-down, and a phase-out of fossil fuel, in my view, is inevitable, it is essential, but we need to be real, serious and pragmatic about it. Al-Jaber previously has echoed United Nations' reports and scientists who have called for drastically slashing the world's emissions by nearly half in seven years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial times. Environment groups immediately jumped on the remarks, describing al-Jaber as being incapable of leading a summit that is focused on reducing planet-warming emissions. The recent comments from COP28 President show how entrenched he is in fossil fuel fantasy and is clearly determined that this COP doesn't do anything to harm the interests of the oil and gas industry," said Mohamed Adow, the director of Power Shift Africa. These remarks are a wake-up call to the world and negotiators at COP28 that they are not going to get any help from the COP presidency in delivering a strong outcome on a fossil fuel phase-out and will need to work hard to ensure a few petro-state leaders don't imperil the planet in their efforts to protect their oil profits." Before the journalists Monday, al-Jaber repeated his oft-said phrases on being laser-focused on his North Star" of 1.5 degrees. However, he had a long pause at one point, licking his lips, before going into a minutes-long criticism of the media whose journalists from across the world had gathered to cover him. I am quite surprised with the constant and repeated attempts to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency and the attempts to undermine the message that we keep repeating when it comes to how much we respect the science, al-Jaber said. He added later: "I said the same many times and I said that even again in my opening remarks at COP28. But guess what? It was barely picked up. Barely. But one statement taken out of context with misrepresentation and misinterpretation, it gets maximum coverage. Al-Jaber at one point also complained that he said something one day before U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had but didn't get the same attention as the leader of the world body. Same thing. No pickup whatsoever," al-Jaber said. "The SG gets maximum coverage. The Associated Press asked his aides for transcripts to back up what he said, which were not immediately provided. He did not address his remark on being the man in charge." He also declined to describe, when asked, what his own red lines and definitions were for either a phase-out and phase-down of fossil fuel. He left after two questions. For al-Jaber and the Emirates as a whole, facing criticism from the press at home is still unique experience. The UAE's local media is entirely state-owned or state-affiliated outlets that often republish government statements verbatim. Critics of the Emirates have been detained at the airport on arrival in the past, though many have been allowed in for the COP28 summit. Al-Jaber still has many high-profile supporters, including U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, who has constantly huddled with him as the talks progress. But criticism isn't just coming from the press. Former Vice President Al Gore offered a scathing critique of al-Jaber in an interview with the AP, calling him the CEO of one of the largest and one of the dirtiest, by many measures, oil companies in the world. World leaders have come and gone from the $7 billion Dubai Expo City that appears like a mirage in the city-state's southern desert reaches. Rare protests have taken place without a crackdown so far in this authoritarian nation. But the hardest part is yet to come the actual convincing of delegates from nearly 200 countries around the world to agree to something to slow the Earth's rising temperatures caused by climate change. (AP) NSA NSA Khan Younis (Gaza Strip), Dec 5 (AP) Israeli warplanes heavily bombarded an area around Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Monday as the military ordered mass evacuations from the town in the face of a widening ground offensive that is pushing Palestinians into a progressively shrinking portion of the besieged territory. The expanded assault posed a deadly choice for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either stay in the path of Israeli forces or flee within the confines of southern Gaza with no guarantee of safety. Aid workers warned that the mass movement would worsen the already dire humanitarian catastrophe in the territory. Another wave of displacement is underway, and the humanitarian situation worsens by the hour, the Gaza chief of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Thomas White, said in a post on X. Adding to the chaos, phone and internet networks across Gaza collapsed again Monday evening, the Palestinian telecom provider PalTel reported. The network has broken down multiple times during the war, making it largely impossible for residents to communicate with each other or the outside world for hours or sometimes several days until it is repaired. Israel has vowed to eliminate Gaza's Hamas rulers, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and triggered the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. The war has already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of the territory's population of 2.3 million people. Palestinian health officials say bombardment has killed several hundred civilians since a weeklong truce ended Friday. Already under mounting pressure from its top ally, the United States, Israel appears to be racing to strike a death blow against Hamas if that's possible, given the group's deep roots in Palestinian society before any new cease-fire. But the mounting toll is likely to further increase international pressure to return to the negotiating table. Airstrikes and the ground offensive in northern Gaza have reduced large swaths of Gaza City and nearby areas to a rubble-filled wasteland. Hundreds of thousands of residents fled south during the assault. Now around 2 million people most of the territory's population are crowded into the 230 square kilometers (90 square miles) of southern and central Gaza, where Israel's ground offensive is now moving, threatening to render even larger areas uninhabitable. Since the truce's collapse, the military has ordered the population out of an area of about 62 square kilometers (24 square miles) in and near Khan Younis, according to the evacuation maps issued by the Israeli military. That further reduces the space available for Palestinians by more than a quarter. FIGHTING IN CENTRAL GAZA Constant bombardment on the edges of Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest city, lit up the sky over the town Monday evening, and a stream of ambulances carrying wounded, including several women and children, flowed to the main hospital. Over the past few days, Israeli strikes have been on a ferocious scale, said Mohammed Aghaalkurdi, an aid worker with the group Medical Aid for Palestinians in Khan Younis. Barely has any kind of aid been delivered to the people, nor is there any food left in shops." He said neighborhoods and shelters were emptying as people fled. Leaflets dropped by the Israeli military warn people to go south toward the border with Egypt, but they are unable to leave Gaza, as both Israel and neighboring Egypt have refused to accept any refugees. The area that Israel ordered evacuated covers about a fifth of Khan Younis. Before the war, that area was home to some 117,000 people, and now it also houses more than 50,000 people displaced from the north, living in 21 shelters, the U.N. said. It was not known how many were fleeing. Some Palestinians have ignored past evacuation orders, saying they do not feel any safer since areas where they are told to flee have also been bombed. Many also fear they will never be allowed back to their homes. It was not clear where Israeli troops have moved into southern Gaza, but the military told people to stay off the main road between Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, suggesting forces were moving between the two towns. Israeli media also reported intense fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in northern Gaza in the Jabaliya refugee camp and the Gaza City district of Shijaiya, both scenes of intense bombardment and battles in recent weeks. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, said the army is pursuing Hamas with maximum force in the north and south while trying to minimize harm to civilians. He pointed to a map that divides southern Gaza into dozens of blocks in order to give precise instructions to residents on where to evacuate. Most are urged to flee south, but, confusingly, a map posted on X by the military Monday urged people to flee into Fakhari, a district east of Khan Younis that the military ordered evacuated a day before. The level of human suffering is intolerable, Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said during a rare visit to Gaza. It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza, and with a military siege in place, there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. The World Health Organization said it was told by Israel to empty its medical supplies warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours ahead of an advancing ground operation. COGAT, a body in Israel's defense ministry that deals with Palestinian civilian affairs, denied it had issued such an order. Spoljaric, the Red Cross president, called for the immediate release of scores of hostages still held by Palestinian militants since the Oct. 7 attack. In a letter to the Red Cross chief, a group of released Israeli hostages asked to meet her while she is visiting the region and called for more help from the organization to free the remaining 137 captives. Every day that passes could be their last, and the suffering they endure is inhuman, wrote the eight freed captives and 102 relatives of hostages still in captivity. RISING TOLL The Health Ministry in Gaza said the death toll in the territory since Oct. 7 has surpassed 15,890 people 70% of them women and children with more than 42,000 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said hundreds have been killed or wounded since the cease-fire's end, with many still trapped under rubble. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah received 32 bodies overnight after Israeli strikes across central Gaza, said Omar al-Darawi, an administrative employee. Associated Press footage showed women in tears, kneeling over the bodies of loved ones and kissing them. The Israeli military said aircraft struck some 200 Hamas targets overnight, with ground troops operating in parallel, without elaborating. It said troops in northern Gaza uncovered two militant tunnel shafts that held explosives and weapons in a school after coming under attack. It is not possible to independently confirm battlefield reports from either side. Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighborhoods. Still, it does not provide accounting for its targets in individual strikes. Israel claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence. The military says at least 81 of its soldiers have been killed. US PRESSURE The US is pressing Israel to avoid more mass displacements and civilian deaths, a message underscored by Vice President Kamala Harris during a visit to the region. She also said the U.S. would not allow the forced relocation of Palestinians out of Gaza or the occupied West Bank, or the redrawing of Gaza's borders. But it's unclear how far the Biden administration is willing or able to go in pressing Israel to rein in the offensive, even as the White House faces growing pressure from its allies in Congress. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that it was too soon to pass judgment on Israeli operations, but that it was unusual for a modern military to identify precise areas of expected ground maneuvers and ask people to move out. These are the kinds of steps that we have asked them to undertake." he said. "These are the conversations we're having day in, day out. The US has pledged unwavering support to Israel since the Oct 7 attack, including rushing munitions and other aid to the country. Israel has rejected US suggestions that control over postwar Gaza be handed over to the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority as part of a renewed effort to resolve the overall conflict by establishing a Palestinian state. (AP) NSA NSA Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Dec 5 (PTI) A jailer and five prison staff have been suspended after a murder accused was shot dead in Dhanbad Jail, officials said on Monday. The contracts of two other jail staff have also been terminated, they said. Aman Singh, one of the accused in the Dhanbad deputy mayor murder case, was shot dead inside the jail on Sunday afternoon following a dispute among inmates, police had said. The administration has ascertained the lapses of the officials and personnel that caused the incident. Jailer Md Mustkin Ansari has been suspended and departmental action has been recommended against him, Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Barun Ranjan told reporters here. Five prison staff (kaksha pal) were suspended, while the contracts of two others have been terminated, he said. The authorities have also recommended the transfer of Dhanbad Jail Superintendent M Barua and the shifting of 23 prisoners to other jails in the state, Ranjan said. The DC said one of the main accused in the shooting case has been identified as Sunder Mahto, who is being interrogated. Four FIRs have been lodged and the hospital ward where the incident took place has been barricaded, he said. Further investigation is underway. Shillong, Dec 4 (PTI) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday inaugurated the Farmers' Parliament here, a programme to celebrate and recognise the work of cultivators. "This parliament is to acknowledge the work of farmers and support them and to send across a message that the government is with them so that they can improve their livelihood in the farming sector," he said while addressing the parliament. Noting that farmers are experts in their farming activities, Sangma said support in terms of storage, transportation, financial aid and policies is needed to make farming remunerative and attractive. The chief minister said the Regeneration Meghalaya programme, an agroforestry project that he had launched earlier, was just a part of a larger goal and objective. The chief minister said it is important to address the challenges that are there in the farming sector. Sangma hoped that the two-day conference would provide a platform for farmers to discuss issues, adopt better farming practices, and share success stories to boost their productivity while promoting sustainable agriculture. "On this Farmers' Day, we recognise and honour the vital contributions made by 4.5 lakh agricultural households in the development of our state,'' he added. Jaipur, Dec 5 (PTI) The BJP's in-charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh Tuesday said the decision of the party's parliamentary board about the chief minister's post will be acceptable to all even as newly elected MLAs continued to visit ex-CM Vasundhara Raje at her residence which is seen as a show of strength. Raje, a two-time former chief minister of Rajasthan, is said to be among the frontrunners for the post this time also. The BJP swept the Assembly elections in the state, winning 115 of the 199 seats where polling took place. As Arun Singh reached the residence of BJP state president C P Joshi, reporters asked him about the chief minister's post. Singh replied, "The decision of the parliamentary board will be acceptable to all." Later, Singh and Joshi as well as several MLAs reached the BJP office. On the other hand, sources from Raje camp claimed that nearly 50 MLAs have met her at her residence since Monday. "Some of them met her today," a leader in that camp said. While many of the MLAs termed the visit a courtesy meeting, some of them hinted that Raje is a suitable face for the next chief minister because of her work in the previous two tenures. "BJP has returned to power in Rajasthan only because of the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vasundhara Raje," said Nasirabad MLA Ramswaroop Lamba. Asked whether the BJP MLAs will support Raje for the CM's post, he said the legislators are with her. Malviya Nagar MLA Kalicharan Saraf said the party's top leadership will decide who will be the chief minister and added that Raje is acceptable by all legislators. "A legislature party meeting will be held and the parliamentary board will decide," he told reporters while leaving Raje's residence on Monday night. Babu Singh Rathore, Prem Chand Bairwa, Govind Ranipuria, Kalulal Meena, KK Vishnoi, Pratap Singh Singhvi, Gopichand Meena, Bahadur Singh Koli, Shankar Singh Rawat, Manju Baghmar, Vijay Singh Chaudhary, Pushpendra Singh and Shatrughan Gautam and other MLAs met Raje on Monday. On Tuesday, Jogaram Patel, Arun Amra Ram, Arjun Garg, Sanjeev Beniwal, and Ajay Singh Kilak reached Raje's residence. According to the party sources, Arun Singh and C P Joshi met BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday. Raje has been the chief minister of Rajasthan twice from 2003 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2018. While she was the chief ministerial face in earlier elections, the party decided to go to polls without projecting any leader for the post and PM Modi leading the campaign. After the BJP's defeat in 2018 and the changed dynamics within the party, Raje was seen as a sidelined leader. Now that the party has returned to power in the state, her supporters are expecting that she gets a chance to be the chief minister for the third time. Chandigarh, Dec 5 (PTI) Punjab Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested an associate of deceased Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode from Amritsar. Paramjit Singh alias Dhadi was allegedly involved in terror funding and other subversive activities, police said. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, in a post on X, said, "In a major breakthrough, SSOC (State Special Operation Cell) Amritsar has arrested #UK based, Paramjit Singh @ Punjab Singh @ Dhadi from #Amritsar airport." "An associate of Lakhbir Rode, Chief of banned terrorist outfit #ISYF, Dhadi has been involved in terror funding & other subversive activities in #Punjab," Yadav said. The police chief said an investigation is underway to unearth and expose the terrorist network and termed Singh's arrest as a "major blow" to the terror module attempting to disturb peace in the region. Meanwhile, Rode, who was among India's most wanted men and the nephew of late Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, died in Pakistan on Monday. The 72-year-old Rode, who was the brain of the Khalistani separatist movement, had fled to Pakistan after Bhindranwale's death and settled down in Lahore. He is believed to have died on Monday, the officials said. Rode was head of the International Sikh Youth Federation. New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) There are just 11.75 per cent women in the police forces in the country despite the central government's repeated efforts to enhance the strength of the women police to 33 per cent, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued advisories on May 21, 2014, May 12, 2015, June 21, 2019, June 22, 2021 and April 13, 2022 to all the state governments and Union Territory administrations to increase the representation of women police to 33 per cent of the total strength. He said all the state governments and Union Territory administrations have been requested to create additional posts of women constables and sub-inspectors by converting the vacant posts of constables and sub-inspectors. The aim is that each police station should have at least three women sub-inspectors and 10 women police constables, so that a women help desk is manned round the clock, he said in a written reply to a question. Rai informed that in 2022, there were 11.75 per cent women in police forces in the country. In 2021, the total number of women police in the country was 10.49 per cent and in 2020 it was 10.30 per cent. While the total number of women police stations in the country was 518 in 2014, the number has gone up to 745 in 2022, he said. The minister said the states have also been advised to strengthen welfare measures for women police personnel and ensure their safety and provide a conducive work environment such as provision of housing, medical and restroom facilities for women police personnel in police stations to attract more women to join the police force. If the US doesnt come to the Middle East with fair policies, the Middle East will come to the US in ways that jeopardise its interests and global standing. This view, which Ive frequently reiterated in seminars and other forums in which Ive participated in the US, is based on the history of US relations with this region since WWII. Beneath the title The end of Americas exit strategy in the Middle East, in Foreign Affairs of 10 October, Suzanne Maloney, the vice president of the Brookings Institution and the director of its foreign policy programme, discussed two matters that can be paraphrased as follows. Firstly, it was clear that the US, following its alarming exit from the Middle East, the most dismal manifestation of which was its departure from Afghanistan, was determined to pivot to Asia to take on China, its main superpower rival, and to take advantage of that continents vast reservoirs of economic activity. Secondly, barely had the US begun to implement the attendant policies and alliance-building called for by that pivot, whether with India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, or other countries, than it was summoned back the Middle East by political and military events that Maloney did not dwell on in detail. These began on 7 October with the strategic shock delivered by Hamas brutal incursion into southern Israel, which was followed by the Israeli assault on Gaza, wreaking massive destruction and mass murder of Palestinian civilians, a significant majority of whom were women and children. Washington acted quickly. President Joe Biden flew to Israel where he attended a session of the Israeli war cabinet. Fearful that the war might spread, the US moved to deter Iran and its allies by sending over two aircraft carrier groups, a nuclear submarine, and around 5,000 US marines. The UK and Germany added a supportive presence of their own. Israeli brutality quickly escalated, prompting Washington to seek a humanitarian pause to give relief agencies the chance to bring food and other emergency supplies into Gaza. It also wanted to encourage efforts to bring a new Palestinian administration into Gaza and then move towards a lasting peace based on the two-state solution. The foregoing details, with which we supplemented Maloneys exposition, show that, not only did the US call off its Middle East exit, but it has also re-immersed itself in one of the regions oldest and most complex crises. Maloney argues that, in the interest of downsizing its presence in the Middle East, Washington attempted to broker a Saudi-Israel normalisation deal. In tandem, it sought to ease tensions with Iran. To this end, it opted for a Plan B, a kind of deal that would rein in Tehrans nuclear ambitions in exchange for modest economic rewards, such as partial lifting of boycotts and a release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets in exchange for the release of five US citizens detained in Iran. But the Middle East refused to work according to American plans and their swings between going and coming. History in Palestine did not begin on 7 October, when Hamas waged its offensive. Cumulative developments were changing Israel which was careening further and further to the right and towards indulging its thirst for a new edition of the Palestinian Nakba. Hamas, for its part, was working out with Iran and its allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen what the first flank of the geopolitical revolution might achieve. The Middle East did not fall in with the American agenda and electoral cycles. It had an agenda of its own, one shaped by the accumulation of geological layers of political events and their effects over the ages, yielding patterns of interplay, shifting balances of power, and actual or potential repercussions for the security and well-being of the region and its constituent states. There is nothing inherently evil about the US presence in this region. In earlier times, its power and influence had positive results. For example, in the Tripartite Aggression against Egypt 1956, the US under Dwight Eisenhower, helped compel Britain, France, and Israel to withdraw their forces, ushering in the end of the sway of the former colonial powers in the region. Then, after the 1973 October War, the US under Richard Nixon and then Gerald Ford sponsored the Egyptian-Israeli and Syrian-Israeli peace processes. After the end of the Cold War, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the George Bush Sr administration played an instrumental role, in collaboration with the Arab coalition, in the liberation of Kuwait. The Madrid Middle East Peace Conference followed, paving the way to the Oslo Accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis, which led to the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty and the establishment of the first Palestinian National Authority on Palestinian land. On all these occasions, the US performed great duties in grappling with major crises, seizing the available opportunities, and transforming a curse to a blessing. Today, US presence in the region could be an asset in promoting an Arab-Israeli peace, on the one hand, and regional security, on the other. Two main factors will make the crucial difference in ensuring that the American role is effective and takes into account essential Arab interests. The first is the existence of effective Arab political and military capacities and tools. The second is the political will to achieve peace and security in the region. These factors are present among the Arab reform states, which have their sights set on sustainable development and modernisation and which also seek a peace that gives the Palestinian people their right to a state, as this would be an addition to the Arab region and a strike against the interests of extremist groups. At the outset of the current crisis, the US seemed entirely biased in favour of Israel. Some progress has since been made towards curbing Israels ruthless arrogance. Washington has also said that Israel must not resume the administration of Gaza after a ceasefire, and it called for a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution. These are beginnings. The Arabs will need considerable patience to take them forward and develop them. * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 December, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) "No, she will not make me the PM," was Pranab Mukherjee's cryptic response in a reference to Sonia Gandhi when he was asked by his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee about his chances of becoming the prime minister in 2004. Sharmistha recalls her father's reply after Sonia Gandhi's decision to withdraw from the prime ministerial race in her upcoming book "In Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers". In the book, the former Congress spokesperson who quit politics in 2021 provides a glimpse into the illustrious life of her father, where she also says that he did not have any rancour against Sonia Gandhi for not making him the prime minister, and definitely not against the man chosen - Manmohan Singh. Through her father's diary entries, personal stories narrated to her and her own research, Sharmistha uncovers new, hitherto unknown facets of his political life - his unfulfilled ambition of becoming India's prime minister arising out of his inability to emerge as the 'number one person' to earn Sonia Gandhi's trust, the personality cult around the Nehru-Gandhi family and Rahul Gandhi's lack of charisma and political understanding among other things, according to the book's publishers Rupa Publications. Mukherjee served as India's finance minister and subsequently became minister for External Affairs, Defence, Finance and Commerce. He was India's 13th president (2012 to 2017). He died on August 31, 2020 at the age of 84. As the president of the single largest party Congress to win the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, Sonia Gandhi was tipped to be the prime minister and had the full support of the coalition partners. But she renounced her claim to be the prime minister - a decision that took the nation, including her own party colleagues and coalition partners, by surprise. In the chapter titled "The PM India Never Had", Sharmistha also writes: "Following Sonia's decision to withdraw from the prime ministerial race, there was intense speculation within the media and political spheres. "The names of Dr Manmohan Singh and Pranab were being discussed as the top contenders for the position. I did not have the chance to meet Baba for a couple of days as he was terribly busy, but I spoke to him over the phone. I asked him excitedly if he was going to become the PM. His response was blunt, 'No, she will not make me the PM. It'll be Manmohan Singh.' He added, 'But she should announce it fast. This uncertainty is not good for the country'." The author goes on to add that if her father harboured any disappointment about not being named the prime minister, it did not reflect in his diaries. He told a journalist that he did not have any expectation from Sonia Gandhi to make him the prime minister. "If there's no expectation, there's no disappointment as well," the book, which will be launched on Mukherjee's birth anniversary on December 11, says. "It is generally believed that Pranab had a chance to become the PM earlier in 1984 as well, after Indira Gandhi's assassination, and not just in 2004," it adds. Sharmistha says that people often asked her whether her father actually harboured the ambition to become the prime minister and she posed this question to him during the UPA-I era. "His response was emphatic. He said, 'Of course, I would like to be the prime minister. Any politician worth his salt has this ambition. But just because I want it does not necessarily mean I am going to get it," she writes. She then drew her own conclusions: "Pranab Mukherjee definitely had the desire to be the PM, but he also came to terms with the fact that he was not going to become one." Sharmistha says Mukherjee's diary entries from those days contain very sketchy details, perhaps indicating a lack of time owing to a busy and hectic schedule filled with meetings and consultations with various stakeholders. On 17 May 2004, he wrote, "Sonia Gandhi decides to withdraw from Prime Ministerial candidature. BJP's vicious campaign. Myself, Manmohan, Arjun, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi were called. We are stunned." On 18 May, he wrote, "Sonia Gandhi sticks to her decision. Countrywide agitation. Allies are also shocked. CPP meeting emotionally surcharged. Appeal to her to reconsider. Work up to 1 am." "On 19 May, almost with a sigh of relief, he wrote, 'Issues resolved. Manmohan Singh becomes PM designate. Manmohan and Soniaji met President and the President was pleased to give mandate to form the government to Manmohan Singh'," the book says. Sharmistha mentions that though at that time, her father didn't write anything more, on December 31, while recounting major events of the year, he wrote, "Most surprising was the amazing sacrifice of Sonia Gandhi by refusing to accept the Prime Ministership of the country despite pressure from within the party and outside. Her decision saved the country from a bitter confrontation between BJP and Congress." She also writes that her father felt Sonia Gandhi was "intelligent, hardworking and keen to learn. Once he told me that unlike many political leaders, her biggest strength was that she knew and recognized her weaknesses and was willing to work hard to overcome them. She knew that she lacked political experience but worked hard to understand the complexities of Indian politics and society". One of the early references in his diaries about Rahul Gandhi was on January 29, 2009, in the context of a CWC meeting that had discussions on strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections that year as one of the agendas, the book says. After that, there are few references in his diaries of Rahul Gandhi visiting him at his residence. "Pranab described him as 'very courteous' and 'full of questions', which he took as a sign of Rahul's desire to learn. But he felt that Rahul was 'yet to mature politically'. Rahul continued to meet Pranab at Rashtrapati Bhavan, though not very frequently. Pranab advised him to join the Cabinet and gain some first-hand experience in governance. Rahul obviously did not heed the advice, as we all know," the book says. "During one of these visits on 25 March 2013, Pranab noted, 'He has interest in diverse range of subjects but moves very quickly from one subject to another. I don't know how much he listened and absorbed'," it adds. New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) DMK Lok Sabha member DNV Senthil Kumar on Tuesday triggered a row by describing Hindi heartland as "gaumutra states", drawing instant condemnation from the BJP as well as its ally Congress, whose leaders asked him to tender an apology. While participating in a discussion on J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in the House, he said the BJP can win elections only in the Hindi heartland states and not in south India. While his description of the Hindi heartland as "gaumutra" states was expunged by the Lok Sabha Speaker later, the remarks sparked a controversy with several members across party lines condemning the DMK leader and the video of his speech going viral on social media. Facing flak, he later apologised. "Commenting on the results of the five recent state assembly elections, I have used a word in a inappropriate way. Not using that term with any intent, I apologize for sending the wrong meaning across," he said in a post on X. BJP leaders termed Senthil Kumar's remarks as "hate speech" and said the voters will "wipe out" the India bloc from southern India as well in the next elections. "Very unfortunate choice of words. Unparliamentary. Senthil Kumar must forthwith apologize and withdraw his comments," Congress Lok Sabha member Karti Chidambaram said on X. "Very unfortunate to witness an Indian MP making derogatory statements against GauMata & SanatanaDharma culture revered by over one billion Indians. Many, including myself, consider ourselves Sanatanis," former Union minister Milind Deora said on X. "DMK must realise that its reckless remarks only weaken INDIA Alliance's efforts in challenging BJP in the Hindi heartland. India is one, and there is no place for a north-south divide," Deora said. Senthil Kumar's comments come in the backdrop of some referring to the recent assembly election results as reflective of the 'North-South divide' after the BJP trounced the Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the Congress won in Telangana. "This is another example of hate speech. This reflects the frustration of INDIA constituents. Gomutra and Gomata are revered not only in northern states but also in the South. If they keep insulting Indian culture and traditions then leave aside north India, the INDIA bloc will also be wiped out from southern India," BJP Rajya Sabha member G V L Narasimha Rao told PTI. Senior BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi said Senthil Kumar has hurt the sentiments of crores of Hindus by his remarks. "Gaumutra (cow urine) is not just urine. People revere the cow as holy and cow urine has medicinal use," Modi said. "DMK has its own politics, Congress has its own politics. Congress believes in Sanatan Dharma, reveres gaumata, and respects all religions," former Union minister Rajiv Shukla said. "People making such statements want to convey that they have nothing to do with the culture and traditions of this country," Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said. Senior BJP leader Sanjay Jaiswal said the BJP will even form the government in Tamil Nadu in the next five years by defeating the DMK. "Senthil Kumar is scared because he knows that the BJP will win big in Tamil Nadu. Defeating the DMK is the only goal of the BJP in Tamil Nadu," he said. During the elections, the row over some DMK leaders' remarks against Sanatan Dharma had been latched on by the BJP to target the Congress. Earlier this year, Congress had wrested Karnataka from the BJP, while other southern states are ruled by non-BJP parties including Tamil Nadu where Congress ally DMK is in power. Speaking in Lok Sabha, Senthil Kumar said, "You (BJP) cannot come to South India. You see all the results of what happens in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka ... we are very strong over there." He went on to say, "We will not be surprised if you have an option of converting all these states into Union territories so that you can come into indirect power because you can never dream of setting foot over there and taking control of all the southern states." In Tamil Nadu, state BJP chief K Annamalai condemned the "insensitive" remarks of the MP, saying the level of the party's discourse is "sinking" like Chennai and the "arrogance" of DMK will be the prime reason for its downfall. "After calling our North Indian friends Pani Puri sellers, toilet constructors, etc., I.N.D.I. Alliance DMK MP, makes Gaumutra Jibes," he said on X. "Chennai is sinking due to the misgovernance of DMK & and so is their level of discourse on the floor of the Parliament," Annamalai said, referring to the flood-like situation in the state capital. He said the DMK MP has possibly forgotten that the NDA Alliance is in power in Puducherry and was in power in Karnataka until recently. "The arrogance of DMK will be the prime reason for their downfall!," he posted. Former Karnataka minister C T Ravi asked if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi endorses such insulting remarks. "Will I.N.D.I. Alliance leader Rahul Gandhi agree with this DMK man who has insulted Bharatiyas of the Heartland States? "How long will CONgress and its allies insult Bharatiyas? (sic)," he said on X. New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy, who switched from the TDP in 2017 and spearheaded the successful electoral campaign against the BRS, was on Tuesday named as the new chief minister of the state. Announcing the decision at the party headquarters here on Tuesday, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the swearing-in of the 54-year-old leader will take place on December 7 in Hyderabad. Venugopal, however, did not say who all would join the government. "We will recognise all senior leaders. This is going to be a team, this is not going to be a one-man show. The Congress will go with the team," he told reporters while replying to queries on the issue. Revanth Reddy was the frontrunner for the top post in the state after the party staged a stupendous victory in assembly elections by winning 64 seats in Telangana, upstaging the BRS which has been in power for the last nine years. "I wholeheartedly express my gratitude to honourable AICC president Shri Kharge ji, Mother of Telangana our beloved Soniamma, ever inspiring leader Rahul Gandhi ji, charismatic Priyanka Gandhi ji, AICC General Secretary (Org) K C Venugopalji, Deputy CM of Karnataka D K Shivakumar ji and Incharge General Secretary- Telangana Manikrao Thakare and last but not the least our Congress soldiers who stood by us through thick and thin," Reddy posted on X. Venugopal said Revanth Reddy was working as the PCC president and is a dynamic leader who campaigned in this election extensively with other senior leaders. "After considering the report of observers and after discussion with senior leaders, the Congress president has decided to go with Revanth Reddy as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Telangana," he said. This is going to be a very clean and energetic and able government which is going to provide maximum governance to the people of Telangana, he asserted. "We have already given a promise to the people of Telangana with our guarantees. We are very sure that the first and foremost priority of this new government is to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Telangana, especially the guarantees given to the people," he asserted. He said the Congress Legislature Party held a meeting in Hyderabad on Monday to decide the new CLP leader, which was attended by observers D K Shivakumar, Manikrao Thakre, Deepa Dasmunshi, K Muraleedharam, K J George and Ajoy Kumar. "They unanimously entrusted the decision of CLP to the Congress President," he said, adding that the detailed report on the observations about the CLP meeting by observers was handed over to the party chief on Tuesday. He said the CLP meeting had also adopted resolutions thanking the people of Telangana and the leadership including Congress chief Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for extensively campaigning in Telangana. Shivakumar and Thakre were present as Venugopal announced the party high command's decision on Telangana. cHe did not answer queries on how many ministers would be sworn in and whether there would be any deputy chief ministers. The day saw hectic deliberations at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, where top Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi discussed the issue of government formation in Telangana. Revanth Reddy's name as chief minister in Telangana was cleared during this meeting after party observers handed over their report after speaking to the newly-elected MLAs in the southern state. Karnataka deputy chief minister Shivakumar also separately met former Telangana PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, who had staked his claim for the top post in the state. Pune, Dec 5 (PTI) A month after court orders, the Pune Municipal Corporation in the early hours of Tuesday razed the dilapidated structure of Bhide Wada, where social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule started the first school for girls in 1848. The civic body plans to build a national memorial dedicated to the social reformer couple at the site, officials said. However, local people and traders had refused to vacate the place and moved court. The Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court recently cleared the way for the PMC to build the national memorial at the site and ordered shop owners and tenants at the dilapidated structure to vacate the premises. "The structure is being brought down and we will proceed further for the national memorial project-related work at the site," an official of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said. A large police force was deployed in the area as the civic body moved to raze the structure. It was completely demolished sometime after midnight. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Sandip Singh Gill said since the PMC did not get possession of the property despite issuing notices to the tenants and shop owners, it had written to the police for personnel to be deployed during the action. Bhide Wada is located in the Budhwar Peth area of Pune. New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) A total of 761 hospital admissions amounting to Rs 1.12 crore had been authorised under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) for transgender beneficiaries till November 30, Minister of State for Health S P Singh Baghel told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the National Health Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) to extend the benefits of the PM-JAY to all transgender people, he said in a written reply. According to the MoU, the transgender community is provided healthcare benefits under the SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) framework launched by the MoSJE. Any member of the transgender community registered on the national portal for transgender persons is eligible for free healthcare facilities at any PM-JAY empanelled hospital, Baghel stated. The government is implementing the National AIDS Control Programme, currently in its fifth phase, across the country. The transgender community is considered among the High-Risk Group (HRG) for acquisition of HIV infection, he said HIV testing and care are provided to them predominantly through targeted intervention projects and the Link Worker Scheme is implemented through State AIDS Control Societies with the objective of reducing new HIV infections, he added. Additionally, all transgender persons affected by HIV/AIDS are provided free-of-cost anti-retroviral therapy (ART) at ART centres and additional support services through care and support centres in a stigma-free and inclusive manner as per standards of care. The government is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) across the country. Mental health services are part of the package under comprehensive primary healthcare under the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) Scheme. PM-JAY provides treatment corresponding to a total of 1,949 procedures under 27 different specialities, of which 19 procedures are related to "mental disorders" speciality. The National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) has been launched to improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. Eligible individuals, including those from the transgender community, are entitled to free healthcare services under the schemes, Baghel said. Chandigarh, Dec 5 (PTI) The annual International Gita festival will be held in Kurukshetra from December 7 to 24 and Assam is the partner state this year, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Tuesday. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the main programmes of the festival on December 17 with a Gita Yajna and worship at Brahma Sarovar on the same day, Khattar said. During a visit in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to recognise Kurukshetra as a significant centre for the teachings of the Gita. As part of the festival, the city will again witness the convergence of spirituality, culture, and art, the CM said. "Following the prime minister's guidance, the Haryana government has been organising the International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra since 2016, which has gained tremendous success and popularity over the past seven years," Khattar told reporters. On the lines of the Kumbh Mela, a dedicated fair authority will be established for the festival. This autonomous body will independently organise and manage the event. The government will appoint a fair officer to oversee the arrangements, while the fair authority will take charge of planning and running the festival. He said in 2019, the festival expanded its reach beyond the country, and it was celebrated in Mauritius and London. Additionally, outside the country, the festival was also celebrated in Canada in September 2022, and now there are plans to organise it in the US in April 2024. According to Khattar, the vice president will also inaugurate the three-day International Gita Seminar at Kurukshetra University. Scheduled to run till December 19, the seminar will witness the participation of scholars and researchers from India and abroad. Khattar said they will present their research papers on the theme of world peace and harmony, inspired by the teachings of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. The chief minister expressed confidence that this seminar will play a pivotal role in spreading the significance of the Gita's message across the globe underlining that the holy book imparts guiding principles for life. On December 23, a Gita recitation will be led by 18,000 students in Kurukshetra, Khattar said as he asked people to recite Gita shlokas for a minute at 11 am on that day. The chief minister stated that the International Gita Mahotsav will kick off with a crafts and saras mela on the banks of the holy Brahmasarovar in Kurukshetra on December 7, which will showcase the talent of nationally renowned artists and craftsmen. "A dedicated Haryana Pavilion, featuring folk dance, crafts, small-scale industries, and local cuisine, will be established to acquaint tourists and pilgrims with the rich culture of Haryana," he said. Srinagar, Dec 5 (PTI) Police and paramilitary officers on Tuesday discussed a detailed security plan for a comprehensive counter-terrorism grid in the city. The discussions took place at a joint meeting of police and CRPF at the police control room here. In order to strengthen and synergise the security grid of Srinagar district, additional director general of police (ADGP), Law and Order, Vijay Kumar chaired a joint meeting of police and the CRPF, a police spokesperson said. IG CRPF Ajay Kumar Yadav, IGP Kashmir V K Birdi, and other senior officers of police, CRPF and other agencies attended the meeting. During the meeting, a detailed security plan of Srinagar district was discussed. CRPF and police were acquainted with their new roles and suggestions were taken from the field officers to have a fair idea of the shortcomings to make it a comprehensive counter-terrorism grid, the spokesperson said. The ADGP stressed that the security plan has to be implemented on the ground in letter and spirit to have a "perfect" security grid. Kumar underscored the need to strengthen the joint police control room and improve the communication mechanism between field officers of CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the city. Area domination of water bodies was also included in the plan, the spokesperson said. The ADGP instructed SSP, Srinagar to conduct joint mock drills to handle situations emerging after a terror incident in the city. Kumar reaffirmed the commitment to deal with individuals disrupting peace strictly and emphasised the need for stringent actions under the law, the spokesperson added. The ADGP also emphasised the necessity to strengthen the Counter Infiltration (CI) Grid and enhance the basic functioning of police stations through effective supervision, the spokesperson said. Prayagraj, Dec 5 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday stayed criminal proceedings initiated by a local court against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for alleged violation of the model code of conduct and Covid norms during the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in 2022. The proceedings were initiated by a Gautam Budh Nagar district court on a case registered against him, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary and others at the Dadri police station. Hearing an application filed by Yadav, Justice Raj Beer Singh also directed the state government's counsel to file a reply and fixed January 21 as the next of hearing in the case. In the present petition, only Yadav has challenged the charge-sheet in the case and the criminal proceedings. Police had registered the case under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (any deliberate disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection), 270 (act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. The charge-sheet in the case was subsequently filed against them on October 12, 2022. Appearing on behalf of the applicant, his counsel Imran Ullah contended that in such type of cases relating to violation of guidelines, a complaint can only be filed by the person whose order has been violated. In this case, this was not done and directly an FIR was lodged by police, he claimed. The act which Yadav had allegedly done has not been appended anywhere in the case diary, Ullah said. Further, Yadav was not suffering from Covid, "then how was he likely to spread the infection, as has been alleged in the FIR", he said. Lastly, he contended that all the witnesses in this case were police personnel whose statement are same, and hence, cannot be relied upon. After hearing the counsels of both parties, the court stayed the local court's proceedings against Yadav. Amaravati, Dec 5 (PTI) Severe cyclonic storm Michaungs landfall is currently underway with the eye of the cyclone situated near Bapatla in south Andhra Pradesh coast, said an official on Tuesday. The weather system over the west-central Bay of Bengal, running along and off the south Andhra Pradesh coast is moving nearly northwards, parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and is expected to complete crossing in the next two hours, the official said. Severe cyclonic storm Michaung is currently making landfall close to Bapatla. It is expected to complete its landfall in the next two hours. It is expected to complete crossing by 2 pm, an Amaravati Meteorological Centre official told PTI. The Amaravati Meteorological Centre noted that the intensity of gales near the centre of the severe cyclonic storm is 90 - 100 km per hour and gusting up to 110 kmph. Meanwhile, 9,454 people have been evacuated from the seven districts of Konaseema, Kakinada, Krishna, Bapatla and Prakasam to safety in 211 relief camps, according to a dataset shared by APSDMA with PTI. The state government evacuated 910 people from Konaseema district, Kakinada (523), Krishna (1,814), Bapatla (702), Prakasam (128), Nellore (1,991) and Tirupati (3,386). As part of relief efforts, 10,251 food packets were distributed and 18,068 water packets. With the severe cyclonic storm Michaung anticipated to hit Bapatla during its passage, residents have been advised against going outdoors. Bapatla district superintendent of police Vakul Jindal told PTI that people living in thatched houses in the region have been evacuated. We are vigilant and we will see what happens and respond accordingly, Jindal said. While some people were moved to shelters in vehicles, people living nearby walked there. Earlier on Monday, Bapatla district collector Ranjit Basha, Jindal and MLA K Raghupati visited Suryalanka coast and issued instructions to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team and police officials. Every police station in the district has been equipped with a JCB excavator, cutter machines, ropes and expert swimmers. Taking past incidents into account, district police identified 24 vulnerable bridges and deployed police personnel there. Similarly, 300 police personnel and other officials have been deployed in villages which are likely to suffer inundation. Likewise, 60 policemen have been kept on standby at the district police headquarters to attend to emergencies. One NDRF and two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in the district. Police have evacuated people living in low lying areas. In the event of an emergency, Bapatla district police told people to reach out to helplines 100, 112 and police control room number 8333813228. Heavy rains continue to lash several parts of Andhra Pradesh as the severe cyclonic storm looming over the Bay of Bengal sea close to Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Tamil Nadu coasts is making landfall. The weather system is moving northwards close to the coast and some parts of the wall cloud region already lie overland. The Meteorological Department forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by gales in parts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday. It also forecast extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. On Tuesday, it forecast extremely heavy rainfall, greater than 204.4 mm, in isolated places of Konaseema, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Palnadu, Bapatla and Prakasam districts, along with heavy to very heavy rainfall, 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm, in parts of these districts. Likewise, it forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Alluri Sitharamaraju, Kakinada, East Godavari, Kadapa and Nellore districts. Further, the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall, 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm, in parts of Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Nandyala, Annamayya and Tirupati districts. Except for the four Rayalaseema districts of Kurnool, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai and Chittoor, several parts of the rest of the state are expected to be pounded by rains. Several parts of West Godavari district have been witnessing intermittent rainfall since Sunday night, which intensified into heavy rainfall on Tuesday. In view of several streams and water bodies overflowing in East Godavari district, superintendent of police P Jagadish said police personnel have been deployed across the district to carry out relief efforts. Similarly, Anakapalli district SP K V Murali Krishna directed his subordinates to clear uprooted trees and keep JCB excavators and cutting machines ready for this purpose. He also directed them to coordinate with other departments to restore powerlines. In the wake of swollen water bodies, Murali Krishna called on people observing karthika maasam rituals to avoid going to the seashore and other water bodies. Meanwhile, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, noted that all the five major dams in Tirumala have reached their full capacity by 4 am on Monday itself due to incessant rains in the past four days. Papavinasanam, Akasaganga, Gogarbham, Kumaradhara and Pasupudhara are the chief water sources in Tirumala. Water is also drawn from Kalyani Dam in Tirupati. About 100 mm of rainfall had been recorded in Tirumala in just 24hours by Monday evening. Further, TTD imposed restrictions on the movement of two-wheelers on ghat roads. Tirupati MLA and TTD chairman B Karunakara Reddy visited cyclone affected people on Tuesday morning at Pulavanigunta and Gollavanigunta and interacted with them, and assured help. Accompanied by officials, he told the affected people to stay vigilant and reach out whenever they need help. Reddy directed officials to provide food and drinking water to the affected people in Tirupati. The South Central Railway Zone has set up helplines across its Divisions in Andhra Pradesh. Kanpur (UP), Dec 5 (PTI) Three gold smelters were booked in this district on Tuesday for allegedly duping a jeweller of Rs 1.6 crore, police said. About a dozen more victims have also submitted written complaints with the police against the three who allegedly decamped with gold and cash worth over Rs 14 crore from the Kanpur city. The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) against Sampatrao Shivaji Lavate, key accused, his brother-in-law Mahesh Maske and their associate Suraj, who have are on the run, Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Nilabja Choudhury said. The incident has triggered panic among local jewellers who accompanied with the office bearers of Kanpur Mahanagar Sarafa Association (KMSA) apprised police officials about the huge fraud. An Special Investigation Team has been formed under supervision of DCP (Central) Pramod Kumar who has been instructed to ascertain early arrests of the absconding fraudsters and to recover the gold and cash, the JCP added. The jeweller, Mohammad Ayub, in his complaint stated that he along with his family members had given the gold weighing 2,600 gram worth more than Rs 1.6 crore to Lavate to sell it just a few days back. Lavate had issued him several cheques for Rs 31 lakh with the promise to pay the rest amount on Monday, but he found his shop closed, Choudhary said. KMSA president Pankaj Arora told the media that Lavate, a resident of Maharashtra, had hired a rented house in Birhana Road around 15 years ago and had been running gold smelting business from a rented shop in Beckonganj. Since he was good at his work, all the nearby goldsmiths used to send their goods to him for melting the gold, he said. DCP Pramod Kumar told PTI over the phone that the SIT has started a probe into the matter. Efforts are being made to gather information about the fraudsters to ensure their arrests at earliest, the DCP added. In response to an Israeli notification instructing the World Health Organization (WHO) to evacuate medical supplies from its warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom has urged Israel to reconsider its directive. The WHO received on Monday a notification from the Israel Defense Forces instructing the removal of medical supplies from its warehouse in southern Gaza within a stringent 24-hour timeframe, Adhanom said on on X, formerly Twitter, The Israeli order, attributed to upcoming ground operations, has prompted a plea from WHO Director-General. Today, @WHO received notification from the Israel Defense Forces that we should remove our supplies from our medical warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours, as ground operations will put it beyond use. We appeal to #Israel to withdraw the order, and take every possible Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 4, 2023 The WHO is urging Israel to rescind the eviction order and to employ all available means to safeguard civilians, emphasizing the importance of protecting vital infrastructure, including hospitals and humanitarian facilities, he said. The appeal underscores the essential role of the medical supplies in supporting health services, especially during times of heightened tensions and potential crises. On Monday, witnesses informed AFP that Israel has deployed ground forces into southern Gaza, a move raising global concerns regarding increasing civilian casualties and the potential escalation of the conflict across the Middle East. Witnesses reported the entry of numerous Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers into the southern region near the city of Khan Yunis, where a significant population of internally displaced Palestinians resides. More than 15,500 people have been killed in the besieged Palestinian territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, in more than eight weeks of combat and heavy bombardment. Meanwhile, following her arrivial in war-torn Gaza on Monday, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that the suffering in the Palestinian territory was "intolerable." I have arrived in Gaza, where peoples suffering is intolerable. I repeat our urgent call for civilians to be protected in line with the laws of war and for aid to enter unimpeded. The hostages must be released and @ICRC allowed to safely visit them.https://t.co/64AaIwOLQJ Mirjana Spoljaric (@ICRCPresident) December 4, 2023 "I repeat our urgent call for civilians to be protected in line with the laws of war and for aid to enter unimpeded," Mirjana Spoljaric said on X, adding that "the captives must be released and ICRC allowed to safely visit them." My message from Gaza today: pic.twitter.com/0EkxwD0XRL Mirjana Spoljaric (@ICRCPresident) December 4, 2023 Search Keywords: Short link: If you were ever unsure whether there exists more than one justice system in the U.S., this story should resolve all doubt. In a development related to the aftermath of the violent 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Atlanta, Georgia, during which a Wendys restaurant was set on fire, two out of the three suspects involved have opted to accept plea deals. Chisom Kingston and Natalie White, who had been charged in setting the Wendys on fire, will receive sentences of five years probation, a $500 fine, and a requirement to complete 150 hours of community service. Thats it. Meanwhile, Jan. 6 protesters are getting years in jail for doing things like knocking over a barrier. The charges against the Atlanta suspects originated from the violent protest during the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of Rayshard Brooks in June 2020. Brooks was fatally shot by the Atlanta Police Department in a police-involved shooting. The events leading up to the shooting involved Brooks allegedly assaulting Atlanta police officer David Brosnan and taking his taser. During the confrontation, Brooks aimed the taser at Officer Brosnan, resulting in the fatal shooting by another officer, Garrett Rolfe. It was reported that Brooks punch had caused a concussion to Brosnan. Subsequently, the Wendys restaurant was set on fire by protesters in response to Brooks death, leading to the establishment of an autonomous zone that was later dismantled by law enforcement. The incident marked the beginning of a series of violent demonstrations across the city. John Wesley Wade, a third suspect who did not accept a plea deal, gained prominence as a Black Lives Matter activist in Atlanta and led multiple protests during the summer of 2020. In October 2020, he was arrested on federal charges related to a series of violent demonstrations and subsequently sentenced to five years in federal prison in March 2022. Wade was part of a group of rioters responsible for setting fire to Atlanta police vehicles and United States Postal Service properties while attempting to falsely implicate the pro-Trump Proud Boys for these actions. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said it is a duty of women to halt a fall in the countrys births in order to strengthen national power, state media said Monday, as his government steps up the call for the people to have more children. While getting a detailed read on North Koreas population trends is extremely difficult because of the limited statistics it discloses, South Koreas government assesses that the Norths fertility rate has declined steadily for the past 10 years. That is a concerning development for a country that depends on mobilized labor to help keep its broken, heavily sanctioned economy afloat. Kims latest appeal for women to have more children was made Sunday during the countrys National Mothers Meeting, the first of its kind in 11 years. Stopping the decline in birthrates and providing good child care and education are all our family affairs that we should solve together with our mothers, Kim said in his opening speech. According to South Koreas government statistics agency, North Koreas total fertility rate, or the average number of babies expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime, was at 1.79 in 2022, down from 1.88 in 2014. The decline is still slower than its wealthier rival South Korea, whose fertility rate last year was 0.78, down from 1.20 in 2014. South Koreas fertility rate, the lowest in the developed world, is believed to be due to a potent cocktail of reasons discouraging people from having babies, including a decaying job market, a brutally competitive school environment for children, traditionally weak child care assistance and a male-centered corporate culture where many women find it impossible to combine careers and family. While North Korea is one of the poorest nations in the world, the change in its demographic structure is similar to that of rich countries, some observers say. Many families in North Korea also dont intend to have more than one child these days as they know they need lots of money to raise their kids, send them to school and help them get jobs, said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. Ahn, who has interviewed many North Korean defectors, said the smuggling of a vast amount of South Korean TV dramas and movies in the past 20 years that showed an elevated social status for women has also likely influenced women in North Korea not to have many children. North Korea implemented birth control programs in the 1970-80s to slow a postwar population growth. The countrys fertility rate recorded a major decline following a famine in the mid-1990s that was estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people, the Seoul-based Hyundai Research Institute said in a report in August. Given North Korea lacks resources and technological advancements, it could face difficulties to revive and develop its manufacturing industry if sufficient labor forces are not provided, the institute report said. According to North Korean state media reports this year, the country has introduced a set of benefits for families with three or more children, including preferential free housing arrangements, state subsidies, free food, medicine and household goods and educational perks for children. South Koreas statistics agency estimates the Norths population at 25.7 million. The Hyundai institute report said that North Korea was expected to experience a population shrink from 2034 and forecast its population would decrease to 23.7 million by 2070. Ahn, the website head, said that Kim Jong Uns repeated public appearances with his young daughter, Ju Ae, are also likely be efforts to encourage families. Other experts said the daughters appearances were more likely an attempt to show shes her fathers heir. (AP) The White House said Monday that the U.S. may establish a naval task force to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea, a day after three vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-back Houthis in Yemen. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. has been in active conversations with allies about setting up the escorts though nothing is finalized, describing it as a natural response to that sort of incident. On Sunday, ballistic missiles fired by Yemens Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships, while a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during an hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. It marked an escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war. We are in talks with other countries about a maritime task force of sorts involving the ships from partner nations alongside the United States in ensuring safe passage, Sullivan told reporters. He noted similar task forces are used to protect commercial shipping elsewhere, including off the coast of Somalia. The Houthi attacks imperil traffic on one of the worlds most vital shipping lanes and with it global trade overall. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says 8.8 million barrels of oil a day are shipped through the Red Sea and the narrow straits of the Bab al-Mandab within range of the Houthis, making it one of world trades most crucial chokepoints. The ships carry oil and natural gas from the Gulf to Europe, the United States and China. The Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are also part of a vital route for commercial shipping overall, carrying millions of tons of agricultural products and other goods to markets yearly. Sullivan said that while the Houthis had their finger on the trigger, the groups Iranian sponsors were ultimately responsible. The weapons here are being supplied by Iran, Sullivan said. Iran, we believe, is the ultimate party responsible for this. Sullivan said the U.S. does not believe that all three of the ships struck by the Houthis had ties to Israel, saying, It goes to show you the level of recklessness that the Houthis are operating. (AP) A man accused of pretending to be a federal agent and offering gifts and free apartments to Secret Service officers has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison. Arian Taherzadeh, 41, was sentenced to 33 months in prison Friday. He and a second man, Haider Ali, were indicted in April 2022, accused of tricking actual Secret Service officers, offering expensive apartments and gifts to curry favor with law enforcement agents, including one agent assigned to protect the first lady, prosecutors said. Ali, 36, was sentenced in August to over five years. Attorneys for the two did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Monday. Prosecutors alleged Taherzadeh falsely claimed, at various times, to be an agent with the Department of Homeland Security, a former U.S. Air Marshal, and a former U.S. Army Ranger. He used his supposed law-enforcement work to trick owners of three apartment complexes into letting him use multiple apartments and parking spaces for fake operations, the Justice Department said in a statement. Taherzadeh pleaded guilty to conspiracy, a federal offense, as well as two District of Columbia offenses: unlawful possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and voyeurism. He was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $700,000. The case was thrust into the public spotlight when more than a dozen FBI agents raided a luxury apartment building in southwest Washington in April 2022. They found a cache of gear, including body armor, guns and surveillance equipment, as well as a binder with information about the buildings residents, prosecutors said. Taherzadeh also installed surveillance cameras in his apartment and recorded people he had over. Taherzadeh provided Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments including a penthouse worth over $40,000 a year as well as electronics, authorities said. In one instance, Taherzadeh offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent who is assigned to protect the first lady, prosecutors said. The plot unraveled when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating an assault involving a mail carrier at the apartment building and the men identified themselves as being part of a phony Homeland Security unit they called the U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit. Taherzadehs lawyer has previously said he provided the luxury apartments and lavish gifts because he wanted to be friends with the agents, not try to compromise them. (AP) JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. MAKE SURE TO CHECK THIS PAGE FREQUENTLY AS UPDATES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN LIVE TIME THERE IS NO NEED TO REFRESH THIS PAGE AS UPDATES WILL APPEAR AUTOMATICALLY (YWN World Headquarters NYC) After 58 days of uncertainty, the family of Yonatan Samarno, Hyd, 21, of Tel Aviv was informed that he was murdered by Hamas terrorists while in captivity in Gaza. Samarno, Hyd, was abducted from the music festival in Reim on October 7th. When the attack began, Samarno fled the area with two friends to the nearby Beeri kibbutz, only to be met by more terrorists there. His friends were murdered and he was shot by the terrorists before being abducted. Hashem Yikam Damo. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Israels National Security Council (NSC) has raised the threat levels in about 80 countries around the world. Since the outbreak of the war on October 7th, many countries in Western Europe (including the UK, France, and Germany), South America (including Brazil and Argentina), as well as Australia and Russia, now carry a level 2 travel warning a recommendation to exercise increased precautions. Several countries in Africa (including South Africa and Eritrea) and countries in Central Asia (including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan) have been raised to a level 3 travel warning a recommendation to reconsider non-essential travel. The NSC stated that since the beginning of the war, increased efforts have been detected on the part of Iran and its proxies, as well as on the part of Hamas and elements of global jihad, to attack Israeli and Jewish targets around the world. This coincides with a continuous and significant increase in incitement, attempted attacks, and widespread manifestations of anti-Semitism in many countries. For the public going abroad, it is recommended to choose their destinations in an informed manner, while taking the recommended precautions in any destination and consider their conduct. The NSC also warned Israeli travelers to avoid exhibiting Israeli and Jewish symbols as well as large gatherings of Israeli and Jewish officials and avoid demonstrations and protests. A senior official at the NSC pointed out that the increased threat levels in Europe are unusual and stem from the significant resurgence in global jihad on the background of the war in Gaza, along with the Chanukah holiday, during which there are major celebrations in Jewish communities. There is no problem celebrating Chanukah events abroad but in a country with a high threat level where there is no security for the Chanukah event, the situation is problematic, he said. He noted that during the last two months, many terrorist attacks around the world have been foiled. There has never been such a significant increase in the level of threats certainly not in recent years. There isnt a terrorist in every corner but its necessary to exercise extra caution. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) The United States has reportedly sent Israel a massive shipment of bombs as the IDF continues to pound Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Wall Street Journal reported that since October 7, when Hamas initiated an attack on southern Israel, the U.S. has provided Israel with approximately 15,000 bombs. This arsenal includes a diverse range of ordnance, notably 100 BLU-109 bunker busters, each weighing 2,000 pounds, and around 57,000 artillery shells. Further details from the Wall Street Journal reveal the specific composition of the U.S.-supplied military equipment. This includes more than 5,000 Mk82 dumb bombs, over 5,400 Mk84 2,000-pound warhead bombs, about 1,000 GBU-39 small diameter bombs, and approximately 3,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits. These JDAM kits are particularly significant as they transform unguided bombs into precision-guided missiles, enhancing the military capabilities of Israel in the region. While continuing to supply Israel with arms worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the U.S. is also exerting diplomatic pressure on Israel to mitigate civilian casualties in its military operations. The commitment of the U.S. administration to Israels defense and its concern for the conduct of warfare was articulated by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, she stated, President Biden and I have been clear. Israel has a right to defend itself and we will remain steadfast in that conviction. As Israel defends itself, it matters how. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Dr. Efrat Bron-Harlev, the CEO of Schneider Childrens Hospital, held a press conference on Monday about the captives released from captivity in Gaza who were treated at the hospital. She said that when she met the children after being transferred from the Red Cross, they looked like shadows of children. She added that the children spoke in whispers and asked permission for the smallest things, even to open a door or leave the room. She said that the Hamas terrorists engaged in psychological terrorism, telling the children or teens who were held alone over and over that no one cared about them in Israel or wanted them to return. She added that the children related unfathomable stories. Dr. Yael Mozer-Glassberg, the director of Israels pediatric liver transplantation service at Schneider Childrens Medical Center, also treated the children and women who were released from captivity Mozer-Glassberg said that the hostages brought to Schneider lost 10-15% of their body weight. She said that they were given little food on one hand but on the other hand, the terrorists at times engaged in psychological terrorism by forcing them to eat food they didnt want. She added that the team had prepared to help prevent the hostages from eating too much when they returned but instead, they ate very little, with some only eating crumbs. Additionally, hygiene in captivity was almost non-existent, with most hostages returning with rashes, terrible cases of lice, and infected wounds. Dr. Moshe Ashkenazi, the director at Safra Childrens Hospital at Sheba Medical Center spoke to i24News about the children treated at Safra, including the fact that some of the children who returned from captivity had to be informed that one or both of their parents were murdered or abducted on October 7th. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) New reporting from Israels Channel 12 reveals more of the extent of the unfathomably catastrophic intelligence failure that led up to the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel. According to the report, in July 2022, an IDF Gaza Division intelligence officer prepared a presentation warning of The Mass Invasion Plan of Hamas, which detailed plans for about 20 Nukba Hamas terror squads to invade southern Israel, supported by engineering teams to breach border defenses. This invasion constitutes the gravest threat that IDF forces are facing in the defense [of Israel], the report said. Three months before the October 7 onslaught, IDF Military Intelligence discussed the threat, with an official identified as Brig-Gen. Peh, who said, We have tried, but have not succeeded. We cannot say how [Hamass Gaza chief Yahya] Sinwar will act, and therefore commanders in the field should take the necessary precautions. A situational assessment on October 1 revealed increased drills by Nukba forces, indicating Hamass active preparation for an assault. Despite this, the divisions intelligence officer assessed: In the tension between the economic benefits for Hamas and the continued disturbances [that were taking place at the Gaza border], it seems that, at the moment, things are heading toward an arrangement and a calming of the disturbances. On the night of October 6-7, there were clear signals of an impending attack, with urgent messages sent by both the Shin Bet and a military base near Gaza, leading to Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi being briefed at 3:30 am on October 7. Although he ordered additional information and updates to the Israel Air Force, his response did not include preparations for a major incident. This highlighted a potential misjudgment in the perceived deterrent effect on Hamas, despite multiple signs of their preparation for an attack. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Representatives Jerry Nadler, Daniel Goldman, and Jamie Raskin on Monday introduced a resolution in response to the alarming rise of antisemitism in the United States but Nadler made some stunning remarks while speaking on the House floor about the resolution. The resolution calls for bipartisan collaboration and a comprehensive, all-of-government response to combat antisemitism in the United States, including, for example, increasing funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Additionally, it calls on Congress to provide robust funding for the Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights to help enforce Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and help protect Jewish students from antisemitism. But Nadler, pants firmly around his shoulders, also went on a rambling rant on the House floor about how not all anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, pointing to the Satmar chassidus to prove his point. Ironically, Nadlers comments came on Kuf Alef Kislev, the day Satmar chasidim celebrate the Rebbe having been spared from the Nazis via the Zionists. Watch the jaw-dropping video below. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israel has set up a system of large pumps it could use to flood the Hamas tunnel network in Gaza with seawater, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Quoting US officials, the report says that the IDF completed assembling pumps last month that are capable of pumping thousands of cubic meters of water per hour from the Mediterranean into the tunnels, flooding them within weeks. Israel, which told the US about the plan early last month hasnt yet decided to move ahead with the plan but hasnt ruled it out. A source familiar with the plan said that the lengthy process of flooding the tunnels would allow Hamas terrorists, and potentially hostages, to leave the tunnels. We are not sure how successful pumping will be since nobody knows the details of the tunnels and the ground around them, the person said. Its impossible to know if that will be effective because we dont know how seawater will drain in tunnels no one has been in before. Its difficult to assess the impact of pumping seawater into the tunnels as its unknown how permeable they are, said Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Its hard to tell what pumping seawater will do to the existing water and sewage infrastructure. It is hard to tell what it will do to groundwater reserves. And its hard to tell the impact on the stability of nearby buildings, Alterman said. The flooding of Hamas tunnels in the area is not unprecedented. In 2015, Egypt used seawater to flood tunnels used by Hamas smugglers under the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) It was revealed on Tuesday that Hamas terrorists drugged the hostages they released so they would appear happy and calm during their transfer to the Red Cross. A senior Health Ministry representative said in a discussion in the Knessets Health Ministry that released hostages said that they were given clonazepam (Klonopin) prior to being released. Hamas also forced child captives to hold their hands, wave goodbye, and in general, act friendly to them during the transfer. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Seeking to reassert Russias role in the Middle East, President Vladimir Putin will make a one-day trip to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to focus on the Israeli-Hamas war and then will host Irans president in Moscow this week, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Wednesdays talks in both countries will focus on bilateral relations and the war between Israel and Hamas, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Issues related to oil price caps under OPEC+ will also be on the agenda, he added. Putin will also hold talks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in the Kremlin on Thursday, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. His visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE comes at a time when Russia wants to advance its role as a power broker in the conflict in the Middle East. Putin has sought to cast the war as a failure of U.S. diplomacy, charging that Washington had opted for economic handouts to the Palestinians and abandoned efforts to help create a Palestinian state. He has suggested Moscow could play the role of mediator, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, charging that no one could suspect us of playing up to one party. Putins trip was first announced on Monday by his foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, speaking to the Russian news outlet Life. Pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov observed that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been important allies for Russia, noting that Moscow has profited from high oil prices thanks to the OPEC+ deal it anchored together with Riyadh. The close ties with the UAE provided one of the avenues for bypassing Western sanctions on Moscow, he added. Putin visited China in October and made several trips to former Soviet nations in recent months. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Since the warrant was issued, Putin chose not to attend a BRICS summit in South Africa because the country would be obliged to arrest Putin upon arrival as a signatory to the international courts treaty. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE have signed the ICCs founding treaty. The notice against Putin in March was the first time the global court issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The ICC said in a statement that Putin is accused of the war crime of unlawful deportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. (AP) In a rare punitive move against Israel, the State Department said Tuesday it will impose travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of recent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the step after warning Israel last week that President Joe Bidens administration would be taking action over the attacks. Blinken did not announce individual visa bans, but officials said those would be coming this week and could affect dozens of settlers and their families. We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, Blinken said in a statement. As President Biden has repeatedly said, those attacks are unacceptable. Today, the State Department is implementing a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals believed to have been involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank, including through committing acts of violence or taking other actions that unduly restrict civilians access to essential services and basic necessities, Blinken said. He said the U.S. would continue to seek accountability for settler violence against Palestinians as well as Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and Israel, particularly as tensions are extremely high due to the conflict in Gaza. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority have the responsibility to uphold stability in the West Bank, Blinken said. Instability in the West Bank both harms the Israeli and Palestinian people and threatens Israels national security interests. Tuesdays move comes just a month after Israel was granted entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows its citizens visa-free entry into the U.S. Those targeted will not be eligible for the program, and those who hold current U.S. visas will have them revoked. (AP) Saudi Arabia has bought a 49 per cent stake in Sir Rocco Fortes luxury hotels group as it ramps up its investments in the UK. The deal by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) which owns Newcastle United and which last week took a 10 per cent stake in Heathrow values the owner of the Balmoral and Browns hotels at around 1.2billion. Rocco Forte Hotels said the purchase of a significant minority holding by the Saudis would help improve its international presence. PIF has also recently invested in luxury car maker Aston Martin and is estimated to have more than 550billion in assets. Forte and his sister Olga Polizzi will continue to hold a 51 per cent stake in the hotels group and remain executive chairman and deputy chairman respectively. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund - which owns Newcastle United - values the owner of the Balmoral and Brown's hotels (pictured) at around 1.2bn But Italian sovereign wealth fund CDP Equity will sell its entire 23 per cent holdings as part of the agreement. It is understood Fortes four other sisters will also leave the firm. The Saudi investment comes amid a flurry of interest in UK assets from the Middle East. A planned Abu Dhabi-backed takeover of The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator is under investigation. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer last week intervened in the proposed sale of the publications to RedBird IMI, the investment fund behind the deal, because of concerns over the potential impact on press freedom. PIF, which is controlled by Saudi Arabias crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, has faced a backlash over the countrys human rights record. But Forte, 78, said yesterday PIF was an excellent partner for the group. He added: We have established an extremely good relationship during the course of our negotiations. Opponents of the tourist tax believe newly appointed Treasury ministers may help them get it scrapped. Bim Afolami and Nigel Huddleston, who joined Chancellor Jeremy Hunts team last month, have privately voiced their support for reinstating VAT-free shopping, The Mail understands. The Mails Scrap the Tourist Tax campaign is calling for a U-turn and is backed by more than 400 businesses including Burberry, Harrods, Marks & Spencer and Heathrow Airport. The bosses of major hotels, restaurants and theatres have also been urging the Chancellor to boost Britains competitiveness. As affluent tourists from China and the US return to Europe on holiday after Covid, it is feared the UK is missing out on valuable spending. Tax break: Treasury ministers Bim Afolami and Nigel Huddleston (pictured) are understood to have privately voiced their support for reinstating VAT-free shopping Tourists who once splashed their cash on expensive handbags or jewellery are buying them in Paris, Milan and other destinations on the continent leaving Britain in the lurch. Visitors can benefit from a 20 per cent VAT refund across much of Europe but the UK scheme was scrapped in 2021 by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor. Research suggests ditching the levy could make the UK 10billion a year better off and support 200,000 jobs. Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said he felt the dial was changed in the wake of the Chancellors statement and the new Treasury appointments. Other retail sources said Huddleston and Afolami were the best the campaign could have hoped for. Huddleston, who is Financial Secretary to the Treasury, is seen by many as a key ally as he is a former tourism minister and is well liked by the industry. It is hoped there will be a positive update for the campaign at the Budget in spring next year. Paul Barnes, chief executive at the Association of International Retail, told The Mail: Theres a fresh look at it, there is new ministers, new evidence lets have a new review of it. Afolami and Huddleston did not wish to comment. Irelands largest cinema chain has bought five sites from collapsed operator Empire. Omniplex, which has 38 cinemas in the Republic and Northern Ireland, said the deal marked its first expansion into the British mainland. The deal will involve an investment of more than 22million and secure 150 jobs. Omniplex will take on the Empire cinemas in Birmingham, Ipswich, Sutton, Clydebank in Scotland and High Wycombe. They will all reopen under the new ownership over the next week. Top billing: Cinema operators are pinning their hopes on Ridley Scott's Napoleon - starring Joaquin Phoenix (pictured) The deal comes as cinema operators pin their hopes on Ridley Scotts blockbuster Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby giving them a strong end to the year. Empire Cinemas collapsed into administration in July after the pandemic put pressure on the numbers going to cinemas. Omniplex will renovate the sites and plans to expand further in the UK next year. Huge government handouts during the pandemic have left many workers reluctant to go back to their jobs, a report by a global club of central bankers has found. The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) said the labour force participation rate in some countries, including the UK, had yet to recover to pre-Covid levels. On top of that, it said workers preferences have shifted in favour of fewer working hours. While the struggle to get employees back to work was partly for health reasons, the report also found that participation has been recovering more slowly where pandemic-related fiscal support was larger. A fall in the number of those available to work could also be caused by the population ageing, it added. Slacking off: The Bank of International Settlements said the labour force participation rate in some countries, including the UK, had yet to recover to pre-Covid levels In the UK, latest official figures show that the economic inactivity rate covering those neither in work nor seeking employment remains higher than pre-Covid levels. The report from BIS which is owned by member central banks implies that the generosity of Britains 70billion furlough scheme during the pandemic could be partly to blame. Between March 2020 and September 2021 the taxpayer-funded scheme paid those temporarily laid-off due to lockdowns up to 80 per cent of their wages. A total of 11.7m jobs were furloughed. Now, ministers are seeking to bring many back into the workforce, with the number of vacancies in the economy standing at nearly 1m. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt acknowledged the problem which the Government is trying to tackle through benefit reforms during a think-tank event yesterday. He compared the UKs participation rate unfavourably with the Netherlands. If we had the same number of women in work as they have in Holland, relative to the size of population, we would have two million more people in work in the UK so we would have filled every vacancy in the economy twice over, he said. Nearly half of Britons get annoyed by their neighbours' bad bin habits, a study by Churchill Insurance has revealed. Overfilling bins and not clearing up rubbish from bin bags that have been ripped open by animals are the habits that particularly enrage people, Churchill said. Britons also don't like bins being left outside on the street, with one in five people believing they should be taken in immediately after collection if someone is home. More than a third think bins should not be outside for more than 12 hours. Trash talk: Nearly half of Britons get annoyed by their neighbours bad bin habits, according to Churchill Insurance Steven Halo, a resident in the West London town of Uxbridge, has faced several bin issues on his street. 'There's an ongoing situation where one of the houses puts their bin out on any given day,' says Halo. 'As a result, we often have rubbish piling up on the corner of our street, including nappies and cat litter, which, unfortunately, attracts foxes.' Halo adds: 'It's become so frustrating that some of our other neighbours took matters into their own hands they've made a sign and placed it on these neighbours' bins to let them know about the issue and letting them know when the bin day is. 'At one point the area was even cordoned off with red and white tape.' Not only can bad bin behaviour damage neighbourly relationships, it could even make homes harder to sell. Bin wars: Uxbridge resident Steven Halo says rubbish often piles up on the corner of his street, including nappies and cat litter Untidy streets could be offputting to potential buyers, as out-of-control bin behaviour tarnishes first impressions and can have an impact on the reputation of the whole street. Henri Codling, an estate agent Pattison Lane Estate Agents, says: 'Bin etiquette is super important, especially when it comes to maintaining a pleasant environment for everyone in the neighbourhood. 'The environment and cleanliness of streets is vital when a buyer is coming to look at what could potentially be their new home, and it certainly makes a huge difference when the road is tidy. 'If all neighbours work together to ensure their streets are clean and stick to simple bin etiquette, it creates a cleaner environment for everyone and boosts the reputation of a street. 'This goes a long way when people are having a potential buyer look at their home.' When it comes to resolving conflicts around bad bin behaviour, two in five people prefer to tackle it head on by speaking directly to their neighbour. While they still favour the direct approach overall, younger people aged between 18 and 34 years old are more likely than older groups to opt for alternative indirect methods. These include slipping a note under their neighbour's door, writing a message on a communal notice board or posting in a group chat. Neighbours from hell: Overflowing bins and not clearing up rubbish from bin bags that have been ripped open by wild animals were the habits that particularly enrage people Sarah Khan, Churchill head of home insurance, said: 'Stepping out of the house to be met by bins that have been left out is a major frustration for a staggering 30 million people across the UK. 'And what's worse is that bad bin behaviour could be impacting those trying to sell their homes. Despite this, many of us are guilty of bad bin etiquette. 'As we head into winter it's important bins are being brought in, not just for keeping the streets tidy, but also for safety reasons. 'With pavements potentially more slippery due to the weather, and high winds at risk of blowing items over, bringing bins back in straight away after collection could save you having to fork out for costly repairs and it'll be sure to put you in your neighbours' good books too.' Press Release December 5, 2023 Co-Sponsorship Speech of Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva - International Labour Organization Convention No. 190 or the Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work (ILO C190) Mr. President and distinguished colleagues: It is an honor to be given the privilege to stand before you today and co-sponsor a cause close to my heart Senate Resolution No. 877, under Committee Report No. 174, entitled "Resolution Concurring in the Ratification of International Labour Organization Convention No. 190 or the "Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work (ILO C190)"". We thank our dear colleague, Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for acting swiftly on this very important piece of legislation. Noong nakaraang naghearing po kami dito, ang ating chairperson at proud na proud ako na i-report sa inyong lahat. Hindi pa na-ra-ratify ito may 10 steps ahead na po siya sa mga dapat gawin at lalo na po sa mga evaluate natin na mga tinatawag na analysis gaps, Mr. President. ILO Convention 190 is significant to us for a number of reasons. But please allow this representation to give the top 3 reasons in numbers: 65,136 - Riyadh; 43,225 - Kuwait; 29,049 - Malaysia. These are the recorded labor and welfare cases from January to July last year. Each number represents a Filipino migrant worker that faced maltreatment, mistreatment, contract violation, contract substitution, sexual harassment, or rape, among others. We have already emphasized these figures during the Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week but it is worth reiterating them before this august chamber to remind ourselves the impact of ILO C190 to our overseas Filipino workers. Globally, violence and harassment has been an endemic and persistent concern. Based on the World Risk Poll 2021 by the Lloyd's Register Foundation, 1 in 5 workers (22% of women, 18% of men) have reported that they experienced some form of violence and harassment at work in their lifetime. Worse still, foreign-born women experienced violence and harassment in the workplace more than their native-born counterparts (30.2% vs 21.5%). In the Philippines, 60% of our workers have experienced violence and harassment in the workplace. Of the women who were harassed, 13% were sexually harassed, 9% were psychologically and physically harassed, and 12% experienced all 3 forms of harassment. The Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment also reported that 1 in 7 women experienced sexual harassment in the workplace at least once every week. Mr. President, the nature of violence and harassment in the world of work is multifaceted, and ILO C190 not only recognizes this reality but also highlights the importance of prevention, protection, and redressal mechanisms. That's why we filed Senate Resolution No. 456earlier this year, urging the Executive Department to immediately ratify ILO C190. Thus, we are very glad that President Bongbong Marcos acted immediately and endorsed ILO C190 for immediate concurrence of the Senate. Indeed, the Senate concurrence to the ratification of this Convention shows our commitment to address the comments of the 2023 report of the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) regarding the numerous allegations of murders of trade unionists and anti-union violence in the Philippines and the lack of investigation into these incidents. In parallel, we also filed Senate Bill No. 560 to ease the requirement to become a union, and Senate Bill No. 741 to align the standards for the DOLE Secretary to assume jurisdiction in labor disputes with ILO standards. Mr. President, as we express our full support to ILO C190 today, we recognize that there is also the urgent need to align our domestic laws to our commitments under this Convention. In July 2021, DOLE's Institute for Labor Studies presented the result of its gap analysis on ILO C190, where it identified several gaps in our policies and regulations, including the need for enforcement of legal or regulatory framework, especially for the workers in the informal economy and other vulnerable group of workers. Thus, we would also like to reiterate our call for the technical working group that will be convened by the Committee on Foreign Relations to consider our Senate Bill No. 359 or the Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy (MACWIE) and Senate Bill No. 136 or the Freelancers Protection Act, among others, in the discussions. Indeed, harmonizing our local legislation with our obligations under ILO C190 is a step towards realizing the world we envision a world where everyone can contribute and thrive without the fear of violence or harassment; a world where dignity reigns supreme. Let us be reminded that concurring in the ratification of this milestone treaty is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative to ensure that no worker faces violence or harassment while simply trying to earn a livelihood. Thank you very much and God bless us all. Israeli troops attacked the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday after expanding their attacks deeper into the besieged territory, included areas where they had told people to seek shelter, with warnings that an "even more hellish scenario" was unfolding for trapped civilians. Israel had initially focused its offensive on the north of the territory, but the occupation army has now also dropped leaflets on parts of the south, telling Palestinian civilians there to flee to other areas, but the Palestinians are running out of places to go. Aid workers warned that the mass movement would worsen the already dire humanitarian catastrophe in the territory. Another wave of displacement is underway, and the humanitarian situation worsens by the hour, the Gaza chief of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Thomas White, said in a post on X. Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers were seen on Monday near the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, which is packed with civilians who fled their homes further north in the territory earlier in the war, witnesses told AFP. An AFP journalist in Rafah near Gaza's border with Egypt saw smoke rising late Monday from buildings in southern Gaza after Israeli bombardment. The occupation army said Monday it was taking "aggressive" action against in Khan Yunis, warning that the main road in the north and east of the city "constitutes a battlefield". Hamas said via Telegram its militants had targeted two personnel carriers and a tank near Khan Yunis. Its military branch also said it had fired rockets towards Beersheba in southern Israel on Tuesday, while the Israeli military said rocket warning sirens sounded there. As Israel's brutal attacks pushes deeper into Gaza, international aid organizations have warned that civilians in the densely populated territory are running out of places to flee to. "Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go," said Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories. "If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond," Hastings said in a statement. Israel has killed nearly 15,900 people in the territory, around 70 percent of them women and children. 'Like an earthquake' In the city of Rafah near the Egyptian border, resident Abu Jahar al-Hajj said an air strike near his home felt "like an earthquake". "Pieces of concrete started falling on us," he said. In Deir al-Balah further to the north, Walaa Abu Libda found shelter at a hospital but said her four-year-old daughter remained trapped under rubble. "I don't know if she is dead or alive," said Libda, one of an estimated 1.8 million people displaced in Gaza -- roughly three-quarters of the population, according to UN figures. Three more Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip, the army said on Tuesday, raising the number of troop deaths there to 78. The Israeli army on Tuesday denied telling the World Health Organization to empty an aid warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours before ground operations in the area render it unusable. On Monday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X that his organization had received a notification from the military "that we should remove our supplies from our medical warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours". Israel has been targeting UN facilities, including schools used as shelters by the Palestinians which were forced to evacuate their homes. Key ally the United States has cautioned Israel to do more to avert civilian casualties as operations shift to the south. Speaking on condition of anonymity, senior Israeli military officials admitted that around two civilians have been killed for every dead Hamas resistance fighter in the Gaza Strip. The occupation army claims using high-tech mapping software to track population movements inside the Gaza Strip and issue evacuation orders. However, the UN humanitarian office OCHA has questioned the usefulness of such a tool in an area where access to telecommunications and electricity is sporadic. On Monday, all mobile and telephone services were cut across Gaza "due to the cut-off of main fiber routes by the Israeli side", according to Palestinian telecommunications firm Paltel. On Tuesday, global network monitor Netblocks confirmed Gaza residents were experiencing "a total loss of communications". 'Intolerable' The latest fighting followed the collapse last Friday of a Qatar-mediated truce that saw scores of Israeli and other detainees released in exchange for Palestinian children and women prisoners. According to the Israeli military, at least 137 captives are still being held in Gaza, but Hamas has ruled out more releases until a permanent ceasefire is agreed. With several women still among the captives, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said one of the reasons why the truce fell apart could be that Hamas did not want them to "talk about what happened to them during their time" in captivity. However, only civilian women and children held in captivity in Gaza were to be freed, under the agreement sponsored by Qatar, Egypt, and the US. However. Israel later wanted female soldiers to be released, which Hamas refused, so Israel broke the truce. On Tuesday, the Israeli occupation army said its fighter jets had struck Hezbollah positions in response to launches on Monday from Lebanon into Israel. The Israel-occupied West Bank has also seen a surge in violence, with 260 Palestinians killed there since the war began. Search Keywords: Short link: The 39 journalists and media workers killed during the first month of Israels war on Gaza made it the deadliest month on record for the profession since the Committee to Protect Journalists began keeping records in 1992. A total of 63 journalists and media workers have been confirmed to have been killed in the war, including 56 Palestinians, four Israelis, and three Lebanese, according to the CPJ. By comparison, a total of 68 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in all of 2022, according to CPJ. That total includes deaths in conflicts around the world, and those due to dangerous assignments, targeted killings, and crossfire. The deadliest year on record was 2007, in which 113 journalists and media workers were killed, according to the CPJ's database. These killings are among the more than 16,000 Palestinians killed since the war began with more than 15,800 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and 260 in the West Bank. The deadliest day of the war for journalists was the first day, 7 October, with six journalists killed; the second-deadliest day was 18 November, when five were killed. Also, "11 journalists were injured, three journalists missing, and 19 journalists arrested," the CPJ said. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based nonprofit, says the majority of Gaza journalist casualties since the start of the war were killed while doing their jobs. The three Lebanese journalists were killed while on duty in Lebanon on the Israeli border, in what their respective organizations believe were targeted attacks. Search Keywords: Short link: December 05, 2023 2024 has so many promises in sight for content marketers, and old tactics that may have revolutionized this year and the years before now may soon prove inconsequential and ineffective. This is why you need to learn about the latest trends to help you engage your audience better in 2024 and respond to their needs effectively. In the business of content marketing, where every trend holds the potential to reshape the industry, it's always important to be forward-thinking and innovative, as this is your only strategy for staying ahead of the curve. So, what are these trends? Should you be worried? To answer your questions, here are six content marketing trends you should look for in 2024. Interactive Content Will Take Over You may not know it yet, but the era of passive content consumption is gradually fading, paving the way for the kind of content your audience can interact with. Interactive content can easily engage your audience and transform them from passive consumers into active participants in your brand. On the other hand, passive content is like a bunch of clustering information that can easily bore and push them away. So, while setting up your content marketing strategy for 2024, ensure it includes features like quizzes, polls, surveys, and augmented reality (AR) experiences that will keep them engaged. According to the Exults marketing team, a renowned group of digital marketing professionals based in South Florida, many businesses will invest heavily in interactive content in 2024. So, this piece of insider information should guide you on how important this trend should be to your marketing strategy. If you're wondering, "Why the shift?" It's because audiences are no longer satisfied with the generic content they see everywhere; they crave tailored interactions, something they can easily relate to and entice them to take action or make a move. That feeling, that emotion, is what interactive content can provide. Plus, interactive content can give you valuable data on consumer preferences and behaviors, and you can use this data to refine your content strategy and enhance user engagement. A complete win-win! Real-Time Data and AI will Boost Hyper-Personalization Personalization has been an essential factor in content marketing for years, but in 2024, hyper-personalization will be the new trend with real-time data and AI integration. In 2024, more businesses will use AI to deliver valuable content and user experiences in seconds. Yes, this will increase customer engagement. In fact, the latest research from Epsilon has shown that over 80% of consumers are more willing to patronize a business that offers them a personalized experience. Even other research, like the one carried out by Instapage, has shown that businesses implementing hyper-personalization experiences for their customers have seen significant growth. So, it is essential that you include this trend in your 2024 content marketing strategy. Sustainable Marketing Will Become a Priority Emphasis on sustainability in content marketing will grow significantly in the coming year. Consumers are increasingly conscious of their choices' environmental and social impact, and brands are responding by integrating sustainability into their marketing strategies. According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, 75% of consumers were willing to switch to brands that show a considerable level of environmental consciousness and sustainability, even if it meant paying a premium. This trend involves not only showcasing eco-friendly products but also communicating a brand's commitment to ethical practices and positive contributions to the community. So, as a content marketer poised to dominate 2024, your content marketing strategy should involve your journey toward sustainability, ethical sourcing practices, and the positive impact you are making on the environment. This approach not only aligns with consumer values but will also establish a deeper connection between your brand and target audience. Social Media Platforms will Turn Search Engines This growing trend is set to change how we look for information on the internet. Before now, what we normally did when looking for something was head to Google (News - Alert) and type in what we were looking for in the hopes that we'd get valuable results that answered our questions, but things have gotten a lot better. Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter (News - Alert)) have evolved beyond content-sharing spaces to become search engines that deliver more accurate information than custom search engines like Google. How? Well, let me give an illustration. Let's say you want to attend a tech or marketing seminar in your area or city. You can go straight to Google and type in "Marketing Seminar in Dallas," and what you may find is outdated information that will not be useful to you. On the switch side, go to your Facebook (News - Alert) or X account and type in the same search query, and you will see the latest posts about seminars coming up in your area, either virtually or physically. A lot of people are seeing the accuracy that comes with using their social media apps as search engines, and in 2024, this will become a huge trend. In fact, according to research by Hootsuite, over 70% of consumers use their social media apps to find inspiration when looking to buy something on the internet. What Does This Mean for Content Marketers? It means it's time to diversify your content marketing efforts and channel some energy towards optimizing your social media content for searchability, ensuring that all your products and services are easily discoverable within these social platforms. Don't just post a picture on your LinkedIn (News - Alert), Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or X account; include strategic searchable keywords in your captions. Not just that, but also ensure that your visuals are compelling and your social media profile is well organized. Leveraging this strategy will increase your visibility and engagement in 2024. User-Generated Content Amplification User-generated content (UGC) has been a valuable brand asset for some time, but in 2024, we'll see a shift towards not just using UGC but actively amplifying it. Brands will go beyond simple reposts and actively collaborate with their customer base to co-create content. You'll see brands like Lucchese organizing a social media trend where customers post a cool photo of their Lucchese cowboy boots with a particular hashtag. These hashtags will then be integrated into marketing campaigns and used to Foster a sense of community around the brand. Add authenticity to the brand image. Serve as a powerful word-of-mouth marketing tool. So, expect more UGC-centered content in 2024 and, in fact, make it a part of your content marketing strategy. This trend will not only reduce the burden on you to create all content internally but also leverage the creativity and authenticity of your user base. Like I said earlier, it's a complete win-win! Wrapping Up The coming year holds so much potential, and only smart content marketers will enjoy its benefits. As 2023 comes to a close, it will only be wise to start planning for 2024 with effective strategies that will help you make the most of the year. These trends will provide you with ideas on optimizing your content marketing efforts in 2024. So, do well to make them a part of your strategy, and believe me, you'll be glad you did by this time next year. The Swedish branch of the climate movement Fridays for Future (FFF), best known for activist Greta Thunberg, Tuesday reiterated its support for Palestinians in Gaza following criticism of its stance on the Israeli war on Gaza. At the end of October, several politicians in Germany urged the German branch of the movement to cut ties with its international branch over its and Thunberg's outspoken pro-Palestinian remarks. "Contrary to what many have claimed, Fridays for Future has not 'been radicalized' or 'become political'," FFF Sweden wrote in op-eds published in the Swedish daily Aftonbladet and British newspaper The Guardian. "We have always been political because we have always been a movement for justice." "Advocating for climate justice fundamentally comes from a place of caring about people and their human rights," it wrote. "That means speaking up when people suffer, are forced to flee their homes, or are killed - regardless of the cause." "Standing in solidarity with Palestinians and all affected civilians has never been in question for us," it added. Fridays for Future's international group has blasted the genocide in Gaza, and slammed "Western support and misinformation machines". Luisa Neubauer, who heads the German chapter of Fridays for Future, said in a recent interview with Die Zeit weekly that Thunberg's view of the conflict was one-sided. "I'm disappointed that Greta Thunberg had nothing concrete to say about the Jewish victims of the massacre of October 7," she said. FFF Sweden wrote on Tuesday that "the horrific murders of Israeli civilians by Hamas cannot in any way legitimize Israel's ongoing war crimes." "Genocide is not self-defense, nor is it in any way a proportionate response," it said. The movement also condemned a "sharp increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic statements, actions and hate crimes in Sweden and the world", stressing the need "to distinguish between Hamas, Muslims, and Palestinians; and between the state of Israel, Jewish people, and Israelis." Israel killed nearly 15,900 people in the territory, around 70 percent of them women and children, in its brutal war on Gaza. Search Keywords: Short link: December 05, 2023 In the ever-evolving world of logistics and shipping, finding the most efficient and cost-effective way to move your freight is paramount. Whether you're a business owner or a logistics manager, the goal is clear: to streamline your shipping operations while reducing costs. This is where freight broker services come into play, acting as the linchpin in the complex world of freight transportation. In this article, we'll explore how freight broker services, including their role in handling dry van freight and connecting with the right flatbed company, can make a significant difference in your freight shipping endeavors. The Foundation: Understanding Freight Broker Services What Are Freight Brokers? Freight brokers are intermediaries that connect shippers with carriers. They serve as matchmakers in the logistics world, bringing together businesses looking to ship their goods and transportation companies with available capacity. The Benefits of Working with Freight Brokers Access to a Vast Network: Freight brokers have extensive networks of carriers, allowing them to find the most suitable transportation solutions for your specific needs. Cost Savings: By leveraging their expertise and connections, freight brokers can negotiate competitive rates, potentially reducing your shipping costs. Time Efficiency: Brokers handle the intricate logistics, paperwork, and communication, saving you valuable time that you can dedicate to other aspects of your business. The Role of Dry Van Freight in Freight Broker Services Understanding Dry Van Freight Dry van freight involves transporting cargo in an enclosed trailer, protecting it from the elements. This method is ideal for a wide range of goods, from electronics to clothing and non-perishable items. Dry van freight provides security and versatility, making it a popular choice in the freight industry. When you partner with a freight broker for dry van freight services, you gain access to a network of carriers with various trailer options. This flexibility ensures that your cargo is transported safely and efficiently, regardless of its size or nature. Whether you're shipping small parcels or large pallets, dry van freight can accommodate your needs, thanks to the expertise of freight brokers. Connecting with the Right Flatbed Company The Significance of Flatbed Transportation Flatbed transportation offers a unique solution for oversized or irregularly shaped cargo. Whether you're dealing with heavy machinery, construction materials, or large equipment, a flatbed company can provide the specialized transportation required for these loads. Working with a freight broker experienced in connecting you with the right flatbed company is crucial for successful and cost-effective shipments. These brokers understand the intricacies of flatbed transportation, including securing and protecting oversized cargo during transit. They can match you with carriers equipped with the necessary equipment, such as tarps, chains, and straps, ensuring your cargo arrives safely and intact. Navigating Freight Shipping Columbus Columbus: A Hub of Opportunities Columbus, Ohio, is a bustling hub for freight shipping. Its strategic location and well-connected transportation infrastructure make it a prime destination for businesses looking to move goods efficiently. Whether you're shipping within Columbus or using it as a transit point, having a reliable freight broker service by your side is essential. The Columbus Advantage By partnering with a freight broker experienced in Freight Shipping Columbus, you tap into a wealth of local knowledge and connections. They understand the intricacies of the Columbus transportation landscape, from the major highways to the local regulations. This insight ensures that your shipments move smoothly through this crucial logistics hub. The Future of Freight Broker Services As the logistics industry continues to evolve, so do freight broker services. Advancements in technology have played a significant role in transforming how these services operate. Digital platforms and automated systems are now helping freight brokers match shippers with carriers even more efficiently. Real-time tracking, predictive analytics, and data-driven decision-making have become integral to the freight brokerage process. Moreover, the importance of freight brokers is not limited to large corporations. Small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly turning to these services to compete in the global marketplace. The accessibility of freight broker services levels the playing field, allowing businesses of all sizes to access the same network of carriers and cost-saving benefits. Conclusion: Streamlining Your Freight Shipping In the world of logistics, efficiency and cost-effectiveness are the keys to success. Freight broker services offer a streamlined approach to shipping, connecting you with the right carriers, whether you're dealing with dry van freight or specialized flatbed transportation. By harnessing the expertise of freight brokers, you not only save time and money but also gain peace of mind knowing that your cargo is in capable hands. So, if you're looking to optimize your freight shipping operations, consider the advantages of working with freight broker services. They're the key to efficient and cost-effective shipments that drive your business forward. [December 05, 2023] GoNetspeed Construction Underway to Deliver 100% Fiber Internet to Lisbon Tweet GoNetspeed today announced that construction has officially begun to bring 100% fiber internet to Lisbon. More than 2,200 residents and businesses will gain access to symmetrical upload and download speeds, through GoNetspeed's fully funded $1.8 million investment that allowing customers to upload just as fast as they download. Residents are expected to have access to service by the beginning of 2024 with construction expected to be completed by the end of this winter. Once service is available, Lisbon will have the opportunity to experience GoNetspeed's future-proof fiber internet speeds. Those interested may visit gonetspeed.com to sign up for priority installation once service is available in their area and to receive updates on construction. "GoNetspeed is dedicated to equipping communities with internet designed to help their residents and businesses thrive," said Richard Clark, GoNetspeed President and CEO. "With access to high-speed internet, communities are supported by an infrastructure that will meet their growing online needs. We are pleased to be able to provide Lisbon with internet that will support theireconomic development and future goals for their tight-knit community." GoNetspeed is continuing to ensure that more communities throughout Maine have access to a high-speed 100% fiber internet infrastructure. Currently, Auburn, Bangor, Bath, Biddeford, Brewer, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Falmouth, Gorham, Gray, Kennebunk, Lewiston, New Gloucester, Old Orchard Beach, Old Town, Orono, Portland, Rockland, Saco, Scarborough, Topsham, Waterville, Westbrook, Windham, Winslow, and Yarmouth have access to GoNetspeed's service. Many other communities throughout the state are well on their way to having access to GoNetspeed's fiber internet. With a legacy of innovation and a commitment to customer service, GoNetspeed is excited to accelerate the expansion of fiber networks throughout nine states, including Maine. GoNetspeed continues to deliver more fiber, more access, more speed, and better reliability to residents and businesses throughout our footprint. With access to 100% fiber internet, customers have access to symmetrical upload and download speeds, ranging from 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). Learn more about GoNetspeed at gonetspeed.com. About GoNetspeed: GoNetspeed, a high-speed fiber internet provider serving residential and business customers in Maine, Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia, formed a partnership with Oak Hill Capital ("Oak Hill") in January 2021, allowing GoNetspeed to accelerate the expansion of its fiber network throughout the Northeastern U.S. Adding thousands of new service areas every year, GoNetspeed is one of the largest independent internet providers in the east. For more information about GoNetspeed, or to inquire about service in your residence, business or community, visit gonetspeed.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205623640/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] RxCell Announces $4,600,000 Investment from DMR Global Venture and Regenosis, Plans for Second Raise of $15,000,000 for IND Testing in Q4 2023 Tweet RxCell, a pioneering biotech company focusing on cellular therapeutics for age-related diseases, today proudly announces a $4,600,000 investment commitment from DMR Global Venture LLC and Regenosis. Building on the strength of collaboration with National University of Singapore, this fresh investment accentuates RxCell's resolute drive to revolutionize age-related disease treatment. Furthermore, RxCell is gearing up for a substantial second capital raise of $15,000,000 in Q4 2023. This upcoming fundraise is strategically designed to secure the necessary resources, propelling the company forward through its promising IND (Investigational New Drug) application testing and process. The Market Landscape: The global Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Market, an integral segment RxCell operates in, had a valuation of USD 7.47 billion in 2021. This market is projected to surge forward at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2021 to 2030. Contemporary Methods vs. RxCell's Approach: Most prevalent methods in the market predominantly focus on slowing or halting the progression of cell death by replacing afflicted cells with RPE (Retinal Pigment Epithelium) or other cell types that introduce trophic factors. However, using RPE replacement alone is believed to offer limited value, especially to patients who have already suffered significant photoreceptor loss. RxCell stands distincively apart with its innovative approach. The firm intends to treat patients by replacing damaged or dysfunctional cells with healthy and functional iPSC-derived RPC (photoreceptors). Alternatively, they employ a combination of RPC and RPE with the primary aim of restoring vision. RxCell is determined to demonstrate the broad value of its RPC product in an upcoming Phase I/IIA clinical trial, targeting RP patients. Professor Xianmin Zeng, CEO of RxCell, remarked, "We're thrilled to align with DMR Global Venture and Regenosis. Their unwavering support invigorates our mission. With the forthcoming capital raise of $15,000,000, we're poised to solidify our position in the AMD market, bringing about transformative therapies that reshape the landscape." Both DMR Global Venture and Regenosis are recognized names, with the former being a dynamic investment firm focusing on the US healthcare sector and the latter, a Singapore-based entity, devoted to combating the effects of ageing. In light of prior milestones, including the collaboration with A*STAR's IMCB, NUS, and SERI, RxCell remains unwavering in its commitment to the biotech ecosystem. This recent capital influx, coupled with the planned Q4 raise, fortifies the company's commitment to combating age-related diseases. For details on our esteemed investors: About RxCell, Inc. RxCell Inc. is a forerunner in the cell therapy domain, particularly in the therapeutic applications of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). With cutting-edge solutions such as their patented technology, RxCell is consistently charting new territory in regenerative medicine. Further information can be accessed at https://www.rxcellinc.com/. Regenosis Visit: https://www.regenosis.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205727354/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] US Home Price Growth Continues Slow but Steady Increase in October, CoreLogic Reports Tweet CoreLogic, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released the CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI) and HPI Forecast for October 2023. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205927875/en/ Figure 1: HPI & HPI Forecast % Change YoY (Graphic: Business Wire) U.S. single-family home price growth continued to increase modestly in October, posting a 4.7% year-over-year increase. On a regional level, the Northeast again showed the biggest price rebound. The top five states with the highest annual appreciation in October are in that area of the country, with growth ranging from 10.3% in Connecticut to 9.3% in Maine and New Hampshire. The Northeast could be enjoying renewed home price gains in part due to a largely hybrid American workforce, in which employees need to be relatively close to major urban areas to allow for commutes to the office a few times per week. "Home price growth maintained its upward momentum in October, which continues to reflect gains from the strong spring season and contrasts with last year's home price declines," said Dr. Selma Hepp, chief economist for CoreLogic. "But even with high mortgage rates, October's price gains line up with historical trends and speak to the strength of some potential buyers' purchasing power, as they continue to outnumber available homes for sale. Metros that are seeing relatively stronger price gains are those with higher job growth, as well as those with an influx of higher-income, in-migrating households." Top Takeaways: U.S. single-family home prices (including distressed sales) increased by 4.7% year over year in October 2023 compared with October 2022. On a month-over-month basis, home prices rose by 0.2% compared with September 2023. In October, the annual appreciation of detached properties (5%) was 1 percentage point higher than that of attached properties (4%). CoreLogic's forecast shows annual U.S. home price gains slowing to 2.9% in October 2024. Miami posted the highest year-over-year home price increase of the country's 20 tracked metro areas in October, at 8.8%. Detroit saw the next-highest gain (7.7%) followed by St. Louis (7.6%). Among states, Connecticut ranked first for annual appreciation in October (up by 10.3%), ollowed by New Jersey (up by 9.9%) and Rhode Island (up by 9.7%). Four states recorded year-over-year home price losses: Utah (-1.6%), Idaho (-1.4%), Montana (-0.5%) and Texas (-0.2%). Methodology The CoreLogic HPI is built on industry-leading public record, servicing and securities real-estate databases and incorporates more than 45 years of repeat-sales transactions for analyzing home price trends. Generally released on the first Tuesday of each month with an average five-week lag, the CoreLogic HPI is designed to provide an early indication of home price trends by market segment and for the Single-Family Combined tier, representing the most comprehensive set of properties, including all sales for single-family attached and single-family detached properties. The indices are fully revised with each release and employ techniques to signal turning points sooner. The CoreLogic HPI provides measures for multiple market segments, referred to as tiers, based on property type, price, time between sales, loan type (conforming vs. non-conforming) and distressed sales. Broad national coverage is available from the national level down to ZIP Code, including non-disclosure states. CoreLogic HPI Forecasts are based on a two-stage, error-correction econometric model that combines the equilibrium home price-as a function of real disposable income per capita-with short-run fluctuations caused by market momentum, mean-reversion, and exogenous economic shocks like changes in the unemployment rate. With a 30-year forecast horizon, CoreLogic HPI Forecasts project CoreLogic HPI levels for two tiers - Single-Family Combined (both attached and detached) and Single-Family Combined Excluding Distressed Sales. As a companion to the CoreLogic HPI Forecasts, Stress-Testing Scenarios align with Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) national scenarios to project five years of home prices under baseline, adverse and severely adverse scenarios at state, metropolitan areas and ZIP Code levels. The forecast accuracy represents a 95% statistical confidence interval with a +/- 2% margin of error for the index. About Market Risk Indicators Market Risk Indicators are a subscription-based analytics solution that provide monthly updates on the overall health of housing markets across the country. CoreLogic data scientists combine world-class analytics with detailed economic and housing data to help determine the likelihood of a housing bubble burst in 392 major metros and all 50 states. Market Risk Indicators is a multi-phase regression model that provides a probability score (from 1 to 100) on the likelihood of two scenarios per metro: a >10% price reduction and a = 10% price reduction. The higher the score, the higher the risk of a price reduction. About the Market Condition Indicators As part of the CoreLogic HPI and HPI Forecasts offerings, Market Condition Indicators are available for all metropolitan areas and identify individual markets as overvalued, at value or undervalued. These indicators are derived from the long-term fundamental values, which are a function of real disposable income per capita. Markets are labeled as overvalued if the current home price indexes exceed their long-term values by greater than 10% and undervalued where the long-term values exceed the index levels by greater than 10%. Source: CoreLogic The data provided are for use only by the primary recipient or the primary recipient's publication or broadcast. This data may not be resold, republished or licensed to any other source, including publications and sources owned by the primary recipient's parent company without prior written permission from CoreLogic. Any CoreLogic data used for publication or broadcast, in whole or in part, must be sourced as coming from CoreLogic, a data and analytics company. For use with broadcast or web content, the citation must directly accompany first reference of the data. If the data are illustrated with maps, charts, graphs or other visual elements, the CoreLogic logo must be included on screen or website. For questions, analysis or interpretation of the data, contact Robin Wachner at [email protected]. For sales inquiries, visit https://www.corelogic.com/support/sales-contact/. Data provided may not be modified without the prior written permission of CoreLogic. Do not use the data in any unlawful manner. The data are compiled from public records, contributory databases and proprietary analytics, and its accuracy is dependent upon these sources. About CoreLogic CoreLogic is a leading provider of property insights and innovative solutions, working to transform the property industry by putting people first. Using its network, scale, connectivity and technology, CoreLogic delivers faster, smarter, more human-centered experiences that build better relationships, strengthen businesses and ultimately create a more resilient society. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com. CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo, CoreLogic HPI and CoreLogic HPI Forecast are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205927875/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 04, 2023] Celyad announces management change Tweet MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium, Dec. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celyad Oncology (Euronext: CYAD), a cutting-edge biotechnology company dedicated to pioneering the discovery and advancement of revolutionary technologies for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, announces that its CEO and managing director Georges Rawadi has decided to step down, effective as of Friday December 1, 2023. Georges has taken this decision for personal reasons. Michel Lussier will take over the CEO responsibilities ad interim. Michel is co-founder and member of the board of Directors of Celyad Oncology. Hilde Windels, Chair of Celyad Oncology, commented: We thank Georges for his efforts and dedication to make this pivotal year a success, following Celyads change in strategy since last year. We wish him every success in the future. The companys primary objective is to unlock the potential of its proprietary technology platforms and intellectual property, enabling to be at the forefront of developing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies. By fully leveraging its innovative technology platforms, Celyad Oncology aims to maximize the transformative impact of its candidate CAR T-cell therapies and redefine the future of CAR T-cell treatments. Michel Lussier, interim CEO, commented: We are grateful for the work that Georges has done and I look forward to working closer with the team again in this interim period. I am confident about the companys future: the science is great, we have cash in the bank and we have been very successful in our efforts to address the limitations of CAR-T. Hence, we are ready to engage in value adding partnering discussions. About Celyad Oncology Celyad Oncology is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery an development of innovative technologies chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. The Company is focusing on opportunities to fully harness the true potential of its proprietary technology platforms and intellectual property and support the development of next-generation CAR T candidates in solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Celyad Oncology is based in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium and New York, NY. For more information, please visit www.celyad.com. Celyad Oncology Forward-Looking Statement This release may contain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding beliefs about and expectations for the Companys updated strategic business model, including associated costs, cost savings and timing. The words will, expect, believe, potential, continue, target and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on managements current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and important factors which might cause actual events, results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Celyad Oncology to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks related to the material uncertainty about the Companys ability to continue as a going concern; the Companys ability to realize the expected benefits of its updated strategic business model; the Companys ability to develop its IP assets and enter into partnerships with outside parties; risks related to the Companys ability to execute on its plans regarding its clinical programs; and other risks identified in Celyad Oncologys U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including in the latest Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC and subsequent filings and reports by Celyad Oncology. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document and Celyad Oncologys actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Celyad Oncology expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless required by law or regulation. Celyad Oncology Investor and Media Contact: David Georges VP of Finance and Administration Celyad Oncology [email protected] Source: Celyad Oncology SA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 04, 2023] SUNeVision Partners with Digital Edge to Fast-track Customers' Regional Expansion Tweet Establishing One-stop-shop Interconnection Hub for Hyperscale Deployments across APAC HONG KONG, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SUNeVision Holdings Ltd. ('SUNeVision', SEHK: 1686), the number one data centre provider and connectivity hub in Hong Kong, jointly announced a partnership with Digital Edge (Singapore) Holdings Pte. Ltd. ('Digital Edge'), one of Asia's fastest-growing digital infrastructure providers. The two companies join forces to offer one-stop-shop interconnection and colocation services for hyperscale deployments across APAC. The strategic partnership will further enhance the region's digital infrastructure and accelerate global connectivity. SUNeVision's seven data centres in Hong Kong including MEGA-i, the critical interconnection hub in Asia, will synergise with Digital Edge's robust digital ecosystem and extensive footprint across APAC, including facilities in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. Together the two companies will offer enterprises seamless access to state-of-the-art, carrier-neutral data centres and colocation services, empowering business expansion with agility, efficiency and scalability. The collaboration achieves unique value proposition in strengthening the two companies' leading position in the digital infrastructure space. It will unlock opportunities for organisations to expand their regional presence in APAC and access a highly connected digital ecosystem through a one-stop-shop solution. SUNeVision is the largest data centre provider in Hong Kong with genuine carrier and cloud neutrality. Committed to providing market-leading colocation and connectivity solutions, SUNeVision has made significant investments in world-class infrastructure for more than two decades. It offers customers exclusive access to the strong data centre ecosystem with direct connection to 300+ global providers of cloud, telcos, ISP, CDN, OTT and more. Enhancing one-stop connectivity has remained a priority for the company. In early 2023, Asia Direct Cable (ADC)'s Hong Kong segment has landed at SUNeVision's HKIS-1, the first and only carrier-neutral cable landing station in Hong Kong, together with City Point-of-Presence (PoP) at its hyperscale data centre MEGA Plus. Digital Edge is committed to bridging the digital divide in APAC by providing carrier-neutral colocation and interconnection services across the region, including the emerging markets. The partnerhip will reinforce Hong Kong's strategic positioning as a pivotal regional telecom hub. Asia-wide customers can access unparalleled colocation solutions via SUNeVision's world-class facilities in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, China-based companies can expand overseas by tapping into Digital Edge's extensive regional presence including the company's recently opened facility in Manila, NARRA1, as well as its newest data centre in downtown Jakarta, EDGE2, which comes online in early 2024. Elisha Tong, General Manager, Commercial of SUNeVision, said, "We are excited to partner with Digital Edge to serve the fast-growing digital infrastructure market in APAC. Our strong footprint in Hong Kong, including MEGA-i, well-recognised for its most carrier-dense interconnection hub, will couple with Digital Edge's region-wide presence in Asia. Together we will bring a win-win solution to fast-track customers' expansion journey in the region." Larry Tam, Senior Vice President, Go-To-Market of Digital Edge, said, "Hong Kong continues to play an important role in the region's digital infrastructure landscape and we are delighted to partner with SUNeVision as the largest data centre provider in the market, who shares our commitment to building state-of-the-art, responsible infrastructure to enable the world's digital future. This partnership combines our extensive data centre footprint and rich connectivity options across Asia Pacific with SUNeVision's high-performance colocation solutions in Hong Kong, to offer customers access to a broader digital ecosystem and address growing demand driven by generative AI and cloud deployments." SUNeVision jointly announced a partnership with Digital Edge. The two companies join forces to offer one-stop-shop interconnection and colocation services for hyperscale deployments across APAC. About SUNeVision SUNeVision (SEHK: 1686), the technology arm of Sun Hung Kai Properties (SEHK: 0016), is the largest data centre provider in Hong Kong. We provide industry-leading carrier and cloud-neutral data centre services with Asia's number one connectivity. We connect providers of telecommunications, cloud, ISP, CDN, OTT from local, mainland China and global with enterprises of different businesses on our Asia leading data centre ecosystem. SUNeVision forms MEGA Campus by extending the connectivity edge from highly connected MEGA-i to other high-tier data centres, including MEGA Gateway, MEGA IDC, MEGA Plus and MEGA Two. Facilities on MEGA Campus are interconnected through a dedicated dark fibre network and around 15,000 cross-connects. Together with City PoPs of major submarine cables in our facilities, we enable our customers for direct connections to multi-cloud platforms and multi-cloud exchanges with the best connectivity in town. The addition of cable landing stations HKIS-1 and HKIS-2 to our data centre portfolio will provide a one-stop-solution to cable owners and users, strengthening our position as the leading connectivity hub in Asia. We are committed to supporting Hong Kong as a regional information hub and a strategic gateway to mainland China. For more information, please visit SUNeVision's website, LinkedIn or WeChat. About Digital Edge Headquartered in Singapore, Digital Edge is a trusted and forward-looking data center platform company, established to transform digital infrastructure in Asia. Through building and operating state-of-the-art, energy efficient data centers rich with connectivity options, Digital Edge aims to bring new colocation and interconnect options to the Asian market, making infrastructure deployment in the region easy, efficient and economical. Digital Edge was founded by a seasoned senior management team with decades of industry experience and an established track record of value creation in the data center, cloud and telecommunications industries in the Asia Pacific region. Backed by leading alternative investment firm Stonepeak, Digital Edge has in excess of US$1 billion in deployed and committed capital, establishing itself as a market leading pan-Asia data center platform. The company provides data center and fiber services across Asia, with a presence in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. For more information, please visit Digital Edge's website. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sunevision-partners-with-digital-edge-to-fast-track-customers-regional-expansion-302005112.html SOURCE Digital Edge [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 04, 2023] Samyang Chemical Group Forms Strategic Partnership With Plug And Play To Drive Early-Stage Investments Tweet SINGAPORE, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Samyang Chemical Group, a leading global chemical company announces its strategic partnership with Plug and Play, the world's largest innovation platform. The partnership aims to facilitate the discovery and investment in promising startups globally, providing a range of opportunities across various sectors and countries, while fostering cross-border collaboration. Plug and Play is renowned for connecting forward-thinking corporations with innovative startups to drive technological advancements. Through this partnership, Samyang Chemical Group will be able to leverage Plug and Play's vast network and resources to explore cutting-edge technologies, promote collaboration, and drive investment opportunities across the globe. As a key player in the global chemical industry, Samyang Chemical Group is committed to staying at the forefront of innovation. By joining forces with Plug and Play, the company aims to identify and adopt emerging technologies that will enable it to address evolving market demands and environmental challenges. Plug and Play will provide Samyang Chemical Group with access to a diverse ecosystem of startups through its VC as a Service platform. It will support the entire process of scouting, identification, and due diligence with the goal of driving early-stage investments. By participating in Plug and Play's programs and events, Samyang Chemical Group will have the opportunity to engage with innovative solutions in areas such as digitalization, sustainability, and supply chain optimization "At Plug and Play, we believe in the power of collaboration to drive meaningful change. We are excited to welcome Samyang Chemical Group to our ecosystem and look forward to working together to accelerate innovation across multiple industries," said Jupe Tan, Managing Partner at Plug and Play APAC. This strategic partnership between Samyang Chemical Group and Plug and Play signifies a significant step towards fostering a culture of innovation, sustainability, and resilience to catalyze technological advancements. About Samyang Chemical Group Samyang Chemical Group(SCG) is a comprehensive chemical company that based its core business on petrochemicals, a modern vital energy source. With its promising investment on R&D, SCG has grown to a global scale that exists today, continuing the effort to provide the best products and services for its customers. SCG has since expanded into various industries, including cross-border trading, distribution, steel business, real estate development, IT, etc., and strives to grow further with society, altogether. To fulfill its dream, SCG established DREAUM, SCG's spin-off for its new business development and investment, to actively search and invest into startups who have the potential to co-create and disrupt the world. SCG promises to put startups' growth forth to build an ongoing corporate-startup partnership relationship for a brighter future. About Plug and Play Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 50 locations globally, giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 80,000 startups and 550 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $9 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal. For more information visit: www.plugandplayapac.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/samyang-chemical-group-forms-strategic-partnership-with-plug-and-play-to-drive-early-stage-investments-302004222.html SOURCE Plug and Play APAC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 04, 2023] Pan-American Life Insurance Group Announces Data Security Incident Tweet Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) a leading provider of life, accident and health insurance throughout the Americas, shared today that it was impacted by the widespread data security incident involving Progress Software's MOVEit Transfer software where third parties took advantage of a previously unknown, critical, zero-day vulnerability in the software. Progress Software announced the vulnerability and recommended users disable the software until it could be patched due to a potential risk of data exposure. PALIG immediately ceased using MOVEit Transfer, disabled it in its system and, once available from Progress Software, successfully deployed all security patches within PALIG's environment. PALIG has been taking steps to further protect and strengthen the security of its systems. PALIG also engaged third-party cyber experts to partner with its team to launch an investigation to better understand what happened and to help prevent a similar incident in the future. In parallel, PALIG immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of cyber experts to assess the scope of the potential exploitation of the vulnerability and notified law enforcement. The investigation revealed that an unauthorized third party appears to have taken files through PALIG's use of MOVEit Transfer. On October 5, 2023, PALIG determined that the impacted files appear to have included personal information of individuals and may have included names, addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, contact information, medical and medical benefits information, subscriber numbers, certain biometric data, and financial account and credit card information. Notifications are being sent by mail to the affected individuals to explain what happened. Out of an abundance of caution, PALIG is also offering addiional services to individuals whose information was taken. There is no evidence that any information was misused for fraudulent purposes as a result of this incident. PALIG takes the privacy and security of client information very seriously and carefully evaluates the cybersecurity posture of third-party software. PALIG will continue this effort, and it is also taking steps to further secure its use of all third-party transfer tools. For more details on this data security incident, what PALIG is doing to address it, and available resources, please visit PALIG's website at palig.com. About PAN-AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE GROUP Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), a leading provider of life, accident and health insurance throughout the Americas, has been delivering trusted financial services since 1911. The New Orleans-based Group is comprised of more than twenty-member companies, employs more than 2,100 worldwide and offers top-rated individual and/or group life, accident and health insurance, employee benefits and financial services in 49 states, the District of Columbia (DC), the U.S. Virgin Islands, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The Group has affiliates or branches in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and 13 Caribbean markets, including Barbados, Cayman Islands, Curacao and Trinidad and Tobago. For more information, visit the Pan-American Life website at palig.com, follow us on Instagram @panamericanlife.latam, like us on Facebook @PanAmericanLife, follow us on Twitter @PanAmericanLife, and connect with us on LinkedIn at Pan-American Life Insurance Group. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204793300/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 04, 2023] J.S. Held Expands Digital Investigations & Discovery Practice in Europe & the Asia Pacific Tweet J.S. Held Global Investigations Digital Investigations & Discovery team welcomes four investigation experts under the leadership of Simon Placks. JERICHO, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting firm J.S. Held announces the expansion of the Digital Investigations & Discovery team in Europe and the Asia Pacific with the addition of four experts Chantelle Jalland, Benjamin Guinard, Marybeth Kings, and Mayank Sharma, who join Senior Managing Director Simon Placks. J.S. Held's Digital Investigations & Discovery (DI&D) team preserves and investigates data, providing forensic analysis, hosted document review, data analytics, and information governance consulting. Our team's significant professional experience is supported by market-leading technology to help clients manage legal, regulatory, and operational risk. Commenting on the team's expansion, EMEA lead Simon Placks adds, "The DI&D team at J.S. Held is unique, having eliminated barriers between technical disciplines. Doing so fosters a multidisciplinary, client-focused, and collaborative approach, allowing our clients to leverage the strengths of our global expertise." Legal technology leader Chantelle Jalland, JD, BBus, BA, joins the team as Managing Director based in J.S. Held's London office, bringing over 15 years of extensive experience scoping large-scale reviews and advising clients on advanced analytics in disputes and investigations. Chantelle also has international exposure working in various jurisdictions, including European Commission investigations. Benjamin Guinard, an expert specializing in data analytics, programming, and eDiscovery, joins the EMEA DI&D Team as a Senior Director based in the London office. Combining the knowledge he gathered through diverse project experiences working alongside government, legal, and corporate clients, he thrives in designing and implementing custom solutions to assist his clients in solving their structured and unstructured data challenges. E-Discovery expert Marybeth Kings joins as a Senior Director within the EMEA DI&D Team and is based in our London office, bringing over a decade of experience assisting government, legal, and corporate clients with their eDiscovery matters. She is well-versed in the review and project management of unstructured data, such as email, mobile, IM, and server data. She helps legal teams cull down the amount of data for review using traditional and modern methods of deduplication, email threading, and continuous active learning. Senior Director Mayank Sharma is an eDiscovery and digital forensics consulting team leader based in the Mumbai office of J.S. Held with over 16 years of experience leading and managing teams on projects related to legal or regulatory intervention readiness, information governance, compliance, Data Subject Access Requests, eDiscovery, and forensic data capture. Mayank joins J.S. Held, having worked with all the Magic Circle law firms, providing extensive technical advice on several international assignments. "Our strength is our people," said Stephen O'Malley, Senior Managing Director, and Global Leader of J.S. Held's DI&D team. "Our highly qualified professionals have acquired their experiences through longstanding careers in law enforcement, military, industry, academia, and advisory services, which focus on information and cyber security, the lifecycle of data and its analysis/management, along with the various elements of digital forensics and incident response." With multiple leadership, operational, and tactical certifications from industry-leading organizations like SANS, ISC2, IAPP, CompTIA, ACFE, the EC-Council, and more, J.S. Held DI&D professionals are recognized industry thought leaders, public speakers, and authors who have been featured at major events and in industry-leading publications. They are sought for their experiences, insights, and abilities to develop customized solutions to common and complex data, cyber, data, and information security challenges. About J.S. Held J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved. CONTACT: Kristi L. Stathis Global Public Relations J.S. Held +1 786 833 4864 Kristi.Stathis@jsheld.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1824221/JS_Held_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/js-held-expands-digital-investigations--discovery-practice-in-europe--the-asia-pacific-302005282.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 04, 2023] SEPHORA Malaysia's first-ever 3D Interactive Show Launches in Kuala Lumpur Tweet Immerse in the Future of Beauty and Technology this holiday season. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the holiday season round the corner, SEPHORA Malaysia is excited to launch the 'Unwrap Their Beautiful' campaign with a first-ever 3D interactive showcase on the capital city's largest 3D screens. 'Unwrap Their Beautiful' invites visitors to a virtual journey to discover their beauty power and share their holiday cheer. Regardless of age, gender, or background for this season of gifting. To create a unique holiday experience, the 3D synchronised interactive show turns spectators into participants when they dedicate their holiday wishes to their nearest and dearest on the screens. This can be achieved by scanning a QR code for an instant connection or schedule your wishes in advance. This feature transforms the experience into holiday cheer by fostering connections and sharing moments of love and appreciation. With a touch of technology, consumers at SEPHORA's Fahrenheit88 store can discover surprises hidden within its holiday displays. Valerie Foong, General Manager of Sephora Malaysia explains, "There are QR codes consumers can scan that will lead them to an interactive game. As they follow the virtual ribbon, consumer have a chance to not only collect virtual gifts but also turn virtual into reality with tangible gifts by approaching any Beauty Advisors in-store." The 3D interactive show will be displayed on the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur's Elite screen and Fahrenheit88's Curve LED screen daily from 1st December 2023 - 1st January 2024 at 8:30pm (GMT + 8) For more updates on the holiday initiatives, visit SEPHORA Malaysia's Facebook , Instagram or website . 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 and empower the extraordinary in each of us. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sephora-malaysias-first-ever-3d-interactive-show-launches-in-kuala-lumpur-302005363.html SOURCE Sephora [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Two weeks after the forced evacuation of the Al-Nasr Childrens Hospital in north Gaza, a journalist stumbled on a grisly scene: the decomposing bodies of several infants who had been left behind, highlighting how the strips medical infrastructure has found itself firmly in the crosshairs of Israels war. During last weeks ceasefire, Mohammed Baalousha, a journalist with the Emirati TV channel Al Mashhad, entered the building and found the bodies of five infants who had to be left behind when the hospital was evacuated on 10 November. All were near catheters and ventilators and one infant appeared to still be connected to a machine that measures the oxygen levels in blood, with tanks of the gas nearby. Reacting to the footage, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a statement saying the incident represents an unspeakable tragedy, an unacceptable reality of how civilians including babies and children pay the price in conflict." Forensic pathologists confirmed the timeline based on the level of decomposition. Dr Mustafa Al-Kahlot, director of the hospital, said staff had concluded they could not safely evacuate the five infants, several of whom were premature and on oxygen when Israeli tanks encircled the facility. "Our evacuation from Al-Nasr Hospital was very difficult and under fire," he told Sky News' US partner site NBC. "Children [could not] be carried by hand or evacuated without oxygen equipment." In footage taken before the evacuation, Dr Al-Kahlot is seen in the same hospital room, warning that the building was the target of bombings, and that one child had already died due to a "lack of oxygen." This account was corroborated by an audio recording on 10 November by a nurse from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) who was working in the hospital at the time, as per NBC. He said the hospital was under fire from snipers, which was impeding the safe evacuation of the building. "Five patients remained in the intensive care unit on the oxygen machine," he is heard saying in the recording. "We left them. We only took one baby." Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also verified these claims, reporting that Israeli airstrikes hit the hospital on 9 November, cutting off the neonatal ICUs oxygen supply. The attack forced staff to evacuate the next day, leaving babies that could not be transported alone in intensive care, according to Doctors Without Borders," HRW explained. Pediatric units at risk Al-Shifa Hospital Gazas main hospital, located in the north of the strip faced a similar situation, coming under intense bombardment by the Israeli army. Without electricity for incubators, five premature babies died at Al-Shifa before the critically ill survivors were evacuated on 19 November, according to the UN. On Tuesday, the Tal Al-Sultan Maternity Hospital in Rafah ran out of fuel for its generator, plunging the facility into a dire situation, the hospital said in a statement. The hospital administration, in a distressing plea, squarely placed "responsibility for the lives of newborns, premature infants and the well-being of female patients on the shoulders of the occupying forces." My message from Gaza today: pic.twitter.com/0EkxwD0XRL Mirjana Spoljaric (@ICRCPresident) December 4, 2023 Since 7 October, Israel has killed more than 6,000 Palestinian children in Gaza, with the targeting of medical infrastructure compounding the harm. "Israels bombardments have repeatedly forced maternity wards and reproductive health clinics to shut down or relocate," HRW indicated. Israel also cut electricity to Gaza and banned for more than a month the entry of fuel needed to run generators that powered hospital equipment like incubators, despite World Health Organization (WHO) warnings that newborns would die. The Palestine Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA)s only service delivery center in Gaza was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on an adjacent building on 8 October, executive director Ammal Awadallah told Human Rights Watch. Awadallah said midwives and healthcare workers in Gaza are a lifeline for the estimated 180 women giving birth each day, but attacks have forced them to provide care via telephone when there is connectivity. Search Keywords: Short link: [December 04, 2023] Nagad promotes mainstreaming of persons with disabilities Tweet DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nagad, a popular mobile financial service provider based in Bangladesh, is making significant strides to champion the mainstreaming of persons with disabilities the initiatives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a commitment to SDG 10, which calls for reduced inequalities, the world's fastest-growing mobile money operator is actively working towards building a more inclusive financial ecosystem that leaves no one behind. The MFS company has digitalised disbursements of social safety allowances meant for marginalised and impoverished people, including persons with disabilities, making sure such financial aid reaches actual beneficiaries promptly. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the nationwide count of individuals with disabilities stands at approximately 4.8 million, with a significantly higher prevalence in villages than in urban areas. In the last four fiscal years up to FY2023-24, the government allocated BDT 8,000 crore equivalent to around $802 million for over 9 million such beneficiaries. Eery year 75 percent of the total social safety allowances are successfully disbursed through Nagad. As part of its dedication to SDG 8, promoting decent work and economic growth, Nagad has created opportunities for insolvent persons with disabilities to become its Uddokta (agents) thus fostering independence and breaking free from reliance on others. In times when support seemed elusive, Nagad stepped forward, becoming a beacon of empowerment for those often marginalised in society. In terms of SDGs, Bangladesh has had positive outcomes in areas, such as poverty eradication, education, health, employment, gender equality, and financial inclusion, with Nagad being instrumental in speeding up the country's journey towards achieving SDGs. On 3 December, the world observed the "International Day of Persons with Disabilities" intending to promote the inclusion of disabled individuals in all facets of society. The forward-thinking mobile financial service provider takes pride in its commitment to improving their lives and livelihoods by ensuring equitable access to financial resources. Tanvir A Mishuk, founder and managing director of Nagad Ltd., "From the beginning of our journey, we have been working to improve people's lifestyles by bringing them into the fold of digital financial inclusion. We have also taken initiatives to mainstream persons with disabilities, which resonate with multiple SDGs. By fostering inclusivity, we contribute to a world where financial services are accessible to all, irrespective of ability." "We believe that the SDGs can be a stepping stone to reach our goal of Smart Bangladesh by 2041, and Nagad will be a powerful tool," he added. About Nagad Ltd (https://www.nagad.com.bd/) Nagad Limited is one of the leading MFS operators in Bangladesh's payment industry with 85 million registered customers and an average daily transaction of about USD 112 million. The digital payment platform, known as a successful public-private partnership between Bangladesh Postal Department and the private sector, was inaugurated in 2019 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the people's republic of Bangladesh. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/nagad-promotes-mainstreaming-of-persons-with-disabilities-302004550.html SOURCE Nagad Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] MPC Energy Solutions announces grid connection of solar PV plant Planeta Rica in Colombia; plant will help reduce emissions by over 4,000 tons of CO2 per year Tweet OSLO, Norway, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MPC Energy Solutions ("MPCES", "Company") announced today that its 26.7 MW solar photovoltaic ("PV") plant Planeta Rica has been connected and is now supplying energy to the power grid. The project is a joint venture with French developer Akuo Energy. MPCES and Akuo Energy both own a 50% stake in the project. "We are happy to achieve yet another milestone in our company's history. We expect the plant to achieve full capacity early next week, and the project is now delivering clean and affordable energy to the Colombian market. We are proud of this achievement", said Stefan H.A. Meichsner, Chief Financial Officer of MPCES. The Planeta Rica plant will supply over 48 GWh of electricity per year to the grid and is expected to generate around USD 1.6 million in proportionate revenues for the Company in 2024. MPCES now has five projects under operation across four countries in the region. The power plant was built by the international engineering and construction group Mota-Egil. Bancolombia provided a project fiance facility to the project to fund construction and the operational phase of the project. Planeta Rica will sell electricity under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to Celsia, one of the country's leading energy companies. The plant is expected to avoid the emission of over 4,000 tons of CO2 each year. "Expanding its solar footprint is core to Colombia's transition towards a more diversified renewable base. Today the country is highly reliant on power from hydro sources, and the recent dry periods have shown how negatively this lack of diversification impacts electricity prices in the market", adds Fernando Zuniga, the Company's Managing Director for Latin America. About MPC Energy Solutions MPC Energy Solutions ("MPCES") is a global provider of sustainable energy and primarily focuses on low-carbon energy infrastructure, including solar and wind farms, and other hybrid and energy efficiency solutions. The Company participates in the full project lifecycle of renewable solutions, from early-stage development through construction and operation. More details at www.mpc-energysolutions.com Media contacts MPC Energy Solutions N.V. Investor Relations & Public Relations Email: [email protected] Norway Mats Samdahl Weltz Salto Advisers Phone: +47 950 46330 Email: [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mpc-energy-solutions-announces-grid-connection-of-solar-pv-plant-planeta-rica-in-colombia-plant-will-help-reduce-emissions-by-over-4-000-tons-of-co2-per-year-302005592.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] JUST Capital to Launch National Campaign in Q1 2024 Tweet In 2024, JUST Capital is set to kick off its first-ever nationwide marketing campaign, which will spotlight the significant leadership, progress, and achievements of forward-thinking corporations in addressing some of the country's most pressing societal challenges. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205197170/en/ JUST Capital. (Photo: Business Wire) Martin Whittaker, JUST Capital CEO, said, "We want to create a race to the top for corporate America in creating value for all their stakeholders. We are thrilled to magnify our work, and more importantly, the companies we track, many of whom are doing amazing things to build a better future for people and planet." As part of this initiative, JUST Capital has selected Empower Media, the largest woman-owned media agency in America, to serve as both their brand creative and media agency for the campaign. "We chose Empower Media for their robust strategic expertise, creativity and best in class media planning and buying capabilities, and as importantly our shared values," said Whittaker. "We recognized their unique ability to work in powerful new ways with our many JUST Capital companies to lift up leadership and spark a wider movement for business as a force for good." About JUST Capital: Founded by Wall Street luminary Paul Tudor Jones, philanthropist and humanitarian Ray Chambers, Thrive Global founder and author Arianna Huffington, and a group of distinguished leaders, JUST Capital is an independent nonprofit dedicated to showing that just business - as defined by the priorities of the public - is better business. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205197170/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Global Smart Crop Monitoring Market Analysis 2023-2028 - Advancements in Technologies such as AI, Machine Learning and Remote Sensing are Forecast to Propel Crop Monitoring Growth Tweet DUBLIN, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Smart Crop Monitoring Market: Focus on Product, Application and Country 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global smart crop monitoring market was valued at $2.78 billion in 2022, and it is expected to grow with a CAGR of 16.90% during the forecast period 2023-2028 to reach $7.16 billion by 2028. This growth of the crop monitoring market is likely to be driven by the increasing demand for optimized crop yields and efficient use of resources in agriculture. Additionally, advancements in technologies such as AI, machine learning, and remote sensing are expected to further propel crop monitoring growth. According to the USDA, approximately 1 billion pounds of conventional pesticides are utilized annually in the U.S. to manage weeds, insects, and other pests. Despite this substantial use of pesticides and herbicides, agricultural production has seen only marginal growth. A significant portion of these pesticides goes to waste due to uniform spraying methods. With smart crop scouting and smart spraying, there is vast potential for input optimization and improved crop yields. By applying inputs such as pesticides and herbicides more precisely, farmers can ensure that they are used efficiently and effectively, reducing waste and potentially increasing crop yields. The demand for smart crop monitoring is expected to grow in response to these challenges. These technologies can provide real-time data on crop health and soil conditions, enabling farmers to apply inputs more accurately and at the optimal time. This not only reduces wastage but also improves crop health and yield. In 2022, the global smart crop monitoring industry reached a valuation of $2.78 billion. Over the forecast period, the market is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 16.9%, ultimately reaching a value of $7.16 billion by 2028. The shrinking availability of agricultural land due to rapid urbanization, combined with the burgeoning global population, is a significant catalyst driving the demand for smart crop monitoring solutions. As arable land diminishes, the agricultural sector faces intensified pressure to enhance productivity from limited space. Smart crop monitoring technologies, leveraging precision agriculture and IoT, enable farmers to maximize yields within confined areas. By precisely analyzing crop health, soil conditions, and environmental factors, these solutions optimize resource usage, ensuring higher productivity per unit of land. This efficiency is crucial for meeting the increasing food demands of a growing population while conserving valuable agricultural reources and minimizing environmental impact, making crop monitoring an essential tool in modern agriculture. Market Segmentation Segmentation 1: by Application Disease and Pest Detection Nutrient Management Weed Management Crop Insurance Others Based on application, the disease and pest detection segment is anticipated to drive the highest demand for smart crop monitoring market throughout the forecast period. With agriculture facing constant threats from diseases and pests that can devastate crops, early detection and swift action are imperative. Crop monitoring solutions equipped with advanced sensors, AI-driven analytics, and data processing capabilities enable real-time monitoring of crops. By identifying signs of diseases or pest infestations promptly, farmers can take proactive measures, preventing extensive damage and ensuring healthy yields. This critical application underscores the pivotal role smart crop monitoring plays in ensuring crop protection, enhancing agricultural productivity, and safeguarding global food supply chains. Moreover, the integration of these applications with other smart farming technologies, such as remote sensing and machine learning, can provide farmers with more accurate and timely information about the health of their crops. This can enable them to take proactive measures to manage pests and diseases, further driving the demand for crop health monitoring solutions. The demand for smart crop monitoring in the context of crop insurance is poised to experience substantial growth over the forecast period. Smart crop monitoring technologies, including satellite imagery, IoT devices, and data analytics, offer precise and real-time insights into crop health, yield forecasts, and potential risks. Insurers can leverage this data to assess risks accurately, streamline underwriting processes, and offer customized insurance policies to farmers. By integrating remote monitoring solutions, insurance companies can enhance their ability to evaluate claims efficiently, reduce fraudulent activities, and provide timely support to farmers impacted by various agricultural risks. Segmentation 2: by Product Sensor Technology Drones Robots Handheld Devices Software and Mobile Applications Based on product, the drones segment is poised for significant growth in the near future. Drones equipped with advanced sensors and imaging technologies offer farmers a bird's-eye view of their fields, enabling precise crop health assessments, pest detection, and yield predictions. This technology revolutionizes traditional farming methods by providing real-time data for informed decision-making. With the ability to cover large agricultural areas swiftly and efficiently, drones enhance productivity, optimize resource usage, and contribute to sustainable farming practices. The increasing adoption of drones in agriculture underscores their potential to revolutionize the industry, making them a key player in the future of smart crop monitoring. The added advantage of handheld devices in smart crop monitoring is their cost-effectiveness compared to other monitoring products. Their affordability makes advanced technology accessible to a wider range of farmers, promoting widespread adoption. This cost efficiency ensures that even small-scale farmers can leverage cutting-edge solutions, enhancing agricultural practices without imposing a significant financial burden. Handheld devices democratize access to precision agriculture tools, fostering sustainability and innovation across diverse farming communities. Company Profiles Trimble Deere & Company CNH Industrial KUBOTA Airbus IBM DJI Climate AGRIVI Small Robot Company Semios Key Topics Covered: 1 Markets 1.1 Industry Outlook 1.2 Business Dynamics 2 Application 2.1 Global Smart Crop Monitoring Market (by Application) 2.1.1 Disease and Pest Detection 2.1.2 Nutrient Management 2.1.3 Weed Management 2.1.4 Crop Insurance 2.1.5 Others 3 Products 3.1 Global Smart Crop Monitoring Market (by Product) 3.2 Value Chain/Supply Chain Analysis 3.3 Patent Analysis 4 Region 5 Markets - Competitive Benchmarking & Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nthlqr 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: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-smart-crop-monitoring-market-analysis-2023-2028---advancements-in-technologies-such-as-ai-machine-learning-and-remote-sensing-are-forecast-to-propel-crop-monitoring-growth-302005643.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] The next big advertising opportunity: Quora Ads Tweet Quora, the globally acclaimed Q&A platform, is spotlighting the potential of Quora Ads for innovative advertisers and agencies. The platform's audience, known for their high intent, presents an untapped opportunity for brands eager to engage with proactive, solution-seeking users. LONDON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quora is a gathering place for over 400 million unique monthly visitors from around the world, constituting a diverse, educated, and influential audience. An impressive 42% of these users hold a minimum of an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree, while 29% are in decision-making roles at work, as per the GWI Core January to September 2023 survey of participating Quora users*.This distinct demographic profile, relatively unduplicated on other platforms, offers a fresh opportunity for advertisers. Quora Ads is more than just an advertising platform; it's a bridge to an engaged and inquisitive audience. With users actively participating in discussions across a vast range of topics, Quor Ads allows brands to position their messaging at crucial moments of decision-making. Moreover, Quora's depth of over 300,000 topics, covering sectors from finance and auto to health, e-commerce, education, and beyond, provides a rich tapestry for advertisers to weave in their narratives. This breadth and depth make Quora Ads a valuable asset for advertisers, whether they are looking to broaden their reach or focus on performance campaigns. Early adopters like CircleUp.com have already experienced significant benefits. Itai Ronel, Head of Growth at CircleUp.com, said, "Quora Ads is a treasure trove for advertisers ready to delve into the platform. It provides a gateway to a highly engaged, high-intent audience that is actively seeking solutions. The platform's sophisticated targeting options allow brands to connect with their audience accurately." Quora Ads' comprehensive full-funnel solutions offer advertisers the capacity to captivate users at all stages of their engagement journey. As a result, Quora Ads stands as a compelling platform for forming impactful relationships with a distinctive audience characterized by their quest for knowledge. For more information about advertising on Quora, visit www.quora.com/business *Based on GWI Core January to September 2023 survey of participating Quora users in the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, and France. About Quora Quora is a global Q&A platform with over 400 million unique monthly users, serving as a dynamic knowledge hub and prime platform for advertisers targeting high-intent audiences. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2222829/4299373/Quora_For_Business_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-next-big-advertising-opportunity-quora-ads-302005817.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Gradalis Highlights Importance of Targeting Clonal Neoantigens in Achieving Durable Benefit in Cancer Treatment Tweet Emerging research shows that targeting initial mutations expressed on a tumor cell surface, called clonal mutations, is critical in achieving a durable clinical benefit For example, lung cancer patients with high levels of clonal neoantigens treated with checkpoint inhibitors experienced significantly better clinical outcomes as shown in multiple retrospective analyses Most immunotherapies have not been designed explicitly to directly target clonal neoantigens which may explain their limitations in solid tumors In a Phase 2b clinical study, Gradalis demonstrated that its clonal neoantigen targeting immunotherapy, Vigil, works best when used in patients with a high level of clonal neoantigen rich tumors A biomarker for measuring clonal neoantigens may expand the use of certain immunotherapies and support a pan-cancer application DALLAS, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gradalis, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a personalized anti-cancer therapy for patients with ovarian and other cancers, announced a peer-reviewed publication in Cancers, highlighting the newly discovered critical clinical role of clonal neoantigens in the durable efficacy of immunotherapies in oncology and the potential to use clonal neoantigens as a new biomarker to better identify patients who will best respond to certain immunotherapies. The publication, entitled Clonal Neoantigen: Emerging Mechanism Based Biomarker of Immunotherapy Response, provides insight into the science and implications of this key discovery. It reviews the potential limitations of certain immunotherapies designed without explicit consideration of clonal neoantigens. This may also explain why clonal neoantigen targeting immunotherapies like Gradalis Vigil have shown longer-term overall survival benefits in a randomized controlled trial of patients with solid tumors. The full text of the article can be found here. It is now possible to identify the external structures, or neoantigens, found on the surface of millions of cells of a patients tumor. Using this information and proprietary algorithms, we can identify the neoantigens related to initiating tumor mutations. These are called clonal neoantigens. These clonal neoantigens can be targets for guiding new therapies to eliminate tumor cells. Since these targets can vary in structure and number from patient to patient, targeting them needs to be custom designed, or personalized, for each patient to have the most durable clinical effect. Research shows the more personalized, the better for ensuring long-lasting efficacy, Gradalis Chief Executive Officer Steven Engle stated. The human immune system has evolved to eliminate errant cells like tumor cells if it can identify them. Vigil is the only therapy in late-stage clinical testing that has been shown in clinical studies to safely enable the immune system to identify tumor cells, and as a result, to generate customized effector cells, which include T cells, and as many types and number as needed, to target the clonal neoantigens. This allows us for the first time go after the root cause of cancer, specifically the mutations that cause it, Mr. Engle continued. A few of the key findings in this area include: A meta-analysis in 1008 patients across 12 landmark trials of factors associated with Overall Survival response to Checkpoint Inhibitors (CPIs) showed that clonal Tumor Mutational Burden (clonal TMB) was the leading biomarker of clinical benefit with high clinical significance (p = 2.9x10 -7 ) 1 when compared to subclonal TMB and other factors. ) when compared to subclonal TMB and other factors. Levels of clonal neoantigens have been shown to predict disease free survival in untreated early-stage lung cancer patients (p = 0.025), not subclonal neoantigens (p = n. s.) 2 Greater numbers of clonal TMB and clonal neoantigens have been found in tumor cells with stable DNA repair capacity, the homologous recombination proficient (HRP) genetic profile.3 Clonal TMB is a likely surrogate for clonal neoantigen expression on the surface of the tumor cell. Immunotherapy has improved the outlook for many cancer patients, but its benefit has been limited to a fraction of the total patients in each tumor type. Targeting clonal neoantigens may be key to improving this situation. Clonal neoantigens are tumor initiating mutations and therefore found on the surface of all cells of a patients tumor. Clonal mutations expressed on the cancer surface provide a distinguishing difference between cancer cells and normal non-cancer cells. Emerging research shows that targeting clonal mutations may be critical in achieving a durable clinical benefit, stated John Nemunaitis, MD, Chief Scientific Officer of Gradalis and co-author of the paper. For example, cancers displaying high levels of clonal neoantigens have been shown to be more responsive to checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy used in several tumor types. In multiple retrospective analyses of studies of lung cancer patientstreated with CPIs, higher levels of clonal neoantigens are highly correlated with better patient outcomes. As described in the paper, Vigil is a personalized neoantigen immunotherapy that is designed to enable the immune system to recognize each patients unique tumor clonal neoantigens and generate effector cells, including T-cells, to target the clonal neoantigens and thereby provide durable clinical benefit. In a Phase 2b trial, the benefit seen as measured by Recurrence Free Survival (RFS) and Overall Survival (OS) was highest in patients of the HRP type. Patients with the HRP genetic profile have an enhanced ability to maintain their DNA sequences which research indicates results in a higher level of clonal neoantigens. These patients represent approximately 50% of ovarian cancer patients and up to 80% of other cancer types. There is a major unmet medical need for new therapies in HRP ovarian cancer patients because they do not respond well to standard-of-care therapies like chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors. This represents a major gap in treatment, especially in recurrent ovarian patients of the HRP type where multiple PARPi therapies were withdrawn in 2022, observed Dr. Nemunaitis. In its study, Gradalis discovered that Vigil works best when used in clonal neoantigen rich tumors as identified by the HRP genetic test. One of Vigils main strengths as a therapy is that it enables the immune systems to see the tumor cells and decide on the most effective targets. Vigils ability to increase clonal neoantigen targeting effector cells may represent a major breakthrough in achieving more consistent clinical benefit not only with Vigil as monotherapy, but also in combination with other immune therapeutic approaches like checkpoint inhibitors. The company is preparing to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study designed for potential accelerated approval opportunity to evaluate Vigil in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer patients with the HRP profile. David Willoughby, PhD, VP of Genomic Services of Frontage Laboratories Inc. and a co-author, stated Molecular genomic assessment utilizing next generation and whole exome sequencing is now being increasingly applied to biomarker determination to refine use of targeted immune therapies. Recent research discussed in the article provided several case examples followed by retrospective study assessment that have convincingly demonstrated clonal neoantigens are relevant predictors of response to checkpoint inhibitor therapy. A meta-analysis of over 1000 cancer patients from 12 landmark trials referred to in the publication showed no clinical benefit to CPI therapy in targeting patients with a high level of subclonal TMB, whereas targeting patients with a high level of clonal TMB was found to be highly correlated with better overall survival. The publication summarizes these findings and describes advantages of immunotherapy treatment utilizing clonal neoantigens as a biomarker to define the likelihood of cancer response to immunotherapy. Rodney Rocconi, MD, Director of Cancer Center and Research Institute at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, co-author and lead Principal Investigator in Gradalis Phase 2b study, commented, There are multiple biomarkers used to predict potential patient response to immunotherapies, but they are not currently focused on the level of clonal neoantigen expression. It may be that use of immunotherapies that help the immune system identify clonal neoantigens will broaden the clinical application of immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors. Work outlined in our review article support characterization of clonal neoantigen as an advancement in defining checkpoint inhibitor activity and logically suggest combination of Vigil with checkpoint inhibitor as a fruitful direction in further clinical testing. About Vigil Vigil is a novel, triple function immunotherapy platform that modifies a patients tumor by using bi-shRNA to reduce furin, an enzyme which facilitates immunosuppressive TGF beta protein production, and to maximize DNA expression of GM-CSF, which stimulates the immune system and attracts key immune system effector cells, including T-cells. By utilizing the patient's own tumor as the antigen source, Vigil is designed to elicit an immune response that is specifically targeted and broadly relevant to each patient's unique clonal tumor neoantigens. Vigil therapy has been well tolerated in Phase 1, 2a and 2b clinical studies. The company is preparing to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer patients with the HRP profile. In VITAL, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b trial in Stage III/IV newly diagnosed, frontline ovarian cancer patients, Vigil showed a positive trend in the primary endpoint of recurrence free survival (RFS) in the overall population and a statistically significant improvement in the secondary endpoint of recurrence free survival and overall survival (OS), with a median survival time of three years to date, in patients with the BRCAwt molecular profile. Most importantly in patients with tumors of the HRP type, where there is a high unmet medical need, a greater statistically significant improvement was seen in RFS and OS. Additionally, Phase 1 results in an all-comer clinical trial have shown positive signals of activity in 19 different tumor types and some patients treated with Vigil remain in the study 48 months later. Vigil has also demonstrated safety and benefit in two separate pilot studies when administered concurrently or in sequence prior to treatment with check point inhibitor therapy. The sequential treatment results support the hypothesis that Vigil administration prior to starting checkpoint inhibitor therapy may focus the immune effector population to the cancer, potentially enhancing activity and limiting off target side effects. The Vigil manufacturing process takes two days. It does not require the bioreactors and other time consuming and costly processes required by other cell therapies. Following the initial removal of the tumor, a small amount of tumor tissue is shipped to the companys manufacturing plant in Dallas, Texas where its genetics are modified to produce the immune system enhancing effects. It is then put in vials and stored for in-office intradermal administration by the patients physician every three to four weeks for an average four to six month course of treatment. About Gradalis, Inc. Founded in 2006, Gradalis is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new category of personalized immunotherapy called Vigil, that has been tested in multiple studies in ovarian and other cancer tumor types. Vigil is the first cellular immunotherapy to demonstrate longer-term survival benefits in a randomized controlled trial of patients with solid tumors. The results of the companys Phase 2b study have been published in Lancet Oncology and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Vigil is being studied in other womens cancer types and has shown positive results in combination with checkpoint inhibitors. Gradalis Vigil platform uses the patients immune system to target the entire tumor. Based on multiple clinical studies, Gradalis has developed a pioneering oncology platform that is designed to decloak the full repertoire of a patients tumor antigens, including all clonal neoantigens, reactivate the immune system, and summon key effector cells to deliver a durable clinical response. When combined, these are a powerful Trifecta of anti-cancer activities, potentially eliminating even the elusive metastatic cells, and as shown in Phase 2 clinical studies in ovarian cancer, a potential gamechanger in oncology. Our clinical trials have also demonstrated that Gradalis platform is better tolerated compared to standard cancer treatments since Vigil uses the patients immune system operating within its natural state of balance rather than in an artificial overdrive as with some technologies. Vigil utilizes proprietary bi-shRNA technology that has been proven to silence multiple genes in a variety of cancers and has the potential to be used in other diseases. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the success, cost, and timing of our product development activities and clinical trials, our plans to research, develop, and commercialize our product candidates, and our plans to submit regulatory filings and obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates. These forward-looking statements are based on Gradalis current expectations and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements, which are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: (a) the timing, costs, and outcomes of our clinical trials and preclinical studies, (b) the timing and likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals for our product candidates, and (c) the potential market size for our product candidates. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and, other than as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. Gradalis Contact Mark Early (214) 442-8161 [email protected] LifeSci Advisors Contact Joyce Allaire +1 (617) 435-6602 [email protected] 1 Litchfield et al Cell 2021 2 Russo et al Science 2019 3 Wu et al Seminars in Cancer Biology 2022; Wolf et al Cell 2019 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Telesign Earns Global 2023 Great Place To Work Certification Tweet LOS ANGELES, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telesign is proud to be Globally Certified by Great Place To Work. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees in China, Colombia, Serbia, Singapore, and the United States say about their experience working at Telesign. This year, 90% of Telesigns U.S. employees said its a Great Place To Work 33 points higher than the average U.S. company. Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention, and increased innovation. "Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience," says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, the Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasizes that Certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Telesign stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees. We are honored to be recognized as a Globally Certified Great Place to Work, said Christophe Van de Weyer, Telesign CEO. I believe that Telesign's commitment to our global workforce is at the heart of our success. We believe in empowering our employees and fostering a trusting, diverse, and inclusive culture. While we are thrilled to see that our employees appreciate our approach, we continue to look for opportunities to build on what we have already achieved and make Telesign an even greater place to work. According to the Great Place to Work survey, Telesigns global workforce were also positive on their work experience with 94% of employees felt welcomed when they joined the company, 92% believed that their colleagues cared about each other, and 89% felt comfortable being themselves at work. These results reflect how Telesigns values of Authentic and Trusted are integrated into the culture. Telesign employees are encouraged to bring their whole, authentic selves to work, and they are inspired to work hard to uplift each other, making their work enjoyable. Those at Telesign believe employees perform better within a foundation of trust; therefore, Telesign encourages openness and honesty. Telesigns workforce may e positioned around the world but operates as one unified team to reach its goals. Telesign has worked hard to create an inclusive and positive work environment for its employees, no matter where they are located. Over the past year, Telesign has launched two new employee resource groups focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and highlighted diverse voices through cultural events and engagement initiatives. This year, 96% of Telesign employees agree that they receive fair treatment regardless of their race, and 95% agree that they are treated fairly no matter their age or gender. Telesign also prioritizes employee wellness, introducing their first-ever Employee Wellness Day by supporting awareness months for important topics such as Breast Cancer and Men's Health. The Employee Ambassador Council is another initiative that centers the employee voice, encouraging staff engagement and driving initiatives to build ongoing improvement in managerial development, recognition programs, and cultural reinforcement. According to Great Place To Work research , job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the companys profits, and have a fair chance at promotion. Were Hiring! Looking to grow your career at a company that puts its people first? Visit our careers page at: Telesign | Careers For more information, visit: ? https://www.telesign.com/ About Telesign Telesign provides Continuous Trust to leading global enterprises by connecting, protecting, and defending their digital identities. Telesign verifies over five billion unique phone numbers a month, representing half of the worlds mobile users, and provides critical insight into the remaining billions. The companys powerful machine learning and extensive resources deliver identity with a unique combination of speed, accuracy, and global reach. Telesign solutions prevent fraud, secure communications, and enable the digital economy by allowing companies and customers to engage with confidence. Learn more at www.telesign.com and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Telesign. About Great Place to Work Certification Great Place To Work Certification is the most definitive employer-of-choice recognition that companies aspire to achieve. It is the only recognition based entirely on what employees report about their workplace experience specifically, how consistently they experience a high-trust workplace. Great Place to Work Certification is recognized worldwide by employees and employers alike and is the global benchmark for identifying and recognizing outstanding employee experience. Every year, more than 10,000 companies across 60 countries apply to get Great Place To Work-Certified. About Great Place To Work As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Their proprietary platform and For All Model helps companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces List. Media Contacts Lauren Ward, Senior Manager of PR Telesign [email protected] +1 310-227-9801 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Velvet launches first investment marketplace for offshore accredited investors in partnership with New York based Templum Tweet Targeting global high-net-worth investors and family offices, Velvet aims to facilitate transactions of up to $250 million on the platform in 2024 The partnership brings Templum's infrastructure to enable investments by international offshore investors in category defining companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Neuralink NEW YORK & SAO PAULO, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Velvet , a company specializing in the buying and selling of equity in high-growth technology companies, has just announced the beta launch of its secondary marketplace. This initiative is in collaboration with Templum , the leading global infrastructure for private markets and alternative assets. Velvet announces the beta launch of its secondary marketplace. This initiative is in collaboration with Templum. Through the jointly created platform, offshore investors will have the opportunity to invest in disruptive private companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI and Neuralink. The projected transaction volume for 2024 is $250 million, representing a sevenfold increase from Velvet's 2023 transactin value. To reach this goal, Velvet will continue building partnerships with global private banks and open an office in the Middle East to cater to a growing base of investors in the region. Velvet clients will have access to Templum One, a central operating system for private markets that simplifies access to alternative assets, making trading in otherwise illiquid assets as easy as buying public stocks. A highly secure ecosystem, the solution connects issuers, investors, custodians, transfer agents and other industry stakeholders. The goal is to make alternative assets and private securities available to a broader range of investors. Key features of the marketplace include a curated list of detailed information on each of the wide array of available assets, such as alternative investments for its customer base, frictionless investor account maintenance through integration and support and an expedited standard purchase process, including consolidated payments and management. "Our focus is to bring new opportunities to global offshore investors starting by giving them access to equity in truly exponential companies such as SpaceX, which, through the constellation of low orbit satellites from its subsidiary StarLink, is changing how humanity consumes data. Another example is OpenAI, which is leading the revolution in Artificial Intelligence with products like ChatGPT," said Carlos Naupari, founder and CEO of Velvet. "In the current market recovery scenario, we aim to concentrate on technology companies that will have a long-term impact globally and consequently bring outsized returns to investors," he adds. Velvet aims to provide exclusive and high-potential opportunities to ultra-high-net-worth investors who already possess a diversified and sophisticated portfolio. The minimum ticket for new investments will be USD 100,000 and the investment structure will be done via Delaware based entities. "The United States is a global leader in public markets and still the main exporter of category defining companies in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and space exploration," said Christopher Pallotta, founder and CEO of Templum. "The partnership between Templum and Velvet enables offshore global investors to invest in privately held American companies through an institutional-grade trading platform designed specifically for the private markets." About Velvet: Founded in 2021, in Sao Paulo / Brazil, Velvet's mission is to provide exclusive access to high-potential, privately held technology companies for qualified offshore investors. In partnership with Templum, the company offers a fully regulated, transparent and efficient secondary marketplace for trading equity interests in alternative assets, equipped with cutting-edge tools, data and insights to connect all market participants and assist with decision-making. Velvet's goal is to simplify and optimize access, distribution and fundraising of alternative assets for private bankers, wealth managers and family offices around the globe. About Templum: Templum is the operating system for private markets and alternative assets and is paving the way for investors to participate in new asset classes through integrated market technologies and APIs for primary issuance, secondary trading, alternative data and Templum One, our private markets and alternative assets ecosystem solution. Templum's combined solutions improve efficiency and access in private markets by enabling seamless, electronic workflows for alternative investments and standardized infrastructure to support operations, rather than the fragmented manual processes currently used in private markets. We unify private market infrastructure, investment opportunities and investor capital, into a single solution for private securities and alternative assets.? Templum Markets LLC. a wholly owned subsidiary of Templum, Inc., is a New York-based broker-dealer, and Alternative Trading System (ATS) approved to trade unregistered private securities in 53 U.S. states and territories. For more information, please visit www.templuminc.com .? View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/velvet-launches-first-investment-marketplace-for-offshore-accredited-investors-in-partnership-with-new-york-based-templum-302006066.html SOURCE Velvet [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] The Retail Media Divide Between Brands and Retailers: New Survey Reveals Nearly Half of Brands Do Not Plan to Work with Additional Retail Media Networks Tweet BOSTON, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Turbyne, the first solution built for retailers and designed to simplify retail media, today released a state of retail media industry report, Retail Media Mirage: How the growing divide between retailers and brands threatens retail medias potential. The big takeaway: an in-depth survey of stakeholders on both sides shows a major disconnect between retailers and brands that needs to be resolved to ensure the channel meets the potential being forecast. The survey consists of over 300 retail media decision makers among brands and retailers. The cracks in retail medias foundation have begun to show in a big way, said Greg Stevens, Founder and President of Turbyne. 78% of brands surveyed said it is difficult or very difficult to justify increasing their investment. Thats a troubling statistic given that most brands work with just a handful of retail media networks; 40% of brands work with less than three retail media networks and another 42% work with four to six. The channels forecasted growth is dependent in part on brands expanding their spending to other retail media networks. Among a wide range of insights across multiple categories, the survey reveals that: Theres a massive gap between retailers perceptions of the value their retail media networks (RMNs) deliver and brands acual satisfaction with those same RMNs. Underwhelming Experience: Only 6% of larger brands ($500m+) would give their retail media experience an A, despite 65% of retailers stating they expected their clients would grade it an A. Exhaustive Partner Proliferation: Brands, on average, worked with 25 media partners, 22 media agencies and 23 ad tech platforms over the previous three months. Complex Buying Process: 40% of brands cited having to execute individual buys across each RMN as one of the top three barriers to increasing their retail media spend. Subpar Value Proposition: The net result is that 44% of brands do not see it as worthwhile to work with any new RMNs in the next 24 months. Brands and retailers agree on the solution: Simplifying the buying and selling process is critical. Both brands and retailers individually said that the key to growth was the ability to buy (or sell) and execute retail media across multiple channels/tactics in a single location. 47% of brands surveyed would spend budget with midsize retailers if they had the ability to buy and execute across multiple channels/tactics in a single location and 26% would do so if the platform offered an automated buying process. 70% of brands would invest more in retail media if in-store tactics were able to be combined with digital into a single retail media offering. Methodology The results are based on a survey of over 300 retail media decision makers at U.S. brands and retailers, and was conducted in partnership with BWG Strategy in July 2023. The participants consisted of 225 retailers and 87 brands. Get the full survey report here. Visit turbyne.com to learn more about the company. About Turbyne: Turbyne is the first solution built for retailers and designed to simplify retail media. The company's industry-first, vendor-neutral approach to interoperability decreases the friction points between retailer and brand for retail media sales and activations. Through Turbyne's single, automated, centralized platform, a retailer can keep track of all activity within their retail media channels regardless of the vendor or how many vendor solutions are being used for both in-store and online. Media Contact For Turbyne: Angela Petersen SamsonPR [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Crownpeak Appoints Samuel Monti as Chief Executive Officer Tweet As CEO, Monti will lead the fast-growing digital experience platform company through its next phase of expansion, driving innovation and customer value. DENVER, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Crownpeak , a leading digital experience platform (DXP), today announced the appointment of Samuel Monti as the company's Chief Executive Officer. Monti is an accomplished leader with nearly three decades of experience in finance, operations, and C-suite leadership in both public and private equity companies. At Crownpeak, Monti will further the company's successful growth, driving operational excellence and cultivating technological innovation to deliver even greater value for customers. "In the past three years, Crownpeak has undergone a major global expansion that included three successful acquisitions and tripling the company's size," said Michael Lipps, Chairman of the Board. "Samuel Monti, with his deep background working in financial markets, experience leading operational scale and strong track record of successful private equity outcomes, is well-positioned to drive this next, exciting phase of Crownpeak's continued market expansion." "This is an exciting time to be joining Crownpeak," said Samuel Monti, CEO of Crownpeak. "Enterprises around the globe are making critical investments in digital experience platforms, and Crownpeak has experienced unprecedented growth and transformation as a company. As CEO, my mission is to continue that exceptional growth trajectory by expanding our product portfolio, advancing customer-centric innovation, and establishing the kind of strong community among our customers, prospects and partners that will drive future growth and success." Monti received a BS in Accountancy from Miami University and an MBA in Finance from Case Western Reserve University. About Crownpeak Crownpeak helps global brands orchestrate a better digital experience for their consumers, partners, and employees. Crownpeak's enterprise-ready Digital Experience Platform (DXP) enables global brands to orchestrate personalized digital experiences across all content channels. Marketers can create, manage and monitor inclusive, accessible and transactional experiences without compromising on functionality, speed, security or service. Crownpeak customers can deliver high-impact, trust-building, accessible experiences at scale improving engagement, loyalty and revenue. For more information, please visit? www.crownpeak.com . Media Contact: Bluehouse Consulting Group, Inc. Jennifer Allen Newton +1 503-805-7540 jennifer(at)bluehousecg(dot)com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2292180/Crownpeak__Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/crownpeak-appoints-samuel-monti-as-chief-executive-officer-302005483.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Empeon Partners with Tapcheck to Empower Employees with On-Demand Pay Tweet The partnership enables seamless earned wage access to enhance financial flexibility and employee satisfaction MONTEBELLO, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Empeon, the enterprise-grade Human Capital Management (HCM) platform for health systems, is partnering with Tapcheck, a prominent and award-winning provider of financial wellness solutions, to provide on-demand, same-day pay offerings to Empeon customers of all sizes, from SMBs to Enterprise. Empeon anticipates this partnership will provide financial flexibility for countless employees nationwide. More than 60% of American workers live paycheck-to-paycheck, and 40% of Americans cannot cover a $400 emergency expense. The partnership aims to reduce employee stress and improve quality of life by increasing access to wages. Studies show that on-demand pay employee wellness benefits, also known as Earned Wage Access (EWA), substantially alleviate financial stress for employees and contribute to making every Tapcheck employer an "Employer of Choice." "Many healthcare workers face overwhelming stress to make ends meet. Waiting two weeks for a paycheck can be a considerable financial hardship," said Morris Isaacson, executive vice president of marketing and sales at Empeon. "Tapcheck opens up a new way for our customers to think about payday. We strongly believe this level of flexibility and autonomy is invaluable for today's workforce." Tapcheck's Earned Wage Access solution is a free product for employers that helps attract and retain talent in a competitive job market, resulting in a significant bottom-line impact on the business. Almost 90% of employees say they would work longer for an organization that offered this benefit. Companies that provide EWA saw a 50% reduction in turnover and a 49% increase in employee productivity. Tapcheck's EWA program shows industry-leading engagement and impact, contributing to positive business and employee financial wellness outcomes. Empeon's platform is a comprehensive all-in-one HCM solution with features including onboarding, HR, time and benefits management, payroll, and scheduling. Tapcheck integrates seamlessly into Empeon's software to automate the on-demand payment process, allowing companies to offer the benefit without increasing HR workloads. "Employees deserve control over their earnings, something that Tapcheck enables for hundreds of thousands of American workers, particularly within the healthcare industry," said Ron Gaver, Tapcheck's CEO. "Providing on-demand pay allows people to cover bills and financial emergencies without taking out a high-interest, predatory payday loan or incurring bank fees. By partnering with Empeon, a company that puts employees first, we further advance our mission to provide these critical benefits to millions of Americans." To learn more about Empeon's solution partners, please visit https://empeon.com/software-partners-integrations/. About Empeon Empeon is a leading provider of human capital management (HCM) software solutions for healthcare organizations. Empeon's customizable, all-in-one HCM platform empowers businesses to work smarter by streamlining and automating people management processes, including talent acquisition, Human Resources, onboarding, scheduling, and time and labor management. Founded in 1998 as ADS, Empeon has decades of experience supporting the healthcare industry's unique needs. Empeon wraps its capabilities around individual customer needs and provides a genuine 1:1 relationship with its core team. Learn more at https://empeon.com/ About Tapcheck Tapcheck is an award-winning financial wellness company that offers the highest precision Earned Wage Access (EWA) solution that seamlessly integrates with hundreds of third-party time and labor management platforms. This enables faster EWA payments with higher withdrawal limits, lifting employee participation and driving impact for your business. The best part: Tapcheck is available at no cost or risk for employers to implement. Employers who incorporate on-demand pay into their employee benefits packages find it to be a cost-effective way to distinguish their company from competitors, reduce turnover rates, and provide the financial flexibility that employees want. Tapcheck is proud to work with numerous midmarket and Fortune 100 companies including McDonalds, Marriott, Burger King, and a host of others. Media Contact Raven Carpenter BLASTmedia for Empeon [email protected] 317.806.1900 ext.171 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/empeon-partners-with-tapcheck-to-empower-employees-with-on-demand-pay-302005102.html SOURCE Empeon [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] The BOLI Group Shapes Future with the Promotion of Garrett Blaha to President and Chief Operating Officer Tweet The BOLI Group, one of the leading national benefits expense management firms for financial institutions with locations in Cleveland, OH, Nashville, TN, Milwaukee, WI, Brookings, SD, and Charleston, SC, is pleased to announce the promotion of Garrett Blaha to President and Chief Operating Officer. Garrett Blaha, currently Vice President Business Development of The BOLI Group, will assume his new role on January 1, 2024, succeeding George Blaha who will continue as the company's Chief Executive Officer. Garrett's promotion comes as The BOLI Group sees robust demand from financial institutions nationwide for its customized single premium life insurance products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231130730713/en/ Garrett Blaha (Photo: Business Wire) George Blaha, President and Chief Executive Officer of The BOLI Group, stated, "Garrett has played a pivotal role in the success and growth of The BOLI Group since joining the company in 2014. As Vice President Business Development, Garrett has built a strong reputation with finacial organizations across the U.S. who rely on his strategic counsel and expert advice. From The BOLI Group's inception in 2007, we have focused on providing best-in-class services and innovative solutions that are tailored to meet our clients' unique needs. Garrett exemplifies these values that have guided The BOLI Group's success. He is a strong leader and natural successor. I am thrilled to announce Garrett as the company's new President and Chief Operating Officer." Garrett Blaha stated, "My dad founded The BOLI Group, and I am honored to support his legacy by helping take the company to the next level. We have assembled a strong and passionate team of experienced financial professionals that help our clients achieve their BOLI and COLI goals. Under my expanding leadership, we will continue to focus on developing strong relationships with our clients by providing them with excellent service, innovative solutions, and powerful strategic partnerships. I am excited by the opportunity to lead The BOLI Group and shape the future of our company." Since 2014, Garrett has been Vice President Business Development of The BOLI Group helping counsel hundreds of financial institutions nationwide on their unique BOLI and COLI needs and leading The BOLI Group's business development efforts. Prior to joining The BOLI Group, Garrett was a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual. Garrett attended John Carroll University and holds Series 6 and 63 FINRA licenses. Garrett resides in Cleveland Heights, Ohio with his wife, Taryn, and their three dogs. About The BOLI Group The BOLI Group is a benefit expense management company for financial institutions. The BOLI Group has leading experts with significant knowledge of the financial institutions landscape, including market segments, peer knowledge, intra company dynamics, benefit considerations, product options (including their historical evolution), and the regulatory environment. The BOLI Group is independent and therefore not obliged to shareholders. The multi-generational leadership team does what is in the best interest of our clients. The BOLI Group is compliant with the State of New York Department of Financial Service's (DFS) cybersecurity regulation (23 NYCRR 500). Additional information is available at www.boligroup.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231130730713/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Pax8 Names Robb Reck Chief Trust and Security Officer Tweet DENVER, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pax8, the leading cloud commerce marketplace, today announced the appointment of Robb Reck as Chief Trust and Security Officer (CTSO). In his new role, Reck will ensure Pax8 maintains the trust of managed service providers (MSPs), vendors, and customers, by advancing the security measures of the Pax8 Marketplace. Reck will report to Scott Chasin, Chief Technology Officer at Pax8. Robb Reck Chief Trust and Security Officer, Pax8 We're thrilled to have Robb, an industry-leading security innovator, take the helm of security and compliance at Pax8," said Chasin. "With an impressive 25 years of experience in the IT space, Robb brings invaluable expertise to Pax8. We're fortunate to have his leadership in developing and implementing robust security strategies and formalizing and communicating a culture of trust with our partners, helping them integrate security practices into their offerings." Before joining Pax8, Reck led security operations for multiple enterprises in the financial services, banking, and software sectors. His most recent role was as Chief Trust Officer at Red Canary, a leading managed detection and response (MDR) provider. Before that, Reck served as Chif Information Security Officer (CISO) at Ping Identity from the companys venture capital period through its Initial Public Offering (IPO). In 2017, Reck cofounded Colorado = Security, a community that serves 2500+ information security professionals in Colorado. Pax8 has an immense opportunity in front of us, where we can positively impact the MSP industry worldwide, to not only make them more effective but to help them deliver a more trustworthy environment for their customers, said Reck. I am excited to be a part of that vision and to help uplevel our partners around the world. To learn more about Pax8, please visit www.pax8.com. About Pax8 Pax8 is the worlds favorite cloud marketplace for IT professionals to buy, sell, and manage best-in-class technology solutions. Pioneering the future of modern business, Pax8 has cloud-enabled more than 300,000 enterprises through its channel partners and processes one million monthly transactions. Pax8s award-winning technology enables managed service providers (MSPs) to accelerate growth, increase efficiency, and reduce risk so their businesses can thrive. The innovative company has ranked in the Inc. 5000 for six years in a row. Join the revolution at pax8.com. Follow Pax8 on Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube Media Contact: Melissa Gallegos Public Relations Director, Pax8 [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aa37bc4b-3b44-4390-9a7e-8f65f70b894e [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Red Canary Continues Strong New Business Momentum, Announces Highlights from its Third Quarter Tweet Sustained Growth Driven by Global Market Demand for its Security Operations Platform DENVER, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Canary today announced strong Q3 results and that the company is well on its way to achieving over 30% year-over-year growth in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). The company's steady growth is driven by ongoing success in the enterprise market segment, marked by notable increases in both deal size and customer count over the past year. Red Canary remains a leading vendor and choice for organizations of all sizes, especially those with sophisticated security teams. "We had a solid quarter, fueled by both new and existing customers realizing value from our security operations platform," said Brian Beyer, CEO of Red Canary. "Our results highlight the strength of our products across different segments. With our platform, customers have confidence that business-impacting threats will be caught before they can cause damage. As the attack surface expands, Red Canary becomes even more strategic and relevant, particularly as our customers prioritize the productivity and efficiency of their security operations center." Since its inception almost a decade ago, Red Canary has secured $86 million in funding from investors such as Summit Partners and Noro-Moseley Partners. Earlier this year, the company surpassed $100 million in ARR, delivering consistently improving operating margins. Red Canary's threat intelligence provides real-time insights and analysis on emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities, empowering organizations to find and stop threats. Its commitment to enterprise security is demonstrated through its customer-validated 99% accuracy, driven by innovations in cloud security, threat intelligence, and advanced detection and resonse. The company's latest product highlights and new innovations include: Announced a partnership with Wiz as their inaugural certified Managed Detection and Response (MDR) partner, enabling customers to both benefit from Wiz's deep cloud visibility and insights and Red Canary's expertise in threat hunting and incident response. as their inaugural certified Managed Detection and Response (MDR) partner, enabling customers to both benefit from Wiz's deep cloud visibility and insights and expertise in threat hunting and incident response. Unveiled updated threat intelligence profiles, delivering enhanced threat context to empower our customers with added protection against emerging ransomware attacks. ransomware Introduced new detection analytics across AWS , leading identity and access management providers like Okta and Microsoft, Windows, MacOS , and Linux that are available to all global customers. Okta MacOS Bolstered Readiness Exercises with new scenarios focused on being prepared for threats to cloud and industrial control systems (ICS). Red Canary also continues to receive an average overall Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) rating of 99%, which represents an industry-leading score and an ongoing commitment as a SaaS business to deliver an exceptional customer experience. About Red Canary Red Canary is a leader in managed detection and response (MDR). We serve companies of every size and industry, focusing on finding and stopping threats before they can have a negative impact. As the security ally for nearly 1,000 organizations, we provide MDR across our customers' cloud workloads, identities, SaaS applications, networks, and endpoints. For more information about Red Canary, visit: https://www.redcanary.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/red-canary-continues-strong-new-business-momentum-announces-highlights-from-its-third-quarter-302006045.html SOURCE Red Canary [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] EHR Infrastructure Designed into Historic Medical Campus Tweet NORTHAMPTON, Mass., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Historic preservation was imperative for Acela Architects + Engineers when modernizing the electronic health records (EHR) infrastructure of a sprawling Massachusetts medical campus. Built in the 1920s, the Edward P. Boland VA Medical Center looks more collegiate than clinical, with 60 buildings spread over 105 leafy acres. Located in the historic village of Leeds, in the eastern portion of the city of Northampton, it has also been registered as the "VA Hospital District" on the National Register of Historic Places since 2012. "The interplay between historic preservation and technical necessity presented some unique challenges for tihs project," said Acela president Daniel Witczak, PE, PMP. "Now nearing completion of the design stage, our solutions address both prioritiescampus-wide EHR upgrades and historic preservation." Witczak noted that it was also "mission critical" to achieve it all without causing any lapses in the quality of care for thousands of Veterans served by the largest VA medical facility in he region. Historic standards restricted the option of a standalone structure for the core element of the upgradea 6,000 sf central data and telecommunications center. "The solution was to graft the new purpose-built facility onto an historic building on the campus," said Acela Senior Architectural Designer Matthew Albitz, LEED, AP. "Our exterior design included native fieldstone for the cladding and expanses of mirrored blast-proof glass to effectively 'disappear' into the natural setting of centuries-old cedar trees. Inside, we created a highly-controlled technology environment necessary to meet all VA EHRM (Electronic Health Records Modernization) project requirements." Additional project aspects provided by Acela include: Extensive civil survey with underground equipment and metal detection Fiber optic data ring connecting all campus buildings via two 5-mile long underground conduit paths Historical survey submitted to state historic preservation authorities Space and staff relocation planning Started in 2022, the design stage was completed on-schedule in Q4 2023. Acela is providing project management throughout construction which is projected to span 38 months with completion slated for Q2 2028. About Acela Architects + Engineers, P.C.: Founded in 2014, Acela is an integrated team of architectural, civil engineering, structural engineering and mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering professionals providing a full spectrum of design, consulting and project management services for private, corporate, government and institutional clients throughout the US. Acela is headquartered in Allentown, PA with regional offices in NJ, NY and OH. For more facts: www.acela-ae.com. Contact: Brynn Levine Email: [email protected] Phone: 484-788-3841 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ehr-infrastructure-designed-into-historic-medical-campus-302006049.html SOURCE ACELA Architects + Engineers, P.C. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] IntegriChain and Blue Fin Group Pharma Trade and Distribution Experts to Speak at Informa Trade & Channel Strategies Tweet PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IntegriChain, delivering pharma's only comprehensive technology, data, consulting, and outsourcing platform for data-driven commercialization, today announced that pharmaceutical strategy expert Bill Roth, General Manager and Managing Partner, Blue Fin Group, an IntegriChain Company, will be the keynote speaker at Informa's Trade & Channel Strategies conference. In addition, distribution experts David Weiss, IntegriChain Vice President of Industry Solutions, and Jason Bogroff, Blue Fin Group Partner, will speak at the event. IntegriChain is a sponsor of the conference, which runs December 11 through 13 in Philadelphia. Details of the highlighted sessions are as follows. Monday, December 11, 2023 Keynote: The Economics of the Pharmacy and Distribution Channel 8:45 am ET Bill Roth In this keynote address, Roth will explore key insights on the pulse of the industry and what is seen as areas of focus of the future, including: Economics for Access and Channel impacting new challenges with commercialization Residual impact of the Generic Patent Cliff and how it's impacting PBMs, Retailers, Wholesalers and GPOs Early glimpses at the Specialty Patent Cliff and a check-in on Pharmacy Benefit Biosimilars Mix of direct and indirect distribution across the product archetypes and why direct is growing Why Retailers aren't making money on brands and are asking pharmaceutical manufacturers to bail them out Growth of cash pay and what that means for Access and Channel Partnership Pavilion Panel 2:15 pm ET Jason Bogroff, Moderator Jeff Henderson, Vice President, Head of Global Market Access, Reimbursement and Distribution, VectivBio Eliane Maalouf, Director of Trade and Fulfillment Specialty Pharmacy, Mass General Brigham John Robicsek, Assistant Vice President, Strategy, Business, and Program Developmen, Atrium Health In this session, the stakeholders of the channel, including 3PL, Distribution, Pharmacy, and Manufacturers will explore areas that the industry can come together, what is needed moving forward, and opinions on overall trends in the marketplace. Tuesday, December 12, 2023 Innovative Distribution Models What Are the Alternative Paths to the Patients? 11:45 am ET Dave Weiss In this session, Weiss will explore how manufacturers can identify new pathways and channels in the marketplace. He'll review the growth in Generics and why pharmacies are going out of business. He also will discuss how manufacturers can gain insight on the state of direct pharmacies and evaluate if it is beneficial for a given product to return to this method. About ICyte Data Solutions IntegriChain offers a full suite of channel data products, including: Channel Data Solutions: Data aggregation and refinement solutions unite data sets from sales, inventory, specialty pharmacy inventory, and product returns channels while leveraging industry-leading data science and enrichment algorithms to deliver an end-to-end view of distribution. Aggregation of all channel and distribution datasets including ExFactory Sales, Distributor Inventories, Demand, and Returns deliver the highest quality master data to provide better data and better insights. Inventory Analytics: Manufacturers have few existing measures of the inventory held in retail stores, distribution centers, and third-party returns processors. ICyte Inventory Analytics reports 100% of inventory in the retail channel, even in pharmacy stores and distribution centers that do not report their inventories. Distribution Contract Management: Distribution Contract Management is a SaaS-based, market-proven application for managing all aspects of trade partner agreements. Configurable trade partner scorecard functionality features payment adjudication, custom pay-for-performance metrics, payment roll forward, and top- and bottom-line functionality adjustments. Channel Data Consulting Services: Based on IntegriChain pioneering the field of channel data aggregation, stewardship, and advanced analytics, the company's consulting services deliver Market Demand Analysis, Class of Trade, Downstream Inventory Analytics, Returns Forecasting, and Revenue Analytics to Pharma manufacturers of all types and sizes. About IntegriChain IntegriChain helps pharma manufacturers bring their science to market, ensuring patients have affordable, timely, and sustainable access to therapy. IntegriChain delivers Pharma's only data-driven commercialization platform from strategy to operational execution. The Company's unique focus on data, technology, consulting, and outsourcing helps connect the commercial, financial, and operational dimensions of drug access and profitability. Through the ICyte Platform, IntegriChain enables pharmaceutical innovators to achieve better commercial outcomes by digitalizing daily and recurring business activities and by integrating data and operations across contracting, pricing, channel and distribution, and gross-to-net. IntegriChain is backed by Accel-KKR, a leading Silicon Valley technology private equity firm, and is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, with offices in Ambler, PA, and Pune, India. For more information, visit www.integrichain.com or follow on LinkedIn. About Blue Fin Group, an IntegriChain Company Blue Fin Group develops strategies to optimize patient access, commercialization, and gross-to-net to support life sciences manufacturers throughout the product life cycle. Blue Fin Group is a full-service management consulting firm delivering research, strategy, and implementation to help manufacturers align all the elements of marketing, market access, field sales, pharmacy and distribution, and patient services as a seamless commercial strategy that helps optimize patient outcomes. Blue Fin Group has served more than 300 manufacturersprimarily those commercializing their first asset or large global firms with products that span cell and gene therapies, orphan/rare, specialty, primary care, vaccines, biosimilars, and generics. For additional information, visit https://consultbfg.com/ or follow on Twitter bluefingroup and LinkedIn. Contact Jennifer Guinan, Sage Strategic Marketing, 610.410.8111, [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/integrichain-and-blue-fin-group-pharma-trade-and-distribution-experts-to-speak-at-informa-trade--channel-strategies-302006189.html SOURCE IntegriChain [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] 300 State Finalists Shine in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition, Nearing $100,000 Prize Potential Tweet Today, Samsung Electronics America proudly announces the selection of 300 public middle and high schools from all 50 states across America as State Finalists in the esteemed 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) competition. Each State Finalist has secured a coveted $2,500 Samsung technology prize package, marking a significant milestone in their journey towards becoming one of three National Winners that each unlock $100,000 for their school. Overall, Samsung will award more than $2 million* in prizes to this year's participating schools. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a nationwide competition designed to empower students in grades 6-12 to leverage the power of STEM to create innovative solutions addressing critical issues in their local communities. The competition engages U.S. Gen Z students to catalyze change by applying Problem-based Learning (PBL) principles, environmental stewardship, and entrepreneurship to address some of society's most pressing challenges. It also promotes active, hands-on learning, making STEM more tangible and showcasing its real-world applications. To view the full list of State Finalists, please visit Samsung.com/Solve. Notably, 50% of the State Finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition are Title 1 schools, underscoring the program's commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. Reflecting Gen Z's collective dedication to tackling pressing global challenges, 45% of the projects directly address issues related to the climate crisis, such as extreme weather like wildfires, hurricanes, and heat; microplastic pollution; air and water quality; the pollinator collapse; e-waste (electronic waste) risks; and light pollution. What's more, this cohort of students are actively developing innovative solutions for a spectrum of other pressing societal issues, including accessibility, mental health matters like student anxiety and loneliness, food insecurity, cybersecurity, and aid for the unhoused andmigrants. Showcasing a forward-looking approach to problem-solving, 25% of the student STEM-based solutions embrace the use of emerging technologies, such as AI, 3D printing, and robotics. Moreover, a number of the entries exhibit promising elements of entrepreneurship, highlighting the students' innovative thinking and potential for building impactful solutions that endure beyond the competition. Ann Woo, Head of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America, noted: "A STEM education is a critical pathway to the evolving future of work. We celebrate the dedication, ingenuity, and creativity of the 300 State Finalists who are not only showcasing their STEM prowess but, more importantly, addressing local community issues with meaningful solutions. Their commitment to making a tangible impact speaks volumes about the transformative power of education and technology. And the drive of these young innovators to be creators and makers, as displayed in these entries, resonates with the findings of our recent Samsung/Morning Consult survey on what Gen Z is seeking for their futures." Upcoming Competition Phases For the next phase of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, teachers must create a focused activity plan. This plan outlines how their students will execute their STEM project, including defining the problem, proposing a STEM-based solution, specifying project objectives, detailing activities to reach anticipated goals, and articulating the expected improvement within their local community resulting from the project's successful implementation. The activity plans are due Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Following the submission of activity plans, judges will select State Winners from today's announced State Finalists, with the winners set to be revealed in late January 2024. Other upcoming competition phases include: 50 State Winners will receive a Samsung Video Kit to assist in the development of their "STEM solution pitch video," as well as $12,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies - One of the 50 State Winner schools will be recognized as visionaries for driving sustainable change through STEM innovation with a Sustainability Innovation Award, and an additional $50,000 prize package that includes Samsung ENERGY STAR technology - One State Winner will be selected for the new Rising Entrepreneurship Award , receiving a $25,000 prize package to foster the development of a scalable, sustainable venture that extend beyond the competition will receive a Samsung Video Kit to assist in the development of their "STEM solution pitch video," as well as $12,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies - One of the 50 State Winner schools will be recognized as visionaries for driving sustainable change through STEM innovation with a and an additional $50,000 prize package that includes Samsung ENERGY STAR technology - One State Winner will be selected for the new , receiving a $25,000 prize package to foster the development of a scalable, sustainable venture that extend beyond the competition 10 National Finalist Schools will participate in a live pitch event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. Seven of these schools will be awarded $50,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies - A Community Choice Winner will also be determined through online voting by the general public, winning an additional $10,000 in prizes - An Employee Choice Winner will be selected by Samsung employees to receive $10,000 in prizes in addition to their National Finalist winnings will participate in a live pitch event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. Seven of these schools will be awarded $50,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies - A will also be determined through online voting by the general public, winning an additional $10,000 in prizes - An will be selected by Samsung employees to receive $10,000 in prizes in addition to their National Finalist winnings Judges will name 3 National Winners, each of whom earns a prize package worth $100,000 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow launched in 2010 as a way to boost interest, proficiency, and diversity in STEM. The education-based citizenship program is now a catalyst for a change in the perception of STEM, a crucial aspect in fostering a skilled 21st century workforce and informed citizens of the modern world. To date, Solve for Tomorrow has awarded $27 million in Samsung technology and classroom supplies to 3,500-plus public schools across the United States. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. *$2 million prize is based on an estimated retail value. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205919145/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Nebula achieves significant growth across the global eDiscovery landscape Tweet KLDiscovery Inc. ("KLDiscovery"), a leading global provider of technology solutions for electronic discovery, information governance, and data management, announced today the remarkable success and growth of its flagship eDiscovery product, Nebula. Unwavering investment and customer focus continue to drive major product advancements and increasing adoption within the legal community. Nebula Key Growth Metrics Q3 2022 to Q3 2023 (as of September 30, 2023): Customer Growth: The number of customers relying on Nebula for legal and compliance matters has increased 11% to 1,682. The number of customers relying on Nebula for legal and compliance matters has increased 11% to 1,682. User Expansion: The user base has grown 20% with 4,892 users actively utilizing Nebula worldwide. The user base has grown 20% with 4,892 users actively utilizing Nebula worldwide. Matter Growth: The number of active Nebula matters has increased 15%, reaching a new milestone of 1,338 concurrent projects. The number of active Nebula matters has increased 15%, reaching a new milestone of 1,338 concurrent projects. Data Hosting: Total data hosted across active Nebula projects surged 35% to over 500TB globally. This remarkable growth has translated to stellar financial performance. Nebula's revenue has increased by 100% in the third quarter of 2023, showcasing its financial strength and market competitiveness. September year-to-date Nebula revenue has seen a 57% increase year-over-year, further highlighting the platform's sustained success and client trust. "Nebula's soaring adoption levels deliver a clear and undeniable message to the legal community: Nebula is quickly becoming the platform of choice to address legal, compliance, and investigation needs," said Chris Weiler, CEO of KLDiscovery. "For matters large and smll, and for practically any use-case, Nebula solves common data challenges with practicality, efficiency, and accuracy." Available both as a SaaS solution and as a maintenance-free rackmount appliance, Nebula can be utilized by any type of eDiscovery customer, in nearly any geography. Cloud SaaS usage has been the driving force behind Nebula's growth, accounting for the majority of all new engagements. Nebula epitomizes the modern, cloud-native application boasting the latest in artificial intelligence and machine learning. KLDiscovery's software development and data science teams have incorporated state-of-the-art technology throughout Nebula to enhance efficiencies, streamline user experiences, and drive favorable outcomes. Explore Nebula and learn more about its transformative impact on the legal industry at https://www.ediscovery.com. Microsoft Azure is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies. About KLDiscovery KLDiscovery provides technology-enabled services and software to help law firms, corporations, and government agencies solve complex data challenges. With offices in 25 locations across 16 countries, KLDiscovery is a global leader in delivering best-in-class data management, information governance, and eDiscovery solutions to support the litigation, regulatory compliance, and internal investigation needs of clients. Serving organizations for over 30 years, KLDiscovery offers data collection and forensic investigation, early case assessment, data processing, application software and data hosting for web-based document reviews, and managed document review services. In addition, through its global Ontrack data management business, KLDiscovery delivers world-class data recovery, disaster recovery, email extraction and restoration, data destruction, and tape management. KLDiscovery has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in North America by both Inc. Magazine (Inc. 5000) and Deloitte (Deloitte's Technology Fast 500), and CEO Chris Weiler was a 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Additionally, KLDiscovery is a Relativity Certified Partner and maintains ISO/IEC 27001 Certified data centers around the world. Visit www.kldiscovery.com to learn more. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205157805/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Announces Investigation of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO) (f/k/a Tango Holdings, Inc.) Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces its investigation of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO) (f/k/a Tango Holdings, Inc.) concerning the Company and its directors' and officers' possible violations of state laws. If you own Apollo Global Management stock, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Tm Kennedy, of GPM, 230 Park Avenue, Suite 358, New York, NY 10169 at [email protected], or at 212-682-5340. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased and held. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205192435/en/ The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on Tuesday that it will provide more than $21 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the residents of Gaza and the West Bank affected by the ongoing conflict, which has left nearly 2.2 million people in dire circumstances. The announcement came during a press conference held by the director of USAID Samantha Power in El-Arish, in Egypts North Sinai. El-Arish has become the hub for international humanitarian assistance crossing into Gaza. According to Power, the $21 million of additional assistance will build on the $100 million of American humanitarian aid announced by President Biden on 18 October. The funding announced will provide sanitary supplies, shelter, essential food, and multi-purpose assistance for over 120,000 individuals, she said. Additionally, the funding will support psychosocial care and vital health services for the strained healthcare system in Gaza, where 60% of hospitals are out of service. Furthermore, this funding will support the establishment of a field hospital managed by NGOs in Gaza, enhancing the current healthcare system by providing care for internal clinic patients according to USAID. This announcement comes at a time when US Central Command, under the Department of Defense, delivered another 16.3 metric tons, or 36,000 pounds, of medical supplies to the United Nations as well as food and nutrition aid to meet immediate needs on the ground. This marks the second airlift of UN relief supplies by the Department of Defense from Jordan to Egypt the first airlift, carrying over 54,000 pounds of UN supplies, was sent on 28 November. Additionally, the United States recently delivered over 500,000 pounds of emergency food supplies to assist civilians in Gaza. More support is coming from the American people, USAID assured Palestinians. "The United States, along with partners across the region and around the world, leads efforts to address the severe and escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and increase the flow of life-saving humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, read a USAID statement on Power's announcement. Search Keywords: Short link: [December 05, 2023] Electreon Unveils the World's First Commercial Wireless Charging Terminal for Buses in Israel Tweet BEIT YANAI, Israel, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Electreon (TASE: ELWS) has successfully completed the construction of a groundbreaking wireless charging terminal for parked urban electric buses (e-buses), marking a world first in the field of this innovative charging technology. The commercial project, delivered to Electra Afikim, a prominent public transportation operator in Israel, located in Rosh HaAyin in the center of the country, and supplies stationary wireless charging to the e-buses during the night and day, in parking bays at the public bus terminal in a distributed energy model. Oren Ezer, CEO of Electreon, expressed excitement about the project, stating, "We are pleased to introduce to the world the first wireless charging terminal of this kind here in Israel, enabling efficient, cost-effective, and space-saving wireless charging for public transit buses in a busy urban zone. This innovative facility is designed to provide wireless charging for electric buses throughout the day and night, serving the public as part of regular public transportation services in the Petah Tikva and Rosh HaAyin areas." Electreon managed the entire terminal project, from end-to-end, encompassing electrical infrastructure, required approvals, and civil engineering works. The company also implemented its advanced charging software platform to remotely manage and oversee wireless charging of the fleet vehicles at the terminal. In addition to the technical, operational and commercial achievement of delivering this pioneering project, Electreon partnered with three leading international bus manufacturers that were selected by the client, Electra Afikim, HIGER, Ankai, and Sunwin. These automotive manufacturers fully integrated Electreon's vehicle receivers into their electric buses, and with HIGER and Ankai completing the full European Union's (EU) WVTA approval process, a significant step in establishing the company's wireless electric bus receiver as an off-the-shelf product available to the entire automotive industry. The fully commercial project, valued at approximately 5.8 million ILS (approximately 1.6 million USD) for 2023, includes payments for software services, operations, and maintenance over the project's duration. Electra Afikim, one of Israel's major public transportation operators, manages around 500 bus service lines across the country, covering 40 million miles annually and transporting 51 million passengers. At the project launch event, attended by the Minister of Transport, Mr. Ezer, conveyed gratitude to Electra Afikim, the Ministry of Transportation, and the National Road Safety Authority for selecting their solution. He anticipates widespread benefits from the technology, envisioning Israel as a leadr in implementing sustainable transportation technologies. Tal Cohen, CEO of Electra Afikim, stated, "Electra Afikim welcomes being the first company to operate a fleet of electric buses with Electreon's technology and thanks the Ministry of Transportation, Rosh HaAyin Municipality and Electreon for the cooperation in operating smart and advanced transportation as the company's vision." Rosh HaAyin Mayor Shalom Ben Moshe, also spoke at the launch event, "Rosh HaAyin is among the first cities in Israel to have electric buses. This is important news for the city. We are promoting green public transportation in the city with the aim of reducing air pollution and continuing to improve the quality of life of the residents and the environment. The arrival of the electric buses to the city is the fruit of the hard work of the municipality as part of our ongoing public transportation improvement policies in the city. I thank the Ministry of Transportation for supporting our vision for wireless charging. I believe that these innovative electric buses will truly serve our residents and we will continue to work so that all buses in the city will operate with this innovative technology." This milestone underscores Electreon's technological prowess and its pivotal role in transforming the global electric mobility landscape with its innovative and sustainable technology to power-up and accelerate EV adoptions. The successful completion of this stationary wireless charging project comes in the backdrop of a multitude of technical and commercial successes for Electreon this year. To mention just a few recent milestones: in the summer the company won its first tender in France, for its wireless Electric Road technology on a highway near Paris . The country's Ministry of Transport concluded that Electric Roads could reduce CO2 emissions from road freight transport by 86% compared to diesel, and 60% more compared to heavy-duty trucks carrying very large battery packs and recharging at fast charging stations on-route, and proposed to build 6,000 miles of electrified highways by 2035. Last week was also particularly busy for the company. It announced that its proprietary wireless alignment methodology was selected by the SAE to be the universal, global industry standard . Additionally, closer to home in Michigan, the company unveiled the nation's first public EV-charging roadway , in a widely covered project launch activities involving Detroit Mayor - Mike Duggan, and Michigan Governor, Gretchen Witmer, together with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the City of Detroit, Ford Motor Co, and its many other project partners. The company's frequent and significant announcements from Europe, Asia and North America throughout this year exemplify Electreon's growing market traction, and show the company's vision to empower seamless, sustainable and decarbonized transportation globally, is beginning to materialize. Press Contacts Electreon Media contact Keren Alleson Gerberg [email protected] About Electreon Electreon is the leading developer and provider of wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs), providing end-to-end charging infrastructure and services, to meet the needs and efficiency demands of shared, public, and commercial fleet operators and consumers. The company's proprietary inductive technology dynamically (while in motion) and statically (while stopped) charges EVs quickly and safely, eliminating range anxiety, lowering total costs of EV ownership, and reducing battery capacity needs, making it one of the most environmentally sustainable, scalable, and compelling charging solutions available in the market today. Electreon collaborates with cities and fleet operators on a "sale" business model, and on a Charging as a Service (CaaS) business model, that enables cost-effective electrification of public, commercial, and autonomous fleets for smooth and continuous operation. Electreon operates 18 projects across 8 countries, together with more than 100 partners. Electreon's wireless in-road charging technology was named as one of the world's top 100 inventions for 2021 by Time Magazine. For more information, visit electreon.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293380/Electreon_Wireless_Ltd.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1997596/4439972/Electreon_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electreon-unveils-the-worlds-first-commercial-wireless-charging-terminal-for-buses-in-israel-302006362.html SOURCE Electreon Wireless Ltd [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Firefly Aerospace Selected to Support DARPA LunA-10 with Framework for On-Orbit Spacecraft Hubs Tweet Firefly to develop framework for spacecraft that can dock together on-orbit to provide on-demand refueling, delivery, transport, and de-orbiting services CEDAR PARK, Texas, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced it was selected to develop an analytical framework for aggregated on-orbit spacecraft hubs in support of DARPA's 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) capability study. Based on the capabilities of Firefly's Elytra orbital vehicles, the spacecraft hubs would provide responsive tasking for a wide range of cislunar services, such as refueling, delivery, and transport. "Firefly is best known for finding innovative solutions to some of the most complex challenges in the industry," said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. "We've identified a path to drastically improve on-orbit mission response times from years to days with scalable spacecraft hubs that can host and service spacecraft across cislunar space. This team is ready to hit the ground running in support of this critical DARPA initiative and the responsive space needs of the larger cislunar ecosystem." DARPA's LunA-10 initiative aims to rapidly develop frameworks in seven months to guide development of integrated commercial lunar infrastructure for the next decade. It seeks to include solutions for shareable, scalable systems that can be commercially available on and around the Moon by 2035. Firefly's contribution will include a framework for an aggregated hub of on-orbit spacecraft that dock together and offer on-demand services to both visiting spacecraft and dispersed spacecraft across cislunar space. The core services offered to visiting spacecraft would include propellant transfers, payload transfers, and sharing of power, computation, and thermal resources. Firefly's Elytra vehicles based at these hubs would also offer responsive mission services for payload delivery, orbital transfers, repositioning, and de-orbiting. "With launch, lunar, and on-orbit vehicles, Firefly is in a unique position to support DARPA's LunA-10 program," said Jana Spruce, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace. "Our versatile Elytra vehicles can be rapidly deployed aboard our launch vehicles and docked together to provide more robust on-orbit services for both government and commercial customers." The framework will further define the robotic interfaces, operational protocols, and distributed controls necessary to allow any supplier's spacecraft to aggregate on the hub, resupply on resources, and then be redeployed on-demand. Initial hubs would aggregate at the Earth-Moon Lagrange points to provide rapid, cost-effective mission services for any spacecraft on a lunar- or Earth-bound trajectory. About Firefly Aerospace Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end space transportation company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners ("AEI") focused on delivering responsive, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly's small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit www.fireflyspace.com. Media Contacts Firefly Aerospace [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firefly-aerospace-selected-to-support-darpa-luna-10-with-framework-for-on-orbit-spacecraft-hubs-302006376.html SOURCE Firefly Aerospace, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Mercy Ships "A Transformational Journey" Miami Signature Event Wins Widespread Support Tweet Mercy Ships proudly joined "Give Miami Day" on November 16, 2023, to amplify the spirit of philanthropy exhibited by the incredible South Florida community. Representatives from the hospital ship charity shared inspirational stories of patients and caregivers at the first annual signature event in the U.S., "A Transformational Journey." They also expressed gratitude for the generous Miami business executives and philanthropists who came together to support and celebrate in the mission of hope and healing. This unique event held at The Temple House, one of the most iconic Art Deco properties in the U.S., transported attendees from Miami Beach to the Global Mercy, which is currently in field service in Sierra Leone, Africa, through an immersive visual experience. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205496056/en/ Mercy Ships celebrates at 'The Transformational Journey' event alongside presenting sponsors inGroup International. From (L to R): Kees-Jan de Maa, Media Director, inCruises; Michael Hutchison, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, inGroup International; Cecilia Villa, Vice President of Resource Development, Mercy Ships; Simone Jones, Director of New Business Development, Mercy Ships; Clark Rachuig, Corporate Development Manager, Mercy Ships; Heather Hutchison, Michael Hutchinson's wife. (Photo: Business Wire) The Global Mercy is the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world. During the field service in Sierra Leone, more than 2,100 life-changing surgeries will be performed including maxillofacial, reconstructive, orthopedic, and ophthalmic. This event was made possible thanks to the presenting sponsor, inGroup, and the generosity of corporate partners, sponsors, and local philanthropists. Michael Hutchison, Co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of inGroup, said, "We first became aware of Mercy Ships three years ago in a vulnerable time for the global travel industry and immediately fell in love with how profoundly Mercy Ships serves, and even transforms those who are vulneable." Hutchison continued, "Their mission aligns perfectly with our core 'live to give' value and our overarching desire to always lead with love. We have only become more passionate about the hope and healing they deliver and are deeply grateful for the opportunity to support their transformational journey!" Sponsors of the event included AON, Mindwize, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Goldman Sachs, and Safe Harbors. Event Champions included COMPASS, Seatrade Cruise, Virgin Voyages, WISTA USA, SES, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, Microsoft, Lloyd's Register, Global Miami Magazine, Abbott, and CLIA. Special acknowledgements are extended to Mercy Ships supporters from the Sierra Leone Consulate and the Miami-Dade County Mayor's Office. "On behalf of our founders, Don and Deyon Stephens, our CEO, Gert van de Weerdhof and our board of directors, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who attended the event and shared our vision. The compassion and generosity of our donors have profoundly changed patients' lives in the African nations we serve," said Michael Cowan, Treasurer and Board member of Mercy Ships Foundation, who chaired this special signature event. More than $305,000 was raised in donations and pledges towards the fundraising campaign goal of $600,000 to support the HOPE Center in Sierra Leone (Hospital Out-Patient Extension Center). These funds will provide the much-needed support for Mercy Ships' patients as they prepare for their surgery and as they recover post-procedure. To fulfill this mission, Mercy Ships also invites professional and medical volunteers to dedicate their time and skills in roles ranging from several weeks to several months or even years. Be a part of this life-changing initiative and make a donation at www.mercyships.org/miami2023. ABOUT MERCY SHIPS: Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact. Each year, more than 3,000 volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world's two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical, obstetric, and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. For more information, visit mercyships.org and follow @MercyShips on social media. Why Africa? Mercy Ships focuses on the need for access to safe surgery in sub-Saharan Africa where 93% of the population have little or no access to healthcare. With only two physicians per 10,000 people on the continent of Africa, many lack access to even basic medical facilities, let alone safe surgical care. African heads of state invite Mercy Ships to their nations, not only to help address the lack of surgery but also to train healthcare professionals 'in country.' ABOUT INGROUP: inGroup International owns the world's largest subscription-based travel club inCruises. Since launching in 2016, inCruises has added more than one million Members and Partners from more than 200 countries and territories. inStays was added in 2022, giving Members access to 200,000 cruises, hotels, and resort offers. inGroup is making a measurable difference in its Club Members' lives and provides a world-class business to its growing Partner team. inCruises Club Membership grows exclusively through independent referring Partners who can earn compensation by sharing the exclusive Membership advantages with others. inGroup International is deeply committed to being a positive global corporate citizen and actively supports Mercy Ships and other humanitarian relief efforts. For more information, visit in.Group and inCruises.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205496056/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Vinyl Sustainability Council Presents 2023 Social Impact Award to OxyChem Tweet AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) proudly announced OxyChem as the recipient of the 2023 Social Impact Award for their efforts to help community school districts reduce energy consumption through Department of Energy Better Plants Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) program. The IACs are made up of graduate students from local universities that perform energy audits on facilities around the United States. The Vinyl Sustainability Council's Social Impact Award recognizes the efforts of a VSC member that has demonstrated a strong commitment to community well-being and longevity. This annual award acknowledges an outstanding project or program that addresses a social concern using a company's resources to have a positive impact. In 2022, OxyChem worked with the IAC at Louisiana State University to provide energy audits at three schools in the St. James Parish, LA school district, and the IAC at Texas A&M University to perform an energy audit at one school i the La Porte, Texas school district. OxyChem's work with LSU and Texas A&M graduate students created significant cost savings in energy for the two school districts, which will allow the schools to reinvest in educational programs and create a better learning environment for students. "We were impressed by OxyChem's efforts to aid schools in saving energy and money by performing energy audits," said Jay Thomas, Executive Director of the VSC. "OxyChem was able to offer for free what would have typically cost a school thousands of dollars. It's wonderful that they were able to use their company's expertise to help the community improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. We want to commend the whole OxyChem team and are excited to see how this program grows." About the Vinyl Sustainability Council The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), founded in 2016 in partnership with the Vinyl Institute, is a council created to advance the vinyl industry's efforts in addressing sustainability. The VSC is a collaborative platform for companies, organizations, and other industry stakeholders to come together to create a sustainable development path for the industry. For more information, please visit vantagevinyl.com/vinyl-sustainability-council/. About OxyChem OxyChem, a wholly owned subsidiary of international energy company Occidental, is based in Dallas with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada and Chile. It is among the top three producers in the United States for the PVC, chlor-alkali, chlorinated organic, and other principal products it manufacturers and markets, and is a global leader in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). OxyChem vinyl products are used for indispensable medical supplies, PVC pipe for delivering safe drinking water, and a variety of other long-lasting products essential to the automotive, electrical, and construction sectors. Visit www.oxychem.com for more information. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vinyl-sustainability-council-presents-2023-social-impact-award-to-oxychem-302006422.html SOURCE Vinyl Sustainability Council [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Iterate.ai Named to Inc.'s 2023 Best in Business List in AI & Data Tweet SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iterate.ai , whose AI innovation ecosystem enables enterprises to build production-ready applications, today announced that the company has been named to the Inc. 2023 Best in Business list in the AI & Data category. Inc.s Best in Business Awards honor companies that have made an extraordinary impact in their fields and on society. The list, which can be found in the Winter issue of Inc. magazine (on newsstands December 12), recognizes the most dynamic companies of all sizes and industries that have had an outstanding influence on their communities, their industries, the environment, or society as a whole. Iterate.ai has demonstrated a commitment to society by utilizing its deep AI capabilities to make the world safer. For schools and non-profits, Iterate.ai built and trained an AI model and application for weapons detection and threat awareness. Rather than selling the software and the design, Iterate.ai open-sourced its work, giving the technology away for free to non-profit groups and schools. We believe that school tax dollars should go to buying computers and supplies (items needed every day) rather than paying for threat detection software which is unlikely to be neededbut potentially lifesaving in the event of an armed intruder situation, said Jon Nordmark, CEO, Iterate.ai. The system was built by Iterate.ais AI team, half of whom were part of Apples Secret Products Group that invented the first iPhone. The team trained the model on more than 20,000 intrusion and armed robbery videos, and brought in a former DEA agent to assist with live tests. The software runs on NVIDIA GPUs and instantly detects dozens of gun types, Kevlar vests, balaclavas, and knives. The systems automatic detection capabilities prompt an instant reaction, even before a human sees a threat indicator. The power and potential for AI to improve our worldespecially when it comes to lifesaving protections that make schools and other locations safe from physical threatss too important to restrict within expensive or proprietary confines, said Brian Sathianathan, CTO of Iterate.ai. Were immensely proud of the weapons detection and threat awareness technology weve created, and to share it as a free and open source technology for schools and nonprofits to achieve greater security and safety. Iterate.ai is also recognized for the positive impact it has made across its industry throughout 2023. Iterate.ai recently launched Interplay-AppCoder , a fine-tuned large language model (LLM) able to instantly generate working and updated code for production-ready AI applications using natural language prompts. This generative AI code-generation LLM significantly accelerates the development cycle for organizations across industries, and is outperforming other AI-driven coding solutions. Iterate.ais patented enterprise AI capabilities have impacted enterprise customers in several industries over the past year. These include Ulta Beauty and Circle K, which have used Iterate.ais solutions to bring innovative new applications to market significantly faster than through traditional coding. This speed helped each company deploy its cutting-edge applications at a fraction of the cost. For example, Ulta has debuted new guest services chatbots. Iterate.ai is now building private LLMs that deliver cutting-edge generative AI capabilities in close collaboration with several other customers, including beauty, luxury, banking, insurance, and wholesale brands. Being named to the Best in Business list is a rare and special honor, said Eric Hagerman, Special Projects Editor at Inc. These honorees demonstrate the foresight, caring, and dedication to prioritize positive impactimpact on their community, on their industry and the environment, and even on society as a whole. Rather than relying on quantitative criteria tied to sales or funding, Inc.s editors reviewed the companies achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in 70 different categories from advertising to sustainability to retail, and more and in age-based, revenue-based, size-based, and impact-based categories. About Iterate.ai Iterate.ai is at the forefront of empowering businesses with state-of-the-art AI tools and technologies. Its platform, Interplay, is cloud-agnostic and can run AI on the edge and in secure private environments. With five patents granted (including drag-n-drop AI) and nearly a dozen more pending, Iterate.ais platform offers corporate innovators a low-risk, systematic way to scale in-house, near-term digital innovation initiatives. With its largest office in San Jose, CA and Denver, CO, Iterate.ai has a global presence with other offices in North America (Texas, Washington, Arizona), Europe (Stockholm), and Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Singapore). About INC. The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. Iterate.ai Contact Kyle Peterson [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Generational Equity Advises Exhibit Edge in its Sale to STAR Group Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of its client Exhibit Edge, Inc. to STAR Group. The acquisition closed on November 28, 2023. Exhibit Edge, located in Chantilly, Virginia, designs, produces, and manages trade show exhibits and visual marketing systems leading to increases in sales leads and client visibility. The Company combines marketing experience and artistry to accurately deliver the client's brand and message. Exhibit Edge also provides program management, warehousing, rental units, and other custom turnkey production solutions. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, STAR Group designs and builds branded environments that enhance human to human experience through discovery, storytelling, and providing measurable results. For over 25 years, STAR has been connecting brands with their customers in a tangible way. Communicating with customers in a way that matters is all about understanding what they care about. According to Star Group, the acquisition of Exhibit Edge aligns with Star Exhibits & Environments' commitment to enhancing its capabilities, expanding its geographic footprint, and providing clients with a broader spectrum of services. "The acquisition of Exhibit Edge is a significant milestone in our journey to provide even more comprehensive and impactful solutions to our clients," says Mark Johnson, founder and principal owner of STAR Group. Johnson added, "We are excited to welcome Exhibit Edge's talented team to the Star family and look forward to leveraging our collective strengths to exceed client expectations." "Exhibit Edge is thrilled to join forces with Star Exhibits & Environments," adds Bev Gray, President and CEO at Exhibit Edge. "This acquisition will allow us to leverage the expertise of two highly skilled teams to bring our clients even more outstanding experiences and meet the ever-changing demands of their trade shows and events across venues and markets." Gray added, "We are excited about the new possibilities and look forward to the journey ahead." STAR Group plans to continue strengthening its geographic presence, expanding end-to-end capabilities, and building expertise across multiple solutions and verticals. Generational Equity Executive Managing Director, M&A-Technology Practice Leader, David Fergusson, and his team led by Managing Director, M&A Ahmad Behjati, with the support of Senior Vice President, M&A, Tristan Keeffe successfully closed the transaction. Senior Managing Director Thomas Hamm established the initial relationship with Exhibit Edge. "Generational Equity is proud to have facilitated this landmark transaction, exemplifying our commitment to creating synergies that extend beyond mere acquisitions," said Behjati. Behjati added, "The union of Exhibit Edge and STAR Group epitomizes the stewardship we uphold in guiding our clients towards not just transactions, but legacies that redefine industries. This is a testament to our unwavering dedication to fostering growth and success that endures through generations." About Generational Equity Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), Generational Wealth Advisors, Generational Consulting Group, and DealForce are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America. 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/20231205664038/en/ [December 05, 2023] Tribest Launches 5th Generation Greenstar Juicer, Continuing Anniversary Celebration Tweet Premium Cold Press Juicer Available Just In Time For the Holidays ANAHEIM, Calif., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of its 35th-anniversary celebration, Tribest , a leading manufacturer of innovative kitchen and wellness appliances, has announced the highly anticipated launch of its 5th Generation Greenstar Juicer . With a rich history dating back to 1994, the Greenstar Juicer Series is renowned for its exceptional performance and has consistently ranked as a top-performing cold press juicer, diligently catering to the wellbeing of vegans, vegetarians, and the holistic health community at large for over three decades. The hallmark of the GS5 is its complete mastication system powered by advanced stainless steel jumbo twin gears, which is uniquely designed to generate increased juicing torque, resulting in 30% more juice yield than competing juicers. The stainless-steel twin gears incorporate magnetic and bioceramic technology, enhancing the fresh quality of juices, preserving them for at least three days* with minimal loss of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and enzyme content. The Greenstar 5 operates at a low 110 RPM, ensuring minimal heat generation during the juicing process for a true cold press of even hard-to-juice produce like celery, greens, ginger, carrots, and turmeric. Together, with the updated design look, the newest Greenstar 5 is user-frienly, simpler to set up, and easier to clean than ever before while simultaneously offering the same great technology fans have come to rely on. Independent laboratory tests confirm that Greenstar's Twin Gear juicing system extracts a substantially higher quantity of minerals than other competing juicers. Concentrations of essential minerals, like calcium, iron, and zinc are 50-200% higher in juice from the Greenstar.* "When we introduced the Original Greenstar in 1994, we had a strong belief that it would be cherished by our fans, but we never could have anticipated that it would become an enduring icon of juicing technology," said Tribest CEO, William Choi. "Today, the Greenstar remains a best-seller, and with each new release, we're dedicated to evolving its technology." The Greenstar 5 offers a versatile approach to culinary creativity. In addition to crafting nutritious, fresh juices, this exceptional appliance can be used to prepare an array of delightful foods, including whole fruit sorbets, flavorful sauces and dips, nut and seed butters, baby food, and an assortment of nut and seed milks. Tribest's Greenstar 5 is set to hit the market just in time for the holidays for an MSRP of $849 and can be purchased through Tribest's website, on Amazon, or through a number of online retailers. For more information about the GS5 or Tribest and its products, please visit www.tribest.com . *Independent lab results available here. ABOUT TRIBEST: Based out of Anaheim, California, Tribest Corporation has proudly spent 35 years manufacturing high-quality appliances, carefully designed to make healthy living easy. Tribest aims to provide its customers with the latest innovations to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Its products range from high-end juicers and blenders, to dehydrators, spiralizers, sprouters, nut milk makers, coffee appliances and more. To learn more visit www.tribest.com . Media Contact: T-Aira Jelks HYPH PR [email protected] 310-694-0895 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tribest-launches-5th-generation-greenstar-juicer-continuing-anniversary-celebration-302006374.html SOURCE Tribest [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Makes $10 Million Gift To Children's Hospital Los Angeles To Support Research Education for Underrepresented High School and College Students Tweet The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation has pledged a total of $10 million to Children's Hospital Los Angeles to support research education for high school and college students from under-resourced communities throughout Greater Los Angeles. Funding from Chuck Lorre, the veteran TV producer, through his foundation, creates sustained support for a continuum of science training and mentorship that begins when students are in high school and now extends into college. These programs will ultimately create a larger, more diverse pool of scientists, doctors, nurses, and health care professionals. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205459335/en/ Chuck Lorre with collegians Heidy Paniagua, center, and Andrea Lanz, participants in the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. (Photo: Business Wire) In recognition of the generous gift, Children's Hospital Los Angeles has created the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program (CLRSP), which welcomed its inaugural class in the summer of 2023. The program supports Los Angeles area college students, including student alumni from the Samuels Family Latino and African American High School Internship Program (LA-HIP) at CHLA. The Chuck Lorre Research Scholars each participate in 10 weeks of paid summer laboratory research after their freshman or sophomore year of college either at their current university, CHLA, or at a research institution of their choice, while receiving mentorship and career guidance from the director of the program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. After their first summer in the program, scholars can apply for continued financial support and research mentorship during their next year of college. "When students are fully immersed in research, they can suddenly imagine a future in STEM where they can pursue their dreams," says Chuck Lorre, the prolific TV writer, director and producer whose foundation has been a steadfast donor to the hospital. "That is what inspired me to establish this program." The first of its kind at CHLA, the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program creates a unique and valuable support system for students once they enter college to encourage them to continue their scientific studies. Immersive, hands-on training with the nation's top medical researchers will provide students with invaluable exposure to real-world investigations in accredited laboratories. Throughout the 10-week internship, students will receive one-on-one mentoring with the program director to discuss academic and career goals, and develop communication and presentation skills that will serve them well in pursuing a career inSTEM. Students will also have the opportunity to co-author scientific papers, network with other researchers at events and speaker seminars, and attend a national research conference to gain experience in professionally presenting their research accomplishments. These experiences will elevate their stature in the academic and scientific communities. "In college, students can run into various challenges-a lack of financial support, guidance and opportunities to perform research in a laboratory-which leads to them dropping out of the science pipeline," says Emil Bogenmann, Ph.D., Director of the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program. "We're focusing on bridging that gap, keeping them engaged and setting them up for success if they decide to go to graduate or medical school." The newly established Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program broadens Lorre's commitment to STEM education and supporting students who identify as an underrepresented minority in their quest to become scientists or clinician-researchers. This gift from TCLFF also increases support for the students who study laboratory research through LA-HIP, a high school-level internship program at CHLA started by Dr. Bogenmann in 2005, which is aimed at increasing educational opportunities for juniors and seniors from inner-city schools around Los Angeles. "We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Children's Hospital Los Angeles to ensure more under-resourced students have a leg up to fulfill their dreams," says Lorre. "These programs have tremendous potential to shape the future of science and health care by creating a more diverse workforce." During his expansive career, Lorre has created some of the most beloved programs of the last several decades, including "Mom," "The Kominsky Method," "Two and a Half Men," "Young Sheldon," and "The Big Bang Theory," which inspired generations of young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. "There are structural barriers to historically minoritized communities participating in a career in science," says Mark Frey, Ph.D., Director of LA-HIP and the Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "Giving these students tangible support is simply the right thing to do. We're grateful to the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation for sustaining this work for years to come." The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation has been supporting Children's Hospital Los Angeles since 2016. Both Mr. Lorre and CHLA are dedicated to supporting the advancement of students from under-resourced communities in professional fields of science and medicine. "Our mission is to fund innovative and compassionate organizations in the areas of STEM education, health and the arts," says the foundation's President and Chief Giving Officer Trisha Cardoso. "The Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program and the Samuels Family LA-HIP align with this goal by investing in the futures of bright young professionals. We're proud to support this endeavor and look forward to seeing the students flourish in the sciences." "Training the next generation of research and medical professionals is part of our institution's DNA," says Paul S. Viviano, President and Chief Executive Officer at CHLA. "We are also committed to caring for, and investing in, children and families from under-resourced communities. We thank Mr. Lorre for believing in young people who are passionate and poised to become the scientific leaders of the future." About Children's Hospital Los Angeles Founded in 1901, Children's Hospital Los Angeles is at the forefront of pediatric medicine and is the largest provider of hospital care for children in California. Children's Hospital is home to renowned experts who work together across disciplines to deliver inclusive and compassionate care, and drive advances that set pediatric standards across the nation and around the globe. Children's Hospital Los Angeles delivers a level of care that is among the best in the world for a truly diverse population of children. The Hospital is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report's Honor Roll of Best Children's Hospitals, including No. 1 in California and No. 1 in the Pacific U.S. region. Children's Hospital Los Angeles embraces the hospital's mission to create hope and build healthier futures. Children's Hospital Los Angeles is among the top 10 children's hospitals for National Institutes of Health funding. The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles supports the full continuum of research, allowing physicians and scientists to translate discoveries into treatments and bring answers to families faster. The pediatric academic medical center also is home to one of the largest training programs for pediatricians in the United States. And the hospital's commitment to building strong communities is evident in CHLA's efforts to fight food insecurity, enhance health education and literacy, and introduce more people to careers in health care. To learn more, follow CHLA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, and visit CHLA.org/blog. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205459335/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Sharing Green and Low-Carbon Development Experience with the World: Shenzhen's Climate Action Showcased at China Pavilion Tweet SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of December 5th (local time), the Shenzhen Session at China Pavilion during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) was held in the Expo City of Dubai. The Shenzhen Session was jointly guided by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China and the People's Government of Shenzhen Municipality, and was hosted by the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, presenting Shenzhen's latest initiatives and achievements in addressing climate change to the world and promoting international communications and cooperation in the field of green and low-carbon development. On the session, Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Ian Tout, Manager at Communications and Engagement Division of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change , Sren E. Lutken, Senior Economist of UN Environment Programme and Zhang Xuefan, Director-General of the Party Committee of Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality delivered speeches. Shenzhen's Annual Green Achievements Released The National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation released the Research Report on Low Carbon Transformation and Development of Emerging Industries in Shenzhen, the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality released the White Paper on Responding to Climate Change in Shenzhen and Tencent lunched "TanLIVE Global" -Empowering Climate Tech Ecosystem. Notably, the White Paper on Responding to Climate Change in Shenzhen comprehensively summarizes the progress made by Shenzhen in tackling climate change since the 13th Five Year Plan, hoping to offer Shenzhen's best practice to global climate change action. Shenzhen's Top Ten Green and Low-Carbon Cases of 2023 Unveiled Enterprise cases from BYD, Shenzhen Energy Group, Shenzhen DAS Intellitech, Shenzhen Grandsun Electronic, SF Holding, Shenzhen Metro Group, CR Power Shenshan Company, Shenzhen Lumi United Technology, Shenzhen DeCarbon Technology, and Shenzhen Shenzhentong were awarded Shenzhen's Top Ten Green and Low-Carbon Cases of 2023. These cases encompass a wide range of sectors, including low-carbon transportation, green building, smart manufacturing, industrial park management, modern logistics, smart homes, and energy conservation and environmental protection, standing out the major role of Shenzhen's enterprises in green and low-carbon innovation. Keynote Speakers Remarked on Pioneering Practices Wang Shi, Chairman of Vanke Public Welfare Foundation, Cassie Sutherland, Managing Director of Climate Solutions and Networks of C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Liu Bang, Chairman of Shenzhen DAS Intellitech and Cheng Huiming, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other experts and representatives from international organizations, industries, and consulting institutes shared views and insights on global low-carbon development pattern and future trends and Shenzhen's pathway to advance. A Head Start on Actions, Practices, Measures, and Innovations Wang Dong, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) hosted a high-level dialogue and sparked a brainstorming discussion. Dialogue guests Kobie Brand, ICLEI Deputy Secretary General and Regional Director of ICLEI Africa Secretariat, Liang Rui, Vice President of Sunwoda Electronic, Li Xia, CEO of Shenzhen Solar Run Energy, Sun Lili, Co-founder Vice President of Mangrove Foundation, and Yao Shu, BYD Middle East Africa Sales Director discussed how to achieve green development goals based on "A Head Start on Actions, Practices, Measures, and Innovations" and how different sectors in Shenzhen to leverage digitalization and greenization for a green, low-carbon and high-quality development . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sharing-green-and-low-carbon-development-experience-with-the-world-shenzhens-climate-action-showcased-at-china-pavilion-302006525.html SOURCE Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Santa Claus Arrives via Helicopter to Deliver Presents at the Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children (LuskinOIC) 34th Annual Toys & Joy Holiday Celebration Tweet The Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children (LuskinOIC) is excited to announce the 34th annual Toys & Joy holiday celebration which will be held at the historic downtown Los Angeles, Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children on Wednesday, December 6 from 10am - 1pm. The Toys & Joy celebration first began to encourage holistic health and foster the spirit of community by ensuring that patients and their siblings receive toys and gifts to enjoy the holiday. The 112-year-old, nonprofit organization strongly believes that community support and collective kindness is an integral part of a patient's care and healing. With the help of the LAPD SWAT team, Santa will fly across the Los Angeles sky in a helicopter to the LuskinOIC campus, which will be transformed into a snowy Winter Wonderland. Santa will then rappel down to the LuskinOIC Institute wall to take photos and meet and greet participants with Mrs. Claus while Santa's helpers distribute gifts to 1,000 patients and families. The morning will include opening remarks by Councilmember Curren D. Price and be an unforgettable celebration of fun, games, arts & crafts, and an LA Galaxy Star Squad experience. LuskinOIC is a mission-driven organization that provides high-quality care for children with musculoskeletal injuries and disorders and advances patient-centered care worldwide. It also actively promotes medical education and scientific research in orthopaedics. In partnership with UCLA Health, LuskinOIC stands as the largest provider of pediatric orthopaedic care on te West Coast, receives more than 60,000 patient visits each year, and offers pro-bono treatment to patients in Calexico and Mexicali, among other cities worldwide. LuskinOIC treasures ending the year by bringing joy to the community that is dearest to them - their patients and families. More than 93% of their patients are underinsured, so the organization makes sure their holistic care includes warmth, happy surprises, and community support. LuskinOIC endeavors to deliver timely expert care to socioeconomically disadvantaged children. "Our mission is to advance health equity for every child in Los Angeles and beyond, shares Michael Sullivan, Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer at LuskinOIC. "The specialty care children receive depends on the generosity of visionary donors and dedicated sponsors who think no child should go without the healthcare they need and deserve. This event would not be possible without our wonderful donors who include the Starlight Children's Foundation, Automobile Club of Southern California, Clear Channel, The Book Foundation, Tyler Skaggs Foundation, LA Galaxy, Project Sunshine, Orthopaedic Medical Magnet High School, UCLA & USC sororities and fraternities, LuskinOIC's support groups, and the LAPD SWAT team." For more information or to donate, please visit luskinoic.org and follow us @LuskinOIC. About Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children (LuskinOIC) Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children was founded in 1911 as Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital and today is the largest pediatric orthopaedic facility on the West Coast focused solely on musculoskeletal conditions in children. In alliance with UCLA Health and with the support of the LuskinOIC Foundation, we advance pediatric orthopaedics worldwide through outstanding patient care, medical education, and research. Our locations in downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Westwood, and Calexico treat the full spectrum of pediatric orthopaedic disorders and injuries. For more information, visit us at LuskinOIC.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205562483/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In a rare punitive move against Israel, the State Department said Tuesday it will impose travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the step after warning Israel last week that President Joe Biden's administration would be taking action over the attacks. Blinken did not announce individual visa bans, but department spokesman Matthew Miller said the bans would be implemented starting Tuesday and would cover dozens of settlers and their families, with more to come. He wouldnt give a number and refused to identify any of those targeted due to confidentiality reasons. The decision comes at a sensitive moment in US-Israeli relations. The Biden administration has firmly backed Israel since it was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, even as international criticism of Israel has mounted. But in recent weeks, the administration has stepped up calls on Israel to do more to limit civilian casualties as the Israelis expand their offensive and target densely populated southern Gaza. The US has refrained from outright criticism of that offensive. It has been increasingly outspoken, however, about settler violence in the West Bank and Israels failure to respond to US calls to stop it. We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, Blinken said in a statement. As President Biden has repeatedly said, those attacks are unacceptable. Today, the State Department is implementing a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals believed to have been involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank, including through committing acts of violence or taking other actions that unduly restrict civilians access to essential services and basic necessities, Blinken said. He said the US would continue to seek accountability for settler violence against Palestinians as well as Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and Israel, particularly as tensions are extremely high due to the war on Gaza. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority have the responsibility to uphold stability in the West Bank, Blinken said. Instability in the West Bank both harms the Israeli and Palestinian people and threatens Israels national security interests. Tuesday's move comes just a month after Israel was granted entry into the US Visa Waiver Program, which allows its citizens visa-free entry into the US Those targeted by the action will not be eligible for the program, and those who hold current US visas will have them revoked. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: [December 05, 2023] Worldwide Hardcopy Peripherals Shipments Decreased 7.9% Year Over Year in the Third Quarter of 2023, According to IDC Tweet The global hardcopy peripherals market recorded 19.5 million units shipped in the third quarter of 2023 (3Q23), down 7.9% compared to the third quarter of 2022. The decline was caused by sluggish consumer demand and a pessimistic economic outlook, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker. In addition, the laser segment has been affected by cannibalization from the Ink Tank segment, which is valued for its cost-effectiveness. Notable highlights from the quarter include: The United States was the top geographic market with a year-over-year increase in shipments of 7.5%. Meanwhile, China and Western Europe, the next largest geographic regions, saw shipments decline 20.5% and 11.6%, respectively. Canon and Epson were the main drivers for the year-over-year growth in the U.S. market. Epson's expansion was due to shifting user preference towards ink tank models in the commercial and SOHO space, while Canon's growth was from its recovery in the A4 color laser segment, which was the hardest hit segment during the supply chain crisis, starting in 2Q21. Canon, the number 2 company overall, outperformed all other companies in the top 5. The vendor increased shipments 4.2% year over year to nearly 4.5 million units shipped globally. An aggressive pricing strategy and expansion in product models were responsible for its positive growth. Worldwide Hardcopy Peripherals Market, Unit Shipments, Company Share, and Year-Over-Year Growth, Q3 2023 (based on unit shipments) Companies 3Q23 Unit Shipments 3Q23 Market Share 3Q22 Unit Shipments 3Q22 Market Share 3Q23/3Q22 Growth 1. HP Inc. 6,584,748 33.7 % 7,718,930 36.4 % -14.7 % 2. Canon Group 4,468,463 22.9 % 4,287,253 20.2 % +4.2 % 3. Epson 4,039,834 20.7 % 4,062,930 19.2 % -0.6 % 4. Brother 1,838,593 9.4 % 2,036,515 9.6 % -9.7 % 5. Pantum 409,038 2.1 % 532,577 2.5 % -23.2 % Others 2,193,209 11.2 % 2,571,198 12.1 % -14.7 % Total 19,452,976 100.0 % 22,031,523 100.0 % -7.9 % Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, November 9, 2023 Notes: IDC tracks A2-A4 devices in the Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker. Hardcopy Peripherals include single-function printers, multifunctional systems (MFPs), and single-function digital copiers (SF DC). Data for all vendors are reported for calendar periods. In addition to the table above, a graphic illustrating the worldwide market share of the top 5 hardcopy peripheral companies over the previous five quarters is available by viewing this press release on IDC.com. For more information about IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, please contact Phuong Hang at [email protected]. About IDC Trackers IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC's Trackers are updated on a semiannual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly Excel deliverables and on-line query tools. Click here to learn about IDC's full suite of data products and how you can leverage them to grow your business. About IDC International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights. All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205544338/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Federman & Sherwood Investigates Bluefield University for Data Breach Tweet The law firm of Federman & Sherwood has initiated an investigation into Bluefield University, with respect to their recent data breach. On November 27, 2023, Bluefield University informed individuals that the company experienced a data breach after an unauthorized party accessed sensitive consumer data entrusted to the company. According to Bluefield University, they determined that information stored on their servers may have been subject to unauthorized access between April 29, 2023 and May 11, 2023. Bluefield University determined that the information exposed n the data breach varies but includes: Social Security numbers. If you wish to discuss this action, obtain further information, and/or participate in this litigation, please contact Lacrista A. Bagley either by email at [email protected] or visit our firm's website www.federmanlaw.com: View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205407815/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2023] Porzio, Bromberg & Newman Named Winner of Financial Times Innovative Lawyers in Healthcare & Life Sciences Award Tweet Porzio, Bromberg & Newman has been named winner of the 2023 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers in Healthcare & Life Sciences award for its creation and sale of a pioneering technology-based subsidiary. This is the first year in which the Financial Times has included a healthcare and life sciences category in its prestigious Innovative Lawyers North America series. Porzio was selected for the honor among a shortlist of ten law firms, all of which - except for Porzio - are among the 200 largest law firms in the country. "We are honored to be recognized as the winner of the Innovative Lawyers in Healthcare & Life Sciences in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers North America awards," said Vito A. Gagliardi, Jr., managing principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman. "Two decades ago, we used our attorneys' knowledge to create a subsidiary delivering our clients the information they needed efficiently. Today, we are leading the industry, as our recognition alongside a number of the country's largest law firms indicates. We congratulate all our fellow nominees for their remarkable work. We intend to continue to explore innovative ways to serve our clients." In October 2022, Porzio sold its subsidiary, Porzio Life Sciences, to a private-equity-owned life sciences company, RLDatix, becomin the first U.S. law firm to sell a technology-oriented subsidiary to private equity. Created in 2004, Porzio Life Sciences provides its users with a digital "Library of Congress" of life science regulations, and over time added functionality to automate pharmaceutical companies' compliance with sunshine laws and other regulations. The sale of PLS has become a proof point that law firms can incubate successful businesses that inform clients and automate their workflows. In the historic and innovative acquisition, Porzio and PLS's new owner agreed to co-market their services and share staff and office space. In its deeply researched Innovative Lawyers award, the Financial Times and its research partner, RSGI, scored Porzio 26 points out of a potential 30, giving near-perfect marks in the categories of originality, leadership, and impact. Following the sale of PLS, Porzio has maintained its industry-leading life sciences practice, advising pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical devices companies on all aspects of their business, including supply chain and distribution, market access, sales and marketing, medical affairs, interactions with stakeholders, and corporate communications. Porzio also serves its life sciences clients through its Porzio Compliance Services subsidiary, particularly in connection with their licensing needs. About Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. Founded in 1962, Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. is a full-service law firm with offices in Morristown, NJ; Trenton, NJ; Ocean City, NJ; New York, NY; Westborough, MA; Wilmington, DE; Philadelphia, PA; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The firm is committed to serving clients, providing high-quality work, and achieving results through legal strategy, advocacy, technology, and consulting services offered through the law firm and its two wholly owned subsidiary companies. The firm provides legal services in corporate, employment, litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring, intellectual property and trademark, real estate, and other areas to businesses of all sizes ranging from start-up companies to Fortune 500 corporations, including public and private organizations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205180026/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Okay . . . So we totally ran this one into the ground but it was a topic that garnered a great deal of interest and discussion EVEN IF it challenged popular conceptions about conservative support for cosplay and online discourse. However . . . An even more interesting dichotomy emerged amid our conversations . . . NOTICE THAT KANSAS CITY LOCAL NEWS MEDIA MOSTLY IGNORED OR DOWNPLAYED THE FACE PAINT CRISIS DESPITE NATIONAL NEWS COVERAGE!!! Skeptics amongst our ranks might ascribe the quietude to advertising connections . . . And whilst we can't be certain about every editorial decision made by our corporate betters . . . The only thing we know for sure is that silence will be a big part of the inevitable decision to change the team's name & dump native branding in the not so distant future. In the meantime, we think the arguments were important even if they weren't very productive. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Interesting . . . This public radio tidbit EXCITEDLY examines more than a bit of hostility betwixt a rising star GOP leader and a former presidential candidate on his way out. Here are the basics . . . Over the course of two years, The Atlantic journalist and author McKay Coppins was privy to Romney's inner thoughts on his career highs and lows, and Romney's personal criticism of his senate colleagues. That includes that Missouri's U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, whom Romney described as the "the smartest person in the room," but expressed frustrations over hisobjection to the certification of the Biden's presidential election victory. Coppins described Romney as willing to work with nearly any of his senate colleagues but said, "Josh Hawley was one [Romney] said that he doesn't see a future of working with him on anything because he really was kind of deeply offended by Josh Hawley's role in the objecting to the electoral votes." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Student editorial writing is where Kansas City's worst blogger got his start . . . And look how far it has taken us . . . Sigh . . . Nevertheless . . . We thought this tidbit was worthy of consideration if only because it offers a glimpse at popular sentiment from the NEXTGEN and future pundits in the making . . . "Three of the four states that border Kansas have also legalized marijuana in some form. Colorado and Missouri have legalized marijuana for recreational use, while Oklahoma has legalized medical marijuana. "So why havent we gotten any form of action by legislatures yet, if there is major support for it? "I think the answer is simple: as Republican party leaders within the state ignore their constituents, its easy to realize that they dont understand what Kansas wants. "This was especially evident during the 2022 Kansas abortion referendum that was rejected." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . A quick peek at legal compliance and the wheels of justice turning exceptionally slow . . . Take a peek: Experts say many counties aren't even close to finishing, but the failure to meet the deadline shouldn't come as a surprise. Dan Viets, a lawyer and marijuana advocate with Missouri NORML, said proponents for the change always knew it would be a challenging, if not impossible deadline to meet. "Almost a century of marijuana prohibition in the state of Missouri, so there are many many, hundreds of thousands, maybe even over a million marijuana cases that need to be expunged," he said. "But we are very happy that the courts across the state of Missouri have expunged, as we predicted, almost 100-thousand marijuana cases." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Thallium has been launching phishing attacks since 2010, but its size and identity are not known. According to cybersecurity firm ESTsecurity, a group called Thallium has been sending a malicious e-mails disguised as coming from Samsung Cloud to South Koreans working in defense firms, North Korea researchers, defectors, and journalists specializing in North Korea. Suspected North Korean hackers are sending phishing e-mails purporting to be from Samsung Cloud to defectors and other South Koreans in North Korea-related jobs. The latest e-mail reads, "We found on 2020-08-24 that you've used Samsung Cloud Gallery services... For further information, please click 'FAQ' or direct inquiry services." But if people click either they are connected to a malicious code that steals their personal information. Victims do not realize that they have been hacked because they are rerouted to the real Samsung Cloud customer service webpage. Last December, Microsoft filed a lawsuit against unknown persons with a federal district court in Virginia. It said that Thallium targeted and stole the "personal information of government and university employees, think tanks, organizations focused on human rights and world peace, and individuals working in the field of nuclear proliferation," according to politics website The Hill. Moon Jong-hyun of ESTsecurity warned, "There's a mounting threat from Thallium, which is launching cyber espionage attacks almost every day on South Koreans engaged in North Korean affairs." In the first test last March, the Agency for Defense Development succeeded only in testing combustion of the second-stage engine. The craft's second test flight last week was intended to check separation of the second, third and fourth stages as well as ignition and combustion of each engine. But last Friday the agency successfully tested propellant combustion, fairing separation, rocket separation, upper-stage rocket attitude control and the separation of a dummy satellite. Solid fuel was used for the second and third-stage engines but liquid fuel for the fourth because liquid fuel makes it possible to control the injection quantity and thrust more easily. The ministry plans to put a small radar satellite into earth orbit at an altitude of 500 km by around 2025 after conducting further tests. The test came after North Korea recently claimed it succeeded in testing a high-thrust solid-fuel rocket engine. The ministry did not announce the test beforehand, and there were many worried reports to police and social media posts about flashes of light in the sky. "We didn't notify the public of the test in advance because it's a military secret and it could change depending on the weather," the ministry said. "We will try to improve public communication in the future." In the Orbeliani Palace, the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, hosted representatives from the medical field who joined the 'Our Voice for Europe' signature campaign. According to Salome Zourabichvili, the medical field is a part of society that is well aware of how much Georgia needs Europe.As stated by the president, Georgia is in need of adopting European standards in the field of healthcare."Your voice for Europe -this is our joint path, which has no alternative. We have no other perspective, and I probably need to explain this to you the least. Representatives of the medical field are a part of our society who are well aware of how much our country needs Europe, the best informed about how much our country needs European standards." said Zourabichvili.In addition, the President emphasized that the stronger this field is in the country, the stronger Georgia will become."In healthcare, it is impossible for Georgia, Medea's country after all, to lag behind in any field and, on the contrary, not be a leader. We observe that wherever our doctors receive support, whether it's in America or Europe, they achieve great success. You are already successful here, but I am confident that you can achieve even more success, become stronger. The stronger this field is in our country, the stronger our country will be," Zourabichvili stated.Representatives of the civil sector met with the Italian ambassador and handed over a joint letter signed by 80 non-governmental organizations. In the letter, the organizations request that EU member states support the granting of candidate status to Georgia. The civil sector believes it is crucial for decision-makers to clearly recognize the unwavering position of civil society."It is important for Georgia to receive candidate status. That is why the statements of civil society and the meetings are crucial; they enable us to deliver messages and seek support for Georgia when decisions are made. The status is significant for us in many directions, and the most important thing is that it allows us to initiate judicial reform at the national level in Georgia and implement reforms in different directions," the statement reads.Non-governmental organizations had a similar visit to the Greek embassy; they also met with the ambassadors of France, Germany, Lithuania, and Estonia. A former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, has been charged with spying for Cuba since at least 1981. Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday and charged with multiple federal crimes, including acting as an illegal foreign agent and using a fraudulently obtained passport. According to the complaint, Rocha met with Cuban intelligence operatives and gave false information to U.S. government officials about his travels. Prosecutors said Rocha concealed his identity as a foreign agent in efforts to protect himself, so he could continue engaging in "clandestine activity" for the Cuban government. The U.S. requires individuals acting for the benefit of foreign agencies to register with the U.S. Justice Department. In the wake of a surge in antisemitic incidents on college campuses, the presidents of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Pennsylvania find themselves at the center of scrutiny. The House Education Committee, led by Chair Virginia Foxx, is set to hold a hearing titled "Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism." This comes after weeks of criticism over the perceived inadequacy of their responses to antisemitic incidents. In this article, we delve into the controversies surrounding these prestigious institutions and the broader issue of rising antisemitism. Harvard's Response to the Oct. 7 Hamas Attack Harvard University faced criticism following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack when 30 student-led groups blamed Israel for the incident. University President Claudine Gay's initial hesitation to condemn the letter led to accusations that the institution did not adequately support its Jewish students. The Anti-Defamation League reported a staggering 312 antisemitic incidents from Oct. 7-23 in the U.S., reflecting a significant uptick from the same period in 2022. The Department of Education's investigation into Harvard's handling of harassment reports against Jewish and Israeli students underscores the severity of the situation. Former U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman emphasized the university's silence in the face of Hamas actions as a new low, asserting that silence equates to antisemitism. University of Pennsylvania's Threats and FBI Involvement: In November, the University of Pennsylvania had to involve the FBI due to threatening emails sent to university staff, specifically targeting the Jewish community. President Liz Magill highlighted the seriousness of the situation, underscoring the need for a robust response to ensure the safety of Jewish students. UPenn was already under investigation for complaints of antisemitism and Islamophobia, amplifying concerns about the campus environment. READ ALSO: US College Campuses Have The Solution To Antisemitism MIT's Allegations of Physical Obstruction The MIT Israel Alliance raised alarms, alleging that Jewish and Israeli students were physically prevented from attending classes by a "pro-Hamas" group. A student, Talia Khan, claimed that the administration ignored calls for increased protection, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity on campus. The House Education Committee's hearing aims to examine incidents of antisemitism on these campuses and hold the university presidents accountable for their actions. Republicans have been vocal in criticizing administration leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, arguing that these have exacerbated the situation. Chair Virginia Foxx stressed the responsibility of college and university presidents to foster a safe learning environment and condemned indecision or weak statements. MIT President Sally Kornbluth took proactive steps by launching a "Standing Together Against Hate" commission and increasing campus security. The university emphasized "special outreach" efforts, involving various offices, faculty members, and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. However, questions linger about the effectiveness of these measures in addressing the underlying issues contributing to antisemitism. Political Divide and Broader Concerns While both Democrats and Republicans express concerns about the rise of antisemitism, they diverge on solutions. Democrats, represented by Education Committee ranking member Bobby Scott, criticized Republican attempts to cut funding from the Department of Education and Office for Civil Rights. Democrats also aim to address the rise in Islamophobia on campuses, exemplified by a tragic incident in Vermont where three Palestinian students were shot over Thanksgiving weekend. As the spotlight turns to Ivy League universities grappling with antisemitism, the hearing provides an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of their responses. It raises crucial questions about the role of university leadership in ensuring the safety and well-being of all students, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. The outcome of this hearing could shape not only the policies of these prestigious institutions but also contribute to a broader national conversation about combating antisemitism on college campuses. RELATED ARTICLE: Presidents Of Top US Universities To Address Campus Antisemitism Issues Before Congress Faculty members at California State University (CSU), the largest public university system in the U.S., have initiated a series of one-day strikes across four campuses to advocate for higher pay and enhanced benefits. The California Faculty Association, representing approximately 29,000 workers on 23 campuses, is spearheading this effort, demanding a 12% salary raise, an extension of parental leave from six weeks to a full semester, manageable workloads, improved breastfeeding facilities, and more gender-inclusive restrooms. The Strikes Unfold The strikes commenced at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, known as Cal Poly Pomona, where hundreds of faculty members picketed to kick off the campaign. Similar strikes are planned at San Francisco State University, California State University, Los Angeles, and California State University, Sacramento. Maria Gisela Sanchez, a counselor at Cal Poly Pomona, expressed the spirit of the strike, emphasizing the need to preserve the integrity of the public education system. The union argues that fair compensation and improved working conditions are essential components of a robust public education system that should benefit everyone. READ ALSO: Saint Louis University Addresses The Educational Gap Using $5.9M Grant To Tackle Teacher Shortage Union Demands and University Response In addition to the 12% salary increase and extended parental leave, the faculty union is calling for more manageable workloads, better breastfeeding stations, and increased gender-inclusive restrooms. The California State University chancellor's office estimates that meeting these demands would cost the system $380 million in new recurring spending, exceeding the state's increased funding for the system in the 2023-24 academic year by $150 million. Leora Freedman, the vice chancellor for human resources, acknowledges the need to increase compensation but emphasizes the importance of fiscal sustainability. The university respects the right to strike and aims to minimize disruptions on campuses. Despite the strike, Cal Poly Pomona announced that the campus would remain open, and some faculty would continue to hold classes. Striking instructors informed students about cancellations and provided instructions for the next class. The university administration seeks to balance the right to strike with maintaining the continuity of education. Kate Ozment, an English assistant professor and assembly delegate for the union's Cal Poly Pomona chapter, highlighted the financial challenges faced by faculty members. She pointed out that the current salary structure often excludes those without generational wealth or two-income households. Ozment also stressed the need for an extended parental leave, citing its impact on class continuity and the ability of professors to manage their personal and professional lives effectively. Wider Labor Issues within CSU Beyond faculty concerns, other workers within the California State University system are also advocating for better pay and bargaining rights. Teamsters Local 2010, representing plumbers, electricians, and maintenance workers, held a one-day strike last month. The skilled workers argue that they have been paid less than counterparts at the University of California campuses in similar roles. The Teamsters plan to strike in solidarity with the faculty union. The faculty strikes at California State University underscore the broader national trend of labor activism. As faculty members demand fair pay and improved benefits, the strikes prompt discussions about the role of education in society and the treatment of those who contribute to its success. The outcomes of these strikes may shape the future of labor relations within the university system and contribute to ongoing conversations about equitable compensation and working conditions in the education sector. RELATED ARTICLE: Failed Contract Negotiations At CSU Push Faculty To Strike High school juniors and seniors across New York State are gearing up for a year-long journey through the intricate web of college admissions. While not every student may have college aspirations, for those eyeing a four-year institution, meticulous preparation is key. From standardized tests to campus visits, applications, essays, and extracurricular engagement, the process demands careful planning. New York State's Diverse College Landscape With over 23 campuses in the New York State public university system, prospective students face a spectrum of choices. However, the road to acceptance is not equally paved for all institutions. According to data from the US Department of Education, New York's average college acceptance rate stands just below 53%, lower than the national average of around 70%. For those dreaming of attending the most competitive colleges in the state, the journey is even more challenging. READ ALSO: How To Find A Good College Fit? US News And World College Rankings Could Help You Toughest Colleges to Get Into The rankings of colleges with the lowest acceptance rates in New York State offer a glimpse into the fierce competition. Topping the list is Columbia University in New York City, boasting an acceptance rate of a mere 4%. As we explore further, we'll delve into the admissions rates of other esteemed institutions and the implications for aspiring students. The Elusive Top 10 1. Columbia University (Acceptance Rate: 4%) Known for its Ivy League status, Columbia University sets the bar high for admissions, requiring exceptional academic and extracurricular achievements. 2. Cornell University (Acceptance Rate: 7%) Situated in Ithaca, Cornell's rigorous admissions process reflects its reputation as one of the prestigious Ivy League members. 3. Barnard College (Acceptance Rate: 9%) An affiliated women's liberal arts college with Columbia University, Barnard maintains a highly competitive admissions landscape. 4. Julliard School (Acceptance Rate: 10%) Renowned for its performing arts programs, Julliard demands exceptional talent, contributing to its lower acceptance rate. 5. Colgate University (Acceptance Rate: 9%) Located in Hamilton, Colgate's commitment to academic excellence attracts top-tier applicants. 6. Hamilton College (Acceptance Rate: 12%) Known for its small class sizes and strong liberal arts curriculum, Hamilton is a sought-after institution in upstate New York. 7. New York University (Acceptance Rate: 12%) Situated in the heart of Manhattan, NYU's global reputation adds to its allure, making it a highly competitive choice. 8. United States Military Academy (Acceptance Rate: 12%) As a prestigious military institution in West Point, USMA draws a select pool of applicants committed to leadership and service. 9. Vassar College (Acceptance Rate: 19%) With a commitment to diversity and academic excellence, Vassar remains a highly competitive liberal arts college. 10. Webb Institute (Acceptance Rate: 21%) Focused on naval architecture and marine engineering, Webb Institute attracts applicants with a passion for the maritime industry. Understanding the Landscape The rankings provide valuable insights for prospective students, helping them gauge the competitiveness of their desired institutions. The highly selective nature of these colleges often translates to more stringent admission criteria, emphasizing the importance of exceptional academic performance, compelling essays, and a well-rounded portfolio of achievements. Beyond the elite institutions, the list encompasses a variety of colleges and universities, each with its unique strengths and offerings. From arts-focused academies like the American Musical and Dramatic Academy to engineering-centric institutions like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, students can find a niche that aligns with their passions and career goals. As high school students embark on the college admissions journey, awareness of the competitive landscape is essential. The rankings of colleges with the lowest acceptance rates in New York State shed light on the challenges ahead. However, each institution, regardless of acceptance rates, offers a distinct educational experience. Navigating this intricate web requires careful consideration of personal goals, academic strengths, and the unique offerings of each college. RELATED ARTICLE: TIME Ranks Universities For Aspiring Top Future Leaders In recent weeks, Indiana University at Bloomington has found itself at the center of a contentious debate involving allegations of antisemitism on campus, sparked by the Israel-Hamas conflict. The controversy escalated when U.S. Representative Jim Banks, a conservative Republican and evangelical Christian, penned a letter to IU's president, Pamela Whitten, threatening potential federal funding cuts if the university did not address the perceived antisemitism promptly. This move has sparked a fierce response from faculty members who argue that Banks's actions pose a significant threat to academic freedom on campus. Academic Freedom Under Fire Banks's letter, dated Nov. 15, accused IU of harboring an environment tainted by antisemitism, particularly in light of the Israel-Hamas war. He pointed to the resignations of two student government members who accused the student body president of antisemitism. Faculty members, however, contend that Banks's assertions are exaggerated and misleading. They argue that the tensions on campus extend beyond antisemitism, affecting Palestinian and other Muslim students as well. The faculty has emphasized the need for free expression of ideas during this emotionally charged time. The faculty's response, a letter signed by 220 members, condemns Banks's letter for injecting ideology into the university's governance and stifling the exchange of ideas. The faculty emphasizes its commitment to combating all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic discrimination. However, they express concern that Banks's letter threatens to create a divisive atmosphere on campus, hindering the open discourse necessary for a university setting. Banks's letter invokes Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, asserting that IU could lose federal funding if it tolerates antisemitism. While the law mandates protection against discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is the authority that can strip a college's Title VI funding. The faculty argues that Banks's approach is premature and may compromise academic freedom, urging a fair and thorough investigation instead. READ ALSO: Bard College Prioritizes Academic Freedom Despite Pressure From Israeli Diplomat Escalating Tensions The Israel-Hamas conflict has heightened sensitivities on campuses across the United States, leading to increased reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia. Incidents have turned violent in some cases, with a professor facing charges related to a death during an off-campus demonstration, and three students of Palestinian descent shot in Vermont. IU has responded by increasing police patrols, introducing security measures, and collaborating with Jewish campus organizations to ensure student safety. Administrative Response President Whitten faced criticism for her initial statement on the war, which lacked specificity and mentioned "the Middle East" without addressing the involved nations or groups. Subsequent statements supporting Israel led to further backlash, with calls for acknowledgment of Palestinian suffering. The administration is now tasked with navigating a complex situation involving competing narratives and demands from various student groups. Faculty Concerns and Campus Realities Faculty members, including those who identify as Jewish, argue that antisemitism on campus is not as rampant as portrayed by Banks. They fear that the administration may respond unfairly to certain advocacy efforts, potentially infringing on academic freedom and civil liberties. The faculty's concerns are echoed by students who participated in peaceful protests, emphasizing that criticisms of Israel should not automatically be equated with antisemitism. Political Influence on Campus Discourse Banks's involvement in IU's internal affairs is not an isolated incident. Similar instances, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's actions against Students for Justice in Palestine, highlight a growing trend where external political figures attempt to influence campus discourse. Faculty members and experts view these interventions as threats to academic freedom, emphasizing the need to protect the diversity of perspectives within a university setting. The clash between Representative Banks and IU's faculty underscores the delicate balance between addressing discrimination on campus and preserving academic freedom. As IU navigates this challenging terrain, it must uphold its commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment while ensuring that external political pressures do not compromise the university's fundamental principles of free expression and open discourse. The outcome of this controversy will likely shape the discourse around academic freedom and political influence on campuses nationwide. RELATED ARTICLE: Professor At Indian Premier University Resigns Due To Stifled Academic Freedom UNODC Promotes Cooperation Against Trafficking in Persons Between Estonia and Uzbekistan From 14 to 16 November 2023, UNODC, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Estonia, facilitated a study visit by the delegation of Estonia to Uzbekistan. The objective of the visit was to strengthen bilateral efforts and implement joint strategies to address trafficking in persons in migration pathways between the two countries and beyond. In recent years, Estonia, an EU and Eurozone member, has seen an increase of labor migration from Central Asia, particularly from Uzbekistan, due to better employment prospects. However, this surge in migration has also increased the risk of labor migrants becoming victims of trafficking in persons due to illegal recruitment and employment practices, as well as social isolation. The Estonian delegation, led by the National Coordinator on Combating Trafficking in Persons, included representatives from key ministries and enforcement bodies such as the Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs and Social Affairs, the Social Insurance Board, the Labour Inspectorate, and the Police and Border Guard Board. They engaged in meaningful discussions with their Uzbek counterparts from the National Commission on Combating Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labor, the Prosecutor Generals Office, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Agency for External Labor Migration. The visit began with a bilateral meeting between UNODC and the Estonian delegation, followed by substantive discussions on combating trafficking in persons with the National Commission on Combating Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labour of Uzbekistan. The Estonian delegation also met with the Agency for External Labour Migration under the Ministry of Poverty Reduction of Uzbekistan to understand the complexities and challenges surrounding labor migration and its intersection with trafficking in persons. The highlight of the visit was a comprehensive roundtable moderated by the UNODC on November 15. Specialists discussed emerging trends of trafficking in persons and labor migration, best practices, and joint actions to prevent trafficking in persons and protect and assist labor migrants. The roundtable also featured the development of a pocket guide on safe labour migration between Uzbekistan and Estonia, which will aid specialists and labor migrants in navigating the complexities of labor migration practices.. The visit concluded with a tour to the Employment Monocentre Ishga Marhamat, where discussions focused on exploring partnership opportunities and setting up contacts for continued cooperation beyond the visit. This initiative is organized within the framework of the UNODC Global Programme against Trafficking in Persons, implementing the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 20222025, with financial support of the U.S. State Departments Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2023) Caretaker Federal Minister for Interior Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti Tuesday strongly condemned the explosion near the school on Warsak Road Babu in Peshawar. He expressed deep sorrow and regret over the injuries of innocent children in the blast, adding that no effort should be spared in the treatment of children and other injured. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured in the explosion, especially children, the minister said that Children were the future of this country and they would be protected at any cost. Terrorists were proving their cowardness by targeting innocent children, the minister said adding that thier cowardly acts could not sabotage peace and prosperity in the country. He said that the elements involved in the incident were indeed punished and the entire nation was united to eliminate terrorism completely from the country. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2023) President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday conferred the civil award of Nishan-i-Pakistan on Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the Head of the Dawoodi Bohra Community, in recognition of his services for Pakistan in the field of spiritual guidance and social services. The award was conferred at a special investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sard and attended by the Federal cabinet members as well as the representatives of the Bohra community. According to the citation read out before the conferment of the award, Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin is the 53rd Dai-e-Mutlaq whose followers are spread across all continents with a large number of them being Pakistani citizens. The Bohra community head has a special regard for Pakistan and is an advocate of peace, harmony and goodwill. Recounting his services in the education sector, it was told that he had contributed to the building of the school of Law at the University of Karachi and launched a university project. Multiple healthcare institutions are operating in the name of the Bohra community head providing affordable healthcare to people. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin has repeatedly emphasized the importance of conserving and protecting the environment. In the past few years alone, over 100,000 trees have been planted by his followers in different parts of Pakistan. He also launched a global initiative named 'Project Rise' encompassing a range of areas, including healthcare, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, environmental responsibility and conservation, and education. He urged his followers to contribute actively to Pakistan's socioeconomic progress and explore business opportunities in the country besides developing an extensive network of schemes offering interest-free loans. The World Health Organization's executive board will hold a rare emergency session on Dec. 10 to discuss the health crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, with the Palestinian envoy seeking more medical aid and access for foreign health care workers. The WHO confirmed on Monday it had received a request from 15 countries to hold the session, which will be convened by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in consultation with the Qatari chair. The Palestinian ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, said the meeting would focus mostly on Gaza, engulfed by war between its Hamas rulers and Israel, but also cover attacks on the health sector in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "We want to empower the WHO and call for the Israeli side not to target the medical sector. We want to allow for fresh medical supplies," he told Reuters, adding that his diplomatic mission was drafting a motion to be reviewed by the board. "One idea is to send more doctors in from around the world," he added, saying many countries had offered. The "Occupied Palestinian Territory" is a WHO observer rather than a member state but has influence in the organization through supporters. Israel said the session was an example of the "double standards and disproportionate attention towards Israel in the multilateral arena." (@FahadShabbir) The African Union said Tuesday that it was concerned by President Umaro Sissoco Embalo's decision to dissolve parliament ahead of fresh elections in Guinea-Bissau after clashes erupted in the capital last week Nairobi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2023) The African Union said Tuesday that it was concerned by President Umaro Sissoco Embalo's decision to dissolve parliament ahead of fresh elections in Guinea-Bissau after clashes erupted in the capital last week. AU chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat "notes with concern the dissolution of the National Assembly" and "strongly condemns the recent violence in Guinea-Bissau, perpetrated by elements of the National Guard", it said in a statement. "The chairperson calls on the government and all national stakeholders to prioritise dialogue in the furtherance of peace and to respect the Constitution to ensure the preservation of stability and unity of the country," the statement said. Embalo said Monday that an "attempted coup" plunged the West African nation into crisis after violence broke out between members of the national guard and special forces of the presidential guard, leaving two people dead. But Embalo's long-time rival and parliamentary speaker Domingos Simoes Pereira accused the president of carrying out a "constitutional coup d'etat". Embalo said that Prime Minister Geraldo Joao Martins would remain in office but that he was taking over the defence and interior ministry portfolios following last week's violence. He said there had been "complicity" between the national guard and "certain political interests within the State apparatus". (@FahadShabbir) Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Dec, 2023) All eight airmen who were aboard an Osprey military aircraft that crashed off Japan are considered deceased, the US Air Force said Tuesday. The Osprey -- which can operate like a helicopter or a fixed-wing turboprop plane -- disappeared on November 29 near the island of Yakushima, sparking an intense search for survivors. "The US military transitioned search and rescue operations to search and recovery operations," meaning "survivors are unlikely," the Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement. "Of the eight airmen, the remains of three airmen have been recovered, the remains of another three airmen have been located and are in the process of being recovered, and the remains of two airmen are still being located," it said. US President Joe Biden offered condolences to the families of the military personnel in a statement on Tuesday. "Jill and I are praying for the families and friends who lost a loved one in this terrible accident," Biden said, referring to the first lady. "Our entire nation mourns this tragic loss." Osprey aircraft have suffered a string of fatal accidents, including a crash in northern Australia that killed three US Marines in August, and another in Norway during NATO training exercises last year that left four dead. Three Marines were also killed in 2017 when another Osprey crashed off Australia's north coast and 19 Marines died when their Osprey crashed during drills in Arizona in 2000. The United States temporarily grounded the aircraft in Japan in 2016 after an Osprey crash-landed off Okinawa, sparking anger among locals. Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said on Thursday he had asked the US military to again suspend Osprey flights -- except for search-and-rescue operations -- and that Japan's military had halted using its own Ospreys pending safety checks. But the Pentagon said the following day that only the unit of the crashed CV-22 had stopped flying. It was not immediately clear if that halt was still in effect. Agam, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2023) Hundreds of Indonesian rescuers were racing Tuesday to find 10 hikers who went missing after a volcano eruption that killed 13 people. Thirteen dead hikers were found Monday near the crater of Mount Marapi on the island of Sumatra, with rescue officials announcing 11 deaths the same day and two more on Tuesday. Others were found alive and carried down the mountain in arduous rescue efforts hampered by further eruptions and bad weather. The volcano spewed an ash tower 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) -- taller than the volcano itself -- into the sky on Sunday. "The total number of people who have died is currently 13 people. The 10 missing hikers are still being searched," Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency told AFP, adding the bodies of the two additional dead hikers were found late Monday. Five of the dead had been brought down the mountain for identification while eight bodies had been found and were being brought down in bodybags, he said. Images shared by national search and rescue agency Basarnas showed a rescue team of six in orange jackets and hard hats carrying a body down the side of the volcano. The volcano was still erupting on Tuesday morning, according to officials, hampering the rescue efforts of more than 200 personnel. Rescuers were attempting manual evacuations, walking to the top of the volcano and evacuating the victims on stretchers because of ongoing eruptions and poor visibility, said Hendri, a local rescue official who like many Indonesians goes by one name. Ahmad Rifandi, head of Marapi's monitoring post, told AFP Tuesday it had observed five eruptions from midnight to 8 am local time (0100 GMT). "Marapi is still very much active. We can't see the height of the column because it's covered by the cloud," he said. Volcanic ash was still falling around an information post at the base of the mountain where Marapi was not visible, according to an AFP journalist. The head of Indonesia's volcanology agency, Hendra Gunawan, said Marapi has been at the second level of a four-tier alert system since 2011, and a three-kilometre exclusion zone had been imposed around its crater. He appeared to blame hikers on Monday for going too close to the crater, saying the agency recommended no human activities in that zone, and emphasised that "severe impacts" were reported for victims within one to 1.5 kilometres from the crater. Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2023) Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Russia on Thursday for talks with Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said, as the two countries strengthen economic and military ties in the face of Western sanctions. "I can confirm. There will be Russian-Iranian negotiations on December 7," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday when asked about media reports of Raisi's impending visit. Putin visited Iran in July last year and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Tehran in October for talks with regional counterparts. Western countries have accused Tehran of supporting Russia's offensive in Ukraine by providing it with large quantities of drones and other weaponry. Iran's official news agency Irna said Raisi would be travelling to Moscow following an invitation from Putin. "Bilateral issues, including economic interactions, as well as discussions about regional and international issues, especially the situation in Gaza, will be high on the agenda of the one-day trip," it reported. ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2023) King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) has reached a significant milestone in healthcare with a pioneering breakthrough in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) screening. Its innovative approach has been registered as a patent in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), placing it among the top 25% in its global domain. This technological innovation, the first of its kind, is designed specifically for the Saudi population; it utilizes eye tracking and specific visual stimuli integrated with artificial intelligence that offer an efficient and more accurate alternative to the traditional, subjective screening methods by being tailored to the unique linguistic and cultural aspects of Saudi Arabia. This approach has a potential to be used in tracking the progress of treatments and interventions by overcoming the lengthy and subjective nature of current ASD diagnosis methods. The KFSH&RC's approach facilitates early detection and more effective treatment, enhancing the patients' quality of life and reducing burdens on healthcare and educational institutions. The study involved a diverse group of participants across a broad age range, and highlighted the applicability of the method to various demographics, focusing on ASD in this research which requires only the patient's engagement with a visual stimulus for effective screening. This achievement is the result of KFSH&RC's expertise, augmented by global scientific collaborations; it demonstrates the hospital's role as a leader in medical innovation, and its steadfast commitment to improving healthcare standards nationally and globally. (@FahadShabbir) VIENTIANE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2023) -- The China-Laos Railway has bolstered its transport capacity and efficiency since it was launched two years ago, opening up opportunities for Laos' economic development, boosting tourism, and improving people's livelihood in Laos. Since its operation on Dec. 3, 2021, the China-Laos Railway has turned the land-locked country into a land-linked hub in the Indo-China Peninsula, helping Laos effectively overcome its development barriers and improving the Lao people's livelihood. The railway marks a monumental and historic milestone in developing modern infrastructure for Laos, Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith told the launching ceremony, calling it "a proud moment and the dream of all ethnic groups of Laos." (@ChaudhryMAli88) Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2023) Russia said Tuesday it had neutralised 35 Ukrainian drones over the annexed Crimean peninsula and the Sea of Azov. "An attempt by the Kyiv regime to commit a terrorist attack with aerial drones... was foiled last night," the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement, adding that "22 Ukrainian drones were destroyed and 13 others were intercepted over the Sea of Azov and Crimea." "A new attack attempt by the Kyiv regime" on Tuesday morning saw four Ukrainian drones shot down and two intercepted over the Azov Sea, the ministry said in a separate statement. Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, hosts the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet and is a key supply route for Russian forces in southern and eastern Ukraine. It is regularly targeted by Ukrainian forces. Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke of a "strengthened political mutual trust and international coordination" with Belarus after he met with the European country's president in Beijing, according to official media. China has sought to make Belarus a core member of its Belt and Road Initiative to build infrastructure with nations from Malaysia to Greece. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has become increasingly isolated following a crackdown on political opponents and his support for ally Russia in its war on Ukraine. But the heavily state-controlled economy of Belarus has dimmed possibilities for major economic cooperation with China. Vietnams Just Energy Transition Partnership Resource Mobilization Plan: Unpacked Vietnams Just Energy Partnership Resource Mobilization Plan (JETP-RMP) has been completed and was presented last Friday at the Conference of Parties 28 in Dubai. Here are the key takeaways from the plan. In 2022, Vietnam agreed in principle to a Just Energy Transition Partnership with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) also known as the International Partners Group (IPG), a group made up of the G7 and a handful of other developed economies. The deal at the time was to be worth in the vicinity of US$15.5 billion made up of public and private funding. Fast forward to December 1 this year, and a Resource Mobilization Plan (RMP) for Vietnam, a key tenet of the JETP initiative, was finally announced to the world at the Conference of Parties 28 (COP28) in Dubai. Whereas the agreement forged last year covered the broad strokes, this 200-plus page document goes into far greater detail. See also (from last year): Explained: Vietnams Just Energy Partnership Agreement Regulatory framework Firstly, informing the development of the RMP are a number of key pieces of legislation in Vietnam. Its under these roadmaps that the JETP-RMP has been put together. The Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8) Vietnams PDP8 is a road map for the development of the energy sector between now and 2030 with an outlook toward 2050. It outlines a power transition that will see coal power reduced to zero by 2050 if several conditions are met. This includes being able to access US$134.7 billion of funds between 2021 and 2030 and a further US$399.2 billion to US$523.1 billion between 2031 and 2050. See also: Vietnams Power Development Plan 8: What You Should Know The National Energy Master Plan (NEMP) Vietnams NEMP addresses Vietnams energy sector broadly. Similar to the PDP8, the NEMP outlines the role of renewables in Vietnams energy security; however, it also looks at resource extraction: gas, coal, and oil. Gas, in particular, is slated to play a key role in Vietnams energy transition. See also: Vietnams National Energy Master Plan: Key Takeaways JETP financing The JETP-RMP has been developed under the expectation that public finance commitments will act as a catalyst for private sector investment. Its with this in mind that the RMP outlines just under US$8 billion worth of investment with the remaining US$7.5 billion expected to come from the private sector. There are three financial instruments that make up the structure of the financing commitment outlined in the RMP. These are: Grants: This can be either technical assistance or capital grants. This can be either technical assistance or capital grants. Concessional loans: These are loans offered at a discount to market rates. These are loans offered at a discount to market rates. Commercial Development Finance Institution (DFI) loans: This includes loans, guarantees and equity, the terms of which will be developed through risk-based pricing. These are distinguished from regular commercial loans by their consideration of the development objectives of the borrowing entity. Current commitments Grants Per the RMP, US$321.6 million in grants have been offered. Of those funds, US$239.6 million is attached to specific projects, with US$82 million that can be used more flexibly. Concessional loans Around US$2.75 billion has been earmarked for concessional loans for Vietnam. These will be administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the French Development Bank (AFD), and the German Development Bank (KfW). These will be issued in coordination with the Government of Vietnam in most instances, with US$2.18 billion worth of finance on offer requiring sovereign guarantees or issued as sovereign loans. Commercial DFI loans The vast bulk of funding pledges, amounting to some US$4.23 billion, will come from commercial DFI loans. Breakdown of JETP public finance Concessional loans Commercial DFI instruments Total (US$ mn) Grants/TA Sovereign Non- Sovereign Equity Guarantee Loan TBD Canada 59 4 51 4 Denmark 10 10 EU 920 185 735 France 525 1 524 Germany 672 63 399 210 Italy 528 264 264 Japan 342 2 340 Norway 251 1 250 UK 304 4 50 200 50 US 1,050 50 10 40 950 ADB 2,100 1,000 1,100 FMO 315 315 Other 1,000 1,000 Total 8,077 322 2,185 528 310 240 4,229 264 RMP short-term priorities Projects specifically allocated funding in the RMP are mostly those that will help to administer the JETP program. For example, France has committed US$600,000 for a research program to inform public policies on net-zero strategies and adaptation to climate change, whereas the countrys remaining US$523.7 million is designated as project dependent. Notably, there are a number of projects that have been identified both by the Government of Vietnam in various master plans as well as by the IPG that are listed in the JETP. The agreement, however, notes that this list is subject to change. That said, the RMP lists a number of key projects, which will be given priority in the short-term. These are set to be implemented in 2024. Power transmission grid projects Power grid development support including: Determining the scope, the priorities, and the investment models to be used to mobilize private capital; Developing a legal framework to facilitate private sector investment; and Assisting in the development of cross-border and offshore transmission projects. Transmission grid investment including: Assisting the state power provider Electricity Vietnam (EVN) in infrastructure development. For example, in the upgrade and expansion of Vietnams 500kV and 220kV transmission lines, as well as monitoring control and data management and energy management systems; Supporting EVN to invest in 110kV and 22kV distribution solar power, wind power, and rooftop solar power systems can be better integrated into Vietnams grid; and Supporting the development of offshore wind by developing necessary transmission lines and substations. Battery and pumped storage Energy storage system support including: Capacity building for staff and technicians; Policy framework development support; and Needs assessments/feasibility studies. Energy storage investment including: A pilot project of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) of 50MW/50MWh with EVN to explore ancillary services and determine pricing mechanism as well as technical standards; A BESS pilot project of 7MW/7MWh integrated with a 50MW solar farm along with a 105MW/105MWh BESS project integrated with a 400 MW solar farm; and Finishing the Bac Ai pumped storage hydropower plant. Projects on offshore wind power development Offshore wind power development support including: Capacity building for government ministries in the development of marine spatial planning policies with respect to offshore wind; Partial financing for a first offshore wind power project of 2 GW installed capacity; Funding support for environmental and wind speed data collection; and Surveying support for planning offshore wind power projects. Offshore wind power investment, including Investment support to reach a capacity of 6 GW of offshore wind power by 2030. RMP mid-term priorities Looking beyond 2024, the RMP outlines a number of priority areas and corresponding targets. Energy efficiency (EE) In order to reduce the power demand by 10 percent by 2030 over current demand forecasts, the RMP will prioritize: Enhancing energy efficiency in public facilities; Phasing out indirect subsidies applied to electricity prices; Supporting the enforcement of existing EE regulations; and Assisting in the expansion of EE regulations. As a part of its EE priorities, the RMP also outlines a Smart and Energy Efficiency City Project (SEECP), which will see the retrofit, upgrade, and expansion of street lighting in Vietnam. The cost and kWh savings are not detailed in the plan. Solar power In order add 25-30 GW of solar PV to Vietnams power supply by 2030 the RMP prioritizes: Finalizing the rules for Direct Power Purchase Agreements; The introduction of tenders for solar power plants combined with battery storage; The introduction of surplus tariffs for rooftop solar and multiple land-use solar systems; and The development of a strategy for developing solar power on public buildings. Phasing out coal In order to facilitate the transition away from coal, the RMP prioritizes: Restructuring PPAs to incentivize flexibility; Restructuring debt using blended finance to reduce the cost of the energy transition on coal power providers and mitigate the impacts of forgone revenue; and Supporting the development of a carbon market. Specifically, the RMP lists three key coal transition projects it will try to transition first. These are: Cao Ngan coal-thermal power plant; Pha Lai 1 coal-thermal power plant; and Ninh Binh coal-thermal power plant. Vietnams JETP moving forward Vietnams JETP has been lauded as pivotal to the countrys transition to a greener economy and a reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions. Its success, however, will be contingent on the effective implementation of the project and the efficient use of funds provided by the IPGs. With the RMP now in place, the path forward has become clearer. For firms in the renewables energy sector, the time to seriously consider entering the Vietnam market has come. That said, it is not always easy, and firms would be well advised to source boots-on-the-ground support from the business advisory experts at Dezan Shira and Associates. Almost half of all graduates of medical schools outside of the Seoul metropolitan region end up getting internship positions in the capital area, which exacerbates the shortage of doctors in the provinces. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 46.7 percent of the 19,408 students who graduated from medical schools in the provinces between 2014 and 2023 interned at hospitals in the greater Seoul area. For medical graduates from North Gyeongsang Province, the figure was 90 percent because there are no major hospitals in the province that could further a doctor's career. Emergency patients there have to travel on average 15 km to get medical care, the longest distance in the country. This has triggered a vicious cycle where patients also gravitate to Seoul and leave even fewer opportunities for doctors. U.S. forces killed five Iran-backed militants as they prepared to launch a drone attack in Iraq, as the number of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria rose to 76 since mid-October. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Monday that U.S. forces saw the militants Sunday as they were beginning to launch an attack drone and fired a precision munition from a U.S. drone to take them out. We felt that it was going to be a threat to U.S. forces, and because we have the inherent right to self-defense we took action, she said. Iranian-backed proxies launched two multi-rocket attacks against U.S. forces in eastern Syria over the weekend; one targeting Rumalyn Landing Zone and another targeting forces in Shadaddi. The attacks resulted in no casualties or damage to infrastructure. "Iran, we believe, is the ultimate party responsible" for attacks on ships transiting near Red Sea, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. "This is an issue for the entire world," he added. The latest violence in Iraq and Syria comes as Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents in Yemen hit three commercial ships in the Red Sea with missiles Sunday, in what could be a further escalation in a string of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the nearly two-month-old Israel-Hamas war. Houthi forces attacked multiple commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Defense Department told VOA. The USS Carney lended aid in some circumstances and shot down Houthi drones that were headed in its general direction. According to U.S. Central Command, after the first ballistic missile hit the waters near M/V Unity Explorer, the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, responded and took out a drone heading in the direction of the two ships. Less than an hour later, M/V Unity Explorer was hit by a Houthi missile, causing minor damage. While the USS Carney was responding to the ships distress call, Houthis fired another drone at the ships that was shot down by the Carney crew. A few hours later, missiles launched from Yemen hit two more commercial ships, the M/V Number 9 and the M/V Sophie II, damaging both vessels. While responding to the Sophie IIs distress call, USS Carney shot down another drone heading in its direction. Singh said the Pentagon assessed the Carney was not the target of any of the attacks, but when pressed by VOA, she acknowledged that this was an initial assessment and the Pentagon had not ruled out the possibility that the Carney might have been a drone target. It came close enough that the commander of the ship felt that it was a threat and needed to engage and shoot down that drone, she said. Singh added that the attacks were very concerning but would not say how or whether the U.S. would respond. In 2016, the U.S. launched Tomahawk cruise missiles that destroyed three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory to retaliate for missiles being fired at U.S. Navy ships. A Houthi military spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying the rebels hit one vessel with a missile and another with a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. "The Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea [and Gulf of Aden] until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops," Saree said. "The Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all Israeli ships or those associated with Israelis that they will become a legitimate target if they violate what is stated in this statement." Saree also identified the first vessel hit as the Unity Explorer, which is owned by a British firm that includes Dan David Ungar, who lives in Israel, as one of its officers. The Houthi spokesperson said the second hit was a Panamanian-flagged container ship called Number 9, which is linked to Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement. Israeli media have identified Ungar as being the son of Israeli shipping billionaire Abraham Rami Ungar. For more than a month, Iranian-backed militias have conducted drone and rocket attacks against the 2,500 American troops based in Iraq and the 900 troops in Syria. Nelson Mandela was a global icon who inspired the world, spending 27 years in prison for his fight against the South African apartheid regime and going on to become the countrys first black president. Former comrades, family and analysts say Mandela, who died 10 years ago, would have been disappointed in the state of South Africa today. Mandela, arguably the worlds best-known and most beloved South African, died on Dec. 5, 2013, at the age of 95. His greatest achievement was bringing freedom and democracy to South Africa with his African National Congress, or ANC, party, after decades of brutal white minority rule. He forgave his former enemies and ushered in one of the worlds most progressive constitutions. South Africa was seen as a moral example and beacon of hope worldwide. Mandela served one term in office. Even before his death, however, while he was in retirement, his once-storied ANC had become embroiled in corruption scandals most notably under one of his successors, former President Jacob Zuma. Today, critics accuse the party of only caring about self-enrichment and failing to deliver a better life for most of South Africas impoverished citizens. They say Madiba, as he was widely known, would have been disappointed. Peter Hain was a friend to Mandela and noted anti-apartheid activist whom apartheid security forces attempted to assassinate with a letter bomb in 1972. He would have been absolutely appalled at the decay in the country, the continued rampant corruption, including by some Cabinet ministers. who are members of his once proud African National Congress, Hain said. Many other ANC stalwarts and surviving Mandela contemporaries declined to comment. However, one of the statesmans grandsons, Ndaba Mandela, echoed the view that Mandela would have been disappointed. Of course, my grandfather Madiba would have been very disappointed to say the least, to see whats happened with the current ANC, with this party that he loved so much," he said. "Do I think some of the party members are letting down the ANC? Of course they are. We have ministers who are on a feeding frenzy." Lumkile Mondi, an economics professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, described what he said are the main problems facing South Africa today. Levels of unemployment are very, very high, at about 32.5%; more importantly, inequality has deepened. So has poverty. Infrastructure, whether its water infrastructure, road infrastructure, energy infrastructure, has collapsed, he said. Next year marks 30 years since the first democratic elections in South Africa and voters will head to the ballot box once again. Numerous polls are suggesting the ANC will lose its majority for the first time. A man in Bosnia-Herzegovina killed his wife and streamed the murder live on Instagram. In neighboring Serbia, 27 women were killed in gender-based attacks this year, despite efforts to raise awareness and reverse the trend. Activists in Kosovo say violence against women there is a national emergency. Throughout the western Balkans, women are harassed, raped, beaten and killed, often by their partners and after repeatedly reporting the violence to the authorities. The region is staunchly conservative, with a centuries-old tradition of male dominance, but the problem surged following the wars in the 1990s and the political, economic and social crises that have persisted since the conflicts ended. In response, womens groups in the region have organized protests to draw public attention and demand action. They have set up help lines and shelters for women. But activists blame authorities for not acting more decisively to protect women and counter a culture of impunity. The public in Bosnia and the wider region was brutally shaken into reality in August, when a woman in the northeastern Bosnian town of Gradacac was shot in the head by her former partner, in a live video on Instagram. The murder was so gruesome and so tragic that it was an eye-opener," said Jadranka Milicevic, from the Cure [Girls] group. In the Western Balkans, most countries have passed laws and regulations to combat violence against women but implementation remains incoherent, activists say. Bosnia, for example, was among the first countries to ratify the Council of Europes Istanbul Convention on violence against women, but the problem has only grown since then, Milicevic said. Violence against women and domestic violence are a global phenomenon. They exist everywhere, but it is the state response to the violence that is the key issue, said Vanja Macanovic, from the Autonomous Women's Center in Serbia. Unfortunately, what we see here [in the Balkans] is that violence is approved. It is a model of behavior that is not sufficiently condemned in public." We have signed all relevant international declarations, resolutions and conventions but their application is questionable, said Milicevic. "Too many people still perceive [domestic] violence as a private issue, a private matter between two people. They do not understand that it is a social problem. Observers cite Bosnia's lenient sentences for violence and killing of women as one of the key problems. A 2022 report by GREVIO, an expert body monitoring the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, said such court practices feed a sentiment of impunity that is felt strongly by both the perpetrators and their victims. Only once was a murderer sentenced to the 40-year maximum in a case where a woman was the victim, Milicevic said. A total of 65 women have been killed in the past 10 years and five have survived attempted murders in the country of 3.3 million people, local data shows. The situation is similar in Kosovo, another highly patriarchal and male-oriented Balkan society. There, the rape last year of an 11-year-old girl by five assailants triggered street protests demanding safety for women, which led to the resignation of the police chief. But protesters were out in the streets again later in 2022, angered by two killings in the capital Pristina. A 63-year-old geography teacher was killed by her ax-wielding husband, while a pregnant woman was tracked down outside a hospital by her husband, who killed her while she was waiting to give birth. A total of 66 women have been killed by partners or husbands since 2000 in Kosovo, a nation of 2 million, while only one perpetrator has been sentenced to life in prison, official statistics show. Serbian activist Macanovic believes part of the problem is that institutions are not being held responsible" and there is no consequence for mistakes in handling the cases. This discourages women from turning to the state for help, especially in smaller communities, she added. We do not have a well-structured system of responsibility for every professional for wrongful action, or rather lack of action, she said. It is rare for police officers, social services, prosecutors or court officials to be held to account if mistakes are made and a woman is later killed. Faced with a surge in violence and killings of women, in 2017 Serbia began implementing a special law to deepen cooperation among agencies, take immediate measures against attackers and set up local working groups on the prevention of violence. Serbia's minister of human and minority rights, Tomislav Zigmanov, pledged further efforts at a recent meeting in the capital Belgrade marking a global campaign to fight violence against women. Zigmanov called for cooperation with grassroots organizations in preventing violence and monitoring the penal process. We must also have civic organizations as partners when it comes to creating a tolerant society of mutual respect and understanding, he said. In Kosovo, the Ministry of Justice was sending out text messages to warn against violence and urge women to report attacks. Top officials there have publicly called for tougher sentences for perpetrators and criticized past practices. We need the entire justice system to prioritize cases of violence against girls and women, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said at a conference on Tuesday, titled, United against violence It's enough! Kurti cited cases when criminals are released and the crimes are repeated even worse than the first time. Bosnia, too, passed a law on the prevention of domestic violence several years ago and authorities have promised to do more. But in the societies that went through wars, where economies and institutions have crumbled, and where ethnic, political and social divisions are often fueled by authorities rather than countered, legal changes alone are not enough, say experts. Violence has persisted and will continue, believes Vesna Stanojevic, who runs a chain of safe houses for women in Serbia. Sometimes we take in women who are beaten so hard that they cannot walk or move their head, who have come after being in a hospital, who are about to give birth, have stomach injuries, she said. "Where did they [attackers] learn that? Who are role models for our children"?" she asked. We should educate and we [societies] obviously are not doing it." Currently, more than 40 women and children are staying in the shelters run by her organization, she said. In my 32 years of work, I haven't seen violence decline. ... Sometimes there is more, sometimes less, but generally it is always there." In one of the shelters, a 26-year-old woman said in an interview she decided to leave her partner when she noticed bruises also on their baby son. The woman, who wouldn't give her name for security reasons, said her partner repeatedly raped her, beat and choked her, and kept her and the baby locked in their flat for hours at a time. Upon leaving, the woman ended up in a hospital with chest injuries and bruising. The man has now been detained. The last [beating] was really bad," she said. "I knew that if it happened again, neither I nor the baby would remain alive." A roadside blast caused by a remote-controlled improvised explosive device, or IED, wounded seven people Tuesday, including four children in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistans northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to area police, a preliminary investigation of the site found that 4 kilograms of explosives were concealed in a concrete block. Images from the site show the blast shattered windows of a nearby building. Authorities said the wounded children, aged between six and 17, have been identified as Afghan nationals. Hospital authorities said none of the injured were in school uniform, indicating that the wounded were not school children. "I am a roadside vendor and I had just arrived at the spot when a blast happened," Javed Khan, a wounded 17-year-old who had come to sell potato chips told VOAs Deewa Service. Khan said the injured children were his relatives. Hospital authorities say one 6-year-old is in critical condition. The area where the incident occurred just after 9 a.m. has several educational institutions nearby, including the Army Public School that terrorists attacked nine years ago, this month. Around 150 people, mostly children, were killed in that brazen attack that shocked the nation. Speaking to media near the site of Tuesdays blast, Kashif Abbasi, a senior officer with Peshawar Police said the target was most likely a police vehicle that was on a routine patrol. "As soon as the police mobile [patrol vehicle] drove by the site, the IED blast occurred," Abbasi said. Nearly two months before Tuesdays attack, a similar incident in the area killed a soldier and injured six others. So far, no group has claimed responsibility. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has seen a marked rise in terror incidents, most targeting security personnel, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul two years ago. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an ideological offshoot of the Afghan Taliban routinely claims responsibility. Pakistan accuses Kabuls de facto government of inaction against TTP terrorists it alleges have moved their operational bases to Afghanistan. Islamabad is currently expelling hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals residing without proper documents. The government in Kabul denies providing safe haven to cross-border terrorists. VOA Deewa Service stringer Usman Khan contributed to this report. The world is looking at a bleak economic picture in China, the worlds second-largest economy: a real-estate crisis on a historic scale, record-high youth unemployment, a deepening crisis of confidence among consumers and investors, the teetering mountain of local government debt and other setbacks. How does Chinese President Xi Jinping, who just started his unprecedented third term a year ago, plan to turn the economy around? Chinas Third Plenum, the economy-focused, agenda-setting meeting that happens twice a decade, was supposed to answer that. However, the high-profile meeting that had been expected to happen in the past two months hasnt, raising further concerns about where Chinas economy is headed. Whats a plenum? A plenum is a plenary session of the ruling Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) Central Committee. A series of seven plenums are held after the Party Congress, the partys biggest meeting held every five years. At least one plenum is held each year, behind closed doors and usually for a few days. As a plenum concludes, Chinas state news agency Xinhua releases the decisions made at the meetings. The First and Second plenums usually deal with fixed procedures, such as power transitions and leadership appointments, rather than decision-making on key policies. The Third Plenum usually produces key and major policies, especially those related to economic development and reforms. The Fourth and Fifth plenums used to deal with personnel adjustments of the Central Military Commission, Chinas highest national defense organization. Gradually, however, matters of party building have become the theme for the Fourth Plenum, while the Fifth Plenum has become the platform where the Five-Year Plans Chinas half-decade blueprints for national economic and social development are formed. The Sixth Plenum deals with ideological matters. The Seventh Plenum makes final preparations and announces the dates for the next Party Congress. It occasionally deals with some remaining issues of the current Central Committee, such as announcing punishment for officials with corruption charges. Why is the Third Plenum key? The Third Plenum, usually held in October or November of the year following a Party Congress, is usually where the CCP announces its big picture plans over the next five or 10 years. One key exception was the Third Plenum of the 19th Party Congress, which was pushed to February 2018 after the Second Plenum was used to abolish the term limit for Chinas president. Since China began to open up and reform its economy in 1978, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, all key CCP decisions on Chinas economy and reforms have been made during the third plenums. The most recent 20th Party Congress was held in October last year, so the latest Third Plenum was supposed to happen in October or November. The CCPs failure to designate a date for the upcoming Third Plenum is unprecedented and has raised speculation among some Western-based China analysts as to cause for the delay. With the weeks of December dwindling, it seems unlikely that the meeting will happen in 2023. If the meeting is delayed until 2024, that would be the first time ever a Third Plenum is held in an off-schedule year Xi again could be viewed as smashing party norms like he did moving the 2018 Third Plenum to February 2018 and discussing matters supposed to be dealt with at the Second Plenum only time will tell. China, India and South Korea sent the most students to the U.S. in 2023, according to Open Doors 2023 Report on International Educational Exchange. Open Doors is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Among other things, the report broke down the schools with the largest number of international students. New York University took the top spot, with Northeastern University, Columbia University, Arizona State University and the University of Southern California rounding out the top five. Get the stats here. (November 2023) Officials from the European Union and China will hold their first in-person summit since 2019 this week, with leaders from both sides expecting to exchange views on strategic and global economic issues. Some experts say a focus of the one-day summit on December 7 will be "de-risking," which relates to the EU's current effort to reduce reliance on China in key sectors. "Brussels wants to show that they have new policy tools to get serious with de-risking, while the key objective for China is to try to hinder the EU's progress on implementing policies related to de-risking," Grzegorz Stec, an analyst at the Brussels office of the Mercator Institute for China Studies, or MERICS, told VOA. The summit comes amid a deepening rift between the two sides, as the EU hopes to level the playing field in trade while Beijing tries to highlight the need to maintain bilateral cooperation. It follows a series of high-level dialogues, including a visit to Beijing by the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, in October. With the EU and China both trying to safeguard their interests, some analysts say expectations for the summit's outcome should be low. "It's like they are driving on two opposite lanes and there is very little common ground between both sides' talking points," Sari Arho Havren, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told VOA by phone. During a keynote speech at a conference in Berlin last month, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen doubled down on the need for the EU to investigate Beijing's state subsidies for the electric vehicle industry. Carmakers in Europe have expressed concern over China's abundant supply of subsized electric vehicles, which can be sold at cheaper prices in global markets. "[The overcapacity] will worsen as China's economy slows down, and its domestic demand does not pick up," she said, adding that it would worsen distortion in the EU market, which Brussels couldn't accept. "Europe is open for competition. Not for a race to the bottom." Dividing Europe Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, meanwhile, is calling for greater China-EU cooperation. "China and the EU have different views on international and regional issues, and only by adhering to communication and coordination can we play a constructive role in maintaining world peace and stability and addressing global challenges," he said during a meeting with EU diplomatic envoys on Monday. Before the summit, China announced it would temporarily offer visa-free entry to citizens from five European countries France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. Additionally, Lithuania said last week that Beijing had lifted trade barriers imposed on Lithuanian goods. Stec from Merics said Beijing is trying to stabilize its relationship with the EU by adopting strategic stalling measures such as the visa-free entry, which he thinks is an attempt to divide EU member states. "This is not a major concession made by China," he told VOA, adding that domestic economic pressure is pushing Beijing to boost business exchanges and tourism with the EU. These measures, however, fail to address the EU's fundamental concerns. Recognizing rivalry The bloc is also expected to highlight China's more assertive military posture in the Indo-Pacific region, which von der Leyen said is affecting the EU's global interests. "We must also recognize that China's views on the 'global security architecture' are not by default aligned with ours," von der Leyen said. "Our own supply chains and trade routes are at stake." While the EU "must recognize that there is an explicit element of rivalry" in its relationship with China, von der Leyen said Brussels needs to ensure the rivalry is constructive rather than hostile. "Cooperation with China on global issues is possible and is happening," she said. But as China remains an important strategic partner for Russia in its war against Ukraine, the EU is expected to push Chinese leader Xi Jinping to act against 13 Chinese companies accused of bypassing sanctions on Russia, according to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post. Since the EU views Beijing's policies in several areas as harmful to the bloc's interests, some analysts said von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel will focus on defending Brussels' interests at the summit. "The EU feels that China is taking advantage of its openness, so it wants to prioritize addressing this problem rather than reaching consensus with Beijing on key global issues like climate change," Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, an expert on EU-China relations at the National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan, told VOA by phone. During a daily press briefing Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China and the EU "are partners, not rivals" and that their common interests "far outweigh" their differences. As it looks unlikely that the EU and China will produce substantial, concrete results through the summit, Stec thinks the general trend in EU-China relations is moving from setting up positive cooperation to damage control. "The EU has been trying to address structural issues in its relationship with China for years, but there hasn't been a big push to address those issues from the Chinese side," he told VOA. "If the Chinese side is not willing to budge now and start a constructive discussion, the current European Commission may decide to make more active use of defensive policy instruments the EU now has at its disposal." Protesters marching in Philadelphia against the bombardment of Gaza chanted about genocide Sunday outside an Israeli-style restaurant, leading Governor Josh Shapiro to call the demonstration antisemitic. In Philadelphias Center City and University City neighborhoods, hundreds of people marched to criticize Israel's military actions in Gaza, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. However, it was unclear why some specifically protested the restaurant. A video of demonstrators outside Goldie Falafel depicted people chanting, Goldie, Goldie, you cant hide, we charge you with genocide, which garnered backlash from the Democratic governor. Shapiro first addressed the protest on X, formerly known as Twitter. Later Monday, appearing at an unrelated event in suburban Philadelphia, the governor said he was in touch with Michael Solomonov, one of the restaurant's owners, to make sure he and his staff knew that the governor would support them. Solomonov is a prominent Israeli chef who has co-authored three cookbooks and received several James Beard awards. He and Steve Cook, the co-owner, are both Jewish. The purposeful gathering of a mob outside of a restaurant simply because it is owned by a Jewish person - well, thats antisemitism, plain and simple, Shapiro said at a separate news conference Monday in suburban Philadelphia. The governor - who, while campaigning last year, talked about his Jewish faith and how it inspires him toward public service - called for "a spirited debate, dialogue, peacefully and respectfully, about whats happening in the Middle East. Representatives of the restaurant's group, CookNSolo, declined to comment on the protest. Requests for comment were left with the Philadelphia Palestine Coalition. A message seeking information on any possible arrests was left with the Philadelphia Police Department. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates called it completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy. Goldie Falafel is a vegan kosher restaurant that has five locations in Philadelphia. CookNSolo operates several well-known restaurants with Israeli fare in Philadelphia. A line of people stretched into the street outside Goldie on Monday afternoon, with many coming out to get food and to show support. Hamas October 7 attack on Israel triggered the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. The war has killed thousands and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people, who are running out of safe places to go. The war has sparked protests across the U.S. and abroad. Students around the country have faced suspension for demonstrations on college campuses, and there have been high school walkouts. Demonstrators who targeted specific companies have largely protested media bias and focused on media outlets, including The New York Times. Hong Kongs anti-corruption body Tuesday charged 38-year-old programmer Man Wing-fung with inciting people not to vote, which was made illegal in 2021 as part of authorities efforts to crack down on critics. Hong Kongs Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) also applied for a judge to issue an arrest warrant for 45-year-old Wong Sai-chak, a Hong Kong-born political commentator known online as Martin Oei who lives in Germany. The ICAC accused Man of re-posting in late October and November comments by Wong that incited people to boycott Hong Kongs 2023 district elections. The post contained a link to a video in which Wong appealed to Hong Kong residents not to vote in what he told VOA was an unjust election. The district elections are the first since Hong Kongs so-called patriots only amendment to the election law in July, part of a series of restrictive laws that the islands Beijing-friendly government has passed that have eroded Hong Kongs political freedoms and autonomy. The July amendment slashed the portion of directly elected representatives on local district councils, the last remaining political body that was mostly elected, to a third. The rest are appointed by authorities, who are keen to have a high voter turnout to back up the legitimacy of the elections. The 2021 amendment to Hong Kongs Election Ordinance made inciting others to boycott elections or spoiling a ballot punishable by up to three years in jail and a fine of $25,600 (HK$200,000). Wong, who frequently posts political comments on his YouTube channel to 150,000 followers under the handle Martin Oei, was charged with violating three counts under the law. Wong released a video response to ICACs arrest warrant, saying his work as a commentator on Radio Free Asia, an entity under the same federal agency as VOA, could be a reason why Hong Kong authorities are going after him. He also said that he would not travel to China or Hong Kong or countries with extradition treaties with Beijing. The charges and arrest warrant were issued the same day as Hong Kongs Beijing-appointed Chief Executive John Lee gave a public warning against sabotaging the election. Despite the arrest warrant, Wong said he would continue to produce his daily video comments. In a phone interview with VOA Mandarin, Wong said: In the face of such an unjust election, the ICAC goes after me this way and shows that it is even more unjust. I regret nothing. This is a badge of honor to me. Hong Kongs South China Morning Post reported the Fanling Magistrates Court released Man on $640 bail (HK$5,000) and the case will resume in January. Bo Gu contributed to this report. Israel's military wants more southern Gaza evacuations as it widens its offensive. The U.S. says it will continue to press for the release of additional hostages held by Hamas. The U.S. Justice Department says a former American diplomat has been charged with serving as a covert agent for Cuba. South Korea successfully conducted a third test flight of a solid-fuel space rocket that placed a satellite into orbit on Monday. The rocket developed by the Agency for Defense Development was launched at 2 p.m. on Monday from a barge some 4 km off the coast of Jeju Island and placed a 101 kg synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite developed by Hanwha Systems into low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 650 km. The satellite made contact with the ground station at 3:45 p.m. Israel said its forces advanced Tuesday on the heart of Khan Younis, southern Gazas largest city, with fierce fighting against Hamas militants even as international aid organizations expressed concern that Palestinians seeking refuge in the region do not have a haven from the war. We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation in terms of terrorists killed, the number of firefights and the use of firepower from the land and air, the commander of Israels southern military command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, said in a statement. We intend to continue to strike and secure our accomplishments. Finkelman said that since the week-long cease-fire expired last Friday, Israeli Air Force aircraft have carried out two rounds of strikes involving dozens of aircraft from all the combat squadrons. Hundreds of munitions were utilized during strikes on tunnels, operational shafts, and anti-tank missile launch positions in order to support the movement of [Israel Defense Forces] infantry soldiers on the ground. The IDF also reported intense battles farther north in the areas of Jabalya and Shujaiyya. Warnings from the Israeli military in recent days urged people in multiple Khan Younis neighborhoods to evacuate for their safety, directing them to areas farther south. A new warning Tuesday told people to stay away from Salah al-Din, the main north-south corridor. Thomas White, Gaza director of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, said Israel ordered about 600,000 people to leave neighborhoods where fighting was expected. But he said on the social media site X that the evacuation could drive them to Rafah, along the southern border with Egypt, where the new refugees could double the number of the displaced already sheltering in the crowded city. The new arrivals erected tents and pieced together makeshift shelters in the streets or wherever they could find empty spaces around the city, according to the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs. The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist, the U.N. said. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond. What we see today are shelters with no capacity, a health system on its knees, a lack of clean drinking water, no proper sanitation and poor nutrition for people already mentally and physically exhausted a textbook formula for epidemics and a public health disaster. An Israel Defense Forces spokesman said the military would observe a temporary pause in attacks in the Rafah area in order to ease the movement of humanitarian supplies. There is a border crossing in the area used to bring in truckloads of humanitarian aid from Egypt, though U.N. officials have said the amount of aid reaching civilians in Gaza is not nearly enough. U.S. aid chief Samantha Power made a visit Tuesday to El-Arish, a nearby area used to coordinate incoming international aid. More must be done to protect civilians and accelerate the pace of life-saving assistance reaching the people of Gaza, Power posted on X. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says an estimated 1.8 million people are displaced within Gaza, while the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says nearly 1 million people are sheltering in its facilities in southern Gaza. Many people fled northern Gaza for the south in the earlier stages of the war as Israel focused its campaign against Hamas in such areas as Gaza City. The fighting has only been interrupted by the cease-fire. The deal, brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, included Hamas releasing more than 100 hostages and Israel freeing 240 Palestinian prisoners. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said during a speech to Gulf leaders Tuesday that Qatar was working to renew the truce, but that a pause in fighting was not an alternative to a comprehensive cease-fire. The emir also criticized what he described as inaction by the international community. "It is shameful for the international community to allow this heinous crime to continue for nearly two months, during which the systematic and deliberate killing of innocent civilians continues, including women and children," the emir said. Israel has accused Hamas of embedding itself in and underneath hospitals and other civilian areas and encouraging civilians to ignore Israeli warnings to evacuate ahead of airstrikes, in effect using them as human shields, an accusation Hamas has denied. Israel began its military campaign to end Hamas rule of Gaza after Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 240 people as hostages. In its military offensive, Israel has killed at least 15,890 people in Gaza, 70% of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Nigerian authorities said Monday that a military airstrike targeting terrorists in northern Kaduna state had erroneously hit a local village and killed civilians there. Officials of the Kaduna state Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs confirmed the incident after an emergency security meeting Monday. Authorities said the military jet was on a routine counterterrorism operation Sunday when it inadvertently bombed the Tudun village in the state and killed dozens of residents. The victims had gathered to mark the Maulud celebration, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad that night, when the incident occurred. Authorities did not give details on casualties but local media reported at least 30 people were killed, and dozens of others were being treated in the hospital. The state government said Monday that search-and-rescue operations were still underway. Mike Medubi, media aide to the Kaduna state security commissioner, told VOA by phone, "The official statement is the only authoritative source right now, as no numbers have been published or released from the end of the Kaduna state government. ... I don't know where the other media sources are getting their numbers from." The Kaduna state government sent condolences to the affected families. This wasn't the first time this year that a military airstrike had killed civilians in Nigeria. In January, an airstrike hit a small settlement in Nasarawa state near Abuja, killing 39 people and injuring six others. Civilian casualties during military operations have in the past sparked debate about such operations as well as war accountability in Nigeria. Nigeria has been struggling to end a 14-year Islamic insurgency in its northeast and keep armed gangs from spreading across the northwest and central states. Kaduna is one of the states affected by the activities of kidnap-for-ransom gangs. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is calling for an investigation into a weekend military drone attack that killed 85 people. The deadly attack occurred in the village of Tudun Biri in northern Kaduna state Sunday during a celebration of a Muslim holiday. Dozens of villagers were also wounded in the attack. President Tinubus office issued a statement expressing his grief over the incident, which he called very unfortunate, disturbing and painful. The Nigerian air force has denied any involvement in Sunday's attack. Nigerias military have used drones in their battle against Islamic extremists who have waged an insurgent campaign in the countrys northeast and northwest for several decades. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse. More than $950,000 has been raised for the recovery of one of the three college students of Palestinian descent who was shot in Vermont and is currently paralyzed from the chest down, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family. One of the bullets that hit Hisham Awartani on Nov. 25 is lodged in his spine, his family said. "Hisham's first thoughts were for his friends, then for his parents who were thousands of miles away. He has demonstrated remarkable courage, resilience and fortitude - even a sense of humor - even as the reality of his paralysis sets in," the fundraising page, which was set up on Saturday, states. Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad are childhood friends who graduated from a private Quaker school in the West Bank and now attend colleges in the eastern U.S. The 20-year-olds were visiting Awartani's relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving break. They were walking to the house of Hisham's grandmother for dinner when they were shot in an unprovoked attack, the family said. The young men were speaking in a mix of English and Arabic and two of them were also wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves when they were shot, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime. "In a cruelly ironic twist, Hisham's parents had recommended he not return home over winter break, suggesting he would be safer in the US with his grandmother," the fundraising page states. "Burlington is a second home to Hisham, who has spent summers and happy holidays with his family there. It breaks our hearts that these young men did not find safety in his home away from home." All three were seriously injured. Abdalhamid was released from the hospital last week. The suspected gunman, Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested the following day at his Burlington apartment, where he answered the door with his hands raised and told federal agents he had been waiting for them. Eaton has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and is currently being held without bail. The shooting came as threats against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities have increased across the U.S. in the weeks since the the Israel-Hamas war erupted in early October. Awartani, who speaks seven languages, is pursuing a dual degree in math and archaeology at Brown University, where he is also a teaching assistant, the fundraising page said. He told his college professors that he is determined to start the next semester on time, according to the fundraiser. "We, his family, believe that Hisham will change the world," the fundraising page states. "He'll change the world through his spirit, his mind and his compassion for those much more vulnerable than himself, especially the thousands of dead in Gaza and many more struggling to survive the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding there." Thousands of demonstrators in New Zealand are protesting the new government's policies towards indigenous Maori communities. The new center-right coalition government in Wellington plans to limit the use of Maori language, review affirmative action policies and reassess how the country's founding document - the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840 - is interpreted in modern legislation. The treaty was a 19th-century agreement between the British monarchy and about 540 Maori rangatira, or chiefs. It pledged the protection of Maori land and established British law in New Zealand. The government wants to wind back policies that acknowledge Maori as New Zealands first people and atone for the wrongs of European colonization. There are also plans to scrap a dedicated indigenous health authority. Maori represent about 16.5% of the national population of around 5 million. They suffer high rates of poverty, and more than 50% of prison inmates are Maori, according to official figures. The government has promised to treat New Zealanders equally, regardless of race. However, the protesters believe the new government has a racist agenda thats an assault on indigenous rights. Rally organizer Tuku Morgan told New Zealand television that there is intense anger in the Maori community. This is to send a clear message to the government that we will not tolerate their racist policies, that we re deeply concerned and outraged in terms of the legislative program rolling back all of the achievements, Morgan said. Demonstrators also told local media that the planned policy changes are insulting. I guess it is scary for most of us Maori, one man said. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon leads a center-right coalition government with the libertarian ACT New Zealand party and the populist New Zealand First. Luxon said Wednesdays demonstrations were "unfair" for a government that's only been in office for a week. He indicated to local media that his administration should be given more time to deliver better outcomes for the Maori community. David Seymour, the leader of ACT New Zealand, a junior coalition partner, told New Zealand media that the demonstrations were divisive theatrics that disrespected the outcome of a general election in October. The rallies organized by Maori politicians have coincided with the official swearing in of Parliament in the capital, Wellington. Demonstrators say more anti-government rallies are planned in the weeks and months ahead. Nigerian press freedom advocates are praising a recent ruling from the court of West African bloc ECOWAS that ordered Nigerian authorities to review sections of the country's Press Act. The court said portions of the law discriminate against online and nonprofessional journalists. The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by two Nigerian journalists against authorities in 2021. Nigerian journalists Isaac Olamikan and Edoghogho Ugberease approached the ECOWAS regional court two years ago after security operatives arrested the duo in separate incidents while they were gathering the news. Olamikan was accused of practicing with an expired media license. Ugberease a citizen journalist who often covers happenings in her local community in southern Nigeria's Edo state was told by authorities that she was not qualified to tell stories or carry out investigations. But the three-member panel of the ECOWAS court ruled that three sections of the Nigerian Press Council Act imposed age restrictions and educational qualifications for journalists and therefore discriminated against online and citizen journalists. The court said that technological advancements meant media space is evolving, but that Nigerian law failed to accommodate such changes. Ahaziah Abubakar, a former director of news at Voice of Nigeria, said the ECOWAS ruling couldn't come at a better time. "I'm excited that ... a court of competent jurisdiction has ruled on a thing like that, he said. Journalists have become [an] endangered species." Journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders says Nigeria is one of West Africa's most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often monitored, attacked and arbitrarily arrested. The group says that the Nigerian constitution protects freedom of expression, but that there are many laws with provisions that make it possible to obstruct journalism. In its defense at the ECOWAS court, the Nigerian government said that the rights to information and freedom of expression are not absolute, and that the arrest of the journalists was in the interest of national security. Abubakar said he's worried about the implementation of the ECOWAS verdict. "So many court pronouncements in Nigeria, the powers that be do not obey court orders, he said. Implementation is selective, as it suits the powers that be." President Aigbokhan, the legal counsel to the Nigerian journalists, said, "Ordinarily, the government will be recalcitrant, so I think civil society groups should take it from there. There should be more public engagement on how that law cannot stand, because as it is now, the sections of those laws have already been struck down, whether or not it is amended nationally." It's not clear when, or if, Nigerian authorities will amend the law. Pakistani officials said Tuesday that the United States did not object to Islamabads deportation of Afghan nationals who are illegally residing in the country but requested the process be slowed down during winter. The crackdown on undocumented foreigners, including 1.7 million Afghans, came under discussion at a meeting with a visiting U.S. delegation led by Julieta Valls Noyes, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. A Pakistani official privy to the talks said that the U.S. side sought to prevent the deportation of around 25,000 vulnerable individuals who fled the Talibans August 2021 takeover in neighboring Afghanistan and could be eligible for relocation to or resettlement in the United States. The government of Pakistan doesn't want to deport any vulnerable Afghan, irrespective of whether someone appears on the U.S. prospective resettlement list or any other country, the official told VOA on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to share details of the talks publicly. Pakistan is concerned over the lengthy resettlement process the U.S. has adopted, he said. One thing is clear: The U.S. didn't oppose Pakistans deportation policy. It, however, pleaded for going slow during the harsh winters, the Pakistani official told VOA. VOA reached out to the State Department to seek a response to Pakistani assertions that Washington is not opposed to the deportations of Afghans but did not get a response immediately. Neither Pakistani nor U.S. officials formally released details of the meeting Noyes held with Asif Durrani, Pakistans special representative on Afghanistan. Good to visit Pakistani Foreign Ministry and see Special Representative for Afghanistan @AsifDurrani20 again today for discussion on Afghan refugees, protection, and resettlement, Noyes said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Durrani also shared a few details about his talks with the U.S. delegation on his X social media platform. We discussed issues concerning Afghan refugees and their resettlement, he said. A pre-visit U.S. State Department statement said that during her four-day visit, Noyes would meet with government officials and nongovernmental and international organization partners to discuss shared efforts to protect vulnerable individuals and accelerate safe, efficient relocation and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. immigration pipelines. Official data shows that Pakistans deportation drive has forced more than 400,000 people to return to Afghanistan since mid-September. The United Nations and global human rights groups have criticized the crackdown and urged Islamabad to urgently halt it, noting that Afghanistan suffers from a dire humanitarian crisis stemming from years of war and natural disasters. Pakistani authorities defend the deportation drive, linking a recent surge in deadly, nationwide terrorist attacks to the undocumented Afghan population. In a separate statement on X, Noyes said she held an important conversation with representatives of the U.N. refugee agency in Islamabad and discussed our shared commitment to support vulnerable Afghans in Pakistan." American and NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021 when the then-insurgent Taliban seized power from a Washington-backed government in Kabul. They also evacuated tens of thousands of Afghans who worked with the international military mission during its two-decades-long presence in the country, fearing they would face Taliban reprisals. Pakistans otherwise close relations with the Taliban government have come under severe strain over the deportation drive. De facto Afghan authorities have denounced the policy as unjust and inhumane, saying it has ended the goodwill the neighboring country earned for hosting millions of refugees from conflict-torn Afghanistan over the past four decades. The Pakistani government says the country still hosts more than 2.2 million documented Afghans, including 1.4 million legal refugees. They are not the subjects of the ongoing crackdown. A pretrial hearing for former U.S. diplomat Manuel Rocha is set for Wednesday. Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, is accused of spying for Cuba since 1981. He was arrested Friday in Miami and charged with federal crimes, including acting as an illegal foreign agent and using a fraudulently obtained passport. The U.S. government said it will bring additional charges this week. Rocha on Monday had his initial court appearance, where he was represented by Jacqueline Arango, the co-chair of white-collar crimes and government investigations at Akerman law firm. Rocha will remain in custody until Wednesday when he has a bond hearing in a Miami federal courtroom. Prosecutors have urged Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres to keep Rocha detained. The government is still assessing the damage, around Rochas spying, according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. We will in the coming days, weeks, months work with our partners in the intelligence community to assess any long-term national security implications for this matter, Miller said. Authorities say Rochas activity was exposed after a series of undercover operations, which included meetings between the former U.S. State Department employee and an FBI agent, pretending to be a Cuban intelligence agent, in which Rocha revealed information about his status with the Cuban government. This action exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent, Attorney General Merrick Garland said following the arrest. White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer led a U.S. delegation to New Delhi on Monday where he noted the formation of an investigative panel by India to probe an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on U.S. soil. "Mr. Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible," the White House said in a statement Monday. Last week, the U.S. Justice Department alleged that an Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on U.S. soil, while it announced charges against a man accused of orchestrating the attempted murder. U.S. officials have named the target of the attempted murder as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist and dual citizen of the United States and Canada. In response, India expressed concern about one of its government officials being linked to the plot, from which it dissociated itself, as being against government policy. India said last week it would formally investigate the concerns aired by the U.S. and take "necessary follow-up action" on the findings of a panel set up on Nov. 18. News of the incident came two months after Canada said there were "credible" allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a Vancouver suburb, a contention India has rejected. U.S. President Joe Biden, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA director Bill Burns and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have discussed this issue with their Indian counterparts in recent weeks. The issue is highly delicate for both India and the Biden administration as they try to build closer ties in the face of an ascendant China perceived as a threat for both democracies. The Indian government has long complained about the presence of Sikh separatist groups outside India. New Delhi views them as security threats. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India. Finer met Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. They also discussed developments in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas war, plans for a post-war Gaza and recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the White House said Monday. British interior minister James Cleverly signed a new treaty with Rwanda on Tuesday in an attempt to overcome a court decision to block the government's controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to the East African country. The Rwanda plan is at the centre of the government's strategy to cut migration and is being watched closely by other countries considering similar policies. The United Kingdom's Supreme Court last month ruled that such a move would violate international human rights laws enshrined in domestic legislation. The new treaty will include an agreement that Rwanda would not expel asylum seekers to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened - one of the court's major concerns. There will also be a monitoring committee to enable individuals to lodge confidential complaints directly to them and a new appeal body made up of judges from around the world. Cleverly said there was now no "credible" reason to block the deportation flights because the treaty addressed all the issues raised by the Supreme Court and no extra money had been given to Rwanda to upgrade the deal from the existing memorandum of understanding. "I really hope that we can now move quickly," Cleverly told a press conference in Rwanda's capital Kigali. Many lawyers and charities said it was unlikely that deportation flights could start before next year's election. The opposition Labour Party, which has a double-digit lead in the polls, plans to ditch the Rwanda policy if it wins. Under the plan agreed last year, Britain intends to send thousands of asylum seekers who arrived on its shores without permission to Rwanda to deter migrants crossing the Channel from Europe in small boats. In return, Rwanda has received an initial payment of 140 million pounds ($180 million) with the promise of more money to fund the accommodation and care of any deported individuals. Pressure Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under intense pressure to cut net migration, which hit a record 745,000 last year, with the vast majority coming through legal routes. "Stop the boats" is one of five goals Sunak set for his government, to end the flow of asylum seekers who pay people smugglers for their Channel crossings, often in overcrowded boats that are not seaworthy. The Supreme Court ruled against the Rwanda plan because there was a risk that deported refugees would have their claims wrongly assessed or returned to their country of origin to face persecution. The new treaty is expected to be followed later this week by the publication of legislation declaring Rwanda a so-called safe country, designed to stop legal challenges against the planned deportation flights. However, this is likely to trigger a new round of political and legal wrangling. The first flight was scheduled to go last summer but was cancelled at the last moment because of legal challenges. Sarah Gogan, an immigration lawyer at Harbottle & Lewis, said Rwanda's human rights record meant the government's policy would be challenged. "Rwanda is an unsafe country and this is not a quick fix," she said. "You cannot in a matter of weeks or months reform a country and turn it into one with an impartial judiciary and administrative culture." Yvette Cooper, Labour's home affairs spokeswoman, dismissed the government's latest plans as another "gimmick." "It's extremely rare to discover in a hacking investigation that connections were made directly from Pyongyang," an investigator said. When investigators traced the e-mail accounts, they led back to Ryugyong-dong in the North Korean capital Pyongyang. A total of 83 connections to the e-mail accounts were made from Ryugyong-dong, which is also the location of North Korea's highest building, the Ryugyong Hotel as well as the North's communications and informatics centers. The hackers took advantage of South Korean servers for rent, which do not require background checks to use. They rented them from Gmail and other e-mail addresses to launch their attacks. Police said the North Korean hacking group Andariel hacked 1.2 terabytes worth of files from South Korean defense companies, major conglomerates, IT businesses, research centers, drug makers and universities between December 2022 and March this year. Andariel has been targeting South Korean organizations since 2008. Andariel's main targets were defense-related entities. Among their loot were designs for laser anti-aircraft weapons that can shoot down drones and fighter jets as well as sensors used to detect enemy attacks. The South Korean military developed the laser weapon in April of this year and plans to begin production next year. "We believe that scores of businesses were targets, and most of them didn't even know they were hacked," the investigator said. "Some businesses didn't report the attacks for fear of damaging their corporate image, so the actual damage could be even bigger." Andariel spread ransomware programs targeting three South Korean and overseas companies in 2021 that destroyed their computers systems and made off with W470 million worth of Bitcoins that they had extorted for repairing the damage (US$1=W1,306). They then laundered the extorted money through cryptocurrency exchanges Bithumb and Binance before exchanging W110 million of the money into Chinese yuan through a middleman in China. The money was then sent to an account in a Chinese bank in Liaoning Province and withdrawn in the border city of Dandong. Police believe it was taken to North Korea from there and are tracking the remaining W300 million. The investigation of Andariel started after the FBI probed a hacking attack on American hospitals in Kansas in 2021. It found that North Korean hackers spread a ransomware called Maui during the coronavirus pandemic to cripple U.S. hospital servers and extorted US$500,000 in exchange for repairing the damage. The FBI asked South Korean authorities for help when it learned that the e-mail accounts and server used in that attack were based here. Russia continues launching air attacks at Ukraines cities. But Ukrainian officials say the countrys skies are protected by weapons sent to Ukraine by its allies, and one of them the U.S. Avenger air defense missile system stands out. Anna Kosstutschenko reports. Camera: Pavel Suhodolskiy. Venezuela has turned up the volume on its insistence that it has a rightful claim to Essequibo, a region encompassing the majority of the territory of Guyana, its neighbor to the east. However, the government of President Nicolas Maduro has little to no support from its regional neighbors or intergovernmental organizations. The Venezuelan claim, bolstered by a national referendum Sunday in its favor, has prompted criticism from governments in both South America and the Caribbean, as well as a warning from the International Court of Justice. On Friday, the court ruled that Venezuela must refrain from taking any action which would modify Guyanas current control of the territory. In recent months, Venezuela has further increased tensions by deploying military resources to its border with Guyana, and announcing that it has plans to install an airstrip in the area to provide logistical support for the development of Essequibo. Over the weekend, Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said his country does not intend to surrender any territory to Venezuelan control, and called on the Maduro government to moderate its behavior. I want to advise Venezuela that this is an opportunity for them to show maturity, an opportunity for them to show responsibility, and we call upon them once more [to] join us in ... allowing the rule of law to work and to determine the outcome of this controversy, Ali said in remarks to his countrymen. Stunt gone wrong Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at the London-based foreign policy think tank Chatham House, told VOA that the referendum in Venezuela had all the hallmarks of a publicity stunt that got out of control, and which now threatens to degenerate into serious conflict. This was mostly for domestic consumption, but basically, the Maduro government has pulled the trigger on something and we don't know where it's going to go, Sabatini told VOA. Maduro took over the country in 2013, after the death of former president Hugo Chavez, and persisted with policies that have debilitated Venezuelas economy. The legitimacy of the Maduro government has been questioned internationally since 2019, after Maduro held on to power despite apparently losing the presidential election the previous year. With a new election scheduled for 2024, the Essequibo referendum was seen as an effort to galvanize voters behind the government. Now, despite evidence of poor turnout and low voter engagement with the referendum, Sabatini said, the Maduro government is doubling down. If you listen to the rhetoric, both last night and today from Maduro and members of the government instead of being chastened, or instead of trying to move on, we see a crescendo of bellicose rhetoric, which should be troubling. Roots of the dispute Essequibo, a sparsely developed area of 160,000 square kilometers, makes up the western two-thirds of Guyana, which is located on South Americas northern Atlantic coast between Venezuela to the west and Suriname to the east. Both Venezuela and Guyana border Brazil to the South. The Venezuelan government has long claimed Essequibo, despite the fact that the region has been recognized by the international community, first as part of British Guiana and then as part of the independent Cooperative Republic of Guyana, for more than 100 years. The Venezuelan claim is largely based on the fact that during the colonial period, Essequibo and Venezuela were both administered by Spain. As part of a settlement reached by an international arbitration panel in 1899, Essequibo was ruled to be part of British territory. All of modern day Guyana gained independence in 1966. The International Court of Justice is currently considering the validity of Venezuelas claim in a plea brought by the Maduro government in 2018, but is believed to be years away from issuing a decision. The border dispute gained salience in 2015, after oil firm ExxonMobil proved that there are billions of barrels worth of commercially accessible crude oil deposits located off the coast of Essequibo in Guyanas territorial waters. Little regional support On Sunday, the government in Caracas conducted a referendum asking the Venezuelan people whether they believed the country should declare Essequibo a Venezuelan state. Despite media reports that showed nearly empty polling places and other signs of low voter turnout, the Maduro government claimed that 10.5 million votes were cast, more than in the last presidential election. Of those, it said 95% were in favor of declaring Essequibo part of Venezuela. In recent months, Venezuela has raised tensions in the region by shifting military assets to areas near its border with Guyana. It also claims to have begun construction of a military airfield near the border. The Maduro governments claim to Essequibo has little to no support from other leaders in the region, with major regional intergovernmental organizations issuing statements critical of the decision to hold the referendum. The Organization of American States rejected the Venezuelan referendum when it was announced, saying in a statement, We condemn this improper use of a referendum because it is illegal according to the 1966 Geneva Agreement, and because similar misuses of this instrument have served as a pretext in the recent past to try to justify the worst actions between States, including the crime of aggression. Similarly the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) warned that a positive vote on the referendum, while not legally valid for purposes of international law, could be interpreted as endorsing the annexation of Essequibo by military force. In a statement, it said, CARICOM insists that the referendum proposed by Venezuela has no validity, bearing, or standing in international law but its summary effect is likely to undermine peace, tranquility, security, and more, in our region. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Mexico City this week to boost cooperation with Mexican counterparts on combating illicit finance and the trafficking of fentanyl, and work to strengthen Mexico's role in U.S. supply chains, Treasury officials said Monday. Yellen's Tuesday-to-Thursday trip will include meetings with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the country's central bank governor and finance minister, among others, Treasury said in a statement. The trip follows Treasury's announcement Monday of a counter-fentanyl "strike force" that will bring together the department's resources, including the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence and the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation unit to disrupt illicit drug trafficking. U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month agreed to deepen cooperation to stem the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China, which are often mixed by Mexican drug gangs before distribution in the U.S. Illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids cause tens of thousands of overdose deaths every year. The formation of the task force comes as the Treasury in recent months has intensified its sanctions efforts targeting fentanyl logistics in Mexico. "Treasury will use every tool at its disposal to disrupt the ability of drug traffickers to peddle this poison in our country," Yellen said in a statement. Disguised The Treasury for years has imposed sanctions on Mexican cartels and their money-laundering entities. While these have disrupted individual cartels, the efforts have done little to stem the overall cross-border drug trade, estimated at $20 billion to $30 billion a year, said Earl Anthony Wayne, a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015. "Somehow that money gets back to cartels," said Wayne, now a lecturer at American University's School of International Service. "Neither the U.S. nor Mexico has been very good at finding that money." A senior U.S. Treasury official said Yellen will discuss with Mexican counterparts and financial institution executives ways to step up efforts to fight illicit drug finance, including better coordination of investigations, as narcotics traffickers "continue to innovate." The goal is to be more effective at exposing drug supply chains that are disguised as legitimate commercial trade and cut off their access to financing, the Treasury official said. The department has imposed sanctions on over 250 entities related to drug trafficking in the past two years. Friend-shoring, national security During her trip, Yellen also will promote Mexico's role as a premier destination for the "friend-shoring" of U.S. supply chains to make them more resilient and promote U.S. national security interests, Treasury officials said. Mexico this year has overtaken China as the largest U.S. trading partner, and investment continues to grow. Among issues she plans to discuss are U.S. tax credits for electric vehicles produced in North America and new Treasury rules limiting the amount of Chinese-controlled content that can be allowed, which could impact Chinese investment in Mexico. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy canceled a meeting with members of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. He was expected to ask for continued military support amid the ongoing Russian invasion. "Zelenskyy by the way could not make it to something happened at the last minute to our briefing," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a press conference. Schumer said Zelenskyy had been invited to speak via video at a classified briefing so those at the meeting could hear directly from him precisely whats at stake and help lawmakers vote on a bill that includes billions of dollars in new aid for Ukraine. Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned in a letter to congressional leaders Monday that by the end of the year, the U.S. will no longer have the funds to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine. It "will not be able to keep fighting, Young said of Ukraine, noting that the U.S. has already run out of money for propping up Ukraines economy. "We're running out of money, and we are nearly out of time," U.S. President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. "A vote against supporting Ukraine is a vote to improve [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's strategic position." On the battlefield, Ukraine's half-year-long counteroffensive has largely stalled against entrenched Russian forces, with only limited territorial gains in the eastern part of the country. In October, the Biden administration asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security. But funding for Ukraine has become politically controversial with some right-leaning lawmakers in the narrowly Republican-controlled House of Representatives opposing further assistance, contending the aid is not in U.S. interests. However, Young said in the letter released by the White House that cutting off funding and a flow of weapons to Ukraine would likely work to Russias advantage on the battlefield. "I want to be clear: Without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine, to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks," she wrote. "There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment." EU-Ukraine Diplomatic envoys of the EU's 27 member countries will meet Tuesday to start debating a launch of EU membership talks with Ukraine, according to officials and diplomats. The meeting marks the start of preparations among the 27 for the December 14-15 summit of the bloc's leaders that will also assess and decide on EU integration prospects for Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Bosnia and others. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has demanded that Ukraines membership bid into the European Union not be on the agenda at the EU summit. In a letter he sent to European Council President Charles Michel, who will chair the summit in Brussels, Orban insisted that a strategic discussion is needed first about Ukraines European future and warned that forcing a decision could destroy EU unity. Orban, who is widely considered one of Russian President Vladimir Putins closest allies in Europe, maintains that Ukraine is light years away from becoming an EU member. He wrote that EU leaders must avoid this counterproductive scenario for the sake of unity, our most important asset. He did not explicitly say that Hungary would veto any moves to open membership talks with Ukraine, but the threat was implicit. Decisions regarding EU membership and EUs long-term budget, which includes $54.1 billion in assistance for Kyiv, can only be made unanimously by all 27 member countries. Ukraine-Russia fighting Russias defense ministry said Tuesday the countrys air defense systems destroyed or intercepted at least 35 Ukrainian drones. The ministry said on Telegram it thwarted the attempted Ukrainian attacks over the Crimean Peninsula and the Sea of Azov. Ukraines military said Tuesday that Russia attacked overnight with 17 Iran-made Shahed drones, with Ukrainian air defenses destroying 10 of the drones. It also said Russia launched six guided missiles targeting the Donetsk and Kherson regions. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Israeli forces advanced further into southern Gaza Tuesday to attack Hamas militants, even as international aid organizations expressed concern that Palestinians seeking refuge in the region do not have a haven from the conflict. Israeli tanks and troops moved near Khan Younis, a southern city that is the second largest in the Gaza Strip, while Israeli aerial attacks hit southern Gaza. Warnings from the Israeli military in recent days urged people in multiple Khan Younis neighborhoods to evacuate for their safety, directing them to areas farther south. A new warning Tuesday told people to stay away from Salah al-Din, the main north-south corridor. Thomas White, Gaza director of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, said Israel ordered about 600,000 people to leave neighborhoods where fighting could ensue. But he said on the social media site X that the evacuation could drive them to Rafah, along the southern border with Egypt, where the new refugees could double the number of the displaced already sheltering in the crowded city. The new arrivals erected tents and pieced together makeshift shelters in the streets or wherever they could find empty spaces around the city, according to the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs. The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist, the U.N. said. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond. What we see today are shelters with no capacity, a health system on its knees, a lack of clean drinking water, no proper sanitation and poor nutrition for people already mentally and physically exhausted a textbook formula for epidemics and a public health disaster. An Israel Defense Forces spokesman said the military would observe a temporary pause in attacks in the Rafah area in order to ease the movement of humanitarian supplies. There is a border crossing in the area used to bring in truckloads of humanitarian aid from Egypt, although U.N. officials have said the amount of aid reaching civilians in Gaza is not nearly enough. U.S. aid chief Samantha Power made a visit Tuesday to El-Arish, a nearby area used to coordinate incoming international aid. More must be done to protect civilians and accelerate the pace of life-saving assistance reaching the people of Gaza, Power posted on X. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says an estimated 1.8 million people are displaced within Gaza, while the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says nearly 1 million people are sheltering in its facilities in southern Gaza. Many people fled northern Gaza for the south in the earlier stages of the war as Israel focused its campaign against Hamas in such areas as Gaza City. The fighting has been interrupted only by a weeklong cease-fire that expired Friday. The deal, brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, included Hamas releasing more than 100 hostages and Israel freeing 240 Palestinian prisoners. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said during a speech to Gulf leaders Tuesday that Qatar was working to renew the truce, but that a pause in fighting was not an alternative to a comprehensive cease-fire. He also criticized what he described as inaction by the international community. "It is shameful for the international community to allow this heinous crime to continue for nearly two months, during which the systematic and deliberate killing of innocent civilians continues, including women and children," the emir said. Israel has accused Hamas of embedding itself in and underneath hospitals and other civilian areas and encouraging civilians to ignore Israeli warnings to evacuate ahead of airstrikes, in effect using them as human shields, an accusation Hamas has denied. Israel began its military campaign to end Hamas rule of Gaza after Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 240 people as hostages. In its military offensive, Israel has killed at least 15,890 people in Gaza, 70% of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. One on One with Joe Korkowski, is heard Saturdays on KXRA-1490AM / 100.3fm/105.7fm (@7:40am) and KXRA-92.3FM (@7:00am), as well as each Sunday morning on KXRZ Z99.3fm (@10:15am). The interview is also re-broadcast on Monday mornings on KX92 at 10:00am and on Z99 at 9:10am. Hanwha on Monday said it signed its second deal with the Polish Armament Agency for 152 howitzers. Hanwha Aerospace has signed another W3.45 trillion contract with Poland to supply K9 self-propelled howitzers (US$1=W1,304). In July last year, Hanwha reached a framework agreement with Poland to supply 672 K9s in all, and the first contract for 212 was signed three months later. The second was expected in the first half of this year but delayed for about six months. Its not Martin Scorseses western, and its not another gangster epic. Its his marriage story. Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon This review was originally published on May 22, 2023 out of the Cannes Film Festival. We are recirculating it now that Killers of the Flower Moon is available to stream at home. After you read the review, check out our profile of Lily Gladstone, share in our admiration of Martin Scorseses press stamina, and see what Nate Jones thinks about the movies Oscar chances. The early scenes of Martin Scorseses Killers of the Flower Moon are a symphony of pointed dissonance. The director revels in the frantic bustle of the Oklahoma boomtown of Fairfax where most of the film is set a world of fast, shiny cars, hollering cowboys, and seemingly endless oil fields. World War I has recently ended, and the turn-of-the-century discovery of black gold in this region, to which the Osage were moved from their ancestral homes along the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, has unexpectedly created immense wealth, making the Osage the richest people per capita on earth. But the new money has also led to a series of unsolved murders, and Scorsese grimly interrupts the action at regular intervals to show the faces, and say the names, of the Native American dead. Its a somber historical accounting, but it also happens to be a familiar western-movie trope: One is reminded of Charles Bronsons Harmonica hauntingly reciting the many victims of Henry Fondas aspiring-capitalist gunslinger Frank in Sergio Leones Once Upon a Time in the West. It would be tempting to say that Killers of the Flower Moon is Scorseses attempt at a western, and in some of its sweeping vistas, particularly early on, you can sense him luxuriating in the open spaces and lawless frenzy of this world. The story would obviously also lend itself to yet another gangster epic from a man whos made his share of them. But in adapting David Granns acclaimed 2017 nonfiction history, whose subtitle is The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, Scorsese and screenwriter Eric Roth have shifted the scope of the story, pulling the timeline further back to show the growing relationship between Mollie Brown (Lily Gladstone), a member of a large and wealthy Osage family, and Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a WWI veteran who arrives in town to work for his uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro), a local godfather type. For all its extravagant run time (three hours and 26 minutes!), its big-swing history lessons, and its tale of an Old West giving way to the regimentation of a modern police force, Killers of the Flower Moon turns out to be that simplest and slipperiest of things: the story of a marriage. And a twisted, tragic one at that. Ernests growing relationship with Mollie is at first an extension of his bond with King Hale, who takes a great interest in his nephews prospects for marriage. (You like women? Sure. You like Red? Dont matter to me. Im greedy.) Hale and the people around him have taken advantage of the restrictive laws governing Native American wealth. Full-blooded Osage do not actually control their own money; they are declared officially incompetent and require white guardians to oversee their riches. Quickly, and almost imperceptibly, the impressionable and weak-minded Ernest is coaxed into Hales running, murderous plot to accrue even more Osage wealth. The first half of Granns book is structured as something of a mystery. But Scorsese mostly does away with all that, backloading the second half of his film with the investigation by Bureau agent Thomas White (Jesse Plemons), long after we already know the contours of the crime. What was a revelation in the book is here treated in matter-of-fact fashion early on as a casual, quiet, gathering conspiracy. Its fueled by greed, but also by the notion that the people being killed, robbed, and exploited the Osage families living in fear of this slow-rolling crime wave (referred to at the time as the reign of terror) arent really people at all. The most uncomfortable aspect of Killers of the Flower Moon is not the spectacular criminality on display, but rather how its treated by so many of the characters as no big deal. These are typically Scorsesean ideas: our offhand capacity for evil, the inherent violence of relationships, the strain of serving two masters. Ernest doesnt have a spine, or even much of an identity. Hes defined by his malleability which can become wearying over the course of nearly four hours, especially as the film moves toward a stripped-down, minor-key austerity in its later scenes. DiCaprio is a fine actor, but he needs space to maneuver. Hes at his best when he can go big. Here, his character shrinks the more hes onscreen, and the actor sometimes feels lost. De Niro, by contrast, has a grand old time as the smooth-talking Hale, imparting his ghastly plans with avuncular chumminess, as if they were bits of folksy wisdom. Its a return to the quiet menace of some of his classic characters. In so many ways, though, this is Lily Gladstones movie. She plays Mollie with a mix of standoffishness and exhausted hope. She can tell early on that Ernest is out for her money. So is every white man around her. But she comes to see charm and slivers of decency in him, too. As the horrors mount around her, Mollie navigates her queasy, gathering suspicions as well as her affection for her husband. Ernest is well, hes earnest. When he tells Mollie he loves her, she believes him. And so do we. That is, in many ways, the great, cruel, unreconciled tragedy at the heart of this tale. It also perhaps explains Scorseses decision in the later scenes to go in a heartbreakingly intimate direction. As Ernest continues to ping-pong between his loyalties to Hale and Mollie, seemingly too weak and too plain to find anything resembling a moral backbone, we feel like were watching someone slowly being tortured to death by his own inadequacy. Maybe thats also why the story never really achieves closure or anything resembling redemption. By the time Scorsese himself comes onscreen to deliver the pictures final lines in an incredibly moving cameo, placing himself alongside the showmen and sensationalists whove told the story of the Osage murders over the decades we may actually find ourselves surprised that the movie is over. It feels like an open wound right up to the end. Photo: Francois Duhamel/Netflix Can a movie be camp and melodrama? Can a streaming service objectify a fictional person? What kind of jokes can you make on Letterboxd about grooming if any? And what does Aaron Taylor-Johnson have to do with this? If these questions mean something to you, then youve been online after the Netflix release of May December. Todd Hayness latest feature premiered at Cannes earlier this year, where a number of critics deemed it sly, wildly enjoyable, and the most fun film of the festival (say what you want about the movie, but it probably is more fun than, say, Killers of the Flower Moon). Though the movie had a limited theatrical release a few weeks ago, its wide release onto Netflix on December 1 prompted a flurry of online reactions this past weekend, a number of which expressed dismay at what was perceived to be mismarketing of the films actual fun level. This might be, in part, because of a wider understanding of the films source material; the affair at the center of the work is based on the story of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, whose illegal relationship and subsequent marriage made for vicious 90s tabloid fodder. Some 72-hours and a handful of Susan Sontag name-drops later, the May December strain of posters disease does not seem to be letting up, instead escalating into heated back and forths about whether a director can make a camp movie even if they dont see it as camp themselves and whether Rachel Sennott should or shouldnt have posted what she did on Letterboxd. Twitter users some Film Twitter, some less so have taken issue with the Letterboxd-fication, so to speak, of May December, arguing that the app has encouraged a less serious and more blithe attitude around the film despite its subject matter. Regardless of the fact that there are equal numbers of pithy jokes and serious reviews across both sites, the continued flattening of critical reception working in tandem with a Need for Favs and Hearts neither uplifts interesting films nor sinks bad ones. Like most postings, its just fluff. Its easy to see the conflict as a war between millennials and Gen Z, or between Film Twitter and Letterboxd Twitter (is there such thing as a social media subfaction of a different social media site), and its obviously not helping that the Lowercase Voice of Netflix is chiming in with what either is or isnt the sexualization of a fictional character who has been groomed. None of this is that serious, unless, of course, its the most serious thing in the world. These questions and the disagreements they have provoked lack easy answers except maybe that the Netflix social-media voice needs to chill. Part of what feels so refreshing and, yes, funny! about Hayness film is the way in which it defies a singular lens, pushing you into discomfort, laughter, and sadness. In fact, thats part of what the film is literally about: the leveling of Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joes (Charles Melton) story in the hands of Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) and the filmmakers within the film. In an attempt to move toward a true story of what happened between Gracie and Joe all those years ago, Elizabeth only pushes further and further away from it. Proximity to them does not bring clarity. Hayness last two films his Velvet Underground documentary and Dark Waters might have been more straightforward, but one of the hallmarks of his long career has been the elusive nature of his filmmaking. Youre unlikely to find two people, let alone a whole Letterboxd community, who can agree on Carol, or Velvet Goldmine, or Im Not There. Why would May December be any different? What film television, radio (see, once again, Killers of the Flower Moon), Twitter, Letterboxd does to stories, true or not, is compress and distort. That Haynes is able to wring something both funny and sad, moving and disturbing out of what could otherwise be tabloid pulp is what sets him apart. Pakistani officials said Tuesday that the United States did not object to Islamabad's deportation of Afghan nationals who are illegally residing in the country but requested the process be slowed down during winter. The crackdown on undocumented foreigners, including 1.7 million Afghans, came under discussion at a meeting with a visiting U.S. delegation led by Julieta Valls Noyes, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. A Pakistani official privy to the talks said that the U.S. side sought to prevent the deportation of around 25,000 "vulnerable" individuals who fled the Taliban's August 2021 takeover in neighboring Afghanistan and could be eligible for relocation to or resettlement in the U.S. "The government of Pakistan doesn't want to deport any vulnerable Afghan, irrespective of whether someone appears on the U.S. prospective resettlement list or any other country," the official told VOA on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to share details of the talks publicly. "Pakistan is concerned over the lengthy resettlement process the U.S. has adopted," he said. "One thing is clear: The U.S. didn't oppose Pakistan's deportation policy. It, however, pleaded for going slow during the harsh winters," the Pakistani official told VOA. VOA reached out to the State Department to seek a response to Pakistani assertions that Washington is not opposed to the deportations of Afghans but did not get a response immediately. Christmas Coca-Cola Truck comes to Rome for the seventh year in a row. Coca-Cola once again supports Banco Alimentare, the non-profit organisation which has distributed surplus food to people in need across Italy for the last three decades. The Share the Magic of Christmas tour will cross Italy with four stops, from north to south, offering people the chance to engage in festive fun while also supporting charity. The first stop was in Milan on 2 December, followed by Turin on 6 December; then Rome on 10 December at the Maximo Shopping Centre, on Via Laurentina 865 from 11.00-21.00; followed by Catania on 19 December. Thanks to the Share the Magic of Christmas project, Coca-Cola says that 1 and a half million meals will be collected and distributed to the needy in the participating Italian cities. A quick guide to the best Christmas markets in Rome over the 2023 festive season. Piazza Navona: Festa della Befana Rome's popular Christmas market and Festa della Befana takes place in Piazza Navona until 6 January 2024. The stalls sell toys, Christmas decorations, sweets, books, food from the Lazio region, leather goods and other gift items. The carousel is also back along with puppet theatre for children. Ragusa Off: Giftland Billed as Romes largest indoor Christmas market, this event in a former bus depot will be held on various days in December (8-10, 16-17 Dec) in Piazza Ragusa. There are plenty of gift ideas on offer including crafts, toys, prints, books, plants and vinyl records. Open 10.00-20.00. Ragusa Off, Via Tuscolana 179 / Piazza Ragusa. Natale Auditorium Parallel to its programme of live music, including the annual Roma Gospel Festival, the Auditorium Parco della Musica hosts a Christmas village, Natale Auditorium, with a market and Santa Claus house as well as its popular ice-skating rink, from 8 December until 7 January. Circus Maximus Christmas market Garum - Museo della Cucina overlooking the Circus Maximus hosts an artisan Christmas market on the weekends of 9-10 and 16-17 December. The items on sale include handcrafted jewellery, tailored clothes and bags, bespoke ceramics and candles, lamps, illustrations, gramophones, plants, vintage radios, books and handmade wellness products. 10.30-21.00. Via dei Cerchi 87. Christmas Village at EUR Laghetto The area around the laghetto in the EUR district will host a Christmas Village from 1-26 December, with free entry from Viale America. Along with Christmas markets, the event offers children the chance to visit the elf village, take part in creative workshops and have fun on the ice rink. Kids can also meet Santa Claus as well as Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse and Olaf. Piazza Mazzini Christmas market The Christmas version of the twice-monthly market of collectibles takes place at the usual Piazza Mazzini venue in the heart of the Prati district. The market offers Christmas decorations and antique gifts and is open daily until 30 December, from 09.00-19.30. Japan Days With more than 100 stalls, the Christmas version of the Mercatino Giapponese will be held at Atlantico Live over the weekend of 9-10 December. For details see website. Viale dell'Oceano Atlantico 271. Green Market Christmas Festival Green Market Festival holds a Christmas market at Citta dell'Altra Economia in the ex-Mattatoio complex in Testaccio from 8-9 December. On offer is a range of artisan crafts, books, natural products and wellness treatments alongside workshops, a children's space, holistic activities and artistic performances. Open 10.00-20.00, free entry, ample parking. Recipes What do you want to cook today? After years in which the focus in climate negotiations was centered mainly on greenhouse gas emissions in general, the debate has clearly shifted at the COP28 summit in Dubai. The main source of these emissions, fossil fuels, is now at the center of discussions. This is partly a consequence of the fact that COP28 is paradoxically being held in a petrostate, but mainly due to the fact that emissions from the oil, gas, and coal sectors continue to increase year-on-year. In addition, the plans of companies and producing countries are pushing humanity towards global warming above the safety levels set by science, while the impacts of the climate crisis are becoming more apparent. A report released Tuesday warns that the carbon dioxide (CO) expelled by these sectors will increase by 1.1% in 2023 compared to last year, a new historical record that has put fossil fuels in the spotlight. The report was prepared by the Global Carbon Project (GCP), comprising a group of dozens of international scientists from more than 90 institutions that has been tracking the evolution of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, since 2006. During this time, emissions from the fossil fuel sector have grown almost constantly there have only been two significant drops, during the 2008 financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. But with this years predicted rise, pre-Covid levels have been exceeded (they are already 1.4% higher than in 2019). Looking at the data by fuel, coal is number one in terms of total gases expelled. The carbon dioxide generated by this fuel will increase by 1.1% in 2023, according to these experts estimates. It is followed by oil, which will expel 1.5% more CO this year than in 2022. Natural gas is third on the list and its emissions will increase by 0.5%. To complete the portrait, we must take the cement sector into account, which will also register an increase of 0.8%. Many nations are pushing for a clear message from COP28 to eliminate or phase out the use of these fossil fuels. This position, however, is not supported by all the countries present in Dubai, so negotiations will be tough between now and December 12, when the conference is scheduled to close. Emissions by country Another way of looking at the evolution of CO emissions is by country. China is by far at the top of this ranking: in 2022 it accounted for 30.7% of the global total, followed by the United States (13.6%), India (7.6%), the European Union (7.4%), Russia (4.4%), and Japan (2.8%). What happens with this bloc of major emitters sets the global pace of carbon dioxide growth and decline. Analysts at the GCP predict that emissions in the U.S. and EU will fall by 3% and 7.4% respectively this year. However, those of India and China will increase by 8.2% and 4%, respectively. In the rest of the worlds nations, emissions will fall by 0.4%. Carbon dioxide from land-use changes, mainly linked to deforestation, is expected to fall by about 5.1% from 2022 levels. But this decline is cancelled out by the increase in fossil fuels. Taking into account the forecasts in the report set for the fossil fuel sector (which will expel 36.8 gigatons of CO, the unit used for greenhouse gases, this year) and for those linked to changes in land use (4.1 gigatons), a total of 40.9 gigatons will be expelled in 2023, 0.5% more than in 2022. The good news is that the world is at something close to a plateau where growth in total CO emissions has slowed substantially in the last decade (2013-2022), with an average growth of 0.14% per year, much lower than the 2.1% rate of the previous decade (2003-2012). The bad news is that this is far from sufficient. Emissions must come down drastically and quickly. Peak emissions Some studies suggest that greenhouse gas emissions in general have already reached their historical peak in 2023. Pep Canadell, executive director of the Global Carbon Project, acknowledges that the CO expelled by human activities may indeed stop growing this year or in the next two or three. But, he warns, when we reach the peak, I think we will be there for years, rather than achieving the immediate reduction that is needed. Global decarbonization needs the energy system to change rapidly, which doesnt seem to be happening sufficiently if fossil fuel emissions continue to grow. The current level of emissions over time is absolutely dangerous and inconsistent with stabilizing the climate at a fixed temperature. Warming is currently at 1.2C (34F) above pre-industrial levels. And if emissions are not reduced quickly, we are headed for warming of more than 3C, Canadell says. The increase in global warming can only stop when we have net zero emissions. But at that point the planet will remain at the temperature it has reached because the gases emitted, when they are expelled into the atmosphere, remain there for decades. The impacts of climate change are evident all around us, but the reduction of carbon emissions from fossil fuels is still painfully slow, says Pierre Friedlingstein, a researcher at the Global Systems Institute at Exeter University and director of the study. As for the immediate future, Friedlingstein believes that it now seems inevitable that we will exceed the 1.5C target. Leaders going to COP28 will have to agree to rapid cuts in fossil fuel emissions even to keep the 2C target alive. The 2015 Paris Agreement against climate change set the goal that the temperature increase by the end of the century should not exceed 2C above pre-industrial levels, and efforts should be made to keep it below 1.5C. The last major review by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the group of experts that periodically lays the foundations of scientific knowledge on global warming, considered that the 1.5C barrier will be exceeded in a stable manner in the next two decades due to the gases already emitted. The study presented Tuesday points out that with the current level of emissions, there is a 50% chance that global warming will exceed 1.5C degrees consistently in about seven years. Carbon sinks and sequestration Of the total amount of carbon dioxide that human activity releases into the atmosphere, 47% ends up concentrated there for hundreds of years, overheating the planet. The GCPs analysis estimates that 2023 will end with an atmospheric CO concentration of 419.3 parts per million, which is 51% higher than pre-industrial levels. The remaining 53% of man-made carbon dioxide is absorbed by vegetation and the ocean in roughly equal parts, which is already causing problems such as increased ocean acidification. As the climate crisis becomes more evident and damaging, more voices are calling for techniques to capture CO from the air. But the report notes that current levels of technology-based carbon dioxide removal (i.e., not including reforestation) amount to approximately 0.01 million tons of CO, more than a million times less than current emissions from the fossil fuel sector. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Earlier today, we reported on Anthony Albaneses tribute to Peta Murphy, the Labor MP for the Victoria seat of Dunkley, who died on Monday aged 50 from cancer. Murphy had been in parliament since 2019, with her breast cancer returning just two weeks before she was sworn in. Flowers were placed on Ms Murphys seat in the lower house in her memory, with many MPs wiping away tears during the condolence speeches. A bouquet of flowers is placed on the desk of Peta Murphy, as Labor MP Lisa Chesters wipes her eyes during the condolence motion. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen While Albanese led the condolences, here are some of the other remarks made by fellow parliamentarians. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Ms Murphy had so much more to give the parliament. She chose to use the bumps in her lifes journey to make a difference as a member of parliament and make a difference she most certainly did, living up to the ideals that she set for herself, he said. Skills Minister Brendan OConnor, who Murphy served as chief of staff between 2016 and 2019, remembered her humility. She was not comfortable with pride or being the centre of attention, which is a funny thing for a politician, unless it was for a cause bigger than her, he said. She was principled, she was in a hurry to change things, but her work was always accompanied by compassion and integrity. Labor MP Kate Thwaites, who entered parliament the same year as Ms Murphy, praised her passion and close friendship. She never left you in any doubt where she stood on an issue and she would always come down on the side of making things fairer, she said. Peta didnt like talking about her cancer and its not what she wanted to be known for, but she was also very conscious of the platform she had to argue for better outcomes for people with cancer. Nationals MP Darren Chester, who earlier paid tribute to Ms Murphy during her last week in parliament, honoured her intelligence, humour and warmth. Weve been a bit ripped off. The nations been robbed of even greater achievements of the member for Dunkley, he said. She made sure the cancer didnt define who she was. Peta defined the cancer on behalf of women around the country. AAP with Josefine Ganko Western Australias Labor government wears two faces when it comes to the plight of women seeking refuge, reassurance and opportunity. It wore a scowling face when locked in a war of words last week with the City of Perth over the shameful demise of an emergency after-hours safe haven. Perth Mayor Basil Zempilas has been locked in a war of words with the WA government over the closure of a womens shelter. Credit: Peter de Kruijff Partly driven by a fear of Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas political ambition, the premier and a number of his ministers lambasted the council for sticking to a long-standing decision to take back the East Perth community centre after funding the safe night space project for more than two years. Zempilas and his council were heartless and ignoring a homelessness and support services crisis, the government complained. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has been asked to investigate the treatment of undercover police operatives by parliaments powerful joint committee on law enforcement, challenging the Albanese governments assertion that problems identified in a secret report had been fixed. This masthead and 60 Minutes revealed on Monday the Australian Federal Polices top-secret undercover program had been compromised by systemic failures, including outdated technology, inadequate security and a box-ticking approach to psychological support. Law enforcement committee chair senator Helen Polley, right, made the referral to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus office. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Law enforcement committee chair senator Helen Polley on Thursday wrote to lawyer Rebekah Giles, who is acting for three AFP officers and their families in a defective administration claim, to reveal she had made a referral to Dreyfus office. A defective administration claim allows federal public servants to make a compensation claim against the Commonwealth for loss or damage, and for an ex gratia payment to be made. Lawyers for a Pilbara Indigenous leader have rejected claims that conflicts of interest could arise between a major new business contract and his role chairing an organisation that protects globally significant rock art. The Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, tasked with protecting the areas cultural heritage, is chaired by Ngarluma man Peter Hicks, who also runs resources contractor Hicks Civil and Mining. Traditional owners are upset with a Pluto contract given to the business run by the chair of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation. Credit: Getty. Digitally altered image Last week Woodside revealed Bechtel had awarded Hicks company the contract for haulage work on the Pluto gas plant expansion, part of the $16.5 billion Scarborough LNG project. The Aboriginal corporations former chair and the Friends of Australian Rock Art want Hicks to stand down from leading the corporation, to avoid any potential conflicts. Dave Sharma, former ambassador to Israel and the newest Liberal senator , sees no way back for Netanyahu: This security failure on his watch spells the end of Netanyahus prime ministership. Why is that knowledge good news? It means Israelis must be several steps closer to ditching Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the man who must accept not just significant responsibility for the devastation and murders in Gaza, but also for the continuing despair of what remains of the Jewish diaspora. The man who pretends to be strong but is not. The man who could not even defend his own country despite considerable advance warning of the attack. There is, I think, the hint of a better future after the latest heartbreaking revelation to emerge from the Middle East that the Israeli government knew a year ago about Hamas plans for the horrific murders on October 7. Hello. My name is Jenna Price and Im Jewish. Its a line I use when I find myself facing raging antisemitism. It interrupts the conversation and warns antisemites Im about to take them on. Youd be surprised by the number of people who think its hilarious to make jokes or tropes about Jews. I dont share your sense of humour, if thats what you call it. I dont think its funny when you mock Aboriginal people or Indian people or people of Muslim faith. You are a bigot and a racist. Loading Im appalled at whats happening to Palestinians. Im appalled successive Israeli governments have seized land that was not theirs and dispossessed men, women and children from their homeland. Ive moved from being a person utterly wedded to the two-state solution to being one who despairs that there will ever be a solution of any kind, except a horrific one. Netanyahus popularity, and that of his party, Likud, is in the basement. Now Israel is in the most precarious position its ever been in: a brief reminder Israel exists because of the Holocaust. Polls in Gaza show a majority did not want to break the ceasefire. Palestinians dont want war either. No one does. But Israelis keep electing deranged right-wing populists, and some of them on more than one occasion. Netanyahus desire to bomb the life out of Gaza is destroying Palestine and the Palestinians. Hes fuelling the existence of Hamas. He has murdered thousands of Palestinians to make it look as if he is doing something, anything. All that does is strengthen Hamas power and influence. Netanyahu is murdering Palestinians and he is also harming the diaspora. He is risking the lives of Jews. Wellington: Thousands of people gathered in New Zealands city squares, motorway over-bridges and in front of the countrys parliament on Tuesday to protest against the new governments policies they believe are racist. The paction was called for by the political party Te Pati Maori and coincided with the opening of New Zealands 54th parliament later in the day. This is not a protest, this is an activation, Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told Wellington protesters. Make our voices heard, let our voices fly and be proud to be who we are today. Demonstrations took place across the country against the new governments Indigenous policies. Credit: NZ Herald/AP A new centre-right government of the National Party, New Zealand First and ACT New Zealand was elected last month, and the three parties coalition agreement outlines plans to wind back the use of Maori language, review affirmative action policies and assess how the countrys founding treaty document is interpreted in legislation. The mere mention of the University of Oxford evokes a sense of reverence, almost a mystical aura. It is an oasis of tranquility that has witnessed fervent philosophical debates. Its a place that, in the mid-20th century, served as a haven for a group of dissenting intellectuals striving to rescue philosophy from the confines of orthodox analysis and anchor it firmly in reality. The so-called Oxford Quartet Elizabeth Anscombe, Mary Midgley, Iris Murdoch and Philippa Foot are the subjects of several recent books. We have A Terribly Serious Adventure by Nikhil Krishnan (2023); The Women Are Up to Something (2023) by Benjamin J. B. Lipscomb; and Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life (2022) by Clare Mac Cumhaill and Rachael Wiseman. Anscombe, Midgley, Murdoch, and Foot hailed from diverse backgrounds, yet they shared remarkable commonalities. Born between 1919 and 1920, these four women were educated at Oxford during the tumultuous World War II period. In their own distinctive ways, they forged an alliance, united by their rebellion against the limitations of analytical thinking in comprehending the complexities of the world. The prevailing Oxford school of analytical philosophy propagated the notion that moral truths were non-existent and that science held all the answers. However, these trailblazers refused to conform to Oxfords academic orthodoxy. It was no small feat to challenge the Oxonian positivist philosophy that erroneously conflated theory and analytical tools with the realities of an existence plagued by the grim specters of war, the atomic bomb, and the Holocaust. The rediscovery of empathy Inspired by influential educators like Eduard Fraenkel and Donald MacKinnon, the four friends immersed themselves in literature, reveling in clandestine parties fueled by cigarettes, whiskey, tea and biscuits. Amid spirited debates on ethics, evil and love, they were confronted with the haunting images of Nazi death camps. This profound encounter forever altered their philosophical outlook. Confronted by an unequivocal, radical cruelty, they sought to salvage the essence of a shared moral code, rediscovering the values of empathy, generosity, trust, cooperation and creativity in human endeavors. This transformative journey is eloquently captured in an exchange of letters between Wiseman and Mac Cumhaill. In the realm of analytical systems, moral affirmations were regarded not as true or false, but rather as subjective expressions of the individuals who voiced them. However, these four philosophers saw certain actions as transcending mere opinion. If morality was not objective, said Lipscomb, the author of The Women Are Up to Something, how could we adequately address the atrocities of the Holocaust? Lipscomb believes that the Oxford Quartets most significant contribution lay in revitalizing moral philosophy as a field of study. Mary Midgley (seated, second from left) and Iris Murdoch (second row, second from right) at Somerville College, Oxford. The Principal and Fellows of Somerville College Iris Murdoch, an Oxford professor and avid reader of Plato, Sartre and Simone Weil, cautioned that the ongoing discourse surrounding the essence of goodness and human reality would persist, irrespective of whether they fell under the realm of philosophy. Murdoch, who passed away in in Oxfordshire in 1999, wrote about the vulnerability of doing good, which she regarded as a skill acquired through moral deliberation and willpower. In the aftermath of the war, she participated in United Nations programs to aid displaced people in Austria and Belgium. Witnessing shattered lives devoid of hope, she recognized the pressing need for an impactful philosophy. Her conviction: equipping individuals grappling with distinct social and emotional challenges, people who went to the movies, made love and fought with or against Hitler. In essays and novels like The Sea, The Sea, Murdoch passionately championed the pursuit of knowledge through life experience. Her works portrayed lives enriched with inquiries, reflections, and imaginative tales. Recognizing the emergence of a new society driven by science and technology, she understood the imperative for a metaphysical and moral compass. Fascinated by the concept of attachment, she contended that love embodies the essence of art and morality a profound gesture of embracing individuals as they are, unencumbered by illusions. An intellectual with an insatiable curiosity, her writings provoke contemplation on the ethical choices we encounter in our everyday lives. The decisions we make, or choose not to make Murdoch and Philippa Foot were not only close friends but also flatmates, even sharing a boyfriend. Unfortunately, Foots passion for philosophy was never well-received by her affluent family, who seemed to console themselves by underestimating her intelligence. However, she remained resolute in her choices. After working as the vice dean at Oxford, she went on to teach at various prestigious universities in the United States until her death in 2010. Among her notable works, Virtues and Vices and Other Essays in Moral Philosophy stands out, in which she contemplated the distinction between actively doing something and merely allowing it to happen. One of her most famous ethical dilemmas involved a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different track. However, you notice that there is one person on the other track. You have two (and only two) options: do nothing, in which case the trolley will kill the five people on the main track. Or pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person. Which is the more ethical option? Or, more simply: What is the right thing to do? Foot was an early proponent of moral realism, asserting that true moral propositions exist and values cannot be wholly divorced from facts. Occasionally, Foot would rendezvous with her friend Elizabeth Anscombe at Oxfords Socratic Club, a charming, wallpapered Victorian space for genteel debate. But the two friends had no interest in engaging in laborious dialectical competitions or seeking a philosophical system that claimed to provide a comprehensive explanation for everything. Anscombe viewed such charlatanism as the ultimate intellectual vice and recognized that acknowledging the complexity of a problem was a remarkable virtue, said Lipscomb. Similar to Murdoch and Foot, Anscombe also delved into the realm of intention and action, reigniting the ethical discourse surrounding warfare. Given the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Yemen, and Israel and Palestine, this esteemed British philosopher would likely insist on challenging the devastating toll of war on civilian populations. Neta C. Crawford, an Oxford professor and conflict expert, recently noted that the number of civilian casualties in Gaza were unprecedented in a century already marred by wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Harry Truman was a murderer Elizabeth Anscombe, a student and interpreter of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, embarked on a journey to unravel the mysteries of language acquisition while working as a schoolteacher in Austria. She astutely observed that analytical philosophy emerged from a conformist milieu, yet she herself defied such conventions. In 1956, she made a public stand against Oxfords decision to confer an honorary degree upon former U.S. President Harry Truman. According to the author of Ethics, Religion and Politics, Truman was a murderer because the civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not engaged in combat against the Allies. Anscombe saw the decision to drop the atomic bombs as a calculated move to secure unconditional surrender. She argued that deliberately taking the life of an innocent person to achieve a goal is always tantamount to murder. In Anscombes view, conferring an honorary degree on a person who committed such an act was indicative of a profound philosophical decay. Fixating on the notions of Just and Good disregarded the essence of true justice and goodness. Anscombe was a rigorous and indefatigable thinker. One of her students remembers how after one session, my brain was so exhausted that... I went to sleep for a couple of hours. Despite being a mother of seven, Anscombe never conformed to societal expectations. At Oxford, where female teachers were required to wear skirts, she boldly chose to don pants instead. To adhere to the dress code, she would simply slip on a skirt over her trousers right before stepping into the classroom to commence her lesson. Mary Midgley, in her own unique way, grew disillusioned with Oxford due to its narrow-mindedness. Her interests spanned across various fields, and her approach was truly integrative. She delved into the realms of philosophy, biology, psychology, ethics, and politics, and penned insightful works on a diverse range of subjects including people, chickens, octopuses and mollusks. Ultimately, she made the decision to leave Oxford for Newcastle University, a smaller and more modest institution that provided a better environment to collaborate and develop new ideas. View of High Street and the tower of Oxford's Magdalen College in the early 1950s. Harold Lloyd ( GETTY IMAGES ) Mary Midgley was a profound thinker captivated by the complexity of the human condition. Rather than inventing values, she dedicated herself to revealing them. For Midgley, this distinction lay in the difference between abstraction and comprehension. The longest-lived member of the Oxford Quartet (she died in 2018), Midgley didnt publish her first book until she was 60. Titled Beast and Man: The Roots of Human Nature, it expanded philosophical boundaries by delving into our primal instincts. Her book explores the concept that rationality, language and culture are not at odds with our emotional makeup; rather, they complement it, said Helen de Cruz, a philosophy professor at Saint Louis University in Missouri. Midgley regarded philosophy as a daily pursuit that we should all embrace, and not an elite academic pursuit. She said philosophy was like plumbing we only think about it when something goes wrong, said De Cruz. Midgley viewed her task as a philosopher as trying to understand what was going on in the minds of people around us. Midgley, who The Guardian called the scourge of scientific pretentiousness, had warned for years about the climate crisis in a world blinded by the pursuit of endless progress, but was roundly ignored. Not so much anymore, said Helen de Cruz. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition On 16 November 2023, the World Customs Organization (WCO) hosted the inaugural COLIBRI II Steering Committee Meeting at its Headquarters in Brussels. This three-hour hybrid session brought together representatives from the WCO, the European Union (EU), partner administrations and various international initiatives. The discussions revolved around lessons learnt from Phase I of the COLIBRI Project, achievements during the April to September 2023 Inception Phase, and an outline of the roadmap for Phase II of the Project. COLIBRI: Monitoring and Controlling General Aviation (GA) is a WCO initiative, funded by the EU as part of the Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP). The Project, implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and in West and Central Africa (WCA) countries, aims to support law enforcement administrations (LEAs) and competent authorities in effectively combating transnational organized crime and illicit trafficking perpetrated through GA. The inaugural Steering Committee Meeting was opened by representatives of the WCO and the EU. The Director of the WCO Compliance and Facilitation Directorate, Pranab Kumar Das, pointed out that the WCO Drugs and Precursors Programme focused on major threats in order to achieve one of the Organization's strategic objectives, namely protect society. The Director also highlighted the milestones reached by the COLIBRI Project during Phase I, including the provision of a comprehensive capacity-building programme, the development of the Geoportal and its related features, and the success of the first nine-day international coordinated operation, codenamed "Rutilant". Director Das commended the COLIBRI Project for its efforts and commitment to supporting partner countries with enhanced GA monitoring and control. The representative of the EU, Isabel Candela Rodriguez, Deputy Head of Unit 1 in the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI 1), then took the floor and also emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between COLIBRI and other EU initiatives, such as EMPACT Operational Action on GA, and of boosting synergies with other projects under the GIFP, including AIRCOP, CRIMJUST and SEACOP. She called for continued innovation and suitable responses to emerging challenges during Phase II. The Meeting then focused on presenting the Projects strategy and future direction. The WCO Drugs and Precursors Programme Manager explained how the COLIBRI Project had swiftly implemented the recommendations stemming from the independent evaluation conducted in 2022. The Inception Phase had been instrumental in identifying new countries, defining the Project blueprint, prioritizing actions, and strengthening cooperation with the Maritime Analysis and Operation Centre-Narcotics (MAOC-N), a key partner for COLIBRI in guaranteeing an effective and positive impact at EU level. Phase II of the COLIBRI Project builds on a robust theory of change and a strategy tailored to guide its implementation and thereby ensure partner engagement and ownership. The Project monitoring and evaluation system, including its national-level mechanism targeting appropriate governance structures, was also described in greater detail. COLIBRIs intervention approach plays a significant role in developing action plans tailored to partners needs and promotes the use of the Geoportal, the key IT resource to enhance monitoring and surveillance capacities. The Project strategy was also presented throughout the course of the Meeting, providing insights into the critical role of the National Steering Committee (NSC) and technical national and regional working groups. These mechanisms are designed to ensure local engagement and ownership throughout all phases of the intervention cycle and to promote sustainability. In terms of regional coordination, presentations given during the Meeting outlined plans to expand COLIBRI's outreach to four additional countries, those being Bolivia and Ecuador (LAC), and Benin and Togo (WCA). The selection of these countries is in keeping with the principle of making vulnerable countries less attractive to smugglers using private aircraft, ensuring operational sustainability through the border continuum, and considering regional dynamics, realities and challenges that need to be addressed within the regions. The second part of the Meeting comprised presentations by the Project partners. COLIBRI national focal points (NFPs) from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Customs Authority of Argentina (AFIP) presented their respective countries experiences. Both NFPs provided an overview of COLIBRIs impact. They flagged the importance of continued capacity building, the use of the Geoportal, and the signing of Memoranda of Cooperation. These strategic documents were signed by the Ghana Authorities (July 2023), and by Argentina through AFIP (September 2022) and the Ministry of Security (October 2023). During the closing remarks, the EUs FPI 1 COLIBRI Programme Manager brought the Meeting to an end by underscoring the importance of innovation, flexibility and strategic partnerships in combating organized crime perpetrated through GA. She stressed the value of collaboration and the integration of cross-cutting issues across all Project actions. The Meeting marked the official launch of Phase II of the COLIBRI Project, showcasing its strategic approach to supporting partner countries in addressing transnational organized crime and illicit trafficking via GA. For more information about the COLIBRI Project, please contact: colibri@wcoomd.org China News Service: On December 1 local time, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly at its 33rd session elected the new Council in London, the UK. China was once again elected a category (a) member of the Council with strong support, its 18th reelection since 1989. Would you like to comment on this? Wang Wenbin: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships. China attaches high importance to and actively supports the organizations work. Chinas reelection with strong support as a category (a) member of the IMO Council speaks to the international communitys recognition of its contribution to global maritime governance and promoting the sustainable development of shipping. China stands ready to work with other members to continue supporting the multilateral maritime framework with the IMO at the core and jointly pursue high-quality development in the shipping industry. China Review News: It was reported that on November 29, an Air Force CV-22 Osprey of US Forces Japan crashed off the shore of Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture. Japan has asked the US to have a thorough investigation into the accident and before finding the reasons, stop flying Osprey aircraft deployed in Japan. But the US ignored this demand and continued flying the aircraft. What is Chinas comment? Wang Wenbin: The US military, while professing that it safeguards the regions peace and stability, has behaved unscrupulously under the protection of exterritoriality. While professing it protects the security of allies, the US has in fact become a source of insecurity for its allies. According to statistics from the government of Okinawa Prefecture, by the end of 2020, US Forces Japan has committed over 6,000 criminal crimes and produced over 800 air accidents in Okinawa. The Osprey aircraft involved in this accident has experienced multiple severe accidents, leaving many injured, dead or missing. The US needs to take a serious and responsible attitude, take seriously the concerns of the local people, have a thorough investigation into the accident, give a reasonable explanation to relevant parties, and restore peace and tranquility in the region. ARD German Television: On December 1, Bilal Karimi started officially his position as the ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Beijing. My question is, is China formally recognizing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan? Wang Wenbin: As a long-standing friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community. We hope Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, firmly combat all forms of terrorist forces, develop friendly relations with other countries, especially with its neighbors, and integrate itself into the world community. We believe that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally as the concerns of various parties are effectively addressed. CCTV: China started to extend unilateral visa-free policy to six countries, namely France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia on December 1. Do you have any update on the effects of the policy? Do you have any additional information to share? Wang Wenbin: To further facilitate cross-border travel and Chinas high-quality development and high-standard opening up, China started to extend unilateral visa-free policy to six countries including France and Germany on December 1. The policy has produced positive effects. According to data from the National Immigration Administration, from December 1 to 3, there was a continued increase of entries from these countries. Nearly 18,000 travelers from the six countries entered China, with the daily average up by 39 percent from November 30. Nearly 7,000 of these travelers or 39 percent of the total came on the visa-free policy. From these numbers we can see how the unilateral visa-free policy is making things easier for travelers of the six countries. Going forward, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to adjust visa policies to create more favorable conditions and further facilitate cross-border travel. Reuters: According to Japanese media, a Chinese citizen was arrested by Japanese police for suspicion of leaking business secret. Do you have any comment? Can you share more information on this? Wang Wenbin: I am not aware of the specifics. China always asks our citizens overseas to abide by the laws and regulations of host countries and we hope Japan will earnestly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens in Japan. Phoenix TV: Leader of the Taiwan region Tsai Ing-wen recently said at a DPP campaign rally that we dont want Hong Kong-style peace, we want peace with dignity, the 2024 general election is not a choice between peace and war, and it is the people of Taiwan who must choose peace with dignity. What is your comment? Wang Wenbin: This is not a question on foreign affairs. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The election in the Taiwan region is purely Chinas internal affair. I would like to stress that Taiwan independence is as incompatible with cross-Strait peace as fire with water. Taiwan independence means war and Taiwan independence is a dead end. Whatever high-sounding rhetoric the DPP authorities try to use, it cannot cover up their malicious attempt to tie Taiwan residents to the war chariot of Taiwan independence; it cannot change the fact that Taiwan independence elements are doomed to failure; and it cannot stop the irreversible trend of reunification of China. Within every human being there is an army of cells, tissues and organs that guard their organism against external threats. Together, these make up the immune system, a complex biological network on which our survival, health and disease depend to a large extent. Science knows about its structure, its modus operandi, and has even learned to train it with targeted pharmaceuticals that recognize the bodys enemies and annihilate them. But despite these advances, our knowledge of the immune system continues to be limited, and there are parts of it that are still not understood, says neuroscientist Hans Keirstead (Halifax, Canada, 56). The researcher is the CEO of the Human Immunome Project (HIP), an international non-profit initiative that has set out to decode this complex biological network. The projects first step will be to compile data from millions of people from around the world in order to build a solid and diverse database that will allow it, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) models, to predict immunological response and accelerate research. Keirstead, who visited Barcelona to take part in a scientific meeting with immunologists organized through the programming of the future CaixaReseach Institute, says that this vast project will allow us to have safer drugs, take advantage of better access to treatment and even predict the course of diseases and responses to medications. Question. Is the immune system still an enigma? Answer. The immune system is an enigma for every immunologist in the world, we know less than 5% of it. We understand a great deal about the immune system, but we understand almost zero about its diversity. We understand it statically, but we do not understand how it changes in response to age, disease, ethnicity, social economic class Its the variation that we dont understand. The Human Immunome Project will code the baseline human immune system in every variation that I just mentioned. The HIP will define the immune system in every population, which will result in more drugs being developed that are personalized to sex or skin color or social economic class, and there will be fewer side effects, which means healthcare costs go down globally and nationally. Q. Do we have information on what makes a healthy immune system? A. The world knows what a healthy immune system is, but it doesnt know how that healthy immune system changes with age. We dont know how that healthy immune system changes when the patient has a challenge. We dont know how a healthy immune system in a male versus a female differs. We can define what a healthy immune system is, but the studies have been done on a very small class of humans, all mostly in advanced nations. So, you have a very small representation of the humans diversity. Therefore, the drugs that are made, that are tested on wealthy Caucasians, when they are applied to Black men in their 50s, who have the highest degree of autoimmunity, those drugs may cause side effects in that population. But we dont know because we havent defined the immune system of that population. I would say that the biggest outcome of the Human Immunome Project is going to be an understanding of the immune system and its diversity. That will have the effect of more drugs, cheaper drugs, healthier lives. Q. Since so much knowledge is lacking about how the immune system works and all its diversity, do you think that the real power of our immune system is being underutilized right now? A. I believe that in any state of the human, the immune system is doing its best, but it is challenged by several things that we dont understand. Perhaps the food that you eat, perhaps the toxins that you are experiencing, maybe its the age that you are. They have a very negative effect on your immune system in many cases, but we dont understand that. So, maybe your immune system is often functioning optimally, but this project is going to establish the correct baseline for you [specifically]. That will then allow your doctor to assess your immune system to see if youre down here or up here, if you have a relatively good or relatively bad immune system. That is going to allow better functioning of your immune system by detecting the difference from normal. Then we can begin to identify what is it about your lifestyle or your physiology thats causing a deficit in your immune system, which causes a deficit in your organs. Q. Is it true that immune response or immune health trajectories can be predicted, as in how a disease will evolve or when I will get sick? A. The data combined with artificial intelligence will be able to predict degeneration with age or disease because we will have analyzed, as a norm, a healthy person and a diseased person and both those populations at multiple time points with age. Once we have created a Gaussian norm of each of those states me when I was 20, me when I was 25, me when I was 30 and we watch in all of those populations how the immune system changes and denigrates with age, then we know how to intervene. So yes, the AI will be able to predict those things. When we get your genes, one patients biome, genetic code, we can then compare you to the predictive models and see markers that are correlated with disease that youre beginning to show. So, well be able to predict disease better. Look at what the Human Genome Project has done by knowing whether a woman expresses BRCA3, it predicts with certainty breast cancer. The distance between the gene and your physiology is very big, but your immune system and your physiology are neighbors. So, if you define and code the immune system, its ability to predict disease is phenomenal, its ability to predict how you will react from a drug. We take your immune system, we dont give you a drug yet, we compare it to this model when we have the data and we will be able to say, thats the wrong drug, but this drug is right for this immune system. The power of that, this data set that we are generating worldwide, means safer, more effective drugs for everybody. Q. Will these numbers open the door to understanding why some patients respond to treatments while others do not? A. Absolutely correct. This database will allow for predictive modeling of responses to disease and drugs, and in less severe instances, your own daily choices of lifestyle, because knowing how your immune responds to foods allows you to understand allergies. So, you can educate your own lifestyle and behavior, so as to maximize health span. Q. If the immune system plays a role in how or when we age, can we optimize aging or increase life expectancy? A. Every manifestation of aging is mediated by the immune system. Muscle atrophy, brain inflammation, arterial stiffness, metabolism, bone density, it all declines with age. Its a fact. If you can define what the baseline of the immune response is, if we get your immune system fingerprint, we can use it to predict how you are going to age. According to that norm, well also be able to predict how that immune system and your health is going to change and how you can alter your immune system in order to keep yourself healthy. This is certainly going to help with lifespan, but more importantly health span, how healthy you are. Because we know that an old persons demise is immune mediated. If we understand how and what that is, then we can modulate it. Q. But to modulate it, to what extent? Will we be able to live longer? A. I cant guess right now, but I can tell you with certainty that by understanding the immune changes with age, we can discover therapeutic targets. Right now, we dont understand, so we cant target. But if we understand the difference between now and then, we can particularly target what is changing in order to keep you healthier. How long, I cant say. Theoretically, it should have tremendous benefits for both lifespan and health span. But until we test those drugs, we wont know. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Sarah Slater Dublin City Council has agreed to fly the Palestinian flag over the next week in solidarity with the people of Gaza as Israel's bombardment of the territory rages on. The Independent Group, Sinn Fein, Social Democrats, People before Profit and a number of individual councillors submitted a motion to the council on the measure, which has now been given the go-ahead. The motion to fly the flag was agreed unanimously at Tuesday nights monthly council meeting. A similar motion put forward by the Independent Group last month was defeated, despite there being an overall vote in favour of flying the Palestinian flag. Too many councillors abstained from the vote, so the quota was not reached. Independent Group leader Cllr Cieran Perry said he is delighted with the support for the motion. With the recommencement of the genocidal bombardment in Gaza by the rogue Israeli state, it is now more important than ever to show public support for the people of Gaza. Over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the indiscriminate attacks began, more than 6,000 of the victims have been children. This slaughter must stop. We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire and for the release of humanitarian aid into Gaza, Cllr Perry said. Echoing his comment, Cllr Noeleen Reilly said the bobing of innocent people in Gaza is unforgivable. Anyone not calling for an immediate ceasefire will find themselves on the wrong side of history. The flying of the Palestinian flag will show our disgust at the continuation of the Israeli ethnic cleansing of the people of Gaza. The move will mark the second time the Palestinian flag has been flown at City Hall, following a similar decision in 2017 to show support for the people of Palestine after 50 years of Israeli occupation in the West Bank. However, the decision drew criticism from the then Israeli ambassador Zeev Boker and former minister for justice Alan Shatter. Mr Shatter has once again criticised the decision to fly the Palestinian flag over City Hall, tweeting that the council has abandoned the pretence, in support of Hamas. Argentinas outgoing government said Monday it wont support the signing of a long-delayed trade deal between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur during a summit this week in Brazil even thought the incoming Argentine government has expressed support for the deal. Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said the agreement as currently written would restrict Argentinian exports. It is a bad agreement that has a negative impact on manufacturing and agricultural exports, Cafiero said in an interview with a local radio station, excerpts of which were later released by the Argentine Foreign Ministry. Argentinas position goes against that of neighbor Brazil, which holds the presidency of Mercosur, and Spain, which holds the presidency of the EU. Both have expressed a desire to move forward with the trade treaty during the summit Thursday in Rio de Janeiro. The Argentine opposition may be short-lived, though. The incoming administration of Argentinas President-elect Javier Milei has already made clear it supports the agreement. Milei takes office Sunday. We have no objections; it is frankly desirable that it goes through, incoming Foreign Minister Diana Mondino said at a conference for the Industrial Organization of Argentina, a manufacturing trade group. Much better to have it than not to have it. Mondino said she realized there are objections to the agreement from certain sectors but expressed hope that Fernandez would push to sign the agreement this week. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. who met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday in Berlin, expressed hope that there could still be a breakthrough on the deal this week. Im not giving up, Lula said. A basic agreement between the sides was reached in 2019 that was supposed to be the first step in sealing the agreement. But it was never implemented amid fierce resistance on both sides of the Atlantic, including demands for protection of the rainforest in South America and concern over an influx of cheap goods in some European countries. Argentina has warned the countrys manufacturing sector would be negatively affected. Throughout our administration, we always proposed that the discussion on the agreement should be reopened because it did not reflect a balance where both blocs would benefit, Cafiero said. Argentina wont be the only obstacle though. Paraguay, which is taking over the rotating presidency of the Mercosur this week, appears to be leaning against the deal. Paraguay President Santiago Pena told local media Monday that some European nations are placing overly strict environmental requirements on the deal. We are already looking in another direction, Pena said. Environmental issues are what dominate the commercial discussion, and we believe that stems from a lack of understanding about our model for development, Pena said, adding that European nations are trying to impose measures that we think are not suitable for our own development. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Fiona Magennis A fireman has told the Stardust inquest of finding the bodies of two young victims fused together with their "arms around each other" whom he believed were trying to comfort each other before they met their demise. Another witness, a sub officer attached to Tara Street station who was the acting Station Officer working at North Strand on the night of the blaze, described the urgency of the rescue operation as firemen rushed to bring anyone they could find out of the burning building. Such [was] the mayhem with the Stardust it was literally a free for all. It was justget in and get them the hell out of it. That was it, Brian Parkes said. We were just doing rescue, it was 99 per cent rescue all the time. Mr Parkes also described finding a pile of bodies in a room at the rear of the stage and said he thought at least three or four of them were still alive when he assisted them out of the venue. The firefighter said he believed these were the last people brought out of the Stardust alive that night. He told the jury at Dublin District Coroners Court that later, after most of the bodies had been removed from the building and the fire crews were preparing to leave the site, he found another victim just behind the door of exit five. The inquest heard on Tuesday from firemen who were involved in rescuing survivors from the venue and who took part in the operation to recover the bodies of the deceased from the club. Mr Parkes, who had worked as a fireman for 15 years at the time of the blaze which claimed the lives of 48 young people in the early hours of February 14th, 1981, said he left the station in a fire tender at 1.46am. Mr Parkes told Gemma McLoughlin-Burke BL, a member of the coroners legal team, that he and his crew had no information about the fire they were due to attend but said as they made their way to the scene, they could see the flames through the roof. Crowds He said when they arrived, there were crowds coming up to the windscreen and thumping on it and pointing into the fire to tell them people were inside. I remember saying to the driver be careful we dont knock them down because they were just literally milling aroundthey were in an awful state, he said. He said he was assisting with the rescue operation when he received a report that people were trapped near exit two, and he climbed a ladder and handed in a hose to another fireman. Then I got in the window and when I got in I noticed it was a storeroom, he said. It was very hot, very smoky, but you could just about make your way in. He said another fireman, Noel Hosback, came over with a survivor. I just grabbed them and said right come with me and I ran backwards down the storeroom, up to the window. He said he then hooshed them out the window and repeated this three times. He said by this stage it was still hot, but the smoke had cleared substantially and he could see around. He went back down and Mr Hosback told him everyone was out of the toilets. Mr Parkes said they went back to where the stage was, and the crew were there hosing down. As it began to clear I began to see exactly what was involved, what had happened, he said. He said he looked down to a room behind the stage and when he went in, he discovered there was a pile of bodies inside. The top three or four I should hope were alive, he said. I called immediately to the lads and the lads came pouring in and we grabbed them and brought them out. He added: That was the last of the people alive, I think, taken out of the Stardust. Closed with chain Mr Parkes said he then went to exit four and the right-hand door was closed with a chain on it. He said he gave it a kick and it went flying open. He said the chain was hanging looped on the bar. The fireman said they then systematically began to remove the bodies from inside the building. He said this was a difficult job and they had untangle victims from the wires that had come down from the roof. He said the bodies were then lined up outside. He told how as he was leaving through exit five at the very end of the search operation, he discovered the torso of a victim behind the door and brought it outside to an ambulance. Asked by counsel how communication was done on the night, Mr Parks said it was just word of mouth. The lads were experienced; they didnt have to be told it was a rescue Such [was] the mayhem with the Stardust it was literally a free for all. It was justget in and get them the hell out of it. That was it, he said. We were just doing rescue, it was 99% a rescue all the time. Evidence was also heard today from fireman James Tormey, who joined the fire service in January 1973. He told Amy Walsh BL, a member of coroners legal team, that when he and his crew got to the scene it was quite chaotic . Taxis Mr Tormey said there were a large number of young people coming down the road and a lot of taxis heading towards Dublin city centre which he assumed were bringing people to hospital. So we knew that a serious incident was in play, the witness said. He said he immediately put on his breathing apparatus. There were people coming out of exit three distraught as they made their way in. It was just a total melee..severe panic and distress and people looking for their friends and relatives, he said. He said the dance floor was a massive glow with intense heat and his ears started to burn because they were the only parts that werent covered by his breathing apparatus. There was no sign of any people trapped in the area, the fireman said, and the heat meant the possibility of anyone surviving would have been very slim. Mr Tormey told how he assisted in bringing a group of about four or five people from toilets near exit three. He said he gave his breathing apparatus to a fireman who called for it from a window near exit two and then assisted this firefighter and others in bringing people out of the toilets. The firefighter also described efforts to pull the bars from windows using a steel rope but said it quickly became apparent that they could not be moved. He told of finding the body of a victim at one of the exit doors. He said the torso was wearing a red jumper and a gents watch, and he assumed it was a man. This person was just two or three steps away from safety, he told the jury. Bodies 'fused together' Mr Tormey also told of finding two bodies fused together. He said they seemed like two young people with arms around each other and the bodies were fused together as one. Mr Tormey said he believed they were trying to comfort each other before they met their demise. Evidence was also heard today from Paul Porter, who had been a firefighter for six years at the time of the Stardust fire. In his original Garda statement to gardai in 1981, Mr Porter said he entered exit five with other firemen and went into the toilets which were immediately on the right. He said he took a number of bodies from this area. It was pitch dark with smoke and fumes and I dont know what state the bodies were in, he said. I passed them to other firemen who were outside. He said he returned to exit five and saw a male lying on the ground fully clothed who appeared to be dead and who he tried to resuscitate with the help from another fireman. In his direct evidence, Mr Potter said the bodies taken out did not appear to have suffered severe burns. I think it was out of the toilets that were along that row. It was very unfortunate there were no windows or no access to communications in that toilet because those people - they werent badly burned at all, he said. He told the inquest he was wearing a breathing mask at the time, there was little vision and they were working literally by hand. Sean Guerin SC, representing a number of the families of the deceased, showed Mr Potter the location map of where the bodies were found which was prepared by the fire service at the time. This map does not indicate that any bodies were found in those toilets, he said. He asked the witness if he was confident in his recollection that there were actually dead bodies found in the toilets. Mr Potter confirmed that he was, adding, my memory is that we took bodies out of those particular toilets. In response to further questions, the witness said he was not one of the firemen involved in the creation of the body map plan. He said it was possible he had been on leave at the time. Mr Potter confirmed to Gary Maloney BL that his impression was that the people removed from the bathroom at exit five were deceased, but it was possible that they were just unresponsive. The inquest continues on Wednesday. Ballinrobe Racecourse has been crowned 'Racecourse of the Year' at the Horse Racing Ireland awards, held yesterday evening at the Mansion House in Dublin. The honour was graciously accepted by Racecourse Chairman, Kenneth Murphy, and Racecourse Manager, John Flannelly. The findings of an online industry survey taken earlier this year was used to determine the nominees for this award. Ballinrobe emerged as the clear winner having topped a number of the surveys categories. The Horse Racing Ireland awards ceremony, that recognizes excellence and achievement in the horse racing industry, saw Ballinrobe Racecourse stand out among its peers, earning the coveted title of 'Racecourse of the Year.' This accolade underscores Ballinrobe Racecourse's commitment to delivering exceptional experiences for racing enthusiasts and industry stakeholders alike. Kenneth Murphy, Chairman of Ballinrobe Racecourse, expressed his gratitude for the prestigious recognition, stating, "We are truly honored to receive the 'Racecourse of the Year' award from Horse Racing Ireland. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in Ballinrobe Racecourse. The 2023 Horse Racing Ireland Award winners. John Flannelly, Racecourse Manager, added, "This award is a reflection of the passion and teamwork that goes into creating memorable race day experiences. We are grateful to the entire Ballinrobe Racecourse community, including our staff, sponsors, valued patrons, Lydon House Catering and all those in the racing industry, for contributing to our success. I would also like to congratulate all the winners on the night. Ballinrobe Racecourse has long been known for its picturesque setting, outstanding facilities, and commitment to delivering top-class events. The "Racecourse of the Year" award is a fitting acknowledgment of the racecourse's continuous efforts to elevate its standards. The 11 winners at the 21st Horse Racing Ireland Awards: Contribution to the Industry: Jessica Harrington; Irish Racing Hero Award: Davy Russell; Horse of the Year: Auguste Rodin; Emerging Talent: John Gleeson; National Hunt Award: Paul Townend; National Hunt Achievement: John Kiely; Point-to-Point Award: Barry O'Neill; Flat Award: Aidan O'Brien; Flat Achievement Award: Wesley Joyce; Ride of the Year winner: Amy Jo Hayes; Racecourse of the Year: Ballinrobe. Iarnrod Eireann has announced that it has awarded a 24 million contract for the major redevelopment of Ceannt Station in Galway, with works to get underway in next month. It says the project will ensure Ceannt Station becomes a vital expanded and integrated transport hub in the heart of Galway. Iarnrod Eireann says Ceannt Station is possibly the best located railway and bus station in any of Irelands major cities, as it is right beside Eyre Square. Redevelopment will include: Increased number of platforms to five from the current two allowing for rail services in Galway to significantly expand New Southern entrance to station creating attractive modern station including new customer facilities, retail units and toilet facilities New roof on existing train hall to transform the platform and circulation areas into bright welcoming spaces Renovations to existing northern elevation, prioritising accessibility and customer mobility BAM Ireland will be leading its redevelopment into a state-of-the-art transport hub. Its expected that construction works will get underway in January, with the bulk of the project set to be completed by the middle of 2026. Fianna Fail Senator Ollie Crowe welcomed the news. Great news this morning about Ceannt Station from Iarnrod Eireann that a contract has been awarded for a major 24 million redevelopment and works will commence next month, Senator Crowe said. Vivienne Clarke Updated: 11am There is an urgent need for a robust, mature system to deal with the reality of the numbers seeking international protection in Ireland, the chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Sinead Gibney has said The situation is no longer unprecedented, she told RTE radios Morning Ireland. Since the war had broken out in Ukraine, it had been known that this was coming and that pressure on services was likely to happen, she added. The State needs to address the medium and long term issue, and handing recently arrived applicants vouchers and a sleeping bag were not the solution, she said. Ms Gibney noted this approach is particularly unsuitable at a time when temperatures are falling, and there is an anti-immigrant sentiment among parts of the population. Homeless services are already stretched to capacity, and the State is not meeting the basic rights of international asylum seekers in line with its EU obligations, she added. Ms Gibney acknowledged the incredible work that has been done to date by State employees and civil society, but pointed out that people have the right to seek international protection in Ireland, and they had the right while that claim was being processed, to have their basic needs met. It is impossible to see how that's happening in these sorts of circumstances. We urge the Government to deal with this now to find accommodation, wherever that is, to meet the basic needs of these people, but also to address the medium and long term, Ms Gibney said. We knew this was coming, the State knew this was coming, the Government knew this was coming, and since the war started in Ukraine 18 months ago, we knew that these numbers were likely to happen. The projections all said so. I do not see the development of that medium and long term planning. What we need is a robust system, a mature system that deals with what is now a reality, which is the constant movement of people. These numbers aren't going anywhere, they're only going to increase with climate crisis, so what we need to see is a system like our health system or our education system, which deals with that reality in a mature way. We need to see the State reaching its obligations under the EU Receptions Directive, and in my mind, as a State, we should be going beyond that and offering better conditions. What we see is that migration to this country, inward migration is a positive thing, whether that's people coming in through international protection, refugee systems or through economic migrant migration, and we need to be positive about this. We also need to see political leadership when people in positions of power are not talking about this in the emergency way and in the burdened kind of language that we're used to and instead frame it differently, Ms Gibney added. Whole-Government approach Meanwhile, the secretary general of the Irish Red Cross, Deirdre Garvey, called for a whole of Government approach to the accommodation problem. No one should be without shelter, no matter where they come from, she told RTE radios Today with Claire Byrne. Unused larger buildings, such as office blocks or warehouses, could be used to provide temporary accommodation for those seeking asylum, she said, adding that anything was better than sleeping on the street. She noted the Red Cross had provided accommodation for 900 people in an office block in Belgium. Nobody should be without shelter, whether they be Irish, whether they be Ukrainian, or whether they be from further afield seeking international protection and refuge, Ms Garvey said. Living on the street in a tent is simply not safe, and that's really the basic fact of the matter. The Government has done really well in terms of finding the short term solution to the crisis. Nobody thought that this would go on for long. We have in this country private accommodation for 75,000 refugees from the war in Ukraine and 25,000 seeking international protection, so yes, we are dealing with unprecedented numbers for our country. But the way the world is moving and the way the world is changing, I think we need to understand that although the Government has done well in terms of short term solution to the crisis, it really isn't clear at this stage what the long term plan is, and after 18 months, we are hitting the territory where short term needs medium to long term, and that is where we have a lacuna. That's where we have a gap. That is why we are hearing on the news that we simply don't have any beds, and I guess what we are calling for is a renewed whole-of-Government crisis approach to this, in terms of using the incredible innovation and the motivation that was used in the last 18 months to apply to unused larger buildings, commercial state owned anything is better than sleeping on the streets or in a tent. Ms Garvey highlighted the Government has a list of commercial properties available, along with state-owned properties, such as nursing homes or psychiatric facilities. She acknowledged that there were practical fire safety and compliance issues, but said these matters could and should be clarified and resolved, rather than purchasing tents and increasing co-benefits for people living on the street. We have to find a solution. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Partly sunny and pleasant; still a bit of a breeze, from the southwest 10-15mph with gusts to 20mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly clear and seasonably cold. READING, Pa. - Forensic genealogy is being used more and more to help the police and victims' loved ones get answers. "Forensic genealogy is being used to identify DNA that we don't know who the source is," said Teresa Vreeland, BODE Technology director of forensic genealogy services. Investigators recently used Virginia-based BODE Technology to help solve the murder of Cynthia Baver, who was killed at her home on North Tenth Street in Reading in 2001. The company used forensic genealogy to help pinpoint her killer. "We use that DNA, we process it in a lab and then we upload those results to genealogy databases," said Vreeland. "We use Family Tree DNA and GEDMatch Pro. Those both allow for law enforcement use and matching and from there we are able to find who is related by DNA to this unknown profile." The company uses the DNA collected from crime scenes or human remains to build out a family tree. It basically generates new leads for detectives by giving them names of possible DNA donors who could be a match or related to the person of interest. "Then the police do their normal investigative work to see who might have been in our area of interest at the time that we needed that person to be there from that family list we've provided," added Vreeland. In Baver's case it led investigators to her then next-door neighbor, Timothy Bernard, who was arrested 22 years after her murder. Vreeland says since the company has been doing forensic genealogy, it's provided approximately 300-400 leads to law enforcement agencies. "They've done some numbers where they ran how many years and how many investigators have worked these cold cases and how much impact that has on that police department and then that community, you know, paying those taxes," explained Vreeland. "And so by using this route and closing that case a little bit faster, you actually are able to cut a lot of that financial responsibility." BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Bethlehem Area School District is getting its first look at designs for the new Fountain Hill Elementary School building. Architectural firm Alloy5 and D'Huy Engineering presented the schematic design for the new school at BASD's school board committee meeting Monday night. The 85,000-square-foot, three-level building would have entrances on the ground level on Church Street and on the second floor off of Moravia Street. It includes a Family Center and food pantry on the first floor. Classrooms are organized in pods with shared support spaces in between. The layout also separates community spaces, like the gym/cafeteria, from academic areas. The building will be built on the school's current site at 1330 Church Street. Next, the architects will finalize the schematic design, then submit a sketch plan to Fountain Hill Borough for land development plan input. They also plan to present the schematic plan to the community. The design phase is expected to last through 2024, with the project hopefully going out for bids in the beginning of 2025 and construction starting soon after, according to Alloy5's presentation. The building is expected to be ready in summer 2027. Students would be in a temporary facility while the school is being built. BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. At its bimonthly meeting Monday night, the Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners heard an update on multiple ongoing stormwater management projects in the township. During a brief presentation, HRG professional engineer Bruce Hulshizer explained that the projects were the result of Bethlehem Township's 2021 community-established "stormwater utility." The initiative is designed to improve stormwater infrastructure at vulnerable areas in the township in compliance with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's "pollution reduction plan," or PRP, standards, Hulshizer said. Hulshizer spoke about the four areas identified for infrastructure improvement in the 2021 plan: Easton Avenue and Santee Road, Walnut Street, and Sculac Road and Farmersville Road, and a broader plan known as "PRP Phase 2" that was ultimately scrapped in the updated plans. According to Hulshizer, the Easton-Santee project has moved forward with $4 million in total grant funds and entered an agreement with the city of Bethlehem. Bidding for the project will begin in May, Hulshizer said. The cost of the Walnut Street project has been reduced by about $1.8 million since 2021, and bidding will begin in February, Hulshizer said. For the Sculac-Farmersville project, bidding will begin in 2025. The project is within its $3 million budget, Hulshizer said. According to Hulshizer, the PRP Phase 2 project was not needed to meet current PRP. Its elimination from the stormwater utility plan dropped the overall cost from just over $25 million to around $20 million, Hulshizer said. 'Losing sleep over this': Bethlehem Twp. hears from anti-warehouse residents A handful of residents expressed opposition to a proposed warehouse on Freemansburg Avenue during Monday's board of commissioners' meeting. Prior to Hulshizer's presentation, a handful of residents addressing the board during a public comment period expressed opposition to the proposed warehouse at 1600 Freemansburg Ave. The 866,350-square-foot building is offered by developer Trammell Crow and will be reviewed by the township on Jan. 15, 2024. The Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners will hold its final meeting of 2023 on Monday, Dec. 18. Israel calls them blocks 36, 38 to 54 and 219 to 221. These are the areas of Gazas second-largest city, Khan Yunis, which dozens of Israeli tanks are approaching on Monday, that the army is urging civilians to evacuate, forcing them to move to other areas also targeted by Israeli bombardments. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has disseminated, with leaflets falling from the sky and via text messages, a map with three yellow arrows in the direction of another southern city, Rafah, and the Mediterranean coast. But very few are following the map. Under the constant sound of airstrikes and gunfire, the population feels that there is no safe place in Gaza, and each evacuation is only a prelude to the next. The Israeli text message links to another map (with hundreds of boxes and in which the Khan Yunis blocks appear) to be consulted through a cell phone with a QR code, in an enclave without any type of internet connection and with frequent telecommunications outages. The IDF began disseminating these maps last Friday, when the week-long truce between Israel and Hamas came to an end and Israel launched its military campaign in southern Gaza. Cities in the south currently hold 1.8 million of Gazas population of 2.3 million after the Israeli military campaign forcibly displaced millions of people from their homes in northern Gaza, which now lies in ruins. Khan Yunis, whose population is estimated to have grown from 200,000 to 400,000 due to the internal displacement caused by the war, has become one of the main targets of Israeli bombardment. The army has partially declared it a dangerous combat zone. The IDF has destroyed numerous buildings in Hamad City, a residential project of more than 1,000 properties where displaced persons from other parts of the Strip sought refuge. According to residents quoted by Agence France Presse, they were warned of the bombing an hour in advance. Qatar today a key mediator in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and a key financier of Gaza over the years built Hamad City to rehouse destitute Palestinians who had lost their homes in the 2014 Israeli offensive, the most lethal until the one triggered by the Hamas attack on October 7. In 2014, some 2,300 Palestinians were killed. In the past two months of the war in Gaza, 15,899 people have been killed, 70% of them children and women, according to data released Monday by the Gazan Health Ministry. Several people in the rubble after an attack on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, this Monday. STAFF (REUTERS) Israel has set itself the goal of politically and militarily destroying Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules Gaza. It foresees a long war lasting at least another two months, followed by regime change, permanent security control by Israel and the establishment of a security buffer zone. To achieve this, for Israel it is not enough to have taken over the capital and the rest of northern Gaza; it considers it essential to also penetrate the urban centers in the south, such as Khan Yunis. Considered a Hamas fiefdom, the city has an added symbolic component: it is the birthplace of Yahya Sinwar, leader of the Islamist party-militia and Israels most wanted man. He is presumed to be hiding underground and without access to electronic devices that can be traced by intelligence services. Our Munich The targets are not limited to Gaza. Israel intends to emulate with Hamas the assassination campaign brought to fiction by Steven Spielberg conducted by the Mossad in different parts of the world after the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. This campaign was originally meant to last 20 years. This past Sunday, Israeli public television broadcast a recording in which Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet (the secret services in Israel and Palestine), is heard assuring that his country is determined to kill all Hamas leaders in every location, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar, everywhere. It will take a few years, but we will be there in order to do it, he is heard adding. The cabinet set a goal for us, to take out Hamas. And we are determined to do it, this is our Munich. Another goal is the return of the hostages taken by Hamas. Although negotiations continue behind the scenes, there is a feeling that the return of hostilities has put the issue even further on the back burner, despite the fact that 137 hostages (115 men, 20 women and two children) are still in Gaza. Fifteen of them, both soldiers and civilians, have been declared dead, following the release of hostages who have returned with information confirming their deaths. It does not mean that they were killed there by Hamas or died in Israeli bombardments, as they could have been killed in the October 7 attack and then taken to Gaza. This Sunday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has again insisted that the military advance does not clash with efforts to free the abductees, but quite the contrary: it pushes Hamas to negotiate their exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Over the past two months, Ive been working single-mindedly to achieve the aims of this war to destroy Hamass military and governance capabilities, and to bring the hostages home, Gallant said in a meeting with representatives of the families. And these two goals are tightly linked. Every day is crucial. A day earlier, thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv to call on the government to work to bring back the remaining hostages who are still in Gaza. The protest was marked by two slogans Everyone! and Now! and included for the first time the participation of former hostages. Later on, a smaller group of protesters charged against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, threatening to launch a sit-in if the Israeli war cabinet does not receive them to explain what they are doing to bring their loved ones back. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. During Monday night's meeting of the Bethlehem Township commissioners, a handful of residents expressed opposition to a proposed warehouse on Freemansburg Avenue. Residents voiced their concerns about the warehouse proposal for 1600 Freemansburg Ave. during the meeting's public comment period. The 866,350-square-foot building is offered by developer Trammell Crow, and will be reviewed by the township on Jan. 15, 2024. Among the concerns mentioned by residents were traffic, pollution and the developer's supposed unwillingness to make adequate road improvements to accommodate tractor-trailers that would be traveling through the area a congested stretch of Freemansburg Avenue that includes its intersections with Willow Park Road and Freemansburg Borough's Main Street. Several residents called on the commissioners to negotiate with the developer to ensure a final warehouse project more in line with their desired "quality of life." They argued that the board should not use township zoning ordinances to uncritically accept the developer's proposal at its own expense. "Don't vote (to approve the warehouse) because you say it's (zoning is) the law, and you don't want a challenge," one resident said. Another said she may consider moving her family out of Bethlehem Township if the project proceeds in its current form. "This is so disheartening," the resident said. "I am losing sleep over this." Commissioners also heard an update Monday night on multiple ongoing stormwater management projects in the township. The Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners will hold its final meeting of 2023 on Monday, Dec. 18. ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A man will serve decades in prison after being found guilty in a deadly shooting in Allentown. Vyante Green, 28, of Allentown, was sentenced Monday to 30 to 60 years in state prison by the Honorable Robert L. Steinberg, according to a news release from the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office. The DA's office says he was convicted by a jury on Oct. 4 of third-degree murder and aggravated assault, both first-degree felonies. The case was previously tried in February 2020 and resulted in a conviction of first-degree murder and attempted homicide, the DA's office said. That conviction was later reversed on appeal by the Superior Court and a re-trial occurred on Oct. 2, 2023, according to the news release. At 12:39 a.m. Jan 1, 2018, Allentown Police responded to a shooting at a home at the 1100 block of Turner Street. During a New Years Eve party, Green was armed and during a dispute, shot and killed Kenyatta Eutsey, 23, and shot a 29-year-old man, causing serious injuries, the DA's office said. The man still suffers from serious health issues, the DA's office said. PHILADELPHIA - An Allentown boy is currently fighting for his life. Larry Odom Jr. is now on the waiting list for a heart transplant, but for several months it looked like he wouldn't even be considered. For the past 16 years, Larry has been getting by with half a heart. "When I gave birth to him, they said that he had Left Heart Hyperplastic Syndrome. That's when the left side doesn't grow and it affects his lungs," said Larry's mother, Natacha Rodriguez. We met Rodriguez outside the busy Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It's a place she and Larry have been calling home for the past three months, because Larry's heart is starting to fail. "They said, for 16 years, it basically gave up on him," said Rodriguez. Larry needs a heart transplant, and his mother applied for him to get one in September, but on Sept. 21 she got some devastating news. A letter from the hospital read, in part, "Larry is not currently a candidate for heart transplantation on the basis of concerns that Larry does not have adequate support structures in place to safely care for him after transplant." "When I got that denial letter I, I felt like I died. I felt like I couldn't help him," said Rodriguez. Rodriguez said, after receiving the letter, she got desperate. "Me and him have the same blood type, so I figured why not? But they wouldn't, they wouldn't take my heart," said Rodriguez. Instead, she created a GoFundMe for her son, which has already raised $2,000. We reached out to the hospital for a comment about Larry's case on Oct. 24, but it declined our request. It did send Rodriguez a follow up letter, however, on Oct. 27, clarifying what "support structures" means, saying "A reliable transportation plan will be necessary to ensure Natacha is able to get back and forth to the hospital." We reached out a doctor who has been studying this criteria of "support structures" for years. She said these denial letters aren't unusual. "The best estimates that we have are from a national survey that was conducted about eight years ago that suggests that between 10 and 20 percent of patients are ruled out," said Dr. Keren Ladin, an Associate Professor at Tufts University. Dr. Ladin said her research has led her to recommend hospitals stop using "support structures" as an exclusion criteria. "What we found is that the requirements at transplant centers are not evidence-based, and they're very, very high, and they do disproportionately disadvantage people of color, people who are lower income," said Dr. Ladin. People like Rodriguez, a single-mother who works as a home health aid. Worst of all, Dr. Ladin said "support structures" may not even tell us who will do the best following a transplant. "It's not predictive of outcomes like rejection, or hospitalization, or graph loss, and those are the outcomes we kind of care most about," said Dr. Ladin. Thankfully, on Nov. 17, Rodriguez received a letter finally admitting her son to the transplant waiting list. His fight is far from over, but Natacha said she'll be there for all of it. "My plan is to be with my son until he gets his heart. Like I'm not going to give up on him," said Rodriguez. The British government announced tough new immigration rules Monday that it says will reduce the number of people able to move to the U.K. each year by hundreds of thousands. Home Secretary James Cleverly said he was taking robust action to lower authorized immigration, which hit a record level of almost 750,000 people in 2022. Critics said the moves would leave overstretched sectors like health and social care at a breaking point. Under the new rules, immigrants will have to earn more to get a work visa and will find it harder to bring family members to the U.K. Cleverly said that from the spring of 2024, prospective immigrants will have to earn 38,700 pounds ($48,900) to get a skilled worker visa, up from 26,200 pounds ($33,000) now. British citizens who want to bring their foreign spouse to Britain will have to earn the same amount almost double the current threshold. Health and social care, sectors that are highly reliant on immigrant staff, are exempt from the salary rule. But care workers from overseas will no longer be able to bring dependent relatives with them to Britain, leading to concerns in the industry that fewer will want to come. The government also said it would scrap a rule that lets employers in sectors on a shortage occupation list pay immigrant workers 20% less than U.K. citizens. Starting in January, most foreign graduate students also will no longer be able to bring family members to the U.K. Cleverly said the new measures would reduce by 300,000 the number of people eligible to move to Britain in future years. Revised figures released last month by the Office for National Statistics said net migration to the U.K. the number of people arriving minus those leaving was a record 745,000 in 2022. Net migration in the 12 months to June 2023 decreased to 672,000. Reducing immigration is a totemic issue for many in the governing Conservative Party, who backed Britains exit from the European Union in order to take back control of the countrys borders. Britain left the bloc in 2020, ending the automatic right of citizens from the 27 EU nations to live and work in the U.K. Since then the number of visas issued for people to come to Britain for work or study has soared. The country has also taken in hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war in Ukraine and the Chinese governments crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong. The 2022 immigration figure is three times the pre-Brexit level. The Conservatives believe cutting immigration will shore up votes ahead of an election next year, because many voters see immigrants as adding to pressure on already overstretched public services and worsening a housing crisis. But many economists say immigrants are needed to fill essential jobs especially in health care and in low-paid social care roles -- and that they contribute more to the economy than they receive. Christina McAnea, general-secretary of the Unison trade union, said the measures would be a total disaster for health and the care sector. Migrant workers were encouraged to come here because both sectors are critically short of staff. Hospitals and care homes simply couldnt function without them, she said. Migrants will now head to more welcoming countries, rather than be forced to live without their families. Opposition Labour Party immigration spokeswoman Yvette Cooper said the government had failed to train U.K. workers to fill key jobs. Where is the workforce plan on social care, on engineering, on bricklaying, on all shortage occupations that their total economic failure has left us with? she said. The government is also under pressure to meet its own goal of stopping unauthorized asylum-seekers arriving on small boats across the English Channel. Last month the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that its plan to send some people arriving by boat on a one-way trip to Rwanda intended to discourage others from making the risky sea crossing was illegal because Rwanda is not a safe country for refugees. The government said it would strike a new treaty with Rwanda to address the courts concerns. Cleverly is expected to fly to the Rwandan capital. Kigali, this week to finalize the deal. Britain has already paid the East African country at least 140 million pounds under the agreement struck in April 2022, but no one has yet been set to Rwanda. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The 2002 Bolivian elections attracted a level of attention that is unlikely to be seen again in the country. The presidential election was won by the neoliberal candidate, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, who narrowly beat his competitors, including a young union leader named Evo Morales. Sanchez de Lozada who had previously held office between 1993 and 1997 had the support of the U.S. political consulting company Greenberg Carville Shrum and then-U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, who tried to sway voters. The story behind the 2002 election was examined in the U.S. documentary Our Brand Is Crisis, which was later turned into an eponymous feature film, starring Sandra Bullock, with George Clooney as producer. Now, the story has taken an unexpected turn: on Monday, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) detained Rocha in Miami for allegedly acting as a secret agent for Cuba. According to the Associated Press, the former ambassador is accused of working to promote the Cuban governments interests. Rocha, 73, was the U.S. ambassador to Bolivia between 2000 and 2003. At the time of his arrest, he was working as an advisor to an international lobbying and communications company. At the 2002 elections, Bolivia was deciding between continuing with the neoliberal model represented by Sanchez de Lozada or opting for moderate change in Manfred Reyes Villa, the then-mayor of Cochabamba, who was the clear favorite to win. Between them stood Evo Morales, who was rising in the polls with his calls for radical change. Back then, Morales who would go on to win the 2006 election and hold office for 13 years was a union leader of coca planters who led protests and roadblocks. Shortly before the vote, Rocha told the press that if the Bolivian electorate vote for those who want Bolivia to return to exporting cocaine, that will seriously jeopardize any future aid to Bolivia from the United States. The statement was considered a direct attempt to sustain U.S. influence in the region, but it had the opposite effect. More voters turned towards Morales, who came in second place and thwarted Reyes Villas victory. A post-election survey found that 14% of those who voted for Morales in 2002 did so in rejection of Rochas statement. Sanchez de Lozada won the presidency with 22.4%, Morales came in second place with 20.94%, and Reyes Villa came third with 20.91%. Businessman Gustavo Cisneros with Manuel Rocha, during a conference in Florida, in September 2005. J. PAT CARTER (AP) The ambassadors comment fueled numerous conspiracy theories. It was believed that the United States wanted to boost Sanchez de Lozada, who was considered a stronger defender of U.S. interests, even though Reyes Villa also had a good relationship with Washington. In this context, Sanchez de Lozada the patriarch of neoliberalism was elected president of Bolivia for a second time. But his government was engulfed in crisis, and he resigned two years later. Since then, Morales has often joked that Rocha was his campaign manager. During his three terms as president, Morales had a tense relationship with the United States, a country with which, until now, Bolivia had no ambassadorial relations. Rochas arrest as an alleged Cuban agent has revived the conspiracy theories about the 2002 election in Bolivia. Some believe that Rochas statement at the time was in fact intended to win support for Morales, who was considered Cubas candidate. In other words, they think that Rocha was indeed acting as Morales campaign manager. Others argue that his arrest validates Sanchez de Lozadas theory that he was pushed out of office by a conspiracy of foreign powers. Goni Sanchez de Lozada was right all along: they were not social movements, nor the people or anything like that, they were organized groups that managed to overthrow him seeking the subjugation of Bolivia to foreign interests, economist Gabriel Espinoza, an opposition spokesperson, posted on X. As far as is known, Rochas arrest is not due to alleged crimes committed in the past, but rather to his current work as a lobbyist. U.S. media that have covered the story report that authorities are cracking down on lobbying in favor of other countries, when these are not declared in advance to the authorities. Manuel Rocha was born in Colombia, but grew up in the United States, where, despite his humble origins, he went on to have a brilliant diplomatic career. Before serving as a diplomat in Bolivia, he was the U.S. ambassador to Argentina between 1997 and 2000. Previously, he worked in the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba. After 25 years in diplomacy, he left the State Department and joined the private sector. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Top 10 Climate Science Insights Unveiled Global experts in social and natural sciences unveiled the annual 10 New Insights in Climate Science Report. The report equips policymakers with the latest and most pivotal climate science research from the previous 18 months, synthesised to help inform negotiations at COP28 and policy implementation through 2024 and beyond. Simon Stiell, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary says: The 10 New Insights in Climate Science report provides an essential tool for decision makers at a critical time in the climate calendar each year. Scientific findings from reports like these should inform the ambitious and evidence-based action plans needed in this critical decade of accelerated climate action. The 10 full list of insights: Overshooting 1.5C is fast becoming inevitable. Minimising the magnitude and duration of overshoot is essential. A rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out is required to stay within the Paris Agreement target range. Robust policies are critical to attain the scale needed for effective carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Over-reliance on natural carbon sinks is a risky strategy; their future contribution is uncertain. Joint governance is necessary to address the interlinked climate and biodiversity emergencies. Compound events amplify climate risks and increase their uncertainty. Mountain glacier loss is accelerating. Human immobility in areas with climate risks is increasing. New tools to operationalise justice enable more effective climate adaptation. Reforming food systems can contribute to just climate action. Professor Laura Pereira from the Wits Global Change Institute, who contributed to the report and who is presenting at COP28 says: Given the lack of mitigation action to date, inadequate climate commitments by developed countries, and a development model that remains coupled to carbon emissions, exceeding 1.5C is indeed fast becoming inevitable (Insight 1). However, now is not the time to succumb to a feeling of hopelessness in the face of powerful drivers leading the world towards the edge of a precipice that will see countless lives lost, homes and ancestral lands destroyed, and species never to be seen again. Rather, this is the time to find the transformative pathways that are needed to get onto a better trajectory for people and planet. The scientific insights of the report function as indispensable evidence for decision makers in business and policy, equipping them with the latest climate science to facilitate informed, effective decision-making on holistic climate and nature solutions, especially against the backdrop of the inaugural Global Stocktake at COP28, which underscores the pressing need for transformative actions to fulfil the Paris Agreement's ambitions. The report findings underscore the looming inevitability of overshooting the Paris Agreements 1.5C global warming target, emphasising the urgency of a rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out. Pereira comments: Some of the other insights offer important aspects that need to be considered as we confront this challenge head-on. Insight 5 emphasises how the climate and biodiversity crises are fundamentally interconnected and have to be addressed together. Insight 10 talks to the critical need for JUST food system transformations that can contribute to climate action, whilst insight 9 puts justice at the centre of operationalising climate adaptation, which is of critical in developing countries that sit at the forefront of climate injustices. In the African context, its also important to highlight that there is a lot of emphasis on carbon removal as an important mechanism for staying within 1.5 degrees (insight 3), but as insight 4 shows relying on natural carbon sinks is risky. Natural climate solutions such as planting trees that sequester carbon needs to be done very carefully because of the potential for undermining ecosystems and livelihoods. For example, afforestation in grassy ecosystems (like our grasslands and savanna) might not sequester carbon effectively (as these systems store carbon below ground in the soil rather than aboveground) whilst impacting biodiversity and livelihoods such as pastoralism. So, some important caveats come from taking all of the insights together. Prof. Johan Rockstrom, Director of the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research adds: "Science is clear. COP28 must be the global meeting when the world gets serious about phasing out fossil-fuels. Dubai is the grand mitigation moment for coal, oil and gas, which need to shift from increasing 1%/yr to decreasing globally by at least 5 %/yr, and for nature by protecting remaining carbon sinks and stocks in ecosystems, plus building resilience and new carbon sinks in agriculture. So far, we have failed on both nature and energy, taking us on a dangerous path towards losing sight of the Paris Agreement target - the 1.5C biophysical limit." The report also highlights the need for robust policies to attain the scale needed for effective complementary technology solutions, such as carbon dioxide removal (CDR), especially amidst emerging concerns over the future of land and ocean carbon sinks. Dr Oliver Geden, Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and IPCC WG III Vice-Chair says: While not a replacement for rapid and deep emissions reductions, Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) will be necessary to deal with hard-to-eliminate emissions and eventually to reduce the global temperature. Current CDR is predominantly forest-based, but rapid acceleration and deployment at scale of other CDR methods with permanent CO2 removal is required, supported by stronger governance and better monitoring. The report spotlights the urgent need for enhanced just climate adaptation strategies that proactively address simultaneous interconnected extreme events and ensure resilience for the most vulnerable. It also accentuates the critical role of food systems in climate action, which are currently responsible for approximately one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. It advocates for the rectification of existing inequalities and emphasises that policies must be adapted to regional and sociocultural contexts, to enable the establishment of just, low-carbon food systems. As Dr Aditi Mukherji, Director, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Impact Area Platform CGIAR, explains: The intimate links between climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and broader societal needs, including food security, requires transformative change in how we jointly govern socio-ecological systems at all scales. Most importantly, due to the growing risks of food insecurity, policies and solutions must be designed and implemented with those who suffer the most. The 10 New Insights in Climate Science series, launched with the UNFCCC at the COPs since 2017, is a collaborative initiative of Future Earth, the Earth League and the World Climate Research Programme, synthesising the latest developments in climate change research. This years report represents the collective efforts of 67 leading researchers from 24 countries. Dr Wendy Broadgate, Global Hub Director, Future Earth, concludes: Science shows that we are heading for overshooting 1.5C degrees. Minimising this overshoot is critical if we want to reduce risks to societies all over the world. COP28 must be the inflection point where collective action to phase out fossil fuels gathers pace. Wits projects earn international acclaim The Global Undergraduate Awards, awards two Wits students for excellence. In a remarkable feat of academic excellence, two Wits students, Thompho Netshivhera and Rachel Haupt clinched top honours at the renowned Global Undergraduate Awards (UA) hosted in Dublin, Ireland from 5 to 8 November 2023. The awards mark a significant achievement for both the students and the University. Thompho Netshivhera, mechanical engineer extraordinaire: A global winner Thompho Netshivhera, a first-year Masters candidate in Mechanical Engineering, achieved highly acclaimed and global winner status in the engineering category at the awards. Netshivhera received the esteemed Thomas Chucklin Gold Medal for his hydro turbine project. His project was inspired by his desire to address environmental challenges faced in his community. The hydro turbine project exemplifies Netshivheras commitment to sustainable solutions. It wasnt just about me, the project was about securing funding to benefit communities across South Africa by cleaning up our rivers," said Netshivhera. In acknowledgment of exceptional academic prowess, Professor Thokozani Majozi, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, extends heartfelt appreciation and announced a Special Deans Award for Netshivhera. "His stellar academic achievement has brought immense pride to our Faculty and the entire Wits community. In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments, I am pleased to announce that he will be honoured at the upcoming Faculty Awards," said Majozi. Rachel Haupt, geography maverick: A beacon of excellence Rachel Haupt, a Masters by research student in Geography, was named the Regional Winner for Africa and the Middle East at the 2023 Global Undergraduate Awards. Haupt's research focused on the application of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to derive ages for coastal dune deposits along the West Coast of South Africa. Her work not only earned her the Regional Winner title but also showcased the unique capabilities of Wits in the field. Haupt has always had a passion for geography and the broader nature of the subject. The ability to study both the human and the physical environment is so eye-opening. I think understanding coastal environments is important in light of climate change. Although the focus of the research is dating paleosols, the work provides insight into our own coastlines and their own susceptibility to change. The field of optically stimulated luminescence dating is incredible as it can be used as a springboard for climate reconstructions. Furthermore, I think that showing the unique and diverse research that Wits is doing and equipped to do is important. Haupts supervisor Dr Mary Evans from the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, commended her achievement, stating: " Haupt was able to learn a new and complex geochronological technique, apply it to a research question, and analyse the data to the level of achieving a distinction for her Honours project." Celebrating excellence globally Both students, representing different academic disciplines, have not only brought recognition to themselves but have also represented Wits on a global stage. The Global Undergraduate Awards are known for recognising top undergraduate work, provides a platform for exceptional students to showcase their research, connect with peers globally and contribute to the global exchange of knowledge. Here's a link for all the global winners Here's a link for all the regional winners Wisam Tamimi turned 17 on June 6. Three days later, 50 Israeli soldiers broke into his house at dawn and took him away with his hands cuffed behind his back. He was blindfolded and verbally abused. Once at a military post in the West Bank, soldiers forced him to kneel. He remained like this for five hours, he explains in his home in Nabi Salih, about 12 miles from the capital of the West Bank, Ramallah. They had taken off his jacket and he was cold, he remembers. He was then taken to the high-security Israeli Ofer prison, near Ramallah, where he was stripped completely naked and searched, before being placed in solitary confinement for five days. In all that time, he only saw Israelis officers, who interrogated him from 11 in the morning until nine or 10 at night. Food was very scarce and the threats were constant. He was repeatedly told that if he didnt confess, the Israeli army would demolish his parents house. They wanted him to sign some papers in Hebrew that he didnt understand. Wisam is one of the 171 teenagers released from prison as part of the short-lived Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to Abdallah Zgari, president of the NGO Palestinian Prisoners Club. The majority (107) are minors aged between 14 and 17. The remaining 64 are now 18 years old, but were still minors when they were arrested. Three out of four of these young people have not been convicted of any crime, according to official Israeli data. In addition to those first five days in isolation, Wisam spent another 35 days alone in the Al Masqubiyya interrogation center in Jerusalem, in a cell where he says he could barely stand up (he is 1.83 meters tall) or take more than three steps. It was then in that long solitary month, subjected to constant interrogations and in a cell with a constantly flickering light that he told himself that sooner or later I was going to lose his mind. Before the October 7 attack, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel, at least 250 Palestinian teenagers were imprisoned in Israeli prisons, Zgari explains by phone. After the hostage exchange in Gaza, around 80 minors remain in Israeli jails, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club. In the eight weeks since the start of the war in the Gaza strip, another 800 have been detained at some point, although most have since been released, Zgari says. Military jurisdiction is applied to Palestinian minors in Israeli prisons, whether in the occupied West Bank or East Jerusalem. When they are tried, which often does not happen, they appear before military courts whose conviction rate is more than 99%, according to the U.S. Department of State. Military courts only try Palestinian minors. In the extremely rare case that a Jewish minor is detained, civil law which offers more protections is applied. Palestinian children can be arrested anywhere, at checkpoints, on the way to school, during operations in cities and camps or even in their own beds, explains Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Territories of Palestine. Since 2000, 13,000 Palestinian minors have been detained, interrogated, tried and imprisoned in Israel, according to UNICEF data cited by the NGO Defense for Children International (DCI) in Palestine. In 1991, Israel ratified the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates that minors should only be deprived of their liberty as an exceptional measure, should not be detained unlawfully or arbitrarily and should not be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. The reality, however, as explained in the 2020 Defenceless report by the NGO Save The Children, is that Israel sentences 99% of Palestinian children tried by military courts to prison, even though the U.N. considers it a last resort. Save The Children interviewed 470 children, incarcerated between the ages of 10 and 17, to prepare this document. Almost one in four reported punching, slapping, pushing or kicking during their arrest. Once detained, 81% were physically beaten at least once and 43% were beaten numerous times, 88% did not receive the health care they needed, and 46% were deprived of food and water. More than half were threatened during interrogations that their families would be harmed, and 73% had to sign documents in Hebrew. None of these minors were assisted by a lawyer during interrogations. A smaller number, the report states, suffered mistreatment such as having dogs released on them or a bag put over their heads. [Palestinians] are the only children in the world who are systematically prosecuted in military courts, which consistently lack fair trial rights and fail to meet juvenile justice standards, Save The Children states in the report. In 2013, UNICEF reported that the mistreatment of children in the Israeli military detention system was widespread, systematic and institutionalized. Throwing stones Wisams story is an example of what was documented by the Save The Children report. As in at least one case reported by the NGO, this high school student was detained after being wounded by the Israeli military. Eight days before his arrest, while on the roof of his uncles house, he was hit in the head by a rubber bullet, which fractured his skull. His case also exemplifies the accusation that is most often made against Palestinian minors. The young man was going to be accused the charges were never filed of crimes such as planting a land mine, possession of weapons and explosives and, the most common: stone-throwing, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Wisam was also going to be charged with traffic violations. I dont even have a drivers license, he laughs. From Wisams house, you can see the road for Jewish settlers that leads to the settlement of Halamish. The violence caused by these illegal settlements, built on land usurped from the Palestinians, is also reflected in the detention and imprisonment of minors. In 2019, the NGO Military Court Watch calculated that Palestinian minors in prison lived an average of 900 meters away from one of these colonies. Two Palestinian girls ride a bicycle in Nabi Saleh, the village of Wisam Tamimi. In the background, the road to the illegal settler settlement of Halamish, where Palestinians are prohibited from traveling. Jaime Villanueva Administrative detention In Ramallah, Ahmed who prefers not to use his real name for security reasons shows a mark on his wrist. It is the scar from the plastic cuffs that were bound so tightly around his wrist that they made me bleed. Ahmed, 19, was also released in the hostage exchange with Hamas. He was 13 years old when he was arrested for the first time. A large number of soldiers broke into his house at 3 a.m. and took him handcuffed and blindfolded to a military base, he remembers. There, they forced him to strip naked to search him. I was very scared. I was 13 years old, he says. He was accused of stone-throwing. He was sentenced to a year in prison, but his family managed to get him out by paying a fine of 12,000 shekels, about $3,200. In September 2022, he was arrested again. Since the young man, then 17 years old, was not at home, they took his brother. That same day, Ahmed turned himself in. He was again accused of stone-throwing and sentenced to four months in prison. When he was about to complete his sentence, the military court prolonged his imprisonment with six months of administrative detention. Ahmed (not his real name), a young man who was imprisoned for the first time at the age of 13, in a village in the West Bank. Jaime Villanueva The victims of administrative detention are held without trial and on the basis of supposed evidence that is not revealed to the accused, so the prisoner does not know what they are accused of or when they will be released from prison. This type of detention can be extended every six months an endless number of times. According to Abdallah Zgari, there are about 20 children in administrative detention in Israeli prisons. Mohamed Abu Ayyash, 18, is another of the Palestinian teenagers in administrative detention who was released in the Hamas hostage exchange. The story he tells from his home in Ramallah is, once again, similar to that of other Palestinian minors: a violent arrest at the age of 17, at dawn and by special forces that surrounded the house. The soldiers cuffed his hands with plastic ties six, one on top of the other, he says and blindfolded him. He was taken to a military base, where he was subjected to a 12-hour interrogation. He was transferred again, with soldiers dragging him by the cuffs. Behind bars, food was scarce yogurt, bread and half a kilo of hummus for 40 prisoners. He was detained with adults, which is prohibited by international law. Then came the administrative detention. Mohamed was a few days away from completing the last six-month extension when he was released. Mohamed Abu Ayyash, 18, imprisoned in administrative detention without charge while still a minor. Jaime Villanueva This young man was not beaten when he was a minor. This type of abuse began after the Hamas attack, when he was 18 years old, he says. Thats when the Palestinian prisoners were stripped of their electronic devices, blankets, mattresses, sheets and even clothing. For 30 days, he remained in the same pants, a T-shirt and had no underwear, he explains. During a transfer from Ofer prison to Naqab, another prison in southern Israel, inmates were handcuffed, and then the handcuffs were cuffed to shackles on their ankles. If they just kicked you, you would be happy, says the teenager. On the bus, he remembers, there were several children. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Tourists visit the Liangzhu Museum in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Nov. 7, 2023. [Xinhua/Xu Yu] HANGZHOU, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) A sub-forum on artist exchanges and mutual learning was held as a sideline activity of the Liangzhu Forum in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, from Friday to Saturday. Approximately 150 artists from over 80 countries attended the two-day sub-forum, which consisted of two parts: speeches and dialogues. During the event, Ecuadorian artist Gonzalo Hernan Illescas Coronel said that using art as a medium to promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations requires the establishment of a continuous exchange of cultures and ideas. Moreau epouse Kouassi Mathilde, an artist from Cote d'Ivoire who uses Chinese calligraphy in her work, also shared her own views on the topic during the sub-forum. Culture and art know no national boundaries and belong to people all over the world, and language will never become a barrier to our communication, she said. With the theme of cultural exchanges and mutual learning in the eyes of Chinese and foreign artists, the event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Zhejiang provincial government and the China International Culture Association. (Source: Xinhua) BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to give better play to the important role of the Constitution in China's governance. In an instruction, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed upholding the authority and sanctity of the Constitution while promoting its further improvement and development. The instruction was made public as the country marked its 10th National Constitution Day on Monday. The Constitution stands as the fundamental legal basis for the Party's governance of the country and the supreme legal norm for the country's political and social life, Xi said. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Party has enhanced its overall leadership over the work related to the Constitution, enriched and developed the theoretical research and practice of the socialist constitution with Chinese characteristics, and achieved historic progress in advancing the country's constitutional system and enforcement of the Constitution, he said. Xi called for strong confidence in the country's political system and firm commitment to the leadership of the Party, to the state system of people's democratic dictatorship, and to the political system of people's congresses, all of which are mandated by the Constitution. Xi emphasized the need to implement the thought on socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics for the new era. He stressed efforts to accelerate the improvement of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics with the Constitution at its core, and continuously enhance constitutional implementation and oversight. Xi urged the vigorous promotion of the spirit of the Constitution and the spirit of socialist rule of law, ensuring the implementation of the Constitution as a conscious action of the Chinese people. Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, on Monday attended a meeting in Beijing marking National Constitution Day. Xi's instruction was conveyed at the meeting. Addressing the meeting, Zhao urged the study and implementation of Xi's instruction. Zhao said that since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi has made important speeches, published articles and issued instructions on the Constitution and its implementation, providing fundamental guidelines for the practice of the Constitution in the new era. Zhao also underlined that it should be fully understood that upholding the leadership of the CPC is the most salient feature and the most fundamental requirement of China's Constitution, and ensuring the full implementation of the Constitution is the most important task for comprehensively advancing law-based governance. Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, addresses a meeting marking National Constitution Day in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 4, 2023. The instruction of Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was conveyed at the meeting. [Xinhua/Gao Jie] (Source: Xinhua) The Russian government says that it is not contemplating a new mobilization for the entrenched invasion of Ukraine, but at the same time it is paving the way to swell the ranks of its army. The Russian Ministry of Defense wants to have as many civilians as possible at its disposal and from the end of next year it will exclude those diseases that do not have a significant impact on the military capacity as a reason to avoid conscription. Which diseases that includes is not specified. In line with the same objective, President Vladimir Putin has decreed an increase in the theoretical personnel of the Russian Armed Forces figures that do not necessarily correspond to the actual number of active troops to 2.2 million. Casualties and fatigue are building up on the front and Russia will need more men if the war drags on, as the Kremlin foresees, while warning of an increase in threats against Russia linked to the special military operation and the ongoing expansion of NATO. Moscow asserts that the initial objectives of the war have not changed. The special military operation will continue. Our economy has adapted and guarantees the necessary regime to continue it, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned Monday, after suggesting that the Kremlin is waiting for the West to abandon Kyiv to its fate. It is clear that it is becoming more and more difficult for them to allocate money to Ukraine, Peskov said. A third of the Russian budget is earmarked for military spending (40% if other security areas are added) and Moscow is not content with the Ukrainian territory it has occupied so far. We see no reason why our objectives should be revised, said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last Friday when asked during the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit about the scarce movement on the front lines. According to the UK Ministry of Defense, in the last two months during their offensive on Avdiivka, Russian forces have similar or even greater losses than in the battle of Bakhmut at the beginning of the year. Despite this, the Kremlin claims everything is under control. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman and former president Dmitry Medvedev said this weekend that the military has recruited more than 452,000 people this year. He did not specify whether that figure includes the Defense Ministry-ordered integration, as of July, of mercenaries and volunteers from groups such as Wagner. Health reasons were among the main arguments of young Russians trying to avoid the first major mobilization in September 2022, when more than 300,000 civilians were called up. The Defense Ministry now notes in its draft decree that it has taken note of the experience gathered in Ukraine. That conscription was chaotic and there were thousands of complaints from those who had been enlisted. Although Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that only those with military experience who were part of the reserve would be called up, the mobilization decree did not specify this and there were cases in the recruitment centers where attempts were made to force civilians to serve in Ukraine despite them having a medical certificate that should have exempted them. Proposal to extend military service Reducing the list of diseases for exemption will not only facilitate the mobilization of civilians, but will also extend to the recruitment of professional military personnel and the annual call-up of young people for compulsory military service. In fact, some Russian lawmakers have proposed the extension of compulsory service to two years in order to have more troops available. Putin is also seeking to develop an army that can confront NATO in the medium term. Last Friday, the Kremlin issued a decree raising the maximum number of members of the armed forces to 2.2 million, 1.3 million of which are potential combatants. This is not the first time Russia has modified this ceiling: Putin did so in 2000 and again in 2010 when reforming the excessive military structure inherited from the USSR. In August 2022, he increased the limit by 130,000, six months after the invasion of Ukraine. Adding to the attrition suffered on the battlefields of Ukraine is the accession to NATO of Finland in April of this year and the future membership of Sweden, which is still pending final approval by Turkey and Hungary. Police raids Another indication of a possible mobilization in the short term is that Russian police have in recent months intensified raids on mosques, markets, and factories to capture potential recruits among migrants who have dual citizenship: people from the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, who form the majority of the migrant community in Russia. After receiving citizenship, some did not formalize another mandatory document, the so-called military ticket, a register that provides the Defense Ministry with the profiles of potential recruits. Last August, more than 100 workers at a St. Petersburg vegetable market were detained and taken to an enlistment center to complete this procedure. To take this opportunity to further educate Russians, the police said in their statement on immigrants, citizenship not only grants rights, but also responsibilities, including the constitutional obligation to do military service. Such searches have taken place in recent weeks at one of the countrys largest e-commerce companies, Wildberries, an alternative to Amazon in Russia. Last weekend at a warehouse in the Tula region, south of Moscow, a dozen employees were detained for a routine check of documents as part of military conscription, the company said. In late November, the more than 8,000 employees of Wildberries stopped working for a few hours after learning of the first raid, in which more than 40 workers were taken from the communal dormitory where they lived to a recruitment center. Another high-profile case took place last October, when Mamut Useinov, the star of a well-known television singing contest, was arrested in a Moscow mosque. According to his account, he and others were put on a bus and held for hours in a recruitment center. I was forcibly taken away, my documents were illegally confiscated and I had no opportunity to appeal or report my illnesses and beliefs, he stated on his personal Instagram account. We were told that we had to sign a contract for one year or we would go to prison. According to Useinov, several of those who were detained agreed to join the army. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, with the theme Common Development for a Shared Future, was held in Changsha, capital of Central China's Hunan Province, from June 29 to July 2. Representatives of 53 African countries, and from multiple international organizations, attended. Hu Xiaoqin, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage Linwu (a county in Chenzhou, a city in Hunan Province) Chinese alpine rush-weaving craft and president of Xiangfei Weaving Crafts Co., Ltd., was one of the 32 exhibitors who represented Chenzhou during the expo. Big Stage "We have made specially designed products for this expo, including fans, sun hats, with wide brims, and rings, bracelets and earrings. These products were well-received by exhibitors and visitors," Hu says. Hu was attending the expo for the third time. "In the context of the 10th anniversary of the BRI, it is a great honor for me to attend the expo as a representative of women entrepreneurs from Chenzhou," Hu says. The biennial expo, first held in 2019, has become a major platform for strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries. The China-Africa Achievement Exhibition on High-Level Building of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Exhibition on China-Africa Women's Innovation and Entrepreneurship were held during the expo for the first time. "With the BRI gaining momentum in Africa, China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has strengthened, and entered a new stage of high-quality development. During the expo, I met one of my old friends, from Angola, who also attended the event as an exhibitor. We became friends when I did international trade business in Angola a decade ago," Hu says. Nearly 1,600 categories of goods from 29 African countries were exhibited, an increase of 166 percent over the previous expo. The number of exhibitors also increased to 1,500, up 70 percent over the previous expo. "The delegation of Zambia and South Africa visited Chenzhou after the expo. Along with the building of BRI, the economic and trade exchanges between Chenzhou and Africa have become increasingly frequent, and the friendship between Chenzhou and Africa has also deepened," Hu says. Hu introduced the characteristics of Chinese alpine rush-woven products, and related product innovation and development, to the delegation. Chinese alpine rush is a kind of grass that thrives on the mountains of Linwu. Chinese alpine rush-weaving craft has a profound history in Linwu. More than 600 years ago, the locals began using Chinese alpine rush to make mats, and the mats gradually became well-known. In 1954, mats made with Chinese alpine rush were exhibited at the Leipzig Trade Fair, held in Leipzig, Germany, and they were referred to as "the world's unique handicrafts." In 2014, the Chinese alpine rush-weaving craft was added to Chenzhou's list of municipal intangible cultural heritage. To better inherit and spread Chinese alpine rushweaving skills, Hu in 2016 established Xiangfei Weaving Crafts Co., Ltd. "With a spirit of innovation, we have created nearly 100 kinds of woven products. We also produce tailor-made products for our customers. We can weave whatever our customers like. I have organized many activities to teach students and young people the weaving skills, and to let them experience the charm of intangible cultural heritage," Hu says "Our products are natural, environmentally friendly handicrafts, which are sold at home and abroad. I hope more Chinese and foreign people will know the intangible cultural heritage of Chinese alpine rushweaving skills, and that more people will like our products." Building Dream in Africa Hu has forged an indissoluble bond with Africa. Between 1998 and 2005, she visited the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe twice, and Guinea-Bissau once, to teach African women the weaving skills. She also conducted international trade in Angola between 2005 and 2010. During her first visit to Africa, she couldn't find the same kind of alpine rush as was available in China. She went to the mountains every day, and she finally found suitable leaves and rattan that she could use to teach weaving. At that time, local women believed learning weaving skills from Hu, the Chinese expert, was a popular vocational-training program. While teaching weaving skills, Hu formed deep friendships with African women. She always gave a helping hand to her apprentices when they encountered difficulties. Hu and some of her apprentices still keep in touch now that she is back in China. Hu's daughter joined Hu's company after she graduated from university. In March 2019, Hu and her daughter went to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe to visit Hu's former apprentices. Hu was gratified to learn her apprentices were still engaged in the weaving industry. They have created products with their own characteristics, and they have promoted development of the local weaving and tourism industries. Hu trained more than 100 apprentices in Africa, and her apprentices trained their own apprentices. "Weaving skills allow them to have stable incomes and improve their living standards. Many apprentices have improved their family status, and they have helped promote local women's employment and gender equality in Africa," Hu says. "With the deepening of BRI, I hope I can set foot in Africa again someday, and discuss weaving skills with my African friends. I also hope more African people will have the opportunity to come to China, to exchange with us and learn weaving skills," Hu says. Photos Supplied by Interviewee (Women of China English Monthly October 2023 issue) Weather Alert ...Very active weather and dangerous cold forecast for the next week... A very strong storm system will move through the region Friday. Very strong winds are expected and a wind advisory has been issued for the entire region for 40-50 mph wind gusts. Stronger winds are possible. Widespread rain may lead to localized flooding in areas where thunderstorms form with up to 2 inches of rain possible in those areas. Severe thunderstorms are not currently expected but there is a small potential over the southern Pennyrile region of Kentucky Friday morning. A change to sleet and snow is forecast at the end of the day but accumulations are still not anticipated. If temperatures do not rise above freezing Saturday it is expected to mark the first of 5 to 6 days where temperatures will not rise above freezing. Lows Saturday through Tuesday night are forecast to fall into or near the single digits. Below zero wind chills are likely most of Monday and Tuesday. This extended cold snap will be dangerous to those without adequate shelter and will likely challenge plumbing and other cold-sensitive infrastructure. Accumulating snow remains possible Monday but forecast amounts have trended a little lower, and will remain subject to change for the next few days as more data becomes available. ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM CST /7 AM EST/ FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST /1 AM EST/ FRIDAY NIGHT... * WHAT...Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From 6 AM CST /7 AM EST/ Friday to midnight CST /1 AM EST/ Friday night. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Wet ground may result in some trees being uprooted, and tree limbs will be blown down. A few power outages are likely. High profile vehicles will have difficulty. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A corridor of stronger winds, with gusts up to 60 mph is possible over the Pennyrile region of west Kentucky ahead of the front, and across the entire quad-state behind the front. If that begins to appear likely a high wind warning will be issued. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects. && Several Palestinian children injured in the Israeli bombing of a school in Khan Younis lie on the floor of the Nasser hospital, this Tuesday in Gaza. The United Nations is running out of words to describe the magnitude of the destruction and death in Gaza. The entity has gone from warning, in recent days, of the human catastrophe suffered by the 2.3 million people trapped inside Gaza, to ensuring on Tuesday that an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold in the Palestinian enclave, said Lynn Hastings, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories. The alert comes after the Israeli army issued new orders for civilians to leave southern Gaza. A large portion of the 1.8 million internally displaced people are already crowded into an area of less than a third of the Gaza Strip a zone of about 38 square smiles surrounding the city of Rafah , according to the U.N. In Rafah, there is no room in any school, hospital or building. People are sleeping in the streets, Doaa Ulyan, a displaced Gazan, explained to this newspaper via WhatsApp. On Tuesday, Avichay Adraee, an Arabic-language spokesman for the Israeli army, again urged the population in several areas of the city of Khan Younis, the second largest in the territory, to head towards the border area with Egypt. The day before, Israel had already ordered the eviction of several neighborhoods in that city, in the direction of Rafah, at the southern end of the coastal enclave. The U.N. has criticized these new evacuation orders, which it estimates will affect 600,000 people. Thomas White the Gaza director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned that an already crowded Rafah will not cope with a doubling of its population. Despite urging Gazans to move to Rafah, last night Israel intensified its shelling in the area, according to Ulyan, 33, who sought refuge in the town in October along with her husband and two children, aged eight and 10. The family fled their home in Gaza City destroyed a few days later following an initial Israeli order, which instructed civilians in the north of the territory to move to the south. Monday night in Rafah was terrifying, the [shelling] was constant, the woman recounts. Many people from the north, from the west and from Khan Yunis are now crowded in Rafah, Ulyan assures. Can you imagine that a million people are now sheltering in this city? The new Israeli evacuation orders and the advancing ground offensive by its troops have also caused already overcrowded UNRWA shelters to become the most crammed they have been since the start of the war eight weeks ago, Philippe Lazzarini, the U.N. agencys director, said Monday. At least 60,000 more people have tried seeking refuge at UNRWA centers. Many of them have already been displaced several times during this conflict, said the U.N. official. The Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed 15,900 people, almost half of whom are children, according to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian territory. In Gaza, the situation is getting worse by the hour, Richard Peeperkorn, a World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the territory, stressed at a virtual press conference Tuesday. Theres intensified bombing going on all around, including here in the southern areas, Khan Younis and even in Rafah, the U.N. agency official denounced. In the north, the Israeli army announced that it has completed its siege of the Jabaliya refugee camp, the largest in the Palestinian territory, which the military describes as a Hamas stronghold. Ground offensive In parallel to the increasingly intense airstrikes, Israel is continuing its ground offensive in the south. On Tuesday, Reuters quoted residents of Khan Younis as saying that Israeli tanks have entered the eastern neighborhoods of the city, after crossing the border fence with Gaza and heading west. Some troops have taken up positions in Beni Suhaila, on the eastern outskirts of the city. Others have taken up positions in Hamad City, a neighborhood of apartment blocks built by Qatar to rehouse destitute Palestinians who had lost their homes in the 2014 Israeli offensive. In recent days, Israeli planes have bombed this neighborhood, which now looks ghostly, according to images posted on social networks. Before the war, Khan Yunis had a population of approximately 200,000, which is estimated to have at least doubled by displaced persons arriving from the north following the first Israeli evacuation order in October. From Rafah, Ulyan sends an audio message in which an intense buzzing sound can be heard. It is the sound of what Gazans call zananah, or drones. These are different. They are armed, the woman explains. That sound accompanies us day and night, she says. Ulyan suffers from irritable bowel disease and is on medication that ran out three days ago. With the drones buzzing over the shelter where she lives, she cannot even try to go outside to find the medicines she depends on. The precariousness which was already enormous before the new evacuation order has been exacerbated by the arrival in Rafah of even more internally displaced people. We dont have [drinking] water. We draw it from a well and boil it. We only eat beans and some rice distributed by the U.N., but there are so many people and the aid is insufficient. Israel only allows some aid to come in to [fool] the media, but that aid does not include anything the people need here. I am not exaggerating when I say that people are starving, Ulyan says. We only eat once a day and a very small amount. Many times, I dont eat [and instead] give it to my children. There is no food to buy anymore either, she replies when asked if her family members, who reside in Spain, can help her financially. Money in Gaza is of little use anymore, she explains. There is nothing left. There are no cleaning products, no toilet paper, no diapers, she says. Ulyan has a valid visa to travel to Spain, but her children and husband do not. The Spanish Consulate in Jerusalem responded to her request for help to leave the Strip by indicating that it could only assist Spaniards. What is happening in Gaza is unprecedented, Ulyan says. What Im telling you doesnt convey even a fraction of the real suffering were going through. The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, denounced the intolerable suffering of the Gazan population after visiting the territory on Monday. What shocked me the most were the children with atrocious injuries and at the same time having lost their parents with no one looking out for them, she said. The leader of one of the mediators who sponsored the defunct truce between Israel and Hamas, Qatar, also referred to Gazas children on Tuesday. The emir of that Arab country, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, criticized the international community for abandoning the children of Palestine and called for an international investigation into Israels brutal crimes in the Strip, according to the Spanish news agency EFE. Al Thani spoke from Doha at the opening of a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, an organization that also includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Two of the main items on the agenda of this meeting are stopping the war in Gaza and restoring the truce, said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatars prime minister. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition On November 3, the school paper of Bonita Vista High School, The Crusader, posted a political cartoon, which criticized Israels genocidal campaign against Gaza and those who falsely equate the violence on both sides. Bonita Vista High school is in the Sweetwater Union High School District in Chula Vista, the second largest school district in San Diego County, with more than 36,000 students and 1,500 educators. The cartoon unleashed a firestorm of controversy, and a heated public school board meeting where Zionists attacked the students who made the cartoon, the publication that published it, and the entire school leadership from teacher to the principal for not censoring the school paper. On November 3, shortly after the initial publication of the cartoon, the principal of Bonita Vista High school said students have editorial control over their publication which by law cannot be censored by administration or teaching staff. We do want to be clear that the views of The Crusader, specifically this editorial are not the views of the Sweetwater Union High School District, BVHS Administration or BVHS staff. The cartoon, which was captioned, Centrism, insufferable and inhumane, shows on one side an elephant with a Star of David, meant to represent Israel, and Uncle Sam. The elephant is carrying a sign that reads, We want to genocide Palestinians and Uncle Sam is holding a sign that says, We are entitled to foreign land. Standing on the opposite side of the frame is a deer and man in a mask holding a Palestinian flag. The deer is holding a sign that says, We want freedom. Standing in the middle is a man with a sign saying, Both sides are valid, with the word valid replacing wrong. Bonita Vista High School Student Newspaper Editorial Cartoon, published in The Crusader. [Photo: The Crusader via SD Voice] At the school board meeting on November 13, discussion was focused on the cartoon and the broader conflict. Many teachers, parents and community members spoke in support of the students. The first speaker was an Iranian student who defended The Crusader stating, Someone creating a cartoon in a newspaper is their First Amendment right. Rejecting claims that the cartoon was antisemitic, the student explained, Semites are those who speak Semitic languages, which include Arabs and Palestinians Zionism is antisemitism. The student described harassment she had received in the district, saying, I was called a terrorist from the time I was 5. She concluded her speech forcefully: Israel needs to be condemned. One of the Bonita Vista alumni, who was a part of The Crusader publication, denounced the effort to censor and quite frankly defame those who published the cartoon. To see these students harassed by members of the community, simply because they condemned a genocidewhich is what UN experts have officially called this; they have named what is happening in Palestine an ethnic cleansingit is another level. Experts consider this to be the most sustained and intense bombing campaign of a populated area in history. It is ridiculous that students are under fire for condemning this, when there are people who are literally under fire right now. These students did not target Israeli citizens, they did not target anyone in the Jewish community many of which condemn the genocide that is being perpetrated by the Israeli government as well. They targeted the governments that continue to enable this horrific violence ... There is no middle ground when it comes to genocide: there is opposing it, or condoning it, and silence serves the latter. One BVHS parent, Tommy Broudy, who had previously called for the cartoon to be censored, denounced the cartoon as reeking of antisemitic tropes and said that, hopefully, it is not coming to our campuses. After his speech, Broudy called his son up to the mic to read from the Hamas charter; despite going over the time limit while reading the Hamas charter, the student continued to speak. This was met with shouts from students in the audience that they were over time. The president of the school board, Nicolas Segura, warned the audience that the meeting would go into recess. A student in the audience retorted, Why dont you keep them on time then? Segura responded by ordering the room to empty, and the meeting recessed for about 10 minutes. Broudy had previously written a letter to the principal of Bonita Vista High School, saying, Your response that there is nothing that could be done is not acceptable. All speech has limits. This letter continued, In the days following the George Floyd murder, it is hard to imagine that a cartoon depicting terrible and racist anti-black sentiment would have been published. Another speaker provocatively declared, this is not journalism, this is propaganda of the most insidious kind, which was immediately met with shouting from the audience. The speaker continued. What Liberal nonsense are you teaching these children This is firmly un-American, and tragically antisemitic. This speaker proceeded to blame teachers for the growth of criticisms of Zionism. An article published by the San Diego Jewish World referred to the cartoon as an anti-Israel, anti-American cartoon. Such remarks are reminiscent of the HUACHouse Un-American Activities Committeehearings and the McCarthyite witch hunts. Broudy obtained 274 signatories on a letter demanding that the Sweetwater Union High School District adopt the Fighting Antisemitism on Campuses Effectively (FACE) initiative. FACE facilitates the teaching of Zionism in schools and explicitly defines anti-Israeli sentiment as antisemitism. It calls for investigations into groups deemed presumptively to be hate organizations, such as Students for Justice in Palestine, IfNotNow, Jewish Voices for Peace, and to the extent permitted by law, revoke and deny university recognition. The curator of the Remember Us the Holocaust exhibit at the Rancho San Diego County Library, Sandra Scheller, talking down to the students, called the publication of the cartoon a teachable moment. When she spoke at the district board meeting, she insinuated that the cartoon could end up in an exhibit, not unlike the one she is curating, as an example of the growth of antisemitism that may lead to genocide. Adding insult to injury, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan indicated the cartoon had been referred to our Special Operations- Hate Crimes Division to review for any potential criminal conduct working with the police department. Under immense pressure and threats of criminal charges of a hate crime, the students who run the Bonita Vista Crusader removed the cartoon from their website. In a November 17 article in the Crusader headlined, The consequences of free speech, the authors stated, The Crusader, as a whole, has become aware of how the BVH Jewish community perceive this to be anti-Semitic, and cited Editor-in-Chief and senior Grace Na who added, The Editorial Board is deeply concerned with the unintended harm the editorial cartoon may have caused. The claim that how something is perceived should outweigh what it actually is has a clear ideological source. It is a product of the influence of irrationalist thought in schools. Postmodernism, marked for its rampant subjectivism and opposition to objective truth, encourages attitudes that hold all truths to be equal. It is from this concept that people and people groups are able to claim their truth, which other groups are barred from criticizing or challenging. The withdrawal of the cartoon is not the fault of the students, whose political impulses are well-intentioned. However students must be warned that the act of self-censorship gives credence to the attacks on democratic rights. Across the globe, artists and workers standing up against genocide are facing censorship, including actresses such as Melissa Barerra and Susan Sarandon. Meanwhile, the most important political prisoner, Julian Assange, has languished in the United Kingdoms high-security Belmarsh prison since 2019 for publishing and exposing US war crimes in Wikileaks. It is true, the US state perceives Assange to be a threat to its global hegemony. This is how the ruling class responds to the truth being told about the brutalities of war. This same logic allows right-wing Zionists to claim that there is no genocide in their truth, and all opposition to the carpet bombing, terror, and war of extermination is harmful and even anti-semitic. It turns reality on its head and allows equal validity to all perceptions. This is precisely what the artist of the cartoon has criticized, the concept that both sides, oppressor and oppressed, attacker and victim, hold equal validity. In what amounts to a double ultimatum to the Australian parliament, the Albanese government is demanding the passage this weekthe scheduled final parliamentary session of 2023of two sweeping bills that eviscerate fundamental democratic and legal rights. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media after meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in London, Friday, May, 5, 2023. [AP Photo/Frank Augstein] One bill attacks the right to citizenship and the other bill attacks the right not to be imprisoned without trial. Taken together, they constitute a warning of a turn by the ruling class to dictatorial measures amid mounting political disaffection. The twin ultimatum has been accompanied by a foul witch hunt that, in effect, demonises refugees and other immigrants, depicting many of them as a danger to society. A reactionary climate of emergency is being whipped up by the very same forces that are backing the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The Labor government, the Liberal-National Coalition and the corporate media are vying to outdo each other in branding as murderers, sex offenders and the worst of the worst all the people who could be thrown back into indefinite immigration detention as a result of the two bills. One is the preventative detention bill, due to be tabled tomorrow. Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil proclaimed last week that the bill, then still to be drafted, had to be passed by both houses of parliament by this Thursday, or parliament would be kept sitting until it did so. That bill, reportedly cynically rebadged as a Community Safety Scheme, is a transparent bid to flout a November 8 High Court order. Unanimously, the seven judges partially overturned the reactionary three-decade regime of indefinite immigration detention of asylum seekers and other non-citizens who had been stripped of visas. A government spokesperson blatantly declared yesterday that the bill would re-detain most of the 148 or so detainees that the government was forced to release as a result of the seven judges unanimous ruling. The bill would allow the immigration minister to apply for a court order to re-incarcerate an ex-detainee on the flimsy allegation of a high degree of probability that the offender poses an unacceptable risk of seriously harming the community by committing what the bill classifies as a serious violent or sexual offence. Clearly, by its spokespersons boast, the government is not waiting for a court to pass judgment on individuals, even by that arbitrary test. This amounts to punishment for a thought crime, based on an accusation of what the person might do in the future, not on what they have actually done. The other bill is a no less far-reaching operation to evade two other recent High Court rulings that outlawed powers legislated in 2015 by the previous Coalition government with Labors assistance. That legislation allowed the home affairs minister to strip dual citizens of their Australian citizenship for allegedly committing acts deemed to repudiate their allegiance to Australia. Last week, in partnership with the Coalition, the Labor government rammed the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Repudiation) Bill 2023 through the House of Representatives in a single day and is demanding that the Senate rubberstamp it by this Thursday. That is despite the vast implications of stripping someone of their citizenship, which even one of the High Court judges described as a punishment amounting to civil death. Without citizenship, no other political or civil right currently exists, including to vote, reside, travel and not be detained without trial, and the same goes for access to employment, health and welfare services. In two cases in 2022 and 2023, known as Alexander and Benbrika, the High Court overturned parts of the 2015 legislation that blatantly violated the limited protection of the colonial-era 1901 Constitution. This constitution contains no bill of rights whatsoever. But it contains a formal separation of judicial and executive powers. That essentially forbids most forms of punishment, which includes cancellation of citizenship, from being imposed without a court order, except in wartime. Labors bill hands vague and politically-loaded powers to judges. Acting on a government application, they will determine whether a persons serious offences have repudiated their allegiance to Australia by repudiating Australian values. These values are said to consist of values, democratic beliefs, rights and liberties that underpin Australian society. Yet, the bill itself demonstrates the readiness of the ruling class and its political servants to override democratic beliefs, rights and liberties. The serious offences listed in the bill include terrorism-related acts, advocating mutiny, treason, espionage, foreign interference and foreign incursion. These offences have the potential to be used to lay charges against opponents of any war waged by the Australian government, on the grounds, for example, that their political activities serve the interests of the enemy. The bills definition of serious offences also applies to a broad range of offences that include preparatory conduct, that is, alleged plots or behaviour which have not resulted in a crime. There is a threshold that a person must have been sentenced to at least three years imprisonment, but most of the listed offences carry sentences that can far exceed that. The danger to democratic rights is highlighted by threats that have been made to charge people with crimes, such as giving material support to terrorism for opposing the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Accusations have been made that denouncing the massacres of Palestinians constitutes assisting Hamas, which has been listed by successive governments as a terrorist organisation under Australias sweeping counter-terrorism legislation. Because of the broad legal definition of terrorism, a person could lose their citizenship for supporting the right of people in Gaza to resist the Israeli onslaught. Likewise, the extensive foreign interference offences could cover anti-war and anti-government activists. The government and the Coalition rode roughshod over proposed amendments in the House of Representatives last Wednesday. Independent Kylea Tink sought to raise the age of those who could lose their citizenship from 14 to 18. Another teal independent, Zoe Daniel, tried to have the section on values struck out. Both were brushed aside. Greens leader Adam Bandt said: Its one of the most fundamental issues, the bedrock of democracy in this country, and we get an hour to debate itand, as a result, someone can lose their citizenship! These objections only produced a doubling down. Opposition leader Peter Dutton wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last Thursday demanding that further offences be listed as serious in the bill, including advocating terrorism or genocide, and training with a foreign military. Citizenship-cancellation powers are being used with little or no media coverage. According to figures released under Freedom of Information legislation by the Home Affairs Department last year, 59 people have had their citizenship revoked by governments since 2007, when the first cancellation powers were introduced. So far, citizenship-stripping legislation has been restricted to dual citizensthose holding citizenship of another country. But that covers millions of Australians in an increasingly diverse population. Moreover, the High Court rulings do not legally prevent any extension to sole citizens. This past Saturday, leaders of the Texas Republican Party rejected an amendment to a pro-Israel resolution that would have prohibited party members from associating with known neo-Nazis and antisemites. The resolution, which barred association with those known to espouse or tolerate antisemitism, pro-Nazi sympathies or Holocaust denial, was stripped from the pro-Israel resolution in a 3229 vote. The Texas Tribune reported that following the vote, in a move that stunned some members, roughly half of the board also tried to prevent a record of their vote from being kept. The amendment to the resolution was proposed two months after current chairman of the Texas Republican Party, Matt Rinaldi, was photographed by reporters with the Texas Tribune entering the Fort Worth offices of right-wing political consulting firm Pale Horse Strategies. Prior to Rinaldi entering the office building, reporters with the Tribune photographed neo-Nazi and leader of the America First Groyper movement, Nicholas J. Fuentes, going into the same building. In addition to denying the Holocaust and participating in the January 6 coup last November, Fuentes was a dinner guest of ex-President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Fuentes and fellow Hitler admirer Ye (Kanye West) had dinner with Trump for nearly two hours, during which they discussed a possible joint Trump-Ye presidential ticket. Donald Trump and Hitler-lover Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, meeting in the White House on October 11, 2018. [Photo: The White House] While Rinaldi has denied meeting with Fuentes while he was inside the Pale Horse offices, the Tribune confirmed that the neo-Nazi was inside the unofficial Republican Party headquarters for nearly 7 hours. Pale Horse Strategies is owned by former Texas state Rep. Jonathan Stickland. Up until October, Stickland was also the president of Defend Texas Liberty (DTL), a far-right political action committee that has donated millions of dollars to fascistic Republicans including Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov Dan Patrick. Funding for DTL primarily comes from two oil and fracking billionaires, Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. Last year, CNN reported that Dunn and his wife, Terri, have contributed more than $18 million to state candidates and political action committees, while Wilks and his wife, Jo Ann, have given more than $11 million, making the two couples among the top donors in the state. At the conclusion of the October 6 meeting at Pale Horse, Fuentes was photographed leaving the building alongside anti-immigrant fascist Chris Russo. Russo has worked with Fuentes since at least 2019 and is the founder and president of Texans for Strong Borders. Texas for Strong Borders is also funded by Dunn and Wilks according to the Texas Tribune. The anti-immigrant group has called for ending all birthright citizenship, and in a letter sent to Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year, which was co-signed by Rinaldi, the group called on the governor to declare an invasion at the southern border and restrict non-citizens from owning property in Texas. Following the publication of the Texas Tribune article last October, Luke Macias replaced Stickland as president of DTL. In its coverage of Saturdays vote, the Texas Tribune noted that the amendment did not specifically call on Texas Republicans to disassociate from DTL, or Pale Horse. During Saturdays meeting, the first held since the Nazi scandal broke in October, several committee members argued that antisemitism was not a problem in the Republican Party. One committee member, Dan Tully, said adding language preventing associating with neo-Nazis was very hurtful and that it could put you on a slippery slope. Chair of the Texas Republican Party Rinaldi abstained from voting on the resolution, but said that even if it did pass he did not think there would be any difference in the way we have operated because I dont see any antisemitic, pro-Nazi or Holocaust denial movement on the right that has any significant traction whatsoever. I do see it in college campuses and on the left and in the streets of large cities, Rinaldi opined, adding, So I dont think it would affect us at all as originally drafted, as amended. Saturdays vote is a concrete expression of the ongoing fascist degeneration of the Republican Party, which is now openly embracing neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The vote completely exposes as phony all the antisemitic resolutions embraced and endorsed by Republicans in Congress. These resolutions are aimed at slandering opposition to Israeli genocide as antisemitic, thereby smearing opposition to war. Notably, some 48 hours before the anti-Nick Fuentes amendment vote was held, Fuentes and fellow fascist Richard Spencer held an over hour-long conversation on X/Twitter where they discussed their love of Trump, Elon Musk and hatred of Jews. In addition to both being Jew-hating fascists, Spencer and Fuentes both participated in the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, riot that ended with the neo-Nazi murder of anti-fascist protester Heather Heyer. Following the riot, Trump, defending the Nazis, said there were fine people on both sides. In the November 30 discussion, Spencer pontificated on the Jewish experience, which he said was wave after wave of expulsions Is there a cycle to it? There were a lot of down home guys who were probably Christian Zionists, to be honest, who dont want their monuments to Robert E. Lee taken down, Spencer said. And the Jews, they didnt see that, they didnt see how it would be better to keep that southern nationalism going. Maybe thats endemic to them. Im not associating them with this famous fable. The frog and the scorpion the frog takes him across the river, Well why did you sting me? You knew who I was before I hopped on your back. I am not equating Jews with insects, or anything like that, Spencer said with a grin. What I am saying is that there is a kind of inner dynamic to their way of thinking. They put themselves in this position. They empowered the people that are going to persecute them. Is that kind of wild? Maybe its endemic to a Jewish mentality. Neo-Nazis Richard Spencer (left) and Nick Fuentes (right). [Photo: Richard Spencer] You do sort of have to examine the psychology, Fuentes hissed. It is repeated throughout history, there is something inherent in that group. They keep making the same mistakes. The two white supremacists then expressed their appreciation for billionaire Elon Musks public embrace of the antisemitic Great Replacement Theory. Fuentes said, Musk, it seems, is playing a very tactical game a trade. Like when he was called out for this antisemitic remark last week. Then he goes to Israel, he says, We are going to ban, river to the sea on Twitter, and Jonathan Greenblatt thanks him for it. So there is clearly a negotiation happening, but I agree. I think Musk is a very deft, strategic player with this, and it[]s ultimately to our benefit as evidenced by recent events. Spencer agreed, Yeah look, [Musk] said absolutely correct to a somewhat random right-wing Twitter user who claimed Jewish communities have been pushing dialectical hatred against whites through hordes of minorities flooding their country. And he just said absolutely correct! Spencer gloated. In a Monday morning post on Telegram, Fuentes celebrated the Texas Republican vote by linking to an article headlined Texas GOP rejects an anti-Nick Fuentes motion. A group of students at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia face disciplinary repercussions after showing a documentary film critical of Israel on Tuesday, November 28. The student organization, Chavurah, a Jewish student club, showed the film Israelism, a film by Jewish filmmakers Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen. The duos first feature film, it follows the story of two American-born Jews who are taught to defend Israel at all costs. The two youth, Simone and Eitan Zimmerman, then travel to Israel where they see the horrors that Palestinians living there go through and, ultimately, change their ways, fighting for the rights of Palestinians. A member of Chavurah, Jack Starobin, said that the group applied over the summer to screen the film on October 24. The group then delayed the showing, asking for it to be screened on November 28. University authorities did not respond to the group until they were asked a second time, at which point the university denied the students the right to show the movie on campus, citing the political atmosphere. Starobin said that the group decided to ignore the decision, in light of the support they were receiving from both students and faculty. Chavurah screened the movie on November 28 before 100 students and faculty during a three-hour event at Penns Middle East Center in Myerson Hall. Both Jewish and Palestinian students were present for the showing. The showing was followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Erin Axelman. The screening took place under what can only be called an atmosphere of intimidation. The university locked the doors to Myerson Hall, so that students could only enter if someone already inside held the door for them. Inside the building, police demanded to see student ID cards. A second identification check took place near the reserved room, and police remained present throughout the showing. The director of the Middle East Center, Harun Kucuk, resigned from his position the Tuesday before the film was to be shown. Kucuk did not explain the reasoning for his resignation. However, the American Association of University Professors said his resignation came, as the Philadelphia Inquirer put it, in response to pressure from administrators who allegedly directed the center to cancel the screening. The university, both prior to the film showing and after it, responded with threats of disciplinary action for students who participated. The university said it would not allow students to screen Israelism because it could cause a potential negative response, as summarized in the words of one student. The university said the students could screen the film in February, nearly 3 months after the requested screening date. An administrator, the Vice Provost for University Life, warned the undergraduate students that there may be disciplinary consequences if [they] continue the screening. After the showing, another administrator told the student newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian, that the student organizers will be referred to the Office of Community Standards and Accountability to determine whether a violation of the Code of Student Conduct occurred. Axelman, the filmmaker, commented, It is a profound lack of intellectual discipline to be censoring films and academic material without interacting with it. The Jewish students, to their credit, have not backed down. Before the screening, Chavurah organized a protest against the threats, attended by some 50 students, featuring a banner that read American Jews say: Stop genocide in Gaza. Not in our Name! Billionaire and multi-millionaire donors to Penn, Harvard, and other elite colleges have led the charge in attempting to muzzle public sympathy for the Palestinians, as Israel carries on its genocidal campaign in Gaza with the full backing of the Biden administration. The rich donors and university administrators claim any such protests are antisemitic, as is, by implication, merely showing a film critical of the Israeli government or discussing its criminal war in class. This smear, of course, was exposed as a lie by the fact the film showing was organized by a Jewish group and made by Jewish filmmakers. Penn has released at least eight statements in the past several weeks talking about its supposedly earnest concern with antisemitism, and yet it just censored a Jewish student organization from hosting a film made by Jewish filmmakers talking about Jewish people, Starobin said. Addressing the November 21 rally, Starobin summarized the right-wing character of Penns actions: By censoring us, the University is giving in to the extortion of far-right donors and politicians who insist on silencing all critics of Israel, even at the expense of our safety and free speech, even as Israel commits what more and more of the international community is calling a genocide against Palestinians. Censoring progressive Jews is only the latest example of Penn caving to the far-right. Earlier this year, in September, rock music artist Roger Waters, an outspoken opponent of Israels oppression of the Palestinian people, was banned from participating in person at a Palestinian literature and cultural festival on campus. Waters has been slandered by defenders of the Israeli government as antisemitic for his political criticisms, which have reached a global audience through his This Is Not a Drill concert tour. Penn is not the only college trying to stop showings of the film Israelism. Students of Hunter College in New York City had a November 14 screening canceled by administrators. A cinema in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada initially canceled its showing under pressure from pro-Israeli elements, before reversing course amid protests and putting the film back on its schedule this week. The effort to silence all opposition to the genocide, spearheaded by some of the wealthiest universities in the countryincluding Harvard, Brandeis, and Penncontinues. Other schools have also tried to silence or intimidate protests and support for Palestinians. Recently, a student-run high school newspaper in San Diego was pressured to cut a political cartoon which criticized the Gaza genocide. On Tuesday, Penns president Liz Magill testified before a Congressional committee hearing entitled, Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism. Joined by Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Dr. Sally Kornbluth and Harvard University President Dr. Claudine Gay, the college presidents were badgered by reactionary politicians of both parties to censor student groups and quash free speech on the campuses, based on the amalgam that opposition to the genocide in Gaza is the same as antisemitsm. Magill accepted the amalgam, assuring the members of Congress that the university has made clear antisemitism is vile and pernicious and has no place at Penn... The university will continue to vigilantly combat antisemitism and all forms of hate. Magill did not make reference to Chavurah, the Jewish student group her administration is threatening. A section of the Sydney rally on December 3, 2023 Over the weekend, tens of thousands again took to the streets of major Australian cities to oppose Israels genocide in Gaza and the full support for it of the Labor government. Below the WSWS is featuring further interviews with participants, following our coverage Monday. **** In Sydney Mel, a government worker in her 20s, stated: This is an injustice on a global level, this is genocide. Never again means never again. I cannot see how this is anti-Jewish. What is happening is the killing of innocent people. Mel condemned the attempts to equate opposition to Israeli war crimes with antisemitism. Its a form of harsh control. It feels like a tactic. The West is trying to stay with the colonial powers and be good to the US and the US is completely backing Israel. The US wants a stronghold there. Its their place in the Middle East. Mel said she felt a broader war was on the cards. Asked about the disconnect between the millions protesting the genocide, and the governments supporting it, she continued: I have been struggling to understand why that is the case, I havent found a single reason. It makes me feel terrorised. How can they say Israel has a right to defend itself, while they are carpet bombing hospitals and schools. What is stopping them from doing it here? The support for Israel shows there is no line, there is no distinction anymore. All our systems are failing us here. What is so good about our democracy when it is supporting genocide and failing the people here as well. The child protection system is in rubbles. Daily people are struggling to meet their basic needs. It is so bad out there. A lot of people arent going to the protests because their lives are so hard. They are fighting for their very lives. So many people are homeless, struggling to pay rent, to find housing. It is overwhelming. The Labor Party has been going so far downhill. I dont know what makes Albanese say he will fight for Palestine when he is younger, but then not stand up for it when he is in a place of power. Obama has done the same thing. It is a trend, using peoples suffering for political gains, then doing nothing when in power. Chanel said: Im here to show support for the people of Palestine and Gaza. Its horribly unfair what theyre going through. Seeing the footage on Instagram and social media of burnt babies, children killed is shocking. Were from East Timor, which also suffered colonial oppression, so its important for us to be here. Chanel Im shocked that theyve started the bombing again. We knew that the pause was only going to be a few days, but seeing it resume stronger and worse than before is atrocious. We want the killing to end permanently. I want Anthony Albanese and the Labor government out of the picture. Supporting genocide is not on. Wars are about greed and the greedy people who want to get their hands on money and oil and gas. And its never fair for the innocent people who are the ones that suffer. In Melbourne, Terry, a retired nurse spoke about recent revelations that the Israeli state had prior knowledge of Hamass October 7 operation. That's been on YouTube, she explained. I know the New York Times only just wrote an article about it, but on YouTube a week or two ago, I saw videos explaining that Israel either had the most incompetent government or they just willfully ignored the warnings. As for the US, I think it needs a base in the Middle East, and thats what Israel is, just as Ukraine is a base next to Russia. On the refusal of the Maritime Union of Australia to organise industrial action to block the shipment of critical goods to the Israeli war machine, Terry said: I think theres financial incentives for the unions not to call a strike. But if you have an ethical stance, a moral stance, that should just be irrevocable. In Newcastle, Anthony said: I have lost hope in all these political parties. It is not a democracy. Nowadays there is so much injustice. In this war they have already killed over 15,000 civilians, most of them women and kids. There were reports this week of 15 kids left to rot in incubators. People have lost their humanity. All over the world, they are dividing and destroying families, neighbourhood connections. We are so busy working and paying off mortgages. We need independent leaders and a grassroots movement. I dont know how its going to change, but we need to tell the truth, and social media is a powerful tool for that. The end of the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza has reignited tensions between the United States and groups supported by Iran in different parts of the Middle East. These clashes are taking place amid the Israeli militarys fierce offensive on the Gaza strip, which is threatening to turn into a broader regional conflict. Tension between the U.S. and Iran rose significantly on Sunday, when Yemens Houthi movement, which is supported by Iran, launched four ballistic missiles and drone attacks against three commercial ships sailing through the strategic Red Sea, according to the U.S. militarys Central Command (CentCom). The attacks caused no injuries, but a U.S. warship had to be deployed in the area to intervene. Washington argued that the actions were fully enabled by Iran. These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security, CentCom said in a statement. The first of these attacks occurred early Sunday morning, when several missiles fired from areas of Yemen controlled by Houthi forces struck near a Bahamas-flagged cargo ship, according to CentCom. Around noon, the U.S. warship deployed in the area shot down a drone launched from the same territory. It was heading in its direction, although the target is unclear. A few minutes later, the cargo ship was hit by another missile from Yemen and attacked with a drone that was shot down. In the afternoon, a second commercial ship and a bulk carrier, both Panamanian-flagged, were attacked from Houthi-controlled territory, and the U.S. warship shot down another drone heading toward it, according to CentCom. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attacks on two commercial ships, claiming that they were Israeli. He said that his forces consider Israeli ships as well as those with Israeli ties as a legitimate target until Israel stops its offensive against Gaza. In the week prior to these attacks, four other incidents were recorded on the high seas. Two of them were similar attacks launched from areas controlled by the Houthis against a Liberian-flagged oil tanker and a U.S. aircraft carrier and warship, according to CentCom. The other two episodes involved a second U.S. aircraft carrier that was targeted in the Persian Gulf by Iranian speedboats and drones, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and Irans Revolutionary Guard reported. The largest assault by the Houthis took place on November 19, when a group of heavily armed militiamen took control of a commercial freighter partially owned by an Israeli shipowner after overtaking it with a helicopter. Before the start of the ceasefire in Gaza, the Houthis launched at least nine direct attacks against Israel, but all were intercepted, except for two that mistakenly hit two Egyptian towns in the Red Sea. Groups in Syria and Iraq Since the end of the ceasefire in Gaza, groups close to Iran have also resumed activity in Syria and Iraq. At least two bases with a U.S. presence in northeastern Syria have been attacked with rockets since Friday, according to the Pentagon. And on Sunday, the United States attacked members of an Iranian-backed militia in northern Iraq who were preparing to launch an assault. Five of the members were killed, according to a group made up of several Iraqi armed factions. Between mid-October and the start of the ceasefire in Gaza, Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq attacked U.S. positions on at least 74 occasions, according to the Pentagon, which reported more than 60 minor injuries. An American contractor died during a false alarm. The United States, for its part, has acknowledged about 15 attacks in eastern Syria and three in Iraq, one of which killed nearly a dozen members of a pro-Iran militia. The clashes between the United States and this constellation of armed groups in Iraq and Syria were initially limited in scope as both sides attempted to minimize the risk of the violence spiraling out of control. But in the days leading up to the ceasefire in Gaza, both sides became more aggressive. In this context, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al Sudani condemned the attacks on Iraqi territory in a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday. Since Israel launched its military operation on Gaza, Washington has sent two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, including the largest in the world, with thousands of troops on board. These are supported by several warships, some of which have been involved in the recent clashes. The United States also announced that it is sending a submarine, despite the fact that these usually operate covertly, and also deploying new air defense systems and 1,200 soldiers. Before the Israeli attack on Gaza, the United States had about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, as part of the international coalition against Islamic State. The Pentagon argues that this strong reinforcement of its military capabilities in the Middle East is aimed at meeting four main objectives: dissuading Iranian-backed groups from opening new fronts beyond Gaza; reinforcing Israels security during its military operation in the Strip; and protecting its troops in the region, as well as its citizens. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A meeting last Friday of top US, British and Australian defence officials has underscored the broad scope of the anti-China AUKUS pact reached between the three countries in 2021 and its accelerating implementation as part of the US-led military buildup in the Indo-Pacific against China. The so-called Pillar 1 of the AUKUS agreementthe provision of nuclear-powered submarines to Australiaprovoked widespread public opposition particularly in Australia. The joint statement by US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, Australian defence minister Richard Marles and British defence secretary Grant Shapps makes clear that preparations for the submarine fleet are proceeding apace yet have received virtually no media coverage. The USS West Virginia, one of the nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed Ohio class of of US Navy submarines. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is due to receive the first US-built Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines in the early 2030s with the first new AUKUS-designed and Australian built nuclear submarines to be delivered in the early 2040s. The training of RAN officers to man the nuclear submarines as well as of Australian personnel able to build and maintain them is already taking place. The joint statement boasted that significant progress had been made in schooling officers in the UK and Britain who will be the first to operate Australias future nuclear-powered submarines. The first tranche of maintenance and construction personnel have begun their training at Pearl Harbour and Barrow-in-Furness shipyard in Britain. A highly significant, though little discussed aspect of the AUKUS agreement is the stationing of US nuclear attack submarines at Australian naval bases. The Pentagon has long pushed for such access at the Stirling naval base in Western Australia and achieved that in the AUKUS pact. Australian sailors and other personnel are to begin training in Guam to facilitate the rotational presence of US nuclear subs which is due to commence in 2027. Already, however, the USS North Carolina visited Stirling in August, with increasing visits planned for 2024. The so-called Pillar 2 of AUKUS involves close collaboration in the development of a broad range of sophisticated military technologies aimed at ensuring that the US and its allies keep or establish a decisive advantage in surveillance and weaponry over China. The Pentagons planning for war against China requires the control of waters and airspace off the Chinese mainland to mount massive air and missile strikes on military and civilian targets. The new technologies are not simply at the research stage, but in some cases are in the process of implementation. * The statement revealed that plans have been drawn up for trilateral collaboration in building three advanced deep space radar facilitiesone in each country that will provide 24-hour continuous, all-weather global coverage to detect, track, and identify objects in deep space. While the program is done in the name of ensuring responsible use of space, such facilities would be indispensable in the targeting of Chinese surveillance, communication and military satellites in the event of war. Shapps told the media that the facilities would be able to detect, identify and track threats in space up to 36,000km away. [It will be] more sensitive, more accurate, more powerful and agile than anything that has gone before, giving us the ability to see beyond the clouds, he said. The first radar site in Western Australia is due to be operational in 2026, with all three in service by the end of the decade. * The three countries are about to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to boost the capacities of multiple systems. In particular, AI systems will be used on P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft to greatly enhance the tracking of Chinese submarines. AI is being used to speed up the processing and analysis of huge volumes of data obtained from sonobuoys that are dropped into the water to detect undersea objects. * Britain, the US and Australia are also jointly involved in experiments and exercises aimed at boosting the sophistication and scale of autonomous systems in the maritime domain. In other words, as well as increasing the size and striking power of their submarine and naval fleets, the three countries are building the marine equivalent of drones, presumably both on the surface and underwater, to attack Chinese vessels. Scientific collaboration on military projects under AUKUS extends into other areas including cyber security, the launching and recovery of undersea vehicles from torpedo tubes on submarines and the development of esoteric quantum computing technologies to enhance positioning, navigation and timing in wartime conditions where existing GPS systems have suffered damage. Australias defence minister Marles, speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra last week, flatly denied that AUKUS was fuelling an arms race with China, declaring: We are responding to it We must be able to deter conflict before it begins, and certainly before it reaches our shores. Any objective examination of the last decade, however, makes clear that the US, backed to the hilt by Australia, has dramatically escalated the confrontation with China, which it regards as the chief threat to its global domination. Beginning with President Obamas so-called pivot to Asia, US imperialism has expanded its military forces in the Indo-Pacific, strengthened its military alliances throughout the region, and carried out naval and aerial provocations in the air and waters close to the Chinese mainland. AUKUS reestablishes the closest collaboration between the three imperialist powers that waged World War II in the Pacific against Japan. However, it is at the apex of partnerships and alliances being strengthened across the Indo-Pacific including with Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and India, as well as NATO allies in Europe, in preparation for war with China. Military exercises and war games involving these countries have dramatically expanded this year in scale and frequency. Significantly, Australia has just patched up relations with France that were badly damaged when the Australian government abrogated a major contract with a French company to build conventional submarines after the AUKUS pact to acquire nuclear submarines was announced. French foreign minister Catherine Colonna met with her Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra yesterday and signed an agreement to grant enhanced access to each others military bases and training facilities in the Indo-Pacific. The wartime character of AUKUS has been underscored by the Australian governments introduction of legislation into parliament last week to impose a blanket of secrecy over companies and individuals involved in defence industries and any research that could have military applications. Firms producing military or dual-use technology will have to seek an exemption to employ foreign workers from a range of countries, including China and India. Researchers in defence-related areas will have to apply for a permit if they want to share information with an international collaborator and could face jail if they breach the requirement. Indika Perera and Suranga Piyawardena, the president and secretary of the Podujana Pragathishili Sevaka Sangamaya (PPSS) or Peoples Progressive Employees Union branch in Moratuwa University, violently attacked two members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) on Thursday evening. PPSS is a trade union controlled by the right-wing ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), led by former president and prime minister Mahinda Rajapakse, which elected current President Ranil Wickremesinghe. One of the SEP members who was grievously injured in the attack is Dehin Wasantha. He has been a non-academic employee at Moratuwa University for more than 25 years. Wasantha is a member of the Sri Lanka Technical Officers Union and well known among workers and students in the university as a fighter for socialist policies and their rights. The other SEP member who was attacked is Lakshman Fernando, a full-time party worker. The SEP denounces this vicious attack and calls upon workers, youth and students in Sri Lanka and internationally to defend our partys democratic right to freely engage in its political activities. The SEP is the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International. We demand that the culprits be punished with the full force of the law. The attack took place while an SEP team was campaigning at the rear gate of the Moratuwa campus for upcoming public meetings to be addressed by Joseph Kishore, the national secretary of the SEP (US). They were distributing a notice titled SEP (US) national secretary to visit Sri Lanka to speak on the centenary of Trotskyism. SEP member campaigning among Moratuwa university students The SEP comrades were about to conclude their campaign at about six in the evening as there was a low movement of students. As stated later in a formal complaint to the police, the two union officials, Perera and Piyawardena, arrived in a three-wheeler taxi, armed with long wooden clubs. They rushed at Wasantha yelling: We will finish you up today. We will not let you come back to the campus again. Perera tried to hit Wasanthas head with a wooden club, which could have been a deadly blow. Wasantha avoided the attack but another blow injured his left hand, fracturing two fingers (medically 4th and 5th metacarpal fractures). Piyawardena also attacked Wasantha, smashing his spectacles. Dehin Wasantha, SEP member who was injured in the attack Lakshman was also attacked, causing a neck injury, with bruises and scratches to the back of his body. The two thugs left when other SEP members arrived. This attack was pre-planned. The thugs knew the SEP members were campaigning on that day through some of their student abettors, who accompanied them and watched the violent attack on our comrades. The attackers knew Wasantha very well as a fighter for the SEPs international socialist policies. He is a leading campaigner for the rights of non-academic employees, exposing the union bureaucracys pro-government and pro-capitalist policies. In union meetings, these bureaucrats have routinely tried to prevent him speaking, also sometimes trying to physically attack him. In particular, they have expressed hostility to Wasanthas campaign to establish independent workers action committees. Our comrades, accompanied by the partys lawyer, went to the Moratuwa police station and lodged a complaint. As their condition was serious, the police took them to the nearby Lunawa public hospital. As there was no x-ray facility there, the next day Wasantha was sent to Colombo South Teaching Hospital, where fractures were found in his left hand. On Saturday, both comrades were discharged from hospital, but advised to take medical precautions. Wasanthas left hand has been bandaged and cannot be used until the fractures heal. He has to go to a clinic for further treatment. Plasters have been placed on Lakshmans face, neck and back. SEP member Lakshman Fernando took injuries to his face and back in the attack The two union officials were taken into custody and remanded on Friday. However, despite being legally required to do so, the police did not take custody of the taxi used to transport the thugs, although the lawyer provided them with its number. Perera and Piyawardena were produced before an acting magistrate in Moratuwa on Saturday. At the magistrates inquiry, the attorney-at-law appearing for the SEP explained that the two had blatantly violated the fundamental right guaranteed by the countrys constitution, i.e., freedom of expression. He said that they had used their close connection with the ruling party to conspire against SEP members and organise the physical assault, which could have been deadly. In court, the lawyer produced the leaflet that was distributed by the SEP team. He explained that the SEP was not only a national political party recognised by the countrys election commission but also a section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), known worldwide for its principled politics. The lawyer reiterated that the assault on the members of this party should be considered as a criminal attack on the basic democratic rights of anybody and society as a whole to engage in politics. Explaining how trade union leaders work as thugs backed by the ruling party, he pointed out that this was not a spontaneous attack. It was a premeditated crime, as the thugs had hired the three-wheeler taxi, obtained wooden poles as weapons, followed the SEP members and attacked them in the middle of the road. The lawyer argued that releasing Perera and Piyawardena from custody would be harmful to SEP members as the pair could use their close political connections with the ruling party. The police downplayed the incident, telling the acting magistrate that the victims received minor injuries, paving the way for Perera and Piyawardena to be bailed. The magistrate questioned the police as to why they had not seized the taxi. The lawyer told the WSWS that the police had shown bias in favour of the two thugs. The acting magistrate granted bail to the accused, subject to strict conditions including providing 500,000 rupees ($US1,523) in two personal sureties, and reporting to the police every Sunday. The accused were warned not to disrupt the political activities of the SEP. The SEP and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) will campaign to defend our comrades and the partys democratic right to carry on its political activities. These trade union leaders at the Moratuwa campus are part of the SLPPs goon squads, which operate in many workplaces to silence opposition among workers. The ruling party is desperate because it is utterly discredited among the masses. The SLPP regime of former President Gotabhaya Rajapakse was ousted last year by a popular upsurge of millions of workers, rural poor and youth. Masses of people took to the streets, denouncing the regime for heaping on them the massive burdens of an unprecedented capitalist economic crisis. Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse directed thousands of goons, including those in its trade unions, to unleash violence on the protesting people occupying the Galle Face Green, in Colombo on May 9 last year. However, amid the popular outrage, his government collapsed. Discredited, Gotabhaya Rajapakse fled the country and resigned the presidency. Exploiting the betrayal of the workers upsurge by the trade union bureaucracies and pseudo-left groups, the SLPP conspired with sections of the ruling elite to elevate pro-US stooge Wickremesinghe to the executive presidency. Wickremesinghe and the SLPP are ruthlessly implementing the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-dictated austerity program, slashing jobs, wages and pensions, privatising, cutting social programs, including public health and education, and increasing the prices of essentials to unbearable levels. The Wickremesinghe regime is facing enormous opposition from workers, students and rural poor as a result. While seeking to block this mass opposition by using the trade union bureaucracies, it is also unleashing the repressive police-military machinery and goon squads to crush the growing opposition. The government and its supporters, including the union bureaucracies, are particularly nervous about the growing influence of the socialist program advanced by the SEP among workers and students against its attacks on living conditions and the suppression of democratic rights. The SEP leaflet that was distributed by the partys campaigners explained: The eruption of imperialist war, including the murderous siege by the Zionist state of Israel against the Palestinians, confronts the international working class and youth with all the unresolved problems of the 20th century. All the burning issues facing workers and the oppressed massessocial inequality, war, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, state repression and the rise of authoritarianism and fascismare international problems and require a global and revolutionary solution by the working class. The entire South Asian region, including Sri Lanka, has been dragged into a global maelstrom of geopolitical tensions, as US imperialism intensifies its war preparations against China. What is needed is a powerful socialist and global anti-war movement of the working class. This is the program on which the SEP is based. We urge workers, youth and students to send protest letters condemning this attack and demanding action against the culprits to the relevant authorities in Sri Lanka. The letters should be sent to the following addresses (with copies to the SEPs email address: wswscmb@sltnet.lk) Senior Professor N.D. Gunwaedena, Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa Email: vc@uom.lk or ndg@uom.lk Attorney General, Mr. Sanjay Rajaratnam Email: agdurgentmotions@gmail.com We also call on workers and youth to attend our important public meetings addressed by comrade Joseph Kishore, the US SEP national secretary, in Peradeniya, on December 7 at 3 p.m. at Hall no. 86, Political Science Department in the University of Peradeniya and in Colombo, on December 10 at 3 p.m. at New Town Hall. Ukrainian soldiers pass by a bus burning after a Russian drone hit it near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. [AP Photo/Shandyba Mykyta] In a starkly worded appeal to the leaders of Congress, the Biden White House warned Monday that US funding of the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine has been largely exhausted and will end entirely unless Congress acts before the end of this month. The result would be catastrophic for US efforts to inflict a defeat on Russia and President Vladimir Putin, Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, wrote. A cutoff of US aid would kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories. The administrative measures taken as a substitute for congressional funding, such as transferring Pentagon weapon stocks directly to the Ukrainian military, had reached their limit, the letter declared: without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks. There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. The failure of the US government to maintain its military and financial aid to Ukraine would make it far more difficult to pressure NATO allies and other countries to continue with their own lesser programs of similar support to the proxy war with Russia. In any case, While our allies around the world have stepped up to do more, U.S. support is critical and cannot be replicated by others. Young sent the letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. She was at pains to call out the benefits of the Ukraine war funding for the US military-industrial productionin the jargon of the Pentagon, the Defense Industrial Base, or DIB. Of the $111 billion already spent on the war in Ukraine, $67 billion, approximately 60 percent of the Ukraine supplemental funding that Congress has previously authorized, has bolstered our DIB in America or supported DOD and intelligence operations. That has improved our own military readiness, because old US equipment shipped to Ukraine and expended in battle has been replace by new equipment built in US factories and sent to Pentagon stockpiles. The Presidents most recent national security supplemental request will build on our successful efforts to date and will direct over $50 billion into our nations DIB, which builds on the funding that has already been invested in manufacturing lines across 35 states. Young went to list a whole series of military products and the states where they were produced, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. Most of these states have Republican congressmen or senators whose campaigns benefit directly from campaign contributions from the arms industry. (All Democrats in Congress are already on board with the Biden administrations special funding request.) The main obstacle to passage of the Ukraine supplemental funding has been opposition in the Republican-controlled House, where the Republican leadership is holding up passage, partly to extract concessions on immigration policy, and partly because a section of the party wants additional military spending to go towards funding Taiwan and other measures to prepare for war with China, rather than pouring further sums into the stalemated conflict against Russia in Ukraine. Johnson tweeted Monday, The Biden administration has failed to substantively address any of my conferences legitimate concerns about the lack of a clear strategy in Ukraine, a path to resolving the conflict, or a plan for adequately ensuring accountability for aid provided by American taxpayers. Meanwhile, the administration is continually ignoring the catastrophe at our own border. On CNNs State of the Union program on Sunday, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, said, I will not vote for any aid until we secure our border. Im not helping Ukraine until we help ourselves. The military position of the Zelensky regime in Kiev is worsening day by day, as Russian positions are reinforced and strengthened, while Ukrainian positions become more precarious. Based on interviews with Ukrainian front-line soldiers, the New York Times cited complaints of dwindling ammunition supplies and inadequate preparations to meet an expected Russian counter-offensive in the winter. The Washington Post published a lengthy two-part analysis of the failure of Ukraines summer offensive (originally labelled a spring offensive), which laid out the position of the Pentagon and portrayed the disarray within the camp of US imperialism and its allies and clients caused by the unexpectedly stout resistance of Russian troops and the high level of fortification and equipment supplies on the part of the Russian military. Citing numerous problems in the organization of the offensive, particularly the conflicts between the Pentagon and the Ukrainian high command, the Post wrote: all these factors make victory for Ukraine far less likely than years of war and destruction. The campaigns inconclusive and discouraging early months pose sobering questions for Kyivs Western backers about the future The underestimation of Russian defenses was revealed in the struggle for Robotyne, the first target in the offensive south toward Melitopol, which required 12 weeks rather than four days, and cost tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives and a colossal amount of tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment supplied by the US and NATO. According to the Post: By day four, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraines top commander, had seen enough. Incinerated Western military hardwareAmerican Bradleys, German Leopard tanks, mine-sweeping vehicleslittered the battlefield. The numbers of dead and wounded sapped morale. Its conclusion: In all, Ukraine has retaken only about 200 square miles of territory, at a cost of thousands of dead and wounded and billions in Western military aid in 2023 alone. The newspaper cited frequent complaints from the Ukrainian side that no NATO power would launch a military offensive without first establishing air superiority. You want us to proceed with the counteroffensive, you want us to show the brilliant advances on the front line, Olha Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, told the Post. But we do not have the fighter jets, meaning that you want us to throw our soldiers, you know, and accept the very fact that we cannot protect them. When allies said no, she said, we heard ... We are fine that your soldiers will be dying without support from the sky. Washington is quite willing to fight to the last Ukrainian in order to weaken the Putin regime in Russia and set it up for destruction through an intensification of US-NATO intervention to carve up the country and make its vast trove of natural resources available for exploitation by the imperialist powers. A jobs massacre is unfolding in the German auto industry, the likes of which the sector has not seen since the Second World War. For some time now, manufacturers in Germany and their suppliers have been using the transition to electric vehicles (EV) to cut jobs and increase exploitation. In the meantime, they have fallen behind in the global competition because their competitors offer cheaper and technically more sophisticated models. Ford workers demonstrate after the announcement of the closure of the Saarlouis plant, June 22, 2022 On Friday, the Munich-based Ifo Institute reported a further decline in business expectations in the German automotive industry based on a company survey. To ensure that their returns continue to rise, shareholders are now unequivocally demanding that the 800,000 or so workers employed by manufacturers and their suppliers must take a beating. No jobs, no social benefits, no working conditions, no wages are safe. Studies predict that up to 40 percent of jobs will be lost as a result of the switch to EVs, which would mean more than 300,000 jobs going. The harbingers of this earthquake are becoming ever clearer. In 2022, the Federal Statistical Office reported a year-on-year decline in employment of just over one percent, or 11,800 employees, in companies producing motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts. Most recently, 774,300 people were employed in this sector, 60,000 fewer than in the record year of 2018. The supplier industry is particularly affected. The decline in employment there was 6 percent compared to the previous year, the sharpest fall in percentage terms since 2005. With an average of 273,900 employees, the level of employment among suppliers fell to its lowest level since 1997. Reports in recent weeks indicate that this trend is set to worsen. Volkswagen The Volkswagen Group has sales problems, especially with its electric models. At a general meeting in its Wolfsburg headquarters at the beginning of the week, VW brand boss Thomas Schafer declared that the VW brand was no longer competitive. The efficiency programme pushed forward by VW Group CEO Oliver Blume aims to save 10 billion by 2026 and increase the VW core brands return on sales from 3.4 percent to 6.5 percent. This can only be achieved through massive job cuts. Schafer emphasised that it was therefore necessary to tackle the critical issues, including personnel. At the VW software subsidiary Cariad, 2,000 of the 6,500 jobs will be cut over the next two years. VWs Zwickau site, which employs 10,000 and is the first to exclusively produce electric cars, is cutting back production due to weakening demand. Production of the ID.3 and the Cupra Born is being paused for the rest of the year, as the production target has been completed. After the temporary contracts of 269 employees were not extended this year, 500 temporary jobs are to be cut next year. Meanwhile, the IG Metall union and the works council are working at full speed on new mechanisms to cut thousands of jobs. VW personnel director Gunnar Kilian, who came over from IG Metall, warns: We have to reduce our costs and manage with fewer staff. He wants to make the targeted use of partial retirement to cut jobs. Works Council Chairwoman Daniela Cavallo supports the cutbacks and wants to implement them in a socially responsible manner. VW brand boss Schafer urges: Now we have to finalise the key points of the agreement together with the employee side by the end of the year. Ford At Ford in Cologne, it is still not clear which electric model will be built and when in the completely remodelled factory. Thousands of jobs will be cut in research and development and administration. In development alone, around 1,700 of the 3,600 employees are to leave the company over the next three years. The research centre in Aachen, which most recently employed a good 200, will be closed in just over six months. At a plant meeting on Thursday, it was announced that the entire product development operation at the Cologne-Merkenich site will be outsourced to a separate limited company. This is usually the first step in downsizing or divesting a business unit. Meanwhile, the works council in Saarlouis is winding up the Ford plant there. Since the company announced a year and a half ago that the plant would be closed, the works council has been stringing along the workforce until investors supposedly arrive and at the same time cutting jobs. This year alone, 650 jobs have been cut, and on January 1 the number of employees will fall by a further 250 to 3,850. Nobody believes in new investors anymore. The works council, led by Markus Thal, is crafting a so-called social collective agreement for 2,850 employees in Saarlouis, who will lose their jobs by mid-2025 at the latest. A thousand are to be able to continue working on a short-term basis until 2032. Opel In the meantime, it is apparent that Opel will disappear from the market in the short- rather than the medium-term. Sales of Opel and its British sister brand Vauxhall have almost halved to 428,000 vehicles in Europe in the last seven years. Since the takeover of Opel by the French group PSA (Peugeot/Citroen)now Stellantisin August 2017, many thousands of jobs have been cut at the car manufacturer. In particular, the development centre and the administration in Russelsheim are gradually being wound down. At the end of 2021, 7,000 people still worked there, but parts have now been sold and thousands of jobs have been cut. Last week, around 100 employees in the Computer Aided Design (CAD) department were informed, in part via video conference, that their department would be closed. In Italy, the Stellantis Group, which was created in 2021 through the takeover of Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) by PSA, plans to cut 15,000 of the remaining 45,000 jobs. ZF Friedrichshafen ZF Friedrichshafen, Germanys largest supplier after Bosch, is currently playing out all possible redundancy scenarios in order to put pressure on its 165,000 employees worldwide. In this context, the management is threatening to cut more than 7,000 jobs at the Saarbrucken plant. Around 10,000 employees there currently still produce transmissions almost exclusively for vehicles with combustion engines. Plant management and works council representatives are using these threatening scenarios to develop so-called target image processes for future orders. Based on these fictitious plans, massive concessions are then extorted from the workers and supposed plant safeguarding contracts are agreed that are not worth the paper they are written on. This is what happened, for example, to the 5,500 employees in the commercial vehicle division at the Friedrichshafen site. Truck, railway and marine gearboxes are manufactured there, among other things. The 590 workers at the Eitorf site near Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia and their 350 colleagues in Gelsenkirchen will lose their jobs over the next few years. The Group Works Council expects the shock absorber plant in Eitorf to close its doors by 2027 at the latest. The ZF site in Gelsenkirchen, which has long been threatened with closure, will close even faster. As production of the remaining steering systems and cable harnesses is now coming to an end, ZF management says that the basis for production at the location will be lost in the coming months. In these two ZF plants, job security will end at the end of the month. Mahle Piston specialist Mahle (with almost 72,000 employees at the end of 2022) is also restructuring its production. It was only in August that the Stuttgart-based company sold its entire thermostat division with around 600 jobs. Thermostats are used to regulate the cooling water temperature of internal combustion engines and are therefore less in demand with the move to EVs. Just a few weeks ago, Mahle concluded a new future collective labour agreement with IG Metall, which rules out compulsory redundancies at the German sites until 2025. But in Germany, jobs in large companies are rarely destroyed using compulsory redundancies. An army of trade union officials and works council reps are working on plans and mechanisms to achieve this using different means. Mahle is now also taking a different approach. In Wustermark, Brandenburg, where pump systems are produced, the company has converted the site into a limited company. IG Metall has announced that Mahle could separate the entire site from the corporation and sell it. Vibracoustic The 410 employees of Vibracoustic in Weinheim (with around 12,000 employees worldwide) were informed in mid-November that their jobs would be relocated to France and India. They manufacture rubber anti-vibration systems and air suspension systems to reduce noise and vibrations in vehicles. Tire manufacturers The tire industry in Germany is also under threat of redundancies. There are currently 12 tire factories in the country, four of which are to be closed in the coming years. The US company Goodyear is ending its production in Fulda and Furstenwalde, which have a total of 1,800 employees. French manufacturer Michelin is closing its truck tire plants in Karlsruhe and Trier by the end of 2025. In addition, the production of new tires and semi-finished products will be discontinued in Homburg. Michelin is relocating its customer centre from Karlsruhe to Poland. More than 1,500 will be affected. The automotive supplier and tire manufacturer Continental had previously announced it would be eliminating 5,500 administrative jobs worldwide, 1,000 of them in Germany. From 2025, 400 million are to be saved annually. Continental employs more than 100,000 people in the automotive business, around a quarter of them in administration. These announcements are just the tip of the iceberg. But with all this bad news, the managers and executive board members can count on the support of their social partners, i.e., the trade unions and the works councils, with whom they will coordinate the jobs massacre. IG Metall and its works council reps take on the task of suppressing opposition within the companies and sabotaging any struggle in defence of jobs. They promote the reactionary view that workers and their exploiters share the same interests and that production sites can only be maintained by working together with the management to reduce costs and cut wages and jobs. The trade unions and their works council reps divide workers between plants and play those in one country against those in all the others, like the Ford works council in the so-called bidding contest between Saarlouis and Valencia to see which plant would cut the most costs. In the end, there is nothing left on either side. While workers are made redundant with a pittance, the shareholders stuff their pockets, and the works council and trade union officials also make a handsome return. In order to defend jobs, working conditions and wages, independent rank-and-file action committees must be set up in which the grassroots decide and which work together across locations, companies and countries. They must be based on the principle that the social interests of workers are more important than the profit gouging of the corporations, and become the starting point for building a mass socialist movement that organises society and production according to the needs of the majority rather than the interests of a small minority of the super-rich. We call on all those working for automotive manufacturers and suppliers to get in touch with us. Send us a WhatsApp message to: +49 163 33 78 340 and register using the form below. American Airlines flight attendants informational picket at Los Angeles International Airport Strike threats from American Airlines (AA) flight attendants and Southwest Airlines pilots were averted last week thanks in large part to the notorious Railway Labor Act (RLA), thereby blocking end-of-year strikes during the holiday season. The RLA is the same anti-democratic legislation used to block a strike by 120,000 railroad workers last year. When the provisions of the RLA were exhausted in mid-September, the administration relied on the bureaucracies in the railroad unions to delay a further two months while the White House and Congress prepared legislation to ban a strike and impose the contract which workers had already rejected. American Airlines flight attendants voted 99.5 percent in favor of a strike if their demands, which included 50 percent pay increases, were not met. However, under the RLA, which heavily infringes on workers democratic right to strike, they must first be released from further mandatory negotiations by the National Mediation Board. A 30 day cooling-off period would then take effect, during which the White House or Congress or both could intervene to block a strike. If that did not take place, then flight attendants could strike once the 30 days elapsed. However, the NMB refused to release the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) from talks, sending them back to mandatory talks last Tuesday, November 28. The flight attendants have been working under an expired contract for years. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), which includes 11,000 pilots for the airline, was reported to be setting up regional strike centers in Baltimore, Maryland; Dallas, Texas; and in other major hub cities, in anticipation of a strike which could have started as early as December 30, the day before New Years Eve, when millions would be traveling for the holiday season. Like the AA flight attendants, this would have required a release from the National Mediation Board, which had set a deadline of November 30 for the two sides to reach a deal at Southwest, and a subsequent cooling-off period. However, the union backed off on the strike threat at the last minute, claiming a deal was within reach at some point in the coming weeks. While this absolved the NMB of having to decide on whether an impasse had been reached, it is almost certain that it would have ruled against it. Neither the union nor the company have divulged any specifics of the agreement to Southwest pilots. Airline workers have been fighting for years against substandard pay raises and overwork. In the case of airline pilots, fatigue-related pilot call-ins have increased. Pilots are obligated to report to work fit for duty, and have to use sick leave if they feel they cannot perform. Duty periods for pilots range between 12 and 14 hours, and with the increased demand for travel, this has greatly affected workers ability to perform, placing workers and passengers in danger. The decision by the National Mediation Board is an injunction in all but name. The government has backed an industry which has laid thousands of airline workers off despite receiving tens of billions of dollars in bailout money through the CARES Act. This massive sum was falsely claimed necessary to protect workers jobs during the COVID-19 lockdowns and slowdown in air travel. In reality, its purpose was to prop up profits of the airlines. With COVID protections, however piecemeal and meager they were, allowed to lapse, and with the US government falsely claiming the pandemic over, airlines are back to pre-pandemic levels, greatly placing flight attendants, pilots, gate agents and the public at large in danger of illness. Recent wastewater surveillance data shows that COVID has already reached the level of the summer surge, with the peak of the holiday traveling season not yet over. In the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks, the airlines responded to an industry recession by laying off workers and reaping huge profits. Mergers and consolidations, such as Americans 2013 merger with US Airways, Deltas 2005 merger with Northwest and the merger of United and Continental in 2010 led to the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs. In the case of the American-US Airways merger, thousands of workers contracts were voided by a federal bankruptcy judge, pay was slashed by as much as 35 percent and 53,000 US Airways workers and retirees had their pensions terminated. The issues which pilots and airline workers confront are longstanding. All of this is being done with the support of the trade union bureaucracies, who have for years betrayed the fight for better conditions. Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), openly brags about her role in securing bailout money even as the airlines slash workers jobs and overwork them into sickness. These pro-corporate bureaucracies, working hand-in-hand with management and the government, are a barrier to a serious struggle by workers in defense of jobs and working conditions. Last year, railroad workers formed the Rail Workers Rank-and-File Committee, rejecting both the betrayals of the union apparatus and the entire anti-democratic legal framework to which they are subjected, and this committee was a powerful force in the campaign against the contract. Airline workers must learn from this experience, and organize themselves independently, based on the power of the working class, not appeals to pro-company courts and the two-party system. A Palestinian woman reacts over the body of a child as she sits by bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes on Jabaliya refugee camp, at the Indonesian hospital, northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ahmed Alarini) [AP Photo/Ahmed Alarini] Before the eyes of the whole world, Israel is carrying out a crime of monumental proportions: a deliberate and systematic massacre of the women and children of Gaza. The Netanyahu government has murdered 20,000 Gazans in two months: 10,000 of them children and over 5,000 women. The aim of this criminal regime is to kill as many Palestinians as possible and drive those who remain into the desert. Gazas entire population of 2.2 million is being starved and deprived of water. The vast majority, over 80 percent, have been displaced from their homes. In just two months, one out of every 115 people in Gaza has been killed. At the present rate, one out of every 20 Gazans will be dead within a year. I feel like Im running out of ways to describe the horrors hitting children here, UNICEF spokesman James Elder said. I feel like Im almost failing in my ability to convey the endless killing of children. Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, after having visited Gaza, declared, The things I saw there are beyond anything that anyone should be in a position to describe. What shocked me the most were the children with atrocious injuries, and at the same time having lost their parents with no one looking after them. On October 16, Israel instructed one million people living in northern Gaza to flee to the south. Now, the population is once again being told to flee from portions of southern Gaza amid the deadliest bombing campaign to date. Israels goal, as outlined in a leaked paper by the intelligence ministry, is to create the conditions in which Gaza, previously one of the most densely populated areas in the world, is incapable of supporting human life, creating the conditions for the displacement of the Gazan population into the Sinai Desert. Israel has deliberately carried out a campaign to target all places of refuge, from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south. It has systematically bombed and raided hospitals, displacing doctors, patients and refugees at gunpoint. Those too weak to move have simply been abandoned to die, including five premature babies whose bodies were discovered last week after they were left to die alone at Al-Nasr Childrens Hospital. By every definition, Israels actions are a textbook case of genocide. The Rome Statute defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. This includes: Killing members of the group20,000 Gazans have been killed over the past two months. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group41,316 Gazans have been injured. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. Israels blockade has blocked the entry of food, water and medical care, leading to famine and the surge of preventable disease. The UN framework on genocide identifies signs of an intent to destroy in whole or in part a protected group as being a key indicator that a genocide is taking place. Such statements by Israeli officials abound: The statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring, You must remember what Amalek has done to you, citing the Biblical passage that commands, put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys. The declaration by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly. The declaration by Israeli Security Cabinet member and Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter that We are now rolling out the Gaza Nakbareferring to the forcible displacement of the population of Palestine from their lands in 1948. The urging by former Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon that the population of Gaza Go to the Sinai Desert. The call by Giora Eiland, the former head of the Israeli National Security Council, to destroy the hospital system because Severe epidemics in the south of the Gaza Strip will bring victory closer. This genocide is not a spontaneous response to the October 7 attack against Israel but rather a conspiracy years in the making. Last week, the New York Times reported the existence of leaked documents showing that the Netanyahu government possessed detailed advance knowledge of the Hamas battle plan for the October 7 attack. The Netanyahu regime decided to carry out a stand-down of the military and intelligence forces on that day, to create a pretext for its ethnic cleansing of Gaza. The genocide not only has the support of the imperialist powers but is being carried out with their direct participation. It is likely that some victims of the genocide were murdered not only with American bombs, but directly by troops from NATO countries. Amid widespread reports of American and British troops on the ground in Gaza, the British government refused to answer a question by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn about whether UK troops are deployed there. US officials have repeatedly made clear that there are no red lines for the number of people Israel will be allowed to kill, and US President Joe Biden has declared that there is no prospect of a ceasefire. Appearing on the Meet the Press Sunday talk show, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked if there would be consequences ... if the United States feels as though Israel is not following a specific plan to protect civilians? To this, Kirby replied, Were going to continue to support Israel as they go after Hamas. The security assistance continues to flow. Thats not going to change. Kirby defended Israels targeting of the civilian population, declaring, They have actually given civilians in Gaza a list, a mapits onlinea list of areas where they can go to be more safe. Theres not too many modern militaries, in advance of conducting operations, that would actually do that. In effect, the United States argues that, since Israel is not only massacring the population of Gaza but also displacing it, Israels actions are acceptable. The precedents of Israels genocide were seen in the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistanin the sieges of Fallujah and Mosul. But this is a new level of criminality: The world is seeing imperialism in its most brutal and naked form. The entire world can see that all the invocations of human rights by the imperialist powers have been nothing but lies and deceit. Millions of people have taken part in mass demonstrations against Israels assault on Gaza. In response, the governments involved in the genocide have carried out an unprecedented and sweeping effort to criminalize political opposition. The British, French and German governments have all attempted to ban demonstrations against the genocide and carried out mass arrests. In the United States, the entire Senate has voted to equate opposition to the genocide as support for terrorism. Universities have shut down student groups protesting the genocide and attempted to block demonstrations. Technology companies, at the behest of governments, have imposed a sweeping regime of mass censorship. The worlds so-called democracies are making it illegal to oppose genocide. It is absolutely futile to make appeals to the criminal imperialist governments implicated in the Gaza massacre. Stopping the genocide in Gaza is the task of the working class. Workers should support the call by the Palestinian trade unions not to handle war materiel destined for Israel. The global demonstrations by millions of people against the genocide must be expanded and armed with a socialist perspective. The struggle to put an end to Israels genocide in Gaza must be waged as a struggle against the imperialist governments that are responsible for it and the capitalist system whose barbarism is being put on hideous display before the world. On Saturday, Britains Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the Royal Air Force (RAF) would carry out surveillance flights over Gaza. A joint statement by the Ministry of Defence, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and Home Office, headed UK military activity in the Eastern Mediterranean, announced, In support of the ongoing hostage rescue activity, the Ministry of Defence will conduct surveillance flights over the eastern Mediterranean, including operating in air space over Israel and Gaza. The statement claimed that the Surveillance aircraft will be unarmed, do not have a combat role, and will be tasked solely to locate hostages. Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authorities responsible for hostage rescue. Britain has been up to its neck in the arming of the Israeli regime that has killed tens of thousands, mainly civilians and the vast majority women and children, and reduced Gaza to rubble. Now everyone is expected to believe that the RAF will be carrying out blanket surveillance of Gaza and a large part of the eastern Mediterranean with no military purpose and will not make information gathered available to its main military ally in the region. British imperialism is gearing up for an escalation of the war in the Middle East and putting the necessary resources in place. Just two days before the drone surveillance announcement, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps revealed that the UK is sending one of its most lethal warships to the Gulf, HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer with the ability to shoot down missiles. HMS Diamond in waters off Bournemouth, England in 2018 Sky News reported, The UKs HMS Diamond will join a long-standing mission, dubbed Operation Kipion, which operates out of Bahrain and works with allied navies to provide additional maritime security to commercial shipping in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean equipped with a Wildcat helicopter, the Royal Navy destroyer will be joining HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 frigate, as well as three smaller minehunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship, the Ministry of Defence said. Another warship, HMS Duncan, is also on operations in the eastern Mediterranean. When the UK earlier deployed two support ships and surveillance aircraft to the region, the Sunak government said that British ships will be on standby to deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance. Shapps said that the latest deployment was a response to last months hijacking by Houthi rebels in Yemen of an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea. It is critical that the UK bolsters our presence in the region, to keep Britain and our interests safe from a more volatile and contested world, he said. Britains role in supplying Israels war-machine is critical. According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), UK industry provides 15% of the components in the F-35 stealth combat aircraft that are currently being used in the bombardment of Gaza. The contract for the components is estimated to be worth 336m since 2016. Israel has 50 F-35s on order from the US, with 22 already delivered by the end of 2022, reports CAAT. The organisation estimates that each aircraft involves around $12 million to UK industry. This would imply a value of $72 million (58m) for total UK deliveries of F-35s to Israel in 2022 Much of what the UK sends to Israels military is not even documented, with CAAT noting, Between 2018 and 2022, the UK exported 146m in arms sales via Single Issue Export Licences. However, a large proportion of military equipment exported is via Open General Export Licences. These open licences, which include the F-35 components, lack transparency and allow for unlimited quantities and value of exports of the specified equipment without further monitoring. Britain has two military bases on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, including RAF Akrotiri. Haaretz reported last month that over 40 US transport aircraft, 20 British transport aircraft and seven heavy transport helicopters have flown to RAF Akrotiri. They were loaded with cargo from strategic depots belonging to the US and NATO in Europe. US feeder flights to the Cyprus base have been made from Germany, Turkey and Spain. Britains military involvement also includes troops on the ground, with its Cyprus bases playing a key role. The WSWS reported last month that the Conservative government has issued notices to the media to suppress reports of the operations of the Special Air Service (SAS) in Gaza. This followed information revealed in several newspapers, including the Sun, which reported October 27, Britains military bases in Cyprus offer a strategic presence in the eastern Med. It revealed, And the SAS sabre squadron has been joined on the island by a 100-strong crisis command team. The Sunak government refuses to confirm whether it has troops on the ground already in Gaza. On Monday, MPs were allotted just one hour to ask the government questions of the Humanitarian Situation in the Strip; a debate which hardly any of the mainly pro-war MPs across all parties showed up for. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbynwho remains a party member but sits as an Independent having been expelled from the parliamentary party three years ago by leader Sir Kier Starmersaid in his comments that Israel is clearly undertaking an act of cleansing of the entire population of Gaza, which is illegal in international law. He then asked, What is the role, purpose and military objective of British military participation in the whole area? Can he [Leo Docherty, a parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Foreign Office] assure us that there are no British soldiers on the ground in Gaza? Docherty refused to even acknowledge the questions, replying, It is clear that Israels objective is to defend itself against the terrorist group of Hamas. Britains military role in the region is maintained to ensure its ruling elite profit from the spoils of genocide and war, as the trusted partners of US imperialism. Bloomberg and Newsweek reported in October that the Biden administration is considering sending in peacekeepers for the Gaza Strip, once Hamas is wiped out and Gaza depopulated, and that the Multinational force could include American, UK, French troops. Despite a November 1 statement by White House spokesperson John Kirby that there are no plans or intention to put US military troops on the ground in Gaza, now or in the future, Bloomberg reported that the Biden administration is still talking to partners about what a post-conflict Gaza should look like. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, if that means some sort of international presence, then thats something were talking about. Bloomberg reported that one option would grant temporary oversight to Gaza to countries from the region, backed by troops from the US, UK, Germany and France. On Monday, John Bolton, the former Republican US national security adviser, proposed at the UKs Foreign Affairs Select Committee that the Gaza Strip should be split into two territories, with Gaza north of the Wadi Gaza River administered by Israel and an area to the south run by Egypt. This would be initiated after the ethnic cleansing of most Palestinians and facilitate the transfer of those that remain. No Palestinians would be allowed to settle in Israel, which Bolton said would not even provide work visas, but must all be resettled in other countries. Striking nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in New Brunswick, New Jersey The United Steelworkers (USW) and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) announced a tentative agreement (TA) last Friday. The USW is preparing to end the nearly four-month-long strike by 1,700 nurses in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on the basis of an agreement that falls short of their needs. The nurses must prevent such a betrayal by continuing and expanding the strike, taking control out of the hands of the union bureaucracy. The strike began on August 4 when the nurses walked out to fight for safe staffing and enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios. While the nurses have stressed that these are their main demands, they also have opposed penalties for nurses who call out sick. In addition, the nurses are fighting for a cap on health insurance premiums, health benefits in retirement and raises to help them face the rising cost of living. A nurse at RWJUH who preferred to remain anonymous told the World Socialist Web Site that the strike had not ended. Were going to picket until we vote. Were not going back until we see the contract. Doubtless speaking for her coworkers, she said that the fight had been too arduous and too long for the nurses to settle for anything less than safe staffing. We gave up a lot, she said. RWJUH in New Brunswick is the main hospital of RWJBarnabas Health, which is the largest healthcare system and the largest private employer in New Jersey. The network encompasses 17 hospitals, including campuses of RWJUH in other cities such as Somerville and Rahway. In 2022, RWJBarnabas Health reported $7.6 billion in revenue. For months, RWJUH has refused the nurses demand for clear staffing ratios, claiming that they would deny it the flexibility it needs when patient volume is high. Trying to turn public opinion against the nurses, hospital officials accused them of engaging in unlawful acts and of continuing to mislead the public about staffing at RWJUH. On Labor Day weekend, administrators cut off the nurses health insurance. Weeks later, the hospital persuaded a judge to issue a restraining order that limited the size of the groups in which the nurses could gather and prohibited them from playing music. As of this writing, neither the hospital nor the union has released any details of the tentative agreement to the nurses or the public. Informational meetings about the agreement are scheduled for this week, and a vote could be held next week. In press releases, the USW has claimed that the agreement provides raises, caps insurance costs and includes enforceable safe staffing standards. Judy Danella, president of USW Local 4200, called the agreement historic but provided no specifics. The local bargaining committee unequivocally recommends ratification, said Danella. The absence of concrete information in these statements should give the nurses pause. Moreover, union officials have routinely attempted to prettify rotten agreements by calling them historic. If the TA is as strong as the USW claims, then there is no reason why the RWJUH workers should not have already received a copy with ample time to study it. Nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York recently found that what the New York State Nurses Association called a historic safe staffing victory was actually an agreement that codified understaffing. The New Brunswick nurses have little reason to trust the USW bureaucracy. The union, which reported $1.6 billion in total assets in 2022, has refused to give the nurses strike pay. To stay afloat, the nurses have consequently had to scramble to find second jobs or apply for unemployment. The USW has provided paltry gift cards to the nurses, but, as one nurse told the WSWS, gift cards dont pay the bills. Moreover, the USW has kept the New Brunswick nurses isolated. It has refused to call for the nurses at any of the other RWJBarnabas Health facilities to join the strike. These nurses, like nurses around the world, face the same attacks from the profit-driven healthcare system. But the USW has opposed a united struggle, which would be far more powerful. Instead, the USW has staged various protests to appear militant and to allow nurses to let off steam. In September, the USW held a vigil outside the home of Mark Manigan, president and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health. Predictably, Manigan remained deaf to the nurses demands. In addition to such stunts, the USW has encouraged the nurses to appeal to various Democrats. They have repeatedly urged Governor Phil Murphy to pressure the hospital on their behalf. But Murphy, a multimillionaire and former Goldman Sachs executive, has done nothing to help the nurses. In fact, he has a relationship with the hospitals administration. George Helmy, his former chief of staff, became executive vice president, chief external affairs and policy officer of the RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group in September. The USW has also encouraged appeals to Senator Bernie Sanders, a nominal independent who has long provided leftist cover for the Democrats. In October, Sanders held a sham hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in New Brunswick. No other member of the committee attended the hearing, which ostensibly was called to discuss the severe staffing crisis in hospitals. Its true purpose, however, was to allow Sanders to posture as a fighter for nurses and to bolster the credibility of the USW. The Democratic Partys immediate priorities are to support Israel in its campaign of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and to escalate its proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. To wage these wars effectively, the Democrats seek to suppress the class struggle and all opposition to war within the working class, relying on the trade unions to keep workers in line. The USW has dutifully played its assigned role throughout the strike at RWJUH. It has refused to expand the struggle to other RWJBarnabas facilities and, by denying the nurses strike pay, has attempted to starve its members into submission. Like the other trade unions, the USW is deeply integrated into the Democratic Party. It has sought to sow illusions among the nurses that the Democrats would defend their interests. But the Democrats, and the USW itself, serve the interests of the corporate and financial elite. The RWJUH nurses have fought a dogged and courageous battle for four months. They must not allow their struggle to be defeated now. The nurses must seize the leadership of their strike by forming a rank-and-file committee that is independent of the USW and of both capitalist political parties. The strike must be continued and expanded to other nurses and other sectors of the working class. The RWJUH nurses know that they are fighting not just for themselves, but also for healthcare workers everywhere. The logic of this fight leads to the replacement of the for-profit health system with a socialist system that provides healthcare to all as a human right. Baris Buyuksu, a Turkish citizen, in the port of Kos (Greece), sometime in October 2022. Facilitada por la familia On October 22, 2022, the Turkish Coast Guard spotted a boat drifting in the waters of the Aegean Sea, between the coast of Bodrum (Turkey) and the island of Kos (Greece). Although it didnt seem like it at first glance, the operation would be different from the dozens that are undertaken every day to rescue migrants who are illegally returned by the Greek Coast Guard to Turkish waters. On the lifeboat in addition to 15 Palestinian refugees there was a semi-conscious Turkish citizen. Upon being rescued by the Turkish officers, the first thing he asked for was water. His voice was barely audible. He drank with difficulty, one of the Palestinians would later recount. Then, he passed out on the floor. By the time they reached land, he was already dead. Signs of torture were evident on his body, which an autopsy later confirmed. His name was Baris Buyuksu. He was 30-years-old and of Kurdish descent, born and raised in the Turkish city of Izmir. You dont really know what pain is until it knocks on your door, says Dilan, the sister of the deceased, who receives EL PAIS in Izmir with her parents, Saime and Reyis Buyuksu. They are still mourning a year after having buried Baris. Added to the grief is the feeling of helplessness: despite the time that has passed and the investigation that was initiated by the Bodrum Prosecutors Office, his file is still lost in some office in Greece or Turkey, blocked in the bureaucracy of both countries. The most difficult thing, Dilan continues, is the uncertainty, the ambiguity. We know nothing, and the only possibility of an answer lies with the highest authorities. We ask for information every day they send us from one department to another, but no one knows anything. At the end of September 2022, Baris Buyuksu arrived in Greece without being intercepted by the Hellenic Coast Guard. His intention was to travel to France and request asylum there. Hence, he avoided contact with the authorities, so as not to be registered in Greece. The Dublin Regulation establishes that the state responsible for examining the asylum application is the one through which the person entered the European Union (EU). During his stay on the island of Kos, Baris stayed at the home of a friend, Safak, who had applied for refugee status in Greece. However, Safak who would die a few months later in a traffic accident in Athens, thus eliminating key testimony from the investigation. Of course, there are photographs that prove that Baris passed through Kos. Practically every day, he called us or sent us photos so we wouldnt worry, his family explains. Until, suddenly, the calls stopped. What happened next can be reconstructed thanks to the testimonies of several Palestinians who arrived in Kos on October 21, 2022. Their statements were collected in the summary prepared by the Bodrum Prosecutors Office. EL PAIS has had access to the document. Shortly after disembarking on the Greek island, the Palestinians were intercepted by half-a-dozen individuals covered in balaclavas. They carried guns, sticks and flashlights when these individuals captured us, they handcuffed us behind our backs, blindfolded us, and began to beat us with sticks. One or two hours later, they put us in a vehicle and took us somewhere, declared one of the Palestinians, a 24-year-old Gazan, when the Turkish police took his statement. Secret prisons The building they were taken to wasnt a police station. Several journalistic investigations have revealed the existence in Greece of extrajudicial detention centers, which are used to carry out quick deportations (the illegal expulsions of migrants). In 2021, The New York Times located an extrajudicial detention center near the Greek land border with Turkey. Last April, an investigation by the Greek media outlet Solomon revealed the location of one of these secret prisons on the island of Samos: a single-family house located in a beautiful cove with turquoise waters that, outside of the tourist season, is practically uninhabited. The Palestinians described the house as a two-room space, although they dont know if there were other rooms. The men, women and children were thrown into one of them, after being stripped of their money, mobile phones and even their clothes. From the other room came Baris Buyuksus shrill screams as he was being tortured. He had been arrested while trying to leave the island on a ferry to Athens. For the love of God, dont hit me! What have I done to you? This is what a 13-year-old Palestinian boy who knew Turkish claimed he heard Baris shout, according to his statement before the Prosecutors Office. They beat him with great violence, his screams reached our room. We also realized that they were giving him electric shocks, from the sound of the device, says the 24-year-old Gazan in his testimony. They continued to torture him throughout the night. A couple of hours before dawn, they rounded up the Turk and the Palestinians. They removed their handcuffs and blindfolds and loaded them onto a Greek Coast Guard boat, which in open water would abandon them in an inflatable lifeboat. The autopsy on Baris Buyuksu confirmed injuries consistent with witness statements. The eight coroners and medical experts who signed the report unanimously concluded that Baris death occurred due to general somatic trauma due to the fracture of several ribs and severe hemorrhage caused by bleeding in the internal soft tissues. The autopsy considers the causal relationship between death and the blows received to have been proven. It rules out any other cause of death. Missing file After the testimony of all the witnesses who also provided descriptions of the agents who participated in their arrests and detainment the investigating prosecutor noted that, together with the autopsy, the evidence was sufficient to require judicial collaboration from Greece. To this end, he ordered the translation of the entire case and that it be sent to Athens. And thats where the case came to a standstill. Two of the lawyers handling the case the Turkish citizen Nergiz Aslan and the Greek citizen Vicky Aggelidou gave a joint press conference in Izmir, this past November 3, in which they denounced the fact that the file still hasnt reached its destination. For this commission to be successful, the file must reach the Greek Ministry of Justice from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the Greeks would need to receive the file from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which must first receive it from the Turkish Ministry of Justice. The lawyers arent clear if the documentation is already in the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or if it hasnt been sent over by the Turkish authorities yet. The file has been sent to the Greek authorities and theyve been asked about it twice, without receiving a response, says a source from the Turkish Ministry of Justice, without specifying more details. The Greek authorities havent responded to requests for information made by EL PAIS. The Buyuksu familys legal team suspects that the reason for this delay is the recent moment of good relations that the governments of Greece and Turkey are experiencing. The relationship between these two countries is always complex, often tortuous hence, both governments take special care to maintain the periods of calm for as long as possible. The lawyers fear that neither of them wants the case to go further. If Turkey proceeds with the case, it will be officially accusing Greek officials of having committed torture and murder. Some of the Palestinians who were illegally returned by Greece to Turkey in an inflatable boat. They are pictured upon being rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard, on October 22, 2022. Guardia Costera de Turquia Saime Buyuksu doesnt care about the geopolitical balance: she just wants to clarify what happened to her son. Its something very difficult for the whole family to process, she laments. Dilan who cannot help but burst into tears when she remembers the testimonies about her brothers torture explains that theyre willing to move mountains in search of answers, because they want justice to be done. Weve begun to understand that were not alone, that there are other families going through similar situations. True justice would be that this isnt repeated again. Numerous testimonies from migrants illegally deported from Greece and collected by human rights organizations accuse Greek security forces of excessive violence and mistreatment. Torture is a crime against humanity. For me, its very difficult to understand this savagery. How can one human being do this to another? We have nothing against the Greek people or the Greek state, says Baris father, Reyis, who after remaining silent throughout the interview begins to speak, with a tired voice and emphatic words. The European Union boasts of being a place of justice, law and fairness and Greece is part of this system. So, if this happens in Greece and justice isnt done, perhaps the EU itself isnt based on justice, but on lies. By Asim Aliyev The State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market under the Economy Ministry and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) held a meeting, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Ministry of Economy. The meeting discussed the cooperation between the two institutions to expand the development of the halal ecosystem in Azerbaijan. Representatives of the two institutions discussed the exchange of experience in the development of a halal ecosystem. Head of the State Service Mamed Abbasbeyli reported on measures taken in the field of quality infrastructure, as well as the work carried out within the framework of the "State Program for 2023-2025 on the adaptation of the national standardization system to international standards. Requirements". Special emphasis was placed on the measures implemented by the State Service for the development of halal-quality infrastructure in the country. Farid Khan, Country Operations Manager, IDB, emphasized that the steps taken to strengthen quality infrastructure are commendable. The Pegasus case has finally gone to trial in Mexico. On Monday, the court heard testimony from Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui, who was allegedly spied on during the government of Enrique Pena Nieto (2012-2018). Aristegui was the first witness called by the Prosecutors Office in a trial that could go on for months. The Pegasus case is one of the biggest scandals to hit Mexico. It centers on the powerful spyware called Pegasus, which was developed by the Israeli company NSO Group and is only available to government agencies. Pegasus can take control of a cellphone without its owner noticing and, in addition to accessing all its contents, it can also turn it into a listening and image capture terminal. The Pegasus case in Mexico involves potentially thousands of victims and various government administrations. Speaking in court on Monday, Aristegui demanded that those responsible be held accountable. I hope that the Attorney Generals Office has enough elements to clarify the case, she said, according to the Mexican newspaper Reforma. The prosecutors star witness, a whistleblower with the code named Zeus, also appeared in court on Monday. They accused Pena Nieto and his direct subordinates of ordering the alleged spying operation against Aristegui, and other key figures such as business magnate Carlos Slim and mining mogul German Larrea. The trial is just one part of the sprawling Pegaus case; the Prosecutors Office (FGR) is also investigating the alleged fraudulent purchase of the spyware during the last administration. But the probe has yet to reach court, which has angered the FGR. In May, the agency reported that it had requested the trial start three times, but with no success. The scandal also goes beyond the Pena years. During the current administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, government agencies also acquired the spyware. According to an investigation by the Digital Rights Defense Network released at the end of last year, the armed forces acquired Pegasus in 2019, and spied on at least three people, including journalist Ricardo Raphael and human rights defender Raymundo Ramos. But the case first broke out when Pena Nieto was still in office. It sparked widespread outrage, with the public questioning whether the countrys security agencies were being used to spy on journalists and activists. Aristegui was one of the few to take the case to court. During Pena Nietos early years, the reporter and her investigative team had tracked corruption among the president and his entourage. At the end of 2014, the team published a report on the presidents relationship with one of his governments favorite business conglomerates, Grupo Higa. Pena Nieto and his family owned a house in an upmarket neighborhood in the capital, which was actually registered in the name of Group Higa, and enjoyed the protection of the army. It was a huge blow to Pena Nietos image, which was already floundering in the wake of the military executions of civilians in Tlatlaya and the disappearance of dozens of students from Ayotzinapa. It was at this time that Aristeguis phone was targeted by Pegasus. The investigative journalist, who created her own news network, reported on the espionage. During this time, she received thousands of documents from a source about the surveillance carried out by the Pena Nieto administration. That source was Zeus, the star witness of the Pegasus case. The information provided by Zeus indicated that the espionage campaign had been carried out by a subsidiary of one of the suppliers of Pegasus in Mexico, the KBH business group. Aristegui handed over this information to the FGR, which in 2021 arrested the alleged operator of the spyware, Juan Carlos Garcia Rivera, a worker at a KBH subsidiary. His arrest raised a number of questions. If NSO Group only sold to governments, how was it possible that Aristegui had been spied on by a private firm? Is NSO Group lying? Or was the Mexican government outsourcing a compromising part of its operations? According to Zeus, the former is most likely to be true. The FGR is calling for Garcia Rivera to be sentenced to 16 years in prison for illegal phone tapping. Prosecutors offered him a reduced sentence in exchange for pleading guilty, but he refused. It is not known how long the trial will last, but the number of witnesses and evidence that must be presented before the judge, in addition to the upcoming holiday season, may delay the process for months. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The delirious accusations that the authorities of the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo regime have leveled against the director of the Miss Nicaragua organization, Karen Celebertti, who was banished last week, and her husband, Martin Arguello Leiva, and son, Bernardo Arguello Celebertti, kidnapped and disappeared, have provoked astonishment and resounding condemnation among Nicaraguans and international public opinion. The three, who form part of the organization that promoted the coronation of Sheynnis Palacios at the Miss Universe contest in El Salvador and who are therefore co-participants in what was received as a great national triumph, have been charged without any evidence of crimes of conspiracy, treason, terrorism, incitement to hatred, organized crime, and money laundering, among other fabrications invented at the Casa Naranja. In reality, the only thing they are guilty of is to have worked with impartiality and professionalism to organize the Miss Nicaragua contest, and to have supported Palacios in her preparation for the Miss Universe pageant, where her wealth of beauty, talent, and charisma saw her crowned two weeks ago in San Salvador. Palacios is a beauty queen who also finds herself threatened by this string of insane accusations and whose only crime has been to restore joy and hope to the people of Nicaragua through her own efforts, and not thanks to Commander Daniel and comrade Rosario, as the official propaganda states. The police communique, penned by Murillo in her own handwriting, is an act that dishonors the National Police and that, without being a criminal accusation, foretells a sentence of guilt by describing the accused as stateless. But, in the end, it serves to reveal the paranoia, fear, and desperation of a family dictatorship that pretends to control everything but cannot silence the explosion of joy that Palacios victory has provoked in the streets and on social networks, just as it has not been able to crush the freedom of conscience of Monsignor Rolando Alvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa who for 10 months has been locked up in a maximum security cell in La Modelo prison. Integrity, decency, solidarity and the capacity for indignation the same values practiced and preached by the great jurist Dr. Roberto Arguello Hurtado, former president of the Supreme Court of Justice, father, grandfather, and father-in-law of the three victims are their only shield against an infamous accusation in a lawless country. We Nicaraguans have never lost our capacity for astonishment in condemning the dictatorships crimes against humanity, even though they are increasingly irrational. First, they massacred the people en masse in 2018. They imprisoned thousands and sent hundreds of thousands of families into exile. They stripped us of the right to elect and be elected in 2021. Then they eliminated all civic spaces and civil society organizations. They confiscated universities and independent media. They unleashed a ferocious persecution against the Catholic Church and religious freedom. And now they are trying to politicize a beauty pageant by presenting it as an alleged coup detat. The crazy assault against Miss Nicaragua and Miss Universe is part of the legacy of chaos and disaster that Ortega intends to bequeath to Nicaraguan society: a family dynasty with a more totalitarian dictatorship, although one without legitimacy or popular support. And all his accomplices know this perfectly well: the army and police generals, the brand new economic ministers, the political operators of the regime, and their frontmen and paramilitaries. They know that this dynasty is destined to fail because they will never be able to confiscate the joy and hope of the people, and freedom of conscience. After living for five years under a de facto police state that has violated all freedoms, Nicaraguans continue to condemn the injustice, in silence. Civic resistance, in jail and in exile, is a democratic conquest more powerful than the rifles and slander of the dictatorship in its current state of total moral degradation. It is possible that in the dictators mafia mentality, Martin and Bernardo Arguello are seen as mere bargaining chips, as hostages to try to silence Sheynnis Palacios. But that is a futile gamble because she has never been, nor pretends to be, a political actor. Instead, the explosion of joy that her triumph has unleashed is already part of a new wave of change that, sooner rather than later, will end up burying a decrepit dictatorship. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition 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 Bernardo Arevalo, a calm and composed academic, holds a degree in sociology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a doctorate in social anthropology from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Elected as president of Guatemala in August, Arevalo is set to take the oath of office on January 14. However, this unusually long period between election and inauguration has created an opportunity for conspiracies and dark forces aimed at preventing him from assuming the position that he rightfully earned with an overwhelming majority of votes. Having an academic presiding over Guatemala who speaks to the public with scholarly eloquence instead of the usual corrupt demagoguery will seem like a dramatic plot twist for the country if the coup his adversaries have orchestrated fails. After all, his predecessors include the likes of President Alejandro Giammattei, whose main accomplishment was his brief tenure as the head of Guatemalas prison system. Before him was Jimmy Morales, an unfunny TV comedian turned populist politician. And lets not forget the cast of bloodthirsty generals, including Efrain Rios Montt, the self-proclaimed prophet of the evangelical Church of the Word who was later convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. In Guatemala, the exercise of power has been characterized by a persistent disregard for the rule of law, the spurious management of the countrys institutions, and the unjust imprisonment of journalists like Ruben Zamora, director of El Periodico. Moreover, there is a troubling pattern of persecution against judges, prosecutors and human rights attorneys dedicated to fulfilling their legal duties, often resulting in their forced exile. Power is furtively wielded in Guatemala by a feudal clan bound together by an infamous pact of corruption. Its an alliance of aging, avaricious oligarchs, ruthless crime bosses and retired military men with long careers of brutal repression. In their efforts to prevent Arevalo from taking office, the clan has resorted to all sorts of brazenly crude tactics. Their main weapons are prosecutors Consuelo Porras and Rafael Curruchiche, and a judge named Fredy Orellana all three have been sanctioned by the U.S. government. Their attacks included suspending Arevalos Seed Movement political party, seizing ballot boxes and interfering with the electoral process. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Justice floundered to react and even colluded with the leadership of the National Congress in these anti-democracy maneuvers. The president-elects chances of taking office would be very low if not for the mobilization of the forgotten and marginalized people of Guatemala. The Indigenous Mayan, Quiche and Cachiquel communities (60% of the population), historically subjected to oppression, discrimination and extermination campaigns like the one Rios Montt directed in the 1980s, have stepped up as the saviors of Guatemalas democracy. The Assembly of Authorities of People in Resistance, comprising 22 Indigenous representatives from the nations 48 cantons, has summoned their people to Guatemala City to defend democracy. In a display of peaceful protest, thousands have flooded the streets, blocking roads, and organizing sit-ins outside the Public Prosecutors Office and the courts. Their unified demand is simple respect the Constitution and has garnered widespread support from students, labor unions, market vendors and large swaths of the middle class. Traditionally, Indigenous authorities have been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring peace and well-being within their communities. They oversee the proper use of communal lands, safeguard forests and water sources, and take care of the streets and cemeteries. However, in recent years, they have taken on a new role as champions of resistance, opposing laws that threaten the environment or grant immunity to military perpetrators of genocide. Now, they have emerged as defenders of democracy, demanding recognition of the duly elected presidents victory and calling for the removal of judicial officials who take part in the pact of corruption. Spokespersons from the far-right organizations prevalent in the pact of corruption spout racist claims that hordes of wild Indians have descended upon the capital. But the leader of the Juchanep Indigenous community has firmly stood his ground, declaring, We are here out of moral obligation. We do not represent mere power, but true authority. We will not allow Guatemala to fall prey to a de facto government imposed on us. If, on January 14, president-elect Bernardo Arevalo successfully takes hold of the power given to him by the peoples vote and we should trust that he will it will be a testament to the indomitable spirit of the other Guatemala, the Indigenous majority who have steadfastly resisted with an authority that transcends mere power. Sergio Ramirez is a Nicaraguan writer exiled in Spain and the winner in 2017 of the Miguel de Cervantes Prize, awarded annually to honor the lifetime achievement of an outstanding writer in the Spanish language. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition When he was little, Adriano Berjillos listened to his father tell stories about their family. He knew that he had a great ancestor from Germany. Thats where he got his pale skin and blonde hair, his father said. Thirty years later, an email from 23andMe told him the same thing. Berjillos paid around $100, spat into a test tube and a few weeks later was able to take a look at his own DNA. Welcome to yourself, the email said. The family legends became tangible when he discovered that, indeed, he had 4.5% Franco-German ancestry. That there was a good chance that he had pale skin and blonde or brown hair. That he didnt have freckles. And that his big toe would be longer than the rest. And it got everything right, he says, surprised. It also told him that he had less than 1% Ashkenazi ancestry, a Jewish community that settled in central Europe in the 9th century. This community, along with the Chinese, was the main target of a group of hackers who last September accessed the 23andMe databases to steal genetic profiles. They put Berjillos, and that of four million other users, up for sale on a deepweb forum. It was assumed that some health insurers might be interested. Or some tabloids, since the data included, with names and surnames, the genetic profiles of famous people. Others suggested that the real purpose was to blackmail 23andMe by threatening to damage its reputation. Berjillos isnt all that interested in the case. In Europe, there is complete, public healthcare, and he says had already shared his data on the online forum Forocoches. He doesnt think having a very long big toe is particularly interesting information or anything worth hiding. When he spoke with EL PAIS he hadnt even checked his email to see if his data had been stolen. Hey, yes, he added in a later audio message. I checked and sure enough, they sent me an email. Data is the oil of the digital economy and in recent years, millions of people have uploaded their DNA data to the internet, which could be a problem. Maybe not for someone like Berjillos, but users with genetic malformations, public profiles and people belonging to ethnic minorities who face racist crackdowns (such as the Uighurs in China or the Rohingya in Myanmar) may have more misgivings. Most clients (up to 80% in the case of 23andMe) allow their genome to be used for medical research. And this, in addition to leading to interesting studies, is of great benefit to DNA testing companies. In 2018, 23andMe reached a more than $300-million agreement with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, GlaxoSmithKline, for the development of new drugs. Before this deal, more than a dozen similar agreements had been signed. These data are usually anonymized, but a 2021 study in the journal Nature warned about residual risk of individual identification. Most large companies in the sector make profits by selling their clients genetic data, the Spanish company 24Genetics states on its website. We do not. The groups president, Nacho Esteban, explains that European laws offer more protections than American ones. That is the Wild West of data, he says. But he points out that the data is anonymized, and that its use for scientific purposes can be positive. We, for example, did research on genetics and how it affects Covid. We did it for free and we were published in Nature. The data is kept online to be updated with the notable scientific advances that occur in this field. And to connect family members as they create profiles. It started as a kind of Facebook for genes, but little by little, it is putting together the puzzle of humanitys DNA. There are already so many pieces that it is often possible to locate the missing ones. It is estimated that having genetic profiles of 2% of the adult population of a country would be enough to locate the relatives of any citizen from an anonymous DNA sample. According to a study by JAMA Insights, more than 26 million tests were performed in 2021. Three years later, only the two largest companies, 23andMe and Ancestry, exceeded that figure, reaching 33 million. The numbers are growing exponentially. In the United States, the probability of locating someone is very high, says Antonio Alonso, geneticist and director of Spains National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences. Antonio Alonso, director of Spain's National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, photographed at its headquarters in Madrid. Santi Burgos Alonso explains that this has multiple implications. To begin with, in the field of police investigation, it will be possible to find almost any criminal with a DNA sample. In 2018, the Sacramento police arrested after more than 40 years the so-called Golden State Killer, one of the largest serial killers and rapists in the history of the United States, thanks to gene banks. A researcher uploaded a genetic sample of the mysterious killer to GEDmatch. They began to find distant relatives, until they closed in on Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. The case made headlines around the world due to the notoriety of the killer, but it is far from being a one-off. We have investigated 700 cases with this technique, many of them solved, says Alonso. Especially in the U.S., but also in Europe. Until now, a computer program called CODIS was used for these cases. This program which was created by the FBI and is also used in many European countries contains data from DNA profiles of inmates, forsensic evidence, and missing people. It studies about 20 or 25 regions of DNA. But in recent years, due to the popularity of public databases, managed by private companies, a new form of research has opened up. There are tens of millions of people in these databases, not a few thousand. And its analysis is much more exhaustive. There, not 20, but 600,000 regions of the genome are being analyzed, says Alonso. Thats why they are so effective. On these public databases are people who want to know how much Viking blood they have, what genetic malformations they may develop or if they have a fourth cousin who lives in Australia. But in the process, they may be providing the information necessary to put a family member in jail. Before, it was the needle that was recorded. Now the entire haystack is being searched, but in such detail and so methodically that any needle can be triangulated. Thanks to DNA databases, with the help of public records and social networks, its possible to reach the correct branch of the correct family tree, narrowing down the mystery person until the number of suspects is reduced to a dozen. This does not take you directly to the criminal, but to a group of family members up to the fourth degree, explains Alonso. Then you have to investigate who that person is, the geographical and temporal dimensions, the age of the individual. CODIS has certain limitations. It only records the sex of the person, when technology allows for a much more detailed description. This is the future, but it has to be accompanied by appropriate legislation, says Begona Sanchez, a Spanish police commissioner. We are going towards massive sequencing. Mar Anes, adopted, has managed to locate distant family thanks to DNA testing. Files are destroyed, genes are not It is not only the police who are interested in triangulating an unknown person through genetic material. Alonso is helping to set up a state DNA bank for victims of the Spanish Civil War and the dictatorship. The tool will help identify remains from mass graves of murdered people, and will also include the genetic profiles of people allegedly affected by the stolen baby scandal, although he recently told EL PAIS that he does not know of any cases. This type of investigation is also often used by adopted people who are searching for their roots. Genetic testing first began as a way to find out whether they were predisposed to certain diseases, but with the advancement of biotechnology, it has become a tool to locate their biological family. Files can be destroyed, but genes cannot. The only thing that will never disappear is DNA, says Beatriz Beneitez, the president of the association The Voice of the Adopted. She has never done DNA testing, but she has helped many people on this path. I always guide them and advise them to do it, she says. Thats what she did with Mar Anes. My intention was to find a direct relative or someone who brought me closer to the same goal, perhaps a distant cousin, explains Anes, a 52-year-old adoptee and adopter in an audio message. She got 1,500 results. One of the closest was Nelly, an 80-year-old fourth cousin. Now Nelly is also her friend and they talk almost every day. Sometimes she sends her a photo and Nelly replies: You have eyes just like this or that cousin. When she goes to the doctor, Nelly reminds her of their familys medical history. They are simple exchanges, but for Anes they mean the world. Nobody had looked for a family resemblance until then, nobody had told her about her background. Its very nice, she says. Anes knows from her genetic profile that most of her family comes from the Spanish province of Leon, but genetic tests are not very popular there. That is why she has not been able to locate a closer relative. Im not doing an active search either, she explains, I dont think I could handle another rejection. But every few months, she checks her profile on 23andMe to see if there are any updates, if a new family member has taken the test. She knows its just a matter of time. Nacho Esteban also believes this. He says the sector has grown enormously in recent years, and believes that it is not a passing fad but the start of a growing trend. These technologies are increasingly capable of reading more data with greater precision and at a lower cost, he says. This explains why DNA testing companies are seeing a rise in demand. There are clear and numerous benefits. But there are also risks, such as data leaks. Or possibly sending a distant (and guilty) relative to jail. But the thing is, even if your genetic information is not in one of these enormous DNA data banks, there will always be a distant cousin, aunt or nephew who has taken a DNA test. Your genetic material is already online, even if you have never been tested. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Chinese streaming giant iQiyi has hailed the integration of artificial intelligence into its development and pitching processes. Owned by Chinese technology conglomerate Baidu, iQiyi has been well-positioned to quickly incorporate AI into several key areas of development and production. More from Deadline The platforms Chief Content Officer, Wang Xiaohui, told delegates at the Singapores Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) today that AI integration has brought startling efficiencies to its content teams and allowed for instant responses to producer pitches. In the development phase, iQiyi uses AI to digest large amounts of text from shortlisted novels and books to produce summaries. We can turn 2,000,000 words in a novel into an 8,000-word document that outlines the plot and includes character analyses, said Wang. This has shortened iQiyis pitch and feedback process from 3-4 days when performed by humans to just one hour with AI. The summaries generated by AI have an accuracy of 90%, added Wang. Further down the production pipeline, iQiyi has used AI to develop character artwork and scene designs, as well as poster mock-ups to support its publicity efforts. The use of AI has been a big talking point in film and TV circles this year, with the issue being a major sticking point in the actors and writers strikes. Many producers have been experimenting with the medium, while studios, networks and congloms have so far mainly sought to use it for business efficiencies. Away from AI, Wang said iQiyi has shifted its priorities toward making high-quality premium content, after acknowledging that the streamer was trying to improve its quality-to-price ratio. In the future, whether it is membership revenue or advertising revenue, they are definitely going to come from premium content, he said. Over the last five years, iQiyi has launched more than 100 originals, including 60 titles in 2023. An iQiyi spokesperson said the stream has spent RMB 10B ($1.4B) per year for the past two years on original productions, and will continue this spending trend not lower than this mark for the coming years. Wang also expressed a desire to produce more costume and historical dramas for the platform, tapping into Chinas rich history and providing a unique, differentiated product for iQiyis audience. Chinas 5,000 years of culture can provide an endless treasure trove of stories, said Wang. Our Chinese market has also cultivated its own power of creation. iQiyi recently posted RMB8 billion ($1.1 billion) in total revenues and operating income of RMB746.7 million ($102.4 million) for the third quarter of 2023. Pan-Asian Partnership Elsewhere at ATF today, Thailands Mono Streaming unveiled a Memorandum of Understanding with KT Studio Genie, the content production subsidiary of Korean telecom giant KT. The pan-Asian partnership will focus on content creation and distribution. The partners say it signals a recognition of Korean contents global soft power and the desire for Mono Streaming to look beyond local shores to develop original content. We would like to work on projects that show the soft power of Thailand and Korea together, and with any other partners, to get to the next level, said Mono Next CEO Patompong Sirachairat. Thailand already has several well-known aspects, like Thai food, Thai actors and Thai sports. Studio Genies CEO Kim Chul-yeon was present on stage alongside Mono Nexts CEO Patompong Sirachairat during the announcement. The Korean studios biggest title so far is Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which broke viewership ratings domestically on the ENA network and was a hit on Netflix. Beyond the MOU, Sirachairat told delegates that Mono Next is seen in Thailand as the new kid on the block. While the service started out offering 100% acquired content, Sirachairat outlined the companys ambition to have at least 30% original content and launch 15-24 original titles per year. A key audience demographic for Mono Next is the 35+ age bracket. which has pushed the company to offer dubbing in Thai for 100% of its shows and provide bundling options with local telcos. The company also owns MONO29, a 24-hour domestic channel. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Tucker Carlson was ousted from Fox News earlier this year, along with producer Justin Wells. (Seth Wenig / Associated Press) Justin Wells, the ex-Fox News producer who was in charge of Tucker Carlson's program before both men were ousted earlier this year, is being sued in a sexual assault case by a former employee of the conservative news network. The former employee, Andrew Delancey, says that early in his career at the network, Wells made unwanted sexual advances when he visited the producer's apartment, according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday in the Southern District of New York. Fox News is also named as a defendant in the suit, which accuses the company of negligence. The incident described in the 20-page suit dates back to 2008, when Wells was a producer for Greta Van Susteren, who was then a Fox News anchor. Wells became producer of Carlson's program in 2017, overseeing its rise into becoming the most-watched program on cable news. He eventually held the title of senior executive producer and vice president. Carlson's program, which had lost its major advertising support due to the host's inflammatory remarks about race and immigration and conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 insurrection, was pulled off the air on April 24. Wells was terminated the same day. A Fox News representative did not have an immediate comment on the matter. Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer for Wells, said in a statement that her client "denies the allegations unequivocally, and will contest them vigorously. Dhillon called the suit "another attempt by a law firm with a history of suing Fox and its former employees to cash in on frivolous allegations. According to the suit, Wells contacted Delancey on Aug. 3, 2007, through direct messages on Facebook. Wells said he was a producer at the Fox-owned TV station WNYW and had formerly worked at the company's Tampa station where Delancey was employed at the time. In their messages, Delancey expressed a desire to work in New York. Read more: How I survived Roger Ailes' wrath in 1988: 'He wanted to beat you up a little bit' Delancey was hired in 2008 to work for Fox News Edge, a service that coordinates news content with Fox TV affiliates. Delancey did not report to Wells, but was assigned tasks for Van Susteren's program. The suit said Wells made it clear to Delancey on more than one occasion that he could help his career at Fox News. When Delancey expressed unhappiness about his salary at Fox News, Wells offered to recommend him for a higher paying position at the NBC station in New York. Wells also invited Delancey to a get together with other co-workers at the Barracuda Lounge, a gay bar in New York's Chelsea neighborhood. Delancey said he met up with Wells, who suggested they first go up to his one-bedroom apartment for a "pre-game cocktail." Delancey was served a vodka with cranberry juice. Wells then allegedly forced Delancey onto his bed and "violently forced his tongue" into his mouth, according to the suit. Wells then attempted to pull off Delancey's jeans and grabbed his genitals. Delancey's suit said he yelled "no" and was able to "slow down the attack." Delancey said he convinced Wells that they should head back to the Barracuda Lounge. Wells agreed but wanted Delancey to see the view from the rooftop of his apartment building. As they went up the stairwell, Wells attacked him again, putting his hand down the front of Delancey's pants, according to the suit. Delancey pulled away and told Wells to stop. He left the apartment building and did not return to the bar. Delancey continued to pursue the job at the NBC station. He was not hired and believes Wells withdrew his recommendation. After the interview, Delancey said Wells told him he was "was not thinking straight" and "screwing himself over." He believed Wells was telling him he was hurting himself by not giving in to his sexual advances. Delancey said when he discussed the incident with his supervisor at Fox News Edge, the superior discouraged him from reporting it to human resources. He said he mentioned the occurrence to female employees at the company who told them they had also been harassed by Wells. Delancey said his career progression at the company stopped, and he returned to his previous position at the Fox TV station in Tampa. Delancey recounted the details of the alleged incident with no mention of Wells in a 2017 Facebook post to show solidarity with women who were telling their harassment stories during the #MeToo movement. Wells reached out to Delancey to offer support. Delancey said Wells wrote, "Hey. Saw your post. I'm sorry that happened to you. Who was it?" according to the suit. Delancey did not respond. Read more: Fox News' Sean Hannity on his unlikely relationship with Gavin Newsom: 'We just hit it off' Delancey is seeking a jury trial. He filed his claim under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily opened a window to bypass the statute of limitations in New York for filing a civil sexual abuse lawsuit. Earlier this year, Fox News paid a $12-million settlement to former producer Abby Grossberg, who claimed she faced sexual harassment and a hostile work environment while working for Carlson's program where Wells was a supervisor. Delancey is being represented by the same law firm, Filappatos PLLC in New York. Fox News has been the defendant in a number of sexual harassment lawsuits and has paid millions to settle other claims since former anchor Gretchen Carlson sued founding chief executive Roger Ailes in 2016. The company has taken measures to address the deficiencies in handling such matters in recent years since under current chief executive Suzanne Scott. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Authorities say a wolf hybrid kept as a pet attacked and killed an infant in Alabama last week Katie Forbis A wolfdog An infant in Alabama was killed after being attack by a wolf hybrid that the babys family kept as a pet an animal that is legal to own in the state, according to authorities. The deadly incident occurred Thursday in Shelby County. The infant was taken to the hospital and succumbed to their injuries sustained during the attack. FOX 6 reported that Chelsea, Ala., Mayor Tony Picklesimer said owning a wolf hybrid is not illegal in the city or the state. Katie Forbis, the marketing manager at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, who has been working with wolves and wolfdogs since 2013, tells PEOPLE she believes that for the most part, people shouldnt own dogs that have wolf DNA, unless they understand wolfdogs require more care than regular dogs and are willing to sacrifice their normal lives. For me personally, I'm of the opinion that 99.99999 percent of people should not have them, Forbis says. But there really are some fantastic owners out there who do a great job. Related: Infant Dies After Being Attacked by Wolf Hybrid Kept as Pet by Family While she says wolfdogs are not necessarily dangerous, Forbis notes they can be unpredictable and require a lot more dedication from owners. Forbis also pointed out the possibility that the dog in Alabama might not have been a wolf hybrid. Authorities have not yet released DNA results or photos of the dog, and Forbis says breeders will often mislead buyers who are seeking a wolf mix, adding that some owners who come to the sanctuary believing they have a wolfdog actually dont. Over the last few years we've actually realized that only 10 to 15 percent of people that think they have a wolfdog actually have one, Forbis says. And fewer than 10 percent of those people have wolfdogs with significant content. 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. A wolfdog can mean different things. A low-content mix contains primarily dog DNA, meaning its mostly a domestic dog. A mid-content ranges from 50 to 84 percent, Forbis says, while anything above that is considered high-content and typically are indistinguishable from a wolf. While wolves are illegal to own, wolfdogs are explicitly permitted in multiple states, while some states do not specifically refer to them in legislation. In Alabama, where the attack occurred, they are not prohibited. The Shelby County Sheriffs Office says the wolf hybrid was euthanized by a veterinarian and taken to the Alabama State Diagnostics Laboratory in Auburn for further investigation. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Who bears the responsibility for overseeing the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), particularly foundation models like ChatGPT? The debate over a new European Union (EU) directive on the revolutionary and highly disruptive AI technology is leaning towards self-regulation. Documents reviewed by EL PAIS show that Spain, the current European Council (EC) president, supports a self-regulatory approach with limited obligations. Several EC Member States advocate implementing codes of conduct for companies, along with intermediate supervision layers. The European Parliament (EP) seeks a stronger framework, while influential countries like France, Italy, and Germany argue that strict oversight could hinder innovation in European research and companies. European regulators are trailing behind the United States, which has already implemented legislation requiring technology companies to promptly report advancements posing significant risks to national security. Spain, which will transfer the EC presidency to Belgium by the end of December, has prioritized finalizing an AI directive and has proposed a set of codes of conduct for foundation models (those trained on a broad corpus of unlabeled data that can be adapted to many tasks) that imply greater risk. The proposed directive calls them foundation models with systemic risk. In other words, they have high-impact capabilities that may pose systemic risks at the EU level, since their results may not be fully known or understood during development and release. The proposed directive also seeks to require codes of conduct that include both internal measures and active dialogue with the European Commission to identify potential systemic risks, develop possible mitigating measures and ensure an adequate level of cybersecurity protection. The codes of conduct must include transparency obligations for foundation models, as well as energy consumption reporting. The directive could empower the European Commission to adopt secondary legislation on systemic risk models, specifying technical elements and keeping benchmarks up-to-date. This allows for potential new regulatory efforts. Spains proposal also recommends establishing a supervisory agency for artificial intelligence. This new organization would enhance security by implementing a centralized monitoring system. It could also satisfy the EPs demand for a specialized oversight entity. Representatives from the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission will meet on December 6 to debate and finalize the AI directive. Its a crucial meeting to agree on the general architecture of a law that maintains a technologically neutral approach by regulating end uses of AI through a pyramid of risk categories proposed by the European Parliament. The European Union aims to be the first region in the world to establish legislation regarding AI. This legislation will cover its uses, limitations, protection of citizens fundamental rights, and participation in governance. At the same time, it will ensure the competitiveness of our companies, said Carme Artigas, Spains Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Artigas believes the EU should go beyond establishing a code of conduct and self-regulation models for high-risk uses like disinformation, discrimination, manipulation, surveillance and deep fakes. Innovation and advancement must be supported while addressing these challenges. The European AI regulation is not only a legal and technical standard but also a moral standard, said Artigas. However, two crucial points still need resolution when negotiations resume on December 6. The first pertains to biometric surveillance systems, while the second concerns the control of highly unpredictable foundation models with systemic risk. These two concerns were behind the recent OpenAI drama that saw CEO Sam Altman get fired and reinstated within four days. Open AI researchers had alerted the board about a groundbreaking AI discovery with potential threats to humanity, leading to Altmans dismissal. A few weeks ago, Germany, France, and Italy expressed their support for broad self-regulation of companies developing AI systems, and proposed codes of conduct that would be mandatory. In a position paper sent to EU Member States, they advocated for self-regulation in general-purpose AI, emphasizing a balanced pro-innovation approach based on AI risk. They also advocated against unnecessary administrative burdens that could hinder Europes ability to innovate. Additionally, the confidential document revealed their commitment to initially eliminating sanctions for non-compliance through transparent codes of conduct and active dialogue between regulators and AI companies. However, the approach espoused by Germany, France and Italy has been opposed by other Member States and various experts who want an undiluted law, calling for fewer codes of conduct and more rules. Self-regulation is not enough, said Leonardo Cervera Navas, secretary general of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS). Cervera has vocally supported the idea of placing a future European AI oversight entity under the authority of the EDPS. This entity, says Cervera, could act as a bridge between those who favor self-regulation and those who want clearly defined legal obligations. It would enable a significant level of self-regulation, but with oversight from an independent legal authority, safeguarding the interests of companies. Cervera believes the ideal is a flexible regulatory approach that strikes a balance between agility and strong oversight while avoiding excessive dogmatism. This is also the stance of the EP negotiators, who emphasize the need for a comprehensive directive to ensure citizen security and protect their fundamental rights in the face of potentially intrusive technologies, some of which we may not yet fully comprehend. The Council needs to drop the idea of relying solely on voluntary commitments made by developers of the most powerful models. We need explicit obligations clearly stated in the text, said Brando Benifei, an Italian EP legislator who is one of the negotiators in the inter-institutional talks on AI regulation. EP legislators say certain indispensable obligations should be legally established, such as data governance, cybersecurity measures and energy efficiency standards. Benifei cautioned against capitulating on these issues just to reach a quick agreement. Every party in the negotiations seems to agree on the need to prohibit or restrict what the EP calls intrusive and discriminatory uses of AI. This includes real-time and public space biometric surveillance systems, with only a few exceptions for security purposes. The EP position is stricter than the one adopted by the EC, but there is cautious optimism about finding a middle ground. Still, the EP is refusing to bend regarding bans on predictive policing, biometric surveillance in public places, and emotion recognition systems in workplaces and educational systems. We must adequately safeguard fundamental rights while imposing necessary restrictions when [these technologies] are used for security and surveillance purposes, said Brando Benifei. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition "This defendant allegedly preyed on a teenage student and sexually abused her both on his bus and at his apartment," said Nassau County's District Attorney Nassau County District Attorney A bus driver in Long Island, New York, has been indicted on charges of raping and kidnapping a teenage student at a local high school, according to the Nassau County District Attorneys Office. Giovanny Campos a 50-year-old driver for the Cheese Bus Company was accused of raping a Valley Stream student multiple times, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said in a press release. Campos had driven students from Central High School to North High School in Valley Stream on Long Island. Police believe the incident with the student happened between the months of January and July 2023 after she was allegedly picked up along the route. Related: After Killing Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie Sent Texts to Her Parents from Her Phone Pretending to Be Her: Suit Donnelly said that, according to their investigation, Campos who had been known to the student as Giovanny Guzman had allegedly raped her in a parking lot while still on the bus. According to the press release, he drove the teen who was not identified because they are a minor to his apartment in Jamaica, Queens, where he would allegedly engage in sexual acts with her. School bus drivers are trusted to transport and protect our children, but this defendant allegedly preyed on a teenage student and sexually abused her both on his bus and at his apartment in Queens, Donnelly said in a statement. Campos was arrested on Sept. 28 at his home in Queens by the Nassau County Police Departments Special Victims Squad. 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. Related: Fla. Woman Posed as 14-Year-Old to Sexually Abuse Underage Boy, Say Police Campos was indicted on charges of kidnapping in the second degree, rape in the third degree, two counts of criminal sex act in the third degree and reckless endangerment, according to the Nassau County District Attorneys Office. Per the release, Campos pleaded not guilty to the charges and his "bail was set at $150,000 cash, $300,000 bond, and $1.25 million partially secured bond." His next court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12. If convicted, he faces a potential maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The law office of Menachem White, Esq., which is representing Campos, did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Donnelly noted that her office is committed to prosecuting predators who prey on vulnerable children, and they are asking for any others who may have been victimized by Campos or know someone who has to call the Special Victims Bureau at (516) 571-1266. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. FILE - Tyler Goodson of the hit podcast "S-Town" stands at the grave in Green Pond, Ala., of his late friend John B. McLemore, who is also featured in the show, on May 3, 2017. Goodson, a man featured in the podcast which chronicled events in a rural Alabama community, died after being shot by police during a Sunday standoff, Dec. 3, 2023, a state agency said. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves, File) WOODSTOCK, Ala. (AP) A man featured in the hit podcast S-Town" that chronicled events in a rural Alabama community was shot and killed by police during a weekend standoff in the town, authorities said. Joseph Tyler Goodson, 32, of Woodstock, was shot by officers after he barricaded himself inside a home and brandished a gun" at officers early Sunday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. Bibb County Coroner Patrick Turner said that Goodson was pronounced brain dead Tuesday night at a hospital. The agency's statement said the Woodstock Police Department had initially responded to a call for service early Sunday and the standoff ensued. Multiple law enforcement agencies converged on the home. The statement said Goodson was shot by officers during the confrontation and was subsequently pronounced dead. The state agency did not describe what led to the initial call to the home. Police bout to shoot me down in my own yard, a message posted early Sunday on Goodson's Facebook account read, news outlets, WIAT and al.com reported. The state agency is reviewing the shooting and will turn its findings over to the Bibb County district attorney. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a Monday press release that Goodson had been pronounced dead. However, the coroner said that two doctors at a hospital pronounced Goodson brain dead Tuesday night and he was being prepared for organ donation. The 2017 podcast, which won a Peabody Award, told the story of an Alabama man named John B. McLemore, who died by suicide before the show came out. McLemore's use of an expletive to describe his hometown gives the podcast its abbreviated title. S-Town begins telling the story of a reputed killing and also another death and winds up focusing on the eccentric McLemore, a restorer of antique clocks, and his tortured relationship with the town of Woodstock. Several people in his life were also featured, including Goodson. Because you know, I aint ever had no daddy worth a damn. Hes just about the only daddy Ive got, Goodson said of McLemore in the the third episode of the podcast. Woodstock, with a population of about 1,500 people, is located about 35 miles (55 kilometers) southwest of the major city of Birmingham. I know that everyone wants answers and details, myself included, Woodstock Mayor Jeff Dodson said in a statement Monday. Tyler was well known and loved by myself, his family and this community. That love extends far beyond due to the S-Town podcast. Please remember at this time that he is so much more than a character to the fans who loved him. This young man was a father, son, brother and friend to many, the mayor added. Julie Synder, the executive producer of S-Town declined to immediately comment when reached by email. Goodson in 2017 received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to burglary and theft charges accusing him of taking items from McLemore's property after his death. Goodson, before pleading guilty, had maintained he was retrieving items that belonged to him. Goodson told The Associated Press in 2017 that the podcast had brought a deluge of attention on him and the town, but neither have done him any favors. Its a sad story, especially if youre part of it, Goodson said. ___ This story has been updated to correct when Joseph Tyler Goodson was declared dead. For the producers of an international co-production about Palestinian refugees in Athens the Hamas attack on Israel Oct. 7 and subsequent bombardment and invasion of Gaza by Israeli forces looked as if it might derail the project. But although the conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis and over 15,500 Palestinian has impacted the shooting of the Palestine/U.K./Greece and European co-production Men in the Sun the project which is due to close financing at the Red Sea Film Festival this week is on course to finish post-production in London by May next year in time for a premiere at what producer Geoff Arbourne will only say will be a major international film festival. More from Variety There was consternation when the conflict started, but in the end production, which started five weeks ago, was only delayed by a day, U.K.-based Arbourne of Inside Out Films, told Variety at the festival. We started shooting in Athens a week ago and shall wrap by mid-December, when post-production begins in London. The film, directed by Dubai-born Mahdi Fleifel, is about two Palestinian refugees living in Athens who become embroiled in a hostage situation after seeking to take revenge on the people smugglers who ripped them off. It draws on Fleifels experience of documenting the lives of refugees living on the margins of Greek society over the past decade. The film which will be released under a different, yet to be decided, title is backed by ARTE/ZDF, the Doha Film Institute, Red Sea Fund and national funds in the Netherlands and Greece among others. With all but $90,000 of its just over $1 million budget already in place, Arbourne is confident that financing will be closed this week in Jeddah. We have eight minutes of the film to show to prospective buyers, and have already been talking to global sales agents, such as Goodfellas and MK2, and distributors in the MENA region, such as CineWaves and Front Row, to finalize finance, he said. Although the war in Gaza failed to upend the project, it has had a personal impact on Palestinian members of its cast and crew, Arbourne said. Because of the war we had trouble getting some crew and non-actors to Athens, and for those who were able to come the conflict is a daily presence. We have people on set with family members in Gaza who are dying during this war. We have to be sensitive and make sure people on the set are supported and have a place to talk about what is happening. He added that although the film touches upon two highly political topics refugees and the plight of the Palestinians it aims to showcase the universal story of what life is like for exiles. I do not think this is a Palestinian film it is a film about exiles in general. The world is now dealing with this topic from Ukraine to Palestine. What an audience really wants is to understand the condition of live for exiles. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Eater noted La Dama, the upscale Mexican restaurant at 839 S. Second St. in Walker's Point, as a highlight of Milwaukee's culinary scene. We dont need a national food publications recognition to validate Milwaukees stellar dining scene, but a little extra coverage wouldnt hurt, right? Milwaukee is currently in hot competition to be highlighted as the best food city in the United States by popular food and dining site Eater. Each year, the site creates a curated guide of the best dining destinations in select cities across the world, covering the restaurants, distinct local cuisine, chefs and culture that make the city worth traveling to. Typically, the United States is represented by just one city on the list. And Milwaukee could be the one. It just needs your help to get there. The site is finalizing its Where to Eat in 2024 travel list, but it's leaving one spot open for the winner of a popular vote. Four U.S. cities are in contention for that coveted spot: Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; Salt Lake City; and, yes, Milwaukee. Voting is open now on Eater.com. Only one vote per IP address counts, so spread the word and share the link with friends and family. The site notes the drummed-up excitement for Milwaukees restaurant scene ahead of its host spotlight on Top Chef's" Season 21 next year. It also namechecks Lupi & Iris chef Adam Siegel and the evolution of the food at La Dama and Palomino as highlights of the culinary scene. This isnt the first time the website has recognized Milwaukees dining scene. Eater included Milwaukee on its 2020 list of best food cities to travel to just two months, before, well nobody was traveling anywhere, especially not to dine out. This is another chance to show the world what weve got. Head to Eater and vote now. RELATED: 15 things our dining critic is thankful for in Milwaukee's dining scene this year RELATED: 3 of the best dishes our dining critic ate in Milwaukee in November This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee could make a list of top dining cities. It needs your vote. A new Christmas-themed pop-up bar in downtown Gainesville is hoping to make the holidays a little bit merrier this year. The Miracle on University is taking over the inside of Cry Baby's and Baby J's, 1 W. University Ave., most nights through Dec. 30. Complete with over-the-top decorations, music and holiday-themed drinks, Miracle describes itself as offering "the nostalgic energy of the best office party you've ever been to," according to its website. Owner Kyle Spor said the decor inside Cry Baby's offers a more "tacky, wild Christmas," while Baby J's is decorated a little more "classy." "We redo our whole menu, so it's all new cocktails for the month of December," he said. "People love Christmas and people love sweet cocktails, so we've got a win-win." Cry Baby's and Baby J's, 1 W. University Ave., are hosting a special Christmas-themed pop-up bar most nights through Dec. 30. Spor said each bar is responsible for their own decorations, but that Miracle sends along its detailed recipes and prep lists. Among the more than 10 specialty drink options available this year are the Christmapolitan, Snowball Old-Fashioned and Hot Buttered Rum. More: Family-owned Mexican restaurant in Gainesville closing after more than 30 years in business Started in New York City in 2014, Miracle's brand has gone global with pop-ups in Canada, the Cayman Islands, England, Panama and across the U.S. this year. The Gainesville location which kicked off Nov. 24 is among 12 in Florida, with others in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota, St. Augustine and Tampa. Holiday events 2023 in Gainesville: Your local guide to seasonal fun Madrina's, which closed in late 2022, previously hosted the pop-up experience in Gainesville. The Miracle on University runs Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to midnight, and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Cry Baby's and Baby J's in Gainesville hosting Christmas pop-up bar As an Air Transat pilot dealt with an "uncontrollable nosebleed," another pilot on board took over for the remainder of the flight, the airline shared Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Air Transat plane at Toronto's Pearson Airport in June 2023 An off-duty crew member on a flight from Canada to the Dominican Republic last month took over the remainder of his trip when the captain became incapacitated with an "uncontrollable nosebleed." On Nov. 22, one of two pilots on Air Transat flight TS186 from Toronto Pearson Airport was "unable to continue his duties" due to a nosebleed, prompting the off-duty pilot to take over and fly the plane, according to a statement from the airline. The aircraft landed in its destination of Punta Cana International Airport "without incident," per the statement. Related: Off-Duty Pilot Charged After Allegedly Attempting to Take Control of Alaska Airlines Flight "As one of our other captains was on board with his family heading out on vacation, he was fit and able to take over the duties of the incapacitated captain for the remainder of the flight," the statement read. "It is worth noting that our pilots are expertly trained to deal with situations such as this one and can manage flying our aircraft unassisted." "As such, there was absolutely no risk for anyone on this flight and the situation would have been the same had the backup pilot not been on board." Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Air Transat plane takes off from Barcelona in 2022 Related: Southwest Passenger Hospitalized After Opening Emergency Exit and Climbing onto Plane Wing According to a report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the incident took place around 4:50 p.m. UTC and was listed as a "class 5 occurrence," meaning that it was not subject to a "comprehensive investigation." Rather, its data will be reported for "possible future safety analysis, statistical reporting, or archival purposes." As the report notes, the crew member became incapacitated "approximately 3 hours into the flight," as the other pilot who was listed as "company qualified" and was flying as a passenger replaced him. The plane "continued to the intended destination without further incident," per the report. None of the 299 people on board were injured, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada report. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Music credits database Jaxsta is still Jaxsta, but the parent company housing it along with social networking platform Vampr and online record store Vinyl.com is now called Vinyl Group Ltd. The fine-print flip was announced on Tuesday (Dec. 5) following approval from shareholders at the publicly-listed companys general meeting last month. Its a huge privilege to be able to usher in this new era in the journey of three fantastic businesses, each now residing under the newly rebranded Vinyl Group, said group CEO Josh Simons. This new identity is more than just a name change. It represents a unified vision for our future a future where our technology and products are more interconnected, offering an enriched experience for our clients and users. More from Billboard Its a big move from Simons, who took over as CEO in late June following the departure of Beth Appleton. Simons joined Jaxsta following the completion of the acquisition of Vampr, which he-co-founded, on June 1 and was appointed chief strategy officer. This year also saw the launch of Vinyl.com, an online store powered by Jaxstas music credits that styles itself as a digital crate-digging experience. Vinyl Group is Australias only ASX-listed music business and now trades under the ticker code VNL (it was JXT). Its share price rose 10% following the name change. In addition to Simons, the Vinyl Group leadership team includes chief financial officer Jorge Nigaglioni, chief marketing officer Alli Galloway, chief product officer Jessy Trengove, and tech lead Chris Lowe. The Board has backed this new evolution for the Company, which sees Vinyl Group launch as a new, global brand dedicated to making, enjoying and monetising music, added Linda Jenkinson, board chair. We are confident that this exciting new era will see three businesses working together to celebrate music, foster relationships and enhance value for Jaxsta, Vampr and Vinyl.com. Best of Billboard More than 200 garment workers are said to have been hurt in Bangladesh on Saturday after evacuating their factory during a moderate earthquake. The 5.6-magnitude temblor struck the Cumilla District in Chittagong, 100 kilometers southeast of the capital of Dhaka, at 9:35 a.m., according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. BDNews24 reported later that day that while the tremors lasted only seconds, they sparked panic among the 1,000-plus employees at Amir Shirts in the administrative district of Chauddagram, causing them to swarm the exits of the three-story building and incur injuries in the process. More from Sourcing Journal Our multiple teams are working to serve the injured, Chauddagram medical officer Golam Kibria told the Dhaka Tribune. It is not possible to tell the exact number of how many people have been admitted so far. The number of injured may increase. But no one was seriously injured. I heard that many people were injured while rushing down due to the earthquake, added Chauddagram police station officer-in-charge Trinath Saha. We are trying to get details on this. Anwar Hossain, manager at Amir Shirts, told BDNews24 that most of the factorys workers evacuated safely during the earthquake but that rumors of a potential crack in the building triggered a stampede. Someone in the crowd mentioned a crack in the building, he said. This instilled panic, and the rush intensified among the women workers. Numerous people were injured in the process. Cracks had appeared in the Rana Plaza building in Savar, just outside Dhaka, before its fateful collapse 10 years ago, killing 1,134 garment workers and injuring thousands more. Data from the Open Supply Hub suggests that Amir Shirts is covered by both the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry and Nirapon, successors to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, respectively, which emerged in the aftermath of the watershed disaster. Before the buyers page on Amir Shirts website became non-responsive on Tuesday, it listed Walmart, a Nirapon signatory, among its clients. The big-box giant did not respond to a request for comment. Emails to Amir Shirts and the International Accord likewise went unanswered, as did a query to Asda, a previous International Accord signatory that lists the factory among its suppliers. Mango, which also names Amir Shirts on its supplier list and is also a member of the International Accord, said that it hasnt worked with the facility since June last year. A spokesperson for Nirapon said that it provides safety training for workers on what to do in the event of an earthquake, including staying in the building but moving away from windows and outside walls. Hossain said that several of the injured workers received treatment at the factorys health facility, while others were taken by the companys ambulance to the Chauddagram Upazila Health Complex. Those with more severe injuries were transferred to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, Kibria told BDNews24. The International Accord announced in November that it will continue for another three-year term, with an automatic renewal of an additional three years. It plans to reveal the signatories of the revised agreement, which includes a potential future expansion of the scope of the worker complaints mechanism beyond health and safety in the Bangladesh- and Pakistan-specific safety programs, among other key obligations, early this month. In an era dominated by micro trendsthink Barbiecore, coastal grandma, balletcore, the list goes onthe conversation around quiet luxury has only grown louder. HBOs Succession and Sofia Richie Grainges "old money aesthetic" wedding have only heightened its appeal. It represents a conscious move away from the fleeting trend cycle, emphasizing the importance of investing in classic pieces. We're talking timeless trench coats, impeccable suiting, sumptuous knits, and luscious leather accessories. Related: What Is Quiet Luxury? All About Fashions Current Wave of Understated Elegance Ahead, we spotlight brands that exemplify this aesthetic in its purest form. Whether it's The Row's minimalist charm, Khaite's contemporary elegance, or Loro Piana's meticulous craftsmanship, these labels are your ticket to the world of refined style. The Row Getty Images If we're talking about quiet luxury, we simply can't overlook THE brand that epitomizes it: The Row. Founded in 2006 by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, The Row has distinguished itself with pared-back, ultra-luxe creations. Rather than pursuing fleeting trends, the brand dedicates itself to crafting chic, timeless pieces. With a commitment to using only the highest quality materials like the softest cashmere and most supple leather, it's clear why The Row has garnered a cult-like following. Loro Piana Claudette Barius/HBO Loro Piana is at the forefront of the 'If You Know, You Know' (IYKYK) phenomenon. Established in 1924, Loro Piana embodies the pinnacle of Italian craftsmanship and luxury. Their dedication to using only the world's finest materials has set industry standards for quality. Unsurprisingly, the first family of stealth wealth, the Roys, frequently sported Loro Piana pieces throughout Succession. Related: Shiv Roy's Wardrobe on Succession Is the Epitome of Quiet Luxury Getty Images Another OG brand that we must mention in the quiet luxury conversation is Brunello Cucinelli. Founded in 1978 in Solomeo, Italy, this label has become synonymous with unparalleled craftsmanship. Cucinelli's aesthetic is all about modern, relaxed elegance. Their pieces are destined to become longstanding staples in your wardrobe for years to come. Max Mara Getty Images In the realm of quiet luxury, Max Mara reigns supreme. Established in 1951 by Achille Maramotti, the brand is best known for its exceptional outerwear. Beyond their iconic coats, their ready-to-wear and accessory lines exude an aura of subtle luxuryunderstated yet meticulously crafted. Khaite Getty Images A newer label amongst the quiet bunch is Khaite, which burst onto the scene in 2016 and certainly made a splash. This New York-based brand is classic American sportswear with a fresh twist. They are known for their elevated wardrobe staples, such as cult favorites like the Scarlet cashmere cardigan and the Danielle jean. Related: Everyone From Meghan Markle to Katie Holmes Loves Khaite Here's How the Brand Became a Hollywood Staple Toteme Getty Images Founded in 2014 by the Swedish duo Elin Kling and Karl Lindman, Toteme has swiftly emerged as a beacon of Scandinavian minimalism in fashion. Celebrated for its timeless and functional designs, the brand is a go-to for versatile wardrobe staples, from tailored trousers to refined outerwear in neutral palettes. With a strong emphasis on sustainability and quality, Toteme resonates with those seeking modern essentials that defy fleeting trends. Wardrobe.NYC Getty Images Wardrobe.NYC is the cool girls version of quiet luxury. The brands signature is its curated wardrobe capsules, designed to be mixed and matchedcreating, you guessed ita capsule wardrobe. Embracing timeless, high-quality basics with a minimalist edge, Wardrobe.NYC has not only garnered the attention of fashion aficionados but has also helped champion the shift toward conscious consumption in the fashion realm. Related: What Is a Capsule Wardrobe? 10 Tips to Help You De-Clutter Your Closet Jil Sander Getty Images When you think of '90s minimalism, Jil Sander immediately comes to mind. The brand receives praise for its less is more design philosophy, which is marked by clean lines and luxurious fabrics. While rooted in simplicity, the brand hasn't shied away from the occasional avant-garde shift, introducing vibrant hues and bold accents over time. St. Agni Getty Images St. Agni, the Aussie brand founded by Lara and Matt Fells in Byron Bay in 2014, epitomizes understated elegance. Embracing a pared-back design philosophy and a distinctly '90s minimalist aesthetic, the brand is celebrated for its commitment to quality and use of natural materials. They're renowned for their effortlessly chic clothing and accessories, characterized by earthy tones and timeless silhouettes. For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on InStyle. The pre-fall season sees Christian Juul Nielsen returning to his Danish roots, with inspirations for his latest Aknvas collection stemming from a summer trip to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Its not in Copenhagen, but its this beautiful installation in the north, where people really go out to have a whole day trip. The location is in several buildings and you walk through the park and beautiful sculptures. People sort of just sit in the grass and have picnics peaceful was one of the notes I wrote. Theres an OK to relax in the air, which is really refreshing, Nielsen said. In addition, seeing groups of people fully dressed up in the park, eating signature Danish smrrebrd open-face sandwiches while listening to live classical music inspired the collections light Scandinavian vibe. More from WWD The idea had him looking to the light, innocent and virginal, in a sense, paintings of the 19th-century Skagens malerier era, citing the works of P.S. Kroyer and Michael Ancher. Theres a certain innocent language to it that I really feel you find in the north [of Denmark], he said, which inspired him to use more cotton voile, eyelet and ruffles that sense of innocence and youth seen through the painted ladies fashions than in previous collections. The inspirations translated well into a modern and fresh lineup, as seen through his signature ruffled party dresses in shades of white and cream with broderie anglaise and eyelet details, or soft and sweet matching sets and feminine day gowns. In addition, Juul Nielsen worked in classic items from his youth his mothers crochet, as seen through a striking bright red 3D floral crochet dress, or sea green crochet short with long-sleeve top or cinched dresses and matching sets with color contrasting thread work inspired by Royal Copenhagen porcelain (great in pastel green with bordeaux). Nielsen said business for his emerging label is strong, especially with buy now, wear now styles, evidenced through the fast sales of his resort collection. So he mixed in elevated, trend-forward Canadian denim tuxedo looks (which he said is doing well for the brand); an uptick of striped and cinched cotton desk-to-dinner looks, and a good assortment of cute little boxer shorts perfect for the collections summer launch. Launch Gallery: Aknvas Pre-Fall 2024 Best of WWD KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2023 - 09:08 | World, All Outgoing Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi expressed regret Monday for failing to help realize the release of a senior Astellas Pharma Inc. employee whom Beijing authorities have detained since March for alleged spying activities. The envoy, who met with the detained Japanese national for the first time last week, said at a press conference that he did so just before finishing his three-year tenure to "offer a personal apology" and convey that Tokyo will keep working to realize his early release. The man in his 50s was formally arrested in October on suspicion of espionage. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated his call for the citizen's release during a November summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco. "We should not let this case be forgotten, so I met with him personally" to raise public awareness before leaving Beijing, the ambassador said. The man, a former senior official of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, was detained just before his scheduled return to Japan. The details of his alleged violation of counterespionage laws and the criminal code in China remain unknown. Regarding the bilateral dispute over the ocean discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Tarumi called for experts and relevant authorities to discuss the matter and find a way to settle it as soon as possible. In response to the Fukushima plant water release that began in August, China imposed a total ban on seafood imports from Japan. During their San Francisco meeting, Kishida said he and Xi agreed that the two countries will hold expert consultations on the issue. With nearly 40 years of diplomatic experience, including assignments in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the envoy emphasized the importance of communication between Tokyo and Beijing at various levels to stabilize their often strained ties. Japan and China are "permanent neighbors, and we cannot move away" from each other, Tarumi said. "It is normal to have differences and frictions, and we should not fear that. But we should fear losing contact with each other." The ambassador said stronger bilateral communication is more vital than ever when there are differences and frictions. Tarumi is set to return to Japan this week. Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kenji Kanasugi is slated to replace him later in December. Related coverage: Japanese man's 12-year prison term over espionage finalized in China Japan ambassador meets citizen detained in China over spying for 1st time Japan, China reaffirm policy to settle Fukushima row via talks Not being part of the boss class, at whom the BMW 5 Series is aimed, the only people I know who drive a 5 Series are the police. And it was for that reason that I pondered the wisdom of driving 76,200s worth of BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro four-door saloon, with a litany of extras that raised the price to 94,375. Ouch, this isnt a car you leave alone at the side of a busy road, or cram into the pub car park tight alongside that battered Nissan. And do business users take their dogs? I could hear Herbie the Labrador thinking out loud. Just how do muddy paws cope with Black Veganza upholstery and the 5,000 Comfort pack? Moreover, does a trip to the West Country actually require a 335bhp, 295lb ft all-electric drivetrain giving a top speed of 120mph and 0-62mph in 6.0 seconds? Dog-friendly? With this combination of Black Veganza upholstery and 5,000 Comfort pack, perhaps not... This is, of course, the eighth generation of BMWs business-class express, code named G60 and bearing a remarkable resemblance to and sharing a lot of technology (along with BMWs CLAR chassis platform) with the outgoing G30 seventh generation. Up until recently, most 5 Series drivers enjoyed their cars in base specification with a 2.0-litre turbodiesel under the bonnet times though, are a changing Now, BMW has to offer mild petrol-electric hybrids, full hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric drivetrains, though therell be no diesels with this generation. This BMW i5 eDrive40 is currently the starter EV in the range, with a single motor driving the rear wheels, but next year it will be joined by a more powerful i5 M60 version and a 700bhp plug-in hybrid (PHEV) M5 model, which will be just thing to save the planet with. This BMW i5 eDrive40 is currently the 'starter EV' in the range Digital presence Obviously, the digital presence of the new car is considered just as important as its dynamics and comfort these days. Software is the new frontier in premium cars, and somewhere out there are a load of potential buyers looking for a big, four-door saloon, with more computing power than an entire sales floor of PC World. As such, theres all sorts going on behind the new curved digital instrument binnacle and the big landscape touch screen in the centre. A lot of it I never found, including a traffic-light app that reads and responds to traffic lights. The stuff I did find and use wasnt desperately good. Waze had identified a road closure over 100 miles away and detoured us around it while the BMW satnav was still skipping along into the back of the jam. The big landscape touch screen in the centre has a vast array of functions The Highways app allows a limited form of self-driving (to SAE level 3) on certain mapped and approved roads, and is supposed to change lanes with a glance in the mirror from the driver, but the cruise control isnt so smart and even with the indicator on, it slows as it approaches the overtaken vehicle. Rival systems typically accelerate gently at this point, which makes progress a lot smoother. The gesture control where you can skip tracks, change the volume and more with a wave of the hand in front of the screen made me look as though I was conducting Mozarts Requiem, and the voice control didnt recognise my accent. To be fair, not many voice controls do. Get in and drive After the closed road debacle, the satnav had a vendetta out for Waze and refused to link up with my iPhone. Still, I got on and drove, which is the second most important thing in this new Beemer after its software. With upper-and-lower wishbone suspension and steel springs at the front and a five-link independent rear with air springing and damping at the rear, its a sophisticated set-up, but theres rather a lot of this car to keep off the ground and corner. Its 5,060mm long (the first time a 5 Series has broken the five-metre barrier) 2,156mm wide with the mirrors, 1,515mm high, and weighs 2,205kg 425kg more than the standard, 51,000 petrol 520i. The G60 bears a remarkable resemblance to, and shares a lot of technology with, the outgoing G30 Stuffed between the optional 21-inch (3,000) wheels is an 84.4kWh gross, 81.2kWh net lithium-ion NMC battery, which gives a quoted WLTP range of between 312 and 356 miles, though with these wheels and tyres itll be more like the former. Efficiency is quoted at between 3.3 and 3.8 miles per kWh of battery capacity and BMW has included a host of active aerodynamic gizmos to ensure that at high speeds efficiency should not fall too far, including the air-flap control on the kidney grille that is claimed to increase electric range by up to 16 miles. Yet on a 300-mile journey of mainly dual carriageway and motorway at a rock-steady 70mph, we averaged a not-particularly-impressive 2.8m/kWh, which gives a range of just 227 miles. Creeping back home on A-roads, the efficiency rose to 3m/kWh for a range of 244 miles; still a long way off that published WLTP range. On our 300-mile test drive, we averaged 2.8m/kWh, which gives a range of just 227 miles Despite the proclamations of just how easy it is to access 100kW-plus DC charge stations on the motorway, we picked badly. All were 50kW, not all were working and all were charging at 78p per kW, which meant the journey cost about 90. The same journey in my Honda Civic Type R (a car not known for its frugality) would have cost under 60. But my old Type R wouldnt match the BMWs ride quality in a month of Sundays. While, in truth, this car is far too modified to accommodate battery power to be really called a 5 Series, it certainly rides and handles like one. The way those big wheels traverse bumps and sharp potholes is rather uncanny and the long-wave ride over bigger undulations is an example to pretty much every other battery car maker. Hiding an extra half tonne from the steering and extreme handling is more difficult. Theres plenty of grip, of course, but the way the big BMW pushes into a turn doesnt feel particularly like the Munich companys flagship and the steering while accurate feels inert regardless of which driver setting youve dialled in. The Telegraph verdict So, you sit back in your comfortable armchair and watch the range fall as not enough miles roll under the wheels, preparing for your next encounter with a UK charging network that, at times, feels like meeting a 17th-century highwayman. Despite BMWs best efforts and its undoubted qualities of ride, handling and snazzy cabin, slotting a battery and a handful of computers into the 5 Series feels, at times, more like a metaphor for what isnt right about the headlong rush into battery electric drivetrains and the new digital car, than it does a modern, low-carbon take on a legendary business saloon. The facts On test: BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro Body style: executive battery electric saloon On sale: Now How much? From 76,200, as tested 94,375 How fast? Top speed 120mph, 0-62mph in 6sec Maximum power/torque: 335bhp/295lb How economical? 3.7m/kWh (WLTP combined), on test 3.0m/kWh Electric powertrain: 84.4kWh (gross), 81.2kWh net lithium-ion NMC battery; with single synchronous AC electric motor, rear-wheel drive Electric range: 312-357miles (WLTP combined), 261 miles on test Charge times: 20-80 per cent charge on a 205kW DC charger 16 minutes, on a 50kW charger the same charge takes 1hr 5mins, and 10-100 per cent on a 7.4kW wall box in 12hrs CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe), 30.5g/km (well-to-wheels) VED: 0 Warranty: 3yrs/unlimited mileage on the car and 8yrs/80,000 miles on the battery. The rivals Mercedes-Benz EQE from 67,950 Its had some bad press in the UK, but how much youll like it very much depends on what spec you buy and how much you spend. At its best the EQE is a wafting, gorgeous 4,863mm long hatchback with a lovely cabin available with two- and four-wheel drive. Mercedes-Benz EQE: a wafting, gorgeous hatchback Jaguar I-Pace from 69,425 Now five years old, but Ian Callums 2019 European Car of the Year is still a looker, though not the most efficient device with its 90kWh battery giving considerably less than the published 292-mile range in the hands of owners. Yet, this 4,682mm-long SUV handles and rides as well as anything else on the market. Jaguar I-Pace: 2019's European Car of the Year 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. Medically reviewed by Femi Aremu, PharmD Hair loss, referred to clinically as alopecia, can be a distressing experience that can negatively impact your self-esteem and overall mental health. However, several medications are available to treat hair loss. These treatments differ in dosage forms, side effects, and the time they take to work. The causes of hair loss can vary widely and include genetics, aging, side effects of certain medications, or other factors. The first step is to talk to your healthcare provider to determine the possible causes. This article will discuss the causes of hair loss, the medications available for treatment, and what you should expect when taking them. Getty Images / FreshSplash Causes of Hair Loss There are several potential reasons why you might be losing your hair. The following are genetic and medical-related hair loss conditions that can be treated with medication. Androgenetic Alopecia "Androegenic alopecia" is the medical term for what is commonly known as male-pattern hair loss and female-pattern hair loss,. This type of hair loss results from inheriting genes that cause hair follicles to shrink and eventually stop growing. This type of hair loss can start as early as your teens but usually emerges later in adulthood. Several medications can help treat it. Alopecia Areata Alopecia areata is a condition in which the bodys immune system attacks hair follicles and prevents growth. The term "alopecia areata" directly translates to patchy hair loss and is characterized by patchy bald spots. Although there is no cure, there are treatment options that can help manage the symptoms. Tinea Capitis Tinea capitis, or scalp ringworm, is hair loss caused by a fungal infection. This type of hair loss is most commonly seen in children. It is characterized by hair falling off in circular patches, which can grow back over time. Treatment for this type of hair loss centers around treating the active fungal infection. Other Causes In other cases, hair loss may be caused by: Aging Certain medications, like cancer treatment Stress Hair damage Hormonal imbalances Vitamin deficiencies Certain health conditions, like thyroid disorders Sometimes, hair loss medications are not always the right route for treatment. Speak with your healthcare provider about determining the exact cause of your hair loss. What Medications Help Treat Hair Loss? Options are available out there that can help manage and reverse hair loss. The following are medications you should talk to your healthcare provider about if you are seeking treatment. Rogaine (Minoxidil) Rogaine was originally developed as a medication for blood pressure. When it was first being studied, doctors observed hair regrowth in those taking it. For this reason, Rogaine was developed as a topical formulation and is now approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for androgenic alopecia. It has also been used off-label to treat other hair loss conditions, such as alopecia areata. This medication comes in two different strengths and is an over-the-counter (OTC) medication, meaning you do not need a prescription from a healthcare provider. Since Rogaine is applied topically, there are very few side effects associated with this medication. Most commonly, you may experience dermatitis (skin inflammation), hypertrichosis (abnormal hair growth), or headaches. As with most hair loss medications, don't expect to see hair growth overnight. After starting Rogaine, it can take a few months to notice changes. Propecia (Finasteride) Propecia is a prescription-only medication that is FDA-approved for androgenic alopecia in males. Propecia works by targeting the protein that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more potent form of testosterone. DHT is responsible for causing hair follicles to shrink, resulting in hair loss. In studies with Propecia, those who took the medication maintained or increased the number of visible scalp hairs and noticed improvement in their hair in the first year. This improvement was also maintained through the remaining years of treatment. Propecia is available only as an oral tablet. While Propecia generally is a well-tolerated medication, with few side effects experienced in the males studied, side effects seen in study subjects were: Breast tenderness and enlargement Problems with ejaculation Testicular pain Allergic reactions, including rash, itching, hives, and swelling of the lips and face If getting screened for prostate cancer, tell your healthcare provider that you are taking Propecia. Propecia is known to affect blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a lab value that is looked at during prostate cancer screening. Lower levels of PSA may present an unclear picture to your healthcare provider and cause inaccurate readings. You should not take this medication if you are a female. In fact, if you are pregnant, you should not come in contact with Propecia as the active ingredient can cause birth defects. Avodart (Dutasteride) Avodart is a similar medication to Propecia. However, while Avodart works the same way that Propecia does, it is not FDA-approved to treat androgenic alopecia. It is used off-label to treat hair loss in males. Like Propecia, pregnant people should not take or handle Avodart. Tell your healthcare provider you are taking this medication if you ever get screened for prostate cancer, as Avodart can also affect your PSA levels. Aldactone (Spironolactone) Aldactone is a prescription-only diuretic medication that can be used off-label for hair loss. It works by slowing down the production of sex hormones that are responsible for causing hair loss. As an antiandrogenic drug, it can help treat hair loss from hormonal or androgenic causes. Because of the side effects it can have on males, oral Aldactone is only recommended for use in female-pattern hair loss. The following are side effects that you may experience while taking oral Aldactone tablets: Dizziness High potassium levels Breast tenderness and enlargement Menstrual changes On average, it takes at least six months to see a noticeable difference in hair loss after starting spironolactone. Choosing the Right Medication Choosing the right medication to manage your hair loss may be a difficult task. It is important to talk to your healthcare provider and work with them to help choose the best medication for you. There are many factors to consider, such as the type of hair loss you have, whether you'll need a prescription, which dosage form you prefer to take, and how long the medication will take to work. The following chart summarizes important information regarding each medication discussed in this article. Medication Name Dosage Forms Indications Time it Takes to Work Notable Side Effects Rogaine Topical Androgenic alopecia 26 months Dermatitis, hypertrichosis Propecia Tablet Androgenic alopecia in males only 69 months Breast tenderness and enlargement, problems with ejaculation, and testicular pain Avodart Capsule Benign prostatic hyperplasia, androgenic alopecia (off-label) 69 months Breast tenderness and enlargement, problems with ejaculation, and testicular pain Aldactone Tablet High blood pressure, edema (swelling) due to cirrhosis, primary hyperaldosteronism, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, androgenic alopecia (off-label), and acne (off-label) 6 months Breast tenderness and enlargement, dizziness, high potassium levels Are There Any Supplements for Hair Loss? In addition to medications, certain supplements may also be helpful for managing hair loss and hair regrowth. In particular, low levels of vitamin D, biotin (vitamin B7), and iron have been linked to hair loss. However, no data supports using biotin supplements to promote hair growth. In studies looking at vitamin D levels and individuals with androgenic alopecia, more people with androgenic alopecia also had low levels of vitamin D compared to people without androgenic alopecia. It is generally recommended for people with low levels of vitamin D to be supplemented with vitamin D. Iron is the most common nutritional deficiency, particularly in females. While the possible role of iron in hair loss has not been identified, it is common for women experiencing hair loss to also have low iron levels. In people with hair loss who also have low iron levels, it is recommended to supplement them with iron. In addition to iron, it is important to make sure your vitamin C levels are in a normal range, as vitamin C aids in iron absorption. Some evidence suggests that zinc supplements may help reduce hair loss. One study among women with hair loss found that 50 milligrams (mg) daily of zinc improves hair thickness. Still, there isn't enough research to warrant taking a zinc supplement if you do not have a deficiency. Summary Hair loss can be difficult to manage, bringing up negative emotions and impacting your quality of life. There are different types of hair loss, but androgenic alopecia is the most common type that can be treated with medication. Rogaine and Propecia are medications approved by the FDA, whereas Avodart and spironolactone are prescribed off-label. Vitamin deficiencies, such as low vitamin D levels and low iron levels, can also cause hair loss. In these cases, adjusting your nutrition or taking supplements may help. Hair loss medications have different dosage forms and side effects and can vary in how long they take to work. If you are interested in hair loss treatment, you and your healthcare provider can work together to decide on the best option for you. Frequently Asked Questions Can vitamin deficiencies cause hair loss? Yes, certain vitamin deficiencies can cause hair loss. Deficiencies in vitamin D, iron, and biotin (vitamin B7) have been linked to hair loss. Supplementation with vitamin D, biotin, and iron is recommended only if you are deficient in any of these vitamins and are experiencing hair loss. What medications cause hair loss? Chemotherapy medications are commonly associated with hair loss. While not all chemotherapy medications cause hair loss, some are very common such as Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide), Adriamycin (doxorubicin), and Taxol (paclitaxel). Other medications like isotretinoin, antidepressants, beta-blockers, and antiepileptic drugs can also cause hair loss. Are hair loss medications safe? Hair loss medications, for the most part, are generally safe. Topical hair loss medications, particularly, are safe to use, with only a few local side effects. Oral medications for hair loss may cause some side effects, such as breast tenderness and dizziness. Certain hair loss medications, such as Propecia, should not be handled by pregnant people. Read the original article on Verywell Health. A leading Canadian veterinarian says there is a rise in respiratory illnesses in dogs in the country, but it's not necessarily a cause for panic. (Getty) After reports of an unusual respiratory illness infecting dogs in the United States have created buzz, Canadian veterinarians are now also reporting a rise in cases. A dog owner from Hamilton, Ont., told CHCH this week his two dogs were in "rough shape" when infected with the suspected illness, especially one named Moose. "He started with the gagging and then he would throw up. Sometimes that would happen two-three times an hour," Mike Mancini told CHCH. Dr. Scott Weese, a veterinary internal medicine specialist and the chief of Infection Control at the Ontario Veterinary College, claimed insurance reports of respiratory illness in dogs in Ontario are up 25 per cent compared to the previous year. In Quebec, they're up by 70 per cent, and up by 32 per cent in Nova Scotia, according to the CHCH. CTV reported in mid-November this illness has caused "lasting respiratory disease and pneumonia" and it "does not respond to antibiotics." According to CTV, "the Oregon Department of Agriculture has documented more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August," and two dogs have died. But, is this illness new and should Canadian pet owners worry now that it's crossed the border? Yahoo Canada previously spoke with Dr. Weese about the illness. Here's what you need to know. What do we know about this respiratory illness in dogs? Much like humans experience cold and flu, dogs are susceptible to various respiratory issues. (Getty) Weese emphasized, in a Nov. 21 interview, while reports suggested an increase in respiratory disease cases in dogs, it's crucial to recognize these illnesses are not rare. Much like humans experience cold and flu, dogs are susceptible to various respiratory issues. The challenge lies in determining whether the recent reports indicate a surge in the usual cases, the presence of a new pathogen, or simply heightened awareness, he claimed. "We don't actually know if there's anything new... We're just wondering if there's more of it happening, but it's a bit unclear," Weese explained. The symptoms associated with this respiratory illness are typical of such conditions coughing, runny nose, lethargy. Weese said the majority of dogs exhibit mild symptoms, but a small percentage may develop more severe conditions like pneumonia, and unfortunately, a fraction of those may die. Some vets are reportedly giving Paxlovid to sick dogs. Does it actually help? In a Dec. 4 blog post, Dr. Weese wrote using Paxlovid on dogs sick with a respiratory disease, "wasn't on my bingo card for 2023." Paxlovid, an antiviral medication used to treat COVID-19 was allegedly prescribed by a U.S. vet to save a dog "on the brink of death," the TMZ reported. "The life of a bulldog named Cash who was struggling to breathe with inflamed lungs while coughing up blood was spared when Doug Swain, D.V.M., a veterinarian at Lyman Vet Clinic in Cass County, Iowa, gave him the antiviral pills... Since then, he has continued to prescribe Paxlovid to other dogs battling severe cases of the mysterious illness," the outlet wrote. Weese, however, remains sceptical. I suspect widespread use of Paxlovid in dogs would result in harming more dogs than it would help.Dr. Scott Weese (via Worms and Germs Blog) "I suspect the dog got better on its own despite Paxlovid (not because of it), but can't say for sure," he wrote in the blog post. "However, I can say that I don't see any evidence that we should be using this drug in dogs, and I have a variety of concerns about its use in this manner." He added, "We don't have dosing or safety info in dogs... and I suspect widespread use of Paxlovid in dogs would result in harming more dogs than it would help." Why is this illness difficult to diagnose? Weese told Yahoo Canada, confirming the exact cause is difficult as veterinarians don't tend to do a lot of testing on dogs with respiratory illnesses. With numerous pathogens capable of triggering respiratory issues in dogs, testing is often impractical. Moreover, the expert pointed out discussions around a particular disease tend to escalate when attention is drawn to it, potentially leading to an overreaction. "On any given day, there are thousands of dogs in Canada that are coughing from this type of respiratory disease and that's always been the case. We just don't pay attention to those normally," Weese claimed. "So the question is, are we just paying attention to the background diseases that are there? Or is there something new?" Should Canadian pet owners worry? The expert emphasized the need for vigilance and common sense, rather than panic. Weese urged Canadian pet owners to be aware of their dogs' health and to take general precautions. "If your dog is sick, keep it home, keep your dog away from other dogs. If they look sick, you can talk to your vet about vaccination, as there are some respiratory diseases we can vaccinate against not all of them." It's just just like dealing with kids, with colds and flu season... There's always some degree of risk.Dr. Scott Weese He explained the best measure is reducing the number of dog contacts without being too restrictive. "Dogs have to get together at times too. It's just just like dealing with kids, with colds and flu season... There's always some degree of risk, and we try to minimize it as much as we can." Weese clarified respiratory diseases in dogs are diverse, with terminology sometimes causing confusion. Diseases like pneumonia, often mentioned alongside respiratory illnesses, are outcomes rather than specific diseases, caused by various bacteria and viruses. As the situation unfolds, Canadian pet owners are advised to stay informed, follow veterinary guidance, and prioritize the well-being of their furry companions through sensible precautions. Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. MILAN Sergio Rossi has found a new, permanent chief executive officer in Helen Wright, WWD has learned. A fashion veteran who boasts a 25-plus-year career in the industry, Wright succeeds Paul Kotrba, who stayed at the Italian luxury footwear brand for seven months in the interim CEO position succeeding Riccardo Sciutto, who exited Sergio Rossi last May. Kotrbas next move could not immediately be learned. More from WWD Wright quietly joined the brand based in San Mauro Pascoli, a key footwear district in Italy, and owned by Lanvin Group, on Nov. 22. She is tasked with spearheading a strategic transformation of the house, the company said, focusing on collection content, the optimization of distribution channels, brand visibility and execution, furthering the shoe labels footprint in key markets such as North America, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Greater China. I am very pleased to join Sergio Rossi. More than a precious heritage brand, Sergio Rossi has been an industry reference for the highest quality and style in handmade, luxury footwear, Made in Italy, since its foundation in San Mauro Pascoli in 1951, Wright said in a statement. With the support and know-how of its specialist teams, valued business partners and shareholders, the brand now turns squarely toward the future. We have important new horizons and new audiences to reach as we revitalize this great company. Were inspired by our past and motivated by the bright future we have already started to build together. The Australia-born executive began in the fashion industry at department store group David Jones, where she held several executive positions across retail, operations and merchandise for more than 10 years. After relocating to London in 1999, she held management roles at Ralph Lauren, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton as president of Europe, the Middle East and India at Fendi, and global vice president of retail at Karl Lagerfeld. Helen Wright, the new CEO at Sergio Rossi. In 2015 she was named CEO of London-based accessories brand Anya Hindmarch, before in 2018 joining heritage outerwear company Belstaff. She most recently served as CEO of Bloch International, an Australia-based technical dance footwear and apparel company. As reported, Sergio Rossis sales last year amounted to 61.9 million euros. In the first half of 2023, its parent Lanvin Group said revenues at the luxury footwear firm increased 22.4 percent to 33 million euros compared to the same period in 2022. In January last year, Sergio Rossi recruited from the digital creative realm Evangelie Smyrniotaki, best known online as Style Heroine, naming her artistic director, overseeing the brand image and identity. In December 2021, the footwear brand was revealed as among the tenants of Milans Spiga 26 real estate project, which bowed last year, a move in sync with the new owners commitment to invest in store openings. Sergio Rossi has a worldwide distribution network of 61 stores between directly operated units and franchising stores. Lanvin Group, then known as Fosun Fashion Group, took control of the shoemaker in the summer of 2021 from Absolute Luxury Holding Srl, an independently managed subsidiary of European investment house Investindustrial, its former owner. The latter acquired Sergio Rossi from Kering in December 2015. In addition to the footwear label, the Shanghai-based Lanvin Group, which debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last December, comprises the flagship Lanvin brand as well as Austrian hosiery specialist Wolford, Italian menswear company Caruso and American fashion brand St. John. Best of WWD Airport lounge standards are deteriorating, says Marshall. Pictured left: a restaurant lounge in the 1960s in Fornebu International Airport, Oslo; right: a sad sandwich in the club lounge at Seville airport - Alamy Stock Photo Two boiled potatoes and a cocktail the colour of a Slush Puppy almost landed me in a West African jail. Admittedly, theft wasnt on my mind when Id huddled into a corner with the meagre pickings on offer at the (only) lounge in Gabons Leon-Mba International Airport in Libreville. Two lonely bottles of spirits behind the dusty bar werent even worth the extra weight in my luggage. But a misunderstanding about payment for lounge access led to an angry receptionist chasing me through the terminal screaming, Jappelle la police. All that stress and embarrassment for a bite of a par-cooked spud. According to a new report by Which?, airport lounges are failing to deliver. Pictured: The Aspire lounge at Zurich Kloten airport - Alamy Stock Phot It wasnt the first time Id run into problems with airport lounges. It wont be the last. According to a new report published by Which? many airport lounges fail to deliver on expectations. Of 20 British lounges secretly surveyed, none achieved higher than three stars out of five. In fact, the majority scored much lower, suggesting travellers would be better off spending their cash on other food outlets. When the first airport lounge opened in New Yorks LaGuardia airport in 1939, it was an invite-only affair; an exclusive area for wealthy high-flyers to relax before flights. Similar spaces followed. The Admiral Club at New York's La Guardia airport - American Airlines The lounge at La Guardia was invite-only - American Airlines It wasnt only airlines who saw the potential for providing valued customers with a sought-after sanctuary. Soon, companies realised there was a market for charging people to access lounges where free food, drink and later Wi-Fi were guaranteed. For years, I considered lounge access a treat, a way to start a holiday in style or ease the stress of travelling for work. Ive probably passed through over 200 airports this year, ranging from the sprawl of Charles de Gaulle to the tin hut set-up of Bissau. I typically fly economy class, making paid-for lounge access the only option for finding a decent place to sit and file stories between flights. Too often, however, Ive been disappointed with the quality of whats on offer. In Zimbabwes Harare airport, a wasteland of shabby stalls selling bread rolls as hard as boulders and poorly carved wooden giraffes, signs for a lounge were like a gateway to heaven. But somehow, I must have got stuck in a purgatory along the way. The only food available at the Dzimbahwe Executive Lounge was bowls of crisps sealed with clingfilm and a few soggy white bread sandwiches. The Wi-Fi was impossible to connect and cheap PVC sofas were stacked so closely together, they could have gone up in smoke had someone dropped a match. Worst of all was the cost. Id used one of my 10 entries on a Premium Pass (annual membership 229) but had been charged 30 to bring a friend. I could have purchased quite a few stale bread rolls with the same 60 amount. Below par: The Plaza Premium Lounge at Heathrow's Terminal 4 - mattweibo/Flickr Its not just airports in developing countries that have below-par lounges. At London Gatwick, the Plaza Premium is a pleasant enough space when there are no other flights departing. But during busy periods, Ive had to squeeze next to strangers and if Im honest, I could have found better breakfast options at Greggs. The branch at Heathrows T4 isnt much better. Which? reached a similar conclusion in their report. Since the pandemic, corners have been seriously cut. No1 Lounges no longer offer al la carte menus and spa facilities are a thing of the past. But the worst offender according to their reviewers was Southends SKYLIFE lounge, nothing more than a roped-off area in a drab bar. Rising costs: Aspire Lounges are 40 per cent more expensive on average compared to 2020 - Alamy Stock Photo Where services are poorer, prices are higher. Which? say the Aspire Lounges they reviewed are 40 per cent more expensive on average compared to 2020 with costs ranging from 2135. London prices are even worse. A five-hour stay at Heathrows Plaza Premiums can cost around 245 for a family of four. Youd need to eat a lot of food to make that worthwhile and trust me, in most cases you wont be going back for seconds. A favourite: Cathay Pacific's first-class lounge The Pier at Hong Kong International Airport - Bloomberg My best lounge experiences over the last 12 months have been in spaces operated by airlines: the Qantas lounge at T4, Virgins Clubhouse, and Cathay Pacifics various options in Hong Kong. Given I rarely fly business, Ive relied on my BA Executive Club silver card for Oneworld lounge access although theres a chance, I may not accrue enough air miles to keep that going. Failing that, Im going to invest in a portable stool, get my own dongle and bring a packed lunch. Hardly glamorous, but sadly neither are airport lounges these days. 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. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Whether youre setting the table for two or having elaborate dinner parties throughout the holiday season, you can always count on silverware to add an elegant touch to your tablescape. However, while picking up some newer options from your local store is obviously an option, many designers opt for investing in vintage and antique silverware instead: Not only are these pieces often made with a higher percentage of silver than their contemporary counterparts, but their unique designs are difficult to find today. And after all, isnt it so special to hold onto an item that you know has a story behind it? Silver is meant to be used, not stored away in a cabinet, says Todd Sell , vice president and a silver specialist at Doyle Auction House in New York City. I am a strong believer in utilizing silver every day, regardless of its age. Yet, Sell notes that identifying authentic works and determining their periods can be largely challengingespecially if you dont know what youre looking for. Here, his guide to identifying antique silverware. How to Identify Antique Silverware We set a date of about 100 years old for the term antique, but for antique silver in particular, we might want to extend that back a little to say 1900, says Sell. Vintage silver is typically younger, 70 years or newer. With older silver, Im thinking particularly of pieces from the 18th and early 19th centuries, and you can often see the handwork of the silversmith in the fine surface hammering, as well as the incredible engraving on heraldic arms and monograms. Sell notes that even though the 20th century saw an uptick in commercial silverware, you also see some great silversmiths like Georg Jensen in Denmark and Buccellati in Italy creating beautiful pieces that still use traditional silversmithing techniques. He adds, When were talking about vintage, or modern silver, we tend to think of great 1930s or 1950s cocktail shakers, cigarette cases, and other pieces from the 20th century. Antique and vintage silverware can be a great addition to your collection, and mixing and matching styles can be a fun way to add visual interest your tablescape. However with so many options out there, there are several different methods of identifying vintage and antique silverware. Below are some common antique and vintage styles and patterns to be aware of, according to the experts, so you can start building your collection from the ground up. Types of Antique and Vintage Silverware Baroque (1600-1750) Originating during the early 1600s in Rome, the Baroque period is considered to have been a reaction against its more rigid Renaissance predecessor, so Baroque silverware is characterized by relaxed, extravagant looks: flowing lines, floral motifs, and an obsession with symmetry. Weighty sterling silver pieces with hints of gold are the major hallmarks of this period, and theyre definitely more lavish pieces, says Doyle. Common Baroque patterns include Puiforcat, which consists of flowing scroll motifs; Demitasse, which features crisp flower and leaf designs in perfect symmetry; and Royal Oak, which utilizes acorns and large oak leaves at the center of the design. Shop Now Antique Sterling Silver Porringer 1stdibs.com $8436.84 Neoclassical (1760-1830) Reminiscent of the antiquities in Greek and Roman cultures, Neoclassical styles use classical motifs that are more subdued in styleribbon-tied festoons, palm leaves and hanging garlands were all popular and used frequentlyduring this period. Common patterns include the Adam style, characterized by Roman decorative motifs, swags, ribbons, and vase shapes; the Percier pattern, with leaf-edged borders and anthemions; and the Feather Edge, which features a multitude of feather patterns at the tip of the flatware. Shop Now Antique Georgian Solid Sterling Silver Tureens Neoclassical Style 1stdibs.com $9667.88 Victorian Floral (1837-1901) According to Sothebys Senior Vice President and Head of Silver and Vertu Department, John Ward , this is the style that most people think of when they think of antique silverware: Grandma, very ornate and floral, and hard to clean! he says. But this isnt to say these pieces dont have merit. Since they werent as mass-produced as the silverware of later years, they have a more weighty feel about them, according to Ward, and they also come in a huge variety of hand-crafted styles. Common patterns of this period include the Reed and Barton Majestic pattern, consisting of carved lines on the handles suggesting Greek columns and their adorning blooms; the Frank Whiting George III pattern that was a favorite of that time, consisting of decorative elements such as leaves, claws, and shells; and the most classic of them all, the Towle Georgian pattern, which boasts a floral, intricate rose design thats hard to find in pieces today. Shop Now 231 Piece Estate Set replacements.com $19999.00 Colonial Revival (1880-1940) Characterized by simple, clean design, Colonial Revival silverware was produced in America to keep up with demand. There was a lot of money in America in the 1920s, and a lot of silver made with clean lines, mainly Colonial Revival, which was created so that people could purchase weighty silverware that could be used daily; not just special occasions, says Ward. They were designed for everyday wear, and so they didnt have the grand designs of prior decades. Some common Colonial Revival patterns are Oneida Colonial Boston, featuring a concave shank as its sole ornamentation; Grand Colonial by Wallace, consisting of a sculptured fiddle shape; and Castillian by Tiffany and Co., which has a heavy, curved edge with a geometric square pattern. Shop Now Antique Silverware Fish Set 12 Place Setting chairish.com $275.00 Art Nouveau (1870-1900) According to Doyle, the Art Nouveau style is all about unique, asymmetrical looks (think: curved stems, deep bowls, and motifs inspired by nature). If genuine, all these pieces are made with sterling silver, says Doyle, which means theyre weighter, more expensive and ultimately more valuable. Some common examples of Art Nouveau styles include the Durgin New Art pattern, characterized by braided lily stems near the top that slowly move into narrower designs at the base; the Baker-Manchester Daffodil pattern, which uses flowing lines to create asymmetrical stems; and the Reed & Barton Francis, characterized by a thick, bumpy fruit and floral motif at the bottom of each piece of cutlery. Shop Now Art Nouveau/Jugenstil Sterling Flatware Set 1stdibs.com $14500.00 Art Deco (1920-1930) Soon after the Art Nouveau style came Art Deco, which goes a little more streamlined and symmetrical, with geometric and floral designs, as well as grooves. Most of the finishes are embossed or shiny, and many come with fun chrome and metal accents. While the previous Art Nouveau asymmetric lines exist, they simply are mirrored alongside one another or designed across the silverware to look more cohesive. Famous Art Deco patterns to look out for include the Whiting Mandarin pattern, with curving lines in a more geometric arrangement; International Madrid Pattern, consisting of a raised silver thread with an etched edge; and the Coronation Hampton Court Pattern, which has symmetrical flower motifs with a horizontal base on each side. Shop Now Complete Art Deco Silverware Service for 12 by Christofle 1stdibs.com $7500.00 Mid-Century Modern (1940-1960) With machine-cut silverware becoming the norm around the time of the second World War, Mid-Century Modern styles are characterized by geometric shapes (think: cut circles, squares, and hexagons on the handles). These machine-cut pieces look different from hand-cut silverware since they're more angular and uniform. In terms of the shape of the silverware itself, you wont have the curved edges found in other designs: These are much sharper. Popular Mid-Century Modern patterns include Diadem/R&B, characterized by small circles arranged horizontally at the base; Cameo, with accent scroll designs, and Napa Valley, which includes symmetrical squares and teak accents. Shop Now 1950s 68-Piece Friodur Mid Century Silverplate Flatware Set With Serving Pieces chairish.com $340.00 Modernist (1950-1970) Modernist styles mostly consist of newer, more eclectic patterns, and they are lighter and more affordable than sterling silver pieces that have a greater, weightier composition of silver to them. This is mostly due to rising costs and poverty levels after the second World War, which in turn also affected the silverware styles consumers were favoring at the time. Gone were the traditional floral and geometric motifs; they were instead replaced by sleek shapes that could be mass-produced with ease. Some common modernist patterns are Diamond, with sleek lines at the center of the cutlery forming a diamond shape; Signet, with a breathtakingly beautiful narrow base; and Raindrop, allowing for a simple, curved edge at the handle mimicking (you guessed it), a small drop of water. Shop Now 1960s Coffee Spoons in French Silverplate- Set of 12 chairish.com $380.00 You Might Also Like Since 1937, Karl Mayer has been making machinery to produce industrial and fashion textiles. Now the German owner of Stoll is building on that legacy with a digital-focused launch aimed at ratcheting up production efficiency for warp-knitting equipment and arming shop-floor managers with critical, timely insights. Karl Mayer developed the Digital Production Management software through KM.ON, the business division leveraging an agile strategy to birth digital enterprise solutions. Called Digital Production Management software by KM.ON, the new offering targets shop-floor control, an area of the supply chain increasingly ripe for an innovative makeover. It merges Internet of Things, or IoT, technology along with cutting-edge analytics to crank out insight-rich reports that leaders can use to streamline their production. Karl Mayer says the software supports clients sustainability efforts by limiting production waste while also prioritizing profits. More from Sourcing Journal The softwares three main reports focus on performance, machines and quality. The performance reports show managers data on how the factory is operating. Shift-specific data helps users understand whats working and whats not, and where best to put available resources. The real-time data in the machine reports documents the output from each piece of equipment as well as how quickly theyre spitting out product. These and other insights enable operators to limit the time that machines are out of order or running at less than full capacity. Quality matters more than ever in fashion. In the Digital Production Management software by KM.ON, quality reports document machine stops and settings, empowering users to stay one step ahead of problems that could compromise whether textiles are approved for customer delivery. Other features in the software show whats happening with each piece in progress and when it should be completed. In the Article Management module, users will find info on metrics around fabric output, making it easier to replicate the process without mistakes. The software also gives users the tools to efficiently schedule work orders, limiting the amount of time the machines spend idling. Over in Portugal, Smartex recently released new tools aimed at elevating production quality for knitwear suppliers. The Lightspeed-backed startup has big plans to transform the manufacturing side of the fashion industry by using artificial intelligence to build the factory of the future. The United States National Park Service (NPS) revealed a plan last week to remove hundreds of stray cats from a historic site in Puerto Ricos capital over the next year, as per Associated Press. These cats, who roam the area freely, are seen as both a charm and an annoyance. The agency announced plans to hire an animal welfare organization for the removal of approximately 200 cats inhabiting 75 acres around a fortress. The tourist hotspot is located in the San Juan National Historic Site. As such, it is operated by the federal agency in Old San Juan. NPS further added that if the selected organization does not succeed in removing the felines within six months, it would hire a removal agency. Many cat enthusiasts have expressed disappointment over this proposal. However, NPS justified its decision by emphasizing that cats could potentially transmit diseases to humans. The park services plan asserted that all visitors would benefit from eliminating potential disease vectors from the tourist site. Ana Maria Salicrup is the secretary of the board of directors for the nonprofit group Save a Gato. She is claiming that the six-month timetable for the removal of the cats is unfeasible. The group currently cares for the animals and hopes to be the one to carry out the plan. Anyone who has worked with cats knows that is impossible, Salicrup stated. They are setting us up for failure. Challenges for visitor safety and cultural preservation Cats of all sizes, colors, and personalities stroll the coastal pathways surrounding the 16th-century fortress El Morro, located in the northwest corner of the San Juan capital. People believe that some of these felines descended from colonial-era cats, while the iconic Mayor Felisa Rincon de Gautier of San Juan introduced the others to the city. Her aim was to control the rat population in the mid-20th century. However, the number of cats has since grown into the hundreds. This has brought joy to some local residents and tourists but irritation to others. Federal officials stated roughly two years ago that the surging cat population was causing problems. Most unsettling among them is the negative encounters occurring between the strays and visitors. Officials also cited the increasingly unpleasant odors of urine and feces as a source of concern. Both issues are seen as incongruous with the cultural setting. Back in October 2022, agency Superintendent Myrna Palfrey issued a statement recently shared in the New York Post. In it, Palfrey stated, The situation that these animals experience at the park, specifically at the Paseo del Morro, is not ideal for them. Continuing, she added that it is also inconsistent with National Park Service policies regarding the feeding of animals and invasive species. Cats considered part of local charm (Photo Credit: bluecaterpillar | Getty Images) In an effort to increase the safety of visitors and employees while also safeguarding cultural and natural resources NPS conducted a hearing last year. As a result of that meeting, two possible solutions emerged: removing the cats or maintaining the current situation. Attendees decisively dismissed the first option. One person referred to the cats as one of the wonders of Old San Juan. In fact, a statue in the historic site they inhabit even pays tribute to these feline inhabitants. Danna Wakefield, a solar contractor who relocated to Puerto Rico in 2020, visits the cats on a weekly basis. During an interview, she shared, Me and many other people love that walk because of the cats. Otherwise, it would be a very boring walk. The future of Old San Juans famous felines On Nov. 28, the plan released by NPS mandated the removal of existing cat feeding stations unless they serve a temporary purpose of trapping cats. Furthermore, the plan prohibits unauthorized cat feeding, as it attracts rats and encourages individuals to abandon their pets, knowing they will be fed in that area. According to the agencys plan, the chosen animal welfare organization will decide whether to put the trapped cats up for adoption or house them with fosters. The group may also choose to send the animals to a shelter or explore other options. Salicrup acknowledged the issue in finding homes for a large number of cats. She said that Save a Gato has made attempts to contact several sanctuaries in mainland U.S., but the typical response is always, You cannot bring 100 cats here. NPS mentioned the potential to extend the six-month deadline for cat trapping if there is significant progress. If there isnt, they would cancel the existing contract before hiring a different organization to remedy the situation. This is like Disney World for cats, said Alfonso Ocasio, an avid cat lover. I dont know how these people dare face the world with their proposal. The post Puerto Ricos Historic Site Set To Remove Its Famous Cats appeared first on CatTime. Hint: Maybe it wasn't the bird flu after all. Dotdash Meredith/Janet Maples Our wallets have felt the pinch of rising egg prices for more than a year now. As consumers, we arent the only ones. A dozen years ago this month, Kellogg Co., General Mills Inc., Nestle USA Inc. and a division of Kraft Heinz Co. filed an anti-trust lawsuit against a bakers dozen of defendants, including egg producers and trade groups. The lawsuit, which dates back to 2011, claims that the defendants inflated the price of eggs from the late-1990s through at least 2008, resulting in higher production costs of foods like cereals, waffles and cake mixes, according to an article in Bloomberg Law. New Ruling In Egg Anti-Trust Lawsuit Previous rulings found in favor of the defendants, but on Friday an Illinois federal jury found in favor of the plaintiffs, determining that they for years likely overpaid for eggs because the nations largest producers and two trade groups conspired to restrict the supply, according to the Bloomberg Law article. As a result of the ruling, two egg industry trade groups and two of the largest egg producersCal-Maine Foods Inc. and Rose Acre Farms Inc.will have to pay damages to the defendants. We are incredibly pleased by the jurys decision, Brandon Fox, a Jenner & Block LLP partner representing the food companies, told Bloomberg Law. For the first time, the defendants have been held liable for their antitrust violations. We are now going to turn our attention to the damages phase. A statement emailed to Allrecipes from defendant Rose Acre Farms reads: "Rose Acre Farms is disappointedand strongly disagreeswith the jurys verdict and damages award, which contradicts the jury decisions in the two previous trials (with other plaintiffs) on these same issues, which resulted in defense victories. Rose Acre has and continues to steadfastly deny being part of any anticompetitive egg price-fixing conspiracy, and we will continue to explore and consider all legal options, including post-trial relief and appeal. We remain committed, as we have over the past 70 years, to producing the highest quality eggs and egg products for our valued customers. We pride ourselves on the small-town values of character, integrity and service. How Will Does the New Ruling Affect Egg Prices for Consumers? What does this judgement mean for consumers? According to consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky, founder and editor of Consumer World, not much. This case resolves an anti-trust issue that began almost 20 years ago but will not likely have an effect either directly on consumers or today's egg prices, Dworsky tells Allrecipes. The companies that sued will collect whatever damages the jury decides to award, but I would not expect that to trickle down to shoppers. There is some good news for us grocery shoppers, though: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index reports that Octobers egg prices were 22% less than prices we paid in October 2022. Well take it, especially with the holiday baking season upon us. Read the original article on All Recipes. The proposal could have the unintended result of allowing landowners to hunt trophy elk and deer without a permit and even outfitting on private land in limited-entry units. A proposed ballot initiative that could have broad implications for Montanas elk management and tribal relations will be the sole subject of a surprise state oversight committee Wednesday morning. The legislatures Environmental Quality Council, an interim super-committee of lawmakers and citizens, is scheduled to consider proposed Ballot Initiative 193 on Dec. 6. at 10 a.m. The meeting , which will be held via Zoom and not in person, caught even some council members by surprise. Even those of us on the committee will have zero notice, let alone the public, says Missoula state representative Marilyn Marler, a member of the EQC. The proposed initiative has in the past week received green lights from both Montanas Attorney General and Secretary of State to appear on the 2024 general election ballot. The draft that the EQC will consider tomorrow expressly prevents the states wildlife commission from imposing restrictions on a landowners ability to hunt big game except when wildlife populations are in severe decline due to environmental factors such as disease or drought. While the initiative drafter says his intent is to be able to hunt his own private land inside northwest Montanas Flathead Indian Reservation, the vague language of the draft could upend decades of carefuland often controversialelk and deer management in which landowners in trophy-management districts across central and northeast Montana must draw a special permit in order to hunt their own land. The narrower question of whether non-tribal members can hunt their own land inside Indian reservation boundaries has been raised previously in Montana, in a request denied by the states Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission in 2017 and more recently as a failed bill in the 2021 Legislature. Non-tribal landowners who live on the Flathead Indian Reservation backed House Bill 241 that would have given them authority to hunt deer, elk, and black bear on their private land. Landowners who are not enrolled members of the Salish and Kootenai Tribes are prohibited by tribal regulations from hunting big game on the Flathead Reservation, even on their own land. The Salish and Kootenai do have an agreement with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks that allows non-tribal members to fish and hunt upland birds with a special Flathead Reservation permit . Bull elk on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. The current ballot initiative is designed to address non-tribal landowner hunting rights inside reservation boundaries, but it would have far-reaching implications for private landowner hunting regulations across Montana. House Bill 241 died in committee after a torrent of opposition, mainly from representatives of Montanas 12 Native American tribes, who argued the bill was an attack on hard-won tribal sovereignty. Rick Shoening , author of Initiative 193 and the failed 2021 legislation, maintains that the states wildlife commission has failed to exercise its authority to allow hunting on deeded land inside Montanas seven Indian reservations. Shoening cites decades-old state fishing and hunting regulations that show reservation land totaling some 3.3 million acres in Montana was previously open to non-tribal hunting, and notes that many of his neighbors have bought land on the Flathead Indian Reservation, only to find out later that they are prohibited from hunting big-game on their recent purchases. This is basically a landowner rights issue, says Shoening, who worked as a state game warden for nearly 30 years before retiring. He was elected Lake County Justice of the Peace last year. Were just reopening lands that were closed before, he says, citing Montana Fish and Game regulations dating back to the 1950s that include reservations in open hunting areas. But the petitions language seems to allow landowners who reside in the states special-permit districts for deer and elk to hunt on a general license, which isnt distributed in a drawing. I-193 will allow increased hunting opportunities for landowners, states the petitions official purpose and implication. If passed, the initiative prohibits hunting regulations that would impose or effect a prohibition on a landowner hunting deer, elk, or black bear on the landowners private property during a statewide general hunting season. Landowners would still need to be licensed and follow all hunting laws and regulations pertaining to means of take and bag limits. Many of these special elk units have been the subject of intense scrutiny, as non-resident landowners have purchased ranches in some of the best units, then petitioned the Montana wildlife commission to change the permit hunting rules. Shoening acknowledged that his petition might have the unintended outcome of allowing landowners to hunt trophy elk and deer without a permit, and that it might even allow outfitting on private land in limited-entry units. Thats not the intent, but yes, thats a possibility, says Shoening. Read Next: This New Bill Would Shorten the Suppressor Waiting Period to 90 Days A spokesperson for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation wasnt available for comment, but Thomas Baumeister, vice chair of the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers called the initiative another example of extremists trying to commercialize and privatize our wildlife, and its management in Montana. If the Environmental Quality Council approves the draft initiative, it would then be eligible to receive signatures to put it on Montanas 2024 general election ballot. KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2023 - 22:22 | All, Japan, World U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday expressed confidence that the trilateral partnership between the United States, Japan and South Korea will be "sustainable" due to "shared interests" between all three countries. Conversely, China, North Korea and Russia cannot forge a similar relationship as "they don't share strategic interests in the same collaborative, cooperative way that we do," Emanuel told Kyodo News and other media in Tokyo. The ambassador also played down concerns that the outcome of the U.S. presidential race in November next year and elections in the two key U.S. allies in Asia would affect the trilateral cooperation, saying "shared interests are pretty powerful." The U.S. presidential election could become a re-match of Democrat Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, a Republican who pursued his "America First" unilateralist policies and pressured allies in Asia to pay for more of the costs associated with hosting U.S. troops in their countries. South Korea is scheduled to hold a general election in April. Japan could also have a general election as early as next year if Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decides to call one. While the trilateral relationship has been overshadowed by historical issues between Japan and South Korea, Emmanuel praised the progress made so far by the two Asian neighbors through direct dialogue. "My experience is that it's better that Japan and Korea talk to each other than through the United States," he said while revealing that the pair had asked Washington not to get involved. Emanuel urged the continued use of "dialogue and diplomacy to make the most of (the) future" given the "complicated" history surrounding all three countries. Signaling the growing trilateral collaboration, the three countries held the first standalone trilateral summit at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David in August, with Biden, Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreeing to expand cooperation in security and other issues amid North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and China's assertiveness. Relations between Tokyo and Seoul have improved under the conservative administration led by Yoon, who took office in May 2022, with the South Korean government proposing a solution to a thorny dispute over wartime labor compensation in March this year. Prepare to upgrade your morning pour-over situation. Dan Newman If tasting wine has taught me anything, its that sticking my nose in a glass is a surefire way to get excited (or nervous, on occasion) about whats to come. But, as Ive recently learned, sometimes sticking my nose in a big ol mug can bring on the same set of emotions. The first time I smelled a freshly brewed cup of James Beard award-winning chef Gregory Gourdets Kann coffee (named in honor of Kann, Gourdets celebrated Haitian restaurant in Portland, Oregon), I wasnt expecting to be enveloped by vanilla, star anise, and cinnamon. After the first sip, I learned that this wasnt just any old cup of coffee this was an absolute treat that honors Haitis role in the history of coffee production. Coffee has historically been a critical export for Haiti. Nearly half of the worlds coffee beans were produced here in the 18th century, largely at the hands of enslaved Africans. This industry was a driving force in the Haitian revolution, resulting in freedom from French colonial rule and marking the worlds first Black republic in 1804. To develop the blend that would be served after meals at Kann, Gourdet teamed up with Portlands Black-owned Deadstock Coffee. In each cup, single-origin Blue Mountain coffee beans grown in Haiti meet a beautiful blend of spices. By shipping pre-ground bags of Kann coffee, Gourdet is sharing one of the most memorable experiences of the restaurant across the U.S., both as a souvenir of a special meal and as a tantalizing preview for guests who havent yet been able to secure a reservation. Related: How Gregory Gourdet Is Creating a Home for Haitian Cuisine in Portland, Oregon Ive been enjoying cups in my porcelain pour-over, but you can also use a French press or an automatic drip coffee maker. Gourdet notes that Kann coffee can also be used as a coffee rub for meat and vegetables, a tip Ive yet to try, but without a doubt plan to in the future). It plays especially well with steamed oat milk and macadamia nut milk, which have a higher fat content that balances out the dark roast. Given the cultural significance of coffee to Haiti, it feels incredibly rewarding and meaningful to be able to bring that history into homes nationwide, explains Gourdet. Im thrilled to be able to offer a taste of the Kann experience to folks who have yet to make it in. Pre-ground, 10-ounce bags of Kann coffee are available for pre-order here. Orders will ship during the first week of January. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. Andy Irons' influence on Griffin Colapinto are obvious every time Colapinto stands up on a surfboard. And while it's tough (nearly impossible) for anyone to do AI's timeless surfing justice, Colapinto is one of the few in the world that can. In this Instagram clip, Colapinto takes one of Kolohe Andino's brand new Mayhem's for a spin at a pumping left in Indo, after Colapinto broke his entire quiver earlier in the trip. "The time when I broke all 10 of my boards on a boat trip and had to use a double Hammie down board from @koloheandino24and @crosbycola," says Colapinto in the caption alongside the clip. "Thats why theres no stickers. Thanks again boys!" The comment section lit up with praise for Colapinto's surfing on the borrowed boards, with many pointing out the similarities in surfing between this particular session and Andy Irons' timeless section in "Campaign." Watching both now, the parallels in style, aggression and approach can't be ignored. "Reminds me of Andys part where he was just blasting everything to hell at Hideaways," writes Jimmicane. "Should have maybe kept that craft looked amazing under your feet," says Jake Paterson "Holy shit, that first one!," comments Taj Burrow. "A.I. style," adds Maxime Huscenot While surfing has progressed tremendously since "Campaign" was released 20 years ago, Irons' surfing is still as relevant today as it was in 2003, and the praise Colapinto is receiving for emulating it clearly proves that point. *** Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos. Two men saved a mule deer from a potentially life-threatening predicament recently, and the daring rescue effort was captured on camera. The incident occurred on November 25 along U.S. Highway 26, between the towns of DuBois and Riverton, Wyoming. Watch the footage for yourself below. According to Cowboy State Daily , a Wyoming-based news outlet that shared the story and the footage, the men (identified only as "Clay and Mike") used wire cutters to free the deer after spotting its struggle from the highway. The video shows the duo approaching as the muley bucks violently in an effort to break free from the fence. Then one of the men grabs hold of the struggling deer's rack while the other tosses a coat over the its head and pushes down on its back with his hand. After a few tense seconds, they managed to free the deer from its entanglement. The video ends as it bounds away through the snow, seemingly uninjured. Usually with a buck or bull, they can be aggressive. But he submitted right away when they threw a jacket over his head. I think that deer had been there a while, eyewitness Annie Boedigheimer-Beaumont told Cowboy State Daily. Boedigheimer-Beaumont filmed the rescue and posted it to Instagram and Facebook the following day. Read Next: Watch Two Men Free a Deer Swinging from a Rope Swing According to Boedigheimer-Beaumont, the landowner granted the group permission to enter the field and rescue the deer after shutting off power to the electric fence. An avid hunter who visits Wyoming regularly from her home state of Oregon, Boedigheimer-Beaumont said she's friends with the two men in the video and just happened to be driving down Highway 26 when they stopped to free the buck. "Our guys did ... such an amazing good deed in saving this Mule Buck," she wrote in her original Instagram caption. "It [will] live to see hopefully many more days. What an awesome experience." In early 2022, Torren Martyn and his partner Aiyana Powell borrowed a sailboat in Thailand and set off on it, despite having zero sailing experience. In the years since, Martyn's been keeping the world updated via Instagram, writing about the many ups, downs and scary moments in-between. Now, comes "Calypte" featuring all the trials, tribulations and perfect tubes from their adventure. "When Torren and Aiyana borrowed the 35ft sailing boat 'Calypte' and departed from the east coast of Thailand in early 2022, they had a combined sailing experience of only a few days," writes Calypte co-producer Ishka Folkwell. "The one requirement of their charter was to eventually deliver the boat to Eastern Indonesia. They could learn as they went, get a few friends with sailing experience to help through the tricky bits and pick up as much as possible from them along the way. With this plan, the pair embarked onto the South China Sea, headed up through the Strait of Malacca and around the tip of Sumatra; out into the Indian Ocean on a year-long expedition in search of waves. What seemed like an idyllic journey didnt come easy. It was difficult to anticipate the challenges of the sleepless nights, the endless rolling and tossing of the boat, the breakdowns, the relentless maintenance and confined space. But adventures always seem sweeter if it really feels like you had to work to get there." While "Calypte" clocks in at nearly and hour and a half, it features some of the most beautiful, empty and unrecognizable waves in the world (not to mention the story behind the adventure), and it's worth every minute of its run time. *** Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." When a repeat client reached out to Connecticut-based designer Chauncey Boothby about taking on a full-gut renovation of their new house in Larchmont, New York, the designer was excited for the challenge. Then she found out the family who purchased the clients former home wanted it fully furnished. Of course, this was quite the compliment to Boothby, as she also designed that property, but it meant that this new home would be a fresh start in more ways than one. Read McKendree However, the designer says between the clients flexibility, their trust in her, and their willingness to camp out for a while, Boothby was able to create something quite extraordinary that the young family will cherish now and for years to come. The couple has two young girls, so it needed to be a space that worked well for them and fit with their love for entertaining, Boothby says. Its an old house, so we definitely wanted to keep to that aesthetic but basically every room needed renovating. Thankfully the previous owners had done a beautiful job restoring a lot of the traditional elements, so we didnt have to make drastic changes. Read McKendree Boothby teamed up with Paul Kramer of Homes By Kramer, who worked with her on the clients former home, to give the bones of the home a fresh chapter, from restoring the original flooring to reworking the fireplaces. They decided to keep the beautiful existing windows that had been well cared for, while areas like the third-floor playroom and basement received a complete refresh to create idyllic retreats for both the kiddos and the adults. Read McKendree However, Boothby and Kramer had to employ some serious intentionality into their renovation plans, as the family lived in the home for the duration of the projectnearly two yearswhich the designer says offered the challenge of figuring out how they could best live in the space while all the work was being done. Naturally, the top priorities became the first-floor living areas and the bedrooms, which ended up being the perfect launching point for Boothbys colorful visions for the home. Read McKendree The color palette travels nicely through the house," Boothby says. "We started with a much more sophisticated look on the first floor with the colors all playing off one another, and it gets more and more playful as you go up to the second and third floor while the basement is more refined for the adults. She adds, The living room was our starting point because it acts as an entry too, and I wanted it to feel like a parlor, and that really inspired the look of the rest of the house. Boothby has a penchant for mixing color and pattern thats arguably Anglophilic, and she utilized an array of U.K.-based vendors, from Soane and Liberty to Charles Edwards and Susie Atkinson. Read McKendree While each room has distinctive color stories and purposes, it all flows together with delightful pops of greenBoothbys signature color and a nod to the gorgeous environment surrounding the family's home. I always see green as a neutral, and youll notice that a lot, particularly in the study space-slash-game room, which is more moody with browns and greens thats balanced with the pretty playful blue, as well as in the family room with all the beautiful windows that reflect the beauty outside, says Boothby. The greens inside reflect all the amazing greens outside. Read McKendree Once Kramer and Boothby had reworked the essential spaces, the fun really began as they tackled a full gut renovation of the basement and architecturally reworked the third-floor play area. While the generous basement bar feels like stepping into a chic restaurant in nearby Manhattan and the wine cellar is something any oenophile would covet, the play area is an unabashed girly girls wonderland that feels like entering into a British Barbie dream house. Boothby and Kramer took two adjoining third-floor rooms to make one giant space for make-believe and movies, and they even created a charming turret to up the playful, cozy vibe. Read McKendree I was so happy with the way this space came out and was pretty proud of how we dealt with it without an architect, says Boothy. There was lots of patience and head-scratching, but I am so thrilled with the way the playroom turned out, and I know the clients and their little girls are too. The playroom, along with much of the rest of the home, is a testament to Boothbys determination, especially when it comes to customization. She says that nothing was easy; everything took a while, but the end result made all her creative tinkering and agonizing over lead times well-worth the hassle. Read McKendree Plus, Boothby says shes thankful for the amazing vendors shes found in J&J Upholstery, Holland & Sherry, along with many others that helped bring her visions to life, even when they required uphill battles. Kids spaces are some of my favorite because theres so much you can do with them, and you have to be able to create a space that they can grow into while feeling playful too, which I think is a reflection of my aesthetic, says Boothby. I love classic and clean, but it needs to have a lot of fun colors and quirkiness. What I love most about this house is that it is sophisticated with the right amount of whimsical elements." EXTERIOR Photo credit: Read McKendree Architectural details, like the charming turret, make this 1912 house shine. SUNROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree The Indian flower motif on the Jasper wallpaper can be found throughout the primary living areas. Ceiling fixture, Vaughan Designs. Tables, Bunny Williams Home. LIVING ROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree The textural wallcovering is a custom design from Holland & Sherry. The Soane chairs are upholstered in a Jasper fabric that's also featured on the sofa throw pillows. Ceiling light fixture, Urban Archeology. FAMILY ROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree More of the Indian flower motif finds its way into the sun-drenched family room. The area rug is Elizabeth Eakins. J&J Upholstery created the custom drapery in this space and throughout the home. BREAKFAST NOOK Photo credit: Read McKendree A Charles Edwards light fixture ensures this cozy breakfast nook is a gathering spot for both morning coffee and after-dinner cocktails. The dining chairs are by Soane. KITCHEN Photo credit: Read McKendree Bistro shelves from Urban Archeology offer a striking destination to display the owners' favorite serving pieces. Hector Finch light fixtures act as their own little works of art while the La Cornue range is the star of the show. DINING ROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree The dining area is swathed in a C&C Milano custom stripe paper that juxtaposes the dining chair fabric. Ceiling fixture, Urban Electric Co. Dining table, Iatesta Studio. BAR Photo credit: Read McKendree A moody Elizabeth Dow wallpaper ties in the cooler elements of the primary living spaces and creates a perfect hideaway in the heart of the home. POWDER BATHROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree The custom Rule of Three Wallpaper brings a pop of modernity to the traditional bath. STUDY Photo credit: Read McKendree A custom games table by Oomph Home creates a cozy diversion in the study space. The darling ceiling light fixture is from Charles Edwards and the striped rug is Elizabeth Eakins. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY Photo credit: Read McKendree The art-lined hallways is adorned with a bench from The Collective and a floor lamp by Vaughan Designs. Wallpaper, Hartmann Forbes. PRIMARY BATHROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree The primary bathroom features a custom tile by Waterworks. The ceiling light fixture is by Urban Electric. Curtain fabric, Rogers & Goffigon. DAUGHTER'S BEDROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree The daughter's bedroom features a charming custom corona in a Liberty fabric that was created by J&J Upholstery. The bedside tables are Trove. DAUGHTER'S BATHROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree This bathroom features custom floor and shower wall tiles by Greenwich Tile & Marble. The hotel rack is by Waterworks and the sconce shades are Sarah Blomfield. PLAYROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree This space is a playroom paradise for the family's three daughters. The wallpaper is Aleta Fabrics. The chair fabrics are Studio Atkinson and the table lamp is Penny Morrison. PLAYROOM Photo credit: Read McKendree The playroom's colorful turret features work by decorative painter Deidre Newman on the ceilings. Chairs and table, Milton & Goose. BASEMENT Photo credit: Read McKendree The basement is a wonderland for the adults, featuring a well-equipped bar reminiscent of favorite watering holes in nearby Manhattan. The ceiling pendants are Hector Finch and bar accessories are Ralph Lauren. BASEMENT Photo credit: Read McKendree Any oenophile would dream of this swoon-worthy wine cellar. A CB2 table and Fermob chairs create the perfect spot for an afternoon tasting. The artwork is Tug Rice for Eerdmans. You Might Also Like [table-of-contents] stripped Health officials in Ohio are warning about an increase in pneumonia cases in children. The state has seen 145 cases in kids aged 3 to 14 years old, and some are referring to the condition as white lung syndrome, or white lung pneumonia. The news is eerily similar to reports of an increase in cases of pediatric pneumonia in children in China, but officials from Ohios Warren County Health District stress that theyre unrelated. There has been zero evidence of this outbreak being connected to other outbreaks, either statewide, nationally, or internationally, the organization said in a news release.While the number of cases is higher this year, the severity is similar to previous years. Officials also said that most of these cases have involved kids who are able to recover at home and are successfully treated with antibiotics. Meet the experts: Daniel Ganjian, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, CA; Thomas Russo, M.D., a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York; Gustavo Cumbo-Nacheli, M.D., a pulmonologist with Corewell Health But what is white lung syndrome and how concerned about this should people be? Heres the deal. What does white lung mean? Despite references to white lung and white lung syndrome floating around right now, its not a medical term, says Daniel Ganjian, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. It is a non-specific term that has been used to describe pneumonia that appears white on chest X-rays, he says. This white imaging can be caused by a range of things, including fluid buildup in the air sacs of the lungs, inflammation of the lung tissue, and scarring of the lung tissue, Dr. Ganjian says. What is white lung pneumonia? White lung pneumonia is not a specific type of pneumonia, Dr. Ganjian says. It is simply a term that has been used to describe pneumonia that appears white on chest X-rays, he explains. Our lungs are filled with air and, when you look at a normal chest X-ray, the air is black, explains Thomas Russo, M.D., a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York. When you get a pneumonia parts of your lungs may fill up with fluid and parts that should be black or dark on an X-ray look white. White lung pneumonia can be caused by a wide range of things. Bacteria is the most common cause of seeing this white on a chest X-ray, but you can also see this on a chest X-ray if someone has pneumonia from RSV, COVID, or influenza, Dr. Russo says. While white lung is being used lately to refer to pneumonia, other things can lead to this effect, says Gustavo Cumbo-Nacheli, M.D., a pulmonologist with Corewell Health. Many conditions could affect the respiratory system and cause abnormal 'whitening' of some lung areas, he says. The whiteness can appear in scans for days to weeks until the body can 'clean up' the areas affected, Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli says. Signs of white lung pneumonia Signs and symptoms of white lung pneumonia can vary based on what caused the illness in the first place, Dr. Ganjian says. However, these are the most common pneumonia symptoms, according to the American Lung Association (ALA): Cough, which can bring up greenish, yellow, or bloody mucus Fever, sweating, and shaking chills Shortness of breath Rapid, shallow breathing Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough Loss of appetite Low energy and fatigue Nausea and vomiting, especially in small children Confusion, especially in older people Bacterial pneumoniawhich is the most common type of pneumoniatends to be more serious than other types, the ALA noted. Causes of white lung syndrome Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Common causes of bacterial pneumonia are Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, the CDC says. When pneumonia is caused by a virus, its usually due to the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), the CDC says. Fungal pneumonias are unusual in healthy hosts, Dr. Russo says. White lung pneumonia treatment In terms of the outbreak in Ohio, it seems to be driven by Streptococcus pneumoniae, mycoplasma, and adenovirus, Dr. Russo says. In general, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says you can expect the following treatments if youre diagnosed with pneumonia: Antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia Antiviral medicine for viral pneumonia Antifungal medicines for fungal pneumonia Over-the-counter medicines for fever and muscle pain If your pneumonia is serious, you may need to be treated at a hospital, Dr. Ganjian says. Treatment there may involve antibiotics and fluids through an IV line, oxygen therapy to increase the amount of oxygen in your blood, and being put on a ventilator. White lung pneumonia prevention There are a few things you can do to lower the risk of developing pneumonia, Dr. Ganjian says. Those include: Getting vaccinated against the flu and pneumococcal disease (if youre eligible) Washing your hands frequently Avoiding close contact with people who are sick Avoiding smoking Eating healthy and getting regular physical activity can also keep your immune system strong, lowering the risk youll develop pneumonia, the NHLBI says. If you have symptoms of white lung syndrome, contact your doctor. They should be able to guide you on the next steps. You Might Also Like Bacalar on the farthest tip of Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula is known as the Laguna de Siete Colores (the lagoon of seven colours) Counting the colours on Lake Bacalar was becoming a bit of an obsession. I was sipping coffee on the deck with a young woman who clearly knew her Pantone charts. Thats Bluefish segueing into Reflex, she said. Its easy to see why Bacalar is known as the Laguna de Siete Colores (the lagoon of seven colours). The town sits right up on the farthest tip of Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, close to the border with Belize and a straightforward four-hour drive from Cancun. Eventually, the shoulder-to-shoulder all-inclusive resorts of the Riviera Maya fall away and a sleepier, slower Mexico emerges. People are always trying to pigeonhole Bacalar. Its been called the new Tulum and the Mexican Maldives and has historically been popular with backpackers, but its become so much more than that. This small town with a big lagoon has an ambience and character all of its own. Bacalar has been designated a Pueblo Magico (magical town) by the Mexican government in recognition of its cultural, historical and architectural importance. Its a sleepy place that still feels local. Gusts of smoke from copal (burned to keep away mosquitoes) waft from buckets. Dogs loll on the pavement. There are a few boutiques touting classy beachwear, incense and crystals (so far, so Tulum), but shopping isnt the major draw here. While the most popular street food is still marquesitas (crispy rolled pancakes filled with Nutella, cheese or fruit) and elotes (Mexican corn on the cob), new foodie outlets are pushing the boundaries. El Manati, an immersive cafe/art gallery/boutique is brilliant for breakfast or brunch. Nao Bacalar is the place for sushi and cocktails with a side order of yoga classes (owner Oscar knows his mezcal, too), while Barba Negra serves great fish tacos. Jaguara is hopelessly romantic, set by the lake and serving fresh fish, superb ceviche and hibiscus-heavy cocktails. But for truly inventive Mexican food, theres Nixtamal. Fish on a bed of grilled watermelon with parmesan, pesto and picante sauce? Honestly, its unbelievably good. Everywhere you go, a generous bowl of freshly baked nachos with salsa and guacamole appears out of nowhere. Going hungry is not an option. At 37 miles long, Lake Bacalar is great for stand up paddleboarding, not to mention snorkellng and kayaking Theres a fort and a museum but nobody really comes here for history lessons its all about the lake, 37 miles long and just over a mile at its widest. Underground rivers feed it so youll find regular cenotes, sinkholes that can plunge to 90 metres deep. You can swim it and SUP (Stand up paddleboard) it; snorkel it and dive it; borrow a kayak or take a sightseeing boat trip to the prettiest spots. But be careful. Bacalar is renowned for its stromatolites, rock-like structures made by microbes that date back 3.5 billion years the oldest evidence of life on Earth. They look like giant cauliflowers pushing up through the water, and theyre highly susceptible to environmental damage. In 2015 a pollution alert was issued for the lake and by 2020 there was a real danger that the lake of aqua, turquoise, cyan and teal could turn into the lake of dingy brown. Fortunately, thanks to growing awareness and care, Bacalar is pulling back. A-tented rooms float over the ground, minimising impact on the landscape - Tanveer Badal As part of this movement, new hotels tend to major in sustainable architecture and regenerative hospitality, supporting the local community while guarding nature. Naya Bacalar opened a year ago, an eco-chic enclave of eight tented jungle rooms (some with plunge pools). A further five rooms are coming soon on the lakefront. Boca de Agua meanwhile opened in October 2023 on an 82-acre site of largely untouched land that will form a conservation and regeneration programme. Not a single mangrove plant was removed or damaged in the build. Frida Escobedo, its architect, has opted for tropical modernism with 26 spacious treehouses crafted from local Forest Stewardship Council-certified chicozapote hardwood raised on pillars above the jungle floor. The Mexico City architect is best known for her urban designs, including Londons Serpentine Pavilion in 2018 and the new contemporary art wing at New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art. I stayed at Our Habitas Bacalar. This outpost of the sustainable luxe brand (one of four in Mexico) has a similar feel to Naya. More than 30 A-tented rooms float over the ground, minimising impact on the landscape. Some hang over the lagoon itself but my room was cradled in jungle, only overlooked by the occasional monkey. Construction here may be light on the land, but its heavy on creature comforts artisanal rugs, blankets and cushions keep things snug; mini bars are well stocked and outdoor showers are powerful. At night, tiny candles light the winding path to your door. Rooms at Our Habitas Bacalar are heavy on creature comforts with artisanal rugs, blankets and cushions When not in your room, paddleboarding is a good way to explore the coves around the lagoon, some with little jetties; others with hammocks swinging over the water. A movement class (yoga, mindful movement, dance) happens at the civilised time of 9am. Breakfast afterwards, like all the food here, consists of generous portions of unpretentious, perfectly cooked local produce. All the usual hipster choices (avo toast, chia pudding) turn up but also chilaquiles (tortilla with avocado, tomato, egg; a bit like breakfast nachos) and motuleno toast (fried eggs with black beans, cheese and cream). For lunch or dinner, the smoky aguachile (like ceviche, but shrimp) beef tataki and wood-fired fish are particularly punchy. The deck is the only place for sundowners and a Baja el Sol (mezcal, lime and red pepper syrup) creates a warm glow as the night chills. Group activities here have a suitably Tulum feel to them sound healing, crystal kayaking, water meditation. The temazcal ritual, however, runs deeper. This is a traditional Mayan ceremony, held in a tiny pitch dark hut covered by brightly woven blankets close cousin to the northern American sweat lodge. Ceremonies can last for several hours; the heat is intense and those are just the physical challenges. Temazcal is traditionally a ritual of release; of letting go of fear and everything that holds you back, guided by the temazcalera or temazcalero (shamans). Yoga classes take place at the civilised time of 9am Days flopped into one another as I did less and noticed more: a vine meandering up the thatch with baby blue flowers; a bandy-legged iguana; yet another shade of blue on the lake. On my last evening in Bacalar, I sat on the dock, watching the moon scything a path across the lake. Sailor Blue and Abalone, I said to myself, then shook away the thought. You really shouldnt label magic. Jane Alexander was a guest of Our Habitas Bacalar, which offers doubles from $265 (210), including breakfast and the weekly programme of events. Temazcal ritual $90 (71) per person. 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. When you picture America's national parks and historic places, you might be thinking of the impressive Teton mountain range, the rock formations of Bryce Canyon or the geysers at Yellowstone. But you can make your way through several sites of national importance just by following one of the nation's great rivers: the Mississippi. Here, we've rounded up National Park Service sites and other federally protected places along the river. Visitors can hike, camp and fish in some, taking in the sweeping beauty of the river valley. Others offer a chance to get educated on the history of the Indigenous communities who lived near the river and, further south, a hard look at America's history of slavery. Since Wisconsin doesn't have any national parks, we've included a list of state parks on the Mississippi, too. What national parks, monuments and other spots are on the Mississippi River? In Minnesota, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a 72-mile park full of opportunities for hiking, kayaking, bird-watching and learning about the river. According to its website, it's also home to the steepest descent of the river more than 110 feet through a narrow gorge. Although it's not a National Park Service site, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is not to be missed. The refuge stretches more than 260 river miles from Wabasha, Minnesota to Rock Island, Illinois, protecting more than 240,000 acres of river floodplain. During the right seasons, you can hunt, fish, hike, bird-watch and more. Bird watchers gaze at tundra swans and other waterfowl Nov. 12, 2022 on the Mississippi River from an overlook in Brownsville, Minnesota. Effigy Mounds National Monument, near Harpers Ferry, Iowa, is a sacred space for the Indigenous peoples who lived in the Mississippi River valley. More than 200 mounds are in the park, formed thousands of years ago by people of the Late Woodland period in the shapes of bears, birds and other animals. By taking the Fire Point loop on foot, visitors can see more than 25 mounds including two effigy mounds, Little Bear and Great Bear as well as expansive views of the river. In St. Louis, Gateway Arch National Park is an iconic feature along the Mississippi River. The 630-foot stainless steel arch, which was completed in 1965, is built to withstand earthquakes and high winds. You can ride a tram to the top, which provides wide-ranging views of the river and the city. In Natchez, Mississippi, Natchez National Historical Park is a place of hard truths about America's history of slavery. The wealth and charm of the river city "was built on a horrific international system of human trafficking of people of African descent," Park Superintendent Kathleen Bond wrote in a column. In 2021, the park marked the acknowledgment of Forks of the Road, once one of the largest places where people were sold into slavery across the south. More: The Mississippi River is central to America's story. Why doesn't it get more love? More: 10 essential facts about the Mississippi River Could Wisconsin get a national park on the Mississippi River? Wisconsin is one of about two dozen states without a national park. There have been efforts to establish a national park in the Driftless region, but they've faltered. This past year, a proposal to create a Driftless National Park and Preserve in southeastern Minnesota was pulled after residents raised concerns about private land being made public and too many visitors harming the landscape, the Rochester Post-Bulletin reported in June. Roads in the Driftless Area wind through the area's signature hills in this September 2019 file photo. More: The Driftless Region's Kickapoo Valley is a hilly paradise in western Wisconsin In a Facebook post announcing the idea was being rescinded, the author of the proposal wrote, "The core tenets of this idea of mine were efforts for the conservation of the Driftless ecosystem - an incredibly rich environment unlike anywhere else - and the preservation of this landscape for future generations." Another proposal to create a national park on the river was announced this week from Wisconsin's neighbor to the south. In Alton, Illinois, about a half-hour drive north of St. Louis, AltonWorks a company that aims to revitalize the city's downtown proposed on Tuesday the creation of Great Rivers National Park, which would stretch 144 miles of riverfront. Which state parks are on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin? Merrick State Park is located on the backwaters of the Mississippi about 15 minutes away from Winona, Minnesota. There are three miles of hiking trails and ample opportunities for fishing and boating. In the springtime, river flooding can cause almost a quarter of the park to be underwater, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Just about 30 minutes upriver from La Crosse, Perrot State Park boasts bluff views hundreds of feet over the confluence of the Mississippi and Trempealeau rivers. The park contains 12.5 miles of hiking trails, including steep climbs up to the top of Brady's Bluff. At the Nature Center, you can learn about the long history of Indigenous people who have inhabited the land for millennia. More: These 7 parks offer some of the best views of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin Wyalusing State Park, where the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers meet near Prairie du Chien, is a prime place for blufftop camping. The park was established in 1917, making it one of the oldest state parks in Wisconsin. An added bonus: you can hop the river to Iowa and see Effigy Mounds National Monument in the same trip. About 30 minutes downriver of Wyalusing State Park is Nelson Dewey State Park, named for Wisconsin's first governor. It's home to Dewey Heights Prairie, a small remnant of the many acres of prairie that existed across the state hundreds of years ago. Three groups of Indigenous burial mounds have been found in the park, the oldest of which could be more than 2,000 years old. Have questions about the Mississippi River? Email Madeline Heim at mheim@gannett.com. Heim is a Report for America corps reporter who writes about environmental issues in the Mississippi River watershed and across Wisconsin. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to this reporting effort at jsonline.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Dr, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5 national parks, 4 Wisconsin state parks along Mississippi River Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders banged his gavel and threw his arms in the air as Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican, invited International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O'Brien to fight during a Senate committee hearing three weeks ago. Hold it! Stop it! No, no, sit down! Youre a United States senator, Sanders yelled, later adding: This is a hearing and God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress. Lets not make it worse." Its a look that stays true to the Vermont independent's image among Americans an animated, progressive firebrand with a strong appeal to young voters the kind of voters who recent polling indicates may not be as interested in backing President Joe Biden as they were in 2020. One November NBC News poll found Biden's approval rating among 18-34 year olds dropped to 31% from 46% two months prior. For Biden, who recently turned 81 and is the oldest president in U.S. history, age is a concern for voters heading into next years election. In a USA TODAY poll released in June, 37% of Democrats and Independents said Bidens age makes them less likely to vote for him. With lawmakers freezing during press conferences and forgetting how to vote on defense funding, age has become top of mind for many voters. But is it a sole determining factor when deciding who to support? One bloc of voters sees age as a secondary concern they are willing to look past ahead of the 2024 election, instead prioritizing a candidate's policy positions and track record. I dont give a damn about the age, Jeremy Lasko, 36, of Lehigh Acres, Florida, told USA TODAY. Age does not scare me. The policy that anyone makes does scare me." It's a message echoed by the Biden campaign. "When voters go to the ballot box next year, they'll cast their votes based on a simple question: Who is delivering for Americans and their families on the issues that matter to them," Daniel Wessel, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, told USA TODAY in a statement. "President Joe Biden is, while Donald Trump and the rest of the MAGA extremists are actively looking to make working people's lives harder." Yet the issue of age for Biden becomes evident when looking at how other older lawmakers like 82-year-old Sanders and former President Donald Trump, 77, who is cruising toward a 2024 rematch with Biden are perceived by the public. Experts told USA TODAY age does not crop up in the same ways for other older lawmakers as it does for Biden. We are seeing the effects of ageism of looking at Biden looking at him as an older person with the effects of aging when were not doing the same thing to Sanders and Trump," Janie Steckenrider, a political gerontology expert at Loyola Marymount University, said. Do voters acknowledge other candidates' ages? Sen Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and UAW President Shawn Fain speak at a rally in support of United Auto Workers members as they strike the Big Three auto makers on September 15, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. Sanders, who is one year older than Biden, is one example of a politician where questions over his age have not been spotlighted in the same way. Lasko is a registered independent who supported Sanders' presidential bids in 2016 and 2020. His decision to support a political candidate has less to do with their age and more to do with where they stand on certain issues. "Youth does not make you better nor does age for wisdom," Lasko, who works for a roofing company, said. "Whether you're here to help your fellow man is what the biggest concern is." Someone like Sanders, Lasko said, has consistently been known as a fierce advocate for health care and union rights. Jonathan Yardley, 55, a Barrington, New Hampshire resident who voted for Sanders in his 2016 and 2020 primary bids, told USA TODAY he did not consider Sanders age in those elections, only when the the former presidential candidate suffered from a heart attack. Ive never considered Bernie to show his age, he said. But when comparing Biden to a lawmaker like Sanders, Yardley said Sanders comes across much younger. I have seen instances of him (Biden) just being very confused where I havent seen Bernie act in that way at all, Yardley said, referencing moments where Biden has mumbled during a speech or stumbled on stage. Does age matter to voters? President Joe Biden speaks to reporters in Nantucket, Mass., Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, about hostages freed by Hamas in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Loyola Marymount University's Janie Steckenrider said there has been more of a focus placed on age within the last year after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had several episodes of freezing and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., became confused during votes. I think that brought the realities of age to top of mind, Steckenrider said. It's top of mind for Jennifer Sexton of Edinburg, Texas. She said the ages of Biden as well as Trump concern her. The 52-year-old professor said she is concerned that Biden could die during the campaign, leaving the Democratic party without a frontrunner. Someone like Sanders, who Sexton backed in the last two Democratic primaries, seems much younger, she said. But regardless of age, Sexton said she is looking at a candidate's policy stances and would consider voting for a third-party candidate who champions environmental issues. David Bell of Reno, Nevada, voted for Biden in 2020 and is feeling less enthusiastic about backing him for a second time over concerns that he is too old. Bell, 34, said he is happy with Biden's progress as president, but wishes the president focused more on charting a path forward for the next generation of Democratic leaders. "When it comes to vice presidential choice, Cabinet choices, I don't think there's anyone who I can see as a rising star within his administration and that's my biggest issue overall," he said. Bell, who works in logistics, said age isn't the sole deciding factor to determine who he will vote for, but emphasized he worries about it affecting a person's ability to lead and make decisions at the presidential level. "It becomes a secondary concern for me," he said. "It's not the number one thing that I look at or measure my candidates on." Others, like Yardley, said his concerns over Biden as the Democratic nominee have less to do with the president's age, and more to do with polling from last month that shows Trump surpassing Biden. I dont think age is a large factor for me, Yardley said. Donald Schepis, 28, who works as a creative producer for a gaming company, said he views age and policy positions as going hand in hand. "The way I complain about it is, 'Oh, I have to go vote for another old man.' But I don't care if I'm voting for an old man if they've actually kept up and are a modern progressive," the Phoenix, Arizona Democrat said, adding that he plans to vote for Biden next year but is "not looking forward to voting for another old guy." But ultimately, Schepis said he weighs a candidate's policy and position over their age. Ageism and ableism U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks to the media outside of the White House on July 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. Ageism and ableism factor into any comparison when looking at the ages of elected officials, according to Fernando Torres-Gil, the director of UCLA's Center for Policy Research on Aging. We still have a relatively ageist and ableist society where if you look old and act disabled, it creates a more negative impression, he said. The superficial nature of how one appears to others can influence how they are seen in the public eye, he said. I think it has a lot to do just with style and personality how you are perceived, Torres-Gil said. Steckenrider also pointed to an ageist society, saying Biden is exhibiting normal aging behavior that often gets misconstrued as signs of a larger problem, like dementia. Once someone starts to demonstrate characteristics associated with age, that becomes the focus and people jump to other assumptions, Steckenrider said. And with Biden constantly in the public eye as president, his every move is monitored compared to other political figures who don't receive the same attention. Those kinds of things are what people are seeing not necessarily listening to him," she said. "Biden has never been that same personality as Sanders. Hes always been much calmer and he hasnt been a firebrand, so in much part its just the presentation of their personalities and their traits." President Joe Biden speaks about the release of hostages from Gaza, in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on November 24, 2023. Thomas Jankowski, an adjunct professor of gerontology and political science at Wayne State University, said Sanders appears more energetic and vigorous. He is energized, and speaks with a loud Brooklyn accent. Biden has a quieter voice and occasionally stumbles when speaking because of a stutter. I think it triggers some age-related biases on the part of some people because he sounds like he mumbles a little bit and I think people attribute that to age, Jankowski said. Jankowski said Trump has similar advantages to Sanders in the ways he carries himself and speaks. People interpret those things as signs of youth, he said. It may be very similar in that people dont see Trump as being as old as Biden just like they didnt see Bernie Sanders being as old as Biden is. Sanders defends Biden's age Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. During a hearing on unions on Nov. 14, 2023, Sanders intervened between a threatened fight between Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Sean O'Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Sanders himself defended Bidens age in August, telling NBCs Meet the Press that there are broader issues than just a candidate's age. When people look at a candidate, whether hes Joe Biden, or Trump, or Bernie Sanders, anybody else, they have to evaluate a whole lot of factors, Sanders said. The focus instead should be on what a candidate stands for, the Vermont senator said. The 82-year-old senator has made it clear he has no intentions on running again and previously endorsed Biden's reelection. Sanders is seeking to unite progressives behind the president ahead of the 2024 election. He praised Bidens economic policies earlier this year in New Hampshire, a state where Biden will not appear on the primary ballot due to a conflict with the Democratic National Committee over the primary's timing. I think that we have got to bring the entire progressive community (to) defeat Trump or whoever the Republican nominee will be, Sanders said on CNNs State of the Union." Biden defended his own age on MSNBC earlier this year, saying he has "acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom" throughout his career. He has also used humor when confronting his age, joking over the summer to a crowd of reproductive rights activists that he is 198 years old. Most recently, he joked about his age in an Instagram post for his 81st birthday. "Turns out on your 146th birthday, you run out of space for candles," Biden wrote. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Does age matter? Why it weighs differently for Biden, Trump, Sanders KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2023 - 12:05 | All, Japan Four senior members of a group suspected of organizing scams and burglaries in Japan from the Philippines were served fresh arrest warrants Tuesday for allegedly orchestrating a robbery that resulted in injuries in western Tokyo last year, police said. The latest arrests, including of Kiyoto Imamura, 39, who the police suspect used the pseudonym "Luffy" when planning and coordinating the crime, mark the final charges from eight cases of burglary across the country subject to intensive police investigation since June. The other three suspected of orchestrating trespassing into a home in Inagi, western Tokyo, in October last year, beating its residents and robbing them of gold and cash are Yuki Watanabe, 39, Toshiya Fujita, 39, and Tomonobu Kojima, 45, police said. The four men are believed to have coordinated the robbery remotely via an encrypted messaging app while being held at an immigration detention facility in Manila. They were deported to Japan from the Philippines in February this year. Additional arrest warrants were served for Watanabe and Fujita for allegedly planning a robbery in Oamishirasato in Chiba Prefecture, as well as Kojima for his suspected involvement in robberies in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture in November last year and in Tokyo's Nakano Ward the following month. Imamura, Watanabe and Fujita have also been indicted on charges of robbery resulting in the death of a 90-year-old woman at her home in Komae, western Tokyo, in January. Tokyo police set up a joint investigative headquarters with prefectural police departments in Chiba, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi in June, seeking to build cases for the eight robberies alleged to have been carried out by the group. The police believe that Imamura used aliases, such as "Luffy," when ordering the crimes to be carried out in Japan. Those who committed the burglaries are believed to have been recruited online for "yami baito," literally meaning "dark part-time work." The four men were initially arrested for alleged theft in connection with scams targeting people in Japan. Related coverage: Japan police to stamp out online criminal activity with help of AI "Luffy" crime ring members charged again for robbery, murder charges "Luffy" crime ring member arrested, first for ordering Japan robbery In what's turning into a historic week for Fort Myers Beach, its elementary school reopened on a crisp sunny Southwest Florida Tuesday morning, 433 days after Hurricane Ian's demoralizing devastation. "Now I'm a parent of a child who is fortunate enough to return today," said Beach native and former student Jenny-Tardiff-Paradiso, echoing others who expressed the similar as children walked through the front door adorned with white and light blue balloons, 62 weeks after many lost their homes. "The commitment to this school comes in all forms. (Because) of the isolation, which is natural when you are raised on an island, we learn to stick together." This, as the $200 million Margaritaville beach resort prepares to open Thursday, the first of massive projects that will transform Estero Island from its Old Florida village roots and draw more affluent travelers. At the same time, like with other businesses, the offspring of the compound's commuting service industry workers, even if they aren't town residents, are eligible to attend classes. Here are five things and more to know. 1. What took place Tuesday as classes returned to FM Beach? The Lee County School District hosted an emotional ceremony, highlighted by the raising of an American flag that flew at at the U.S. Capitol on the one-year anniversary of the treacherous storm. Honchos had hoped for a mid-November comeback, but shutdowns in days prior, during and after Hurricane Idalia's less damaging August pass by Southwest Florida contributed to a delay. "Gulfpoint Construction built something special, and today our return to Fort Myers Beach Elementary is a positive reminder that Fort Myers Beach overall has a flourishing future ahead," said Principal Traci Kohler, who teared up and paused as she talked. "I am so incredibly proud." Lori Zamniak, a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Fort Myers Beach Elementary School works with students on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. The school reopened after more than a year of being closed. The school sustained significant damage in Hurricane Ian last year. The historic part of the school was renovated. Adjoining buildings and classrooms were demolished. The school houses kindergarten through fifth grade. 2. When rebuilding of Fort Myers Beach Elementary began Known as Beach School and the home of the Dolphins, the $6 million redo by Gulfpoint began in the summer at 2751 Oak St. that included restoration of the original building and replacement of plumbing and electrical systems wiped out by Ian's catastrophic storm surge. Water had gone up to and over the other roofs, district leaders said: What wreckage remained of those "beyond repair" structures that included nearly all the grades, the cafeteria, administration and other services was demolished. "We had a lot to figure out," Superintendent Christopher Bernier said. "Officials, residents, parents, teachers, all combined with district staff to develop a plan to get us where we're at today. What we have created through this partnership is a brand new educational environment in a historic building. It's ready to meet the educational needs of the island's children, but more importantly, it's ready again to be the center of this Beach community. (This) is a significant milestone." Fort Myers Beach Elementary School reopened to fanfare and ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. The school sustained significant damage in Hurricane Ian last year. The historic part of the school was renovated. Adjoining buildings and classrooms were demoed. The school houses kindergarten through fifth grade. 3. Where did the Lee County students attend in the interim? Pupils largely went to San Carlos Park Elementary after the powerful hurricane struck Sept. 28, 2022: "It has been 14 months of perseverance and resilience," Kohler said. "Our students continued to grow academically in spite of the challenges we faced. More importantly, they moved from surviving to thriving." School board members had considered various options after the disaster including selling the land and potentially not having education on the island anymore. But parents lobbied for a presence, leading to Tuesday's return and room for close to 50 learners and about a dozen educators in the enduring building. "It has classroom space for the kids, offices for the staff and a media center," district spokesperson Rob Spicker said. In the Know: What's new this week in SWFL? Supercar dealer, Marriott, Margaritaville A flag donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution, Estero Island Chapter is raised at Fort Myers Beach Elementary on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. The school reopened after more than a year of being closed. The school sustained significant damage in Hurricane Ian last year. The historic part of the school was renovated. Adjoining buildings and classrooms were demoed. The school houses kindergarten through fifth grade. The American flag flew over the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 28, 2023. The Florida flag flew over the Florida capitol building on Sept. 28, 2023. 4. What's history of what is known as SWFL's Beach School? The smallest school in the district, the structure built in 1947 was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1999. As the Beach has become more expensive, fewer families are moving there, where its U.S. Census median of 66 years old ranks among America's 150 oldest age communities. Since 2004, the school's enrollment has dropped from more than 200 to 52 as of February. The school's operation costs taxpayers nearly triple the district's average of $8,868 per student. A total of 48 returned Tuesday, Spicker said: "We are obligated through the interlocal agreement with the town of Fort Myers Beach to add space next year to accommodate up to 80 students and to provide facilities for up to 150 students by the 2026-27 school year if enrollment reaches that level." Real estate: 50% rise in mansions costing more than $5M helping drive SWFL housing market 5, What other efforts helped in recovery of the FMB school? "Citizens from across the country reached out with the desire to support," Kohler said, including book drives among efforts to replace what washed away. "Schools, such as Hildreth Elementary and the Hollis School from Massachusetts, Rolling Green Elementary from Iowa and Lithia Springs, Surfside, Agape and various Immokalee and Naples area schools here in Florida are just a few examples. Support came in the form of monetary donations, from penny drives and proceeds from a 5K." Additionally, churches, foundations, parent-teacher and service organizations, like the Kiwanis, Rotary and business chamber-related groups "provided financial support, fund-raising and grant opportunities," Kohler said, noting also Los Angeles-based assistance: "The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation bestowed a variety of musical instruments for our amazing music program." Based at the Naples Daily News, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) grew up in Southwest Florida. Leading Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts as an editor, he writes In the Know for the USA TODAY NETWORK. Support Democracy and subscribe to a newspaper. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Almost closed forever by Hurricane Ian, Beach Elementary reopens Tues. ASHEVILLE Buncombe County Commissioner and Asheville lawyer Martin Moore filed his candidacy for North Carolina Court of Appeals Dec. 4, the first day of 2024 election filing in the state. Moore, a Democrat, is running for the seat held by Republican Hunter Murphy, who has held the position since 2017. Murphy, along with Republican Chris Freeman, are running for the seat. The Citizen Times reached out to Murphys chambers. Moore, 35, defeated Republican Robert Pressley to win the commission seat in 2022. Buncombe County Commissioner Martin Moore declared his candidacy for the North Carolina Court of Appeals. It feels like a really important time in North Carolina, Moore told the Citizen Times Dec. 4. Our courts matter more than ever. I think that people are seeing firsthand what having quality judges on the bench means. Director of Western Carolina University Public Policy Institute Chris Cooper told the Citizen Times Dec. 4 that Moore has a punchers chance. Moore has experience as an elected official, with the legal system and on campaigns that make him a competitive candidate, Cooper said. His election will likely be determined by the top of the ticket in a presidential and gubernatorial year. The bigger statewide tie will probably end up taking this, Cooper said. If its a good year for Democrats, its a good year for Moore. Moore said that hes optimistic about his chances, pointing to his experience flipping the commission seat. The states appellate court reviews proceedings in civil and criminal cases tried in district or superior court, making decisions about questions of law. Judges on the court are elected to serve eight-year terms. More: Ex-NC House member, a Democrat, runs again for new Asheville, Woodfin, Biltmore district Moore would not comment on any of the cases he might see, saying that it would be improper as a potential judge to prematurely submit his opinion. My philosophy generally is going to be to review each case on the merits, he said. I am not going to lock myself into any specific view on the law or a judicial philosophy, traditionally, but I am committed to reviewing every single case, and looking at what are just outcomes in every circumstance. Martin Moore speaks during a Buncombe County Commissioner's debate at a CIBO meeting September 9, 2022. Moore would be the only representative from Western North Carolina on the state Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court in this state have only become whiter and less diverse, state senator Julie Mayfield told the Citizen Times Dec. 4. Mayfield endorsed Moore, who is Black, during the conversation. Continuing to have racial diversity on the courts matters a lot. That brings different views, different experiences. It makes the bench stronger. In the county, Moore serves on committees that work on early childhood development, criminal justice, juvenile crime prevention and sewage. He also participates in a committee that reviews Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College requests for capital investments in college facilities. Moore earned endorsements from N.C. Supreme Court Justices Anita Earls and Allison Riggs, who are both Democrats, according to a Dec. 4 news release. Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller and Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara also endorsed Moore. If Moore wins the election, he will be the third county commissioner to vacate their seat on the board. Board Chair Brownie Newman and Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara announced earlier this year that they are not running for reelection. Commissioner Al Whitesides told the Citizen Times Dec. 4 that Moore had his endorsement. More: 'Difficult decisions ahead': Buncombe County expenses outpace revenues More: Amanda Edwards declares for Buncombe commission chair. Newman, Whitesides, Sloan endorse Whitesides downplayed the potential loss of institutional knowledge on the board, saying that it was most important to have representatives with strong qualities to serve. Moores competitor, Murphy, was censured by the states Supreme Court in December 2020 for allowing a toxic work environment, according to an Associated Press report. The states Judicial Standards Commission found that Murphy failed to intervene when his executive assistant, a friend of his from high school, bullied, made lewd comments and belittled members of his staff. Murphy asked his friend to resign in 2018. Mitchell Black covers Buncombe County and health care for the Citizen Times. Email him at mblack@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @MitchABlack. Please help support local journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe Commissioner Martin Moore running for NC Court of Appeals Some residents in northeast Wichita are being warned to stay away from a creek and pond areas after elevated levels of E. coli were detected Monday afternoon. Water in Four Mile Creek near Founders Circle, west of 127th Street North in District 2 in northeast Wichita, has tested positive for elevated levels of E. coli, a City of Wichita news release said. Officials say there is no public health risk and city staff are currently contacting residents and businesses in the affected area. A map provided by the city shows Lakeview Funeral Home and & Cemetery, Cruise Planners, McGettrick Aviation and Trinity Academy in the affected area. The city also says there is no risk to the citys drinking water or anyone walking or living by the creek. There is also no impact to any fish or wildlife. The alert comes after a city sewer lift station near Founders Circle overflowed on Saturday due to equipment failure. The equipment has since been repaired and working normally but resulted in an estimated sewer overflow of 1.7 million gallons, according to the city. During the overflow, wastewater ran into Four Mile Creek, near the Redbud Path, the city said. A resident reported the issue Sunday morning and staff tested the creek water that same afternoon. Results that came back Monday afternoon showed the elevated E. coli levels. Dec. 4 showing elevated E. coli levels in the stream of greater than 2419.2 colonies per 100 ml. A typical test for this time of year is 2000 or fewer colonies per 100 ml, the city said. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is set to issue a public advisory for people and their pets to stay out of the water and will lift it once levels return to normal. The City will continue to sample and test the water daily until the advisory is lifted and keep the public updated on an expected timeline for abatement, the city said. City Hall has announced four applicants that are in the running for police chief of the Abilene Police Department. Here is an in-depth look at one of the first applicants, Albert Garcia. Albert Garcia, a West Texas native, has served as a police officer for almost 31 years. Hoping to make his parents proud, he began his police career just after college in Levelland. Albert Garcia, Chief of Police - Levelland Police Department Since his first posting, Garcia has served three cities as the chief of police. He first served the small city of Idalou as chief of police in 2003. As he began that position, however, the two other officers in that department resigned. Garcia was forced to serve the city of Idalou solo, until he was able to grow their police department by five members. From there, Garcia went on to serve as police chief in Littlefield and subsequently Levelland since 2017. When asked what his most valuable experience has been, he sadly recalled a critical incident in July 2021 when an active sniper shot and killed one deputy in addition to one other officer on the force. What Chief Garcia said he learned from this incredibly tough event was the value of teamwork. He was able to manage the situation as over 200 agents responded to the call from Levelland in their time of need. From state to federal to the local sheriffs office, Garcia led the team in order to bring the alleged sniper to justice. The accused is currently awaiting trial, which is projected to occur in September 2024. That fateful event taught Garcia that teamwork is where we are all successful. As a result of that incident, Garcia received the Medal of Valor from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and the Medal of Honor from his own police department. He is proud of those medals but wishes he would have never had to receive them at all. In addition to serving as the Levelland Chief of Police, Garcia was elected as the President of the Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA) in April of this year. He now governs the more than 1,400 members in the organization. Garcia has testified at both the Texas and U.S. Capitols in order to represent police chiefs and guide new police legislation. Albert Garcia was elected last April as the current president of the Texas Police Chiefs Association. Garcia also holds a Master Peace Officer Certification, which is the highest level of certification a police officer can achieve. One of his biggest achievements, however, is the establishment of the nonprofit Blue & You LPD (Levelland Police Department). Garcia was instrumental in the establishment of this nonprofit police organization. Blue & You hosts fundraisers such as tournaments or color runs in order to raise money for their local community. The highlight every year is when they sponsor children at Christmastime. Each year, Levelland officers pick up underprivileged children, while donning their blue Santa hats and running their police lights. The officers then drive the children to breakfast at McDonalds, and then on to Walmart. Once there, each child spends $125 on Christmas gifts they would otherwise not have had. Chief Garcia serves as a "Blue Santa" taking children shopping for Christmas who otherwise would not have had gifts. Members of the community are on hand to cheer the police cruisers and the children as they head in to shop. Garcia notes that he is extremely proud to have community support in this yearly endeavor, without affecting the police department's budget. Chief Garcia hopes, if chosen, he can bring about stability to the Abilene Police Department. He is a servant leader and wants to focus on teamwork, as he is a staunch supporter of the police department being a part of the community. Garcia wants to work hand in hand with our community to reduce the crime rate and make the city a safer place for every member of it. This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: An in-depth look at potential police chief candidate from West Texas The number of nations where paraquat, an agricultural herbicide, is allowed to be used continues to dwindle, yet paraquat continues to receive stamps of approval from federal regulators in the United States. "Contrary to these dozens of countries, which have looked at the exact same data and have found that paraquat is too dangerous [and] too toxic to continue using, the United States Environmental Protection Agency reached the exact opposite conclusion," said Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, a non-profit environmental law firm. Paraquat, which is often distributed under the name Gramoxone in the U.S. by Syngenta, is a restricted use herbicide known for its effectiveness in killing weeds. Farmers across the country are only allowed to use paraquat if they have been trained and certified, and when applying it to farmland, they are told to wear protective gear and not ingest any amount of the herbicide due to its toxicity. Frank Garcia didn't think twice about using paraquat on his Arizona farm in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He says that he got the necessary certification to use paraquat, but does not remember whether he or his wife Maria wore respirators when using the herbicide. PHOTO: Members of the Garcia family discuss memories prior to Maria Garcia's Parkinson's diagnosis. (ABC News) "You could see the results in a few hours," Garcia said. "In a day or two, [the weeds] would be shriveled up pretty well." Decades later, Maria Garcia is battling Parkinson's disease, and she believes it's because she was exposed to paraquat during her time on the farm. She is one of more than 4,000 people who have sued Syngenta and Chevron, alleging negligence and failure to warn of a product liability. Syngenta rejects these concerns, telling ABC News, "In short, the hypothesis that paraquat causes Parkinson's is not accepted in the medical community or peer-reviewed science, nor has it been accepted at any time in the past." 'They continue to sell it here' The use of paraquat tripled in the U.S. between 2008 and 2018, with estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey showing that in 2018, the use of the herbicide was particularly common in areas such as California's Central Valley, Iowa and the Mississippi River Valley. PHOTO: Gramoxone has been sold in the U.S. for decades by Syngenta and its predecessors. (ABC News) In 2019, Thailand issued a ban on paraquat, with Brazil, Chile, Malaysia, Peru and Taiwan each following with various prohibitions. China also banned the domestic use of paraquat, despite a state-owned Chinese chemical company acquiring Syngenta in a record $43 billion deal in 2017. "The Chinese government essentially owns Syngenta, but doesn't use [paraquat] in their own country," Peter Flowers, co-lead counsel in the multidistrict litigation against Syngenta and Chevron involving more than 4,000 plaintiffs, told ABC News. "They continue to sell it here," he continued. "We as Americans should be outraged by this." MORE: Public schools across the country plagued by high lead levels in drinking water Paraquat bans now apply to more than 50 countries, an ABC News analysis found. To use paraquat products like Gramoxone, the EPA says that Americans must be certified pesticide applicators and complete an hour-long online safety training every three years. "EPA's assumption that existing regulations would be sufficient to protect people is just not grounded in reality and not supported by science," said Kalmuss-Katz. Syngenta says that Gramoxone does not pose a danger when used properly. Chevron, which distributed Gramoxone in the U.S. between 1966 and 1986 before ceasing its involvement in the paraquat market, has also denied liability. They told ABC News in a statement that they quit selling paraquat for commercial reasons due to increased competition, not health concerns. "To this day, and despite hundreds of studies being conducted in the past 20 or so years, a causal link between Paraquat and Parkinson's disease has not been established," Chevron's statement said. 'This would be really bad for them' The EPA has insisted that its most recent thorough review of scientific studies on paraquat has found no clear link between the herbicide and Parkinson's. Both the agency and Syngenta have pointed to a 2020 Agricultural Health Study sponsored in part by the National Institute of Health, which found "that there was no evidence of an association between paraquat exposure and Parkinson's disease." But in their petition, Earthjustice argued that the EPA "misinterpreted the evidence" when they dismissed the connection between paraquat and Parkinson's disease, and that their risk assessment was "flawed" and "one-sided," which could leave more people "likely to develop Parkinson's disease." Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta, a widely respected University of Rochester neurotoxicologist, conducted several of her own paraquat studies on mice and reached a conclusion that was different from what the EPA found. PHOTO: Deborah Cory-Slechta teaches at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Upstate New York. (ABC News) "We saw things that were convincing to us that paraquat could indeed be a risk factor for Parkinson's disease," Cory-Slechta told ABC News. Cory-Slechta's work examining what effect paraquat has on the brains of mice is frequently cited as evidence suggesting a link between paraquat and Parkinson's. "The human studies show links between paraquat and Parkinson's disease over and over again," she said. "The animal studies continue to show those links including the loss of dopamine neurons, so you have a correspondence between the human and the animal studies that's very compelling." Cory-Slechta was being considered by the EPA as a potential candidate nearly 20 years ago for a scientific advisory panel regarding pesticides, but Carey Gillam, a contributor to The Guardian and the managing editor for The New Lede, an environmental news website supported by the Environmental Working Group, said the internal Syngenta communications she obtained showed that Syngenta did not want that to happen. "Syngenta got wind of this and realized that this would be really bad for them," Gillam said, pointing to a 2005 email in which Syngenta asked "what action can be taken" to keep Cory-Slechta off the EPA panel. "You can see through the emails how they develop this plan that they want to convince the EPA to kick her off or to not appoint her to any of their panels." MORE: Small town, big landfill: New Yorks largest garbage dump could grow larger Syngenta maintains that it "acted appropriately with regard to Dr. Cory-Slechta." In other internal communications obtained by Gillam, the company asked industry lobbying group CropLife America to, in such a way that they cannot be attributed to Syngenta, tell the EPA that Cory-Slechta was unwilling to "enter into objective scientific debate with industry regarding her data." When ABC News reached out to ask about Cory-Slechta, Syngenta said they continue to stand by this position. "I think Syngenta's efforts are very similar to what I've seen over the years from many chemical companies whose efforts are to either discredit the science or to mitigate its potential impact," Cory-Slechta said. Federal lobbying disclosures show CropLife America spent almost $2 million last year on lobbying efforts. Some of that money was associated with legislation like the Protect America's Children from Toxic Pesticides Act, which would ban pesticides like paraquat from the U.S. CropLife America told ABC News that it "routinely represents our members by reflecting their views in our comments on these nominees, as we do on dozens of other regulatory matters on which EPA requests public comment." A reconsideration by regulators In 2021, the EPA issued an interim decision to allow for paraquats continued use in the U.S. for another 15 years while requiring additional safety precautions. Since then, after being sued by Earthjustice, which is representing The Michael J. Fox Foundation and other organizations in this effort, the EPA said that they would reconsider their decision. "Now [the] EPA has a chance to go back to fix the mistakes that it made during the prior risk evaluation, to reject Syngenta's interference and to provide the protections law requires," Kalmuss-Katz of Earthjustice said. "We're waiting to see whether [the] EPA lives up to that." PHOTO: Tricia Garcia, right, helps to take care of her mother-in-law Maria Garcia. (ABC News) In the meantime, more than 2,300 miles away from EPA headquarters, each day continues to be a challenge for Maria Garcia as she copes with the effects of Parkinson's in her Arizona home. Tricia, Maria's daughter-in-law, is hoping that the agency will take action. "I would urge the EPA and any other decision makers to please ban this product from being used in the United States and save the lives of the future farmers," she said. Essential herbicide, but at what cost? Paraquat remains in US despite bans elsewhere originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Fairytale of New York by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl is heading towards the number one slot this Christmas after an outpouring of support from fans following the death of the bands frontman, Shane MacGowan. Originally released in 1987, the track has never reached the top spot in the UK chart, peaking at number two. Spearheaded by MacGowans widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, calls are growing for the track to finally claim the coveted Christmas number one title in a few weeks time. MacGowan died aged 65 last Thursday from pneumonia. Last Christmas by pop duo Wham!, the late George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, is currently on track to take the top spot next Friday after climbing four spaces, according to the Official Chart Company. Mariah Careys classic All I Want For Christmas Is You is less than 1,500 chart units behind at the moment, climbing from sixth to second. Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues, featuring the late Kirsty MacColl, has seen an even greater surge, rising 15 places since last week to claim the third spot. Kirsty MacColl and Shane MacGowan promoting the single on its release in 1987 - Tim Roney/Getty Images Its jump in the last seven days puts it in contention for the Christmas title, which will be announced in less than three weeks, on Dec 22. The track is also a huge odds-on favourite with bookmakers. Fairytale Of New York was written by MacGowan and fellow Pogues founder Jem Finer and later re-recorded to have MacColl duet with MacGowan, which led to the best-known version of the track. It has returned to the UK Christmas top 40 every year since 2005 but never reached the top spot, according to the Official Charts Company. MacGowans wife told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Saturday that she is in favour of the bands best-known song reaching the milestone in his honour. She said: It would be nice, wouldnt it? It should be the Christmas number one, it absolutely should. Im very much in favour of that. Eurovision star Sam Ryders new festive offering, Youre Christmas To Me, is currently placing at number four in the first look at the UK singles chart, while Jack Harlows Loving On Me has fallen four places to number five. 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. An Iowa City Transit Proterra ZX5 electric bus drives along its route on E. Washington Street past a planter with tulips in full bloom, Wednesday, May 4, 2022, in Iowa City, Iowa. Fare-free ridership is up, big. Iowa City Transit's passenger traffic grew by 44 percent between August and October compared to 2022, which amounts to more than 135,000 additional rides. The uptick is thanks to the city's fare-free transit initiative, aimed at decreasing carbon emissions and increasing transportation equity in Iowa City. The two-year pilot program launched on Aug. 1, providing Iowa City Transit riders with entirely free access at nearly 100 stops. It will hopefully help boost the local economy by keeping dollars in people's pockets, Iowa City Councilor Andrew Dunn said during the councils June 6 meeting where they authorized the move to fare-free. In doing that, it is going to help the poor and working people save money and spend it on other necessities. City staff estimates that fare-free ridership has contributed to a 98-ton decrease in local CO2 emissions from personal vehicles. That reduction is equivalent to 250,000 miles driven by an average gas-powered vehicle, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's emissions calculator. Through September, the city's Towncrest service line serving east Iowa City and the South Iowa City and Oakcrest lines which takes passengers to and from the southwest side of town have experienced the biggest impact. The Towncrest line saw an increase of more than 8,000 riders in the program's first two months and posted an 81% increase in the first month of fare-free. Paratransit also witnessed an increase through September, with a 23% uptick in ridership on the Johnson County SEATS program. SEATS provides older and disabled riders and riders who do not live around one of the city's bus lines with transportation. Riders traveling from point to point in Iowa City can take advantage of SEATS for free. More: University of Iowa's student government tackles drink spiking through Nightcap initiative More: County's SEATS program offering free rides in Iowa City City staff expects public transportation popularity to increase Iowa City continues to study the program's effects on ridership, which is expected to increase by 20% to 60%, Iowa City transportation director Darian Nagle-Gamm told the council in May. A grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation funds the program through July 2025, but the city remains hopeful to continue the program beyond that date. The goal is to double ridership to further the citys emissions targets and reduce vehicle trips by 55%, the city said in June. Fare-free aims to reduce carbon emissions by 45% in the next seven years to help the city achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. A general view of the Iowa City Transit facility on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. The 40-year-old facility, built on the site of an old garbage dump, will be replaced by a new facility in the coming years after the city received $23 million in federal funds. How do I catch a ride on the fare-free routes? Anyone looking to ride an Iowa City bus line can simply jump aboard at any of the stops throughout Iowa City. Each line uses a system similar to the Campus, the University of Iowa's free transit service, and counts riders via a tablet as they board for federal grant purposes. Fare boxes are still on each bus, but they are covered. More: All Aboard: Iowa City's fare-free transit launches Iowa City buses move along 13 lines, each originating from the downtown transportation hub. The city offers an interactive route map overlayed on a city map. Riders can also download the Transit app to find the route closest to them. Full schedules are also available at icgov.org/busschedules. For those needing assistance, help can be found by calling 319-356-5151 or by emailing ICTransit@iowa-city.org. Coralville's bus routes also operate in parts of west Iowa City and make stops downtown, though those rides require a small fee. Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City gains significant ridership increase through fare-free program A Missouri appeals court is weighing whether a Missouri House rule allowing lawmakers to keep some documents secret violates a constitutional amendment approved by voters. The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District held oral arguments on Tuesday over House Rule 126, which says legislators can keep constituent case files, and records of the caucus of the majority or minority party of the House that contain caucus strategy, confidential. Lawmakers adopted the rule after voters approved a constitutional amendment called Clean Missouri in 2018 that made the General Assembly subject to the Missouri Sunshine Law. Mark Pedroli, a St. Louis-based attorney who often works on government transparency issues, has sued to overturn it. The immediate response to that was to pass their rule. It was a defiance, Pedroli told a three-judge panel of the appeals court in Kansas City. While Pedrolis Sunshine and Government Accountability Project first sued over the House rule more than four years ago, the case is before the appeals court amid a turbulent moment in the chamber. House Speaker Dean Plocher, a St. Louis area Republican, has been enmeshed in controversy this fall after acknowledging he received government reimbursements for expenses paid for by his campaign Pedrolis 2019 lawsuit was spurred by a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story that reported that Missouri lawmakers were getting letterspurportedly from constituentsasking them to support legislation making it harder to file lawsuits against out-of-state companies. Many of the constituents later contacted by the newspaper said they never sent the letters, however. Pedroli sent Sunshine requests to House members, asking for emails similar to those sent to Missouri elected officials without the knowledge or consent of constituents. Some legislators produced the emails, according to the lawsuit. Others refused to produce the records without redacting email and postal addresses of the purported authors. Marc Ellinger, an attorney representing the House, argued the House could have gone further in restricting access and that lawmakers could have refused to provide the records at all. The documents were produced and very limited redactions were made, he said. Ellinger also said that while Clean Missouri made legislative records public records, they didnt automatically make them open records. He emphasized that public records are not the same as open records. The amendment says legislative records shall be public records and subject to generally applicable state laws governing public access to public records, including the Sunshine Law. Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem in January ruled in favor of the House, writing in his decision that the Sunshine Law allows some records to be protected, and only gives access to open and public records. The appeals court judges on Wednesday gave few indications about which way they were leaning. Whatever the appeals court decides may eventually be appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court. KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2023 - 15:05 | All, Japan Japan's House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday to prevent the outflow of the Unification Church's assets as concerns grew that the controversial religious group would try to hide its funds overseas as it faces compensation demands. The bill is designed to ensure there will be sufficient financial support for those who have fallen victim to the groups' activities, including aggressive donations solicitations. It will be sent next to the House of Councillors, or upper house, paving the way for its passage by the end of the current parliament session through Dec. 13. Under the legislation, when a request filed with a court to strip a group of its religious corporation status and tax benefits is under review, the group concerned must notify central or prefectural government authorities of any plan to dispose of assets in advance. After the Unification Church met with harsh criticism for its donation solicitations and other malicious practices, the government filed a request in October with the Tokyo District Court for an order to disband the Japanese branch of the South Korea-headquartered church, formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. If the court issues such an order, a liquidator will dispose of the religious corporation's assets, enabling victims who are recognized as creditors to receive compensation. The Japanese arm has said it plans to allocate up to 10 billion yen ($68 million) to the government to cover likely compensation for former believers and their families over forced donations. A group of lawyers supporting victims in Japan said about 130 people have been in financial distress because of the religious group's forced donations, with damages payments estimated to top 4 billion yen. However, the lawyers believe there are far more unconfirmed cases, meaning the total could end up being around 100 billion yen. The practices of the Unification Church gained public attention after the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, allegedly by a man holding a grudge against the church because of massive donations made by his family. Tetsuya Yamagami, who has been indicted over the shooting, told investigators he targeted Abe because Abe's grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped to establish the church in Japan. Related coverage: Japan PM "not aware" Unification Church member present at 2019 talks Unification Church to allocate up to 10 billion yen for compensation Jonathan and Hannah Goldstein died after their plane crashed in the Swiss Alps and burst into flames - Central News/Web Collect/Central News Pilots must be trained to fly over mountains, a coroner has warned after a British composer crashed into the Alps and died along with his family. Jonathan Goldstein, 50, was flying a single-engine Piper PA-28 Cherokee Arrow when it hit the northwest flank of the Hubschhorn mountain in Switzerland on 25 August 2019. He was killed with his wife Hannah, 36, and baby daughter Saskia. The family had taken off from the North Weald Airfield in Essex the day before. They landed in Troyes, France, before making a second stop in Lausanne, Switzerland, ahead of their next flight to Perugia in Italy. Assistant coroner David Manknell said: I do have a concern that future deaths could occur and that actions should be taken to prevent future deaths. The training Jonathan had was not appropriate for mountain flying. He added he would notify the Civil Aviation Authority that pilot licence training was less than that required in at least one other country. Mr Goldstein was an award-winning music producer and ran a company specialising in making music for TV adverts, as well as composing for screen and stage himself. His wife was a saxophonist, who had performed at concert venues including the Royal Albert Hall and often appeared on BBC Proms. Plane hit slope and burst into flames Mr Goldstein, who obtained his private pilot licence in January 2012 had flown for a total of 365 hours by 4 August 2019, Inner London South Coroners Court heard. He had crossed the English Channel for the first time on 14 April 2017 and prior to the accident, he had flown over the Alps just once. Mr Goldstein took off from Lausanne at 9.43am and was flying at an altitude of 4,100 feet. At 10:23am, he turned right, towards the Simplon Pass, and two minutes later witnesses saw the plane hit the north face of the Hubschorn. The aircraft hit the terrain at an almost flat trejectory and the plane burst into flames. Pilot was 2200ft below recommended height He was flying 2200 feet below the recommended height through the Alps, and an investigation was unable to determine why. It was a clear, sunny day, visibility was 70km or more, with a wind of eight knots, the court was told. Leszek Marcinowicz, Ms Goldsteins father, read a poem about his daughter and told the inquest: She was a delightful blond baby and a happy, smiley toddler. Hannah certainly had to kiss a lot of frogs before she met her prince charming, Jonathan. Hannah and Jonathan were such a great partnership. On 2 February 2019, they received the most precious gift possible, a beautiful baby girl - Saskia. She was a delightful baby, full of smiles and she went everywhere with them. Mr Goldstein assisted on the soundtrack for Martin Scorseses Cape Fear, as well as re-recordings of soundtracks such as the score to the directors classic movie Taxi Driver. Ms Goldstein, who performed under her maiden name of Hannah Marcinowicz, played with some of the UKs leading orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Northern Sinfonia. 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. Following an uproar in Lexington over the Fayette school districts proposal to end the Lexington-Fayette Health Departments 49-year history of providing nurses for students, school board members decided Monday to negotiate a one-year extension with the health department. District spokeswoman Dia Davidson-Smith said if approved by the school board the contract between the school district and health department would continue through June 2025. The next step will be a study conducted by the district, Davidson-Smith said. FCPS officials announced Nov. 27 they had chosen another vendor to provide school nurses. School district officials released a document showing the new vendor, Maxim, outbid the health department. The health department bid about $4.6 million for services. Maxim bid about $3.1 million and outscored the health department on a series of standards. Longtime Lexington nurses, parents, teachers and a top health department official are among those who raised objections. The school board had its monthly planning meeting Monday night and did not follow the proposal. Board chair Tyler Murphy said there has been much reaction throughout the community to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department losing the contract to provide school nurses. We recognize the value and importance of having a nurse in every school, the role they play in educating the whole child, and the impact they have on the lives of our children, he said. Theyve also been a partner in many of our wellness initiatives. Murphy said continuing to partner with the health department in 2024-25 and studying the possibility of creating an in-house model of hiring nurses to serve in Fayette County Public Schools would be beneficial, according to a Monday district statement. It gives us another year to work with a familiar organization, and it gives our staff time to come back with next steps for the following school year, Murphy said. In a Facebook post, Murphy said district staff will develop a feasibility study and analysis on providing nursing services in-house rather than opting for a staffing agency and report back to the board on these options, which may include a continued partnership with the health department. At the boards Dec. 14 action meeting, board members will consider potential options to negotiate and extend the health departments current five-year contract through June 30, 2025. Kevin Hall, a spokesperson for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, said officials there are honored for the opportunity to continue providing school health services to Fayette County Public Schools for another year. It maintains a long-standing relationship with the school system, and we are pleased the school board has considered how well our team has served the public for almost 50 years. Working with the students, parents and staff is a major part of our daily mission of helping Lexington be well, Hall said. This is a developing story and may be updated. WASHINGTON Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade on military promotions that stretched over 10 months has come to an end. The Alabama lawmaker, who has been protesting a Pentagon policy on abortion since February, told reporters Tuesday that he would be lifting holds on military promotions for nominees three stars and below. The blockade has prevented more than 400 military jobs from being filled. "It's been a long fight. We fought hard. We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military," he said Tuesday. Depending on the case, the Pentagon can give service members time off and will pay for travel to have an abortion. The policy was put into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Tuberville's release on the holds still requires four-star nominees which now number 11 to be voted on individually on the Senate floor. "We didn't get as much out of it as we wanted," he said of his blockade. The retired college football coach said he has no regrets blocking the nominations in protest of the Pentagon's policy. "The only opportunity you got to get people on the left up here to listen to you in the minority is to put a hold on something, and that's what we did," he said. "I think we opened our eyes a little bit. We didn't get the win that we wanted. We've still got a bad policy." Tuberville said he is now looking to Republicans in the House to rescind the Pentagon abortion policy in the annual defense spending bill. "We're pleased obviously that that situation seems to have been ameliorated," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said after Tuberville's announcement. Just hours after Tuberville's announcement, the Senate voted to confirm more than 400 military promotions, leaving the 11 four-star nominees' confirmations pending. President Joe Biden said in a statement late Tuesday that the confirmations were long overdue. "In the end, this was all pointless," he said in a statement. "Senator Tuberville, and the Republicans who stood with him, needlessly hurt hundreds of servicemembers and military families and threatened our national security all to push a partisan agenda. I hope no one forgets what he did." Republicans urged Tuberville to end blockade Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaking with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., right, during a Joint Conference Committee meeting of conferees on H.R.2670, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense. Tuberville's decision to release the holds comes after Republican colleagues have pushed the Alabama lawmaker to cave on the protest. The Senate Rules Committee voted along party lines in November to change a rule that Tuberville has used to block the nominations and promotions. But the rule change would need 60 votes on the Senate floor to take effect. Senate leaders from both sides have condemned Tuberville for blocking the nominations. McConnell had called Tuberville's actions "dangerous." The situation escalated in November when a group of senators took to the Senate floor urging Tuberville to lift the hold. The lawmakers, over the course of five hours, highlighted the names, biographies and pictures of military nominees and called for individual votes on each. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks to members of the press at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 15, 2023 in Washington, D.C. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville caves on military holds over abortion policy Editors note: This story is based on data from the 2023 American Family Survey. Julianne Steindler is a Republican, the sort that many progressive Americans would consider far-right. She listens to Ben Shapiro, for example, and she and her husband moved from California to Georgia in large part because they are Second Amendment champions and wanted to be able to carry a gun. But on the subject of abortion, Steindler, a mother of four, opposes abortion, but only to a point. She sees questions regarding the morality and legality of abortion as deeply nuanced, and is willing to put aside her own feelings to think of the greater good. She also believes that Americans would be better served by a national policy crafted to satisfy as many people as possible on both the left and the right. It is too precarious, Steindler believes, to have widely disparate policies that result in pregnant women seeking abortions outside of their states. Related In this way, Steindler is among a growing number of Americans who, despite their opposition to abortion, see the issue as having become even more complicated since the 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. In new findings from the ninth annual American Family Survey, nearly half of Republicans said they would prefer a national policy on abortion, instead of letting each state decide. Among Republicans, thats nearly 10 points higher than when the same question was asked last year. I think this is a pretty big deal, said Jeremy Pope, professor of political science at Brigham Young University and a co-investigator of the study, in part because Republicans had premised their partisan strategy on having fairly restrictive abortion laws in a bunch of states, and it hasnt gone that way. Republicans have taken a bath in places like Kansas and Ohio, and Democrats have been pretty good at getting their laws through. Yet everyone seems to be moving toward lets have one national law. The American Family Survey is an annual, nationwide study conducted by the Deseret News and BYUs Wheatley Center and Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. Questions about abortion were also asked last year, allowing comparisons of public opinion shortly after the Dobbs decision was announced with how Americans felt a year later. The findings clearly show what Pope calls drifting opinions among Republicans as the states struggle to make policy on an issue that has divided the nation for five decades. They also show slight changes in public opinion on what stage of pregnancy abortion should be legal, suggesting that policymakers might find a path to consensus in crafting a national policy. And this year, the study also examined what percentage of Americans see abortion as murder, and whether they believe it is equivalent to taking the life of a person who has already been born. Taken together, the findings confirm the longstanding partisan divide on the subject of abortion, but also show movement toward some areas of agreement. These numbers reflect a near national consensus that abortion should be permitted up to somewhere between around 12 - 18 weeks. In fact, a supermajority 68% would place the limit for legal abortions in either the first or second trimester, the report said. What week should abortion be illegal? In the online poll, conducted Aug. 3-15, 2023, respondents were asked at what point in a pregnancy they think women should be legally allowed to obtain an abortion. The choices were zero weeks (in other words, abortion should not be allowed at any stage of pregnancy), the first trimester, second trimester, third trimester, and 40 weeks (right up to the point of delivery). Like Steindler, the largest group of respondents 39% chose the first trimester, although more Republicans (47%) than Democrats (33%) picked this time frame. The second trimester was the choice of 29% of respondents, with more Democrats (37%) than Republicans (16%) wanting abortion to be legal between 13 and 26 weeks of pregnancy. Support for abortion fell to 10% among all respondents in the third trimester and to 7% at 40 weeks. A greater number of people (15%) did not want abortion at all than those who support abortion in the latest stage of pregnancy. But the percentage of people who do not want abortion to be legal at any stage (15%) fell slightly from last year, when 19% of respondents said the same. Should there be a national policy on abortion? When asked whether they would prefer a single national policy on abortion or for states to develop different policies, 62% of respondents said they wanted a national policy, compared to 38% who opted for states. Again, there is a clear partisan divide, with slightly more than three-quarters of Democrats opting for a national policy, while a majority of strong Republicans (57%) or weak/leaning Republicans (55%) prefer that states decide their own policies. But as Pope noted, there was movement on this question since last year, especially among conservatives who are more supportive of a national policy than they were last year. This is notable because so many conservatives wanted abortion returned to the states prior to the Dobbs decision, believing that state control would result in stricter regulation. But the failure of restrictive bills to pass in states like South Carolina and Nebraska, and Ohios vote to protect abortion rights in its constitution, have left many abortion opponents thinking that a national policy is necessary to protect unborn lives. Related Scott Florence, for example, a father of six and grandfather of 15 who lives in American Fork, Utah, is opposed to abortion except in the case of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother. But he would like to see a national policy on abortion, saying, I always felt the right to have (an abortion) is not in keeping with my personal beliefs, but I also believe in sustaining the law of the land. Theres not going to be perfect unity, but I would hope that as citizens of the U.S., we could all work together and try to agree on the sanctity of life. As a Republican, Florences opposition to abortion is in line with most Republicans in the survey, but there are partisan outliers on both ends of the issue. Four percent of Democrats said they didnt want abortion at all, at any week of pregnancy. And 1% of Republicans said they were OK with abortion up until the point of birth. Those numbers likely reflect people who just dont care that much about abortion as an issue, Pope said. He also said that a national policy is likely to not make people as happy as they might think. In general, the public is more open to a national settlement on these issues, but I think it would be quite hard, he said. Activists are really dug in on this thing, and I dont think it would be easy for members of both parties to take a vote on the kind of compromise that would pass. Is abortion the equivalent of murder? Finally, the American Family Survey questioned respondents about whether abortion is murder, and if it is equivalent to taking the life of a person who has already been born. A little more than a quarter of respondents said that abortion is equivalent to killing a person who has already been born, but the partisan divide is steep: 48% of Republicans, compared to 10% of Democrats. More Democrats agreed when asked if abortion is either equivalent to murder or is murder, but is not equivalent to killing a person already born. On that question, nearly 36% agreed overall; Republicans, 59%, and Democrats, 20%. Respondents were also asked who, if anyone, should be prosecuted when an abortion occurs in a state where the procedure is illegal. According to the report, 39% would prosecute a doctor for an abortion; 30% would prosecute the woman receiving the abortion; and 22% would prosecute those paying for the procedure. Generally, the public is not interested in punishing people for abortions, even when illegal. There is, however, greater consensus on support for mothers: 75% of the public favor access to affordable healthcare that would cover the cost of prenatal care, checkups, screening for medical conditions, postpartum care for pregnant women and the partisan differences on this while significant are not enormous. Even among strong Republicans, nearly two out of three (63%) favor such policies, the report said. Its also notable that many of the findings on abortion are consistent when broken down by gender, ethnicity and income. For instance, 60% of whites and 63% of Blacks favor abortion being decided with a single national policy. Sixty-three percent of women and 61% of men feel similarly, the report said. And the income differences are similarly never more than a couple of percentage points. The authors conclude: The bottom line is that public opinion remains a constant factor in the debate. A compromise that would preserve the right to an abortion but restrict it somewhere after about week 12 is perfectly acceptable to a broad swath of not only the public, but both political parties. So, where does America go from here? I dont personally think the (Supreme) Court is going to put a Roe versus Wade back in place. So the real question really is, what will legislatures do? Pope said. And its really interesting that the public is drifting back toward a national settlement of these issues, he said, adding that were still very early in the process of adjusting to Dobbs, and he believes that legislatures will eventually find a way to compromise, as they have done in Europe. I think its very likely that it takes us a decade or more to fully arrive at a new equilibrium (on abortion). If Im right, and it takes that long, then it will still be less time than we argued over Roe versus Wade. The American Family Survey 2023 was conducted online to a matched sample on gender, race, age and education Aug. 3-15, 2023. The sample size is 3,000 and the overall margin of error is +/- 2.1 percentage points. More holidays are on the way for many, but it's still business as usual in education throughout the state. Make Us Visible Delaware hopes to spur more support for Asian American history to infuse in K-12 education. Also, Delaware public schools are looking for state funds to help with capital projects and deferred maintenance. For one district, that's some 29 buildings that will feel impact. In this weekly roundup, we'll catch you up on these updates and more you may have missed. [Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com] Another event aims to spur interest in Asian American history for Delaware schools Devin Jiang speaks at a Make Us Visible Delaware event launching under the mission to push for more Asian American history to infuse with K-12 curricula in Delaware in the Chinese American Community Center, of Hockessin, on Sept. 30, 2023. Make Us Visible Delaware just launched this fall, under the mission to push for more Asian American history in Delaware's K-12 curricula. Now, it seems the group hopes to build community support. MUV plans to host an engagement event Saturday, Dec. 9, discussing these efforts, offering resources and more. The event will run from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Sanford School in Hockessin. Register ahead or learn more online. The budding arm of a national organization hopes to meet with residents, schools and lawmakers throughout the state to see legislation supporting more Asian American history instruction, followed by active implementation. These hopes mirror efforts in Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida and other states. Learn more: One group aims to boost Asian American history in Delaware schools. Where does it start? State approves school funding requests for building projects, Red Clay eyes referendum Delaware Department of Education approved several requests for state funding next fiscal year. The department green-lit 50 certificate of necessity requests last month, while 44 involved state funding. School districts submit such requests every year, hoping for capital project or deferred maintenance assistance from the state. The state decides whether to approve, kicking in state funds that must come alongside a certain amount of local monies. From new Appoquinimink elementary, middle and high schools, to a new Charles W. Bush Early Education Center in Brandywine or renovations to over 20 Red Clay schools which project funding districts hoped to secure can be explored online. Some expected totals are below, in state funds, concentrated in six districts: Appoquinimink: $223,177,971 Red Clay Consolidated: $192,309,981 Colonial: $73,449,859 Brandywine: $60,400,000 Christina: $5,503,609 Polytech: $2,953,097 Red Clay must hold a referendum to meet local funding requirements, to pave the way to some $289 million in funding for its projects. If passed, Red Clay district residents would see a net increase of $0.50 per $100 of assessed value, over three years. If it fails, Red Clay can try again a few months later. If the referendum fails again, state funds will be withdrawn. Community information meetings are expected, as the last ask like this was back in 2015. The referendum is set for Feb. 28, 2024. Keeping pace: Appoquinimink, Brandywine ask for tax increases in coming referendum votes Delaware's HBCU continues to grow University of Delaware Blue Hens guard Christian Ray (5) jumps for the rebound, with forward Jyre Davis (13) covering, against the Delaware State University Hornets during the annual men's basketball game at DSU's Memorial Hall in Dover, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. The Hens won 78-67. Delaware State University just released its fall enrollment figures by late November continuing to break records at 132 years old. The Dover institution now has 6,451 students, an increase of 3.5% over last year and 23% since 2020. That makes it one of the fastest-growing Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the country. According to Delaware State's press release, President Tony Allen is "cautiously optimistic" toward the growth. "As we have seen impressive growth in our enrollment since 2017, we have also seen the national trend going in the other direction," he said in a statement. "We continue to monitor the falling rates of college attendance nationwide and the steady declines in high school graduates due to lower birth rates in the U.S." DSU also saw growth in its graduate profile, up 7% to nearly 900 students; a 5% increase in new transfer students, up to just over 300 students; and a boost in online scholars at nearly 800 students. Nearly 80% of this fall's first-year in-state students are Inspire Scholarship holders. "The race for talent is on," Allen writes. "And we have to be prepared to meet our studentswhere they are." ICYMI: Archmere lands $3 million donation, DSU Aviation signs new United deal: Education Roundup Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: State approves funding requests for schools, Red Clay eyes referendum During a two-day visit to Mexico, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is scheduled to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as well as a host of private sector executives, law enforcement officials, and Mexican central bank authorities. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will visit Mexico on Tuesday as part of a mission to expand trade ties and increase collaboration with the Mexican government to combat drug trafficking along the southern U.S. border. During the two-day visit, Yellen is scheduled to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as well as a host of private sector executives, law enforcement officials, and Mexican central bank authorities. On Thursday she'll also sit down with Secretary of Finance and Public Credit Rogelio Ramirez. The timing of the visit was notable as imports and exports between the U.S. and Mexico reached $600 billion through December 2023 after exceeding $850 billion the year before, according to data from the International Trade Administration. Last month, the Treasury Department worked with Mexican authorities to impose sanctions on three Mexican individuals and more than a dozen Mexican entities linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, a major fentanyl trafficker in the Southwest. Also in late November, the White House announced new trade pacts with Canada and Mexico in a wider effort to strengthen trade throughout the hemisphere through the Americas Partnership and several other international efforts as economies have bounced back in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of Yellen's primary goals will be to enhance the North American supply chain through a strategy known as "friendshoring," which involves both nations collaborating on industrial policies to strengthen economic ties. Yellen would leverage the visit to exert pressure on Obrador to enact new economic policies that would build upon decades of bilateral cooperation that officially began with the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, and culminated in the modernized U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement of 2020 during the Trump administration. The White House was hopeful that Yellen's visit would get Mexico to embrace more forward-looking economic strategies that would strengthen bilateral cooperation between the powers, according to The Hill. Yellen was also scheduled to take part in an unveiling ceremony for a new coin worth 20 pesos to mark the 200th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico. Yellen's visit also coincides with this week's launch of a Treasury Department's campaign against fentanyl, including a new "Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force" that aims to disrupt production of the deadly drug, while targeting the finances of Mexican drug cartels who produce it. The administration has praised recent cooperation with Mexico in helping curb money laundering and other drug crimes, however, the country continues to be listed on the State Department's roster of jurisdictions plagued by drug-related financial crimes. Donald Trump is being criticized justifiably - for labeling as vermin those in government he says have targeted America for destruction. It was among the most recent of his statements that are the political equivalent of a cage match. In Veterans Day remarks, Trump took aim and rhetorically fired: We pledge to you that we will 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. Theyll do anything, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America and to destroy the American Dream. His critics likened his remarks particularly to his use of vermin - to Nazi Germanys descriptions of people it defined as Untermensch, or subhuman. Nazi propaganda often portrayed people persecuted by the regime as vermin, parasites, or diseases, says the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Another view from George Korda: 'Dont move to Tennessee' requests unlikely to be heeded | George Korda Joe McCarthy and Hillary Clinton But Trumps barrage is reminiscent also of language used by U.S. Sen. Joe McCarthy, who rose to prominence in the 1950s by accusing the U.S. State Dept. of being riddled with communists and communist sympathizers. McCarthys tactics brought the term McCarthyism into the public lexicon, generally defined as demonizing selected groups of people without evidence, or with manufactured outrage. After being criticized by newsman Edward R. Murrow on his CBS-TV show, See it Now, McCarthy was allowed to respond. Among his remarks: Murrow is a symbol, the leader, and the cleverest of the jackal pack, which is always found at the throat of anyone who dares to expose individual communists and traitors. Collective demonization certainly isnt something new in politics, particularly recently. When Hillary Clinton identified half of Trump supporters as a basket of deplorables, she was playing on the same field as Trump and his vermin comment. When President Joe Biden blithely labels many Trump supporters as semi-fascist, hes swimming in similar mire. Former President Donald Trump speaks during a Commit to Caucus rally, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney) Anyone who condemns Trumps words, but agrees with Clinton and Biden, isnt acting on principle, but politics. And vice versa. As English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley said, The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human. Special report: Gov. Bill Haslam on civility, justice and mercy, and whether he has a home in today's GOP Trump is so certain because none of his advisers tell him hes wrong Trumps communications strategy appears to be based on absolute certainty that hes right about everything he says, all the time, and his opponents and even those who work for him are absolutely wrong if they dont agree with him all the time. Regardless of whether theyre devoted enemies or someone who has served Trump as a cabinet officer, chief of staff, or press secretary hes blasted them if they colored outside his lines. How do advisers advise someone who is certain that he is always the smartest person in the room? Its easy: tell him hes right. All the time. If you dont, you risk banishment. That leaves only sycophants in a leaders orbit because the less principle a person possesses, the harder it is to give up proximity to power. Despite all thats happened the four legal indictments and relentless barrage of negative media coverage Trump leads by a wide margin other 2024 Republican presidential candidates. He has also been shown in some polls to be leading Biden in a head-to-head matchup. Part of it is that despite Trumps behavior, millions of Americans liked, and like, his policies. Millions of other Americans love the fact that Trump drives the American political left bat-guano crazy. The news is replete and usually focused on the name-calling and character assassination Trump visits on his enemies, and his enemies on him. Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns. Why cant we follow Lincolns lead and show charity for all? America deserves better. Rather, it needs better. Near the end of the Civil War, the most severe threat in its history to Americas survival, Republican President Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address famously and historically called out to the South and North alike, With malice toward none, with charity for all. Leadership is hard. Demonization is easy. And dangerous, something of which Robert F. Kennedy eloquently spoke: What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents. George Korda Today our country is burdened with leaders who, to advance their political positions, declare their opponents to be vermin, deplorable, or a type of fascist, to the cheers of their home crowds. If youre searching for a leader who will call us to the angels of our better natures, we can abandon all hope, ye who enter here, or we can seek better among those who wish to lead. Or insist on it. But thats not likely, when so many are screaming for blood at the cage match. George Korda is a political analyst for WATE-TV, hosts State Your Case from noon to 2 p.m. Sundays on WOKI-FM Newstalk 98.7 and is president of Korda Communications, a public relations and communications consulting firm. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trump's vermin comment was vile, but some Democrats follow his example Putin delivers a speech from 70ft away as he received newly arrived foreign ambassadors on Monday Vladimir Putin snubbed the new British ambassador to Moscow as he kept his distance from a gathering of foreign diplomats for sanitary reasons. Unfortunately, for sanitary reasons, we cannot talk more, socialise, he told them on Monday night from 70ft away. I hope that better times will come, not only in politics but also in health care, and we will be able to do so. The Russian president added that he hoped for change for the better in relations between London and Moscow. He was speaking at the Kremlin in front of an enormous golden door as new foreign ambassadors formally presented their diplomatic credentials. The speech was reminiscent of Putins engagements during the pandemic during which he would sit at the opposite end of long tables to foreign dignitaries. Nigel Casey was appointed as Britains new ambassador to Russia in November. 03:04 PM GMT That's all for today Thank you for following todays live blog on the war in Ukraine. 03:03 PM GMT Todays headlines Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Wednesday, the Kremlin said Nato has just three years to prepare for an attack by Russia, Polands national security agency warned Ukraine has lost 200million because of the Polish border trucker blockade, an MP said Russia will return six children it took from occupied Ukraine after a deal brokered by Qatar Russian children were filmed shooting at portraits of Zelensky, Biden and Stoltenberg Ukraine has expanded its Dnipro river bridgehead, the ISW said The number of Russian soldiers trying to desert was said to have almost doubled in the last three months 02:54 PM GMT Ukrainian drones strike Russian military in occupied Crimea Ukrainian drones successfully damaged a number of Russian military sites in occupied Crimea on Tuesday morning, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported. Citing sources in the Ukrainian security service (SBU), the newspaper said a Nebo-M mobile radar unit was struck near Baherevo in the east of the peninsula. To the north in the village of Strilkove, drones destroyed a P-18 Terek mobile radar unit and a Baikal-1M mobile anti-aircraft command centre. 02:24 PM GMT Putin addresses ambassadors from 70ft away in bizarre ceremony Vladimir Putin has addressed new foreign ambassadors from 70ft away in a bizarre ceremony. The ambassadors were presenting their diplomatic credentials to the president, who stood at a distance in front of an enormous golden door for sanitary reasons. Mr Putin did not greet them personally after a speech reminiscent of the Covid pandemic, when he attracted ridicule for speaking to foreign dignataries from opposite ends of an ornate table. President of Russia Vladimir Putin received the letters of credence from 21 newly appointed foreign ambassadors. By tradition, the ceremony took place in the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. More info: https://t.co/3lCtjM6XbH pic.twitter.com/53iCBznD8w Russian Embassy in the Philippines (@RusEmbManila) December 5, 2023 02:15 PM GMT Number of Russian soldiers trying to desert 'almost doubles' The number of Russian soldiers contacting a group which assists deserters has almost doubled in the last three months, the Moscow Times has reported. The Idite Lesom group, which translates as Get Lost, aid it received 577 requests for assistance between September and November, an increase of 89 per cent from the figures for June to August. Servicemen see that there is no rotation, that even seriously wounded men are sent back to the front after being hospitalised, said Sergei Krivenko, director of the Citizen. Army. Rights. human rights group. Grigory Sverdlin, Idite Lesoms leader, said most soldiers who attempt to desert have been wounded. It is difficult for Russian soldiers to desert because they have to surrender their passports within five days of being called up. Many do not have passports that are valid for international travel. 01:56 PM GMT ISW: Ukraine expands Dnipro bridgehead Ukraine has expanded its bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnipro river, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank has said. The ISW said Ukrainian forces had recently established a confirmed position on Bilohrudnyi Island south-west of Kherson city. Geolocated footage published on 30 November, 1 December and 3 December shows Ukrainian forces engaging Russian forces in the settlement of Bilohrudove, indicating that Russian forces likely control most of Bilodrudnyi Island and that Ukrainian forces have recently established positions near Bilohrudove, it said. A Russian milblogger also claimed that Ukrainian forces have positions in Bilohrudove as of December 4. Ukrainian marines crossed the Dnipro and established positions there last month. Bitter fighting has raged ever since as Russia looks to force them back across the river. 01:31 PM GMT Russian children shoot Zelensky, Biden and Stoltenberg pictures Russian children have been filmed shooting at portraits of Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden and Jens Stoltenberg. Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to Ukraines internal affairs ministry, posted video footage of the firing range online. It showed a group of youths firing mock assault rifles at pictures of the three men. A report in Russias AiF newspaper said it was filmed at a technical college in the Siberian city of Tomsk on Saturday. In Russia, children "learn patriotism" while shooting at Biden, Zelenskyy and Stoltenberg. A festival called "Peaceful Warrior of the Russian Federation" was held in the Russian city of Tomsk. At one of the locations, a shooting range was set up for children, where instead of pic.twitter.com/c55YStNBN5 Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 5, 2023 01:11 PM GMT Charles Michel to cut short China visit ahead of summit Charles Michel will cut short a visit to China ahead of next weeks crucial European Union summit. The European Council presidents return comes amid fears that Viktor Orban will disrupt the EU leaders summit next Tuesday, reports Politico. 12:25 PM GMT Orban to meet Macron ahead of crunch EU summit Viktor Orban will meet Emmanuel Macron on Thursday ahead of a crunch European Union summit next week. The Hungarian prime minister said on Monday that the EU should avoid any discussion Ukraines ambition to start accession talks when it meets next Tuesday. A French government source told Politico that the French president believes he can convince Mr Orban to support Ukraines accession. The support of every EU head of state is required for a country to start accession talks. 12:14 PM GMT Ukrainian children seized by Russia to be reunited with families Russia has agreed to reunited six Ukrainian children who it seized from occupied Ukrainian territory with their families after negotiations mediated by Qatar. The Gulf state has secured the release of the children, aged between eight and 15. It is the second deal to have been successfully mediated by Qatar after a group of four other children were returned in October. Ukraine has accused Russia of forcibly deporting 20,000 children from occupied territory since it invaded in February 2022. Fewer than 400 have been allowed to return home. 11:27 AM GMT Polish border blockade costs Ukraine 200m The blockade of the Polish-Ukrainian border by disgruntled truckers has cost Ukraine 200million, an MP has said. Danylo Hetmantsev, head of Ukraines parliamentary tax committee, said exports across the border have dropped by 40 per cent, Ukrainska Pravda reported. By weakening Ukraine, they are strengthening our common enemy and pushing it to hit the economies of their own countries more powerfully, he said. Mr Hetmantsev added that Ukraine has lost 200million ($251million) in customs payments that would have been made if the blockade had not been implemented. 11:03 AM GMT In case you missed it Ukraine: The Latest In yesterdays Ukraine: The Latest, as well as news from the frontlines, we analyse news from the US and the EU as decisions regarding funding Ukraines war effort loom large in western politics and we speak to journalist Jen Stout about her reporting and long form journalism from Ukraine. This embedded content is not available in your region. Listen to Ukraine: the Latest, The Telegraphs daily podcast, using the audio player at the top of this article or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app. 10:50 AM GMT Zelensky hails Ukraine's civilian volunteers Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed Ukraines civilian volunteers as an army of active Ukrainians. On International Volunteer Day, we honour Ukrainian civilian volunteers, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Symbolically, this day falls on the eve of Ukraines Armed Forces Day. Because our civilian volunteers are essentially another branch of our army and another source of strength for us. On International Volunteer Day, we honor Ukrainian civilian volunteers. Symbolically, this day falls on the eve of Ukraine's Armed Forces Day. Because our civilian volunteers are essentially another branch of our army and another source of strength for us. Our guard of the pic.twitter.com/X4TF2q6aor Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) December 5, 2023 10:28 AM GMT Finnish firms 'smuggled 3,500 drones to Russia' Two Finish companies are suspected of earning millions by exporting 3,500 drones to Russia in violation of European Union sanctions, Finlands customs agency has said. Drones, controllers, semiconductors and anti-drone defences had been cleared for export to other countries but ended up in Russia. There are altogether six criminal suspects, one of whom has been detained since September, the Tulli agency said. 10:00 AM GMT Slovak truckers end border blockade Slovak truckers have ended their blockade of the countrys sole truck crossing with Ukraine. The hauliers joined their Polish counterparts in blocking the checkpoint in protest against competition from Ukrainians. Stanislav Skala, head of the UNAS truckers union, told Reuters that the blockade had been interrupted after some hauliers stuck in the resulting queue threatened to block roads near the crossing, which would cut access to villages near the border. He added that union leaders will meet later today to discuss further action. UNAS started the blockade at the Vysne Nemecke crossing on Friday, only allowing four trucks to pass per hour. 09:35 AM GMT Finland to up artillery shell production to help Ukraine Finland will spend tens of millions to increase its production of artillery shells for Ukraine, defence minister Antti Hakkanen has said. We have finalised negotiations on how Finland will continue to increase its munition production to arm Ukraine, he said, adding that it would invest tens of millions of euros in the project. Finland has supplied Ukraine with 1.3bn ($1.7bn) in military aid since Russias invasion in February 2022. 09:12 AM GMT Russia aiming to take all of Donetsk this winter, says MoD Russia is aiming to take control of the entire Donetsk region this winter, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said. In its latest defence intelligence briefing, the MoD said the Russian army has made creeping advances in the ruined town of Marinka in recent weeks. Russias renewed efforts against Marinka are part of Russias autumn offensive which is prioritising extending Russias control over the remaining parts of the Donetsk Oblast highly likely still one of the Kremlins core war aims, it said. 09:07 AM GMT Nato has three years to prepare for Russian attack, warns Poland Nato has just three years to prepare for an attack by Russia, Polands national security agency has said. Jacek Siewiera, head of the National Security Bureau, said a German think tanks estimate that Russia could directly attack the West in as little as six to 10 years was incorrect. If we want to avoid war, Nato countries on the eastern flank should adopt a shorter, three-year time period to prepare for confrontation, he told the Nasz Dziennik newspaper. The German Council on Foreign Relations warned in a report last month that Russia could invade a Nato country in six years time and that Germanys armed forces needed a quantum leap to be ready for it. Mr Siewiera added that Poland needs to increase the size of its army in preparation for a potential attack. 08:52 AM GMT Iranian president to visit Russia The president of Iran will visit Russia on Thursday with a political and economic delegation. Ebraham Raisis visit follows a trip by foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian to Moscow on Tuesday. Russia and Iran have grown increasingly close since the start of the war in Ukraine. Tehran has supplied Russia with vast numbers of its Shahed drones. 08:46 AM GMT Russian shelling kills two in Kherson Russian artillery shelling this morning has killed two civilians and injured three others in Kherson. A 48-year-old man and a woman not yet identified were killed at around 9am local time (7am GMT) in a strike that also injured a 59-year-old man, governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. City mayor Roman Mrochko said two doctors were wounded in a separate artillery strike on a medical facility. Andriy Yermark, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, posted photographs of two dead bodies on Telegram with the caption terrorists, a reference to the Russian army. Kherson was recaptured by Ukraine just over a year ago and has since been shelled constantly by Russian forces on the opposite side of the Dnipro river that runs next to the city. 08:33 AM GMT Putin tours mock nuclear facility Vladimir Putin toured a mock nuclear facility on Monday as he visited an exhibition of Russian achievements. The Russian president was shown a fake nuclear button but declined to press it, Reuters reported. He was also given an explanation of a Soviet nuclear bomb, shown a mock missile control panel and observed images of a blast through a viewing window. Mr Putin has repeatedly spoken of the size and capability of Russias nuclear arsenal since the start of the war in Ukraine. 08:05 AM GMT Russia advancing on Avdiivka, says ISW Russia has made confirmed advances near the besieged eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tanks has said. The ISW said geolocated footage showed the Russian army advancing on Monday to the north and north-west of the town, which it is fighting bitterly to take control of. It added that a Ukrainian counter-attack to the south of Stepove, a nearby town, had been successful. The brutal fighting near Avdiivka has evoked comparisons with Bakhmut, the town which Russia took at exceptional cost earlier this year. 07:43 AM GMT Putin to visit Saudi Arabia and UAE Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, the Kremlin has announced. He will meet Saudi crown prince Mohamed Bin Salman before going to the UAE, where the COP28 climate conference is ongoing, according to Russian media reports. It is not clear if Mr Putin will make an appearance at the climate summit. I hope that these will be very useful negotiations, which we consider extremely important, Mr Putins aide, Yuri Ushakov, said. The internationally isolated Russian president has rarely visited other countries since the war in Ukraine began. He is facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes but will not be detained by Saudi Arabia or the UAE because they are not parties to the court. Vladimir Putin speaks at the Kremlin in a ceremony receiving the diplomatic credentials of new foreign ambassadors - Vyacheslav Prokofyev 07:35 AM GMT Not funding Ukraine will 'let Putin prevail', says US Congress will let Putin prevail if it fails to approve the deadlocked 48bn ($61bn) aid package for Ukraine, national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said. Congress has to decide whether to continue to support the fight for freedom in Ukraine... or whether Congress will ignore the lessons weve learned from history and let Putin prevail, Mr Sullivan told reporters at the White House. It is that simple. It is that stark a choice. His remarks came after Shalanda Young, Joe Bidens budget director, said on Monday that current US funding for Ukraine would run out by the end of the month. Volodymyr Zelensky will talk to Senators later today in a private address in a bid to convince them to support the aid package. 07:32 AM GMT Ukraine launches 41 drones on occupied Crimea Ukraine launched a 41-drone armada on occupied Crimea overnight, the Russian defence ministry has said. It said 22 drones were destroyed and 13 intercepted over occupied Crimea and the Sea of Azov overnight. An attempt by the Kyiv regime to commit a terrorist attack with aerial drones... was foiled last night, it said. A new attack attempt on Tuesday morning saw four drones shot down and two interceptd over the Sea of Azov, it said in a separate statement. The difference between a drone being destroyed and a drone being intercepted was not specified. 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. Update, 12/4/2023, 8.00 pm PT: Tom's Hardware has received the following statement from an Nvidia spokesperson: We are engaged with the U.S. government and, following the governments clear guidelines, are working to offer compliant data center solutions to customers worldwide. Original story: The US Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, is determined to stop cutting-edge AI chips from getting into China's hands. During a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF) this weekend she appealed for more cash, so her department could effectively apply sanctions. It is also notable that she warned sanctions-swerving GPU and AI chip makers that things are going to change concerning chip redesigns to circumvent tech sanctions. We can't let China get these chips, period, emphasized Raimondo in her on-stage 'Fireside Chat' with CNBCs Morgan Brennan. But to be successful in this goal with all its national security implications - she made it clear that more funding was needed, and a deeper relationship with tech companies would be required going forward. The funding question seems straightforward. Raimondo told attendees at the RNDF that the Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security, responsible for managing export controls, only received $200M. More would be needed. Thats like the cost of a few fighter jets. Come on, appealed the Commerce Secretary. According to our own sourced figures, a Lockheed F-35A fighter jet costs between $80M and $100M. An F-22 Raptor costs nearly $150M. It seems reasonable to say that keeping AI from China - and out of its missiles, drones, aircraft, and tanks - is probably worth a greater investment. Nvidia, for example The other important topic highlighted by Raimondo was better cooperation with GPU and AI chip makers, to keep their cutting-edge technologies away from China. The Chinese are going to do everything they can to find loopholes but we have to get faster more agile and think differently about our strategies, the US Commerce Secretary said. Moving onto the specifics of improved cooperation with US and allied tech companies, Raimondo said she had noticed Nvidia for example was slicing chip specs just below that [specification] cut. This was traditionally how export controls worked, admitted Raimondo, but said she was seeking a new way to have a continuous dialogue with industry where our Engineers can go toe-to-toe with their engineers, and we go to them and say our intent is to deny China technologies that can do XYZ. In other words, sanctions may be readjusted somehow to target capabilities rather than levels of performance. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo If companies dont cooperate with this new type of relationship, the US Commerce Secretary hinted that specific export cut lines could be adjusted the very next day. The above speech from Raimondo is a clear indicator that the government wants US firms to follow not just the letter, but the spirit of the rules concerning AI and computing export controls. We discussed this in our report last month after the Cerebras boss called Nvidia Un-American for its apparent sanctions-swerving GPU reconfiguring. Of course, the US Commerce Secretary would like there not to be sanctions like those outlined above, for the greater benefit of American companies. However, she said her department was eyes wide open about the threat from China. She implored tech companies to work together so your businesses are strong and lead the world, but also so our national security is protected. US officials going to Taiwan to explain China chip curbs US officials plan to travel to Taiwan to explain the finer points of advanced technology curbs aimed primarily at China. Reuters reports that Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua will greet a delegation tasked with explaining the complicated new US rules to the many important tech companies on the democratically-governed island. The US officials, who were not named by Taiwans Central News Agency, will visit next month and concentrate their efforts around important chip hubs in Hsinchu and Tainan. Chelsea Jia Feng/BI From extreme hot sauces to online spice challenges, Americans have long had a fascination with spice. Chile pepper production has consistently grown in the US, and diners increasingly expect more spice in their foods. Spice experts say the obsession may be shifting and our taste buds will thank us. On a Friday at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, 14-year-old Harris Wolobah was handed a small coffin-shaped box, emblazoned with a skull and snake, that contains a single spicy tortilla chip called the One Chip Challenge. Paqui, a Hershey company-owned brand that makes the chip, doesn't have a measurement for how spicy its product is or a Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) rating that shows the level of pungency of a pepper. But the chip is made with the Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers, which are rated at about 1.6 million and 1.4 million SHU, respectively. Jalapeno peppers, in comparison, range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. The "challenge" is simple: Eat the whole chip in one sitting, and see how long you can last without desperately grabbing a glass of milk or water. Health experts have already warned about the potential side effects of participating in the One Chip Challenge: vomiting, stomach pain, difficulty breathing, and even cardiac arrest. But Wolobah, like so many others, most likely either had no clue about the warnings or brushed it off. Plus, countless others have already tried the challenge and shared their experience on YouTube. Pain quickly ensues but the participants seemed to come out of it okay. When Wolobah ate the chip, the sophomore must have had an especially adverse reaction. According to Harris's mother, Lois Wolobah, he fainted and was sent to the nurse's office that day. "When I went there, he was lying down and I said, 'What was the chip you ate?'" his mother told WBZ TV. Wolobah showed his mom the Paqui brand One Chip Challenge. His father, Amos, said his son didn't have any pre-existing condition, at least to his knowledge, he said. Wolobah died in his home hours later. Autopsy results have not yet been released, and the family and Hershey did not respond to a request for comment. But the Wolobahs are pointing the blame squarely at the One Chip Challenge. Paqui in response said in a statement that it's working with retailers to "remove the product from shelves." It's unclear if the heat had anything to do with Wolobah's death, but the challenge's mere existence points to a uniquely American fascination with spice. At restaurants, sweat-inducing heat is almost expected on the menu. In the aisles of grocery stores, shoppers can choose from a dizzying selection of hot sauces. And in South Carolina, a farm is singlehandedly responsible for developing one of the hottest peppers ever eaten by mankind. The farm recently just topped its own record with a pepper rated at more than 2 million Scoville Heat Units. The demand has sometimes veered into the realm of morbid curiosity. Online, content creators farm for attention by taking part in extreme food challenges, expecting the pain, while millions watch. Here's how we got here. It all began with an Italian explorer The very brief summary of the chile peppers' origin starts somewhere in South America around Bolivia and Brazil, according to Stephanie Walker, an extension vegetable specialist at New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute. When humans discovered peppers and their kick a sensation, not a flavor thousands of years ago, they immediately latched onto the fruit as a medicinal crop, and through human selection, a variety of chile peppers of different sizes and shapes started to appear, Walker told Business Insider. But the chile pepper's global proliferation began with a familiar name: Christopher Columbus. Columbus was looking for black peppercorns a highly sought-after fruit at the time but instead encountered a red plant that had a similar pungency, according to Walker. Hence the reason why we call the red fruit, chile peppers, despite having no relationship to the black peppercorn. Once the Italian explorer took the seed back to the Old World, the fruit took off. "Many countries, especially Asian countries, African countries, really embraced it and started developing their own particular types of chile based on the flavors, the heat level, and other attributes that they preferred," the professor said. At least since the 20th century, the US has consistently seen a steady increase in chile pepper demand, especially as immigration opened up in the country. Between 1980 and 2020, chile pepper consumption increased more than twofold, from three pounds to seven pounds per person according to a 2021 research paper from the New Mexico State University's Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business. "Consumption of peppers is going up in the United States, and it has been steadily for some time," Walker said. By 2020, according to the USDA, the chile pepper market was valued at $100 million. A world record Ed Currie arguably the godfather of extremely hot chile peppers for his hand in developing the world's hottest chiles traces his fascination with spice back to his college days in the '80s when his parents had to give him a reality check. "My parents told me I was going to die of heart disease or cancer, and I had better do something about it if I wanted to keep on living the lifestyle that I was leading," Currie told Business Insider. Currie, at that time, was a "full-blown alcoholic and addict." His habits didn't come to a sudden halt, but he did discover his interest in peppers during visits to the school library at absurd hours. In particular, Currie was piqued by the chile peppers' medicinal qualities. Perhaps, he thought, they contained the key to keep him chugging along. "I found out that the lowest indices of cancer and heart disease were around the equator from the two tropics," he said. Currie began sending letters all over the world, mostly to embassies, requesting samples of chiles or chile seeds. The internet still had a few years before it truly took off. After a brief stint as a bank trust officer and a move to South Carolina, Currie opened a small booth at a flea market slinging homemade salsa using peppers he grew in his yard. In 2003, Puckerbutt Pepper Company was born. Currie by then also was a recovering addict for several years. Ed Currie holds his Guinness Book of World Records certification for his new Pepper X. Jeffrey Collins/AP It was at his farm in Fort Mills, where Currie developed two of the hottest peppers in the world at least according to Guinness World Records. In 2013, he set a world record with his Carolina Reaper pepper, which was recorded then with an average of 1.6 million Scoville Heat Units just about the same pungency as police pepper spray, according to The Associated Press. In October, he broke his own record again after patiently waiting more than a decade for someone to dethrone his Reaper. The pepper, called Pepper X, measures at about 2.7 million SHU. The South Carolina farmer gave three reasons why he and his team created peppers that are essentially suitable for torture. One, "because we can," he told Business Insider. Two, Currie's interest in the chile pepper's medicinal qualities persists. And, three, "for flavor," he says. Currie doesn't enjoy burning himself up more than anyone else, although he's likely developed an extraordinary tolerance over the years testing hot peppers. The challenges that are spawned from his product, including the One Chip Challenge that so happens to be seasoned with the Reaper, might make for effective marketing, but Currie doesn't care to participate. "I don't do those challenges 'cause they're stupid," he said. Instead, developing a hotter pepper is part of a business model that would allow him to sell, for example, a hotter sauce with less pepper he says, but also, believe it or not, about creating a better-tasting product. "The philosophy for me is how can I take something that's already popular and make it taste better," he said. Make it hotter, chef For as long as Roberto Santibanez was based in the US, the chef of almost four decades recalls Americans having a unique affinity to spicy foods. Santibanez, a Mexico City native who opened three restaurants in his hometown, moved to New York City in 1996, where he would later open Fonda in 2009 serving contemporary Mexican food. When his family got a taste of his spin on his native cuisine, they were shocked by the levels of heat. In Mexico and in school at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Santibanez felt that restaurants and chefs cooked with spice but with a bit of caution. In the US, however, Santibanez has to remember: "People really go for it." "I think what I've experienced is if you promise people with wordings like, 'This is a spicy sauce,' then people really want it spicy," he told Business Insider. "You can not fail them." Some Fonda patrons ask for more heat on top of the hot salsas already served at his restaurant, Santibanez said, and he'll oblige by giving them diced habanero, a pepper rated at 150,000 to 350,000 SHU. In his cookbooks, the chef will advise home cooks not to be afraid to add more spice, understanding what his audience expects. Americans' high tolerance for spice at restaurants can also be charted with the explosion of the Nashville Hot Chicken scene. The dish generally, fried chicken slathered with a cayenne-pepper-based sauce or paste and typically served with pickles and white bread has been around for several decades, perhaps even as far back as the 1930s, according to NPR. Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville is often cited as the originator. The lore behind the recipe is said to have involved a woman creating the dish to punish her cheating partner, Thornton Prince, the great-uncle of the restaurant's owner, Andre Prince. In the past decade, however, the hot chicken appears to have received renewed attention with headlines on how the Nashville Hot Chicken is exploding in popularity. One man responsible for the hot chicken's prominence in southern California is Johnny Ray Zone, a Los Angeles native with a childhood love for spicy food and snacks. "I was a big fan of Hot Cheetos, even though they're not spicy," Zone told Business Insider. "I ate so many of those I had to get my appendix cut out." After his father's untimely death, Zone, who by now had worked his way up from dishwasher to executive chef, took a trip to Nashville and fell in love with the iconic hot chicken dish. LA needed this, Zone thought. In 2014, he started Howlin' Rays out of a food truck, serving Nashville hot chicken quarters with side dishes such as braised collard greens and a mac and cheese salad. The simple genius behind Howlin' Rays and its eventual "viral success," as The Los Angeles Times described, was putting the hot chicken in sandwich form something Nashville did not have at the time, according to Zone. "Once we did that, then it took off," he said. Chef Johnny Ray Zone, left, prepares Nashville Hot Chicken at LA Food Fests 2016. Tara Ziemba/Getty Images But one part of the Nashville Hot Chicken experience Zone made sure to preserve was offering different levels of spice, going from mild all the way up to "howlin'" and "howlin' plus plus," which is off-menu. In Nashville, every hot chicken restaurant offers different levels of spice and might have a unique name for each level, Zone said. And each restaurant had its own take on what their level of "hot" was. "That's part of the lure of hot chicken," he said. This doesn't mean that hoards of customers are coming in requesting the top three spice levels available. Zone said that they're actually "not that popular." But when first-time customers do feel adventurous, Zone makes sure to give them a small sample of what to expect. "If people hear so much stuff about us, and it's their first time trying it, we don't want their experience to be ruined," Zone said. "And we keep it authentic for how hot it is in Nashville. We don't want to dumb it down just for sales." A nuanced heat Novelty chip challenges, extreme peppers, and hot chicken satisfy the appetite of a small base of thrill seekers while millions of others just watch but our dishes aren't necessarily getting hotter. In fact, the pendulum could be swinging the other way. Denise Purcell, vice president of content and education of Specialty Food Association, which highlights trends in global, artisanal foods, told Business Insider that more and more food retailers and purveyors are thinking about how to incorporate heat to complement the foods we eat rather than overpowering our experience. "The trend seemed to be the hotter, the better like ghost pepper and whatever the hottest pepper is," Purcell said. "Let's see if people could handle it. And that is giving way a little bit to this more nuanced heat idea, where it's not just all about burning your tongue and seeing what your tolerance is. It's heat that enhances the flavor. It's things like hot honey we see now in a lot of menus and a lot of packaged products." The push to incorporate a more nuanced heat is also being commercialized, as fast food companies roll out sweet and spicy products or sauces. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen intermittently brings back its hot honey sauce and chicken. McDonald's last month released its Sweet & Spicy Jam sauce for a limited time, which incorporates Szechuan peppercorn and cayenne pepper, according to the fast food restaurant. For Zone, the spicy foods he's intimately familiar with are dishes from one of many Thai restaurants that dot Los Angeles and have incorporated a balance of sweet and spicy like larb or yum nua. "In all these different Thai classics, the sugar balances out the spice," he said. "And so how long have they been serving that? Hundreds of years." Read the original article on Insider KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2023 - 23:00 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japanese students climb to 3rd in OECD ranking of reading ability TOKYO - Japanese students ranked third in their ability to use reading skills to solve real-life problems in an international learning assessment test in 2022, climbing significantly from 15th in 2018, a global survey showed Tuesday. In the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's computer-based test of 15-year-olds in 81 countries and economies, Japan also advanced from the previous survey to second from fifth in science and from sixth to fifth in mathematics. ---------- Death toll in volcanic eruption in Indonesia's Sumatra reaches 22 JAKARTA - The death toll from a volcanic eruption on Indonesia's Sumatra Island reached 22 on Tuesday, with one mountain climber still unaccounted for, according to local rescuers. At least 75 mountain climbers were in the area when 2,891-meter Mt. Marapi in West Sumatra Province erupted Sunday afternoon. More than 50 of the climbers managed to descend or were evacuated by rescuers. ---------- U.S., Japan, S. Korea ties sustained by shared interests: U.S. envoy TOKYO - U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday expressed confidence that the trilateral partnership between the United States, Japan and South Korea will be "sustainable" due to "shared interests" between all three countries. Conversely, China, North Korea and Russia cannot forge a similar relationship as "they don't share strategic interests in the same collaborative, cooperative way that we do," Emanuel told Kyodo News and other media in Tokyo. ---------- Football: Joint top scorer Yuya Osako named MVP after Kobe's 1st J1 title YOKOHAMA - Vissel Kobe forward Yuya Osako was named the J-League's most valuable player for the first time on Tuesday after the season's joint top scorer played an instrumental role in the club winning their first top-flight title. The 33-year-old scored 22 goals this term as he started all but two of the 34 J1 games for Kobe with his hold-up play, shooting abilities both off his feet and head, as well as an eye for a pass vital to their attack and title charge. ---------- Japan lower house OKs bill to stop Unification Church moving assets TOKYO - Japan's House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday to prevent the outflow of the Unification Church's assets as concerns grew that the controversial religious group would try to hide its funds overseas as it faces compensation demands. The bill is designed to ensure there will be sufficient financial support for those who have fallen victim to the groups' activities, including aggressive donations solicitations. ---------- "Luffy" crime ring members served fresh warrants over 2022 robbery TOKYO - Four senior members of a group suspected of organizing scams and burglaries in Japan from the Philippines were served fresh arrest warrants Tuesday for allegedly orchestrating a robbery that resulted in injuries in western Tokyo last year, police said. The latest arrests, including of Kiyoto Imamura, 39, who the police suspect used the pseudonym "Luffy" when planning and coordinating the crime, mark the final charges from eight cases of burglary across the country subject to intensive police investigation since June. ---------- Searches continue for 2 crew after U.S. Osprey crashes off Japan KAGOSHIMA, Japan - Searches continued Tuesday for two missing crew members after a U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of southwestern Japan last week. With six already confirmed dead, Japan's Self-Defense Forces combed the southern coastline of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture for debris in poor visibility due to fog, following the discovery of five bodies and major wreckage the previous day. ---------- U.S. watchdog sues Japan's Seven & i over store acquisition in U.S. NEW YORK - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued Japanese firm Seven & i Holdings Co. and its American subsidiary, alleging that the convenience store operator violated an order not to increase stores in certain areas in the United States without prior notice. The FTC is seeking a maximum penalty of over $77 million against 7-Eleven Inc. in connection with an acquisition of a fuel outlet in Florida, which it criticized as "anticompetitive" and likely allowed the company to charge higher fuel prices at nearby locations. ---------- Australia, France agree to reciprocal military base access SYDNEY - Australia and France will increase defense cooperation by allowing their military personnel to access each other's bases under a new roadmap for bilateral ties, the two nations have said, amid China's growing influence in the Pacific region. The roadmap, unveiled Monday, is expected to leverage existing legal frameworks and would give Australian soldiers greater access to France's military bases in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, while the French side will also be allowed to use Australian facilities with more ease. ---------- Kishida again denies knowing of Unification Church members at meeting TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minster Fumio Kishida reiterated Tuesday that he was not aware that senior members of the controversial Unification Church were present at a meeting he held four years ago, following the publication by a newspaper of photographs of the event. The Asahi Shimbun reported earlier in the day, citing unnamed sources, that a former leader of the Unification Church's U.S. branch was among those present at Kishida's talks on Oct. 4, 2019, with Newt Gingrich, the ex-speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. ---------- Baseball: Yamamoto among top targets as Winter Meetings under way NASHVILLE, Tennessee - With several teams determined to upgrade their starting pitching, reports from MLB's Winter Meetings on Monday indicated fierce competition to sign star Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are among more than 10 teams said to be pursuing Yamamoto, who won both Pacific League MVP and the Sawamura Award for Japan's top pitcher for the third season in a row this year. Video: Akita dogs in Shibuya to celebrate 100 years since Hachiko's birth Its a routine practice within many Black households to discuss the state of race relations in the United States. This shouldnt be a shock to anyone when news cycles consistently pore over the increasing number of police shootings of unarmed Black people, instances of racial harassment in schools, the changes in school curriculums to make historical events like slavery more palatable and easier to digest for white students, and sociopolitical shifts that impact marginalized communities. Black parents are forced to discuss these cruel and stifling circumstances with their children and contend with challenging realities that their kids will likely face at some point in their lives. (Photo: Canva) White American families, on the other hand, can easily bypass these conversations when the conditions are set for them not to have to encounter systemic oppression and racism. Regardless, they should talk to their kids. Discussions like these are more important than ever, especially when this country is entrenched in a dangerous, extremist political landscape. When a white child attempts to drown a Black child in a pond while calling him racial slurs, when whole families are forced to skip town because their children are being bullied at school, and when race-conscious college admissions practices that are intended to bar the possibility of discrimination against Black people are declared unconstitutional, one cannot just sidestep conversations with their loved ones about the current state of the world, especially children who will one day inherit it. So, what should these anti-racism talks consist of? How early is too early to start talking to your child about race relations in America? White Parents: Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable In white households, parents dont typically talk to children about race at all, according to the American Psychological Association. It makes sense, given that they dont have to protect their children from racial discrimination. Dr. Erin Pahlke, assistant professor at Whitman College, said that for white adults today who grew up in homes like this, its important to be intentional about self-education so that you know what to instruct your child in. Part of it is recognizing and acknowledging that it can be uncomfortable and difficult and part of it is being honest with your kid, Pahlke told Atlanta Black Star. Qualitative and quantitative research suggests that many white parents tell their kids, We dont talk about race or they shut down any conversation. If thats the approach parents take, then kids arent getting messages from their parents about what kind of racial attitudes they want their kids to have. Although facing fraught and fractured race relations can be a challenge for families that dont have to face its prejudicial effects, its still necessary. Children playing together. (Photo: Pexels.com) Racial equity therapist Domenique Harrison tells us that the more parents lean into silence and anxiety, the more they invoke silence and anxiety in their children. White parents dont need to know everything. They just need to engage with what they dont know alongside their children and open themselves up to learning and bonding together to create a thoughtful and compassionate learning environment at home. Regardless of whether white parents were taught about race or not when they were children, they have to teach children how to live congruently and challenge injustice. Kids are making connections with their friends and asking questions about why their friends are different, and white parents can shy away and say we dont talk about that because theyre uncomfortable, Harrison said. If you hear something surprising, dont dictate it as a negative thing. Lead from curiosity and flexible thought. The scariness for white parents is the fear of scaring their child and being unsure if theyre ready to receive those perspectives. Starting Age-Appropriate Discussions Early is Healthy In truth, children are more ready to receive those perspectives than we think. Its never too early to start talking to your child about race. In fact, the earlier, the better. Research shows that as early as six months, kids can begin to distinguish and categorize skin colors in their brains, and from preschool ages, they start to notice race. So start early and have those discussions regularly throughout a childs development and in developmentally appropriate ways. Utilize age-appropriate tools and resources. Read childrens books with themes surrounding race, community, and equity. Find suitable YouTube videos. Fill your home with toys and action figures that model appropriate skin and body norms that reflect your children and others. Model interactions with people of as many races, identities of dominance and non-dominance as possible. Just as you take your children to aquariums and zoos for fun, go to museums and visit different cultural spaces. Make sure there are characters in the books in your house that dont just include white folks and go into spaces and go to events with folks who are celebrating different cultural events and how to value diversity in our world, Pahlke said. As kids move into elementary school, read about some of the history of race relations in the U.S. As they transition to early adolescence, they have the cognitive skills to understand structural factors, Pahlke added. The research suggests its better to have those conversations with kids and open up those dialogues than stay silent; otherwise, kids are going to struggle to determine and explain the variations and experiences they see in the world. If you just hope theyll get it in school or some teacher will talk to them about it, that wont be sufficient. Its also important to be mindful of what should be at the center of these discussions and what you want your child to get out of it. These discussions gift them with significant perspective and flexibility of thought. Parents cant limit what their children see in school, but they can talk about what happens when they have a response to it, Harrison said. The more white parents continue to silence themselves for fear of how their kids will receive hard perspectives, the more were teaching silence and complacency to white children. Stock image of female friends. (Photo: Pexels.com) Dont Be Afraid to Discuss Very Real and Difficult Racial Concepts White privilege. Colorism. Colorblindness. These concepts play out constantly in everyday society and have detrimental and disproportionate impacts on communities of color. Exposure to these very real social and systemic truths can trigger negative feelings, and its easy to want to retreat from those emotions or recoil from the existence of these social norms because someone feels bad. However, experts point out that we have to move past this notion that white guilt and fragility is enough reason to invalidate or withdraw from the very present and universal reality of privilege. Feelings arent facts. Its imperative to teach children how to cope with their emotions so that they know how to respond appropriately and maturely to the facts. According to experts, if people cant cast aside their feelings, they will constantly look through this lens of what makes them feel good rather than what is good. Its unlikely that very young children will understand these concepts, so the times for these conversations are when your children are older and have the mental capacity to fully weigh them, Pahlke recommends. Theoretical models suggest that around age 12 or 13, kids have the cognitive skills and if theyre able to recognize examples of individual and structural racism, then they can understand the concept of white privilege, said Pahlke. White parents should talk about white privilege explicitly and frame that discussion of white privilege in terms of what youre going to do, positive actions, and what positive action is and what it is not. Its also very possible to teach kids how to use white privilege to elevate other communities, not out of savior or guilt complexes, but in healthy ways that empower the underrepresented, Harrison told ABS. That means elevating Black voices rather than your own, learning how to create a full and rich communal experience for kids of all backgrounds, constantly listening and self-reflecting, and being brave enough to check and educate people of your background when theyre uninformed or misinformed. We can teach kids to stand up in a way that feels really good and proud and empowering. It starts with acknowledging that race-oriented privilege is also tied with other identities that we prioritize over others. White privilege is really about the privilege white communities have because they have been given access to more resources: financial, communal, systemic, and school-based. Its really about naming that its more than you sitting in a white body, Harrison said. For kids who are in high school, parents should talk to them about their jobs or if they have family businesses handed down through generations that serve as an example of generational wealth that people in other communities dont have. Another difficult topic to broach can be colorism and how non-Black people tend to perceive Black people with lighter skin tones as less threatening. Harrison underscored the necessity for more nuanced conversations about all shades of color because of negative narratives and perceptions that are placed on kids of darker skin tones. Its important to discuss how to properly perceive what is different and moralize difference. We need to talk about how difference invites curiosity and inquiry and inquiry is wonderful, Harrison said. Being curious and questioning of things is great for our brains, so we have to invite from a very early age flexibility of thought and mindset for our kids so as early and as often as we can, have age-appropriate conversations and model as adults our own flexibility. These conversations can also directly offset colorblindness, an approach that stems directly from a desire not to face racism. White parents tend to believe that their children automatically wont notice race and will grow up with egalitarian racial attitudes, Pahlke explained. She added that one of the problems with a colorblind ideology is that it causes fundamental issues with interracial interactions, a parents ability to function in a multiracial society, and negative outcomes for nonwhite folks and their communities. Books, Media, and More Resources on Race Below are some resources for parents looking for kid- and adult-friendly sources on race recommended by Harrison and the Atlanta Black Star team. Crash Course: Black American History by Clint Smith (YouTube series for children and parents) 13th directed by Ava Duvernay (Netflix documentary) A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara (childrens book) Change Sings by Amanda Gorman (childrens book) Shady Baby by Gabrielle Union (childrens book) Sulwe by Lupita Nyongo (childrens book) Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Tatum (adult novel) So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo (adult novel) How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (adult novel) The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in The Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander (adult novel) Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson (adult novel) Early Risers Podcast hosted by Dianne Haulcy (parents podcast resource) York College of Pennsylvania is one of nearly 70 colleges and universities across the nation to join the Common Apps direct admissions program. This program will provide more than 200,000 first-generation and low-income students who are interested in college with proactive admissions offers, according to a press release. Resources for families and counselors who have students receiving direct admissions offers are also included in the Common App's Direct Admissions Program. More local news: Holiday happenings in Central Pa.: From Santa to tree lightings to train rides to crafts As a first-generation college graduate myself, I am extremely proud to partner with The Common Application's direct admission program to improve access to York College, said Vice President for Enrollment Management Brian Hazlett. I am confident that students admitted to York College as part of the direct admission program will thrive and appreciate our affordable, experiential education. Since 2021, Common App has piloted a direct admissions program, offering admission to students who created a Common App account and provided enough academic information but had not yet completed all of their open applications, the press release read. The latest iteration of the pilot offered admission to 33,0000 students at 14 participating institutions, and over 800 students accepted the offer. Results showed the impacts of the intervention were strongest for Black or African American, Latinx, and first-generation students. We are excited for York College to join our direct admissions program, where even more students will now know that they are worthy and wanted on a college campus, said Jenny Rickard, President & CEO of Common App. Overall, direct admissions is about changing the narrative of a college education from one of scarcity to one of opportunity by ensuring students know that college opportunity is an abundant resource and one thats available to them. Apply to York College Students interested in applying to York College of Pennsylvania are able to do so through the College or Common App. More: Do gingerbread men live in houses made of their own flesh? Snyder's looks to remedy that This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York College of Pa. to join Common Apps direct admissions program James Michael Currie appears via Zoom in Yakima County Superior Court Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Currie is accused of stealing a pair of shoes from Nordstrom Rack and threatening a store employee with a knife when confronted about the theft. Santiago Ochoa's reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund. For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com. You are the owner of this article. Abbas Ganbay Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Deputy Prime Minister of Albania - Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku met in Dubai within the framework of COP 28, Azernews reports. At the meeting, satisfaction was expressed with the development of relations between the two countries to a new level. They noted the important role of energy cooperation with Azerbaijan in ensuring energy security and the development of Albania as a gas transit country. They exchanged views on the gasification of the Albanian city of Korca, crude oil supplies, and cooperation in other promising areas. They also discussed issues related to the establishment of a Joint Intergovernmental Commission based on the Azerbaijani-Albanian Working Group on Economic, Industrial, and Technological Cooperation and holding a meeting of the Commission in Baku. KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2023 - 19:11 | All, World, Japan Japanese students ranked third in their ability to use reading skills to solve real-life problems in an international learning assessment test in 2022, climbing significantly from 15th in 2018, a global survey showed Tuesday. In the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's computer-based test of 15-year-olds in 81 countries and economies, Japan also advanced from the previous survey to second from fifth in science and from sixth to fifth in mathematics. With the latest survey targeting students affected by the coronavirus pandemic, a Japanese education ministry official analyzed that shorter school closures in Japan than in other countries may have influenced the results while also pointing to the effectiveness of exploratory learning and interactive teaching methods that have gained ground. Students in Japan scored higher than the OECD average in reading, mathematics and science but were outperformed by Singapore, which occupied the top spot in all three categories. Meanwhile, China, which led in the previous survey, represented by students in Beijing and Shanghai, and Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, did not participate due to the impact of the pandemic. Questions in the latest assessment included using spreadsheet software to compare data on the proportion of forest areas in various countries and evaluating the credibility of a company website. Around 6,000 Japanese students from 183 public and private high schools participated in the eighth iteration of the test that began in 2000. How to improve their reading comprehension has been a focus given the country's sharp decline in this category in the 2003 assessment. While Japan did not score as high in reading this round as in the 2012 test, the OECD assessed that the long-term trend of Japanese students' overall performance was stable. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology cited factors such as stronger emphasis on discussion-based classes, as well as students' increased familiarity with computer-based testing amid the rise of digitalization in schools, for the improved score in the latest survey. Overall, some 690,000 randomly selected students from 37 OECD countries and 44 non-member countries and economies took part in the latest version of the Program for International Student Assessment, focused on mathematics. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2023 - 13:10 | All, Japan Searches continued Tuesday for two missing crew members after a U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of southwestern Japan last week. With six already confirmed dead, Japan's Self-Defense Forces combed the southern coastline of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture for debris in poor visibility due to fog, following the discovery of five bodies and major wreckage the previous day. Of the five, two have been recovered from the wreckage, while efforts to retrieve the remaining three crew members are being intensified. Out of the eight members on board, the six confirmed fatalities mark the first-ever deadly accident involving an Osprey among Japan and U.S. forces in the country. The incident is also the deadliest-ever accident involving the tilt-rotor aircraft for the U.S. military. The crashed CV-22 transport aircraft, assigned to Yokota Air Base in the western suburbs of Tokyo, was heading to Kadena Air Base in the southern island prefecture of Okinawa from the U.S. military base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan. Related coverage: FOCUS: Fears grow Japan-U.S. alliance may be hurt following Osprey crash Remains of 5 found in search for crashed U.S. Osprey crew in Japan Pieces of Osprey wreckage given to U.S. after crash off Japan Politistii din Brasov cauta o femeie de 76 de ani Politistii din cadrul Inspectoratului de Politie Judetean Brasov efectueaza verificari pentru identificarea unei persoane disparute, dupa ce au fost sesizati cu privire la faptul ca, POPA LUCIA, in varsta de 76 de ani, a plecat voluntar de la domiciliul, din municipiul Brasov, jud. Brasov, fara [citeste mai departe] Holy Molly aduce live-ul piesei ,,Pastila de somn intr-o galerie de arta ,,Pastila de somn este piesa pe care sa o asculti ca sa simti ca poti sa faci orice, e ca un dus rece care sa-ti dea energie. Holy Molly vine cu cea mai buna recomandare medicalamuzica, iar de data asta, piesa care v-a cucerit se aude live, printre [citeste mai departe] Gergely Gulyas, the head of the Prime Ministers Office, attended a conference marking the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Hungary and Germany, in Budapest. Ties between the two countries are so deeply rooted and so complex that they cannot be assessed exclusively on basis of the political situation at the moment, he said in his address. Hungarian-German relations are good, intensive, and affect many areas of life, Gulyas said. Gulyas noted that it has always been the German economy and German culture that had the strongest presence in Hungary, adding that friendship between the two peoples has prevailed even in the hardest times. He also added that though we will have better political ties, we can be proud of our economic and cultural relations. As for the economy, he said Germanys presence was decidedly strong, Hungarian-German business transactions accounting for 25% of Hungarys foreign trade turnover. Ninety percent of German investors in Hungary are most satisfied with the business environment, he added. Citing surveys, Gulyas said most Germans viewed Hungarians positively, while over two-thirds of Hungarians had expressed their preferences for Germany. Hungary has an interest in Germany having a stable government, in maintaining good ties with that country and that dialouge should remain factual in all areas. Hardly any other countries have such strong linguistic and cultural ties; this is what should be appreciated in politics, he said. Politics is working to worsen the situation but the overall picture is not as bad that we should despair, he added. Former German ambassador to Hungary Ursula Seiler-Albring said bilateral ties were friendly and resting on good foundations. She said that while there may be temporary tensions the do not make good relations impossible and the parties stay in communication and seek solutions that are acceptable for both sides. Germans and Hungarians have always understood each other well, she added. Julia Gross, the incumbent ambassador, expressed her countrys gratitude for Hungarys role in the process of Germanys reunification. We will always be grateful to Hungary, she said. Hungary is among the winners of the transition to the electric car industry thanks to the government developing the best possible cooperation with market players, the foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, told an event announcing an investment by US company BorgWarner. As a result of the planned development worth 25 billion forints (EUR 66bn), the company already employing more than a 1,000 people in Hungary will manufacture products suitable for hybrid and electric vehicles in Oroszlany, west of Budapest. The state is advancing 5 billion forints in support for the project, contributing to the creation of 60 new jobs, he added. Szijjarto noted that besides China and Germany, Hungary is the only country in the world where all three premium German car brands have production capacities. Also, five of the worlds ten largest battery makers have committed themselves to Hungary, and ver the past ten years, the production value of the car industry in Hungary has increased by 3.5-fold interms of the combined growth of manufacturers and suppliers, he said. The 12,000 billion forints production value of the industry last year was record-breaking, and an additional 18% increase was registered in the first nine months of this year, he added. US investments play an important role in maintaining the growth of the Hungarian economy, he said. The affected companies represent the second largest investment community in Hungary, and the government has signed strategic cooperation agreements with 14 of them, he added. Bilateral trade broke a record last year and 11% increase was registered in the first nine months of this year, showing that another record high can be expected in 2023, he said. Opposition-leaning commentators accuse Fidesz of using far-right Mi Hazank to change the electoral rules in Budapest in order to make it more difficult for the liberal Mayor to run the capital. In an extraordinary session of Parliament, pro-government MPs allowed Mi Hazank (Our Homeland) to table a bill envisaging a proportional system to elect the Budapest Council. Mi Hazank insisted that the bill should be discussed along with a draft resolution on a more proportional system of parliamentary elections as well. In Nepszava, political analyst Robert Laszlo is convinced that Fidesz MPs will support the idea of proportional mandate distribution in Budapest, but not in the case of parliamentary elections. At present, the Budapest Council consists of the 23 district mayors and 9 further members chosen on the basis of the lost votes in the district mayoral elections. As not even one district mayor belongs to Fidesz, that gives the mayor of Budapest a solid majority, he explains, and that is why, he believes, Fidesz allowed the bill to be tabled just six months before the local elections. For the same reason, he predicts, Fidesz MPs will vote down the resolution on a proportional distribution of mandates in parliamentary elections, as that would strip the governing party of its two-thirds majority, he predicts. On Telex, Balazs Cseke quotes an analysis by the Political Capital thinktank suggesting that Fidesz has given up hope of voting Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony out of office but is trying to make his life as hard as they can. The proportional system, the liberal analysts explain, will allow Mi Hazank and the Twin-tailed Dog protest party to make it into the Budapest Council, thus depriving the Mayor of his comfortable majority there. Meanwhile, it will increase the number of Fidesz members in the Council. Cseke also remarks that the draft resolution on replacing the majoritarian parliamentary electoral system with a more proportional one is just a declaration of principle rather than a bill and as such, would have no immediate consequences even if it were adopted. Weeklies on the right to die Commentators on both Left and Right support the struggle a terminally ill patient is waging in the European Court of Human Rights for the right to die in dignity. Last week, the European Court of Human Rights heard the case of lawyer Daniel Karsai, who suffers from ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that has already severely impaired his muscles and speech. He sued the Hungarian state because it refuses to authorise euthanasia for terminally ill patients at a stage where they must face hopeless suffering, In Jelen, Henriett Biczo reports that Dr Karsai has been joined in his court case by two more ALS patients who told her that they are not just fighting for their own right to die in dignity but for all those who face or will face similar conditions in the future. In fact, she remarks, even if the court rules in their favour, which cannot be expected sooner than the end of January 2024, it may be too late for them by the time Parliament actually passes legislation authorising euthanasia. They may well die before such a complicated matter can be settled by legislators. Dr Karsai himself told the reporter that he and the other two ALS patients suing the Hungarian state fear they will eventually be the martyrs of the fight for the right to die in dignity, rather than its beneficiaries. In Magyar Hang, Andras Lanyi laments that if the three ALS patients win their case in court, the government will find itself opposed to yet another all-European institution so that the whole controversy will appear in the context of the so-called sovereignty struggle waged by the government against the European elites. He fears therefore that no decent dialogue will be possible on this thorny issue. He also believes the government may find itself in conflict with most of the citizenry, as polls have shown that the majority of Hungarians agree with the idea of a good death. He also believes that precise legislation could exclude the possibility of a new euthanasia law being abused for the purpose of suicide. In a Demokrata editorial exceptionally critical of the governments stance, Andras Bencsik fully understands Dr Karsais claim, arguing that the terminal stage of ALS is incredibly humiliating for the patient. He concedes that the issue is extremely difficult and compares it to the moral dilemma raised by the problem of abortion. Although morally speaking, he explains, it would be inadmissible to authorise abortion, governments nevertheless recoil from banning it because they dont want to clash with a majority opinion among voters. Polands example, where the Conservative government was voted out of office earlier this autumn, he writes, shows that by banning abortion, governments may run into fierce opposition. Therefore, most governments try to find a compromise halfway between a ban and the freedom of abortion. But since they are able to do so in that case, he asks, why cant they find a compromise for those who are already condemned to death by the ALS disease? Do they stand no chance simply because there are relatively few such patients, and they cannot decide the outcome of an election, unlike those who support abortion? He concludes by defining that refusal a hypocritical, two-faced attitude. This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online. Click here to Share Your Story MTI Photo: Tibor Illyes US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman behaves as if Hungary were the 51st state of the United Sates and he were its governor, Tamas Menczer, the foreign affairs state secretary, told public television, referring to recent remarks by the ambassador made at the opening ceremony of the 12th Budapest Jewish and Israeli Film Festival, alluding to anti-Semitism on the subject of posters depicting Alex Soros. Menczer said: We are a country with a statehood somewhat older than that of America and even in the most primitive political disputes, they dont argue that the Hungarian government would slam George Soros and his son because of their Jewishness. We usually refer to [Soros and his son] as talented Hungarians, but the problem is that they use their talent for bad purposes: they support migration and war, Menczer said. We support peace and we say no to migration that decision by Hungarian voters must be respected and it is a problem that the US ambassador doesnt, he said. Menczer referred to the appreciation of international Jewish organisations, the prime minister of Israel and the Israeli ambassador to Hungary, suggesting that Hungary is one of the best places in the world in terms of security for people with a Jewish identity. He added that anti-Semitism, on the other hand, has never been such a great problem in the US as now, with Jewish people only representing 2% of the population but suffering some 55% of hate crime cases. Fully 88% of Jews viewed anti-Semitism as a problem in the US, he added. Its time to get fit and flexible as a new reformer Pilates studio opened its doors in Buda side. The F2 Pilates Reformer Studio offers a new kind of workout experience in the capital. In this premium decorated and top-equipped studio close to the MOM Park Shopping center, classes are held for small groups of up to eight people at a time. English-speaking certified instructors, easy parking, and classes at all levels are waiting for the pilates lovers. This place is a real gap-filler for pilates lovers on the Buda side of the town, especially for those who prefer the dynamics of exercising in a group. One can shut off the rest of the world, focus on her/himself, and recharge in the classes with a motivating atmosphere. Working on 8 brand new Elina Pilates Reformer machines from Spain, 7 experienced and certified instructors are teaching classes with different styles and backgrounds, so everyone can find the class/instructor combination that suits them best. All instructors speak English and in case there is demand, specific English or German speaking classes can be started. Guests can find classic, functional, and cardio classes for beginners to advanced at all levels. You can find classes all day: morning, afternoon, evening hours and also on the weekends! Reformer Pilates is an easy-to-learn form of exercise with many benefits, available to anyone regardless of age and gender. It develops movement coordination, a sense of balance, body awareness, builds muscles, stretches them at the same time, and, last but not least, is gentle on the joints. Due to the large number of exercises, it's always varied, you can't get bored! The studio is brand new, beautifully decorated, and owns a nice changing room with lockers and a shower for ladies. More to come: in our second room Powerbox Pilates (a less known type of Pilates exercised on the mat with strings attached to the wall) Body art, Aviva and Prenatal mat classes (with max 5 people) will start soon. For information on how to book a class at F2 Pilates Reformer Studio, please visit: https://www.f2pilates.hu/en/timetable-booking/ Address: 1124 Budapest, Furj utca 2. Phone number: +36 20 5765560 E-mail: hello@f2pilates.hu If you arrive with a car, there are several options for parking: - you can use the below ground level garage of BAH center, the entrance to that you can find from Furj street. Parking fee is 500 HUF/hour from 8am-19pm and 250HUF/hour between 19pm -7am. - alternatively you can park in the surrounding streets, which based on the zone info are either free or for a charge of 600 HUF/hour. Please check your parking application to make sure if you need to pay or not. Social media: Facebook / Instagram If you arrive by public transportation, these lines have stops in the neighbourhood: Trams 17 and 61 Buses 139, 212, 140, 8E, 108E, 110, 112 City-Cost - Dec 5, 2023 - 15:05 | Travel/Tourism An express train decorated with characters from the popular Detective Conan manga series made its first departure sporting its new look from a station in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Sunday. The Super Hakuto Detective Conan Ver. train bound for Kyoto departed from Kurayoshi Station in central Tottori Prefecture, the region which is home to manga artist and creator of the Detective Conan series, Gosho Aoyama. Both the interior and exterior of all the carriages of a Limited Express Super Hakuto train, operated by Chizu Express Co.,Ltd., together with the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), have been decorated with images of characters and artwork from the manga which follows the adventures of the genius boy detective Conan Edogawa. Fans of the Detective Conan series (Japanese title, Meitantei Conan), as well as train enthusiasts braved cold, damp conditions on Sunday morning to see off the new-look, renamed Super Hakuto Detective Conan Ver. train during a ceremony held on the station platform. Among the fans, Hayato Nagata, 6, was with his parents ready to see off the train. "I'm looking forward to it," said Hayato, who lives with his family in Kurayoshi and often comes to the station to see the Super Hakuto trains. "I think the announcements are cool," he said, referring to the in-train announcements which are delivered in foreign languages including English and Chinese. Hayato's mother Sayaka, who is from Osaka, often uses the Super Hakuto service. "When I was young I read a number of Detective Conan volumes but not so much now. For me, I like that I can travel smoothly to my hometown in Osaka," she said. Despite the adverse weather, the timing of the train's departure was an auspicious one with Aoyama's Detective Conan series approaching the 30th anniversary of its serialization in Japan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine and 2024 also marking the 30th anniversary of the Super Hakuto train service. 2023 being the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese zodiac calendar used by the Japanese, also lends an extra meaning of its own. The 'hakuto' in the train's name can be derived from a well-known myth among the Japanese, The White Rabbit of Inaba, which is set in Tottori. 'White rabbit' and 'Hakuto' can be written using the same kanji characters - . Eyes in the region are also on the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, with the Super Hakuto service currently offering the only direct express rail connection between Tottori and Japan's Keihanshin region, which includes expo host city Osaka, as well the cities of Kyoto and Kobe. "Today marked the departure of the Detective Conan train and soon the expo will open in Osaka. We hope that many people will ride on this train which connects the two regions and come here to experience the onsen, historical townscapes, and delicious food," Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai told reporters after the departure. "We expect the economic impacts to be many and significant," he said of the project which including the train decoration and related events had a budget of around 70 million yen. The new-look train is the latest effort of a region which is embracing its connection with Aoyama and his works as part of efforts to develop anime tourism. In Aoyama's hometown of Hokuei the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory, which features exhibits celebrating the life and work of the artist, including original drawings which can only be seen at the factory, is scheduled for a revamp in 2027. The facility is within walking distance of Yura Station which in 2013 adopted the nickname Conan Station. In 2015 an airport in Tottori City was renamed Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport to highlight the region's connection with the manga as well as the nearby sand dunes, a popular tourist destination. Aoyama's Detective Conan has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since 1994. Sales of Detective Conan series comics (English title, Case Closed) have topped 270 million worldwide. "I was surprised and at the same time honored to see the Super Hakuto express train, which connects Keihanshin and Tottori and Kurayoshi, decorated with Detective Conan. I hope this train, which we connect with in many different ways, will continue to be loved by us all forever," Aoyama, 60, said in a statement. The Super Hakuto Detective Conan Ver. train runs between Kurayoshi and Tottori stations, in Tottori Prefecture, and stations in the Keihanshin region including Sannomiya, Osaka, and Kyoto. The train is scheduled to depart almost daily with timetables now available for December and January. Chizu Express plans to publish subsequent timetables at least one month in advance. Purchase of tickets for seats on the train can be made from one month in advance of the departure date, until the time of departure. For more images of the Super Hakuto Detective Conan Ver. train visit the gallery on City-Cost. VideoConsul General of Belgium in Guangzhou: Most Chinese EVs in Europe are imported via Belgium 2023-12-05 19:00 On December 1st, the 2023 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou) opened, and the former Prime Minister of Belgium, Mr. Yves Leterme, attended. In recent years, there have been close ties between Guangdong Province and various regions in Belgium. Mr. Wim Peeters, the Consul General of Belgium in Guangzhou, was recently interviewed by Yangcheng Evening News. When discussing the economic and trade exchanges between China and Belgium, Mr. Wim Peeters stated, "Chinese electric cars are already very well known in Belgium. BYD, Xiaopeng, and Hongqi are already on the market. And almost all Chinese EVs in the European market are imported via Belgian ports. Additionally, the Belgian company Umicore has set up a large battery factory in Guangdong." He also mentioned the connection between the animated series "The Smurfs" and Guangdong. The theme song of "The Smurfs" when aired in China was specially composed by two musicians from Guangdong province. Source :Yangcheng Evening News New Delhi: OTT giant Prime Video recently released the Hindi Original series, Shehar Lakhot which has been receiving widespread acclaim, praise, and love for its gripping narrative and nuanced performances by the ensemble cast. Actor Kubbra Sait who is known for her playing interesting characters, portrays the role of a police officer S.I. Pallavi Raj for the first time in her career in the noir crime drama. She has aced the role with finesse and conviction. Sharing the excitement of playing the role of a cop for the very first time, actor Kubbra Sait said, As an actor, I thrive more when surrounded by exceptional individuals who inspire and challenge me to grow both personally and professionally. Pulling off a police uniform for my role in Shehar Lakhot was an exciting opportunity. Wearing the cop uniform commanded respect and instilled a sense of responsibility. In this story, the uniform symbolizes the challenges faced by our real-life heroes, reminding us of our flawed yet ever-evolving system. Talking about the director, she added, Navdeeps patience and support allowed us to truly shine as actors. With the crafting of a well-written script, I was able to delve into my memory and invoke the precise emotions needed. Shehar Lakhot is an Offroad Films Production with Navdeep Singh and Khalil Bachooali serving as executive producers, directed by Singh and written and created by Singh and Devika Bhagat. The series boasts of a highly talented cast, with Priyanshu Painyuli, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and Kubbra Sait in the lead, supported by an ensemble cast featuring Manu Rishi Chadha, Shruthy Menon, Kashyap Shangari, Chandan Roy, Manjiri Pupala, Shruti Jolly, Gyan Prakash, and Abhilash Thapliyal. The series is streaming now exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. New Delhi: Karni Sena National president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was killed in broad daylight by unknown gunmen today in Rajasthans Jaipur. According to reports, unidentified intruders fired at Gogamedi and his gunman Narendra at his house. Karni Sena has always been in the news for various controversies. In the tumultuous world of Bollywood, one name has consistently echoed through the corridors of controversy - Karni Sena. This socio-cultural organization, known for its vehement protests, has repeatedly thrust itself into the limelight by vehemently opposing various Bollywood releases. Here are some of the Bollywood movies that faced severe protests by Karni Sena: Padmaavat The Karni Sena said that Bhansali's "Padmavati" depicted a Rajput queen in an unfavourable way, which sparked significant controversy in 2017. During filming, Bhansali was attacked and the movie's sets were vandalised. Actress Deepika Padukone was once threatened with death and had a bounty placed on her head due to a rumour that the movie featured a romantic scene involving Padmavati and Allauddin Khilji. The director worked hard to refute the rumour. The movie was retitled "Padmaavat" and eventually released in January 2018. Tandav Chief of the Maharashtra Karni Sena, Ajay Sengar, took issue with the web series Tandav on Amazon Prime. Sengar stated that a reward of Rs. 1 crore would be given to anyone who would cut the tongue of someone insulting Hindu gods. The scene in the middle of the row featured Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub portraying the Hindu god Mahadev in a theatre production while he was a college student named Shiva. Laxmii Karni Sena served a legal notice to the film's producers. The Sena stated in their announcement that the movie's title is "derogatory and offensive" to Goddess Laxmi and that it is giving the public the "wrong message" about the "ideology, customs, gods, and goddesses of Hindu religion." Even more, the Hindu Sena demanded in a letter to Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, that the film's production team face the appropriate consequences. As a result, Laxmmi Bomb had to be changed to Laxmii by the creators. Manikarnika Karni Sena protests against Kangana Ranauts Manikarnika Because they thought Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika depicted a romance between Laxmibai and a British officer, the Karni Sena was likewise offended by the movie. They further asserted that it was against their tradition for the queen to be seen dancing in the movie to a particular song. Jodha Akbar The group gained notoriety in 2008 after staging a protest against Ashutosh Gowarikar's Jodha Akbar. Because of how widespread the protests had become, no theatre would agree to screen the movie, and Jodha Akbar was eventually not released in Rajasthan. The group had claimed that Jodha was not Akbar's wife and that there was "blatant distortion of history" in the movie. Veer Amidst the release of Veer, Salman Khan posters were set ablaze by Karni Sena activists in Udaipur. They said that some of the movie's scenes denigrated their community. They even caused damage to a few theatres that were showing the movie. New Delhi: Few directors are as adept at igniting controversy as Sandeep Reddy Vanga, whose career has been laced by it since Arjun Reddy, his first feature film. Reddy Vanga makes headlines almost as much for his remarks as for the films he makes, whether he's openly defending violence in romantic relationships or facing backlash from some online for elevating misogyny and toxic masculinity in him. And Animal, his most recent film, is hardly an anomalyit has sparked contentious comments on social media. As a matter of fact, it has emerged as one of the most talked-about Bollywood films online this year. Animal, which stars Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Anil Kapoor, has several scenes that have drawn harsh criticism from certain online communities. Many are arguing vehemently against almost every aspect of the film and calling it "problematic," particularly in regard to how it treats women. These Five Startling Moments From Animal Have Divided Social Media Like Never Before: 1. Ranbir Kapoor Asks Tripti Dimri To Lick His Shoe: Animal features a scene that has been dubbed "the most problematic" in which Tripti Dimri's character Zoya Riaz, is asked to lick his shoe as a sign of her love for him by Ranbir Kapoors character. The specific scene in question has also been discussed by filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma in his extensive review of Animal. The only time I disliked Vijays character is when he asks the girl to lick his shoe and I think thats because of the brilliant casting of that actress which evoked an instant empathy in me the moment I saw her and it only grew with every close up of hers". 2. Young Ranbir Kapoor Enters His Sisters College With A Gun Young Ranbir Kapoor enters his sister's college carrying a gun in one of the film's most contentious scenes as a warning to those who have harassed her. One netizen commented on X, saying, "I just watched someone's WhatsApp status of a scene from the movie Animal. When Ranbir Kapoor entered the classroom brandishing a gun, the entire audience applauded. It is not cause for celebration when a schoolboy brandishes a gun within the classroom. There is a serious problem with people." I just watched someone's WhatsApp status of a scene of animal movie in theatre.Ranbir Kapoor just walked in with gun in the classroom and the whole theatre was cheering. A school boy with a gun in the classroom is not something to cheer up for.Something is very wrong with people Lily (fan account) (@SonarTory1502) December 2, 2023 3. Ranbir Kapoors Pad Change Dialogue In this scene, Rashmika Mandanna's character Geetanjali, who plays Ranbir's character Vijay, gets into a furious fight with him. As the conversation progresses, Vijay becomes enraged with Geetanjali for whining about her period. "You change four pads a month and create drama over it, here I am changing 50 in a day," is heard Ranbir's character saying to Rashmika. Netizens are not fond of this dialogue and are critiquing Reddy Vanga's insensitive writing. 4. Ranbir Kapoors You Have A Big Pelvis Dialogue You have a big pelvis, you will accommodate healthy babies, Ranbir Kapoors Vijay tells Rashmikas Geetanjali as he attempts to manipulate her into leaving her fiance for him. The dialogue has garnered severe criticism online. One user shared: Forget whatever you knew about toxic masculinity Ranbirs pick-up line was you have a big pelvis; you can have healthy babies. forget whatever you knew about toxic masculinity Ranbir's pick up line was you have a big pelvis, you can children healthy babies Homelander (Bad Manners) (@aham_brahmasmi_) December 1, 2023 5. Ranbir Kapoor Goes Naked After undergoing heart surgery, Ranbir Kapoor's character Vijay Singh appears completely nude in one of the most talked-about scenes in Animal. The actor's decision to appear entirely nude on the big screen was deemed "brave" by some, while others believed the scene was needless. Overall, 'Animal' has become a highly debated Bollywood movie, with social media users expressing strong opinions on its content, especially concerning the portrayal of women and the inclusion of provocative scenes. New Delhi: Byju Raveendran, founder of Byju's, personally pledged his home and properties owned by his family to support his workforce. A Bloomberg report has said that Raveendran in his effort to secure funds for employee salaries, has taken the personal loan against his home. These include two family houses and an under-construction villa in Bengaluru, serving as collateral for a crucial $12 million (Rs 100.07 crore) loan. A total of 15,000 employees of Think and Learn Private, the parent firm of ed-tech platform are to get their salaries from the fund raised by Raveendran amid a cash crunch. "The startup used the funds to pay salaries to 15,000 employees in Byjus parent firm, Think & Learn Pvt Ltd," the Bloomberg report added. In an earlier statement, the company had said it was working to resolve the issue and pay the remaining employees. "We have noticed a delay in processing salary for some limited employees (less than 5 per cent) due to an unexpected technical glitch. The issue is being rectified over the weekend and payment will be processed by Monday," news agency IANS, quoting a Byjus spokesperson said. The salary delay for about 1,000 employees appears to have affected people across levels. However, employees affiliated with Akash Institute have not been impacted. New Delhi: In a surprising turn of events, Shaadi.com, the platform designed for connecting potential life partners, became the unexpected cupid for two strangers, thanks to a viral social media post. The catalyst for this unexpected matchmaking journey was a post addressing the concept of space in a relationship, humorously exploring the nuances of "Wife math" and the desire for a comforting hug, termed "Jaadu ki jhappi." The viral post, captioned "If you get it you get it," caught the attention of Instagram user Nishika, who added her perspective, stating, Agar usko space ka importance pata hai toh meri taraf se haan hai (If he knows the importance of space, then it is a yes from me). (Also Read: Highest Paid Indian CEOs And Their Educational Qualification - Check) Seizing the moment, Shreyansh Pandey responded cleverly, linking the concept to a keyboard's largest button, saying, Haan maam bilkul important hai, after all keyboard ka sabse bada button hai (Yes maam it is definitely important, after all it is the biggest button on the keyboard). (Also Read: UCO Bank Fraud: Two Engineers Transfer 820 Crore INR From 7 Private Banks) The lighthearted banter continued, with Nishika calling Pandey "cute," and Pandey humorously declaring, Mummy bahu milgayi hai, shaadi.com profile delete kar raha hu (Mother, I found a daughter-in-law for you, going to delete my profile on Shaadi.com). Nishika responded with Check DM, suggesting a potential private conversation. The exchange gained rapid traction, catching the eye of Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal, who playfully remarked, Kya ho raha hai insta par? Dhandha bandh karwaoge kya? (What is happening on Instagram? Will you stop the business?) Netizens joined the conversation, expressing their invested interest and humorously predicting a downturn in stocks for Bumble and Tinder. As the banter unfolded, Shaadi.com acknowledged the amusing exchange with another post, declaring, Jodiyan kabhi uparwala banata hai aur kabhi comment section (Sometimes pairs are made in heaven and sometimes in the comment section). The heartwarming story showcases the unexpected ways in which social media platforms can become the starting point for meaningful connections and potential love stories. Electric cars are fast in gaining speed, but they are rather slow at gaining traction in the Indian market. Changing this myth for our market is the Hyundai Ioniq 5, as the brand has now retailed 1,100th unit of its flagship electric SUV. The owner of the 1,100th example of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in India is none other than one of the oldest employees of Hyundai India - Shah Rukh Khan. The king of Bollywood is presented with the electric SUV as the South Korean brand is commemorating its 25-year-long association with the actor. Leading the charge towards electrification of Future Mobility in India, Hyundai launched the IONIQ 5 at the Auto Expo 2023 earlier this year. With over 1000 units sold, IONIQ 5 has received an astounding response from the customers fulfilling their aspirations and appetite for premium luxury cars. Shah Rukh Khan receives the 1100th unit of the IONIQ 5 which also becomes the first ever EV in his car collection giving him an experience of sustainable mobility with utmost luxury and comfort. Watch Hyundai Ioniq 5 Review: Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr. Unsoo Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd., said, Hyundai has been associated with Shah Rukh Khan for the last 25 years, making it one of the longest brand-ambassador partnerships in the industry. SRK is one of the first Hyundai family member and has played a key role in enhancing our brand values and propositions over the years. As a vote of thanks, we have presented our flagship EV- IONIQ 5 to SRK, showcasing the technological prowess of the car and the future of mobility in India. We are truly grateful for his unwavering support in Hyundai and hope our association goes on for many more years to come. Also Read - Maruti Suzuki Jimny Thunder Edition Launched At Rs 10.74 Lakh: Full Details Expressing his gratitude, Bollywood star, Mr. Shah Rukh Khan, said, I am honoured to receive the all-electric SUV Hyundai IONIQ 5. This is my fist ever EV and I am glad it is a Hyundai. Year 2023 has been truly remarkable for Hyundai as well as for me. The love we have mutually received from the people of India is our driving force in the industry. IONIQ 5 is a delight to look at with its unique design and exceptional features. It is unbelievable that this EV marvel by Hyundai has surpassed its expectations and sold over 1000 units this year. Being the oldest member of the Hyundai Motor India family, our 25 year long journey has been really fruitful for both me and the brand. We have had some brilliant moments and milestones together. The brand Hyundai is family to me and it is my pleasure to be associated with one of the most trusted and loved car brand in India. New Delhi: HipHop/R&B-inspired girl group XG, who recently held their first solo audience live "XG 'NEW DNA' SHOWCASE in JAPAN" on, 26th November, has the accolade of being the only Japanese artist ranked in Rolling Stones 100 Best Songs of 2023. XG's track LEFT RIGHT, released in January of this year, was picked for the list in the 77th spot. LEFT RIGHT is an R&B-influenced song featuring repeating synth loops, trap beats, intense bass, hi-hats, and addictive synth raps. The music video, themed around space travel, showcased a stylish performance with 70's-90's inspired costumes and sets. The video has been viewed more than 45 million times on YouTube. Earlier this year, XG became the first Japanese female artist and group to be ranked on the U.S. radio chart Mediabase Top 40 Radio Airplay, the longest-running Asian girl group on the chart, placing for 13 consecutive weeks, showing XGs extraordinary global appeal. XG also demonstrated their popularity overseas in Spotify's recently released 2023 Wrapped, ranking 3rd in Most Played Overseas by a Domestic Artist and 6th and 7th in Most Played Track Overseas by Domestic Artists for SHOOTING STAR and LEFT RIGHT respectively. XG will release their 4th single "WINTER WITHOUT YOU" this December 8th. Is the opposition's INDIA bloc in trouble? After Congress' disappointing performance in all three states of Hindi heartland in the recent 2023 Assembly ELections - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh - several top leaders have reportedly said that they can't attend the gathering of the opposition's INDIA bloc that is supposed to take place on December 6. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Leader Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and Bihar CM and Janta Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Jharkhand and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren - these leaders might stay away from the December 6 INDIA meeting. Now, reports say that the INDIA Bloc meeting will be deferred to December 18. This meeting will be held after a gap of over three months since the last one in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. Earlier, while addressing the media on Monday, the West Bengal CM said that her party was unaware that the INDIA grouping is planning to hold a sitting in New Delhi. "I don't know, I have no information so I kept a programme in North Bengal...If we had the information, we wouldn't have scheduled those programmes. We would have definitely gone (for the meeting), but we have not received any information," TMC chief had said, as reported by ANI. According to sources, Akhilesh Yadav might also give the December 6 meeting a miss. Nitish Kumar, reports say, had cited viral fever as the reason behind giving the meeting a miss. Ahead of the next meeting, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has dialled his alliance partners and invited them to converge. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Supriya Sule gave a hint after the Mumbai meeting that the next meeting will be held in the national capital. Seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls, which are just four to five months away, is likely to be at the top of the agenda. The next INDIA bloc meeting would also be crucial for Congress, particularly as the party lost Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, the Hindi heartland states that send a large number of members to the Parliament. However, the Congress could find the going tough in this meeting, with key ally Samajwadi Party having struck a beligerent tone against the Congress in the assembly elections. SP boss Akhilesh Yadav had accused the Congress of betraying the SP by not giving it tickets to contest in a potential alliance with the Congress in MP. New Delhi: After sweeping the polls in Telangana, Congress announced that Revanth Reddy the Chief Minister of the state. The Congress scored a massive victory in Telangana by bagging 64 seats in the 119-member Assembly state. Adressing the press conference, the Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said the Congress President has decided to go with Revanth Reddy as the new CLP of Telangana Legislative Party. The swearing-in ceremony of the new Telangana CM will be held on December 7. Telangana Congress Chief Revanth Reddy appears to have significantly influenced the trajectory of the Congress party in the state. Despite joining the party only six years ago, the 56-year-old politician has rapidly ascended the ranks to become the working president of the state unit, a Member of Parliament, and currently holds the position of Telangana Congress president. Reddy's leadership style has garnered both praise and criticism, particularly for his willingness to openly critique members of his own party. Additionally, he has been observed expressing admiration for his mentor, N Chandrababu Naidu, and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), where he was previously a member and served as a two-time TDP MLA. Born on November 8, 1969, in Kondareddy Palli of Mahboobnagar district, Reddy is a graduate in arts from A. V. College, Osmania University. During his student years, he was associated with the right-wing ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad). Following the completion of his studies, Revanth initiated a venture in the form of a printing press. By Kentaro Kogetsu, KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2023 - 10:08 | Feature, All, Japan One of Japan's prominent fishing ports and a frequent stop for foreign luxury cruise liners, the city of Sakaiminato on the Sea of Japan coast bolsters the local economy in a remote western region of the country. Also thriving as a trading base after Japan opened up the country in the mid-19th century thanks to its relative proximity to the Korean Peninsula, the Tottori Prefecture city with a population of 33,000 is dubbed a "fishing town" for being a good natural port endowed by rich fishing banks in adjacent waters. This has historically provided the solid foundation for the prosperity of the offshore fishing operation based in Sakaiminato, where efforts are now being made to keep aloft its coastal fishing -- the other main style of commercial fishing that has helped feed the city. Photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023, shows the Nakano Port Fishing Village Market in full swing in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan. (Kyodo) Fisheries industry data for 2022 placed Sakaiminato in fourth in terms of the volume of fish landings behind Choshi in Chiba Prefecture, Kushiro in Hokkaido and Yaizu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Sakaiminato topped the list of ports on the Sea of Japan coast. The vast majority of the volume at Sakaiminato came from offshore fishing, particularly with a method using purse seines, the large walls of netting designed to target dense schools of single-species fish. Mackerels, horse mackerels and sardines are among the mainstays at the port in addition to seasonal specialties like bluefin tunas in the summer and snow crabs and red snow crabs in the winter. In contrast to such offshore fishing, which is carried out within 200 nautical miles from Japan's coast, coastal fishing is operated in areas near the coastline by using small boats and trawlers owned mostly by individual operators. Industry documents show coastal fishing once accounted for as much as 80 percent for all types used in Japan's fisheries industry, which also include distant-water or deep-sea fishing and aquafarming. But it has long been on the wane due to the general decline in Japan's fisheries and because it is prone to being affected directly by marine pollution, land reclamation and red tide, among others. Students from Sakaiminato Comprehensive Technical High School sell crab soup on Sept. 16, 2023, at the Nakano Port Fishing Village Market in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan. (Kyodo) In Sakaiminato, in part of efforts to buck the negative trend, a decade-old seafood market is attracting customers from far and wide with its discount deals by providing them with fresh seafood for their kitchen tables as it slowly breathes life back into the local port's coastal fishing. The city's Nakano market opens a few times a year and is run by fishermen and local volunteers eager to revitalize the port's coastal fishing operations, which in recent years have been hard-hit by a decline in seafood consumption. On one such market day held on Sept. 16, more than 100 people showed up to buy a wide assortment of seafood, including grunts, white squid, golden threadfin bream and John Dory at discount prices. Customers could be seen leaving the port in high spirits as they carried bags full of the day's choice catches. "Now is the best season for this fish," said Tadashi Sasaki, 57, while pointing at sea bream laid out on a bed of ice. Sasaki owns a small trawler and heads the group of the market's organizers who bring fresh catches to the port early the same day to sell at prices as low as 30 to 50 percent of the normal price. The market, which attracts visitors from within and outside the prefecture alike whenever it opens, began in 2013 when local restauranteur Masakazu Hamano, 48, approached local fishermen and other community members after he became concerned about the port's declining trawler numbers. Having witnessed the number of fishing boats at the port whittle away over the years, Hamano felt he "had to do something" for those who have been facing an increasingly tough business climate amid rising fuel and living costs alongside stagnant fish prices. Seafood catches themselves have declined in coastal fishing. According to the central government's Fisheries Agency, there were roughly 70,000 coastal fishermen in Japan in 2021, down more than 40 percent from over 120,000 in 2010. A recent study by the Tottori prefectural government found that the number in Sakaiminato fell to 51 in 2022 from around 90 a decade earlier. In the past, the market used to open almost monthly, but these days it is open for business around four times per year. Due to the importance of offering the freshest catches of the day, the market's opening can sometimes be delayed or suddenly called off if the sea gets choppy. Photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023, shows crowds of visitors gathering at the Nakano Port Fishing Village Market in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan.(Kyodo) But people often queue for hours before the selling starts on open days. Most people find out about them via social media, the city office's newsletter or other means, with the next event scheduled for May 2024. Alongside the fishermen, mongers and seafood processors in the organizing committee are local high schoolers who hold demonstrations of "ikejime," a traditional Japanese slaughter technique that maintains the fresh flavor of fish meat. The method involves killing fish instantaneously by inserting a spike into their hindbrain and thoroughly draining them of blood, preventing muscle twitches that build up lactic acid and ammonia, which can make them taste sour and less flavorful. The committee said that some of the students, who are also in charge of selling crab soup at the market, are employed by local fishery companies after they graduate. After the mid-September market day, Sasaki was ready to begin preparing for the next one. "I could see that many consumers were there to support us. We want people in Tottori to leave what they serve in their kitchens up to us," he said with a smile after a long day's work. "We will continue taking on the challenge of turning the port back into the bustling place it once was," Hamano added. Related coverage: FEATURE: Locals use big-city thinking to bring "onsen" town back from brink FEATURE: French artisan's bright idea keeps passion for Suifu lanterns burning FEATURE: Internships creating brighter future for Japanese silk farming New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at eight locations in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The operation was related to the investigation into a terrorist conspiracy orchestrated and executed by factions associated with banned Pakistan-backed terrorist organizations, including Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, and Al-Qaeda. NIA spokesman said, "Teams of NIA searched eight locations in the seven districts of Poonch, Shopian, Pulwama, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kupwara and Srinagar of the Union Territory of J&K. The locations raided today were residential premises of hybrid terrorists and Overground Workers (OGWs) associated with the newly formed affiliates and offshoots of the banned terrorist outfits. "Extensive searches were also conducted at the premises of the cadres and sympathizers of these newly floated organizations, which included The Resistance Front (TRF), United Liberation Front Jammu & Kashmir (ULFJ&K), Mujahideen Gazwat-Ul-Hind (MGH), Jammu & Kashmir Freedom Fighters (JKFF), Kashmir Tigers, PAAF, among others," he added. The searches led to the seizure of several digital devices containing large volumes of incriminating data and documents by the NIA, which has been investigating the conspiracy of the recently launched offshoots of the banned terror outfits to destabilize J&K through violent terrorist attacks and activities, he added NIA had registered the case (RC-05/2022/NIA/JMU) suo moto on 21st June 2022 to probe the involvement of the cadres, OGWs and other suspects of the new outfits in the collection and distribution of sticky bombs/magnetic bombs, IEDs, funds, narcotic substances, and arms/ammunition to spread terror, violence, and subversion in J&K. The spokesman further added "NIA investigations so far have revealed that Pak-based operatives were using social media platforms to promote terror, and were also using drones to deliver arms/ammunition, explosives, narcotics etc. to their operatives and cadres in the Kashmir valley. These activities were being carried out as part of the terror conspiracy hatched by the banned outfits, backed by their masters in Pakistan. The conspiracy also involved radicalization of local youth and mobilization of OGWs to carry out violent and disruptive activities in J&K." New Delhi: In a shocking incident, the national president of Karani Sena, Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, was fatally attacked at his residence in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. The attackers, who were initially sitting casually with Gogamedi, suddenly opened fire. CCTV footage captured two individuals in a room with Gogamedi and his associates. Without warning, both men fired shots at Sukhdev Singh, resulting in another person being injured in the crossfire. Following the initial gunshot, Gogamedi fell, and the assailants proceeded to unleash a barrage of gunfire, firing a total of 17 rounds in a span of just 20 seconds. Swiftly after the attack, the assailants fled the crime scene. Another CCTV video showed them running out of Gogamedi's residence. Notably, Gogamedi had received death threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang last year, and one of the attackers, Rohit Godara, who claimed responsibility for the murder, is reported to be a member of the same gang. Rohit Godara, the individual openly confessing to the killing of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi on social media, hails from Kapurisar in the Loonkaransar region of Bikaner and has a criminal background. Karani Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was rushed to the hospital where he was announced dead on arrival. After the fatal attack on the Karani Sena President, the people of the community started a protest near Gogamedi's house, and the whole pathway was blocked. The Rajput community has denied taking the dead boy and has said that the last rites will not be performed until the attackers are arrested. Pro-Khalistan terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode has reportedly died of a heart attack in Pakistan. Rode, nephew of the slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was the self-styled chief of the banned outfits Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISFY). According to reports in the media, the news of Lakhbir Singh Rode's demise was confirmed by his brother and former Akal Takht Jathedar, Jasbir Singh Rode. He was reportedly cremated a day after he passed away. Lakhbir Singh was listed as an individual terrorist under the UA(P)A and had fled to Pakistan around 1996-1997. He was 72 when he passed away. Earlier in October, the National Investigation Agency Special Court in Punjab's Mohali had ordered the confiscation of land belonging to Lakhbir Singh under Section 33 (5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The court order stems from the registration of the case on October 1, 2021, which pertains to multiple charges, including sections 3, 4, 5 & 6 of the Explosive Substances Act 1908; sections 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38 & 39 of UA(P) Act 1967, Section 21B, 27A, 29 of NDPS Act 1985, and section 120B of IPC. According to officials, the case was originally registered on September 16, 2021, under Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act at City Jalalabad police station, and involves a tiffin bomb blast that occurred on September 15, 2021, around 07:57 p.m. near Punjab National Bank in Jalalabad town. The investigations revealed that Lakhbir was the mastermind of the whole conspiracy. Working in collusion with his Pakistan-based masters, Lakhbir Singh played a key role in sending consignments of terror hardware, including arms, ammunition, custom-made Tiffin bombs, grenades, explosives as well as drugs, to carry out terrorist acts, particularly bomb blasts, to instil fear and terror among the people of Punjab, said the official according to an IANS report. By Dr R K Nimai, IAS (Retd) Meitei, the tribe that settled in the central valley of Manipur has been squeezed from all sides. Without permission they can't buy land in the hill areas which constitute about 90% of the geographical areas of the state while the 10% of central valley is open to all irrespective of the community. Though Meiteis possess land in some flatlands within the hill districts like Churachandpur, Moreh, etc. Thus, the Meiteis had been demanding protection under the Constitution which is mainly Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. When the Meitei-Kuki conflict started on May 3, 2023 the cause was ascribed to the issue of a writ of mandamus by the High Court of Manipur to the Government of Manipur to send a recommendation for inclusion of Meitei among the list of Scheduled Tribe (ST) in response to a letter from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs which was pending for about a decade. Unfortunately, only the first sentence of the operative part was quoted but the subsequent sentences were conveniently avoided. This led to the Solidarity March organised by the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur on May 3. Elsewhere it ended peacefully except for Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh and a few other places dominated by the Kuki-Chin where Meitei houses were vandalised and burnt and the inmates forced to flee for their lives; ethnic cleansing of the Meitei. This led to retaliation and the conflict continues even after the passage of more than six months. The Meitei felt that as a community they possess all the criteria laid down by the Lokur Committee for inclusion in the ST List. This was opposed by the existing STs of the state. In the past Meitei with a false sense of superiority had not lobbied for inclusion. But now the demand for inclusion is becoming stringent. The movement has been peaceful till now with no violence. Many of those opposing the inclusion of the Meitei from within the community then had perhaps not read Sloka 12 and 13 of Chapter 214 of Arjunavanavasa of the Adi Parva of the critical version of Mahabharata which reads as "Crossing the kingdom of the Kalingas, the mighty one (Arjuna) proceeded, seeing on his way diverse countries and sacred spots and diverse delightful mansions and houses. Beholding the Mahendra Mountain adorned with the ascetics, he went to Manipura proceeding along the sea shore"; which means that the city of Manipura can only be located by the sea shore. Thus the Manipura of Mahabharata can never be the present Manipur as the latter does not lie near the seashore and the present name Manipur came only in the 17th century. The existing STs of Manipur did not oppose the inclusion of other tribes of other states in the list. Therefore, one can infer that they are concerned about the reservation quota and that the Meitei will usurp land in the hill areas. Though technically, existing ST do not have locus standii on the inclusion of new tribes in the list, their concern cannot be wished away. After the state government recommends after examining whether a tribe fulfils the criteria set down by the Lokur Committee, it is for the Centre to decide and place a Bill before the Parliament To redress the concern, the reservation quota as it exists today in the state may continue for the present ST and sub-quota may be provided so that one community do not garner major share. One can consider 45% for the Naga, 45% for the Kuki-Chin and 10% for those smaller communities which neither belong to both. Meitei are plain-dwelling tribe and they will not migrate en masse to the hills even if allowed. They will prefer to stay in the valleys, including those in the hills. Hence to allay the concern of the hill brethren, the number of Meitei and the size of their plot can be limited. The major concern expressed is not the settlement of Meitei per se but the fear of the purchase of large tracts of hill areas by moneyed people. However, the Valley Forest Reserve declared by the State Darbar in 1932, excluding those subsequently declared as Reserved or Protected Forest must be open freely to the Meitei. These two steps should allay the concern of the present ST. The myth that some Naga and Meitei came from the same stock is contradicted if the Meitei do not become ST. Meiteis are at a crossroads as once the 2019 Bill pending before the Rajya Sabha is passed, it will be the only indigene of the region without an ST tag. They will face serious problems once the rail line is fully functional as the Inner Line Permit on which great hope was held was like a sieve in screening migrants. The Meitei without a Constitutional safeguard, of which the ST tag is the likeliest, with a small population of about 1.3-1.4 million in Manipur just cannot survive as a community. The state government must examine the matter vis a vis the criteria laid down and expeditiously make recommendations before the movement turns violent. It should ensure that reasonable demands are given without violence dispelling the notion that demands with violence only make the government consider it. The patience though seems to be running out. (Dr. R.K.Nimai is a former IAS officer of the Manipur Tripura cadre. The views expressed here are solely of the author.) In Mizoram, history has been created. Since the formation of the state in 1987, this is the first time that a party other than the Congress or the Mizo National Front (MNF) has been voted into power. A new regional party, the Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), bagged 27 seats in the 40-member assembly, comprehensively defeating the ruling MNF. And the man heading the ZPM, Lalduhoma, is all set to be the new Chief Minister of Mizoram and is being rightly called the 'giant killer'. Lalduhoma's Journey: A Humble Beginning So who is Lalduhoma? While search engines might be flooded with this question now, the man of the moment in Mizoram has chartered an illustrious journey. Lalduhoma completed his BA degree from North East Hill University, and five years later, he joined the Indian Police Service after clearing the Civil Services exam. He was born into a humble family in Tualpui village of Champhai district, bordering Myanmar. He was an excellent student and bagged a job as principal assistant in the office of C. Chhunga - Mizoram's first CM - in 1972. Reportedly, it was during this job that he completed his graduation, while being enrolled in an evening course, and later went on to be an IPS officer. The Indira Gandhi Connection Thanks to his achievements and capabilities, Lalduhoma became the security in-charge for then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was posted in Goa and his firm handling of the drug mafia reportedly impressed Indira Gandhi and he was transferred to New Delhi in 1982. Afterwards, he became a part of Gandhi's security team. Lalduhoma's Entry And Journey Into Politics In 1984, Lalduhoma quit his job and joined the Congress party. and was elected as an MP from Mizoram. But four years later, he quit Congress and was disqualified as an MP. In 2003, he was elected as an MLA from another party that was founded by him before the ZPM - the Zoram Nationalist Party. The Birth Of ZPM An alliance of six regional parties, the Zoram People's Movement as the name suggests began as a movement group. It won 8 seats in the 2018 Mizoram Legislative Assembly election and it was not a recognised party yet during the Assembly elections in 2018. The Zoram people's movement was officially registered with the Election Commission of India in July 2019. after submitting a request on January 21, 2019. New Delhi, December 5, 2023 - Pallav Singh, a resident of Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, has taken to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share the heart-wrenching story of his father's battle for life and the insurmountable challenges faced in securing timely medical intervention. His emotional tweets unravel a tale of despair, a struggling healthcare system, and the plight of the middle-class citizens in the face of a medical emergency. The nightmare began on September 15th when Pallav's father suffered a heart attack. Rushed to the nearest medical center in Gorakhpur, he was diagnosed with blockages in three arteries, with his heart functioning at a mere 20%. The severity of the condition prompted a referral to a higher center for specialized treatment. After a series of bureaucratic hurdles and agonizing delays, Pallav managed to bring his father to AIIMS Delhi in late November. The family's hope was met with a seemingly endless series of queues and waiting periods. Pallav's sister spent 24 hours in line to secure an appointment with a cardiologist. Papa had a heart attack on September 15th this year. Taken to the nearest centre, Gorakhpur, from my hometown, Deoria, in UP. Was diagnosed with blockage in 3 arteries and heart functioning only 20%. Referred to higher centre for further management. Pallav Singh (@pallavserene) December 4, 2023 Going by Pallav's narration of his ordeal, the diagnostic process was plagued with inefficiencies. Despite already having undergone tests outside the hospital, they were forced to wait for a week for an ECHO. Pallav, in desperation, stood in queues for hours just to get a few minutes with the doctor. The medical professional, a reputed senior professor and Padma Awardee, prescribed medication and asked them to return with no specific date for a follow-up. The situation took a dire turn when, after a 15-day wait, the doctor finally referred the father for surgery. Pallav is left grappling with the question of why the critical surgery wasn't recommended earlier when his father's heart was functioning at a mere 20%. However, the most heart-wrenching revelation came when Pallav shared that his father, a diabetic with a heart functioning at 20%, is now slated to wait for a staggering 13 months for surgery. A wait that seems nearly impossible given the critical condition and financial constraints of the family. In a series of anguished tweets, Pallav bares the stark reality of his family's predicament. His mother, terminally ill and a subject of research at the same AIIMS for two years, suffers from a neurological disorder. With no major source of income and mounting medical bills, the family is on the brink of financial ruin. "I am literally left with nothing. No idea what next. But I am devastated for sure," Pallav tweeted, expressing the profound despair he feels. The tweets also shed light on the systemic issues plaguing the healthcare system and the struggle faced by the middle-class citizens. Pallav laments the lack of political clout that would expedite the medical process, emphasizing the grim reality that many ordinary citizens face. As Pallav's parents battle life-threatening illnesses, and the financial and emotional toll mounts, his tweets stand as a poignant cry for help and a stark reminder of the urgent need for reform in the Indian healthcare system. The story of Pallav Singh is not just his own; it echoes the silent struggles of countless families grappling with the inadequacies of a broken system. Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi Murder: Rohit Godara, the man who openly admitted to the killing of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi on social media, has a background steeped in crime originating from Kapurisar in the Loonkaransar region of Bikaner. Beginning his foray into criminal activities at just 19 years old, Godara has over 32 serious criminal charges since 2010. Notably, he had previously claimed responsibility for the murder of another gangster, Raju Thehat, in Sikar, Rajasthan. Accusations against Godara extend to his alleged involvement in demanding extortion money ranging from 5 to 17 crores from businessmen in Rajasthan. Furthermore, he stands accused of threatening Congress MLA Mukesh Bhakar from Ladnu in Nagaur, demanding ransom and issuing death threats over the phone as per reports. In response to these activities, the police have issued a red corner notice, along with a reward of 1 lakh for information leading to his apprehension earlier. Godara who associated with the Lawrence Vishnoi and Goldie Brar gang, proudly claimed responsibility for the Sikar murder on Facebook, linking it to avenging the deaths of Anandpal Singh and Balveer Banuda. His name has also been associated with the Siddu Musewala massacre. Notably, Godara managed to dodge authorities, fleeing from Delhi to Dubai on June 13, 2022, using a fake passport under the name Pawan Kumar. Currently, a red corner notice is active, and it is believed that he may be residing in Canada. Jaipur, December 5, 2023 - In a shocking and tragic incident, Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, the State Chief of the National Rajput Karni Sena, was fatally shot in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The assassination takes a dark turn due to Gogamedi's prominent role in opposing the film "Padmavat" within the state. A Long-standing Opposition to 'Padmavat' Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi had been actively involved in leading protests against the movie "Padmavat" in Rajasthan. His opposition gained attention, leading to public demonstrations and controversial statements, all of which were well-documented in various videos. Formation of a New Entity: Shri National Rajput Karni Sena Amidst disputes within the Karni Sena organization, Gogamedi decided to part ways and established a separate entity known as "Shri National Rajput Karni Sena." In this new organization, he held the position of president, continuing his fight against the film and advocating for the Rajput community's stance. Historical Disputes and Expulsion from Karni Sena Gogamedi, once a prominent figure within the Karni Sena, faced expulsion in 2015 due to criminal allegations. Undeterred by this setback, he forged ahead, founding the Shri National Rajput Karni Sena as a response to the historical disputes within the Karni Sena. Assassination Triggers Shockwaves in the Rajput Community The recent assassination of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi has sent shockwaves throughout the Rajput community. The roots of this tragic incident are being investigated, with speculations pointing toward the historical disputes related to the opposition against "Padmavat." Government's Response and Assurance Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed deep sorrow over Gogamedi's death and ensured swift action against the assailants. He urged the public to remain calm, assuring stringent measures against the perpetrators, and emphasized the imminent arrests. Shekhawat stated that he has sought detailed information from the Police Commissioner regarding the incident. The community is anxiously awaiting further updates as the police diligently investigate the circumstances surrounding this distressing event. New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday (December 04, 2023) cancelled the licence of Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank Limited, Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur. "Consequently, the bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on December 04, 2023. The Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank," RBI said in a release. The Reserve Bank cancelled the licence of the bank as the latter does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. As such, it does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, RBI said. - THe central bank further added that the bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c), 22(3) (d) and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949; - The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors; - The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full; and - Public interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking business any further. RBI has prohibited Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank Limited from conducting any banking business further. "Consequent to the cancellation of its licence, Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank Limited, Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur is prohibited from conducting the business of banking which includes, among other things, acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5(b) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect," RBI said. What Happens To Customer's Money After RBI Cancels License Of Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd? On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5,00,000 (Rupees five lakh only) from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of DICGC Act, 1961. As per the data submitted by the bank, 99.85% of the depositors are entitled to receive full amount of their deposits from DICGC. As on July 24, 2023 DICGC has already paid Rs 41.60 crore of the total insured deposits under the provisions of Section 18A of the DICGC Act, 1961 based on the willingness received from the concerned depositors of the bank. HONG KONG, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR on Monday jointly held a seminar on the National Constitution Day, with a view to enhancing public understanding of the constitutional basis of the country and the HKSAR. Speaking at the seminar, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said that the Chinese path to modernization should be safeguarded by the Constitution, adding that similarly, the HKSAR's path of "one country, two systems" must also be safeguarded by the Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR. Lee said in order to safeguard the central authorities' overall jurisdiction, the firm implementation of the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" is a must. Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, said the seminar holds significant importance in comprehensively grasping the constitutional logic of China's modernization, as well as in facilitating Hong Kong to better seize the opportunities presented by China's modernization. Zheng said practical experience has proven that only by firmly establishing constitutional awareness and relying on the Constitution and Basic Law of the HKSAR can the long-term prosperity, stability, and sustainable development of Hong Kong be effectively safeguarded, and this approach also allows Hong Kong to leverage its strengths and contribute to the nation's modernization efforts. The seminar comprised of two parts: a keynote speech and a panel discussion. The keynote speech was delivered by Zhang Xiang, a professor from the Peking University Law School. The seminar was attended by representatives from various central government agencies in Hong Kong, including Dong Jingwei, director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Fang Jianming, deputy commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR, and Lai Ruxin, political commissar of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison. Also present were Andrew Cheung Kui-nung, chief justice of the Court of Final Appeal of the HKSAR, key officials of the HKSAR government, members of the HKSAR Executive Council, members of the the HKSAR Legislative Council, and about 500 attendees from various sectors of Hong Kong society. This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) KUNMING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held an opening ceremony Tuesday in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, Yunnan Province. Addressing the opening ceremony, Wang Ning, secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said that with more international media outlets covering Yunnan in recent years, Yunnan has been brought closer to the rest of the world. Noting that the province is a window into understanding a credible, appealing and respectable China, Wang encouraged the guests to take advantage of this summit to discover more compelling stories about the place. Lyu Yansong, editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, said in his keynote speech that Xinhua has delivered in-depth news coverage to show the progress and philosophy of Chinese modernization, narrated the stories of China's development and achievements in the new era to a global audience, and reported on the practical endeavors of countries worldwide as they progress in their modernization initiatives. He expressed the hope to enhance collaboration and deepen understanding with media organizations around the world to advance the modernization of the entire human society through collaborative efforts. Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations resident coordinator in China, delivered a speech to the ceremony via video. Dmitry Kiselev, director general of the Rossiya Segodnya international media group, and other international guests also delivered remarks at the ceremony. These speakers agreed that the media has important responsibilities in promoting the exchange and mutual learning among civilizations, as well as the realization of modernization for human society. They stated their willingness to learn more about China's practice of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature in its pursuit of modernization and to promote mutual understanding and friendship among people of all countries. At the opening ceremony, a document titled "Kunming Initiative for the 5th World Media Summit" was adopted, and a thematic event showcasing the province's rich culture was launched. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China), running until Friday, was co-hosted by Xinhua and the provincial government. It has attracted more than 300 representatives of around 80 institutions, including media outlets, international organizations and think tanks, from nearly 30 countries and regions. Bekdurdy Amansaryyev, head of the Media Turkmen News Agency, speaks at the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Liu Mengqi) Kiril Valchev, director general of Bulgarian News Agency, speaks at the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Liu Mengqi) Jose Luis Barcelo Mezquita, editor-director of El Mundo Financiero, speaks at the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Liu Mengqi) Muhammad Aslam Khan, editor-in-chief of Internews Pakistan, speaks at the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Liu Mengqi) Sivanxay Siphankham, deputy director of Lao News Agency, speaks at the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Liu Mengqi) Dmitry Kiselev, director general of the Rossiya Segodnya international media group, speaks at the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Liu Mengqi) This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua) Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua) Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua) Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua) Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua) A guest attends the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua) Representatives attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) Representatives attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) Representatives attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) Journalists work during the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) Representatives attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) Representatives attend the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) Journalists work during the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows the exterior view of the venue for the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows the exterior view of the venue for the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Li Ming) Actors perform before the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) Actors perform before the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) Attendees of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum take part in a cultural event in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Liu Mengqi) An attendee of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum takes a photo of flowers on the wall in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) An attendee of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum learns about Yunnan's Pu'er tea in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Li Ming) Attendees of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum learn about Yunnan's Pu'er tea in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Li Ming) An attendee of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum takes a selfie with a staff member in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) An attendee of the 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum tastes Baoshan small-grain coffee in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 5, 2023. The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) is held here from Dec. 4 - 8 gathering more than 300 representatives of over 80 institutions from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Li Ming) This photo taken on Dec. 3, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (WMS) in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) It is of great importance that media outlets in China and the Arab world introduce each other objectively and impartially, while the Western media "mostly adopt biased and non-positive views on the Arab countries and China," said Ahmed Sallam, former undersecretary of Egypt's State Information Service. CAIRO, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Media cooperation between the Arab world and China is essential amid growing common challenges, said Ahmed Sallam, former undersecretary of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS). Sallam, also a former media consultant at the Egyptian embassy in Beijing, told Xinhua in an interview ahead of his trip to China for the 5th World Media Summit sponsored by Xinhua. It is of great importance that media outlets in China and the Arab world introduce each other objectively and impartially, while the Western media "mostly adopt biased and non-positive views on the Arab countries and China," he said. Entering its second decade, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reinforces Arab-Chinese media cooperation, especially in light of the high esteem China enjoys among the Arab people, especially the youth, said the media expert. Citing a survey in June by the Dubai-based public relations firm ASDA'A BCW, Sallam said over 80 percent of the youth in 18 Arab states view China as a partner for their countries. He attributed the favorable view to the increasing social and cultural communication between the two sides and the growing number of Arabic-speaking Chinese media outlets. "Over the past ten years of the BRI, cooperation between the Arab countries and China witnessed the conclusion of many cooperation protocols and media partnerships between the two sides," Sallam told Xinhua. He stressed that the growing Arab-China cooperation under the BRI "allows the peoples of both sides to exchange knowledge and expertise, and also benefits their media professionals through mutual training programs." Delegates talk during the opening ceremony of the 5th World Media Summit (WMS) in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin) The rising challenges facing media and media professionals like the artificial intelligence also reinforced the need for cooperation between the two sides, said Sallam. Scheduled for Dec. 2-8 in China's Guangzhou and Kunming, the 5th World Media Summit gathers more than 450 representatives from nearly 200 institutions, including media outlets, think tanks, and international organizations, from over 100 countries and regions. The summit discusses several topics including the role of media in promoting human development and security, the response of media to new technological opportunities and challenges, new media markets in the digital age, and the worldwide media cooperation for a better future. KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Fitch Ratings on Tuesday affirmed Malaysia's long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating (IDR) at "BBB+" with a stable outlook. The rating agency said in a statement that Malaysia's ratings balance a diversified economy with strong medium-term growth prospects against high public debt, a low revenue base relative to operating expenditure, and political considerations that may hinder long-term policymaking and reform implementation. Fitch expects Malaysia's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth to moderate to 4 percent in 2023 and 4.2 percent in 2024, from the post-pandemic rebound of 8.7 percent in 2022. It said that Malaysia's exports will still face headwinds from weak global demand and trade restrictions. However, it opined that wages and expansion in investment activity should underpin resilient domestic demand. Fitch also projected the Malaysian general government deficit to further decline to 3.5 percent in 2025 amid further subsidy rationalization and the rollout of the global minimum tax. In addition, it forecast the general government deficit to narrow to 2.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025 from an average of 5.2 percent of GDP in 2020-2022. It also estimated general government debt to slide to 72.3 percent of GDP in 2023, from 72.8 percent in 2022. Fitch also forecast Malaysia's current account surplus to narrow to 2.6 percent of GDP in 2023 from 3 percent of GDP in 2022. "Malaysia is well-positioned to benefit from the global supply-chain diversification with its competitive manufacturing sector, and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have picked up noticeably since the reopening of the economy in 2022," it said. BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have issued a warning about potential risks of low temperatures, rain and snow disasters in the eastern and central regions of the country in December. Three cold waves are expected to hit China this month, according to a joint analysis by government agencies including the Ministry of Emergency Management and China Meteorological Administration. The agencies also forecast high risks of forest fires in the southern and southwestern parts of China, noting that the country may experience more destructive waves than usual this month. HAIKOU, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- An international conference on the sustainable control of vector-borne infectious diseases opened Tuesday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province. With the aim of coping with global changes, controlling vectors, and protecting the health of all population groups, the conference was attended by more than 300 international academicians, experts, and scholars. Over the past 10 years or so, China became one of the first countries to eradicate filariasis and was granted by the World Health Organization (WHO) the certification of malaria elimination, as bilharziasis is also currently on the brink of elimination in China, according to the experts. China has switched its approach to vector-borne diseases from passive emergency control to proactive risk management and control in recent years. The country contributed to building a malaria-free world by sharing its experience, said Liu Qiyong, head of the WHO Collaborating Center for Vector Surveillance and Management and chief expert of vector control at China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Zhang Bike, an official with the CDC, said that back in 2006, there were still over 60,000 cases of malaria and 20,000 cases of epidemic hemorrhagic fever in China, and it took the country just over 10 years to get them under control. He added that China has made historic achievements in preventing and controlling such diseases. China should continue to innovate its strategy and technology for preventing and controlling vector-borne diseases and further benefit China and the world with the innovative concept of sustainable control of vectors, according to Li Guanglin, an official with the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association. Abbas Ganbay 3+3 Regional Platform is becoming more and more promising, Azernews reports, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov telling at the bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Moscow. "Ilham Aliyev's initiative to form a regional platform of the South Caucasus "3+3" is already taking shape. This is also a promising format. I will be glad to hear your assessments on further steps in this direction," Lavrov told Bayramov. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, opening talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that the Russian side expects Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will take part in the work of the informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which will be held in St. Petersburg. DUBAI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday called for immediate and collective action to confront climate change's profound effects on displaced populations and their host communities at the ongoing COP28 climate conference. According to the UNHCR, the ripple effects of climate change intensify the hardship experienced by displaced communities throughout the world. The convergence of conflict and climate change critically impedes their ability to secure safety, essential resources, and sustainable livelihoods. "The climate emergency is punishing displaced people three times. It tears them from their homes, it compounds their crisis in exile and destroys their homeland, preventing them from returning," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. "This harsh reality highlights the way the climate emergency exacerbates displacement and human suffering." Climate change reveals a stark injustice as those who have contributed least to environmental degradation suffer the most. In a concerning trend, nearly 60 percent of the world's displaced find themselves in countries most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, such as Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, according to the UNHCR. "As we convene at COP28, prioritizing the plight of the most vulnerable is imperative. Our collective commitment to climate action must involve robust measures to protect those affected," Grandi said. "The inclusion of those most affected is vital to our discussions and responses. The experiences and solutions of displaced communities deserve a significant place in the global climate discussion," he added. COP28, or the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is being held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. This photo taken on March 1, 2023 shows an intelligent production base of the Great Wall Motors (GWM) in Yongchuan District of Chongqing, southwest China. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) China's leading position in many cutting-edge areas such as battery technology, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, as well as the ongoing transformation and upgrade of the Chinese economy all point to continued growth in the future. GENEVA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Heads of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Trade Center (ITC) and other international organizations headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, have expressed their optimism about China's economic fundamentals and China's economic development trajectory in recent interviews with Xinhua. AN RECOVERING ECONOMY UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said that China's contribution to global economic growth is higher than those of other major economies. China's economic growth has been built on advantages in industrial production, infrastructure, logistics and technology, which means that China plays an important role in global trade and value chains, and with the successful completion of structural adjustments in the economy, industries and trade, the Chinese economy will continue to grow in the future, Grynspan said. Optimistic about China's economic prospects, Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the ITC, said that China has a huge consumer market of 1.4 billion people, and from the economic data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China in the first three quarters of 2023, China's consumer demand has begun to pick up, which will stimulate the sustained growth of economy and trade. China's research and development and investment in new technologies and industries continue, and economic transformation will bring sustained growth, and meanwhile, China continues to open up and embrace economic globalization, she said. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that China's opening-up, new development pattern and domestic consumption will help promote sustained economic recovery. Tourists visit Xiangdong Street of Xinhua County, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 2, 2023. (Photo by Wu Yonghua/Xinhua) TRANSFORMATION AND UPGRADE China's leading position in many cutting-edge areas such as battery technology, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, as well as the ongoing transformation and upgrade of the Chinese economy all point to continued growth in the future, Grynspan said, viewing the Chinese government's efforts to boost domestic demand as crucial to promoting accelerated economic growth. The global trade structure is currently being shaped, with trade in goods declining and trade in services, especially those related to the digital economy, growing, she said. China's economy is in the process of transforming itself into one driven by consumer demand, led by the service sector and enabled by technology, Grynspan said, adding that at the same time, China will remain the world's leading exporter of goods and services. China's industrial structure has changed significantly, with explosive growth registered in the industry of electric vehicles, said Coke-Hamilton. China ranks among the top exporters of electric vehicles in the world, generating new opportunities for China and global economic development, Coke-Hamilton said, voicing hope that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries can participate in this process and share the benefits. Visitors view a vehicle at the booth of Chinese electric automaker XPeng during the China Motor Show (Tianjin) 2022 in north China's Tianjin, Nov. 10, 2022. BOOSTING GLOBAL TRADE GROWTH Earlier in November, Grynspan visited China and attended the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE). She believed that the expo has created valuable opportunities for foreign enterprises, particularly SMEs from developing countries, to enter the Chinese market. SMEs account for 90 percent of the global business landscape, provide 60-70 percent of jobs and produce 50 percent of the world's GDP, she said, referring to it as vital for SMEs to be able to benefit from China's growth, trade and market dynamics. Coke-Hamilton also attended the sixth CIIE. She believed that the CIIE has played a great role in helping enterprises from the least developed countries enter the Chinese market, deeming the expo as an "important opportunity" for the world, especially developing countries. An eco caravan model of Ampaire is exhibited at the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan) Since 2008, China has become the main export destination for the least developed countries, receiving more than a quarter of their exports, which is "quite a large proportion," she said. In Coke-Hamilton's view, one of the most important ways to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals is to promote sustained export growth in the least developed countries, which is conducive to their economic and social development. "The CIIE is actually part of the solution," she said. Okonjo-Iweala said that as the world's second-largest economy, China plays a pivotal role in international trade. China's good trade performance, she said, will help promote the economic and trade development of other countries and regions, especially developing economies. BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China, a crucial contributor to the global fight against climate change, has taken solid steps to advance the green shift in its economic and social development and achieved tangible results, official data revealed. Three years ago, China made a solemn commitment to the world that it aims to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Since then, the country has embarked on a fast track toward these goals, with highlights in areas including industrial upgrades, cleaner air, renewable energy capacity, and a world-leading position in solar panels, electric cars, and lithium battery production. "China has always kept its promise and made important contributions to global climate governance," said Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang while addressing the World Climate Action Summit last week in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. PRO-GREEN-GROWTH POLICY Citing a forecast that 2023 will be the hottest year on record in human history, a report published by the United Nations's World Meteorological Organization last week warned that 2023 marked a year of unprecedented climate records being shattered, as extreme weather events left behind a trail of widespread devastation and despair. With a strong sense of urgency and duty, China, as it promised, has always been making consistent efforts to fight climate change and mitigate its effects. Back in 2021, China unveiled an overarching document with a number of policies related to carbon peaking and neutrality, calling for "resolutely curbing the haphazard development of projects that are energy-intensive and have high emissions." Subsequently, action plans for key areas such as construction materials and non-ferrous metals have been rolled out, detailing specific goals and roadmaps each sector should focus on to reduce the use of fossil fuels and embrace low-carbon production processes. In November, the National Development and Reform Commission announced that 100 carbon-peaking pilot projects would be launched in 15 provincial regions to solve bottlenecks constraining the country's green and low-carbon development and explore paths toward carbon-peaking in different areas. By 2025, a policy mechanism conducive to green and low-carbon development in the pilot areas will mostly be in place, together with many innovative practices and reform measures that are feasible and replicable, and can be applied elsewhere, the commission said. By 2030, innovative practices and reform measures tested at these localities will then play a vital supportive role in carbon peaking at the national level. TANGIBLE PROGRESS Initial results of industrial transformation have been achieved. Official data showed that China's crude steel output has declined by 40 million tonnes since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). China's energy consumption per 10,000 yuan (about 1,408 U.S. dollars) of gross domestic product decreased by 0.1 percent in 2022 from 2021, while CO2 emissions per 10,000 yuan of GDP fell 0.8 percent year on year, according to an official statistical communique. Reducing dependence on coal in its energy mix is another tough task for China, with concrete actions taken to increase its renewable energy generation. China's installed capacity of renewable energy exceeded 1.3 billion kilowatts by the end of June this year, surpassing that of coal power for the first time, data from the National Energy Administration showed. Only four months later, the figure topped 1.4 billion kilowatts, accounting for almost half of the country's total installed power generation capacity. Building on the success of its domestic energy transition, China also plays a vital role in global renewables manufacturing. It provides 50 percent of the world's wind equipment and as much as 80 percent of global photovoltaic equipment. Solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles have replaced apparel, home appliances and furniture to become the new "three major ones" underpinning China's exports. Customs data showed that the total export value of the tech-intensive green trio jumped 41.7 percent year on year in the first three quarters of this year, providing key components for other countries' decarbonization drives. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION In addition to reducing its own carbon emissions, China has vigorously promoted international cooperation on green development, energy revolution and climate change. In Thailand, for example, a hydro-floating solar project was jointly built by China and Thailand in the Sirindhorn Dam and put into commercial operation in October 2021. With a vast array of solar panels floating on the reservoir, the project generates electricity through solar energy during the day and hydroelectric power at night. The installed capacity of the project reaches 58.5 megawatts, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 47,000 tonnes every year. China has also arranged more than 1.2 billion yuan of South-to-South cooperation special funds to enhance developing countries' capacity to cope with climate change. The country pledged to promote the establishment of a fair, reasonable, cooperative and win-win global climate governance system, Ding said in Dubai. "As a major responsible developing country, China stands ready to work with all parties to build a clean and beautiful world," Ding said. KUNMING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Representatives attending the fifth World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) have adopted the Kunming Initiative at the opening of the summit on Tuesday. The fifth World Media Summit (Yunnan, China), held in the city of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, was attended by more than 300 representatives of around 80 institutions, including media outlets, international organizations and think tanks, from nearly 30 countries and regions. According to the Kunming Initiative for the fifth World Media Summit, the representatives conducted extensive and in-depth discussions under the theme of "Boosting Global Confidence, Promoting Media Development." They analyzed the opportunities and challenges faced by the world media industry in the digital era, explored the role and responsibility of the media in promoting economic and social development, and discussed how to better tell the story of human development and promote common development of the world. The initiative says global media should uphold the concept of a community of all life on Earth, follow the ecological progress and sustainable development of all countries, promote the values that the environment benefits the people, and encourage the international community to jointly build a homeland of harmony between human and nature, coordinated advancement of economy and the environment, and common development of all countries. Also, global media can be good narrators of the stories of cities and enterprises, display the national image from different perspectives, and promote exchanges and interactions of different cultures and resonance of different values, the initiative says. It says the media should make rational use of 5G, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other information revolution development achievements, innovate news collection and dissemination models, accelerate intelligent and digital transformation, and continue to promote the economic and social development of countries worldwide. The representatives believe that the summit has enhanced mutual understanding, deepened friendships, consolidated consensus, and will promote global media cooperation to address challenges and achieve mutually beneficial development. The fifth World Media Summit (Yunnan, China), which runs from Dec. 4 to 8, is co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and the Yunnan provincial government. TEHRAN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Tuesday rejected Britain's accusations that Tehran is involved in Yemen-based Houthis' recent attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. Kanaani made the remarks in a statement published on the Foreign Ministry's website, in response to a statement by the British government released on Monday, in which it "condemned the attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthis" and said "Iran has long provided military and political support to Houthis and bears responsibility for the actions of its proxies and partners." "Such claims are made with certain political objectives and are indicative of the British officials' bids to distort the region's realities and susceptibility to being impacted by the preferences of third parties, including Israel," wrote Kanaani. He condemned certain British officials' "unconstructive remarks and moves, which, per se, are threats to regional and international peace and stability," stressing that resistance groups in the region did not take orders from Iran to counter and respond to Israel's "war crimes" and killing of people in Gaza. Kanaani urged British officials to "condemn Israel's crimes and focus their efforts on stopping such war crimes against Palestinian civilians, including women and children, and facilitating aid delivery to them," instead of hurling "unfounded" accusations against others. Three commercial vessels were attacked in the southern Red Sea on Sunday. The Houthi group claimed drone and missile attacks on two Israeli-linked vessels, Unity Explorer and Number 9, in the area, saying the attacks were "in response to the Yemeni people's demand and Muslim states' calls to stand with the Palestinian people." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena on Tuesday in Beijing. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the recent meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco, the United States, has provided important strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations and drawn a blueprint for bilateral cooperation. China is willing to view and develop relations with Mexico from a strategic and long-term perspective, Wang said, adding that China stands ready to work with Mexico to uphold mutual respect and equal treatment, and bring bilateral relations to a new level. Barcena said that Mexico attaches great importance to relations with China, and is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to promote the greater development of bilateral ties. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) VIENTIANE, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government will work with a Chinese company to study the feasibility of a scheme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to deforestation. A Memorandum of Understanding on a feasibility study to set the initiative in motion, under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project was signed between the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Sichuan Huatou Carbon Sink Development in the Lao capital on Friday, the Lao national TV reported on Tuesday. If the feasibility study yields the hoped-for results and the proposed project goes ahead, it will generate income from the conservation and management of forests, which will benefit the Southeast Asian country as a whole and people living in the areas where the project is implemented. If approved, the project will support Laos' obligations under the international convention on climate change and create opportunities for people to participate in the management of forest resources, as well as improve the lives and livelihoods of people in target project areas. The agreement paves the way for the Lao government and the company to access sustainable sources of capital for the management and protection of forest resources and to work together to develop carbon technology and access the sustainable forest carbon credit market. The project will take place in the Yot Nam Mo-Phou Sam Soum mountain area and the Nam San-Nam Pheuak protected area in northern Laos' Xieng Khuang and Xaysomboun provinces, covering a total area of about 140,000 hectares. If the project goes ahead, it is estimated that carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by about 200,000 tons per year. The REDD+ project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to deforestation and forest degradation, and introduce sustainable forest management and forest protection to enhance and increase the area of forest carbon sources. The Lao government aimed to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. AMMAN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The World Media Summit in China provides a great opportunity for networking and enhancing mutual understanding among media outlets, according to Abdullah Mismar, managing editor of Ammonnews in Jordan. Mismar, a senior of the first news website established in Jordan, said the summit is a great platform for exchanging ideas and practices. "We are looking forward to our participation in the summit to highlight the injustices against the Palestinians in Gaza," he told Xinhua before departing for China to attend the fifth World Media Summit. He expressed hope that the summit will enhance understanding and cooperation among the participating media outlets. "We hope to reach media partnerships during the summit for unifying the message among media outlets," he said, adding the summit will provide an opportunity to forge partnerships and agreements and enhance common understanding between all sides. Mismar applauded Xinhua's pioneering role in bringing the media outlets together. "The Chinese news agency is playing a huge role in trying to bring people closer and enhance understanding between media outlets," he added. He highly values the partnership with Xinhua that started four years ago. Through multi-level cooperation, which involves the exchange of videos and pictures and other elements, Ammonnews managed to highlight the Chinese culture and the Chinese community to its readers. "We are looking forward to increasing cooperation with Xinhua," he said. He also stressed the need to keep abreast with the latest technological developments in the media field to play their role effectively and efficiently. Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, is seen under construction in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Engineers communicate by Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Workers snake wires on Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Workers snake wires on Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) This aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, under construction in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) This aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, under construction in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Workers are seen in the construction of Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) This aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, under construction in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Workers are seen in the construction of Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Workers snake wires on Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 4, 2023. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) This aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows Haiyang Shiyou 122, Asia's first cylindrical floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility, under construction in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. Designed and manufactured in China, Haiyang Shiyou 122 has entered its final assembly phase recently in Qingdao. With a diameter of about 90 meters and designed displacement of 100,000 tonnes, the facility is capable of operating for 15 years at sea without returning to the dry dock. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with diplomatic envoys to China from the European Union (EU) and its member states, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met here with diplomatic envoys to China from the European Union (EU) and its member states. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that bilateral relationship between China and the EU has shown a good momentum of recovery and steady progress under the strategic guidance of leaders from both sides. Noting this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang said leaders from the two sides will have in-depth exchange of strategic and global issues concerning China-EU relations on the upcoming 24th China-EU Summit, and will show the direction and draw a blueprint for, and boost confidence and inject impetus in the bilateral relations. China and EU should make joint efforts to ensure the success of the summit and push China-EU relations to a new level with new prospects, Wang added. He said that China-EU relations should follow three enlightenments. First, the two sides should adhere to mutual respect. Second, the two sides should stay calm and focus on pragmatic cooperation. Third, the two sides should view bilateral relations from a strategic perspective. Wang emphasized that China's policy towards EU remains stable and will not change due to any single incident, as it is in line with the trend of multipolarity in the world and greater democracy in international relations. Echoing Wang's remarks, head of the EU delegation to China and diplomatic envoys of EU member states to China said that the EU is committed to developing constructive and stable EU-China relations and is willing to adhere to mutual respect and maintain contact and dialogue with China. The EU has no intention of decoupling from China, and hopes to establish mutually beneficial and balanced economic and trade relations with China, they said. The upcoming summit is an important high-level dialogue between the two sides and will push for constructive progress in EU-China relations, they added. The meeting of the Caspian littoral states' foreign ministers within the framework of the new regular ministerial dialogue will be held in Moscow on December 5, Azernews reports. Azerbaijan will be represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Representatives of Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan will also take part in the event chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The sides plan to discuss regional issues of mutual interest with a focus on priorities for the development of Caspian cooperation. It should be recalled that Jeyhun Bayramov went on a working visit to Russia on 4 December. COLOMBO, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Six valuable artifacts seized during the Dutch colonial occupation of Sri Lanka, which have been returned from the Netherlands, were on display at the Colombo National Museum from Tuesday, the President's Media Division (PMD) said. The unveiling of the Kandyan artifacts took place at the National Museum on Tuesday, presided over by Minister of Buddha Sasana and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayake and President's Senior Advisor on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, according to the PMD. The exhibits include golden and silver kasthane (ceremonial swords), two maha thuwakku (wall guns), and Lewke Disave's cannon, which were originally taken as war booty by the Dutch East India Company in 1765, during the siege of the Palace of Kandy, the PMD said in a statement. The Sri Lankan government has approved a proposal this year to appoint a committee to take steps for the repatriation for Sri Lankan artifacts in various countries. Archeologists work at the relics site of the Xiongjialing Dam in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Dec. 4, 2023. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) WUHAN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A 5,100-year-old dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The Xiongjialing Dam is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. It was initially built around 5,100 years ago on a tributary of the Qingmudang River and was later expanded in both height and width, said Tao Yang with the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. The existing dam measures 2 meters in height and 180 meters in length. It has a reservoir to the east and an 8.5-hectare irrigation area to the west, with the latter found to have hosted a prehistoric paddy, according to Tao. A spillway lies at the northern side of the reservoir, which allowed for discharge of excess water during flood seasons. The design suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The discovery of the dam, announced at a meeting of archaeologists on Monday, is among the latest finds to shed light on the cradle of civilization along the midstream of the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway. Archeologists work at the relics site of the Xiongjialing Dam in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Dec. 4, 2023. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) Archeologists work at the relics site of the Xiongjialing Dam in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Dec. 4, 2023. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) An archeologist works at the relics site of the Xiongjialing Dam in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Dec. 4, 2023. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) An archeologist works at the relics site of the Xiongjialing Dam in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province, Dec. 4, 2023. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) This aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows a view of the Qujialing relics site in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) This aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows the relics site of the Xiongjialing Dam in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows a view of the Qujialing relics site in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) This aerial photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows a view of the Qujialing relics site in Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The Xiongjialing Dam, which was initially built around 5,100 years ago, is part of the Qujialing relics site in the city of Jingmen, central China's Hubei Province. The dam, complete with a reservoir and spillway, has been identified as China's earliest known water conservancy project. The design of the dam suggests that ancient people in the area had learned to harness water based on the landform rather than simply implementing measures to defend themselves against floods, said He Nu, a researcher with the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) Community members paint a corrugated iron house at Okahandja Park, one of the oldest and most populated informal settlements on the periphery of Windhoek, capital of Namibia, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua) WINDHOEK, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Portifar Clemes, 16, wields a paintbrush, delicately crafting a sunflower onto the corrugated iron structure at Okahandja Park, one of the oldest and most populated informal settlements on the periphery of Namibia's capital, Windhoek. Despite being new to using a paintbrush, Clemes aspires to transform the desolate shanty town into a picturesque haven with his artwork. "It feels good to see a different scenery of the place I call home," he said. Clemes is one of the community members in Okahandja Park, harnessing the power of art to breathe new life amid many hardships that plague the area. Over 40 percent of Namibia's population resides in informal settlements, particularly in urban areas, according to official statistics. Renowned artist Ndako Nghipandulwa initiated the art project after observing discouraging inscriptions on a shack two years ago during a photography assignment in the area. With a grant from the National Art Council of Namibia, Nghipandulwa aims to ignite a spark of optimism within the community by painting each structure. The project employs a community approach that includes training and empowering residents to take ownership. Each household gives consent, and dwellers participate in painting their homes. Since its roll-out in November this year, they have jointly painted 20 homes. The painting includes shapes, patterns, and engravings of plants and wild animals to raise environmental protection awareness. "It is like breathing life into a forgotten space," he said Monday. The impact of the art project extends beyond the scenery, said Thinyemba Hidipo, a resident of the area for nine years. "What were once symbols of destitution now stand as reminders of the potential for change and progress. It highlights the urgent need for improved living conditions and social support," he said. According to Hidipo, being a community supervisor in the project also allowed him to showcase leadership abilities, fulfilling a long-held aspiration. For Chrisantia Thitopogho, another community member, the art project provided a platform to express hopes and aspirations. "This has given voice to the voiceless, offering us a glimmer of hope amidst the daily harsh realities. Perhaps art will help me escape unemployment," she said. Namibia currently grapples with a significant unemployment rate of 34 percent, with a rate of 48 percent among the youth population, according to official labor statistics. Meanwhile, for youngsters like Clemes, getting involved in art means avoiding exposure to the bustling streets and the potential negative influences they bring. "So, I also invite my friends to learn and enjoy art. Art also inspired me to study better at school," he said. In the meantime, the artist aspires to secure additional funding to further their mission. "With each brush stroke, we hope to cover more homes, even 10,000 of them, regardless of how long it takes us," Nghipandulwa said. Artist Ndako Nghipandulwa (L) paints a corrugated iron house at Okahandja Park, one of the oldest and most populated informal settlements on the periphery of Windhoek, capital of Namibia, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua) GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from developing countries at the fifth World Media Summit being held in the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Kunming have made a strong call for a louder voice of the Global South. In an era of increasing global interconnectedness, a louder voice from the Global South has become more imperative than ever before, and the media also shoulder the responsibility for promoting global common development through exchanges and cooperation, they said. President of Prensa Latina News Agency, Luis Enrique Gonzalez Acosta, said he takes this summit as an opportunity to collaborate with other media outlets in providing objective and responsible reports that can amplify the voices of developing countries and jointly address the challenges facing the Global South. "We must not be afraid to position ourselves as the voice of the Global South," said Iqbal Surve, chairman of South Africa's Independent Media. "Our narrative, our communication, our stories must be about the possibility of global growth and development." Media's role extends beyond conveying facts, Surve said, adding that it should catalyze social-economic change and development. "If we have one task only as a social responsibility, that task is to ensure that media must be a change agent in the world today, to promote a common humanity and a shared future and shared prosperity," he added. South-South cooperation among media is crucial in ensuring that the voices of developing countries are heard worldwide, said experts present at the summit. It plays a significant role in fostering diverse and inclusive narrative perspectives on a global scale, they said. Creating a grand shared narrative that would promote common prosperity is imperative, said Seife Deribe Endale, CEO of Ethiopian News Agency. "We are now in the critical juncture to create an inclusive media ecosystem through the lens of alternative narratives like that of the BRICS," he said, adding that the true and success stories of Ethiopia and the whole of Africa need to be heard worldwide. South-South communication is of great importance, said Maria Bernarda Llorente, president of Telam, Argentina's official news agency. Communication between developing countries is fundamental to building relations, she added. To foster more dialogues among nations and cultivate a culture of peace and understanding within the international system, it is crucial and urgent to formulate a shared agenda in response to global threats, she said. Roger Agana, managing director of News Ghana, said the world needs to know a real Africa and a real China. "As African media, we do have a story to tell," he said. NOUAKCHOTT, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering and illicit enrichment by a court in Nouakchott, the capital of the West African country, Monday, his lawyer Taleb Khyar told Xinhua. The court decreed the confiscation of all property belonging to the ex-president, along with the deprivation of his civil rights, Taleb Khyar said. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of approximately 1.2 million U.S. dollars on Abdel Aziz, to be paid to the Mauritanian state as damages, the lawyer added. Abdel Aziz and 10 co-defendants have been on trial since Jan. 25. Some of them received sentences ranging from six months to two and a half years in prison or suspended sentences. Others, including four former ministers, were acquitted. Born in 1956, Abdel Aziz came to power on Aug. 6, 2008, after overthrowing the late president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi. After a brief resignation, he was elected as president of Mauritania for a first term from 2009 to 2014, followed by reelection for a second term of five years. Security personnel examine the blast site in Peshawar, Pakistan, Dec. 5, 2023. Seven people including four children were injured in a blast outside a school in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, rescue teams said. (Photo by Umar Qayyum/Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Seven people including four children were injured in a blast outside a school in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, rescue teams said. The incident happened in the provincial capital city of Peshawar where an improvised explosive device went off at the roadside near a school, Naveed Akhtar, district emergency officer of the state-run Rescue 1122 told Xinhua. The injured had been shifted to Lady Reading Hospital in the city whose spokesperson Muhammad Asim told the media that two of the children were in critical condition. Police cordoned off the area following the explosion, and an investigation is underway. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. A man walks past a damaged building following a blast in Peshawar, Pakistan, Dec. 5, 2023. Seven people including four children were injured in a blast outside a school in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, rescue teams said. (Photo by Umar Qayyum/Xinhua) Security personnel examine the blast site in Peshawar, Pakistan, Dec. 5, 2023. Seven people including four children were injured in a blast outside a school in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, rescue teams said. (Photo by Umar Qayyum/Xinhua) GAZA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said on Tuesday that it has monitored a record number of Palestinians who have been displaced to the city of Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip, to escape Israeli attacks. In a press statement, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that tens of thousands of displaced people from the neighboring Khan Younis have arrived in Rafah in the past 48 hours. Most of the newly arrived people settled in the city's streets and empty spaces, where they set up tents and temporary shelters, as the shelters in Rafah have far exceeded their capacity. On Dec. 1, the Israeli army published a map of safe areas for the evacuation of Gazans during the next stage of the conflict. In addition to the area inside the city of Khan Younis, residents from the communities east of Khan Younis, Al-Qarara, Khuza'a, Abasan, and Bani Suhaila, were ordered to move south to Rafah. These areas, which occupy 69 square kilometers and constitute 19 percent of the land area of the Gaza Strip, were home to about 352,000 people before the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Israeli army also ordered residents to evacuate from the eastern part of Gaza City and Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip towards the western areas of the enclave. These areas make up about 6 percent of the Gaza Strip's total land area and were home to about 415,000 people before the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The number of individuals departing the area in response to the most recent Israeli evacuation order is yet unknown, as many nearby residents have already been evacuated. Overall, it is estimated that about 1.8 million people in Gaza, or nearly 80 percent of the total population, are internally displaced, according to the OCHA. Nearly 1.1 million displaced people were registered in 156 facilities affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) throughout Gaza. Among them, 958,000 people were registered in the agency's 99 shelters in the south. An estimated 191,000 displaced people are being housed by 124 public schools, hospitals, and other places such as wedding halls, offices and community centers, and the rest live in homes of their family members. Fighting resumed between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Dec. 1 after the collapse of a seven-day ceasefire. According to the Gaza-based Health Ministry, 15,899 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 42,000 others injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel. In Israel, about 1,200 have been killed, most of whom died during Hamas's attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the conflict. This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows a watchtower of the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Panlongshan section (front) and the Wohushan section (rear) of Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) Foreign tourists climb the Panlongshan section of the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2023. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) This aerial photo taken on Oct. 23, 2023 shows the north entrance of Gubeikou Village of Gubeikou Town in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) A tourist visits the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 14, 2023. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) People visit a temple fair at the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 28, 2023. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall at sunrise in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Li Jing) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) This aerial photo taken on Nov. 15, 2023 shows the Gubei Water Town scenic area at the foot of Simatai section of Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) This aerial photo taken on Nov. 15, 2023 shows the Simatai section of Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Panlongshan section of Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Li Jing) This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall at sunrise in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Li Jing) People perform lion dance at a temple fair at the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 28, 2023. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Xia Zilin) This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall at sunrise in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua) This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall at sunrise in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Gubeikou anti-Japanese war martyr's cemetery in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) A man visits the Gubeikou Great Wall memorial hall of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 14, 2023. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Li Jing) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Li Jing) This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows people climbing the Panlongshan section of the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Xia Zilin) This aerial photo taken on Oct. 24, 2023 shows the Wohushan section of Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) This photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 shows a watchtower at the Panlongshan section of Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China. Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua/Li Jing) This combo photo shows the Gubeikou before the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (file photo, above) and the Gubeikou Town (aerial photo taken on Nov. 14, 2023 by Chen Zhonghao, below). Gubeikou Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town, Miyun District of Beijing. The defense of the Great Wall is an important part of the early Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1933, the Chinese troops fought against Japanese invaders at places including Lengkou, Xifengkou and Gubeikou of the Great Wall. As a part of the national anthem lyrics, the Great Wall is the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation. The ancient Great Wall has witnessed Chinese people's patriotism, solidarity and strength. (Xinhua) BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero on Monday described the Mercosur-EU trade agreement as "bad," as it will have "a negative impact on industry and agricultural exports" in the region. Mercosur, a Spanish abbreviation for the Southern Common Market, is a South American trade block consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. "Our administration has always proposed that (the agreement) be reopened because it does not reflect a balance where the two blocs both win," Cafiero said in a statement. If the deal "is implemented as it is, exports would have to be restricted. It is a bad agreement," he said. VIENTIANE, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Laos and Russia have signed a protocol on trade, economic, scientific and technical bilateral cooperation in the Lao capital Vientiane. The document identifies promising new areas of bilateral cooperation in trade, banking and finance, industry, transport, energy, healthcare and others, the Pasaxon newspaper reported on Tuesday. The Russian delegation paid a working visit to Laos, where the 17th Session of the Intergovernmental Lao-Russian Commission on Economic-Trade, Scientific-Technical Cooperation took place from Nov. 29-30. The conference was co-chaired by Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Khamjane Vongphosy and Russian Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities Irek Faizullin. The two countries are interested in searching for new trade and economic partnerships, and rebuilding logistics chains. There are plans to increase the number of joint investment projects in the fields of hydropower, peaceful nuclear energy and the supply of medical equipment. Abbas Ganbay The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation is approaching the end of the year with positive dynamics, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov telling at the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow that. "The year 2022 was positive in terms of economic cooperation. A 24 percent growth has been observed. There are no final figures yet for 2023, but the general trend shows that we are also approaching the end of the year with positive dynamics. I think today we will have an opportunity to go over several significant projects both bilateral and regional in the economic sphere," Bayramov said. As for humanitarian issues, according to Bayramov, they traditionally occupy an important place in the dialogue between the two countries. It should be noted that on 4 December Jeyhun Bayramov went on a working visit to the Russian Federation to participate in the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Caspian countries. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that regional security issues are always an important element in the dialogue between Azerbaijan and Russia. "These are issues of post-conflict normalisation [between Azerbaijan and Armenia], as well as broader regional formats - the 3+3 format. The last meeting in this format was on 23 October in Tehran. I think that these and other issues will be discussed in detail today". A meeting of the Caspian littoral countries' foreign ministers will be held today in Moscow under the chairmanship of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The meeting is scheduled to be attended by the foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. MANILA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A military helicopter on Tuesday spotted the wreckage of a missing small plane with two people on board, including the pilot, in Isabela province in the northern Philippines, a provincial spokesperson said. Joshua Hapinat of the Isabela Incident Management Team said the Philippine Air Force helicopter could not get close enough to the wreckage, which was nestled deep in the mountain forest, to determine the condition of the plane's pilot and the lone passenger. The province will dispatch a team to the crash site. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the single-engine light Piper aircraft took off at 9:39 a.m. local time on Nov. 30 at the Cauayan City Airport in Isabela, heading for Palanan, a coastal town east of the city, when it went missing. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong meets with Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met with Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kolokoltsev on Tuesday in Beijing. Wang said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations have maintained sound and stable development. Next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. China is ready to work with Russia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and strengthen practical cooperation in such areas as combating transnational crimes, cybersecurity, drug control, and law enforcement capacity building, Wang said. Kolokoltsev expressed the willingness to deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation to safeguard the security and stability of the two countries. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong meets with Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) SHANGHAI/YANCHENG, Jiangsu, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- During his recent inspection tour in Shanghai, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, emphasized the need for Shanghai to faithfully implement the new development philosophy on all fronts. He urged the city to focus on promoting high-quality development and forging a new development paradigm, and strive to build an international center for economy, finance, trade, shipping and sci-tech innovation. The building of such a center should be guided by innovation in science and technology, and propelled by reform and opening up. National strategies should navigate the development of the center, and modernization of urban governance secure its operation. It should seek to become a socialist, modern and international metropolis with global influence, and play its role as a pioneer, role model, and leader along the Chinese path to modernization. Accompanied by Chen Jining, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng, Xi inspected a financial institution, science and technology innovation parks, and affordable rental housing projects in the city from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. On the afternoon of Nov. 28, Xi visited the Shanghai Futures Exchange immediately upon his arrival by train. There, he learned about important listed commodities on an electronic display, and listened to presentations on how the exchange improved its abilities in allocating global resources and serving the real economy and national strategies. He also learned about the exchange's daily fund management and delivery settlement. Xi emphasized that the goal of building Shanghai as an international financial center is correct, the progress is steady, and the prospects are promising. The Shanghai Futures Exchange should accelerate its development into a world-class exchange, making greater contribution to developing a futures regulatory system and business model with Chinese characteristics, as well as to the building of an international financial center. Xi then arrived at Zhangjiang Science City in the Pudong New Area, where he visited the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Exhibition. By watching video clips, he learned about the overall situation of science and technology innovation in Shanghai. He entered the exhibition hall to carefully inspect the exhibits of technological innovation outcomes in areas such as basic research, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine. He also had a cordial exchange with representatives of scientific research personnel. Xi pointed out that promoting Chinese modernization cannot do without the strategic support of science and technology, education and talent, and that Shanghai should play its role as a leader in this regard and accelerate its progress toward becoming a science and technology innovation center with global influence. He urged Shanghai to focus on cultivating a large number of cutting-edge talents with a strong sense of mission, and create favorable conditions for them to unleash their intelligence and wisdom. In recent years, Shanghai has accelerated the construction of affordable rental housing, providing housing support for many new residents, young people, and frontline workers in the city. On the afternoon of Nov. 29, Xi visited a residential community named new era home for urban builders and managers in Minhang District. After listening to a local presentation on intensifying efforts to secure funding for constructing affordable rental housing, as well as establishing a multi-level rental housing supply system with "one bed, one room, one set" configurations, Xi fully affirmed what Shanghai has done in this regard. He visited a residential community that provides both apartment housing and affordable rental housing, and was shown around an apartment, and a communal kitchen and laundry room, carefully learning about the living conditions of frontline workers. Everyone present was touched by General Secretary Xi's meticulous concern for them. Upon his leaving, residents of the community gathered around to bid farewell to General Secretary Xi. Xi said that he was pleased to see city builders from all over the country living and working here in peace and contentment. He noted that a city should not only have high-rise buildings, and it must also show enough concern for how people can lead a better life. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is about achieving common prosperity. Migrant workers who come to make contributions in Shanghai should also enjoy the status as masters of the city. It is a must to act on the principle that a city should be built by the people and for the people, continuously meet residents' diversified and varied needs for housing, and ensure that migrant workers can come and stay here, enjoy a secured life and have their own careers. On the morning of Dec. 1, Xi was briefed on the city's work by the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai municipal government, and affirmed the achievements that Shanghai has made in various areas. Xi pointed out that accelerating the construction of Shanghai as an international center of economy, finance, trade, shipping and sci-tech innovation is an important task entrusted to the city by the CPC Central Committee. With this as the central task, Shanghai should focus on economic and social development by adhering to the principle of overall planning, coordinated advancement, making breakthroughs in major areas, and letting developed major areas support their surrounding areas, so as to continuously raise its development level and core competitiveness. Shanghai should take scientific and technological innovation as the lead, intensify its research to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, boost the transformation and upgrading of its traditional industries, accelerate the cultivation of world-class high-end industrial clusters and the development of a modern industrial system so as to continuously promote its status as an international economic center and its global influence in economic governance. It is necessary to strengthen the development of modern financial institutions and financial infrastructure, implement high-level financial opening up, so as to better serve the real economy, scientific and technological innovation, and the Belt and Road Initiative. It is important to thoroughly implement the strategy of upgrading pilot free trade zones, and promote the upgrading of the international trade center. It is essential to speed up efforts to make up for weak links in high-end shipping services and improve the capacity for global distribution of the city's shipping resources. Efforts should be made to build high-caliber talent hubs and foster a sound innovation ecosystem. Shanghai should strengthen its interplay with the Yangtze River Delta and improve its radiating effect in leading the development of nearby regions. Xi stressed that Shanghai, as the forefront of China's reform and opening up and an international metropolis with close links to the world, should comprehensively deepen reform and opening up from a higher starting point so as to advance its driving force for development and competitiveness. It is imperative to vigorously promote pioneering reform and leading opening up on all fronts, and strengthen the integration of reform systems. The pilot comprehensive reform should be advanced in a down-to-earth manner in Pudong New Area, stress tests should be first conducted in Lingang new area, and institutional opening up in terms of rules, regulations, management and standards should be steadily expanded. It is imperative to further promote high-level opening up in cross-border trade in services and investment, boost the level of opening up in the manufacturing industry, further upgrade the level of Hongqiao International Open Hub, continue to host two-way open platforms such as the China International Import Expo, and accelerate the formation of policies and institutional systems with international competitiveness. It is a must to unswervingly consolidate and develop the public sector and unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the non-public sector, deepen the reform of state-owned capital and state-owned enterprises, implement policies and measures to ensure that private enterprises participate in market competition on a fair basis, foster a world-class business environment, stimulate the vitality of various business entities, and boost Shanghai's appeal to high-end resources at home and abroad. Xi noted that it is imperative to fully act on the principle that a city should be built by the people and for the people. The remarkable advantages of the Party leadership and the socialist system should be given full play and the people's motivation, initiative and creativity should be fully inspired. It is also imperative to keep moving forward until the goal is met as far as urban planning and implementation is concerned, and efforts should be accelerated to promote digital transformation in urban areas. Xi also called for efforts to actively promote the transition to a model of green economic and social development in all respects, and to advance the building of a resilient and safe city, so as to explore a new path of modernization in megacity governance with Chinese characteristics. Improving people's living standards and well-being should be the original aspiration and ultimate goal of urban construction and governance, and whole-process people's democracy should be integrated into the modernization of urban governance, so as to build a community of shared urban governance with everyone participating, taking his or her responsibility, making contributions and enjoying the benefits, and ensure policies to serve the people are implemented to the letter. Xi also called for efforts to conscientiously solve the issues involving the people's immediate interests, adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" in the new era, and improve primary-level governance, so as to reinforce the foundation for ensuring social harmony and stability. Xi stressed that the Cultural Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era should be implemented, culture-related institutional reforms should be advanced, and the innovation and creativity in culture should be invigorated to significantly grow China's cultural soft power. He also called for efforts to strengthen cohesion and forge the Party's soul with the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, extensively apply the core socialist values, consolidate the guiding role of Marxism in the ideological domain, and further strengthen the mainstream values, ideas and culture in the process of all sorts of cultural exchanges and integration. Particular attention should be paid to cultural inheritance in urban context, strengthening protection of artifacts and cultural heritage, and carrying forward the Revolutionary Culture. It is imperative to thoroughly implement cultural programs for the interest of residents, and make solid progress in improving public etiquette and ethics. It is essential to build more centers for cultural activities, and promote good reading habits among the public, so as to advance people's civility and the urban cultural-ethical level. Xi pointed out that the Party leadership is both the essential requirement and the fundamental guarantee for realizing Chinese modernization. As the birthplace of our Party, Shanghai must make best use of its resources related to the Party's heritage, such as the site of the First CPC National Congress, to carry forward the great founding spirit of the Party, and educate and guide all Party members and officials to never forget our original aspiration and founding mission, always stay modest, prudent, and hard-working, and have the courage and ability to carry on our fight. They should also be educated to break new ground, work hard and try to make new progress on our new quest. Efforts must be made to implement the Party's organizational line for the new era and follow the right approach to selecting and appointing officials with a view to training a contingent of competent and professional officials as required by a modern socialist international metropolis. It is important to grasp the characteristics of this megacity in innovating the thinking and mechanism for grassroots Party building and improving the organizational system of grassroots Party committees. It is crucial to resolutely fight against corruption and punish corrupt elements, and to take coordinated steps to see that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to be corrupt so as to keep a clean political environment. As the second round of theoretical study programs is drawing to a conclusion, we must not ease the rigor of our standards and slacken in our momentum; efforts should be made to integrate the study program with all aspects of our work so that progress will be made in both the study program and work in all areas. On the morning of Dec. 3, President Xi, accompanied by Xin Changxing, secretary of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, and Xu Kunlin, governor of Jiangsu Province, visited the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall in Yancheng City. In the exhibition hall, photos, historical materials, artifacts, and simulated scenes vividly presented the glorious history of the New Fourth Army's courageous struggles and fight in the face of adversity. President Xi stopped from time to time to view the exhibits and exchanged views with others. He stressed that the history of the New Fourth Army comprehensively illustrates that the support of the people determines how history was made, and that this country is its people, and the people are the country. The exhibition is a good teaching material for education in revolutionary tradition and patriotism. It is necessary to make good use of this material, in order to educate and guide Party members and officials to have the courage and ability to carry on our fight, rely closely on the people, and continuously advance the noble cause of building China into a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation on all fronts. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, was on the inspection tour. Li Ganjie, He Lifeng and leading officials of the relevant central Party and government departments were also on the visits. Leading officials of the Fifth Central Steering Group for theoretical study program attended the briefing. KIEV, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Monday discussed with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg the battlefield developments and support for Ukraine, the Ukrinform news agency reported. At the meeting in Belgium's capital of Brussels, Umerov and Stoltenberg also talked about Ukraine's urgent military needs and its path toward NATO membership. Stoltenberg said that NATO plans to step up its political and practical support for Kiev and provide long-term support for Ukraine to make the country's forces fully interoperable with the alliance, the report said. On Ukraine's prospects to join NATO, Stoltenberg said the membership is possible when all allies agree and when conditions are met. After the talks, Umerov wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is working to ensure the army's interoperability with NATO. In September, Stoltenberg said that Ukraine may become a NATO member only after the cessation of the hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. NATO recognized Ukraine as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner in 2020. SUVA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Fijian government plans to develop 266 acres of land to pilot an affordable and climate-resilient housing project in the island nation, with the vision to eradicate squatter and informal settlements in the next 10 years. Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad revealed this plan on Tuesday while attending the Roadshow for the Public-Private Partnership for the Affordable Housing Project in Australia. Prasad said the government has earmarked sites in Davuilevu, Nepani, Wainibuku and Raiwaqa, and also in Tavakubu, Lautoka and Tavua to develop the first pilot project, which is expected to supply around 3,000 housing units that will be climate resilient, green and Category 5 cyclone compliant structures. He said the government has started the bidding process, and they would like to select a private developer for the project, so they can commence the construction before mid-2024. According to the People's Community Network (PCN) Fiji, there are about 230 squatter settlements in Fiji. Squatter settlements are a continuing major issue for Fiji as they are home to around 20 percent of the population of around 900,000 people. This photo shows part of the Chinese-built Hamdoun sewage treatment station in Sousse, Tunisia, Nov. 28, 2023.(Xinhua/Huang Ling) by Wang Yisheng, Huang Hongsheng TUNIS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Because of low rainfall and drought, Tunisia has been suffering from a stifling water crisis for years. However, Moez Nabil, an olive farmer from Sousse, managed to overcome the challenge of obtaining sufficient water for his crops. The steady irrigation water supply from the Chinese-built Sousse wastewater treatment plant allowed Nabil to preserve his crop yield. "Although water shortages result in a significant decline in crop production, the annual harvest of my olive has been basically stable in recent years," he said, expressing gratitude to the plant. According to a report released by Tunisia's National Observatory of Agriculture, the overall water reserves of Tunisia's dams were 520.3 million cubic meters on Nov. 15, down 30.4 percent from the average of 747.6 million cubic meters on the same day over the previous three years. Tunisia's recorded average rainfall from Sept. 1 to Nov. 15 was less than 1.5 mm, far lower than the average in this period, the observatory reported, adding that the rainfall deficit exceeded 94 percent in most regions. Sousse, Tunisia's third-largest city located 140 kilometers south of the capital Tunis, also suffers. "Due to the severe drought in the past two years and the water shortage in Sousse, many water reservoirs have bottomed out," said Ji Jie, the Chinese director in charge of the final stages of Sousse wastewater treatment plant project. The project, which consists of the newly-built Hamdoun and the expanded Sousse South sewage treatment stations, was undertaken by the Chinese Sino-hydro Corporation Engineering Bureau 15 Co, Ltd. a few years ago. The two stations, which went into operation in 2019 and 2022, respectively, not only reduce pollution, but also provide local farmers with a stable source of irrigation water. Moez is just one of the farmers whose olive trees relied on the treated water in this plant to survive for several months during the scorching summer. The two stations can treat 19 million cubic meters of sewage each year and provide 18 million cubic meters of irrigation water for the surrounding area, and they are "almost automated and highly efficient," said Amen Ksiaa, head of the Hamdoun sewage treatment station. In Hamdoun station, the dark sewage flowed into several treatment pools. After deposition, filtration, adsorption, and biological treatment, the water flowing out of the last pool became clear. "After being disinfected with ultraviolet light, the water will meet the standards for agricultural irrigation," said Ji, adding that the water meets "the urgent agricultural need" of local farmers. "In the past, a lot of local sewage was directly discharged due to limited treatment capacity, causing unpleasant odors in the air. The sewage flowed across the river, causing serious environmental pollution," Ksiaa said. And now, the Sousse city's residential sewage and some industrial sewage will be poured into this plant for treatment, which also owns biogas cogeneration systems that can collect the biogas during sewage treatment and generate 19,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, which greatly reduces the energy consumption of the plant, according to Ji. Because of the plant's successful operation and social and economic benefits, many other places in Tunisia are now contacting the Chinese constructors for cooperation in dealing with drought and making better use of water resources, he said. This photo shows part of the Chinese-built Hamdoun sewage treatment station in Sousse, Tunisia, Nov. 28, 2023.(Xinhua/Huang Ling) This photo shows part of the Chinese-built Hamdoun sewage treatment station in Sousse, Tunisia, Nov. 28, 2023.(Xinhua/Huang Ling) This photo shows part of the Chinese-built Hamdoun sewage treatment station in Sousse, Tunisia, Nov. 28, 2023.(Xinhua/Huang Ling) NANJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Though there are no conventional air conditioning facilities on the exterior of the civic center in Nanjing's Jiangbei New District, it remains warm inside in winter, thanks to an innovative air conditioning system powered by river water. The "Jiangshui" or "river water" air conditioning system has been adopted by many public buildings in Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. It uses local river water, which is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, as its cold and heat source. The system provides heated water through pipes to local public buildings with a total area of nearly 12 million square meters, said Tan Jin, general manager of the district's State Grid branch. In summer, the system, with heat exchange equipment, delivers cooled water to achieve indoor cooling effect. The system is capable of reducing carbon emissions by 140,000 tonnes annually, and of saving 140 million kilowatt-hours of air conditioning energy consumption, equivalent to the total annual electricity consumption of 56,000 urban households in Nanjing, Tan said. The novel air conditioning system is a great example of the eco-friendly development transition of the city's architecture sector. Data shows that since 2021, Nanjing has added more than 53 million square meters of green buildings and about 20 million square meters of renewable energy application area in buildings, taking the lead nationwide in advancing energy efficiency improvements to its public buildings. The construction industry is one of the main contributors to carbon emissions in China. According to a research report, in 2020 alone, carbon emissions of buildings across the country topped 5.08 billion tonnes, accounting for more than half of China's total carbon emissions. Wei Xu, chief engineer of the China Academy of Building Research, said that the development of green buildings is a powerful means to reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry and the only way to realize future carbon neutrality in urban and rural construction. China has pledged to complete energy-saving renovations of existing buildings with a total area of more than 350 million square meters, and to construct more than 50 million square meters of buildings with ultra-low energy consumption and near-zero energy consumption by 2025. On a busy street in Nanjing, a "breathing" building attracts attention. Its skeleton was constructed with wood and its roof consists of photovoltaic panels, and it is the largest prefabricated zero-carbon building in Jiangsu. "Several hundreds of photovoltaic panels on the roof generate about 270,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, and all the lighting, air conditioning and other electricity needs of the building can be met using clean energy. It can also store surplus photovoltaic energy for the surrounding communities," said Liang Long, a customer manager at State Grid's Nanjing branch. To date, Jiangsu has a total green building area of more than 1.07 billion square meters, ranking first in the country. Economic powerhouses such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong have also begun the green transformations of their urban architecture. "With the rapid development of urban and rural construction, energy demand continues to increase, and effective action must be taken to promote energy conservation and carbon emissions reduction in the construction sector," said Ni Jiangbo, vice president of the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency. Traditional concepts of Chinese architecture emphasize the harmony between people and nature, according to Zhou Lan, vice chairperson of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The development of green buildings should learn from the eco-friendly thinking of these traditional concepts, combining them with contemporary urban and rural construction and making full use of modern technologies and new materials, thus promoting the high-quality development of green urban and rural construction, Zhou said. HANOI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Embracing the global minimum corporate tax rate, Vietnam will carry out initiatives to retain its foreign investment magnetism, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported Tuesday. According to the report, Vietnam will set up a support fund to encourage and lure strategic investors and multinational groups in efforts to attract more foreign direct investments (FDIs), as the country's National Assembly recently approved a resolution on applying additional corporate income tax in accordance with the Global Anti-Base Erosion Rules (global minimum tax). Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has reiterated that Vietnam will prepare "incentive packages" to support investors. Besides financial incentives, Vietnam should focus on the upgrade of socio-economic infrastructure, the development of a green economy, and the facilitation of administrative procedures. Those are the areas that foreign investors are interested in, VNA cited economist Tran Hoang Ngan as saying. According to a resolution recently approved by the National Assembly, Vietnam will impose the global minimum tax on foreign companies from Jan. 1 next year, at a rate of 15 percent for multinational enterprises with revenue exceeding 750 million euros (about 810 million U.S. dollars) or more in two of the four consecutive years. "It is a good time for all the media (that) are coming here for talking about what is the future." Hundreds of representatives have gathered in China's Guangzhou and Kunming for the World Media Summit to build consensus in addressing common challenges and boosting global confidence. Join Xinhua's Zheng Xin as she speaks with some attendees at the event. #WorldMediaSummit #WMS Produced by Xinhua Global Service BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- An international symposium marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The symposium was hosted by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and welcomed experts, officials and diplomats from countries including Russia, Cuba and Saudi Arabia. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al-Sheikh, vice chairman of the human rights commission of Saudi Arabia, hailed the declaration as one of the most crucial international documents aimed at protecting human dignity and equal rights ever passed by the United Nations General Assembly. The declaration represents the common aspirations and goals of all humanity, and has tremendous vitality, widespread influence and strong appeal, said Liu Huawen, executive director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' human rights research center. Three parallel sessions were held, with participants exchanging views on three topics: challenges and pathways to the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights; concepts and practices related to the path of human rights development; and dialogue, cooperation and global human rights governance. The vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity advocates a balance between individual rights, collective rights and the rights of all humanity, and upholds that human rights should be equally enjoyed by people around the world through exchange and mutual learning, said Chang Jian, director of Nankai University's human rights research center. This type of cooperative human rights governance is more capable of withstanding challenges and facilitating the development of global human rights, Chang said. China's human rights philosophy and its practice can provide good reference for others, said Syldie Manirerekana, assistant to Burundi's minister of foreign affairs and development cooperation. He called for the establishment of a more fair and just human rights governance platform for the sound development of the global human rights cause. By Asim Aliyev The visit of Azerbaijan's Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov to Egypt to participate in the international defense exhibition EDEX 2023 continues, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Within the framework of the visit, Colonel General Z. Hasanov held a meeting with the Egyptian Defense Minister, Colonel General Mohamed Ahmed Zaki. The meeting with the participation of the Azerbaijani Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, Elkhan Polukhov discussed the current state and development prospects of cooperation between the two countries in the military, military-technical fields, as well as other issues of common interest. The CERES-1 Y9 carrier rocket carrying two new satellites blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 5, 2023. The commercial rocket blasted off at 7:33 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the launch site. The two satellites were sent into their planned orbits. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua) JIUQUAN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday launched the CERES-1 Y9 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, sending two new satellites into their planned orbits. The commercial rocket blasted off at 7:33 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the launch site. The launch was the 11th flight mission using the CERES-1 rocket series. The CERES-1 Y9 carrier rocket carrying two new satellites blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 5, 2023. The commercial rocket blasted off at 7:33 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the launch site. The two satellites were sent into their planned orbits. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua) The CERES-1 Y9 carrier rocket carrying two new satellites blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 5, 2023. The commercial rocket blasted off at 7:33 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the launch site. The two satellites were sent into their planned orbits. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua) The CERES-1 Y9 carrier rocket carrying two new satellites blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 5, 2023. The commercial rocket blasted off at 7:33 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the launch site. The two satellites were sent into their planned orbits. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua) People conduct rescue work after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Dec. 3, 2023. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) GAZA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said on Tuesday that it has monitored a record number of Palestinians who have been displaced to the city of Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip, to escape Israeli attacks. In a press statement, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that tens of thousands of displaced people from the neighboring Khan Younis have arrived in Rafah in the past 48 hours. Most of the newly arrived people settled in the city's streets and empty spaces, where they set up tents and temporary shelters, as the shelters in Rafah have far exceeded their capacity. On Dec. 1, the Israeli army published a map of safe areas for the evacuation of Gazans during the next stage of the conflict. In addition to the area inside the city of Khan Younis, residents from the communities east of Khan Younis, Al-Qarara, Khuza'a, Abasan, and Bani Suhaila, were ordered to move south to Rafah. These areas, which occupy 69 square kilometers and constitute 19 percent of the land area of the Gaza Strip, were home to about 352,000 people before the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Israeli army also ordered residents to evacuate from the eastern part of Gaza City and Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip towards the western areas of the enclave. People leave their home after receiving evacuation orders from Israel in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Dec. 3, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) These areas make up about 6 percent of the Gaza Strip's total land area and were home to about 415,000 people before the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The number of individuals departing the area in response to the most recent Israeli evacuation order is yet unknown, as many nearby residents have already been evacuated. Overall, it is estimated that about 1.8 million people in Gaza, or nearly 80 percent of the total population, are internally displaced, according to the OCHA. Nearly 1.1 million displaced people were registered in 156 facilities affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) throughout Gaza. Among them, 958,000 people were registered in the agency's 99 shelters in the south. An estimated 191,000 displaced people are being housed by 124 public schools, hospitals, and other places such as wedding halls, offices and community centers, and the rest live in homes of their family members. Fighting resumed between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Dec. 1 after the collapse of a seven-day ceasefire. According to the Gaza-based Health Ministry, 15,899 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 42,000 others injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel. In Israel, about 1,200 have been killed, most of whom died during Hamas's attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the conflict. DOHA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday condemned Israel for its "indiscriminate bombing" of the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip, while calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. "The leaders of the GCC countries warned of the dangers of expanding confrontations and the spread of the conflict to other regions in the Middle East, unless the Israeli aggression stops," said the Doha Declaration adopted by the 44th session of the GCC Supreme Council held in the Qatari capital of Doha. It warned that the region is facing dangerous challenges as Israel's indiscriminate bombing of Gaza has led to an escalation of the violent situation. The declaration also called for achieving a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire and ensuring the entry of all humanitarian aid supplies into Gaza. Leaders or representatives of the six GCC countries, along with the invited guest, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attended the summit. The Palestinian death toll has risen to 16,248 as a result of the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run government's Media Office on Tuesday. The GCC, established in 1981 and headquartered in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, has six member countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. MOSCOW, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia remains ready to hold talks with Ukraine, Russian media reported Tuesday, citing Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "The president has repeatedly stated that the most important thing for us would be to achieve our goals (in relation to the Ukraine crisis)," RTVI quoted Peskov as saying. "We would prefer to do this primarily through political and diplomatic means," he said, confirming that Moscow remains ready to hold talks with Kiev. At the same time, Peskov said that Ukraine had previously disrupted dialogue between the two countries, and that Ukraine "admitted" that Britain had ordered the country to do so. Asked whether such negotiations could resume in a Western country such as Hungary, Peskov said that this was more of a theoretical possibility. CAIRO, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Media cooperation between the Arab world and China is essential amid growing common challenges, said Ahmed Sallam, former undersecretary of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS). Sallam, also a former media consultant at the Egyptian embassy in Beijing, told Xinhua in an interview ahead of his trip to China for the 5th World Media Summit sponsored by Xinhua. It is of great importance that media outlets in China and the Arab world introduce each other objectively and impartially, while the Western media "mostly adopt biased and non-positive views on the Arab countries and China," he said. Entering its second decade, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reinforces Arab-Chinese media cooperation, especially in light of the high esteem China enjoys among the Arab people, especially the youth, said the media expert. Citing a survey in June by the Dubai-based public relations firm ASDA'A BCW, Sallam said over 80 percent of the youth in 18 Arab states view China as a partner for their countries. He attributed the favorable view to the increasing social and cultural communication between the two sides and the growing number of Arabic-speaking Chinese media outlets. "Over the past ten years of the BRI, cooperation between the Arab countries and China witnessed the conclusion of many cooperation protocols and media partnerships between the two sides," Sallam told Xinhua. He stressed that the growing Arab-China cooperation under the BRI "allows the peoples of both sides to exchange knowledge and expertise, and also benefits their media professionals through mutual training programs." The rising challenges facing media and media professionals like the artificial intelligence also reinforced the need for cooperation between the two sides, said Sallam. Scheduled for Dec. 2-8 in China's Guangzhou and Kunming, the 5th World Media Summit gathers more than 450 representatives from nearly 200 institutions, including media outlets, think tanks, and international organizations, from over 100 countries and regions. The summit discusses several topics including the role of media in promoting human development and security, the response of media to new technological opportunities and challenges, new media markets in the digital age, and the worldwide media cooperation for a better future. ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- African middle-income countries have been urged to produce the necessary human capital that is needed to promote innovation-driven socio-economic growth. The call was made by policymakers, development practitioners and experts attending a webinar on "Addressing Gaps and Challenges in Africa's Middle-Income Countries" organized by the UN Economic Commission of for Africa (UNECA), the UNECA said in a statement issued Monday. The meeting underscored the issues of strengthening human capital and public debt as the two critical challenges that African middle-income countries are currently facing, the statement said. "It is important for countries to focus on the skills of the future and address new forms of education. New technologies must determine the how, what, and who of training to increase middle-income countries' ability to escape the middle-income trap," it quoted Zuzana Brixiova Schwidrowski, director of the UNECA Office in North Africa, as saying. According to the UNECA, the lack of human capital is a key aspect of the middle-income trap, which necessitates countries to shift to innovation-driven growth, which in turn requires adequate human capital. The UNECA said improvements are needed for middle-income African countries to be able to facilitate the development of new sectors, promote sustainable structural transformation, and seize the opportunities provided by the fourth industrial revolution to achieve the desired high-income status. It said multiple crises have brought about rising debt stock and costs and less favorable financing conditions for middle-income countries compared to other countries. It said despite some differences in key characteristics, African middle-income countries and those from around the world are confronted with similar challenges in their struggle to reach sustainable growth, implement the Sustainable Development Goals, and improve their populations' living standards and well-being. According to the UNECA, the meeting was held in preparation for the international conference on middle-income countries scheduled in Marrakech, the fourth largest city in Morocco in February next year. The meeting provided policymakers, development practitioners, and academics with a platform to share their experiences and views on the two critical challenges that African middle-income countries are currently facing, the UNECA said. The meeting further discussed the options and reforms, including debt restructuring, that can provide the countries with enhanced fiscal space while reducing the risk of debt crisis, it said. HARARE, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) on Monday called on the Zimbabwean government to offer fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to diaspora investments, given their huge contribution to the country's total foreign currency inflows. Diaspora remittances have emerged as Zimbabwe's largest source of foreign currency, consistently surpassing foreign direct investment, portfolio investment and official development assistance since 2009, RBZ Governor John Mangudya said in a statement issued Monday after a meeting of the RBZ Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Friday. He said diaspora remittances alone contributed 16 percent to the country's total foreign currency inflows of 9.44 billion U.S. dollars as of Oct.31, 2023. "Thus the MPC underscored the need to leverage diaspora remittances for development as part of a broader package of measures to cushion the economy from recurring global shocks," he said. WINDHOEK, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- In a bid to expand its partnership under the South-South Cooperation, Namibia is seeking to broaden its scope of collaboration with Brazil, leveraging their past successes in bilateral relations, an official said Monday. This was underscored by Executive Director of Namibia's Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation Penda Naanda during the opening of the second diplomatic consultations between the two nations in Windhoek. The visiting Brazilian delegation, led by Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, secretary for Africa and the Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, engaged in discussions aimed at diversifying their collaborative efforts. "Our two governments have shared many successes at the bilateral level," Naanda noted, adding that the consultations will pave the way for collaboration in different spheres. Naanda hopes that through the discussions, their bilateral relations will continue to expand in all sectors. "We can work together to achieve the best results for the issues and problems that we face. So we see a very large area of commonalities that we can work with," Duarte added. Namibia and Brazil have close cooperation in defense, and more recently in food security through Brazil's contributions to Namibia through the World Food Program to assist in sustainable food security through agricultural projects in Namibia. * This year marks the 60th anniversary since China began to send its first medical team to aid Algeria in 1963. Over the past six decades, China has dispatched over 30,000 medical personnel to 76 countries and regions across the world, providing medical services to nearly 300 million patients. * Statistics revealed that Chinese medical teams dispatched abroad have trained over 100,000 local medical personnel, significantly enhancing the healthcare expertise in recipient countries. * Six decades on, the determination and spirit of Chinese medical team members have been passed down through generations. At present, Chinese medical teams are still braving various diseases and sowing the seeds of health in 56 countries. CHONGQING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Over the past six decades, China has dispatched over 30,000 medical personnel to 76 countries and regions across the world, providing medical services to nearly 300 million patients. This year marks the 60th anniversary since China began to send its first medical team to aid Algeria in 1963. Since then, countless heartfelt stories about Chinese medical personnel have surfaced, showcasing their significant contributions to global public health and the well-being of people worldwide. TREATMENT Ethiopian resident Gezahegn Tilahun endured a "mysterious illness" for over two years, losing 21 kg of weight and experiencing sallow skin and eyes. He visited four hospitals without finding the cause of the pain. He was finally received by the Armed Forces Comprehensive Specialized Hospital of Ethiopia, where Chinese medical teams have been offering aid for nine years, and was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor. Despite the hospital's lack of prior experience in such surgeries, Wang Xiaojun, leader of the 9th medical team sent to Ethiopia, collaborated with local doctors to perform an 8-hour-long lifesaving operation on Tilahun, earning recognition from Ethiopian colleagues. "My true gratitude is beyond words. The doctors have given me a brand-new life," said Tilahun. "As a mother, I was overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty. It is your calmness and professionalism that gave me hope and comfort." This was from a handwritten letter from Josephine Inapi to a Chinese medical team in Papua New Guinea for saving her newborn baby's life. In May, Inapi's less than one-month-old baby faced severe health issues. Despite treatment with antibiotics and pulmonary artery pressure-lowering medications, the baby's oxygen saturation continued to drop, posing a grave risk of multi-organ damage, and cardiac and respiratory arrest. Members of a medical team pose for a group photo before departure for Barbados to provide medical aid, in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 8, 2023. (Xinhua) Thanks to the collaboration between the Chinese medical team and local experts from the Port Moresby General Hospital, including the introduction of neonatal mechanical ventilation skills, the baby's vital signs returned to normal. To express her gratitude, Inapi asked for a Chinese name for her baby to commemorate the Chinese doctors. Liu Zhenqiu, the Chinese medical team leader, named the boy "Taile," which is pronounced similar to "Taylor" in English, symbolizing "safety" and "happiness" in Chinese. SHARING Apart from providing treatment for the patients, Chinese medical teams also shared their expertise and technologies with local doctors. In the same hospital where Inapi's baby stayed, a local doctor recently performed the country's first laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery under the guidance of Xian Peng, a urologist from the 12th Chinese medical team. "We should not only introduce new technologies but also make them take root here. Therefore, we carry out training for the local doctors," Xian said, adding that the Chinese medical team has organized a series of training courses for the local doctors since February this year. Statistics revealed that Chinese medical teams dispatched abroad have trained over 100,000 local medical personnel, significantly enhancing the healthcare expertise in recipient countries. China's altruistic medical assistance has garnered immense appreciation globally. On Dec. 1, a medical expert team from China dispatched to Laos was awarded a medal for their outstanding contributions to medical aid in the country. The medical team of 10 members arrived in Laos in June, said Cai Yue, the team leader, adding that they helped establish Laos' first chest pain treatment center, organized a medical academic exchange conference, and introduced advanced concepts in medical technology and management. Cai Yue, team leader of a medical expert team of the People's Liberation Army of China dispatched to Laos receives a medal awarded by the Lao People's Army, in Vientiane, Laos, on Dec. 1, 2023. (Xinhua) Statistics from China's National Health Commission indicated that China has so far initiated pair-up cooperation with 46 medical institutions in 41 countries and regions. Although the medical teams cannot stay there forever, the methods and technologies they provide continue to benefit the local people. Chinese medical teams have also introduced Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) overseas. In many countries, acupuncture has become a popular choice for patients. "The locals know little about the TCM and stay doubtful at the beginning. However, many patients become TCM fans after experiencing its curative effects," said Liu Chun, a veteran member of Chinese medical teams who has been dispatched to Kuwait three times. TCM treatments have successfully aided local patients in recovering from conditions like tinnitus and facial paralysis. Six decades on, the determination and spirit of Chinese medical team members have been passed down through generations. At present, Chinese medical teams are still braving various diseases and sowing the seeds of health in 56 countries. (Video reporters: Yang Shiyan, Wang Ping; video editors: Wu You, Mu Xuyao, Zhang Yuhong, Jia Xiaotong, Ma Ruxuan.) MANILA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 persons were killed on Tuesday when a passenger bus plunged off a cliff in Antique province in central Philippines, local media reported. The bus, carrying 53 passengers, lost control and fell down the cliff in Hamtic town around 4:40 p.m. local time when the bus was en route to San Jose de Buenavista, capital of the province, local news web ABS-CBN reported. Coal imports to Kyrgyzstan have almost halved. The National Statistical Committee provided such data, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg News Agency. According to statistics, from January to September 2023, about 469,500 tons of coal was imported into the country. Of this amount, the supply of solid fuel is 459,400 (821,500 tons were imported into the Kyrgyz Republic for the same period last year). The supply of brown coal reached 10,100 tons. Almost all imported coal comes to the country from Kazakhstan. Earlier, the Ministry of Energy reported that in preparation for the autumn-winter period of 2023-2024 it was planned to supply 1.2 million tons of solid fuel for the Bishkek Heating and Power Plant. Of this, 550,000 tons are imported D grade coal. ST PAUL-LEZ-DURANCE, France, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China has contributed significantly to the international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject ITER, reflecting the big progress in China's national fusion program, said ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi. "I'm really very impressed. When I worked in ITER in the 1990s, China was not part of the project. I gained a lot of experience more recently and I also witnessed in my recent trip to China the level of development in fusion research in general," said Barabaschi in a recent interview with Xinhua. ITER, or International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, aims at creating energy through a fusion process similar to that of the Sun. Built in southern France by seven ITER members -- China, the EU, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States, the facilities will be the world's largest magnetic confinement plasma physics experiment device and the largest experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor. China officially joined the ITER program in 2006 as its seventh member. According to the agreement, China is responsible for about 9 percent of the project's construction and operation. Till now, "we have a long list of key components delivered by China. They are very important components in different parts of the project, from the power conversion, the magnet system to the feeders and so on," Barabaschi told Xinhua. "China has a very strong contingent here, the largest presence among the non-Europeans, and very highly skilled personnel, said the director-general, adding that he appreciates "the Chinese on-site work on key activities, mainly the assembly." In September 2019, a team led by China Nuclear Power Engineering was awarded the tokamak assembly contract 1 for the assembly of the cryostat and cryostat thermal shield; magnet feeders; the central solenoid, poloidal field and correction coil magnets; and cooling structures and instrumentation. In May 2020, the 1,250-ton soup bowl-shaped cryostat base, the heaviest single piece of the ITER, was positioned with very high precision into the tokamak pit, marking the official start of the main equipment installation of the world's largest artificial sun. "There is a strong interest from Chinese companies to participate in the assembly," noted Barabaschi. "It is important for ITER, fusion, and China because these companies acquire a level of competence and know-how, which only ITER can provide." While working together with international programs, China made remarkable breakthroughs in its national program. In April this year, the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak, or the Chinese "artificial sun," located at the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei, capital of China's Anhui Province, achieved a steady-state high confinement plasma operation for 403 seconds, a key step toward the development of a fusion reactor. In August, China's new-generation "artificial sun" HL-3 in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, operated in the high-confinement mode under a plasma current of 1 million amperes for the first time. The high-confinement mode in nuclear fusion with magnetic confinement (H mode) is an advanced operating mode that has been chosen as the standard operating mode for ITER. "We get really a lot in good cooperation with Hefei, with Chengdu and with all the research infrastructure present in China," said the ITER director-general. "China is doing something remarkable. The very strong commitment from the Chinese government is evident. I trust China will continue to support ITER, this is the message I always get," he added. Leading the crucial project designed to advance fusion science and prepare the way for the fusion power plants of tomorrow, Barabaschi stressed that ITER "has a value beyond the scientific part." "It's quite remarkable that we can continue to work together among the seven members in full harmony, particularly at this point of time with so many difficulties in the geopolitics," he said. The ongoing assembly work is a joint work, and "when we now move more and more in the assembly phase, we are looking more and more to milestones which are reasons for everybody to celebrate," he concluded. WARSAW, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Poland is set to call for the European Commission to reinstate restrictions on Ukrainian trucks arriving at the Polish border, the government announced on Monday. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will demand that the permit system for Ukrainian trucks passing through and arriving in Poland should be restored, in view of a month-long protest at the border. Polish drivers have been blocking border crossings since Nov. 6, complaining that their business has been undercut by Ukrainian firms. They want the European Union (EU) to reinstate commercial permits for Ukrainian companies to operate in the bloc, which were waived soon after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The drivers also call for the suspension of operating permits for Ukrainian haulage firms, which were established after the beginning of the conflict. "We will very strongly and unequivocally demand the restoration of transport permits for Ukrainian drivers," Morawiecki told reporters. Meanwhile, Ukraine's border service said on Monday that the first 30 empty lorries had driven through a newly opened Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv crossing on the Ukrainian-Polish border. Kyiv hopes this will provide some relief, with Polish driver protests blocking other land corridors. The waiting time on Monday at the Hrebenne crossing was 10 days, with around 900 trucks stuck in a 70-km queue, the Polish Press Agency reported. Meanwhile, around 520 trucks were waiting in another 16-km-long queue at the Dorohusk crossing, with a five-day clearance time, according to the police in Chelm, a city in southeastern Poland near the border with Ukraine. BRUSSELS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission on Tuesday disclosed its endorsement of up to 1.2 billion euros (1.3 billion U.S. dollars) in state aid for a groundbreaking venture in cloud and edge computing. The initiative, designated the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services, was collaboratively submitted by seven European Union (EU) member states: France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. This collective effort is set to contribute a combined 1.2 billion euros in public funding, with an expected additional 1.4 billion euros from private investments, as outlined by the Commission. Under the umbrella of the IPCEI, 19 companies are slated to embark on 19 highly innovative projects, as highlighted by the Commission. The inaugural outcome of the IPCEI, an open-source reference infrastructure, is projected to materialize around the conclusion of 2027. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollars) MADRID, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Marcelo Munoz, president emeritus of the non-profit association Catedra China, believes it is vital to increase bilateral cultural, economic and personal exchanges between China and Europe. In an interview with Xinhua, Munoz, also dean of the Spanish businessmen and businesswomen in China, said that "the European Union must open itself much more to relations and cooperation with China and must put aside its misgivings, reluctance and resistance to maintain a frank, sincere and continuous dialogue." The 24th China-EU Summit has been slated for Thursday in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, President Charles Michel and President Ursula von der Leyen will jointly chair the summit. Munoz considers it vital for the EU to lose the "tutelage" of the United States and pursue an autonomous relationship with China as soon as possible" as "friendly collaboration between the European Union and China" would be "very beneficial" for both sides and for the world as a whole. Munoz considers cultural relations between Spain and China to be "good," but highlights that Chinese citizens find it difficult to get visas to Spain. Also, there are "only just over 15,000" Chinese university students studying in Spain, he said, despite Spanish being "the second most spoken native language in the world." The number of Chinese tourists visiting Spain also needs to increase, given that Spain is "one of the leading tourist destinations in the world" with an "enormous wealth" of attractions. One way to increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting Spain would be for Spain to follow China's lead and reciprocally "end visa requirements" for Chinese visitors. "This would immediately result in an increase in personal exchanges, especially for millions of Chinese tourists who want to visit Spain," Munoz said. Under a visa-free entry policy effective from Dec. 1, ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia are now able to enjoy visa-free travel to China for up to 15 days. A very positive aspect of bilateral relations is the "increasing number of visits to Spain by groups of Chinese leaders at the state, provincial and even municipal levels." Spanish leaders are also making more visits to China to "get to know the country better" and "debate its policies and position in the world of the 21st century." "I want to highlight that, among these exchanges, we are also including those of groups of young Spaniards, who are being invited to get to know China up close, who are the ones who will have to promote better relations between our two countries in the coming decades," he said. According to Munoz, Spain, in its capacity as holder of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2023, should push for the ratification of the "investment agreement, signed three years ago, which would greatly benefit both parties and would contribute to overcoming many prejudices and reluctance in relation to China." He said he also wanted Spain to "pressure the leading organizations of the European Union so that Europe adheres to the Belt and Road program," and to "resume negotiations" to make the port of Algeciras (in south-west Spain) a trade hub for products for "all of Europe and all of Africa," thus "taking advantage of the fact that the ports of Barcelona, Valencia and Algeciras will be terminal ports for several major corridors of the great Euro-Asian connectivity project." FRANKFURT, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Insolvencies filed by German companies went up by more than 20 percent in 2023, according to a study released by a German economic research institute on Monday. Up to 18,100 companies in Germany had to file for bankruptcy in 2023, a 23.5 percent increase compared to 2022, Creditreform Wirtschaftsforschung revealed. The institute found that medium- and large-sized companies were hit hard by the wave of insolvencies in 2023. Bankruptcies among companies with 51 to 250 employees in Germany went up markedly, by 76 percent year-on-year in 2023. This was followed by large companies with more than 250 employees, which saw a year-on-year increase of 50 percent. Meanwhile, the manufacturing industry recorded the sharpest increase in bankruptcies, up by 30.2 percent in 2023. "The number of insolvencies will continue to increase significantly in the coming months in these difficult economic conditions," said Patrik-Ludwig Hantzsch, head of Creditreform Wirtschaftsforschung. "Compared to 2019, the general conditions for companies have deteriorated significantly, and the economic policy slide is further unsettling," Hantzsch added. WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Police officers received minor injuries following an explosion at a residential building on Monday near Washington, D.C., reported local media. The blast occurred at a house in Arlington, a county in the U.S. state of Virginia directly across the Potomac River from the U.S. capital, where the police were conducting an investigation, said the report. "As officers were attempting to execute a search warrant at the residence, the suspect discharged several rounds inside the home. Subsequently, an explosion occurred at the residence and officers continue to investigate the circumstances of the explosion," the Arlington County Police Department said on X, formerly Twitter. A loud explosion was heard in the area just after 8:20 p.m. local time (0120 GMT) and electricity was disrupted in the vicinity, according to local media reports. The US government has dismissed allegations made by short-seller Hindenburg Research against Gautam Adani's firm as "irrelevant" and stated that they did not influence the decision to grant $553 million for a Sri Lankan terminal. A senior US official clarified that the accusations of corporate fraud against Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani were not considered impactful by US authorities. According to a Bloomberg News report, the International Development Finance Corp. (DFC) conducted a thorough investigation into the conglomerate, with the Hindenburg Research allegations being a focal point. However, the DFC reportedly concluded that the claims made by the short-seller were not applicable to Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd., the subsidiary leading the Sri Lankan project. The official informed Bloomberg News that while the US agency will continue monitoring the Adani group company to prevent unintentional support for financial misconduct or inappropriate behavior, they were satisfied that the allegations did not hold against the subsidiary spearheading the Sri Lankan venture. In November, the US International Development Finance Corporation announced its $553 million investment in the Adani Ports-led container terminal project in Colombo, emphasizing its strategic importance in serving the region's growing economies due to Sri Lanka's advantageous location along major shipping routes. Back in September 2021, Adani Ports sealed a $700-million deal with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) and Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings to collaboratively develop the terminal. The Adani Group had been under scrutiny since January 2023 when Hindenburg Research alleged corporate misgovernance among other charges. The report highlighted significant reserves in Adani Ports, questioning stock price surges in seven key Adani listed companies, including Adani Ports, over the past three years. Following the Hindenburg report, Deloitte resigned as Adani Ports' auditor in August, citing concerns about certain transactions. However, the Adani Group has consistently denied the allegations raised in the Hindenburg report. Adani Green Energy's Revolutionary Move: Water-Free Robotic Cleaning to Power Solar Capacity Akhmetov's DTEK and Danish Vestas Reach Accord to Finish Tiligul Wind Power Plant 4 December, 05:17 PM Rinat Akhmetov to complete the largest wind farm in Eastern Europe with the help of Danes (Photo:shakhtar.com) Ukrainian industrial conglomerate DTEK, owned by oligarch Rinat Akhme-tov, has signed an agreement to complete joint construction of the Tiligul wind park with Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas on Dec. 4, the company announced in a press release. The Tiligul Wind Power Plant (WPP), located in Mykolayiv Oblast near the Moldovan border, is supported by the European Commission and both countries governments. The station will have an installed capacity of 500 megawatts, and total investment in the project will surpass EUR 650 million, according to DTEK. Video of day The agreement between the two companies outlines plans for Vestas to provide wind turbines to Ukraine for the construction of the second phase of the Tiligul WPP, and was signed during 2023 UN Climate Change Conference with EU Energy Commissioner Kari Simson and Ukrainian Minister of Energy German Galushchenko presiding. The second phase of the wind farm will comprise 64 wind turbines with a capacity of 6 megawatts 384 in total. The first phase, with an overall capacity of 114 megawatts, was commissioned in spring 2023. Ultimately, both phases of the DTEK Tiligul WPP will generate a combined output of 500 megawatts, facilitated by 83 wind turbines. The station is poised to produce around 1.7 terawatt-hours of electricity each year, meeting the energy requirements of 900,000 households. Also, the project is anticipated to result in an annual reduction of 1.7 million tons of CO2 emissions. DTEK is ready to commence the construction of the second phase of the wind power plant in the second quarter of 2024 and aims to complete the plant by the end of 2025. The beginning of step-by-step integration of the installed wind turbines into the grid is anticipated by the close of 2024. The Tiligul Wind Power Plant project aligns with main DTEK shareholder Rinat Akhmetov's endorsed long-term strategy for achieving carbon neutrality and integration into the European Union's single market, the company announced. This [agreement] underscores the substantial trust Western investors place in the DTEK Group, a proven and responsible partner, stated DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko. The Tiligul WPP is poised to significantly bolster the resilience of the Ukrainian energy system, strengthen national energy security, and position Ukraine as a regional decarbonization leader and energy hub in Europe. We are delighted to enhance our partnership with DTEK and participate in the development of the Tiligul Wind Power Plant, said Henrik Andersen, CEO of Vestas. This project will contribute to the recovery of Ukraine's energy sector and showcase country's business-friendly environment. When completed, the Tiligul wind park will be the first wind power station built during a time of war. Will you support Ukraines free press? Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations. As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility to amplify Ukraines voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation. Its the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine. If youre willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda. Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd. If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly. There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting. We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If youre willing to stand up for the truth consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much. Will you help tell Ukraines story to the world? Twenty years ago, most people hadnt even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyones lips and everyones headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of from music and culture to technology. We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If youre willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Putin could face arrest if he visits Brazil, President Lula suggests 4 December, 10:05 PM Brazilian President Lula da Silva (Photo:news365.co.za) Russian President Vladimir Putin should "assess the consequences" of attending the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned on Dec. 4. The Brazilian president was seemingly suggesting that Putin could be arrested under the outstanding warrant from the International Criminal Court. If Putin comes to the G20 meeting in Brazil, he knows what could happen, Lula said during a press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, quoted by Brazilian news outlet Terra. Brazil has ratified the Rome Statute and is obliged to enforce warrants issued by the ICC. On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on suspicion of committing war crimes related to the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Video of day Putin now faces arrest in 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. Will you support Ukraines free press? Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations. As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility to amplify Ukraines voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation. Its the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine. If youre willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda. Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd. If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly. There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting. We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If youre willing to stand up for the truth consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much. Will you help tell Ukraines story to the world? Twenty years ago, most people hadnt even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyones lips and everyones headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of from music and culture to technology. We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If youre willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Regions of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan intend to develop cooperation in tourism, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg News Agency. According to its data, specialists of tourism departments of Fergana, Andijan and Namangan regions made working trips to Osh, Jalal-Abad and Arslanbob. The issues of strengthening regional cooperation in the tourism sphere, in particular, the possibility of implementation of joint projects, increasing the flow of mutual tourists were considered during the talks. The sides voiced the proposals on infrastructure development in the spheres of culture, history, trade, crafts and sports. This 14-year-old is making moves toward a bright future. According to ABC News 5 Cleveland, Anita Bennett earned three university degrees from Cuyahoga Community College while still enrolled as a first-year high school student at Ohio Connections Academy. She is now well on her way to pursuing a bachelors degree as she maintains her studies in high school thanks to Ohios dual enrollment program, College Credit Plus (CCP). Despite being young, Bennett is wise beyond her years, noting that remaining optimistic throughout the hurdles of attending college while still learning to navigate high school has been a game changer for her. When you dont know about college, that kind of stuff, it can seem really, really hard, and it could seem impossible at times, said Bennett, per the outlet. But just knowing that if you put your mind to it, you can do it and that the skys the limit and you create your own boundaries. Stemming from a family of intelligent women, Bennetts older sisters Angel and Amber began their college journeys at ages 13 and 11, respectively. Bennetts mothers journey as an entrepreneur has had an impact, even shaping the fields she has chosen to study. Seeing my mother and how hard she worked and how she got her business running and how successful it was really inspired me to go into that field as well, Bennett noted. And Ive always wanted to do something like that with my life. So, seeing her already have a successful business, it only makes sense to me to take over that when I get older since I wanted to work in the childcare industry as well. Not only does she hold an associate of arts and associate of technical studies in child care administration and management through CCP, but Bennetts recent accomplishment includes graduating summa cum laude with an associate of science degree. SaaS exec with excellent business transformation track record joins Digital Employee Experience (DEX) leader to drive accelerated growth LONDON & AUSTIN, Texas, December 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--1E, the DEX platform leader, welcomes Iveta Cabajova as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) to the executive leadership team. "Iveta is a highly experienced technology CFO and COO. She is an incredibly talented global leader who will be a great partner to me and a perfect fit for 1E," says 1E CEO Mark Banfield. "We are very fortunate to have her join the team. The 1E journey has been exhilarating and I am excited to have Iveta help lead the next phase of growth." Cabajova brings over 15 years of experience to 1E, previously working in the observability and cloud solutions industries. Since 2019, Cabajova has served as CFO and COO at ITRS, a leader in the observability market. Cabajova led all financial and general operations providing the foundation for growth and profitability. "I am honored to join Mark and the 1E team," Cabajova says. "1E has set itself apart from the competition with its autonomous IT platform, becoming the fastest growing DEX player in the market. I am thrilled to help the company continue to remove digital friction for customers and partners." Prior to her role at ITRS, Cabajova held senior leadership positions at private equity backed tech companies Agilisys and Unit 4. Cabajova is also a founding member of SheSaaS, a not-profit platform for women working in the private equity software space. About 1E More than 500 organizations in 42 countries trust 1E to help them create a better Digital Employee Experience (DEX). The 1E Platform provides real-time diagnosis, remediation, and automation to proactively fix issues before they ruin the workday. Reduce costs, move faster, and increase employee happiness with 1E. For more information, visit 1E.com. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205090592/en/ Contacts Namita Tendolkar, Communications for 1E Namita.Tendolkar@1E.com No matter who you are or what tax bracket you're in, one thing is true: You want to take advantage of as many legally authorized tax breaks as you can. If you don't act fast, you may lose the opportunity to get a 20% cut on your investment income. Keep reading to find out how you can still take advantage of this tax break and possibly help get it extended in Congress. A Senator, The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act And Real Estate Investments One of the more controversial provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2016 was known as the Corker Amendment. It got the name because then-Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker was vacillating about voting for the bill. The bill's authors sweetened the deal by creating a provision that allowed partners or members of limited liability corporations (LLCs) to take a 20% tax break on pass-through income. That provision was particularly appealing to Corker. He had significant investments in rental income properties, and many of the assets in his portfolio were set up as individual LLCs. The same thing is true of many real estate portfolios, and shareholders loved the Corker Amendment as much as the senator did. The tax break is set to expire at the end of 2024. That means you have just a few weeks left this year to become a shareholder in a real estate LLC and take advantage of these tax savings for all next year. Founding an LLC is a legal process that can take months, but you still have other ways to become an LLC shareholder before the end of the year. Don't Miss: Investing in real estate just got a whole lot simpler. This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, and you only need $100. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here are 3 high-yield investments to add significant income to your portfolio. Real Estate Investment Trusts And Crowdfunding Platforms Corker's strategy of holding real estate assets as individual LLCs or being a partner in various LLCs is common. Many real estate investment trusts (REITs) hold their portfolio assets in the same manner to prevent any legal liability relating to an issue at one asset from spreading to the entire portfolio. The same thing is true for many of the investment offerings on real estate crowdfunding platforms. Story continues For offerings such as this, your investment will make you a member or shareholder in the LLC that owns the asset. That means you will be entitled to a proportionate share of the monthly rental income and the profits from asset appreciation when it is sold. It also means you qualify for the 20% tax break on your pass-through income from the LLC. Best of all, the income is passive. Although you'll be a shareholder/partner entitled to a proportionate share of the profits, you won't be required to contribute to the day-to-day management of the asset. In most cases, you will be a general partner, and the LLC's managing partner(s) will handle management duties like collecting rent, accounting or paying shareholders. Where To Find REITs And Real Estate LLC Investment Offerings Publicly traded REITs can be found on the New York Stock Exchange, while real estate crowdfunding opportunities are available on platforms such as CrowdStreet, Streitwise, Arrived and Here. You will find various offerings in a wide range of sectors, including: Residential rental (both traditional long-term and vacation/short-stay rentals) Commercial (offices, shopping centers) Medical (hospitals, outpatient facilities, medical office parks) Industrial Data centers Storage What If The Investments Lose Money? Loss of investment principle is a possibility with any offering, and real estate is no different. Even though real estate has a strong performance history in the long term, its still possible that your chosen investment may miss projections or not make a profit at all next year. Your sensitivity to this risk may play a role in which investment offering you decide to take part in. Public REIT shares can be liquidated whenever you like, but some crowdfunded investments or private REITs may have lock-in periods during which you can't liquidate your shares. That's why it's important to understand the ins and outs of your chosen investment before pledging capital. Can The 20% Tax Break Be Renewed? If your investment makes money next year, you will get a 20% tax break on it. If you'd like to continue enjoying this tax break past 2024, contact your congressional representative and let them know how you feel. The real estate lobby will also make its voice heard. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Next year is an election year, and many lawmakers would be happy to demonstrate their commitment to low taxes by extending this provision. In the meantime, look at the available offerings to see whether one of them suits your investment needs. Give yourself the best possible shot at making profits and saving big on taxes. Read Next: Elon Musk has reportedly bought 6,000 acres of land just outside of Austin. Heres how to invest in the citys growth before he floods it with new tech workers. Passive income investments are one of the most trusted methods for riding out a recession, so it's no surprise that people are turning to high-yield real estate notes that pay a fixed 7.5% to 9%. The 60/40 strategy isn't going to cut it any longer, which is why major firms like Blackrock are adding these assets to their portfolios to boost returns. "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! This article 2024 May Be The Last Year To Take Advantage Of This Huge Tax Break On Pass-Through Income From Real Estate LLCs originally appeared on Benzinga.com . 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Affidea, a leading European provider of advanced diagnostics, out-of-hospital services, and Centres of Excellence, is pleased to announce its expansion into two countries Spain and Romania through the acquisition of Clinica Atenea in the Valencia Region, Spain, and Oldega Imagistics clinic in Bucharest, Romania. Guy Blomfield, Chairman & CEO Affidea Group With these additions, Affidea's network grows in 2023 to a remarkable 340 centres, reinforcing the company's commitment to enhancing its advanced diagnostics portfolio while expanding its offering of out-of-hospital services in state-of-the-art polyclinics that can address the needs of the communities we serve. Guy Blomfield, Chairman and CEO of Affidea Group, commented on this milestone, saying, "Affidea has significantly expanded its presence in 2023, completing a total of 14 acquisitions in eight countries, adding 25 new centres. Today, we are thrilled to extend our presence in Spain and Romania, two markets with great potential. These latest acquisitions mark a significant step in our ongoing growth journey, reaching today more than 340 centres across 15 countries, annually serving over 13 million patients. We are driven by the mission of providing high-quality care close to the communities we serve." Clinica Atenea is a well-reputed outpatient and diagnostics provider serving the Valencia region. Founded two decades ago, the company boasts a network of four clinics strategically located in the metropolitan area of Valencia, including Aldaia, Torrent, LEliana, and Alfafar. The clinics offer a comprehensive range of services, including outpatient consultations in more than 25 clinical specialities, advanced diagnostics such as MRI, Mammography, Ultrasound, X-ray, DXA, and dental CT, as well as laboratory services. With this acquisition, Affidea reinforces its standing as a prominent outpatient healthcare provider in the Valencia region, reaching 43 centres in Spain and serving a total of more than 1 million patients every year. Story continues Theo Kravvas, Country CEO of Affidea Spain, stated, "Clinica Atenea has a strong reputation for its high-quality medical services and is an ideal match for our expansion in the region, where we are already present with our Affidea Tecma clinic. We aim to become the provider of choice for out-of-hospital services in Spain, and with the addition of Clinica Atenea, we are taking another significant step towards our aspiration. We will continue to support the growth of Clinica Atenea, enriching the level of services provided to our patients and sharing the best practices between our centres across Spain." Odelga Imagistics Clinic, located within the Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu Bucharest Oncology Institute, offers state-of-the-art imaging services of Computer Tomography (CT) and Ultrasound deploying the best equipment. This acquisition underscores Affidea's commitment to supporting oncological patients and the public healthcare system with advanced diagnostic examinations. This marks the third acquisition in Romania this year, bringing Affidea's total number of centres in Romania to 49. Razvan Predica, Country CEO of Affidea Romania & Hungary, stated, "With this acquisition, we are reinforcing our commitment to support Romanian patients as well as the public system by offering them an accurate and timely diagnostic service, working with highly reputed medical professionals and state-of-the-art technology. This step aligns perfectly with our mission to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality. We are excited to continue our journey of growth and innovation, serving the needs of the communities we are privileged to be a part of." With these acquisitions, Affidea reaches a team of 13.000 professionals across 15 countries, serving more than 13 million patients every year at the Group level. These acquisitions represent a significant step forward for Affidea as the company continues to expand its presence across Europe, providing high-quality healthcare services that prioritise patient well-being. About Affidea Group Affidea Group (www.affidea.com) is Europe's largest provider of advanced diagnostics, out-of-hospital services, and Centres of Excellence in orthopaedics and cancer care. Founded in 1991, the company operates almost 340 medical centres in 15 countries, serving more than 13 million patients annually. Due to its high standards in patient safety, Affidea is the most awarded provider of medical imaging services in Europe. More than 90% of the award-winning centres with 5 stars on the Eurosafe Wall of Stars, accredited by the European Society of Radiology in Europe, are Affidea centres. About Affidea Spain: Affidea Spain (www.affidea.es) is a leading medical provider in diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, and specialist consultations, with 43 centres across the country. Affidea Spain conducts over 1 million diagnostic imaging scans annually, delivering top-notch medical services at the forefront of patient care. The company collaborates with more than 1,450 healthcare professionals. Affidea Spain is renowned for its patient safety focus, with all its centres accredited for excellence in nuclear medicine by the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS) and the European Board of Nuclear Medicine (EBNM), as well as all its CT centres accredited by the European Society of Radiology in Europe, featured on the EuroSafe Imaging Wall of Stars. About Affidea Romania Affidea Romania is a prominent healthcare provider with 49 clinics in 26 cities. In Romania, Affidea also includes the clinics: Hiperdia, Sanmed, Phoenix, Medsan, ExMed, Biomed Scan clinics and now Odelga Imagistics Clinic. Affidea Romania Team consists of 1,500 professionals, including over 900 clinicians, annually providing care to more than 2 million patients. The company's centres have been accredited for excellence in nuclear medicine by the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS) and the European Board of Nuclear Medicine (EBNM), as well as all its CT centres accredited by the European Society of Radiology in Europe, featured on the EuroSafe Imaging Wall of Stars. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2293265/Chairman_CEO_Affidea_Group.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/942742/Affidea_Group_Logo.jpg Affidea Group Logo (PRNewsfoto/Affidea Group) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/affidea-expands-its-presence-in-europe-with-acquisitions-in-spain-and-romania-302006222.html By Martin Coulter LONDON (Reuters) -Amazon has told Britain's antitrust authority its rival Microsoft uses business practices that restrict customer choice in the cloud computing market, the second major company to criticise the U.S. tech giant's operations. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into the countrys cloud computing industry in October, following a referral from media regulator Ofcom that highlighted Amazon and Microsofts dominance of the market. In a letter published on the CMAs website on Tuesday, Amazon said changes to Microsofts terms of services had made it difficult for customers to switch to alternative cloud providers, or run competitors services alongside. To use many of Microsofts software products with these other cloud services providers, a customer must purchase a separate license even if they already own the software, Amazon said. This often makes it financially unviable for a customer to choose a provider other than Microsoft. Last week, Reuters reported Google had submitted a similar letter to the watchdog, claiming Microsofts business practices had left its rivals at an unfair disadvantage. Google made six recommendations to the CMA, including forcing Microsoft to improve interoperability for customers using its Azure service and alongside other cloud programmes, and banning it from withholding security updates from those that switch. In its own submission to the CMA, Microsoft said Britain's cloud computing market remained competitive. "There are many sources of competition in the cloud market in the UK. Google, Oracle, IBM and many other cloud players are also investing billions of pounds in cloud infrastructure globally to satisfy demand and are competing strongly for each customer workload where they operate," it wrote. (Reporting by Martin CoulterEditing by Jane Merriman and Mark Potter) Insights into BlackRock Inc's Upcoming Dividend Payout BlackRock Inc (NYSE:BLK) recently announced a dividend of $5 per share, payable on 2023-12-22, with the ex-dividend date set for 2023-12-06. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into BlackRock Inc's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does BlackRock Inc Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with BLK. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? BlackRock is the largest asset manager in the world, with $9.101 trillion in AUM at the end of September 2023. Product mix is fairly diverse, with 52% of the firm's managed assets in equity strategies, 28% in fixed income, 9% in multi-asset class, 8% in money market funds, and 3% in alternatives. Passive strategies account for around two thirds of long-term AUM, with the company's ETF platform maintaining a leading market share domestically and on a global basis. Product distribution is weighted more toward institutional clients, which by our calculations account for around 80% of AUM. BlackRock is also geographically diverse, with clients in more than 100 countries and more than one third of managed assets coming from investors domiciled outside the U.S. and Canada. BlackRock Inc's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at BlackRock Inc's Dividend History BlackRock Inc has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2003. Dividends are currently distributed on a quarterly basis. BlackRock Inc has increased its dividend each year since 2003. The stock is thus listed as a dividend achiever, an honor that is given to companies that have increased their dividend each year for at least the past 20 years. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Story continues BlackRock Inc's Dividend Analysis Breaking Down BlackRock Inc's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, BlackRock Inc currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.65% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 2.67%. This suggests an expectation of increased dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, BlackRock Inc's annual dividend growth rate was 13.90%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate decreased to 13.40% per year. And over the past decade, BlackRock Inc's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at an impressive 12.00%. Based on BlackRock Inc's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of BlackRock Inc stock as of today is approximately 4.97%. BlackRock Inc's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. A lower ratio suggests that the company retains a significant part of its earnings, thereby ensuring the availability of funds for future growth and unexpected downturns. As of 2023-09-30, BlackRock Inc's dividend payout ratio is 0.85, which may suggest that the company's dividend may not be sustainable. BlackRock Inc's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks BlackRock Inc's profitability 9 out of 10 as of 2023-09-30, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported positive net income for each of year over the past decade, further solidifying its high profitability. Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook To ensure the sustainability of dividends, a company must have robust growth metrics. BlackRock Inc's growth rank of 9 out of 10 suggests that the company's growth trajectory is good relative to its competitors. Revenue is the lifeblood of any company, and BlackRock Inc's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. BlackRock Inc's revenue has increased by approximately 8.40% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 54.68% of global competitors. The company's 3-year EPS growth rate showcases its capability to grow its earnings, a critical component for sustaining dividends in the long run. During the past three years, BlackRock Inc's earnings increased by approximately 7.60% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 49.14% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 11.10%, which outperforms approximately 60.67% of global competitors, suggests that its profitability is not only current but also has the potential to increase over time. Concluding Thoughts on BlackRock Inc's Dividend Profile Considering BlackRock Inc's consistent history of dividend payments, robust dividend growth rate, and a payout ratio that, while on the higher end, is backed by a strong profitability rank, investors may find reassurance in the company's ability to maintain its dividends. The growth metrics further bolster the case for sustainability, painting a picture of a company well-positioned to continue rewarding its shareholders. As value investors consider the future prospects of BlackRock Inc, they may find the company's dividend policy to be a compelling aspect of its overall investment thesis. GuruFocus Premium users can screen for high-dividend yield stocks using the High Dividend Yield Screener. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. A view of the economy cabin during Singapore Airlines' media preview of their new Boeing 737-8 cabin products, at Changi Airport in Singapore WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing delivered 46 narrowbody 737s in November, sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Last month's total brings Boeing's single-aisle deliveries up to 351 units for the year so far, leaving the U.S. planemaker about 25 planes away from making its revised target for at least 375-400 737 deliveries this year. Last month's 737 deliveries included 45 MAX planes and 1 737 NG-based P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, sources said. Boeing declined to comment ahead of the release of November order and delivery numbers next Tuesday. Boeing downgraded its original 400-450 plane delivery target for the 737 program in October after a manufacturing flaw by fuselage supplier Spirit AeroSystems forced the planemaker to inspect aircraft, slowing deliveries. It delivered only 19 737s in October and 15 in September. European rival Airbus is set to announce 64 aircraft deliveries over the last month, leaving it 97 planes away from reaching its 720 delivery target for 2023, Reuters reported earlier on Tuesday. (Reporting by Valerie Insinna; Editing by Mark Porter) Expanded footprint enhances companys ultra-flexible warehousing solutions, ready to meet growing customer demand seamlessly FOREST PARK, Ga., December 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BroadRange Logistics (BroadRange), a leader in logistics and warehousing solutions, has expanded its facilities footprint with two new warehouses in Pennsylvania and Florida. With a total of 7 million square feet of warehouse space spanning 11 prime locations across five states, this strategic expansion further solidifies BroadRanges position as a key player. "Navigating the ever-expanding realm of warehousing, logistics and e-commerce presents unique challenges," said Ari Milstein, CEO of BroadRange. "We understand the importance of flexibility for both businesses and consumers, and we are dedicated to ensuring a seamless experience for all. Our new locations will further enhance our capabilities, allowing us to better serve our clients evolving needs. As an innovator in warehousing solutions, we stand as a catalyst for industry growth and an unconventional third-party logistics provider (3PL) for other 3PLs. Our ultra flex solution not only serves direct customers but also extends its impact to other 3PLs, reshaping the landscape of the logistics sector." Additionally, by offering unique financial strategies, including deferring storage costs for larger requirements, BroadRange transcends the traditional role of a 3PL and, in some cases, even steps in as an alternative to a customers banker. These approaches are designed to eliminate challenging financial barriers and open up new opportunities for both businesses and their clientele. The new Pennsylvania warehouse is a 40-foot Clear, Class A Industrial Space located in Shoemakersville, Pa., with 1,240,013 square feet of storage capacity. Situated just two miles from I-78 in Lehigh Valley West, this facility is strategically positioned to provide efficient and cost-effective warehousing solutions to businesses in the region, particularly for retail/fast-moving consumer goods. Story continues BroadRanges latest addition in Florida, a Class A Industrial Building in Ocala, offers 350,893 square feet of distribution warehouse space. Notably, this location falls within an Opportunity Zone, making it an attractive choice for businesses looking to benefit from tax incentives. Ocala is a recognized hub for the distribution, supply chain and logistics industries, making it an ideal resource for regional all-commodity logistics needs. BroadRange has gained recognition for its dedication to delivering top-tier warehousing and logistics services to a diverse range of industries. The addition of these Pennsylvania and Florida locations marks a significant milestone in the companys journey toward growth and excellence, ensuring that they are well-prepared to accommodate any increase in warehousing and logistics needs. "For businesses seeking innovative warehousing solutions and access to BroadRanges expansive network, these new facilities offer a strategic advantage," added Milstein. "Working with Broadrange isnt just a decision for logistics; its a strategic partnership that drives businesses and their clients toward unprecedented success." About BroadRange Logistics BroadRange Logistics is an industry-leading end-to-end provider of ultra-flexible warehousing and fulfillment services. Serving businesses of all sizes, BroadRange offers comprehensive short- and long-term solutions, enabling companies to effortlessly navigate the intricacies of supply chain management, including warehousing, fulfillment, and other value-added services. The company ranked No. 163 overall and the No. 6 logistics company on the 2023 Inc. 5000, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Managing 7 million square feet of warehouse space, BroadRange operates across 11 prime locations in five states. For more information about BroadRange, visit www.BroadRangeLogistics.com and on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205434394/en/ Contacts PR Contact: Leah Wilkinson Wilkinson + Associates for BroadRange Logistics 703-907-0010 leah@wilkinson.associates Signaling it was in no rush to recognize the interim administration in Kabul, China Tuesday said diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally at the right time, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. As a longtime friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, Wang Wenbin, spokesman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Beijing. Beijings statement came after Afghanistans Taliban administration posted its new ambassador to Beijing last month. Mawlawi Asadullah Bilal Karimi was sent as the new ambassador to China by Kabul on Nov. 24 whose credentials were received by Hong Lei, director general of Protocols at Chinas Foreign Ministry on Dec. 01. However, Wang said Tuesday: It is believed that the diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally at the right time, with the concerns of all parties addressed more effectively. China hopes that Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, building an open and inclusive political framework, implementing moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, resolutely combating all kinds of terrorist forces, said Wang, according to Beijing-based daily Global Times. According to Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi, Hong called Karimis appointment an important step in the developing relations between China and Afghanistan. China respects the sovereignty of Afghanistan and the decisions of the people of Afghanistan, Hong told the new Afghan ambassador. He added that China seeks to assist Afghanistan in economic and infrastructure projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative Beijings multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure of roads, bridges, and energy projects among others. Hong "reassured" that credentials of Karimi "will be presented to the President of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, during a special ceremony in the near future," Balkhi said. Criminal defense attorney Calandra Revering will be fulfilling her dream as she prepares to welcome customers to her cannabis shop in Brooklyn Park, MN. According to CBS affiliate WCCO-TV, Revering is the owner of The Good Zen, a store that will be selling hemp-derived THC products. She hopes to be an inspiration to other entrepreneurs. I hope that someone comes here, and they say, I can do this too, Revering told WCCO-TV. She looks forward to being a vessle to women and people of color who are looking to follow in her footsteps. Additionally, her role as a criminal defense attorney adds another layer to her intentions. Revering is seeking equity in the marijuana industry, in business and legislation. It wasnt until recently that Minnesotans were able to legally own and grow marijuana for recreational use, KARE-11 reports. In May 2023, the state passed legislation, and it officially took effect in August. I feel that the bill is written so that cannabis can remain at a local level, but I think theres a lack of how the information is getting to minority communities, Revering explained to WCCO-TV. Because when I attend events, I dont see people who look like me. So I hope to be that channel, to give that information. The law is also intended to clear minor marijuana convictions, benefitting over 60,000 Minnesotans. Penalties surrounding the use of the substance have primarily effected people of color, per the outlet. The people of Minnesota deserve this. We deserve to get into the space and make it what the bill intends. And that is to make it for Minnesotans, by Minnesotans, Revering told WCCO-TV. To support The Good Zen, doors will open Saturday, Dec. 9. Revering tells the outlet she plans to hang up portraits that will feature Martin Luther King Jr., Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, and Nipsey Hussle, all individuals who symbolize the ongoing pursuit of justice. (Bloomberg) -- China criticized the US for seeing it as a threat after Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo defended efforts to deprive the Asian nation of cutting-edge semiconductors, underscoring the fragility of recently stabilized ties. Most Read from Bloomberg The US should stick to the right perception and work with China to deliver on the common understandings reached in the San Francisco meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday, referring to a sitdown last month between the leaders of the two nations. The US should stop seeing China as a hypothetical enemy and saying one thing but doing another, he said. Read: Raimondo Says Commerce Needs More Money to Halt China Chip Drive Raimondo said Saturday at a forum in California that she needed more funding to prevent the Asian nation from catching up on chips that can be used for military purposes. She said this was the biggest threat weve ever had, adding that China is not our friend. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met for the first time in a year last month in the US, scoring a handful of small victories they hope will stop a surge in tensions that threatened global economic growth. But the two left that encounter with major issues such as Taiwans status and the US tech restrictions in place, meaning theyll likely need to make constant efforts to manage their differences. Underscoring that dynamic, China criticized the US on Monday after an American warship sailed in disputed waters in the South China Sea. The US Navy said it was acting lawfully. In a sign that the two nations are still working to improve ties, Chinas economy czar, Vice Premier He Lifeng, met on Monday in Beijing with Richard Haass, a former president of the Council on Foreign Relations. Story continues They discussed economic and trade cooperation among other topics, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. He also told Haass that Beijing was willing to work with Washington to implement the consensus that Xi and Biden reached, and to promote cooperation in economy and trade. Also: China Says US Navy Ship Seriously Violated Its Sovereignty Raimondo visited Beijing in August as the two nations worked to repair ties. That trip coincided with Huawei Technologies Co. releasing a new phone with an advanced chip that alarmed politicians in Washington. In her comments on Saturday, she signaled that US had no intention of backing down on preventing China from getting high-end semiconductors. Were going to deny them our most cutting-edge technology, she said. Wang, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that stance exposed the Cold War mentality of the US and its desire for hegemony. He also indicated that his nation would get around the tech curbs eventually. The violation of the rules and regulations of the free-trade market is just like building a dam with a sieve, he said. No matter how hard you try, the water will just flow through it. More: Huaweis Chipmaker Turned US Sanctions Into China Success Story (Updates with He-Haass meeting.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Arco Vara Arco Vara AS appointed Daniel Yordanov as its new General Manager of Arco Vara Bulgaria, and prematurely terminated the contract with the previous manager of the Bulgarian units Kaloyan Radosslavov. Daniel becomes the manager of Arco Vara AS subsidiaries Arco Vara Bulgaria EOOD, Botanica Lozen EOOD, Arco Invest EOOD, Arco Manastirski EOOD, Arco Riverside EOOD and Iztok Parkside EOOD. The management contract was signed for 3 years. The main focus and key responsibility of the newly appointed General Manager will be to continue the ongoing development of Botanica Lozen in Bulgaria, find new developments, strengthen the team and increase the overall profitability of the Bulgarian branch of the group. Before joining Arco Vara, Daniel Yordanov gained a solid track record in real estate advisory business, investment and development sector. Daniel holds a BSc in Finance (University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria) and an MSc in Management (University of Huddersfield, UK). He has also studied real estate finance at The London School of Economics and Political Science. Daniel Yordanov, the new CEO of Arco Vara Bulgaria: I believe in the undoubted success of the company and in the successful development and implementation of new business activities and projects. It is a great pleasure and honor for me to become part of the team and represent the company. Daniel is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The new manager does not own Arco Vara AS shares. Tiina Malm CFO Arco Vara AS +372 614 4630 tiina.malm@arcovara.com (Bloomberg) -- Elon Musks artificial intelligence company xAI is seeking to raise $1 billion in funding from equity investors, according to a new filing. Most Read from Bloomberg Musk has already raised nearly $135 million, according to a document filed Tuesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which doesnt include the names of investors. Axios earlier reported on the filing. Musk created xAI earlier this year to try to compete with other generative AI companies, including OpenAI, where Musk was a co-founder. The company has debuted one product, a chatbot called Grok, trained on data from the X social network, which Musk also owns. It is designed to answer questions with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak, according to the company website. In November, Musk said that equity investors in X, formerly called Twitter, will own 25% of xAI. He also said that users of the social network who sign up for Premium+, a subscription priced starting at $16 per month in the US, will get access to Grok. Musk has frequently and publicly criticized OpenAI, the highest-profile AI startup and developer of ChatGPT, since he left its board in 2018, especially after it created a for-profit arm the following year. He has said he believes it to be effectively controlled by Microsoft. Microsoft Corp. has invested some $13 billion into OpenAI. Despite his work in AI, Musk has expressed deep reservations about the technology. The billionaire was among a group of researchers and tech industry leaders who in March called for developers to pause the training of powerful AI models. During the recent ouster and reinstatement of OpenAIs CEO, Sam Altman, Musk said he wanted to know the reason he was fired, in case the board had discovered something dangerous about the AI. I dont think it was trivial, he said at the DealBook conference last week. Story continues Musk, 52, oversees six companies: Tesla, SpaceX, X, Neuralink, Boring Co. and xAI. (Updates with xAI relationship to X in fourth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Envision Introduces Open-Source Platform for Digitized Carbon Credit Markets at United Nations COP28 The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, referred to as COP28, saw the introduction of innovative initiatives aimed at addressing climate change and simplifying the intricate carbon credit markets. Envision Blockchain, in collaboration with HBAR Foundation and Swirlds Labs, announced the release of a publicly accessible Managed Guardian Service platform during the event. This platform is designed to focus on a digitized and digital measurement, reporting, and verification (dMRV) system for carbon markets. In cooperation with the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub (GIH) and utilizing the power of the HBAR blockchain, the dMRV system aims to bring about significant changes in carbon markets through the implementation of decentralized blockchain technology. The platform encompasses a variety of features, including artificial intelligence and guided search capabilities, to cater to the needs of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) methodology library and other established registries in the carbon market industry. Envision collaborated with the UNFCC secretariat to digitize the 15 most frequently utilized rules from the CDM methodology library, which previously relied on an analog approach. This expansion of digitized methodologies within HBAR's Guardian ecosystem enables registries, project developers, and other stakeholders to leverage digital technologies to tackle issues concerning trust and transparency. Wes Geisenberger, Vice President of Sustainability and ESG at HBAR Foundation, highlighted the active involvement of the UN GIH/UNFCCC secretariat in the development of methodologies, underscoring their commitment to surmounting challenges in climate negotiations. Let us know what you loved about this article, what could be improved, or share any other feedback by filling out this short form. Note: This story has been updated to correct information about the proposed city and county tax incentives. Meta Platforms Inc., the company that operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp social media platforms and other enterprises, is looking at possibly putting a huge data center in Northeast El Paso. The company's name was revealed Monday when the El Paso City Council and the El Paso County Commissioners Court approved providing up to $110 million in incentives, almost all of those in the form of property (real estate and equipment) tax rebates over 25 years, to get the company to locate an $800 million data center here. However, it would have to invest at least $2.8 billion, including costs of updating equipment, over 25 years to get that full rebate amount, said Elizabeth Triggs, the city economic development officer. If it invested only $800 million, including $400 million for equipment, over 25 years, and met other requirements, it could get about $30 million in city and county tax rebates, she said. In late November, the City Council took initial actions to try to sell 1,039 acres of city land for the center for $8.5 million. Meta used Wurldwide LLC, a company it formed, to handle the El Paso data land acquisition and city and county economic development agreements. ElIzabeth Triggs, the city of El Paso economic development director, talks to City Council Dec. 4 about proposed tax incentives for a proposed Meta Platforms' $800 million data center in Northeast El Paso. "Meta is a huge name in the IT (Information Technology) sector. This really puts El Paso on the map, and creates a broader technological ecosystem" in El Paso, Triggs told the City Council Monday. If Meta chooses El Paso, it would be obligated to do the $800 million hyperscale data center project under the economic development agreement approved by the City Council Monday, she said. However, the 1,039-acre site provides Meta the opportunity to build additional phases in the future as it has done in other communities, Triggs said. Meta could get more than $500 million in tax rebates over 25 years if it spends at least $14 billion, including equipment refreshes every five years, for a five-phase data center campus, city information shows. Story continues The magnitude of a possible five-phase campus "is like nothing we've ever seen here," Triggs told the El Paso Times. "It will transform the property tax base by shifting the property tax burden away from residential taxpayers." El Paso competing with other cities El Paso is competing with other cities for the data center, Triggs said after Monday's meeting. But the incentives and other actions the City Council approved keep El Paso in the running, she said. And the fact that Meta allowed its name to be released after the incentives were approved is a good sign, she said. Meta representatives were not at the city or county meetings Monday. And Meta officials did not immediately respond to an El Paso Times request for comments about the proposed project. The 1,039 acres that city officials want to sell for an $800 million hyperscale data center project is located right in this photo, along Stan Roberts Sr. Avenue in far Northeast El Paso, as seen in September 2021. The City Council Tuesday took its final vote approving the sale agreement for the property. Meta would have until April 2024 to buy the land, with possible date extensions. The City Council also approved a tax abatement agreement with Meta. The city had set the site aside years ago in hopes of attracting a large manufacturer, but that never materialized. The vast expanse of desert land is located along a little-used portion of Stan Roberts Sr. Avenue, and just off of U.S. Highway 54 not far from the New Mexico state line. The land was appraised in April at $8,156 per acre, or $8.5 million, Triggs said. The low per-acre price is because of the large number of acres and the site needs water service and other infrastructure, she said. More: Virgin Galactic aims to launch new, $50M spaceships at Spaceport America in 2026 Data centers house computers and servers to process data for customers. Hyperscale data centers are large and can quickly scale up or down to meet demand, according to Vertiv, a global digital infrastructure provider. Electric cost important The centers use a lot of electricity. So, an important element for Meta is how much electricity will cost, Triggs said. El Paso Electric plans to file a rate request for the proposed data center. However, EPE officials will not disclose possible rates, a company spokesperson said. Triggs said Meta is expected to work with EPE to add solar power to the EPE grid to offset the center's power usage. The data center is authorized to use up to 2.5 million gallons of water daily under a water and wastewater agreement with a Meta company approved Monday night by the El Paso Public Service board. John Balliew, El Paso Water chief executive officer, told the board that Meta's proposed center will cool electronic equipment with an air-cooled system that needs water only when the ambient air gets too hot for the equipment. City officials want to sell 1,039 acres of vacant, city-owned land, right, in far Northeast El Paso, for an $800 million data center project. It's located along Stan Roberts Sr. Avenue, and U.S. Highway 54. The city plans to pay $7.6 million and Meta a similar amount to widen and upgrade Stan Roberts Sr. Drive along Meta's site under the city agreement. The City Council also approved paying $5 million to improve access to the site from U.S. Highway 54 and Stan Roberts Sr Avenue. The $12.6 million is to come from an economic development fund created as part of the sale of El Paso Electric in 2020. Meta pivots to new design Meta canceled multiple data center projects as part of a 2022 restructuring to pivot toward the next-generation design for its data centers, the company reported in a recent financial report. The restructuring included 21,000 companywide layoffs in 2022 and 2023, the report shows. El Paso would be Meta's 19th data center campus worldwide, city information shows. The average Meta data campus has several buildings totaling more than 2 million square feet, the size of the huge Marshall's distribution center in East El Paso, Triggs said. Meta Platform Inc.'s data center campus in Los Lunas, New Mexico opened in 2016 and will have eight buildings with 3.8 million square feet and 400 employees when a recent expansion is completed. Meta's data center campus in Los Lunas, New Mexico, south of Albuquerque, opened in 2016 and will have eight buildings with 3.8 million square feet of space, an investment of $2 billion, and about 400 employees when its latest expansion is completed, Meta information shows. Data centers don't have large workforces. Meta is only required to hire 50 people for the $800 million center it may build here. But jobs would grow if Meta builds a larger campus, Triggs said. The number of hyperscale data centers has quickly grown in recent years, with 700 worldwide at the end of 2021, according to Statista, an online statistics provider. Vic Kolenc may be reached at 546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter, now known as X. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Facebook owner Meta Platforms eyes El Paso for $800M data center First Quadruple Leveraged S&P 500 ETN Proposed A small ETN issuer is seeking to launch the first quadruple leveraged S&P 500 ETNwith the ticker XXXXas exchange-traded fund issuers push the envelope on high-risk, high-reward investment products. MAX ETNs, an exchange-traded note provider with four leveraged products, will offer investors daily compounded four times leveraged exposure to the S&P 500 Total Return Index. The funds inception date is listed as Dec. 5, according to Bloomberg, and its management fee is 0.95%. As the exchange traded product industry grows, providers constantly look for so-called white space in the sector to offer investors novel products. While the Securities and Exchange Commission allows only three times leveraged products, offering the investment as an ETN could circumvent regulatory scrutiny, according to Todd Sohn, ETF analyst at Strategas Securities. Sohn noted that retail traders represent a potential market for the product, because they often look for quick, high-reward short-term vehicles, even though these carry enormous risk. I suspect the [demand for leveraged products] will continue to grow as retail continues to adopt these now you have retail traders able to trade from their phone anywhere they want, and these products help to cater that, he said. One consideration regarding ETNs is that unlike ETFs, they carry credit risk. At its core, its a debt instrument, Sohn said. There is a risk for investors who play in this that it could close at a due time if the counterparty decides they dont want the exposure anymore. MAX ETNs other products include the Auto Industry 3X Leveraged ETNs and the Airlines 3X Leveraged ETNs. New ETFs on the Market As leveraged ETFs grow in popularity, some wonder why these risky products can hit the market before spot bitcoin ETFs, which are now working through the SEC approval process. There are currently 169 leveraged ETFs with an average expense ratio of 1.02% and total assets under management of $73.32 billion. Story continues Wild that grandma will be able to buy a 4x leveraged S&P 500 ETN before a spot bitcoin ETF, Nate Geraci, head of The ETF Store, wrote on Twitter/X. Contact Lucy Brewster at lucy.brewster@etf.com. Permalink | Copyright 2023 etf.com. All rights reserved Ford Motor Co.s commercial customers in eight states, including Michigan, are expected to get some help in covering the costs of going electric in the coming years. The companys Ford Pro division is teaming up with a utility, Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy, as part of an initiative to add 30,000 electric vehicle charging ports in Xcels territory by 2030. Xcel will offset most of the upfront costs for EV charging equipment and installation for businesses through the so-called 30x30 initiative, according to the announcement. The initiative will be rolled out for enrolled customers in a special company program in Wisconsin and Colorado in 2024. The program will seek opportunities for expansion" in other states in Xcels service territory Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, the Dakotas and Texas in subsequent years, pending regulatory approval, a press release said. Xcel Energy serves about 9,000 electricity customers in Michigan in the Upper Peninsula, in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties, according to Lacey Nygard, an Xcel spokesperson. Xcel Energy will install charging infrastructure for business customers that qualify (details have not yet been finalized), and Ford Pro will provide charging equipment and post-installation customer support and service, the release said. Dave Prusinski, general manager of Integrated Services for Ford Pro, said the partnership should help commercial customers as they consider making the electric switch because that upfront cost is a major barrier. More: Detroit touts first wireless-charging public road for electric vehicles in US It's a well-known fact that the cost of installing EV chargers can sometimes cost more than the chargers themselves, including tearing up concrete, laying wiring and infrastructure. But we know that that charging infrastructure is a crucial bridge to the future, Prusinski told reporters Monday. Prusinski noted that range anxiety isnt the biggest concern for commercial fleet managers; its the lack of convenient charging options. Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford, Xcel plan aims to offset EV costs for some customers Every day 27 Kyrgyzstanis leave the country for migration, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg News Agency. According to its data, the population of Kyrgyzstan as of December 5 is 6,779 million people. At least 417 babies are born daily on average, one Kyrgyzstani is born almost every three and a half minutes. The number of deaths per day is 104 people that is, one person dies in the country every 14 minutes. Forsys Metals Corp Figure 1 Drilling program underway TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forsys has launched a broad-ranging initiative to reassess its 2015 Feasibility Study (FS) for its fully owned Norasa Project1 in Namibia. The Company sees potential to improve project economics by optimizing pit parameters and examining the potential of using heap leaching in mineral processing. The work program that began in mid 2023 and is anticipated to finish in mid 2024 includes the following components: 4,100 metre (m) drilling program aimed at enhancing geotechnical assessments and obtaining fresh ore samples for additional metallurgical test work; Geotechnological optimization of pit parameters to reduce stripping ratio; Evaluation of alternative metallurgical processes, including heap leaching, to reduce capital and operational expenses; Critical review of all linear infrastructure and utilities. To achieve these objectives, the Company recruited a 27 person team who have significant previous uranium mining experience at various Namibian operations. The technical team includes process engineers, mining experts, geologists, environment consultants, and local specialists led by the Companys Namibian Country Director, Pine Van Wyk. Further Drilling Program Recent advancements in metallurgical, engineering and mining technology since exploration and computation of the Norasa Projects FS have warranted a comprehensive review of the project. In mid 2023, the Company commenced a new 4,100 m drilling program to retrieve fresh samples at depths of up to 420 m from the slope areas for both the planned mining pits at Valencia and Namibplaas. The drilling program focuses on: Geotechnical logging and geo-mechanical sampling to refine pit designs; Sampling for new metallurgical test work and for optimized process design; Sampling and testing local groundwater resources and to establish additional groundwater monitoring borehole; Further geotechnical drilling, logging and sampling, along with downhole surveys (trajectory, gamma, Optical Televiewer) at Valencia and Namibplaas; Density test work on ore and waste material; geochemical analysis of samples at Trace Element Analytical Laboratories and calc index and U deportment test work; minimum of 5% check analyses by other independent analytical laboratories. Story continues Figure-1 below, illustrates the drilling program within ML-149 Valencia and EPL-3638 Namibplaas (ML-251 pending). Currently one Reverse Circulation (RC) drill rig and two Diamond Core (DC) drill rigs are on ML-149. Additional drill locations are planned for further in-depth studies and for geotechnical assessments. Drilling program underway Figure 1: Drilling program underway By the end of October 2023, a total of 1,445 m of RC drilling and 1,865 m of DC drilling had been completed, including substantial large diameter metallurgical drilling at the Valencia, ML-149 site. Work is ongoing and the majority of the programme is targeted for completion by year end 2023. Heap Leach Trade-Off Studies and Test Work In March 2023, Forsys engaged DRA Projects Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of DRA Global Limited (ASX; DRA/JSE: DRA) (DRA) to oversee test work and conduct various engineering studies. The test work and studies aim to assess the potential trade-off opportunity between tank and heap leaching given advances in High Pressure Grinding Rolls crushing and heap leach technology. Column leach tests are underway at SGS laboratories in South Africa, including measurements of ore height and slump in the column, with residues analyses for uranium content. The column leach tests results will inform heap leach recovery projections and key process conditions for the economic assessments. Final results of this trade-off study are expected first quarter 2024. Mining Licences, Environmental Certificates and Permits The Company currently holds a 25-year Mining Licence (ML-149) for its Valencia deposit, valid until 2033. Additionally, Forsys is actively engaged with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) to renew its Exclusive Prospecting Licence (EPL-3638) for further pit optimization work at the Namibplaas site. Earlier in the year, Forsys renewed its Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism for a further three-year term, allowing the Company to advance its development plans for the Norasa project. The ECC renewal process evaluated the Company's environmental management practices, including waste management, emissions controls, biodiversity protection, and community engagement, among other factors. Forsys is in the process also of securing additional permits, encompassing land surface rights; accessory works; radiation management; linear infrastructure development and desalination. Qualified Person and Independent Consulting Firms Mr. Robin Welsh is acting as the Companys Qualified Person, as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Mr. Welsh is a Senior Project Manager for DRA Projects Pty Ltd and with his education, experience, and professional registrations, he fulfils the requirements of an independent Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Welsh has reviewed and approved the scientific or technical information contained in this press release. DRA Projects Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of DRA Global Limited is an international multi-disciplinary engineering, project delivery and operations management group, predominantly focused on the mining, minerals and metals industry. About Forsys Metals Corp. Forsys Metals Corp. (TSX: FSY, FSE: F2T, NSX: FSY) is focused on advancing the Norasa Uranium Project that is made up of the Valencia Uranium deposit (ML-149) and the nearby Namibplaas Uranium deposit (EPL-3638) in the politically friendly jurisdiction of Namibia. Extensive work has been carried out on the deposits from 2006 to 2015 with close to 290,000 m of drilling, resource estimation and processing test work. The reserves come from three deposits: the Valencia pit, a small satellite pit adjacent to Valencia, and the Namibplaas pit, and two NI 43-101 technical reports previously prepared in support of the 2015 FS demonstrated significant proven and probable mineral reserves of 91Mlb. In addition, the 2015 FS demonstrated Measured and Indicated resource of 115Mlb and Inferred resource of 11Mlb. Forsys are currently engaged in re-evaluating the 2015 FS and multiple workstreams are underway to re-analyze geology data as well as establishing a new drilling program to retrieve fresh samples from both site deposits and improve on process and pit designs. As a part of this study, Forsys are exploring new technologies to understand how these can enhance recovery rates, optimise tailings and improve project economics. Further information is available at the Company website www.forsysmetals.com On behalf of the Board of Directors of Forsys Metals Corp. Richard Parkhouse, Director, Investor Relations. For additional information please contact: Richard Parkhouse, Director, Investor Relations email: rparkhouse@forsysmetals.com email: info@forsysmetals.com Phone: +44 (0) 7730 493432 Forward Looking Statement Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding improved project economics, improved resource quality, the benefits of changing to a heap leach process, anticipated Capex and Opex savings, the results and timing of an updated NI 43-101 technical report and feasibility study, and the future operating or financial performance of Forsys Metals Corp which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Forsys Metals Corp disclaim 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. The Norasa Uranium Project (Norasa) is wholly-owned by the Companys subsidiary Valencia Uranium (Pty) Ltd. (Valencia Uranium) and comprises the Valencia Uranium Project (ML149) ("Valencia) and the Namibplaas Uranium Project (EPL3638) (Nambiplaas). A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b6239d95-6ce4-434e-9012-bf5e9f0efe03 Germany Cars German carmakers have been accused of supplying Vladimir Putins Russia through the back door as exports to Central Asia boom. Exports of cars and vehicle parts to Kyrgyzstan are reported to have surged by 5,500pc in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2019, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF). Exports of German car parts to Kazakhstan, Armenia and Georgia were also up by 720pc, 450pc and 340pc respectively. The IIF suggested that the surge was a clear sign that Putin was using backdoor trade routes to access Western goods. Chief economist Robin Brooks said: The growth rates are so massive that it seems to be the only logical explanation. German carmakers such as BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche and Mercedes have all suspended their businesses in Russia and stopped direct exports since the invasion of Ukraine. Industry leaders have also publicly condemned the war. However, the figures suggest the Kremlin is successfully finding ways to source goods from Europe indirectly and covertly. Russian president Vladimir Putin introduced a parallel imports programme in May 2022 intended to help skirt sanctions and continue imports of Western goods. Liam Peach, senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, said: Its German cars, French cosmetics, a lot of Western products. Figures from Russias central bank showed more than $20bn (15.7bn) of goods were imported during the first six months of Putins import scheme. Mr Peach said Russian state news has reported that 500 different Western car models are on the parallel imports list. A spokesman for the German Association of the Automotive Industry said the sector condemned the war in Ukraine. They said: German manufacturers and suppliers have massively scaled back their Russian business, broken off supply relationships and discontinued business activities. The associations own figures show a smaller increase of 156pc in German car exports to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Georgia combined so far this year, compared to the first 10 months of 2021. Its figures only cover new cars, rather than second hand and vehicle parts. Story continues The German Association of the Automotive Industry said bans on exports to Russia had cut off the supply of 36,000 new cars. By contrast, only 1,600 more new vehicles were sent from Germany to Central Asia. A spokesman suggested the increase could also be driven by Russian dealers selling fewer German cars in Central Asia, prompting countries to go directly to manufacturers. Mr Brooks said it was unlikely to be only German cars that are suspected of being imported into Russia through black market trade routes. He said: Germany is probably the most important country in this regard, since it makes so many autos and parts, but the rest of Europe is in on this too. This really isnt just a German thing. Previous IIF analysis found that exports from the US to Central Asian nations jumped by 11.5pc in the first six months of the year compared to 2019 levels. Exports from Poland rose by 27pc. 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. Straits Research - Market Research Strategy | Strategy Consulting | Business Research | Business Consulting | Market Research One of the key factors propelling the growth of the food additives market is the rising demand for convenience and processed foods such as ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-drink beverages, snacks, frozen dinners, and others. New York, United States, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A wide variety of additives are used in the food business to enhance the food's flavor, texture, and visual appeal. Additives to food can boost its nutritional value and elevate its taste. Moreover, some additives are used to extend food's shelf life or make it healthier. Food additives have been increasingly popular recently due to consumers' demands for more nutritious and multipurpose products. Download Free Sample Report PDF @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/food-additives-market/request-sample Increasing Demand for Convenience and Processed Food Drives the Global Market According to Straits Research, The global food additives market size was valued at USD 139.79 billion in 2021. It is projected to reach USD 215.76 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.93% during the forecast period (20222030). The increased demand for convenience and processed foods, including ready-to-eat meals, ready-to-drink beverages, snacks, frozen dinners, and others, is one of the major drivers driving the growth of the food additives industry. Urbanization, a rising middle class, more working women, and more significant disposable income contribute to the growing demand for processed and packaged foods in both developed and developing parts of the world. As a result, food additives are frequently used in processed and convenience food products to preserve the freshness, safety, flavor, appearance, and texture of processed meals. For instance, preservatives prevent or inhibit the growth of germs (like mold on bread), and thickeners are a typical additive in almost all dairy products. Increase Consumption of Beverages and Processed Food Creates Tremendous Opportunities As individuals become more accustomed to different products around the world, the rate of globalization has hastened the experimenting with new recipes. Additionally, because of the increased demand for several meals and drinks to meet escalating customer demands, the factors and causes that affect packaged food and beverages have changed dramatically. Nowadays, consumers seek tasty, nutritious foods and drinks, like soft drinks, milkshakes, and fruit juices, which frequently contain food coloring, natural flavors, preservatives, and sweeteners. Customers typically prefer processed foods since they are quick and fast to consume due to their busy lifestyles, such as ready-to-eat items or canned foods. Story continues Regional Analysis Asia-Pacific is the most significant shareholder in the global food additives market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.81% during the forecast period. Consumer demand for additives such as food tastes has also increased in China due to the growing domestic and importation of flavoring items in recent years. The Food for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) regulation standards, which oversee Japan's wide range of functional ingredients, have been approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The country's thriving manufacturing sector presents an excellent opening for local ingredient manufacturers to expand their customer base by serving the needs of the country's expanding businesses. North America is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.48%, generating USD 58.61 billion during the forecast period. The market for processed meals is flourishing due to the nation's fast-paced lifestyle and shifting consumer preferences. As a result, emulsifiers, texturants, colorants, and sweeteners all saw a surge simultaneously. The United States is a prominent market driver in North America due to FDA regulations and changing consumer perceptions of coloring chemicals. The Canadian market for food additives has a lot of potential due to the rising demand for bakery, confectionery, and beverage products that employ more natural ingredients. Key Highlights Based on product type, the global food additives market is bifurcated into preservatives, bulk sweeteners, sugar substitutes, emulsifiers, anti-caking agents, enzymes, food flavors and enhancers, food colorants, and acidulants. The bulk sweeteners segment is the highest contributor to the market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 2.83% during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is the most significant shareholder in the global food additives market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.81% during the forecast period. Competitive Players The global food additives markets major key players are Cargill Incorporated, BASF SE, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Eastman Chemical Company, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Tate & Lyle PLC, AGRANA Beteiligungs AG, Corbion NV, Kerry Group, CHR Hansen Holding A/S, Koninklijke DSM NV, Sensient Technologies, Ingredion Incorporated, Givaudan, Brenntag AG, Associated British Foods PLC, and DuPont de Nemours Inc. Market News In January 2022, ADM, a premier global provider of human and animal nutrition, announced opening of its first Science and Technology (S&T) Center in China. The center will utilize ADM's R&D, technology, and product innovation strengths to stimulate high-quality development in the nutrition and health industry and fulfill expanding market needs in China and Asia-Pacific (APAC). In Feb 2022, Eastman's care additives business announced the completion of a significant expansion of its tertiary amine capacity, primarily DIMLA 1214, at its Ghent, Belgium, and Pace, Florida, manufacturing sites. Global Food Additives Market: Segmentation By Products Preservatives Bulk Sweeteners Sugar Substitutes Emulsifiers Anti-caking Agents Enzymes Food Flavors and Enhancers Food Colorants Acidulants By Source Synthetic Natural By Application Frozen Desserts & Dairy Products Confectionery & Bakery Convenience Food & Snacks Beverages Others By Regions North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEA Get Detailed Market Segmentation @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/food-additives-market/segmentation About Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. Straits Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision-makers. Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. provides actionable market research data, especially designed and presented for decision making and ROI. Whether you are looking at business sectors in the next town or crosswise over continents, we understand the significance of being acquainted with the clients purchase. We overcome our clients issues by recognizing and deciphering the target group and generating leads with utmost precision. We seek to collaborate with our clients to deliver a broad spectrum of results through a blend of market and business research approaches. For more information on your target market, please contact us below: Phone: +1 646 480 7505 (the U.S.) +91 8087085354 (APAC) +44 208 068 9665 (the U.K.) Email: sales@straitsresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Andrew Burton/Getty Images Oil prices moved lower on Monday for the third consecutive session even as OPEC+ cut production. The outlook for global oil demand has weakened, and crude prices have dropped two months in a row. Meanwhile, energy firm Kpler expects Saudi Arabia to keep its 1 million barrel-a-day cuts through all of 2024. The group of the world's largest oil producers and their allies keep promising to cut production, but that hasn't done much to prop up US and international oil prices in recent months. Crude oil prices dropped on Monday, adding to a streak of recent declines despite the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies announcing plans for production cuts at the group's latest meeting. West Texas Intermediate declined 0.81% to $73.47 a barrel while Brent crude, the international benchmark, moved lower 0.56% to $78.44 a barrel. Prices have fallen two months in a row. The two oil benchmarks had moved higher following Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salam, comments to Bloomberg that production cuts could stay on the table past March, but moved lower again shortly after. OPEC+ last week announced a deal to reduce supply by more than 2 million barrels a day, with roughly half coming from Saudi Arabia. How long those cuts will last will depend on market conditions, the group said. "The reason the prices have come off not just in the last few days but in the last few months, is because of demand weakness but also because of supply strength," Kpler's lead oil analyst for the Americas, Matt Smith, told Business Insider. Kpler forecasts Saudi Arabia will keep its one million barrel-a-day cut through all of 2024. "While you have OPEC+ cutting production, you have a variety of countries that are increasing production outside the group, and also inside too actually," Smith added. "The US has increased, Canada, Guyana, Brazil. And ironically, you have Venezuela and Iran within OPEC increasing. Basically you have OPEC+ making room for non-OPEC supply, while the demand picture starts to soften." Story continues Because the cuts are voluntary, however, the move down in price reflects doubt in the market as to whether producers will fully commit to them. Meanwhile, oil production in the US set records for two months in a row, presenting a challenge to Saudi Arabia's control of the market as the de facto leader of OPEC. According to data from the Energy Information Administration, US crude and condensate production climbed by 224,000 barrels a day to hit 13.4 million barrels a day in September, month over month. And over the prior three months, crude and condensate production increased by 342,000 barrels a day, or about 7% higher year-over-year in that stretch. American producers have been able to take advantage of OPEC's supply cuts over recent months, and have since captured more market share, per Reuters. Craig Erlam, senior market analyst for OANDA, highlighted in a note last week after the cartel's promise of reductions in oil output that Brent prices moving below recent lows of $77 would be a "very bearish development." While OPEC+ members agreed in principle to the cuts at last week's meeting, some states said after that they were uncertain over whether they would comply. "[I]t seems traders either aren't buying that members will be compliant or don't view it as being sufficient. Or, of course, that the lack of formal commitment hints at fractures within the alliance which could impact its ability to hit its targets, let alone cut further if necessary," Erlam wrote. Read the original article on Business Insider FILE - A Brightline train is shown at a station in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 11, 2018. A high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area is getting a Biden administration pledge of $3 billion to help start laying track. Nevada's two Democratic U.S. senators said Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 the $12 billion project led by Brightline West has all required right-of-way, environmental and labor approvals. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File) SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The Biden administration on Tuesday said it will give more than $6 billion to a pair of high-speed electric rail routes in the U.S. West, injecting new life into long-stalled projects hailed by supporters as the future of public transportation but bemoaned by critics for their high price tags and lengthy construction times. U.S. senators from California and Nevada said the federal government will give $3 billion for a planned privately-owned route between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area plus another $3.1 billion for an initial segment of California's publicly-funded effort to eventually connect Los Angeles and San Francisco. The money is a fraction of the total cost to build the routes. But it signals the Biden administration's commitment to high-speed rail, a mode of transportation commonplace in Europe and Asia but bypassed in the U.S. and its car-obsessed culture. The federal government is back on building high speed rail in America, said Brian Kelly, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority that is overseeing the public project. This award is just a great leap forward. In 2008, California voters gave their blessing for a 500-mile (805-kilometer) project that promised to carry passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours on a fully-electric train traveling at speeds of up to 220 mph (354 kph). At the time, the project was projected to cost about $30 billion and be up and running by 2020. If running today, it would be the nation's fastest train service by far. But more than a decade later, the price has ballooned to more than $100 billion, of which only about $25 billion in funding has been identified by state officials. Today, officials are focusing on a 171-mile (190-kilometer) stretch that would connect the cities of Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield that would not open until 2033 at the latest. Those three cities are in California's Central Valley, which has some of the worst air quality in the country. The $3.1 billion would go exclusively toward work on that segment. Story continues Kelly, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said the new federal money will help close a funding gap of about $10 billion for the Central Valley route. He said the authority will look for more money in the future from both the federal and state governments. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called the funding a vote of confidence and said it comes at a critical turning point" for the project. Funding for the project has been on a rollercoaster in recent years, with former President Donald Trump trying to revoke $1 billion in federal money first granted by the Obama administration. Then state lawmakers, including Democrats, tried to block Gov. Gavin Newsom from releasing more than $4 billion in voter-approved bond money due to concerns about the project's viability. Both pots of money have since been made available. The route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles has been talked about for decades, and Nevada U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen told reporters the project now has all required right-of-way and environmental approvals, along with labor agreements, for work to start on some 218 miles (351 kilometers) along the Interstate 15 corridor. No date was announced for work to start. But Rosen said electric-powered trains could be carrying passengers by the time Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics in 2028. Were ready to get to work, Wes Edens, founder and chairman of Florida-based Brightline, said in a statement ahead of a Friday event in Las Vegas that may coincide with a visit by President Joe Biden. Rosen and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, both Democrats, led a bipartisan group including all of Nevadas elected federal lawmakers and four House members from California that in April urged Biden to commit up to $3.75 billion in federal infrastructure funds toward what they call a public-private partnership. Planners say trains carrying passengers at nearly 200 mph (322 kph) could cut in half a four-hour freeway trip from a station in Las Vegas through Victorville, California, to a suburban Los Angeles light rail line in the San Bernardino County city of Rancho Cucamonga. They say the service could help alleviate weekend or end-of-holiday travel traffic jams that often stretch for 15 miles (24 kilometers) on I-15 near the Nevada-California line. Connecting Las Vegas and Southern California by high-speed rail will create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs, boost our Southern Nevada tourism economy, and finally help us cut down on I-15 traffic, Cortez Masto said Tuesday in a statement. Calls for a high-speed rail line whisking tourists through the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas date at least to 2001, said U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Democrat who represents the Las Vegas Strip. The proposal had starts, stops and various names over the years, before getting sidetracked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida-based Brightline Holdings LLC, which built the only privately-owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the U.S., is expected to model the Las Vegas line on service it began in 2014 on Floridas east coast. That route now links Miami and Orlando with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph (200 kph). ___ This story has been corrected to say that the state is focused on a 171-mile segment of rail between Merced and Bakersfield. ___ Ritter reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press journalist Kathleen Ronayne contributed. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - December 5, 2023) - Canadian-based, precision-agriculture company HerdWhistle Technologies Incorporated (HerdWhistle) announced today that it has reached agreement with Impresario Partners which will become a strategic commercial and networking partner globally. HerdWhistle CEO Jack Behan commented: "We are excited at having executed this innovative agreement with Impresario Partners, this initiative builds on an already strong relationship with Mr George Moen and our founder, COO Adam Morand. George has also agreed to join our Advisory Board, his business acumen and comprehensive network will add a great deal to an already stellar group of advisors." "Impresario Partners have an established network 'par excellence' with a proven track record of success in commercializing innovation and technology in developing countries particularly in Africa; they are an ideal partner for HerdWhistle Technologies Incorporated as they connect real farmers with technology and funding. We are very excited about them opening up new markets for us in the coming months. Nigeria is a one of those countries and it is a country of huge potential for our technology and indeed for all types of livestock farmers even those with a few animals. Nigeria has over 220 million people to feed and a staggering 58 million goats and sheep, 14 million cattle and 3.5 million pigs. The strong links that Impresario Partners also have in Uganda will assist our growth not only there but as a local office to enable our products to reach significant numbers of buffalo, dairy cows and beef animals in neighbouring countries of Sudan (32 million head), Ethiopia (65 million head), Kenya (22 million head) and Tanzania (34 million head)." George Moen, one of two founding partners at Impresario Partners said, "I have had the advantage of following HerdWhistle and its development of its innovative technology from its inception. The international team of C-Suite along with their Advisors that has been assembled is world class. Impresario through its international network can immediately assist in HerdWhistle's global expansion plans in a significant way." Story continues Nicholas Jeffery, the other founding partner at Impresario added, "HerdWhistle is the first manifestation of our 'Farm as a Service' platform, demonstrating that IOT and Web3 can have a real impact even at a community farm level. Early engagement at the ministry and farm cooperative level in numerous countries worldwide is exciting. HerdWhistle will be the paradigm shift in animal husbandry, health, and production yields." About HerdWhistle Technologies Inc. HerdWhistle sells proprietary next generation electronic livestock identification and traceability hardware whilst aggregating data from all devices and disparate data sources to deliver competitive advantages for livestock producers. HerdWhistle is a livestock technology company that provides producers with clear visibility and data-driven decisions to improve performance. See https://www.herdwhistle.com for more information. About Impresario Partners Impresario Partners International is a global consulting business that offers a unique circle of services: Insight, Innovation, Influence, and Investment. The company specializes in providing commercial and financial solutions for businesses that operate in the intersection of IoT and Web3 with specific vertical markets such as property, financial services, and natural resources. Impresario Partners has a team of experienced and qualified partners who can help clients with digital transformation, communication, operations, and investment banking. The company aims to drive business turnaround and growth in the IoT space and create value for its stakeholders. See https://www.impresariopartners.com for more information. Investor Inquiries: HerdWhistle Technologies Inc. investors@herdwhistle.com (587) 943-4404 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/189762 Key Insights New Zealand Oil & Gas to hold its Annual General Meeting on 11th of December CEO Andrew Jefferies' total compensation includes salary of NZ$684.8k The total compensation is 118% higher than the average for the industry New Zealand Oil & Gas' three-year loss to shareholders was 44% while its EPS grew by 84% over the past three years Shareholders of New Zealand Oil & Gas Limited (NZSE:NZO) will have been dismayed by the negative share price return over the last three years. Despite positive EPS growth in the past few years, the share price hasn't tracked the fundamental performance of the company. The AGM coming up on the 11th of December could be an opportunity for shareholders to bring these concerns to the board's attention. They could also influence management through voting on resolutions such as executive remuneration. We discuss below why we think shareholders should be cautious of approving a raise for the CEO at the moment. See our latest analysis for New Zealand Oil & Gas How Does Total Compensation For Andrew Jefferies Compare With Other Companies In The Industry? Our data indicates that New Zealand Oil & Gas Limited has a market capitalization of NZ$83m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as NZ$1.0m for the year to June 2023. That's a notable increase of 13% on last year. Notably, the salary which is NZ$684.8k, represents most of the total compensation being paid. For comparison, other companies in the New Zealand Oil and Gas industry with market capitalizations below NZ$324m, reported a median total CEO compensation of NZ$468k. Hence, we can conclude that Andrew Jefferies is remunerated higher than the industry median. Component 2023 2022 Proportion (2023) Salary NZ$685k NZ$642k 67% Other NZ$336k NZ$259k 33% Total Compensation NZ$1.0m NZ$902k 100% On an industry level, around 63% of total compensation represents salary and 37% is other remuneration. Although there is a difference in how total compensation is set, New Zealand Oil & Gas more or less reflects the market in terms of setting the salary. If total compensation veers towards salary, it suggests that the variable portion - which is generally tied to performance, is lower. Story continues New Zealand Oil & Gas Limited's Growth New Zealand Oil & Gas Limited's earnings per share (EPS) grew 84% per year over the last three years. In the last year, its revenue is up 18%. Shareholders would be glad to know that the company has improved itself over the last few years. It's a real positive to see this sort of revenue growth in a single year. That suggests a healthy and growing business. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Has New Zealand Oil & Gas Limited Been A Good Investment? Few New Zealand Oil & Gas Limited shareholders would feel satisfied with the return of -44% over three years. So shareholders would probably want the company to be less generous with CEO compensation. In Summary... The fact that shareholders are sitting on a loss on the value of their shares in the past few years is certainly disconcerting. The stock's movement is disjointed with the company's earnings growth, which ideally should move in the same direction. Shareholders would be keen to know what's holding the stock back when earnings have grown. At the upcoming AGM, shareholders will get the opportunity to discuss any issues with the board, including those related to CEO remuneration and assess if the board's plan will likely improve performance in the future. While CEO pay is an important factor to be aware of, there are other areas that investors should be mindful of as well. That's why we did some digging and identified 2 warning signs for New Zealand Oil & Gas that you should be aware of before investing. Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. 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. Israels top securities regulator said in an updated statement on Tuesday that it has not detected suspicious trading activity on the Israeli stock exchange in the days leading up to the October 7 Hamas attack. The statement from the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) raises questions about some of the findings in a research paper released Monday that found an unusual spike in bets against Israeli securities just before the attack. However, that research, from professors at New York University and Columbia University, did not exclusively focus on trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Instead, it relied heavily on short selling activity on a fund listed in New York, and Israeli regulators did not review that trading. The Israel Securities Authority (ISA) said Tuesday that its technology intelligence system, which regularly monitors trading, did not uncover significant trading abnormalities that required further investigation prior to the terror attack. A proactive examination, carried out immediately following October 7, similarly did not wield any findings suggesting suspicious trading activity, the ISA statement said. The Israeli regulator said it did reexamine trading several weeks ago after it became aware of forthcoming research. The ISA said its reexamination did not raise any concerns regarding suspicious activity on the stock exchange in Israel during the relevant days. In fact, the ISA said it found that the average short balances for shares traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange declined during the period just before October 7. By contrast, the NYU and Columbia research found that bets against Israeli securities trades in Tel Aviv increased dramatically. The new research, which has not been peer reviewed, relied heavily on short selling in a popular fund linked to Israeli companies. That fund, the MSCI Israel Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), trades on the New York Stock Exchange, not in Tel Aviv. ISA noted in its statement that it supervises trading in Israel and its findings on suspicious trading reflect only trading activity in Israel. Story continues The US Securities and Exchange Commission told CNN on Monday that it does not confirm the existence or nonexistence of investigations. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Wall Streets self-regulator, similarly said it does not comment on whether or not it is conducting an investigation. The preliminary research, which hasnt been peer reviewed, found in the days before the Hamas attacks that bets against the value of the MSCI Israel Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) far exceeded the short selling activity that took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2014 Israel-Gaza war or even the 2008 financial crisis. Our findings suggest that traders informed about the coming attacks profited from these tragic events, the authors wrote. Yaniv Pagot, head of trading at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, said in an earlier statement to CNN on Tuesday that the paper revealed an unfamiliarity with the local market because researchers incorrectly calculated the estimated profit from shorting one particular Israeli company. The professors previously estimated that bets against Bank Leumi in the days before the October 7 attacks would have generated profits of billions of dollars. A corrected version of the research, sent to CNN on Monday, fixed that mistake and estimated the profits from that trade in the millions of dollars. This is a flawed analysis from the outset and there is a lack of understanding of how the local market operates, Pagot said. Experts urged regulators to investigate the matter, including by looking at nonpublic market data that researchers did not have access to. Clearly, there was something troubling some large investors, Charles Whitehead, a professor at Cornell Law School, told CNN. Whitehead noted there is a long history of sophisticated investors trading based on anticipated, future catastrophic events. He pointed to traders in the 1980s who shorted the stock of insurance companies that had significant exposure to real estate in San Francisco. Those traders then profited after the region was hit by an earthquake in 1989. Of course, thats quite different from trading based on inside knowledge of terrorist attacks, Whitehead said. Whether that was tied to knowledge of terrorist activity requires a better understanding of who was trading and the nature of the trading activity during the lead-up to the Hamas terrorist attack. CNNs Gayle Harrington and Tamar Michaelis contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But on the bright side, if you buy shares in a high quality company at the right price, you can gain well over 100%. For instance, the price of KUB Malaysia Berhad (KLSE:KUB) stock is up an impressive 145% over the last five years. So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 5 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns. Check out our latest analysis for KUB Malaysia Berhad While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. 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, KUB Malaysia Berhad managed to grow its earnings per share at 16% a year. This EPS growth is reasonably close to the 20% average annual increase in the share price. That suggests that the market sentiment around the company hasn't changed much over that time. In fact, the share price seems to largely reflect the EPS growth. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). Dive deeper into KUB Malaysia Berhad's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of KUB Malaysia Berhad's earnings, revenue and cash flow. 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. In the case of KUB Malaysia Berhad, it has a TSR of 166% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! Story continues A Different Perspective KUB Malaysia Berhad shareholders gained a total return of 1.9% during the year. But that return falls short of the market. If we look back over five years, the returns are even better, coming in at 22% per year for five years. It's quite possible the business continues to execute with prowess, even as the share price gains are slowing. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand KUB Malaysia Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for KUB Malaysia Berhad that you should be aware of. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. 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. TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - With a recent donation in Quebec, Labatt Breweries of Canada has donated more than a million cans of water to support communities with 24 distributions in seven provinces over 11 years. Established in 2012, Labatt's Canadian Disaster Relief Program was created to provide safe drinking water to Canadian communities experiencing disasters such as flooding, forest and wildfires, environmental spills, drought and ice storms that compromised a community's water supply. "Labatt is honoured to quickly deliver clean drinking water to people in communities across Canada facing hardship," said Marcelo Michaelis, President, Labatt Breweries of Canada. "Continuing our long tradition in Canada, the people of Labatt's are committed to making positive contributions that create a better future for everyone." Labatt also keeps a reserve of cans ready so when there is a reprieve from disasters, the reserve is stocked and stored in the brewery. Labatt has recently put some of its reserves to great use, donating more than 24,000 cans to the Food Banks of Quebec. Water is a life source; one Labatt believes every Canadian is entitled to. Established in 2012, Labatt's Canadian Disaster Relief Program was created to provide safe drinking water to Canadian communities experiencing disasters such as flooding, forest and wildfires, environmental spills, drought and ice storms that compromised a communitys water supply. (CNW Group/Labatt Breweries of Canada) "By periodically halting beer production here in Labatt's flagship facility in London to produce canned drinking water, we're able to maintain sufficient supply using the same high-quality procedures and standards as our brewed beverages," explains Alex Martel, General Manager, Labatt's London Brewery. Labatt relies on the proven public system of coordination with provincial and local governments, emergency and non-profit agencies, and other authorities to supply water when needed after the declaration of an emergency. Government emergency management organizations identify those communities most in need of various essentials and support, including drinking water. "Working with local authorities and our steadfast logistics team, we mobilize our distribution network to deliver water to Canadians and emergency responders in need," adds Jeff Ryan, Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Labatt Breweries of Canada. "Labatt's dedication and support for Canadian communities puts our purpose - We Dream Big to Create a Future with More Cheers into practice." Story continues Boosting the Labatt Canadian Disaster Relief Program in 2021 by partnering with Team Rubicon Canada, Labatt has leaned on the tactical expertise of Team Rubicon whenever those in need are in particularly hard-to-access areas. Team Rubicon Canada serves communities by mobilizing military veterans, first responders and passionate civilians called Greyshirts to get needed supplies to communities and on-the-ground responders, quickly and safely. Labatt's Legacy of Community Support Labatt's Disaster Relief Program reflects the company's purpose to "Dream Big to Create a Future with More Cheers," by making positive contributions through many programs that support Canada's communities, promote responsible drinking and protect the environment. Because water is a critical part of Labatt's brewing processes and the purity of Canadian water is a hallmark of its products, it is a meaningful and logical focus for the disaster relief program as well as Labatt's environmental efforts. Labatt Breweries of Canada has strived to live up to the ethos first created by the company's founder, John Kinder Labatt, in supporting Canada and its communities. The sense of duty and commitment that he inspired has been an integral part of the brand's history and continues to be a guiding principle at Labatt. Labatt x Team Rubicon Partnership Team Rubicon Canada and Labatt began working together in the spring of 2021, in recognition of their common goals: to help Canadians affected by disasters and to value the unique abilities of our nation's veterans. As part of Labatt and Team Rubicon Canada's ongoing partnership, Labatt employees have the opportunity to participate as "Greyshirt" volunteers and serve the communities where they live and work as well as international disaster operations. Labatt has also flown employees across Canada to aid with on-the-ground relief efforts and reinforced its support through its employee donation-matching program. About Labatt Breweries of Canada Labatt Breweries of Canada is one of Canada's most established businesses and its leading beverage company, with over 3,600 employees; an unmatched portfolio of more than 60 quality beers, ready-to-drink and non-alcoholic products; six key breweries; and four craft breweries from coast-to-coast. Our employees are the driving force behind our business brewing the world's most loved beverages, building iconic brands and creating meaningful experiences for Canadians. Through 176 years of brewing excellence, we are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life's moments, dream big to move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in our communities through a collective purpose of creating A Future with More Cheers. Labatt Breweries of Canada Logo (CNW Group/Labatt Breweries of Canada) SOURCE Labatt Breweries of Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2023/05/c3070.html The Kremlin on Tuesday announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay working visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. "President Putin will pay working visits to the UAE and Saudi Arabia tomorrow," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in a press briefing in Moscow, adding that the visits will take place on the same day. Peskov said issues related to the oil market, as well as bilateral and international issues, will be on the agenda of Putins visit to the region. You know that these discussions are being conducted within the OPEC+ format, but, of course, interaction in this area is always on the agenda, Peskov said when asked whether the topic of oil will be raised. Peskov added that issues on the bilateral and international level will also be discussed during the talks in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, indicating that the exchanges of views will also include the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He added that despite this, discussions in this regard will primarily focus on bilateral relations. Putin's visits will be his first to both countries and the Gulf region in over four years. Peskov also announced that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will arrive in Moscow on Thursday for an official visit to hold talks with Putin.??????? Key Insights Using the Dividend Discount Model, CSE Global fair value estimate is S$0.38 Current share price of S$0.41 suggests CSE Global is potentially trading close to its fair value Our fair value estimate is 38% lower than CSE Global's analyst price target of S$0.61 Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of CSE Global Limited (SGX:544) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. View our latest analysis for CSE Global The Method We have to calculate the value of CSE Global slightly differently to other stocks because it is a it company. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. Unless a company pays out the majority of its FCF as a dividend, this method will typically underestimate the value of the stock. We use the Gordon Growth Model, which assumes dividend will grow into perpetuity at a rate that can be sustained. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a company's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In this case we used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.0%). The expected dividend per share is then discounted to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.8%. Compared to the current share price of S$0.4, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. Story continues Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = S$0.03 / (7.8% 2.0%) = S$0.4 dcf The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at CSE Global as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.161. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for CSE Global Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by . Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Singaporean market. Significant insider buying over the past 3 months. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Dividends are not covered by earnings. Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For CSE Global, we've compiled three essential factors you should explore: Risks: To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with CSE Global (including 2 which are concerning) . Future Earnings: How does 544's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the SGX every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. MONTREAL, Dec. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Novartis Canada announces that Mark Vineis has been appointed to the role of Country President, effective as of January 1, 2024. Mark brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the organization, with more than 25 years in the industry and in a variety of leadership roles within Novartis US. As Country President, Mark will take overall leadership of the Novartis strategy within Canada, focused on developing innovative healthcare solutions to address the evolving needs of patients in four primary therapeutic areas: Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, Oncology, Immunology and Neuroscience. Mark Vineis (CNW Group/Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.) "I am excited and honoured to take on this role within Novartis, and I am eager to begin working with stakeholders from across the Canadian healthcare system to improve the health of millions of Canadians," said Mark Vineis, Country President, Novartis Canada. "I am thrilled to be leading a team that has such deep knowledge and a sincere commitment to advancing patient outcomes in Canada, and I am looking forward to collaborating with them in pursuit of our common purpose to reimagine medicine." Mark joined Novartis US in June 2016, where his responsibilities included the commercialization of the biosimilar portfolio for Sandoz Biopharmaceuticals as Vice President, Market Access and Patient Services, and subsequently leading the Pharmaceuticals Access Strategy & Commercialization teams. In 2020, as Vice President and Head of US Market Access, Mark was named to the US pharmaceuticals leadership team, highlighting his team as a centre of excellence and a hub of critical importance. Mark succeeds former Country President Andrea Marazzi, who moved to a new position within Novartis in September 2023. About Novartis Novartis is a focused innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people's lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide. Reimagine medicine with us: Visit us at https://www.novartis.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram. Story continues In Canada, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 600 people to serve the evolving needs of patients and the healthcare system, and invests over $30 million in R&D yearly in the country. For more information visit www.novartis.ca. Novartis Media Relations Claudja Joseph External Communications Lead claudja.joseph@novartis.com M +1 514 297 7366 375547E Novartis (CNW Group/Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.) SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2023/05/c5295.html 'There is no magical pot of funding': America is 'out of money' for Ukraine's war with Russia, warns White House urges action to buy more weapons. Here's the total aid to date The U.S. is rapidly running out of funds to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, and the White House is pressing Congress to approve more money before the years end. Cutting off the flow of U.S. weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, wrote Shalanda Young, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson. There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money and nearly out of time, added Young. Dont miss Commercial real estate has outperformed the S&P 500 over 25 years. Here's how to diversify your portfolio without the headache of being a landlord Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds Save big on your holiday shopping with an app thats already saved users $800 million How much has the US already provided in aid? Last year, Congress passed four spending packages approving about $113 billion in aid to Ukraine after Russias full-scale invasion on February 24. This included $67 billion in military procurement funding, over $27 billion for economic and civilian security assistance and $10 billion for humanitarian needs. Young says nearly all of it has been used up since, except for about 3% in military aid. The Biden administration recently said it has supplied about $44.2 billion in military assistance to the embattled nation since February last year, or more than $47 billion since Russias initial invasion in 2014. Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how Biden has proposed a $106 billion aid package In October, the Biden administration unveiled a $106 billion foreign aid and border security package, which included $61.4 billion in aid to Ukraine and met with some opposition from Senate Republicans. Story continues The proposed funding has since been tied up in discussions on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Mike Johnson said today in a letter responding to Young that he would not support further military aid to Ukraine unless the White House agrees to toughen border security control. What to read next Worried about the economy? Here are the best shock-proof assets for your portfolio. (Theyre all outside of the stock market.) Here's how much the typical baby boomer has saved for retirement how do you stack up right now? 'A natural way to diversify': Janet Yellen now says Americans should expect a decline in the USD as the world's reserve currency 3 ways you can prepare This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Restaurant Brands New Zealand Limited (NZSE:RBD). Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors money. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments. View our latest analysis for Restaurant Brands New Zealand How Is ROE Calculated? ROE can be calculated by using the formula: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Restaurant Brands New Zealand is: 6.7% = NZ$19m NZ$282m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023). The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this is that for each NZ$1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made NZ$0.07 in profit. Does Restaurant Brands New Zealand Have A Good Return On Equity? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. The image below shows that Restaurant Brands New Zealand has an ROE that is roughly in line with the Hospitality industry average (6.7%). roe So while the ROE is not exceptional, at least its acceptable. Even if the ROE is respectable when compared to the industry, its worth checking if the firm's ROE is being aided by high debt levels. If true, then it is more an indication of risk than the potential. Our risks dashboardshould have the 4 risks we have identified for Restaurant Brands New Zealand. The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used. Story continues Combining Restaurant Brands New Zealand's Debt And Its 6.7% Return On Equity Restaurant Brands New Zealand clearly uses a high amount of debt to boost returns, as it has a debt to equity ratio of 1.04. The combination of a rather low ROE and significant use of debt is not particularly appealing. Debt increases risk and reduces options for the company in the future, so you generally want to see some good returns from using it. Summary Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So you might want to check this FREE visualization of analyst forecasts for the company. If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OneOncology, the fastest-growing national platform for independent oncology practices, announced significant growth across the network as three partners have expanded by adding local practices and physicians. OneOncology partners continue to grow by adding practices and expanding high-quality cancer care regionally. Independent oncologists see enduring value by affiliating with leading oncology practices locally and OneOncology nationally. Pacific Cancer Medical Center, which has five medical oncologists, led by Dr. Veena Charu, and five advanced practice providers caring for patients in two clinics in Anaheim, California, has joined the Los Angeles Cancer Network (LACN). LACN now has 21 medical oncologists and ten advanced practice providers treating patients at 15 clinics throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area. With three physicians from the Maury Regional Medical Group in Columbia, Tennessee joining Tennessee Oncology, the practice now has 35 clinical sites of care across Tennessee and in Northwest Georgia. Drs. Mark Messenger, Romany Johnpulle, and Varun Dhulipala will continue to provide care on-site at the Maury Regional Cancer Center in Columbia. They will also be joined by Dr. Dixon Dorand, Jr. Based in Flint, Michigan, Genesee Cancer and Blood Disease Treatment Center, has joined Cancer and Hematology Centers, the largest physician-owned oncology and hematology practice in Michigan. Rizwan Danish, MD, and three advance practice providers care for patients in Genesee County, 70 miles north of Detroit. Earlier this year, Cancer and Hematology Centers opened a clinic in Big Rapids, Michigan expanding north from their Western Michigan roots. "Our partners continue to grow by adding practices and expanding high-quality cancer care regionally," said Jeff Patton, MD, CEO, OneOncology. Independent oncologists see enduring value by affiliating with leading oncology practices locally and OneOncology nationally. We look forward to working with our new partners to bring each best-in-class clinical services and clinical trial opportunities that will enhance patient access to care." Story continues OneOncology recently announced that Mid Florida Cancer Centers became the 19th practice to join the network across 15 states. In 2023, OneOncology continued its growth momentum by adding four large practices and 143 providers. About OneOncology OneOncology was founded by community oncologists, for community oncologists, with the mission of improving the lives of everyone living with cancer. Our goal is to enable community oncology practices to remain independent and to improve patient access to care in their communities, all at a lower cost than in the hospital setting. OneOncology supports our platform of community oncology practices through group purchasing, operational optimization, practice growth, and clinical innovation. Our 1,000 cancer care providers care for approximately 615,000 patients at more than 339 sites of care nationwide. To learn more, visit oneoncology.com or LinkedIn. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oneoncology-partners-continue-growth-by-adding-practices-to-national-platform-302005223.html SOURCE OneOncology, LLC. By Scott Murdoch and Lewis Jackson SYDNEY (Reuters) -Brookfield will walk away from Origin Energy, a source familiar with the matter said, after shareholders in Australia's largest power retailer rejected a $10.6 billion takeover bid by a consortium led by the asset manager on Monday. Final votes were 31.08% against the bid with 68.92% in favour, according to Origin's regulatory filings, lower than the 75% threshold required for a takeover to proceed. The deal was expected to fail after Origin's largest shareholder, A$300 billion ($198 billion) pension fund AustralianSuper, said it would reject the A$9.39 per share offer. AustralianSuper owns about 17% of Origin, which was enough to block the bid. In a statement, Brookfield said it would take into account a new government plan to accelerate the rollout of green energy before it decides what to do next. A source familiar with the matter said the Canadian-based asset manager had no intention of returning with a renewed offer for Origin as it considered the government's green energy plans negative for Origin's future earnings. The source declined to be identified as the information remained confidential. Brookfield declined to comment. Brookfield's proposal, made with EIG Partners, promised to build 14 gigawatts of renewable energy as part of a 10-year, A$20 billion to A$30 billion investment plan. Origin already has plans to develop 4 gigawatts by 2030, and Chairman Scott Perkins reaffirmed that strategy, adding that the company was open to working with other investors. "The way we've seen the energy transition is there's been plenty of scope for third party capital to invest alongside Origin," Perkins told reporters after the vote. "So all those pools of low cost of capital are interesting to Origin, they always have been. AusSuper would be absolutely one of the obvious sources of that capital," he said, adding that Origin had not held any talks with AustralianSuper so far. Story continues In its statement, AustralianSuper said it would be a willing capital partner for Origin as it "prepares to transition over the coming decades". "We have never wavered in our belief that the value and future value of Origin is better in the hands of members and other shareholders rather than a private equity consortium seeking to make a quick return based on the proposed scheme terms," an AustralianSuper spokesperson said. Origin's board on Thursday rejected an alternative proposal lodged last week from the consortium to be considered if the current offer failed. The power retailer will continue as an independent listed company and the board, which recommended the bid, would remain in place, Perkins said. Origin shares were down 3.9% ahead the investor vote. The shares are on a trading halt. (Reporting by Scott Murdoch and Lewis Jackson in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Miral Fahmy) SINGAPORE, December 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pacific Prime CXA won the Bronze Award for Best HR Management System (Enterprise) at this year's HR Vendors of the Year Awards in Singapore, presented by Human Resources Online. In addition to becoming the sole insurance broker to win this category, Pacific Prime CXA has made tremendous strides to become an insurance broker with the best HR management systems. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204233908/en/ Pacific Prime CXA won the Bronze Award for Best HR Management System (Enterprise) at this year's HR Vendors of the Year Awards and was the sole insurance broker to receive the distinction. (Photo: Business Wire) The HR Vendors of the Year, which took place on November 24, 2023, stands as a distinguished annual ranking with a longstanding history dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the premier HR solutions providers in Asia. This years edition of the awards was held at the Sofitel Singapore City Centre, where Singapores most forward-thinking solution providers converged. Voted as a top 3 HR management system, Pacific Prime CXA's Portal is a trusted HR-enhancing platform for employee benefits management. With seamless third-party integration, simplified benefits management, and a mobile-friendly experience, the platform is the fastest flexible benefits platform in Singapore, capable of adjudicating over 2 million claims annually. Our platform reshapes the landscape of employee benefits administration with its features and user-friendly platform. Additionally, the platform is customizable to meet the preferred configurations and needs of businesses, enabling the consolidated management of all claims on a single, centralized platform. This establishes Pacific Prime CXAs Portal as Singapores premier solution for large Fortune 500 enterprises and SMEs. The Portal exemplifies Pacific Prime CXA's dedication to providing an exceptional employee benefits experience; it was built on the expertise of insurance professionals with extensive experience in employee benefits administration across multiple continents. Story continues Heena Bose, CEO of Pacific Prime CXA, shared, "Pacific Prime CXA is privileged to be acknowledged as the exclusive insurance broker awarded the top three position in the HR Management Systems category. Leveraging this achievement, the company remains committed to supporting our clients by delivering comprehensive solutions for benefit management, employee engagement, and retention." To learn more about Pacific Prime CXAs acquisition, please visit: https://www.pacificprime.com/corporate/about-us-corporate-insurance-brokers/pacific-prime-cxa About Pacific Prime Established in 2000, Pacific Prime is an award-winning global insurance brokerage and employee benefits specialist that offers individual and corporate insurance solutions. With USD $750 million worth of premiums under management, Pacific Prime is now the third largest employee benefits broker in Asia Pacific after acquiring CXA Groups brokerage arms in 2021. The brokerage has over 1,000 employees and 15 offices worldwide, including Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE, the UK, the US, Mexico, and the Philippines. To learn more about Pacific Prime, please visit: https://www.pacificprime.com/corporate View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204233908/en/ Contacts Stephen Ho Chief Marketing Officer Pacific Prime +852 3589 0508 NEW ORLEANS, December 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) a leading provider of life, accident and health insurance throughout the Americas, shared today that it was impacted by the widespread data security incident involving Progress Softwares MOVEit Transfer software where third parties took advantage of a previously unknown, critical, zero-day vulnerability in the software. Progress Software announced the vulnerability and recommended users disable the software until it could be patched due to a potential risk of data exposure. PALIG immediately ceased using MOVEit Transfer, disabled it in its system and, once available from Progress Software, successfully deployed all security patches within PALIGs environment. PALIG has been taking steps to further protect and strengthen the security of its systems. PALIG also engaged third-party cyber experts to partner with its team to launch an investigation to better understand what happened and to help prevent a similar incident in the future. In parallel, PALIG immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of cyber experts to assess the scope of the potential exploitation of the vulnerability and notified law enforcement. The investigation revealed that an unauthorized third party appears to have taken files through PALIGs use of MOVEit Transfer. On October 5, 2023, PALIG determined that the impacted files appear to have included personal information of individuals and may have included names, addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, drivers license numbers, contact information, medical and medical benefits information, subscriber numbers, certain biometric data, and financial account and credit card information. Notifications are being sent by mail to the affected individuals to explain what happened. Out of an abundance of caution, PALIG is also offering additional services to individuals whose information was taken. There is no evidence that any information was misused for fraudulent purposes as a result of this incident. Story continues PALIG takes the privacy and security of client information very seriously and carefully evaluates the cybersecurity posture of third-party software. PALIG will continue this effort, and it is also taking steps to further secure its use of all third-party transfer tools. For more details on this data security incident, what PALIG is doing to address it, and available resources, please visit PALIGs website at palig.com. About PAN-AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE GROUP Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), a leading provider of life, accident and health insurance throughout the Americas, has been delivering trusted financial services since 1911. The New Orleans-based Group is comprised of more than twenty-member companies, employs more than 2,100 worldwide and offers top-rated individual and/or group life, accident and health insurance, employee benefits and financial services in 49 states, the District of Columbia (DC), the U.S. Virgin Islands, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The Group has affiliates or branches in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and 13 Caribbean markets, including Barbados, Cayman Islands, Curacao and Trinidad and Tobago. For more information, visit the Pan-American Life website at palig.com, follow us on Instagram @panamericanlife.latam, like us on Facebook @PanAmericanLife, follow us on Twitter @PanAmericanLife, and connect with us on LinkedIn at Pan-American Life Insurance Group. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231204793300/en/ Contacts Marta C. Reeves Pan-American Life Insurance Group MReeves@palig.com Isabel Abislaiman Fleishman Hillard isabel.abislaiman@fleishman.com Abbas Ganbay It is necessary to create a single organisation for the cooperation of the five Caspian littoral states, Azernews reports, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian telling at the meeting of the Caspian littoral states' Foreign Ministers in Moscow said. "It is necessary to advance the process of five-party co-operation in the Caspian Sea in a more accelerated mode. Also, we are convinced that all decisions should be taken with the consensus and agreement of the five Caspian littoral states. To turn the Caspian Sea into a symbol of friendship, progress and development, we need to strengthen collective co-operation. We must move towards structurisation. In this context, the creation of one secretariat or one organisation that can manage and control all areas of cooperation in the Caspian Sea is imperative," he said. The minister emphasized that more impetus should be given to the five-party cooperation in the Caspian Sea. He said that Iran welcomes the development of central economy and joint investments in maritime transport, ports, navigation, maritime tourism, the establishment of free trade zones, fisheries, reasonable and sustainable use of bio-resources. It is necessary to strengthen trade, economic, and transport cooperation in the Caspian Sea. "The holding of Caspian Economic Forums is a favorable basis for strengthening this cooperation. Unfortunately, the third Caspian Economic Forum in Tehran has been postponed. We are endeavoring to propose new dates for holding this forum at the level of prime ministers of the Caspian littoral states. Regular holding of this forum will ensure the interests of all five littoral states," Abdollahian added. It should be noted that the meeting is chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The meeting is attended by foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. Key Insights Pantech Group Holdings Berhad's significant retail investors ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public The top 10 shareholders own 50% of the company Insiders own 25% of Pantech Group Holdings Berhad A look at the shareholders of Pantech Group Holdings Berhad (KLSE:PANTECH) can tell us which group is most powerful. We can see that retail investors own the lion's share in the company with 36% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Individual insiders, on the other hand, account for 25% of the company's stockholders. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Pantech Group Holdings Berhad. View our latest analysis for Pantech Group Holdings Berhad What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Pantech Group Holdings 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 Pantech Group Holdings 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. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Pantech Group Holdings Berhad's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Pantech Group Holdings Berhad. The company's largest shareholder is CTL Capital Holding Sdn Bhd, with ownership of 17%. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 13% and 3.9%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Teoh Kean Goh, who is the second-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Senior Key Executive. Additionally, the company's CEO Ting Leng Chew directly holds 1.5% of the total shares outstanding. Story continues We also observed that the top 10 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time. Insider Ownership Of Pantech Group Holdings Berhad While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Pantech Group Holdings Berhad. Insiders have a RM181m stake in this RM731m business. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 36% stake in Pantech Group Holdings Berhad. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Company Ownership It seems that Private Companies own 18%, of the Pantech Group Holdings Berhad stock. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Be aware that Pantech Group Holdings Berhad is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is concerning... 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. Richard Branson sends Virgin Galactic shares plunging after he says hes not putting any more money in Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Shares of Virgin Galactic, the space tourism venture founded by Richard Branson, are plunging after the British billionaire said he has no plans to invest more money in the company as he says it has sufficient funds already. As of the 9 a.m. ET market open on Monday, Virgin Galactic stock was down 16%, trading at less than $2 per share. Virgin Galactic has had a landmark year, flying its first customers to the edge of space after years of waiting. But the company has also been in a state of flux, having just laid off about 20% of its staff and working to introduce a new line of suborbital spacecraft that will supplant the vehicle its spent more than a decade developing. Branson was quoted in an article posted by the Financial Times on Sunday as saying that his investment company Virgin Group hasnt been in the best financial shape because of the pandemic. But, he said, Virgin Galactic has got $1 billion, or nearly, he told the Times. It should, I believe, have sufficient funds to do its job on its own. As of Virgin Galactics latest financial filing, posted in November, it had about $1.1 billion in cash and securities. Thats enough funds to keep the company afloat until it debuts its new, larger line of rocket-powered planes called Delta that can fly wealthy thrill seekers and other paying customers to the edge of space. The new line of spacecraft is expected to debut in 2026, according to a Virgin Galactic news release. But the company also said in its financial filings that it had laid off about 185 workers, or about 18% of its employees, on November 7. Branson had previously sold off a large chunk of his personal investment in Virgin Galactic, ditching about $1 billion worth of stock between 2020 and 2021. But Virgin Group, an investment group that functions mostly as a manager of Bransons personal investments, remains one of Virgin Galactics biggest shareholders, the company confirmed. Story continues After Branson himself joined one of the first crewed flights to space aboard the companys rocket-powered space plane, dubbed the VSS Unity, in 2021 Virgin Galactic kicked off regular commercial service in 2023. So far this year, the company has launched six groups of passengers to the edge of space, including test pilots, paying customers, honorary guests and Virgin Galactic employees. But in its November financial report, the company said it would slow down its cadence and start sending customers to space on VSS Unity quarterly rather than once per month. The next VSS Unity mission Galactic 06 is slated for January 2024. But later next year, the company plans to halt flights of VSS Unity altogether as it works to ready its new line of Delta spaceplanes, according to Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglaziers comments to investors in November. Branson added in his comments to the Financial Times that he remains excited about Virgin Galactic and noted the company has really proved itself and the technology. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com DALLAS, December 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ryan, a leading global tax services and software provider, has recently been named one of the Best Workplaces for Parents by Great Place to Work for the sixth consecutive year, ranking 18 on the list. This list highlights companies that consistently create positive experiences for working parents. Great Place to Work is the only company culture award in the U.S. that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their roles are within the organization. "Being recognized consecutively is a matter of pride for us. We strive to create a positive workplace that not only understands the challenges of being a parent but provides supportive benefits that aid in achieving work-life success," said Ryan Global President and Chief Operating Officer Ginny B. Kissling. "I appreciate all our team members and their continuous efforts to deliver excellent client service, value, and results while managing their family responsibilities." Ryan offers numerous benefits to help working parents, including the innovative and industry-leading myRyan program. The program offers flexibility and empowers team members to obtain professional and personal success in a manner that suits their needs. When it comes to overall well-being, team members can also opt for the RyanTHRIVE program. RyanTHRIVE takes a comprehensive approach to well-being with programs and learning modules covering career, physical, financial, and emotional health. The full list of Best Workplaces for Parents can be found here. About Ryan Ryan, an award-winning global tax services and software provider, is the largest Firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes. With global headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the Firm provides an integrated suite of federal, state, local, and international tax services on a multijurisdictional basis, including tax recovery, consulting, advocacy, compliance, and technology services. Ryan is an 11-time recipient of the International Service Excellence Award from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) for its commitment to world-class client service. Empowered by the dynamic myRyan work environment, which is widely recognized as the most innovative in the tax services industry, Ryans multidisciplinary team of more than 4,500 professionals and associates serves over 24,000 clients in more than 60 countries, including many of the worlds most prominent Global 5000 companies. More information about Ryan can be found at ryan.com. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205342869/en/ Contacts Stacey Underwood Senior Manager, Content, Communications, and Public Relations Ryan 972.934.0022 stacey.underwood@ryan.com SHAHRINAV, Tajikistan, December 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Chief Executive Officer, H.E. Sultan Al-Marshad, signed a new development loan agreement with the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Kahhorzoda Fayziddin Sattor, through which SFD is contributing $100 million USD to fund the Rogun Hydropower Project, a landmark initiative that will enhance energy, food, and water security, and foster sustainable development in the country. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205003776/en/ SFDs CEO, H.E. Sultan Al-Marshad and Tajik Finance Minister, H.E. Kahhorzoda Fayziddin Sattor commemorate $100 million development loan agreement. (Photo: AETOSWire) The signing was attended by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Waleed Al-Reshiadan, and the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Saudi Arabia, H.E. Akram Karimi, alongside other officials from both sides. SFDs development loan will help contribute towards a more sustainable and equitable food and water future for Tajikistan, while driving the countrys energy transition and climate resilience. The project aims to contribute to the national energy security and will help advance sustainable development in the Republic of Tajikistan, by providing the renewable electricity supply to meet local demand and expand electricity production domestically and regionally, producing 3600 MW of energy. The loan agreement will also finance the construction of a 335-meter-tall dam, which will enhance irrigation capabilities and bolster agricultural activities across the country. Additionally, the project will improve flood protection through the construction of four hydraulic tunnels for diversion and drainage. It will also provide clean and drinkable water to people through desalination, and help advance socio-economic development, by creating both direct and indirect jobs. Story continues Importantly, this project also supports the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); specifically, SDG 2, Zero Hunger, SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, and SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy. On this occasion, the CEO of SFD, H.E. Sultan Al-Marshad, said: "Todays signing marks a major milestone in our shared journey towards a more sustainable future. With this landmark development loan, SFD is not just supporting Tajikistan's energy future, but also its sustainable development and the well-being of its people. The Rogun Hydropower Project is a beacon of hope for a bright future that is powered by clean, renewable energy. It will propel Tajikistan towards environmental stewardship and prosperity." Social media Twitter: @SaudiFund_Dev Instagram: saudifund_dev Facebook: SaudiFundDev YouTube:@SaudiFund_Dev Source: AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205003776/en/ Contacts Randah Alhothali Director General: Corporate Communications Email: ralhothali@sfd.gov.sa Mobile: +966554500881 Nawaf Alojrush Director: Media Relations Email: alojrush@sep.gov.sa NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Established in 2018, Taiwan-based Heroic Faith Medical Science is dedicated to developing AI-assisted breathing sound monitors. The company's proprietary Airmod system, an active noise-canceling electronic stethoscope that seamlessly integrates with AI, enables continuous monitoring of patients' breathing sounds. This innovation overcomes the limitations of traditional stethoscopes and addresses the shortage of trained healthcare providers. In December, Heroic Faith's team will participate in the PostGraduate Assembly in Anesthesiology (PGA77) in New York. They plan to host a Research Symposium and product launch program with the goal of expanding into the U.S. market, as well as seeking investors and partners for further applications of their product. Founded in 2018, Taiwan-based Heroic Faith Medical Science is dedicated to developing AI-assisted breathing sound monitors. The company's proprietary Airmod system, an active noise-canceling electronic stethoscope, enables continuous monitoring of patients' breathing sounds. In December, Heroic Faiths team will participate in PGA77 in New York. They plan to host a Research Symposium and product launch program to expand into the U.S. market and seek investors and partnership opportunities. Continuous Breathing Sound Monitoring Without Interference Conventional stethoscopes face major limitations including an inability to continuously monitor patients' respiratory conditions and issues such as environmental noises, echo, and privacy concerns. Additionally, a low abnormal sound ratio from clinical data and inconsistencies in judgments among different doctors pose significant obstacles for AI development. In collaboration with Taiwan's major medical centers and teaching hospitals, Heroic Faith has collected over 1.6 million entries of breathing sound data for AI training. The company has successfully developed the Airmod system, utilizing an FDA-cleared active noise cancellation electronic stethoscope to enable real-time monitoring of changes in patients' breathing sounds and visualization of the data. In cases of airway obstruction or apnea, the system can immediately notify healthcare professionals (surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, etc.) for prompt intervention. Another key feature of Airmod is its ability to operate without being disturbed by external noises. The AI system removes irrelevant sounds, such as ambient noises, speech, and equipment operation, retaining only breathing sounds and clinically relevant breathing patterns that doctors and patients need to know. Story continues Wide Range of Applications of Airmod Currently, Airmod can be used in various non-operating room areas (NORA) including dental offices, cosmetic surgical centers, ambulatory hospitals, endoscope rooms, catheter rooms, and obstetrics examination rooms. It is also suitable for most open airway procedures such as minor surgeries, endoscopies, cosmetic procedures, and dental treatments that require procedural sedation. Unlike general anesthesia, patients in these procedures breathe on their own without intubation. The number of cases requiring procedural sedation is soaring globally, with hundreds of millions of such procedures performed annually. However, an estimated 64 million of these cases may involve prolonged apnea, where patients do not breathe for more than 30 seconds after the administration of sedative drugs. This condition is typically caused by central inhibition or obstruction of patients' airways during the process. If unnoticed, patients may suffer from a drop in blood oxygen, which can be fatal in serious cases. Heroic Faith's Airmod comes in handy here to monitor patients' breathing and notify healthcare professionals for quick intervention when such conditions arise. Notably, compared to a matching solution on the American society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) guidance: capnography, which is commonly used in respiratory management, Airmod demonstrates an equivalence ability of respiratory rate and apnea detection. It also exhibits a much lower incidence of instrument failure while monitoring patients' breathing than capnography products from competing manufacturers. Participation in PGA77 and Milestones in Patent Applications Since its debut two years ago, Airmod has been adopted in nearly half of the medical centers in Taiwan. Its applications range from gastroscopy and colonoscopy to pediatrics and plastic surgeries. Also, Heroic Faith is currently working with 10 dental training centers in the U.S. to adopt Airmod in pediatric and special needs dentistry. Heroic Faith's Airmod and electronic stethoscope has received medical device regulatory clearance from the Taiwan FDA. In 2023, Airmod also obtained 510(k) Clearance from the U.S. FDA. Besides, Heroic Faith has been granted multiple patent families to protect Airmod's hardware, software, and AI algorithms. In mid-November, another patent (US-11813109-B2) was granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for this AI-powered auscultation tool. Heroic Faith's new General Manager, Yuan-Ren Cheng, has recently updated the company's motto from 'Saving Lives Through Innovation' to 'Saving Lives Through Communication.' This change reflects a heightened emphasis on leveraging AI to facilitate communication among patients, doctors, and family members. The goal is to minimize errors, enhance mutual understanding, and ultimately reduce friction in medical services, all contributing to saving more lives. During PGA77, held in New York from December 8 to 11, the team plans to conduct a research symposium, sharing insights from a multiple-center study. In addition, they will invite the Vice Chair of the Outcome Research Center at Cleveland Clinic to share the importance of sedation safety with the public and young faculty in the anesthesia community. Heroic Faith also actively seeks new partnerships to explore new indications, initiate new clinical studies, and expand the application of their products to operating room settings in the future. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/saving-lives-through-communication-heroic-faith-medical-science-showcasing-novel-ai-auscultation-tool-for-procedural-sedation-patients-in-pga-77-302005915.html SOURCE Heroic Faith Medical Science, Inc. Fresh off a successful pilot of technology that rapidly notifies shoppers when locally grown produce arrives in stores, Schnuck Markets has decided to roll out the capability to more of its supermarkets next year. The system, supplied by Montana startup Foodshed.io, uses tracking devices placed in produce bins to monitor foods as they travel from a farm to a Schnucks store and triggers an alert via the grocers loyalty program app when a shipment reaches its destination. Foodshed.io sends the alert on to Schnucks loyalty program staff, who broadcast a message to shoppers who have signed up to let them know the item is ready for purchase. Schnucks tested the concept at a handful of its 115 locations last summer and concluded that providing shoppers with the ability to know right away when certain fruits or vegetables are available would help it stand out against other grocers on a larger scale, said Mike Tipton, Schnucks vice president of produce and floral. The company has not yet determined which of its stores will offer the service when the next growing season rolls around, he said. Local is real big and its got a big buzz, and were trying to find different avenues to touch the consumer and let them know about the items that that theyre really engaged with and are looking forward to when they come in season, Tipton said. Its one of those differential advantage that our competition like Walmart and Aldi are not doing. Foodshed.io supplies the reusable sensors to growers, and the company shares the cost associated with the service with Schnucks, according to Dan Beckmann, co-founder and CEO of the technology firm. Tipton noted that Schnucks is limiting the system to produce that shoppers in its service areas make a special point of trying to buy at the peak of freshness like corn, melons and cantaloupes generally within a day or two of when they are harvested. People gravitate to buying local produce, and we like to do the best job of it in our communities, Tipton said, adding that sourcing local fruits and vegetables is challenging in the states where Schnucks operates because the growing season is relatively short. As a result, Schnucks plans to offer the service only during July, August and early September, when farms located within range of Schnucks stores typically harvest produce, he said. Story continues A focus on personalization Schnucks decision to deploy Foodshed.ios produce-tracking technology on a larger scale reflects a broader effort by the grocer to use digital tools to customize the shopping experience for its customers, said Cristina Preston, who handles digital marketing for Schnucks. We always promote with in-store signage, and we are very loud and proud about having local products and specifically produce but we are moving into a digital world, said Preston, adding that Schnucks believes the produce alerts could encourage people who might not have intended to go shopping that day to head to the store. We have personalized offers and personalized value that meets that customer right where they're shopping, and this is a piece of that, Preston said. We're trying to soften [technology] a little bit. Schnucks relationship with Foodshed.io began about five years ago, when the companies began working together on efforts such as helping growers gauge how much of a given product they need to produce to meet the grocers needs so supplies dont run out, according to Tipton. Its our goal to get the customer local produce in the summer all the time unless bad weather or other unforeseen conditions make it necessary for Schnucks to look elsewhere for supplies, he said. Schnucks also uses information it collects with Foodshed.ios technology to help ensure farms the grocer works with maintain records related to food safety, Tipton said. In addition to working with Schnucks, Foodshed.io has talked with The Fresh Market about using its technology, Beckmann said. The company has also been in touch with an unnamed national grocer, he said, noting that Foodshed.io has an exclusive arrangement with Schnucks in the areas where the grocer operates. Based in St. Louis, Schnucks runs stores in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Wisconsin under the Schnucks, Schnucks Fresh and Eatwell Market banners. Beckmann said Foodshed.io has started looking into ways to automate the process of drafting and sending messages to shoppers to invite them to head to a store when produce arrives from a farm, possibly by tapping generative artificial intelligence technology. We not only just want to reduce the workload for that team, but we want to improve the personalization if we can, Beckmann said. Foodshed.io also plans to build tracking equipment that it could use in place of the third-party hardware it currently depends on, and already has a prototype in development, Beckmann said. The companys goal is to lower costs while adding more features, he said. While Foodshed.io is focused on its role as a technology supplier to retailers, the company also feels a deep connection to the contribution it is making to the fresh food industry and sees its technology as a way to help reduce food waste, Beckmann said. An unintended consequence here is that these farms are stronger because Schnucks has made this commitment, and theyre able to sell [produce] to restaurants and other parts of the community now in a way thats more stable, he said. This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. The agreement will enable Lacuna Space to provide low-cost tracking and sensor detection service, with the opportunity to scale the constellation to dozens of satellites VIENNA, Va., December 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) ("Spire" or "the Company"), a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, was awarded a Space Services contract by Lacuna Space, a leading satellite IoT connectivity provider. Under the agreement, Spire will initially build and launch six satellites carrying Lacuna Spaces payload and antenna, with the opportunity to scale the constellation to dozens of satellites. Lacuna Space will operate its payloads and receive encrypted data at its Harwell headquarters. With six satellites manufactured by Spire at its facility in Glasgow, UK, in addition to Lacuna Spaces ten earlier satellites, Lacuna Space will be able to scale its IoT network for low-cost, reliable global connections to sensors and mobile equipment. Lacuna focuses on IoT services for agriculture, maritime, logistics, remote infrastructure and environmental monitoring, with applications such as measuring soil moisture for farmers in remote regions to improve crop yield or tracking the movement of assets. These satellites feature Lacunas new proprietary, ultra-high density Gentoo satellite gateway. The satellite gateways work in conjunction with Lacunas ground scheduling network, which enables adaptive, regional, fine-frequency algorithms developed using AI from years of satellite-based spectrum scans. "Satellites play a critical role in providing IoT connectivity across the globe, particularly to remote, underserved, and developing areas of the world. These services are transformational in enabling new applications across a wide variety of industries and solving some of the biggest challenges facing humanity today," said Frank Frulio, the general manager of Space Services at Spire. "With Spire Space Services, we have streamlined the process to architect, build, launch and operate satellites reliably, and at a much lower cost than it would typically require new space companies to build infrastructure in space, allowing revolutionary technologies, like Lacunas IoT network, to reach the market faster." Story continues "This contract is a very important step in Lacunas progression into commercial operations, and represents over five years of intensive development work to refine the concept and achieve the scalability and reliability required to provide a global commercial service," said Rob Spurrett, CEO and co-founder of Lacuna Space. "Glasgow produces more satellites than anywhere else in Europe, and this contract between Spire Global and Lacuna Space is a fantastic example of how the UKs strong heritage in space manufacturing is accelerating our progress towards global connectivity and new commercial applications for telecommunications," said Craig Brown, investment director at the UK Space Agency. "This collaboration will unlock opportunities for businesses, using satellites to transfer data and information between millions of sensors on the ground that make up IoT, with the potential to scale up further. Im looking forward to watching the constellation come to life." Spire Space Services offers fast and scalable access to space through a subscription model that eliminates the high upfront cost of building and maintaining infrastructure in space. The Company has designed, built, and launched more than 170 satellites, enabling commercial and government organizations to easily deploy and operate a constellation, hosted payload, or a software application in space leveraging Spires established space, ground, and web infrastructure. Spire handles the end-to-end management, from manufacturing to launch to satellite operations, and the customer operates the system through a web API. About Spire Global, Inc. Spire (NYSE: SPIR) is a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, offering unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth so that organizations can make decisions with confidence in a rapidly changing world. Spire builds, owns, and operates a fully deployed satellite constellation that observes the Earth in real time using radio frequency technology. The data acquired by Spires satellites provides global weather intelligence, ship and plane movements, and spoofing and jamming detection to better predict how their patterns impact economies, global security, business operations and the environment. Spire also offers Space as a Service solutions that empower customers to leverage its established infrastructure to put their business in space. Spire has nine offices across the U.S., Canada, UK, Luxembourg, Germany and Singapore. To learn more, visit spire.com. About Lacuna Space Lacuna Space, a UK and Dutch entity, headquartered in Oxford UK, is recognized as the leader in scalable direct-to-satellite IoT solutions based on the open and interoperable LoRaWAN standard. The Lacuna Network enables multiple constellations of Lacuna and third-party satellites to meld together, forming the most robust and field-proven IoT service for our customers. Operating a wholesale model, Lacuna empowers service providers and systems integrators to extend the limited coverage footprint of LoRaWAN networks around the globe with ubiquitous low-power, low-cost connectivity. Learn more at https://lacuna.space/contact/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205715623/en/ Contacts For Spire: Kristina Spychalski Head of Communications Kristina.Spychalski@spire.com For Spire Investors: Benjamin Hackman Head of Investor Relations Benjamin.Hackman@spire.com For Lacuna Space: Kitty Howie Kitty@lacuna-space.com Washington The Supreme Court appeared inclined to leave in place an obscure tax provision enacted during the Trump administration during oral arguments on Tuesday, with several of the justices expressing concerns with the repercussions of a broad decision in the closely watched case. The dispute before the justices, known as Moore v. U.S., involves the "mandatory repatriation tax," a one-time tax targeting U.S. taxpayers who held shares of certain foreign corporations. Charles and Kathleen Moore, who invested in a company based in India more than 15 years ago, brought the case, arguing that the tax is impermissible under the 16th Amendment because it taxes unrealized gains. During more than two hours of arguments, the justices peppered lawyers for both sides with questions about the implications of their positions and appeared aware of how a sweeping ruling would reverberate across the U.S. tax system and put existing tax laws at risk. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who represents the U.S before the high court, warned the justices that invalidating the mandatory repatriation tax would "cause a sea change in the operation of the tax code and cost several trillion dollars in lost tax revenue." But Andrew Grossman, who argued on behalf of the Moores, told the court that allowing a tax on income that a taxpayer has not yet received "sweeps away what the framers regarded as the essential check on Congress' power to tax property." Addressing the ramifications of a decision striking down the mandatory repatriation tax on the tax system, Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted that the provision is similar to the tax treatment of partnerships, S-corporations and foreign corporations controlled by U.S. taxpayers. "These are longstanding taxing mechanisms by the government," she said. "Your theory would undermine those as well, wouldn't it?" She later pointed out that the drafters of the 16th Amendment, which clarified the federal government's authority to tax income, could have specified that only realized income could be taxed, but they didn't. Story continues "The concept of realization was very well-established at the time the 16th Amendment was adopted, but the amendment does not reference realization," she said. "All that the drafters had to do was add the word 'realized' after income but they never used the word 'realized.'" Justice Elena Kagan said there is a "long, century-old history of these kinds of taxes on gains from your holdings in a foreign corporation" and questioned why the mandatory repatriation tax was different. "Congress, the U.S. government can't tax those foreign corporations directly, and they wanted to make sure that Americans didn't stash their money in the foreign corporations, watch their money grow and never pay taxes on them," she said. Moore v. U.S. People walk past the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 13, 2023. / Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images The legal battle over the mandatory repatriation tax dates back to 2006, when Charles and Kathleen Moore invested $40,000 in India-based KisanKraft Machine Tools in exchange for 13% of the company shares. KisanKraft's revenues have grown each year since it was founded, and the company has reinvested its earnings to expand the business instead of distributing dividends to shareholders. The Moores did not receive any distributions, dividends or other payments from KisanKraft, according to filings with the Supreme Court. But in 2018, the couple learned they had to pay taxes on their share of KisanKraft's reinvested lifetime earnings under the mandatory repatriation tax, which was enacted through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump the year before. The tax was projected to generate roughly $340 billion in revenue over 10 years. The tax required U.S. taxpayers who owned at least 10% of a foreign company to pay a one-time tax on their proportionate share of the company's earnings. As a result of the new requirement, the Moores were assessed to have an additional $132,512 in taxable income and had to pay $14,729 more in taxes. The couple paid the tax but filed a lawsuit against the government seeking a refund and challenging the mandatory repatriation tax as unconstitutional. A federal district court sided with the U.S. government and dismissed the case, concluding that the mandatory repatriation tax is a tax on income permissible under the 16th Amendment, which granted Congress the authority to tax "incomes, from whatever source derived." The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision, finding that "there is no constitutional prohibition against Congress attributing a corporation's income pro-rata to its shareholders." The Moores asked the Supreme Court to review the 9th Circuit's decision, arguing that the mandatory repatriation tax operates as a tax on property, not income. Grossman warned the justices that if it sides with the Biden administration, it would "open the door to taxation of practically everything." In court filings, lawyers for the Moores noted that legislation has been introduced in Congress to establish a so-called wealth tax, while the White House has proposed what it calls a billionaire minimum income tax. "All property that we have is made up of flows of income that have been invested," Grossman said. "If all that was necessary was some level of income, then Congress could simply point at anything and say at some point this was income, at some person at some level, and therefore it can be subject to taxation." But the Justice Department disagreed, and Prelogar told the court that the mandatory repatriation tax is "firmly grounded in the 16th Amendment's text and history." The provision, she said, taxes income that was realized by the foreign corporation and attributed to U.S. shareholders, which is similar to other pass-through mechanisms. "The constitutional question is actually quite easy and it doesn't require the court to consider some of the foundational questions about the meaning of the 16th Amendment in other contexts," Prelogar told the court. "Here, we have paradigmatic realized income at the entity-level and this functions just like the pass-through taxes on partnerships." Warnings of disruptions to the tax system The potential impact of a decision by the Supreme Court addressing Congress' power to tax certain types of unrealized gains, and, conversely, the consequences a ruling invalidating the mandatory repatriation tax would have on the broader tax system, sparked questions from many of the justices. Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested that the court could rule narrowly and avoid the question of whether income must be realized in order to be permissibly taxed under the 16th Amendment. "Even assuming or leaving open whether realization is a constitutional requirement, there was realized income here to the entity and then it's attributed to the shareholders in a manner consistent with how Congress has done that and this court has allowed," he said. But Justice Neil Gorsuch repeatedly pressed Prelogar to lay out the limits of Congress' taxing power, suggesting that siding with the government could prompt lawmakers to levy new taxes, such as on Americans' retirement accounts or gains in the value of property. "Would you agree that when the court opens a door, Congress tends to walk through it?" he asked. Justice Samuel Alito said it's a "fair argument" that if the Supreme Court rules for the Moores, "large, important pieces of the tax code will also logically fall," citing concerns raised by Prelogar in filings. But he said he wanted to understand the limits of the government's position. "How far may Congress go in attributing income to someone who has not realized that income, in the standard understanding of that term?" he asked. The effects of a decision striking down the mandatory repatriation tax was raised in several briefs filed with the court in the run-up to arguments. The American Tax Policy Institute warned that a decision invalidating the mandatory repatriation tax could have a broad reach throughout the U.S. tax system and "create doubts about the constitutional status of many provisions, generating a wave of tax refund claims and litigation in the coming years." Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who led the chamber when it passed Republicans' tax reform plan in 2017, called the Moores' lawsuit a "misguided challenge," and warned that if the justices rule for the couple, "a lot of the tax code would be unconstitutional." "I'm not for a wealth tax, but I think if you use this as the argument to spike a wealth tax, you're going to basically get rid of, I don't know, a third of the tax code," Ryan said during a September event at the Brookings Institution. Recusal questions While the case attracted input from a slew of nonprofit organizations and states, it was also ensnared in the ongoing scrutiny over the ethics practices at the Supreme Court after Alito participated in interviews with David Rivkin, a lawyer who is representing the Moores, and James Taranto, an editor at the Wall Street Journal. In the article published in the Wall Street Journal in July, Alito criticized Congress for its efforts to impose a binding code of conduct on the Supreme Court and said it does not have the authority to regulate the high court. The Supreme Court adopted its own code of conduct, the first in its history, last month, though it lacks an enforcement mechanism. In response to Alito's interviews, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee urged Chief Justice John Roberts to ensure Alito recused himself from future cases concerning legislation that regulates the Supreme Court and the tax dispute brought by the Moores. The Senate Democrats warned that Rivkin's access to the justice could create an appearance of impropriety. But Alito refused to step aside from the case, saying in a statement in September there was "no valid reason" for his recusal. Alito argued Rivkin was participating in the interviews as a "journalist, not an advocate," and said the case pending before the high court was never mentioned. A decision from the Supreme Court is expected this summer. The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) will provide $100 million development loan to Tajikistan to build the Rogun Hydropower Project, a landmark initiative that will enhance energy, food and water security. SFD Chief Executive Officer, Sultan Al-Marshad, signed the loan agreement with the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Tajikistan, Kahhorzoda Fayziddin Sattor. The signing was attended by the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Tajikistan, Waleed Al-Reshiadan, and the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Saudi Arabia, Akram Karimi, alongside other officials from both sides. Sustainable and equitable SFDs development loan will help contribute towards a more sustainable and equitable food and water future for Tajikistan, while driving the countrys energy transition and climate resilience. The project aims to contribute to the national energy security and will help advance sustainable development in the Republic of Tajikistan, by providing the renewable electricity supply to meet local demand and expand electricity production domestically and regionally, producing 3600 MW of energy. The loan agreement will also finance the construction of a 335-meter-tall dam, which will enhance irrigation capabilities and bolster agricultural activities across the country. Additionally, the project will improve flood protection through the construction of four hydraulic tunnels for diversion and drainage. It will also provide clean and drinkable water to people through desalination, and help advance socio-economic development, by creating both direct and indirect jobs. UN SDGs Importantly, this project also supports the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); specifically, SDG 2, Zero Hunger, SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, and SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy. Al-Marshad said: Todays signing marks a major milestone in our shared journey towards a more sustainable future. With this landmark development loan, SFD is not just supporting Tajikistan's energy future, but also its sustainable development and the well-being of its people. The Rogun Hydropower Project is a beacon of hope for a bright future that is powered by clean, renewable energy. It will propel Tajikistan towards environmental stewardship and prosperity.--TradeArabia News Service The US Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case that could decide if the billionaire Sackler family that controlled OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma can use bankruptcy to shield their personal fortunes from future opioid-related liabilities. At the heart of the case is the power of federal bankruptcy courts to sign off on settlement agreements that absolve parties outside the bankruptcy of legal responsibility without the consent of litigants. The agreements, known as third-party releases, have been used in bankruptcy proceedings for decades to end mass tort litigation against insolvent companies and to distribute their assets to injured victims. In exchange for a release from such claims, the Sacklers agreed through a series of negotiations to pay $6 billion to opioid victims and their families, as well as to state and local governments. The funds are meant to compensate victims for opioid-related injuries and deaths and to help the governments establish aid programs to combat opioid addiction. According to the US Trustee, the supermajority of personal injury claimants who voted yes to the settlement included less than 50% of those eligible to vote. Other claimants wished to opt out of the settlement agreement and retain their right to sue. During arguments, justices across the political spectrum questioned whether Congress, by passing bankruptcy laws, meant to deprive personal injury victims of their right to sue third parties not subject to the bankruptcy proceedings. On Dec. 4, 2023, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would shield members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) A fundamental bargain in bankruptcy law is you get a discharge when you put all your assets on the table to be divided up among your creditors, said Justice Elena Kagan, who was appointed by President Obama. And I think everybody thinks that the Sacklers didn't come anywhere close to doing that. It would be a kind of extraordinary thing if we gave the power to basically subvert this basic bargain and bankruptcy law, Kagan added about giving the Sacklers a discharge from future liability. Story continues On behalf of the US Trustee, which brought the case in its capacity as a watchdog over US bankruptcy proceedings, deputy solicitor general Curtis Gannon argued that the kind of third-party liability releases granted by the Purdue bankruptcy court should be prohibited because the Sacklers were not parties to the bankruptcy and never put their funds into the bankruptcy estate. Instead, Gannon said, they transferred roughly $11 billion from Purdue into offshore accounts they controlled. Purdues attorney, Gregory Garre, argued that the deal was necessary to achieve the goal of bankruptcy: to maximize the estate and therefore maximize recoveries for the companys creditors. Garre said 40% of the $11 billion transferred to the Sacklers offshore accounts went to pay taxes. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the Sacklers created the conditions that required the opioid litigants to have to negotiate for a return of Purdue's funds. It's only because the Sacklers have taken the money offshore, right? the Biden-appointed justice said in response to Purdues claim that the settlement releasing the Sacklers was needed. It is necessary to do this [release] because the Sacklers have taken the money and are not willing to give it back unless they have this condition. Justice Amy Coney-Barrett was also skeptical of Purdues argument. As Jackson rightly points out, the 97% of the money, after tax, that they're contributing is all money that they took out of the corporation, said Coney-Barrett, who was appointed under President Trump. On the other side of the argument, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, an Obama-appointed justice, expressed concern that outlawing the agreement could undermine the parties' freedom to contract as they see fit. She noted that a supermajority of claimants, which is required for mass tort settlements reached in bankruptcy, had agreed to the deal. Under bankruptcy law, Sotomayor said, courts are supposed to maximize the estate and effectuate successful reorganizations. "It seems as though the federal government is standing in the way of that, as against the huge, huge, huge majority of claimants who have decided that if this provision goes under, they're going to end up with nothing," Sotomayor said. In an email to Yahoo Finance Purdue said, "We are pleased to have had the opportunity to demonstrate before the Supreme Court that Purdues Plan of Reorganization is solidly grounded in legal precedent. Our creditors, who insisted on the third-party releases at issue and overwhelmingly support our Plan, further underscored to the Court that this Plan is the only way to deliver billions of dollars toward lifesaving opioid abatement programs and victim compensation." Purdue filed for bankruptcy protection in September 2019 under the pressure of thousands of lawsuits government and individual lawsuits. The suits blamed Purdue for fueling the opioid crisis. At the time of the bankruptcy petition, the company agreed to relinquish control of the company and said the proceedings would provide $10 billion in value to its creditors. In July 2021, the Sacklers reached an agreement with 15 states and local governments that had previously declined to settle. The deal ended roughly 3,000 lawsuits in exchange for the Sacklers agreement to pay $4.3 billion and to make public roughly 33 million documents that had been kept secret under attorney-client privilege. Should the Sackler family avoid liability for the opioid epidemic? The Supreme Court will decide. (REUTERS/George Frey) (George Frey / Reuters) The high court agreed to take up the dispute in August after a federal trial court and a divided federal appeals court came to different rulings on whether the New York federal bankruptcy court that green-lighted the deal had authority to release the Sacker family members from opioid-related liabilities. State attorneys general have also accused the Sacklers of transferring millions of dollars from the company leading up to the bankruptcy. They say the maneuver is an abuse of bankruptcy law that stripped Purdue of funds that could have been used to compensate opioid victims. To date, none of the Sackler family members have filed for bankruptcy. In November 2020, Purdue pleaded guilty to three felony charges brought by the Justice Department for illegally marketing opioids. The US Trustee argued that the liability release for the Sacklers forcibly extinguished the property rights of opioid litigants who did not wish to settle their claims. According to the Trustee, 3% of the claimants wished to opt out of the settlement. Purdues lawyer said the net worth of the small number Sackler family members who served as directors and officers in the company in the US is roughly $1.2 billion. A decision in the case is expected this summer. This story was updated to add a statement from Purdue Pharma following Monday's Supreme Court hearing. Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed. Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance The CEOs of America's largest banks will line up before lawmakers this week in a highly anticipated appearance to try and convince Washington and the world that the banking sector is back on steady ground following the regional banking crisis earlier this year. The hearing before the Senates banking committee is part of Congress's annual oversight of the financial sector and will feature top bosses from Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and David Solomon of Goldman Sachs (GS) to Brian Moynihan of Bank of America (BAC). Much of the focus during Wednesday's hearing is set to be on the higher capital requirements proposed this summer by the Federal Reserve, called Basel III endgame measures, which the assembled CEOs have been lobbying furiously against for months. "Ironically, a proposal to mitigate risk will create even more risk in the financial system," Dimon is set to say in his opening remarks, adding that it "will fundamentally alter the US economy in ways that the Federal Reserve has not studied or contemplated." Other CEOs are set to echo the message with Solomon in his prepared remarks arguing the proposal "has a particularly negative impact to capital markets functioning." Banking CEOs raise their hands in response to a question during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on annual oversight of the largest banks on Sept. 22, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Tom Williams via Getty Images) At the Goldman Sachs US Financial Services conference on Tuesday, the companies offered previews of other topics that could come up at Wednesday's hearing. The assembled CEOs touted the resilience of the US economy during their speeches in New York but urged restraint when it comes to 2024 expectations. Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf also weighed in on the Fed's capital regulations, saying the requirements could limit his banks activities in the future. The CEOs of Citigroup (C), Wells Fargo (WFC), State Street (STT), BNY Mellon (BK), and Morgan Stanley (MS) will also be testifying at the hearing before a panel of 23 senators. The questioners will range from Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to other prominent figures, including two former presidential candidates: Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Story continues A focus on capital requirements The central issue Wednesday is set to be the so-called Basel III measures that were first developed following the global financial crisis of 2007-2009. The final set of these rules unveiled this summer focused on the amount of capital that banks must have in reserve to protect themselves from insolvency, which regulators are hoping to finalize in the coming months. The standards took on a new urgency this spring after banks like Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed, largely due to a shortage of liquidity. Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) talks to ranking member Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) at a recent Senate Banking Committee hearing on Sept. 12. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (Drew Angerer via Getty Images) The proposal would raise banks' capital requirements by 16% in aggregate and widen the scope of new requirements to institutions with as few as $100 billion in assets an effort to include smaller banks like SVB. A new memo released Tuesday by the Financial Services Forum which represents all eight CEOs argued in part that this year's banking crisis shows that the stricter requirements are not needed. The group's president and CEO, Kevin Fromer, wrote about how America's largest banks "acted as a source of strength during the COVID-19 pandemic and the banking turmoil of 2023," arguing that the current proposal goes beyond the original framework and that the nations largest banks have already tripled their capital levels over the past 15 years. The memo also noted that Wednesday's hearing will be an opportunity to discuss "how the Basel 3 Endgame capital proposal would harm consumers, businesses of every size and the economy as a whole." While Fed vice chair for supervision Michael Barr proposed the new outline this summer, not every member of the central bank has been on board. Fed Governor Christopher Waller recently called the proposal "excessive" in a conversation with the American Enterprise Institute. He told the think tank last week that if the proposal did away with separate requirements for so-called operational risk risk from potential losses from disruptions due to internal mismanagement like fraud, or external shocks like a cyberattack that he could support the proposal. The capital requirement for operational risk is a major sticking point with the banks. "Michael Barr knows he went too far on a few things," said David Wessel, a senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution. He predicted that Washington will refine some areas including provisions around operational risk in the months ahead as lawmakers work to finalize the proposal. Wednesday's hearing is likely to feature the CEOs tailoring their message to moderate lawmakers in the room who could help sway the coming requirements Democrats like Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) who have raised concerns about the requirements. They are likely to have a less receptive audience from more left-leaning figures on the committee like Brown and Warren. Sen. Brown said this summer that he supported the requirements, noting when banks fail "workers and small businesses pay the price." On the other side of the aisle, Republicans like committee ranking member Tim Scott have often criticized the proposal, including by leading a recent letter signed by every Republican member of the Senate Banking Committee calling on the Biden administration to withdraw the Basel III endgame entirely. But at the end of the day, Wessel noted "it's not really up to Congress" how the rules are finalized. "The real audience here is people like Jay Powell." A host of other issues on the docket from the national debt to CEO salaries Wednesday's hearing is also likely to touch on an array of other concerns as senators weigh in. The CEOs have appeared before Congress annually since the 2007-2009 financial crisis and are often asked to weigh in on a wide array of topics. Sen. Warren in particular has often confronted CEOs like Dimon over issues like Zelle fraud in 2022 and overdraft fees in 2011. CEOs listen to questioning from Senator Elizabeth Warren in 2022. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) (SAUL LOEB via Getty Images) Consumer issues are also expected to be brought up, notably a proposed rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to rein in credit card late fees and cap late fees at $8 unless a bank can show it needs to charge more than that to collect late payments. Read more: What are bank fees, and how do I avoid them? Another possible issue: a bipartisan bill that advanced this summer to "claw back" the compensation from bank executives who oversee a failure. The bill was overwhelmingly approved in June in a vote of 21 to 2 by the same group the Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs that the CEOs will be testifying before. If that bill eventually passes, it would grant the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) new powers to take back money from CEOs if a bank is shown to have "failed at the basics of bank management." The wide-ranging impacts of America's ballooning national debt could also be high on the agenda with CEOs sounding the alarm in recent months over Americas borrowing, which now stands at nearly $34 trillion. In an interview with Yahoo Finance last month, Dimon also stressed the need for Washington to change its ways on things like regulations that he says are hurting US competitiveness. "D.C. goes out of its way to make it hard for small to large businesses to grow and expand," he said at the time, comparing regulations to barnacles and noting, "I'm in favor of good regulations, just not endless regulations." This post has been updated with additional developments. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance By Valerie Insinna and Joanna Plucinska LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ukrainian aerospace group Motor Sich has little to show so far for a wartime effort to woo potential partners in the West, as it seeks new direction after it lost Russia as its biggest client and had a China tie-up blocked. The challenges facing one of Ukraine's best-known conglomerates underline how hard it is for the country's companies to expand when there are concerns over their track record on corruption and as the conflict with Russia grinds on. State-owned Motor Sich is Ukraine's main manufacturer of aircraft and helicopter engines, including for some of the world's largest cargo planes. "We want to turn to the West," Chief Executive Olexiy Nikiforov told Reuters in an interview. For almost a year, he has chased meetings with U.S. defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and RTX at air shows and government events. He hopes to get another chance to make his case for greater industrial collaboration this week when U.S. and Ukrainian defense officials and industry executives gather in Washington for a summit on Wednesday and Thursday hosted by the White House. Kyiv is stepping up its weapons production and also hopes joint ventures with international armament manufacturers can help to revive its domestic industry. But Reuters' interviews with more than a half dozen U.S. defense executives, former U.S. officials and experts suggest many hurdles are hindering progress for Motor Sich. U.S. businesses are open to future cooperation with Ukrainian firms, but it will take time to prove they can conduct business in a way that complies with U.S. and European regulations, they said. Many legacy Ukrainian defense companies will trigger "red flags" during the lengthy due diligence and compliance reviews conducted by Western defense companies, said one U.S. defense executive. Those issues are not insurmountable but can drag out the approval process for co-production agreements, he said. Story continues Ukraine's defense industry has had trouble with efficiency and transparency, said Pavlo Verkhniatsky, director of COSA solutions, a Ukraine-based strategic intelligence firm helping Western businesses enter the Ukrainian market. "It has baggage and a bad reputation in terms of operating its assets and the efficiency of launching projects, developing projects," he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly warned that his administration would not tolerate corruption and has fired officials suspected of it. OFF TO WASHINGTON Sergiy Korzh, one of Motor Sich's top board members, said that any results from the summit would have little immediate impact. "You can imagine how long it will take ... for the results of such cooperation to come to the battlefield," he told Reuters. Still, Korzh said he had made some headway recently after a meeting with representatives of the U.S. Department of Commerce and a few major U.S. companies at the Dubai Air Show last month. He did not give details for security reasons, as the talks related to defense. A spokesperson for the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration said it was not a formal meeting. A Motor Sich representative stopped by ITA's booth and spoke briefly about their company's capabilities, the spokesperson said. ROOTING OUT CORRUPTION Zelenskiy has made rebuilding Ukraine's defense and aerospace sector a top priority, which includes deeper investment in drone technology. Ukraine's government also used wartime authorities to wrest control of Motor Sich away from Chinese shareholders resolving a key concern of U.S. defense officials during the Trump administration. The budgetary realities of the war with Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation, pose further headaches. Motor Sich's earnings have fallen by almost 40% since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Korzh told Reuters. Its production facilities in Zaporizhzhia have also suffered repeated missile strikes from Russian forces, putting equipment and 15,000 workers at risk, CEO Nikiforov said. U.S. defense contractors have shown little interest publicly in partnering with aerospace companies like Motor Sich on production projects in the immediate term. Lockheed Martin said in a statement it was "working closely" with the U.S. government to support its response in Ukraine. Lockheed Martin declined to comment when asked about a Motor Sich proposal to outfit Ukraine's Sea King helicopters with its engines. When asked for comment about potentially working with Ukraine defense companies, Boeing said: "While we do not comment on rumors of potential discussions or transactions, we continually review our markets and portfolios to ensure we are delivering the best capabilities and value to our customers." General Electric and RTX declined to comment. Northrop Grumman did not respond to a request for comment. While the talks in Washington later this week and last month's Dubai air-show contacts are potentially promising, the political realities that Western defense officials are grappling with could hinder any progress. One U.S. defense executive said U.S. weapons makers are closely watching whether the conflict in Gaza as well as dwindling support among U.S. Republicans for Ukraine dampens Washington's appetite for future collaboration with Ukraine. (Reporting by Valerie Insinna in Washington and Joanna Plucinska in London. Editing by Tim Hepher, Jo Mason and Jane Merriman) San Diego ranks as the number one U.S. airport for layovers, according to data across 16 ranking factors. AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading travel expert, Upgraded Points has released its latest study giving travelers invaluable insights into the most accommodating airports for those inevitable layover waits. The study analyzed 50 of the busiest U.S. airports, ranking them based on an array of factors that can make for a pleasant layover experience. Upgraded Points "Although layovers are often unavoidable, planning and picking the best locations to wait them out can be the difference between comfort and frustration," said Alex Miller, Upgraded Points founder. "Our goal with this research was to help travelers identify the exact airports where layover time is not just bearable, but actually enjoyable." Study Methodology The analysis included 50 of the nation's busiest airports, each evaluated across a range of factors significant to travelers during layovers including shopping and dining options, on-time flight performance, average delay durations; in-airport amenities like restaurants, gates, terminals, charging stations; and off-airport amenities like nearby hotels or restaurants. These individual scores were ranked from 1 to 50 and listed. All scores were aggregated and the airports ranked from 1 to 100 to generate a grand total score. The Layover Comfort Leaders: Top Five U.S. Airports to Wait It Out San Diego International Airport (SAN): Scoring an impressive 76.8 out of 100, SAN leads the pack. With 36 restaurants, 41 shopping options, 13 charging stations per mile, and 57 off-airport restaurants per 10,000 daily passengers, SAN is a haven for those with extended layovers. Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC): With a score of 70.4 out of 100, SJC stands out for its compact yet efficient layout, lightning-fast Wi-Fi, easy navigation through two terminals, and 12 gates that make it an easy choice for travelers seeking a stress-free layover. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): Earning 68.8 out of 100, DCA offers an outstanding 80% on-time departure rate and 4.1 lounges per mile. With 26 charging stations per mile and multiple American Airlines Admirals Clubs to hang out in, DCA is definitely a comfortable layover destination. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS): With a score of 67.8 out of 100, AUS hosts 51 off-site restaurants per 10,000 passengers and an average TSA wait time of just 6 minutes, ensuring quick dine-out and return options for travelers. John Wayne Airport (SNA): Scoring 66.6 out of 100, SNA provides a convenient layout with only 22 gates, minimizing the hassle for passengers on short layovers. It also reports average arrival delays of only 50 minutes, ranking among the lowest in the study. Story continues Below is a snapshot of airports that ranked at the top of various categories analyzed. Waiting Game Winners: Airports with the Longest Departure Times Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW): 82.6 minutes Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): 79.9 minutes Miami International Airport (MIA): 78.5 minutes Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU): 78 minutes Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD): 76.5 minutes Delay Hotspots: Airports Leading in Longest Arrival Wait Times Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): 91.4 minutes Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT): 87.5 minutes Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): 86.5 minutes Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD): 80.7 minutes John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): 79.3 minutes Swift Arrivals: Top 5 Airports with the Shortest Arrival Wait Time John Wayne Airport (SNA) 50 minutes Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) 50.4 minutes Oakland International Airport (OAK) 50.6 minutes Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) 53.7 minutes San Diego International Airport (SAN) 55.1 minutes For the full results including the worst layover destinations, detailed lists of all factors scored along with interactive graphs, and an itemized list of each airport's rankings, please visit the complete study online. About Upgraded Points LLC Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Upgraded Points is a travel company that helps to demystify the complex world of travel and credit cards. Launched in 2016 by Alex Miller, Upgraded Points uses targeted research efforts and in-depth studies to help travelers maximize their travel, points, and experiences. Learn more at UpgradedPoints.com. Media Contact: Alex Miller, Founder 1-214-646-8866 368984@email4pr.com Upgraded Points Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/upgraded-points-data-study-ranks-top-50-us-airports-for-layovers-based-on-airport-amenities-flight-performance-and-more-302004917.html SOURCE Upgraded Points (Bloomberg) -- US authorities are working to contain a campaign by Iranian hackers against multiple drinking water and sewage systems around the country. Most Read from Bloomberg We are aware of active targeting by these actors and exploitation, Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters in a call on Monday. A small number of water utilities have been compromised, he said, and he urged operators to bolster security. There has been no known impact on safe drinking water or operational systems, Goldstein said. The Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, in western Pennsylvania, is among the utilities that was hacked and had to switch to manual systems, according to WaterISAC, an industry information-sharing body. A group called the CyberAv3ngers, who are affiliated with the Iranian Governments Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been targeting technology that runs physical systems, called programmable logic controllers, that are made by Unitronics, an Israeli company, according to US and Israeli government agencies. The devices are commonly used in water and wastewater systems, in addition to other industries including energy, food and beverage manufacturing and health care. The US designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization in 2019. In a joint cybersecurity advisory issued on Friday, US agencies including CISA, the FBI and the National Security Agency, as well as Israeli National Cyber Directorate, warned that the controllers could be breached if they are connected to the internet and because they often use default passwords issued by the manufacturer. Story continues Unitronics didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Paul Lukoskie, director of threat intelligence services at the cybersecurity firm Dragos, which is helping Unitronics customers shield themselves from the threat, told Bloomberg that ideally no products that run critical infrastructure systems would be on the public internet at all, but would instead be protected behind a monster firewall. The CyberAv3ngers group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against critical infrastructure organizations since 2020 but is known for fabricating or exaggerating their impact, according to John Hultquist, chief analyst at Mandiant Intelligence, a cybersecurity unit at Google. Obviously you dont want a group like this to have control or have access to any part of critical infrastructure, he told Bloomberg, saying the group is less focused on physical impact than making a splash. The purpose is to undermine our sense of security. In November, the hacking group posted on X, Every equipment Made In Israel Is Cyber Av3ngers Legal Target! Michael Hamilton, founder and chief information security officer at Critical Insight, a network security company, said the attackers arent sophisticated hackers but succeed due to security oversights by their victims. The problem is also compounded because of the fragmented nature of the US water industry, which has about 165,000 drinking water and wastewater systems in total. Many lack basic cybersecurity protections, according to Hamilton. --With assistance from Jamie Tarabay. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. By Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top bosses of JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and other Wall Street banks will warn lawmakers that capital hikes and new regulations will hurt the economy, according to prepared congressional testimony published on Tuesday. The CEOs of the country's eight largest banks will appear before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday. The hearing comes amid a fierce industry campaign to kill the "Basel Endgame" proposal, which overhauls how banks must calculate their loss-absorbing capital, and as regulators roll out fair lending and fee-cap rules, among other consumer rules. The Basel rule, being drafted by bank regulators led by the U.S. Federal Reserve, would "unjustifiably and unnecessarily" increase capital requirements by 20% to 25% for the largest banks, forcing them charge more for services or stop offering them altogether, Dimon will warn. "If enacted as drafted, this proposal will fundamentally alter the U.S. economy in ways that the Federal Reserve has not studied or contemplated," he will say, according to the prepared testimony published by the Committee on Tuesday. Other new consumer regulations also show an "alarming" lack of rigorous economic analysis, Dimon will also say. Regulators say new rules, including capital hikes, are necessary to protect the banking system from unforeseen shocks, especially after three banks collapsed earlier this year. Citigroup's Fraser, however, warned the United States against "inadvertently" upending its financial system in response to what were "isolated" bank failures. The other CEOs appearing are: Bank of America's Brian Moynihan, Wells Fargo's Charles Scharf, Goldman Sachs' David Solomon, Morgan Stanley's James Gorman, State Street's Ronald O'Hanley, and BNY Mellon's Robin Vince. The hearing offers the CEOs an opportunity to try to convince key moderate Democratic senators that the rules could stifle lending, hurting small business and consumers. Story continues Gorman will say that the Basel rules are "wholly unnecessary ... harming the competitiveness of the U.S. economy and driving more activity to the less regulated parts of the financial services industry." Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf, meanwhile, said he was confident that the bank's management had the experience to "address all of our risk, control, and regulatory issues," in order for regulators "to consider closing our open consent orders." The bank is still operating under an asset cap that prevents it from growing until regulators deem that it has fixed problems from a fake accounts scandal. It still has nine open consent orders from banking regulators who require additional oversight of its practices. (Additional reporting by Hannah Lang, Chris Prentice, Saeed Azhar, Lananh Nguyen, Nupur Anand and Tatiana Bautzer; editing by Megan Davies and Nick Zieminski) The White House warned lawmakers Monday that the U.S. will run out of funds to aid Ukraine in just a few weeks if Congress fails to pass the emergency funding package requested by President Joe Biden in October. In a letter to congressional leaders, White House budget director Shalanda Young said that by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks. She called on lawmakers to move quickly to provide more funding. There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment, she wrote. We are out of money and nearly out of time. Young also warned that the failure to provide the $61 billion in requested funding would kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield while increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories. Young noted that Congress has already provided $111 billion to support Ukraine and critical national security needs, and that more than half of that total, or about $67 billion, has flowed through the Pentagon to help build up the American defense industrial base or support U.S. military and intelligence operations part of an effort by the White House to remind lawmakers that aiding Ukraine has significant benefits for the U.S. military and economy. Complex negotiations: Bidens roughly $105 billion supplemental request includes additional money for Israel and Indo-Pacific allies, as well as funds for operations at the southern border. Senate negotiators are discussing a single bill that responds to the request, but talks have hit a rough patch over demands that the Biden administration make significant changes in its border policy as part of the overall aid package. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, who leads the negotiations for Republicans, said this weekend that he would reject any supplemental package that fails to include major changes in border policy, including more restrictive detention guidelines and new limits on the granting of asylum privileges. In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson said that while he supports the effort to provide more money for Ukraine, any aid package must include border policy changes similar to those outlined in H.R. 2, which the House passed in May. In response to Youngs letter, the speaker made it clear that he has multiple concerns about the White House funding request. The Biden Administration has failed to substantively address any of my conferences legitimate concerns about the lack of a clear strategy in Ukraine, a path to resolving the conflict, or a plan for adequately ensuring accountability for aid provided by American taxpayers, he wrote on social media. Meanwhile, the Administration is continually ignoring the catastrophe at our own border. House Republicans have resolved that any national security supplemental package must begin with our own border. Democrats say Republicans are asking for too much and the demands for H.R. 2 policies are non-starters, so talks have all but broken down. Right now, it seems pretty clear that were making pretty big compromises and concessions and Republicans arent willing to meet us anywhere close to the middle, Sen. Chris Murphy, the lead Democrat in the negotiations, said. Murphy added that he sees no path to a border deal as things now stand, though he is willing to listen to new ideas. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who hopes to hold a procedural vote on the supplemental package this week, said Monday that Democrats want to reach an agreement, but GOP demands are making it difficult to make a deal. Progress on the national security package has been on ice for weeks, he said, because Republicans have injected partisan and extreme immigration measures into the debate. The bottom line: Negotiations over the supplemental spending bill that includes billions for Ukraine are stuck for now as lawmakers wrangle over changes in border policy. Meanwhile, money for Ukraine is running out as the clock ticks down to lawmakers long holiday break ahead. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. Successes include a substantial increase in regional revenue YOY and appreciable growth of the SEUR employee workforce BOSTON, December 05, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following a year of significant growth, Zerto, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, today announced strong momentum in 2023 in the SEUR region. The company has been fueled during the past 18 months by aggressive hiring, the addition of two significant new regions, an influx of new partners and a strategic expansion of its channel business. These successes have brought new energy to the company this year and continue to solidify its fast-growing reputation since its acquisition by HPE in 2021. Zerto has already stated its goal of accelerated growth of the business in the next 24 months, and this latest news indicates that it is well on its way. An Expanding Global Footprint Beginning at its launch in 2011, Zerto's industry-leading data protection (DP) and disaster recovery (DR)-to-cloud technology has made a significant day-to-day impact on thousands of companies, ensuring continuous uninterrupted workflows at a time when even an hour of downtime can have disastrous financial consequences for businesses. 2023's aggressive expansion efforts in the SEUR region have brought Zerto's best-in-class capabilities to a whole new audience, and the results are revealed through a sizable increase in active customers YOY. The demand for Zerto continues to grow in lockstep with its team, which continues to consistently add new hires. New team members include locally-based staff with specialized language capacities supporting Zerto's significant new SEUR sales region, covering Italy, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Cyprus, and Greece. Specifically, Zerto hired Cristian Meloni in April 2023 to be the Country Sales Leader in Italy. Meloni comes to Zerto after spending six years leading sales in Italy for Rubrik, giving him ample experience in the data protection market. In his new role, Meloni will focus on growing Zertos presence in Italy and developing a sales staff that is motivated to exceed targeted sales objectives and deliver high quality service to customers. Story continues Zerto also elevated Matthias Traeger to the Regional Sales Director position in SEUR in February 2023. Traeger joined Zerto in September 2021 and has since significantly contributed to the successful development of the business, not only in the SEUR region. Prior to joining Zerto, he held various sales roles at Dell and HP/HPE. These expansion efforts have been accelerated by Zerto's identification of and collaboration with 40 new partners across the SEUR region. Through these partnerships, the company has been introduced to a brand-new clientele and has further illustrated the value of its real-time detection meets real-time protection disaster recovery solution. Combined with the expansion of Zerto's channel business in the region which is helping Zerto to leverage its increased resources and market presence these developments suggest a future of rapid and continued growth. "Data recovery and data protection are problems without borders, and it's no surprise to see people across the globe take to Zerto's technology with this much enthusiasm," said Matthias Traeger, regional sales director, Zerto. "The last 18 months of aggressive hiring in the SEUR region has paid off in a big way and you can expect us to continue strategically hiring throughout both regions and beyond as we continue our efforts to bring the undeniable benefits of Zerto to every corner of the globe." About Zerto Zerto, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, empowers customers to run an always-on business by simplifying the protection, recovery, and mobility of on-premises and cloud applications. Zertos cloud data management and protection solution eliminates the risks and complexity of modernization and cloud adoption across private, public, and hybrid deployments. The simple, software-only solution uses continuous data protection at scale to solve for ransomware resilience, disaster recovery and multi-cloud mobility. Zerto is trusted by over 9,500 customers globally and is powering offerings for Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and more than 350 managed service providers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231205846408/en/ Contacts Hannah Sobolewksi TouchdownPR zerto@touchdownpr.com After an hour of walking up and down the aisles, you finally find the perfect gift and make your way to the register. The cashier tells you that you can save 20% by signing up for a store card. That discount is significant, so what's the catch? A store credit card is a card that is offered by certain retailers and allows you to earn extra bonuses or points whenever you shop at that store. But they can have high fees and rates and, depending on your credit and the card issuer, may have strict restrictions on their use. What is a store credit card? A store credit card, often referred to as a retail card, is a type of credit card some retailers offer. They offer perks for shoppers, such as discounts on qualifying purchases, bonus coupons, or low-interest or deferred-interest promotions. Store credit cards can take two forms: Store card: A store card can only be used to make purchases at the issuing retailer; you can use it to buy items in person or online through the retailer's website, but the card cannot be used anywhere else. Retail network card: A retail network card is a type of credit card that a retailer issues, but the card is part of a larger credit card network, such as Visa, Mastercard, or American Express. These cards provide perks when you use the card at the issuing retailer, but you can also use the card to make purchases elsewhere. Theyre much more flexible and may require better credit to qualify. Some examples include the Prime Visa and Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard. For example, Old Navy is a popular retailer, and it offers two cards: Navyist Rewards Credit Card which offers 30% off the first card purchase and 5 points per $1 spent at Gap Inc. stores is Old Navy's store card, and it can only be used at Gap Inc. brands, such as Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta. Navyist Rewards Mastercard which offers 30% off the first card purchase, 5 points per $1 spent at Gap Inc. stores, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases can be used for purchases at Gap Inc. brands, but it can also be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted. You can use the card and earn rewards when buying gas, groceries, or other transactions. Store card pros They're easier to get: If you have poor credit or no credit history, qualifying for a traditional credit card can be difficult. Store cards can be useful if you're trying to build or rebuild your credit since they have less stringent eligibility requirements. And over time, they can help you improve your credit if you use the card responsibly. You may be eligible for special discounts: If you get a store card from a retailer you regularly shop at, you may be eligible for special discounts and sales days throughout the year. You can earn bonus rewards: If you're a loyal shopper with a particular brand, a store card allows you to earn bonus points on every purchase. Store card cons They may only be used at certain retailers: With most store cards, you can only use them at a specific retailer. They may have high APRs: Store cards, especially those that can only be used at a specific store, tend to have higher-than-average annual percentage rates (APRs). APRs of 30% or more are common with retail cards. Low credit limits: Store cards tend to have relatively low credit limits. With most cards, the maximum credit limit is below $3,000 significantly lower than the limit you can get with other credit cards. With a lower limit, even relatively low balances can take up a significant percentage of your available credit and cause your credit score to drop. How to apply for a store card Whether you want to build your credit or take advantage of bonus points and rewards on your purchases, here's how you can apply for a new store credit card: Review your options: There are thousands of store credit cards available, so look for a card that's a good fit for you. Ideally, you should get a card connected to a retailer you shop at often, with low fees and rates and a strong rewards program. Gather information: When you apply, you'll be asked for your Social Security number, birth date, mailing address, income, and employer details. You can save time by collecting that information ahead of time. Apply online or in-store: You can apply for a store credit card in person at the cash register or apply for store credit cards online. With online applications, it typically takes just a few minutes to complete. Plan that first purchase: Most store credit cards will give you a substantial discount on your first purchase after being approved for a card. Although it may be tempting to add items to your cart to get more savings, remember that store cards have high APRs, so only buy what you need and can pay off in full by the payment due date. Alternatives to store credit cards If you're considering store credit cards because you want to improve or rebuild your credit, a retail card isn't your only option. One of the following tools may help you boost your credit over time: Secured credit cards A secured credit card is an excellent option for those with no credit history or poor credit. Unlike traditional cards, which give you a credit limit based on your credit history and income, secured cards require a security deposit, and the deposit serves as your credit limit. For example, if you put down $200 as a security deposit, your credit limit with that card is $200. Here are some examples of secured credit cards today and their required security deposit amounts: Over time, secured cards can help you establish good credit if you make your payments on time and keep your balance low. As your credit improves, you may be able to transition to an unsecured card. Credit builder loans Credit builder loans are tools some credit unions offer to help members with poor credit or no credit. With credit builder loans, you apply for a loan for a relatively small amount, such as $3,000 or less. The loan funds are deposited into a savings account and held for you. As you make payments, the credit union reports your payments to the major credit bureaus helping you establish a positive payment history and, once the loan is paid in full, the credit union releases the funds in the savings account to you. Credit union credit builder loans tend to have low APRs, so the loan allows you to boost your credit and build your savings. Credit cards for poor credit Although many rewards credit cards require good to excellent credit, some are specifically designed for those with poor credit. Rather than a store card, these cards can be used anywhere, so they may be a better option if you tend to shop at different places rather than being a devotee of a specific brand. Here are a few examples of credit cards designated as credit-building cards by their issuers: However, these cards tend to have very high APRs and may have high monthly or annual account fees, so review the card terms and conditions carefully to ensure you know what you'll have to pay to have the card. Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the banks website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has welcomed the listing of Phoenix Group, a leader in cryptocurrency mining and blockchain technology worldwide. Phoenix Groups initial public offering (IPO), which concluded on November 18, 2023, demonstrated strong market confidence with a remarkable 33 times oversubscription, amassing $370 million. The offering attracted significant attention from retail investors, who oversubscribed by 180 times, and professional investors, who contributed to a 22-fold oversubscription. Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi, Chief Executive Officer of ADX, said: The listing of Phoenix Group on our exchange not only adds to the diversity of products on our market but also signals the growing interest in the digital economy and financial technology investments in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. We are proud to continue to be the exchange market of choice for tech-driven issuers and investors, as we remain committed to our mission of connecting opportunity and providing a world-class exchange market experience for all our stakeholders, he added. Key development This listing represents an important development for ADX, with Phoenix Group being the first privately owned crypto and blockchain entity to be listed on a Middle East stock market. Bijan Alizadehfard, Co-Founder & Group CEO of Phoenix Group PLC, stated: "Phoenix Group's ADX listing is a milestone for diversified technology and innovation. Our IPO symbolises a leap forward for Abu Dhabi as a nexus of digital transformation across various sectors. By blending advanced blockchain applications, strategic tech partnerships, and market-leading digital asset services, we're proud to be part of Abu Dhabi's Economic Vision 2030." Munaf Ali, Co-Founder & Group MD of Phoenix Group PLC stated: "The ADX listing of Phoenix Group is a testament to our multifaceted technological prowess. From spearheading blockchain advancements to shaping the landscape of digital finance, our presence on the exchange is a narrative of cross-industry tech innovation. As a preferred partner for government-led tech initiatives, we're championing a future where the Abu Dhabi stands as a global beacon for sustainable and comprehensive digital economy growth."--TradeArabia News Service Hundreds of people descended on the First Congregational UCC church in Fremont on Saturday, Dec. 2, for the annual Christmas Bazaar, where they shopped for holiday gifts and sugary treats while devouring a glazed hamloaf lunch with friends and relatives. Renae Kirby-Brunner, a member of the 1st CC-UCC of Fremont bazaar organizing committee, said several hundred people attended the Saturday festivities, which ran through the morning and afternoon with a constant flow of coming and going. Turnout was better than last year, Kirby-Brunner said as she manned the entrance desk to the main dining room. The cookies are going fast. Inside the sprawling church campus were two dining rooms both packed with attendees eating the hamloaf main dish and numerous side rooms dedicated to vendors selling arts and crafts as well as the beloved Christmas cookies made by churchgoers and other bakers. Kayla Petersen, who is a volunteer with the church bazaar, was busy delivering hamloaf-laden plates to diners. It is pretty famous, Kayla said of the hamloaf. (My mom) makes it. It is a nice, sweet hamloaf. Kaylas mother, Kathy Petersen, who described herself as a hamloaf mastress, said the Nebraska staple begins with a pre-made meaty mixture that local butcher shops create. You buy the hamloaf; what that is is ground ham and ground sausage. It is sold already mixed together, and then you add your eggs, your crackers and milk and make a loaf, Kathy explained. You cook it at 350 degrees until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Kathy said shes been a member of the churchs hamloaf cook squad for five years, and that the meaty treat glazed with a sweet sauce ladled across the top has been wildly popular with bazaar attendees for decades. It is awesome, Kathy said as she loaded up several outgoing plates with giant square cuts of the meaty goodness. The bazaar celebrated its 79th year on Saturday, and the proceeds from the day of holiday fun are used both by the church for its programs and events as well as given to outside entities for outreach and charity to communities in need. Among the community entities that are funded by the bazaar are the Care Corps Lifehouse temporary homeless shelter and food pantry. Fire crews with the South Metro Fire Rescue responded to a barn fire in Douglas County late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Flames broke out late Monday night at a barn located on Patty Lane, near Jordan and Hess Road in Parker. Fire crews were able to extinguish the barn on fire that threatened an adjacent home and prevented it from spreading to the adjacent grass. Similar to the barn fire Nov. 27 that killed almost a dozen horses, no fire hydrants were on this road and tenders had to truck in water 3,000 gallons at time, according to SMFR. The barn was used mainly to store personal items. South Metro Fire Rescue said no injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Multiple businesses downtown remain closed Tuesday following a three-alarm fire at 15 Bijou Street in Colorado Springs Monday morning. The three-alarm fire at 15 Bijou Street closed an alleyway and East Bijou Street between Tejon Street and Cascade Avenue on for much of Monday. Colorado Springs Fire Department Spokesperson Ashley Franco told The Gazette that there were no injuries reported from the fire. The fire began some time before 10 a.m. in the building housing A Taste of Jerusalem, a UPS store, a women's clothing boutique and Icons nightclub. CSPD received the initial call at 9:48 a.m., crews began arriving at the scene three minutes later and had begun applying water to the fire by 10:01 a.m., Franco said. CSFD made a post on social media platform X that the fire was under control as of 11:09 a.m. Bijou Street reopened for traffic later in the afternoon. The dining area for Taste of Jerusalem showed some damage Tuesday morning, with soot darkening the front windows, debris on the floor and several ceiling tiles askew. According to social media, Icons and Shame and Regret (located just behind Taste of Jerusalem in the alleyway) remained closed Monday night due to smoke damage. Retail stores including Local Honey Co. and Yobel are closed until further notice due to smoke damage and lost inventory. "Unfortunately Local Honey has suffered from smoke damage due to the fire and most inventory is not salvageable at this point," Local Honey Co. wrote in a social media post, "The shop is closed until further notice." Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. T. Paul, a general manager at Icons, was doing inventory inside the nightclub when they began to smell smoke at about 9:40 a.m. "The smoke was so bad, I thought the fire was coming from us," said Paul, who uses they/them pronouns. "I stepped outside and was just about to call 911 when I saw the first truck come in." About 65 CSFD firefighters were on scene at one point, Franco said. "We staff about 127 sworn firefighters every day, so the majority of our firefighters (were) on scene," she said. Investigators are working to determine the source of the fire, Franco said. Colorado got an unexpected delivery from the state of Texas Monday morning. A busload of immigrants just in from Texas was dropped off at the state capitol, city officials confirmed. These types of bus drop-offs are not unusual, but what is new is the location, officials said. Leaving people at the center of state government instead of at a shelter sends a message, said Jon Ewing, spokesperson for Denver Human Services. "This feels like a cheap shot. It feels intentional. Our shelters are not downtown. They are in different parts of the city but not right downtown. Some are even off of the interstate. All a driver has to do is just take an exit and you drop them right off," Ewing said. Often, the city is notified about such drop-offs, but not always, which was the case Monday morning, officials said. Ewing's office calls the unannounced drop off vehicles "ghost buses" because no one knows anything about who is inside or what the people may need. "They often come off with a little blanket," he said. "They dont know the city and they dont speak the language." Denver has spent more than $32 million over the past year responding to the unfolding crisis that has seen nearly 30,000 immigrants who crossed the U.S. border with Mexico arriving in Colorado's most populous city. The bulk of that money went to personnel and facilities. Officials have spent roughly $4.2 million as of last month to transport immigrants to at least 46 states and Washington D.C., data obtained by the city shows. Early in the crisis, officials determined that Denver would pay to transport immigrants to the city of their choice. State and city officials have estimated 30% of the new arrivals have stopped in Denver on their way to somewhere else. Immigrants top three choices are Chicago, New York and Salt Lake City. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has bused more than 7,800 immigrants to Denver since May in a program dubbed Operation Lone Star, according to his office. Thats more than Texas has sent to Los Angeles and Philadelphia combined. Abbott nabbed international headlines last spring, when he began sending immigrants to states led by Democratic governors, including Colorado. For its part, Denver has sent at least 450 immigrants back to Texas, the majority to Dallas. A year of immigrant drop-offs Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. As the city is poised to mark a year since nearly 100 immigrants were dropped off at the Union Station downtown, plunging the city into a humanitarian crisis. All told, Denver has received 29,564 immigrants, officials said. Many are from South and Central America, particularly Venezuela. The influx exemplifies the crisis unfolding at the U.S. border for years that has now spilled over into America's interior cities, such as Denver, which is more than 600 miles from El Paso, Texas, the closest U.S. border. Denver officials have scrambled to respond to the influx since immigrants began arriving in droves in December 2022. Since then, the city has continued to experience arrivals in waves, particularly since Texas began sending immigrants here. Officials have speculated the draw to Denver might be because of its relative proximity to the Mexico border in El Paso, Texas. Others said it might be because Denver is considered a "sanctuary city," which, broadly speaking, refers to local policies prohibiting cooperation with the federal immigration office. The mayors of New York City and Chicago have criticized Gov. Jared Polis for shuffling immigrants around, an accusation that has also been leveled against Republican governors. High cost Whether staying or leaving, the cost to temporarily house, feed and transport these new arrivals has largely fallen on Denver, whose taxpayers have assumed the cost of roughly $6 out of every $10 spent on the arriving immigrants. If an immigrants desired final destination is elsewhere, city officials have provided, at taxpayers expense, free transportation via bus, train or plane. Many of the arriving immigrants have support systems with family and friends in other cities Roughly $13.4 million of the response has been or is expected to be reimbursed by the state and federal government. Last month, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and a coalition of democratic mayors met with Homeland Security officials and lawmakers to discuss the crisis. President Joe Biden requested from Congress $1.4 billion to help state and local governments to provide shelter and services to immigrants, far short of the $5 billion Johnson and other mayors sought. Ewing said that with this latest immigrant drop-off, people were transported on a shuttle to a "welcome center," checked for proper documentation and placed into shelters. He said it would have been helpful if whomever sent the bus would have saved Denver a step. "Weve asked officials in Texas repeatedly, can you just please drop them off at a shelter?" Ewing said. ""Its dangerous and its inhumane." ERIE, Colo. A police department that straddles Boulder and Weld counties terminated three sergeants and one officer, and had another officer resign, late last month after an investigation into a complaint of misconduct, according to Gazette news partner 9News. The Erie Police Department (EPD) said three sergeants and one officer were fired Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, respectively, after an internal misconduct complaint was filed regarding an incident that occurred on duty on Oct. 10. Another sergeant was demoted to the rank of officer on Nov. 21 and then resigned on Nov. 23, a police spokesperson said. None of the officers have been identified, and no details regarding the Oct. 10 incident have been disclosed, 9News reported. A police spokesperson said an investigation determined that no criminal conduct occurred. Erie Police Chief Lee Mathis released this statement: Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. "The Command Staff of the Erie Police Department is dedicated to ensuring a professional, respectful and safe working environment for everyone and will not tolerate any form of harassment in the workplace. The investigation of these allegations was thorough and misconduct by EPD staff was handled with the appropriate discipline. When 9NEWS asked how losing 11% of its sworn officers would affect department workflows, a spokesperson replied "our commitment, and high level of service to the community has not been impacted." 9NEWS requested an on-camera interview with Mathis but was told the department would not be doing on-camera interviews. For more on this story, and other Colorado news stories, visit our partners at 9NEWS.com. Over the next two years, in three phases, construction crews will replace four aging and deteriorating bridges on Circle Drive east of Interstate 25 on Colorado Springs' southeast side. East- and westbound traffic on Circle Drive, east of I-25 between Janitell and Monterey roads, is carried on the bridges two sets of twin structures now 60 years old and at the end of their lives, senior engineer and project manager Ryan Phipps said at a news conference Monday. A vital arterial pathway in the city's southeastern area, the bridges span over Fountain Creek, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads, the Fountain Mutual Irrigation Company, Las Vegas Street, Hancock Expressway and the popular Pikes Peak Greenway Trail. Construction has started on the approximately $40 million project that will safely accommodate traveling vehicles, bikes and pedestrians on Circle by building four new bridges more than 800 feet long and 60 feet above Fountain Creek, Phipps said. The city first identified the need to rehabilitate the bridges about a decade ago, he said. In 2012, voters approved the capital improvements to be paid for by revenues from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority's 1-cent sales tax that funds regional roadwork. "A lot of people call in about the bridges; they're not in prime condition. So folks are generally concerned," Phipps said. Over the last several years Colorado Springs used available funding to rehabilitate the bridges and keep them in service, according to the project website. A study initiated in 2018 found the best solution was to replace the bridges. Work has begun on the first phase of the project constructing two new eastbound bridges alongside the current eastbound bridges between Janitell and Monterey roads. Crews will maintain traffic on the existing Circle Drive bridges while constructing the new ones, Phipps said. Circle Drive will have two lanes of traffic open in both directions, with temporary lane closures on Las Vegas Street and Hancock Expressway. During this phase, crews will also demolish the original westbound bridges and close the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail, but will implement a trail detour. The trail closure is the most significant impact of the project because it will be closed for the entire duration of the two-year project, Phipps said. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. In the second phase, crews will open the newly constructed eastbound bridges and shift eastbound traffic from the old eastbound bridges to the new ones. Westbound traffic will shift onto the original eastbound bridges on Circle Drive as crews construct the new westbound bridges. Again, Circle Drive will have two lanes of traffic open in both directions with temporary lane closures on Las Vegas Street and Hancock Expressway. In the final, third phase, crews will shift westbound traffic on Circle Drive to the new westbound bridges, then will demolish the original eastbound bridges. Two lanes of traffic will remain open on Circle. New 10-foot wide sidewalks larger than the 1.5- to 2-foot wide existing sidewalks heading west on the Circle Drive bridges will open, and the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail will reopen and its detour removed. Phipps said the city will minimize traffic impacts as much as possible during construction, but travelers should give themselves extra time during the project. Travelers will experience lane shifts, trail detours and minimized speeds in the work zone. Officials will notify travelers in advance of anticipated traffic impacts. Traffic control measures and flaggers will guide road and trail users around the work zone, according to the project website. There are no anticipated road closures. For more information, visit the project website at coloradosprings.gov/CircleDrBridges. Wio Bank has become the first bank to roll out Mastercards Carbon Calculator in the EEMEA region, enabling customers to understand and consider the environmental impact of their purchases. Wio Bank was created to reboot banking in the UAE for both businesses and consumers. In alignment with the UAE's Year of Sustainability, Wio Bank has integrated the Carbon Calculator into its Wio Personal application, setting a new standard for sustainable banking practices in the region. By understanding their carbon footprint, Wio Personal users are equipped to make meaningful changes that combat climate change, conserve resources, and encourage a sustainable lifestyle. As part of this initiative, Wio Personal customers can also directly donate to support the Emirates Nature WWF project, aimed at restoring 50,000 mangroves over 10 Hectares in the Northern Emirates. Right tools Our aim at Wio Bank is to continuously support our customers with the right tools and give them the confidence when it comes to their spending habits. The Carbon Calculator is one more way that will enable them to understand, visualise, and spend in a way that will serve our planet better. This is a step towards a more sustainable future, fostering a new way of thinking about our actions and their effects on the world we live in. We are proud to partner with Mastercard to drive positive change among the community and raise awareness about the impact of purchasing behaviours on our planet, said Jayesh Patel, Chief Executive Officer at Wio Bank. At Mastercard, we are committed to leveraging innovative technologies to enable more sustainable consumption. We are delighted to welcome Wio Bank to the community of partners that are putting the Carbon Calculator to use for more informed purchasing decisions of their cardholders. We are working hard together with our partners in the UAE to support the Year of Sustainability, said Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer, Mastercard. Estimated carbon emissions The Mastercard Carbon Calculator, powered by the independently verified Doconomy Aland Index, provides users with the estimated carbon emissions generated by their Wio Personal card purchases. The innovative tool was developed to help drive more informed purchasing decisions and can be enhanced with relatable and easy-to-understand equivalents, such as the number of trees required to absorb the same amount of CO2, and tips about living more sustainably. The Carbon Calculator complements the work of Mastercards Priceless Planet Coalition, which unites the efforts of consumers, financial institutions, merchants, and cities to fight climate change through the restoration of 100 million trees. Wio Bank is a member of Mastercard's Priceless Planet Coalition, guided by restoration partners Conservation International and World Resources Institute, and this alliance reaffirms its commitment to sustainability. Moreover, banks and financial institutions can seamlessly integrate the Carbon Calculator into their mobile apps through new APIs that are available on the Mastercard Developers platform, allowing consumers to make an active contribution to protecting the planet.--TradeArabia News Service The Federal Geographic Information Center has announced the launch of the General Map of the UAE in both Arabic and English. Part of an ongoing series of official maps developed in collaboration with relevant authorities, this initiative underscores the Center's dedication to providing a unified and reliable source of geographic information for the nation, a release said. The primary goal is to empower government and private entities with trustworthy official maps, fostering consistency and precision in spatial data utilisation. Various platforms The Center urges all entities concerned and community members to incorporate the General Map of UAE into various platforms, including national and international forums, conferences, meetings, official websites and digital platforms, reports, research endeavours and related projects. Illustrating approved official borders, main road and train networks, and essential data, the UAE General Map serves as a comprehensive resource. It includes geographic names, contributing significantly to the historical and geographical heritage of the nation and enhancing its sense of national identity. Government entities in the UAE can obtain hard copies of the general map by visiting the main office of the Federal Geographic Information Center in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Alternatively, direct contact with the Center through official channels or access to the digital version of the Map on the FGIC website under "Geospatial Products". This initiative forms a crucial part of the Center's strategic plan projects, designed to elevate the country's readiness index in the field of geospatial information on a global scale.--TradeArabia News Service One of southern Colorados most-recognizable mountains finally has a trail to the top. It's a destination hike joining others across Colorados state parks. And that got us thinking about some other bucket-list trips in the parks system. Cruise Saudi, a specialist in the development of the kingdoms cruise industry, has partnered with the kingdom's Culinary Arts Commission to showcase authentic Saudi cuisine onboard Aroya Cruises through the Irth Culinary Boutique & Cafe. A unit of Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund), Cruise Saudi, said this collaboration forms part of Aroya Cruises vision to offer exceptional and creative experiences to its passengers. Aroya Cruises is the first cruise ship of its kind to be tailored exclusively to Arabian tastes, and resembling it is Irth, the first Saudi restaurant at sea, which will offer a variety of locally sourced Saudi foods and drinks and high-quality products. In addition to its rich heritage and glorious history, Saudi is also renowned for its authentic hospitality, which will be embodied in the services provided at Irth, with all restaurant staff being trained by the Culinary Arts Commission to ensure a deluxe and genuine experience for passengers. Lars Clasen, CEO at Cruise Saudi, said: "Were proud to be partnering with the Culinary Arts Commission. Launching Irth Culinary Boutique & Cafe onboard Aroya Cruises represents a key step in exhibiting the Kingdoms authenticity and offering the best of services to our guests." Founded in 2020, the Culinary Arts Commission seeks to promote the unique Saudi culinary traditions on both a local and global scale and position the Kingdom as a leading destination for culinary arts. The goals and ambitions of the Culinary Arts Commission align perfectly with those of Aroya Cruise, which aims to provide exceptional experiences that cater to the tastes and preferences of Arabian people while seeking inspiration from the authentic Saudi culture. Mayada Badr, CEO of the Culinary Arts Commission, said: "Irth Culinary Boutique & Cafe will showcase the authenticity of Saudi cuisine and its rich culture, and this partnership with Cruise Saudis Aroya Cruises aligns perfectly with our ambition to celebrate the Kingdoms rich heritage and culture. We look forward to joining Aroya Cruises in their mission to offer the best of Saudi culture and traditions across its journeys." Unveiled in June, Aroya Cruise is the kingdom's first-ever cruise line with a unique design catering to Arabian tastes while focusing on the holiday preferences of Saudi nationals, expatriates and regional guests. "It starts from the design of cabins and suites to the detailed attention given to the quality of on-board food and beverage offerings, reflecting the spirit of innovation and true Arabian hospitality that the Kingdom excels in," stated Badr.-TradeArabia News Service Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will be invited to the 2024 G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. However, he did not directly answer the question whether the Russian president, whose arrest warrant had been issued by the International Criminal Court, would be detained. At the same time, Lula da Silva noted that the head of the Kremlin will have to assess the consequences of his visit, because he knows what can happen. The politician said this during a briefing in Berlin on Monday, December 5, writes Terra. Brazil has ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and is responsible. If Putin comes to the G20 meeting in Brazil, he knows what can happen, the Brazilian president said. At the same time, he said that the possible arrest of the Russian dictator is not within the scope of his responsibility. Will he be arrested when he arrives? Maybe, maybe not. The judiciary will decide that, Lula da Silva added. The head of the Kremlin was not present at the last G20 summit held on September 9-10 in New Delhi (India). Let us recall that in March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin and the Russian Commissioner for Childrens Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. ISS suspects them of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. As OBOZ.UA reported, earlier in Brazil they stated that they were considering the possibility of leaving the ISS in The Hague. As the Minister of Justice and Public Security said, a number of important countries have not joined the ISS, so Brazil may also reconsider its attitude to this agreement. We have only verified information in our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Dont be fooled by fakes! The U.S. and Canada consistently rank among the top countries in the world for education. Whether youre seeking undergraduate or postgraduate opportunities, both nations provide excellent tuition and career prospects for a wide range of industries and specialties. However, with university fees growing year-on-year, cost has become a major determining factor for those choosing where to study. This article from Debt Relief Canada will provide a comparative analysis of education costs in the U.S. and Canada so you can weigh up your options and make an informed decision based on your individual needs, wants, and budget. Application fees The cost of getting an education starts before youve even been accepted into your chosen school, with most universities charging a set price just to apply. However, costs can vary wildly depending on the university, program, and degree level chosen. A typical application fee for a public university in the U.S. is $50 (CAD 68.45) but some private universities have been known to charge up to $100 (CAD 136.90). An application fee for a public university in Canada, on the other hand, may range between CAD 50-250 (USD 36.52-182.62). This may not sound like it would consume too much of your student budget, but if you're applying to multiple universities, costs can quickly add up. Tuition fees Regardless of where you choose to study, tuition fees are likely to be the single largest payment youre faced with as a student. Costs can also differ between states and provinces with the average cost of tuition at a public university in the U.S. at around $10,662 (CAD 14,596) and this figure sometimes rising to $23,630 (CAD 32,350) for out-of-state students. The average cost of tuition at a public university in Canada is around CAD 6,500 (USD 4,748) but can be as much as CAD 36,100 (USD 26,370) for international students. However, just because a university has higher tuition fees, it shouldnt be ruled out. Some institutions may charge more but provide a wider range of benefits, grants, and scholarships, which can offset the higher cost. Financial aid and scholarships With education costs at an all-time high, an increasing number of students are seeking financial aid and scholarships to help fund their college years. However, while both countries offer a range of government-funded programs for eligible students, there are some key differences. For example, financial aid in the U.S. may be based on a combination of your financial situation and academic merit. This means that students with higher grades can qualify for more financial aid than students with lower grades even if they both come from low-income families. In Canada, financial aid is usually based solely on your financial background with students from low-income families receiving the highest level of support. Canadian universities may also be more likely to offer financial aid and scholarships to international students while the U.S. tends to reserve the bulk of its support for domestic students. Health insurance When it comes to education costs, health insurance might not rank highly on your list of priorities, but it should. Many colleges in the U.S. require students to have a valid health insurance policy for the duration of their coursework and costs can differ depending on the level of coverage required. The U.S. also doesnt offer universal healthcare, so youll need to budget for a private insurance plan which can range from $500 (CAD 684) to $1,000 (CAD 1369) a year. Canada benefits from a publicly funded healthcare system and many universities provide insurance for domestic students through the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). The only exception is international students who will, unfortunately, be required to organize health insurance before embarking on their coursework, and this can cost anything from CAD 600 (USD 438) to CAD 900 (USD 657) a year. Visa and immigration fees The cost of studying abroad can be significant, regardless of which country you choose to call home. For students looking to relocate to the U.S., an F1 student visa may be required for a fee of around $510 (CAD 698). This may allow you to enter the U.S. as a full-time student at an accredited institution and stay for up to 60 days after your course ends. For students seeking a move to Canada, a study permit may be required alongside a visa for a fee of CAD 150 (USD 109) to allow you to study at a designated learning institution. The other major difference between the visa and immigration process in the U.S. and Canada is the level of background checks performed with the U.S. likely requiring a personal interview, biometric information, and, in some cases, a medical examination while Canada may only request biometric information. Living costs Living costs are another key consideration for students torn between studying in the U.S. or Canada, but prices can differ. For example, while healthcare and utilities are typically more expensive in the U.S., food and real estate tend to be pricier north of the border. Numbeo the worlds largest cost of living database lists the monthly rental cost of a one-bedroom apartment in the city center at $1,852 (CAD 2,537) in the U.S. and CAD 1,736 (USD 1,267) in Canada, a difference of 46.1%. Generally, your living costs will be higher in the U.S. than they will be in Canada. This, coupled with higher education costs, means youre likely to end up spending more if you choose to live and study in the U.S. Conclusion This comparative analysis provides a glimpse into the difference between education costs in the U.S. and Canada. While college is generally more expensive in the U.S., the best option for you will depend on your life goals, career aspirations, personal circumstances, and cultural preferences. By familiarizing yourself with the various cost considerations of studying in the U.S. and Canada, you can make an informed decision that suits you and your financial situation. Remember, saving for education will require discipline, time, and patience regardless of which country you choose, but the more prepared you are, the less of a toll it will take on your finances. This provided content was produced by Lee Enterprises. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led a joint letter warning four news organizations about concerns that freelance journalists who supplied photos of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel may have had ties to the terrorist organization. In the letter, Bird and 14 other Republican state attorneys general argue that the news organizations may have provided material support to terrorists by paying for photographs from journalists with alleged ties to Hamas. The letter is addressed to officials at the New York Times, Associated Press, CNN and Reuters. A November report from HonestReporting, a pro-Israel media watchdog, questioned whether freelance photojournalists for the organizations had advance knowledge of the Oct. 7 attack. The news organizations have denied they had any knowledge of the attack. One of those reporters, Hassan Eslaiah, posed for a portrait with Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas leader in a resurfaced social media post. CNN and the AP, who ran Eslaiahs photos but said he was not working for them on the day of the attack, have since said they are no longer working with him. According to the New York Times, photojournalist Yousef Masoud, another reporter named by HonestReporting, said he was awoken by rocket fire on the day of the attack. His first photos were taken 90 minutes after the attack began, and the Times denied he had any prior knowledge. The letter cites federal law that bars providing material support to terrorist organizations, and notes that it is illegal under state law in Iowa as well. The letter goes on to say the news organizations are on notice. You should ensure that you are taking all necessary steps to prevent your organizations from contracting with members of terror organizations, the letter says. We urge you in the strongest terms to take care that your hiring practices conform to the laws forbidding material support for terror organizations. Gov. Reynolds joins letter to limit land purchases by China Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds joined 16 other Republican governors in a letter calling for President Joe Bidens administration to block purchases of U.S. land by the Chinese government. The letter points to plans for a 270-acre purchase in Michigan by Gotion, a subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech, a Chinese company. The site of the facility, which is planned to manufacture electric vehicle batteries, is about 100 miles from a Michigan National Guard facility. Several of the governors who signed the letter, led by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have moved to limit foreign ownership of land. Iowa law prohibits foreign entities from owning agricultural land unless it is less than 320 acres and used for non-farming purposes. For too long, we have allowed dangerous and adversarial governments to infiltrate our country, the letter says. Our states will tolerate such allowances no longer. The Biden Administration must reckon with the fact that such entities are plain threats to our national security, our farmers, and our citizenry. The letter calls on administration officials to use all available tools to prevent acquisition of U.S. land by foreign governments and entities. Ann Mincks named teacher of the year The Iowa Department of Education named Ann Mincks Iowa Teacher of the Year for 2024. The English Language Learner teacher at Hoover High School in Des Moines joined Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for a commemoration ceremony on Monday. Ann is an exceptional teacher. By providing her students the skills necessary to achieve literacy, she is creating a foundation for them to thrive in school, work, and life, Reynolds said in a statement. Governor, first gentleman to host Christmas at Terrace Hill Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and First Gentleman Kevin Reynolds will host Christmas at Terrace Hill on Dec. 17. The annual event, scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m., includes photos with Santa Claus and the first family, ornament decorating and a station to send letters to deployed National Guard members. Event organizers will also collect donations for deployed service members. At the event, Reynolds will read No Company for Christmas, a story about the historic Terrace Hill residence. Tickets are $25 per person or $50 per household. Proceeds will go to the Terrace Hill Partnership, which supports historic conservation at the residence. Adnec Group, a leading international business and leisure tourism group, has acquired Karavel, the French tourism group, from Equistone Partners Europe, one of Europes leading mid-market private equity investors. Karavel is one of the largest tourism groups in France, offering travel packages to Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) through its vast online and offline distribution network. This acquisition reflects the active deployment of Adnec Groups strategy to geographically diversify its core sectors. It will strengthen the group's international expansion while enhancing Karavels growth and expansion into new markets and providing access to Adnec Groups portfolio of assets and expertise in the tourism sector. This strategic move will also support the tourism vision of Abu Dhabi, which aims to make the nations capital of the UAE a global destination for culture, leisure, and business tourism. Karavel will join Adnec Groups established tourism portfolio which includes Tourism365 and its subsidiaries Capital Experience, Capital Travel, Capital Holidays, Etihad Holidays and Capital Drive and drive greater economic impact to Abu Dhabi and UAE. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Adnec Group, said: The acquisition of Karavel is an important strategic step for Adnec Group, as we deliver on our global expansion strategy and reaffirms our commitment to support the tourism objectives of Abu Dhabi. Karavels history of success in delivering tours and holidays to customers in France across destinations in Europe and the Caribbean, complements Adnec Groups ambitions for growth in Europe where we already have a presence. We see great synergies between our European and Middle Eastern tourism offerings, promoting cross-cultural holiday exchange, and will work closely with to enhance our cluster and create a champion for tourism in Abu Dhabi. Alain de Mendonca, CEO of Karavel said: We are honoured to have been acquired by Adnec at such an exciting stage in Abu Dhabis growth. The opportunities that come with joining the Abu Dhabi group are significant, and we look forward to working together to bring our shared vision to life, delivering unforgettable holiday experiences and building a tourism brand which successfully bridges Europe and Abu Dhabi. Guillaume Jacqueau, Managing Partner and Country Head for France at Equistone Partners Europe, said: We are proud to have worked with Karavel to support its continued growth and maintain its strong identity as a leading European tourism platform. After providing the company with the necessary resources it needed during the Covid-19 pandemic to assure its developments, the group is now ready to take a decisive new step in its development. Thanks to our ongoing support, Karavel has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround, evolving into a dynamic group with promising international potential. We wish them all the best for the next stage of their journey with Adnec Group. Completion of the deal remains subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, a statement said. TradeArabia News Service Former President Donald Trump's campaign launched a six-figure ad buy in Iowa with six weeks to go until the first-in-the-nation Iowa Republican caucuses on Jan. 15. The ads come as the Republican presidential front-runner ramps up his appearances and his campaigns caucus turnout effort in Iowa as he looks to solidify his lead over the 2024 GOP field and fend off his rivals in the state that will kick off the presidential nominating contest. One of the ads touts Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' past praise of Trump. The TV spot features a montage of Reynolds applauding Trump and his administration's policies at previous rallies. While Reynolds supported Trump during his previous presidential bids, their relationship has soured after Trump took shots at Reynolds over the summer when she declined to endorse him, originally saying she planned to remain neutral in the caucuses in keeping with a long-standing tradition of Iowa governors. Trump said he felt Reynolds should have endorsed him after he said he helped her win election in 2018 and 2022. Those attacks have intensified since Reynolds endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Reynolds has said DeSantis is best poised for victory in the general election, a race she doesnt think Trump can win without attracting voters beyond his base. She has noted DeSantis won the 2022 Florida governors race by more than 19 percentage points, and won in demographics that Republicans have never really won in Florida. Trump reiterated his disapproval of Reynolds endorsement of DeSantis during a campaign stop Saturday in Ankeny. I mean, that was her choice to do this. But I believe in loyalty, Trump said to loud cheers, according to video of the rally from C-SPAN. I don't care if she endorses me or not, he told the crowd, citing polling showing Trump maintains commanding double-digit leads over the rest of the Republican primary field. It's not going to make any difference, because the only endorsement that matters is the Trump endorsement. Reynolds, in a statement, said she supported Trump, worked with him and agreed with many of his policies. And I wish he would have won the 2020 election, she said. But now its time to say thank you and turn the page. Because this is about the next election. About who is the best person to take back the White House from Joe Biden and to lead this country for eight years. Thats Ron DeSantis. Doug Burgum suspends presidential campaign Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum suspended his presidential campaign Monday. The move comes after he failed to qualify for the fourth Republican primary debate Wednesday in Alabama. Burgum also failed to make the debate stage last month in Miami. The RNCs clubhouse debate requirements are nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire, Burgum said in a statement. The RNCs mission is to win elections. It is not their mission to reduce competition and restrict fresh ideas by narrowing the field months before the Iowa caucuses or the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary. Burgum said the arbitrary criteria ensure advantages for candidates from major media markets on the coasts versus Americas Heartland. He focused his campaign on the economy; energy, food, border and national security; and warned of China being the No. 1 threat to the United States. Before we entered the race, the national conversation centered on divisive issues best suited to be solved at the state and local level, and away from the essential, core responsibilities of the President and the executive branch as delegated by the 10th Amendment of our Constitution, Burgum said. Solving these issues is foundational to every Americans safety and prosperity. He emphasized his rural upbringing and small-town roots and his business background as a former software firm CEO and Microsoft executive. Burgum poured millions of his own dollars into his campaign, but lacked the national name recognition of his primary rivals and failed to raise his profile following his appearances in the first two Republican debates. He was polling at less than 1% nationally and 2.7% in Iowa, according to rolling averages compiled by RealClearPolitics. Iowa Federation of Republican Women announces new leadership Michelle Crawford was elected president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women and will lead the group starting in January, the group announced Monday. Elected at the federations October convention, Crawford will lead the group of around 600 women for a two-year term. The Eldridge businesswoman was formerly the Scott County Republican Women president. Amy Meskimen of Eldridge, Denise Bubeck of Grimes, Julie Ulrich of Olin and Jen Dumas of LeClaire were elected to officer positions, the federation said. Barbara Hames-Bryant, who has led the Iowa Federation of Republican Women since 2020, will serve as immediate past president. She said Crawford is an energetic and creative leader who will inspire Republican Women and increase our efforts to elect Republicans in 2024 and beyond. Ron DeSantis earns new Iowa legislator endorsement Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has picked up a new endorsement from Iowa state Rep. Barb Kniff McCulla. The Republican lawmaker from Pella endorsed DeSantis after his 99th county rally in Newton, making her the 42nd Iowa lawmaker to endorse DeSantis for president. She said in a video message Monday that DeSantis would be able to serve two terms as president, something former President Donald Trump would be prevented from doing. Please, everybody, take a look at Ron DeSantis, and make sure we get him as the next president of the United States, Kniff McCulla said. What drives voters? The years with the biggest spikes in voter registration What drives voters? The years with the biggest spikes in voter registration Why people vote We have returned from our trip to Portugal with a side trip to London safely! It was the trip of a lifetime, but I am grateful to be back on American soil. Ive tried to think of all the things I did during the two weeks we were gone that I had never done before. First of all, I survived six different flights during the two-week period. It was a record for me, who hates to fly, or as I think of it, being enclosed in a claustrophobic metal tube high above the clouds. Give me ground again for a few more months. I also survived the roundabouts, or traffic circles, in Portugal. Picture 50 little cars all trying to get onto and off the roundabout in record time. Add a lot of close braking and horns blaring, and you know why I would close my eyes and pray when we got close to one. We also rode just about every form of transportation there is besides horse and carriage. I took a picture of a horse and carriage, but we didnt ride one. We rode planes, trains, subways, the London Tube, a lot of Ubers, even an Uber boat and a double-decker bus from the company who named itself Tootbus. Go figure. I also walked farther several days than I ever remembering walking before. One of my sons measured 20,000 steps and 79 flights of stairs the day we visited two castles. I had fewer steps because I refused to go up to the highest towers of all and sat in the courtyard like the queen I was meant to be but somehow wasnt. I also was yelled at by a grouchy man minding the queue of the ladies restroom in the middle of some park. Not only did we have to pay to go into the aforementioned restroom, but an attendant, who I suspect is not living the life he thought he would have either, monitored the line. New to the whole idea of tapping a credit card, I thought I was doing what he was yelling by holding it down longer. My daughter-in-law said he was saying just the opposite and getting angrier and angrier at me. The crazy thing is that this pay-as-you-go restroom was in London, and he was speaking English. Some form of it at least. Ive never been taught when we Americans lost our British accents. I was finally allowed in by both the grouchy guard and my credit card. Another thing Id never done before is park at a grocery store in a parking garage underneath with a washer and dryer for people to use. I wish the dryer had been at my daughters house because most dwelling places in Portugal do not have clothes dryers, hers included I actually hung out clothes to dry too, which is something I havent done since the 70s. I did not particularly enjoy that trip back into my youthful past. I also ate a roasted chestnut that was being sold along the streets in Portugal. I got excited to taste some and invite that whole vibe of Jack Frost nipping at my nose, but, alas, I was disappointed. I thought they tasted like turkey stuffing. My daughter thought they tasted like lima beans. The ubiquitous chocolate croissants I think deserve their own column. The Portuguese pastries are so, so good and so, so available. I did not, however, even try the octopus salad that was the appetizer at a restaurant one evening. If you dont like fish, you wont much enjoy eating out in Portugal. It was a wonderful trip, though. I loved being with my children and grandchildren and exploring the sights with them. I am ready for my daughter and her family to move back here to the U.S., however, and they are about ready to also. I hovered around a door in the next room as my son-in-law talked to my husband about moving back probably next summer after their two-year adventure. Yay!! My grandkids dont like Portuguese peanut butter, so I took them four jars of American peanut butter, and my daughter-in-law brought three. I told my daughter when those are gone, its time to move back. Then I told my grandchildren to eat as much as they wanted. Well see what happens. I loved the trip, but I am happy to be back. Greensboro city officials say they need more time to set up a system for regulating short-term rentals like Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway, as is required under a controversial new ordinance. According to the councils agenda, city staff are requesting that the start date be delayed from Jan. 1 to April 1. Due to the complexities of the final adopted ordinance, the time to solicit and select the necessary 3rd party vendor, and the time needed to inventory all Short Term Rentals and create and implement the required permitting system, staff is requesting an extension, the agenda item read. The issue is the subject of the only public hearing scheduled for the councils Dec. 5 meeting. Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said in May that the proposed ordinance is just a way to organize a permitting system so that operators of short-term rentals are more accountable to the city and neighborhoods. The city currently does not have a definition for short-term rentals and has been regulating them under the category of Tourist Homes (Bed and Breakfasts). Under this designation, the owner/operator of the property must reside on site, and patrons may not stay in a specific tourist home more than 15 days within a 60-day period. The third-party vendor will have the task of identifying and monitoring the number of short-term rentals. When a Greensboro listing goes up on a hosting site, the vendor would use that listing to cross-reference it with city records to determine if a permit has been issued. Here are some of the requirements imposed by the ordinance on short-term rental properties: A 750-foot distance required between rental spaces Short-term rentals are limited to zoning areas that allow residential units If the property is not the hosts primary residence, then a designated local operator would be required to be readily accessible and physically located in Guilford or a contiguous county. Permits for short-term rentals also would have to be renewed on an annual basis and would include a fee to offset costs to implement and monitor the program. The ordinance has no specific fee amount listed. If any of the rules are violated, the city could revoke a permit. Opposition During a May 23 city council meeting, an organized group of Greensboro residents voiced their opposition to the measure during more than an hour-long public comment period. Some wore shirt patches that read: Say NO to unlimited airbnbs! Many of the residents have been concerned that the rules would create more short-term rentals in their neighborhoods. Resident Kathe Latham said the city didnt include enough neighborhood representatives when drafting the ordinance and instead favored realtors and other commercial interests. The more profit these mini-hotels make, the better for them, and maybe for other commercial interests, Latham said. But not for the residents of Greensboro. Another resident, Joy Watson, said she wanted equal standards on all rental properties. Watson said she has improved homes she now rents in the Idlewood neighborhood. Separate restrictions just on short-term rentals, like the proposed rules, undercut treating everyone equally and fairly, she said. The Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services is investigating a case of tuberculosis involving a person at Ragsdale High School in Jamestown. According to Public Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann, the countys public health division was notified of the case on Friday. Though there is no immediate public health risk from this case, we have informed staff, parents and guardians of students who need to be tested to ensure any potential exposure to TB is identified, Vann said in a news release. When asked if the person who contracted tuberculosis is a student or a member of the schools faculty or staff, a county health spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment. Guilford County Schools also sent a notification to all Ragsdale parents, guardians and staff informing them of the investigation. The public health staff will provide free TB testing at no cost this week at the school, according to the news release. In addition, anyone who has a positive test will be offered medication for treatment at no cost. Post-exposure treatment prevents the development of TB. The majority of staff and students will not need any testing or treatment, the news release said. It is unknown when the person who contracted tuberculosis can return to the school. Tuberculosis is a respiratory disease that generally develops over weeks to months. TB spreads similarly to the cold or flu but is not as contagious and is completely curable with medication. In 2022, there were 163 reported cases of tuberculosis in North Carolina, according to the National Institutes of Health. Both COVID-19 and tuberculosis are infectious diseases that primarily attack the lungs and have similar symptoms such as cough fever, or difficulty breathing. However, TB has a longer incubation period with a slower onset of disease, according to the World Health Organization. For additional information, contact the Guilford County Division of Public Health at (336) 641-3245. GREENSBORO Success, whether in war or in writing, requires courage, and its a trait in the very fiber of award-winning author and U.S. Navy veteran Peter T. P.T. Deutermanns being. Decorated with 19 medals during his 26 years of service, Deutermann also has garnered accolades for his writing of suspense thrillers and war novels alike since he began publishing 29 years ago. At 81, the former Naval commander who has penned 27 novels makes his home on a farm off N.C. 150 near Reidsville with his wife, Susan, and a host of handsome Dartmoor ponies. They found the rural area while researching a North Carolina-set novel in 2006. On Tuesday, Deutermann will host the national launch of his latest work, Iwo, 26 Charlie, (St. Martins Press) at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch library at 1420 Price Park Drive in Greensboro. The 6 p.m. event is free and open to the public. And the author will speak with guests over refreshments following his talk. The novel follows a young Navy gunnery officer stationed on the battleship Nevada during the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The book was released over the weekend, and attendees to the library event will be the first in the nation to garner Deutermanns signed copies, according to the authors representatives and the library system. Interacting with groups is fun for Deutermann, he said, explaining he forgoes written speeches for extemporaneous discussions about his work. He takes his cues from his audience and tailors the conversation to their curiosity, he said. It comes naturally Writing has come naturally to Deutermann for as long as he can remember, he said during a recent interview. I have always been a writer, even as an elementary school kid, and it was just a talent that I had, he said. Its something I can do and like to do. The author, who worked in the top echelons of the military in Washington, has a wry wit, too. I wrote a lot of fiction in the Navy, too most of it in the Pentagon when it was budget time, he joked from home, describing his farm duty title as Senior Equine Effluent Engineer senior, mind you. Most mornings begin with mucking stalls. After a second cup of coffee, Deutermann said he makes his way to his office to write on a computer he is busy adapting to take dictation. For writing, theres no set time, no sacred time, he said. A strong rapport with his longtime agent at St. Martins Press makes smooth work of putting together a novel, Deutermann explained. We almost have a Vulcan mind meld and can finish one anothers sentences, he said, referring to Star Trek character Spocks ability to read minds. A local luminary The realization that an author of Deutermanns standing lives in the region came as a delightful surprise to Beth Sheffield, head of Adult Programming and Book Club Coordinator for the Greensboro Public Library system. We were just so thrilled to find out that Commodore Deutermann was from the Triad, and we believe in supporting literature and the arts here. So its quite an honor, Sheffield said. Sheffield appreciates Deutermanns ability to blend art with reality, she said. I just think he is so good at writing action scenes and interweaving the true story in his fiction in with the novelization of it, she said. The great thing about (Deutermanns) books is theres a lot of action, but hes a good crafter of story. Those stories come from a bank of rich experience spent serving in the Navy, Deuterman said. His books have twice earned him the W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction by the American Library Association since 2012. Deutermanns military service In 1964, he served on board destroyer USS Morton for the second Gulf of Tonkin Incident. The first major strikes against North Vietnam followed from the aircraft carrier. Deutermann trained to operate Swift class gunboats, then shipped to Manila and trained Philippine sailors to use the boats to battle Pirates in Manila Bay and waters off Corregidor. He later was operations officer on the USS Hull, stationed off the coasts of North and South Vietnam, where he provided Army and Marine forces with naval gunfire support. Deutermann served again at sea as executive officer of the guided missile destroyer USS Charles F. Adams. By 1984, the author was named commander of the guided missile destroyer USS Tattnall and served a three-year tour of duty. Next, Deutermann was appointed executive secretary to the Chief of Naval Operations for JCS matters in Washington, D.C. In late 1985, the United States Naval Academy graduate became commander of Destroyer Squadron 25, based in Pearl Harbor, for two years. From 1985 to 1987, Deutermann was assigned to command Destroyer Squadron 25 based in Pearl Harbor. In 1988, Deuterman returned to the Pentagon as head of the Strategy Planning branch of the Navy staff. Next, he was named division director of the arms-control negotiations office concerned with chemical, biological, and radiation weapons on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Toward the end of his military career, Deutermann worked as a technical delegate to the United Nations on arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union in Geneva. While a lifetime of military experience informs Deutermanns writing, he said there is great value in studying the patterns of war history, something he did at the Naval War College and in London at the Royal College of Defence Studies. In those settings, where using history thats been laid out for you, do you see patterns, do you see mistakes that are being made again? Deutermann said. While high strategic focus is placed on aircraft carriers and battleships in modern day warfare, Deutermann said, the next war will be a submarine war. You can find a carrier. You cant miss them. The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuchman is a book that provides the kind of war history that can serve to warn modern strategists of brewing peril, Deutermann said. The book showed you the maelstrom that existed in geopolitics that led up to the opening of World War I, he said. You read it and ask, How could no one have seen this coming? Everything was done wrong. The parallels with the unease and burning straws in the winds of right now are very similar. Rocco Forte Hotels (the group) has announced that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a significant minority stake in the group. The Forte family will retain majority ownership and control. The arrangement sees the Italian entity CDPE Investimenti (CDPEI) selling its entire stake. PIFs investment will include an element of primary equity which will accelerate the brands expansion in both existing and new global markets, building on the groups track record of growth and development that includes eight new properties opened or committed in recent years. Sir Rocco Forte will remain Executive Chairman, alongside Olga Polizzi, who will continue as Deputy Chairman. Charles Forte, Lydia Forte and Irene Forte will also continue to hold key positions in the business. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Sir Rocco Forte, Executive Chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels, said: PIF is an excellent partner for us going forward. We have established an extremely good relationship during the course of our negotiations. They share the same vision for the brand and the future strategy of the group with the same ambition to take a long-term view. I look forward to working with PIF to expand the group and improve the high level of service we offer our customers. We thank CDPEI for having shared the past fruitful eight years during which we both successfully accomplished the mission we shared when we started the journey, having significantly enhanced the value of the company and increased the groups presence in Italy and across Europe. Turqi Al Nowaiser, Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments Division at PIF, said: Our investment in Rocco Forte Hotels reflects PIFs confidence in both the commercial opportunity and strength of the international hospitality and tourism industries that have shown remarkable resilience in recent years." "As active long-term investors, PIF will continue to invest strategically in promising sectors to achieve sustainable returns globally, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Two Helena-based groups were among the 190 grants that will share $20.3 million from the Otto Bremer Trust, it was announced Tuesday. Nearly two dozen Montana organizations were awarded $1.2 million, the trust reported. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana, Helena will receive $45,000 for general operations to create and support one-to-one youth mentoring relationships in central Montana, the trust stated in a news release. The Montana Legal Services Association will receive $125,000 to be used for general operations to provide civil legal aid to low-income Montanans. Two statewide organizations received money from Bremer as well. American Indian Business Leaders based in Missoula received $35,000 for general operations to increase the representation of American Indians and Alaska Natives in business and entrepreneurial ventures through education and leadership development in Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Bozeman-based Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger Inc. received $40,000 for general operations to develop and improve food-system sectors to end childhood hunger, according to the trust. The $20,379,319 in grants were made in October and November, officials with the Bremer trust reported Tuesday. These grants and investments represent our continuing commitment to help strengthen communities across the region, Frank Miley, co-CEO and trustee, said in an email. The Otto Bremer Trust is a private charitable organization based in St. Paul, Minn. Created in 1944 by business and community leader Otto Bremer, it seeks to support a better quality of life for residents of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Since its founding, the Otto Bremer Trust has invested more than $1 billion. See the full release on their website for a complete list of grants awarded at ottobremer.org. Before Tim Sheehy was the frontrunner in Montanas 2024 Republican primary for U.S. Senate, the ex-Navy SEAL, aerial firefighter, millionaire business owner, part-time rancher and occasional political donor was a 2004 graduate of a Minneapolis-St. Paul area private high school who grew up in a lake house outside Minnesotas Twin Cities. Sheehy emerged earlier this year from relative obscurity as a top recruit of the National Republican Senatorial Committee the organization tasked with winning back a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate in its quest to topple three-term incumbent Jon Tester, the only Democrat left in Montana with a statewide constituency. But even as Sheehys name recognition in Montana has grown and his electoral viability against both possible primary challenger Matt Rosendale, a Republican congressman, and Tester along with it little information has been made public about Sheehys biography before he came to Montana in 2014, or before he enlisted in the military a decade prior. Where was Sheehy born? has become a persistent question in the in-boxes of Montana Free Press reporters. The answer: Sheehy was born in the Twin Cities area and grew up in Shoreview, Minnesota, Sheehys campaign told MTFP last week. Based on public records, press clippings and a lengthy statement from the Sheehy campaign, MTFP has pieced together some basic facts about Sheehys life before he entered the political limelight. (Sheehys campaign did not make the candidate available for an interview in time for publication). In brief: He grew up in a multimillion dollar lake house, learned to fly under the tutelage of a neighbor, attended a private high school, graduated at the top of his U.S. Naval Academy and Army Ranger School classes, sustained multiple injuries while serving in the Navy, and ultimately was medically separated from the military in 2014. The next year, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke also a former SEAL awarded Sheehy a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, the first time the two met, according to Sheehys campaign. Family was, and remains, very important to the Sheehys. Sheehy was never interested in politics, but leading a life of mission-oriented service always motivated him, the campaign said in a statement. In the Summer of 2021, after watching the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Sheehy heard the call of service again and decided to get involved in politics. Sheehy had never run for office before declaring for the Senate in June, but he had pre-existing connections with many prominent Montana Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, who chairs the NRSC, and Gov. Greg Gianforte. According to Federal Election Commission records, he made his first political donation in 2012, when he gave $250 to Mitt Romneys presidential campaign. In 2016 he made his first donation to Greg Gianforte, who was running for governor at the time. In 2018, he began donating regularly to Daines and continued his support for other Montana Republicans. According to state campaign finance records, hes also donated almost $40,000 to various state and local committees affiliated with the state Republican Party. When national outlet Axios broke the news in March that Republicans were close to confirming Sheehy as a candidate, Montana Republicans showered him with praise. Tim Sheehy is a good friend, a successful businessman and a decorated veteran who served his country with honor and valor. Montana and our nation would be better for his continued public service, and Im confident without a doubt he would serve Montana well as a senator, Gianforte said in a statement to Axios at the time. Still, his campaign launch was met with pointed curiosity from both the right and the left that, to varying degrees, stemmed from one question: Who exactly is this guy? Tester is one of Montanas best-known political quantities, an 18-year veteran of the U.S. Senate and of leadership positions in the state Legislature before that. Sheehy, aside from being described in national media as a friend of people like Daines and Gianforte, had no such record. For the grassroots movement, and people who knock doors and put up the signs and are busy for conservative Republican candidates, we have no idea who Tim Sheehy is its Sheehy who? Dr. Al Olszewski, chairman of the Flathead County GOP, told the Daily Caller, a right-wing news site, in July. Hes a ghost, he has not been involved in local politics or statewide politics. In the months since his campaigns June launch, more about Sheehys history has emerged. He has a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star from his military duty in the Middle East. After moving to the Bozeman area in 2014, he founded the aerial firefighting company Bridger Aerospace and an affiliate company, Ascent Vision Technologies, the latter of which he sold for $350 million in 2020. The same year, he and a business partner purchased a series of adjoining ranch parcels in Martinsdale and started the Little Belt Cattle Company. Later, national media reported that he had never paid livestock registration fees at the ranch an error he subsequently remedied. He currently owns luxury properties in Big Sky and on Flathead Lake, and maintains a primary residence in Bozeman. The early chapters of his life, though, have remained obscure. Shoreview, Minnesota, is a city in Ramsey County with a population of about 26,000 as of 2021. Its an 18-minute drive from the heart of Minneapolis. It was there, in a house on Turtle Lake, that Sheehy, the child of Richard and Denise Sheehy, grew up. Richard, according to LinkedIn, owned a financial services firm. He has one brother, Matt, with whom he later founded a cattle company along with other business partners. According to property records, the four-bedroom house was built on an original 1930s homestead. As recently as 2016, when Sheehy donated to Gianfortes first and ultimately failed run for governor, he listed the Shoreview house as his residence. In 2017 his parents sold the property for $2.2 million, according to Ramsey County property records. He grew up with access to boats and jet-skis, according to his parents Minnesota vehicle registration records, which MTFP obtained through government records database LexisNexis. The campaign said he spent much of his youth learning to fly with his neighbor, a Navy veteran named Harry. I had my first flight in a plane when I was 8 years old with my neighbor who was a former Navy pilot, and he lived on a lake with us and had a floatplane, he said on a 2021 radio show. So, actually, one of my very first flights was in a seaplane, and that cinched it for me that I knew aviation would be a part of my life going forward. And I actually soloed an airplane before I got my drivers license. In 2004, Sheehy graduated from St. Paul Academy, a private preparatory day school where the annual tuition currently costs about $36,000. He enlisted as a Navy midshipman shortly after graduating. Sheehys campaign said he participated in several deployments and hundreds of missions while in the military. During this, he sustained several injuries of varying degrees of severity, including concussions, bullet wounds (with one bullet still in his arm today), and shrapnel hitting his right leg and head. Sheehy sustained his final injury flying in a minisub during a training mission, the campaign said. He left the Navy in 2014. By that time, his campaign said, he had already visited Montana multiple times as a child and while on training missions during his military service. In 2011, his wife, Carmen, a Marine, visited Montana, and they cemented a plan to move to the state, the campaign said. In 2014, Sheehy and a business partner founded Bridger Aerospace, the aerial firefighting company headquartered in Belgrade, near Bozeman. He was attracted to the area because of the natural beauty and the research assets of Montana State University, the campaign said. Sheehys campaign said he and Carmen accessed startup capital for the company through their personal savings, a Veterans Administration loan, and investments from members of Sheehys family. Today, the vast majority of Bridger Aerospaces income comes from federal contracts. One of Sheehys business partners, Sam Beck, developed an in-house camera and sensor technology at Bridger Aerospace. That technology was spun off into Sheehys second business, Ascent Vision Technologies, which produced the first drone ever to be used on an active wildfire. A firm called CACI International acquired the company for $350 million in 2020, providing a major windfall for Sheehy. Since 2020, FEC records show, Sheehy has donated tens of thousands of dollars, either directly or indirectly, to Montana Republicans. The success of the Sheehy businesses enabled the creation of the Sheehy Family Foundation, a charitable investment organization through which the Sheehys have donated significant sums to the Montana Historical Society, Bozeman Health, Billings Clinic and others. Today, Sheehys total net worth, buoyed by between $16 million and $44 million in dividends from investments, is between $74 million and $200 million, which would make him one of Congress wealthiest members if he is elected. Tester also is a millionaire through his agricultural holdings, with assets of between $1 million and $5 million. Gianforte, a fellow former Bozeman-area entrepreneur, was himself once Congress richest member. (The personal assets of federal lawmakers and candidates for federal offices are reported to Congress in broad ranges). Democrats in particular have sought to attack Sheehys lack of deep Montana roots, a well-worn campaign tactic it last employed in Testers defense in 2018, when the party branded challenger Matt Rosendale Maryland Matt. Jon Tester has farm equipment thats been in Montana longer than Tim Sheehy, Monica Robinson, a spokesperson for the Montana Democratic Party, said when Sheehy launched his campaign. Many of Montanas statewide officials originally hail from elsewhere, including, to varying degrees and definitions, Gianforte, Daines, Rosendale, and State Auditor Troy Downing. And several, like Sheehy, emerged from the business sector of Gallatin County, where they became wealthy and connected to the states political network. Whether anything in Sheehys profile his wealth, his relatively recent arrival in Montana will hurt him on the campaign trail against the self-described dirt farmer Tester, born and raised in Montana, is an open question. What is known is that Sheehy is far from the first transplant to seek higher office in Montana. [Democrats] trot it out for every cycle, whether theyre born and raised Montanans like Ryan Zinke who happen to have a house elsewhere to folks like Steve Daines who kind of has a complicated origin story to people like Sheehy and Rosendale who really have no connection to the state, Kal Munis, a Montanan and Utah Valley University political scientist whose research interests include political activity in Montana, told MTFP when Sheehy launched his campaign. Theyve kind of overplayed it. But then the other important bit [is] there are so many Montanans now that arent from Montana. And these messages dont resonate with them. MAROA A Maroa man accused of using a cruel and painful studded shock collar to control a pet dog has been placed on conditional discharge for 12 months in a plea deal with prosecutors. John W. Leach, 48, admitted a charge of cruelty to animals, a Class B misdemeanor. Further charges of aggravated cruelty and failing to perform pet owners duties were then dismissed by Judge Rodney Forbes when Leach appeared Nov. 30 in Macon County Circuit Court. The case against Leach filed by Macon County States Attorney Scott Rueter said the defendant had hurt a German Shepherd mix dog called Dakota with use of the shock collar. The aggravated cruelty to animals charge had read: ...Said defendant, having custody of Dakota, a companion dog, intentionally injured Dakota by placing a shock collar with multiple one-inch protruding studs penetrating Dakotas neck for months, causing permanent injury to Dakota. The charge said it covered a period between August of 2022 and January of 2023. Other allegations of cruelty accused Leach, between December of 2022 and January of 2023, of failing to provide the dog with a sufficient quantity of good quality, wholesome food and water and also failing to provide the pet with adequate shelter and protection from the weather. The case had been investigated by the Maroa Police Department and Dakota had been taken into the care of the Macon County Animal Control and Care Center. As one Central Illinois dog cruelty case concludes, several others are moving forward with jury trials scheduled to begin Dec. 12 in Macon County Circuit Court. Mark A. Miller Jr., 43, of Decatur is pleading not guilty to aggravated cruelty and cruelty to animals and five counts of being a felon who is not allowed to possess a dog unless it is spayed or neutered. Its alleged he allowed a pit bull called Berry Blue to freeze and suffer in freezing temperatures that hit the Decatur area during Christmas of 2022. After public complaints, Macon County Sheriffs Office deputies said they found Blue in such critical condition the dog had to be euthanized. Four other pet dogs in various stages of suffering were seized and later made full recoveries under the supervision of the Animal Control and Care Center. Also charged with Miller is Nyssa R. Richardson-Miller, 39, who denies one count of cruelty to animals. The case against her is scheduled for a status hearing Dec. 12. Another case earmarked for a jury trial Tuesday is that of Decatur woman Twyla Kitsos, 34, pleading not guilty to aggravated cruelty and cruelty in the death of a starved and neglected dog whose body was found Jan. 24 in a cage dumped in a Forsyth ditch. Kitsos further denies three counts of neglecting animal owner duties and a charge of obstructing/destroying evidence. Also charged in the case was Decatur man Dewey E. Ford. The 58-year-old defendant appeared in court in June and was sentenced to 24 months probation after admitting to trying to cover-up the alleged brutal treatment of the dog by Kitsos. 2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson Derrickson Colby J. Park BRISTOL, Tenn. With Christmas just around the corner, the holiday festivities continue on Bristols State Street with the annual Bristol Christmas Parade taking place on Thursday. A total of 150 floats will take part in this years Christmas parade, which is organized by the Bristol, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. We of course, have everything from the Grand Marshal to Santa bringing up the very tail end of the parade that everyone so excitedly waits for, said Beth Rhinehart, the executive director of the Bristol TN/VA Chamber of Commerce. Bart Long has his Clydesdale team this year. We have the Food City shopping cart along with many other entries. Five marching bands from Tennessee High School, Virginia High School, John Battle High School, Sullivan East High School and the Tennessee Avenue Christian Academy will perform. Lisa Cofer, the executive director of the United Way of Bristol, will be this years grand marshal. She will be leading the parade as it makes its way from Bob Morrison Blvd. to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, near the train station. I am really excited, Cofer said last week. Weve always gone to the parade and its such an honor to be invited to do this. Im looking forward to it. The West Ridge High Schools Junior ROTC will also be leading the parade as flag bearers. Amy Shuttle, the executive vice president of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, explained that the parade begins at 7 p.m. with the award ceremony taking place beforehand. The Spirit of Christmas award is a big kind of grand prize, Shuttle said. We have a business division, a nonprofit division, a church division and a youth division. Winners will be presented with a trophy and will be acknowledged while taking part in the parade. Shuttle emphasized that the parade would happen rain or shine. Rain, snow, sleet, or hail, its happening Thursday at seven oclock, Shuttle said. The Concord Police Department has identified two students responsible for distributing THC edibles at C.C. Griffin Middle School. The edibles led to seven students being transported to AtriumHealth Cabarrus for observation. According to a press release from the police department, Cabarrus County Schools contacted the Concord Police Department after several students at C.C. Griffin Middle School had negative reactions to ingesting an unknown substance. Police investigators recovered a sample of the Rice Krispy Treat eaten by students, and it tested positive for THC. The sample has been sent to a lab for additional testing, and it will likely take several months before those results are returned. Police also recovered illegal psilocybin mushrooms. Working with the school system, police investigators interviewed several students and learned that this was a planned activity. Two students shared with classmates that they had access to THC edibles, and in advance of Friday, some students made an agreement to buy some of those edibles As a result, the THC edibles were brought to school on Friday, purchased, and shared among a group of students. Some students also admitted to ingesting psilocybin mushrooms. The investigation also revealed that students knowingly ingested the edibles. All the students who ate a piece of the Rice Krispy Treat and who spoke with police admitted to knowing that they were eating a THC edible. The Concord Police Department filed petitions through the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice for the two students who brought the edibles to school. One student is being charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver a Schedule VI drug. One student is being charged with one count of possession with intent to deliver a Schedule I drug. North Carolina juvenile privacy laws prevent disclosure of any identifying information regarding a juvenile offender accused of an act which would be a crime if committed by an adult. The Concord Police Department is continuing to investigate. CONCORD The Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County leadership celebrated the work of N.C. Sen. Paul Newton and others in the passing of Senate Bill 673 and other previous efforts to facilitate regulatory relief, allowing more capacity to be allocated throughout Cabarrus County, according to a news release from the agency. In addition to regulatory relief, the state also allocated more than a billion dollars to expanding water and wastewater capacity across North Carolina, including $69.6 million for Cabarrus County, reflecting the understanding that adequate wastewater infrastructure is a shared responsibility that must be met to support future economic growth. The tour provided Newton, Secretary Elizabeth Biser of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Concord Mayor Bill Dusch, as well as members of the Water and Sewer Authority board, a firsthand view of the ongoing progress and developments regarding the expansion efforts at the treatment plant. Currently in its Phase 3 expansion stage, the Rocky River Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is on track to grow its capacity from the current 26.5 million gallons per day (mgd) to 30mgd, on schedule for completion by the summer of 2024. Moreover, the tour offered a preview of the Phase 4 expansion plans, which aim to further increase the plants capacity to 34mgd by 2027, signaling a proactive approach to cater to the growing needs of the community. On a recent tour of the Rocky River Plant Expansion, I was pleased to see firsthand the progress which has been made on the project, said Sen. Paul Newton. This type of collaborative effort between government entities and local authorities to ensure the efficient expansion of crucial infrastructure is of utmost importance to the future of our county and state. Investing in water infrastructure is critical to the future economic success of our communities and the protection of our environment, said Biser. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with local leaders as they expand access to water and sewer services. The Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County is an independent, incorporated, public body funded by user fees with no taxing authority supporting Cabarrus County. The authority serves as the primary planning agent for water and sewer facilities, provides wholesale wastewater transportation and treatment for its organizing jurisdictions, and provides reservoir management for some, or all, of its jurisdictions. To learn more, visit www.wsacc.org. Two Melbourne open source developers have been working for a while on a project to make mobile phones useful as general purpose computing devices and in the broadest way possible. That's how one of them, long-time Debian developer Russell Coker, puts it. The other, Swinburne University computer science student Yifei Zhan, says his aim is "to make the free/libre mobile ecosystem more secure and usable, and encourage potential developers and power users to hack on it". The duo applied for, and obtained, grants from Linux Australia earlier this year, with the money helping to buy a Linux phone for each of them. Russell initially chose the PinePhone Pro as the hardware they would use; it runs an open-source operating system, has a removable battery and also has hardware switches to turn off WiFi and Bluetooth if needed for security reasons. But now, he has found that this device is not working as well as expected. "The PinePhonePro is not working as well as I hoped. One major issue is that it doesn't work reliably for phone calls," he said. "So I plan to pivot to Debian on tablet work (I've already been testing out a 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop) as a usable portable platform for doing all the Debian stuff, with the side benefit of improving the support of a new CPU architecture."have been made for funds for two tablets to continue the work. Russell said he picked the PinePhone Pro after having used a Librem5 Linux phone and found it slow. "I wanted a second device for testing as having only a single device limits what I can do, as I want to do actual useful things on such a device while also testing out new software that can break it," he explained. "Now I have the Librem5 running Debian/Testing and the PinePhone Pro running Debian/Unstable so when (not if) something breaks in Unstable I still have a working phone. Next, when I have a RISC-V tablet I will run Debian/Testing on that and have a phone and a 2-in-1 laptop running Debian/Unstable." Yifei Zhan and Russell Coker. Photo: Sam Varghese The company making the PinePhone does not create software for the device. But a number of projects develop images that can run on the phone, with a Debian-based distribution known as Mobian among them. Yifei said: "I've had a great interest in hardware-backed security and wireless communication for some years, but there isn't many hardware available for working on those, and the devices that are available can be quite costly. He has been doing Linux programming since he was 14, has a great interest in hardware hacking and, in his own words, "no fear of taking a soldering iron to expensive computer gear". Apart from this, Yifei is deeply interested in security and open hardware and has experimented with many options for security on phones. "A large part of the goal is to make mobile Linux more secure and usable," he said. "I had a Nokia N900 from many years ago which is a very interesting device to develop on, but the limited performance severely restricted what I could do with it. "With the PinePhone Pro the potential is much greater, I explored running risky applications in a virtualised container and getting security-focused operating systems, such as SEL4 and OpenBSD, to run on it. There is still plenty to be done before either of them can be used for daily driving, but the possibility is there. Russell has made extensive contributions to NSA Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) since 2001 and he has dedicated significant time to exploring innovative file systems and crafting benchmarks for mail servers. His Debian work has primarily focused on SELinux and networking. He is convinced that every computer worthy of use should be equipped with the robust storage capabilities of either the BTRFS or ZFS filesystems. In recent times, Russell has also looked closely at the critical intersection of security, functionality, and freedom in the realm of mobile devices. He firmly believes that elevating security standards and preserving essential functionalities and freedoms of mobile devices should be top of the list for the global tech community. "The mobile phone is now the most common computing platform," he said. "It's technically open, having the Linux kernel, a FOSS build, and several supported variants compiled for various phones. But in practice it isn't open, as the hardware and application ecosystem are not designed for it. "We need open hardware for mobile phones (Pine64 and Purism are good for this) and open operating systems that are designed for full functionality on behalf of the user. A PinePhonePro or Librem5 running an open build of Android could be a usable platform, but it wouldn't allow running the full range of free software applications, merely the range of Android applications in F-Droid which, while good, aren't as useful." F-Droid is a software repository maintained by the Free Software Foundation. Russell pointed out that the support of older Android devices had traditionally been poor. "Recently Google has gone to a five-year support plan which is great," he said. "But no Android phones compare to the Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen5 I'm using right now, which was manufactured in 2017 and will have full security support from Debian for at least another decade. "The general trend is towards smaller and lighter devices; the early laptops were not as functional as desktop PCs due to small screens, limited storage, and slow CPUs. Modern laptops have 12+ CPU cores, 16G or more of RAM, and 4TB of storage for a laptop is a cheap option. "The next step in this evolution is to have hand-held devices taking over from laptops. A phone running Debian connected to a USB-C hub for power, display, keyboard, and mouse can be a fully functional desktop PC with the right OS and graphical environment." Russell said there was existing software like KDEConnect which allowed close integration of an Android phone and a Linux desktop system, but added that having the phone and the desktop run the same system would be even better. "The next issue is security. Android has some good features for security which can and should be copied into Linux desktop systems," he explained. "But it also has some limitations which can be addressed, the most significant being an all-or-nothing access control system. I've worked on SELinux for 20 years and I don't expect to solve security problems in the short term. It could take 10 years to get Linux on phones to where it should be." Asked about the possible benefits of this work to world+dog, Russell replied: "I believe that a large portion of the general community will come to believe that Debian tablets are a good computing platform that can replace some laptop use. I also believe that a significant minority of the general community will use Debian phones in the next few years. "The work on this is also adding features that can be used in other contexts such as touch-screen laptops (which I have started to use as a test/development platform), laptops with 4G/5G hardware, and Linux support for USB-C docks." Yifei said another of his aims for the project had to do with LoRa, a protocol that can provide long-range communication capability with low power consumption. "I intend to develop free software for using it as a building block for a general-purpose, decentralised communication network," he added. "As part of the 'making Linux phone more usable' objective, I also worked on improving the input stack for Chinese/Japanese/Korean language, but this work is now paused due to hardware problems with the PinePhone keyboard." Regarding the usefulness of his work to the general public, he said: "All my work on this device is done openly and parts that can be upstreamed will be upstreamed, so in general others can use and build on top of what I've done. "I expect there to be Linux phones with better hardware-backed root-of-trust support in future, and once that happens other developers will be able to re-use what I've built. "I intend to give a talk about my work on porting and using [an] open source security enclave on the PinePhone Pro at the next Everything Open Conference [in April]." The decision to select Ricoh follows the acquisition of PMI Imageworks in late 2022 when an extensive digital press RFP was kicked off for both organisations. The RFP involved a three-part process. The first incorporated a technology review and benchmarking period. This covered narrow web, electrostatic ink, roll and sheet Inkjet, B2 and SRA3 formats and toner. The District Photo Group, parent company of Prima PMI, has all these deployed. After benchmarking all options to fit within space, power, ceiling height, sheet yield, service levels, finishing infrastructure limitations, CO2 and ROE targets, the toner was selected. Prima PMI then engaged a number of toner manufacturers to propose solutions to a fixed output and supply the relevant business case. The final parties had due diligence undertaken in Japan on engineering, productivity, output quality and yield. The new Ricoh 9500 deployment will complement Primas existing eight Ricoh Pro C9210 machines and a large fleet of Dye Sublimation, DTG, Latex, Aqueous and Eco-solvent printers. Prima has had a long relationship with Ricoh starting with the Pro C9110s then moving to Pro C9210s and now Pro C9500s. Over the course of this six year relationship, both businesses have optimised offerings and infrastructure to push machines, service levels and technology to the limit to enable technology transitions some thought not possible on the platform and deliver more value to brands and end customers. The 9500 was recently launched globally and this deployment is one of the largest in the world. The 9500 has improved yield by being able to change fuser temperatures faster when stock sizes change. The device also has a fuser that can vary the look of the toner by reducing the gloss level of the toner and providing a matte look. The Ricoh Pro C9500s new fusing unit enables printing of 40 gsm thin media, which has been traditionally challenging for digital presses to print. This improved capability further promotes the shift to digital printing, supporting the production of books and booklets, which require thin media. New peripherals enable non-stop printing, continuous paper feeding and output up to 960 mm in length, making it easier for commercial printers to capture new business such as A4 size four-panel brochures or print on challenging stocks. The Ricoh Pro C9500 machines have been designed to strengthen and future proof commercial printing businesses with improved automation, high-speed output, quality consistency, reliable and less redundant operations. Amnon Judah, Managing Director, Prima PMI, said, Were very impressed with the high-quality production output of the C9500 units which is critical for us at a time when were experiencing growing print volumes. We selected Ricoh as we wanted to invest in the best technology to meet growing customer demand, and needed to ensure that the technology was reliable and that the support and training provided by the vendor would be second to none. A deep engagement with Ricoh management in both Australia and Japan helps enable us to remain at the leading edge of innovation in the industry and deliver successful customer outcomes through efficient fulfillment and larger capabilities. Prima PMI has a diverse group of global clients, many who track their carbon footprints and by extension want their fulfiller to become carbon neutral by 2030. Prima PMI in 2020 invested in solar to power around 70% of its energy needs and in 2023 moved to become 100% carbon neutral by only purchasing renewable energy for the balance. That energy need is more expensive than coal sourced energy so having print devices which dont require huge energy levels to run chillers or dryers goes into its device consideration. Mark Moro, National Ricoh Graphic Communications Sales Manager, Ricoh Australia, said We are delighted to support Prima PMI in their next phase of growth and look forward to continuing to be a valuable partner by supplying scalable, industry-leading solutions for great customer outcomes for many years to come. Judah added, I am confident we now have in place a digital printing infrastructure that can grow with the company and support operations well into the future. Ricoh continues to be a strategic partner for us and will help to ensure that their infrastructure will provide the performance and features that we require. VITG recently acquired Access4 partners Ittelligent and Powernet. Since it was established in Shellharbour, New South Wales in 2015, VITG has expanded by acquiring 14 other consultancies and service providers. Today, it employs a 250 workforce and generates a turnover of $80 million. Its 1,400 clients in ANZ, US, and Singapore span most sectors, focusing on the legal, financial, medical and not-for-profit sectors. In recent months, we have consolidated our vendor partners as a key business strategy moving into 2024, said VITG chief customer officer Chris Troncone. We previously provided cloud telephony solutions from 8x8, RingCentral and Microsoft Teams via two telecommunications providers. With the acquisition of Ittelligent in 2021, VITG became an Access4 partner, and subsequently acquiring Powernet, also an Access4 partner, we now have a great opportunity to further consolidate our key offerings in the voice, cloud telephony and UCaaS areas." Indeed, Access4 is our UCaaS go-to-market offering which we have recently been able to productise. Not only is it easy to sell and simple to deploy, but Access4 has a dedicated porting department which further takes the pain away from porting customer numbers as the Access4 team handles all porting intricacies, including fast porting options, simplifying the whole process for us. Access4 said many businesses still have on-premise PABX and have yet to migrate to the cloud. However, Fortune Business Insights projects the global Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) market to grow from US$32.01 billion in 2023 to US$85.77 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 15.1%. Access4's proprietary OSS/BSS platform, Sasboss, facilitates quoting and provisioning of cloud-based voice solutions. The proprietary platform streamlines service processes, cutting costs, and simplifying billing. Pre-sales teams optimise efficiency, benefiting from Access4's comprehensive expertise in delivering unparalleled Unified Communications support. VITG is a significant player in the MSP space with a true national sales team. They are one of the largest and most reputable managed services players in the country and have a considerable base of long- established customer relationships, said Access4 director of sales and marketing Peter Eldon. Were looking forward to working with VITG to provide even more value to their existing customers as well as support for generating recurring revenue with new greenfield opportunities. GUEST OPINION: Australian businesses are at war with an aggressive, distributed force of highly motivated, technically adept and well-organised criminals intent on stealing information, conducting fraud and destroying corporate reputations. The weapons they have at their disposal include well-known tools such as ransomware and new AI-fuelled arms that require new methods of defence. The Federal Government, through its new Cyber Security Strategy, will make significant investments to support businesses in the fight against cybercrime in addition to funds that strengthen critical infrastructure and enhance government cyber security. This is essential as the Australian Cyber Security Centres annual report points to the continuing escalation of the threat environment. And we need only look at the headlines of the last 18 months to see the number of significant attacks impacting well-resourced companies. Optus, Medibank, Latitude, HWL Ebsworth, and, most recently, DP World have all been breached, causing chaos that has directly or indirectly impacted every Australian citizen. When ChatGPT debuted, people marvelled at its ability to take a simple prompt and generate a sophisticated answer. The world of cybercrime took notice and created generative AI tools on the dark web for criminals to use. Threat actors are using WormGPT, FraudGPT, XXXGPT, and WolfGPT to create better phishing emails, craft new malware variants faster than ever before and build software that can exploit newly discovered system vulnerabilities before the organisation's security and operations teams can patch them. All these activities can be automated, and the level of cooperation between these criminals is extraordinary. Cybercrime experts in different fields, such as writing software, developing AI tools, and running computer networks for the distribution of malware, are now selling or renting their services to each other. Many operate help desk services to help victims make payments using untraceable cryptocurrency. When someone pays ransom to unlock their data, that money finds its way into the pockets of many different criminal syndicates. Every organisation, from the smallest business to the largest corporation and government department, must prioritise cybersecurity. Cybercrime is a risk that must be addressed with a cohesive strategy that focuses on the detection of threats before they escalate, protection against attackers, and recovery so the damage from a successful attack is limited and normal operations can quickly resume. Detection starts with regular monitoring of criminal activity. That can include threat intelligence services that monitor the dark web to learn which organisations or industries are being targeted. It also means having intelligent tools that can put the pieces together from information that is collected in system logs. This is where AI and machine learning are powerful allies in this war. The volume of data that is available is more than people can process. AI can put together seemingly unrelated data to detect potential attacks. However, not all attacks can be detected. For example, many nation-state and state-sponsored attackers use Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). These are threats that exploit unknown vulnerabilities and are backed by highly skilled and resourced attackers. In many cases, cybersecurity insurers wont pay out against these attacks as they are deemed to be an act of war and are exempted from policies. This is why preventative measures are critical. It is essential they have systems and processes to prevent malicious activity from causing damage. Endpoint protection software and strong user authentication systems including muti-factor authentication or passkeys backed with robust biometric tools can stop attackers that defy detection. Even organisations that invest in the best detection and prevention tools to address their risks can be breached. Organisations of all sizes must ensure they have processes and systems in place to aid the fastest possible recovery. Offsite backups that are disconnected from operational systems ensure that if an attack occurs, its possible to recover with the least possible data loss and interruption. Organisations looking for guidance in developing a 21st-century-ready cybersecurity strategy have many tools and standards they can look to. ISO 27001 and NIST offer comprehensive tools that cover every aspect of cybersecurity detection, protection, and recovery. However, these may be too complex for smaller organisations to implement. The Australian Signals Directorate, the Federal Government agency charged with protecting our nation from cybercrime, has published the Essential Eight. The Essential Eight is an easy-to-follow set of guidelines backed with a maturity model that helps organisations tailor their cybersecurity strategy to their specific risks. Australian businesses are engaged in a cybersecurity war. The enemy is a distributed group of criminals working cooperatively for profit. They are skilled, motivated, and well-resourced. Defending against this enemy requires a strategy that can detect attacks, protect against them and recover should an attacker succeed. Organisations must take a strategic and risk-based approach to ensure they are prepared for this escalating battle. About the author: Kurt Hansen is the CEO of Tesserent, a Thales Australia company and leading provider of full-service cybersecurity services in Australia and New Zealand. Tesserent is the largest provider of cybersecurity consulting services to the Federal Government. Tesserent Federal has more than 190 dedicated cybersecurity experts working with over 100 Australian and New Zealand Federal and State Departments and Agencies. Tesserent works with more than 1200+ customers spanning three key verticals of government, critical infrastructure and banking, financial services and insurance and is trusted by 51 of the S&P/ASX Top 100 companies Lufthansa Group, a leading airline group in Europe, has relaunched eXperts, the official Lufthansa Group service and information platform for all travel agents, to improve its marketing communication with travel partners and B2B customers world-wide. The new eXperts website is being first launched in the Middle East and Turkey and went live yesterday (December 4), said the statement from Luthansa. It will soon be rolled out in more regions through 2024. Around 150,000 users worldwide use eXperts to update themselves about the services and products of the Lufthansa Group. Travel agents, especially, will now have a clearer and more adapted information at their disposal, said the statement. eXperts is a more user-friendly, easy-to-navigate website for travel agents and travel agency professionals, who benefit from continuously updated and more adapted news from the Lufthansa Group. The primary improvement in this information source in existence since 2007, is the integration of 48 former local experts websites into a consistent single global web content. Through these combined resources, the eXperts site will deliver travel agents a constantly updated content including news reports as well. This will serve as a comprehensive website in nine languages for all travel agents around the globe, ensuring dovetailed information needed for daily sales activities. eXperts can now be accessed without a login for quicker and easier access, and works well on all mobile devices. eXperts is our essential communication platform to transmit knowledge, news, tips and tricks and much more to keep our travel agents up to date", says Serkan Guerguen, Senior Director Sales Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. Ensuring constant information flow represents a vital support to all our travel experts in my widely spread region. According to our customer feedback, the success of travel agents lays in getting relevant and reliable information in shortest possible time, says Iva Strauss, Director Global B2B Marketing Strategy and Standards, Lufthansa Group. Our new eXperts does respond to this need with a clearly structured content that is easy to be found, added Strauss.-TradeArabia News Service Singtel says it will use the loan proceeds to refinance the borrowings and support the operations of DC West and DC Kim Chuan, and the two data centres must maintain at least a Green Mark GoldPlus certification from Singapores Building and Construction Authority as part of the green loan criteria. According to Singtel, both DC West and DC Kim Chuan have already attained the highest green building certification, Green Mark Platinum. Arthur Lang, Singtel Group Chief Financial Officer, said, Singtel is committed to aligning our borrowings with our environmental objectives, and we are pleased to work with DBS, OCBC, Standard Chartered Bank and UOB to invest in a more sustainable future for everyone. We will build on the success of our sustainability-linked loans, bonds and other efforts, to further expand our portfolio of green financing initiatives under Olives, Singtel Groups sustainable financing programme. We will also continue exploring ways to incorporate technologies such as liquid cooling and AI to further improve the efficiency of all our data centres, including our upcoming DC Tuas. Singtel, one of Singapores largest and most advanced data centre operators, says that in addition to DC Kim Chuan and DC West - which offer a combined 62MW of capacity - Singtel recently broke ground on its new hyper-connected 58MW green data centre, DC Tuas, in Singapore. In the region, Singtel has partnered Telkom and Medco Power in Indonesia and GULF and AIS in Thailand to develop data centres in Batam and Bangkok respectively, notes Singtel. Singtels data centre portfolio will offer a total combined capacity of over 155MW once the upcoming sites are operational in 2025, with room to scale up to more than 200MW. In September, leading global investment firm KKR agreed to invest up to S$1.1 billion for a 20% stake in Singtels regional data centre business. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. A 16-year-old girl pleaded guilty as a juvenile Monday to fatally stabbing another girl in D.C. last summer in a dispute that authorities said began with an argument over sweet-and-sour sauce outside a McDonald's restaurant in Northwest Washington. The death of 16-year-old Naima Liggon, of Waldorf, Md., garnered national headlines. Police said the stabbing, about 2 a.m. on Aug. 27, stemmed from a fight over a packet of the restaurant's sauce after Liggon, her attacker and three other friends attended a late-night party together. The defendant, also from Waldorf, was scheduled to go to trial Monday on a first-degree murder charge. But she made a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon. Juvenile court proceedings are not open to the public. The Washington Post was allowed to attend the girl's hearings on the condition that her name not be published. She is scheduled to be sentenced in D.C. Superior Court next month. As a juvenile, the maximum penalty she faces is confinement in a youth detention center until her 21st birthday. Liggon's mother, Joy Liggon, who watched Monday's hearing remotely, said she had mixed feelings about the plea agreement. She said prosecutors consulted with the family, but she doesn't think the family's concerns "were incorporated into the decision." "I will say that I am glad this is coming to a close," Liggon said in an interview. "But I don't feel like this is justice." She added: "We would have liked go to trial for first-degree murder. I felt that is what my daughter deserved. But I also understand that a guilty verdict is a guilty verdict." Liggon said the case became a "sensationalized fiasco about sweet-and-sour sauce, and at the end of the day, a teenager is gone." Prosecutors said the initial dispute that led to the stabbing - the fight over the sauce - involved the defendant and another girl, not Liggon. "I know that was not her argument," Liggon's mother said. "It doesn't look like our child was out in the street fighting over sweet-and-sour sauce. That was never the case." At Monday's hearing, prosecutor Crystal Gaines provided new details of the fatal attack based on information from witnesses who authorities said were prepared to testify at a trial. Gaines said Liggon was trying to break up a fight between the defendant and another girl outside the restaurant before she was stabbed twice, in the heart and the abdomen. The argument began inside a vehicle after the girls drove to the restaurant following a party, Gaines said. They went inside the McDonald's and ordered food. When they returned to the vehicle, the defendant and another girl began arguing over sweet-and-sour sauce, Gaines said. The defendant snatched one of the sauce containers from the other girl, Gaines said, and the dispute continued outside the vehicle. Gaines said Liggon stood between the defendant and the other girl, trying to keep them apart. As the defendant swung at the other girl, she struck Liggon. Gaines said Liggon and the other girl then began fighting with the defendant. Minutes later, after the fighting ended, Gaines said, the defendant took out a folding knife and stabbed Liggon once in her abdomen as Liggon was returning to the vehicle. Then the defendant turned Liggon around to face her and stabbed her in her chest, according to Gaines. Police have said the knife was 71/2 inches long. Liggon's friends rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she died. Defense attorney Madhuri Swarna argued that her client was defending herself at the time of the attack. "It was two against one," she said. But Gaines said the defendant was the only person with a weapon. After defense lawyers asked Judge Andrea L. Hertzfeld to release the girl into her parents' custody or place her in a less restrictive facility while she awaits sentencing, Gaines and a court social worker objected. Gaines said the defendant got into a fight with another girl at a secure youth center a few months ago while being held after her arrest. A defense lawyer said the other girl had been "teasing" the defendant about her homicide case. Hertzfeld ordered the girl to remain in secure detention until her sentencing. The judge also ordered another round of psychological and educational testing. "This young person clearly needs services," Hertzfeld said. "There are some issues here." (COMMENT, BELOW) SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. Tally Zingher earned three degrees at Harvard University and served as a workhorse volunteer, calling friends and raising money from her undergraduate class. Now, with her 25th year college reunion approaching, she's done - dismayed over her alma mater's "failure of moral leadership" in its handling of a campus crisis since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, including reports of widespread antisemitism. "I will not be calling any of my classmates to try to encourage them to donate to Harvard," said Zingher, 46, a lawyer and entrepreneur who has given every year since graduating. "There are plenty of better places that I feel my classmates can use their philanthropy and influence." For every Ken Griffin, the hedge fund manager whose $300 million donation put his name on his alma mater's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences this year, Harvard also relies on thousands of volunteers. They cultivate smaller financial commitments, organize reunions, recruit students and run alumni clubs far from the Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus. The most steadfast volunteers wear top hats or crimson rosettes at Harvard's commencement ceremony each May. Alumni engage for decades with the school. Harvard, which employs hundreds of full- and part-time staffers to connect with graduates and process their gifts, is now struggling to assuage growing alumni concerns while keeping the donation machine going. Longtime volunteer fundraisers are pulling back. One alum is taking Harvard out of his will. Zingher is planning to give just $1, joining hundreds of other former students in a symbolic protest. "The university has been in conversation with alumni and supporters, and will continue to engage closely with them," Jason Newton, a Harvard spokesman, said in an email. "They are a vital part of our community." Reputational Risk Harvard counts eight US presidents, four sitting Supreme Court justices and many global leaders among its alumni. It's the richest university in the country with a $51 billion endowment, and it boasts the highest credit rating and a fundraising operation that has brought in $1 billion annually since 2014. But cash gifts to the university fell 3% during the fiscal year ended in June 2023 and the endowment's 10-year return is the second-lowest in the Ivy League. More than reputational risk is on the line. Total fundraising makes up about 12% of Harvard's annual revenue, according to Moody's Investors Service. The school would feel the pain if alumni dissatisfaction leads to a meaningful dent in donations. "To lose that would be just devastating to any institution," said Charles Phlegar, who has overseen fundraising at Cornell and Johns Hopkins and now serves at Virginia Tech. "You can say Harvard has all the money in the world, but they don't. They have a financial scholarship model that's best in class, world-class research and faculty, and you need that money to be a world-class institution." Harvard doesn't close its books until June 30 and fundraising typically isn't revealed until months later. That makes the precise financial impact of today's alumni revolt hard to determine in current dollars and future bequests, even as billionaires including Idan Ofer and Les Wexner have severed ties with the university during the last two months. But many alumni are signaling that they've had enough. "My wife (an HLS alum) and three daughters are Jewish and I'm so p- ed at Harvard right now that I don't want to have anything to do with it," investor Whitney Tilson wrote to the business school's fundraising office as he declined a meeting ahead of his 30th year reunion. HLS is the university's law school. In one sign of discomfort, the business school has postponed sending out some solicitation letters signed by alumni until next year, according to people familiar with the matter. That will allow the graduates to postpone a decision about whether they want to put their names on the requests for donations - a potentially better outcome for Harvard than if they said "no" now. Similar turmoil is roiling colleges from Stanford to the University of Pennsylvania as the war spurs a surge in political debate and protests. It's also stirring Islamophobia and prejudice against Palestinians as well as antisemitism. Three men of Palestinian descent - college students at Brown, Trinity and Haverford - were shot during Thanksgiving break near the University of Vermont in Burlington. One was paralyzed from the chest down, his mother told CNN. Congressional Hearing Harvard will be under scrutiny in Congress on Tuesday, when President Claudine Gay testifies at a House committee hearing about antisemitism on campus. She'll be joined by her counterparts from Penn and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At Harvard, the tumult has engulfed Gay, the university's first Black president, who took the reins July 1. She was already contending with the Supreme Court's ruling against Harvard's use of race in admissions, which was handed down two days before she started as president. Gay has drawn criticism for not initially denouncing more than 30 student groups that placed blame for the October attacks entirely on Israel and didn't condemn Hamas, which the US and European Union designate a terrorist group. Initially, one of the biggest critics was former university president Larry Summers, although he tempered his criticism after Gay denounced the attack and said the students didn't speak for Harvard. She also appointed an antisemitism advisory group. The unrest has exposed a generational divide in which older Americans tend to have more favorable views of Israel than those under 35. The plight of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza had become a lightning rod for campus protests long before the October attacks by Hamas, in which 1,200 were killed and more than 200 taken hostage. Since then, many US college students have demonstrated against Israel's retaliatory response in Gaza, which according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry has killed 15,000 people. While campus protests have persisted, Harvard alumni from US Senator Mitt Romney to billionaire investor Bill Ackman have called on the school to do more to ensure that Jewish students are protected. Ackman has also accused Harvard of hypocrisy over allowing some forms of free speech, while shutting down others, and slammed its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. Ackman doubled down in a Dec. 3 post on X, adding that the university's hiring practices has promoted a leftward bias and urged Gay to commission a third-party firm to do an anonymous survey of the Harvard faculty. Harvard wrote to students last week to say it would "enforce rules" around community standards following a call for accountability from Harvard Hillel. The group described a Nov. 29 demonstration that disrupted classes as hate speech not protected by the university's free speech guidelines. Such protests have become normalized, it said, "causing Jewish and Israeli students to avoid class, university events, and dining halls." "The idea of imagining myself being in class and listening to what has been reported is extremely upsetting," said Erika Dreifus, a longtime volunteer and current class officer with four Harvard degrees. She had already been shifting most of her monetary donations to Harvard Hillel and away from the university before the October attacks. She gives Harvard a symbolic $19.91 for her college graduation year of 1991. 'Moral Failures' The tensions have mobilized a group of Jewish alumni. Hearing from Jewish undergraduates who removed names from their doors in dorms because of safety concerns reminded Harvard graduate Adrian Ashkenazy of stories he heard from his father, a Holocaust survivor from Poland. When he received an email in October from a San Fernando Valley alumni interviewing team, asking him to commit to meeting with prospective students, he declined. "I replied immediately that I wasn't going to be able to do these interviews because I had a difficult time encouraging anybody to go to Harvard at the moment given the moral failures that I was seeing from the students and the administrators," said Ashkenazy, 49, a co-founder of the new Harvard College Jewish Alumni Association, which led the switch to $1 donations as a way to send a message. For the last decade, Ashkenazy has hosted the Harvard Krokodiloes, an a cappella group he sang with as a student, when they came through Los Angeles. But he said he has second thoughts about continuing that tradition and for the first time feels embarrassed of his Harvard affiliation instead of proud. Changing Will Libby Shani started making fundraising calls to alumni and parents as a "Crimson caller," a student job, starting in her junior year in 2000. She continued to contact her 2002 classmates annually as a reunion fundraising chair until she quit after watching the school's response to the Hamas attacks. "The university inaction is appalling," said Shani, 42, a retail consultant in New York. "I have zero desire to try to rally support and expend my personal capital for an institution I'm no longer willing to stand behind and is turning its back on a large number of us." Larry Carson, 52, a former president of the Harvard Club of St. Louis, is working to remove Harvard as a beneficiary of the estate plan he made more than two decades ago. The 1993 Harvard College graduate had designated the funds for undergraduate financial aid. "It's difficult to feel a lot of love for my alma mater right now," he said. (COMMENT, BELOW) 100 years ago, Dec. 5, 1923 CHARLESTON The Charleston lodge of Elks Monday evening adopted a resolution authorizing the purchase of the Trower building, formerly the location of the Bradley furniture store, on Seventh street. The consideration is said to have been $10,000. The matter will be passed on by committees and officers of the grand lodge of Elks, which will take about ten days before the matter is definitely settled. The Miller Furniture Company has the building under lease to Jan. 1, 1924. It is expected that the Elks will remodel the building throughout, and will have one of the finest homes to be found in Illinois. 50 years ago, 1973 MATTOON Purchase of a $21,035 street sweeper from McElroy-Roland Machinery Co. of Springfield was approved Tuesday night by the Mattoon City Council. Low bid submitted for the machine was by Illinois Road Equipment Co., also of Springfield, with a bid of $19,919...CHARLESTON Authorities continue to comb the ruins of the horse barn at the Coles County Fairgrounds in an effort to determine the cause of Tuesday's fire. One of the horses killed a yearling colt owned by Jim Reynolds of rural Charleston was originally purchased for $13,000. John Knifley of Charleston lost a three-year-old which was a blanket winner at the Coles County Fair this year. The horse, Iris Dancer, set a track record of 2.08.1...CHARLESTON The old Shiloh Presbyterian Church, buried in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln, may become a historical shrine. The simple brick church; constructed out of wood in 1881 and enclosed in brick in 1921, currently has only 30 members. A proposal is being considered to sell the building to the Coles County Historical Society. Members of the society's board of directors are scheduled to meet with the congregation Sunday to discuss the future of the church. The church is located northwest of Lincoln Log Cabin State Park along the Lincoln Heritage Trail south of Charleston. Buried near the church in Gordon Cemetery are Lincoln's stepmother, Mrs. Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln and his father, Thomas Lincoln. 25 years ago, 1998 CHARLESTON The first of three finalists for the presidency of EIU was on campus Friday, candidly answering questions and even admitting he hasn't decided whether he really wants the job. "I'm not sure I want to be a president. I am somewhat ambivalent about it," said Mark Lapping, 52, the provost and vice-president of academic affairs at the University of Maine. The reason for this uncertainty, he said, is that he is growing "ever more concerned" about the increasing number of faculty members who move to administration and away from academics. "I don't want that to happen to me," he said. "I'm a working teacher, a working scholar. It grounds me. It's still the way I define myself. No one is going to deny me my right to be known as a faculty member." Lapping said he will "hit the ground learning" and taking what he described as "EIU 101." ...TUSCOLA The city of Tuscola seemed to meet developers halfway Thursday evening. The council unanimously approved the first, amended restated Amishland agreement Thursday, after voting against a somewhat modified agreement nearly two weeks ago. The only thing left unspecified in the Amishland agreement approved Thursday, according to Tuscola Special Council Kurt Froehlich, is the funding source for $147,000, or money for roughly one-half of the Amishland infrastructure. Photos: 169th annual Coles County Fair TOLEDO The attorney for a man charged in a Cumberland County murder case has reported that he is still seeking investigative report information from the Illinois State Police in preparation for a jury trial set for March 20. Public Defender Shon Park said during a pretrial hearing on Monday that the State Police has told him for a few weeks that the information will be sent to him soon digitally, but he is still waiting as he prepares his defense of Lance T. Newcomb, 25, of Robinson. After Park requested that the pretrial hearing for Newcomb be continued, Judge Jonathan Braden rescheduled this conference for Monday, Dec. 11 with no objection from State's Attorney Bryan Robbins. Newcomb is charged with first degree murder for the death of Ryan Waggoner, 55, of rural Lerna. The State Police has reported that evidence shows the fatal shooting took place at Waggoners home, where he was last seen on June 2. Newcomb is also charged with concealing a homicidal death. He and two co-defendants in this case have all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. His mother, Angela S. Newcomb, 58, of Robinson is charged in Crawford County with concealment of homicidal death and obstruction of justice/destroying evidence. Family friend Hiley A. Schulte, 52, of Oblong is charged with concealment of homicidal death, plus unlawful possession of methamphetamine. The charges allege that Angela Newcomb helped transport Waggoner's remains to Crawford County and that Schulte allowed Lance Newcomb to attempt to dispose of the remains on her rural property there. Newcomb remains in the custody of the Cumberland County jail, while the two co-defendants were released on bond earlier this year. Who are they? IL children reported missing as of December 2 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). Candidates for the N.C. General Assembly and other offices lined up outside the Forsyth County Board of Elections on Monday to file for office, marking the start of the 2024 campaign season. Paula McCoy, who waged an unsuccessful write-in campaign for the Northeast Ward seat on the Winston-Salem City Council in 2020, was first in line on Monday to make sure her name gets on the ballot. In 2020, she lost an effort to run as an unaffiliated candidate before pursuing her write-in campaign. This time around, McCoy is filing to run as a Democrat in Northeast Ward, which is now represented by Barbara Burke, who has not filed. Before the doors opened, a big group of Republican Women gathered for a photo with Joyce Krawiec and Dana Jones. Krawiec is retiring from her District 31 seat in the N.C. Senate and is endorsing Jones for her seat. Jones is the former chairwoman of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education. Offices to be filled in 2024 range from U.S. President all the way to a seat on the Forsyth County Soil and Water Conservation District board. PHOTOS: Winston-Salem and Forsyth County candidates file for office for the 2024 election season The close of the first days filing sets up one local primary contest among the many races that will be decided in 2024. Vivian V. Joiner and Adrian Smith both filed to run for South Ward on the Winston-Salem City Council, setting up a Democratic primary contest. The seat is now held by Democrat John Larson, who has not filed. Besides McCoy and Jones, others filing Monday included Paul Lowe, a Democrat seeking to return to his District 32 seat in the N.C. Senate, and Democrat Kanika Brown, running for a new term in District 71 in the N.C. House. Incumbent Republican Jeff Zenger filed to run again in N.C. House District 74, where Democrat Amy Taylor North also filed to run on Monday. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, a Democrat, filed for a new term, as did incumbent Democrat D.D. Adams (North Ward) and incumbent Republican Robert Clark (West Ward). Democrat Scott Andree-Bowen filed to run for the Southwest Ward seat now held by Democrat Kevin Mundy, who has not filed. Mundy won a face-off between the two in the 2020 Democratic primary. Three Republicans filed Monday to run for the three available District B seats up for election in 2024 on the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. They were incumbent Gloria Whisenhunt and non-incumbents Terri Mrazek and Ralf Walters. Dave Plyler and Richard Linville, the other incumbents, have not filed. Incumbent Register of Deeds Lynne Johnson, a Democrat, filed for a new term. Meanwhile, Bo Hines, a Salisbury Republican, filed to run for the 6th Congressional District, which after the 2024 election will include parts of Forsyth, Guilford and Cabarrus counties, as well as all of Davie, Davidson and Rowan counties. In the 5th Congressional District, which will no longer include Forsyth County after 2024, incumbent Rep. Virginia Foxx filed, as did a Democratic challenger, Chuck Hubbard of Wilkesboro. The district includes Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes counties, as well as part of Guilford County. GREENSBORO Success, whether in war or in writing, requires courage, and its a trait in the very fiber of award-winning author and U.S. Navy veteran Peter T. P.T. Deutermanns being. Decorated with 19 medals during his 26 years of service, Deutermann also has garnered accolades for his writing of suspense thrillers and war novels alike since he began publishing 29 years ago. At 81, the former Naval commander who has penned 27 novels makes his home on a farm off N.C. 150 near Reidsville with his wife, Susan, and a host of handsome Dartmoor ponies. They found the rural area while researching a North Carolina-set novel in 2006. On Tuesday, Deutermann will help host the national launch of his latest work, Iwo, 26 Charlie, (St. Martins Press) at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch library in Greensboro at 1420 Price Park Road. The novel follows a young Navy gunnery officer stationed on the battleship Nevada during the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The book was released over the weekend, and attendees will become the first in the nation to garner Deutermanns signed copies, according to the authors representatives and the library system. The free event begins at 6 p.m. at the library in Greensboro. Guests will have the opportunity to discuss the novel with Deutermann and enjoy refreshments during a reception to follow his talk. Interacting with groups is fun for Deutermann, he said, explaining he forgoes written speeches for extemporaneous discussions about his work. He takes his cues from his audience and tailors the conversation to their curiosity, he said. It comes naturally Writing has come naturally to Deutermann for as long as he can remember, he said during a recent interview. I have always been a writer, even as an elementary school kid, and it was just a talent that I had, he said. Its something I can do and like to do. The author, who worked in the top echelons of the military in Washington, has a wry wit, too. I wrote a lot of fiction in the Navy, too most of it in the Pentagon when it was budget time, he joked from home, describing his farm duty title as Senior Equine Effluent Engineer senior, mind you. Most mornings begin with mucking stalls. After a second cup of coffee, Deutermann said he makes his way to his office to write on a computer he is busy adapting to take dictation. For writing, theres no set time, no sacred time, he said. A strong rapport with his longtime agent at St. Martins Press makes smooth work of putting together a novel, Deutermann explained. We almost have a Vulcan mind meld and can finish one anothers sentences, he said, referring to Star Trek character Spocks ability to read minds. A local luminary The realization that an author of Deutermanns standing lives in the region came as a delightful surprise to Beth Sheffield, head of Adult Programming and Book Club Coordinator for the Greensboro Public Library system. We were just so thrilled to find out that Commodore Deutermann was from the Triad, and we believe in supporting literature and the arts here. So its quite an honor, Sheffield said. Sheffield appreciates Deutermanns ability to blend art with reality, she said. I just think he is so good at writing action scenes and interweaving the true story in his fiction in with the novelization of it, she said. The after-hours signing event makes it ideal for adults and children, Sheffield said. Our programming is for all ages, and I think, especially if theyre interested in history and action, its a wonderful event for people of all ages to come out to. The great things about (Deutermanns) books is theres a lot of action, but hes a good crafter of story. Those stories come from a bank of rich experience spent serving in the Navy, Deuterman said. His books have twice earned him the W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction by the American Library Association since 2012. Deutermanns military service In 1964, he served on board destroyer USS Morton for the second Gulf of Tonkin Incident. The first major strikes against North Vietnam followed from the aircraft carrier. Deutermann trained to operate Swift class gunboats, then shipped to Manila and trained Philippine sailors to use the boats to battle Pirates in Manila Bay and waters off Corregidor. He later was operations officer on the USS Hull, stationed off the coasts of North and South Vietnam, where he provided Army and Marine forces with naval gunfire support. Deutermann served again at sea as executive officer of the guided missile destroyer USS Charles F. Adams. By 1984, the author was named commander of the guided missile destroyer USS Tattnall and served a three-year tour of duty. Next, Deutermann was appointed executive secretary to the Chief of Naval Operations for JCS matters in Washington, D.C. In late 1985, the United States Naval Academy graduate became commander of Destroyer Squadron 25, based in Pearl Harbor, for two years. From 1985 to 1987, Deutermann was assigned to command Destroyer Squadron 25 based in Pearl Harbor. In 1988, Deuterman returned to the Pentagon as head of the Strategy Planning branch of the Navy staff. Next, he was named division director of the arms-control negotiations office concerned with chemical, biological, and radiation weapons on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Toward the end of his military career, Deutermann worked as a technical delegate to the United Nations on arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union in Geneva. While a lifetime of military experience informs Deutermanns writing, he said there is great value in studying the patterns of war history, something he did at the Naval War College and in London at the Royal College of Defence Studies. In those settings, where using history thats been laid out for you, do you see patterns, do you see mistakes that are being made again? Deutermann said. While high strategic focus is placed on aircraft carriers and battleships in modern day warfare, Deutermann said, the next war will be a submarine war. You can find a carrier. You cant miss them. The Guns of August, by Barbara Tookman is a book that provides the kind of war history that can serve to warn modern strategists of brewing peril, Deutermann said. The book showed you the maelstrom that existed in geopolitics that led up to the opening of World War I, he said. You read it and ask, How could no one have seen this coming? Everything was done wrong. The parallels with the unease and burning straws in the winds of right now are very similar. Mi Pueblo Mexican Restaurant has added a bar area to its King restaurant, at 607 S. Main St. in the King Shopping Center, and is celebrating with 50% off all drinks on Dec. 6 and 7. Mi Pueblo decided to add a bar to its existing restaurant after the 2022 vote in King to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants. The new bar area has six tables and three booths, for a total of 30 seats. It features two 55-inch television screens, marble bar counter, warm lighting, and high tables. The bar menu has a full line of beer, wine and mixed drinks, including draft beer and house-made lime margaritas, either frozen or with ice. Mi Pueblo Mexican Restaurant is a family-owned business, founded in 1989 and now headquartered in Clemmons, which has 10 restaurants in Charlotte, Clemmons, Concord/Kannapolis, High Point, King, Statesville and Winston-Salem. For more information, please visit mipueblomexgrill.com. A Greensboro tobacco retailer is among six in North Carolina that is facing complaints from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said Tuesday it has filed those complaints against brick-and-mortar and online retailers like The Vape Emporium for the illegal sale of unauthorized e-cigarette products. The complaints seek the maximum civil penalty of $19,192 for a single violation from each retailer. For The Vape Emporium, which is located at 803 W. Gate City Blvd., the FDA cited the unauthorized selling of a product called the EB Design Strawberry Pina Colada, an electronic nicotine delivery system. The FDA previously sent each North Carolina retailer a warning letter to stop selling unauthorized tobacco products. During follow-up inspections, the FDA observed retailers had not corrected the violations, resulting in these civil money penalty actions. ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) The suspect who fired at officers from a duplex in an Arlington, Virginia, neighborhood before the home exploded on Monday night is presumed dead, according to authorities. Fifty-six-year-old James Yoo was identified by Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn at a press conference Tuesday as the the owner of the duplex and the individual whose actions brought them to the home after firing a flare-type gun from inside the house more than 30 times. Penn said police responded to the house at about 4:45 p.m. Monday after reports of shots fired. After attempts to communicate with Yoo were unsuccessful, police obtained a search warrant. As officers tried to enter the home, multiple gunshots were fired from within the house, Penn said. Soon after, the house exploded, Penn said. The officers escaped serious injury but it was unclear what happened to the suspect who was inside when the building was leveled, Arlington County, Virginia, police spokesperson Ashley Savage said. Officers went to the home about 4:45 p.m. after receiving reports of shots fired. The preliminary investigation showed that a suspect discharged the flare gun from inside his home, but no property damage or injuries were reported, police said in a statement. While police investigated, they obtained a search warrant for the home and tried to make contact with the suspect by telephone and loudspeakers, but he remained inside without responding, police said. Three officers injured As officers tried to execute the warrant, police said the suspect discharged several rounds from what is believed to be a firearm inside the home and around 8:30 p.m. there was an explosion, shooting flames and debris into the air. An investigation into the circumstances of the explosion is ongoing, police said. Three officers reported minor injuries in the house explosion, but no one was taken to the hospital. Savage said police dont have any evidence that others were in the duplex but cant rule out the possibility. On Tuesday, officers wearing ATF jackets combed a nearby street looking through papers scattered in the debris field. Junk mail carrying the name and address of the home that exploded were visible on the street. The White House was monitoring developments with the house explosion, a spokeswoman said. Our thoughts are with the police officers that were injured in that explosion, Olivia Dalton, the White House principal deputy press secretary, told reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday. Were grateful to law enforcement that handled that situation very swiftly. I can tell you the ATF is assisting with the local law enforcement investigation into that matter but beyond that I would just refer you to Arlington Police Department. Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington said she could hear the explosion more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and came to the scene but police kept onlookers blocks away. I actually thought a plane exploded, she said. ATF agents investigating Bob Maynes thought maybe a tree had fallen on his house when he heard the explosion. I was sitting in my living room watching television and the whole house shook, Maynes said. It wasnt an earthquake kind of tremor, but the whole house shook. Arlington is located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The explosion occurred in Bluemont, a neighborhood in north Arlington where many of the homes are duplexes. Fire officials do not know the cause of the explosion, said Capt. Nate Hiner, a spokesperson for the Arlington Fire Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said federal agents and federal fire investigators were at the scene and assisting in the investigation. Associated Press reporter Ben Finley contributed from Norfolk and reporter Darlene Superville contributed from Air Force One. A civil liberties group and Indian child welfare coalition have filed a "friend of the court" brief in a Lancaster County case involving the termination of a Native mother's parental rights to her sons. The Nebraska Court of Appeals is set to hear oral arguments in the case involving the Indian Child Welfare Act later this month. The Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska aren't parties to the case, but filed an amicus brief in which they provide information or argument for the judges to consider as they weigh the legal arguments. In a decision this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act, which requires state officials to make efforts to keep Native families together and says courts cannot terminate Native parents parental rights or place Native youths in foster care without hearing testimony from a qualified expert witness. Because both children in the case and their mother are enrolled or eligible for membership with the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the law applies in the case. In the mother's appeal, her attorneys with Legal Aid of Nebraska argue that the Lancaster County Juvenile Court Judge Shellie Sabata's decision should be reversed because it wasn't in the children's best interest and wasn't "supported by qualified expert testimony." At a formal hearing in April, the state presented the testimony of five witnesses, including mental health practitioners, a supervisor and a specialist with the Department of Health and Human Services and the foster parent. They argue none was a qualified expert witness, who is meant to have expertise beyond normal social worker qualifications and knowledge of social and cultural standards of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. NICWC and the ACLU of Nebraskas amicus brief discusses the expert witness requirement under ICWA and how it relates to Nebraska statute and Bureau of Indian Affairs regulations. It also raises a 2009 case where the Nebraska Court of Appeals determined a Department of Health and Human Services employee did not meet ICWAs expert witness requirement as she did not regularly provide services to Indigenous Nebraskans or have extensive knowledge of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Misty Flowers, executive director of Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition and a member of the Santee Sioux Nation, said the coalition frequently is contacted about Indian Child Welfare Act qualified expert witnesses, "and we always defer to tribal qualified expert witnesses from the childs tribe. If one isn't available, the coalition can help fill that role, she said. And they have provided training for tribal members who want to serve in that role for their tribe. "It is an important part of our work to educate, advocate and bring people together around ICWA compliance to protect the rights of Indian children and maintain their cultural connections, Flowers said. Joy Kathurima, legal and policy counsel for ACLU of Nebraska, said as Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in June, the Indian Child Welfare Act "did not come out of a vacuum." She said it came in direct response to the forced mass removal of Native children from their families, tribes and tribal cultures. "Especially given that context, the significance of qualified expert witness testimony in determining the best interests of a child cannot be overstated," Kathurima said. She said they hope the brief "leads to an outcome that ensures state officials fully meet their obligation under ICWA to understand how this custody decision will impact these children and their access to cultural identity, language and heritage." Top Journal Star photos for December 2023 An Elkhorn home builder has agreed to pay $10,000 for previously including a clause in its contracts barring bad reviews, in a deal with the Nebraska Attorney General's Office. According to a court case filed Dec. 1, Trademark Homes Inc. had included in its new construction contracts a clause where buyers had to waive the ability to "post complaints, derogatory narratives, uncomplimentary descriptions or otherwise" about the company on social media. The provision was made part of 62 contracts between September 2019 and September 2020. But the company immediately and voluntarily stopped on Sept. 17, 2020, after learning the state had filed a complaint and consent judgment against another large residential home builder in Omaha, Celebrity Homes, for its use of similar review-limiting contract terms. "This (the Celebrity Homes agreement) was the first time the state of Nebraska had publicly concluded that it found the use of review-limiting contract terms within a residential construction agreement to be violations of the Consumer Protection Act or the Consumer Review Fairness Act," Assistant Attorney General Gary Brollier said in the agreement. The Consumer Review Fairness Act, signed in December 2016, protects consumers' ability to share their honest opinions about a businesss products, services, or conduct, in any forum, including social media. In the agreement filed in Lancaster County District Court, Trademark Homes admitted no wrongdoing but agreed to discontinue the practice and send notices to the customers who had signed contracts from 2019 to 2020 of their right to post honest reviews. The company also agreed to pay $10,000 to the attorney general to go into the State Settlement Cash fund to be used for such things as attorney's fees and other costs of investigation, future consumer protection enforcement, consumer education and litigation. The agreement was signed by Trademark Homes' attorney and the owners, Brandon Myers and Ryan Krejci. Top Journal Star photos for December 2023 City officials plan to replace at least 6,000 lead pipes in homes and other property with the help of a $32.6 million loan from the federal government part of $15 billion available in the 2021 federal infrastructure law. Last week, the Biden administration proposed new restrictions that would require the removal of more than 9 million pipes across the nation, including those that snake through Lincoln. Lincoln Transportation and Utilities has been working on a plan to replace lead pipes for about two years and this loan program will allow them to expedite the work, said Director Liz Elliott. The citys plans are part of an initiative called Lead Safe Lincoln spearheaded by the Urban Development and Health departments, and long before the proposed federal changes were announced LTU officials had earmarked $2 million a year in the Capital Improvement Plan to begin the replacement, Elliott said. Despite those efforts, she emphasized that Lincolns water falls well below the regulatory limit for lead. Our water here in Lincoln is exceedingly safe, Elliott said. Its something we at the city have taken seriously for years." City officials are asking the council to authorize the loan agreement with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, which is managing the federal loan. The loan has no interest and a portion of it can be forgiven. The city water system itself does not have lead pipes, which means the 2,037 lead pipes identified by the city run from private property to city lines. Some homes also have lead fixtures, Elliott said. In Lincoln, most of the lead pipes are found in homes built before 1950, mostly from the 20s and 30s, Elliott said. In addition to those lead pipes, the city has identified 3,913 galvanized pipes, which run downstream from lead pipes, and because water from lead pipes flowed through the galvanized pipes they also need to be replaced. Additionally, there are 4,825 pipes the city needs to inventory to see whether they could be lead or galvanized pipe, Elliott said. The loan includes $3.2 million to pay for such an inventory money that doesnt need to be paid back. The federal government will forgive 62% of loans used to replace pipes in disadvantaged communities where 34% of Lincolns lead pipes are located, as are 22% of the galvanized pipes. Pipes replaced in other areas of the city are eligible for 48% loan forgiveness. City officials estimate that Lincoln will be eligible for about 50% of loan replacement. Based on that, city officials estimate an annual debt payment of $480,000, which will come from the money earmarked in the Capital Improvement Program, which means it will not require a rate increase for customers. The remaining roughly $1.5 million set aside annually will be used to remove more lead pipes, Elliott said. The city plans to begin replacing the pipes next year, contracting with private companies to do the work. Officials hope to get about 200 replaced the first year, followed by 500 each following year. Because the pipes are on private property, the city will need permission from property owners to replace them. If people refuse, city officials will continue to talk with them, although federal requirements could be tweaked to make the replacement mandatory, Elliott said. The council will vote on the loan authorization at its Dec. 11 meeting. Top Journal Star photos for November 2023 An 85-year-old man who had been incarcerated at the Nebraska State Penitentiary for nearly 50 years died Monday. Leonard Svitak, 85, had been in the state's custody since Sept. 20, 1974, when he was sentenced to a term of 10 years to life for second-degree murder in Lancaster County. Svitak was convicted of shooting and killing his ex-wife, 30-year-old Mary Svitak, at her north Lincoln home in March 1974, according to newspaper archives. The two had been separated for three months when Svitak shot her with a .22 caliber rifle inside her mobile home following a dispute, according to the archives. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at St. Elizabeth hospital and Svitak was arrested at the scene. Mary Svitak was an employee of the State Welfare Department at the time of her death. Leonard Svitak was a welder. Though his cause of death hasn't been determined, Svitak was being treated for a medical condition, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said in a news release announcing his death. A grand jury will be convened to conduct an investigation into his death, as required by state law whenever an inmate dies in state custody. The inmates on Nebraskas death row and their crimes Raymond Mata Jr. Jose Sandoval Jorge Galindo Erick F. Vela Jeffrey Hessler John L. Lotter Roy L. Ellis Marco E. Torres Jr. Anthony Garcia Nikko Jenkins Aubrey Trail A 60-year-old man is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of a woman Monday at an Omaha hotel. Daniel S. Nickels of Omaha is also charged in a Douglas County arrest warrant with use of a firearm to commit a felony. He is accused of fatally shooting Esmeralda C. Vargas, 26, of Omaha, at the Comfort Inn & Suites near 70th and Grover Streets. Nickels was arrested Monday near Holt, Missouri, about 31 miles northeast of Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City Police Department, Missouri Highway Patrol, the FBI and the ATF assisted in the arrest, an Omaha police spokesman said. Authorities took Nickels into custody after a traffic stop, according to KMBC-TV of Kansas City, Missouri. Tactical teams and negotiators assisted in the investigation. Nickels is in custody at the Clinton County Detention Center. According to the Sheriffs Office, hes awaiting an extradition hearing before being returned to Nebraska. Omaha police officers were called to motel at 7007 Grover St. about 5:40 a.m. Vargas was found down inside the motel suffering from a gunshot wound and was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy, where she was pronounced dead. Water utilities across Nebraska would be responsible for replacing tens of thousands of lead pipes over the next decade under a rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency last week. The update to the lead and copper pipe rule pushed by President Joe Biden aims to reduce lead in drinking water and curb public health crises that have stemmed from the aging infrastructure. "Lead in drinking water is a generational public health issue, and EPA's proposal will accelerate progress toward President' Biden's goal of replacing lead pipe across America once and for all," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a news release. Across the country, that means nearly 9.2 million lead service lines would need to be replaced within 10 years after the rule is finalized at a potential cost of $625 billion. In Nebraska, that means an estimated 53,230 lead pipes must be replaced, according to the seventh Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment published in April. The environmental nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council estimates the number of lead pipes remaining in the Cornhusker State is significantly larger, potentially reaching as many as 97,000. An inventory on the number of lead pipes in communities across the state is due to the EPA by October 2024. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox said the proposed rule was built on lessons learned from several cities across the U.S., including Newark, New Jersey; Benton Harbor, Michigan; and Green Bay, Wisconsin. "EPA's proposed Lead and Copper rule is grounded in the best available science and successful practices utilized by drinking water systems to protect children and adults from lead in drinking water," Fox said. "Our proposed rule applies the lessons learned to scale these successes to every corner of the country." Lead pipes were typically used to connect water mains to homes and businesses until 1986 when they were banned by the EPA after it was determined lead can leach into tap water and "severely harm" adults and children. Utility companies have never been required to remove or replace those pipes with non-lead alternatives, however, even as the EPA has implemented and overhauled rules regulating the quality of drinking water. The EPA has planned a public information and listening session on the proposed rules, which it plans to finalize in October 2024. Top Journal Star photos for December 2023 Nebraska's first-year governor is adding a new twist to a decades-old holiday tradition this month. Gov. Jim Pillen has invited the public to celebrate an early Christmas at the Governor's Mansion on Sunday following the 75th annual lighting of the state Christmas tree in the Capitol Rotunda. Following the 2 p.m. lighting of the 20-foot Colorado blue spruce chopped down Tuesday in York and donated by the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District Pillen and company will celebrate a "Hometown Christmas" outside the governor's residence at 1425 H St. The inaugural party is open to the public and will feature Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a live nativity scene, hayrack and horse drawn carriage rides, face painting, a balloon artist, hot chocolate, cookies and more. The celebration will start at 3 p.m. and continue until 5 p.m. The stretch of H Street in front of the Governor's Mansion will be closed to traffic for the two-hour party. Pillen's office encouraged attendees to dress with the weather in mind for the outdoor event. Photos: 2023 Christmas tree arrives at Nebraska Capitol GREEN BAY A Wisconsin pastor who was accused of sexually exploiting children from Venezuela and Cuba was sentenced Monday to 15 years in federal prison. Cory Herthel, 40, pled guilty in August to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a child. The church where Herthel served, Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Green Bay, contacted the FBI in May to report that it had received information that Herthel was trading sexually explicit videos with a 15-year-old in Venezuela, according to court documents. Herthel acknowledged he met the child begging on the streets in Ecuador and kept in touch with him after he and his mother returned to his native Venezuela and exchanged sexually explicit videos with each other, according to prosecutors and court documents. Investigators also learned that Herthel was allegedly exchanging sexually explicit videos with two children in Cuba. He was in a sexual relationship with one of the children and was sending money to the other, according to prosecutors. Herthel's attorney, listed in online court records as Eric Maciolek, didn't immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. These semi-auto hunting rifles are excellent militia weapons Under the ideological of cultural Marxism and the framework of Marxist "Woke" ideologies, power must be taken from a majority population. Firearms, as noted by the Marxist and Chinese mass murderer Mao, are a form of political power. Mao wrote: Every Communist must grasp the truth: Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. What Mao meant was only the Communist party should be allowed to have guns. For a Marxist revolution to succeed, the people must be disarmed. The left in the United States has long pushed for the disarmament of the population. Recently, the left has primarily pushed for the banning of those arms which are commonly available and most suitable for militia use. These are modern semi-automatic rifles with standard capacity magazines of 30 rounds. These type of rifles are admirably suited to the defense of homes and neighborhoods, in part, because they are understood to be extremely effective, and as such, have great deterrent value. The American founding fathers understood the political power of firearms as well. They had just won a war with the superpower of the age, England. The English king had repeatedly attempted to disarm first, the colonists, then the revolutionaries. The founders wished to make sure no future American government would be able to disarm the American people. Thus, they included the guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms in the Bill of Rights. The founders understood the right to keep and bear arms included defense against all threats, from animals, criminals, other nations and domestic tyrants. ..... 1. Yes. More than 70% of the downtown buildings are occupied; the area is thriving now. 2. Yes. With the new E-Center , a brewery and the county annex moving in, its on the rise. 3. No. There may be a lot of new businesses, but foot traffic is still slow on most days. 4. No. Its improving, but the issues of crime and homelessness are still major obstacles. 5. Unsure. The area seems to be rebounding, but its hard to say if the trend will continue. Vote View Results KEARNEY About 80 people gathered to hear about the new Buffalo County Well-Being Collaborative on Nov. 28. The event was put on by Buffalo County Community Partners. This is a fabulous turn-out, Michelle Warren, a Spanish instructor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, said as she welcomed the group. Warren is one of seven members of a volunteer group put together by BCCP to find ways to strengthen community well-being. The panel began meeting twice a month this fall. The Nov. 28 session was its first public meeting. About 10 non-profits were represented, along with 15 students from a nutrition class at UNK. The group wants to bring sectors of the community together to learn about community resources, prevention supports, training and education. BCCP sent invitations to more than 1,000 community businesses, agencies, churches, schools, law enforcement, youth-serving agencies, government, health care systems, mental health providers and more. Denise Zweiner, BCCP executive director, said the non-profit is seeking ideas from the public as it proceeds with this new collaborative. Zweiner said BCCPs work is strengthened when law enforcement, colleges/universities, churches, business leaders, elected officials and government are all in the room. She said BCCP leaders want to create a place where organizations and individuals can build a shared vision of how they can work together to achieve their goals. Every sector in the community looks at a problem from their own experience, so learning about a community issue from a variety of perspectives and viewpoints helps bring together stronger, sustainable solutions, she said. The panel included: *Amber Lubben, director of quality and patient safety at Kearney Regional Medical Center; *Genesis Acosta, UNK student; Beth Baxter, retired regional administrator for Region 3 Behavioral Health Services; *Gabe Kowalek, Kearney Police Department; *Danay Velazco, assistant for pastoral issues at St. James Catholic Church; *Ryan Stanton, Compass CEO and executive director. Each panelist shared a few thoughts. Kowalski said police have supported issues important to BCCP, including getting NARCAN to prevent deaths from overdoses of fentanyl. The department has also worked with the public regarding excessive use of cell phones, excessive consumption of alcohol at Cruise Nite, and human trafficking. It has created a Cool Responder program, including a safety plan when responding to people in crisis. Officers have had first aid training in mental health, he said. Partnerships are critical in addressing issues like that. We need community members to come together, Kowalski said. Attendees were asked to write down what their organizations are doing in various areas. The ideas, all on colored slips of paper, were posted up front in the shape of a pyramid. Baxter said two critical questions remain: When people need help, how can BCCP increase public access to information, resources, skill-building programs and more? And how can the success of BCCPs work be measured? So many wonderful things are happening in Buffalo County, and we want to continue that support. How do we strengthen this work going forward? Baxter said. Everyone has something to contribute. How do you want to be involved? Zweiner added, We are phenomenally strong in resources, but we know we can do this better. The effort will be officially launched on Feb. 27, when the first quarterly meeting of 2024 is scheduled. Mental and behavioral health will likely be discussed. Zweiner said anyone from the public is welcome to become part of this process. For more information, visit bcchp.org/2030vision or call Zweiner at 308-865-2284. COVID-19 has become a permanent part of the health care landscape, local professionals say. The number of COVID cases at this time is similar to last season. However, COVID is proving to be a resilient and increasingly seasonal virus. We know COVID is here to stay, said Megan Meller, infection prevention specialist for Gundersen Health. Its developing a routine. The good news is area hospitals arent seeing an increase in the severity of COVID cases. ICU visits triggered by COVID have been stable since March 2022, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Its similar to last year but not alarming, said Raj Palraj, an infection disease specialist with Mayo Clinic of College of Medicine and Science. Hospitalizations triggered by COVID have shown seasonal fluctuations the past two years similar to the flu and other respiratory ailments. Meller said the pattern of COVID outbreaks is mirroring the flu. Typically after a holiday gathering, we do see a spike in influenza and COVID cases, Meller said. COVID vaccine Both COVID and influenza can be mitigated with vaccines. Palraj said COVID vaccinations are very similar to the flu shot. He strongly urges anyone six months or older receive a COVID vaccine. Palraj also recommended a COVID shot for anyone who has already had the virus. He said immunity from the virus lasts for only about three months after symptoms subside. Meller said vaccinations dont necessarily prevent COVID but can be the difference between feeling mildly ill for two days or going a week or longer with flu-like symptoms. This is where vaccines are really important, Meller said. They go a long way in reducing hospitalizations. She said COVID can make other health conditions that much worse. Despite the medical consensus on vaccinations, most people havent signed up. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, the vaccination rate in La Crosse County is 28%. In rural counties bordering La Crosse, fewer than 1 in 4 people have been vaccinated, including Jackson (19.1%), Monroe (20.1%), Trempealeau (21.9%) and Vernon (22.1%). Chippewa County reports a 19.1% vaccination rate, while two counties bordering Chippewa (Taylor and Clark) have rates just under 11%. In Minnesota, the vaccination rate is 26.6% in Winona County and 20.4% in Houston County. We are not seeing robust vaccination rates, Palraj said. Meller said COVID vaccination rates arent much lower than annual flu shots, which roughly 30% of the population receives each year. Palraj and Meller said vaccines are readily available. They recommend contacting local clinics, county health departments or local pharmacies. Most shots are covered by insurance or Medicaid. Meller said COVID vaccines should be part of a broader emphasis on wellness during the holiday season. She urged people not to get stressed by holiday activities. Take care of yourself, Meller said. When people are stressed, theyre more vulnerable to respiratory illness. Mattel is honoring the late, legendary Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller with a Barbie as part of its "Inspiring Women" series. But not all Cherokee Nation citizens are embracing the idea of honoring Mankiller with a doll. OKLAHOMA CITY An iconic chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller, inspired countless Native American children as a powerful but humble leader who expanded early education and rural healthcare. Her reach is now broadening with a quintessential American honor: a Barbie doll in the late Mankiller's likeness as part of toymaker Mattel's "Inspiring Women" series. A public ceremony honoring Mankiller's legacy is set for Tuesday in Tahlequah in northeast Oklahoma, where the Cherokee Nation is headquartered. Mankiller was the nation's first female principal chief, leading the tribe for a decade until 1995. She focused on improving social conditions through consensus and on restoring pride in Native heritage. She met with three U.S. presidents and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. She also met snide remarks about her surname a military title with humor, often delivering a straight-faced response: "Mankiller is actually a well-earned nickname." She died in 2010. The tribe's current leader, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., applauded Mattel for commemorating Mankiller. "When Native girls see it, they can achieve it, and Wilma Mankiller has shown countless young women to be fearless and speak up for Indigenous and human rights," Hoskin said in a statement. "Wilma Mankiller is a champion for the Cherokee Nation, for Indian Country, and even my own daughter." Mankiller, whose likeness is on a U.S. quarter issued in 2021, is the second Native American woman honored with a Barbie doll. Famed aviator Bessie Coleman, who was of Black and Cherokee ancestry, was depicted earlier this year. Other dolls in the series include Maya Angelou, Ida B. Wells, Jane Goodall and Madam C.J. Walker. The rollout of the Barbie doll featuring Mankiller wearing a ribbon skirt, black shoes and carrying a woven basket has been met with conflicting reactions. Many say the doll is a fitting tribute for a remarkable leader who faced conflict head-on and helped the tribe triple its enrollment, double its employment and build new health centers and children's programs. Still, some Cherokee women are critical, saying Mattel overlooked problematic details on the doll and the packaging. "Mixed emotions shared by me and many other Cherokee women who have now purchased the product revolve around whether a Wilma Barbie captures her legacy, her physical features and the importance of centering Cherokee women in decision making," Stacy Leeds, the law school dean at Arizona State University and a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court justice, told The Associated Press in an email. Regina Thompson, a Cherokee basket weaver who grew up near Tahlequah, doesn't think the doll looks like Mankiller. Mattel should have considered traditional pucker toe moccasins, instead of black shoes, and included symbols on the basket that Cherokees use to tell a story, she said. "Wilma's name is the only thing Cherokee on that box," Thompson said. "Nothing about that doll is Wilma, nothing." The Cherokee language symbols on the packaging also are wrong, she noted. Two symbols look similar, and the one used translates to "Chicken," rather than "Cherokee." Mattel spokesperson Devin Tucker said the company is aware of the problem with the syllabary and is "discussing options." The company worked with Mankiller's estate, which is led by her husband, Charlie Soap, and her friend, Kristina Kiehl, on the creation of the doll. Soap and Kiehl did not respond to messages left by the AP. Mattel did not consult with the Cherokee Nation on the doll. "Regrettably, the Mattel company did not work directly with the tribal government's design and communications team to secure the official Seal or verify it," the tribe said in a statement. "The printing mistake itself does not diminish what it means for the Cherokee people to see this tribute to Wilma and who she was and what she stood for." Several Cherokees also criticized Mattel for not consulting with Mankiller's only surviving child, Felicia Olaya, who said she was unaware of the doll until about a week before its public launch. "I have no issues with the doll. I have no issues with honoring my mom in different ways," said Olaya, who acknowledged she and Soap, her stepfather, are estranged. "The issue is that no one informed me, no one told me. I didn't know it was coming." Olaya also wonders how her mother would feel about being honored with a Barbie doll. "I heard her once on the phone saying, 'I'm not Princess Diana, nor am I Barbie,'" Olaya recalled. "I think she probably would have been a little conflicted on that, because my mom was very humble. She wasn't the type of person who had her honorary degrees or awards plastered all over the wall. They were in tubs in her pole barn." "I'm not sure how she would feel about this," Olaya said. Still, Olaya said she hopes to buy some of the dolls for her grandchildren and is always grateful for people to learn about her mother's legacy. "I have a warm feeling about the thought of my granddaughters playing with a Wilma Mankiller Barbie," she said. *** Top holiday toys from the year you were born Top holiday toys from the year you were born 1920: Raggedy Ann doll 1921: Lincoln Logs 1922: Tinkertoy 1923: A. C. Gilbert chemistry sets 1924: Erector Set 1925: Teddy bear 1926: Crayola Crayons 1927: Radio Flyer wagon 1928: Yo-yo 1929: Pop-up book 1930: Mickey Mouse doll 1931: Finger paint 1932: Sock monkey 1933: Marx wind-up toys 1934: Buck Rogers Disintegrator Pistol 1935: Shirley Temple doll 1936: Balsa wood models 1937: Monopoly 1938: Microscope Set 1939: View-Master 1940: Red Ryder BB Gun 1941: Beach ball 1942: Little Golden Books 1943: Little green army men 1944: Soap bubbles and bubble blowers 1945: Slinky 1946: Lionel Trains 1947: Tonka Trucks 1948: Toy Piano 1949: Clue 1950: Magic 8 Ball 1951: Colorforms 1952: Mr. Potato Head 1953: Model Car 1954: Scrabble 1955: Silly Putty 1956: Play-Doh 1957: Water balloons 1958: Hula Hoop 1959: Barbie 1960: Etch A Sketch 1961: Slip N Slide 1962: Chatter Telephone 1963: Easy-Bake Oven 1964: G.I. Joe 1965: Wham-O Frisbee 1966: Twister 1967: Lite-Brite 1968: Hot Wheels 1969: Lego building sets 1970: Nerf ball 1971: Weebles 1972: Uno 1973: Shrinky Dinks 1974: Skateboard 1975: The Pet Rock 1976: Stretch Armstrong 1977: Atari 2600 Game System 1978: Star Wars action figures 1979: Simon 1980: Rubiks Cube hits the shelves 1981: He-Man action figures 1982: My Little Pony 1983: Cabbage Patch Kids 1984: Transformers 1985: Teddy Ruxpin 1986: Nintendo Entertainment System 1987: Jenga 1988: Troll Dolls 1989: Game Boy 1990: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures 1991: Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1992: Talkboy 1993: Super Soaker 1994: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 1995: Beanie Babies 1996: Tickle Me Elmo 1997: Tamagotchi 1998: Furby 1999: Pokemon trading cards 2000: PlayStation 2 2001: Bratz Dolls 2002: Beyblades 2003: Cranium Hullabaloo 2004: Robosapien 2005: Xbox 360 2006: Nintendo Wii 2007: Guitar Hero 2008: WALL-E Toys 2009: Angry Birds 2010: iPad 2011: Skylanders 2012: LeapPad Explorer 2013: Tekno the Robotic Puppy 2014: Frozen dolls 2015: Shopkins Toys 2016: Hatchimals 2017: Fingerlings 2018: Dont Step In It 2019: Baby Shark Official Song Puppet 2020: Animatronic The Child Podcast: What are the ethical pitfalls of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas? Interactive: Holiday gift guide 2021 Authorities in Jackson County are still searching for a woman reported missing Nov. 23 after she left a rural Black River Falls residence on a kayak. According to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, Stacy Lyn Shramek, 53, Black River Falls, left a residence on Roosevelt Road via kayak between 2-2:30 p.m. and was last seen traveling north on the Black River around 3:15 p.m. She was reported missing around 6 p.m. Police found Shrameks overturned and unoccupied kayak on the bank of the Black River shortly before 11 p.m. Land, water and infrared drone searches were conducted over the next two hours, but efforts to locate her were unsuccessful. The sheriffs office says its investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriffs office at 715-284-5357 or 715-284-9009. The Wisconsin Elections Commission would be dissolved and its election administration duties would be transferred to the secretary of state under a Republican bill that comes after years of conservative criticism of the bipartisan agency. The bill would almost certainly be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, but its unlikely to even reach his desk. The Republican leaders of the Assembly and Senate have both said they support the commission over its alternatives. The bills authors Sen. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, who chairs the Senate elections committee, and 10 first-term Assembly Republicans said not enough checks and balances exist under the current election structure. Giving the secretary of state power over elections would enhance governance, responsiveness, and public trust in the electoral system, the GOP authors said. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has three Democrats and three Republicans who are tasked with deciding election policy. Proposed policies must receive four votes to move forward, a rule that requires bipartisan collaboration but also leads to deadlocks on divisive measures. The bill calls for Democratic Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski to assume the commissions duties by June 2024, five months before the 2024 presidential and U.S. Senate elections. Under the bill, the secretary of state couldnt adjust election administration without prior approval from election committees in both legislative chambers. Wisconsin Elections Commission chair Don Millis, a Republican, and spokespeople for Godlewski didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. GOP criticism of the election agency skyrocketed after the 2020 presidential election, due in part to decisions made by the commission, including 2020 guidance allowing clerks to set up secure ballot drop boxes and sending poll workers to nursing homes shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country. Since the 2020 election, many prominent Republicans, including 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Tim Michels, have called for the elections commission to be dissolved. Republicans have also sought to oust Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe from office. A lawsuit seeking clarity over whether shes legally in office is currently before a Dane County judge. Election skepticism has also been fueled by baseless claims of widespread fraud and mounting pressure from former President Donald Trump, who continues to push the lie that the election was stolen. Recounts, reviews and court decisions have affirmed that Trump lost Wisconsin to President Joe Biden by about 21,000 votes. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has previously said hes against transferring election duties from the commission to the secretary of state because Democrats have occupied the latter office for decades. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, has also said the commission is better than any alternative hes seen. On 4 December US federal prosecutors charged, a former US ambassador to Bolivia (2000-2002), with committing multiple federal crimes by secretly acting for decades as a Cuban government agent. End of preview - This article contains approximately 395 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 4 December Colombias government and the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN) guerrilla group began a fifth round of peace talks in Mexico City. End of preview - This article contains approximately 401 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 4 December Brazils Presidentmet Germanys Chancellorin Berlin, to discuss the trade talks between the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), among other areas of cooperation. End of preview - This article contains approximately 597 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options The administration of American President Joe Biden warned lawmakers Monday against rejecting a military aid proposal for Ukraine. Shalanda Young is the director of the United States Office of Management and Budget. She sent an open letter to the leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Young said if the current budget measure is rejected, U.S. military aid to Ukraine would be gone by the end of the year. The aid permits Ukraine to buy weapons for its defense against Russia. Young noted that the U.S. also provides financial aid to the Ukrainian economy, and that money is already gone. She wrote: If Ukraines economy collapses, they will not be able to keep fighting. With less than one month to go in 2023, she added: We are out of money and nearly out of time. Biden has asked Congress for more than $100 billion in aid that would go to Ukraine, Israel and others. Some lawmakers oppose the measure unless there are conditions attached. They say the Biden administration must find solutions to the migrant problem at the U.S. southern border. The House of Representatives already approved a military assistance bill for Israel. The Senate has not. The U.S. sent $111 billion to Ukraine in 2023. About $67 billion went to military needs. Another $27 billion went toward economic and civil assistance and $10 billion supported humanitarian aid. Only three percent of the fund remains, Young wrote. She urged lawmakers to approve more money. This isnt a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. It is time for Congress to act, the letter reads. The letter followed a closed meeting on November 29 among U.S. congressional, military and national security officials. The security officials told the lawmakers that Ukraine aid needed to continue. Bidens recent proposal includes $61 billion for Ukraine. Chuck Schumer attended the meeting. He is the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate and a Democrat. He said the American military experts were clear that Ukraine needs the aid soon. Im Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. The worlds climate negotiators are meeting this month in Dubai for the COP28 United Nations Climate Conference. Activists, scientists and U.N. officials want the representatives to make plans to phase out the use of fossil fuels as an energy source. However, some representatives are using the term phase down instead. To phase out means to end something slowly through a planned series of steps. But to phase down means to slowly reduce the use of something instead of stopping completely. The concern, say climate scientists, is that the time for a phase down is over. Bill Hare is a climate scientist and the CEO of Climate Analytics. He said unless the result of the meeting is a phase out, there is unlikely to be an improvement in temperature. The COP28 meeting runs until December 12. During last years COP27 event, negotiators agreed to plans that would limit global temperature warming to only 2.4 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial times. But a recently updated report found that the world is going in the wrong direction. The report, called the Climate Action Tracker, found that the world is on target for a 2.5-degree rise. It added that several nations, including Indonesia and Iran, have increased their use of fossil fuels. These increases are part of why the world is warming more quickly. Adnan Amin is the leader of COP28. He is former Director-General of the UNs International Renewable Energy Agency. He said the negotiators have so far produced a pretty comprehensive draft for a central outline of the meeting. The draft is called the Global Stocktake. He said he expects a very intensive engagement process between the negotiators during the next week of meetings. The draft is 24 pages long and covers a number of issues. However the greatest concern is the choice between a phasedown of coal power or an orderly and just phase out of fossil fuels. Amin noted that, coming into the event, he did not believe it would be possible to even include phase out language in the document. He said some countries are not prepared to agree to a phase out because they require fossil fuel energy to grow their economies. Critics and activists note that some countries signed on to last years plan but moved forward with expanding their use of fossil fuels. Ana Missirliu is an analyst at the New Climate Institute. She said she has seen worrying announcements in the last year. She pointed to the host nation of COP28 the United Arab Emirates announcing a $150-billion expansion of its oil and gas industry. She also pointed to expansions in the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia. Several protest groups are in Dubai. They are holding up signs in action zones near the UN event. The protesters are asking the representatives to push for a phase out. Although there may be some nations pushing for language that does not require a phase out, many countries are planning to increase their use of renewable energy. More than 100 countries say they will triple their ability to create clean energy and double their energy efficiency by the end of the decade. Im Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. ____________________________________________________ Words in This Story phase (out or down) v. to introduce something slowly global adj. having to do with the whole world comprehensive adj. including many, or most, things draft n. writing or a document that is the first version of something, not the final engagement n. the act or state of being involved with something analyst n. a person who studies a topic and then makes a recommendation triple v. to increase something by 300 percent or three times efficiency n. the ability to do something or produce something without wasting resources We want to hear from you. Do you think COP28 will produce a clear plan that nations will follow? Lucy was rescued from a rural property in New South Wales, Australia, two years ago. She was suffering from chlamydia, a disease widespread among koalas. Today, she is one of the lucky animals living in tree corridors that have been created to protect koalas and other animals by saving their quickly shrinking habitat, or natural environment. The corridors, planted by the local conservation group Bangalow Koalas, are made up of large systems of plants. They are a lifeline for koalas and other animals like the glossy black cockatoo, gliders, possums, and wallabies. All of them are endangered, or at risk of becoming extinct. The corridors provide a safe path across the koala's increasingly broken habitat. This permits increased genetic mixing and protection from human threats. "Our corridors are actually trying to get them away from humans, from cars, from dogs," said Linda Sparrow, president of Bangalow Koalas. "They can safely move across the landscape and not have to put up with us humans." The koala is predicted to be extinct in the wild in New South Wales by 2050. Some of the biggest threats include wildfires and habitat loss through land clearing for development. Koalas have already been declared endangered in several Australian states. Founded in 2019, Bangalow Koalas has planted over 336,000 trees on 119 properties, helping koala conservation and improving the local ecosystem. The group, which depends on community volunteers, aims to plant 500,000 trees by 2025. "The neighbor would want to join and then another neighbor will want to join," Sparrow said, describing increasing the number of people involved in the corridor. Volunteer Lindy Stacker, who has been planting trees for over five years, said the activity is good for mental health and has brought the community together. A recent report by the Australian Koala Foundation said the animal was worth an estimated $3.2 billion per year to the tourism industry. However, the World Wildlife Fund-Australia reported concerning declines in koala populations in Australian states, with a 50 percent drop in Queensland and a 62 percent drop in New South Wales since 2001. Sparrow remains committed to the cause. "I can't imagine a world where there's no koalas in the wild," she said. "We're going to do everything we can possibly to make sure that doesn't happen." Im Gena Bennett. Jill Gralow reported this story for Reuters. Gena Bennett adapted it for VOA Learning English. __________________________________________________ Words in This Story corridorn. land that connects and provides a way through extinctadj. no longer existing landscapen. the qualities that you can see in an area of land tourismn. travel for vacation or pleasure The number of Rohingya taking risky boat trips to flee refugee camps in Bangladesh is rising even higher than last year. Human rights groups and aid agencies told VOA that those numbers could keep rising. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, said in a statement that a boat with 150 Rohingya on board landed in western Indonesia Saturday morning. Amnesty Internationals Indonesia office told VOA it had confirmed the landing as well. That brings the total number of Rohingya fleeing across the Andaman Sea by boat to 3,722 so far this year, says the UNHCR. In its statement, the refugee agency said it had also received several reports of two more boats with broken engines stranded in the Andaman Sea. Those boats hold 400 or more people. The agency issued an urgent search and rescue call to countries in the area. In 2022, the UNHCR counted 3,705 Rohingya who tried to flee. That was the most for any year since 2015. December is a time when the waters are somewhat calm. And it is the time when most Rohingya try to leave. UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch noted, We cant predict what is going to happen in December, but if we look at last year, 2022, the last three months were the ... busiest. More to come The Rohingya is a mostly Muslim minority from Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Nearly 1 million currently live in several large refugee camps in eastern Bangladesh. Most arrived in 2017, fleeing what the U.N. calls a campaign of genocidal intent by the Myanmar military. Now, some try to flee by boat to Malaysia or Indonesia, both Muslim-majority countries. Several hundred have died attempting to flee on old and overcrowded boats. Entire boats filled with refugees are believed to have been lost at sea. Chris Lewa is with the Arakan Project, a group that closely follows the issue. She told VOA, I believe there will be a lot more people on the way, but to [give] a figure ... is impossible. Reasons for the increase Aid groups and the Rohingya blame worsening conditions in the camps in Bangladesh for the increase in attempts to flee. The refugees complain of rising gang violence, a lack of jobs and schools, and little food. The U.N. World Food Program is the main source of food aid for the refugees. In June, it reduced the amount of monthly food aid, for the second time, to $8 per person per month. The agency blamed lack of donor support for the cuts. Additionally, the Rohingya are losing hope that they will be able to return safely to Myanmar where they are mostly denied citizenship. Mohammed Rezuwan Khan is a Rohingya refugee. He said, All these things [are] driving the people to take the dangerous sea journeys." Khan said his sister and niece knew the risks but still fled by boat last year. They made it to Indonesia. In years past, the boats carried mostly single men and women. But the UNHCR says more families with children are now traveling together. This year nearly a third of those making the dangerous trip are children. Losing their lives UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch says Indonesia is the only country willing to take in the Rohingya. A 2016 presidential decision in Indonesia ordered officials to aid any boats at risk in the countrys waters and to let them land. However, that may be starting to change. Last month, a boat that reached Aceh in Indonesia was reportedly pushed back out to sea twice. On the third try, it made it to land. A representative of Amnesty International blamed this on the national governments failure to assist local officials in their efforts to help the refugees. Should Indonesia stop helping, experts say more Rohingya will die when they cannot reach land at all. The UNHCR counted 348 dead or missing among those who set out in 2022 and 225 so far this year. Baloch said, We saw last year the consequences of not having a safe port or a safe place to disembark. These people risk losing their lives. Im Anna Matteo. Zsombor Peter reported on this story in Bangkok, Thailand for VOA News. Anna Matteo adapted this story for VOA Learning English. ______________________________________________________ Words in This Story stranded v. left without the means to move from somewhere. urgent adj. calling for immediate attention predict v. to declare in advance : foretell on the basis of observation, experience, or reasoning genocidal adj. the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group intent n. a usually clearly formulated or planned figure n. a number symbol gang n. a group of persons associated together to do something illegal donor n. one that give money or other resources journey n. an act or instance of traveling from one place to another consequence n. something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions disembark v. to remove to shore from a ship We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expressions in your language? Our comment policy is here. Nearly 9,000 private schools in the American state of Louisiana do not need state approval to give high school diplomas. Public schools, formal homeschooling programs and traditional private schools all need state approval. Nearly all of the schools lacking approval were created to serve a single homeschooling family. But some have buildings, classrooms, teachers and many students. A small percentage of Louisiana's students have ties to unapproved schools. The schools are being called Louisianas off-the-grid school system. Some observers say they are a growing example of the nation's continuing effects of COVID-19 because families appear to be leaving traditional education. U.S. public school enrollment fell by more than 1.2 million students in the first two years of the pandemic. Many families sent their children to private school or told their state they were homeschooling. But the Associated Press (AP) and its partners say thousands of other students are unaccounted for. The students in Louisiana's off-the-grid school system are not missing. But there is no way to know what kind of education they are getting. The AP and The Advocate, a Louisiana newspaper, say that over 21,000 students are enrolled in the state's unapproved schools. That is nearly double the number from before the pandemic. Supporters of the system want to avoid state oversight. They say Louisiana's unapproved schools are an extension of the idea of parental rights in education. One such school in Louisiana is Springfield Preparatory School. The school calls itself an umbrella school for Christian homeschoolers. Most students there attend the school to get an education through classes or tutoring. However, school leader Kitty Sibley Morrison is also willing to give a diploma to anyone whose parents say they were homeschooled, even years earlier. Sometimes it takes two or three times to explain to them that they are free, Sibley Morrison said. Their parents are in charge of them, not the state. A different choice for homeschooling Sibley Morrison said she is not selling diplomas; she is selling lifetime services for homeschooling families. Were not here to make money, she said. Yet a list of prices is placed on the front window of the school building: $250 for diploma services, a $50 application fee, $35 for a diploma cover and $130 to take part in a ceremony. The number of students in unapproved schools like Springfield has nearly doubled. State records show there were 11,600 students in the 2017 to 2018 school year and over 21,000 in 2022 to 2023. There is little information available about these schools. The state calls them nonpublic schools not seeking state approval." To start one, an adult must only report their school's name and address, their contact information and how many students they have. Most of the schools are small, single-family home schools. However, last year, 30 of Louisianas unapproved schools reported they had at least 50 children enrolled. Laura Hawkins says there is no way for the government to know whether the schools are safe, good, or even whether they exist. Hawkins is a former official of the Louisiana Department of Education who worked on its school choice efforts until 2020. The department warns parents on its website that it cannot confirm whether these organizations even meet the legal definition of a school. Louisiana has two options for homeschooling. Parents who want their child to receive a state-recognized high school diploma can apply for the official home study program. They must apply using test scores or copies of the students work. The work must show their child has received 180 days of schooling of the same quality as a public schools. The state-recognized diploma is more widely accepted by colleges. It also permits students to be considered for a popular in-state scholarship program. Families can also choose to set up their own private school without asking for state approval. There are no requirements to prove a child is getting an education. The schools do not even have to provide the names of students who are attending. At least two unapproved schools have had abuse scandals. But the state Department of Education says it has no legal power to do anything. Today, over 12 states permit families to open a private school as a form of homeschooling, including California, Illinois and Texas. Around half the states require those schools to teach basic subjects such as math and reading. Louisiana is not one of them. I take their word for it Springfield Preparatory occupies two buildings on Springfields main street. State records say 250 students attend, but Sibley Morrison said the school does not keep the number. Some homeschooling families come for art or science. Others attend services like career guidance, test preparation and explanation and support in their parental rights, said Sibley Morrison. Some, such as Arliya Martin, go straight for a diploma. Martin was expelled from high school in 10th grade after getting in a fight. She tried a military-style program for at-risk youths but finished without her GED. The GED test provides what is equal to a high school diploma. At 17, I was already by myself. I had my son at 18, and it was just work, work, work, she said. Within days of meeting Sibley Morrison, Martin visited her office and got a diploma. The document was backdated to 2015, when she would have graduated high school. It also said she had completed a program for graduation approved by the Louisiana Board of Education, which is not true. After questions from AP, Sibley Morrison said there had been a mistake and that the document would be corrected. Signs at the school advertise state-approved diplomas although the state has not approved the school. Sibley Morrison said she can use those words because she pushes families in her program to also sign up for the state-approved home study program. After learning that her diploma is not approved by the state and might not be accepted by some colleges, Martin said she did not feel bad. Friends and family members have gotten diplomas from the same school and have gone on to college and successful careers, she said. Sibley Morrison said parents are the only people who can decide if and when someone is properly educated. When parents say, My child is ready to go into the real world I take their word for it, Sibley Morrison said. Im Dan Novak. And Im Ashley Thompson. Quiz - Some US Schools Operate outside State Education System Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz Sharon Lurye reported this story for the Associated Press. Charles Lussier contributed to it. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English. ____________________________________________________ Words in This Story off-the-grid adj. (informal) not connected to a formal or official system enrollment adj. the process of getting accepted to an institution such as a school or college and providing all necessary documents oversight n. the act of overseeing and activity umbrella adj. describing a group that includes many other groups that might be quite different or in different places option n. a choice or possibility to do something tutor v. to teach only one or a very small group of students diploma adj. a document that is given to people who complete their classes and course of study at a high school, college or university scandal n. something that happens because it is shocking, morally or legally wrong South Africa and Colombia are among the countries aiming to push drug companies to permit low-cost versions of drugs for deadly diseases. The drugs are for people with drug-resistant versions of tuberculosis (TB) and with HIV/AIDS. One target is the drug bedaquiline. It is used for treating people with drug-resistant tuberculosis. In South Africa, TB was blamed for the deaths of more than 50,000 people in 2021, making it the countrys leading cause of death. Johnson & Johnson is a U.S.-based drug and medical technology company. The company owns a patent for the drug bedaquiline. Patents legally protect a companys right to manufacture and sell a product that it developed or owns for a limited time. The legal protection prevents other companies from making the same drug without permission. In recent months, activists have protested efforts by Johnson & Johnson to protect its patent. In March, TB patients asked the Indian government to make a lower cost copy of bedaquiline. The government agreed, saying Johnson & Johnsons patent could be broken. In July, the time limit for Johnson & Johnsons patent on the drug ran out in South Africa. The company extended the patent until 2027 under South African law. However, activists became angry and accused Johnson & Johnson of trying to make a lot of money from the drug. The South African government then began investigating the companys pricing policies. South Africa had been paying about $282 per treatment course: a full group of treatments. This was more than twice as much as poor countries involved in the Swiss-based Stop TB Partnership paid. In September, about a week after South Africas investigation began, Johnson & Johnson announced it would not enforce its patent in more than 130 countries. This would permit other drug makers in those countries to copy the drug. Christophe Perrin is a TB expert at Doctors Without Borders. He called the decision a big surprise. He said protecting patents is central to how most drug companies plan their businesses. In October, Colombia announced that it would permit a third party to make the HIV drug dolutegravir without permission from the drugs patent-holder, Viiv Healthcare. The decision came after more than 120 groups asked the government to let more people use the drug, which is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Peter Maybarduk is with the Washington, D.C., non-profit group Public Citizen. He thinks the Colombian government is trying to take control of its treatment of HIV after not having enough vaccines for COVID-19. He noted that Brazilian activists are pushing their government to do the same. More changes needed However, some experts say more needs to change before poor countries can produce their own medicines. Petro Terblanche is managing director of the biotechnology company Afrigen Biologics based in Cape Town, South Africa. She said African countries produced less than one percent of all vaccines made around the world when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. But, Terblanche said, Africa used more than half of the worlds supply. Afrigen Biologics is part of a WHO-supported effort to produce a COVID vaccine using the same mRNA technology as those made by U.S.-based drug makers Pfizer and Moderna. Terblanche also noted that African countries need to improve their ability to deliver vaccines. If we cant get (vaccines and medicines) to the people who need them, they arent useful, she said. Lynette Keneilwe Mabote-Eyde is a health care activist who has ties to the nonprofit Treatment Action Group based in New York City. She noted that South Africa has no clear law permitting the government to take legal action against a patent or a patent extension. The South African department of health did not answer questions from the Associated Press about patents. Fighting tuberculosis In its yearly report on TB released in November, the WHO said there were more than 10 million people sickened by the disease in 2022 and 1.3 million deaths. After COVID-19, tuberculosis is the worlds deadliest infectious disease. It is also now believed to be the main cause of death of people with HIV. The WHO says only about 40 percent of people with drug-resistant TB are being treated. Zolelwa Sifumba, a South African doctor, found she had drug-resistant TB in 2012. She went through 18 months of treatment, taking about 20 pills every day in addition to daily injections. These left her in severe pain and resulted in some hearing loss. Bedaquiline was not a standard treatment in South Africa until 2018. I wanted to quit (treatment) every single day, she said. Since her recovery, Sifumba has been pushing for better TB treatment. She said it makes little sense to charge poor countries, which have more cases of TB, high prices for necessary medicines. She questioned why poor countries would have to pay a lot for medicine. If the lower income countries cant get it, then whats the point? Who are you making it for? she said. Im Gena Bennett. And I'm Andrew Smith. Gerald Imray and Maria Cheng wrote this story for The Associated Press. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English. Quiz - South Africa, Colombia Aim to Get Lower-Cost Drugs for TB, HIV Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _______________________________________________ Words in This Story deliver v. to take something from one place to the place where it is supposed to go In September I met a group of 15 people in Assisi, Italy. We came from New Hampshire; Seattle; Flagstaff, Arizona; Hawaii; New York City; Sarasota, Florida; Denver; Nashville; Alberta, Canada; and Italy. We signed up to walk 160 miles together to Rome. Four years before, a friend and I had used Sandy Browns Guidebook for the first part of the St. Francis Camino from Florence to Assisi. It was an exquisite experience, walking through forests, medieval villages, hills of olive groves and vineyards. There was always plenty of wine and pasta at the end of the day. I dearly wanted to finish this journey from Assisi to Rome, in the steps St. Francis took as he walked to Rome to ask the pope for permission to open his own order, the Franciscans. I knew I couldnt do it alone. Not only am I lacking any geographical compass, even with GPS, I usually end up taking wrong turns. When youre hiking 10-20 miles a day, a wrong turn can be well, all sorts of wrong. When I saw on Sandys Facebook page that their sold-out trip from Assisi to Rome had an opening, I jumped on it and found myself in Assisi meeting my fellow pilgrims I would walk with over the next two weeks. On the way to dinner, the man from Nashville, Steven, a musicologist professor, came up to me and asked the question Id least expected: Are you from Cozad? I nodded warily and said, Yes? My yes sounded like a question. Steven said only this: I have a story for you. Our first day out of Assisi was tough, uphill most of the way, an over-3,000-foot climb, the windy path slick from the rain. Steven and I didnt get a chance to talk that day. But the next day was gloriously sunny, and we were walking on a lovely gravel path headed to the ancient town up on a hill called Trevi. On the top of a hill surrounded by olive trees, I caught up with Steven. Hey, I said, Im ready for my story, Steven! Steven smiled and his late 60s eyes twinkled. Well, he said, with just a light Southern accent. My wife inherited a small cabin on Shaw Island, off the coast of British Columbia. We spend as much time up there as we can, and we always drive there from Nashville. A few years ago, we ended up in Cozad on an early Monday evening. We stopped for gas and asked where we might get a hamburger. The station attendant said not much was open on a Monday, but we could try the Elks Club. Which we did. When we walked in, a couple and their daughter invited us to join them at their table. We enjoyed our hamburgers and our lovely conversation about their little town. Have you heard of the Robert Henri Museum? the gentleman asked. We said no, and before we could say more, they were on the phone dialing up the museum director to request a special opening and tour for us. They paid for our meal and we drove with them to the truly remarkable little museum they have on their main street. After that, we went out for a Dairy Queen in town and said goodbye. I could hardly hold back and blurted, Who were they, Steven? Im so sure I would know them! Steven looked sheepish and said, I knew you were going to ask me that. The only name I can come up with is Kauffman. I knew there were Kauffmans in town. I was crestfallen, but not giving up. Is there any way you have a photo? I asked. Steven said hed text his wife when we got to the hotel. He was sure she took a picture of them. The next morning at breakfast, Steven sat down next to me as I was working on some croissants and cappuccinos. He held his cellphone up to my face and there, in the middle of Umbria, Italy, was a photo of Steve and Doris Anderson and their daughter, Susan. I nearly jumped out of my skin, partly from joy, and partly from caffeine. Oh my! I exclaimed! Not only do I know this couple, they are some of my absolute favorite people from my life in Cozad! Steve took my senior pictures, my wedding photos and the most darling photos of my children! And Doris always helped me figure out which were the best ones! I told my new friend Steven that I had seen Steve and Doris again when I moved my mom, Judy Miller, to Meadowlark Pointe, a lovely retirement home in Cozad. Moms first day in the dining room was filled with lovely people, some parents of my school friends. When I spied Steve and Doris, I went over to their table to say hello. Steve, with his sweet twinkly eyes, took my hand and started to sing softly, Some say love, it is a flower We were good at kidding each other, and I whispered, Steve, what are you doing, serenading me? He clutched my hand, and said, No. That is the song you sang at your Grandma Roses funeral, some 30 years ago. I wiped the tears from my eyes, realizing the richness and honor of growing up in this small rural town. A year and some months later, after both Doris and Mom had passed within a few weeks of each other, I saw Steve doing some laps with his walker. I had been back to pick up the remainder of Moms things. We talked about missing these lovely women. Steve was philosophic about his loss and filled with gratitude for the years he and Doris shared. When I got back to my car, I sat looking at the outstretched cornfield and said prayers, one for Steve, that his heart could be comforted, and one for me, that I might be as brave and kind when I was his age. In Italy, after our walk was over, our feet finally gracing the steps of St Pauls Basilica in Rome on the beautiful fall afternoon of Oct. 9, I had to say goodbye to my new friends. We walked for seven or eight hours a day together for two weeks and shared every meal. I cant tell you how many stories were shared; so many treasures I will hold close to my heart. This story was one of my favorites. I took the train back to Munich, where my journey had begun, at the darling condo of my dear friend Patricia Silva. When she was just 16, she came to stay with my parents, Rich and Judy Miller, as an exchange student from Brazil. We all fell in love with her and ever since then, she became my soul sister. We were enjoying a glass of wine on her sofa, and I told her about my trip. When I told her the story about the two Steves, she put her wine glass down, clasped her heart and said, Oh, Sally! I have a story about Steve and Doris, too! When I was staying with your parents, I needed a professional photo of myself and your mom made an appointment with Steve. I spent half a day with Steve and Doris. They took so many photos of me, in a a variety of settings. The photos were so good, I used them throughout my college years! And guess what, as much as I tried, your parents tried, as did my parents Steve and Doris refused any money for those photos. I know I still have some of them around here somewhere! I could tell you many stories about the people who have left indelible marks on my heart and contributed to my life as I was growing up in Cozad. Sometimes when you live in a small rural town in the middle of cows and farms, its hard to imagine having an impact or a legacy that spans the globe. And yet I went to Europe and rediscovered the treasure of my own small-town roots. Im proud to be from here where stories like these are not uncommon. What felt uncommon to me, however, is to hear these stories when I was thousands of miles from home. How we live our lives on a daily basis has an impact beyond our wildest imagination. One of Hong Kongs best-known activists who moved to Canada to pursue her studies said she would not return to the city to meet her bail conditions, becoming the latest politician to flee Hong Kong. Agnes Chow, a famous young face in the citys once-vibrant pro-democracy movement, was arrested in 2020 under a security law that was enacted following 2019 anti-government violent protests. She was released on bail but also served more than six months in jail in a separate case over her role in the protests. After Chow was released from prison in 2021, she had to regularly report to the police. She said in an Instagram post on Sunday night that the pressure caused her mental illnesses and influenced her decision not to return to the city. Many of her peers have been jailed, arrested, forced into self-exile or silenced after the introduction of the security law in 2020. After considering the situation in Hong Kong, her safety and her health, Chow said she probably wont return to the city again. I dont want to be forced to do things that I dont want to do anymore and be forced to visit mainland China again. If it continues, my body and my mind will collapse even though I am safe, she wrote. Chow told TV Tokyo yesterday that she was still weighing her next steps, including the option of seeking asylum in Canada, the broadcaster reported. Asked whether she would take up political activism there, she said she wanted to do something in Hong Kongs interest, TV Tokyo said. Hong Kong police yesterday strongly condemned Chows move, without naming her, saying it was against and challenging the rule of law. Police urge the woman to immediately turn back before it is too late and not to choose a path of no return. Otherwise, she will bear the stigma of fugitive for the rest of her life, the police said in a statement. The police did not respond to questions from The Associated Press on Chows mainland China trip. Asked about Chows case at a daily briefing, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Hong Kong is a law-based society and no one has a privilege beyond law. Any illegal acts will be punished, he said. Chow rose to fame with other prominent young activists Joshua Wong and Nathan Law as a student leader, including in pro-democracy protests in 2014. She co-founded the now-defunct pro-democracy party Demosisto with Wong and Law, but the party was disbanded on June 30, 2020, the same day the security law was enacted. Wong is now in custody and faces a subversion charge that could result in life imprisonment if convicted. Law fled to Britain and the police in July offered a reward of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to his arrest. MDT/AP Local company CESL Asia, Investments & Services Ltd is celebrating its 35th anniversary. The company has an established business presence in Macau and Portugal in fields such as facilities management, architecture, engineering, agriculture, agri-foods, and renewable energy. As part of the celebration, several experts were invited to share insights on The Platform to a Sustainable and Diversified Economy, CESL Asias roadmap for regenerative agriculture and sustainable food production in Portugal, the management of energy-efficient utilities in the mainland, and intelligent technologies for decarbonization of Macau and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Among the speakers were the president and CEO of the company, Antonio Trindade, the co-president Dominic Sio, and the COO, executive director Energy and Technical Assets, Roland Schoorl. Also included in the panel of participant guests was Bruno de Pellegars, senior vice-president of EREN group, a Luxemburg-based company dedicated to carbon-neutral strategies and resources dedicated to renewable energy production, energy conservationand energy storage. The company specializes in the use of hydrogen, thermal energy, nuclear, biomass, and water treatment. Xiu Jiashuo and Teresa Moreira were also part of the same panel. Before the talk, there was a signing ceremony between CESL Asia and EREN group, represented by de Pellegars, on the start of a cooperation between the two companies on decarbonization technologies for the GBA. The Chinese military said that an American naval ship had illegally intruded yesterday into waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, the site of a hot territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. A Chinese naval force was mobilized to track the USS Gabrielle Giffords during the operation, according to a statement from the Peoples Liberation Army Southern Theater. The U.S. Navy did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Chinese and Philippine naval and coast guard ships have confronted each other repeatedly around the Second Thomas Shoal in recent months as China tries to prevent the Philippines from resupplying and repairing a rusting warship that it intentionally ran aground in 1999 to serve as a military outpost. Dwarfed by Chinas military might, the Philippines has sought Americas help, agreeing to an expansion of the U.S. military presence in the country earlier this year and launching joint sea and air patrols with the United States late last month. China says the U.S. is meddling in waters far from its shores and renewed its accusation that America is the one raising regional tensions following the sailing of the USS Giffords, a littoral combat ship designed to operate in coastal areas, near Second Thomas Shoal. The U.S. deliberately disrupted the situation in the South China Sea, seriously violated Chinas sovereignty and security, seriously undermined regional peace and stability, and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, fully demonstrating that the U.S. is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea, the statement from the Chinese militarys Southern Theater said. China has staked claim to virtually all of the reefs and other outcroppings in the South China Sea, building some into islands with runways that could be used by the military. Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also say they are the rightful owners of territory in the same waters in a complex web of overlapping claims. MDT/AP A Hong Kong court postponed until Jan. 29 a court hearing scheduled yesterday on troubled Chinese property developer Evergrandes winding-up petition. Evergrande is trying to win support from its creditors for a plan to restructure more than $300 billion in debt to stave off liquidation. The companys lawyer told the court it was requesting an adjournment to refine its new debt restructuring plan. The Hong Kong High Court has postponed the hearing over Evergrandes potential liquidation several times. Judge Linda Chan had said in October that Mondays hearing would be the last before a decision is handed down. Evergrande could be ordered to liquidate if creditors reject its plan. The company, the worlds most indebted property developer, ran into trouble when Chinese regulators cracked down on excessive borrowing in the real estate sector. Neil McDonald, a lawyer at Kirkland and Ellis which represents a group of creditors, described the adjournment as a surprise. Yesterday, the company issued a statement refuting claims in a report by Hong Kong-based GMT Research that Evergrande was never profitable and had overstated its revenue for years. Evergrande said GMTs report was without basis. It said it would provide more clarification in due course. Last month, the company said Chinese police were investigating Evergrandes chairman, Hui Ka Yan, for unspecified suspected crimes in the latest obstacle to the companys efforts to resolve its financial woes. MDT/AP The government should introduce additional and tighter laws to quickly handle defamation during election campaigns, directly-elected lawmaker Ella Lei demanded yesterday. The parliament met yesterday afternoon for the first reading of the Amendment Bill to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Law. Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong was present to answer questions from lawmakers. When expressing her opinion on the bill, Lei addressed the issue of defamation during election campaigns. She noted that candidates, when believing themselves to be defamed, were usually asked to file their own lawsuits. However, she complained that judicial inefficiency often caused verdicts not to be given even after a whole parliamentary mandate, which lasts four years. As such, Lei hoped the government could take the opportunity to review the law and establish a system to address cases of defamation more quickly. In response to Lei, Cheong admitted that, although similar opinions had been heard or received, related proposals would not be added to the bill. He noted that defamatory remarks inadvertently occur during elections, particularly during debates between candidates. Despite his comment, he added that defamatory remarks between candidates or electoral lists were, once identified, addressed by the Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL). The commission, he added, requires candidates to comply with an elections laws and regulations. In addition, whilst highlighting that judicial procedures do take time, Cheong highlighted that candidates should make their own checks before considering systematic measures against defamation occurring during elections. In response to Lei, Cheong underlined that hasty conclusions should not be encouraged in criminal investigations and judicial procedures. He said that once the police receive a complaint, they need time to conduct their investigations and deliver information to the judicial branch. Lo Choi In, on the other hand, pointed out that electoral guidelines and rules are too complicated and sometimes even too vague, discouraging voters from voting. Lei echoed her comments. Both lawmakers declared that government is responsible for persuading voters to vote. Lei pointed out that there are a lot of grey areas in the law and the bill. For example, she said, the provision on early campaigning is unclear. Meanwhile, the provision that requires candidates to remove campaign materials posted anywhere is, in reality, unfeasible. Cheong, in response, agreed that the government has a responsibility to encourage voting. However, he said that when it comes to competitive activities, supervision is critical and needs to be clear. In recent elections, campaign malpractices have occurred, the official said. On the establishment of the blackout period for campaign activities, the official cited fairness as the reason behind the decision, noting that sometimes not even journalists know when an election campaign has started and when it has finished. The blackout is to clarify the time of commencement and ensure that all candidates start from the same line. The official also pointed out that candidates and their officials are primarily responsible for ensuring that their lists are free of malpractice. Lawmaker Ron Lam addressed the proposal of criminalizing the lobbying of invalid votes. Without expressing his support or objection, the lawmaker requested the government uphold peoples individual rights to not vote or to cast invalid votes. He also asked about details and related matters regarding electoral donations. Cheong said that current CAEAL regulations requiring the registration of donations of MOP1,000 or more are to safeguard elections from the influence of unverified sources. On the matter of encouraging invalid votes, the official said further discussions would be conducted at a committee level. The bill passed its first reading unanimously and is next due to be discussed in a parliamentary committee. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said yesterday she was open to any resettlement request from tiny South Pacific nations threatened by rising sea levels, similar to Australias agreement with Tuvalu. Colonna said France had watched with great interest last month when Australia offered Tuvalu a lifeline to help residents escape the rising seas and increased storms brought by climate change. At a meeting of Pacific leaders in the Cook Islands, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a plan that will initially allow up to 280 Tuvaluans to come to Australia each year. Tuvalu has a population of 11,000, and its low-lying atolls make it particularly vulnerable to global warming. Colonna said she was not sure if the French Pacific territories of French Polynesia and New Caledonia had the capacity to make similar offers. Im open to consider any specific request, Colonna told the National Press Club. But the size of the Australian continent makes a big difference with the size and beauties of French Polynesia and New Caledonia, she added. Colonna said the Australian deal initiated by Tuvalu was one way to address some of the challenges posed by climate change. Id rather see climate change being controlled and mastered, Colonna said. Preemptive action maybe is better than taking some corrective measures when it is late, she added. She said she did not know the details of the Australia-Tuvalu treaty but was confident it respected basic principles of international law. The treaty commits Australia to assist Tuvalu in response to major natural disasters, health pandemics and military aggression, Albanese said in a statement. It also gives Australia veto power over any security or defense-related agreement Tuvalu wants to make with any other country. Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano said the new arrangement with Australia respected both nations sovereignty and committed each country to supporting the other through such challenges as climate change. Colonna spoke to the media ahead of a meeting at Parliament House with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. The two ministers signed a bilateral agreement on Pacific development cooperation. Defense Minister Richard Marles also met with French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Monday at New Caledonia where they have gathered for a conference with their South Pacific counterparts. Colonna said Marles and Lecornu were negotiating an agreement on reciprocal access to Australian and French military facilities in the region and increased joint activities. Wong said Australia was keen to work more closely with the French military, particularly in the Pacific. ROD McGUIRK, CANBERRA, MDT/AP The spousal cohabitation rights of some applicants for senior apartments have been deprived due to age difference, lawmaker Nick Lei said yesterday in his pre-agenda speech at the parliament. According to the rules, the eligibility for the apartments is at least 65 years of age, among other criteria. Applicants are allowed to apply in pairs so that they can live in the same apartment with better care and company. The lawmaker pointed out, however, that some applicants are not allowed to apply in pairs because their spouses are not yet 60. Instead, their spouses were asked to apply as caretaker, the eligibility for which is determined through vetting by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS). Citing a provision in the Civil Code that concerns the cohabitation duty of spouses, the lawmaker added that the rules did not take into account the needs of spouses with greater age differences. Regarding this scenario, the lawmaker called on the government to drop the need for vetting eligibility, proposing applicants simply submit declarations instead. Lei underlined that spousal applicants should not be deprived of their cohabitation rights due to age even if some do not meet minimum age requirements. He also warned the government about the possibility of tenants not being able to pay their rent, should their economic status change. Another lawmaker, Stanley Ma, wondered if the government is attuned to the reality of the demand for property. Although the current round of applications for economic housing does not appear to be popular, Ma pointed out that bureaucratic concerns could be the reason for the drop in demand. The government has decided to open applications without including prices, discouraging interested applicants. Additionally, the sudden update to income thresholds prior to this application period has exempted some people who were previously eligible. Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng claimed that the issue of low economic housing supply has been resolved, resulting in a temporary halt to the sandwich-class housing project. As such, he forecast that future economic housing application schemes will not be popular. On the one hand, interested applicants especially young applicants will not have enough information to evaluate their purchasing power if no pricing information is released during the application process. On the other hand, the lack of sandwich-class housing will affect interested applicants in their decisions as to whether they should risk purchasing private housing, which is expected to be more expensive than sandwich-class housing units. Based on these concerns, he wondered how the government could encourage youths to sustain Macaus population amid an ongoing declining birth rate. The government has changed the nature of economic housing, eliminating this form of investment and the future possibility of resale on the market. Apartment owners will only be permitted to resell their units to the Housing Bureau (IH) at the initial acquisition price, after deduction of the costs for restoring the unit to its original state. One, two, three! An email was sent into space at the Macau Science Center on the weekend, witnessed by nearly 200 local students. The email was sent by Wang Yaping, a crew member for Chinas Shenzhou-13 space mission and the first woman astronaut who has entered Chinas space station, together with Wong Ging Pui, a senior high school student from Tong Nam Middle School who attended Wangs space class online two years ago. Can astronauts surf on the internet and play video games? Can you watch TV? Can we send emails to you while you are in space? These were the questions Wong had the chance to ask Wang in December 2021 on behalf of Macau students when she was broadcasting a live lecture in space to students on Earth. Now Wong was excited to meet Wang in person and experience how to send an email into space using the Beidou Navigation Satellite System. I made it! said Wong. He said Wang has inspired him by her own stories and personally encouraged him to keep studying hard. I hope to become a person like her whose life is meaningful to both the society and the country, he said. Known for being a space teacher, Wang said she was very happy to be able to interact with the students face to face. Im very glad to see how they have grown, she said, encouraging the young people to explore the unknown and break limits on the way to realizing their dreams. Wang is a member of a delegation of Chinas manned space program on a six-day visit through Sunday to Hong Kong and Macau SARs at the invitation of the SAR governments. While at the Macau Science Center, the delegation was briefed on popular science education plans for Macau students. The astronauts gave their thumbs up when learning that junior high school students in Macau have lessons on human exploration of the universe and Chinas space technology development. The delegation also visited an ongoing exhibition of Chinas achievements in space exploration and navigation held at the Center, including moon samples brought back by the Change 5 lunar mission, models of rockets and Macao Science 1 space exploration satellites jointly developed by the mainland and Macau. MDT/Xinhua Judiciary Police have arrested two men at Macau International Airport on charges of drug possession. A 35-year-old man from Uganda, who arrived in Macau from Malaysia, was found to have swallowed 100 capsules containing cocaine. A 40-year-old man, from the Republic of Suriname who arrived from Manila late last week, excreted 84 similar capsules weighing more than 1,190 grams in his body while being held under investigation. The cocaine is worth more than MOP8 million on the black market. Related A Japanese tourist has died after bungee jumping from Macau Tower on Sunday. The 56-year-old man, who became short of breath and then stopped breathing following the jump, was rushed to Hospital Conde S. Januario for treatment but was later pronounced dead. The man did not suffer any superficial injuries to his body during the jump. The website of Skypark by AJ Hackett, which operates the bungee jump and other activities at Macau Tower, advises its clients to pre-emptively disclose any medical conditions they might have to staff. The Macau attraction, which first opened to the public in 2006, is the second-highest commercial bungee jump in the world, surpassed only by Chinas Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge Bungee measuring at 853 feet. Back in January 2018, a Russian tourist was left dangling 180 feet in the air after completing a bungee jump from the Macau Tower. The operator at the time said it suspected cold weather had activated a backup safety system as the tourist was being lowered to the ground after completing his jump, leaving him stranded. The Russian man was eventually rescued by firefighters and taken to a hospital after showing signs of hypothermia. Staff Reporter NATIONAL SECURITY MIAMI A former career American diplomat was charged Monday with serving as a secret agent for communist Cuba going back decades in what prosecutors portrayed as one of the most brazen and long-running betrayals in the history of the U.S. foreign service. Manuel Rocha wept as he sat handcuffed in Miami federal court on charges that he engaged in "clandestine activity" on Cuba's behalf since at least 1981 the year he joined the U.S. foreign service including by meeting with Cuban intelligence operatives and providing false information to U.S. government officials about his contacts. Rocha, 73, whose two-decade career as a U.S. diplomat included top posts in Bolivia, Argentina and the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, was arrested by the FBI at his Miami home Friday. He was ordered held after Monday's brief court appearance pending a bond hearing Wednesday. His attorney declined to comment. The Justice Department did not reveal how Rocha attracted the attention of Cuba's intelligence operatives nor did it describe what, if any, sensitive information he may have provided while working for the State Department and in a lucrative post-government career that included a stint as a special adviser to the commander of U.S. Southern Command. Instead, the case relies largely on what prosecutors say were Rocha's own admissions, made over the past year to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Cuban intelligence operative named "Miguel." Rocha praised the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as "Comandante," branded the U.S. the "enemy" and bragged about his service for more than 40 years as a Cuban mole in the heart of U.S. foreign policy circles, the complaint says. "What we have done it's enormous more than a grand slam," he was quoted as saying at one of several secretly recorded conversations. To cover his tracks, Rocha referred to Cuba as "the island" and led a "normal life" disguised as a "right-wing person," he said in one of the recordings. Former colleagues and friends described Rocha as a vocal admirer of former President Donald Trump, who took a hard line on Cuba. John Feeley, who ended a long diplomatic career serving as U.S. ambassador to Panama, said he was surprised how his mentor, who served administrations of both parties, so fully embraced Trump's politics. "It is beyond ironic that he cultivated this cartoonish persona," he said, "and that everyone apparently bought it." Parents could anonymously put unwanted newborns in devices known as baby boxes instead of handing them directly to police, medics or hospital staff through a bill Gov. Tony Evers is expected to sign this week. The measure would let hospitals and fire and police stations that are staffed around the clock install temperature-controlled, ventilated boxes in outside walls, allowing parents to privately relinquish infants under 72 hours old. The boxes, available in at least 15 states, automatically lock and trigger alarms inside the buildings for staff to promptly retrieve the babies. State Rep. Ellen Schutt, R-Clinton, lead Assembly sponsor of the bill, said the states 2001 safe haven law carries a stigma, especially in small communities, because parents are afraid others will find out they gave up their children. The law allows parents to relinquish newborns to police officers, emergency medical workers or hospital staff. The discovery in March of a dead newborn in a field in Whitewater, near Schutts district, prompted her to introduce the bill. The babys mother, now 40, was charged with child neglect and burying the corpse of a child. This heart-wrenching story, which is driven by fear and negative stigma of giving up your child, highlights the urgent need for us to update the current safe haven law, Schutt said at a public hearing last month. Nicole Homer, an attorney with the Ho-Chunk Nation, said the tribe doesnt oppose baby boxes but believes the states safe haven law conflicts with a federal law requiring the gathering of information to determine if relinquished babies are Native American. Tribes want to place such infants with tribal families, Homer said. Groups such as the New York-based Bastard Nation oppose baby boxes, saying they create a parallel child welfare system that rejects informed consent and a full record of identifying information and social and medical histories of the newborn. Broad support The Wisconsin Nurses Association and the Wisconsin Psychological Association joined the anti-abortion groups Pro-Life Wisconsin, Wisconsin Right to Life, Wisconsin Family Action and the Wisconsin Catholic Conference in supporting the bill, which passed the Republican-controlled Legislature last month. Three Democrats, including Rep. Shelia Stubbs of Madison, joined 24 Republicans in sponsoring the measure in the Assembly. All Senate sponsors are Republican. The bill was presented Thursday to Evers, a Democrat. Schutt said she was invited to Evers planned signing of the bill Wednesday at the state Capitol. If the law is enacted, UnityPoint Health-Meriter and SSM Health St. Marys Hospital, Madisons birthing hospitals, will explore adding baby boxes, spokespersons said. 36 babies Fifteen states have baby boxes, including 14 with devices designed by Indiana-based Safe Haven Baby Boxes, according to the nonprofit organization, which started in 2015. Thirty-six babies have been surrendered in the boxes, the organization said. It was started by a former firefighter who was abandoned as a baby. States with Safe Haven Baby Boxes are Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia. Arizona has similar devices. In April, the Chippewa Falls City Council approved allowing baby boxes if an organization agrees to install one. No group has done so yet, Heather Martell, the city council member who introduced the ordinance, said Monday. The state bill clarifies that the devices are allowed, Schutt said. Safe haven laws like the one in Wisconsin are meant to protect newborns from abandonment and infanticide. Parents currently can leave unharmed newborns with police, medics or hospital staff, who ask for but dont require basic information about the babies. Since 2012, at least 209 newborns have been relinquished under Wisconsins law, for an average of 17 a year, with 27 so far this year, according to the state Department of Children and Family Services. County agencies place the babies in foster care. Dan Nerad, former Madison School District superintendent who was named Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year in 2006, died Thursday at age 72. Nerad died of interstitial lung disease, according to his daughter, Emily Michaels. Nerads career in education spanned more than 40 years, including stints as superintendent of schools in Madison, Green Bay and Birmingham, Michigan. As Madison superintendent from 2008 to 2012, Nerad oversaw the addition of 4-year-old kindergarten, expanded summer school, dual-language immersion and honors and advanced placement courses. He also focused on addressing achievement gaps among students of color work that is continuing today under the districts current administration. Nerad was born in 1951 and grew up in Kenosha. His interest in learning and education likely began with his parents, who werent educated beyond high school, his daughter said. He earned his bachelors and masters degrees in social work from UW-Madison where he met his wife, Jean and a doctorate from Cardinal Stritch University. He wanted to have a positive impact, Michaels said. Equity in education was closely tied to social justice and that was what drove him. Nerad began his career in education as a school social worker in the Green Bay School District. He was superintendent of schools there from 2001 to 2008, before moving to Madison. Kathy Costello, a retired school principal and current board member of the Madison Public Schools Foundation, worked with Nerad in both Green Bay and Madison. She largely credits Nerad for teaching her how to work as a school administrator. Its funny, people always ask me where I learned to be a principal and I always say to them, the School of Dan Nerad, Costello said. He was hard on us, but, man, did we learn a lot. He expected a lot of us and we were happy to give it to him. Following Nerad from Green Bay to Madison was a coincidence, Costello said, but a happy one. She said the final interview with Nerad for the job in Madison was the most difficult interview of her life. He really thought about the future, she said. He really thought about consequences and how things were, how things should be and what should happen. Always positive James Howard, who served on the Madison School Board from 2010 to 2019 described Nerad as an engaged leader at the helm of the Madison School District during a challenging time. Madison was ... really looking into the mirror to see who we were as an educational institution, Howard said. Discussions about Madison Prep, a proposed pair of single-sex charter schools intended to improve achievement for students of color, were at the forefront of the School Boards discussions at the time, Howard said. Nerad opposed the Madison Prep proposal primarily, he said at the time, because it would violate the districts contract with its teachers union. But he said he agreed with the charter schools supporters that a new approach to close the achievement gap was necessary. Nerad also was tasked with navigating relationships with teachers and staff in the wake of Act 10, which put a near-total ban on collective bargaining for most public employees, according to Erik Kass, the school districts main financial officer between 2008 and 2012. That was an interesting time, Kass said. I remember working late, until 2, 3, 4 a.m., but even then, he was always positive. Kass said the financial status of the district improved during Nerads tenure as superintendent. The districts general fund reserve doubled, bringing with it both stability and new opportunities to invest, he said. Even amid this highly involved work, Kass said he could rarely find Nerad in his district office on short notice. He was more often found meeting with teachers, principals and students in schools, or out and about in Madison. He wanted to be out there in classrooms and in schools interacting with kids, Kass said. Nerad left Madison in 2012 and was school superintendent in Birmingham, Michigan, until 2018. Family life After his time in Michigan, Nerad returned to Madison and worked with the Madison Public Schools Foundation and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards until his death. He just really wanted to understand where people were coming from and then see collectively how it could advance the education of all students, said Bob Butler, WASB associate executive director. Outside of work, Nerad could always be found reading a book or article, according to his daughter. Her family, normally based in Los Angeles, decided to road trip back to Madison during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What was intended to be a six-week stay lasted almost a year. That whole year was weird and wild and full of great memories, she said. Nerad also traveled to Los Angeles to visit his grandchildren, making it a point to help research elementary schools in the area and volunteer in their school classrooms. Nerad is survived by his wife, Jean; his daughter, Emily Michaels (Nic); his son, Ben; his grandchildren Louella and Maxine Michaels; and brothers Bob and Michael. The Nerad family will host a larger memorial service for friends and colleagues this summer. For information, email DanNeradMemorial@gmail.com. The Republican head of the Wisconsin Senate said Monday he wants to see pay raises approved for Universities of Wisconsin employees, pitting himself against the state Assembly speaker who has vowed to withhold UW funding until it cuts its spending on diversity, equity and inclusion. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos refused to approve pay raises for UW employees in October when the Legislatures employment relations committee, which Vos co-chairs, okayed them for other state employees. Vos said he doesn't believe the UW system deserves more funding until it cuts its so-called DEI programs. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said Monday that he opposes withholding the money. I totally understand where Speaker Vos is coming from, but a lot of employees who work at the UW system have no control over the DEI protocol and all that stuff, LeMahieu said in an interview with WisconsinEye. LeMahieu said he has been talking with Vos about the issue and hopes to see the raises passed sooner rather than later. Earlier this year, Wisconsin Republicans rejected funding for UWs top budget priority: a new engineering building on the flagship Madison campus. LeMahieu said Monday that he hopes to see that funding approved by the end of the current legislative session. Vos did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on Monday, but he has been adamant in calling for an end to DEI programs on UW campuses. While writing the budget in June, Republicans slashed UWs funding by $32 million because they estimated thats what the systems 13 campuses put towards DEI efforts over two years. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers used his veto power to save 188 DEI positions at the university, but the funding cut remained. Vos said in October that he would consider approving pay raises if UW gives up its ability to create its own jobs, including DEI roles. Evers sued the Republican-controlled Legislature later that month, accusing lawmakers of obstructing basic government functions. The governor called it just bull s- that Republicans didnt okay raises for the roughly 35,000 UW employees who were expecting them. The fight over DEI initiatives reflects a broader cultural battle playing out in states such as Florida and Texas, where Republican governors have signed laws banning the use of DEI factors in making admissions and employment decisions at public colleges and universities. Similar proposals have been made in nearly a dozen Republican-led states. 40 notable people who attended UW-Madison Virgil Abloh Shirley Abrahamson Stephen Ambrose Don Ameche Carol Bartz Steve Bornstein Laurel Clark Barbara Crabb Joan Cusack Ron Dayne Ada Deer Hector DeLuca August Derleth Andre De Shields Conrad Elvehjem William T. Evjue Jeff Greenfield Lorraine Hansberry Kevin Henkes Mary Hinkson bell hooks Jane Kaczmarek Robert M. La Follette Charles Lindbergh Karl Paul Link James Lovell David Maraniss Steve Miller John Morgridge Errol Morris John Muir Gaylord Nelson Joyce Carol Oates Vel Phillips George Poage Tommy Thompson Al Toon Greta Van Susteren Russell Wilson Frank Lloyd Wright Nobody runs for the Madison City Council for the pay and perks. So why should we want to change that? In a move that is breathtaking in its cluelessness, City Council Vice President Yannette Figueroa Cole is proposing an increase from $15,000 to $24,000 a year a whopping 60%. It would be even more for her as vice president. This in a city thats staring down a potential $75 million deficit in a few years. This in a city that, in a referendum only a couple years ago, soundly rejected a higher paid, full-time council. So why on earth would the council want to raise its pay by 60% now? Access to government and positions of power should not be limited to those who are retired or are able to finance themselves, Figueroa Cole told the Wisconsin State Journal. But this council is the most diverse, at least in terms of race and gender, in the citys history. Apparently, Figueroa Cole is now aiming at vocational diversity. I suppose shes right that the council doesnt reflect the economic diversity of the city. But does any legislative body anywhere reflect that? The Wisconsin Legislature usually has an overrepresentation of lawyers (as just about every legislature ever invented has had), real estate agents, accountants and small business owners. Its basically a collection of people with the flexibility to hold down this part-time job which, in itself, isnt enough to support a family. But no evidence suggests paying a higher wage will change anything. In fact, it would probably make things worse. Look at Congress, where the salary is a comfortable $174,000. And you know what you get for that? More lawyers and business owners. A third of House members and half of the senators have law degrees. An additional 30% of House members and 26% of the Senate have been employed as business owners. And in any event, $24,000 is no more a family-supporting wage than $15,000 is. People would still need a second job or a gainfully employed partner to make ends meet. While fair compensation for an important and sometimes demanding job should be a goal, we should not want to make the council into a plum assignment. Pretty much everybody who steps up to run now does so for the right reasons. Theyre passionate about serving their community. And for the most part, our community has enough folks who want to serve so that we have a fair number of competitive races every cycle. Last April, 14 of the councils 20 seats had races. By contrast, the Cook Political Report now rates only 45 of 435 House seats as being a toss-ups or only leaning one way or the other. Quote No evidence suggests paying a higher wage will change anything. In fact, it would probably make things worse. In other words, the modestly compensated Madison City Council had races for 70% of its seats while Congress, with its comfortable salary, has little more than 10% of its seats truly up for grabs. I have great respect for the people who step up to serve on the City Council, even if I dont agree with them all the time. There is no other reason to do it besides a commitment to their neighbors and a concern for their community. Theres no compelling reason to change that. This proposal for a 60% wage increase is an expensive solution in search of a problem. About a year ago, Simon Mehring came home from a high school journalism conference with an idea. Mehring, now a junior at Stoughton High School, had learned about an Illinois law that protects student media from censorship. He also found out that Wisconsin doesnt have such a law. So armed with model legislation from the Student Press Law Center, he raised the issue with state legislators, in conversations that lasted through the school year and into the summer. Mehring said he spoke several times with state Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities. This fall, Mehring was at school and all of a sudden, I got the news that they were going to introduce the bill. The legislation, AB 551, was patterned off the model legislation. Its co-authored by Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, and Rep. Tom Michalski, R-Elm Grove, with cosponsors from both parties. It was introduced Oct. 23 and had a hearing in Murphys committee Oct. 26. It passed a committee Nov. 2 and five days later was voted on by the full Assembly, where it passed unanimously. The biggest surprise is how fast it went, says Mehring, who testified at the Assembly hearing and submitted letters from other Wisconsin student journalists who have experienced censorship. The bill as passed would do several things: Establish that public school journalists in grades 6-12 and student journalists at a Universities of Wisconsin university or a technical college have the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press in school-sponsored media. Let student journalists determine the news, opinion, feature, and advertising content of school-sponsored media and prohibit school officials from exercising prior restraint of materials. Preclude student journalists and their advisors from being disciplined for acting in accordance with the bill and give the ability to enforce their rights in the courts. Require school districts, the Universities of Wisconsin and technical college boards to adopt a policy related to student journalists exercising their freedom of speech and the press in school-sponsored media, including an appeal process for students. The Student Law Press Center says 17 states have passed similar bills intended to offset a 1988 U.S. Supreme Court decision that muddied the issue of censorship of student media. Some of the support for the Wisconsin bill comes from Republican legislators concerned about protecting the free speech rights of conservative students on UW campuses. But the unanimous vote shows that the ideals it seeks to protect have deep bipartisan support. The bill did draw criticism from Howard Schweber, a UW-Madison professor of American politics and political theory, who told the Badger Herald newspaper it might be a disastrously bad idea to give middle-school and high-school students the same press freedom as college students. But Matthew Smith, a Fond du Lac journalism teacher, student journalism advisor and the president of the Wisconsin Journalism Education Association, said at the Oct. 26 hearing that he knows from experience the legislation will work at the high-school level, having seen how students follow the standards we talk about in class that is, to behave responsibly and focus on truth. The bill is now with a Senate committee and would need committee and full Senate approval before going to Gov. Tony Evers. Mehring is hopeful about its chances and stresses its importance. Even though this bill is a niche issue, he says, it affects a lot of people. TWIN FALLS One shooting in mid-November was tragic. Then the next day, a man died by gunfire when he confronted an individual seen in his vehicle. And now, the Twin Falls Police Department is investigating Fridays double homicide of two men shot dead at a window-tinting business on Kimberly Road. The first pair of shootings, three weeks ago, rattled Twin Falls residents when one man was left with minor injuries and 32-year-old Freddy Rodriguez was killed. Two suspects, MiQuavis Taylor and Kaden Thomson, were quickly arrested and are now behind bars in the Ada County Jail. The murder was the first this year in Twin Falls city limits, but some social media users were unsettled by what they saw as rising crime rates. Other residents began asking the county sheriff for advice on concealed carry. Now there are two more deaths when two suspects gunned down Jesse Ortiz, 36, and Jaime Bravo, 26, at Tint Shop V on Kimberly Road. That was enough to once again set off social media. Twin Falls is really falling apart and it breaks my heart, one post read. The events were tragic, or in the words of acting Police Chief Matthew Hicks, heinous. Is Twin Falls still a safe place to live? Absolutely, said Twin Falls Sheriffs Lt. Aaron Koopmans, who invited residents to see what other states are dealing with as far as crime. The community in general does feel safe, Koopman concluded. He attributed the higher amounts of crime to a growing population, and the number of calls for service the sheriffs office has received has grown to almost 24,000 last year. And while some people want to point to newcomers as being the cause of recent high-profile crimes, that is not necessarily the case, as Thomson and Taylor have lived in Idaho for years, having faced minor charges since 2019. 2 charged in murder of Twin Falls man The two went to home during early morning hours to steal man's vehicle, police say. Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs said he is unable to draw a correlation between recent immigration and a spike in crime rates. Using per capita figures can be tricky because Twin Falls population grows significantly as people from outlying areas travel to the city to shop, dine ... or commit crimes, Loebs said. According to the annual Crime in Idaho report for 2022, crime in Twin Falls decreased 1.3% when compared to the previous year. Surveys routinely rank Idaho among the safest states in the nation, although some surveys show that the chance of falling victim to violent crime in Twin Falls is 1 in 196, double the statewide average of 1 in 401, according to national data collector NeighborhoodScout. When it comes to violent crimes, NeighborhoodScout found Twin Falls to be safer than 21% of cities and neighborhoods nationwide, with a crime rate of 5.09 per 1,000 residents. In a city-sanctioned survey in 2022 which collected responses from residents, 48% percent of residents felt a good overall feeling of safety, while 19% rated it as excellent. Twenty-five percent rated it fair and 8% poor. Those numbers declined from 2018, when 78% of respondents ranked the overall feeling of safety either good or excellent, although there was only a slight drop in the four years when it came to residents saying they felt protected from property and violent crime, with 70% and 79% respectively saying they felt either very or somewhat safe. There is a disparity between what law enforcement hears from the community and what they see posted on social media, Koopmans said. There isnt as much fear in the community as there is curiosity when a high-profile crime occurs, he said, adding that people often ask him for tidbits of information about crimes that havent been reported in the media. But when a crime involves a homicide, more people ask law officers, including Twin Falls County Sheriff Tom Carter, about carrying concealed weapons. The fact that these two incidents were in such close proximity to one another was very concerning for all of us, Carter said in a Nov. 27 statement, after Taylor and Thomson were arrested. Carter said it was important to note that in less than 48 hours of the crimes, law enforcement had the suspects in custody, but said hes received questions about concealed carry. Most of his statement dealt with the complexities of the issue of residents carrying guns. There have been many who have thought that perhaps now more than ever they need to start carrying a weapon with them everywhere they go so that they can protect themselves and their loved ones, he said. Carter, who described himself as a strong believer in citizens constitutional right to carry, recommended that interested people get training, including a concealed weapons class, to learn about the responsibility. You will have a better understanding of what you could potentially be faced with in terms of the law, and you better understand what to expect when using a firearm, you will be able to make an informed decision on whether or not that decision to carry is right for you after firearm training, Carter said. Idaho allows U.S. citizens over 18 years old to carry concealed weapons without a permit, as long as they are not disqualified from being issued a license to carry concealed weapons under state law. There are other ways residents can protect themselves from crime. The Twin Falls Police Department routinely posts reminders on social media about the 9 p.m. Routine. The practice encourages people at that time to remove valuables, including firearms, from vehicles, close and lock doors on their residences, to turn exterior lights on, and to remember if they see something, say something. The practice is something touted as a way to discourage criminals, who look for easy targets. We want to keep reminding them, Stotts said of the reason for the repeated postings on Facebook. Although Blaine County and the Twin Falls metropolitan area are 75 miles and a one-hour and 45-minute commute apart, there is a regular lineup of workers making the trip both north and south. Idaho Transportation Department data shows a steady 4% increase in traffic volume every year since 2014, with the most recent data for 2022 showing that approximately 4,000 vehicles travel north or south through Shoshone every day. While some of these are tourists and day visitors to the Wood River Valley, most are travelers migrating for work. Many of these workers head north for employment in construction/trades, capitalizing on the post-COVID building boom in Blaine County. This boom, fueled by yet another set of migrants, predominately retirees from California, spurred unprecedented demand for high-end single family residential construction and remodels. The resulting building boom pushed prices to record levels, with median sales prices for single family residential doubling over a three-year period to more than $1 million. Other industries have also seen large numbers of migrating workers into Blaine County, predominately in the hospitality and health care sectors. Taken as a whole, nearly 1,000 workers commute into Blaine County from south-central Idaho on a regular basis, according to the Census Bureaus On the Maps analysis. A lower cost of living in Twin Falls, and higher wages in Blaine County have been primary reasons for northward migration. Access to one of 17 daily Mountain Rides transit vans for some of Blaine Countys larger employers like Sun Valley Co. and Webb have made this commute less difficult. However, not all of the increased traffic originates in the south and migrates north. A number of Blaine County-based businesses have opened retail or commercial branches in the Twin Falls region. Contractors and the trades are also busy with projects in the area. We see this trend continuing as the overall south-central market continues to grow. This cross-migration benefits both of our communities, as flexibility in the regional workforce is an important element of a healthy and resilient economy. Cebu Pacific said Tuesday it signed a damp lease agreement with Bulgaria Air to meet the expected rise in passenger demand in line with continued post-pandemic air travel recovery. Damp leasing, also known as ACMI, is an agreement between two airlines, where the lessor provides aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) to the lessee. Under the agreement, the airline unit of the Gokongwei Group will lease two Airbus 320 CEO aircraft from Bulgaria Air that will service two domestic routesCebu and Davaofrom January to May 2024. Bulgaria Air, the national carrier of the Republic of Bulgaria, has many years of experience in damp leasing of aircraft having partnered with airlines all over the world. The two leased A320ceo will each have a 180-seat capacity and will fly passengers from Manila to Cebu and Davao. We continue to explore various opportunities to supplement the fleet and ensure operational resilience. This includes signing a damp lease agreement with Bulgaria Air for five months in 2024, Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said. We expect to increase our fleet to 92 come end 2024. With this, we expect our year-on-year seat growth to be within 5 percent to 8 percent in 2024, he said. Cebu Pacific earlier posted a net income of P1.3 billion in the third quarter, a turnaround from last years net loss of P2.5 billion. The airline generated P23.3 billion in revenue in the third quarter, up by 39 percent year-on-year and 23 percent above the same period in 2019. This was on the back of over 5.3 million passengers flown onboard 35,000 flights, which were 27 percent and 18 percent higher year-on-year, respectively. TUGUEGARAO, Cagayan The visit of Chinas officials led by His Excellency Huang Xilian, the Peoples Republic of Chinas ambassador to the Philippines, along with counselor Dr. Ji Linpeng and representatives from the embassy Xin Yiwei and Zhu Chenxian, marked a momentous day in the province of Cagayan. Governor Manuel N. Mamba, Provincial Administrator Atty. Maria Rosario Mamba-Villaflor, department head of the Capitol of Cagayan, municipal mayors, and board members warmly welcomed Chinas diplomats. The governor conveyed his gratitude to China for its assistance during the calamity. Huangs visit to Cagayan symbolizes a stronger friendship and brotherhood. Today, as we stand on the threshold of a new chapter in our relationship, let us commit ourselves to the values of partnership. Let us work hand in hand to create a future in which the people of Cagayan and China can thrive, grow, and prosper together. It is in moments like this that the true spirit of friendship and partnership shines through, and we are honored to count China not only as our steadfast ally and friend but more so as a big brother, Mamba emphasized. The governor hopes that China will support the province of Cagayan as an international gateway to affluent countries in Asia. These include the reopening of an international standard seaport in Aparri, an international standard airport in the town of Piat, and the railway system connecting to the said port. Meanwhile, Ambassador Huang Xilian also thanked Gov. Mamba, officials of the government of the province of Cagayan, and all Cagayano residents for the groups warm and cordial welcome. Not only are the Philippines neighbors of China, but they are also relatives of the Filipino people. We, Chinese people, do not only consider you as neighbors but also our relatives, Huang said. Im very happy to be here in this wonderful province. I thank Governor Mamba, by having this kind of hospitality and I am very happy to see the beauty of this province. Ive been looking forward to visit some other time, Ambassador Huang said. Additionally, he complimented the governor for his honor for the province. Additionally, he is the father of the province that upholds the people-centered ideology. In relation to this, Huang also imparted the Confucian philosophers sermons, which the people still adhere to this day. This is also the rationale behind their promotion of behaviors significance in the coming generations. We owe our forebears loyalty. Not just for a single year, but for many generations to come, we have responsibility. Having said that, Huang remarked, This is the reason we cherish our friendships with our neighbors so much. Amidst the three-day diplomat visit, he participated with governor Mamba and other authorities in the formal presentation of Christmas gift packets valued at two million pesos (P2,000,000). Also, he paid a personal visit to the Port of Aparri. along with Governor Manuel Mamba. Mayor Bryan Chan, Department Heads at the Cagayan Capitol, and City Barangay Officials. Ten members of the Aeta community are Lopez Corpuz, Wilmer Alicuman and Generwin Monos from the barangay Aridowen Sta. Teresita is the first person to receive aid who is the most affected by disasters. His Excellency Huang Xilian visited the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat, one of the countrys most well-known churches led by Mayor Leonel C. Guzman, Vice Mayor Reymundo E. Villaciete III as well as the personnel of the Provincial Tourism Office.The church is situated in the Poblacion, Piat, Cagayan. Mayor Nelson Robinion and staff of the local government of Sta. Ana celebrated the special guests of the province and the governor in the paradise of Pozo Robo Beach in the barangay of San Vicente. Ambassador Huang Xilian highlighted the potential of Cagayan not only in the trade industry but also in the tourism sector. Were here to foster the friendship that already exists. We have helped Cagayan recover from the typhoon since the beginning of this year, Huang continued. Kevin Nino Baclig, the curator of the museum, also discusses the historical background of the close relationship between China and the province of Cagayan. Miami A former US ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested and charged with spying for Cuba over a 40-year span, the Justice Department announced Monday (Tuesday in Manila), detailing a shock betrayal by a suspect who called the United States the enemy. US Attorney General Merrick Garland laid out the allegations against Victor Manuel Rocha, a onetime member of the White Houses National Security Council now accused of using his positions within government to support Cubas clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the United States. The charges against the 73-year-old retired diplomat expose one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent, Garland said in a statement. Rocha, a naturalized US citizen originally from Colombia, allegedly began aiding Havana as a covert agent of Cubas General Directorate of Intelligence in 1981, and his espionage activities continued to the present, the statement said. Garland delivered remarks about the arrest of Rocha Friday in Miami and elaborated on details learned when Rocha spoke at length with someone he believed to be a Cuban operative but who was in fact an undercover FBI agent. As detailed in the complaint, Rocha repeatedly referred to the United States as the enemy and spoke of his own meticulous efforts to infiltrate Washingtons power center and influence American foreign policy, Garland said. AFP He repeatedly bragged about the significance of his efforts, saying that what has been done has strengthened the revolution immensely. Rocha served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 in the administration of Bill Clinton and was the ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 under Clinton and George W. Bush. He has also served as advisor to the US military command responsible for Cuba. During an initial appearance in federal court Monday in Florida, Rocha broke down into tears and did not enter a plea, according to The New York Times. The criminal complaint details how, over multiple meetings with the undercover FBI agent beginning in November 2022, Rocha behaved as a Cuban agent, praising the communist-ruled islands late leader Fidel Castro and using the term we to describe himself and Cuba. He admitted traveling to Havana in 2016 or 2017 to meet with his DGI handlers and asked the undercover agent to send my warmest regards to the Direccion, referring to the DGI. On Friday, in a voluntary interview with State Department security agents, Rocha lied repeatedly including denying meeting the undercover agent, and was subsequently arrested. Those who have the privilege of serving in the government of the United States are given an enormous amount of trust by the public we serve, Garland said. To betray that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the United States while serving a foreign power is a crime that will be met with the full force of the Justice Department. Rocha joined the State Department in 1981 and rose through the ranks as a career officer, also serving in posts in Havana, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, the Dominican Republic and Washington. The charges against him include: conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government; acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior government consent; and using a US passport obtained by making false statements. The explosive case alarmed US lawmakers including House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul, who said he was shocked at the charges against Rocha. While abusing the public trust to aid a criminal, anti-American regime is disgraceful, the case should also serve as a reminder that the Cuban regime remains an ever present threat to the US and our interests around the world, he told AFP. The State Department said it was not yet clear how damaging Rochas decades of espionage has been, but a spokesman said it is working with the intelligence community to assess any long-term national security implications for this matter. Other Americans have also been arrested for leaking secrets to Havana, including Walter and Gwendolyn Myers, who were indicted in 2009 on charges of spying for Cuba for nearly 30 years. AFP The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution congratulating and commending Michelle Dee for her Miss Universe performance, and for her appointment as a Philippine tourism ambassador by the Department of Tourism. House Resolution (HR) No. 1493, approved by a majority of members of the bigger chamber, was introduced by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, Senior Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, and Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Jude Acidre, and Samuel Verzosa Jr. Ms. Dee made us all proud with her beauty, brains and composure during the last Miss Universe pageant. And I am very grateful that she was appointed as tourism ambassador because she personifies everything that makes the Philippines such a breathtaking country to visit, Romualdez said, Dee was crowned Miss Universe Philippines for 2023 and she represented the country during the 72nd Miss Universe Pageant held at the Jose Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador. Ms. Dees masterful execution of grace and elegance on the prestigious international stage showcased Filipino culture and heritage through her pageant outfits, such as her evening gown, which paid tribute to the countrys living legend and traditional tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od, and her national costume where she donned an aviation-inspired ensemble to honor her role as an Air Force reservist, the resolution read. The measure also cited her incredible performance as Miss Universe Philippines 2023, arising from her vast experience in joining previous beauty competitions where she was crowned as Miss World Philippines in 2019 and represented the Philippines in the Miss World Competition at ExCeL in London, England where she finished in the top 12. Almost two weeks after she represented the Philippines to the Miss Universe stage, the Department of Tourism appointed her as the new Philippine Tourism Ambassador, in recognition of her immense contribution to the countrys tourism sector and for carrying the flag of the Philippines so excellently, declaring to the world her love for the Philippines and reminding the world of the many reasons to love the Philippines, it said. Apart from being a tourism ambassador, the DoT also invited Miss Dee to join the Philippine Experience Program (PEP), the Departments new promotional project that highlights the countrys rich heritage, arts, and culture through a series of regional caravans, it added. Dee is also an advocate for autism awareness and mental health since she was 16 years old and was named Goodwill Ambassador of the Autism Society of the Philippines in 2020. She has been working with the Center for Possibilities Incorporation, a foundation that helps and cares for children with special needs. And in her Miss Universe 2023 campaign, she highlighted her deep social awareness, empathy and compassion for the plight of people with special needs by championing autism acceptance, inclusivity, and empowerment, and the United Nations sustainable development goal of creating opportunities for all, the resolution stated. Before joining the beauty pageant scene, Dee graduated from the De La Salle University Manila in 2017, with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Psychology and completed her certificate program in Entrepreneurship Essentials from the Harvard Business School in 2019. Miss Dee had been into modeling, hosting and acting, and starred in some television series, including Mga Lihim ni Urduja, Agimat ng Agila, and I Left my Heart in Sorsogon, and the movie Because I Love You where she won the Best New Movie Actress in the 36th Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Movies, the resolution stated. Miss Dees incredible willpower and dedication to promote Philippine tourism to the world and bring honor to the country have earned the respect and admiration of the entire Filipino nation and are indeed worthy of emulation. A copy of the resolution will be given to Dee. Cali, Colombia AHA! Behavioral Design (AHA! BD), the pioneer and practice leader in Applied Behavioral and Decision Sciences (BeSci), especially Behavioral Economics, has made history as the only agency from the Philippines and Southeast Asia to be featured in the prestigious 8th World Social Marketing Conference (WSMC) at the Spiwak Hotel in Cali, Colombia, from November 1-3, 2023. With a diverse assembly of over 30 countries and representatives from every continent, the event provided a melting pot of ideas and practices designed to address critical global challenges. Under the event theme Inclusion, Equity and Equality: Fostering societal transformation through behavioral influence, AHA! BD presented select behaviorally driven projects implemented and executed in the Philippines, highlighting the fusion of social development and marketing strategies. This unique approach not only catalyzes societal change in the Philippines, but also offers new pathways for marketing practitioners to enhance consumer engagement and business growth. AHA! BDs Head of Marketing and Social & Behavior Change Communication, John Leinard A. Ramos, commented, Participating in the 8th WSMC has reinforced the potential of Social Marketing as a pivotal strategy for advancing civic engagement, public health, financial inclusion, environmental sustainability, and even brand or corporate agendas in the Philippines. Its a tool not just for societal betterment, but also a strategic asset in businessenhancing customer experiences and brand loyalty. Were proud to demonstrate how BeSci and Behavioral Economics can shape marketing strategies, making them more effective and resonant. Co-organized by the International Social Marketing Association and the Latin American Social Marketing Association, the WSMC featured 107 submissions reviewed by an esteemed panel of practitioners and academicianswith all four entries from AHA! BD being chosen and highlighted prominently in the conference. Among the AHA! BD projects selected as case study presentations for the WSMC were Leveraging Behavioral Communication Interventions to Nudge Condom Use & Discussions among Filipino Males (a project with Roots of Health) and Redefining Influencers: Mobilizing Filipino Mothers to Champion Rights-Claiming Behaviors in the Communities (in partnership with The Asia Foundation, supported by USAID). WSMC-selected posters were Social Media-Based Behavioral Design Intervention to Battle Social Isolation among Female Public School Students in the Philippines and Nudge to Vote: A Gentle Push for Voter Registration in the Philippines, with the latter garnering the highest accolades, and winning the title of Best Poster among all submissions at the conference. Our work at AHA! BD is about creating world-class, impactful programs that influence and empower both communities and businesses through healthier, more sustainable behaviors, said Claire Elizabeth S. Lim, Program Operations Head at AHA! BD. Integrating Social Marketing with Behavioral Design aligns with global trends, and demonstrates potential in both social and corporate arenas. The recognition from the WSMC is both an honor and a testament to our methodsdriving profound and lasting positive change across communities, businesses, and countries. John Leinard Ramos and Claire Elizabeth Lim Looking ahead to 2024, Applied Behavioral and Decision Sciences (BeSci), especially Behavioral Economics, and Social Marketing are rapidly emerging as key trends that fundamentally transform the way organizations influence behaviorblending social good with commercial success. iSMA President Jeff French stresses the importance of this shift: The goal is to capture and spread good practice in the application of Social Marketing to promote more citizen-focused approaches to developing and delivering effective, efficient, and ethical community-wide social, economic, environmental, and health programs and policy. The synergy of Social Marketing and Applied Behavioral and Decision Sciences, through Behavioral Design, is an invitation to government bodies, NGOs, international organizations, foundations, and marketing practitioners alike to develop societal and business solutions that are inclusive, equitable, and sustainable, said Ramos. As the world anticipates the possibility of hosting the next WSMC in Southeast Asia, we hope to see more Filipino and Southeast Asian representationbringing together community-focused and market-driven methodologies to create human-centric designs that meet the complex needs of our time. Tyler The Rev Millner, was honored with a retirement celebration at Chatmoss Country Club on Saturday. The Rev. Almeda F. Millner, Tyler Millners mother, founded Morning Star Holy Church in 1950. Ordained by the United Holy Church of America Inc. in 1971, Millner took over the reigns of the church his mother founded and has pastored it ever since. A graduate of Johnson C. Smith University and McCormick Theological Seminary, Millner began planning his retirement in 2018 when he told a reporter retiring was his next goal after receiving the Virginia Union University Lifetime of Service Award at the 40th Annual Community Leaders Breakfast honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Millner has been a member of the Martinsville Ministerial Association, NAACP, Bread for the World, Higher Education Forum, volunteer at New College Institute and host of the Tuesday Night Forum. Presented as an opportunity to discuss local issues with community leaders, the Tuesday Forum at Morning Star was moved to Monday to accommodate the schedule of a sister church, but Millner said it was still called the Tuesday Forum because it does engender conversation. It was on a Monday at a Tuesday Forum in November 2022, that Millner officially announced his retirement. I am going to be retiring in 2023, and so Im kind of the main sponsor behind this and obviously when I go out there will need to be some leadership to continue the forum, he said. Over 200 people gathered in the ballroom at Chatmoss Country Club on Saturday for a meal and an evening of celebration honoring Millner, including Martinsville Mayor LC Jones, who presented Millner with a proclamation from the city and Irisburg District Supervisor Garrett Dillard presenting a resolution from Henry County. He encouraged me to run for the Henry County Board of Supervisors, said Dillard. When he calls me, he sometimes calls me Garry, or Mr. Dillard, or Mr. Supervisor if hes at his wits end. Hes been a voice in this community whether we like the way he presented it or not. Hes the only person I know that can be given three minutes to speak and take 13. The keynote speaker for the event was the Rev. Dwight C. Jones, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of South Richmond and the former mayor for the city of Richmond. Jones compared Millner to CBS News anchor and reporter Aziza Shuler. She suffers from alopecia, which is a disease which takes away your hair and she became bald but nobody knew it because when she got on the newscast every night she always wore a wig, Jones said. But at the urging of her husband, she decided to embrace the truth and walk in her reality. She threw the wig away and emerged as one of the most beautiful Black women you have ever seen in your life. Jones said Shuler was not defined by her hair, but by being the best at what she did and although Millners life and career has been different, there was a common similarity. I want to suggest that T.C. Millner was not defined by anything or anybody. T.C has always been authentic, said Jones. He was presiding over a particular program in Richmond and it appeared that some of the professors at Virginia Union might have been off-put by T.C.s emoting and some of his actions, and I remember T.C. saying this: I got to be me. I got to be who I am. More people need to be just who they are, not defined by others but by what they believe and know what God would have them be, Jones said. Representatives from Virginia Sen. Bill Stanleys office presented Millner with a flag that had flown over the Capitol and promised a resolution in his honor when the Senate gathers and next years session. To think that you and I come from a similar background, your mother and my mother being pioneer ministers and pastors in building the United Holy Church in our various areas, wrote the Rev. Harry Cohen, presiding prelate of The United Holy Church of America Inc. in a letter. The two of us have become successors of these giant women and it brings joy to my heart to congratulate you for a job well done. You have set the highest standards for yourself and others too, showing honor, pride and dignity, wrote Dr. Hakim Lucas, president of Virginia Union University. Retirement is a time of celebration, so dont waste another minute wishing for things that might have been, but rather, watch the seeds you have planted grow a feel His peace within. Following in your mothers footsteps in leading the church she founded, you have done so much to promote strong faith and acts of service, wrote U.S. Sen. Mark Warner. You church members and fellow clergy attest to the many important contributions you have made throughout your time with Morning Star Holy Church. I am grateful for your vision to implement Community Learning Week, later known as Living the Dream, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which has served as a model for other cities around the nation to pause and reflect on Dr. Kings dream, wrote U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. Your model has successfully inspired others to set aside a week of educational activities focused on Dr. Kings mission. I will always cherish the support and counsel that you provided to my political endeavors, particularly while I served in the Virginia General Assembly, wrote U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News. I am keenly aware that it would not be possible for elected officials like me to serve without guidance and assistance from dedicated supporters like you. I hope that as you close this chapter in your life, you will enjoy new opportunities and experiences yet to come, wrote Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond. Thank you for preaching, teaching, and enhancing the quality of life for others, wrote state Del. Delores McQuinn, who also serves as the chair of the Virginia Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission. Over the years, you have served as both a friend and mentor to me, and I value your wisdom and giving heart. The theme of the banquet was Finishing the Assignment Strong, Focused and Invested for the Future. Wanda Bray served as mistress of ceremony and other speakers included Rev. Douglas Bynum, pastor of Mount Zion AME Church; Elder Leonard Thompson of Christ Temple UHC; Deacon Carl Wade of Morning Star Church; neighbors Tommy and Jean MIlls; Dr. Greg Hodges, president of Patrick & Henry Community College; the Rev. Avery Preston, pastor of Greater Love Ministries; Dr. Gerald Millner, educator; the Rev. Edward Newberry, retired pastor and interim supply preacher; and Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith, strategist for Pan African and Orthodox Faith Communities. Music was provided by the Joy Bells. We congratulate you tonight, Jones said to Millner. We thank God for you, because God has certainly blessed your ministry and caused you to walk in our path, and for this we are grateful. ASHEVILLE Mission Health has partnered with another HCA Healthcare division to open Head and Neck Specialists of Western North Carolina. This team of experts specializes in complex head and neck cancers and expands cancer services at Mission Hospital. Currently, western North Carolina residents with this unique and complex disease are having to travel to a larger city to get specialty care. The opening of this practice means new options for multispecialty, leading-edge oncology care, so we are excited to expand these services in the region, said Chad Patrick, Mission Hospital chief executive officer. While these physicians are committed to delivering exceptional care to patients and their families, this collaboration across HCA Healthcare also means additional resources and support for our care teams in the Carolinas. The practice has a team of two otolaryngologists, Dr. Paul Davis and Dr. Steven Dennis, with the support of additional providers and medical staff. Dr. Dennis and myself have felt incredibly welcomed by the medical community here and supported by the organization, says Dr. Paul Davis, medical director of Head and Neck Oncology at Mission Hospital. Its very exciting for us to have this opportunity to provide subspecialty ENT cancer care for the region. The multidisciplinary team provides care for benign and malignant tumors in the head and neck region. These tumors can appear in the following areas: Skin Mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, sinuses and nose Salivary glands, thyroid gland Parathyroid gland To make an appointment, contact Head and Neck Specialists at 828-213-2511. At least 57 people have been killed in landslides caused by torrential rains in northern Tanzania, according to a new report released on Monday December 4 by the authorities who fear there may be more victims. Since Saturday, the rains have been sweeping through the town of Katesh in northern Tanzania, some 300 kilometers north of the capital Dodoma, feeding thick mudslides that have swept away dozens of vehicles and homes. We have so far lost 57 of our brothers and sisters in this disaster, and 85 are still being treated, said President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who cut short her visit to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference. The previous death toll, given on Sunday December 3, was 47. Search and rescue operations were still underway on Monday with the help of the army to find people who may have been buried by the mud, said the Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, visiting Katesh. Images broadcast by local TV channels showed streets littered with the debris of houses, while traffic and power supplies were disrupted. A hundred houses were swallowed by the mudflows, said a regional official, Queen Sendiga. More remains are being removed from the rubble, said Jenista Mhagama, an official in the Prime Ministers Office, without giving further details. East Africa has been hit for weeks by torrential rains and flooding linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon, which has displaced over a million people in Somalia and left over 300 dead in the region. El Nino, generally associated with rising temperatures, droughts in some parts of the world, and heavy rains in others, is set to continue until April. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo is back in control of Bissau, three days after clashes that caused panic in the capital on Thursday night, December 1. On Monday December 4 morning, the Bissau-Guinean president decided to dissolve the opposition-dominated Parliament. A meeting of the Council of State was convened at the Presidential palace on Monday morning, on the initiative of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo. Among the members of the Council are all the representatives of the major State bodies, the President of the Supreme Court, the President of the National Assembly, Domingos Simoes Pereira, and Prime Minister Geraldo Martins, as well as the leaders of the political parties. On the agenda: the dissolution of the National Assembly, announced on Monday by President Embalo, three days after the events he described as an attempted coup dEtat, which automatically entails the dissolution of the cohabitation government. This option was more than envisaged, given that, since last summers parliamentary elections, the cohabitation between the Head of State and the victorious opposition parliament of the Inclusive Alliance-Terra Ranka platform has been extremely difficult and complex. Last weeks coup attempt, provoked by the police interrogation of two opposition ministers, is a case in point. In what is currently a political cohabitation between Guinea-Bissaus president and the National Assembly, which is largely made up of political opponents, a constitutional showdown is in the offing. Indeed, shortly after the announcement of the dissolution, the President of the National Assembly, Domingos Simoes Pereira (Embalos best political enemy) declared that the dissolution had no legitimacy. The Constitution, he explained, forbids the dissolution of Parliament before it has been in office for six months. However, the current Assembly has only been in existence for three months. As soon as the announcement was made, President Embalo redistributed the posts within his cohabitation government, with Umaro Sissoco Embalo taking the Defense and Interior portfolios, while his Prime Minister, Geraldo Martins, was given the Finance portfolio, renewing his confidence in him. Cape Verde will organize an investment summit next year, focusing on young people, in partnership with Portugal, Luxembourg, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the European Union, it was announced on Monday December 4. The announcement was made in the city of Praia by Cape Verdes Deputy Prime Minister Olavo Correia, who said that the idea is to see, with young people, what the country has, what works well and badly, and what needs to be improved. The aim is to guarantee scale, speed of response, and impact on young people, said the Minister of Finance and Business Development, who also said that the impact of policies should be on employment and income. Without specifying a date and place, Olavo Correia said that the event would be organized in partnership with Portugal, Luxembourg, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, and other partners interested in this area. The member of the Cape Verdean executive said that the States obligation is to create opportunities for young people so that they can carry out their projects responsibly. So that any shield that the state can allocate can be multiplied by 10, by 100, so that others can also be contemplated in the future, he said, saying that the idea is to make Cape Verde an example in terms of entrepreneurship. The minister made the announcement in his speech after signing a memorandum of understanding with Portugal, which plans to invest four million euros over the next two years in centers of excellence for professional training in Cape Verde, with the aim of reaching around 2,000 people in various areas. On Monday December 4, a Nouakchott Court sentenced former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to five years imprisonment. He has been on trial since January 2023 for abusing his power to amass a huge fortune. Mr. Aziz had been on trial since January 25, along with ten other personalities, including two former Prime ministers, former ministers, and businessmen, on charges of illicit enrichment, abuse of office, influence peddling, and money laundering. The court found against him only illicit enrichment and money laundering. The court ordered the confiscation of the assets acquired through actions falling under these two qualifications and declared Mr. Aziz stripped of his civil rights. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz accepted the ruling without flinching. Mr. Aziz, 66, becomes one of the rare ex-heads of state to be convicted of illicit enrichment while in power. His peers tried by national or international courts are mostly convicted of blood crimes, such as, elsewhere in West Africa, former Guinean dictator Moussa Dadis Camara, who has been on trial since September 2022. With this conviction, Mr. Aziz, detained since January 24, 2023, after spending several months in detention in 2021, continues his descent into hell under his successor, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, one of his most loyal companions in the past. A Russian delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Defense, Colonel-General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, met with Nigers military leaders in the capital Niamey on Monday (3 December), with the two countries agreeing to strengthen military cooperation, Nigerian authorities said. This was the first official visit by a member of the Russian government in Niger since the July 26 coup which disrupted diplomatic relations between the West African country and its international partners. At a time when Niger is grappling with security challenges, including the threat of terrorism and regional instability, the agreement with Russia to fortify their military cooperation may seem like a beacon of hope for the West African nation. This deal is widely seen as an attempt by Niger to bolster its defense capabilities, marking a significant milestone in the relationship between both nations. At the end of the meeting between Yevkurov and his Nigerian counterpart and the head of the military regime, General Abdourahamane Tiani, the parties proceeded to the signing of documents as part of the strengthening of military cooperation between the Republic of Niger and the Russian Federation, according to the military authorities. Russian diplomacy finds itself in a favorable position in Niger after relations soured with the former colonial ruler France, and a key ally of the fallen regime of President Mohamed Bezoum, following the July coup, having become the target of the new junta government. A day earlier, the Russian delegation also held talks with the military leaders in Mali, Moscows main ally in the region, where the construction of a railway and a tram network, the creation of a regional airline, as well as research and mining projects were reportedly discussed. 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The number of patients undergoing elective (non-emergency) surgery in Australia's public hospitals increased by 18% from 202122 to 202223, but many patients are still facing long wait times, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Elective surgery waiting times were at the highest level in 20 years during 202223 as public hospitals worked to catch up following pandemic-related delays that arose due to disruptions in the health system. Information on public hospital elective surgery waiting times and emergency department care in 202223 with national, state and territory, local hospital network and hospital-specific data was released today on the AIHW's MyHospitals platform. "Nationally, there were 735,500 admissions to hospital from public elective surgery waiting lists in 202223, up from 623,000 admissions in 202122, but still lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic (758,000 admissions in 201819)," said AIHW spokesperson Clara Jellie. "Public hospitals made concerted efforts during 202021 and 202223 to work through procedures earlier delayed when non-urgent surgeries were suspended. But because of these earlier delays, overall waiting times for people admitted for care have increased." The data shows that half (50%) of all patients admitted from a public elective surgery waiting list were admitted for their procedure within 49 days (up from 40 the previous year and similar to 48 days in 202021). The proportion of patients who waited longer than 365 days to be admitted was 9.6%, up from 2.1% pre-pandemic (201819). While overall waiting times have increased, the majority of patients in the most urgent category (admission recommended within 30 days) continue to be seen on time. In 202223, one-third (33%) of all patients admitted for care from a public hospital elective surgery waiting list were assigned to the most urgent category. While these data relate to admissions from the public hospital waiting lists, it should be noted that most elective surgeries are performed in Australia's private hospitals. National waiting times data for private hospitals is not available. Emergency department care 202223 New information on emergency department care was also released today, showing there were 8.80 million presentations in 202223, a small increase from 8.79 million in 202122. "In the five years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, presentations to public hospital emergency departments steadily increased by an average of 3.2% per year, however, in more recent years the numbers have fluctuated and increased at an annual average annual rate of 1.3% over the most recent five years," Jellie said. Overall in 202223, 17% of patients were in the most urgent categories (Resuscitation and Emergency), and 76% were categorized as Urgent or Semi-urgent. In 202223, 65% of patients were seen on time for their urgency category, down from 67% in 202122. Almost all patients in the most urgent category, "Resuscitation," were seen immediately. Three in 10 (29%) patients seen in the emergency department were admitted to hospital for further care. Also updated today is Australia's hospitals at a glance which provides an overview of the information available on MyHospitals. Elective surgery urgency category: For elective surgery in public hospitals (or for public patients treated in private hospitals), patients are placed on a waiting list and assigned one of three clinical urgency categories by their treating doctor that indicates when their surgery is required. The categories are: Category 1: Admission recommended within 30 days Category 2: Admission recommended within 90 days Category 3: Admission recommended within 365 days. Emergency department triage category: A category used in the emergency departments of hospitals to indicate the urgency of the patient's need for medical and nursing care. Patients are triaged into one of five categories on the Australasian Triage Scale. Resuscitation (triage category 1) is the most urgent category. It is for conditions that are immediately life threatening-such as heart attack, severe burns or injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident. Patients in this category should be seen within two minutes of presenting to the emergency department. Emergency (triage category 2) is for conditions that could be life threatening and require prompt attention such as chest pain or possible stroke. Patients in this category should be seen within 10 minutes of presenting to the emergency department. Urgent (triage category 3) is for serious but stable conditions, such as wounds or abdominal pain. Patients in this category should be seen within 30 minutes of presenting to the emergency department. Semi-urgent (triage category 4) is for conditions such as broken arms or legs. Patients in this category should be seen within 60 minutes of presenting to the emergency department. Non-urgent (triage category 5) is the least urgent category. It is for problems or illnesses such as cough or cold. Patients in this category should be seen within 160 minutes of presenting to the emergency department. Provided by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new Northwestern University studyled by Bernard Black of Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law and Kellogg School of Managementsuggests that the U.S. could have saved many lives by authorizing a COVID-19 booster dose sooner, along with stronger public health messaging. The study uses Israel as a counterfactual example of what the U.S. might have achieved. Since COVID-19 vaccines became available in early 2021, and a booster dose became available in late 2021, the United States has had a difficult time trying to convince its citizens to get vaccinated and then to obtain a booster dose. Some other countries, including Israel, have achieved higher takeup rates. For boosters, U.S. public health messaging was muddled, leading many older peoplethe ones who needed a booster dosenot to get one. The study, "COVID-19 Boosters: If the U.S. Had Matched Israel's Speed And Take-Up, An Estimated 29,000 U.S. Lives Would Have Been Saved," was published in the journal Health Affairs. The researchers estimate that through June 30, 2022, the U.S. could have saved 29,000 lives among already vaccinated people by authorizing boosters sooner, and matching Israel's uptake level and uptake speed. Moving more slowly on boosters than the U.S. actually did, as some advocated, would have cost many additional lives. "Every week mattered," Black said. Booster rollout saved 41,000 lives through June 2022, compared to no booster authorization. To compare the two nations, researchers used U.S. national data on vaccination and mortality rates, data on vaccine effectiveness from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, (where they were able to link vaccination and mortality records) and Israeli data on vaccination rates. The initial two-dose series of mRNA vaccines were highly effective initially, but their effectiveness waned over time, against both COVID-19 infection and severe disease. Israel was one of the first countries to vaccinate its population in early 2021, and was, therefore, also first to see the effects of waning. In mid-2021, Israel faced an exponential rise in infections, hospitalizations and deaths, many among the already vaccinated. In response, Israel authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in late July 2021, with strong public health messaging on the importance of the booster dose. Credit: Northwestern University "The booster campaign reversed the Israeli infection wave," Black said. "Israel became a laboratory for the rest of the world on vaccine waning and the value of a booster dose in reducing hospitalization and mortality rates for persons aged 60+. Israeli evidence showed that boosters were both effective and highly safe." The U.S. moved more slowly to authorize boosters. It authorized boosters almost two months laterwith boosters largely restricted to those age 65 and older or with major health complications. Senior U.S. policymakers wanted to move more quickly, but the U.S. regulatory system requires FDA approval before vaccinations and boosters can be readily available. The FDA, however, resisted acting quickly, with substantial internal opposition to approving boosters at all. "The FDA is a science agency," Black said. "They are accustomed to moving slowly and carefully vetting new drugs and vaccines and approving them only if benefit and safety are firmly established." The study illustrates the risks of regulatory caution in the middle of a pandemic. "Israel had highly credible data, which it shared with U.S. regulators, but the FDA wanted to see more U.S. data and not rely primarily on Israel," Black said. "That U.S. data did not yet exist, because the U.S. vaccinated its population more slowly than Israel, and lacked Israel's ability to collect real-time data." More information: Bernard Black et al, COVID-19 Boosters: If The US Had Matched Israel's Speed And Take-Up, An Estimated 29,000 US Lives Would Have Been Saved, Health Affairs (2023). DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00718 Journal information: Health Affairs 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain By fusing the power of artificial intelligence with new molecular techniques that also seem ripped from science fiction, researchers at UCSF have mapped the microscopic world of autism spectrum disorder in unprecedented detail, pointing toward possible therapies for a subset of patients who have specific genetic mutations, according to a new study. "This opens up kind of a Goldilocks of potential treatment targets," said one of the study's authors, Matthew State, a UCSF child psychiatrist and geneticist. "It's an opportunity for shots on goal that we just have not had before, because of the complexity of autism." The results are novel for a few reasons, researchers said. It's the first time that the cellular workings of a neuropsychiatric disorder like ASD have been explored this deeply, opening a door for similar investigations of other neuropsychiatric disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. The study also combined a basket of new technologies in an original way. Those technologies include stem cells, CRISPR-based genetic tools and AlphaFold 2, the Google AI that predicts the behavior of proteins. In addition, researchers leveraged a system originally developed at UCSF to study viruses, including the pandemic-causing coronavirus. That platform is able to create comprehensive maps of the interactions between proteins, the biological machines produced by genes that carry out work in the cell. "We've been at the bleeding edge of putting all this together," said another study leader, Nevan Krogan, director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute within UCSF's School of Pharmacy, which coordinated the research along with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. The paper was posted Monday on bioRxiv.org, a preprint server, and will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. UCSF's Jeremy Willsey and Tomasz Nowakowski co-led the work, and Rezo Therapeutics, a biotech company founded by QBI and Krogan, also contributed. Over the last decade, scientists including State have discovered over 100 mutated genes that are connected to autism. But translating that knowledge into therapies has been difficult, State said. The brain is intricate, and just knowing the right genes isn't enough. The UCSF-led team took a new approach, focusing on the proteins manufactured by those genes and mapping how they interact with each other. Researchers found 1,000 proteins and more than 1,800 interactions. About 90% of the interactions "are things we've never seen before," State said. The team then looked for clues about how the mutations lead to the disorder by using specific mutations from a subset of ASD patients. The scientists exploited AlphaFold's predictive abilities and various molecular techniques to pinpoint the most meaningful interactions, studying how those proteins function in human cells and in "brain organoids" grown from stem cells. These findings could one day lead to new drugs for patients, State and Krogan said. "We're shining a brand-new light on autism," Krogan said. More information: Belinda Wang et al, A foundational atlas of autism protein interactions reveals molecular convergence, bioRxiv.org (2023). DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.03.569805 (c)2023 the San Francisco Chronicle Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Nearsightedness is on the rise, likely due to modern lifestyles that require seeing objects up close, rather than adjusting to vision in the distance. Credit: American Institute of Physics Modern living may be contributing to an epidemic of nearsighted vision and related blindness. By 2050, it is estimated that half the world's population will suffer from low vision due to myopia, a condition where the eye grows too large and can no longer focus on objects in the distance. Human eyes, honed by evolution to survive in the wild, are ill-adapted to city living, contributing to increased cases of myopia, among other factors. For decades, researcher Sally McFadden from the University of Newcastle has investigated eyes and eyesight in humans and animals. She will present her work and the importance of acoustical imaging as part of Acoustics 2023 Sydney, running Dec. 48 at the International Convention Center Sydney. As humans age, our eyes adjust based on how we use them, growing or shortening to focus where needed. We now know that blurred input to the eye while the eye is growing causes myopia. It is so specific that the eye grows exactly to compensate for the amount and the direction of blur. For example, if you put the focus behind the retina, the eye grows longer, while if you put the focus in front of the retina, the eye slows its growth and becomes shorter. If the eye grows too long, it becomes myopic or nearsighted. In extreme cases, high myopia is associated with glaucoma, and can increase the risk of retinal detachment and abnormal pathologies around the optic nerve which lead to profound blindness. "Babies are generally born longsighted, and the changes in the optics of the eye have to coordinate with the eye growth to get to the perfect length for focused vision," said McFadden. "The problem is that the human eye evolved to suit a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and is not adapted for modern living." McFadden and her team built a high-frequency ultrasonography system to measure eye size and how quickly eyes grow to better understand myopia and its contributing factors. "Education level (amount of study) and the type of light stimulation to the eye all correlate with the amount of myopia you develop," McFadden said. "Time spent outdoors is protective. Myopia is greater in cities than in rural populations, and even correlates with those that live in small homes." Currently, vision-correcting gear like glasses and contacts are the only solution for myopia. However, eye drops for children with myopia are in development and could halt the vision from worsening. Teams from around the world are collaborating to develop treatments for high myopia to preserve our vision. 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: In order to calculate the overall ranking of countries, Alzheimer Europe based the global score on a combined score of the 10 different categories with each contributing 10% to the country's overall score. This score is presented as a percentage of the overall maximum score which countries could have achieved and leads to the following ranking. Credit: Alzheimer Europe In a report launched at a lunch debate hosted by Deirdre Clune MEP (Ireland), Alzheimer Europe highlighted the continuing inequalities in access to dementia care and treatment across Europe. The objective of the report entitled "European Dementia Monitor" was to provide a benchmark of national dementia policies in order to compare and rate the responses of European countries to the dementia challenge. The survey covered all Member States of the European Union (with the exception of Latvia), as well as Armenia, Iceland, Israel, Jersey, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom (both England and Scotland) and Ukraine. Jean Georges, Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe, stated, "Our organization has consistently called upon European governments to recognize dementia as a national public health and research priority, and to develop national dementia strategies. The aim of the European Dementia Monitor is to assess which countries provide the most dementia-inclusive policies and guarantee the best support and treatment of people with dementia and their caregivers." "This third edition of our report shows continuing inequalities between European countries, and we hope that national governments will use this report to improve the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers in those areas where they are currently lagging behind." The European Dementia Monitor compares countries on 10 different categories: The availability of care services The affordability of care services The reimbursement of medicines and other medical interventions The availability of clinical trials The involvement of the country in European dementia research initiatives The recognition of dementia as a policy and research priority The development of dementia-friendly initiatives The recognition of legal rights The ratification of International and European human rights treaties Care and employment rights According to the findings of the European Dementia Monitor, no country excelled in all 10 categories and there were significant differences between European countries. Some of the key findings were: Luxembourg scored highest on care availability with most services rated as sufficiently available, whereas Norway scored highest on care affordability as it ensured that these services were accessible and affordable for people with dementia and their caregivers. On both care availability and care affordability, Bulgaria ranked last. On the availability and reimbursement of medical interventions, Sweden scored highest as all included medical interventions (with the exception of Fortasyn Connect) were covered by the national reimbursement system. Armenia ranked last in this category as none of the medical interventions were reimbursed. As Europe is waiting for the authorization by the European Medicines Agency of new anti-amyloid treatments for Alzheimer's disease, only Greece, Ireland, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom (England) had set up a working group or strategy to prepare for the introduction of these new treatments. France scored highest in the category of clinical trials as the only country where it was possible for people with dementia to take part in eight of the 10 phase III clinical trials which were studied for the report. The Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom came second, with seven clinical trials active in these countries. Armenia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and North Macedonia were on the other end of the scale, with no clinical trials available for people with dementia in those countries. France, Germany and the Netherlands were the countries that were the most active in European dementia research collaborations scoring 100% in that category, whereas Armenia, Cyprus, Greece, Iceland, Lithuania, Malta, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine were not involved in the Joint Program for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research (JPND) or any of the calls for European research collaboration. For recognition of dementia as a national policy and research priority, the United Kingdom (Scotland) came first with full marks whereas North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine did not score any points in this category. The United Kingdom (England and Scotland) had the most dementia-inclusive initiatives and communities, but Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Portugal and Serbia did not score any points in this category. Regarding the protection of the legal rights of people with dementia, a growing number of countries complied with Alzheimer Europe's five recommendations in this field (Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jersey, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom (England)). However, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Poland and Romania scored no points in this category. In relation to International and European Human Rights Conventions, there has been progress since earlier editions of the Monitor (2017 and 2020), with an increasing number of countries (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece and Portugal) having signed and ratified all of the treaties. Israel was the country with the least number of conventions signed and ratified. The Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (Scotland) were the three countries where all care and employment rights were recognized, whereas Armenia, Cyprus and Ukraine came last in this category with none of these rights recognized in legislation. Deirdre Clune MEP (Ireland) welcomed the findings of the European Dementia Monitor saying, "As a Member of the European Parliament and as Vice-Chairperson of the European Alzheimer's Alliance, I am interested in how European countries differ in their approaches to dementia care and treatment, and I hope that reports like this one can help identify good practices to be implemented in countries lagging behind." "As an Irish MEP, I was happy to see that Ireland excelled in some key areas with the development of our national dementia strategy, the Irish Dementia Working Group and the recognition of legal rights. However, my country has some catching up to do in other areas, and more efforts need to be made to provide more accessible and affordable care services. Similarly, I would hope that more clinical trials will be conducted in Ireland to allow people with dementia to participate in research for the development of new and better treatments." When looking at this map of Europe (map 16), we can see that there are significant differences across Europe with countries in Northern and Central Europe scoring much better than countries in Southern and Eastern Europe. Credit: Alzheimer Europe On the basis of the findings in the 10 identified categories, Alzheimer Europe established a ranking of countries (with each category contributing 10% to the overall score), with the Netherlands coming first with an overall score of 77.6%, followed by the United Kingdom (Scotland) (74.5%), the Czech Republic (74.2%), Germany (72.7%) and Sweden (70.7%). Compared to the 2020 edition of the Dementia Monitor, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic improved their scores and ranking the most, moving up from seventh to first and from 19th place to third place respectively. The United Kingdom (Scotland) and Germany also slightly improved their scores, but Scotland stayed in second place while Germany moved from fifth to fourth place. Sweden moved down from first to fifth place in this year's ranking, whereas the United Kingdom (England) and Belgium dropped out of the top five and moved to eighth and ninth place respectively. Gerjoke Wilmink, CEO of Alzheimer Nederland, said, "I was delighted to see that the Netherlands came first in this extensive survey of Alzheimer Europe. There has been a very strong commitment in my country to finding practical solutions and concrete support for the many people living with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. We are happy to continue sharing our experiences and good practices with our partner organizations within Alzheimer Europe, and look forward to learning from those countries in categories where the Netherlands did less well." Jean Georges, Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe, concluded, "It was great to see that a number of countries were able to improve the situation of people with dementia and their caregivers. However, as in our previous editions, we can see that progress is not the same across all European regions." "Our Monitor shows that there is still a clear East/West divide in Europe with most of the Western and Northern European countries scoring significantly higher than Eastern European countries. As a rule, countries with national dementia strategies scored better. It is time therefore that all European countries and in particular those in Eastern Europe recognize dementia as a national priority and develop national dementia strategies." The full report "European Dementia Monitor 2023: Comparing and benchmarking national dementia strategies and policies" can be downloaded here. 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: Schematic illustration of the formulation of AgGa nano-amalgamated particles suspension and application on medical devices. Credit: Advanced Functional Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202310539 Superior knee and hip replacements are a step closer after Flinders University and Chinese researchers further test and develop a new orthopedic implant coating that has the strong ability to ward off infectionas well as stimulate bone growth. The technology, which has been patented after more promising results detailed in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, consists of novel Silver-Gallium (Ag-Ga) nano-amalgamated particles that can be easily applied to medical device surfaces. The article is titled, "Silver-Gallium Nano-Amalgamated Particles as a Novel, Biocompatible Solution for Antibacterial Coatings." "The antibacterial capabilities of compounds derived from silver have been extensively researched. However, the cytotoxicity of silver ions currently poses a significant obstacle for the utilization of silver ions in medical materials," says corresponding author Dr. Vi-Khanh Truong, from the Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory (BNL) at Flinders University. "Our new formula involving Ag-Ga nano-amalgamation ensures the sustained release of silver and gallium ions in a very controlled manner to eliminate these issues." Senior author Matthew Flinders Professor Krasimir Vasilev, director of the Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory at the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University, says the discovery provides an urgently needed solution to medical device-associated infections. "The new material could be easily and controllably applied by spray-casting on many medical devices to protect them against infection, and also provide anti-inflammatory effect and stimulate bone growth," says Profesor Vasilev. "Our latest testing indicates this combination of antibacterial protection and tissue integration properties can benefit many devices in the orthopedic, trauma, and also dental areas." Infections after orthopedic implant surgery are a global health issue, with rates ranging from 2% to 10% in developed countries and up to 15% in developing regions. In the US alone, there are more than 100,000 cases of orthopedic device-related infections. A 2017 Australian study showed a 1.7% infection rate post-hip or knee replacements. About 6% of orthopedic implant infections lead to intensive care with a mortality rate up to 4.6%. The cost of treating such infections can exceed US$100,000 per case. The latest testing was supported by collaborators including Professor Yunpeng Zhao, a surgeon at the Qilu Hospital and University of Shandong colleagues in China. The Ag-Ga nano-amalgamated particles exhibited potent antimicrobial properties against a broad spectrum of bacterial strains in animal models. Dr. Truong, from the Flinders Biomedical Nano-engineering Laboratory, says the discovery has the potential to apply to various implantable devices, catheters and other access devices, and even wound dressings where infections are also problematic. "Commercialization opportunities could make this solution available to clinicians and patients in the near futureat a time when growing antibiotic resistance is yet another problem in global health care." GaLM was used to facilitate the galvanic deposition of silver nanocrystals (Ag) on the oxide layer. The GaLM not only serves as a carrier for silver through the galvanic replacement process but also provides a controlled-release mechanism for silver. First author Master of Biotechnology student Tien Thanh Nguyen also worked with fellow Flinders researchers on the latest study in collaboration with clinical experts from Shandong University and Shandong hospitals. More information: Tien Thanh Nguyen et al, SilverGallium NanoAmalgamated Particles as a Novel, Biocompatible Solution for Antibacterial Coatings, Advanced Functional Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202310539 Journal information: Advanced Functional Materials 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 Medicare is the single largest provider of health insurance in the United States, serving 63.8 million senior citizens as of 2022. Three-quarters of these recipients are enrolled in optional Medicare Part D plans, which provide outpatient prescription drug coverage to seniors through private insurance companies. In 2022, Medicare paid more than $160 Billion for prescription drugs, making it the single largest payer of pharmaceuticals in the US. While Medicare is meant to keep health care affordable for seniors, millions of Americans still face steep costs for prescription medications. Researchers at the University of California San Diego, West Health, and the University of Washington have now explained part of the problem. The researchers found evidence that the private insurers that sponsor Medicare Part D are artificially inflating the costs of certain generic drugs by overpaying pharmacies. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Generic over-reimbursement is one of the areas targeted for reform by the United States Senate after anecdotal evidence submitted earlier this year by the non-profit manufacturer CivicaRx raised concerns about Part D sponsors potentially over-reimbursing pharmacies for abiraterone, a cancer drug. The concern: that patients are ultimately impacted by these reimbursement practices because of how out-of-pocket costs, such as copayments and deductibles) are calculated. "For instance, if a patient pays 30% as a copayment for a drug, that 30% would be applied to the inflated price, which could mean higher out-of-pocket costs for seniors," said corresponding author Inmaculada Hernandez, PharmD, Ph.D., professor at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science. However, whether Part D Plan sponsors are engaging in generic over-reimbursement has been an outstanding question until now. "This is the first study to investigate whether these practices actually take place in the Medicare Part D program," added Hernandez. To fill prescriptions, pharmacies purchase drugs wholesale and are reimbursed by insurers. In order to be reimbursed, pharmacies must adhere to contractual obligations that allow insurers to take back money in certain circumstances, such as when the reimbursement to the pharmacy is higher than a certain threshold or if the pharmacy's cost of acquisition is very low. These "clawbacks" by Part D Plans can be financially devastating to a pharmacy. "It doesn't make sense that insurers would overpay for drugs, then use clawbacks to retroactively adjust payments after the patient has paid their co-payment," said co-author Sean D. Sullivan, Ph.D., professor of pharmacy at the University of Washington. "This practice is opaque and ultimately harms patients and pharmacies." The researchers gathered and analyzed data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), focusing on spending and reimbursement data for the 50 generic drugs that Medicare Part D spent the most on in 2021. They found that some Medicare Part D sponsors were reimbursing at much higher rates than what pharmacies spent to acquire the drugs. "The results are alarming," said Hernandez. "We are talking about markups of 6000% or 7000% in some cases." In one of the most dramatic examples, the researchers found that insurers were reimbursing pharmacies an average of $126 per tablet for a cancer drug that costs $4.20 per tablet to the pharmacy. This corresponds to an average markup of 3000%, or $3600 per 30-day prescription. Some insurers paid even more. "Seniors are clearly paying more for their medications as a result of these markups," said Hernandez. "More research is needed to confirm the scope of these practices, but the evidence is concerning." 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 A ZIP code in Miami Beach, known for its vibrant nightlife, is a hot spot for new HIV infections. The area that lures thousands of tourists a year, has some of the most attractive hotels and nightclubs in the nation, and stretches along the famous Ocean Drive in South Beach falls into the ZIP code 33139. Its annual new HIV infection rate is in excess of four times the national average, according to newly released 2021 data from AIDSvu, an online mapping tool that visualizes the impact of the HIV epidemic on communities across the United States. On Friday, the international community observed World AIDS Day, recognizing the enormous progress in preventing, detecting, and treating HIV since it became recognized as a disease 42 years ago. However, in Florida, HIV continues to surge. The state has six metropolitan areas with some of the highest rates of new infections in the U.S.: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville. Also, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties rank in the top 5% of U.S. counties for their high infection rates. In South Florida, the continued spread is not just confined to Miami Beach; cities like Wilton Manors, Overtown and Doral have high rates of new diagnosis, too. "The situation doesn't seem to be improving," said Dr. Mario Stevenson, an infectious disease specialist and HIV researcher with the University of Miami. "The problem has become white noise. A lot of people come to the area to party hard, and they are not aware of the HIV risk. It is so important to get the message out so people know the risk." Stevenson says local ZIP codes with large Hispanic populations in particular struggle with controlling the spread. Hispanics account for a rising share of new infections in the state. "Some of the messaging distributed around HIV awareness doesn't translate well," he said. "It's not culturally tailored to resonate with vulnerable communities of color." To be sure, South Florida has made strides. Organizations like AIDS Health Foundation and efforts by the University of Miami and Florida's Department of Health to prevent, test, treat and improve the quality of life for those affected by HIV have been effective. Mobile units now go into the communities to test and treat in an effort to keep people from infecting others without knowing. Florida, like other states, has placed an emphasis on PrEP, medication taken by those at risk to prevent contracting HIV. PrEP can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission, but a substantial disparity still exists in PrEP usage among minorities and women. Experts say HIV still has a stigma and too often those infected don't want to get tested. To see real progress, they say, Florida needs to ramp up its efforts to tackle its HIV epidemic using a three-pronged approach: Identify people who have it, get them into treatment, and get people uninfected but at risk on prevention treatment. "All three things have to be done simultaneously to stop the epidemic," said Dr. Marcus Conant, who was one of the first specialists in the country to treat AIDs patients in San Francisco. Some states have made HIV testing part of routine screening in hospital emergency rooms or at places like the Department of Motor Vehicles. Dr. Maranda Ward, a professor at George Washington University and a leader of a national public health initiative focused on HIV, says making testing easily accessible and routine has helped curb spread in states that have adopted it. For example, in Washington, D.C., anyone who goes to the emergency room is tested. "In 2007, D.C. had an epidemic. Now DC is a model city for HIV prevention," she said. Because of Florida's large HIV population, the area is a hotbed for research among those who test and learn their status. Although HIV can be suppressed using antiretroviral therapy, it cannot yet be cured. For now, individuals with HIV must be on medication for the rest of their lives to keep the virus levels suppressed. But clinical trials are underway throughout South Florida to research new treatments and potential vaccines. The University of Miami's new CONNECT mobile unit is going into some of the ZIP codes in Miami-Dade and Broward counties with high rates of HIV infection to enroll more diverse groups of patients into studies. One of those studies targets 530 women and men in Miami to determine the impact of chronic conditions, including heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders, on people living with HIV. "By making research more accessible and inclusive, CONNECT will help to ensure that the most vulnerable communities benefit from the latest scientific advances." said Dr. Maria Alacaide, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. At Fort Lauderdale's AHF Healthcare Center, Dr. Zachary Henry said he is enrolling patients in two clinical trials for novel treatments. One will test a monoclonal antibody injection that can potentially be given every four months as an alternative to a daily medication treatment. The other is a monoclonal antibody treatment that would act as a functional cure, keeping the levels of HIV suppressed indefinitely. "It basically would put HIV in remission," Henry said. "They are both long-term trials." Dr. Daniel Driffin, project manager with HIV vaccine trials network for the AIDS Health Foundation said clinical trials are evolving to be more inclusive. In areas like South Florida, where minorities are impacted disproportionately, the push is on to get them into prevention and treatment trials. "There are even a couple of prevention trials hosted by pharmaceutical companies that are prioritizing black women," he said. Conant, now the chief medical officer at American Gene Technologies, said HIV is complicated in how it replicates and mutates and evades the immune system. Over time, at least 25 drugs have come on the market to treat HIV and about 250 different vaccines have been researched. While research continues, he is overseeing a gene therapy clinical trial that he feels has the potential to cure HIV. "If you catch HIV, you are catching a gene that is integrating into your genome, and it is there until there is a strategy to block or remove that gene," he said. "We are not going to have a treatment unless we keep working on it." Curing HIV with gene therapy could be at least five years away, he said. But he offers hope: "This is exciting stuff and we have seen some promise with early trials." 2023 Miami Herald. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A steady stream of sick babies and worried parents started flowing into Dr. Monique Soileau-Burke's exam room in late October. Many were infected with respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, a common contagion that spreads in colder months and infects the lungs and can be dangerous for the very young and for older adults. While RSV has gotten off to a slower start this fall than last year, when hospitalizations from the virus in Maryland spiked by 200 in just one month, overwhelming health care centers and leaving parents frantic, the virus is still spreading faster and infecting more children than it did in a typical winter before the pandemic. Soileau-Burke, a pediatrician in Columbia, said her practice already has had multiple infants hospitalized because of the virus. Parents come to her office exhausted from trying to stay up all night with their babies, feeding them and carefully watching their little chests rise and fall. "The problem is, we now have the ability that it shouldn't be this bad at all," said Soileau-Burke, who is also president of the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Soileau-Burke and other pediatricians breathed a sigh of relief over the summer, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an RSV immunization for children under eight months of age who are entering their first respiratory virus season. But the drug, nirsevimabmarketed as Beyfortus and available in 50 milligram and 100 milligram dosesis in short supply across the country. According to a spokesperson for Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical company that developed Beyfortus with help from AstraZeneca, that's because demand far exceeded what was anticipated for the long-acting monoclonal antibody drug. With such dwindling supply, the company announced it would no longer be accepting new orders for the 100 milligram dose, which is used to immunize children over 11 pounds. The 50 milligram dose, meant for children under 11 pounds, is facing less of a shortage. But earlier this month, the CDC announced it would distribute more than 77,000 additional doses of the 100 milligram version of the drug through the private market and a federal program that inoculates underserved children, including those who are uninsured or on Medicaid. Still, pediatricians in Maryland said they are rationing drug doses and are only giving them to infants who are most in need of protection, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended in October. The Beyfortus shortage reminds Soileau-Burke of the infant formula shortage that developed last year, terrifying parents who worried about how they would be able to feed their children when their stock ran out. It's too common in this country for problems facing children to not get the attention they deserve, she said. "We need to really do some investigating as to why these things keep happening to kids," Soileau-Burke said. While RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, it can be deadly for infants and seniors. It kills between 100 and 300 children younger than 5 years old and between 6,000 and 10,000 adults 65 years and older every year, according to CDC data. It's even more deadly for infants born premature, said Dr. Michelle Chudow, an attending pediatrician at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital. These babies, who are born with lungs that haven't finished developing and are more at risk of swelling and holding onto fluid, may have to be put on a ventilator or admitted to an intensive care unit if they catch the virus, she said. "We don't want them to have gotten through everything that they've done to make it out of the hospital as a premature baby and then get RSV at home," Chudow said. "The more we can do to protect them while they're here, the better for them in the long run." As in previous years, another antibody product is available to protect medically vulnerable babies from RSVa drug called palivizumab, which is marketed as Synagis. This drug, however, must be given to babies once a month during the respiratory season, unlike Beyfortus, which delivers antibodies that last for five months. It's also more expensive, at $2,000 a pop, compared to Beyfortus' $500 price tag. At the start of the respiratory season, Dr. Theresa Nguyen, chair of the pediatrics department at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, said she was hopeful the Towson-based hospital could give newborns a Beyfortus shot before they go home that would protect them for the rest of the respiratory season. "Those hopes are dying quickly," Nguyen said. So far, the hospital has only gotten "dribbles" of the drug, she said. Nguyen anticipates that, by the time the respiratory season ends, GBMC's outpatient practice, GBMC Pediatric Group, will have received fewer than 50 doses of Beyfortusa quantity that will include few 100 milligram doses. The hospital has received fewer than 10 doses of the drug, and an additional 10 doses are on back order, she said. Without enough doses to immunize every infant who qualifies for the drug, Nguyen and other pediatricians are urging pregnant people to get vaccinated against the virus when they're between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant. In doing so, they'll pass passive antibodies on to their babies, who won't need to get immunized when they're born, Nguyen said. "It is available at all pharmacies," Nguyen said. "All you have to do is get your obstetrician to write you a prescription for the RSV vaccine." An RSV vaccine also is available to people who are 60 or older. If parents aren't able to get their babies immunized against RSV, Nguyen advised them to avoid exposing their children under six months of age to anyone who is sick. She also asked people to protect their friends, coworkers and family members by wearing a mask when they're sick. As a neonatologist at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital, Dr. Natalie Davis cares for some of the sickest and most medically vulnerable infants. For that reason, she suspects that the hospital has received more doses of the shot than others in the area. However, she said, it still doesn't have as many doses as she and her colleagues would like. In future years, she said she hopes there will be more doses available because of this season's high demand. She's also relieved to still be able to use the Synagis to keep her tiny patients safe. "At least our babies are not left without any protection," said Davis, who is also an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "It's just the [drug] that has more pros than cons is the one that's limited." 2023 The Baltimore Sun. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Global characteristics of investments in economic sectors associated with anthropogenic land-use changes in known zoonotic disease hotspots (ie, areas with increased zoonotic emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases risks) and investment size in US$. Credit: Stockholm Resilience Centre/The Lancet Planetary Health Many emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, especially zoonotic diseases such as Ebola or new coronaviruses, emerge as the result of intensified human activities such as deforestation, expansion of agricultural land, and increased hunting and trading of wildlife. In a new study, published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health, researchers identified public and private companies operating in economic sectors associated with increased risks of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Where data was available, the researchers analyzed the financial entities with equity ownership in 99 identified public companies. They found that a handful of largely US-based financial entities, including Vanguard, State Street, BlackRock, and T Rowe Price, have substantial investments in these companies. But even public investors such as the state of California, Norway through its Sovereign Wealth Fund, and Sweden through its pension funds, hold shares in companies that operate in known regional hotspots for emerging infectious diseases. "Financial actors have an important, but often ignored, role to help prevent the emergence of infectious diseases. Their investments enable economic activities in known zoonotic disease hotspots globally. Large investors hold potential influence over companies operating in these hotspots, and this influence could be leveraged to mitigate risks of new pandemics," says Victor Galaz, lead author of the study and senior researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Center at Stockholm University. Global characteristics of investments in economic sectors associated with anthropogenic land-use changes in known zoonotic disease hotspots (ie, areas with increased zoonotic emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases risks). Credit: Stockholm Resilience Centre In the article, the researchers list a number of policies and practices that investors could push for, including ecological restoration measures, the creation of pathogen surveillance systems, and improvements in the health and economic security of communities living in geographical hotspots of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. "Corporate policies that focus only on deforestation and land-use change are not enough to mitigate the risk of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. They fail to consider how agricultural expansion and deforestation increase the risk of pathogen spillover from reservoir to hosts. There is a need for policies to reduce the edge effect, create pathogen surveillance systems and improve the health care systems of communities living in areas that are emerging infectious hotspots," explains Paula A. Sanchez, researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Center and co-author of the study. The study even identifies countries that either invest themselves or host headquarters of companies with investments in hotspots for emerging infectious diseases. These countries, including France, the U.S., Portugal, Norway, and Sweden, could work together to use financial influence to address the risks of outbreaks and pandemics, according to the study's authors. "Among many other devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has shown what enormous economic costs infectious diseases can have. Investing in sectors that could lead to new outbreaks therefore also carries significant financial risks that investors and governments need to proactively address," explains Victor Galaz. He continues, "Such efforts have to go beyond current environmental, social, and governance metrics which have proven to be insufficient to show real-world ecological effects." Data availability continues to be a limitation for the identification of potential alliances among investors and corporate actors. "As emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases present a global risk to the economic and financial systems, there is a need to ensure standardized reporting of corporate and investment activities in infectious hotspots to reduce the risk of outbreaks at a global scale," says Paula A. Sanchez. Peter Sgaard Jrgensen, another co-author associated with the Stockholm Resilience Center says, "Climate change will increase the risks of new zoonotic outbreaks. Financial actors should make sure that their investments help to mitigate and adapt to those risks." More information: Financial influence on global risks of zoonotic emerging and re-emerging diseases: an integrative analysis, The Lancet Planetary Health (2023). Journal information: The Lancet Planetary Health Provided by Stockholm Resilience Centre 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 Ellen Heber-Katz thought the experiment was ruined. Her post-doctoral researcher was supposed to have punched tiny holes in the ears of laboratory mice at Philadelphia's Wistar Institute, using a standard technique to indicate which ones had received an experimental treatment. But when Heber-Katz checked the animals a few weeks later, all their ears were intact. The post-doc nevertheless insisted that she had punched the ear holes, so the scientists tried it again with different mice. Three weeks later, the holes in those mouse ears vanished, too. Not only had the wounds healed, but the ears looked completely normal, with new cartilage, hair and no trace of scarring. Heber-Katz had stumbled on a type of super-healing mice, launching her on a quest that has lasted more than two decades. First, she deciphered the genetic quirks that gave the animals this restorative ability. (The super-healing was an unintended consequence of their laboratory-bred autoimmune disease.) Then she and colleagues figured out how to activate this response in normal mice by simply injecting them with a drug. Now at Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Heber-Katz has demonstrated the drug's promise against a variety of conditions in mice and ratsnot only external wounds, but also nerve damage, periodontal disease, and osteoporosis. What's happening is more than healing, she says, likening her results to salamanders' ability to regenerate missing limbs. A note of caution: Most drugs that work in mice do not end up being effective in humans. In this case, some biologists caution that true regeneration is a complex process that's almost unheard of in mammals, and they are skeptical that it can be activated by simply administering a drug. Undaunted, Heber-Katz says the drug prompts the growth of healthy new cells almost like what happens in a mouse (or human) embryo. When it is administered to gray-haired, 3-year-old mice (roughly equivalent to 90-year-old humans), the animals' wounds recover in a way that seems to turn back time. "The hair grows back completely," she said. "It even goes from gray to black." The health problems Heber-Katz is tackling are immense. The United States spends billions every year on wound care alone, including the treatment of diabetic skin ulcers and other chronic, nonhealing wounds. A Northeast Philly native, Heber-Katz is determined to translate her laboratory successes to the real world. She and Phillip B. Messersmith, a professor of bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley, have patented the use of the drug, called 1,4-DPCA, for use in tissue regeneration. The pair also have founded a company called MRL Bio, named after the breed of autoimmune mice with the enhanced healing ability. That entrepreneurial mindset is encouraged by George C. Prendergast, chief executive officer of the Lankenau institute, a nonprofit research organization within the Main Line Health system. Two companies co-founded by faculty have gone public in recent years, and another developed a diagnostic test that won FDA approval. Prendergast calls it "acapreneurialism"a mashup of academia and entrepreneurialism. He even trademarked the term in 2021. "Every lab here has to invent," he said. The drug that Heber-Katz uses to treat the mice, 1,4-DPCA, can be applied in a variety of ways, depending on the disease (or injury). In addition to injecting it or applying it directly to the animals' skin, she and her collaborators have impregnated the substance into sutures, enabling mice to heal from surgical wounds with no scars. The compound was developed by other scientists for different purposes. Heber-Katz thought it might promote healing after studying the autoimmune mice whose ear wounds healed unexpectedly. She found that the cells in the animals' injury sites were behaving much like the cells in mice or human embryos: They were growing rapidly and metabolizing nutrients in a low-oxygen environment, a process regulated by a "master protein" called HIF-1-alpha. That protein exists in normal mice and humans, too, but it is rapidly broken down. That's where the drug comes in. The substance inhibits the breakdown of HIF-1-alpha, resulting in higher levels of the protein, so she surmised that it would promote a supercharged healing environment in normal mice. She was right. Upon being injected with the drug, normal mice were able to heal from wounds without scars, much like their counterparts with the autoimmune disease, she reported in a 2015 study with Messersmith, the Berkeley engineer. In another study, the pair reported that the drug enabled rats to heal from nerve injury in their forelimbs. The progress came after decades of painstaking laboratory work, exploring different aspects of the genetics and metabolism involved in healing. Heber-Katz likened the hit-or-miss process to the old parable about a blind man encountering an elephant. "It was like feeling this big elephant with our eyes closed, trying to find something that would fit," she said. Most attempts to regrow damaged human tissue have involved elaborate synthetic "scaffolds" that are seeded with stem cells or biologically active molecules. This tactic has met with limited success, Messersmith said. In the mice and rats, on the other hand, he and Heber-Katz get good results by simply administering a drug. "This is so different from anything else out there," he said. Among those with questions about the healing ability of Heber-Katz's mice is University of Kentucky biologist Ashley W. Seifert, who has induced regeneration-like healing in mice using a different method. Given that our ancestors lost the natural ability to regenerate ages ago, if they ever had it, it is unlikely that any one drug will have the power to awaken it, he said. "Most basic scientists would tell you unequivocally that regeneration is a pretty complex process," he said. "There are multiple things that have to happen over an extended period of time. This idea that there's a single druggable target is highly improbable." Others are more optimistic. Nadya Lumelsky, a former program manager at the NIH's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, is encouraged by the mice results so far. Upon learning of Heber-Katz's work, Lumelsky put the scientist in touch with Messersmith, and the pair ended up collaborating. Lumelsky also connected the pair with George Hajishengallis, a professor at Penn Dental Medicine. In a 2020 study, the group found that the drug stimulated new bone growth in mice with injured jawbonessuggesting that it could prove useful in treating periodontal disease. In an interview, Lumelsky agreed that regeneration is a complex process. Boosting the levels of one protein could be just one piece of the puzzle. "Maybe you need to control several molecules in order to achieve the best result," she said. No argument from Heber-Katz, who has been studying other molecules involved in the healing process all along. But she is convinced that HIF-1-alpha plays a central role. The next step is testing the drug in larger animals, which she hopes to do next year, followed eventually by studies in humans. It has been a long journey, made all the more challenging because Heber-Katz was trained in a different field, immunology. In 1998, when she published her first results with the super-healing mice, several peers warned her against changing the course of her career. She knew no one in the field of regeneration biology, no one who could write letters or make introductions on her behalf. And some were, and continue to be, skeptical. But she forged ahead anyway. "Science is about discovery," she said. "It's not about agreeing with everybody else." 2023 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain In Cameroon's rural north, very few girls go on to enjoy careers in science. Sabine Adeline Fanta Yadang, a neuroscience doctor, and Hadidjatou Dairou, Ph.D. student of cellular physiology, have overcome prejudice and smashed through the glass ceiling. They have been recognized for the quality of their research, along with 28 others from sub-Saharan Africa, by the L'Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Young Talents program. UNESCO says the program supports "young women researchers around the world to pursue scientific careers at home or abroad". Both women were distinguished for their research into the potential of Cameroon's traditional herbal medicines in the treatment of heart disease and Alzheimer's. They work in a laboratory at Yaounde's Institute for Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies (IMPM). In the lab, Dairou is carefully emptying the contents of a pipette into a Petri dish. Under her white coat she proudly wears a traditional African dress. Dairou's interest in herbal medicine goes back to her years as a pharmacology student at the public University of Ngaoundere, in the country's north. "I've seen what a plant extract does to the human body and how that can help people I know," she says. The UNESCO program picked out her research into the "potential of the indigenous Garcinia Kola plant for treatment of cardiovascular disease". Overcoming workplace discrimination Fanta Yadang is injecting samples into test tubes before putting them in a centrifuge. She likes to be known as a Moundang, a community from Cameroon's Far North region, where her grand-parents took herbal cures. "I wanted to become a doctor, but I didn't get good enough marks. I wanted to help my fellow people so I became interested in medicinal plants," she says. "In a region where girls are not encouraged to go to school, she stood up against stereotypes and overcame workplace discrimination," according to UNESCO. The November 8 awards noted she was "seeking to better understand the physiopathologies of neuro-degenerative disease, in particular Alzheimer's, in order to find a new therapy source from medicinal plants". Locally, traditional African medicine is seen as a separate health sector. "In Cameroon, patients turn to plants before going to hospital," says Eric Owoundi Nkoa, a herbal therapist and secretary at the ministry of Arts and Culture's medicine center. He believes 70-80 percent of Cameronians take "natural medicine". For Dairou, the bark of the bitter Garcinia Kolaa grain that looks like a nut eaten across Africa to ease all kinds of problemsmay improve cardiovascular health. "In particular atherosclerosis, one of the major causes of heart attacks," she explained. Fanta Yadang is working on tiger nut milk, which is widely consumed in central Africa. It is extracted from a plant that has for centuries been reputed for its medicinal powers. With the cost of modern drugs for Alzheimer's prohibitive, she intends to prove that the plant extract will enable patients "to fight neuron degeneration and reduce stress on the brain". Future of Africa Only 13 percent of girls were enrolled in tertiary education, the UN educational organization UNESCO said in 2018. "In the north, where it is said girls don't go far enough with their studies, I have truly demonstrated the contrary," noted Fanta Yadang. When she had to balance her studies with having a baby, almost 10 years ago, her family gave her the strength to plow on. "My father is a nurse and my mother a mid-wife. They used to tell us to study to become someone," she recalled. Dairou's father, a vet, pushed her to study for a doctorate. "That included when certain people thought the path was too long," she said. "For many, a woman does not need it to take care of her home and risks not being submissive." With the 10,000-euro and 15,000-euro grants from the UNESCO awards, Dairou intends to complete her thesis and Fanta Yadang wants to pursue her studies at Nigeria's Ibadan University. "The future of Africa is in the hands of its scientists," said Fanta Yadang. 2023 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Two decades after they first appeared, e-cigarettes have been widely credited with helping people quit smoking. But concerns are growing over the risk of teens becoming hooked on nicotine through candy-colored disposable vapes, with flavors such as chocolate and bubblegum. AFP looks back at the highs and lows of the vaping vogue: Born in China In 2003, Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, a heavy smoker hoping to kick the habit, develops the first electronic alternative to cigarettes. A year later, the firm he works for brings out the first e-cigarettes, called Ruyan ("like smoke"). The birth of vaping comes in the year that Ireland bans smoking in workplaces, including pubs and restaurants, sparking a global clampdown on smoking indoors. E-cigarettes arrive on the EU market in 2006 and a year later in the United States. Early doubts Many doctors welcome the devices, which are tar-free, as a potential life-saver in the fight against cancer, heart disease, strokes and other diseases caused by the toxins in traditional cigarettes. But the UN health agency, the World Health Organization, is skeptical about their benefits. "As far as WHO is aware, no rigorous, peer-reviewed studies have been conducted showing that the electronic cigarette is a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy," it says in 2008. From the mid-2010s on, there are growing reports of the dangers of teens inhaling vapor containing nicotine, which can harm the developing adolescent brain. More than 30 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, North Korea and Singapore ban the sale of e-cigarettes. Enters the dictionary In 2014, "vape" is designated word of the year by the Oxford University Press and enters the dictionary. The habit takes off in the US, Europe and parts of Asia. The number of users shoots up from around seven million in 2011, according to Euromonitor market research group, to 82 million a decade later, according to the US NGO Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction. Deadly lung illness In 2019-2020, the US is at the center of a health crisis tied to vaping, with at least 68 people dying and over 2,800 others falling sick with an acute lung illness linked to vaping products containing cannabis. In February 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration bans the sale of many flavored e-cigarettes, with the exception of tobacco and menthol flavors. US e-cigarette giant Juul is hit with a string of lawsuits accusing it of glamourizing vaping among young people with flavors such as creme brulee and of lying about how addictive it is. In 2022, the company agrees to pay $462 million (425 million euros) to settle cases across the US, leaving it nearly bankrupt. Growing bans In 2023, Western countries go to war against teen vaping. New Zealand in August bans e-cigarettes that do not have a removable or replaceable batterya way of targeting disposable vapesand bars manufacturers from using enticing flavor names. On November 28, Australia announces it will ban imports of disposable vapes from January 1, 2024. Late on Monday, French MPs back a proposal to ban single-use electronic cigarettes, amid warnings they could act as a gateway to smoking. The legislation still needs backing from France's upper house Senate and clearance from the EU Commission. Britain, Germany and Ireland are considering similar moves. 2023 AFP R2, an approximately 17-year-old tarantula, seems happy in her new home. The big spider has taken up residence at the new Butterfly House and Insectarium near the Missoula County Fairgrounds. Visitors can meet R2 and numerous other critters at the new facility opening Dec. 6. She is the sweetest tarantula Ive ever met, said Glenn Marangelo, development director for the Butterfly House and Insectarium. She could easily deliver a bite if she wanted to. But shes always been just incredibly mellow. Shes a good ambassador. Marangelo, too, has acted as an ambassador for insect education over multiple decades. He and his wife, Jen, launched the Butterfly House and Insectarium idea after visiting a similar facility in Seattle in 2003. For a few years between 2015 and 2019, they operated an insectarium downtown, but since the closure of that location theyve endeavored to create something bigger, better and buggier. The upcoming grand opening of the Butterfly House and Insectarium will bring that vision to many Missoulians. What separates Missoulas Butterfly House from similar operations in other communities is the focus not only on butterflies, but rather on a diversity of other creatures as well. Marangelo considers butterflies the gateway bug into the world of insect education and conservation. Along with around 25 species of butterflies that flutter in the sunny, humid space filled with plants and fresh-cut fruit, Marangelos facility features crustaceans, arachnids, beetles and a diversity of other insects. Butterflies are awesome and I love them, Marangelo said. But other insects have really cool stories about their lives. And we are in trouble without them. Insects, including butterflies, are important for pollination, soil decomposition and plenty of other environmental benefits. Marangelo and his team want to help visitors understand those impacts from bugs and hopefully convert a few guests into fellow bug geeks. The method, for the Marangelos, comes from themed sections of the Insectarium that deal with different species, locations and ways of interacting. Theres a listening area where guests can hear the diverse sounds different bugs make; theres also large, handicapped-accessible microscopes attached to screens that broadcast close-up images of the intricacies of bug bodies. And in the encounter area, the daring can touch and hold friendly bugs like R2 the tarantula. In one corner, as well, theres an entire space dedicated to Bugs under the Big Sky native Montana species. There, bug enthusiasts can learn the difference between three commonly misunderstood spider species: Western black widows, brown recluses and Hobo spiders. Marangelo explained only black widows are a species of medical concern in the Treasure State. Brown recluses arent found here, and Hobos are really nothing to worry about. Even black widows, he added, usually act docile and only attack a person if they are severely agitated. Theyre a species, according to Marangelo, to be wary of but theyre not out to get us. In addition to the many exhibits already in place, Marangelo has plans to continue adding to the museum. Leafcutter ants are expected to join Marangelos crew in spring 2024, and a bees nest will also go into place outside the Insectariums window, giving future guests more to anticipate. And of course, no visit is complete without a trip through the double-security doors of the Butterfly House, where some 300 butterflies flap colorful wings and rest on blooming plants. In the Butterfly House, theres the owl butterfly, whose wings resemble both the all-seeing eyes of the nocturnal birds but also, from another angle, the head of a snake. There are also swallowtail butterflies, which flit and dive effortlessly through the plants assembled for their diversion. And the flashiest of all are the blue morphos, which look like owl butterflies when theyre resting but display an iridescent blue complexion when they spread their wings. The butterflies are most active when its sunny out; late morning and the end of the day are some of their busiest times. Guests also get a chance to see them emerge from their chrysalis in one section of the Butterfly House, and the hatching process loosely resembles the unveiling of the entire facility itself. Sometimes, they dont always emerge perfectly, said Marangelo. Its just part of the process. Missoula police are investigating a group assault on a minor that happened on Friday evening. The male victim was lured into a home on the 1400 block of Van Buren Street where he was "subjected to a brutal assault by six juvenile males," a news release from the Missoula Police Department stated. Videos of the assault circulated on social media, according to the news release, and authorities are asking people not to further share any of the footage to protect the victim's identity. Three suspects, all minors, were in custody as of Monday morning in connection with the incident. The victim knew the suspects, said Whitney Bennett, Missoula Police public information officer. He was able to eventually get out of the house. Police were notified on Sunday afternoon about the attack, and after the victim spoke with officers he got medical care for his injuries, Bennett said. Charges for assault were referred to the county attorney's office, Bennett said, and the victim was in stable condition as of Monday. Investigators are still working on the case, which might lead to additional arrests, the news release stated. Anyone with information about the incident should contact Missoula Police Detective Captain Eddie McClean at 406-552-6332. "We take this matter very seriously and are working diligently in an effort to hold those responsible, accountable for their actions," the news release stated. "This violent act has no place in Missoula, and the Missoula Police Department is committed to ensuring our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all." A Peace in Palestine rally was held Sunday at the state Capitol, drawing about 150 people who called on federal officials to take action for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and end military aid to Israel. The Helena gathering which brought in people from all over the state was organized by Montanans for Palestine, also known as Montanans in Solidarity with Palestine. Brendan Work of Montanans in Solidarity with Palestine said thousands of signatures have been gathered on petitions and hundreds of calls made to representatives seeking a cease-fire now. He mentioned other previous rallies in Butte, Bozeman and Missoula. We are the biggest anti-war movement in 30 years, Work said as he stood outside the state Capitol. We are growing every day and we will win. Israel has vowed to eliminate Gazas Hamas rulers, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and triggered the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades, according to the Associated Press. Scores of hostages, including Americans, were taken by Palestinian militants. Organizers said earlier they want Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican Sen. Steve Daines to vote against the sale of $14 billion of weapons to Israel. Work said he was able to speak to Tester but was unable to get a commitment to call for a cease-fire. "Jon Tester sees what is happening and all he can say is that is not a good situation," Work said. He urged people to join with others and keep fighting against genocide of Palestinians. Signs peppered the flag plaza in front of the Capitol, urging support for Palestine. There was at least one sign expressing support for Israel and harshly criticizing Palestine. Gail Asbury, of Helena, said I am a Christian and Christians support Jews, she said, while holding a flag of Israel. Speakers at the rally, some who asked to be identified by only their first names, continued on the theme of demanding Montana politicians support a cease-fire. We will not rest until Palestinians have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, one said. One speaker named Lauren, who said she was Jewish, demanded a permanent cease-fire. She said Judaism has been a grounding force in her life and taught her the power of community and serves as the foundation of her moral compass. I can think of nothing less Jewish than what the Israeli government is doing to the Palestinian people right now, she said. Some read poetry. Tester's office Monday said he has met face-to-face with Montanans who "have a wide array of views on this difficult issue." "Senator Tester supported the recent pause in fighting that helped free hostages and save innocent lives and he believes the United States should continue to prioritize freeing the rest of the hostages, countering Hamas and getting to a position where the conflict can be de-escalated. they said. They noted that neither Israel nor Hamas currently support a permanent cease-fire and he believes the United States should continue to engage to free the rest of the hostages and get to a position where the conflict can be de-escalated. Daines' staff sent a comment from the senator regarding the current situation in Gaza. "Hamas is an Islamic terrorist organization funded by Iran and its attack on Israel was a horrific massacre where innocent Jewish families, including Americans, were murdered, burned alive and taken hostage," they said. They said Daines "believes Israel has the right to defend itself and supports sending aid to ensure its ability to do so. Senator Daines does not believe there should be a cease-fire as it would only give Hamas the opportunity to regroup, rearm and find more opportunities to use innocent civilians as human shields." Daines "firmly stands with the United States biggest ally in the Middle East, Israel," they said in an email. After the speeches, attendees marched across the street to Testers Helena office. Israeli warplanes heavily bombarded an area around Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Monday as the military ordered mass evacuations from the town in the face of a widening ground offensive that is pushing Palestinians into a progressively shrinking portion of the besieged territory, the Associated Press reported. The war has already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of the territorys population of 2.3 million people. Palestinian health officials say bombardment has killed several hundred civilians since a weeklong truce ended Friday. Already under mounting pressure from its top ally, the United States, Israel appears to be racing to strike a death blow against Hamas if thats possible, given the groups deep roots in Palestinian society before any new cease-fire. But the mounting toll is likely to further increase international pressure to return to the negotiating table. Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least five days before an event. Email all items to news@morganton.com. TODAY Club meeting The Friendly Tuesday Club will meet at 10 a.m. at Grace Baptist Church, 1939 Paul Shuping Ave., Morganton. Christmas Parade The Morganton Downtown Development Association will hold the 2023 Christmas Parade on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. Floats, characters and marching bands will usher in the Christmas spirit as they parade around through downtown on Green and Sterling street. WEDNESDAY 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 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. Christmas in Drexel The group Grow with Drexel will host Christmas in Drexel beginning Dec. 7 from 5-7 p.m. in Drexel Downtown Park, 201 Church St., Drexel. The event will include face painting, food trucks, visits with Santa Claus anda carousel, which will cost $1 each. 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. Lights of Love ceremony The Blue Ridge HealthCare Foundation welcomes the community to this years Lights of Love tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 5:30 p.m., in the lower-level atrium on the UNC Health Blue Ridge-Valdese Campus, 720 Malcolm Blvd., Valdese. This meaningful ceremony includes special remarks regarding the importance this fundraiser has on elevating care at our cancer center and helping patients in need. The event includes a special tree lighting. The lights on the tree are symbolic of all lights purchased by donors in honor and in memory of friends, family members and loved ones. For more information, visit Lights of Love at brhcfoundation.org. FRIDAY Christmas in Drexel The group Grow with Drexel will host Christmas in Drexel on Dec. 8 from 5-7 p.m. in Drexel Downtown Park, 201 Church St., Drexel. The event will include face painting, food trucks, visits with Santa Claus anda carousel, which will cost $1 each. SATURDAY Drexel Christmas Parade The annual Drexel Christmas Parade will be held at 10 a.m. at 700 S. Main St. After the parade, the group Grow with Drexel will hold its Christmas in Drexel event at Downtown Park, 201 Church St., Drexel. The event will include face painting, food trucks, visits with Santa Claus and a carousel, which will cost $1 each. 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. SATURDAY, DEC. 16 Support group meeting The Survivors of Loss to Suicide Hickory NC Support Group will be meet from 9-10 a.m. at St Stephens Library, 3225 Springs Road NE, Hickory. The group offers support for the families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide. The group is open to teens and adults. New members will have time at the beginning of each group to share their story if they feel they want to. This group is for anyone whose loss has occurred recently or decades ago as those at different stages all have wisdom to share. 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. TUESDAY, DEC. 19 Christmas with the Horses The J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center Exceptional Equestrians Program will host Christmas with the Horses on Tuesday, Dec. 19, from 3-8 p.m. The Center, located at 300 Enola Road, will offer horse rides, cart rides and other horse activities for $10. Come to JIRDC and learn more about our therapeutic riding program and experience a fun night for all. Also, remember to drive around campus and see our holiday lights. For more information, please call 828-608-6000. SATURDAY, JAN. 27 Docent training The Exploring Joara Foundation invites people interested in telling the story of the Berry archaeological site and Living History Village at Catawba Meadows Park to the first session in a docent training, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Wall Center for Archaeological Research at 220 New St. in Morganton. Additional sessions will take place Feb. 10 and 24 and will involve working with school groups at the Living History Village and the Berry site. Those sessions also will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information or to register, visit https://exploringjoara.org/ejf-docent-volunteers/. SATURDAY, APRIL 27 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. Burke Countys unemployment rate has been hovering at or above 3% for a while now. But its not because of a lack of jobs in the area. At a rate of 3.3% for October, there were 1,343 people in the workforce out of a job. That was up from 3.1% in September, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce. There are job openings in Burke County in retail, food, manufacturing, education, government, prisons and even the FBI. The FBI has four job postings for agents in Burke County with mathematics and STEM backgrounds, according www.ncworks.gov. Because technology permeates every aspect of what we do, we need logical thinkers experienced in network security, computer science, software engineering, mathematical formulation and more, the job postings read. The requirements include a bachelors degree, strict standards of conduct, rigorous background checks, physical fitness requirements and 19 weeks spent at the FBI Academy at Quantico, the postings say. The selection process for an agent typically takes one year or more to complete, it says. And the yearly salary ranges from $78,000 to $153,000, with the position range in North Carolina between $45,000 to $77,000, according to the postings. The N.C. Department of Adult Corrections is looking for people to fill around five positions in Burke County including a food services officer, judicial services coordinator, correctional case manager, a licensed mental health professional and a dentist. If law enforcement and corrections arent what youre looking for, there are multiple job openings in local government available in Burke. The city of Morganton has openings for a wastewater treatment plant operator, part-time concession worker, part-time banquet server, administrative specialist in recreation, knuckleboom operation in sanitation, building inspector, senior planner and main street manager. Food service job openings are aplenty in Burke, with places such as Arbys, Burger King, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cracker Barrel, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Wendys and Sonic looking for workers. Like Burke County, the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton saw its unemployment rate rise slightly to 3.3% in October, up from 3.2% in September. With a labor force of 176,889, that means 5,785 people are out of work, commerce department figures show. The state unemployment rate in October also was 3.3%. The commerce department is expected to release the state rate for November on Friday, Dec. 22. Midnight arrests Two Butte men were arrested just after midnight Monday following a call to dispatch about a suspicious vehicle in the 1200 block of Farrell. The driver of the suspicious vehicle was Timothy K. McDermott, 48, who told the officer he was waiting for a friend. The officer then learned McDermott had numerous warrants out for his arrest, including a $50,000 warrant out of Jefferson County. He also had in his possession a syringe filled with a liquid suspected to be drugs and an empty syringe. He was also jailed for criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. Meanwhile, Justin L. Petersen, 40, was found in a nearby alley, and when questioned, gave the officer a fictitious name. The officer soon learned his real identity and that Petersen had warrants out for his arrest issued by the Montana Highway Patrol. He was also jailed for obstructing a peace officer. Absconder apprehended A call came in Sunday about an unwanted man at the Richest Hill Casino, 22 W. Galena St. When officers arrived, Scott D. Hockaday, 46, of Butte had already left but was found near the intersection of Montana and Mercury streets. Turns out Hockaday was an absconder from Adult Probation & Parole and was taken to jail for probation violation. First offense A woman told police Sunday that Mark S. Sholey, 32, of Butte had pushed her to the ground at a residence in the 500 block of West Woolman Street. He was arrested for partner or family member assault, first offense. Taken into custody While out on patrol near Ace Hardware, an officer noticed that a car appeared to be avoiding him. The officer stopped the car and its driver, Allen D. James, 55, of Butte exited the vehicle. James, the officer learned, had warrants out for his arrest out of Butte-Silver Bow, Gallatin and Anaconda-Deer Lodge. He was taken into custody. Weekend reports Tool boxes were stolen from a truck parked in the 400 block of North Wyoming Street. Loss was estimated at $1,000. A fence was damaged by an unknown vehicle on Crying George Lane. A witness saw the vehicle leaving at a high rate of speed, but police investigating the incident could not find it. An inmate got out of the Butte jail only to find his 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada was gone from Walmart. Police arrived at Walmart to inform a woman that she was no longer welcome in Walmart ever. A vehicle parked in the 2200 block of Walnut Street was hit with eggs, and the eggs froze to the car. The window of a recreational vehicle parked near the intersection of Dakota and Holland streets was broken. Entry was made inside the RV, but nothing appeared to be missing. While parked in the 1900 block of Walnut Street, a 2010 Dodge Caravan was broken into. A backpack, which contained a computer, was taken. The rear window of a 1998 Ford pickup was shattered in the 2000 block of Grand Avenue. Taken was a backpack filled with clothing. Many Butte residents take a perverse pride in pointing out the slag canyon off Montana Street. The roadside curiosity provides tangible historical evidence of Buttes smelting history. After all, Butte wasnt just a mining town, as local curmudgeons frequently remind the EPA. Slag canyon fans might be relieved to hear that the black walls looming above Silver Bow Creek will mostly remain after Superfund remediation occurs at the Butte Reduction Works. The creek will be moved to a meandering channel within a new 100-year floodplain after excavation concludes of soils contaminated with metals. That work wont happen for a while. Remedial design work by Atlantic Richfield is about 30% complete. Meanwhile, demolition work at the Butte Reduction Works site west of Montana Street in Butte is likely to move forward in the days and weeks ahead. During the upcoming work, an Atlantic Richfield contractor will demolish a few segments of slag walls which occupy various portions of the nearly 24-acre site as well as a furnace foundation, a hulking manganese ore bin and an above-ground diesel storage tank. Workers will remove the nose of the slag walls formation where Silver Bow Creek passes beneath Montana Street to allow the creek to curve into its new channel. The Butte Reduction Works site once housed a smelter that processed ores from mines in Butte and elsewhere. The most visible lingering remnant is the slag canyon. Once the remedial work relocates Silver Bow Creek, a trail will take its place and pass between the slag walls, which were sited along the creek starting in 1894 to try to prevent tailings from entering the stream. The Butte Reduction Works smelter area is but one location within the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, a federal Superfund site. It and other metals-contaminated locations in Butte trace their origins to the citys long and colorful history of mining and smelting. The Butte Reduction Works smelter, built in 1883, processed ore into copper, zinc and manganese. The smelter operated under a few different owners before being purchased by Copper King William Clark in 1887. Smoke from the open heap roasting of ores contributed to dangerously unhealthy air in Butte. At least one death, a 6-year-old girl living on East Mercury Street, was attributed to the smoke, according to Dick Gibson, a Butte historian. Gibson said Buttes mayor in the late 1890s was threatening to arrest the manager of the Butte Reduction Works because of its contribution to air pollution. Now, as Superfund work in Butte continues, the above-ground demolition precedes the excavation and removal of toxic wastes at Butte Reduction Works that will happen during remediation. Jenna Kaplan, as a graduate student in geoscience at Montana Technological University, studied the slag walls at the Butte Reduction Works. Her recommendations included moving the creek. Because Silver Bow Creek passes directly through the Butte Reduction Works slag walls, there is a possibility of release of certain metals from the slag to the stream water, she wrote. Kaplan cited a study by Fredric Quivik that describes slag from historical industrial practices as a cultural resource. Some people would like to keep the (slag) walls up to serve as a form of industrial archeology or a way to display the once strong mining industry of Butte, she wrote. The slag walls hold some historical significance for cultural preservation, as they are associated with events that contribute to Buttes history, lives of significant persons, and contain information important to the early history of Montana and the western U.S. Professor Chris Gammons, Ph.D., was Kaplans adviser during her masters research. He offered a synopsis of her findings about the slag walls. In a nutshell, they are not nearly as bad of a waste as the tailings or waste rock piles all over Butte, Gammons said. But they do have metals in them (zinc, copper, etc.), and they do have secondary coatings on the outside that could dissolve and leach metals into nearby waters during a rain event. Meanwhile, Atlantic Richfield and Butte-Silver Bow County have not yet identified the location or locations for a repository that would accept contaminated soils and sediments from the Butte Reduction Works and other sites in the Silver Bow Creek Corridor. Options under review include a site near Centerville and the Berkeley Pit. Until then, the existing Butte Mine Waste Repository will receive the wastes. Butte-Silver Bow operates asphalt and crushing operations at the Butte Reduction Works site. Those operations eventually will move to Beef Trail Road. A man who as a boy dreamed of being a pilot has assumed command of the Montana Air National Guard 120th Airlift Wing. Brig. Gen. Buel Dickson, assistant adjutant general for the Montana Air National Guard, presided over the ceremony Friday passing leadership responsibility from Col. Trace Thomas, who has led the command since 2017, to Col. David Smith. Smith, according to a MANG news release, went to school in Cascade and wanted to be a pilot since he was young. After high school, he was introduced to an Air National Guard recruiter by a family friend. Smith on Friday thanked the family members and wingmen who helped him in his career and helped him join the Montana Air National Guard. Drive, Dont Be Driven said Smith. Something clicked in my head I said to myself, the rest of my career is about giving back. Everything I do now is for you, its to thank all of you for this opportunity. Smith joined the Montana Air National Guard in 1990 and has seen the 120th Airlift Wing transition through missions and airframes. Smith also addressed the conversion to the C-130J model aircraft that the wing has been selected as a preferred location to receive. Our conversion can seem like a very scary thing for those who are going to have their jobs impacted but let me assure you that if you want to stay at this Wing, we will find a way for you to stay at this Wing, said Smith. Ive talked to Airmen affected in Operations many times and assured them we will find places for people; we do not want to lose members. Smith also called upon the 120th to innovate and advance with the pride and dedication that he has come to expect from the airmen in the Montana Air National Guard. We know what it takes, and we know what we need to do, said Smith. Im challenging you right now to take your shops to the next level. Dont be driven by this is the way have always done things, this is the easiest way to do it. Challenge yourself to make yourselves and your shops better. Thomas has been selected to lead as chief of staff for the Montana Air National Guard. In addition, he has been selected for promotion to the rank of brigadier general in January. The 120th Airlift Wing, which flies the C-130 Hercules, has a state and federal mission. The federal mission is to maintain well-trained, well-equipped units available for prompt mobilization during war and provide assistance during national emergencies, anytime, anywhere. When not mobilized or under federal control, it reports to the governor. As a STEM teacher, Pamela Joslyn is always eager to learn more about her chosen fields of science, for her own sake and so she can continue bringing new things to her students at Muscatines Susan Clark Jr. High. Recently, Joslyn was able to embark on a once in a lifetime learning opportunity through being one of the few teachers in the country selected for this years Albert Einstein Distinguished Teaching Fellowship. Joslyn has completed her first year of the fellowship, with the rest of it going into 2024. Joslyn said she had heard about the fellowship somewhere online several years ago, it was only after hearing about it from a fellow teacher at a science teacher convention that she decided to try applying for it herself. A year or so after applying, Joslyn was interviewed before finally being accepted a week later, as one of only 16 teachers nationwide who were selected for the 2023-2024 fellowship. While the fellowship has different fields and programs, Joslyn was selected to work with Naval STEM starting mid-August of this year. She said those who interviewed her seemed interested in her focus on community partnerships. I think (the selection) was based on our overall experiences and what we do, our passions for STEM education and how we can apply our knowledge and experience to bring that to a national level, Joslyn said. I think the basing is just on our desire and willingness to learn. During the fellowship, Joslyn and the other selected teachers have been living in Washington D.C. Theres four of us within the Department of Defense and five of us on Capital Hill," she said. "Theres also some who are with the National Science Foundation, two with the USGS Office and one with NASA. Its just kind of a variety of areas. She has been doing some extensive traveling to places such as San Diego to tour different ships such as the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt and facilities like NAS North Island. Joslyn added that one of her most memorable and coolest experiences has been being able to interview research scientists both at the Office of Naval Research and on-site at their labs. Im just learning every aspect Seeing all of the (science and engineering) opportunities that the Navy and the Department of Defense provides has been amazing, I didnt realize prior to all of this that the Dept. of Defense is the number one employer of all STEM jobs in the United States, she said. Beyond all that shes learned, Joslyn added she has also been inspired through the programs unique Professional Development sessions, which take place twice a month and typically use different settings such as the Library of Congress to provide exciting means of learning and teaching. With this, Joslyn said that she is looking forward to bringing all of what shes learned back to her classroom, hoping to show students interested in the STEM field different paths that they might not have known about before. Just looking at (the fellowship) from a research lens, its been a way to understand and figure out how we, as educators, can do a better job at integrating various content areas into the classroom, allowing students to know about the career opportunities, she said. For high school or college students already interested in Naval STEM, Joslyn encouraged them to visit the Naval Horizons website at https://www.navalhorizons.us/ to take advantage of its upcoming scholarships, essay contests and other program opportunities. Gerri Lynn Lester stood outside the River Centers 2nd Street entrance Tuesday morning wrapped in a flag that read: Make America Great Again. The 56-year-old made the 50-minute drive from Galesburg to downtown Davenport to see Donald J. Trumps town hall meeting, an event moderated by Fox News pundit Sean Hannity. Like every other person in the line, Lester warded off the cold temperature while waiting to see the former president of the United States, who she hopes will reclaim the position next November. I was a Democrat until Obamas second term, Lester said as she clutched a cup of coffee in one hand and a stuffed Trumpy Bear in the other. I saw Donald Trump in Mendon (Illinois), and I drove up to Davenport when he was at the Adler. When Donald Trump was president, that was the best Ive ever done. I live on my own and support myself, and Im hurting right now. Bidenomics is bad for the country. Trumps Davenport town hall comes ahead of the fourth Republican primary debate, which the former president is not expected to attend. Four candidates qualified for Wednesdays debate in Alabama Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump hasnt attended the previous three debates. Ramaswamys campaign resonated with at least one Trump supporter in Tuesdays line. Tyler Van Akin, a 22-year-old Palmer College of Chiropractic student, said he could see Ramaswamy as Trumps vice president. Donald Trump puts America first, Van Akin said. And Ramaswamy puts America first and Trump first. And my dark horse for VP is Tucker Carlson. He believes in nationalism, in America first. Van Akin considered the extreme nationalism of Ramaswamy and Carlson. They are extreme, thats true, Van Akin said. They are extreme in the sense that they believe in America first above all other things. And you know what, that extreme nationalism makes me even more sure it is time to put America first. America is the greatest nation on earth. And Donald Trump will make sure we stay that way. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed DeSantis in early November, and has campaigned with the Florida governor and appeared in advertising promoting him. Reynolds endorsement broke with tradition. Typically, Iowas governors have stayed neutral in the lead-up to the first-in-the-nation caucuses. Trump has criticized Reynolds of disloyalty to him, and his campaign released an ad of their own in the past week with clips of Reynolds praising Trump at past rallies and events. Emilee Schemidt and Cheryl Newport echoed Trumps criticism of Reynolds. Both women are from Bettendorf and serve as caucus captains. I was very disappointed to hear (Reynolds) endorse DeSantis, said Schemidt, a 40-year-old who said she only came to the Trump camp after the Democrats betrayed Bernie (Sanders). I have no idea why Reynolds would have done that, Schemidt said. She promised not to do that until after the caucus. I think she was promised something, but that is just my opinion. Newport is 62 and said she supports Trump because she is a grandmother of five. I caucused for Trump in 2016, and Im happy to be here, Newport said. I was 100% surprised by what Reynolds did. I was hugely disappointed and immediately sent her office a message. I told her that she is on the wrong side of history. This is Trumps third visit to Scott County in 2023. He held a rally in Davenport in March and made a stop at a Davenport restaurant following Sept. 20 events in Maquoketa and Dubuque. The line to see Tuesdays town hall swelled to about 170 by 12:30 p.m. smaller than the line of supporters Trump attracted when he was in Davenport in March. Across 2nd Street, posted on the sidewalk outside Major Art & Hobby Center, stood the events lone dissenter. Rudy Hernandez wore the Guy Fawkes mask made iconic by the film V for Vendetta and worn by members of the Occupy Wall Street movement. He held a sign that read Lock Him Up and said he didnt mind being the only person on 2nd Street openly opposing Trump. Dissent always starts with one, said the 75-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran who served as a medic during the Vietnam war. Im here to support all veterans and to fight for the Constitution of the United States. This is the greatest country in the world, and Im not going to sit around while we reelect an autocrat who encouraged people to overthrow our government on Jan. 6. Our country is greater than Donald Trump. Sarah Watson contributed to this report. SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man who beat a murder charge last month was identified by police as the victim of a Sunday night homicide. At 11:58 p.m. Sunday, police responded to a call of shots fired in the 500 block Ninth St. At the scene, they found 31-year-old Nathaniel John Parker III with a single gunshot wound. Parker was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident remains under investigation. On Nov. 7, a Woodbury County jury found Parker guilty of assault causing bodily injury for the Feb. 24 death of William Harlan Jr., who was fatally stabbed in the back seat of a car in which Parker was riding with him. Parker had been charged with first-degree murder and had faced an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole. Instead, he was found guilty of the lesser charge, a serious misdemeanor that carries a one-year jail sentence. Parker had been in jail since his Feb. 24 arrest. After the Nov. 7 verdict, District Judge Jeffrey Neary, who presided over his trial, ordered Parker to be released from custody on his own recognizance pending a Nov. 21 sentencing hearing. At 4:38 a.m. on Nov. 8, hours after getting out of jail, Parker was found climbing up a fire escape in the same block where he would be shot month less than a month later. He was drunk, half naked and had a minor stab wound. Parker was booked into the Woodbury County Jail early on Nov. 8 on a charge of public intoxication, a simple misdemeanor. He pleaded guilty and received a one-day suspended jail sentence. On Nov. 21, Neary sentenced Parker to probation for the stabbing. He gave Parker credit for 221 days served in jail while awaiting trial and suspended a one-year jail sentence on a charge of assault causing bodily injury. Neary sentenced him to 30 days in jail on a related drug possession charge, and credited Parker for time served. Parker was placed on probation for one year.